tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2064510714087685842024-03-13T17:13:43.945-07:00The Double-U ShowThe Double-U Showhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16376079648798843081noreply@blogger.comBlogger24125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-206451071408768584.post-38746226705063712532007-10-18T19:45:00.000-07:002007-10-18T19:48:42.874-07:00Enough SaidGreat College Football Season Still Marred by BCS<br />By John Feinstein<br />Special to washingtonpost.com <br />Monday, October 15, 2007; 5:26 PM<br /><br /><br />Midway through the college football season, a strong argument can be made that there has never been a year quite like this one.<br /><br />All you need to do is go down the list of teams that truly matter right now to draw that conclusion: South Florida, Boston College, Kansas, Arizona State and Hawaii are undefeated. South Carolina, Kentucky, Cincinnati, Missouri, California and Texas Tech have all played important roles in the season to date and are still worthy of national attention.<br /><br /> Discussion Policy<br />Stanford beat Southern California in Los Angeles.<br /><br />Oklahoma State beat Nebraska by 31 points.<br /><br />Heck, even Duke won a game.<br /><br />Oh sure, some of the usual suspects are still in the national title picture: Ohio State is ranked No. 1 and appears dominant in a weak Big Ten. LSU and Oklahoma are still factors, even with one loss on their resumes.<br /><br />But let's face it, the game has changed -- all for the better -- in ways most of us never believed possible. South Florida-Boston College for the national championship? It could happen.<br /><br />And yet, the sport has not changed in the way that matters most: it still will not produce a true national champion. Computers and sportswriters and people who know nothing about football (check the list of voters in the Harris poll) will play a role in deciding who gets to play in the championship game. A school like Hawaii, even if it runs the table, has no chance to play for the title, just as Boise State had no chance a year ago even though it went 13-0.<br /><br />Every single reasonable person in the country knows the BCS is the single worst creation there is in sports. It is the creation of a group of selfish, money-mongering college presidents who couldn't care less about what is best for the so-called student-athletes, couldn't care less about the fans who go to the games and, most of all, couldn't care less about fairness.<br /><br />"Show Me the Money" is and has been the mantra of the BCS school presidents forever. What's both sad and ironic is that these over-educated, self-important frauds would actually make more money for their schools if they were willing to give up just a little bit of the absolute power they currently wield.<br /><br />If big-time college football ever went to a playoff system -- you choose whether it would be an eight-, 12- or 16-team tournament -- the amount of money that would be thrown at the schools would be mind-boggling. It would more than make up for the fact that the BCS schools would have to divide the money up fairly rather than keeping almost all of it for themselves, as they do now.<br /><br />Please do not make the weak argument about missed class time. The BCS presidents had no problem adding a 12th regular season game -- which is almost always a home game against a weak opponent played strictly for money -- but begin whining nonstop about their "student-athletes" whenever a playoff is brought up. Of course, almost the entire playoff could easily take place between semesters and would involve far less missed class time than the NCAA basketball tournament, but they don't want to hear that.<br /><br />They have also long ago forfeited the right to make any claims about football becoming too "commercial," given that most have sold naming rights to their stadiums; have corporate sponsors for just about anything they can make an extra dollar on and allow television to take three- to four-minute timeouts that are miserable for everyone in the stadium to sit through, not to mention robbing most games of any flow at all. And that list doesn't include playing games that end nearly at midnight on any night of the week -- what about the 'student-athletes?'<br /><br />Sadly, the one man who might be able to do something about this hypocrisy, NCAA President Myles Brand, has chosen to simply sit this one out. Whenever he is asked about the BCS, he just shakes his head sadly and says he has no control over it. The BCS schools are, basically, an independent cartel outside the purview of the NCAA.<br /><br />What a cop out. All Brand has to do is use his influence as the NCAA president to get the non-BCS presidents to vote on one simple amendment to the NCAA charter: If a school wishes to participate in one NCAA-sanctioned tournament, it must participate in all NCAA-sanctioned tournaments. That would mean that if the NCAA started a football playoff for its division I-A member schools, all schools would have to take part or lose their shot at making the NCAA basketball tournament. How many schools do you think would want to give up that money, not to mention having all their non-revenue teams banned from NCAA participation?<br /><br />It's that easy. But Brand won't do it. He and his cohorts in Indianapolis are too busy changing the names of division 1-A and division 1-AA and passing rules to make sure basketball coaches stay inside coaching boxes. Brand, an ex-college president himself, simply doesn't want to upset his former colleagues and doesn't want to risk having them come after his job by angering them.<br /><br />It would take some guts for Brand to take on the BCS presidents. Like most who have been college presidents, Brand has no stomach for any kind of fight. College presidents are great at taking bows and asking people for money. When it comes to showing leadership or making tough decisions, they can usually be found hiding under a desk someplace.<br /><br />What's saddest about all this is just how much fun a football tournament would be for everyone. Even if South Florida loses to Rutgers this Thursday, the Bulls should still be a part of a postseason tournament if they win out. So should Hawaii, along with all the usual suspects who would make the field, too. The best number for the tournament would be 12. Why? Because that way, the argument that the BCS system makes the regular season important would go away. Four teams would get byes -- you think that would make every game important? Four teams would host first round games -- you think that would make every game important? And the last four spots would be up for grabs -- think that would make every game important?<br /><br />Of course it would. What makes the basketball tournament magical isn't Florida winning back-to-back titles or Duke and Arizona making the tournament for the umpteenth year in a row; it is George Mason making the Final Four. It is Virginia Commonwealth beating Duke and Winthrop beating Notre Dame. You might not get upsets quite like that in football, but South Florida beating Southern Cal (or LSU or Ohio State, take your pick) or Hawaii playing a 48-45 game against Michigan or Oklahoma, would be pretty close to comparably cool.<br /><br />Those matchups can never happen until and unless there's a tournament.<br /><br />This year, more than ever, provides proof of why a tournament should exist. Let's hope that South Florida wins out and there are a half-dozen teams with one loss. Let's see what the reaction is when the computer picks -- just for argument's sake -- LSU, and Ohio State, Oklahoma, Boston College, Southern Cal and West Virginia, all with one loss, are told to enjoy their bowl trips but, sorry, you can't play for the national title.<br /><br />Only then might we hear some of the power schools campaigning for a tournament. Even then, the presidents will try to hold out so as not to give up any of their power or any of their money.<br /><br />The time for someone to point out that these people are emperors with no clothes has long since passed. It is time for everyone else who cares about college football to say, 'Enough.'<br /><br />There simply are no excuses left.The Double-U Showhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16376079648798843081noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-206451071408768584.post-32779634383865391492007-09-26T08:58:00.000-07:002007-09-26T09:47:30.567-07:00Pac 10 vs. The SECThis is a debate that has raged on since before the season started. It began with Louisana State's head coach Les Miles proclaiming that the University of Southern California has an easier road than any of the SEC teams. Being a student at Arizona State and having lived out west my entire life let me try and put my bias aside for a moment and comment on this:<br /><br />1. HE'S OFF BASE<br />Don't get me wrong. I love the SEC. They've got an insanely committed fan base, great teams, great stadiums, great traditions, and great players. A large portion of the NFL either played or was raised in SEC territory. There's no doubting their spremacy in the high school, college, and pro ranks especially in Florida. HOWEVER, you have to take a look at the early season schedules for the top teams. Your out of conference schedule matters hugely in college football and if you're just scheduling wins, then your road is definitely easier. Plus, all of the teams that are any good, the SEC has usually lost to. Let's take a peek:<br /><br />SEC in the first couple of weeks so far:<br />LSU schedules Mississippi State, a school it has murdered for god knows how many years and Sylvester Croom has won I think 9 games in three years, they're not a good football team<br /><br />Alabama vs. Western Carolina-WIN<br />Arkansas vs. Troy-WIN<br />Florida vs. Western Kentucky-WIN<br />South Caroilna vs. UL-Layfayette (WHO?!)-WIN<br />South Florida vs. Alabama-LOSS<br />Florida vs. Troy-WIN<br />Kentucky vs. Kent-WIN<br />Georgia vs. Western Carolina-WIN<br />LSU vs. Middle Tennessee-WIN<br />The only school that had the nerve to schedule a team that was worth anything was Tennessee and they got hammered at the hippie-fest known as Cal-Berkley. I'm not very fond of these teams scheduling so many W's. How are they able to prove they're the greatest conference if two teams are scheduling TROY!!?? <br /><br />PAC-10 on the other hand has had a much more impressive out of conference scheduling:<br />Washington vs. Syracuse<br />Utah at Oregon State<br />San Jose State vs. Arizona State<br />Colorado vs. Arizona State<br />Tennessee at California<br />Arizona at BYU<br />Washington State vs. Wisconsin<br />Oregon State vs. Cincinnati<br />Boise State at Washington<br />California at Colorado State<br />Houston at Oregon<br />Oregon at Michigan<br />San Diego State at Washington State<br /><br />Within the first three weeks of the season there is only one team that is scheduled that's not a 1-A school, my alma mater, Northern Arizona University. They played a team that's the weakest in the Pac-10, Arizona. This game isn't just about scheduling a W though, at least 20% of the people that attend NAU are originally from Tucson and this game is great for NAU and U of A students to reconnect with friends who went to a different school. Aside from that, LOOK AT THE PAC-10 SCHEDULE! All of those teams are Division 1-A schools. NO TROYS! NO UL-LAYFAYETTES! None of these schools that get killed every time they step on the field. These teams like San Jose State, Boise State, Michigan, Cincinnati, and Utah have all either been ranked in the last three years or appeared in a bowl game and that's just off the top of my head. <br /><br />I'm not saying the Pac-10 is years better than the SEC. The SEC is literally RIGHT behind the Pac-10, but I really couldn't see Georgia or South Carolina beating Arizona State or California right now. Until the SEC schedules tougher out of conference games like the Pac-10 then I have to say the Pac-10 is better.The Double-U Showhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16376079648798843081noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-206451071408768584.post-5256691527796569422007-09-24T07:02:00.000-07:002007-09-24T17:55:08.017-07:00Quarterbacks<div>This article is in response to Donovan McNabb's statemenet saying that "black quarterbacks have a tougher time than white quarterbacks." Being black and a football fan I felt it was my duty to weigh in on this situation (as if you care). I've got a few thoughts on the issue and some others on quarterbacks....</div><br /><div> </div><br /><div><strong>1. He's wrong, but to a certain extent he MIGHT be right</strong></div><br /><div>I've never been a quarterback in the NFL in one of the toughest cities in the country (Philadelphia) so my information is obviously based off my personal experience as a university advisor and world-wide badass. But before I take a bite out of McNabb let me say that at a certain point he might be somewhat right. Let's say, as a quarterback, you have 10 people and 9 that say "you suck!" when you throw a pick. But as a black quarterback that 10th one says, "you suck N***er!" Should a Pro-Bowl quarterback like McNabb be worried about that 10% of jokers out there that say something so stupid and moronic? Absolutely not. But is it the first or last time this happens? Absolutely not. Does it stick with you? Yes. Does it disappoint you and make you think that some people may feel the same way, but they're just not saying it? Yes..............With that aside, WAKE UP DONOVAN! Sports is at the point now where black quarterbacks are no longer a novel idea. Hell, the top quarterback in the SEC last year was JaMarcus Russell. There's six starting quarterbacks in the league right now and many more that were too athletic to play the position so they were moved to another one. Black quarterbacks are in fact less rare than white running backs right now. Do white running backs have more pressure? No. What about white receivers? No. As I mentioned earlier that's one of the great things about sports is that you may be purple, but if you can dunk a basketball or catch a knuckleball you're going to start. Donovan has probably faced some racism in his life, but it shouldn't decide his life. He's earned the respect of everyone in the sports world through his play and his leadership which is how it should work in America. Besides, who are the most hated quarterbacks in the league right now? Leinart? Grossman? Harrington? None of them black....</div><br /><div> </div><br /><div><strong>2. The disconnect between college (running) and pro (passing) quarterbacks</strong></div><br /><div>I think part of the reason this issue still comes up is because college football actually works against some quarterbacks in this area. Guys like Tim Tebow and the kid from West Virginia (White I think his name is) have yet to prove to the nation that they're capable of throwing the ball downfield, an invaluable trait in the NFL. However, this works out great for their current team. In college football there are huge gaps in between guys that are NFL fast and college fast. Alex Smith and Vince Young were NFL fast while everyone else was a step behind during college. Now, they have to step up their game. I've seen Alex Smith go for the sideline against some guys in the NFL and they chase him down like a hungry lion chasing a buffalo. In college, he would have turned it upfield and have been gone. Basically, being a running quarterback in college is a GREAT thing. It's exciting and useful. However, if doesn't prepare them for the NFL</div><br /><div> </div><br /><div><strong>3. Rex Gross-man needs to go</strong></div><br /><div>I don't have NFL Sunday Ticket so I don't know a lot about a hell of a lot of the NFL. But Rex Grossman is one of the quarterbacks that I've seen the most since he became a starter and I can say perfectly well that he...well....sucks. The forgettable Monday night debacle by the Cardinals in 2006 showed me that Rex Grossman didn't have what it took. The Cardinals D was good, but he was making them look like the '85 Bears ironically enough. So I started watching him some more. I started looking at his decision making. I started looking at how long he holds the ball. How fast his release was. And his confidence. The only thing that I can say is good is his confidence which is solid proof that he's not sucking because he's nervous. He's sucking just because he sucks. Go to <a href="http://www.suntimes.com/">http://www.suntimes.com</a> and check out how bad this guy is getting blistered. Chicago wants a winner, not a scrub.</div><br /><div> </div><br /><div><strong>4. I'm not sold on Romo</strong></div><br /><div>There are some major benefits for playing for one of the most popular teams in the entire country, the Dallas Cowboys. You get a ton of press, get to make decisions, and as soon as you win a Super Bowl there your bust gets enshrined in the Hall even before you reitre. After watching him play last night I can say that he's got talent. But he doesn't have talent like Peyton Manning talent. Not Donovan McNabb talent. Not even Kurt Warner talent. He's got......Porn Star Jenna Jameson talent. Basically it's things that anybody can really do, but he's getting a lot of love for it. He moves around in the pocket and finds open receivers. It's simple, it's easy, and it turns people on, like Jenna Jameson taking one in the......never mind. His confidence is up and it's driving his ability. But wait until people start catching on. They'll clamp down and make his life harder. The difference between mediocre quarterbacks in the lague and great ones is the great ones rise above being figured out, but for right now, I'm not sold on Romo (doesn't his name sound like a nickname? Like it should be Romonina or something? Check his green card!).</div><br /><div><strong></strong> </div><br /><div><strong>5. College quarterbacks have not been impressing me</strong></div><br /><div>I try to watch as much college football as possible (I LOVE IT), but as far as the top teams are concerned I'm not impressed with their quarterback ability. Defenses? I'm totally impressed. I just watched the Kentucky/Arkansas game again last night and there was nothing about the quarterback play that overwhelmed me. The Kentucky defense? That thing is for real. To a certain extent, I think that's a great thing for college football. For so long the pro-style offenses have dominated the college level. The defenses have been largely ignored and/or exposed completely. I'm not a huge fan of 3-0 games, but great defensive players in college are usually overlooked by everyone. Look at Patrick Willis of the San Francisco 49ers and formerly of Ole Miss. This guy is AWESOME. He is fast, he's straong, smart, and athletic. WE NEVER HEARD ABOUT HIM. I hope they keep punishing quarterbacks so many more defensive players can get the notariety they deserve. </div><br /><div> </div><br /><div>Alright, back to my thesis. I'm doing a litereature review on if there are differences in sentencing between latinos, whites, and blacks in Maricopa County (Phoenix), Arizona........please pity me. </div>The Double-U Showhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16376079648798843081noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-206451071408768584.post-67125003472009579192007-09-15T15:39:00.000-07:002007-09-15T16:04:31.698-07:00A Comment on Pats Head Coach Bill Write-a-CheckBill Belichek did NOT get what he deserved and I'm completely ashamed of the NFL for not putting their foot down on this issue. A little background on the situation......Bill Belichek, the New England Patriots Head Coach had a camera of an assistant of his be confiscated during the Jets game on September 9th. Officials believe the Patriots employee was using the camera to steal signals from the Jets sideline, a complaint that has been made about the Patriots team before. Well, it was found that Belichek not only knew, but orchestrated a taping of the signals, a violation of NFL policy, and was slapped with a $500,000 fine, the maximum for a coach, the Pats were slapped with a $250,000 fine, and if the team makes the playoffs, they lose a 2nd and third round pick and if they don't make the playoffs they lose their two first round picks.<br /><br />This entire fiasco is a joke, but what's bothering me is those that are apologizing for what he did. In professional football it's difficult enough to try and gain an edge on the other team. They have a lot of good players. Your team has a lot of good players. Revenue sharing allows you to keep good players on bad teams like Matt Leinart, Vince Young, or Brett Favre so the ability to one-up a team is almost impossible. Unless of course you're a cheater like Bill Belichek. Here is why I hate what's gone on:<br /><br /><strong>1. Fining rich people money is playing into their game</strong><br />Bill Belichek is the orchestrator of three Super Bowl championships since the 2000 season which is virtually unheard of in today's salary cap market and this allowed him to not just become rich, but SUPER rich coaching football. $500,000 is going to make this all go away now. Let's say he gets fired from the Pats tomorrow. He picks up an assistant job with another team. He picks up a head coaching job in college. He goes into TV. He goes into radio. Frankly, he'll go into a job that will earn him $500,000 in a remarkably short amount of time in the worst case scenario. For what he did, that's bunk. Head coaches are supposed to have a higher moral character than everyone else on the team. They're a leader of men. They need to be charismatic, compelling, convincing, tough, supportive, and most importantly, HONEST. This act, recording signals of other teams to give them an unfair edge, calls into question all of the other qualities he has too.<br /><br /><strong>2. What about the draft pick?</strong><br />Although this is a less intended effect it will still change the life of an NFL hopeful. With the Patriots losing a draft pick that means only 31 teams instead of 32 are picking, leaving an odd man out. For a player coming out of college being a first rounder and a second rounder makes significant differences in playing time, money, and respect in the locker room. For the rest of that player's career he'll be known as the 2nd round pick from State University. The NFL didn't punish the Pats with this, they punised the player with this.<br /><br /><strong>3. "Hey, everybody's doing it."</strong><br />The weakest excuse for when you get caught. This excuse doesn't work with people doing 80 MPH in a school zone does it? Then why should it work for the Pats? Besides, there's not even a shred of proof that any other team was doing this dispicable act. It reminds me of a child that is trying to claim that "Johnny had his hand in the cookie jar too." Did the teacher see Johnny? NO. Did the teacher see you? YES. Clam it up and take your punishment.<br /><br /><strong>4. "It's to gain a competitive edge."</strong><br />There is a very fine line between cheating and gaining a competitive edge. If Bill Bellichek or one of his staff members HAPPENED to figure out a snap count, defensive signal, or offensive trick play through watching, learning, and adjusting then we could give the "master of half time adjustments" his fair shake. When you're RECORDING something like THAT, you lose any integrity that may have been involved in gaining an edge. There's a reason the NFL says that it is against the rules. It's the equivalent of going into their playbook, ripping out a couple of pages, photocopying them, studying them, then using them to your advantage. The NFL and all of the coaches understood the rule and why it's in place and unlike the Suns/Spurs dibacle where Amare and Boris Diaw jumped off the court in a moment of human reaction this was a coldly calculated plan by the HEAD COACH after the rule was put in place. It was a boneheaded move and he thought he would be able to get away from it. This team can kiss its credibility with the fans comopletey good bye. They may have some good will left with the press, but hey, the power of the internet is in OUR hands, not theirs.<br /><br />Let me just say on a personal note I've lost respect for the Patriots organization. They have shown a lack of class that only Barry Bonds has been able to duplicate. Did I mention Bill Bellichek was Nick Saban's best friend? Birds of a feather are snake-like together....The Double-U Showhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16376079648798843081noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-206451071408768584.post-71216703081360803102007-09-07T09:32:00.001-07:002007-09-10T07:37:15.520-07:00NFL WEEK 1 PICKSIt's the most wonderufl tiiiiime of the yeeeaaaarrr!! There are helmets-a-cracking, fans are a-cheering, and backs filled with feeeaaaarrrrrr, it's the most wonderful time of the yeeeaaaarrr. <br /><br /><br />Here are my week 1 picks for the greatest sport in the history of earth besides Badminton. All of my wrong picks are in red.<br /><br />Denver vs. Buffalo<br /><strong>Denver</strong><br /><strong></strong><br />Tennessee vs. Jacksonville<br /><strong>TENN</strong><br /><strong></strong><br />Miami vs. Washington<br /><strong>Washington</strong><br /><strong></strong><br />Carolina vs. St. Louis<br /><span style="color:#ff0000;"><strong>Saint Louis</strong><br /><strong></strong></span><br />New England vs. NYJ<br /><strong>New England</strong><br /><strong></strong><br />Atlanta vs. Minnesota<br /><span style="color:#ff0000;"><strong>Atlanta</strong><br /><strong></strong></span><br />Pittsburgh vs. Cleveland<br /><strong>PITT</strong><br /><strong></strong><br />Philadelphia vs. Green Bay<br /><span style="color:#ff0000;"><strong>Philly</strong> </span><br /><strong></strong><br />Kansas City vs. Houston<br /><strong><span style="color:#ff0000;">Kansas City</span></strong><br /><strong></strong><br />Tampa Bay vs. Seattle<br /><strong>Seattle</strong><br /><strong></strong><br />Chicago vs. San Diego<br /><strong>San Diego</strong><br /><strong></strong><br />Detroit vs. Oakland<br /><strong>Who cares, but Detroit</strong><br /><strong></strong><br />New York Giants vs. Dallas<br /><span style="color:#ff0000;"><strong>New York</strong><br /><strong></strong></span><br />Baltimore vs. Cincinnati<br /><strong>Baltimore</strong><br /><strong></strong><br />Arizona vs. San Francisco<br /><strong>Cardinals Baby!</strong><br /><strong></strong><br />It sucks my favorite team is the LAST game of the first week of the season. I'm dying here.The Double-U Showhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16376079648798843081noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-206451071408768584.post-7466083117009232402007-09-07T08:56:00.000-07:002007-09-15T15:39:11.035-07:00Things That Annoy Me About SportsI've been going on and on for a couple of months about how great I think sports are. In fact, sports and I getting married in San Diego on Sunday. I have to admit though that not everything in sports is that great and in an effort to be fair and honest I need to be able to have different angles on the world of sports. Of all of the things I love there are a number of things that get on my last damn nerve. Here is the start of the on-going list....<br /><br /><strong>1. The argument that college players should be paid for pay</strong><br />This is one of the most ridiculous arguments that I've ever heard. Some sports columnists that cover college sports, in particular college football, feel that athletes should get a piece of the financial pie. They feel that that they're responsible for bringing in revenue for not just the other sports, but for the students on campus as well...................................Now that I'm done laughing my ass off here is my rebuttal. These columnists don't realize that these guys aren't really "working" for this money that they're bringing in. College athletes are the most pampered college students you'll ever want to meet. They get tutors, they get first pick at their classes, many of them are on scholarship, and they get special treatment by administrators and professors on campus as they should, I mean, they're the stars. Those are just the legitimate benefits. Let's not forget these players get invited to every party, all of the girls want them on campus, they get national and local media exposure, and some even have a shot at a proffesional career. Those benefits KIND of make a difference in a 20 year old's life. In reference to the scholarships, the money these players receive, although not in cash, is extensively more than most scholarship students on campus. They get free food, free board, stay in fancy hotels, have access to world class training facilities, and get free text books, and oh yeah, free tuition. Never mind the fact only a small percentage of players even have a shot at giving the college team a national championship. I haven't even touched on the illegal benefits some of the players are privy to (Maurice Clarrett anyone?). Most teams have 85 scholarships to give away and maybe 10 of those guys will help the team win or even turn pro. Most of these guys are going to go on regular careers having had an easier path financially and socially than most students. If you're a communications major at Arizona State or a marine biology major at the University of Miami and a scholarship athlete, you're basically set for life...............for free. Columnists, wake up you jerks, education is still the most valuable investment ever made so these guys/gals aren't missing out.<br /><br /><strong>2. NFL Coverage on CBS</strong><br />UGGGGGH. If you have an HDTV like I do you understand exactly what I'm talking about. Is it against the f***ing LAW to not broadcast games in high definition on that channel??? They'll put Shannon Sharpe's country-time ass in high-def, but Tom Brady, NOPE! That would be out of the question. Get with it CBS, I understand you're an old person station, but HDTV's are becoming cheaper and more available and if you want us to continue to watch the games you need to put them in HD. You cheap (muffled cursing).....<br /><br /><strong>3. The Summer</strong><br />I can't think of a time where I hate watching sports more. Golf tournaments, baseball, tennis, and the WNBA dominate the sports world during the summer months and there's nothing I'd want to do LESS with my life. During the summer I'm usually the most productive around the house, I play with my kids a lot, go out with my wife, and catch up with my friends. These are all great things in my life, but it's obvious sports means a great deal to me and these so-called "sports" are fun to play, but boring as hell to watch. The sports world needs to shake up the seasons and start basketball in the summer along with baseball and keep hockey and footbal lin the fall. When it's 112 degrees in Phoenix all I want to do is watch some good games....<br /><br /><br /><strong>4. Guaranteed Contracts</strong><br />Chances are whatever you do for a living provides you with adequate compensation. My job does certainly. Now imagine if the CFO walks into your cubicle, offers you ten million dollars guaranteed, and says you can continue to do the job you're best at, how do you think that would change you? For most people, they would get lazier and feel more entitled. Welcome to the world of an NBA basketball player and an MLB baseball player. The more money you guarantee people the more likely they are to not give that extra effort. What do they have to work for? They've already got all of the money they need. If you fire them, they STILL get their money, it's a win-win situation for them, but a lose-lose situation for the fans and the teams. We get to watch guys fake injuries, have contract hold-outs, complain in the press, and not really give their all. Can we blame them though? We can't. It's human nautre, but it still annoys me about sports.<br /><br /><strong>5. How Serious Sports Can Be</strong><br />Don't get me wrong, I take sports more seriously than I should take most things in my life like my weight or the amount of sun I get, but that's just who I am. I live sports. I breathe sports. I am sports. But there's a point where that all stops. Although sports is a great leisure activity for me and a hobby, it gets pushed back on my list of prioroties harder than Chris Farley movies make me laugh when something else pops up. Simple things like my family, my friends, and work tend to have a greater piece of my heart than a Bills/Jets game. For some people, those things STILL don't matter. And by this I mean soccer fan especially. They waste their lives fighting, yelling racist slurs, and drinking their asses off before every match prior to their impending arrest. And for what? A soccer match? Get a life. Take up sewing. Start a book club. Work on the yard. Hit the gym. Just DO something else with your free time because you're embarrassing the rest of us. Work on your own happiness that way Thierry Henry doesn't have to provide that empty shell of a life, just an FYI.The Double-U Showhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16376079648798843081noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-206451071408768584.post-79424097052421487522007-08-31T10:29:00.000-07:002007-09-06T14:35:13.032-07:00More Reasons Why I Love Sports<strong>28. Starting Line-ups</strong><br /><br />Starting lineups are great as a player AND a fan. As a player, it gets you totally jazzed to have your name called out loud as you run out onto the court or field and all eyes are on YOU. You feel the crowd's energy and excitement just because they're calling names. As a fan it gets you pumped to see all of your team's players run out onto the field. The best part is when the best player is called last....."At guard, from North Carolina, Number 23, Michaeeeeelllllll Jooooooordan!!!!" In what other capacity do you get that kind of treatment? Could you imagine when you're coming home your wife fires up the microphone and says, "And at the father position, from Northern Arizona University, standing 5'11", Jooooooooosh Hamilllltooooooonnnn!!" A nice touch would be lazers and those smokes machines too.....<br /><br /><br /><br /><strong>29. Colin Cowherd</strong><br /><br />For those of you who don't know who he is Colin Cowherd is literally the best radio show host in America. Lucky for me he does a syndicated show on ESPN radio every day from 7 am to 10 pm PST. His show is funny, insightful, knowledgable, and entertaining. He helps make my time sitting in front of this computer at work that much less painful. He doesn't just do X's and O's either. He talks about how sports really affect our lives, he makes comparisons, talks about social issues, and he's honest, totally honest. At first, I hated the guy. I think it was his honesty that bugged me and I wasn't used to it. But like any intelligent person I listened, thought about what he said, and eventually I started agreeing with most of the things he commented on. They made sense. He truly is one of the greatest radio hosts ever. You should listen to him. You can start here at <a href="http://www.espnradio.com/">http://www.espnradio.com/</a>.<br /><br /><br /><strong>30. Walk-Off Home Runs</strong><br />Ask any Detroit Tigers fans how it felt when Magglio "my name is strange as hell" Ordonez hit that homer to send them to the World Series? Walk-Off home runs are some of the most dragged out, painful, joyous, and anticipatory events in sports. Seeing the ball sail in the air wondering if it's going to hit the ground, hit the wall, hit the foul pole, or if the outfield is going to make SportCenter just adds to the excitement. It's not like a desperation three pointer from half court in basketball to where you KNOW it won't go in. It's not like a 25 yard field goal where you KNOW it WILL go in. And it's not like hockey where you KNOW you won't give a damn what happens. I've been fortunate to see a walk-off home run by Erubiel Durazo when he was with the Diamondbacks in 2002 and in what seemed like a lifetime he ended the Blue Jays hopes of coming back. Game over. Get off the field. Winning team celebrate. Losing team try not to trip on the way to the clubhouse.<br /><br /><strong>31. SEC Football</strong><br />Let me be frank. I've got my issues with the southeastern United States. I've never been there, but I've read a history book or two and it seems like the South just has things ass backwards. Blacks and whites still are separated from one another largely. They're the poorest region in the country. They're the least educated. They talk very distinctively. There's a stereotype that they're dumb. And let's not forget that whole slavery thing. However, if it's one conference that I'll watch right next to the Pac-10 (Go Sun Devils!) it's the SEC. The fans LIVE for college football. A fellow blogger (LeftLeaningLady) is a huge Gators fan and you can just tell it runs through her veins. This isn't uncommon. There's no pro teams that can compete and there's no rival football conferences. Each team in the conference is a rival. Every other team in the NCAA is just an obstacle. It's amazing to see that EVERY TEAM in the SEC is a rival of the other. Some teams are hated more than others, but even LSU vs. Missi-crappy State brings out the entire region!The Double-U Showhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16376079648798843081noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-206451071408768584.post-77162263531691440572007-08-15T08:32:00.000-07:002007-08-29T16:17:12.692-07:00Matches Made in Hell: Hip-Hop and SportsAnother one of my revelations here on this blog is that I am a huge rap music fan. It started back when I was 11 years old and the West Coast Rap (Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Eazy-E, Dogg Pound Gangsters, etc.) scene was on FIRE! For once there was rap music available to us that talked about low riders, palm trees, and lazy summer days. So for all of you that think that I'm just trying to hate on rappers in general you're wrong. I can appreciate rap music as much as anybody and here is my top five list of rappers all time<br /><br /><br />1. Tupac, 2. Dead Tupac, 3. Biggie Smalls, 4. Scarface, 5. Jay-Z. This list is inarguable and I defy you to say anything different! Anyway, rap music has contributed to a problem in many black communities that has stretched into professional sports.....Life is beginning to immitate art. Here are the reasons why I think that this match is ultimately made in hell.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><strong>Some people don't understand that "Thug Life" is not a realistic way to live if you're playing sports</strong><br /><br /><br />Football players are probably the worst at this because of their inflated sense of toughness and ability to intimidate. In college for some reason is when many players think they're the most"thugged out." Never mind that many of these guys are pampered college students at a major university, they "ain't going to let no punk ass bitch stare at them that way." Frequently these dudes, yes dudes, get themselves in a ton of trouble. They end up stabbed, arrested, beat down, or in some cases kicked off the team. These guys don't ask themselves if it's worth it or if they should do something else, they just figure that in order to be thug, they can't back down. It's a stupid way of life.<br /><br /><strong>Immaturity is rampant in hip-hop</strong><br />Gold chains, 26 inch rims, fancy cars, big homes, a ton of girls.....these are all qualities that children think are a good idea. Wasting your money on things that are fleeting. These things can be re-posessed, taken away, or stolen. Good investments, smart business decisions, and saving money are not things that ever go out of style. Those in the hip hop culture often lack the foresight to see that all of the aforementioned things aren't really worth your time. These things are called luxuries for a reason. Some athletes aren't any different. They have the same women, cars, and homes as most rappers. Here's the problem. The life of a professional athlete isn't nearly as lucrative as a lot of rappers. Rappers can rap until they're old and gray. You can only dunk with authority until you're 36. There's a lot of living ahead of you, please be smart with the dough....<br /><br />This is a short post, but I'll have more stuff up soon. I just started classes again and I've got a TON of stuff to discuss, thanks!The Double-U Showhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16376079648798843081noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-206451071408768584.post-79131993805371021192007-08-09T15:24:00.000-07:002007-08-09T15:54:50.897-07:00Dear Mr. BondsAn Letter to Barry Bonds,<br /><br />Mr. Bonds, first I wanted to congratulate you on your most incredible of feats. Hitting that many home runs requires patience, strength, committment, and longevity. People stopped pitching to you for much of your career and you still managed to do something great. As a soon to be alumnus of Arizona State University I understand how much you meant to the progression of our quality baseball program en route to MLB superstardom as well.......<br /><br />With that aside, you suck. For over a decade you have crushed some of the most important records in all of sports. Normally, of course, that wouldn't be a problem. Even for a social pariah such as yourself anybody that could do what you did would be absolutely amazing. My biggest problem though is that I don't know if there is anyone who deserved this less. Yes, you are very good at what you do, but you and your team haven't been relevant in at least five years, you're far past your prime, you are completely one dimensional, and of course, you play for a rival of my Diamondbacks which makes you suck even more.<br /><br />I've read <em>Game of Shadows </em>and I learned one very clear thing. You've been using steroids for years to increase your performance at the plate. Most myopic sports nuts in the Bay Area will still say there's no proof. Grand jury testimony convinces me that there is plenty of proof you were on the juice. Yes, I know that there must have been dozens of other players doing the exact same thing, but you are at the center of it all, and it's all your fault. Nobody thrust you in that light, you welcomed it wholeheartedly. Now you complain continually of the coverage you've received. Welcome to the real world Barry. A place that has eluded you for much of your adult life. <br /><br />Lastly, I really hope you recognize what you've done to your body, your family, and Major League Baseball. No one person has had more of an impact on the game than you and you are easily the worst choice for a league that is struggling internally anyway. I can guarantee that in about five years we'll see you admitting yourself to a hospital due to serious injury or checking into rehab for substance abuse. Even the guys who enjoyed the greatest of accolades like John Elway still struggled after their career was over. You aren't going to be any different. You're getting old, you're not going to be raking in any money, and nobody outside of northern California can appreciate what you've done so resting on your records is a bad idea. No one will invite you to speak. No one will invite you to throw first pitches. No one will even want to give you an interview. You're going to fade away into the abyss until Alex Rodriguez breaks your record and then we can finally forget about you. You're going to die before your 60th birthday because of the poison in your body and I will feel bad for you then, but it won't come before years of physical and mental breakdowns. I'm fortunate I don't care about baseball that much so I can turn my focus to this weekend's Cardinals/Radiers game. Enjoy your long off-season because it will be your last<br /><br />The Double-U ShowThe Double-U Showhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16376079648798843081noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-206451071408768584.post-816769806973142007-08-09T10:18:00.000-07:002008-12-08T20:32:43.875-07:00More Reasons Why I Love Sports<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbf9ng7Wqmhst6vgmfn7AiH-K2F7OQOw1YZ78aDSXHrPZOKiVteNEgY2b1AX1K9yAIpFOu__GCyoZXstrGebqidAFpqF7dBZ-rNuGWK3kuiD8kMpAZCmGtCYYtIEr36_u-l3jlPwtKKH4y/s1600-h/NFL+Films.png"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5096846421548204738" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbf9ng7Wqmhst6vgmfn7AiH-K2F7OQOw1YZ78aDSXHrPZOKiVteNEgY2b1AX1K9yAIpFOu__GCyoZXstrGebqidAFpqF7dBZ-rNuGWK3kuiD8kMpAZCmGtCYYtIEr36_u-l3jlPwtKKH4y/s320/NFL+Films.png" border="0" /></a><strong><span style="color:#ff0000;">22. NFL Films</span></strong><br /><div><div><div><div><div><div>This is mostly for football nuts, but do you remember the last really good NFL Films flick you saw? I do. It was a replay of the last Super Bowl between Pittsburgh and Dallas in the 1970s. I'm too young to remember it, but I was wrapped up in every moment the "Voice of God" John Facenda described. When I was in college I used to be home a lot in the afternoons and I would just flip on ESPN Classic and watch an old NFL film. My favorite one of all time was one called "Winning and Losing." They interviewed coaches like Bill Parcells and the late Bill Walsh about the differences emotionally between the two. Bill Parcells was completely candid and admitted fully "that after every loss he is literally sick for days. He said that there's nothing that makes losing in football feel better. There are no moral victories. There's no silver lining. Losing feels 10 times worse than winning feels good." Only NFL Films could capture something like that. They've been doing it for decades and I've enjoyed every minute of it.<br /><br /></div><div><strong><span style="color:#ff0000;">23. Baseball Hats</span></strong></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbmo7GruIxC3icuRd7AtHZGgjYL9j0_L7qIfeu-1Rw8kh7QdnqIhQjFnVdk801jRYkRKil5AcwfDng0O2TEWqgnpJxT8wCwXk7LeW6oTI6RG6TcHhnhBMXMUTl6FT2lPZU-osIop1z0e5V/s1600-h/Brewers.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5096845987756507810" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbmo7GruIxC3icuRd7AtHZGgjYL9j0_L7qIfeu-1Rw8kh7QdnqIhQjFnVdk801jRYkRKil5AcwfDng0O2TEWqgnpJxT8wCwXk7LeW6oTI6RG6TcHhnhBMXMUTl6FT2lPZU-osIop1z0e5V/s320/Brewers.jpg" border="0" /></a> Sports has a hard time translating to fashion statements in the real world. When's the last time someone let you into a club with a jersey on? Once when I was going to a bar with my friends in Tucson one night the bouncer told me I had to take my jersey off. This wasn't like the Shark bar or anything, this was the sleaziest bar this side of Oklahoma. The worst part was that it was "heavy metal night" meaning that everyone who was still into hair bands showed up in the same clothes they wore in 1984. Baseball hats are different. With the exception of a military base, you can wear a baseball cap anywhere. I've got a ton of different teams and I want to be able to collect all of them. There was a period of about two years where I made an effort to not get the same hat as someone else, even if I just saw them in the mall. That's how much of a fashion accessory it is to me. Jerseys and t-shirts aren't usually as fashionable, but baseball hats are on a different level. My next hat? Toledo Mud Hens, don't even think about getting it!<br /><br /></div><div><strong><span style="color:#ff0000;">24. The Locker Room</span></strong></div><div>As a player there is no greater place for solace than inside the locker room. When I was a freshman in high school on the basketball team we played Chaparral High School which has one of the top basketball programs in the state of Arizona and we realized that two seconds after tip off. They scored 24 straight points on us and we were down by 36 at half time. We had scored 8 points. I couldn't WAIT to get back to the locker room and hide forever. There's no fans, no opposing players, nobody except the guys you're with and your coaches. It's a time to re-group, re-focus, and get back out there. In our case we got back out there and lost by 63 so maybe we should have stayed, but that's not the point, the point was there was a time when we felt we could actually come back, and it came inside the locker room. The locker room also serves as a place to discuss any team problems, personal problems, bond, scheme, and chill out......Except for football locker rooms. They smell like hot garbage midway through the season.</div><div><strong><span style="color:#ff0000;"></span></strong></div><div><strong><span style="color:#ff0000;">25. Pride</span></strong><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRCkJkOIMFkpE7TOJBgBpXpeAkrfT3YP7eofav_dU5unYSF83mcTta-AAEXN-Lw_ylo3uuIbFrwkLDOOkMRbjvSW82bvwYFq8jo0-P28HwoNgnisweN1-iVQAXbxYtNIHnQndg2E9m81Vf/s1600-h/Kirk+Gibson.bmp"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5096843870337630850" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRCkJkOIMFkpE7TOJBgBpXpeAkrfT3YP7eofav_dU5unYSF83mcTta-AAEXN-Lw_ylo3uuIbFrwkLDOOkMRbjvSW82bvwYFq8jo0-P28HwoNgnisweN1-iVQAXbxYtNIHnQndg2E9m81Vf/s320/Kirk+Gibson.bmp" border="0" /></a> Pride in everyday life causes people, especially men to do some really great and some really stupid things. The sporting world isn't any different at all. We've all seen those athletes and coaches that are so full of pride they need to get larger pants. Pride has caused people to really risk their lives in the face of better judgment. Whether it's the baseball player that has his arm dangling off his shoulder, the football player that is past his prime but wants to win that ring, or the basketball player that refuses to be denied a dunk even though he's been rejected the last four times by the rim. But without pride in sports, we'd have a bunch of pansies who never took any chances. Ask Boise State of pride had anything to do with their win. They could have rolled over and played it cautiously, but they didn't. They were Boise State and they WEREN'T going to lose. Ask Donovan McNabb in a game against the Cardinals a few years ago. Was a broken ankle going to keep him from trying to put them away? Nope. Ask Peyton Manning in the 2006 AFC Championship Game. Tell me pride didn't have anything to do with that win. He wasn't going to lose the Patriots again. Pride is a magical juice that forces athletes to forego all rational thought and just DO. And having witnessed some of those doings has convinced me pride is a great reason to love sports.</div><div><strong><span style="color:#ff0000;"></span></strong></div><div><strong><span style="color:#ff0000;">26. Hockey Games</span></strong></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTFbKXyxpP2wcYNWZVdYWXMPw9UpblkWaZqZ5B8qnbBCUwF1diL73Sw8hl_fj_qZHEM61CQ3GPwF-A5OYsRDXMrFweMWiGywkiI7kgOndkGL_U5qtawybIqMnGXbMwC8TidCNFoih8Zbrk/s1600-h/Hockey+Game.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5096841538170389106" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTFbKXyxpP2wcYNWZVdYWXMPw9UpblkWaZqZ5B8qnbBCUwF1diL73Sw8hl_fj_qZHEM61CQ3GPwF-A5OYsRDXMrFweMWiGywkiI7kgOndkGL_U5qtawybIqMnGXbMwC8TidCNFoih8Zbrk/s320/Hockey+Game.jpg" border="0" /></a>I'll admit, I think hockey, at least on television, is about as exciting as going shopping for throw pillows. Hockey live? Totally different story. I don't know much about hockey, I grew up in the desert and I always thought that's what people did when they were spitting, hockey-ing a loogey. But here come the Phoenix Coyotes. I won some tickets from school to go see them at the America West Arena downtown and was totally blown away. The game was fast, the hits were hard, there was this cold chill coming up from the ice, every score was a celebration, and for me, the best part was there was a group of guys who taunted the Toronto Maple Leafs goalie for TWO HOURS STRAIGHT. Yes, they were hammered, but you didn't see that at Suns games. Hockey fans are ruthless fanatics who are in love with their sport. Did I mention these guys were about 60 rows up? That's how much they care. Hockey games keep your interest and although the scoring is similar to soccer, the chances at scoring are about 100 to 1 in comparison. I wish I knew more about the game or grew up with it because I know I would probably attend 10 games a year just to be involved in the excitement. Did I mention these guys beat the crap out of each other at least once a game? Yeah, that's kind of exciting. </div><div><strong><span style="color:#ff0000;"></span></strong></div><div><strong><span style="color:#ff0000;">27. Jackie Robinson<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0YjS4lAx4tY93W72DGK2s12fP4-dM-Gy_LXImZn6nPB5YcziFyHiuK_qQIBUF3sH4VOKCmAJi7HfhSRLJP-no8op3KV6lxCa0b4mBygjVXs02CkVZmxVRgpkiPw-DHpVV6hIaEWc6ovYo/s1600-h/Jackie+Robinson.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5096840868155490914" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0YjS4lAx4tY93W72DGK2s12fP4-dM-Gy_LXImZn6nPB5YcziFyHiuK_qQIBUF3sH4VOKCmAJi7HfhSRLJP-no8op3KV6lxCa0b4mBygjVXs02CkVZmxVRgpkiPw-DHpVV6hIaEWc6ovYo/s320/Jackie+Robinson.jpg" border="0" /></a></span></strong></div><div>I have to acknowledge that there have been many players to come through sports who had to endure the same punishment as Jackie. But Jackie was different. Jackie had so much riding against him that to do what HE did, was incredible. He had to play in New York which Randy Johnson can't even handle. He couldn't stay with his teammates. He was constantly berated with racial threats and slurs. Not like today's whiny athletes where if someone calls them a "faggot" they get the ACLU involved. Jackie did all this and STILL won the rookie of the year award which is named after him. His fire, his demeanor, his intelligence, and ability really helped changed the way white Americans thought about black people. He was more than just a baseball player. He allowed guys like myself to play on teams that were predominantly white and not even think twice about it. He is literally the only reason I give UCLA any respect whatsoever. The most important athlete ever was a student and how can you hate that? Another reason, I love sports!</div></div></div></div></div></div>The Double-U Showhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16376079648798843081noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-206451071408768584.post-71431206762327005212007-08-08T17:21:00.001-07:002008-12-08T20:32:44.864-07:00That's Right, More Reasons Why I Love Sports<strong><span style="color:#ff0000;">16. Camraderie</span></strong><br />I remember it clearly. It was December of 1997 when I was a Freshman in high school and we were playing <a href="http://buhsd.org/asp/Site/Schools/Buckeye/index.asp">Buckeye High School </a>in far south east Phoenix. Let me fill you in about the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southwestern_United_States">southwestern U.S.</a> There are very few big cities and many of them like Phoenix, Los Angeles, San Diego, Las Vegas, and Tucson are all at least 100 miles apart. The furthest is probably Tucson to Los Angeles which is about a 7 hour drive. This means basically that big cities take up about 10% of the west and rural parts take up the other 90%. The rural parts, frankly, are scarier than shit. Picture where Forrest Gump grew up and just take away grass, charm, and hisotry, and add sunburns, overalls, and bad attitudes you've got the rural southwest. Buckeye is no different. And they sure as hell didn't like us "city-folk" beating the crap out of their team. So of course a few of their players started knocking us around and we, being city-folk, didn't wanna take "nothin' from none of those punk ass marks!" (we still believed we were <a href="http://www.comptoncity.org/">Compton</a> gangsters because we lived near L.A.). They didn't like that at all and started almost really beating the crap out of us, I mean the WHOLE TOWN. I learned three things that day that 1. We weren't Compton gansgters, 2. I didn't know how to fight, and 3. Sports can make even the strangest of outsiders stick together for one cause. There's absolutely nothing wrong with that and being a part of the team can sometimes mean more than winning.<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#ff0000;">17. Talk Radio</span></strong> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJmE-SGczGP7af1dTXnPMrfxbVwKI0IpBa1lC8imz9cq2tDnGq7oLsissCW1rYSS21bwD-2HC_NpzaU-TVmweBakhwMUhrpmx4Ki4x16e9xxAPOotwg_2YPST7H1XodH-1j5A7QKFTu-qv/s1600-h/Microphone.gif"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5096520145767629394" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJmE-SGczGP7af1dTXnPMrfxbVwKI0IpBa1lC8imz9cq2tDnGq7oLsissCW1rYSS21bwD-2HC_NpzaU-TVmweBakhwMUhrpmx4Ki4x16e9xxAPOotwg_2YPST7H1XodH-1j5A7QKFTu-qv/s320/Microphone.gif" border="0" /></a><br />In college I used to be "that guy" that called into sports radio shows to tell them my point of view. Now don't get me wrong, I didn't argue with the hosts or anything, I was usually on par with what they were saying, but I called in at least 12 times my last semeseter of college. I finally quit that when I got a real job and they said they were going to fire me if I misused the telephones here. That didn't stop me from listening to ESPN Radio virtually everyday especially <a href="http://espnradio.espn.go.com/espnradio/show?showId=theherd">The Herd</a>. I think sports radio can provide that filler in between games and it's kind of like one big forum for sports nuts to either agree or disagree with the host and other callers and much of the time they dive more into just what happened in the first quarter, they talk about issues that sports affect socially which drives interest. You all know you have it somewhere on your pre-set if you're a sports nut. Just fight the urge to call in and say "<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Cowher">Bill Cowher </a>is a BUM!"<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#ff0000;">18. Boxing</span></strong><br />Boxing today is a complete joke. Judging by the "So You Think You Can Dance" auditi<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0zPQVGErQeoF8yMPgZhEOu2iAQHv0saAnM8L2Q1MQ-Oux1KGmUmSX-KaRxyv6m-DCzq2IIrI2vlcv9_bQFmZKDhWeJE2GmmHgPEh_U716BvjYF91iFxfSmlTABdDfSpokqtXEhKSv2s72/s1600-h/boxing+gloves.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5096519866594755138" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0zPQVGErQeoF8yMPgZhEOu2iAQHv0saAnM8L2Q1MQ-Oux1KGmUmSX-KaRxyv6m-DCzq2IIrI2vlcv9_bQFmZKDhWeJE2GmmHgPEh_U716BvjYF91iFxfSmlTABdDfSpokqtXEhKSv2s72/s320/boxing+gloves.jpg" border="0" /></a>on known as the <a href="http://http://www.usatoday.com/sports/boxing/2007-05-01-publicity-delahoya-mayweather-cover_N.htm">De la Hoya/Mayweather </a>bout boxing can't even have its best fight be exciting. I understand that boxing is actually kind of an art form, but I've never actually boxed so I want to see people kick the crap out of each other, not prance around like forest lillies. But at the same time, can you think of a sport that requires more physical and mental toughness, training, expertise, talent, stamina, and of course the ever needed "balls?" I can't. The De la Hoya/Mayweather fight lasted 12 rounds, 3 minutes apiece I believe. It SEEMS feasible, but that same night I tried boxing my friends and each of us lasted about two rounds each for two minutes......with a 30 second break after the first minute.......two of us puked because we were winded and one of my friends had to have his girlfriend pick him up because he almost passed out after getting knocked silly. I don't think most people would even be qualified to hand most boxers water no less fight a man's sport. Boxing is truly mano a mano and nothing less.<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#ff0000;">19. Championships</span></strong> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqoOoSZKqQ-F024SZJFE25iwO71nKBv00Lzp4fjF2imbE9fFT54LRPTBoyKyIcamWHKW64cp942vs10jlMQDRmnYjy-ZP6huzcEoXgL7g9HE3IRYAcAX5CL1mjkLlSagF-P6J9HVF256na/s1600-h/Championship_Ring.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5096517220894900754" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqoOoSZKqQ-F024SZJFE25iwO71nKBv00Lzp4fjF2imbE9fFT54LRPTBoyKyIcamWHKW64cp942vs10jlMQDRmnYjy-ZP6huzcEoXgL7g9HE3IRYAcAX5CL1mjkLlSagF-P6J9HVF256na/s320/Championship_Ring.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />It doesn't matter if you were a part of it or if your team was. There is NOTHING better than a championship in sports. The best part is, it DOESN'T get old EVER. I remember distinctly two championships in my life. The 2001 World Series (I'm still waiting for my DVD from Blockbuster Online so I can re-live it) and the 1997 Arizona Wildcats National Championship. Although I'm not a big UA fan my wife and her entirely family are from Tucson and she let me know that the entire city of about 600,000 people went completely ape-shit. Tucson, let me tell you, won't go ape-shit even if Godzilla went tearing down Speedway Avenue because those "damn youngsters might steal their purse if they go outside." That's what championships can do to people. John McCain once wrote in an article one time what was the one defining moment that brought the great state of Arizona together. He said the 2001 World Series without question. The entire STATE erupted into joy to see a championship come here. All of those whose teams have won a championship or have won one yourself (1999 Glendale Parks and Rec 3 on 3 B-ball Tournament Champions Baby!) you know the feeling. Here are a few memorable ones from the 1990s on......<br />The 2004 Boston Red Sox<br />The 2005 Chicago White Sox<br />The 1998 Tennessee Volunteers<br />The 2004 USC Trojans<br />The 1994 and 1995 Houston Rockets<br />The 2000 Los Angeles Lakers<br />The 2002 Ohio State Buckeyes<br />The Chicago Bulls Dynasty<br />The 2005 Pittsburgh Steelers<br />The Patriots Dynasty<br />The 1993 Dallas Cowboys<br />The 1993 Toronto Blue Jays<br />There are plenty more, but this is to just get the ball rolling in case you're a fan of any of these teams. Championships are just BEAUTIFUL!<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#ff0000;">20. Kobe Bryant</span></strong> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOpHolJQz6Q9Ga0VgGaWBGhsCBp-QXPr2PLP0_E5GNlZltglzEHpz23ML9o4BvRTyW2tMwF5TxuBiQuVGpLQgl3x8s6yn0f7WlGCLnrW1hwU-Bm1fxGcY1yX3T8ZMGwQuhGyVO7X0V3aOI/s1600-h/Kobe.bmp"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5096517813600387618" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOpHolJQz6Q9Ga0VgGaWBGhsCBp-QXPr2PLP0_E5GNlZltglzEHpz23ML9o4BvRTyW2tMwF5TxuBiQuVGpLQgl3x8s6yn0f7WlGCLnrW1hwU-Bm1fxGcY1yX3T8ZMGwQuhGyVO7X0V3aOI/s320/Kobe.bmp" border="0" /></a><br />I don't know if I could make it more clear that there is a short list of athletes that I would go out of my way to push in front of a moving car. Kobe Bryant is at the top of my list. He plays for a franchise I hate, for an arena I hate, has a number I hate, and I hate the way he breathes too. Let's just say I hate the guy. But the only reason I hate him is because he's so great. Despite Kobe's attitude and off the court problems I think the last player I saw that could do the things he did was MJ. Kobe is SO good that in the 4 times in his career he has played against my Suns in the playoffs he has managed to light us up like a Christmas tree. There's shots that he will pull from his ass that I think before they go in "Pfff, there's no way he can hit that sho....damn it!" It would literally take a SWAT team to keep him from getting a shot off and even they would have to resort to tear gas. He's strong, fast, a good defender, committed, passionate, intense, a terrific three point shooter, a good free throw shooter, and is undeniably more athletic than 99% of the guys in the league. If he were a Suns player I would rush to get my 24 uniform as we speak. But until that day, I'll just admire from afar.<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#ff0000;">21. Steve Nash</span></strong> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-fdgOy8HGQ6sP7tpI4ivxK6duU-w45qx_jDyHGU_huOKKIfZ_ineniZEbI70qda3v1DV3QFfcuVjXM1MRvTUneUhVocyR0tdQGmEzcIahFBYkUpdf5d6nj_-DFggDe1y6Y4aA8NuiB11a/s1600-h/Nash.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5096518672593846834" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-fdgOy8HGQ6sP7tpI4ivxK6duU-w45qx_jDyHGU_huOKKIfZ_ineniZEbI70qda3v1DV3QFfcuVjXM1MRvTUneUhVocyR0tdQGmEzcIahFBYkUpdf5d6nj_-DFggDe1y6Y4aA8NuiB11a/s320/Nash.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />I couldn't follow up with a love fest of Kobe without talking about my main main, Steve Nash. Steve is probably one of the truest definitions of an MVP I've ever seen play. Granted, most people don't get to watch his games because if he's playing Sacramento on a Wednesday night are you really going to stay up that late to watch him if you're in Atlanta? Probably not, but that's part of his appeal. He's not flashy. He doesn't dunk. He doesn't play great defense. But I would pay him a billion dollars just to keep playing for my enjoyment. If you don't understand why he's the MVP then you just don't understand basketball. Let's look at it this way, basketball teams are like millionaires. Every one of them has Ferrari (a great scorer who always finds the hoop), good stock options (a great defender), a solid savings account (a great bench), and a money manager (a head coach), but millionaires desire something more. They desire that handcrafted African piece of art no one else has. They want that one football jersey that was signed by <a href="http://www.cmgworldwide.com/sports/thorpe/">Jim Thorpe</a>. They want that priceless item that is the most valuable of possesions. It may not bling like Kobe, give you returns like Ben Wallace, or buy your way out of trouble like the Spurs bench, but it stands out from the rest because it enhances every other item you own. Steve Nash is that rare piece of African art that is simply priceless.The Double-U Showhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16376079648798843081noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-206451071408768584.post-71649114326687508932007-08-06T07:49:00.000-07:002008-12-08T20:32:50.691-07:00Baseball SchmaseballFirst off, I know that posting a million links in my posts can be annoying, but they just add to what I'm talking about. Not everyone that comes on here is going to be a sports fan and I don't want to confuse them. The blogosphere is so crowded with crap, yes, including mine, that I want to be sure that people have some background before they start reading. Anyway, I just saw <a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=2962780">this</a> story on <a href="http://www.espn.com/">ESPN</a> showing that <a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?statsId=7182">Pacman Jones </a>is going to be joining <a href="http://www.blogger.com/www.tnawrestling.com/">TNA</a>, one of the wrestling organizations here in the U.S. This guy is a bigger idiot than I ever could have imagined. It's not technically wrestling, it's just soft-core porn (I mean, dudes in tights?) and for a guy that makes really bad decisions this is actually right in line with his thinking. Aside from that, he stated that he wanted to do something that would "keep him off the streets and out of trouble." I've got news for him, the world of wrestling is more depraved than any other sporting event. There are girls, drugs, steroids, and everyone looks like a cartoon, and that's what the fans pay to see. More wrestlers have died from narcotic or steroid related deaths than any other professional sport and for someone that enjoys the over-the-top lifestyle he should have kept wrestling off his radar. Oh well, keep an eye out on the obituaries now for him.<br /><br />Anyway, why I'm writing this article is for two reasons 1. To avoid editing my thesis and 2. To comment on this all of a sudden love affair with <a href="http://www.mlb.com/">Major League Baseball</a>. On ESPN.com they were saying how baseball was having a really "great weekend" because of A-Rod, Barry Bonds, and Tom Glavine's 300th win. PLUS, on a personal level the Arizona Diamondbacks just swept the Dodgers giving them a full game and a half lead in the NL West. Here's the problem. I still REALLY don't care. It is midly interesting? Yes, these guys are Hall of Fame legends despite their troubles and the milestones are absolutely incredible. The saddest part is that as a major sports fanatic I still care more about how my grass is growing in my back yard than any of these things. This signals a couple of very obvious things to me about Major League Baseball in addition to the problems I posted earlier:<br /><br /><span style="color:#ff0000;"><strong>1. Younger fans can't bring themselves to care</strong> </span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTearh2rGrJu9bMgTdbJwu-5S5IInmOrKR4_D-e_LaWmb7D_IQi3njAI-sqvuCgu2zD9dCKnIh_uWDvN-oXShyDtBzJvY3CzO-EwXs3c-Ph_5bMBnpx5vk56hJpMyx7oBq0FeG1ia36vXL/s1600-h/Elderly.jpg"><span style="color:#ff0000;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5095661182373200370" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTearh2rGrJu9bMgTdbJwu-5S5IInmOrKR4_D-e_LaWmb7D_IQi3njAI-sqvuCgu2zD9dCKnIh_uWDvN-oXShyDtBzJvY3CzO-EwXs3c-Ph_5bMBnpx5vk56hJpMyx7oBq0FeG1ia36vXL/s320/Elderly.jpg" border="0" /></span></a><span style="color:#ff0000;"><br /></span>Although my extent of being in the media involved working at the school radio station when I was in the 8th grade I still learned a thing or two about <a href="http://www.radiodemographics.com/">demographics.</a> Most of that came from a guy who worked at <a href="http://www.kez999.com/main.html">99.9 KEZ </a>here in Phoenix who I believed was sleeping with one of our teachers in the student council. He let us know that attacking demographics basically between 19 and 50 years old is key for several reasons. The first is because the younger part of the demographics may not have a lot of money, but they've got a lot of money to WASTE which is key and the older part of the demographics doesn't have a lot of money to waste, they've just got a lot of money, which is a good thing for advertisers. Baseball, who is in desperate need of fans who are 50 years or younger, simply can't bring us in with these milestones that are just clouded in controversy. Personally, Barry Bonds could have hit his 12,000th home run and I would still watch <em><a href="http://abc.go.com/primetime/xtremehome/">Extreme Makeover: Home Edition</a></em> before that at bat.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZwwKoMM9FrCCS0xAJ_XW04xrUCDeHRW5Nx6Vr4hB2kj8K7WiaKVfYIyL0bbEH7DM7ymAief1JLzbsRqTvx2IaD5DnsPpdmSNxCu6NxkUo4QEwneuLNacPrS8GsMb6RmgWBpNLgOV_j8L8/s1600-h/syringe.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5095659631890006498" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZwwKoMM9FrCCS0xAJ_XW04xrUCDeHRW5Nx6Vr4hB2kj8K7WiaKVfYIyL0bbEH7DM7ymAief1JLzbsRqTvx2IaD5DnsPpdmSNxCu6NxkUo4QEwneuLNacPrS8GsMb6RmgWBpNLgOV_j8L8/s320/syringe.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><strong><span style="color:#ff0000;">2. Roids, roids, roids, roids, roids, roids, roids, roids, roidy roid roid roid rooooids, ROIDS, CHARGE!....or something like that</span></strong><br />I'll admit that the steroids in Major League Baseball is not exactly a total out rage. This is for two reasons. 1. Steroids are more <a href="http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?section=children_first&id=3361730">pervasive</a> than people would have ever imagined, especially the older fans, so to many of us younger people, we're not exactly surprised. I think we were more surprised at the coverage it received. I knew at least 6 guys on my<a href="http://www.aiaonline.org/"> high school football </a>team and at least 10 others on teams we played my senior year that were on the juice. Hell, I know a guy who is on them NOW. But older fans aren't usually aware of that so it WAS an outrage to them. The second reason is because I JUST DON'T CARE ENOUGH TO BE OUTRAGED. If there was a major steroid probe in the NFL I would be terribly saddened on the other hand. I know guys are on the juice in the NFL, but with the checks in place and the penalties put forth I'm confident the cheaters are being caught as much as they can. Major League Baseball has that now, but it's just too late to make up for any issues in the past. With all of that aside, I have to admit that the more I listen to people in the sports world the more they're saying things like they actually are "rooting for Barry Bonds to get this home run chase over with." That's where I begin to have a problem. Just because we haven't had any books published this year about steroids, just because it seems like it's old news, and just because this is just a great record does NOT mean that steroids have all of a sudden become mostly excusable. I think too many people are just fed up that they actually haven't caught any big name cheaters so they're tired of speculating, but to treat it as no big deal I think is a mistake. It's one of the reasons that I won't go back to baseball with all of my love, and as a guy with money to spend on sports, all of my love is good for their bottom line. Does baseball still have a place in my heart, of course it does, but I won't buy jerseys, I attend maybe one game a year, and I hardly watch on TV. As far as the NFL goes, I have season tickets, 8 jerseys, am considering NFL Sunday Ticket, watch all the games on Sunday, and have bought my kids a ton of merchandise. To prove this, look at the revenues of each league. For MLB, their revenue in 2006 was $4,733, 000,000 For the NFL..., it was over 6 billion dollars. For the NFL, it just makes <em>cents. </em><br /><em></em><br /><span style="color:#ff0000;"><strong>3. Football is starting</strong> </span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiakKsGpLCBnjZWKu3CSnVUJpHKs48pcHbFJzCs7wZTvzhiwRPpw-Se1Syzzuhf16l3Y1UU5_mYEXZQUkxQVRx9FP-iuq0BvmBVG5OGG9ZJvHJFp6T9zqMt_VN_JxEzxh7LvkGy2AAg9rM9/s1600-h/Lombardi+Trophy.jpg"><span style="color:#ff0000;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5095662500928160258" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiakKsGpLCBnjZWKu3CSnVUJpHKs48pcHbFJzCs7wZTvzhiwRPpw-Se1Syzzuhf16l3Y1UU5_mYEXZQUkxQVRx9FP-iuq0BvmBVG5OGG9ZJvHJFp6T9zqMt_VN_JxEzxh7LvkGy2AAg9rM9/s320/Lombardi+Trophy.jpg" border="0" /></span></a><br />I'm not going to lie, August is owned by football at the <a href="http://www.cstv.com/">college</a> and <a href="http://www.nfl.com/">pro level</a>. I couldn't tell you when the next game is in ALL of MLB, but I can tell you that at 5 pm PDT, The Colts play the Cowboys on FOX. Right now, I don't care about anything else. I don't care about cycling, hockey, basketball, or baseball right now. This is because football is starting. I'm even considering getting Arizona State football season tickets on top of my Cardinals, just so I can be guaranteed some football every weekend. I can't say the same for baseball. D-Backs tickets are about 15 bucks, but I REFUSE to spend my hard earned money on them. Cardinals tickets are 25 bucks apiece and I think it's a STEAL! The worst part is that the Diamondbacks play big time rivals like the Dodgers and Padres for the division title and the Sun Devils are scheduling schools like Pomona Junior College and I'm already in line to get my ticket. Let's go MLB, convince me I should care. Right now, I'm going to watch NFL Live on my DVR and skip the next baseball game.<em> </em><br /><em></em><br /><br /><em><strong>one last thing, check out espn.com and look for the story called "Bottom's Up" It's about southern, east and west, dominance in college sports. I JUST posted on my blog, it's called "East Coast Influence Fading, Southern Influence Gaining" and its about how warm weather schools are beginning to change the landscape of college football. 19 year old kids. <a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/preview07/columns/story?columnist=maisel_ivan&id=2957163">Check it out</a>!</strong></em>The Double-U Showhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16376079648798843081noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-206451071408768584.post-57387235521155749132007-08-03T09:20:00.000-07:002007-08-04T17:56:43.195-07:00Academics and College Football, a match made in HellThe new pre-season poll came out for college football and a few things jumped out at me right away aside from the obvious fact that USC is one of the best college football programs ever.<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#ff0000;">1. College football preseason rankings are a very stupid idea</span></strong><br />Although they get us talking we have to really wonder how much good are they? The teams in the bottom half of the list are probably going to be out of the ranking in the first three weeks. Besides, how can you rank teams you've never seen play? These teams schedule cream puffs the first four games to pad their win/loss record so much so that it would make Tim Donaghy question their integrity. For example, in 2006, Florida, the national champion, was ranked #8, plus Iowa, Oregon, Tennesse, Penn State, and Alabama all falling out of the top 25 at the end of the season. By the way, Oregon State, Hawai'i, Brigham Young, and Boston College all found their way into the top 25. Football is just one of those sports that has to be decided on the field. The best these pre-season rankings do is stir up discussion from nerds who post onto their daily blog and eat Cheetos. I, on the other hand, am eating Flaming Hot Cheetos so I can't be lumped into that category.<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#ff0000;">2. The Pac-10 should be called the Whack-10</span></strong><br />Never have I seen a more ridiculously storied conference do so poorly depsite being ranked so high every year. With the exception of USC, no other Pac-10 program has a shot at finishing in the top 15. Looking at last year's final poll I saw that only USC finished even in the top 20!! There's an easy explanation for this too. Most schools that are west of Colorado like all the Pac-10 schools reside are so unbelievably hippie that nobody can really takes sports that seriously. You can't blame the pac-10 entirely though. Look at the cities these schools are in....Los Angeles (too cool to even say the word cool), <a href="http://www.eugene-or.gov/">Eugene</a> Oregon (<a href="http://www.cjnetworks.com/~cubsfan/places/eugene.html">hippie central</a>), <a href="http://www.seattle.gov/">Seattle</a> (I'm too <a href="http://seattle.citysearch.com/profile/41941001/seattle_wa/ericce.html">sophisticated</a> for football), <a href="http://www.berkeley.ci.ca.us/">Berkeley</a>, California (football? I've got a protest to go to), Stanford, California (screw football, I'm going to be a Senator), <a href="http://www.ci.tucson.az.us/">Tucson</a> (speed limits don't exceed 15 MPH), and <a href="http://www.tempe.gov/">Tempe</a> (I think I'll cut my lunch break to four hours today). I have a special hatred for Tempe because I work just outside of there and I'm telling you that the number of jobless used-to-be college students is astonishing. I've never seen a Target be so crowded at 11:30 on a Wednesday. Anyway, football doesn't take precedence at these schools like it does in other places. I also blame it on the fact that the Pac-10 teams are placed in very big cities with lot more going on than football (Seattle, Los Angeles, Tempe, and Berkley (Bay area)). I've been to the bay area, Los Angeles, and live near Tempe and let me tell you, college football is like #5 on the list of fun things to do. Aside from that, as soon as these Pac-10 schools unchain themselves from the tree they're trying to save they'll have competitive football teams.<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#ff0000;">3. "Me no like skool, me like foosball."-Mongo</span></strong><br />What I'm getting at here is that the best football powers typically have the worst academic standards. This isn't to say that football players are dumb. In fact 100% of the players in the NFL have at least three years of college experience with many of which having stayed to obtain their degree. This is in addition to all of the head coaches and assistants having their Bachelor's and/or Master's degrees as well because of the requirements to coach college football which is the stepping stone to the NFL. With that said, some of the top football schools have some of the most lax academic standards and there are several reasons why. The first reason is because anybody can recruit smart offensive players. The players that score the highest on the <a href="http://www.testprepreview.com/wonderlic_practice.htm">Wonderlic</a> test at the NFL combine go in this order 1. Offensive Tackle, 2. Quarterback, 3. Offensive Gaurd, 4. Running Back. All offensive players. Recruiting good defensive players into college is more challenging. This tells me that defensive players are just dumber. It's difficult to convince a smart person to tackle someone that may have 4 inches and 30 pounds on them and enjoy it. Plus, defense has always won championships. It's an unusual situation that appears to college football programs. They need certain academic standards, but they also need "Mongo to run through a wall for them." If you look at each of the conferences and who is typically at the top take a look at their academic standards and their standards for admission. <a href="http://www.stanford.edu/">Stanford</a> in the Pac-10, horrible program, great academics. Ohio State in the Big 10, great program, you could get in having done your SAT in crayon. The fate for Stanford goes the same for Vanderbilt, Northwestern, <a href="http://www.duke.edu/">Duke</a>, and Notre Dame. This reminds me of a <a href="http://www.thesimpsons.com/">Simpsons</a> episode where Ned Flanders says "Heaven is easier to get into than Arizona State!." Just thought of that.....<br /><br />All that aside, I love college football and right now the Sun Devils are at training camp preparing for another mediocre year in a terrible conference. A-S-U! A-S-U!The Double-U Showhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16376079648798843081noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-206451071408768584.post-85597829153534328802007-08-02T08:15:00.000-07:002007-08-02T15:17:54.915-07:00More Reasons Why I Love Sports<strong><span style="font-family:arial;color:#ff0000;">11. Michael Jordan</span></strong><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">I feel like a dumbass for never actually affording myself the opportunity to see this guy play. Here's a small story. When I was twelve years old, after Michael had retired from basketball, he was playing briefly for a minor league team, the Scottsdale Scorpions, in 1994. A friend of mine said that his dad received tickets to a game of theirs and Michael Jordan would be there and he offered them to me because they couldn't make it. I didn't go. I don't even remember why, but hey, I was twelve, I was an idiot. I've never seen Michael Jordan play live ever, even after he came back. I can't say all is lost though, I did see this guy play on television 100s of times and when I watch old tapes now I can see how fantastic he actually was. The guy was a true leader, a butt-hole at times, but he still just commanded the attention of every eye in the arena, no matter where he went. He was one of the first superstars that literally transcended the game. He was Michael Jordan, in fact, I believe his name is a trade mark now. LeBron and Kobe are big, but they're no Michael. I mean, his SHOE still is one of the highest selling and he hasn't played in a couple of years!! You don't see Charles Barkley's shoes selling do you? No. MJ made sports fun and I really do miss watching him play.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"></span><br /><p><strong><span style="font-family:arial;color:#ff0000;">12. Fresh cut grass during football season</span></strong></p><p><span style="font-family:arial;">It may be a simple pleasure, but I'll never forget the first day of training camp for the new football season in high school and I'm sure you remember it too. The sun's beating down on your back, you're in practice uniforms that don't reek like dead raccoons, and the grass, (sniiiiiffffff), the grass is so freshly cut the groundskeeper is barely getting off the field. You know that the grass is a sign of a new season. It hasn't been ruined by cleats, blood, sweat, rains, and cold weather. It's green, it's lush, and it's ready to be trampled. It represents starting over.</span></p><p><strong><span style="font-family:arial;color:#ff0000;">13. Rivalries</span></strong></p><p><span style="font-family:arial;">There's not enough bandwith on the internet to get into how much I love rivalries in sports. Even after a MISERABLE season you may actually, as a player, be looking forward to that big game against the team you hate the most. For fans it works the same way. You can see your team suffer horribly all season, but when it comes time to face those "motherf******s from Boston" it can really make the season worth it. Conversely, it can ruin a GREAT season. Just ask the Michigan Wolverines if their high win percentage over the last five years means much despite being owned by Jim Tressel, AKA Sweater Vest. Another example is Harvard and Yale, two of the worst programs in college football, yet when they get play, you have alumni ripping off rolexes and throwing their glasses of chardonnay on each other because it's so heated. Even if you're not a fan of either team the rivalries can be so interesting it draws you to the TV. Michigan/Ohio State in 2006 was the one rivalry game that I couldn't miss. You had a #1 and #2 match up. Two teams that hated each other. Two historic programs. Each team in search of a national championship. It was perfect. True rivalries are undeniable too. Sometimes you have a team that thinks the other team is their rival (like the St. Louis Cardinals thinking the Cubs are their rivals) which makes it only meaningful on one side, but true rivalries don't need to be played up in the media, they do it themselves. The best rivalries stand the test of time also. The best aren't short lived. Here are some of the best that I could come up with: </span></p><p><span style="font-family:arial;">Yankees/Red Sox</span></p><p><span style="font-family:arial;">Michigan/Ohio State</span></p><p><span style="font-family:arial;">Dodgers/Giants</span></p><p><span style="font-family:arial;">Patriots/Colts</span></p><p><span style="font-family:arial;">Bears/Packers</span></p><p><span style="font-family:arial;">Clemson/South Carolina</span></p><p><span style="font-family:arial;">Broncos/Raiders</span></p><p><span style="font-family:arial;">Alabama/Auburn</span></p><p><span style="font-family:arial;">Arizona/Arizona State</span></p><p><span style="font-family:arial;">Oklahoma/Texas</span></p><p><span style="font-family:arial;">I know there's a ton more, but these ones are the battles I've got no problem skipping church for. Let me correct myself, I don't actually go to church so technically I'll skip church to stare at the ceiling, but either way I get excited just thinking of these rivalries!</span></p><p><strong><span style="font-family:arial;color:#ff0000;">14. Winning</span></strong></p><p><span style="font-family:arial;">This of course goes for the fan or the athlete themselves. Winning is like a magical elixir that can cure any bad blood between teammates, years of losing, bad trades, and draft pick busts. Everything is just BETTER. In some sports winning is at more of a premium than others. This is mostly true for football. As a player and a fan there is nothing worse than a crushing defeat and then having to wait a WHOLE WEEK to get back at another team. You don't get second chances in football very often. Sometimes you have to wait a year to play some teams you lost against and that will eat at you like nothing else. Football is such a mental sport and dealing with losing actually shows the mark of a true winner. Just sit back and think about all of the times your team in any sport came from behind and won, beat a team that was heaviliy favored, won a rivalry game, won a championship game, clinched a series, won at the buzzer, or blew out a team. Feels good doesn't it? </span></p><p><strong><span style="color:#ff0000;">15. Losing</span></strong></p><p>You'd be surprised that losing is one of the great things about sports. Losing helps teams figure out who they really are. It allows teams to re-evaluate their stance, change up their philosophy, personnel, and in some cases even ownership. Losing is also great for the sports section. I remember after each big loss by a team I hated I would go to that city's website and read the responses from fans. You can just FEEL the heart break and when the other team loses it makes everything feel that much better. You also get to see the pure emotion that is involved with defeats. Another thing losing does is makes many more fans and athletes actually MORE committed. Think about the big shot that was hit against your team, whey your team was blown out of the water, acted as if they didn't show up to the game, were out coached, were out hustled, were physically dominated, or lost to a team they should have beaten. It makes us all reasses what needs to be done and the only way to get better is through making mistsakes. </p><p><span style="font-family:arial;"></span></p><span style="font-family:arial;"></span>The Double-U Showhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16376079648798843081noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-206451071408768584.post-25413419443591525812007-07-31T07:46:00.001-07:002008-12-08T20:32:51.639-07:006 Reasons the NBA is Killing MeThe <a href="http://www.nba.com/">NBA</a> has been killing me lately. Not for the same reasons as some people might say though. Yes, they're overpaid babies (<a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?page=espnmag/marion">Shawn Marion</a>, I'm talking directly to YOU) and yes, there are a few people that have helped to ruin the reputation of the league (<a href="http://www.nba.com/playerfile/allen_iverson/index.html">Mr. Iverson</a>, you have the right to <a href="http://espn.go.com/nba/news/2002/0711/1404559.html">remain silent</a>). However, those are the least of the league's problems. A reputation for a league can be changed over the course of one season, but the NBA's problems are more deep seeded. Here are the reasons that are the most relevant and why my heart has been breaking.<br /><div><div><br /><div><div><div><div><div><div><strong><span style="color:#ff0000;">1. The season is damn LONG! </span></strong><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe3UxVptjFnM6B91E2KCAUe6tdeiJCpKhD7SHruPowOhh3uFAdx0wKbSYl0bAGvLbygCi4kZ0mbTG9osGhiWDSoTNV720wqlSCK6yPJ5NWyrupowHPZfj2R1-RJ-oI-YYTAXxn71iManVz/s1600-h/bored.jpg"><strong><span style="color:#ff0000;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5093851858680283474" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe3UxVptjFnM6B91E2KCAUe6tdeiJCpKhD7SHruPowOhh3uFAdx0wKbSYl0bAGvLbygCi4kZ0mbTG9osGhiWDSoTNV720wqlSCK6yPJ5NWyrupowHPZfj2R1-RJ-oI-YYTAXxn71iManVz/s320/bored.jpg" border="0" /></span></strong></a><span style="color:#ff0000;"><br /></span>82 God-forsaken games plus the pre-season. That's how long an NBA season is. Even for the most die-hard fan you understand that at least 20 of those 82 games are completely meaningless especially if your team is at the top or the bottom of the league. Another 40 of those games MIGHT be competitive, but only about 20 games out of the year are truly exciting to watch. These games usually come against big rivals, a game you attended yourself (which is always more exciting), or, if you're team is in any good or battling for a playoff spot, those games matter the most. But twenty games out 82 is not going to keep me around for long</div><div></div><div><strong></strong></div></div><div><div><strong><span style="color:#ff0000;">2. The playoffs are too damn </span></strong><a href="http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=10758149"><strong><span style="color:#ff0000;">LONG</span></strong></a><span style="color:#ff0000;"><strong>!</strong> </span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirP4pby0MTcy3rpHAGE5P7yBDwbBYsaNqwvTNl2Mlyuz44R1Gd-5A7qwzw1g_6LJWApsvLY0sXKP45XdbbXFxykzES1BVwKAoAtV2VwwUpQ9ZBfj6A1bZCBdvTxsn2UNZwPEExKP2nTCz5/s1600-h/snoring.gif"><span style="color:#ff0000;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5093853529422561730" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirP4pby0MTcy3rpHAGE5P7yBDwbBYsaNqwvTNl2Mlyuz44R1Gd-5A7qwzw1g_6LJWApsvLY0sXKP45XdbbXFxykzES1BVwKAoAtV2VwwUpQ9ZBfj6A1bZCBdvTxsn2UNZwPEExKP2nTCz5/s320/snoring.gif" border="0" /></span></a><span style="color:#ff0000;"><br /></span>I just read a story from the <a href="http://www.npr.org/">National Public Radio </a>website that focused on how the playoffs have become so long and drawn out that even the most ardent fans are becoming tired with the length. For example, go to this <a href="http://www.nba.com/spurs/schedule/">website</a> to find out how long the playoffs were for the World Champion (gag me) San Antonio Spurs. Keep in mind this is the best team in the NBA so it's not a mistake to follow them if you're interested in basketball. Their first game was April 22nd against the <a href="http://www.nba.com/nuggets/">Denver Nuggets</a> and ended their run against the Cavs on June 14th!! That's nearly two months of EXTRA basketball. Cut the season short NBA. I've got silly things to do in early June like go on vacation, spend time with my kids, work on the house, work out, and go see summer movies. Give me a break NBA, shorten the regular season, make it more competitive, and I guarantee I'll find time to bring basketball into my precious time. </div><br /><div><strong><span style="color:#ff0000;">3. Eastern Conference basketball is a complete joke</span></strong> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1e7MUNPqUDTkAnFGlU2xha3ZNIZNop0_DF_ZSPBiqIJE980o1Dvzp5cMPzMQL82Wl7NSlOdTCgEAjHW0aQBlqtXujYseR63IYI7DufvTeBkce-IvDm2HXeJ7h1A2blXkarO0suKqFfsy_/s1600-h/us_east_coast.gif"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5093852228047471010" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1e7MUNPqUDTkAnFGlU2xha3ZNIZNop0_DF_ZSPBiqIJE980o1Dvzp5cMPzMQL82Wl7NSlOdTCgEAjHW0aQBlqtXujYseR63IYI7DufvTeBkce-IvDm2HXeJ7h1A2blXkarO0suKqFfsy_/s320/us_east_coast.gif" border="0" /></a><br />I remember I was watching <a href="http://blog.cleveland.com/plaindealer/2007/05/game_3_cavs_vs_nets.html">Game 3</a> between the <a href="http://www.nba.com/cavs">Cleveland Cavs</a> and the <a href="http://www.nba.com/nets">New Jersey Nets </a>one day after work and despite the fact this was a "playoff" game, I actually fell asleep. For the first time in my life I was so incredibly bored by their style of play I passed out on the couch. I'm an admitted <a href="http://www.nba.com/suns">Suns</a> fan so I'm used to play that is up-tempo, west coast, run up the score type basketball, but I also played basketball throughout my entire life even in high school so I can appreciate the half-court game. But this was just worse than bad. I remember a rebound came down to <a href="http://www.vincecarter15.com/">Vince Carter </a>and I immediately expected him to start pushing the ball up the court. Apparently I was WAY off base with how basketball should be played. He casually walked the ball up the court, fed it to <a href="http://www.nba.com/playerfile/jason_kidd">Kidd</a>, set a screen, jumped out to the three point line, Kidd passed him the ball, and Carter clanged it off the rim. If this had happened once or twice during the game I wouldn't be mad, but this happened at least 50 different times for both teams. Even eastern seaboard residents can't stand to watch the games. I really feel bad for them because they're stuck watching Celtics/Sixers in early January and when really fun games like Suns/Mavericks are happening at 10:00 or 10:30 at night. I've got a family and that is entirely too late for me to START watching the game so where the most eyes are (and where the biggest media markets are as well) has grown to care the least about basketball understandably. <a href="http://science.ksc.nasa.gov/history/apollo/apollo-13/apollo-13.html">Houston</a>......better yet, New York, we've got a problem. </div><br /><div></div><div><strong><span style="color:#ff0000;">4. All of the greats were shuffled into one specific era </span></strong><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitkvzTV6l7Q-eMz9FFTqwqIYuWCEfxQHboW9sNzHIo5FXAok82D1JpebKvGQ_Y2vVp1vkUIV3MRmNr4LDAyEzY5MTg2kPCydO3vJUdjeHwktcfu6r9mRQtqrbzOJC1dBrs8i8g7olnDRrv/s1600-h/Jordan.jpg"><strong><span style="color:#ff0000;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5093851996119236978" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitkvzTV6l7Q-eMz9FFTqwqIYuWCEfxQHboW9sNzHIo5FXAok82D1JpebKvGQ_Y2vVp1vkUIV3MRmNr4LDAyEzY5MTg2kPCydO3vJUdjeHwktcfu6r9mRQtqrbzOJC1dBrs8i8g7olnDRrv/s320/Jordan.jpg" border="0" /></span></strong></a><br />There was about a ten year period in the NBA where they could absolutely do no wrong. It was a time where <a href="http://www.espn.com/">ESPN</a> wasn't as big as it was now, there weren't jerks who posted a daily blog about the NBA (those jerks), cable was still relatively new, and many sports writers weren't nearly as ubiquitous on television, radio, and the internet to post their opinions and observations. This was all combined with the fact that some of the game's BEST players were drafted during that time and reaped almost immediate success. Let me give you a quick run down of some of the star players that were drafted from 1984 until 1992 <a href="http://www.nba.com/history/players/jordan_summary.html">Jordan</a> (greatest ever), <a href="http://www.nba.com/history/players/barkley_summary.html">Barkley</a> (Top 50), <a href="http://www.basketball-reference.com/players/o/olajuha01.html">Hakeem Olajuwon</a> (Top 50), Alvin Robertson, Stockton (assist leader), Jerome Kersey, <a href="http://www.nba.com/playerfile/patrick_ewing/">Patrick Ewing</a> (future HOFer), Chris Mullin, Karl Malone (second all time scorer), Brad Daugherty, Mark Price (purest shooter game has seen), Arvydas Sabonis (could do it ALL), Drazen Petrovic, David Robinson (never seen a seven footer like him), Pippen (one of the greatest), Kevin Johnson, Reggie Miller (didn't miss), Danny Manning, Pervis Ellison, Shawn Kemp (marketers dream), Gary Payton, Toni Kukoc, Dikembe Mutombo (defensive standout), Steve Smith, <a href="http://http:/sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?statsId=0847">Shaq</a> (legend), Alonzo Mourning, and <a href="http://www.nba.com/spurs/roster/robert_horry.html">Robert Horry</a> (clutch). Not only does this list include some of the game's greatest players, including THE greatest player, it includes players that helped shape the game in some fashion or at some point were so popular that their jerseys were literally flying off of the racks (like Shawn Kemp). The NBA enjoyed its greatest times in a very short span. They couldn't have been more popular in the 1980s and 1990s. I loved them, you loved them, heck, THEY even said "<a href="http://http:/www.nba.com/video/i_love_this_game.html">I love this game</a>!" as one of their marketing campaigns. Most of the guys will or should end up in the <a href="http://www.hoophall.com/">Hall of Fame</a> and I didn't even get through most of the players. These guys were stand up guys, stayed away from the hip-hop scene largely, stayed off the police blotter, and played the game with a fierce intensity, especially Jordan. Now, let's compare to some of the more recent drafts. Most of these guys are high schoolers or foreign players that amounted to nothing. All of the players on this list are either top 10 picks or supposed All-Stars. Take a gander: <a href="http://http:/images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.patandkat.com/pat/weblog/images/webber-dunk1.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.patandkat.com/pat/weblog/archives/2003/05/kings_v_dallas.php&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;h=410&w=307&sz=28&tbnid=z8c_FFtktroeDM:&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;tbnh=125&tbnw=94&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dshawn%2Bbradley%26um%3D1&start=1&sa=X&oi=images&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;ct=image&cd=1">Shawn Bradley</a> (bust), <a href="http://www.nickvanexel.com/">Nick Van Exel</a> (average), <a href="http://www.nba.com/playerfile/glenn_robinson/index.html">Glenn Robinson</a> (top pick, average), Juwan Howard (under achieving, injury prone), Eddie Jones, Joe Smith (bust), Antonio McDyess (athletic bust), Stephon Marbury (ball hog), Antoine Walker (lazy), Keith Van Horn (not in the league), Danny Fortson (who now?), Raef LaFrentz (overpaid), Robert Traylor (in jail), Steve Francis (bust), Ron Artest (nut job), Stromile Swift (bust with stupid name), Darius Miles (bench is his second home), Kwame Brown (my Suns embarrassed him), and Dajuan Wagner (out of the league). Of course in each draft you're going to have stars, but if all of your top picks and all-stars are average at best, your league is in trouble. </div><br /><div><span style="color:#ff0000;"><strong>5. Defense wins championships, but not ratings</strong> </span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiqBAkt2Aui4dytu8JePn9aD2ziRnyU4Acc4Qk-H1xyY9fYg3HDohPwh34PkNcfET6E97QngOWlrd23mZGrFX5McmjazgB685dF7MdXKETZsRCOOg2fEoJC8qVfZWT59x0hd7xandZH5-9/s1600-h/defense.jpg"><span style="color:#ff0000;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5093851914514858338" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiqBAkt2Aui4dytu8JePn9aD2ziRnyU4Acc4Qk-H1xyY9fYg3HDohPwh34PkNcfET6E97QngOWlrd23mZGrFX5McmjazgB685dF7MdXKETZsRCOOg2fEoJC8qVfZWT59x0hd7xandZH5-9/s320/defense.jpg" border="0" /></span></a><br />I'll wholeheartedly admit that good defensive teams have historically dominated the NBA. Even if the team doesn't finish with the best record they shine like diamonds in the playoffs. They control the boards, keep the score low, and frustrate even the most high-powered offenses. That's great. Now as soon as I wake up I'll catch some of the highlights on SportsCenter. In fact, I wonder how SportsCenter decides which clips to air. I feel bad for the person that's responsible for finding something interesting in a Spurs game. On a scale of 1 to 10 the Spurs, the best defensive team in the league, register a 50 on the Dull-o-Meter. I personally cannot stand defensive struggles and frankly I feel that it's hurting the game. People, even die-hards, aren't really interested in watching two teams square off in good old-fashioned basketball. We want scoring. Not fantastic dunks, just scoring. I have always said that in basketball, any idiot can play defense, but offense is where real basketball skill checks in. Do you think they paid Rodman the same they paid Pippen? They were both great defenders, but Pippen had a jump shot which made him more important to the team and a higher paid. Jordan was a good defensive player, he even won defensive POY one year, but the fact that he scored 30 points a game in the playoffs made him the thing of legends. The NBA might seriously need to consider rule changes to allow teams to run the ball more frequently. Either by shortening the shot clock or the time it takes to get the ball across half court could dramatically improve today's slow placed, old-fart game. </div><div></div><div></div><div><strong></strong></div><div><strong><span style="color:#ff0000;">6. Big city, bright lights, and a crappy basketball team</span></strong><br />Living in Phoenix I've grown accustomed to people having misconceptions about m<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_NOEE-htfMLFAhhhA5zFFaNQihog4MdtkBIRMmYjvMJFa6dznrw_7VkVXgzmQ-qzjyIrqsNZkeU9y7l8nQI4_qZzjpcZumBml2ZHvFYrEK5Wtz-rP5SrGPUmTOP6tUBVG6ZFexgFv7nku/s1600-h/Nicholson.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5093852288177013170" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_NOEE-htfMLFAhhhA5zFFaNQihog4MdtkBIRMmYjvMJFa6dznrw_7VkVXgzmQ-qzjyIrqsNZkeU9y7l8nQI4_qZzjpcZumBml2ZHvFYrEK5Wtz-rP5SrGPUmTOP6tUBVG6ZFexgFv7nku/s320/Nicholson.jpg" border="0" /></a>y city. People think it's still a dusty southwestern town when in reality it's the fifth biggest city in the country, it's one of the leaders in the biotech industries, software (Google and Intel have operations here), health care, has four professional teams, the biggest university in the U.S., a ton of things to do including the phenomenon known as <a href="http://www.waveyard.com/">Waveyard </a>in two years, and is continually growing as a strong base on <a href="http://www.azcentral.com/business/articles/0728biz-AZStocks0729.html">Wall Street</a>. Phoenix is definitely no longer a dusty town, but in the sports world, it might as well be <a href="http://www.kenosha.org/">Kenosha, Wisconsin </a>and since players can live in relative obscurity in Phoenix it can become difficult for the NBA to attract fans to the team. Basically, big time cities need big time teams. I'm talking <a href="http://www.nyc.gov/">New York</a>, <a href="http://www.ci.la.ca.us/">Los Angeles</a>, Philadelphia, and Boston mostly. The biggest problem is each of those teams failed to make the playoffs and finished a combined 134-194. That's a ton of bad basketball for teams that crap out more history than other teams can get in ten years. These are the NBA's cornerstone franchises and if they don't make the playoffs, there had better be SOMETHING keeping people. Like I mentioned in one of my previous posts, if there isn't a team nearby, you must root for the closest one. New York, L.A., Philly, and Boston due to their success as franchises and the grandeur of their cities ended up creating lifelong fans in their surrounding areas long before teams like the Grizzlies or the Bobcats came around. Once these teams are competitive, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lakers-Celtics_rivalry">old rivalries </a>can be renewed, old footage can brought out, the legends can talk about the history of the teams, and the media loves to come to these cities and so do <a href="http://http:/www.nba.com/features/lakers_celebs_070309.html">celebrities</a> (well, except Philly). </div><div><strong></strong></div></div><div><div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>The Double-U Showhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16376079648798843081noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-206451071408768584.post-22454873967783423142007-07-30T08:58:00.000-07:002007-08-02T13:21:55.028-07:00East Coast Influence Fading, Southern Influence Gaining<p>As you all may know I grew up out west in Phoenix. Although we are now officially the fifth biggest city in the country we're still situated at least <a href="http://www.treknow.com/arizona/byways/az018600.htm">4 hours </a>driving from Vegas and <a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&q=los+angeles+to+phoenix+&um=1&sa=N&tab=wl">5 hours </a>driving from Los Angeles meaning we're basically in the middle of nowhere. Being in this aforementioned nowhere makes it difficult for your teams and your city to get any specific type of notoriety or respect from those on the East Coast (especially the northeast) where the center of sports reside including the<a href="http://www.baseballhallfofame.org/"> Baseball </a>and <a href="http://www.hoophall.com/">Basketball </a>Halls of Fame. I used to complain that there was a major East Coast bias hanging over the heads of sports that resided west of Denver which basically looking back was a weak way to excuse western teams from sucking total balls. I've put more thought into it recently and realized that the bias isn't really relevant and have listed reasons why playing out west is better for athletes.<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#ff0000;">Playing in New York, Philly, or Boston leaves most players wanting to kill fans when their career is over</span></strong><br />66% of America's population leaves on the eastern part of the country. This is obviously explained through European settling throughout most of the eastern seaboard and many of those people spreading toward the Midwest. This isn't a problem in itself. The problem lies in the fact that when you have so many people in more condensed areas, you've got more fans, more fans equal more coverage, and more coverage equals higher scrutiny. For the fans, that's great. For the player, it can begin to wear on them. Every mistake, every time they go to a club, every hit, dropped pass, touchdown, timeout, and travel is talked about until sports radio hosts are blue in the face. Out west, you don't have the same problem. Part of the reason is people simply just don't care enough about their teams out here to warrant four hours of discussion about why "<a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/g/garcino01.shtml">Nomah Garciaparrah </a>is a pussy!" We've got things to do out west. The sun shines <a href="http://www.signonsandiego.com/travel/wg_phoenix.html">300 days </a>out of the year so we go work on our yards, take our kids to the park, go play in a softball game, go for a jog, work on our cars, go to the beach (if you've got one), go hiking, go swimming, we just go do STUFF that doesn't involve watching sports on television (hence why this blog centers on more than just X's and O's). Northeasterners don't get out much so I have reason to believe their bodies are missing the hormone that urges them to go do stuff. It's a cold day in hell when Knicks basketball is more exciting than going outside.<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#ff0000;">In college sports, east coast bias is becoming less relevant and southern influence is becoming dominant</span></strong><br />Recruiters for major college programs work very, very hard to make their campus, team, facilities, and traditions seem like their professional athlete card will be waiting inside their locker the first day of training camp. They give them a tour of the school, take them to a game, introduce them to some girls, and send them on their way. It's like a beautiful formula that allows schools to become legalized whores. The only difference is the time of year recruits come to the campus. Throughout the entire northern part of the country, including the western part, it's icier than the stare your friends give you when you beat them at Madden. Those schools have to bring their recruits up early in the fall so they don't have to chip them out of the snow like Lucy the cavewoman. Southern schools, from east to west, are completely able to bring recruits to their city any time of the year. Even in the <a href="http://www.pac-10.org/">Pac-10</a>, a conference that stretches from near Canada to near Mexico, the teams in the lower portion of the conference are able to recruit southern California, a CRUCIAL area for recruiting, much easier because of the weather. Picture this, if you're a kid from San Diego who is going to play football and your choices are USC-sunny/SoCal, UCLA-sunny/SoCal, Cal-Bay Area/close to home, Arizona State-L.A. replica minus beaches/close to home, or Washington State-cold, far from home, long flight, unfamiliar area which schools might be in your running. Keep in mind that the powder blue wuss-jobs from UCLA are about as good as Washington State right now, but when you visit WAZU in August L.A. in February which one is going to stick out in your mind? The most recent and sunny one.<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#ff0000;">"Girls Girls Girls Girls Girls...."-Jay-Z</span></strong><br />Let's face it. Girls in cold weather cities tend to be horribly ugly. It's not totally their fault. I went to college in a very cold weather <a href="http://www.climate-zone.com/climate/united-states/arizona/flagstaff/">Arizona</a> city (snowed several feet a year) and often found it impossible to stay in shape. Now that I've moved back home to Phoenix I'm able to go for a jog virtually any time I want. And I'm a guy which means I'm allowed to carry some extra baggage, but the inability to hide behind large clothes florces me outside. Girls on the other hand, don't have the same luxury. Their pressure comes from girls who are crackhead thin and they think for some reason men are looking in their direction (newsflash, if you like really thin girls without curves then you officially fall into the "<a href="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/10912603/">To Catch a Predator</a>" territory in my mind). When it's cold as hell outside, you don't want to do anything. You want to grab some Jack in the Box, stay in, and watch <a href="http://www.familyguy.com/">The Family Guy </a>until the weather passes. Plus, when you do go outside you have to wear long pants and sweatshirts, not exactly "come hither" attire. When it's sunny out, you have more of the urge to work out and stay fit and college girls are no different. At <a href="http://www.asu.edu/">Arizona State</a>, <a href="http://www.lsu.edu/">LSU</a>, <a href="http://www.usc.edu/">USC</a>, <a href="http://www.utexas.edu/">Texas</a>, <a href="http://www.arizona.edu/">Arizona</a>, and <a href="http://www.sdsu.edu/">San Diego State </a>the women are BEAUTIFUL. There was in fact a website called <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/barleymashers/117046100/in/photostream/">palmwalk.com</a> that showed girls walking down the palm-tree lined streets at Arizona State and you were able to judge how hot they were (needless to say they shut it down, ASU is lucky there's porn to turn to or else people would revolt). You don't see maizeandblue.com showing any hot girls simply because where it's cold the hot girls are not. You have corn-fed, plain, frumpy looking girls where it's cold and when you're a 19 year old basketball recruit, you've got two things on your mind, sex and basketba...sex. Hot girls can make a difference. The only way cold weather schools win out is the girls there have to "out-whore" everybody else, but hey, I'm not hating.<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#ff0000;">Let's talk about population...</span></strong><br />It's undeniable that the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brain_drain">population shifts </a>have definitely headed out west due to what's called the "brain drain" (highly intelligent and employable individuals moving from where they grew up to other places). Looking at the census website I found that <a href="http://www.phoenix.gov/">Phoenix</a>, <a href="http://www.sandiego.gov/">San Diego</a>, and <a href="http://www.lasvegasnevada.gov/">Las Vegas</a>, three southwestern cities grew respective 33%, 10%, and 84% while three eastern cities<a href="http://www.phila.gov/"> Philadelphia</a>, <a href="http://egov.cityofchicago.org/">Chicago</a>, and <a href="http://www.cityofboston.gov/">Boston</a> grew -4.3%, 4%, and 2.6% respectively. This signals one thing, people are moving where it's warm. I have this theory that people visit San Diego, part in Las Vegas, and live in Phoenix while people are too mad in Philly, too loud in Chicago, and too hateful in Boston. As a pro or a college athlete the decision seems clear as to where you want to play if you have the choice. Places growing slowly or shrinking in size have little to offer athletes. Plus, many of the smart, successful people are taking control of their quality of life. This is because smart, successful people earn more money. Smart, successful people tend to be better looking. Smart, successful people have outside interests other than sports. This boils down to the fact smart, successful people will ultimately spend more on your team, you'll be surrounded by 10s at every club, you won't be grilled by the media with them asking what you had for lunch, and you can lead as much of a normal life as possible before retirement. Oh yeah, there's the whole sunny weather, no hurricane, tornado, or flood thing too that draws people. Give it 15 more years and the sports landscape will change. The powers in every sport (look at basketball folks) will shift west. Tell Sully, Rooney, and Mike their obsession with the Pats won't keep playahs around foreveah!!<br /></p><p><strong><span style="color:#ff0000;">Cha-Ching</span></strong></p><p>Marketing for athletes has reached almost an absurd level to where there are some guys that are less athletes and more celebrities (Beckham, MJ, A-Rod, LeBron) than anyone else. I'm not upset by this, if someone offered me $1 million to tattoo Joe's Crab Shack on my forehead I would ask where to sign before he finished his sentence. Nonetheless, it's important for athletes to be in a situation where their income from outside of sports, something that can end with an injury, is significant enough for them to have a massive income. Part of this comes from playing in cities that allow for marketers to reach people more easily. 15 years ago that may have made a big difference, but now, with NBA League Pass, ESPN Full Court, MLB Extra Innings, ESPN, YouTube, MySpace, ESPN the Magazine, ESPN2, FSN, the NFL Network, NBATV, Field Pass, and our good old friend the internet in general athletes can get an incredible amount of exposure no matter WHERE they play. This can be significant for players if they have a choice between playing in Boston or Dallas. If an athlete doesn't have to deal with the same media, insane fans, scrutiny, criticism, or expectations, but can earn the same in endorsements and salary, he'll sign the contract so fast he'll burn a whole in the paper. For example, look at LeBron. He grew up in Akron, OH and plays for the hapless Cavaliers now without ever playing a minute of college ball and is one of the most marketed athletes in the world. Another example is Peyton Manning who plays in cold as hell Indianapolis, but we see his commercial with the fake mustache three times a day. This is all because the networks have found a way to bring the sports to you instead of the other way around meaning we can see a player like LeBron even if you've never been within 100 miles of Ohio. I can just hear LeBron saying, "Get my wheelbarrow so I can bring in this week's paycheck." </p>The Double-U Showhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16376079648798843081noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-206451071408768584.post-68348514798321371082007-07-25T07:49:00.000-07:002007-08-02T13:22:54.892-07:0010,000 Reasons Why Sports Are GreatI'll admit first hand that <a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=simmons/070722">Bill Simmons </a>is one of the funniest writers I've ever read. He has his own column on <a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/index">ESPN's Page 2</a> and the stuff really is a great read. One of the articles he has is called "<a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=simmons/070525">Why I Love Sports</a>" which is a lot of fun to read and it got me thinking as to why I think sports are great my self. I realized that there are about 10,000 reasons....<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#ff0000;">1. After your children, your significant other, and your parents, your team is the most important thing in your life</span></strong><br />The only thing that I wear more than my Cardinals jersey or Suns jersey is my wedding ring and my shoes for work. If it were socially acceptable I'd probably wear my <a href="http://www.lakersuniverse.com/store/steve_nash_jersey_cards.htm">Steve Nash jersey </a>to a wedding.....again. But this time it won't be MY wedding. Anyway, we all follow our teams obsessively, have day dreams of playing along side them at some point in our lives, and spend a ton of money to see them in person, or in the case of NFL Sunday Ticket, to just actually SEE them. We even hold our allegiances to the teams above our friendships. My friend's dad has been convincing me for years to become a Laker fan, but despite 40 years of no championships for the Suns, I still refuse. It'd be great to root for the same team as your friend, but hey, screw the Lakers. You got to love it.<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#ff0000;">2. My Friends</span></strong><br />I have to give kudos to my friends for being a part of my sports life. It has really added an important part to our friendship that always leaves us something to talk or argue about. I refuse to talk sports with most people because I have no reason to believe they have any idea what they're talking about, but my friends, just like yours, are the easiest to talk sports with. My friend Ted has a ton of insight into sports, but his value comes mostly from his connections with people. For some reason he ALWAYS gets great seats for free and he's willing to share with the rest of us. That's undeniably the best and I don't know if he understands how much it means to have great seats to a game and the fact that he's at the games to root the teams on makes it more fun. It's like being a girl and a friend gets you those pair of shoes that you just LOVE and with no strings attached, they just wanted to get it for you. That's cool. My friend Hugo is on the inside track with sports that you won't see on prime time. He's major interests are boxing and soccer. Although I've got my issues with soccer, I've always maintained that fans of soccer are some of the best people you'll meet. His national pride (he's from Mexico City) trumps everything else in sports and he's always keeping us up to date on boxing by letting us know the newest fighters, who sucks, who's great, and who's fighting next. Lastly, my best friend, and biggest sports nut I know beside myself, is Giovanni. He is a (puking) die-hard Lakers fan so him and I have had it out with one another on about four thousand different occasions. In fact, all of our favorite teams play against one another in the same division (meaning the Lakers, Dodgers, 49ers <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_League_West">all </a>play <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NFC_West">against</a> my <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pacific_Division_(NBA)">Arizona</a> teams) and I have professed my hatred for those teams on more occasions than I can count. The best part about him is that there is nothing that I'll tell him he doesn't know already about sports or sports news so we can basically pick up where we left off every time. The only thing him and I need to work on is avoiding calling each other "gay" every time our point falls flat.<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#ff0000;">3. Video Games</span></strong><br />I really wish that I had the time and attention span to play games like Harry Potter, <a href="http://www.halflife2.net/">Half-Life</a>, and Halo. I'm also very thankful I'm not a gigantic nerd......let me rephrase, those who don't play sports games aren't nerds per-say.......who the hell am I kidding, they're DAMN nerds. I have some horrible memories from my sophomore year in college where my roommate was literally a local legend for his Halo skills. To become a legend, you've got to spend a TON of time playing a game which is fine if you live by yourself, but since I was actually interested in the opposite sex it was difficult to convince my future wife at the time to not leave me because she was afraid she would see me one day and I would have suspenders and a pocket protector. Anyway, for those of us who aren't obsessed with games that involve <a href="http://everquest.station.sony.com/">wielding magic swords </a>video games have provided an outlet to basically fulfill our fantasies. The best part is the games don't get old either. Sure, <a href="http://georgia.scout.com/a.z?s=135&p=8&c=1&nid=1979870">RB #31</a> for Georgia rushing for 5,000 yards in 2005 is virtually impossible but on my video game he's a campus legend with four Heisman trophies and three national championships (I lost one on a last second bomb by <a href="http://www.chrisleakonline.com/ChrisLeakBio.php">Chris Leak</a>, I finally convinced myself not to send him any more hate mail). The games have become so sophisticated and intricate that you can immerse yourself into thinking that you're a star player AND the owner of the team simultaneously. I was once a first basemen for the Diamondbacks in the video game world and hit 113 home runs 2004. The worst part is I was literally PROUD of what I had done and when I got closer to 74 home runs I started getting nervous and hit .238. Clicking buttons has never been more fun.<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#ff0000;">4. Sports Movies</span></strong><br />Not all sports movies are created equal. In fact, some are just downright stupid. Movies like the "<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0421206/">Gridiron Gang</a>" and "<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0134969/">Soccer Dog</a>" need to have every DVD copy burned and money refunded to those who saw it in the theaters. There are some movies that really are just that good. Some of my favorite movies include "<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0390022/">Friday Night Lights</a>," "<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0445990/">Invincible</a>," "<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0109035/">Above the Rim</a> (we miss you Tupac)," and "<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0107889/">The Program</a>." Each of these movies went more than just into sports and were mostly unpredictable unlike the movie "<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0349825/">Miracle</a>" which by the way bored the hell out of me. The best sports movies are the ones that are original. Not the re-makes typically of what happened before. You know what's going to happen, you know who said what because you've seen the play a million times, and for some reason it's not believable that an awkwardly un-athletic actor who admittedly wore a corrective <a href="http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://images.bcdb.com/pictures/warner/waynehead.gif&amp;imgrefurl=http://www.bcdb.com/cartoon/15579-Bummed_Out.html&h=113&w=186&sz=7&hl=en&start=1&um=1&tbnid=Xsf7VPFIBCVT_M:&amp;amp;tbnh=62&tbnw=102&prev=/images%25%20">boot</a> is really an NBA PLAYER (i.e. <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0115851/">Damon Wayans in "Celtic Pride.").</a> I'll have to admit though that I'm a sucker either way it goes. Even if I don't like the movie I still ended up watching it at some point. It's like sleeping with that girl who you KNOW is nasty, but hey, you never know, she could be a classic.<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#ff0000;">5. High Definition TV</span></strong><br />I want to tell a quick story. It's a story about a guy who was inside of a Circuit City in Tucson in 2005 while his wife's nephew got himself a new cell phone and in his boredom he turned around and saw the NFC Championship Game between the Falcons and the Eagles. There was something different about the TVs though. I saw the return man field a ball at the 10-yard line, but for some reason the field inside of the <a href="http://www.gadome.com/">Georgia Dome </a>looked absolutely CRYSTAL CLEAR. I could see the holes on the Falcons player’s jerseys. The lights were just bouncing off of the Eagles players' helmets. I asked the clerk why it was so clear and he said, "It's <a href="http://www.thehighdefinitionstore.com/">HDTV</a>." From that point forward I made it my mission to find out what exactly HDTV was and how I could get it. I went to Best Buy that next weekend and saw some more examples of what HD was and how it would impact the sports world. I'm not one to get wrapped up in technical fads, but HDTV has literally changed the way we watch sports and I plopped down 1500 dollars for <a href="http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=7992666&type=product&productCategoryId=pcmcat95100050005&id=1155069968827">my first plasma </a>television and I'm not sorry for it. I've seen 100s of Suns games in HD, all of the Cardinals games are in HD in addition to the Super Bowls, all of the NBA playoff games, SportsCenter, ESPN2, and the NCAA Basketball Tournament. It's made watching sports so much more fun because it almost feels like you're there. HD is just that much better than regular TV and the sports world caught on immediately.<br /><br /><span style="color:#ff0000;"><strong>6. LaDainian Tomlinson</strong><br /></span>I feel truly blessed that I've been able to witness the greatness that is <a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?playerId=2553">L.T. </a>I don't even like the Chargers, but how can you NOT root for this guy. He is simply the most flawless player to probably ever stop onto a football field. He literally can do it all. I have reason to believe if they put a head set on this guy he would end up out-smarting Bill Belichek all by himself. Did you know this guy has lost 10 fumbles his entire career? TEN FUMBLES!!!! And he's fumbled 24 times. In the hyper-competitive AFC and being the MVP of an explosive offense with a young quarterback this guy loses less fumbles than Dennis Miller jokes rock the house. By the way, he threw 2 touchdowns and rushed for 1800 yards and blew away the single season touchdown record set shortly before. Let's not forget that he's lightning fast. Strong as a bull. Serves as a personal wall for his quarterback. Has hands as soft as a stripper's ass. Plus he's a great teammate, stays out of the police lineup, he's humble, and is intense about winning (by that I mean he got up in the face of one of the Patriots players for messing with his team, talk about pride!). I understand how great Jim Brown and Joe Montana were, but I'm talking about the here and now. Right now L.T. is the best player, offensively or defensively, in the NFL right now. By the time he's done. He'll be at the top of this <a href="http://www.usatoday.com/sports/football/nfl/2007-top-25-series.htm">list</a>.<br /><br /><span style="color:#ff0000;"><strong>7. Cultural Lines Can Be Blurred</strong> </span><br />I went to a fairly culturally and economically diverse high school. On the field however is when I noticed those differences the most and certainly cared the least. I'd look around my defensive huddle and realized that the other defensive tackle besides me was bi-racial and from a middle class family while I came from a single parent home in the drug-infested Maryvale area of Phoenix, one cornerback's dad was a school board member and the other lived in one of the more dangerous parts of the city. One of our linebackers was originally from Tonga while the other was as about as white as a sheet of paper. It didn't matter, we all wanted to win. Sports have a tendency to bridge that gap between people despite their race, gender, socioeconomic status, or political views. I've met many people whether it be through playing sports or watching them to where we had differing views of the world, earned a different income, had different ideas about race relations, and even were of a different sex, but we had that those few things in common: we hated the Lakers, the Cardinals need to get better now, the Spurs are boring, and hockey is unwatchable. I think it comes from the fact that once you start getting into matters outside of sports people tend to be un-informed and have different values and it can be frustrating. In sports, the values tend to be the same because everybody wants to just win baby.<br /><strong><span style="color:#ff0000;">8. Jerseys</span></strong><br />Jerseys are one of the more ultimate ways to stay close to your team. I personally have dumped hundreds of dollars on jerseys of all sports including <a href="http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.sportslogos.net/images/Hockey/NHL/PIT_174.gif&imgrefurl=http://www.sportslogos.net/logo.php%3Flo%3D174&amp;amp;amp;amp;h=512&w=545&sz=10&hl=en&start=1&um=1&tbnid=EyNfU9aauaMgSM:&tbnh=125&tbnw=133&prev=/%20">hockey</a>, baseball, basketball, AND football. Some of them are downright embarrassing like my <a href="http://www.nba.com/suns/news/barkley_memories_green.html">A.C. Green Phoenix Suns </a>jersey or my Joey Harrington Detroit Lions jersey. The worst part is that I haven't even blinked an eye when purchasing. Jerseys give you that feel that some how, some way, you're giving your team the boost that they need. You're wearing their colors. Whether it is home or away you blend right in with the crowd. Jerseys mean so much we'll even wear them in front of the TV when no one even knows we're wearing it. It's the ultimate in fandom. There are limits though. You cannot, repeat CANNOT come to a game with your <a href="http://www.sidelinemvp.com/nfl_personalized_jerseys.htm">name on the back of the jersey</a>. No one knows who wore number 43 and was named "Rojas" for the 49ers. It confuses us and as football fans confusion simply means beat down. Just be careful is all I'm saying.<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#ff0000;">9. Fight Songs</span></strong><br />The Big Band era went out a very long time ago, but one place it's alive and well is in amateur sports. The fight songs for teams not only bring out the pride in the team, but in the fans, alumni, and coaches. The songs stand the test of time and after every major championship a team wins the fight song gets sung usually in a drunken, screaming, stumbling manner, but it's sung with conviction. Think about all of the fight songs you know. USC's, Ohio State's, Notre Dame's, or even your own high school's. The songs are original too unlike in pro sports. They don't have to repeat Queen's "We are the Champions" over and over again because they've thought of nothing original. The songs stand the test of time and although they may be corny and sometimes poorly written, ("hit 'em high, hit 'em low, go, go, go! for example) it's synonymous with the team.<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#ff0000;">10. SportsCenter</span></strong><br /><a href="http://espn.go.com/thisissportscenter/index.html">Duh-duh-duh-duh-duh-duhhh</a>. We all know the signature beat of one of the greatest sports shows in the history of American media. Ever since SportsCenter debuted <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SportsCenter">25 some-odd years </a>ago it has easily been the most informative and entertaining newscast I've ever watched. Yes, I know SportsCenter has its downsides, but let's get real, they've got about 60 minutes to report on the world of sports and make it interesting. Discussing how someone made a great block in the third quarter for a 10-yard gain is as about as interesting as "Andy Richter Controls the Universe." My mom used to get upset that I would watch the show every morning before school, but I always told her that watching SportsCenter was like watching any other news show except they talked about sports. To be totally honest, some of my vocabulary came from listening to SportsCenter anchors put their thesauruses to great use. It's helped me write better papers in graduate school and actually SEEM remotely intelligent. Emphasis on SEEM. SportsCenter is a great show. Just compare it to your local sports report and see which one goes more in depth and seems to actually care. I remember one time when I was in Anaheim and Vlad Guerrero hit this <a href="http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20060715&content_id=1558557&vkey=spt2006news&fext=.jsp&c_id=was">BOMB</a> out into right field and I almost caught it but the jerk in front of me snagged it. It didn't matter; I didn't turn to <a href="http://ktla.trb.com/">KTLA </a>to see if I would get on TV, I turned to SportsCenter. I mean I ALMOST GOT ON SPORTS CENTER. That excitement is one of the reasons I love sports.<br />These are just 10 of the 10,000 reasons that I love sports. Trust me, there WILL be much more to come.The Double-U Showhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16376079648798843081noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-206451071408768584.post-79579507728072492292007-07-24T08:03:00.000-07:002008-12-08T20:32:52.523-07:006 Reasons Why Baseball is Falling Off.....Every night I used to dream of being a professional baseball player when I was a child. I had wild dreams about being the first baseman for the then-California Angels and knocking balls out of the park as I steam roll to glory. Well, okay, the <a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/CAL/1990.shtml">Angels</a> weren't that great, so let's say I dreamed about early July win streak glory. Nonetheless, baseball had my heart, my mind, and my attention. I worked hard at it every day, even to the point that I was the M.V.P. of my little league when I was 9 years old also appearing in the All-Star game (a regular Derek Jeter right?). Baseball is now lucky that I don't chuck the remote at the T.V. when I see a <a href="http://pittsburgh.pirates.mlb.com/schedule/index.jsp?c_id=pit&m=8&y=2007">Reds-Pirates </a>game in late August. I get so pissed off because I feel like baseball has forgotten about the fan altogether when fans are what helped build the league. Don't get me wrong, I still watch baseball and will go see a Diamondbacks game from time to time, but will you see me obsessed ever again? No. Now the six reasons why baseball is falling off....<br /><div><br /><div><div><div><div><p><strong><span style="color:#ff0000;">1. </span></strong><a href="http://www.usatoday.com/sports/baseball/stories/2002-06-26-guaranteed-contracts.htm"><strong><span style="color:#ff0000;">Guaranteed Contracts</span></strong></a><br />Let me get one thing straight, I don't have a problem with a player getting paid cash money <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMgVRWLEHCYh1W5pUXXUO9wue8EmJ7orQmP53E4iWh4ONIYjZkgTFWPiNfpQ83fO0t9AY7I-kpPsgQArVs4pAQcEZZXswF69g7WofA0fPJs1na17BOY2XATNdqbqEfzLktqV5EVo2gyq1G/s1600-h/bling+bling.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5094176833085768146" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMgVRWLEHCYh1W5pUXXUO9wue8EmJ7orQmP53E4iWh4ONIYjZkgTFWPiNfpQ83fO0t9AY7I-kpPsgQArVs4pAQcEZZXswF69g7WofA0fPJs1na17BOY2XATNdqbqEfzLktqV5EVo2gyq1G/s320/bling+bling.jpg" border="0" /></a>baby. Let's not forget that although they're not doing something as noble as teaching, they're earning people hundreds of <a href="http://www.forbes.com/lists/2006/33/Rank_1.html">millions of dollars</a>, entertaining millions of people, they hold the pride of the city, and we PAY TO SEE THEM. I don't pay to see teachers teach 8th grade math. However, the contracts of major leaguers are guaranteed. When you guarantee guys, at any age, millions of dollars for playing a game, they begin to not care. Hell, I'm doing this blog at work because I feel like I'm guaranteed to keep my job even if I get caught. By the way, I earn a very average salary. If I was paid 10 million dollars up frontto throw curveballs, I just might get lazy and buy a platinum rottweiler in between pitches. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvgRdbVE8safR6WgFp5FkZO76GyfmTzrjTQgvY3Bl96zn9FlzP9TLmnIBXvsx5SXP7UGlgRenFFUruhz66RHsWIU-7hCfMQlVmSb8xL3ERMCgJWoLq3IbIiRzDzMrjOhU6CzeH6jlhh5YF/s1600-h/Dominican+Team.jpg"></a><br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#ff0000;">2. Foreigners</span></strong> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv6mDPN_vSWjNA1N853ap7MW-GO9Q_OK42pdvezY1mz8uopRaJBUTcs6k16OghZ524u1F4Zg-aQBaP69YWSeK5k4_wMjBU7hB9B1Y6uqNtyMBNwfX30n_193Z3hMG0u3l_egJE9eOqTF7X/s1600-h/Dominican+Team.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5093019094586359954" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv6mDPN_vSWjNA1N853ap7MW-GO9Q_OK42pdvezY1mz8uopRaJBUTcs6k16OghZ524u1F4Zg-aQBaP69YWSeK5k4_wMjBU7hB9B1Y6uqNtyMBNwfX30n_193Z3hMG0u3l_egJE9eOqTF7X/s320/Dominican+Team.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />I obviously don't mean this in a racist term because guys like <a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/players/profile?playerId=3576">Vladimir Guerrero</a>, <a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/players/profile?statsId=5909">David Ortiz</a>, and <a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/players/profile?statsId=4875">Pedro Martinez</a> are the exact same skin tone as I and for those guys to play well and not be knuckleheads off the field does wonders for the image of our race despite the cultural differences. However, like I mentioned as one of the reasons that soccer has failed in the U.S. it's one of the reasons that baseball is struggling. I'll be honest though, <a href="http://latinobaseball.com/mlb-hcountry.html">foreign players </a>have played <a href="http://mlb.mlb.com/news/press_releases/press_release.jsp?ymd=20070307&content_id=1831869&vkey=pr_mlb_int&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb">baseball</a> in America for DECADES, but as America continues to grow, especially with the hot-button issues of immigration (living in <a href="http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/opinions/articles/0723monedit-letters07232.html">Phoenix</a> it's doubly hot) lately Americans are having a hard time adjusting to guys like Luis Castillo who at one point were phenoms, but needed an interpreter to express "how great winning the World Series is." Let's not forget though that not only is there a ton of foreign born players, a lot of these guys are AWESOME. I've seen Vlad in person and not only is this guy one of the best ever he's a behemoth who whacked a grand slam into right field so hard the ball was shivering and asking who the bad man was. The best players in a sport in any country usually have an easier time if they resemble what most of the country looks like. Tom Brady is a star, but if he were in <a href="http://www.ipanema.com/">Rio de Janeiro </a>he'd be that "funny looking white guy who does...some....ball....sport." In the words of Homer Simpson..."If something goes wrong at the plant, blame the guy who can't speak English." </p><p><span style="color:#ff0000;"><strong>3. Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz</strong> </span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbz9ktJT1aTUlDcxbGV091sxiKebcq4hJgtnA1b2_fBtAX_Uu7YtgY3yZQmJGPdxqbQ5VEYnNDKdq4fjpFsp9GOyoGWTye6H5tJA7zTgj5zV0tJhVnoZpz2NC_8EyzzsSayh_1iW7tNNHs/s1600-h/Homer.gif"><span style="color:#ff0000;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5093019193370607778" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbz9ktJT1aTUlDcxbGV091sxiKebcq4hJgtnA1b2_fBtAX_Uu7YtgY3yZQmJGPdxqbQ5VEYnNDKdq4fjpFsp9GOyoGWTye6H5tJA7zTgj5zV0tJhVnoZpz2NC_8EyzzsSayh_1iW7tNNHs/s320/Homer.gif" border="0" /></span></a><br />I've got things to do. I've got two small children, a wife, I'm in graduate school, friends, work, and I'm a superhero in my spare time. I have no superpowers and I mostly save squirrels, but it still takes time. Baseball, for its pace, simply takes too long to <a href="http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/04302/402947.stm">attract new fans</a>. We like things done yesterday here in America. We trash our old computers for <a href="http://www.apple.com/macbook/">faster ones</a>, we want our cell phones to connect to the internet immediately, we want our news updated hourly, and we want <a href="http://espn.go.com/">SportsCenter</a> updates every 10 minutes. Baseball is definitely the most throwback sport out of the four, but come on, unless you're there at the game and have great seats baseball literally reaches through the television and takes months off of your life. Speed up the game like I do in <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Electronic-Arts-P2EAG-014633148893-Baseball/dp/B00075GLUG">MVP Baseball 2005 </a>and you'll end up playing a whole season in a week!<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRZ8jJgwKmRgHjBqbpUAk2hWwvdB3CiuMMS-kVHue5O4MjOqHWmxzMM3UrcFwmxFNsKiBqfcGPd1nVxBp5duzntb73I-2pz0K1o7ICmNNLXWcynpL4gCkOCk2wka52Orkmxpz_0RtPfOHs/s1600-h/Benjamins.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5093019313629692082" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRZ8jJgwKmRgHjBqbpUAk2hWwvdB3CiuMMS-kVHue5O4MjOqHWmxzMM3UrcFwmxFNsKiBqfcGPd1nVxBp5duzntb73I-2pz0K1o7ICmNNLXWcynpL4gCkOCk2wka52Orkmxpz_0RtPfOHs/s320/Benjamins.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><strong><span style="color:#ff0000;">4. It's all about the Benjamins baby</span></strong><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf4Bjugh5_3yns3ZSutYriYz7YxIvITReEPqmfKp8veMzhzVv63mie9zzOSFPXZNSW3hcWu8FEKted2KFNImjFoYvJLCKfWffq6DkngRB-4iWa3wrK0XeZDuyY2SFtq97zf1XzdsH1A0Ct/s1600-h/Benjamins.jpg"></a>Baseball is an arms race, literally and figuratively. I've added a link so you can see the amount of money some teams spend on their <a href="http://www.onestopbaseball.com/TeamPayroll.asp">clubs compared to others</a>. Frankly, it's bothersome. We're talking from the lowest payroll, Tampa Bay, to the top team in their OWN DIVISION, New York, a difference in close to $180 million dollars in salaries. That's a lot of cabbage. It seems like the worst teams aren't bad just because of poor management or performance, they just simply don't have the money to get good players and it lessens fairness in the sport. I would not watch baseball knowing damn well my team did not have a chance in hell to finish even 2nd in their own division year after year. Who wants to watch that? I've got an idea, maybe if Royals start paying teams in Rupees instead of dollars they can compete. </p><p><strong><span style="color:#ff0000;">5. The fans and sports writers are obsessed with statistics</span></strong><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNiSuGSIHVamCznsgQMBpCgHesb-G-y8-yRpqUW55RkFnrpLSDJYzRV_h7NhPNJYPxvQuZsv1_RNvsEw9BfOjaUEm1MJcgyNOXKEdLAH96Ckg1FXZKZpExVbSpfluPM_v2YEB0hDRfpEhp/s1600-h/baseball+stats.jpg"></a><span style="color:#ff0000;"> </span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioMrBj7hBl6qUR1v4r4DhSPTnV7RnOX_6FM3ZjrWDyFUCbzsD3iWohSqGhZAes7wFMks0L8Bug82ZmApXsD3TjNgsQIvtF0Zrxx1tI3enrEfdvfXyelzuOkjYqiT5krzBlxnnUziaKlx0p/s1600-h/baseball+stats.jpg"><span style="color:#ff0000;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5093019403824005314" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioMrBj7hBl6qUR1v4r4DhSPTnV7RnOX_6FM3ZjrWDyFUCbzsD3iWohSqGhZAes7wFMks0L8Bug82ZmApXsD3TjNgsQIvtF0Zrxx1tI3enrEfdvfXyelzuOkjYqiT5krzBlxnnUziaKlx0p/s320/baseball+stats.jpg" border="0" /></span></a><span style="color:#ff0000;"><br /></span>The last time I checked, sports weren’t solely about numbers. Numbers lie. Hell, 75% of know that statistics are right 34.3% of the time. This is where baseball begins to falter. The die-hards and the sports writers drool over <a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/">statistics</a> so much that it begins to determine how good a player was over the course of their career. I tried looking up statistics for baseball players just in terms of hitting and almost fell on the floor with what I saw (apparently you CAN have sex with a cow). After I put in the right URL I was still shocked at what I saw. There are statistics for outs, at bats per home run, caught stealing, intentional walks, sac flies, sac hits, hit by pitch, ops, RBI, home runs, <a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/leaders/">runs created </a>(what the hell is that), times on base, number of times nuts were scratched, hot dogs spilled, and grains of dirt. Compared to football, baseball has a million more ways to track every single play of every single everything it seems like. This has unfairly propelled some players like Craig Biggio into "Hall of Fame" status. Longevity does count when it comes to being elected to the Hall, but if your career cannot be summed up in one sentence, you simply don't be long.<a href="http://houston.astros.mlb.com/team/player.jsp?player_id=110987"> Craig Biggio </a>falls into that, "well he finished first in games played in 2005 so he should be a Hall of Famer" cateogry. Puhlease. </p><p><strong><span style="color:#ff0000;">6. Steroids</span> </strong><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2Z75nqJoYxBiL59Q1mbxMWEl-YvJEtlVBZD092X2xzMVdjRpne6LPzooYJRXrZ8yN9nzphfvAxcImFos4pn4FKt2ugISBdivJq6Dc-jxF9yua3y-Ih9RKtz3gLOsuyk5ozKxMTRu7ZwKU/s1600-h/steroids.jpg"><strong><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5093019506903220434" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2Z75nqJoYxBiL59Q1mbxMWEl-YvJEtlVBZD092X2xzMVdjRpne6LPzooYJRXrZ8yN9nzphfvAxcImFos4pn4FKt2ugISBdivJq6Dc-jxF9yua3y-Ih9RKtz3gLOsuyk5ozKxMTRu7ZwKU/s320/steroids.jpg" border="0" /></strong></a><br />I don't believe steroids are the moral outrage some of the old timers are trying to make it. At worst, I think it's a shame that the sport has become about who has the best doctor and not the most talent. Nonetheless, baseball has been at the <a href="http://www.josecanseco.com/index.aspx">CENTER</a> of a steroids scandal/investigation/media circus over the last four to five years and when a <a href="http://barrybonds.mlb.com/players/bonds_barry/index.jsp">great player </a>is about to break a <a href="http://www.biography.com/search/article.do?id=9173497">hallowed record </a>all anyone can talk about his the fact he was the center of a very good book called <a href="http://www.gameofshadows.com/"><em>Game of Shadows</em></a>. You didn't get this with Emmitt Smith breaking Sweetness' record, you didn't get this with Wayne Gretzky breaking records, and everyone embraced Michael Jordan breaking every playoff record possible. </p><p>There goes my childhood fascination, right out the window with any sense in baseball.<br /></p><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div></div></div></div></div></div>The Double-U Showhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16376079648798843081noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-206451071408768584.post-23304424504098068562007-07-23T13:31:00.000-07:002008-12-08T20:32:54.293-07:005 Rules for Divorcing your TeamI've been lucky enough to never hit this crossroad in my life. That time when you look at the relationship and realize over a period of years that it is no longer worth it to stay. They keep disappointing you. You no longer respect them. They have little regard for you as a person and frequently flaunt the fact that you've stayed with them in your face year after year. But that time has come....you're divorcing your team and there is no way out. Here are some rules to ease that transition (sniff).<br /><br /><div><div><div><div><div><div><strong><span style="color:#ff0000;">5. You must be absolutely sure that your team is terrible</span> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQEyLhO8z6fRlUZeXoVMYD7Rnxcf1LHiloY6HXBdClyPdktLJgWUc213pYGueAvwbDcxaNbFeJWZIvCeB-HX-wG4Arl0N66szwT27jBaVI2o4UOntcjkiTpTQZokcCnbpv91oE305f1kkx/s1600-h/Los_Angeles_Clippers_logo.png"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5090520441527336898" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQEyLhO8z6fRlUZeXoVMYD7Rnxcf1LHiloY6HXBdClyPdktLJgWUc213pYGueAvwbDcxaNbFeJWZIvCeB-HX-wG4Arl0N66szwT27jBaVI2o4UOntcjkiTpTQZokcCnbpv91oE305f1kkx/s320/Los_Angeles_Clippers_logo.png" border="0" /></a><br /></strong>We've seen those teams. Some of them are just so bad that there seems like there is no way out of the hell they've created for themselves. Sometimes they're so bad you're almost laughing every time they do something stupid. Whether it be a bad trade, dropped fly ball, missed lay-up, or blown tackle it is all good comical fun to where you turn to your friends and say "Hahahaha, did you see Jones, he was totally REJECTED by the second round pick out of Southern Oregon, hold on, let me rewind that play!" If you've seen yourself doing this the relationship has been soured because you no longer feel the pain associated with those actions. Acknowledging the fact that your "defensive back couldn't tackle a small girl" and being okay with it means it's time to move on for good.<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#ff0000;">4. You have to understand that there is no going back once you've left</span></strong> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZYazzFaVWv3BfE9nsxmFep51d1rG2Q_JrudxubUetWdYLtUywJU7EBPhR03ZSyqAkf0BbuOVVTT0kRDB1goThMzE1HXeYma5iSy7klxeRPqHDn0iQfMPFLO-DKYUMleoCftjNmiiyweYs/s1600-h/ColtsBalScript.gif"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5090523065752354770" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZYazzFaVWv3BfE9nsxmFep51d1rG2Q_JrudxubUetWdYLtUywJU7EBPhR03ZSyqAkf0BbuOVVTT0kRDB1goThMzE1HXeYma5iSy7klxeRPqHDn0iQfMPFLO-DKYUMleoCftjNmiiyweYs/s320/ColtsBalScript.gif" border="0" /></a><br />The hard part with divorcing your team is that there is no break-up sex. It's just a cold turkey, walk out of the door-type divorce that leaves you clutching your picture of Joey Harrington you bought his rookie year. These type of divorces are usually the hardest to sustain because you can't be tempted to go back if all of a sudden they are wearing new outfits, they're popular, they've bought a new house, and have young athletic guys that are a part of their new entourage. You can't get jealous. You cannot look back. They'll try and tell you that they've changed and they will promise to get better. They're really committed this time and they've even gotten rid of the people that influenced bad decisions. They've bought a new place and are offering you a place if you want it. They make you think you're REALLY going to miss something. You've heard this before, but no, they're not going to get better, they're just going to continue to bend you over, take your wallet, and leave you sore where the sun doesn't shine.<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#ff0000;">3. You MUST get rid of all of the momentos</span></strong> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0P5NzJ-AiPIOGoGHZmDNxU4jig6we9PLhqLzI_a0yw8WnxjJwqGAo-4inHChNxl2udNF60ZCev8LVuZ4BnBewGdO0rPZFDEcfWwmfgn9bpkrG7lloWYgA6XA-O3HgLo0yPXAOPo05OQT_/s1600-h/Cubs+Crying.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5090523473774247906" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0P5NzJ-AiPIOGoGHZmDNxU4jig6we9PLhqLzI_a0yw8WnxjJwqGAo-4inHChNxl2udNF60ZCev8LVuZ4BnBewGdO0rPZFDEcfWwmfgn9bpkrG7lloWYgA6XA-O3HgLo0yPXAOPo05OQT_/s320/Cubs+Crying.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />We've all got the stuff. The pictures, the memories, the pain, the good times, the initial courtship (Tampa Bay is getting a professional baseball team??!!) the outings, and in some cases even the championships (Boston Bruins, 1972 champs baby!!). But all of that stuff must fade to black. If the last time you celebrated with your significant other was over 30 years ago, the well has run dry and it's time to replenish. They don't care about you, the money you spend, the way you defend them when people acknowledge that they're no good, and the time you've spent chasing them around sometimes from city to city just to be by their side. They're interested in themselves and nobody else. You're a fly on the wall so you have to make the memories part of the garbage. </div><div><br /></div><div></div><div></div><div><strong></strong></div><div><br /></div><div><strong></strong></div><div><br /></div><div><strong></strong></div><div><strong><span style="color:#ff0000;">2. Just because you've left them, doesn't mean that you should go for the hottest thing around</span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjn1_HQ-WGCL5RvclLfpLVvHz6FcG8XLx6ERj7yxOpMN3yRj_LOpwqaUSRZB_86o_hhFkKh6zd-Lbt7uS6V5vlESfIcAW4EfgywpzdjICGbpoX8OBmW0sKvjfciMRa5XIVfdSkJC4E1gGq/s1600-h/Boise+State.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5090524405782151154" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjn1_HQ-WGCL5RvclLfpLVvHz6FcG8XLx6ERj7yxOpMN3yRj_LOpwqaUSRZB_86o_hhFkKh6zd-Lbt7uS6V5vlESfIcAW4EfgywpzdjICGbpoX8OBmW0sKvjfciMRa5XIVfdSkJC4E1gGq/s320/Boise+State.jpg" border="0" /></a></strong><br />So you've finally decided to divorce your team and you're in search of a new one. As one of my rules for sports fans states, "you cannot choose the most best team as your favorite team." It's blasphemous and a smack in the face to the people that are from that area or root for teams in that general area. Nobody made the Pirates suck, not even you, that doesn't mean that you can become a Yankees fan over night. By default, you've got to pick the closest team geographically to you as a rebound. Trust me, if you're leaving your team, the closest team will give you a new experience you've never felt before and hope can be renewed.<br /></div><div><br /></div><div><strong></strong></div><div><strong></strong></div><div><strong><span style="color:#ff0000;">1. Understand that we've all felt your pain</span>....</strong> Every fan has felt it. That stinging blow that never goes away whether it be the decades of sucking or the quick moment of despair, here's a quick and painful reminder of what we've all gone through<br /><br /><strong>-1988-Earnest Byner fumble</strong><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8RoMNoMgt7cboum3yh43ynXe0D9qRiicf-6t5p1L2Hn3fTPMoCqcm-0jqwrn4u-SFLU3XAlaftHa7qSo2PL9zSbgiQFeI8ie5scUQ0faGsnoCsVPASPBnVC2smVvtrbmQ87HfqETQUKJl/s1600-h/the+fumble.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5090508905245179682" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8RoMNoMgt7cboum3yh43ynXe0D9qRiicf-6t5p1L2Hn3fTPMoCqcm-0jqwrn4u-SFLU3XAlaftHa7qSo2PL9zSbgiQFeI8ie5scUQ0faGsnoCsVPASPBnVC2smVvtrbmQ87HfqETQUKJl/s320/the+fumble.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><div><br /><br /></div><div><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><div><br /><br /></div><div></div><div><br /></div><div></div><div><br /></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div><br /><br /><strong>The Pittsburgh Pirates 1982-Present</strong></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNqaSONc-Hk7nCExB7MtURirA8eCdvErf7WBujeK-4wnFR7WnX45Wz4_SHkeuKVEe74Y43GHt0JlKGs2psobNUePemwYTokuYzdFHkVs-IkWAjOLHcG2IwP57pzG2MiyLfhjGdjxyGds-f/s1600-h/Pirates.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5090510726311313234" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNqaSONc-Hk7nCExB7MtURirA8eCdvErf7WBujeK-4wnFR7WnX45Wz4_SHkeuKVEe74Y43GHt0JlKGs2psobNUePemwYTokuYzdFHkVs-IkWAjOLHcG2IwP57pzG2MiyLfhjGdjxyGds-f/s320/Pirates.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><div><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><div><br /><br /></div><div></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div></div><div><br /></div><div></div><div><br /></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div><strong>-The Tampa Bay Devil Rays 1998-Present</strong></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijhxJrBX0KutUcpTkCOTy90ojbY4I6eP5bN7EMEzDr4rUJpPHyMJrvVDFyyVCUgj5F8tqeUL2K49L_k3uon7n-KtN12Ioa-fTVBI5VGgGSWdZoCAOqdN5gT7wh0JnMvFCWOS4c3OAjA0Lu/s1600-h/Devil+Rays.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5090512976874176354" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijhxJrBX0KutUcpTkCOTy90ojbY4I6eP5bN7EMEzDr4rUJpPHyMJrvVDFyyVCUgj5F8tqeUL2K49L_k3uon7n-KtN12Ioa-fTVBI5VGgGSWdZoCAOqdN5gT7wh0JnMvFCWOS4c3OAjA0Lu/s320/Devil+Rays.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><div><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><div><br /><br /></div><div><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><div></div><div><br /><br /><br /></div><div><br /><strong>-Steve Bartman</strong><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKqU0kl8G2ARw2AaCvbI9lJxKO1RaKe1nFNn0fpO6X1qmvHMrTGfxFVncNiT77KIi6GzMphbQeCTsSaxe0atx8ZlcY7Un6IzPvF3lKOIRMbZQAQVi72TbzgAVyd_U1yee4nrpmIHmUOu77/s1600-h/Bartman.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5090517027028336546" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKqU0kl8G2ARw2AaCvbI9lJxKO1RaKe1nFNn0fpO6X1qmvHMrTGfxFVncNiT77KIi6GzMphbQeCTsSaxe0atx8ZlcY7Un6IzPvF3lKOIRMbZQAQVi72TbzgAVyd_U1yee4nrpmIHmUOu77/s320/Bartman.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><div><br /><br /></div><div><br /><br /></div><div><br /><br /></div><div></div><div></div><div><br /></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div><br /></div><div></div><div><strong>-The 2007 NBA Western Conference Semi-finals (grab my gun)</strong></div><div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDwjQB9A_UrOh2DtuhJzrZbjxRu1Pmy7lRN45wJGxUbs5pgvu-jEqK5yOTmhPy2tdgfeXWzU-QyyyLsdk2Yl9ktePRFyD-msnbOXDW3apJnMzodsaiBaE-GNIPnazB5YH-6-12khU832Z5/s1600-h/Nash-Horry.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5090517868841926578" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDwjQB9A_UrOh2DtuhJzrZbjxRu1Pmy7lRN45wJGxUbs5pgvu-jEqK5yOTmhPy2tdgfeXWzU-QyyyLsdk2Yl9ktePRFyD-msnbOXDW3apJnMzodsaiBaE-GNIPnazB5YH-6-12khU832Z5/s320/Nash-Horry.jpg" border="0" /></a></div><br /></div><div><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><div><br /><br /></div><div><br /><br /></div><div><br /><br /><strong>Buckner</strong><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT0xyY8SbXSUHn_7nAIYPTS1I6sbZpESjtlel2lPb2Roy_ATNy2Gu-0cjhEIy803PS5HCLewd6QOgGOANNkysnKdXV4P44fHVllvzmrGIl7IMjmLuP4mBWOuyA_R4eZ62TzMcCxVHuTePa/s1600-h/Buckner.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5090514982623903634" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT0xyY8SbXSUHn_7nAIYPTS1I6sbZpESjtlel2lPb2Roy_ATNy2Gu-0cjhEIy803PS5HCLewd6QOgGOANNkysnKdXV4P44fHVllvzmrGIl7IMjmLuP4mBWOuyA_R4eZ62TzMcCxVHuTePa/s320/Buckner.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br /><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br /><br /></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div></div></div></div></div></div>The Double-U Showhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16376079648798843081noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-206451071408768584.post-225526728879930282007-07-20T07:55:00.000-07:002008-12-08T20:32:54.995-07:005 Reasons Why Soccer Hasn't Made It in the United StatesI'll be the first to admit that, we'll call it <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">futbol</span> instead of soccer (never mind, we'll call it soccer) is easily the most popular sport in the world. The fan support cannot be compared to any other sport, ever. You don't have fair weather fans, you don't have uninterested attendees at the matches, and there is more than just team pride, a lot of times there's intense NATIONAL pride. That's great. It's too bad that the most powerful country in the world doesn't care about the world's most popular sport and until it catches on in America, it will be considered irrelevant. Here's the top 5 reasons why.... <div><div><div><div><br /><strong><span style="color:#ff0000;">5. Soccer is like pinto beans, it's cheap, simple, easy. available, and the poorest of the poor can play it</span></strong><br />Part of the reason soccer is the most popular sport in the world is because even the poorest of the poor can roll some hay together, create a goal, find an open field, and play soccer. In America, the most popular sports are the ones that are the most expensive and complex not the cheapest and simplest. Take a look at the Super Bowl Champion <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Indianapolis</span> Colts. The best football team in the world right now. Including the head coach there are <a href="http://www.colts.com/sub.cfm?page=coaches">SEVENTEEN COACHES</a> to help along the championship run. This tells me one thing, the game is so intricate, so well-planned, so competitive, so expensive, and so complex that SEVENTEEN COACHES are needed. Let's take at one of the most popular teams in soccer history, Manchester United, you'll see they have <a href="http://www.manutd.com/default.sps?pagegid=%7b3AAACB2A-0D97-4B70-B013-4A6844658E17%7d&teamid=1454&bioid=91969">ONE COACH</a>. ONE....The game is too simple, too cheap, too easy, and just because it's the most popular doesn't make it the best. Do you think people eat pinto beans because they're great? No, it's because you can get four pounds of pinto beans for 30 cents. Prime rib however, the expensive, grand, beautifully made, and elegant dish costs money, isn't the most popular, and it's standards are just higher. </div><div><br /><strong><span style="color:#ff0000;">4. The United States is the most diverse country in the world, but the less American you are the less we care</span></strong> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdeKc2rR4goN6wD6cFD_PEasb-gx8nTYhm6Y5NnE3Tmyd2OnAlHZRxcCeNU6h5XkKE1rmDZLGxm_tpaxrkAErJOUlTzZ_gliJyBngewaQr9gq2wAFbxj7YsFg27OBxo4JG3RgqQ2UrFxqN/s1600-h/borat.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5089321577178884466" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdeKc2rR4goN6wD6cFD_PEasb-gx8nTYhm6Y5NnE3Tmyd2OnAlHZRxcCeNU6h5XkKE1rmDZLGxm_tpaxrkAErJOUlTzZ_gliJyBngewaQr9gq2wAFbxj7YsFg27OBxo4JG3RgqQ2UrFxqN/s320/borat.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />This isn't a racist statement by the way. It's just how Americans are. Typically, Americans don't care what color a person's skin is so long as they're as American as they come. I look around my workplace and see people with German, Indian, African, Irish, Mexican, Vietnamese, and bi-racial roots. The best part is that we all speak English, we all went to American schools, and we all had a similar American upbringing with a few differences and it's great. On the other hand, there is a guy from <a href="http://www.prague.cz/">Prague</a> that works in a different department and the cultural values and non-verbal signs just don't come across the same way so unfortunately he spends a lot of time by himself. We're not shunning him, he's not shunning himself, the differences are just too wide to TRULY get along. Same goes with soccer. You can't convince Americans that Sergio Jose Maria Sanchez De La Cruz is going to be a popular American soccer star. When they get on the microphone he will most likely, and rightfully so, struggle with English and part of the reason we love our stars, especially in football, is because they're as American as they come. They usually played for American high schools, all play for American colleges, and play for American teams, none of which are in Canada like other three leagues. Apple pie's got NOTHING on American football.</div><div><br /><strong><span style="color:#ff0000;">3. Our best athletes don't play the sport</span></strong> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_oSuyeih8oDRMyfR-Lwbqt_RrjYgtGsgIm4Ytfa47-g6k6Bh28A3tqV5_1Nreecq04wy7xVNeM_UGz3Xd9amqxh3uFsy16LXOjKhq-w74F9E-9h75yPga-XII3rpf26oXtm2bpJYJMSZz/s1600-h/donovan.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5089321293711042914" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_oSuyeih8oDRMyfR-Lwbqt_RrjYgtGsgIm4Ytfa47-g6k6Bh28A3tqV5_1Nreecq04wy7xVNeM_UGz3Xd9amqxh3uFsy16LXOjKhq-w74F9E-9h75yPga-XII3rpf26oXtm2bpJYJMSZz/s320/donovan.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />In Mexico, Brazil, England, and many other countries kids play soccer from a very early age and since it's their most popular sport the best athletes are going to play it. Not so in the U.S. Our best players play football or basketball and nothing else. Since both of those sports are so complex and intricate there is no time for any other sport anyway. Football season for a quarterback can take up 12 months out of the year learning the playbook, getting in touch with their receivers, talking to coaches, media, fans, etc. Basketball players can have a life filled with going straight from the gym, to class, to their <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2"><a href="http://www.aausports.org/">AAU</a></span> team, to college practice, and to the <a href="http://www.nba.com/">NBA</a>...no time for soccer. We're America people, we've got options and soccer is not part of the equation. You can't earn that much money in the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3"><a href="http://www.mlsnet.com/">MLS</a></span> and it's the lowest profile meaning lesser endorsements. But trust me, if Americans did play soccer, we would kick the hell out of any team in the world. Don't let 6 foot 8 inch 240 pound <a href="http://www.lebronjames.com/"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">LeBron</span> James </a>get out there and kick a ball. Instead our top scorer is this <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">wimpy</span> fart in the picture to the right. </div><div><br /><strong><span style="color:#ff0000;">2. It's boring...</span></strong> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTM7_A-EB0JrcUANYI2mZ7fK-XJGBo8MlU3x6bJvMOrIbVC5Iqi3yM1Q46k9DD0A9tdUGm0WgJfsZvVeQ7R58hwVUxX57MC8QuumeFkQDgsJFAPT0NiKpn5qDOtevSlDwlV5Uxb_FUo-Sv/s1600-h/scoreboard.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5089322260078684546" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTM7_A-EB0JrcUANYI2mZ7fK-XJGBo8MlU3x6bJvMOrIbVC5Iqi3yM1Q46k9DD0A9tdUGm0WgJfsZvVeQ7R58hwVUxX57MC8QuumeFkQDgsJFAPT0NiKpn5qDOtevSlDwlV5Uxb_FUo-Sv/s320/scoreboard.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />America lives in the now, the rest of the country lives in the "used to be." It's not all their fault, the history of some countries, like <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Iran">Iran</a>, is all they have to work on because it's one of their only sources of pride (So maybe Jesus did walk by your house 2,000 years ago, I've got an <u><span style="color:#3333ff;">i</span></u><a href="http://www.apple.com/iphone/"><span style="color:#3333ff;">PHONE</span></a><span style="color:#3333ff;">!)</span> Basically, Americans want to see things that move fast, they're now, they're <a href="http://www.eonline.com/">hip</a>, and they're exciting. We don't to be wooed by the game within the game. Spare me, better yet, wake me up when the 0-0 game at the end of 90 minutes is over. </div><div><br /><strong><span style="color:#ff0000;">1. To be honest, soccer players are damn sissies</span></strong> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJjLiWtdrHNCVAk0r6PCFIwbuJIeboHzb7Hx9bwuSema_VT_ZFZg4tULXkL8TtBl6hyphenhypheni-mt5-6AiZakZNOErK1OLQ5OZwjE1yvlWAXwOmsJDbcSnkjxqFOZUYocybjcMhTAGUZVuw5TV7J/s1600-h/injury.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5089322955863386514" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJjLiWtdrHNCVAk0r6PCFIwbuJIeboHzb7Hx9bwuSema_VT_ZFZg4tULXkL8TtBl6hyphenhypheni-mt5-6AiZakZNOErK1OLQ5OZwjE1yvlWAXwOmsJDbcSnkjxqFOZUYocybjcMhTAGUZVuw5TV7J/s320/injury.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />America is one of the hardest working countries in the world. We take the least <a href="http://www.timesizing.com/1vacatns.htm">vacations</a>, we work the longest hours, we produce things literally overnight and we pay for it with our mental and physical health. We come in when we're sick, our moms come back from maternity leave after just a couple months, we take long commutes, and hold onto our sick days for when we feel better and not when we're actually sick because there are so few fo them. We want the same out of our professional athletes. We want them to nut up and get back in the game even when they don't feel well, hell, we do. Soccer players are a different breed. They get tackled and they act as if a bomb went off inside of them. They flop on the ground, in unbelievable pain, and then trot up and shake it off. Our football players, it's estimated, get into about 1,000 mini car crashes throughout their career. NBA players are totally exposed when they play with NO padding and survive an 82 game season. Soccer players are just differen and <a href="http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story?id=446741&cc=5901">David <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">Beckham's</span> ankle, and his <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">wimpy</span> ass voice, should be further proof</a>. </div></div></div></div>The Double-U Showhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16376079648798843081noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-206451071408768584.post-46727808250138148472007-07-19T13:43:00.000-07:002008-12-08T20:32:56.391-07:0010 Rules for Sports Fans.....I've been to my fair share of sporting events throughout the course of my life. This is mostly due to my wife Amber and my best friend Giovanni. Whenever there are tickets available they tend to float them my way and I'm very gracious. My very first game was the Phoenix Suns against the Sacramento Kings in Phoenix in 1989. I don't remember much about it since I was only seven years old, but it set the stage for the screaming I do at the top of my lungs at the University of Phoenix Stadium, home of the Arizona Crapmasters (Cardinals). During this time I've run into more than my fair share of great guys and die-hard fans, but also jerks, whiners, and losers that can ruin the sports experience. The biggest problem is that these people don't just go to the games, you run into them in forums, read their blogs, they call radio shows, and send e-mails the league office simply because Arizona Cardinals owner "Bill Bidwill MUST BE STOPPED!"<br /><br />I've never wanted to be one of those guys. They're made fun of constantly, but in their own myopic world they ARE the voice of reason so as an avid sports fan I want to publish what I would like to call the 10 rules for sports fans. This can be applied to any sport at virtually any level of competition. Enjoy.<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#ff0000;">10. If you're not from that city, do not root for that team</span></strong> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT_mTzco1_LE8md49tHpWLuRXrpWpblLqTdGzMUXAj9TIbA4qIn1druYEYqzkEuDiF8H3xvGt69elLXZM1QxQ5rCRGdm8yzmKkynompxj8q8L9HXnecYV1jTDGgs_XgavhfhoQmZbuenKb/s1600-h/sox+fan.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5089144195029559474" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT_mTzco1_LE8md49tHpWLuRXrpWpblLqTdGzMUXAj9TIbA4qIn1druYEYqzkEuDiF8H3xvGt69elLXZM1QxQ5rCRGdm8yzmKkynompxj8q8L9HXnecYV1jTDGgs_XgavhfhoQmZbuenKb/s320/sox+fan.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />This is probably one of the most irritating things about sports fans. They'll root for a team that's from a city that they've never been to or don't even know anybody from. Some teams are more at risk for this like the Pittsburgh Steelers or Los Angeles Lakers than others.....like the Arizona Cardinals (see a trend?). If you don't have a team that is in the metro area or entire state, you need to root for the closest team <a href="http://maps.google.com/">GEOGRAPHICALLY</a>. I'll give a pass to most Phoenix baseball fans simply because we didn't get the Diamondbacks until 1998 so many of the became Los Angeles Dodgers fans. However, for those who crapped out blue their whole lives need to switch allegiances immediately. There's a team in town. Granted, they blow major ass, but they're still OUR team (hold on while I wipe my tears).<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#ff0000;">9. At the game, try to avoid knocking the guy's head off that sits next to you</span></strong> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgREvVUHFPAR22JbmFCrUMWh6EM0SV167fVrRAV51bMBLhx2CdNhPA-TOWwsVjI9u8aeUDLd66EkqMj4tZuzGL9r5si3iQNFFL5kDHhujOdOewM-GZ23hlyyrI1_e-SoxaTlVLIJoMb6b1w/s1600-h/fans+fight.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5089145032548182210" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgREvVUHFPAR22JbmFCrUMWh6EM0SV167fVrRAV51bMBLhx2CdNhPA-TOWwsVjI9u8aeUDLd66EkqMj4tZuzGL9r5si3iQNFFL5kDHhujOdOewM-GZ23hlyyrI1_e-SoxaTlVLIJoMb6b1w/s320/fans+fight.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />Football fans are the worst at this. They're more hot blooded than <a href="http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://l.yimg.com/img.tv.yahoo.com/tv/us/img/site/44/23/0000034423_20061020200553.jpg&imgrefurl=http://tv.yahoo.com/the-sopranos/show/the-blue-comet/episode/135622/recap&amp;amp;h=800&w=531&sz=67&hl=en&start=1&um=1&amp;amp;tbnid=30qbDlJr7Jf5uM:&tbnh=143&tbnw=95&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dmichael%2Bimperioli%2Bkill%26ndsp%3D20%26svnum%3D10%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN">Michael Imperioli </a>on the Sorpranos. I have every reason to believe that if you root for the home team, clap after every first down, and leave the building in a single file line a football fan will throw you into a beer cart for acting "funny." It's understandable that sporting events bring out the testosterone in any man. There's been times when I've wished that my best friend's children end up retarded after a big loss by the Suns (and I'll feel REAL bad if they ever do) so it's obvious the competition is very serious. But I've never ACTUALLY put his head through my kitchen window after the one millionth time he's reminded me how bad the Cardinals are. Let's keep it peaceful guys. Do it or I'll kick your ass.<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#ff0000;">8. If you value your friendship, you will rub in the loss of a friend's team to a </span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2gF7tQWtMKD1v89wDDQ2h47ad_TZjWrC7w5W3eYSorxgde5xL44ILBOzpOqA6_3p1ELJ4lGQgUbNiLu3F54ZczuziGZJ4bmf6VL79XTIGUR8jZKjwRz1k4PNOO2NTVOWm9_cNYTRpanIP/s1600-h/bush.jpg"><span style="color:#ff0000;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5089146321038371026" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2gF7tQWtMKD1v89wDDQ2h47ad_TZjWrC7w5W3eYSorxgde5xL44ILBOzpOqA6_3p1ELJ4lGQgUbNiLu3F54ZczuziGZJ4bmf6VL79XTIGUR8jZKjwRz1k4PNOO2NTVOWm9_cNYTRpanIP/s320/bush.jpg" border="0" /></span></a><span style="color:#ff0000;">CERTAIN EXTENT</span></strong><span style="color:#ff0000;"><br /></span>Men are born with this internal sensor that knows when their friends are at their weakest without them ever saying a word. Especially when it comes to sports. With ESPN, Sports Illustrated, and Yahoo Sports a person can stay up to date on every single dealing for every single team in every league. This has allowed me personally to break any horrifying news about their team long before they get to it. The most hurtful aspect though is the ability to not only let your friends know how bad their team sucks after a loss has expanded. You'll typically leave a voice mail, e-mail, send a singing telegram, or upload photos of yourself wiping your ass with the team's jersey on myspace. But at a certain point, it should stop. Although there is nothing more gratifying then rubbing it in harder than a teenage boy "rubs one out" you have to understand your friends, I'm guessing now, have feelings and if you've ever felt the crushing defeat of a last second shot.....or had to deal with 18 years of losing like with the Arizona Cardinals (where's my gun?) you know that there has to be an inhibitor.<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#ff0000;">7.If your favorite team has been the "</span><a href="http://nau.newtier.com/index.php?module=pnNews&tid=18"><span style="color:#ff0000;">suckiest show on turf</span></a><span style="color:#ff0000;">" for more than 5 </span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV0HoDJVfpFDT4VB6yVzfSig4BMaL0Sritt9sHmjf8RqjEWzX5tKeuEuE3jIzgEB1Q_R6L76xJqI0yQJwjNsyCVDstVovZzjqM_A1sNDF14AqeS9S3tWzr7zyI85Gnuvu7r0BZkj1SrT3U/s1600-h/fumble.jpg"><span style="color:#ff0000;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5089140342443894946" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV0HoDJVfpFDT4VB6yVzfSig4BMaL0Sritt9sHmjf8RqjEWzX5tKeuEuE3jIzgEB1Q_R6L76xJqI0yQJwjNsyCVDstVovZzjqM_A1sNDF14AqeS9S3tWzr7zyI85Gnuvu7r0BZkj1SrT3U/s320/fumble.jpg" border="0" /></span></a><span style="color:#ff0000;">seasons, you have every right in the world to boo</span></strong><br />Normally I wouldn't condone booing your own team. Although their paychecks probably quintuple yours and their posse is bigger and louder than the Wu-Tang Clan (40 brothers on stage, all of them have a microphone) they're still trying to pull out a victory. There are times though, like with, let me think of a team....okay, I'll make one up, we'll call them the Arizona Cardinals that their suckiness is just so great that they make you want to curl up in a ball in die (Anyone remember the collapse on <a href="http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/recap?gid=20061016022">Monday night </a>against the Bears, excuse me while I throw my chair). After that game we booed. No I mean we REALLY BOOED the team at that time and it was totally understandable. They embarrassed themselves on national television combined with the fact I left work early to get there (okay so that wasn't so bad). Athletes may complain about the booing, but hey, it's either that or have a green lamp comically smashed over their heads in the parking lot.<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#ff0000;">6. You are under no circumstances required to take your children, wife, or other family members to the game</span></strong> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVuporBOkwQgwggirZmB4_W2Sk-XUozxrCjHh420qZ_mY7HetjOgtgdbIm0PlcbiMPr9knCVQhwOSEtWMML1yP2gLSpnKQIivXEyt81LLbK5OWEyx_0lyUBVO1wiR3Jd5jwlRQLjrmma5X/s1600-h/kids+baseball+game.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5089052110930733186" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVuporBOkwQgwggirZmB4_W2Sk-XUozxrCjHh420qZ_mY7HetjOgtgdbIm0PlcbiMPr9knCVQhwOSEtWMML1yP2gLSpnKQIivXEyt81LLbK5OWEyx_0lyUBVO1wiR3Jd5jwlRQLjrmma5X/s320/kids+baseball+game.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />This is probably one of the worst things to affect most sports fans. Having to go with someone who clearly has NO interest in the game. The problem is, most people don't understand this. Hey, we dont' ASK to come along to boring romantic comedies do we? I know when I'm there I keep thinking about what if Lindsey Lohan turned into a robot made of solid gold and just started going smashy time on all the characters? Kind of like Chuck Norris. Either way, if you're a sports fan, either go with a friend, or go by yourself, there's no in between.<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#ff0000;">5. There is almost no price too high</span></strong> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC33Bq7kDkHVSmFNmrKF-2ZwFNjs294tR_LoZ8SyNdKmehT8FXOwjSLPbMplvW1kuViVjUNgRyJ0ApHFk9UBeJucRQgFi2cRM6TCLWx8gNTG7D0XXKP9ipKSAvORFoxo_DfvAk9BTDEvI5/s1600-h/dollar+sign.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5089051934837074034" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC33Bq7kDkHVSmFNmrKF-2ZwFNjs294tR_LoZ8SyNdKmehT8FXOwjSLPbMplvW1kuViVjUNgRyJ0ApHFk9UBeJucRQgFi2cRM6TCLWx8gNTG7D0XXKP9ipKSAvORFoxo_DfvAk9BTDEvI5/s320/dollar+sign.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />In my lifetime I have probably spent a king's ransom to watch a bunch of dudes get sweaty and put their hands on one another. Then there's the money I spend on sports stuff (ZING!). When I tally up the jerseys, game tickets, gas, parking, pay per view packages, video games, bumper stickers, and t-shirts I've spent close to 5.4 billion dollars in sports merchandise as of last week...and I'm not ashamed of a single dollar I've spent. With sports, you're making memories, memories most women wouldn't be able to find at Nordstrom's or Target with a "cute dress on sale." I can tell you the exact MOMENT the Yankees closed the gap in the 2001 World Series against the Diamondbacks and I can also tell you the girl that lived below me in the dorm was NOT very happy I picked up my phone and smashed it against the floor. Although it was a free memory I would have given up one testicle and my first born to be there. The memories may cost, but ultimately they're priceless.<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#ff0000;">4. You have the right to life, liberty, and to not watch sports that don't interest you</span></strong> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDBihN53T_uPpStG3gWW6qlWVckDXd4QCdsT6a3rRmQ-LxSL3-dolurlWe9fQeaqQPVadqsVQ5pQfo-hhRv5ZDLzL0b8y9maKgSE_mfH49blYo4BGCoXE3_eBK1MYMJ3pyytxhl_9VPEaT/s1600-h/ferrell.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5089152407007029522" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDBihN53T_uPpStG3gWW6qlWVckDXd4QCdsT6a3rRmQ-LxSL3-dolurlWe9fQeaqQPVadqsVQ5pQfo-hhRv5ZDLzL0b8y9maKgSE_mfH49blYo4BGCoXE3_eBK1MYMJ3pyytxhl_9VPEaT/s320/ferrell.jpg" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEier8dBMJw4j-GYjEdDwjPOhwpLU2tQ2HWmoaPe_k_StbUJ_orA2cRcPWIq5R-SrI-G3nlu3T8ioj-NURsP9XvBN8CUNBOiWyrq3GBbfns0V8niEC5LpkQUmF6TTujPptrj_Vq5LAgUPpbf/s1600-h/soccer+sucks.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5089052703636220050" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEier8dBMJw4j-GYjEdDwjPOhwpLU2tQ2HWmoaPe_k_StbUJ_orA2cRcPWIq5R-SrI-G3nlu3T8ioj-NURsP9XvBN8CUNBOiWyrq3GBbfns0V8niEC5LpkQUmF6TTujPptrj_Vq5LAgUPpbf/s320/soccer+sucks.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />As you grow even just a little bit older you begin to have less and less time for sports that have no meaning to you. Typically people (teenagers, niche sport lovers) will berate you with questions as to why you don't like figure skating or soccer. Well, it's because you have a life and those sports aren't important. You want to be able to fit in as much as you can to find that delicate balance. If UFC isn't your gig don't feel bad if everyone is telling you "all of the stars are there at the fights." Picking up a new sport means you have to learn it, learn to love it, and ultimately watch it. Personally, USC/UCLA on a Saturday may sound more interesting.<br /><br /><strong></strong><div><strong><span style="color:#ff0000;">3. Bandwagoners beware....</span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk45Ru3jg3ZpKnEiCemG0qGhiJG5X_daq_Sg8CLDmYcP0f3B8Ck_b3DAOp1HTAVv6NpZ4dUyJgBvItj-XVH6u3SrRmirE98MN2M3ALQRfdJ89J6TUHOPcHjmfxRfmycd-ArIHHZGYMgkwz/s1600-h/snoop.jpg"><span style="color:#ff0000;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5089147343240587490" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk45Ru3jg3ZpKnEiCemG0qGhiJG5X_daq_Sg8CLDmYcP0f3B8Ck_b3DAOp1HTAVv6NpZ4dUyJgBvItj-XVH6u3SrRmirE98MN2M3ALQRfdJ89J6TUHOPcHjmfxRfmycd-ArIHHZGYMgkwz/s320/snoop.jpg" border="0" /></span></a></strong><br />There ought to be a special Hell for bandwagon jumpers where all of their "teams" are doing well at the same time, but don't play each other. And each time their "teams" win a game a puppy dies. These people are the worst. They jump on the train late as hell and act like they've been there the whole time. It's kind of like starting a blog 5 years after it was popular, it's just ridiculous (oh wait...).<br /><br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#ff0000;">2. You cannot root for your team to </span><a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=simmons/070202_magazine"><span style="color:#ff0000;">lose</span><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5089149018277832946" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYa9U09cmgx9dD82gwVvW7LsroT5pjNrP1aY3v4QlSYE93WhNFzXETT6pnTm-WWxohtVai_islKTlYGKAlSeRMiqD-DBcJHpIBrH5odmkdfcgPhW8R5wt7GmJr55-E_2gppJm3IXLoXhv_/s320/celtics.jpg" border="0" /></a></strong><br />It doesn't matter that a blue chip is waiting for your team, it's just blasphemous.<br /><br /><br /></div><div><strong></strong></div><div><br /></div><div><strong></strong></div><div><br /></div><div><strong><span style="color:#ff0000;">1. Enjoy every moment</span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYY2EHUAiIuoqVa8_5R7JECi2p1-W8D2X_55y_BgBPVqWfZplPEXEw_xUM0sQtLM7kmVQpwZiWFt_x1Zo3sOxUdLYIZbLN6Pb348w6DM31gUga3KNGLcO0zdNUlFZDUfPhfP45ZHF6uN3W/s1600-h/tigers.jpg"><span style="color:#ff0000;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5089150014710245634" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYY2EHUAiIuoqVa8_5R7JECi2p1-W8D2X_55y_BgBPVqWfZplPEXEw_xUM0sQtLM7kmVQpwZiWFt_x1Zo3sOxUdLYIZbLN6Pb348w6DM31gUga3KNGLcO0zdNUlFZDUfPhfP45ZHF6uN3W/s320/tigers.jpg" border="0" /></span></a></strong></div><div>Some people wish they could care about things as much as you do about sports, continue to fill up on the good stuff<br /></div><div><br /><br /></div><p></p>The Double-U Showhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16376079648798843081noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-206451071408768584.post-10072673387234511232007-07-19T13:07:00.000-07:002008-12-08T20:32:56.579-07:00What's Wrong With the Lakers?<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKKAJ6bJcs1yp7IK5ILRz2_PYrTUZh6ik1tnizIat1QrAaHvDhSAG9xLnwh7PNLd8bIBSZYPJSObTAT3GpPFjhQCt00ZLK-0lxT2a9RE1qcGi4Z6cI4nZOXaXqKCbS_vkNQQQZmwwMkA7j/s1600-h/Kobe.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5089009633704175714" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKKAJ6bJcs1yp7IK5ILRz2_PYrTUZh6ik1tnizIat1QrAaHvDhSAG9xLnwh7PNLd8bIBSZYPJSObTAT3GpPFjhQCt00ZLK-0lxT2a9RE1qcGi4Z6cI4nZOXaXqKCbS_vkNQQQZmwwMkA7j/s320/Kobe.jpg" border="0" /></a>The Lakers, one of the most storied franchises in the history of professional sports, is in some serious trouble.<br /><div></div><br /><div><em><strong><span style="color:#ff0000;">Points:</span></strong></em></div><div>I'll be straightforward with the audience....I'm a die hard <a href="http://www.suns.com/">Phoenix Suns</a> fan and have been ever since I was ten years old (in the Barkley era). I've managed to see my team mangle and be completely dismantled by the L.A. Lakers throughout my lifetime, but for some reason, the former (mangling) has been happening to the Lakers more so than ever before. A team getting hammered by another team with the <a href="http://www.nba.com/playerfile/steve_nash/index.html?nav=page">league MVP</a> on it is not anything new in the NBA, but it must be said that teams in the biggest markets in the country rarely see the type of futility and bad decisions that have marred some of Kobe's most prime years in Los Angeles. After having attended a Lakers game with my best friend back on Easter I realized that compared to even a great team like the Suns, Los Angeles fans are treated far better, the team gets a million times more exposure, and are continually expected to be at the top of the league, but just simply haven't. There are a ton of reasons why this may be the case. The first starts at the front office. You do not trade Shaquille O'Neal even if it's for two American hostages. Two teams have done that and two teams have paid the price for years. Orlando is still recovering and Los Angeles is suffering the same fate. Bad personnel moves in a sport like basketball (where a highly specialized skill set is needed) can completely sink a team especially if the chemistry isn't there. Kwame Brown is easily exposed even by marginal defensive teams like the Suns and if a team is getting shut down inside, they will have NO SHOT AT A TITLE. Another problem is that the team lacks a true MVP. Kobe, I'm sorry, but you're not yet MVP material. You NEED an MVP to be on your team in order to turn you from good to great. You can score 80 points on a whim, but the long road to the playoffs needs someone who can change the game with a flick of their wrist, and you're not that guy! Here’s another Kobe truth, his best years are slowly getting behind him. To all of the Lakers fans who feel like Kobe is going to virtually play forever here is a quick reality check. Kobe has been in the league for 11 years, played through three world championships, all-star games, pre-season, logged 915 games, over 3,000 minutes throughout 2006-2007, and dealt NBA travel all while missing about 9-10 games per year on average. There’s a ton of miles on those legs. He’s not your average 29 year old, he’s got the body of a 36 year old. His career is winding down the time is now to get things done.<br /><br /><em><strong><span style="color:#ff0000;">Ways Lakers can get better</span></strong></em><br />The first thing the Lakers need to go is get rid of their General Manager. He’s the guy that traded away Shaquille O’Neal which would get you killed in some third world countries. All he got was spare parts and washed up “stars” (including Lamar Odom) none of which have contributed significantly. Then he goes into drafting Javaris Crittendon. A guy that <a href="http://www.nba.com/draft2007/profiles/JavarisCrittenton.html">averaged 14 points a game </a>for a mid-level ACC team, Georgia Tech. What is this guy going to bring to the table? Sandwiches for Kobe? That’s the extent of playing time he’s going to get playing behind Jordan Farmar, a point guard that has major potential. The second thing the Lakers need to do is make a splash with trades this season. This is La-La Land people. They’re not going to wait for a winner while Kobe wastes his time in California. He’ll move on. He wants to win, period and so does Los Angeles. Get rid of these role players and get someone who is worth the price tag. Of course these are just non on the court moves that could help the Lakers compete in the fierce Western Conference, but until then, the Clippers will be their equal, that’s right, I said it!!!! Thanks for checking in.</div>The Double-U Showhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16376079648798843081noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-206451071408768584.post-33358289999606461162007-07-19T13:06:00.000-07:002008-12-08T20:32:56.782-07:00Is a College Football Playoff Necessary?....YES<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnl_e0QSv0FhrcZBzthI337sFBARvILf_389SjBFeZlzcoklUH5X0rUHmGBl9RWG8PIFcaU7EsmWXRJa-dVA7Xnxp4zjqx-Dazzsj2Po_kWSUxD5BLHfe23dH7Dja46vwu6U0kSzgJGjB6/s1600-h/BoiseState.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5089009453315549266" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnl_e0QSv0FhrcZBzthI337sFBARvILf_389SjBFeZlzcoklUH5X0rUHmGBl9RWG8PIFcaU7EsmWXRJa-dVA7Xnxp4zjqx-Dazzsj2Po_kWSUxD5BLHfe23dH7Dja46vwu6U0kSzgJGjB6/s320/BoiseState.jpg" border="0" /></a>Currently, college football is not on a playoff system. The only Division 1-A system that <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz95N_53VtNluuev2ZMz3JplSOG0L73N-_912ZSsLxJ5hRJDoFuXyAHxZh1SEUwwe4npwOkP0iALUxienqBx9k-3ROKILA9D2xYDAY4_vLZBO2BwB8Pv4VFL02gvkz3l1vLpWihqGJyvyj/s1600-h/BoiseState.jpg"></a>operates in an unusual fashion. There are some issues that need to be addressed... <div></div><div></div><div><em><strong><span style="color:#ff0000;">Points:</span></strong></em></div><div>This is one of the most obvious questions that have ever been posed. College football is in so much need of a playoff I can almost hear fans beginning to revolt at the fact that there isn't one. The benefits of having a true, competitive college football playoff completely overshadows any of the downsides of getting rid of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bowl_Championship_Series">BCS Bowl system</a>. At its most basic, the BCS bowl system essentially ranks teams from #1 to number #117 in Division 1-A football, the highest division of competitive football in the NCAA. It's used to eliminate human errors when it comes to ranking teams. It's too bad the flaws (listed <a href="http://www.usatoday.com/sports/college/football/2004-01-06-bcs-changes_x.htm">here</a>, <a href="http://www.usatoday.com/sports/columnist/saraceno/2006-12-03-bcs-florida-michigan_x.htm">here</a>, and <a href="http://media.www.jhunewsletter.com/media/storage/paper932/news/2005/12/09/Sports/Bcs-System.Still.Has.Its.Flaws-2242445.shtml">here</a>) have compounded upon one another year after year to where there is essentially no way to tell who is the true national champion. The most compelling argument happened at the very beginning of this year with Boise State upending Oklahoma in probably one of the most exciting football games to ever be played and with Florida beating Ohio State on the same field just a short time later. If there were a true playoff system, even just an 8 team playoff, the excitement generated would catapult college football directly into the NFL-level stratosphere. You'll have your dissenters that feel the system is "fine as it is" for whatever reason, but they clearly have not thought this through. You have to look at some very important facts, the most important of which is that fans want this to happen. Fans don't just consist of drunk and broke college students, fans consist of boosters, alumni, and future prospects which have a direct hand into the future and direction of the football programs at most schools...</div><div><em><strong></strong></em></div><div><em><strong><span style="color:#ff0000;">13-0 Teams</span></strong></em></div><div>Let's clear the air, not all 13-0 teams are created equal. A Boise State 13-0 is totally different than a USC 13-0 or an LSU 13-0. Not only are the conferences, especially the SEC, different than Boise State's, the early season opponents are different as well. Boise State, although part of one of the greatest games in the history of man, didn't deserve a shot at the national championship. Weber State and Southern Mississippi don't count as great early season opponents. You know what? Michigan didn't deserve a chance either. Neither did Ohio State. Not under the current BCS system. The two teams should have been Florida and USC. Throughout the season the two teams scheduled the toughest opponents (Alabama, Arkansas, Nebraska, etc.) and play in tough conferences while avoiding the usual Northwestern Methodist cake-walk.</div><br /><div></div><div><em><strong>Suggestions</strong></em></div><div>Here are some suggestions to help solve this. Instead of, at least initially, a 16 team playoff, how about we schedule an 8 team playoff and let the juggernauts of college football slug it out until the end of the season? I'm slobbering at the fact that I could possibly see a Michigan/Florida match-up. Isn't part of college football based on rivalries? What about creating new ones? Not just interconference, but intraconference. Notre Dame/USC is probably the best intraconference rivalry and it is at best one-sided. At worst, a joke. Notre Dame is no longer a power. Michigan and Florida, as an example, would bring people out to finally settle the debate as to whether or not the Big 10 is as strong as they are and if the SEC is truly THE power conference. Financially, the networks would have a bulge in their pants thinking about the number of people watching a match-up they've never really seen before, for example, Miami/USC. You'll have two powers, from different conferences, from different parts of the country, going for the jugular so they won't get sent home. The current bowl games are a total waste of time and sometimes I question whether the players care THAT much about winning Papa Johns.com Bowl. I'm a huge Arizona State Sun Devils fan and last year they were awarded an invitation to the Hawai'i Bowl.......hold on, I'm trying to keep the puke down. Not only was Dirk Koetter fired, the Devils got their asses handed to them, and nobody from Phoenix could make it to the game. By the way, they played Hawai'i. What kind of stamp on a season can you put on playing a team from one of the "freaky states?" Not so sure, come on everyone, let's review.</div>The Double-U Showhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16376079648798843081noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-206451071408768584.post-28255761258638019632007-07-18T15:45:00.000-07:002008-12-08T20:32:56.942-07:00My First Weblog<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKHgJdrHbRQ5syrxnULjuaWA7C2HPROeh7qvozGW2NeNvV8esCX6mIR4lazFho1vmIpS7gMcnbGo9I6WDRvG6pb3y42iRjZaTgqmsHWXNfYGqqvCFWVlzIXLhhixX6ZrJbJFYXlvDFTV4U/s1600-h/images.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5088988815997691970" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKHgJdrHbRQ5syrxnULjuaWA7C2HPROeh7qvozGW2NeNvV8esCX6mIR4lazFho1vmIpS7gMcnbGo9I6WDRvG6pb3y42iRjZaTgqmsHWXNfYGqqvCFWVlzIXLhhixX6ZrJbJFYXlvDFTV4U/s320/images.jpg" border="0" /></a>Hello, this is my very first blog. However, I feel words are best expressed vocally so most of this blog will be done through posted audio however the blog is still available in case you want to just read. The website is still under construction, but I imagine you'll have fun. For now I'll post the blogs in text, but add audio detail later. There are multiple links so you can get more up to date on what I'm talking about. The main focus of this blog/podcast is going to be about the candy store of life; sports. However, I'm not going to just talk x's and o's. This is a sports show for people with a life. Those with a family, a job, hobbies, whatever the case may be. This is just a road stop on the internet super highway for you to have fun with. Once you're done listening/downloading the MP3 go ahead and post something. There are some fair warning though, we talk a lot of "stick and ball" sports (baseball, basketball, football, etc.). I'm not going to dive deep into Euro soccer leagues, cricket, or even hockey. If you're looking for that, in the words of Homer Simpson, "Keep Walking..."<br /><br />This show's topics:<br /><br /><em><strong><span style="color:#ff0000;">Michael Vick has been indicted</span></strong></em> <div>Well, it's official, our friends at ESPN reported yesterday that Michael Vick has been officially indicted by the federal government as a participant in fighting pit bulls. You can read the initial story <a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=2940065">here</a>.</div><div></div><div></div><div><em><u><strong><span style="color:#ff0000;">Points:</span></strong></u></em></div><div>Michael is in some very very serious <u>t</u><a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=2941489">rouble</a>. Let me start off first by saying that although I'm not a lawyer, I am in search of my advanced degree in criminal justice so I have more of an inside knowledge of how the federal government works in comparison to maybe most people. The federal government is literally no joke. In comparison to our friends that work for the Surry County, Virginia Sherrif's Office and <a href="http://www.surrycounty.govoffice2.com/index.asp?Type=B_BASIC&SEC=%7b48D33A08-48D6-48CA-9E02-80D8060DCE2B%7d">County Attorney's Office</a>, the feds have the manpower and money to conduct the type of investigation that could warrant an indictment. Additionally, the federal government does its homework well in advance in order to ensure some sort of indictment. Even if it takes years, they will continue to chip away at it until they have something solid. For example, look at organized crime throughout the 70s and 80s. The federal government KNEW these guys were crooked, but they could NOT move until they had a strong enough case. This case is no different. You hear people saying "well you can indict anything." Wrong, the feds had to get several thumbs up before they could make a move. Ever notice that they only indicted three of these guys? It's probably because they had the strongest cases against them. Again, Vick is screwed.</div><div></div><div></div><div><em><strong><span style="color:#ff0000;">Race Issue</span></strong></em></div><div>Now let me clear the air and say that this is, at its basis, not a race issue as some people are making it. I've been on the blogs especially on ESPN and have been listening to sports radio and one of thing that has permeated the minds of so many people is that Michael Vick is being persecuted because he is black. WRONG! (By the way, I'm a black guy so I have a slightly different perspective). Michael Vick is being persecuted simply because he's an idiot. Now, is there probably an element of race, especially since this happened mostly in a southern city and he plays for a southern team? Duh. In the south all everyone is concerned about is race mostly because that part of the country has taken part in some of the most reprehensible acts known to man. Michael Vick also isn't the Byron Leftwich, Donovan McNabb, Tiki Barber kind of player (meaning insightful, gracious, has a clean image, etc.) which sheds more of a race effect onto the situation. His braids, his attitude, and let's be honest, the darkness of his skin (in the black community, the darker you are, the more lowly you're looked upon sometimes) puts him into a precarious situation most quarterbacks in the NFL don't have to face. I will admit that blacks are still at a serious disadvantage in the courts compared to whites, but let's be adults for a minute. If someone is making 20 million dollars per year is it ever a good idea to get involved in an illegal dog fighting ring? Never, so spare me with the crap about how he's been targeted. He's the face of the NFL, he's an exciting player, he plays for one of the hippest cities in the country, and he's one of the nation's rich elite, and he's involved in a highly illegal activity.....THAT'S what made him a target.</div><div></div><div><strong></strong></div><div><em><strong><span style="color:#ff0000;">How will the Falcons handle this?</span></strong></em></div><div>If Michael Vick is suspended for any reason by Roger Goodell the Falcons are essentially up the river without a paddle. Normally I don't make judgments about a team when their quarterback goes down with an injury or is benched. The reason is because quarterbacks are like different flavors of ice cream. Some quarterbacks are neopolitan, some quarterbacks are cheesequake, some quarterbacks are mint flavored and depending on the team they are going to be either loved and fit in well or hated and booted out of town never to be heard from again. Michael Vick is the right flavor for the Atlanta Falcons not just from an on the field standpoint, but from the financial standpoint. He has the #2 selling jersey in the world for NFL players meaning the spotlight is on Atlanta half of the time which translates into sold luxury boxes (grown man money basically). It would be very difficult to insert a free agent quarterback or their back-up to replace him and expect this run heavy offense to all of a sudden pick up where it left off (which wasn't good to begin with). Michael Vick is that unusual flavor of ice cream that nobody had ever tasted, but now it's taken the country by storm. By inserting a vanilla quarterback like Daunte Culpepper the flavor is going to be tired, weak, inaccurate, and released</div>The Double-U Showhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16376079648798843081noreply@blogger.com0