"Oh the weather outside is frightful...."
Frightful? No. Butt cold? Yes! So what does one do when the mercury does the nestea plunge? Stay inside and put pen to paper...or in this case, fingers to keyboard.
So what's happening? College football is done. Good game between the Tigers and Ducks. The SEC got it's 5th in a row (again I say...No Colt McCoy) Cam Newton can enjoy his Heisman and the National Championship!...well, until they take both away in about 5 years. Allegedly. I gotta give Gene Chizik and Auburn credit though....they played a good game and were not blinded by those really bright and funky socks.
Someone should tell Phil Knight and his boys at Nike to lay off the bong water during their brainstorming sessions. I admire the creativity but the purist in me is not digging the uniforms. My nephew, Frodo the Orange, told me..."you're not happy unless all teams have boring block numbers and no names on the back"...he said it like it was a bad thing.
Speaking of college.....apparently the University of Texas signed a contract with tha ESPN to form a Longhorn TV network
All Burnt Orange, all the time..its BEVO-TV!!
30 years, 200 million..well that should keep Bevo in food for awhile. Hey, if the four letter network is willing to pony up that kind of cash, I don't blame the Orangeblood hierarcy for taking it. Still, I am not crazy about a school having its own network. I also didn't like it when Notre Dame did its deal with NBC. (Sorry, Jeff) It, at least to me, kind of goes against the whole team concept. It's great that the lesser known sports will get some publicity but the kids in those sports at Baylor, Tech and A&M deserve the same shot. Ok, well maybe not A&M. The other side is that I am mostly about football anyway so I guess it won't affect me. Oh well, nature of the beast. Plus...its one more thing Horn haters can get pissed over, which works too.
Those of you in Lansing, no doubt have heard of the Mad Dog DeMarco morning radio show. Mad Dog is our local sports talk morning host and I contribute to the show with the occasional phone call. Dog lets me vent my conventional wisdom and drop a nugget o' knowledge or two. I have had the priveilge of meeting him and his producer Josh Lattime in person. Great guys and fun to be around. Dog, unlike many in his business, is genuinely gracious off the air, and he throws a wicked christmas party. He has dubbed me "Gunslinger"...being Texan and all. A nickname I like.
I mention his show because a recent topic was the NFL's Rooney Rule. This rule, named for Pittsburgh Steelers president and current Ambassador to Irelnd, Dan Rooney. The rule was established in 2003 and requires NFL teams to interview African American candidates for head coaching and senior football operations opportunities. A columnist for the Detroit Free Press, Drew Sharp, wrote a piece recently saying that while the rule served its purpose, it has outlived its usefulness. Sharp, an African-American, says in the article "The true measure of fairness is when diverse talent becomes an unconsciously accepted standard. This country's most influential sports entertainment entity has reached that touchstone."
I would agree.
Don't get me wrong. Racism is this country's most insisdious problem. We just celebrated a man who gave his life in the service of ending this form of hate. While I do not believe things are as bad as they once were, it would be foolish to say that racism no longer exists. The NFL was bad at perpetuating the "Good Ol' Boy network". The Rooney Rule opened the door for team owners and general managers to look beyond the usual suspects for job openings.
Minority candidates for head coaching and GM jobs were the exception, they are now part of the process. To me, that is what the rule was designed to do and it has been accomplished. If the rule is retired, pro football will not degenerate into some bubbas beer bash. Does color still play a part in hiring your team's next head coach? Absolutely. However, that color is not black or white...it's green. Owners cannot afford to even think about skin color. The NFL has evolved to a level where qualified assistants, regardless of color, will get a shot at a head coaching gig. Something else Drew Sharp mentioned, if the Steelers and/or Bears win this weekend, it will be the fifth Super Bowl in a row with a team who has a black head coach or GM. I can guarantee you that in the multi-billion dollar business that is the NFL, if a team finds a coach that will help them win they will snatch him no matter what he looks like.
I wasn't totally crazy about the rule to start with. I believe any person that has the qualifications for a job should be considered for that job but I don't like when a man is interviewed because he has to be and not because he is actually being considered for the job. The Rooney Rule was designed to not treat people differently because of race...by going through the sham of an interview when you have no intention of hiring that person..isn't that doing the same thing?
While I think the NFL has evolved past the need for this rule....college football has not. Of 120 Division 1-A schools, there are 13 minority head coaches. Unlike the NFL where all teams answer to one league, each college has to answer to its own administration. Boosters get involved, favors are no doubt traded, etc. I am not saying that schools have to hire minority candidates. Schools have the right to hire who they wish but I do believe that all qualified candidates should have the opportunity to make their case as to why they should be hired.
Now...on to the games on the field. The NFL playoffs are in the Conference Championship round. Pittsburgh hosts the New York Jets in the AFC while Green Bay travels to Chicago in the NFC. The Jets ran their mouths big time last week about their opponent, the New England Patriots, and I thought Tom Brady, Bill Belichek and the boys were going to blow NY out of the sky but I give it to Rex the Wonder Coach and his team...they went into Foxboro and punched the Pats in the mouth. However, I do believe the flight ends this week in the Steel city. I think Pittsburgh beats NY and I think Cheesehead nation sees their team knock off their longtime rival. These two have played each other for the last 89 years but oddly enough, they have only played once previously in the post season. December 14, 1941 saw a 33-14 Bears win..although i'm sure minds at the time were on other events.
It is winter and that squeaking you hear is the sound of basketball in the air. At the halfway point in the NBA season, the team with the best record is not the defending champion Lakers, the traveling sideshow that is LeBron and the Heat, nor the Magic, Celtics or (thank God) Mavericks. Yup...you guessed it..say it with me...
the San Antonio Spurs. After 41 games, San Antonio was 35-6, the best start in franchise history. Yep, while the media and the rest of the world has been salivating over stories of Kobe and Lamar, Carmelo being traded or not and the Miami Soundbyte machine, the Spurs have retooled and compiled the best record so far.
"Wait...the Spurs?!?! But..but..they're too old..and,and..boring...and..and..."
and the best team in the league, kids.
****UPDATE*****San Antonio is now 36-6 as of tonight's win over Toronto. Good win, eh?
How is SA doing it? Offense.
Whoa.
The team that hung its hat on defense for over a decade is sacrificing a touch of that Popovichian defense for added offense and it has worked brilliantly. Something else that has added to the Spurs success is the infusion of young talent. Guess who is not the oldest team in the NBA anymore? Young guns like DeJuan Blair, Gary Neal and the ever-improving George Hill have refreshed the Big 3 to a point where Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker are playing at all-star levels. The other major component is Tim Duncan. However TD's impact has been different. His stats are down all across the board. Points, rebounds, blocks..all career lows...as is what is proving to be the most important stat.
Minutes played.
For his career, Duncan has averaged 36 minutes per game. This season, 29. Is he slipping, no. He is still Tim freaking Duncan and can go off when he has to but the great thing is that he doesn't have to. Duncan is doing at the end of his career what David Robinson did at the end of his. He is taking a lesser role in order to let the younger players star. Worked out pretty good for Dave and the way things are going...it could for Tim as well. Don't be fooled though, come playoff time Duncan will be there. Rested and ready. Woe be to he who dismisses this when the lights are brightest and the stakes are highest.
Campers, that is it for now, got a Super Bowl coming up, that should be fun...more later but right now this is all on my mind...well that and an approaching birthday. How old will I be? Hmm....Terence Newman, Tom Seaver and Phil Zevenbergen.
You figure it out.
Peace.
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
My plan to fix College Football
Merry New Year!!
"That's "happy." In this country we say "Happy New Year." Trading Places...gotta love the classics.
Lot of things have happened since we last talked. The Spurs have soared, the Cowboys...not so much..though some fresh blood had them finishing strong. We also had the 2010-11 College Football season...well, we are still in it technically. That is what happens when you have 35 freaking bowl games. Yes..35. There are only 120 teams in Division I...yes DIVISION I...don't give me that FBS or FCS crap...lipstick, pig...you understand. 120 teams and 70 get to go the postseason as long as you have 6 wins...unless you are poor Temple..8-4 and they stay home but 13 6-6 teams went including such football factories as Middle Tennessee, FIU and UTEP. Bill Cosby is probably still choking on his pudding pop. Mediocrity, thy name is the NCAA.
The argument we hear every year about this time is for or against a Division I football playoff. Uncle Mikey is in favor of such a plan and if he were in charge it would happen...hmm....what would that be like? (cue wavy picture and dream sequence music)
I am now in charge of College Football. Automatic wins for Texas over the Aggies and Sooners every year!! OK...not really. Hey..this year they needed all the help they could get! However I would wield an iron hand. Some of you are not going to like it but what fun would it be if we all got along.
First thing I am doing is moving the headquarters...Indiana...really? The new headquarters will be 13131 San Pedro Drive, San Antonio Texas.
Down to business. You have those folks out there who are against a playoff. Let me tell you something campers, every excuse you have, I can counter with why it's weak and I will prove it to you now. The three biggest anti-playoff excuses are as follows:
The schools will lose money.
The players will have too much time away from class.
We will lose the tradition of the bowls.
Crap, crap and...hmm...oh yeah, crap!
"The Schools will lose money"
Are you kidding? The TV network execs would sell their children for the right to a D-1 playoff. The most recent March Madness package garnered the NCAA right at 1 Billion dollars...say it with me kiddos....One Bill-ion Dollars. ESPN/ABC, CBS and Fox would double that easily.
"The players will have too much time away from class"
Right, because the BCS conferences care so much about academics. The majority of the post-season is played during semester break. Besides, how would that differ than the regular season? Also...the other Divisions seem to be able to make it work, including D-3 which has no athletic scholarships. Yes, real students playing football and getting an education..who knew?
"We will lose the tradition of the bowls."
Ah yes....the tradition of such classic as the Beef O'Brady's St. Petersburg Bowl.
You incorporate the bowl system in to the playoff..with some tweaking.
Also, don't hand me this junk about "the current season makes every week a playoff game" Hmmm...somehow, Michigan State v. Northern Colorado or Alabama v.Georgia State doesn't scream postseason drama. But enough of me shooting holes in the opposition....let's get to the plan.
Currently there are 120 D-1 schools...that number will increase to 123 in the next 2 years. That is the number we are sticking with. No expansion for awhile. In fact I would even consider contracting a few schools down to 1-AA (Eastern Michigan and most of the Sun Belt...I'm looking at you) but for now, we will keep it with 123.
Next...you independents...pick a conference or go to 1-AA. BYU plans to go Indie in 2012...nope, back to the Mountain West. Army and Navy...because of your tradition..I will not demote you...have fun in the Big East. Speaking of which...TCU...you are going to the Big 12...I want geographic normalcy. Also, Big 12...find a 12th (TCU is your 11th) or I am re-naming you the Southwest Conference. In fact...I will do that...trade Oklahoma State to Conference USA...add TCU, SMU and Houston..done.
This leaves me with Notre Dame. Big East or Big 10, your choice. That shadow you see is the Shillelagh of Damocles over your Golden Dome if you piss me off. You jackwagons have had this "our poop don't stink" attitude for way too long. Rockne's dead and the Gipper ain't walkin through that door anytime soon. You think SMU's Death Penalty was bad...step one buckled shoe out of line and find out. Your soul belongs to Touchdown Jesus but your ass belongs to me.
Speaking of the Big 10....change the name or become the third division of the MAC. Mathematical normalcy will be achieved as well. Oh and "Legends and Leaders"? More like Dumb and Dumber...East and West...or, North and South...it ain't hard boys.
Back to the playoff system. It is really easy. There are currently 11 conferences. Each conference champion gets an automatic bid and there will be 5 at large bids for a 16 team bracket. Seeding will be as it is for March Madness. You play the first rounds before and opposite the NFL playoff games and the championship game is played in the time between the NFL Conference championship games and Super Bowl. It might take a few viewers away from the Pro Bowl but who would notice?
One other minor annoying bleat by the anti-playoff folks is "our kids will be playing too many games" Yeah...no. You have some schools playing 13 or 14 games anyway. I would eliminate conference championship games which would take one game away. Our little darlings can handle the extra time, they're young...they can take it.
Here is where you incorporate the bowls. You have 15 games in the playoff. You use your upper tier bowls for those playoff sites. You lessen the bowl payouts, which saves money, and the schools will still make money as they advance. Here is how I would break it down:
First Round sites:
Aloha (formerly Hawaii), Bluebonnet (formerly Texas)Holiday, Independence, Liberty, Peach (formerly Chik-fil-A), Sun Bowl, Tangerine (formerly Champs)
Quarterfinals:
Alamo, Cotton, Fiesta, Gator
Semi-finals:
Orange, Sugar
Final:
Rose
The title game was easy...the granddaddy deserves it. Perhaps you were wondering what was up with all the "formerly"'s. Corporate whoring...er, uh, I mean, sponsorship is a necessary evil but there needs to be restraint. No bowl will be known by just the sponsor name. It can be in the name but the bowl name must be there. For example...Chik-fil-A Peach Bowl=good....Chik-fil-A Bowl=bad. I also went back to some of the original names (Aloha, Bluebonnet, Tangerine). For the non-playoff bowls, you have to include a flower, fruit, city or state name. I will let the Humanitarian Bowl slide only because I dig the Smurf Turf. Bring back some of the classics, like the Cherry Bowl, Raisin Bowl or Salad Bowl!!! Or one of the all-time greats...the Bacardi Bowl. Imagine the stuff in that goodie bag!
With 15 bowl games and 16 teams taken for the playoff...that leaves 20 bowls, 40 teams. If we keep the current NCAA eligibility rules where you have to be 6-6 to qualify and we remove the 16 teams who qualified for the playoff....that would still leave us with 52 teams. I would raise the requirement to 7-5 and only go to 6-6 if there were not enough 7-5 teams to fill out the spots. If we did that....we would have 39 teams eligible and would only need to bring one 6-6 team up. That way you don't reward mediocrity and the quality of games would improve. You still keep the bowls intact and you reward those teams who have a good season. The bowls are important. If you are 7-5 or 8-4 and haven't been in a while, its good for your school, your players, your alumni and your fans. Everyone gets a week at the bowl site to enjoy the swag, impress your recruits and bask in the national spotlight, if only briefly.
It is really sad that D-1 college football is the only level of any sport who's champion is not decided on the field. This is not rocket science. We are taught from day one that if we win our games, we get to compete for a championship. How many years do we have 1 or 2 or more teams get screwed out of that chance. This year it was TCU, last year it was TCU and Boise. You pick a year, you can find a team who got hosed. The current BCS system expires in 2014. I hope that in the real world, the NCAA can find a way to work this out. However, when you have dimwitted and greedy conference commissioners possessing all the power, I won't hold my breath.
That is my plan to fix college football...and it's just crazy enough to work.
Merry New Year.
"That's "happy." In this country we say "Happy New Year." Trading Places...gotta love the classics.
Lot of things have happened since we last talked. The Spurs have soared, the Cowboys...not so much..though some fresh blood had them finishing strong. We also had the 2010-11 College Football season...well, we are still in it technically. That is what happens when you have 35 freaking bowl games. Yes..35. There are only 120 teams in Division I...yes DIVISION I...don't give me that FBS or FCS crap...lipstick, pig...you understand. 120 teams and 70 get to go the postseason as long as you have 6 wins...unless you are poor Temple..8-4 and they stay home but 13 6-6 teams went including such football factories as Middle Tennessee, FIU and UTEP. Bill Cosby is probably still choking on his pudding pop. Mediocrity, thy name is the NCAA.
The argument we hear every year about this time is for or against a Division I football playoff. Uncle Mikey is in favor of such a plan and if he were in charge it would happen...hmm....what would that be like? (cue wavy picture and dream sequence music)
I am now in charge of College Football. Automatic wins for Texas over the Aggies and Sooners every year!! OK...not really. Hey..this year they needed all the help they could get! However I would wield an iron hand. Some of you are not going to like it but what fun would it be if we all got along.
First thing I am doing is moving the headquarters...Indiana...really? The new headquarters will be 13131 San Pedro Drive, San Antonio Texas.
Down to business. You have those folks out there who are against a playoff. Let me tell you something campers, every excuse you have, I can counter with why it's weak and I will prove it to you now. The three biggest anti-playoff excuses are as follows:
The schools will lose money.
The players will have too much time away from class.
We will lose the tradition of the bowls.
Crap, crap and...hmm...oh yeah, crap!
"The Schools will lose money"
Are you kidding? The TV network execs would sell their children for the right to a D-1 playoff. The most recent March Madness package garnered the NCAA right at 1 Billion dollars...say it with me kiddos....One Bill-ion Dollars. ESPN/ABC, CBS and Fox would double that easily.
"The players will have too much time away from class"
Right, because the BCS conferences care so much about academics. The majority of the post-season is played during semester break. Besides, how would that differ than the regular season? Also...the other Divisions seem to be able to make it work, including D-3 which has no athletic scholarships. Yes, real students playing football and getting an education..who knew?
"We will lose the tradition of the bowls."
Ah yes....the tradition of such classic as the Beef O'Brady's St. Petersburg Bowl.
You incorporate the bowl system in to the playoff..with some tweaking.
Also, don't hand me this junk about "the current season makes every week a playoff game" Hmmm...somehow, Michigan State v. Northern Colorado or Alabama v.Georgia State doesn't scream postseason drama. But enough of me shooting holes in the opposition....let's get to the plan.
Currently there are 120 D-1 schools...that number will increase to 123 in the next 2 years. That is the number we are sticking with. No expansion for awhile. In fact I would even consider contracting a few schools down to 1-AA (Eastern Michigan and most of the Sun Belt...I'm looking at you) but for now, we will keep it with 123.
Next...you independents...pick a conference or go to 1-AA. BYU plans to go Indie in 2012...nope, back to the Mountain West. Army and Navy...because of your tradition..I will not demote you...have fun in the Big East. Speaking of which...TCU...you are going to the Big 12...I want geographic normalcy. Also, Big 12...find a 12th (TCU is your 11th) or I am re-naming you the Southwest Conference. In fact...I will do that...trade Oklahoma State to Conference USA...add TCU, SMU and Houston..done.
This leaves me with Notre Dame. Big East or Big 10, your choice. That shadow you see is the Shillelagh of Damocles over your Golden Dome if you piss me off. You jackwagons have had this "our poop don't stink" attitude for way too long. Rockne's dead and the Gipper ain't walkin through that door anytime soon. You think SMU's Death Penalty was bad...step one buckled shoe out of line and find out. Your soul belongs to Touchdown Jesus but your ass belongs to me.
Speaking of the Big 10....change the name or become the third division of the MAC. Mathematical normalcy will be achieved as well. Oh and "Legends and Leaders"? More like Dumb and Dumber...East and West...or, North and South...it ain't hard boys.
Back to the playoff system. It is really easy. There are currently 11 conferences. Each conference champion gets an automatic bid and there will be 5 at large bids for a 16 team bracket. Seeding will be as it is for March Madness. You play the first rounds before and opposite the NFL playoff games and the championship game is played in the time between the NFL Conference championship games and Super Bowl. It might take a few viewers away from the Pro Bowl but who would notice?
One other minor annoying bleat by the anti-playoff folks is "our kids will be playing too many games" Yeah...no. You have some schools playing 13 or 14 games anyway. I would eliminate conference championship games which would take one game away. Our little darlings can handle the extra time, they're young...they can take it.
Here is where you incorporate the bowls. You have 15 games in the playoff. You use your upper tier bowls for those playoff sites. You lessen the bowl payouts, which saves money, and the schools will still make money as they advance. Here is how I would break it down:
First Round sites:
Aloha (formerly Hawaii), Bluebonnet (formerly Texas)Holiday, Independence, Liberty, Peach (formerly Chik-fil-A), Sun Bowl, Tangerine (formerly Champs)
Quarterfinals:
Alamo, Cotton, Fiesta, Gator
Semi-finals:
Orange, Sugar
Final:
Rose
The title game was easy...the granddaddy deserves it. Perhaps you were wondering what was up with all the "formerly"'s. Corporate whoring...er, uh, I mean, sponsorship is a necessary evil but there needs to be restraint. No bowl will be known by just the sponsor name. It can be in the name but the bowl name must be there. For example...Chik-fil-A Peach Bowl=good....Chik-fil-A Bowl=bad. I also went back to some of the original names (Aloha, Bluebonnet, Tangerine). For the non-playoff bowls, you have to include a flower, fruit, city or state name. I will let the Humanitarian Bowl slide only because I dig the Smurf Turf. Bring back some of the classics, like the Cherry Bowl, Raisin Bowl or Salad Bowl!!! Or one of the all-time greats...the Bacardi Bowl. Imagine the stuff in that goodie bag!
With 15 bowl games and 16 teams taken for the playoff...that leaves 20 bowls, 40 teams. If we keep the current NCAA eligibility rules where you have to be 6-6 to qualify and we remove the 16 teams who qualified for the playoff....that would still leave us with 52 teams. I would raise the requirement to 7-5 and only go to 6-6 if there were not enough 7-5 teams to fill out the spots. If we did that....we would have 39 teams eligible and would only need to bring one 6-6 team up. That way you don't reward mediocrity and the quality of games would improve. You still keep the bowls intact and you reward those teams who have a good season. The bowls are important. If you are 7-5 or 8-4 and haven't been in a while, its good for your school, your players, your alumni and your fans. Everyone gets a week at the bowl site to enjoy the swag, impress your recruits and bask in the national spotlight, if only briefly.
It is really sad that D-1 college football is the only level of any sport who's champion is not decided on the field. This is not rocket science. We are taught from day one that if we win our games, we get to compete for a championship. How many years do we have 1 or 2 or more teams get screwed out of that chance. This year it was TCU, last year it was TCU and Boise. You pick a year, you can find a team who got hosed. The current BCS system expires in 2014. I hope that in the real world, the NCAA can find a way to work this out. However, when you have dimwitted and greedy conference commissioners possessing all the power, I won't hold my breath.
That is my plan to fix college football...and it's just crazy enough to work.
Merry New Year.
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
Back To School
Hola mis amigos! The summer is coming to an end. The kidlets are dragging themselves back from summer vacation (or, more accurately, mom and dad are pushing them!) vacations are done and soon the leaves will be a-falling. Of course, all these factors mean but one thing here at the Sports Blog.
Football.
Is.
Back.
Can you smell it? No...that is not Gulf Coast oil, your roommates funky socks or Paris Hilton's...excuse for getting arrested. Its pigskin baby and not a moment too soon. We have had preseason NFL football all month and now the kids on campus strap on the headgear and get after it. It is with these young men where we focus today's musings.
When we last saw our friend College Football, Tonyajune's Crimson Tide were holding the trophy with a win over my beloved Longhorns (three words...no Colt McCoy) :)and Bama had secured their first title since 92 and their second since the passing of the legend, Bear Bryant. Can the Tide go back to back? Will Nick Saban win his third title..and thereby further add to the venom hurled at him from Mid-Michigan? Alabama is a trendy pick by a lot of folks to do just that. I am not so sure. They have to replace 7 starters on defense and while St. Nick of Tuscaloosa is known for his defense, they will be awful young and the SEC is no place for on the job training. Heisman Trophy winner Mark Ingram will also miss the opener but its against San Jose State so no big deal then. Ironically, it will be another breed of Trojan who will feel anger with Saban on that day.
I think Bama will meet Florida in the SEC title game and the Gators will take the crown. Florida does have a new quarterback in redshirt junior John Brantley. Brantley takes over where St. Timothy left off. He has limited experience but so did Tebow and look what he did...and Brantley has a better arm. The Gators have a talented stable of running backs and while only returning 6 starters on offense, Urban Meyer will have his team poised for another run. The defense loses 6 starters, much like Bama, so they may have to outscore some teams to win.
The AP top 10 is as follows:
1. Alabama
2. Ohio State
3. Boise State
4. Florida
5. Texas
6. TCU
7. Oklahoma
8. Nebraska
9. Iowa
10. Virginia Tech
The Coaches poll is similar at the top with Bama and OSU, they then have Florida and Texas 3 and 4, then Boise at 5, Va Tech up at 6, then TCU, Oklahoma, Nebraska and Iowa.
I can agree pretty much with the top 10, I think Texas is ranked a little high though. I think they are better suited for 7 or 8 and I am not convinced that TCU is a top 10 team. What we have to remember is that this poll is largely based on last year's results. Personally, I think pre-season polls are garbage. If I were in charge...ooh, sent a shiver down your spine, didn't it?....I would not have a poll until the first Monday in October. Then again, I would have a playoff, better uniforms, and less strict rules for celebrating. I would also outlaw artificial turf..but I digress.
Speaking of pre-season polls, upstart Boise State has its highest pre-season ranking in school history. The once-quirky underdog with the Smurf Turf (which by the way, I love!) is now ranked up with the big boys. BCS recognition is something that the Broncos have been clamoring (and to be honest, at times whining) to achieve for a few years now. To be fair they have been to two BCS games and one them both, including that classic Fiesta Bowl win over Oklahoma. That hasn't been enough though, two undefeated seasons in the last four years has had the boys in blue desiring a national title shot.
OK Boise, you have your high ranking you need to be considered for that title shot. All you have to do is beat the Hokies on Labor Day night and you should be set. Your schedule is cake, as it usually is and, to be honest, is what has held you back. Your move to the Mountain West will help but unless you can horn in on the next wave of conference expansion, you will be more often on the outside looking in. I think you can beat Va Tech and run the table but the other teams around you have tougher schedules and that will be your downfall again.
Back to the predictions...along with Florida winning the SEC, I have Oklahoma winning the Big 12, Wisconsin winning the Big 10, Pitt in the Big East, Miami winning the ACC and Oregon quacking its way to a Pac 10 title.
Whew....conference bingo, gotta love it!
The only one I am shaky on is Oregon. Even without disgraced QB Jeremiah Masoli, the Ducks have the tools to win but if anyone can reach up and bite them, its Andrew Luck and Stanford. I almost typed in Oliver Luck, Andrew's daddy and former Oiler QB. :) However, Oregon gets the Cardinal in Eugene so I like their chances. Stanford should do well this year, especially with USC being rendered useless thanks to a Kardashian sister's former boyfriend. They could, however, be looking for a new coach next year especially if Rich Rodriguez has another bad season in Ann Arbor. The Maize and Blue faithful are already calling for Jim Harbaugh and you can be assured that with every Wolverine loss, the clamor will get louder.
My BCS Bowl predictions for the 2010 season:
Orange: Miami-Pitt
Sugar: Bama-Boise
Rose: Oregon-Wisconsin
Fiesta: Texas-Ohio State
BCS Championship: Florida-Oklahoma (Brother Billy is already cringing at the thought.)
One other tidbit I wanted to bring up. Paul Lukas, a writer for ESPN.com, does a great job talking about logos, uniforms and the changes thereof for all the major pro sports as well as college football and basketball. This week was his annual College preview..hmm, a familiar theme...and he highlights the good, the bad (although I like the Boise and Miami helmets) and the ugly in this year's uniform trends.
Really Michigan State? After all that whining and bitching about a very minor logo change, you allow this? Oy.
Like Mr. Lukas, I am a uniform, colors and logo geek. I was the one who came up with the Uniform Curse theory which states that when you win a championship and you change your uniforms for the next season, you are doomed not to repeat...it happened with Duke and the Chicago Bulls in the 90's and the St. Louis Rams in 2000. I also have another theory...lack of success on the field leads to the uniforms changing every few years. You don't have success, you bring in new coaching staffs, new coaching staffs want to put "their stamp" on the program and the first to go is usually the old regimes uni's. Also when you don't have a good on-field product you have to come up with new things to keep your fan base interested..again, cue the new togs. I did some research to bear me out.
These are the top 10 winning programs in the history of D-1 college football:
1. Michigan
2. Texas
3. Notre Dame
4. Nebraska
5. Ohio State
6. Alabama
7. Penn State
8. Oklahoma
9. Tennessee
10. USC
Aside from the odd tweak now and then and the occasional "alternate" uniform, these programs have not significantly changed their looks since leather helmets.
The last 10 BCS Champions? Oklahoma, Miami, Ohio State, USC, Texas, Bama, LSU (twice) and Florida (twice). LSU and Florida also have changed their look in decades, Florida went from orange to blue helmets but that was it. Logo is the same as are the colors, number font, etc. Oh and don't get me started on number fonts. Its football...block numbers, period. You are lucky I will allow names on the back. :)
Coincidence? I think not.
One more note before I go...as of this writing the Big 10 announced its new divisional football lineup that will take place in 2011 when Herbie Husker and the rest of the Children of the Corn join up. Not sure of the divisional names yet but here is how they will break:
Division 1:
Michigan, Michigan State, Northwestern, Minnesota, Iowa, Nebraska
Division 2:
Ohio State, Penn State, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Purdue
Each team will play the others in their division and each will have a permanent "crossover" game with the other. This way, Ohio State-Michigan gets played every year..this is good. Otherwise the alignment is pretty stupid. You either have an East/West alignment with Wisconsin in the East or a North/South alignment with Wisconsin in the South. Apparently Geography is not a pre-requisite for graduating from a Big 10 school...then again, they will have 12 teams and will still call themselves the Big 10. Guess Math isn't required either.
See you next week when we tackle (see what I did there?) pro football.
Peace.
Football.
Is.
Back.
Can you smell it? No...that is not Gulf Coast oil, your roommates funky socks or Paris Hilton's...excuse for getting arrested. Its pigskin baby and not a moment too soon. We have had preseason NFL football all month and now the kids on campus strap on the headgear and get after it. It is with these young men where we focus today's musings.
When we last saw our friend College Football, Tonyajune's Crimson Tide were holding the trophy with a win over my beloved Longhorns (three words...no Colt McCoy) :)and Bama had secured their first title since 92 and their second since the passing of the legend, Bear Bryant. Can the Tide go back to back? Will Nick Saban win his third title..and thereby further add to the venom hurled at him from Mid-Michigan? Alabama is a trendy pick by a lot of folks to do just that. I am not so sure. They have to replace 7 starters on defense and while St. Nick of Tuscaloosa is known for his defense, they will be awful young and the SEC is no place for on the job training. Heisman Trophy winner Mark Ingram will also miss the opener but its against San Jose State so no big deal then. Ironically, it will be another breed of Trojan who will feel anger with Saban on that day.
I think Bama will meet Florida in the SEC title game and the Gators will take the crown. Florida does have a new quarterback in redshirt junior John Brantley. Brantley takes over where St. Timothy left off. He has limited experience but so did Tebow and look what he did...and Brantley has a better arm. The Gators have a talented stable of running backs and while only returning 6 starters on offense, Urban Meyer will have his team poised for another run. The defense loses 6 starters, much like Bama, so they may have to outscore some teams to win.
The AP top 10 is as follows:
1. Alabama
2. Ohio State
3. Boise State
4. Florida
5. Texas
6. TCU
7. Oklahoma
8. Nebraska
9. Iowa
10. Virginia Tech
The Coaches poll is similar at the top with Bama and OSU, they then have Florida and Texas 3 and 4, then Boise at 5, Va Tech up at 6, then TCU, Oklahoma, Nebraska and Iowa.
I can agree pretty much with the top 10, I think Texas is ranked a little high though. I think they are better suited for 7 or 8 and I am not convinced that TCU is a top 10 team. What we have to remember is that this poll is largely based on last year's results. Personally, I think pre-season polls are garbage. If I were in charge...ooh, sent a shiver down your spine, didn't it?....I would not have a poll until the first Monday in October. Then again, I would have a playoff, better uniforms, and less strict rules for celebrating. I would also outlaw artificial turf..but I digress.
Speaking of pre-season polls, upstart Boise State has its highest pre-season ranking in school history. The once-quirky underdog with the Smurf Turf (which by the way, I love!) is now ranked up with the big boys. BCS recognition is something that the Broncos have been clamoring (and to be honest, at times whining) to achieve for a few years now. To be fair they have been to two BCS games and one them both, including that classic Fiesta Bowl win over Oklahoma. That hasn't been enough though, two undefeated seasons in the last four years has had the boys in blue desiring a national title shot.
OK Boise, you have your high ranking you need to be considered for that title shot. All you have to do is beat the Hokies on Labor Day night and you should be set. Your schedule is cake, as it usually is and, to be honest, is what has held you back. Your move to the Mountain West will help but unless you can horn in on the next wave of conference expansion, you will be more often on the outside looking in. I think you can beat Va Tech and run the table but the other teams around you have tougher schedules and that will be your downfall again.
Back to the predictions...along with Florida winning the SEC, I have Oklahoma winning the Big 12, Wisconsin winning the Big 10, Pitt in the Big East, Miami winning the ACC and Oregon quacking its way to a Pac 10 title.
Whew....conference bingo, gotta love it!
The only one I am shaky on is Oregon. Even without disgraced QB Jeremiah Masoli, the Ducks have the tools to win but if anyone can reach up and bite them, its Andrew Luck and Stanford. I almost typed in Oliver Luck, Andrew's daddy and former Oiler QB. :) However, Oregon gets the Cardinal in Eugene so I like their chances. Stanford should do well this year, especially with USC being rendered useless thanks to a Kardashian sister's former boyfriend. They could, however, be looking for a new coach next year especially if Rich Rodriguez has another bad season in Ann Arbor. The Maize and Blue faithful are already calling for Jim Harbaugh and you can be assured that with every Wolverine loss, the clamor will get louder.
My BCS Bowl predictions for the 2010 season:
Orange: Miami-Pitt
Sugar: Bama-Boise
Rose: Oregon-Wisconsin
Fiesta: Texas-Ohio State
BCS Championship: Florida-Oklahoma (Brother Billy is already cringing at the thought.)
One other tidbit I wanted to bring up. Paul Lukas, a writer for ESPN.com, does a great job talking about logos, uniforms and the changes thereof for all the major pro sports as well as college football and basketball. This week was his annual College preview..hmm, a familiar theme...and he highlights the good, the bad (although I like the Boise and Miami helmets) and the ugly in this year's uniform trends.
Really Michigan State? After all that whining and bitching about a very minor logo change, you allow this? Oy.
Like Mr. Lukas, I am a uniform, colors and logo geek. I was the one who came up with the Uniform Curse theory which states that when you win a championship and you change your uniforms for the next season, you are doomed not to repeat...it happened with Duke and the Chicago Bulls in the 90's and the St. Louis Rams in 2000. I also have another theory...lack of success on the field leads to the uniforms changing every few years. You don't have success, you bring in new coaching staffs, new coaching staffs want to put "their stamp" on the program and the first to go is usually the old regimes uni's. Also when you don't have a good on-field product you have to come up with new things to keep your fan base interested..again, cue the new togs. I did some research to bear me out.
These are the top 10 winning programs in the history of D-1 college football:
1. Michigan
2. Texas
3. Notre Dame
4. Nebraska
5. Ohio State
6. Alabama
7. Penn State
8. Oklahoma
9. Tennessee
10. USC
Aside from the odd tweak now and then and the occasional "alternate" uniform, these programs have not significantly changed their looks since leather helmets.
The last 10 BCS Champions? Oklahoma, Miami, Ohio State, USC, Texas, Bama, LSU (twice) and Florida (twice). LSU and Florida also have changed their look in decades, Florida went from orange to blue helmets but that was it. Logo is the same as are the colors, number font, etc. Oh and don't get me started on number fonts. Its football...block numbers, period. You are lucky I will allow names on the back. :)
Coincidence? I think not.
One more note before I go...as of this writing the Big 10 announced its new divisional football lineup that will take place in 2011 when Herbie Husker and the rest of the Children of the Corn join up. Not sure of the divisional names yet but here is how they will break:
Division 1:
Michigan, Michigan State, Northwestern, Minnesota, Iowa, Nebraska
Division 2:
Ohio State, Penn State, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Purdue
Each team will play the others in their division and each will have a permanent "crossover" game with the other. This way, Ohio State-Michigan gets played every year..this is good. Otherwise the alignment is pretty stupid. You either have an East/West alignment with Wisconsin in the East or a North/South alignment with Wisconsin in the South. Apparently Geography is not a pre-requisite for graduating from a Big 10 school...then again, they will have 12 teams and will still call themselves the Big 10. Guess Math isn't required either.
See you next week when we tackle (see what I did there?) pro football.
Peace.
Monday, July 12, 2010
Futbol, Football and oh yeah, some guy in Cleveland.
We have a winner!!
64 games, 5 weeks and wayyy too many vuvuzelas but Copa Mundial 2010 is en los libros and Espana is El Winner. Personally I was rooting for the Dutch. Erica's family is Dutch and we were pulling for the Oranje. Congrats to La Furia Rojo. I would imagine the party in Madrid, Barcelona, Ibiza, etc. is probably still going on. For The Netherlands, the third time in the final was not the charm. Holland did all they could for 116 minutes but their lack of composure (9 yellow cards, 1 red) reduced them to 10 men and eventually cost them the World Championship. Although in Amsterdam, there are enough things to do to make you forget the loss. For what its worth, Europe now leads South America 10-9. There also has not been a repeat champ since Brazil in 1958 and 1962. That was also the last time a continent won back to back.
Ok...I just used Dutch, English and Spanish in the same paragraph...I am indeed an international man of mystery. Yeah, baby!!
I have to hand it to the Soccer world. I again enjoyed the World Cup. I guess for me it is, as mentioned before, like the Olympics. Not a fan in off years and I do not follow the MLS, EPL, Serie A or La Liga but when the National Team is involved every 4 years...I like it. Rio in 2014 should be interesting seeing as how Brazil got knocked out early this time around. Agradecimentos, Selecao for messing up my winner prediction. (Ooh...I just added Portuguese) Yeah I think Kaka and his side will be amped up for that one. The U.S. is in the running for the 2018 and 2022 WC, that would be cool and we all know that Jerry Jones will be all over those committee members to have Jerryworld as one of the sites. With a new Giants Stadium, Ford Field, Lucas Oil Staduim, Qwest Field as well as Jerryworld....FIFA would be stupid to pass us up. In 1994, we had the most attended and most watched tournament in history. We can do it again.
Ok, with the world's biggest tournament done, its time to concentrate on our football. The Browns start their camp first on the 23rd with the Cowboys starting on the 24th and everyone else joining in after that. I have but two words for this...
Thank God.
You can't get enough football and I am soooo ready. Got the fantasy football mag...will be setting up the leagues soon....its a sign of the seasons. Fall is near and the pigskin's a-comin. I think the NFC will be up for grabs this year with the Vikes, Cowboys, Pack and the defending champ Saints. The AFC should be just as wild. Peyton and the Colts will be there, as well Brady and the Pats. San Diego will make some noise and the Jets and Ravens might have the top two defenses. I will be making predictions closer to the season.
I think just two fantasy leagues for me this year. Down from three last year and five the year before. Yeah, you're right...what the hell was I thinking?
Totally off the subject...this week I will be recording my entry to the Mad Dog Russo Sports Host contest. If I win, I can get up to eight shows on Sirius Satellite Radio. Please keep positive thoughts for me. I will keep you posted on my progress.
Then there is the elephant in the room.
LeBron.
Being the Self Proclaimed Sports God of the Southwest...and now the Midwest, I have been asked by tons of people what I think about the whole LeBron sideshow. Well, first thing I can say is I was totally wrong about where he was going. :) I picked Chicago..oops. Miami pulled off what some thought was impossible. They basically erased their roster to pull of the Free Agent hat trick of keeping D-Wade, adding Chris Bosh and securing the services of LeBron. Hey...it's the best 3-on-3 team on the planet and in the history of basketball. Not even Chili Bowl, Kris Winston or the mighty THP could take them. Well, maybe THP...after all, I have 5 fouls and there are no easy buckets. The question is can they secure enough role players to supplement Miami Thrice. Mike Miller signed today and Udonis Haslem re-signed today. They also still have Mario Chalmers and drafted three players in the second round this season, including DeSean Butler whom I think, when he fully recovers from his devestating knee injury suffered in the NCAA's, can be a good NBA player. So if they have the Tres Grande, with Miller, Chalmers and the Tres Ninos (hey, why can't the rookies get a nickname too?) that is nine players. They are allowed 15 on the roster (you can suit out 12) so that leaves 6 spots. Ok, if the sports radio thing doesn't work out...I, too, this fall will take my talents to South Beach. (In the NBA, I get 6 fouls..woot!)
The celebration in Miami-Dade county was almost as big as the one in Spain. As happy as they were in South F-L-A, they were as sad and angry in C-L-E. Not just angry....freaking pissed off!! Burning jerseys, throwing rocks at LeBron posters and general mayhem. A lot of people outside of Cleveland didn't understand the anger and were even dissing those fans for acting that way. I totally get their reaction. I get it because I almost had it 10 years ago.
The summer of 2000 proved to be a pivotal one in San Antonio. The Spurs were one season removed from an NBA title and were poised to challenge the Lakers for another one when Tim Duncan hurt a knee and was unable to play for most of the first round. A round which saw the exit of the Spurs to Phoenix. Bigger than that was Duncan's impending Free Agency. The rumors were flying like the cicadas that buzz like Nature's little vuvuzelas during the summertime. Much like this year, there was talk of a trio of stars. Orlando was trying to get Tracy McGrady, Grant Hill and Duncan..or some combination thereof. Peter Vescey on a daily basis was telling us that his sources confirmed that TD was staying...then he was going...then he was staying. I'm not kidding....every day he changed his mind. Tool. These rumors precipitated the Great Message Board War of 2000 on SpursCentral (now ClubSpurs) The funniest rumor I heard that summer was on that site where someone said that they had a friend who knew someone at the HEB pharmacy (for my peeps in Lansing...think Meijer) and that Amy Duncan had switched her prescriptions to an Orlando pharmacy. Another media tool, Peter Brown, "just knew" that Duncan was not coming back. As did many callers on national radio shows. As we all now know, Duncan chose SA (maybe you dumbasses really didn't know?) and three titles later...the rest is history. But what if.....Duncan chose Mickey Mouse over Henry the Puffy Taco? I can tell you what would have happened...a reaction much like we saw in Cleveland...maybe worse. Cleveland still has the Indians and the Browns...San Antonio just has the Spurs. The good people of SA would have gone ape-shit...and you all know it. They have to rebuild around a soon to be retired David Robinson and 4 titles shrinks to 1. Spurs fans have to hear the tired asterisk talk still...but imagine if they only had 1 title?
I feel for the fans of Cleveland. Their sports history reads like a bad dime store novel. No championships of any kind since 1964 and countless examples of being this close then RRRIIPPPPPP...out comes their hearts. So, no, I don't blame those fans at all for how they reacted. I don't necessarily agree with what they did but I can't say for sure that I would not have reacted similarly. It's not right because in the grand scheme of things, its just a sport but we love our sports. We invest in them emotionally and the pain we feel is real.
Then there is Dan Gilbert. On one hand, I also get him. Again, if I was in his position..maybe I do something similar. It would, however, still have been the wrong way to handle it. I thought it was funny....inappropriate....but funny. I like the way he rallied the support of the fans. I just hope he didn't get some of the less stable ones to be encouraged to commit real violence. Yell, scream, stomp your feet...let it out. You deserve it Cavs fans, but don't be destructive by words or actions. It was reported today that the Commish fined Gilbert 100K....I imagine he feels it was money well spent.
Oh and for what its worth....Reverend Jesse....with all due respect...shut it. I admire what you do for people who need help but, and this will come as a shock, its not always racial. Just because a rich white guy loses his temper does not mean he is reaching for a white hood. That "runaway slave" comment was wayyy out of line. The loyalty issue, I agree, doesn't fit here...but just because Gilbert accused James of being disloyal to Cleveland is not even close to even inferring that he is calling LeBron a slave. Slavery is a horrible stain on our history and while we should never forget it in order to grow from it, we cannot grow with comments like that. Implying racism where there is none is almost as bad as racism itself.
Which brings me to the man who would be King. (again LBJ...Kings have titles...you don't) I am all about loyalty. I am loyal to those close to me almost to a fault. While I feel for the Cavs fans who got hosed, I'm sorry.....LBJ did nothing wrong. Loyalty on the professional sports level, with few exceptions, is dead. Gone are the days where your superstars and favorite players stayed with one team. Tim Duncan is almost the last future hall of famer currently playing to fit that description. Bird did it. Magic did it. Robinson did it. Kobe and D-Wade are doing it but that is about it. Shaq didn't. Neither did Barkley or Olajuwon. Hell, Jordan didn't do it. He started to, then he got that wild hair up his ass and came back and went to the Wizards. (Still don't know who spiked his Gatorade on that one) It's a business. Does it suck that its a business? Yes. However, because it became a business, we are enjoying the NBA as we know it now. I can't fault LeBron for wanting to go somewhere where he feels he can win a title. That is, after all, what athletes should strive for...and yes, technically he is taking less money to go there in order to win. Yeah..poor LeBron...he is only going to make $110 million instead of $140 million. Boo f-ing hoo. Also...this "decision"? What the hell were you thinking son? You just went from arguably the most liked NBA player to one of the most disliked in 60 minutes..and not just in Cleveland where you have been placed at the same table as Satan and Art Modell. Really Lebron? A one hour commercial to promote yourself? I have no problem with you leaving Cleveland but doing your hometown like that? Damn...that is homeroom during summer.....No Class. When I saw that...I momentarily thought about breaking one of my cardinal rules and wishing for a blown knee..but I know what Karma is so I thought better of it.
One last thing....I don't want to hear how LeBron and Bosh are "sacrificing" for a title. Ok, so each left $30mil on the table...they are still getting $110mil!!!! 110 is less than 140 but its still $110 MILLION tell me again what great sacrifice they are making? A sacrifice is when a parent gives up their personal time or rewards so junior can make soccer practice or when mom and dad have to pay a bill next month in order to pay rent this month. James and Bosh want to impress me? Donate a year's salary to the charity of their choice. LBJ has a $90mil contract with Nike...you telling me he couldn't donate that and live off "just" his $110 mil? Child, please.
Enough of that pretension though....football is around the corner. Time to get in the right mode and bring on the new season. The countdown begins now. Are you ready for some football? Because I sure as hell am. :)
Peace.
64 games, 5 weeks and wayyy too many vuvuzelas but Copa Mundial 2010 is en los libros and Espana is El Winner. Personally I was rooting for the Dutch. Erica's family is Dutch and we were pulling for the Oranje. Congrats to La Furia Rojo. I would imagine the party in Madrid, Barcelona, Ibiza, etc. is probably still going on. For The Netherlands, the third time in the final was not the charm. Holland did all they could for 116 minutes but their lack of composure (9 yellow cards, 1 red) reduced them to 10 men and eventually cost them the World Championship. Although in Amsterdam, there are enough things to do to make you forget the loss. For what its worth, Europe now leads South America 10-9. There also has not been a repeat champ since Brazil in 1958 and 1962. That was also the last time a continent won back to back.
Ok...I just used Dutch, English and Spanish in the same paragraph...I am indeed an international man of mystery. Yeah, baby!!
I have to hand it to the Soccer world. I again enjoyed the World Cup. I guess for me it is, as mentioned before, like the Olympics. Not a fan in off years and I do not follow the MLS, EPL, Serie A or La Liga but when the National Team is involved every 4 years...I like it. Rio in 2014 should be interesting seeing as how Brazil got knocked out early this time around. Agradecimentos, Selecao for messing up my winner prediction. (Ooh...I just added Portuguese) Yeah I think Kaka and his side will be amped up for that one. The U.S. is in the running for the 2018 and 2022 WC, that would be cool and we all know that Jerry Jones will be all over those committee members to have Jerryworld as one of the sites. With a new Giants Stadium, Ford Field, Lucas Oil Staduim, Qwest Field as well as Jerryworld....FIFA would be stupid to pass us up. In 1994, we had the most attended and most watched tournament in history. We can do it again.
Ok, with the world's biggest tournament done, its time to concentrate on our football. The Browns start their camp first on the 23rd with the Cowboys starting on the 24th and everyone else joining in after that. I have but two words for this...
Thank God.
You can't get enough football and I am soooo ready. Got the fantasy football mag...will be setting up the leagues soon....its a sign of the seasons. Fall is near and the pigskin's a-comin. I think the NFC will be up for grabs this year with the Vikes, Cowboys, Pack and the defending champ Saints. The AFC should be just as wild. Peyton and the Colts will be there, as well Brady and the Pats. San Diego will make some noise and the Jets and Ravens might have the top two defenses. I will be making predictions closer to the season.
I think just two fantasy leagues for me this year. Down from three last year and five the year before. Yeah, you're right...what the hell was I thinking?
Totally off the subject...this week I will be recording my entry to the Mad Dog Russo Sports Host contest. If I win, I can get up to eight shows on Sirius Satellite Radio. Please keep positive thoughts for me. I will keep you posted on my progress.
Then there is the elephant in the room.
LeBron.
Being the Self Proclaimed Sports God of the Southwest...and now the Midwest, I have been asked by tons of people what I think about the whole LeBron sideshow. Well, first thing I can say is I was totally wrong about where he was going. :) I picked Chicago..oops. Miami pulled off what some thought was impossible. They basically erased their roster to pull of the Free Agent hat trick of keeping D-Wade, adding Chris Bosh and securing the services of LeBron. Hey...it's the best 3-on-3 team on the planet and in the history of basketball. Not even Chili Bowl, Kris Winston or the mighty THP could take them. Well, maybe THP...after all, I have 5 fouls and there are no easy buckets. The question is can they secure enough role players to supplement Miami Thrice. Mike Miller signed today and Udonis Haslem re-signed today. They also still have Mario Chalmers and drafted three players in the second round this season, including DeSean Butler whom I think, when he fully recovers from his devestating knee injury suffered in the NCAA's, can be a good NBA player. So if they have the Tres Grande, with Miller, Chalmers and the Tres Ninos (hey, why can't the rookies get a nickname too?) that is nine players. They are allowed 15 on the roster (you can suit out 12) so that leaves 6 spots. Ok, if the sports radio thing doesn't work out...I, too, this fall will take my talents to South Beach. (In the NBA, I get 6 fouls..woot!)
The celebration in Miami-Dade county was almost as big as the one in Spain. As happy as they were in South F-L-A, they were as sad and angry in C-L-E. Not just angry....freaking pissed off!! Burning jerseys, throwing rocks at LeBron posters and general mayhem. A lot of people outside of Cleveland didn't understand the anger and were even dissing those fans for acting that way. I totally get their reaction. I get it because I almost had it 10 years ago.
The summer of 2000 proved to be a pivotal one in San Antonio. The Spurs were one season removed from an NBA title and were poised to challenge the Lakers for another one when Tim Duncan hurt a knee and was unable to play for most of the first round. A round which saw the exit of the Spurs to Phoenix. Bigger than that was Duncan's impending Free Agency. The rumors were flying like the cicadas that buzz like Nature's little vuvuzelas during the summertime. Much like this year, there was talk of a trio of stars. Orlando was trying to get Tracy McGrady, Grant Hill and Duncan..or some combination thereof. Peter Vescey on a daily basis was telling us that his sources confirmed that TD was staying...then he was going...then he was staying. I'm not kidding....every day he changed his mind. Tool. These rumors precipitated the Great Message Board War of 2000 on SpursCentral (now ClubSpurs) The funniest rumor I heard that summer was on that site where someone said that they had a friend who knew someone at the HEB pharmacy (for my peeps in Lansing...think Meijer) and that Amy Duncan had switched her prescriptions to an Orlando pharmacy. Another media tool, Peter Brown, "just knew" that Duncan was not coming back. As did many callers on national radio shows. As we all now know, Duncan chose SA (maybe you dumbasses really didn't know?) and three titles later...the rest is history. But what if.....Duncan chose Mickey Mouse over Henry the Puffy Taco? I can tell you what would have happened...a reaction much like we saw in Cleveland...maybe worse. Cleveland still has the Indians and the Browns...San Antonio just has the Spurs. The good people of SA would have gone ape-shit...and you all know it. They have to rebuild around a soon to be retired David Robinson and 4 titles shrinks to 1. Spurs fans have to hear the tired asterisk talk still...but imagine if they only had 1 title?
I feel for the fans of Cleveland. Their sports history reads like a bad dime store novel. No championships of any kind since 1964 and countless examples of being this close then RRRIIPPPPPP...out comes their hearts. So, no, I don't blame those fans at all for how they reacted. I don't necessarily agree with what they did but I can't say for sure that I would not have reacted similarly. It's not right because in the grand scheme of things, its just a sport but we love our sports. We invest in them emotionally and the pain we feel is real.
Then there is Dan Gilbert. On one hand, I also get him. Again, if I was in his position..maybe I do something similar. It would, however, still have been the wrong way to handle it. I thought it was funny....inappropriate....but funny. I like the way he rallied the support of the fans. I just hope he didn't get some of the less stable ones to be encouraged to commit real violence. Yell, scream, stomp your feet...let it out. You deserve it Cavs fans, but don't be destructive by words or actions. It was reported today that the Commish fined Gilbert 100K....I imagine he feels it was money well spent.
Oh and for what its worth....Reverend Jesse....with all due respect...shut it. I admire what you do for people who need help but, and this will come as a shock, its not always racial. Just because a rich white guy loses his temper does not mean he is reaching for a white hood. That "runaway slave" comment was wayyy out of line. The loyalty issue, I agree, doesn't fit here...but just because Gilbert accused James of being disloyal to Cleveland is not even close to even inferring that he is calling LeBron a slave. Slavery is a horrible stain on our history and while we should never forget it in order to grow from it, we cannot grow with comments like that. Implying racism where there is none is almost as bad as racism itself.
Which brings me to the man who would be King. (again LBJ...Kings have titles...you don't) I am all about loyalty. I am loyal to those close to me almost to a fault. While I feel for the Cavs fans who got hosed, I'm sorry.....LBJ did nothing wrong. Loyalty on the professional sports level, with few exceptions, is dead. Gone are the days where your superstars and favorite players stayed with one team. Tim Duncan is almost the last future hall of famer currently playing to fit that description. Bird did it. Magic did it. Robinson did it. Kobe and D-Wade are doing it but that is about it. Shaq didn't. Neither did Barkley or Olajuwon. Hell, Jordan didn't do it. He started to, then he got that wild hair up his ass and came back and went to the Wizards. (Still don't know who spiked his Gatorade on that one) It's a business. Does it suck that its a business? Yes. However, because it became a business, we are enjoying the NBA as we know it now. I can't fault LeBron for wanting to go somewhere where he feels he can win a title. That is, after all, what athletes should strive for...and yes, technically he is taking less money to go there in order to win. Yeah..poor LeBron...he is only going to make $110 million instead of $140 million. Boo f-ing hoo. Also...this "decision"? What the hell were you thinking son? You just went from arguably the most liked NBA player to one of the most disliked in 60 minutes..and not just in Cleveland where you have been placed at the same table as Satan and Art Modell. Really Lebron? A one hour commercial to promote yourself? I have no problem with you leaving Cleveland but doing your hometown like that? Damn...that is homeroom during summer.....No Class. When I saw that...I momentarily thought about breaking one of my cardinal rules and wishing for a blown knee..but I know what Karma is so I thought better of it.
One last thing....I don't want to hear how LeBron and Bosh are "sacrificing" for a title. Ok, so each left $30mil on the table...they are still getting $110mil!!!! 110 is less than 140 but its still $110 MILLION tell me again what great sacrifice they are making? A sacrifice is when a parent gives up their personal time or rewards so junior can make soccer practice or when mom and dad have to pay a bill next month in order to pay rent this month. James and Bosh want to impress me? Donate a year's salary to the charity of their choice. LBJ has a $90mil contract with Nike...you telling me he couldn't donate that and live off "just" his $110 mil? Child, please.
Enough of that pretension though....football is around the corner. Time to get in the right mode and bring on the new season. The countdown begins now. Are you ready for some football? Because I sure as hell am. :)
Peace.
Friday, July 2, 2010
I'm Baaaaaack? Didja miss me?
Wow.
April 24..really? Well neighbor..it's been too long.
What has happened since we last met here at Mike's Cyber Sports Cafe and Bait Shop? My Spurs knocked out the Mavs, then got swept by the Suns. Nice win Phoenix, enjoy your championship..oh, wait. :) The Lakers took out the Celtics in a classic seven game series, Steven Strasburg gave DC baseball fans a glimmer of hope and we all learned what a vuvuzela is.
Yes campers...Copa Mundial is well under way and I must admit, I have enjoyed it. I view the World Cup like I do the Olympics. I get into it but only when it is on and then I wait 4 years. I had three predictions for WC 2010:
1. The USA would advance from their group
2. Brazil would get its 6th cup
3. Players would be flopping more than that load of shrimp on Forrest's boat after he and Lt. Dan rode out the hurricane.
To quote a fellow Texan: "Two out of three ain't bad"
The US team not only advanced from group play, they won their group for the first time since 1930. They tied Mother England 1-1 then settled for a 2-2 tie against Slovenia (after a goal was stolen from Maurice Edu and made Koman Coulibaly a name ranked up there with Santa Anna) and finally a stoppage time 1-0 win over Algeria. Landon Donovan cemented his place in U.S. Soccer history with his follow of a Clint Dempsey miss. Then in the round of 16, they lost again to Ghana. This was the country that eliminated the US in 2006 and pulled it off again. Yeah and those "oh I've been shot" dives toward the end of the game to kill time...real classy.
OK, now I admit, my soccer experience is limited. I played YMCA soccer for 2 years when I was 9 and 10. My first question about the World Cup was "Who's mom brings the oranges?" I started watching in 1994 and liked it. I am always a USA first guy in sports so if the US is playing, I cheer the home team. I remember July 4, 1994...the US made the round of 16 and faced off against mighty Brazil. What an opportunity. The rebirth of soccer, a World Cup on American soil and facing the best team on the planet on our biggest day. Could it happen? Another Miracle on Grass? 84,000 screaming Americans...screaming for..soccer? Sadly...it was not meant to be. The Selecao prevailed 1-0 thanks to a tough shot by Bebeto and some crappy officiating (yes Priscilla....your boys got bailed out by the refs) which seems to be the norm for FIFA. Since '94 though, I have watched and enjoyed.
However, there are some things I would change. First off...ties. Soccer is loved wildly and madly by every country in the world....except ours. Well, us and Canada but do they really count? :) One reason why is that in American sports...there is a winner and a loser. There used to be ties in football but now on every level except the NFL (which...I do NOT get) ties have gone the way of the Wishbone. They play overtime after the group stage, not including stoppage time, so why not before that? These are the best futbol players in the world and as such arguably the best athletes in the world...run your asses around some more, then go to your shootout. (Which by the way, those are cool....I watched the Uruguay-Ghana one today...wow...oh yea and F-U Ghana.)
Secondly...the refereeing is horrid. Again..highest level of the sport and the refs are really bad. It's a big-ass field...add at least one more guy out there.
Finally..the aforementioned flopping. FIFA claims to have cracked down on this. Yeah, and if they think that, they are on crack. Flopping is straight up cowardice. I don't like it when my boy Manu does it but he is nowhere near as bad as these guys. If you are so weak in your game that you have to resort to bullshit tactics like that....then take up needlepoint and get your asses off the pitch.
Hey Brazil......His name is Edison Arantes do Nascimento..he wore 10....no one else should. and unless you are him....use both your names. Your mama will be happy. Kaka? Really? Tiago Splitter, the Brazilian hoops star may be coming to the US to play for this Spurs this season...I double dog DARE him to tell Popovich "call me just Tiago" How do you say "run around until I get tired" in Portugese?
Here now are my top 5 things I have liked about the 2010 World Cup:
5. The historically themed matchups you can get. England-US..how many 1776 references did we get? Also Germany against...well pretty much anyone else in Europe...two world wars give people long memories.
4. South Africa's welcome back to the world community. Good for you, Springboks. So far, its been a great show.
3. Makana FA....look it up..its a great story.
2. The US Team getting us excited..if only for a moment.
1. The passion and emotion that this event brings out. Appropriate for the Beautiful Game.
And my top 5 things that I have not liked about the 2010 World Cup:
5. Ties...see above
4. Flopping...see above
3. Sepp Blatter, head of FIFA and all-around choade. He has let the officiating go to crap and then he wanted to censor which replays were showed in the staduim as to not show up his refs? Dude...you should change the spelling of your last name to "Bladder" because you are pissing me off.
2. France. You guys won the Cup in 98 and you frickin imploded this year. You brought back all the "we surrender" jokes. Actually, it was kinda funny...maybe this should go on the other list.
1. Vuvuzelas. Yeah, I know it's "your thing" South Africa but seriously. Its about as bad as that insipid buzzing the Hornets do in their building...and look where they are. Besides...blowing your vuvu (oooh...sounds dirty!) can be harmful.
Changing the subject...NBA Free Agent Madness is upon us. Who will go where? It all starts with King James. BTW LeBron....I looked it up and in order to be called a King, you have to have a title. :D It's kind of a rule. Personally if LeBron leaves, I think he ends up in Chicago. Cleveland can pay him the most money but he really has an affection for all things Jordan so if he can win trophies in the House that Michael built, it would be the ultimate for him. Personally, if I were him, I would stay in Cleveland. They are close to being the team they need to be to get him his ring. The money is there and plus, its home. To be able to win a title in your hometown (or close enough..he is actually from Akron) is something not even MJ did.
One argument I hear for him to leave is that he will not be able to earn the "Global Icon" status that he craves. That is a load of crap. LeBron is in the unique position where he doesn't have to go to the endorsements, they come to him. You think Nike or Gatorade or whomever is going to tell him.."Sorry LBJ, we would love to pay you a buttload of cash to pimp our product but you don't live in NYC or LA" yea...right. I guarantee you that Phil Knight and whomever runs Gatorade knows exactly which way to point the G5 and visit C-Town.
One dark horse team in my opinion, is the Clippers. He knows that the only guy who can challenge him for NBA supremacy is Kobe. To battle him 4 times a year in Staples and be the sole reason people give a rat's ass about Clipper-ball? Oooh. If that were the case and if I were Donald Sterling, I would do what he should have done a few years ago..move to Anaheim. No splitting of the profits with the Lake Show and a castle that the King can have all to himself.
One possible destination is the Knicks...(in God's name kid, why?) and another player that has been rumored for the Big Apple and other places is Tony Parker. He is a free agent in 2011 and recently told the French sports newspaper L'equipe “It would be ... maybe a good challenge for me to go elsewhere. If I leave, I can make another career — eight, nine years in a different club.” Hey, I love TP but someone once said "anyone is expendable if it makes the team better" If he is not committed long term to the Spurs, then Pop needs to move him. He would be a very valuable trade asset and SA could probably get quite a bit for him. If George Hill continues to impress next season...look for Parker to be dealt prior to the trade deadline in February.
Today marks the one year anniversary of my appearance on "The Morning Drive" on the Ticket 760 in San Antonio as their guest co-host. Thank you all again for your support in helping me achieve that. This past year has not been what I had hoped but there is a new contest with Sirius Satellite Radio and Chris "mad dog" Russo which I will be throwing my hat into. Details to follow.
Good to see you again...I promise to be back sooner than later. Have a great holiday weekend. Kick back, relax, enjoy the fireworks and give your vuvu a rest.
Peace.
April 24..really? Well neighbor..it's been too long.
What has happened since we last met here at Mike's Cyber Sports Cafe and Bait Shop? My Spurs knocked out the Mavs, then got swept by the Suns. Nice win Phoenix, enjoy your championship..oh, wait. :) The Lakers took out the Celtics in a classic seven game series, Steven Strasburg gave DC baseball fans a glimmer of hope and we all learned what a vuvuzela is.
Yes campers...Copa Mundial is well under way and I must admit, I have enjoyed it. I view the World Cup like I do the Olympics. I get into it but only when it is on and then I wait 4 years. I had three predictions for WC 2010:
1. The USA would advance from their group
2. Brazil would get its 6th cup
3. Players would be flopping more than that load of shrimp on Forrest's boat after he and Lt. Dan rode out the hurricane.
To quote a fellow Texan: "Two out of three ain't bad"
The US team not only advanced from group play, they won their group for the first time since 1930. They tied Mother England 1-1 then settled for a 2-2 tie against Slovenia (after a goal was stolen from Maurice Edu and made Koman Coulibaly a name ranked up there with Santa Anna) and finally a stoppage time 1-0 win over Algeria. Landon Donovan cemented his place in U.S. Soccer history with his follow of a Clint Dempsey miss. Then in the round of 16, they lost again to Ghana. This was the country that eliminated the US in 2006 and pulled it off again. Yeah and those "oh I've been shot" dives toward the end of the game to kill time...real classy.
OK, now I admit, my soccer experience is limited. I played YMCA soccer for 2 years when I was 9 and 10. My first question about the World Cup was "Who's mom brings the oranges?" I started watching in 1994 and liked it. I am always a USA first guy in sports so if the US is playing, I cheer the home team. I remember July 4, 1994...the US made the round of 16 and faced off against mighty Brazil. What an opportunity. The rebirth of soccer, a World Cup on American soil and facing the best team on the planet on our biggest day. Could it happen? Another Miracle on Grass? 84,000 screaming Americans...screaming for..soccer? Sadly...it was not meant to be. The Selecao prevailed 1-0 thanks to a tough shot by Bebeto and some crappy officiating (yes Priscilla....your boys got bailed out by the refs) which seems to be the norm for FIFA. Since '94 though, I have watched and enjoyed.
However, there are some things I would change. First off...ties. Soccer is loved wildly and madly by every country in the world....except ours. Well, us and Canada but do they really count? :) One reason why is that in American sports...there is a winner and a loser. There used to be ties in football but now on every level except the NFL (which...I do NOT get) ties have gone the way of the Wishbone. They play overtime after the group stage, not including stoppage time, so why not before that? These are the best futbol players in the world and as such arguably the best athletes in the world...run your asses around some more, then go to your shootout. (Which by the way, those are cool....I watched the Uruguay-Ghana one today...wow...oh yea and F-U Ghana.)
Secondly...the refereeing is horrid. Again..highest level of the sport and the refs are really bad. It's a big-ass field...add at least one more guy out there.
Finally..the aforementioned flopping. FIFA claims to have cracked down on this. Yeah, and if they think that, they are on crack. Flopping is straight up cowardice. I don't like it when my boy Manu does it but he is nowhere near as bad as these guys. If you are so weak in your game that you have to resort to bullshit tactics like that....then take up needlepoint and get your asses off the pitch.
Hey Brazil......His name is Edison Arantes do Nascimento..he wore 10....no one else should. and unless you are him....use both your names. Your mama will be happy. Kaka? Really? Tiago Splitter, the Brazilian hoops star may be coming to the US to play for this Spurs this season...I double dog DARE him to tell Popovich "call me just Tiago" How do you say "run around until I get tired" in Portugese?
Here now are my top 5 things I have liked about the 2010 World Cup:
5. The historically themed matchups you can get. England-US..how many 1776 references did we get? Also Germany against...well pretty much anyone else in Europe...two world wars give people long memories.
4. South Africa's welcome back to the world community. Good for you, Springboks. So far, its been a great show.
3. Makana FA....look it up..its a great story.
2. The US Team getting us excited..if only for a moment.
1. The passion and emotion that this event brings out. Appropriate for the Beautiful Game.
And my top 5 things that I have not liked about the 2010 World Cup:
5. Ties...see above
4. Flopping...see above
3. Sepp Blatter, head of FIFA and all-around choade. He has let the officiating go to crap and then he wanted to censor which replays were showed in the staduim as to not show up his refs? Dude...you should change the spelling of your last name to "Bladder" because you are pissing me off.
2. France. You guys won the Cup in 98 and you frickin imploded this year. You brought back all the "we surrender" jokes. Actually, it was kinda funny...maybe this should go on the other list.
1. Vuvuzelas. Yeah, I know it's "your thing" South Africa but seriously. Its about as bad as that insipid buzzing the Hornets do in their building...and look where they are. Besides...blowing your vuvu (oooh...sounds dirty!) can be harmful.
Changing the subject...NBA Free Agent Madness is upon us. Who will go where? It all starts with King James. BTW LeBron....I looked it up and in order to be called a King, you have to have a title. :D It's kind of a rule. Personally if LeBron leaves, I think he ends up in Chicago. Cleveland can pay him the most money but he really has an affection for all things Jordan so if he can win trophies in the House that Michael built, it would be the ultimate for him. Personally, if I were him, I would stay in Cleveland. They are close to being the team they need to be to get him his ring. The money is there and plus, its home. To be able to win a title in your hometown (or close enough..he is actually from Akron) is something not even MJ did.
One argument I hear for him to leave is that he will not be able to earn the "Global Icon" status that he craves. That is a load of crap. LeBron is in the unique position where he doesn't have to go to the endorsements, they come to him. You think Nike or Gatorade or whomever is going to tell him.."Sorry LBJ, we would love to pay you a buttload of cash to pimp our product but you don't live in NYC or LA" yea...right. I guarantee you that Phil Knight and whomever runs Gatorade knows exactly which way to point the G5 and visit C-Town.
One dark horse team in my opinion, is the Clippers. He knows that the only guy who can challenge him for NBA supremacy is Kobe. To battle him 4 times a year in Staples and be the sole reason people give a rat's ass about Clipper-ball? Oooh. If that were the case and if I were Donald Sterling, I would do what he should have done a few years ago..move to Anaheim. No splitting of the profits with the Lake Show and a castle that the King can have all to himself.
One possible destination is the Knicks...(in God's name kid, why?) and another player that has been rumored for the Big Apple and other places is Tony Parker. He is a free agent in 2011 and recently told the French sports newspaper L'equipe “It would be ... maybe a good challenge for me to go elsewhere. If I leave, I can make another career — eight, nine years in a different club.” Hey, I love TP but someone once said "anyone is expendable if it makes the team better" If he is not committed long term to the Spurs, then Pop needs to move him. He would be a very valuable trade asset and SA could probably get quite a bit for him. If George Hill continues to impress next season...look for Parker to be dealt prior to the trade deadline in February.
Today marks the one year anniversary of my appearance on "The Morning Drive" on the Ticket 760 in San Antonio as their guest co-host. Thank you all again for your support in helping me achieve that. This past year has not been what I had hoped but there is a new contest with Sirius Satellite Radio and Chris "mad dog" Russo which I will be throwing my hat into. Details to follow.
Good to see you again...I promise to be back sooner than later. Have a great holiday weekend. Kick back, relax, enjoy the fireworks and give your vuvu a rest.
Peace.
Saturday, April 24, 2010
Sportsmanship, we hardly knew ye.
Back in the day.
I admit, it's probably my most used catchphrase. It's one of those sayings that define a person. I am pretty much the historian withing my circle of friends. "Hey Mike, who was that guy that..." or when I am at a class reunion (sometimes not even my own, Miss Roberts.) and I am the one people ask..."who was that?" Yep, that is me. So when a catchphrase defines one....one tends to use it...so, here 'tis.
Back in the day....remember when sportsmanship existed and was the rule and not the exception?
Growing up when I did, it was commonplace to play sports especially that of the sandlot variety. A few of us dabbled in organized sport but the majority of our highlights were made on the front yards, asphalt courts and playground fields of our neighborhoods. Names like Silver Creek, Stone Ridge and Misty Oaks were as hallowed to us as Hemisfair Arena, the Astrodome and Texas Stadium. It was pretty much football or basketball. We tended to lean toward hoops in the hotter months and when it got cooler, it was time for the pigskin. It was always fun and every so often, there were epic games. The kind of games that you talked about for days afterward and tried to recreate but couldn't. There were touchdowns, fumbles, three-pointers and blocked shots. Sometimes you won, sometimes you lost and usually once a game, you argued. One thing was always there though. A lack of punkage. Punkage is a Salmans-esque term for just what it says, being a punk. You didn't trash talk for the most part except in jest (no one's mom was mentioned...mainly because you knew everyone's mom and they would smack you just as fast as your own) you played hard but not dirty and if you lost, you took it like a man, said "good game" shook hands and that is it. You then went somewhere with your buddies and laughed about what happened..usually long into the night and over some, er..uh..root beer. On the court, you played 100% and knocked each other around, when it was done, it was done. No whining, no crying and no bitching. It was done this way because that is the way the pros did it. Which brings us to our story today...sportsmanship, with few pockets of exception, is gone.
Putting on my Ducky Mallard hat, my cyber autopsy has isolated the components which I believe has led to the demise of sportsmanship.
Cause 1: I saw you on da ESPN
I love me some ESPN. I am one of its original viewers. I have watched Sportscenter pretty much since 10 years old and still love watching the nightly highlights. The problem is, so does everyone else. We are a monkey see, monkey do species. As kids, we emulated our heroes. We wanted to be the Iceman, Roger Staubach or Nolan Ryan. We watched what the pros did and did what they did because we wanted to be like them. Starting in the late 80's, players figured out that this ESPN thing was here to stay and it was a good way to catch themselves on TV. This curiosity evolved into a fascination by pro and college athletes and further evolved into a philosophy that it was more important to get one's self into that night's highlight package than getting one's team into the win column. Also, if we saw a pro or college athlete pull a 4-star nutty or throw a cheap shot, hey, if it's good enough for them, it's good enough for me. To this day in 40 and over leagues all over Michigan, you see guys pop someone in the mouth then act like they did nothing wrong a'la Bill Laimbeer.
Cause 2: Mama's little meal ticket
The difference between us and a lot of kids now is that our parents would catch us if we acted a fool and corrected it immediately and harshly. These days, too many parents are worried about damaging Johnny's fragile psyche or getting labeled a child abuser if they pop him on the butt. You also have the parents who's kid has talent or worse, has none but they think he does, and they are looking to make sure nothing gets in the way of him signing the big contract that lets them retire early. When the kids shows that he does have real talent, greedy parents will do anything to ensure that nothing gets in the way of the dollar signs in their eyes. Often times this involves telling junior how great he or she is and then telling the coach the same thing. It also leads parents or coaches to encourage selfish behavior in order to get the kid noticed. Occasionally young Johnny throws an elbow or after a score, gets in another kid's face letting them know how good he is. Mom and Dad or Coach say its OK because the kid is "just expressing himself". I yelled at a ref in youth soccer once because of a bad call (I know, me yelling?) ref gave me a yellow card and I said "bite me". My coach kinda said "don't do it again" but my mom? Oh damn. I got yelled at all the way home. I was more scared of her than of my coach. I got quite the lecture about how my behavior reflected on myself, my team and her and that I was not to do anything to embarrass any of those people especially her. She didn't pop me but I wish she had, it would have been less painful than the blistering talking-to I got.
Cause 3: Fan is short for Fanatic
Fans of teams come in varying degrees. You have the casual fan who roots for his team and can probably name the starters but not much else. There is the homer who loves his team more than anyone in the real world and will proclaim the greatness that is his team to anyone who will listen..even if said team is a cellar-dweller. The smallest group is the educated fan who is loyal but not blind to his teams lack of success. He knows the players and the game and is pretty much a stat-geek. (Or, basically me. :) ) Fans too, have changed with the times. As fans have done since the Ancient Greeks ran around all naked and dusty and as mentioned earlier, fans will emulate their sports heroes. There has always been hero worship of athletes but it also used to be easier. You rooted for one team and those players almost always played out their entire careers there. In this modern era of player and, hell even franchise movement, its harder to maintain one's loyalty. Harder, but not impossible. A wise man of the sea once said "the biggest circle of hell is reserved for betrayers and mutineers". I personally believe that it's reserved for bandwagon and fairweather fans. Too many people have forgotten that a true fan NEVER deserts there team regardless of what happens. It's easy to root for a winner, it takes guts to stand there and proclaim your allegiance to a team that sucks out loud. It used to be that even the pros played for the name on the front of the jersey, not the one on the back. Remember those big wind gusts in the 90's? Those were caused by the Orlando fan stashing their Magic jerseys when they all of a sudden were "diehard" Laker fans when Shaq headed west. Then there was the one around 1993 when MJ hung them up and all those black and red 23 jerseys were tossed in the back of the closets..for two years then they were brought back out when Jordan figured out he couldn't hit the curve ball. But really, those fans always supported the Bulls. Happened in South Texas about 1999 when the Spurs won their first title. "Go Spurs Go! Oh, and who is that 21 guy again?" Sadly enough, it happened to my Cowboys as well. In the infamous 1-15 year, I was pretty much alone (save for a few)...five years later I suddenly had lots of company.
Cause 4: Respect and Responsibility...no one wants to give one or take the other.
Something else that has gone away in today's sports world is taking responsibility. You ever see an NBA player who actually thinks a foul was committed? The sad thing is that the superstars, the ones who need the least help by calls going their way, are the worst offenders. Even the stoic Tim Duncan whines about calls..and he whines alot. Kobe, LeBron, D-Wade...all-stars and all-star bitchers. One play I will never forget was in the 2003 Western Conference Semis. Kobe had gone up for a shot and Bruce Bowen stripped him of the ball and while the other 9 guys on the court ran down to the other end, Kobe stood there and complained to the ref. Oh by the way Kobe-ster, they just scored on your team. Recently, after game 3 of this year's Spurs-Mavs series, Eric Dampier's post-game comments weren't about the fact that his team just lost a game to fall behind in the series but about the raw deal his team was getting. Wahhh. Maybe if you nutted up a little in the 4th quarter E, Manu Ginobili wouldn't have raced by you constantly as if you were standing still. Oh wait, you were..or as you call it, playing defense. Coaches are just as bad. Phil Jackson has been playing the ref card for years in an attempt to mess with opponents heads. Oh what power you have O wise zen master. Yeah, I would like to that Zen crap with a team that didn't include Jordan, Shaq or Kobe.
The aforementioned fan emulation also extends to officiating. No one's team ever loses, the refs took the game away. Check out your local teams fan message board and you will see this. It's like clockwork. Here's how it works...the losing teams fanbase will pull the ref card, then the winning teams fanbase will call them out for doing so. Then, when the previous losing team becomes the winning team, the roles reverse. The greatest example of this was in 2006. The Spurs and Mavs played an epic series which Dallas won in 7 games. There were Spurs fans who blamed the refs for all four losses and those fans were called out for doing so by Mavs fan. Two weeks later, those same Mavs fans who had been putting down the Spurs fans for blaming the refs did the exact same thing about the refs in the Finals against Miami.
Let me give you some advice. Can officials affect a game? Yes. They can disrupt the flow if they call the game too tight or they can get into a players head by calling some early fouls on him. However, do they decide the game? No. Refs don't cause you to miss shots, clank your free throws or throw the ball into the first row. If your team loses by 4 and they missed 10 free throws..do the math. Your player hits the popcorn vendor instead of the open man? Guess what? 22 turnovers and 12 assists? You lose. But you didn't lose because the zebras stole it from you. You lost because you got beat and it seems as if no one is willing to admit that. Hey, it happens. Your team will not win every game. Some nights, the other guys are just better. You play hard, you shake their hands and you work harder to get ready for the next game. We as fans have invested so much emotionally in our teams that we can't bear the thought of losing. Losing is for everyday, normal life..not for the world where our heroes reside. We can't lose!! And yes, its usually "we" or "us" even though none of us actually did anything. That is how pathetic some of us have become. The we'ers and us'ers are so wrapped up in the successes and failures of men and women we don't know and could never compete with that they can't always recognize reality when they see it. Well, they can't or won't.
The question of respect is raised all too often in the sports world. It seems athletes and fans, especially the younger ones, have developed a mindset where somehow respect equals fear. You always hear players blather on about "getting my respect" or "they have to respect me" or "we don't get no respect" You earn respect junior, its not handed to you with your first paycheck. You have a bunch of wannabe, hood-rat gangstas running around crying about "I gots ta get mine". Really? How about the family of 4 who had to take out a second mortgage to watch you "get yours"? Andrea Kremer, then of ESPN, did an interview in the late 90's with some players about the state of the NFL. One of those players was future Hall of Famer and mental midget Shannon Sharpe. When asked about respecting your opponents...Sharpe's answer was "Why?" Perfect example of what is wrong with sports. I'm not saying you have to go out to dinner with an opponent or exchange Christmas cards but you scream about not getting respect and then you are not willing to give it? Double standard much? Sports use to live by the saying of "Respect all, fear none" now its "Respect none and make sure you get on Sportscenter".
OK, I know this might come off a little as a cranky old man rant and I am not saying all athletes or fans are bad. However, we have too many who have lost the desire or just flat out refuse to embrace sportsmanship. Sports are in no way the pure form of distraction they once were and they don't have to be. We can evolve and change with the times while still keeping basic principles intact. The biggest problem I have is the lack of respect for the game. Without the game, no player would have the accolades or riches they have. Without the game, the fans wouldn't have something to cheer for and rally behind. There is nothing wrong with painting your face and screaming yourself hoarse yelling for your favorite team, just sprinkle in a little perspective and reality now and then. It won't hurt and will make the experience more enjoyable. Remember, the kids are watching.
I admit, it's probably my most used catchphrase. It's one of those sayings that define a person. I am pretty much the historian withing my circle of friends. "Hey Mike, who was that guy that..." or when I am at a class reunion (sometimes not even my own, Miss Roberts.) and I am the one people ask..."who was that?" Yep, that is me. So when a catchphrase defines one....one tends to use it...so, here 'tis.
Back in the day....remember when sportsmanship existed and was the rule and not the exception?
Growing up when I did, it was commonplace to play sports especially that of the sandlot variety. A few of us dabbled in organized sport but the majority of our highlights were made on the front yards, asphalt courts and playground fields of our neighborhoods. Names like Silver Creek, Stone Ridge and Misty Oaks were as hallowed to us as Hemisfair Arena, the Astrodome and Texas Stadium. It was pretty much football or basketball. We tended to lean toward hoops in the hotter months and when it got cooler, it was time for the pigskin. It was always fun and every so often, there were epic games. The kind of games that you talked about for days afterward and tried to recreate but couldn't. There were touchdowns, fumbles, three-pointers and blocked shots. Sometimes you won, sometimes you lost and usually once a game, you argued. One thing was always there though. A lack of punkage. Punkage is a Salmans-esque term for just what it says, being a punk. You didn't trash talk for the most part except in jest (no one's mom was mentioned...mainly because you knew everyone's mom and they would smack you just as fast as your own) you played hard but not dirty and if you lost, you took it like a man, said "good game" shook hands and that is it. You then went somewhere with your buddies and laughed about what happened..usually long into the night and over some, er..uh..root beer. On the court, you played 100% and knocked each other around, when it was done, it was done. No whining, no crying and no bitching. It was done this way because that is the way the pros did it. Which brings us to our story today...sportsmanship, with few pockets of exception, is gone.
Putting on my Ducky Mallard hat, my cyber autopsy has isolated the components which I believe has led to the demise of sportsmanship.
Cause 1: I saw you on da ESPN
I love me some ESPN. I am one of its original viewers. I have watched Sportscenter pretty much since 10 years old and still love watching the nightly highlights. The problem is, so does everyone else. We are a monkey see, monkey do species. As kids, we emulated our heroes. We wanted to be the Iceman, Roger Staubach or Nolan Ryan. We watched what the pros did and did what they did because we wanted to be like them. Starting in the late 80's, players figured out that this ESPN thing was here to stay and it was a good way to catch themselves on TV. This curiosity evolved into a fascination by pro and college athletes and further evolved into a philosophy that it was more important to get one's self into that night's highlight package than getting one's team into the win column. Also, if we saw a pro or college athlete pull a 4-star nutty or throw a cheap shot, hey, if it's good enough for them, it's good enough for me. To this day in 40 and over leagues all over Michigan, you see guys pop someone in the mouth then act like they did nothing wrong a'la Bill Laimbeer.
Cause 2: Mama's little meal ticket
The difference between us and a lot of kids now is that our parents would catch us if we acted a fool and corrected it immediately and harshly. These days, too many parents are worried about damaging Johnny's fragile psyche or getting labeled a child abuser if they pop him on the butt. You also have the parents who's kid has talent or worse, has none but they think he does, and they are looking to make sure nothing gets in the way of him signing the big contract that lets them retire early. When the kids shows that he does have real talent, greedy parents will do anything to ensure that nothing gets in the way of the dollar signs in their eyes. Often times this involves telling junior how great he or she is and then telling the coach the same thing. It also leads parents or coaches to encourage selfish behavior in order to get the kid noticed. Occasionally young Johnny throws an elbow or after a score, gets in another kid's face letting them know how good he is. Mom and Dad or Coach say its OK because the kid is "just expressing himself". I yelled at a ref in youth soccer once because of a bad call (I know, me yelling?) ref gave me a yellow card and I said "bite me". My coach kinda said "don't do it again" but my mom? Oh damn. I got yelled at all the way home. I was more scared of her than of my coach. I got quite the lecture about how my behavior reflected on myself, my team and her and that I was not to do anything to embarrass any of those people especially her. She didn't pop me but I wish she had, it would have been less painful than the blistering talking-to I got.
Cause 3: Fan is short for Fanatic
Fans of teams come in varying degrees. You have the casual fan who roots for his team and can probably name the starters but not much else. There is the homer who loves his team more than anyone in the real world and will proclaim the greatness that is his team to anyone who will listen..even if said team is a cellar-dweller. The smallest group is the educated fan who is loyal but not blind to his teams lack of success. He knows the players and the game and is pretty much a stat-geek. (Or, basically me. :) ) Fans too, have changed with the times. As fans have done since the Ancient Greeks ran around all naked and dusty and as mentioned earlier, fans will emulate their sports heroes. There has always been hero worship of athletes but it also used to be easier. You rooted for one team and those players almost always played out their entire careers there. In this modern era of player and, hell even franchise movement, its harder to maintain one's loyalty. Harder, but not impossible. A wise man of the sea once said "the biggest circle of hell is reserved for betrayers and mutineers". I personally believe that it's reserved for bandwagon and fairweather fans. Too many people have forgotten that a true fan NEVER deserts there team regardless of what happens. It's easy to root for a winner, it takes guts to stand there and proclaim your allegiance to a team that sucks out loud. It used to be that even the pros played for the name on the front of the jersey, not the one on the back. Remember those big wind gusts in the 90's? Those were caused by the Orlando fan stashing their Magic jerseys when they all of a sudden were "diehard" Laker fans when Shaq headed west. Then there was the one around 1993 when MJ hung them up and all those black and red 23 jerseys were tossed in the back of the closets..for two years then they were brought back out when Jordan figured out he couldn't hit the curve ball. But really, those fans always supported the Bulls. Happened in South Texas about 1999 when the Spurs won their first title. "Go Spurs Go! Oh, and who is that 21 guy again?" Sadly enough, it happened to my Cowboys as well. In the infamous 1-15 year, I was pretty much alone (save for a few)...five years later I suddenly had lots of company.
Cause 4: Respect and Responsibility...no one wants to give one or take the other.
Something else that has gone away in today's sports world is taking responsibility. You ever see an NBA player who actually thinks a foul was committed? The sad thing is that the superstars, the ones who need the least help by calls going their way, are the worst offenders. Even the stoic Tim Duncan whines about calls..and he whines alot. Kobe, LeBron, D-Wade...all-stars and all-star bitchers. One play I will never forget was in the 2003 Western Conference Semis. Kobe had gone up for a shot and Bruce Bowen stripped him of the ball and while the other 9 guys on the court ran down to the other end, Kobe stood there and complained to the ref. Oh by the way Kobe-ster, they just scored on your team. Recently, after game 3 of this year's Spurs-Mavs series, Eric Dampier's post-game comments weren't about the fact that his team just lost a game to fall behind in the series but about the raw deal his team was getting. Wahhh. Maybe if you nutted up a little in the 4th quarter E, Manu Ginobili wouldn't have raced by you constantly as if you were standing still. Oh wait, you were..or as you call it, playing defense. Coaches are just as bad. Phil Jackson has been playing the ref card for years in an attempt to mess with opponents heads. Oh what power you have O wise zen master. Yeah, I would like to that Zen crap with a team that didn't include Jordan, Shaq or Kobe.
The aforementioned fan emulation also extends to officiating. No one's team ever loses, the refs took the game away. Check out your local teams fan message board and you will see this. It's like clockwork. Here's how it works...the losing teams fanbase will pull the ref card, then the winning teams fanbase will call them out for doing so. Then, when the previous losing team becomes the winning team, the roles reverse. The greatest example of this was in 2006. The Spurs and Mavs played an epic series which Dallas won in 7 games. There were Spurs fans who blamed the refs for all four losses and those fans were called out for doing so by Mavs fan. Two weeks later, those same Mavs fans who had been putting down the Spurs fans for blaming the refs did the exact same thing about the refs in the Finals against Miami.
Let me give you some advice. Can officials affect a game? Yes. They can disrupt the flow if they call the game too tight or they can get into a players head by calling some early fouls on him. However, do they decide the game? No. Refs don't cause you to miss shots, clank your free throws or throw the ball into the first row. If your team loses by 4 and they missed 10 free throws..do the math. Your player hits the popcorn vendor instead of the open man? Guess what? 22 turnovers and 12 assists? You lose. But you didn't lose because the zebras stole it from you. You lost because you got beat and it seems as if no one is willing to admit that. Hey, it happens. Your team will not win every game. Some nights, the other guys are just better. You play hard, you shake their hands and you work harder to get ready for the next game. We as fans have invested so much emotionally in our teams that we can't bear the thought of losing. Losing is for everyday, normal life..not for the world where our heroes reside. We can't lose!! And yes, its usually "we" or "us" even though none of us actually did anything. That is how pathetic some of us have become. The we'ers and us'ers are so wrapped up in the successes and failures of men and women we don't know and could never compete with that they can't always recognize reality when they see it. Well, they can't or won't.
The question of respect is raised all too often in the sports world. It seems athletes and fans, especially the younger ones, have developed a mindset where somehow respect equals fear. You always hear players blather on about "getting my respect" or "they have to respect me" or "we don't get no respect" You earn respect junior, its not handed to you with your first paycheck. You have a bunch of wannabe, hood-rat gangstas running around crying about "I gots ta get mine". Really? How about the family of 4 who had to take out a second mortgage to watch you "get yours"? Andrea Kremer, then of ESPN, did an interview in the late 90's with some players about the state of the NFL. One of those players was future Hall of Famer and mental midget Shannon Sharpe. When asked about respecting your opponents...Sharpe's answer was "Why?" Perfect example of what is wrong with sports. I'm not saying you have to go out to dinner with an opponent or exchange Christmas cards but you scream about not getting respect and then you are not willing to give it? Double standard much? Sports use to live by the saying of "Respect all, fear none" now its "Respect none and make sure you get on Sportscenter".
OK, I know this might come off a little as a cranky old man rant and I am not saying all athletes or fans are bad. However, we have too many who have lost the desire or just flat out refuse to embrace sportsmanship. Sports are in no way the pure form of distraction they once were and they don't have to be. We can evolve and change with the times while still keeping basic principles intact. The biggest problem I have is the lack of respect for the game. Without the game, no player would have the accolades or riches they have. Without the game, the fans wouldn't have something to cheer for and rally behind. There is nothing wrong with painting your face and screaming yourself hoarse yelling for your favorite team, just sprinkle in a little perspective and reality now and then. It won't hurt and will make the experience more enjoyable. Remember, the kids are watching.
Saturday, April 17, 2010
Nanny Nanny Boo Boo........wait, that didn't count?
The NCAA, that bastion of bureaucratic buffoonery, is considering passing a rule for to take effect for the 2011 college football season. The new rule would penalize a player if he, for example, makes a taunting gesture to an opponent on the way to scoring a touchdown, the flag would nullify the score and penalize the offending team from the spot of the foul. Normally, I would be very quick to call out the NCAA for being finding yet another way to legislate fun out of the game while at the same time lining their pockets and having all the stability of a pig on stilts. This time however, I think they got it right....well kinda.
Look, its no secret that I am a purist. If I were in charge, all teams would have jerseys with block numbers and letters and no names on the back . Remind me to tell you all my "Uniform theory of success" one of these days. However, I am not so rigid or tradition bound to discount all forms of celebration. In fact, the current "excessive celebration" rule that is currently in place is, well, excessive. For example, in 2008 the University of Washington had just scored to get within 1 point of tying BYU. Husky QB Jake Locker (BTW, that is the team mascot, not a description of Jake..don't want Jake's mama calling me :) ) ran the ball in and in an example of youthful exuberance, tossed the ball in the air and hugged a teammate.
FLAG!!!!
According to the current rule for excessive celebration:
"After a score or any other play, the player in possession immediately
must return the ball to an official or leave it near the dead-ball spot.
This prohibits:
(a) Kicking, throwing, spinning or carrying (including off of the
field) the ball any distance that requires an official to retrieve it.
(b) Spiking the ball to the ground [Exception: A forward pass to
conserve time (Rule 7-3-2-d)].
(c) Throwing the ball high into the air.
(d) Any other unsportsmanlike act or actions that delay the game"
U-W was flagged and moved 15 yards back on the PAT...BYU blocked it...game over. Now, lets be fair. It was still a chip shot that should have been converted and props to the Cougars for blocking it. Besides, if the game comes down to something like that, then there was something else wrong. Like how the Huskies missed two field goals and lost three fumbles.
I can hear you now..."hey Mr. purist...it's a rule" and as my nephew Ben will attest to, I like to follow to rules and usually to the letter. (especially in Taboo) Yes, it is a rule and should be followed unless it is changed, and this rule should be. College Football is supposed to be about spirit. You have kids out there busting their asses in the name of their school. Kids that 90% of which will not even sniff football on Sundays. Why not let them cut loose? I have absolutely no problem with end zone celebrations. Scoring a touchdown in football is not always easy, especially at the college and pro levels. It's a big deal and should be celebrated as such. The only thing I have issue with is when a player who just scored goes to another player and taunts him. That has no place in the game and in that situation, the rule is good. The rule, however, needs to be less rigid. Amend it to allow celebrations with your teammates or by yourself. If you turn and face another player and begin douche-baggery...then throw the flag. It's that behavior that is still legal on your way to score that the proposed rule is aiming to stop. I'm ok with that but its too vague and leaves way too much to interpretation. The new rule would flag things like highstepping and pointing at an opponent while you are headed to the end zone. That is a taunt and should be flagged...highstepping is not. Highstepping, for those new to the Sports Blog, is when a player is headed to the endzone and is in the clear and starts running with a high leg kick, a'la the Rockettes. It's done when the player is pretty much by himself and is aimed at no one. That is not taunting...when you are headed to the endzone and you point to the opponent you just burned, that is. It's light, but still taunting by definition.
One popular fan response, usually those who are younger and think its more important to look good than win, is to say "well, if you don't like it, don't let the other team score"
Crap.
There is never, ever an excuse for unsportsmanlike behavior. You go to the end zone, celebrate your teammates and then line back up and play. That is how the game is played. You want to showboat...join the WWE. You show me one moron who says "don't let them score" and I will show you the same moron who will strain an ovary whining when it happens to their team. You don't dance on logos....Terrell...and you don't plant flags....Sparty. Sadly, things like that are what is wrong with sports...but that is another blog for another day.
When did taunting become so popular? Man, back in the day on the Misty Oaks courts, you ran your mouth, you got an elbow in it....and it was usually my elbow. We took it on the road too. One time in the Stone Ridge neighborhood, we were playing and there was this one kid who told his teammates "don't worry about him, he can't play anyway" and he was referring to yours truly. Was he right? Well, yeah...I was not terribly good at the game...I was the guy who made space for the others and cherry picked the occasional lay up..but don't embarrass me. I knew the ball was coming to him and he was coming at me. I looked to Salmans, Spohn and McCracken and smiled. That smile that each of them knew was trouble. Kid got the ball and came at me...as I was helping him up, he said that was weak (I am paraphrasing) so he tried again...second verse, same as the first. The third time was apparently the charm because his teammates let him know that maybe he should choose his words a little more carefully. I am pretty sure that wise-ass is still picking gravel out of his teeth. Trash talk, the most popular form of taunting, is now an art form. You see your favorite stars do it so the kids think its cool. People tell me, its a psychological thing. Hey, if your game is so weak that you need to talk instead of play, then maybe you should not play with the big boys. Gone are the days where players, save a precious few, let their game speak for itself. Trash talk isn't cool, its a tool of the cowardly.
So how would I fix this issue? What I would do is combine the two rules into one, no taunting rule. You want to highstep? Fine. You want to jump around in the end zone with your buddies? Go for it. You want to Riverdance with a Song Girl skirt on? Knock yourself out but if you do so much as turn toward an opponent....BAM! Flag...15 yards, then try your conversion. If you miss or get it blocked...well then, work on your special teams in time for homecoming. Same thing with the pros. Ochocinco wants to dance? Let him. I think Uncle Chad is funny as hell. Joe Horn's cell phone bit? Great! I liked the T.O sharpie...just stay off the Star, big boy....don't make me call George Teague.
Look, its no secret that I am a purist. If I were in charge, all teams would have jerseys with block numbers and letters and no names on the back . Remind me to tell you all my "Uniform theory of success" one of these days. However, I am not so rigid or tradition bound to discount all forms of celebration. In fact, the current "excessive celebration" rule that is currently in place is, well, excessive. For example, in 2008 the University of Washington had just scored to get within 1 point of tying BYU. Husky QB Jake Locker (BTW, that is the team mascot, not a description of Jake..don't want Jake's mama calling me :) ) ran the ball in and in an example of youthful exuberance, tossed the ball in the air and hugged a teammate.
FLAG!!!!
According to the current rule for excessive celebration:
"After a score or any other play, the player in possession immediately
must return the ball to an official or leave it near the dead-ball spot.
This prohibits:
(a) Kicking, throwing, spinning or carrying (including off of the
field) the ball any distance that requires an official to retrieve it.
(b) Spiking the ball to the ground [Exception: A forward pass to
conserve time (Rule 7-3-2-d)].
(c) Throwing the ball high into the air.
(d) Any other unsportsmanlike act or actions that delay the game"
U-W was flagged and moved 15 yards back on the PAT...BYU blocked it...game over. Now, lets be fair. It was still a chip shot that should have been converted and props to the Cougars for blocking it. Besides, if the game comes down to something like that, then there was something else wrong. Like how the Huskies missed two field goals and lost three fumbles.
I can hear you now..."hey Mr. purist...it's a rule" and as my nephew Ben will attest to, I like to follow to rules and usually to the letter. (especially in Taboo) Yes, it is a rule and should be followed unless it is changed, and this rule should be. College Football is supposed to be about spirit. You have kids out there busting their asses in the name of their school. Kids that 90% of which will not even sniff football on Sundays. Why not let them cut loose? I have absolutely no problem with end zone celebrations. Scoring a touchdown in football is not always easy, especially at the college and pro levels. It's a big deal and should be celebrated as such. The only thing I have issue with is when a player who just scored goes to another player and taunts him. That has no place in the game and in that situation, the rule is good. The rule, however, needs to be less rigid. Amend it to allow celebrations with your teammates or by yourself. If you turn and face another player and begin douche-baggery...then throw the flag. It's that behavior that is still legal on your way to score that the proposed rule is aiming to stop. I'm ok with that but its too vague and leaves way too much to interpretation. The new rule would flag things like highstepping and pointing at an opponent while you are headed to the end zone. That is a taunt and should be flagged...highstepping is not. Highstepping, for those new to the Sports Blog, is when a player is headed to the endzone and is in the clear and starts running with a high leg kick, a'la the Rockettes. It's done when the player is pretty much by himself and is aimed at no one. That is not taunting...when you are headed to the endzone and you point to the opponent you just burned, that is. It's light, but still taunting by definition.
One popular fan response, usually those who are younger and think its more important to look good than win, is to say "well, if you don't like it, don't let the other team score"
Crap.
There is never, ever an excuse for unsportsmanlike behavior. You go to the end zone, celebrate your teammates and then line back up and play. That is how the game is played. You want to showboat...join the WWE. You show me one moron who says "don't let them score" and I will show you the same moron who will strain an ovary whining when it happens to their team. You don't dance on logos....Terrell...and you don't plant flags....Sparty. Sadly, things like that are what is wrong with sports...but that is another blog for another day.
When did taunting become so popular? Man, back in the day on the Misty Oaks courts, you ran your mouth, you got an elbow in it....and it was usually my elbow. We took it on the road too. One time in the Stone Ridge neighborhood, we were playing and there was this one kid who told his teammates "don't worry about him, he can't play anyway" and he was referring to yours truly. Was he right? Well, yeah...I was not terribly good at the game...I was the guy who made space for the others and cherry picked the occasional lay up..but don't embarrass me. I knew the ball was coming to him and he was coming at me. I looked to Salmans, Spohn and McCracken and smiled. That smile that each of them knew was trouble. Kid got the ball and came at me...as I was helping him up, he said that was weak (I am paraphrasing) so he tried again...second verse, same as the first. The third time was apparently the charm because his teammates let him know that maybe he should choose his words a little more carefully. I am pretty sure that wise-ass is still picking gravel out of his teeth. Trash talk, the most popular form of taunting, is now an art form. You see your favorite stars do it so the kids think its cool. People tell me, its a psychological thing. Hey, if your game is so weak that you need to talk instead of play, then maybe you should not play with the big boys. Gone are the days where players, save a precious few, let their game speak for itself. Trash talk isn't cool, its a tool of the cowardly.
So how would I fix this issue? What I would do is combine the two rules into one, no taunting rule. You want to highstep? Fine. You want to jump around in the end zone with your buddies? Go for it. You want to Riverdance with a Song Girl skirt on? Knock yourself out but if you do so much as turn toward an opponent....BAM! Flag...15 yards, then try your conversion. If you miss or get it blocked...well then, work on your special teams in time for homecoming. Same thing with the pros. Ochocinco wants to dance? Let him. I think Uncle Chad is funny as hell. Joe Horn's cell phone bit? Great! I liked the T.O sharpie...just stay off the Star, big boy....don't make me call George Teague.
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