• For The Love Of The Game
• Olympic reporters in China
• The debt we owe to black athletes
• Another Great Goal
• Rick Nash, Simply Amazing
• Sports Quotables This Week
• Professional Grade Football
• Ricky Williams wants back?
• Keith Olbermann
• Wulf’s Running Update
• The Cost of Innocence
• Milk and Pacman, Perfect Together
• Wulf at the Ukrop’s Monument Avenue 10k
• Running Around
• Superbowl Hack

• January 2009
• December 2008
• November 2008
• October 2008
• September 2008
• August 2008
• July 2008
• June 2008
• May 2008
• April 2008
• March 2008
• February 2008
• January 2008
• November 2007
• October 2007
• September 2007
• August 2007
• July 2007
• June 2007
• May 2007
• April 2007
• March 2007
• February 2007
• January 2007
• December 2006
• November 2006
• October 2006
• September 2006
• August 2006
• July 2006
• June 2006
• May 2006
• April 2006
• March 2006
• February 2006
• January 2006
• December 2005
• November 2005
• October 2005
• September 2005
• August 2005
• July 2005
• June 2005

November 1, 2008

For The Love Of The Game

SEC football. Some say it's the best in college sports. They also say that the passion runs deep for college football in those parts of the country. Here's some proof.

Three counties in Georgia decided to plan a day off on Friday for their school districts. It seems no teachers wanted to show up. In Clarke County where the University of Georgia is, they had 137 teachers call in sick last year on this Friday. They could only find 113 substitutes.

Why you ask? Because it is 360 miles to Jacksonville, FL home of the annual "Biggest Cocktail Party in the World." The Bulldogs play the Florida Gators every year on this neutral site and I'm guessing these teachers didn't want to wait until classes were over before making the drive down. Plus the Friday night before is quite a party anywhere within 50 miles of Jacksonville. Add Halloween into the mix? You get the idea. So the school districts adjusted their calendars in order to accommodate.

Some may say it is a bad lesson for the children, citing that it is putting emphasis on football instead of academics. I think it is a great idea since these children probably wouldn't be learning too much from the subs anyway. May as well give them a true learning day.

So enjoy the game UGA fans. I hope your team can beat the Gators and have a story to tell your classrooms on Monday.

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August 4, 2008

Olympic reporters in China

Some things speak for themselves:

In 2001, when the International Olympic Committee (IOC) awarded the 2008 games to China, Wang Wei, the leader of China's bid told reporters: "We will give the media complete freedom to report when they come to China."

But for many reporters there now, it’s still unclear how free they will be able to report or not, as the restrictions and red tape seem almost endless, and they never know whether they've covered all their bases. "We already have to tell the Chinese everywhere we want to be in August, and what time," one TV broadcaster, who preferred to remain anonymous, recently told the Associated Press. "We have to provide a list of the guests who will be interviewed and the content of the interview."

That is, some things speak for themselves where permitted. Which is to say, if you are reading the article I linked, you are probably not doing so in China.

That the Chinese government will frustrate and limit the international press during the Beijing Olympics is a given. What remains to be seen is whether the international press will show itself to be a greater force than the Chinese government in the long run.

It is possible that the Chinese government will make the situation so untenable and intolerable that reporters will never forgive the transgressions, and will draw ever greater worldwide attention to the oppression that the Chinese people have undergone for years.

Or it is possible that the international press will complain a lot during the games and immediately afterward, but then fail to provide any sustained or cohesive effort to bring freedom to the Chinese people, who--unlike the international athletes and press--will still be living in China after the games.

A.J. Liebling once said "People everywhere confuse what they read in newspapers with news." That's still true today, though television news has dethroned the newspaper. Blogs are still reactionary, focusing mostly on the "news" that is published by papers or broadcast on TV... by reporters. While they do not decide what is news and what is not to the extent that they once did, the traditional media still has the power to shape narratives and focus the world's attention. I can't think of a cause that should be a greater motivation to them than worldwide freedom of the press.

Let the games begin...

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July 24, 2008

The debt we owe to black athletes

NPR’s Frank Deford asks: Does Obama owe a debt to blacks in sports?

The answer of course is yes. Obama owes a debt to every man or woman who fought to end racial discrimination and to be judged on their merits, and that certainly includes those who pioneered a desegregated world of sports. Ironically, Barak Obama’s current popularity cannot possibly be attributed to his merits alone. He is too inexperienced to have made it this far if he were not tall, dark, and handsome. Being a skilled orator does not mean that one is a substantive man, and the content of Obama’s character is still largely unknown. It is a disservice to equate him to Jesse Owens, Muhammad Ali, or Michael Jordan. But he definitely does owe them a debt, as these were the men who helped define the public recognition of excellence and leadership by American blacks. Though Obama has not shown himself worthy of carrying their torch, he certainly sees by its light.

I find it depressing to hear people say that Senator Obama is breaking down barriers. So far, all I have seen him do is be the first to step through a barrier that had been knocked down by hard working and sometimes unrecognized men and women over the last half century. But I will admit that the symbolism of his candidacy is important to America. Seeing a (partly) black man as the nominee for one of the two major political parties probably does more for the worldview of young people than did the first election of a black governor (L. Douglas Wilder) or member of Congress (Joseph Rainey) or first appointment of a black cabinet member (Robert C. Weaver) or Supreme Court Justice (Thurgood Marshall). It might do as much for them as it did for young white children to be able to look up to Jackie Robinson or Bill Russell, when earlier generations couldn’t have imagined doing so.

Deford makes an interesting point, in my opinion. But I would really like to live to see the day that a black man can run for president without his blackness being noteworthy. That is the debt we all owe to black pioneers in sports -- and every other aspect of life.

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January 27, 2008

Another Great Goal

In the spirit of the NHL All Stars Skills Competition, I bring you another amazing goal. For those of you that watched the competition tonight, you will probably agree with me here...please bring hockey back to ESPN. That VS. channel coverage is horrible. But you were able to witness this goal, a replay from an intermission exhibition in Dallas.

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January 23, 2008

Rick Nash, Simply Amazing

For those of you that don't watch hockey, I pity you. It's moments like these that make me think that these are some of the best athletes on the planet. Not only do they play their sport on 1/2" wide pieces of metal, they can do things like this.

Last week on January 17th, this goal happened. Rick Nash, I stand up and applaud you. You probably have the goal of the year.

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November 21, 2007

Sports Quotables This Week

I love listening to athletes or reading what they have to say. You just never know what will come out of them. You get some great quotes every now and then. Some meaningful, some just flat out funny. There were a few this week I wanted to share:

"We ain't clinched nothing. We ain't won nothing. Yeah, we won seven ballgames, whoop-de-doo. We're not there yet."
--Paul Spicer of the Jacksonville Jaguars letting reporters know that just because the Jags are winning, they still have the toughest division in the NFL.

"Our 12th man on offense."
--Jamal Lewis of the Cleveland Browns on teammate Josh Cribbs. Cribbs had an amazing game against Baltimore on special teams gaining 306 return yards and forcing a fumble on the punt coverage team.

"I probably should send him a thank-you card for [ticking] me off."
--Shawne Merriman responding about the hit that laid him out. Oh yeah, that hit was by 5’7” running back Maurice Jones-Drew that allowed the Jaguars to score a touchdown. I don’t know how he could show his face in the locker room after that. Check it out:

And now, for my favorite:

"Maybe I can go after, or check Naslund and those Pinky and the Brain twins.''
--Derek Boogaard of the Minnesota Wild on getting to play against Canucks captain Markus Naslund and forwards Daniel and Henrik Sedin. He is looking for retaliation for a nasty slash on his teammate Mikko Koivu by Canuck defensemen Mattias Ohlund. If you haven’t seen it, it’s disgraceful. Sure Koivu got an elbow in first (which he still got penalized for, even though he now has a broken bone in his leg), but he certainly did not deserve this. Here it is for you:

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November 4, 2007

Professional Grade Football

In the interest of full disclosure, let me start this sports post by saying that I am not particularly a fan of either the Indianapolis Colts or the New England Patriots. I am a fan of some of the individual players these two teams have, but not of the teams themselves. In fact, having been raised a (division opponent) Buffalo Bills fan, I hate the Pats. I don't think that has any impact on the way I view today's game, but maybe it does.

We've heard so much about this game already… what can I say to add to the hype? How about this - it's the first time teams better than 6-0 have met in NFL history. It's something special.

But let’s be honest… the real hype here is because the Patriots have been absolutely steamrolling every team they encounter, and people want to know how long that will last and how ugly it will be. Tom Brady has already passed for 30 touchdowns this season. That’s a personal record and we’re only halfway through the season. Nobody else in the league has more than 17 right now. Randy Moss leads the league in touchdowns and yards, and teammate Wes Welker isn’t far behind him in either category. Can they go unbeaten, win the Superbowl, and make Bill Belichick look like more of a genius than a cheater? Here is a great article from the beginning of the season, highlighting what many believe later became the Pats motivation for the season:

The shame that Bill Belichick suffers is worse than any penalty. He cheated the game of football, tarnishing the one thing he seems to care for. His genius and his victories alike will forever be suspect.

I’ve been trying to get in touch with my friend and co-blogger G-Dawg so we could talk about the accusation that the Patriots unnecessarily run up the score on opponents, embarrassing them in a most unsportsmanlike manner. The NY Daily News sees a connection:

Last week, Belichick embarrassed Joe Gibbs first by leaving Tom Brady in with a 38-0 lead in the fourth quarter and then calling for a quarterback sneak on fourth down inside the Redskins 10 that led to another TD. Later with backup Matt Cassel in for Brady, the classy Belichick went for it on fourth-and-2 from the Redskins 37. Cassel completed a 21-yard pass, setting up the TD that made it 52-0.

"What do you want us to do, kick a field goal?" Belichick asked.

Belichick is showing a lack of respect for the game and the opponent. But what do you expect? The guy got caught cheating.

(emphasis added)

But before we read too much into Belichick’s motives, let’s consider the question he posed to reporters. "What do you want us to do, kick a field goal?"

Listening to Washington Redskins Hall-of-Fame running back John Riggins’ radio show this week, I heard an interesting point of view. Riggins notes that kicking a field goal would be running up the score – putting more points on the board for the sake of doing so, when the game was out of reach. That’s not what the Patriots did. They instead ran the ball – in fact, a play that Riggins described on the air as “an essentially stoppable play”, basically quarterback off-center, just asking the Redskins to step up to the challenge and stop Tom Brady (not the fullback!) as he ran the ball. The Skins couldn’t do it, and the Pats put the ball in the end zone without any fourth-quarter long sideline bombs. There was no attempt to embarrass, in my opinion, and I’ve heard several current Redskins players say the exact same thing in interviews this week.

I’d like to get some feedback on another point Riggins made on his show. If the Redskins considered the game over and lost in the fourth quarter, why did they keep their starters in? Why would they risk injury to Jason Campbell, Clinton Portis, or Chris Cooley? Why wouldn’t they put in their second string and give their studs a break in a meaningless fourth quarter? Riggins maintains that the Patriots are under absolutely no obligation to pull their starters before the Skins do, and I think he makes an excellent point. So long as the starters are in, the Skins are playing for real, and we all know that any team of professionals can, at any time, put up multiple scores in very little time. The sporting thing to do in that situation is to take your opponent seriously, even when they are down, and even because they are down. Keep your guard up. Score again. Seal the deal. In fact, notes Riggins, that's exactly what Joe Gibbs used to do when he and "Diesel" Riggins were dominating the league a quarter century ago.

It’s almost kickoff for the Pats/Colts game, so let me wrap up this post and officially get my prediction out there. New England will win this game by at least two scores. This will happen because the Colts don't have to win this game, but the Pats do. If the game is closer than that and it goes down to the last minutes, or if the Colts were to win this game (which they are capable of), then it is very damaging to the Patriots and their confidence. It is not damaging to the Colts if they lose, say 38-17, in my opinion. These two teams will meet again later this year, in the AFC championship game, where they are both fixtures and when it really matters. That’s the game I am looking forward to.

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October 3, 2007

Ricky Williams wants back?

I credit Jim Caple and Kurt Snibbe at ESPN.com's Page 2 for this instant classic. They dug up a letter sent by Ricky Williams to Roger Godell asking for reinstatement.

Enjoy!

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September 10, 2007

Keith Olbermann

Worship Bob Costas. Love Chris Collinsworth. Like Jerome Bettis. And Tiki Barber is Da Bomb. Alas, I will not watch a single second of football on NBC this year if this Keith Olberwhatever turkey/communist is a featured commentator.

I'm not sure what kind of demographics polling that NBC and NFL have going on, but it's beyond laughable how poorly they judge who's watching football in the United States of America. Rush Limbaugh yes, Socialist weasels no.

Glad to see that there's someone else out there who feels the same way: NBC Football Hypocrisy - Olby "Good!", RUSH "Bad!"...

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August 2, 2007

Wulf’s Running Update

I’ve long enjoyed running, and this past spring I started training for what will be my first ever marathon – the 2007 SunTrust Richmond Marathon coming up in November. I’ve run a couple of 10k races in the last few months (see here for the first one), and on August 25th I will run in the inaugural Patrick Henry Half Marathon. I’ve already run the full course once in preparation for that one. It’s beautiful.

Overall I’d say the training is going very well. I have been using two internet resources to help. MapMyRun.com has been great for mapping out my runs. I’ve got a couple of nice 3-6 mile runs mapped out for my neighborhood, plus a great course in Richmond that is 14 miles long and passes a couple of running loops, so it’s easy to tack on a few more miles if you like. It’s also nice for those rare occasions when I go out of town, because I can quickly look up runs that other users have saved. [Reminder to self… look up runs for Toronto before leaving!]

The one complaint I have about MapMyRun is the Training Log, which frankly isn’t as good as the one at Runner’s World… which is why I use the Training Log at the Runner’s World website instead. No big deal. Besides, the forums at Runner’s World have a lot of good info – thanks Jay for tipping me off to that one. Injuries, sneakers, sports nutrition, training advice, they’re talking about it. Between that and the Training Log graphs and calendars, I’m in running geek heaven at the Runner’s World website.

It’s all I can do to tear myself away from the computer and actually run. Especially during hot, humid July and August in Richmond, VA. Wish me luck in the morning.

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April 13, 2007

The Cost of Innocence

My parents always warned me about being at the wrong place at the wrong time, especially when I was in college. They tried to keep reminding me to use my best judgment on doing certain things. As a college kid, obviously what I thought was my better judgment might not have been what they thought was my better judgment. But for three young men in North Carolina, it didn’t matter.

The other day the three Duke students that were charged with sexual assault a little over a year ago were declared innocent by the judge and the case was thrown out. It was a farce to begin with and some prosecutor wanted to make a name for himself with this big case. The problem is these young men will be forever linked to something that never happened. This whole thing affected so many more as well. A partial list of the consequences:

- Two of the three students were suspended from Duke. Luckily one of them graduated before they were indicted. When it was clear earlier this year that this case was falling apart and it was “made up,” the university invited the two suspended ones back. Neither returned.
- The head coach of the lacrosse team they played on resigned under fire since the accusation took place at a party held by the team members. The coach has repeatedly stated that the students were innocent from the beginning.
- The university cancelled the whole 2006 season for the lacrosse team. I’m not sure how many they have on the team, but it is probably close to twenty. Twenty kids not able to compete in the sport they love, most of them on scholarship I would imagine.

I feel sorry for these three men. They (and their families I would imagine) spent who knows how much money on their defense. I wouldn’t be surprised if it topped the million mark. They will never be relieved of the stigma from this case against them. All for no reason.

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April 11, 2007

Milk and Pacman, Perfect Together

I ran out of milk last night. I know that may not be a big deal to most of you, but I like milk in my coffee in the mornings. Sure I could drink it without milk but I just like it better with milk. I was too lazy to run to the Quik-E-Mart (*nod to The Simpsons) last night so when I got up this morning, I put the coffee on and ran to the store while it was brewing. Why am I telling you all this? If it weren’t for the lack of milk, I would not have listened to the radio to hear a great statement by Colin Cowherd on ESPN Radio. I don’t normally have a radio on in my house so this worked out for me well.

He said (forgive me for paraphrasing, I’m going by pre-coffee memory here) “Unions would be better off giving the most support to the top 90% of their members instead of the bottom 10% which usually get the most resources.” Interesting.

For those of you who don’t know the NFL has issued serious suspensions yesterday. Adam “Pacman” Jones of the Titans was suspended for the full 2007 season, while the Bengals’ Chris Henry was suspended for eight games. These were for numerous violations of the league’s personal conduct policy. Both players have either been arrested or interviewed by police a combined 14 times. Not Boy Scouts by any means.

The great part about these suspensions is that they are being supported not only by the teams, but the NFL Player’s Association (NFLPA) as well. Gene Upshaw, their executive director, reportedly is supporting Roger Goodell, the NFL Commissioner on these suspensions. Why is this important?

As Colin Cowherd alluded to this is sending a message to the NFL players by their own union boss that they need to keep the image of the NFL player a good one or they may not get the “full support” from the Union. The NFL is the most watched event on television besides American Idol. To allow that to dwindle because of a few bad apples would be a big mistake for the league and the players themselves. It’s obvious that Goodell knows it since he is the one handing out the suspensions. It’s pretty clear that Upshaw gets it too, unless he gets pressured into appealing these suspensions.

Quoting ESPN.com’s Len Pasquarelli from his article here:

At the annual NFL meetings two weeks ago, Kansas City coach Herm Edwards, a noted hardliner, opined that the only remedy for repeat offenders like Jones and Henry was to deprive them the opportunity to play. Not to deprive them of their paychecks, mind you, although that will also be a part of their suspensions. But to take away from them the privilege of being able to compete.

For Jones and Henry, the next several months will reveal just how much the game means to them. It is a privilege, not a right, to play in the NFL. And now it's a privilege that the two players will be forced to earn back.

Nicely put Len.

I would like to think that the other players are supporting this decision. The ones saying, “why should these guys causing problems get the same treatment as me, who does things the right way?” Hopefully this will put some fear into the “bottom 10%” of the players who are the ones who get into trouble off the field. The NFL is too good to be ruined by few.

All this because I needed milk in my coffee. Sheesh.

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April 1, 2007

Wulf at the Ukrop’s Monument Avenue 10k

Yesterday morning, as promised, I ran the Ukrop’s 10k race in Richmond. I and over 25,000 other people. It didn’t quite go according to plan - I lost track of my coworkers very early, as the guys got competitive and took off. A few of them didn’t even start in the same wave as the rest of us – the race was split into 16 waves, the last being walkers. I probably should have been in the 6th wave, but instead registered for the 13th and started in the 15th, thinking that our group might stick together at least for the first couple of miles. Then the two female teachers I thought I was pacing just disappeared. I’m sure that at some point I “took off” from their point of view.

But still, the race was fun. Since I wasn’t fretting about hitting any particular time, and since most of the race was along beautiful Monument Avenue, I slowed down in several places to take some pictures. I even stopped for a couple of minutes to talk to a coworker who wasn’t running but had come out to show her support. Actually, that happened twice – once at the beginning of the 4th mile and once just before the end of the 5th mile. Those happen to be the only two miles where my split time was over 9:30, so I estimate that my official time of 64:11 should have been a little under an hour, even with the picture taking. Definitely not the 45 minutes I wondered about in the last post, but as I said that’s not what I was there for.

Here is a photo of the starting line, seconds before my wave was released:

Each runner’s official time is kept by a chip we tied to our sneakers. Crossing the start line gives an official start time for each runner, and obviously there are monitoring strips at the finish line as well. Note that the race winner had been done for nearly half an hour before I even got to start. That’s all I could think about while the sea of runners around me stretched and waited to go – “There are people finishing right now.”

And then we started. A little more than a mile into the race was the Stonewall Jackson monument. On the bottom left you can see people from earlier waves who were approaching the 5-mile mark coming the other way:

The only other photo of a monument that came out well was that of Arthur Ashe, taken just after the 4-mile mark.

The inclusion of an Arthur Ashe monument on Richmond’s historic Monument Avenue has always made for a good story, imho. It was unveiled in 1996, and is the only monument to be added to the avenue since 1929. The other monuments are all of white men involved in the Confederacy, so it’s easy to see why the decision to include Ashe’s statue was controversial. It is my understanding that everybody opposed putting the statue here, so the city put the statue here.

Also, it has been noted by many that the visual message of the statue is somewhat unclear. Dale Franks explained it well in this hysterical article from a few years ago. Anyway, I think I got a decent photo of the Ashe monument.

All along the course there were people cheering and bands playing music, which was really nice.

There were probably more than 20 different bands, including several who set up on the grassy median. Since the race went both directions on Monument, we got to enjoy those acts twice. In this shot I am past the turnaround point, and on the left you can see runners/walkers from later waves heading the other way.

The bands were great – I can’t imagine what the run would have been like without them. In fact, I’d really like to thank all of the race volunteers - the musicians, those supplying water and sports drinks along the way, those handing out food at the end, those collecting timing chips, and the ones behind the scenes who I don’t even know about. I look forward to doing it again next year.

One last photo… here’s the finish line from a runner’s point of view:

Afterwards, my fellow teachers joined me for some lunch in Carytown, which is a hip and artsy little section of Richmond just a few miles from where this race was held. In fact, it is the site of my next race, the Carytown 10k on May 20. I think I am going to take my time on that one more seriously.

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March 30, 2007

Running Around

Wow, have I been busy. I haven’t had much time to gather my thoughts about politics or current events since I’ve been doing so much running around these past few weeks. And I mean literally, running around. We just started the spring track season for Virginia high schools, and I’m coaching a hurdler crew that should represent very well at districts and regionals. Barring injury, I think it is likely we will have more than one hurdler at States this year – for both the boys and the girls teams. We really are looking that good. And the rest of the track team doesn’t look bad either. We currently have three athletes who are nationally ranked.

But in addition to running around as a coach, I have also been training myself. I and several of my coworkers are training for the 2007 SunTrust Richmond Marathon in November. That’s a long way off, so we chose the Ukrop’s 10k as an early step.

That’s tomorrow morning, and it will be the first timed run I have done since I got out of the navy 8 years ago. It will also be the longest distance I have ever been timed for. But I’m not concerned with the time, as I will be pacing my slower coworkers. A few of them have never really run before, and I am really excited that they are coming out for this race – and hopefully for the marathon this fall. I care a lot more about encouraging them than about determining whether I can finish this race in under 45 minutes. Probably couldn’t quite pull that off, anyway. I haven’t done any speed training.

So I ate a lot of tortellini tonight (called “carbing up”), and I am rounding out the evening with some 7&7s (called “getting a buzz”). I will take a camera with me tomorrow and share a couple of photos of beautiful downtown Richmond, VA. And maybe even find some time to catch up on some things I’ve meant to blog.

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February 2, 2007

Superbowl Hack

As Super Bowl XLI looms large, what is the most potent attack we will see this weekend? Peyton Manning's laser-accurate throws and precision wideouts? Defensive powerhouses Lance Briggs and Brian Urlacher? Adam Vinateiri's clutch kicking? Chicago special teams rookies Robbie Gould and Devin Hester?

How about a malicious JavaScript code that could leave your computer exposed and vulnerable? The website for Joe Robbie Pro-Player Dolphin Stadium has been hacked and a Trojan keylogger placed on it.

The www.dolphinsstadium.com and www.miamidolphins.com sites are affected by the attack, as are mirror copies of those sites, such as www.proplayerstadium.com. Security experts strongly advise Web surfers to avoid these sites until the compromise is contained.
The NFL's Superbowl.com Web site is not affected by the hack, Thompson said.

Ryan Naraine at ZDNet says in a 17:15 update today:

All the affected Miami Dolphins sites... have now been disinfected but there is evidence that hundreds of other sites have been hijacked and rigged with the malicious JavaScript code. I've confirmed that the one-line code has been planted on an internal page of the U.S. government's Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Health Marketing site.

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January 23, 2007

Liveblogging!

No, not the State of the Union. I expect that'll be the same old crap as usual. But I'm a die-hard hockey fan, and I'm watching the NHL All-Star skills competition. I'll update the blog as time permits - because I know you care. And I think it's funny.

The real excitement for tonight's competition and tomorrow night's All-Star Game is supposed to be the young players - particularly Sidney Crosby (the first teen to start in the All-Star Game since Gretzky) and Alexander Ovechkin.

21:09 I didn't realize Brian Campbell would be fast enough to even compete in the Fastest Skater category, but apparently he is. Buffalo Sabres, represent!

21:15 Andy McDonald is the fastest skater, completing a lap of the rink in 14.03. That's crazy fast. Next up is the shootout, which is a team event, West vs. East. The goalie for the West will be Marty Turco, of Dallas. He's on home ice tonight, by the way. The East has Montreal's Cristobal Huet in net.

21:22 Some acrobatic stuff, but nothing compared to the crazy things we've seen in the past. The West wins it, 2-1. Next up, a fan favorite - the hardest shot.

21:26 The commentators are clearly some sort of physics consortium, as they note the puck tends to lose speed if you shoot it higher into the net. "Keep it low to the ice" is their free advice. Cripes, that frozen rubber is flying nearly 100 mph. Zdeno Chara just hit 100.4 as I typed. Ironic that it's in mph, when most players are Canadian and many European. They don't know what hell a mile per hour is.

21:29 Sheldon Souray managed 100 mph as well. But the 6'9" Chara (that's 2.06 metres, mon frere) wins the highest speed and the East has the highest average. Up next, shootout part 2. West Goaltender: Miikka Kiprusoff, Calgary. East Goaltender: Martin Brodeur, New Jersey.

21:38 Brodeur is a beast. The East wins that round. Sheesh, and some people are watching the freaking State of the Union. Unbelievable. I'm sure that's really exciting, Dale.

21:40 Shooting accuracy! My kids and I play that in the cul-de-sac. The three-year-old can't shoot worth a damn, but the six-year-old is getting good.

21:43 Yanic Perreault hit the camera in the back of the net, but they don't give you points for that. Just the painted targets.

21:47 I have to stand for the "In the Zone" goalie event. No liveblogging of it. Sorry.

21:58 Okay, I'm sitting back down for the last round of the shootout. Vancouver's Roberto Luongo in net for the West and my boy Ryan Miller minding for the East. I believe both were perfect "in the Zone".

22:00 Intensity! Miller gave up the points and let the West tie it up. It's down to the final event, a one-on-one shootout.

22:01 Sidney Crosby and Teemu Selanne each score and it goes to another round. And a third round. Luongo finally makes a save and Selanne can finish it - and he does!

Ah... I'm done. Who has ever been excited about the State of the Union going over time? I'm sure I'll read all about the politics-as-usual tomorrow, and hear about it on the radio. But for tonight, I got my hockey fix. Good night.

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January 20, 2007

Colts - Patriots, Again

I wanted to write something up about the football game tomorrow. I mean, it is Colts-Patriots again. Probably one of the better matchups in football these days. But I realized that it has all been said before seeing that they have met in the playoffs quite a bit lately. I found this gem of an article by ESPN.com’s Patrick Hruby which allows all of us to create a fresh story on this game. It’s a choose your own adventure! You write your own story for yourself without having to type. It’s a thing of genius.

Find out what I’m talking about here.

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January 2, 2007

The NFL Playoffs Are Here

The playoffs are here. The second season as they call it. All that matters at this point is that the teams that made it are in. Nothing else. Previous records can be thrown out at this point and the teams are now down to the “one and done” mode.

As a Jets fan, obviously I can’t be more excited about the events of this year. Bringing in Eric Mangini as the youngest head coach in the league and his first ever chance at leading an NFL team had fans worrying in the beginning. I don’t think any fan is worrying anymore. He created an atmosphere in the Jets locker room that the team hasn’t had in a long time. It’s great to see.

Fans from the twelve playoff teams are gearing up for this weekend and beyond. But it wasn’t without incident. This past Sunday was pivotal in determining who was in and who wasn’t. Surprise victories by some left teams out and changed playoff seedings. But one fan in particular makes a great point about what transpired on Sunday to allow the Kansas City Chiefs work their way into the playoffs.

To fill you in, all Denver had to do was win their game against the 49ers and they would have secured a playoff spot. I’ll let Jack McCord, a member of my fantasy gaming group (and Kansas City fan and resident) tell it best:

“At the start of the day, the Chiefs (my team) were at the bottom with the worse case scenario to make the playoffs. They needed a Denver, Tennessee and Cincinnati losses. Plus, a victory against, Jacksonville. Guess what...it all happened. My thanx to: Pittsburgh, New England and especially San Francisco. I'm happy with that. My entire disappoint is with the media. FOX in particular. The results and scenarios were in place before the start of the Denver/S.F. game. But at no time would the big city media mention that K.C. (the small market) was in the game. Granted, it may seem that I am playing home town hero but... the situation was known before the game. It was cut and dry, Denver wins they're in. Denver loses K.C. is in. . Pretty simple. I watched the entire Den./S.F. game, they mentioned 17 times that if Denver wins they're in. They never mentioned what happens if Denver loses. It was simple, if Denver loses K.C. is in. But they went out of their way to not mention K.C. until, 9 min. left in the 4th qtr. 17 times they mention a playoff scenario but don't mention the small market team until you have to. That is B.S. Don't give the small market any publicity until you ultimately have to. Great marketing. For those of you thinking Denver is small market, guess again, they are almost twice our size. Why is this? Can't the networks give equal unbiased reporting...apparently not. At any rate....We're here, We're there and we will continue to be whether New York or L.A. recognizes us or not.”

The 17 times may have been an exaggeration, but then again it could have been more. But Jack (known as Captain Jack in our circle) makes a great point at how the media can be so biased that they lose sight of the big picture.

I offer my congrats to Jack and the Chiefs. I would love to see the Jets and Chiefs play each other so there can be the other element of Herm Edwards against his former team.

I’d comment on the other playoff teams, but I’ll leave that to someone who cares about them.

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October 8, 2006

Popping the cork too soon?

Yesterday was an exciting day for professional baseball. Two teams won their divisional series to advance to the next round of the playoffs. The Mets swept the Dodgers in three games using a pitching staff that people doubted could get the job done. The Tigers came back from a game down to win their best of five series after winning their last three games against the mighty Yankees. It was a fun day for a fan too, as we got to see back-to-back clinchers. Good stuff.

We were also able to see a glimpse of the celebrations the teams were having. Champagne was being sprayed and poured on people as if they were kids having a water fight in mid-July. This is a standard practice in baseball though as you now see players prepared by wearing goggles or protective glasses in order to save their eyes from the burning. Not a bad idea to be honest. It still leads me to the thought of, “Is it too early for all of this?”

I’ll focus on the Detroit celebration only because we were shown more images of it since they won earlier in the day. It just seemed a little, I dunno, too much. Before you naysayers and Tiger fans call me a party pooper, hear me out.

The team should definitely be celebrating and be excited. The issue I have it was only the divisional series. They still have another series to win before going to the World Series. If you watched them you would think that they just won the World Series though. I understand that it has been a long time since the Tigers won a playoff series. 19 years to be exact. The way they were celebrating you would think that they would be satisfied stopping here. You saw players taking a victory lap around the stadium giving high fives to the fans and spraying them with champagne as well. We also saw Kenny Rogers pour a bottle of bubbly on top of a uniformed policeman on duty for crowd control, an image that will probably be replayed for the next 20 years. If this was the win that put them into the World Series, maybe. It just looked like this was a World Series type celebration, two series too soon.

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August 9, 2006

New NFL Commissioner Elected

There’s a new sheriff in town. No, his name is not Reggie Hammond. But ya’ll can still be cool. Right on.

His name is Roger Goodell, and he was the heir-apparent to succeed Paul Tagliabue as the Commissioner of the National Football League (NFL). Yesterday it became official as the NFL Owners unanimously picked Goodell as their new leader. It was a logical choice, as Goodell has worked for Tagliabue and before that Pete Rozelle, considered two of the best commissioners in all of sports.

Goodell is only 47, which may lead to believe that if he does a good enough job, he will be around for quite some time. Personally I think that’s a good thing for the NFL. Stability at the top usually makes it better all around. And his most recent position? Since December of 2001 he has been the Chief Operating Officer of the NFL. Among his duties was serving as president of NFL Ventures, Inc. (which oversees the NFL's business units, including media properties, marketing and sales, consumer products, international, stadium development, special events, and strategic planning). He also ran the league's football operations and officiating departments (exact job description taken from espn.com). He’s got some big shoes to fill in Tagliabue and especially Rozelle. Luckily he’s been in the NFL offices for more than 20 years so at least he has a handle on what’s going on over there.

Okay, enough about him. Let’s talk about us. How will this affect us as fans? Hopefully, it will be a seamless transition. The biggest issue could be with the collective bargaining agreement (CBA). In 2008, both sides (players and league) have the option to opt out of their current contract. There’s been talk already from owners and the players that they won’t hesitate to take this option to garner a new deal. That could be ugly.

Also on the plate is Los Angeles. The City of Angels have been a city without an NFL team since both the Raiders and the Rams bolted out of town back in 1994-1995. Obviously that is a huge market which anyone would love to tap into. The issue is now, like buying a house out there, it’s just crazy money. Figures have been estimated between $1.5 and $2 billion just to get a team off the ground. Yes, billion. Not saying it can’t be done, but that’s a lot of risk to be taking.

I wish you good luck Mr. Goodell. I hope you succeed and keep the league going strong for the next 20 years. Football is a passion for many, and you will be judged daily. With your experience, I think you will do just fine. Just don’t screw with it too much, okay? I kinda like how it is now.

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July 27, 2006

An Annual Event

How do you know when the Tour de France is officially over?

When the winner is accused of doping. It's been a tradition for more than a century.

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July 14, 2006

Wie the Golfing - Part II

It’s been exactly a year since my first post on Atlas Blogged. Maybe I can make this an annual tradition, writing about Michelle Wie. If you need a reference, click here. She’s at it again.

In my post last year, Michelle Wie was competing in the Amateur Public Links tournament which if she won, would’ve gotten her an invitation to The Masters.

This year, she was invited to play in the John Deere Classic, a PGA Tour event being held in Illinois this week. Today was the first round. She shot 6-over par, which put her a scant 13 (yes, 13) strokes off the lead. Only two players scored worse than her, out of 153. It would take a miracle for her to overcome the deficit and make the cut on Friday.

I will reiterate, I think she’s an extremely talented golfer. She may become one of the best woman golfers of all time. But right now is not that time. Why she is rushing these things is beyond me. She has done fairly well on the LPGA but has yet to make a huge impact. I could see her doing this if she felt that the LPGA was no longer a challenge. I guess it would help if should could win on that tour first.

Hey Michelle! Start winning on the LPGA and then you could attempt the PGA. For now, please stop stealing spots in the field that would go to guys who are trying to earn a living.

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June 8, 2006

Milledge Just Trying To Have Fun

To cheer or not to cheer, you make the call.

Lastings Milledge is an outfielder for the New York Mets. He was their number one draft pick a couple years ago and has been developing in their minor league system. Many consider him to be the entire package, and whenever a team talks trade with the Mets, they try to include Milledge in their deal somehow to get him. Those close to the game have already made comparisons to a young Barry Bonds and Ken Griffy, Jr. Yes, he’s that good. When the Mets’ starting right fielder had to go on the disabled list, Milledge got called up to the bigs for the first time in his young career last week.

On Sunday (I know, I’m a few days behind) Milledge got his first home run within his first 17 at bats. But it wasn’t an ordinary home run. The Mets were down by one run in extra innings, and Milledge hit a two out home run to tie the game and keep the Mets alive. His first ever big league home run, a pretty special occasion for any young player. It got the crowd very excited and he even got a curtain call out of it. As he took the field in the next inning, fans were reaching out to him to give him high fives. Milledge obliged on his way out to right field. This is what stirred up the “controversy.” Some players and coaches on both teams frowned on the actions. They thought he might have been showing up the other team and the such (the Mets did go on to lose two innings later). He even got called into his manager’s office to have a talk about it, and in interviews he did say that he got caught up in the emotions of it all and it won’t happen again.

So I ask…what’s the big deal? The kid just hit his first home run in the Major Leagues! Celebrate! I bet those same players looking down on him for it celebrated in some way on their first home run. Give the kid a break. Is MLB turning into the NFL where you are not allowed to have fun anymore? Here’s a guy who got the fans excited and he’s getting blasted. Well I applaud you Mr. Milledge. Way to have fun like the game is supposed to be.

Jim Caple writes a column on ESPN.com called Page 2. Usually some very good stuff. He has a great humorous take on the whole situation here. Be prepared to chuckle.

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April 27, 2006

Top 10 Draft Picks from 2005

While we all are eagerly awaiting this year's NFL Draft '06, I took a moment to look back to the draft in 2005. To me, there is way too much hype put into each draft, and each year it gets worse and worse. I would wager that most people could name last year's #1 pick. But could they name the top 5? Top ten? Probably not. I would also wager that most strong NFL fans would remember who their favorite team's #1 pick was, but after that it probably becomes a blur.

So I took a look back at last year's 2005 draft, and looked up the stats for the top ten Round 1 players. I just find it amazing how, year after year, each pick comes with such hopes of a player that saves the franchise, when in effect most of the picks are players that take a year, or years, to have any impact at all. Granted, there are those rare exceptions that make immediate impacts their rookies years, but there are just as many (if not more) that fail to make even a ripple in the NFL their rookie years, if ever in their careers.

So here we go, a look back at 2005, with stats, and grades on how their performances were last year. For those players that did not play they received a grade stating as such.

1. San Francisco 49ers - Alex Smith*, QB Utah

Pass Yds	TD	Yds/Game	Int	QB Rating
875	1	97.2	11	40.8

For a #1 pick, Alex's numbers were downright awful. Ok, he was a rookie on a horrible team, so we can't fault him 100% for all this. For those of you that actually saw him play, however, you really had to be wondering why he was selected #1. He looked lost, overmatched, and frustrated. His second year will be huge, to see if he learned from his "trial by fire", or if what we saw in '05 was just how he is. (Side game, see if you can count the number of sports/NFL clichés in this article. Lots of them, you can bet on it.)

Grade: F

2. Miami Dolphins - Ronnie Brown, RB Auburn

Carries	Yds	Avg	Long	TD
207	907	4.4	65	4

Can you say "immediate impact"? (Ding - Sports cliche). Ronnie came in and gave the Dolphins a running game that they sorely missed with Ricky Williams gone. What a great rookie season he had. His TD numbers were not that high, but when you look back and watch film of his games, he did not look like a rookie at all. Watch his 65 yard run and then try to call him a rookie. Excellent pick by the Dolphins, who are hoping he can improve upon '05 in '06.

Grade: A

3. Cleveland Browns - Braylon Edwards, WR Michigan

Rec	Yds	Y/G	Avg	Lng	YAC	1stD	TD
32	512	51.2	16.0	80	6.3	22	3

Braylon Edwards had, for the most part, a very productive rookie season. Mid-season injuries really hurt his totals, but when you compare the games he played to other rookie receivers, he stands up just fine. Cleveland isn't exactly an aerial spectacle, and with Kellen Winslow Jr. out (again, don't get me started on him) Braylon was a marked man on the field. Despite being a rookie and having not a lot of weapons around him, Braylon showed promise and gave Browns fans hope that he might be a good receiver for them for the long haul. Of the three rookie WRs in the top ten, Braylon did have the best numbers. I prefer not to think about the 80 yard td he had against my beloved Packers, but that was a great play on his part.

Grade: B

4. Chicago Bears - Cedric Benson, RB Texas

Carries	Yds	Avg	Long	TD
64	272	4.1	36	0

Poor Cedric. Picked a fine year to be drafted by Chicago, only to have Thomas Jones finally remember that he can still play. Thanks to TJ's resurrection, Cedric saw very little playing time, as his number indicate. In fact, Cedric was #3 on the Bear's list for yards, behind TJ and Adrian Peterson. The one bright spot for Cedric was his 4.1 yds/average, and that is encouraging. What does this mean? Well, for 2005 it earns him a bad grade overall, especially considering how hyped he was going into the draft. I think, however, in the long run not playing too much in '05 can benefit him. RBs wear out very quickly, and if he took '05 to learn the position and keep himself fresh, he could have a very productive '06. Ronnie Brown, as great as '05 was, might have shaved time off his NFL career by being a workhorse too soon. Time will tell, and unfortunately for Cedric the grade is for '05, not for potential.

Grade: D

5. Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Carnell "Cadillac" Williams, RB Auburn

Carries	Yds	Avg	Yds/Carry	TD
290	1178	84.1	4.1	6

Wow. Can you say, "wow?" I remember very clearly, going into the '05 draft, how many pundits were quibbling over who to take, Cadillac, Ronnie Brown, or Cedric. 2 out of the 3 chosen proved to have great rookie seasons. Cadillac gave Tampa Bay a much needed running attack, and his numbers were impressive for any RB, never mind him being a rookie. Ronnie Brown's and Cadillac's rookie years were very similar in a few ways. They both contributed big, they both surpassed high expectations, and they both look to be the futures of their franchises for years to come. Cadillac, if there was a knock on his '05 season, was injured and missed a few games. He still had 290 carries, and that's just mind boggling. Tampa Bay made the right pick here, and they were rewarded as such.

Grade: A+

6. Tennessee Titans - Adam "Pac Man" Jones, CB West Virginia

Non-offensive players (no pun intended) are tough to gauge in terms of pure stats. Lineman, defense, and special teams are tough to really track in terms of quality vs. statistics. If we look at the stats for Pac Man, one number truly stands out.

GP	Tot Tckl	Sacks	Int	TDs	FF
15	53	0	0	1	0

To me, the big number is that he played in 15 games last season. 15 games, as a rookie, is a very good stat. What is missing from the stats (ok, I will be honest, I am way too lazy to dig really that deep for them) are the stats about how many times he was not throw at, or how his influence affected a game. He had 0 sacks, and 0 ints. The sacks, as a DB, we can forgive. To have 0 Ints, however, is not a good thing. Even a rookie should be able to get one or two, especially if you are a #1 pick. He did score a defensive touchdown, so there were some bright spots. Overall though, I am sure the Titans coaches would tell you that they were very pleased with his play, and I cannot argue with that.

Grade: B

7. Minnesota Vikings (from Oakland) - Troy Williamson, WR South Carolina

Rec	Yds	Avg	Lng	TD
24	372	15.5	56	2

Overall, not horrible numbers. He was #4 on the yards list for the Vikings, and they do have some very good WRs on that team. However, factor in Dante having a poor year, to being a rookie on a team loaded with WRs, that equals not having great stats. From the games I saw, Troy definitely had some promise, and if he stays healthy can do very well in the years to come. However, I felt that he was not used as much as he should have been. His fault, or the Viking's fault, not really sure. What I do know that he had a good rookie season, all things considered, and that he should only get better.

Grade: B-

8. Arizona Cardinals - Antrel Rolle, CB Miami (Fla)

GP	Tot Tckl	Ast	Sacks	Int
5	26	2	0	1

If we were to compare Antrel to Pac Man, we would say that Antrel played in about 1/3 less games than Pac Man. That's a strike against him right there. He did have 1 int (hence my point about how come Pac Man doesn't have any) so that helps him right there. It seemed that Antrel played in very limited situations, and was still in the "rookie learning curve" for most of the season. By no means is he a bust, and these numbers are pretty much average for a rookie. However, as I have stated before, Antrel was a top 10 pick, and thus expectations for higher numbers come with such a pick.

Grade: C-

9. Washington Redskins - Carlos Rogers, CB Auburn

GP	Tot Tckl	Ast	Sacks	Int
12	42	4	0	2

Carlos, being our third CB of the top ten (I sense a trend here) gives us a very good measuring stick in which to gauge the other two. He did not play in as many games as Pac Man did (15), but he played in 12, and for a rookie that is significant. He had twice as many tackles, assists, and Int's than Artrel, and 2 times as many Int's as Pac Man. So where does that put him? Having a very good rookie season, in my book. The Redskin's D has improved quite a bit over the past couple of years. While statistically it was down last year compared to the prior year, they still were pretty darn good. Carlos was a good addition to that D, and earns a good grade for it.

Grade: B+

10. Detroit Lions - Mike Williams, WR USC

Rec	Yds	Y/G	Avg	Lng	YAC	1stD	TD
29	350	25	12.0	49.3	9	20	1

Ok, I will be honest. I totally expected Mike Williams' numbers to be dreadful, and I was ready to rip into him good here. However, I must have been thinking of one of the other Detroit Ne'er do well WRs, because Mike actually had a pretty good year for a rookie. I was shocked that he played in 14 games, and as a rookie WR that is a good thing. His 350 yds and 1 TD is respectable, and I know he started to have some better games towards the end of the season. Make all the Joey Harrington jokes you like, the truth is that Detroit had to pass in '05. A lot. I mean, a lot. So that meant that someone, somewhere, was eventually going to catch the ball. If you compare Mike Williams to Troy Williams, their numbers are very similar. I think that Mike had a higher impact for his team, and thus gets a slightly higher rating.

Grade: B-

So there you have it, the top 10 picks of '05, broken down. I would have done all 30, just so I could make fun of Aaron Rodgers (who just can't seem to get a break) but that would involve a lot more work, and since I am not on espn's payroll, my free time for this is just about up. I hope you enjoyed this trip down memory lane, and please remember to take the draft of '06 with a grain of salt. Or beer, either one, that's fine too.

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March 26, 2006

Cinderella and Plato

I don't follow college sports much. Not even the NCAA men's basketball tournament. But being a teacher at a competitive high school in Virginia, I can pretty much guarantee that my week will be chaos now that relatively local George Mason has made it to the Final Four. The improbable school is represented by sweatshirts and backpacks at my high school every year, but this year there is a special buzz. Students who don't even like GMU are giddy over their Cinderella run.

It makes me wish I had watched the game - you know, to connect with the students. But hey, I can guarantee that not a one of my students watched the BC v BU game that I was glued to yesterday, in another NCAA men's tournament: hockey. If they want to connect with their teacher, that's the sport on which they should focus.

Sure, there are a lot of things going on in the world that I would like to talk about - things that are more important than college sports. But I've been sick lately, as has the family, and work is encroaching on my blogging time for some reason. So I'll just take a quick moment to address those who resent college athletics. If you look down on the intrusion of jocks to the halls of reason, sweating on the marble steps and being taught to glorify stretching routines more than calculus or grammar, consider this: Plato, an Olympic wrestler, espoused the idea that only those who are fit enough to defend their city in the army should be provided an education by the city. To train either the body or the mind, while neglecting the other, is a disservice to oneself.

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March 7, 2006

Bonds Busted

No, Game of Shadows is not the long-awaited third film in the "Blair Witch Project" series. Though in and of itself it is a very scary thing indeed.

Game of Shadows is a book portraying the extensive use of steroids by a Mr. Barry Bonds. Authors Mark Fainaru-Wada and Lance Williams worked on this story for over two years, and the results they obtained are most impressive.

I choose not to go into the details of the whos and whys and hows, those can be found by reading the book (or any online news service, such as cnn.com or espn.com). Instead, I wish to talk about what this actually means to the rest of us.

Hearing as an official announcement "Barry Bonds using steroids" created the following eloquent phrase in my mind. "Well, duh." I have yet to run into a person that would actually try to say that Barry never used steroids, or that he had no idea what he was injecting into his body. So then, if everyone knew he was doing it, this announcement really shouldn't be a big deal, should it?

But it is. Huge.

It is huge because Bonds has always fought against this perception of him as a 'roid user. He testified as such. He sat there in front of the senate panel and waggled his finger and said "I never in my life have used steroids, and..." wait, that last part was Raphael Palmeiro. Oops. I tend to get these 'roid users all confused at times.

These findings are huge because it will now bring closure to what was so maddenly elusive. Suppose a report came out today that explained, in detail to the letter, who killed JFK. Do you think that would get some press? Probably just a little. While Bonds and steroids are not even in the same category as the JFK conspiracy, you can at least see the parallels of having a great mystery finally be put to rest.

So what now? To me, that is the big question. Will the commissioner himself come down off of Mt. Olympus and cast Barry into Hades with a first class ticket? Wipe all his stats, remove all his awards, and find him a seat next to Pete Rose in the Baseball Hall of Shame?

Boy, wouldn't that be nice, wouldn't it? I also have some prime property to sell you in Florida if you think that is what is going to come down.

Sadly, nothing of the sort will happen. I would wager that Barry will be the villain, and Baseball will do nothing but point fingers and whisper fiercely. But will they actually do anything? Even Pete wouldn't bet on that. I have heard the argument that baseball can't do anything about Bonds because "baseball didn't have a rule against using performance enhancing drugs like that at that time". Now I might be wrong here, but using such drugs, as a whole, is illegal, is it not? I know there are reasons why such uses are legal, but for the most part, illegal. So if something is illegal, does it need to then be laid out in every sports rulebook? Show me in the baseball rulebook the penalty for stealing a car or killing someone. Not in there, are they? What about the penalty for not paying your taxes? Hmmm...don't see that in the baseball rulebook either. If a baseball player were to willingly hurt or kill another player during a game, do you think that they would face legal charges? You can bet on that. Baseball wouldn't fine them because it's not against their rules. Rather silly, isn't it?

Take a moment and step back even further. What about the San Franciso Giants? The reports indicate that they knew Barry was 'roiding all along, and they did nothing. Why would they? Can you imagine how much money they would have lost if they stepped in and prevented Barry from doping all those years?

But shouldn't they be accountable as well? How can a major league baseball team test it's players for steroids and other performance-enhancing drugs with one hand while with the other cover their eyes to what Barry does? To me, this is a most heinous crime that should not be lost in this shuffle.

So I will say what many people are probably feeling right now. Vindication, hurt, shocked, remorse, all the many mixed emotions that come from finally proving that one of our greats is a liar and a cheater.

Liar and a cheater. Please remember that. There is no better way to describe Barry at this point.

If I were King of the World, Barry would be removed from the baseball collective from start to finish. Barry Bonds? Never heard of him. Remove his stats and his records and his name from his parking spot. You want to send a message to all those players out there using or thinking of doing so? This will wake them up.

But don't stop there. Once the scourge of the game is gone, go after the Giants themselves. Fine them, and fine them big. Fine them till they bleed nickels out of their eyes.

Not done there, either. Use the money you get from the Giant's fines and pay the reporters who worked on this story to scope out Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa too. In fact, we hire them full time as the pit bulls of Steroids. If we think you are dirty, then you got these two hatchet men to come after you.

Of course it's good to have dreams. I truly hope Barry enjoyed his run while it was going. Didn't sound like he was having much fun to me, but I hope it was all worth it.

Cheater.

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February 17, 2006

Bryant Gumbel Can't Ski

On a recent edition of "Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel," Bryant finished his show, as he always does, with a parting thought. The topic that he choose for this show? The Winter Olympics. Unfortunately Bryant chose to make his final statement about race, and did so in a most ingorant manner. For those of you that missed his comments (and I am sure that since only about 12 people actually watch that show, this does not surprise me) I will share with you what he said.

Wisdom from Bryant Gumble:

"And finally tonight the Winter Games. Count me among those that don't like 'em and won't watch 'em. In fact, I figure when Thomas Paine said, "These are the times that try men's souls", he must have been talking about the start of another Winter Olympics. Because they are so trying, maybe over the next three weeks we should all try too. Like try not to be incredulous when someone tries to link these games to those of the ancient Greeks who never heard of skating or skiing. So try not to laugh when someone says these are the world's greatest athletes, despite a paucity of Blacks that makes the Winter Games look like a GOP convention. Try not to point out that something's not really a sport if a psuedo-athlete waits in what's called a "kiss and cry area" while some panel of subjective judges decides who won. And try to blot out all logic when announcers and sports writers pretend to care about the luge, the skeleton, the biathlon, and all those other events they don't understand and totally ignore for all but three weeks every four years. Face it, these Olympics are little more than a marketing plan to fill space and sell time during the dreary days of February. So, if only to hasten the arrival of the day they're done, and we can move on to March Madness, for God's sake, let the Games begin."

Now please take a really good look at what he said. I will save you the trouble looking up the word "paucity" by translating it to read "lack of". Bryant has a problem with the Winter Olympics because there are not enough black people in it. Period. And then to compare it to a GOP convention was just too classic. I am assuming that Bryant also hates Hockey, NASCAR, The America's Cup, and Golf. If it weren't for Tiger Woods, then Golf would have a huge paucity indeed.

Now think for a moment about this. What if Rush Limbaugh came on the air on one of his shows and said something like "I am not a fan of the NBA because there are just not enough white people in it. Going to an NBA game is like going to a Democratic Convention. Or worse, it is just like driving down an inner-city street late at night."

Could you imagine the uproar that would hit if Rush (or any other white person) said this? People around the world would actually forget about cartoons for a minute to take time to burn down everything that Rush owns.

Bryant, I do submit to you that there is a paucity of blacks in the Winter Olympics. Discussing the socio-economic factors as to why this is would really not be worth the effort. What you are doing sir, by making this comment, is cheapening to the 10th degree what those kids are accomplishing while performing in the Winter Olympics. When was the last time you saw your toes, let alone were able to perform any athletic endeavor? Do you realize the years of training, of hard work, and of sacrifice most of them make just to get to that point? Do you have any clue as to how much these events mean to them and to their countries?

Now if Bryant had just come out and said he didn't like the Winter Olympics because he didn't get them and didn't appeal to him, so be it. But to play the race card as a reason not to like them is just plain wrong. This is America Bryant, and you can watch whatever you want, and I highly encourage you to do so. However, please don't belittle those that have worked their whole lives for these Winter Olympics just because the color of their skin does not match yours.

The EtherZone opened a forum on it: Bryant Gumbel's racist remarks

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February 9, 2006

The Winter Olympics About To Begin

We are one day away from the opening ceremonies of the XXth Olympic Winter Games in Turin, Italy. I’ve always had a soft spot for the Olympics. Like many others, mine probably started with the 1980 Lake Placid Games. I was only a young pup in those days, but I vaguely remember watching those hockey games with my father. Ever since then I have always watched the Olympics in hopes of another miraculous story to watch. I’m hoping this year will not disappoint me.

To give a brief summery of the Games this year, here are some general facts and figures:

• 84 medals will be given over a period of 17 days.
• 2,600 athletes and 2,500 officials from 82 National Olympic Committees will be housed in 3 Olympic Villages: Torino, Bardonecchia and Sestriere.
• Seven sports will be presented: Biathlon, Bobsleigh, Curling, Ice Hockey, Luge, Skating, Skiing
• Eight competition sites: Bardonecchia, Pinerolo, Pragelato, Cesana-Pariol, Cesana-San Sicario, Sauze d'Oulx, Sestriere, Torino, joined by 2 training centres at: Claviere and Torre Pellice
• 650 judges and referees will participate in the Games.
• 10,000 journalists and media operators are expected to cover the Games.

I think the biggest difference in these Games would be the design of the medals. I think it is very ingenious what they did. Here is the thought process behind the design (taken from the International Olympic Committee website):

The Piazza
The medal concept was worked upon by Ottaviani International and the TOROC graphic team, headed by Dario Quatrini. The medal is round with an empty space at the centre, representing the Italian piazza. The medal will be wrapped up in its ribbon, which, unlike in previous Games, will not be sewn to its top. The front of the medal will include the graphic elements of the Games, while the back of the medal will feature the pictogram of the sports discipline in which the medal was won. To highlight the three-dimensional characteristics of the medal, its surface has been carefully made using full and empty spaces, with shiny and satiny textures.

Italian History
Quatrini, who created the design for the medals, incorporated views, ideas and models from Italian history and its tradition of forms and manufacturing: rings, ancient coins and ornaments. The solution of the circle with the space at the centre links all the basic themes and motifs of the Turin Games and embodies the leitmotiv of Torino 2006 – the piazza. The medal is also round like the Olympic rings or a symbolic victory ring and, with its open space at its centre, it reveals the place where the heart beats, the symbol of life itself. The medal is only complete, however, when it is hanging geometrically from the athlete’s neck, lying on his chest, circling and revealing the area near his heart and focusing attention on the athlete’s vital energy and human emotions.

What is also interesting to me is how they group snowboarding with skiing. Sure they both involve sliding down a hill with something attached to your feet. But they are two very different sports. It is my opinion that this should be changed.

I hope you all enjoy watching these Games. May there be no protests on judging, no athletes testing positive for drug use, and any of the other distractions that take away from what these Games really are. A way for the world to be united for a minimum of 16 days

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February 6, 2006

My Thoughts on Super Bowl XL

I have been a Miami Dolphins fan since I was about 10 years old, or since the Carter Administration. In that time, I estimate that I’ve watched around 500 NFL games on TV, and probably another two dozen in five or more stadiums. Furthermore, I’ve also watched scores of high school and college football games, both on television and in person.

In all these football games that I've seen, yesterdays was the first that I've witnessed that was completely given away by the officiating staff.

Now, I know it’s a national pastime to criticize referees. But for some reason, I’ve never been all that big into it. I mean, never in my heart have I ever believed that the Dolphins won or lost a game based on a poor referee call. I recognize the fact that I’m emotionally involved and probably not thinking clearly and objectively. When I have seen questionable calls in the past, I recognize that…well…stuff happens. And that—over time—these bad calls tend to balance out. Miami gets screwed one week, but gets away with one the next week. It’s how things work. Never have I ever detected an intentional slant by the officiating crew towards one team.

Yesterday, however, I had no emotional investment one way or the other. I wanted Seahawks to win for Mike Holmgren, and Darrell Jackson, and Shaun Alexander. I wanted Pittsburgh to win for Bill Cowher, Jerome Bettis, and Hines Ward (and the AFC!) . What I did not want to see was the Seahawks lose because of a concerted effort on the referees’ part. I’ve never seen anything like it, and frankly, I’m shocked that it can happen in an organization like the NFL.

I know that I’m talking like a crazed conspiracy wacko, but I think the evidence is overwhelming:

• The ludicrous offensive pass interference call on D-Jack in the endzone.
• The phantom holding call when Jerramy Stevens caught the long ball on the one-yard line.
• The Benefit-of-the-Doubt call given to Roethlisberger’s “Touchdown” run, after the ref had to think about it for a while.
• The penalty called on Warrick’s (?) return that made it down to the Steelers' 45 yard line.
• The numerous convenient penalties that arose whenever the Seahawks had momentum.

So the question arises: What does the NFL have to benefit from the Steelers winning the Super Bowl that’s worth risking the integrity of the league? Well, lots:

• Bill Cowher gets his first SB win.
• Jerome Bettis retires a hero.
• Hines Ward gets his well-deserved SB win.
• The Ben Roethlisberger fairy tale continues unabated.
• One of the top 5 teams in selling merchandise gets to sell a whole new slew of “SB Champion” t-shirts.
• The AFC gets to continue its dominance over the NFC for another year.
• Detroit is spared being lit on fire by all the Steelers’ fans who made the 4-hour trip to Ford Field.

The game, for me, was flat-out embarrassing. And I feel that I was cheated out of seeing these two teams compete on a level playing field.

I think my good friend, Troy, sums it up nicely:

I find that the Steelers fans are saying "Well, the calls were questionable" or "well, the call could have really gone either way." The Seahawk fans are saying... nothing, because I have yet to find one. And the rest of the people I talk to are saying...'wow, those calls were really bad'. I could not believe what I was seeing. I was actually even shocked to see the Hasselbeck fumble reversed, even though I knew that it should have been. With unbiased officiating, this game should have been a tie at worst for the Seahawks. In reality, the Seahawks would most likely have won. I am embarrassed for the league, for the refs, and for the Steelers. I really hope that Cowher or someone owns up to the fact that the game was handed to them. I doubt it will happen, but I can dream.

No doubt.

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February 2, 2006

McNabb With a McBlunder? You decide.

I know I’ve mentioned this is the past, but a recent interview has stirred me up again. In his latest interview with ESPN, Donovan McNabb of the Philadelphia Eagles was asked about the turmoil that Terrell Owens created and their apparent not-so-friendly relationship. I’m only going to bring up one small topic, and that was the “black-on-black crime” that McNabb felt that was committed by T.O. last season.

To give you a recap of what happened last year during an interview with ESPN, T.O. claimed that the Eagles would be better off with Brett Favre as their quarterback instead of McNabb. At the time McNabb laughed it off as T.O. being T.O. We found out that inside it really got to him. In his recent interview McNabb said (taken from ESPN.com):

"In that situation, it was kinda like, 'That's unreal.' That's just like me saying, 'If we had Steve Largent, if we had Joe Jurevicius, we'd be undefeated. He'll now have to answer the question for the whole week about me saying it."

On closer inspection, the two wide receivers that McNabb mentioned are white. This wasn’t an accident.

"It was definitely a slap in the face to me. Because as deep as people won't go into it, it was [a] black-on-black crime. And to say if we had Brett Favre, that could mean that if you had another quarterback of a different descent or ethnic background, we could be winning. That's something I thought about and said, 'Wow.' It's different to say if we had Michael Vick, Daunte Culpepper, Steve McNair, Aaron Brooks, Byron Leftwich. But to go straight to Brett Favre, that slapped me in the face, like what I've done and what I set out to do…"

This is where I have an issue. Hopefully I can say this without causing a ruckus.

I don’t know about you, but McNabb has got to get his head out of his arse. To make this into a racial thing is exactly why we as a country will never be a country without racial tension. Here he is complaining that while being disrespected by his own teammate that he should be replaced in the first place, he is concerned about who the guy was that was mentioned to replace him. Huh? I would think that he should get upset over the fact that his own teammate didn’t want him there anymore. Instead he focuses on the “who” aspect of it.

And besides, if I were to have a teammate say he didn’t want me around anymore, I would certainly want to be replaced by a guy who is a certain Hall of Famer with a Super Bowl ring. Brett Favre is ranked second in the four major passing categories only to Dan Marino. Aaron Brooks? Come on McNabb, think! If you would really want to be replaced by a lesser quarterback because of skin color alone, have at it I suppose. Not me. To think that McNabb finds this a personal attack against all he set out to do as a black quarterback, I think he has as many issues as T.O. Well, okay, maybe not that many. But you get my point.

I understand that race will always be a sensitive issue. I wish it weren’t. I wish we could all get along without passing judgment on a person based on their appearance. In the sports world, if these athletes that we admire for their play would keep us admiring them off the field/court/etc., I think that we could have a healthier society when it comes to the race issue.

I just hope I’m not the only one.

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January 19, 2006

The Championship Games

It’s a wild ride to get to the Super Bowl for any NFL team. For the Panthers and the Steelers, it could literally be a wild ride. These two wild card teams have a chance to square off against each other in the Super Bowl if they can find a way to win on the road this weekend in some very tough places to play. The possibilities of a wild card team going to the big game are usually slim because it takes three straight playoff games in a row on the road to get there. Home field advantage probably means more in the NFL than any other sport.

Pittsburgh vs. Denver:
Wow…what a game this could turn out to be. If Pittsburgh can come out with the same intensity and drive they had in the first quarter against the Colts, I think they have a great shot at it. Their running games pretty much equal each other out, so it is going to come down to the passing game and whoever makes the least mistakes. Jake Plummer and Ben Roethlisberger are both inexperienced in playoff games, although Ben took the Steelers to this game last year as a rookie. Jake on the other hand has been questionable his whole career, but coming to the Broncos was the best thing for him and it almost appears as if he has turned his game around. It could go either way. With the intensity of the crowd at Invesco Field it is going to be tough for the Steelers to come back if they find themselves down early. Could you imagine if Big Ben didn’t get hurt midway through this year? The Steelers could have been a possible 2 or 3 seed instead of the 6 they are now, and been at home for this game. Either way, it’s going to be a great game. I have to give the edge to the team who has been in this game a bit more times under their current coach.
G-Dawg’s Pick: Pittsburgh

Carolina vs. Seattle:
Again…another fantastic game. The city of Seattle is just bonkers over the potential of their beloved Seahawks going to the big game for the first time in team history. Last week was their first playoff victory in eleven years. If any team were to have a home field advantage, this would be the one. Qwest field has become one of the loudest non-domed stadiums in the league. Add to the fact that the Seahawks are finally in the NFC Championship game, well…you have all the makings for a blowout. Not so fast. It has been announced that Shaun Alexander will play after suffering a concussion last week. Who knows how effective he will be or how much he can play, so he is a big question mark. Granted, the Seahawks were able to overcome it last week, but the Redskins are not the offensive powerhouse that Carolina can be. Then again, the Panthers will be without DeShaun Foster, and the possibility of being without Julius Peppers. The issue again is experience. Jake Delhomme has only one playoff loss in his career, and that was in Super Bowl XXXVIII two years ago in which he played a great game and almost won it. Matt Hasselbeck does not have playoff experience except for last week. This is a tough call, but I’m going to have to go with the home field advantage in this one, and that’s the only reason.
G-Dawg’s Pick: Seattle

Either way, Sunday should prove to be a great day to watch football. So grab your favorite beverage, fire up the grill, and don’t miss a second of it. I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.

*This article is the sole opinion of the author and the author is not responsible for any gambling losses that you may incur as a result of his opinion. That being said…bet big!

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December 22, 2005

Tony Dungy's Son Found Dead

I promise you I'm not a Colts fan, but I had to make a quick comment on this. For those of you who haven't heard, James Dungy, the son of Colts head coach Tony Dungy, was found dead in his apartment. He was 18 years old. The cause of death is still pending an autopsy. The head coach flew down to Tampa to take care of things.

Here's my question...and please don't consider me heartless, I'm just a "sportswriter." Will this affect the Colts in a negative way in their drive for a Super Bowl Trophy? I would think that this could help them. A way for the players to play for their coach just a little bit harder on every play to try and ease the pain a bit with success on the field. To give him his first trophy, and the first one ever to a black head coach. It's a shame that his son won't be able to share the moment with him though.

Coach Dungy, I'm sure nothing I say will ease your pain, but I am sorry to hear the news about your son and my deepest condolences go out to you and your family. Stay strong, like the Coach you are.

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November 24, 2005

Our National Anthem

As I am getting sickened by watching Toni Braxton sing her "rendition" of The Star Spangled Banner...I just can't hold back any longer. I have three (3) pet peeves about the majority of folks who sing our anthem before our sporting events, and the folks witnessing it themselves.

1) Quit trying to make it a rock song!

2) Our National Anthem should be performed as it was written, sound the same from arena to arena, and not have that annoying "hold" that so many performers like to have when they get to "the land of the freeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee" It was not written that way, and it annoys me when they do it.

3) To the fans. SHOW SOME RESPECT! Do not cheer during the anthem. Wait until that annoying performer at least starts the word "brave" at the end please. I attribute this mainly to #2 above, but maybe they would stop doing it if the fans stopped cheering during the "free" part.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone, and thank you for letting me get this out of my system.

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November 21, 2005

Building A Super Bowl Team

I can’t believe I’m going to write about the Colts, but they deserve it.

It’s not often we see it. It takes years to develop. This year is no exception. With the Colts reaching a record of 10-0, it marks the first time since the 1998 Denver Broncos that a team won their first ten games of the season. It really was no accident though. This team has been brewing for years.

Start back in 1998 when the Colts decided to take Peyton Manning instead of Ryan Leaf as the first overall pick. On draft day, this must have been an agonizing decision for the Colts’ front office. Today, they look like geniuses. We all have seen how Manning has taken over his team. We also all have seen the “career” of Ryan Leaf. You make the call.

That was just the beginning. Getting people around Manning on the offensive side came next. Enter Edgerrin James, Marvin Harrison (he was drafted two years prior to Manning’s arrival), and an offensive line to be proud of. But they couldn’t get there alone.

Enter Tony Dungy. A coach known for building a formidable defense in Tampa, but never had the offense to go with it. When he went to the Colts, the writing was on the wall. In his first three seasons, Dungy led the Colts to a 34-14 record, and three playoff appearances including the AFC Championship Game. This year, he finally got the defense going and it obviously shows. Their defense ranks in the top 10 this year, and it is evident they are on quite a roll.

Can they go undefeated and ruin the members of the ’72 Dolphins champagne party? Only time will tell. If they decide to rest their starters towards the end of the year to keep them healthy once they lock up a playoff spot, obviously the chances are diminished. It’ll be interesting to see what they do though.

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November 8, 2005

Handshakes Banned In High School Football District

I was a student-athlete when I was in high school and college. My teammates and I were extremely competitive and we took pride in what we did. I played my guts out every time out and I didn’t always win. I lived by the old cliché of play hard, do your best, and no matter what the results win or lose, know you did all you could that day. Now granted in my case I was out on a golf course, but still! We competed! And at the end of every match we shook hands like true competitors do and acknowledged the other’s play. I didn’t like all the guys I played against, but I shook their hands nonetheless. I guess times are changing.

In Warsaw, Virginia at Rappahannock High School, one of the five schools in the Northern Neck District, principal Jack Cooley decided that the end of game handshakes need to come to an end. The ban has been in place since the beginning of this season for his district.

The Richmond Times-Dispatch has quoted Cooley:

"We've never had fights," Cooley said, "but it's a pretty touchy situation after a game when you have to have the principals go out on the field to make sure everyone is behaving properly."
The ban "has really cut the tension," he said. "You don't have 35 guys plus the cheerleaders out there wondering what is going to happen. All it would take would be that one person not to shake hands or push somebody and who knows who would jump in [to fight], and what do you do? You can't stop it."

Is he serious? Does he not watch every pro sport out there? Well…apart from Detroit Pistons basketball of course. After almost every NFL game you will see opposing players shaking hands, hugging, and even kneeling down together in prayer. I’m willing to bet that the majority of these kids watch NFL games and see this after game camaraderie. To think that they couldn't emulate a lot of the players they look up to is beyond me.

If they were really worried about fights, why couldn’t the principals go to their head coach and just make it known that any after game altercation would not be tolerated. I would imagine if the coach would put game suspensions on his players if anything were to happen, the likelihood of trouble at the end of games would be next to nothing. Instead, they are teaching those kids that there is no faith they can practice good sportsmanship without adult supervision. It’s sad, isn’t it?

Thanks go to Wulf for pointing out this story to me.

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November 7, 2005

Monday Night Madness

Tonight’s game between the Colts and the Patriots should be a don’t miss game to watch. A possible early preview of a playoff contest. Not to mention the fact that the past few years, the Patriots have simply owned the Colts, both in the regular season and the post season. Peyton Manning is 0-7 in his career against them. In all the interviews I’ve seen, he believes that this is the year they will beat them. It's gonna be a fun one to see.

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October 25, 2005

To Boo Or Not To Boo

There’s nothing that sickens me more than to hear a crowd booing their team at home. I don’t care how bad they are playing, how many points they are down, or how bad the play calling is.

I was at the Texans game this weekend against the Colts and it was amazing to me how fast the fans turn on David Carr. Here’s a guy that has no offensive line to help him out, he’s running for his life, and the crowd is on him like stink on ….well….you know. What made it worse was that the play just prior to everyone booing him, they cheered like crazy for him because he scrambled for a first down, diving his way across the “yellow line” instead of sliding short.

All booing does is drop the confidence in your team. Not just for the current game but for games in the future as well. If people would always show support, it just may work. We all can get frustrated when we watch our favorite team play bad. But if you make them feel worse with a chorus of boos, how is that going to help?

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October 14, 2005

The Poker Craze

I know I’m a tad behind the current events of it all, but with all the World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event reruns on ESPN lately, I figured it was time to comment on this latest phenomenon.

I have been playing Texas Hold ‘Em poker for a while now. Sad to say, it was probably the movie “Rounders” with Matt Damon and Ed Norton that got me hooked. That was 1998. The latest boom basically started when The Travel Channel started showing the Main Event, and then once ESPN picked it up it has just exploded.

For those of you who do not know, the WSOP Main Event is the granddaddy of them all. It started in 1970 when Benny Binion decided to create it on a hunch the public would come to watch. In 1972, there were seven players. A year later, 13. Binion saw the writing on the wall thinking it was going to grow and grow. I’m not sure he envisioned this kind of growth though.

In 2003 Chris Moneymaker was an unknown player who qualified via an Internet poker site and won the whole thing. There were a little more than 800 entries, and the prize was $2 million. I’m guessing this created a stir amongst “Joe Average” poker players since one of their own was able to pull it off. The very next year there were over 2400 entrants and a prize of $5 million to the winner. This year there were 5,619 entries with first place taking home $7.5 million. Not a bad payoff for a week’s worth of work.

If anyone has a spare ten grand lying around, please send it my way. That’s the entry fee for the Main Event and one day, mark my words, I will be in it.

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October 5, 2005

Hockey's Back!

Need I say more.

I can't wait for tonight. I am not one of those fans that is giving up on the game because of the lockout. I am diehard. The only downside tonight is that I'll be watching on TV, instead of being in the arena. Oh well, moving will do that to ya. I hated giving up my season tickets though.

So whomever your favorite team is...good luck this season. And enjoy the game again. We've waited too long not to.

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October 3, 2005

Undefeated Explained

Before this season started, if I were to tell you that the Redskins, Buccaneers, and Bengals would all be undefeated after week four of the season, you would have laughed in my face and bought me a stiff drink so I would start making sense. Last year it took the Bucs and Redskins ten weeks to match their wins so far this year, and the Bengals took nine weeks. Not a bad turnaround.

This just proves how every year in the NFL is different from the last since the onset of free agency. As much as I dislike them (as a fan) this is why it was not only unlikely, but also phenomenal on how the Patriots have won three out of the last four Super Bowls. Dynasty?? Absolutely. Best run ever? Possibly. Sure you had the Packers of the 60’s, the Steelers of the 70’s, the 49ers of the 80’s, and the Cowboys/Bills (yes, those Bills) of the 90’s. All those great teams/dynasties were mostly prior to free agency, back when players didn’t bounce from team to team. How the Patriots have managed to pull it off is beyond me. They have been able to maintain that level while losing/gaining players every year, changing the face of the team while getting the same results. Makes me almost wish the Jets had Belichick as a coach longer than the 24 hours he was after Parcells left, nothing against Herm Edwards or the things he’s done there.

I’m not saying that free agency is a bad thing. I guess all I’m warning against is to not buy a personalized jersey of your favorite player, because it just may be next year that he is no longer on your team. Well, at least to the midway point of his current contract.

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September 28, 2005

Hard To Be a Jets Fan

It really is. Suffering through the 90’s was hard enough. Then the slight hope of a Super Bowl appearance in ’98, only to lose in the second half against the Broncos. The arrival of Herm Edwards as head coach has brought expectations up quite a bit, and the playoffs have been rather common lately. This year looked promising with the return of Chad Pennington from his injury last year. And now this.

For those that don’t follow AFC East football, this past Sunday against the Jaguars the Jets lost their first and second string quarterbacks within a span of seven plays. Seven plays! That’s just not right. First Pennington, then backup Jay Fiedler. Pennington came back in and played injured, almost bringing them back to win but losing in overtime. Not bad for a possible torn rotator cuff on the same shoulder he had surgery on last year.

So now what do the Jets do? They sign Vinny Testaverde as a replacement. The very same Vinny who led that drive to the Super Bowl in ’98. Granted, his play after that season was less than stellar, but at least it’s something. Reports say that Brooks Bollinger will start this Sunday against the Ravens, but I doubt that will last long once Vinny gets back into game shape. He hasn’t played since last season when he was with the Cowboys, and he was hoping for a chance somewhere, especially back with the Jets. He was actually pretty funny at his press conference for his signing (from the Jets website):

“For those of you who don’t know, my name’s Vinny Testaverde,” said the Elmont, New York native to a large press gathering. “Seriously it’s good to be back playing with the Jets again. After I left here last year, I always thought it would be a one day contract and I’d retire a New York Jet. But it’s really good to be back. I’m happy; I’m excited; I’m nervous; I’m anxious. All those feelings are coming back.”

Now don’t get me wrong, I don’t think Vinny is going to be the savior of this football team. In fact…I’m almost writing off the season. But if anyone can come in and pull a magical run off in the Green and White, it would be him. He’s from the area, so he has much to prove.

Man, does he ever.

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September 21, 2005

Hurricane Rita and the Trivia of the Day

Question: When the Houston refugees are evacuated out of the collapsing Astrodome after Hurricane Rita, which is the next, closest domed stadium to where they can be bussed?

A. Superdome
B. Silverdome
C. Kingdome
D. Metrodome
E. Edward Jones Dome
F. Georgia Dome
G. Skydome
H. Hoosier Dome

Correct Answer:

F. Georgia Dome (Atlanta, GA - 793 miles)

Seven hundred and ninety three miles to the safety of the hurricane-resistant Georgia Dome. Perhaps New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin can proffer some "lessons learned" to Houston Mayor Bill White.

Then again, maybe not.

Other distances:

Silverdome (Pontiac, MI - 1389 miles)
Kingdome (Seattle, WA - 2442 miles)
Metrodome (Minneapolis, MN - 1230 miles)
Edward Jones Dome (St. Louis, MO - 890 miles)
Skydome (Toronto, ON - 1619 miles)
Hoosier Dome (Indianapolis, IN - 1113 miles)

Update: Or they could just all stay at this guy's house]

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August 18, 2005

Hockey Gets a New Home

The NHL on OLN? What is the world coming to?

ESPN failed to match Comcast’s offer for the television rights for NHL games for the next three years. Comcast will air these games on the OLN, formally known as the Outdoor Life Network. Yes, the same station that played all those hunting and fishing shows, and more recently, Survivor reruns. Apparently OLN has changed their ways. They dropped their name and just stuck with the acronym, and added the slogan “We've Got A New Attitude.” Oh boy!

I understand ESPN’s hesitation...somewhat. The NHL is the worst TV audience out of the four major US sports. The network averaged only 400,000 viewers per game on ESPN, and almost half of that when shown on ESPN2. Not the most stellar of ratings, and in a world where money runs everything, it just didn’t cut it. To pay close to $70 million a year (what Comcast is going to pay) for something that they may not get the return on, from a business standpoint, makes sense.

But this is hockey folks. ESPN has let a major sport leave their network, but yet they will still show bowling and poker (nothing against those two…umm…”sports”). This is Gary Thorne and Bill Clement, whom in my opinion call a hockey game better than anyone else, gone. The OLN? Come on!

Some of you may think that it doesn’t matter which network a game is shown, as long as it gets shown and you can watch it. In some cases, that may be true. Hopefully the OLN will prove me wrong and have excellent coverage. Hopefully they can find some top notch commentators that will call an exciting game. Hopefully hockey on TV as we know it hasn’t been ruined for at least three years. Only time will tell I guess.

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August 10, 2005

The Great One

He’s back, and it couldn’t have come at a better time for his sport that seems to always need him at one time or another. With Wayne Gretzky taking it upon himself to turn the Phoenix Coyotes around, he gets back to a position he rarely was accustomed to in his playing days. A spot on the bench.

Now more than ever the National Hockey League (NHL) needed this. After ending the lockout last month after cancelling the 2004-05 season, I’m sure a lot of people were hesitant to support the sport. Gretzky can change that. He proved it before, and I believe he’ll prove it again.

Gretzky came into the league in 1980 as a skinny little kid that no one thought would make it in the NHL. Sure, he had talent. He just didn’t have the size to compete in the league. We all know what happened next.

Wayne Gretzky did more than set 61 (yes, 61!) NHL records. He transformed hockey into a game played by “goons” into an exciting sport to watch. I believe that Gretzky is personally responsible for getting the game’s popularity in the United States at the level of which it achieved. Before he was traded to the LA Kings in 1988, there were no franchises in southern states. Now there are teams in Florida (2), two more in California, Texas, Georgia, Tennessee, North Carolina, and his very own team in Arizona. He changed the face of hockey.

Will all this lead to a successful career behind the bench as head coach? Only time will tell. But if his presence doesn’t energize the players on the Coyotes, nothing will. These guys are going to want to play for him. They are going to go out and give the proverbial 110% because they know what this man has done. Most of the team is probably young enough to have grown up idolizing this man based on what they saw on TV, and now they have the opportunity to play for him. What better way to start a season which fans would probably have balked at based on last year’s cancellation?

The NHL probably loves this. Having Gretzky back in the game in a more visible role is going to do wonders for the league. Just like when he was playing, people are going to go to the arena or turn on the TV just to see him coach.

I was fortunate to see Gretzky play when his career was winding down. I got to see him make an assist with the New York Rangers. I still remember it vividly. I’m sure he is going to create some more memories for the people of Arizona, and to anyone else who tunes in to their games. They didn’t name him “The Great One” for nothing.

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August 8, 2005

Indian Mascots Not Allowed

I am a Florida State University (FSU) football fan. I have been since I adopted them as my team to cheer for the day my sister stepped foot on their campus in 1988. I grew up in New Jersey, where college football is, well, let’s just say Rutgers and Princeton are not known for their football programs. I have been to a bunch of games at Doak Campbell stadium, the 1993 Orange Bowl against Nebraska, and the 1999 National Championship game at the Fiesta Bowl. I have numerous hats and shirts representing the University and the football team. Not bad for a guy who never attended the school or lived near Tallahassee.

The latest news from the NCAA and their ban on “racial/ethnic/national origin references” at their championships is just plain ridiculous. FSU president T.K. Wetherell has issued a statement that lashes out against the NCAA and this decision, saying “That the NCAA would now label our close bond with the Seminole Tribe of Florida as culturally "hostile and abusive" is both outrageous and insulting.” He also added “I intend to pursue all legal avenues to ensure that this unacceptable decision is overturned, and that this university will forever be associated with the "unconquered" spirit of the Seminole Tribe of Florida.” Thank you Mr. Wetherell.

I love how what’s good for some isn’t good for others though. The NCAA has not imposed such restrictions on the University of North Carolina-Pembroke, whose mascot is the Braves, because their student body is made up of at least 20% American Indians. Huh? To me their team logo looks more offensive than any of the others out there.

And why the ban on just the championships? If they allow these Universities in their organization with “offensive” mascots to be displayed on national television representing them day in and day out, how is it any different if it is just at the championship game level? I don’t get it!

The high school that I attended in New Jersey is also named after an Indian mascot. They are the Warriors, representing the history of the Lenni Lenape tribe of Indians from the area. I sure hope that they aren’t forced to change their logo either.

UPDATE: The FSU Board of Trustees just authorized court action on the ban if needed.

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncaa/news/story?id=2130960&CMP=OTC-DT9705204233

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July 25, 2005

The Terrell Owens Debate

You know, I’m not quite sure whom to root for. Terrell Owens for knowing his value, the Philadelphia Eagles for standing their ground, or T.O’s agent, Drew Rosenhaus for knowing his client’s fair market value, and thus, his own paycheck.

Apparently T.O. has said yesterday that he will report to camp because, “I still believe I deserve more than what they've given me. But I'm not stupid. I'm not about to miss training camp, get fined every day and give them even more reasons to keep from paying me.”

Now we all have our own opinions about how much athletes are paid these days for “playing a game.” Some believe that if the player’s salaries were kept lower, then ticket prices wouldn’t have to be raised, yada, yada, yada. While their rising salaries may play a small role in that, don’t be fooled. Teams get all sorts of revenues from the stadiums (parking, concessions, souvenirs), the communities, and the NFL itself. A lot of this money goes directly in the hands of the owners.

I am almost on the side of the players. We, as fans, pay good money to see the game being played. We go on emotional roller coasters throughout, and when your said team is victorious…..Ahhh…..what a feeling. We deserve to see the best athletes out there performing, and if it costs the teams a little more to get them to play, so be it.

I am almost on the side of the owners. They are the ones who make it possible for the team to even be there in the first place. If it weren’t for them, it just couldn’t happen. The players should be grateful to the teams that are willing to put them out there.

As for the agents? Well, that goes back to the players. You bet they are going to try and get the best they can for their client. Bigger paycheck for client….bigger paycheck for the agent. Dollars and Sense (Cents?)

The case of T.O. is a rather misleading one though. Here is a man who last year signed this contract he wants so badly to get out of. One year played under a seven (7) year deal. The main reason he signed this “less than standard” contract was to get out of the fiasco with the 49ers and Ravens dealing him somewhere he didn’t want to go. So he jumped as fast as he could to sign anything to be somewhere he wanted to be. Now he’s crying about it. Hard to be on his side.

The Eagles? So far they are holding on to T.O. and not giving him more money or trading him. Obviously they are a much better team with him than without. His attitude may be a bit off-key but his talent on the field is impressive. He was (in my opinion) that last piece of the puzzle they needed to get them to the Super Bowl. It worked.

As for Rosenhaus? What can you say? Capitalism at its finest. If I were an agent I would be pushing for more money too. There’s another side to Drew though. While at his hotel in Florida last week, Rosenhaus saved a four-year-old boy from drowning. When the kid was pulled from the pool, he had no pulse and was not breathing. Drew then administered CPR until the paramedics arrived, and they said that if it weren’t for the quick action of Mr. Rosenhaus, the child would not have survived. A modern day superhero.

I’d say I’m cheering for the guy Rosenhaus was that day in the pool. If we could all be like that, this rock we live on would be a much better place. It makes all that other stuff I wrote look rather trivial, doesn’t it?

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July 22, 2005

The Greatest Ever?

In the spirit of some bike race across the pond, I thought I’d say a little something about Lance Armstrong.

I truly believe Lance Armstrong is one of the greatest athletes of all time. Period. A man that can come back from cancer and win the Tour de France should be regarded high in anyone’s account. This man is about to make it seven in a row. SEVEN! When he tied the record at five (held by a few), we all thought that was it. Last year was six. After today, with two stages left it looks like Lance is going to do it again. Amazing.

Yes, I wear one of his Livestrong bracelets. I think everyone should. The support for cancer research is a very important one in my opinion.

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July 14, 2005

Wie the Golfing

Here it is. My first blog entry ever, and it’s going to be about golf. I promise this won’t be a recurring trend (golf writing), but there is just something that I need to get off my chest.

Let me start by saying one thing. I think that the arrival of Tiger Woods to the golf scene was the best thing to ever happen to the sport. He almost single-handedly turned what was once a game for men in terrible outfits into a worldwide phenomenon. More people than ever have taken up the game, and he opened the doors for everyone. Kids, minorities, and even underprivileged people now have opportunities that never existed before Tiger came along to take up the game and excel at it. Programs are now in place through many charities to help. It has been great for golf.

That being said, I am very disappointed with the fact that the USGA and the PGA are allowing women to play in men’s golf events.

First it was Annika Sorenstam in 2003, then Michelle Wie in 2004 and this year. I am in no way saying they don’t have the ability to compete, even though neither was able to make a cut (four tournaments combined). I just don’t think it’s right.

As for Wie, her talent is unquestionable. Her future in golf is undeniable. She will be a great player. Mark my words.

My issue is that so far this year, she has played in two of the men’s tournaments, and is currently competing in the men’s Amateur Public Links (APL) championship which, oh by the way, carries with it a possible entry into next year’s Masters tournament for the winner. Since 1989, the APL champion has been invited to The Masters.

Before you get all uppity about discrimination or anything else you want to call it, consider this: There is a series of tournaments put together for women to compete called the LPGA. Get it? Ladies PGA. The USGA also has a ladies APL. The men are not allowed to play in either the LPGA or the USGA events sanctioned for women. Why is it allowed for women to play in the events sanctioned for men?

I also feel for the PGA touring pro who is trying to make a living on tour be told that he cannot play a certain week because they gave his spot to a woman. Here’s a man who went through the rigors of Qualifying School (considered by many as the toughest six days of golf) only to be denied the chance to play in a tournament that he was entitled to play in.

These women are great golfers, no doubt about it. But they have a tour set up for themselves for them to compete on. They have to qualify for that tour as well. Don’t take away a spot that someone else qualified for on the other tour, please.

As for Wie at the APL? She just won her second match of the day to move to the quarterfinals. Three more wins and who knows? We could just see Wie at the Masters. Boy wouldn’t that just rile up Hootie again?

UPDATE: Michelle Wie lost the following day in her quarterfinal match, albeit to the eventual champion of the tournament. There is a bright side for her, as all quarterfinalists are automatically invited back to the APL the following year. Not that I'm happy about it.

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