2010 was a great year in the sports world. I'll skip the lengthy, suspense-building introduction, and jump right into it. Here are the 5 biggest sports stories of the year from my view, and my thoughts about them.
#5: Roy Halladay's No-Hitter In The Playoffs
I'm usually not big on personal performances, but Roy Halladay shutting down the Cincinnati Red's lineup in the first game of the NLDS was phenomenal. It is absolutely amazing to throw a no-hitter in a regular season game, but to do it in the playoffs is ridiculous. Ridiculous because there's so much pressure to perform, that some guy's collapse under it. And to add to that, not only did Roy Halladay have to start the series by pitching Game 1, but it was also Game 1 of his playoff experience. That's right, his first time to ever pitch in the playoffs and he doesn't give up a single error. I don't think "impressive" quite describes Halladay's feat.
#4: LeBron James and "The Decision
Just another reason that I don't prefer the NBA. LeBron James, looked at by some as the greatest player on earth, and others as the biggest diva in the league, needed an hour on television to announce his decision on where he'd play in 2010 and on. Fan's still ask why the TV special was necessary, and there's only one explanation: LeBron James wouldn't have it any other way. When you've been the best player on every court you've ever played on, it would be hard to fit your titanic ego on that same court. LeBron wants the publicity (see his comments on issues that don't even have indirect ties to basketball.) For some reason, he has to have his name in the news every day, and it doesn't look like it will come to an end anytime soon. I'd love for the Mav's to win every game this year, but it would be as much of a positive to me to see the Heat lose every game after that.
#3: Landon Donovan's Game Winner
Team USA entered the 2010 World Cup in South Africa as a decently strong team. However, they were matched up against England in the first game, which didn't look good. After England Goalie, Robert Green, has a mishap in goal to give USA the 1-1 tie, USA started eying the tournament that occurs after pool play. It came down to Team USA getting a win against Algeria, and they went in confident. After a few questionable calls from the referee's and USA looking gassed towards the end of the game, the climax came on a final run by Team USA. Goalkeeper Tim Howard made a great save, and launched the ball down the right side of the field. After Donovan dribbled and passed off the ball, he fell back and watched. Little did he know, the ball would bounce off the goalie, and land perfectly in front of the goal. All he had to do was tap the ball in, and in doing so he sent the entire United States soccer world into an insane celebration (as seen in this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jbn3rOPmR9w ).
#2: College Football
Usually this would be the #1 choice, but it got knocked out this year. How could any fan not have loved this college football season? Traditional powers like OU, Florida, Alabama,Nebraska, and USC struggled. Team's that were usually mid-ranked shot to the top like Oregon, Auburn, South Carolina, Washington, and Oklahoma State (You know I couldn't leave them out!) It was every anti-BCS fan's dream of a season. Look nowhere else than the SEC. Coming into the year, 95% of America would have agreed that they'd be seeing the Crimson Tide face off against the Florida Gators when the regular season ended. But look what happened, Auburn vs. South Carolina? Uhh... What? Mizzou knocked off OU, Texas struggled with seemingly everything, Boise State beat Virginia Tech, and Nevada played a game that no one will ever forget against that same Boise team. College football in 2010 was awesome, terrible, stressful, or amazing depending on what team you call your own, and hopefully we're one step closer to seeing a daing college football playoff system! (Yes, Mark Cuban, that was directed at you, pull out that checkbook.)
#1: The Texas Rangers
Now you can see why College Football got knocked off. This was the best year for Texas Ranger Baseball in franchise history. Possibly the most famous Texas Ranger purchased the team, the front office brought in one of the best pitchers in the league and in playoff history, and the Rangers were actually a blast to watch. This was the first year I've actually stressed about each and every game that the Rangers played, starting from opening day when I listened to the Rangers win in walk-off fashion against the Blue Jay's. Not only did they make it to the World Series, but the highlight of my year was to see them beat the Yankee's in 6. And not only that, but actually being there for Game 2 of the ALCS against those Yankee's, and seeing the Rangers win their first ever home playoff game in person. With baseball, you never know when a season like this could happen again, so you probably won't hear the end of it from me anytime soon. After all, the Phillie's, Yanks, and Red Sox are building All-Star teams, so who knows if we'll ever even be able to say the phrase "World Series" again in the next few years.
That's all I've got. It's been a great sports year, and I'm just as excited about this coming year as I am impressed with this past year. I hope you all had a very Merry Christmas, and wish you a Happy and Safe New Year.
Go Rangers, Go Pokes, Go Cowboy's!
Friday, December 31, 2010
Thursday, December 23, 2010
Deck The Halls With Dirty Money, Fa La La.....
The bowl season is in full-swing, and what can beat lounging out on the couch with some buddies and watching two teams go at it on a neutral field in front of 10,000 people?
So maybe I hyped it up a little bit just to have a drop off there at the end, but I do love bowl season just because it gives me another chance to watch my favorite sport, College Football. One likes to think that while watching this sport, the athletes are pure and honest.
However, word from Columbus, Ohio is that there's another chapter in the book of "Cheating"
To the NCAA, the cheating going on is receiving improper benefits from their schools or others around them. But the situation at Ohio State doesn't look wrong to me.
Terrell Pryor sold his own 2008 Big Ten Championship ring. The ring was put in his ownership, why is he not allowed to do what he wants with it? If he wants to hop over to Niagara Falls and throw it off the top, what's wrong with that? It's HIS property.
I know plenty of players in the NCAA that are on full ride scholarships, but come from lower class backgrounds. The argument is "These players don't have to pay for school, they should have plenty of money from home to cover any spending money they need."
In reality, most of those players do have that cash flow from home. But for those players who don't, what are they supposed to do?
Pick up a part time job? The average college football team spends a lot of time on physical workouts alone. When I say physical workouts, I also factor in the time it takes to prepare for those workouts, drive to the field, and the time it takes after practice until they get back to their living arrangement. In High School, I spent three to for hours on this, I can't imagine what they do at the college level. On top of that, you have film, you have your whole Saturday taken away for games, your whole Friday taken for away games, and Sunday's for post-game weight lifting and film. Oh, and don't forget about those pesky classes they fit between all of that.
So after all of that, where's the time for a job? How is a player supposed to earn any money at all? Granted, the schools do provide mealplans and dorms if the players want them, but they don't pay for taking the girlfriend out for a night on the town, going to catch the latest installment of their favorite movie at the theater, and they sure don't help them out when it's time to buy Christmas presents for the entire family in December.
So with that said, why can't the players make money off of the property given to them? I would say that it definitely needs to be regulated (i.e. walking off the field and selling everything they're wearing to the crowd of people waiting.) But to sell their jersey, in A.J. Green's case, or their championship ring, in the Ohio State case, what's wrong with it?
Let the athletes protect their wellbeing and financial situation. Regulate it to some degree, but let the athletes do what they want with their property and the things that they've earned through years of playing and practicing, and countless hours representing the school they play for.
That's all for this post, I'm off to enjoy the family during the Christmas Holiday. Merry Christmas to all of my readers, and I wish you a Happy New Year!
Go Cowboys, Pokes, Rangers, Mavs, and Stars!
So maybe I hyped it up a little bit just to have a drop off there at the end, but I do love bowl season just because it gives me another chance to watch my favorite sport, College Football. One likes to think that while watching this sport, the athletes are pure and honest.
However, word from Columbus, Ohio is that there's another chapter in the book of "Cheating"
To the NCAA, the cheating going on is receiving improper benefits from their schools or others around them. But the situation at Ohio State doesn't look wrong to me.
Terrell Pryor sold his own 2008 Big Ten Championship ring. The ring was put in his ownership, why is he not allowed to do what he wants with it? If he wants to hop over to Niagara Falls and throw it off the top, what's wrong with that? It's HIS property.
I know plenty of players in the NCAA that are on full ride scholarships, but come from lower class backgrounds. The argument is "These players don't have to pay for school, they should have plenty of money from home to cover any spending money they need."
In reality, most of those players do have that cash flow from home. But for those players who don't, what are they supposed to do?
Pick up a part time job? The average college football team spends a lot of time on physical workouts alone. When I say physical workouts, I also factor in the time it takes to prepare for those workouts, drive to the field, and the time it takes after practice until they get back to their living arrangement. In High School, I spent three to for hours on this, I can't imagine what they do at the college level. On top of that, you have film, you have your whole Saturday taken away for games, your whole Friday taken for away games, and Sunday's for post-game weight lifting and film. Oh, and don't forget about those pesky classes they fit between all of that.
So after all of that, where's the time for a job? How is a player supposed to earn any money at all? Granted, the schools do provide mealplans and dorms if the players want them, but they don't pay for taking the girlfriend out for a night on the town, going to catch the latest installment of their favorite movie at the theater, and they sure don't help them out when it's time to buy Christmas presents for the entire family in December.
So with that said, why can't the players make money off of the property given to them? I would say that it definitely needs to be regulated (i.e. walking off the field and selling everything they're wearing to the crowd of people waiting.) But to sell their jersey, in A.J. Green's case, or their championship ring, in the Ohio State case, what's wrong with it?
Let the athletes protect their wellbeing and financial situation. Regulate it to some degree, but let the athletes do what they want with their property and the things that they've earned through years of playing and practicing, and countless hours representing the school they play for.
That's all for this post, I'm off to enjoy the family during the Christmas Holiday. Merry Christmas to all of my readers, and I wish you a Happy New Year!
Go Cowboys, Pokes, Rangers, Mavs, and Stars!
Monday, December 13, 2010
Brett Favre; The Greatest?
Time for a study break. A note to all of the high school students reading this: Enjoy your finals in high school, because once you get to college, they get a lot harder. I needed a break, and it just so happened that Brett Favre gave me a reason to take that break tonight.
Brett Favre's streak ended tonight. Before tonight, Favre had started 297 games in a row. Some look at that number and say "Good grief, how is that possible?", others look at that and say "So what, he's paid to play." I'll put it into perspective for you. In my 4 years of high school, I had 40 or so games. I missed the first half of one game (In my Freshman year, for fighting... We won't go into detail) and I have a shoulder surgery, two terrible ankles, and a worn out wrist to show for it, and that's taking High School caliber hits, not 250 pound grown man hits.
Not to mention, Favre isn't exactly the pocket passer. He does major damage in the pocket, but a majority of his big plays come from him creating with his feet, whether it be rolling out, stepping up, or taking off for a 15-20 yard gain. That's another thing that has always amazed me about Favre, he takes somewhere around 8 or 9 hits a game on average, yet he still always gets up and plays the next week.
But 297 is unreal, that's unheard of. Here's what was going on last time Brett Favre didn't start a game.
It was Week 3 in the 1992 NFL season
I was one year old
George H.W. Bush was running for reelection against Clinton and Perot
Hurricane Andrew had hit South Florida a month earlier
The 27th Amendment was ratified
The Mall Of America in Minnesota was constructed, which is the largest in the US
Rioting breaks out in Los Angeles following the acquittal of four white police officers accused of beating black motorist Rodney King.
The Georgia Dome was completed
AT&T released the first video phone, which sold for $1,499
So, for those of you who don't think of Brett Favre's streak as something amazing, hopefully that gave you a little bit of a reality check. Favre's streak that is now over is something that may never happen again. The next in line is Peyton Manning, who has 205 starts in a row, and after that is his brother Eli, who has 99 straight.
The fact that players careers are being cut down more and more doesn't help the fact either, and adds to how amazing Favre has been in the last 19 seasons. The odds of seeing another 41 year old starter under center is slim to none, but if it means that this streak is challenged sometime soon, I'd love to see it.
Brett Favre's streak ended tonight. Before tonight, Favre had started 297 games in a row. Some look at that number and say "Good grief, how is that possible?", others look at that and say "So what, he's paid to play." I'll put it into perspective for you. In my 4 years of high school, I had 40 or so games. I missed the first half of one game (In my Freshman year, for fighting... We won't go into detail) and I have a shoulder surgery, two terrible ankles, and a worn out wrist to show for it, and that's taking High School caliber hits, not 250 pound grown man hits.
Not to mention, Favre isn't exactly the pocket passer. He does major damage in the pocket, but a majority of his big plays come from him creating with his feet, whether it be rolling out, stepping up, or taking off for a 15-20 yard gain. That's another thing that has always amazed me about Favre, he takes somewhere around 8 or 9 hits a game on average, yet he still always gets up and plays the next week.
But 297 is unreal, that's unheard of. Here's what was going on last time Brett Favre didn't start a game.
It was Week 3 in the 1992 NFL season
I was one year old
George H.W. Bush was running for reelection against Clinton and Perot
Hurricane Andrew had hit South Florida a month earlier
The 27th Amendment was ratified
The Mall Of America in Minnesota was constructed, which is the largest in the US
Rioting breaks out in Los Angeles following the acquittal of four white police officers accused of beating black motorist Rodney King.
The Georgia Dome was completed
AT&T released the first video phone, which sold for $1,499
So, for those of you who don't think of Brett Favre's streak as something amazing, hopefully that gave you a little bit of a reality check. Favre's streak that is now over is something that may never happen again. The next in line is Peyton Manning, who has 205 starts in a row, and after that is his brother Eli, who has 99 straight.
The fact that players careers are being cut down more and more doesn't help the fact either, and adds to how amazing Favre has been in the last 19 seasons. The odds of seeing another 41 year old starter under center is slim to none, but if it means that this streak is challenged sometime soon, I'd love to see it.
Sunday, December 5, 2010
LeBron's Return to Cleveland, NCAA Bowl Matchups
LeBron James is the most talented player in the NBA, and he's shown it for 7 years now. Is he the best? I don't believe so, I think Kobe takes that trophy, but I do believe that James has the most talent, and is capable of eventually taking that crown. Cleveland had grown accustomed to watching those layups and jump shots for 7 seasons now, but when LeBron started warming up the other night in his 8th, the tables were turned.
In a "Game 7 of the Finals" type atmosphere, LeBron quieted the crowd of 20,000+ with a 38 point performance. But his actions are what spoke the loudest, and not the actions of scoring. Jawing with the bench, basically kicking the Cavs crowd while they're down, and turning to yell at the Cleveland bench after nailing a difficult jumper from the corner were all that showed on ESPN. The crowd was hostile towards James, but that hatred they have for James has most likely been raised after that game.
If you can't relate to this situation, or find yourself asking "Why does Cleveland care? It's just a game", take this into consideration. You're a guy, and have grown up with a girl. You start dating, and do so all through junior high and until junior year of high school. Then come the last day of school, she breaks up with you. But not only does she break up with you, she screams it in the middle of the hall during passing period (The hour long televised "Decision" by James), then goes on to find another boyfriend. You then have to go all through senior year seeing her with her boyfriend at every party, sports game, and even graduation.
Do you understand now? It's not a fun thing, especially when James has grown up in Ohio, and has pledged his allegiance to the state and it's fans multiple times. The fire that is the rivalry between James and the Cavaliers has just received gallons and gallons of gasoline poured on top of it, and it will most likely get uglier before it gets prettier.
College Football
Bowls were announced tonight, and there are a few shockers.
Most exciting bowl game:
This one is a tie...
National Championship: Oregon vs. Auburn-- Prediction: Oregon 42, Auburn 35
I see this game going either way. It will be a high scoring game, and probably the most exciting National Championship in recent memory. The coaches might as well save some money by not even bringing their defenses along for the ride, as both teams are averaging tons of points and yards a game, but I think Oregon's incredible fitness will be too much for Auburn, and Cam Newton's offense won't be able to keep up for the entire game.
Rose Bowl: Wisconsin vs. TCU-- Prediction: Wisconsin 38, TCU 24
This is TCU's shot at being legitimate. Wisconsin comes in as one of the strongest performers in 2010. A healthy power back in John Clay, and a decent passing game could spell trouble for the Horned Frogs, but this game will come down to the trenches, and anyone with even a hint of sports knowledge knows that Wisconsin wins that battle every time. The freak lineman that UW has every year are top notch, and it's even spilling over to the defensive side of the ball with J.J. Watt, a potential All American. I think Wisconsin controls the game with their running and keeps TCU's offense in check.
Worst Bowl Games:
Advocare Bowl: Air Force vs. Georgia Tech Prediction: Georgia Tech 17, Air Force 10
It's like a bowl game from a time machine, two option teams going at it. Older fans might find this as the best game to watch all year, but the new era of football finds it boring. This game will be about control and power, and Georgia Tech will be too much for Air Force. Air Force has come close in a few big games this year, but Georgia Tech's tougher schedule and experience from that will help them win.
Tostito's Fiesta:Connecticut vs. Oklahoma Prediction: Oklahoma 42, Connecticut 21
Seriously? How did Connecticut get here? I understand the automatic BCS bid process, but I think it should be conditional... conditional as in, if a team wouldn't even make a decent bowl if they didn't have the automatic bowl, they shouldn't be there. Oklahoma will roll and win their first bowl game in recent memory, and Connecticut will make them look like a Super Bowl team. Hopefully Dancing With The Stars is on that night so I have something good to watch.
Best Under-The-Radar Bowl Game
New Mexico Bowl: BYU vs. UTEP Prediction: BYU 28, UTEP 24
BYU has been disappointing this year to the fan that doesn't keep up with them, but they're on the rise. They've had a Freshman quarterback playing all year, and have slowly been putting it together. UTEP has had a solid year, but I think BYU's experienced players from past success will rub off on the younger players, and it will be enough to lift them past the Miners.
This bowl season will be epic, with great match ups everywhere. True fans will appreciate just about every game this bowl season, as they are all pretty evenly matched. Hopefully it's a good season!
That's all I've got,
Go Rangers, Cowboys, Pokes, Mavs, and Stars!
In a "Game 7 of the Finals" type atmosphere, LeBron quieted the crowd of 20,000+ with a 38 point performance. But his actions are what spoke the loudest, and not the actions of scoring. Jawing with the bench, basically kicking the Cavs crowd while they're down, and turning to yell at the Cleveland bench after nailing a difficult jumper from the corner were all that showed on ESPN. The crowd was hostile towards James, but that hatred they have for James has most likely been raised after that game.
If you can't relate to this situation, or find yourself asking "Why does Cleveland care? It's just a game", take this into consideration. You're a guy, and have grown up with a girl. You start dating, and do so all through junior high and until junior year of high school. Then come the last day of school, she breaks up with you. But not only does she break up with you, she screams it in the middle of the hall during passing period (The hour long televised "Decision" by James), then goes on to find another boyfriend. You then have to go all through senior year seeing her with her boyfriend at every party, sports game, and even graduation.
Do you understand now? It's not a fun thing, especially when James has grown up in Ohio, and has pledged his allegiance to the state and it's fans multiple times. The fire that is the rivalry between James and the Cavaliers has just received gallons and gallons of gasoline poured on top of it, and it will most likely get uglier before it gets prettier.
College Football
Bowls were announced tonight, and there are a few shockers.
Most exciting bowl game:
This one is a tie...
National Championship: Oregon vs. Auburn-- Prediction: Oregon 42, Auburn 35
I see this game going either way. It will be a high scoring game, and probably the most exciting National Championship in recent memory. The coaches might as well save some money by not even bringing their defenses along for the ride, as both teams are averaging tons of points and yards a game, but I think Oregon's incredible fitness will be too much for Auburn, and Cam Newton's offense won't be able to keep up for the entire game.
Rose Bowl: Wisconsin vs. TCU-- Prediction: Wisconsin 38, TCU 24
This is TCU's shot at being legitimate. Wisconsin comes in as one of the strongest performers in 2010. A healthy power back in John Clay, and a decent passing game could spell trouble for the Horned Frogs, but this game will come down to the trenches, and anyone with even a hint of sports knowledge knows that Wisconsin wins that battle every time. The freak lineman that UW has every year are top notch, and it's even spilling over to the defensive side of the ball with J.J. Watt, a potential All American. I think Wisconsin controls the game with their running and keeps TCU's offense in check.
Worst Bowl Games:
Advocare Bowl: Air Force vs. Georgia Tech Prediction: Georgia Tech 17, Air Force 10
It's like a bowl game from a time machine, two option teams going at it. Older fans might find this as the best game to watch all year, but the new era of football finds it boring. This game will be about control and power, and Georgia Tech will be too much for Air Force. Air Force has come close in a few big games this year, but Georgia Tech's tougher schedule and experience from that will help them win.
Tostito's Fiesta:Connecticut vs. Oklahoma Prediction: Oklahoma 42, Connecticut 21
Seriously? How did Connecticut get here? I understand the automatic BCS bid process, but I think it should be conditional... conditional as in, if a team wouldn't even make a decent bowl if they didn't have the automatic bowl, they shouldn't be there. Oklahoma will roll and win their first bowl game in recent memory, and Connecticut will make them look like a Super Bowl team. Hopefully Dancing With The Stars is on that night so I have something good to watch.
Best Under-The-Radar Bowl Game
New Mexico Bowl: BYU vs. UTEP Prediction: BYU 28, UTEP 24
BYU has been disappointing this year to the fan that doesn't keep up with them, but they're on the rise. They've had a Freshman quarterback playing all year, and have slowly been putting it together. UTEP has had a solid year, but I think BYU's experienced players from past success will rub off on the younger players, and it will be enough to lift them past the Miners.
This bowl season will be epic, with great match ups everywhere. True fans will appreciate just about every game this bowl season, as they are all pretty evenly matched. Hopefully it's a good season!
That's all I've got,
Go Rangers, Cowboys, Pokes, Mavs, and Stars!
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Michael Vick; The Criminal or the MVP?-- Kyle Brotzman, Boise State Kicker
There have been plenty of headlines in the sports world this year--
"Boise State knocked from the top"
"LeBron takes his talents to South Beach"
"UNC Freshman named to All-American NCAA Basketball Team"
Of all of these headlines and more, they either effect the emotional side of sports, or the "black and white" side of sports. The one headline this year that can appeal to any audience, sports related or not, is Michael Vick's return to the NFL.
As a freshman at Virginia Tech, Vick led his team to an appearance in the National Championship, and placed Third in the Heisman Voting, all while leading the NCAA in passing efficiency. As a Sophomore, he had 210 Rushing yards against Boston College, and 288 total yards against against West Virginia. He also led the Hokies back from a 14-0 deficit at Syracuse. He left after his sophomore season.
He was drafted first overall by the Atlanta Falcons in 2001, and after a few years of struggles, he finally emerged as the talent everyone knew he was capable of being.
Then came dog fighting.
Michael Vick was found guilty on Animal Cruelty charges, and was sentenced to 23 months in federal prison.
But now... He's back. All while rehabilitating his image and playing for next to nothing (when in comparison to other NFL quarterback's contracts), Vick has come back to the league and is destroying opposing defenses. After a year behind Donovan McNabb in Philidelphia, he has finally received a chance, and has shown what he can do. In week 10, after being back for a full week from a rib injury, Michael Vick torched the Washington defense, putting up 333 passing yards and 4 TD's to go along with 80 rushing yards and 2 touchdowns. Last week (Week 12) the Eagles went to Chicago, where Vick once again posted 333 passing yards with 2 touchdown tosses.
With this dominance on the field, and Vick doing so much off of the field to win back fans, why is there still negative feelings towards him everywhere?
Here's a list of people who should have negative fans, but are barely even mentioned.
Donte' Stallworth - DUI Manslaughter: Received 30 days sentence in jail. Now plays for Baltimore Ravens
Ben Roethlisberger - Sexual Assault case (one of many): Six game suspension that was reduced to four. Now still is the starting quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers
Ray Lewis - Murder: Charges dropped for a testimony against the other two men involved. Fined $250,000 by the NFL. Starting Middle Linebacker for Baltimore Ravens
That's a short list of the many names that have accumulated on the NFL's legal problems list. All of these charges are as bad as, if not worse than Vick's dog fighting scandal. Vick never killed a human being, or hurt one in any way. Donte Stallworth cost a man his life, and Ray Lewis was involved, one way or another, in more deaths. Ben Roethlisberger has changed a life forever with a sexual assault.
Yet Vick still has the most negative feelings of all of them.
BREAKING NEWS: THAT DOESN'T MAKE SENSE!
Hopefully Vick is forgiven soon by the NFL fans, although it's unlikely to happen. I for one, have already forgiven the man. A long sentence and using his publicity to help organizations designed to stop illegal acts from happening is something that should change everyone's hearts. Vick is still one of my favorite players, and always will be. I think it's about time that he's seen as a human being instead of the monster he once was.
Kyle Brotzman missed two kicks for Boise State against Nevada this past Friday night.
Yes, I was a bit relieved to see Boise stumble and the National Championship talk to get a little bit more simple, but people are getting too intense on the situation at hand. Boise State lost in overtime to a good Nevada team, but Kyle Brotzman (Boise's kicker) shouldn't be the one to blame.
I learned early on in my football playing days that one player and one play doesn't win or lose a football game. If you're better than the team, you'll come out on top in the end. Yes, everyone has bad days, but it comes down to two things:
The coaches preparing the team to play and The players executing the plan.
If Boise was as good as some of the nation thought, they wouldn't have been in a "Winning Field Goal needed" situation. They would have posted more than 7 points in the second half. But the fact of the matter is, They didn't, and the image that is tagged onto that is Kyle Brotzman hanging his head after two missed field goals. Yes, his only job is to step on the field a handful of times a game and kick the ball between the goal posts, but it shouldn't have come down to that when a team that is ranked 15 spots lower comes to town.
But it did, and now Boise will be left out of the National Championship talk. It's too bad, I really wanted a playoff system implemented in the near future, and this would've helped that a ton.
That's all I've got for this post, coming up next:
LeBron's return to Cleveland
Go Rangers, Cowboys, Pokes, Mavs, and Stars!
Sources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Vick#College_career
http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?playerId=2549
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ray_Lewis
http://espn.go.com/college-football/
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/early-lead/2010/09/ben_roethlisbergers_suspension.html
http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=4262751
"Boise State knocked from the top"
"LeBron takes his talents to South Beach"
"UNC Freshman named to All-American NCAA Basketball Team"
Of all of these headlines and more, they either effect the emotional side of sports, or the "black and white" side of sports. The one headline this year that can appeal to any audience, sports related or not, is Michael Vick's return to the NFL.
As a freshman at Virginia Tech, Vick led his team to an appearance in the National Championship, and placed Third in the Heisman Voting, all while leading the NCAA in passing efficiency. As a Sophomore, he had 210 Rushing yards against Boston College, and 288 total yards against against West Virginia. He also led the Hokies back from a 14-0 deficit at Syracuse. He left after his sophomore season.
He was drafted first overall by the Atlanta Falcons in 2001, and after a few years of struggles, he finally emerged as the talent everyone knew he was capable of being.
Then came dog fighting.
Michael Vick was found guilty on Animal Cruelty charges, and was sentenced to 23 months in federal prison.
But now... He's back. All while rehabilitating his image and playing for next to nothing (when in comparison to other NFL quarterback's contracts), Vick has come back to the league and is destroying opposing defenses. After a year behind Donovan McNabb in Philidelphia, he has finally received a chance, and has shown what he can do. In week 10, after being back for a full week from a rib injury, Michael Vick torched the Washington defense, putting up 333 passing yards and 4 TD's to go along with 80 rushing yards and 2 touchdowns. Last week (Week 12) the Eagles went to Chicago, where Vick once again posted 333 passing yards with 2 touchdown tosses.
With this dominance on the field, and Vick doing so much off of the field to win back fans, why is there still negative feelings towards him everywhere?
Here's a list of people who should have negative fans, but are barely even mentioned.
Donte' Stallworth - DUI Manslaughter: Received 30 days sentence in jail. Now plays for Baltimore Ravens
Ben Roethlisberger - Sexual Assault case (one of many): Six game suspension that was reduced to four. Now still is the starting quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers
Ray Lewis - Murder: Charges dropped for a testimony against the other two men involved. Fined $250,000 by the NFL. Starting Middle Linebacker for Baltimore Ravens
That's a short list of the many names that have accumulated on the NFL's legal problems list. All of these charges are as bad as, if not worse than Vick's dog fighting scandal. Vick never killed a human being, or hurt one in any way. Donte Stallworth cost a man his life, and Ray Lewis was involved, one way or another, in more deaths. Ben Roethlisberger has changed a life forever with a sexual assault.
Yet Vick still has the most negative feelings of all of them.
BREAKING NEWS: THAT DOESN'T MAKE SENSE!
Hopefully Vick is forgiven soon by the NFL fans, although it's unlikely to happen. I for one, have already forgiven the man. A long sentence and using his publicity to help organizations designed to stop illegal acts from happening is something that should change everyone's hearts. Vick is still one of my favorite players, and always will be. I think it's about time that he's seen as a human being instead of the monster he once was.
Kyle Brotzman missed two kicks for Boise State against Nevada this past Friday night.
Yes, I was a bit relieved to see Boise stumble and the National Championship talk to get a little bit more simple, but people are getting too intense on the situation at hand. Boise State lost in overtime to a good Nevada team, but Kyle Brotzman (Boise's kicker) shouldn't be the one to blame.
I learned early on in my football playing days that one player and one play doesn't win or lose a football game. If you're better than the team, you'll come out on top in the end. Yes, everyone has bad days, but it comes down to two things:
The coaches preparing the team to play and The players executing the plan.
If Boise was as good as some of the nation thought, they wouldn't have been in a "Winning Field Goal needed" situation. They would have posted more than 7 points in the second half. But the fact of the matter is, They didn't, and the image that is tagged onto that is Kyle Brotzman hanging his head after two missed field goals. Yes, his only job is to step on the field a handful of times a game and kick the ball between the goal posts, but it shouldn't have come down to that when a team that is ranked 15 spots lower comes to town.
But it did, and now Boise will be left out of the National Championship talk. It's too bad, I really wanted a playoff system implemented in the near future, and this would've helped that a ton.
That's all I've got for this post, coming up next:
LeBron's return to Cleveland
Go Rangers, Cowboys, Pokes, Mavs, and Stars!
Sources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Vick#College_career
http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?playerId=2549
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ray_Lewis
http://espn.go.com/college-football/
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/early-lead/2010/09/ben_roethlisbergers_suspension.html
http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=4262751
Monday, November 29, 2010
College Football; Josh Hamilton's AL MVP Award
Hello all, it's been about a month since I've been able to update, I've been swamped with school work and trips home, but I think I'm finally back on track and into a routine again. With that said, this post will cover the important stuff that's happened this past weekend.
Bedlam
If you've never experienced Bedlam, I suggest you put it on the bucket list. School spirit everywhere, friendly (and sometimes unfriendly) trash talking wherever you look, and the pride you feel when your team you're supporting runs out on the field is something I've never experienced before. It's unfortunate that this has to be the last game of the year, as this game pumped me up more than any of the prior 6 home games, and now there's not another one until next September! Here's what I thought about the game.
Offenses
OU is a machine. They always have been, they always will be. 16-27 on third down's is unreal, but people are overlooking the fact that they had 27 third downs, and instead paying attention to their conversion percentage. They weren't necessarily dominant, but made the perfect timed scores and conversions in order to control the game, gaining 65%+ of the time of posession in the game.
Oklahoma State's offense was something I hadn't seen all year. The Cowboy's live and die off of the home run play, but they didn't even have a chance in the first half. Whether it was Dana Holgorsen trying to feel out the OU defense, Gundy trying to build momentum, or Brandon Weeden being rushed on his reads, it wasn't the Cowboys we had seen. Weeden finished the game with 2 touchdowns, 3 INT's, and 250 yards passing. I will give him credit on the INT's as not all of them were his fault, but I counted 2 plays in the first half that were what I consider a long pass/home run play. One was when he completed a fly pattern to Justin Blackmon down the right sideline (I believe in the 2nd quarter), and that brought all the momentum to the Cowboy's. Why did they turn conservative? Why did the running game not work? Unfortunately, I can't ask these questions to the coaches, so I won't be able to get answers.
Defense
Both defenses played well in my opinion. Yes, Oklahoma State gave up two plays at the end of the game that sealed the deal, but as I previously stated, they forced the Sooner's to TWENTY SEVEN third downs. The Sooner coaching staff did a great job disguising defenses and keeping the OSU Offense on their toes, and ultimately it paid off with a win and a Big 12 Championship berth.
Play of the game
Yes, the interception that Brown tipped in as he flew out of bounds was a top 10 play. Yes the Interception returned for a touchdown was a game changer. However in my eyes, one play changed the entire game. The Cowboys had stopped the Sooner's around the OU 45 yard line and forced them to punt. The Sooner's had a great kick and pinned them inside of the 10 yard line, but instead of the Cowboys taking over, they got a penalty for roughing the punter. The Sooner's got the ball back, marched the final 30+ yards, and got a touchdown out of it.
P.S.: OU won by 6. They received 7 for the touchdown on that drive, and also received the momentum.
TCU Accepting the Big East Invitation
Finally! I'm excited for the Horned Frog nation to finally receive some legitimacy to their name. Do I think they should be in the national championship this year? No. Do I think they would've gone 12-0 in an automatic qualifier conference? No. But I am glad that they will now be tested every week, and that they won't have to worry about going 12-0 just to get into the BCS bowl conversation. This also helps the Horned Frogs because it opens up their recruiting. Not only can they now pull from Texas and all the states around it, but they can use the strategy of "We go to the East Coast every other week" to land recruits from east coast high schools. TCU can now easily attract any high caliber recruit that lives between New Mexico and the East Coast, which will only make them better.
Quick Ranger Thought: Josh Hamilton receives AL MVP Award
First off, I would like to congratulate Josh Hamilton and Vladimir Guerrero for their Silver Slugger awards, Vladdy for his Comeback Player of the Year award, Ron Washington for getting 2nd in the Manager of the Year award, and Neftali Feliz for his Rookie of the Year award. It was a great year for the Ranger's franchise and hopefully this is a sign of things to come.
I would also like to congratulate Josh Hamilton on his AL MVP. Not only has he shown the baseball world what he can do, but he has also shown the world what someone can do if they put their mind to it. After drug's, alcohol, and family issues, he's risen to the top and has World Series experience. With this confidence, as well as the talent he already has, look for an even bigger year next year (if he stays healthy.)
That's all I've got!
Go Rangers, Cowboys, Pokes, Mavs, and Stars!
Bedlam
If you've never experienced Bedlam, I suggest you put it on the bucket list. School spirit everywhere, friendly (and sometimes unfriendly) trash talking wherever you look, and the pride you feel when your team you're supporting runs out on the field is something I've never experienced before. It's unfortunate that this has to be the last game of the year, as this game pumped me up more than any of the prior 6 home games, and now there's not another one until next September! Here's what I thought about the game.
Offenses
OU is a machine. They always have been, they always will be. 16-27 on third down's is unreal, but people are overlooking the fact that they had 27 third downs, and instead paying attention to their conversion percentage. They weren't necessarily dominant, but made the perfect timed scores and conversions in order to control the game, gaining 65%+ of the time of posession in the game.
Oklahoma State's offense was something I hadn't seen all year. The Cowboy's live and die off of the home run play, but they didn't even have a chance in the first half. Whether it was Dana Holgorsen trying to feel out the OU defense, Gundy trying to build momentum, or Brandon Weeden being rushed on his reads, it wasn't the Cowboys we had seen. Weeden finished the game with 2 touchdowns, 3 INT's, and 250 yards passing. I will give him credit on the INT's as not all of them were his fault, but I counted 2 plays in the first half that were what I consider a long pass/home run play. One was when he completed a fly pattern to Justin Blackmon down the right sideline (I believe in the 2nd quarter), and that brought all the momentum to the Cowboy's. Why did they turn conservative? Why did the running game not work? Unfortunately, I can't ask these questions to the coaches, so I won't be able to get answers.
Defense
Both defenses played well in my opinion. Yes, Oklahoma State gave up two plays at the end of the game that sealed the deal, but as I previously stated, they forced the Sooner's to TWENTY SEVEN third downs. The Sooner coaching staff did a great job disguising defenses and keeping the OSU Offense on their toes, and ultimately it paid off with a win and a Big 12 Championship berth.
Play of the game
Yes, the interception that Brown tipped in as he flew out of bounds was a top 10 play. Yes the Interception returned for a touchdown was a game changer. However in my eyes, one play changed the entire game. The Cowboys had stopped the Sooner's around the OU 45 yard line and forced them to punt. The Sooner's had a great kick and pinned them inside of the 10 yard line, but instead of the Cowboys taking over, they got a penalty for roughing the punter. The Sooner's got the ball back, marched the final 30+ yards, and got a touchdown out of it.
P.S.: OU won by 6. They received 7 for the touchdown on that drive, and also received the momentum.
TCU Accepting the Big East Invitation
Finally! I'm excited for the Horned Frog nation to finally receive some legitimacy to their name. Do I think they should be in the national championship this year? No. Do I think they would've gone 12-0 in an automatic qualifier conference? No. But I am glad that they will now be tested every week, and that they won't have to worry about going 12-0 just to get into the BCS bowl conversation. This also helps the Horned Frogs because it opens up their recruiting. Not only can they now pull from Texas and all the states around it, but they can use the strategy of "We go to the East Coast every other week" to land recruits from east coast high schools. TCU can now easily attract any high caliber recruit that lives between New Mexico and the East Coast, which will only make them better.
Quick Ranger Thought: Josh Hamilton receives AL MVP Award
First off, I would like to congratulate Josh Hamilton and Vladimir Guerrero for their Silver Slugger awards, Vladdy for his Comeback Player of the Year award, Ron Washington for getting 2nd in the Manager of the Year award, and Neftali Feliz for his Rookie of the Year award. It was a great year for the Ranger's franchise and hopefully this is a sign of things to come.
I would also like to congratulate Josh Hamilton on his AL MVP. Not only has he shown the baseball world what he can do, but he has also shown the world what someone can do if they put their mind to it. After drug's, alcohol, and family issues, he's risen to the top and has World Series experience. With this confidence, as well as the talent he already has, look for an even bigger year next year (if he stays healthy.)
That's all I've got!
Go Rangers, Cowboys, Pokes, Mavs, and Stars!
Monday, November 8, 2010
Who's To Blame? The Tale of a Head Coach.
Sports are tricky, and there are a bunch of components that go into playing a game, much less coming out with a win. Whether it's effort on the field, preparation during the week, or simply having the desire to win, the world of sports is a mine field. A mine field that if not crossed in a smart manner, can result in an explosion of negativity, and possibly career ending decisions.
This is brought about by the firing of Wade Phillips from my beloved Dallas Cowboys. After weeks of "Wade Phillips job is secure" comments from Jerry Jone's, Wade has been finally set free from the prison of a 1-7 season.
Preseason
The Dallas Cowboys were in every conversation involving the Super Bowl before the season started. They have the talent (Tony Romo, Jason Witten, Miles Austin, Demarcus Ware.) They have the fan base and facilities (Dallas Cowboys Stadium, if not a sellout every game, very close to it.) The 'boys had all of the makings for a magical season, and seemingly had more tools at hand than the Patriots in '07 when they put together a perfect regular season, and everyone was excited for it.
So It Begin's...
A football team has three parts. Talent, Experience, Leadership.
Those three components make up the "Great Team". Those three components build teams that transcend through the ages.
The '72 Dolphins had all of these components. They had the big names (Talent) that were always in the spotlight, always fielding questions. They had the veterans (Experience) that always helped out the young players and knew what it felt like to play in the post-season. Lastly, they had the coaches (Leadership) that knew what it took to win a football game, to play past the last week of the regular season, and knew how to sport a Super Bowl ring.
The Cowboys seemingly had all of those coming into this year, but the one thing that seemed to lack was the mixture of leadership. They had the player leadership in the Keith Brooking's of the defense and the Jason Witten's of the offense, but they never developed the next rung of the ladder. The next step was the authority leadership, and that was always a mixture of Phillips and Jerry Jones. The same problem came up when Bill Parcells was in Dallas a few years ago. The personality that goes along with a coach in Dallas is that of an iron willed man. A man who receives criticism well, who understands he plays backup, and who knows how to make that situation the best he can make it.
Jerry Jones won't change, that's the obvious part, and it's looking doubtful that he will ever see another championship in his lifetime if he keeps running the team how he's been running it. So if that doesn't happen, the only other thing he can do is change the coaching.
With that said... I didn't think Phillips was the coach suited for the Cowboys. He had success in Dallas, but he didn't have the personality fit for it. He didn't ever stand up to Jones and take the team over like a head coach should. Obviously, as seen in Minnesota this week with the Brad Childress/Randy Moss situation, there are limits on that. But in Dallas, you have to step up and make Jerry realize you can handle the team, but not in excess to make him think you can't handle him (As seen when Parcells got the boot.)
Overall, I'm sad to see what's coming out of Dallas this week and this season. I'm a Cowboy fan for life, but it's to the point that I have to talk myself into watching the games on Sundays, then deal with being upset the following Monday. There needed to be something done. Obviously, Jones can't fire all of the players (Although he probably could buy the Texans and move them to Dallas), so instead he had to make a change at the top.
So, with hopefully all of this behind us, I would like to take this chance to welcome Jason Garrett to the world of the Head Coach. You're now on a seat that is forever hot, no matter what. You're now in a city demanding wins and Super Bowls. It's your job to make those fans take the paper bags off of their heads, to take those signs down that call for the crucifixion of you that are up every week, and to get the media and players on your side. It won't be easy, but today you were given the OK to start working on the foundation of the mansion you're hopefully about to build in Big D. May your leash be long, your patience strong, and your emotions nonexistent, and may you have good luck!
And if none of that happens... at least my OSU Cowboys are having a historic year!
Go Pokes, Go Cowboys, Go Rangers, and from now on, Go Stars, and Go Mavs!
This is brought about by the firing of Wade Phillips from my beloved Dallas Cowboys. After weeks of "Wade Phillips job is secure" comments from Jerry Jone's, Wade has been finally set free from the prison of a 1-7 season.
Preseason
The Dallas Cowboys were in every conversation involving the Super Bowl before the season started. They have the talent (Tony Romo, Jason Witten, Miles Austin, Demarcus Ware.) They have the fan base and facilities (Dallas Cowboys Stadium, if not a sellout every game, very close to it.) The 'boys had all of the makings for a magical season, and seemingly had more tools at hand than the Patriots in '07 when they put together a perfect regular season, and everyone was excited for it.
So It Begin's...
A football team has three parts. Talent, Experience, Leadership.
Those three components make up the "Great Team". Those three components build teams that transcend through the ages.
The '72 Dolphins had all of these components. They had the big names (Talent) that were always in the spotlight, always fielding questions. They had the veterans (Experience) that always helped out the young players and knew what it felt like to play in the post-season. Lastly, they had the coaches (Leadership) that knew what it took to win a football game, to play past the last week of the regular season, and knew how to sport a Super Bowl ring.
The Cowboys seemingly had all of those coming into this year, but the one thing that seemed to lack was the mixture of leadership. They had the player leadership in the Keith Brooking's of the defense and the Jason Witten's of the offense, but they never developed the next rung of the ladder. The next step was the authority leadership, and that was always a mixture of Phillips and Jerry Jones. The same problem came up when Bill Parcells was in Dallas a few years ago. The personality that goes along with a coach in Dallas is that of an iron willed man. A man who receives criticism well, who understands he plays backup, and who knows how to make that situation the best he can make it.
Jerry Jones won't change, that's the obvious part, and it's looking doubtful that he will ever see another championship in his lifetime if he keeps running the team how he's been running it. So if that doesn't happen, the only other thing he can do is change the coaching.
With that said... I didn't think Phillips was the coach suited for the Cowboys. He had success in Dallas, but he didn't have the personality fit for it. He didn't ever stand up to Jones and take the team over like a head coach should. Obviously, as seen in Minnesota this week with the Brad Childress/Randy Moss situation, there are limits on that. But in Dallas, you have to step up and make Jerry realize you can handle the team, but not in excess to make him think you can't handle him (As seen when Parcells got the boot.)
Overall, I'm sad to see what's coming out of Dallas this week and this season. I'm a Cowboy fan for life, but it's to the point that I have to talk myself into watching the games on Sundays, then deal with being upset the following Monday. There needed to be something done. Obviously, Jones can't fire all of the players (Although he probably could buy the Texans and move them to Dallas), so instead he had to make a change at the top.
So, with hopefully all of this behind us, I would like to take this chance to welcome Jason Garrett to the world of the Head Coach. You're now on a seat that is forever hot, no matter what. You're now in a city demanding wins and Super Bowls. It's your job to make those fans take the paper bags off of their heads, to take those signs down that call for the crucifixion of you that are up every week, and to get the media and players on your side. It won't be easy, but today you were given the OK to start working on the foundation of the mansion you're hopefully about to build in Big D. May your leash be long, your patience strong, and your emotions nonexistent, and may you have good luck!
And if none of that happens... at least my OSU Cowboys are having a historic year!
Go Pokes, Go Cowboys, Go Rangers, and from now on, Go Stars, and Go Mavs!
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
The Ranger's Season; What It Meant To Me
This was the greatest season in the history of the Rangers franchise, and it also happened to be the first year I appreciated baseball fully.
When I was in 7th grade, I quit baseball. My mom says it's because I didn't like the pants and that they were too hot. All I remember was playing in a fall league with my select team, and literally going 0 for what seemed like infinity at the plate. That marked the end of my baseball career until Senior year, when I would now give anything to keep playing.
Now the Rangers are done with their season, and I have to wait another 5 months to live vicariously through them yet again.
But doing so isn't attained just by watching them on television. Watching the Rangers live my dream is something done best in person. Over this year, out of 162 games, and 81 home games, I attended (on my count) 16 of them. It's a rather expensive habit, but it was my favorite place to be this summer. I would have paid double the price to see Josh Hamilton drive one to the wall, Nelson Cruz hit a walk-off home run (I saw 2), Elvis Andrus stealing a base (I saw... a lot), or the entire dugout throw the claw (usually with me doing the same from the front row of the second deck.)
This season started early and started right. We had baseball practice at the same time as opening day. After days of figuring out ways to get out of it to go to the game, we finally figured out that there was no way. So instead, Coach pulled out the old boombox to practice and blared the last couple of innings of the game. That was easily our least productive practice, by the way.
When summer finally arrived, I was either at the ballpark, watching them on TV, listening to them in the car, or looking up probable starters and stats on their website. This past summer was everything baseball. I even went and threw the baseball around weeks after the high school season was over, just because it let me think I was still playing.
Now, the World Series dust has finally settled. The Ballpark in Arlington will be empty for 5 months. The stand right next to the entrance of the first base dugout won't have an enthusiastic, sunflower seed chewing manager, conducting his team like a decorated general. The San Francisco Giants fans may be rioting in the streets, mobbing cars, fighting, and "celebrating", but Dallas-Fort Worth is in a much better position.
Dallas-Fort Worth has a baseball team.
I never thought I would be able to say it. The Rangers have arrived, and their test-run is over. This was the first time I've ever constantly checked the score of the Ranger game while out on the town in my Halloween Costume. This was the first time I've ever watched baseball while wearing a jacket. This is the first time. Hopefully the first of many. Maybe the last time ever. Who's to know?
One thing is for sure, the summer of 2010 is one I'll never forget. Not only did I rediscover my love for baseball, but I am now a genuine fan for life. Yes, I went to games back in the A-Rod days. I screamed my lung's out while John Wettland and Jeff Zimmerman threw pitch after pitch. I stood ready at the fence in centerfield waiting to jump the fence to fight for a Juan Gonzalez or Pudge Rodriguez home run. I jumped out of my seat as Rusty Greer made another highlight reel catch. But never have I been so into the game of baseball like I was and am this year.
In my book, the summer of 2010 will go down as one that was dedicated to baseball. Not just my own baseball, but Ranger baseball, and I'm excited for next year's team. I'm excited that the Rangers now know that there are die-hard fans like me out there watching them every game, and even more fans that jump on the bandwagon to root them on to success. Baseball has become more to me than a game, it's become a part of life.
I'd like to believe that the Ranger players agree. I'd like to wish that the Ranger players felt a sense of loyalty to the Texas Ranger franchise, the Ballpark in Arlington, and the 52,000 people that turned out for every playoff game.
Who knows, I guess we'll see this offseason. HopefuLEE this offseason has made that loyalty something that takes over the locker room completeLEE. But one thing is for sure, I'm ready for another season. I'm ready for April. I'm ready for another winning June. I'm ready to sweat in August. I'm ready to freeze in October. HopefuLEE we can return, and next time go out with a bit of a different tune.
Go Rangers, Go Cowboys, Go Pokes!
When I was in 7th grade, I quit baseball. My mom says it's because I didn't like the pants and that they were too hot. All I remember was playing in a fall league with my select team, and literally going 0 for what seemed like infinity at the plate. That marked the end of my baseball career until Senior year, when I would now give anything to keep playing.
Now the Rangers are done with their season, and I have to wait another 5 months to live vicariously through them yet again.
But doing so isn't attained just by watching them on television. Watching the Rangers live my dream is something done best in person. Over this year, out of 162 games, and 81 home games, I attended (on my count) 16 of them. It's a rather expensive habit, but it was my favorite place to be this summer. I would have paid double the price to see Josh Hamilton drive one to the wall, Nelson Cruz hit a walk-off home run (I saw 2), Elvis Andrus stealing a base (I saw... a lot), or the entire dugout throw the claw (usually with me doing the same from the front row of the second deck.)
This season started early and started right. We had baseball practice at the same time as opening day. After days of figuring out ways to get out of it to go to the game, we finally figured out that there was no way. So instead, Coach pulled out the old boombox to practice and blared the last couple of innings of the game. That was easily our least productive practice, by the way.
When summer finally arrived, I was either at the ballpark, watching them on TV, listening to them in the car, or looking up probable starters and stats on their website. This past summer was everything baseball. I even went and threw the baseball around weeks after the high school season was over, just because it let me think I was still playing.
Now, the World Series dust has finally settled. The Ballpark in Arlington will be empty for 5 months. The stand right next to the entrance of the first base dugout won't have an enthusiastic, sunflower seed chewing manager, conducting his team like a decorated general. The San Francisco Giants fans may be rioting in the streets, mobbing cars, fighting, and "celebrating", but Dallas-Fort Worth is in a much better position.
Dallas-Fort Worth has a baseball team.
I never thought I would be able to say it. The Rangers have arrived, and their test-run is over. This was the first time I've ever constantly checked the score of the Ranger game while out on the town in my Halloween Costume. This was the first time I've ever watched baseball while wearing a jacket. This is the first time. Hopefully the first of many. Maybe the last time ever. Who's to know?
One thing is for sure, the summer of 2010 is one I'll never forget. Not only did I rediscover my love for baseball, but I am now a genuine fan for life. Yes, I went to games back in the A-Rod days. I screamed my lung's out while John Wettland and Jeff Zimmerman threw pitch after pitch. I stood ready at the fence in centerfield waiting to jump the fence to fight for a Juan Gonzalez or Pudge Rodriguez home run. I jumped out of my seat as Rusty Greer made another highlight reel catch. But never have I been so into the game of baseball like I was and am this year.
In my book, the summer of 2010 will go down as one that was dedicated to baseball. Not just my own baseball, but Ranger baseball, and I'm excited for next year's team. I'm excited that the Rangers now know that there are die-hard fans like me out there watching them every game, and even more fans that jump on the bandwagon to root them on to success. Baseball has become more to me than a game, it's become a part of life.
I'd like to believe that the Ranger players agree. I'd like to wish that the Ranger players felt a sense of loyalty to the Texas Ranger franchise, the Ballpark in Arlington, and the 52,000 people that turned out for every playoff game.
Who knows, I guess we'll see this offseason. HopefuLEE this offseason has made that loyalty something that takes over the locker room completeLEE. But one thing is for sure, I'm ready for another season. I'm ready for April. I'm ready for another winning June. I'm ready to sweat in August. I'm ready to freeze in October. HopefuLEE we can return, and next time go out with a bit of a different tune.
Go Rangers, Go Cowboys, Go Pokes!
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
The World Series, Enough Said
The World Series is beginning tonight, and it's going to be a heck of a series. The Texas Rangers first ever Fall Classic appearance, and based on the numbers, it looks like the Rangers could potentially have a great series.
The Series begins tonight at 7, and as any baseball fan knows, there are many components that go into winning a baseball game, much less a 7 Game Series. Though there are tons of parts that go into the win, I'll break it up into two major components:
Offense
The Rangers go into the World Series on an absolute tear at the plate. This post-season, they have scored 59 runs in 11 games with 17 home runs. Just to portray how dominate that is, the high powered Yankee lineup has generated 36 runs in 9 games, with only 10 homers. The well stacked lineup for the Rangers includes the likes the ALCS MVP, Josh Hamilton (ALCS stats: .350 avg., 4 HR, 7 RBI'S, 8 Walks). Another major key to their lineup is the Five-hole hitter, Nelson Cruz. Cruz is batting .375 this post season, with 5 Doubles, 5 HR's, and 8 RBI'S.
The Giants take the more close game approach to the series, scoring 30 runs in 10 games. They're batting .231 as a team, and live and die by their starting pitching. A key component to their lineup is potential NL Rookie Of the Year, Buster Posey. Posey is batting .282 with 3 doubles and 3 RBI'S. The rookie has been playing well after Molina was traded to Texas and he took over the full time catching job, and is quickly developing a name for himself.
Advantage - Rangers
The Rangers high powered offense seemingly outscores everyone, and with the Giants putting up an average of 3 runs a game, the Rangers will likely only need to bat the first half of the game to exceed that total. Texas also has a habit of exploding late in the game at the end of a starting pitchers appearance, or the beginning of the bullpen's part of the game. Also, don't forget how well they manufacture runs. The Rangers baserunning is as good as or better than any other team in the league.
Pitching
Cliff Lee. That's all that seems to need saying for this part. Not only has Lee dominated this post season (3-0, 0.74 ERA, 2 ER), but he also has rubbed off on the other starting pitchers. C.J. Wilson has received tons of tips and help on pitching from Lee, and is now starting to take games over in the same manner. The Rangers also have a strong bullpen that seems to take over a game on any given day. The only major slip up they have seemed to have this year is Game 1 of the ALCS when they gave up a 5-0 lead. Their dominance is shown by their closer, Neftali Feliz, who hurls 100 mph fastballs past just about every hitter he's faced this year.
The Giants pitching rallies behind their ace, and Cy Young award winner, Tim Lincecum (2-1, 1.93 ERA, 5 Earned Runs). He has dominated this post season, and even in his loss, still gave his team a chance to win the game in the end. The Giants bullpen is also very strong, and it's shown in their closer Brian Wilson. The LSU Alum has sat down batter after batter all year, and has seemingly taken on the "Mariano Rivera" persona this post season.
Advantage - Giants
Though this is extremely close, the Giants have a more balanced pitching rotation. The bullpen is evenly matched, but so much of baseball is how a game is started and momentum. Past Cliff Lee is two potentially great starting pitcher, and another that can take over a game in Tommy Hunter, but none have consistently shown dominance in the way that the Giants rotation has.
This will come down simply to who wants it more, and with the Ranger's having an entire fan base of Claw Waving, Antler Throwing fans that the Giants have to face for games 3, 4, and possibly 5, I don't see anything going well for them in Arlington.
All of that said, my prediction is going to go down as
Texas Rangers in 5.
Go Rangers, Go Pokes, Go Cowboys!
The Series begins tonight at 7, and as any baseball fan knows, there are many components that go into winning a baseball game, much less a 7 Game Series. Though there are tons of parts that go into the win, I'll break it up into two major components:
Offense
The Rangers go into the World Series on an absolute tear at the plate. This post-season, they have scored 59 runs in 11 games with 17 home runs. Just to portray how dominate that is, the high powered Yankee lineup has generated 36 runs in 9 games, with only 10 homers. The well stacked lineup for the Rangers includes the likes the ALCS MVP, Josh Hamilton (ALCS stats: .350 avg., 4 HR, 7 RBI'S, 8 Walks). Another major key to their lineup is the Five-hole hitter, Nelson Cruz. Cruz is batting .375 this post season, with 5 Doubles, 5 HR's, and 8 RBI'S.
The Giants take the more close game approach to the series, scoring 30 runs in 10 games. They're batting .231 as a team, and live and die by their starting pitching. A key component to their lineup is potential NL Rookie Of the Year, Buster Posey. Posey is batting .282 with 3 doubles and 3 RBI'S. The rookie has been playing well after Molina was traded to Texas and he took over the full time catching job, and is quickly developing a name for himself.
Advantage - Rangers
The Rangers high powered offense seemingly outscores everyone, and with the Giants putting up an average of 3 runs a game, the Rangers will likely only need to bat the first half of the game to exceed that total. Texas also has a habit of exploding late in the game at the end of a starting pitchers appearance, or the beginning of the bullpen's part of the game. Also, don't forget how well they manufacture runs. The Rangers baserunning is as good as or better than any other team in the league.
Pitching
Cliff Lee. That's all that seems to need saying for this part. Not only has Lee dominated this post season (3-0, 0.74 ERA, 2 ER), but he also has rubbed off on the other starting pitchers. C.J. Wilson has received tons of tips and help on pitching from Lee, and is now starting to take games over in the same manner. The Rangers also have a strong bullpen that seems to take over a game on any given day. The only major slip up they have seemed to have this year is Game 1 of the ALCS when they gave up a 5-0 lead. Their dominance is shown by their closer, Neftali Feliz, who hurls 100 mph fastballs past just about every hitter he's faced this year.
The Giants pitching rallies behind their ace, and Cy Young award winner, Tim Lincecum (2-1, 1.93 ERA, 5 Earned Runs). He has dominated this post season, and even in his loss, still gave his team a chance to win the game in the end. The Giants bullpen is also very strong, and it's shown in their closer Brian Wilson. The LSU Alum has sat down batter after batter all year, and has seemingly taken on the "Mariano Rivera" persona this post season.
Advantage - Giants
Though this is extremely close, the Giants have a more balanced pitching rotation. The bullpen is evenly matched, but so much of baseball is how a game is started and momentum. Past Cliff Lee is two potentially great starting pitcher, and another that can take over a game in Tommy Hunter, but none have consistently shown dominance in the way that the Giants rotation has.
This will come down simply to who wants it more, and with the Ranger's having an entire fan base of Claw Waving, Antler Throwing fans that the Giants have to face for games 3, 4, and possibly 5, I don't see anything going well for them in Arlington.
All of that said, my prediction is going to go down as
Texas Rangers in 5.
Go Rangers, Go Pokes, Go Cowboys!
Sunday, October 24, 2010
A Good, But Not Great, Weekend
For the sports fan that likes the same teams I do, this weekend was an up and down, stress filled, three days... And possibly the most stressful team, the Cowboys, haven't even played yet.
But the best moment of the weekend came on Friday night. My Rangers are going to the World Series.
Looking back at this season, it seems like it has taken forever. So many things have changed over the last 7 months that it's crazy to even think about. On opening day, I was at baseball practice with my high school team warming up when Jarrod Saltalamacchia hit the walk-off game winner. Coach had pulled a radio out there and had extension cords running out to it so we could listen to the game. Now, I'm 5 months out of my baseball, and high school career, and the Rangers are STILL playing in the same season.
One of the coolest things about the Rangers this year is the story of Josh Hamilton, that I'm sure you've most likely heard. The battle with drugs, alcohol, and his baseball potential, and the now-infamous relapse stemming from a bar visit in Arizona. And after all of that, he's in the World Series, and not only that, but the ALCS MVP and possibly the AL MVP.
After all of that road traveled by Mr. Hamilton, he's now in a position to go down as one of the best players to ever play, especially after this season. But the true Josh Hamilton came out in his post-game interview after the ALCS. Instead of talking about him, he first thanked God, then only wanted to talk about his teammates.
That game might have been the happiest moment of my life. Neftali Feliz's strikeout against A-Rod (does anyone else find it ironic that he was the last out?) to end the game brought about a ton of jumping up and down, hugs, high fives, and screaming for the next few minutes. Then came the post game celebration, which was the best feeling in the world to watch.
But how often does this "Post-Season" feeling happen? I think it's a one time occurrence. If the New York Yankees had started the "Claw and Antler" craze, you never would've heard a word about it, because they are always on top. If the Rangers go on to win the World Series, then even next year won't be the same. Yes, there will be a spike in Rangers gear sold, and an attendance spike next year if they go out and keep winning ball games, but the emotions that go into the first playoff run are those that you'll never experience again.
That said, enjoy the post-season. Watch EVERY game you can, throw the claw, put on the antlers, scream at the tv until your voice is gone (I really hope I'm not the only Ranger fan that does these things.)
The idea of this article is for you to know to enjoy this playoff run and the emotions fueling the Texas Ranger fire. Enjoy watching or going to the games, because they'll be the best games to watch. Enjoy your seat on the bandwagon, because this is as packed and as fun as it will ever be. All in all, enjoy the WORLD SERIES, because we deserve it!
Homecoming Weekend
This weekend was also Homecoming here in Stillwater. The "Nation's Best Homecoming" lived up to it's name for me. I saw thousands of dollars in house decorations on the Fraternity and Sorority houses that blew my mind. I saw one of my favorite TEXAS Country bands, the Casey Donahew Band, play a block from my dorm on the Beta House front lawn. And last but not least, I saw a college football game.
But this football game was different from the past 6 this year for OSU. The frustrating part wasn't the things that were different, like the loss. Instead, the frustrating things were the things that are the same week in and week out.
First, our offense does the same thing every week. First posession: 2 runs, then a pass. 3 and out, every week. Then, we live and die by the fade. If we can execute it 90% of the time, then that's fine, but that's our only passing play it seems. The medium passing game is nonexistent this year, as most of the passes are either 60 yard gains, or 4 yard gains. Kendall Hunter has been limited because of it as well, as our play action passes occur once every 10-15 snaps.
Secondly, our defense has done a heck of a job for what has been called. I feel bad for the guy's. On first and second down, they hold the offense to little or no gain. Then, on third down, they give up a 15-20 yard gain. How does this happen, and happen continuously? The simple answer: they blitz on first and second down, which stuffs the run or rattles the quarterback to make a bad pass, then on third down they try to drop back into protection, giving the quarterback time to pick them apart. Keep the same approach that you had when you were succeeding, don't change your gameplan when it never works, and hasn't for 7 weeks.
Thirdly: Kickoff Coverage. Always kickoff coverage. No need to go into detail on that.
This isn't a time to jump ship, I still think OSU has a great team, and am overlooking the Nebraska game because they played a great game. I look at it as us starting the year with no one expecting anything from us, compared to Nebraska, who was getting some National Championship talk in the preseason, and we lost to them by 10 points.
I know people will say I'm using that as an excuse, but that's exactly what I'm doing. This isn't me trying to win an argument on my team being better, it's just the truth. I really hope the Pokes can shake off this past week and go out and win the next couple of games to get to the Bedlam game with one loss, to make it a true showdown.
That's all I've got for this week, Next post:
World Series Talk, Rangers vs. Giants
Go Rangers, Go Cowboys, Go Pokes!
But the best moment of the weekend came on Friday night. My Rangers are going to the World Series.
Looking back at this season, it seems like it has taken forever. So many things have changed over the last 7 months that it's crazy to even think about. On opening day, I was at baseball practice with my high school team warming up when Jarrod Saltalamacchia hit the walk-off game winner. Coach had pulled a radio out there and had extension cords running out to it so we could listen to the game. Now, I'm 5 months out of my baseball, and high school career, and the Rangers are STILL playing in the same season.
One of the coolest things about the Rangers this year is the story of Josh Hamilton, that I'm sure you've most likely heard. The battle with drugs, alcohol, and his baseball potential, and the now-infamous relapse stemming from a bar visit in Arizona. And after all of that, he's in the World Series, and not only that, but the ALCS MVP and possibly the AL MVP.
After all of that road traveled by Mr. Hamilton, he's now in a position to go down as one of the best players to ever play, especially after this season. But the true Josh Hamilton came out in his post-game interview after the ALCS. Instead of talking about him, he first thanked God, then only wanted to talk about his teammates.
That game might have been the happiest moment of my life. Neftali Feliz's strikeout against A-Rod (does anyone else find it ironic that he was the last out?) to end the game brought about a ton of jumping up and down, hugs, high fives, and screaming for the next few minutes. Then came the post game celebration, which was the best feeling in the world to watch.
But how often does this "Post-Season" feeling happen? I think it's a one time occurrence. If the New York Yankees had started the "Claw and Antler" craze, you never would've heard a word about it, because they are always on top. If the Rangers go on to win the World Series, then even next year won't be the same. Yes, there will be a spike in Rangers gear sold, and an attendance spike next year if they go out and keep winning ball games, but the emotions that go into the first playoff run are those that you'll never experience again.
That said, enjoy the post-season. Watch EVERY game you can, throw the claw, put on the antlers, scream at the tv until your voice is gone (I really hope I'm not the only Ranger fan that does these things.)
The idea of this article is for you to know to enjoy this playoff run and the emotions fueling the Texas Ranger fire. Enjoy watching or going to the games, because they'll be the best games to watch. Enjoy your seat on the bandwagon, because this is as packed and as fun as it will ever be. All in all, enjoy the WORLD SERIES, because we deserve it!
Homecoming Weekend
This weekend was also Homecoming here in Stillwater. The "Nation's Best Homecoming" lived up to it's name for me. I saw thousands of dollars in house decorations on the Fraternity and Sorority houses that blew my mind. I saw one of my favorite TEXAS Country bands, the Casey Donahew Band, play a block from my dorm on the Beta House front lawn. And last but not least, I saw a college football game.
But this football game was different from the past 6 this year for OSU. The frustrating part wasn't the things that were different, like the loss. Instead, the frustrating things were the things that are the same week in and week out.
First, our offense does the same thing every week. First posession: 2 runs, then a pass. 3 and out, every week. Then, we live and die by the fade. If we can execute it 90% of the time, then that's fine, but that's our only passing play it seems. The medium passing game is nonexistent this year, as most of the passes are either 60 yard gains, or 4 yard gains. Kendall Hunter has been limited because of it as well, as our play action passes occur once every 10-15 snaps.
Secondly, our defense has done a heck of a job for what has been called. I feel bad for the guy's. On first and second down, they hold the offense to little or no gain. Then, on third down, they give up a 15-20 yard gain. How does this happen, and happen continuously? The simple answer: they blitz on first and second down, which stuffs the run or rattles the quarterback to make a bad pass, then on third down they try to drop back into protection, giving the quarterback time to pick them apart. Keep the same approach that you had when you were succeeding, don't change your gameplan when it never works, and hasn't for 7 weeks.
Thirdly: Kickoff Coverage. Always kickoff coverage. No need to go into detail on that.
This isn't a time to jump ship, I still think OSU has a great team, and am overlooking the Nebraska game because they played a great game. I look at it as us starting the year with no one expecting anything from us, compared to Nebraska, who was getting some National Championship talk in the preseason, and we lost to them by 10 points.
I know people will say I'm using that as an excuse, but that's exactly what I'm doing. This isn't me trying to win an argument on my team being better, it's just the truth. I really hope the Pokes can shake off this past week and go out and win the next couple of games to get to the Bedlam game with one loss, to make it a true showdown.
That's all I've got for this week, Next post:
World Series Talk, Rangers vs. Giants
Go Rangers, Go Cowboys, Go Pokes!
Thursday, October 21, 2010
NFL Administration Memo: Players, don't forget to bring your flags on Sunday
What's next, the NFL banning blocking?
The new "rule" against hits to the head in the NFL is ridiculous, and might just be the last straw in them losing me as apart of their regular audience. The rule says that any contact or blow to the opponents head using the head, shoulder, or forearm, is subject to suspension, fines, and possibly being kicked out of the game, even for first time offenders.
For those of you who have never played football, or it's been awhile, I'll put it into basic words so it's easier to understand: The defensive players in the NFL are now asked to not give their all. If a receiver is running a route over the middle, the linebackers and safeties can no longer launch into them, causing the huge hits that have made Ray Lewis, James Harrison, Brian Urlacher, and Ed Reed famous. Instead, they now have to calculate their hit to make sure they don't catch any of the helmet and facemask of the receiver.
How ridiculous is this? I've played football for 8 years all together, and have given and received plenty of helmet to helmet hits. Yes the guys in the NFL are going about twice as fast as I went in my football days, but it's basically the same situation.
What this does now is makes a defensive player have to decide between playing full speed and paying a fine, and slowing down to "aim" his hit at the players chest. If he slows down, he potentially misses the tackle, and that shows on film, which then possibly results in him getting pulled for someone who will go full speed.
All of this said, I don't agree with the NFL on this rule. This makes me not want to watch the NFL at all, as it seems like I'm watching puppets who are controlled by all of the strings attached to the NFL Administration's fingers. The tension between the players and administration is building, and with the Player's Agreement situation (the contract between the Players Association and the NFL expires at the end of the season), I don't see the administration helping themselves at all for the negotiations that will take place.
I hope you all like College Football, because at this rate, that's all that will be around next fall.
Now for some College Football predictions for the week:
UCLA 14
#2 Oregon 42
#6 LSU 24
#4 Auburn 27
#13 Wisconsin 38
#15 Iowa 28
#16 Nebraska 28
#14 Oklahoma St. 38
#1 Oklahoma 42
#11 Missouri 30
And finally...
NLCS Game 5
Phillies 6
Giants 2
ALCS Game 6
Yankees 3
Rangers 7
Next Post (Sunday):
My experience at Oklahoma State Homecoming
Go Rangers, Go Cowboys, Go Pokes!
The new "rule" against hits to the head in the NFL is ridiculous, and might just be the last straw in them losing me as apart of their regular audience. The rule says that any contact or blow to the opponents head using the head, shoulder, or forearm, is subject to suspension, fines, and possibly being kicked out of the game, even for first time offenders.
For those of you who have never played football, or it's been awhile, I'll put it into basic words so it's easier to understand: The defensive players in the NFL are now asked to not give their all. If a receiver is running a route over the middle, the linebackers and safeties can no longer launch into them, causing the huge hits that have made Ray Lewis, James Harrison, Brian Urlacher, and Ed Reed famous. Instead, they now have to calculate their hit to make sure they don't catch any of the helmet and facemask of the receiver.
How ridiculous is this? I've played football for 8 years all together, and have given and received plenty of helmet to helmet hits. Yes the guys in the NFL are going about twice as fast as I went in my football days, but it's basically the same situation.
What this does now is makes a defensive player have to decide between playing full speed and paying a fine, and slowing down to "aim" his hit at the players chest. If he slows down, he potentially misses the tackle, and that shows on film, which then possibly results in him getting pulled for someone who will go full speed.
All of this said, I don't agree with the NFL on this rule. This makes me not want to watch the NFL at all, as it seems like I'm watching puppets who are controlled by all of the strings attached to the NFL Administration's fingers. The tension between the players and administration is building, and with the Player's Agreement situation (the contract between the Players Association and the NFL expires at the end of the season), I don't see the administration helping themselves at all for the negotiations that will take place.
I hope you all like College Football, because at this rate, that's all that will be around next fall.
Now for some College Football predictions for the week:
UCLA 14
#2 Oregon 42
#6 LSU 24
#4 Auburn 27
#13 Wisconsin 38
#15 Iowa 28
#16 Nebraska 28
#14 Oklahoma St. 38
#1 Oklahoma 42
#11 Missouri 30
And finally...
NLCS Game 5
Phillies 6
Giants 2
ALCS Game 6
Yankees 3
Rangers 7
Next Post (Sunday):
My experience at Oklahoma State Homecoming
Go Rangers, Go Cowboys, Go Pokes!
Monday, October 18, 2010
Bandwagon Fans; Try Not To Get Hurt When Jumping
It's looked at by the most annoying thing in sports by some die-hard fans. The "Bandwagon" fan is something no one understands, but almost everyone does.
Bandwagon fans are with "their team" through the positive times, but don't care about the team when they're going through the negatives. When these fans are looked at by the die-hards, they seem to get rather annoying.
The die-hard fans sit through the losing streaks, the low budget times, and the "what is wrong with them?" seasons. They are always there, always try to find positives, and always support their team, even if they don't fully agree with what's going on. When the bandwagon fan comes, they get annoyed because they see their relationship with sports as full time, while the bandwagonner sees it as a part time/when it's convenient relationship. But why are they looked at as annoying?
I see myself as a full-time sports fan to all of my teams. I've watched the Rangers through all the 40 and 50 win seasons, the playoff droughts, and the times when they never seem to have any kind of big names even semi interested in playing for them.
I watched the Cowboys when they lost Aikman and Smith, when they went from the best team in the NFL to one of the worst, and slowly climbed back into the spotlight.
And when my teams become good enough to attract bandwagon fans, I WELCOME them with open arms.
Yes, you read that right, I welcome them.
The reason I do this will be shown to you by this years situation with the Rangers. They finally have a post-season year, and are doing well because of a trade they made during the season for Cliff Lee.
Cliff Lee makes a lot of money, and is only going to stay in Texas past this year if he keeps on making that much money, if not more. At the beginning of the year, it was only the die-hard fans buying tickets to the Ranger games, making the attendance somewhere between 15,000 and 25,000 a game.
Now, late in the season and in the playoffs, the attendance is between 40,000 and 45,000.
What does this mean? The more people coming to the game, buying tickets, buying programs, grabbing a shirt for their son who has school the next day and couldn't go, buying a beer for them and their friends, the more money goes to the Rangers, which in turn keeps those big names in Ranger uniforms, and also brings in more big names in the offseason.
For those of you who speak the language of Math, this equation will help you understand.
Better players + More Bandwagon Fans = More Money.
More Money = Even better players coming in in the offseason.
So I say, go out and buy that Ranger shirt even though you can't name anyone on the field, I'm completely fine with that. I've been going to Ranger games since I could walk (I went to the 1996 Playoff game against the Yankees, and I was born in 1991. I am serious when I say that I've been going since I could walk), but I look at the bandwagon fans as regular fans because all they're doing is helping me.
The only negative to the bandwagon fans is that tickets are a bit harder to grab, but I think I'm fine with that if we're winning ballgames.
Go Rangers, Go Cowboys, and Go Pokes!
Bandwagon fans are with "their team" through the positive times, but don't care about the team when they're going through the negatives. When these fans are looked at by the die-hards, they seem to get rather annoying.
The die-hard fans sit through the losing streaks, the low budget times, and the "what is wrong with them?" seasons. They are always there, always try to find positives, and always support their team, even if they don't fully agree with what's going on. When the bandwagon fan comes, they get annoyed because they see their relationship with sports as full time, while the bandwagonner sees it as a part time/when it's convenient relationship. But why are they looked at as annoying?
I see myself as a full-time sports fan to all of my teams. I've watched the Rangers through all the 40 and 50 win seasons, the playoff droughts, and the times when they never seem to have any kind of big names even semi interested in playing for them.
I watched the Cowboys when they lost Aikman and Smith, when they went from the best team in the NFL to one of the worst, and slowly climbed back into the spotlight.
And when my teams become good enough to attract bandwagon fans, I WELCOME them with open arms.
Yes, you read that right, I welcome them.
The reason I do this will be shown to you by this years situation with the Rangers. They finally have a post-season year, and are doing well because of a trade they made during the season for Cliff Lee.
Cliff Lee makes a lot of money, and is only going to stay in Texas past this year if he keeps on making that much money, if not more. At the beginning of the year, it was only the die-hard fans buying tickets to the Ranger games, making the attendance somewhere between 15,000 and 25,000 a game.
Now, late in the season and in the playoffs, the attendance is between 40,000 and 45,000.
What does this mean? The more people coming to the game, buying tickets, buying programs, grabbing a shirt for their son who has school the next day and couldn't go, buying a beer for them and their friends, the more money goes to the Rangers, which in turn keeps those big names in Ranger uniforms, and also brings in more big names in the offseason.
For those of you who speak the language of Math, this equation will help you understand.
Better players + More Bandwagon Fans = More Money.
More Money = Even better players coming in in the offseason.
So I say, go out and buy that Ranger shirt even though you can't name anyone on the field, I'm completely fine with that. I've been going to Ranger games since I could walk (I went to the 1996 Playoff game against the Yankees, and I was born in 1991. I am serious when I say that I've been going since I could walk), but I look at the bandwagon fans as regular fans because all they're doing is helping me.
The only negative to the bandwagon fans is that tickets are a bit harder to grab, but I think I'm fine with that if we're winning ballgames.
Go Rangers, Go Cowboys, and Go Pokes!
Saturday, October 16, 2010
My New Love for October
Section 319, Row 1, seat 8.
That's the seat I was standing in front of when the Texas Rangers won their first home post-season game in franchise history. My voice is raspy, my face is sunburned, and I'm beyond tired, but I had a BLAST, and now understand fully why baseball fans love October.
Baseball fans for post-season teams that is. Today I watched the Rangers, while getting updates on my pokes who were playing in Lubbock, all while wondering if my Cowboys would get it together tomorrow in Minnesota. On top of that, the Mavericks season is about to get started. How is a sports fan supposed to concentrate when 4 of his teams could potentially be playing a game all within 2 days of each other?!
Now onto the Ranger game. First off, if you fully understand baseball, and understand what's at stake every game, then going to a post-season baseball game would probably be the best experience you could ever have. And if your team wins, it's even better. The stadium was packed (not a sellout, but probably 90-95% full), and every single fan was into it. Aside from the occasional "Yankees Suck" chant, I was extremely proud to be a Rangers fan. Walking from our seats to the bottom level and to the car was just as fun, as fans were "high-fiving" ushers and security guards, buying TONS of apparel and souvenirs, and even walking through all of the sections to grab the souvenir cups that are usually left there (I was upset, those are the cups I now use in my dorm, and I could only snag two.) It was an amazing day to be a Ranger fan, amazing day to be at the ballpark, and even better to be a baseball fan in general.
The Ranger players put on a show as well, torching the Yankee starting pitcher, and putting themselves in good situations against their bullpen. But one player stuck out to me more than anyone, and that was Darren O'Day.
The submarine pitcher came in after Oliver retired two batters, and his job was the same as it always is. "You'll have one or two batters, then we're pulling you. Get them out."
That makes me think two things:
1- How awesome would it be to be paid an amount of money to come into a game and pitch to one, maybe two batters, then go hang out in the dugout for the rest of the game?
2- How stressful would it be to be paid an amount of money to come into a game and pitch to one, maybe two batters, then go hang out in the dugout for the rest of the game?
But tonight, he ignored #2, and slammed the door shut, just as he has most of the season, by striking out the player he was matched up against.
This year he has pitched 62.0 innings in 72 games, with an ERA of just over 2. At most, he sees two batters an outing, which means he saw 62 batters at a minimum this year, and had 45 strike outs. Tonight, he seemed to give the bullpen the confidence to say "We can beat these guys", and actually did it.
So as the game wore on, and the Rangers seemed to score at will in the first half of the game (They scored one run in the 1st inning and two runs in the 2nd, 3rd, and 5th inning), the happier and more proud I became. Happy because the same team I went to the ballpark 15+ times this summer to see in the 105 degree Texas heat, is in the playoffs, and not only that, but is actually doing extremely well. Proud because I could enjoy it with my family, and proud that my mom is capable of getting those tickets for us.
October is only half finished, and I already never want it to end. Hopefully the Rangers can pull this series out and go from there, I know the Cowboys would appreciate their full fan base back, so the sooner the next 7 wins come the better!
Go Rangers, Go Pokes, and Go Cowboys!
That's the seat I was standing in front of when the Texas Rangers won their first home post-season game in franchise history. My voice is raspy, my face is sunburned, and I'm beyond tired, but I had a BLAST, and now understand fully why baseball fans love October.
Baseball fans for post-season teams that is. Today I watched the Rangers, while getting updates on my pokes who were playing in Lubbock, all while wondering if my Cowboys would get it together tomorrow in Minnesota. On top of that, the Mavericks season is about to get started. How is a sports fan supposed to concentrate when 4 of his teams could potentially be playing a game all within 2 days of each other?!
Now onto the Ranger game. First off, if you fully understand baseball, and understand what's at stake every game, then going to a post-season baseball game would probably be the best experience you could ever have. And if your team wins, it's even better. The stadium was packed (not a sellout, but probably 90-95% full), and every single fan was into it. Aside from the occasional "Yankees Suck" chant, I was extremely proud to be a Rangers fan. Walking from our seats to the bottom level and to the car was just as fun, as fans were "high-fiving" ushers and security guards, buying TONS of apparel and souvenirs, and even walking through all of the sections to grab the souvenir cups that are usually left there (I was upset, those are the cups I now use in my dorm, and I could only snag two.) It was an amazing day to be a Ranger fan, amazing day to be at the ballpark, and even better to be a baseball fan in general.
The Ranger players put on a show as well, torching the Yankee starting pitcher, and putting themselves in good situations against their bullpen. But one player stuck out to me more than anyone, and that was Darren O'Day.
The submarine pitcher came in after Oliver retired two batters, and his job was the same as it always is. "You'll have one or two batters, then we're pulling you. Get them out."
That makes me think two things:
1- How awesome would it be to be paid an amount of money to come into a game and pitch to one, maybe two batters, then go hang out in the dugout for the rest of the game?
2- How stressful would it be to be paid an amount of money to come into a game and pitch to one, maybe two batters, then go hang out in the dugout for the rest of the game?
But tonight, he ignored #2, and slammed the door shut, just as he has most of the season, by striking out the player he was matched up against.
This year he has pitched 62.0 innings in 72 games, with an ERA of just over 2. At most, he sees two batters an outing, which means he saw 62 batters at a minimum this year, and had 45 strike outs. Tonight, he seemed to give the bullpen the confidence to say "We can beat these guys", and actually did it.
So as the game wore on, and the Rangers seemed to score at will in the first half of the game (They scored one run in the 1st inning and two runs in the 2nd, 3rd, and 5th inning), the happier and more proud I became. Happy because the same team I went to the ballpark 15+ times this summer to see in the 105 degree Texas heat, is in the playoffs, and not only that, but is actually doing extremely well. Proud because I could enjoy it with my family, and proud that my mom is capable of getting those tickets for us.
October is only half finished, and I already never want it to end. Hopefully the Rangers can pull this series out and go from there, I know the Cowboys would appreciate their full fan base back, so the sooner the next 7 wins come the better!
Go Rangers, Go Pokes, and Go Cowboys!
Thursday, October 14, 2010
What Sports Taught Me
The curveball is known as the hardest pitch to hit at any level. Whether it's Cliff Lee's 12-6 curveball, Tim Wakefield's knuckle curve, or the eighth grader just learning how to throw it, it's a tough ball to hit.
The perfect curveball comes after a fastball. The speed change, along with the movement, can mess up even the best batters in the game. The curveball's that have been thrown my way in life have mostly been swings and misses, but I have found that the best therapy is the world of sports.
In fourth grade, I started my first year of football. I played for "Coach T" on the Pirates, and was bigger and stronger than most of the guys on my team, but was, in all honesty, probably the softest kid out there. My mom loved me playing, as she's as big of a sports fan as I was, and she showed it by sitting at every practice watching from the car. I'll never forget one day after practice, getting into her car and her saying "Why were you taking it easy on that kid in your blocking drills?"
My response makes her laugh every time, even when we talk about it 10 years later.
The kid I was going against was half of my size, and probably weighed 70 pounds soaking wet, after dinner. I looked at my mom and said "I kept getting into my stance thinking I was going to beat him, but everytime I looked up, he always looked so sad."
Once her hysterical laughter died down, she told me that it doesn't matter who is across from me, I need to always go 100%, because not only will it make me better, but it will make him better. I've always looked at that as something I can apply to anything.
This helped a lot in high school. I started on the JV offensive line as a sophomore, and instead of looking across at the 70 pound kid, I was looking across at 270 pound all district defensive lineman. I still always tried to go full speed, and a few headaches and broken chinstraps later, it paid off, because I became one of those all district lineman.
But everything goes back to that year of football in fourth grade. Not only did that whole hilarious situation happen, but that was also the fall when my parents got divorced. My dad stayed with a friend for awhile, and missed some of my football games (this rarely happens; my dad probably hasn't missed a game since my fourth grade football year, and never missed one before it.) I was really upset about it, and everyone could tell.
That's when "Coach T" stepped in, and pulled me aside during practice. Coach T had been coaching pee-wee football forever, and knew what he was doing. He looked at me and said "Do you think your dad wants you being sad about him not being here, or do you think he wants you to go out there and kick some butt, and show that you're the best on the field?"
I'll never forget that conversation. I replied with "Well..." and that's as far as I got before Coach T's southern drawl took over. "You're a player, take over the field, no one out here can do it but you."
It's amazing what sticks with a fourth grade kid. I still live by what I learned in those two situations every day, and they happened 10 years ago. That's what sports has taught me, to take over and give everything my all. I've learned that the only thing limiting me on being the best at something is me. Once someone has overcome their limitations, they can be the best at math, cheerleading, competitive eating (a dream of mine), or whatever they put their mind to.
This post is a bit off the path I've taken on this blog, but hopefully this opens eyes on the people who haven't ever had the opportunity to play a sport, and helps them understand why people tailgate before games, and dedicate entire days to their favorite team just because they play that day.
In summary: Show this to your wife, hopefully she'll understand the big screen and surround sound.
Next Update: My experience at the ALCS game, Yankees @ Rangers.
GO RANGERS!
The perfect curveball comes after a fastball. The speed change, along with the movement, can mess up even the best batters in the game. The curveball's that have been thrown my way in life have mostly been swings and misses, but I have found that the best therapy is the world of sports.
In fourth grade, I started my first year of football. I played for "Coach T" on the Pirates, and was bigger and stronger than most of the guys on my team, but was, in all honesty, probably the softest kid out there. My mom loved me playing, as she's as big of a sports fan as I was, and she showed it by sitting at every practice watching from the car. I'll never forget one day after practice, getting into her car and her saying "Why were you taking it easy on that kid in your blocking drills?"
My response makes her laugh every time, even when we talk about it 10 years later.
The kid I was going against was half of my size, and probably weighed 70 pounds soaking wet, after dinner. I looked at my mom and said "I kept getting into my stance thinking I was going to beat him, but everytime I looked up, he always looked so sad."
Once her hysterical laughter died down, she told me that it doesn't matter who is across from me, I need to always go 100%, because not only will it make me better, but it will make him better. I've always looked at that as something I can apply to anything.
This helped a lot in high school. I started on the JV offensive line as a sophomore, and instead of looking across at the 70 pound kid, I was looking across at 270 pound all district defensive lineman. I still always tried to go full speed, and a few headaches and broken chinstraps later, it paid off, because I became one of those all district lineman.
But everything goes back to that year of football in fourth grade. Not only did that whole hilarious situation happen, but that was also the fall when my parents got divorced. My dad stayed with a friend for awhile, and missed some of my football games (this rarely happens; my dad probably hasn't missed a game since my fourth grade football year, and never missed one before it.) I was really upset about it, and everyone could tell.
That's when "Coach T" stepped in, and pulled me aside during practice. Coach T had been coaching pee-wee football forever, and knew what he was doing. He looked at me and said "Do you think your dad wants you being sad about him not being here, or do you think he wants you to go out there and kick some butt, and show that you're the best on the field?"
I'll never forget that conversation. I replied with "Well..." and that's as far as I got before Coach T's southern drawl took over. "You're a player, take over the field, no one out here can do it but you."
It's amazing what sticks with a fourth grade kid. I still live by what I learned in those two situations every day, and they happened 10 years ago. That's what sports has taught me, to take over and give everything my all. I've learned that the only thing limiting me on being the best at something is me. Once someone has overcome their limitations, they can be the best at math, cheerleading, competitive eating (a dream of mine), or whatever they put their mind to.
This post is a bit off the path I've taken on this blog, but hopefully this opens eyes on the people who haven't ever had the opportunity to play a sport, and helps them understand why people tailgate before games, and dedicate entire days to their favorite team just because they play that day.
In summary: Show this to your wife, hopefully she'll understand the big screen and surround sound.
Next Update: My experience at the ALCS game, Yankees @ Rangers.
GO RANGERS!
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
My First Post-Season Series
Not in the sense that the ALDS is the first Post-Season series I've ever watched, but rather the first I've had emotional ties to. And when I say emotional ties, I'm talking "lost sleep, stressed, ruined my day, made my day" ties.
But now I finally understand what all these MLB fans have been talking about my entire life. The Rangers have been to the post-season twice before this year (1996, 1999), and, of course have met their fate at the hands of the Yankees. I even attended one of the games in '96 with my Mom, but didn't understand the significance of what I was watching, I thought it was just another "suit up, swing the bat, and get snacks after" type of game, all about the fun.
But now I can honestly say I realize what's at stake. I realize that when I was sitting in my seat at most of the games in August, that was just a tune-up. That technically was just a pre-season game compared to tonight. I even lost my voice at each and every one of those games, for something that doesn't even affect whether the Rangers practice tomorrow or not.
This concept was taught to me last year, my senior year of high school. When you walk off the field knowing that you won't be back on it for a long time (or in my case, ever), it sinks in what just happened. There's no way to get your mind off of it either. You go through every at bat you had in the game, every fielding situation, ever step you took.
That is the most haunting thing about sports. They're fun until you get eliminated, then you are filled with so much regret and pain that you wish for one more practice to change it all.
That's what is at stake for these guys as they walk onto the field this evening. One team will be at practice tomorrow, the other will be at home with their family. One team will be happy, the other team will spend the coming months thinking about the events of tonight.
So though I'm wearing my lucky Neftali Feliz shirt, lucky Ranger hat, and sitting in my lucky chair, as are the 50,000+ fans that attended each of the two Rangers home games, and the countless others that weren't there, it doesn't matter what we do. The only thing that matters is the guys on each team, and what they do tonight.
And just think, this is only the ALDS. Go Rangers!
But now I finally understand what all these MLB fans have been talking about my entire life. The Rangers have been to the post-season twice before this year (1996, 1999), and, of course have met their fate at the hands of the Yankees. I even attended one of the games in '96 with my Mom, but didn't understand the significance of what I was watching, I thought it was just another "suit up, swing the bat, and get snacks after" type of game, all about the fun.
But now I can honestly say I realize what's at stake. I realize that when I was sitting in my seat at most of the games in August, that was just a tune-up. That technically was just a pre-season game compared to tonight. I even lost my voice at each and every one of those games, for something that doesn't even affect whether the Rangers practice tomorrow or not.
This concept was taught to me last year, my senior year of high school. When you walk off the field knowing that you won't be back on it for a long time (or in my case, ever), it sinks in what just happened. There's no way to get your mind off of it either. You go through every at bat you had in the game, every fielding situation, ever step you took.
That is the most haunting thing about sports. They're fun until you get eliminated, then you are filled with so much regret and pain that you wish for one more practice to change it all.
That's what is at stake for these guys as they walk onto the field this evening. One team will be at practice tomorrow, the other will be at home with their family. One team will be happy, the other team will spend the coming months thinking about the events of tonight.
So though I'm wearing my lucky Neftali Feliz shirt, lucky Ranger hat, and sitting in my lucky chair, as are the 50,000+ fans that attended each of the two Rangers home games, and the countless others that weren't there, it doesn't matter what we do. The only thing that matters is the guys on each team, and what they do tonight.
And just think, this is only the ALDS. Go Rangers!
Sunday, October 10, 2010
ALDS Rangers vs. Rays; Another Series in the "Gentleman's" Game.
Disclaimer: I am a devout Texas Rangers fan, and have been my entire life. If you're looking for the insight* that ESPN and TBS have been offering, then you won't get it here. This is talking about the Rangers side of the series, the part you probably haven't heard anywhere except your local DFW channels.
* That insight being everything you could ever want to know about the Ray's and their history, from their random road trip themes to their game 7 win over Boston a few years ago, and nothing on my hometown team.
From the start, the Rangers looked like the team to win this series right away. Bombing the Ray's Ace in game one, and putting up 2 runs on their, in my mind, #4 pitcher (Garza and Niemann are head and shoulders above Shields to me.) They hit the timely home run, ran the bases well, and seemed confident, but not cocky.
The exact second that I realized this series was going to shift is when Shields was pulled in game 2. After a decent outing, Maddon made his way out to the mound. Shields then went on to pout in the corner of the dugout for a minute, before returning to the dugout fence. This is when Mike Young's almost infamous "check swing" took place, and the camera men captured Shields (with Carlos Pena) mouthing to the first base umpire with a few choice words thrown in, all the while throwing their arms around in the same manner my twin 5 year old cousins do when they don't get more game tokens at Chuck E. Cheese from my grandma when they run out.
This is when I realized what this series means to me, and probably most of the other hardcore Ranger fans.
Batman always defeats the Joker. Superman always saves the city. These are the principles written into our society's brain.
So when you compare the gentleman of Texas to the (insert adjective of choice here) Ray's, you'd think it should be the same way. The Rangers stay composed, keep the yelling volume from the dugout a minimum, and never once have mocked their opponents all season in a public fashion.
You can find your evidence on Tampa for yourself, but I'd refer to Game 2 if I was trying to find anything.
So, as I sit in my dorm lounge in Oklahoma watching Game 4, 4 hours away from my beloved ballpark, my beloved Rangers, and my beloved season ticket seats in the All You Can Eat section (I had to get the "Freshman 15 somehow?), I wonder when this principle will kick in, and hope it's very soon.
After all, this is the "Gentleman's Game." Hopefully acting in that way pays off, and if it doesn't, then Rangers, start your pouting and arm flailing sometime soon please.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)