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
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