Posts tagged sports
saying bounty is wrong
Mar 7th
I am a sports guy.
So this whole discussion about “bounties” in the NFL has me scratching my head a little.
And I know the game has changed from when good ole Ronnie Lott was leveling running backs from his safety position.
But.
All this talk has me kind of wanting to tell the Media to find a different word than bounty.
Bounty suggests I am going to catch & kill someone … and it implies something illegal has been done.
By NFL “incentive” rules this whole thing being discussed may be illegal.
But by ‘good natured locker room team building bet’ rules … they were placed on legal hits.
So <in my little amateur world>.
I played.
I liked it.
I liked “putting a hurt on someone.”
I didn’t like “hurting someone.”
Nuance?
You bet.
But an important nuance.
People like football for a lot of reasons <players and spectators>, and one of the biggest is because of the hits <the violence>.
Making someone feel it when they were hit.
People may not like talking about it but if you are real about it with yourself … it’s kind of a fact.
There is some level of satisfaction that the game is being played right … and being played well … when this happens.
Once again.
By players and spectators.
That said.
Football players like the game for a lot of reasons but they play the game because they like to hit people … hard … it is a physical game for physical men.
They aren’t <I would say the majority> out to hurt someone … like in a debilitating hurt.
They just want someone to feel it when they hit them.
They want someone shaking their head a little after they hit them.
They want people to know that they can play the game … hard.
Look.
I didn’t even come close to playing at this level and I know I did.
Should there be locker room bets or payouts for ‘the big hits’?
Whew.
Gotta say.
I don’t have any problems with that.
Should players have their head on a swivel? Sure. But they already do. They have to.
For god’s sake there are 250 pound men with world class speed running around faster than most high school track members can run (just trying to put some perspective on it for the average Joe) trying to hit you to either push you out of the way <to another zip code>or push you into the turf <two feet at minimum>.
I think placing the word “bounty” into this media game suggests that most players are out to hurt other players.
And that I don’t buy <if that is what you are selling>.
Putting a hurt ON someone? I will buy that.
Because that is the game.
Bounty is a bad bad word.
And it creates a media storm undeserving of what is probably actually happening.
I am sure someone is going to pay for this.
But I think it’s silly.
Let the boys play the game they are being paid to play.
On the side <in the locker room> good natured bets are part of what builds the camaraderie.
Get over it.
Or play <or watch> the synchronized swimming league.
(although I bet they have side bets too)
sports last week
Jun 28th
ESPN had a crazy week last week.
World Cup. Wimbledon. Plus all the other stuff going on … getting your sports news fix in the morning could be a harrowing experience with the channel guide as some mornings you had to go to espnu or espn classic or espn 333 (they have a zillion channels these days) just to watch sportscenter.
Anyway.
Here is how crazy it was.
Baseball.
Michael Jackson actually was mentioned in sports. In baseball for gods sake.
There was a no hitter by a guy named Jackson. And the sonovabitch does it on the anniversary of the chimp owning Michael Jackson’s death.
Sure. It wasn’t a perfect game (was Michael?). A Hit batter. A Wild pitch (maybe 2). 149 pitches (which is a lot). It was kind of nasty (oops. wrong Jackson) looking game. But this guy for the Diamondbacks named Jackson, on the anniversary of Michael Jackson’s death, throws a no hitter. Crazy.
Wimbledon.
So. Pretty much every high seed on the men’s side has looked like crap in the first week and is shanking balls against some guys who typically play in tournaments in Antarctica. But the story comes down to the longest match ever played (and that would be the 5th set all by itself).
Almost 140 games came and went in the fifth set alone.
7 hours plus playing JUST on the last set.
I think at least 4 World Cup matches were completed during this one match.
Sure. After some point neither was playing to win and focused on not losing so the play wasn’t stellar at points but they gutted it out refusing to lose.
And the craziest thing?
Neither player had a tantrum or some mysterious injury or anything close to some meltdown on the court.
They were classy and professional and for two young 20s type guys in the throes of competition quite mature.
Wimbledon should have been proud. They embodied everything Wimbledon stands for (and neither was British and in fact one was one of the ‘hated’ French. Sacre bleu!).
And then the World Cup.
Sure. USA is out but last week was something.
Look. I am sure there are a couple of other teams playing in the world cup but I haven’t seen one goal other than a USA goal on espn yet. But the one score in the Algeria-USA game is the reason why you watch the stupid slow 2 hour affair where there are maybe 12 entire shots in the ‘pitch.’
As I noted in my ‘nod to the world cup’ post I was spoiled by my high school soccer team. They were exciting to watch and actually had several versions of a “fast break” because of the amazing goalie they had. A guy named Bart Farley (also one of the most genuinely nice guys you could ever meet as well as a world class soccer goalie). The team would sometimes play a three-striker team on the field so that any time Bart would get his hands on the ball it was like watching the Celtics breaking out on a fast break where guys just turned around and started running and filling the lanes waiting for Bart to distribute the ball. A third of the way down the field, half way down the field, even more … didn’t matter where someone was he got it to him (he even scored a couple of goals on field long drop kicks that bounced once and went in the goal).
Anyway.
I will be a son of a bitch if USA didn’t do exactly the same thing.
A save.
An outlet pass.
A three man fast break.
The trailing guy slams the missed shot in on a dunk.
Oops. Not basketball. Soccer. Anyway. You get the point.
And maybe even better than basketball (which happens in mere seconds) you get to watch this fast break unfold in front of your eyes. There is actually time to see everything. Awesome.
That’s the reason to watch soccer. For moments like this where you get a glimpse of greatness unfolding before your eyes.
Baseball again.
This is a glimpse into focus of professional athletes … or professional sports.
Friday night there was a momentary thing that most people probably never saw or will ever hear about but it gave us a glimpse into the amount of focus a professional brings to their job.
A home plate umpire got hit square in the face mask with a rising fast ball when the catcher couldn’t get his glove up fast enough.
The umpire is focused on watching the pitch and what happens with the pitch to insure he doesn’t miss a call and just has the faith the catcher will get his glove on it.
His head is rock solid still watching the pitch coming straight in at him.
He doesn’t react until the millisecond before the 95+ hour fastball hits his mask.
At that last moment he ducks and this hard object going 95+ mph slightly glances off the face mask.
Now. Let me tell you. I have never been hit in the face with a 90+ ball but I have surely taken a couple in other places. And it hurts like hell. And it can rock you a little if it isn’t a glancing shot.
But the story here is the focus.
The guy has a job to do. And he is gonna do it. Nice little lesson.
Crazy week last week.
But. Kinda reminds you why sports are fun (if you needed nay reminders).
the masters
Apr 11th
I am not a big TV golf watching guy. I put golf on TV in the same category as ice skating and bowling as watching events (translated that means watching golf on tv is chinese water torture tv style) . But. 
The Masters is different. It’s kind of addictive. And someone at the network must have gone to the ESPN school of coverage in never lingering on one player for long but skipping from shot to shot which keeps up an amazing pace of shot making (it almost makes it feel like a fast game).
Tiger
Tiger is Tiger. I don’t care if he shacks up with an entire Hooters restaurant of waitresses he can still play golf. And I think he also realized the way to shut up (or shut down) the negativity over his marital transgressions (but libido that transcended) was to play some good golf. So he didn’t win. So his last round wasn’t that Tiger of old. So the guy was in the running to win for 3+ rounds. So this guy can play golf. So if you expected him to be happy afterwards you were nuts. Family stuff was family stuff. Winning is winning. He came to win.
The old guys
I love the senior golf tour. Well. Let me say … I know there is one. And I know they play a lot of tournaments. And I know that a lot of golfers who I grew up with and knew about are still playing somewhere on that tour. And I bet someone out there actually watches it.
I guess to translate this means I don’t love it as a golf watching event but I love it for the fact it keeps these old guy’s games honed to a point where they can compete with the kids. At least for awhile. It gives everyone some perspective. And perspective is good.
Getting in a groove
Mickleson’s three hole almost three eagles stretch. Couples birdie birdie birdie. The Anthony Kim run. I could go on. It seems like the great players while they can play an entire round well get into these three hole “grooves.” And it is fun to watch. Because the really good ones feel it and go with it. And those are the times you see shots that no one should be able to make. And certainly not when the entire world is watching and the Masters is on the line. This is what makes me want to actually watch this game on television.
Groove part 2
As the groove tails off (and it is actually not a slope it is a cliff at the Masters) you wait for the inevitable. I don’t know why but it seems more often at the Masters than anywhere else that the end of the groove is some disastrous fall off. Makes for great television. Makes for ulcers on the tour. Anyway. Maybe that is what makes Mickelson’s last round so awesome. A couple of little grooves and no cliff dive (although he teetered on a couple).
That golf course
I could go out there with three of my best buddies and 4 cases of slightly warm PBR and our Wal-Mart mixed bag of clubs and our shots would look frickin’ awesome as they rolled and skipped their way down the fairways. I have been fortunate to play on a number of PGA golf courses (when they are in tournament ‘cut’) and they are always beautiful and unplayable to normal human beings. I have never played at Augusta. All I know is I wouldn’t have enough balls in my bag to finish a round but there couldn’t be a more beautiful course out there to lose all those balls. TV shot to TV shot the course looks stunning. Oh. And difficult. Oh. And Mickleson shot back to back 67’s on it. Oh (as in oh my god).
NCAA Musing Part 3
Mar 24th
Syracuse
From the first time I saw Syracuse play on TV early in the year I felt like they were a monster team. I have always felt like they were the best team in the nation (sometimes we get fooled by the ups & downs of a season). Anyway. Through the first two rounds (playing without their center) they did what they had to do and demolished who they played. Their 2-3 zone is stifling. They are deep. They are mature. And they are by far the best front runner in a game team in the conference (Boeheim seems to teach that killer instinct well). And they get their center back from here on out. Doesn’t mean someone on a given day couldn’t beat them. But they are very very good. Big East has 2 teams left. Both very different. West Virginia is a ‘banger’ team. Loose refs and they could shove their way into Final Four with Syracuse.
Refereeing
This isn’t a gripe about referees (because in general I believe they do a great job). Nowhere do you have the opportunity to do referee comparison than you do during the tournament. Because there are so many games being played at exactly the same time you can watch a game where the teams are pounding the shit out of each other and its like they forgot to give out whistles before the game and then they switch to another game and some team had gone to the foul line 40 plus times (and it seems like they miss about half of them). If a coach isn’t careful and they don’t realize they are in a “non physical referee game” fast enough they can have some of their best players rack up some fouls very quickly.
Cornell, Northern Iowa, Butler, St. Mary’s
How awesome is it to be able to type these names after the first weekend of the tournament. (I would like to also point out how awesome it was that I typed pretty much these same names in my first college basketball post in January). How good are they really? Heck. I don’t know. But we are sure gonna find out by the end of next weekend that’s for sure. I am not sure any of them have an ice cube’s chance in hell (especially Cornell against KY). But. All I know is I have a Cornell baseball hat and win or lose I am gonna wear it.
The Young Faces
Holy cow. When they get interviewed some of these kids are … well … kids. For the most part they are amazingly well spoken but that isn’t really the point. They are kids. And the top tier teams who have these kids on camera all the time? Their kids are calm and mature. The Cornells, Northern Iowas and Old Dominions … well … they are so excited and so happy it reminds you why everyone should love college basketball. They mumble. They smile. They say goofy things. But, damn, they love the moment. Awesome.
Game Endings
Maybe it’s just me but I cannot remember more close game endings than this year. The end of the Michigan State – Maryland game was funny and amazing. While it certainly wasn’t the closest buzzer beater win there is a moment when a pass goes cross the top of the key where the big man has to duck so he doesn’t get smacked in the head as it goes from one guard to the other. And even if he would have caught it I am not sure he would have had enough time to get it back to someone who could make a shot. But beyond that funny moment the clutch shooting to win games has been amazing. You have to give those teams a boatload of credit because in almost every case every team found “their guy” had the ball at the right time in the right place to even give themselves a shot at the win.
The Most Interesting team Left that can Win It (to me)
Duke. Year in and year out they play beyond their capabilities. I personally believe Krzyzewski is one of those rare special coaches who gets lots of very good players to his program and gets them to play on occasion like really great players (and their record outstrips their true abilities). C’mon. This is the coach who made Bobby Hurley, Mike Gminski, Danny Ferry and Christian Laettner high round NBA draft picks. That’s why they are my most interesting team. They shouldn’t win the entire thing. But. There’s that but.
The Team that Should Have Made the Madness
Connecticut. Women’s team. In case you haven’t paid any attention once again they are playing the role of the Harlem Globetrotters while everyone else gets to be the Generals. They would have made it out of the first weekend of the men’s tournament. I also hear they beat the Canadian hockey team in an exhibition game (hockey, not bball) before the olympics which shows their athletic talent. oh. They celebrated with beer on the ice afterwards. Canadian beer.
March Madness Part 2
Mar 20th
I love college sports. And this time of the year is awesome. It’s not just the basketball tournament but also the NFL draft and spring break (oops. different post). It’s the time of the year when we have mock drafts, mock brackets and mockingbirds.
My pool got thrown a loop when I picked Tim Tebow to beat New Mexico State but other than that things are rocking along. Here are some things I am lovin’ about this year’s March madness:
Freaks of nature
Taylor Mays. Height: 6’3″, weight: 230 lbs., 40 yard dash: 4.43 (4.24 unofficial was one of the highlights of the combine), Bench Reps of 225 pounds: 24
I am not sure I need to say anything more other than maybe don’t let him get a 40 yard head of steam before he runs into you.
Bruce Campbell. Height: 6’6″, weight: 314 lbs., 40 yard dash: 4.85, Bench Reps of 225 pounds: 34
Look. This 314 lb guy who looked like he didn’t have an ounce of fat on his 6’6” frame ran a fucking 4.85 40. Oh. And he benched a tremendous 34 reps of 225 pounds. No matter how drunk you are I recommend not picking a fight with him if he asks to dance with your date.
The Big East
One of the things I love about the tournament is it becomes conference put up or shut up time. For years we have always heard “ACC is the best tournament” and it seems every other year their middle tier teams get crushed too early in the tournament. This year it looks like it’s the Big East conference’s turn. Doesn’t mean their top teams won’t end up in the final four just that maybe the rest of their teams weren’t as good as we thought. Oh. And maybe the Pac10 teams weren’t as bad as everyone thought.
The state of New Mexico
Whoda thunk New Mexico had two universities let alone two basketball teams worthy of making the NCAA tournament (and winning). The only thing I know about New Mexico teams are one is the Lobos (which is an awesome nickname), one of them must play in Albuquerque (the only city I know in New Mexico) and I love that city and Geronimo had an awesome crossover move but couldn’t keep his grades up and lost his eligibility. I also love the fact one of the teams figured out how to beat Montana who cheated by having two huge rock trolls (Lord of the Rings reference) who trundled up and down the court bashing everyone out of the way and missing layups.
Tim Tebow
Tim Tebow this. Tim Tebow that. He shouldn’t even be drafted in the first 3 rounds (despite the fact he is a first round media story every frickin day). But. The NFL draft is so tough to predict because there are just way too many stupid teams in the league. I guarantee two things. 1. Someone will be stupid enough to draft him in the first 2 rounds. 2. That same someone will look 2 years from now at someone they passed on they should have picked playing in the Pro Bowl.
Bob Huggins
I don’t know Bob Huggins personally but for some reason I haven’t really liked him. His style of coaching or his attitude or maybe just how he handles himself when he actually has an opportunity to talk. Anyway. The guy can coach. Doesn’t matter where he is and what kind of team he has he figures out how to coach them to win. And he makes his teams tough. That I appreciate.
Baseball
The University of Texas is the favorite to capture the 2010 College World Series. Look. Their pitching staff had a team ERA of 2.95 last year. That is good enough for Cy Young consideration. And this is college baseball. And this is the ENTIRE staff ERA. They have a bunch of other players but that is gonna make them tough to beat.
A look at the current poll:
- Texas
- LSU
- Virginia
- Cal. St. Fullerton
- Arizona St.
Oh. Just in case you weren’t paying attention. Something to note. The ACC. 6 teams in top 16. Doesn’t seem that long ago the west coast had a stranglehold on college baseball. No more.
Lastly. Two names for you. South Dakota State and Dallas Baptist. They are predicted to be in the college baseball 64 team tournament. Awesome. Where else would that happen?
The West Coast
Finally. Finally I have found the true benefit of moving to the West Coast. An extra 2 to 3 hours of NCAA tournament. 9 a.m. and there is a game on. Awesome.
