Tuesday, November 27, 2007

death and stupidity

Sad day for Redskins fans today. One of their "star" safeties was murdered yesterday by a home invasion. Fortunately, his baby and girlfriend were spared (they were in the house with him). I have no feeling either way other than it's awful to have happened and my prayers are for his family and friends who have to pick up the pieces from this nastiness.

I find it strange that a lot of folks are jumping in either to cut down Sean Taylor or give him a medal. It's a big story, given the almost god-like status that the Redskins get in this town (I've lived here for 15 years in DC and I still find the Redskins mania to be utter nonsense). What's unfortunate is that it's going to get constant coverage, I mean, it's going to get over-played, over-discussed and dissected, and worn out fast.

The guy was injured, something with his knee, and he was shot by someone in his own home in Miami. He had a reputation for "bad behavoir", yet he was cleared of wrong-doing but folks don't believe if they don't want to. Strange how the media/press get bent if they can't get on the story or if someone stiffs them because of something or other.

It's always a downer when someone young gets killed - it would do to consider that there are bad people, and that not everyone who is considered to be bad is actually bad, ESPECIALLY because of their skin color. Best wishes and prayers to Sean Taylor's family and friends and the Redskins organization.

some folks just don't seem to get the idea

Well, the Patriots survived this past Sunday against the eggles, squeaking out a win. Philly definitely came to play but they seemed more inclined to take the game as a proving point, not as a win. Feeley's three picks showed that they were the ones pressing, not the Patriots. I noticed that the Patriots did not turn the ball over at all, Philly gave up three chances, all of them critical. With a chance to win the eggles couldn't do it. Philly made it a game, but they weren't going to win. One of the local talk show radio hosts made the claim "Philly had that game, they only lost because of Feeley's interception". Okay, so how come they were behind at the time of the 2nd interception? Were they winning? Strange how facts kinda change perspective.

The folks on ESPN show just how dumb they really are. Last night fatboy Berman tried to suggest that the rest of the league now have a "blue print" and now there's "hope" for the rest of the league against the Patsies. PULLLEEEEZE - Rodney Harrison stated it best "We had a bad day but we got it together when it mattered." Strange, a player has a better idea of what's going on then 100% of all of the knuckleheads on TV and Radio. Amazing how guys blah blah blah blah when a lot of them NEVER PLAYED. That's the problem with ESPN and sports radio, most folks have zippy idea of what is actually going on in the game and with players. Some guys, former players, are super - I like TJ on ESPN, unfortunately, he's drowned out by the other former players who are h-o-r-r-i-b-l-e on the show with him.

Thursday, November 22, 2007

Another Thanksgiving

Here it is another bird thursday in November and I can only think of the greatest football game I ever saw, BC vs. Miami in the Orange Bowl. I remember with immense clarity watching Flutie heave that "hail mary" pass to Gerard Phelan and cement himself as one of the greatest college quarterbacks of all time and a Heisman winner. What a game.

A game like that was unique since it was the first of its kind, the day after Thanksgiving, regular weekday, and it was the only football event on at all (now there's like 10 or more) and it was on CBS (ESPN was barely on the radar screen at that point). "Flutie flushed right . . . " I remember screaming my head off when he caught it, even my father, a phelgmatic gentleman if there ever was one, got excited, he stood up from his chair and said "Oh my God, he caught it."

You can have your Dallas Cowboys and Detroit Lions, I'll take the Boston College Screaming Eagles and Doug Fluite eight days a week and twice on Sundays. College football has much more aura to it than professional football, there's a longer tradition, there's a prestige to it, and it's fun to watch an upset or a great comeback (something you rarely see in the professional ranks). I like college football because of the rivalries. I was watching the Michigan/Ohio State HBO special yesterday morning and I loved it! There's nothing like college rivalries. Having played college sports myself, I have a deep appreciation for them. Most folks could take it either way, but for myself, I love the theatre it creates.

I played against Boston College, well, their varsity club team, but we got to play at Alumni stadium and played them to a tie. Man, I miss playing.

So, Thanksgiving is here, but I'll always remember that Friday in 1984, the day after bird day.

Tuesday, November 20, 2007

why are people such whiners?

I was driving in early today listening to Jason Smith's show on ESPN and he's compairing this Whitehouse singer with the Patriots, calling the Patriots a mess, super talented, but a mess nonetheless. He then creates this non-sensical claim that "other players and coaches" are bitter at the Patriots and Bill Bellichek because they're running up the score. My word, this isn't Nebraska and Kansas in 1988 or Oklahoma and Missouri in 1986, this is professional football. I cannot fathom just how stupid sports "journalists" really are. The depths of their obtuseness is beyond belief, beyond belief. Where was the outrage when the Redskins crushed the Lions this season? Oh, right, it's because "they went for it on 4th down up by 28" Puulllleeeeeze. What's hilarious is this, the Patriots are winning and now people are bitching and moaning that they don't win the way everyone else wants them to. Right, so what is the best way to win? Score only when others want them to.
Whiners, the bane of intelligent fans of the game. I would know whining, I grew up in Boston and have dabbled in that low form of discussion myself. However, removing oneself from the scene can clear up the picture pretty good. Shaddup and get a clue - most of the whiners never played sports beyond gym class.

Thursday, November 15, 2007

Strange things and not so strange

Well, Beckett gets screwed over this week. For some reason he lost the Cy Young Award to CC Sabathia, even though he had more wins, more quality starts, and was undefeated in the post season. Strange for certain. Boston College lost Saturday to an inferior Maryland team and they're still eligible for the ACC championship. Very strange indeed.

It seems that A-Rod has been in contact with the Spank-the-monkeys. That's hardly strange coupled with the fact that the Fagyankees don't want to deal with Scott Boras (what a jerk).

The Celtics are undefeated for the season, matching the Patriots current win/loss percentage. Most strange. The New England Revolution have an opportunity to finally win an MLS Cup which would be great and not so strange since they've been there three times over the past five years. I grew up with the Patriots and the New England Tea-men sharing Schaeffer Stadium (soccer does not belong on astroturf, except for indoor) and later watched the Boston Bolts play. The Revolution could really bring home the bacon for a soccer crazy area like Southern New England. Again, this isn't very strange.

Tuesday, November 13, 2007

I think I know why football is so popular

Professional football, and to a lesser degree college football, is so popular right now in the US. Folks spend more time dissecting football, including fantasy league, betting, and just simple (simpletons more like) fans. Don't get me wrong football is fun (I used to play waaay back) and entertaining. However, it occurs to me why it is so popular, especially with the male populace of the viewing world, it's like bad sex. For the most part men will take sex in any shape, form, or outlet whether it's good or bad. American football is the same, huge anticipation on each play, and if it develops into a "big" play, it's like premature you know what - messy with spilled liquids and jumping around. If one's favorite team "scores" it's a victory dance, not unlike most dweebs who get laid for the first time. I see why baseball is more attractive for women (at last survey done by Rasmussen a few years back more women prefer baseball to football between the two, basketball wasn't part of the question) it's more a longer process, where one has to work harder to score points (runs if you will) and to win a close game requires concentration and attention to details. Football can be sloppy and guys will still "take the win", baseball can be sloppy but the results are more mixed between the sexes on who wins or loses. Guys will always be satisfied with "at least getting the W", women generally care not only about winning but how you won to get the "W" or if you did everything you could. I tend to dislike gender stereotyping, and for the most part I find the differences between the sexes to be not that big (if there is much at all to be perfectly honest). However, in general popular culture (which most of us actually pay attention to even if we claim we don't which I do) there is this obvious disparity about football.

Football, are you gonna go for it on "4th and inches?" Baseball, who do you bring in for relief? The lefty or righty? Sorry, but football is much more condusive to the basic male mentality of "at least they scored, it wasn't pretty, but they scored". Just like sex, guys erupt and it's good for them, regardless. So football is just the same, every play offers the opportunity to shoot one's wad, whether it's a big hit, a long bomb, a kick return, a winning field goal in overtime, etc etc. In baseball, there are these similar types of situations but they are few and far between and the effort involved to get there to the end requires much more mental focus for the fan. Football doesn't, at least the watching of it, not the mid-game updates or the pre/post game analysis or fantasy totals and that nonsense, but just viewing the game itself.

Friday, November 9, 2007

so it's Friday and ah, what's next?

Did anyone see the Revolution vs. Fire game last night? The craziest goal since "Victory" with Pele and Stallone by that Taylor Twellman. Here's a link for it http://sports.espn.go.com/broadband/video/videopage?videoId=3101364&categoryId=2378529

It's crazy - we all dreamed of doing it in a game, or if we're lucky, practice and pray we don't screw up our backs trying it. Maybe New England can finally win the whole thing this year and join the Red Sox as champions. Next up will be the Patriots getting it all (I doubt they'll go undefeated, but they are pretty damn good) and then who knows? Celtics? Most likely the Bruins will squeak into the playoffs and Boston College has dropped off the radar, but they'll most likely get a BCS bowl if they can win out.

In regards to BC they're playing here at Byrd Stadium (pretty nice place to watch a game, great venue for lacrosse too) against the hapless Terrapins (fear the turtle? right, as if we're all rabbits?).

One of my alma maters start their season tonight (George Mason, my MA school) against the Catamounts of Vermont. Should be a tough game, Vermont's coach won a division III title with a local school here (Catholic University, another of my alma maters, PhD land) in DC and he's shown a knack for the D-1 field of opponents.

New England has a bye-week so Vegas can recoup some of its losses from the previous 8 weeks. Interesting article on how the Patriots are killing Vegas bookies (http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/sports/ordine/blog/2007/10/patriots_run_roughshod_over_bo.html)

Well, we'll see what's what come Sunday night.

Thursday, November 8, 2007

now that baseball is over . . .

I'm a bit torn now in regards to sports. I mean, I like football, but I don't love it (even though I played for two years in High School and I understand most of the plays that are run). Hockey has some allure for me given where I grew up (ol' Beantown with the greatest college tournament ever, the Beanpot where the four rival division one hockey teams play each other the first two Mondays in February each year), but I'm still kinda stuck for good sports entertainment. I could root for the Pats, but I'm pretty spent from this past run the Red Sox made in winning their second world series in four years.

So, I guess I could watch college hockey, that always gets me charged. Unfortunately, I don't have ESPNU anymore (Comcast doesn't carry it, dag nabbit) or CSTV either for that matter. I played collegiate sports (soccer and lacrosse) and I love college sports. I think I found my answer.

My oldest son plays soccer (U-8, or "under 8) and I've gotten into watching the game again (I'd love to play in an adult league, I'm defintely playing lacrosse this spring, definitely). I forgot just how challenging the game is in generating a good shot and how the defense sets up to kill the opportunities to score.

Hopefully, this winter/spring can generate some good college sport events (basketball is great, don't get me wrong, but I tire of the ESPN gluttony on sports coverage) to lather my sports fan soap.

Monday, November 5, 2007

Patriots are close to unbeatable

Seems that the Patriots played their "C" game and still beat the Colts who were missing two starters, but Harrison has been injured for most of the season so I'm not convinced that there was much of a difference for the Colts who played against a tougher pass defense in Jacksonville. The Patriots showed they were able to win despite two turnovers, BUT, recall that Peyton had two fumbles at critical points.

Listening to the Junkies this morning and they're grudgingly giving credit, however, they miss the point that EVEN with the Patriots playing not so well, they still beat an undefeated team and the defending Super Bowl champions IN THEIR HOME STADIUM!

Growing up in New England and having home and away jersies for Stanley Morgan and being a member of Moise's Mooses this team is miles away from anything someone from 1986 imagined ever happening.