The Hague Sports

Crunch the Numbers

2009-11-15T18:47:00.004-06:00

So Lebron plans to change his jersey number next year from No. 23 to No.6 and says he thinks the NBA should retire No.23 because of a guy name Michael Jordan.

If Jordan paved the way for today's NBA athletes, then you have to say those that came before Jordan paved the way for him. What about those Celtic teams winning eight straight? They had some great players.

Maybe they should retire 33 for Larry Bird or 32 for Magic Johnson. John Stockton is the all time leader in assists, and to do that, you have to be a very unselfish person, so while we're at it, let's retire No. 12. Dr. J wore 6 so while you're at it, tell James he can't wear that one either. If you were to retire a jersey league wide, where would you stop? How much attention must we give the guy? It would be a shame if the Bulls didn't but I'm just hoping they don't make it a league wide thing.

Everybody knows Kobe wore No. 8 for a good chunk of his career before changing to No.24 and I strongly believe it was done for one reason; to sell tickets, and I also believe that's the real reason behind Lebron wanting to change his. Sure, it's a great way to sell a lot of jerseys and make a killing, but come on, let's be honest about it and admit it's a money making tactic.

The idea of changing the logo from Jerry West to Jordan was another very stupid idea. Keep it how it is. It's a great logo and West is a good guy for it. "HIS AIRNESS" is already idolized enough.

Oh one other thing, somebody tell Lebron he has no right getting mad at the media for asking about free agency next year when he's writing NY on his shoes, wearing a Yankees hat and, oh yeah, openly admitting he's talked to Dwayne Wade about being on the same team. Right, that really sounds like someone who doesn't want to talk about it.

Is fantasy football fading?

2009-11-09T00:58:00.005-06:00

In a recent post titled Confessions of a footballholic I talked about how my love for football is growing but not necessarily fantasy football. As this season has unfolded thus far, that fact is more true all the time for me for some reason, and it has nothing to do with how my team performs.

I'm currently sitting in fourth place out of a 10 team league and would be doing better if I was paying more attention to it.

One week, when I played against my cousin, we decided to only start our kickers.

The 49ers were playing the Texans and I had Joe Nedney and he had Kris Brown. That put a whole new perspective on it and actually made it more interesting. We found ourselves hoping for the teams to get in field goal range but not too close to where we'd get less points for a shorter kick. We definitely wanted to avoid touchdowns because then we'd only get credit for the extra point.

Something about that week was refreshing. It brought a whole different perspective. I lost that week 9-3 but I can honestly say I didn't care. A win would probably have boosted me up to third place but hey, what am I playing for?

It's a free fantasy football league and there's nothing at stake. It's not like it used to be. When I started playing in high school, it was the coolest thing ever and the way technology has advanced since then, you'd figure I'd be into it all the more. Truth is though, I'm not.

Unfortunately, fantasy football is kind of losing it's novelty. I used to log on once or twice a day, anxious for the next football week to start so I can view my match up and talk trash to my opponent. Now, there's no trash talk happening. The only time I check it is Sunday morning before I rush of to church and I put literally no thought into it, as long as all the spots are filled.

I've said this before but heck, I'll say it again. One thing that fantasy football used to do for me was keep me interested in other games I normally wouldn't care about at all. However, I'm more interested in the league as a whole, I don't need fantasy to keep me interested in those games.

I can look at any team and find something intriguing. For example, I look at the Lions and ask myself "will they go 1-31 in a period of two years?". Maybe I'll see two teams playing and find a player on one of them that may have played for the other and suddenly I'm fascinated by that. Yes, if the Rams and Lions are playing and that's the only thing on TV, that's what I'm watching. Believe or it or not, it will be entertaining to me too.

It seems like there aren't as many die hard fans out there anymore. Instead of tuning in to see how their teams are doing, people are frequently checking to see how their fantasy teams are doing and that's all they care about. They root for Tom Brady to throw to Wes Welker over Randy Moss because they're going against Moss.

If the Cowboys lose, a fantasy win doesn't do justice. The opposite is also true. A loss from my fantasy team won't make things harder if the Boys win.

A rule I've had for a long time for fantasy sports is never play a guy facing your favorite team. That's one thing that's killing the die hards. If you're rooting for McNabb to throw a couple TD's against Dallas but call yourself a Cowboys fan, it's pretty obvious where your priorities lie.

When all said and done though, I think I know what the problem is. It's no longer new and the honeymoon phase is over (it's been about 10 years) but in order to keep that passion alive, I need to come at a different angle. That's why the kickers match up was intriguing. It was new and different.

It's not about the money, but I think I'm done with the free fantasy football after this year. I need something to keep me motivated and interested. Either that or maybe take a new approach to the draft. Maybe I should draft an entire team's second string or better yet, no taking guys under the age of 35. That could be interesting.

Anyway, there's still time in this season, fantasy football or not, I'm into the game.

Snyder's Letter

2009-11-08T01:08:00.007-06:00

For my podcast (found on the right) I've started what we call the Drama Queen of the Week Award and I must say, this was a tough week, but in a good way. This past week provided a lot to choose from.
I could have gone with Brandon "I'll Spikes your eyes out". Ashley Lambert of the New Mexico soccer team (see the video if you haven't already) would have been an easy one to with as well. Even though I'm a Cowboys fan, I strongly considered Roy Williams for saying he has to work harder to make grabs than the other wideouts on the team.
Instead of saying so and so deserves the award for doing this or that, we've taken a new approach, hopefully something original. We write a letter as if it's from a particular athlete, coach, fan or someone in the world of sports campaigning for the special award.
Last week's episode titled "Halloween" was the first time we went about it this way, and it went to Jamarcus Russell who was talking about how difficult life can be as an NFL player and the expectations they must live up to or else.
This week though, we gave it to Redskins owner Daniel Snyder who more or less apologized to the fans but also asked for no signs to be brought to the games. Yeah, you think it might be because they were bashing him? Anyway, here's the letter from Snyder. Oh, on a side note, you can hear the other candidates on the podcast if you're that bored.

Dear Hague Sports:

First of I want to say I’m sorry to all my fans. From the bottom of my heart I am sorry. If I could take back some of the things that have been done in this organization, I would but not even Tom Cruise has enough money to do that yet.

I’m sorry to the fans for the fact my players can’t play the game and I’m sorry the coaches aren’t doing their jobs properly. I thought that giving Albert Haynseworth $100 million would boost the team morale. I was hoping Jim Zorn would resign after I took away his play calling duties.

What do you do with that? I can’t fire him because I have a bad reputation. I decorated my office with pictures of Mike Shannahan and Bill Cowher and still the guy won’t take a hint. I asked him “how’s my favorite former coach doing?” to which he responded, “I don’t know, I haven’t talked to Coach Gibbs lately.

My other problem is even though I apologized, my fans don’t like me. Just the other day I saw a sign that said Snyder, then the “S” word. I mean, forgive my bad language but I don’t stink. After I saw the sign, I made a rule, no signs in my stadium allowed. They’re only being used to hurt people’s feelings. Now that I took the signs away though, people hate me. I’m just doing if for the safety of our fans but maybe I should stop trying to protect them.

Here’s what I need from you. If I can’t win the Super Bow, I need to win something else, the Drama Queen award. Nothing’s going in my favor and I need a momentum shift. I need the Drama Queen Award. How does $2 billion sound?

America's Game

2009-10-24T10:22:00.005-05:00

Baseball is America's Pastime. Football is America's Game. Let us keep it that way. If two Rugby teams came over from England to play a game on American soil, I couldn't be any less interested and don't think most Americans would either. I'll be honest, I don't know jack squat about rugby because I've never cared to learn. What makes Roger Goodell think playing all these games in London would be good for the NFL?

When asked about playing a Super Bowl in London, the commissioner said not until there's an NFL team there. This is a bad idea on so many levels.

First of all, the league is good right now. We've got eight divisions with four teams each to total 32 teams (yeah, check out that math). That's a good number of teams, don't screw that up. If you add any teams, divisions will be all out of whack and, well, let's just sayit's not going to be pretty.

If you move a team there, it'd be even more messed up. Take for example the Jacksonville Jaguars (just using them as an example). If the Jags moved to London, you'd have the London Brits (just a name I came up on the top of my head, just go with it) in the same division as the Colts, Titans and Texans. The travel schedule would be completely screwed up for both London's home and away games. They'd come here one week to play the Texans before turning around the next to week to host the Colts.

Honestly, it's bad enough to think of this great game being in Mexico or Canada, but when you have a huge body of water between here and there and factor in jet leg and the time difference, currency and culture change, well you gotta be out of your mind to think this will work. When would you play the games, and how much time would you give off to the players? Let US keep it simple. Let's just keep America's game in America.

You know you're not going to have a good fan base. How many die heard NFL fans are you really going to find in England? It's just a stupid idea.

Isn't it a bit unpatriotic? Speaking of unpatriotic, the New England Patriots are playing the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in London Sunday. Let's not confuse the old England with the new one. Let's remember our freedom and where our independence came from without making a whole ordeal out of it. Let's remember where we came from but enjoy where we are. Let US enjoy our freedom, and enjoy our football. Let US keep America's Game in America.

What if...

2009-10-21T23:21:00.007-05:00

Do you ever wonder what life would be like if even one little decision was made differently? What would life be like right now if_______? (Fill in the blank)

Yeah, I do that all the time. Sometimes I sit in lie in bed at night wondering how many Super Bowl rings the Cowboys would have if Jerry Jones hadn't fired Jimmy Johnson. What if Jackie Smith had of held on to the ball.

It's not all bad though. I'm very thankful for the fact the Cowboys traded Herschel Walker to Minnesota. Man, Walker deserves a ring for that. Talk about taking one for the team.

Anyway, about what life could have been, think about what would have happened had the Portland Trail Blazers not passed on Michael Jordan.

So how does that change the present? Easy, the Cowboys could have more than five rings (or only two minus the Walker trade), you could take all six rings away from the Bulls and nobody would recognize the name Scottie Pippen.

Put it this way: What if Eli Manning never refused to play for the Chargers? Philip Rivers would still be a Giant, and who knows, he might even have a ring. When the Chargers drafted Manning first overall, they already had Drew Brees on the roster. So who knows, maybe Brees would have stayed sending Manning to the Big Easy, following in his dad's footsteps to play for the Saints.

What if the Babe had of stayed in Boston? What if Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa didn't have the home run race in '98? Would baseball have been revived? Would the steroid issued be such a big issue?

It's easy to think of more and more of these scenarios like, what if Joe Montana went to the Steelers instead of the Chiefs? If that was the case, Larry Brown wouldn't have been MVP of Super Bowl XXX.

Yeah, maybe wondering all this doesn't matter but it is fun to think about it from time to time. Hopefully soon I'll be able to roll back over and go back to sleep without cursing Jerry Jones and dreaming about having a couple more rings.

Hail to the Chiefs

2009-10-16T02:55:00.003-05:00

That's very likely the song the Redskins will be singing if they give their third team its first win of the season. The Lions and Panthers each have one win and the Chiefs are looking for their first. The Jim Zorn job watch is officially on right now.

Man, what a weekend we have in football. The 'Boys are off but there area still plenty of great games, including the Red River Shootout between Texas and Oklahoma. That heated rivalry is as hot as ever, especially since the Longhorns were clearly the better team, knocking of the Sooners 45-35 a year ago and some computers ran numbers together and some how Oklahoma was got to be embarrassed against the Gators in the final game of the year.

I think the Longhorns have had enough. Colt McCoy should have won the heisman last year and his team should have been in the national championship. Now, the Longhorns want to prove themselves worthy. Not to mention it's not going to be easy for OU without Bradford lined up behind center. TEXAS WINS.

Alright fine, so I'm a homer, but that doesn't neglect the fact the Longhorns beat the Sooners last year 45-35 and they're going to do the same this year.

It's going to be an emotional game for the already emotional Jeremy Shockey as the Saints host his former team, the New York Giants. Shockey, one of the most overrated and most vocal tightends in the history of the NFL has recently made remarks about how much he hated the Big Apple. Maybe he should call that receiver in Buffalo and ask for his help to write a book. Someone's up for the drama queen award.

Shockey aside, I have a strong hunch the Saints are going to win this game. Brees and Manning have both been putting up ridiculous numbers but in the end, I say New Orleans comes away with the victory but it's going to be their defense that makes the difference. No, I've got nothing to back that up but like I said, I just have a hunch.

Oh by the way, early congratulations are in order for Matt Cassel on his first victory with his new team.

Confessions of a footballholic

2009-10-08T23:29:00.004-05:00

Alright, I have a confession to make: my love for the game of football is only increasing as time moves along. I can't get enough of it.

I cover high school football games on Friday nights and even that I enjoy. Then there's Saturday morning. Remember when you were a kid and you'd wake up early to watch cartoons? Yeah, I remember those days too and they're long gone.

Now, there's nothing like waking up to the smell of coffee and the sounds of College Game Day. If I have nothing to attend to that day, (and I more than likely don't) I will sit there, hours on end, watching this great game. Yes, I'd rather stay by myself in my apartment if it means I can watch the game than go hang out with a bunch of people if they're not watching it.

I will flip from game to game during the commercials, logging online to catch other scores, even if I'm not a fan of any of the teams playing, I will watch because it's football. No other reason.

The day becomes night, and suddenly, I've spent eight hours, on cloud nine, watching the pigskin. When I think about the time I just spent in front of the TV, I get a little ashamed of myself. No, not because I've just spent eight hours in front of the tube but because I've only spent eight hours and and I may have missed some great plays or a great game because I was busy watching a less exciting game.

This weekend, I'm looking forward to LSU and Florida. I'm not a Gators fan nor a Tigers fan but it should be one heck of a ball game. Will Florida go down for the first time since 2007? This could be huge.

That's just college ball too. Anyone who knows me knows I'm a big Cowboys fan. When the 'Boys are playing, there's nothing else going on as far as I know. Despite the fact they're not having a great year, I still love watching them, yelling at Romo and hoping Demarcus can get his first sack of the season.

The strange thing about this though is my love for fantasy football has gone down. Usually, fantasy football keeps me interested in other games. However, I realized now I don't need it to keep me interested.

Last Sunday, I had my computer on nfl.com, watching all the scores, as I took an interest in the Browns and Bengals. I don't like those teams at all. All the sudden, I realized I forgot to fill out my fantasy roster. I had Kurt Warner in as my starter and the Cardinals weren't even playing. I also had Derrick Ward starting. I knew he was hurt but forgot he was even on my team.

Something's not right. I'm not as excited about fantasy football. There's nothing to get me motivated. In the past, I would log on several times a day, and stress myself (well, almost) over who to start at a certain position. Now, I'll log on right before kickoff and make sure there are no empty spots and won't even look at my bench.

There's nothing to play for. I usually play in two leagues, this year I'm in one and can't remember who won the leagues I was in last year. There's no trash talk happening either.

My fantasy team is 2-2 and would be at least 3-1 if I had of just looked at my lineup but I didn't, and well, I don't care. I'm just hoping to see kickoff as I rush home from church. At least Saturday was a pretty good day for college football. Gotta go, the Cowboys are playing at noon.

Week 3 (Late) Reaction

2009-09-27T16:51:00.003-05:00

Alright, no beating around the bush here. What the heck were the Seahaws wearing? It looks like a green lime shirt on top of a dark green shirt. Other than that, I can think of a single word to describe how ugly those things are.

At least they weren't wearing those in the same game where the refs wore their throwback uniforms. Those things look like something from Whataburger. During that Monday night game, I referred to them as the "Whatarefs".

Congratulations are in order for the Detroit Lions who won their first game since 2007 after knocking of the Redskins. It'd be great to see the reaction of Danny Snyder to that one.

The Cowboys' win was an ugly one, but a win nonetheless. Although, like I've been saying all along, I think they abandoned the run way too early. Why the heck did they try throwing to fades back to back from the Panthers 1-yard line? Felix Jones was on a roll and could have easily gotten at least inches from the end zone, at least close enough to justify going for it on 4th down. That was another thing, they should have gone for it on 4th. If they hadn't of gotten it, Carolina would have started at their own 1. I have a hard time seeing that Panther offense drive it 99 yards. Romo didn't throw any touchdowns, but at least he didn't throw any interceptions either. I'll take that any day of the week if it means the W.

Oh, back to Seattle, don't ever wear those uniforms again.

Catch up

2009-09-27T00:40:00.004-05:00

It's about time I get caught up with everything in the sports world, and well, life in general (as if there's anything in life outside of sports). I just moved to Baytown, Texas to start my new job where I write for the Baytown Sun. You can catch up on the podcast but that's enough about me, let's catch up.

Week one of the NFL, Romo set a career high of 350 passing yards and hit three different receivers for a touchdown.

Week two of the NFL, Romo threw three interceptions. He was off and it's what cost the game against the Giants in the Cowboys home opener in their new $1.2 billion stadium.

Week three of the NFL, the Cowboys are set to host the Carolina Panthers on Monday night. Man, better pray for a win. Who wants to lost their first two games in the place? Makes you wonder if Jerry Jones' focus is on the stadium itself, and not the team. The Cowboys will be in a lot of trouble if they lose. They're in one of the toughest divisions in the league, so if they get behind, it's going to be hard to catch up.

The secondary has a ton of holes. Eli Manning tour it apart without any big name receivers. Offensively, they have to run the ball more. With three solid running backs, why in the world would you look anywhere else. Just pound the ball down the defenses' throats. They seem to abandon the run way too quickly. Hopefully the stick to what works, running.

At least the 'Boys are in better shape than the Lions who are trying to snap a 19 game winning streak. They're hosting the Redskins and see a great opportunity to do so.

McNabb went down, and the Eagles are copying the Bucs by stacking the roster with quarterbacks. They recently brought Jeff Garcia back so he could take be under center in Philly, as could Kevin Kolb and Michael Vick.

Speaking of quarterbacks, college football's best, Tim Tebow went down. He was out cold and head coach Urban Meyer went into the stands to tell Tebow's parents about his son's condition. The Gators have off week five of college football so that will give Tebo plenty of time to nurse his injuries. Not to underplay the injury, but I'd be shocked if he missed more than two games.

It's been sad seeing the Rangers tank. There was so much hope for so long, and now, nothing. I guess that's what I get for being a Rangers fan. Well, I guess I'll have to once again, say there's always next year, but until then, we're still near the beginning of what I hope to be a great football season. Maybe the Cowboys can actually win a couple games. We'll find out if Tony Romo can get the monkey off his back. Oh yeah, please Marion, come back.

Drama Queen of the Week

2009-09-04T14:49:00.007-05:00

I'm looking for input for my new podcast show. I want to have it playing on a consistent time of the week, say late morning/early afternoon on Saturdays. I also want a bit we can use fairly consistently. For years, Mike and Mike had the Just Shut Up Award which and Dan Patrick has the bell for callers as they "weigh in" on a particular subject.

One of the things I'm considering is having the "Drama Queen of the Week Award". It might be a little similar to the Just shut Up award but with a tad more sarcasm. As time moves on, we could have the Drama Queen of the Month and so on.

Brett Favre would take the cake if I was to hand out the award for the summer. His indecisiveness about whether or not to play, then claiming his daughter told him to win another Super Bowl puts Favre in first place by a landslide. Recently, you could say he'd be matched up by Jay Cutler and Brandon Marshall.

The honorable award would be open for any sport and wouldn't be limited to just players. It'd be for coaches, owners and possibly even fans. Just depends on where the drama comes from that particular week. It wouldn't just be on the podcast either. I'd blog about it here and put a poll up, allowing all three of my readers to vote for who they believe should walk away with the award.

I'm definitely open for other suggestions though. If anyone has any ideas please let me know. I'm just trying to make this blog and podcast the best I can and that's not happening without input from the people who read and listen. Man, talking like that, I'm about to give myself the Drama Queen of the Week Award.

We Sports

2009-08-29T00:17:00.004-05:00

When is it acceptable and unacceptable to say "we" when referring to your team as a fan? Obviously the fans aren't hitting pitches coming at us 95 mph. We're not the one's standing in the pocket trying to decide where the blitz is coming from and trying to remember who's running what route and we're certainly not getting paid $1oo million.

That's my point exactly though. There's not nearly as much loyalty on the part of players and coaches and more. Whatever happened to people like Bill Bates. When he was offered a lot more money to play for the Raiders, he declined because he wanted to finish his career in Dallas. Not to mention, by the time you buy a player's jersey, he's gone and it's no longer cool to have that jersey any more because he's either hurt or changed teams, his number or his name. The players are paid to wear the jersey and the fans pay to wear it.

We buy tickets and apparel. We put the advantage in homefield advantage. Whenever a team wins a championship, they say they couldn't have done it without the fans? Are they just sucking to the millions of people watching or do they actually believe it? If they do believe it, aren't fans by definition part of the team?

Yes, I do think it's okay to "we" your favorite team, but only your favorite team. If you're a fan of a team that's not in the playoffs, don't say "we" to another team because yours didn't make it. Be consistent with it. Be a die hard fan and stick with your team through think and thin.

As far as college sports are concerned, stick with one school to we. Don't say we to The Longhorns football team and the Tar Heels basketball team. I'm likely just as guilty as anyone and should probably work on it.

My first fall semester at SFA, the football team went 0-11. My last spring semester at SFA, the basketball team went to the NCAA tournament. How easy would it be for me to say we when referring to the basketball team but not the football team? Yeah, pretty easy.

Another thing is, you can't switch. Think of it kind of like a marriage. For better or worse. In injuries and in health, in wins and in losses. Let's get rid of all the fair weather stuff. Maybe it's best to be a fan for a specific amount of time before you start weeing or team. I think you need that time to get to know your team and figure out if this thing's going to work or not. Some of us are more ready than others for that type of commitment. Remember, this is the rest of your life we're talking about here. Are you ready to think in terms of we?

Choose Your Genre

2009-08-25T22:53:00.005-05:00

A lot has happened since I last wrote here. I've tried to comment as little as possible about a couple quarterbacks joining their new teams, and it all seems like the drama goes on and on. It's a reality show that never ends.

Speaking of the reality shows, after finishing Fourth and Long, Hall of Fame receiver Michael Irvin decided he wanted more rand joined Dancing with the Stars. Man, I love the Cowboys, I'm a big fan of Emmitt but come on guys, enough already. In case anyone's thinking it, Troy Aikman will not join the others to have all three triplets join the show.

It's not uncommon these days for athletes to have their own shows. Michael Strahan stars in a new sitcom. T.O., as everyone knows, was in a couple reality shows over the summer and several athletes have gone on Dancing with the Stars. If you were to categorize individuals or teams as a type of show or movie genre, who would be what?

For example, it's a given that Owens would be a reality or soap-opera. Plaxico Burres would be a comedy, much like Dumb and Dumber except there is no Dumber. The quick play and dominating teams like the Patriots' during their super bowl years would be an action although the year the lost would be a drama due to the whole spygate factor.

The entire WNBA would be a chick flick. No action, really boring, no big names and not a lot of talent. Yeah, watching the grass grow or paint dry on the wall is a little more entertaining. At least it would make is seem like time has gone by a little faster.

You can't blame Michael Crabtree for not wanting to play for the 49ers but passing on $20 million is a different story. That's more money than most of us can ever dream of having. If he does hold out the entire year and reenter the draft next year, he's going to be rusty, never having caught an NFL pass. Yeah that's great experience. Who would want him by then? How do you know he's not going to do what he just did to San Fransisco? What type of genre would Crabtree be?

On a completely unrelated note, you'd figure a stadium that cost $1.2 billion would have no flaws. Even though it's nothing too huge, balls were hitting the scoreboard in the first game at the Cowboys new stadium. Evidently, if a ball hits the screen, the play doesn't count. It's a redo. That made me think about different scenarios in my head like, say the ball is blocked and it hits the screen anyway? Are they really going to take away the blocked punt?

The Rangers fell behind 4-0 early against the Yankees, built a 10-5 lead and let allowed the Yankees to score four more in the bottom of the 9th. The Rangers barely escaped with a 10-9 victory. The have their work cut out for them as try to catch the Red Sox or even the Angels.

The Bucket List

2009-08-17T11:42:00.002-05:00

After graduating recently, I was thrilled I could cross something else off my list.You know, my bucket list. I began thinking of other things I plan to accomplish in my life, and I realized something; most of the things I plan to do are sports related.

Obviously I plan on becoming a sports journalist of some kind and don't exactly consider that crossed off my list just yet. I want to go to Fenway Park and Lambeau Field. I want to cover the Super Bowl, the World Series, the Final Four, the NBA finals and of course the college football national championship game along with many other games.

I want to be in a ballpark during a no hitter. I would love to catch a foul ball or a home run ball at a major league game. Speaking of which, did you see that kid at the Red Sox Rangers game who caught two foul balls from Josh Hamilton? That's something that kid won't be forgetting anytime soon. I want to go to Cooperstown.

A few other things on the list that aren't necessarily sports related are the following: I want to go to the White House. Maybe I can even play some T-ball on the lawn. I want travel to all 50 states. Heck, I 'd like to go to every stadium or ballpark at least in a single league. Alright, sorry that one is sports related obviously, but you see my point? Just about everything I hope to do is somehow centered around the world of sports. I want to write a book (may or may not be about sports).

When all said and done, the world in sports has made my life that much better and provides that much more to shoot for before it's too late. There's always something more to come.

Stolen Bases

2009-08-16T09:58:00.004-05:00

Will Michael Vick be used only as a backup to McNabb or will he be used at other positions as well? Will he be anything like kordell Stewart? >>>
Will they use him in a wildcat formation?

The fact Vick is now an Eagle gives me all the more reason to dislike both. I don't think it was a good move for Philly seeing as Vick has been out for two full seasons so he's going to be rusty to say the least then you have to factor in the fact he has to learn a new playbook. Yes I know he's a backup but you don't know what the guy is capable of doing anymore. That's just the football standpoint. You can form your own opinion about his off the field issues.

Speaking of quarterbacks, I know it's old now, but what is Vince Young thinking? He said he'll be the next black quarterback to win the Super Bowl and he will be in the Hall of Fame." Hey Vince, you're a backup. Before focusing on the Super Bowl and the Hall, focus on becoming a starter. Who talks about the hall while playing anyway? Does that not show your priorities are in the wrong spot? These Texas boys sure aren't giving us a good name. Hopefully Colt will have success in the NFL, but of course, he's got to focus on his senior year.

In baseball, the Red Sox and Rangers are in a heated battle for the wildcard and the teams are going head to head in their final game of a three-game series. Game two saw the Rangers steal eight bases. Julio Bordon and Elvis Andrus had seven stolen bases between the two of them, helping set the club record and the tie the record for any team this MLB season. The Rangers are hoping the bases aren't the only thing they steal from the Red Sox. They have their eye on that wild card.

Pro Stars

2009-08-06T21:04:00.002-05:00

What are the chances of Michael Vick, Plaxico Burress and Donte Stallworth all end up on the same team? Yeah, pretty slim unless some owner from the UFL decided to strike it rich and roll the dice. At least no one is more sorry and more apologetic than Burress who said "I'm deeply sorry for shooting myself in the leg." Alright, part of that may or may not have been made up.

Anybody remember a cartoon called Pro Stars? It featured Michael Jordan, Wayne Gretzky and Bo Jackson (representing football and basketball) as they used their athletic abilities to fight crime and save the world. Yes, really cheesy. You can youtube it from this blog down below to watch the intro or as much as you can handle if you don't believe me or want to remember how bad it really was.

Yes, I myself did just that. It got me thinking, who would it feature today? Lebron seems like an obvious choice along with Sydney Crosby but what about baseball and football? There's not one star to represent both sports right now. A-Rod could be in it I guess and his power could be that his head grows when taking his secret potion. Perhaps it'd his Yankee teammate Derek Jeter. If Griffey was younger he'd have a case. Manny maybe? As if he was animated enough.

We all know of a few receivers who would jump at the opportunity to be drawn up as a hero. Owens probably won't get approved since he's already got his own show. The quarterback position fits the role but those playing really don't. They could use their accuracy and throwing power to knock out a criminal on the run. Adrian "All Day" Peterson has a nickname that could fit.

Overall, it's definitely a good thing the cartoon no longer exists. Not just because it portrays these athletes who make a lot of mistakes as superheroes but because it's so stinkin' cheesy. Who ever thought that was a good idea?

The Un-understandables

2009-07-25T16:38:00.005-05:00

I was sitting in the office the other day when a couple of my colleagues were watching Who Wants to be A Millionaire. Apparently there's a daytime version now, and it's hosted by a woman, not Regis. One of the questions asked was "what type of ball was Lebron James holding on the cover of Time Magazine?" and it listed three other balls as other options.

The contestant asked the audience as a lifeline and I began to ask myself another question; Does she seriously not know who Lebron James is or does she think maybe he was advertising another sport for some odd reason?

I realize non-NBA fans aren't going to watch the finals but you couldn't turn on the TV or go online without hearing or reading something about him during that time. I don't want to rip on that lady too much but I seriously don't understand. Does she belong in the same category as the lady who thought an elephant was bigger than the moon? Alright, that's extreme but still, how can you not know who Lebron James is? During his prime, did she not know who Michael Jordan was? How many baseball players can she name. Can it be possible she has no idea there's drama with Brett Favre?I'm not a fan of the Jonas Brothers or Hannah Montana but I happen to know who they are simply because we hear about them all the time.

This might just have to be added to a list of other things I don't understand and may never. I've never understood the appeal of shopping, soap-operas and chick flicks, or the purpose of making the bed in the morning when you're just going to mess it up a few hours later anyway. Yeah, it's a list of random things but why go look for something to spend your money on when you don't know what you need or want when instead, you can save your money for something you'll later want or need? That way, when you do know, you can go pick it up, get out once you do, and not make an entire day event out of it. Why watch something with terrible acting, no action, no humor and is as boring as can be? In my mind, that's a description of soaps and chick flicks and I guess I'll just never get it.

Sports in my mind are the exact opposite. They provide plenty of action, comical moments and the only time you have to worry about bad acting is if a punter is trying to draw a flag. Maybe the problem lies with trying to understand the Un-understandables. If we keep trying to understand it, we're just be searching for something that's not really there.

Just start the season

2009-07-23T22:48:00.003-05:00

Let me warn you, this first paragraph is made of pointless ranting. The other night ESPN was airing the Red Sox and Rangers game but I didn't get it. I didn't get any of the series because I live in a town that's just a tad closer to Houston than Arlington and they don't want people tuned in the Rangers instead of the Astros and therefore, ESPNEWS was being aired locally. Here I was doing my homework and watching the game cast. Would it be wrong if I mentioned my cable company by name and told you how much I hate them?>>>>>>
Hard is: enjoying all the sports you want with the particular company. Easy is: getting all the games you want through another company.

Anyway, on that note, while not watching the Red Sox Rangers, I began thinking about how I miss football season. I won't have to worry about not seeing the Cowboys while the Texans are playing.

Missing football also has to do with the fact ESPN Magazine released its fantasy issue. Is it just me or does it get earlier and earlier every year? Yeah, I can't wait for football season either but lets not pretend it's closer than it is. Training camps just started which means the season isn't just around the corner but it's down the hall, around the corner and down another hall. It can't get here fast enough.

From high school and college, to the pros, the sport brings many aspects and many things to get the fans excited. Here are just a few things to think about:

College Football: Colt McCoy will try to lead his team where they should have been last year; in the national championship. In the process, he'll try to snag the Heisman. Tim Tebow or Sam Bradford might have something to say about that though. Bradford taking the hardware home last year wasn't the first time the Horns got screwed over by the Sooners on a bad judgement call.

Fantasy: You can go out and buy all the draft preview magazines and read the latest by all the experts, but those mags and other material probably won't prepare you for LT or Tom Brady going down. One thing you have to consider as much as your first draft pick is your team name. No serious names allowed. If you're a Steelers fan, the word "Steelers" should not appear anywhere in your name. Also, don't name your team based on expectations of the year. For example: The Dominators. No, it's not allowed.

One rule on which I probably stand alone, but still stand by is this: no starting players for the team playing your team. If you're a Cowboys fan, don't even think about starting a guy in Washington who goes by Santana when the Boys and Skins meet. This will lead you to do one of two things: either you will put your fantasy team above your NFL team or you'll say, "I hope we win but I want my guy to score about three touchdowns." Both of these are unacceptable. It shouldn't even be in the back of your head to root against your team or for the rivals. Anyway, more rules will come later.

NFL Changes: One change I've talked about here is the Brady Rule and so you know where I stand on that. If not, then read my post titled The Brady Rule. Speaking of changes, we'll likely see a former Packer quarterback playing for his former rivals. Oh yeah, what do you think about John Gruden replacing Tony Kornieser on MNF? The biggest change I'm looking forward to though is what's taking place in Arlington. That new Cowboys stadium, well, there's nothing like it. Hopefully we can win a playoff game or two there.

To Believe Or Not To Believe...

2009-07-15T21:34:00.003-05:00

Some things in life are fun to believe in, but if you still believe in them in your adult life, you're pretty much a moron. Take Santa Claus for example. (If you never had the Santa talk, I'd advise you to not read the rest.) Once you reach adulthood, if you're waiting up to see the jolly old man come down your chimney, well, you need help.

It's easy to see why Santa would be fun to believe in as kids though. Anticipating the sleigh to land on the roof of your house as you make cookies (not knowing your parents will eat them when you're bed) must be fun.

There was never a time when I believed in Santa, but as sports fans, we are often ignorant and believe things because we want to believe in them simply because it would be fun. Last year marked 100 years since the Cubs last won the World Series and you constantly heard about how great it would be for them to break the long streak right at 100.

Did anyone other than a Cubs fan believe that would happen? They were swept in the first round of the playoffs.

Occasionally though, the world of sports provides reason to believe. We experience upsets, underdogs, dynasties, rivalries and comebacks. Then we have the laughing stocks of sports. The Clippers wish they were the other LA team and those playing for the Knicks wish they weren't.

When your team is getting blown out, you try to convince yourself there's hope of a comeback even if you know darn well there's not. You set up different scenarios in your head like "If we can just score here, get the two point conversion, recover the onside kick and score another touchdown and go for two again, then we're still in this.
Yes, one of the things that makes sports great is the possibility of a miracle but miracles wouldn't be miracles if they happened all the time. If you're a telling yourself the Nationals will win the World Series, then, well again, you're pretty much a moron.

Although, I will say, the chances of Santa answering your letter is just as likely, even this time of the year. Why don't you go look for him? I think he'll ride in on a UFO with Bigfoot this year.

Tweet 85

2009-07-09T22:40:00.004-05:00

While you log online during the game to check your fantasy scores, you can actually catch his immediate reactions to the last play as Chad Eight Five will be Tweeting from the sidelines. Is it possible to care any less? You'd think a team player would be more into the game and not texting things like "lol, u cant catch me." or "Carson yelled at me in the huddle and the ref told me not 2 txt on field NE more."

The question is, how long will it be before Chad tells tweets the next play as the defensive coordinator on the other sideline is a follower of the wide receiver. It won't be until he gets fined for complaining about the officiating or tries to claim he thought the press conference was via twitter. Maybe he'll even try to get be a part of Sports Center's make a wish as he thinks a little boy's dream comes true when he gets a message from Eight Five.

Through twitter, he challenged Mike Golic to a fight and actually claimed the passing of Michael Jackson was as bad as 9-11. After comments like that, I don't think he should be allowed communication with the outside world.

At Jackson's funeral, Magic Johnson said Jackson made it possible for him to be a better ball player and allowed his jerseys to be sold. Yeah, not quite sure what he was saying by that. Kobe was also there but he wasn't yet joined by his new teammate Ron Artest who chose No. 37 because it that's the number of weeks a song or album of Jackson stayed on top. Alright seriously please, enough with Jackson.

Speaking of other NBA moves, the Mavs acquired Shawn Marion. Not a bad move but they really need a good young point guard, like the one playing for the Knicks. The Rangers are actually playing well right now as their barely hanging in to their first place lead. We'll see if they can hold it after all star break. Too bad Ian Kinsler got shafted. He should have been there. Maybe Chad will be following them on Twitter.

Remember the Titan

2009-07-05T09:34:00.003-05:00

The nickname "Air McNair" is only appropriate for Steve McNair as is "the Titan" seeing as he was quarterbacking the team during the transition from Houston to Tennessee.

He was drafted out of Alcorn State by the Oilers in 1995 and spent 13 seasons with the organization before playing his last two years in Baltimore. He led the Titans to the Super Bowl in 1999 where his team fell a yard short to the Rams. He was also split the MVP award with Peyton Manning in 2003. He is No. 5 all time in rushing for a quarterback.

One of many definitions of the word Titan is "a person or thing of enormous size, strength, power and influence". McNair wasn't a huge man physically but I'd say all the others applied.Throughout his career he fought through injury after injury and put up season MVP numbers and still helped lead his team to the post season and Super Bowl.

The tragic news of his death was shocking to everyone. The 36-year old recently retired from the game of football and was missed on the field by fans everywhere, now fans will by mourning the loss of a man of character that goes beyond football. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the family and friends.

Independence Day

2009-07-03T10:33:00.004-05:00

As Americans, we love our holidays, especially our Independence Day. When the fourth of July rolls around, it's always easy to be patriotic but what's tough is approaching it from a sports perspective and being original seeing as July 4th doesn't necessary hold a ton of sports memories since baseball and tennis are about the only in-season sports.

You can always point to your favorite athletes who made the ultimate sacrifice for their country's freedom or discuss your favorite sports memories when it comes to patriotism. Look for example at the tragedies 9-11. After these tragic times, sports were there as a positive escape as we saw fans and athletes alike celebrating their freedom and love for this country.

I've got many memories of July 4th that I will never forget and I will remember every little detail about them. The same is true of sports. I remember exactly where I was when Mark McGuire broke the record, even if he was juicing. I will never forget Emmitt Smith running his way into history to become the all-time leading rusher. I remember when Cal Ripken broke the record for most consecutive games played. Who can ever forget Brett Favre's performance on Monday night? Yeah, I know, I'm leaving something out but there are just so many.

I've read and heard stories that will never get old like the Miracle on Ice or the Jackie Robinson breaking the color barrier.

Unfortunately in life, we often times remember the negative events, again, such as 9-11 or the Oklahoma City bombing but sports brings that positive aspect and on this fourth of July, we can create more positive memories, like going to the ballpark, getting a hot dog and watching fireworks. What's more patriotic than that?

On that rambling note, I'd just like to wish everybody a happy and safe Independence Day.

Athlete or Musician?

2009-06-23T17:41:00.003-05:00

You may have heard it said ballplayers want to be rock stars and rocks stars want to be ballplayers. If you could pick between having a successful career as an athlete or a musician, which would it be? Someone asked me this recently and I was quick to say answer athlete.

Then I thought about it some more. It was probably a good five seconds longer. No, I didn't change my mind. I actually felt stupid that I had to put that much thought into it. Sure, being a musician would have its perks but we're talking about being on the same stage as people we all see every night on sports center (I say that assuming anyone reading this is a sports fan who watches ESPN more than MTV.)

Sure it must be nice to be able to produce a nice sounding song out of the blue but it's so subjective. As an athlete, you have the opportunity to be the best by proving it on the field or court and it's not based on opinion. You can debate who had the best song or album of the year all you want, but when all said and done, whether or not you like them or not, there's no argument that the Lakers just won the NBA finals and the Steelers have six rings.

When I watch a game, I see athletes I can't stand. Man, I would do just about anything for a chance to be DeMarcus Ware and sack McNabb and force him to fumble. I'd love to dunk on Chris Anderson or strike out A-Rod. Of course, robbing him of a home run would be a blast also.

Point is, as far as I know, there are no opportunities to do things of that nature to musicians you don't like. What are you going to do, see whose voice can go lower and higher or see who's faster on the guitar? Yeah, that'll show him.

Even if my career wasn't so successful, I'd still take a job as a professional athlete over a musician any day. You come, you suck, you get out and you're just a distant memory that people bring up out of the blue. Look at Joey Harrington. Give it a couple years and no one will remember him, unfortunately for him though, his career as a piano player will probably be the same way. The NFL's attempt at combining the two industries with "Monday Night at the Mics" didn't turn out so well.

With limewire, iTunes, youtube, and things of that nature, it's not hard to find songs or "musicians". Radio stations kill the good songs and make the bad songs even worse by overplaying them. That's one problem you won't usually find with AM radio, at least not sports radio.

When your name is being used as a punch line to a joke, you can say "at least I got to play in the big leagues." In someone like, say the recently arrested Ryan Leaf though, well, it was his off field antics more than anything that caused such a short career. Just imagine, a chance at hoisting the Lombardi trophy knowing alll the work you've put in is finally paying off.

Folmer Remembers Dad on Mound

2009-06-16T00:21:00.004-05:00

Stephen F. Austin pitcher Richard Folmer was one of two Lumberjack pitchers drafted into the MLB last Wednesday. Folmer was drafted by the Kansas City Royals and teammate Chris Court was drafted by the Boston Red Sox.

I wasn't able to talk to Folmer after he was drafted last semester I sat down with him and listened to him his incredible story. Here's the story I wrote for the Pine Long, SFA's paper:

Before he throws his first pitch, Richard Folmer, Houston senior, takes off his hat in honor of his dad. The gesture is made in hopes of gaining strength and confidence to close the game and lead his team to victory from the mound.

"My dad passed away when I was 9, and he's the reason I'm in baseball," Folmer said. "Ever since I was about two he would always play catch with me. He was hard on me, but he just wanted me to be the best that I could be even at a young age. He would always tell me when I pitch to make sure I'm ready for a line drive right back at me. He is the reason I love baseball so much."

Folmer's father, Danny was a pitcher himself, and early in Richard's college career, he ran into his dad's high school baseball coach, Bob Akins. "They were honoring him as an honoree coach but I didn't know who he was," Folmer said.

"He showed me a yearbook, and it was awesome," Folmer said. "It was kind of a surreal moment, because I see myself in (my dad). I photocopied some pictures, and during my sophomore year, I took them with me on road trips and just looked through them for inspiration on the road."

Folmer still uses the lessons he learned from his dad. "He taught me how to throw a curve ball," he recalled. "You could ask anybody on this team, and they'll probably tell you that my best pitch is my breaking pitch. He was one of the first people to show me how to throw a breaking pitch. He taught me all about sports; what an RBI was, what home run was, what a sacrifice fly was-most of these things that kids that young don't understand."

Around the age of three or four, Folmer's parents divorced. "From then on, I rarely got to see my dad, but when I did see him, all we'd ever do was watch sports and play baseball," he said.

Even while pitching in high school, Folmer did not consider playing college ball a reality, at least not until SFA came into the picture.

"In the fall of my senior year, (former head coach) Donnie Watson asked if I wanted to help start up a new program at SFA, and I was all for it. In high school, I never imagined playing college baseball. When a Division I coach offered me a scholarship, I was like 'Heck yeah, sign me up,' so they made me a Lumberjack."

While at SFA, Folmer has built many memories, and the greatest one he says came two years ago. "It was my sophomore year," he said, "and it was a win or go-home game to get into our first Southland Conference Tournament. Donnie [Watson] put me in as the closer, and I ended up getting that last out, and that took us to the tournament. I will never forget that moment. Hopefully we can have a repeat of that."

Time may be running out on Folmer's college career, but it is not over. He says the team chemistry is higher than it has been during his whole time here. "No one dislikes anyone," he said. "We're all buddies and have each other's backs."

Folmer said he does not think there is one individual on the team who works harder than the rest, because he believes they all work equally, giving everything they have got

"I give a lot of credit to Coach (Johnny) Cardenas for instilling that work ethic and motivation in us, because I think everybody works their hardest. We all have character and are easy-going guys. I think the most important aspect is team chemistry, and we finally have that now."

He also says he wants to help the younger players on the team, and he does not want to go without leaving a mark. "Even if they don't listen, I enjoy teaching the younger guys," he said. "I may not know everything, but just trying to help them out is important to me.

First year head coach Cardenas believes the younger players are listening and clinging to any advice he gives. "They've taken to that really well," Cardenas said. "All three of (SFA's closing pitchers) have a pretty close bond as they're competitive in their nature. They've really learned from each other. (Folmer has) really helped us with our younger guys who will fill that spot next year by giving them examples of how to go about being a closer."

The outcome of the game often lies in the hands of Folmer as the closing pitcher, and he believes a pitcher in that position has to forget it as quickly as possible. "Having a short memory is the probably the hardest lesson I've learned, because if you lose a game for the team, you have to let it go and get out there when they need you."

The task at hand for the Jacks is winning games in the Southland Conference to eventually get into next month's conference tournament.

"If they're in the Southland, I want a piece of them," Folmer said. "The mid-week games count, but when it comes down to it, if you're in the Southland, we want to beat you, and we want to sweep you. If I were to pick one of those teams I want to play the most, I'd say Sam Houston, because the past three years I've been here, we've played them real well. That's always a great series."

Folmer is currently hoping for a chance to play in the majors, but if that does not happen, he will do something in business. That time will be here soon but not until after baseball season is over. Folmer is not even on the mound to close this one quite yet. **

We can only assume he'll be on the minor league system but it'll be fun to watch and see if he gets called up.

Jump the Shark

2009-06-10T22:23:00.005-05:00

While water skiing, Fonzie of Happy Days literally jumped over a shark, and thus, the term Jump the Shark was coined to describe a show that had better days in the past. You could once go to www.jumptheshark.com to see when different people believe a particular show scooped to low levels of desperation in attempt to keep it alive, when, in all reality, sunk the ship. However, the site is now apart of the TV Guide Channel's website.

I was reminded of the term when reading Bill Simmons' last column about Big Papi and it got me thinking; what if we applied this aspect to the world of sports? It could deal with teams, athletes, coaches, anyone and everyone.

You could argue Michael Jordan jumped the shark by playing for the Wizards. Will Tom Brady return to what he once was, and if not, is that an example of jumping the shark? Michael Vick certainly won't be what he was before but I don't think he ever jumped the shark, I think there was another animal involved.

Did Donavan McNabb jump the shark in the Super Bowl with his terrible clock management or did it come later when he admitted to not knowing an NFL game can end in a tie? Brett Favre's shark has been long jumped as have the sharks of a good majority of MLB players. Ron Artest?Alright, that's an easy one.

Ok, to be fair, I'll ask the question of some of my favorite athletes. Did Emmitt Smith ever jump the shark, and if so, when? Yes, he did but I'm not sure yet if it was when he signed with the Cardinals or went on Dancing with the Stars.

Speaking of Cardinals, if he hadn't already, Denny Green jumped the shark in his "they are who we thought there were" press conference. Joe Namath also jumped the shark in an interview. Yes, when he tried to kiss Suzie Kolber.

Come to think of it, the term Jump the Shark works for TV shows but not necessarily sports. I like the concept so maybe we just need a new term for it. Any ideas? I've got nothing.