Couldn't help but grab my iPad and blog about the Dallas/LA game. What a bunch of bums. The Lakers are supposed to be champions. Well that means you act like champions whether you win or lose. The two cheap shots in the fourth quarter were definitely uncalled for. Especially the foul on Bynum. I would start the trade papers right now before the game is over. Bynum is a pathetic excuse of a basketball player anyway, and now he just confirmed that. What really disturbs me is that their leader on the floor didn't immediately call his team together and send a message that this kind of bush league play needs to stop now.
I am watching the game with my 13 year old son, who is a basketball player in his own right. He idolizes most of the players and tries to play like they do. What kind of a message do these displays of poor sportsmanship send to kids his age? Is it ok to try and injure the opponent who has just kicked your butt? What Bynum did to Barea should get him suspended at the start of next year. There is no place for that kind of play at any level, especially at the highest level of the sport. Don't take your frustration of being a poor player who has never lived up to the billing, by trying to take out a defenseless, in the air opponent.
Take the defeat like men. My father always told me that you win and lose with dignity. Sometimes the team you are playing is just better than you. Today, Dallas was by far the better team on the floor. Accept it Lakers, you have been the champions for the last two years, but today because of two players you looked like a bunch of bums.
Sunday, May 8, 2011
Friday, May 6, 2011
To Tweet or Not to Tweet
What in the world was Rashard Mendenhall thinking this past week when he tweeted about Bin Laden being killed, and the events of 9/11. Now, I am not going to go into all that stuff, you can decide yourself what to think and believe. Everyone has their own opinion, and you can agree or disagree with what is said. What I can't figure out is why would Rashard tweet his thoughts on this subject? This was media suicide. Did he think that nobody would read it, or that his comments would cause an uproar with those in the media and fans of the Steelers, and the NFL, and for that matter the United States. Regardless of whether he is right or wrong, these kind of comments would have been better off kept off the social Internet.
When you are a celebrity, anytime you voice your opinion on delicate issues, the backlash can be devastating. I am a fan of Mendenhall's, from his day's at the University of Illinois, and I hate to see him in the situation he is in right now. Even an apology won't undo what he has already said, and now Champion has cut ties with him as one of their spokesmen. This may haunt him the rest of his professional career, and cost him a lot of endorsement money.
Rashard is not the only athlete to get into hot water with comments made via Twitter, Facebook,and other Social Medias. It seems that whenever a player is displeased with something, even during a game, it is easy to grab a phone and text his feelings for everyone to see. Do players not realize that even when they send a tweet out to their followers, that eventually it will end up on SPORTSCENTER. Whatever happened to taking issues to the coach? I don't know about you, but I don't care about an athlete, making millions of dollars, griping about playing time, or that his teammates won't pass him the ball, and I sure don't care about their political views.
The next time an athlete or celebrity decides to express their opinion to the whole world, maybe he/she should ask the question, to Tweet or not to Tweet, what's the best decision?
When you are a celebrity, anytime you voice your opinion on delicate issues, the backlash can be devastating. I am a fan of Mendenhall's, from his day's at the University of Illinois, and I hate to see him in the situation he is in right now. Even an apology won't undo what he has already said, and now Champion has cut ties with him as one of their spokesmen. This may haunt him the rest of his professional career, and cost him a lot of endorsement money.
Rashard is not the only athlete to get into hot water with comments made via Twitter, Facebook,and other Social Medias. It seems that whenever a player is displeased with something, even during a game, it is easy to grab a phone and text his feelings for everyone to see. Do players not realize that even when they send a tweet out to their followers, that eventually it will end up on SPORTSCENTER. Whatever happened to taking issues to the coach? I don't know about you, but I don't care about an athlete, making millions of dollars, griping about playing time, or that his teammates won't pass him the ball, and I sure don't care about their political views.
The next time an athlete or celebrity decides to express their opinion to the whole world, maybe he/she should ask the question, to Tweet or not to Tweet, what's the best decision?
Thursday, April 28, 2011
Life Revolves Around Sports
Am I the only one whose life has seemed to revolve around sports? Athletic activities have been a big part of my life since I was a baby in my stroller at my dad's baseball and softball games. Many of my childhood memories involve, meals at the American Legion in Buckley, IL after a Dutchmaster's baseball game. Then we would pile in the car and go to some nearby town for a softball DH. We've lost many of those teammates in the last few years, including my dad, but the friendships and the memories will never go away.
As I got older and started playing myself, our schedule always revolved around what sport was being played at the time. Vacations were planned so as not to miss any games. This has carried over into my adult life as everything we do has to be planned around my kid's sports schedule. I'm sure this is the case for many of you, and my family is not special, but how many of you use sports to remember other events that have happened along the way?
Let me share some examples from my life with you. There are many of you that had your tonsils out when you were a kid. How many can easily remember what year it was. For me it is easy. The year was 1972. I know this because I am a Miami Dolphins fan and that is the year they were undefeated, and I got to watch them on TV while eating ice cream and healing. I remember that my Grandpa George died in 1980 because it was basketball season of my sophomore year. Also, two of the three most important days of my life, the third being my son's birth, were my wedding day and my daughter's birth,(our first). Both have a connection with sports. When my wife and I were planning our date to get married there was one stipulation. It had to be after SOFTBALL SEASON and before harvest. This only left August and September as possible months to be wed in. At least I have a 50/50 chance of getting it right when asked, by the way it is the 26th of August, I think. As far as when my daughter was born, that was the end of May. I know this because while my wife was in labor for 18 hours, I was watching the Indy 500 on the TV. I don't know if her favorite driver was doing poorly or what, but she sure was doing a lot of yelling. Particularly at me.
Are there any sporting events that help you recall other important dates in your life? Does your family schedule revolve around athletics? If so, leave a comment. I'm sure you all have some great ones.
As I got older and started playing myself, our schedule always revolved around what sport was being played at the time. Vacations were planned so as not to miss any games. This has carried over into my adult life as everything we do has to be planned around my kid's sports schedule. I'm sure this is the case for many of you, and my family is not special, but how many of you use sports to remember other events that have happened along the way?
Let me share some examples from my life with you. There are many of you that had your tonsils out when you were a kid. How many can easily remember what year it was. For me it is easy. The year was 1972. I know this because I am a Miami Dolphins fan and that is the year they were undefeated, and I got to watch them on TV while eating ice cream and healing. I remember that my Grandpa George died in 1980 because it was basketball season of my sophomore year. Also, two of the three most important days of my life, the third being my son's birth, were my wedding day and my daughter's birth,(our first). Both have a connection with sports. When my wife and I were planning our date to get married there was one stipulation. It had to be after SOFTBALL SEASON and before harvest. This only left August and September as possible months to be wed in. At least I have a 50/50 chance of getting it right when asked, by the way it is the 26th of August, I think. As far as when my daughter was born, that was the end of May. I know this because while my wife was in labor for 18 hours, I was watching the Indy 500 on the TV. I don't know if her favorite driver was doing poorly or what, but she sure was doing a lot of yelling. Particularly at me.
Are there any sporting events that help you recall other important dates in your life? Does your family schedule revolve around athletics? If so, leave a comment. I'm sure you all have some great ones.
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Check The Manual
Being a coach has got to be one of the most rewarding professions anyone can have. As a coach myself I truly enjoy teaching young men the game that I have loved for so many years. I have been involved with basketball for more than 30 years in some capacity. Whether as a player, coach, referee, or announcer I try to stay around the game I love. Any coach will tell you that games are fun, but the best thing about coaching is the teaching that goes on in practice. Transferring the knowledge of the game to each player and watching them develop their skills as the year unfolds. To me this is what success is all about, not just winning games.
Unfortunately, this is not the case as the level of competion increases. More and more the emphasis is put on winning. The more games you win the more fans you put in the seats, and the more money you generate. Now, don't get me wrong, money is important to keep athletic programs running at the college level. Is it so important that coaches at this level need to find ways to take advantage of the rules, or worse, not report violations to the proper authorities so as not to lose? Case in point, Jim Tressel at Ohio State University.
I have always thought that Coach Tressel was one of the good guys in College Football. He has had much success everywhere he has been in his career. I have read his book "The Winners Manual" and as a young coach, thought it was very inspirational. The words in his book won't lose their meaning, however my perception of the man who wrote them has. Without getting caught up in all the information that has been provided by the press, the one thing that really bothers me is that he knew what went on and didn't do anything about it. Was this because he didn't know how or what to do. I don't think so. It appears to me and I am sure many others that the one loss Buckeyes couldn't afford to lose another game if they wanted to stay in the hunt for a National Championship.
Now, I am not going to go into how the suspensions should have been handled, that' for you to decide. What puzzles me is here is a respected coach who seems to have chosen winning over what is right. As coaches we need to be aware that we are an example to many young lives, no matter what the age of athlete we are coaching. The decision to not report the violations at hand,for whatever reason, set a poor example for his players, young coaches, and young players everywhere, not to mention a bad light on a respected program and University.
Winning is a great feeling, and being on top is what we all strive for, but contrary to the popular quote, "it is not the only thing". Respect for the game you love and the players you coach is what matters. I think Coach Tressel and other coaches like him should CHECK THE MANUAL!!
Unfortunately, this is not the case as the level of competion increases. More and more the emphasis is put on winning. The more games you win the more fans you put in the seats, and the more money you generate. Now, don't get me wrong, money is important to keep athletic programs running at the college level. Is it so important that coaches at this level need to find ways to take advantage of the rules, or worse, not report violations to the proper authorities so as not to lose? Case in point, Jim Tressel at Ohio State University.
I have always thought that Coach Tressel was one of the good guys in College Football. He has had much success everywhere he has been in his career. I have read his book "The Winners Manual" and as a young coach, thought it was very inspirational. The words in his book won't lose their meaning, however my perception of the man who wrote them has. Without getting caught up in all the information that has been provided by the press, the one thing that really bothers me is that he knew what went on and didn't do anything about it. Was this because he didn't know how or what to do. I don't think so. It appears to me and I am sure many others that the one loss Buckeyes couldn't afford to lose another game if they wanted to stay in the hunt for a National Championship.
Now, I am not going to go into how the suspensions should have been handled, that' for you to decide. What puzzles me is here is a respected coach who seems to have chosen winning over what is right. As coaches we need to be aware that we are an example to many young lives, no matter what the age of athlete we are coaching. The decision to not report the violations at hand,for whatever reason, set a poor example for his players, young coaches, and young players everywhere, not to mention a bad light on a respected program and University.
Winning is a great feeling, and being on top is what we all strive for, but contrary to the popular quote, "it is not the only thing". Respect for the game you love and the players you coach is what matters. I think Coach Tressel and other coaches like him should CHECK THE MANUAL!!
Friday, April 22, 2011
Send The Right Message!!!!
I think the Baseball Hall of Fame is going to have to build another wing. Call it the Steroid Center or maybe the Astrisk Arena. Just saw a clip from ESPN talking about whether Barry Bonds will be voted into the Hall. I am a little bit mixed in my feelings. It is certainly no secret that Bonds, Mark McGuire, Roger Clemens, and so many others linked to the Steroids Era have immense talent, but would they have set all the records without steroids? It is hard to say, and I don't think anyone can prove whether they would have or not. The most prestigious record of course is Bonds home run record. How many of the bombs he hit might have fell short. Again that is hard to prove.
What I do know is the message sent to those T-ballers just now starting out will be negative if these players and others who have cheated baseball are allowed in the same hollowed building as greats that have done things the right way. If the Hall opens it's doors to these players, then we are telling our youth that it is okay to gain an advantage even if it means cheating. That being the best at all costs is accepted. I know as a father of two athletes, this is not the way I want them to think. If you want to be the best then accomplish it by hard work, self-discipline, and doing things the right way.
So if Baseball voters want to add these guys to the Hall, build a separate wing and post on the entrance "Caution! You are entering the Steroid Zone." Otherwise keep them out!!
What's your opinion?
What I do know is the message sent to those T-ballers just now starting out will be negative if these players and others who have cheated baseball are allowed in the same hollowed building as greats that have done things the right way. If the Hall opens it's doors to these players, then we are telling our youth that it is okay to gain an advantage even if it means cheating. That being the best at all costs is accepted. I know as a father of two athletes, this is not the way I want them to think. If you want to be the best then accomplish it by hard work, self-discipline, and doing things the right way.
So if Baseball voters want to add these guys to the Hall, build a separate wing and post on the entrance "Caution! You are entering the Steroid Zone." Otherwise keep them out!!
What's your opinion?
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Can I Really Blog?
Well, here goes nothing. I am new at this blogging thing so I hope you readers will be patient with me. I am a Stay-at-Home Dad with kids that are in school all day. So I find myself with an abundance of free time. I mean after I finish the chores around the house. I do have to stay in good graces with my wife.
After the chores are done I find myself watching ESPN. It seems that there is always a story that gets my blood boiling and I express my opinion, to myself, since nobody else is around. This got me thinking I should put my thoughts in a blog and share them with folks like you who may have the same or different opinions. Besides, it's hard to argue with myself because I always win.
So I hope you will allow me this time and space to voice my feelings about certain stories, particularly in the world of sports. I may even blog about other stories that fill our headlines from time to time. Please comment on them and let me know how you feel. I am sure you folks will be more interesting than the guy I have been talking to, me. Please check back in for my first topic. I just have to wait for my blood to boil again.
After the chores are done I find myself watching ESPN. It seems that there is always a story that gets my blood boiling and I express my opinion, to myself, since nobody else is around. This got me thinking I should put my thoughts in a blog and share them with folks like you who may have the same or different opinions. Besides, it's hard to argue with myself because I always win.
So I hope you will allow me this time and space to voice my feelings about certain stories, particularly in the world of sports. I may even blog about other stories that fill our headlines from time to time. Please comment on them and let me know how you feel. I am sure you folks will be more interesting than the guy I have been talking to, me. Please check back in for my first topic. I just have to wait for my blood to boil again.
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