The New York Yankee's

So the NY Yankee’s are World Series champions and I can’t say that I’m surprised at all. The NY Yankee’s have a huge payroll and have single handedly ruined baseball because they make it impossible for at least half the teams in the MLB to win the WS. The teams like the Royals and A’s have no chance on winning the World Series because the Yanks have basically bought every all star that was a free agent and made their team overwhelmingly good. When a team like the Yanks spends all this money to compete, other teams like the Mets and the Red Sox are obligated to do the same which makes baseball even more unfair. The NFL is a great league because any given year, any team can go from the worst team to the best team. Nobody has a clue who is going to win the Super Bowl and over the last few years the Team that lost in the Super Bowl never makes it back to the playoff’s that following year. I think this is a good example why the MLB needs a salary cap. I believe this is the only way the MLB can once again surpass the NFL and become the most exciting sport in the country. I personally am a Yankee hater if you can’t already tell, but it is not because they are a flashy team, it is simply because they have ruined a sport that I use to enjoy. If you don’t believe my statements please do some research and tell me who has had the highest payroll in baseball the last 4 years? So all you Yankee fans can sit around and cheer for the evil empire known as the yanks and I will be on the other side of the spectrum rooting for any team that the yanks happen to be playing on the very same day. The Yankee’s should change their name to the American League All Star team and call it a day. Thank you all, responses are welcome.

New York Basketball

If you’re a NBA fan and live in New York you might want to head to a nearby doctor and get a prescription of Zoloft. The NY Knicks are once again struggling as a franchise with average players and lack of team chemistry. Most fans would give an arm and a leg to go back to the early 90’s where the Knicks were a dominant team on the East coast. If you happen to hate the Knicks and hold your head high as being a Nets fan, well you’re in store for some unwanted history. The Nets are winless and have recently broken the record for worst starting record in the NBA. Their staggering record at this very moment is 0-18. Yes, that isn’t a typo. This team is a joke and needs to get its team together quick. The Nets aren’t a team with absolutely no talent. They actually have a pretty good supporting cast with potential all stars like Devin Harris. These two organizations are in shambles, so what do they do? Their future will fall squarely on what they do in the offseason. All stars like Lebron James and Dwayne Wade have contracts that are ending and are willing to move to another team if the money is right. These teams need to make moves and pay these players as much as they want or they will forever be the laughing stock of the NBA. The only problem I see with giving these players a load of money is that it might have a negative effect on salaries and job opportunities within the organization that take place behind the scenes. Franchises only have a certain amount of money and when you pay a player more you might see downfalls in other areas. So a NY fan has to ask themselves, do they want a better team to root for or focus more on the state of NY and try to get ourselves out of this minor depression?

Ron Artest, bad role model?

Ron Artest, a well known NBA player has recently come out and spoke of his off the court behavior which he participated in throughout his years as an NBA player. Artest confessed to reporters that he use to drink heavily at halftime at almost every game and seemed to talk about all this with a big smile on his face. He also mentioned the usage of drugs and referred to himself as a self proclaimed pimp while facing the uphill battle of fatherhood. Not only is this a disgrace to the NBA and all their athletes, but it’s pathetic to see somebody almost excited about confessing these ridiculous activities both on and off the court. Artest has had many problems throughout his career including the brawl in Detroit when he went into the stands and hit a paying customer. Obviously this guy isn’t a role model in any sense, but I am interested in seeing if the NBA does fine Artest for coming out and once again giving the NBA a bad name. There is no doubt that Ron Artest is a great competitor but it isn’t far fetched to say that this guy has mental problems. This guy is the Adam Pac-man Jones of the NBA and I wouldn’t mind seeing this guy get kicked out of the league for all the negative publicity he has brought to the NBA. The NBA is struggling as is to fill seats and get better ratings and this is once again putting them in the wrong direction. The worst part of this is that kids are going to read this and think it’s alright to drink every day of the week and refer to women the way he does when he refers himself as a pimp. Athletes need to know they are role models to kids and with the money they get paid for playing a game, the least they can do is be an adult. So with all that said, do you agree with my statements or do you think I’m being to harsh?

NFL concussions. How to fix it?

The NFL has always been known as one of the most, if not the most physical sport in the world, but lately that fact has become more of a problem regarding the athletes that play the game of football. This year more than any other, players In the NFL have been having concussions while on the field. Although the concussion might seem to be the problem, it’s only the beginning of it. Football players as we know are tough as nails. They players go out every week with injuries such as cracked ribs or even flu like symptoms. When these players get a concussion they do what they can to get past the doctors in order to play the following week or the game taking place at that very moment. The only problem with that is it is life threatening. Some solutions that have been brought up are that the helmets need to get more advanced or any player who has a concussion must miss the next game no questions asked. As all this is in the works, some players are trying to be cautious and not lose their career by taking a game off. This than lead to other teammates calling out that player and saying that they aren’t motivated enough to be a team leader and it showed weakness not playing on that Sunday. This feud between QB Ben Roethlisberger and WR Hines Ward might make players think twice before missing another football game with a simple concussion. The question that needs to be answered is what can be done to help prevent public humiliation along with preventing lifelong injuries. I personally think these players need to get off their high horse and remember that their career won’t surpass 40 unless you’re Brett Favre. They all probably have families and need to think about them and their future and not worry so much about leaving their future on the football field. So if you’re a football fan, what do you think should be done to fix the situation?

Tiger Woods ruined image?

So over the past week or so Tiger Woods has been in the news with allegations of having an affair with a young hostess. The media coverage started when Tiger had a car accident by his house. He had facial wounds along with a few other minor problems after the accident. Everybody wanted to know what actually the reason for the accident was, but it wasn’t until today when we all found out that Tiger Woods did indeed have an affair on his wife and seemingly destroyed his family. His wife and kids will defiantly be affected by Tigers actions and will constantly be seen in the tabloids for many weeks to come. So now that Tiger Woods destroyed his perfect image, will people understand that he is only human or will they reject him and label him as an athlete who cheated on his wife? Tiger Woods was known for being the greatest golfer of all time and knows he is faced with his image being in shambles. Will he lose sponsor deals like Michael Phillips, or is his image so powerful that this will just go away? I happen to have mixed feelings in all this because of two different reasons. The first one happens to be that Tiger Woods is human and shouldn’t be overly criticized for cheating on his wife because of who he is. This happens all the time in our society and it’s not like he did drugs or killed somebody. This is between himself and his family and we shouldn’t get in the middle of it. On the other hand, Tiger Woods is a family man and clearly knows his place in society. Cheating on your wife does show his true colors and if he wasn’t happen he could have ended his marriage before ruining his image and his family. I’d like to hear some of your opinions on this as well.

NASCAR

Let’s me began this blog by saying I am not in any way a NASCAR fan but seemed to be confused on how to feel with what Jimmy Johnson has been doing over the past four years in the sport. I’m a huge sports fan and know about everything that is going on in the sports world, but this achievement of winning 4 straight NASCAR Championships seems to feel lackluster in my eyes and maybe others. I’m not sure if it’s because people just can’t find amusement while watching the sport or if it’s because people think just driving a car around in a circle for 5 hours isn’t as hard as winning a Super Bowl. Jimmy Johnson is now being recognized as one of the all time greats in the sport of NASCAR and people seem to blow it off like it was a backyard boxcar race. He is now in the same conversation as all time great Tom Petty and Dale Earnhardt which is basically the Michael Jordan’s and Larry Bird’s of NASCAR. I honestly feel that is achievement is a big deal and feel that the blame should fall solely on NASCAR and their advertising departments. For years the sport has tried to expand out of the Southern region, but seemed to fail on numerous occasions. They need to be able to find a way for people all around the country to find a liking in the sport of NASCAR so these accomplishments are appreciated all over the country. So with all this said, I believe a solution on how to widen NASCAR Should be presented and I think I have the recipe for success. The only way NASCAR is going to appeal to the other regions of the U.S is to create more action. People get bored of seeing the cars continue around the track for numerous hours with the slight possibility of a wreck, which in my mind is horrible to root for anyways. The way to make it more entertaining is by shortening the distance traveled and created more obstacles with the track. Possible jumps at the finish lines or adding some sort of nitro to make the cars go even faster. My ideas might not sound realistic but it’s better than what NASCAR is doing now. If you have any other suggestions on how to fix NASCAR please feel free to share.

The Heisman

So as you all may know College football is coming to an erupt end with many spectacular individual performances throughout the season. At the end of every football season the very honorable Heisman Trophy is given out to one player who surpasses all the others in individual achievements. This year we have two players that had been in the Heisman race the past two seasons and a new comer who has had an outstanding season with Stanford as their starting running back. First we have Tim Tebow who is the starting quarterback for the Florida Gators has a season that consists of 17 Td’s with 2,166 passing yards. His numbers might not be overwhelming but as most people know the Gators are last year’s champions and currently ranked number one is the nation. Next we have Colt McCoy, starting quarterback for the Texas Longhorns. McCoy has thrown for 27 Td’s with a total of 3,328 and also has a team that is currently undefeated. Lastly, we have Toby Gerhart, the running back for Stanford who has 26 rushing Td’s and a total of 1,736 rushing yards. Stanford hasn’t had a great year but Gerhart has had a breakout year and showcased his skills Vs Notre Dame in front of millions of viewers. I was very impressed and feel like his stats are so far beyond any other running backs that he should get the Heisman award and surpass the bigger names of Tebow and McCoy. A lot of people are putting Tim Tebow as the front runner to get the award, but I think a lot of that has to do with his team and not his individual achievement. People tend to focus more on team records and not individual players. This award is for the best player in College football not the best College team. If you’re a big College fan, I’d like to know who you might vote for and why. I feel like many interesting conversations are formed when referring to Heisman candidates. Thank you and good luck.

BCS Voting

Lately my blogs have focused more on a variety of sports, but today I would like to talk more about College Football today. College football has always been popular around the country, including both students and adults. College football is obviously a form of entertainment, but most people don’t really understand how much money these Universities are getting from their College football programs. A lot of money does come from endorsement deals, but the fans that attend the games and buy memorabilia or even watch on TV bring a small amount of revenue as well to the Universities. With this being said, I think college football should respect the notion that people all around the country want to see their team have a fair shot at the National Championship. Every year in College Football there is at least one team that has a great year and has to settle for a secondary crown because of the BCS voting. A playoff bracket very similar to the NFL would suit College football with positive results. The only reason they don’t do this is because they get so much money from all the endorsement deals that come with having bowl games. For example, TCU who has run the table and has stayed undefeated all year cannot get a shot at the National Championship because the voters won’t vote them in because their lack of schedule. First off, these teams don’t pick who they play and shouldn’t be scrutinized for it. Secondly, how can you even begin as a head coach to tell your players who had worked so hard all year that they fell a little short and won’t get the grand stage against a larger school such as the Florida Gators. I personally feel that this has to change and money shouldn’t ruin the sport of College football anymore. If anybody wants to play devil advocate, I’d like to hear why you enjoy the way College football is run at this very moment. Thank you

4th and 2

So if you’re a fan of the NFL you might have seen the big Sunday night football game between the Indianapolis Colts and the New England Patriots. It was late in the game and the Patriots were up 5 and their head coach decided to go for it on 4th and 2 late in the game. This play ended up being the reason the Patriots lost and since have been criticized for such an unorthodox play call. As a football fan, I know that in most situations the team is going to punt the ball and give the defense a chance to win the game for the team. When I saw the Patriots going for it I honestly thought I was dreaming. I love the fact that this bad decision was the reason they lost and could only imagine how much the game would have changed if this was successful. Usually the NFL is a trendy league. For example, last year, coaches started calling a timeout right before a kicker kicked his field goal. Not only was this annoying to watch, but it seemed to catch on and plague the league for the whole season. As for the Patriots play, sports media hasn’t stopped talking about it all week long, asking people if it was the right call. This call has even caught the attention of many professionals such as scientists who have calculated all the stats over the season. Studies actually showed that if you factor all the stats which was needed to make an intelligent decision the call to go for it was actually the right call. I’m not one to buy into all the stats hoopla, I personally think that this play made it obvious that it is best to sometimes stay simple and win the right way. What do you think?

The New Mr October

So if your a baseball fan you have obviously been watching the World Series. The NY Yankee's vs the Philadelphia Phillie's, a match up between two power houses. Speaking of power houses, have you taken a look at the new Mr October? Back in the 80's their was a player that went by the name of Reggie Jackson a Yankee legend who had hit five home runs in the World Series. Well hello history! Currently, Chase Utley, second baseman for the Phillies has hit five home runs in five games and has a chance to break the record in game six or even seven. Chase Utley hasn't really been known as a slugger in the world of baseball but he has been tearing it up in the postseason. Even though Chase Utley is having a great year in baseball, I highly doubt that he will be remembered for this accomplishment in the same way Reggie Jackson was because of one key reason. When Reggie Jackson was playing in the world series, There was a streak of violent crimes going around NY that had people terrified. The Son of Sam was a serial killer that had people afraid to go outside their own house. The people at that moment needed somebody to take their minds off the killings and used Reggie Jackson as the escape away from the fear. Instances like that make history easy to remember and unfortunately, Chase Utley wont have the same recognition as the great Reggie Jackson. Hopefully i am wrong, but only time will tell.

Did he get off easy?

as you all might have heard, Florida Gators player Brandon Spikes had been caught on video using his hands to basically gauge out an opposites eyes with his hands. It happened this Saturday when Florida played Georgia and people became frantic after seeing the video all over the news. After the event, most people assumed that Spikes was going to get a harsh penalty as was I. Boy were we wrong, Spikes only got suspended half a game and left people with their mouths wide open. This is the second time this year that a player has done something to the opposing team that showed very poor sportsmanship. The first player got kicked off the team and Spikes seemed to get away with a slap on the wrist. I can't seem to understand the scale in which they penalize these players? Obviously they both were wrong and with that said, they both should be punished in the same way. When I saw this on TV, I couldn't even imagine doing that to another human being. I sometimes wonder what goes through a persons head when they do such idiotic things. So I ask you all two questions. Do you think that Brandon Spikes got of to easy and I'd like to hear you reason behind why people do such harsh things knowing that they are probably going to get caught and have shown throughout the country?

Being the best at what you do!

Let me take a step back from just simply talking about athletes acquiring a degree, but look deeper into what an athlete really stands for. A professional athlete usually spends their whole entire life playing that particular sport. When I think of sports, I usually think of people our age playing them. After watching a baseball game last night it just hit me that these are grown men playing what some may say is a kid’s game. Obviously, I knew grown men played baseball but I thought it was amazing how good these guys really are. Each athlete eats, sleeps and breaths baseball, every day of their life. Some people dream of being an athlete, but most of them don’t understand how much work these guys put into their job. To these guys baseball is a job, not a game. It’s a business in the sense that they come to work every day seeking a paycheck. So instead of reading this blog and giving me your opinion on my blog, I’m going to ask all a question instead. As your fellow classmate, I’d like to know what you excel at the most in life. It doesn’t have to necessarily be a sport, but what you think you’re great at. Thank you all

Should college athletes get paid for playing sports ( college football)

As we all know college's all around the world gain millions and millions of dollars in revenue because of their sports programs. In the news today, a USC running back was lifting weights ( for football) and had an extremely rare accident. While working out his hand slipped and the weights fell on his throat. He had to go in for immediate surgery, which lasted 7 hours. He is a senior and had currently lead the team in rushing TD’s this season with 5. These college students have to do everything that the pros do when regarding obligations. They workout, train, study the game and play the game as well. So if they do indeed have all these extra obligations, shouldn’t they be paid at least some of the revenue that the University receives?

Does a 4 yr degree help with sportsmanship?

Hey guys, today I wanted to talk about 4 year degrees and how they reflect how a player might take a loss or a well deserved win. In sports lately, you might have heard of Blount, Serena Williams, Roger Federer and even Kanye West as people who have shown very ugly sides to themselves. Now I’ve done my research and none of these athletes have a 4 yr degree from a real academic university. Fed dropped out at 16, Serena went to a tennis college, Blount just punched himself out of college and Kanye as we all know is a high school drop out, suggested on his first album. So I’m asking you, Does a four year degree allow a person to become a better athlete when referring to being a sore loser? Or do you think it's to be blamed on how they were raised as a child? I personally think these people are pathetic for arguing about anything when it comes to winning or losing. They need to be role models and understand that they are getting paid millions of dollars to do something they love. Looking forward to your opinions!! thanks

GOING PRO?

If you were watching NCAA football the other day you might have seen Oklahoma's all pro QB get injured while dropping back for a pass. The injury isn’t too severe, but it brings up the question once again. When a player has a chance to go pro, should he take the money or proceed to finish off getting a degree? The problem with the NFL is that the money isn't guaranteed, so these players want a backup plan such as a degree to make sure their future doesn’t rely just on football. So Bradford wanted to do the right thing and will now pay for it. History has proved in the past that Bradford will most likely fall in the draft and receive less money than he would have if he went to the draft last year. There is even a chance that the injury is more severe and might not even get to play in the NFL. Is this a case of a player listening to his family and media and refusing to be known as money hungry or is this just a player who made his own decision and got very unlucky?
Every year there are college athletes that have to decide if they want to go pro or stay in college. Usually, the players want to come back to make another run at the national championship and become a college legend, but as seen in most cases, it’s always a big risk staying that extra year. This topic doesn’t only affect football players, but it also affects basketball athletes as well. For example, the face of the NBA Lebron James didn’t even attend college. He decided to go pro right after high school. Some might think that an education is the most important tool one can obtain, but as we all can see Mr. James is doing just fine. If you had a chance to obtain a degree or go pro and make millions which would you do?