Tuesday, March 6, 2012

New Website

Due to some unforseen issues and wanting to move to a different site, I have switched my blog to a word press site.  I will now be posting at stgeorgesportsguy.wordpress.com.  Check out my latest post there about the New Orleans Saints issue. I hope you will continue to read my blog at its new address.  Thank you!

Tuesday, February 28, 2012

Rams trading Griffin

Ever since the Super Bowl went final and Eli Manning hoisted the trophy with the rest of his teammates there has been much speculation about April's NFL draft, but especially around the two biggest name quarterbacks available in the draft.  Those two names are names you are, or should be very familiar with by now, Andrew Luck from Stanford and Robert Griffin III from Baylor.
For all intents and purposes the Indianapolis Colts have said they will take a successor to Peyton Manning with the No. 1 pick in the draft and all signs point to them taking Luck.  Luck is the most logical choice for the Colts as they appear to moving forward from the Manning era and looking to go with someone else.  Luck is the perfect piece to begin rebuilding a team around.
The most intriguing pick in the draft is going to be the St. Louis Rams who have the No. 2 overall pick in the draft.  The reason it is intriguing is because the Rams already have their quarterback of the future in Sam Bradford, so it comes to no surprise they are shopping around for trades for their pick.  They are essentially trading Griffin because no one sees him falling past the No. 2 pick, especially if the Rams trade the pick.  They will be looking to get some really good compensation for trading the pick, knowing how coveted Griffin is after dazzling scouts at the NFL scouting combine this past week.  They will be looking to get what the San Diego Chargers got after trading the rights of No. 1 overall pick Eli Manning in the 2004 draft to the New York Giants.  The Chargers received two first-round picks, a third-round pick and a fifth-round pick.  With those draft choices the Chargers were able to get Phillip Rivers, Shawn Merriman, and Nate Kaeding, all of whom have been to several Pro Bowls.  
Whatever the Rams receive for essentially trading Robert Griffin III, it is sure to yield great results and allow them to continue to add pieces to build around their quarterback of the future.  It is a good move for the Rams who have been committed to Bradford since drafting him.  Not only that, but the team who gets Griffin will have a quarterback around whom to build for years to come. 

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Thursday, February 23, 2012

The Appeal Heard Round the World

Well it is official folks, just when you thought Major League Baseball couldn't screw up its drug/steroid policy any further, they go and make it worse.  MLB has overturned last season's NL MVP, Ryan Braun's suspension for a positive performance enhancing drugs test.
If you have not read the story on ESPN, click here to read it.  Braun tested positive for elevated testosterone back in October, but Braun claimed tampering and challenged correct procedures had not been followed in the handling of his sample.  It is because of this Braun won his appeal despite having a 20:1 ratio of testosterone and the test confirmed synthetic testosterone was in his system.
This is going to open a huge can of worms as everyone who has been punished for testing positive may now try and appeal the decision, especially because of the technicality which allowed Braun to start the season much earlier than anticipated.  According to reports from this ESPN article, MLB officials are livid Braun won and hope it does not create a precedent from which more appeals may draw.  This is exactly what baseball did not need at this time.  It appeared they were headed out of the darkness the steroid era left lingering over the sport when something like this happens.  Just because the sample sat at the tester's home in a cool container because he thought FedEx would have already been closed, doesn't create synthetic testosterone appear in the sample, especially when all the seals are intact.  It is reprehensible, especially if there was synthetic testosterone was found in the sample no matter what policies were in place.
I think the worst part of all of this is Braun is claiming his character has been defamed and he is trying to get his reputation back, which he believes MLB has stained.  Now I want to direct this at Mr. Braun.  Ryan, you stained it when you decided winning the NL MVP award was more important than your integrity and took the synthetic testosterone.  In my eyes you are no better than Manny Ramirez and all the others who have tainted the game by taking steroids.  You are making millions and are cheating America's pastime.  I hope you realize you have disappointed me and many other fans all around baseball, this may have been a short reprieve, but there is no saving the reputation you yourself tarnished.  You only have to look in the mirror to find the one responsible.  Quit blaming others for your own actions.  Please for once be a man and take some responsibility for what you have done.  When you can do that you can have my respect as a person, but the respect I once had for you as a player is gone and gone forever.  Do everyone a favor and don't tarnish the game you and many others love by taking synthetic testosterone ever again, because I am sure you don't want to disappear into obscurity like Ramirez.  He keeps coming back to the league because he can't come to grips with what he has done and misses the spotlight.

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Monday, February 20, 2012

Best NBA weekend performance

As I contemplate the weekend performances in the NBA and which one I should blog about, because there were some great ones, I'm drawn to a performance most would maybe overlook. Sure Kevin Durant had 51 points, Russell Westbrook had 40 points, and Lebron James was two assists away from a triple-double there was one that stood out from all of these. It was Serge Ibaka's triple-double.
Here is Ibaka's stat line for the night: 14 points, 15 rebounds, and 11 blocks. Now on the surface that may not sound as impressive as a 50-point game or a 40-point game, but when you dive into the stats a little more it makes sense. He has 14 points on six of seven shooting and he made two of four free throws. He also added a steal and only had one turnover. That is a pretty amazing feat considering everything else going on in the game.
Ibaka has proven time and time again how valuable he is to the Thunder. He continuously hustles to get rebounds and seems to always be getting back on defense getting blocks. The guy is a defensive beast and can provide an offensive spark when needed. He doesn't have to very often with the way Westbrook and Durant play, so he can continue to be the defensive stalwart and he will be a key cog in what is sure to be a deep playoff run by the Thunder.

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Wednesday, February 15, 2012

TCU Players Arrested

If you haven't heard already 17 students from Texas Christian University, including four players on the football team, have been arrested in a campus drug sweep by Fort Worth police on Wednesday.  In case you haven't read the news story on ESPN, here to read it.
According to the story, three of the four football players have been arrested for allegedly dealing drugs.  The four players arrested are junior linebacker Tanner Brock, junior safety Devin Johnson, junior defensive tackle D.J. Yendry, and sophomore offensive tackle Tyler Horn.  Unfortunately this couldn't come at a worse time for the university.  Just before they enter the Big 12 conference and theoretically join the big boys, they come under scrutiny for this drug sweep.  It is an unfortunate blemish, of which TCU is not the only culprit.
These days it isn't a normal month without hearing about some university going through a scandal.  Whether it be the University of Miami scandal or Penn State and Jerry Sandusky, the universities have either failed to teach correct morals and principles or the people have chosen to completely ignore them.  It is time for a change in our universities systems, we need more people who are committed to these morals, but unfortunately those people are few and far between.  Hopefully more athletes will learn from these players mistakes and avoid the types of behaviors which the TCU athletes allegedly are involved in. Learn from others mistakes so that you can avoid making the same mistakes.

Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Excessive Inebriation

I was browsing through ESPN.com's news links when I came across a story I could not pass up.  Everyone knows that the Boston Bruins won the Stanley Cup this past year and I am under no illusion that these professionals don't party, but this seemed above and beyond what one should do.  If you haven't read the story yet click here, but Brad Marchand of the Bruins went on quite the tear just three days after winning the coveted Stanley Cup.  He was so inebriated he could not give his interview for the commemorative DVD made celebrating the team's championship.  In this article, he admits he took it too far, but sometimes these athletes need to use a little digression.  I know you want to celebrate your team's win, but let's not kill all your brain cells in one fell swoop, leaving you helpless to win another title.  This just seems a bit ridiculous, but is rampant in sports.  In fact the hangover seemed to last all the way to the start of the year, but Marchand has now picked it up.
Unfortunately Marchand is not the only one to let the hangover of winning a championship affect the way the next season starts.  Dirk Nowitzki and the Dallas Mavericks have started out really slow to start out their defense of the title.  I mean do these guys need babysitter's to just do what they are getting paid millions to do?  Don't let the postseason hangover continue, yeah it's great you won a title, but wouldn't you like to stay at the top of your sport?  For example, Michael Jordan won a title and then focused on the next.  He was such a competitor and because of that he demanded the same from his teammates.  Why do you think the Bulls were so dominant for so long, winning 6 titles in 8 years?  The only thing that kept them from winning more was Jordan's foray into the world of minor league baseball.
Many athletes from all sports should take Jordan's example more literally and apply it to their own respective games.  Don't let the hype and the celebration last too long that it ruins your opportunity to possibly become the best player in your game.  Party time can come when it is all said and done, when you have a great career to reflect back on, but don't let excessive inebriation through a flag on your career.

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Monday, February 13, 2012

Linsanity

Over the last week a new phenomenon has emerged in the NBA for the New York Knicks. If you don't know who I am talking about, you better pay attention because this kid will be around for awhile. His name is Lin, Jeremy Lin.
For the first week of his career in the NBA Lin led the Knicks to a 4-0 record, averaging 27.3 points, 8.3 assists, and 2.0 steals a game. This kid is the real deal. No one since the 1976-77 season has 20 points and had 7 assists in each of his first four starts. Let me repeat that stat line, NO ONE since the 1976-77 has 20 points and 7 assists in EACH of his first four starts. That is ridiculous, Lin was in the right place at the right time. He came in right when Carmelo Anthony and Amare Stoudemire went out with injuries.
Now I am going to be the first to say this, no one on the Knicks is more important than Jeremy Lin. Again, no one is more important than him and he should be the Knicks No. 1 priority and their franchise player. Lin is the player you want to build around because besides Steve Nash, no one has worked Coach Mike D'Antoni's system as well as Lin has in the past week. He outscored Kobe Bryant during this four game stretch and led the Knicks to a four game win streak. The Knicks were 8-15 before Lin was inserted into the lineup and are now riding a five-game win streak thanks to his play.
This kid is something special and the hype surrounding him is unmatched by anything in recent memory in the NBA since Lebron James came into the NBA out of high school. He is the next big thing and he is in the perfect system for his skill set.
The biggest question everyone has had is how will Lin and Anthony mesh and it is a valid question. Anthony seems to thrive on the isolation and creating his own shot, where as Lin creates shots for others and has flourished in the pick and roll system D'Antoni was famous for in Phoenix with Nash and Stoudemire. As a result of the previous experience Stoudemire has in D'Antoni's system, I don't think it will be a problem for him to adjust, plus it is the system best suited for Stoudemire. Anthony needs to understand if he takes a back seat to Lin and let's him run the system, the Knicks can become instant contenders in the East. It may not be this year, but with that core of players, the Knicks have the potential to be very good for a very long time, as long as they can keep this core of players. Again it all depends on how D'Antoni can mesh these players and get them to all buy into the same system. That is the million dollar question and I for one am looking forward to seeing how it plays out. If you want to read the full ESPN story here.

You can follow me on twitter @roberts_843 and now on Venomstrikes.com, writing about the Diamondbacks as part of the FanSided network of sports blogs.

Friday, February 10, 2012

Player Introductions

Wednesday night figured to be just another ordinary matchup between the Chicago Bulls and the New Orleans Hornets, but before the game could even start, the Hornets discovered something which may change the way pre-game player introductions are done forever.
When the game of basketball first started, back in the early NBA and ABA days, pre-game introductions did not exist.  Then teams started to try and find unique ways to introduce the starting lineup to the fans at the arena.  They would turn out the lights and play some music as the names of the starters were read.  Up until Wednesday night, that would have been the protocol at New Orleans Arena, but instead the Hornets struck gold.  Comedian Will Ferrell introduced both the Bulls and Hornets starting lineups, plus a fun made-up fact about each player.  If you have not seen the video, click here it is one you must see.  After watching the video I believe it is something every team should attempt to do, for several reasons.  
This is something which will draw more fans out to the arenas around the NBA.  People pay good money to see both NBA games and comedians separately, but together the combination would just be plain good for the game of basketball.  Not only is it a great talking point to get fans talking about the team and the game, but it would create more of a buzz about the home team.  Buzz the NBA seemed to lose once the lockout hit and the season started late.  The NBA had a lockout at the worst possible time, the league was rising with stars such as Lebron James and Derrick Rose, but with the season starting late people just continued to watch football and ignore the start of the season.  Most people seem to have a negative image of professional basketball players and having pre-game introductions such as the one the Hornets had can only help the image of the league and its players.  David Stern, take my advice and look into having something such as this permanent, there is hardly any downside other than the fact you would have to shell out some money to get the comedians there (but in what business do you not spend money to make money?), but it will be well worth it.  The upside is tremendous with more fans in more stadiums it will only help the league grow to the point where it was at before the lockout and beyond.  If this happens, boy I can not wait to go see a Utah Jazz (my favorite team) game and see who they have lined up and the funny things he/she says.  Until then, I can only wait and hope they take my advice.

Wednesday, February 8, 2012

The Twitter Effect

There are so many things which change in sports as time goes on, rules change, players come and go and the game evolves.  One of the things which has truly changed the way the game is played and it is the social phenomenon of Twitter.
Twitter has allowed everyone in the sports world to get their opinion out there instantaneously to whomever wants to read it.  It allows you to communicate with basically the whole world in 140 characters.  Who would have thought that simply 140 letters would change so much?  
Twitter has received a lot of publicity from athletes using it during games and then getting fined.  Most professional sports have outlawed Twitter during games, but now you are having to hire people to educate your players on how to not make themselves look like idiots.  It is unfortunately the one form of communication the team can't control, especially how fast it gets around with one-button re-twitting.  One example is this article on ESPN about Kendrick Perkins, the center for the Oklahoma City Thunder who was posterized by Blake Griffin of the Los Angeles Clippers (if you haven't seen the video click here and come out from underneath your rock!), calling out Lebron James for twitting about Griffin's dunk.  Perkins has a point, because in the article he talks about how none of the greats ever talked to the media or twitted about dunks on other people.  They didn't care.  Michael Jordan would posterize someone and not say a thing because he knew that you knew he owned you.  He said James needs to focus on winning basketball games.
Perkins is correct, players need to focus on winning games instead of the mindless trash talk a lot of them engage in against one another.  Settle your battles on the court or the field for crying out loud!  Measure your greatness by NBA titles, not by how many followers you have on Twitter or friends you have on Facebook.  Since when did social media take over our lives and keep us from actually being social?  I don't mind Twitter and Facebook, but when it is the sole form of communication, there is something wrong.  I mean they even set up designated Twitter spots at the Pro Bowl for players to use.  
In closing, Lebron I don't mind you twitting, but twitting about someone else's dunk over another, you should probably cool it until you win a championship, or two, or three, or four.....ok, just win one and then you can Tweet about it.  Until then keep the Twitter feed about you and your team and leave other players out of it.    

Tuesday, February 7, 2012

Athletes are not Role Models

I remember growing up and idolizing athletes as role models, someone I wanted to be like when I grew up. The popular athletes such as Karl Malone, John Stockton, John Elway, and Terrell Davis. All of these guys seemed like stand-up guys who tried to keep their personal lives out of the media. These days news travels fast, especially personal news with the rise of social media and ease of Internet access. Today athletes are all over the news and not for their accomplishments in their respective sports. The two latest cases have been Knowshon Moreno of the Denver Broncos and Aldon Smith of the San Francisco 49ers both being arrested for DUIs. These are just the latest two examples in a long string of bad examples in not only football, but baseball and basketball. You have Plaxico Burress shooting himself in the leg four years ago, Tiger Woods and Kobe Bryant's infidelity, Ryan Braun and Alex Rodriguez testing positive for steroids and unfortunately the list goes on and on.
The point is none of today's athletes are worthy of being our kids' role models. The pressure is just too great and they seem to only respond well to in-game pressure. We need to call it like it is and stop putting this kind of pressure on today's athletes because they are no better equipped to handle it than we are to play professional sports. Rare is the athlete who is good at sports and can handle the pressure of being said role model for people. It just does not happen any more, especially because most of the athletes are still kids themselves. A lot of them have gone from very bad family situations or financial situations and all of a sudden come into a ton of money and have no way of knowing how to handle that amount of money they receive.
Parents need to teach their kids not to look up to the famous people of today's society because in no way, shape, or form are they the people should be modeling their lives after. We seem to be living in a society of get rich quick schemes and then blow your money on all sorts of different things you don't need. Gone are the days of hard work, struggle, and the American dream. It is definitely still fun to watch them play on the field and they are great athletic examples, just not examples of what we want to be in life.
Granted their are several great examples in the world of sports, they are not just not as prevalent as all of the bad examples. To succeed we need to find our own way and the way is not shown by professional athletes. If nothing make sure you teach your children to follow your own example or at least teach them how to distinguish between a good example and a bad one. That at least is our responsibility to society and more important to our children.

Monday, February 6, 2012

5 Things Baseball Needs This Year

There are five things baseball needs to jump back into the relevancy of the sports world this season.  Baseball has been declining in popularity ever since the lockout back in 1994 and the first revelation of Performance Enhancing Drugs and Jose Canseco.
1) Complete Season without PEDs - Baseball needs one full season in which a prominent player does not test positive for performance enhancing drugs.  Some of the most popular players have been falling like flies when it comes to testing for PEDs, for example Alex Rodriguez, David Ortiz, and Manny Ramirez tested positive.  The latest blow was Ryan Braun testing positive for PEDs being the National League MVP.   That's right, that is no typo folks, the 2011 NL MVP tested positive for steroids.  How far has baseball fallen when the MVP of a league is testing positive a month before he is even awarded the MVP?  This is a period the MLB has to get over, but I don't know if it will ever recover from the amount of criticism and scrutiny.  Regardless of if it will get over the steroid era, baseball needs to not be tarnished any further by PEDs.  We need a complete season without someone major testing positive and having to serve a suspension.  It not only hurts the individual and the individual's team, but it is causing serious damage to the sport as a whole and it must stop.
2) Yankees, Red Sox and Dodgers to be relevant - The league's premiere three teams must be relevant once more.  As much as it pains me to say it as the Yankees, Red Sox and Dodgers go, so goes the MLB.  These are the three most popular teams and the three that you see with the most merchandise.  You can't go anywhere in the world and not see a Yankee hat somewhere.  The Yankees vs. Red Sox rivalry has been the life blood of baseball, the one thing still pumping life into a dying sport.  The regular season seems like the playoffs and the playoffs seem like the World Series.  Both of these teams must fight mediocrity and excel for the sport to be where it needs to be.  The Red Sox are coming off of a down year especially with reports some of the pitchers left early and spent the rest of the game eating chicken and not being with the rest of the team.  It is unnecessary media the Red Sox did not need.  The Dodgers are also coming off a horrible season, both on the field and off the field with the owner going through a divorce and a nasty custody battle, if you will, over the Dodgers.  For the game to make a full recovery all three of these teams must succeed, not only financially, but on the field as well.
3) A non-extra inning All-Star game - The All-Star game has been a black spot on the season for several years, especially with the commissioner trying to give it significance by awarding home-field advantage to the winning league.  No one in the league takes this game seriously and it needs to be taken seriously, especially if it continues to be the deciding factor in the All-Star game.  The NFL is beginning to go through the same situation with the recent debacle of the Pro Bowl.
4) A 7-game thrilling World Series - The World Series needs to be a thrilling event this year, akin to the 2001 World Series between the Arizona Diamondbacks and the New York Yankees.  It was the series which put baseball back on top until PEDs ripped it back down.  The come from behind wins and the drama of that World Series is exactly what the sport needs.
5) Shortened season, extended playoffs - Finally, the discussion has been started that the playoffs should be extended.  I agree, but to do that you need to shorten the season.  Baseball purists are mad at this and say the game does not need to change.  These individuals are sadly misguided and can't see the folly of this train of thought.  Every sport needs to adapt and change to appeal to new fans and to a newer generation.  This is especially hard for baseball because of the fast paced view of society and the slow paced nature of the game.  I propose shortening the season from 162 games to 132 games and give one more team each from the leagues the chance to reach the playoffs.  It is a simple change to allow more teams the into the playoffs without cutting too many of the games out of the season.  Just food for thought.
These are the five things which are MLB needs to happen for the league to, not only be successful, but begin to transition out of the steroid era and into a new era with the past behind it.

Friday, February 3, 2012

Super Bowl Prediction

Everyone who is anyone knows this weekend is the biggest sports weekend of the year, that's right it is Super Bowl weekend and it features a rematch between the New England Patriots (13-3) and the New York Giants (9-7).
With the Super Bowl being played in Indianapolis on Sunday it is time to breakdown both of these teams and predict who will win the game.  First off let's review the history between these two teams.  The last time they faced off in the Super Bowl, was four years ago and it was a completely different story.  The Patriots were on the cusp of completing an undefeated, 19-0 season, about to go into the history books as one of, if not the greatest football team of all time.  The Giants foiled that plan by beating the Patriots with an incredible pass rush and a clutch performance from Eli Manning.
Offense
New England's offense had another stellar season, averaging 428 yards a game of total offense, 317.8 of it coming through the air and 110.3 on the ground.  The key to the Patriots offense in this game is being able to protect Tom Brady.  In 2008 the Giants were able to get pressure on Brady by only rushing four defenders, allowing the rest of the team to drop into coverage and disrupt the passing lanes.  If the offensive line can not stop the pass rush of the Giants, nothing the offense does will be very successful.  Another key cog in the offense is Rob Gronkowski, who lead the Patriots with 17 receiving touchdowns. Gronkowski was injured in the win against the Ravens last week and it remains to be seen how effective he will be in the big game.  Brady needs to have a bounce back game after throwing two interceptions against the Ravens in the AFC title game.  He finished the regular season with 39 touchdown passes and will need some more of that magic to win this game.
New York's offense had a decent year as well, especially with the breakout performance of wide receiver Victor Cruz, who burst onto the scene with 82 receptions for 1536 yards and nine touchdowns.  Cruz has been the perfect complement to fellow receivers, Hakeem Nicks and Mario Manningham.  The one question that needs to be answered for the Giants is which Eli Manning shows up.  Will it be the one who has in one game thrown four interceptions, or will it be the one who has lead clutch fourth quarter comebacks?  The problem with Manning is every once in awhile he has an awful game, no matter what defense they are playing.  The offense averaged 385 yards of offense a game, 295.9 passing and 89.2 rushing the ball.  As long as the offense does have a let down performance, the Giants should be in this one until the end.
Defense
As good as the Patriots offense has been all season, that is how woeful the defense has been.  They are giving up 411.1 yards of offense a game, 293.9 of it through the air, and 117.1 on the ground.  The entire secondary has been decimated by injuries and the pass rush has been at times non-existant.  While they have only been giving up 325 yards a game in the playoffs, it is a disturbing trend having the league's worst defense heading into the biggest game of the year.  To be effective at all, the Patriots will have to get pressure on Manning and do it fast before his dynamic receivers can get open.  Granted this is the first time the Patriots have had any type of consistency on the defense side of the ball, but they will have their hands full.
The story of New York has been it's defense and the ability of the defensive line to get pressure without any additional help from the linebackers or the secondary.  The Giants gave up 376.4 yards a game, 255.1 through the air, and 121.3 on the ground.  The Giants will have their hands full with the offense of the Patriots, but come in confident, having stopped the Patriots the last two times they played against each other.  Jason Pierre-Paul, Osi Umenyora, and Justin Tuck anchor the defensive line and it will be a treat watching them rush after Tom Brady.  As long as the defense doesn't have a letdown, they will be in the game.
Prediction
I have a hard time believing that Eli Manning can have another stellar game without making a mistake.  They can't overlook the Patriots defense otherwise there will be a huge letdown offensively.  As long as the Patriots can keep Tom Brady relatively clean, with minimal sacks, the Patriots will be able to pick apart the rest of the Giants defense. If Gronkowski can at least draw a double team, it should leave things open for the rest of the very capable New England offense.  My prediction is Brady gets revenge against the Giants and wins his fourth Super Bowl to put his name into consideration for the greatest QB of all time.  The game will be a fairly high scoring ordeal, but I see it being 32-28 Patriots.

Thursday, February 2, 2012

Manning saga

It is apparent that no matter which team tries to move on with it's future and draft a quarterback, the old QB's feelings get hurt and everyone gets worked up about it.
We as sports fans and sports fanatics always seem to want to reward players with past feats rather than what they are capable of doing in the future. It just does not make any sense. There is no normal job in the world where you get paid for what you have done, sure they go off your work experience, but they hire you based on what you are capable of doing. Every player in every sport seems to want to get paid based on what they have done, even though it may not be in the best interest of the franchise. Some people don't realize the owners have to always look to the future and the success of the team.
Whether it be Brett Favre, Peyton Manning, Albert Pujols, or Jorge Posada there will always come a time when a player has to move on from a team. The sooner we come to grips with that, the better type of fan we can be and we will understand much better the thought process the owner's go through. Do this and I promise you will have a much more enjoyable experience as a fan.
In the case of Manning, I believe it is in the best interest of both parties to go their separate ways. Right now the Manning saga is overshadowing the Super Bowl and that is not what you want. The owner and the general manager should have resolved this issue long before letting it get to this point. It has drug on for far too long. There is a new coach along with an entirely new staff, so it is logical to start over with Andrew Luck in the draft. Take my advice and get it over with, Manning will be fine and your franchise will be set for the future.

Wednesday, February 1, 2012

Sports and Our Reaction

Today was a dark day for the world's most popular sport.
In Egypt, what should have been celebrated as one of the greatest upsets in the history of the sport in Egypt, turned out to be the complete opposite.  If you haven't read the article, here it is.  More than 70 people are dead and 1,000 more injured because of the so-called celebration the home team upset one of the best teams in the country.  The riot police seemed to just sit there and do nothing which could be as a result of the recent overthrow of the government.  They were instructed by their government not to do anything, despite being dressed in full riot gear.  Even the losing manager had to be rescued from being beaten by the fans.  This was the deadliest incident of soccer violence since 1996.
Sports can be something when times are tough, but in instances such as this one, they can bring us down.  Sports gives us an escape, although sometimes fleeting, it allows us to become part of something bigger than ourselves.  It can be a very effective coping mechanism, if used in the correct form.  I remember just after September 11, my favorite baseball team, the Arizona Diamondbacks, were playing in the World Series against the New York Yankees.  I remember that if only for a few hours during the game, it seemed as if everything was alright and everyone was united in cheering for one of the two teams.  I remember watching all seven games of the incredible World Series to watch the Diamondbacks beat the Yankees.  This kind of story is exactly what the country of Egypt needs.  A sports story to pull the country together in this trying time and help unite the country, not only in sports but also come together as one.  That is the great thing about sports, it helps unite us behind one common team and a hopefully a country.  Baseball did it for our country and maybe, just maybe, the world's most popular sport can do that for Egypt.