Ugh.
After the most fun playoffs I've ever had the pleasure of watching (because the Packers won them), the NFL has really lost my interest in the past few months.
We're not supposed to hear about the NFL after the Super Bowl has been played for at least a couple months. But this year, the nation's most popular league has conspired to occupy us for an entire calendar year, with talks of a new Collective Bargaining Agreement instead of fantasy sleepers, quarterback ratings and top defenses.
I'll be extremely original and tell you that I don't care about any of this. At the same time, however, I understand that it has to be worked out in order for there to be football come September, and that is important.
But the way this thing is playing out is ridiculous. Finally, there are reports of a proposed deal, and all the players and owners have to do is vote on it. First, the players were going to vote on it Wednesday, and then the owners on Thursday. Now it's Friday, and the players still have not voted on anything. What is going on?
This is clearly a big deal for the players, and they want to get it right, but honestly, they should simply be reading a document and then voting on it. That should not take more than a couple hours, let alone two days.
Look, I'm not suggesting the players need to blindly vote yes. If they don't like the deal, they should turn it down. But waiting and taking up all this time is the worst possible scenario. Now what happens if they vote no after taking their time? 48 more hours of wasted time that could have been spent doing something more productive, like proposing changes to the current deal on the table. And that makes it 48 hours more likely that the NFL season doesn't start on time this year. That is something all of America doesn't even want to think about.
Ugh.
Friday, July 22, 2011
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Lots of words with W at the beginning
The Women's World Cup has come to a close. The United States has not won for the third consecutive time. Despite being the favorite in the championship game, they did not come out on top.
According to sports writers and bloggers across the country this means they were a failure. Anything short of a world title was a failure. These women (even though none of them played in 1999) were evidently living in the shadow of the U.S.'s last Women's World Cup champions, unable to get the monkey off their back.
Wow. A second place finish in the World Cup, something that countless countries around the world would give endlessly for, is a failure.
Wrong. This group of women was not even close to a failure. In fact, they have done at least as much for women's soccer and soccer in the United States as the 1999 team did.
The 1999 team has two names that sports fans from my generation recognize: Mia Hamm and Brandi Chastain. One is probably the greatest American women's soccer player ever, and the other is imprinted in our minds with just her sports bra on up top.
The 2011 team has at least four women that we recognize: Megan Rapinoe, Alex Morgan, Hope Solo and Abby Wambach. With the exception of maybe Morgan, all of these women are most recognizable and appreciated due to there soccer prowess, not their level of attractiveness. And what these women have done is way more important right now than any team from the last millenium did.
The monkey may not be off America's back in the World Cup, but it is off soccer's back in America for a little bit. The women from the United States' team accomplished two impossibles with their improbable, exciting run to the final two in this year's Women's World Cup: they made Americans care about soccer, and they made Americans care about a women's sport.
The win against Brazil was unreal. The win over France was awesome. The goals against Japan were amazing. The eventual loss was heart-rending. But America followed along the entire away. Americans, men and women, soccer followers and fairweather fans, blew up Twitter during the finals. And when the U.S. lost, perhaps the most important thing happened: we cared.
America didn't stop worrying about women's soccer right then and there. No, the celebration of this team continued. Because they were exciting. They provided better games than the men's team could muster a summer before, and they gave America a taste of what soccer can really be. Will it make a huge difference in our country's aversion to the world's sport? To be determined. But for a couple weeks, soccer and women ruled the sporting world. They dominated the Open Championship and the Home Run Derby.
Keep it up, "grass fairies" and ladies
According to sports writers and bloggers across the country this means they were a failure. Anything short of a world title was a failure. These women (even though none of them played in 1999) were evidently living in the shadow of the U.S.'s last Women's World Cup champions, unable to get the monkey off their back.
Wow. A second place finish in the World Cup, something that countless countries around the world would give endlessly for, is a failure.
Wrong. This group of women was not even close to a failure. In fact, they have done at least as much for women's soccer and soccer in the United States as the 1999 team did.
The 1999 team has two names that sports fans from my generation recognize: Mia Hamm and Brandi Chastain. One is probably the greatest American women's soccer player ever, and the other is imprinted in our minds with just her sports bra on up top.
The 2011 team has at least four women that we recognize: Megan Rapinoe, Alex Morgan, Hope Solo and Abby Wambach. With the exception of maybe Morgan, all of these women are most recognizable and appreciated due to there soccer prowess, not their level of attractiveness. And what these women have done is way more important right now than any team from the last millenium did.
The monkey may not be off America's back in the World Cup, but it is off soccer's back in America for a little bit. The women from the United States' team accomplished two impossibles with their improbable, exciting run to the final two in this year's Women's World Cup: they made Americans care about soccer, and they made Americans care about a women's sport.
The win against Brazil was unreal. The win over France was awesome. The goals against Japan were amazing. The eventual loss was heart-rending. But America followed along the entire away. Americans, men and women, soccer followers and fairweather fans, blew up Twitter during the finals. And when the U.S. lost, perhaps the most important thing happened: we cared.
America didn't stop worrying about women's soccer right then and there. No, the celebration of this team continued. Because they were exciting. They provided better games than the men's team could muster a summer before, and they gave America a taste of what soccer can really be. Will it make a huge difference in our country's aversion to the world's sport? To be determined. But for a couple weeks, soccer and women ruled the sporting world. They dominated the Open Championship and the Home Run Derby.
Keep it up, "grass fairies" and ladies
Saturday, July 16, 2011
MLB Second Half--Hoping for Losers
As Major League Baseball begins its second half of action after the All-Star break, the playoff picture really begins to take shape. After 10 or 15 games, it becomes pretty clear whether or not a certain team is going to be in contention for a playoff spot or not.
For the New York Mets, that time frame could be as short as three games. Going into the break, the Mets sat 7.5 games back from the Atlanta Braves, the leaders in the NL Wildcard race. Their second half started with a home series against the Philadelphia Phillies. Were the Mets to get swept, while the Braves won a series or picked up a sweep of their own, that would put the Mets 9.5 or more games behind, effectively out of contention for 2011.
Regardless of the Mets' success or failure in the first series, though, the likelihood is that things will not pan out for them. They will most likely continue to fall further behind the Phillies and Braves and out of the race.
For the Mets, like most teams that fall behind, that would mean they would start looking at making trades to clear some cap space and getting some good prospects for the following season. Already the Mets have moved Francisco Rodriguez, but that is not making a big difference for them. Now the trade talks have extended to Carlos Beltran and even David Wright.
Beltran is an understandable trade, because his contract will be up after this season, and it is unlikely the team will be able to resign him. But why Wright? The guy who has been the star and carried the team for four straight seasons? No, that would be foolish. They will not need that much money to resign Reyes, and the thought of keeping Reyes, Wright, Ike Davis, and new young star Justin Turner makes the Mets' infield sound downright scary.
Can't the Mets' front office see that they are going to have a decent offense even if they don't get Reyes back next year? The young talent they are grooming has been forced to step in early, and they have delivered. It makes sense that they would continue to do so. Go get some pitching, and leave the lineup alone. With Johan Santana back and more strong starter to back him up, the Mets might actually have something to say about the NL East next year.
For the New York Mets, that time frame could be as short as three games. Going into the break, the Mets sat 7.5 games back from the Atlanta Braves, the leaders in the NL Wildcard race. Their second half started with a home series against the Philadelphia Phillies. Were the Mets to get swept, while the Braves won a series or picked up a sweep of their own, that would put the Mets 9.5 or more games behind, effectively out of contention for 2011.
Regardless of the Mets' success or failure in the first series, though, the likelihood is that things will not pan out for them. They will most likely continue to fall further behind the Phillies and Braves and out of the race.
For the Mets, like most teams that fall behind, that would mean they would start looking at making trades to clear some cap space and getting some good prospects for the following season. Already the Mets have moved Francisco Rodriguez, but that is not making a big difference for them. Now the trade talks have extended to Carlos Beltran and even David Wright.
Beltran is an understandable trade, because his contract will be up after this season, and it is unlikely the team will be able to resign him. But why Wright? The guy who has been the star and carried the team for four straight seasons? No, that would be foolish. They will not need that much money to resign Reyes, and the thought of keeping Reyes, Wright, Ike Davis, and new young star Justin Turner makes the Mets' infield sound downright scary.
Can't the Mets' front office see that they are going to have a decent offense even if they don't get Reyes back next year? The young talent they are grooming has been forced to step in early, and they have delivered. It makes sense that they would continue to do so. Go get some pitching, and leave the lineup alone. With Johan Santana back and more strong starter to back him up, the Mets might actually have something to say about the NL East next year.
Thursday, July 7, 2011
Basketball in Turkey
...doesn't seem like it would be that much fun to me. Sure, it still beats out roofing, laying concrete or, god forbid, being a stay-at-home parent because you would still be paid extremely well to play a sport for a living. But it doesn't trump staying at home (or going wherever you want to) and just living off the prodigious sum of cash you've been paid to be a professional athlete the past few years, does it?
Well, according to Deron Williams, the answer to that question is yes. ESPN.com's Marc Stein reported that Williams is planning on going to play in Turkey if the NBA lockout remains in place through the fall. This, of course, has sent all sorts of shockwaves through the minds of NBA personnel. To me, it it just dumbfounding. There are only two reasons Williams could possibly have for doing this: (a) he's broke, or (b) he REALLY REALLY loves playing basketball.
If Williams is in fact broke, then he should definitely go play overseas. Supposedly he's being offered $5 million, plenty of money to get by for a year or two. But I'm just not sure I buy it, given that Williams is making just shy of $15 million a year right now.
The stunning thing is, though, the answer to why he's threatening playing in Turkey can't possibly be option B. If Deron Williams REALLY REALLY loves playing basketball, then he wouldn't have stopped working hard while he was with the Jazz and forced them to trade him. It just wouldn't have worked out that way.
So Deron, what's the deal, man? Don't you understand that you aren't going to have any friends in Turkey, the clubs aren't going to be what you're used to (although perhaps a eurotechno trance club is right up D-Will's alley) and the women aren't going to be as excited about you as they were in the U.S.? You get all that, right? Then why not just stick around here and spend the weekends in NYC, LA and Vegas? That sounds awesome. Just blow $10 million in a year on trips to bars, clubs and casinos. And when things are ironed out with the NBA, your contract will still be around, and you'll go back to bringing $15 mill in.
Far be it from me to tell Deron Williams what to do. If he actually wants to go to Turkey and play basketball, he should go for it. But I wish he'd tell me why he's doing it first. Cause I just don't understand.
Well, according to Deron Williams, the answer to that question is yes. ESPN.com's Marc Stein reported that Williams is planning on going to play in Turkey if the NBA lockout remains in place through the fall. This, of course, has sent all sorts of shockwaves through the minds of NBA personnel. To me, it it just dumbfounding. There are only two reasons Williams could possibly have for doing this: (a) he's broke, or (b) he REALLY REALLY loves playing basketball.
If Williams is in fact broke, then he should definitely go play overseas. Supposedly he's being offered $5 million, plenty of money to get by for a year or two. But I'm just not sure I buy it, given that Williams is making just shy of $15 million a year right now.
The stunning thing is, though, the answer to why he's threatening playing in Turkey can't possibly be option B. If Deron Williams REALLY REALLY loves playing basketball, then he wouldn't have stopped working hard while he was with the Jazz and forced them to trade him. It just wouldn't have worked out that way.
So Deron, what's the deal, man? Don't you understand that you aren't going to have any friends in Turkey, the clubs aren't going to be what you're used to (although perhaps a eurotechno trance club is right up D-Will's alley) and the women aren't going to be as excited about you as they were in the U.S.? You get all that, right? Then why not just stick around here and spend the weekends in NYC, LA and Vegas? That sounds awesome. Just blow $10 million in a year on trips to bars, clubs and casinos. And when things are ironed out with the NBA, your contract will still be around, and you'll go back to bringing $15 mill in.
Far be it from me to tell Deron Williams what to do. If he actually wants to go to Turkey and play basketball, he should go for it. But I wish he'd tell me why he's doing it first. Cause I just don't understand.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)