Do We Care About Personal Morals When It Comes To Greatness In Sports?

Posted: May 11, 2012 in NBA, PGA
Tags: , , , ,
3

Whoa. I have gone a little deep on you there, but bear with me. As of the time that this is published, Tiger Woods will be in danger of missing the cut for a second consecutive week. This would be the first time that this has ever occurred for Tiger, and I will tell you that this is awful for the sport of golf. Why? Golf is boring if Tiger isn’t involved in the tournament. Not only is it boring, but people, myself included, won’t watch it this weekend and that is reflective in the tv ratings again and again when Tiger is not involved. Why? Because Rory Mcilroy, Zach Johnson, Luke Donald, Matt Kuchar etc etc etc are freaking snoozefests. Not only are they boring, but they aren’t great. Not Tiger great. Or at least what Tiger used to be.

Here in the United States, and I am guessing it is like this around the world, we want to watch greatness in sports. That is why I, and many people around the world still want Tiger to win, even if he is not exactly the most moral encompassing man on the planet. Would I associate myself with Tiger or be his buddy if I had the chance? No..couldn’t do it. People make mistakes for sure, but there are mistakes, and then there is cheating on your wife multiple times with multiple women including porn stars.

Tiger Deserved It. However, I still want to watch him play.

Anywho, when it comes to sports, as long as they are not cheating the sport itself, I don’t care. I want to see greatness, which is what Tiger is when he is on. When Tiger is on, it is almost like he transcends human ability, and it is a joy to watch. Not only that, but at least he shows some emotion while he is doing it. When things are great, he smiles and pumps his fists. When things are bad, he yells and gets down on himself. Hey, at least he shows that he gives a hoot, which is a lot more than what some professional sports figures can say.

Yeah, I am looking at you Andrew Bynum. Kobe Bryant last night had a severe stomach flu, consistently vomiting during the game, completely dehydrated yet still managed to play thru it. He was diving for loose balls, getting open without the ball, playing solid defense and still managed to put up 31 points against Denver last night. That is a true warrior. Bynum on the other hand, who is freaking 7’1 and was completely healthy, had a whole grand total of 8 points in a lopsided defeat.

Reportedly after the game, Bynum was smiling the whole way from the shower back to the lockerroom. If I was Kobe and I saw that, I probably would have jacked Bynum in the mouth for his smug attitude. I can’t stand to see such talent wasted, and apparently Kobe can’t either since he told reporters after the game that Andrew needs to play like he gives a you know what in Game 7. Again, Kobe might not be the most moral being on the planet, but when he is on, he is great and he is polarizing. Knock him and Lebron (another sometimes great yet always polarizing figure) out of the playoffs, and no one would care what happened the rest of the NBA Season.

Now, I am not saying that in order for me to enjoy watching someone and consider them great, they have to be of immoral character. I really wish that 100% of them weren’t. However that is just not reality, and when it comes to watching greatness in sports, I am not concerned with their personal moral character. I’d rather watch greatness, and be inspired that way, than watch the boredom of  someone like Tim Duncan win another championship.

Top Five Reasons Why ESPN is THE EVIL EMPIRE

Posted: May 9, 2012 in MLB, NBA, NCAA, NFL
Tags: , , , , ,
2

It is about that time. If you are even a casual reader of this blog, you can tell that my affinity for ESPN is quite low. So without further ado, here are my top five reasons for why ESPN sucks.

1.) ESPN is the cause for conference realignment. Yep that’s right. It is all ESPN’s fault that the rivalries and traditions of college sports have deteriorated. Why? Well, why have schools gone from the Big 12 to the SEC, the Big East to the Big 12 etc?….money. Where does the money come from? TV Contracts! And on what tv stations do 90 percent of the college games play? Well, the “ESPN Family of Networks” of course. Those ESPN Family of Networks just keep paying a ridiculous amount of money to air college football games, that schools are thus taking advantage. And Why not…it isn’t the school’s fault that ESPN employs a bunch of morons. Then, what really bugs me is that the same ESPN idiots who have been the cause of conference realignment, start pointing fingers at the schools and their Presidents. ” Well, it’s Missouri’s fault that the Big 12 almost imploded because they wanted to get to the SEC. Well it’s Syracuse’s fault that they are moving to the ACC.” No you morons. It is your fault because you are paying conferences a ridiculous amount of money to air a game where you don’t really have a lot of competition.

2.) Their Groundbreaking News is Usually Wrong. As far as groundbreaking news goes, ESPN is barely a step above the National Enquirer. Let’s take the Albert Pujols signing this past winter as an example. When was the first time you ever heard that the Angels were even in the mix? Oh yeah basiclaly when Pujols signed on the dotted line. Great investigative journalism ESPN. I thought you were the WorldWide Leader Sports.

3.) The Decision. Enough said. Yes Lebron is evil and a complete idiot. However, you would think grown men would know better. Then, of course, these are the same people who then chastised Lebron for months on end about what an awful thing he did.

4.) Their Experts aren’t Experts. I love when ESPN asks the Experts about their predictions for the upcoming champion of the four major sports. For example, take a look at who 33 out of the 45 “experts” picked to win the World Series last year. The Red Sox…hmmm interesting since ESPN is based in Bristol, CT and the closest baseball team are the Red Sox. Also, these guys aren’t experts. They are either reporters, anchors, or washed up has been or never was professional sports players who would rather come up with some new schtick than actually do any reasearch. They just have an opinion like everyone else. You know what ESPN should do? Ask someone out in Iowa sitting on their couch with a sausage hanging out of their mouth who they think the 2012 MLB Champion will be. That would at least be entertaining, and make more sense than the junk these experts pull out of their butts.

5.) Mel Kiper, Chris Berman et al. They suck period. They aren’t funny, they aren’t original, they think they know everything, problem  is they don’t and they’re not.

6.) ESPN Insider: You are so special that you make people pay extra for your great opinion…errr (ahem!) investigative reporting. Wow you really do suck.

R.I.P MCA

Posted: May 7, 2012 in NFL
Tags: , , , ,
1

I hope that you all will accept this break in my regularly scheduled programming to pay tribute to one of the pioneers of hip hop music that we lost this past week. Adam Yauch (MCA), one of the founding members of the Beastie Boys, died on Friday to that bitch of a disease called cancer.

Although this is a sports blog, I feel compelled to write about this tragic loss in music. For one, my career is in the radio world, and two, Beastie Boys were one of the pioneers of hip hop. Just think for a second how freaking crazy this is…three Jewish White kids from New York City made it to be one of the biggest hip hop groups (debatedly the biggest) ever.

Many people don’t know this but the Beastie Boys actually started out as a punk rock group. However, after a experimental record that actually gained some traction in the city, Beastie Boys went a different direction and tried their hands at hip hop in ’84. From there came one of the biggest albums ever in hip hop, Licensed to Ill, which included hits such as Fight for your Right and No Sleep Til Brooklyn. You are singing both of those songs in your head right now aren’t ya? It’s ok, I will wait until you are done…………………..ok cool?

Waking up before I get to sleep, because I’ll be rockin this party eight days a week.

From there, the albums just got better and better, that by the time The Hello Nasty Tour came to Saint Louis in 1999, there was no way I was going to miss them perform. In what became known as probably the best concert I have ever attended,  MCA, Ad Rock, Mike D and turntablist Mix Master Mike,  rocked the house. For two plus straight hours, the Beastie Boys rhymed and flowed and even played instruments (gasp), which is something most pop and rock groups don’t even do anymore.

MCA’s passing is sad on so many levels. Selfishly, one of the biggest reasons, is because instead of groups like Beastie Boys in hip hop, we now have people like Wiz Khalifa, Drake and Nicki Minaj topping the charts. Let’s be honest, hip hop has gotten so bad, that the best thing that has happened to it lately, is a freaking hologram from a guy who died over 15 years ago.

Rest in Peace MCA, please bring us someone with some real hip hop talent soon.

Are You Kidding Me Tedy Bruschi?

Posted: May 2, 2012 in NFL
Tags: , , , , , , ,
1

Reason #5,672 why I dislike ESPN, it gives people like Tedy Bruschi a chance to voice his opinion. Look, I really don’t have any ill will toward Tedy as a person, or as a football player. Heck, the guy was an undersized linebacker who played his freaking heart out.  However, when ESPN gives someone a forum to defend the indefensible it really is a complete joke.

For those of you who don’t know the story yet, Jim Harbaugh, coach of the Baltimore Ravens, was asked on a Baltimore radio station mainly about the Saints Bounty system. Harbaugh’s reply was that he would never cheat because now the Saints and the Patriots championships are stained and have asteriks. He said it just isn’t worth it to cheat and that is why he would never do it. What is wrong with that Tedy? Well apparently to Tedy, quite a bit. First, let me back up and remind you all of what the Patriots did, which has become to be known as spygate. In 2007, the Patriots personnel were caught videotaping the Jets defensive coach’s during a walk thru practice. This enabled the Pats to pick up hand signals and defensive strategy. This was during a regular season game, what do you think the Patriots did during playoff games, or the Super Bowl? Hmmm…I’m sure they did nothing of the sort, I mean regular season games are way more important than the Super Bowl.

 

So, anyways back to Tedy’s response…which was hilarious because he never said they didn’t cheat. I mean it was proven that they did, so how could he? Instead, he attacks Harbaugh and says that Jim needs to learn loyalty when it comes to Belichick, because apparently Belichick helped get Harbaugh his job. Wow! Really? Maybe Tedy you need to learn that cheating is not ok, and to be loyal to someone who is cheating is wrong.

Tedy went on to say that when he looks down and sees his three championship rings, he is secure because he knows how much work was put in to win them. That’s great Tedy, but your team had a clear advantage in winning those championships whether you like it or not. The difference between an 8-8 team and a 10-6 team in the NFL is so slim that coaches and players will do anything to gain an edge. That is what the Patriots did here…gain an edge. In their three Super Bowl victories before Spygate came out, they won each one by a field goal. You mean to tell me that you would have won those without cheating? Maybe, maybe not but that is where the stain and the asterik come in…we will never really know. So, nothing Harbaugh said was out of line. Sorry Tedy, but in this situation, you are the one completely out of line. The Patriots have won zero super bowls since Spygate came out. Just sayin’

My Old Kentucky Home

Posted: May 1, 2012 in Kentucky Derby and Festival
Tags: , , ,
0

It is Kentucky Derby Week, and since I live in Louisville, I feel it is my duty to write about my experiences for those who grew up here, and for those who may never get to enjoy one of the coolest sporting events in the Good Ole US of A.

The Kentucky Derby does not begin on the first Saturday in May in Louisville. It really begins with Thunder Over Louisville, which is a firework and air show extravaganza that occurs exactly two weeks before the Run for the Roses. Thunder Over Louisville summons to Louisvillians that Winter is truly over, and spring rings eternal once again. Throughout the day, about 500k plus descend upon Louisville’s downtown to enjoy greasy food, amazing airplane acrobatics and a fireworks display that I would put up against any other one in the world.

After Thunder, there are then two weeks of absolute craziness. Every single day there are events that include hot air balloons, bed making, bed races, marathons, steamboats, wine and concerts. It is these two weeks that really makes me proud to call myself a Louisvillian and it is the Kentucky Derby that is the epicenter of these events.

For those of you who have not had the opportunity to come to Churchill Downs, especially for Derby, I can’t tell you enough to get here at least once in your life. The feeling of going thru those gates is indescribeable, especially on Derby day. As soon as you enter the temple of horse racing lore, your five senses are immediately awakened. Immediately, the smell of the grass, the roar of the crowd, the touch of the program in your hands, the taste of that hot dog, and the sight of the majestic beauty of these powerful animals waft over you.

I remember one co-worker of mine telling another one earlier this week that the reason they liked a certain food is because it reminds them of when they were a kid. It is the experience more than anything. I believe that Derby and Churchill Downs is a little bit like that. The experience of the paddock where the horses are prepped before they walk out onto the track is amazing. The gamblin’ horsemen prod over their programs one more time looking for a winner, the women in beautiful bright colored dresses and hats sip from their mint juleps and the beautiful animals await their destiny.

Even Hef Keeps It Classy Here

It is too hard to put into words how amazing it truly is. It is not only a part of this city but it is a part of this nation’s fabric. As I said before, if you have not ever experienced it, do not put it off too much longer. You are going to be kicking yourself that you didn’t come sooner.

Older Entries
Newer Entries