Numba Two for Two Million

"Numba two ... Derek Jeter ... Numba two."

The introduction from Bob Sheppard still lives on in Yankee Stadium even though the great New York Yankee announcer passed away this summer. His iconic voice only rings around the stadium for Derek Jeter, though, and if the Yankees are smart it will keep ringing in 2011.

Jeter is getting older and his game isn't as great as it used to be. Despite his play, his demeanor in the locker room is more than a good enough reason to resign him. As part of the Yankees "Core Four" – consisting of Jeter, Jorge Posada, Andy Pettitte and Mariano Rivera – Jeter came up through the Yankees' farm system and has 15 years experience with them. As the team gets younger and younger, the Yankees will need a quality veteran presence, even if Jeter is close to 36.

His range is still there and his playoff performance was nothing to balk at. He can get on base, the problem is more that his teammates were leaving him there.

Money is no problem. The organization throws it around like it's lint in its pockets. So there's really nothing to discuss. Jeter is a historic Yankee, and more than that he's one even Yankee-haters can like. If the team loses Jeter they lose a good-playing, veteran shortstop and common link to the baseball world.

If the Yankees suddenly decide they don't have the money and they don't want Jeter to be a Yankee, I have the perfect solution. Send him down the subway to the Mets. They can put him at second base, round out the tight infield and get some good at-bats. The Mets are close to the top in salary, so Jeter could stay in New York and possibly make some good money. Win, win and definitely win.

Pen in Pennington

Are you kidding me right now? The Dolphins’ quarterback situation never ceases to disappoint me. I haven’t been happy since I was 7 and Dan Marino instituted the fake spike.

I’ll just put it right out there without anything fancy going on: Chad Henne is terrible. Ten interceptions and eight touchdowns through eight games is unacceptable. He has a 78.2 quarterback rating and can’t hit a receiver if the guy was standing there, alone, on the fifty yard line with absolutely no one around.

OK, so a bit dramatic. He can’t hit the receiver when there’s a dog barking to distract him.

I never wanted the Dolphins to take Henne in the first place. He wasn’t the best pick to make, and I had a problem that he was a few years older than the other potential stars. We need a long-term guy. A guy who’s job it is to throw touchdowns, not interceptions. Henne is supposed to be a really intelligent guy, but he can’t even remember what color his team is wearing. Oh, wait, my team isn’t wearing purple today? My bad.

Chad Pennington is a good quarterback; I liked him when he played for the Jets. And his completion percentage is stellar. He is the NFL’s all-time leader in completion percentage (minimum of 1,500 pass attempts) with 66.1. The difference between last year and this year is the receiving corps. Davone Bess is easily one of my favorite receivers right now. He’s no Hines Ward or Andre Johnson, but his ability to stick with the ball and bring it to the ground with him is what the Dolphins have commonly lacked. He only has three touchdowns this season, but that doesn’t speak to his potential. The Dolphins have 11 total, 8 thrown by Henne. Everyone knows about Brandon Marshall – he bolsters the offense as well.

Pennington, this is your chance. You’re arm’s been through a lot and I’m asking you, once more, to break out the cannon and get this team going again. Miami is great at doing two things: losing early, and coming back or winning early and dozing off. I want to be able to actually like my quarterback for once.

Check out The Stylus for more of Negley's Nook!

Hey guys,

Needless to say I haven't been updating nearly as much as I would have liked. Between writing and working for The College at Brockport's award winning newspaper, The Stylus, working for the Sports Information Director and keeping up with classes, I've been swamped with stuff to do.

But as the semester dies down and as we have a slight break between fall and winter sports here at campus, I'll definitely be updating this with my sports thoughts more often. I'll also include a weekly poll so you guys can get involved. In the mean time, here are some more sport thoughts to check out:

• ESPN is trying out a new brand marketed toward women. It's called espnW and it's seems quite ridiculous: http://bit.ly/aXcrIE
• There are just those people who drive you crazy on Sundays: http://bit.ly/bDgNpv
• I really have no words for the Mets ... well, I actually have a lot: http://bit.ly/akI4d0

And always check out thestylus.net for a weekly dive into Negley's Nook and to catch up on Brockport sports.

~~Negley

Nation’s No. 4 is world’s No. 1

Technorati Tags: Jamie Dixon,Pittsburgh Panthers,college basketball,NBA,Pitt basketball

Brett Favre is under investigation for sending a Jets employee lewd photographs while he played for the team. The New York Jets made their own headlines by allegedly sexually harassing a female reporter. Tiger Woods crashed his SUV into a fire hydrant, and out spewed his hidden secret of mistresses in the double digits.

Jamie Dixon, coach of the Pittsburgh Panthers, pulled over on a busy highway in Pittsburgh to help the passengers of a car that was pinned up against the guardrail.

Point: Dixon.

It’s a sensational world. A world that is filled with humans who want to see others’ demise play out. Unfortunately, those associated with sports are often the ones who voluntarily fill this role.

Not a week goes by where the breaking news ticker at ESPN isn’t going off with news of an athlete driving under the influence or getting into a club brawl. There’s never a news ticker for an athlete or coach who did good for the world. An athlete/coach who did something like take time out of his day to pull a victim with a broken ankle out of a car on the side of the road.

Dixon has led Pittsburgh to many firsts. First Elite Eight appearance. First No. 1 ranking. First No 1. seed entering the NCAA tournament. He’s a phenomenal coach who stays out of the news because he is a phenomenal man.

Dixon found out earlier in the week that his squad was ranked fourth in the AP preseason polls and were favored to win the stacked Big East. That’s a pretty big deal. Most coaches would gain a bloated ego. An ego that would keep them from doing any physical work to help someone else.

Dixon could have called 911. He could have reported the accident while he drove on by. But he didn’t. He injured himself to help a fellow human being—a simple civilian as many athletes or coaches might think—feel safe and secure. Why is this such a rare phenomenon?

Plenty of players contribute to charities and start charities of their own. Plenty say they want to be good role models. But they make mistake after mistake and live life like everyone owes them something. In reality, that player owes those people because they are who made the player a star.

Dixon’s actions were a gleaming hope for the sporting world. Dixon himself is a gleaming hope. He conducts himself with class, generosity and honesty. He doesn’t serve as a stepping stone to NBA riches. He teaches his men how to play basketball and life the right way.

Under Dixon, Pittsburgh players consistently graduate. What Division I college athlete, especially at a premier program like Pittsburgh, graduates anymore? Dixon’s do. They also have consistently high scores on the NCAA Academic Progress Rate.

In high school, it wasn’t uncommon for star players to do something wrong and get away with it. The star quarterback may have failed his math test, but he’s the X in the formula for a winning team. So that F he got will gain some half ovals to make it look like a B.

In college, the trend continues onward if not gets worse. There’s no point in taking real classes when you take Intro to Dance and a few other easy classes to stay enrolled. It’s not like you’ll need the classes for your major—it’s not like you’ll be graduating.

In life, sport participants still get away with acts civilians may not. A DWI is waved away, a sexual harassment charge is swept under the turf.

It’s shake of a finger or a slap of the wrist. But not in Jamie Dixon’s world. Jamie Dixon showed once again that he’s a good human being in a profession where that seems to be rare. If only more athletes acted in his manner, people may not think so negatively of sports and the people who play and coach them.

Gang Green for Texas

As the NFL's training camp fast approaches it is that time to really think about where each team is going. It's also that time to make a pre-training camp Super Bowl prediction.

I've been well aware that the season is approaching, but until I got on the phone with a guy in the New York Jets front office, I hadn't really thought about the Super Bowl and what team was most likely to take home the Lombardi trophy. I was on the phone for almost 20 minutes talking Jets and I realized something that I hadn't before.

I definitely had the Jets atop my list of best teams. They have a phenomenal defense and the offense can put points on the board. Their coach, Rex Ryan, has done a great job of whipping his guys into shape and convincing them that they are, indeed, the best team in football. When I first heard some of his high jinx, I wasn't so sure it was the right thing. But last season proved that it may be just what these guys need.

On top of this, they have signed some key players in this offseason that will most definitely catapult them to the top. LaDainian Tomlinson. Antonio Cromartie. Jason Taylor. Santonio Holmes. I wrote it before and I'll write it again: the Jets blew everyone out of the water this offseason with their acquisitions and they weren't even in dire need to do it.

What I hadn't realized before this phone call is that there isn't a surefire team to rival the Jets. Pittsburgh is out; Ben Roethlisberger is on suspension, right tackled Willie Colon looks to miss the season, star wideout Holmes is gone. There are just too many questions around the Steelers right now. The Indianapolis Colts are on the slide, they're out. The Patriots are falling form prominence too. Baltimore could rival the Jets; their defense is easily second best if we're putting the Jets at the top and the Ravens offense was bolstered by Anquan Boldin.
Hands down though, no one is at the Jets level right now. I had the Jets taking the AFC East and going deep into the playoffs. But now that I really sit down and think about it, they're my Super Bowl pick right now too. As of this exact moment, who is going to take them off of their thrown? Who is going to be able to crack that Rex Ryan defense? There is no offense that can do so. In the entire league, I would give props to the Minnesota Vikings if Brett Favre returns to have the sole chance at taking the Jets down.

The only way the Jets will fall is if they all crack down by the end of the season. If they decide to stop fighting, all is lost. But as I'm told, they're working really hard for this. They're putting in they're all every single day they're on that field. So I hope my inside information is right. Because I've just placed the New York Jets as my pre-training camp Super Bowl pick.

Who changed the rules?!

Wow, almost another perfect game. It would have been the third of this young season (it's only June 3rd if you've lost track). But, alas, no perfect game here. Detroit Tiger's pitcher Almando Galarraga's was called off on account of some new rules I seem to be unaware of.

See, the way I've always played is that when the ball is in your glove and you put your foot on first base before the runner gets there, the runner is out. At least, that's the way I've played for the last 19 years. We even use that rule in my Adult Recreation Softball League, where there are plenty of ridiculous rules and regulations that no one agrees with. We have a second home base specifically for runners, and a line to stand behind in the outfield for female batters. Insane much? Yeah, I think so.

But even our insane league still uses the basic rules of baseball. The defense steps on the base with the ball in his glove, and sorry batter, but you my friend are out. And in this instance, it's out number 27: game over. Galarraga gets his (rightful) perfect game and is forever commemorated in the record books. There's a "Happily Ever After," the back cover is closed and the light is turned off on the nighttime story.

Joe Joyce was the umpire that incorrectly called the runner safe. He immediately went into the clubhouse and rewatched the play. He got it wrong. He knows it. He feels awful, downright atrocious that he stole a perfect game from a young man. His anger built while talking about it. I give him props. What umpire admits he got a call wrong? No one ever says "wow, I screwed up there." Maybe they do at home with their significant others, but no umpire goes on tape and admits to a nation of screaming baseball fans that he was in fact terribly mistaken. Joyce, I commend you.

Doesn't make it right though, as much as Joyce wishes everything were. Commisioner Bud Selig refuses to overturn the call and give Galarraga the perfect game. Shame on you, Selig. This young man did something so rare in sports, something so, well, perfect. He deserves to have his name go under the title "Perfect games pitched." But it unfortunately won't. The story ends there, and the lights go out. But this bedtime story doesn't end with a simple ending that leaves you with a smile as you fade off to sleep. No, it leaves you confused and wondering why perfection was unfairly stolen. And that won't help put you to sleep at all...

icare about the ipod…except not really

Okay, for all who DON’T know because apparently it is such big news, recently acquired New York Jets wide receiver Santonio Holmes disrupted a flight today…with an ipod.

Personally, this is the most ridiculous piece of breaking news I have ever seen. And as I’ve previously stated, I watched Brett Favre, his wife and Vikings head coach Brad Childress drive to Vikings’ training camp last August. The video feed was from a helicopter and followed a black SUV down a highway. Yeah, I know ridiculous breaking news.

This afternoon I got an ESPN Alert saying that Holmes, traded to the Jets from Pittsburgh because of his troubling behavior, refused to turn off his ipod and created a disturbance on a plane to Pittsburgh from Newark Liberty International Airport. Really? Really?

Sports news is getting ridiculous. A refusal to turn off an ipod has turned into the biggest news of the day. Should he have just turned it off? Of course. Should the media have jumped on the story and blown it so out of proportion that Jets coach Rex Ryan has to have a press conference? Absolutely not.

ESPN, I don’t know if you’re just bored or if you really think this kind of stuff is news, but you should really rethink you’re idea of what the media does. Information is valuable—but not when some football player doesn’t turn off an ipod. I’m almost ashamed to say I watch ESPN, read ESPN and receive ESPN news alerts. Almost.

On a side note, as well as learning to turn off your ipod, Holmes you should really learn to keep clothes on if you’re putting pictures on the web. Absolutely no one wants to see that. No. One. 

Metropolitans Streaking

The Mets are on FIRE!! In their last 10 games they are 9-1 and on a current seven game winning streak. The bats are out and the Mets are taking over the NL East.

No dream here folks. Or look back to the past either. This is all real.

In their entire existence of 41 years, the Mets have had only two homestands like the one they just finished. The first was in August of 1969 and the other in September 1988.

First baseman Ike Davis’ call up to the majors has brought some much needed pep into New York for the Mets. Citi Field is alive with Met runs and cheering fans. Cheering Mets fans, of course.

The defense is right on par, pitching is great. And we’re scoring! Not as many people are being left on base, a huge plus for this team.

The top three pitchers have an ERA under 1, while the team’s total ERA averages 3.06.

But lets get back to Ike Davis and his impact on the te am. He was called up April 19th and immediately played that night after leaving Buffalo, where he was with the Triple-A Bisons. He’s playing well and the hope he has brought to the team is great for Mets fans. Forget “I like Ike,” I’m changing it to “I love Ike.”

Davis hit his first major league run last Friday against the Braves. It was a 450 foot shot to right center. After the game, Davis said “It felt really good," Davis said. "I don't know if I've made a big impact or not, but the team is starting to play well."

Well Davis, you have made a huge impact. And yes, the team is starting to play well. Bring it on MLB, the Mets are back. We’ll just have to wait until September to see if it’s for real, or if we’re in for another horrid last-minute choke…

Draft Blurbs…

• The Buffalo Bills take a running back what seems like every year. And then they ignore everything else. What they need to do is use a first round pick on a different position, like a quarterback (although that would have been a dumb move this year), or a wide receiver or, better yet, a defensive guy.
• Tyson Aluahu, the Jaguars pick at no. 10, is not on any of my draft boards.
• Defensive players are dominating the early picks this year. Ndamukong Suh, Gerald mcCoy, Trent Williams, Eric Berry. Miami should consider moving up in the draft if they want to get a good defensive player. Their defense is in desperate need of some help. But it might not be worth giving up more draft picks.
• Running back Ryan Mathews was a good pick for San Diego. They lost LaDanian Tomlinson and need a good, strong running back. Mathews can definitely provide. SI had him going to Miami at No. 24, and I’m sure he would be a great back for an already stellar running game. But really Miami? You have Ronnie Brown, Ricky Williams and Lex Hillard. You really don’t need to waste a pick on yet another running back. Go for the defense please.
• Denver is racking up the draft picks. Smart move. I like it.

75 game winning streak…and yet they suck?

The Connecticut women are on a 75 game winning streak. I would make jokes about the that number not being a typo, that no a 7 was not accidently hit before I typed the 5, but this is kind of old news. The UCONN women are completely taking over the women’s game.

The Huskies have played Southern, Temple, and Iowa State so far in this tournament and have outscored the three 259-111.  That’s an average of almost 50 points a game. The entire season their opponents have averaged 53.4 points a game while UCONN is putting up 83.9 points. Ridiculous numbers.

So, of course, after watching one of UCONN’s utter annihilations, I posted my Facebook status as “UCONN is going to win the tournament. Just accept it.”

I checked it later and got into an argument about just how good these women are. No one said the UCONN women wouldn’t win the entire shebang. Rather we discussed weather or not this team could beat a Division III one.

I said they definitely could. I mean, come on. Maybe they couldn’t beat some of the top men’s Division I teams, but these women would blow a men’s Division III team out of the water. It’s true that the other top women’s teams aren’t playing fantastically this season, but it’s not like no one else has quality players.

The UCONN women are striving for perfection. On every possession not just over the length of a game or season. No one should demean their accomplishments by saying they couldn’t beat a mediocre Division III team. The women’s game doesn’t have as much prestige as the men’s and may not be as exciting but it’s not an utter disaster.

The solution is to pit UCONN against a men’s team. I would love to see that. Of course there would be too many problems with this. What ball to use? What three point arc?

But back to the point. This team is playing spectacularly  and is looking to extend their winning streak to be the longest in the nation, men’s or women’s game. 75 wins is a lot. It’s not like they got there by luck or sheer mediocre play. They could beat the best Division II men’s team in the country and probably a few mid majors too.

The Big East is really starting to worry me. For such a strong conference, they are really struggling. That could show the strength of the entire field though.

March is so complicated. I'm torn between jubilation that Notre Dame fell in the first round and anger that it wasn't in my bracket.

As much as I hate Villanova (see below) they really need to step up their game against this tough Robert Morris team. Nova is somehow in my Final Four...

You beat me, I hate you

Sports is the one place where it’s okay to hold a grudge. If someone yells at you for something stupid, you shouldn’t hold it over the person’s head for ten years. But if a team beats you in the last seconds for a spot in the Final Four? Yeah, you have every right to hate them forever.

Which brings me to a perfect example. I hate Villanova. Last year, in the Elite Eight, Pittsburgh played Villanova for a spot in the Final Four. Pitt had played well the entire season, was ranked #1 in the nation, and actually looked like they could win it all. Imagine it: your team is poised to take a tournament and then the ridiculous happens.

It was a tight and physical game that didn’t disappoint for a Big East matchup. With five and a half seconds left to go, Levance Fields made both of his free throws and tied the game at 76. Now, all Pitt had to do was prevent Villanova from shooting and for goodness sakes not foul them. If you can’t prevent the shot, at least give them a difficult look.

But as my luck always goes, Pitt couldn’t do it. They didn’t foul, so score for that. But they let Scottie Reynolds catch an inbounds and push it all the way downcourt. He then made a jumper from right in front of the basket with 0.5 seconds left to win the game and punch a ticket to the Final Four.

Screw. You. Villanova.

I was livid. That completely ruined my night. It wasn’t even like it was a miracle shot, or a once in a lifetime occurrence. Pittsburgh let Reynolds shoot an easy jumper. The anger radiated out of my ears.

I’ve had a grudge against Villanova ever since. Which explains why right now I am violently yelling at the television that Villanova sucks. Because they do. Because when you beat my team I can hold a grudge for as long as I want. It’s sports, grudges are completely acceptable. Actually, they’re necessary. 

So when Villanova lost to Marquette today in the Big East Tournament I jumped for joy. Not because Marquette won. But because Villanova lost. That’s the beauty of sports.

Big Ben stands tall

Big Ben Roethlisberger has been accused of sexual assault again. This time, a 20-year-old Georgia College and State University student has accused Roethlisberger of sexually assaulting her early last Friday morning at a club.

TMZ has reported that the woman has dropped out of school in lieu of the supposed incident. Her name has not been released (Georgia laws  state that no rape victim shall be publicized). TMZ also released pictures of Roethlisberger and a woman who they say is the accuser. ESPN reported on SportsCenter this morning that the name of the woman has not been confirmed, nor has the fact that the woman in the picture is the one who is accusing him.  TMZ has taken the photos off of their page.

Last summer Roethlisberger was accused by a woman in Lake Tahoe of sexual assault. Andrea McNulty claimed that Roethlisberger asked her to come into his hotel room to take a look at a faulty TV. Once she was in the room, she said, Roethlisberger started kissing her and refused to stop at that. 

Emails and text messages clearly showed that McNulty made up the allegations. She is currently suing.

This time, Big Ben has been accused of sexually assaulting the young college student in the women’s bathroom of Capital City bar in Georgia, about 84 miles from Atlanta. Roethlisberger owns a house in the area.

The only evidence anyone seems to have right now is these pictures TMZ has. The first issue with the pictures is the fact that we don’t even know if this is the right girl. No one has confirmed this. Second, the pictures are of Roethlisberger with his arm around a smiling blond. They weren’t cuddling, they weren’t close enough to warrant any type of relationship, there is no evidence of any type of force or unwillingness on the woman’s part. The pictures simply look like a Pro-Bowl quarterback with two Super Bowl rings taking pictures with adoring fans. The girl had a large smile on her face for goodness sakes.

Police are investigating the issue, but at the time being there is absolutely no evidence that Ben has sexually assaulted anyone. As for those that point to his prior discretions, such as the case with McNulty, Roethlisberger is a young bachelor who happens to be in the public eye. He is allowed to go out to bars and party on a Thursday night. Unfortunately for him, there are young woman in this world (as well as young men) who realize his celebrity and are willing to take advantage of that. There are those who say Ben should stay home and lay low because he is such a big name. But, honestly, how is he going to do that? If you were in his place, would you really just stay at home because there are those that can take advantage of you? And would you really deny a fan a picture because someone could come out and use it as evidence of rape?

Ben Roethlisberger is guilty of nothing at this point in time. It should stay that way until proper evidence surfaces that he did anything wrong. An allegation by some woman should not impede on a man’s reputation. It’s sad that it always turns out that it does.

One down, so many more to come

I have never been to a professional game of any sort. Really, I haven’t. I’ve been to two Binghamton Mets games, but other than that in all of my almost-19 years on this wonderful sports filled earth, I have never ever been to a game.

This was before last Friday. By the time the clock struck midnight on March 5th, I could say that I had attended a professional sporting event.

Through my college, I went to the   Buffalo Sabres-Philadelphia Flyers game in Buffalo. For a first game, it definitely didn’t lack in excitement.

Anytime you’re going somewhere, getting there is half the fun. Unfortunately for the four others who were stuck in the van with myself and ten of my obnoxious friends, I really don’t think they saw it the same way. Let me revise this…the way there was pretty much my friend Nick and I being extraordinarily obnoxious. Lady GaGa karaoke anyone?

Walking in to HSBC Arena was like seeing the pyramids in Egypt. There were tons of people in blue Sabres jerseys. The escalators were packed tight and I was completely lost. If it weren’t almost 7:30, I would have loved to explore.

We went up the less-often-used cement stairs instead of dealing with the escalators. Our seats were in section 304. My friend Nick’s sister  had told us they were crappy seats (I didn’t fully believe this based on past encounters with her) and I fully thought they wouldn’t be the greatest. I expected to watch the jumbotron to see the more precise aspects of the game.

We got up there and I realized that the seats were great. Maybe not as good as the 100s and the season ticket holders, but I could easily see what was going on on the ice down below. The only time I looked at the jumbotron was during breaks of play.

After the players were introduced to a darkened arena with spotlights on the starting lineups, the game quickly got under way. It was exciting to watch from the stands. And for those that always tell me “You know they can’t hear you, right?” whenever I yell at the TV: maybe they did hear me Friday night (it’s at least plausible…)

After a scoreless first period, the Sabres and Flyers both scored in the second. In the third, the Flyers went up 2-1 on a gorgeous goal that left captain Mike Richards completely alone with Olympic MVP goalie Ryan Miller.

And finally, the Sabres’ Adam Mair scored with precious time ticking off the clock to put the game into overtime. Yes, my first game went into overtime. What more can you ask for? (We did ask for a shootout, and almost got one. But that may have been too greedy, so I wasn’t pushing for it)

Tim Connolly scored on a pass from Mair halfway into overtime to win the game.

The game itself was great, as you can clearly tell. But what else was great was the experience of watching the game in HSBC Arena. First off, the arena invokes awe. When I first got to my seat, I felt like at any moment I could fall forward and catapult to the ice.

Secondly, the people were great. A guy in a Canada jersey was sitting in front of us and we talked for most of the game. He was cheering for the Sabres…at least I think he was. He may have changed a few times. The guys all around him were Flyers fans though. They enjoyed all of our Brockport cheers and even added to some of them. When we cheered “Hit him again, hit him again, harder, harder,” one guy chimed in “They weren’t hitting each other, they were making love.”

On our second goal, they told us we got lucky since that’s what we had cheered when they scored their second goal.

As everyone expected, I had some things to say to other fans. One guy was wearing a Sidney Crosby jersey and flew out of his seat to heckle us Sabres fans on a Flyers goal. I, of course, yelled right back: “I like your jersey, but sit down!”

Nick told me at one point: “Cassie, don’t mingle with the drunks!” (On a side note, if you lost any money in any sort of pool saying I would be on my best behavior at a professional sporting event, you, my friend, are a complete and utter idiot.)

I learned that you should really pay attention to who is yelling what, though. One guy yelled “Go Flyers” and I started to clap for it. I quickly stopped, but I had already made myself look dumb.

Winning the game in overtime and seeing the fans flying out of their seats to cheer—being a fan who flew out of a seat in HSBC—completely made the night. It was a great game to be my first ever in-person game. By the time we got to the van, though, I was beat. Lucky for me, it was a comfy ride back to Brockport with four close friends squeezed into the backseat.

By the way, we decided that a hockey game between the Power Rangers and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles would be a hit. The Canada guy agrees.

BTdubs...the Ravens just made out with that deal. They got Boldin and a fifth rounder while the Cardinals got a third and fourth rounder.

The Baltimore Ravens just picked up Anquan Boldin from the Arizona Cardinals on a four-year $28 million deal. He'll be a great threat for third-year quarterback Joe Flacco to have. Mason is getting up in years and Boldin is a three-time Pro Bowler. The Ravens just got more lethal.

Catchphrase of the Olympics

I love yelling at the TV. And making up things to say to athletes. Every time the Colts were on, my friend Taylor and I would constantly say “Garçon” like it was the best name in the world.

And who doesn’t say “The Situation” like the guy on the Jersey Shore whose nickname was “The Situation”?

So I have a new one for you:

“They say OH NO! when they see APOLO!”

Yeah, that’s right. It’s pretty freaking sweet.

Hits, Risk and Brawls

I don’t get gymnastics. I mean, don’t get me wrong, it’s cool and all. Gymnasts do stuff I don’t dare dreaming of out of fear of injury. Flips in the air, flying around a bar, tricks on hanging circles? Yeah, I’ll pass on that.

I just don’t get how you could stay and watch it. Or how you could pick a winner. How can a judge determine that one move is better than the other. That’s like giving students different questions on a test.

I’m more into watching the physicality of sports. I like one-on-one matchups and brute strength. I’d rather see a pitcher versus hitter conflict that a man/woman doing flips on a map.

I want to see what happens when a defensive end matches up with a left tackle. When a wide receiver and a safety both go up for the football.

I want to see the outcome of a point guard pushing through a center for the layup or slam dunk. To see a perimeter guy slam down a shooting guard’s attempt at a trey.

I like seeing a player lit up along the boards so that the defense can grab the puck. I like seeing a goalie give all he has to stop a little black disk from entering the goal.

I’m the sports fan that likes seeing real scores happen in front of her very eyes. I want to see why a team won and not guess at how an event was scored. I don’t want to have to second guess the winner and loser.

In football, you can see when the ball crosses the goal line. In baseball, you can see a player run over homebase for the run. Or the ball fly into the stands for a homerun. In hockey you can see the puck slide into the goal. And there is nothing like the sound of a ball falling through the net in a basketball game.

So maybe, there should be an event where they throw other gymnasts through bigger rings hanging from the ceiling. Or you race across those parallel bars. Or, better yet, you race through the same routine on the bar. That would be cool. First to land wins the event. We could even install sensors, like the ones in swimming, to make sure of the outcome.

We should really look more into this…

In honor of Valentine’s Day

There is nothing more annoying than Valentine’s Day…except maybe anyone who is associated with the Patriots in any way.

Despite this, I have found a Valentine! Yes, I know, I’m just a tad late for this. But that’s okay.

 

Ashton Gibbs, will you be my Valentine?

 

How do I love thee? Let me count thy ways…

1. ASHTON GIBBS FOR THE THREE!!
• Don’t give him room to shoot. Gibbs is shooting 38% from beyond the arc this season. Last season he was at 43%. Not only is he good at throwing up treys, he can throw them up late in games when they are much needed.
2. Free Throws were never more aptly named
• If you’re playing Pittsburgh and have to foul, you better make damn sure the jersey number isn’t 12. Because if it is, you’re going to be in worse shape that you started in. Gibbs is 90% from the line (108/120)this season; last season he shot 80%. Not too shabby at all. Earlier this season, Gibbs broke Pittsburgh’s 20-year-old record of consecutive free throws made.
3. And Ashton Gibbs wins another one for the Pittsburgh Panthers.
• What a clutch player. As a Pittsburgh fan, it is somewhat calming to see Gibbs get the ball when Pitt is down and their chances are ticking off the clock. He seems to shoot with perfection under two minutes. SWOOSH!!
4. HE’S A DIAPER DANDY!
• Gibbs is only a sophomore. Meaning I could potentially have the rest of this season, plus two more years of the Gibbs-Pittsburgh bliss. That present is better than getting chocolate!

Now that I’ve written this Valentine and therefore celebrated this oh-so-loving day, can we move on with our lives? Unless, of course, Ashton Gibbs wants to be my Valentine…then we can turn Valentine’s Day into a monthly thing.

Love of the Game

There is little to nothing that I don’t love about sports.

There is action, suspense, misery, and bliss. One day could be the best day in the entire world, and the next day you end up in the dumps.

Two seconds can change a game. Hey, one second can change a game.

And nothing is permanent. Being in the basement one year can turn into a ring the next.

More than any of this, though, is the excitement that comes with cheering on your favorite team. Or, better yet, cheering on your home team. I spend hours yelling at the TV. My room at home is in the basement, and my parents can still hear me at times.

A year ago I was dating a guy whose dad could have gotten us tickets to a Jets-Dolphins game in the Meadowlands. He was cautious to say the least about taking me. A very loud, in-your-face, say-whatever-she-wants Dolphins fan in the Jets section? I don’t think so. His brother agreed it might be a bad idea.

So easily one of the best parts of being a college student is sitting in the college section. Students run the game. The yelling, the cheers, the utter highs and the utter lows. All are prevalent in the student section.

Tonight, Brockport’s Golden Eagles took on the Geneseo Knight on the ice. It was a big game. Geneseo brought their pep band…so you know Brockport had to bring it. The house was packed, there was no one in the stands who wasn’t wearing a green t-shirt. And not one student was watching the game from his/her seat.

I yelled as loud as I could. I screamed cheers. I kept up the noise whenever it got quiet. The whole student section stepped it up tonight. We blew that pep band out of the arena—just the way it should be.

Another great thing about the student section? Nothing is off limits. They may call it unsportsmanlike, but in reality it is good clean fandom. Support for your school is everything.

It’s a good thing I am a writer and not a broadcaster. My voice is completely gone. I wouldn’t want it any other way, though. Tonight was exactly what sports are about. I loved every single second of it.

If you were curious, we lost 2-1. Still loved every second of it…. 

Lindsey Vonn in SI

Yesterday I decided to start reading more newspapers. Actually, strike that. I decided to start reading newspapers again—a busy college life will do that to you.

Sitting in a boring Natural Disasters class, I came across a small excerpt in the sports section of USA Today that downright confused me.

A post on the blog Women Talk Sports criticized Sports Illustrated for having a “sexual” Lindsey Vonn on the cover.

I racked my brain, trying to figure out what the post was talking about. I grabbed the magazine off my desk (since that was what I was reading before I took the sports section from the guy behind me) and still couldn’t figure it out. It was simply a still photo of Vonn skiing down a hill.

The author of the post, Dr. Nicole M. LaVoi, said:

“When females are featured on the cover of SI, they are more likely than not to be in sexualized poses and not in action–and the most recent Vonn cover is no exception.”

Really? Vonn is a professional skier. Therefore, she should be skiing down a hill for the cover of a sports magazine. There is nothing overtly sexual about it. The pose can be taken sexually,however, because frankly anything can be made sexual and pretty much everything is.

LaVoi posted a follow up response due to all of the backlash she was getting. One particular argument against her was that men have been photographed in similar non-action shots on the cover. She said that although true, females are shown in this light more, which is a bad attribute since female athletes are only covered by the media 6-8% of the time.

While her points are valid, LaVoi is forgetting the context of this situation. The Olympics have yet to take place. The cover is meant to preview the event; it is not a recap of it. The NFL preview doesn’t show Ben Roethlisberger in action. It shows a headshot of him. Had this been an Olympic recap, then Vonn should definitely have been in an action shot on the cover. But this was simply a feature on a great athlete, not a story about her success the week before. 

Mardi Gras starts early this year folks

Super Bowl Sunday is a holiday. At least it should be. Our lounge was full of people and food, and random yelling at the TV. You’d think it were Christmas or Thanksgiving.

It is always a big day. There are funny commercials, a halftime show, and the main event: the big game. The best part of the night, at least for the Saints fans in the room, came late in the fourth quarter:

“Throw a pick, throw a pick!”

“Dude, Peyton Manning doesn’t throw picks”

A few plays later: Manning throws a pick. Worse still, it was returned for a touchdown that gave the Saints all that they would need to take home their first Lombardi trophy.

The Saints Tracy Porter jumped Manning’s pass to Reggie Wayne and thanks to one key block, ran it back 74 yards to help the Saints win 31-17. Porter also picked Brett Favre late in the AFC Championship game to help the Saints get to the Super Bowl.

Manning drove his team down the field, but the team ran out of downs near the goal line.

Mardi Gras is nine days away, but that means nothing to New Orleans. It just means the party keeps going. Not only is this their first Super Bowl, but it is also a symbol of the city’s rise after Hurricane Katrina. 

Four years ago the city was in complete ruins; covered in water and devastation abound. The Louisiana Superdome barely had a roof and residents of the city were huddled inside, braving the hurricane raging outside.

The Saints comeback started the next September. In their first game back in the Superdome, the Saints had a triumphant win against the Falcons. Drew Brees had just arrived in the city; he and his wife Brittany planned on helping the city rebound in any way it could.

Now, the Saints have a Lombardi trophy. It’s not just the players, though. That trophy belongs to every single person who lived in New Orleans when Hurricane Katrina hit. For every person that has only been inside the Superdome once, when it became his/her home when he/she had none. For every person in New Orleans who is still trying to rebuild. And for every person who lived and died with the Saints because it was all he/she had left to hang on to.

And by the way, tomorrow should be a holiday too. “Super Bowl Recuperation Day.” I don’t know about you, but I’m beat.

(P.S. The gorilla and EA Sport simulation game were right. I’ll keep that in mind. And does this mean Reggie Bush and Kim K ardashian are getting married? Just wonderin…)

Too much time on our hands

Unless you’re like Drew Barrymore’s character in 50 First Dates you know that it is Super Bowl time. And unless you’ve been living in a bomb shelter since the Cold War you know that it is time to pull out all the stops: all the experts, all the players, all the coaches, all the fans, and all of ANYTHING else you can think of to predict the winner.

With two weeks between the Championship games and the biggest football game of the year—as well as a 24/7 news cycle that includes five live hours of SportsCenter everyday—every media outlet has way too much time on their hands. And when that happens, the craziness ensues.

Just look at the Michael Vick drama. Breaking news glowed red over half of my television one morning to say that Vick was making an appearance at a local school. Man, did I need to know that one.

I also watched—via a live helicopter feed—Brett Favre, his wife Deanna, and Vikings’ coach Brad Childress make the trek from the airport to Minnesota headquarters during the whole will he/won’t he return from retirement extravaganza.

So I was not surprised when I watched SportsCenter this morning and discovered who—or rather what—ESPN has added to the annual Super Bowl picks. A video game. And a gorilla. (And no, I am not calling any of the broadcasters a gorilla. It was an actual gorilla.)

An EA games simulation predicted that the Saints would win Sunday. They even showed key plays, such as Joseph Addai and Reggie Bush scoring touchdowns. And of course Peyton Manning throwing a bomb to Reggie Wayne. Wayne then becomes air born after the tackle and rotates like helicopter wings into the end zone. This better actually happen in the game. It looked sweet.

Now, according to SportsCenter, you should be paying attention to this simulation. It has correctly predicted 5 of the last 6 Super Bowls and almost predicted the exact score of this year’s championship games. I don’t know if I should just chalk it up to interesting coincidence, or be fearful that ESPN has a device that can tell the future.

I’ll give ESPN this one. But just wait for what happened next.

A gorilla was given two paper mache footballs filled with things gorillas like to eat. One football had a Saints logo, the other a Colts one. The gorilla ignored the Colts one altogether, and immediately went for the Saints one. So, Saints are winning the Super Bowl. I mean, who wouldn’t believe a gorilla?

So, for those who have money on the game: pick the Saints. A video game and a gorilla told you too. What more do you want?!

Another Favre Media Frenzy

With the end of another NFL season, the question of Favre’s status in the football world has again taken the front page.

Favre’s Minnesota Vikings lost the NFC Championship to the New Orleans Saints Sunday night. The game went into overtime after Favre threw an interception into the middle of the field. He was trying to hit his key target, Percy Harvin, with 19 seconds left to win the game without extra time.

Instead the Saints won the coin toss and Brees marched his resilient Saints down the field just for second-year kicker Garrett Hartley to kick a 40 yard field goal to bring an NFC Championship to the still reeling city of New Orleans.

But while the Saints are preparing for their first Super Bowl appearance, Favre is preparing to face another offseason of contemplation. And another offseason with the vultures commonly called “the media.”

Yes, Favre does have trouble deciding what to do with the rest of his life. Should he stay? Should he retire? Staying means more fun. For Favre and for us. Fess up, you love seeing a 40-year-old football player out on that field ever Sunday….and playing well. But part of deciding when to retire is deciding if you’re going out on top. Does Favre really want to leave when he is forced out? Everyone strives to be John Elway.

But the real problem is the media frenzy surrounding it. Media outlets cover the issue everyday. Whether there is an issue that day or not. Sportscenter anchors make Favre retirement jokes at least once an hour. And the media is always speculating as to what he is going to do. One day he is staying; the next day he is retiring for good.

Even when he is retired, as he was last summer, Favre is still on ESPN every single day. Talking about throwing the football with high school guys in his hometown. Speculating as to what team he has been talking to. Can’t an extremely talented veteran of the game just talk to some teams without there being such a to do?

The media needs to back off of the story. Announce when he plans to make a press conference about it, and have a few columns about what the writer believes he should or will do. But leave it at that. The media frenzy is killing Favre’s current legacy of greatness into a legacy of indecisiveness. 

Who dat think gonna stop that Saint?

Reggie Bush

The name brings to mind various definitions:

1) The star running back at USC who won a Heisman 

2) The guy who went second in the draft when everyone believed he should have easily been the head honcho out

3) Kim Kardashian's boyfriend

And finally...

4) The New Orleans Saints running back

Reggie took over college football with his finesse running style. He easily ran through the line with jukes and flew by the college level's weak secondaries. Iin college, that running style works. But in the pros, it is more of a bruising running style that wins games. It is for this that Bush hasn't made the biggest impact in the NFL. 

Bush changed that and went from good running back to utter game changer in the Saints' NFC Divisional Playoff game against the Arizona Cardinals. He ran "north and south" with physicality instead of his normal side to side that relied on smooth moves. 

His punt return, the third longest in post season history, took the Saints to a 31 point lead with six minutes left in the third quarter. Although the scoreboard didn't have an F, players and fans on both sides sure felt like it did. Meanwhile, Bush sealed his place as a top tier running back in the NFL. 

Standing Strong

Down four with less than a minute left in regulation it looked like Pittsburgh would lose its first Big East Game. 

A key three would lead to a tie game and overtime. After being dominated by the tough Louisville defense and press, the Panthers took over in overtime and celebrated in front of the home crowd a 5-0 start to conference play. 

The Panthers are now 15-2 overall. They have shown their toughness, and now their ability to bounce back from the losing end of a very tight and extremely physical game. 

Plans Gone Awry

The Pittsburgh Panthers were supposed to rebuild this year. Jamie Dixon was supposed to take the 2009-2010 season to give his men some experience before they began Big East domination again.

No one really likes plans anyways.

After losing Sam Young, Levance Fields, and DeJuan Blair to the NBA it looked like this year would be nothing but a bust for the Panthers. Dixon would have good talent on the floor, but it would be developing talent.

That talent is sitting at the top of the Big East ladder right now, thanks to another big conference win. In Connecticut on Wednesday night, the Panthers got up early on the Huskies and were only behind once, by a measly one point.

The team grabbed the victory, and then later held on to it, in large part to foul shots. Pitt shot 85% at the line; they made six straight foul shots to close out the game and keep UCONN from making any sort of comeback.

Rebounding has also been their friend. Pitt outrebounded the Huskies 40-31 last night, and 26-13 in the second half. The sheer physicality of the group is shown at the boards as well as on the floor—quite literally. What impresses me most about Pittsburgh this year is the way in which they play the game. When a ball becomes loose, players leap on the floor to grab it. After a loose ball found its way from the sidelines to the paint, one Pitt player bounded to the center of the floor, fell on the ball, and immediately signaled for a timeout. That was probably the best play I saw all night.

Pittsburgh is 14-2 and undefeated in conference play. They have accumulated wins over Connecticut, Cincinnati, DePaul , and of course dealt Syracuse their first loss of the season. What’s even more impressive is that the Panthers have done it on the road. It is the 12th time in school history that the team has had three conference games in a row on the road. It is just the first time in school history that the team has won all three games.

So for all you who threw out the Panthers and only gave them the status of a rebuilding season, I would watch out. After being snubbed in Sports Illustrated’s college basketball preview, the Panthers have clawed their way into legitimate talk of playing deep into March.

Pittsburgh is a tough team. Get ready to fight as you’re looking up at them on the AP polls.