Rest In Peace, Hep...
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
Sunday, June 10, 2007
Race Versus Racing
(thanks to BBC.co.uk for the picture)
Today on the Ile-Notre-Dame, perched within the St. Lawrence river in beautiful Montréal, Quebec, history of the highest caliber has been made: A black man has won a major-league auto race. 22 year-old Lewis Hamilton, whose grandparents came to England from the Caribbean island of Granada, has become one of the most popular athletes in the world because of both his skin color and his amazing ability to get into any car and drive the wheels off of it. Today, he reached a new level on his meteoric rise through the ranks of the world's greatest form of motorsport by winning the Formula 1 Grand Prix of Canada.
Let's make one thing very clear before I continue. I usually don't give a hoot about the issue of race as it applies to sports. I grow very tired of basketball players complaining about discrimination from refs, baseball writers talking about the lack of African-Americans on MLB diamonds, et cetera. Given the amount of attention given to the subject by ESPN and many other news sources, it has become akin to beating a dead horse. Quite frankly, I'm sick of it.
However, the one form of sport that is decidedly in need of a shot of color: auto racing. Consider, if you will, the United States' most popular form of motorsport, NASCAR. This sport got its start in the southeastern United States, the core of American racism for nearly the entire history of our nation, and one look at the competitors drives that fact home. Forty-two drivers at the start of every NASCAR Nextel Cup Series race are white men and there is one Columbian. In most traditional NASCAR markets, some of the fans have yet to come to grips with the fact that a Californian (Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson) is winning races. The best shot for a black person to make the series fizzled out a couple of years ago when Bill Lester's Truck Series career lost its steam.
International racers have been staples in other US-based racing series, most notably IndyCar and Champ Car. IndyCar has been dominated recently by Brazilians, a Briton, and a Scotsman, while Champ Car has been under the dynasty of Frenchman Sebastian Bourdais for the past three years. Both disciplines have also embraced the presence of women on the track (IndyCar: Sarah Fisher, Milka Duno, and Danica Patrick; Champ Car: Katherine Legge), while NASCAR has not had a female driver for several years. However, it has been a long time since a black man had a chance at American open-wheel racing, with Willy T. Ribbs qualifying for several Indianapolis 500s in the early 90s.
On the international level, there is still not much competition from drivers of African descent. You can look through the lineup for this year's 24 Hours of Le Mans, which contains about 50 cars, each carrying at least three drivers, and you would be hard-pressed to find a black driver. Formula 1, the pinnacle of international motorsport, had not had a black driver in its history until Lewis Hamilton stepped into his McLaren at this year's Australian Grand Prix.
What makes Hamilton's presence so great for motorsports is that he is not just a publicity stunt. In the way that Tiger Woods was born with a natural ability to play golf, Lewis has a given ability to drive any vehicle to its max. The man could probably take a minivan and pound a great lap time out of it. When he was very young and still driving racing karts, he caught the eye of McLaren Formula 1 boss Ron Dennis, who became Hamilton's sponsor. Dennis' money turned out to be very well-spent, because Hamilton conquered every level of karting that he could before moving to real open-wheel cars. He then set about conquering a number of open-wheel series, culminating in his GP2 championship last year. That convinced Ron Dennis to put Lewis into the car vacated by Juan Pablo Montoya. Hamilton shocked the world by finishing third in his fist F1 race, and second in his next four races. Then, in his sixth Formula 1 outing, with veterans (relative to Lewis, at least) Felipe Massa, Kimi Raikkonen, and defending champion Fernando Alonso making key errors behind him, Lewis Hamilton drove a superb race to take the victory.
In his first Formula 1 season, Lewis hasn't finished lower than third, and is currently 8 points clear of teammate Alonso in the championship standings. It is possible that we are currently looking upon the greatest driver to ever step into a race car, and to have that driver be black will have a great effect on the social structure of motor racing. With the F1 circus coming to Indianapolis this Sunday, the United States will be exposed to the wonder that is Lewis Hamilton, and maybe this young man can raise a little interest in the sport amongst America's black community.
Notes: The Canadian Grand Prix was marred by several incidents. However, none of these were nearly as horrific as that involving BMW's Robert Kubica. Video can be found here. The nature of the accident (sweeping left hand turn, car going straight off and making hard contact) was eerily similar to Ayrton Senna's fatal crash at Imola in 1994. However, Kubica made it out with only an ankle sprain and a mild concussion. No details have been released as to whether or not he will be available for Sunday's US Grand Prix. A true testament to the safety that has been put into these racing machines.
In one of the stranger occurrences of the day, a beaver wandered onto the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. After dodging several race cars, the critter met its match in the Super Aguri of Anthony Davidson, who had to pit to get his car cleaned up and running properly.
Wednesday, June 6, 2007
Don Cherry for President...er, Commissioner
Now, being from the United States, I would normally cheer for a US team were it to play against a team from some other locale. The only exception for me, however, is NHL Hockey. Assuming the Washington Capitals are not in the Stanley Cup Finals (and let's face it: they won't get there again for a while), I will cheer for the team from the land that invented the sport.
Why? Why indeed? First of all, Canadians care about their sport even more than we care about sports like baseball or basketball. You can go to any game played on the ice in Montréal, Toronto, Ottawa, Edmonton, Calgary, or Vancouver, and you will see an arena packed with some of the most knowledgeable and intense sports fans on the planet. The United States has only two cities that can come even close to the level of the Canadians: Detroit and Buffalo. Even then, the Ottawa fans knocked the fans in Buffalo dead. There is just such a passion for the game that is hard to find south of the border.
There is one man in the world of professional hockey who best personifies the spirit of Canadian hockey (despite, ironically, playing and coaching for a team called the Rochester Americans). His name is Don Cherry (the one on the left...the other guy is Brett Hull), and he puts even the most ridiculous of American sports commentators to shame. His wardrobe includes everything but the kitchen sink (and if they could find a way to make that into a suit, he'd wear it). He goes on red-faced rants that would make even Rush Limbaugh look like a school librarian. He is the epitome of the "old school" hockey fan -- all about the big hits, the fighting, and, most of all, giving the fans a great show. Ever heard of the Philadelphia Flyers of the late 70s that were known as the "Broad Street Bullies"? Cherry's Boston Bruins took them out of the playoffs. Twice.
Nowadays, as an iconic member of the Canadian Broadcasting Company's "Hockey Night in Canada", Cherry has become one of the most outspoken men on television. Unfortunately, since the NHL's offices are in the US, the rantings of this loud-mouthed, opinionated Canadian fall on the deaf ears of loud-mouthed, opinionated Americans (and commissioner Gary Bettman). According to old Don, fighting is an integral part of NHL hockey and is the part of the sport that brings in the fans. Don't believe him? Go back to the single most publicised event from the NHL's regular season: Ottawa and Buffalo dropping the game for about 10 minutes and beating the snot out of each other. What gets the home fans back into the game when all might seem lost? How about the enforcer from the home team taking the hated bully from the away team by the jersey and tossing him to the ice. Bettman is in the process of trying to take out one of the oldest (and, in my opinion, coolest) institutions in all of sports, and our well-dressed Canadian friend says that is a travesty.
That, my friends, is just one of the many logical and sensible arguments that Don Cherry comes onto Canadian television and yells about. Since, despite his fashion choices, the man makes a ton of sense, why shouldn't he be the commissioner of the NHL?
Let's face it: Gary Bettman is a spineless bum who has overseen one of the worst eras faced by any sport. At the beginning of his tenure, the league took off on the shoulders of guys named Gretzky, Messier, and Lemieux. Then, all of the sudden, those names disappeared and the league fell hard. The owners, backed by Bettman, realized that they were running out of money and took it out on the players. The players, knowing that the man at the other end of the table had no backbone, wouldn't accept his terms, but still wanted to play the game. So when the owners and Bettman locked the doors, the players ran off and kept making money. Bettman, realizing his mistake, caved in to a fair portion of the players' demands, thus shafting the owners that he originally backed.
Don Cherry, being the oh-so-pleasant man that he is, definitely would not have stood for the events leading up to the lockout, had those events even transpired in the first place. If the players had even decided to strike, you can guarantee there would have been replacement players, just like the NFL did in 1987. Also, you can guarantee that the replacement games would've been some of the roughest, toughest games you've ever seen. The man knows what's good for the sport, and he would be perfect in the league's driver's seat. Oh, and one other thing that makes him perfect: he's Canadian.
Why? Why indeed? First of all, Canadians care about their sport even more than we care about sports like baseball or basketball. You can go to any game played on the ice in Montréal, Toronto, Ottawa, Edmonton, Calgary, or Vancouver, and you will see an arena packed with some of the most knowledgeable and intense sports fans on the planet. The United States has only two cities that can come even close to the level of the Canadians: Detroit and Buffalo. Even then, the Ottawa fans knocked the fans in Buffalo dead. There is just such a passion for the game that is hard to find south of the border.
There is one man in the world of professional hockey who best personifies the spirit of Canadian hockey (despite, ironically, playing and coaching for a team called the Rochester Americans). His name is Don Cherry (the one on the left...the other guy is Brett Hull), and he puts even the most ridiculous of American sports commentators to shame. His wardrobe includes everything but the kitchen sink (and if they could find a way to make that into a suit, he'd wear it). He goes on red-faced rants that would make even Rush Limbaugh look like a school librarian. He is the epitome of the "old school" hockey fan -- all about the big hits, the fighting, and, most of all, giving the fans a great show. Ever heard of the Philadelphia Flyers of the late 70s that were known as the "Broad Street Bullies"? Cherry's Boston Bruins took them out of the playoffs. Twice.
Nowadays, as an iconic member of the Canadian Broadcasting Company's "Hockey Night in Canada", Cherry has become one of the most outspoken men on television. Unfortunately, since the NHL's offices are in the US, the rantings of this loud-mouthed, opinionated Canadian fall on the deaf ears of loud-mouthed, opinionated Americans (and commissioner Gary Bettman). According to old Don, fighting is an integral part of NHL hockey and is the part of the sport that brings in the fans. Don't believe him? Go back to the single most publicised event from the NHL's regular season: Ottawa and Buffalo dropping the game for about 10 minutes and beating the snot out of each other. What gets the home fans back into the game when all might seem lost? How about the enforcer from the home team taking the hated bully from the away team by the jersey and tossing him to the ice. Bettman is in the process of trying to take out one of the oldest (and, in my opinion, coolest) institutions in all of sports, and our well-dressed Canadian friend says that is a travesty.
That, my friends, is just one of the many logical and sensible arguments that Don Cherry comes onto Canadian television and yells about. Since, despite his fashion choices, the man makes a ton of sense, why shouldn't he be the commissioner of the NHL?
Let's face it: Gary Bettman is a spineless bum who has overseen one of the worst eras faced by any sport. At the beginning of his tenure, the league took off on the shoulders of guys named Gretzky, Messier, and Lemieux. Then, all of the sudden, those names disappeared and the league fell hard. The owners, backed by Bettman, realized that they were running out of money and took it out on the players. The players, knowing that the man at the other end of the table had no backbone, wouldn't accept his terms, but still wanted to play the game. So when the owners and Bettman locked the doors, the players ran off and kept making money. Bettman, realizing his mistake, caved in to a fair portion of the players' demands, thus shafting the owners that he originally backed.
Don Cherry, being the oh-so-pleasant man that he is, definitely would not have stood for the events leading up to the lockout, had those events even transpired in the first place. If the players had even decided to strike, you can guarantee there would have been replacement players, just like the NFL did in 1987. Also, you can guarantee that the replacement games would've been some of the roughest, toughest games you've ever seen. The man knows what's good for the sport, and he would be perfect in the league's driver's seat. Oh, and one other thing that makes him perfect: he's Canadian.
Sunday, June 3, 2007
Free Lou!
The cheap seats would be in Wrigley Field, but I'm too afraid of getting hit by a flying travel mug. Now, let me preface this entry by making sure everyone knows that I don't like the Cubs. Their fans are spoiled, snobby fools who make Alabama NASCAR fans look like a golf gallery. They still give grief about that Sox fan who leapt out of the stands and attacked an umpire, then they turn around and chuck hard plastic travel mugs onto the field, endangering not only the umps, but their OWN PLAYERS AND COACHES. The team itself is a mess of errors and diva-like behavior that even Alex Rodriguez would struggle to match. Their star pitcher sent their top catcher to the hospital after said pitcher threw a ball that makes knuckleballers say "what the hell?" They spend ridiculous amounts of money to bring in star players that underachieve every season, and the media and fans blame it on some curse or another. Plain and simple, the Cubs are terrible.
However, I am about to defend their manager, Lou Piniella. "Why," you might ask? Because the one entity in baseball that is more inept than the Cubs has wrongfully placed Lou on an indefinite suspension for nothing more than kicking dirt on an umpire. If you took the league office's word on the situation, you would think Lou took a baseball bat out of the dugout and hit each ump over the head with it before doing the same to Atlanta Braves manager Bobby Cox. The official language says that Piniella "made contact with umpire Mark Wegner."
Are you kidding me? I've seen the replay a hundred times in the past 24 hours, and Wegner's pant leg doesn't even ruffle at the point where all the officials are saying that Piniella kicked Wegner. In fact, the only direct contact made between an umpire and Piniella (apart from his substantial midsection bumping the umpire's) came when crew chief Bruce Froeomming starts trying to push Piniella away.
Let's get one thing straight. Piniella has had enough tirades directed towards umpires that he knows what's really out of bounds in this situation. He'll kick dirt, he'll throw hats, buckets of baseballs, bases, and anything else he can get his hands on, but you will never, EVER see Lou Piniella make physical contact with the ump. In fact, you will almost never see ANY manager make physical contact with an ump because, despite the rage that they are flying into, they know the rules. Even though some players may not get it (cough...Josh Bard), managers and coaches know the score.
What we're seeing here is a bunch of umpires defending one of their own by trying to knock down the guy who torments them the most (visibly, at least). Because one or two guys think they saw Piniella kick Wegner, the whole fraternity of umps has manipulated the pictures in their head to give them the outcome they want. Sure, they won't say it outwardly, but you know that every umpire who is assigned a Cubs game says to himself, "Crap, i have to deal with Piniella." They don't like him and he doesn't like them. But since they're the ones being backed by the league office, Lou is the one who gets screwed in this situation.
My version of the penalties that should've been given out over the past two days: Carlos Zambrano suspended by the Cubs for one start and Michael Barrett given no penalty, Lou Piniella given a small fine and a one-day suspension for the dirt-kicking, and the entire Cubs organization fined $500,000 for their drunken, moronic fans causing a dangerous situation on the field. The league office needs to get their act together and start making their penalties sensible and fair.
However, I am about to defend their manager, Lou Piniella. "Why," you might ask? Because the one entity in baseball that is more inept than the Cubs has wrongfully placed Lou on an indefinite suspension for nothing more than kicking dirt on an umpire. If you took the league office's word on the situation, you would think Lou took a baseball bat out of the dugout and hit each ump over the head with it before doing the same to Atlanta Braves manager Bobby Cox. The official language says that Piniella "made contact with umpire Mark Wegner."
Are you kidding me? I've seen the replay a hundred times in the past 24 hours, and Wegner's pant leg doesn't even ruffle at the point where all the officials are saying that Piniella kicked Wegner. In fact, the only direct contact made between an umpire and Piniella (apart from his substantial midsection bumping the umpire's) came when crew chief Bruce Froeomming starts trying to push Piniella away.
Let's get one thing straight. Piniella has had enough tirades directed towards umpires that he knows what's really out of bounds in this situation. He'll kick dirt, he'll throw hats, buckets of baseballs, bases, and anything else he can get his hands on, but you will never, EVER see Lou Piniella make physical contact with the ump. In fact, you will almost never see ANY manager make physical contact with an ump because, despite the rage that they are flying into, they know the rules. Even though some players may not get it (cough...Josh Bard), managers and coaches know the score.
What we're seeing here is a bunch of umpires defending one of their own by trying to knock down the guy who torments them the most (visibly, at least). Because one or two guys think they saw Piniella kick Wegner, the whole fraternity of umps has manipulated the pictures in their head to give them the outcome they want. Sure, they won't say it outwardly, but you know that every umpire who is assigned a Cubs game says to himself, "Crap, i have to deal with Piniella." They don't like him and he doesn't like them. But since they're the ones being backed by the league office, Lou is the one who gets screwed in this situation.
My version of the penalties that should've been given out over the past two days: Carlos Zambrano suspended by the Cubs for one start and Michael Barrett given no penalty, Lou Piniella given a small fine and a one-day suspension for the dirt-kicking, and the entire Cubs organization fined $500,000 for their drunken, moronic fans causing a dangerous situation on the field. The league office needs to get their act together and start making their penalties sensible and fair.
Thursday, May 17, 2007
The Genius of David Stern
So, it has become en vogue for absolutely everyone in the world to hate the hell out of NBA Commissioner David Stern in the wake of suspensions handed down to Phoenix Suns players Amare Stoudmire and Boris Diaw. In case you've been under a rock or in a coma for the past few days, a shoving match broke out when the Spurs' Robert Horry gave Steve Nash a hockey-style hip check into the scorer's table. Well, I'm going to go off the deep end and (gasp!) defend the commissioner.
This is very simple: the rule invoked by the NBA in the suspensions says that a player may not leave the bench area in the event of an on-court altercation. Both Stoudmire and Diaw...get this...LEFT THE BENCH. In fact, if you watch the replays, Stoudmire had to be held back at least twice in order to be kept away from the fight that took place. Now, in the replays I have seen, I did not see what Boris Diaw's involvement in the situation was, but I trust Stern's judgment on this one.
Now, people like Charles Barkley, Dan Patrick, and everyone in the world has been talking about this thing called "the spirit of the rule". Well guess what, princess, the "spirit" doesn't mean jack to this commissioner. What Stern considered was what the rule said, and handed down appropriate punishments. It doesn't matter what Stoudmire and Diaw were thinking of doing. It's about what they did do, and what they did do was leave the bench in the midst of an on-court altercation. Bring the hammer down and send 'em home for a day.
Now, everyone seems to hate the bejeezus out of David Stern at all times for being too (fill in the blank). Instead of complaining, though, they should probably look around at every other major sport and thank their stars that they have one of the best commissioners in all of sport. Let's look at the facts, shall we?
Bud Selig, Major League Baseball: Well, he has done some good things, but they aren't even close to the shortcomings of this guy. For one, he completely mismanaged the "steroid era", and only started investigating the problem when faced with a ton of media pressure. He called a tie in an MLB All-Star game when both teams ran out of pitchers (boo-freakin'-hoo. The third baseman has a good arm, put him out there). He made the All-Star game the decider of home-field advantage in the World Series, instead of...say...the accomplishments of the teams involved. Also, he presided over a strike period, which means he probably screwed up somewhere.
Gary Bettman, National Hockey League: Have you watched a regular season hockey game lately? Oh wait...Bettman screwed up the TV deal so you can't watch the game more than about 5 times a year. The lockout almost completely destroyed that league and Bettman played a key role in the ridiculousness that occurred during that period.
Roger Goodell, National Football League: Actually, Goodell is looking pretty damn good in his first year of commissioner-ing, so we'll move on to his predecessor, Paul Tagliabue. All in all, Tagliabue did a good job bringing the crowds into NFL stadiums and presiding over the biggest stadium-building boom in the history of the sport. However, when it came to punishments, the man was weak. Towards the end of Tag's reign, we saw some of the worst behavioral problems ever. The second Goodell came in, however, we saw a new league conduct policy and a one-year suspension to Pacman Jones to send a message to all of the league's bad boys. Things seem to be on the up-and-up in the NFL.
Mike Helton, NASCAR: One might look at the financial success of this sport and say, "Wow, Helton is doing a good job here!" Guess what. It's a lie. It's time for me to go all goody-goody on you and tell you that NASCAR is still firmly implanted in the 1960's. Think about it: pushrod V8 engines with those big airboxes and carburetors that you might remember from your grandparents' car, all driving a big, solid rear axle. In fact, 2007 is the first year -- THE FIRST YEAR -- that the cars have run on unleaded fuel. Do you remember when the US Government mandated unleaded fuel? Of course not, because you weren't born yet. Auto racing is a place where companies are supposed to come up with great new ideas for safety and efficiency for their road products (see: Audi V10 Diesel winning 24 hrs. of Le Mans, or the IndyCar series running on American-made Ethanol fuel, or brake and suspension developments from rally racing). NASCAR is using an old, retarded formula that has no use to the modern world so that they can make a ton of money off of some of the dumbest (not all of you...blame the guys who throw beer cans) fans in sports.
David Stern, National Basketball Association: Ridiculed for being "too strict" with the rules on numerous occasions, even though basketball contains some of the worst personalities ever to walk onto a field of competition. Instituted a dress code that, when first instituted, was ripped apart. Have you heard anything about the dress code since that first week or so? Neither have I. Brought a big, nasty hammer down on Ron Artest and the Indiana Pacers after Artest charged the stands in Detroit. Brought another big, nasty hammer down on referee Joey Crawford for ejecting Tim Duncan from a game for no reason. The only mistake he made recently was approving the technical foul for complaining, but that was mostly the fault of overzealous referees (like Crawford).
Listen up, NBA people. David Stern didn't ruin the Suns-Spurs series. Horry, Stoudmire, and Diaw did by breaking the rules. Don't like it? Shut up and deal with it.
This is very simple: the rule invoked by the NBA in the suspensions says that a player may not leave the bench area in the event of an on-court altercation. Both Stoudmire and Diaw...get this...LEFT THE BENCH. In fact, if you watch the replays, Stoudmire had to be held back at least twice in order to be kept away from the fight that took place. Now, in the replays I have seen, I did not see what Boris Diaw's involvement in the situation was, but I trust Stern's judgment on this one.
Now, people like Charles Barkley, Dan Patrick, and everyone in the world has been talking about this thing called "the spirit of the rule". Well guess what, princess, the "spirit" doesn't mean jack to this commissioner. What Stern considered was what the rule said, and handed down appropriate punishments. It doesn't matter what Stoudmire and Diaw were thinking of doing. It's about what they did do, and what they did do was leave the bench in the midst of an on-court altercation. Bring the hammer down and send 'em home for a day.
Now, everyone seems to hate the bejeezus out of David Stern at all times for being too (fill in the blank). Instead of complaining, though, they should probably look around at every other major sport and thank their stars that they have one of the best commissioners in all of sport. Let's look at the facts, shall we?
Bud Selig, Major League Baseball: Well, he has done some good things, but they aren't even close to the shortcomings of this guy. For one, he completely mismanaged the "steroid era", and only started investigating the problem when faced with a ton of media pressure. He called a tie in an MLB All-Star game when both teams ran out of pitchers (boo-freakin'-hoo. The third baseman has a good arm, put him out there). He made the All-Star game the decider of home-field advantage in the World Series, instead of...say...the accomplishments of the teams involved. Also, he presided over a strike period, which means he probably screwed up somewhere.
Gary Bettman, National Hockey League: Have you watched a regular season hockey game lately? Oh wait...Bettman screwed up the TV deal so you can't watch the game more than about 5 times a year. The lockout almost completely destroyed that league and Bettman played a key role in the ridiculousness that occurred during that period.
Roger Goodell, National Football League: Actually, Goodell is looking pretty damn good in his first year of commissioner-ing, so we'll move on to his predecessor, Paul Tagliabue. All in all, Tagliabue did a good job bringing the crowds into NFL stadiums and presiding over the biggest stadium-building boom in the history of the sport. However, when it came to punishments, the man was weak. Towards the end of Tag's reign, we saw some of the worst behavioral problems ever. The second Goodell came in, however, we saw a new league conduct policy and a one-year suspension to Pacman Jones to send a message to all of the league's bad boys. Things seem to be on the up-and-up in the NFL.
Mike Helton, NASCAR: One might look at the financial success of this sport and say, "Wow, Helton is doing a good job here!" Guess what. It's a lie. It's time for me to go all goody-goody on you and tell you that NASCAR is still firmly implanted in the 1960's. Think about it: pushrod V8 engines with those big airboxes and carburetors that you might remember from your grandparents' car, all driving a big, solid rear axle. In fact, 2007 is the first year -- THE FIRST YEAR -- that the cars have run on unleaded fuel. Do you remember when the US Government mandated unleaded fuel? Of course not, because you weren't born yet. Auto racing is a place where companies are supposed to come up with great new ideas for safety and efficiency for their road products (see: Audi V10 Diesel winning 24 hrs. of Le Mans, or the IndyCar series running on American-made Ethanol fuel, or brake and suspension developments from rally racing). NASCAR is using an old, retarded formula that has no use to the modern world so that they can make a ton of money off of some of the dumbest (not all of you...blame the guys who throw beer cans) fans in sports.
David Stern, National Basketball Association: Ridiculed for being "too strict" with the rules on numerous occasions, even though basketball contains some of the worst personalities ever to walk onto a field of competition. Instituted a dress code that, when first instituted, was ripped apart. Have you heard anything about the dress code since that first week or so? Neither have I. Brought a big, nasty hammer down on Ron Artest and the Indiana Pacers after Artest charged the stands in Detroit. Brought another big, nasty hammer down on referee Joey Crawford for ejecting Tim Duncan from a game for no reason. The only mistake he made recently was approving the technical foul for complaining, but that was mostly the fault of overzealous referees (like Crawford).
Listen up, NBA people. David Stern didn't ruin the Suns-Spurs series. Horry, Stoudmire, and Diaw did by breaking the rules. Don't like it? Shut up and deal with it.
Sunday, May 13, 2007
The Quintessential Baseball Experience
This is very simple: If you care about baseball on any level -- die-hard fan, casual observer, your boyfriend is obsessed, etc -- you must make the trip to the north side of Chicago, IL and take in the majesty of Wrigley Field, home of the Cubs. There are probably only two (maybe three) places left in the entire country where you can show up and immediately think, "This is what baseball is supposed to be". Wrigley Field is definitely one of those places.
When approaching the ballpark, you definitely want to come in from the intersection of Clark and Addison Streets, where the first thing you see is:
It's one of the most welcoming sights in the world. The stadium looks really small from the street, and the quaint red sign is akin to one of those welcome signs you might see on your friendly neighbor's front door. Sure, the gates look somewhat small and uninviting, but you're not at Wrigley to look at gates. The real prize is what's inside:
Unlike modern 41,000-seat baseball stadiums, even the last row makes you feel like you're on top of the action. The exposed steel in the peaked roof, the green seats, the brick and ivy walls, and the hand-operated scoreboard will give any baseball fan the feeling of being home. One of the greatest aspects of the park is that, unlike the remaining cookie-cutters in Washington, Toronto, and Miami that were built 50 years later, Wrigley does not show its age. Instead of disdain for the age and condition of the stadium, the fan feels respect for the history and condition of this place.
It's hard to imagine for a 20 year-old what it might've been like to take in a game at Ebbets, Griffith, Crosley, Yankee before the renovations, or the Polo Grounds, but thanks to the devotion of the Tribune Company to keep Wrigley Field standing, us youngsters can get an idea of what real baseball looks like.
Other ballparks on my list to visit: Fenway Park, Yankee Stadium, New Busch Stadium, PNC Park, Miller Park, Dodger Stadium. I'll be hittin' up Yankee probably next summer, but I have no idea when I'll get to the rest of 'em.
When approaching the ballpark, you definitely want to come in from the intersection of Clark and Addison Streets, where the first thing you see is:
It's one of the most welcoming sights in the world. The stadium looks really small from the street, and the quaint red sign is akin to one of those welcome signs you might see on your friendly neighbor's front door. Sure, the gates look somewhat small and uninviting, but you're not at Wrigley to look at gates. The real prize is what's inside:
Unlike modern 41,000-seat baseball stadiums, even the last row makes you feel like you're on top of the action. The exposed steel in the peaked roof, the green seats, the brick and ivy walls, and the hand-operated scoreboard will give any baseball fan the feeling of being home. One of the greatest aspects of the park is that, unlike the remaining cookie-cutters in Washington, Toronto, and Miami that were built 50 years later, Wrigley does not show its age. Instead of disdain for the age and condition of the stadium, the fan feels respect for the history and condition of this place.
It's hard to imagine for a 20 year-old what it might've been like to take in a game at Ebbets, Griffith, Crosley, Yankee before the renovations, or the Polo Grounds, but thanks to the devotion of the Tribune Company to keep Wrigley Field standing, us youngsters can get an idea of what real baseball looks like.
Other ballparks on my list to visit: Fenway Park, Yankee Stadium, New Busch Stadium, PNC Park, Miller Park, Dodger Stadium. I'll be hittin' up Yankee probably next summer, but I have no idea when I'll get to the rest of 'em.
Sunday, May 6, 2007
Went to Wrigley...details at 11
As you may or may not know, I saw my Nationals take on the Cubs at Wrigley Field on Friday. Since it's one in the morning on Sunday and I have to be up early to 1) go to church, and 2) go to opening day at Indy, I will do a two-for-one in the next 24-48 hours covering the ballgame and opening day. See you all later!
Thursday, April 26, 2007
The Most Boring Sports Day Ever
No cheap seats this weekend. Just a big sofa, a lot of chips, and a lot of soda. It's the single most boring day of the entire sports year, yet so many people -- myself included -- will sit in front of their TV's for about six hours on Saturday, waiting for their favorite team to steal the guy who is supposed to be "the future" from his relatively humble college life. Yes sir, the NFL Draft is upon us. Where thousands of self-respecting football fans stare fixedly at their televisions and wait for NFL Commish Roger Goodell to read a name from a piece of paper.
Now, my most favorite of professional football teams, the Washington Redskins, are supposed to be picking sixth overall in the 2007 edition of the draft. Of course, this is all dependent still on how desperate the 'Skins are to get linebacker Lance Briggs from the Chicago Bears and how desperate the Bears are to get rid of Briggs. So far, both teams are saying that whatever deal they were going to strike is off, but things change at this time of year. After all, everyone seems to be saying that the Redskins will be taking a linebacker at that sixth pick anyway, so why not get Briggs and have the Bears replace him with that draft pick.
Of course, while everyone else is saying that the sixth pick will be used for a linebacker, I choose to disagree. I don't believe that the 'Skins need a linebacker from the draft, especially since the acquisition of London Fletcher from the free agent market and last year's drafting of Rocky McIntosh from Linebacker U (Miami). The team's big problem area from the 2006 season was putting pressure on the quarterback and stopping the run. Thus, it would be a prudent decision to pick up a defensive lineman. My choice: Amobi Akoye, DT, Louisville. If Akoye isn't there: Alan Branch, DT, Michigan. Akoye is the highest-rated tackle in the draft, so that would make him an obvious choice. That would also make him an obvious choice for one of the five teams picking ahead of Washington. Still, picking Branch from the very solid Michigan defense would be a fine alternative.
What all the pundits think and what all of the team managers think are two completely different things, so no one outside of the front offices knows exactly what's going to happen. I would imagine that, once all seven rounds have been completed, everyone will be scratching their heads over something the Detroit Lions or New York Jets have done, and there will be that one steal-of-a-pick that no one thought would be going wherever he is going. Then, for the next three months, the guys on ESPN will be dissecting every aspect of this weekend and how it will make or break the season. Why the draft is such a big deal is beyond me, but it's an important part of the sports year, so we'll all watch it, talk about it, and get on with life. Oh, how I can't wait for September to come...
Now, my most favorite of professional football teams, the Washington Redskins, are supposed to be picking sixth overall in the 2007 edition of the draft. Of course, this is all dependent still on how desperate the 'Skins are to get linebacker Lance Briggs from the Chicago Bears and how desperate the Bears are to get rid of Briggs. So far, both teams are saying that whatever deal they were going to strike is off, but things change at this time of year. After all, everyone seems to be saying that the Redskins will be taking a linebacker at that sixth pick anyway, so why not get Briggs and have the Bears replace him with that draft pick.
Of course, while everyone else is saying that the sixth pick will be used for a linebacker, I choose to disagree. I don't believe that the 'Skins need a linebacker from the draft, especially since the acquisition of London Fletcher from the free agent market and last year's drafting of Rocky McIntosh from Linebacker U (Miami). The team's big problem area from the 2006 season was putting pressure on the quarterback and stopping the run. Thus, it would be a prudent decision to pick up a defensive lineman. My choice: Amobi Akoye, DT, Louisville. If Akoye isn't there: Alan Branch, DT, Michigan. Akoye is the highest-rated tackle in the draft, so that would make him an obvious choice. That would also make him an obvious choice for one of the five teams picking ahead of Washington. Still, picking Branch from the very solid Michigan defense would be a fine alternative.
What all the pundits think and what all of the team managers think are two completely different things, so no one outside of the front offices knows exactly what's going to happen. I would imagine that, once all seven rounds have been completed, everyone will be scratching their heads over something the Detroit Lions or New York Jets have done, and there will be that one steal-of-a-pick that no one thought would be going wherever he is going. Then, for the next three months, the guys on ESPN will be dissecting every aspect of this weekend and how it will make or break the season. Why the draft is such a big deal is beyond me, but it's an important part of the sports year, so we'll all watch it, talk about it, and get on with life. Oh, how I can't wait for September to come...
Sunday, April 15, 2007
Spring Is In The Air...Just Not Here
Yes indeed, ladies and gentlemen, spring is upon us despite what Mother Nature wants you to believe. The Cheap Seats yesterday were the free seats on the metal benches of Memorial Stadium, as the Indiana Football Hoosiers held their traditional spring football game. Unfortunately it was cold, it was rainy, and towards the end of the game it was windy. As such, the 5-10,000 people that generally show up to the Cream and Crimson Game decided to stay home and watch anything other than themselves getting pneumonia. Still, the 1,000-or-so people that made an appearance seemed to enjoy the game thoroughly and they were shown some promising things by this Indiana team.
We start, of course, with the offense. When you look at the roster, it's immediately apparent that the offense will have to be this team's strength this year. With redshirt sophomore Kellen Lewis starting under center this year, Josiah Sears and Marcus Thigpen contributing from the backfield, and James Hardy, Ray Fisher, Nick Polk, and Terrance Turner running down the field to catch the ball, this offense is actually fairly loaded. Lewis, of course, contributed yesterday by running the ball out of the pocket in true Michael Vick style. Lewis' speed will provide some exciting plays this year and will befuddle many a defense. The 6'7" Hardy will most likely be the main target again, as he was in a fine rhythm with Lewis for most of the game yesterday. The running game from the actual running backs does seem like it might cause problems again, but Thigpen has a full season in the backfield under his belt, and that experience should help him.
The defense is still not quite up to Big Ten standards, but they seem to be improving. Play in the secondary, last years' weak point, will once again revolve around Tracy Porter. Porter, who will be a senior next year, is still very quick and very athletic and will make a difference in a few games. He could've used the help that would have come from Jerimy Finch, who declined the Hoosiers' scholarship offer to jump on the Florida bandwagon, but I think the secondary will still be alright. The rest of the defense may be somewhat nondescript, but they are solid and did a fine job of stopping the run and keeping the offense on their toes.
I'm still not entirely sure how many wins this team might pull down in the regular season, but this year will be their best chance in a long time to find their way into a December game. The Big Ten's traditional powers, Ohio State and Michigan, do not appear on the schedule this year. There are four non-conference games against teams that IU should beat: Indiana State, Western Michigan, Akron, and a November date with Ball State. The biggest tests will be at Wisconsin, who I believe will contend for the Big Ten this year, and at home against Penn State, who have re-established themselves as something of a power. The Penn State game will be the Hoosiers' best chance at an upset, as the game will be played in front of a nice, big homecoming crowd, and the Hoosiers have not lost a homecoming game in four years. When I look at the schedule, I see seven, and possibly eight wins for this team: the four non-conference games, vs. Illinois, at Northwestern, vs. Minnesota, a possible upset against Penn State, and the Battle for the Old Oaken Bucket against Purdue. Look for the Hoosiers in Tempe, AZ, Orlando, FL, or San Antonio come the last week of December.
We start, of course, with the offense. When you look at the roster, it's immediately apparent that the offense will have to be this team's strength this year. With redshirt sophomore Kellen Lewis starting under center this year, Josiah Sears and Marcus Thigpen contributing from the backfield, and James Hardy, Ray Fisher, Nick Polk, and Terrance Turner running down the field to catch the ball, this offense is actually fairly loaded. Lewis, of course, contributed yesterday by running the ball out of the pocket in true Michael Vick style. Lewis' speed will provide some exciting plays this year and will befuddle many a defense. The 6'7" Hardy will most likely be the main target again, as he was in a fine rhythm with Lewis for most of the game yesterday. The running game from the actual running backs does seem like it might cause problems again, but Thigpen has a full season in the backfield under his belt, and that experience should help him.
The defense is still not quite up to Big Ten standards, but they seem to be improving. Play in the secondary, last years' weak point, will once again revolve around Tracy Porter. Porter, who will be a senior next year, is still very quick and very athletic and will make a difference in a few games. He could've used the help that would have come from Jerimy Finch, who declined the Hoosiers' scholarship offer to jump on the Florida bandwagon, but I think the secondary will still be alright. The rest of the defense may be somewhat nondescript, but they are solid and did a fine job of stopping the run and keeping the offense on their toes.
I'm still not entirely sure how many wins this team might pull down in the regular season, but this year will be their best chance in a long time to find their way into a December game. The Big Ten's traditional powers, Ohio State and Michigan, do not appear on the schedule this year. There are four non-conference games against teams that IU should beat: Indiana State, Western Michigan, Akron, and a November date with Ball State. The biggest tests will be at Wisconsin, who I believe will contend for the Big Ten this year, and at home against Penn State, who have re-established themselves as something of a power. The Penn State game will be the Hoosiers' best chance at an upset, as the game will be played in front of a nice, big homecoming crowd, and the Hoosiers have not lost a homecoming game in four years. When I look at the schedule, I see seven, and possibly eight wins for this team: the four non-conference games, vs. Illinois, at Northwestern, vs. Minnesota, a possible upset against Penn State, and the Battle for the Old Oaken Bucket against Purdue. Look for the Hoosiers in Tempe, AZ, Orlando, FL, or San Antonio come the last week of December.
Tuesday, April 3, 2007
The Greatest Sports Day Ever
There were too many Cheap Seats to choose from yesterday, so I just parked myself in front of the TV and watched it all play out. Yesterday could've been great on its own for the simple reason that it was opening day of the Major League Baseball season. My TV was set to ESPN or ESPN 2 for nearly the entire day as the Yankees blew out the Devil Rays in The House That Ruth Built, the Braves took a thrilling 10-inning win in Philly, the Royals shocked Curt Schilling and the Red Sox in front of a sold out Kaufmann Stadium, and the Twins raised the air-inflated roof in Minneapolis with a solid win over the Orioles.
Oh, but it did not end there! As the day of baseball was winding itself down, it came time to crown ourselves a champion in the world of collegiate basketball. Now, while I have quite a distaste for both of the teams that competed for the crystal basketball (both teams completely screwed over my bracket, after all), I had to lean a bit towards the Florida Gators, since they're not the team that I dislike from my own conference. Plus, an OSU victory would mean I'd have to listen to my roommate complain about his friends from the Buckeye State lording the victory over him. Luckily for us, Florida decided to pull off the repeat for the first time since Mike Krzyzewski's Duke Blue Devils pulled it off in 1993.
So ended the greatest sports day I have ever been through. True, the basketball championship and baseball's opening day have coincided for several years now, but I've never really been as excited about it as I am this year. I'm still not entirely sure why, but I'm not going to complain about it. I just wish I could've been at one of the two events. Alas, I'm 500 miles away from my favorite baseball team, and my favorite basketball team has been sent home until October 14.
As for that favorite baseball team, they didn't really fare all too well in the midst of yesterday's festivities. Still, I see no need for a huge panic to be incited in the Nation's Capital (though the writers at the Washington Post don't seem to understand that...go ahead, click on the post link and see what they have to say). After all, the Nationals will only take the field 161 more times over the next six months. A 9-2 loss to a pitcher like Dontrelle Willis is nothing to be overly worried about. True, Nook Logan and Christian Guzman, who are supposed to be two of the bigger contributers this year, managed to receive minor injuries. Still, the Nats have been dealing with this kind of adversity since the days playing in front of 2,000 people at Montréal's Olympic Stadium as the Expos. Stan Kasten and Jim Bowden have been promising to deliver a great product, but it will take a while to undo the hurts caused to this team by Major League Baseball's shabby ownership.
On a side note, I will be attending yet another baseball game come Saturday evening. For my third trip to the diamond this year, I'll be watching the Indianapolis Indians take on the Columbus Clippers (Nationals farm club...can you say conflict of interest?) at beautiful, BEAUTIFUL Victory Field in downtown Indianapolis. I'll have photographs for you at the beginning of next week. Until then, happy Passover, Easter, Etc.
Oh, but it did not end there! As the day of baseball was winding itself down, it came time to crown ourselves a champion in the world of collegiate basketball. Now, while I have quite a distaste for both of the teams that competed for the crystal basketball (both teams completely screwed over my bracket, after all), I had to lean a bit towards the Florida Gators, since they're not the team that I dislike from my own conference. Plus, an OSU victory would mean I'd have to listen to my roommate complain about his friends from the Buckeye State lording the victory over him. Luckily for us, Florida decided to pull off the repeat for the first time since Mike Krzyzewski's Duke Blue Devils pulled it off in 1993.
So ended the greatest sports day I have ever been through. True, the basketball championship and baseball's opening day have coincided for several years now, but I've never really been as excited about it as I am this year. I'm still not entirely sure why, but I'm not going to complain about it. I just wish I could've been at one of the two events. Alas, I'm 500 miles away from my favorite baseball team, and my favorite basketball team has been sent home until October 14.
As for that favorite baseball team, they didn't really fare all too well in the midst of yesterday's festivities. Still, I see no need for a huge panic to be incited in the Nation's Capital (though the writers at the Washington Post don't seem to understand that...go ahead, click on the post link and see what they have to say). After all, the Nationals will only take the field 161 more times over the next six months. A 9-2 loss to a pitcher like Dontrelle Willis is nothing to be overly worried about. True, Nook Logan and Christian Guzman, who are supposed to be two of the bigger contributers this year, managed to receive minor injuries. Still, the Nats have been dealing with this kind of adversity since the days playing in front of 2,000 people at Montréal's Olympic Stadium as the Expos. Stan Kasten and Jim Bowden have been promising to deliver a great product, but it will take a while to undo the hurts caused to this team by Major League Baseball's shabby ownership.
On a side note, I will be attending yet another baseball game come Saturday evening. For my third trip to the diamond this year, I'll be watching the Indianapolis Indians take on the Columbus Clippers (Nationals farm club...can you say conflict of interest?) at beautiful, BEAUTIFUL Victory Field in downtown Indianapolis. I'll have photographs for you at the beginning of next week. Until then, happy Passover, Easter, Etc.
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