For those of you just crawling out from under your rock, welcome to the world of sports. And might I add, you picked a hell of a day to join us. Lets recap, the MLB postseason is now underway after a turmoltuos finish. The NFL and NCAA football season is in full swing and the NBA is at a breaking point that very well may cost them a season and the slimming fan base they are clutching to. With so much happening, where to begin....lets start where the only thing that is happening could be trades and firings (No not the NBA, be patient).
Thirty days ago the Red Sox had a 99.6% chance of making the playoffs, according to SI.com. Their human calculators take into account remaining schedule, pitching production and overall record among many other things. That means that with every super computer simulation that the geeks at Sports Illustrated ran they saw almost no way the boys from Boston couldn't at least wrap up a wild card birth. So how is it that they could have missed the simulation where Boston finished 7-21 in that 30 day stretch? Maybe they overlooked one of the best closers in the game (Papelbon) pitching against a 93 loss team (Baltimore Orioles), getting down to the last out, last strike and giving up a homer to umm....well even if I googled his name nobody would know it. Maybe they didn't figure in that the Yankees controlled the fate. It was an epic finish, the likes of I haven't seen in my lifetime. But regardless, someone forgot to carry a one, or in the Sox case, a 21 in the loss column. The collapse of the Sox was unforseeable because they have the players, they have the fan base and they have been in this position before. The Braves had an incredible chance, not an epic collapse as most will say. Thats why I will only designate five sentences talking about the Braves and their fans. The Braves are not a playoff team, and while I'm playing dream crusher, none of the professional teams in Atlanta are. I know that is a VERY broad statement, so in my defense I will list the teams and you pick the next playoff contender. Falcons, Hawks, Braves.....pick you poison.
A great man once said, "Are you ready for some football?". My response is yes, yes I am. After three weeks I have found myself wondering when is it coming? I love football, love, love, love, love love it. But out of 48 games I have seen maybe 7 that were worth my full attention. This leads me to believe that the shortened off season and mega contracts may be causing players to half ass. I could make a list of statistics to prove, or disprove this point. But take the 'eye' test and tell me if your team passes. With growing pressure on reaching incentives and outlasting the opponent it seems to me that we haven't seen many teams going all out to get the win. OK, before I get too far into this I have to say that this theory does not fit every team. Some teams (Bills, Panthers, Lions, I'm looking at you) have way outplayed their expectations. But take away the teams with the 'do or die' attitude and what are we left with? A compilation of players that have signed mega deals, and have produced mega headaches. It may just be me, but I have the feeling that if I paid Dick Butkis to clean my carpets, those babies would sparkle. All I'm saying is perception has changed. What was once regarded as earned is now seen as expected.
Speaking of expected compensation without desevring it, how 'bout that NBA? If you think that the Mitchell Report was a mess for Americas' past time, you haven't read about the chaos that is the NBA lockout. Here's a recap, in case you missed it. It's June 2011 and the dream team is battling the German National team. Oops, I meant Heat v. Mavs (same difference). The popularity of watching anyone beat up on LeBron James and company is at an all-time peak. People across the nation are finding themselves watching the NBA Finals and caring about the outcome. For the first time since the golden age of basketball, (coincidentally right before the last labor dispute) there is an electricity to the game. Fast foreward three months, a couple unmomentous litiration meetings and here we are.
Some people want to point fingers at David Stern. Others question how a millionaire could argue about minor monetary disputes. I however see it as a bigger problem than just owners vs. players. The overall social setting of the NBA is not great. There seems to be the feeling that no NBA players are actually working to solve this lockout. Countless superstars are more focused on drawing up contracts with whichever overseas team can offer the most money/not hold him to any contract, past present of future. The highly criticised 'LeBron James' rule needs to be rexamined. But in my humble opinion, lenghtened. For those of you unaware there is currently a rule that states all players entering the NBA Draft must have spent one year out of high school. The NFL has a two year rule, for different reasons though. To say that an 18 year old can play with the likes of the worst starting defense in the NFL is crazy! Can an 18 year old compete in the NBA? By all mean, but physically ready and mentally ready are two far different standards. Bottom line is that young men who spend two years on a college campus and make no monetary compensation (for the most part) versus young men who are offered millions in endorsements, signing bonuses and given no real reason to stay away from the NBA are worlds apart from each other. Don't get me wrong, if someone offered me the opportunity for syndication of my blog, after very little experience, I would not turn it down. Three years down the line if I turned into a superstar and my union wanted to hold out so the owner of my newspaper could make more money off of my skills, I would be on board. But, and this is a Jennifer Lopez sized butt, if the President threatened to lock out my newspaper and Serbia or Turkey started looking like a tempting offer, I would fold like a house of cards. Message to the NBA Players Union: Take some advice from the NFLPA, the longer you hold out and the more you think you are threatening, you are losing ground. Settle quickly before you lose more than fans. Since your loyalty lies with dollars, I think Stern is about to grab your attention.
Thursday, September 29, 2011
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Day Two, One Right, Lots Left Out
First and foremost let me say thank you for reading this far. There has yet to be much motivation to subscribe to my opinion however I got four people to read....pretty sure you were all family. None the less I feel honored that you choose to spend eight minutes of your life with me each and every day. And for those current readers, it can only get better. Actually there is no statistical evidence that proves that, but it sounds intriguingly good.
I suppose I should start at the beginning. And I also suppose that I should have started at the beginning, in the beginning but whats published is published. For every good story there has to be a credible basis for interest. Why should you read my article? And for that matter, why should you believe anything that I say? For every blogger that knows what he/she is talking about there is 1000 that are positive Michael Jackson is innocent (I know he can't defend himself anymore and yes, that does make me feel better about myself).
For longer than I care to remember there has been a lingering thought of 'how can I get paid for watching Sports Center everyday?' in the front of my head. Practically every type of sporting event clogs my brain to the point of my 7 hour phone battery dying due to statistical analysis each and every day (with the obvious exception of WNBA/MLS). It is beyond a love of sports, its a care, a respect and a feeling of place. But with every great answer, there is at least a couple questions. Why Neil? What caused this? Are you saying that you have a deeper connection with physical competition than most/every man?
Among the earliest recollection of 'rooting for the home team' in my memory bank has to be football. I am among an elite few that will honestly admit that I grew up a Lions fan. I was not born in Michigan. Most of my extended family doesn' t have an actual alliance. I wasn't born bleeding and certain colors, but I do remember watching football with my dad (half asleep) and due to living in the general vicinity, that meant Lions v. whoever was beating them that week. My aunt is a Cowboys fan....Troy Aikman has that effect on women...cousins are Bills fans and I've ALWAYS had a hatred for the Giants. So, that meant that the Lions were MY team. The underdog, perpetual runners-up that I could sink my teeth into and show everyone that through good and bad a fan sticks by their team. Every Sunday I knew 2 things were certain, the Lions were underdogs and me and my dad would be there watching. Thanksgiving was a double holiday. Food, family and football were all blessings in my household. Now a days rooting on my blue and silver has become easier, but as any true fan can attest, it has always been worth it.
Although some of my fondest memories come from sleepy Sundays in front of double headers and Lions losses, baseball holds an entirely different meaning in my mind and heart. As much as the never ending comrade, love, competition and friendship that is the NFL descibes my dads' (also my best friend) seamless relationship with me, the complexity, honesty and relentless ability to teach and learn describes the man that taught me about the MLB. My grandfather was a great man, no ifs ands or buts. However he was born and raised in one of the most tradition latent states for baseball, and never once cheered for the Yanks, Giants, Dodgers or Mets. He was a Braves fan, and every night of the cool upstate New York summers we would watch the Braves (on mute). He took the opportunity of silence to explain to me the finer points of baseball. And looking back, in my generation if you were going to learn baseball who better from than John Smoltz and Bobby Cox. Never once did I see his yell at an uncalled strike. Win or lose, he knew it was a long season and that losing your cool was a strike against your integrity.
Some people stop at one sport, some people play a sport growing up and take a shining to it and follow every waking moment and can spit out mile of stats for days and days. I however grabbed every sport I saw, dug in to the history I missed (due to being unborn) and still wanted to know more. I never was much of a collector of cards/memorabilia, outside of a trade shows that me and my dad stood in line for hours at waiting for Gary Payton to sign my cards. But the reason that sports are so close to my heart is because the memories are ingrained with them. Fenway Park, Tiger Stadium, Wrigley Field and Camden Yard are only emblems in the hearts of millions due to the experience that they have shared there. Wins and losses, victories and defeats are all most see in competitions, and I feel fortunate to see more. For reasons embedded in my heart and soul I am a true fan.
I suppose I should start at the beginning. And I also suppose that I should have started at the beginning, in the beginning but whats published is published. For every good story there has to be a credible basis for interest. Why should you read my article? And for that matter, why should you believe anything that I say? For every blogger that knows what he/she is talking about there is 1000 that are positive Michael Jackson is innocent (I know he can't defend himself anymore and yes, that does make me feel better about myself).
For longer than I care to remember there has been a lingering thought of 'how can I get paid for watching Sports Center everyday?' in the front of my head. Practically every type of sporting event clogs my brain to the point of my 7 hour phone battery dying due to statistical analysis each and every day (with the obvious exception of WNBA/MLS). It is beyond a love of sports, its a care, a respect and a feeling of place. But with every great answer, there is at least a couple questions. Why Neil? What caused this? Are you saying that you have a deeper connection with physical competition than most/every man?
Among the earliest recollection of 'rooting for the home team' in my memory bank has to be football. I am among an elite few that will honestly admit that I grew up a Lions fan. I was not born in Michigan. Most of my extended family doesn' t have an actual alliance. I wasn't born bleeding and certain colors, but I do remember watching football with my dad (half asleep) and due to living in the general vicinity, that meant Lions v. whoever was beating them that week. My aunt is a Cowboys fan....Troy Aikman has that effect on women...cousins are Bills fans and I've ALWAYS had a hatred for the Giants. So, that meant that the Lions were MY team. The underdog, perpetual runners-up that I could sink my teeth into and show everyone that through good and bad a fan sticks by their team. Every Sunday I knew 2 things were certain, the Lions were underdogs and me and my dad would be there watching. Thanksgiving was a double holiday. Food, family and football were all blessings in my household. Now a days rooting on my blue and silver has become easier, but as any true fan can attest, it has always been worth it.
Although some of my fondest memories come from sleepy Sundays in front of double headers and Lions losses, baseball holds an entirely different meaning in my mind and heart. As much as the never ending comrade, love, competition and friendship that is the NFL descibes my dads' (also my best friend) seamless relationship with me, the complexity, honesty and relentless ability to teach and learn describes the man that taught me about the MLB. My grandfather was a great man, no ifs ands or buts. However he was born and raised in one of the most tradition latent states for baseball, and never once cheered for the Yanks, Giants, Dodgers or Mets. He was a Braves fan, and every night of the cool upstate New York summers we would watch the Braves (on mute). He took the opportunity of silence to explain to me the finer points of baseball. And looking back, in my generation if you were going to learn baseball who better from than John Smoltz and Bobby Cox. Never once did I see his yell at an uncalled strike. Win or lose, he knew it was a long season and that losing your cool was a strike against your integrity.
Some people stop at one sport, some people play a sport growing up and take a shining to it and follow every waking moment and can spit out mile of stats for days and days. I however grabbed every sport I saw, dug in to the history I missed (due to being unborn) and still wanted to know more. I never was much of a collector of cards/memorabilia, outside of a trade shows that me and my dad stood in line for hours at waiting for Gary Payton to sign my cards. But the reason that sports are so close to my heart is because the memories are ingrained with them. Fenway Park, Tiger Stadium, Wrigley Field and Camden Yard are only emblems in the hearts of millions due to the experience that they have shared there. Wins and losses, victories and defeats are all most see in competitions, and I feel fortunate to see more. For reasons embedded in my heart and soul I am a true fan.
Sunday, September 25, 2011
Day One, Bet One
Hello fellow sport addicts, gambling junkies and narcissists everywhere...my name is Neil and I am the answer. Having that said, I feel it is necessary to cover my ass by saying I do not condone gambling, and by no means am a bookie, take bets or make bets. If I did I may be a rich man, or I may have had my legs broke years ago. I focus more on theoretical gambling, the type that applies more to making your friends do stupid acts because the Pats' couldn't cover the spread. Or maybe the type that makes me a fantasy champion every year (OK maybe not every year, thank you Peyton Manning and your failing head-holder). But the basis of my writings will uncover the deeper side of sports, not just point spreads and over/unders. Lets examine the new-age that ALL sports are inevitably falling into....the Internet age. Yes, the age of technology has brought upon a new world of sporting as well, and not just online poker. Today we can not only YouTube clips of any high school sophomores, we can also examine how social networking impacts player performance/odds making. 20 years ago nobody would have seen Bret Favres' penis outside of his wife and mistresses. Arain Foster would of had to show his hammy to his family, not the world. And Chris Johnson and Frank Gore would have half their salaries. So if you think that starting line-ups and home field advantage are what wins games you are as out-of-date as the IPhone 3, as soon as it come out that is (there is no gamble about that).
Enough about baseball....every week I will feature one game as my Bet The Bank Special. Since I am late in this week it'll be...drum roll please.....Washington at Dallas! This is like choosing the rat or the cheese. One of em is going to win but for me it's got to be about which has more to lose. Let us break down the stakes. 2-0 Washington at 1-1 Dallas, so in my mind that equals to the cheese in the rats nest. Washington has ran their mouths, and legs to 2 wins and surprised this doubter. Dallas has lost to the Jets on Romo's arm and won in San Fran on his ribs/lung. The cheese is going to get eaten eventually, but is this the hungry rat that snacks?? Romo lasts the entire game but the lingering injury hangs a loss on the cowboys shelf. The only thing that may save the 'Boys is the fear of dropping to 1-2 with the Lions coming to town next week. Bottom line, take the line. Washington wins in a "squeaker" but +6.5 line it's an easy W. Washington 31 Dallas 28
Early Birds
Since we are now in week four of the NFL season, the "Early Bird" picks are out the window. However, I am still an avid MLB fan and it is starting to get interesting this year (that's right the post-steroid era does have appeal). I must admit before going any further, I am a misplaced Yanks fan (my closest home team is Detroit) and I have STILL not jumped on the Tigers slow rolling bandwagon. For those of you that have, or are rightfully bandwagon season ticket holders, let me be the first to tell you that you do have the MVP. He will not get the votes required to actually hold the title, but he does deserve it. I of course am talking about Verlander (did anyone really think Cabrera had a chance??). But I will also be the first to break the news about your championship. It ain't happenin', not now, maybe never. Lets be honest, anyone not playing for the Phillies isn't wearing a ring this year. Sure, you can beat my Yanks (if Burnett somehow eeks his way into the starting lineup) and Texas is a sinking ship. But since Leland decided celebration and routine was more important than the diamond in Detroit, you just showed everyone left that you feel lucky to get that far. Blood in the water is all the actual MVP (that you traded away) needs to send you home in 4.Oh wait, blown home field puts you at home....someone didn't book Travelosity.
Bet The Bank Special
Enough about baseball....every week I will feature one game as my Bet The Bank Special. Since I am late in this week it'll be...drum roll please.....Washington at Dallas! This is like choosing the rat or the cheese. One of em is going to win but for me it's got to be about which has more to lose. Let us break down the stakes. 2-0 Washington at 1-1 Dallas, so in my mind that equals to the cheese in the rats nest. Washington has ran their mouths, and legs to 2 wins and surprised this doubter. Dallas has lost to the Jets on Romo's arm and won in San Fran on his ribs/lung. The cheese is going to get eaten eventually, but is this the hungry rat that snacks?? Romo lasts the entire game but the lingering injury hangs a loss on the cowboys shelf. The only thing that may save the 'Boys is the fear of dropping to 1-2 with the Lions coming to town next week. Bottom line, take the line. Washington wins in a "squeaker" but +6.5 line it's an easy W. Washington 31 Dallas 28
Hats Off
Each Monday I will feature my Hats Off section to a surprise, big win, or someone who broke my bank. Not every week will be NFL, but this weeks recipient is well deserving. I NEVER, EVER, EVER, EVER thought i would say this but Hats Off to the Buffalo Bills. Not only did you improve to 3-0 on the year, but you beat a team that you dropped 15 in a row to. Clap clap. Having that said, do the Bills win the division, hell no. Do they finish .500?, egh. Have I bet against you 3 times and got lucky enough to eek out a win in your battle with the RRRaiders, yes. Will I bet against you next week at Paul Brown Stadium? Yes. The reasoning: you have it coming. I tip my hat this week, and you are playing solid ball, but I haven't forgot that you are the Bills....have you??? Give me a win next week and then face the Eagles, Giants and Skins then we will talk. But congrats for this week. But for your own good, DON'T HANG YOUR HAT ON ONE WIN A SEASON. Otherwise you'd be....well, the Bills.
Shake of the Head
Along with every good Hats Off comes a disappointing Shake of the Head. This week it pains me to announce my the bottom of my totem pole. In this section I will be analyzing a team/player/organization that hasn't lived up to my high standards. They are not necessarily the worst off, but they are not on par either.
After opening the season with two impressive wins against the Bucs and the Chiefs (depleted as KC may be, that's a 10 win team last season), the Lions failed to dominate a much maligned team in the Minnesota Vikings. Granted, Detroit was down 20-0 at halftime and came back to win in overtime, they were down 20-0 at halftime. A franchise that is trying to overcome a lifetime of disappointment and losing needs to act like they belong in the lime-light. I may be harsh on them due to comrade/love for Honolulu blue, but there are BIG question marks on a team that most are hot on. With an offensive line that's protecting a 23 year old QB with a shoulder that's apt to fall apart (I know, I know, when he is healthy the kid is a gun-slinger) and a secondary that seems to be in constant prevent, I wish the Lions would attack these issues like their amazing D-line attacks the rusher or like Megatron attacks ANY corner near him. The upside is great, and coming from a franchise that went 0-fer so recently the word blackout carries different meaning in Detroit, it's a turnaround. But let me quote Cris Carter by saying "C'mon man!". And although climbing up a couple rungs on the hopefulness ladder leads to a great view, if your wearing a pair of Crocs you just might slip off. Lions win in Dallas but if they can't plug some of the holes in the penalty ship, it'll sink 'em like in years past.
After opening the season with two impressive wins against the Bucs and the Chiefs (depleted as KC may be, that's a 10 win team last season), the Lions failed to dominate a much maligned team in the Minnesota Vikings. Granted, Detroit was down 20-0 at halftime and came back to win in overtime, they were down 20-0 at halftime. A franchise that is trying to overcome a lifetime of disappointment and losing needs to act like they belong in the lime-light. I may be harsh on them due to comrade/love for Honolulu blue, but there are BIG question marks on a team that most are hot on. With an offensive line that's protecting a 23 year old QB with a shoulder that's apt to fall apart (I know, I know, when he is healthy the kid is a gun-slinger) and a secondary that seems to be in constant prevent, I wish the Lions would attack these issues like their amazing D-line attacks the rusher or like Megatron attacks ANY corner near him. The upside is great, and coming from a franchise that went 0-fer so recently the word blackout carries different meaning in Detroit, it's a turnaround. But let me quote Cris Carter by saying "C'mon man!". And although climbing up a couple rungs on the hopefulness ladder leads to a great view, if your wearing a pair of Crocs you just might slip off. Lions win in Dallas but if they can't plug some of the holes in the penalty ship, it'll sink 'em like in years past.
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