Rivalry weekend brings out the best (and worst) in people. Some parts of the country have their Ohio St. vs Michigan, Alabama vs. Auburn, or USC vs. UCLA, but where I'm from it's all about the Apple Cup.
It's the grudge match that takes place between the omnipotent Washington Huskies and the lowly Washington St. Cougars. The history of dominance goes back for decades and it looks like there's no end in sight. Washington is the glamour school synonymous with honor, prestige, and excellence while Washington St. is considered a nice alternative for those who don't get consideration to be a Husky.
It's not easy trying to coexist in the shadow of greatness so I can sympathize with the Washington St. frustration. All the big pretty buildings, the football stadium by the lake, the national recognition, and superior athletes the University of Washington possesses must take its toll on the psyche of the Cougars after a while. As hard as they try the reality is that they typically come up miserably short. There are miracle plays here and there or unexpected snow storms that alter the outcome once in a while, but those moments are few and far between. The Apple Cup is usually a slaughter on the Husky side of the ledger.
Don't get me wrong, I associate with Cougars. Some of my best friends are Cougars. I've even had some Cougars in my house before. They're hard working proud people. It's not their fault they don't have access to a billionaire alumni association and top caliber recruits. The Cougars do the best they can with what they have.
The bottom line is someone has to be the big school and someone has to be the little school. WSU is the little school. There's a reason Chris Polk, Kasen Williams, Austin Sefarian-Jenkins, and Keith Price wear purple and gold instead of crimson and grey. It's because they had a choice. Maybe after another beating WSU will get the point and succumb to the inevitable truth. The UW is superior school and that's all there is. No hard feelings Cougs. After this weekend we can go back to being friends.
Saturday, November 26, 2011
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
Dr. J
Julius Irving became a legend on the playgrounds of New York at Rucker Park. Fans gave him the nickname Dr. J because he operated so well on the court. Dr. J would go on to win ABA championships, NBA championships, and revolutionize the way basketball is played. His aerial assaults on the rim influenced such players as Kobe Bryant, Lebron James, and Michael Jordan. Recently Dr. J memorabilia fetched a whopping $3,500,000 in the biggest online sports auction ever. For true Doc fans this is hardly a surprise.
I remember growing up as a kid everybody tried to emulate the Dr. J underhand scoop shot. It was the move that gave you credibility if you could pull it off. I remember Dr. J barreling down the sidelines unleashing a thunderous jam all over Michael Cooper's forehead. I remember the Doc taking off from the free throw line in two separate dunk contests. I remember watching The Fish That Saved Pittsburgh for no good reason other than Dr. J was in it.
Dr. J was the idol of a generation. His poetic, graceful moves resonated through the television and into pop culture. Grover Washington Jr. wrote a song for him, Run DMC paid tribute to him in their lyrics, and Converse still runs commercials with him depicted as some mythical god like figure. The DR. J persona has withstood the test of time like classic Mowtown hits, muscle cars, and Rolex watches.
It's unfortunate Julius Irving had to part with some of his most prized possessions. His career ended just before NBA salaries started to skyrocket. His popularity carried the NBA for decades yet his financial situation is nothing like the stars of today. I can't see Lebron, Kobe, or his airness selling their championship rings or MVP trophies. I wonder if the players of today realize how different things would be if it weren't for the Doc.
I remember growing up as a kid everybody tried to emulate the Dr. J underhand scoop shot. It was the move that gave you credibility if you could pull it off. I remember Dr. J barreling down the sidelines unleashing a thunderous jam all over Michael Cooper's forehead. I remember the Doc taking off from the free throw line in two separate dunk contests. I remember watching The Fish That Saved Pittsburgh for no good reason other than Dr. J was in it.
Dr. J was the idol of a generation. His poetic, graceful moves resonated through the television and into pop culture. Grover Washington Jr. wrote a song for him, Run DMC paid tribute to him in their lyrics, and Converse still runs commercials with him depicted as some mythical god like figure. The DR. J persona has withstood the test of time like classic Mowtown hits, muscle cars, and Rolex watches.
It's unfortunate Julius Irving had to part with some of his most prized possessions. His career ended just before NBA salaries started to skyrocket. His popularity carried the NBA for decades yet his financial situation is nothing like the stars of today. I can't see Lebron, Kobe, or his airness selling their championship rings or MVP trophies. I wonder if the players of today realize how different things would be if it weren't for the Doc.
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
Is A Football Game Really That Important?
Yale University senior quarterback Patrick Witt had a tough decision to make last Saturday. His choices were interview for the prestigious Rhodes scholarship or play in "the game" between Yale and hated rival Harvard. After much deliberation Witt decided to suit up and help his team to victory. Although Yale lost Witt said he has no regrets. Did he make the right decision?
Absolutely not. The chances of Patrick Witt playing NFL football are slim and even if he was a top prospect missing one game wouldn't have affected his overall assessment that dramatically. The Rhodes scholarship is the ultimate insurance policy synonymous with excellence and the key to unlocking just about any corporate door. As if being a Yale graduate wasn't prestigious enough adding Rhodes scholar to your resume guarantees a huge amount of interest from fortune 500 companies. There are no guarantees in the NFL.
Football purists will argue he made the right decision. You don't abandon your team for selfish reasons and no one person is bigger than the program. He's the leader of the team and their most important player. To run out on them to fulfill a personal commitment would be considered betrayal.
Personally I think it's important to look at the big picture. The Rhodes scholarship is an opportunity that will continue to pay dividends for a lifetime. The average career of an NFL player is less than 5 years. If you look at it that way it's a no brainer. Missing "the game" wouldn't jeopardize his chances of getting to the NFL, but missing the Rhodes scholarship interview ruined his chances of obtaining the scholarship. Team unity and comradery are important, but I don't think it's as important as securing your future. Your thoughts?
Absolutely not. The chances of Patrick Witt playing NFL football are slim and even if he was a top prospect missing one game wouldn't have affected his overall assessment that dramatically. The Rhodes scholarship is the ultimate insurance policy synonymous with excellence and the key to unlocking just about any corporate door. As if being a Yale graduate wasn't prestigious enough adding Rhodes scholar to your resume guarantees a huge amount of interest from fortune 500 companies. There are no guarantees in the NFL.
Football purists will argue he made the right decision. You don't abandon your team for selfish reasons and no one person is bigger than the program. He's the leader of the team and their most important player. To run out on them to fulfill a personal commitment would be considered betrayal.
Personally I think it's important to look at the big picture. The Rhodes scholarship is an opportunity that will continue to pay dividends for a lifetime. The average career of an NFL player is less than 5 years. If you look at it that way it's a no brainer. Missing "the game" wouldn't jeopardize his chances of getting to the NFL, but missing the Rhodes scholarship interview ruined his chances of obtaining the scholarship. Team unity and comradery are important, but I don't think it's as important as securing your future. Your thoughts?
Monday, November 21, 2011
Weekend Observations
In fantasy football a lot of guys find it hard to function without the Breesy by their side. I was fortunate enough to play 2 teams this week while Drew Brees was on a bye week, but unfortunately I could only take advantage of one of the match ups. In my JV league I managed to out think myself by starting Denarius Moore instead of Torrey Smith and that decision cost me 30 points. My opponent has Welker, Gronkowski, and Branch going tonight and I'm only up by 40 points. I'm not overly optimistic. In my hurt your feelings league I'm trailing by 4 points, but I have Welker going so I'm not sweating it. As Van Wilder would say go ahead and write that one down. In my smack talking league I finally posted a win thanks to Matt Stafford and Vincent Jackson. No bagel for me this year. Here are some weekend observations.
The Seattle Seahawks are getting too good. After pummeling the lowly St. Louis Rams the chances of drafting a top flight quarterback are diminishing. I hope Pete Carroll has a trick up his sleeve.
Justin Verlander followed up his Cy Young award with an AL MVP trophy. Is this a testament to his greatness or an indication no one else had a particularly good season?
The Buffalo Bills are starting to look like Usain Bolt running a marathon. After their surprise start the league has started to make adjustments and I doubt this team will make the playoffs.
The shankapotimus award is starting to take on a life of its own. This weekend we had 3 kickers cut the hearts out of fans and teammates. Oregon, Oklahoma St., and the Washington Redskins all fell victim to the wide right syndrome. Kickers will ruin your life.
The Seattle Seahawks are getting too good. After pummeling the lowly St. Louis Rams the chances of drafting a top flight quarterback are diminishing. I hope Pete Carroll has a trick up his sleeve.
Justin Verlander followed up his Cy Young award with an AL MVP trophy. Is this a testament to his greatness or an indication no one else had a particularly good season?
The Buffalo Bills are starting to look like Usain Bolt running a marathon. After their surprise start the league has started to make adjustments and I doubt this team will make the playoffs.
The shankapotimus award is starting to take on a life of its own. This weekend we had 3 kickers cut the hearts out of fans and teammates. Oregon, Oklahoma St., and the Washington Redskins all fell victim to the wide right syndrome. Kickers will ruin your life.
Friday, November 18, 2011
The Return Of Young Sam Rothstein
Ladies and gentlemen, family, friends, and followers your boy Young Sam Rothstein is back. I had to take a brief hiatus while I handled some business with the feds. Apparently someone tipped them off to some undeclared winnings I had from 2004. A local bookie got pinched and rumor has it his wife found his accounting ledger and turned it over to keep him out of jail. I got good lawyers and the evidence is circumstantial so I won't worry about it too much. It's the holiday season and I need to earn. I'm sure you guys could use some extra mattress money as well. Here are my locks for the weekend. Don't spend your winnings all in one place.
Green Bay -14 over Tampa Bay. I'll keep this brief. A-Rod is in a zone on his way to league MVP honors and Tampa Bay has no chance of stopping him. End of story.
New England -15 over Kansas City. The Kansas City Chiefs without Matt Cassel is like Harold Melvin without the Blue Notes. There's simply no way to keep pace with Tom Brady, Wes Welker, and the two headed monster at tight end. The Patriots will seize the opportunity to pull away from the Jets and Bills permanently.
Washington +7 1/2 over Dallas. DeMarco Murray has helped Dallas find their mojo, but this is a divisional game. No matter how bad the Redskins have played they won't let this game get too far out of hand. These are the kind of games Tony Romo typically loses by trying to do too much.
Arizona +9 1/2 over San Francisco. The 49ers are looking good and every body's jumping on their bandwagon (I'm not a believer just yet), but they by no means have blowout capability. Point spreads this high should be for teams that can score at least 25 points on a consistent basis. Frisco doesn't have that kind of fire power. Go the other way and take the Cards.
Green Bay -14 over Tampa Bay. I'll keep this brief. A-Rod is in a zone on his way to league MVP honors and Tampa Bay has no chance of stopping him. End of story.
New England -15 over Kansas City. The Kansas City Chiefs without Matt Cassel is like Harold Melvin without the Blue Notes. There's simply no way to keep pace with Tom Brady, Wes Welker, and the two headed monster at tight end. The Patriots will seize the opportunity to pull away from the Jets and Bills permanently.
Washington +7 1/2 over Dallas. DeMarco Murray has helped Dallas find their mojo, but this is a divisional game. No matter how bad the Redskins have played they won't let this game get too far out of hand. These are the kind of games Tony Romo typically loses by trying to do too much.
Arizona +9 1/2 over San Francisco. The 49ers are looking good and every body's jumping on their bandwagon (I'm not a believer just yet), but they by no means have blowout capability. Point spreads this high should be for teams that can score at least 25 points on a consistent basis. Frisco doesn't have that kind of fire power. Go the other way and take the Cards.
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Was David Beckham Worth The Dough?
In the last year of his whopping 5 year $250,000,000 contract David Beckham will get a chance to play in the MLS Cup final for the 2nd time in 3 years. In the clash between the LA Galaxy and the Houston Dynamo Beckham is the sentimental favorite to win his first championship in the United States. After 5 years the question still remains was the David Beckham experiment a success?
In 2007 the goal for the MLS was to sign soccer's most popular player and market the hell out of him. They wanted to increase the games popularity in the United States and give the league credibility across the world.
To be fair the play of David Beckham has been mediocre at best. He's had several injuries (most notably a torn Achilles tendon) that slowed down his production and at times has seemed indifferent about the Galaxy's performance on the field. In short David Beckham has been more persona than substance.
That's not to say the experiment hasn't paid dividends. Name recognition alone has increased the interest in the MLS and casual fans who never watched a soccer game in their life tuned in to see the superstar they had heard so much about. In addition, the MLS persuaded World Cup star Thierry Henry to come over and display his skills in the big apple. Without Beckham's presence that probably would never have happened.
In the end the league got what it wanted. More people watch soccer (if only to watch Beckham) and more international stars will entertain the idea of playing in the MLS. The irony is David Beckham's arrival hasn't increased the quality of play, but US soccer fans can't really tell the difference. So long as more people tune in and think they're watching high quality soccer the mission has been accomplished. Is it worth a quarter billion dollars to grow your sport and strengthen your league? Who am I to say it's not.
In 2007 the goal for the MLS was to sign soccer's most popular player and market the hell out of him. They wanted to increase the games popularity in the United States and give the league credibility across the world.
To be fair the play of David Beckham has been mediocre at best. He's had several injuries (most notably a torn Achilles tendon) that slowed down his production and at times has seemed indifferent about the Galaxy's performance on the field. In short David Beckham has been more persona than substance.
That's not to say the experiment hasn't paid dividends. Name recognition alone has increased the interest in the MLS and casual fans who never watched a soccer game in their life tuned in to see the superstar they had heard so much about. In addition, the MLS persuaded World Cup star Thierry Henry to come over and display his skills in the big apple. Without Beckham's presence that probably would never have happened.
In the end the league got what it wanted. More people watch soccer (if only to watch Beckham) and more international stars will entertain the idea of playing in the MLS. The irony is David Beckham's arrival hasn't increased the quality of play, but US soccer fans can't really tell the difference. So long as more people tune in and think they're watching high quality soccer the mission has been accomplished. Is it worth a quarter billion dollars to grow your sport and strengthen your league? Who am I to say it's not.
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
David Stern Doesn't Understand Diplomacy
If David Stern would take some time out to watch the movie A Few Good Men the NBA lockout would be over. There's a scene where Daniel Kaffee (played by Tom Cruise) goes to Cuba to get some information from Colonel Jessup (played by Jack Nicholson) about a code red. After some bantering back and forth Kaffee asks Jessup for the information and Jessup responds firmly, "I'll help you anyway I can, but you have to ask me nicely." In other words show me some respect.
The fundamental flaw in David Stern's negotiating tactics is that he doesn't understand how his condescending tone and Napoleonic complex is rubbing players the wrong way. Ultimatums, deadlines, and threats of worse things to come have created a hostile environment and driven a wedge between the two negotiating sides. There is so much animosity right now an NBA season isn't even remotely a possibility.
To the average fan this dispute is all about money. Greedy billionaires vs. spoiled millionaires with a misguided sense of entitlement. Although this may be true it is not the underlying issue. The two main forces at work during this dispute are perception and control.
The players view themselves as partners, not employees of the NBA. Their performance on the basketball court leads to endorsements, corporate sponsorship, jersey sales, lucrative TV contracts, and an international fan base. In their minds it is because of their efforts that there's an NBA to begin with.
The owners view the players as pawns in a billionaires chess game. They want to maintain the ability to move their pieces around at their discretion under their set of rules. It screws up the game if the pieces start moving around the board on their own without permission or consent.
The owners are clearly trying to put the players back in their place. After Lebron James walked out on Cleveland to go play with his friends in Miami Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert felt jilted and betrayed. After Carmelo Anthony made it clear he would be going to New York at the end of his contract Nuggets owner Stan Kroenke felt bullied and helpless. In their minds the inmates will no longer run the asylum.
The egos involved in this battle are so enormous the fans have become a complete and total afterthought. The irony is without the fans the two sides have nothing to argue about.
A message to David Stern: Change your tone when you're talking to grown men.
A message to the players: There's a forest behind those trees.
A message to the fans: Don't hold your breath this will get resolved anytime soon.
The fundamental flaw in David Stern's negotiating tactics is that he doesn't understand how his condescending tone and Napoleonic complex is rubbing players the wrong way. Ultimatums, deadlines, and threats of worse things to come have created a hostile environment and driven a wedge between the two negotiating sides. There is so much animosity right now an NBA season isn't even remotely a possibility.
To the average fan this dispute is all about money. Greedy billionaires vs. spoiled millionaires with a misguided sense of entitlement. Although this may be true it is not the underlying issue. The two main forces at work during this dispute are perception and control.
The players view themselves as partners, not employees of the NBA. Their performance on the basketball court leads to endorsements, corporate sponsorship, jersey sales, lucrative TV contracts, and an international fan base. In their minds it is because of their efforts that there's an NBA to begin with.
The owners view the players as pawns in a billionaires chess game. They want to maintain the ability to move their pieces around at their discretion under their set of rules. It screws up the game if the pieces start moving around the board on their own without permission or consent.
The owners are clearly trying to put the players back in their place. After Lebron James walked out on Cleveland to go play with his friends in Miami Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert felt jilted and betrayed. After Carmelo Anthony made it clear he would be going to New York at the end of his contract Nuggets owner Stan Kroenke felt bullied and helpless. In their minds the inmates will no longer run the asylum.
The egos involved in this battle are so enormous the fans have become a complete and total afterthought. The irony is without the fans the two sides have nothing to argue about.
A message to David Stern: Change your tone when you're talking to grown men.
A message to the players: There's a forest behind those trees.
A message to the fans: Don't hold your breath this will get resolved anytime soon.
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