Recently, I was just thinking about sports in general and I started to think about some of the weird things involved with sports such as mascots, fan behavior, team names, etc.
Will someone please explain to me why the Seattle Mariners have a moose as a mascot? Mariners have to do with people of the sea because Seattle is towards the coast. That part makes sense, but what does a moose have to do with the ocean? Fill me in?
Another mascot that bothers me is the Philly Phanatic. I have no clue as to how the big green guy relates to baseball or to the Phillies in any way. It is just some random guy in a fat green suit that appears to be more fit for Sesame Street than a Major League Baseball Mascot.
I have never understood why fans need to be quiet at golf tournaments. Golfers are professional athletes and should be able to hit the ball despite the noise from the crowd. When Tiger goes to putt, it is dead silent. We can only imagine what it would be like if the arena was expected to be silent when Kobe Bryant stepped to the free throw line. Golf is one of the few sports where you are only allowed to cheer at select times and I disagree.
Although it may arguably be one of the best rivalries in college football, how intimidating is a game between the Ducks and the Beavers. When people think of football they think of tough guys playing a mean and physical game. The brutality and masculinity of it is something that we all love, but the Ducks and the Beavers? Those aren’t exactly the most intimidating team names out there.
Why is soccer the most popular sport in the world, but in one of the best sports countries of the world it is hardly relevant? The most popular sport in the world is probably the fifth most popular sport in the United States. Soccer follows the NFL, MLB, NBA, and the NHL.
Why are there sausage races at Miller Park in Milwaukee? It is just a stupid idea to begin with. I don’t want to watch some guy dressed up like a bratwurst, running around the field. But, maybe some people find that amusing?
Shaq has now decided that he can rap. Good for him. Some people will say that his rap was horrible and it was, but I don’t think that Shaq cares about public humiliation. Just look at his free throw stats or his acting “career”…
Where did Barry Zito go? The former CY Young award winner is currently 3-12 with an era just under 6.What has happened to him? $126 million bust. I guess I do have a little sympathy for Giants fans as they have to watch that debacle every fifth day as well as realize that they can’t sign free agents because Zito has taken up all of their money. I’m glad that I don’t have to deal with that.
Will Brett Favre really make a return? Would returning really be a good idea if he is unable to play for the Packers? It is also important to note that Brett was on the Madden cover. The “Madden Curse” could hit Brett and nobody would want Brett to go out in a bad way. However, he is already going out with his last pass being intercepted…
As much as I love being a part of it, the “Black Hole” and the Raider Nation are a bit over the top. Passionate fans are great, but it can only take you so far. The intimidation caused by the rowdy fans is lost when the visiting team realizes who they are actually playing against. When the fans are more intimidating than the team itself, you have a problem. No doubt about it, the Raiders have a problem…..or two……
Barrel Man is a Denver Broncos fan that attends every home game dressed in nothing but a barrel. What is the point of this? Are there people that actually enjoy seeing a fat half naked man run around in a barrel?
How can a team lose when throwing a no-hitter? Wow, at a baseball game it is truly possible to see something new each and every day. I would hate to be a member of that Angels team and realize that you lost a game without giving up a hit. This is even worse because it was a rivalry game. If I was an Angels fan, I would hate to go to school or work and listen to Dodger fans say, “Wow we didn’t even get a hit, but were still able to beat your team.”
Why do the Arizona Diamondbacks have a bobcat as their mascot? Please correct me if I’m wrong, but the last time I checked a Diamondback was a type of snake. Snakes and bobcats are nowhere near related so why is there a wildcat? The other problem I have with the stupid cat is that it is nicknamed Baxter. Baxter!!!!! Who in their right mind is going to be intimidated by Baxter? And what fans are going to be pumped up by some stupid cat named Baxter?
Maybe it is because I dislike the Angels, but the rally #### annoys me. What is the point of some dumb #### jumping up and down on the jumbotron? #### have nothing to do with Angels and the rally #### is simply annoying.
Warren Sapp is going to participate in Dancing with the Stars. Although he may have good footwork, I need to see this to believe it. Can anyone imagine a 6-2 300 pound man doing the tango with a small skinny dancer? Try picturing this without laughing…..
Over the past ten years the average salary of NFL first round draft picks has increased by over ten million dollars. This year first round picks were paid an average of 27.3 million. Falcons’ rookie Matt Ryan is currently being paid more than Tom Brady. Brady has won three super bowls, two super bowl MVP awards, one NFL MVP award, and an NFL Offensive Player of the Year Award.
Top Brady has earned his contract and with his long list of achievements, deserves to be the highest paid player in the league. Does an unproven rookie like Matt Ryan truly deserve to have this kind of money?
Matt Ryan has a six year seventy two million dollar contract. This type of contract is absurd. NFL rookies do not deserve to get paid nearly as much as they do. What have they done to deserve this money? They played great in college. Who cares? There are plenty of great college players that do not make it in the NFL. Players should earn their contracts on the field.
NBA rookies are not signed to blockbuster deals; they work hard on the court, put up good numbers and wait for the money to come. NFL rookies need to do the same; the money will come if you produce. It is stupid to invest so much money in players that have never played a single down in the National Football League.
Every year there are a few first round picks that make an absurd amount of money and end up doing absolutely nothing in the NFL. This is unfair to the veterans who are making less money after proving themselves on the field and actually helping their teams win. Money should be earned in the NFL, not in the NCAA.
A sports rivalry is defined as “intense competition between athletic teams or athletes.” This is a very broad definition and it does not appear to cover the true meaning of a rivalry. Rivalry games are always more intense than other games, they mean more to both the players on the field and the fans in the stands. Beating a hated rival provides fans with bragging rights that are comparable to nothing else while losing to a rival gives the fans an unbearable pain as well as a fear of going to school or work on Monday.
We all have our favorite teams and along with cheering for these teams, we learn to hate their rivals. However, what makes these hated teams “rivals?” Is a rival a team that shares the same geographic region? Or, is a rival a team that may be in the same division as your favorite team and is always competing for the division title? Are rivals two teams that may not play often, but have rich histories and possibly only meet in championships? Can teams truly have multiple rivals?
Local rivalries are always fun for territorial bragging rights, but sometimes both local teams are not equal as competitors. If one team is clearly better than the other and always seems to win, I do not feel that it is a true rival. If both teams are on a level playing field, but are both bad it may be a good game and provide the fans with bragging right, but what is the point if nobody cares and the results of the game do not matter? Territorial rivals are only as good as the teams that participate. If a region has two teams that tend to be towards the top of the standings and both are able to beat each other then the area has a true rivalry that is able to be enjoyed by both sets of fans. Yes, we all want our team to win all the time, but rivalry games are not nearly as fun if we know our team will win or if we have to pray for the upset.
Divisional foes are sometimes the best types of rivals because of the importance of the game. Watching a game where a postseason berth is on the line makes a rivalry game all the more dramatic. This is what gives so much appeal to rivalries such as the Red-Sox and the Yankees as well as Ohio State and Michigan. Both of these sets of rivals always compete with something on the line. There have been plenty of postseason series involving the Red-Sox and Yankees that add to the rivalry. The Ohio-State and Michigan football game usually decides the winner of the Big-10 Conference. The bigger the magnitude of the game, the more intense the rivalry.
What about teams in opposite conferences, but are each rich in tradition? Rivals such as the Celtics and the Lakers or Notre Dame and USC have plenty of appeal to historians and true fans of the teams, but lack the appeal to the casual fan. Although these games may be fun to watch, the true significance of the rivalry may be lost to the casual fans as well as the younger fans.
WNBA star Becky Hammon will suit up for the Russiam Olympic Team rather than team USA. Hammon is an American born player who grew up in South Dakota. She was barely recruited out of High School, but landed a scholarship with Colorado State where she became an All-American and led her team to its first ever Sweet 16. However, this was not enough as she went undrafted but was eventually signed into the WNBA where she finished 2nd in the MVP voting last year.
Last sumemr, USA basketball put out a pool of 23 players that would be trying out for the Olympic team, Hammon's name was not on that list. She later signed a contract with a Russian club team that she would play with during the off-season. Included in this 4 year 2 million dollar (6 times what she is maknig in the WNBA) contract was the possibility of playing for the Russian National Team. She was later offered a spot to try out for Team USA, but declined because it would put her Russian contract in jeopardy. "Before she made her final decision, she said she and her agent, Mike Cound, reached out to USA Basketball for clarification on where she stood. They came away with the impression that she wasn't in serious contention to make the team. So Hammon took her Olympic dream elsewhere."
Hammon has always dreamed of playing in the Olympics. When she felt that Team USA did not want her on thier roster she felt her best opportunity would be to suit up for Russia. "The jersey that I wear has never made me who I was. It has nothing to do with what's written on my heart," Hammon told ESPN.com Tuesday. "Will I be playing for Russia? Yes. But I'm absolutely 100 percent still an American. I love our country. I love what we stand for. This is an opportunity to fulfill my dream of playing in the Olympics."
USA Basketball Coach Anne Donovan said, "If you play in this country, live in this country, and you grow up in the heartland and you put on a Russian uniform, you are not a patriotic person in my mind."
The Olympics are possibly the World's biggest stage for sports and it would be hard to pass up the opportunity to play in them. "The opportunity to play on the Olympic stage was too compelling to pass up, and Hammon admits she would have chosen to play for Russia even without financial incentives rather than sit out the Olympics entirely."
Is Hammon a traitor for not not playing for team USA? Some may that she is and that playing for Russia is a horrible mistake. Others may say that she is just following her dreams and playing where she is wanted.
First of all, Happy Father’s Day to all Father’s everywhere. I would like to wish my own Dad a Happy Father’s Day as well.
Most of us learn about sports through our fathers, therefore, it is no surprise that many athletes have followed in their fathers into the world of professional sports.
10. The Walton’s: Bill Walton was a great player who is a member of both the Oregon Sports Hall of Fame as well as the Basketball hall of Fame. He won three straight college player of the year awards at UCLA and then went on to have a great NBA Career where he won two Championships. His son, Luke played basketball at the University of Arizona. He was drafted 32nd overall by the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2003 NBA Draft and currently comes off of the bench for the Western Conference Champions.
9. The Boone’s: The Boone’s became the first family in major league baseball history to have players from three generations. Ray Boone was a 12 year infielder in the Major Leagues. Bob Boone was a major league catcher and later a manager for the Royals and the Reds. Bob’s sons Bret and Aaron also made it to the majors. Bret is a retired second baseman, while Aaron is currently a member on the Washington Nationals. Aaron is most known for his game-winning home-run in game 7 of the 2003 ALCS, where coincidentally his brother Bret was a guest broadcaster.
8. The Barry’s: Rick and Brent Barry are one of only two Father-son combinations in NBA history to both win a championship. Rick Barry won his ring in 1975 with the Warriors while his son Brent has received two with San Antonio.
7. The Howe’s: Gordie Howe “won six MVP awards and six scoring championships in 25 years with Detroit and left the game with 801 goals, 1,049 assists and 1,850 points – all NHL records. That is, until Wayne Gretzky came along.” His son Mark played in the NHL for 16 seasons and appeared in the Stanley Cup Finals 3 times with Pittsburgh and Detroit.
6. The Norton’s: Both father and son are known for giving out hits. However, they went about it in different ways. Ken Sr. was a boxer and won the World Heavyweight Boxing Championship in 1978. Norton Jr. was a linebacker for the Dallas Cowboys where he won two Super Bowls. He then became a San Francisco 49er where he won another ring and became the first player to win three consecutive Super Bowls. He played in the NFL for 13 seasons and is currently the Linebacker Coach for the USC Trojans.
5. The Griffey’s: Griffey Senior was a three time all-star and two time World Series Champion. Griffey Junior has yet to win the rings but proved that he was a much better player than his father. He is number 6 on the all-time #### run list and is one of only 6 members in the 600 home-run club. He is a ten-time gold glove award winner, 13 time all-star, and won the MVP Award in 1997. The Griffey’s became the first father-son duo to play on the same team when they appeared together for the Mariners in 1990. On September 14, 1990 the Griffey’s hit back to back home runs, a truly special and memorable moment for the father and son.
4. The Earnhardt’s: Dale Earnhardt was a true racing legend who had a career that lasted over two decades and amassed 76 wins. He was named one of NASCAR’s 50 greatest drivers. Tragically, “He was killed when his car crashed into the wall on the final lap of the 2001 Daytona 500.” Earnhardt Junior has had early success in his career including a win at the 2004 Daytona 500.
3. The Ali’s: The only father/daughter combination to make the list. Muhammad Ali was voted Sportsman of the Century by Sports Illustrated. He is arguably the most famous athlete and has been called “The Greatest of All-Time.” Despite the enormous shoes to fill, Laila Ali has not disappointed. She is a perfect 24-0, with 21 wins by knockout.
2. The Bonds’: Bobby Bonds played 14 seasons in the MLB, went to three all-star games and became the first player in the history of the sport to hit 300 home runs and steal 400 bases. His son is now the only other player to accomplish this feat. Barry Bonds is a seven time national league MVP and is currently Major League Baseball’s all-time home run leader. (762)
1. The Manning’s: All three Manning’s were Heisman Trophy Finalists. Archie was drafted second overall while both his sons were drafted first overall. This is a family that exemplifies athletics abilities being passed from one generation to the next. Archie had a great career with a horrible New Orleans Saints team. He played 14 seasons and was named NFL MVP in 1978. Peyton is one of the most marketable players in the NFL. He is a two-time league MVP as well as Super Bowl MVP. Eli is the youngest of the Manning trio and still has many good years left in him. Last year he began to break out of his shell and shown the kind of talent that people had witnessed while watching him play at Ole Miss. His 2007-2008 season was capped when he led his New York Giants to a Super Bowl victory over the heavily favored New England Patriots. Eli was named the game’s MVP.
*There was no place for it on the list, but a special Father’s Day moment that deserves to be mentioned came in 2004 when Ken Griffey Junior hit his 500th career home run on Father’s Day with his dad in attendance. He became the 6th youngest player to reach the 500 home run mark and became the first player to hit his 500th career home run in a Cincinnati Uniform. "It was a nice Father's Day present, but it's an easy way to get out of giving me something," Griffey Sr. joked.
Special Thanks to cbssports.com, askmen.com, espn.com, and usatoday.com for pictures, quotes, and statistics.
Big players make big plays in big games. Kevin Garnett shrinks and dissappears constantly in the 4th quarter of games and he did it again las night in game 1 of the Finals. As KG went to the line in the first quarter the crowd began chanting "MVP." Why? The guy is an amazing player for the first three quarters. Last night he hit one field goal in the fourth quarter and had a stretch where he missed 10 of 11 from the field. Yes, it is just one game but Kevin Garnett is always invisible in the fourth quarter box score.
The other thing that bothers me about Garnett are all the fadeways and the jumpshots. KG, you are 6' 11. GO INSIDE!!!!!!!! Someone that has that kind of size has no business pretending that they are a guard. Garnett needs to learn to attack the rim and score some points in the paint. Among forwards in the NBA, Garnett ranked 45th in field goal percentage this year. Why? because he shoots to many jumpshots and does not command the paint the way centers and power forwards are supposed to.
KG, you are 6'11 not 5'11 let Ray Allen and Paul Pierce shoot the jumpers.
I am currently in high school. I will try to post reguarly, but at the very least I will comment your blogs daily. I am aspiring to become a sports writer or broadcaster and plan to attend collge and major in journalism or broadcast journalism.
