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…..

Pacman Jones has found a new and possibly even dumber way to pass time. Since bieng suspended from the NFL for the 2007 season, Pacman Jones joined TNA because he wanted to wrestle and now he wants to be a rapper as well. It is possible that his suspension will be reduced for good behavior, but he has not shown Roger Goodell that he has changed or matured in any way.

Just when you think he has done all he can to give Goodell reason to keep him suspended, he does this. Why would he do this? Since the suspension he has made 3 incredibly dumb decisions, but probably alot more that I just don't seem to recall.

Before his meeting with NFL comissioner Roger Goodell, Pacman goes to a strip club the night before. He had already been in trouble a couple of times for incidents that occured at strip clubs. He joined wrestling as a way to keep him "from staying at home miserable." However, wrestling is easy to get hurt and he would be voiding his contract with the Titans. Why would you risk all the NFL money for wrestling? Now he decides to enter the music industry. The world of rap and hip hop isn't exactly the best way to stay out of trouble. Pacman's life is becoming more entertaining than most reality shows on television.

To further help himself Pacman appeared to mock the NFL during his TNA wrestling debut. There were dollar bills flying around and police were involved and he left in am ambulance. This mocks his trouble at the strip club for "making it rain," his numberous run ins with the cops, and the fact that he was not supposed to get hurt. His debut rap single "Let it Shine" will drop August 27th via his own National Street League Records. The NFL is currently looking into whether NSL records infringes on the NFL's trademark. I do not know what Roger Goodell thinks of all of this, but I am pretty sure that mocking his league is not the best way to get back in.

All this attention that he is attracting can not be helping his chances of reinstatement. I understand that he has not been convicted of any crimes, but for a man who has said he would change his behavior and his lifestyle to get back into the NFL as soon as possible it doesn't appear as if he is headed in the right direction.