This is such a fun exercise and the higher the numbers go the harder it will be. Not many players have numbers above 50, there will be a few easy ones but not as many options as what the first 40 have. I'm pumped for tonight's group let's get it.
31 Reggie Miller: I never liked Reggie Miller the basketball player, but I love Reggie Miller the shit talker. When Reggie went toe to toe with Spike Lee, that was quality entertainment. The Reggie Miller part of the Jordon Documentary was outstanding, I could listen to Reggie tell stories for hours. He had an ugly shot and a worse hair cut, but he was a great shooter. He may been ahead of his time, with the volume, of 3's shot today he could've been even more cerebral.
32 Anthony Thomas: The A-Train is my favorite Running Back from my years as a Michigan fan. The dude was unbelievable, he was so big and so fast. As a younger player he would catch passes out of the backfield and as he got older he got better between the tackles. He was an enigma at his size to be able to be that fast, he eventually got drafted by the Bears and won Rookie of the Year in 2001 but that was the height of his career.
33 Scottie Pippen: Scottie is my favorite basketball player ever. I loved watching him play. His length made him a great defender, his arms seemed to stretch forever. He was listed at Small Forward but in the triangle he brought the ball up, so he was actually a Point Forward. He was the perfect 2nd man for MJ, he could distribute, he could score, he could get to the basket, and he didn't need to dominate the ball to be difference maker. The Jordan documentary shit on Pippen a lot, he had a few brain cramps and I thought they focused a little to much on those, but that doesn't matter, nobody can be perfect like MJ so I don't hold those moments against Pippen.
34 Bo Jackson: Is he the single greatest athlete of our time? He could be, he played 2 professional sports at All Star levels. He broke Tecmo Bowl and he broke baseball bats. I think if Bo had focused only on baseball he would've been a Hall of Fame player, he could've been Barry Bonds with an arm. He had the speed and the power, plus he could throw it on a line from the warning track to home. His body failed him before he could really hit his peak, but everyone will still remember his greatness.
35 Justin Verlander: I've written a lot about Verlander since firing this back up. JV is probably my favorite pitcher from the last decade, (who didn't pitch for the Giants). I watched him work in Kansas City and I'll always remember that night, not for his pitching but for his pregame routine. Watching him prepare was the highlight of the game for me. He's also got the super model wife and he seems to be one of the voices int he game who carries some weight. JV is heading to the Hall of Fame and I'll be happy he got there while also happy he gave up those 2 homers to Panda in the 2012 World Series.
36 Sean Taylor: I'm cheating on this one, Sean Taylor was actually #21 when he passed away, but when Washington drafted him he wore 36 his first season. I wanted to talk about Clemente so I save Sean T. for this here. He was on his way to Canton. The dude was a damn missile for the ball, he could find anyone and ruin their day. He was maturing as a player when he was murdered and I only saw good things for his future. We are born a year apart, both on April 1st, me 1982 and him in 1983. After Darrell Green, Sean T. is my favorite player in franchise history.
37 The 1937 Baseball Hall of Fame Class: The inaugural class in 1936 had all the guys you would expect, the 2nd class in 1937 though had some big names. The players elected by the writers were Nap Lajoie, Tris Speaker, and Cy Young. There was also a Centennial Commision that was put in place to get a few of the men who showed outstanding service to the game, those men were Connie Mack, John McGraw, Morgan Bulkeley, Ban Johnson, and George Wright. The players you've heard of, mostly. The others though you might not have. Mack and McGraw had the most wins in each league, Mack is still has the most managers wins in MLB history, 3,731 and he was still managing at the time of his induction. McGraw is 2nd on the list, and most wins in NL history with 2,763, almost a thousand behind Mack. Morgan Bulkeley was the first president of the National League and Ban Johnson was the first president of the American League, Ban Johnson was the defacto commissioner before there was an official commissioner, and he personally paid to transport gamblers to the trial of the 1919 White Sox to make Charlie Comisky look bad. George Wright was the first owner of a professional team. I've never been to the Hall, but with my recent dive into the 1919 White Sox I want to go now more than ever.
38 Brian Wilson: Fear the Beard, it was the rally cry in 2010. Wilson was the closer for the first World Series title, and his performances were stressful, the Giants announcers labeled it torture. He had to put at least a couple guys on base before wiggling off the hook. I did get to watch Wilson live in 2009, he was throwing 100 MPH heaters past the Brewers hitters, and he tried to blow that save as well. Wilson is a character and his antics were almost as legendary as his beard and his pitching. He flamed out like most closers, but he was awesome for those couple years.
39 Ted Williams debuts: I don't get to talk about Ted Williams very much, but in 1939 one of the best hitters ever debuted for the Boston Red Sox. All he did was lead the league in RBIs and finish 4th in MVP voting as a 20 year old. He hadn't faced big league pitching yet and he still hit .327, that's incredible, if a 20 year old hit like now he would be set for life. Williams lost his prime years to the war and lost even more years to the Korean War. He was a special player, a bit of a thorny personality but a great great player.
40 Madison Bumgarner: There is nobody else to put here, Bum is the damn man. He carried the Giants to the title in 2014. He tried to do it again in 2016, but there wasn't enough around him. He is statistically the best postseason pitcher in history. He has 2 amazing performances in the Wild Card game, 2014 and 2016. He World Series debut in 2010 he pitched a gem in Game 4 setting up the Giants to close the series in 5 games. 2014 we all know the World Series stories he had. He is the ultimate big game pitcher, and yes he doesn't have the hardware of Kershaw or Verlander, but he has the rings that they don't and he had a huge part in all 3. He'll be always be a legend for the Giants.
This as always was a fun one, got to do a little research on guys and found some neat things. Come back again for 41-50 as we keep this train rolling without many sports to talk about.
Tuesday, July 14, 2020
Monday, July 13, 2020
By The Numbers 21-30 Edition
This is going to be loaded group. Some of the best athletes of our time have worn these numbers, cutting the list down was a little tough. Let's see what we got.
21 Roberto Clemente: I'm not a huge fan of players from before my time, Clemente though is the exception. I read about him in Grade School and grew to love him. His charity was the reason for my initial love, but the more I learned about the ballplayer the more I liked him. He had a rocket of an arm in right field. Hit over .300, while amassing those 3,000 hits and 240 home runs. A career WAR of 94.8, he was just an impressive player and an even more impressive person.
22 Andrew McCutchen/Will Clark: The last few lists I've made of baseball players, I've wanted so bad to put McCutchen on the list, but he plays Centerfield and whenever I pick my favorites Mike Trout is my CF. So when I talk about 22, I was all ready just to ramble about Will Clark, but I realized I can finally talk about Cutch. He was a dynamic defender while also swinging a pretty stick. He left off every all decade team though because of Trout. Will Clark broke my heart when he left the Giants after 1993. I thought he would be there forever. He has since reconciled with the team and is the bridge from the great late 80's early 90's teams to today.
23 Michael Jordan: There is nobody else, he's the best basketball player there ever was. Jordan changed the game and I think basketball would be different if he never played. The 6 Championships, 2 Olympic Gold Medals and the ultimate brand. Jordan is special and yes I do fight against the LeBron bashing by MJ fans, but it has nothing to do with Jordan and more to do with people just being stupidly unfair to LBJ.
24 Champ Bailey: He only was on Washington for 4 seasons but he's still one of my favorites. Champ was just like Charles Woodson in college, he played both ways at Georgia. When Washington drafted him it was the next best thing since we didn't have a shot at Woodson the year before. He did force himself out which lead to him being traded to Denver but I still paid attention to him and enjoyed watching him play.
25 Barry Bonds: We got a hell of an outfield going here tonight, Bonds in left, Cutch in center and Clemente in right, plus we got 27 coming up in a little bit. If you read the blog you know Bonds is my guy, love everything about him, own 3 jerseys of his. I love talking about Bonds and his amazing feats on the diamond. I always come back to the 500/500, or even the 400/400 which he's the lone member of each club.
26 Babe Ruth 1921 season: At the age of 26 Babe Ruth put up his 2nd best season in terms of WAR but m terms of counting stats it was his best season 59 home runs, 168 RBIs, 177 runs scored, .377 batting average and 17 stolen bases. That's career bests in RBIs, Runs and SBs, while his 2nd best season in HRs and Avg. His age 28 season he had a better WAR but because he walked more. In 1921 it was his 2nd season in New York and the 2nd season with the live ball, which Ruth didn't exactly need but it helped. I often discount the Babe but what he was truly magical. The Babe would just fall out of bed and have 10+ WAR seasons, just amazing.
27 Mike Trout: Best baseball player on the planet, next number.
28 Darrell Green/Buster Posey: Darrell Green is my favorite football player ever. I've never been to a Washington game, but I did go to watch Darrell Green get enshrined into the Hall of Fame in Canton. A truly memorable day. Green was a special talent who even when he retired he was the fastest man in the NFL.He was amazing. Buster Posey is the turning point for the Giants, before him no World Series titles since New York, with him 3 in 5 years. There is nothing we can do to pay Buster back for what he's done for the franchise. His 2012 was a great season, and though his skills at the plate were great his prowess behind the plate have been just as good. Needless to say, both of these guys are franchise greats.
29 Kevin Harvick: Needless to say 29 isn't exactly deep. Though I'm not the biggest Harvick fan what he did when he took over driving the Dale Earnhardt car is truly remarkable. He was a young driver and was thrust into the spotlight of the sport, to no fault of his own. He did well in that 29 car but found more success later in his career in the 4, but that first season driving the white car with red letters will always be something I remember.
30 Aaron White: The Ginja Ninja was one of the biggest reasons for the jump Iowa basketball took in the 20teens, after falling off the planet in the late 00's. White was a fun player to watch, he had amazing dunks and when he jumped a pass on defense, you knew the thunder was coming. He was so fun to watch and was a great college player, you knew he wasn't built for the pro game, but he's found success in Europe.
This group was fun to talk about, hopefully the 30's are just as good.
21 Roberto Clemente: I'm not a huge fan of players from before my time, Clemente though is the exception. I read about him in Grade School and grew to love him. His charity was the reason for my initial love, but the more I learned about the ballplayer the more I liked him. He had a rocket of an arm in right field. Hit over .300, while amassing those 3,000 hits and 240 home runs. A career WAR of 94.8, he was just an impressive player and an even more impressive person.
22 Andrew McCutchen/Will Clark: The last few lists I've made of baseball players, I've wanted so bad to put McCutchen on the list, but he plays Centerfield and whenever I pick my favorites Mike Trout is my CF. So when I talk about 22, I was all ready just to ramble about Will Clark, but I realized I can finally talk about Cutch. He was a dynamic defender while also swinging a pretty stick. He left off every all decade team though because of Trout. Will Clark broke my heart when he left the Giants after 1993. I thought he would be there forever. He has since reconciled with the team and is the bridge from the great late 80's early 90's teams to today.
23 Michael Jordan: There is nobody else, he's the best basketball player there ever was. Jordan changed the game and I think basketball would be different if he never played. The 6 Championships, 2 Olympic Gold Medals and the ultimate brand. Jordan is special and yes I do fight against the LeBron bashing by MJ fans, but it has nothing to do with Jordan and more to do with people just being stupidly unfair to LBJ.
24 Champ Bailey: He only was on Washington for 4 seasons but he's still one of my favorites. Champ was just like Charles Woodson in college, he played both ways at Georgia. When Washington drafted him it was the next best thing since we didn't have a shot at Woodson the year before. He did force himself out which lead to him being traded to Denver but I still paid attention to him and enjoyed watching him play.
25 Barry Bonds: We got a hell of an outfield going here tonight, Bonds in left, Cutch in center and Clemente in right, plus we got 27 coming up in a little bit. If you read the blog you know Bonds is my guy, love everything about him, own 3 jerseys of his. I love talking about Bonds and his amazing feats on the diamond. I always come back to the 500/500, or even the 400/400 which he's the lone member of each club.
26 Babe Ruth 1921 season: At the age of 26 Babe Ruth put up his 2nd best season in terms of WAR but m terms of counting stats it was his best season 59 home runs, 168 RBIs, 177 runs scored, .377 batting average and 17 stolen bases. That's career bests in RBIs, Runs and SBs, while his 2nd best season in HRs and Avg. His age 28 season he had a better WAR but because he walked more. In 1921 it was his 2nd season in New York and the 2nd season with the live ball, which Ruth didn't exactly need but it helped. I often discount the Babe but what he was truly magical. The Babe would just fall out of bed and have 10+ WAR seasons, just amazing.
27 Mike Trout: Best baseball player on the planet, next number.
28 Darrell Green/Buster Posey: Darrell Green is my favorite football player ever. I've never been to a Washington game, but I did go to watch Darrell Green get enshrined into the Hall of Fame in Canton. A truly memorable day. Green was a special talent who even when he retired he was the fastest man in the NFL.He was amazing. Buster Posey is the turning point for the Giants, before him no World Series titles since New York, with him 3 in 5 years. There is nothing we can do to pay Buster back for what he's done for the franchise. His 2012 was a great season, and though his skills at the plate were great his prowess behind the plate have been just as good. Needless to say, both of these guys are franchise greats.
29 Kevin Harvick: Needless to say 29 isn't exactly deep. Though I'm not the biggest Harvick fan what he did when he took over driving the Dale Earnhardt car is truly remarkable. He was a young driver and was thrust into the spotlight of the sport, to no fault of his own. He did well in that 29 car but found more success later in his career in the 4, but that first season driving the white car with red letters will always be something I remember.
30 Aaron White: The Ginja Ninja was one of the biggest reasons for the jump Iowa basketball took in the 20teens, after falling off the planet in the late 00's. White was a fun player to watch, he had amazing dunks and when he jumped a pass on defense, you knew the thunder was coming. He was so fun to watch and was a great college player, you knew he wasn't built for the pro game, but he's found success in Europe.
This group was fun to talk about, hopefully the 30's are just as good.
Wednesday, July 8, 2020
By The Numbers: 11-20 Edition
We move into the next group of 10 numbers, I got some real favorites in this group, let's get into it.
11 Denny Hamlin: He's my favorite driver in NASCAR, 41 career wins. Denny is a consistent driver who seems to always be in races at his tracks. Another thing about Denny is his power inside the sport. He had lead a driver's group that has helped shape rules in the sport, he also recruited for the iRacing that was on Fox during the Covid Break. Denny has come a long way in the sport, he has a few flaws but he's my guy and I got 3 Daytona 500 winning diecasts thanks to him.
12 Brandon Smith: He's heading into his Senior year and hopefully Brandon can see his potential. He's a very physical receiver with amazing hands and body control. Smith was forced into action early as a true freshman because there was nobody else with his physical attributes that could play outside. Since then he's grown so much as player, and become a smarter receiver. He had a little injury bug last year but he's been outstanding when on the field and has some of the best catches for Iowa in the last couple years.
13 Joe Kane: The Heisman hopeful with a little bit of a drinking problem. In The Program the Able Kane was trying to lead The Eastern State University Timberwolves to glory. Joe Kane was a junior, which made his Heisman run a little strange since back in the early 90's not many underclassmen made a run at the trophy. Instead though he got a little banged up and ended up in rehab for drinking. He did redeem himself and got the girl as well as his motorcycle back.
14 Desmond King: I talked about Dez in the college football reflections post, 4 year start, consensus All American and Thorpe Award winner in 2015. Desomond King is the best football player that Iowa had in the entire decade, he was truly special. I still wish he got to play some WR in 2016 when the WR corp was depleted. Instead he just played CB and eventually went to the Chargers where he's been named an All Pro. Dez is the man, truly a Hawkeye Legend.
15 Tommy Frazier: I know I picked a Nebraska guy, but in my defense when Tommy was playing for the Skers they weren't in the Big Ten and didn't play Michigan or Iowa. Tommy was awesome, probably the most athletic QB the Huskers of the 90's had. He was runner up to Eddie George for the Heisman in 1995. He had blood clot issues and other health issues which derailed his professional career before it even got started, but I remember watching him play and loving his talent.
16 Joe Montana: I always go back and forth with Joe Montana and Tom Brady. I had Montana #1 for years, but lately I've been thinking Brady. Joe Cool was so fun to watch, and even though I didn't watch a lot of his greatness, I saw enough. He was so calm in the pocket and delivered the ball in the right spot to free up Jerry Rice and John Taylor. I would like to see what Montana could do with today's rules where receivers have a little more freedom to move. He still has the best line ever right before that last minute drive about going to see John Candy in the other end zone.
17 Doug Williams: It was the first game I remember watching, the Super Bowl Doug Williams won for Washington in 1988. As I got older I took a lot of pride in my team being the one with black QB that won the Super Bowl. It was huge deal at the time and it's slowly lost it's importance, which is good, while he's been joined in the club by Russell Wilson. Williams was an ok QB and has been in the front office for the team since 2014.
18 Matt Cain: I've watched Matt Cain pitch live more than any pitcher in my life. It's a complete coincidence I've been to two of his starts, both in Milwaukee. He has 3 rings, a perfect game, and was the ace of the 2012 staff. Cain was the first big piece for the Giants rebuild that lead to the 3 in 5 years. He had to pitch on some bad teams that were only there to let Barry Bonds hit home runs. I'll always remember Cain as the guy who would lose 1-0 or 2-1, he would pitch brilliantly and get no run support.
19 1919 White Sox: I wasn't ever a huge expert of the 1919 White Sox, I didn't research their history or try to see what happened beyond what Field of Dreams or Eight Men Out talked about. Then last year I listened to a podcast called Infamous America, and they told the entire story of the Black Sox. I learned so much, and I listened to the podcast 3 times just to make sure I didn't miss anything. The story is so complex, fun, and interesting. The Eight Men Out story is full of falsehoods and doesn't tell an accurate story of what really happened. I suggest listening to the podcast and heading over to SABR and reading what their research team has found.
20 Barry Sanders: I don't think there is better football player in my life than Barry Sanders. He was electric to watch, so fun, so exciting. You didn't know if it was going to be a 2 yard loss or a 30 yard gain on any given play. Barry was the most explosive running back, he didn't have the line Emmit Smith did, but he made so many plays on his own. I love watching his highlight films, and often can remember watching a lot of those breakaway runs live. I'm not sure we've had anyone close to him since he retired, and man do I miss his style.
This was a fun group, little Quarterback heavy, but the low numbers will do that. Hoping to get the next 10 done before the weekend, enjoy.
11 Denny Hamlin: He's my favorite driver in NASCAR, 41 career wins. Denny is a consistent driver who seems to always be in races at his tracks. Another thing about Denny is his power inside the sport. He had lead a driver's group that has helped shape rules in the sport, he also recruited for the iRacing that was on Fox during the Covid Break. Denny has come a long way in the sport, he has a few flaws but he's my guy and I got 3 Daytona 500 winning diecasts thanks to him.
12 Brandon Smith: He's heading into his Senior year and hopefully Brandon can see his potential. He's a very physical receiver with amazing hands and body control. Smith was forced into action early as a true freshman because there was nobody else with his physical attributes that could play outside. Since then he's grown so much as player, and become a smarter receiver. He had a little injury bug last year but he's been outstanding when on the field and has some of the best catches for Iowa in the last couple years.
13 Joe Kane: The Heisman hopeful with a little bit of a drinking problem. In The Program the Able Kane was trying to lead The Eastern State University Timberwolves to glory. Joe Kane was a junior, which made his Heisman run a little strange since back in the early 90's not many underclassmen made a run at the trophy. Instead though he got a little banged up and ended up in rehab for drinking. He did redeem himself and got the girl as well as his motorcycle back.
14 Desmond King: I talked about Dez in the college football reflections post, 4 year start, consensus All American and Thorpe Award winner in 2015. Desomond King is the best football player that Iowa had in the entire decade, he was truly special. I still wish he got to play some WR in 2016 when the WR corp was depleted. Instead he just played CB and eventually went to the Chargers where he's been named an All Pro. Dez is the man, truly a Hawkeye Legend.
15 Tommy Frazier: I know I picked a Nebraska guy, but in my defense when Tommy was playing for the Skers they weren't in the Big Ten and didn't play Michigan or Iowa. Tommy was awesome, probably the most athletic QB the Huskers of the 90's had. He was runner up to Eddie George for the Heisman in 1995. He had blood clot issues and other health issues which derailed his professional career before it even got started, but I remember watching him play and loving his talent.
16 Joe Montana: I always go back and forth with Joe Montana and Tom Brady. I had Montana #1 for years, but lately I've been thinking Brady. Joe Cool was so fun to watch, and even though I didn't watch a lot of his greatness, I saw enough. He was so calm in the pocket and delivered the ball in the right spot to free up Jerry Rice and John Taylor. I would like to see what Montana could do with today's rules where receivers have a little more freedom to move. He still has the best line ever right before that last minute drive about going to see John Candy in the other end zone.
17 Doug Williams: It was the first game I remember watching, the Super Bowl Doug Williams won for Washington in 1988. As I got older I took a lot of pride in my team being the one with black QB that won the Super Bowl. It was huge deal at the time and it's slowly lost it's importance, which is good, while he's been joined in the club by Russell Wilson. Williams was an ok QB and has been in the front office for the team since 2014.
18 Matt Cain: I've watched Matt Cain pitch live more than any pitcher in my life. It's a complete coincidence I've been to two of his starts, both in Milwaukee. He has 3 rings, a perfect game, and was the ace of the 2012 staff. Cain was the first big piece for the Giants rebuild that lead to the 3 in 5 years. He had to pitch on some bad teams that were only there to let Barry Bonds hit home runs. I'll always remember Cain as the guy who would lose 1-0 or 2-1, he would pitch brilliantly and get no run support.
19 1919 White Sox: I wasn't ever a huge expert of the 1919 White Sox, I didn't research their history or try to see what happened beyond what Field of Dreams or Eight Men Out talked about. Then last year I listened to a podcast called Infamous America, and they told the entire story of the Black Sox. I learned so much, and I listened to the podcast 3 times just to make sure I didn't miss anything. The story is so complex, fun, and interesting. The Eight Men Out story is full of falsehoods and doesn't tell an accurate story of what really happened. I suggest listening to the podcast and heading over to SABR and reading what their research team has found.
20 Barry Sanders: I don't think there is better football player in my life than Barry Sanders. He was electric to watch, so fun, so exciting. You didn't know if it was going to be a 2 yard loss or a 30 yard gain on any given play. Barry was the most explosive running back, he didn't have the line Emmit Smith did, but he made so many plays on his own. I love watching his highlight films, and often can remember watching a lot of those breakaway runs live. I'm not sure we've had anyone close to him since he retired, and man do I miss his style.
This was a fun group, little Quarterback heavy, but the low numbers will do that. Hoping to get the next 10 done before the weekend, enjoy.
Tuesday, July 7, 2020
By The Numbers: 0-10 Edition
Sports and numbers, 2 things that go together. When thinking about what to write about I thought, why not do another series. Let's talk about what person you think of when you hear a #. When I say 23, you know who you think about, 42 a certain player comes to mind. I'm not going to pick necessarly the best player to wear each number, instead it will be my favorite or something that comes to mind. Could be a real athlete, a movie character, an event, a record, anything that's a number. We'll start at 0 and go to 99, who knows maybe I'll do a couple over 100. Tonight we start at 0 and we'll get to 10, so 11 different things to talk about.
00 Willie Mayes Hayes: You may run like Mayes but you hit like shit. Willie Mayes Hayes is the best all around player on the Cleveland Indians in the movie franchise Major League. He can steal bases at will, play great defense in Centerfield and in the 2nd movie he adds a little pop to his bat. Played by Wesley Snipes we all love Willie.
1 Braylon Edwards/David Terrell: There are lots of great players who wore #1, but to me these 2 are my favorites. They both dominated at Michigan as Wide Receivers. They both went top 10 in the draft, and they both disappointed for the most part. Braylon had a couple good years in Cleveland but nothing great. I loved watching both of these guys catch passes at Michigan, they were so damn in college. They wanted to start a WR legacy and the #1 but I don't think that happened.
2 Rusty Wallace/Charles Woodson: I couldn't pick just one. Rusty Wallace was my favorite driver for early life until he retired following the 2005 season. His car was black and gold in my younger days and I thought it was the coolest, plus it was MGD which my dad drank so as a kid I thought that was right. He was a good driver, who eventually made the Hall of Fame, and if it weren't Dale Senior he might have a few more championships. Charles Woodson wore 2 at Michigan, he was AWESOME. The only predominantly defensive player to win the Heisman Trophy, though he did play some receiver and returned punts. He was another level at Michigan, helping lead the Wolverines to 12-0 and a share of a National Title in 1997.
3 The Triplets: When the Giants won 3 titles in 5 years that was about the peak of my sports fandom. The sheer luck of it all happening, plus them not being the Yankees and dominating the sport that way was incredible. Sure they missed the postseason the 2 off years but it only made the titles even more special. The 2010 one exercised the demons, 2012 they fought back from the brink, twice, and of course 2014 they had no business winning but MadBum wouldn't let them lose. I think people don't give them enough credit but I'll never forget those 3 nights and where I was when the titles were won.
4 Chris Webber: Man did I love C-Webb, I even have a school picture day when I wore his Warriors jersey to school, I'll assume I had no idea it was picture day and I just wore it. He was awesome at Michigan leading the Fab Five to back to back title games, while also changing the look of sports. The baggy shorts changed my entire style. I was looking for shorts that came past my knees and honestly still have that preference in my shorts. Those 2 years solidified my status as a Michigan fan as a young man, something I held onto for a while as you can see by this list.
5 Timmy DeVoe: Timmy was a good friend of mine as a kid. He was another reason I like Rusty Wallace. Timmy was #5 for the Juda baseball team, and he was a very good shortstop. He died tragically in the summer between his sophomore and junior years. He wore his #5 baseball jersey in the casket for his visitation and funeral. I miss Timmy when I play ball and I often think about him especially on a pop up when he would tap his glove on his leg twice before reaching up to catch it.
6 Robby Thompson: There is no other answer. I wear 6 to honor Robby, I love that number. 6 is a part of me, it's my favorite number, it can't be topped. Robby was awesome, gave me my Giants fandom, I owe everything for my love of baseball to Robby Thompson and I'll never be able to repay him, so instead I cherish his jersey number.
7 Marvin McNutt: When I converted to Iowa for my college football rooting interests, there was guy on the Hawkeyes who seemed to make every huge play. That guy was Marvin McNutt. He held a lot of the school records for receivers when he left college. He was so sure handed and made all the tough catches. He has one of the most TDs in Iowa history, a last second grab against Michigan State, a play known as 7 got 6.
8 Cal Ripken Jr.: We named our son after this guy, he changed the game of baseball. Out were the days of the glove only Shortstop, in was the big body shortstop. The guy who could field the position and hit in the middle of the line up. Without Ripken we don't get A-Rod, Jeter, Correa, or Lindor.
9 Roger Maris: I didn't know a lot about Roger Maris until I watched 61*, a brilliant movie that Billy Crystal made in 2001. It chronicles the home run race between Micky Mantle and Roger Maris as they chase down Babe Ruth's 60 home runs. A record so cherished that they put an asterisk by Maris name because he had more games to do it. Barry Pepper played Maris and you couldn't tell them apart in the pictures. The movie is very good and I kind of need to watch it again.
10 Robert Griffin III/Tom Brady: When I wrote about 2012 I wrote my love letter to RG, and when I wrote about the 2012 draft I wrote it again. I loved that dude for that season and I'm still bitter at that stupid field. Tom Brady wore #10 at Michigan, and I loved Tom Brady at Michigan. I thought they screwed the pooch letting Drew Henson share time with Brady their two seasons together. Brady wasn't amazing at Michigan but he was pretty damn good, and he had a few weapons, if they had just let him play I think they would've been better those 2 years coming off the National Championship.
That's the first round, I'll get some more done in the coming weeks and will probably post more than once a week for this series. Should be fun, let me know some of your favorite numbers (0-10) I don't want to ruin the next few of these.
00 Willie Mayes Hayes: You may run like Mayes but you hit like shit. Willie Mayes Hayes is the best all around player on the Cleveland Indians in the movie franchise Major League. He can steal bases at will, play great defense in Centerfield and in the 2nd movie he adds a little pop to his bat. Played by Wesley Snipes we all love Willie.
1 Braylon Edwards/David Terrell: There are lots of great players who wore #1, but to me these 2 are my favorites. They both dominated at Michigan as Wide Receivers. They both went top 10 in the draft, and they both disappointed for the most part. Braylon had a couple good years in Cleveland but nothing great. I loved watching both of these guys catch passes at Michigan, they were so damn in college. They wanted to start a WR legacy and the #1 but I don't think that happened.
2 Rusty Wallace/Charles Woodson: I couldn't pick just one. Rusty Wallace was my favorite driver for early life until he retired following the 2005 season. His car was black and gold in my younger days and I thought it was the coolest, plus it was MGD which my dad drank so as a kid I thought that was right. He was a good driver, who eventually made the Hall of Fame, and if it weren't Dale Senior he might have a few more championships. Charles Woodson wore 2 at Michigan, he was AWESOME. The only predominantly defensive player to win the Heisman Trophy, though he did play some receiver and returned punts. He was another level at Michigan, helping lead the Wolverines to 12-0 and a share of a National Title in 1997.
3 The Triplets: When the Giants won 3 titles in 5 years that was about the peak of my sports fandom. The sheer luck of it all happening, plus them not being the Yankees and dominating the sport that way was incredible. Sure they missed the postseason the 2 off years but it only made the titles even more special. The 2010 one exercised the demons, 2012 they fought back from the brink, twice, and of course 2014 they had no business winning but MadBum wouldn't let them lose. I think people don't give them enough credit but I'll never forget those 3 nights and where I was when the titles were won.
4 Chris Webber: Man did I love C-Webb, I even have a school picture day when I wore his Warriors jersey to school, I'll assume I had no idea it was picture day and I just wore it. He was awesome at Michigan leading the Fab Five to back to back title games, while also changing the look of sports. The baggy shorts changed my entire style. I was looking for shorts that came past my knees and honestly still have that preference in my shorts. Those 2 years solidified my status as a Michigan fan as a young man, something I held onto for a while as you can see by this list.
5 Timmy DeVoe: Timmy was a good friend of mine as a kid. He was another reason I like Rusty Wallace. Timmy was #5 for the Juda baseball team, and he was a very good shortstop. He died tragically in the summer between his sophomore and junior years. He wore his #5 baseball jersey in the casket for his visitation and funeral. I miss Timmy when I play ball and I often think about him especially on a pop up when he would tap his glove on his leg twice before reaching up to catch it.
6 Robby Thompson: There is no other answer. I wear 6 to honor Robby, I love that number. 6 is a part of me, it's my favorite number, it can't be topped. Robby was awesome, gave me my Giants fandom, I owe everything for my love of baseball to Robby Thompson and I'll never be able to repay him, so instead I cherish his jersey number.
7 Marvin McNutt: When I converted to Iowa for my college football rooting interests, there was guy on the Hawkeyes who seemed to make every huge play. That guy was Marvin McNutt. He held a lot of the school records for receivers when he left college. He was so sure handed and made all the tough catches. He has one of the most TDs in Iowa history, a last second grab against Michigan State, a play known as 7 got 6.
8 Cal Ripken Jr.: We named our son after this guy, he changed the game of baseball. Out were the days of the glove only Shortstop, in was the big body shortstop. The guy who could field the position and hit in the middle of the line up. Without Ripken we don't get A-Rod, Jeter, Correa, or Lindor.
9 Roger Maris: I didn't know a lot about Roger Maris until I watched 61*, a brilliant movie that Billy Crystal made in 2001. It chronicles the home run race between Micky Mantle and Roger Maris as they chase down Babe Ruth's 60 home runs. A record so cherished that they put an asterisk by Maris name because he had more games to do it. Barry Pepper played Maris and you couldn't tell them apart in the pictures. The movie is very good and I kind of need to watch it again.
10 Robert Griffin III/Tom Brady: When I wrote about 2012 I wrote my love letter to RG, and when I wrote about the 2012 draft I wrote it again. I loved that dude for that season and I'm still bitter at that stupid field. Tom Brady wore #10 at Michigan, and I loved Tom Brady at Michigan. I thought they screwed the pooch letting Drew Henson share time with Brady their two seasons together. Brady wasn't amazing at Michigan but he was pretty damn good, and he had a few weapons, if they had just let him play I think they would've been better those 2 years coming off the National Championship.
That's the first round, I'll get some more done in the coming weeks and will probably post more than once a week for this series. Should be fun, let me know some of your favorite numbers (0-10) I don't want to ruin the next few of these.
Tuesday, June 30, 2020
Exceptional Losers
When we talk greatness there are so many factors we take into consideration. One of those factors is championships won, we use championships to split the hairs. It isn't something I love to use but I've done it, I use it for my Tom Brady is better than Peyton Manning argument. Michael Jordan is often credited with his 6 championships, it's usually the first thing said, no mention of MVPs or scoring titles, it's boom 6 titles do better than that LeBron. I do think there is one sport where championships don't tell the entire story, it's baseball. The World Series is probably the hardest championship to win. The MLB playoffs are the hardest to qualify for in all of pro sports, only one third of teams get in and that used to be even lower, less than 30 years ago it was 4 teams total. Half the NBA and NHL qualify and with the NFL expanding playoffs nearly half of those teams get in. The World Series takes a lot of factors, one person can't carry you through a postseason, you need at least 2 pitchers to carry you through 3 series. With it being so difficult there are many players without a ring and lots of the greatest players don't have rings. Barry Bonds, Tony Gwynn, Ken Griffey Jr., Ernie Banks, Ryne Sandberg, Don Mattingly, Ty Cobb, and Ted Williams all great players with no rings. Much like I did way back in 2011 with then NFL players, I'm going to build a MLB team with current players who don't have rings.
Starting Pitcher Clayton Kershaw: That gave me great joy to write. Kershaw is either #1 or #2 career wise of current pitchers. His career stats stack up with the greats of the past. 3 Cy Young's plus a MVP. The fact Kershaw doesn't have a ring while the Dodgers have won their division 7 years in a row is crazy, hell even the Braves snuck one out. Kershaw himself can shoulder some of the blame but his postseason record is a little better than what people say, he did well in 17 and 18 getting the Dodgers to the World Series before losing to the Astros and Red Sox.
Catcher J.T. Realmuto: This is a tough spot, you have young guys like Gary Sanchez and Will Smith, plus some old guys like Jonathan Lucroy who are worthy. I think Realmuto gets the nod because he's the best all around catcher in the game right now. He's only 29 so he still have time to get his, and Philly is a good spot to try to get it. In his 6 years of service he's got 2 All Star games 2 Silver Sluggers while racking up nearly 20 carrer bWAR, which for a catcher is pretty impressive.
First Base Paul Goldschmidt: With a hat tip to Freddie Freeman and Joey Votto, I'll give the nod to Goldy. He hasn't won the MVP yet but Goldy did get 2nd twice and has a 3rd place finish as well. 243 homers and 127 stolen bases from a first baseman is outstanding and Goldy can be a real difference maker when he's healthy.
Second Base Ozzie Albies: This one was pretty tough to find, the best 2 2B of that last 15 years each have rings so I'm digging a little deep here. Albies is still young but he's burst onto the scene and has a bright future, he'll probably get his ring eventually, but Atlanta doesn't exactly always win when they should.
Third Base Nolan Arenado: One of the deeper positions but Arenado is the best of the group. He's been the best player on the hot corner for his entire career. 6 years in the big leagues and he's got 227 home runs while batting nearly .300. He's amassed 37.5 bWAR while playing gold glove 3B. If I could pick any player for the Giants to sign and have him play for my team, it's Arenado.
Shortstop Francisco Lindor: Still think if they hadn't made up that rain delay Lindor would have his ring. Franky wasn't the most hyped prospect when he came up but he's been the best shortstop in the league from when he came up in 2015. Lindor has a ways to go in his career but unless he leaves Cleveland I don't see him winning a World Series.
Left Field Ryan Braun: This isn't even close, nobody who plays left field has had the career Braun has had. He's almost to 350 homers and 46.8 bWAR while playing a decent left field. Of course he has a MVP and if it weren't for that damn PED suspension he would be on his way to Cooperstown.
Center Field Mike Trout: This is only answer, there is nobody else. This entire list is just an excuse for me to talk about how good Mike Trout is again. There is nobody better in the game today than Trout, he's the best centerfielder since Griffey and when he's done he'll be in the conversation of the top 10 players of all time. He's in the 200/200 club and amassed 72.8 bWAR and hasn't even played 10 seasons yet. Trout has been on the Angels and even though they've spent money to get the team better they have not gotten anyone to pitch or anyone still in their prime to help him. They've wasted so much money on old players while not building a farm system they have ruined the prime of Trout's career. This isn't his fault, he needs better management.
Right Field Bryce Harper: Another great position with Judge, Yelich, Stanton, and Acuna all being worthy. I have to talk about Harper though because he left the Nationals and they won, the ultimate Ewing Theory, which I've petitioned to be changed to the Harper Theory. Bryce is a great player and he's great for baseball with all the things he does. He very well might get a rin in Philly but as of now he doesn't have one.
If we put this team together I think a ring would be in our sights, of course we would need some more pitchers but we could find some. Jacob deGrom and Blake Snell would be nice 2's to Kershaw. Just remember it isn't always the players fault they don't have a ring, sometimes their manager gives the game ball to the starting pitcher before the game is over and pisses off the baseball gods.
Starting Pitcher Clayton Kershaw: That gave me great joy to write. Kershaw is either #1 or #2 career wise of current pitchers. His career stats stack up with the greats of the past. 3 Cy Young's plus a MVP. The fact Kershaw doesn't have a ring while the Dodgers have won their division 7 years in a row is crazy, hell even the Braves snuck one out. Kershaw himself can shoulder some of the blame but his postseason record is a little better than what people say, he did well in 17 and 18 getting the Dodgers to the World Series before losing to the Astros and Red Sox.
Catcher J.T. Realmuto: This is a tough spot, you have young guys like Gary Sanchez and Will Smith, plus some old guys like Jonathan Lucroy who are worthy. I think Realmuto gets the nod because he's the best all around catcher in the game right now. He's only 29 so he still have time to get his, and Philly is a good spot to try to get it. In his 6 years of service he's got 2 All Star games 2 Silver Sluggers while racking up nearly 20 carrer bWAR, which for a catcher is pretty impressive.
First Base Paul Goldschmidt: With a hat tip to Freddie Freeman and Joey Votto, I'll give the nod to Goldy. He hasn't won the MVP yet but Goldy did get 2nd twice and has a 3rd place finish as well. 243 homers and 127 stolen bases from a first baseman is outstanding and Goldy can be a real difference maker when he's healthy.
Second Base Ozzie Albies: This one was pretty tough to find, the best 2 2B of that last 15 years each have rings so I'm digging a little deep here. Albies is still young but he's burst onto the scene and has a bright future, he'll probably get his ring eventually, but Atlanta doesn't exactly always win when they should.
Third Base Nolan Arenado: One of the deeper positions but Arenado is the best of the group. He's been the best player on the hot corner for his entire career. 6 years in the big leagues and he's got 227 home runs while batting nearly .300. He's amassed 37.5 bWAR while playing gold glove 3B. If I could pick any player for the Giants to sign and have him play for my team, it's Arenado.
Shortstop Francisco Lindor: Still think if they hadn't made up that rain delay Lindor would have his ring. Franky wasn't the most hyped prospect when he came up but he's been the best shortstop in the league from when he came up in 2015. Lindor has a ways to go in his career but unless he leaves Cleveland I don't see him winning a World Series.
Left Field Ryan Braun: This isn't even close, nobody who plays left field has had the career Braun has had. He's almost to 350 homers and 46.8 bWAR while playing a decent left field. Of course he has a MVP and if it weren't for that damn PED suspension he would be on his way to Cooperstown.
Center Field Mike Trout: This is only answer, there is nobody else. This entire list is just an excuse for me to talk about how good Mike Trout is again. There is nobody better in the game today than Trout, he's the best centerfielder since Griffey and when he's done he'll be in the conversation of the top 10 players of all time. He's in the 200/200 club and amassed 72.8 bWAR and hasn't even played 10 seasons yet. Trout has been on the Angels and even though they've spent money to get the team better they have not gotten anyone to pitch or anyone still in their prime to help him. They've wasted so much money on old players while not building a farm system they have ruined the prime of Trout's career. This isn't his fault, he needs better management.
Right Field Bryce Harper: Another great position with Judge, Yelich, Stanton, and Acuna all being worthy. I have to talk about Harper though because he left the Nationals and they won, the ultimate Ewing Theory, which I've petitioned to be changed to the Harper Theory. Bryce is a great player and he's great for baseball with all the things he does. He very well might get a rin in Philly but as of now he doesn't have one.
If we put this team together I think a ring would be in our sights, of course we would need some more pitchers but we could find some. Jacob deGrom and Blake Snell would be nice 2's to Kershaw. Just remember it isn't always the players fault they don't have a ring, sometimes their manager gives the game ball to the starting pitcher before the game is over and pisses off the baseball gods.
Tuesday, June 23, 2020
The Albums
I love music, I'm not as passionate about it as sports, but music is something that dominates my life. When I run or bike it's music, in the car music, at work music, everywhere I go I got music with me. The evolution of technology has made it easier than ever to take that music with you and listen to what you want when you want. The downside is the loss of albums, you may hear the new songs but only a few of us seek out albums anymore to listen to the entire thing. I've talked about this before but I listened to the Black Album from Metallica every night before bed from 7th-12th grade. I have a pretty extensive CD collection because #1 I love music and #2 I was hardheaded in the MP3 days and still bought music instead of downloading. Now I stream everything as my CDs collect dust, my wife's car doesn't even have a CD player in it. Thought tonight would be a good time to talk about 10 of my favorite albums, these aren't the 10 best albums ever or anything like that, they are just my favorite 10 that I've listened to over the years.
#1 Metallica "Black Album" Will always be my #1. I'll be 80 and will still get chills when Enter Sandman starts. The first 9 songs on this album all kick ass, I don't think there is a better grouping in songs on anything else. They just are seamless as they go from 1 to the next. So many rock stations played songs off that album that weren't released as singles just because they are so awesome. It really doesn't get much better than this one.
#2 Linkin Park "Hybrid Theory" and "Meteora" I don't want to choose between these two, they frame a specific time in my life. Probably the time music speaks for you is when you're 16-24 and these two albums were from when I was 18 for Hybrid Theory and right before I turned 21 for Meteora. There was something special about these 2 records, they bridged a specific gap for me, as a small town white kid I enjoyed hard rock and rap. Linkin Park brought those two styles together in a different way, they weren't rapping as a one off or anything, no it was a part of every song. Then you have Chester who could sing and give that deep growl. It's still my biggest music regret not seeing these guys live when Chester was alive. They came out so hot with these two just ball busting albums, really hard to find a bad song on either album, I would listen to them beginning to end when I would drive back and forth from Juda to Platteville.
#3 Eric Church "Chief" I listen to country music a lot, my wife enjoys it. I don't listen to many country albums though, this one is different. I don't know what it is about Eric Church but this album just hits me. Could be in that phase of my life again, it was right before kids, when I was still living my early 20;s right before I turned 30. Chief has so many good songs, and even the ones I didn't like at first I now enjoy a lot. Homeboy at first was a song I couldn't stand and now it's one of my favorites on the album. Chief is a great album and it helps the time I saw Eric Church he played almost the entire album. It was very cool.
#4 Sublime "Sublime" I bought this album with no idea what I was getting into. It was the late 90's I watched a lot of MTV2 because they played music videos and the video for "Wrong Way" was on a lot. The song was just so good I went and bought the album. I had no interest in the Sublime style, that ska, punk, reggae sound. I didn't know anything about bands like Sublime or even about Sublime at all. I got the album and played the absolute shit out of it, it was the first album I bought with my own money. I still have it 20+ years later. Besides the 3 big ones (What I Got, Wrong Way, and Santeria) I love so many of the songs. April 26, 1992 is such a damn awesome song. Caress Me Down for a 16 year old was something else, I got a kick out of that song. Just awesome stuff all around.
#5 Nelly "Country Grammar" Summer of 2000 there was a wave in the Midwest, and that wave was Country Grammar. It swept up in my tiny town and a lot of people got caught up in it's wake. It was a different sound than the gansta rap of the mid 90's, the lyrics still hit but it was more of a party beat. The songs all had a hint of a party going on, I ate it up. Batter Up is awesome, Country Grammar outstanding, St. Louie and Ride Wit Me, just awesome. The album was so good, still love it.
#6 Notorious B.I.G. "Life After Death" The double album from Biggie. I didn't have Ready to Die, but I had this one and I listened to it a lot, especially the 2nd CD. Notorious Thugs is my favorite from the albums, just and absolute banger. Obviously Hypnotize was also a favorite, but it was on the first CD so I didn't play it as much. I listened to this one a lot on the bus to basketball and baseball games, usually Notorious Thugs right before we got the opposing school, it just got me in the right mind.
#7 Rise Against "Appeal to Reason" I stumbled into this one about the same way I stumbled into Sublime. "Savior" was on the radio a lot and I loved the song so I went and got the album, Savior isn't even the top 5 songs of top 5 from the album anymore. I can listen to this one from beginning to end with no problems. The songs are all so good and they flow perfectly. I'm not the biggest Rise Against fan but this album is just outstanding.
#8 Korn "Untouchable" Not the best Korn album but it's the first one I bought. After I got this one and saw Korn I went and bought the other ones. Untouchables though was my first and we all love our first the most. Alone I Break has one of the best Korn videos ever where Jon goes around and kills all the members of the band. Still dig the album a lot, and it turned me onto so much more of Korn when I wasn't all that into them.
#9 Ja Rule "Rule 3:36" I can't explain it, I like Ja Rule. 6 Feet Underground was such a good song, could listen to that one a lot. Chris and I would listen to this one together a lot and it was just something we enjoyed. Not everything has the deepest meaning but this one just reminds me of the years between being a kid and a adult, that time when I didn't have many worries except where the beer was gonna be.
#10 Rihanna "Good Girl Gone Bad" Another album that reminds me of a time. This is when I first met my wife and we were hanging out with a specific group. I listened to this album a lot on my own and I remember us sharing the album when I was gone she had it and when I was home it was in my car. I like a lot of female pop singers, Rihanna is up there on the list. She hardly has a song I don't like and this album has so many fun songs, Umbrella, Shut Up and Drive, Breaking Dishes, and Push Up On Me are all outstanding songs.
A few honorable mentions "Chocolate Starfish and the Hot Dog Flavored Water" should get a mention, again it had it's time and place and even though it's cool to shit on Limp Bizkit, that record was huge. Nickleback "The State" is a great album and again it's fun to crap on Nickleback but this album is good. I like my Styx Greatest Hits album but didn't want to list a greatest hits on here. Outkast is great. Velvet Revolver's "Contraband" is great. The great thing about music is anyone can enjoy it however they want, you may not like my list and that's cool, I'm not forcing you to listen to it. What is your top 5 albums? Let me know.
#1 Metallica "Black Album" Will always be my #1. I'll be 80 and will still get chills when Enter Sandman starts. The first 9 songs on this album all kick ass, I don't think there is a better grouping in songs on anything else. They just are seamless as they go from 1 to the next. So many rock stations played songs off that album that weren't released as singles just because they are so awesome. It really doesn't get much better than this one.
#2 Linkin Park "Hybrid Theory" and "Meteora" I don't want to choose between these two, they frame a specific time in my life. Probably the time music speaks for you is when you're 16-24 and these two albums were from when I was 18 for Hybrid Theory and right before I turned 21 for Meteora. There was something special about these 2 records, they bridged a specific gap for me, as a small town white kid I enjoyed hard rock and rap. Linkin Park brought those two styles together in a different way, they weren't rapping as a one off or anything, no it was a part of every song. Then you have Chester who could sing and give that deep growl. It's still my biggest music regret not seeing these guys live when Chester was alive. They came out so hot with these two just ball busting albums, really hard to find a bad song on either album, I would listen to them beginning to end when I would drive back and forth from Juda to Platteville.
#3 Eric Church "Chief" I listen to country music a lot, my wife enjoys it. I don't listen to many country albums though, this one is different. I don't know what it is about Eric Church but this album just hits me. Could be in that phase of my life again, it was right before kids, when I was still living my early 20;s right before I turned 30. Chief has so many good songs, and even the ones I didn't like at first I now enjoy a lot. Homeboy at first was a song I couldn't stand and now it's one of my favorites on the album. Chief is a great album and it helps the time I saw Eric Church he played almost the entire album. It was very cool.
#4 Sublime "Sublime" I bought this album with no idea what I was getting into. It was the late 90's I watched a lot of MTV2 because they played music videos and the video for "Wrong Way" was on a lot. The song was just so good I went and bought the album. I had no interest in the Sublime style, that ska, punk, reggae sound. I didn't know anything about bands like Sublime or even about Sublime at all. I got the album and played the absolute shit out of it, it was the first album I bought with my own money. I still have it 20+ years later. Besides the 3 big ones (What I Got, Wrong Way, and Santeria) I love so many of the songs. April 26, 1992 is such a damn awesome song. Caress Me Down for a 16 year old was something else, I got a kick out of that song. Just awesome stuff all around.
#5 Nelly "Country Grammar" Summer of 2000 there was a wave in the Midwest, and that wave was Country Grammar. It swept up in my tiny town and a lot of people got caught up in it's wake. It was a different sound than the gansta rap of the mid 90's, the lyrics still hit but it was more of a party beat. The songs all had a hint of a party going on, I ate it up. Batter Up is awesome, Country Grammar outstanding, St. Louie and Ride Wit Me, just awesome. The album was so good, still love it.
#6 Notorious B.I.G. "Life After Death" The double album from Biggie. I didn't have Ready to Die, but I had this one and I listened to it a lot, especially the 2nd CD. Notorious Thugs is my favorite from the albums, just and absolute banger. Obviously Hypnotize was also a favorite, but it was on the first CD so I didn't play it as much. I listened to this one a lot on the bus to basketball and baseball games, usually Notorious Thugs right before we got the opposing school, it just got me in the right mind.
#7 Rise Against "Appeal to Reason" I stumbled into this one about the same way I stumbled into Sublime. "Savior" was on the radio a lot and I loved the song so I went and got the album, Savior isn't even the top 5 songs of top 5 from the album anymore. I can listen to this one from beginning to end with no problems. The songs are all so good and they flow perfectly. I'm not the biggest Rise Against fan but this album is just outstanding.
#8 Korn "Untouchable" Not the best Korn album but it's the first one I bought. After I got this one and saw Korn I went and bought the other ones. Untouchables though was my first and we all love our first the most. Alone I Break has one of the best Korn videos ever where Jon goes around and kills all the members of the band. Still dig the album a lot, and it turned me onto so much more of Korn when I wasn't all that into them.
#9 Ja Rule "Rule 3:36" I can't explain it, I like Ja Rule. 6 Feet Underground was such a good song, could listen to that one a lot. Chris and I would listen to this one together a lot and it was just something we enjoyed. Not everything has the deepest meaning but this one just reminds me of the years between being a kid and a adult, that time when I didn't have many worries except where the beer was gonna be.
#10 Rihanna "Good Girl Gone Bad" Another album that reminds me of a time. This is when I first met my wife and we were hanging out with a specific group. I listened to this album a lot on my own and I remember us sharing the album when I was gone she had it and when I was home it was in my car. I like a lot of female pop singers, Rihanna is up there on the list. She hardly has a song I don't like and this album has so many fun songs, Umbrella, Shut Up and Drive, Breaking Dishes, and Push Up On Me are all outstanding songs.
A few honorable mentions "Chocolate Starfish and the Hot Dog Flavored Water" should get a mention, again it had it's time and place and even though it's cool to shit on Limp Bizkit, that record was huge. Nickleback "The State" is a great album and again it's fun to crap on Nickleback but this album is good. I like my Styx Greatest Hits album but didn't want to list a greatest hits on here. Outkast is great. Velvet Revolver's "Contraband" is great. The great thing about music is anyone can enjoy it however they want, you may not like my list and that's cool, I'm not forcing you to listen to it. What is your top 5 albums? Let me know.
Tuesday, June 16, 2020
Spoiled Primadonnas
You hear it all the time, pro athletes are spoiled, they get paid millions of dollars to play a kids game, just take what you can get and play the game you spoiled babies. A couple posts ago I talked about the "Stick to sports" crowd and those people are usually saying the things I said above. After that post my friend Jenni who is much smarter than me sent me a message saying often people see athletes as commodities instead of people. I of course in all my ramblings about sticking to sports didn't see that and since then I've been thinking a lot about that. Now the last couple days with the MLB owners and MLBPA having their fight about profits and schedule, there have been feuding factions, some blame the players, I'm on the side of hating the owners. With all this bickering, instead of making a case about why they owners are to blame, I'm going to talk about the idea that Jenni gave me, players are commodities and why we think they are the spoiled ones.
The thing about being an athlete good enough for the professional levels, or even the upper echelon of college sports is that they are special. They are so special you'll shell out anywhere from 30-250 dollars to sit in a seat and watch them play a game. The thing about athletes is they don't have much choice in where they play. They get a choice in high school to choose and when they sign that paper they are required to stay at the school or forfeit a year of eligibility. So that's strike 1 in the commodity box. They belong to that school or face a penalty. If you or I go to college and decide to switch schools we can do it whenever we want without penalty. Then if you're good enough after 1-4 years you get drafted into the professional levels. They get to visit all the teams and choose what's best for them, no instead a team drafts them, and they automatically belong to that team. Now you can threaten to not sign but you'll get labeled as selfish and not a team player. That is another check in the commodity box, you belong to that team and until the end of your first contract you belong to them or can't play. If you or I graduate college we go work for an insurance firm, don't like how things are going, we can quit and go find a new job with another insurance firm, a football player is stuck playing for the Jaguars, they can't just go work for the Chargers. Those are just how the players are treated by their employers, that doesn't even talk about the fans.
Your favorite team just drafted the future QB or signed the big free agent starting pitcher. You're very excited, you go online and order that guys jersey. Boom I'm this guys #1 fan, he's taking us to the promised land. Then the season starts and he doesn't do any of that, instead he's a bit lazy and underachieves. Now he's an overpaid BUM, go home loser he hears as he walks off the field. You invested in this player and he's let you down, he's a failing stock. But here's the thing, his performance wasn't going to make you any more or less money. So he isn't a stock that you invested in, no you just bought a shirt with a number on it and another person's # on the back. However since you have that piece of laundry you feel like he owes you something, and that again makes him a commodity, your commodity that you should get something back from.
Fantasy sports is another step in the commodity process. We have these drafts where we sit around and pick guys to be on our team. The team we run, manipulate and do everything possible to win. We trade, we cut, we add, we buy low, we sell high. Fantasy sports is the stock market for jocks. We invest so much time and energy into winning, that even if you do bring home the championship and some dollars if you look at the time spent for that money it adds up to like .50 cents and hour, and that's if you win. If you lose you do all that work for nothing. I understand fantasy is fun, I quit watching the NFL and still play fantasy football. I'm not bashing the fantasy games, just using them as an example of why we think of these guys as commodities.
To get back to the owners vs players debate, I think there is another commodity train of thought. When a player signs a contract, you know what he signed for. Bryce Harper 13 years 330 million dollars, what a spoiled ass, nobody is worth that money. When you watch Harper play, every game that contract will be brought up, whether he's overperforming or underperforming. What you don't hear though is how much money the owner is getting for the broadcast rights for that game, how much money the owner gets in profit sharing from the league, how much the owner makes at the gate, the concession stand, the suites, everything. You hear when they make the deal, but those numbers are forgotten because they aren't brought up during every slump. The TV broadcasters aren't going to say, can you believe my bosses paid money so you can watch these guy play the Marlins. No you never hear that instead it's the players fault because his contract is easy to find, Google his name and it's right there. Highest paid QB in the league, and when a new QB signs that contract you hear well he's not worth that. But when someone pays to broadcast the Mets, nobody says they paid too much to air Mets games.
Another thing is for the most part these owners stay out of the limelight. Yeah I know Jerry Jones and Dan Snyder are up front a lot, but for the most part you can't name who owns your favorite team. You know your players because that's who matters, those guys make the difference for how you feel. I have no idea who owns the Giants, they have a CEO whom they had accept all those trophies but the principle owner I have no clue. I can though name the starting 8 from all 3 World Series teams, those guys made the difference on the field so they get the memories.
It takes 2 to tango, the players need the owners to pay them and the owners need the players to make sure the best product is on the field. Of course that isn't always true, in fact the Marlins are a terrible product and they had 5 people bidding to give the last owner a $1 billion profit for the sale of the team. Just being affiliated with these leagues gives the owners the money they need. My final point is, if it's so profitable for players to play sports and they are so rich and spoiled, how come only 1 former player is an owner of a team? Michael Jordan owns the Hornets, that's it that's the list. Several former players are investors but other than Jordan nobody is the principle investor. These guys are owned by any of us, and they certainly don't owe us a damn thing. They are paid what the market will give them, they can't just demand 15 million dollars a year and someone gives it to them, they have to show they are worth that money. Stop thinking of them as commodities and instead see them for what they are, people.
The thing about being an athlete good enough for the professional levels, or even the upper echelon of college sports is that they are special. They are so special you'll shell out anywhere from 30-250 dollars to sit in a seat and watch them play a game. The thing about athletes is they don't have much choice in where they play. They get a choice in high school to choose and when they sign that paper they are required to stay at the school or forfeit a year of eligibility. So that's strike 1 in the commodity box. They belong to that school or face a penalty. If you or I go to college and decide to switch schools we can do it whenever we want without penalty. Then if you're good enough after 1-4 years you get drafted into the professional levels. They get to visit all the teams and choose what's best for them, no instead a team drafts them, and they automatically belong to that team. Now you can threaten to not sign but you'll get labeled as selfish and not a team player. That is another check in the commodity box, you belong to that team and until the end of your first contract you belong to them or can't play. If you or I graduate college we go work for an insurance firm, don't like how things are going, we can quit and go find a new job with another insurance firm, a football player is stuck playing for the Jaguars, they can't just go work for the Chargers. Those are just how the players are treated by their employers, that doesn't even talk about the fans.
Your favorite team just drafted the future QB or signed the big free agent starting pitcher. You're very excited, you go online and order that guys jersey. Boom I'm this guys #1 fan, he's taking us to the promised land. Then the season starts and he doesn't do any of that, instead he's a bit lazy and underachieves. Now he's an overpaid BUM, go home loser he hears as he walks off the field. You invested in this player and he's let you down, he's a failing stock. But here's the thing, his performance wasn't going to make you any more or less money. So he isn't a stock that you invested in, no you just bought a shirt with a number on it and another person's # on the back. However since you have that piece of laundry you feel like he owes you something, and that again makes him a commodity, your commodity that you should get something back from.
Fantasy sports is another step in the commodity process. We have these drafts where we sit around and pick guys to be on our team. The team we run, manipulate and do everything possible to win. We trade, we cut, we add, we buy low, we sell high. Fantasy sports is the stock market for jocks. We invest so much time and energy into winning, that even if you do bring home the championship and some dollars if you look at the time spent for that money it adds up to like .50 cents and hour, and that's if you win. If you lose you do all that work for nothing. I understand fantasy is fun, I quit watching the NFL and still play fantasy football. I'm not bashing the fantasy games, just using them as an example of why we think of these guys as commodities.
To get back to the owners vs players debate, I think there is another commodity train of thought. When a player signs a contract, you know what he signed for. Bryce Harper 13 years 330 million dollars, what a spoiled ass, nobody is worth that money. When you watch Harper play, every game that contract will be brought up, whether he's overperforming or underperforming. What you don't hear though is how much money the owner is getting for the broadcast rights for that game, how much money the owner gets in profit sharing from the league, how much the owner makes at the gate, the concession stand, the suites, everything. You hear when they make the deal, but those numbers are forgotten because they aren't brought up during every slump. The TV broadcasters aren't going to say, can you believe my bosses paid money so you can watch these guy play the Marlins. No you never hear that instead it's the players fault because his contract is easy to find, Google his name and it's right there. Highest paid QB in the league, and when a new QB signs that contract you hear well he's not worth that. But when someone pays to broadcast the Mets, nobody says they paid too much to air Mets games.
Another thing is for the most part these owners stay out of the limelight. Yeah I know Jerry Jones and Dan Snyder are up front a lot, but for the most part you can't name who owns your favorite team. You know your players because that's who matters, those guys make the difference for how you feel. I have no idea who owns the Giants, they have a CEO whom they had accept all those trophies but the principle owner I have no clue. I can though name the starting 8 from all 3 World Series teams, those guys made the difference on the field so they get the memories.
It takes 2 to tango, the players need the owners to pay them and the owners need the players to make sure the best product is on the field. Of course that isn't always true, in fact the Marlins are a terrible product and they had 5 people bidding to give the last owner a $1 billion profit for the sale of the team. Just being affiliated with these leagues gives the owners the money they need. My final point is, if it's so profitable for players to play sports and they are so rich and spoiled, how come only 1 former player is an owner of a team? Michael Jordan owns the Hornets, that's it that's the list. Several former players are investors but other than Jordan nobody is the principle investor. These guys are owned by any of us, and they certainly don't owe us a damn thing. They are paid what the market will give them, they can't just demand 15 million dollars a year and someone gives it to them, they have to show they are worth that money. Stop thinking of them as commodities and instead see them for what they are, people.
Monday, June 15, 2020
The 90's Vs Today
The amount of nostalgia lately is at record highs. With no sports (besides racing, golf, and foreign sports leagues) to watch, networks have been airing past games, documentaries, and other media to spark interest. Making those of us in our 30's and 40's long for the days of yesteryear when if you went to the hole Rick Mahorn was going to rip your head off, or if you went across the middle Junior Seau was going to decapitate you. They weren't these pampered primadonnas who flop and play with skirts on, (yes I know we sound like our parents, who said back in our day they didn't even wear helmets). I fell into the nostalgia worm hole a couple times, The Last Dance for sure brought back memories, I watched some of the 1997 Michigan team, yesterday during the lightening delay of the race I had a discussion with Chris about who the drivers from today compared to the early 90's. Throw in the constant talk about baseball having labor issues, just like 1994 and it feels like we're back in the 90's and looking at things with fresh eyes.
The Last Dance was a pretty good documentary showcasing Michael Jordan and his rise to being best player in the world, and all the obstacles in his way, while also showing how his final season in Chicago played out. I wasn't the biggest MJ fan as a kid, it's my natural instinct to be contrarian, so if everyone loved him, I had to find someone else to love. I was a Bulls fan but Scottie Pippen was my favorite player on the team. Since I wasn't the huge MJ fan the documentary hit me different, instead of being wowed by his greatness, (he was insane good and those highlights of his early years were just amazing to see and he changed how the game is played) I was more focused on the guys who the movie wasn't about. I ate up the interviews, BJ Armstrong, Reggie Miller, Dennis Rodman, Steve Kerr, Patrick Ewing, and Isaiah Thomas were all great to hear. Reggie Miller is an amazing story teller, and him talking about that series in 98 was outstanding. That Pacers team was loaded, and they had more firepower than the Bulls. They just didn't have Jordan and he was the difference. To me though the star of the last 2 episodes were those Jazz warm ups, the all purple with the mountains on them just screamed 90's. With everyone trying to be cool, remember the black uniform craze, those terrible things just made me laugh so hard.
The thing that happened because of the Last Dance is what I didn't like. Since MJ was on our TVs for 2 hours every Sunday it brought the LeBron haters out in full force. Everything became fair game because you could see everything great about MJ and say what he was that LeBron isn't. I'm not the hugest hoops fan anymore but this constant bickering about MJ vs LeBron is stupid and a waste of time. I don't think there is a single person who has changed their mind on the two because of what you tweeted. What I saw is that MJ played the game the way LeBron does now, there was plenty of working the refs, and he got away with some stuff. Now he did get his head ripped off by Detroit but that was about it. The Knicks tried to be tough but John Starks was fake tough and Oakley was MJs friend. I think MJ changed the game and a lot of what you see today was because of him, especially those last 3 years in Chicago.
During the delay in the race Fox aired a couple specials about Davey Allison. If you didn't know Davey came from a racing family and was on his way to being a big star in stock car racing when he died tragically in a helicopter crash in 1993 at the age of 32. Davey was coming off of finishing 3rd in points in and winning the Daytona 500 in 1992. When he died he was the 2nd of the top 3 drivers from the 92 points race to die tragically. Reigning champion Alan Kulwicki died in a plane crash in April. The question poised by Chris was, "Who is better than Davey today?" I wasn't sure how to answer, the sport and championship are settled so differently today. I decided I gotta make a power rankings and compare 1988-1994 vs 2014-2020. Let's compare some drivers.
#1 Dale Earnhardt and Kyle Busch. In each of the times we're comparing these are the only multiple time Champions. Senior racked up 4 of his 7 titles in those 6 years while Kyle has won 2 titles in the 6 years, and could win in 2020. I'm in no way saying Kyle Busch is Dale Earnhardt but in today's racing he's the closest thing we got. With the crowning of a champion changing from season long points to a winner take all, I think Kyle is for sure our #1 of today because if you had one race to win Kyle would be your first choice of stock car racers.
#2 Rusty Wallace and Kevin Harvick. Both of these guys have a championship in this window. The both also have so many close calls. In his window, Rusty got a title, 2nd twice and a 3rd place points finish. Harvick has a title a 2nd and 3 3rd place finishes. The biggest difference between the 2 is their ages, Harvick is in later years while Rusty was in his prime during the time frame. Harvick wasted some of his prime years in sub-par equipment at RCR.
#3 Bill Elliot and Joey Logano. Awesome Bill from Dawsonville was the fastest guy in the sport at this time, he set all kinds of qualifying records including going 210 MPH at Daytona in 1987 and later that same season he went 212 MPH at Talladega. He won a title in 1988 and had some other top 5 finishes. Joey Logano since joining Penske racing has been on a tear, he runs up front almost weekly and has a championship already. Again their career trajectories are in different phases but they compare favorably for these 6 years.
#4 Davey Allison and Martin Truex Jr. I became a Davey fan about a decade ago when I bought a die cast of his and since then I've read up on him a little, plus the 2 specials on Fox and it showed what a great racer he was. Davey was on his way to being a superstar, he was going to challenge Dale Earnhardt and Jeff Gordon for titles once he learned to finish races instead of crashing. Martin Truex Jr. is a bit more of a late bloomer, but he's been up front a lot the last 4 or 5 years. I think these two compare favorably and shoulda coulda had more.
#5 Mark Martin and Denny Hamlin. This one is almost too easy. Denny just tied Mark in career wins with 40 and neither of them have a title. They run up front, they win races, they get close in points only to come up short. Their careers are so similar it's scary.
#6 Darrell Waltrip and Jimmie Johnson. These aren't really a ranking anymore. DW and JJ are so close performance wise. Personality, they are polar opposites but both being past champions in the twilight of their careers while still putting up ok finishes but not exactly who they used to be. I know Jimmie got a championship in this time frame, but that was gifted by Carl Edwards.
#7 Alan Kulwicki and Brad Keselowski. They have a lot more in common than the polish last name. Each of them have a championship, though BK's is before the time frame. I think if Brad could he would live Kulwicki's racing life. Back then a guy could own his car and win a championship, which is exactly what Kulwicki did in 1992. Brad strikes me as a guy who love to have his own shop and win races for himself.
#8 Terry Labonte and Kurt Busch. This one is a bit of a stretch but these two have few things in common. They each have championship, and while neither was the best of his era they both have had good careers. Kurt has 31 wins compared to Terry's 22. They are older brothers to drivers who also have championships (who happened to win their titles with Joe Gibbs, in the 18 car). Texas Terry is a little more likeable than KuBu, but I think they line up alright together.
#9 Jeff Gordon and Chase Elliot and Ryan Blaney. Jeff Gordon didn't arrive on the scene until 1992, he didn't get a title in the window of this exercise but he was on his way. I think these 2 drivers both compare favorably to the Jeff Gordon trajectory. They are on the elite teams with the unlimited resources to win. I think for sure they each win a title and possibly multiple titles in their careers.
I don't have a #10, this went farther than I thought it would already. Enjoy the nostalgia while you still can, and the way things are going you'll have plenty of time to keep looking back at the past and comparing it to today.
The Last Dance was a pretty good documentary showcasing Michael Jordan and his rise to being best player in the world, and all the obstacles in his way, while also showing how his final season in Chicago played out. I wasn't the biggest MJ fan as a kid, it's my natural instinct to be contrarian, so if everyone loved him, I had to find someone else to love. I was a Bulls fan but Scottie Pippen was my favorite player on the team. Since I wasn't the huge MJ fan the documentary hit me different, instead of being wowed by his greatness, (he was insane good and those highlights of his early years were just amazing to see and he changed how the game is played) I was more focused on the guys who the movie wasn't about. I ate up the interviews, BJ Armstrong, Reggie Miller, Dennis Rodman, Steve Kerr, Patrick Ewing, and Isaiah Thomas were all great to hear. Reggie Miller is an amazing story teller, and him talking about that series in 98 was outstanding. That Pacers team was loaded, and they had more firepower than the Bulls. They just didn't have Jordan and he was the difference. To me though the star of the last 2 episodes were those Jazz warm ups, the all purple with the mountains on them just screamed 90's. With everyone trying to be cool, remember the black uniform craze, those terrible things just made me laugh so hard.
The thing that happened because of the Last Dance is what I didn't like. Since MJ was on our TVs for 2 hours every Sunday it brought the LeBron haters out in full force. Everything became fair game because you could see everything great about MJ and say what he was that LeBron isn't. I'm not the hugest hoops fan anymore but this constant bickering about MJ vs LeBron is stupid and a waste of time. I don't think there is a single person who has changed their mind on the two because of what you tweeted. What I saw is that MJ played the game the way LeBron does now, there was plenty of working the refs, and he got away with some stuff. Now he did get his head ripped off by Detroit but that was about it. The Knicks tried to be tough but John Starks was fake tough and Oakley was MJs friend. I think MJ changed the game and a lot of what you see today was because of him, especially those last 3 years in Chicago.
During the delay in the race Fox aired a couple specials about Davey Allison. If you didn't know Davey came from a racing family and was on his way to being a big star in stock car racing when he died tragically in a helicopter crash in 1993 at the age of 32. Davey was coming off of finishing 3rd in points in and winning the Daytona 500 in 1992. When he died he was the 2nd of the top 3 drivers from the 92 points race to die tragically. Reigning champion Alan Kulwicki died in a plane crash in April. The question poised by Chris was, "Who is better than Davey today?" I wasn't sure how to answer, the sport and championship are settled so differently today. I decided I gotta make a power rankings and compare 1988-1994 vs 2014-2020. Let's compare some drivers.
#1 Dale Earnhardt and Kyle Busch. In each of the times we're comparing these are the only multiple time Champions. Senior racked up 4 of his 7 titles in those 6 years while Kyle has won 2 titles in the 6 years, and could win in 2020. I'm in no way saying Kyle Busch is Dale Earnhardt but in today's racing he's the closest thing we got. With the crowning of a champion changing from season long points to a winner take all, I think Kyle is for sure our #1 of today because if you had one race to win Kyle would be your first choice of stock car racers.
#2 Rusty Wallace and Kevin Harvick. Both of these guys have a championship in this window. The both also have so many close calls. In his window, Rusty got a title, 2nd twice and a 3rd place points finish. Harvick has a title a 2nd and 3 3rd place finishes. The biggest difference between the 2 is their ages, Harvick is in later years while Rusty was in his prime during the time frame. Harvick wasted some of his prime years in sub-par equipment at RCR.
#3 Bill Elliot and Joey Logano. Awesome Bill from Dawsonville was the fastest guy in the sport at this time, he set all kinds of qualifying records including going 210 MPH at Daytona in 1987 and later that same season he went 212 MPH at Talladega. He won a title in 1988 and had some other top 5 finishes. Joey Logano since joining Penske racing has been on a tear, he runs up front almost weekly and has a championship already. Again their career trajectories are in different phases but they compare favorably for these 6 years.
#4 Davey Allison and Martin Truex Jr. I became a Davey fan about a decade ago when I bought a die cast of his and since then I've read up on him a little, plus the 2 specials on Fox and it showed what a great racer he was. Davey was on his way to being a superstar, he was going to challenge Dale Earnhardt and Jeff Gordon for titles once he learned to finish races instead of crashing. Martin Truex Jr. is a bit more of a late bloomer, but he's been up front a lot the last 4 or 5 years. I think these two compare favorably and shoulda coulda had more.
#5 Mark Martin and Denny Hamlin. This one is almost too easy. Denny just tied Mark in career wins with 40 and neither of them have a title. They run up front, they win races, they get close in points only to come up short. Their careers are so similar it's scary.
#6 Darrell Waltrip and Jimmie Johnson. These aren't really a ranking anymore. DW and JJ are so close performance wise. Personality, they are polar opposites but both being past champions in the twilight of their careers while still putting up ok finishes but not exactly who they used to be. I know Jimmie got a championship in this time frame, but that was gifted by Carl Edwards.
#7 Alan Kulwicki and Brad Keselowski. They have a lot more in common than the polish last name. Each of them have a championship, though BK's is before the time frame. I think if Brad could he would live Kulwicki's racing life. Back then a guy could own his car and win a championship, which is exactly what Kulwicki did in 1992. Brad strikes me as a guy who love to have his own shop and win races for himself.
#8 Terry Labonte and Kurt Busch. This one is a bit of a stretch but these two have few things in common. They each have championship, and while neither was the best of his era they both have had good careers. Kurt has 31 wins compared to Terry's 22. They are older brothers to drivers who also have championships (who happened to win their titles with Joe Gibbs, in the 18 car). Texas Terry is a little more likeable than KuBu, but I think they line up alright together.
#9 Jeff Gordon and Chase Elliot and Ryan Blaney. Jeff Gordon didn't arrive on the scene until 1992, he didn't get a title in the window of this exercise but he was on his way. I think these 2 drivers both compare favorably to the Jeff Gordon trajectory. They are on the elite teams with the unlimited resources to win. I think for sure they each win a title and possibly multiple titles in their careers.
I don't have a #10, this went farther than I thought it would already. Enjoy the nostalgia while you still can, and the way things are going you'll have plenty of time to keep looking back at the past and comparing it to today.
Monday, June 8, 2020
A New Wave
In the last few years the fans at Kinnick Stadium have started a new tradition of turning and waving to the Children's Hospital that overlooks the stadium after the 1st quarter of all home games. The tradition has been a beautiful celebration of those kids who have been fighting like most of us couldn't understand. Unbeknownst to us, there was another group in the stadium every week that was also fighting something that most of us don't understand and until recently we didn't know about. That fight is for cultural unity inside the Iowa football program. According to many former players of the Iowa program, guys who graduated and players who transferred out, the staff at Iowa has been biased towards black players and has caused them great anxiety in there time as members of the football program. Not every black player has a bad experience but enough have that there seems to be a trend. Since these revelations surfaced on Friday night, and many more posts over the weekend Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz has suspended Strength Coach Chris Doyle with pay, while there is an independent investigation. There have been swift changes made, as the players returned to football complex this morning it was an entire new world for them. #1 the coach they spend the most time with wasn't there, instead of Chris Doyle they have intern head strength coach Raimond Braithwaite, who has been a member of Doyle's staff since 2008. The second is Ferentz has lifted his ban of the players of posting on Twitter. The players also met today and it sounds like the team is unified in their direction of creating change, while also asking us the fans to also help create the change.
The racial disparities (the words former player and current Chicago Bear James Daniels used) inside the program for the most part have gone unnoticed by the general public. We as fans see the transfers, but usually it's a guy who got passed on the depth chart, or is far away from home so we chalk it up those reasons, not that guys were being asked to act differently than how they were raised. Iowa has had a large number of black players transfer out of the program, and those players have usually not spoken up about the problems on the inside, there was one player Derrick Mitchell, who transferred after 2016 and has since passed away after being hit by a car. Mitchell was on twitter during 2018 and was critical of the program, he was met with cries of sour grapes and that he wasn't good enough. Well he was right at the time and he spoke his truth but nobody wanted to hear it, now these players who left on good terms are speaking up and sadly Mitchell can't have his say. I'm not going to sit here and act like I believed him, but I think we all should realize he gave us the signs and we didn't follow them. Again it sounded like sour grapes, I still find myself doing that today when I read what guys who transferred have to say. We need to make sure we give those allegations as much credence as any.
I'm not sure what the end result of all of this unrest will amount to. I think at the very least Chris Doyle will be fired. I think Offensive Coordinator Brian Ferentz and Linebackers Coach Seth Wallace will both face some form of discipline. Head Coach Kirk Ferentz seems to have the benefit of the doubt and even the players speaking up have said he should get a chance to fix the problems and not be fired. I don't think Ferentz should be fired, but I'm also not the one being discriminated against. The stories these players share are heartbreaking, and they deserve better, but I think Ferentz should get his shot to right the ship. The changes that have already started seem to speak on KF's willingness to change.
Allowing the current players to post on Twitter is a huge step in the right direction, the players in the past were allowed to keep their accounts but couldn't post. They could post on Instagram, Facebook, or other social media platforms, but posting on Twitter was prohibited. The prohibition was lifted on Saturday and the players have used the platform to ask for change. This afternoon, there was a lot of activity from the current players, I'm assuming after they all met, they each wrote an individual statement and posted about unity and moving for change. Safety Kaevon Merriweather made a statement saying if you can't support the change we're asking for, please find another team. I loved his tweet and you should find it. I think he's saying come the fall we're going to kneel for the national anthem and if you got a problem with that, go ahead and find another team. I know it probably doesn't mean much, but I support these young men and I'll back them up however I can, as a white guy chasing 40 who's been to 1 game ever, I doubt I can do much, but damn it I'll try.
These kids deserve our support, and we should respect their courage. The pressure of performing on Saturday's has to be enormous, and sure a few of them are going to play at the next level, but for most this is their peak. Plus they have to balance life away from home, while going to school, and giving all their energy to football, for a hope and a dream. I hope we can get to football on Saturday's and these players can play with nothing on their mind, except for the players on the opposing sideline and of course turning and waving to their heroes up in those hospital rooms, and not fighting for respect from their coaches. Hopefully a new wave of respect will come through the program.
The racial disparities (the words former player and current Chicago Bear James Daniels used) inside the program for the most part have gone unnoticed by the general public. We as fans see the transfers, but usually it's a guy who got passed on the depth chart, or is far away from home so we chalk it up those reasons, not that guys were being asked to act differently than how they were raised. Iowa has had a large number of black players transfer out of the program, and those players have usually not spoken up about the problems on the inside, there was one player Derrick Mitchell, who transferred after 2016 and has since passed away after being hit by a car. Mitchell was on twitter during 2018 and was critical of the program, he was met with cries of sour grapes and that he wasn't good enough. Well he was right at the time and he spoke his truth but nobody wanted to hear it, now these players who left on good terms are speaking up and sadly Mitchell can't have his say. I'm not going to sit here and act like I believed him, but I think we all should realize he gave us the signs and we didn't follow them. Again it sounded like sour grapes, I still find myself doing that today when I read what guys who transferred have to say. We need to make sure we give those allegations as much credence as any.
I'm not sure what the end result of all of this unrest will amount to. I think at the very least Chris Doyle will be fired. I think Offensive Coordinator Brian Ferentz and Linebackers Coach Seth Wallace will both face some form of discipline. Head Coach Kirk Ferentz seems to have the benefit of the doubt and even the players speaking up have said he should get a chance to fix the problems and not be fired. I don't think Ferentz should be fired, but I'm also not the one being discriminated against. The stories these players share are heartbreaking, and they deserve better, but I think Ferentz should get his shot to right the ship. The changes that have already started seem to speak on KF's willingness to change.
Allowing the current players to post on Twitter is a huge step in the right direction, the players in the past were allowed to keep their accounts but couldn't post. They could post on Instagram, Facebook, or other social media platforms, but posting on Twitter was prohibited. The prohibition was lifted on Saturday and the players have used the platform to ask for change. This afternoon, there was a lot of activity from the current players, I'm assuming after they all met, they each wrote an individual statement and posted about unity and moving for change. Safety Kaevon Merriweather made a statement saying if you can't support the change we're asking for, please find another team. I loved his tweet and you should find it. I think he's saying come the fall we're going to kneel for the national anthem and if you got a problem with that, go ahead and find another team. I know it probably doesn't mean much, but I support these young men and I'll back them up however I can, as a white guy chasing 40 who's been to 1 game ever, I doubt I can do much, but damn it I'll try.
These kids deserve our support, and we should respect their courage. The pressure of performing on Saturday's has to be enormous, and sure a few of them are going to play at the next level, but for most this is their peak. Plus they have to balance life away from home, while going to school, and giving all their energy to football, for a hope and a dream. I hope we can get to football on Saturday's and these players can play with nothing on their mind, except for the players on the opposing sideline and of course turning and waving to their heroes up in those hospital rooms, and not fighting for respect from their coaches. Hopefully a new wave of respect will come through the program.
Tuesday, June 2, 2020
Stick to Sports!!!
We've all done it, you're scrolling twitter, you come across an athlete or sports reporter who decides it's time to share their opinion on something in the news. If you look at the replies there will be someone that says "stick to sports," it might even be you who says it. I know I've said before, not on twitter and not about politics, mine is when my guys Jay and Troy talk about silly television shows on Don't Hassle Us We're Local, I'm kidding usually but I'm not innocent. So let's visit why we feel the need for our sports heroes to stick to sports, why we discount their opinion, and if we can still cheer/like/read someones work if we disagree with their politics or views on an issue.
I think the main reason you'll see anyone say "stick to sports" is first and foremost they disagree with the opinion being expressed by the person they are replying to. You hide that disagreement while saying stick to sports, if there was an athlete you agreed with you would probably not reply at all or even share what they've said. If you happen to disagree perhaps just scrolling by would work best, but there is an impulse in all of us that have to show, I disagree with you and now I'm not gonna like you because we have different politics. I wonder what you want the person to be discussing, everywhere you go these issues is what everyone is talking about, including you. They are entitled to their opinion and they may be more informed than you think they are. When someone is a professional athlete they have plenty of time on their hands as they only work about 5-6 hours a day. If I were to share something, would you say "stick to shipping stuff?" I doubt you would because that would make no sense. So yeah let's not say that anymore.
We do discount athletes and members in the media on their opinions because I think we don't trust them. We want to read their words or watch them perform and think they have no bias, when we all know they have bias. Writing a story about sports though has no bias, if a guy goes 2 for 3 with 2 homers and 5 RBIs that's a good game, you can't spin that. A political opinion you can spin, and when you're used to someone who only deals in facts seeing an opinion can be jarring. With athletes we often think of them as just jocks who are good at a game, have never had hardship and don't need to know anything outside of tackling or throwing a ball. They are obviously more than that and usually they have some education, so they are at least informed.
The last part of this is wondering you can still root for someone because of their politics. I think that's an easy yes, I have plenty of people who I cheer for who's politics I don't agree with. I am a NASCAR fan and that's a sport that is rooted in the south and leans to the right. Most drivers don't share their politics but the ones that do usually share only their right leanings, as to not abandon the fan base. I don't feel shame watching racing or cheering for Denny Hamlin who is a Trump supporter, I don't like him for that reason, I like him for he drives a car. Same reason I like Barry Bonds, yeah he's a jerk but being a jerk didn't stop him from hitting baseballs very far. You have to separate the athlete from the person. I would guess all the athletes on a team don't share the same beliefs and somehow they work together to win games, so I would think you can put your differences aside and still cheer for them.
Try to be fair, try to understand, and please stop saying "stick to sports" to anyone. Hopefully next week I can get back to sports.
I think the main reason you'll see anyone say "stick to sports" is first and foremost they disagree with the opinion being expressed by the person they are replying to. You hide that disagreement while saying stick to sports, if there was an athlete you agreed with you would probably not reply at all or even share what they've said. If you happen to disagree perhaps just scrolling by would work best, but there is an impulse in all of us that have to show, I disagree with you and now I'm not gonna like you because we have different politics. I wonder what you want the person to be discussing, everywhere you go these issues is what everyone is talking about, including you. They are entitled to their opinion and they may be more informed than you think they are. When someone is a professional athlete they have plenty of time on their hands as they only work about 5-6 hours a day. If I were to share something, would you say "stick to shipping stuff?" I doubt you would because that would make no sense. So yeah let's not say that anymore.
We do discount athletes and members in the media on their opinions because I think we don't trust them. We want to read their words or watch them perform and think they have no bias, when we all know they have bias. Writing a story about sports though has no bias, if a guy goes 2 for 3 with 2 homers and 5 RBIs that's a good game, you can't spin that. A political opinion you can spin, and when you're used to someone who only deals in facts seeing an opinion can be jarring. With athletes we often think of them as just jocks who are good at a game, have never had hardship and don't need to know anything outside of tackling or throwing a ball. They are obviously more than that and usually they have some education, so they are at least informed.
The last part of this is wondering you can still root for someone because of their politics. I think that's an easy yes, I have plenty of people who I cheer for who's politics I don't agree with. I am a NASCAR fan and that's a sport that is rooted in the south and leans to the right. Most drivers don't share their politics but the ones that do usually share only their right leanings, as to not abandon the fan base. I don't feel shame watching racing or cheering for Denny Hamlin who is a Trump supporter, I don't like him for that reason, I like him for he drives a car. Same reason I like Barry Bonds, yeah he's a jerk but being a jerk didn't stop him from hitting baseballs very far. You have to separate the athlete from the person. I would guess all the athletes on a team don't share the same beliefs and somehow they work together to win games, so I would think you can put your differences aside and still cheer for them.
Try to be fair, try to understand, and please stop saying "stick to sports" to anyone. Hopefully next week I can get back to sports.
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