This might be a kind of long post with lots of pictures and videos, so make sure you give yourself a good fifteen minutes if you want to get through this whole puppy. Or you could just skim and pretend like you read what I wrote, which I'm pretty sure happens on a regular basis =).
I'm going to try to break this down into categories: NFL, Uniforms, NBA, College Sports, and Colin Cowherd. Let's begin.
NFL
Alright, I want to make my picks for the upcoming games this weekend. I've been holding off on doing this because I was hoping a little clarity would come to those tough to pick games. No such luck. So here's my breakdown for the upcoming games this weekend.
Redskins at Seahawks- Toughest game on the board. I now have a vested interest in the Skins, as they are now my second favorite team. Clinton Portis is officially my favorite player in the NFL (he is ridiculously funny, charismatic, and a good football player). I want this game bad for the Redskins, as they have worked hard to get to this point and for them to win this one in Sean Taylor's memory would be special. On the otherhand, the Seahawks just don't lose at home. They are division champs, and the Redskins are playing with a backup QB still. But I'm going with my heart on this one.
Prediction: Redskins 24, Seahawks 17.
Jaguars at Steelers- Pittsburgh is an underdog at home? That just doesn't feel right. I've heard it all week- Garrard doesn't turn the ball over, Taylor and Jones-Drew are the running attack you want in January, Pittsburgh is without Parker, Jacksonville beat Pittsburgh two weeks ago in the snow, Pittsburgh's defense is suspect- I get it, and they're all valid points. But Pittsburgh is still a veteran playoff team, and I feel Davenport will get the job done out of the backfield, and I trust Roethlisburger's playoff experience at home. Afterall, it wasn't like Jacksonville blew the doors off Pittsburgh their last meeting. It was a 29-22 game. I expect adjustments to be made, and the underdog home team (???) to win.
Prediction: Steelers 27, Jaguars 23.
New York at Tampa Bay- Who could know the outcome of this game. I like what Bill Simmon's said about Tampa- They are a better version of Tennessee. They are consistent, but they won't overwhelm you. What that basically comes down to is are the Giants going to come out and win this game, or lose it? It's all in the Giant's hands. I know people say they spent too much energy against New England, but I think they'll get it right back after this week's Tiki and Ronde Barber quote extravaganza (Tiki on the Tampa sideline= tool). Just give the ball to Jacobs early and build a lead. And remember, the Giants are tremendous on the road. I'll take the G-Men.
Prediction: Giants 20, Tampa Bay 10.
Tennessee at San Diego- Let's see: Tennessee's number one receiver is out, their starting QB and RB are banged up, and their number one defensive player, Albert Haynesworth, is going to be limited at best. These teams played three weeks ago, in Tennessee, with all the Titan's starters at full health, with fighting going on the San Diego sideline occurring during the game, with Phillip Rivers throwing three INTs- and they still lost in OT. Now the game shifts to San Diego, with the Chargers red hot, and Tennessee hurting. This seems like the easiest game to pick.
Prediction: San Diego 27, Tennesse 13.
Redskins, Steelers, Giants, Chargers. Take it to the bank. Wait, actually, just see who wins. Probably better than losing money.
UNIFORMS
I like to read the "Uniwatch" on ESPN.com regularly, and I think this week's article was great. It was all about how teams and players have given tribute to the deceased. The article shows the history of the uniform tribute, all the way back to the early 1900's, and shows practically every uniform tribute to date. Really neat stuff. Here's the link if you want to check it out: http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=lukas/080103
Now if you don't want to check the article out, here's a couple examples that I thought were really kind of cool:
In 1996 during the Alamo Bowl, Iowa players paid tribute to the death of a teammates mother by taking the log off their helmet. They did the same thing in 1991 when a student shot and killed five others on the Iowa campus, including himself. I think it's such a strong statement to go with the all black helmet, putting the memory/tribute before the school promotion/logo. Patches and decals are great, don't get me wrong, but this seems like a grander and more visible gesture. I liked it.
These are tributes from this past year's Virginia Tech tragedy. Ohio State and Kentucky both sported Virginia Tech helmets in their team colors in during their spring practices this past year. It's kind of cool to see colleges and teams from around the nation band together and remember a significant and tragic event, because in reality in could have happened at any one of their campuses.Really check it out; it's good stuff.
COLLEGE SPORTS
This is Michigan State's upcoming basketball schedule: Minnesota, Purdue, at Iowa, Ohio State, at Minnesota, at Northwestern, Michigan, Illinois, at Penn State, Northwestern, at Purdue- then the matchup with Indiana. Do any of those teams scare you? Our toughest games will probably be Ohio State, Michigan (rivalry), and Illinois- but they're all at home! I will be extremely disappointed with anything less than a 12-0 conference start. Seriously. We should be 24-1 (number 1 in the land?) when we go up against Indiana. I really want that. I don't want to see an inconsistent Michigan State team, like in years past. Let's handle our business this time.
Alright, so I've nailed the Sugar Bowl, Fiesta Bowl, and Orange Bowl to redeem myself for my terrible Rose Bowl pick. One left (well, one that matters left). Ohio State and LSU. I still like Ohio State, and for the same reasons that Adam just posted on his blog. I found the video that Ohio State has been playing all week to its players for motivation, check it out:
If I were an OSU player I'd use this as motivation, but in truth, when I first watched it, I thought some of the comments about OSU were spot on. Haha, well hey, if that helps them get up for the game, more power to them.
NBA
Damn those Pistons look good! Here are some photos from the game Grace and I went to on my birthday. She got some really good seats. They were club level, and it was like I was watching the game from home (we were right next to the camera guys), but only live. They were amazing seats. The crowd was about 1/4 Pistons, which was fun. We had a lot of Pistons fans in our section. It was good to see all the Rip, Sheed, and Chauncey jerseys again. The Washington crowd didn't get up for the game much (expected- we did destroy them), except during Pistons' free throws when they would show pictures of Dallas Cowboys, which received really loud boos. I really liked the Wizards intro a lot. I know it won't come off that great looking from this video, but the players coming out of their sports cars at the beginning looked- and I promise I'll never say this again- pimp.
That being said, nothing beats this intro:
Now seriously, how do you not feel like you, as the visiting team, not feel like you're going to get your ass kicked after intros like that? I'm pumped just watching it from my computer!
Okay, here are some pics from the game. Even my favorite Clinton Portis was there courtside! He's the guy in red vest with his hood up.
The game was a blast. All those ESPN guys that are saying the Pistons are the best in the NBA right now? It's hard to disagree with them! They looked amazing. This might be the best team they've put on the floor since their title team. Their bench is finally up to par, and they don't miss a beat when their starters are out. During one stretch of the game we had Afflalo, Stuckey, Hayes, Maxiell, and Prince on the floor- and we were dominating. I didn't even notice when the starters went off! I'm excited to see this team in the playoffs; we look hungry again!And I have to say thanks again to Grace. That was the perfect birthday present. Thank you thank you thank you, I love you so much (awwwww).
COLIN COWHERD
I think I've made it fairly clear that I have a man-crush on Colin Cowherd. I love his show, and I was listening to old clips of his when I came across this rant about American football compared to soccer:
Really there's a lot to argue and disagree with Colin about here. "Football is smart, it's choreographed, you need 15 coaches- soccer needs 2 or 3." That's his opinion, of course, but I am curious to hear what you guys think about what he said, especially about soccer being the world's most popular sport and its nuances. It also should be noted that Cowherd is actually a soccer fan, and has said many times he likes watching it and the such.
The thing that appeals the most to me about Colin is that he takes a stance- whether you agree with it or not- and defends his point pretty well. He's not afraid to argue, and I think that's refreshing.
Okay, I'm done (finally). Thanks for reading.
~Mikey D
8 comments:
I didn’t post these, but here are my NFL picks this weekend (guess you’ll have to trust me too). Seahawks, Steelers, Giants, Chargers. I thought for sure when the Steelers came back and went up 29-28 it was over. I am excited the Jags won because let’s (hopefully) see what they can do against the Patriots. The two games were similar score wise… Jags pulling out to a big lead, letting that up in the 4th quarter, scoring the winning points in the last minute or two.
This isn’t the complete OSU tape (the full one is about 10 minutes) but I am really glad you posted it. When OSU won the National Championship in 02, I really hated OSU. They won almost every game on a last minute drive or a field goal with no time left, their offense was weak, and I didn’t think they stood a chance against the flashy Miami team. They have received a lot of crap (this tape is proof) about not belonging in the National Championship game. Hawaii proved they didn’t belong against Georgia and Kansas was the only other team with less than 2 losses. Under the current system, you can’t argue Georgia or USC is “more deserving” to be there than OSU. They aren’t as good as last year’s team. But this LSU team is nowhere near as good as Florida. OSU will win tomorrow, and I’m not just drinking the area’s kool-aid… I hate to say they that.
Player intros are one of my favorite things about going to a live game. That’s why I was disappointed with the Redwings… no real intro video (that I can remember).
My favorite Cowherd comment from that clip: “nobody’s calling Canada when the asteroid’s 6,000 miles away”
Solid post… I like pictures and videos.
That 02' National Championship...which I remember watching at your place...was still one the best college football games I have ever seen. I put it above Texas/USC from a couple years ago (seems to be everyone's favorite game...I'm guessing from all the stars on both sides).
Well, I'm 0-2 on NFL picks, the Pistons lost after I gave them their props, and MSU almost lost to Minnesota at home. My blog must be a jinx or something. Seriously, put money on the teams I don't pick.
I hate you for making me listen to Colin Cowherd so that I could even reply to this post. First off, I don't think he made a quality arguement. I had a hard time even understanding his points, why he thought football was better than soccer. But here are a few rebuttals to what I'm guessing were his points.
"Soccer is cheap, football is better because it's expensive WHAT?! I don't see how being more expensive makes a game any better or worse. Hockey is way more expensive than football, but it's not nearly as popular. Being cheap is a positive!
"Football is more complicated. You need 15 coaches for a reason"
First, you don't NEED 15 coaches to play football. Kids can play football at recess without any coaching at all. Second, I don't see how that makes football better. This "complexity" point ties in with the next point - "Nuances" Cowherd mocked the soccer defenders (Sidenote: calling them .edu guys? What?! Being educated is a negative now?)when they used the argument that the complexity of the sport is in the nuances. Guess what? It's the same for all sports, including football!
Soccer - Kick a ball in the goal.
Basketball- Throw a ball into a goal.
Football - Run with a ball into a goal.
Hockey - Hit a ball into a goal.
Last point (I promise) Cowherd's best point was in his defense of the NFL's lack of popularity on a global scale: "You like what you grew up with" I agree with that sentiment. Cowherd didn't grow up with soccer, he grew up with football. Therefore, he likes football more than soccer. This makes sense to me, and I can accept that. But that doesn't make football an intrisically better sport, and it actually makes him look like a hypocrite for condemning his listeners who grew up with soccer, and not football, and like soccer more.
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/columns/story?columnist=schreiber_leanne&id=3148853
ESPN's ombudsman responding to the flood of e-mails about Cowherd's coverage of the Sean Taylor shooting.
Colin Cowherd is an ass. Maybe it's "refreshing" to hear someone who is an ass in real life still be an ass on the radio, but (for me anyway) that doesn't make me want to listen.
Haha, I think I officially made Kevin, (with the help of Colin Cowherd) angry for the first time!!!!!!!!
I win.
Do I agree with everything Colin says? No, of course not. Was I offended by the Sean Taylor remarks? Yes! But I do enjoy his show because he doesn't put athletes on pedastals and decides to ask real questions with his guests. I find his takes refreshings (at times), and other times not so much. He's different, and I like it. If I want more generic bullshit sports talk, I'll listen to what you listen to then.
Colin Cowherd had this rant in defense of people who think football is the best sport, but always get shot down by soccer folks who say soccer is because it's the world's most popular sport.
1)"Soccer is cheap, football is better because it's expensive."
He didn't say this. Don't put words in his mouth. I do recall him saying something along the lines that football is more expensive to play, which is one of the reasons why the rest of the world hasn't caught onto it. Soccer is cheaper to play- and that's why it's the worlds most popular sport-cheap and simple. THAT'S NOT A REASON WHY FOOTBALL IS BETTER ACCORDING TO COWHERD. IT'S A REASON WHY SOCCER IS THE MOST POPULAR
2) "Football is more complicated. You need 15 coaches for a reason."
Of course you can play without them! You could play with zero coaches if you want to. You can oversimplify any sport if you'd like, which I see you've done.
Why do you have so many coaches on an NFL sideline then? There are more coaches on an NFL sideline than an MLS sideline for a reason. When you have a team of 52 guys, there's more preparation that goes into a game- thus it takes more to get them ready. I'd like to see the playbook for an MLS team next to an NFL team, and then let's discuss coaches. Also, when he made this point, he wasn't arguing about football being better, he was stating his opinion about why football is hard to understand to the uneducated world compared to soccer.
And while Cowherd gives his opinion at the end (football is better, never appologize), he's saying that to the people who constantly have to hear the arguement, "soccer is better because it's the worlds' game."
I didn't even want to discuss football vs. soccer, but that's what you've turned it into that and a Cowherd bashing. All I really wanted was a response to his comments about why soccer is the most popular sport and comparative "choreography". I think I even wrote that in my post.
Fuck, now I'm pissed. Now we both win. Or lose. Whichever.
The generic bullshit I listen to is Mike and Mike, SportsCenter, PTI, and sometimes Around the Horn. You DO listen to what I listen to.
Being a professional athlete requires a huge amount of preparation, in every sport. Football players memorize plays. Soccer players don't. Football players have coaches specialized to their specific postion, soccer players (except the goalie) don't. Does this mean football players prepare more? To me it just means that they prepare differently.
As I said, I was unsure why he thought that football was better than soccer. The arguements I attributed to him were mostly from the pictures on the screen the tone of his voice. It's just the impression I got, and I admit I could be wrong. Please explain to me, using only that clip, why he thinks football is better than soccer.
Although in the end, this is an impossible argument. Soccer vs. Football is just an infinite loop arguement. You can't argue personal preference. It's like arguing whether blue or red is a better color. He likes choreography, I like improvisation.
For the record, I agree that the arguement "soccer is better because it's the most popular" is bullshit.
Not because I don't think soccer is better, but because "better" in this context is completely subjective.
If that's all you wanted, then I apologize for raising your blood pressure.
I know I listen to what you listen to because that's all I have!!! What are my other choices???
Preparation- I get it. I'm just defending his point on why there's 15 coaches on an NFL sideline.
Back to his point, that's why the world hasn't caught onto football- there's more coaches and preparation (in a different way than soccer) needed.
I can't explain why football is better than soccer based on this clip, because that's not what this clip is about. Does he interject his opinion at the end? Yes. Does he argue about WHY it's better? No. This video is directed towards those people who to constantly listen to why soccer soccer is better because it's the world's most popular sport, and he lays out reasons why it's so.
And that is all I wanted, but perhaps with a better discussion, but I can let it go =).
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