Rivals to the End

In Sports, there are few things more compelling and fun to watch then a good rivalry between evenly matched competitors and teams. In boxing, you had Ali-Frazier. In tennis, one of the great rivalries was McEnroe-Connors. Golf had Nicklaus-Palmer and it's the same with team rivalries. In baseball, there's no rivalry that can match the drama of a Boston Red Sox- New York Yankees playoff series. In football, you have tons of rivalries in college football, and in the NFL the Ravens-Steelers matchup is probably the best rivalry going at the present time.

After watching the Penguins-Flyers game today, I will have to add these two teams as another rivalry that is quickly becoming one of the best in Professional Sports. The war that these teams waged was brutal to watch, let alone be a part of. It has been known for some time that the players on these cross town rivals don't have a lot of use for each other, playing in the same division and from the two largest cities in Pennsylvania, but having the other as a first round opponent in the NHL playoffs has stoked the passions that much more. The only crime would be if this series only goes four games and with the way the Flyers are playing, it could happen. What a shame!

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year

If you're a hockey fan like me, it's the best time of the year, especially if the team you follow is in the playoffs. With the long regular season behind them, the teams in the playoffs play a seven game series, with the winners moving on to do it all over again in the next round. I have said it many times, that winning the Stanley Cup is the hardest championship to win in any team sport. The two teams that make it to the playoffs have to endure and win three...seven game series to get to the finals and then win another series to claim the Stanley Cup.

The playoffs have it all, the excitement of the bigger stakes, physical play and fights, the suddenness of victory or defeat in overtime, watching how the teams react to each other and the strategies employed by the coaches, all this plays out in a seven game series. It may not be the holiday season, but if you're a hockey fan, it may as well be.

Curbball, Wallball, Everywhere a Ball-Ball

Growing up in a poor working glass White ghetto in Southwest Baltimore during the 60's, there were no trips to places such as Ocean City, Cape May, or any other place for my family and most of the families in the area. If we were lucky, we got to take a trip out to Gwynn Oak Park, an amusement park that was quite popular at the time. However, even though we didn't get to go anywhere during those times, we somehow managed to entertain ourselves without trips or vacations by using our imagination to create silly games that cost nothing but time and a ball or two.

A couple of the games that most of the boys participated in back then were Curbball and Wallball. Curbball was a game that we played in front of our row homes in which one kid would take the ball and try to hit the top pointy part of the high city curbs sending the ball over the other players head onto the sidewalk on the other side of the street, that being a home run. Wallball on the other hand was a game that was played in a narrow alley with buildings on both sides where one player would take and throw the ball at the bottom of one wall trying to use the right Geometric angles to hit the other wall behind him where the opposing player would not be able to catch it as it came off of the second wall. Of course we didn't know anything about Geometry at that time, but we sure knew angles.

There were other games as well that we created to keep us busy during those long hot summer days, and while not all them consisted of playing ball, that inexpensive round object was never far from our hands back then.

Sports....To Everything There is a Season...NOT!

Growing up as a child, it used to be that one could tell the changing of the seasons in many ways. Like the seasons, we had our sports activity schedule and the way it worked was we would play baseball from March to September, then football up until the NFL championship game which was usually around the holidays, and afterwards we would play basketball until it was time for baseball again.

With Professional Sports nowadays, there really isn't any cutoff from one sport to another as they all overlap each other. For instance, NFL Football now runs from September to February concluding with the Super Bowl. NBA Basketball and NHL Hockey have a regular season that starts at the beginning of October and runs until April, and then has a two month playoff schedule before they finally crown the champ in June! Major League Baseball also has their marathon seasons running from the beginning of April until November, that is if the weather cooperates and lets them get the games in before the snow sets in.

Being an adult, I understand that it's all driven by money, but doesn't it seem just a little strange to be watching baseball in November and hockey in June?

Will Tiger Woods Ever Win Another Major?

It was only a few years ago when just about everyone had penciled Tiger Woods in to break Jack Nicklaus's record of 18 career major victories. With Tiger having 14 Major victories at the tender age of 32, it was a foregone conclusion that it was just a matter of time before he broke Jack's record and claimed the mantle of the "Greatest Golfer" of all time. But that was before Tiger's little incident down in Florida. Since that time Tiger has just not been the same dominating player. Since he is still a relatively young athlete at 36, it's difficult to believe that his problem is primarily of a physical nature.

By TheAgency (CJStumpf) 22:01, 6 April 2007 (UTC) (Own work)


In most Sports, a professional athlete peaks in his late 20's or early 30's, and soon after their physical skills decline quickly. Unlike other competitive Sports, Golf is a game that professional athletes can compete in up until their 40's's or older since the game doesn't place those kinds of physical demands on the body such as football, hockey, basketball, etc., but is as much a mental game. And that I believe is Tiger's bugaboo. Even though it's been a few years since the Woods scandal broke, one wonders if he is still carrying that incident with him every time he steps on the course.


Will he eventually get it together and break Jack's record? Needless to say, the longer he goes without a Major win, the more difficult it will be for him to reach that summit. With new blood constantly coming onto the tour, Tiger needs to get a Major victory or two in the next couple of seasons to have a reasonable chance to hit the target.

Take Me Out to the Brrrr.......ballgame.

Major league baseball opens their regular season today and in many places the weather will seem to be more suitable for a football game than baseball. The seasons have become so long in most sports that they end up playing in weather totally unsuited for the sport. For instance, baseball starts at the beginning of April and finishes up close to November; neither one of these times suitable for an outdoor game that is too slow to keep the players or fans warm. The NBA and NHL also give fans their money's worth starting out in early October and finishing up in the middle of June, taking a few months off before starting the whole long process again. No doubt money is the main motivator for the lengthy seasons with salaries skyrocketing and no doubt a bit of good old greed involved. With NFL management pushing for a 18 game regular season and the likelihood of expanded playoffs in the future, how long will it be before seeing NFL football ending around the time when we hear the ump yell out, "play ball"?

NFL Rule Changes

The NFL made two rule changes that will impact the game in a significant way. The first, moving the ball up to the 35 yard line on kick-offs should not only help reduce injuries but should speed the game up a bit as there will be less kick-off returns which means that the officials won't have nearly as many opportunities to throw a flag for blocking in the back, which seems to occur on just about every punt and half of the kick-off returns. The other main benefit that I see is that it will force teams to actually earn a victory. I can't recall how many times I've seen a team score with just 1 minute left in the game thinking they have put the game away only to see the opposing team return the ball on the kickoff to the 40 yard line, throw a few short passes and then kick a 45 yard field game and snatch victory from what should be defeat. This change will make teams actually earn a last minute victory.

The other rule change will have the effect of slowing down the game as the league has decided in its "wisdom" to review every scoring play just to make score that they didn't get it wrong. So, when a running back makes that 1 yard waltz into the end zone and scores uncontested, I guess they'll have to review it to make sure that he did indeed score and not just possibly score. Well, as they say, the NFL giveth and the NFL taketh away.

Everybody Loves a Winner?

I have often heard it said in sports as well as life that "everybody loves a winner". Well, I would add as long as it doesn't come at your expense. For instance, The New York Yankees have been baseball's most recognized and storied organization and have been one of the most successful. The Yankees have a large following not only in New York but around the country as well. However, there are just as many people who can't stand the Yanks and root against them regardless of who they are playing because one, their winning has often come at the expense of the other fans team, and secondly, there is also the envy aspect that comes into play as many of us root against someone that has achieved such a high level of success. I would add that it's also the case when you hear people talk about losers as someone will say, "I always root for the underdog". Unless, that is, the underdog happens to be playing your favorite team.

Fed Up?

In an article on one of the sporting sites, the writer states that football fans may not be so forgiving this time if the NFL has a prolonged strike. My opinion.....hogwash! While fans may have a knashing of the teeth over an NFL strike, it's been shown time and time again that the fans will put up with just anything, and in the case of the NFL, it's such a product that's in demand that once the players hit the field, in no time the stadiums will again be packed with rabid fans, and all will be forgiven....save for a small percentage that actually are fed up.

When is More Too Much?

It's March already, and that means it's time for the annual ritual known as "March Madness". This annual NCAA Basketball tournament that comprises 64...oops 66...oops 68 teams is a time where thousands if not millions of people across the country try to make like Nostradamus by picking the most winners in the NCAA brackets and thereby achieve bragging rights and most likely a nice sum of money in the process. It seems as if everything in sports in this country has taken on a larger than life meaning, and there seems no end in sight as all sports keep expanding their offerings trying to cash in with greater exposure, more games, and much more money.

It was just a few years ago, that the NCAA expanded their tournament from 64 to 66 teams with a 'play-in' game before the rest of the tournament got under way. Having had success with this, they figured they would add two more teams and have a game on Tuesday night. It's not hard to imagine them going to 72, 80 or some other number in the near future as they will most likely try to include just about everyone in the spectacle. And it's not just this sport that is pushing for expansion.

One of the sticking points in the NFL negotiations is that management wants to expand to a 18 game regular season schedule. Major league baseball is talking about having an expanded playoff system as well, and the NBA and NHL playoffs last for two months with half of the teams making the playoffs. One would think that eventually the respective sports would reach a point of "overkill" but there seems to be no worry among the sports ownership fratenity as their motto seems to be, "if you play the game, they will come". And they thought that Rome put on a show.

Feeling the Pain Already?

There's a headline on the front page of Sunday's Baltimore Sun entitled, "Already Missing Football?" and it shows a couple of fans sitting in the seats looking forlorn and completely lost. The article goes on to talk about how football fans in Baltimore are already feeling the effects of the NFL football lockout and how important football is to them and their life. For many fans, it's become a tradition almost as much as Thanksgiving and Christmas. Between tailgate parties leading up to the game, the game itself, and the post game where fans stop off at restaurants, neighborhood bars, etc., for sixteen weeks people in numerous cities throughout the country plan their Sundays around their local team. Sports have become so intertwined with our lives that many can't conceive of weekends without them. I have also observed how the outcome of the game effects the attitude of grown men and women for days after a particular win or loss. On occasion I have made offhand remarks about a game that have led some to avoid speaking to me for days afterwards. People....relax....it's only a game.

College Athletics and Money

While the recent revelation that Ohio State players have been selling memorabilia may have been a shock to some, for many it's just another 'yawn' story about some athletes trying to cash in on their talents on and off the field. In particular, football and basketball have become such huge moneymakers for the major universities that it's somewhat hypocritical for coaches and schools to be too critical over players trying to exploit the situation for their benefit. With coaches at major universities in many cases earning millions of dollars a year, there's really not a lot about these college programs that are amateur or innocent.

While the NCAA has tried to address past abuses of players receiving cars, money, women, etc., it would be naive to believe that all illegal inducements have been eliminated. With competition being so fierce for the top college players in the nation, there's certainly the motivation for some to look the other way at certain "questionable" activities. With the NCAA being little more than on the job training programs for the NFL and NBA, perhaps they should start kicking in some cash for the development of the players being done at the college level. When 6'6" 245 lb. Tyrone Jackson who as it happens is also able to run a 4.2 in 40 is given a full scholarship to a major college, it's more than a little likely that he's not being recruited to solve the riddles of molecular biology, but for the money that he can bring to the university with his superb athletic skills.

Billionaires versus Millionaires

It's hard to get too upset about the pending NFL work stoppage. On one side you have a group of 30 owners trying to get a bigger cut of the billions generated by the NFL, and on the other you have a lowly group of millionaires trying to get a bigger share as well. The biggest issue for the fans and one of the most contentious is whether or not the NFL will be able to force the players to accept an expanded 18 regular season. I remember as a kid when the NFL season consisted of 14 regular season games and a couple of playoff games. Of course I also remember people saying how you could run into many Baltimore Colt players at the local pubs on Greenmount Avenue in Baltimore after a Colts practice. Don't think you'll catch too many of today's players hanging out at Bernie's Bar drinking draft beer these days.

Sports and the change of seasons

Sports has become such a major factor in our lives, that for many of us, we judge the changing seasons not so much by the budding of new leaves or the changing color of the leaves in Fall, but instead use markers such as Spring training as a harbinger for the arrival of Spring, or the first regular season NFL games in September as the end of Summer and the beginning of the Fall season. In indicates just how much Sports have become a fixture in our culture, and there is now a sport for all seasons and for all fans.

Do NFL or NHL players make for the better interview?

A local Pittsburgh sportscaster was asked recently who made for a better locker room interview, NFL football or NHL hockey players? Without hesitation, he stated that hockey players by far made for the more intelligent and interesting interviews. Having listened to many football players after the game giving their analysis with a hundred or so "you know" in the course of a five minute interview, I would tend to agree that hockey players in general conduct themselves in a more dignified manner than many NFL players. While players such as Peyton Manning are a credit to the game they play and always seem to conduct themselves with respect and dignity, many other NFL players bring the ghetto culture and lingo to the sport, and I usually find myself turning the game off as soon as it is finished.

Baseball...Great for Insomniacs

Sports and Culture

It's that time of the year for America's "pastime" to once again take its place in the "Baseball, Apple Pie, and Chevrolet" part of American culture. Unfortunately, it looks as if only Apple Pie is going strong as Chevrolet is on the ropes and baseball seems to keep losing it's hold on Americans to NFL football, Nascar and other sports. While much of the fault lies in the marketing of Major League baseball, it also seems that the game is out of step these days with the fast paced American culture that seems to prefer the excitement of constant action and movement. Baseball they say is more of a thinking man's game, but I find that the game is so slow that it tends to put the thinking processes to sleep. It seems that all I have to do is sit down in my recliner, put the game on, and within a few minutes my head is nodding and I'm in la-la land. It's just that I prefer a sporting event that has more action and excitement as opposed to listening to an announcer speak as if he were describing a golf tournament. But on the flip side, for all those having trouble sleeping, throw away those sleeping aids and put on a major league baseball game, it will do wonders for your insomnia.

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Rugby and Other Things Less Understood

Sports and Culture

I remember seeing a Rugby match for the first time down in Norfolk, Virginia. I was visiting my brother who happened to be in the Navy at the time, and as he was busy, I decided to take a walk in the park that was nearby. I happened to notice a bunch of burly guys playing a game that was unlike anything that I had seen before. Although it was a little like soccer, and somewhat like American football, it was something foreign to me. I stood there for about an hour watching and trying to figure out how the game was played. I never did quite get it. Later on I realized that part of the problem I had understanding it was that I was trying to relate it to games that I had played and understood like American football and soccer. Rugby has it own rules and culture. That's part of the reason people who didn't grow up playing a particular sport, don't understand it, and since it makes no sense, never really "get it". It's like one of my favorite sports; Ice Hockey. While the game and rules seem very simple to me, I've had people say to me, "why do they stop skating all of a sudden", or "why did the ref blow the whistle"? They have no understanding of "icing", or "offsides" and therefore the game makes no sense. While there is no one sport that is participated in by all cultures, it is nevertheless interesting how the various sports have developed, and makes one wonder what kind of new games that future generations will be playing? How about Rugby on skates?

Washington Capitals Hockey
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Professional Athletes As Role Models

Sports and Culture

I've known for quite a while that there's no corollary between athletic ability, character and maturity. In fact, when watching some of the antics of professional athletes it often seems as if we're watching overgrown children instead of mature adults. There are many reasons for this but much of it has to with the culture from where the athletes come from. The truth is that many of the players that make up the rosters of NFL and NBA teams comes from inner city thug like environments where many would probably be in jail or dead if not for their exceptional athletic ability. In many ways, sports is just a reflection of a society that becomes more coarser all the time. Expecting professional athletes that in many cases come from harsh unforgiving segments of society to act like gentlemen is like "trying to make a silk purse out of a sow's ear". I remember growing up in a different era and following athletes like 'Brooks Robinson', a classy guy if there ever was one. But this is a different world we live in today and that includes the world of professional sports and the athletes that play the game.

Wide World of Sports

Before there was cable and ESPN, there was a program that used to come on every Saturday called ABC's Wide World of Sports that would feature sports and sport like activities from around the world. Some of the things I first remember seeing on Wide World of Sports programs were things like barrel jumping, demolition derby, rugby and many other unique activities that I couldn't begin to put a name on. Wide World of Sports was a precursor to all the Sports channels that you have on today, and featured more than just unique sports but revealed many things about the different cultures as well. One thing that anyone who has ever watched the show can recall is the opening part of the show where they would feature clips from past events and would always have the commentary, "the thrill of victory, and agony of defeat". The pictures they used to show both sides of competitive sports were dramatic enough that I can still recall every detail of the skier wiping out on the slopes. I just hope the skier in the clip got a dollar for every time that scene was shown. It would help ease the pain of knowing that it's what the world or least his skiing buddies will always remember him for.

Spring and Baseball

It's that time of the year again in this part of the world where the cycle of life begins anew as plants start to grow, birds build nests, and baseball returns. Opening Day is one of those rituals that a large part of the American population participates in, in various ways. For some, it means taking the day off from work(for those lucky enough to still be employed), and for others it's listening to the game on the radio, or watching it on T.V. Baseball is a reflection of life in that "hope springs eternal" and in theory every team has the same chance on Opening Day as the next team as they are all starting off on an equal footing, or so it seems. But just as there are no two children in life that have the same opportunities when they are thrust into the world, it's the same in the world of professional baseball as the big money teams like the Yankee's and the Red Sox have usually acquired the best free agents available in the offseason for another run at the World Series. Although baseball isn't followed with the same fervor as in previous generations, it still has its place, and Opening Day is one of those special moments that like the return of Robins in the Spring we can count upon, and look forward to. Game on!