Blog of the Week: NFL Bad Boys
Pacman Jones
Adam (Pacman) Jones, Michael Vick, Plaxico Burress, Brandon Marshall, Chris Henry, Dante Stallworth ... When thinking of this elite group of football players, things such as strip clubs, guns, DUI’s, abuse, dog fighting, drugs, come to mind before receptions, touchdowns, tackles, first downs etc. In no other professional sport are there so many run-ins with the law. In no other professional sport are there so many tarnished images that do not have anything to do with baseball and steroids. Honestly, when a baseball star’s name pops up associated with steroid use, it is not even a surprise.
But when I hear of these unique, albeit dangerous incidents such as shooting yourself in the leg with an illegal weapon (Plaxico Burress), dog fighting (Michael Vick), and DUI manslaughter (Donte Stallworth), I can’t help but wonder why these multi-millionaires are willing to risk things with this degree of stupidity. Yeah I know there are cases like these all around the world, and these specific ones are perhaps hyped up because these members of society are celebrities, but these are celebrities we look up to, and as role models when they do something wrong, perhaps we feel like we can get away with doing it as well.
Aside from baseball and its tainted image due to steroids, not one league besides the NFL is inundated with criminal activities, sure there are occasions but not prevalent like this. Pacman Jones has been arrested on five different occasions while in the league. Mike Vick was a prominent quarterback and lied straight up to NFL commisioner Roger Goodell about his dog fighting. Dante Stallworth killed a person while driving drunk. Brandon Marshall has abused his girlfriend numerous times. Plaxico Burress of course shot himself in the leg during a crucial part of the NY Giants season. Chris Henry has been invovled involved with both drug and abusive activities. What kind of image are these NFL stars sending to the kids of America? These kinds of things are intolerable and to think our role models are doing this! Unbelievable. Unforgivable.
Yeah this vid is a little old, but it proves a point
In fact, there are so many crimes associated with the NFL that there is a whole blog specifically about NFL crimes that have taken place… http://nflcrimes.blogspot.com/
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Blog of the Week: Na Na Na Na … Na Na Na Na … Hey, Hey, Hey … Goodbye !
Update on previous blog post. See original post: “The Brett Favre Saga Continues… ”
NEWSFLASH: Leaked video of LeBron getting dunked on …
Update on previous blog post. See original post: “Lebron gets Posterized by College Sophomore !!!”
Weekly Top 10: Goooooooooaaaallllllllllllll!!!!!!!!! Goal! Goal! Goal!
This week’s Top 10 consists of the greatest goals in soccer history. From free kicks to bicycle kicks to diving headers, these are the best of the best, creme de la creme. Soccer does not get nearly enough love in the States, and these dazzling goals may not change every mind in the nation, but at least the game will get the respect it deserves.
10. Dennis Bergkamp
9. Gianfranco Zola
8. Hugo Sanchez
7. Gaizka Mendieta
6. Marco Van Basten
5. Rivaldo
4. Roberto Carlos
3. Mauro Bressan
2. Zlatan Ibrahimovic
1. Roberto Carlos
Like the 10?? Disagree?? Comment Below.
Blog of the Day: The Real Futbol
When we think of football, the first thing that comes to mind is touchdowns or even spine splitting hits. But when you ask the rest of the world what football means to them, they think, bicycle kicks, goals, slide tackles, dives. Football to them is more than just a sport, it’s a culture, it’s a way of life. On or off the field, the game of what we call soccer, is the passion of millions and millions of people around the world.
Players watch as fans throw flares onto the field during an Italian soccer game
Yes, it’s true, in the U.S. soccer is a dying sport (in spite of the fact USA made it to the 2009 Confederations Cup final by beating the mighty Spain 2-0 in the semifinals; we lost to powerful Brazil 2-3 in the final). To be completely honest, I can barely name 3 teams in the MLS. But if you’re a true soccer fan, you pay attention to what’s going on in Europe, you react to Real Madrid acquiring two of today’s greatest players in Kaka and Ronaldo, you pay heed to a US player getting signed by A.C Milan. The fans there are like no other fans in the world, when they are dissappointed, they will let you know, e.g., throwing flares onto the field or rioting after games; when they are happy, they will also let you know with their fanfare.
I remember when I was visiting Germany, I was 12 in 2004, my family and I were out sight seeing and we were heading back to our hotel. That night was one of the preliminary rounds in the Euro Cup, and Germany was playing. We could barely get into the hotel, because 100′s of people were lined up to watch the soccer game on two little bar televisions. I was amazed, at first I though that there was something major going down, and to those fans, something major was going down.
When you look at soccer, you think of a soft, non-contact sport, all of this could not be further from the truth. If you ever get the chance to watch a European soccer game, no matter the time or importance of the game, you will understand what a real sport is. The truth of the matter is, and I’m no die-hard fan, there is really only one weak spot to the European sport. Diving. Or what we know as flopping. If a player get’s bumped in the shoulder, he will roll on the ground in agony, and to be honest it’s kind of entertaining.
I truly believe that if ESPN were to air more European soccer games, the sport would gain popularity by the second. To us, football, is lounging on the couch every Sunday to watch an entertaining sport; to the world, football is a culture. The fans bring a new meaning to the term die-hard; the game, a new meaning to life.
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Blog Of the Day: Athlete Reality Shows???
It’s no longer Flavor Flav. It’s no longer I Love New York. It’s no longer Rock of Love. Yes, you heard right, reality television is shifting focus towards professional athletes. It is now the T.O Show on VH1, It’s now Shaq vs… on ABC. Apparently drama on the gridiron or the court just doesn’t cut it these days. Both Shaquille O’Neal and Terrell Owen’s new teams, the Cleveland Cavaliers and Buffalo Bills, have ok’d their new stars to be in reality television shows.
Terrell Owens will star on his show, the T.O show, which profiles his day to day life as he tries to make amends on the football field and in his personal life; it aired Monday the 20th. He will have friends, Monique Jackson and Kita Williams, on the show alongside him. VH1 noted the following about T.O and his new reality show, “after a string of relationships and off-the-field endeavors, Terrell is ready to re-examine his personal life and finally put a plan into action”. To me, this is just a big joke, a publicity stunt. I think he realized his career was headed down the drain and by producing this reality show, he might, key word might, win over the hearts of a couple people here and there. I think he realized that he had screwed himself over so bad, almost exactly like Chad John… excuse me Ocho Cinco, is doing with his life, that he had to, by any means neccesary, climb out of the hole he dug himself into. The only reason you should look forward to watching this show is to see T.O embarrass himself even more than he already has. I’m not going to lie, it might be interesting a couple of shows.
Here’s the link to the first episode: http://www.vh1.com/video/play.jhtml?id=1615752
On the other hand, the new ABC series Shaq vs…. could actually be quite entertaining. In this compelling show, Shaq will challenge other world class athletes at their own sports. He is set to challenge Big Ben Roethlisberger on the football field, Michael Phelps in the pool, Serena Williams on the tennis court, Oscar De La Hoya in the ring, among others. The show will premeire on August 18th. Unlike the T.O show, Shaq is not trying to get the attention solely drawn on himself, but rather share the spotlight with other athletes who are at the top of the world in their sport. Off the court, Shaq is known to be an entertainer; dancing with the Jabberwokeez, rapping about Kobe, Lip syncing, etc… This will just add to his diverse repetoire and I look forward to watching this show, as should you.
Shaq Lip Syncing “Over the Edge”
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Blog of the Day: Is Lance Human?
Born in Plano, Texas, September 18, 1971, Lance Armstrong was the “chosen one” when it came to outdoor athletics. Armstrong would win adult triathlon competitions at the age of 13. He went on to compete in his first Tour de France in 1993, and won the 8th stage. He went on competing in the Tour de France until 1996 when he dropped out during the 7th stage because of illness. Armstrong was diagnosed with testicular cancer, which metastasized to his brain, lungs and abdomen. After surgery which removed his brain tumors and diseased testicle, Armstong was given the verdict that he had less than 50% chance to live. In my humble opinon, I think he did a little more than just live. Amazingly, 3 years later, Armstrong was back on a bike competing in the demanding and gut wrenching Tour de France.
7 years, 20 stage victories, and 15,400 miles later, Lance Armstrong was the 7 time Tour de France winner! Not one other person has accomplished this feat, and that too 7 times in a row, and oh yeah, after battling cancer. Armstrong then retired in 2005 after his 7th straight victory, his legacy never to be forgotten, his courage always to be looked up to. However, Armstrong never lost the love for cycling and returned this year to the Tour de France. Like most of us, I thought he would compete and complete the race and that would not tarnish his majestic reputation. But going into the 16th stage of the 2009 Tour de France Lance Armstrong is in 2nd place, a mere minute behind the leader, teammate Alberto Cantador.
This prompted me to thinking; is Lance really human? At 37 years young, Armstrong looks to capture his 8th Tour de France title. This can’t be possible!? Not once has the man tested positive for banned substances, the only thing the man cheated was death. Last night I lay in bed thinking, just thinking, how could Armstong possibly accomplish all this after all he has been through? And I think I came up with the answer. Here it goes; have you ever seen the X-Men Origins movie, the part where they make Wolverine virtually indestructable by inserting metal DNA into his body? Well this is my theory, while under surgical procedures, doctors inserted DNA that gave Armstong the ability to never be out of breath and have the greatest will power of any human being…
Ok, maybe not, but as Armstrong said himself, he is “the most tested athlete in the world”. Everybody has their own opinion, but I think it is safe to say, Lance Armstrong has accomplished more things on one testicle than almost every other man can, or ever will, with two…
Daily Poll Q
Do you know anyone else in the Tour de France besides Lance Armstrong?
Blog of the Day: Ain’t Nothin’ Like the ESPYs
Grammys, Oscars, Emmys, Academy Awards, blah, blah, blah, blah… Where it’s really at is the ESPYs. The ESPY (Excellence in Sports Performance Yearly) Awards never fail to amaze, including last night; a show combined with comedy, inspirations, charisma, and of course, the greatest of all things that have to do with sports. Where else can you find the greatest athletes (Michael Phelps, Kobe Bryant, Ben Roethlisberger, Nastia Liukin, the Williams sisters) in the same place at the same time besides in a sporting event? Where else do you see the greatest of athletes and other superstars cracking jokes about each other? As Samuel L. Jackson kidded “Golf without Tiger for 8 months is like watching 8 movies in a row without me in it”. Nowhere but the ESPYs.
Chuck Daly (1930-2009)
Every year, the show begins by paying tributes to the iconic athletes who have passed away the previous year, names such as Chuck Daly, Kay Yow, and Steve “Air” McNair were displayed in front of thousands in the Nokia Theatre live in LA. Then the night of fun commenced and everybody had a great time. Besides the awards, the other highlights of the show included the Arthur Ashe Award for Courage, which President Obama introduced, and the Jimmy V Award for Perserverance. The Arthur Ashe Award for Courage was won by Nelson Mandela for his triumphs in uniting South Africa through the Rugby World Cup in 1995, with his motto One Team. One Country. The Jimmy Valvano Award for Perseverance, was awarded to Don Meyer, the Northern State University coach who refused to give up on life while battling cancer and surviving a major car crash, he is now the winningest coach in men’s college basketball history with 903 victories.
The Don Meyer Story
Most years there are plenty of awards that I am not in concordance with, however this year I was pretty impressed, and for the majority, the fans of the world got these awards correct. The only award I disagree with is the Best Game Award. Yes, I know the Super Bowl is the Super Bowl, how could you possibly compare that to a Big East Basketball Tournament Game? But are you kidding me? 6 overtimes, and two teams that battled for 70 minutes of intense competition; the Syracuse vs Connecticut men’s basketball game in my opinion, should’ve been best game, no doubt. The only other thing that I didn’t like about the ESPYs was every single time they mentioned Brett Favre (and believe me, they mentioned him a lot), they showed Aaron Rodgers on the Big Screen. Come on, that was 2 years ago ESPN, move on. Other than that, everything was great, and I look forward to next year’s ESPY Awards.
The Awards!!!
Special Awards
Arthur Ashe Courage Award: President Nelson Mandela
Nelson Mandela handing over the William Webb Ellis trophy to Springbok skipper Francois Pienaar after 1995 Rugby World Cup
Jimmy V Award For Perseverance: Don Meyer, Northern State University coach
Best Comeback: Dara Torres, Olympic swimmer.
Best in Sport
Best Female Athlete: Nastia Liukin, Gymnastics
Best Male Athlete: Michael Phelps, Olympic Swimming
Best Moment: US Swim team wins thrilling finish in Olympic relay
Best Team: Los Angeles Lakers
Best Coach/Manager: Phil Jackson, Los Angeles Lakers
Best Game: Steelers vs. Cardinals in Super Bowl XLIII
Best Championship Performance: Michael Phelps, Olympic Swimming
Best Play: Roethlisberger to Holmes Super Bowl Winning TD
Best Upset: US Soccer shocks Spain in the Confederations Cup semifinals
Best Breakthrough Athlete: Matt Ryan, Atlanta Falcons
Best Record Breaking Performance: Michael Phelps, Olympic Swimming
Best Sports Movie: The Express: The Ernie Davis Story
Best Male College Athlete: Tim Tebow, Florida Football
Best Female College Athlete: Maya Moore, Connecticut Women’s Basketball
Best Male Athlete with a Disability: Jason Lester, Ironman Triathlete
Best Female Athlete with a Disability: Erin Popovich, Swimming
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ESPYs NFL's Best Player: Larry Fitzgerald
Best International Male Athlete: Usain Bolt (Jamaica, Sprinter)
Best International Female Athlete: Lorena Ochoa (Mexico, Golf)
Individual Sports
Best Baseball Player: Albert Pujols, St. Louis Cardinals
Best NBA Player: LeBron James, Cleveland Cavaliers
Best WNBA Player: Candace Parker, Los Angeles Sparks
Best NFL Player: Larry Fitzgerald, Arizona Cardinals
Best NHL Player: Sidney Crosby, Pittsburgh Penguins
Best MLS Player: Landon Donovan, Los Angeles Galaxy
Best Male Action Sports Athlete: Shaun White, Skateboarding/Snowboarding
Best Female Action Sports Athlete: Maya Gabeira, Surfing
Best Bowler: Norm Duke
Best Driver: Jimmie Johnson
Best Fighter: Manny Pacquiao, Boxing
Best Male Golfer: Tiger Woods
Best Female Golfer: Lorena Ochoa
Best Jockey: Calvin Borel
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Weekly Top 10: The Retirement Blues…
If that one guy, you know, the leader in passing yardage in the NFL, oh yeah, Brett Favre (man, I haven’t heard his name on SportsCenter in like an hour) were to come back again, it would be the 2nd time his heart would have lead him out of retirement. The act of remaining retired is apparently pretty tough; numerous sports stars have decided to come out of retirement in order to play the sport they love, or even a completely new sport. They say (who is “they”? I’ve always wondered that) sports are 80% mental, and the reason many of these athletes comeback is because they still possess the love for their game. With that being said, here are the top 10 athletes who have come out of retirement to play once again.
10. Baseball Pitcher Roger Clemens announced his retirement in 2003 with the Yankees, however returned to pitch with the Houston Astros in 2004. Unfortunately, his image was damaged as he admitted to the use of performance enhancing drugs.
9. “The Brazilian God” Pele retired in 1972 but then returned to play in 1975 with the New York Cosmos of the North American Soccer League before officially retiring in 1977.
8. Deion Sanders played both in the NFL and MLB. He retired from the NFL in 2000 to play in the MLB in 2001 and then once more retired from the NFL in 2001 and played again in 2004. Finally in 2004, he hung up both pair of cleats.
7. Female swimmer Dara Torres did not compete in the 2004 Olympics but then at age 41 competed in the 2008 Beijing Olympics, her Olympic career spans 24 years!
6. Peter Forsberg was forced to retire in 2007 after injuries hobbled his career, but later returned to play with the Colorado Avs in 2008, and finally retired after an additional season.
5. Boxer Sugar Ray Leonard retired in 1982 after consulting with doctors; but after missing the spotlight and ring, he announced his return in 1983 and officially retired in 1984.
4. Cyclist Lance Armstong retired in 2005 after winning 7 straight Tour De France races, and came back for the 2009 Tour De France.
3. Michael Jordan came out of retirement 3 separate times; once in 1994 to play Baseball, then again in 1998, then played with the Wizards until actually retiring in 2003.
2. Hockey superstar Mario Lemieux retired in 1997 while battling Hodkin’s Lymphoma, then returned to play in 2000, and finally retired for good in 2006.
1. Basketball legend Magic Johnson retired in 1992 after he tested positive for HIV, but came back for the 1992 All Star Game, where everyone paid their respect.
Like the 10? Disagree? Comment Below.
Blog of the Day: The Brett Favre Saga Continues…
A Teary-Eyed Favre retires for the first time
Oh great, not another story about Brett Favre… Don’t worry, I’m in the same boat as all of you are, I’m tired of this Brett Favre drama. The year was 2007, the day was March 4th, in a press conference a teary-eyed Favre stepped up to the podium and told the world that his remarkable career was coming to an end. And on that day, the world sympathized with him, acknowledged the wondrous accomplisments and beautiful career he had, and knew that his name would be there with the all time greats. Then not even 5 months later (July 2nd), Favre reports surfaced about his requests to be realeased from the Green Bay Packers, a team he had played 15 seasons with, in order to play for another team.
On August 7th 2008, Favre officially began his 2nd stint in the NFL, this time with the New York Jets. That whole summer fans began to question Favre’s decision making; why would he put that much pressure on young QB Aaron Rodgers? Why would he retire in the first place if he still had that love for the game? Regardless, Favre played, and he had a pretty decent season too (22 touchdowns, 81.0 passer rating). Then he retired again, and at least I thought that was the last time I would hear of Brett Favre and the NFL in the same sentence again. Thank God.
But wait, it happened again… Holy heck man, why don’t you make a darn decision for once? In May 2009, Favre asked to be released from the Jets so he could sign with any other team, most likely the Minnesota Vikings. Favre is supposedly going to make his decision whether he is coming back to the sport by July 30th. Honestly, I could not care less about this Favre situation. I don’t care if he plays or not, I just hate turning on SportsCenter every night and having to hear another annoying status report on Brett Favre.
This video pretty much sums it up (warning: “explicit”)
If you are not a Vikings fan (yeah Brett Favre would be a major upgrade from Tavaris Jackson), you should be sick of this too. Brett (I am tired of spelling Favre, it should be Farve anyway), just make a decision and stick to it, please, save all true sports fans from having to hear your dithering night in and night out; thanks, we would really appreciate it.
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