Category Archives: Sports

Where is the Love?

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Tebowing 1Why do people hate Tim Tebow?  For those of you who don’t follow football (and you know who you are); Tim Tebow is a 2nd year Quarterback for the Denver Broncos.  Before becoming a pro, Tebow led his college team, the Florida Gators, to a national championship and, oh yeah, he also won a Heisman Trophy.

So why are so many people rooting against him?  One pundit on the Mickey Mouse sports network, Mel Kiper, Jr. believed Tebow didn’t have the intangibles to play quarterback in the NFL. “I don’t think he can be a full time quarterback. I don’t think he can be the quarterback of the future for you”, said Kiper.  (Disclosure notice:  I am long suffering Buffalo Bills fan, so I really don’t have an axe to grind either way)

It’s not the difference of opinion that is getting a lot attention, but rather the “way the opinions are being given” which again begs the question; why don’t people like Tim Tebow?  Is it because he beats up his girlfriend?  Has he been involved in dog fighting?  Maybe he was arrested for DWI?  No, it’s because he’s a Christian and proudly displays his faith.

TebowStephen Tullock, a linebacker for the Detroit Lions, made it personal when he mocked Tebow after sacking him in a game this year. As Tebow picked himself up off the turf, Tullock started “Tebowing” – a mocking prayer on bended knee.

Steve JohnsonSteve Johnson, a wide receiver for the Buffalo Bills was fined $10k when he celebrated a TD pass in which he mocked NY Jets Plaxico Burress by pretending to shoot himself in the thigh. (Burress served 20 months in prison on a weapons charge after accidentally shooting himself in a New York City nightclub in 2008).

What does one take away from that?  Don’t mock someone for being an idiot with a gun, but go ahead and mock the guy who prays?

Now I’Wheel of Fortunem not a big fan of someone coming to my door (causing me to miss the prize puzzle on “Wheel of Fortune”) to hand me a pamphlet on how I can become a much better person by giving my life savings to his church.  Tebow thanks God for his success, but is that any reason to root against him?  Would you rather see someone celebrate by banging their chest, or doing the throat slash sign instead?

Television announcers love to proclaim to us mere mortals that “the NFL is a results business” (and I thought it was about making money).  Well so far this year, Tebow is delivering the results.  After becoming a starter in the middle of the season, Tebow has gone 7-1 and, despite his faith getting in the way, engineered another miracle comeback last Sunday.  (It was his fifth comeback in eight weeks, but then who’s counting).

So go ahead, mock him when he wants to thank the big guy upstairs, just don’t count him out when you need a miracle to happen.

Where Have All the Bowl Games Gone…

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The 2011 Bowl Game schedule was released last night.  I always look forward to learn who gets to play where.  Which school got rewarded with a fun trip and which school got stuck playing in Shreveport always makes for entertaining reading.

The University of Houston gets to play Penn State in something called the TicketCity Bowl in Dallas after being unceremoniously blown out by Southern Mississippi in the C-USA Conference Championship game (how does Dallas host 3 different bowl games a year?) .  Texas A&M is rewarded with their 6-6 season by getting a trip to Houston to play in the Meineke Bowl and the Texas Longhorns head out west to compete in the Holiday Bowl.  (You see the entire bowl schedule here)

After reading down the list, I started to plan my New Year’s day viewing.  Sure, they moved all the really big games to later in the week so they don’t go against each other, but there are still plenty of good bowl games left to nurse that New Year’s Eve hangover.  Right?

Imagine my shock when, after taking a closer look, I learned that there was not one single game scheduled for January 1st!  The traditional New Year’s Day games like the Rose, Sugar and Orange bowl are all scheduled for Monday, January 2nd.  Even the early games like the Capitol One, Outback and Gator Bowls are being played on the 2nd.  What gives?

It can’t be because they are afraid to play on the Sabbath and offend their Christian fan base can it? (as if the Penn State scandal wasn’t enough to do that)  No, the real reason is because the bowls don’t want to go against the NFL.  As usual, the all-powerful television networks dictate sports with the all mighty dollar and those of us still clinging to tradition like gum to a shoe are left to remember the good old days when men were men, and girls were still a mystery.

Still, there are 35 bowl games played this season for crying out loud.  Could they not move the Go-Daddy Bowl (Arkansas St. vs. Northern Illinois), or the Pinstrip Bowl (Rutgers vs. Iowa St) to New Year’s Day?   I’m sure that somebody like the Longhorn Network would broadcast it (on second thought, never mind).

It’s not the first time these games have been moved from the 1st, and it won’t be the last, but put me down in the “I don’t like it” category.

A Teachable Moment

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There’s a lot not to like about college football these days.  All you have to do is look at what’s happening at Penn State to know something is very wrong.  While the events in “Happy Valley” are shocking and horribly disturbing, it’s just the latest symptom of a beloved fall tradition spinning out of control.

Just consider what’s taken place this year…

  • The University of Texas launch their own cable channel causing other schools to have TV envy.
  • Tired of living in the Longhorn’s shadow, Texas A&M jumps to the SEC.
  • Not to be outdone, Missouri also jumps to the SEC, West Virgina is trying to get to the Big 12 and Boise State could be in the Big East.  (and we wonder why Americans don’t know their geography anymore)
  • And bowl games aren’t exempt from the fun.  Fiesta Bowl CEO John Junker was fired after a report came out, exposing the Bowl paid for his 50th birthday party with a bill of $33,188.

It begs the question, who is in charge; the NCAA?  They’re scared to death the big schools would leave and form their own super conference.  No, it seems that the almighty dollar is still King of the Hill of college football. 

What Me Worry?

The decent thing for Penn State would be to forfeit its remaining games, but with all that money at stake, it’s not going to happen. 

Some might say it’s not fair to the players, but it would be a great teaching moment for all of us that sometimes life isn’t fair and there are some very bad people out there.  Just ask the victims who were abused.

Go Coogs!

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Cute Parabolic Mic OperatorGot to work a University of Houston Football game recently.  The best part was having my wife work the sidelines as a parabolic mic operator.  The Coogs played a great game, and we had a blast working the game.