Tonight little boys and little girls will cascade into neighborhoods all across the country on the hunt for glorious candies while dressed up as ghosts, bumblebees and other types of characters befitting of children.
However, there is one young man that I think needs to go trick or treating this Halloween season, and that young man is Timothy Richard Tebow. The young man has been rained upon with more scrutiny and criticism than anything I've seen in recent memory. Sometimes gorging yourself with some of the finest sugar-laden candies and chocolates this side of the Mississippi can be quite the remedy.
So for Halloween, here's how I imagine Tebow's trick or treating experience will go tonight, with a few cameo appearances sprinkled in for good measure.
Usually, when I hear people say "The team who wants it more is the team who wins," I vehemently disagree. If sports were so simplistic, it would lessen one of the biggest elements of the game: suspense. Sometimes, you win and sometimes, you lose.
The only credence I will give to the slogan above is that, in baseball, as The Rev so eloquently stated yesterday, there's no clock in baseball. There's no play clock, no shot clock, nothing. The clock won't save you. As a team, you have to finish the job on your own.
When that doesn't happen, not once, but twice, it's human nature to wonder if it's meant to be. However, there's one more game, and when you feel you're the better team, and you have another chance to win, you have to find a way to get it done, regardless of what transpired previously.
Last night, fans of sports won. If you love suspense, excitement, thrill, or agony, there was plenty of it to go around. It doesn't matter whether it was your first baseball game all season, or if it was your 100th; last night, the world of sports prevailed, and last night, it was great to be a fan.
4
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10/27/2011 08:56:00 AM
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Respect
There's no doubt in my mind that Chris Johnson is the second coming of Gayle Sayers in the....National Football League. Blessed with unreal speed and uncanny vision, the man has set all defenders ablaze since he touched down from East Carolina, back in 2008.
However, what has been chronicled with Chris Johnson and his persistence on getting paid has forever been relegated as background noise, in my opinion. I usually do my best not to worry about contract disputes and financial matters, because like my Uncle Bill would tell me from time to time, "Stay out of grown folk's pockets." So when Johnson became one of the highest paid players in the league, signing an extension with the Titans through 2016, worth up to $53 million with $30 million guaranteed...Johnson is now set for life (deservedly so) and will ball out for the Titans.
There's just one problem...Chris Johnson is a pitiful, pathetic, putrid, and poor excuse of a tailback in the National Football League.
Thank God (or Tim Tebow) that the rain has decided to cascade across the midwest region or we might not have had a show tonight. Game 6 of the World Series has been postponed until Thursday, and that means we have the full attention of Mr. Masenda.
On tonight's show, we pay our proper respect to the Fall Classic. Plus, we talk about what has happened to our national past time that is Monday Night Football. Why is it so terrible lately?
Listen. Share. Discuss.
9:00 - The Texas Rangers are one way from the glory...
9:15 - The NBA players have cancelled their Shock The World Tour...
9:30 - What in the hell happened to Monday Night Football...
9:45 - Giving honor to Tebow, Tim parts the seas against Miami...
I feel for our very own Kenny Masenda right now because I know even though his Texas Rangers are just one win away from winning their first World Series, he is suffering with every pitch. That’s what watching your favorite team in the Fall Classic is – suffering.
I went through it in 1993 when the Phillies blew two saves to lose to the Toronto Blue Jays in six games and again in 2009 with the loss to the Yankees. I even went through it in 2008, when the Phillies won just their second World Series in franchise history and didn’t even lose more than one game in any postseason series along the way.
The reason is simple: the World Series is the most unpredictable, agonizing championship of all. Each game can turn on one pitch, one steal, one error, one hit, one base-running play, one great defensive play. Hell, the Rangers are here thanks in large part to an incredible, timely steal by Ian Kinsler just a game after he was gunned down trying to do the same thing, an uncharacteristic error by the game’s best player that let Elvis Andrus take an extra base and Mike Napoli doing a little bit of everything in every game.
Last night, I watched Game Five of the World Series and watched it in its entirety. Now, its one thing for the Fall Classic to be played on the same night as Monday Night Football, and I’d be lying if the sentiment from previous years was watching baseball before football. However, The Texas Rangers, my team, are in the World Series, which pretty much means everything and everybody comes second right now.
Unless you were either (a) not on any social networking site last night, (b) not near a Hoshitoshi at all, or (c) watching football, you missed one of the wildest Game Fives, in any sport, in recent memory. The Rangers took a 4-2 lead in the eighth and Neftali Feliz made the entire damn Texas fan base sweat to death, before FINALLY ending the game with a strikeout of Lance Berkman.
Now that the Rangers are one game away from the World Series, there’s one thing they absolutely have to do:
Win tomorrow night. Do not let this thing go seven.
It’s the toughest decision for anyone who’s in charge to make. Ask anyone who’s ever managed large groups of people or had oversight over an organization. Having to let go from someone causes some people to have anxiety attacks, break out into the sweats, and throw up. It’s a serious deal.
Of course, it’s easier to make change when things are in turmoil, or when someone steps out of line. It can be tough to let go of someone you really like, but their performance doesn’t cut the mustard. However, what do you do when someone performs at an extremely high level over an extended period of time, yet when it’s time to claim that ultimate prize…the continually fall short? In the corporate world, you’d simply be transferred or given different responsibility. In football, that’s not really an option.
You either continue to live with what you got, or you move on to find a successor. This is the conundrum that Oklahoma Athletic Director Joe Castiglione faces with his football coach, Robert “Bob” Anthony Stoops. It’s a conundrum that has plagued other elite teams that, in the grand scheme of the things, weren’t ever really elite.
While doing my morning reading and YouTube viewing, this gem came across my four eyes. The Nike Barbershop Basketball campaign back in 1993 was quite a dope one, featuring a vast array of superstars past and present like George Gervin, David Robinson, Artis Gilmore, Dennis Rodman, Tim Hardaway, Alonzo Mourning, Chris Mullin, Vernon Maxwell and Mitch Richmond.
My personal favorite features Chris Webber and Latrell Sprewell (who was rocking a baldie, so he was clearly there just to be talking crazy) as C-Webb reminisces on when he posterized Charles Barkley. From C-Webb's ridiculous (yet awesome at the time) jump suit, to the theatrics displayed by both characters, this was the gem I needed to get my morning going.
Here are a couple of other favorites from the Nike Barbershop campaign:
For the previous “Some Damn Respect” posts, click here, here, and here.
There are quarterbacks in the NFL that are praised to the fullest, and rightfully so. Sir Thomas Brady, Ben Roethlisberger, Drew Brees, and Aaron Rodgers, and Peyton Manning are the five that people have revered over the past several seasons.
Tony Romo, Matt Ryan, Matt Schaub, Joe Flacco, Mark Sanchez are some guys who people respect, on one level or another, even when they are constantly questioned. Michael Vick is playing at a high level, and even though he’s not performing at the renaissance level he did last season, he’s widely respected at his position, with the concerns about what he can’t do being long gone. Philip Rivers is praised as well, probably right below the pantheon of the top five QBs (or right with them, depending on who's asked.) At this point, there's nothing left for him to do except make the Super Bowl.
However, there’s a quarterback that, after careful consideration, kind of slips under the radar. When people speak of him, it’s almost as if it’s with a “Oh yeah, him” tone to it, which is crazy considering the man has a Super Bowl ring and led his team down the field with a game-winning drive to earn it. Of course, that man is none other than Eli Manning.
ETSF and the band of hooligans affiliated with this site are ranking every NBA player that you would never, under any circumstance, want on your team. We're counting them down on Twitter (@edthesportsfan), from No. 10 to No. 1.
The conversation and dialogue that has been shared with the people over the last few days in regards to ESPN's #NBArank has been sad, comical, and infuriating. You see, the debate between who the best players are in the league is a truly difficult one. No one will ever agree on hardly anything.
"Kobe's #7? In what lifetime is Kobe the 7th best player in basketball?"
"Chris Paul's #4? He's not even the best point guard in the league!"
"LeBron's #1? Go run into traffic."
So while people may not be able to agree on who's the best, I figured we could all agree on who's the worst...or at least, who are the people you'd NEVER want to see on your basketball team. Some are current players, a few are past players who could think about making a comeback. For the sake of our sanity...please stay away.
Here are the 10 players you'd never want on your basketball team. Ever.
On this edition of The Unsportsmanlike Conduct Show we are faced with multiple conundrums. The World Series is on while our show airs live. Problem. Not one, but two co-hosts are AWOL for the beginning of the show. Problem. Ed has to run the switchboard, chat room, and do the show by himself. Problem.
Thank God there were some homies in the bullpen, as Charles Davis comes in off the bench to tag-team with Ed on this edition of #theUCshow. We chop it up about the struggles and greatness of our fantasy football teams, we break down the future of Carson Palmer in Oakland, then Kenny strolls in fashionably late to discuss ESPN's ranking of the 500 players in the NBA.
Prior to this trade deadline weekend, the talk of the NFL revolved around Tom Brady’s fast start, Aaron Rodgers’ brilliance, Tony Romo’s foibles, the “Dream Team’s” nightmare start and the formerly 5-0 Detroit Lions. What’s been lost in the shuffle, or at least received far less attention, is the resurgence of the AFC and NFC West, namely the teams in California.
Last season, both the AFC and NFC West divisions were not given much respect. Yes, the Chiefs won 10 games and made the playoffs, but they were just 2-4 in their own division and didn’t have many believers, while the Raiders went undefeated in the division yet finished just 8-8.
On the other side, the NFC West became a laughingstock, with Seattle winning the division despite a losing record (7-9). So what has taken place on the West Coast through the first six weeks of the 2011 season is remarkable.
There are few coaches and managers in the world of sports that I, as a fan, will never question. Some of them won’t be questioned, because their work, although seen from a distance, shows that they know what they’re doing. Phil Jackson, from the outset, is the coach that, regardless of how lopsided a score would get from a Jackson-coached team, would never get questioned by me.
That’s because the man’s track record is so successful that he’s more than earned the right, respect, and reverence to coach however he wants, use whatever methods he wants, and push whatever buttons he wants to get the job done.
With that said, I’ve never lived in Chicago or Los Angeles, never been exposed to the ins-and-outs, the monotonous routine of the folks who cover him or his teams for years. From a distance, homage has always been paid to Phil, and that’s how it should be.
"But if we don't win, if we don't play to our capabilities," Washington says with a big smile, "my ass is getting fired, anyway." – Ron Washington to Howard Bryant; April 23, 2010, via ESPN.com.
Don’t get it twisted. Ron Washington has not won a World Series as a manager. However, what he was done as the manager of the Texas Rangers is remarkable. Plus, living here has allowed me to be exposed to the ins-and-outs, as well as the monotonous routine of the folks who cover him and his Texas Rangers team.
In the twenty-some odd years that I've been a sports fan, one of the things that I have come to learn is that when you compete at the highest level, the final outcome is rarely ever decided by which team or individual. Instead, big games are won and lost by one's preparation, mental toughness, and a belief...not just a belief in one's self, but a belief in the system.
That system is what elite team's strive for, and what separates contenders from pretenders. As we embark on the 2011 edition of the World Series, seeing the Texas Rangers and the St. Louis Cardinals meeting up in the Fall Classic just makes sense...even though most pundits and prognosticators never saw this coming.
Recently, I had a discussion with The NFL Chick about our experiences with tailgating. The conversation was lively, exciting, and about as animated as can be. We spent plenty of time talking about our respective encounters with tailgating, how much fun it is, and we agreed on pretty much everything.
However, when it came to where tailgating fits in the scope of game day, disagreement, disharmony, and discontent took over. We couldn't come to an agreement on the exact role of tailgating; whether it's a pre-cursor to the game, or if tailgating can replace being inside the ballpark and/or stadium. With that said, we decided to structure volume four of the soon-to-be-acclaimed ETSF handbook around this particular aspect of the fan experience: tailgating.
This past Sunday a fight broke out between Carolina Panthers' wideout Steve Smith and New Orleans Saints safety Roman Harper after Smith hauled in a jump pass from Cam Newton and took it to the house for a 54-yard touchdown. Smith elevated over Saints’ corner Jabari Greer, who then fell down, thus giving Smith an unabated route to the endzone. Harper then decided to run full speed at Smith as he crossed the goal line and hit the defenseless receiver as he began to celebrate his touchdown.
Three things happened that got me crunk:
Steve Smith, usually the precocious type, instead of engaging in fisticuffs with Harper decided to do the Cris Carter ball spin and celebrate his own personal glory. Why give Harper the time of day when his (lack of) cover skills give him all the attention he needs.
The entire Carolina Panthers offense was ready to ride for Steve Smith. Even Cam Newton ran 65 yards down the field to engage in the fisticuffs, a dope scene indeed.
Saints safety Malcolm Jenkins (stupidly) came to defend his teammate, but once he ran up Steve Smith yoked his ass up and took him to the ground via the facemask…the facemask.
You see, the man wasn’t even looking for the scrap. He was out there having another boss game, just Moss’d the corner, and went to score his touchdown and go about his business. When Harper hit him, he wasn’t even tripping. “Let me celebrate me.” Smith said. (in my mind) Then Jenkins had to run up…and like the old men in our lives would say, “run up, get done up.”
This play was a microcosm of who Stevonne Latrall Smith is, one of the best players in the NFL and a true G among G’s.
By now, you should know plenty about Arizona State middle linebacker Vontaze Burfict. Simply put, Vontaze Burfict is the most terrifying player in America.
For a little background, Burfict was the top-rated high-school linebacker and a top 10 overall recruit coming out of southern California, and he became the highest rated football recruit to ever head to Arizona State. All he's done since is earn a starting spot during his freshman year, one he's never relinquished, and wreak havoc on opponents.
He finished second on the team with 69 tackles as a frosh with seven tackles for loss, two sacks and two forced fumbles, and followed that up by leading ASU in tackles with 90 last year to go along with 8.5 tackles for loss, being named Sporting News Pac-10 Defensive MVP and a Sporting News All-American. And he's continuing his stellar play this season for the 5-1 Sun Devils.
Well, things didn’t go according to plan and, thanks to Mother Nature, Game Two of the American League Championship Series was postponed for Monday afternoon. That’s right; Roscoe stayed parked in Siberia and I stayed in the apartment and sulked.
Now for people who’ve been reading this site for the longest, they know I don’t really care what day a game is on, or the time, and will do just about anything to make a game. So Game Two was rescheduled? No big deal; just go to the park on Monday and take it in with the same people.
The only problems with that logic are (a) I no longer live in the Metroplex, (b) I started a job about a month-and-a-half ago, and even as much of a hooligan that I am, especially when it comes to sports, I can't take off work this early. With all that said, it leads to today’s lesson in the fan handbook: give your ticket to a friend.
“If I can leave a legacy, when it’s my time to leave, that the Raiders would stand as a pinnacle for all organizations that they had a Commitment to Excellence, that they handled their people right, that -- in our culture -- they won. All those things and that they had a loyalty to those that came before them, they had terroring courage and that people all over would see that patch and say, ‘Wow. They were good, they were great and they dominated.”
During recent years, the patch over the right eye of what may be one of the most iconic logos in all of sports doesn’t exactly bring the ideology of greatness to mind. In fact, the Raiders have been the very antithesis of what it meant to be great in the NFL. But when you think of the Raiders lore, when you think of The Autumn Wind, when you think about the glory days of the game when men were allowed to be men; you’re obligated to think about the Commitment to Excellence dogma that Al Davis implemented for the men of the Silver and Black.
And so it came, Al’s time to leave, on Saturday morning. News that was ultimately surreal for not just fans of Raiders Nation, but for true fans of the NFL everywhere. I’ve never been big about writing about the passing away of a sports figure, but found myself fighting the urge to write about the man who epitomizes the franchise closest to my heart. Writing about death is never an easy thing to do, but as I could not with John Wooden, I cannot move on without jotting down some words about a great man who was just as influential to the sport as a whole as he was to the team he embodied.
With the haze of conference realignment in college football currently lingering around us, let me remind you of something about the Big 12 conference real quick. Since 2000, no conference has participated in more national championship games than the Big 12 with seven (albeit with a total record of 2-5 in title games, but that's besides the point.) Like it or not, if the champion of the Big 12 conference finishes with an unblemished record, there's a strong possibility that team will be sitting in the locker room on the second Monday of January.
Of course, we can't even begin to get far without acknowledging that six of the seven appearances from the Big 12 conference have been the winner of the biggest game in college football every year. That game is the Red River Rivalry Shootout played in the 92,000 capacity Cotton Bowl in Dallas, Texas between the Oklahoma Sooners and the Texas Longhorns.
Here's what ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. had to say about a projected number one overall quarterback:
"He is a franchise-caliber quarterback with accuracy and velocity reminiscent of another No. 1 overall pick, Troy Aikman. Look what Aikman meant to Dallas. He is a major building block; with the right supporting cast, the rest could be history. But he has the physical ability. Last season he was the most consistent performer at the college level, and he beat top-level opponents at the start of the season. His maturity and leadership are critical aspects of his makeup."
Nope, that isn't about the projected 2012 number one overall pick, Andrew Luck; you're ten years too early. This blurb from Mel "Slickback" Kiper is about Houston Texans' number one overall pick in David Carr who, at the time, was unequivocally seen as a can't-miss prospect. We all know how that ended.
So as the "Andrew Luck Sweepstakes" seem to be spiraling to new levels, I have to ask a real question...
On this edition of The Unsportsmanlike Conduct Show, we're honored to have the big homie Allen Kenney of Blantant Homerism join us to talk about all things Oklahoma versus Texas as the Red River Shootout takes place in the Cotton Bowl this Saturday at Noon. Why is Ken and Ed not crunk about this game? And why is B-Lew popping off so crazy at Ken and Ed for their lack of emotion towards Oklahoma?
Plus, let us ask you a question....who are the three greatest quarterbacks of your generation? This question almost started a fight on the show, names were called, and good times were had.
Here at Ed the Sports Fan, Ed and Kenny have done a masterful job laying out some good ground rules for you, the sports fans, to do your best to abide by in the Fan Handbook.
With playoff baseball grabbing hold of you on every pitch, the NFL bye weeks screwing with your fantasy teams and the NHL, yes the NHL, about to face off, there’s no better time to be a fan than right now. And I’m here to tell you, for your own good, be your own fan and celebrate sports the way you always do. Now is not the time to switch your routine or make concessions to please others.
It’s very easy to look at this NBA lockout in many ways. One way is to say everyone involved is greedy, which some folks are doing. At least, then the conclusion that be that if there’s no season, then everyone involved is getting what they deserve.
Another way to look at it is that there are players who are making use of the extra time to do some things that mean the world to them. In the case of the reigning NBA MVP and People’s Champ, Derrick Rose, his latest deed is one that certainly fits the bill, as he ventured back to his hometown to perform some commendable deeds near his old elementary school.
Even the most hardened cynic can remember their elementary days, especially the days spent on the basketball court. Recently, Rose teamed up with Powerade to refurbish the basketball courts at the park he grew up playing near his old elementary school. He also shot the breeze with the kids from the school, played with them, posed for pictures, and took trips down memory lane.
For Rose to be able to do this at the park where he grew up playing, it not only means the world to those kids who will be able to play on a darn near perfect court, it means the world to him to see where he came from and that he’s able to make a difference for so many others.
6
Comments
10/03/2011 11:15:00 AM
Powered by
Ed The Sports Fan
Topics:
Fandom,
NFL
This past weekend, I had the opportunity to take my talents down to DUUUUUUUUUUU-VAL and see my Jacksonville Jaguars do battle with the New Orleans Saints in my first-ever home game in EverBank Stadium right on the water. It was, by far, one of the best experiences I've ever had as a fan (more details on this later.)
Anyway, after I departed the tough loss (where my beliefs that Darren Sproles is arguably the scariest player in the NFL), I did what I usually do when I'm not near my television on a football Sunday: I called Kenny.
What I didn't realize is that the man had just gone through trials and tribulations prior to my phone call. You see, I was oblivious to what had happened just minutes before between his beloved Dallas Cowboys and the upstart Detroit Lions.
The inspiration of this post came from Mr. Trey McCray and Mr. Justin Tinsley, as Trey supplied the initial questions and Tins provided the answers. As a sign of brotherhood, I too have decided to take the physical challenge and partake in the 21 Questions survey. If you have a blog, tumblr, or facebook page I suggest you try this for yourself as well. This was too fun.
Oh, and I like to think of myself as the "El Presidente" of sports fans. I'm very diplomatic in the appreciation of teams, traditions, rivalries, and fans across the country. Even teams I hate, I don't really hate...just for fan purposes only. However, the teams I am a fan of, you know who I ride for. Without a doubt. Wearing the hats, jackets, singing the fight song, and talking crazy to anyone that's rooting against my squad...just like Brother President.
With that being said, here is my submission to 21 Questions, the sports fan edition.
Raininati
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I'm requesting a name change.
Seattle ain't got nothing on us.
[image: Raininati]
[where: 45202]best place to learn how to live downtown cincinnati ohio the ...
Black Greek Letter Organizations
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Life is funny because God has a sense of humor. Every day he laughs at us
because we disobey him and try to do OUR plans instead of his. HILARIOUS !!
One d...
Changing It Up
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Hey guys, I have a little bit of news. I’m changing blogs in the next few
days, going over to Tumblr.com because its easier for me to post on the go,
and ...
Newt Wants To Take You To The Moon, Baby!!!
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Lemme go on record: I officially want Newt to win the GOP nomination,
because it's going to raise the possibility of an Obama reelection from
roughly 65%...
UNC Fans: Is NC State Really A Rivalry Game
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Thursday’s game versus NC State received top billing by ESPN and the ACC.
The game had a lot of hype as NC State who is much improved came out with
somet...
Lockout Lag
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**Last week’s Mavericks-Lakers showdown that resulted in a 73-70 win for
the purple and gold pretty much epitomizes what the lockout shortened NBA
season h...
Friday Forum
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The warm afterglow of Wednesday’s Lakers win over the Clippers, is still
lingering. There’s no game tonight, with a back-to-back away trip tomorrow
and Su...
My Fantasy Superbowl – Harbaugh Bowl Two
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Now that the final two teams have battled their way to the top of the NFC
and AFC Divisions for the honor of meeting in Indianapolis for the
Superbowl, my ...
No Fingering The President
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Everywhere I go, I keep seeing this photo of Arizona Governor Jan Brewer
sticking her finger in the face of President Obama. I wish I were a Secret
Service...
Cam Newton: One reason to watch the 2012 Pro Bowl
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He’s the tipping point. Cam Newton’s smile always catches eyes but at the
2012 Pro Bowl, the QB for the Carolina Panthers has been catching passes
from Aar...
Should I Be Worried About the ‘New’ ACC?
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Note: Yes, I know the featured picture is blurry, but it’s all I could
find. Look at Chuck. Look at his shades. Look at the 6’5″ giants behind
him. Where d...
Dirk Nowitzki and Carving Paths
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Teams win championships, but as legacies go, those championships are often
just tools to define individual careers. The careers that matter the most
are ...
It's Friday, Time to Dance
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No time to waste, because there was a lot going on dance-wise this week.
First, Sergei Bobrovsky finally helped the Flyers win a shootout on Tuesday
and pr...
NFL Mid-Season Report Cards, The NFL Chick Edition
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It’s amazing how time flies. We’re already beginning the 2nd half of our
beloved NFL season, So of course, it’s time to see how your favorite team
fared m...
