Seriously, we can put men in space, we can cure diseases, and we can create some of the world's greatest masterpieces, so tell me in what planet does this item sound like a good idea? I mean really, you can't operate a seat belt, so you need help with making it work better? I love American ingenuity, but seriously, a lot of what we develop is simply to take advantage of stupid people into sending their money for things. Granted, we can't legislate intelligence, and I try to avoid having government pass laws to protect people from themselves, but seriously, I think it's about time to consider it. Because I can't think of anything redeeming about this product at all. And yes, I'm fully aware of where the product ends up on most of the female clientele.
I love reading about how Sunday's Super Bowl was the best game ever, and it immediately should be ranked amongst the best games ever. Uh, seriously, here? I can think of at least 5 games that I found more interesting and were better overall games from start to finish. (Elway's first Super Bowl win, Norwood's missed kick versus the Giants, the Giants win last year, Patriots first win in 2002, 49ers win in 1982 just to name 5 right now, there could be more.) It's not that the game was all that boring, either. You had two evenly matched teams, both teams made big plays, and the fourth quarter was back and forth, so that was good. On the flip side, you had uneven officiating throughout the game, non existent running games, and really a first half that bordered on sloppy for both sides.
But we are in an era of Super Bowls that don't suck, so really, fans right now may not remember the trash that really was the Super Bowl until about 2002. Games weren't close for the most part, and when they were, it was true back and forth, nail biting classics. Otherwise, the games were over by halftime, so the excuse was to get drunk and watch the commercials until something else was on television. Now, in the golden age of Super Bowls, there really hasn't been a blowout in a while, so I think each game gets thrown on the hyperbole of great games, even if it really wasn't. Pittsburgh played very well, and made plays when they needed to, but if the game ended and Arizona won, it wouldn't have been a huge surprise because for the most part, they played well. Yes, the forth quarter was a classic battle, back and forth, with some huge plays, but I couldn't consider the whole game a true classic.
But as a sports fan, I'm entitled to my opinion, and so there will be plenty of other dissenting views, and that's OK. One of the great things about sports is that discussions like this really share knowledge between sports fans, and so you impart history and information between people that know and share passion. Unfortunately, you get the other side where people from the modern era tend to forget the things that just happened 10 years ago. Seriously, when the NBA was polling current players about the best shooters of the game, they mentioned a lot of good players. From the current ranks. With nobody from the previous eras even remotely mentioned. How can you have a discussion of great NBA shooters and not include Larry Bird or George Gervin? Oh, that's right, they played before the era of Sports Center.
Which is where the whole classic thing bugs me the most. If someone hasn't seen it, apparently it either doesn't exist, or it's too obscure to be true. And I don't want to sound like a sports fan that uses the tired analogy of walking up hill barefoot to school to describe my experience in being a fan while I was younger, but when you could only watch one MLB game a week on TV, when NBA was an only occasional watch, NFL was restricted to what you got on your market area, and your newspaper box scores were the way that you learned more about teams and players, it makes you appreciate what an era we live in now, with sports anytime, anywhere. But by the same token, games and performances get taken for granted, and history seems less relevant because it's the here and now.
True fans of the game appreciate the current, learn about the past, and look towards the future with open eyes and hearts. I miss some of the simplicity of being a fan when things were more simple, but at the same time, being able to get scores and highlights anytime spoils me greatly. Being able to watch a Trail Blazer game while checking the Gonzaga score on my phone is priceless, and something that every sports fan appreciates. But in appreciating that, it's also important to remember where we came from.
As far as MLS updates for Portland, there are a couple of important items. The City Task Force keeps meeting to try and hit the deadline to recommend that Portland either officially apply for a team or defer the idea for later. Randy Leonard has asked the group to keep on task to meet the deadline, and focus on soccer rather than baseball right now. While it's important to get that task done, the issue is that MLS will be making its decision within the next month or two, and we need to get things in order now or lose an opportunity here. On February 24th, the Task Force will be taking public comments, and I'll post information about where it is, and what you can do to help. It's important to make your voice heard here, and let the city know that this idea has merit, and we would support MLS coming here. I understand the city has important issues, but at the same point, we have a chance here to do something special and bring top level soccer to the Rose City.
Showing posts with label NFL. Show all posts
Showing posts with label NFL. Show all posts
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Super Bowl Tomorrow
If this doesn't get you in the mood for the Super Bowl, nothing will.
And the legend of Shamwow speaks. And it's as funny as his infomercials.
Finally, congrats to Rudy, Greg and Brandon for their All-Star berths. Brandon is playing in the big game, Rudy is in the slam dunk contest, and Rudy and Greg are playing in the Rookie - Sophomore game. It's a great day to be a Trail Blazer fan, and a big weekend on February 13th through the 15th in Phoenix.
Darius Miles will be with an NBA team for the rest of the year. Sucks for our bottom line, but perhaps he's learned something and he really wants to work hard. He's got talent, but talent alone doesn't make an NBA career. We'll see how this goes, and who knows, I might be surprised.
I don't care who wins the Super Bowl, just simply that the game is entertaining. Otherwise, it could make for a long Sunday. Go Bud Dry!! Wait, what do you mean they aren't playing?!#$? Ok, got to go get ready for the game. Only 26 hours to go!!
And the legend of Shamwow speaks. And it's as funny as his infomercials.
Finally, congrats to Rudy, Greg and Brandon for their All-Star berths. Brandon is playing in the big game, Rudy is in the slam dunk contest, and Rudy and Greg are playing in the Rookie - Sophomore game. It's a great day to be a Trail Blazer fan, and a big weekend on February 13th through the 15th in Phoenix.
Darius Miles will be with an NBA team for the rest of the year. Sucks for our bottom line, but perhaps he's learned something and he really wants to work hard. He's got talent, but talent alone doesn't make an NBA career. We'll see how this goes, and who knows, I might be surprised.
I don't care who wins the Super Bowl, just simply that the game is entertaining. Otherwise, it could make for a long Sunday. Go Bud Dry!! Wait, what do you mean they aren't playing?!#$? Ok, got to go get ready for the game. Only 26 hours to go!!
Monday, January 19, 2009
Monday, Monday
Filling in some gaps from yesterday's post and talking about a few other things.
MLS Update - The St. Louis story is attached here, and paints the picture of their economics. The stadium site is tied together with some other development, such as retail and restaurant, which means there's more potential to make money but there's more things that have to fall into place in order to make it happen, unlike stadium only. St. Louis would be a great market to add to MLS, being centrally located in the US and it's the birthplace of US Soccer. But I think that there are other cities that are as good of a bid or better.
Atlanta is looking at other possibilities for teams, but not at soccer. Seems like a decent enough market, but I also know that competition for sports dollars is tough when you have the NFL, NBA, NHL and MLB all within town, and the Braves are really a top draw there regardless of their record. Miami's bid includes the Barca name, a big club from Europe along with other big footy names possibly coming to town. It's not so much that I think the team will do badly in Miami, but seriously, you've had two chances to make MLS work there and they've failed for various reasons, including attendance and ownership. And your USL entry has had the worst attendance the past two years in a row, so by all means, give them another team and see how well it goes. You have to wonder about how many chances you get until it's raising the red flag. Philly's stadium issue is still up in the air, despite them being on tap to join MLS in 2010, and so right now, this leaves Vancouver and Portland.
Vancouver BC would be a great market for MLS, they have great fans, a beautiful city, and a history of great support. The instant rivalry with the fish guys from the Emerald City makes it a win, and if you were able to include Portland with that, it makes it that much better because you have a built in Pacific Coast rivalry. The only thing that Portland needs to do is get the money figured out.
The following thread on my home away from home on the interwebs has all sorts of MLS news, including information about the task force meetings that are occuring here for Sam Adams' stadium committee. This is the group tasked to recommend stadium options for not only the MLS Timbers should that occur, but a home for the current PCL Portland Beavers. It's important to consider the future of both teams, and while MLS would be great here, you can't ignore baseball because there is a market here and people like to watch the game. But it must be in the right spot. The task force meetings are open to the public, so anyone can drop in and learn more.
Super Bowl - Ok, admittedly, I knew Pittsburgh was going to be a good team, and they were going to make the playoffs. I didn't have them picked for the Super Bowl, but I figured they'd be in the hunt to get there. And they did, providing a most brutal win versus Baltimore. The game was physical, bruising, and defensive, exactly what you would expect from two divisional rivals. Players said they are happy getting an extra week off to recover from their playoff game, and they weren't kidding.
But Arizona? Seriously, I had them as the third best team in their own division behind the Seahawks and the 49ers, who I thought would have figured things out enough to be competitive. And all Arizona did was win while the Hawks imploded badly and the 49ers digressed enough so that their coach, Mike Nolan, was fired and is now in Seattle coaching the defense. So they won the division, but then after not winning a playoff game in 40 some years, they not only win their first game vs. Atlanta, but they beat Carolina and Philadelphia to get to a Super Bowl. I would have never guessed it, which is a great thing for the NFL getting fresh teams in there.
But just because Arizona is a surprise doesn't mean the Steelers will win this game easily. The NFC is loaded, and Arizona beat some very balanced teams to get to this point by having a great offense and a defense that made plays when needed. Should be a fun matchup, even if it wasn't completely expected.
Trail Blazers News - The guy that shoots three pointers really well is going to the dunk contest. Rudy Fernandez will participate in this year's Slam Dunk contest. If he dunks like he shoots from the outside, this could be a load of fun to watch him. Either way, it's great that a Trail Blazer will be at All-Star Weekend, especially after so many years of being snubbed until Brandon Roy broke that streak last year. I expect Rudy and Greg Oden will be in the Rookie game, and Roy will be selected as a reserve, which will be very deserved honors.
Timbers News - There are rumours the 2009 season schedule is coming out on Wednesday, January 21st. I'll believe it when I see it, but the source is someone I believe, so look here for more information. We know at this point, our home opener is April 30th versus Carolina, which is a Thursday night. Apparently, the hipsters need a place to go.
Local News - According to recent studies, Portland and Wonder white bread have something in common. Uh, really. The study proves what anyone that hangs out around town knows, young people are flocking here in droves because of the art, music, culture and vibe of the town. Seriously, what's not to love about a town that loves its strip clubs, pubs, and sports teams? Well, the fact that many of the people coming here are caucasians.
But really, while race may be lacking in some areas, I challenge the fact that we aren't diverse here. If you think of sexual orientation, this place is amazingly diverse in places where gays and lesbians congregate. Plus this town has various conventions and gatherings for geeks, comic book folks, gamers, beer guys, and sports fans. I've never lived in a town where there were so many festivals in celebration of different things.
Admittedly though, the housing issue means gentrification, and the areas where African Americans traditionally lived have now been changed into areas where young people, mostly white, are buying houses. It's tough when you have the demand here like there has been, and people are priced out of the area and pushed out into the suburbs. My area is incredibly diverse with Mexican Americans, African Americans, Asian Americans, and caucasians melding together, and I see lots of different folks about town. Mind you, when I lived in NW Portland, I didn't see much diversity but then again, it was a trendy part of town. But seriously, if you are going to talk about diversity here, I think it's better to talk about interests and about who people are rather that what they look like, and in that case, Portland is an incredibly diverse, almost quirky paradise.
Ok, off to go watch the Trail Blazers tonight. Be good and don't get blown away!!
MLS Update - The St. Louis story is attached here, and paints the picture of their economics. The stadium site is tied together with some other development, such as retail and restaurant, which means there's more potential to make money but there's more things that have to fall into place in order to make it happen, unlike stadium only. St. Louis would be a great market to add to MLS, being centrally located in the US and it's the birthplace of US Soccer. But I think that there are other cities that are as good of a bid or better.
Atlanta is looking at other possibilities for teams, but not at soccer. Seems like a decent enough market, but I also know that competition for sports dollars is tough when you have the NFL, NBA, NHL and MLB all within town, and the Braves are really a top draw there regardless of their record. Miami's bid includes the Barca name, a big club from Europe along with other big footy names possibly coming to town. It's not so much that I think the team will do badly in Miami, but seriously, you've had two chances to make MLS work there and they've failed for various reasons, including attendance and ownership. And your USL entry has had the worst attendance the past two years in a row, so by all means, give them another team and see how well it goes. You have to wonder about how many chances you get until it's raising the red flag. Philly's stadium issue is still up in the air, despite them being on tap to join MLS in 2010, and so right now, this leaves Vancouver and Portland.
Vancouver BC would be a great market for MLS, they have great fans, a beautiful city, and a history of great support. The instant rivalry with the fish guys from the Emerald City makes it a win, and if you were able to include Portland with that, it makes it that much better because you have a built in Pacific Coast rivalry. The only thing that Portland needs to do is get the money figured out.
The following thread on my home away from home on the interwebs has all sorts of MLS news, including information about the task force meetings that are occuring here for Sam Adams' stadium committee. This is the group tasked to recommend stadium options for not only the MLS Timbers should that occur, but a home for the current PCL Portland Beavers. It's important to consider the future of both teams, and while MLS would be great here, you can't ignore baseball because there is a market here and people like to watch the game. But it must be in the right spot. The task force meetings are open to the public, so anyone can drop in and learn more.
Super Bowl - Ok, admittedly, I knew Pittsburgh was going to be a good team, and they were going to make the playoffs. I didn't have them picked for the Super Bowl, but I figured they'd be in the hunt to get there. And they did, providing a most brutal win versus Baltimore. The game was physical, bruising, and defensive, exactly what you would expect from two divisional rivals. Players said they are happy getting an extra week off to recover from their playoff game, and they weren't kidding.
But Arizona? Seriously, I had them as the third best team in their own division behind the Seahawks and the 49ers, who I thought would have figured things out enough to be competitive. And all Arizona did was win while the Hawks imploded badly and the 49ers digressed enough so that their coach, Mike Nolan, was fired and is now in Seattle coaching the defense. So they won the division, but then after not winning a playoff game in 40 some years, they not only win their first game vs. Atlanta, but they beat Carolina and Philadelphia to get to a Super Bowl. I would have never guessed it, which is a great thing for the NFL getting fresh teams in there.
But just because Arizona is a surprise doesn't mean the Steelers will win this game easily. The NFC is loaded, and Arizona beat some very balanced teams to get to this point by having a great offense and a defense that made plays when needed. Should be a fun matchup, even if it wasn't completely expected.
Trail Blazers News - The guy that shoots three pointers really well is going to the dunk contest. Rudy Fernandez will participate in this year's Slam Dunk contest. If he dunks like he shoots from the outside, this could be a load of fun to watch him. Either way, it's great that a Trail Blazer will be at All-Star Weekend, especially after so many years of being snubbed until Brandon Roy broke that streak last year. I expect Rudy and Greg Oden will be in the Rookie game, and Roy will be selected as a reserve, which will be very deserved honors.
Timbers News - There are rumours the 2009 season schedule is coming out on Wednesday, January 21st. I'll believe it when I see it, but the source is someone I believe, so look here for more information. We know at this point, our home opener is April 30th versus Carolina, which is a Thursday night. Apparently, the hipsters need a place to go.
Local News - According to recent studies, Portland and Wonder white bread have something in common. Uh, really. The study proves what anyone that hangs out around town knows, young people are flocking here in droves because of the art, music, culture and vibe of the town. Seriously, what's not to love about a town that loves its strip clubs, pubs, and sports teams? Well, the fact that many of the people coming here are caucasians.
But really, while race may be lacking in some areas, I challenge the fact that we aren't diverse here. If you think of sexual orientation, this place is amazingly diverse in places where gays and lesbians congregate. Plus this town has various conventions and gatherings for geeks, comic book folks, gamers, beer guys, and sports fans. I've never lived in a town where there were so many festivals in celebration of different things.
Admittedly though, the housing issue means gentrification, and the areas where African Americans traditionally lived have now been changed into areas where young people, mostly white, are buying houses. It's tough when you have the demand here like there has been, and people are priced out of the area and pushed out into the suburbs. My area is incredibly diverse with Mexican Americans, African Americans, Asian Americans, and caucasians melding together, and I see lots of different folks about town. Mind you, when I lived in NW Portland, I didn't see much diversity but then again, it was a trendy part of town. But seriously, if you are going to talk about diversity here, I think it's better to talk about interests and about who people are rather that what they look like, and in that case, Portland is an incredibly diverse, almost quirky paradise.
Ok, off to go watch the Trail Blazers tonight. Be good and don't get blown away!!
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
The Other Brand of Football, Timbers Recap, and A Fun Weekend Coming
I love being in Portland, and I especially love the early fall time here. The leaves begin their colored kaleidoscope change, and being in a large city with trees, you see all sorts of colors and combinations. The mornings have a bit of crispness to them, but by afternoon, the sun is out and it feels like a warm summer day. The jacket has been hung up all summer, and now it's at least time to find out where it's hiding because the evenings can get a bit chilly if you aren't careful. The summer memories of camping, hiking, being outdoors are still in full recall, and the upcoming rains and cold weather seem miles and miles away, even though we all know they are coming soon enough.
It also represents the time of year that the sports landscape changes, as the Timbers wind up their 2008 campaign in the next few weeks, and people are starting to talk Trail Blazers, even though training camp is just under a month away. Yes, there is lots of college football talk about, as the Ducks and Beavers dominate the Saturday television viewing and portions of the daily newspaper. Even though both schools are over an hour away by drive, Oregon and Oregon State are very present, especially as both schools fight for notoriety. Oh, and high school football dominates the Friday landscape, as every television station in the area devotes a big portion of their newscasts to game coverage and highlights. You'd think this town was football crazy, and I think you'd be right.
We are unique in the fact that our nearest NFL team is over 3 hours away in Seattle, and the major college programs are over an hour from Portland. Portland State is in town playing the Championship Subdivision level, which sounds more like a housing complex than an NCAA level designation, and has struggled to gain attention in town despite having a former NFL coach running the show here, Jerry Glanville. Despite all of the distance for our football games, it remains a powerful influence in sports in this town. Sports bars advertise having the NFL package, and fans flock to watch games on Sunday, filling various spots around town. These people could be fans of the teams, playing fantasy football, or just generally getting together with the guys, but football is serious business here.
Which makes a lot of the comments about the efforts to bring MLS here make sense. There is a large portion of folks that would prefer Portland to go big in their effort to bring another sports team to town, and the NFL fits the bill. It's mega popular, on television and getting great ratings, and makes a ton of money for the cities it's in. And it's also an extremely costly venture as well. Lucas Oil Field in Indianapolis just opened this season, with a price tag of around $700 million dollars; the stadium is full of the latest bells and whistles from giant big screen, various restaurants on the grounds, luxury boxes abound and plenty of seats, about 70,000 of them. Figuring that an NFL team plays roughly 10 homes games a year (2 exhibition games and 8 regular season games), most NFL stadiums are only full a few times a year. Most other times, they sit empty unless you can find conventions or events to fill them. Some NFL teams have decided to share their stadiums with other sports to maximize the dates it's used to earn more money, from having an MLB team present to an MLS team. Ticket prices in the NFL remain the highest of the 4 major sports, averaging about $300 for one game for a family of four, figuring the $300 represents tickets, concessions, programs and such.
So for these dollar figures, you can see that bringing the NFL here represents a huge financial undertaking, and for something that will remain unused for a large period of time. I would love to have the NFL come here, but I see the value in bringing MLS here for a tenth of the potential cost. You get an updated stadium that could house college football exhibitions, MLS games, international and national friendlies, and other events for about $40 million dollars. It's not the NFL, but I think it serves a purpose to fill another sport in the area that is passionately followed. I get that some people are disappointed in this approach as evidenced by a recent column in the Oregonian's opinion, where the major focus of the article is why can't we aim higher when really it sounds more like a MLS bashing party. It'd be nice if some rich person came into town and said they'd take care of all of our stadium needs, but it's not going to happen. So we have to approach this the best we can, and for me, that's MLS.
I would love to get the football fans taken care of, but for now, it's time to keep huddling in front of the televisions at sports bars. I hope one day we can get you outside to watch the game live.
TIMBERS UPDATE - The Timbers came into the past weekend with some great momentum after their 4 - 0 win against Miami, but they still needed points as they headed to Rochester and Montreal for two road matches. Rochester is a place where we don't play well at all usually, and Montreal is a place that we normally play very well at, but instead we ended losing both matches by the same 2 to 0 score. Apparently, we didn't play very well in either place, as both opponents really took it to us. I've tried to find a match report for Rochester but can't (this was as close as I could find), while Montreal's match report is available here. I echo a lot of the thoughts about the team now by saying that while I love my Timbers and want them to do well every time they go out and play, I won't be disappointed if they miss the playoffs. Simply put, we've struggled to find any sort of identity this year, and I think it's serious time to really rethink the roster. I understand the complexities of USL, but we need to get some quality talent and keep them in Portland. I think the eventual plan of adding a PDL team here will help in that cause, as we can have players work out and play to get better before moving up, but as with any plan, it takes time to build the level up.
Mind you, I'm not saying we don't have talent here, but it's obvious the talent doesn't work well together at times. Our defense has been pushed to the limit numerous times, the keeping has been up and down as players rotate in and out, the midfield can't control and keep balls, and the forwards haven't really generated much offense because they aren't getting much service. We've seriously done well to get to this point, and I think the talent has done that, but there are other things that teams must do to win: overcome adversity and take advantage of your schedule. Our team in 2007 was hit with lots of challenges, but overcame all of them right up until the end, and they took advantage of the schedule to maximize their points. Having the California Victory on the schedule helped, but simply put, we could have folded or not taken them seriously and gave up points, but we didn't and it led to great things. This year, we haven't been able to deal with the adversity of injuries and player movement, and the schedule hasn't been dealt with at all.
While we still have a chance to get into the playoffs, it requires us to win out and get some help from Atlanta and Minnesota. It's possible to get in with draws as well, but we'd need more help, so really it comes down to getting points in our last two games. It starts with Charleston on Thursday coming to PGE Park, a team that is in the thick of the race and has something to play for, so it won't be easy. Either way, I'll be there because it's the last home regular season match for the year, and it will potentially be the last time I'll see some of the TA for the winter. I expect some magical things to happen, but if not, it will still be a great night. Besides, I already have my 2009 season tickets on order.
I will be heading to the Oregon Coast this weekend for a wedding, so the blog gets a break until next week. Two of my best friends, KC and Steve, are getting married on the coast. They are huge Timbers fans who got relocated to Pittsburgh for work, and I miss them terribly, as KC was not only a great friend, but an awesome bowler. It will be great to see them this weekend as they begin their journey as a married couple, and to be able to see my friends again. If I'm asked for any wedding advice, I'll give them one point: Marriage can be hard unless you communicate and share of yourself all the time, because it doesn't work doing it alone. I wish them the best in their future, and we'll chat with you all next week.
It also represents the time of year that the sports landscape changes, as the Timbers wind up their 2008 campaign in the next few weeks, and people are starting to talk Trail Blazers, even though training camp is just under a month away. Yes, there is lots of college football talk about, as the Ducks and Beavers dominate the Saturday television viewing and portions of the daily newspaper. Even though both schools are over an hour away by drive, Oregon and Oregon State are very present, especially as both schools fight for notoriety. Oh, and high school football dominates the Friday landscape, as every television station in the area devotes a big portion of their newscasts to game coverage and highlights. You'd think this town was football crazy, and I think you'd be right.
We are unique in the fact that our nearest NFL team is over 3 hours away in Seattle, and the major college programs are over an hour from Portland. Portland State is in town playing the Championship Subdivision level, which sounds more like a housing complex than an NCAA level designation, and has struggled to gain attention in town despite having a former NFL coach running the show here, Jerry Glanville. Despite all of the distance for our football games, it remains a powerful influence in sports in this town. Sports bars advertise having the NFL package, and fans flock to watch games on Sunday, filling various spots around town. These people could be fans of the teams, playing fantasy football, or just generally getting together with the guys, but football is serious business here.
Which makes a lot of the comments about the efforts to bring MLS here make sense. There is a large portion of folks that would prefer Portland to go big in their effort to bring another sports team to town, and the NFL fits the bill. It's mega popular, on television and getting great ratings, and makes a ton of money for the cities it's in. And it's also an extremely costly venture as well. Lucas Oil Field in Indianapolis just opened this season, with a price tag of around $700 million dollars; the stadium is full of the latest bells and whistles from giant big screen, various restaurants on the grounds, luxury boxes abound and plenty of seats, about 70,000 of them. Figuring that an NFL team plays roughly 10 homes games a year (2 exhibition games and 8 regular season games), most NFL stadiums are only full a few times a year. Most other times, they sit empty unless you can find conventions or events to fill them. Some NFL teams have decided to share their stadiums with other sports to maximize the dates it's used to earn more money, from having an MLB team present to an MLS team. Ticket prices in the NFL remain the highest of the 4 major sports, averaging about $300 for one game for a family of four, figuring the $300 represents tickets, concessions, programs and such.
So for these dollar figures, you can see that bringing the NFL here represents a huge financial undertaking, and for something that will remain unused for a large period of time. I would love to have the NFL come here, but I see the value in bringing MLS here for a tenth of the potential cost. You get an updated stadium that could house college football exhibitions, MLS games, international and national friendlies, and other events for about $40 million dollars. It's not the NFL, but I think it serves a purpose to fill another sport in the area that is passionately followed. I get that some people are disappointed in this approach as evidenced by a recent column in the Oregonian's opinion, where the major focus of the article is why can't we aim higher when really it sounds more like a MLS bashing party. It'd be nice if some rich person came into town and said they'd take care of all of our stadium needs, but it's not going to happen. So we have to approach this the best we can, and for me, that's MLS.
I would love to get the football fans taken care of, but for now, it's time to keep huddling in front of the televisions at sports bars. I hope one day we can get you outside to watch the game live.
TIMBERS UPDATE - The Timbers came into the past weekend with some great momentum after their 4 - 0 win against Miami, but they still needed points as they headed to Rochester and Montreal for two road matches. Rochester is a place where we don't play well at all usually, and Montreal is a place that we normally play very well at, but instead we ended losing both matches by the same 2 to 0 score. Apparently, we didn't play very well in either place, as both opponents really took it to us. I've tried to find a match report for Rochester but can't (this was as close as I could find), while Montreal's match report is available here. I echo a lot of the thoughts about the team now by saying that while I love my Timbers and want them to do well every time they go out and play, I won't be disappointed if they miss the playoffs. Simply put, we've struggled to find any sort of identity this year, and I think it's serious time to really rethink the roster. I understand the complexities of USL, but we need to get some quality talent and keep them in Portland. I think the eventual plan of adding a PDL team here will help in that cause, as we can have players work out and play to get better before moving up, but as with any plan, it takes time to build the level up.
Mind you, I'm not saying we don't have talent here, but it's obvious the talent doesn't work well together at times. Our defense has been pushed to the limit numerous times, the keeping has been up and down as players rotate in and out, the midfield can't control and keep balls, and the forwards haven't really generated much offense because they aren't getting much service. We've seriously done well to get to this point, and I think the talent has done that, but there are other things that teams must do to win: overcome adversity and take advantage of your schedule. Our team in 2007 was hit with lots of challenges, but overcame all of them right up until the end, and they took advantage of the schedule to maximize their points. Having the California Victory on the schedule helped, but simply put, we could have folded or not taken them seriously and gave up points, but we didn't and it led to great things. This year, we haven't been able to deal with the adversity of injuries and player movement, and the schedule hasn't been dealt with at all.
While we still have a chance to get into the playoffs, it requires us to win out and get some help from Atlanta and Minnesota. It's possible to get in with draws as well, but we'd need more help, so really it comes down to getting points in our last two games. It starts with Charleston on Thursday coming to PGE Park, a team that is in the thick of the race and has something to play for, so it won't be easy. Either way, I'll be there because it's the last home regular season match for the year, and it will potentially be the last time I'll see some of the TA for the winter. I expect some magical things to happen, but if not, it will still be a great night. Besides, I already have my 2009 season tickets on order.
I will be heading to the Oregon Coast this weekend for a wedding, so the blog gets a break until next week. Two of my best friends, KC and Steve, are getting married on the coast. They are huge Timbers fans who got relocated to Pittsburgh for work, and I miss them terribly, as KC was not only a great friend, but an awesome bowler. It will be great to see them this weekend as they begin their journey as a married couple, and to be able to see my friends again. If I'm asked for any wedding advice, I'll give them one point: Marriage can be hard unless you communicate and share of yourself all the time, because it doesn't work doing it alone. I wish them the best in their future, and we'll chat with you all next week.
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
Blogging About The Portland Timbers
Ok, I've had a couple of people at my work ask me why I don't blog about my favorite team, the Portland Timbers. Seriously, as much as I seem to talk about the team, how the games went, our efforts to get MLS, why not dedicate a blog to all that is Timbers. Well, honestly, as much as that would be interesting to do, there's actually people doing it already that are much better at it and know the game of footy really well.
The Offside blog for the Timbers talks about the team, trends, news, and puts it all in a quick, easy to read format. It helps that the author is a footy guy who has been doing it for years, as Roberto knows his stuff. He doesn't spend a lot of time talking about fluff, it's all about the Timbers in a easy format. The Offside also has various football pages for other teams and leagues as well, so you can catch up on anything footy related in one spot. For more detailed Timbers coverage, you can always visit my friend Obi's site, the 107 Report, where he does detailed analysis, interviews, and throws in some cool music along the way. He gets some great interviews from the team, coaches, and fans, and gets all sides of the news about the Timbers. The local paper also does a blog that gets submissions from Timbers fans as well, although the blog has been a bit outdated for a bit.
I suppose I could speak from a fan's perspective, but it's also important to me to not be a one trick pony with my blog. Honestly, I love the Trail Blazers a lot, and I've done blogs on other sports as well, and so being narrow in my focus, well, I'm a bit worried about losing some of the subject matter. I really sometimes just think of an idea to write about, and then just start typing. Which can either lead to some incredible prose, or something that really hundreds of cats random smacking keys on a keyboard could have thrown together. But I promised myself in doing this that I would just take my chances with things, and go from my first draft and idea and run with it.
From a fan's world, the Timbers have won games they probably shouldn't have and lost games they probably should have won, so being in the middle of the table makes sense so far. We've had injuries, something that happens to a lot of teams, but it's hit the midfield quite hard. We also traded away our former captain, Andrew Gregor, in a mid season deal with Rochester and Carolina, which almost never happens in the USL. We've lost our top keeper, Ray Burse, who was on loan from Dallas FC, and now are on our third keeper, Brad Knighton, who is on loan from New England. Our top two strikers weren't with the club three weeks ago, Bryan Jordan was loaned to us from the LA Galaxy (he played here last year, and is a OSU product), and Byron Alvarez, who was with the team two years ago but was not resigned after Chris Agnello was fired after the 2006 season. Prior to them being signed, our top strikers were Taka Suzuki and Chris Brown, both skilled players just past their 30th birthdays but definitely not the quickest players around. They've actually played better in midfield lately than up front. Our defense was top rated last year, and all 4 guys are back this year, Scot Thompson, Justin Thompson, Leonard Griffin and Cameron Knowles. But Scot has looked a step slow at times and has gotten beat which never happens, and Leo has been inconsistent in his play. Plus, our defense last year had Josh Wicks cover many mistakes in goal, and our keepers, while good, aren't as athletic as Josh. And we have 11 midfielders on our team, but really only Shaun Higgins and Tommy Poltl have played consistently well week in and week out, and both of them have dealt with injuries and suspensions.
So to say we are a team in flux is an understatement, but we are sitting in 7th place and the final playoff spot as of right now. With 11 teams in the league, the top seed gets a bye in round 1 of the playoffs and then seeds 2 through 7 meet up for the right to advance. Also, with everyone playing three games against each other in a 30 game schedule, you get to see your opponents a lot. And USL Live has changed the complexion of scouting, as all games are available on a website for a relatively cheap fee, and you can watch them live or on archive. It makes it easier to know how your rivals are doing, watching them live and somewhat up close. I know the Timbers fans love it, cause you can watch games all the time, and we've set up many viewings of away matches at various pubs about town.
The ultimate Timbers site is Soccer City USA (http://www.soccercityusa.com/), which allows the Timbers fans to post, connect with each other, set up viewings, share news tidbits, set up charitable events about town, talk bowling, talk soccer outside of Portland, or just share weird videos. The site has strengthened the sense of community amongst the TA, being able to share news and stay connected despite busy schedules about. I can't really get through my day without checking the site a few times a day for stuff.
Between all of these sources, I can't think of what else I might add to the world of blogs, so I will continue with my random assortment of topics. But rest assured that the Timbers and Trail Blazers will be tops on my list for things to spout about, along with pie. And maybe a crazy cat story now and then.
Update...
On a previous blog, I talked about Brett Favre and his saga to play again. Since my post, he's been reinstated by the league and met with team officials a couple of times. It was also announced that the quarterback job would be open to a competition amongst all of the players. While the press releases said the Packers would welcome him back, the team has said today that Favre didn't have the best team attitude and so they asked him to leave. Presumably, this is probably due to his desire to be the starter again, while the team wants to move on with other players. Tonight, reports are now surfacing that he's headed to the Jets.
In my original post, I said it was up to the team to make a move that made sense for everyone involved. But it's become apparent that they've also grown tired of a player that while very good being a piece of their history for years, has become a distraction by his desire to be the center of attention. It's all about what Favre wants, and he wants to play by his terms. And I can see now why the team has decided to move on. Instead of being a leader and doing what is right for the team, Favre has made it about him. Face it, the guy that looks best out of this is Aaron Rodgers, who basically went along with the plan as best he could. Even Favre admitted that his being in camp was a bit of distraction, but that being the starter again was what mattered.
In order to be a team leader, sometimes you have to know when you are beat and it's time to move on. Hopefully, Brett Favre gets this message and moves onto the Jets to resume his career. He might do well, he might be better off retired, but at least he's not the Packers' problem anymore.
The Offside blog for the Timbers talks about the team, trends, news, and puts it all in a quick, easy to read format. It helps that the author is a footy guy who has been doing it for years, as Roberto knows his stuff. He doesn't spend a lot of time talking about fluff, it's all about the Timbers in a easy format. The Offside also has various football pages for other teams and leagues as well, so you can catch up on anything footy related in one spot. For more detailed Timbers coverage, you can always visit my friend Obi's site, the 107 Report, where he does detailed analysis, interviews, and throws in some cool music along the way. He gets some great interviews from the team, coaches, and fans, and gets all sides of the news about the Timbers. The local paper also does a blog that gets submissions from Timbers fans as well, although the blog has been a bit outdated for a bit.
I suppose I could speak from a fan's perspective, but it's also important to me to not be a one trick pony with my blog. Honestly, I love the Trail Blazers a lot, and I've done blogs on other sports as well, and so being narrow in my focus, well, I'm a bit worried about losing some of the subject matter. I really sometimes just think of an idea to write about, and then just start typing. Which can either lead to some incredible prose, or something that really hundreds of cats random smacking keys on a keyboard could have thrown together. But I promised myself in doing this that I would just take my chances with things, and go from my first draft and idea and run with it.
From a fan's world, the Timbers have won games they probably shouldn't have and lost games they probably should have won, so being in the middle of the table makes sense so far. We've had injuries, something that happens to a lot of teams, but it's hit the midfield quite hard. We also traded away our former captain, Andrew Gregor, in a mid season deal with Rochester and Carolina, which almost never happens in the USL. We've lost our top keeper, Ray Burse, who was on loan from Dallas FC, and now are on our third keeper, Brad Knighton, who is on loan from New England. Our top two strikers weren't with the club three weeks ago, Bryan Jordan was loaned to us from the LA Galaxy (he played here last year, and is a OSU product), and Byron Alvarez, who was with the team two years ago but was not resigned after Chris Agnello was fired after the 2006 season. Prior to them being signed, our top strikers were Taka Suzuki and Chris Brown, both skilled players just past their 30th birthdays but definitely not the quickest players around. They've actually played better in midfield lately than up front. Our defense was top rated last year, and all 4 guys are back this year, Scot Thompson, Justin Thompson, Leonard Griffin and Cameron Knowles. But Scot has looked a step slow at times and has gotten beat which never happens, and Leo has been inconsistent in his play. Plus, our defense last year had Josh Wicks cover many mistakes in goal, and our keepers, while good, aren't as athletic as Josh. And we have 11 midfielders on our team, but really only Shaun Higgins and Tommy Poltl have played consistently well week in and week out, and both of them have dealt with injuries and suspensions.
So to say we are a team in flux is an understatement, but we are sitting in 7th place and the final playoff spot as of right now. With 11 teams in the league, the top seed gets a bye in round 1 of the playoffs and then seeds 2 through 7 meet up for the right to advance. Also, with everyone playing three games against each other in a 30 game schedule, you get to see your opponents a lot. And USL Live has changed the complexion of scouting, as all games are available on a website for a relatively cheap fee, and you can watch them live or on archive. It makes it easier to know how your rivals are doing, watching them live and somewhat up close. I know the Timbers fans love it, cause you can watch games all the time, and we've set up many viewings of away matches at various pubs about town.
The ultimate Timbers site is Soccer City USA (http://www.soccercityusa.com/), which allows the Timbers fans to post, connect with each other, set up viewings, share news tidbits, set up charitable events about town, talk bowling, talk soccer outside of Portland, or just share weird videos. The site has strengthened the sense of community amongst the TA, being able to share news and stay connected despite busy schedules about. I can't really get through my day without checking the site a few times a day for stuff.
Between all of these sources, I can't think of what else I might add to the world of blogs, so I will continue with my random assortment of topics. But rest assured that the Timbers and Trail Blazers will be tops on my list for things to spout about, along with pie. And maybe a crazy cat story now and then.
Update...
On a previous blog, I talked about Brett Favre and his saga to play again. Since my post, he's been reinstated by the league and met with team officials a couple of times. It was also announced that the quarterback job would be open to a competition amongst all of the players. While the press releases said the Packers would welcome him back, the team has said today that Favre didn't have the best team attitude and so they asked him to leave. Presumably, this is probably due to his desire to be the starter again, while the team wants to move on with other players. Tonight, reports are now surfacing that he's headed to the Jets.
In my original post, I said it was up to the team to make a move that made sense for everyone involved. But it's become apparent that they've also grown tired of a player that while very good being a piece of their history for years, has become a distraction by his desire to be the center of attention. It's all about what Favre wants, and he wants to play by his terms. And I can see now why the team has decided to move on. Instead of being a leader and doing what is right for the team, Favre has made it about him. Face it, the guy that looks best out of this is Aaron Rodgers, who basically went along with the plan as best he could. Even Favre admitted that his being in camp was a bit of distraction, but that being the starter again was what mattered.
In order to be a team leader, sometimes you have to know when you are beat and it's time to move on. Hopefully, Brett Favre gets this message and moves onto the Jets to resume his career. He might do well, he might be better off retired, but at least he's not the Packers' problem anymore.
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Nothing Good Can Come From This
I love soccer a lot, but I do also pay attention to other sports. Since I am commissioner of a fantasy football league, I do follow the NFL. My grandmother is a huge Denver Broncos fan, and one of the big family things is that you don't call my grandmother when the Broncos are playing. I learned to follow the teams closely, and bonded with her over the love of a team. Now that I'm older, I find the passion for soccer easy to understand for the true fans, but I also stay close to my roots in gridball.
Mind you, it's harder and harder now that the NFL is essentially a year around entity, with events and news happening all the time. The draft used to be an afterthought, now networks devote hours of coverage towards teams and their picks. I don't keep track of things as closely as I once did, mostly because of being busy and having other sports that keep my interest as well. But I know when big things happen, and right now, the biggest story in the NFL is in Green Bay.
Unless you've been under a rock for the past few months, you've probably heard about the controversy between the Packers and Brett Favre, their MVP quarterback. Favre is an 18 year veteran, and one of the most entertaining players to ever suit up. Not only does he have talent and personality, he has a gunslinger mentality to try anything at any given time, and doesn't stop trying until the game is done. He's managed to remain healthy for most of his career, won a Super Bowl, and dealt with personal and family tragedies in losing his dad and dealing with an addiction to pain killers. He's a player that is easy to root for on the field, but right now, he's embroiled in a high stakes game of chicken with the Packers.
A high level overview of what happened so far is Favre and the Packers lost in the NFC Championship game, and Favre decided to take time off to decide his future. When pressed about the situation in March, Favre said he's done and would likely retire, which led to a huge spectacle of a press conference. Some people have said they expected him to come back, but it certainly seemed real that he was done after all the emotion and tears. Sure enough, rumours of a return started weeks afterwards, and Favre even contacted the team to see about coming back. The Packers were willing to welcome him back, but instead Favre changed his mind and stayed retired. The draft happened, and the Packers drafted two quarterbacks and prepared to move on without number 4. Until the past month or so when Favre started talking about coming back, and the Packers said thanks but no thanks at one point and then Ok but you'll be the backup at another point. There's even been accusations of tampering by other teams as Favre is still under contract, and today, Favre finally started the reinstatement process by sending a letter to unretire. The Packers have asked Favre not to come to training camp, as they explore the options to make him happy.
What's interesting here is that nobody comes out looking good in this situation at all. The Packers, in trying to be accommodating, waited as long as they could before resorting to plan B and letting the current backup take over. I can't blame them for wanting to pick a direction and stick with it, but they've also had differing takes on what is going on in their world about Farve, from welcoming him back to telling him to stay away to saying we won't trade him. Let's face it, number 4 is the face of the franchise right now and has led them to many glorious moments over the years, and nothing would cheese off the cheeseheads more than seeing Favre win somewhere else and the Packers stumble. The Packers are in a no win situation, trying to appease their franchise guy as best as they can while being true to their plan B and moving forward. And right now, going back on their word and allowing Favre to come back and start sends the message that the current guys aren't good enough to win, plus why pay a guy $12 million to be a back up?
Favre isn't without his faults here, as he's gone back and forth on his plans many times. I equate him to many athletes I've met over the years that are single minded in their approach to the game. They eat, sleep, drink, and think about their sport no matter what, and many of the other details of their lives are left to handlers. All they want to do is play, and right now, Favre wants to play, and he's certainly proven that he's capable even being 38 as he was a top tier quarterback last year. But his commitment has been a bit erratic over the months, going from I'd done to I'm interested but only to play here to I want to come back.
It would be nice if everyone could just chalk up the mess to shenanigans and just start over like nothing happened. But life doesn't work that way, and now both sides are playing the game to see who flinches first. Favre wants to play, but only if he's the starter or for a team that could be a winner, and I think he's entitled to be consulted about trade places. The Packers deserve to put the best team on the field, and bringing Favre back could be the piece that gets them to the playoffs, but it sends a terrible message to the quarterbacks in camp that they aren't good enough to win right now if he's made the starter or allowed to compete for the job outright. People would question the decision, especially with the hardball tactics that have been done the past few weeks. I can imagine the Packers just want this mess to all go away so they can concentrate at the business of playing football and being a competitive team. The 5000 pound gorilla in the room (or in this case, not with the team) just isn't going away until there is a resolution here, and right now, there doesn't seem to be anything likely soon.
I can imagine it's tough to be an athlete at the top of your game for so many years, and then realize that you can't play forever and there's a time when it's Ok to hang the cleats up. Favre thought the time for that was now a few months ago, but now says he felt pressured to make a decision and he went with his gut which told him to retire. When you are an instinctual player, I can imagine this decision making works, especially if you have to make a quick decision. And it's not like people can't have second thoughts, as many a player has left the game only to return for various reasons. Glory and reputation don't get as damaged now in the era of players coming and going from teams like they did way back when, so even seeing Michael Jordan in a Wizards uniform doesn't tarnish what he did in his career.
And the longer this situation goes on, the worse the distraction for everyone involved. We've gone beyond simple answers here, and somebody's ego needs to take a bullet here to save face for everyone. In my mind, the ego that needs to step back is the Packers, who need to find a trade partner that works and just let Favre play somewhere else. If you are truly moving forward to a new page, then let the quarterbacks you have take the ball and let Favre play. It will be tough to watch, especially if Aaron Rodgers falters and Favre plays very well, but in the end, it will be easier than telling Favre he can't play anymore or he can play but as a backup. I know he's under contract, but letting him waste away just make the organization look bad. I get the fact that Favre waffled and there's some hurt feelings here, but it's only going to get worse until you say goodbye and let him go. Which honestly is one of the hardest things to do ever, because goodbyes are hard, sometimes permanent and sometimes painful. But nothing good comes from hanging on too tightly, either..
Mind you, it's harder and harder now that the NFL is essentially a year around entity, with events and news happening all the time. The draft used to be an afterthought, now networks devote hours of coverage towards teams and their picks. I don't keep track of things as closely as I once did, mostly because of being busy and having other sports that keep my interest as well. But I know when big things happen, and right now, the biggest story in the NFL is in Green Bay.
Unless you've been under a rock for the past few months, you've probably heard about the controversy between the Packers and Brett Favre, their MVP quarterback. Favre is an 18 year veteran, and one of the most entertaining players to ever suit up. Not only does he have talent and personality, he has a gunslinger mentality to try anything at any given time, and doesn't stop trying until the game is done. He's managed to remain healthy for most of his career, won a Super Bowl, and dealt with personal and family tragedies in losing his dad and dealing with an addiction to pain killers. He's a player that is easy to root for on the field, but right now, he's embroiled in a high stakes game of chicken with the Packers.
A high level overview of what happened so far is Favre and the Packers lost in the NFC Championship game, and Favre decided to take time off to decide his future. When pressed about the situation in March, Favre said he's done and would likely retire, which led to a huge spectacle of a press conference. Some people have said they expected him to come back, but it certainly seemed real that he was done after all the emotion and tears. Sure enough, rumours of a return started weeks afterwards, and Favre even contacted the team to see about coming back. The Packers were willing to welcome him back, but instead Favre changed his mind and stayed retired. The draft happened, and the Packers drafted two quarterbacks and prepared to move on without number 4. Until the past month or so when Favre started talking about coming back, and the Packers said thanks but no thanks at one point and then Ok but you'll be the backup at another point. There's even been accusations of tampering by other teams as Favre is still under contract, and today, Favre finally started the reinstatement process by sending a letter to unretire. The Packers have asked Favre not to come to training camp, as they explore the options to make him happy.
What's interesting here is that nobody comes out looking good in this situation at all. The Packers, in trying to be accommodating, waited as long as they could before resorting to plan B and letting the current backup take over. I can't blame them for wanting to pick a direction and stick with it, but they've also had differing takes on what is going on in their world about Farve, from welcoming him back to telling him to stay away to saying we won't trade him. Let's face it, number 4 is the face of the franchise right now and has led them to many glorious moments over the years, and nothing would cheese off the cheeseheads more than seeing Favre win somewhere else and the Packers stumble. The Packers are in a no win situation, trying to appease their franchise guy as best as they can while being true to their plan B and moving forward. And right now, going back on their word and allowing Favre to come back and start sends the message that the current guys aren't good enough to win, plus why pay a guy $12 million to be a back up?
Favre isn't without his faults here, as he's gone back and forth on his plans many times. I equate him to many athletes I've met over the years that are single minded in their approach to the game. They eat, sleep, drink, and think about their sport no matter what, and many of the other details of their lives are left to handlers. All they want to do is play, and right now, Favre wants to play, and he's certainly proven that he's capable even being 38 as he was a top tier quarterback last year. But his commitment has been a bit erratic over the months, going from I'd done to I'm interested but only to play here to I want to come back.
It would be nice if everyone could just chalk up the mess to shenanigans and just start over like nothing happened. But life doesn't work that way, and now both sides are playing the game to see who flinches first. Favre wants to play, but only if he's the starter or for a team that could be a winner, and I think he's entitled to be consulted about trade places. The Packers deserve to put the best team on the field, and bringing Favre back could be the piece that gets them to the playoffs, but it sends a terrible message to the quarterbacks in camp that they aren't good enough to win right now if he's made the starter or allowed to compete for the job outright. People would question the decision, especially with the hardball tactics that have been done the past few weeks. I can imagine the Packers just want this mess to all go away so they can concentrate at the business of playing football and being a competitive team. The 5000 pound gorilla in the room (or in this case, not with the team) just isn't going away until there is a resolution here, and right now, there doesn't seem to be anything likely soon.
I can imagine it's tough to be an athlete at the top of your game for so many years, and then realize that you can't play forever and there's a time when it's Ok to hang the cleats up. Favre thought the time for that was now a few months ago, but now says he felt pressured to make a decision and he went with his gut which told him to retire. When you are an instinctual player, I can imagine this decision making works, especially if you have to make a quick decision. And it's not like people can't have second thoughts, as many a player has left the game only to return for various reasons. Glory and reputation don't get as damaged now in the era of players coming and going from teams like they did way back when, so even seeing Michael Jordan in a Wizards uniform doesn't tarnish what he did in his career.
And the longer this situation goes on, the worse the distraction for everyone involved. We've gone beyond simple answers here, and somebody's ego needs to take a bullet here to save face for everyone. In my mind, the ego that needs to step back is the Packers, who need to find a trade partner that works and just let Favre play somewhere else. If you are truly moving forward to a new page, then let the quarterbacks you have take the ball and let Favre play. It will be tough to watch, especially if Aaron Rodgers falters and Favre plays very well, but in the end, it will be easier than telling Favre he can't play anymore or he can play but as a backup. I know he's under contract, but letting him waste away just make the organization look bad. I get the fact that Favre waffled and there's some hurt feelings here, but it's only going to get worse until you say goodbye and let him go. Which honestly is one of the hardest things to do ever, because goodbyes are hard, sometimes permanent and sometimes painful. But nothing good comes from hanging on too tightly, either..
Sunday, February 10, 2008
The Weather Is Getting A Bit Nicer..
My social schedule lately has been crazy, as I haven't been able to update this in over a week. That's what happens when you are so popular and someone close to you has a cold, but it appears that things are settling down a bit.
- The Trail Blazers continue to play up and down, with a win over Chicago last Wednesday that I saw in person, and two tough losses in Detroit and Indiana. The Trail Blazers have played well in stretches, and now they are facing the tough stretch of the season, where the games take on more meaning and it's important to remain mentally and physically tough. This team continues to overachieve in so many areas, but they also show their youth with bad passes, tough shots, and making mistakes. Right now, we seem very tired, so I would expect that the All Star Break comes at a good time, allowing us to rest some weary bodies and minds for the stretch run.
- The NFL Pro Bowl was on today, couldn't tell you who won or if anyone even cares. So you put your all star game after the season, and then watch as most of the major stars opt out to rest. It would be tough to take a week off during the year to have something like what baseball or basketball does, but I think the NFL needs to do something to make this more meaningful. Although, a trip to Hawaii in February doesn't have enough meaning??
- Girl and I saw Cloverfield last night, and it was everything that we expected and so much more. It's unlike anything I've ever seen put on film and the experience is something that I can't put justice to in a few words. Yes, it's a monster movie, and yes, you feel like you've been run through a roller coaster a few times in watching the shaky images, but I've never seen a thriller like this before. This movie causes you to ask so many questions, like what you do if confronted with such an experience, and would you go back for someone even if you knew it would risk your life. The special effects are amazing, and like many of JJ Abrams' works, there are more questions than answers raised when watching it, and while Cloverfield is a great movie on its own part, you could trudge through the theories and back story and get wrapped in a heck of a story. If you do go see this, I recommend preparing for a dizzying night, cause I'm still a bit nauseated the next day from seeing it. Some motion sickness pills might be good, too.
- The Timbers season is fast approaching, and I'm happy that it's beginning to be spring. I don't mind the snow and rain, but yesterday's nice day outside got me wishing for a bit of spring fever. Around here in Oregon, you learn to do things outside or just stay inside for weeks and weeks and get a little cabin fever. That's why you dress in layers about here, but we get some greenery around here, that's for sure. But spring means soccer, and I'm excited for the 2008 campaign.
- I've been watching with some amusement the recruiting game in college football, and the story from Nevada about Kevin Hart. In case you missed it, Kevin wanted so badly to be recruited to play college football, that he created his own press conference to announce his choice. Too bad the schools hadn't recruited him at all, which lead to him publically apologizing for his ruse. The whole recruiting game is such a mess right now, and nobody seems to care about it as long as people make money and kids get exposure. When I was in high school and kids signed, it was a small gathering at the school where kids could celebrate their accomplishments with fellow athletes, and it was kept in perspective. Now, you have websites and channels dedicating hours and hours of coverage based on the potential of where someone might go. Nothing like putting some extra pressure on a decision that for most kids is one of the first big decisions they'll decide on. Instead of adults keeping some perspective on this, they are caught up in the dollar signs and attention like everyone else. I don't blame Kevin Hart for wanting to play college football, and if we are going to blame him for trying to have his moment in the sun, we should also blame the member institutions that continue to allow outside forces (agents, boosters, third party groups) to influence the process, the coaches for not helping kids make the right decisions, and the parents for allowing the circus to happen. I understand the desire to play on the big stage, but it's important sometimes to keep things in check before cashing the checks or watching your press clippings.
- Besides, being a sports celebrity means having people incessentantly pick over parts of your life to no end, like there is no real private life. When we think of celebrities, we think of the money, the attention, the glamour, the ability to do anything or get anything you want. The downside is the hangeroners, the press tapping into your world 24 by 7, websites posting rumours of any validity from reliable to completely madeup, the sacrifices made by family and friends during the season, the stress and wear and tear on a body and mind, and the ultimate question of what happens after the playing days are done. Not that I expect any of these answers to be easy or perfect, but in the pursuit of sports, even I tend to forget that these athletes are human and they have the same frailties that we all share. They have to do what they do in front of thousands in person and TV without a safety net or a do-over. The only thing I've ever asked of the teams I support is that they give it all they have, and if they do, I can love them no matter what. Think it's easy to be that way, try living through the Broncos Super Bowl failures or the dark days of the Trail Blazers, and see if you can truly think that. It's not easy, but at the same time, I don't follow the bandwagon like a lot of fans. It's easy to root for people on top, but try and stick with your team through the ups and downs. If you can, I can say you are a true fan.
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