Back in the fall of 1996, I was 8 years old and life was surprisingly difficult for me. I had just moved to LA because my mom got a new job and my sister had left for her first year of college. I didn't know anyone in LA besides family and my sister was gone. It wasn't the happiest of times.
Since I was born, I had been going to Stanford games with my dad. His mom went to Stanford and his dad went to Cal; an always fun family rivalry come late November every year. My dad became a bigger Stanford fan than Cal because his parents took him to more Stanford games, simply because the parking was easier. My dad got to grow up watching Jim Plunkett, Gene Washington, and James Lofton play and he witnessed two Stanford Rose Bowl victories over the likes of Michigan (in the height of the Bo Schembechler years) and Ohio State (in the height of the Woody Hayes years). So naturally, when I was born, my dad took me to Stanford football games. I grew up watching Troy Walters, Willie Howard, and Tank Williams. I got to watch Tyrone Willingham take Stanford to a Rose Bowl and beat Cal 7 years in a row. I grew up living for The Big Game. Stanford was the school I longed to attend, until the fall of 1996.
When my sister left for college, we decided to help her move in and so the journey began to Eugene, Oregon, home of the University of Oregon. On the road trip up there, we stopped at plenty of places along the way, none of which were too exciting, but one moment will stick in my mind forever. I can't remember who, but either my mom, dad, or sister had rented "Without Limits" (for those of you who don't know what that is, its a biopic about Steve Prefontaine). I watched that movie and became infatuated with Pre. He was a symbol to me that it didn't matter how small or different you were, you could still succeed. Having moved to LA, I was different than most kids down there.
When we finally arrived in Eugene, I was absolutely captivated by the beauty of the campus. The sky was blue, the trees and grass was greener than I had ever seen before, and the brick buildings of the campus contrasted beautifully off of scenery. At that point, I knew that Stanford had competition for a special place in my heart.
There was something special about the campus, a certain aura it gave. Maybe it was the smell that Eugene has, a distinct smell of fresh air and nature. Maybe it was scene of tons of college kids moving in and I was able to be in the middle of it. Maybe it was all of the building decorated with Duck colors, showing their spirit for the University. I wasn't sure what it was, but I knew that I liked it.
Two days later, after experiencing some great breakfast foods, beautiful nature, and exploring a great campus (and helping my sister move in) it was time for a whole new experience. My sister took my family and me to an Oregon football game. Now, I had seen Oregon play Stanford in Palo Alto before and they weren't really on my radar, but that was all about to change.
My sister said that we should walk to the game, that everyone else does it, so we did. We walked from the campus, across Franklin Ave, through the science buildings, and to the Autzen Footbridge. I remember walking across and looking at the vast river, reflecting the perfect blue sky and then seeing woods. I kept thinking, "Where is the stadium? How far are we going to walk? Why are there woods?" Once we walked into the woods, surrounded by Duck fans, I remember this sort of buzz amongst the fans that Stanford games lacked, it was new to me, I was getting excited. Then it finally came, the moment I will never forget. The trees started to part and in the distance was a towering stadium surrounded by a sea of green and yellow and the smell delicious barbecue from all of the tailgating. From that moment, there wasn't much detail to tell. It was loud, the fans were hospitable, the students were crazy, and the turf was weird.
The day was glorious. Although Oregon had lost to UCLA, I had experienced a stadium better than I had ever been in and I knew from that moment on, I wanted to be a Duck.
I where my number 96 jersey at every game to signify the year that I became a Duck fan.
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Thursday, August 21, 2008
Football is NOT a Sucker's Game
On November 6, 1869, Rutgers University and Princeton University played the first ever college football game, starting one of the most profitable sports the country would ever see. Since that historical day, America has seen this sport blossom into a multi-billion dollar business. Not only has this game helped schools make major profits, it has brought communities together and encouraged some younger teens to go to college. But over the years, college football has cost the majority of universities lots of money. But the reward is worth the risk. The entertainment value and economical benefit of college football is worth the amount of money spent because the pride and pageantry is important to the community of the city and university alike.
In Michael Sokolove’s article, Football Is a Sucker’s Game, he states that, “Football is the S.U.V. of the college campus: aggressively big, resource-guzzling, lots and lots of fun, and destructive of everything around it." Sokolove continues on about college football and its excessive spending. He claims that college the football program drains other athletic and academic programs within its respective university. He states that most schools lose money on an annual basis. He also claims that the players take a beating just to make money for themselves and the university. What Sokolove doesn’t talk about, is the importance of the sport to each respective community and university, economically, educationally, and entertainment wise.
The biggest problem with college football, according to Sokolove, is that most schools lose money annually. Every year, schools put money into marketing, equipment, concessions, merchandise, salaries of employees, scholarships, traveling costs, medical supplies, nutrition for players, facility electricity, facility heating, facility, air-conditioning, facility water, gym-upkeep, stadium-upkeep, practice field-upkeep, and treatment center-upkeep and amenities. The school tries to make it back by selling advertising space, tickets, television payouts, and bowl payouts. The odds are, schools will lose money. But, Sokolove doesn’t seem to understand passion or the idea of a goal. The people who run athletic programs have a strong passion for their school and the game; they have a goal, make money and win. The goal of EVERY football program is to be successful, win, and make money. Every programs wants to become Notre Dame, Michigan, USC, or any other traditional national powerhouse. For schools like Oklahoma State, Wisconsin, and Oregon, their dreams of being a national powerhouse are close. They have big football programs, with great communities surrounding them, and big donors funding their program. Smaller schools like South Florida, Rutgers, and Boise State, they are further away, but on the right track. They have recent success in the win column and they are getting national recognition, but they have yet to play in numerous big bowls and they have yet to find big donors. The key to turning a program around is finding big donors.
Oregon has been a poster-child for smaller programs like South Florida, Rutgers, and Boise State. For years, Oregon was a Pac-10 cellar-dweller. Oregon has]d numerous losing seasons, rare bowl appearances, and very few big names to give the school national recognition. In fact, Oregon was so bad in the late-70’s and early-80’s, that the Pac-10 conference was considering dropping Oregon and Oregon State and adding Texas and Oklahoma. Oregon’s play finally started to it pick up. In 1989, quarterback Bill Musgrave, led Oregon to their first bowl game in decades, as the Ducks went to Independence Bowl. They started getting a little more attention and they were able to recruit with more results. In 1994, Oregon had a breakout year and went to the Rose Bowl after winning their first conference title in over a half-century.
The big season for the Ducks got them national recognition and access to the top recruits in the country. But the biggest thing that the successful season did for the program was bringing attention to big donors. Nike Founder and CEO and Oregon alum, Phil Knight was impressed by his alma mater’s success and decided to start donating money. Along with Knight were the Linquist, Pape, and Moshofsky families and Pat Kilkenny. All 5 of these big donors have donated massive amounts of money recently. Phil Knight has donated over a half billion dollars to the University and football program. His biggest contributions have been paying for most of the $90 million renovation of Autzen Stadium, Knight Law School, Library renovation, and most recently, he donated $100 million dollars to the athletic department. His recent donation is the 2nd largest single donation in NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) history.
What Sokolove doesn’t understand is that donors provide much of the funding in football programs, not the university, so with success brings more donors and more money. Since 1994, the donations of the big donors have provided Oregon with the nicest facilities in the entire country, including NFL facilities. In fact, Desmond Howard was recently quoted regarding Oregon’s facilities, “It's my first time being here. Those practice facilities are just plush. It's better than any NFL facility I've ever been in. It's beyond first class.” The upgrade in facilities, success, and fan support has boosted Oregon to being one of the nation’s most recognized teams and every year brings in top recruits.
Sokolove talks only about the financial benefit of the university and athletic department, yet not about the community. For many schools, football on Saturday brings together a community. Through tailgating, cheering for their team, and going through ups and downs throughout the year, football can bring a community together. For many schools, it does. Schools like Alabama, Wisconsin, and Oregon, are the poster-children for college towns who thrive on the university and especially the football programs within each respective community.
At Alabama, they have statues of old coaches who represent their historical success and I have never witnessed a school who more can say that they live for saturdays. At Wisconsin, they have a tradition for the entire stadium of 95,000 fans to jump up and down to the song, “Jump Around” by hip-hop group, House of Pain. Before the gams, the entire town is basically shuts down and there is tailgating all throughout Madison. Oregon itself basically shuts down and people from all over the state come to Eugene to watch the Ducks play. The city’s population rises about 50,000 people.
Communities not only come together through football, but football can be a huge economical benefit. The success of football programs can produce lots of advertising revenue and local businesses can thrive off of football weekends. During a football weekend, businesses, such as car rental services, hotels, restaurants, and parking services can really benefit from it. Through success, many people in the community donate small amounts of money every year, which helps with funds.
Not only do the games bring the community together and help the local economy, but it can have a major affect of education. Lots of kids grow up around sports and many find football and these games to be a passion of theirs. They grow up watching the student section and feel the gameday experience. These events can really motivate a child or teenager to work harder to attend the college of their dreams. I myself grew up idolizing Oregon’s student section and during high school, the thought of being a part of this university pushed me to work harder so that I could attend the school of my dreams. Infact, most of the facts from this article is stricty from my knowledge because that is how passionate I truly am and that is why I pushed myself, so that I could become a part of Oregon’s history, community, and tradition.
Having the community back a school strongly and showing other prospective students what type of tradition and pageantry a school has can really have a major impact on students attending a university. When prospective students visit a college campus, seeing the tradition and pageantry of the school and community can truly sway a student’s decision one way or another.
In defense of Sokolove, the majority of schools do not reach that eternal goal and do lose money annually. Most schools don’t have the resources or the right people in charge to make that jump from mediocrity or sub-mediocrity to being nationally recognized as a contender. Some schools like Vanderbilt and Stanford have enough money that losing some money annually to keep the students happy, doesn’t hurt, but not all schools have that luxury. In fact, Stanford recently spent $90 million on a new stadium, while their football team has lacked any success in the past 5 years and financially, they should have taken a huge hit, but Stanford has too many donors to allow that to happen. Many fans are outraged with the unusually large GPA requirement for athletes, 3.4, because it does not allow the football program to recruit the best players they can and the fans find it disingenuous to give off a perception of success with a brand new stadium while not being able to win.
Put yourself in the following situation. Let’s say that you wanted to become a lawyer for a career and you were passionate about law. Would the fact that it is hard to become a successful lawyer stop you from trying? Studying takes up time and money, and the chances are, you won’t become a top lawyer in a major firm, but do you stop because the odds are against you? I would like to think that most people strive for their goal even if it’s hard. Football is no different. Football is a sport of passion and just because it is unlikely that all schools will achieve great runs of success, it does not stop those who love the game from trying.
To many, college football is more than a business, more than a day of entertainment, more than a sport, but it is a lifestyle and for others it is life itself. Football brings joy to people, teaches people about the ups and downs of life, and brings together all sorts of different people who would never come together in any other way. College is about more than just an education, but about experiences and because college football in America is almost a way of life, football is as big of a part of universities across America as the education itself.
In Michael Sokolove’s article, Football Is a Sucker’s Game, he states that, “Football is the S.U.V. of the college campus: aggressively big, resource-guzzling, lots and lots of fun, and destructive of everything around it." Sokolove continues on about college football and its excessive spending. He claims that college the football program drains other athletic and academic programs within its respective university. He states that most schools lose money on an annual basis. He also claims that the players take a beating just to make money for themselves and the university. What Sokolove doesn’t talk about, is the importance of the sport to each respective community and university, economically, educationally, and entertainment wise.
The biggest problem with college football, according to Sokolove, is that most schools lose money annually. Every year, schools put money into marketing, equipment, concessions, merchandise, salaries of employees, scholarships, traveling costs, medical supplies, nutrition for players, facility electricity, facility heating, facility, air-conditioning, facility water, gym-upkeep, stadium-upkeep, practice field-upkeep, and treatment center-upkeep and amenities. The school tries to make it back by selling advertising space, tickets, television payouts, and bowl payouts. The odds are, schools will lose money. But, Sokolove doesn’t seem to understand passion or the idea of a goal. The people who run athletic programs have a strong passion for their school and the game; they have a goal, make money and win. The goal of EVERY football program is to be successful, win, and make money. Every programs wants to become Notre Dame, Michigan, USC, or any other traditional national powerhouse. For schools like Oklahoma State, Wisconsin, and Oregon, their dreams of being a national powerhouse are close. They have big football programs, with great communities surrounding them, and big donors funding their program. Smaller schools like South Florida, Rutgers, and Boise State, they are further away, but on the right track. They have recent success in the win column and they are getting national recognition, but they have yet to play in numerous big bowls and they have yet to find big donors. The key to turning a program around is finding big donors.
Oregon has been a poster-child for smaller programs like South Florida, Rutgers, and Boise State. For years, Oregon was a Pac-10 cellar-dweller. Oregon has]d numerous losing seasons, rare bowl appearances, and very few big names to give the school national recognition. In fact, Oregon was so bad in the late-70’s and early-80’s, that the Pac-10 conference was considering dropping Oregon and Oregon State and adding Texas and Oklahoma. Oregon’s play finally started to it pick up. In 1989, quarterback Bill Musgrave, led Oregon to their first bowl game in decades, as the Ducks went to Independence Bowl. They started getting a little more attention and they were able to recruit with more results. In 1994, Oregon had a breakout year and went to the Rose Bowl after winning their first conference title in over a half-century.
The big season for the Ducks got them national recognition and access to the top recruits in the country. But the biggest thing that the successful season did for the program was bringing attention to big donors. Nike Founder and CEO and Oregon alum, Phil Knight was impressed by his alma mater’s success and decided to start donating money. Along with Knight were the Linquist, Pape, and Moshofsky families and Pat Kilkenny. All 5 of these big donors have donated massive amounts of money recently. Phil Knight has donated over a half billion dollars to the University and football program. His biggest contributions have been paying for most of the $90 million renovation of Autzen Stadium, Knight Law School, Library renovation, and most recently, he donated $100 million dollars to the athletic department. His recent donation is the 2nd largest single donation in NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) history.
What Sokolove doesn’t understand is that donors provide much of the funding in football programs, not the university, so with success brings more donors and more money. Since 1994, the donations of the big donors have provided Oregon with the nicest facilities in the entire country, including NFL facilities. In fact, Desmond Howard was recently quoted regarding Oregon’s facilities, “It's my first time being here. Those practice facilities are just plush. It's better than any NFL facility I've ever been in. It's beyond first class.” The upgrade in facilities, success, and fan support has boosted Oregon to being one of the nation’s most recognized teams and every year brings in top recruits.
Sokolove talks only about the financial benefit of the university and athletic department, yet not about the community. For many schools, football on Saturday brings together a community. Through tailgating, cheering for their team, and going through ups and downs throughout the year, football can bring a community together. For many schools, it does. Schools like Alabama, Wisconsin, and Oregon, are the poster-children for college towns who thrive on the university and especially the football programs within each respective community.
At Alabama, they have statues of old coaches who represent their historical success and I have never witnessed a school who more can say that they live for saturdays. At Wisconsin, they have a tradition for the entire stadium of 95,000 fans to jump up and down to the song, “Jump Around” by hip-hop group, House of Pain. Before the gams, the entire town is basically shuts down and there is tailgating all throughout Madison. Oregon itself basically shuts down and people from all over the state come to Eugene to watch the Ducks play. The city’s population rises about 50,000 people.
Communities not only come together through football, but football can be a huge economical benefit. The success of football programs can produce lots of advertising revenue and local businesses can thrive off of football weekends. During a football weekend, businesses, such as car rental services, hotels, restaurants, and parking services can really benefit from it. Through success, many people in the community donate small amounts of money every year, which helps with funds.
Not only do the games bring the community together and help the local economy, but it can have a major affect of education. Lots of kids grow up around sports and many find football and these games to be a passion of theirs. They grow up watching the student section and feel the gameday experience. These events can really motivate a child or teenager to work harder to attend the college of their dreams. I myself grew up idolizing Oregon’s student section and during high school, the thought of being a part of this university pushed me to work harder so that I could attend the school of my dreams. Infact, most of the facts from this article is stricty from my knowledge because that is how passionate I truly am and that is why I pushed myself, so that I could become a part of Oregon’s history, community, and tradition.
Having the community back a school strongly and showing other prospective students what type of tradition and pageantry a school has can really have a major impact on students attending a university. When prospective students visit a college campus, seeing the tradition and pageantry of the school and community can truly sway a student’s decision one way or another.
In defense of Sokolove, the majority of schools do not reach that eternal goal and do lose money annually. Most schools don’t have the resources or the right people in charge to make that jump from mediocrity or sub-mediocrity to being nationally recognized as a contender. Some schools like Vanderbilt and Stanford have enough money that losing some money annually to keep the students happy, doesn’t hurt, but not all schools have that luxury. In fact, Stanford recently spent $90 million on a new stadium, while their football team has lacked any success in the past 5 years and financially, they should have taken a huge hit, but Stanford has too many donors to allow that to happen. Many fans are outraged with the unusually large GPA requirement for athletes, 3.4, because it does not allow the football program to recruit the best players they can and the fans find it disingenuous to give off a perception of success with a brand new stadium while not being able to win.
Put yourself in the following situation. Let’s say that you wanted to become a lawyer for a career and you were passionate about law. Would the fact that it is hard to become a successful lawyer stop you from trying? Studying takes up time and money, and the chances are, you won’t become a top lawyer in a major firm, but do you stop because the odds are against you? I would like to think that most people strive for their goal even if it’s hard. Football is no different. Football is a sport of passion and just because it is unlikely that all schools will achieve great runs of success, it does not stop those who love the game from trying.
To many, college football is more than a business, more than a day of entertainment, more than a sport, but it is a lifestyle and for others it is life itself. Football brings joy to people, teaches people about the ups and downs of life, and brings together all sorts of different people who would never come together in any other way. College is about more than just an education, but about experiences and because college football in America is almost a way of life, football is as big of a part of universities across America as the education itself.
Best Student Sections in College Football
Great article on the best student sections in college football.
Click Here
Click Here
Adrian Peterson shook his helmeted head and slapped his earholes. But the ringing wouldn't stop.
"OOOOOOOOOOOOO…"
As the Oklahoma Sooners stood in the tunnel of Autzen Stadium ready to hit the field, the walls around them vibrated like a tuning fork. The air felt thick with what sounded like a World War I biplane parked under the goalpost 15 yards in front of them.
"OOOOOOOOOOOOO…"
Awaiting the Sooners on that September Saturday in 2006 was a record Oregon crowd of 59,269. But the torturous drone's roots lay in Sections 4 through 8, the student sections, where nearly 5,500 collegians had come sprinting in two hours earlier in an all-out landgrab. Throughout the game they raise their hands above their heads in the shape of an O. And when the students really want to be heard, they hold their hands together, thumb to thumb, index finger to index finger, forming a letter O through which they send their maddening call.
"OOOOOOOOOOOOO…"
"It was like some sort of crazy torture in the movies," Peterson says. "How do people do that so long without taking a breath? I think my ears are still ringing."
My All-Time Oregon Ducks Football Team
1st Team:
Offense:
QB- Dennis Dixon
RB- Jonathan Stewart
RB- Bobby Moore
WR- Patrick Johnson
WR-Keenan Howry
TE- Justin Peele
T- George Christenson
T- Tom Drougas
G- Gary Zimmerman
G- John McKean
C- Dave Tobey
Defense:
DE- Raymond Morse
DE- Peter Brantley
DT- Haloti Ngata
DT- Vince Goldsmith
LB- Peter Sirmon
LB- Kevin Mitchell
LB- Dave Wilcox
CB- Mel Renfro
CB- Alex Molden
S- Keith Lewis
S- Chad Cota
Special Teams:
K- Jared Siegel
P- Josh Bidwell
KR- Jonathan Stewart
PR- Keenan Howry
Offense:
QB- Dennis Dixon
RB- Jonathan Stewart
RB- Bobby Moore
WR- Patrick Johnson
WR-Keenan Howry
TE- Justin Peele
T- George Christenson
T- Tom Drougas
G- Gary Zimmerman
G- John McKean
C- Dave Tobey
Defense:
DE- Raymond Morse
DE- Peter Brantley
DT- Haloti Ngata
DT- Vince Goldsmith
LB- Peter Sirmon
LB- Kevin Mitchell
LB- Dave Wilcox
CB- Mel Renfro
CB- Alex Molden
S- Keith Lewis
S- Chad Cota
Special Teams:
K- Jared Siegel
P- Josh Bidwell
KR- Jonathan Stewart
PR- Keenan Howry
If I was assembling the US team for the World Baseball Classic...
Starting Rotation
1: C.C. Sabathia
2: Tim Lincecum
3: Brandon Webb
4: Jake Peavy
5: Cliff Lee
Bullpen:
LR: Roy Halladay
LR: Cole Hamels
LR: Justin Duchsherer
MR: Heath Bell
MR: Kyle McClellan
MR: Scott Shields
SU: Jonathan Papelbon
SU: Dan Wheeler
CL: Joe Nathan
Starting Lineup:
C: Joe Mauer
1B: Lance Berkman
2B: Ian Kinsler
3B: Alex Rodriguez
SS: Ryan Theriot
LF: Matt Holiday
CF: Johnny Damon
RF: Josh Hamilton
Bench:
C: Jason Varitek
1B: Kevin Youkilis
2B: Chase Utley
3B: Chipper Jones
SS: Derek Jeter
OF: Carlos Quentin
OF: Matt Kemp
OF: Randy Winn
Note: The WBC calls for a 30-man roster, unlike the 25-man roster in the majors.
1: C.C. Sabathia
2: Tim Lincecum
3: Brandon Webb
4: Jake Peavy
5: Cliff Lee
Bullpen:
LR: Roy Halladay
LR: Cole Hamels
LR: Justin Duchsherer
MR: Heath Bell
MR: Kyle McClellan
MR: Scott Shields
SU: Jonathan Papelbon
SU: Dan Wheeler
CL: Joe Nathan
Starting Lineup:
C: Joe Mauer
1B: Lance Berkman
2B: Ian Kinsler
3B: Alex Rodriguez
SS: Ryan Theriot
LF: Matt Holiday
CF: Johnny Damon
RF: Josh Hamilton
Bench:
C: Jason Varitek
1B: Kevin Youkilis
2B: Chase Utley
3B: Chipper Jones
SS: Derek Jeter
OF: Carlos Quentin
OF: Matt Kemp
OF: Randy Winn
Note: The WBC calls for a 30-man roster, unlike the 25-man roster in the majors.
Why the Olympics bug me...
1) Olympic Spirit
Ok, will someone please give me a definition of what Olympic Spirit is? I keep hearing that term and I've talked to many people about what their definition of it is; it's always different. The most common definition is along the lines of: "Mutual understanding of all cultures with a spirit of friendship, solidarity and fair play." Sounds good to me...if the Olympics actually displayed that definition. Unfortunately, there isn't any understanding of other cultures among most athletes, there ARE tensions between countries whether the Olympics want to admit it or not, and there have been plenty of incidents of unfair play. Lastly, Olympic Spirit should not cause anyone to change their style of play and the aggression and tenacity needed to play the game.
2) Expert Analysis
There are seriously NO experts talking about the game. These commentators are given a crash course and do not know the ins and outs of each sport and event. Even worse, they don't fully explain the rules of obscure sports to the viewers on TV.
3) People Pretending They Care About Sports That They Really Don't
Honestly, outside of the Olympics how many people really watch gymnastics, beach volleyball, diving, swimming, etc. These sports are shown on Fox Sports Net many times throughout the year but no one really watches them. People only watch these sports because they are hyped by the media and they want to be in "the know." As Dave Chappelle would say, let's 'keep it real,' people.
4) Lack of Sports-Intelligent Crowds
I'm not hating on the Chinese, but I grow annoyed at the lack of intelligence of major sports. The only sports I enjoy in the games are being butchered by crowd reactions because the crowds don't understand the games. I'm sick of hearing "ooooo"s and cheers on a lazy groundball to a pitcher and silence after a big sweeping curveball, fooling a batter. The games are still enjoyable, but the reactions by the crowd lessen the experience just as "THE PLAY" between Stanford and Cal would have still been great without the famous call, the call and reactions heightened the experience.
5) Insincere Hugs and Kisses Between Competitors
The only thing more fake than viewer's interest in gymnastics is the hugging and kissing the athlete's share with one another when you can see there is no sincerity. Olympic Spirit, my ass.
6) It's a Fad
2 weeks after the Olympics is over, no one will talk about 2/3's of the sports of event the games themselves. People won't even look forward to the next games. This is just another fad in our country, similar to patriotism only after tragic events or in times of war.
7) Terrible Coverage by NBC
NBC couldn't be handling these games worse. They aren't playing many big live events, they are doing a horrible job covering up results for the time delayed areas, they are only showing the U.S., and like I state in point #2, they have horrible announcers.
8) Bias Officiating for the Host Team
This isn't a new theme, it happens every Olympiad. China has gotten biased scores in many sports and events since the Olympics started, Nastia Liukin getting silver the other night was a prime example.
9) Corruption
There are probably 5-10 Chinese athletes that aren't of age to be playing in the games, but because their government is so corrupt, they can change any file they need. Just look at their gymnastics team.
10) Biting Gold Medals
Ya, haha, you're biting your gold medal to make sure its real, just like people did in the gold rush days...the joke gets tiring as the years go on.
11) Mixing Politicians with Sports
I don't care that George Bush is watching an event, I'd rather watch the event then the dumb, confused look on his face and his wife's completely uninterested expression.
12) The Dream World
The Olympics takes everyone's mind of the real events going on in the world. That's nice in a sense, but we are still occupying a country, one that is competing in the games, and there is a war going on between Russia and Georgia and people seem to have talked about it for a day and then ignored it. People act as if the world is at peace during the games because of "Olympic Spirit" when the real world does not stop for sports.
13) Downgrade of Major Sports
Baseball, basketball, and soccer are completely downgraded for the Olympics. Basketball is very one-sided and only one team plays fun basketball, while baseball and soccer are played with amateurs when the Olympics could be 10 times bigger if they used professionals like they do in the World Cup and World Baseball Classic. The NHL pauses their season the Winter Games, why can't the MLB?
14) Overplaying Big Stories and No Coverage of Great Stories
What Phelps and Torres have done is absolutely amazing, but yet, NBC still finds a way to overplay the stories and makes it become annoying. They need to talk about more incredible stories like Lo-Lo Jones' rise from complete poverty or Afghanistan's first medal in their times of destruction of their country.
The fact is, I love the potential of the Olympics, but so many things need to be done to make it as good as it can be and right now, its not even close.
Ok, will someone please give me a definition of what Olympic Spirit is? I keep hearing that term and I've talked to many people about what their definition of it is; it's always different. The most common definition is along the lines of: "Mutual understanding of all cultures with a spirit of friendship, solidarity and fair play." Sounds good to me...if the Olympics actually displayed that definition. Unfortunately, there isn't any understanding of other cultures among most athletes, there ARE tensions between countries whether the Olympics want to admit it or not, and there have been plenty of incidents of unfair play. Lastly, Olympic Spirit should not cause anyone to change their style of play and the aggression and tenacity needed to play the game.
2) Expert Analysis
There are seriously NO experts talking about the game. These commentators are given a crash course and do not know the ins and outs of each sport and event. Even worse, they don't fully explain the rules of obscure sports to the viewers on TV.
3) People Pretending They Care About Sports That They Really Don't
Honestly, outside of the Olympics how many people really watch gymnastics, beach volleyball, diving, swimming, etc. These sports are shown on Fox Sports Net many times throughout the year but no one really watches them. People only watch these sports because they are hyped by the media and they want to be in "the know." As Dave Chappelle would say, let's 'keep it real,' people.
4) Lack of Sports-Intelligent Crowds
I'm not hating on the Chinese, but I grow annoyed at the lack of intelligence of major sports. The only sports I enjoy in the games are being butchered by crowd reactions because the crowds don't understand the games. I'm sick of hearing "ooooo"s and cheers on a lazy groundball to a pitcher and silence after a big sweeping curveball, fooling a batter. The games are still enjoyable, but the reactions by the crowd lessen the experience just as "THE PLAY" between Stanford and Cal would have still been great without the famous call, the call and reactions heightened the experience.
5) Insincere Hugs and Kisses Between Competitors
The only thing more fake than viewer's interest in gymnastics is the hugging and kissing the athlete's share with one another when you can see there is no sincerity. Olympic Spirit, my ass.
6) It's a Fad
2 weeks after the Olympics is over, no one will talk about 2/3's of the sports of event the games themselves. People won't even look forward to the next games. This is just another fad in our country, similar to patriotism only after tragic events or in times of war.
7) Terrible Coverage by NBC
NBC couldn't be handling these games worse. They aren't playing many big live events, they are doing a horrible job covering up results for the time delayed areas, they are only showing the U.S., and like I state in point #2, they have horrible announcers.
8) Bias Officiating for the Host Team
This isn't a new theme, it happens every Olympiad. China has gotten biased scores in many sports and events since the Olympics started, Nastia Liukin getting silver the other night was a prime example.
9) Corruption
There are probably 5-10 Chinese athletes that aren't of age to be playing in the games, but because their government is so corrupt, they can change any file they need. Just look at their gymnastics team.
10) Biting Gold Medals
Ya, haha, you're biting your gold medal to make sure its real, just like people did in the gold rush days...the joke gets tiring as the years go on.
11) Mixing Politicians with Sports
I don't care that George Bush is watching an event, I'd rather watch the event then the dumb, confused look on his face and his wife's completely uninterested expression.
12) The Dream World
The Olympics takes everyone's mind of the real events going on in the world. That's nice in a sense, but we are still occupying a country, one that is competing in the games, and there is a war going on between Russia and Georgia and people seem to have talked about it for a day and then ignored it. People act as if the world is at peace during the games because of "Olympic Spirit" when the real world does not stop for sports.
13) Downgrade of Major Sports
Baseball, basketball, and soccer are completely downgraded for the Olympics. Basketball is very one-sided and only one team plays fun basketball, while baseball and soccer are played with amateurs when the Olympics could be 10 times bigger if they used professionals like they do in the World Cup and World Baseball Classic. The NHL pauses their season the Winter Games, why can't the MLB?
14) Overplaying Big Stories and No Coverage of Great Stories
What Phelps and Torres have done is absolutely amazing, but yet, NBC still finds a way to overplay the stories and makes it become annoying. They need to talk about more incredible stories like Lo-Lo Jones' rise from complete poverty or Afghanistan's first medal in their times of destruction of their country.
The fact is, I love the potential of the Olympics, but so many things need to be done to make it as good as it can be and right now, its not even close.
My All-Time 49ers Team
OFFENSE
QB: Joe Montana
RB: Hugh McElhenny
FB: Tom Rathman
WR: Jerry Rice
WR: Dwight Clark
TE: Brent Jones
OT: Harris Barton
OG: Guy McIntyre
C: Jesse Sapolu
OG: John Ayers
OT: Bob St. Clair
DEFENSE
DE: Fred Dean
DT: Bryant Young
DT: Leo Nomellini
DE: Kevin Fagan
OLB: Charles Haley
MLB: Jack Raynolds
OLB: Dave Wilcox
CB: Eric Wright
FS: Dwight Hicks
SS: Ronnie Lott
CB: Carlton Williamson
SPECIAL TEAMS
KR: John Taylor
PR: Abe Woodson
K: Ray Warsching
P: Tommy Davis
COACHES
Head Coach: Bill Walsh
OC: Bill Walsh
DC: George Seifert
QB: Joe Montana
RB: Hugh McElhenny
FB: Tom Rathman
WR: Jerry Rice
WR: Dwight Clark
TE: Brent Jones
OT: Harris Barton
OG: Guy McIntyre
C: Jesse Sapolu
OG: John Ayers
OT: Bob St. Clair
DEFENSE
DE: Fred Dean
DT: Bryant Young
DT: Leo Nomellini
DE: Kevin Fagan
OLB: Charles Haley
MLB: Jack Raynolds
OLB: Dave Wilcox
CB: Eric Wright
FS: Dwight Hicks
SS: Ronnie Lott
CB: Carlton Williamson
SPECIAL TEAMS
KR: John Taylor
PR: Abe Woodson
K: Ray Warsching
P: Tommy Davis
COACHES
Head Coach: Bill Walsh
OC: Bill Walsh
DC: George Seifert
My All-Time NFL Team
OFFENSE
QB: Joe Montana (San Francisco 49ers: 1979-1992, Kansas City Chiefs: 1993-1994)
RB: Barry Sanders (Detroit Lions: 1989-1998)
FB: Bronko Nagurski (Chicago Bears: 1930-1937, 1943)
WR: Jerry Rice (San Francisco 49ers: 1985-2000, Oakland Raiders: 2001-2004, Seattle Seahawks: 2004)
WR: Don Hutson (Green Bay Packers: 1935-1945)
TE: Tony Gonzalez (Kansas City Chiefs: 1997-present)
OT: Anthony Munoz (Cincinnati Bengals: 1980-1992)
OG: John Hannah (New England Patriots: 1973-1985)
C: Dwight Stephenson (Miami Dolphins: 1980-1987)
OG: Gene Upshaw (Oakland/Los Angeles Raiders: 1967-1981)
OT: Art Shell (Oakland/Los Angeles Raiders: 1968-1982)
DEFENSE
DE: Reggie White (Philadelphia Eagles: 1985-1992, Green Bay Packers: 1993-1998, Carolina Panthers: 2000)
DT: Joe Greene (Pittsburgh Steelers: 1969-1981)
DT: Merlin Olsen (Los Angeles Rams: 1962-1976)
DE: Deacon Jones (Los Angeles Rams: 1961-1971, San Diego Chargers: 1972-1973, Washington Redskins: 1974)
OLB: Lawrence Taylor (New York Giants: 1981-1993)
MLB: Ray Nitschke (Green Bay Packers: 1958-1972)
OLB: Ray Lewis (Baltimore Ravens: 1996-present)
CB: Deion Sanders (Atlanta Falcons: 1989-1993, San Francisco 49ers: 1994, Dallas Cowboys: 1995-1999, Washington Redskins: 2000, Baltimore Ravens: 2004-2005)
FS: Rod Woodson (Pittsburgh Steelers: 1987-1996, San Francisco 49ers: 1997, Baltimore Ravens: 1998-2001, Oakland Raiders: 2002-2003)
SS: Ronnie Lott (San Francisco 49ers: 1981-1990, Los Angeles Raiders: 1991-1992, New York Jets: 1993-1994)
CB: Mel Blount (Pittsburgh Steelers: 1970-1983)
SPECIAL TEAMS
KR: Gale Sayers (Chicago Bears: 1965-1971)
PR: Billy Johnson (Houston Oilers: 1974-1980, Atlanta Falcons: 1982-1987, Washington Redskins: 1988)
K: Adam Vinatieri (New England Patriots: 1996-2005, Indianapolis Colts: 2006-present)
P: Sammy Baugh: Washington Redskins: 1937-52)
COACHES
Head Coach: Bill Walsh (San Francisco 49ers: 1979-1988)
OC: Bill Walsh (San Francisco 49ers: 1979-1988)
DC: Bud Carson (Pittsburgh Steelers: 1972-1977)
QB: Joe Montana (San Francisco 49ers: 1979-1992, Kansas City Chiefs: 1993-1994)
RB: Barry Sanders (Detroit Lions: 1989-1998)
FB: Bronko Nagurski (Chicago Bears: 1930-1937, 1943)
WR: Jerry Rice (San Francisco 49ers: 1985-2000, Oakland Raiders: 2001-2004, Seattle Seahawks: 2004)
WR: Don Hutson (Green Bay Packers: 1935-1945)
TE: Tony Gonzalez (Kansas City Chiefs: 1997-present)
OT: Anthony Munoz (Cincinnati Bengals: 1980-1992)
OG: John Hannah (New England Patriots: 1973-1985)
C: Dwight Stephenson (Miami Dolphins: 1980-1987)
OG: Gene Upshaw (Oakland/Los Angeles Raiders: 1967-1981)
OT: Art Shell (Oakland/Los Angeles Raiders: 1968-1982)
DEFENSE
DE: Reggie White (Philadelphia Eagles: 1985-1992, Green Bay Packers: 1993-1998, Carolina Panthers: 2000)
DT: Joe Greene (Pittsburgh Steelers: 1969-1981)
DT: Merlin Olsen (Los Angeles Rams: 1962-1976)
DE: Deacon Jones (Los Angeles Rams: 1961-1971, San Diego Chargers: 1972-1973, Washington Redskins: 1974)
OLB: Lawrence Taylor (New York Giants: 1981-1993)
MLB: Ray Nitschke (Green Bay Packers: 1958-1972)
OLB: Ray Lewis (Baltimore Ravens: 1996-present)
CB: Deion Sanders (Atlanta Falcons: 1989-1993, San Francisco 49ers: 1994, Dallas Cowboys: 1995-1999, Washington Redskins: 2000, Baltimore Ravens: 2004-2005)
FS: Rod Woodson (Pittsburgh Steelers: 1987-1996, San Francisco 49ers: 1997, Baltimore Ravens: 1998-2001, Oakland Raiders: 2002-2003)
SS: Ronnie Lott (San Francisco 49ers: 1981-1990, Los Angeles Raiders: 1991-1992, New York Jets: 1993-1994)
CB: Mel Blount (Pittsburgh Steelers: 1970-1983)
SPECIAL TEAMS
KR: Gale Sayers (Chicago Bears: 1965-1971)
PR: Billy Johnson (Houston Oilers: 1974-1980, Atlanta Falcons: 1982-1987, Washington Redskins: 1988)
K: Adam Vinatieri (New England Patriots: 1996-2005, Indianapolis Colts: 2006-present)
P: Sammy Baugh: Washington Redskins: 1937-52)
COACHES
Head Coach: Bill Walsh (San Francisco 49ers: 1979-1988)
OC: Bill Walsh (San Francisco 49ers: 1979-1988)
DC: Bud Carson (Pittsburgh Steelers: 1972-1977)
My College Football 2008 Pac-10 Predictions
1. USC 12-0 (9-0)
2. Oregon 11-1 (8-1)
3. California 9-3 (7-2)
4. Arizona State 8-4 (6-3)
5. Stanford 6-6 (4-5)*
6. Arizona 7-5 (4-5)*
7. Washington 4-8 (3-6)
8. Oregon State 3-9 (2-7)**
9. UCLA 2-10 (2-7)**
10. Washington State 2-10 (0-9)
*- Stanford is ranked ahead of Arizona because of a head-to-head win.
**- Oregon State is ranked ahead of UCLA because of a head-to-head win.
I have put "(Swing game)" next to many games. These are games I can see going either way.
Arizona:
W- Idaho
W- Toledo
W- @ New Mexico
W- @ UCLA (Swing game)
W-Washington
L- @ Stanford (Swing game)
L- California
L- USC
W- @ Washington State
L- @ Oregon
W- Oregon State
L- Arizona State (Swing game)
7-5 (4-5)
Arizona State:
W- Northern Arizona
W- Stanford
W- UNLV
L- Georgia
L- @ California
L- @ USC
L- Oregon (Swing game)
W- @ Oregon State (Swing game)
W- @ Washington
W- Washington State
W- UCLA
W- @ Arizona (Swing game)
8-4 (6-3)
California:
L- Michigan State (Swing game)
W- @ Washington State
W- @ Maryland
W- Colorado State
W- Arizona State
W- @ Arizona
W- UCLA
L- Oregon
L- @ USC
W- @ Oregon State (Swing game)
W- Stanford
W- Washington
9-3 (7-2)
Oregon:
W- Washington
W- Utah State
W- @ Purdue
W- Boise State
W- Washington State
L- @ USC (Swing game)
W- UCLA
W- @ Arizona State (Swing game)
W- @ California (Swing game)
W- Stanford
W- Arizona
W- @ Oregon State
11-1 (8-1)
Oregon State:
L- @ Stanford (Swing game)
L- @ Penn State
W- Hawaii
L- USC
L- @ Utah (Swing game)
W- Washington State
L- @ Washington (Swing game)
L- Arizona State
W- @ UCLA (Swing game)
L- California (Swing game)
L- @ Arizona
L- Oregon
3-9 (2-7)
Stanford:
W- Oregon State (Swing game)
L- @ Arizona State
L- @ TCU (Swing game)
W- San Jose State (Swing game)
L- @ Washington (Swing game)
W- @ Notre Dame (Swing game)
W- Arizona (Swing game)
W-@ UCLA (Swing game)
W- Washington State
L- @ Oregon
L- USC
L- @ California
6-6 (4-5)
UCLA:
L- Tennessee
L- @ Brigham Young
L- Arizona (Swing game)
L- Fresno State
W- Washington State
L- @ Oregon
L- Stanford (Swing game)
L- @ California
L- Oregon State (Swing game)
W- @ Washington (Swing game)
L- @ Arizona State
L- USC
2-10 (2-7)
USC:
W- @ Virginia
W- Ohio State (Swing game)
W- @ Oregon State
W- Oregon (Swing game)
W- Arizona State
W- @ Washington State
W- @ Arizona
W- Washington
W- California
W- @ Stanford
W- Notre Dame
@ UCLA
12-0 (9-0)
Washington:
L- @ Oregon
L- Brigham Young
L- Oklahoma
W- Stanford (Swing game)
L- @ Arizona
W- Oregon State (Swing game)
W- Notre Dame (Swing game)
L- @ USC
L- Arizona State
L- UCLA
W- @ Washington State
L- @ California
4-8 (3-6)
Washington State:
L- Oklahoma State
L- California
W- @ Baylor
W- Portland State
L- Oregon
L- @ UCLA
L-@ Oregon State
L- USC
L- @ Stanford
L- Arizona
L- @ Arizona State
L- Washington
L- @ Hawaii
2-10 (0-9)
2. Oregon 11-1 (8-1)
3. California 9-3 (7-2)
4. Arizona State 8-4 (6-3)
5. Stanford 6-6 (4-5)*
6. Arizona 7-5 (4-5)*
7. Washington 4-8 (3-6)
8. Oregon State 3-9 (2-7)**
9. UCLA 2-10 (2-7)**
10. Washington State 2-10 (0-9)
*- Stanford is ranked ahead of Arizona because of a head-to-head win.
**- Oregon State is ranked ahead of UCLA because of a head-to-head win.
I have put "(Swing game)" next to many games. These are games I can see going either way.
Arizona:
W- Idaho
W- Toledo
W- @ New Mexico
W- @ UCLA (Swing game)
W-Washington
L- @ Stanford (Swing game)
L- California
L- USC
W- @ Washington State
L- @ Oregon
W- Oregon State
L- Arizona State (Swing game)
7-5 (4-5)
Arizona State:
W- Northern Arizona
W- Stanford
W- UNLV
L- Georgia
L- @ California
L- @ USC
L- Oregon (Swing game)
W- @ Oregon State (Swing game)
W- @ Washington
W- Washington State
W- UCLA
W- @ Arizona (Swing game)
8-4 (6-3)
California:
L- Michigan State (Swing game)
W- @ Washington State
W- @ Maryland
W- Colorado State
W- Arizona State
W- @ Arizona
W- UCLA
L- Oregon
L- @ USC
W- @ Oregon State (Swing game)
W- Stanford
W- Washington
9-3 (7-2)
Oregon:
W- Washington
W- Utah State
W- @ Purdue
W- Boise State
W- Washington State
L- @ USC (Swing game)
W- UCLA
W- @ Arizona State (Swing game)
W- @ California (Swing game)
W- Stanford
W- Arizona
W- @ Oregon State
11-1 (8-1)
Oregon State:
L- @ Stanford (Swing game)
L- @ Penn State
W- Hawaii
L- USC
L- @ Utah (Swing game)
W- Washington State
L- @ Washington (Swing game)
L- Arizona State
W- @ UCLA (Swing game)
L- California (Swing game)
L- @ Arizona
L- Oregon
3-9 (2-7)
Stanford:
W- Oregon State (Swing game)
L- @ Arizona State
L- @ TCU (Swing game)
W- San Jose State (Swing game)
L- @ Washington (Swing game)
W- @ Notre Dame (Swing game)
W- Arizona (Swing game)
W-@ UCLA (Swing game)
W- Washington State
L- @ Oregon
L- USC
L- @ California
6-6 (4-5)
UCLA:
L- Tennessee
L- @ Brigham Young
L- Arizona (Swing game)
L- Fresno State
W- Washington State
L- @ Oregon
L- Stanford (Swing game)
L- @ California
L- Oregon State (Swing game)
W- @ Washington (Swing game)
L- @ Arizona State
L- USC
2-10 (2-7)
USC:
W- @ Virginia
W- Ohio State (Swing game)
W- @ Oregon State
W- Oregon (Swing game)
W- Arizona State
W- @ Washington State
W- @ Arizona
W- Washington
W- California
W- @ Stanford
W- Notre Dame
@ UCLA
12-0 (9-0)
Washington:
L- @ Oregon
L- Brigham Young
L- Oklahoma
W- Stanford (Swing game)
L- @ Arizona
W- Oregon State (Swing game)
W- Notre Dame (Swing game)
L- @ USC
L- Arizona State
L- UCLA
W- @ Washington State
L- @ California
4-8 (3-6)
Washington State:
L- Oklahoma State
L- California
W- @ Baylor
W- Portland State
L- Oregon
L- @ UCLA
L-@ Oregon State
L- USC
L- @ Stanford
L- Arizona
L- @ Arizona State
L- Washington
L- @ Hawaii
2-10 (0-9)
My Preseason College Football Top 25 for 2008
1. Oklahoma
2. Georgia
3. Missouri
4. USC
5. Florida
6. LSU
7. West Virginia
8. Clemson
9. Wisconsin
10. Ohio State
11. Texas Tech
12. Auburn
13. Texas
14. Tennessee
15. Oregon
16. Illinois
17. Arizona State
18. BYU
19. South Florida
20. Fresno State
21. Wake Forest
22. South Carolina
23. Cincinnati
24. Boston College
25. Utah
2. Georgia
3. Missouri
4. USC
5. Florida
6. LSU
7. West Virginia
8. Clemson
9. Wisconsin
10. Ohio State
11. Texas Tech
12. Auburn
13. Texas
14. Tennessee
15. Oregon
16. Illinois
17. Arizona State
18. BYU
19. South Florida
20. Fresno State
21. Wake Forest
22. South Carolina
23. Cincinnati
24. Boston College
25. Utah
My Top Movies of the Summer of 2008
1. The Dark Knight
Official Website
Christopher Nolan wanted to make an action movie that was different from other action movies -- darker, more twisted, more despairing, more bleak -- and he has mostly succeeded in this latest Batman installment. He can thank Ledger for a lot of that.
-Mike LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle
2. Mongol
Official Website
The film, a foreign-language Oscar nominee, is epic in scope, in scale, in story, in everything. It has as much action as any brain-dead Hollywood blockbuster, but Mongol also has heart and intelligence.
-Bill Goodykuntz, Arizona Reporter
3. Iron Man
Official Website
Downey's richly human performance as a reformed rake who relies on his intelligence, feels both personal and genuinely fresh.
-Liam Lacey, Glove and Mail
4. Wall-E
Official Website
No movie can be a downer that fills you with pure exhilaration. You leave WALL-E with a feeling of the rarest kind: that you've just enjoyed a close encounter with an enduring classic.
-Peter Travers, Rolling Stone
5. In Bruges
Official Website
It is easily one of the best debut feature films in recent memory. The notion of a pair of hit men cooling their heels as they're forced to play tourist in a picture-postcard town is clever enough. But as the story unspools, it grows more intriguing.
-Claudia Puig, USA Today
6. Tropic Thunder
Official Website
"Boasting yet another shining performance from Robert Downey Jr., Ben Stiller's politically incorrect satire of Hollywood war-action movies is rude, crude, messy and sharply uneven, containing wildly funny sequences..."
-Emanuel Levy, EmanuelLevy.com
7. Pineapple Express
Official Website
The plot is as thin as rolling papers and OD's on graphic violence, but the smokin' cast lights up the screen and scores lots of laughs.
-Matt Stephens, E! Online
8. The Incredible Hulk
Official Website
This new production, starring Edward Norton as Bruce Banner, looks a lot better -- sometimes it looks great -- and it's a thunderously efficient enterprise, with a nice surprise at the very end.
-Joe Morgenstern, Wall Street Journal
9. Bottle Shock
Official Website
Its heart is so in the right place and its tableau so appealing that it's easy to come away from this sweet, scrappy film with a nice little buzz.
-Bill Ward, Minneapolis Star Tribune
10. Wanted
Official Website
Wanted may be the most absolutely stone bonkers, crazy-good movie of the century. Or it may be a gargantuan piece of trash. Chances are it's a combination of the two. But man, does it rock.
-Tom Long, Detroit News
Official Website
Christopher Nolan wanted to make an action movie that was different from other action movies -- darker, more twisted, more despairing, more bleak -- and he has mostly succeeded in this latest Batman installment. He can thank Ledger for a lot of that.
-Mike LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle
2. Mongol
Official Website
The film, a foreign-language Oscar nominee, is epic in scope, in scale, in story, in everything. It has as much action as any brain-dead Hollywood blockbuster, but Mongol also has heart and intelligence.
-Bill Goodykuntz, Arizona Reporter
3. Iron Man
Official Website
Downey's richly human performance as a reformed rake who relies on his intelligence, feels both personal and genuinely fresh.
-Liam Lacey, Glove and Mail
4. Wall-E
Official Website
No movie can be a downer that fills you with pure exhilaration. You leave WALL-E with a feeling of the rarest kind: that you've just enjoyed a close encounter with an enduring classic.
-Peter Travers, Rolling Stone
5. In Bruges
Official Website
It is easily one of the best debut feature films in recent memory. The notion of a pair of hit men cooling their heels as they're forced to play tourist in a picture-postcard town is clever enough. But as the story unspools, it grows more intriguing.
-Claudia Puig, USA Today
6. Tropic Thunder
Official Website
"Boasting yet another shining performance from Robert Downey Jr., Ben Stiller's politically incorrect satire of Hollywood war-action movies is rude, crude, messy and sharply uneven, containing wildly funny sequences..."
-Emanuel Levy, EmanuelLevy.com
7. Pineapple Express
Official Website
The plot is as thin as rolling papers and OD's on graphic violence, but the smokin' cast lights up the screen and scores lots of laughs.
-Matt Stephens, E! Online
8. The Incredible Hulk
Official Website
This new production, starring Edward Norton as Bruce Banner, looks a lot better -- sometimes it looks great -- and it's a thunderously efficient enterprise, with a nice surprise at the very end.
-Joe Morgenstern, Wall Street Journal
9. Bottle Shock
Official Website
Its heart is so in the right place and its tableau so appealing that it's easy to come away from this sweet, scrappy film with a nice little buzz.
-Bill Ward, Minneapolis Star Tribune
10. Wanted
Official Website
Wanted may be the most absolutely stone bonkers, crazy-good movie of the century. Or it may be a gargantuan piece of trash. Chances are it's a combination of the two. But man, does it rock.
-Tom Long, Detroit News
My Favorite Giants of My Life
Keep in mind, I'm only 20, so I didn't get to witness many greats. These are just my favorite of MY lifetime.
1st team lineup:
C: Benito Santiago (Watching him throw guys out from his knees was awesome)
1B: Will Clark (My favorite swing in the history of baseball)
2B: Robby Thompson (He was a true Giant)
3B: Matt Williams (If not for the strike, he would have broken the Maris' record)
SS: Rich Aurilia (During his first stint with the Giants, not current Richie)
LF: Barry Bonds (My favorite player of all-time)
CF: Brent Butler (My favorite Giants leadoff hitter ever)
RF: Ellis Burks (Batted .344 in 2000 with the Giants)
2nd team lineup:
C: Kirt Manwaring (The first catcher I really remember growing up)
1B: J.T. Snow (Magic with the glove)
2B: Jeff Kent (As much as a douche as he is now, he was a stud with the Giants)
3B: Bill Mueller (He could really stick)
SS: Royce Clayton (First player that made me want to throw sidearm)
LF: Kevin Mitchell (Him and Clark were dominant)
CF: Daryl Hamilton (Hambone)
RF: Stan Javier (Classic)
SP: Tim Lincecum
SP: Jason Schmidt
SP: Shawn Estes
SP: Kirk Rueter
SP: Russ Ortiz (First stint)
RP: Robb Nen
RP: Rod Beck
Manager: Dusty Baker
1st team lineup:
C: Benito Santiago (Watching him throw guys out from his knees was awesome)
1B: Will Clark (My favorite swing in the history of baseball)
2B: Robby Thompson (He was a true Giant)
3B: Matt Williams (If not for the strike, he would have broken the Maris' record)
SS: Rich Aurilia (During his first stint with the Giants, not current Richie)
LF: Barry Bonds (My favorite player of all-time)
CF: Brent Butler (My favorite Giants leadoff hitter ever)
RF: Ellis Burks (Batted .344 in 2000 with the Giants)
2nd team lineup:
C: Kirt Manwaring (The first catcher I really remember growing up)
1B: J.T. Snow (Magic with the glove)
2B: Jeff Kent (As much as a douche as he is now, he was a stud with the Giants)
3B: Bill Mueller (He could really stick)
SS: Royce Clayton (First player that made me want to throw sidearm)
LF: Kevin Mitchell (Him and Clark were dominant)
CF: Daryl Hamilton (Hambone)
RF: Stan Javier (Classic)
SP: Tim Lincecum
SP: Jason Schmidt
SP: Shawn Estes
SP: Kirk Rueter
SP: Russ Ortiz (First stint)
RP: Robb Nen
RP: Rod Beck
Manager: Dusty Baker
Racism
I find it incredible in this day and age how many people are still racist or think in racial stereotypes. Yes, many stereotypes stem from certain truths, but the action of many individuals of one race does not condemn an entire race to years of racial profiling. The ignorance of people in America today shocks me and how so many can be so uneducated.
How is it that one can hate someone else because of a difference in the color of skin? The beauty of this country, this state, is that we live in a society with such diversity and the oppurtunity to experience new cultures and ways of life. The diversity of cultures in this country make us who we are, they don't make any race better than any other. I hope the intollerant can learn tollerance and love thy fellow countrymen regardless of skin color and that one day we can live in lesser hostile country.
How is it that one can hate someone else because of a difference in the color of skin? The beauty of this country, this state, is that we live in a society with such diversity and the oppurtunity to experience new cultures and ways of life. The diversity of cultures in this country make us who we are, they don't make any race better than any other. I hope the intollerant can learn tollerance and love thy fellow countrymen regardless of skin color and that one day we can live in lesser hostile country.
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