It’s a Sport, Right?

We’ve all had that argument. Cheerleading isn’t a sport, is it? What about marching band? NASCAR? It’s tough to pinpoint what actually constitutes as a sport. Does there need to be a ball or a scoring system? Do the participants need uniforms? Should there be spectators? There is never a clear-cut winner whenever this discussion is had. In my experience, it usually ends with everybody loudly talking over one another and the slamming of a door (on this note: debate is not a sport).

Exciting News

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One More Thing

I’d like to follow up on my last  post.

Last week I talked about the tragic death of Nick Adenhart, but what’s been even more tragic has been the prejudice and racism I’ve witnessed fester out of the situation. I’d like to keep my blog on the subject of sports and sports alone, but with sports being the backdrop in this situation, I feel this is something that needs to be addressed.

The driver of the car, Andrew Gallo, was hispanic. Specifically, Mexican. Great.

The accident happened in California. Specifically, southern California. Great.

Racial tension between Hispanics and, well, just about everyone else in southern California has never reached a comfortable level, most notably in the last decade or so. 

An Angel Falls, An Angel Rises

It’s hard not to talk about this. It’s hard not to hear about it. At approximately 6 a.m. Thursday morning, Angels pitcher Nick Adenhart was pronounced dead at Fullerton Hostpital eight hours after his first major league start of the year (only the fourth of his career).

Adenhart, only twenty-two years old, was killed in a hit-and-run accident Thursday morning.

My Top Ten Sports Movies

Sorry, everybody, for taking last weekend off. You may be wondering what I was doing with all that valuable time. Well, I was watching movies. Sports movies to be specific. However, I managed to make it constructive! Watching the Oscars last weekend, it occurred to me that sports movies rarely get awarded for the inspiration they often stir inside us. So I have now compiled, for you, my top ten sports movies of all time.

The envelope please.

Phelps Falls

What a depressing fall for an American hero.

I’m sure you’ve seen them or heard about them, the photographs of Michael Phelps smoking a bong at a party while on a tour of colleges. This is unfortunate in so many ways. Many fans obviously feel let down and he has soiled his reputation at a time where his name can be used for so much good (not to mention the endorsements he will lose).

Obviously, this controversy has stirred-up a lot of chatter. Does he deserve all the scrutiny he is recieving? Should we really hold him to such high standards only because he is an athlete in the public eye?

Absolutely.

Don’t forget, these pictures were taken after the Olympics. The man who set the record for most Olympic gold medals should realize everything he does will be looked at a little more closely than the average American 20-something.

How to Pick a Team for the Super Bowl

I know there are a million sports bloggers writing about the Super Bowl this week, and I told myself I wouldn’t join the masses, but I suppose this was inevitable.

So here it is.

Every year the Super Bowl is extremely exciting for a couple million people, mostly in the two states that are home to the two teams. Where does that leave the rest of the country? All of our teams were eliminated in earlier rounds or, in some cases, didn’t even come close to making the playoffs (sorry Cleveland). However, we are obligated to root for somebody. I mean it is the Superbowl.

So you might be wondering, “How do I pick a team?” Let’s use this year’s contenders as an example.

1. Pick the Team You Hate the Least

I, personally, have nothing at stake in this Super Bowl. I’m not from either state. I’m not a huge fan of either team. I didn’t pick either of them to go all the way in a fantasy league before the season. But come Sunday I will be cheering for the Cardinals.

My reasons?

What’s In A Number?

Numbers. They play an integral part in sports. Scores, stats,  attendence–you find them everywhere. However, every athlete knows the most important number in our life, the one that means more to us above all others, is that giant one stitched on our jersey. Now if you talk with someone who has never played a team sport, this concept may seem ridiculous. But I’ve played enough sports to know that an athlete’s number is just as important as any other part of our uniform. It ranks right up there along with cleat/shoe color, glove brand, sweatband placement, and sock length.

The reasons behind an athlete’s number choice are numerous– it’s almost a science. Sometimes it’s a number we’ve had since we were five-years-old playing AYSO soccer. Sometimes it’s a number that plays a significant role in our lives (house number, birthday, etc.). Other times it may be a number we got stuck with one year in Little League and subsequently gave us the best season in our young, athletic life. Sometimes we think it just looks good on us. Some numbers are “slimming” (single digits) and some numbers make you look bigger (the double-number: 33, 44, etc.). Most commonly, a number is chosen to honor a sports hero in our lives–from a Hall of Famer to our father. No matter the origin of choice, an athlete’s number has sentimental value.