I Don't Think so Shula

Don Shula has made a recent comment that links the New England Patriots and Barry Bonds together. The former Miami Dolphin’s head football coach and hall of famer, Shula, stated that he likes the chances of the Patriots to go undefeated this season but questions their comparison to his 1972 Dolphin’s team because of the Bill Belichick-inspired spying scandal. With an interview with the New York Daily News Shula expressed, “The spy gate thing has diminished what they’ve accomplished.” Shula indicated that with the sever penalties and punishments that the Patriots and Bill Belichick suffered from the incident its kind of like the same scenario putting an asterisk next to Barry Bonds’ home run record (http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=3097057). I personally believe that Shula is just concerned that his NFL record of posting a 16-0 regular season record in 1972 is going to be challenged by the 2007 New England Patriots. There have been numerous NFL teams that have come close to tying the perfect regular season record set by Shula and his ‘72 Dolphin players, but no team who has come close have displayed the dominance that this years Patriot’s have. I don’t think Shula’s statements are even close to being valid. The reason why say this is due to the fact that the spy gate scandal was nipped in the bud the first game of the season. So how does one game diminish a whole season, especially when they played a team that they are far superior than and would have by at least two touchdowns anyway. I understand where Shula is coming from, but I think he went a bit extreme by making these statements. I also disagree with Shula’s comments that compared Barry Bonds and the New England Patriots. The situations are clearly different. Barry Bonds admitted that steroids were present in his body rather on purpose or not, which is a whole other issue. The steroids obviously enhanced Bonds’ performance on the field which helped with his chances of becoming the all time home –run hitter in Major League Baseball. The steroids cannot be taken out of Bonds’ body. The damage, increase strength and conditioning has already been done and put into affect for Bonds. Where as the Patriots situation was handled with immediately and there will be no long term effects of increased performance on the field for them in the future as a result of their one time breaking league rules and cheating. The same cannot be said about Barry Bonds. In my opinion, I believe that Don Shula’s comparison of Bonds and the Patriots is unfair to say the least. I feel it’s possible that Shula is just being bitter towards the Patriots because his regular season wins record that has stood for thirty-five years could be in jeopardy. I also think Shula feels threatened that his ’72 Dolphins greatness may be somewhat forgotten or outshined if the Patriots do in fact go perfect in the regular season.

Tim Duncan's Extension Proves Unselfishness

The San Antonio Spurs two-time league MVP and unanimous team leader, Tim Duncan, agreed to a two -year extension through the 2011 and 2012 seasons with the Spurs. The 31 year old, Duncan, reached an agreement of $40 million dollars with the Spurs for the two-year extension. Duncan's agent, Lon Babby, explained that Duncan could have singed for more than several million dollars more with the team, but elected not to because he wanted the franchise to build around him for future seasons. (http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=3086623) This is something you rarely here of in professional sports today. A franchise player and the most valuable asset on a team turning down money he rightly deserves for the benefit of his team and their upcoming seasons. No wonder the San Antonio Spurs have won four NBA Championships in past nine seasons with Tim Duncan as their go to player and team captain. The numbers and accomplishments speak for themselves. Two back-to-back league NBA MVP honors, four NBA Titles, nine-time all-star, and three NBA Finals MVP honors just to name a few. The point I'm trying to make is that when the high- profile athlete of a team is unselfish and is only concerned with how well the team does rather than focusing on their individual performance and how much money they can make, will lead to not only success for that individual player but success for the whole team and organization as well. I have to give credit where credit is due. I am normally the first to criticize or bash professional athletes for demanding more money or getting an outrageous contract extension for money they don't deserve. In this particular case the credit goes to future hall of fame center/forward Tim Duncan. With Duncan choosing not to accept the extra millions he was offered, Duncan's showing he's not only looking out for the best interest of his team but the future of the Spurs' Organization as a whole. More star professional athletes should take a page out of Tim Duncan's book because they certainly couldn't go wrong and they may experience greater success for themselves and their respective team .

NFL Matchup in London

The Miami Dolphins and the New York Giants will be traveling overseas this week, and no it’s not for a vacation. The two teams are matching up against one another just like they normally would do every season, but this year they are matching up against each other in a different country. They will be playing at Wembley Stadium in London, England. It will be the first NFL regular season game that has been played outside the continent of North America. The Miami Dolphins owner, Wayne Hiuzenga, stated that the Dolphins organization is proud to be apart of this historical event. He also explained that it was important for the NFL to expand on a global basis and this game will help provide that. The objective for this game in London is to make the NFL stronger around the world. Jonathan Tisch, the Giants co owner, described this game as groundbreaking. Tisch also added that the NFL is always trying to gain that extra step or go that extra mile to create more opportunities knowing that the product of the league is very important on a global standpoint nowadays. Giants Q.B. Eli Manning commented on the game by stating it's important for the NFL to try and expand the game of football around the world. (http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/wire?section=nfl&id=2752272) This article shows how the NFL will benefit from world wide exposure of playing a contest in a continent outside of North America. Players such as Eli Manning feel that it is an exciting opportunity to play overseas. Others such as Dolphin’s owner Wayne Huizenga are very excited about his team’s upcoming game because it will give the NFL a chance to become more popular around the world. I personally believe that this game is a genius idea because it will help the NFL get world wide exposure, which could lead to an increasing amount of fans and viewers around the globe. It is important for American professional leagues to broaden their horizons and increase their popularity by trying to appeal to new and different audiences. When an NFL team wins the Super Bowl they are called world champions, so it is only fitting to display the league’s games and talent around the world.

KEEP TORRE

The future of Joe Torre managing the New York Yankees for a 13^th season is still up in the air and undecided. I think it would be a damn shame to let this future hall of famer go. I understand the expectations of owner George Steinbrenner about wanting the Yankees to be at the top year in and year out, but I don’t understand how you would even consider firing a caliber of a manager like Torre. I am not even a Yankee fan and to be quite honest I am cheering for whatever team they are playing against, but I am a baseball fan and I have the utmost respect for Joe Torre. He is great for the game of baseball and one day will go down in the MLB history books as one of the best mangers of all time. When I think of the New York Yankees I think of tradition and excellence, and these are things that Torre has brought to the Yankees franchise during his tenure. I think if he is given another chance a lot of great and key players for the Yankees that are thinking about testing the market or are free agents will stick around. I believe if Joe Torre is the Yankee’s manager in the 2008 season he will rein store once again the Yankee dominance in Major League Baseball.

The Associated Press of ESPN.com reported that Joe Torre has managed the Yankees to the playoffs in all of his twelve seasons. Torre has also helped the team to be victorious in four World Series in his first five years as Yankee’s manager. Bench coach Don Mattingly is the leading candidate to take over as manger of the Yankees if Torre is let go. “The Star-Ledger of Newark, New Jersey, reported Tuesday that Mattingly told a member of the Steinbrenner family he does not feel ready for the manager's job and is uncomfortable with replacing Torre. (http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3066417) Anybody in there right mind would be nervous and uncomfortable replacing a manager with the success that Joe Torre has had. I feel that it would be a huge mistake and a later regret by the Yankees Organization to fire Joe Torre. When baseball fans think of the Yankees, Joe Torre is one of the first people to pop in their minds. George Steinbrenner and family should think long and hard before making any decisions to replace Torre. Steinbrenner needs to realize that there is so much talent in today’s sports that it is almost virtually impossible to be on top at all times and win championships every single season. You cannot even expect a great manager like Joe Torre to win the World Series every year. Instead of Steinbrenner worrying to try and pay Alex Rodriguez the more ridiculous millions he doesn’t deserve, he should be worrying about how to keep a great manager like Torre around until Torre doesn’t want to manage anymore. The last time I checked Torre won all of his World Series championships without overpaid A-Rod. Steinbrenner needs to reevaluate his priorities and keep the main ingredient (Torre) that led the Yankee’s to their last four World Series titles.

Marion Jones's Confession

Marion Jones finally came out with the truth. She admitted to using “the clear” a form of steroids during the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, Australia. In 2003, Jones angrily denied using any form of steroids to enhance her performance in a testimony before a grand jury. Although, she lied to the public and federal agents four years ago, what is important is that she finally came clean. This shows me that her guilty conscious got the best of her and that she knew what had to be done. Jones knew the right thing to do was to confess. This still doesn’t take away the fact that she lied and cheated, but I think it helps her case as far as trying to gain peoples’ respect back. When I first heard on ESPN that Marion Jones had admitted to using steroids to help improve her abilities, I was in awe and lost all respect for her as an athlete. However, after watching her apology on television, I somewhat sympathized with her and gained more respect for her as a human being. It took a lot of courage and guts for her to admit in front of a national audience that she did in fact cheat at the 2000 Olympics, and that she wrong for doing so. She not only put her reputation on the line but her future as well just to make things right and fair in a competition that took place seven years ago. I know that she is the cause of her own problems, but her finally coming out with the truth shows what kind of person she really is.

According to Christopher Clarey of the International Herald Tribune, Jones handed back her five gold medals that she had won from the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games voluntarily. Ina telephone interview Inger Miller, who was Jones’s formal rival stated, “I’m happy that (Marion) has turned the medals over, and there was no fight for it or anything like that. At least she’s woman enough to stand up and say the truth and do what’s right.” Jones made her apology to the public on Friday outside a New York State Courthouse. She apologized to the public, her family, friends, and her nation along with her lawyers. (http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/10/09/sports/ARENA.php) I watched part of Jones’s apology on television and I viewed it as a very meaningful, sincere, and a straight from the heart apology. She was crying during the apology which expressed her emotions of feeling humiliated, embarrassed, and relived to get the truth off her chest. I admired her for being honest for the first time about using steroids, along with apologizing for her actions in front of the nation. I thought she showed nothing but class by handing back the medals without putting up any kind of fight or struggle. I wish more athletes who have cheated in the past by using some form of steroids like Marion Jones would just come clean and be honest. If Michael Vick’s apology was anywhere as close or sincere as what Jones’s apology was, then he might be back playing in the N.F.L. sooner than he will be. I hope the honesty in this case used by Marion Jones provokes more professional athletes such as Barry Bonds to come clean and admit to using either performance enhancers or steroids.

Replay on the Diamond

One of the current hottest topics in Major League Baseball right now is if instant replay should be put into effect. This subject is very debatable amongst a long list and wide range of people. If this becomes a realization for the M.L.B. and they are seriously taking instant replay into consideration and have a vote for it before next season, I would vote yes if my input mattered. It has been said that one issue of having instant replay in baseball is that it would slow down the game. That to me is not a good argument because baseball is already a grinding and slow paced game. Professional baseball games last almost two hours every outing any way so I don’t think a couple of two or three minute reviews would slow the game down anymore. I would agree to those who oppose instant replay in baseball if every debatable call was questioned, but that wouldn’t be its intent. The intent would be very simple. The instant replay that I’m referring to specifically deals with questionable home- run calls if they are fair or foul or if they clear the yellow line, and close calls at the plate because they ultimately can determine the outcome of baseball games.

One of the most recent baseball games that could have clearly used instant replay was the tiebreaker between the Colorado Rockies and the San Diego Padres. That game decided who got the National League wild card . In this particular game there was a couple of controversial calls that influenced and decided the game’s ending. The first of the arguable calls was when the Rockies Garrett Adkins hit a line-drive ball that bounce off the left-field wall. The Rockies claimed it was a home-run but umpires ruled it a double. Obviously to only get one look at a hard hit ball picking up speed in the outfield would be hard for anyone to judge. If this hit was a home-run this call could have cost the Rockies the game if they would have lost by one run. In this big of a game and knowing the magnitude of the situation there needs to be instant replay to get the best and accurate decision. Not saying that instant replay will always give the clearest view to make the right decision but it sure wouldn’t hurt to have on hand for situations like this. The next example is the second and most important of the controversial calls. The Rockies Matt Holliday slid head first into home plate while it appeared Padre catcher Michael Barrett was blocking the plate, Umpire Tim McClelland called Holliday safe anyway. Not saying McClelland’s decision was wrong but it was the deciding call that clinched the Rockies a spot in the playoffs and the Padres packing home. The teams battled for thirteen innings and I would hate to know that there is a possibility the game winning call was wrong. This was a very close and season ending or season making call, so shouldn’t there have been at least a second look? According to Dan Gelston, Rockies Manager Clint Hurdle wasn’t even sure that Holliday scored. Hurdle is also still wondering how Adkins’s double wasn’t a homer-run. Home plate Umpire Tim McClelland admitted later he had doubt on his call at the plate after watching a replay later. McClelland has been in the M.L.B. umpiring business for twenty five years, so if this veteran’s calls can be questioned can’t any umps calls be questioned.( http://www.courierpostonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071003/SPORTS01/710030386/-1/news0301) I strongly feel that instant replay is needed in Major League Baseball to simply get the home-run and close plays at the plate right or as accurate as possible. This would benefit Major League Baseball tremendously because it would give the umpires all the help and support they can get in making the best calls.

Do D-1 Collegiate Athletes Deserve to be paid?

This is a controversial issue when brought up or discussed. It is a very touchy subject for some to talk about. I’m going to get straight to the point. I personally believe that big time division one collegiate athletes should receive more benefits and money than what they do. It is a fact they get to eat their meals and stay at hotels for free while on the road and get a free college education in most cases. This is truly great, but when millions of dollars of revenue and profit are being produced from the games that the athletes are participating in this hardly seems like nothing. When these high profiled athletes walk around their campus bookstores and local sports stores they see their team’s jersey with their number on it being sold for about $50 a piece and they see absolutely no profit from it. To me this just seems unfair. The student-athletes are the ones who train almost all year around and sacrifice their bodies and time to make their team and university a success. These talented athletes are the sole reason why their respected universities receive millions and thousands of dollars to put into the school and to the athletic programs. The student-athletes make a tremendous amount of money for their universities and hardly see any of the rewards or benefits from it.
According to the Football Bowl Association, the previous bowl season ‘s thirty-one games generated about $210 million dollars for NCAA schools. This is a large and significant amount of money that could be used to give the d-1 athletes a little sum of what they themselves produced. According to the USA Today report, the Ohio State football program generated $60.8 million last year. The Ohio State University as a whole generated a revenue of $104.7 in athletics, and as a whole in the athletic department they also made a $2.9 million in profit. They finished $28.5 million in the black.(http://www.sportsbusinessnews.com/_news/news_356420.php) This example is to show how much money colleges are and are capable of making due to their student athletes performing well on the field and turning their schools’ athletic program(s) into successful ones. No not all major d-1 universities around the nation are making as much profit or generating as much revenue as Ohio State, but the point is they do have a manageable amount of money to distribute a little to the student-athletes. I feel when the athletes’ merchandise is being sold for profit and their natural ability for being talented at sports is also making millions of dollars for their school, then the least the school could do is give them a little more of a greater reward by paying them a certain amount of money. Now I’m not saying pay them millions like pros because they aren‘t professionals yet. I’m not even saying to pay them thousands of dollars. I’m just simply suggesting out of the millions of dollars produced the collegiate athletes should receive a couple hundred or so because they are the main reason of why the money is being made in the first place.

The No Fun League

One huge concern and question I have is...has the NFL taken the fun out of the game of football?I believe the league has, and now is just punishing and fining players because they can in regards of touchdown celebrations. I will side with the NFL just briefly. I agree that when Joe horn pulled out a cell phone out of the goal post and acted like he was having a conversation that he should be fined. My reasoning for this is simply because he used another prop that isn't in the field of play and went out of his way before the game to put the phone in the goal post padding. I also agree that if players celebrate vulgarly or their acts are innapropiate for public then they should be fined. When players are just having good clean fun and being themselves after scoring a touchdown and the celebration is innocent they shouldn't be fined. The players already cannot simply spike a football after a big play unless it is a touchdown so now when they do score a touchdown the league is going to watch closely at every move they make so they can evaluate if the celebration deserves a fine or not. I think this is totally unfair to the professional football players and the fans. Today's sports is not just a sport it is a form of entertainment for all people. What the NFL fails to realize that by putting so many rules and restrictions on the players' celebrations the fans who either go to the games or view them on television are also getting punished in a way because they can't see the amusing or big end zone dances, and for some fans that's what they look forward to. When the Bengals opened up against the Ravens earlier this season all everyone talked about was what Chad johnson promised when he scored his first touchdown. The Monday Night Football ABC commentators discussed it multiple times before Chad finally did reach the endzone. It had pleny of media coverage a couple of days before the game even started and many football fans were wanting to watch this celebration. The celebration was a little disappinting and dragged out to the viewers because Chad had to run over to the sidelines just so he wouldn't get fined. To me this is ridiculous.



Terrell Owens was recently fined by the NFL for his endzone dance that mocked the latest controversy concerning the Patriots. Owens was fined $7,500 for his celebration. According to the Associated Press, Owens is very frustrated with the interpretations and understanding of the League's rules. He stated that he is not sure of what he can or cannot do after scoring a touchdown. He was asked if he would take his acts to the sidelines after scoring six and he said he guesses so, but then stated that next the NFL will put in a rule against that as well.The fact of the matter is players like T.O. cannot fully be thier amusing and entertaining selves on the football field because of little things like this. What does the NFL get out of fining a player worth millions a couple thousand dollars. The answer is nothing. To me incidents like this just show me how power hungry the NFL is. Due to the No Fun League cracking down so much lately on small things such as endzone celebrations the league may not be as entertaing and fun to watch as it used to be. The NFL is slowly taking out all of the fun in pro football. The NFL should and do have bigger things to worry about then clean amusing endzone celebrations.

Homophobia in Sports Continued

Whether we want to admit it or not we know that a person's sexuality can have huge effect on not only their daily lives but in their sports' careers. I have seen and heard of all the negatives that have and can come from coaches or players coming out of the closet, but lets now focus on the posotives that can result from a player or coach openly admitting they are in fact gay. Take Oregon State's softball coach Kirk Walker for example. ESPN.com:NCAA, Graham Hays reported that after being engaged in a gay relationship for ten years, Walker and his partner decided to adopt a child. Walker then felt it was the right time to break the news to his softball team not only about his decision to adopt but that he was also a homosexual. Walker didn't want his players to find out from the internet or by another source so he addressed his team at their first fall meeting in 2005. He felt it was very important that he be the first to tell them. Instead of the team turning against him or judging their coach they embraced and rallied behind him. Walker's players were very happy and excited for their coach that he was going to be a father soon. This was the reaction and support Walker was hoping for. Now it was time for the hard part.Walker stated that a couple of weeks after the fall meeting there was a school alumni game at the university and his player's parents would be in attendance.He admitted he was very nervous of what the parent's responses or reactions would be. To Walker's surprise they were very supportive and congratulated him on becoming a father. Walker's honesty to his team indicates that there must be a tight bond and a great trust Walker has for his players for sharing such a personal decision. This trust and tight bond paid off tremendously. Due to the players taking the news so well and being so supportive of their coach ,the Oregon State softball team went on to making history the next season. They made an appearance in the College Softball World Series in the fall of 2006 for the first time.(http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/print?id=2915201&type=story ) This is a case where the coach was completely honest with his team and they became supportive of him immediately and the end result was success. There needs to be more cases in athletics like this one to inspire other coaches and players to be honest and not be ashamed of their sexuality. There also needs to be more cases like this one where the athletes/ coaches who do come out aren't rejected or criticized but rather their decision is accepted and they are supported. If more teams had the close player/coach relationship like the O.S.U. softball team maybe they would share similar success and atheltics as a whole would be better off.