Replacing the Game

One play, two rulings, no pass interference called. The ref who can SEE THE BALL rules no catch by waving his arms over his head (interception/Touchback) and the ref who is further away from the play and can NOT SEE THE BALL walks up and rules TD. Refs make a short trip to the booth (or so we think) and the ruling stands, TD Seattle.

It sounded more like this: The ruling on the court; the player did touch second base, ruling stands 5^th foul for Arizona.

 

Hello 9-1-1 there has been a robbery in Seattle. Russell Wilson just became the first QB in the history of the NFL to throw a game-winning interception. Jennings caught the ball and had possession as he went down to the ground, but the ref ruled it a TD for Tate.

 

Who really reviewed this play? This call will go down as the all time worst NOT top-ten play in the history of sports and COME ON MAN’S!

 

Simultaneous control? Don’t even try to go there replacement ref, you don’t even know what that means yet, clearly.

 

Golden Tate, sorry kid- no one is talking about HOLY HAIL MARY. We are going nuts over your denial and about your pass interference play that somehow wasn’t called.

 

Packers guard, TJ Lang didn’t need all 140 characters to show his emotions on twitter: “Got F-ed by the refs.. Embarassing. Thanks NFL!” followed by “F**k it NFL.. Fine me and use the money to pay the regular refs.”

 

Roger Goodell, you should be so embarrassed that your greed has forced Footlocker employees to regulate the National Football League. Did someone put your balls on the replacement list too, Mr. Goodell?? If you really care about the integrity of this game you will stop this labor strike NOW and make football right again in America.  

 

You the Commish- preach that you will do anything to protect the shield of the NFL and yet, you Mr. Goodell, YOU are letting the debacle of asinine replacements define your league continue. Grow a pair!

 

Every game I’ve watched has been a clear indication that replacement refs have no control and no clue what the F they are doing. Get your ego out of your ass and protect this game that millions of fans live for. Mr. Goodell, are you facebook friends with Sandusky? Its ironic how both of you have a sick way of screwing a lot players and fans.

 

Hell, I’m a Redskins fan and VOLS fan, I know what its like lose, a lot. But watching other teams, good teams, great teams lose because of poor officiating- it really makes me mad.

 

(Sorry mom for my potty mouth- it’s ALL ROGER GOODELL’S FAULT? Yell at him not me.) 

 

And if you needed more proof, here ya go! 

The Third Saturday in September

Special guest Kenny Chesney and Lee Corso picking UT to win

It’s an SEC tradition that on the third Saturday in September that the rivalry between the University of Florida and the University of Tennessee will have a gridiron matchup.

“College Gameday in Knoxville, TN Saturday September 15, 2012”

 

I thought it was a Sports Center text alert joke. College Gameday hasn’t been in Knoxville since 2004 and just about every media source outside of Knoxville hasn’t giving the University of Tennessee any love or respect.

 

The truth is that the University of Tennessee hasn’t been the threat or the powerhouse that it once was. And when it comes to the third Saturday in September, UT hasn’t won since 2004. For the first time since 2007 both Florida (18) and Tennessee (23) have been ranked at kick off.

 

Has UT developed into the program it was once was? Not yet, but we know we are better this year. A fan base that is starving to beat Florida, a week filled with beat Florida festivities and a team preparing for their first and maybe only chance to prove why it’s great to be a Tennessee Vol.

 

I can’t remember the last time UT EVER had this much media attention that didn’t involve Lane Kiffin. ESPN and social media hyped up the game and Vegas gave UT a slight advantage.

 

A packed crowd showed up early for College Gameday and the signs were hilarious. Some of my personal favorites:

“Driskel throws Zima bottles”

“Driskel goes for it on 4^th and jort”

ESPN acronym “Exterminating Swamp People from Neyland”

“Great Jorts said no one ever”

 

 It was a beautiful day for football in Knoxville. Neyland sold out to a sea of orange for more than 102,000 plus the thousands of fans who couldn’t get tickets.

 

It was a great SEC game until the end of third and then it was all Rock Bottom for the VOLS.

 

With 3:27 left in the third, Florida set in wildcat formation ended with 1 play for 80 yards in twelve seconds for a Florida TD by Trey Burton and the game changed. The missed opportunities, turnovers and failure to complete big plays made the VOLS Gator bait.

 

Bray collapsed and Tennessee had no legs. With only 87 rushing yards UT had meek success in the running game while the Gators ran for 336 yards and ran away with their 8^th consecutive win 37-20 on the third Saturday in September.

 

Tennessee fans were pissed, heartbroken and shocked. This was Dooley’s chance to beat a ranked team and he came out with swamp ass.

 

Simply put, we couldn’t finish. We choked in the spotlight on the national stage in what could be the most important game of Dooley’s career at UT. Tennessee got chomped in Knoxville and it hurts.

 

Sometimes I hate that I love UT football so much, it just hurts. It really hurts. But at the end of day, the week, and season UT fans will still be cheering for the team with the belief that one day, the team will love us back. VFL.

Changing History

 

Five starting QB’s were NFL rookies in week one. Indianapolis' Andrew Luck, Miami's Ryan Tannehill, Cleveland's Brandon Weeden and Seattle's Russell Wilson, all four lost their debut game and Washington’s Robert Griffin III won. 

 Here's the Summary:

2012 Rookie	Pass	Total	Rushing				QB
QB Debut	Complete	Yards	Yards	TD	INT	FUM	Rating
RG3	19 of 26	320	42	2	0	0	139.9
Russell Wilson	18 of 34	153	0	1	1	1	62.5
Andrew Luck	23 of 45	309	0	1	3	1	52.9
Ryan Tannenhill	20 of36	219	0	0	3	0	39
Brandon Weeden	12 of 35	118	0	0	4	0	5.1

Tebow who? Jesus was wearing an RG3 jersey on Sunday!

Going into this game the Redskins had a 15-8 all time record against the Saints and winning three of the last five matchups. Shanahan is 3-1 against the Saints and he has a 14-4 record in week one games; the winningest of active head coaches.

We all have heard about bounty-gate in New Orleans, where head Coach Sean Payton has been banned from team activity for one year. Payton’s presence is still visible with the huge banner of his face giving off that scary eyed look that has the caption “Do Your Job”. On Friday the appeals panel reinstated defensive end Will Smith and linebacker Jon Vilma who were suspended for their roles in the bounty scandal. Smith started on Sunday. Vilma was on the sidelines due to off season knee surgery. But that wasn’t enough for the Who Dat nation and I’m sure they will all have nightmares of the Sean Payton stare.

Even with the Redskins history against the Saints and the Saints in franchise mayhem, Vegas still had RG3 and the Skins as the underdog. But in typical Dan Snyder fashion, he managed to give Vegas another reason to hate the Redskins and left most football fans shocked as the Redskins beat the Saints 40-32 in the Superdome. Since Shanahan took over as the Redskins head coach in 2010, this is the first time the team scored 40 points.

RG3 found WR Pierre Garcon in the middle for an 88-yard TD, tying the second-longest scoring pass by a quarterback making his NFL debut and the longest offensive TD for the Skins since 1987. RG3 finished the first half with a perfect 158.3 passer rating; the first time a rookie has done that with 10 or more attempts.

I just hope RG3 isn’t so good that Shanahan decides he needs to shut him down. No pun intended Davey Johnson, no pun intended…

History continued when my neighbor only knocked on my wall twice (their way of telling me to stop hooting and hollering) and the concierge didn’t call me to ask me to tone it down. Clearly, they must not have been home the entire game- I was going nuts! What a turn around for Washington.

Peter King gave the Redskins a 6-10 prediction and most of the “experts” had even less faith. It’s still early, but just knowing that this team can throw, catch AND score is a fundamental breath of fresh air in the Nations Capital. Now, that’s the real change we’ve been waiting for. 

And how about those Foot Locker employees, I mean the replacement refs. I like these guys! For once the Redskins are getting the calls and getting them on the road too!

More history was made on Sunday as Shannon Eastin became the first women to be a line judge in an official regular-season game for the St. Louis-Detroit matchup. This is the first time in eleven years that replacement officials have been called up while the regular officials are locked out. I just wish she wouldn’t have tucked her ponytail under her cap after the national anthem. Girl, you earned your spot, don’t be scared to show off your ponytail! Wear it with pride and know you’re the best looking official in the game.

Yes, week one made the history books, but it’s only one chapter for the 2012 season. The key for Shanahan’s Redskins will be to finish each game. Seeing is believing, and we saw on Sunday that the talent is there- we just have to finish writing the history book one chapter at a time.

LIVESTRONG

Lance Armstrong is one of the most recognized athletes in the world. Refusing to become a statistic, he fought to beat the slim odds of testicular cancer and then used the same determination to cross the finish line and win the Tour de France seven times in a row.

But in today’s world, it’s believed by some that if you’re a great athlete in any sport then you must be doping. It’s as if we no longer believe that there are those athletes who are born great athletes and whose drive and dedication to maximize their God-given talent simply can not exist. Yes, I’m talking to you Travis Tygart.

Travis Tygart, the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency’s chief executive, announced that Armstrong would be punched with a lifetime ban from cycling. The USADA also said that they will strip Lance Armstrong of his seven Tour de France titles, surrender his bronze medal from the 2000 Olympics, and any awards, event titles and cash earning after Armstrong dropped his legal fight against doping charges and accusations.

"It is a sad day for all of us who love sports and athletes," Tygart said. "It's a heartbreaking example of win at all costs overtaking the fair and safe option. There's no success in cheating to win."

I’m sorry, what did Tygart just say? He’s been on a witch hunt to take down Armstrong for years. He is not sad; he’s taking steroid shots to his ego. Tygart tests positive for being a jealous bully, driven by dollar signs and the realization that he wasn’t blessed with the physical attributes to make him a world famous athlete.

This crusade to take down the unparalleled seven time Tour de France title holder at all cost and for allegedly making deals with other riders that skirt around their own rules just as long as those riders say Armstrong cheated is simply sick. These are positive signs of mental illness for Tygart and entire USADA.

IF YOU HAVE NO PROVEN EVIDENCE YOU ARE NOT GUILTY!

“USADA has broken the law, turned its back on its own rules, and stiff-armed those who have tried to persuade USADA to honor its obligations. At every turn, USADA has played the role of a bully, threatening everyone in its way and challenging the good faith of anyone who questions its motives or its methods, all at U.S. taxpayers’ expense.”

“The idea that athletes can be convicted today without positive A and B samples, under the same rules and procedures that apply to athletes with positive tests, perverts the system and creates a process where any begrudged ex-teammate can open a USADA case out of spite or for personal gain or a cheating cyclist can cut a sweetheart deal for themselves. It’s an unfair approach, applied selectively, in opposition to all the rules. It’s just not right.”

1999-2005 is now marked with an asterisk according to the USADA, but we all know that Lance Armstrong is still the greatest cyclist of all time.

On Thursday, Armstrong made a public statement that enough was enough and he would end his battle with Tygart and the USADA. But his real fight is now focusing on his cancer foundation which has raised nearly $500 million for the fight against cancer. The symbolic yellow LIVESTRONG wristband has been a world symbol of hope and inspiration to those affected by cancer.

Individuals like Tygart take joy out of stripping away titles. And then there are individuals like Lance Armstrong who commit their life to beating the odds and believing that we can all LIVESTRONG.

Star Spangled Awesome!

 Team USA Gymnastics Winning Team Gold

The 2012 Summer Olympics ended with stars and stripes dominating the London games. The United States left with 104 medals; 46 gold, 29 silver and 29 bronze. China came in second with 88 total medals (38 gold, 27 silver, and 23 bronze) followed by Russia with 82 total medals (24 gold, 26 sliver, and 32 bronze). In a total of 47 Olympic Games (both winter and summer) the Untied States of America leads the world in total medals with 2,642 (1,061 gold, 852 sliver, and 739 bronze). The Soviet Union ranks second with 1,204 combined medals and then Germany with 1,143 medals. No other country has over a thousand medals. While there’s no evidence to support the statement that America is the greatest country in the world, the total number of Olympic medals makes the United States of America Star Spangled Awesome!

At age 27, Michael Phelps retired after the London 2012 games as the all time most decorated Olympian. With 16 medals going into the London Games, Phelps became the Aqua Man winning 6 more medals, the most medals of any other Olympic athlete. Phelps will hang up his goggles with 22 total Olympic medals (18 gold, 2 silver, and 2 bronze). 

But who really runs the world? Girls! America knows how to produce some of the most beautiful athletes to ever wear the red, white, and blue! From women’s gymnastics, swimming, track, beach volleyball, basketball, soccer and more- it was all golden!

For the first time, every competing nation sent female participants to London. Also a first for American women was winning more gold medals than American men.

Gabby Douglas, Jordyn Wieber, McKayla Maroney, Alexandra Raisman, and Kyla Ross make up the “Fierce Five” representing Team USA in women’s gymnastics and winning the ultimate Olympic prize- Team Gold, their first Olympic team gold since the "Magnificent Seven" in 1996. And what’s more American than rocking the messy bun hairdo?

Women’s gymnastics broke barriers when Gabby became the first African American to win all around gold. Jordyn shocked the world when she didn’t qualify to compete for the individual gold, but being the champion she is, she was the first to compete for team gold. McKayla proves why she owns the vault in qualifying and Aly won individual gold on floor and bronze on the beam. With the team age from 15 to 18 they make up one of the youngest women’s teams and we are rooting that they will be competing in Rio for summer games in 2016. I just have one question for these ladies: How do they not get wedgies?

Melissa Franklin is now a four time Olympic gold medalist. She also earned one bronze medal in the Aquatic Center and she is still in high school. She has refused prize money and any endorsements so that she can maintain her amateur status if she chooses to swim at the collegiate level.

After a 7^th place finish in the Beijing Olympics Lolo Jones under went spinal surgery and fought to compete in London. The controversy over her endorsement deals for her looks over her talent caused some media outlets to focus on Lolo as a pretty face and not a champion. She has won two World Indoor Championships. She was ready for redemption, ready to prove why she is a track goddess on and off the track. We were all heartbroken when Lolo placed 4^th in the 100 meter hurdles. Run to Rio Lolo, third time is a charm!

Remember that “coin toss” earlier this summer between Allyson Felix and Jeneba Tarmoh? Luck was on Felix’s side as she competed in 4 events. The 100m, 200m, 4x100m relay, and 4x400m relay, placing 5th in the 100m and winning gold in the other three and became the first American woman to win three gold medals in athletics at an Olympics since Florence Griffith-Joyner at the 1988 Summer Olympics.

Beach Volleyball may never see a pair this talented. Misty May Treanor and Kerri Walsh Jennings win their third straight and final Olympic gold medal with an unbeaten streak to 21 in a row -through Athens, Beijing and now London by defeating Jennifer Kessy and April Ross 21-16, 21-16 in an all-American final.

Women’s basketball earned their fifth consecutive gold medal with their second half domination on the court. France didn’t have a prayer in the second half. And with former Lady VOL Candace Parker on the court, she scored 21 points, including eight straight during the game-changing run in the second quarter as the U.S. took command of the game.

Is there a team with more personality than the Women’s soccer team? What a fun bunch of female athletes! Redemption vs. Japan for the loss at the World Cup in a shootout and it was a GOLDEN Redemption! USA beat Japan 2-1. Lloyd was on fire as she punished both goals to the back of the net. The team played with heart, pride and Solo! Hope Solo proved again why she is the best goalkeeper in the Women’s game. But with out Alex Morgan’s game-winning goal in the 123rd minute semifinals against Canada this game may have not happened.

With presidential elections around the corner, it can bring out the worst in American’s as friends are divided by party affiliations. But every time I watched Team USA stand on the top of medal stand and heard the National Anthem, I got chills. For those moments we all are united on the same team. I’m a proud American and our Olympic Athletes make America Star Spangled Awesome!

WE ARE! .... Screwed!

 Joe Paterno's statue now removed

The Freeh report concluded their motive was to shield the university and its football program from negative publicity. Wrong! The Freeh report only escalated the problem to a panicked reaction from Penn State. 

“That the president, the athletic director and the board of trustees accepted this unprecedented action by the NCAA without requiring a full due process hearing before the Committee on Infractions is an abdication of their responsibilities.”

On Sunday, Penn State president Rodney Erickson announced that the Joe Paterno statue would be removed. It was as if he died all over again. Only this time, (and from the current location of where the statue once stood) it looks like someone opened-fire and killed a once honored and respected Coach and program. I will never understand how removing a statue will help serve justice for Sandusky’s crime. 

I know; it’s not the crime, it’s the cover up. I just don’t fully trust the Freeh report. I believe that with the information Joe Paterno was given (and clearly it wasn’t close to the whole story), the generation that JoePa still lived in (he didn’t have a cell phone, he didn’t have an email that HE used and he probably didn’t realize that TV shows were shown in color or that Chris Hansen had a TV show about child predators) that JoePa did what he thought was right. What we’ve learned is that JoePa is the only one who has said that he wishes he could have done more. No one supports the sick actions of Sandusky, but how victim’s parents knew their child was a victim and didn’t stop this monster from preying on other children will never make sense to me.

There’s more to the cover up and it’s not just from Penn State. In the Grand Jury report, the mom of victim #1 knew what happened to her child and you’re saying it took 15 years to file a police investigation? What was more important to keep a mother from protecting her child? Money? Promised scholarships? Please, tell me!

My point is that the cover up is deeper than Penn State. The whole scandal is just so complex, but at the center of it all is Sandusky who will live in denial for the rest of his life behind bars. JoePa was fired and the University is doing everything to erase the memory of the man who was the single most significant pioneer for Penn State.

NCAA President, Mark Emmert announced that Penn State would be fined $60M, vacated Paterno’s 111 wins from 1998-2011, serve a four-year bowl ban and lose 40 scholarships over the next four years.

Where does $60M even go?

With Paterno’s 111 wins vacated, that makes 409 career wins to 298 wins. Paterno will drop to 12^th on the winningest NCAA football coach list. Six bowl wins and two conference championships will also be erased. Will they refund all the money from ticket and merchandise sales for the fans that were there too? If Emmert is saying the games “never happened” then fans never spent their money. Will fans receive refund checks in the mail?

Really, let’s put an asterisk next to JoePa’s wins and make everything all better. We all know he will be the winningest coach in Division 1 football FOREVER, but if adding an asterisk somehow serves justice for the crime Sandusky committed then go ahead and add a big asterisk. And no real coach wants to move up on the wins list that way.

“Any current or incoming football players are free to immediately transfer and compete at another school.” Mr. Emmert, pleeeeeas tell me how this is practical. In case you forgot, practice starts next week and no where is a kid going to find a school that happens to have a scholarship just hanging in an empty locker when the NCAA continues to take scholarships away because someone else bought them lunch.

Who really is screwed in this are the students and the student athletes. I say the students because once victim lawsuits come flooding in, Penn State will be broke and tuition will be the only source of economic income. That $220M TV contract won’t last long.

At least the death penalty would have been a shorter way to rip off the band aid. The NCAA’s penalties are actions that just lead to a slow and painful death of a football program and University that was built on so much more. The actions of one sick man, Jerry Sandusky have screwed an entire program and university of its past, present and future.

I’ve had a JoePa statue/figure on my desk for years. It’s one of my favorite gifts from my twin brother and I thank the sports gods that Rodney Erickson and Mark Emmert can not remove it.  

The statue of Joe Paterno on my desk

Changing of the Guard

Jeremy Lin has been the best personal story of the NBA in years!  The phenomenon of Linsanity gave the Knicks and the NBA a feel good story that had the world rooting for the underdog.

The twenty-three year old point guard received zero athletic scholarships out of high school, became a walk-on for Harvard, graduated, went undrafted in the NBA, and then reached a small contract deal with the Golden State Warriors; his hometown team. With little playing time his rookie season he bounced back and forth from the D-League before making a roster spot with the New York Knicks for the 2011-2012 season.

It was no surprise when sports fans voted for Jeremy Lin as the Best Breakthrough Athlete at the 2012 ESPY awards.

In the 35 games that Lin was healthy, he averaged 14.6 points, 6.2 assists and 3.1 rebounds with 25 starts before he had surgery on his knee to repair torn cartilage and earned a $788,000 paycheck as a restricted free agent.

Knicks coach Mike Woodson said Lin would be the starting point guard next season. But after acquiring point guard Raymond Felton in a multiple trade with the Blazers and then on July 5^th the Knicks signed a three-year deal with point guard Jason Kidd making the Knicks look Lin-sane.  

The Houston Rockets have offered Lin a three-year, $25 million offer that give the Knicks 72 hours to match the deal to keep him. Fellow/former teammate, Carmelo Anthony called Lin’s deal “ridiculous”. 

Are the Knicks Linsane or are the Rockets Linsane? According to ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith the Knicks will not be matching Houston’s offer. As a fan, I liked Lin in a Knicks jersey. This is a 6’3 kid and an Ivy League graduate who started off 2011 sleeping on his brother’s couch in a one bedroom apartment on the lower eastside of Manhattan. And according to Forbes, the overnight sensation earned the Knicks an extra $10-$20 million in revenue. So I think what Melo was trying to say is that Jeremy Lin has earned a Lin-diculous offer.

The debate that Jeremy Lin hasn’t “proven” himself will be the new LeBron story for next season. What surprises me most about the Lin-sane Knicks is forgetting that in the world of sports you can win and lose in the same game. Points can win the game and sold out games are a win for the franchise. The hype of Linsanity alone filled seats, moved merchandise, made media headlines, and gave Knicks fans a reason to be Lin-sational. Even if next season is Lin-barrassing, the franchise that recognizes how Jeremy Lin can Lin-pact a team from a revenue stand point will be bal-Lin. Jeremy Lin is Win-Lin deal.

                   

Heads or Tails?

Allyson Felix and Jeneba Tarmoh both crossing the finish line at 11.068 seconds

Heads or Tails? This is a common method I use to decide what’s for dinner or what color nail polish to choose. My parents even used a coin toss to decide which parent would attend my college graduation. (My twin brother and I graduated college on the same day, at the same time in different states, 300 miles apart.) For my parents, it was the only logical way to solve the problem. But a coin toss is never the answer to serious problems like what shoes I should wear, who I should start in my fantasy lineup or who should represent America in the London Games.


The coin toss is also used in sporting events to decide who starts on offense or defense. Funny, I can’t find anywhere where a coin toss decided the outcome of any game, but a coin toss could be the deciding factor for the women’s USA Track and Field team. There seems to be a third-place tie between Allyson Felix and Jeneba Tarmoh in the women’s 100 meters and with no protocol for tiebreakers, both athletes get to choose between a coin toss or they can race again to see who will complete the final spot and represent the USA in London. Both athletes must agree on the toss or the race, but if they disagree, they will race to the finish line.


Can you hear the world laughing at us now? Seriously, A COIN TOSS? Geeeez, just give everyone a gold medal and a cookie and tell them thanks for coming to London.


This is terrible! All of your training comes down to luck? Please, this can’t be true- did a Russian judge make this rule? It’s simple, in sports you play until you win or you lose- there’s no situation where a tie game should ever end with a coin toss to determine the winner and loser- NEVER!


Sudden death, overtime, extra innings- whatever the sport is you keep playing until there is a clear winner. There’s the rare occasion when a regular season game could end in a tie, but never in a playoff game! And isn’t this what the Olympic trials are- like a playoff match, more like a Runoff? There are no ties in runoffs! NO TIES- RUN AGAIN!


The US officials want to have the team set by July 1st- so we’ll have to wait and see if the 100 meters is completed with luck or speed. Until then, Allyson Felix and Jeneba Tarmoh will be focusing on the 200 meters finals this week.

Game of Thrones

So many Kingdoms but there can only be one king.


In the West it’s Kobe, in the Midwest it’s Durant, in the North it’s Rose, in the East it’s Carmelo, and in the South it’s LeBron.

In this Game of Thrones LeBron James will always be looked at as the hand of the king until he wins an NBA Championship. He has the talent and there’s a blood line to the throne in Miami, but the battle has to be won in all four quarters for King James to finally sit on his iron throne with his hand crowned with ring.

People hate LBJ for The Decision- I don’t. Yea, if I was in LBJ’s entourage maybe there would have been less drama, but the decision still would have been the same. It’s not like LBJ sprayed a bottle of Cristal and yelled “South Beach Baby” while covered in confetti during the Decision. ESPN and advertisers knew this was a decision we all wanted to witness and by watching it we all supported the Decision. What I don’t understand why LBJ haters can’t move past the Decision? Let-It-Go!


LBJ made one NBA finals appearance during his seven years with the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2007. He returned to the NBA finals last year during his first season with the Miami Heat, but he only averaged three points in the fourth quarter of the series- LBJ took the heat for the failure to finish and the ring to throne was gone in six games.

Now in season two with his talents in South Beach, LBJ is taking his team to back-to-back finals appearances- third times a charm, right? It’s going to take more than luck to stop Durant, Westbrook, Sefolosha, and the Beard. The Thunder may have youth, but the Heat knows how much losing hurts.

With the Heat and the Thunder battling for the heir to the throne we have the prefect storm brewing in this Game of Thrones.


The Heat lead the Thunder 2-1.

The Summitt

It has come to the attention of Vol Nation that the Athletic Director Dave Hart has plans to “rebrand” the University of Tennessee Athletics and unite both the men’s and women’s athletic department. Unless this “rebranding” plan is the blue print for a Football National Championship in the immediate future then Hart should spend his time fixing something that’s not broken.

Allegedly, the “Lady Vols” logo used in women’s athletic department will no longer represent women’s athletics. The powder blue will fade from the women’s uniforms and “the Summitt” on the center court of Thompson-Boling Arena will be pushed to the baseline. Hart’s rebranding plan lacks any heart for the Lady Vols. Who are you Dave Hart? He’s acting like an Alabama spy with a questionable Florida State past who has completely lost his mind!

Why would you take away the “Lady VOLS” logo- what’s the point? If it’s really about team unity then are you are going to have the girls and boys locker rooms become one locker room too? Lady Vols is a marketing goldmine and it has a nice ring to it. It works- and it shows every other athletic program that the University of Tennessee stands behind and supports women’s athletics.

The powder blue was started by the men’s team in the mid 70’s- it wasn’t just a “girl” thing. If Hart seriously believes that removing a color from the women’s uniforms will unite the men’s and women’s athletic departments then there is a full blown delusional psychopath running the athletic asylum.

And moving “the Summitt” from the basketball court…WHAT? Are you going to move the 8 National Championship banners too? Someone call 911- there’s an emergency in Knoxville!

Dear Dave Hart, take your meds and take your ridiculous rebranding plan to a school that has no branding, zero championship banners and lacks in attendance. Is this an SEC undercover terrorists attack on UT? It’s as if Hart is trying to be hated by VOL nation and exiled like Lane Kiffin?

Is your ego that big and your stones are that small that you want to challenge The Summitt to make your mark on UT? Pat Summitt will ALWAYS be a part of UT and 100 years from now the Summit will still be there. Dave Hart however, will be remembered as the AD who ended up in a straight jacket during his short time at the University of Tennessee.

If Hart honestly thinks this rebranding is about “unity” he is clearly are not a Tennessee VOL! The power T is branded in the heart of every student, athlete and fan- both men and women, but it’s the University of Tennessee that unites the VOLS!

Birthday Bombs

My eighteenth birthday was the last birthday I spent with my twin brother. I’ll take the blame for this. Using vacation time to go Roanoke, VA (where I’m from) sounds like an oxymoron. So naturally I don’t make a big deal out of birthdays or plan anything. Instead, the baseball gods did all the party planning.

Being a Texas Ranger’s fan and living in the Washington, DC area without the MLB package limits the amount of full games my neighbors have to listen to me hoot and holler. (My cable provider doesn’t have the MLB package in HD. Maybe I’m spoiled or maybe it’s just my vision at this old age reminding me that I can only watch sports in HD.) So the baseball gods sent my Texas Rangers to Baltimore during the week of my birthday!

Who needs a birthday cake with candles when you can watch Josh Hamilton drop bombs live in Baltimore? Tuesday’s game was like watching Home Run Derby and this time, Hamilton was crowned King! The outfielder went 5 for 5 (a career high) and eight RBI’s. Dropping bombs in the first, third, seventh and in the eighth off former team mate Darren O’Day made Hamilton the 16th player in MLB history to hit four home runs in a single game. (He had a double in the fifth that was inches away from being a souvenir ball.) Hamilton’s 18 total bases set a new American League single-game record.

Ranger’s fans were not the only ones cheering when Hamilton took the field. Oriole’s fans gave the slugger a standing ovation. It was a moment you don’t see that often, but to experience that moment where the opponent respects the game more than the score will give you chills.

Carlos Delgado (the last player to hit four home runs in a game on September 25th 2003 for Toronto) welcomed Hamilton with a “welcome to the club” tweet.

Wednesday’s game was rained out and that set up a doubleheader for Thursday- my actual birthday. Thanks to my twin brother I had tickets behind the Rangers dugout for both games. The Ranger’s lost the first game 6-5 but in Texas Rangers fashion, history was made again. Colby Lewis gave up five hits; all of them were bombs, but Lewis also had 12 strikeouts- a career high. That hasn’t happened since 1918!

Ranger’s shortstop Elvis Andrus went into game 2 tied with Curtis Granderson for the major league high for safely reaching base in 28 straight games. Andrus also kept a 10-game hitting streak alive.

I’ve known Elvis for years. He’s younger than I am so I’ve always called him my little brother and he calls me his little sister because I’m shorter. It was only fitting that he tossed me a game ball. (Well, he tossed me two balls- I gave one to a little kid in a Rangers jersey.) And then he signed the ball after the game. To all the little kids wanting autographs; I’m sorry- this ball is for my twin brother.

Hamilton is a beast and the Rangers are playing the best baseball in the MLB. It’s a long season, but if the Ranger’s and Hamilton stay healthy Hamilton will be on his way to winning the AL Triple Crown.

With every failure comes new opportunity. With every new at bat comes new hope. With every new season comes a chance at redemption. There’s a saying in the Ranger’s dugout when someone hits a homerun “is that all you got”? And there’s a saying that Ranger’s fans believe: Third times a charm. Let’s Go Rangers!

Thank you my friends, family, and the baseball gods for making this a great birthday!

The Draft

Steve (Anheuser-Busch), Me & Colt (BK Miller Meats & Liquors)

The Friday before the draft I received a phone call from Dan Snyder asking me to fly on his private jet to New York City for the 2012 draft. Thanks to my father, I’ve been a Redskins fan my entire life- Mr. Snyder knows my loyalty to the team and with my almost perfect attendance for home games, he knows my dedication to the team too. It was only fitting that he needed me to chaperone one of the most important drafts of his career as the owner of the Washington Redskins. Without hesitation I said Hail Yes!

Okay, Mr. Snyder didn’t really call me… but Anheuser-Busch did and we did fly to NYC on his private jet. Usually one of two things happen when I’m in moving transportation that I’m not driving: I get sick or I fall asleep. My parents would be so proud to know that this was the first flight where I flew as a real adult. Thank you Mr. Snyder, Thank You!

We land and head to the Redskins war room suite. Not the players War Room, but the suite that Denzel Washington filmed American Gangster- where we had dinner and adult beverages. How did I get this lucky again?

A short walk across the street and hello Radio City! Let the 2012 Draft begin!

It was packed with die-hard football fans from face paint and jerseys to suits and ties. I’m still amazed that so many rivals were in the same room and every one was happy. Fan comedians were out in full-force. Goodell was booed every time he walked out, a Dallas Sucks chant broke out and it wasn’t started by the Redskin fans, Jets fans mocking Andrew Luck’s cheesy/dorky smile and still they applauded when the Colts took him as the overall number one draft pick.

But the most important pick of the draft wasn’t the number one pick, but the number two pick: Welcome to Washington Robert Griffin III. RG3 wore burgundy and gold striped socks with a message “Go Catch Your Dream” – ironic, Redskin fans have been dreaming about a franchise QB for a loooooong time. We don’t expect RG3 to win a super bowl this year, but if we can make a playoff appearance this kid might be the savior of the Nations Capital.

Besides laughing at fans in the audience, I couldn’t stop noticing how Roger Goodell was embracing the rookie class. There were no half hugs with pats on the back; they were all moments between Goodell and the kid holding the jersey. At one point, I thought I needed a permission slip when the Kansas City Chiefs selected Dontari Poe as the 11th overall pick. The commish and Poe’s face were nose to nose with their eyes closed. Maybe this is a softer side of Goodell or maybe he just wants the new class of NFL players to know he really does care about them.

Believe it or not, but in Washington we care about winning and with the CAPS in the conference semifinals, the Nationals leading the NL East, and now the arrival of RG3; this is a whole new era of Washington sports- it’s time to make history.

THANK YOU Anheuser-Busch for asking me to a part of this experience!

Escape From Reality

Rangers Ballpark Arlinton, Texas

TV networks are flooded with these so-called “reality” and “voting” shows that are so terrible, we can’t stop watching.

I admit my fifth grade sense of humor takes pure enjoyment out of watching more of these shows than I’ll ever confess to watching. After multiple seasons of watching those shows where the viewers vote chooses the outcome, I believe that you should never trust a show that doesn’t show you the results.

I’ll explain- I struggle to trust that the winner is really chosen at the season finale. I’ve always questioned any show that prides themselves by claiming that “your vote” counts, but then they never actually tell you the scores of the votes. They just announce who is going home that week. If the show is based on “your vote” then show the real scores… just saying.

This is just another reason why I vote for sports. There’s a score that results in a win or a loss. The numbers are posted on huge jumbo-trons in ballparks, stadiums and arenas, TV screens, websites and announcers remind you play-by-play. There’s no results show where only the producers know the score (number of callers/voters) and then decide what “scores” they want to announce. In sports you see the score; you can hear the score and your butterflies and adrenalin rushes are reminders that you can feel the score.

The vote that really matters in America is deciding the team you will call your team. This is usually a vote that is cast early on in ones life and regardless weekly performances or the season record- you continue to support your team. Even when your team loses back-to-back World Series you still believe in next year.

So thank you sports gods for 162 days of baseball and 4,860 regular season games of Major League Baseball! Now that its baseball season again, there’s always something better on TV: baseball- a true escape from reality TV.

Joy Ridding

A sunny day and long blond hair blowing in the wind- it’s all fun and games until you lose control of the ride that ultimately gets you fired.

Was this an April Fools joke? Nope, it was just the ride of his life for the former University of Arkansas head football Coach Bobby Petrino. Most men who are 51 years-old would fantasize about escorting a beautiful 25 year-old blond on the back of his Harley. Shift gears and Petrino’s joy ride ended with four broken ribs, a cracked vertebra and more skid marks on his face than the pavement.

Jeff Long, the school's athletics director said Tuesday that Petrino's lack of candor about his "personal and professional relationship" with a female employee (Jessica Dorrell) who was riding with him on a motorcycle was the key to the decision to fire Petrino.

"Coach Petrino knowingly misled the athletic department and the university about the circumstances related to his accident," Long said in a news conference at the university's basketball arena in Fayetteville. Petrino had "multiple opportunities" over four days after the accident to be forthcoming, "he chose not to."

Maybe Petrino was just trying to protect his wife Becky, his four children, and his mistress by misleading Long and the University about the investigation. If it was just a joy ride with a pretty girl who may have never been on a motorcycle and just wanted to go for a ride then no big deal. (Maybe some could find the age difference slightly awkward, but if this was his daughter, sister or even just a friend- all platonic relationships, this wouldn’t seem so creepy.)

The difference is that Petrino maintained an inappropriate relationship with Dorrell and according to Long the relationship with Dorrell had been for a “significant” amount of time and Petrino had given her $20,000. He would not disclose details of the payment, or when the money changed hands, but said both parties confirmed the "gift." Kevin Trainor, a spokesman for Long, said the money came from Petrino, not university funds.

Petrino has held 15 jobs for 11 different programs/organizations in 24 seasons. Ding, Ding, RED FLAG Becky! If your husband has commitment issues on the field, he probably has them off the field. However, there’s no excuse for Petrino’s infidelity and his failure to disclose the truth.

I’m sure his ego from building a program in just four seasons that ranked in the top five college teams in the nation and coming off an 11-2 record with a Cotton Bowl victory could make any SEC coach feel like they were Tiger Woods or Jack Dawson. We all know how well it worked out for Tiger and Dawson was just a fictional character that went down with the ship.

NCAA violations are never ending, but ethics and moral violations can end everything.

How does Otha Peters feel now? He was a top inside linebacker recruit who decommitted from Tennessee to sign with Arkansas over concerns about the coaching stability of Derek Dooley after his losing records in his first two seasons. Great sales pitch Petrino- karma is a biotch.

Knight School

I’ll be honest- my favorite moment from this year’s March Madness festivities was listening to all the mass media attention that focused on The General, my hero- Coach Bob Knight. While most people only know Coach Knight as the coach who moved a chair out of his way during a college basketball game or being the master of a four letter word, others of us know Coach Knight as being a basketball genius, a what you see is what you get kind of guy and a man who proved that doing things his way isn’t so bad after all.

Coach Knight’s basketball success is a product of running a clean program and placing value on his players graduating. Funny, how those two important standards and keys to success seem to be non-factors in college sports today. Knowing where The General stands and his sense of humor- are you really surprised he refused to say the word “Kentucky”? Instead he referred to the Wildcats as “the team playing from the SEC”. HA- Classic Knightisms!

John Calipari is known for running a “one and done” program in Lexington and who seems to recruit for the NBA and not the classroom makes Calipari a coach and a program that would not pass in the Coach Knight School of basketball. It’s simple people- Coach Knight respects the game of college basketball. And I happen to respect his sense of humor.

Kentucky is the first team to win the NCAA National Championship with a team loaded with one and done players- proving now that it can be done. But how is this good for the game of college basketball? At first, I thought that maybe Calipari has commitment issues. According to VH1’s Basketball Wives- it’s a common characteristic in the NBA. His track record of one and done is pretty impressive unless you are a Wizard’s fan.

We can all assume that NCAA rules were broken in the Calipari strategy to be crowned king at the dance, but what happens if there’s an investigation and players were paid, they never went to class or what if they exchanged merchandise for tattoos? The players will be gone and Calipari might even be Knicks too. Ultimately, the team playing from the SEC wins and history is left with an asterisk. Take notes- this is the new model for an ego driven program of short success, but college basketball should really consider taking Knight Classes.

March MADness!

NO Drexel, NO University of Tennessee- it’s March MADness!

Selection Sunday is a Sports Holiday. However, this year it was like being on Santa’s “good list” only to wake up on Christmas Day with a stocking full of reindeer poop.

Most of my madness comes from Iona and BYU getting an at-large bid. Yes, it was fun to Jimmer Jammer last year, but THIS year how does a 25-7 Iona and a 23-8 BYU get in over a 27-6 Drexel from the CAA (Colonial Athletic Association)?

Two teams from the MAAC (Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference) Iona and Loyola (Md.) and two teams from WCC (West Coast Conference) BYU and St. Mary’s. And only one team from the CAA- (who I like to call the Cinderella Athletic Association)? The selection committee must be made up of wicked step-sisters (and brothers). Iona lost to Loyola (Md.) in February and BUY only played St. Mary’s once during the season and got crushed 66-80. Don’t tell me it came down to strength of schedule. Individual teams can’t control who they play- the conference determines the schedule and when it comes to non-conference schedules other conferences wont play the CAA.

The CAA is considered a mid-major conference mostly because they recruit players who eat at McDonalds- not McDonald’s All-Americans. No one wants to play the CAA because they are really considered a threat to college basketball. They beat up on each other throughout the season playing each other and they beg to play the major conferences on the road and still the CAA only got the automatic conference bid.

South Florida went 19-13 and ranked 57th in non-conference play and lost to VCU 46-69. ODU went 20-13 and ranked 16th in non-conference matchups and beat South Florida 66-68, but somehow none of those stats mattered in all that calculating that those goes on in the selection room- I’d like a re-count.

To make it worse, those wicked step sisters (and brothers) take their Cinderella-hating further by matching mid-majors against mid-majors every year in the bracket. Last year it was Butler and ODU. ODU lost in the final seconds and Butler went on to the Championship game for the second straight year. This year it’s the 12th seed VCU vs. 5th seed Wichita State. The only answer I have is that the selection committee is more scared of Cinderella’s than the ACC.

Of course I have to fight for the VOLS. I know they needed a miracle to get in this year, but seeing Vanderbilt- the armpit of the SEC get in with Bama, Florida and Kentucky just stings. Wait- Alabama has a basketball team? UT beat Florida- twice. UT got the #1 seed in the NIT tournament. At least UT got in a tournament.

Oh the madness of the bracket. I haven’t filled out my bracket yet, but I’m rooting for VCU and Creighton to show the selection committee just how magical the bracket can be.

Choose wisely.

BalLIN, Bubbles and Brackets OhMy!

Let me sum up the NBA by saying one word: BalLIN!

Jeremy Lin has been the best thing that has happened to the NBA. The only other news worthy stories are Dwayne Wade’s reach around foul on Kobe Bryant that broke Kobe’s nose during the NBA All-Star game. HA- and who said there is no defense in the All-Star game? The other juicy gossip in the NBA has more to do with reality TV than triple-doubles. Dear Kris Humphries; please take your warm-ups and go back to the bench. We only know your name because of your 72 day marriage to Kim Kardashian. America voted and we want a long term relationship with Jeremy Lin. He came out of no where and the Linsanity has given the NBA and New York Knicks something to cheer for.

The University of Tennessee beat #11 UCONN and #7 ranked Florida twice. 10-6 in SEC ball but the VOLS scored a 7-1 record in the month of February. Cuonzo Martin: round of applause. No one expected this after the roller coaster with Bruce Pearl last season. The fans loved Pearl, but they loved UT more. The VOLS ended the regular season with a sellout crowd (22,172) and placed them nationally in attendance. Averaging over seventeen thousand per home game made this the seventh straight year the VOLS have placed in the top five for attendance nationally. If we were talking about college football it would be a no brainer for UT to be putting on their dancing shoes, but because the NCAA bracket isn’t run by advertising sponsor’s CEO’s that select teams based on a team’s attendance, the VOLS are still a bubble team… It’s true- I’m biased but how can you leave the University of Tennessee out of the top 64 with way they ended the regular season?

Tick-tock, tick-tock…. Come-On Selection Sunday! I’ve always considered Selection Sunday a National Holiday. I mean who doesn’t… banks and schools are closed and most people have the day off. There’s only one school that I’ve heard isn’t a fan of Selection Sunday and that’s only because those birds just can’t seem to fly higher than their egos.

It’s one of the most popular topics at the office water cooler and it’s a chance for Cinderella to take home a National Championship banner. And so we have to wait just a few more days to find out who will be this years Cinderella and who can dance their way through the bracket.

The bracket sums up college basketball. It’s madness, it’s magical- it’s March!