The Good Ole Days

Did the Redskins know they had a game on Sunday? Did they realize they were playing a 1-6 Carolina team? Did they know it was homecoming? Did they know how many heroes that were in the stands? Do they know the history of the throw back uniforms? Do they know about the Good Ole Days?

Redbull shortage, ready for a bye-week, too cold, blah, blah, blah- bottom line: THE TEAM DIDN’T SHOW UP TO PLAY!

 

How do you NOT score on 4^th & goal on the one yard line? Only to have Carolina drive the ball 99 yards and score seven.

 

21-6 with 3:19 left in the 4^th quarter, two touchdowns nullified and third time is charm- Royester scores 21-13 with 1:34 left. Can someone explain why we wouldn’t go for two? I understand that a failed attempt would take you out of the game, but at this point what do you have to lose? Hypothetically, say Shanahan went for it and the score was 21-14. We stop Scam Newton and we get the ball back (which DID happen). We would have had the momentum with 0:17 left to move the ball/hail mary/RG3 special powers unleashed and the chance to TRY and WIN the game! Anything can happen when RG3 is on the field, so why not try to win with each second of the game?

 

On Dallas’s 17 yard line, Romo hail married on 3^rd & 20 with 5:35 in the FIRST quarter of Sunday night’s game for a 65 yard completion to Ogletree. Next play 1^st & 10 on Atlanta’s 18 yard line. My point; it took ten seconds off the clock to move the ball down the field and to put them in scoring position. The Redskins had seventeen seconds to at least TRY to make it look like they wanted to win in the fourth quarter in a must win game.

 

As a Redskins fan, I’ve been a loyal fan my entire life. My dad tells me stories about the Good Ole Days of the Washington Redskins. Stories about his hero, Sonny Jurgensen, the Hogs and the Fun Bunch, but these are all just stories to me. I wasn’t born when Sonny was in his prime and I was too young to remember the mid 80’s and early 90’s of Washington pigskin. So basically from 2^nd grade (1992) to present I have been a fan of a 139-186 Redskins team that has only made it to 4 playoff games (losing all of the divisional games) in 20 years. The previous 20 years the Redskins were 197-104 with 11 play-off appearances, played in 4 Super Bowls and won 3 rings.

 

And when you think about it, it’s hard to be a Redskins fan. But still, we are some of the most loyal fans in all of sports; you’d have to be to support a team who has finished last in their division 9 times, second to last 7 times and only finishing in second place 3 times and ONE first place finish in the past twenty years.

 

I went to college in South Carolina and the local bar didn’t show Redskins games (owner was an Eagles fan and a total prick) so I would listen to the games in my car on SIRIUS satellite radio so I wouldn’t miss a game. Since moving to the DC area four years ago and thanks to the White family, I almost have perfect attendance to all home games. I’ve traveled to away games in Dallas, Carolina and Pittsburgh. Rain or shine, wind or snow, the fans show up every game. Is it too much to ask for a team to show up and play?

 

Last week in Pittsburgh with 0:26 left in the game, the team takes a knee. (I know, there was no way we were coming back from being down 15 points) but for the love of the fans, act like you want to win and finish the game. The fans stayed until the end and finished the game.

 

Thank you sports gods for RG3- I don’t want to imagine how awful this year would be if we didn’t have him. (As in, instead of just losing, we would have been killed with nothing/no one to make us believe that the Good Ole Days will come again.)

 

Humor me. Why is the Redskin sideline of the stadium in the shade/cold and the visitor sideline is in the sun/warm? Kyle Shanahan’s nose looked like a clown the entire game, the players were draped in coats and sitting close to each other on the bench to stay warm. Looking at the Redskins made me even colder. Across the field, the Panther’s are moving around and staying lose. I understand in baseball putting the visitor’s bullpen in the baking summer sun, but in winter football, basic common sense tells me I want my team in the warm sun. Just a thought…

 

Dan Snyder was advised to change the way he ran the team. He took a back seat and let his management and coaching staff run the program. It’s been a few years and after this year with no real change- I hope Snyder holds them all accountable and makes changes himself.  

 

If I was Snyder, I’d never hire a head coach whose son is the offensive coordinator. If Kyle was “that” good, then he could get a job at any other NFL team. His only previous experience was one year at Houston 2008-2009. Mr. Mike Shanahan, honestly- was Kyle Shanahan the BEST OC you could find? I hope you both are renting.

 

It’s hard to be a Redskins fan when you watch your team play as if they don’t care, a coach who doesn’t finish games and a loyal fan base that is tired of watching a team SUCK year after year. It’s a bye week in Washington and if I was the coach, the team would have two-a-days all week and the entire team and staff would donate this week’s paycheck to charity. Goodell and the Players Union can fine me all they want, but when you have a history of winning, your fans will pay you back.

 

I hope that one day I will be able to experience the Good Ole Days of the Washington Redskins.

1934 Called, They Want Their Uniforms Back

The White family does it again! I’m so thankful they always invite me week after week and year after year to watch the Redskins play. So what did I say when they offered me tickets to go to Pittsburgh for the Redskins vs. Steelers game? HAIL YEAH! Who cares if it’s cold and raining with a little wind, all you need is your big girl panties and a poncho. And maybe layers and layers of burgundy and gold to keep warm.

For years I had named M&T Bank Stadium, home of the Baltimore Ravens, as the most unorganized stadium for fans to enter. That was until I checked Heinz Field off of my bucket list last Sunday. Hands down- it’s a debacle! After being “in line” an hour before kick off, I was confident we would be in our seats before the National Anthem with plenty of time for me to booooo as Roethlisberger was introduced. However, we were still waiting to get in and to our seats and I missed the perfect booing moment. Hello, front office; you are losing so much money from fans “waiting in line” when they could be inside ordering beers and hotdogs! Also, what stadium doesn’t accept credit cards at the concession stand?

 

Dan Snyder isn’t the most popular owner in the NFL, but he knows you have to get fans in quickly and they will spend money. Snyder figured out that teams can lose on the field, but don’t take a loss of revenue from not having the logistics strategy of how to get fans in faster. Now, if FedEx only had more Coors Light in the stadium, they would be a gold mine!

 

To the 6’3, 300 pound Hulk Hogan wanna-be Steeler fan with a beer gut bigger than me who kept pushing his way through the crowd with his gut: Just because you can see over me, doesn’t mean you’re getting in front of me. Like most 5^th grade “line cutters” he was a big bully. At one point, I seriously contemplated jabbing my EpiPen right in his stones. And guess who made it in the game first- ME!

 

But for the most part, Pittsburgh fans were nice to us Redskins fans. Actually, they didn’t even care we were there and this was before they lit up the score board. I’ve never seen so many Carhartt boots in my life; it’s truly a blue collar town and stadium. One man even asked me if I needed a hug at the end of the game- HA I laughed and said ‘nope, I just need a team that is able to CATCH THE BALL!’

 

I was more embarrassed to witness the temper tantrum from D-Hall than I was to lose the game. You can’t expect to win when you drop 10 catches, but I expect a team of grown men to have a little respect for the game. Fans in the nose bleeds could hear D-Hall’s F-bombs at the refs. It’s not the refs fault D-Hall can’t cover. I honestly don’t care if the head linesman Dana McKenzie missed the call that caused D-Hall to be taken down by Steelers receiver Emmanuel Sanders, there’s no reason your teammates should have to restrain you from trying to fight an official.

 

But let’s talk about the real embarrassment of the Heinz Field: who picked out the Steelers Uniforms? They looked like prisoner bumble bees who got scalped below the waist. Hey, nice nude pants, said no one ever! If this was an ugly Halloween costume contest, the Steelers won! Or maybe it was a wake up call to Big Ben of what he looks like in a prison uniform. Anyway you look at it; it’s a hideous look for Pittsburgh and an embarrassment to the game of football. Please, burn all of them!

The crowd wrapped around Heinz Field

The Power of the T

Life is full of stories. Stories people are dying to tell and stories that are never told enough. Theses stories make your heart smile and your eyes water; stories that have the power to change how you live your life.

In a perfect world children and cancer are two words that would never be mentioned in the same sentence. But too often an innocent child’s life is shortened, weakened and then surrenders a life that was never truly experienced.

 

In November 2005, Jay Rodger’s was diagnosed with Ewing’s Sarcoma, a rare type of cancer that is a bone tumor- he was 13 years old. Most of Jay’s life was threatened by the gauge of time doctors expected him to live. Cancer: a cureless disease that took away his hair, his ability to attend high school, to play football and to live a normal life as a kid. Most teenagers spend their life playing ball and having fun. Most of Jay’s life was spent in hospitals and beating his life expectancy odds. Cancer didn’t take Jay’s heart, spirit or his soul to fight each day with the hopes of just one more smile, one more breath, and one more day to live his life.

 

After a seven year battle, his body began to surrender and the gauge of his time on Earth would soon becoming to an end. Last Wednesday, he and his family prepared for hospice where Jay would spend his final days, hours and minutes in his Tennessee home. His family fought back tears, but Jay never stopped smiling and telling everyone about how his hero, Peyton Manning led the Denver Broncos to a comeback win that Monday night.    

 

On October 13^th his family set up the facebook page “Jay’s Warriors”- for the people who have supported Jay and his family during his battle with cancer for the final fight of his life. The page was updated with how Jay was doing and asked for pictures of Jay’s Warriors signs and ‘Likes’ of encouragement.

Growing up in Tennessee, Jay was a fan of UT sports and hunting. It was no surprise to see him in his camouflage Tennessee hat. Leave it to VolNation and social media to spread the word and the messages of encouragement flooded the facebook page. Former and current athletes and coaches reached out to Jay and in one week, Jay gained over 35 thousand new Jay’s Warriors.

 

“My favorite was from Peyton Manning. As I told him how much Jay loved to watch him play and looked up to him as a hero Peyton said "Jay is more of a hero than I will ever be." JayStrong.”  -Posted on October 17^th

 

The University of Tennessee is built on tradition and there is more power in the Power T than can be measured. Saturday’s game against Alabama was played in honor of Jay Rodgers and players showed everyone at Neyland they were one of Jay’s Warriors. 

Jay’s life was timed on Earth, but time can not touch or calculate the impact of how Jay’s life of fighting for every smile, for every breath, and for another day to live life has changed the lives of Jay’s Warriors to live JayStrong. VFL

 

Glen Jennings Rogers

January 21, 1992- October 21, 2012.

Monumental Meltdown

The Washington Nationals haven’t been employed in October in 79 years. The Nationals are one of two MLB franchises, and the only one in the National League, that has never played in a World Series (the Seattle Mariners are the other) and after the monumental meltdown of game five, World Series dreams will remain a dream.

Crazy things started to happen in the DMV (DC, Maryland, Virginia) the past few months. The Nationals AND the Orioles were both playing postseason baseball, Teddy WON his first President’s race, talk of a beltway World Series packed bars and fans came out of hiding to root for the Nats and O’s. Was the district becoming a sports town? Baseball was being talked about at the office water cooler and fans were showing their Natitude!

 

I love the game of baseball and I was pumped when I found out I had a ticket to game four Nats/Cards. Pimp seats, a sold out crowd, and a great game of postseason baseball is a fans dream. With the game date being 10-11-12 it was only fitting that it was a 13 pitch at-bat in the bottom of the 9^th for Jayson Werth to blast the Rawlings 406 feet to left field for a walk-off home run to force game five and giving Jayson Werth his 14^th walk-off home run in the post season since 2004.  It was awesome to experience a walk-off homer in the postseason, simply awesome!

 

Game five the Nats took an early 6-0 lead and people were booking flights to San Fran for NLCS. After all, no team has ever come back by six runs in an elimination game. But after the third inning, the Nationals bats only scored one more run for the rest of the game. Before you knew it was 7-5 in the top of the 9^th. My stomach turned, I’ve seen this horror story; 2011 game six Rangers/Cardinals- same score, same Cardinal comeback.

 

Deep down, I kept thinking Davy Johnson would make the crowd go nuts by sending in benched pitcher, Stephen Strasburg for ONE pitch to end this game. Instead, Drew Storen struggled on the mound.

 

Something about the Cardinals being down 7-5 in the 9^th with two outs and ONE strike away in an elimination game that motivates them to magically manage to come back and win, crushing the hopes and dreams of a Championship starved city and franchise. How the Cardinals scored four runs with one out- even with one strike away twice seems like a game you watch in the movies, not live in postseason baseball. Natitude quickly became Sadatude.

 

How could the sports gods be so cruel? Players and fans were left shocked and in disbelief that the comeback happened against them and their postseason dreams were officially over. Instead of rushing out of the stadium, fans stared at the field and grown men wiped their eyes. Players didn’t leave the dugout. No one wanted to accept that game five would end in a monumental meltdown of epic proportions. 

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.