Hey! No Fighting!

If only it were that easy.

In the 90+ years of the National Hockey League's existence, fighting has become a common sight on the ice. Did someone give you a cheap shot against the boards? Well then...knock his teeth in!! Ah yes, when it comes to sweet revenge, there's nothing like an all-out brawl on skates. However, people will bring up this argument: "Weren't we told at a young age that fighting isn't the answer to everything?" Of course, that statement is correct, but things go much deeper than that. In order to save face and make the game more "family-friendly," sporting officials and assorted activists have been pushing to ban the concept of fighting in the NHL. Fighting in hockey isn't exactly "glorified," as there are penalties that branch from it. However, some people are looking to end the "man's way of solving things" for good.

One of the biggest arguments suggesting the ban of fighting is the growth of the players in size. When you watch hockey, you're not seeing these scrawny guys that just look big because they're wearing layers on layers of pads anymore. You're actually looking at heftier guys that can take hits and dish harder ones out while still having pads on. Looking at the hard hits during the games, heaven help you if you meet one of these guys in a dark alley. The whole outlook of the game is much more physical and becoming more of a test of strength than skill. When you think about it, these guys didn't wear pads when the game was first played. Heck, helmets didn't even become mandatory until about 30-35 years ago. Scary, right?
Another argument is a hot topic today (again, it's on the blog somewhere too). Because of the increase of physicality in the game, many are afraid of the [BOOM] head shots that the players take; if a punch or check is hard enough, the player could earn a nice concussion for picking a fight with an opposing player. Then we go into the whole fiasco on how this affects the players in the future and how it can mess up their lives after their careers are long over.
The third and final argument (albeit cheesy) is that if fighting is banned, the product will be able to gain more sponsorships due to it's more "PG-rated" atmosphere and the organization will gain more revenue and money due to the increase in partnerships. In my humble opinion....that's a poor excuse of an argument. I'm sorry.

There are several arguments for the ban, but let's be honest, there is a huge upside to the use of fighting in hockey. Since it's a fast-paced game with several options to use against your opponent, you can sneak a cheap shot or hit (or slice...ouch). If fighting was taken out of the equation, you can get away with sneak shots whenever you want and the opponent couldn't do a thing about it unless if they flew themselves in front of the referee and complained and cried about it like it was pee-wee hockey again.
I remember when I was in grade school and for a class incentive-like trip we went to see an AHL game (it was the Philadelphia Phantoms versus some other team that I can't remember the name of) and the players were told that since it was an arena filled with grade school kids they were not allowed to start fights. Guess what happened two minutes in. Believe me, I have a pretty stellar memory of the olden days, and it wouldn't be the same sport if scuffling wasn't allowed anymore after this season or the season after that. Fighting is one of the few things men would like to see "on ice." Fighting is a natural thing. Men complain and try to solve things with their egos and their fists [No offense guys, you really do that.] and sometimes it can be fun to watch--especially if you lose your balance and fall down.

Aside from these arguments, there has been one concern that could change the face of the game. The big question is: "What if someone died on the ice while fighting or taking a hit?" Obviously, a man dying on the ice has never happened before, but it's still a question that lies in the back of every official's mind. There was one case in which a hit did take the life of a player after a game, but before I tell the story I'll have to remind you that this is back in the era when helmets weren't mandatory. In 1968, Bill Masterton took a hit during a game and slammed the back of his head on the ice (yes, there was blood) and died from a severe and inoperable brain injury two days later. Also, there have been several incidents in the more modern era such as one incident with goaltender Clint Malarchuk getting his throat slashed in 1989 and living to tell the tale [Side Note: There's footage of it on YouTube, but I'm not posting it here because it's incredibly gruesome and even I of all people have a hard time watching it.] and another incident with Richard Zednik with almost the same case as Malarchuk's in 2008.
Due to these horrific instances, advances have been made such as wearing helmets, face guards, throat guards, and just about every type of durable pad you can think of to make sure that each and every player is protected and safe from freak accidents and possible death.

But as for right now, everyone is civilized and concerned about having safety first. Let them eat cake, guys. Would you rather see dirty play in cheap shots, or would you rather see them handle it in a more manly manner? I choose the latter, thanks. I just hope it doesn't get anybody into any serious trouble in the long run.

--AZ

Superstitions and Curses: Fact or Fiction

With the massive groups of fans in the world of sports, I guess you can call sports a religion. There is worship, condemnation, praise, teaching, and lots and lots of  "saints." There's another form of worship in the world of sports, and that form of worship is through superstition. It's common, and it can sometimes get out of hand. If it becomes a trend and later an obsession, these little eensy weensy superstitions can turn into these big fat worry warts we call curses.

Sports Illustrated, Madden NFL Games, the Billy Goat, the Bambino, William Penn, the list goes on. Many of these "curses" have been broken, but many of them are as alive as ever. Teams and even individual players can tell you how these curses have affected them even though they might not even believe in them. Last night, many people watched a curse break, as the Texas Rangers defeated the Tampa Bay Rays and dropped the title as the only American professional sports franchise to have never won a postseason series. Unfortunately, not everybody can have this joy in breaking a curse, as several teams are still immersed in one. (cough cough Chicago Cubs cough cough Detroit Lions cough cough cough)

Sports curses don't just exist in the major sports leagues either.
According to my research...
There are curses that exist in racing and curling as well.




But let's cut to the chase here... are we taking these superstitions and curses a little too seriously? Are we becoming an obsessive-compulsive society? It seems like we're taking the expression "lucky" to a whole new level. I guess it's been etched in our heads as something "cool" or "necessary." Heck, I even did this one when I played softball before I went into high school: In the film A League of Their Own it was mentioned that if you don't cross your fingers while moving through a cemetery you'll never get another hit. I did it for about a year. Then I stopped. Then I noticed that it was a sham. It's weird how little things like that can make people go nuts. Parents have taken their children/teenagers to see psychiatrists because little obsessions like this have gone way too far. It's as if once the word "curse" is brought up, it emits a surging stigma through everyone within the same room and shocks everyone's innards until they're completely spooked and paranoid about the so-called "curse."

So here's the question: are these obsessions worth it? Are curses and superstitions real, alive, and well?
If I had to give a goofy, know-nothing response, I would say "blame it on the concussions" due to a previous entry that I wrote on this blog. However, in all seriousness, you might have to take a philosophical point of view on this. It's almost as if you're comparing it to whether you believe in Heaven and Hell or not at all. Curses and superstitions give you that mental assurance (or lack thereof) that something will go right or wrong depending on the situation that is before you. On the other hand, it could also be just a wacky case of coincidence that certain players, teams, and fans have been plagued with in their journey of appreciating and participating in sports. Every good once in a while, you get the determined men and women who work to "reverse the curse" or prove that a particular superstition is just a farce. Some have succeeded, some have failed. In comparison of spiritual truths, it's like the battle between good and evil on this planet--there will always be this mental force from our free will that will give us mental blocks consisting of "outer forces" (which I guess you can refer to as sin and temptation) and keep us from breaking the bad habits that we have. In conclusion, it's all up in the head. There's no reality to superstitions and curses at all.

Now it's your turn. What do you think? Are they real? Is it a load of bullhockey?

The choices are yours and yours alone.

--AZ

Sports Writer's Block

Remember the essay tests or the SATs in high school? Do you even remember the dreaded essay booklets in college? Of course, you would start taking the test, and then you would get that one little essay question that you would have no idea how to write out no matter how well you knew the material. Don't lie, it happens to everyone. And I'll be the first to say that it's the most godawful thing to happen. In stating this, I'm starting to get my groove into sports writing. However, I'm still getting that little tumbleweed in my head once in a while when I want to write a really "beefy" topic. In short, here is one question I would love to ask: regardless of how much information that reporters and analysts receive after so many years, do they still get the massive writers block of old?

I'll admit, when I start thinking and drafting a topic that I would really like to write about, it can be incredibly hard to scribble complete thoughts at times. I'll be wide awake, full of food and other energy, and my brain will just refuse to work with me. It's very irritating, and I know that there are beat reporters out there that cannot afford to have that happen once in a while. It's even worse when you're a columnist and you're trying to either poke fun or "sport" an opinion about a topic. Believe me, it wasn't easy thinking about how I could make jokes about the Manning vs. Manning game while still stating facts and figures. That had to cook in my head for a couple of days.

DUDE. THIS JOB IS HARD.

If you've dug into this blog far enough, you have probably seen the entry that I was going to discontinue the blog due to other conflicts (mainly school) and then I wound up bringing it back a few weeks later. Schooling full-time and working part-time isn't exactly the easiest thing when you're trying to make spare time to write, and I often try my best to make the most of free time at the end of the day. Unfortunately, there are those times when you have so much free time inbetween and you can't capitalize on it. It's almost like how really bad baseball teams can't get that clutch hit with RISP and you wind up leaving at least 15-20 guys on base by the end of the game. Yes, the steam comes out of my ears. I even bought myself a notebook so when I get that spark of brilliance wherever I am I can jot it down and save it for later. Isn't that what comedians and songwriters do anyway?

I never thought I would get this far into writing, because as I state in the About Me section, I was never the reader/writer. Now that my feet have been submersed, as it were, I want to stay in as far as possible and make sure that I can think of something effective and enjoyable on the fly. I've found stuff like this to be very therapeutic, but being a writer isn't considered a "career" on my end yet, so why do I stress out about it? To prepare? To impress? To make others happy? I have no idea. I need to see a psychiatrist or something.

But reverting back to my question in the beginning, how on Earth do sports analysts and beat columnists keep going? I understand that the job is stressful, but at times there are just things that the brain cannot do at all. Am I really in over my head, or am I just missing something that will come in handy once I truly begin the journey?

I WANT THE TRUTH

--AZ

Because I'm Proud of it, I'm Posting it Here.

I made this in Paint in about an hour. All of this is in honor to Roy Halladay's no-hitter. Yes, I based it off of the movie poster. Without any further Apu, here you go:

It's very simple and looks awkward because it was made in Paint, but haters, you can keep on hating. I like it for what it is. I don't have all of these expensive computer programs to do this stuff.

Hope you liked my brief stint at being unoriginal.

--AZ

The Final MLB Slant for 2010 - Sorry, Champs Only.

[Insert Showcase Music Here]

My friends, we have just ended another regular season in Major League Baseball, any my goodness, was it an all-out brawl in some spots. After a while, only the top two spots in each division had a real chance at the division pennant, and it was a definite fight to the finish in almost each one.
To make things more simpler this time around, we're only going to talk about the top teams that are going to be competing in the postseason and give brief thoughts as to who will walk away as World Champs.
After that, I'll be poking in my thoughts as to who should be awarded the MVP, ROY, and CY honors for each League. Cool enough for you? Good. LET'S GET STARTED!

2010 MLB POSTSEASON

Oh good golly, these matchups are nearly dead even. I don't care about what the Vegas odds are, so I'm not even going by that. These are my thoughts and my opinions. Deal with it.

NATIONAL LEAGUE CONTENDERS

Philadelphia Phillies (97-65) - As the beasts of the East (and the MLB), these guys have high expectations after coming back from being seven games behind the Braves in July. The "H2O" combination of Halladay, Hamels, and Oswalt are looking to help the team return to the Fall Classic and take back the title that they had lost last year against the Yankees.

Cincinnati Reds (91-71) - Dusty Baker's crew leads the league in numerous categories such as average, hits, home runs, and RBI. With MVP candidate Joey Votto on their side, they're looking to crush competition. One more thing--their bullpen is quite nice. Can they call upon the prowess the Big Red Machine had in the 1970's to overcome all competition?


San Francisco Giants (92-70) - For the first time since 2003, the men in orange and black have come back to play some October baseball. When you hear the the team "San Fransisco Giants," the first thing that comes to mind is their pitching staff and how it is extremely difficult to figure out. If their hitting decides to step it up and cream the competition, these guys can make a trip back to The Show.

Atlanta Braves [Wild Card] (91-71) - Chop-nation is looking to give Bobby Cox a nice going-away present: a big ring. Almost nearly collapsing at the end of the season, they proved their worth even without Chipper Jones at third base. If the bullpen and hitting staff can work together, the Braves will certainly be a force to be reckoned with.

Postseason Chances:
Phillies/Reds --> Phillies in 4
Braves/Giants --> Braves in 5
(Side Note: Are you serious? I don't want to relive a '93 NLCS between Philadelphia and Atlanta. I don't care if I was only 2 [Soon to be 3 a few days later], that seemed like a brutal series!)

NLCS (If Phillies/Braves) --> Phillies in 6



AMERICAN LEAGUE CONTENDERS

Tampa Bay Rays (96-66) - After senseless arguing over why their attendance amounts were so low, they have no more reason to complain. They're back in October, and their capitalization on errors and walks will make you cry for mercy. With the Tampa Bay Rays, speed is key. Then again, their pitching is too behind the likes of David Price. Why not? Their uncanny ability to get the job done is good enough to get back to the World Series and to win their first title in franchise history.


Minnesota Twins (94-68) - Repeat after me: There will be blood. It's a new year, a new stadium, and a heck of a lot more revenge. Led by ace Francisco Liriano and reigning MVP Joe Mauer, their eyes are set on the prize, and they are willing to brutalize the Yankees (the team that swept them in the ALDS last year) in the process. If they do that, Justin Morneau will be able to play in the ALCS with them. Nice little gift, I would say.

Texas Rangers (90-72) - Go go Texas Rangerrrrs! These southern boys have come a long way from the beginning of the season. Over the course of the year they have acquired powerhouse players and have strengthened longer-tenured players. If you don't believe me, look at their team average stat--they lead the league in that. AL MVP candidate Josh Hamilton looks to keep his return from injury a strong one and lead the team to it's first franchise postseason series win ever. Seriously. EVER.
 

New York Yankees [Wild Card] (95-67) - Eh, they've been down this road so many times before. Will this one be any different? Maybe. Their batting order is as strong as ever, but their bullpen might speak differently on their end. Although they're the second best team in the League, they need to abide by the saying "united we stand, divided we fall." Can A-Rod, Jeter, Sabathia and company lead the team to it's second straight World Series title and 28th overall? We'll find out soon enough.

Postseason Chances:
Rays/Rangers --> Rays in 4
Twins/Yankees --> Twins in 5

ALCS (If Rays/Twins) --> Rays in 5

World Series Prediction: [You bet I just predicted a 2008 rematch]
(BIG SIDE NOTE: A brief entry will be written about this when the time comes to see if I'm right.)
If Phillies/Rays --> Rays in 7

------------------------------------

Now that we have that out of the way, let's get a little more personal and talk about the individual awards that will be given after all of the postseason business is said and done.

INDIVIDUAL AWARDS

NATIONAL LEAGUE

NL MVP - Joey Votto, Cincinnati Reds - He earns this without a doubt. A nice burst through postseason would be a nice touch for him too. After overcoming depression and other inner demons, this guy can show you how to hit and how to gun a guy down all the way from deep right field.

NL CY YOUNG - Roy Halladay, Philadelphia Phillies - He made a really nice transition into the National League by leading pitching in several different categories and racking up a franchise-high 21 wins with the Phils. Hey Doc Roy Toy, you're alright with me, dude.

NL ROY - Buster Posey, San Francisco Giants - I like this guy, and I like what he has to offer for the next couple of years. Sure, he didn't start the season in the majors, but did that stop Ryan Howard from getting the ROY title in '06? No. It won't do that either for "Mr. I'm So Versatile and Still a Darn Fine Catcher."

AMERICAN LEAGUE

AL MVP - Josh Hamilton, Texas Rangers - As a Triple Crown contender and an insane defensive outfielder, he's practically a shoe-in for this title, in my opinion. This would really be something special too, especially with the drug problem that he had a few years ago.

AL CY YOUNG - Felix Hernandez, Seattle Mariners - It's a shame that his real skill and stat is overshadowed and victimized by the misfortunes of the offense that needs to back him up. In a power-heavy League, his ERA is proof that he deserves some kudos and the award. I'll admit I may be disappointed if this award is given to CC Sabathia.

AL ROY - Austin Jackson, Detroit Tigers - Here's a quick guy that hits for average, and shows a lot of versatility in center field. Having Jackson as my pick is a very tough decision, because if he isn't seen as a ROY in professional eyes, this award will go to closer Neftali Feliz.

---------------------------------

And that, my friends, is that. This year was absolutely fun to cover, and I'm already looking forward to early February when pitchers and catchers report to Spring Training.

--AZ

Return to Philadelphia: Donovan McNabb vs. The City, Players, and Fans

Tomorrow is the day that many football enthusiasts have been waiting for since the announcement of the NFL schedule. This day--is when Donovan McNabb would return to Philadelphia to face his former team of 11 seasons: the Philadelphia Eagles. After a controversial trade and a great amount of bottled hostility and sadness, football fans will truly find out who made the best move in giving away McNabb or receiving him in the trade. In recent history, the quarterback returning home would usually get the win against his former team (Kurt Warner, Steve McNair, Brett Favre, even Michael Vick, etc.). Will this be the same? Is the Eagles crowd going to make a difference?

Sure, they're infamous for being unique and loyal, yet very very. . .brutal.
On Sunday, they could either be:

Or. . .they could be like this:

(courtesy of your friendly neighborhood PAINT)
(in homage to ZWR)

Some say he will be booed, and others are saying he will be welcomed with open arms for his time in green. If this game can be considered a stalemate on paper, consider the fans at Lincoln Financial Field to be the difference in the game. They're going to bring some heat.

Anyway, let's look at the statistics going into the game... [Much love to ESPN.com]

McNabb:
Games: 3
Percentage: 60.8
Yards: 833
Touchdowns: 2
Interceptions: 1
Rating: 89.2

Vick:
Games: 3
Percentage: 60.7
Yards: 750
Touchdowns: 6
Interceptions: 0
Rating: 110.2

Interesting. I didn't even put down their rushing so far for this year--both of which have half decent stats there as well. This is going to really depend on each of the defensive lines on Sunday, and both lines look rather hit-or-miss. I won't even talk about the Eagles' offensive line--many fans know how they have a lack of depth there. Aside from what the teams look like on paper, you have to take a look at the teams that the Redskins and Eagles have faced in the first three weeks of the season. The Redskins let the Cowboys beat themselves on penalties in Week 1 while Kevin Kolb went cold turkey against the Packs and fell behind. In Week 2, the Texans used tricky managing to outsmart the 'Skins, and the Eagles faced the Lions. What, were you expecting me to say something about the Lions? Oh. I have nothing to say about them. They almost got lucky, that's all. Meanwhile, last week, the Redskins had a rough run against a surprisingly ready Rams team, while the Eagles played the Jaguars. Again, I have nothing to say about the Jaguars.

In my view, I'd love to see this as a QB rushing extravaganza between McNabb and Vick just like the NFC Championship was hoping to be in 2005, but I think new management won't let that happen even now, especially with the list of wide receivers on each team. I know that we all have high expectations for this game, and we want to see McNabb have a great outing and work the fans in his favor. Then again, there are some people that want him to get booed out of the city because he "sucks so bad and choked one too many times in 11 years."

As for the results of this game, McNabb having a successful return could most definitely happen. However and I mean however. . .do you think a big sports city like Philadelphia is going to let that happen? Nah, man, they can move and motivate much more than Bluto from Animal House would with a frat party.
I can't believe I'm saying this, but I call the Eagles to go to 3-1 after tomorrow afternoon.

--AZ

AZ's Slant on Sunday - Women in Sports

I'll admit, this is a rather tough topic to talk about, especially since: A - I am a woman; B - It's tough to be "fair and balanced" about this area of conversation (Just like FOX News! ...wait.); and C - I don't want to sound like an overzealous sexist about it. Now do you see why this can be such a great topic to talk about? It's edgy, right?

Now let's get started with AZ's Slant on Sunday! Music for this week, please...

"I am woman, hear me roar!"
Since when did we roar? Last time I checked I don't have a furry mane.
But at any rate, women have been striving to make a mark in the world. Although that Helen Reddy song is a very, VERY poor example of what the movement for women's rights is all about, we as women have many more examples as to how far we've made it. Since this is a blog about sports, I'll be talking about the advancements that have been made in the world of sports. Even though many people can't really tell that anything has happened, they're there for you. Depending on when you were born, you might have experienced or have heard about:

The Battle of the Sexes with Billie Jean King

 

The All American Girls Professional Baseball League from the WWII/Baby Boom Era

 

And maybe, the FIFA Women's World Cup that began in 1991.

These three events, along with many others along the way, have shaped the face of women's sports around the world. However, appreciation from women's sports come in short bursts, it seems. 

For example, the 1999 Women's World Cup started a huge uprising in girls' soccer organizations around the United States, and even began the Women's United Soccer Association (WUSA). However, this was short lived, as the WUSA only existed for three years. However, the 2008 Olympics in Beijing revived the hope of women's professional soccer after a US gold medal win. In 2007, Women's Professional Soccer (WPS) was founded, and began play in 2009. Although there are very few teams in the league, this remains a sport for the preteen girl audience and is very popular among them.

There is another example, albeit a small (very small) one. Because of the popularity of the Women's College World Series and the [now inactive] Olympic sport, the National Pro Fastpitch (NPF) league has seen much better days. Starting in 2004, college graduates and Olympians would duke it out on the softball field. However, this league is incredibly small and only has four teams. Over the past few years or so, many have folded due to money issues (which we'll talk about very shortly). Due to the IOC cutting softball from the 2012 London games, what will be the future of women's softball nationwide?

An exception to this rule may be this: the rise of popularity of NCAA Women's Basketball in the 1990's was a major contributor to one of the most successful women's sports organizations, the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). Since 1997, young girls and older fans alike attend games in droves to support their favorite teams. With the latest contract extension in play, we'll be seeing these ladies making their jump shots for many years to come.

Why is there a lack of success in the sports organizations?

The main reason why many of the women's sports organizations either fall or fail to see the light of day is because of promotions and revenue. Men's sports may have been around much longer, but very few have folded due to contracts and loss in revenue (the NHL counts here). Women's sports are considered a small fish in the ocean because of the promotional hardships that come from keeping fans and sponsors. This begins a chain reaction, as lack of sponsors means lack of teams, and lack of teams leads to lack of overall interest of the league itself. Have you ever thought about the salaries of the players in these leagues? Many women have to work second jobs because the money earned from each game isn't enough to live on during the offseason. Sponsorship and team revenue is often abysmal depending on the area and the forms of advertisement, and it usually leads to the (not purposely) overpayment of teams and officials and puts a league in massive debt. The WUSA unfortunately suffered that fate.

A question you have to ask about women's professional sports is: "Do the young girls of this generation really care enough about the leagues?" I was nine when the Women's US National Soccer Team won the Cup, and to me it was a pretty big deal, considering that I played soccer and it was an inspiration for me to maybe one day play at that level. Ten years later, I can't say that I have that same interest, but I'm rather glad that women's soccer is holding it's own and attempting to make a name for themselves. I understand fully that it's hard to market a women's sport to a male audience, but where there's a will, there's a way. Maybe the men from Mars are the real key to our success. Eww. I don't know.

You have to admit--we really did come a long way now, didn't we?

--AZ