A Runner's World

It is a physical activity, and it is a sport. It happens to be something I'm terrible at, but who really cares? When I'm curious about something, I will write a post about it. It forces me to learn and research stuff, as well as try it out myself. Oops.

Memorial Day weekend in the United States kicked off the unofficial start of summer. Have you been working out?

If you didn't see my posting of this exact video coming, shame on you. When we run, we sort of wish we were Rocky, without the pounding down of egg yolks and fighting Russians and--well, you get it. It's a huge cardio workout, it's scientifically proven to relieve stress, and it exists in just about every contact sport and more. Aside from riding animals, running was the primary means of transportation for all. The human feet became rugged after traveling many miles here and there, and the invention of shoes made traveling in different terrain much easier than before. We are a country with many a couch-potato-turned-fitness-guru citizens existing everywhere. For most people, it began on the treadmill. Whether it was walking or the "oh screw it, I'm all in," today's culture that includes the New Year's resolution and the beach body leads the blind that start something and drop it if they don't see results in a week or two.

For the runners that didn't quit, however, changes do occur.

When you run by yourself, regardless of whether you listen to music or not, this is the time where you are in touch with your body and see how you are. It might be rotten for the first ten seconds, because you'll most likely say, "Oh dear God, I'm in horrible shape," but to feel how many muscles are in action and how your organs react to the full-body stress that is ongoing is an indescribable feeling. When one has a strong will, the rush can keep going and going until an individual can run for a half hour without stopping. Moods can change--heck, lifestyle can change because it can not only aid you, but aid the people around you. Running with people is a good way to bond and maintain a similar goal. It might not just be for fitness, but for friendship as well.
Speaking of a similar goal, a growing trend that has been occurring lately [well, around me at least] is the surge of 5K races to raise money for specific causes. They seriously came out of nowhere, but when someone can identify or have someone they know that could benefit from this cause, they will train and do the best they can to make that person they know proud. Just as the Susan G. Komen three-day walk benefits breast cancer research and the ones who walk will do it for loved ones and friends, runners will take part in 5K's, 10K's or even half-marathons for a good cause not only for their friends, but themselves. Groups of friends will get together and race together; although they don't really keep track of how fast they go, they may see how far they've come since the beginning. It's a slough of feel-good energy that explodes in numerous rewards during these races.

Since we're talking about running and feel-good energy, it's only fair for me to throw some science into your face. It makes the world go 'round, people. Get over yourselves. While running, there are numerous chemical occurrences going ballistic all up in your body. Your heart rate goes up, resulting in the blood pumping faster and taking in more oxygen than ever before. That's the first stage of detoxifying your body. On top of that, you're obviously going to be sweating a lot, leading to the second stage of detoxifying the body (this is why it's important to shower after a run...that stuff can clog back up in your skin). The third and final stage happens in the brain. Remember when I said that running relieves stress and staves off depression? If you run long enough, the body may undergo a lot of added stress; the brain will shoot off a bunch of neurotransmitters, including serotonin, dopamine, and endorphins to fill your system. If you're familiar with these terms, they're responsible for making the body relax and feel good. What happens here is called a "runner's high," and yes, it causes a natural high that can rival the purposes of drugs and other medicine. So, if you happen to see a friend who is a fan of running and using these means to keep sane, you will understand why. The same applies to the CrossFit phenomenon--that's another day and another post.

I took it to the social media realm to see people's thoughts and opinions on running and jogging. In fact, the reason why I am writing about this is because so many people I'm friends with on Facebook have pictures of them being involved in 5K's and "Color Runs" and "Tough Mudders" and the like. I'm an outsider of that culture, so out of curiosity, I requested to pick brains. On Facebook a few months ago (because let's face it, I haven't written on this blog in nearly two months), I had asked what had gotten people into running, whether they had ever run something along the lines of a 5K, and what are the benefits they got out of it.
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Lauren McGowan states: "I got into running/jogging for fitness purposes and stress relief. It was fun to see progress from being able to only run a mile to being able to run multiple miles without stopping. It truly is about conditioning your body." She notes that when she does benefit runs, she loves it "...because it is great to get together with others to go for a run and sponsor a great cause. ... As far as the benefits, it just feels good to accomplish something that you set forth as a goal and hey, as a t-shirt hoarder, you can never have enough."
Kaitlin Reinsel states: "I got into running because of my major in college. As a pre-health student I'm constantly reminded of the importance of exercise and health. ... For me there are numerous benefits to running. At the age of 16 I weighed 165lbs, which is considered overweight for my 5 foot frame and since my family has a history of both diabetes and heart disease, running allows me to have a sense of control over both of these factors and allows me to live a healthy lifestyle. On top of that running gives me confidence. I know that with each stride I take I'm doing something to benefit my body. Lastly, running allows me to relieve stress and concentrate."
Brian Barrish noted that he got into running for fitness and preparation for football (soccer). In taking part in races, he commented that he got into it "...[t]o experience the competitive side of it, by shock I mean against myself. Also, the endorphins and the adrenaline that go into it and the battle against yourself cannot really be duplicated." On benefits, he states that he has "...[a]n appreciation of what my limits are, as well as what limits I can break. Also, it's a great way to be alone with yourself mentally for 30 minutes while just concentrating on your breathing and your running."
Stan Croussett gave me an account on how he got into his culture. What began as a beginning of being a fast runner, he grew into a cross-country runner with help from his friends and fellow teammates. From issues stemming from incorrect shoes (he told me he originally ran in basketball shoes) and the stress and pushing of cross-country running, he was extremely sore and his limits were tested. However, he said: "I needed to keep going. I had gotten addicted. I know. It sounds ridiculous. Just seconds after running that torturous 14-lap practice I wanted to quit. I had downright called it insanity! But I could not wait for Monday to come around and I could get on that track again." He kept going, and ended up being a decorated runner in his high school years. He has competed in other races, saying: "Outside of school I have ran a couple of 5Ks though, and mostly they're in preparation for the season, other races, etc. ... If you aren't in an organized league, you just run them to test yourself, really. You get so addicted to running that you just want to compete with yourself."

As you see, it isn't only a competition against other runners, but it's a competition with oneself. How far can one go on a run? Isn't it always good to prove yourself wrong? Whether it's for a good cause or not, the marvels of a human body and how it can outlast mental limitation is proof enough that this is a sport. Like other sports, it isn't for the faint of heart, and it is possible to train for speed and endurance. Plus, it is also extremely important to do a little homework and prepare correctly, such as wearing the proper footwear, knowing to stay hydrated, and know how to breathe.

From my standpoint, I was never a runner. In fact, that was my least favorite part of practices. The major reason was because I could never get the breathing part down. I had a total understanding of the "in through your nose, out your mouth" idea, but it never wanted to work when I ran. For my 23+ years of life, it has been my fitness weakness. So on that note, it wasn't like my legs refused to work or that I couldn't take the stress; heck, when I tried out for my high school soccer team, my legs could take it, but even after doing the 2.5 mile conditioning for four days straight, I was still beyond winded because I didn't know how to breathe.
Oh, for the record, I got cut after day four. They couldn't handle me. (ha ha ha)

However, I decided to try something new this time around. I've been walking as a form of exercise for years (in fact, it's better on the knees than jogging), and as I walked, I would work on the breathing aspect. My sinuses were irritated after the first few times, but I got the hang of it.
Heart pounding and breathing struggles aside, I jogged a nine-minute mile. Truthfully, I don't think I went long enough to get the "runner's high" that I had previously mentioned above, because if that happened, I might have pushed it more and gone another half mile or so. However, there was a lot of satisfaction on what kind of progress I made, regardless of the pace I went. It's rather evident that a lot of runners felt the same way when they began their journey as well.

Running certainly takes dedication, and those who stick around long enough definitely reap the rewards; however, there are people that take it to the next level and get obsessed over it. People of a certain age may constantly train for marathons and constantly run them, when (according to scientists) that isn't the absolute healthiest thing to do. We all need to heal, but it's that chemical rush that keeps the runner going into the ground almost literally. This isn't to sad that those people are bad, but just as people can be addicted to what drugs provide for the body, they can get obsessed over what their own brains do under that stress.

Every day is a test. Does one succumb, or do you stay on top of the runner's world?

--AZ

Game of Fails

Sure, I might have watched Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey this Sunday evening, but another great event that occurred around that time was the first game of the MLB season. Over the past few months, I have been studying about spirituality and the general perspectives when it comes to success and failure. Shall we begin?

(Disclaimer: There will be times in the post where I am going to sound absolutely ridiculous. Bear with me. There is a reason behind all of this.)

"If at first you don't succeed, try, try again."

The summer after I had graduated from grade school, I took part in a softball day camp held by the high school I was going to attend that upcoming September. One of the things I remember hearing from the coaches was this: "baseball is a sport of failure." I had absolutely no idea what he was talking about at the time. (I was 13, cut me some slack.) As time went on, I thought about that, and it all began to make sense. From a numbers aspect, the sport of baseball (and softball) is ultimately a game of failures.

It's time to throw around some FUN FACTS!

Wheee! I love fun facts!

-- In the past 15 years, the best record posted by a Major League team was 116-46 by the Seattle Mariners in the 2001 season. This is a .716 winning percentage. With this number in mind, they weren't the ones that went all the way that year; in fact, they lost to the New York Yankees in the ALCS, who later lost to the Arizona Diamondbacks in seven games in World Series.

-- In the past 15 years, the highest batting average posted was Larry Walker of the Colorado Rockies hitting at .379 during the 1999 season.

These are incredible statistics, yes? Let's look at the top percentages from this past MLB season.

-- The 2013 World Series Champion Boston Red Sox and Runner-Up St. Louis Cardinals had regular season records of 97-65, or a winning percentage of .599.

-- The batting champs of the American and National League were Miguel Cabrera and Michael Cuddyer. They hit .348 and .331, respectively.

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On the other hand, we have facts like these as well:

-- The Houston Astros offense suffered at least 14 strikeouts in four consecutive games, the first to do so in Major League history. They also ended the season on a 15-game losing streak.

-- There were three no-hitters during the 2013 season, meaning that offensive squads failed to get a hit off of a starting pitcher.

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Where I went to college, the minimum score you would have to achieve to get a grade of C is a 73, or for the sake of consistency in this post, a .730.

In conclusion, the 2013 Major League Baseball season was a complete and utter failure in the eyes of statistics and the American educational system.

Luckily, nobody dies in this series.

Right now, you're like: "What? This girl is an idiot." In fact, this very quote may be going through your head. But let's be real here--all sports are bent upon someone's failure, am I correct? For instance, the goalkeeper may miss a shot, or the NFL running back might fumble the ball. Every action has a reaction. It can either be positive or negative, depending on one's perspective.

Each action in the game of baseball will have a reaction. It will take the grit of one player or the slip-up of another to pave the way to the outcome leading to success and failure.

Within 50 at-bats, a hitter has to maintain a .300 batting average--which isn't too shabby at all--by successfully getting only 15 base-hits. This is to say that he does not record a base-on-balls, which adds to another statistic that I will mention later. With that said, this hitter will fail to reach base 35 times in order to achieve this batting average of .300, which will place him among the top hitters in his league come August/September. If a player plays at least 75% of the season (we're talking along the lines of 115-120 games), he will have at least 500 plate appearances. To play at the Mendoza Line--a.k.a. have a .200 batting average--all you have to do is not screw up 100 times. I mean that literally.

The failures of a pitcher will be the fortune of the hitter as well. When it comes to the OBP, or on-base percentage, hits and walks will be incorporated into that statistic. When the OBP number is higher, it will show how efficient the hitter is at the plate when it comes to scouting pitches. That isn't to say that it's a high-looking percent, either. Although a player like Joey Votto of the Cincinnati Reds had an on-base percentage of .435 for the 2013 season, that's still a failing grade. In fact, it's barely a 50-50 chance of getting on the bases. With that 50-50 chance, it's the same kind of odds for the pitcher to succeed. His ERA, or earned run average, is on the line, and that's the one statistic where a high number can be looked down upon. See? It's the action/reaction thing again. It's like a seesaw.

There is a major thing that one must consider when you watch baseball: the players have so many chances to do something right, and the failure is only accentuated in a critical point of the game. For example, if there is a runner on third and there are less than two outs, you would think that there would be no issue in getting that runner on third to home. When that's the main objective, you are dead-set on that, and if you can't get that job done, you're sunk, and for that lack of a better term, "you totally suck." However, you are the greatest player in the world when you hit a gapper and not only do you score the runner on third, but you also get the runner from first all the way home as well. In your success of getting those runs in, you feed off of the failures of the outfielders either not taking an efficient route to the ball, or they were too slow to get to it so that less damage could have been done.

Now that all of these cases are out of the way, these notices of failures in a sport like baseball aren't all that bad. You see, there's a reason behind all of this failure. 

To be more clear on this matter, the underlying message in sports can be translated into a life lesson:

In life, you are going to fail. You are going to fail a lot. In fact, you are going to fail so much that you think you're awful at absolutely everything, but there are people out there that still look up to you and see you as their hero. However, there is going to be that one time, that one chance where things are going to be super shiny and super hopeful. You are going to find that peace, and every ounce of failure that you had experienced will be fuel for the success that you are about to earn. Everything you've worked on and struggled upon will come to a positive something that you will achieve. However, on this note, you must focus only on yourself, because the success that you will receive will result in a failure for someone else. It's almost like a "keep going and don't look back" sort of deal.

Yes, sports can be a game of failures. Baseball is a notable one because there are so many statistics behind the sport, and they're all numbers that a student wouldn't be proud of in his first year of college, 550 miles away from his unsuspecting parents. However, we don't notice these as complete failures. Why? Because of the the atmosphere of the sport and the degree of difficulty to do certain tasks (for the record: hitting a fastball isn't as easy as it looks), we don't see things as failures unless if it is a collective loss or a streak of misfortunes among a team. That, or if a singular player isn't doing well at all and it is showing among a team of above-average players. In a judgmental society, we are quick to say whether something is good or bad instead of seeing it as a learning experience because they are professional players and that they should be "perfect." Well, that's not how the world works. We're all human, the last time I checked.

Embrace the failures. It's what makes the victories that much sweeter.

--AZ

Four-Ever

When I was four, I wanted to be a meteorologist and a Power Ranger. I also started kindergarten at that age. My life and all of its hopes and dreams began once I turned four.

When I first registered on Blogger, I was procrastinating on homework for my Public Relations class. I was sitting on my bed watching the Vancouver Olympics, laptop on my leg, and thinking about how I was going to get where I wanted to go. The day before, I had watched the film Julie & Julia. In the film, Julie Powell (portrayed by Amy Adams) took a passion--and somewhat of an obsession--and grabbed it by the horns. In one year, she took the entirety of Julia Child's "Mastering the Art of French Cooking" and wrote about her explorations on her Salon blog. It not only gave her media exposure, it spawned a book deal.

That night, I thought to myself: "How can I make myself a better writer?" With the classes I was taking at the time, I wasn't pleased with my progress in the least bit. I was hungry for more.

And The Sports Nut Blogs was born.

Of course, when I first started, I had absolutely no idea what the heck I was doing. What I originally started writing was about analysis of various sports articles I found on Twitter or different highlights of what was going on during the Vancouver Games. Needless to say, I'm at that point in my writing where I look at my first two months of posts and go: "Oh my God, this is freakin' terrible." I also ask myself how I had the time during my busy college schedule to sign onto Blogger three times in a day to write something. Here's the thing though--I don't have a problem in seeing that. That was how dedicated I was to start on my path.

Once summer rolled around, my posts started taking a turn, and my style was taking shape. Once December hit, my posts were gaining strength, and honestly, I don't cringe if I were to read them right now. A few weeks ago, I spoke with my friend Shaine Scalph of Martial Arts Movie Junkie about how we first started out and how much it hurts to read the material we wrote in the beginning. It was a fun night of laughing at each other, that was for sure.

If there is one thing I've learned in the four years I've written in this blog, it's that I've come a really long way from where I first started. What I did was daring, and I really needed work and improvement in something that I had grown a passion for. In fact, I am so dedicated to writing now that I have expanded my writing outside of sports. I have decided to make a strong effort to break into screenwriting. In my "About Me" section of the blog, I note how I was very much into theater in high school, and I did a lot of acting/producing in college. In fact, I still help with my college theater post-undergraduate. On this note, this does not mean that I've completely strayed from where I've started. While I love acting and the stage, sports were my very first love, and without it, I would never have had the passion and material to get this started. What would I have written about? Because of my love of sports, on top of my drive to express opinions and deliver information to an audience, I feel like a strong writer. Plus, for a person who had very low self-esteem for most of their life, this was the best thing to ever happen to me. I gained confidence in myself, in my ability. I've gotten recognition from my peers. In early January, I had the opportunity to work with Julian Brown and Brian Barrish of The Soccer Desk and write a guest column for them. I also took an opportunity to be an op-ed writer with them and help with production for The Soccer Desk Network (launching in early March). I couldn't be more thankful for where these four years have taken me. Grant it, they weren't always the best, but I've had support from so many people, and they always reminded me that I was worth it and that it was worth continuing the dream, no matter how far out of reach it seemed.

Whether you've been reading my work since the very beginning, or you stumbled across my blog a few months ago and liked it, I thank you for your support. I don't get a clear gauge of how many people visit my blog week in and week out, but I can always be assured that people are out there reading something that I have written. It's something I love to do, and even if it garners the smallest of reactions, I am still pleased. I take pride in this, and everyone is entitled to their opinions of things.

If I want to write for the rest of my life, whether it's about sports or something off of the top of my head, I need to keep going and getting better at what I do.

I guess all it takes is a little procrastination and a leap of faith to find yourself in the end. It might take some time, but life isn't a race. You have to enjoy the ride. That's what I like to think I'm doing now... :-)

--AZ

Sochi: The Outer Limits

The debate and issues of LGBTQ rights are widespread all over the world. Sochi, the host of the 2014 Winter Olympics, has been the center of political (and sporting debate) over their policies in mixing with athletes and gay rights movements in Russia for several months. Oh boy...

Friday begins one of the most anticipated, yet one of the most controversial events in the history of sports. The 22nd Olympiad in Sochi, Russia is bound to be a heated, yet exciting two weeks of athleticism and devotion to one's home country. The Winter Olympics brings together numerous athletes that face the elements in outdoor events like skiing, snowboarding, and bobsleigh, and heats up indoor stadiums with events like skating, curling, and hockey. Even though there are only half as many events here as there usually is during the Summer Olympics, there is something special about the Winter Olympics, especially since many of the events are fast-paced and defy gravity. However, this quadrennial event has a small shadow lurking behind it, and the mainstream media has been pulling it out into the open for well over a year.

What is this "shadow" in Russia? In summer of 2013, it was unanimously voted and later declared that homosexual relationships were in no way equal to heterosexual relationships, and the weight of gay rights in the country was inappropriate and obsolete. Any form of support toward gay rights or openly expressing homosexuality results in fines and detainment if the offenders are not citizens of the country. [1] The enforcement of these laws were made clear in news reports, as Russian protesters openly showed homosexual acts (same-sex kissing in public) and were soon restrained and jailed for their defiance. Any form of "gay propaganda" as it has been referred to has been banned and shunned by the Russian government, firing up citizens outside of the country who have been granted gay rights.

With that noted, these laws haven't come without backlash. With gay rights becoming legal in many higher-profile countries, government heads are shaking with dissent toward the decisions of the Russian government. Requests from various international officials to lift the laws in lieu of the Olympic Games have been disregarded, and the Games will go on with all implications set. In a Reuters report, it was stated that Russian president Vladimir Putin guaranteed that there will be equality shown among all competitors during the Games and that he wishes them the very best. On top of this, members of the band Pussy Riot were released from prison under amnesty after nearly two years for protests against Putin (whom they saw as a dictator) and the Russian government's policies. Mikhail Khodorkovsky, a well-known prisoner in Russia who was a former oil tycoon, was released from prison as well. [2]

News of boycotts of the Olympics haven't been mainstream, per se, but when it comes to the degree of disagreement of Russia's course of action, there's no doubt that boycotts exist in a number of ways around the world. The users of the Internet have become smarter, and they have been expressing their disgust in the continuation of the Olympic Games in Sochi. You could say that it has practically become digital warfare in what people are finding out about in regards to other questionable issues in Russia outside of the Anti-Gay law. I digress.
In what may seem like a sign of nonconformism by the United States, President Barack Obama is sending three openly gay athletes to be some of the delegates for the American side. The three are Brian Boitano (former Olympic champion in ice skating), Caitlin Cahow (former Olympic medalist in ice hockey), and Billie Jean King (tennis champion), who had announced on Wednesday that she will not be making the trip to Sochi due to caring for her ailing mother. [3] Is this a subliminal statement sent to the Russian government? It appears to be at face value, but it could also be a sign that we're making a mountain out of a molehill. Boitano, Cahow, and King probably didn't even have the thought in their minds that they were "boycott patriots" to begin with. American diving champion Greg Louganis, who recently married his partner, wrote in a blog: "Boycotting sends the wrong message and will only harm the hard-working athletes set to compete in the 2014 Olympics, not the Russian government itself." [4] That should explain enough already.

Requests of fighting the laws choking the rights of LGBTQ people haven't just been stopped for protesters. Corporate sponsorship has also fallen victim to these Anti-Gay laws. Many companies such as AT&T, McDonald's, and Coca-Cola [obviously] do not see eye-to-eye on what Russia has implicated in their government, and the result is that they have had to adjust some of their promotions prior to the event. Proctor & Gamble, a huge advertising force during the Olympic Games (especially in Russia), has had to pull off a major overhaul on public relations plans despite their alleged ability to prevent the Anti-Gay law from passing through the government. In fact, the Human Rights Campaign recommended that companies press the gas pedal a little harder when it came to pro-LGBTQ advertising in wake of Russia's enforcement of their Anti-Gay law. With that said, it's easy to tell that nothing was done about it last summer, and those laws are still in effect as strongly as they ever were. [5]

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Amid all of this insanity, there has also been a lot of speculation on the behind-the-scenes work going on before this weekend's opening ceremony. The deal with this one is that Russia didn't have a lot of money to work with when it came to building new facilities and cleaning up the whole area. This site here shows what areas in Sochi supposedly looked like about a week and a half ago. What it looks like now, we're not exactly sure, but reports on renovating areas is going into eleventh hour in that region. Apparently, the $50 billion that was used in preparation for the Games wasn't nearly enough, and it looks like the bottom of the barrel is being scratched to get everything prepared and making the country look strong.

Honestly, this is just one big train wreck of controversy and financial holes. There is also underlying worries of terrorism surrounding the event as well. The city of Volgograd (about 600 miles north of Sochi) was the center for two suicide bombings, where a few dozen people were killed. In response, added security will be provided around the Olympic grounds to prevent any kind of disruption. Also, this isn't the first instance where unrest in a host country hasn't sat in the back of people's minds during the Olympic Games. Controversy was thick during the Summer Olympics in Beijing in 2008 in regards to human rights in Tibet. Riots and protests were widespread in China, and many people were killed and arrested during this period. Awareness wasn't just limited to this region, as there were plenty of instances of activism worldwide, requesting the boycott of the 2008 Games. This came as a surprise, as the Chinese government had a strong death grip on any media exposure of the turmoil, and any outside media outlets were barred from reporting in distressed areas. Once it was revealed that China ended their restriction on coverage, other issues were exposed, such as non-Chinese citizens being caught in the mix and getting involved in protests.

The case in Sochi is rather similar to what went on in Beijing. While there are a lot of questionable acts going on within the country, the Olympics are all about sports and the representation of one's country. The Olympics don't exist to shove all forms of government and belief down another person's throat. The Anti-Gay laws may not be right in the eyes of Americans (or wherever you call home), but this is a friendly competition between countries that are out to prove who has the best athletes in the world. We shouldn't have to think that this will be Munich: Part 2; this is a sporting event, and Putin would not want to have a huge disaster on his hands. Come to think of it, he has a lot of lives in his hands, and with the unrest of Anti-Gay laws, alleged terrorism, and impending riots in the spotlight, it really adds tension and pressure to make sure everything goes off without a hitch.

I don't know about you guys, but I'm looking forward to the Games. It isn't a government-driven event, it's an showcase of sports and entertainment.

--AZ

(Sources from USA Today (3), Reuters (2), Huffington Post (4, 5) and The Guardian (1). Links are above.)

The Church of Om Nom Nom

I'm a girl. I think this should come as no shock to anybody that I love food more than anything else in the whole world, including the necessary self-love. Heck, I have the ability to throw food into 2AM phone conversations. I think I might have a serious problem.

Food. Yummy.

Food can be a luxury, and for others it can be a rarity.

In general, food is a necessity.

With everything I've mentioned in the past month on this blog, every single little thing can be made into a game. If life itself is a game, then it's possible to make a sport out of just about anything that requires physical activity. Some of these sports can actually fit the description in a rather accurate fashion, while others could be completely asinine. This one just might make you sick to your stomach. I'm not just saying this, either. It actually could.

Ladies and gentlemen, this is the world of competitive eating. Gluttony and an iron jaw are the rulers of this kingdom, and it definitely isn't for the faint of heart.

Every Friday before the Super Bowl, my hometown of Philadelphia is in a total frenzy--a frenzy for food. For over 20 years, the Wing Bowl has been a mainstay and a well-known event for locals and those who are total suckers for chicken wings. Guys like Bill "El Wingador" Simmons (who I believe is now in jail for stupid reasons) have become Philly legends thanks to this event. For the most part, you will see many local guys and girls competing in this event; however, it has become so immense, that legendary competitive eaters like Joey Chestnut have come through and destroyed this competition. Heck, even women have beaten the big guys in this competition, including this year.
[Personal aside: Honestly, the competition isn't a completely "family-friendly" event, but it has gotten slightly better over the years as it's trying to get national exposure (no pun intended). Yes, in the beginning there were a lot of sponsorships from strip clubs and other adult-related businesses. True story.]

The most popular and mainstream competitive eating contests held in the United States are Wing Bowl (which I mentioned above) and the Nathan's Famous Hot Dog Contest held every July 4th at Coney Island in Brooklyn, New York. If you aren't familiar with any other eating contests, you may have heard of this one at some point in your life. An event that started over 40 years ago (wasn't annual at first), this was one of the first major displays of how many people can eat a specific food at one time. While the time limits were shorter (some good 6-7 minutes shorter), winners were wolfing about 10 hot dogs in the contest. The trend grew, and now it's a big televised competition that has become small talk at functions on the Fourth of July.

Is it as easy as it seems? Don't lie--you at one point thought that you could make a killing at a food-eating contest after the massacre you caused at the closest all-you-can-eat Chinese fusion buffet. It really isn't that easy at all. In fact, it's one of the most physically difficult things to pull off. Firstly, there are specific things you need to train your digestive system to do, considering the time and amount of the consumption of food during a competition could kill a small child. Competitive eaters will consume different proteins, such as dietary supplements or milk, in order to expand the stomach to prepare it for excessive storage. Others will resort to fasting and copious amounts of exercise in order to keep a speedy metabolism and prevent any other health problems to creep up while training. A running theory is that the slimmer and more fit the body, the more room a stomach can expand since it would be walled in by excessive fat deposits. With that said, it throws the philosophy that a really big fat dude could win every single contest possible out the window.

You have Takeru Kobayashi and Sonya "The Black Widow" Thomas to thank for the theory backed by science.

If you aren't sick to your stomach just yet, there are still two things I should bring up to you: the kinds of eating contests that exist and how people are not the biggest fans of this "sport."

The two biggest contests I mentioned involve rather "American" foods: chicken wings and hot dogs. Seems pretty safe, right? There is also one called the Krystal Square Off that involves burgers. Okay, maybe I'm being too safe here. Wait, it gets worse. There are ones for jalapeno peppers, bratwurst, pumpkin pies, cheesesteaks, pizzas, water Italian ice, mayonnaise, soba noodles, tacos, and various cultural cuisines like Carribbean food. In 2002, a FOX-televised event called the Glutton Bowl even had contestants eating Rocky Mountain oysters and cow brains in the final round. On that note, feel free to put down whatever you're eating. This hurt to even type.

There are also a lot of people that oppose this kind of contest. Why? It's common sense when you really think about it. When you live in a country that is in good standing when it comes to food and resources, the exploitation of that and the way the food is consumed is enough to spur a discussion on why this goes on. Some will throw the cliched: "There are starving people in China." It's an exposition of gluttony and the waste of food that other people could eat to survive. The average human would just flick a hand and go "pfft" to this, but it's really a serious thing to ponder on.
--

While it has it's own organized league in Major League Eating, this sport isn't exactly the cup of tea for a lot of other people, myself included. Don't get me wrong, I love food just as much as the next person, and the training process for this interests me, but this is a little too extreme, and the means of the events are against some of the things I value in life. There, I said it. A writer should never throw too much philosophy into a piece like this, but c'mon, how can I not? People can do what they want, and they can display their talents in whichever way they want; thing is, I just wouldn't do this myself, is all.

It is a feat to do just about anything that involves consumption of something and being able to function afterward. Plus, these kinds of contests could actually kill you if one is not conditioned to do this activity. Then again, there are a lot of things out there that can kill you. Oh well.

While I'm not a huge advocate of it, this is a sport, and it's going to be around until our world's food supply says no more. Welcome to the era of The Church of Om Nom Nom.


--AZ

Red Whines: Tyke Abuse

It should come as no surprise to most people that I rarely watch television. However, I saw some people talking on Facebook and Twitter about this show and I had to check it out for myself. Good Lord, did this give me good material to write about. Thank you, random people I know on Twitter and Facebook. Invisible pancake breakfasts for you all.

Reality television is all the rage these days. People who are as average as you and me are becoming celebrities overnight. It makes us wonder how they got to be where they are and why we could never come up with that kind of idea. Well, if you thought semi-unscripted shows could get any worse, we've got a sports-related one on our heels, and it's certainly bound to be one of the most controversial shows on cable.

The show is called Friday Night Tykes. It debuted this month on the recently-established Esquire Network (formerly Style Network--I don't see a real difference other than gender preference here), and it tells the story of five junior-league football squads in the San Antonio, Texas area. From the very beginning, these eight-and-nine-year-olds are running, tackling, and getting conditioned as if they were the NFL stars themselves. Just as children do, they'll cry in pain, and their coaches tell them to push on. They'll enforce the kids to literally knock the taste out of the other kids' mouths in any way possible. While this may be normal for various American cultures who treat youth/high school/college football like an officially recognized and organized religion, this might literally scare the living crap out of everyone outside of the circle.

Here's a link to the first episode of the series, in case you want to take a look. The first two minutes or so should be enough for you, really. If you can get through more of it, good for you.

I had an inkling of awareness that there are practices like these that exist around the country. I tried watching the first episode online and I couldn't get myself to finish it. I'm not a wimp in the least bit, but what they were teaching the kids and how they went about it made me angrier than the kids actually going through with what they were told. Grant it, the kids are learning a sport at a young age, but pushing them this hard and influencing them to literally cripple the other team is grounds for child abuse. That could just be me being a 23-year-old woman who doesn't have kids and hasn't played a contact sport in five years, but if a coach was telling my child to make sure they hit the other kid hard enough that they don't get up, I'd get a little angry. This may mean that I'm a sensitive person, but you're also desensitizing the child and making them brutal. It's like dogfighting--if you teach the dog at a young age to tear another dog apart, that's going to be infused in their psyche and it's never going to leave. A child's brain is like a sponge; if you start encouraging these practices in them and they go through with it, what are you really teaching them? Plus, if they're taking super hard hits like you might see on the show, how the heck are they going to be physically and mentally by the time they turn 18? Is the thought scaring you? It better.

In turn, this material is the exact kind of stuff that will draw attention and gain a response from viewers. They wouldn't be showing this on TV if it wasn't going to stir up conversation. It's extremely dirty, yes, but this sells. Why? Because it's shocking. Because it's going to make you gasp, just as it made me gasp the first time I saw two young boys go helmet-to-helmet. Even if it makes you look away, it makes you want to watch more just so you can scoff at the practices portrayed in the show. And that's what they want. It's entertainment and it's money for them.

Is it exposure to a serious issue at hand? Well, considering that they have been doing this for a long time, this is considered humane and that there is no major problem. Obviously, because of the shock value, this falls into the current category of what is "sellable television material." Personally, I don't like it, but people are going to watch it anyway. I don't know why--that's just how things are now. On a separate road, this could be seen as an extreme end to what junior and pee-wee football may be in other regions as opposed to what you may be used to seeing if you know a little one who plays. If your child/relative plays this kind of ball, BLESS YOU AND BLESS THEM. Seriously. I don't know how they can do it. It isn't right in my eyes, but if it's something they enjoy, there is no point in taking that right away from them.

What this truly does is that it brings the thought of how to push children when teaching and enforcing a sport into question. How much is too much? Are some coaches even teaching the children the correct methods? I watched the first two minutes of the video again and I see the kids putting their heads down on a tackle. While I scream and flail my arms in the air out of anger, I throw the "red challenge flag," as it were. It's almost as if you're sending your kids to the slaughter. You might see the parents showing concern about the kids, saying that they're "practically babies," but what's being done about it? Oh heck, something might have been done, but I was too disgusted to watch the second half of the episode. It was one of those "I want to play Whack-a-Mole with a coach's head" kind of things that doesn't deserve my time and energy. To make a long story short [too late], while it sucks in viewers through controversy, it can make you think about how we're teaching kids and how we're instilling values and morals into their minds. Some kids need more encouragement than others, yes, but there are still some sensitive kids in the bunch, and we do need some of those in the world, too.

These are only my opinions. What are yours? Have you truly thought about this?

--AZ

Freeze Frame! Splitting Hairs! Different Sets of Eyes!

Geez, if Big Brother wasn't watching us before, it certainly is with all of this instant replay business, eh? (rimshot) No, really. There's going to be a lot more reviewing from this point forward. Too bad Lou Piniella and Bobby Cox aren't around for this. It could've saved them a lot of ejections. In actuality, I don't think they'd have cared either way.

Last Thursday, a landmark ruling was made in American baseball. It was unanimously approved that the rules for instant replay be expanded in the league. On the agreement, Bud Selig--in his last official year as commish of MLB--was elated and relieved that they have been granted this ability. "Because they won't disturb the game as we know it. Yes, there will be some differences. But because of [MLB Advanced Media], because of our own technology, because of everything else, we've been able to do this." [1] While it is safe to say that the advances in technology had to be perfect in order for all of this to be possible, this day was a long time coming for baseball players, managers, and officials.

While there have been certain things that were reviewed and scrutinized before this era, there was no concrete rule on when to use an instant replay system. Just about every call was a "judgment call" from the umpiring crew, and it was their way or the highway. While many have admitted their faults, their mea culpas will certainly result in softened blows with thanks to this expansion.

Official instant replay in Major League Baseball made its debut during the 2008 season in the controversial Tropicana Field. You would think that it hit something awkward in there considering that park is rafters and low ceilings galore, but it was to dispute a home run call that hit the foul pole. (If you want to guess who hit that ball, it's the guy who isn't allowed to play this year.) After requests from players and coaches, a review was finally made and the call was decided. Since then, instant replays were utilized for home run calls only to the discretion of the umpiring crew and not team management. Also, this was not bound to the regular season. Instant replay made appearances during the playoffs and in the World Baseball Classic. Good job, MLB. Since the origin of the home run review, many key games were decided, especially when they involved walk-off homers.

Here we are, six years later, and the rules will finally be expanded.

Beginning this upcoming season, the rule expansion is as follows:

"...each manager will start a game with one challenge. If it is upheld, he retains his challenge but can never have more than two in a game. If the manager exhausts his challenges before the start of the seventh inning, he is out of luck, adding a new element of strategy to the game. Beginning in the top of the seventh, the crew chief is empowered to institute a review." [2]

It looks like they ripped a page out of the NFL's book, but with good intentions. Also, just about every disputable call can be reviewed through these "challenges" except for minor issues like obstruction. To name a few instances off the bat (no pun intended): tag/force plays, ground-rule doubles, fan interference, and timing plays can be reviewed. However, they will not be reviewed by the umpiring crew on-site. Instead, the angles will be sent to Toronto New York where MLB Headquarters is located. It is there that a different umpiring crew will review the play and send their decision. In the meantime, just as in football, reviews will be shown on the boards at the stadiums for the crowd to see and react toward. While these rules and regulations are fairly new and haven't officially been tested yet, there will be room for fine-tuning and improvement on these reviewing practices as the season moves forward.

I will be perfectly clear on my opinion of this: we're really nitpicking this to the bone, and since this is going to benefit every party in play, this is absolutely huge and necessary for baseball. The umpires are all for this. I guess I can't blame them. Considering that human error is under such scrutiny all down the board these days, any slip-up that can be checked upon can really save time and avoid unnecessary confrontations between manager/player and umpire at the plate. Could you imagine how this could have changed history if this was incorporated sixty-some-odd years ago? That home plate play in the 1955 World Series could have changed the outcome and ultimately changed a lot of other things as well. This is going to be a godsend for a lot of close calls that were accepted by teams and managers because the umpiring staff was the "final say," now and forever amen. What baffled me was that every voting side was compliant with the ruling, and that everyone agreed that a change was necessary for baseball to be as fair and as balanced in officiating as possible. They handled this transition incredibly well, considering that they started off small with just reviewing home run calls as opposed to throwing every single thing that can be reviewed into the mix. It was like a trial period, and now they're going from Pull-Ups to big boy underwear.

I never thought I would want to pat Bud Selig on the back, but I sort of want to and it makes me feel a little dirty. Don't ask me why--he's just made awkward decisions in the past that didn't always work. Then again, the introduction of the Wild Card wasn't a bad idea. I digress.

As expected, this will definitely change the game of baseball forever. In lieu of the addition of the ban of home plate collisions, this tool is really going to be efficient in judgment precision and the overall time it takes to negotiate what was right and what was not so right. On that note, Jayson Stark noted in his ESPN column that: "New rules governing home-plate collisions were not approved by owners, for now, however, because baseball still hasn't agreed with the players' union on the wording of them. However, MLB's COO, Rob Manfred, said enough progress has been made that 'we fully expect to make an agreement with the union on home-plate collisions.'" [3] History has been made, and while it seems like baseball is going to be splitting hairs a little more often than usual, it is all for the best. We've gotten things wrong 99 times out of 100. Let's make that 100th time count.

--AZ

(Quotes 1 and 2 from this post were from an article written by Paul Hagen on MLB.com. The full article can be found here. Quote 3 is from an article written by Jayson Stark on ESPN.com. The full article can be found here.)