sandcrabs February 11th, 2008
With the Pro-Bowl being played, to me, this signals the end of the sports season. While the Superbowl was one of the more exciting games we’ve seen in several years, its passing is bittersweet. We now have to endure several months of the NBA along with one of the most slow moving sports, Major League Baseball, which is currently going through arguably one of that sport’s most darkest times…more on that later.
I want to take a few moments to reflect on what has transpired recently within several different sports. Granted, I feel that football is king and will continue to be the greatest competition that man has ever created. However, much like my golf game, I will be all over the place today touching on some things that are near and dear to our hearts as well as those that we’ve come to loathe.
The Pro Bowl brought us a few expected items. Peyton Manning dissecting another defense with the precision of a surgeon; T.O. dropping passes and then mouthing off at how great he is (mainly to himself); mindless and boring banter from the game commentators searching for something to fill time; the parade of Hall of Fame inductees being honored for their selection. Let me say something about that (as if you didn’t know this was coming). There are teams that whenever mentioned, certain names always come up. Joe Namath and the New York Jets, Joe Montana and Jerry Rice for San Francisco, John Elway and the Broncos are but a few. However, for me whenever the Washington Redskins are mentioned there are 2 who immediately come to mind. John Riggins and Art Monk. Why it took so long for Art Monk to be voted into the Hall is was beyond me. He was more deserving to be included sooner more that somebody such as Troy Aikman was and that’s not saying that I feel Aikman was not deserving the honor, but c’mon…Art Monk should have been there long ago. He held several passing records and is one of those who is synonymous (sorry for the big word) with the Redskins organization. Monk was a constant presence on the field and was always a class individual. The Hall is for on-field accomplishments but as we’ve seen some penalized for what they’ve done off the field of competition we should award those who examplify what sportsmanship is all about. Art Monk is truly one of a kind and it’s about time the voters finally got it right.
February also signals the beginning of the NASCAR season with it’s biggest race of the year, the Daytona 500. Yes, much like my brethren rednecks having the biggest event at the start of the season is backwards…but who cares. NASCAR is more sophisticated than a bunch of hicks driving around in a circle making left turns. You need to figure out how many laps you can make on a tank of fuel and then how is that car handling and if you need to take a half-pound of pressure out to help with traction of whether or not that quarter wedge is making your turns smoother or what needs to be done to help settle down that push or….well…hopefully you get the point. Yes, the most exciting part of a race is the start and the finish but with so many details that require attention give it a shot. The 500 is a great race but also check out some of the short track races (Bristol and Martinsville) and the action is non-stop and the tempers run extremely high. Drivers with short fuses such as Tony Stewart, Kevin Harvick and Kurt Busch always seem to find themselves in a post-race meeting with NASCAR officials.
Of course there is golf, which is why we are all here. I don’t pretend to be an expert at the sport but I do have an understanding of the rules and how everything works. I am beginning to enjoy watching some of the action on TV. I felt about golf the way many feel about NASCAR. It was excruciating to watch on television but so much better live. Once I came to understand the complexities of the game I learned to appreciate what it took to succeed. The AT&T this weekend was entertaining for obvious reasons. The Pro/Am aspect appealed to a broader audience, but some of those shots and the pure beauty of Pebble Beach made it that much more enjoyable. Also, watching Vijay get bested always makes for a better tournament. Hey! I can root against somebody for being a putz. In fact, I like to cheer for those who are good people along with being talented on the course. Rooting for the good guy, what a novel concept (take a hint NBA).
Oh yeah, the NBA. Has a professional league moved any further away from the mainstream than basketball? There is such a disconnect between these spoiled millionaire jerks and the fans that just about any other sport. Yes, there are those who are great individuals. Brandon Roy comes to mind (Go Blazers!) but they are far and few between. The NBA has by far the most inept commissioner of all the leagues. David Stern caters to these crybabies more than any other league’s official. He has single-handedly brought the league down to the level it is now. The players are the most gifted athletes of any sport in my opinion but their attitudes give off that they feel entitled to what they have, not that it is a priviledge. Most games are unwatchable as the showboating and trash talking get to dizzying heights. Have some class.
At least there’s March Madness coming. Even though many of these athletes are bung-holes in training, this is still one of the most exciting times of the year for sports. I usually have several brackets going and am glued to the games. That first Thursday and Friday are where you see the most entertaining and pure games of basketball ever. The lowere seeded teams are loaded with players who will only see the inside of an NBA locker room as an executive of a team. They are playing college ball for the experience and the free education. Another foreign concept. Playing a sport to enhance your life. Wow!
How many months until the first pre-season football games? How many boring, unaffecting baseball games will we be required to pass over? Steroid issue aside, does anybody really care about baseball any more? (other than those outside New York and Boston of course) I will generally catch a few mid-season games, and maybe a couple during the playoffs, but I find it extremely difficult to watch grown men play catch. If I wanted to do that I’d just go down to a prison yard and watch the inmates toss around a newbie, while completely taking advantage of their naivete` and turning them into……sorry. Went on a sidetrip for a moment. Back to the steroid issue. Who cares? Why drag up the past when you’ve made the mistakes of not policing it? Make your policies and rules and move on. Mark McGuire belongs in the Hall. There is no proof of what he may have done, though it looks like he did. Get off your high horse Baseball Writers. Should we start digging into your past and take away your ability for vote just because of past indescretions? (I thought I didn’t care about baseball.)
There are many options to fill our time waiting for football season to resume. Whatever floats your boat is fine with me. Some are jacked up over the choices available until September but for me this is a dark, dark time my friends. Here’s to hoping the FedEx season continues to gain the momentum that I’ve noticed these first few weeks. Golf will never be the monster that football has become, but it will always be more sophisticated and something that I won’t wake up the next morning pissing and moaning for the Advil.
