Just what you've come to expect from this blogger...lots of predictions, not so much analysis. Also, I am only making regular season picks.
AL EAST
Boston Red Sox - Because I buy into the hype and think nobody has an answer for this team after they added Carl Crawford and Adrian Gonzalez.
AL CENTRAL
Minnesota Twins - Because I believe in the stability of their organization in what should be a really competitive division. The Detroit Tigers and Chicago White Sox will be right there. This prediction also comes with three huge "ifs"...if Joe Nathan is back and healthy, if Justin Morneau stays healthy, and if Francisco Liriano stays healthy.
AL WEST
Oakland Athletics - Because I believe in their pitching. And no, this is not just because a fellow Cheyenne Mountain graduate is their 5th starter (Brandon McCarthy). Although I am excited about that. A good pitching staff should be enough to overcome the momentum of the Texas Rangers, who have pitching issues, and anything the Los Angeles (or is it Anaheim?) Angels have to offer. Having said that, don't sleep on any team that is coached by Mike Scioscia.
AL WILDCARD
Detroit Tigers - Because I believe in their 1-2 punch in the rotation and the addition of Victor Martinez to outlast the New York Yankees. Let me give you two more reasons I don't buy into the Yankees: Freddy Garcia made their rotation and Bartolo Colon (and his vicious four-seam fastball!) made their bullpen. Anybody want to say that reflects a playoff-quality pitching staff? Anybody?
NL EAST
Atlanta Braves - Because I believe in their depth top to bottom, especially their bullpen. And because the Phillies super starting pitchers can't also pitch the 8th and 9th innings every night, and because Ryan Howard can only hit once every 9 batters in a suddenly questionable lineup.
NL CENTRAL
Milwaukee Brewers - Because I believe every team is flawed in this wholly underwhelming division. Prince Fielder in a contract year and a legite 1-2 punch in the rotation with Yovani Gallardo and Zack Greinke will be enough to emerge from the pack of mediocrity.
NL WEST
No prediction. I may write about the Rockies a lot in this blog, but I try to stay away from making these kinds of predictions. My role as a superstitious fans trumps all.
NL WILDCARD
Philadelphia Phillies - Even if this roster is top heavy, the top will be enough to get them into the playoffs.
NL MVP - Ryan Braun
AL MVP - Adrian Gonzalez
NL CY YOUNG - Tim Lincecum
AL CY YOUNG - Jon Lester
It looks like I'm a beat ahead of the list of predictions from various sites, so I will link those later in the week. In the mean time, here are some links to thoughts about the upcoming season:
Tom Singer prepares for opening day http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20110328&content_id=17156276&vkey=news_mlb&c_id=mlb
Jon Paul Morosi on why pitchers rule http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/year-of-the-pitcher-is-really-a-new-era-for-MLB-032811
Jerry Crasnick writes about CarGo http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/preview/2011/columns/story?columnist=crasnick_jerry&id=6261039 (includes a serious close up with general manager Dan O'Dowd)
Jon Heyman on why the Rays should not be counted out in the AL East http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/preview/2011/columns/story?columnist=crasnick_jerry&id=6261039
Monday, March 28, 2011
Friday, March 25, 2011
Thursday tidbits 3/24/11
A Quote
Tim Tebow talked about his upcoming commercials and photos advertising Jockey underwear:
"People may say it's underwear, but everyone wears underwear -- it's not like I'm doing something risque...I really take pride in what I endorse and what I attach my name to. It's my character and what I stand for."
I'll just let you decide which morsel in there you find the most hilarious. But to be clear, I am the one who underlined the last bit. I am a big Tebow fan, but this is nothing but high comedy.
A Video
Let's stick with comedy. Courtesy of Warning Track Power correspondent Michael R. Mason, here is a video of PGA Tour golfer Ben Crane's workout routine. When I have something bottled up inside me, I go with the sledge wand. Ben Crane plays so slow he should start tournaments on Wednesday (credit: David Schaffner), but this video makes up for a lot of that annoying tendency.
A Photo
He may be on a rival team, but I am in awe of Brian Wilson. He is reaching new heights in facial hair glory with his current beard situation. It's starting to look like his hair and beard came straight off the shelf of rejected costume ideas for Gangs of New York. Check out this picture of him as part of Fox Sports' list of eccentric baseball players.
P.S. - he wears stupid high-top shoes and his pants are way too tight. OK, now I feel better. Had to get a totally biased Rockies fan comment in there.
A Tweet
@JayBilas: Jimmer a great college player, but he couldn't guard a bank with a machine gun. Guys going by him at will. He had a GREAT year, though.
As sports news gets more serious and frustrating with reports from labor conflicts and steroid trials, it's always good to find commentators who remind us that this is all for fun. Granted, Jay Bilas makes some especially biting comments, but the metaphors he uses in his scouting reports are consistently hilarious. Here are my other favorites:
1. About my favorite current NBA player Kevin Love when he was coming out of UCLA, Bilas said that he had a good body fat ratio "for a seal."
2. Two comments about Adam Morrison's defensive ability when he was coming out of Gonzaga: Bilas said that he "couldn't guard a chair" and that he was as good as a "traffic cone" on the defensive end.
Now tell me at least one of those did not make you laugh.
A Week...
...until Opening Day 2012 for the Colorado Rockies.
A Reason...
...that I am a blogger and not a sports "expert." The Duke Blue Devils and my theory about guard play in college basketball got steamrolled by Derrick Williams and the University of Arizona. We'll see about the other teams I mentioned.
Wait....BYU lost too?
Having Said That...
...look for Warning Track Power's 2011 Baseball Picks Extravaganza early next week!
Links
Ian Thomsen writes about what NBA scouts are looking for in the NCAA tournament http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2011/writers/ian_thomsen/03/25/sixth.man/index.html?eref=sihp
Rick Reilly debunks the Jimmer Fredette myth http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/news/story?id=6257636
Tim Brown on the importance of Prince Fielder http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news;_ylt=Ajq2cjPnmIRJfynimpfoW.45nYcB?slug=ti-prince_fielder_032311
Tim Tebow talked about his upcoming commercials and photos advertising Jockey underwear:
"People may say it's underwear, but everyone wears underwear -- it's not like I'm doing something risque...I really take pride in what I endorse and what I attach my name to. It's my character and what I stand for."
I'll just let you decide which morsel in there you find the most hilarious. But to be clear, I am the one who underlined the last bit. I am a big Tebow fan, but this is nothing but high comedy.
A Video
Let's stick with comedy. Courtesy of Warning Track Power correspondent Michael R. Mason, here is a video of PGA Tour golfer Ben Crane's workout routine. When I have something bottled up inside me, I go with the sledge wand. Ben Crane plays so slow he should start tournaments on Wednesday (credit: David Schaffner), but this video makes up for a lot of that annoying tendency.
A Photo
He may be on a rival team, but I am in awe of Brian Wilson. He is reaching new heights in facial hair glory with his current beard situation. It's starting to look like his hair and beard came straight off the shelf of rejected costume ideas for Gangs of New York. Check out this picture of him as part of Fox Sports' list of eccentric baseball players.
P.S. - he wears stupid high-top shoes and his pants are way too tight. OK, now I feel better. Had to get a totally biased Rockies fan comment in there.
A Tweet
@JayBilas: Jimmer a great college player, but he couldn't guard a bank with a machine gun. Guys going by him at will. He had a GREAT year, though.
As sports news gets more serious and frustrating with reports from labor conflicts and steroid trials, it's always good to find commentators who remind us that this is all for fun. Granted, Jay Bilas makes some especially biting comments, but the metaphors he uses in his scouting reports are consistently hilarious. Here are my other favorites:
1. About my favorite current NBA player Kevin Love when he was coming out of UCLA, Bilas said that he had a good body fat ratio "for a seal."
2. Two comments about Adam Morrison's defensive ability when he was coming out of Gonzaga: Bilas said that he "couldn't guard a chair" and that he was as good as a "traffic cone" on the defensive end.
Now tell me at least one of those did not make you laugh.
A Week...
...until Opening Day 2012 for the Colorado Rockies.
A Reason...
...that I am a blogger and not a sports "expert." The Duke Blue Devils and my theory about guard play in college basketball got steamrolled by Derrick Williams and the University of Arizona. We'll see about the other teams I mentioned.
Wait....BYU lost too?
Having Said That...
...look for Warning Track Power's 2011 Baseball Picks Extravaganza early next week!
Links
Ian Thomsen writes about what NBA scouts are looking for in the NCAA tournament http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2011/writers/ian_thomsen/03/25/sixth.man/index.html?eref=sihp
Rick Reilly debunks the Jimmer Fredette myth http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/news/story?id=6257636
Tim Brown on the importance of Prince Fielder http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news;_ylt=Ajq2cjPnmIRJfynimpfoW.45nYcB?slug=ti-prince_fielder_032311
Monday, March 21, 2011
Musings from the first weekend of the NCAA tournament
Guards matter
I have always said that in college basketball it's all about your guards and that in the NBA it's all about your big guys. It's not true of every team, but you can make the case that the guards are carrying the day for teams that can make a deep run. Of course the best examples are Jimmer and Kemba, but keep an eye on a team like Ohio State. For all the talk about Jared Sullinger, their play on the perimeter might be the reason they win it all. Duke is another example; if my theory holds, their run will be driven by the duo of Nolan Smith and Kyrie Irving. Let's be honest - it seriously supports my argument if Duke makes a run with the band of stiffs they parade out to the post positions. As Paul Pabst from the Dan Patrick Show put it: Plumlee in Latin is "has five fouls to give."
I plan on returning to this theory when the NBA playoffs come around. The Lakers will win another championship because nobody can box out their bigs, and the Bulls win will the East not because of Derrick Rose but because of Carlos Boozer and Joakim Noah.
Attention players: STOP FALLING DOWN
A charge should actually be a really rare call. Refs are too excited to call it, and players are way too excited to run to a spot and be the hero who draws the call. How many times this weekend did a player try to draw a charge, flop down like a fool, and then allow the other team to have an easy offensive put-back because there was no call and they were lying on the ground?
For some reason players think that if they keep the top part of their body totally rigid, the refs won't notice that they slid or leaned into the contact. Of course the reason might be that the refs don't notice far too often. Refs: quit being so desperate to make a dramatic charge call. Players: stop falling down and challenge the shot. Please.
The Final Four will be a lot of chalk
For all the talk this year about how the field is wide open, and it has been, the Final Four will be Kansas, BYU, Duke, and Ohio State. Ohio State and Kansas are the most well rounded teams left, and Duke and BYU will ride the best guards in the tourney not named Kemba Walker. BYU is hardly an upset team in the Final Four as a #3 seed and having the best player in the country. That's chalk.
I have always said that in college basketball it's all about your guards and that in the NBA it's all about your big guys. It's not true of every team, but you can make the case that the guards are carrying the day for teams that can make a deep run. Of course the best examples are Jimmer and Kemba, but keep an eye on a team like Ohio State. For all the talk about Jared Sullinger, their play on the perimeter might be the reason they win it all. Duke is another example; if my theory holds, their run will be driven by the duo of Nolan Smith and Kyrie Irving. Let's be honest - it seriously supports my argument if Duke makes a run with the band of stiffs they parade out to the post positions. As Paul Pabst from the Dan Patrick Show put it: Plumlee in Latin is "has five fouls to give."
I plan on returning to this theory when the NBA playoffs come around. The Lakers will win another championship because nobody can box out their bigs, and the Bulls win will the East not because of Derrick Rose but because of Carlos Boozer and Joakim Noah.
Attention players: STOP FALLING DOWN
A charge should actually be a really rare call. Refs are too excited to call it, and players are way too excited to run to a spot and be the hero who draws the call. How many times this weekend did a player try to draw a charge, flop down like a fool, and then allow the other team to have an easy offensive put-back because there was no call and they were lying on the ground?
For some reason players think that if they keep the top part of their body totally rigid, the refs won't notice that they slid or leaned into the contact. Of course the reason might be that the refs don't notice far too often. Refs: quit being so desperate to make a dramatic charge call. Players: stop falling down and challenge the shot. Please.
The Final Four will be a lot of chalk
For all the talk this year about how the field is wide open, and it has been, the Final Four will be Kansas, BYU, Duke, and Ohio State. Ohio State and Kansas are the most well rounded teams left, and Duke and BYU will ride the best guards in the tourney not named Kemba Walker. BYU is hardly an upset team in the Final Four as a #3 seed and having the best player in the country. That's chalk.
Friday, March 11, 2011
Thursday tidbits 3/10/11
Gathered on Thursday, presented on Friday.
A Quote
Denver Nuggets coach George Karl after his three year extension with the team:
"I think I have no problem with our team right now...I hope everybody doesn't think we're going to be any good because I'm pretty confident that we're going to be a damn good team."
One of the unexpected story lines of the NBA season is the surge of the post-Melo Nuggets. I think I can safely speak for most Nuggets fans when I say I did not think that I would be this excited about the new team. They play as a team, they play defense, they're big, and they're fast. I'm not saying that this team will win a championship, but I sure do like them and I think I like them better than the Carmelo Anthony team. Consider their win last night in Phoenix. Five scorers in double figures, and when was the last time a Nuggets team held the Suns under 100 points on the road?
If nothing else, it makes it a lot easier to see Carmelo Anthony's first game-winning shot for the Knicks again and again on Sportscenter. Say what you will (and I have) about his all around game, but that guy is a crazy clutch shooter down the stretch of games.
A Video (or two)
Check it before you chuck it, as Jim Rome says. Check the clock before you heave the basketball in joy or desperation. He was referring to Justin Brownlee of St. John's and his premature jocularity at the end of a victory over Rutgers in the Big East tournament. With about two seconds left and a two point lead, Brownlee started celebrating the victory and traveled, stepped out of bounds, and chucked the ball 20 rows up. Time should have been left on the clock. The Big East officials did not call anything and booked it off the floor, which has been a hot conversation topic.
Here is the video you have to watch. Earlier this season, Roscoe Smith made himself the poster boy of Jim Rome's "check it before you chuck it" motto. Seriously, watch that. If you've already seen it, watch it again.
A Photo
I believe that we have two of the classiest coaches in sports in George Karl and Jim Tracy. Here is a cool picture of them in Arizona, where Karl joined Tracy in the dugout for part of a spring training game.
A Tweet
@notthefakesvp (Scott Van Pelt): To be fair, Rutgers still would have needed to make a bucket with 1.7 but my God - the refs just stopped working the game. Pitiful
A Thought...
...about the notion that smaller conference tournaments should not necessarily have an automatic NCAA bid on the line. I understand the logic: that another team out of a big conference will be more competitive than the Oral Roberts Universitys of the world. Or all it takes is a team that gets hot for a week even if they were not above .500 during the year, and if that team gets the automatic bid they do not belong. To all of this I say...so what? The small conference tournaments are way too much fun, and let's take a moment to give a shout-out to the University of Northern Colorado Bears on their first ever bid.
A Discovery...
...that made me cringe. There is a twitter account for @NFLlabor. Really? Keeping fans updated is one thing, but do you really want to bring extra attention to this situation? I don't understand this at all.
Something that really made me go HUH?
Tiki barber is back! I guess he figures there are a couple people in the NFL who he did not anger on his way out the first time that he can get this time around. There's a lot of nasty things being said about Tiki. He fell on his face (hard) as a "journalist" and some people believe that this is just a cash grab because he is going through a divorce. I just think Tiki has underestimated the damage he did by running his mouth on his way out of the NFL for his first retirement. Here is an article with additional thoughts on this situation.
(WARNING: contains a totally creepy picture of Barber)
A Suggestion...
...for baseball fans. Bookmark Roger Angell's baseball blog. Don't get hung up on the fact that he's on newyorker.com. Angell is one of the best baseball writers...ever.
Links
Dan LeBatard with a local take on the Miami Heat situation http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/03/08/2102109/miami-heats-recent-losses-troubling.html
As Selection Sunday approaches, Seth Davis gives us his "all glue" team http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2011/writers/seth_davis/03/10/all.glue.team/index.html
Jeff Ritter was inside the ropes with Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, and Graeme McDowell http://www.golf.com/golf/tours_news/article/0,28136,2058335,00.html
Curious which bubble teams will make the tourney? Rivals.com has a daily tracker http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/basketball/news?slug=rivals-1198605
Tracy Ringolsby writes about Zach Greinke and other dumb baseball injuries http://www.foxsportswisconsin.com/msn/03/09/11/Injury-bug-continues-to-hit-Brewers/landing_brewers.html?blockID=436915&feedID=5059
A Quote
Denver Nuggets coach George Karl after his three year extension with the team:
"I think I have no problem with our team right now...I hope everybody doesn't think we're going to be any good because I'm pretty confident that we're going to be a damn good team."
One of the unexpected story lines of the NBA season is the surge of the post-Melo Nuggets. I think I can safely speak for most Nuggets fans when I say I did not think that I would be this excited about the new team. They play as a team, they play defense, they're big, and they're fast. I'm not saying that this team will win a championship, but I sure do like them and I think I like them better than the Carmelo Anthony team. Consider their win last night in Phoenix. Five scorers in double figures, and when was the last time a Nuggets team held the Suns under 100 points on the road?
If nothing else, it makes it a lot easier to see Carmelo Anthony's first game-winning shot for the Knicks again and again on Sportscenter. Say what you will (and I have) about his all around game, but that guy is a crazy clutch shooter down the stretch of games.
A Video (or two)
Check it before you chuck it, as Jim Rome says. Check the clock before you heave the basketball in joy or desperation. He was referring to Justin Brownlee of St. John's and his premature jocularity at the end of a victory over Rutgers in the Big East tournament. With about two seconds left and a two point lead, Brownlee started celebrating the victory and traveled, stepped out of bounds, and chucked the ball 20 rows up. Time should have been left on the clock. The Big East officials did not call anything and booked it off the floor, which has been a hot conversation topic.
Here is the video you have to watch. Earlier this season, Roscoe Smith made himself the poster boy of Jim Rome's "check it before you chuck it" motto. Seriously, watch that. If you've already seen it, watch it again.
A Photo
I believe that we have two of the classiest coaches in sports in George Karl and Jim Tracy. Here is a cool picture of them in Arizona, where Karl joined Tracy in the dugout for part of a spring training game.
A Tweet
@notthefakesvp (Scott Van Pelt): To be fair, Rutgers still would have needed to make a bucket with 1.7 but my God - the refs just stopped working the game. Pitiful
A Thought...
...about the notion that smaller conference tournaments should not necessarily have an automatic NCAA bid on the line. I understand the logic: that another team out of a big conference will be more competitive than the Oral Roberts Universitys of the world. Or all it takes is a team that gets hot for a week even if they were not above .500 during the year, and if that team gets the automatic bid they do not belong. To all of this I say...so what? The small conference tournaments are way too much fun, and let's take a moment to give a shout-out to the University of Northern Colorado Bears on their first ever bid.
A Discovery...
...that made me cringe. There is a twitter account for @NFLlabor. Really? Keeping fans updated is one thing, but do you really want to bring extra attention to this situation? I don't understand this at all.
Something that really made me go HUH?
Tiki barber is back! I guess he figures there are a couple people in the NFL who he did not anger on his way out the first time that he can get this time around. There's a lot of nasty things being said about Tiki. He fell on his face (hard) as a "journalist" and some people believe that this is just a cash grab because he is going through a divorce. I just think Tiki has underestimated the damage he did by running his mouth on his way out of the NFL for his first retirement. Here is an article with additional thoughts on this situation.
(WARNING: contains a totally creepy picture of Barber)
A Suggestion...
...for baseball fans. Bookmark Roger Angell's baseball blog. Don't get hung up on the fact that he's on newyorker.com. Angell is one of the best baseball writers...ever.
Links
Dan LeBatard with a local take on the Miami Heat situation http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/03/08/2102109/miami-heats-recent-losses-troubling.html
As Selection Sunday approaches, Seth Davis gives us his "all glue" team http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2011/writers/seth_davis/03/10/all.glue.team/index.html
Jeff Ritter was inside the ropes with Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, and Graeme McDowell http://www.golf.com/golf/tours_news/article/0,28136,2058335,00.html
Curious which bubble teams will make the tourney? Rivals.com has a daily tracker http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/basketball/news?slug=rivals-1198605
Tracy Ringolsby writes about Zach Greinke and other dumb baseball injuries http://www.foxsportswisconsin.com/msn/03/09/11/Injury-bug-continues-to-hit-Brewers/landing_brewers.html?blockID=436915&feedID=5059
Sunday, March 6, 2011
Three things to think about this week of March 7th
1. It's interesting and a bit concerning to consider the direction college athletics is headed. I should say big time college athletics that get big coverage. Ask fans who prefer college basketball to the NBA or college football to the NFL, and many will tell you the reason is that they are purer games, and that they just can't cheer for the ego-maniacs and jerks on the professional level.
Without being an alarmist, I can't help but be concerned about how fast "amateur" college athletes are catching up with the professionals in terms of entitlement and bad behavior, from all the reports of players accepting payments and benefits to Sports Illustrated's report this week about the alarming number of arrests in college football. There's plenty of blame to go around when it comes to these issues, but at the very least we should stay away from any broad claims about the pure motivations of the typical college athlete.
2. I am really, really tired of the Miami Heat's excuses. Game after game they don't get it done in the closing minutes. They say it's an ongoing process and that they're still learning. They say that at some point they will break through. They act like we're idiots for holding them to a high standard right now, because they still haven't had enough time for it to click.
It would be different if right from the start the big three said things like this: "We haven't won anything yet. We know it's a process and we won't be perfect right away. We have a lot of work before we're champions."
Instead they fired up the ice machines, flexed their muscles and starting counting their rings. So no, I don't want to hear about "the process"...that horse is out of the barn. Also, they were crying after today's loss to the Bulls? Seriously?
3. Less than one month until opening day. In the mean time, check out Mat Latos and his big mouth...anything to keep them interested, right?
Without being an alarmist, I can't help but be concerned about how fast "amateur" college athletes are catching up with the professionals in terms of entitlement and bad behavior, from all the reports of players accepting payments and benefits to Sports Illustrated's report this week about the alarming number of arrests in college football. There's plenty of blame to go around when it comes to these issues, but at the very least we should stay away from any broad claims about the pure motivations of the typical college athlete.
2. I am really, really tired of the Miami Heat's excuses. Game after game they don't get it done in the closing minutes. They say it's an ongoing process and that they're still learning. They say that at some point they will break through. They act like we're idiots for holding them to a high standard right now, because they still haven't had enough time for it to click.
It would be different if right from the start the big three said things like this: "We haven't won anything yet. We know it's a process and we won't be perfect right away. We have a lot of work before we're champions."
Instead they fired up the ice machines, flexed their muscles and starting counting their rings. So no, I don't want to hear about "the process"...that horse is out of the barn. Also, they were crying after today's loss to the Bulls? Seriously?
3. Less than one month until opening day. In the mean time, check out Mat Latos and his big mouth...anything to keep them interested, right?
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Why write a sports blog?
It is an interesting question to consider. We are in the midst of the social media boom, where everyone has a forum to express their opinions and put themselves out there, from matters of great importance to those of seemingly no importance. With the number of people who are interested in and follow sports, there are countless sports blogs on the web. So when I tell people that I started one, the reaction is often something like a general disinterest or even a rolling of the eyes. "Yea? Your sports blog will stand out? Good luck with that."
There is a stigma attached to having a blog in this time of social media and consequent inflated feelings of self importance. At a time when people think other people care about their day-to-day comings and goings through status updates and tweets, having a blog often becomes associated with the most bloated and inflated sense of self worth. Of all the opinions out there, you somehow think yours matters and is more interesting than the countless others?
For me it comes down to something completely different. Of course somewhere embedded in this project is the egotistical notion that I somehow have something unique and interesting to say in writing. But that was far from my primary motivation to start Warning Track Power.
What is it about sports? That question is why I started this. Other writers often respond with personal anecdotes which reflect their feelings about sports, and I cannot resist taking a moment to do the same here:
So, what is it about sports?...
...It's sticking it out at Coors Field when the Rockies fall behind by 3 to the Giants in extra innings, and being rewarded with the chance to scream, yell, and jump around after Ryan Spilborghs hits an inexplicable grand slam.
...It's the hockey game I don't remember anything about because I was too busy trying to impress a girl (now my fiance).
...It's the visual of a sea of arms thrust straight up in the air, all over the arena, as a three pointer is in flight.
...It's having an ice storm close the golf course when David Schaffner and I have a tee time, and deciding to set up a pitch-and-chip golf course in the yard at home anyway, despite the freezing and wet conditions, and probably having as much if not more fun than the round would have been.
...It's calling time-out (as the catcher) in an 8th grade CSYBA baseball game, trotting out to the mound and telling Ryan Presley "They definitely cannot hit your fastball," then watching a center-cut fastball ping out of the ballpark, having yet to land, and still laughing about it to this day (probably because we still won the game).
...It's calling time-out, solemnly jogging to the mound, and then telling the pitcher a joke.
...It's Mike Mason snapping his fingers and/or clapping from half-court (BALL!) anytime any member of our YMCA basketball team even sniffed a rebound, because let's be clear, you can afford to play defense 4-on-5 when he drops 26 points in the first half (running clock).
...It's watching any baseball team celebrate a walk-off victory.
...It's keeping my cell phone with gametracker on the music stand next to my sheet music as I practiced in the Gustavus Adolphus band room, and then stopping everything to stomp around and pump my fist when Tony Gwynn Jr. tripled off Trevor Hoffman to keep Rocktober 2007 alive (I probably hit refresh 50 times in those 3-4 minutes).
...It's the collective YEA that can be heard over everybody already cheering when a home run lands in the bleachers.
...It's admiring and following the careers of Rod Beck, Ryan Bowen, and Lonnie Baxter, and not caring a lick if you are one of two people who find them interesting/hilarious (in the case of Bowen, I know of four for sure...if you're reading this, you know who you are).
...It's the comfort of the sports page and the baseball box scores every morning.
For some (or most) people these anecdotes are meaningless. Others may have nodded their head vigorously because they have felt that way through their own experiences. They have felt the it of the question, What is it about sports? But really, how do we articulate it besides through our own collection of experiences?
Here are some ideas to factor into this conversation:
Part of it is certainly the connection with other people. So many of my relationships, whether my family, my fiance, or my other best friends, have the common ground of sports. We associate certain experiences with sports and even understand certain events through them.
Part of it is familiarity. If I look at myself and my (at times irrational) love of baseball, it comes down to the fact that it's what I've known since I was a little kid. I checked the box scores all through elementary school, which I still do. I took great joy in throwing baseballs, tennis balls, and racquetballs at every wall and surface of my house, and given the chance I'm sure I still would (and I'm not kidding. I'm 25...and I am absolutely not kidding). There is something comforting about turning on a baseball game now because it's what I've always done and what I've always known.
Part of it is diversion and escapism, whether from a true crisis or from day-to-day stress. It's the feeling of getting away from everything else to the comfort of playing or watching sports. It's that feeling that I can only kind of explain when something as trivial as a Colorado Rockies victory takes on enhanced meaning.
These are all part of what it is about sports, but anyone who is a fan knows that they do not tell the whole story. And really, it may not be possible to ever truly articulate the complete reason why we love sports, why we hang on every pitch/shot/snap and invest our time/energy/emotions into something that many find meaningless.
We know that we may not ever have the ultimate answer. We embrace the fact that we may never have the words to describe our feelings about sports, and we decide to talk about them anyway. We laugh about a memory or rejoice about our team's accomplishments. We argue about what our team needs to do to reach the next level. We comfort each other when our teams are in the basement. We wait for our next chance to live the answer.
I love talking to other fans. Isn't that really what a sports blog boils down to? A different forum to talk about sports and why we love them.
I will never tire of hearing somebody describe their best golf round or the basketball game when they scored 30 points. I will definitely never get tired of hearing people describe the time that their high school or college team won a championship, and the experience of celebrating in that kind of community. I love hearing people rant about the players they truly dislike for no good reason. I love sharing the anecdotes and experiences that make all of this matter.
No, I do not have any notion that this blog will supercede all others or that I am doing something extraordinarily different or world breaking.
I just like talking about sports.
What is it about sports? It's a question that might be impossible to truly answer, and yet so many people know the answer.
That's why I write a sports blog.
There is a stigma attached to having a blog in this time of social media and consequent inflated feelings of self importance. At a time when people think other people care about their day-to-day comings and goings through status updates and tweets, having a blog often becomes associated with the most bloated and inflated sense of self worth. Of all the opinions out there, you somehow think yours matters and is more interesting than the countless others?
For me it comes down to something completely different. Of course somewhere embedded in this project is the egotistical notion that I somehow have something unique and interesting to say in writing. But that was far from my primary motivation to start Warning Track Power.
What is it about sports? That question is why I started this. Other writers often respond with personal anecdotes which reflect their feelings about sports, and I cannot resist taking a moment to do the same here:
So, what is it about sports?...
...It's sticking it out at Coors Field when the Rockies fall behind by 3 to the Giants in extra innings, and being rewarded with the chance to scream, yell, and jump around after Ryan Spilborghs hits an inexplicable grand slam.
...It's the hockey game I don't remember anything about because I was too busy trying to impress a girl (now my fiance).
...It's the visual of a sea of arms thrust straight up in the air, all over the arena, as a three pointer is in flight.
...It's having an ice storm close the golf course when David Schaffner and I have a tee time, and deciding to set up a pitch-and-chip golf course in the yard at home anyway, despite the freezing and wet conditions, and probably having as much if not more fun than the round would have been.
...It's calling time-out (as the catcher) in an 8th grade CSYBA baseball game, trotting out to the mound and telling Ryan Presley "They definitely cannot hit your fastball," then watching a center-cut fastball ping out of the ballpark, having yet to land, and still laughing about it to this day (probably because we still won the game).
...It's calling time-out, solemnly jogging to the mound, and then telling the pitcher a joke.
...It's Mike Mason snapping his fingers and/or clapping from half-court (BALL!) anytime any member of our YMCA basketball team even sniffed a rebound, because let's be clear, you can afford to play defense 4-on-5 when he drops 26 points in the first half (running clock).
...It's watching any baseball team celebrate a walk-off victory.
...It's keeping my cell phone with gametracker on the music stand next to my sheet music as I practiced in the Gustavus Adolphus band room, and then stopping everything to stomp around and pump my fist when Tony Gwynn Jr. tripled off Trevor Hoffman to keep Rocktober 2007 alive (I probably hit refresh 50 times in those 3-4 minutes).
...It's the collective YEA that can be heard over everybody already cheering when a home run lands in the bleachers.
...It's admiring and following the careers of Rod Beck, Ryan Bowen, and Lonnie Baxter, and not caring a lick if you are one of two people who find them interesting/hilarious (in the case of Bowen, I know of four for sure...if you're reading this, you know who you are).
...It's the comfort of the sports page and the baseball box scores every morning.
For some (or most) people these anecdotes are meaningless. Others may have nodded their head vigorously because they have felt that way through their own experiences. They have felt the it of the question, What is it about sports? But really, how do we articulate it besides through our own collection of experiences?
Here are some ideas to factor into this conversation:
Part of it is certainly the connection with other people. So many of my relationships, whether my family, my fiance, or my other best friends, have the common ground of sports. We associate certain experiences with sports and even understand certain events through them.
Part of it is familiarity. If I look at myself and my (at times irrational) love of baseball, it comes down to the fact that it's what I've known since I was a little kid. I checked the box scores all through elementary school, which I still do. I took great joy in throwing baseballs, tennis balls, and racquetballs at every wall and surface of my house, and given the chance I'm sure I still would (and I'm not kidding. I'm 25...and I am absolutely not kidding). There is something comforting about turning on a baseball game now because it's what I've always done and what I've always known.
Part of it is diversion and escapism, whether from a true crisis or from day-to-day stress. It's the feeling of getting away from everything else to the comfort of playing or watching sports. It's that feeling that I can only kind of explain when something as trivial as a Colorado Rockies victory takes on enhanced meaning.
These are all part of what it is about sports, but anyone who is a fan knows that they do not tell the whole story. And really, it may not be possible to ever truly articulate the complete reason why we love sports, why we hang on every pitch/shot/snap and invest our time/energy/emotions into something that many find meaningless.
We know that we may not ever have the ultimate answer. We embrace the fact that we may never have the words to describe our feelings about sports, and we decide to talk about them anyway. We laugh about a memory or rejoice about our team's accomplishments. We argue about what our team needs to do to reach the next level. We comfort each other when our teams are in the basement. We wait for our next chance to live the answer.
I love talking to other fans. Isn't that really what a sports blog boils down to? A different forum to talk about sports and why we love them.
I will never tire of hearing somebody describe their best golf round or the basketball game when they scored 30 points. I will definitely never get tired of hearing people describe the time that their high school or college team won a championship, and the experience of celebrating in that kind of community. I love hearing people rant about the players they truly dislike for no good reason. I love sharing the anecdotes and experiences that make all of this matter.
No, I do not have any notion that this blog will supercede all others or that I am doing something extraordinarily different or world breaking.
I just like talking about sports.
What is it about sports? It's a question that might be impossible to truly answer, and yet so many people know the answer.
That's why I write a sports blog.
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