A Competitive Edge

Sizzling steaks on the grill, an ice cold beer in hand, and football.  If that doesn’t spell out A M E R I C A I don’t know what does.  Football is back ladies and gentlemen and it’s about to be one amazing season.  Let the speculation begin.

So in my short leave of absence alot has happened in the world of sports. The Dwightmare, OVER! Yes that means he’s a Laker.  The Dodgers pull off a historic trade with the Red Sox acquiring Josh Beckett, Adrian Gonzalez, and Carl Crawford…can you say mega-deal! Not to mention the Dodgers only gave up Loney and prospects.  In college football, Penn State doesn’t get the death penalty but nearly as bad, with fines reaching $60 Million, bowl bans, vacated wins, and the taking down of Joe Paternos statue.  In the NFL, the players involved in the bounty scandal win their appeal and are available to play this sunday.  Ya, in one months span that’s a lot. So College football has kicked off, the NFL has it’s first big weekend coming up, the race to October is in full swing, and the necessary countdown for the NBA has begun.  Man I love sports  

The injury plague is one that can instantly take your team from title contention to completely forgotten about.  It’s something that you wish there was an “on/off” option in the menu like a video game. It’s for lack of better words “a pain in the ass”.  Your team is rolling atop the division not letting anything bring you down, until…the injury plague strikes.  Your top player has gone down due to a torn Achilles i.e., which happened while jumping in a bounce house for his sons birthday.  It merely was a freak accident which once had you as title contenders to completely out of title contention or basically forgotten about.  Just blasphemy.  Your left sitting there (as a fan) completely in shock without an explanation.  The only question that pops into your mind is, why?   Why sports gods, just why?  The best part about life though is that most injuries heal…MOST.  Unfortunately there are injuries that don’t though.  For example,  Brandon Roy forced into early retirement due to chronic knee issues.  The good old Tommy John surgery that saves some pitchers but also destroys others from once a promising career.  Injuries will always play a part in the world of sports. Its like a ticking time bomb, its only a matter of time, but hopefully not.   

What happened to the true and pure type competition, because thats obviously gone.  It got taken over by egos and alot more egos.  Since when does an athlete have to be arrogant and self centered, thats not the definition of competition.  Being an athlete is about having a competitive mindset, one that allows you to think you’re better then the other player.  Don’t smack talk saying your better, but show you are.  Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant have a very similar mindset…and that was/is winning, pure and simple.  If Kobe gets beat, he isn’t going to try and injury or inflict pain on you, he’s going to beat you not once and not twice but countless amounts of times.  A perfect example of arrogance is Andrew Bynum in the 2011 Western Conference Semi’s.  The violent body check sending Barea to the floor…not to mention his poor exit from the court (taking off his jersey)…might I remind you.  Remember in little league when sportsmanship was the #1 priority, where’d that go?  I understand that sports are very emotional but at the same time show it on the court or field rather than on another player.  For god sake, your playing the game you love FOR A LIVING!  Most sports are a team game so act like it.  Now quit your whining about money and etc and just compete.  Thats all I ask of you

Sincerely,

Every Sports Fan

My heart goes out to everyone that was close to Junior.  As I watched Marcellus Wiley speak about him the day after it happened, it brought me goose bumps.  From what I remember, Junior was one of the more dominant linebackers in the game (Hall of Fame).  #55 will always be remembered in the game of football, not to mention the world of sports.

Your the Colts GM approaching the 2012 NFL draft.  What do you do?  Andrew Luck? Robert Griffin III? You make the right choice, you are the hero to your fans and the city of Indianapolis, but if you make the wrong choice you most likely out of a job.  Just think about that stress and the sleepless nights.  It still comes down to that one question though, what do you do?  If your a gambler, you would feast at this opportunity.  Well, if your not good luck!

Tebow mania is headed to New York, arguably one of the leading sports towns in the US of A.  Good, Bad, don’t care?  Well if you don’t live in New York and you aren’t a Jets fan then it is for lack of better words, hilarious.  But if you are a New Yorker and a die hard Jets fan, well i’m sorry.  You just traded for a tight end who happens to play quarterback.  Not to mention all the drama he brings along with him.  

“You gotta go back and look at the rest of the games. I wasn’t getting no balls and you had to make some of these plays where some players were open and he is not making the throws, but I don’t want to talk bad about Tim. But, hey, I am happy we got Peyton”-Demaryius Thomas, Wide Receiver

 We are just starting spring workouts and it has already begun.  If you are part of the media, buckle up, because its going to be one hell of a season (in a good way).  But if your a Jets fan, well, its going to be a very, very long season.  If this is a publicity stunt, The Jets have succeeded.  And the countdown for the 2012-2013 season has officially begun.