He Beat My Steelers, But I hope He Wins A Super Bowl!

What I am about to say, might be construed as blasphemy in the city of Pittsburgh, but I do hope Tim Tebow leads Denver to a Super bowl Championship. I know he just threw an 80 yard touchdown in overtime to beat our beloved Steelers, but Tim Tebow is a wonderful story. When ever the Steelers are out of contention for the championship, I usually root for the underdog, and Tebow and the Broncos are certainly that. Nobody gave them a chance against the Steel curtain and he shredded it for 316 yards. Nobody will give them a change against Tom Brady and the mighty Patriots and yet I most certainly hope he does it again.

Tebow is a great story. That person in life that shouldn't be able to accomplish the things they do. According to the, "experts" he will never make it in the NFL. He will never be a starter. He may win a few games but once he gets into the playoffs, the magic will disappear. So far Tim Tebow has proven them wrong and I enjoy when the pompous media experts are wrong.

 Tebow is not only a winner on the football field, he is a winner in his personal life and this is why I want him to win on the field. He is, in short, a good guy. We complain about the prima dona athletes, and yet when a really good person comes along we try and find ways to put them down. Is it because, he is a better person in life then we are? We do not want our heroes to be better off the field then on? Sorry I disagree and to Tebow and the Denver football team, good luck and I hope Tim carries you all the way to the championship. However, next year I will be right back where I belong. Steeler Country.

Except for the Noles ACC has been terrible.

Do you believe the way West Virginia treated Clemson? 70-33. This is a conference champion?  Look at North Carolina. They got blown out by Missouri 41-24. Michigan pounded Virginia Tech. Wake Forest losses to Mississippi State. The saving teams for the ACC were NC State upsetting Louisville and of course my beloved Noles besting Notre Dame.

Some people will say that FSU, winning over one of the most fabled schools in all of college football history, was no big deal. They are wrong. It was a big deal. Notre Dame, like Florida State is a school with history and looking to get back to its glory days. We are getting there quicker. You have to remember that Jimbo Fisher is only in his second year, after succeeding a legend, in Bobby Bowden. This is never easy to accomplish, but I believe Jimbo has the Noles on the right track and it will not be long before they will compete for and win another national title. So to all of you Nole Haters out there, tough. Get ready to hate us some more, and for the ACC, be prepared to be dominated again. Go Noles!

ESPN Bowl Mania Brings Out The Competitor In Me.

Michael and Brandon are two of my friends at work and they suggested I play Bowl Mania during the college bowl season. I remember last year they were comparing games and Mike outlasted Brandon. So I figured what the heck, I'll give it a shot. Something happens to a person when they are in a contest. All of a sudden I actually gave a damn about, who won the game between Temple and Wyoming. Now I have heard of the schools and may have watched part of a game they were involved with, but I had never rooted one way or the other, for either university.

Along comes ESPN Bowl Mania and I become obsessed. The first thing I do in the morning is look and see how, "my" teams did if they were involved in a late night game. I have watched with a certain amount of trepidation as each game is played. Initially, I thought if I picked one more team to win then lost it would be a success. The wins started to flow and I became Mr. Competitor. With five more games to go I am 24-6 on my picks and have amassed 489 points. I am certainly not the leader, but continue to inch up the leader board. This certainly makes watching the games, I can stay awake for more entertaining.

As for the outcome of the Temple, Wyoming game. Temple won and I received 13 points. Go Owls.

My Hope For The New Year In Sports.

If I am granted something for the New Year in Sports, it would be a return to the fields or courts of competition. I, like so many others I suspect, am so tired of sports playing out in the boardrooms and courtrooms around the country. I love the competitive aspect of all sports, but have grown weary of stories, like Jerry Sandusky, the labor standoffs, free agency fights, rising prices to attend games, spoiled athletes, boorish behavior from owners and the myriad of items that have infiltrated the sports pages around the country. These are all issues that we face in society and I am not advocating for us to ignore or sweep them under the rug (See Penn State). I am just hoping that the people, who compete, own or manage our sports teams will start to look at the responsibilities that come with high profile people. Our political figures are still working on this also. I just want to sit back, have an ice cold beer, some healthy (yeah right) snacks and enjoy the on the field events. Is that too much to ask for? I hope not.

I will be taking the next couple of days off to enjoy Christmas with the people that matter most to me, my family. To my readers I wish you a Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah or a Happy Holiday.

I May Have To Wait A Couple Of Weeks To Watch The NBA.

Now that the lockout is over. The free agency signing is coming to a close. The couple of exhibition games are out of the way. I am trying to decide if  I am ready to watch NBA games or do I want to wait for a couple of weeks.

My decision has nothing to do with boycott to show my disdain for the battle between millionaires and billionaires. It is simply, do I want to watch tired out of shape players attempt to play ball, or wait until they are actually in game shape. Over the next couple of weeks the millionaires will being working themselves into playing shape and the crispness of the game will suffer. I love basketball of all types and look forward to seeing quality games and great plays. I do not enjoy watching players bent over pulling on their shorts because they are winded, I do not enjoy shots clanking off the rim because the players legs are not under them and leaving shots short. I do not enjoy a player standing completely still as another player glides past them for a lay up and there is no defensive attempt. I also know that try as I may, come Christmas day, when I get home from work, I will turn the TV on and enjoy the return of professional basketball. So much for my resistance.

My Commitment to Old School Sports!

Of all the three blogs I write this one, for some reason, is the one I struggle with the most. I am not sure why that is. I love sports of all types and follow them throughout the year. I guess part of the cause is not quite finding a particular niche, to speak from. In the new year I am committing to my readers to overcome the issues that have held me back and publish posts at least five times a week. Is this going to be easy, No, but I know the rewards will be higher then the work. On some days the posts may be shorter then others but for better or worse, I will have my opinions out for you to read. As with my other blogs, simplicity will reign. I am also sure that as the year progresses I will tweak and evolve. Hang in there with me. It will be worth the time and effort. This I promise.

Mike Krzyzewski Deserves The Accolades!

After a week of the sordid Penn State mess and listening to the breakdown of the labor talks in the NBA, it was quite refreshing to have college hoops to watch and cheer for. At the top of my list was watching Coach K win his 903th game and pass, his mentor, Bob Knight. Even better was the fact that Knight was working the game as an analyst for ESPN. You can say what you want about Knight and his sometime boorish behavior, but there is no better color man for college basketball and listening to him during this telecast and any others is pure pleasure for the die-hard fan.

Seeing the love and friendship between Krzyzewski and Knight gives us all hope that college games can be enjoyed and savored. Mike is the best coach and leader in any sport has at the moment. I know people can argue about who is best of all time. The name John Wooden would easily be placed there, but not ahead of Coach K.  Mike has been an iconic figure for years at Duke, where he has made them one of the premier sports teams in history. He has taken on and delivered for the USA Basketball program and brought us back the Gold Medals, that we should have. He works tirelessly for the Dickie V foundation and it's fight against cancer, and has been an inspiration with his books and lectures.
My wife, Pat, is a Cameron Crazie and I think I am secretly right there with her. Congratulations Coach K and I hope to witness your 1000th win in the next couple of years.