Wild World Of Wednesday Blogspotting - March 31, 2010

I just occurred to me that the guido fist pump dance is not only a great way to be silly but you can probably burn a lot of calories doing it. Surely this guy is using at part of his fitness plan?

In case you haven't noticed, Heather over at Real Women Golf has been on fire lately. Today she is taking applications for gallery positions and she even had a close encounter with John Daly. Go girl!

By the way, have you checked out the blog Up Next In Sports? You should.

I was excited to see that Armchair Golf Blog had this post about Jim Furyk and his dietary changes. Simple changes can make a big difference when you stick to them!

Let's face it...the Dodgers are going to suck royally this year. Period. There are so many ridiculous headlines about the McCourt divorce that I have completely tuned out. I can't even get excited by Opening Day. If you're interested in all the gory details and happenings with the demise of the Dodgers just follow Dodger Divorce.

Today In Sports History

1973 - Muhammad Ali wore a $10000 robe with "The Peoples Champion" inscribed on it. Ali lost the fight to Ken Norton. Elvis Presley had given the robe to Ali on January 2, 1971.

1998 - The Tampa Bay Devil Rays and the Arizona Diamondbacks debuted in the major league.

2004 - NFL owners adopted a 15-yard penalty for excessive celebrations. The penalty was added to the fines previously in place for choreographed and multiplayer celebrations. Also, if the infraction was flagrant the player would be ejected. The previous day the owners had instituted a modified instant replay system for five years.

*Source for sports history is here

I Have Nothing Exciting To Say Today

Seriously, I started writing some witty post for your reading pleasure and it just wasn't coming out right. I thought of doing "best of" like Vince or talking about great gifts like Heather but I am just not feeling it today.

Instead, I found a video that has one of my favorite silly mascot dances along with some other goodies. I just never tire of this!

I know, I'm dull - so here's a very cool link from Surfer Magazine with a slideshow of the surf on the East Coast this month. Brr! I thought 58 degree water and 65 degree air was cold. I don't think I could walk through snow to get to the beach and then jump in! Then again...

Happy Tuesday!

Wild World of Wednesday - December 16, 2009

Holiday Greetings: My inbox is filling up with holiday greetings from the numerous mailing lists I am on. This one from the Rays is one of my favorites.

Speaking of Baseball: One fan is keeping up with all of the events, gossip, and other happenings in the McCourt divorce case. Check out Dodger Divorce for the latest on the train wreck.

Surf Story Project: On a less strange note - this Friday is the release party for Surf Story. It starts at 6 pm at the Hurley HQ in Costa Mesa. Check out this link for more details.


Today In Sports History

1972 - Miami Dolphins become the first undefeated NFL team (14-0-0)

1973 - O J Simpson becomes the first NFL player to rush 2,000 yards in a season

Wild World of Wednesday - April 15, 2009

Wild About Popcorn: I've noticed a lot of chatter in the blogosphere about the New York Liberty. They're certainly reaching out to bloggers and fans all over the country. A while back they made sure to notify me about a Q&A with one of their stars. Check the Liberty's website and they've put together a synopsis of their excitement for the season. In addition, you can receive a free small popcorn with tickets priced $34.50, $39.50, $54.50 and $85. You must mention code SHAMEKA when purchasing tickets at ticketmaster.com, 877-WNBA-TIX, or The Garden Box Office. Offer expires September 14. You can also have lunch with Kia Vaughn, the Liberty's new draft pick and a Liberty "Just Drafted" t-shirt if you purchase season tickets. You have to act fast on this one - it expires on Friday, April 17.

Wild Times At The Trop: Summer is not complete without baseball season. The reigning AL champs have just announced their Summer Concert Series lineup with retro faves like Pat Benatar and the B-52s. The wildest part about the Rays is they are back at the "bottom of the heap" so to speak and getting no love at all. Sports media is completely discounting them and any chance of making a statement like they did last year. They've already beat the Red Sox two out of three times in this young season and have split the series with the Yankees so far. They play New York again tonight. Whether they win or lose, it will likely still take quite a while for AL East fans to decide that they are a challenge for the overexposed Yankees and Red Sox. Yeah, you heard me - overexposed. There are many more teams in the league. I'm talking to you ESPN.

You May Have Noticed: If you subscribe to my feed via email or RSS the full post does not show up any longer. I am experimenting with a few options so I appreciate your patience. Drop me a note or leave a comment if you have an opinion either way. If you have only been reading the email or RSS feed then you are missing the daily videos that I include with each post. While most is either relevant to someone that is mentioned that day or a snarky bit, I do publish original photo and video from events that I personally attend to cover.

Today In Sports History

1958 - The first MLB game in California is played and the San Francisco Giants beat the Los Angeles Dodgers, 8-0 and a rivalry is born.

1997 - Baseball honors Jackie Robinson by retiring #42 for all teams in the league.

5 Questions About Opening Day

Yes, it's here - Opening Day 2009. The start of the Major League Baseball season is upon us. Here's a few questions that I've heard come up about this day.

1. Um, who played in the World Series last year?

Unless your team won or lost, many fans forget who actually played in the World Series last year. The Philadelphia Phillies pulled it out against the Tampa Bay Rays. The Rays have nothing to be ashamed about though. No one gave them any credit as they had no high-paid superstars. Many jumped on the bandwagon when they took the early lead in the Series but to no avail. They're back at the bottom of the expectation list again this year. We'll have to see how this pans out. (Of course, mentioning the Rays gives me the excuse to play my favorite video of their mascot!)

2. What are some significant milestones that have happened on opening day?

From the Baseball Almanac:

"Ted Williams was a .449 hitter in openers, with three home runs and fourteen runs batted in during fourteen games. "Teddy Ballgame" also boasted at least one hit in every Opening Day game he appeared in. Williams' first Opening Day (April 20, 1939) was especially noteworthy as he faced the rival New York Yankees and Lou Gehrig, who was playing in his 2,123rd consecutive game.

Opening Day 1940 witnessed one of the most famous pitching events as Cleveland ace Bob Feller and White Sox hurler Eddie Smith went head-to-head. Smith blinked, but Feller remained in control and tossed the only Opening Day no-hitter in Major League history.

Hammerin' Hank Aaron ignited the crowd at Riverfront Stadium on his first swing of the 1974 season when he tagged Cincinnati Reds for his 714th career home run to tie Babe Ruth on the all-time list."

3. How many United States Presidents have thrown out the opening pitch?

At least twelve sitting presidents have thrown out the ceremonial first pitch. One of the most interesting had to be Harry S. Truman - he threw one with his left and another with his right hand on Opening Day 1950.

4. What is an interesting movie to watch about Opening Day?

Well, I know of the ever-so-creepy Robert DeNiro and Wesley Snipes flick, The Fan. It's a pretty cheesy "thriller" where DeNiro plays a psyshopath (he's good at that). The movie isn't totally about Opening Day but the event plays a big part of the film.

I did find a nice list of less creepy baseball-themed movies here.

5. What has been your favorite opening day?

I've been to a few at Chavez Ravine and one at Tropicana Field and always have an amazing time. My favorite to date was last year at the Ravine that celebrated the Dodgers' 50th season in Los Angeles. What an awesome day!

Sports Tourism

Every new town I happen to visit I have the overwhelming desire to take pictures of the local stadiums. Sure, I like to get other landmarks here and there as well. I have pics of Times Square from my recent NYC trip and always get the obligatory recognizable places. My absolute weakness that sends me to total geekdom is stadiums and sports landmarks. While some women dream of a Paris shopping vacation (which I’m not opposed to some good shopping at all), my ideal vacation would be to hit all of the historic stadiums and sports landmarks. On my list to see before I die: Lambeau Field, Wrigley Field, Joe Robbie Stadium (or whatever it is called now – you know it is where the Dolphins play), Cooperstown, and Canton just to name a few. I’ve got to get to the UK and see a Man U and/or Chelsea game as well, some rugby, and cricket. I also want to go to every single Dodgers home game for one season. I’ll save that goal until the current ownership has been removed. They have enough of my money for now.

At any rate, I have some pics of some of the stadiums that I have visited over the years in the slideshow above. There’s Camden Yards, Madison Square Garden, Chavez Ravine, the Coliseum, and Invesco Field (which will always be Mile High to me). There are SEVERAL that I have been to that are missing from this collection. I have been to the old RFK stadium (saw the Redskins play the 49ers when Steve Young and Jerry Rice were still playing and also saw them play against the Giants when Jason Sehorn was still on the team), Candlestick Park (saw Bryant Young’s last home game), Raymond James Stadium, Tropicana Field, the Ice Palace (or whatever it is called now in Tampa where the Lightning plays), Staples Center, Great Western Forum, and somewhere else that I am forgetting. My college graduation ceremony was actually at the Ice Palace in Tampa (okay, I think it is the St. Pete Times Forum now) and I got to address the crowd and introduce one of the speakers. I will not get pictures of a few of those places for obvious reasons (as in, they no longer exist). The stadium I have been to the most times in my life has to be, hands down, Chavez Ravine. This is why I get so darn sensitive about the Dodgers.

At any rate, when you are traveling, many stadiums offer tours. For example, Invesco Field has a Colorado Sports Hall of Fame and tour of the stadium. I was standing ON THE SIDELINE and nearly lost my mind. I have also been on the field at Raymond James and thought I would just die.

Yes, I am a complete dork and totally in on it.

What is your weakness when it comes to sports? Is it having to see and photograph every stadium possible like me? Do you have a different thing that puts you in the dork category?

Tales From The Inbox - November 13, 2008

MLB: Joe Maddon is the AL Manager of the Year, a well-deserved honor. This is just another page in my case that the Tampa Bay Rays are a real franchise. The Rays site explains it well:

"Considering he was managing a team that plays in a division with the powerhouse Red Sox and Yankees while sporting the second-lowest payroll in the Major Leagues, it would've been very easy for Rays skipper Joe Maddon to accept mediocrity going into Spring Training 2008.

In fact, that's what the Rays had endured the previous 10 years of the franchise.

But, in his third season with Tampa Bay, mediocrity wasn't something Maddon was ready to accept."

As I mentioned on Tuesday - this team will be dangerous next year. I bet the Red Sox and Yankees won't take them so lightly any more.

What is also interesting is that the Chicago Cubs manager, Lou Pinella, got the nod for the honor in the NL. He was once the Rays manager but couldn't bring the team anywhere. I recall when he got to Tampa Bay - ticket sales went up a bit and fans were very hopeful. We all know how that ended...


Life Rolls On: The organization's recent Night by the Ocean was featured last night on FuelTV's The Daily Habit. If you missed it, you can pick up the rebroadcast at least twice today.

Their signature event, They Will Surf Again will pick back up next year.


Today in Sports History

1875 - Harvard-Yale game is the first college football contest with uniforms

1875 - The National Bowling Association is organized in New York

1974 - Dodgers first baseman Steve Garvey wins the NL MVP

1992 - Riddick Bowe beats Evander Holyfield in 12 rounds for the heavyweight boxing title

Take Five for Baseball

As the country is knee deep in the very interesting NFL season I thought I’d take a moment to talk about baseball:

I’m sure you’ve figured out by now that the Tampa Bay Rays are for real. Yeah, I know, they choked in the World Series. But really – they were at the very bottom last season. I mean the BOTTOM. That whole worst to first thing was going on. To even make it to the playoffs was a major feat and the first in their franchise history. They knocked off the precious Boston Red Sox on the way and totally owned the New York Yankees all season. In spite of what you may think – the Tampa Bay Rays are a real baseball team. They are on the map and deserve fans and recognition!

Rays third baseman Evan Longoria was recently named the American League Rookie of the Year. Ha! A player from the Tampa Bay Rays! Seriously! Talk about validation. Longoria is only one of the many young stars that keep the franchise afloat. The lineup is chock full of the young and talented like Matt Garza and Dioner Navarro. On the other side of the diamond, first baseman Carlos Pena got a Golden Glove nod for himself. More validation. Hopefully the team stays mostly intact through this offseason so they can come back strong next year. The team can only get better. I’ll bet if they make it back to the World Series they’ll actually put up a big fight and perhaps even win the whole thing.

On the other hand, the Los Angeles Dodgers continue to let the Manny Ramirez clock run. Let’s see where he ends up. We all want him to stay here in Los Angeles. With the Dodgers. The New York Yankees already have their wallet open if he doesn’t stay. In other news, the Dodgers decided to let Brad Penny become a free agent. Who will be next?

Speaking of the National League and the Dodgers, the playoff sweep of the Chicago Cubs didn’t stop catcher Geovany Soto from getting the NL Rookie of the Year nod. Congratulations to him.

The landscape of the MLB map is undergoing a change. I like to think it is for the better since teams that are not exclusively from the northeast corner of the country are making headlines. A similar migration of power happened in the NFL when the Dallas Cowboys, Pittsburgh Steelers, and San Francisco 49ers lost their stranglehold on NFL titles. It’s now happening in baseball. Fans tire of the same teams winning all the time. At least this one does. Let’s mix it up!

Wild World of Wednesday - October 29, 2008

MLB: The World Series is quite wild this year. There hasn't been a rain delay like this in recent memory and the very rules of baseball are being questioned. Phillies fans are coming out of their skin and Rays fans are holding their breath. The game restarts in the bottom of the 6th inning with the Phillies coming up to bat and a 2-2 tie. Whatever happens with this will be blamed for winning or losing I'm sure.

And by the way - Frank McCourt is still waffling instead of signing Manny Ramirez. How ridiculous is that? How many times to I have to complain about this? How much longer must I listen to everyone complain on sports radio? Let me guess, he's trying to poll exactly how many of us will actually stop going to the game or be fed up enough to stop buying merchandise? With record crowds and a huge television contract there must be enough money for him and several other stars. How about NOT building that unnecessary mall at the stadium if you're so strapped for cash?

NFL: If you look outside you'll see animals that previously had no wings in the air and flying. Yes, the Tennessee Titans are 7-0. Who would have bet on that? This is just the continuation of a very wild year in the NFL. No one is laughing at my choice of the Titans defense for my fantasy football team anymore...except me...


Today in Sports History

1942 - Branch Rickey is named president/GM of the Brooklyn Dodgers

Sunday Sports Wrap - October 26, 2008

NFL: The San Diego Chargers are in London, England today to play the New Orleans Saints. It looks like everyone's favorite Saints blogger is there and will be posting the details of the game. How fun that must be! The stadium is ginormous compared to those we have for football in the States. I'm jealous.

MLB: The World Series continues tonight with Game 4 in Philly. The Rays are down 2-1 for now. I watched a silly segment on SportsCenter the other morning where they discussed the Philly curse. Just because a team hasn't won in 25 years, there is a curse? The Dodgers haven't won in close to 20 so are they cursed as well? I'm guessing its actually because owners of other teams spend a whole bunch of money to assure they win the titles. I can think of two in particular...

MLS: DC United are off to play the Columbus Crew and FC Dallas come to play the Los Angeles Galaxy. I can only shake my head at the latest David Beckham shenanigans. I guess I can't blame him for wanting to go sign a contract in Milan. I would probably get every ounce of money out of my career as well. My question is this - when are people going to tire of signing him for all of this money? Don't get me wrong, he's a great player but he certainly didn't do anything near what they hoped for the sport in America. He gets more attention for walking the red carpet here in Los Angeles than he does for his athletic prowess.

Today in Sports History

1863 - Soccer rules are standardized and therefore rugby starts as a separate game.

1981 - The Los Angeles Dodgers beat the New York Yankees 4 games to 2 in the 78th World Series

Wild World of Wednesday - October 22, 2008

MLB: The World Series starts today in Tampa. The buzz claims that it will be dull and receive very low ratings. Really? So it isn’t worth watching unless the same teams are there every year? Is everyone writing this opinion from Boston or New York? I think it is great to see a new team in the Series. Setting aside my obvious slant toward the Rays - why is it a ratings nightmare to have a team that had an atrocious record the previous year go to the Series? What happened to pulling for the underdog or rooting for the “little guy”? One player on that team in New York makes a bigger salary than the entire Rays team. How is that dull? Has everyone just become sheep? Everyone just wants to see the same 2 or 3 teams every year? Wake up and think for yourself, folks. Really.

NBA: I still can’t believe basketball season is here. What is quite amusing is that the Lakers website can’t spell the player names right. I wonder how long they’ll leave the typo "Jordan Farmer" up? I’m sure plenty of Lakers fans will notice and email them. I hate when I have typos and I certainly am not perfect but I know the Lakers website is a much bigger operation. Tighten up! (Yes, I am being a bit sarcastic…)


Golf: Tiger Woods was back at Torrey Pines this week as a caddy. A lucky golfer won a contest to have the world’s best cart around his clubs. Tiger didn’t actually physically carry the clubs but drove them around in a cart. Any way you slice that, it is still an awesome thing. I’d be hounding the man for swing critique and tips the entire time.


Today in Sports History

1939 – The first NFL game is televised with the Philadelphia Eagles vs. the Brooklyn Dodgers (Yes, that is the team name and not a typo – look it up! They later became the Brooklyn Tigers before disbanding completely.)

1973 - Ichiro Suzuki is born today.



And the winner is...

Doret!

Thank you to all who entered the 5 Questions Contest! I appreciate all of the feedback and realize just how shy you all are since most all entries were via email!

Rays The Roof!!

Yeah – as corny as it is, I just had to say it. Congratulations to the Tampa Bay Rays. Finally! Matt Garza deserved that MVP award and the team deserved the win. Rocco Baldelli is an amazing story and Evan Longoria is a first-rate player. All of the Rays deserve to bask in this victory. From the worst record in baseball last year with 96 losses to the best in the AL this year and 97 wins. You showed the Angels, Yankees, and Red Sox that you are a force to be reckoned with. In fact, you owned the Red Sox this year. What a ride!

So Tampa Bay, realize that you are a bona fide sports town. When I was in college there I saw that sports were an integral part of life. There are fans of all sports from all over the planet that converge there. Now you just need to support the local teams. The Bucs have won a Super Bowl and the Lightning have won a Stanley Cup so realize that Tampa isn’t just the place to see your favorite team come into town to play against. Support Tampa.

GO RAYS!!

P.S. Don’t forget…today is the last day to get in on the 5 Questions Contest. Thanks to all of you that have entered so far. I really appreciate the feedback that I have received.

Sunday Sports Wrap - October 19, 2008

MLB: Yes, I have a special video to emphasize just how exciting that I feel a Phillies vs. Red Sox World series would be. And yes, that really is my very own animal companion. At any rate, Garza is pitching for the Rays today in Game 7 of the ALCS against the Red Sox. He's done a great job of keeping his emotions in check so far...GO RAYS!

NBA: The preseason continues with three games today. The Los Angeles Lakers are at the bottom of the preseason standings. So what! The NBA preseason does not dictate how a team will do in the actual season. Seriously, the Clippers are on top of the Pacific Division and we all know how long that will last.

NHL: I still can't believe hockey has started again. Two games happen, with one being the Anaheim Ducks vs. Carolina. Let's see how the Ducks pull the season out. We know it will be better than the Kings. When will the Los Angeles Kings be a team again? *sigh*

And yes, there is plenty of NFL today - there are also plenty of people covering it and you'll likely get my complaining about it at some point later in the week.


Today in Sports History

1951 - Babe Didrikson-Zaharias wins the LPGA Texas Women's Golf Open

1981 - The Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Montreal Expos for NL pennant (ah, those were the days).

Tired of the East Coast Bias

In case you didn't notice, I would like to see the Tampa Bay Devil Rays go to the World Series. I know you find it hard to believe that I am not a Red Sox fan (sarcasm). In fact, I am a fan of any team playing against a Boston team. In addition, I feel the same about New York teams (except for that last Super Bowl). Sure, both cities have won a lot of titles...blah, blah, blah. I remember it wasn't all that long ago that the beloved Patriots were a complete joke. The NBA Season is starting up and now I get to hear all about how awesome the Celtics are. Yawn.

To cheer myself up that the Rays didn't put Boston to bed when they had the chance and that the Dodgers are totally out, I thought I would link to past and current articles/blogs that feel the same way I do.

The headline of this article makes me smile.

I find it very amusing that people will actually pose the question of whether a team is good on Yahoo! Answers.

This thread is funny and sad at the same time.

This website title makes me smile even though they haven't updated it in a long time.

Baseball Blogspotting

Well, just because my Dodgers have petered out it doesn’t mean that baseball season is quite over yet. The Rays had the shot to end the Red Sox season last night but didn’t get it done. Urgh.

If you want to wallow in the misery of the Dodgers loss check out Dodger Blues. They always seem to capture the essence of our feelings about the team.

I never thought I’d find something to link to on this "blog" but TMZ has a slideshow telling the rich posers to get off of the bandwagon. I wish they would stay off, they are taking up my seats and driving up ticket prices.

And to further wallow in my misery – even a New York Mets fan feels the pain that I do of the McCourt rule and points out the absurdities that we must put up with as Dodgers fans.

Some Rays fans are already looking to next year.

Others have posts we can revel in regardless of what happens next.

We can also revel in bad Rex Sox jokes.

Oh, and this isn’t a blog but it cracks me up.

But, I’ll probably wear this one instead (yeah, still not a blog).

In Mourning

I knew it! I knew it! I knew it! I knew that the Los Angeles Dodgers actually making it to the World Series was too good to be true. On the 20th anniversary of the very day the famous Kirk Gibson home run was hit the season is over. Argh! I’m really not surprised. The Dodgers will always be like that – you know, like that relative that promises to show up to your birthday every year and never does. They are my uncle that swears he’s gonna bring me a cake and we sit there and just wait but he never shows up…

Okay Mr. Frank McCourt, you listen here. First of all, BRING BACK MANNY RAMIREZ. Let me just be clear about that – BRING BACK MANNY. You know the guy with the hair that can hit the daylights out of the ball? Don’t be a total chump and let him go. He belongs here. While you’re at it – make sure Rafael Furcal, James Loney, Russell Martin, Matt Kemp, and Jeff Kemp stay too. Don’t be tempted to trade away Andre Ethier or Blake DeWitt either. Keep Brad Penny, Jonathan Broxton, and the whole bullpen while you’re at it. In fact, don’t get rid of anyone that has made a name here in Los Angeles. Don’t trade away all of the good players just to fund that freaking mall you’re building at Chavez Ravine to squeeze more money out of the fans.

A colleague tried to tell me that I should be grateful that they came this far. Whippee. So what? They made it to the NLCS. Sure, it is admirable. It is nothing to be unappreciative of. But for crying out loud, let’s keep the momentum. Build a team. We deserve it. You get record-breaking attendance all the time. We show up to the stadium and buy the merchandise. WE DESERVE A WINNING TEAM. By winning I mean the entire thing - not just a good record and appearance in the playoffs. Why can’t the Dodgers be the elite franchise? We don’t want to wait 100 years or anything like the Chicago Cubs.

That said - congratulations to all of you Philly fanatics. Shane Victorino is actually a class act as much as that sentence makes me want to hurl as I write it. The Philadelphia Phillies are in the World Series. I’ll only be watching if the Tampa Bay Rays make it in. Seriously, I’ve already mentioned how absolutely boring I think a Phillies – Red Sox World Series would be. Yawn.

Go Rays!

Boston Bandwagon Broken?

Just when I was stewing about the fact that Tropicana Field was full of red – lo and behold – Fenway Park had Tampa Bay Rays fans! Bwahaha. I’ve read several blogs recently that basically called the Rays fans a bunch of backward folk. Having gone to college in Tampa, I can say that this is not always the case. Most of those nuts you see out there have migrated from other places (I’ll spare you the details on the exact locations, but you know what I’m talking about if you’ve been there). Newsflash: Florida natives are actually normal people. They get a bad rap just like we do here in Los Angeles. Go ahead, ask 95% of those nutty residents where they are from…not originally the Tampa Bay area. Conversely, there are many transplants that are normal, upstanding citizens as well so I don’t want you to get the totally wrong idea.

At any rate, I’ve complained that Tampa residents need to stand up and claim their Rays –regardless of where they are from. I didn’t stop being a Dodgers fan when I was in Tampa, but I certainly never disrespected the home stadium of where I was living by wearing the opposing team jersey if they came in to town. Of course, I had the luxury of that not happening too often since the Rays are in the AL.

But alas, back to my original point…there were several people at Fenway Park wearing Rays garb. How does that feel Boston Red Sox fans? You look at those folks with disgust, don’t you? Ha! Now you know how the rest of the baseball world feels when you grace us with your presence in our home stadiums.

Oh, and I just have to point out how you all Red Sox "faithful" started to bail out in the 8th inning after Rocco Baldelli of the Tampa Bay Rays belted out that three run homer over the Green Monster. I don’t EVER want to hear you try to talk about Los Angeles Dodgers fans leaving early from games ever again. The Red Sox “faithful” were leaving the stadium in droves. So much for in it until the end, eh? By the way, those folks you see arriving late and leaving early to Chavez Ravine are generally posers there to stargaze. Sure, some fans can’t get there in time since we have no public transportation and traffic can be a challenge. For the most part, diehards get there and take the abuse until the game is over. Yeah, if you wait until all of the bandwagoners have left there is no problem leaving the parking lot.

Alright, I’ve gotten off point several times here – the intent was to point out that the Boston Red Sox bandwagon must be broken since I saw Tampa Bay Rays fans in the stands. I was just as amused by that and the home team fans leaving early as I was with the Red Sox loss. No, I’m not talking trash guaranteeing a Rays win of the ALDS. I would hate to jinx them like that. For now, I’ll remain cautiously optimistic and dream of a Dodgers – Rays World Series. Deal with it.

Sunday Sports Wrap - October 12, 2008

Is it really mid-October? Wow! I lose track of the months (and always have) considering we don't have extremely significant weather changes or fall foliage around here. I know I'm supposed to start breaking out a jacket when World Series talk begins and it takes me by surprise every year. It was even worse in college since I was in Florida. Trust me, I'm not complaining at all. I've been in a city where it snows at sea level and that just isn't right to me. Snow belongs on the mountains that are in the distance. I know, pity me.

Anyhoo...I'll stop waffling...

MLB: The Dodgers need to step it up today. I mean seriously, how BORING would a Phillies vs. Red Sox World Series be. Do I really need to answer that? Speaking of which, I am so tired of seeing red in the Rays stadium. Stand up Tampa! I went to college there so I am in on the fact that there are a bunch of Boston transplants. I just want to know how that if Boston is such an awesome place - why did you leave? Please root for the Rays if you now live in Tampa. Have some respect. Those of you here in Los Angeles can either root for the local teams or leave as well...

NFL: I am 0-5 in one Fantasy League and in 3rd place out of 12 in another. Go figure. I'm watching the Bucs v. Panthers game today with great interest and thinking that the 49ers v.Eagles will be a good one to watch also.

Today in Sports History

1972 - The Oakland A's take the American League pennant with a 2-1 win in Game Five of the ALCS over the Baltimore Orioles. The A's Reggie Jackson steals home, but pulls a hamstring in the process which sidelines him for the World Series.

1989 - Herschel Walker is traded from the Dallas Cowboys to the Minnesota Vikings for 12 players (talk about an ego boost).

Sports Logic

You know how sports fans sometimes have crazy logic for why we root for certain teams that aren’t from our hometown? Not everyone does this, but a vast majority of sports fans use creative sports logic to justify who they root for. For example, here are “my teams” that I root for and why I chose them:

Los Angeles Dodgers, Los Angeles Lakers, Los Angeles Sparks, Los Angeles Galaxy, Los Angeles Kings: These are all the teams from my hometown. I was born and raised in Los Angeles so this makes sense, yeah? Not very hard to imagine why I’m interested in these. Now for the more "creative" followings:

I’ll follow what I call the “lesser” teams to root for SoCal against all other teams if one of my aforementioned teams are not playing, especially in a playoff position. For example, you’ll see me cheer on the Anaheim Angels, Los Angeles Clippers, Chivas USA, and the Anaheim Ducks. This is ONLY if they are not playing my real L.A. teams or even certain Florida teams in playoff situations but this is not set in stone.

USC and UCLA: Yes, it is blasphemy, but they are both in my hometown and I have many good friends that attended one or the other.

USF: I went to college at the University of Tampa and we did not have a football team. (Well, they did up until 1974 when John Matuszak graduated.) Instead, we were granted admission to USF Bulls games for free. This program has only been around for a short time and they manage to be ranked high in the BCS lately so it’s great to cheer them on. Go Bulls!

University of Miami: I was accepted to college here but decided to be in Tampa instead. I absolutely love the city of Miami and visit when I can. Of course, they cannot be playing one of the teams that were mentioned earlier in any NCAA games. This rooting system for college teams goes for all sports - not just football.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Tampa Bay Devil Rays, Tampa Bay Lightning: Again, I went to college in Tampa and had an absolute blast going to all of these games that I could. By default, I might also root for the Orlando Magic since I was able to catch some of their pre-season games in Tampa. On that note the Carolina Panthers can disappear from existence without any tears from me.

Oakland Raiders: The only team to bring a Super Bowl ring to my hometown of Los Angeles. Al Davis is making this a real challenge nowadays.

San Diego Chargers: They are very close and the city loves them!

San Francisco 49ers: Joe Montana, Steve Young, Jerry Rice, Bill Walsh - need I say more?

Manchester United: The Glazers own them. They also own the Bucs. Get it?

When there is any conference final or championship game, I will root for the West Coast or Florida team depending on the circumstances. There is an entire silly grid in my head of the order.

Golf: Phil Mickelson gets my vote since he is a left-handed SoCal native like yours truly. Annika Sorenstam and Lorena Ochoa are cheered for because they are class acts. Of course, California native Tiger Woods is a favorite as well.

Bottom line – I love sports. Chill out and let’s watch a game! Was this a totally lame post? Maybe...give me a break...I can't be full of wit and charm every day.

What is your odd sports logic for a team you follow?

Wild World of Wednesday - October 1, 2008

In order to keep this from being the Wild World of Whining I am going to skip talking about the NFL. This season is nuts – at least things are being shaken up a bit! I will say that Al Davis is an absolute nutjob. Someone please do an intervention! I really have a hard time believing that a guy who is the son of a defensive genius could be that bad of a head coach. But who am I to say...

It’s Official: The Yankees Stink

Hahahaha! The Yankees stink. They didn’t even make it to the post season this year. Boo-hoo! They were outplayed and outdone by a team that they always seem to discount. In fact, they use Tampa as their practice area. They have this very lovely facility across the street from Raymond James Stadium for spring training. There are plaques around the city for events that famous Yankees have taken part in. There is an influx of New Yorkers during the cold weather to claim the area as their own.

No more. Go home. Stay in the cold. Deal with your Yankees where they belong – in New York. Don’t discount the Rays anymore. They are the rightful team of the Tampa Bay area. They deserve the fans. Tampa does not need the Yankees. Tampa needs to build their own franchise without the distraction of part-time resident snowbirds.

Yankees ownership has been crying the blues. Deal with it. You’ve spent all that money on payroll but you just couldn’t buy another championship. Too bad. Waaaaa. That will conclude my trash talking. I just had to get it out. I’m tired of hearing that baseball = Yankees. Around here, baseball = Dodgers, not matter how bad they stink.

By the way, I don't have anything nice to say about the Red Sox either but we will save that for another day.


Today in Sports History

1977 - Brazilian soccer great Pele' retires with 1,281 goals in 1,363 games

1989 - Dallas Cowboy, Ed "Too Tall" Jones records his 1,000th NFL tackle