Without time to create something original for today, I'll suggest this piece about Bo Jackson, the greatest athlete I will ever see.
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/eticket/story?page=bojackson
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
If I were...
- If I were the New York Yankees, I would not hesitate to deal at least one of my top pitching prospects and Melky Cabrera for Johan Santana. Santana and Josh Becket have to be considered the top two pitchers in the game today. Beckett is the property of the Boston Red Sox, so he will not be a Yankee any time soon. If the Yanks are not going to rebuild, and Alex Rodriguez's new deal says they're not, then they need to improve that pitching staff immediately. The Yankees can always buy back the prospects in a few years, anyway.
- If I were Major League Soccer Commissioner Don Garber, I would not be so quick to expand. MLS will expand to San Jose in 2008 and Seattle in 2009, with as many as 4 more teams by 2012. There is no doubt that MLS's blueprint of building slowly from within through a unified league has been superb to date. But the league is at risk of sacrificing that success if it overexpands and puts a watered-down product on the field. The depth of top-level U.S. born players is not quite sufficient to field so many teams. Patience has brought MLS this far, so dance with the girl who brought you, Don Garber.
- If I were University of Pittsburgh Panthers Head Football Coach Dave Wannstedt, or any other Division I Head Coach, for that matter, I would be trying to restructure my coaching staff so that I could bring on former Ole Miss Head Coach Ed Orgeron as my new defensive line coach, and I would be doing it immediately! Future Hall of Famer Defensive Tackle Warren Sapp. Pro Bowl Defensive End Dwight Freeney. All-Americans Mike Patterson and Shaun Cody. All coached in college by Ed Orgeron. Orgeron was simply the best defensive line coach in the country. Not to mention, he is widely regarded as the top recruiter in the nation (sorry, Ron Zook). He may find himself back at USC, but I wouldn't let him head out west without a serious effort.
- If I were the University of Florida, I would be very sad to see Dr. Robert Cade pass away. Dr. Cade was one of the researchers at U of F that created Gatorade, the international sports drink king. The university should be proud to be associated with him.
- If I were Ricky Williams, I would be wondering if it was all worth it. After missing two seasons due to drug suspensions, Williams returned to the NFL and played for the Miami Dolphins Monday night against the Pittsburgh Steelers. After carrying six times for 15 yards, Williams left the game with a torn chest muscle, and will miss the rest of the season.
- If I were reading this, I would be wondering why.
NFL Star Sean Taylor Shot, Killed
Sadness hit the sports world this morning, as reports trickled in: Washington Redskins star Sean Taylor, 24, passed away, unable to recover from a gunshot wound to the upper leg which damaged an artery.
Taylor lived in Miami with his fiancee and fourteen-month old daughter. He was shot after a burglar had opened fire in his Miami home. It was the second time in eight days that Taylor's home had been invaded. The investigations are on-going.
Tragedies of this ilk never have an appropriate time, but in Taylor's case, the timing seems unjustly cruel.
Since arriving in the NFL as the fifth overall pick from the University of Miami in 2004, Taylor had been shadowed by poor behavior, both on the field and off. Taylor was fined at least eight times by the NFL for various infractions, including his absence from the NFL's mandatory Rookie Symposium, late hits, uniform violations, and, most notably, for spitting in the face of Tampa Bay Buccaneer running back Michael Pittman during a 2006 NFC Playoff game. Taylor had also been arrested twice; his 2004 arrest for driving under the influence was dismissed, and he plead no contest to two misdemeanors after being arrested for brandishing a gun during an altercation in Miami.
However, with the birth of his daughter 14 months ago, Taylor began to mature. He was evolving from potential to star, from team distraction to team leader.
The 6'2", 212 lb. Taylor was always singular in his athleticism. Indeed, Taylor played with the same size and ferocity as Pittsburgh Steelers Hall of Fame Linebacker Jack Lambert, yet Taylor played the speed-demanding free safety position, which required him to rove the secondary like a center fielder.
Still, Taylor's natural gifts were unharnessed and sometimes erratic. As this season continued, though, Taylor was becoming more than an athlete, but a football player. Taylor was tied for the NFC lead with five interceptions, despite missing two games due to injury. It was a sign his coverage skills were catching up to his hitting ability - in his path, he left heaps of receivers like mobile homes after a tornado.
"I just take this job very seriously," Taylor said in a rare group interview during training camp. "It's almost like, you play a kid's game for a king's ransom. And if you don't take it serious enough, eventually one day you're going to say, 'Oh, I could have done this, I could have done that.'"
It is a shame that the Washington Redskins have lost a star, a teammate, and a friend. It is a shame that fans of football were deprived of seeing Sean Taylor's potential become stardom, just as it was being fulfilled.
It is a tragedy that a fourteen-month old girl will now grow up without her father.
ESPN.com's Jeffri Chadiha says it better: http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/columns/story?columnist=chadiha_jeffri&id=3129417
So does SI.com's Peter King: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/writers/peter_king/11/27/taylor/index.html?eref=T1
Taylor lived in Miami with his fiancee and fourteen-month old daughter. He was shot after a burglar had opened fire in his Miami home. It was the second time in eight days that Taylor's home had been invaded. The investigations are on-going.
Tragedies of this ilk never have an appropriate time, but in Taylor's case, the timing seems unjustly cruel.
Since arriving in the NFL as the fifth overall pick from the University of Miami in 2004, Taylor had been shadowed by poor behavior, both on the field and off. Taylor was fined at least eight times by the NFL for various infractions, including his absence from the NFL's mandatory Rookie Symposium, late hits, uniform violations, and, most notably, for spitting in the face of Tampa Bay Buccaneer running back Michael Pittman during a 2006 NFC Playoff game. Taylor had also been arrested twice; his 2004 arrest for driving under the influence was dismissed, and he plead no contest to two misdemeanors after being arrested for brandishing a gun during an altercation in Miami.
However, with the birth of his daughter 14 months ago, Taylor began to mature. He was evolving from potential to star, from team distraction to team leader.
The 6'2", 212 lb. Taylor was always singular in his athleticism. Indeed, Taylor played with the same size and ferocity as Pittsburgh Steelers Hall of Fame Linebacker Jack Lambert, yet Taylor played the speed-demanding free safety position, which required him to rove the secondary like a center fielder.
Still, Taylor's natural gifts were unharnessed and sometimes erratic. As this season continued, though, Taylor was becoming more than an athlete, but a football player. Taylor was tied for the NFC lead with five interceptions, despite missing two games due to injury. It was a sign his coverage skills were catching up to his hitting ability - in his path, he left heaps of receivers like mobile homes after a tornado.
"I just take this job very seriously," Taylor said in a rare group interview during training camp. "It's almost like, you play a kid's game for a king's ransom. And if you don't take it serious enough, eventually one day you're going to say, 'Oh, I could have done this, I could have done that.'"
It is a shame that the Washington Redskins have lost a star, a teammate, and a friend. It is a shame that fans of football were deprived of seeing Sean Taylor's potential become stardom, just as it was being fulfilled.
It is a tragedy that a fourteen-month old girl will now grow up without her father.
ESPN.com's Jeffri Chadiha says it better: http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/columns/story?columnist=chadiha_jeffri&id=3129417
So does SI.com's Peter King: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/writers/peter_king/11/27/taylor/index.html?eref=T1
Monday, November 26, 2007
Welcome !
To those who have meandered to this end of the Internet, welcome.
This weblog is intended to be an outlet for sports writings, articles, and random sports-related thoughts. The writings you will find here are sure to include the author's opinion or ideas on a variety of sports topics.
However, this site will not report sports. Indeed, this site will succeed when it has found a story in which sports become merely a backdrop for a much grander tale... The stories that go beyond the playing field, and transcend the boundaries of sports.
Hope you enjoy the read as much as your humble author will enjoy the writing.
This weblog is intended to be an outlet for sports writings, articles, and random sports-related thoughts. The writings you will find here are sure to include the author's opinion or ideas on a variety of sports topics.
However, this site will not report sports. Indeed, this site will succeed when it has found a story in which sports become merely a backdrop for a much grander tale... The stories that go beyond the playing field, and transcend the boundaries of sports.
Hope you enjoy the read as much as your humble author will enjoy the writing.
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