Cycling is the Worst Sport Ever
Posted: July 20, 2011 Filed under: Cycling | Tags: cycling, floyd landis, idiots, lance armstrong, peloton, seattle, steroids, tour de france 10 Comments »
I noticed the other day that the Tour de France is going on but what’s worse is the Tour of Seattle. There has been this apparent race going on for about 10 years in Seattle and has steadily gotten bigger and bigger. The race never ends though, its 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 52 weeks a year and so on. The worst part about it is, riders go wherever they want. That means the course is wherever you want to be going. That’s right! “Cyclist” are just in your way all the time. Read the rest of this entry »
Hey, Ladieeesssss…. Soccer
Posted: July 13, 2011 Filed under: Editorial | Tags: NBA Lockout, NFL Lockout, Poker, Scripps National Spelling Bee, Seattle Storm, Team USA, U.S Women's Soccer, WNBA, Women's World Cup Semi-Finals 9 Comments »
So, tell me, when did you ALL become huge fans of US Women’s Soccer? Is anyone counting all the Facebook posts that read “GO USA!” or “GOAAALLL!!?” – Because I could swear you all weren’t fans yesterday. Did you all turn ESPN on last night and realize that our USA team is seriously, seriously dominating right now? With the Women’s World Cup Semi-Final happening today – and as of this moment (10:40am) the USA Team up 2-1 over France, it’s not surprising so many of you are jumping on the band wagon. Don’t get me wrong, I proudly support professional women’s sports leagues. I might have to admit a bit of a bias opinion since the only job I wanted ages 10-14 was to be the first woman to play on an MLB team. On behalf of us ladies, I appreciate the support, and I love to see the gals able to keep an audience, gain our attention and be serious athletes. Seriously go look at their stats. There’s a hell of a lot of wins. But come on – this team has always been a bunch of serious athletes. Now, go look at the attendance records… oh, really? Maybe one or two games a season they have just over 10,000 fans show up. The rest of the games we’re looking at 500-1,000 in attendance. Where were all of you for those games?
And you know what else? With the NFL and NBA lockout looming, maybe you all can jump on the WNBA band wagon too. I couldn’t tell you how many fans jumped on the opportunity to proudly wear a Seattle Storm Championship tee. They were the 2010 WNBA CHAMPIONS, and that’s what it took to bring all you closet fans out to support them. Another group of serious athletes that no one takes seriously until they are winning. Is the torrid love affair over? Can we expect a zillion more fans to pack out the Key Arena for this season?
The Scripps National Spelling Bee and POKER get more coverage than US Women’s Soccer or WNBA. And I’m not saying those kids aren’t serious athletes. I usually break out in a sweat and faint when asked to spell things too. But PLEASE, I’m begging you – if you’re going to be a fan then, be a fan. And for next season? I’ll be sure to look to your Twitter account for post and pre-season updates on the Women’s USA Team.
2011 Mariners: Building on Rebuilding…
Posted: July 13, 2011 Filed under: MLB 7 Comments »When asked what to do at the MLB trade deadline, Buster Olney told 710 KIRO that the Seattle Mariners should bring up their young talent and use the rest of the 2011 season as a re-building year.
Clearly Mr. Olney isn’t from Seattle.
Since 2001, The Mariners slowly turned into the below-average team that consistently scrapes the bottom of the offensive statistics barrel with a semi-decent pitching staff. Over the past three seasons, the Mariners boast a .426 winning percentage with two of those seasons resulting in 100+ losses. To make a very long story short, Seattle has been in a re-building phase since Michael Pineda was still eligible to play in the Little League World Series.
But enough of the past; Mariners fans are ready to live in the present.
Despite being in last place in almost every offensive category imaginable, the Mariners were only a ½ game out of first in the AL West a few days ago. Now, thanks to a stellar pitching staff (3.13 ERA and a .233 opponent BA) where Felix Hernandez may not be their ace, the Mariners are still in the race, hanging by the hair Brendan Ryan’s mustache.
Being this close to a division race makes the average Mariners fan a little bit anxious. If the Mariners, somehow, learn to hit, this season may not be the waste that it was destined to be.
Here are three scenarios that could work for the Mariners:
- Stay put and build on the talent they already have. This scenario is the most likely of the three. They don’t have much to offer offensively (if anything), and their pitching staff is performing very well together right now. Breaking them up could be disastrous. Value can be found, however, as they do have a top five defense in the American League.
- Trade a defense-minded Brendan Ryan or Adam Kennedy and any one (or two) of these four – Chone Figgins, Greg Halman, Mike Carp, or Carlos Peguero – for Michael Cuddyer, Carlos Beltran, Carlos Gonzalez, or Ryan Braun, etc. We all know the Mariners need a bat (probably more than one) – and they’ll have to give something up to get it. In this scenario, the Mariners keep their pitching staff intact, which is the key element. However, it will be difficult shopping anyone on our offense unless they have lots of defensive value (I guess you can omit Peguero and Carp from the conversation then…).
- Trade Erik Bedard, Doug Fister, or Jason Vargas for Michael Cuddyer, Carlos Beltran, Carlos Gonzalez, or Ryan Braun, etc. In this scenario, the Mariners wouldn’t have to tap into their young-gun collection, enabling them to still grow and mature that group; but breaking up the well-oiled machine, that is the Mariners pitching, is a risky and unpopular move.
Option Two, although less attractive to the general public in Seattle, seems like the best chance for the Mariners to make the 2011 season worth something. Unless the current pitching staff can hold their opponents to less than 2.5 runs per game, the current offense will not be able to produce enough to be in contention, even despite the weak AL West.
The first option probably won’t mean anything for the 2011 season. Pineda is starting to show signs of fatigue. Kyle Seager is probably too raw for the Majors right now. Peguero needs to learn to be patient and keep his shoes on when he swings. And Wedge needs time to get comfortable with his lineups.
Mariner fans shouldn’t hold their breath for any kind of crazy run, but the Mariners are in a similar position as they were during that charmed 1995 season – just a handful of games out at the All-Star break. So go check out a few games, and maybe you’ll be a part of something special. But if not, at least the vendors at Safeco serve hard alcohol now.
The Best Sports Jersey You Can Get
Posted: July 12, 2011 Filed under: Editorial, MLB | Tags: #24, fans, jersey, ken griffey jr, Mariners 2 Comments »
Aww yeah
I have never been a fan really of most custom jerseys, especially ones with players last names on the back. Players leave. The days of a guy playing for the same team for an entire career are basically over. So the moment you get that sweet Kenji Johjima t-shirt jersey, the guy is “quitting” and taking his game back to Japan. It isn’t like you aren’t going to wear your new investment, so it is invariably worn to games where you just look like a clueless fan.
The next levels are the people who get custom jerseys, but put sayings on the back such as “Ocho Drunko” with .08 as the jersey number, or “FAN #12″ Seahawks jerseys. Thank you for signifying that you are a fan, and I am sure the police thank you for basically calling out the fact you are probably publicly intoxicated.
Now tolerable are the jerseys that are your own personal last name. I really don’t have that big of a problem with those, but I don’t like when that name is paired with a famous number within the organization. I am sorry, but “Longfeller” #24 Mariners jerseys don’t work. That’s Ken Griffey Jr’s number. Don’t wear it.
I can also hang with the jerseys that don’t have last names on them at all, so they can never be dated. Yankees pinstripes and Red Sox home jerseys really are the only jerseys I can think of off the top of my head in professional sports that don’t have the last name on the back.
Then there is the perfect storm – the time when your namesake plays on your favorite team. When this perfect storm happens, you have a timeless combination. Yes, it is your name. Yes, it was a player. Yes, it is an obscure number that virtually no Mariner has worn since.
So long story short, this post is about my Greg Dobbs jersey. I haven’t pulled the trigger on a Phillies version or a Marlins version. But hey, he is still in the league! Now I just need a Dobbs to play again for the Mariners.
Hey NFL, I Have Backup Plansl
Posted: July 9, 2011 Filed under: NFL | Tags: chris johnson, dwayne bowe, harry potter, lockout, NFL, seahawks, tauren, tom brady, twilight, uw, wes welker, world of warcraft, WSU 2 Comments »
Enough is enough with this lockout ! It has been 116 days. I have heard it has been close to being over, like, 19 times. If its close, let’s get it done. I started joking early on about in lockout that there wouldn’t be a season. Now, I am starting to think there really might not be one. This has made me start thinking about what to do if the season doesn’t go down. Read the rest of this entry »
Derek Jeter vs. The Yankees: Hit Or Get Off The Pot
Posted: July 7, 2011 Filed under: MLB | Tags: 3000, CC Sabathia, Curtis Granderson, Derek Jeter, Hanley Ramirez, Jose Reyes, Mark Teixeira, Yankees Leave a comment »
The New York Yankees have the best record in baseball. Sound familiar? Mark Teixeira and Curtis Granderson each have 25 homeruns, the Yankees lead the league in RBIs and OPS, and CC Sabathia has notched a league-leading 12 wins at the halfway point in the 2011 season.
However, a familiar face in the “production” category has been missing for the bulk of this year – Derek Jeter. Despite his career .312 average, Jeter is batting an abysmal .200 over the last week, and has been within 10 of 3,000 hits since June 9th. His range in the 6-hole is diminishing, as is his arm strength. His body is deteriorating as he just returned from missing 18 games – more games than he missed in the entire 2009 and 2010 seasons combined (9 and 5 games missed, respectively).
Almost certainly, Jeter will reach 3,000 hits within the month of July, but the question comes after that point – what should the Yankees do with Jeter after he reaches 3,000?
Everyone knows the Steinbrenners have an endless checkbook and are able to pick up anyone they want…except for Cliff Lee of course. He is more interested in taking less money to join an already elite pitching staff in Philadelphia (sound familiar LeBron?).
In the event Jeter continues to spiral below mediocrity, do the Yankees owe it to him to keep him around as an everyday player? Or do they invest in a younger, more vibrant shortstop like Jose Reyes or Hanley Ramirez?
If the Yankees want to put the best product on the field, it’s an obvious decision. Invest in a younger player. Maybe they can keep Jeter around the clubhouse as a leader, but as far as production is concerned, Jeter should not be a big part of the Yankees lineup, before or after he reaches 3,000.
Some might say the Yankees can afford to keep him in the lineup – look at their record. And what about all he’s done for the Yankees and the city of New York?
First of all, the Yankees are selling themselves short by keeping him in there. Jeter is not going to magically start lacing balls over the right field fence, stealing 30 bases a year, or covering as much (let alone more) ground than either of the aforementioned shortstops.
Lastly, baseball is cut-throat. Did you see what the Yankees did to Posada? There are plenty of young-gun hot shots that are better in the field and at the plate than Jeter. Let Jeter get his 3,000th hit, throw a parade or party for a silly reason (sound familiar, LeBron?), and move on to bigger and better things…if there is such a thing.
