One thing I hate about talk radio is the lack of originality. Granted, listening to sports talk radio for roughly six to eight hours daily probably isn't recommended if you are looking for fresh takes, but neither is jumping from desk to desk terrorizing your coworkers' cubicles with Dust-Off and jar of used staples, so I do what I have to in order to keep my sanity. So, I hate when I rehash topics that have been discussed ad nauseam, but today, I have to. It's been eating at me, causing me restless nights of sleep and days of loneliness and disconnect(not really), and I have to let it out. No, I don't have Bieber fever. I'm not secretly in love with Nickleback. This might be even worse....
I want to like Lebron James.
Seriously. I do.
Please withhold your shaming of me until I have a chance to explain.
Hating Lebron has become en vogue, much like the short-lived Kony 2012 movement or making a Kardashian joke, as if he was some modern day Benedict Arnold, turning his back on his native land to go skipping off into France with baskets of wine and cheese. We all have our reasons for the perceived "hate", and all in all, most of them are at least defensible. We hate that he stabbed Cleveland on national TV, that he chose the road less taken, or less manly, or easier, depending on who you talk to, by teaming up with a "rival" in Dwayne Wade. We despise the fact that he controls his own destiny so fully, that he has such freedom and can essentially do whatever it is he wants, while the majority of us are constrained by money, family, career, or various other influences. The honest truth? Dude is practically spotless. Outside of his mother (and let's be honest here, almost everyone has been embarassed by their mother at some point) causing minor drama with a valet, and a Delonte (see what I did there?), Lebron has done nothing that a typical citizen would define as offensive. In fact, outside of an incredibly stupid pep rally, where, defensibly, LBJ got caught up in a moment and made a statement that was incredibly dumb, insulting, and possibly motivating, a few rogue quotes, and a badly publicized birthday party, he's been a beacon of positive examples. (You could even argue that the "Not One, Not Two," debacle should be on management, seeing that they were the ones to organize it, thinking only of capitalizing financially on "The Decision". I'm appalled that no one thought throwing this party would result in people throwing anything they can get their hands on at you every time you leave your home state, cursing, and outright hating your team. This is common sense 101 for 75% of the population. I'm just sayin.)
His play alone should be enough to have quieted any critics. Like anyone, LBJ is not perfect, despite his recent Herculean play in both the NBA Finals and the Olympics, and though the antagonism against the King has died down considerably with his recent title triumph, there still remains a huge part of his legacy that is yet to be made, and with every missed shot, missed opportunity and season without another ring, the door will once again be opened to drink the Lebron Haterade and criticize the greatest player of the current generation.
He does a ton of good things off the court, as well, most of which I'll skip for lack of my time and your attention. His teammates rave about what a great guy he is, and rarely do you catch such a scrutinized superstar on a bad day, or see him overreact to the massive herd of media that covers his seemingly every move. That alone might be more impressive than his on-court game, until you watch him run a fast break.
All of the above reasons make me want to like Lebron.
Simply, we've never seen an athlete of his caliber, magnitude, or ability. I have zero doubt that he could start today for every team in the NFL. Can you picture him as a defender or an attack in Soccer? Messi who? Rugby, Tennis, Volleyball, hell, practically every team sport save Hockey and possibly Baseball (unless he's hiding some skills there, which I would find completely possible) would reap benefits from him taking his talents there.
I'm sure you get my point.
People in life are going to believe what they want to believe, sometimes despite being presented with evidence that often presents a story quite to the contrary. When I write about basketball, I typically write from the perspective of a Jazz fan, and my loyalties will likely always lie there, but I'm not so blinded by adoration that I don't appreciate greatness. I've seen his games, watched him dominate, heard the quotes, seen the proof. Lebron James may end up the greatest player of all time, but though I've tried my hardest to embrace the man, I can't in good conscious say that I will ever support him, outside of the fairy tale ending of him finishing his career in the valley of salt and granite. My heroes are guys who fight their guts out, shed tears when they lose, fight the uphill battle, and know that with great power comes great responsibility. Lebron has a gift unlike any we've seen in generations, a transcendent talent that we are lucky to be able to witness, but at the end of the day, we're all just pawns in the Lebron show, patrons in the audience as he writes, directs, and stars in the play of his life. I won't say that James has been wholly selfish, but the way he operates has always been about him, and rarely anyone else. His style of play(wanting to distribute as opposed to taking over games), the move to Miami, seeking help from Wade and Bosh, the commercial he made in retaliation to the Decision backlash, playing "the Villain" (the one thing he's probably ever done poorly), all of it rotates around what Lebron wants. At the end of the day, that is something I just can't overcome. Not when it comes to a guy I idolize.
Greatness can be defined in multiple definitions, the most common of those being a feat that surpasses all others similar to it. Howver, greatness for me is personally defined by doing the thing that sometimes is the hardest, and giving the most of yourself for the benefit of others, and figuring out how best to share your talents with the world. I will never blame Lebron James for wanting to do things his way, we all have days and moments where we think that will be great, but I can't currently stand behind a player who had so much potential to change so much, from the way people view athletes, to his influence over a community, or how his play was relocating the axis of professional basketball to Ohio, even, and chose to do what he wanted over it all. More power to him. He doesn't need my support, nor that of the many others who feel the same as I do.
There are millions of small-market, underdog kids however, that could have used his.
Monday, August 20, 2012
Monday, July 30, 2012
Guest Poster: Chris Reed on Utah's Evolution
How's this for a pre-season thought parade?
How much has Utah Football changed in 15 years? Let's take a semi-iconic moment from The Holy War and just run a course of what has happened since then...
Well on November 23, 1996 Kautai Olevao slobberknocked Ronney Jenkins, but Utah lost the game
Now, on that day had you told me the following would be Utah Football on 10/1/2011...
Utah would go 10-6 against BYU after that day
Utah would go to 12 bowl games
Win 9 of them, IN a row
Including the Sugar, AND Fiesta Bowls
Your current Defensive Coordinator would become your Head Coach
Only after serving 2 years under some Receivers Coach at Notre Dame who would put Utah Football into another orbit
That some 5'8" 100lb kid at Bonita Vista Middle School in San Diego would be the QB of the rocket ship after getting recruited by only ONE other D-I school.
That the same kid would be drafted into the NFL #1 overall
The BYU Offensive Coordinator that year would become your Offensive Coordinator in 2011
In year 1 of the PAC12 Conference
Which the U is now a member of
The QB coach and future Offensive Coordinator would be some 9 year old in Houston
The same 9 year old would be MVP of your Sugar Bowl victory over Alabama
The Receivers Coach is a guy who is a redshirt WR for the blue team across the field
Utah's SR defensive end that day would become the current Defensive Line Coach
Working under a BYU fullback on a mission who is now the Defensive Coordinator
With some kid on the Highland High roster as the Safeties Coach
With a guy playing at Ricks as the Special Teams Coordinator
And that you'd lose your home Pac-12 opening game against the same BYU QB (now coach at Washington) who beat you that day throwing a whopping 12 passes
In a stadium that doesn't give your ass splinters
With an Olympic Torch behind a TV Screen
Where standing room only tickets are sold out...
I'd have told you that to save time, I could kick you in the groin right there, and save you 15 years of disappointment.
How much has Utah Football changed in 15 years? Let's take a semi-iconic moment from The Holy War and just run a course of what has happened since then...
Well on November 23, 1996 Kautai Olevao slobberknocked Ronney Jenkins, but Utah lost the game
Now, on that day had you told me the following would be Utah Football on 10/1/2011...
Utah would go 10-6 against BYU after that day
Utah would go to 12 bowl games
Win 9 of them, IN a row
Including the Sugar, AND Fiesta Bowls
Your current Defensive Coordinator would become your Head Coach
Only after serving 2 years under some Receivers Coach at Notre Dame who would put Utah Football into another orbit
That some 5'8" 100lb kid at Bonita Vista Middle School in San Diego would be the QB of the rocket ship after getting recruited by only ONE other D-I school.
That the same kid would be drafted into the NFL #1 overall
The BYU Offensive Coordinator that year would become your Offensive Coordinator in 2011
In year 1 of the PAC12 Conference
Which the U is now a member of
The QB coach and future Offensive Coordinator would be some 9 year old in Houston
The same 9 year old would be MVP of your Sugar Bowl victory over Alabama
The Receivers Coach is a guy who is a redshirt WR for the blue team across the field
Utah's SR defensive end that day would become the current Defensive Line Coach
Working under a BYU fullback on a mission who is now the Defensive Coordinator
With some kid on the Highland High roster as the Safeties Coach
With a guy playing at Ricks as the Special Teams Coordinator
And that you'd lose your home Pac-12 opening game against the same BYU QB (now coach at Washington) who beat you that day throwing a whopping 12 passes
In a stadium that doesn't give your ass splinters
With an Olympic Torch behind a TV Screen
Where standing room only tickets are sold out...
I'd have told you that to save time, I could kick you in the groin right there, and save you 15 years of disappointment.
Wednesday, May 2, 2012
We Are Utah Jazz...?
It's doesn't fit right. When you think of Jazz music, you think of Chicago, New York, LA, and most especially New Orleans, not Rocky Mountains and snow. So why is Utah so adamant about keeping the name Utah Jazz? Don't they realize how stupid it sounds on the outside? Outside of Mormons and the "Greatest Snow on Earth," or possibly polygamy, nothing is more recognizable about our state than the Jazz, and for a former sleepy mountain community that has now grown into a recognizable metropolis, holding on to what has helped us become amazing is important.
I can argue that we have plenty of Jazz influences here, from the Arts Festival to the Park City Jazz fest, but rather than spend my time trying to prove that Jazz is just as legal as fry sauce in Utah, I'd rather explain what Utah Jazz really is, because it has to do with something other than music here. The Jazz are about who and what the state of Utah has to offer. When Dan Roberts yells at a frenzied crowd, How Bout This Jazz, he's not only referring to the team, but to the epic atmosphere of the Delta Center/ ESA, perennially ranked as one of the hardest and loudest places to play in the league; where two of the most intense, highest rated NBA Finals took place. He's referring to a fan base that has been treated to immense amounts of success from a small market that probably should have lost the team years ago. He's referencing Larry Miller's passion, Karl Malone's amazing work ethic, John Stockton's heart and hustle, which in my opinion, is still second to none, and the embodiment of consistency and taking things one day at a time and giving your best effort in everything, the one and only Jerry Sloan. This Jazz, right here in Utah, is a song that we don't sing, but a lifestyle and a community that so many of us live for, because we need some Jazz in our lives. People often talk about the blue collar nature of the Pittsburgh Steelers, and how the franchise reflects the toughness of city, but things are almost a reverse in Utah. The state has embraced the legacy the Jazz have left over the years by being hard-working, flying under the radar, and developing a consistency of winning that has become expectation. I believe that sports franchises are important not for the games they win as much as the type of communities and relations that they build. I've hugged perfect strangers, built legitimate friendships, and developed a love for writing because of This Jazz. So when Tom Benson comes asking for a name, the answer we all need to give has nothing to do with a name, because we can't give it back. Our Utah Jazz is a sound, a music, a passion completely different than anything a New Orleans franchise could ever have, and though no one outside of this community and it's "Nation" spread across the country can understand, we would not be giving up a name if we were to let them have it. We would be giving up a piece of who we have become, and who I continue to believe I am. The phrase is hokey, but it really is true. Here in the rockies, We Are, Utah Jazz.
I can argue that we have plenty of Jazz influences here, from the Arts Festival to the Park City Jazz fest, but rather than spend my time trying to prove that Jazz is just as legal as fry sauce in Utah, I'd rather explain what Utah Jazz really is, because it has to do with something other than music here. The Jazz are about who and what the state of Utah has to offer. When Dan Roberts yells at a frenzied crowd, How Bout This Jazz, he's not only referring to the team, but to the epic atmosphere of the Delta Center/ ESA, perennially ranked as one of the hardest and loudest places to play in the league; where two of the most intense, highest rated NBA Finals took place. He's referring to a fan base that has been treated to immense amounts of success from a small market that probably should have lost the team years ago. He's referencing Larry Miller's passion, Karl Malone's amazing work ethic, John Stockton's heart and hustle, which in my opinion, is still second to none, and the embodiment of consistency and taking things one day at a time and giving your best effort in everything, the one and only Jerry Sloan. This Jazz, right here in Utah, is a song that we don't sing, but a lifestyle and a community that so many of us live for, because we need some Jazz in our lives. People often talk about the blue collar nature of the Pittsburgh Steelers, and how the franchise reflects the toughness of city, but things are almost a reverse in Utah. The state has embraced the legacy the Jazz have left over the years by being hard-working, flying under the radar, and developing a consistency of winning that has become expectation. I believe that sports franchises are important not for the games they win as much as the type of communities and relations that they build. I've hugged perfect strangers, built legitimate friendships, and developed a love for writing because of This Jazz. So when Tom Benson comes asking for a name, the answer we all need to give has nothing to do with a name, because we can't give it back. Our Utah Jazz is a sound, a music, a passion completely different than anything a New Orleans franchise could ever have, and though no one outside of this community and it's "Nation" spread across the country can understand, we would not be giving up a name if we were to let them have it. We would be giving up a piece of who we have become, and who I continue to believe I am. The phrase is hokey, but it really is true. Here in the rockies, We Are, Utah Jazz.
Wednesday, March 21, 2012
Tebow.....Or Not Tebow?
You truly cannot script drama better than the NFL has. On a run of the mill Wednesday, we have two huge breaking stories, followed by up by more Tebow uncertainty, and more fodder for crummy radio hosts and two-bit hack writers like myself to wrap ourselves around for days. No one gets more sick of these "(Insert Player Name)sanity" moments than me, so you would think that my natural inclination would be to blog more about the transcendent signing of BenJarvis Green-Ellis with the Bungles, or perhaps a snarky rant on what a dumb-ass Gregg Williams is, and how Sean Payton will undoubtedly end up in TMZ at some point during his suspension. You'd be wrong. Bear with me now as we delve into the madness that is Tim Tebow, and I promise that this will be new, refreshing, lacking hype, and original. Okay, reality is, you've heard most of it before, but I need practice. I'll add some decent jokes. That should make it worthwhile. Here comes the jump...
It's almost a foregone conclusion that Tebow is a Jet, and while we can joke about the No-Ring Circus, question the motives, and make fun of Rex Ryan having to get a gosh darn snack all day now, there are some real reasons why this trade makes sense.
No. 1-Tebow is a healer. Okay, I couldn't resist that, but the reality is the man has a knack for bringing teammates together, and right now the Jets are in serious need of some steady leadership and cohesion in the locker room, lest we forget the mess that Santonio Holmes left, and while it is a shot in the dark, I fail to see how adding a good teammate, good person, and an excellent example makes that team any worse chemistry-wise.
No 2- Brad Smith had a noticeable impact on the offense running the wildcat for the Jets while he was there, having been a former QB. No doubt that Tebow could fill that role admirably, and while he wants to play quarterback, his team first attitude and enthusiasm will lead him to accept the position. This is, after all, the same guy who played WR for a few games in Denver.
No. 3- Now that Mark Sanchez has lost his booger-holding buddy Mark Brunell, Sanchize needs someone that can relate to the pressure that comes with big-market media swarming, and brutal evalution of less than stellar performance. Enter the Tebow. I hate to glorify intangibles as something more than just screws that hold the picture on the wall, but in the case of Tim Terrific, how much of it can we really rule out as just excuses for being lucky, and how much can we legitimately count on as a benefit to your organization? In the case of helping Sanchez, I think the latter is all of the above. Just like mentors make a difference for some young players, I think #15 can do the same for Sanchez, unless Mark is just terribly insecure and can't handle sharing his spotlight....
No. 4-Uhh, the Jets need a backup Quarterback. Seriously.
On the oft-chance that Timothy Richard does NOT become a Jet, here are the teams that should make a play for him;
Jacksonville- Duh.
(On a sidenote: Wouldn't this be perfect for J-Ville? Trade for Tebow this year, then wait for the team to bomb and hire Urban Meyer to come in and be your coach? It's either the shrewdest, most successful move you can make, or it bombs the franchise straight to LA. Either way, it's a win-win. Okay, you're right. I've been reading too much Simmons lately. Eff.)
Miami- Double Duh.
Cincinnati- To everyone who claims that the Bengals have a quarterback, I counter with, "As long as sunscreen is in full supply." Dalton is not the issue here. The issue is that Cincy has an owner that makes Scrooge McDuck look like he's frivolous and overspending, and lacks star power or anything remotely marketable outside of the fact that AJ Green is the Alec Burks of the NFL.Let's not forget that the team had trouble selling out when they were on the verge of MAKING THE PLAYOFFS! While I love that we now have the law firm to rep our gangster asses, Tebow could be a huge boost to EVERY position on the field. Put him at linebacker a few plays, H back, running back, hell, he can punt for all I care. With all due respect to the late Chris Henry, #15 would look good back on the field, especially in Bengal black and orange, and the city of Cincinnati, much like other forgotten small-markets, needs some reason for people to watch that team.
Any Other Franchise that Feels the Need to Sell 10,000 Jerseys in a Minute- With the upcoming Nike release of jerseys, this becomes less viable, but seriously, why wouldn't every team take a minute to at least consider the profitability of adding him to their rosters? Cleveland, Tennessee, St Louis all qualify under this banner.
Contenders Who Need "It"- People pay fortunes for things that they believe will give them a competitive edge. Don't say that watching what happened last year, you didn't at least have the thought that something with Tebow was different, because even as cynical as I am, I did. Pittsburgh, Baltimore, San Fran, and the Patriots, all so close to winning a Super Bowl, should grab the good luck charm and keep him on the sidelines just for those moments when they need extra luck. San Francisco fans are nodding their heads when I say that Tebow wouldn't have fumbled those kicks that Kyle Williams did. Is it crazy? Absolutely, but then again, people thought the forward pass was crazy.
It's almost a foregone conclusion that Tebow is a Jet, and while we can joke about the No-Ring Circus, question the motives, and make fun of Rex Ryan having to get a gosh darn snack all day now, there are some real reasons why this trade makes sense.
No. 1-Tebow is a healer. Okay, I couldn't resist that, but the reality is the man has a knack for bringing teammates together, and right now the Jets are in serious need of some steady leadership and cohesion in the locker room, lest we forget the mess that Santonio Holmes left, and while it is a shot in the dark, I fail to see how adding a good teammate, good person, and an excellent example makes that team any worse chemistry-wise.
No 2- Brad Smith had a noticeable impact on the offense running the wildcat for the Jets while he was there, having been a former QB. No doubt that Tebow could fill that role admirably, and while he wants to play quarterback, his team first attitude and enthusiasm will lead him to accept the position. This is, after all, the same guy who played WR for a few games in Denver.
No. 3- Now that Mark Sanchez has lost his booger-holding buddy Mark Brunell, Sanchize needs someone that can relate to the pressure that comes with big-market media swarming, and brutal evalution of less than stellar performance. Enter the Tebow. I hate to glorify intangibles as something more than just screws that hold the picture on the wall, but in the case of Tim Terrific, how much of it can we really rule out as just excuses for being lucky, and how much can we legitimately count on as a benefit to your organization? In the case of helping Sanchez, I think the latter is all of the above. Just like mentors make a difference for some young players, I think #15 can do the same for Sanchez, unless Mark is just terribly insecure and can't handle sharing his spotlight....
No. 4-Uhh, the Jets need a backup Quarterback. Seriously.
On the oft-chance that Timothy Richard does NOT become a Jet, here are the teams that should make a play for him;
Jacksonville- Duh.
(On a sidenote: Wouldn't this be perfect for J-Ville? Trade for Tebow this year, then wait for the team to bomb and hire Urban Meyer to come in and be your coach? It's either the shrewdest, most successful move you can make, or it bombs the franchise straight to LA. Either way, it's a win-win. Okay, you're right. I've been reading too much Simmons lately. Eff.)
Miami- Double Duh.
Cincinnati- To everyone who claims that the Bengals have a quarterback, I counter with, "As long as sunscreen is in full supply." Dalton is not the issue here. The issue is that Cincy has an owner that makes Scrooge McDuck look like he's frivolous and overspending, and lacks star power or anything remotely marketable outside of the fact that AJ Green is the Alec Burks of the NFL.Let's not forget that the team had trouble selling out when they were on the verge of MAKING THE PLAYOFFS! While I love that we now have the law firm to rep our gangster asses, Tebow could be a huge boost to EVERY position on the field. Put him at linebacker a few plays, H back, running back, hell, he can punt for all I care. With all due respect to the late Chris Henry, #15 would look good back on the field, especially in Bengal black and orange, and the city of Cincinnati, much like other forgotten small-markets, needs some reason for people to watch that team.
Any Other Franchise that Feels the Need to Sell 10,000 Jerseys in a Minute- With the upcoming Nike release of jerseys, this becomes less viable, but seriously, why wouldn't every team take a minute to at least consider the profitability of adding him to their rosters? Cleveland, Tennessee, St Louis all qualify under this banner.
Contenders Who Need "It"- People pay fortunes for things that they believe will give them a competitive edge. Don't say that watching what happened last year, you didn't at least have the thought that something with Tebow was different, because even as cynical as I am, I did. Pittsburgh, Baltimore, San Fran, and the Patriots, all so close to winning a Super Bowl, should grab the good luck charm and keep him on the sidelines just for those moments when they need extra luck. San Francisco fans are nodding their heads when I say that Tebow wouldn't have fumbled those kicks that Kyle Williams did. Is it crazy? Absolutely, but then again, people thought the forward pass was crazy.
Thursday, March 8, 2012
Round One....
It was about time. No doubt my legions of fans and readers have hungered, thirsted, and otherwise craved my nourishing words, and while I enjoyed co-writing my other blog, my partner in rhyme has climbed his way to the top of Corporate America, and left this sad wordsmith behind to go it alone. No real promises as to what will go on here, I'll write as often as I can motivate myself, and there will be plenty of content here from other people that I bug into putting stuff together for me. It's probably healthier that I not have the lone voice here anyways, you deserve better. With that glowing intro, let's get this on fire like a Florida Race track! Cue Michael Buffer voice in five, four, three, two, one.......
Suckers, I could never afford Michael Buffer. Wait! Please don't leave already, I'll get to the point, starting......now.
-If we're talking all-time favorite comedies, then we're more than likely talking Wedding Crashers somewhere on that list. Owen Wilson and Vince Vaughn took dynamic duo to a different level (people in Utah know a little something about duos, Donny and Marie? Meg and Dia? Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid? Not to mention two dudes that have statues outside a certain large arena downtown...) and perhaps my favorite scene is where Wilson walks in to Vaughn's office, where Vaughn pretends to have something serious to talk about, only to surprise him by proclaiming "It's Wedding Season!" I'll link the scene here just in case my awesome description isn't enough. So why take all this time, effort and words for my first blast? It's Jazz Season!!! I know we're already past the All-Star game, and before I probably get my next post done the Jazz will have jumped about eight spots in the conference standings, but there's just something good about having basketball going on, and thank the basketball gods above, the Jazz have been playing WAY beyond what most anyone expected. Seeing as how the Utes basketball program is just a jumble of disasters and messes piled into am El Camino and driven off a cliff, (I have faith Larry K will get things turned around, nonetheless) and local hero, near apostle and Donny Osmond's biggest threat for title of "Most Famous Mormon", Jimmer Fredette has left his mates at the Y on the bubble for the NCAA tournament, a shortened season of .500 basketball feels like a gift from Mr Naismith himself. Yes, the Jazz were extremely hot to start the season, and yes they brought our hopes of an improbable playoff run to a crashing halt by losing 11 of 15 games in February, but this team has been full of story lines and memorable moments. They lack a lot of things, but in a season where basketball was once lost, it's nice that the Jazz are still able to be found where they always have been, center court at the Delta Cent...errr, Energy Solutions.
-Nothing says spring quite like snow in March, and although the recent storms had me questioning why I choose to live in a state that annually has the strangest weather patterns and off-season snow patterns, the fact that we're back to Daylight Savings this Sunday can mean only one thing.....SPRING FOOTBALL!!! Okay, so there's baseball too, but come on! We're first and foremost a Jazz state, followed by being one of the hubs of great college football, aka the Pac-12. I'd add BYU to that teaser, but the bottom line is their home schedule is a hair short of scheduling local high school juggernauts Timpview and Bingham, and their road schedule looks like the hardest thing to hit Provo since the knowledge that Cafe Rio puts caffeine in their Sweet Pork. (Look, hate all you want BYU fans, but the jokes currently write themselves. Besides, this is payback for all the hate texts I got from so-called friends after Utah got hammered by Oregon.) Utah starts spring practice March 21st, waiting to get Spring Break well out of the way, while BYU has started due to the fact that their semester ends earlier, and they don't have Spring Break. For the Utes, replacing John Wayne Cullen and Tony Bergstrom will be second only to the arrival of QB heir-apparents Travis Wilson and Chase Hansen on campus, and in that same vein, the health of Junior Quarterback Jordan Wynn. Perhaps the most interesting storyline OFF the field will be the first spring session of Offensive Coordinator Brian Johnson's infant career, and what changes he'll make to an offense that was vanilla at best, and inept outside of Juan Blanco Quattro. BYU rolls into camp having sent Jake Heaps packing in a move that while not surprising, definitely was not the expected outcome so many of the faithful were looking for. Bronco Mendenhall goes into his second camp carrying the torch of Independence, and will have a serious task ahead of him if he wants to put together a championship contender. BYU will have questions at running back, tight end, offensive line, and parts of the defensive secondary, but don't put it past the Cougs to come out firing about their plans to win every game and crack the BCS barrier for the first time. I can smell the grass already....
-And yes, I love a good double entendre, but weed jokes aside (Sorry, Josh Howard), spring more or less means time for Baseball nationally. While I'm not a fanatic of spring training, nor do I get all hot and bothered knowing that pitchers and catchers have reported, I am looking forward to this season. I've more or less been a fan of baseball from afar, unless you count the Salt Lake Bees, but even then half the time I'm more there to see which of my friends will be the biggest drunken idiot at the park, and after having a Puerto Rican pitcher threaten to knife one friend, and a 50 year old man punch another, who can blame me? I've knocked Baseball more than a few times in my previous blog, and for some odd reason, I've just never been able to devote myself to the game above watching a few pitches on TV, and perhaps part of that problem stems from being a Padres fan, but NOT THIS YEAR!!! Not only did the Padres make some sweeping changes in the front office by promoting Josh Byrnes after losing Jed Hoyer to the Cubs, but they pretty much shipped off all of Hoyer's pet projects, namely Mat Latos, and Anthony Rizzo, and allowed veteran Closer Heath Bell to sign with the Miami Marlins. I'm interested to see how Huston Street, Carlos Quentin, and Yonder Alonso do, but how about Will Venable starting the season with a little bit of drama??? Yu Darvish, whom the Rangers have paid an absolute dumpster load of money for, made his debut against the Pads and young Will damn near took him yard, had it not been for a green monster-like fence in center field. (Pads are conditioned to getting Petco'd, even in spring training.) When asked about it, Yu the Great, as he will heretofore be known, claimed a combination of wind and dry air allowed the ball to travel, and that Venable didn't get the ball square. Huh? I mean, if I was Nolan Ryan, I would probably have had the cardiologist on line 1 because this is Will Venable that we're talking bout! We're not talking bout Pujols, not Ichiro, or anyone else in the AL west's power alley, but we talkin bout Venable! Listen, I know there's an adjustment when you come from one league to another, but Yu is about to get shelled if he keeps up this kind of attitude, mark my words, and bottom line, I could not be more excited! Baseball is such a gentleman's game that attitudes and trash talk and all the competitive stuff that goes on in sports sometimes gets put away in favor of keeping up the unwritten rules, but I feel there are some super personalities out there outside of just Brian Wilson and Mr T Plush Nyjer Morgan, and they've earned the right to let those personalities loose. Of course, Venable took the high road after hearing Yu the Great's comments, but not before shooting back a jab or two of his own. I just wish the Rangers were within the division, seeing as how Baseball still supports the bench clearing brawl, I have a hunch this little rivalry would have been a heater.
-I'm trying out something new this year. I'm considering buying Real Salt Lake season tickets. I know, I know. Soccer goes against everything this country stands for, but after watching this video done by Branden Steineckert of The Used/Rancid fame, something dawned on me. Soccer, the game is just so-so, but Soccer fans are pretty cool, and a lot of the weird, unusual stuff that they do in MLS has some pretty appealing reasoning behind it. The fact that every team has a song is awesome, that the fans have different "supporter groups" ala Green Street Hooligans, and the various chants and activities that go on in the stands during games (they let you throw streamers on the field DURING PLAY. That's not awesome?) all lured me in to a degree, and as I've studied some of the peculiarities, I've possibly crossed that line of being a Soccer investigator. Not sure I'll do a full season, and I hate to imagine the amount of crow I'll have to eat if I continue down this path, but Real has me curious, and that in and of itself is worth some sort of credit. Besides, I can always claim it never happened, no one reads this stuff anyways ;)
Suckers, I could never afford Michael Buffer. Wait! Please don't leave already, I'll get to the point, starting......now.
-If we're talking all-time favorite comedies, then we're more than likely talking Wedding Crashers somewhere on that list. Owen Wilson and Vince Vaughn took dynamic duo to a different level (people in Utah know a little something about duos, Donny and Marie? Meg and Dia? Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid? Not to mention two dudes that have statues outside a certain large arena downtown...) and perhaps my favorite scene is where Wilson walks in to Vaughn's office, where Vaughn pretends to have something serious to talk about, only to surprise him by proclaiming "It's Wedding Season!" I'll link the scene here just in case my awesome description isn't enough. So why take all this time, effort and words for my first blast? It's Jazz Season!!! I know we're already past the All-Star game, and before I probably get my next post done the Jazz will have jumped about eight spots in the conference standings, but there's just something good about having basketball going on, and thank the basketball gods above, the Jazz have been playing WAY beyond what most anyone expected. Seeing as how the Utes basketball program is just a jumble of disasters and messes piled into am El Camino and driven off a cliff, (I have faith Larry K will get things turned around, nonetheless) and local hero, near apostle and Donny Osmond's biggest threat for title of "Most Famous Mormon", Jimmer Fredette has left his mates at the Y on the bubble for the NCAA tournament, a shortened season of .500 basketball feels like a gift from Mr Naismith himself. Yes, the Jazz were extremely hot to start the season, and yes they brought our hopes of an improbable playoff run to a crashing halt by losing 11 of 15 games in February, but this team has been full of story lines and memorable moments. They lack a lot of things, but in a season where basketball was once lost, it's nice that the Jazz are still able to be found where they always have been, center court at the Delta Cent...errr, Energy Solutions.
-Nothing says spring quite like snow in March, and although the recent storms had me questioning why I choose to live in a state that annually has the strangest weather patterns and off-season snow patterns, the fact that we're back to Daylight Savings this Sunday can mean only one thing.....SPRING FOOTBALL!!! Okay, so there's baseball too, but come on! We're first and foremost a Jazz state, followed by being one of the hubs of great college football, aka the Pac-12. I'd add BYU to that teaser, but the bottom line is their home schedule is a hair short of scheduling local high school juggernauts Timpview and Bingham, and their road schedule looks like the hardest thing to hit Provo since the knowledge that Cafe Rio puts caffeine in their Sweet Pork. (Look, hate all you want BYU fans, but the jokes currently write themselves. Besides, this is payback for all the hate texts I got from so-called friends after Utah got hammered by Oregon.) Utah starts spring practice March 21st, waiting to get Spring Break well out of the way, while BYU has started due to the fact that their semester ends earlier, and they don't have Spring Break. For the Utes, replacing John Wayne Cullen and Tony Bergstrom will be second only to the arrival of QB heir-apparents Travis Wilson and Chase Hansen on campus, and in that same vein, the health of Junior Quarterback Jordan Wynn. Perhaps the most interesting storyline OFF the field will be the first spring session of Offensive Coordinator Brian Johnson's infant career, and what changes he'll make to an offense that was vanilla at best, and inept outside of Juan Blanco Quattro. BYU rolls into camp having sent Jake Heaps packing in a move that while not surprising, definitely was not the expected outcome so many of the faithful were looking for. Bronco Mendenhall goes into his second camp carrying the torch of Independence, and will have a serious task ahead of him if he wants to put together a championship contender. BYU will have questions at running back, tight end, offensive line, and parts of the defensive secondary, but don't put it past the Cougs to come out firing about their plans to win every game and crack the BCS barrier for the first time. I can smell the grass already....
-And yes, I love a good double entendre, but weed jokes aside (Sorry, Josh Howard), spring more or less means time for Baseball nationally. While I'm not a fanatic of spring training, nor do I get all hot and bothered knowing that pitchers and catchers have reported, I am looking forward to this season. I've more or less been a fan of baseball from afar, unless you count the Salt Lake Bees, but even then half the time I'm more there to see which of my friends will be the biggest drunken idiot at the park, and after having a Puerto Rican pitcher threaten to knife one friend, and a 50 year old man punch another, who can blame me? I've knocked Baseball more than a few times in my previous blog, and for some odd reason, I've just never been able to devote myself to the game above watching a few pitches on TV, and perhaps part of that problem stems from being a Padres fan, but NOT THIS YEAR!!! Not only did the Padres make some sweeping changes in the front office by promoting Josh Byrnes after losing Jed Hoyer to the Cubs, but they pretty much shipped off all of Hoyer's pet projects, namely Mat Latos, and Anthony Rizzo, and allowed veteran Closer Heath Bell to sign with the Miami Marlins. I'm interested to see how Huston Street, Carlos Quentin, and Yonder Alonso do, but how about Will Venable starting the season with a little bit of drama??? Yu Darvish, whom the Rangers have paid an absolute dumpster load of money for, made his debut against the Pads and young Will damn near took him yard, had it not been for a green monster-like fence in center field. (Pads are conditioned to getting Petco'd, even in spring training.) When asked about it, Yu the Great, as he will heretofore be known, claimed a combination of wind and dry air allowed the ball to travel, and that Venable didn't get the ball square. Huh? I mean, if I was Nolan Ryan, I would probably have had the cardiologist on line 1 because this is Will Venable that we're talking bout! We're not talking bout Pujols, not Ichiro, or anyone else in the AL west's power alley, but we talkin bout Venable! Listen, I know there's an adjustment when you come from one league to another, but Yu is about to get shelled if he keeps up this kind of attitude, mark my words, and bottom line, I could not be more excited! Baseball is such a gentleman's game that attitudes and trash talk and all the competitive stuff that goes on in sports sometimes gets put away in favor of keeping up the unwritten rules, but I feel there are some super personalities out there outside of just Brian Wilson and Mr T Plush Nyjer Morgan, and they've earned the right to let those personalities loose. Of course, Venable took the high road after hearing Yu the Great's comments, but not before shooting back a jab or two of his own. I just wish the Rangers were within the division, seeing as how Baseball still supports the bench clearing brawl, I have a hunch this little rivalry would have been a heater.
-I'm trying out something new this year. I'm considering buying Real Salt Lake season tickets. I know, I know. Soccer goes against everything this country stands for, but after watching this video done by Branden Steineckert of The Used/Rancid fame, something dawned on me. Soccer, the game is just so-so, but Soccer fans are pretty cool, and a lot of the weird, unusual stuff that they do in MLS has some pretty appealing reasoning behind it. The fact that every team has a song is awesome, that the fans have different "supporter groups" ala Green Street Hooligans, and the various chants and activities that go on in the stands during games (they let you throw streamers on the field DURING PLAY. That's not awesome?) all lured me in to a degree, and as I've studied some of the peculiarities, I've possibly crossed that line of being a Soccer investigator. Not sure I'll do a full season, and I hate to imagine the amount of crow I'll have to eat if I continue down this path, but Real has me curious, and that in and of itself is worth some sort of credit. Besides, I can always claim it never happened, no one reads this stuff anyways ;)
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