Doxology 101: Simply Sports

Sports In America; God Bless The USA!

2011-11-11T02:55:00.000-07:00

Forgive me for reposting this article, but with a brother overseas serving in the military and a long history of loving this country, I will always bleed red, white and blue! As such, I love finding reasons to wave the flag. With that in mind, I repost the following article and remind you this is the greatest country on Earth!

Repost:

As the fourth of July approached, I began my yearly assault on YouTube to find my favorite versions of the National Anthem, God Bless America, and many other patriotic songs and tributes.

Some of my favorites are patriotic songs set to edited tribute videos of flags, soldiers, etc. However, the majority of my favorite versions have been sung at stadiums across the country during major sporting events such as the Superbowl and NBA All-Star game.

The following is a list of my top five favorite patriotic videos...

Read more »

Righteous Judgement

2011-11-06T03:59:00.001-07:00

If you read the Bible, no where does it say you are forbidden to judge other people. It does, however, tell you to judge righteously.

As a sports writer, judging the performance of players and coaches comes with the job description. My whole job is predicated on the freedom to judge every angle of a sporting event. Hell (don't judge me), but when I attend a game, I'm gonna judge the quality of the concessions and ease of parking.

For this particular article though, I'm going to provide judgement to the hottest topic in sports right now: Tim Tebow.

To do so, I'm going to follow the counsel of the good book and judge him righteously...

How Good Is BYU Quarterback Riley Nelson?

2011-10-01T16:57:00.004-06:00

And the comeback is complete!

It's interesting how your night can change with one phone call. One second you are on the way to babysit for a friend and the next you are walking into Lavell Edwards Stadium with that same friend.

I hadn't been to a BYU game for a few years, so when my friend called and told me his wife wasn't feeling well and I would be joining him at the game, instead of babysitting for him, I was more than happy for the change.

I hope my friend's wife is feeling better, but thank heaven's she was sick last night, because that was one of the best game's I have ever been to!

What If The Yankees Let The Rays Win Tonight?!

2011-09-28T12:03:00.011-06:00

The Boston Red Sox sure didn't draw it up this way at the beginning of the season, but here we are on the last day of the season and the Red Sox are tied with the Tampa Bay Rays for the wild card spot in this year's playoffs.

Boston takes on the Baltimore Orioles tonight, while Tampa goes up against the New York Yankees, who have already secured their post season spot.

Imagine that. Boston will actually be cheering for the Yankees to win tonight, which begs the question...

Do the Yankees let the Rays win just to help keep the Sox out of the playoffs?

Read more »

More Yankee Arrogance

2011-09-24T16:39:00.001-06:00

Add caption

So Brian Cashman says he publicly courted Carl Crawford last season with the sole purpose of making the Red Sox pay more to secure the free agent outfielder.

Is this a good strategy? Yes.

Has it happened before? Yes.

Do I believe Cashman? Absolutely not.

Read more »

Conference Expansion; A Sickening Trend

2011-09-21T13:54:00.001-06:00

Hurray, Hurray, the Pac-12 decided against tearing what's left of the Big 12 to threads and expanding to 16 teams. We've all been saved from college football expansion overload.

Wrong.

The college football landscape is still very unsettled and extremely volatile. Yes, the Big 12 is safe for another day. That's about it.

I'm convinced aggressive conference expansion will continue until it rips apart the college football scene. While this sounds very negative, which it mostly is, there are still some positives to alongside those greedy negatives...

Read more »

The 5 Worst College Football Uniforms

2011-09-15T14:59:00.004-06:00

After watching the opening weekend of college football and seeing Maryland's new uniforms, I began thinking about other schools with terrible uniforms.

While the Terrapins new uniforms (and i use that term loosely) are far and away the worst thing I have ever seen, there are a few other teams who jog onto the field each Saturday looking pretty disgraceful.

Without further ado, I give the you the five worst uniforms in college football...

Eli Manning; The NFL's most overrated QB

2011-08-19T12:50:00.015-06:00

OVER-RATED! Clap, clap, clap-clap-clap!

Coming out of Ole Miss, Eli Manning was drafted number one overall by the San Diego Chargers but was quickly traded to the New York Giants after saying he would never play for San Diego and all but demanded the trade.

The rumor was he wanted to go to New York to take greater advantage of endorsements in the country's biggest city, hoping to capitalize on his already famous last name. Manning has since managed to win a Super Bowl, "earn" millions, and make a trip to the Pro Bowl.

And thus begun the poor decision making of Eli Manning.

All of this has lead him to believe he's actually a great QB, culminating recently in his own delusional claims of being on the same level as Tom Brady.

At this point it's clear Eli Manning is the most overrated Quarterback in the NFL...

College Football 2011; 5 Surprising Predictions

2011-08-17T16:15:00.005-06:00

Last season the Auburn Tigers entered the season ranked 23rd in the polls and ended up winning the National Championship. Somewhere, outside of Auburn, someone boldly predicted this would happen.

Additionally, someone else probably predicted Cam Newton, a JUCO transfer, would win the Heisman Trophy last season.

Now I'm not going to say the 23rd ranked team in this year's polls, Florida, is going to win the Crystal Ball this year (which as a Gators' fan would be awesome by the way), or that Rahsaan Vaughn of Oregon is going to win the Heisman trophy this year.

No, but I will make a few other surprising predictions for this upcoming college football season...

Read more »

Best and Worst NFL Uniforms

2011-08-04T16:04:00.003-06:00

Which side of the list is Miami on?

When the lockout ended, we saw a frenzy of free agent signings. Many outlets have posted their "winners and losers" articles on which teams did the best at adding these free agents.

With most of the free agents signed, it's off to training camp to prepare for the start of the season. Thursday was the first day free agents were allowed to don their new uniforms and begin practicing with their new teams.

After reviewing all 32 NFL teams, I have made my own list based on the best and worst uniforms those free agents will be wearing.

Lets start with the 5 best...

Read more »

Coming soon on Simply Sports...

2011-07-28T15:39:00.005-06:00

There are a lot of good stories in sports to comment on. Each item deserves its' own article, which gives me a lot to write about! I've been a little absent from writing for a while, but I'm geared back up and read to crank out some good stuff.

If you have anything you would like to hear about, send your article ideas to Jsdoxey@hotmail.com and I'll do my best to write something that matches.

In the meantime, expect the following shortly...

Enjoying the Tour de France

2011-07-13T13:52:00.001-06:00

With the absence of Lance Armstrong, as well as a major doping problem, I wasn't expecting much from this year's Tour. However, it has been can't miss TV through the first 10 stages.

Granted, I'm a cyclist, nonetheless, I've enjoyed the Tour for so many reasons, many of which go unnoticed by the casual observer.

I watched a stage with my roommate, who asked a variety of questions about cycling procedure and protocol. After answering his questions as best I could, I could see he began to appreciate the sport more.

That conversation got me thinking about the aspects of cycling the average observer is missing. So, here are a few things to look for to help you enjoy the Tour de France…

Read more »

Jeter, Tragedy in Texas and The Tour de France

2011-07-11T11:41:00.006-06:00

I was a little lazy in blogging this week, which is too bad, because there were some very interesting things that happened in the world of sports. Some weeks are filled with typical story lines and nothing too out of the ordinary. This was not one of those weeks.

While I hate the Yankees, watching Derek Jeter chase his 3,000 hit was surprisingly captivating. On a more somber note, a man falling to his death at a ballpark in Texas was a sad reminder of the frailty of life. And finally, if only people understood what they were watching in the Tour de France, it would be must see TV across America.

While more than just these three things happened, I found each of the following stories to be most worthy of a write up...

My five favorite patriotic sports moments

2011-07-04T01:40:00.004-06:00

As the fourth of July approached, I began my yearly assault on YouTube to find my favorite versions of the National Anthem, God Bless America, and many other patriotic songs and tributes.

Some of my favorites are patriotic songs set to edited tribute videos of flags, soldiers, etc. However, the majority of my favorite versions have been sung at stadiums across the country during major sporting events such as the Superbowl and NBA All-Star game.

The following is a list of my top five favorite patriotic videos...

Read more »

6 reasons the Mariners will contend soon

2011-07-01T15:15:00.003-06:00

Before the season began, I had the usual conversation with my friend about how we thought the Mariner's would do this season.

The M's were coming off a poor season, had made zero significant acquisitions in the off season, and the other teams in the AL West had gotten stronger. With that in mind, I declared it would be a successful season if the Mariner's won 70 games.

Given these expectations, I have been reasonably surprised with Seattle's near five hundred record this late into the season. However, amidst a 3-game losing streak, the M's are starting to look more like the team I expected them to be.

This does not mean there is not hope for the future. Here are six reasons to be optimistic about the future if you are a Mariner's fan...

Jimmer Fredette: The new "King" James

2011-06-28T11:54:00.003-06:00

The Sacramento Kings are facing a crisis which might result in the team relocating to Anaheim. The city needs serious help to save their team. Unfortunately, the local government probably won't be able to save the Kings.

Sacramento can't depend on a democracy, they need a dictatorship. They need a King.

To Sacramento fans, I say, in this election year, change is coming. A new King is headed your way.

Noah saved the planet with an Ark, King James is on his way to save Arco from beyond the arc.

In Provo, UT, he is revered reverently as The Jimmer...

Bradley makes changes; USA in Gold Cup final

2011-06-24T13:05:00.000-06:00

US soccer is looking a lot better these days. Coach Bob Bradley is finally making better decisions.

Moving to a 4-5-1 formation, using Clint Dempsey as an attacking midfielder, has been brilliant. I've always felt the way to cover up our weakness at forward, was to overload our midfield with attacking players, creating strength in numbers.

Jermaine Jones, Alehandro Bedoya and Sasha Klestian are working well together with Michael Bradley in the middle and Clint Dempsey attacking at the top.

Bradley used Freddy Adu, yes that Freddy Adu, who made an immediate impact in Wednesday's 1-0 victory over Panama. He isn't always beautiful, but he is constantly in attack mode. Adu adds creativity to our team that we normally lack. I have always liked his mindset, even if his skill set doesn't always back it up.

There is still work to be done, but these adjustments on the fly are proving very effective…

Read more »

Who will draft Jimmer? Part II

2011-06-22T14:09:00.005-06:00

It happens every year. A player is projected to be drafted in one spot and then climbs 10 spots over night.

Did he get any better? No. Did he have an amazing last minute work out? No. Did he suddenly grow taller, jump higher or learn to shoot better? No.

Obviously, it's none of these things. Instead, teams become enamored with a player and fear some other team in front of them will draft a player they think will be the hidden gem of the draft. So, they trade picks and move up to draft the player higher than expected.

This year's benefit of last minute trade talk and paranoia? Jimmer Fredette..

Rory McIlroy: The next Tiger?

2011-06-20T13:35:00.002-06:00

When Rory McIlroy choked away a 63 hole lead at Augusta in April, I felt incredibly bad for the young golfer and wondered if he'd ever be able to overcome one of the biggest meltdowns in major golf history.

After this weekend's US Open, I no longer feel bad for McIlroy. The 22-year-old kid from Northern Ireland responded to a historic collapse at the Masters with a historic win at Congressional this weekend.

From one of the the worst collapses ever to the largest Open win ever. Talk about going from extreme to the other.

The easy angle here would be to talk about how Rory is the next Tiger. Lets not get ahead of ourselves. No, instead, Rory is what Tiger should have been…

Read more »

US Soccer on shaky ground in the Gold Cup

2011-06-15T13:08:00.005-06:00

Following a lackluster 1-0 victory against Guadeloupe, the US Men's Soccer team has advanced to the elimination rounds of the Gold Cup... Barely.

The odds on favorite to win the tournament, the US didn't even advance first out of their own group. The games they did win, the team looked disinterested once they owned a lead.

That being said, the US did advance and will take on Jamaica this Sunday. However, advancing out of the group stage isn't something the Americans should celebrate. Not in a region as weak as CONCACAF, which fields teams like Guadeloupe who FIFA doesn't even recognize as an independent nation.

So, while I was tough on Bob Bradley following the US's 4-0 loss to Spain, I'm not willing to completely pull back my criticisms of a coach who has left many question marks hanging over his own head...

Behind Enemy Lines: Visiting Yankee Stadium

2011-06-13T12:39:00.002-06:00

I hate the Yankees. So it's hard to say anything positive about my first experience at Yankee stadium. I'm a realist though and try to see each situation for what it is, regardless of my own bias. So as I walked into Yankee stadium on Tuesday to watch a Sox-Yankees game, I tried to check my hatred at the door and take in the experience as a neutral observer.

When I say neutral, I mean almost neutral; I wore a bright red Red Sox t-shirt and cheered for the Sox the entire game. I was very happy the Sox won 6-4 in a game in which Jon Lester got the W and Papelbon got the save (both are on my fantasy team).

By the time I left, I still hated the Yankees, but left with mostly positive impressions from my three and a half hour experience. Here are those impressions, in no particular order…

Read more »

Visiting Fenway: Baseball's best stadium

2011-06-10T11:52:00.009-06:00

In the eighties the Seattle Mariners were terrible. So, despite growing up near Seattle, I was a Red Sox fan. I watched every Sox game I could find on TV, checked their box scores daily in the paper, had Sox pennants, coffee mugs, posters and other memorabilia throughout my room.

Basically, I was a pretty good Sox fan before becoming a Mariner's fan in 1995. With that in mind, last Friday, I crossed off an item on my bucket by attending a Red Sox game at Fenway Park. And I fell in love.

Bob Bradley owes me money

2011-06-07T10:20:00.001-06:00

If you don't follow soccer, the USA played Spain on Saturday in Foxboro, MA. Following a 7-hour flight from Utah and a 25 mile drive from Boston, I was in attendance.

***HISTORY LESSON:

Spain won the World Cup last year and boasts one of the deeper and more talented rosters in recent memory. Two years ago, the Americans pulled off a shocking 2-0 upset of Spain, ending Spain's record unbeaten streak of 35 straight games, including 15 consecutive victories.

With that upset in mind, Spain brought their best squad, minus a few injuries, and many thought they'd be out for revenge. On the flip side, US supporters viewed this as an opportunity to prove the 2-0 win wasn't a fluke and that US soccer is for real.

After watching the game, I came to the following conclusion: Head Coach Bob Bradley owes me money.

Read more »

Paying college football players

2011-06-02T11:26:00.005-06:00

For years, Jim Tressel was an example of so many things you wanted out of college coach. He was humble, modest in victory, gracious in defeat, displayed character and integrity, and refused to give in to the pressures to change his style of coaching… Or so we thought.

Day by day we learn more about a slew of cover ups to go with a laundry list of violations which appear to have been going on from years. Yes, Jim Tressel's fall from grace over the past several months has been a sad story for all of us to watch.

It's sad for two reasons:

MJ looking up at Lebron?

2011-05-30T12:05:00.006-06:00

Scottie Pippen recently compared Lebron James to Michael Jordan, going as far as saying Lebron might be a better player. Yes, that Scottie Pippen. He of six championship rings thanks to MJ.

We've heard Kobe Bryant compared to Jordan, but this is the first time I can recall someone comparing Lebron to Jordan. I suppose it had to happen sometime, but coming from Pippen, wow, that's quite the entrance into the "he's as good as MJ" debate.

I had two initial reactions when I heard Pippen's comments: Kobe is getting older, so someone new had to be compared to Jordan, and I like the way Lebron didn't entirely dismiss the notion, the way Kobe has done. I actually had three reactions, if you count me questioning whether or not Pippen was sober when he made the comments.

Read more »