The Committed Fan

Bye Felicia: Bidding Adieu to Daily Fantasy Leagues

2015-09-22T06:33:00.000-07:00

If you have eyes, ears or basic cable television, you don't need me to tell you what DraftKings is. Or FanDuel. Or whatever terrible equivalent to either of those that Yahoo is pandering to you all like a dejected Jehovah's witness at your doorstep on a Saturday morning.

I don't know about you, but I'm sick of the whole lot.

It's not that I'm not into selling my soul (easy choice, I don't have one) or my Sundays to a fantasy world where I "own" players that play for the sole purpose of scoring me points to beat my friends based on a point scale set sometime in the summer, otherwise known as the WORST TIME IN ALL OF SPORTS. It's not that, because I really enjoy fantasy football. I play in multiple leagues, I watch a show loosely based on the subject, and I make bets on the outcomes of seasons I have very limited control over. It's all part of the experience for me.

Do you want to know what's the best part of all that experience? I chose to do it all, it wasn't shoved in my face relentlessly until I was too pissed off to ignore it, which is apparently the marking strategy of these daily fantasy leagues. I can't claim ignorance at this point, I know full well of what these leagues are, and yet I haven't considered joining one for one second. And yet I cannot escape the ads for these companies, try as I might.

A quick listing of the places I have been ambushed by DraftKings ads...

1. Cable TV (sports channels are, no surprise, the worst offenders)
2. Youtube Ads
3. Webpage Ads
4. Weekly fantasy columns on ESPN

I'm not surprised by the first three, it's entirely plausible and expected that the popular media formats will be the first to be gripped by any new company looking to advertise, but when I headed to my favorite weekly fantasy column, I was (perhaps naively) expecting it to be free of the DraftKings bullshit that had penetrated everything around me to that point.

Boy, was I wrong. I was more wrong than Columbus thinking he had made landfall in India. More wrong than Julius Caesar thinking Brutus was his friend. More wrong even than everyone in America thinking the entire cast of Grey's Anatomy wasn't inexplicably going to die over the course of the show.

Matthew Berry, one of the more entertaining fantasy sports columnists I've ever devoted time to following, is a realist. He, unlike most of the sitting members of the U.S Congress, isn't sure why he gets paid to do what he does, but that's neither here nor there. There's no complicated way to say this, so I'll just say it. In his week 1 column, he sold out big time. The entire thing read like one big advertisement to DraftKings, and his fans, the loyal, motley crew that they are, were furious.

Now, I get what it's like to be a company man. I get that ESPN and DraftKings have a sponsorship deal, and I get that Matthew Berry is not just a paid spokesperson for DraftKings, but also an avid player of daily fantasy leagues. Different strokes for different folks, right?

Well, sort of.

Do you know who the first people to force something daily relating to money on somebody else were?

The British circa 1776, that's who. And guess what, there was even a King involved. Coincidence? I think not.


Colonists have no use for your tyrannical daily fantasy leagues.Season long or bust.

My friends, I want you to be free. I want you to be the flowing mane of Nicholas Cage in Con-Air free, I want you to be the name of french fries in France post 9/11 free. I want you to be Scotland at the end of Braveheart, give or take a few years free. Free of the pressure to join something you have absolutely no interest in joining.

In middle school they told me I didn't have to join a gang if I was asked to do so. I'm telling you now that you DO NOT have to join the throngs (if you believe the commercials) of people winning millions of dollars (if you REALLY believe the commercials) playing in a daily fantasy league. You can be totally free of that pressure if you truly believe in yourself.

Not really though, it's all run by money, you'll see ads for daily fantasy leagues until you die, or until Congress decides to classify it as sports gambling and therefore illegal, and honestly, there's a better chance of a bunch of British dudes throwing away all of your tea than happening anytime soon.

Making Sense of Political Correctness

2015-07-27T20:29:00.001-07:00

America, I don't really know what you want anymore, I just don't.

America, arguably the entertainment and media capitol of the Western Hemisphere, if not the whole world, is expected to crank out all manner of entertaining and thought provoking programming, and if you think that I'm referring to Here Comes Honey Boo-Boo, then you're wrong, and also, shame on you.

The issue we face in this country is not an inability to produce content, but our penchant for ruining anything decently poignant or controversial through exhaustive social pressure to conform to standards of accepted political correctness. Which, put in simpler terms means we like to get offended anytime someone says something that makes us uncomfortable, and we as a society see increasingly limited viewpoints and positions as a result.

An ongoing and relevant example provides the basis for my post today. Colin Cowherd, a radio host and occasional TV persona for ESPN, has come under fire in the past week for comments he made on his on air talk show. If you're interested in an unbiased perspective, then I'd invite you to go search it out and form your own opinions. My summary is as follows; Cowherd was making a point about the education level required to master various aspects of professional baseball, and chose to point out that 1/3 of the league are players from the Dominican Republic. Now, I believe I know Cowherd was meaning to point out the glaring lack of importance and funding allotted to education in the D.R, rather than meaning to imply that everyone from the country is of low intelligence. Now, I don't necessarily agree with the point in it's entirety but I understand where Cowherd was meaning to go with it, and that is to say that baseball is not a very complex sport to learn, such as football or baseball. Baseball is a simple sport, you are either a very gifted athlete and can pitch or hit the ball well, or you are one of the people who throw out horrible first pitches before the games and dishonor your family (cough, 50 Cent, cough).

No, the cameraman doesn't have a white crotch in his pants....

The backlash from the comments was swift. Cowherd, who was already planning to leave ESPN for Fox Sports 1 (a competing network) in a week, got canned early and was removed from the airwaves as ESPN issued a sweeping statement/apology and condemned his remarks as "not in line with the views of ESPN". Really? A guy, who by the way is known to be more of an "out there" radio host, a "live on the edge" kind of guy makes a blanket statement that (arguably) gets taken out of context and suddenly he's untouchable? Damaged goods? A Racist?

We're quick to use that label, man oh man are we quick to use it. The sports world clamors for original and thought provoking content but when we get it it's "get out your pitchforks, some host is losing their job". I just don't understand why everything has to be so corrected and monitored so closely that we're (speaking as someone in the sports industry) walking on metaphorical eggshells to avoid losing our jobs. You can only hear the same sports news so many times before it gets insanely boring, and radio shows with stirring content help to shake that all up. People clamor about how the same sports topics get brought up time and time again (LeBron on ESPN, for example) but the minute someone says something outside the box we're quick to bury him in it. It's also ridiculous that people from outside the sports world, who choose to create distance and limit knowledge of the sports world in their own lives, will suddenly rush to join the witch hunt whenever it seems convenient. How can anyone possibly consider themselves versed enough on any issue to form an opinion after reading a single internet article?

Because that's what we are now people. That's who we've become. Yes, I'm wearing the tinfoil hat, I'm questioning the hivemind because I don't agree with what it seeks to do, because I'm choosing not to drink the Kool-Aid.

I think the world benefits from diverse viewpoints, even those that are deemed violent or hateful, because every speech, every dialogue, every word typed out and woven into a point can become a learning experience and can help further our education. Furthermore, it's worth pointing out that the timing of Cowherd's imminent departure to a competitor likely played a role in his premature termination, and it would be remiss of us to praise ESPN for "taking a stand for society", their convoluted sense of right and wrong has been shown in their petty "slaps on the wrist" punishments of Britt McHenry, Stephen A Smith and Tony Kornheiser, all ESPN mainstays.

So if you want to disagree with Colin Cowherd, go right ahead, get in line, it's a LONG one. If it stops you from following him on Twitter, listening to his show or voicing your support for him around the water cooler, then so be it, he'll survive. However if you want to sling mud with the best of them, and really hang him out as a racist, then you'd be smart to get the facts on what he actually said, take a long look at your own character and things you may have said and wished you could take back, and then decide if the man really needs to be battered anymore for saying something you didn't like.

And please, for the love of whatever god, diety or flying spaghetti monster you may worship, don't despise the man because someone on Tumblr or Facebook told you to.

The House That the Taxpayers Built

2015-07-14T19:05:00.000-07:00

America.

Home of the Free. Land of the Brave. Domain of the abused taxpayer.

Benjamin Franklin once said there are only two things that are certain in this life; death and taxes. However a new trend in the world of sports is making it certain that before you die, if not already done, each and every U.S taxpayer will help pay for a sports stadium, many of which are privately owned.

Well, that almost seems reasonable, until you look at the list of professional sports team owners and see their net worth.

Live look-in at two sports franchise owners.

At that point, it becomes obvious that what amounts to a manageable expense for these owners becomes a massive burden on the taxpayers in each city where a professional team is located. To put the discussion into a numbers format, imagine a total cost to the taxpayers amounting to 500 million or more. Folks, you could fix a whole lot of potholes for $500 million. Or a whole lot of schools. Or a whole lot of anything that needs fixing that isn't a 10 year old stadium.

Now, I love my sports as much as the next person, probably more, let's be real. However I understand that some people dislike sports with a passion, and while I think they are missing out overall, I feel like I need to point out that unless they have a tax-evasion file open with the IRS, they have been funding stadiums that they never intend to set foot in, without a say in the matter. How's that for servicing the public's needs?

Now, I'm far from the first person to call out these owners and teams, and many people have asked for justification on why the public should pay for the bulk of a new stadium, while the owners stand to profit directly from the various revenue streams associated from the team (merchandise, concessions, naming rights, etc.). The question is a fair one, those revenue streams can grow to be quite large, and owners are very unlikely to share a portion of that wealth with the public sector. Instead, teams have begun to argue that an improved stadium creates a "trickle-down" effect to the surrounding area, an effect that is very difficult to measure, and thus hard to disprove.


And then I told them it would make them rich as well! Classic!

Before any of you Detroit fans start feeling immune from the reach of public stadium financing, you should know that your pizza god, Mike Illitch, and his Olympia Development Group are expecting a public investment of 284.5 million for their Detroit Events Center Project, to go along with $365 million dollar private investment. Well hey, that's far from the worst public-private funding ratio among sports stadiums (I'm looking at you, Mr. 100% publicly funded Raymond James Stadium), so that's one thing to be somewhat proud of! Go Detroit! Olympia had the following to say about the project.

"This project is about so much more than a world-class sports and entertainment arena; it's about transforming a core part of our city for the benefit of the entire community."

Well hey, there you go. Build a $750 million dollar events center and revitalize a city that filed for BANKRUPTCY just two years ago. Now I'm no accountant, but I'm more than a little curious how 284 million in public funds is going to come from a bankrupted municipality.

So why is a stadium so damn expensive anyways, you ask? Well, besides all the steel, concrete and wiring needed to create such a large structure spanning 50-70 acres, there are some unique amenities around the various sports leagues that undoubtedly added to the total public cost. A few of my favorites from that list are as follows.

60 yard long high definition video screen (Dallas)
Two built in swimming pools overlooking the field (with lifeguards) ( Jacksonville)
A pirate ship with working cannons (Tampa Bay)
A fish tank, with fish, that stretches around the stadium (Miami Marlins)
This....thing.... (also Miami)

Those Marlins?....yeah, they move.

Will public funding of these private, for-profit stadiums continue to be the norm? It's hard to say for certain, but I'd have to think that the arms race to have the biggest and fanciest stadiums will continue until the bills become so outrageously large that the public defiantly votes no and puts serious pressure on the powers that be. For now, at least, we as a society have shown that we are perfectly content paying $15 for a hot dog and watered down beer after ponying up $100+ just to get in the gate. Except we are not just paying for the hot dog, beer and seat. We are paying for so much more, and we are doing it under the false pretense of paying for public amenities, and if people really knew the extent of what was going on with stadium funding, I think they'd all be less excited to support their favorite teams from the discomfort of a tiny metal seat next to a big hairy man named Frank.

Thanks for reading everyone, and make sure to claim your local sports team as a dependent on your next tax form, you don't want to be missing out on all the benefits you'll receive for your generous contributions!

Getting Back to Blogging

2015-07-06T19:50:00.002-07:00

Listen, I know I've been away for far too long, and I bet with how infrequently I've been posting that you all think I have more commitment issues than a Kardashian, but that's not the case. I've been busy, that's true, but not busy enough to warrant neglecting any of you still reading this out of some convoluted sense of loyalty or friendship towards me. I've also not been too busy to catch the thrilling World Cup final on Sunday between the United States and Japan, and if you were, I've got to tell you, you missed out big time.

This game may have been the most thrilling sports event I've ever watched, and I'm not kidding when I say that. This game brought out more national pride in me than Team America: World Police, and people, I do not say that lightly.

Recommended highly for viewing by children.

In a World Cup filled with several first timer nations getting run off the pitch (that's soccer language for the playing field), America danced through to the semifinals with little opposition, eventually routing the German squad and setting up a rematch of the 2011 World Cup with Japan, a loss no doubt fresh in the minds of the American squad. Full of salt, the Americans struck first 3 minutes into the game, and then second, 2 minutes later, and then third, 9 minutes after that. In fact, the U.S scored 6 of the 7 goals scored in the final, because the team is so damn good that sometimes they end up scoring on themselves. The mark of a true champion, I'd say.

If you are not yet blown away by how awesome this game was, then consider the following:

Kevin loves food.
Kevin ate a bratwurst (or brat, for short) during the game.

The brat DID NOT come CLOSE to as satisfying as watching Carly Lloyd do her dirty work all over the Japanese defense. Nor was it as satisfying as watching Han's younger sister Hope punch soccer balls away from the U.S goal with righteous liberty time after time during the furious Japanese offensive that came about 60 minutes too late. Now was it near as satisfying as the much deserved hoisting of the trophy by Abby Wambach and Christi Rampone, the venerated legends of U.S women's soccer. Honestly, it was just a really disappointing brat.

To be completely honest, I know that everything I've just said (minus the brat, you weren't there, so how could you ever know?) will likely be under a lot of scrutiny, because soccer is not even a huge sport in this country. Hell, we still call it by the wrong name, on purpose, just because we came up with one we like better. There's nothing more stubbornly American than that. However none of this changes how great that game was to witness as a sports fan, and how immensely proud it made me to stand up with my fellow Americans and cheer on our women's national soccer team as they brought the Cup back to America for the first time since 1999.

Freedom. What's in your wallet?

To put it in the words of the great Forrest Gump....

"and that's all I have to say about that"

'Murica!

What watching the NFL has taught me about defense

2014-10-28T07:36:00.003-07:00

The cliche's are well known.

The best offense is a strong defense.

Defense wins championships.

It might be purely coincidental, or it may be because the Seahawks won the most recent Super Bowl while sporting a pretty wicked defense, but I have been hearing the latter cliche' in seemingly record amounts lately.

So it's got me wondering, does defense really win championships? Will an especially resilient defense make up for a deplorable offense?

Certainly there are examples of teams with a defensive focus making the Super Bowl, even a few of them winning it. As a Bears fan my mind immediately goes to the 1985 Bears, who fielded one of the top defensive units of all time, and the 2001 Ravens. The 1985 Bears also fielded the 2nd highest scoring offense in the league that season, while the 2001 Ravens were led by Trent Dilfer at QB (ouch) and their offense was fairly mediocre.

The Super Bowl XLVIII champion Seattle Seahawks team from last season fielded the NFL's toughest defense. Nicknamed the "Legion of Boom", the Hawks made a strong statement in the Super Bowl, nearly shutting out Peyton Manning and the electric Broncos offense and allowing just one score in the blowout win.Offensively, the Seahawks fielded an offense in the lower half of the league in terms of total performance.

So what is the trend? What is the big takeaway here?

I think the cliche has some truth to it. Defense will, more often than not, put a team in a position to win a championship. However I think when considering super bowl winners from the past two decades, it becomes apparent that neglecting the offense to stack the defense will decrease a teams chances to win a championship. Even moreso in today's NFL than the older era, defense is becoming much harder to play well. New rules prohibit many things that were previously considered normal on the football field, so while the "Legion of Boom" were able to defy that truth and win the Super Bowl, their ability to repeat such a feat is questionable.

I don't believe that the cliche "defense wins championships" holds much weight in today's NFL. With the rules being the way they are, and punishing hard hits and plays that have always been legal, we have seen points per game increase, as defenses find it harder to make the plays they are expected to. In today's NFL, the best way to win seems to either have a great defense mirrored by a good offense, or a great offense that can score on every possession to outpace the other team.

But if I were to pick one reason, my biggest reason for not believing the formula that the top defensive teams win the championships, it would be this. If the formula were to hold true, then the team that has led the NFL this season in total defense would be the most likely candidate to win the Super Bowl, and that team is none other than....

THE DETROIT LIONS.


Meow?

I'm telling you people, that isn't gonna happen, and if it does, I'll eat my sock*.

*The Committed Fan reserves the right to cut the sock into smaller pieces in the event that consumption is called for...

Forgiving the cursed Cub fan

2014-10-15T14:51:00.004-07:00

I am, somewhat unfortunately, a Cubs fan.

I didn't consciously choose this, it was chosen for me.

Interestingly enough, while some people treat sports like a religion, in some ways, it is very similar. How many people in the world made a well informed decision, considering all available options at the tender time of youth, on what particular religion they would follow? For most people, myself included, the religion you likely followed (if you grew up in a religious household) was whatever your parents or grandparents believed.

Very often we use the same criteria when choosing a sports team to follow. A close second behind the geographical area you live in, the sports team of a parental or other family figure often becomes the go-to team to cheer for. Occasionally this leaves you with cheering for a team from a struggling, once proud auto capitol in MI, but hey, we all make bad decisions sometimes....

For me, I started my journey as a Cubs fan on my 8th birthday, when my parents took me to Wrigley Field for the first time. I couldn't tell you who played on either team at the time, couldn't tell you if the Cubs won or lost (lets be honest, they probably lost) but it was a start. I had my jersey on, and I had my glove, in case a fly ball came near us.

I like to think if I could do it all over, if I had a blank slate and could choose a new team, I'd probably still pick the Cubs. I love Chicago, it's a very cool place and Wrigley field is simply overflowing with the atmosphere of an old school baseball stadium.

The reason I'm taking you all back on the Nostalgia Express (seriously, who thought this was a good idea?) is because today is the anniversary of the day every Cubs fan should know. They'll know it, because they hate it. They'll know it, because the most recent chance they had at ending the 106 year streak without a World Series ended 11 years ago today, when the infamous Bartman incident occured.

Steve Bartman was a Cubs fan who came to watch the Cubs (presumably) finish out the 2003 National League Championship Series against the Florida Marlins at Wrigley Field. The Cubs were just a few outs shy of clinching the 6th game by a 3-0 score, propelling them into the World Series. A foul ball, hit by Marlins second baseman Luis Castillo, flew out to Bartman's section, and being in the general area of where it would land, he made an attempt to grab it and....

...interfered with Cubs outfielder Moises Alou, who had a chance, some would say very good chance at catching the ball and registering the out. Instead, Castillo continued his at bat and walked, the Marlins mounted an improbable rally and ended up scoring 8 runs to steal the game away from the shocked Cubs. The Marlins rallied again to take the series from the Cubs the following night, and went on to beat the Yankees in the World Series.

The man himself. Only crime I see is that turtleneck, am I right?

Bartman's name has become the curse of many a Chicago sports bar, im sure, and the public backlash facing him after the game was very real, and very chaotic. And while I'm not pleased with how the game ended, I think it's a bit of a stretch to blame him for the whole debacle and not winning the World Series that year. I don't wish any harm on old Stevie, and I hope everyone else has forgiven him by now as well, because Steve Bartman is really only guilty of doing what I did on my 8th birthday for my first time at Wrigley. Taking a seat, watching the game, and hoping for the off chance that a foul ball comes to me.

The Great Outdoors

2014-09-30T07:08:00.001-07:00

I took a trip this past weekend.

Me and two buddies hopped in a car, drove 100 miles north into the woods till we got away from civilization and lived in the woods for three days.

You could do a lot worse than this as a view

Besides being the best trip I've taken in recent memory, it gave me an appreciation for the little things. Surrounded by nature, delivered from the droves of selfies and miles from the nearest coffee joint (not that I drink it anyways), I felt entirely unconnected with the world I've grown accustomed to and instead felt intrinsically connected to the environment for the first time in years, and it felt great.

Now I admit, I missed being connected to the world of sports, and in a weekend full of college and NFL games, I felt like I missed a lot. However the world of sports will always be available to me, whereas being out in the beauty of nature is something many people lose the ability to do.

I needed this trip. The trials and tribulations that have come at me already this semester had starting to take their toll, and I needed the way to release the stress. It was hardly a leap of faith to go on this trip, but deciding to go against the normal weekend routine and travel brought me more peace of mind in one weekend than I've had all semester long.

The world is a stressful place. Stress comes from everywhere, whether it be the ending of a relationship, the passing of a family member, struggles with schoolwork or a job, so it's especially important to find the things, however small, that make you happy, and go out and get those things in your life.

So I apologize to anyone of you who came here expecting something more based on sports, and I realize this post may be one of the most cliche', Tumblr-esque posts of all time, but I felt like it personally needed to be said. I hope you enjoyed this post, and I hope all 5 of you who read this blog may take this concept to heart.

The Motivation Behind Change in Professional Sports

2014-09-16T13:49:00.000-07:00

It's been a rough week for the NFL.

While the NFL slogged though the mess that resulted from the video showing Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice punching his wife in an elevator, details came out exposing injuries to the four year old son of Adrian Peterson, at least some of which, if not all, were caused by him.

It took just hours after both of these incidents first broke for them to spread around the internet like wildfire, and as it typical for the internet, opinions are divided. While most people familiar with the story have condemned Ray Rice for committing domestic abuse, opinions are a little more divided on the issue of whether Peterson was simply disciplining his child or if what he did constitutes child abuse.

The reaction from the NFL was swift. Rice has been cut from the Ravens, and the NFL has since hired three female consultants to examine domestic abuse and its prevalence among NFL players. Peterson was suspended for this past weekend's game, and could face further suspension once all the details are gathered. In response to both incidents, the NFL promoted Anna Isaacson, the league's vice president of community affairs and philanthropy, to the newly created vice president of social responsibility position.

At first glance, these responses appear to be driven by social pressure, and the NFL is more than happy to let people think that is why these changes were made. In reality, it likely has more to do with the reason players don pink cleats and gloves in October.

HINT: It isn't because they care about finding a cure for cancer.

If the knowledge that the NFL only donates 10% of every dollar raised by their pink campaign to actual cancer research isn't enough to convince you of that, then how about the knowledge that the NFL's most targeted demographic is women? New data shows that women make up 45% of the league's fan base, which adds a whole new level of importance in how the NFL is seen to be handling these issues, specifically the Ray Rice issue.

For some feminine groups, Ray Rice being punished is not enough. Though players in the NFL have been found guilty of domestic violence before, this case is different because of the undeniable truth of the internet regarding videos. Everything is worse in video than in print. Don't believe me? Read the details about an accident on the highway and then watch a video of the incident and tell me what is more shocking. Before TMZ leaked the video from the elevator, this issue was relatively small in coverage, and had it not surfaced, this media firestorm would likely not have happened. However, since the video has circulated, activist groups and members of the general public will not give up until heads roll, specifically that of commissioner Roger Goodell.

So will he step down?

Likely, no. And I don't think he should. It is obvious that the NFL was aware of details of the case before the public was, including the video showing Rice punching his fiance. So yes, a cover up was orchestrated, very poorly, but orchestrated nonetheless. So a valid point could be made that Goodell has very questionable morals, and you could say (and plenty have) that he is a bad person for what he did. That's fine, I won't disagree with you. However the point that no one wants to take into consideration is that the NFL is, above all, a BUSINESS. They are a for profit entity, and profits are good. So while the NFL is willing to make "amends" for the wrongs of its players, it has to put more thought into the state of its commissioner. Goodell has brought the NFL some of its most lucrative media contracts in his tenure, and the league has experience nothing but growth as of late, so the likelihood of him being forced to step down is very low.

The biggest fallacy in the general public right now is that the NFL "needs" to do this, or "needs" to do that because of how it makes an individual feel. The NFL does not exist to make you feel good, it exists to entertain people and thus gain their disposable income. The NFL employs PLENTY of athletes who are better football players than people. I'm not saying it is right, or wrong, I'm just saying how it is.

Now I want to make it clear that I don't support or condone anything that Ray Rice has done. That should go without saying but this way no one has to assume I support domestic abuse. As far as the Peterson case goes, I think there is a line that was crossed in the disciplining of a child in a method that I would normally support, and in going past that point, Peterson caused significant damage to his child, and I obviously object to that. But both of these cases are not as cut and dry as people would like to make it.

Now I understand how easy it is to jump on the social change bandwagon. It's how the internet generation handles problems. Don't like something someone has done? Shame them on social media. But this is an instance where the mob mentality is not going to prevail and get everything they want. The NFL is perfectly willing to lose Adrian Peterson or Ray Rice to this, but it will not give up on the one principle it holds most dear; making ALOT of money. And if that's not something you support, then your only real option is to resist and boycott the league. After all, we all just represent dollar signs to them. I'm a dollar sign, you're a dollar sign, hundreds of thousands of new dollar signs are born every day. That doesn't change because of the poor judgement of a handful of NFL players.

That is capitalism at its finest.

Finding a pulse

2014-09-02T07:42:00.000-07:00

CLEAR!

*cue steady machine beep*

Yes, there it is, a sign of life. A pulse, starting slowly but gaining strength. A being, once vibrant and full of life, finding once again the will to live, the motivation to look around and take in the reason for its purpose.

Football has returned.

Alright, I'm just kidding, my life isn't nearly that dramatic. I also have plenty of reasons to live that don't involve body pads and pigskins. However there is truth in my words about returning to life in regards to this blog. I took a hiatus this summer, more than what I had planned, because life has a way of interfering with your plans, but I'm back here again, shaking off the dust and anxious to get back into the swing of things.

College football is back into the mix, and while I anxiously await the start of the NFL season just days away, the changing of the guard is already in effect. The loathsome, dragging baseball season is on its way out, golf will soon fade back to obscurity and the WNBA will continue being ignored by most of the sports world (sorry ladies). Football will, as in years past, be pushed to the front page. Not to say that is right, but it is the way things have always happened, which brings me to the topic of Michael Sam.

Sam, a 7th round draft pick out of Missouri, was the first openly gay NFL player to see action on the field this fall but has since become a casualty of the Ram's depth at the defensive line, being left off the final roster and being thrust into free agency. Now, Sam's decision to come out was brave, and he is a pioneer in social progress, that much is sure. His impact in the league extends beyond the playing field, however the NFL is a business and the Rams are one of 31 teams vying for a championship (lets be honest, the Raiders don't have a chance). When you only get 53 roster spots, teams will go with the 53 best players they have more often than not. Sam played well in the preseason, but that doesn't guarantee anyone a roster spot. I don't feel like the Rams left Sam off because of the media circus surrounding his young career, but it wouldn't be the first time a team had parted ways with a player in that situation, and it won't be the last. It is just the way it is. I genuinely hope we see the full inclusion of any player with the necessary skills, regardless of sexual preference, but it is not about what I want...

...which is obvious when considering the decision of Central Michigan University athletics to move the student section from the south endzone (where it has been for all 5 seasons I have watched them) to the east stands, a decision I thought was a very bad move. Based off the attendance from last season, it seemed like a good way to make the student section even less of a presence, but at least for the first game of the season I was dead wrong. Seven full sections of the east stands were filled, easily 3000-5000 students yelling, cheering and enthusiatically supporting the Chippewas. It may last, it may not, but at least for one game, the students cheered up, and showed me once again that a rash decision is typically a wrong decision...

...which is probably why Josh Gordon seems unable to make good choices. Gordon, one of the NFL's most talented receivers and a freak athlete, recently had his year long suspension for violating the leagues substance abuse policy upheld, meaning he will watch from the sidelines as the Browns sputter through another losing season (just kidding, maybe...probably a good guess). And as far as sympathy goes, I have none for him...

Carefully steps onto soapbox, cue rant....

I am a big believer in second chances, and recognizing that people make mistakes and can face adversity and move past it, if given the opportunity. Roger Goodell, the NFL commissioner, seems to agree with this principle, which is why he didn't throw the book at Ray Rice (for alleged domestic violence) and is now throwing the book at Gordon for multiple offenses. However at a certain point, which Gordon is at, my sympathy and understanding runs out. When someone is made aware of a strict drug policy that their employer has for them, and yet continuously violates and or makes light of said policy, and when all that person needs to do is not smoke marijuana for a few years while collecting some of the fattest checks known to man, then that person is, without a doubt, a moron. There simply isn't another term for it. I don't care who you are or where you came from, if you cannot choose to put down a drug in favor of a paycheck to support yourself then there are more serious issues there. Perhaps with a year off he'll have time to think about what is TRULY important to him and make the right choices, and if not, then that is truly tragic.

Awkwardly step off soapbox, almost fall.

While I have the opportunity, and since I own this platform and don't have an agenda to push (take that, ESPN!) i'd like to give a shout out to some of the sports that are the forgotten middle children of the sports world. If the NFL were Eminem, these sports would be the Vanilla Ice of the sports sphere. This list includes the aforementioned golf, the NHL (still a professional league, who knew?!), tennis since the decline of Roger Federer, the WNBA since the beginning of time (sorry again, ladies), any college sport not named football or basketball and last but certainly not least, the game where they drive the cars around the track really fast.

Oh and also I want to bring attention to the FIBA games going on right now, which stands for the International Basketball Federation. Similar to the World Cup for soccer, this contest pits the top national teams for all the worlds countries against each other, and very much unlike the World Cup, the USA is actually top of the world in this regard, which is why the rest of the world tries to pretend the FIBA championships don't exist. So if you're a fan of basketball and or America, and want to feel the rush of freedom through your veins that only follows a red white and blue victory, then tune in and watch our national team play.

Well I'm sorry this stretched a little long, I guess just like with my professors there is no such thing as easy syllabus day on the Committed Fan, I hope you stayed with me and hope you continue to stay with me on the blog, giving me your time and attention.

Keep calm and chive on, friends, and be mindful of the words that the (tragically) mortal Ned Stark said.

Winter is coming

The Problems that Arise when Private Ownership Makes you a Public Figure.

2014-04-29T12:17:00.000-07:00

The sports world has been abuzz with the recent slew of racially insensitive remarks made by Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling, in which he criticizes his girlfriend for publicly fraternizing with minority groups. Critics came calling for his head, reports indicated the league might take his position away from him. Unfortunately for Sterling, new commissioner Adam Silver handed down a lifetime ban on Sterling and ordered him to pay a 2.5 million dollar fine on Tuesday.

Now whether you believe him to be right or wrong in the things that he said, and I think I can rightfully assume the majority of people would disagree with him, the truth is that he has an absolute right to have his own opinions. While it may seem odd to you that a man with racists tendencies would field a team comprised of mostly black players (as it does to me), there is a certain expectation of freedom of speech in this country, and what he does in his private phone calls and conversations has to fall under that right.

Take, for example, the case of Mark Cuban. The eccentric and outspoken owner of the NBA's Dallas Mavericks has put his foot in his mouth his fair share of times, and has never been one to keep quiet about something he does not like. For this, he is praised and respected, all for using his own freedom of speech to voice his opinions.

Is anybody in the league office attempting to take away Cuban's ownership?

No.

Now, to clarify, the right to freedom of speech only pertains to the government and does not specifically limit the NBA, a private entity. It also does not only protect popular opinion speech, in fact this is not at all what it was meant to protect. It was, in a way, meant to protect the opinions of those not in the majority, of which Sterling definitely applies to in this case.

So is the message the league office is trying to send that owners who harbor unpopular, even racist opinions cannot own an NBA franchise?

Well, technically that's not against the law. As a private institution the league can probably kick out Sterling for what he has said, but I think that would be wrong, and not because I condone his actions. Cuban has spoken out on the issue (no surprise there) and has said that the league kicking out owners is a “slippery slope”. When the league officials start to punish people for what they say or do in the privacy of their own homes, it will start a precedent for a punishment driven league. Cuban understands it is a bad place to end up, and I agree.

Sterling would have been punished heavily, even without the ban. Players would not line up to play for a team owned by a bigot, and draft picks would not be excited to go there. He's done the most damage to himself that he could, and has alienated his entire team. That is more severe of a punishment than he should receive for a private remark that unfortunately happened to become public.

My main point is this. I don't know how the comments Sterling made got to the public, I don't know how the conversation with his girlfriend got taped, but either way, they were obviously remarks meant only for her. A private conversation, on a private phone, and likely in a private residence. The public expects Sterling to answer for what he does in his private life yet how many people lead private lives that may be frowned up in their own workplace? Why does being the wealthy owner of a private sports team suddenly come with the expectation of perfection?

It doesn't, at least for now. And it shouldn't. Adam Silver has thrown the book at Sterling to start his tenure off with an iron fist, and Donald Sterling is the unfortunate scapegoat for him to do so.

Why I like to blog

2014-04-10T10:25:00.003-07:00

Creativity is a talent that can be expressed in an assortment of ways.

For some people, their creativity comes in a pattern of brush strokes on a canvas, or shaded areas of graphite on paper. Some people live to manipulate digital images, creating images and arrangements that defy plausibility.

Writing has become a sort of art for me, a way to express my opinions on an assortment of platforms where others can view it. Sometimes the platform calls for structure, and a restrictive style of writing. I've written a broad variety of pieces for all manner of publications, and the one truth I've found in my writing career is that this blog is the only place where my writing is truly mine, and the freedom to write what I want is only limited by my creativity.

Editors are a true example of the phrase "a double-edged sword". When I write a 500+ word feature piece, I'm bound to make a few grammatical errors, or accidentally misspell something. It's natural, I'm a human, it's not a big deal. Editors have saved me plenty of embarrassment by correcting these errors before other can see them. However I have dealt with a handful of editors in my budding career and at one point or another they have all taken a buzzsaw to my work before publishing it.

Some do it for "flow", believing that adding or subtracting a sentence makes the article smoother. Others do it because of a personal preference for how they might say something over the way the writer has it written.

"Frankensteining" is what I call it, because it is essentially the result that you get when you take an article written one way by someone, and then interject someone else's ideas haphazardly amongst the piece. Sometimes, it isn't too bad, heck, sometimes it might even make the piece better. Far too often, however, an editor can completely commandeer a piece, much to the chagrin of the writer.

I'm not worried about whether you sympathize with my opinion here, because that's not the point. I feel like I have neglected this blog in favor of publishable material, which is unfortunate, because having the ability to write something for myself that I can share with you, my (I'd assume) loyal readers is something I should not take for granted.

An endless desire for change

2014-01-21T16:27:00.001-08:00

I firmly believe that the pursuit of perfection can eventually begin to do more harm than good. Nothing in this life is truly perfect, and the NFL is no different. Under the leadership of Roger Goodell, however, the NFL has seen consistent rule changes in almost every off-season, and the recent discussion on removing the extra point from the NFL has got to be where the line is drawn in the sand. Goodell has called the PAT "practically automatic", citing the five PAT misses this season out of around 1200 attempts.

My main rationale for keeping the extra point is two-fold. One, the PAT is one of the oldest plays in NFL history, and to change it changes the scoring system in a way that works against teams trying to mount a comeback. Number two, the PAT is one of three plays in the NFL that relies on a place kicker, the other two being a field goal and the kickoff.

Removing the PAT lessens the importance of a place kicker, lowering the salaries of some of the NFL's least paid players. And if you thought everyone in the NFL was rolling in cash, you're wrong. Now, it may not raise much empathy in the minds of the general public for place kickers, but the fact remains that without kicking a PAT, the burden of securing a point after falls on the offense. More offensive snaps means more throws from the quarterback, more rushes from the runningback. In addition to added wear and tear on the star players at these positions, point after attempts will reduce the money paid to kickers and instead shovel more cash onto the heaping contracts paid to the offensive stars.

Now, if a play is really thought to be "too automatic", perhaps the play could be amended,instead of being deleted entirely. Removing one of the oldest plays in the NFL is lazy, but making a small change to increase the difficulty for the betterment of competition, now that is something I could get behind. Moving the spot of the ball back to the 15 yard line is a possible solution, making the kick harder to make and easier for opponents to block.

I understand the NFL's prerogative to deliver the "best" product to it's fans, but this is not the way to do it. The PAT is not doing the game any harm, and I'm hoping it doesn't become the newest casualty of Roger Goodell's boredom.

You can't always get what you want

2014-01-13T19:54:00.000-08:00

Mascots have long been a symbol of strength and identity for teams ranging from youth sports to professional sports. Some of them have historical importance, some play off the stereotypes of a group of people, and others are based off of animals.

The Chicago Cubs are one of the oldest and tradition rich sports franchises in the world, so naturally my curiosity was peaked when I heard they had finally selected an actual mascot to be the face of the franchise.

I got this.


Pants are for squares, I always say!

I don't like this mascot. It's not intimidating, it doesn't exude competitive excellence, and it gives me the willies. I mean, why is the bear so dang happy? Just think, this probably took them months of production by countless unpaid interns to design, color and release. And after all of that, I get this.

THIS is the new face of the Chicago Cubs. I mean, it was bad enough to accept season after season of lackluster effort, but now I get to do it while watching the Bernstein Bear on ecstasy.

To rub salt in the wound, this horrible rendition of your brain on drugs has a Twitter account, and it already has about 4,000 more followers than mine, and it's a day old.

Between Clark the hyperactive Cub and Jay Cutler's 7 hear hockey contract, I've been thrown into a pit of despair from which I may never emerge.

Send the Pro Bowl to sleep with the fishes

2013-12-28T09:18:00.002-08:00

I despise the Pro Bowl.

This is not a new feeling, it's not something I've recently started to feel. I've never liked the Pro Bowl and I've never understood why it was even held.

For anyone reading this who may not be an expert on the Pro Bowl, I'll give you a basic summary of how it goes down. The NFL opens up the voting to fans, who may vote for a set amount of players at each position, from any team to "make" the Pro Bowl. Fans may vote as many times as they'd like for whomever they would like, and the players with the most votes (i.e the most popular players) get selected to the Pro Bowl.

Occasionally a player is picked as a form of recognition for having a career year, which would seem to be a service to the Pro Bowl. Typically, however, deserving players get snubbed in favor of popular players having a weaker season simply because of their popularity.

Due to the hype that typically surrounds teams that are leading the NFL in wins, the amount of players sent by each team is often skewed in favor of the teams with the best record. For example, the Kansas City Chiefs and San Fransisco 49ers both had eight players selected for the Pro Bowl, and both teams happen to be top tier teams in the NFL this season. Sadly, so that there was room for these two teams to send eight players, five NFL teams will have zero representation in a game that is meant to showcase individuals who perform well.

That's not the fault of the NFL, to be honest. Fan voting brought it upon us, fan voting decided that nobody from Jacksonville, New York (twice), Green Bay or Atlanta deserved individual recognition this season. Meanwhile everyone and their mother from San Fransisco and Kansas City "deserved" recognition, apparently.

Enough with the boring details of the fan voting/player selection process, let's get to the super exciting part of the Pro Bowl; the game.

Wait....why is everyone standing around? Aren't they playing a game? It looks more like a practice....are they even trying? and what the HELL are they wearing?!?

If you thought that by gathering all of these skilled professionals and asking them to play a meaningless game at full speed and risk injuring themselves during the postseason would work, then I applaud you, for you live in a fantasyland. The plain truth of the matter is, this game means nothing in the grand scope of the season. Winning the Pro Bowl is such a minor prize compared to winning the Super Bowl, so obviously players that are preparing for the Super Bowl won't risk injuring themselves, and rightfully so.

All you will see in a Pro Bowl game is about 5 passes thrown by each quarterback over a line that basically stands up once the ball is snapped and starts fraternizing with the D line before the play is even over. Defensively, players rack up more "attempted tackles" than tackles, as the game inevitably ends up in some ridiculous shootout to the tune of some 50-45 final score.

I'm tired of the Pro Bowl. I'd much prefer a coach voted "Pro Bowl" award similar to the All-American teams awarded in college football, and spare us the pain and unnecessary torture of having to watch, hear about or even thinking about a worthless Pro Bowl game. It's poorly timed, poorly organized and the play does not live up to the standard of football befitting the National Football League.

The need to change ones gym shorts

2013-12-27T19:52:00.000-08:00

Last Sunday, the Detroit Lions were mathematically eliminated from playoff contention with their loss to the New York Giants, ending a season filled with promise but mired by a lack of discipline and an inability to finish games in which they led entering the 4th quarter of play.

As is typical with fans on any team in a string of disappointing seasons, the blame is tossed around like cheap beer at a college bar. Some blame the coach, Jim Schwartz. Others blame Matt Stafford, the talented yet inconsistent quarterback.

Putting the blame on the coach is no surprise to me, especially when you consider how poorly coached this team was in the 4th quarter in the second half of this season. Additionally, the team had a knack for committing penalties at very inopportune times on their way to becoming the 9th most penalized team in the league. A lack of discipline on the field may have hurt the Lions more than any individual aspect of their play.

I don't pretend to know the environment inside the Lion's locker room, or what type of discipline Schwartz brings to the team, but the obvious truth is that the status quo is not working. Heading into this season, the Lions were a solid pick to win the NFC North, and their chances rose astronomically as injuries piled up for the Bears and Packers. After starting off 6-3 and in firm control of the division, the Lions fumbled away their chances of postseason play by finishing at best with an 8-8 record.

Despite the inconsistent play of former No.1 pick Matthew Stafford, which has drawn the ire of many Lions fans, I feel it is not the quarterback spot that most needs changing for the Lions. Amidst his struggles with accuracy this season, people seem to have forgotten that Stafford is just two seasons removed from a 5000 yard season, and he has surpassed 4000 yards passing in each of the past three seasons. It is not the physical skills of Stafford that should be called into question, but his decision making.

When I was a young, budding tennis star earlier in my life I would watch a lot of professional players to try and gain useful tips for my own play. Through careful observation of female tennis players, I picked up the habit (briefly) of grunting while hitting the ball. Surprisingly, this didn't help my play, and somewhat less surprisingly didn't make me into a professional female tennis player (for which I'm grateful).

This sort of novelty move is what Stafford has gotten himself into trouble with, as he tends to fall into the habit of side-arming his throws, resulting in weak, wobbly passes. The ability to repeat his 2011 campaign is still there, but the lack of overall team coaching is holding the offense, and team, down.

The change the Lions need is at the coaching position, and by acquiring talent through the draft. The team has many valuable pieces as is, but need to overcome their issues with discipline, and that starts with a more authoritive coach. Jim Schwartz, or Gym Shorts, as he has become known has overstayed his welcome in Detroit and doesn't appear to be the right man for this coaching job.

If the ownership in Detroit is serious about contending for the NFC North title, then they need to overhaul the coaching staff and make changes in the right direction. Until then, the Lions won't seriously challenge for the top spot in the North.

A system of entitlement

2013-12-09T16:09:00.002-08:00

A college education.

Whether it be an associates degree or a Ph.D, a college level education is one of the world's most sought after commodities, right after things like food, water, shelter, you know, the small things.

For many people, even in a country like America, the idea of a college education is unattainable, a very distant thought. Some are not motivated to get one, some will never have the opportunity.

The NCAA and all of the Division I and II schools it contains have given countless under-privileged or impoverished high school athletes the ability to play the sport they excel at and receive a free (or discounted) college education while they are at it.

With that sort of offer on the table, it's really no wonder that recruits seem so eager to take scholarship offers. Put yourself in their shoes and you'd probably do it too.

So why then, when so much value and potential is at stake, are some college athletes in such a rush to screw it all up?

It's hardly a new concept. Young, cocky athletes recruited from low income neighborhoods, suddenly treated like kings and queens on a big stage, and the temptations to party and live the high life seem too powerful to ignore. Every year this same situation plays out at a handful of big schools, and an even bigger number of mid-major programs. Oftentimes, it's alcohol or drug related, DUI's, underage partying, possession, etc. Sometimes it's a seemingly innocent snowball fight.

The scenarios vary slightly, the names change, the schools cycle, but the behavior hasn't changed. It's a dizzying parade of poorly disciplined ball players acting out in the stupidest of ways, and the blame lies solely with the lack of recruiting for character and a lack of adequate supervision by university staff.

In a day and age where a debate has been started on whether or not college athletes should be payed, there exists a culture in which some of these athletes are barely respecting the terms of their scholarship, much less deserving additional pay. I myself have no sympathy for scholarship athletes claiming they need to be further compensated. If the promise of a free college education (around $88,000, on average) plus other amenities is not enough to be worth your while, then you have issues beyond the ability of money to fix.

Unfortunately, change is slow in the world of sport, and as long as schools can make more money from an athlete with subpar character than one who is less skilled but with stellar character, they will do it. The tragic reality of the situation is that too many student-athletes don't take the student half of the equation seriously enough.

CMU keeps on rolling in rout of UMass

2013-11-24T15:07:00.003-08:00

I had a good friend back in high school. Ok, I might have had more than one. But as my best friend, it was him that I spent the most time around, and as a result, ended up watching a fair amount of sports on TV with him and his father.

The two of them were avid Michigan State fans, and due to my father's alma mater being Indiana university, there was a fair amount of friendly banter when the two would play each other, which for those of you who have no knowledge of college sports, happens quite often.

Now aside from this duo's trademark arsenal of jeers and complaints directed at officials in the games, they had another oft used sentiment that I have since attributed to them.

If at any point Michigan St. was blowing out Indiana (or any opponent, for that matter), the following exchange would occur.

Dad: H, do you smell something?
Son: I...I think...I think I smell a skunk.

This is how the two would broadcast that one team was being "skunked". Synonyms for the term might include being "whooped" "blown out" or "shellacked".

So aside from being a completely ridiculous term from my friend and his dad, the term was more or less assimilated into my vocabulary.

As I braved the cold at Kelly/Shorts Stadium yesterday, and yes, I do mean it when I say the weather was frigid, I smelled the skunk.

I wasn't exactly surprised by CMU skunking the lowly Minutemen from UMass, but I was rather surprised by how thoroughly it happened.

Supported by a few hundred loyal fans, the Chippewas moved the ball at will against the Minutemen, scoring easily through the air and suffocating any counterattack by UMass on defense.

Offensively, the team did very well, especially through the air. Cooper Rush, coming off a poor performance against Western Michigan, put up very solid, if not spectacular numbers. He completed 13 of 21 passes for 230 yards and two touchdowns. Not surprisingly, most of this damage was done by passes to Titus Davis, who caught 7 passes for 154 yards and two spectacular 30 yard touchdown receptions.

Defensively, the Chippewas benefited from facing the 124th ranked offense in the country, as the Minutemen average just 10.4 points per game. However, the defense did not take their opponent for granted, registering three interceptions for good measure and pitching the shutout. Additionally, safety Tony Annese, making just his second career start, returned a pick to the house for the second time in as many games.

Perhaps it was the sad play of the Minutemen, or perhaps the weather (I've never heard so many people say some variation of "it's cold out here" so many times in one hour span in my life), but this game hardly felt real from a fan perspective. It seemed like a glorified scrimmage, and yet it was a very necessary game for the Chips to win as they look to remain bowl eligible and taste the postseason for the second straight year.

Next on the schedule is the final game of the regular season, a showdown at Kelly Shorts against the hapless Eastern Michigan Eagles, a team that has given Central it's fair share of trouble in recent years, despite their miserable record over that span. As always, you can come here for a detailed analysis of the game. Until then, have a very happy thanksgiving, eat a boatload of turkey or whatever it is that your family eats. Just don't touch the croissants, those are all mine.

Central wins the battle for the cannon

2013-11-17T12:17:00.001-08:00

Despite the best efforts of CMU QB Cooper Rush to throw the game away, the Chippewas pulled off a pivotal win in Kalamazoo yesterday, beating Western Michigan 27-22.

Central managed to win a game in which they committed five turnovers, including three terrible Rush interceptions, allowing a 14-0 lead to slip away and facilitating all of Western's 22 points.

The game was all Central in the first quarter, as Zurlon Tipton ran wild through the Broncos defense and scored a pair of touchdowns to put the Chippewas in control early. However, the Chippewas inexplicably shifted their focus from the successful run game to forcing passes by Rush into bad situations, resulting in multiple passes to Western defenders.

Tipton ran 29 times for 114 yards and the two touchdowns, carrying the team for most of the game.
Yes, the Chippewas won the game, but there was a lot of sloppy play to sort through, so here's the breakdown for each unit.

Passing Game: After experiencing pretty solid success against Ohio, NIU and Miami (OH) by using primarily short check down passes, Rush looked every bit the inexperienced freshmen quarterback yesterday, throwing horrible passes and making poor decisions in game management. Rush, for his efforts, managed a paltry 167 yards passing on 16 completed passes. While his chemistry with Titus Davis is evident (9 rec. for 122 yards), the lack of a second receiving presence makes the Chippewas incredibly predictable.

Running Game: The Chippewas bread and butter continues to be their run game, as the games where they run well are the games they win. The return of Tipton helps the team in a big way, as we saw shades of the 2012 campaign yesterday. However, his return has exiled Saylor Lavalli to relative obscurity, which is a hell of a way to utilize a player who stepped up for this team in a big way this season. Enos needs to stop giving up on the run game so quickly in games, especially when it is far and away the most successful facet of the offense.

Defense: All things considered, I thought the defense played pretty well yesterday. They had the tall order of stopping Western several times after bad CMU turnovers and managed to hold the Broncos to field goals three times, which proved to be very crucial. Blake Serpa continues to be a surprise here, but the line continues it's somewhat erratic play.

Special Teams: Speaking of erratic, the days of faith in the kicking game are long gone, as Ron Coluzzi doesn't inspire confidence on any kick longer than 35 yards. Another missed field goal AND a blocked PAT provide a steady stream of facepalm moments for Chippewa fans. As far as kick returns, Jerry Harris had some real nice returns mixed in with one very boneheaded move, which was luckily wiped away by a penalty. It was nice to see the Chippewas starting drives past the 20 yard marker, hopefully that will continue to be a theme.

No one is more excited about this win than me. A win yesterday means I will end my Chippewas career with something to hold over that school of horse lovers. It also backs up all the teasing that the country has had at the expense of Western and their "row the boat" theme. It also means the Chippewas postseason hopes are still alive, so continue to tune in from week to week as I break down the Chippewas games here on my blog.

Let's call this thing what it is: a rivalry

2013-11-15T14:07:00.001-08:00

Following last Sunday's loss to the Detroit Lions, Chicago Bears receiver Brandon Marshall had a lot to say about the game.

In addition to acknowledging that the Bears were outplayed, Marshall said the Lions played "borderline illegal", made a few disparaging comments about the city of Detroit and referred to the Lions as "little brother".

Lion's fans, as expected, were a little upset. My honest question is..

Why?

Yes, I am aware that there are different meanings to this phrase, and typically it's not meant as an endearing trait. However there is some truth to this statement, and being a little brother myself, I feel somewhat qualified to explain why exactly I feel this way.

Growing up, it seemed like anything I did was put under the microscope and compared to what my brother had done. I wanted to be like him, I wanted to be around him (much to his eventual dismay) and I wanted to play with him and his friends outside. I was driven to prove myself despite being much smaller (for a while, at least) and younger. For a long time, this was the Detroit Lions. Their lowest point was obviously their 2008 campaign, an 0-16 season that has haunted them for every season since.

For years, the struggles of the Lions have been well documented, and numerous. Why a team that lowly even bothered to take the field was beyond some people, even residents of Detroit who started to curse their own team. And yet, after years of being a "little brother" than no one gave a second thought to, Detroit is leading the NFC North and is, by all accounts, a lock to win the division and make the playoffs.

Just as I grew up and reached a point where I felt comfortable stepping out from my brother's shadow, the Lions have become a team that deserves respect, deserves praise, even deserve fear. This team is no longer an easy W, this team is no longer a stepping stone for every other team in the league.

The Lions have become the younger brother who got sick of being pushed around, the brother who got bigger and, as Marshall put it, "popped his brother in the face". If I'm a Lions fan, I'm proud of this team. I'm proud of this management for recognizing the team's needs and making adjustments to become a legitimate team in this league. But I'm not a Lions fan.

I am, however, a fan of what this team has done. In addition to bettering their record, the Lions have bettered the city of Detroit. A city once desperate for pride is now full of it, and Ford Field, while hardly a sellout venue, has already reached it's attendance total from 2012 this season, with four home games remaining on the schedule. This franchise has shown that it is alive and well this season, and it didn't need Brandon Marshall's word to get there.

Coming from a Bears fan, my message to all Lions fans is not to stoop down and insult Marshall, not to bring up his own mired history and personal problems, because there's a better way. Marshall is talking smack to a team that just beat his team, twice. For what purpose, I don't know, but I also disagree with the comments he had to say. Marshall predicts these teams will meet again in the playoffs, which would undoubtedly be interesting, but at least for now, little brother is going places, and he's doing it on his own.

Blown out by Ball State

2013-11-07T20:31:00.003-08:00

Ouch.

A 44-24 blowout on national television was hardly what myself and many other Chippewa fans had in mind after a 17 day hiatus from football. Not when the majority of that 17 days could have been and probably was used to prepare for BSU quarterback phenom Keith Wenning. Instead, Wenning led the Cardinals on 8 scoring drives, throwing for four touchdowns in a very easy win in Muncie.

It seemed like the Chips could make an impact in this game, especially after their early success against Northern Illinois last week, but the team was outscored 34-3 in the first 2 1/2 quarters and never recovered. The offense struggled to move the ball and stay on the field early on, and Wenning made them pay.

What damage the Chippewas did do was through the air, as Cooper Rush threw for almost 300 yards, including 187 to Titus Davis, who remains the Chippewa's most reliable playmaker. However the Chippewas have not received consistent contributions from any other receiver, which hurts their offense overall.

On the positive side, the Chippewas could still secure postseason play, but they will have to win outright to do so. Fortunately again, CMU faces the combined hopeless trifecta of Eastern Michigan, Western Michigan and Massachusetts to do so, and if the Chips manage to play well, they could seize their own destiny at the finish for the second straight season. Their position is improving, as they welcome the return of their best tailback, Zurlon Tipton from injury. Tipton was ineffective in 5 carries on Wednesday, but was a powerhouse last season and could be again in these last three games.

The Chippewas return to play next Saturday, the 16th against rival Western Michigan. This game is a must win, both to preserve the posteseason hopes as well as it's importance as a rivalry game. A win there will also allow me to leave CMU with the series lead, 3-2, since my time began there.

Oh hey fans of the blog, thanks to my good friend Jesse, I finally have a logo. This is it, and you can expect to see it in every post from now on. Thanks for reading!

Not so close versus Northern Illinois

2013-10-21T18:40:00.002-07:00

I recently witnessed the saddening yet wonderfully fulfilling finale of Breaking Bad, a popular tv drama on AMC.

The show, for those of you who haven't yet experienced the best show on television (other than Gossip Girl of course), the show follows a high school chemistry teacher, Walter White, who is "forced" into using his knowledge of chemistry to cook crystal meth when he learns he has terminal cancer. Desperate to provide for his family after he is gone, Walter embarks on an eventful (to say the least) journey through the drug world.

As expected, things hardly go according to plan for Walter. As new problems arise, he is forced to make adjustments to his plan, or risk being caught by the law, or worse. As White alludes to in one of the first episodes, chemistry is, in his mind, the study of change, and change is what I've chosen to focus on in this piece.

I like the word adjustments. In addition to being aesthetically pleasing from an appearance standpoint, it signifies a confident approach to adversity. When we are making adjustments to our plan, it means we are drawing upon measured and learned knowledge to improve the way we do something.

In the world of sport, adjustments are huge. Every sport is played with breaks, whether they be halves, quarters, periods or just timeouts. These times should be considered opportunities to quickly review what is and isn't going well for the team, and how the team or individual can alter their play or strategy to make change for the better.

In Central Michigan University's football game against #23 Northern Illinois University on Saturday, the Chippewas started the game off very well, even leading the undefeated Huskies in the 2nd quarter and carrying a tie into halftime. The important stories of the second half would be whether the Huskies could kick start their Heisman hopeful quarterback Jordan Lynch into gear, or if the Chippewas would continue to restrict his impact on the game.

I was beginning to wonder if the Chippewas had the ability to hold back the daunted offense of NIU enough to squeak by with an improbable victory, and even allowed myself to hope, which, in hindsight, was a poor decision.

The Chippewas failed to make any sort of defensive adjustments, whereas NIU proceeded to give Lynch complete control of the game. Lynch ran all over the Chips in the second half, repeatedly moving the chains with designed quarterback rushes, and turned a close game into a rout in just one half of football. CMU, meanwhile, completely neglected to adjust to NIU's game plan, and never keyed in to the fact that Lynch took the ball himself on almost every play in the second half.

This is the major problem with this coaching staff. It was apparent to everyone watching the game near me that the NIU game plan was incredibly simple and thus vulnerable. Lynch kept the ball on every single third down, and converted EVERY single one of them. And while this was happening, the CMU coaching staff was, I'm assuming, napping on the side of the field. I'll reiterate this again to the point of redundancy, Jordan Lynch ran the ball himself on more than 3/4 of NIU's second half plays, and CMU stacked the box to counter it exactly zero times.

So what, right? Upsets are rare and no one really expected CMU to win this game, so what's the harm?

Two things come to mind here. First, this was Homecoming, there were easily two or three times more fans watching this game than any other game this season, and it was easily a game that we could have won, given the team's very fast and efficient start, and tie going into halftime.Instead, NIU broke open the game, made the score look like it wasn't ever a close game, and oh yeah, Lynch also set an NCAA record for most rushing yards in a single game by a quarterback. Yes, that's right, this game was immortalized in stone for eternity, and all due to the inability of the coaching staff to make the necessary adjustments.

Oh, and before I finish here, I have one final, immense bone to pick. To the student "fans" of the football program; I am completely and utterly disappointed in you. Easily half of the student section left at halftime, in what was a tie game with a team ranked in the top 25 in the nation. Imagine how that looks to our players. Imagine how that looks to guests of our program, and think of how much easier it makes it for our opponents to play in a stadium where there is no home crowd advantage. At one point, CMU was considered one of the hardest stadiums in the MAC to play in for our opponents, but it won't even touch that list now. So pathetic is the commitment shown by the student section of CMU that I shudder to think of how many recruits will go elsewhere after seeing how many "fans" will really support them during their time there.

CMU will continue play against Ball State on Nov.6th, and you bet your bottom dollar I'll write a recap for it after that. Thanks for reading, and continue to check this blog for exclusive content on the regular.

The importance of being earnest

2013-10-17T21:23:00.001-07:00

I grew up during a revolutionary and yet beautifully confusing time in history when instant messaging was THE way that teenagers communicated. If you had 30 minutes until dinner, you cranked up your computer just to see who was online, and the contents of "status"was something you had to very carefully construct.

I fancied myself a bit of a teenage casanova during this time, and if I may be so bold, I'd venture to say I had much success with the ladies during this time. Unfortunately, one particular instance where I fell short left me incredibly puzzled, my tragic pursuit of a girl we'll call M. M and I had attended the same school for several years up to the time in question, which I believe was 7th grade.

I had recently been thinking about how I could attempt to speak with M, and on one particular autumn day she gave me the chance I needed. Her messenger "status" changed to the following message.

Headed out w/ the friends. Call/text (***-***-****)

Now, that seems like a very straightforward and to the point message. If you wanted to speak to that person, you need only contact their mobile device. So I did. I gave M a call. We proceeded to have a very awkward conversation where it became obvious that she couldn't fathom why I had called her, despite her unceremonial dumping of her number onto the internet.

That was the day I learned that when a girl gives out a number to the anonymous public and welcomes the contact of that group, she really means that for one particular person.

SPOILER ALERT: I was not that person.

That day, I learned two lessons. The first, I already said, it's like three lines up, are you even reading this? The second, and debatedly more crucial, was the importance of being earnest.

If you are going to say something, or say you're going to do something, stand for something, or vouch for something, you had better damn well keep to it.

October, if you are not aware, is breast cancer awareness month. That means that the annual campaign involving pink cleats, penalty flags and gloves makes it's way into Sundays, much to the chagrin of myself and other fans. It's not that I don't support the quest to cure cancer, especially breast cancer, because I do. I'm all for new and inventive platforms with which to raise support, but I simply cannot stand behind a deliberate use of breast cancer awareness as a money making venture.

Yes, you've correctly gauged what I'm getting at. The NFL does not go through this annual process with the pure and truthful intent to help cure breast cancer. They do it for money. In case you think I'm the only one who has this idea, here's some solid proof.

I don't deny that the NFL is, after all, a business, and the main purpose of a business is to make money. However, piggybacking off of breast cancer research is not just a shameful way of making said money, it also helps to point out an utter hypocrisy in the NFL's recent stance on protecting players.

Brandon Marshall is a standout receiver for the Chicago Bears, and also suffers from a personality disorder. After sorting out his off-field issues and returning to form on the field, Marshall has gained a new respect for his affliction and those efforts that try to help others like him. As such, he made his intentions known in advance that he would wear green shoes in last Thursday's game against the Giants, in an effort to raise awareness for Mental Health Awareness Week.

Marshall received a $10,500 fine for his actions, a fine he will match and donate to a mental health charity. While it is technically obvious why Marshall was fined by the league for his actions, it shows that the NFL is more concerned with it's uniform policy than actually creating awareness for health issues. Or perhaps they'd prefer not to deal with anything relating to mental health while being sued by a large amount of it's former employees for brain related injuries sustained on it's watch.

Personally, I think the NFL's just upset that Marshall's plan didn't involve the NFL getting their cut.

The bottom line is that as an organization that fines it's players for a wide variety of "dangerous" hits, the NFL seems to care less about the health of others when the ability to make a profit is not present. If you say that everything you do is to protect players, then back it up with your words and actions. It's what should have happened, it's what we hoped would happen, but it's not what happened here.

You're being very M-like, NFL, very M like indeed.

On point in Ohio

2013-10-13T08:15:00.000-07:00

Fluke {flook}-an accident or chance happening.

The Central Michigan Chippewas played without a doubt their best game of the season and quite possibly best game of Dan Eno's tenure yesterday as they beat MAC East favorite Ohio at home, 26-23.

If I had to choose one word to describe why this game turned out the way it did, it would be power. Power was the Chippewas game plan, and they worked it perfectly for three quarters against one of the top teams in their conference.

In the fourth quarter, however, Ohio found it's offense and appeared poised to win the ballgame as the Chips punted the ball to them deep in their own territory with under three minutes left and Ohio leading 19-23.

What happened next, and the reason why I didn't start this post out with a Gossip Girl reference, was a fluke.

You ever have one of those dull, repetitive tasks that you do so often you barely think about it, except for that one time in a hundred where you really screw it up?

Catching a football is one of those things. And yet in the most pivotal moment of the game, Bobcats senior Travis Carrie muffed a fair catch of the punt, giving the Chippewas the ball back in Ohio territory.

It took the Chippewas just a few more plays to find the end zone on a crisp slant pass from Cooper Rush to Courtney Williams, putting the Chippewas up 26-23 and proving to be the game winning score.

Watching the game, I was at a complete loss when Dan Enos decided to punt the ball away on 4th and short instead of going for the conversion, effectively giving the Bobcats the ball to run out the remaining three minutes. What appeared to be a very stupid play call ended up working out for the Chippewas, but make no mistake, that play was a fluke.

Now of course, the Chippewas probably deserved to win that game. Personal bias aside, the tale of the game for the entirety of the first three quarters was Chippewas power football and running roughshod over the Bobcats defense.

Defensively, the Chippewas made it a difficult day for Ohio QB Tyler Tettleton, picking him off twice and ruining a third drive off a receiver's fumble. His day would end on a crushing hit by Chippewas end Blake Serpa as Ohio tried desperately to get into field goal range with 30 seconds left.

So if you didn't watch the game, take it from what you've read here that while the Chippewas probably deserved to win, they did win mostly because of a fluke turnover at the end of a game where they dominated for 3/4 of the game but lost the lead late.

I have a phrase that I use often when I play disc golf out with my friends. I'm a casual player, hardly a pro, but I'm always looking for that great shot that I can be proud of. When I throw a particularly close approach shot that looks like it might hit the basket, but doesn't, I have a pattern. I smile, laugh a bit, and say "I dared to hope".

Now, that's not seemingly related to football, but know that heading into this game, actually at any point this season, I dared to hope that Central would play up to it's potential. I wouldn't have guessed that it would be against a team as good as Ohio, but I'll definitely take it. Everything looked good in this game, well, most everything. Here are some highlights.

Running game: Perfect, absolutely perfect. The Chippewas 1500lb O-Line created massive holes for Saylor Lavalli to hit the line through, and the speedy back did the rest, racking up 184 yards on 16 carries. Though he did not rush for a score, Lavalli had runs of 24, 30, 36 and 37 yards to boost Chippewas drives, and was a pivotal force on offense.

Passing game: Probably Cooper's best game thus far, as he was accurate (20-28), had several beautiful touchdown throws (3) and managed the game well through short, accurate throws to move the chains. Nothing spectacular about the way it was done, but a very solid effort, and one that Enos is probably very happy to see. Also, the interception he "threw" was one of those odd interceptions that you can't fault a quarterback for, so as far as I'm concerned, he had ball control too.

Defense: The Chippewas have a D-line now. Wait, I apologize, they've HAD a D line all season, what has changed is the presence this unit is making in the past two weeks. In the center of the line, Leterrious Walton and Louis Palmer are making noise, stopping up the run game and creating chaos for quarterbacks. The defensive backs continue to create turnovers in most every game, led by defensive back Kavon Frazier and his knack for getting the ball. The defense forced three turnovers in yesterday's game, holding one of the MAC's higher scoring offenses (28ppg) to just 23 points.

Special teams: While I mostly have to point out the struggles in the kicking game, in which Ron Coluzzi was 2-4 on field goals and also had an extra point blocked, this unit was saved by some truly great punt coverage, including recovering the pivotal fumble recovery that would hand the Chippewas the win. Still, in a game where the Chippewas struggled in the red zone, Coluzzi left 7 points on the field that the Chippewas desperately needed. A team needs to have faith in their kicker, and they need to feel like three points is a given in case a touchdown is not scored.

Good news Chippewa fans, we're on our first win streak of the season, with a lot of promise to nab a couple more wins this season.

Are you as happy as I am about this win? Are you as happy as Dan Enos? Doubtful, he probably just saved his job. In any case, if you're reading this then there's a 37% chance you know that this is the most recent post in a series of CMU football posts. It'll be the same ole, same ole next week, as #23 Northern Illinois comes to town for Homecoming, in what should be a blowout CMU win. Heh. Keep it classy, people. See you next week.

It's a long season boys, but who's keeping track?

2013-10-08T18:11:00.003-07:00

Centipedes. DMV lines. The wait for Space Mountain at Disney World. The MLB regular season.

All of these things share one common trait.

They are all too damn long.

Don't get me wrong, I like sports in most every form. I've learned to appreciate the many facets of the sports world in my time,both positive and negative, and as such, I've come to terms with some of the less amicable characteristics of all levels of sport.

Every sports fan is different. Some people are single sport fans, others are fans of multiple sports. What attracts these fans to their respective sports is unique to each individual, but football seems to enjoy the largest following, and I think that at least part of the reason for that lies within the schedule.

But Kevin, what ever do you mean? The only scheduling details I pay attention to is the TV guide, without that I'd miss my Gossip Girl.

Well, let me explain. An NFL season is 16 games, not including postseason. Games are a weekly affair, and are built up from the end of the previous game through the work week, slowly gaining ground until the big finale, i.e the game. College football is the same way, except with 12 games, played mostly on Saturdays. Every week's game carries substantial weight because of the intense preparation put in by the team and the short season.

A full sized MLB season consists of 162 games, spreading form April into October. That's right, over the course of seven full months, a team will play a game almost every day, sometimes two a day. Now, understandably, an MLB season needs to allow a little more wriggle room in the season to account for slumps by a team. The nature of baseball is such. The best team in the league offensively might struggle to score a run one night, and explode for upwards of 15 the next day. Football is more consistent in this regard than baseball, and so I have no qualms about a longer MLB season.

However, 162 games to unify and organize a team for a playoff push is beyond ludicrous. It is unnecessary, boring and it waters down the product. The length of the baseball season causes fans to become distant from the team, only to gain a second wind and jump back on the proverbial wagon come playoff time. It reminds me of a long classroom speech. People will be very excited for the first 10-15 minutes, quickly lose interest for the meat of the presentation and ultimately perk up at the end, or maybe not, they might already be asleep. Way to go, dufus.

Why drag out something that could be shorter? Why show an exploding car for the full 30 seconds when it could easily get the point across and entertain viewers if you showed it for just 15? (AHEM, Michael Bay).

And before you slink out of the room and hope nobody noticed you, NBA, get back in here, this applies to you as well. While slightly more understandable than the outrageous MLB season, the NBA has managed to slog it's way through 82 games every season for much too long.

I personally really enjoyed the 2011-2012 NBA season, which as you all know was shortened by disagreements between players and coaches. The Miami Heat ended up winning the arguably brief 66 game season, and I'll be damned if that didn't seem like a perfect length season to me. Long enough for teams to adjust and adapt over the course of dozens of games, but short enough that I don't actually feel like a baseball fan.

As it currently stands, I heard about 25% more comments about Kobe's thumb*, 25% more comments about LeBron being the boogeyman and entirely too much about Ron Artest. Oh, my bad; Metta World Peace.

My final point is this. Whether you're a junkie for those extra 80 games per season or not, the simple truth is that these games are unnecessary. Players are more likely to get injured the longer the season goes on, so why risk it? Keep your players fresh and better rested, focus on the postseason (if you make it).

Look at the bright side, if the season is shorter, the price of your NBA League pass should drop with it too!

Moving up after Miami

2013-10-06T21:27:00.000-07:00

It's hard to be picky after ending a losing streak.

It could even be called idiotic to nit pick and search for the wrong amongst all the right, but that's not going to stop me from pointing out some of the major flaws in the Chippewas win over the Miami Redhawks this past weekend.

Don't get me wrong here, I was very happy to see the Chippewas right the boat, stop the bleeding, pick up all the sticks, etc. Use whatever cliche term you want, it was a much needed win for a team that was starting to take a quick downward spiral.

I watched the whole game, start to finish, even stood by through the lightning delay,(which is more than could be said for some of the Miami faithful) and I thought Central did a lot of things well.

We're going to break this game down using a compliment sandwich. I'm going to say something the Chippewas did well, followed by something they need to improve on, and finish, of course, with another positive.

Positive number 1: The Chippewas ran the ball very well, accounting for 184 team rushing yards on the day. Saylor Lavalli led the Chippewas with 151 yards, while backup Maurice Shoemaker-Gilmore ran for 50 yards on ten carries. Lavalli scored his 4th and 5th touchdowns of the year, and further reinforced the idea that when Lavalli is doing well, the Chippewas are doing well.

Don't believe me?

Here are Lavalli's numbers on the year when the coaching staff has let him run outside of the tackles.

98 carries, 505 yards, 5 TD's

And the one game where he was repeatedly sent straight up the middle?

14 carries, 16 yards 1.1 YPC

To put it in Easy A terms, who would you believe?

Now, since everyone loves some good constructive criticism, let me point out one of the obvious flaws of this football team.

The play of freshman quarterback Cooper Rush, and going along with it, the struggle with ball security. Cooper threw yet another pick in Saturday's game, as well as losing a fumble, bringing his turnover total in the past four games to 12. Rush actually made it to the Chippewas's third offensive play before throwing an interception, an improvements from last week's game where he threw a pick on the 2nd offensive play.

Rush needs to improve. It's obvious, and cliche, but it needs to happen. His Achille's heel is his tendency to try and make the big play, try and force the game changing throw too early. He functions much better with short, crisp passes and dump-offs to a half back. This was evident during the 3rd and 4th quarter, when he led CMU on two scoring drives primarily using short passes.

Positive number 2: Hello, defensive line, it is so good to see you...here...finally. The D-line was visibly ready to play Saturday, registering four sacks, several additional QB hits and shutting down the run game for Miami. Leterious Walton showed up in a big way, with seven tackles, 3 for loss and also forcing a fumble. Blake Serpa also showed flashes of potential, which is a good sign for future depth at the position.

Now, did you all enjoy your sandwich?

While a somewhat sloppy road win at a winless Miami squad is hardly a momentous achievement, the win nonetheless gives Enos his 15th win as a Chippewas coach and will (somewhat) relieve some of the pressure on him, at least for now.

Looking forward, the Chippewas will run the gauntlet of top tier MAC teams, facing Ohio, Northern Illinois and finally Ball State. If the Chippewas make it through those three games, they will be rewarded by three very winnable games against Western, UMass and Eastern Michigan, the latter two of which will be at home. Hopefully that leaves at least a marginally sweet taste in the mouths of the CMU faithful.

Deeply entranced by what you've read here? Suddenly hungry for a real, tangible sandwich? I can help you with one of those needs. This is just one tasty little morsel in a series of morsels that I have written about the CMU football team, and I've love for you to check out. Also, for all of you who may not be season ticket holders of CMU football, I try to periodically post articles of a non-dedicated nature. So please, continue to read, bear with me through the thick and thin, and I promise to give you all my best child-bearing years in return.