My Ravens, a team I’ve loved for years now, has won the Super Bowl. I’m still beyond shock. I’m still in disbelief. They’re a great team this year.
But I figured it out last night, I’m afraid to love them like I did another team.
Years ago I loved the Philadelphia Eagles. I loved them with all my heart and I was a fan through the tough losses. We had friends who were Eagles fans as well so it was perfect (besides when the Redskins played them). I was supersticious to no end with them. I cried when McNabb went down. I was there with the rookies. We even all wanted to buy tickets and go up there.
Then the most awful thing happened… they signed the dog killer, Michael Vick. That tore my heart out. I cried; I was angry. I threw all my Eagles stuff out, including stuff that really meant a lot to me; like the hat my boss gave me (I don’t get many presents from bosses), the ornament my aunt gave to me, the glasses my friend gave me, the many hats I bought… everything.
I loved that team so much but when they signed that monster, I could no longer.
I’m afraid to love another team like I did the Eagles. I’m afraid to open up my heart just to have it venerable again. The Ravens have won my heart, but not my whole heart.
But on a lighter note, I’m very proud and happy for my Ravens!
Last week in the NFL there were quite a few hard hits that knocked some players out. This week the league has decided they will start suspending players for these “dangerous hits”. As if the “Brady Rule” wasn’t enough, there will probably be more rules and regulations on how to tackle a guy who has the ball (that the refs can flag at their own discretion no doubt). It seems the league and Roger Goodell is determined to try for that 18 game season.
Let me just say that I find this totally disgusting. One of the reasons we watch football is to see good, hard hits. Most of the hits I saw in replays I thought were clean.
Take the one on DeSean Jackson. He WAS NOT a defenseless receiver. He had already caught the ball, made a football move, and got wacked. It wasn’t a dirty hit. The defensive player (Dunta Robinson) didn’t lead with his helmet. He slammed against Jackson causing Jackson and him to both go to the ground. It should have been a fumble since Jackson lost the ball. Both players suffered concussions.
I ask, what are these defensive players supposed to do? Slow down so the player with the ball can run right by them? It’s their job to tackle. How are they supposed to do it running at full speed without causing a collision?
It’s the game of football but lately it seems the league wants to make this flag football. With more and more of these stupid rules going into effect, that’s what it will turn out to be. Football is physical. If players didn’t want to risk injury, they shouldn’t play. They should fall back on their communications degrees. It’ll be sad to see all the players that will be suspended for hits refs can easily claim to be “dirty”. With that power, refs can have even more influence over games and scores.
And answer me this, how can a league who has an intro of a helmet to helmet collision (a rule which has been illegal for a while)Â keep instilling rules and regulations on players who’s job it is to be physical?
After the Orioles losses last night, it got me to think about everything I would want to see changed about baseball (MLB). The Orioles haven’t won nor have been to the playoffs since 1997. They always come in 4th in the American League East. The Orioles and other sucky teams like the Nationals and the Blue Jays could benefit from serious changes.
Here’s what I think we need to change about the sport:
- Cut down the season. 160+ games is way too long. It runs into football and let’s face it, no one watches baseball as soon as football season rolls around. I figure cut the season in half. 70 maybe 80 games. Stop extending it. All the records are being broke because players have a lot more games to play. It simply isn’t fair. Cutting the season would also probably increase popularity. Look at how crowded every football game is. Baseball simply isn’t like that.
- Standardize EVERY stadium. A home run in one stadium is different than a home run in another? Bull s**t. Sorry, no. All stadiums should confirm to one fixed design. This way there’s no advantages to being in one stadium or another.
- HARD HARD HARD salary cap. PLEASE! Please put a salary cap on baseball. There might be already one but it simply isn’t good enough. When A-Rod is making MORE than the entire team of the Florida Marlins, there’s a problem. The Yankees and Red Sox will always win because they have so much money for talent. Poorer teams (like Baltimore) don’t even come close to what the Yankees make. When you have an unlimited supply of money, you can build a dream team every year. When was the last time the Yankees DIDN’T make it to at least the playoffs?
- Keep up with technology and drugs on the steroid front. All these players are STILL taking steroids. Football has been ahead of this for some time. You do them, you’re out. Simple as that. Drug test and suspend for violations. Lord knows we have the technology to stay ahead of the growth hormone game.
- Abolish the National League. In football, both conferences are identical. In baseball, the National League has their pitchers bat. Get rid of that, or make both conferences the exact same.
Basically, baseball needs to take a cue from football. Do these few things and I think baseball would be a more fair and enjoyable sport. Plus more teams would win every year, which increases more popularity because of band wagoners.
I wonder if I’ll ever see the Orioles win again.
Yes. Finally, the “undefeated” Patriots go down… big time.
They’ve run up the scores ALLLLL season, and finally, in the big game, they choke. The Giants were deemed an underdog and EVERYONE voted against them. They were grossly underestimated. Their defense shined as they put so much pressure on Brady. It was the best game.
The Patriots deserved defeat. It was kinda like in movies where the underdog turns out winning. It was great. Finally, all the commentators, all the sports casters, SHUT UP ALREADY! And now all they will talk about are the Giants. I figured it out, they’re all band wagoners. When the “undefeated” team finally gets defeated by a 5th SEED, they all shut up.
I just want to thank you Giants for putting an end to all the talk. You, good sirs, deserve to be world champions!