You have to be a little crazy to play in the NFL

One of the hottest topics around the sports world these days are the huge fines and suspensions being handed down to players who partake in "dangerous hits". Some say it's good that the league is emphasizing safety and protecting its players. Others think the strict punishments will water down the NFL and change the way the game is played.  Players like Steelers linebacker James Harrison have even gone so far as to threaten to retire from the NFL all together.  It's certainly touched a nerve in both players and fans alike.

I'm somewhere in between on this one. I think on one hand you can't have defensive players taking head shots at defenseless receivers. On the other hand, suspending and fining players exorbitant amounts of money is a little excessive, especially for first time offenders. The biggest problem is what defines a dangerous hit because theire are so many factors involved. What if the receiver puts his head down at the last minute and the tackler inadvertently makes a helmet to helmet hit? Is that really worthy of a suspension? How do we know if certain plays are intentional or accidental? Most importantly, how can you really implement a rule that is so vague?

The fact is football  is a crazy sport. When I have kids I'm going to encourage them to play tennis or basketball.  I've played pretty much every sport and nothing compares to the feeling of making a big hit. It's not something that can be described. At the same time it is an extremely violent game and I only played at the high school level. I remember coming home after two a day practices with massive headaches every night from the beatings I took. I can only imagine what getting hit by Ray Lewis must feel like. The pads really don't do much. 

The point is, when you're an NFL player you have to be a little crazy. You can't be a normal human being like the rest of us. You have to be a little off in the head. Why else would you risk debilitating injury every Sunday.  In my opinion NFL players deserve every penny they get. You know what the average career for a running back in the NFL is? Two years. Name another profession like that. It's nuts and that is why we like watching. Americans pride themselves on being tough and its why NFL is king in this country.  At the end of the day, let's remember that everyone in the NFL signed up for this. Safety is important but no one is making these guys go out there. They know what their getting into when they sign that dotted line. Let's hope Goodell and company don't start policing the NFL like David Stern does the NBA. 

No rhyme or reason to the NFL

It's impossible to analyze the National Football League. It just changes too much from week to week. Last week the Redskins looked like world beaters for three quarters and this week lose to the Rams. The Cowboys look terrible in week 1 and 2 then crush a supposedly solid Texans team. The defending champ Saints have looked downright pedestrian despite returning most of their Super Bowl team. Even the freaking Bills scored 30 points! Shame on you Patriots.

But this randomess and lack of consistency from week to week is why people love the NFL. It really is true that on any given Sunday any team can beat any other team. Except of course if you are the Browns, but even they give teams a run for their money.  This is why it frustrates me when analysts and so called experts proclaim one team to be dominant one week, then totally switch around their opinions the next.  The fact is the true identity of a team is somewhere in the middle.

Look, at the end of the day it's all about match ups and who is hot at the end of the year. When the Patriots lost last week to the Jets I didn't care. It's week 2 and they were playing in New York. You're supposed to hold serve on your home field right? Same with the Redskins. The Skins aren't as good as they looked against the Texans for 3 quarters, and not as bad as they looked against the Rams, who by the way aren't that bad of a team themselves. People need to be patient and look at the body of work. 

With the 24 hour news cycle and constant analysis we basically have no choice but to buy into the hype. The Colts lose their opening game and suddenly their reign is over? I wish, but that is far from the truth. The Bears are 2-0 so now Jay Cutler has it figured out? Talk to me in week 8.  Why do people feel the need to make such big statements about their teams. Just let the season play out.

The fact is it's hard to have consistency in a sport that has just one game a week. Each game is entirely different from the one before. But this is why we love football. Sports are one of the only things in life we don't want to know the ending too. We want to be surprised. We want to root for the underdog. We love sports because there is no script.  I say stop all the analyzing, kick back and enjoy some football.

Summer Ramblings: Brett Favre, Shaq, T.O, A-Rod, and summer boredom

Is anyone else ready for September? If I watch one more baseball "top 10" play I think I might throw up. Is the Sportscenter #1 play really a guy going three feet to his left to make a catch? I think our Alumni Softball team could make half the catches on that list.  That's when you know it's time for football. Speaking of football, the Brett Favre saga has begun again. Will ESPN stay in business after he retires?  I guess that doesn't even matter because he will never retire.  Look, for everyone who thinks he really can't make a decision about his retirement they are living in a dream world. He's going to come back. He always was. He likes the attention and probably was in Cleveland burning Lebron jersey's with the rest of the city because he took the spotlight from him.

Speaking of Lebron, his former teammate, Shaq, is now a Celtic. I'm not sure if he needs to make alimony payments or just isn't ready for the inevitable "Shaq's Life" reality show.  In all honesty, I think it's a decent move. The guy is a walking corpse, but he's a 7'1 walking corpse and can provide some stability till Perk comes back.  Can you imagine this team 7 years ago? Besides the fact that Rondo would still be in college this team would have like 7 future hall of famers in their primes. Where is that Hot Tub Time Machine when you need it?

Now a little baseball. I have to laugh at this whole A-Rod thing. 600 home runs? Who cares? The last 10 years are tainted with steroids and before you say, "well everyone did it" talk to Hank Aaron. That's one of the reasons I don't respect the sport. 162 games, 15 hours between pitches, and games in November? You know how many young fans you are losing by staying with your ancient ways? This is the instant gratification world we live in. It sucks, but it's reality. Don't be surprised when hockey is more popular than baseball in 10 years. 

Last but not least, T.O. Yes, Terrell Owens.  About 6 months ago I said to myself that life was too short to hate anyone. The exception to this is T.O. I actually kind of like Ocho Cinco. He'll never win anything of signifigance, but at least he knows he's acting like an idiot. T.O is a phony and I hope he fails miserably in Cincinnati.  I usually hate when people hate strangers they've never met. But I am 100% sure T.O is not a good human being.

Look, I know I sound bitter in this blog, but I'll blame it on the fact that August is the worst month of the year. The only good thing August has is vacations. It has no holidays, extreme humidity, no football or basketball. It's a worthless month, unless of course you were born then, in which case I apologize. Fall can't come soon enough. Have a great night.

Do Americans really care about soccer?

The World Cup is over and Americans now have to ask ourselves one question: do we care? Sure, we all cheered as the US won their group for the first time in 80 years. Yes, the Donovan goal against Algeria was surely an electrifying moment.  However, the question remains: what now? Do we forget about soccer for the next four years just like we forgot about track and field? Or are we going to start watching the Premier League or, gulp, the MLS.

In my opinion it's not that we don't like soccer, it's that we don't like anything but the very best. This is America where you're either a winner or  loser.  There's really no in between. You don't see people watching Triple A baseball or D-league basketball do you? That's essentially what the MLS is.  What do you really expect when the professional product is a glorified minor league.  Sure. there are some really good players in the MLS, but on a whole the Premier League is, no pun intended, premier. 

Also, Americans like their stats. This is a country where we employ people to discuss fantasy sports.  We don't want 0-0 games, we want numbers.  We want a winner and a loser. Also, the flopping is a huge turn off. Americans love violence. We don't want people crying out in pain everytime someone touches them with their pinky finger. Some of the injures are legitimate, but most guys crumble in pain if they've been nicked in the foot. 

With that said, count me in as a person that is willing to give soccer a chance. First of all, HD has helped soccer more than any other sport. The grass is so freaking green. What can I say I'm easily amused. Second, with no commercials you know when a game will be ending. There is no suffering through the plethora of Cialis and car insurance commercials that take up so much time in other  sports. Also, it really is beautiful to watch when played at it's best.  I still don't know how it's possible to do all that stuff with your feet, but they are like magicians out there. 

In short, let's keep watching and more importantly, caring about soccer in America. We may just come to realize what the rest of the world already knows.

Don't blame Lebron, blame society

I'm not a fan of Lebron James at all. I think he's arrogant,  narcissistic, and an attention whore. I was all set to blast him in my column today, then I realized it really isn't his fault he's this way; it's society's. For those of you who have lived under a rock for the last month, the Lebron sweepstakes comes to an end tonight in an ESPN hour special appropriately called " The Decision." I'm not sure why anyone is surprised this is happening.

This is the world we live in where people know more members of the Backstreet Boys than Supreme Court justices. Where Jessica Simpson's weight issues are more important than what is going on in the Gulf Coast.

This isn't Lebron's fault. He's doing this because he can. It's like the cost of beer at a sports game. They charge $8 because people will buy it. It's the same situation here. I guarantee most of you reading this will be watching tonight at 9pm when Lebron announces to the world where he's going to play for the next 5 years. I know I will be. The guy's kind of a prick, but sure knows how to market himself.

You don't like what's going on tonight and what goes on in the media in general? Then stop consuming it. The same people that hate on overexposure in the media are the ones watching it. Since day 1 Lebron has been coddled and told he was the best at everything. The guy has been told he was a god since he picked up a basketball, so over time a person starts to believe that. Of course he has an ego, who wouldn't?

At the same time he needs to stop trying to make excuses of why he's holding the special. To raise money for the Girls and Boys Club? Are you serious? Does anyone actually believe that? He's holding it because he wants to grab every single bit of attention he can before Brett Favre rolls into the spotlight next week.

That being said, Lebron's decision tonight will affect the landscape of the NBA for the next 5 years. I think Chris Bosh is overrated, but still Lebron, Wade, and Bosh would be a real tough team to beat. I don't know how Wade and Lebron would work together, but I'm sure they'd figure it out. Let's hope for competition's sake Lebron stays in Cleveland or goes to the Knicks. Also, don't discount the ego factor here. Will Lebron be able to share the spotlight with Wade? They can say all the right things, but at the end of the day Lebron wants to be the #1 guy all the time. It's in his nature. I really can't wait for this whole thing to be over so I can eagerly await Brett Favre's annual "to retire or not to retire" saga.

Not a fan of the Dog Days of Summer

For a lot of people the beginning of summer signifies great weather, pool parties, and vacations. It's a time for relaxation and fun in the sun. While I like being outside as much as anyone, for me summer represents one thing: the beginning of the worst sports period of the year.

The day the NBA Finals ends to the day football season begins is torture for me. Look, I like the Red Sox and all, but even baseball fans will admit the sport is boring.  The season is too long, there are about 15 minutes between pitches, and we expect everyone as being on or having been on steroids. Hell, Ken Griffey Jr., one of the best hitters of his generation fell asleep in the clubhouse. I'm sorry,  I tried to hold off on baseball bashing for as long as I could but there it is.

This offseason will be especially hard after the tough loss to the Lakers a couple weeks ago. Now we have to deal with the "where will Lebron go" drama and fear that a possible dynasty might be on the horizon. We also have to think about the Celtics future as a whole. The Celtics are in a difficult position right now.  Do they keep the core players in tact and add one or two role players for one more run at a title? Or do they blow it up aside from Rondo, Garnett, and Perk and try to get younger. I wouldn't want to be in Danny Ainge's shoes that's for sure.

At the end of the day I don't care what the Celtics decide to do as long as basketball starts again. I already miss the chilly December nights sitting in front of my TV watching Rondo dish out assists and Tommy scream at the refs. I miss Garnett's scowl and Ray's threes. I miss watching Celtics basketball. The best part of the year for me is November when basketball starts and football is in full swing. Let's hope this next couple months goes by quick so we can start gearing up for another run at the title.

DC is becoming superstar city

DC area sports fans are a long suffering fan base. The district hasn't won a major sports title since before Bill Clinton was president. The Redskins are the champions of the off-season every year before ultimately crumbling into mediocrity. The Wizards have the dumbest name in sports, and haven't been truly relevent since they were the Bullets. The Nationals have been bottom dwellers since they came to DC in 2005. The Capitals, while brilliant during the regular season, have continuously choked in the playoffs. Yes, the DC sports scene has been downright depressing.

Better days look to be on the horizon. Steven Strasburg has looked incredible in his first few weeks as a starter, and has single handedly brought baseball to the forefront in Washington. Alex Ovechkin is the best player in hockey and has brought the Capitals onto the national scene. With the selection of John Wall last night, the Wizards have their point guard of the future and look to be well on their way to bouncing back from the nightmare season of last year. Even the Redskins seem to be making good moves, with the addition of proven winners Donovan McNabb and Mike Shanahan. It all looks good on paper, but as we in DC know, it's a little early to get too excited.

To really turn the page and change the culture of sports here in Washington D.C, we need to get rid of a couple players. Those of course would be Albert Haynesworth and Gilbert Arenas. The first player is obvious. This guy is lazy, out of shape, and thinks he's god's gift to the world. Can he be a dominant force on the defensive line? Of course he can. But if the Redskins truly want to compete for championships they need to do away with signing these high priced free agents and bring in more character guys.

The Gilbert Arenas situation is a little more cloudy. One thing I think we can all agree on is the guy is not the sharpest tool in the shed. I don't think he's a bad person for what he did, just an idiot. The way he handled himself afterward is why people are so pissed. But the gun situation isn't the main reason I think he needs to go. I'd be willing to give him a second chance if he started becoming a leader on this team. With John Wall coming in, I'm worried having Gilbert around will hurt his progression as a point guard. Gilbert can say all the right things, but at the end of the day he wants the ball in his hands all the time. Also, let's not kid ourselves and think Gilbert is going to bring the Wizards into title contention. The guy had a couple spectacular years but is always injured and doesn't bring it every night. I say cut our losses(that contract truly is horrific) and move on to the John Wall era.

One more thing. I think John Wall is legit and will be a better pro than he was a college player. The guy has all the intangibles you need in a great point guard and I'm excited for what the Wizards can do next year if they put a few more pieces together. Though I'll always be a Boston sports fan at heart, I always have supported the DC area teams and hope the superstars can help Washington's teams live up to the hype.