As the month of April continues on, the sports world enters an exciting few weeks with major developments in each respective sport. Needless to say, but I'll say it, it's a great time to be a sports fan.
Tomorrow night marks the first year that the NFL draft is set to begin on a Thursday night as the first round will be shown in prime time. I'm surprised that this change did not happen years ago and am very confident that it will lead to a rise in television ratings for ESPN.
With that in mind, I hope to see the Giants draft middle linebacker Rolando McClain out of Alabama. According to ever mock draft on television and on the internet, if McClain is available then the Giants will draft him. As of Wednesday morning, many experts were beginning to believe the Giants would look at trading up in order to draft the middle linebacker.
General Manager Jerry Reese should not even take the chance. Find a suitor and make the trade. A middle linebacker to replace defensive leader Antonio Pierce has to be the Giants focus on Thursday night. That is not to say that McClain will immediately become the leader Pierce was (and if it means avoiding situations like the Plaxico Burress shooting then McClain should never reach Pierce's level). But the Giants lack a fierce force in the center of their talented defense. McClain fixes that void immediately, and is worth a couple of draft picks to ensure it.
Other things I would like to see during the draft this weekend include the Giants drafting offensive line help, interior defensive line help, and another cornerback to provide depth to a secondary that cannot remain healthy throughout a season. I would also like to see University of Virginia cornerback Chris Cook getting drafted before anyone from Virginia Tech (need to beat them somehow in football), Tim Tebow falling to the third round (at the earliest), C.J. Spiller remaining out of the NFC East, and Jimmy Clausen staying out of Oakland and receiving a chance to be successful at the pro level. It should be fun.
In other news...
Although I do not enjoy seeing my friends happy with the success of the Washington Capitals, I cannot seem to turn off the NHL playoffs, most notably the Capitals series versus Montreal. Every shot could be the difference, every run could lead to the equalizer, and every penalty could lead to an advantage that may turn the series one way or another. As a former soccer player and current soccer coach, the similarities between an intense soccer and hockey game are too many to count. Which makes me excited for another big event this summer, the World Cup.
The most frustrating part of the blitz of great sporting events taking place right now is the lack of coverage of these games. I have the sports package through Direct TV, but do not get to watch any game on NBA TV. Hockey is barely televised as it is, but the advertisers for whatever channel covering hockey right now decided to take an extended Spring Break. Where is the hockey?
At least we have baseball right now. Although with all these playoff games taking place I guess ESPN has decided to only broadcast one Wednesday game and its typical Sunday game. Then again with the Boston Bruins and Buffalo Sabres in double overtime right now ESPN made the right decision by not putting baseball on TV. If only I could find the hockey game.
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Allen Iverson: A Mystery to Sports
My love for sports are defined by numerous occurrences and moments. In recent years I have been lucky enough to enjoy a Super Bowl championship for the New York Giants, and a World Series title by the New York Yankees. But even when my favorite team is not playing in a big game, a Sunday afternoon regular season contest between two random teams may come down to a polarizing figure.
Sometimes this figure is the same for everyone. Tiger Woods, Albert Pujols, Peyton Manning, and Roger Federer create interest that even my mom, who is the definition of a casual fan, feels the buzz leading up to the event. These figures keep us fans at the edge of our seats throughout the game or match, as we wait for that one moment where they make us scream in excitement. These athletes spark our love affair with sports every time they step on the field.
Tonight on ESPN there was a 30 for 30 documentary on Allen Iverson that reminded me about polarizing figures in sports and why they mean so much to fans. Although it was not the best made documentary, or even the best made 30 for 30 show from ESPN, it focused on a man who I believe is misunderstood.
I'll admit I have no personal knowledge of Allen Iverson the man, the athlete, or the role model. To be completely honest, I knew little about the fight at the bowling alley portrayed throughout this ESPN piece. I was aware that he was in trouble growing up and nothing else, including nothing about the jail time. But as I watched the show I was struck by, what I believe, is a level of innocence throughout his life.
Iverson grew up in a tough, poor neighborhood. Although he was seen arguing with coaches and teachers throughout his high school life, it was common knowledge by those around him that Iverson carried a lot of responsibility in his private life. There were over 60 days of school documented on the show that Allen did not attend during his junior year because he was at home taking care of his little sister.
On the athletic field, Iverson fought to make his mark. Part of this I believe was arrogance and his desire to be the best. The other part, in my opinion, was his desire to carry his family out of Hampton, Virginia. He understood the difficult life that his family faced in those neighborhoods and, more importantly, understood the gifts he received that could help his family.
Maybe my belief in Allen Iverson is far-fetched. With his recent leave from the Philadelphia 76ers, and the common belief that he will not return to basketball, I do not know if we will ever get a close look at his personal life. Recent reports say that he is gambling and drinking away everything he worked for during his career. I hope there is more to the story.
I also hope to see Iverson out in the public sphere in the future. Certain individuals are the face of their organization or league. Iverson achieved both. He also became the face of a culture that dominated professional athletics for about ten years. This "hip-hop culture" as stated by ESPN is not a bad culture. It is not a dead culture. Instead, it was a culture of hope, an example that a kid from Hampton, Virginia could make it to prime-time. I hope he returns, and I look forward to the next polarizing athletes' game on television.
Sometimes this figure is the same for everyone. Tiger Woods, Albert Pujols, Peyton Manning, and Roger Federer create interest that even my mom, who is the definition of a casual fan, feels the buzz leading up to the event. These figures keep us fans at the edge of our seats throughout the game or match, as we wait for that one moment where they make us scream in excitement. These athletes spark our love affair with sports every time they step on the field.
Tonight on ESPN there was a 30 for 30 documentary on Allen Iverson that reminded me about polarizing figures in sports and why they mean so much to fans. Although it was not the best made documentary, or even the best made 30 for 30 show from ESPN, it focused on a man who I believe is misunderstood.
I'll admit I have no personal knowledge of Allen Iverson the man, the athlete, or the role model. To be completely honest, I knew little about the fight at the bowling alley portrayed throughout this ESPN piece. I was aware that he was in trouble growing up and nothing else, including nothing about the jail time. But as I watched the show I was struck by, what I believe, is a level of innocence throughout his life.
Iverson grew up in a tough, poor neighborhood. Although he was seen arguing with coaches and teachers throughout his high school life, it was common knowledge by those around him that Iverson carried a lot of responsibility in his private life. There were over 60 days of school documented on the show that Allen did not attend during his junior year because he was at home taking care of his little sister.
On the athletic field, Iverson fought to make his mark. Part of this I believe was arrogance and his desire to be the best. The other part, in my opinion, was his desire to carry his family out of Hampton, Virginia. He understood the difficult life that his family faced in those neighborhoods and, more importantly, understood the gifts he received that could help his family.
Maybe my belief in Allen Iverson is far-fetched. With his recent leave from the Philadelphia 76ers, and the common belief that he will not return to basketball, I do not know if we will ever get a close look at his personal life. Recent reports say that he is gambling and drinking away everything he worked for during his career. I hope there is more to the story.
I also hope to see Iverson out in the public sphere in the future. Certain individuals are the face of their organization or league. Iverson achieved both. He also became the face of a culture that dominated professional athletics for about ten years. This "hip-hop culture" as stated by ESPN is not a bad culture. It is not a dead culture. Instead, it was a culture of hope, an example that a kid from Hampton, Virginia could make it to prime-time. I hope he returns, and I look forward to the next polarizing athletes' game on television.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)