Sports
live blogging the Rose Bowl
Jan 4th
7:22 Sandra Day O’Connor grants the flip to the Horns on a narrow 5-4 decision. We’re gonna miss her moderate voice for future coin flips.
7:27 Best defensive start to a game. ever.
7:29 Worst special teams start to a game. ever.
7:34 … and we’re off to the races. USC has covered the spread.
7:41 Going for 4th down with an option? Move the ball forward, Mack, not sideways. Bad call.
7:53 HA! USC’s almost as bad at 4th down execution as the Horns.
7:59 Hold on to the freakin’ ball, Frosh! Dodged a bullet on that one.
8:06 End of 1st Qtr, 7-0 USC. That could have gone better.
8:11 YEEEEEEE-HAAAW! Heisman boy tries to play Aussie rules football and gives up the rock.
8:16 Another flippin’ fumble! Note to Mack: do NOT give the ball to Ramonce Taylor again until we’re in the lead.
8:18 Some points are better than none, and way better than another fumble. 7-3 USC.
8:30 You damn well better review that call. Griffin’s foot was SOOOOO inbounds.
8:32 I like the word “indisputable.” It rhymes with “the ref on the field is a complete moron.”
8:38 Run Vince! No, Fumble! No, touchdown!
8:39 More inadequate special teams. Hey, NOW I think Vince’s knee was down. Do over! 9-7 Horns.
8:51 Ramonce goes from -14 yrds rushing and 1 turnover to ONE BADASS MOFO with a touchdown! Hey, Mack listened to my advice. 16-7 Horns.
9:01 You can almost see the birdies circling Leinart’s head. Matt, you’re no Vince on the ground.
9:03 Hey, what’s that thing called when the UT defense tackles the QB behind the line? Oh yeah, a sack.
9:05 Wash. Rinse. Repeat.
9:07 Field goal. Worse than a shutdown, better than a touchdown. 16-10 UT.
9:09 Looks like we’re gonna be just a weeeeee bit short of the 71 point over/under. 16-10 UT.
9:24 U2? 1989 called: they want their halftime show back.
9:45 White, again with the easy stroll into the endzone. Oh, and I suppose it’s very trendy to have a kicker who can make extra points. 17-16 USC.
9:53 The VY show is in full gear. Over 100 yards rushing already, and now a touchdown on the ground. 23-17 UT.
10:03 White. Hole. Touchdown. Untouched. Again. 24-23 USC.
10:11 Shall we place odds on Pino making this field goal? *gulp*
10:15 Um, glad I didn’t bet. Very poor. Still 24-23 USC.
10:20 Somebody needs to tell Auggie Bush Jr. Jr. Jr. that he has the televisual charisma of wet toilet paper.
10:29 Reggie Bush goes circus Atari for a TD and only gets a 9.4 from the Bulgarian judge. 31-23 USC.
10:42 David Pino: not a complete douchebag. 31-26 USC.
10:52 3 replays shy of equalling Joe Theisman’s record for “most views of a broken limb.” 38-26 USC.
10:59 Vince is the flippin MAN. Now it’s up to the defense. 38-33 USC.
11:07 NO GO! Guess you shoulda punted, Pete. Here comes Vince.
11:09 Is this the first time UT’s ever seen a blitz? 3&12 …
11:10 FACEMASK. Big mistake, SC.
11:11 I’m glad the clock runs 10 seconds while we watch the Trojans run around like douchebags claiming a fumble.
11:17 4th and 5 … what could possibly happen? VINCE GO GO GO GO GO … TOUCHDOWN!!!! YES!!!!! 2 pt conversion, and it’s unbelievably 41-38 UT.
11:20 Out of time! National Champions!!!
man down
Jan 22nd
Barret Robbins’ life is coming undone. After a stellar NFL career cut short by personal issues and allegations, Barret’s falling star nearly plummeted into a grave following his latest encounter. Now, having survived multiple gunshot wounds, Barret faces the prospect of multiple attempted murder charges. It’s hard to imagine a worse situation for the former All-Pro center.
I’ve met Barret a handful of times. I’ve probably heard his voice less than a rabid fan might have from his post-game interviews, but the perspective of interpersonal interaction reveals volumes left unspoken by soundbites or Reuters clippings. The person I’ve met is a decent human being and an extremely kind, nice guy. The fact that Barret now stands accused as a violent criminal demonstrates the severity of an emotional disorder that is beyond the realm of understanding for anyone who hasn’t walked a mile in his shoes.
Not that the general public will ever know any such details. Barret’s fall from grace has come under the unfortunate glare of a media spotlight, where the camera lens is always quick to capture surface sins but never sharp enough to reveal the details behind them. In a typical story off the AP wire, Barret’s bipolar disorder is a footnote to 7 paragraphs of violent encounters and past failings.
The mythology is that America celebrates opportunity, embracing the Horatio Alger everymen who pull themselves up by democratic-capitalistic bootstraps. But the reality is River Phoenix. Tu-Pac. John Belushi. Sid Vicious. Rae Carruth. Jayson Williams. The high-profile flame-out of celebrities, musicians, and sports heroes has replaced the American Dream with tawdry gossip. Perhaps we’ve fallen victim to our successes; when William Hung grabs his 15 minutes (and then some), it’s a stark reminder that fame and fortune are often capricious rather than deserved. The old “rah rah” success stories about hard work and dedication seem antiquated in this environment, becoming background noise against the flashier tales of woe that ultimately befall misbegotten celebrities.
Maybe Barret’s story will provide an amazing “against all odds” comeback story worthy of a movie. But more than likely, you’ll never hear a word about his fate once the cameras stop rolling. Real-life recoveries require ample amounts of patience and commitment, and those characteristics don’t play well on TV.
"booyah" for bikes
Jan 12th
OK SportsCenter junkies, when was the last time you remember seeing motorcycle racing covered on ESPN? Sure, Supercross stunts sneak in during a slow news day, especially since ESPN and espn2 have hitched their wagons to the X-Games. But you’d never know that motorcycle roadracing (as opposed to dirt racing) is a professional sport since coverage is absolutely non-existent on major cable outlets. Only SPEED channel (digital cable required in Austin) carries any motorcycle racing at all, and even that programming is dwarfed roughly 10-to-1 by the blue-collar behemoth of NASCAR.
But all that’s about to change. I expect that this is the year that the US’s premiere motorcycle racing organization, AMA Superbike, takes a major step forward in the public consciousness. There are three social and economic factors changing the dynamics of two-wheeled motorsports in this country, presented in rough order of importance:
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Jumpman23: Michael Jordan is one of the biggest names on the planet, and his popularity cuts across any demographic or sociological lines you care to draw. Michael Jordan is also a huge sportbike afficianodo, and I’m not referring to the size of his shoes. Our man #23 rides expensive Italian superbikes and totally digs motorcycle racing; so much so that last year he started his own racing team. His 2004 effort was small-time, with an unknown rider in a lesser bike class. For 2005, Jordan is stepping up to the big time with a full factory effort and riding talent to back him up. If Jordan’s team makes it to the podium this year, it’ll make news beyond the typical motojournalist nation. There are rumors of sponsorship by Nike and Gatorade, so can an ad campaign be far behind?
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The Redcoats are Coming: The traditional migration path has been for promising American stars to attain success in the US, then bolt for a higher profile and fatter checks in Europe. In case you didn’t know, Europeans love bikes and they love their motorcycle racing like Americans love NASCAR. For the first time in a long while, the tables will be turned in 2005 and a British and World superbike champion will compete in the American series. Neil Hodgson is a Brit, a nice guy, and one helluva rider. His arrival has already drawn a lot of European attention, and puts the AMA squarely in the spotlight. If a world champion gets up-ended on US soil, then the American series gets an instant shot of credibility, and some newfound exposure around the world. But Hodgson has already gone really fast while testing new tires on an unfamiliar track, so if he wipes up the Yanks then *heh heh* … boy, is our face red … *heh heh* … Hey, look over there!
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Torqued: For better or worse, bikes are back in the forefront of the pop culture consciousness. Not that they ever went away, but their outlaw metaphor has certainly undergone substantial revision since Marlon Brando’s Triumph Thunderbird and Peter Fonda’s Harley Panhead defined the genre. Today’s two-wheeled rebels are pretty urban youngsters straddling outrageously powerful Japanese sportbikes. Their physics-defying antics may be laughable, but the performance-oriented image it embodies carries a direct lineage to the 200 mph beasts that populate the AMA Superbike series. The old adage of “win on Sunday, sell on Monday” may still be true among motorcycle loyalists, but there is a new generation of enthusiasts who buy on Friday and go to an informal track day on Saturday. Interest in sportbikes continues to grow, and interest in roadracing is a likely outgrowth of that phenomenon.
So keep your eyes peeled for AMA Superbike coverage over the next 12 months, and don’t be surprised if you see Michael Jordon holding a handlebar instead of a basketball in his next Nike commercial. The moment that Stuart Scott applies faux street vernacular to describe a victory wheelie, you’ll know that motorcycle racing has finally arrived in the US.
misplaced priorities
Oct 17th
Posted by wae in Social Commentary
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When the Houston Astros defeated Atlanta after an 18-inning marathon, little did anyone suspect that the game’s length would be only the second most interesting record set that evening. Houston fan Shaun Dean caught the winning homer, which complemented the grand slam ball he had caught 10 innings earlier. In the most unlikely of scenarios, the same fan caught two home run balls in the same game.
With all the homers churned out during this era of live balls and juiced players, you wouldn’t think home run balls would be a hot commodity. But this is also the era of the collectible anything, so somewhere, someone is willing to pay big bucks for the right home run memorabilia. It might not be Mark McGwire’s 62nd home run ball (a relatively poor investment given the home run derby years that followed), but same-game dingers from a Divisional Series victory might net a tidy sum from the right Astros fan with more money than sense.
It’s in this environment that the Baseball Hall of Fame approached Shaun Dean about reclaming the balls for a special exhibit in Cooperstown. Dean, in return for signed jerseys and paid trips, relinquished the dual dingers for posterity. His willingness to part with the unlikely trophies netted this gushing from Hall of Fame representative Jeff Idelson:
Dean was originally going to keep the balls as souvenirs for his son, and I would respect someone keeping commemorative items when they have such a personal association with the event. So it’s cool that he is willing to turn them over to an establishment representing the game itself, so that others may enjoy the story for years to come. It shows a non-monetary appreciation of sports that is being smothered by loudmouth late-night hucksters on home shopping networks.
But Jeff Idelson, and perhaps a few other cronies at the Hall of Fame, need some perspective drummed into their tiny heads. Returning a couple of $2.89 baseballs, no matter who hit them and when, is not the ultimate act of anything, except perhaps normalcy. Grandiose assessments of selflessness are normally reserved for people who die for the good of another, not those who donate sports equipment to a museum. Soldiers and cops pay the ultimate price for far less gratitude than the Hall of Fame has shelled out to the Dean family, and with far fewer column-inches devoted to their plight. Jeff Idelson better hope he never needs someone else’s ultimate act of selflessness to save his hide, lest he get pelted with baseballs when he needed a heart transplant or a grenade cover.