Men’s Wimbledon Showdown

July 12, 2015

When the number 1 seed, Novic Djokovic, faced off against the number 2 seed, Roger Federer, then you knew you had to watch this spectacle. I usually don't miss the Wimbledon finals, but honestly, there have been years when you didn't want to invest five hours in watching Roger Federer destroy whoever he was playing in the finals (poor Andy Roddick). Seeing the accession of Federer to the finals is suitable for this event.

The first set went to Djokovic playing his usual power game, but Federer held in there using his steady groundstrokes. The two traded blows, but Djokovic eventually took the set to a 7-6 margin to an entertained capacity Wimbledon crowd. Federer fell behind in the second set, and this was starting to look like a short day for him. Federer being down 3-6, was able to claw back to 6 -6. The two traded volleys and ferocious serves to 7-7, but Federer finally caught him and beat him to 10 after a 15-minute battle.

The beginning of the third set played like a chess match, with Federer still making great sideline volleys and slicing with precision. In the third game, Djokovic was able to break Federer's serve, which turned to be a major turning point in the match. Soon after, the rain clouds crept in, and the tarp was stretched over the court. The short break appeared to benefit Djokovic, who came out able to handle anything that Federer threw at him. Federer stopped converting as many aces, and Djokovic became clinical with great shot-making.

More of the same ensued in the fourth set, with Djokovic again breaking Federer's serve.  Djokovic was getting appreciative responses from an always pro–Federer crowd, as he has earned it. The final set went 6-3 to Mr. Djokovic, who repeated against Federer and won his third overall Wimbledon. Even though Djokovic won, Federer didn't play bad himself, always gracious and respectful for his opponents. Djokovic as well gave Federer his props for being the great elder statesmen for tennis.

Djokovic is at the height of his game and looks to be on the run for a few more years. With his size, strength, and power, he reminds me of Ivan Lendl but with just more precision and skill. This was his ninth overall Major victory putting him behind Nadal and Federer. He also missed winning the French Open, so by the time he hangs up his racket, he will be glorified as one of the best.

Nate Boyer, Man for Our Times

July 8, 2015

 The National Football League needs Nate Boyer, and Nate Boyer needs the National Football League.

Can somebody make this happen? Now, who in the heck is Nate Boyer? He is an undrafted football player out of the University of Texas invited by the Seattle Seahawks to rookie minicamp. And…. he is 34 years old...and he is a long snapper. Okay, by now, you are thinking, is this another Rudy story? Not quite. Nate Boyer is a 34-year-old rookie long snapper from the University of Texas, a war veteran, member of the elite Special Forces with three tours in Iraq and Afghanistan.

In 2004, at the age of 23, he felt compelled to enlist in the Army. His training evolved into the absurdly challenging rigors of the elite Special Forces, also known as the Green Berets. Out of 150 candidates, he was one of eleven that endured.

While serving overseas, he learned of a college football coach named Mack Brown, head coach of the University of Texas. Brown would go on USO tours and was endearing to the soldiers. When Nate finished serving full-time for his country, he wanted to play collegiate football. So, in 2008, as a 29-year-old freshman, he tried out for Brown's Texas Longhorns. Nate weighed in at 200 pounds and stood 5 foot 10. One more thing, Nate never played a down of organized competitive football in his life.

Nate started as safety on the scout team but soon became unsatisfied with this role. He wanted to play, not later, now. He had to find a way to get on the playing field, and he needed a niche. That niche turned out to be a long snapper. Texas was losing both their starter and back long snappers to graduation, so Nate worked his tail off that summer, on his own, to learn the craft. The rest is history.

Nate Boyer brings the essential skills to the athletic field. Sure, he could use a bigger frame for the NFL, but most of those guys can't touch him when it comes to work ethic, dedication to craft, mental toughness, and a "giving it everything you got attitude."

Boyer was an accurate long snapper at Texas, never sending back a dud to the place holder and punter. It also must be said that while in Texas, he was an A student and still served his country during his summers as a National Guardsman. Before his senior season, he was still serving overseas as he was in a firefight near the Afghanistan-Pakistan border.

After the year of bad press and scandals in the National Football league, Nate Boyer is an inspiring story that the league could use. I want to see him make it onto a squad, I want him to play, and I want him to be great.  If he makes it, his experiences and character traits of discipline and physical and mental toughness would be an invaluable asset to any team. Right now, the Seattle Seahawks have that opportunity to choose him. Let's hope he gets his chance to shine.

US Women Ascend as Champions, 5-2

July 6, 2015

I couldn't believe that I sat down twenty minutes late for the game, and it's already Four – Zip! I got stuck in the grocery store getting some last-minute onion dip and was going to catch up on the DVR. I made the bonehead mistake of turning on the radio, and the announcer gives me the update before I could change the channel. GRRRH.

So, I finally get to my destination, and my nieces are watching, and of course, they are there to fill me in about the amazing Carli Lloyd. Then they want my chips and dip. One niece was already cheering for the Japanese team to score so it wouldn't be so boring. I get it since over seventy minutes left, and that's a long time for a teenager to stay that focused.

Through years of sports viewership and years of seeing championship games for multitudes of sports, I have seen this scenario and song played before. One team has risen so high, meshed, and unified so well that they are invincible. The US women were so good that when Carli Lloyd scores from fifty yards out, you know that it's their day. It was a day when the offense side of the ball gave their defense a little break. They played aggressively throughout the first half, with more passes going into the box than ever before.

In all due respect for the Japanese team, the US looked more physical, bigger, faster, and aggressive on my big screen TV. On offense, the Japanese women looked like they were trying to set up plays and create scenarios, but the US was too fast to allow for the breakaway pass. The two goals were a credit to their perseverance and focused after getting bull-rushed the first third of the match. The US defense tightened and put the clamps down before the Japanese could mount a comeback.

The World Cup tournament ride is one of the best for any sports fan, and this one was no exception. There are stories to be told with any tournament, winners, and losers, and future predictions to be made. It only takes a few minutes after the championship match has ended before the blabber starts, and the could of, would of, and should of begins. You will hear everything from the artificial turf hypocrisy to officiating to England blowing it. I will let the other blogs and sports rags fill their pages with this banter, and I will move on to other great things. The onion dip controversy will never happen again on my watch.

The US women win the Cup for the first time in sixteen years after Brandi Chastain ripped off her jersey. Now we have this year's face, Carli Lloyd playing like no one else and Abby Wambach playing in her last World Cup. Then there is the coach, Jill Ellis, who has had her share of criticism thrown her way, but when I saw her smiling on the sidelines during the game, I got a little choked up.

If I was offering any criticism and you can see for yourself, don't you think the World Cup Championship Trophy is dinky? Shouldn't it be an enormous cup like the Stanley Cup? The Stanley Cup is just for National Hockey League, and this is the damn World Cup. It should be big enough to take a bath in. Cheers!

Postseason Ironmen

July 5, 2015

We fans sitting in our recliners, watching our big screens, snacking it up, can hurt ourselves getting up too fast. A strained back from the quick movement of lifting your dead weight while holding your chip bowl is a common injury to many viewers. Having to explain the back issue to your buddies and coworkers is sometimes a slippery slope to tread. To lie or not to lie, I say embellish. Watching both the NBA and NHL playoffs is tiring as well.

I live in the Pacific Time Zone, and I benefit from early start times and go to bed before 11 pm. Poor East coasters are well into the wee hours watching their teams, God forbidding overtime. I can't imagine eating hot wings and sliders at 10 pm, whereas the three-hour time difference allows us to digest bar food before hitting the sack. That's enough whining about playoff sports when you should feel so lucky if your team is still playing.

Watching the last survivors of both playoffs series amazes me every year. The NBA is now using the best of seven formats for all the rounds, whereas the NHL has for a long time. The physicality is getting fiercer, and the amount of reportable concussions is increasing, and the collisions are at faster speeds. What's worse? I have no idea since I am in my recliner. I would generally say the NHL is more physically demanding, but after watching LeBron James and the Cavaliers force their will on the Warriors by using size, I am not going to side either way. The seasons are long already, and the energy meter gets cranked up to a frenzy when the playoffs start up. The body can be trained for peak performance, but nothing can help an athlete with freak collisions, loss of footing, or being at the wrong place at the wrong time. So, when watching your games on the couch, be careful, these series can go on for weeks. The amount of injuries of fans celebrating is embarrassingly high with the emergency room on game night as a testament.



Golden State Fans Come Out of the Desert After Forty Years of Despair

June 22, 2015

Okay, after forty years, even Moses found his way out of the desert. The fan base of the Golden State Warriors has waited patiently for almost forty years to celebrate an NBA championship. That NBA championship trophy was last hoisted in 1975, led by a Rick Barry Warrior team that beat the Washington Bullets in four games. The euphoria lasted a long time because Warrior fans are some of the most loyal fans in any sport, in any town.

The organization had a rough go at it for stretches with only a few small glimpses of sunshine now and then. They squandered many of the draft picks on players that either never developed or were traded away. During the heyday of the Lakers, Celtics, Knicks, Pistons, Bulls, and Rockets, the Warriors usually toiled at the bottom of league standings. The fans came out to Oakland through these dark winters, sometimes in San Jose and San Francisco.

There were two glimmers of hope during this span when Coach Don Nelson came to town and brought with him a fun offensive style and some grit. Unfortunately, the team somehow disintegrated with personality clashes and trades. Don Nelson went away only to return in 2006 and again assembled some good players to tease the fans with winning ways. Within two years, the team blew up with the same personnel issues and contract disputes, and fans were short-changed.

In 2010, a new ownership group came in with a ray of hope, and the fans stayed loyal. They began drafting a core of players that are now playing their third year in a row of playoff basketball. The crowds in Oakland are even louder and trying to will the Warriors to a championship.

After decades of blunder and unfulfilled promise, the Golden State Warriors have reached the mountaintop. The fan base is going wild in the San Francisco Bay Area. Their team has erased all of those forgetful moments of despair and hopefully don't have to wait another forty years for a repeat.

Tough as Leather

March 23, 2015

What drives a person to get on top of an enormous wild animal and try to stay atop while the beast does everything to send you into orbit? What makes anybody perform an extreme sport? Adrenaline is one thing to consider, but this is a level of thrill-seeking that defies explanation. The rider must remain upright on the bucking bull for eight seconds. They have their hand fastened to a braided rope as the only attachment method while the other hand remains free. It is a risky sport and considered the most dangerous eight seconds in all sports.

Of course, the bull riders are doing this for the million-dollar paychecks.... not! Even though professional circuit riders can earn a six-figure income, the majority are making less. The main reason that riders compete is because of the long tradition and history. This is very generational, going back centuries while originating in Mexico and spreading into the USA. The sport is worldwide, even down to South America and as far as New Zealand.

Bull riding is no different from other youthful endeavors; kids usually start out competing in high school and other youth groups. They hone their craft and train like any other athlete to gain an advantage. Some rodeos and organizations sponsor the sport, with top competitions in the Professional Bull Riders, Championship Bull Riding, and the Professional Rodeo Cowboy Association circuits.

The equipment the rider uses appears minimal, but many components exist to keep them safe. The main piece is the bull rope, which contains a handle braided into it. One side of the rope is tied into an adjustable knot for different size bulls, and the other side is flat braided with an attached bell. In addition to the sound the bell produces, it gives the rope weight allowing it to fall off once the rider dismounts.

The most recognizable protective clothing item is the chaps made of leather; they protect the rider's legs and thighs. Riders are required to don a safety vest made of high-impact foam. The riders also wear gloves, boots, and mostly cowboy hats. Currently, no requirement is in place to use a helmet yet in the professional ranks, but slowly times are changing, and more are wearing them.

The way a rider wins a competition is through judging and a point system. Judges award points based on several aspects of the ride. Judges are also looking for constant control and rhythm in the rider in matching his movements with the bull. Points are deducted if the rider is constantly off balance and none of the eight seconds atop are not achieved. The bulls also receive a score for not allowing the riders to make the eight seconds. Standings are kept for the bulls, and "Bull of the Year" is something that exists.

Bull riding requires flexibility, coordination, and courage. Facing down a two-thousand-pound crazed animal takes as much mental preparation as does the physical ability. It also requires a fantastic amount of training a rider must put into his skill set. They have so much at stake while atop the animal. All of the riders build their core strength to withstand the whiplash effects of the ride. Their upper body stamina must be able to hold the rope against the thrust of the bull gyrations.

Although the sport has its share of issues, a large audience still attend the spectacle. Changes are deliberately being made to improve the items that critics bellow about, but bull riding doesn't appear to be going away anytime soon. The key to its longevity is safety, not for lack of excitement. Yippee Ki Ay!!

Madison Bumgarner: A Legend in the Making

February 23, 2015

Mad Bum, as he is called by his fellow San Francisco Giants, is one of those athletes you can't help but like. He is a nice young man, humble, and always putting his teammates first. He has a little wild side to him, like the photograph of him holding up six open beer bottles above his mouth after winning the rounds of baseball playoffs. Okay, maybe he isn't a saint, but he sure saved the San Francisco Giants in the World Series.

Mad Bum is a fierce and relentless competitor with a calm demeanor except when Yusiel Puig tries to showboat him. Some say he possesses ice water running through his veins as he looks stoic on the baseball mound. He is not the type to implode with his emotions when things don't go his way as it appears. He bears down and refocuses to deliver his best effort.

At the age of twenty-six, Bumgarner owns two World Series rings and the Series MVP to put under his belt. Pitchers like him do not come around often; a tall left-hander with an easy motion that looks deceiving to most batters. His pitches are hard to read  because of the angle the ball comes out from his wind up along with velocity. Games when he masters his release point and pitch location, he is unhittable. Bumgarner also takes pride in his hitting, he knocked out four home runs last year, and two were grand slams.

When baseball experts look at the San Francisco Giants for 2015, they think they will not repeat their exploits. Each time the Giants have won the Series, they have been picked as underdogs. Bumgarner is the pitching ace of the staff and loves nothing more than to be chosen as an underdog, again. Please, Major League Baseball, don't unleash the Mad Bum for your own good, except if you are a Giants fan.

Malcom Butler, The Unlikely Hero

February 23, 2015

At Super Bowl XLIX (49), the game's fate turned on a dime when the ball ended up in the hands of a player nobody ever heard of before the game started. One of the most beautiful moments in team sports is when the player who once was the goat can make a redeeming play that wins the contest. It's movie material that no fan can resist. That person is Malcolm Butler, the New England Patriot cornerback. He intercepted the pass in the end zone that broke the hearts of the Seattle Seahawks and their legion of fans and delivered the thrill of victory to Patriot Nation. The win was snatched in a fleeting moment from Seattle but, in turn, carried one man into the sports history books.

If you don't know the story by now, Butler was involved in the two biggest plays of the game. With the Patriots leading by four points, under a minute to play, and Seattle making a final drive, Butler got matched up with wide receiver Jermaine Kearse. Russell Wilson threw a 33-yard throw to Kearse, which Butler deflected. However, as Kearse fell to the ground, the tipped pass landed on him, he juggled it and eventually retained possession. Kearse's catch is widely considered as one of the best of all-time in Super Bowl history. After recognizing Kearse made the reception and not downed by contact, Butler pushed him out of bounds at the five-yard line.

Two plays later, with 20 seconds remaining and the Seahawks on the Patriots' one-yard line, Butler intercepted a Wilson pass at the goal line, returning possession to the Patriots and virtually assuring their 28-24 victory.

One of five children raised by his mother in Vicksburg, Mississippi, Butler started his college football career at nearby Hinds Community College. He had a hard time getting his life together. He then transferred to West Alabama, where he turned things around and achieved conference honors. He didn't get much of a look by the pro scouts, but one NFL coach remembered him.

New England took a chance on him, and Butler made the most of his situation. He only started one game for the Patriots while improving throughout the year, and the team kept their confidence in his abilities.

Butler is a quiet and friendly young man who is very emotional about his good fortune in the Super Bowl. Tom Brady was also emotional because he gave his MVP Car Award to him. He is now the toast of the town, but he will never forget the tough road it took to getting there.

Mo’ne Davis, the Girl with Mighty Arm

August 15, 2014

August 15, 2014

This young lady is not only an amazing athlete, but she is also an inspiration to all young girls. If you haven't heard by now, Mo’ne Davis was the thirteen year old phenom who took the 2014 Little League World Series by storm. Yes, a girl that got a lot of attention but had the chops to back it up. She throws harder than most boys and has a mechanically fluid wind up that looks like she is throwing effortlessly.

Ms. Davis was the first girl to pitch a shutout in the Little League World Series, along with the fact she was only one of eighteen girls to ever play in this tournament, sixth to get a hit, and the first African American girl to play in LLWS. She played for the Taney Dragons, a team in Pennsylvania. They didn't win the World Series, but the ride they went on captivated the whole nation.

Davis throws a seventy mile per hour fastball, about ten MPH faster than the average player in her age group. That translates into ninety-three mph on a full-sized diamond when using the reaction time comparison. Her wind up is very consistent throughout her pitching performances.   She is quite a marvel for any baseball fan.

Davis' impact should inspire more girls to play the game of baseball. As we all know, the term "throwing like a girl" is a tag that no boy wants to hear, but maybe it will be used more thoughtfully in the future.

In October 2014, Davis was named one of the "The 25 Most Influential Teens of 2014" by Time Magazine. Director Spike Lee produced a sixteen-minute documentary entitled "I Throw Like a Girl." Davis also threw out the first pitch of game four of the MLB World Series in San Francisco. Mo’ne Davis, most of all, brought joy and a humble attitude that captivated all baseball fans and non-baseball fans. It will be interesting to see her age and see how her journey in life evolves. Don't be surprised if this is not the last we hear from her.

Dean Smith, The Dean of College Basketball

February 23, 2015

 A small group of college basketball coaches are placed at the pinnacle of success. Then there is Dean Smith, the iconic coach of the University of North Carolina. Smith passed away on February 7th at the age of 83. He transcends all those with more victories, winning percentages, and national championships. He created a structure and team-style play that is considered the gold standard for college basketball coaching. His influence carried over to his players who graduated at a rate of 97%, and Smith has also been credited with running a "clean" program.

Smith's accomplishments are as follows: 879 wins in 36 years of coaching, 4th most in men's college Division I basketball history behind Bob Knight, Mike Krzyzewski, and Jim Boeheim, and most wins of any coach at the time of his retirement. In comparison, Adolph Rupp won 876 in 41 years. Smith compiled a 77.6% winning percentage while coaching 1,133 games at an average of 31.5 games a season. His percentage puts him 9th on the highest winning percentage list.

Smith's coaching style varied depending on the type of players he had on his squad. Even though he liked the fast break the best, he is mainly known for a half-court offense emphasizing the passing game. On defense, he employed an aggressive trapping scheme to produce turnovers and easy baskets.

Smith emphasizes teammates always pick each other up both physically and mentally. His players pointed at each other when the other made a great play or assist. The team would also huddle at the free-throw line before a foul shot. Smith took care of his seniors for their loyalty by starting them in the last home game of the year. He was such a great motivator without having to resort to loud, angry vocal displays.

His accolades are numerous such as, coach of the year, College Basketball Hall of Fame, and the first recipient of the Mentor Lifetime Achievement, given by the University of North Carolina committee on Teaching Awards for "broader range of teaching beyond the classroom." Eastern University and Catawba College have also awarded him honorary doctorates.

Lastly, one hallmark of Smith's tenure as coach was the concept of the "Carolina Family," the idea that anyone associated with the program was entitled to the support of others. Many of his former players and coaching staff became successful basketball coaches and executives. Dean Smith elevated the notion of what a coach could be with a combination of skills that included innovation and teaching while being a kind and decent human being.

Glove Masters

April 23, 2014

Watching great fielding is just as good as a home run, in my humble opinion. Fielding in baseball always takes a backseat to the offensive statistics in the glamour category. In Major League Baseball, the importance of pitching and defense is beginning to outweigh the teams who bash the ball. As they say, good pitching stops good hitting, and good pitching needs good defense. Keeping runners from taking an extra base, turning double plays, and throwing out those who attempt to steal are cornerstones for winning, again, not glamorous, just efficient.

The statisticians in the world came up with many formulas to determine who is the best of the best at their position. The simple statistic of fielding percentage measures errors against opportunities, but that still doesn't tell the story. The eyeball test still works well, and the greatest I have ever seen in my lifetime was Omar Vizquel and Ozzie Smith. I was lucky enough to see Vizquel later when he became a San Francisco Giant, and I am still amazed. He had a certain calm to his play, and he made the position look easier than it is.

Here are some of my favorite defensive players this year in MLB:

Having a good shortstop is crucial to winning. A shortstop that is agile, quick with great range, and a Howitzer for an arm is rare. One player with these skills is Andrelton Simmons of the Atlanta Braves. He has only been in the pros a couple of years but is fast becoming the top at his position. He was awarded a gold glove and voted as the best defensive player at shortstop in the National League in 2013.

At catcher, you will not find still anybody better than Yadier Molina. At 32 years of age, he still has the physical tools to be one of the top catchers in baseball. The way he calls a game and handles a staff is not as much, but note, St. Louis has consistently been a good pitching team year after year. In addition, a lot of baseball fans and experts acknowledge catcher Matt Wieters of Baltimore.

The hot corner has its share of defensive standouts, and I think Manny Machado of the Orioles is one of the best. He won the Gold Glove at third base in 2013 and the AL Platinum Glove award. He is also a player with a short MLB resume but with a big upside. Once thought of as a future shortstop, the position he played before coming to the Orioles, but it appears the hot corner will be his home for now. Some compare him to Alex Rodriquez because of his large stature. He possesses a rifle for an arm and soft hands to snare the screaming balls that are hit his way.

Any talk about defense, and I like to add a centerfielder. They don't necessarily need the most outstanding arm, but they need to be speedy and know how to take a good angle to the ball. One of the best I am seeing is Carlos Gomez of Milwaukee. The highlight reel was enough to convince me that he possesses all the tools to be labeled as one of the top defensive centerfielders.

First basemen usually score the highest fielding percentages among all players. It is a tricky stat because you are sometimes only as good as the quality of throws coming your way. I like to determine with the human eye test. When a guy at first base who can snare the balls hit down the line or in the hole between first and second, I take notice. I grew up watching JT Snow at first for the Giants, and he was incredible at the foul pop fly heading towards the seats. He looked like a football wideout catching a pass over the shoulder. This year, I like Paul Goldschmidt of the Arizona Diamondbacks, Gabby Sanchez of the Pittsburgh Pirates, and Anthony Rizzo of the Chicago Cubs, all rising stars.

Next time when you are at a baseball game, at any level, check out who are the better defensive players. They are the ones with strong arms, but they also show keen instincts to the batted ball. They appear to be in the correct positions to field and catch. Some of this is natural quickness, but sometimes they are thorough students of the game. They look at how batters adjust their swings, watch where the ball is pitched, and mentally focus on it coming off the bat. You can even find this in Little League when some kids are ready, and others blow bubblegum and stare out into space.

Alaskan Ironmen, Ironwomen and Dogs

March 10, 2014

Alaska hosted its two marquee events of the year, and both of them were dog sled races. The first one being known as the "Toughest" race on the planet, the Yukon Quest. It's a 1000 mile trek along the Klondike Gold Rush mail and transportation trail established in the 1800s. It takes place in the harshest of winter conditions on a rugged trail. The other showcase is the Iditarod, billed as "The Last Great Race on Earth," the most popular sporting event in Alaska, which starts in Anchorage and ends in Nome, also a 1000 miler.

Who are the real Ironmen and women who do this? The majority of the competitors are Alaskans, but these events do attract an international field. A lot of the participants belong to families who competed throughout the generations. Both men and women have entered these races. The Iditarod received significant attention outside of Alaska when a woman won the event. In 1985 Libby Riddles, a long shot, won, and Susan Butcher did it three times.

Of course, let's not forget the super dogs who can handle the endeavor. Your pooch at home is not ready for anything like this. Can you even imagine driving a sled of dogs in the dead of winter for a thousand miles? The last time I checked, the Iron Man Competition is a Triathlon that ends in one day. These races go on for over a week. This sport also has no actual downtime; if you are not training, you are tending and developing a team.

The majority of people think that the sled dogs would be a big furry Husky-type breed. Through the years of cross-breeding, the modern racing dogs are mixed and bred for speed, tough feet, endurance, good attitude, and most importantly, the desire to run. Each team is composed of twelve to sixteen dogs, and no more can be added during the race. There is a minimum of six that must cross the finish line. The dogs are well looked over and are examined at every checkpoint.

Both races contain checkpoints about every two hundred miles where some provisions are supplied, and veterinarians check the dogs. The musher and his team are sledding along frozen rivers, and mountain ranges through isolated villages. Temperatures commonly drop to -60 F, and winds can reach 50 miles an hour or more at higher elevations. Aside from the weather conditions and the dogs' well-being, the mushers must break through mental and body fatigue. Maintaining focus without drifting off into a sleep deprivation state can be dangerous.

This year, the Yukon Quest was won by Allen Moore, who crossed the finish line at Takhina Hot Springs in the early morning. His time was 8 days, 14 hours, and 21 minutes which made it a consecutive victory. When you talk to Moore, he gives a lot of credit to his lead dog Quito. She was the recipient of the Golden Harness Award and a custom-made golden-colored harness and some fresh steaks. Moore was quoted as saying, "But mainly we have good dogs right now, and they're hard to come by, just like any basketball or football squad. Once you can assemble those pieces, you will be a pretty good team for a few years. "

This year's Iditarod champ is Dallas Seavy, with his time of 8 days, 13 hours, and 6 minutes. It was a challenging year for the event because of dangerous weather and injuries to mushers and dogs. The lack of snowfall and icy conditions made it difficult maneuvering.

The race began on March 2nd with 69 teams, and 53 finished. As the finishers crossed the line in Nome, temperatures were below zero degrees. The Iditarod winner received $50,000 and a new truck. After that, the 29 other sledders receive prizes decreasing in size.

The history of these races is storied and exciting to read about as well. Most people only know slight references to these races and the culture that surrounds them. Take time to research, and you will find yourself intrigued and curious to see the events every winter in Alaska.

Riding the Giants

January 14, 2014

 The Big Wave World Tour rolled into Half Moon Bay, California, on January 10th. This event is California's most prestigious surf contest, known as "The Mavericks Invitational." This particular location is unlike any other surfing destination because of the size and ferocity of the waves. The competition will proceed only if Mother Nature cooperates and brings in the swells to generate the waves. On Wednesday, the 8th, the decision was made, and by Friday, twenty-four surfers were ready to go.

Phenomenal Waves! Just looking out at the twenty to forty-footers that rolled in made me nervous. Imagine resolving to stand up on your board at the crest and point yourself down the face. These surfers will hit speeds of twenty-five to thirty-five miles per hour. The chop and bounce you endure make the swells more menacing, caused by the deep trenches and fingers within the reef.

Right behind you is a wall of water and foam that is violent and fearsome. Eventually, all the surfers will take a pounding and pummeling, which is an inevitable part of this contest. As one surfer mentioned, "This is not about the money and winning, this is about surviving. No amount of money will make you run into the highway and get hit by a truck."

Why they do it or how they psyche themselves into doing it is different for all of them. I believe it is about challenging yourself both physically and mentally. These surfers are tremendous athletes with great agility, strength, and incredible stamina. You have to have the utmost confidence in your ability and equipment to even consider riding these monster waves.

Maverick's consists of twenty-four of the best big wave surfers in the world. The group is placed into four sets of six contestants who compete in forty-five-minute heats. The top three of each heat move into the semifinals, then the final six move onto the finals. This makes for a long day of competition which starts in the early morning and ends in the afternoon. After seven hours, a winner is announced, and the legend of Mavericks carries on.

This year, Grant "Twiggy" Baker from South Africa was declared the winner by catching and riding enough big waves to earn the purse. The competition was grand and a sight to behold to see these guys as a brotherhood. Furthermore, they do something that no other sport on earth can claim. Riding big waves is unpredictable since no two are alike, and you put your life on the line every time you ride down the face. Surviving at Mavericks is a victory for all.

Free Your Mind, Huh?

January 8, 2016

It's such a clichéd statement, and when I hear people say "free your mind," I take it with a grain of salt. Most of the time, when people make that comment to you, they are trying to convince you to think in a particular direction. I once took a class called "Brainstorming" while I worked in the corporate world. In the '80s and '90s, taking extracurricular courses like this was encouraged, and budgets allowed employees to receive training. This was one of the few workshops I ever took at any level of schooling that I found helpful in the real world.

Brainstorming is the primary task of recording as many ideas as possible for a solution to a problem. The trick is getting past the low-hanging fruit of solutions and generating a whole tree of ideas. The way to gather a slew of possibilities is to create a group of unfiltered, unbiased, random associations along with words, phrases, thoughts, and similar answers and mind dump it. After you exhaust that exercise, you begin putting together ideas generated from the extensive list. When you start pulling items from the master list, that might create more food for thought. Sometimes you get to a place you had no idea would happen, and the most critical and cynical minds can be part of the process. I still use these techniques twenty years later and still own the course literature.

When it comes to sports, the teams that have the most considerable amount of success are the ones who try to break conventional thinking or do things others are not. They look for even the subtlest strategies which look different and give them the slightest advantages. The coaches and players who can think outside of the traditional box of ideas can often find success. For instance, there was a time in the NFL when the "Read Option" was the biggest headache for a defense to figure out. The Read Option is an offensive formation where the quarterback would hold the ball just long enough to either run, pass, or handoff based upon the defense's positioning. It took almost a whole football season before defensive strategies were invented to combat this alignment. This is only one example of the many ideas that come and go in sports strategy.

Thinking outside the box and using unconventional methods will bring plenty of judgment and sometimes make you second guess yourself. The absolute truth is a part of the criticism that is warranted and valuable, but nothing ever evolves without free-thinking and innovation. When your mind gets stuck in the rut of routine and boredom, perform a brainstorm. Look it up on the internet or take a class and learn how to generate new ideas and solutions. The path to solutions is a lot easier when you are choosing from a multitude of possibilities. As the R&B band En Vogue sang, "free your mind, and the rest will follow."

Stallone Lands a Knockout with Creed

January 16, 2016

I finally caught the new Rocky saga, titled Creed, and I must say, I was pleasantly surprised. I am not a Rocky aficionado but have seen most of the installments, and I think this one stands up to be the best film since the original. I am sure that all of the Rocky experts have their personal favorite, but I hear from some of these folks that this one is right up there with the best.

As I watched, I kept waiting to get to the part of the movie where the film turns into a typical formula, a syrupy and sentimental homage to the Rocky brand. In Creed, the writing by Aaron Covington and directing by Ryan Coogler kept the bar set high for a more gritty and engaging film. The film delivers the goods in action, with the boxing cinematography honed to perfection with cringing and powerful punching shots that look incredibly real.

The story begins with the young Adonis Johnson, the illegitimate son of Apollo Creed, as a troubled youth in a Los Angeles juvenile detention center. Adonis has a problem with anger which manifests into fighting his fellow inmates. While incarcerated, he gets a visit from his mother, who wants him to live with her. The film jumps to years later, and Adonis is boxing in a rowdy Tijuana bar/boxing ring where he unloads a blur of punches to knock out his opponent within seconds. The film quickly shifts to Adonis as a financial analyst working a desk job. This career was undoubtedly not appeasing him, so he quits to give it his all to become a boxer. He gets rebuffed by the staff and humiliated at the gym where his father once trained. Adonis contemplates and decides to move to Philly and look up Rocky to become his trainer.

In Philly, we find the widowed Rocky shuffling around in his restaurant, which adorns his wife's name. Stallone has gracefully and realistically aged Rocky into a senior citizen content in his old man ways. Adonis finds him and asks for his training services. Rocky wants nothing to do with this kid and especially nothing to do with boxing. Adonis lands a cheap apartment and begins training on his own while stubbornly pursuing Rocky to train him. After relenting, Rocky comes to the gym for the first time in years and starts showing the kid the ropes.

Not to completely abandon the Rocky and Hollywood formula, Adonis meets a girl that inspires. She is a talented singer but also has a personal crisis of impending hearing loss that she must contend with. The underlying issue with Adonis is excepting that he is Apollo Creeds' son and that people are going to judge him because of that. He is constantly hiding the secret, so it's not used as a stigma against him.

I am not going to spoil any more of the plot, not because not of some big surprise ending but for the fact that the script is good enough to stand on its own. The acting is outstanding, which is not always easy to pull off in a Rocky film. Stallone might be hearing some Oscar talk as well as Michael B. Jordon as Creed, who will be well on his way to a successful acting career. I also enjoyed the way the film went into the backstreets of Philly and gives us a look into the world of boxing gyms. Lastly, the film felt very urban and current while still being heroic and a movie for most ages.

2015 the Year in Sports, Not Really

December 31, 2015

Every year there is a rundown of the big sports stories of the year, and so be it, champs were crowned, and outstanding achievements happened. Sometimes the biggest story of the year is not the down-trodden team that finally won, but a story that is much more personal. This is why we watch and participate in our beloved sports, we feel it in our body and soul, and it drives us crazy sometimes.

Sure, the Kansas City Royals, the Golden State Warriors, the New England Patriots, the US Woman's soccer team, Serena Williams, Jeff Gordon, the Chicago Blackhawks, and a horse named American Pharaoh were great stories. Still, so was your kid's home run in Little League that won the championship. We invest so much time watching and attending sporting events that we also must notice our own achievements. Did you win the club championship in tennis?  Did your team win the bowling championship for the second time in a row?

When you see all of the bad behavior, money-grubbing, and celebrity worshiping involved in professional sports, you are finding more and more people being turned off. Paying hundreds of dollars to see these events doesn't help the cause for the fans. Maybe it's time in 2016 to make your own sporting moment and become your highlight reel. If that's not for you, help out with your kid's soccer team or support a local one.

Personally, when I heard Meadowlark Lemon died on December 27th, it made me sad because I know what he stood for. He was my first basketball hero, long before Jordan, James, Bird, Johnson, etc. He made basketball fun, and he also was a darn good player as well. You don't see a lot of that in sports these days because it seems to be a lot of serious business. The Harlem Globetrotters have been around what seems forever, and it will be Meadowlark Lemon who will always be the most famous and beloved player to be associated with the team. Salute Meadowlark Lemon, and have a great sporting 2016!

The Angry Athlete

December 28, 2015

 You can watch any sporting event on the tube and notice a particular player who is slightly different from the others. I am not specifically talking about the star athlete. It could be the guy who appears to have their motor running at a frantic speed, the player that looks disjointed, angry, and relentless and looks like a loose cannon. I'll be watching a football game and wonder why a guy on one team seems to be adding extra zealous physical maneuvers on another player when the play doesn't call for it. Why is he playing like his pants are on fire? What is driving this nutbag? Is he trying to rack up penalty yards, or is he one of those players making a statement?

Most of us have seen this person on the court, field, diamond, rink, and playground. I remember the boy that threw the dodge ball harder and sometimes aimed to malign and hurt the other kids. Was he just a bully with social issues? Or maybe he was a kid with superior strength that didn't possess the common sense yet to control his emotions? As you play more team sports and even one on one sports, you will come across these athletes bringing their personalities and emotions to the game, and as a teammate or opponent, you better know how to deal with these people.

While playing in a church league softball game, I witnessed an over-emotional player meltdown in front of everybody on the diamond and stands. He was the opponent's best guy, and he was very vocal as a player. This being a church league where such behavior is supposed to be held in check as we play with glory. As we call it, his competitive fire pushed the awful moment to a limit because our team was winning, and he couldn't will his guys to victory. He got told to leave the game, but not before he cursed us all and had to be restrained. I saw him a year later, and he was allowed to play again, but not before he apologized to everybody. He turned out to be so embarrassed by his behavior that we became a new person, the person he wanted to be.

Many of the top athletes in any sports are the stoic and cool cucumber type who have mastered their emotions and manifest their internal engine into better performance. Of course, this is not going to be everybody, but somewhere down the line, every great athlete knows when to turn down the emotion and up the focus. Their focus and attention to detail are what will separate them from the competition. You also will not see an overtly emotional player who is performing in a groove or mental zone. When playing in higher consciousness, thinking and reacting are not part of your reactions, and you are at your peak.

When you come across the manic player on the field, you can torment them more or use their demons against them. They will either foul you or do something detrimental to their teams' performance. You can try a martial art approach of letting them over use their energy to make forced mistakes. In hockey, each team has its enforcer whose main job is to neutralize another team's emotional fortitude. In baseball, some pitchers will throw inside pitches to intimidate another player who is deemed a "bad guy." Lastly, the teammates who can find ways to gain emotional and physical superiority usually win, and sometimes it isn't clean and pretty. Not all emotion is useless and can motivate teams and players, but it is not considered a long-term playing strategy. Sooner or later, the cooler heads will prevail.

The Joy of Christmas and our Toys

December 24, 2015

Most of us can remember a gift we got as a kid during the holidays, and there are those you don't want to. The first two that remain vivid in my mind are the games "Rock Em Sock Em Robots" and Electric Football. I recall these gifts because of the images of my family and the stories that involve these items.

The Rock Em Sock Em Robots, a toy I desperately wanted, appeared under the tree Christmas morning. I couldn't believe my eyes. This particular toy got television airplay with the most obnoxious commercial, which aired during kid programs. RESE Robots were plastic molded and included a boxing ring with robots who threw punches based on your ability to push the buttons on a control handle. Of course, this was a controller without electricity or battery power, and you needed to provide the movement with your hands and thumbs. If you delivered the right punch to the other robot's jaw, his head would pop up with a buzzing noise. This is the extent of the game. You and another kid would try to shuffle your robot around to get in the knockout.

This toy provided hours of fun, soar thumbs, and mayhem. What kind of mayhem? The older kids around the house and neighborhood took liberty over my game. Even though these boys were well past the recommended ages listed on the box, they got fixated on playing with this thing with intensity and enthusiasm, unlike any of their own games. The makers of this toy were on to something, a taste of violence absorbed into children's toys. I think my parents thought of the Robots as a sports-related game that the whole family would enjoy. How the times felt innocent and free from political correctness.

The other toy, "Electric Football," which my brother and I shared, had to be the most illogical game ever invented. How this thing would ever represent football baffles me. It was essentially a flat piece of green painted metal representing the field, which included some vibrating mechanism underneath, making the plastic players move around. If you turned the knob on the device, the intensity of the vibration increased; therefore, the men would scurry around more. You couldn't control which direction the men would go making it so unreal. It should not have been called Electric Football. We spent hours playing this frustrating game, but somehow it lasted long enough on the market to warrant new and improved versions.

My parents, bless their soul, they meant well and tried to buy us toys and games considered fun and everybody wanted to play. I laugh at how these types of sports-related toys have morphed into video games that require little imagination. This is one thing I believe separates these generations of toys. But then again, videos take less room in the landfill when they get tossed away. I look on the internet for my old toys, and I laugh to see how well they are documented in halls of pop culture history. Damn, I remember those times with fondness. Happy Holidays!

Conor McGregor, the Unstoppable Force

December 17, 2015

Beyond the brash showmanship lies a young man punching and kicking his way to the UFC Feather Weight Championship. The much-anticipated championship fight on December 15th against Jose’Aldo was done in a 13 second flurry, the fastest championship knockout in UFC history. Aldo attacked first and landed one punch, but McGregor countered with a hard right that connected and floored Aldo. McGregor pounced and finished with a couple of hammer blows. Unsurprisingly, that is the style that McGregor uses, fast and furious but with precision hits. There is no wasted energy, dancing and prancing, and long grind out floor work. He gets the job done as quickly as he can.

The biggest weapon in his arsenal is his solid and quick straight left hand that is like an air hammer. If he doesn't smack you with that knuckle sandwich, there is a good chance he will land a kick upside your noggin with a wheel kick. The record shows it, 19 -2 spanning UFC and CWFC (Cage Warriors Fighting Championship) with 17 knockouts.

McGregor is just peaking as a fighter and will most definitely be in the mix for a few years or as long as he can keep healthy. Now that he is on top, everybody will want a piece of him and shut him up. No doubt he talks a big game, and that is part of the scene when you sign on to fight him, but you better have a good plan to beat him. You will sustain blows, and if you fend off most of them, you might have an opportunity to grapple if that is your game.

McGregor is the biggest show in town for UFC, taking that mantle away from Ronda Rousey, who is still smarting from her loss to Holm. The challenge now is to find worthy opponents who will keep the train moving forward.  The world is in the palm of his hand now, and it's exciting for UFC to have another big-time celebrity in their fold. I don't know what motivates him now, there will be bigger paychecks, or maybe he wants to build more of the legend and the brand. Whatever he does, he’s got the mojo going forward. Cheers to Conor McGregor!

Taking on the Eiger

December 14, 2015

 If you missed the segment that aired on 60 minutes on November 30th, please do try if you want to view extreme sports on steroids. I heard about "the Eiger" as the backdrop for the 70s film with Clint Eastwood, "The Eiger Sanction." As entertaining as that movie was, extreme athlete JT Holme's descent down the Eiger is nothing short of harrowing. The mountain is one of the largest in the Bernese Alps, located in Switzerland. The Eiger is called one of the excellent climbing destinations in the world and is famous for extreme skiing.

The northern side is famous for its sheer face and its ascents which is considered a high achievement. Even though it is conquerable, dangerous situations are ever-present due to falling rocks and ice, especially considering sixty-four climbers have died since 1935. As far as extreme skiing, helicopters drop off brave souls on the glacier side. The skiing is considered very difficult, but the skiers will be rewarded with an abundance of virgin snow.

Who is JT Holmes? He is an American athlete who loves the three sports he utilized on his descent down the Eiger. Holmes as a skier, has gone down some of the most dangerous runs in the world. He is also an avid base jumper and wingsuit enthusiast. He is well-known in the world of extreme sports and had been working on the Eiger attempt for years.

As part of his trek down the mountain, the first thing was to be dropped off by a helicopter on the summit, which is the size of four ping pong tables. As his team prepared his equipment, there is the lurking threat of falling due to unstable footing and high winds. Holmes goes for a run with a now or never attitude and skis down the first section of the mountain with a speed wing (part parachute, part glider) attached to his body. The wing allows him to get lift above the rocky terrain on the first part of the descent. The ride looks more manageable than it appears as he smoothly glides and skis down steep slopes.

When he reaches that part of the mountain where a significant snowpack lies, he releases the wing. He is now screaming downward, which looks incredibly scary. His cameraman and a helicopter caught the thrilling descent, but it gets more unbelievable. Holmes skis off the edge of a cliff face into a full-fledged freefall. He must release his skis during this fall and use his special suit to move away from the cliff sides. This is the most dangerous point in the run where he is falling over 120 miles an hour. When the skis are released, Holmes finds the moment where he pulls the parachute to create his landing.

He is so stoked by the ride and overcome with joy for his long-time dream to come true. More remarkable, he decides to give it another try. On his second run, a nerve-wracking moment presented itself when Holmes couldn't release one of the skis, which could have been his inevitable death. He got the lock released, and he escaped the danger, but it still makes you shake your head at the insanity of this ride.

There have been some fantastic stunts and athletic feats performed by daredevils, but only they will justify it and stand by their convictions. Plenty of deaths and heartbreak are associated with these endeavors. The only thing we can do is hope they are fortunate. When I was a kid, we had Evel Knievel to marvel at, and he too was successful more times than not, but he lived to see another day if he didn't finish the jump. These guys and gals are either adrenaline junkies or adrenaline enthusiasts and have to decide someday if this is all worth the risk. There will always be the chance that some accident will happen if they want to keep doing these death-defying stunts. Hopefully, most will realize when the dangers exceed the reward. Technology allows men and women to do everything to defy gravity, and I don't know what is left on earth to tackle. I am not sure I am ready to watch somebody shot out of a cannon across the Grand Canyon just yet.