Archive for July, 2009

The Best Rivalry

By | July 10, 2009 | Baseball, Talking Trash | 3 Comments

Spare me your Yankees vs. Red Sox.

Give me a break about the Giants and Dodgers.

And don’t even approach me about inter-city rivalries.

The best rivalry in baseball is, forever has been, and will forever be, Cardinals vs. Cubs.

Separated by less than 300 miles of Interstate 55, the two Midwestern cities host teams which have met over two thousand times since their first matchup WAY back in 1885. Yes, the Cubs may own a 1,146 to 1,078 record against the Cardinals, however the Redbirds have won eight more World Series championships than the Cubs have or every will for that matter.cardscubsfirstplace

It’s true that in recent years the Cubs have tried, and failed, to shed the “Lovable Loser” moniker that’s followed them for so many years.

Last year they compiled an impressive 97-64 before being swept in three games by the LA Dodgers.

The year before that the Cubs were swept by the Arizona Diamondbacks… again , a sweeping that I thoroughly enjoyed.

On the other hand is my team the Cardinals… aka the 2006 World Series Champion Cardinals who are looking to come back from a painful season in which they finished 11 ½ games behind their archrival despite winning 86 games.

So as a lifelong Cardinals fan, I’m also a lifelong Cubs hater.

This weekend, the two teams square off for a 4-game series that sees the Cardinals in First place, 2 games ahead of the Milwaukee Brewers and 3 ½ games ahead of the Cubs.

Sure, I’ll root for the Cubs if they’re playing the Yankees or Red Sox, but otherwise I want the Cubs to lose. Badly. So badly in fact that I want their ancestors to feel the sting of losing.

In short, I hate the Cubs… I really do.

But lately, something has been happening… and it’s damndest thing is.

It’s getting hard, at times, to hate the Cubs.

What’s worse is that a majority of Cubs fans are ok people… not like Yankees/Red Sox where every other fan is a jackass begging for a smack upside the head or Giants/Dodgers where people actually, you know, get physically assaulted.

Now don’t let this fool you, I still hate the Cubs with the passion of a billion burning suns.

I hate when the Cardinals lose to the Cubs.

I hate seeing so much blue at home Cardinals games when the teams meet.

If I, or anyone in my immediate family for that matter, had been alive the last time the Cubs won the World Series (waaaaaaaayyy back in 1908), I would have hated that.

If they ever, in my lifetime, win a World Series I would hate that (though that doesn’t really seem like an issue with each passing year, does it?).

I loved when the Cardinals traded for Mark DeRosa weeks ago, a move that was bemoaned not only by Cubs fans, but by Cubs players as well.

So yes, I <b>do</b> hate the Cubs… but not *as much* as the Yankees, Red Sox and, more recently, the Brewers (<i>a hatred exacerbated by their ridiculous attempts to look like ‘everyday’ people  by un-tucking their jerseys after each game</i>)

But as I said, at times it’s hard to hate the Cubs. They have a rich, if fruitless, history, a great ballpark (save for the chances of being hit by falling concrete), and an excellent fan base (save for the few schmucks that you’ll find at <i>any</i> baseball game).

Every Cardinal/Cub game I’ve ever been to has seen the fans sitting side by side, laughing, ribbing each other and buying each other beers.

Could you see that happening in New York or Boston?

So embrace the best rivalry in baseball this weekend as two games, Saturday’s afternoon tilt on Fox and Sunday’s night cap on ESPN. Not only will you see the best rivalry in sports, but you’ll also see the best player in baseball play for one of the best managers in baseball in one of the best stadiums in baseball.

It’s not a game, it’s history.

Sometimes They Come Back

By | July 9, 2009 | Football | 4 Comments

You know how in horror movies you think the killer is dead, but he keeps showing up in sequels?

It is kind of like that with Brett Favre, isn’t it?

Favre is back.

The Vikings are still looking at Favre.

*Sarah weeps*

I Don’t Mean to Be a Dick…

By | July 8, 2009 | Football | Comments Off

Picture 3I don’t mean to be a dick but I thought the murder of Steve McNair was much more tragic before I found out he was the father of four and married to someone who wasn’t his girlfriend.

Didn’t he see Fatal Attraction?

Now I just feel bad for his family.

Why do famous people always let us down as human beings?

Hot Chicks in Centre Court with a side of Racism. Wimbledon, I am so Disappointed.

By | July 6, 2009 | Tennis | 1 Comment

Beauty before talent. That is such an ugly phrase. I think everyone knows that it works that way in Middle School; it should not work that way at Wimbledon.

Yet it does.

Beauty of a player is among the things taken into consideration when deciding on the court selection at Wimbledon and it has been confirmed by All England Club spokesperson Johnny Perkins.

“Good looks are a factor,” said Perkins, and added
that court selection is “a great big mixture of where the players are
in the draw, who they’re playing, what their ranking is”.

- Women’s Tennis Blog

Wimbledon of all places! Of all tournaments! Wimbledon who has equal payouts for male and female champions. Tennis, of all sports… women’s tennis, who celebrated Billie Jean King for being able to beat Bobby Riggs because he was a man not because of her short skirts or her breasts or because she grunted like a porn star when she was playing a tennis match.

I am outraged. I know I should just let it go. The Wimbledon committee is probably going for television ratings and advertising revenue. I understand business, I understand that women’s tennis isn’t necessarily what people all over the world are choosing to watch this weekend.

Wimbledon promoters called it “The Battle of the Babes” when Victoria Azarenka, seeded 8th in the tournament, took on Cristea, seeded 28th, at Centre Court on Friday. The same day, second seed Serena Williams, undoubtedly one of the great players the sport has ever seen, was relegated to play her match on the No. 2 court.

The American superstar got lost on her way to the court and was 6 minutes late for her match.

Many
of the seats on Centre Court for the “Babe” match remained empty.
Die-hard tennis fans who came to the event seemed to know better -
which indicated the move had more to do with television ratings.

- Kate Nocera, New York Daily News

Maybe I am just shocked that they admitted it. Diane at Women Who Serve wasn’t surprised at all. She says:

Some of you may have seen the Daily Mail feature, “Babe, set and match: Why looks count for more than talent when Wimbledon decides which girls will play on Centre Court.”
The title of the story itself is sexist, since the majority of the
players are women, but one would not expect the British press to care
about that. It surprises me a bit that this story has gotten so much
attention…

Before I sat down to write this post I was talking to my mother-in-law about it. She was surprised, but then she brought up how beautiful and athletic the William’s sisters were.  I said “Yes, and they are also relegated to the second court because they aren’t blonde haired and blue eyed.”maria-sharapova-wimbledon

So here are two beautiful superstars. Venus and Serena Williams faced each other last year in the Wimbledon finals and they will do so again. Yet Serena’s match took a back seat to “The Battle of the Babes”. And why?

Megan has a guess.

This is wrong it so many ways, where do I start?  First of all, that
definition of attractiveness is the white, male All England Club’s
definition.  Venus and Serena Williams are some of the most gorgeous
ladies out on the court.  But see, this is about being blonde and
leggy.  If you’re not blonde and leggy, you’re not attractive.  Never
have been, never will be….

- Megan’s Minute

and so does Diane.

In other words, it came as no surprise to me at all to read about the
Centre Court selections; I find this news to be part and parcel of the
sexist culture of my nation and other nations that produce tennis
players, as well as the sexist culture of sports in general. As ugly as
the sexism is, however, there is more than sexism in play in these
selections. The “babes” selected to play on Centre Court–except in
situations in which the selections are default–like the “babes”
selected as the tour’s hottest women on the Australian Open website,
have one thing in common–their skin color. Serena Williams is not a
babe. Li Na is not a babe. There are a lot of people, incidentally, who
think these two women are beautiful, but they do not qualify for “babe”
status. And while I realize that consideration of beauty is very
subjective, it is hardly a coincidence that African American and Asian
women do not ever appear on the list. The world’s most beautiful
lesbian could be on the tour, too, and–if she were out–you can be
assured she would not be on the list, either.

- Sexism at Wimbledon – Not so Shocking

I agree with them.

It makes me sad. It makes me sick. Fortunately, for Wimbledon and for the WTA no matter who they put in the spotlight, the cream still rises and I will still be watching the Williams sisters battle it out. Even if the Wimbledon Committee would rather see Gisela Dulko play against Victoria Azarenka I can’t wait to see Venus and Serena again. They are the best and that is why I will be tuning in to the finals.

Originally posted by Sarah on BlogHer.com 7/3/09

unabashed tourist

By | July 5, 2009 | Cycling | 4 Comments
I love the Tour de France. I watch Tour coverage every day, and usually find it impossible not to check the Tour website during the day, when I should really wait to be surprised during the primetime TV coverage.
To all the people who tell me the doping has turned them off cycling I say, “pfffft.” Yeah, it’s important, but doped or not, watching these guys flying through a time trial or in agony on Alpe d’Huez is still incredible. I am confident those who dope will pay the price eventually, one way or another. After following a few riders on Twitter for the past few months, it seems the drug tests are frequent and relentless. I can live with that.
Fantasy footballers might enjoy the Versus Fantasy Cycling Challenge. It’s pretty simple. Choose a team of riders, starters and bench, staying within a “budget” of $500. The first four stages are practice and you can change your roster at will. After that, it all counts. I missed that important detail last year and still finished in the top 4000 or so, and even beat at least one of the Versus crew.

I may not be a fan of summer but I love the Tour de France. It got underway yesterday and makes July tolerable. I watch every stage, usually finding it impossible not to check the Tour website during the day. I should really wait to be surprised during the prime time TV coverage but I can’t do it.

When I started watching the Tour many years ago I was oblivious to the unsavory side of bike racing. It has become impossible to remain under that particular rock, but to all the people who tell me doping has turned them off cycling I say, “pfffft.” Yeah, it’s important, no doubt about it, but watching these guys flying through a time trial or pedaling in agony on Alpe d’Huez is still amazing. That they do it day after day for three weeks is incredible. After following a few riders on Twitter for the past few months, it seems the drug tests are frequent and relentless. I am confident those who are doping will pay the price, one way or another.

Fantasy fans may enjoy the Versus Fantasy Cycling Challenge. It’s pretty simple. Pretend you are Johan Bruyneel and assemble a team of riders, starters and bench, staying within a “budget” of $500. The first four stages are practice, meaning you can change your roster at will. Beginning with stage 5 it all counts. I missed that important detail last year and still finished in the top 4000 or so, and even beat at least one of the Versus crew. If you decide to give it a try be sure to join the DraftDaySuit league and see just how well you kicked my butt.

If you want another way to participate in the Tour from the comfort of your recliner, check out Chalkbot. In a nutshell, Chalkbot will write your 40 character message on the road during a stage of the Tour. How cool is that?

So you know where I’ll be just about every night this month, glued to the Tour. My inner twelve year old boy loves to hear the commentators say “Liquigas”.

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