Archive for September, 2009

All’s Fair in Love and Sports

By | September 30, 2009 | Football, Hockey | Comments Off

This is not new news.  On Sunday, September 27, 2009, the Washington Redskins lost to the Detroit Lions.  It was a memorable game because the Lions broke their 19 game losing streak.  Really?  The Lions? The last time the Lions beat the Redskins was in 2000, and the Lions have never beaten the Redskins in Washington!

So it was a rather appropriate topic for The Husband and me to discuss last night when we were at Fedex Field (for the U2 concert—woo!).  In January 2000, we’d been at Fedex Field for the NFC Wildcard game, in which the Redskins beat the Lions 27-13.    We reminisced how The Husband, who was The Fiancé at the time, got into a heated shouting match with the sea of Washington fans around us.   I joked that if it had gone much further, The Fiancé would not have become The Husband today.  After the Redskins tied up the win and the verbal brawl was finished, I had to deal with bad-tempered Fiancé the rest of the weekend.  I vowed then that I would not to attend any live sporting events where we are cheering for opposing teams.

That decision didn’t last long.    The Husband and I have seen the Orioles play the Tigers multiple times at Camden Yards and at Comerica Park.   When the Caps host the Red Wings, we always make it a point to go.  I don’t know why we keep attending these events since I don’t really enjoy them.  I am on equally on edge about The Husband as I am about how my team will play.    Let’s just say The Husband can be a grouch when his team isn’t doing well, so I find myself torn between rooting heartily for my team, and wanting his team to do well so that he won’t be cantankerous all night.

At the last Caps v. Wings game, we attended in our dueling jerseys as usual.  The Russians in the row behind us gave us a questioning look, then proceeded to befriend me as they were clearly Ovechkin fans.  Those guys and I celebrated each Caps goal with high-fives and hugs.  I had a great time…The Husband, not so much.  He sat in his seat and sulked.  This past Sunday, it was The Husband who was elated because his team (finally) won.  I tried to be happy for him, but I just wish the Lions hadn’t broken their streak beating my Redskins.

Ten years of being together and we’re still figuring out how we can root for opposing teams without straining our relationship.  It’s probably a good thing that we don’t keep track of wins-losses for our teams.

How ‘Bout Them Bulls?

By | September 29, 2009 | Football, NCAA | Comments Off

I was sitting quietly working on a post this weekend when my husband called me from his office. “Holy Shit! Are you watching this game? USF is beating FSU?”

My husband went to the University of South Florida and he had the game live streaming on the internet. He asked me to record the game so he could watch it when he got home and I am so glad he did or I would have missed history being made.

This kid named B.J. Daniels – a freshman – got thrown into starting his first college game during a nationally televised game when the starting quarterback, Matt Grothe, got hurt last weekend. Daniels grew up in Tallahassee and wanted to play for Florida State. When he couldn’t get on the team there he ended up in Tampa at South Florida. A lot of Bulls fans kind of wrote off this season when Grothe tore the ACL in his left knee, and the Seminoles have been a powerhouse in Florida football for as long as I can remember.

18th ranked FSU was favored by 14 points, but they were never in the lead. In fact, at the end of the third quarter the score was 14 – 0 with the USF Bulls winning. South Florida was able to keep FSU scoreless until the fourth quarter and they ended up winning the game 17 – 7 with me jumping up and down and screaming and generally traumatizing my cats.

Here is the craziest part – this wasn’t even the biggest upset of the weekend. Four of the top 10 ranked teams in NCAA football lost their games. Unranked South Carolina beat fourth ranked Ole Miss, (#5) Penn State lost to Iowa, (#11) Virginia Tech beat (#9) Miami and the craziest of them all was (#3) California losing 42 – 6 to Oregon.

Cal dropped from #3 to #24 on the AP Poll. I can’t even imagine what the BCS is going to look like tomorrow.

Don’t even get me started on the NFL.

I’m not sure I am going to make it through the football season with my voice intact if I scream this much every weekend.

usf_logo_bulls_green

Originally written for and posted on BlogHer.com (with some changes for Draft Day Suit)

Don’t Forget Tonight!

By | September 28, 2009 | Fantasy Sports | Comments Off

The most important night of your entire life…or something close, at least.

Still need a few more people to sign up for the DDS Fantasy Hockey league.  If we don’t have all teams claimed by about 8pm ET, they will dump our draft, and you don’t want that kind of blood on your hands, do you?

By the way, it’s free.  While I love winning money, I hate losing money more and my chances of winning are incredibly slim.   Hence, free.  And why you really only get to win bragging rights during the off-season and a nice facsimile of the real Stanley Cup.

If you’re not already a fantasy sports user on ESPN, just register.   It’s free and it’s easy.

Unfortunately, if we’re still short a few teams later today, I will have to open this up to the actual public, and I can’t be sure that we will still have cool people joining the league if that happens.

So there, enough guilt for ya?

Draft Day Suit Fantasy Hockey
Link: http://games.espn.go.com/fhl/tools/join?leagueId=21087
Password: crosbyisatool (as a Caps fan, I’m legally obligated to hassle the Pens)
Type: Live Draft
Date: Mon., Sep. 28, 2009
Time: 9:30 PM ET

Look Who’s Whining Now

By | September 25, 2009 | Football, Unsportmanlike Conduct | 3 Comments

Again with the holdouts.

After 58 days, Michael Crabtree still hasn’t signed with the 49ers. It’s a shame, but rather than being sad I’m angry.

I’m angry at an industry that produces a bunch of millionaire whiners, who think that their presence will make ‘next season.’ I’m angry at the owners who bow to this kind of pressure. I’m angry at the culture that says it’s OK to (figuratively) stomp your feet to get what you want.

Being physically gifted enough to play in a professional sports league is that-a GIFT. Being able to make millions at it is a GIFT. The only difference between $20 million  and $30 million is bragging rights on a rookie contract. And, since the season has already started and the 49ers are off to a 2-0 start the team might just be proving that they can do it without him.

While I understand the phenomenon of the Farve jersey, I just don’t agree with it. Especially when you are a rookie and haven’t proven squat yet. If you want to play in the NFL your college record means nothing until you have NFL stats . Who remembers David Greene? He was a standout at Georgia, and by all accounts should have had a great NFL career, but has bupkus to show for it and is now selling insurance.

A word to the wise draftee: Get out there, be thankful that you were drafted, and if you make a name for yourself, then go ahead, fight for more money in the next contract. In the meantime? Quit acting like a crybaby and go play some football. Isn’t that what you do best?

Steve McNair’s Death Now Family Entertainment

By | September 25, 2009 | Football | 2 Comments

King’s Island, one of my favorite amusement parks in the whole world, apparently lost their mind when setting up their Halloween haunted attractionthis year and decided that the dead celebrities of the past year would make great ghouls for their spooky attraction. Dead Heath Ledger. Dead Farrah Fawcett.

Dead Farrah Strikes a Pose

Dead Farrah Strikes a Pose

Those two are fairly tasteless.

Oh, did I forget to mention the best one? DEAD Steve McNair. Yeah apparently they seated a skeleton in the pose McNair was found in, draped a skeleton over it wearing lingerie and tossed a gun on the floor.  Because other people’s tragedy is good family entertainment apparently.

Steve McNair and Mistress Skeletons

Steve McNair and Mistress Skeletons

There was an uproar, and apparently as of the 24th the “Dead Celebrities” are no longer being featured.  I’m filing this under “what were you thinking?” Not only do the recently deceased not make for good family times, the recently MURDERED are really not family fun.

King’s Island apologized publicly. But I certainly hope they apologized to the families. It was wildly disrespectful to all.

Blog Widget by LinkWithin
← Older Entries