Damn this work schedule, keeping me from commenting on inanities as I love to do so much.
A quick observation:
Of the many things being said about A-Rod opting out of his contract, one of the dumbest came from the crew of Baseball Tonight, suggesting that A-Rod's "playoff failures" should scare away potential suitors.
A-Rod's postseason OPS: .844
Jeter's postseason OPS: .846.
That .002 is the difference between the heart of a champion and hideous failure, I tell you.
Showing posts with label Rants. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Rants. Show all posts
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
Thursday, October 11, 2007
I Give Up
My team will never be great as long as Chan Gailey is the head coach. Too often in his stay on the Flats I have been tricked into thinking that we have a chance at greatness. Every time I'm disappointed. I planned on writing a longer post about how Gailey is 0-6 against UGA, or that after starting 9-2 last year, we lost our final three games by a combined total of nine points. Or that this year, with what looked like our best team overall since the Joe Hamilton era, we've started 0-3 in a crappy ACC with losses to Virginia and Maryland. But I'm not. We are probably going to beat Miami this week. And possibly Virginia Tech as well (VT always stumbles late in the season). But we'll lose to Georgia and lose in that pointless bowl game in Boise to Hawaii. So all I'll say is Go Jackets and to hell with Georgia.
Ok. I lied when I said this would be short and sweet. Why shouldn't we expect greatness from our football team. We've won a National Title more recently than UGA. But do you think that Mark Richt would be around if he had lost six straight to his biggest rival. Gailey supporters always bring up the fact that we have gone to five straight bowl games since he became coach. So what. Every one of those bowl games were meaningless. The Gator Bowl was the best bowl game we've gone to and that is the bowl game UGA goes to when they have bad years (or it's SEC non-union equivalent). We've gone to one ACC championship game and we lost 9-6 to Wake Forest. And Chan. I'm sick of the terrible offensive play calling. You had the best player in the country last year in Calvin Johnson and you did nothing with him. And this year is no different. You can't run the ball 40 times a game and expect to win against the big boys. We aren't Nebraska in 1995. Take a page from our defense and take some risks. Shotgun draw may be a way of life but it ain't mine.
Ok. I lied when I said this would be short and sweet. Why shouldn't we expect greatness from our football team. We've won a National Title more recently than UGA. But do you think that Mark Richt would be around if he had lost six straight to his biggest rival. Gailey supporters always bring up the fact that we have gone to five straight bowl games since he became coach. So what. Every one of those bowl games were meaningless. The Gator Bowl was the best bowl game we've gone to and that is the bowl game UGA goes to when they have bad years (or it's SEC non-union equivalent). We've gone to one ACC championship game and we lost 9-6 to Wake Forest. And Chan. I'm sick of the terrible offensive play calling. You had the best player in the country last year in Calvin Johnson and you did nothing with him. And this year is no different. You can't run the ball 40 times a game and expect to win against the big boys. We aren't Nebraska in 1995. Take a page from our defense and take some risks. Shotgun draw may be a way of life but it ain't mine.
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
On fandom
The Neil Peart article has seemed to draw a fair amount of response. And many folks seemed eager to weigh in on which artists' fans annoy them. Reading Neil Peart's comment section has made me ponder the nature of fandom and why certain artists' fans might seem annoying. And one of the best reasons I have come up with is that all fans, on a certain level, are annoying.
I realize that this is an extremely broad statement. And potentially off-putting, as everyone is a fan of something. I am a fan of the Atlanta Braves, the Georgia Bulldogs, Neil Young and Crazy Horse, and milkshakes, just to name a few. Every person reading this is a fan of some sports team, some recording artist, some television program, some thing.
But, having copped to fandom myself and acknowledged that it is universal, I think that there are enough annoying fans of all stripes out there that we should consider the nature of fandom- and why I believe that the entire concept of fandom breeds annoying people.
For starters, consider the origins of the word. The word "fan" is derived from "fanatic." And in common usage, the word fanatic is rarely ever used as a compliment. Its synonyms, as listed on dictionary.com, include zealot, bigot, hothead, and militant. Not terms one would want to self-apply.
We must also consider the traits encompassed by fanaticism. Fanaticism is a completely irrational state. A fanatic is completely unreceptive to criticism or counterarguments. As Winston Churchill put it, "A fanatic is one who can't change his mind and won't change the subject."
These "fanatic" traits are present among fans of sports teams. A football team's roster can be (and often is) comprised entirely of deplorable human beings, but its fans will still cheer for them on Saturdays. Consider the Georgia fans who spent this off-season cracking jokes on talk radio about Florida's team discipline problems; these yahoos seemed to have conveniently forgotten about all of the guys in red and black who themselves were recently given the opportunity to check out the back of a police car. Similarly, it doesn't matter to Patriots' fans that their team was recently caught in a cheating scandal; they still root for victories and angrily dismiss those who dwell on the whole imbroglio. And remember, there are people who still cheer for Barry Bonds.
Sadly, these "fanatic" traits are definitely present among supporters of political parties. In this country, we seem to have reached a point where people "cheer" for their political party, regardless of whether or not the party has earned their cheers. I know plenty of people who seem to root for certain outcomes in political races with no regard for the issues, in the exact same way they would hope that the Cowboys will beat the Redskins on Monday night. It doesn't matter to these people whether their political party "deserves" to win, or whether their political party has talent or a good game plan. The political party is their team. And you always hope your team beats the snot out of the other guy.
And finally, these "fanatic" traits are also present among people who are fans of particular recording artists or musical genres. Whenever you reach a state of extreme and irrational support for a musician, you lose the ability to differentiate between the good from the bad, the worthwhile from the insignificant, the real from the fake. And what's more, you become "annoying."
In other words, to analyze an example from my colleague's recent post, Doors fans may be annoying. But not because there is something inherently wrong with them or the music they are fans of. Rather, I believe Doors fans seem annoying because they irrationally support Jim Morrison, even though I believe that his artistic output does not warrant the level of hero-worship he is given. (This seemed to be a common thread of the comments section- the fans generally identified as the most annoying were fans of artists who received more support or acclaim than they "deserve.")
In the same way, fans of anything can be annoying, when their support becomes irrational, exclusionary, and obsessively zealous.
Especially when the fans in question root for the Yankees.
I realize that this is an extremely broad statement. And potentially off-putting, as everyone is a fan of something. I am a fan of the Atlanta Braves, the Georgia Bulldogs, Neil Young and Crazy Horse, and milkshakes, just to name a few. Every person reading this is a fan of some sports team, some recording artist, some television program, some thing.
But, having copped to fandom myself and acknowledged that it is universal, I think that there are enough annoying fans of all stripes out there that we should consider the nature of fandom- and why I believe that the entire concept of fandom breeds annoying people.
For starters, consider the origins of the word. The word "fan" is derived from "fanatic." And in common usage, the word fanatic is rarely ever used as a compliment. Its synonyms, as listed on dictionary.com, include zealot, bigot, hothead, and militant. Not terms one would want to self-apply.
We must also consider the traits encompassed by fanaticism. Fanaticism is a completely irrational state. A fanatic is completely unreceptive to criticism or counterarguments. As Winston Churchill put it, "A fanatic is one who can't change his mind and won't change the subject."
These "fanatic" traits are present among fans of sports teams. A football team's roster can be (and often is) comprised entirely of deplorable human beings, but its fans will still cheer for them on Saturdays. Consider the Georgia fans who spent this off-season cracking jokes on talk radio about Florida's team discipline problems; these yahoos seemed to have conveniently forgotten about all of the guys in red and black who themselves were recently given the opportunity to check out the back of a police car. Similarly, it doesn't matter to Patriots' fans that their team was recently caught in a cheating scandal; they still root for victories and angrily dismiss those who dwell on the whole imbroglio. And remember, there are people who still cheer for Barry Bonds.
Sadly, these "fanatic" traits are definitely present among supporters of political parties. In this country, we seem to have reached a point where people "cheer" for their political party, regardless of whether or not the party has earned their cheers. I know plenty of people who seem to root for certain outcomes in political races with no regard for the issues, in the exact same way they would hope that the Cowboys will beat the Redskins on Monday night. It doesn't matter to these people whether their political party "deserves" to win, or whether their political party has talent or a good game plan. The political party is their team. And you always hope your team beats the snot out of the other guy.
And finally, these "fanatic" traits are also present among people who are fans of particular recording artists or musical genres. Whenever you reach a state of extreme and irrational support for a musician, you lose the ability to differentiate between the good from the bad, the worthwhile from the insignificant, the real from the fake. And what's more, you become "annoying."
In other words, to analyze an example from my colleague's recent post, Doors fans may be annoying. But not because there is something inherently wrong with them or the music they are fans of. Rather, I believe Doors fans seem annoying because they irrationally support Jim Morrison, even though I believe that his artistic output does not warrant the level of hero-worship he is given. (This seemed to be a common thread of the comments section- the fans generally identified as the most annoying were fans of artists who received more support or acclaim than they "deserve.")
In the same way, fans of anything can be annoying, when their support becomes irrational, exclusionary, and obsessively zealous.
Especially when the fans in question root for the Yankees.
Thursday, August 23, 2007
This is SportsCenter?
The good people at the Worldwide Leader can kiss my ass.
Perhaps worrying that they were losing in the stupid people demographic to The Best Damn Sports Show Period on Fox, ESPN has broken out some incredibly moronic programming for its centerpiece show.
The "Who's Now" tournament? Possibly the dumbest thing I have ever seen on television. Watching Keyshawn and Erin Andrews debate who has more "buzz," LeBron James or Shaquille O'Neal was excruciating.
The segment where Reese Davis, Mark May, and Lou Holtz (bravely battling what I assume to be a case of dementia) debate what will happen in specific college football games in November? Completely freaking retarded. Although I am glad to know that Rutgers will finally claw their way back into the top 10 on November 2. Great analysis, guys.
With football season just around the corner, you just know they are going to dust off that gem where CFL legend Sean Salisbury and the guy who looks like Mike Oldham pretend to argue about the NFL.
And is it just me, or are the Little League highlights getting out of hand? I feel like these 12 year olds get more coverage than actual Major League Baseball sometimes. And I am sure that has nothing to do with the fact that ESPN and ABC broadcast the LLWS games. Pure coincidence.
I would rather watch a Jeremy Schaap puff piece about some crippled curler in Manitoba defying the odds to try out for the Olympic team than some of the things SportsCenter subjects me to now.
Perhaps worrying that they were losing in the stupid people demographic to The Best Damn Sports Show Period on Fox, ESPN has broken out some incredibly moronic programming for its centerpiece show.
The "Who's Now" tournament? Possibly the dumbest thing I have ever seen on television. Watching Keyshawn and Erin Andrews debate who has more "buzz," LeBron James or Shaquille O'Neal was excruciating.
The segment where Reese Davis, Mark May, and Lou Holtz (bravely battling what I assume to be a case of dementia) debate what will happen in specific college football games in November? Completely freaking retarded. Although I am glad to know that Rutgers will finally claw their way back into the top 10 on November 2. Great analysis, guys.
With football season just around the corner, you just know they are going to dust off that gem where CFL legend Sean Salisbury and the guy who looks like Mike Oldham pretend to argue about the NFL.
And is it just me, or are the Little League highlights getting out of hand? I feel like these 12 year olds get more coverage than actual Major League Baseball sometimes. And I am sure that has nothing to do with the fact that ESPN and ABC broadcast the LLWS games. Pure coincidence.
I would rather watch a Jeremy Schaap puff piece about some crippled curler in Manitoba defying the odds to try out for the Olympic team than some of the things SportsCenter subjects me to now.
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
Please
Stop making references to:
1. Caddyshack
2. Animal House
3. Fletch
The movies aren't as funny as you remember.
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