Sunday, May 23, 2010

Cold Weather Super Bowl? Bring It On


Of the four major American sports, football is the only one without set weather conditions. In basketball and hockey, everyone is safe with a roof overhead and a thermostat set to perfect conditions. Major League Baseball is played predominantly during the spring and summer months and should there be rain, the game is postponed for a later date. This is not a knock on the other three sports leagues, it is a just a fact of how those games are played.

Football, however, is an entirely different animal. The game is played in 120 degree heat, negative 25 degree chills, rainstorms, snowstorms, and everything in between. In other words, nothing stops football or the National Football League from getting a game underway.

Since its inception in 1967, the Super Bowl has become a global event. It is the biggest sporting event in the United States of America, and Championship Sunday has become an unofficial holiday. As time has gone by, fans have been treated to forty four Super Bowls in forty four perfect climates. Should it be the beautiful southern California landscape of San Diego or the Superdome of New Orleans, the NFL has made it a goal to keep the players and fans from experiencing any sort of Mother Nature induced discomfort.

Super Bowl 48 needs a home and very soon the NFL will vote if the brand new New York football stadium is a worthy shelter. The biggest city in the world hosting the world's biggest game? Seems only logical. The only thing standing in the way is the threat of a little cold weather. Its time for the NFL to do the right thing and play the Super Bowl the way football is meant to be played...outside in the conditions.

The most noteworthy objection to this idea is that one team may have an advantage over the other. Heinz Field in Pittsburgh gets a hell of a lot colder then Raymond James Stadium in Tampa Bay. Seriously though, its not as if an NFL team is incapable of playing in cold weather. Every year, every NFL team is exposed to the elements on at least one occasion. The Dolphins play in New York, New England, and Buffalo. The Chargers play in Denver and Kansas City. The list goes on and on. Aren't we cutting these "Warm weather teams" short when we act as if playing in the cold will render them incapable of winning the game?

Football claims to be a tough, macho man sport. When thinking of the "Monsters of the Midway" or the "Steel Curtain", the thoughts of physical, outdoor football come to mind. Its not pretty but it is the heart of football. There is a reason dome teams are sometimes portrayed as "soft." Outdoor football is thought to be more physical while indoor football is thought to be more finesse. Its time the NFL allow their Hercules type athletes to play a championship game in a "Hell on earth" environment. Lets see which team can toughen it out in their quest for a title.

Some of the NFL's most memorable playoff games have taken place in winter wonderland conditions. The classic "Ice Bowl" of 1967, the "Tuck Rule Game" of 2002, and the "Ice Bowl 2" NFC Championship game of 2008 are all synonymous with cold weather. Not only are these game synonymous with the cold, they are thought to be some of the greatest postseason games in NFL history.

A cold weather Super Bowl is worth a try. A one year trial run in New York isn't going to cripple the NFL's popularity. People are still going to tune in and fans are still going to fill the seats. A bit of added intrigue in the form of cold temperatures could boost the ratings even more.

So listen up NFL, put away your beach chairs and sunglasses and lets get a Super Bowl in New York. Roger Goodell has made enough changes as it is already, one more won't hurt.

Wednesday, May 19, 2010

No Excuses for Hanley's Immaturity


The Florida Marlins are not on anyone's radar. They play in somebody elses stadium in somebody elses city. Though the team has won two World Series titles since 1993, they continue to struggle with maintaining any type of fan base or any type of national hype.

Hanley
Ramirez is the biggest star on the Florida Marlins. He is a 25 year old All Star Shortstop who recently signed a $70 million dollar contract. He has taken his God-given talent and worked with it to achieve a big payday. Good for him.

In today's world athletes make an absurd amount of money. That is another topic for another article, but with money comes responsibility. Getting paid millions of dollars to play a game is something that everyone dreams of.

As a fan, all I can ask for is effort. A bad game or a bad play is just human nature; there is no control over that. However, when fans see a guy dog it on the field, that is when the backlash is as deserving as ever.

In case you missed it, Hanley Ramirez committed an error in Monday night's game against the Arizona Diamondbacks. He chased the ball into left field and accidentally kicked it. Again, he kicked the ball by accident, totally acceptable. What transpired next, however, is where the human error stops and human stupidity begins.

After kicking the ball, Ramirez stopped sprinting and treated Major League Baseball to a light jog through the outfield. While this jog was going on Arizona scored two runs in route to a 5-1 victory. Marlins Manager Fredi Gonzalez immediately approached Ramirez and let him know that his actions would not be tolerated and he would be benched for the rest of the day. Gonzalez was simply doing something that any good Manager would do.

No matter how good Hanley Ramirez is, he deserves heat for his inexcusable actions. This is not the first time, nor the last time, we will see a player give a lack of effort on the field. For any perpetrator of this unfortunate occurrence, the best thing to do is humble yourself and immediately apologize after the game.

Hanley Ramirez though? He would prefer to call out the manager's credibility and throw his teammates under the bus. According to Ramirez, his manager was never a Major League ballplayer, so why listen to him? His 24 fellow teammates are nowhere near his talent level, so who are they to criticize him?

All in all, Ramirez did a horrible deed and made it worse with his post game comments. Pretty soon he will likely come out with some half-ass apology that comes over 24 hours too late. The true colors of Hanley Ramirez have been shown and it will take a lot for him to win over his coach, teammates, and baseball fans everywhere. In a time when athletes are more public and noteworthy then ever, Hanley Ramirez is what other professionals should strive not to be.

Friday, May 14, 2010

Time to Go


The championship run is over. Mike Brown's coaching career in Cleveland may be over. Lebron James in a Cavalier jersey should be over. After last night's uninspired 94-85 Game 6 loss to Boston, the Cavaliers have blown another title opportunity after regular season dominance.

Just as I predicted Tuesday night, the Cavaliers season ended in the TD Garden. In the loss, Lebron's state line looks good (27 points, 19 rebounds, 10 assists) but couple that with 9 turnovers and shooting 38% from the field, and you get "Prince James", rather then "King James." Lebron's teammates did their usual routine. Jamison was awful, Moe Williams had 2 points in the 2nd half, and the rest of the gang did nothing as well. Kill Lebron if you will, but last night was not his fault. Last night was the epitome of his Cleveland career. When push came to shove, his teammates let him down, and that is why it is time for him to move on.

Lebron James is the story. Orlando's undefeated postseason, LA's quest for a repeat, Boston's resurgence, Nash's busted eye, none of those stories are relevant in the here and now. The NBA is only 48 days away from arguably the most anticipated date in it's history. Lebron, Bosh, Wade, Nowitski, Stoutemire, Johnson, Boozer...the list goes on and on. However, Lebron is far and away at the top of that list. He will be free to go to Chicago, New York or anywhere else he wishes. He is a 25 year old 2 time MVP. If he is not the best player in the NBA, he is a very close second. No player has ever generated the free agent buzz that he will come July 1st.

Lebron needs a fresh start. New teammates, new coach, new surroundings, new beginning. In Chicago he would be playing with one of the league's best Point Guards and in New York he would have the chance to play with another max-contract free agent. No more Mike Brown letdowns, no more Moe Williams failures, no more Cleveland Cavaliers heartbreak.

Cleveland loves him, and rightfully so. He is an Ohio native that has been playing in his home state for seven seasons. If he leaves he may be looked at as a failure but so be it. A new team would allow Lebron to start over. He could be a god in his new city or he can go back to another lackluster 2010-2011 season in Cleveland. Sit around with Varejao and Ilgauskas or rock the world with Derrick Rose or Chris Bosh? My money, as well as the money of other NBA owners, says he is ready for a new home.

Wednesday, May 12, 2010

What Was That?


If this was Lebron James' last game in the Quicken Loans Arena as a Cleveland Cavalier, it certainly wasn't the sendoff he had imagined. In a game as big as any in his 7 year career, Lebron was awful from the field (3-14) and could get nothing going at a time when his team needed him most.

For the second straight year the Cavaliers won over 60 games, and for the second straight year that achievement will amount to nothing. The expectations for this team were championship or bust, and rightfully so. Mike Brown is a former coach of the year and Lebron James is a two time MVP. So far the Brown-James era has been nothing but heartbreak and letdowns for a city that has not won a championship since 1961.

In Lebron's fourth season he carried the Cavaliers to the NBA Finals. At the time it seemed it was just the first of many trips that he would be taking to the Championship doorstep. Since the 2007 defeat to the Spurs, Lebron has grown and matured and the Cavaliers have attempted to add talent around him, hoping to put the pieces in place for a title.

The 2010 championship pursuit, and the Lebron James pursuit of a championship in Cleveland, both appear to be on life support as the Cavs head to Boston for a do-or-die Game 6 on Thursday night. Going into Game 5 most would have thought that the Cavaliers would defend their home court. They seemed to catch a break when the Celtics collapsed in Game 1 and they were dominated at home in Game 2. In essence, the Celtics are one bad quarter of basketball away from being 3-0 in Cleveland.

If Cleveland fans thought last years loss to the Magic in the Eastern Conference Finals was painful, wait until Lebron is walking off the court for potentially the last time after the Celtics close the door on Thursday night. During the regular season the Cavs were the big kid on the block while the Celtics were the old slow grandpas past their prime. Those "over the hill" grandpas are about to knock off Lebron, Shaq, Jamison, and all the other failed puzzle pieces for the 2010 Cleveland Cavaliers.

Right now it appears that Lebron is ready for change. The drama of his upcoming free agent tour has been going on for months and will continue to grow as we approach July 1st. He is arguably the best player in the league but his recent postseason failures are hanging over him like a dark cloud. As good as he is, it appears the curse of Cleveland is too much for him to overcome. Thankfully he has the chance to start over this summer because his chances in Cleveland have appeared to run out.

Tuesday, May 11, 2010

Team to Beat

With all the talk about Kobe repeating as champ, Lebron possibly leaving Cleveland, and Steve Nash's busted eye, the Orlando Magic have somehow quietly been the NBA's best storyline.

Through two playoff series the Magic are undefeated and unscathed. Their performances have been dominant and purposeful. More so then any other team, the Magic look determined to make it back to the Finals and earn the championship they missed out on last year.

It is easy for any team up 3-0 to coast through Game 4, knowing they have 3 more chances to put away their opponent. The Magic have never let up, making the games boring and uneventful through sheer dominance. Sure, the Bobcats are an inexperienced team that just looked happy to be in the playoffs. Of course the Hawks were a 50 win fraud. Even so, the Magic have sent a message to Boston/Cleveland that they will simply be the next corpse in the Eastern Conference graveyard.

Through 8 games the Magic are 8-0 and have a 17.7 average margin of victory. Criticize the opponents if you wish but Orlando has simply beat, and dominated, the teams put before them. They have a great blend of experience and hunger that will go a long way in delivering a championship.

Honestly, the NBA Playoffs have been a bore so far. The only drama we've seen is a 7 game series between Milwaukee and Atlanta...yawn. Double that with the fact that David Stern decided to expand the playoff schedule this year, and you get a watered down uneventful slate of games that seem to take weeks to finish a series.

If Lebron makes it through Boston then a rematch in the Eastern Conference Finals could provide some drama. After that, a potential Orlando-LA Finals rematch would be enticing. There are still a few opportunities for the NBA to salvage a month of boring games. In the end, however, the Orlando Magic won't boost the ratings---not until the Finals at least. Howard down low with Carter, Lewis, and Nelson outside is the formula for great basketball but uneventful basketball.

There is nothing pretty about the Magic. Fans love watching a Kobe/Lebron/Durant much more then a dominant big man like Dwight Howard. Stan Van Gundy is erratic and unpredictable. He's not as clean cut as a Phil Jackson. The Magic don't have the storied history of the Lakers or Celtics. They do, however, have the best team in the NBA.