The Georgia Bulldogs: Escaping Mediocrity

 

So I don't know how many people are talking about this right now, but as a diehard Bulldog fan I think there is some cause for concern. Yes our team has lost but one game this year (South Carolina). And it was a close one at a hostile location that had disputable calls. That's okay. The rest of the games we've won, but I'm still concerned. And here's why: I fear our team won't last the season. Every year the Bulldogs are ranked high (almost always top 15 at least) and are hyped up with top players (ever heard of Todd Gurley?). But injuries have plagued the team in past years, keeping us from performing well in big games late in the season. Don't get me wrong, I've got the highest hopes for our boys this season. As a senior, I hope we can go all the way. I'm just tired of ESPN and other critics saying our team can't win the big game. I think we've paid our dues. We have a coach in Mark Richt who has been called the "Charlie Brown" of college football. In other words the nice guy who just can't catch a break. I for one am tired of this assumption. Yes, our schedule is always tough. We play in the best conference in the country. Yes, injuries happen to every team. It's a brutal part of the game. But I think it's time for this team to hunker down and take advantage of this season. We've got a potential Heisman Trophy winner in Todd Gurley who the country knows is truly special. We've got talent on both sides of the ball even though our secondary isn't perfect. Heck if anyone can coach these guys up it's Jeremy Pruitt, our new defensive coordinator. So listen I apologize for my slight rant, but I honestly think it needs to be said. I am a proud to be a Dawg no matter how our season ends up. However I think I speak for most of us when I say we are ready to see these guys go all the way. So strap in, sit down, and let's finish strong.

South Park Mocks the Washington Redskins

 

In this past week's new episode of South Park, the hugely popular Comedy Central cartoon show, the writers decided to target a hot topic (just one of many right now) in the NFL: ethnic stereotyping. Making light of serious situations is obviously nothing new for South Park, as it's almost of new popular celebrity or organization every week. But as an avid sports fan, this one really struck my view. The topic of discussion is polarizing. If you didn't know the background, here it is: The debate is nothing new. The name has been around for decades with national protests beginning all the way back in 1988. Various Native American groups have stated that naming Washington DC based NFL team the "Redskins" is offensive, demeaning, and mocks our country's oldest inhabitants. The owner, Dan Snyder has remained firm on the issue and has refused to change. Some Native American groups actually side with Snyder saying that naming an NFL team is not meant to offend anyone and instead can be seen as a sign of respect. Obama has even weighed in on the controversy, saying the name should be changed. In fact as of recent the team lost its US trademark and thus explains why Dan Snyder in the video is confronting Cartman who is also calling himself the Washington Redskins (you can look up the video). Personally I don't think the Washington Redskins being named the Washington Redskins is the worst thing in the world and I think some people should honestly chill out. There are other professional team mascots that reference Native Americans (Florida State Seminoles and the Kansas City Chiefs). I'd love to know your thoughts on this since this is such an interesting, polarizing debate.

The Scarlet Knights' Scarlet Letter

Just so we're clear SEC fans, college football is in fact played outside of the Southeast. And if you paid attention to news headlines this past weekend, Rutgers University athletic director Julie Hermann had to formally apologize to the country after displays of 'classless' behavior by fans. This occurred against their opening home weekend game against the Penn State Nittany Lions. On the surface one says, "So what?" to a story about crazy college football fans and young kids. Heck the SEC invented crazy tailgating and a wild football culture! However I believe the line was indeed crossed this past weekend when Rutgers fans were documented mocking the Penn State Child Molestation Scandal of 2011 in more obscene ways than one. Graphic illustration signs, perverted chants, and t-shirts exclaiming "Joe Paterno is in hell" peppered the Rutgers fan base Saturday, in and out of the stadium. Once again let me remind you the AD had to issue a public apology. That's how embarrassing it was for the university, Big Ten Conference, and college football nation. Just so you know, Joe Paterno was fired as coach of Penn State, despite being one of the undisputed greatest coaches of all time, shortly after an investigation revealed Paterno had knowledge of Jerry Sandusky's acts for years. His statue in Happy Valley (Penn State) was ripped down, but as late students have formed formal protests to bring the statue back. The bottom line is this: it's a horrific tragedy that took place for Penn State. But no one wants to relive the story. Therefore no one wants to witness opposing fans mocking a disgraceful story. It's tasteless. It's sad. And in addition to being overall embarrassing, it's bad for college sports. Stick with the "overrated" chants, guys.

The Ray Rice Episode: What Are We Missing?

The Baltimore Ravens sport the colors of blue and purple. Ironically enough, this just happens to describe the NFL on September 8th, 2014. A black eye. A black eye for the League, the Ravens, sports fans, and maybe even America. The NFL prides itself on being an organization that has always prided itself on being a professional group since 1892, but they are not very prideful today. They should be ashamed.

All this is due to a literal black eye for Janay Palmer, the now wife of Ray Rice, NFL running back as of yesterday. Today's he jobless. If you're not familiar with the incident I'm describing, let me fill you in. On February 15 of this year, Rice and his then fiancee Palmer were partying in Atlantic City when tempers flared, leaving Rice's fiance unconscious in an elevator. I just have one question: is this okay? Is domestic violence now deemed acceptable if you can play football and can afford a good lawyer? After questions were raised on the details and Rice was released (he hasn't faced a day of jail time by the way), the Baltimore coaching staff, general manager, owner, and fan base immediately sided with Rice, even giving him a standing ovation at their most recent preseason game. Was I supposed to feel bad for Ray Rice?

The NFL answered with a suspension of a mere 2 games. That's it. Remember our beloved hero Michael Vick? He spent considerable jail time in a federal penitentiary and was kicked out of the NFL for years. Other players have been caught with drugs and even convicted of involuntary DUI manslaughter (look up Donte Stalworth) and faced much less harsher punishments. Now I'm not trying to say what those players did was acceptable. Actually I'm saying quite the opposite. Let the punishment fit the crime. Ray Rice was caught on camera committing a domestic violence crime most would say is horrid. The immediate result as I mentioned earlier was a small suspension. The only reason he is now indefinitely barred from playing today is because TMZ released a new video of the incident taking place in the elevator. I encourage everyone to research this if you haven't already. In the end it looks like the NFL did the right thing, but it occurred only when their hands were tied behind their backs. That's not right.

I hope everyone involved in this situation can learn from their mistakes and read the writing on the wall. Or in this case the elevator.

I love football. I don't condone domestic violence. Get it together guys.


 

It's a Pirate's Life for Dave Portnoy and Barstool Sports

It's a fall Sunday afternoon and for every hotdog eating, contact loving American this means watching NFL football. But what you might not know is that the means of keeping up with sports scores and news is expanding. And it's awesome.

Don't confuse expansion with change. You're still watching the games live on ESPN, CBS, NBC, and FOX on your television because these networks reign king and that statement will probably remain true for your grandchildren. In 2011 the NFL signed TV deals with major networks worth $27 billion. However there are alternative ways in which you can catch major sports news, big hits, crazy plays, and even snapshots of good looking cheerleaders (I told you it was awesome, all from your laptop or smartphone. And it's catching fire. This is mostly among college aged males in their 20s. There are multiple popular sports reporting/blogging sites right now such as Bleacher Report, SBnation, and Yardbarker. But the one that seems to create the most buzz while breaking the most amount of traditional rules in Barstool Sports, founded by Dave Portnoy in 2003. 

What started out as a New England influenced print publication featuring fantasy football projections (they still do that and much more)is now a site fully staffed with bloggers from all over the country reporting on not only sports news/scores but various aspects of pop culture. Portnoy, also known as El Pres, has been featured on TV and been in magazines even though he doesn't have to for people to know who he is. That's just the buzz his site has created. It's nontraditional and doesn't have many rules, creating some sparks of criticism which competitors are quick to jump on. 

All in all, I think Barstool Sports is great for you, the fan, even if more traditional forms of media don't think so. I think everyone wants as much attention as possible from the fan, because that means more money. For a true sports loving fan that wants more than just the score of a game, Barstool hits from all cylinders where others simply don't providing you with funny, accurate information and opinions with a touch of a button. From a social media standpoint they are all over it, with hundreds of thousands of followers on Twitter and Facebook. Ask most football loving 20 somethings and they are most likely familiar with the term, "Viva La Stool".

I predict Barstool Sports and others like it will only continue to grow in popularity because of its verastile nature, easiness to use, and appeal to college aged kids across America. 

If traditional major media is getting jealous, maybe they should start taking notes.