Category: Sports

The Binge Media Experience

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It gives me great pleasure to announce that I now have yet another outlet for my writing. As of this morning, I am now officially the resident sports writer for a great website called Binge Media. This site was started by Jim Law and Moreno, who used to run the JoBlo Movie Podcast, so these guys are legit. Binge Media offers reviews, articles, and the popular BingeCast on movies, television, books, and music. Basically, if you’re looking for your fill on any type of media, they’re going to have it for you. I was introduced to the site by a great friend of mine, Jim Kupka, who also does some work for them. He introduced me to Moreno last summer, and we immediately hit it off. We soon became friends on facebook, hung out a few times, and just recently, he e-mailed me letting me know that he had read my work here and thought I would be the perfect fit for the one thing they didn’t have, a sports section. We discussed a few ideas and here we are. Even before working for them, I would have highly recommended Binge Media to anyone, but now that I’m a part of it, you really need to check it out. But don’t worry, I’ll still be giving you content here as well. I’m just excited to have another writing project and I want to thank the guys for giving me a chance to show my stuff to a solid following.

If you’d like to check out the site, and you know that you do, go to http://www.bingemedia.net My articles will obviously be featured in the sports section, and my intro and first article about The Masters can be found at http://bingemedia.net/2014/04/15/introducing-binge-media-sports-with-a-look-at-the-masters/, but make sure to check everything else out while you’re there.

Make sure to like the Binge Media page on facebook or follow them on Twitter @BingeMedia https://twitter.com/BingeMedia. And while you’re there, don’t forget to follow me @THElukenorris https://twitter.com/THElukenorris

As always, thanks to all those that make The Luke Norris Experience what it is, and I hope you’ll follow me on this journey to Binge Media. You’ll be hearing from me again soon.

The Beauty of Michigan v. Ohio State

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Well, the time has come once again for Rivalry Week in the world of college football. Oregon v. Oregon State, UCLA v. USC, Florida v.No. 2 Florida State, and the game that most people are interested in, No. 4 Auburn and No. 1 Alabama. However, while the world waits for the Iron Bowl, there’s a contest that will take place in Ann Arbor that dates back to 1897, simply known as “The Game”.
Minus three exceptions, Michigan and Ohio State have closed the regular season since 1935 and will battle once again this Saturday. There are very few rivalries in all of sports that even come close to this one, and while the matchup this Saturday may look a bit one-sided, the decades of great games between the maize and blue and the scarlet and gray will tell you that records don’t really mean too much here. These two programs despise one another, so much so that most real Buckeye fans won’t even say the word “Michigan”. Legendary Ohio State coach coined the phrase “that state up north” or “that team up north”, depending on who you talk to, during one of the greatest times of the rivalry, “The Ten Year War”. After losing 12 of 18 games to Hayes, the Wolverines hired Bo Schembechler, a former assistant under Hayes, to help revive the Michigan program in 1969. Their first matchup against one another came in a very similar circumstance that Ohio State faces this weekend. Ranked number 1, the Buckeyes came to Michigan Stadium riding a 22 game winning streak, only to lose 24-12. Most of the games during this stretch maintained this intensity, including a four in five year stretch in which both teams were ranked in the top 5. One of these contests even ended in a 10-10 tie that needed a special vote to decide who went to the Rose Bowl, a vote won by OSU. They shared the Big Ten title six teams during this era, until 1978 when Hayes was fired after his incident at the Gator Bowl, which saw him actually punch a Clemson player in the throat after taunting the Buckeye bench, thus ending arguably the greatest era this rivalry has ever seen. For the record, Schembechler went 5-4-1 against his former mentor.
The next decade would also see the teams battle back and forth as usual, constantly challenging each other for Big Ten supremacy. This trend would continue beyond the Schembechler era into the 90s, where dozens of future NFL stars would duke it out year after year. Three of these matchups would see Ohio State enter the game undefeated, only to be knocked off each time, thus costing them numerous chances to compete for the national championship.
Enter the 2000s and enter Jim Tressel. After being dominated by the Wolverines for years, he brought an emphasis back to Columbus to pummel “that team up north” constantly and he did just that, including a victory on the way to winning a BCS national championship in 2002 and another national title game berth following one of the biggest games in the rivalry’s history. In 2006, Ohio State entered “The Game” ranked number one in the country, followed closely by number two Michigan. In what is remembered as one of the greatest college football games of all time, the Buckeyes came out on top, 42-39. Before resigning in 2011, Tressel finished with an 8-1 record against Michigan, including a streak of six victories in a row.
I was lucky enough to witness “The Game” two years ago when the Wolverines ended their losing streak with a 40-34 victory and I’ve never seen anything like the scene that is Michigan v. Ohio State. Over 114,000 other people were there with me and I’m going to bet that each would say the same thing. With each side making their case that they’re the better program, it’s a joy to watch each and every year as these bitter rivals class. Sometimes, it’s to see who will win the Big Ten. Sometimes, it’s to see who will go to the Rose Bowl. Sometimes, it’s to see who will go to the national championship game. But every time, it’s to see which side has the bragging rights for the next 364 days, at which point they’ll do it all over again.
It’s true, the Big Ten has been a little down as of late. The SEC will get the hype this weekend as well, and deservedly so. It’s hard to ignore their dominance of college football over the past decade. But also hard to ignore are two programs that have combined for 18 national titles, 76 Big Ten titles, and 10 Heisman Trophy winners. Ohio State has not lost a game under current head coach Urban Meyer, spanning nearly two seasons, and certainly has the edge in Saturday’s contest. But history has told us this. Michigan doesn’t care about any of that. These are two teams that hate each other. These are two prideful programs that live to beat the other. And come Saturday in Ann Arbor, “The Game” is on.

The Bartman Game: 10 Years Later

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So here I am, a lifelong Chicago Cubs fan, watching the St. Louis Cardinals play in yet another NLCS. Every year, I tell myself that I’m not going to watch if the Cardinals are in it, but I can’t help myself. I love baseball, especially in October (and it seems as if they’re always playing this time of year). There’s a different feel to it, a different atmosphere that comes with playoff baseball. It’s a feeling I wish I could enjoy even more than I already do. I would love to be able to cheer on my beloved Cubs in October, but sadly that’s not a feeling that I get to experience that often. So as I sit and watch the 2013 edition of the NLCS, I can’t help but think about what happened ten years ago at Wrigley Field. Some would just call it Game 6 of the 2003 NLCS, but most people know it as “The Bartman Game”.

For those who don’t recall, allow me to repaint the picture for you. It is October 14, 2003, Game 6 between the Chicago Cubs and the Florida Marlins. Chicago holds a 3 games to 2 lead, lead the game 3-0 and are a mere five outs away from their first World Series appearance since 1945. Basically, it’s the biggest game that the Cubs have had in nearly 60 years. Mark Prior (remember him?) is pitching a three hit shutout. So with one out in the eighth, Luis Castillo comes to the plate and hits what looks to be just a normal foul ball down the left field line. Cubs leftfielder Moises Alou begins to race towards the wall because it looks as if there is a chance he can make the catch. As the ball begins to drop in foul territory directly above where the field meets the stands, Alou leaps and multiple fans reach for the ball as well. And then the moment that will live in Cubs folklore and baseball history forever. One of those fans makes contact with the ball as Alou attempts to make the catch. Chaos ensues! Alou is absolutely livid, as he jumps up and down in anger, pleading for a fan interference call, a call that would never come as the ball had crossed the plane of the wall separating the fans from the field. And a man that would later be identified as Steve Bartman became part of history. The blame would start immediately. Neighboring fans began to hurl insults and Bartman would later have to be escorted out for his own safety. However, this was only step one in a series of events that could only happen in Chicago.

Castillo would continue his at-bat and eventually walk, with ball four being a wild pitch by Prior allowing base runner Juan Pierre to move to third. Ivan Rodriguez would single to make it 3-1. A young rookie named Miguel Cabrera (yes, that Triple Crown winner Miguel Cabrera) would hit a grounder to shortstop Alex Gonzalez, setting up a potentially inning ending double play. Gold Glove candidate Gonzalez would misfield the ball, loading the bases. Future beloved Cub Derrek Lee would double to chase Prior from the game and tie the score at 3-3. Reliever Kyle Farnsworth would intentionally walk Mike Lowell, followed by a sacrifice fly from Jeff Conine. Cub legend Sammy Sosa would miss the cutoff man allowing Lowell to move to second, setting up another intentional walk to Todd Hollandsworth, again loading the bases. Mike Mordecai would then double to clear the bases and make it 7-3. Mike Remlinger would come in and give up a single to Juan Pierre to drive in Mordecai making it 8-3. And in a cruel twist of irony, Luis Castillo would pop out to finally end the inning that would once again dash the Cubs hope of returning to the World Series. Yes, I know there was a Game 7 with Kerry Wood on the mound, but after that night, I don’t think there was anyone in the world that thought the Cubs would win that game. They would lose 9-6 that night and the Florida Marlins would go on to defeat the New York Yankees in the 2003 World Series to collect their second championship.

I love the Cubs and what happened that night was heartbreaking as a fan. To make matters worse, the next three World Series champions were the equally “cursed” Boston Red Sox, the crosstown Chicago White Sox, and archrival St. Louis Cardinals. But the real tragedy would come in the days and months following Game 6. This young man, Steve Bartman, actually had to go into hiding to avoid death threats and the media onslaught. A devoted Cubs fan, a baseball coach to young children, a normal guy who did what anyone would have done, including multiple people around him, had to change his entire life after that night. He would issue statements apologizing to Cubs fans around the world, some of whom I’m sure still haven’t forgiven him for something that simply was not his fault. Moises Alou would later admit that he wouldn’t have caught that ball anyway. Steve Bartman did not cost the Cubs that baseball game. I don’t remember him giving up any hits. I don’t remember him misplaying a routine ground ball. I don’t remember him touching any ball in Game 7 either. What I do remember is the image of this poor guy sitting in Aisle 4, Row 8, Seat 113 at Wrigley Field with a blank stare on his face. I don’t think he ever thought the fallout would be what it became and I feel, using his own words, “truly sorry” for this man.

The Cubs will enter next season 106 years removed from their last World Series championship and ten years removed from their last playoff win. So I sit and I watch the NLCS as I always do, hoping that someday I will again watch the Cubs make another run at the World Series. I put my trust in Theo Epstein as he tries to build a winner on the north side. I still believe that I can have the feeling that I had when Game 6 started ten years ago. I just hope that someday Steve Bartman can have that feeling back too.

Remember Sports?

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Do you remember what sports used to be? Two teams would play. One would win and one would lose. Unless you’re watching two soccer clubs battle to an exhilarating 0-0 draw, which if this is the case, you have too much time on your hands as it is. I would turn on Sportscenter and watch highlights for 90 minutes on a Sunday night or flip on ESPN Radio and listen to all of the reasons why Michigan v. Ohio State is such a big deal. Sports has always been such a nice getaway from real world problems. Sure, you’d get the occasional story that happened off the field, but the problem now is that these types of stories are no longer rare, but expected and sadly typical of the sports world we now live in.
Look at what the most recent run of “sports” stories has given us. This is about the time of year that pennant races in baseball start to heat up. The questions of who will win the division or grab the final wild card spot would dominate baseball conversations. During these dog days of summer, I listen to talk of Biogenesis. I was never naïve enough to think that the steroid era in baseball was over, but it was nice to have time off from Bonds, Sosa, and McGwire. It seemed that the young crop of stars was on the up and up and baseball had turned a corner. Then this story breaks and all I get to listen to is what a liar and a cheater Ryan Braun is. Great. Suspend him and move on. I don’t need to listen to it for two weeks. And don’t get me started on Alex Rodriguez. He’s been pulling the wool over baseball’s eyes for a decade (allegedly). Quick fix here. Just kick him out of baseball and move on so I can just go back to whining about how the Red Sox are playing the Yankees on national television, AGAIN!
Hey, did you know that most college football teams have started their practices and football that matters is only a few weeks away? Of course you don’t, because somebody just posted a picture of Johnny Football drinking the last Zima in America while flashing a wad of daddy’s oil money at an OTB in South Dakota. Or maybe it wasn’t daddy’s money this time, as he’s now under investigation for taking money to sign some autographs for a memorabilia broker. And while this may be somewhat of a story as he is the reigning Heisman trophy winner, talking for a month about him attending a frat party at rival Texas isn’t. And the next month of speculation on what the punishment will be for a future NFL third-string quarterback is something that I’m not prepared to handle.
Finally, of course, we are about a month away from the start of the NFL regular season. But instead of spending the majority of the time leading up to the games talking about how each team will fare this season, we’ve had to listen to talk of Aaron Hernandez possibly murdering multiple people. Or the most recent story of Eagles wide receiver Riley Cooper getting caught on video using the “N” word at a Kenny Chesney concert. I’m actually starting to miss Tim Tebow talk. At least if we had to hear about anything off the field with him, it was probably a story of how he saved a cat from a tree, went to take it in to the little old lady it belonged to, saw she was dying, picked her up and carried her eight blocks to the hospital, and then performed the life-saving surgery himself. At least I could feel good about a story like that.
I just want to go back to the days where my brother-in-law throws it in my face that once again, Ohio State is ranked ahead of Michigan. I want my friends to give me grief about how Tony Romo still can’t win the big one. I want to tell everyone that I lead a tortured life. Not because my team’s superstar was just suspended for using PEDs while murdering three people at a frat party in Texas, but because the Cubs just got swept at home again. At least this way, my sports world still makes sense.

How To Root For The Chicago Cubs

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As baseball once again rolls into the dog days of summer, we Chicago Cubs fans will once again struggle to find meaning to this season. As each division starts to take shape, we will find ourselves looking up at the Cardinals (again), and simply counting the days until football season starts. The annual “wait until next year” conversations will begin and the clock will continue ticking towards another year that we must add to the total that have passed since 1908. So why do we continue to torture ourselves year after year? The answer is that we just do. Cubs fans have long been used to dealing with the fact that perhaps it just isn’t in the cards (please forgive the expression). It does become frustrating, so I am here to explain how it is that I keep coming back every season to root for our beloved Chicago Cubs.

1. Make fun of the Cubs before everyone else does.
I know this may seem counter-productive to being a fan of any team, but when it’s the Cubs it really does become easier and easier to do. It’s not that I really always think that they’re terrible and they will never win a World Series. It’s the matter of having to listen to everyone I know that isn’t a Cubs fan tell me these things over and over and over again. And please don’t let me forget about the insufferable posts on Facebook, as if I’d somehow forgotten that the Cubs had just lost five straight games because Carlos Marmol is still on the roster. Therefore, I’ve found it much easier to stop people in conversation before they get going. It’s funny to see the looks on their faces as they begin to tell me how awful the Cubs are and I chime in with “Yeah, the Cubs suck. They haven’t won since 1908. I get it. Do you have anything else to contribute?”

2. Stop listening to St. Louis Cardinals fans
We need to stop comparing ourselves to the St. Louis Cardinals, period. The Redbirds certainly have their own way of doing things and it has worked amazingly well for them. If anything, a Cardinal fan makes himself look terrible when he insults the Cubs because he lowers his team down to the Cubs’ level (see how I made fun of them before you could). Again, I get it. Your team has won more championships. I am aware of your team’s accomplishments in relation to ours. If Cardinal fans want to be as classy as the media makes them out to be, then please just keep quiet.

3. Stop believing in curses.
We need to stop whining. It wasn’t the goat’s fault. It wasn’t the black cat’s fault. It certainly wasn’t Bartman’s fault. We lost.

4. Remember how great the Wrigley Field experience really is.
For those Cub fans who have never been to Wrigley Field, please put it on your to-do list. Through the great seasons and the awful seasons, the record doesn’t matter when you walk up the ramp and see this ballpark. From the ivy to the old scoreboard, there really is no experience like watching a ballgame here. I know many will say that it’s filthy and outdated and the possible renovation project is necessary and those people are certainly entitled to that opinion. Change can be a good thing. But if Wrigley Field stayed exactly the way it is now for another 100 years, I would be okay with it. Every time I walk that ramp, I turn into my eight year old self again. I remember every single reason my grandfather persuaded me to become a Cubs fan as a boy. It truly is one of the most special places in sports, and honestly, one of my favorite places in the world.

5. As hard as it may be, continue to be patient. You still love the Cubs.
This reason alone may be the only one we really need. Chicago Cubs fans are the most loyal fans in sports, and the reason we are that way, is because we have to be. Generations upon generations of us have watched in agony as our beloved Cubbies have knocked on the door of greatness only to be turned away time and time again. Believe me, it does get very frustrating. I will make fun of the Cubs. I have been to Wrigley Field and booed the Cubs. But at the end of the day, I will always come back. I continue to believe that someday, somehow they will find a way to win another World Series. Through thick and thin, I love the Chicago Cubs. I always have and I always will. That’s what being a real fan is all about.

The Best Month in Sports, Part 4: The NBA Playoffs

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Well, it has certainly been an emotional week throughout the country. With the explosion that rocked Texas and of course, the bombings in Boston and the manhunt that followed, the people of the United States showed once again that during tough times, we can come together. And while sports are meaningless compared to the events that dominated the news this week, they can provide us an outlet when the real world becomes too much to bear. But more than that, they can also serve as the setting for a lesson in solidarity, to show that no matter our personal differences, we can unite when adversity strikes and there was no better example than what happened this week. So before I get to the NBA playoffs, I would like to add one thing to The Best Month in Sports category this year and simply call it The Best Moment in Sports and it was brought to us from the fans at the Boston Bruins-Buffalo Sabres hockey game that took place only days after the bombings at the Boston Marathon and if you haven’t seen or heard it yet, please click on the link and you’ll realize how special it was. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lbHMRpdk3_4

So with all that being said, the best month in sports rolls on with the start of the NBA playoffs and this year once again brings no shortage of storylines. Is there anyone that can stop the Miami Heat? We know this for certain. It will not be the Milwaukee Bucks. Sorry Milwaukee. We’ll stay in the East which brings us a great matchup between New York and Boston. The Knicks have not been relevant in a long time and Boston is hanging on for one final run. Throw in the whole Boston/New York rivalry and it should make for a great series but I see the Knicks being too much for the Celtics. The Bulls and Nets should be a physical series but neither one of these teams is poised to make a deep run in the playoffs. And then there’s the Pacers and Hawks, which two or three people outside of Indianapolis and Atlanta may watch. The Pacers are a good team that may be one of the only teams that may be able to take Miami to the limit in the East, along with New York. However, I am picking Miami to come out of the East once again. They are just too complete of a team. They have two of the best ten players in the world in LeBron and Wade and when Chris Bosh is your third option, you’re a dangerous team. They play great defense and have so many guys that can shoot the three when LeBron penetrates and dishes and I don’t think there’s a team in the East that can beat them four times so look for the Heat to return to The Finals.
The Western Conference brings us a lot more intriguing matchups in the first round. James Harden returns to OKC to take on the Thunder and he’ll bring Linsanity with him (remember when we bought into that). Houston may get a game but the Thunder should ease through this series. The Denver Nuggets and Golden State Warriors should be an intriguing matchup as some of the league’s best young talent finally get to showcase their skills on the big stage. Can the Clippers and Grizzlies bring us another great series? After last year’s 7 games, I am anxious to see this matchup again as Lob City tries to become the dominant team in LA. And yes, as a Lakers fan, I saved them for last. It’s my blog so I can do that. I’ve watched all year as this team tried to get healthy, tried to get on the same page, tried to find something to get this team going and it really never came. Kobe Bryant played like a monster this year and if this team had a better record should be the MVP. But when it seemed like things were finally coming together towards the end, Kobe goes down as did the hopes for making any noise in the playoffs. The Spurs are waiting and the Spurs are good. They’re well coached, have veteran leadership and are set to make another deep playoff run. As much as I would love to see the Lakers win, I just don’t think they have enough but this is the beauty of the playoffs, you just never know. I still think that OKC will give us a rematch in the finals with the Heat, but the Western Conference side of the playoffs are going to be great.
I could sit and break down each round so much more than I did right there, but you can find that kind of thing anywhere. I didn’t put this category into this series just to put it in. I put it in because I love playoff basketball. The games get so much more intense. The energy level is higher than it is during the regular season and if you look closely, you might actually see some teams play defense. It’s just a different type of basketball. Most of the historic moments in the game’s history don’t come from the regular season. The regular season can turn a good player into a great player but the playoffs can turn a great player into a legend. So as the best month in sports concludes, the road to the NBA Finals has begun.

Thank you for reading The Best Month in Sports series. It was a lot of fun to write so I hope you had fun reading it.

The Best (and Worst) Baseball Movies

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Over the years, Hollywood has given us countless movies about the great game of baseball. Some have been great; think The Pride of the Yankees, A League of Their Own, and Moneyball. Some have been just awful; think The Scout, The Fan, and Summer Catch. Some have been for the kids; think Angels in the Outfield, Rookie of the Year, and Little Big League. Some have been simply entertaining; think Mr. Baseball, The Bad News Bears, and The Rookie. Then there are those that are unforgettable, so to coincide with today’s release of the Jackie Robinson biopic, 42, which has the potential to be one of those unforgettable classics, I recently asked my readers to vote on their favorite baseball movie. I will post those results below, followed by the worst 5 baseball movies, and conclude with my personal top 5 favorites. So without further delay, the Top 5 Baseball Movies as voted by you.

5. The Natural-8%
T3. The Sandlot-16%
T3. For The Love of the Game-16%
2. Bull Durham-20%
1. Field of Dreams-28%

Quite the impressive list, folks. Well done. And I would agree with 3 of your top 5.

TOP 5 WORST BASEBALL MOVIES
5. The Babe– I like John Goodman just as much as the next guy, but this portrayal of The Great Bambino was a joke.
4. Mr. 3000– Bernie Mac, you are missed by many but movies like this are missed by nobody.
3. Major League: Back to the Minors– What an awful way to end a trilogy, even if it’s always nice to see Scott Bakula at work.
2. Ed-Matt LeBlanc and a chimpanzee-is there anything else to say?
1. Hardball-Here’s what some studio executive thought: You know what would make a great movie? We make Keanu Reeves the coach of an inner-city baseball team. But this executive isn’t the problem: the person who greenlit the movie is. Just awful.

MY PERSONAL TOP 5 FAVORITE BASEBALL MOVIES OF ALL TIME
5. The Sandlot-If you read my article on what baseball means to me, then you know that baseball was my first love. And this movie is so symbolic of how I felt as a kid. Summers spent outside playing baseball with your friends. Excellent work and honestly, when you’re frustrated how many times in your life have you said “You’re killin’ me Smalls”?
4. Major League-“Forget about the curveball Ricky. Give him the heater.” One of many classic lines from one of the most quotable baseball movies of all time. A true comedy classic.
3. 61*-Billy Crystal wowed me with this story of the 1961 homerun battle between Roger Maris and the great Mickey Mantle as they chased the record of Babe Ruth. If you haven’t seen or heard of this movie, I highly recommend giving it a watch, if for nothing else to see that Barry Pepper should have done better with his career.
2. The Natural-Roy f’ing Hobbs.
1. Field of Dreams-This is one of those movies that if I come across it on television, I’m in it until the end. It’s got everything one could want. Drama, comedy, baseball, ghosts, and of course, James Earl Jones. The speech he gives towards the end of the movie gives me goosebumps every time, immediately followed by the lump in my throat that comes with “Dad, you wanna have a catch?” Time after time, just amazing.

Thanks to all those who voted. I had a great time covering this topic and I hope you enjoyed it as well.

The Best Month in Sports, Part 3: The Masters

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After a spectacular national title game in the NCAA tourney and baseball storylines beginning to take shape, the best month in sports rolls on with my favorite event of the year, The Masters. As I am every year when this tournament comes around, I am excited to start listening to the talk of azaleas, pine needles, and Magnolia Lane, the 330 yard drive that leads into the host of this first major of the year, Augusta National Golf Club. I’m ready to listen to the talk of the Eisenhower Pine, Hogan Bridge, Rae’s Creek, the Nelson Bridge, the Sarazen Bridge, and of course, the green jacket which will be awarded to the victor of this great event late Sunday evening.
First played in 1934, The Masters has served as a battleground for some of the most legendary tournaments in golf history and a showcase of golf’s greatest players. The early days brought wins from Gene Sarazen, Byron Nelson (2 green jackets), Sam Snead (3 green jackets), and Ben Hogan (2 green jackets). Those names alone would be enough for any tournament, but the Masters moved on to bring wins from Arnold Palmer (4 green jackets), Gary Player (3 green jackets), Tom Watson (2 green jackets), and the immortal Jack Nicklaus (6, yes I said 6 green jackets: still a record). The 80’s started with the first of two green jackets for Seve Ballesteros and ended with the first of three green jackets for Nick Faldo, the last of which came in 1996 after Greg Norman’s historic Sunday collapse. The modern era began the next year in 1997 as the whole world watched Tiger Woods capture the first of his four green jackets in historic fashion. The 2000s saw Phil Mickelson break through and win his elusive first major with a clutch putt on the 18th hole, his first of three green jackets. The greatest players on the game’s greatest stage: quite a list.
And the moments, my goodness, the moments. Palmer in 1960. Jack in 1986. How many times can Greg Norman lose the Masters in disastrous fashion? Phil’s 3-inch vertical in 2004. Tiger’s unbelievable chip on the 16th in 2005. Even last year brought a wonderful moment when Bubba Watson hit a “how the hell did he get the ball to move like that” shot in the playoff to win his first green jacket. The list goes on and on and on as do the storylines each time The Masters comes around. And this year will be no different. Can Tiger finally get his 15th major after a nearly five year drought? Is Rory ready to slip on his first green jacket? Can Lee Westwood ever win the big one? And the list goes on and on.
So sit back and get ready for the best event in sports. 72 holes of golf action that promises to deliver high drama, the roars of the classiest crowd in sports, and more memorable moments that will live in golf history forever. The world’s best players on the world’s best golf course. The Masters is upon us and all I need now is Jim Nantz to get it going: Hello friends…

The Best Month in Sports, Part 2: The Return of Baseball

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The best month in sports continued this week with the start of baseball that matters. The first few days have already given us some great moments. The Triple-A squad that are pretending to be the Houston Astros played and won their first game in the American League, but then were almost victims of a perfect game the next night. Bryce Harper became the youngest player to hit two homeruns on Opening Day. It is always amazing to watch Justin Verlander at work. And don’t worry, if you missed any of the Yankees/Red Sox series, I’m sure ESPN will show every single game for the rest of the year. I could go on and on about what this season might bring, but if you’re looking for me to break down the league player by player, team by team, or division by division, then you’ve come to the wrong place. What I’d like to do here is explore why baseball is so special and what this game has meant to me.
Throughout the years, the game of baseball has certainly had its share of problems. From the color barrier to the steroid problem to work stoppages, the sport that once ruled the country has certainly taken a hit in popularity. Television ratings are down, as are attendance figures. Football has blown by it as the most popular sport in America. So why do I keep coming back every single year? What is it about baseball that makes me so sentimental?
Maybe it’s the fact that baseball was my first love. Maybe it’s the fact that one of the main reasons I know how to read is that I used to sit on my grandfather’s lap as a child as we read the Chicago Tribune to catch up on our beloved Chicago Cubs (yes I know, even more torture to myself). Maybe it was playing home run derby in the street with my friends until we couldn’t even see the ball. Maybe it was catching the end of a game on WGN when I got home from school. Maybe it was a 75 cent pack of Topps cards if my mom let me get them at the grocery store. Maybe it was a fun rivalry with my dad, a lifelong Cardinals fan, watching a weekend series at Busch. Maybe it’s taking a break from working in the yard, having a cold drink and listening to the game on the radio. Maybe it’s because that every time I walk up the ramp at Wrigley Field and see the scoreboard, the green grass, and the ivy, I immediately turn into my eight year old self again.
Or maybe it’s just the game itself. Maybe it’s a suicide squeeze. Maybe it’s a 5-4-3 double play. Maybe it’s a 95 mph fastball followed by an 85 mph breaking ball that buckles a batter’s knees. Maybe it’s a ball that’s certain to leave the yard until an outfielder reaches over the fence to bring it back. Maybe it’s watching a group of innocent kids in a little league game that play for the love of the game. Maybe it’s watching a minor leaguer in countless small towns throughout the country strive to achieve his dream of one day making it to the show. Maybe it’s watching your favorite big league ballplayer hit a walkoff bomb and seeing the joy on his face as he rounds third toward the mob that awaits him at home plate. Maybe it’s just watching the complexities within the simplicity that is the game of baseball.
Whatever it is, baseball is back. Will I be watching? Definitely.

The Rutgers Situation

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This month has always been my favorite in sports, but the Rutgers story that has gained national attention this week has tarnished it. For those who haven’t seen any of the footage that ESPN’s “Outside the Lines” obtained and ran a couple of days ago, click on the link to have a better understanding of what I’m talking about. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rbaYqcMMZ6A
The footage is quite disturbing. It shows men’s head basketball coach Mike Rice repeatedly shoving players, screaming homophobic slurs, and time after time throwing basketballs at players during practice. And this isn’t just playfully throwing the ball at your buddy, but a grown man throwing balls at the knees, crotches, and heads of 18 and 19 year old kids.
Such behavior is completely inexcusable and Rice was justifiably fired this morning.
When the story broke, I really didn’t plan to write about it but the more I thought about it, the more I felt I wanted to as I had an experience in high school that involved a coach putting his hands on me. Granted, this incident pales in comparison to what happened at Rutgers but it made me think about it today so I wanted to throw my two cents in. When I was a sophomore, my basketball team played for the state championship. We lost the game and as the buzzer sounded, I happened to have the ball in my hands and being a 15 year old little punk who hates to lose, I kicked the ball up to the rafters of the arena in anger. Was it the mature thing to do? Of course not, but again, I was a 15 year old kid. As I walked to the sidelines to shake the hands of the state champs, my head coach grabbed my jersey and pulled me towards him as his other hand grabbed my throat and he yelled that there was no place for that kind of behavior on his team. He was right. I went back to the locker room, missing the medal ceremony and I never played for him again. I took my talents across town and he was soon replaced. Were my actions wrong in kicking the ball? Absolutely. But that did not give him the right to put his hands on me and the same can be said for the situation at Rutgers.
In a way, coaches are educators. Young men and women all across America look to them for guidance, to learn about the games we play, to learn about fair play, and to learn how to become better people. Mike Rice violated the trust of the parents that sent their boys to play for him. It’s okay to bring intensity to coaching. Some have made a career of it but this goes too far. Bob Knight thinks this behavior is out of control. So Mike Rice has been fired. Problem solved, right? Not even close.
When these tapes were first discovered last fall by the university, athletic director Tim Pernetti suspended Rice for three games and levied a heavy fine and the case seemed to be closed. It wasn’t until ESPN got a hold of the tapes and millions of people saw the footage that the decision was made to fire the coach. This is one of my biggest problems with this situation. Mike Rice should not be the only person who leaves Rutgers. AD Tim Pernetti and the university president Robert L. Barchi should follow. Mike Rice physically and verbally assaulted these young men. Pernetti saw the footage and did not take appropriate action until today when the whole world found out about it. Barchi also knew of the incidents in question and instead of taking action, he reviewed and renewed Rice’s $700,000 yearly salary, basically saying that physical abuse and shouting homophobic slurs isn’t that bad. This is a community that is still reeling from the story of Tyler Clementi, an 18 year old gay student who killed himself after being bullied at this same institution in September of 2010.
What message are you sending to that kid’s parents? Or for that matter, any parent that plans to send their child to Rutgers in the future.
Mike Rice was wrong and he’s been fired. So to Tim Pernetti and Robert L. Barchi: Step down. Do the right thing. Somebody in this situation needs to.