(Note: I have been writing for the student newspaper at UGA, The Red & Black, for nearly two and a half years now. It’s cheesy tradition for everyone who has been there that long to push out a column in the last paper recalling memories, experiences, etc. Due to a bevy of other columnists running similar bits in the paper and me not being vocal enough, I made the quietest veteran exit ever. Thus, I’ve decided to write what would have been my farewell column here)
Once upon a time, not so long ago (sorry, it was Bon Jovi night on Idol a few days ago and it’s stuck on me), the Bulldog Nation made me ill.
I cheered when Jasper Sanks dropped the ball on the goal line. I hooted and hollered when the Salukis dumped that overrated basketball bunch in 2002. I praised Mark Richt’s mind for giving it to Musa Smith with no timeouts and 20 seconds to go on the goal line against Auburn.
I hated Georgia mainly for its fans, who I thought were self-righteous, whiny and obnoxious…long before I learned that being a “drunk, obnoxious Georgia fan” was a cry of pride.
My parents were right: once you get up here, it’s hard not to become a fan.
Since then, I have attended a plethora of Georgia sporting events as a diehard fan. I have covered nearly every sport on campus in some aspect for the Red and Black. I have also represented UGA in five minutes they probably wish I had gone somewhere else on Stump the Schwab.
With that said, here are some of my favorite memories from sports on campus, off campus and related to Georgia in some fashion from the last four years.
-I remember being in an orientation group with a lanky giant I assumed was going to be Coach Felton’s new center. When the freakishly tall freshman said he played tennis, I figured this was something I would have to see. Four years later, John Isner is the top rated college tennis player in the nation and has Georgia in contention for a national championship. And he’ll still hover over me forever
-In 2008, when junior Matt Stafford has Georgia football in contention for a national championship and extending his run at the Heisman, I can say I was there for his first pass between the hedges…a touchdown to Mikey Henderson during G-Day in 2006. You could sense in the air that the kid would be something special…let’s see if that’s the case
-Speaking of football, my two favorite games have to both be Auburn ones. Freshman year, when we destroyed them at home 26-3, the crowd was extremely into it…jangling keys, chanting and giving me my first real taste of why Sanford is so special. This past year’s as well was something great, partially because of who I was with, but also because we had been on that awful losing streak and the nation was crapping on us. Seeing Tra Battle return that touchdown brought forth a blizzard of good feelings (get it, R and Bers?)
-I’ve been to maybe one Gym Dogs meet a year, but what those girls go through year in and year out is remarkable. That team is the best thing going in Georgia athletics right now.
-Every moment spent on the intramural fields or courts at Ramsey. From the Five-Man Miracle to the Ice Bowl to the most emotionless walkoff strikeout ever, I wouldn’t trade a minute of it.
-Inside “the Saddledome” (which came because at Orientation I said that Stegeman looks like Calgary’s arena), the sheer emotion of beating Florida my freshman year (yes, it did happen), as well as the eerie silence and sheer emotion when Kevin Brophy’s family came in for the LSU game following his death the previous summer. Oh, and back to excitement again after Levi Stukes’s buzzer-beater the same day.
-The human side of being a journalist I learned during the Lady Bulldogs’ collapse at home against Tennessee last winter. Having to rewrite an entire story depicting what seemed like sure victory on a late deadline was one thing, but seeing all the journalists staring at each other outside the Georgia locker room, full of shocked and angry players, dumbfoundedly looking at each other in a “You wanna go in and ask questions first” manner. It was surreal.
-While I’m at it, learning that “Media Days” are a total circus full of questions you wouldn’t imagine…and finding the best quotes come from the players no one is surrounding.
-In general, finding that some people won’t like what you write, some will love it…but to have a comment means they had to read it. Through the paper experience, I’ve also learned to fight for your colleagues, how important it is to stand behind your work and that of your fellow writers…and how writers and those they interview pull the strings on each other so much.
I guess the next step is to move on to what I always dreamed of (and what we never achieved growing up since my dad went to Rutgers before they were good): being able to come back for homecomings, to hopefully some day dress my kids in red and black and teach them how to bark and host those massive football watch parties.
It is, has been and always will be great to be a Georgia Bulldog.
Friday, May 4, 2007
THE REAL MLB CURSE
(Note: Though I wrote this blog a day or two ago, I'm only getting to post it today...an hour after learning that Josh Hancock was legally drunk when he crashed and died last weekend. I'll leave that issue for a later time; to me it doesn't matter how it happened, just that it happened)
Now that the Boston Red Sox are obnoxiously celebrating their World Series championship and getting over their own “curse”, that leaves the Cubs as baseball’s lovable losers.
No World Series since before there were 50 states. Curse of the Goat, Curse of Bartman, Curse of Wood and Prior’s spaghetti arms…call it whatever you will.
In some ways, the Cubs can only be thankful that the “curse” they have is not as bad as one their rivals have.
With Josh Hancock’s death this past weekend in an auto accident, the St. Louis Cardinals are struggling to recover yet again. Ever since Y2K passed, the “Y” (or why if you will) has hung around Busch.
Every time something good has happened to the Redbirds, it has been met with something bad.
In 2001, Albert Pujols came out of nowhere as a squeaky-clean, MVP candidate and face of the franchise. The Cards missed out barely on the World Series.
A year later, the team had to face the death of longtime announcer and ambassador Jack Buck. Though tragic and a blow to the team, Buck was old and could not go on forever; he had been sick for sometime.
If that wasn’t enough, five days later, ace Darryl Kile unexpectedly passed from a heart condition. Just as the Cardinal nation was getting past one disaster, another punched them in the gut.
Now, months after celebrating their first World Series title in 25 years, the Cards are recovering again with Hancock’s passing.
You can’t help but feel for the group of players who survived 2002 and now this. Even when the Indians lost Steve Olin and Tim Crews in the early 90s boat crash, it came all at once, lumping the mourning into one period. Now, the Cardinals are forced again to pull their strength together.
Are the Cardinals “cursed”? It’s probably without reason, but they have been the most troubled team since the turn of the millennium. They’ve been the Def Leppard of ballclubs—every time you think you’ve gotten over the ultimate hurdle, another about 12 feet taller stands in front of you.
Maybe the real curse lies in the Cubs-Cards series. The last two times St. Louis has battled inner death, they’ve been playing the Cubs. If I were on either one of those teams, I would be petrified to see the schedule in the near future if it has them playing in primetime.
A great article on a blog Freudianly titled “Deadspin” cites Hancock’s impactà “His sudden departure -- shocking, horrible, insane -- makes us feel as if we have lost something that we never realized we had. We want to go back and cheer harder for him, forgive his mistakes more easily ... treat him as human in a way we never did as a mere fan. He shifts from middle reliever to human being only in death; this can drive a fan mad with guilt and confusion” (http://deadspin.com/sports/josh-hancock/rip-josh-hancock-256275.php)
In addition, the loyal Cardinals fans who had good relationships with both Kile and Hancock are left to face the mourning again…cursed or not.
“There really is ‘Cardinal love’. After a big win, as the crush of fans makes their way from Busch Stadium, the atmosphere is electric. Cardinals’ fans from different cities and different backgrounds unite together through thick and thin. We can celebrate the good. We can recover from the bad.” (http://apps.dennews.com/blog/?p=196)
Now that the Boston Red Sox are obnoxiously celebrating their World Series championship and getting over their own “curse”, that leaves the Cubs as baseball’s lovable losers.
No World Series since before there were 50 states. Curse of the Goat, Curse of Bartman, Curse of Wood and Prior’s spaghetti arms…call it whatever you will.
In some ways, the Cubs can only be thankful that the “curse” they have is not as bad as one their rivals have.
With Josh Hancock’s death this past weekend in an auto accident, the St. Louis Cardinals are struggling to recover yet again. Ever since Y2K passed, the “Y” (or why if you will) has hung around Busch.
Every time something good has happened to the Redbirds, it has been met with something bad.
In 2001, Albert Pujols came out of nowhere as a squeaky-clean, MVP candidate and face of the franchise. The Cards missed out barely on the World Series.
A year later, the team had to face the death of longtime announcer and ambassador Jack Buck. Though tragic and a blow to the team, Buck was old and could not go on forever; he had been sick for sometime.
If that wasn’t enough, five days later, ace Darryl Kile unexpectedly passed from a heart condition. Just as the Cardinal nation was getting past one disaster, another punched them in the gut.
Now, months after celebrating their first World Series title in 25 years, the Cards are recovering again with Hancock’s passing.
You can’t help but feel for the group of players who survived 2002 and now this. Even when the Indians lost Steve Olin and Tim Crews in the early 90s boat crash, it came all at once, lumping the mourning into one period. Now, the Cardinals are forced again to pull their strength together.
Are the Cardinals “cursed”? It’s probably without reason, but they have been the most troubled team since the turn of the millennium. They’ve been the Def Leppard of ballclubs—every time you think you’ve gotten over the ultimate hurdle, another about 12 feet taller stands in front of you.
Maybe the real curse lies in the Cubs-Cards series. The last two times St. Louis has battled inner death, they’ve been playing the Cubs. If I were on either one of those teams, I would be petrified to see the schedule in the near future if it has them playing in primetime.
A great article on a blog Freudianly titled “Deadspin” cites Hancock’s impactà “His sudden departure -- shocking, horrible, insane -- makes us feel as if we have lost something that we never realized we had. We want to go back and cheer harder for him, forgive his mistakes more easily ... treat him as human in a way we never did as a mere fan. He shifts from middle reliever to human being only in death; this can drive a fan mad with guilt and confusion” (http://deadspin.com/sports/josh-hancock/rip-josh-hancock-256275.php)
In addition, the loyal Cardinals fans who had good relationships with both Kile and Hancock are left to face the mourning again…cursed or not.
“There really is ‘Cardinal love’. After a big win, as the crush of fans makes their way from Busch Stadium, the atmosphere is electric. Cardinals’ fans from different cities and different backgrounds unite together through thick and thin. We can celebrate the good. We can recover from the bad.” (http://apps.dennews.com/blog/?p=196)
Sunday, April 29, 2007
BURNED GOLDEN BROWN
BURNED AND BROWN
Did anyone else happen to catch ESPN at all yesterday? Former Notre Dame quarterback Brady Quinn was sitting in a green room, accompanied by soon-to-be trophy wife Lindy Slinger (which btw is the greatest name for an athlete accomplice ever), and the NFL Draft broke out.
Out of 250-someodd picks, Quinn is likely to be the only one we’ll remember Monday at work. The sight of the shaggy-haired ex-Irish leader sitting, waiting and wishing for his name to be called was the sight of the draft…as ESPN preached to us (another btw…how did Suzy “Please Don’t Leave Me Brady, I Won’t Know What to Do With Myself” Kolber report on Quinn being moved to a room ‘barred from media access to protect his privacy’ to…doing an interview with Quinn about 15 minutes later? What the hell?).
“Regardless of your fan affiliation, how could you not feel for Quinn yesterday? After Cleveland passed on him, ESPN had him on the split-screen for a reaction during damn near every pick, regardless of whether that team needed a quarterback or not. It was like a bizarro Academy Awards, when they have a camera on everyone and show the losers' reactions -- but with Brady as the lone, jilted nominee in every single category. Painful. (http://bluegraysky.blogspot.com/2007_04_01_archive.html)”
I’m gonna go the other route with this one and say what’s done is done. Quinn is going to be a Cleveland Brown, albeit 19 picks and a few million dollars after it was anticipated, and it’s time to move forward. However, in the wake of Quinn’s embarrassing day, here’s what he, the Browns and the NFL can do to overlook this day of personal shame
--Don’t show Brady as bitter. Have Quinn continue to promote the same storyline he did when he was expected to go to Cleveland at No. 3. For weeks, we heard that Quinn, a Dublin, OH native, wanted the chance to play for the team he grew up rooting for; now, the team should maybe have Quinn (and the other picks) do an introductory conference where Quinn reiterates living his dream…regardless of how it came to be. This way, he won’t show if he truly is ticked at how his stock fell and can move forward in embracing the team, city and fans he hopes will be cheering him for years to come.
--Likewise, Cleveland’s ownership and coaching staff should also make a statement saying that they “are happy to get a player with the talent and potential of Brady Quinn” and that they are “looking forward to seeing his development”…or something like that. The front office needs to let fans believe that they did not take Quinn as a sympathy pick or did so under pressure from fans; even if it’s not all the way true, they need to create the idea that they took Quinn believing he could be a vital football player.
--Don’t let Brady be full of himself. Most of the reason we sports fans (me included) detest Notre Dame is the sense of arrogance that emits from South Bend. As the 22nd pick, Quinn should say that he is coming into camp not expecting anything, though the Browns likely would not have taken him if they had faith in Charlie Frye. Quinn should say that he is coming into summer camp eager to learn, looking forward to challenging Frye and open to whatever comes. After seeing him almost in tears on draft day, Quinn has no business coming in with a chip on his shoulder. Likewise, get the contract settled; a long first-round holdout would only further permeate the idea that Quinn is spiteful.
--Package the whole draft. Cleveland bypassed Quinn for OT Joe Thomas, who is projected as a lock to be successful. The Browns should promote to the city that they now have two weapons instead of one. Package Thomas and Quinn together on promotional materials, maybe with a photo of Thomas standing in front of Quinn convincingly and a slogan such as “Protecting the Future” or something like that. Browns fans need to know that Thomas is a quality player and not just “the guy we took instead of Quinn the first time”, but also know that Quinn is an important player as well.
“Brady Quinn now has an opportunity to prove the naysayers wrong and he can do it with the team he always wanted to play for. I hope he succeeds. (http://www.leadernotes.com/2007/04/_saturday_i_spent_most.html)”
Did anyone else happen to catch ESPN at all yesterday? Former Notre Dame quarterback Brady Quinn was sitting in a green room, accompanied by soon-to-be trophy wife Lindy Slinger (which btw is the greatest name for an athlete accomplice ever), and the NFL Draft broke out.
Out of 250-someodd picks, Quinn is likely to be the only one we’ll remember Monday at work. The sight of the shaggy-haired ex-Irish leader sitting, waiting and wishing for his name to be called was the sight of the draft…as ESPN preached to us (another btw…how did Suzy “Please Don’t Leave Me Brady, I Won’t Know What to Do With Myself” Kolber report on Quinn being moved to a room ‘barred from media access to protect his privacy’ to…doing an interview with Quinn about 15 minutes later? What the hell?).
“Regardless of your fan affiliation, how could you not feel for Quinn yesterday? After Cleveland passed on him, ESPN had him on the split-screen for a reaction during damn near every pick, regardless of whether that team needed a quarterback or not. It was like a bizarro Academy Awards, when they have a camera on everyone and show the losers' reactions -- but with Brady as the lone, jilted nominee in every single category. Painful. (http://bluegraysky.blogspot.com/2007_04_01_archive.html)”
I’m gonna go the other route with this one and say what’s done is done. Quinn is going to be a Cleveland Brown, albeit 19 picks and a few million dollars after it was anticipated, and it’s time to move forward. However, in the wake of Quinn’s embarrassing day, here’s what he, the Browns and the NFL can do to overlook this day of personal shame
--Don’t show Brady as bitter. Have Quinn continue to promote the same storyline he did when he was expected to go to Cleveland at No. 3. For weeks, we heard that Quinn, a Dublin, OH native, wanted the chance to play for the team he grew up rooting for; now, the team should maybe have Quinn (and the other picks) do an introductory conference where Quinn reiterates living his dream…regardless of how it came to be. This way, he won’t show if he truly is ticked at how his stock fell and can move forward in embracing the team, city and fans he hopes will be cheering him for years to come.
--Likewise, Cleveland’s ownership and coaching staff should also make a statement saying that they “are happy to get a player with the talent and potential of Brady Quinn” and that they are “looking forward to seeing his development”…or something like that. The front office needs to let fans believe that they did not take Quinn as a sympathy pick or did so under pressure from fans; even if it’s not all the way true, they need to create the idea that they took Quinn believing he could be a vital football player.
--Don’t let Brady be full of himself. Most of the reason we sports fans (me included) detest Notre Dame is the sense of arrogance that emits from South Bend. As the 22nd pick, Quinn should say that he is coming into camp not expecting anything, though the Browns likely would not have taken him if they had faith in Charlie Frye. Quinn should say that he is coming into summer camp eager to learn, looking forward to challenging Frye and open to whatever comes. After seeing him almost in tears on draft day, Quinn has no business coming in with a chip on his shoulder. Likewise, get the contract settled; a long first-round holdout would only further permeate the idea that Quinn is spiteful.
--Package the whole draft. Cleveland bypassed Quinn for OT Joe Thomas, who is projected as a lock to be successful. The Browns should promote to the city that they now have two weapons instead of one. Package Thomas and Quinn together on promotional materials, maybe with a photo of Thomas standing in front of Quinn convincingly and a slogan such as “Protecting the Future” or something like that. Browns fans need to know that Thomas is a quality player and not just “the guy we took instead of Quinn the first time”, but also know that Quinn is an important player as well.
“Brady Quinn now has an opportunity to prove the naysayers wrong and he can do it with the team he always wanted to play for. I hope he succeeds. (http://www.leadernotes.com/2007/04/_saturday_i_spent_most.html)”
STAR BRIGHT
A video clip we watched in my “Contemporary Issues and Sports” class yesterday got me thinking about this one.
In case you missed it, Knicks guard and known NBA pain in the ass Stephon Marbury released his line of basketball shoes last summer.
Not a big deal, right? Except that Marbury’s “Starbury 1” shoes were released exclusively at Steve and Barry’s stores…for only $15 a pair.
Marbury openly admits that the reasoning behind his business venture was to show the youth market that buying hip sneakers didn’t have to cost $150. Marbury himself grew up in the projects of New York City and could not afford trendy Air Jordans.
In addition, the Starbury campaign could also be seen as an answer to the growing violence among inner city youth which sees kids who can collect all their change for expensive designer sneakers getting mugged, sometimes killed for the goods. The video bit in particular told of Marbury doing a shoe signing in Minnesota days after a child was gunned down for his basketball shoes.
The Starbury line is also expanding. Bulls center Ben Wallace recently agreed to sponsor his own shoe through the same company at the same price. And tests have shown that the Starburys are not of “$15 quality” and hold up fairly well in comparison to their Nike, Reebok, etc. competitors.
Personally, I think this is a great idea worth the low-cost risk. I’m sure there are a bunch of children around the nation whose parents will be more willing to open for some sneakers if they find out they are $15 and not $150. In particular, since Marbury is an NYC “Playground Hero” and plays for the Knicks, the struggling youth of New York City will definitely be a beneficial target market for the shoes.
In addition, it’s also a way for Marbury himself to erase his image as a selfish, underachieving player. Such goodwill can only outweigh the negatives on the court.
The challenge: making the Starburys on the same level playing field as the Air Jordans, LeBron’s shoes, etc. There is the risk that kids wearing Starburys will be seen as inferior to their classmates since everyone knows they are cheaper—it’s almost placing a bullseye on a kid’s back which says, “I can’t afford ‘real’ shoes”.
In case you missed it, Knicks guard and known NBA pain in the ass Stephon Marbury released his line of basketball shoes last summer.
Not a big deal, right? Except that Marbury’s “Starbury 1” shoes were released exclusively at Steve and Barry’s stores…for only $15 a pair.
Marbury openly admits that the reasoning behind his business venture was to show the youth market that buying hip sneakers didn’t have to cost $150. Marbury himself grew up in the projects of New York City and could not afford trendy Air Jordans.
In addition, the Starbury campaign could also be seen as an answer to the growing violence among inner city youth which sees kids who can collect all their change for expensive designer sneakers getting mugged, sometimes killed for the goods. The video bit in particular told of Marbury doing a shoe signing in Minnesota days after a child was gunned down for his basketball shoes.
The Starbury line is also expanding. Bulls center Ben Wallace recently agreed to sponsor his own shoe through the same company at the same price. And tests have shown that the Starburys are not of “$15 quality” and hold up fairly well in comparison to their Nike, Reebok, etc. competitors.
Personally, I think this is a great idea worth the low-cost risk. I’m sure there are a bunch of children around the nation whose parents will be more willing to open for some sneakers if they find out they are $15 and not $150. In particular, since Marbury is an NYC “Playground Hero” and plays for the Knicks, the struggling youth of New York City will definitely be a beneficial target market for the shoes.
In addition, it’s also a way for Marbury himself to erase his image as a selfish, underachieving player. Such goodwill can only outweigh the negatives on the court.
The challenge: making the Starburys on the same level playing field as the Air Jordans, LeBron’s shoes, etc. There is the risk that kids wearing Starburys will be seen as inferior to their classmates since everyone knows they are cheaper—it’s almost placing a bullseye on a kid’s back which says, “I can’t afford ‘real’ shoes”.
Thursday, April 26, 2007
SEARCHING THE WRECKAGE FOR SPLINTERS
SEARCHING THE WRECKAGE FOR SPLINTERS:
Personally, I think everything that needs to be said about the core of the Virginia Tech incident from last week has been said. Yeah, it’s said, and no, I’m not heartless or anything, but hearing the same stories over and over for a week doesn’t make it any easier to move on.
Thus, here are some of the interesting side angles dealing with how the black day in Blacksburg inadvertently linked with sports…things you may have missed in the avalanche of news coverage.
-It’s probably not the way they would have liked it to increase, but sports merchandise and apparel makers have raked in the cash over the last week. It seems like everywhere you turn nowadays, someone has something Virginia Tech on, and it makes sense because it’s an easy way to show support for the campus and present the “We Stand As One” mentality we have pressed for in the wake of the tragedy. I am curious as to how many retailers sold out of Hokie gear in the last week…even moreso how business turned for the campus bookstores and Blacksburg retailers.
Hokie gear is also a prominent hot commodity across the nation on your sports media outlets. After his no hitter last week, Mark Buehrle sported a VT cap during his news conference. NASCAR’s Denny Hamlin, a VT native, did the same at last weekend’s race.
Again, this is probably far from how these retailers wanted a boost in revenue, but I’m sure they’ll take it; if nothing else, for the solace of helping people find comfort after this tragedy and create a “Hokie Nation”
-Boy did Mike Vick alum himself into some good publicity last week.
The former Hokie quarterback made headlines by donating $10,000 to a relief fund for victims’ families, this after immediately releasing a statement the day of the shootings expressing sorrow and a willingness to help out in whatever way possible.
The Angel’s Advocate (is that a real term? Whatever—“they’re just words, they don’t control us”) says that Vick was truly acting out of goodwill to a campus that helped him become a No. 1 overall pick. In addition, he may have been trying to kickstart other players into doing the same, much like teammate Warrick Dunn did after Katrina.
The Devil’s Advocate (and there have been plenty of detractors in the last few days) claims that Vick is doing this as a way to blind some of the bad press he has received in the last few years and put a good light on himself. No one will talk about what was in that water bottle at the airport when Vick is giving money to aid in a tragedy.
Said one blogger and critic, “How nice of him to sacrifice what he probably spends in one night at the club. (http://llsports2.blogspot.com/2007/04/michael-vick-helps.html)”
My take: I believe Vick probably would have contributed to the campus in some way, but a good PR team also realized that they could make the most out of it and try to get the QB back in the good graces of the national spotlight.
-It’s become a cliché in this post-9/11 world about how “sports bring people together” and “finding solace in the games”, but it’s also true.
My favorite images (if that’s a PC term in the wake of the tragedy) from the fallout was not anything from memorials or vigils or people hugging.
It was the Virginia Tech men’s golf team holding its share of the ACC championship trophy last weekend.
It was the masses at Penn State’s spring football game wearing maroon and orange and forming a VT logo in the crowd
It was also the crowd at the baseball stadium last Friday night cheering on the Hokies against Miami, in what had to be an eerie environment but for one night brought back some excitement and energy to a campus that desperately needed it.
"I think that students need to get back to normal," said junior Chance Hellmann in a Boston Herald blog, who wandered near the diamond with a friend hours before the game. His friend Nicole White, 20, was killed in the shooting. "Anything that keeps your mind off this is a good thing," he said. (http://sports.bostonherald.com/college/view.bg)
This campus needs sports as a way to loosen the fears of the student body. Attending baseball or softball or tennis on campus is a great way to take the mind off what happened and try to regain a sense of normalcy.
As an entry on the Orlando Sentinel blog so eloquently put it, “Sports will never be perfect. There will always be stories that bring a negative light to sports. There will always be cheats and athletes that misbehave on and off the pitch. But this past week also showed that when the world is blackened by senseless actions, sports can provide a needed venue for healing, remembering and most importantly, reaching out to those in need. (http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/sports_soccerblog/2007/04/sport_looks_to_.html)”
Personally, I think everything that needs to be said about the core of the Virginia Tech incident from last week has been said. Yeah, it’s said, and no, I’m not heartless or anything, but hearing the same stories over and over for a week doesn’t make it any easier to move on.
Thus, here are some of the interesting side angles dealing with how the black day in Blacksburg inadvertently linked with sports…things you may have missed in the avalanche of news coverage.
-It’s probably not the way they would have liked it to increase, but sports merchandise and apparel makers have raked in the cash over the last week. It seems like everywhere you turn nowadays, someone has something Virginia Tech on, and it makes sense because it’s an easy way to show support for the campus and present the “We Stand As One” mentality we have pressed for in the wake of the tragedy. I am curious as to how many retailers sold out of Hokie gear in the last week…even moreso how business turned for the campus bookstores and Blacksburg retailers.
Hokie gear is also a prominent hot commodity across the nation on your sports media outlets. After his no hitter last week, Mark Buehrle sported a VT cap during his news conference. NASCAR’s Denny Hamlin, a VT native, did the same at last weekend’s race.
Again, this is probably far from how these retailers wanted a boost in revenue, but I’m sure they’ll take it; if nothing else, for the solace of helping people find comfort after this tragedy and create a “Hokie Nation”
-Boy did Mike Vick alum himself into some good publicity last week.
The former Hokie quarterback made headlines by donating $10,000 to a relief fund for victims’ families, this after immediately releasing a statement the day of the shootings expressing sorrow and a willingness to help out in whatever way possible.
The Angel’s Advocate (is that a real term? Whatever—“they’re just words, they don’t control us”) says that Vick was truly acting out of goodwill to a campus that helped him become a No. 1 overall pick. In addition, he may have been trying to kickstart other players into doing the same, much like teammate Warrick Dunn did after Katrina.
The Devil’s Advocate (and there have been plenty of detractors in the last few days) claims that Vick is doing this as a way to blind some of the bad press he has received in the last few years and put a good light on himself. No one will talk about what was in that water bottle at the airport when Vick is giving money to aid in a tragedy.
Said one blogger and critic, “How nice of him to sacrifice what he probably spends in one night at the club. (http://llsports2.blogspot.com/2007/04/michael-vick-helps.html)”
My take: I believe Vick probably would have contributed to the campus in some way, but a good PR team also realized that they could make the most out of it and try to get the QB back in the good graces of the national spotlight.
-It’s become a cliché in this post-9/11 world about how “sports bring people together” and “finding solace in the games”, but it’s also true.
My favorite images (if that’s a PC term in the wake of the tragedy) from the fallout was not anything from memorials or vigils or people hugging.
It was the Virginia Tech men’s golf team holding its share of the ACC championship trophy last weekend.
It was the masses at Penn State’s spring football game wearing maroon and orange and forming a VT logo in the crowd
It was also the crowd at the baseball stadium last Friday night cheering on the Hokies against Miami, in what had to be an eerie environment but for one night brought back some excitement and energy to a campus that desperately needed it.
"I think that students need to get back to normal," said junior Chance Hellmann in a Boston Herald blog, who wandered near the diamond with a friend hours before the game. His friend Nicole White, 20, was killed in the shooting. "Anything that keeps your mind off this is a good thing," he said. (http://sports.bostonherald.com/college/view.bg)
This campus needs sports as a way to loosen the fears of the student body. Attending baseball or softball or tennis on campus is a great way to take the mind off what happened and try to regain a sense of normalcy.
As an entry on the Orlando Sentinel blog so eloquently put it, “Sports will never be perfect. There will always be stories that bring a negative light to sports. There will always be cheats and athletes that misbehave on and off the pitch. But this past week also showed that when the world is blackened by senseless actions, sports can provide a needed venue for healing, remembering and most importantly, reaching out to those in need. (http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/sports_soccerblog/2007/04/sport_looks_to_.html)”
Thursday, April 19, 2007
DEAD FOR THE TED
While attending an Atlanta Braves home game last week, a friend nonchalantly said to me, “Are the Braves doing anything for the 10th anniversary of Turner Field?”
Disappointing to me was the fact that I hadn’t even thought about it until she mentioned it. Even more disappointing is the fact that the Braves front office is missing a huge PR coup.
Normally, the Braves have been good with campaigns. Last season, they celebrated the 40th Anniversary of the team moving to Atlanta by honoring a different decade each month, featuring player signings, appearances and giving fans cars from each decade. In addition, I’ve seen how well they do in promoting their string of division championships; trust me, as a Mets fan, I puke a little bit each time they show it in my face.
However, unless they have something massive planned later in the year, the Braves are sleeping on celebrating a decade in a stadium regaled as one of the best in the game.
I had just moved to Atlanta when the colossus that was once the center of Olympic activity became “The Ted”, and everyone was excited and celebrating its opening. Attendance (though mocked throughout the league) has been fairly good, and the facility is top notch.
What the Braves should be doing, like last season with the decades celebration, is promote both within and outside of the park, even with a simple campaign such as “10 at the Ted”.
They should hang banners throughout the outfield so fans can see that it is the important anniversary; visibility does make a difference. Throughout the city, they should rent out billboards on the way to Turner promoting the anniversary. In addition, the Braves have always had a good relationship with the AJC; they should use it to promote the celebration and present a different “Classic Moment” every week or so.
Running with that idea, Braves TV broadcasts should show a different great moment from Turner Field in each game (with all those division championships, they should have plenty to choose from). They could also get commentary from players such as Smoltz and the Joneses who have played at Turner since its opening.
I could go on forever with ideas to let the Braves run with this, and it’s mindblowing to think that if I could come up with all that in the span of five minutes how no one upstairs in the franchise could do something with months of planning.
Maybe I’ll save the really good ideas for the closing of Shea Stadium
Disappointing to me was the fact that I hadn’t even thought about it until she mentioned it. Even more disappointing is the fact that the Braves front office is missing a huge PR coup.
Normally, the Braves have been good with campaigns. Last season, they celebrated the 40th Anniversary of the team moving to Atlanta by honoring a different decade each month, featuring player signings, appearances and giving fans cars from each decade. In addition, I’ve seen how well they do in promoting their string of division championships; trust me, as a Mets fan, I puke a little bit each time they show it in my face.
However, unless they have something massive planned later in the year, the Braves are sleeping on celebrating a decade in a stadium regaled as one of the best in the game.
I had just moved to Atlanta when the colossus that was once the center of Olympic activity became “The Ted”, and everyone was excited and celebrating its opening. Attendance (though mocked throughout the league) has been fairly good, and the facility is top notch.
What the Braves should be doing, like last season with the decades celebration, is promote both within and outside of the park, even with a simple campaign such as “10 at the Ted”.
They should hang banners throughout the outfield so fans can see that it is the important anniversary; visibility does make a difference. Throughout the city, they should rent out billboards on the way to Turner promoting the anniversary. In addition, the Braves have always had a good relationship with the AJC; they should use it to promote the celebration and present a different “Classic Moment” every week or so.
Running with that idea, Braves TV broadcasts should show a different great moment from Turner Field in each game (with all those division championships, they should have plenty to choose from). They could also get commentary from players such as Smoltz and the Joneses who have played at Turner since its opening.
I could go on forever with ideas to let the Braves run with this, and it’s mindblowing to think that if I could come up with all that in the span of five minutes how no one upstairs in the franchise could do something with months of planning.
Maybe I’ll save the really good ideas for the closing of Shea Stadium
TOO MANY MINUTES FOR 60?
Oh boy am I going to get in trouble with this one.
There is no way anyone can underestimate how much Jackie Robinson and his breaking of the color barrier defined the game of baseball. MLB should continue to honor his memory and stress his impact to future generations.
However, I don’t really understand why the 60th anniversary of his breaking the color barrier was such a big deal. You know how they say something can be all sizzle and no steak? This was more like a three-alarm inferno and a single strand of hamburger.
Maybe it’s just the way that ESPN crammed it down my throat and everyone else’s to the point where I couldn’t watch Sportscenter Sunday night, but I still am not seeing the reason this was such a big deal.
I was always taught that among marriages and relationships, five, 10, 25, 50, 75…these are big anniversaries. Nowhere in that is 60 a humongous deal. Are we going to celebrate 61 next year? Or every other year that ends in a “-7”?
I can see it now in the year 2077—“ESPN 18 will honor the 130th anniversary of Jackie Robinson breaking the color barrier by nauseating you with commemoration”.
I have a hard time believing I am the only one, as some bad press surfacing within days of the weekend’s celebrations indicates.
Articles in several papers on Sunday (JR day across the game) cited the lack of black players in baseball and how the number is declining. On a day to celebrate black involvement in the game, it can’t be good to show that this is happening…saying under the surface that Robinson’s heroics might be approaching a level of meaninglessness.
Even in that case, talented black players in the game such as Minnesota’s Torii Hunter aren’t doing the effort any cause.
On ESPNews last week, Hunter, who was “honored” by the Twins as being chosen to wear Robinson’s No. 42 on Sunday (each team selected a player they believed represented JR’s ideals), blasted the idea, saying that Robinson was probably “rolling in his grave.”
When one of the game’s most noticeable black players is trashing honoring blacks in baseball, something must be up.
My theory: ESPN made the event into a big deal because it is afraid that inaction would tick off its black audiences, which as we saw with Don Imus over the last few weeks is not a place big business wants to go.
Should ESPN and MLB have acknowledged the anniversary? Absolutely. Talk to Rachel Robinson, Jackie’s widow, and maybe have her throw out a first pitch? Why not. But to promote the 60th anniversary more than the 50th is untraditional and unnecessary if you ask me.
In no way am I saying Jackie Robinson shouldn’t be honored, but I tend to agree with Hunter—even he would probably have stopped watching ESPN last week
There is no way anyone can underestimate how much Jackie Robinson and his breaking of the color barrier defined the game of baseball. MLB should continue to honor his memory and stress his impact to future generations.
However, I don’t really understand why the 60th anniversary of his breaking the color barrier was such a big deal. You know how they say something can be all sizzle and no steak? This was more like a three-alarm inferno and a single strand of hamburger.
Maybe it’s just the way that ESPN crammed it down my throat and everyone else’s to the point where I couldn’t watch Sportscenter Sunday night, but I still am not seeing the reason this was such a big deal.
I was always taught that among marriages and relationships, five, 10, 25, 50, 75…these are big anniversaries. Nowhere in that is 60 a humongous deal. Are we going to celebrate 61 next year? Or every other year that ends in a “-7”?
I can see it now in the year 2077—“ESPN 18 will honor the 130th anniversary of Jackie Robinson breaking the color barrier by nauseating you with commemoration”.
I have a hard time believing I am the only one, as some bad press surfacing within days of the weekend’s celebrations indicates.
Articles in several papers on Sunday (JR day across the game) cited the lack of black players in baseball and how the number is declining. On a day to celebrate black involvement in the game, it can’t be good to show that this is happening…saying under the surface that Robinson’s heroics might be approaching a level of meaninglessness.
Even in that case, talented black players in the game such as Minnesota’s Torii Hunter aren’t doing the effort any cause.
On ESPNews last week, Hunter, who was “honored” by the Twins as being chosen to wear Robinson’s No. 42 on Sunday (each team selected a player they believed represented JR’s ideals), blasted the idea, saying that Robinson was probably “rolling in his grave.”
When one of the game’s most noticeable black players is trashing honoring blacks in baseball, something must be up.
My theory: ESPN made the event into a big deal because it is afraid that inaction would tick off its black audiences, which as we saw with Don Imus over the last few weeks is not a place big business wants to go.
Should ESPN and MLB have acknowledged the anniversary? Absolutely. Talk to Rachel Robinson, Jackie’s widow, and maybe have her throw out a first pitch? Why not. But to promote the 60th anniversary more than the 50th is untraditional and unnecessary if you ask me.
In no way am I saying Jackie Robinson shouldn’t be honored, but I tend to agree with Hunter—even he would probably have stopped watching ESPN last week
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