Off The Top of My Head - Jason - May 8, 2007
A sampling that is perhaps the most "blog-like" of any of our articles, "Off The Top of My Head" is a series of opinion pieces wherein the writers at STH take an opportunity to discuss their take on sports, work, politics, religion, or simply just life as we know it. Use these columns as an opportunity to get to know us. Use them as an opportunity to bash us. One thing you can't use them for is toilet paper...unless you print them out...and that's just sad.
Barry Lamar Bonds:
Given the seething nationwide hatred for Mr. Balco, it's probably about time we start referring to him by three names, an honor usually reserved for assassins and stuffy British guys. The past week has seen a non-stop avalanche of Bonds related talk. "Will you be happy if Barry breaks the record?" "Is Barry a hall of famer?" "Did you know that Barry is black?" Regardless of the question - the answer is simple...we hate Barry! He's a cheater, a jerk, an arrogant bastard, and he has a large head...literally.
Unfortunately, somewhere amongst my months of media driven Bonds-hating training I seem to have lost my way. I don't really care if he breaks the record - and I don't really hate him. The daily slams against Bonds actually seem to be getting a bit one-sided in my mind. Where was this outrage when Shawn Merriman got busted? Why doesn't anyone accuse Roger Clemens of playing a little too well a little too late in life? Why is it so easy for us to abhor the steroid abuse of athletes when we are a society of addicts who can't go to sleep or have sex without first downing a mouthful of pills?
The saddest part of the Bonds scenario is the amazing athlete that we have all forgotten. "Little Bonds", as I fondly remember him, was a multi-time MVP in his own right, a threat in every aspect of the game who rarely missed a start and was a terror both at the plate and on the base paths. A certain first ballot hall of famer before he hit 73 homeruns, Barry will now have to spend his life wondering how breaking records made him a lesser athlete in the eyes of many. At least he's easy to hate.
Roger Clemens & Bret Favre:
Speaking of old men who need to retire, is anybody else getting sick of this song and dance? "I'm not coming back...no wait...I am." "I'll be back at mid-season." "I can't believe this team doesn't want to hinge their future on an aging veteran in the twilight of his prime!" While the talent and accomplishments of both Favre and Clemens are unquestioned, their sense of reality at the tail end of their careers seems to have become warped.
Can you imagine behaving in this manner at your job? Is there even a modern workplace equivalent? Imagine an employee who drafts a lengthy letter of resignation, attends his/her own going away party, then shows up at 11am on Thursday of the next week and resumes his/her job as usual...only to do the same thing again two weeks later. Would anyone talk to that employee after the second or third fake departure? Would you?
Though most of us would probably grow tired of this behavior if Bret from accounting were the perpetrator instead of Bret from the Packers, but sports fans seem reluctant to call out their heroes when said heroes refuse to attend training camp and show up halfway through the season (physically or mentally) with the stated mission of "winning the title". Perhaps I'm being naive, but wouldn't the concept of "team" be vastly improved if all the players showed up at the beginning of the season?
Transformers:
Is anyone else totally geeked about the release of the Transformers movie? Despite the excitement, I can't help but maintain an underlying concern that the final product will not meet what I admit are my ridiculously high expectations. Capturing the true beauty of the vehicle tranformation process that takes place just prior to Optimus Prime's tagline of "Autobots - Roll Out!" has to rank as one of the hardest tasks in cinematic history. While the previews have left a little to be desired in the way of overall appearance, I'll probably just be happy to hear the trademark series of whistles and chirps that signify the tell tale activity of a Transformer. Transformers hits Theatres in July.
Barry Lamar Bonds:
Given the seething nationwide hatred for Mr. Balco, it's probably about time we start referring to him by three names, an honor usually reserved for assassins and stuffy British guys. The past week has seen a non-stop avalanche of Bonds related talk. "Will you be happy if Barry breaks the record?" "Is Barry a hall of famer?" "Did you know that Barry is black?" Regardless of the question - the answer is simple...we hate Barry! He's a cheater, a jerk, an arrogant bastard, and he has a large head...literally.
Unfortunately, somewhere amongst my months of media driven Bonds-hating training I seem to have lost my way. I don't really care if he breaks the record - and I don't really hate him. The daily slams against Bonds actually seem to be getting a bit one-sided in my mind. Where was this outrage when Shawn Merriman got busted? Why doesn't anyone accuse Roger Clemens of playing a little too well a little too late in life? Why is it so easy for us to abhor the steroid abuse of athletes when we are a society of addicts who can't go to sleep or have sex without first downing a mouthful of pills?
The saddest part of the Bonds scenario is the amazing athlete that we have all forgotten. "Little Bonds", as I fondly remember him, was a multi-time MVP in his own right, a threat in every aspect of the game who rarely missed a start and was a terror both at the plate and on the base paths. A certain first ballot hall of famer before he hit 73 homeruns, Barry will now have to spend his life wondering how breaking records made him a lesser athlete in the eyes of many. At least he's easy to hate.
Roger Clemens & Bret Favre:
Speaking of old men who need to retire, is anybody else getting sick of this song and dance? "I'm not coming back...no wait...I am." "I'll be back at mid-season." "I can't believe this team doesn't want to hinge their future on an aging veteran in the twilight of his prime!" While the talent and accomplishments of both Favre and Clemens are unquestioned, their sense of reality at the tail end of their careers seems to have become warped.
Can you imagine behaving in this manner at your job? Is there even a modern workplace equivalent? Imagine an employee who drafts a lengthy letter of resignation, attends his/her own going away party, then shows up at 11am on Thursday of the next week and resumes his/her job as usual...only to do the same thing again two weeks later. Would anyone talk to that employee after the second or third fake departure? Would you?
Though most of us would probably grow tired of this behavior if Bret from accounting were the perpetrator instead of Bret from the Packers, but sports fans seem reluctant to call out their heroes when said heroes refuse to attend training camp and show up halfway through the season (physically or mentally) with the stated mission of "winning the title". Perhaps I'm being naive, but wouldn't the concept of "team" be vastly improved if all the players showed up at the beginning of the season?
Transformers:
Is anyone else totally geeked about the release of the Transformers movie? Despite the excitement, I can't help but maintain an underlying concern that the final product will not meet what I admit are my ridiculously high expectations. Capturing the true beauty of the vehicle tranformation process that takes place just prior to Optimus Prime's tagline of "Autobots - Roll Out!" has to rank as one of the hardest tasks in cinematic history. While the previews have left a little to be desired in the way of overall appearance, I'll probably just be happy to hear the trademark series of whistles and chirps that signify the tell tale activity of a Transformer. Transformers hits Theatres in July.
In the meantime...did anybody see Spiderman?
That's it for today folks - feel free to add. Let us know what's on your mind.
That's it for today folks - feel free to add. Let us know what's on your mind.
6 comments:
I got a topic for you.....Priest Holmes. Is there any better example of here today gone tomorrow in the history of sports? Just 4 seasons ago he was the talk of the NFL's rushing elite and last season he didn't even touch the ball, despite being on the Chiefs' roster. I know injuries have plagued the end of his career, but was Priest nothing but an imposter? A force for 3 seasons behind one of the best O-lines in NFL history. A Touchdown machine. A Hall of Famer????? You tell me.
Hmmm...someone who announces their retirement, gives their retirement speech at the holiday party and then his partners hear "on the street" that he has changed his mind? Sound familiar?
Interesting point on Priest Holmes. He's simialar to Terrell Davis in the short lived nature of his success, although he was the statistical superior of Davis by far. Is he Barry Sanders or Jim Brown? No. But I don't think that means he's chopped liver either. I'm sure there were several NFL backs who could have stepped into that role and been successful, but Holmes got the opportunity and he took advantage. A comparison could be drawn (albeit faintly) to the career of Emmitt Smith. Would he have been a record breaker if he weren't running behind a house of a man for 90% of his career?
The knocks on Holmes could also go back to his college days, where he was overshadowed by a hotshot underclassman by the name of Ricky Williams. Whatever happpened to that guy?
RUfan - I don't know who you're talking about, but that guy sounds like a real cl-ass individual.
The only parrallel that can be drawn between Holmes' and Smith's careers is the domiance they both exhibited. However, Priest's dominance lasted just 2-3 years. Emmitt Smith was the centerpiece of an era in NFL football. He never got the accolades showered on Aikman or Irvin. All Emmitt ever got was excuse that he ran behind a good line, not many successful backs haven't. The only blemish on Emmitt's career is that career ending stint with Arizona, and he still rushed for 937 yards and 9 TD behind THAT line, at 35 years old.
"What ever happened to that guy?"
What's with going all Jim Rome on us Jason? Turn off 950 and come back home to Anthony and Steve in the mid-day.
What useful topic
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