The Worst Sport In The World

I used to think that figure skating, and possibly rhythmic gymnastics were the worst sports on the face of the planet. Now having almost completed two years of college I know that I was wrong. There is one sport that in my opinion that stands above the rest holding the title no sport wants to have; Worst Sport In the World.

The sport of Women’s Crew is my pick for worst sport in the world. This is a sport that brainwashes the participants into thinking that there is no life outside of crew. Planning weekend trips that have everything to do with crew, and after the athletes spend entire days together they all go out again together at night. This doesn’t make sense to me, I mean I understand the whole team chemistry aspect and that your team is like your family, but come on! Even when I played basketball I was really close with my teammates and thought of them as family, but after the hours of practice, bus rides, and games I was happy to get away. This is probably why a lot of my good friends in high school had nothing to do with basketball. Come to think of it I’m happy to get away from my actual family whenever I have the chance.

From early morning practices, to afternoon practices, and the third workout I don’t understand how any sane human being would put themselves through the stress of trying to complete their school work while making it to all the practices, races and other team functions (spaghetti dinners, cookouts, etc). The women on the team do have a social life, but it is with the other women on the team, and there really isn’t room for anyone else.

Now don’t get me wrong this sport is very competitive and I really give props to anyone who does it because God knows I can’t, for one I’m a guy, and two I enjoy sleep too much. My problem with it is that it is robbing these women of a chance of something more out of their college experience. Like what? You might ask. They are learning valuable life lessons about teamwork, responsibility, time management, etc. All I have to say is yada yada yada. What about a boyfriend that would be the best thing that ever happened to them. You know the guy that put everything into making her feel like she was the world to him.

I’ll never understand why someone would want to put themselves through it and I don’t know how one thing can completely consume someone’s life, but it happens and I’m just going to deal with it, and hope that one day while she’s rowing that boat that she finds her way to me, and leaves it all behind.

The Yankees Ruined Baseball

So I’m going to come out and say it…If the Red Sox are brought up in the same sentence as the Yankees for cheating by spending so much money and having the two highest payrolls in baseball I’m going to flip a lid, blow a gasket, whatever. Don’t let my reasoning for the Red Sox not deserving these accusations deter you from criticizing the Yankees in any way, shape, or form. My argument is this; thanks to MSN.com’s decision to put out a list of the top 100 paid players in Major League Baseball (MLB), I have decided that the Red Sox are not cheating at all as far as payrolls go.

The top 3 spots on this list belong to Yankee players Alex Rodriguez, Derek Jeter, and Jason Giambi. There is also Mike Mussina holding down the number six spot. The first and only Red Sox in the top 10 is Manny Ramirez at number seven. There is also one other team in the top 10 that has more than one player that being the Houston Astros with Jeff Bagwell and Andy Pettitte.

After Manny there is not a Red Sox on the list until the three way tie for number 26, this being Curt Schilling. In the Top 25 there are five teams that have multiple players (six Yankees, three Astros, three Mets, three Braves, two Angels) I think it is also fair to mention the fact that one of the players tied for 26 is Yankees Outfielder Hideki Matsui.

This isn’t even mentioning the best part of this list and that is the fact, that so far in this the season of 2006, two of the Red Sox top performers; David Ortiz (6 HR's, 12 RBIs) and Josh Beckett (3-0, and 1.29 ERA) are not even in the top 100. Also let’s not forget Jonathan Papelbon who has six saves in six save opportunities, and our former backup third baseman turned starting first baseman Kevin Youkilis.

The list as a whole has 12 Yankee players compared to the six that are members of the Red Sox, four of which are in the bottom 50 of the top 100. I’m going to neglect the fact that the Red Sox are in second place with most players on the list since there are quite a few teams that match their mark of 6 players on the list. So all I have left to say is…take that New York who dominates the top 100 highest paid players in the MLB list and sit at 6-6 at the bottom of the AL east. So much for the theory of buying championships (Note: The Yankees haven’t won a World Series since 2000).

One Series Down, Fifty-One to Go

It is April 6, 2006 and the Boston Red Sox sit a half game behind the Baltimore Orioles in the AL East. The only reason I can give you for this is that the Orioles have played one less game than the Sox and they are playing the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, and that my friends is a joke of a franchise. So after this weekend when these two teams meet in Baltimore this weekend I think the Red Sox will prevail, and by Sunday night the Red Sox will sit all by their lonesome at the top of the Division. The best part about these opening series is that the New York Yankees are 1-2 and are in second to last place in the division…I guess money can’t buy happiness.

Another baseball storyline that has been getting a lot of attention especially in Philadelphia is Jimmy Rollins chasing Joe DiMaggio’s hit streak record. For an update it ended today at 39 games. I’m glad it’s over so I don’t have to hear about it anymore. I don’t know how many times I’ve heard this winter it would be a great thing for baseball if he broke it, I however completely disagree. Yeah, it would be great for the team that has the player who does it, because they would have something to attract fans. Now look at it from the perspective of someone who has no ties to that particular organization, who gives a shit, especially in a day and age where the steroids scandal is always getting leading headlines.

Elsewhere in the wide world of sports, the Masters will be played this weekend in Augusta, GA. I hate watching golf on TV, but I absolutely love the Master’s on a Sunday. The competition is the best the tournament has to offer for that year and you can see some amazing shots. Another great thing about it is that is unpredictable and the chances of a close match are extremely high. Last years Masters was one of the best I have experienced second only to the year before where Phil Mickelson won his first major.

This will be the last time I mention the NCAA tournament, or at least until next year. A big shame on you George Mason for screwing up everyone’s brackets so bad, and then disappointing everyone by not winning the title. I know for me personally when I found out that George Mason was making a legitimate title run I was rooting for them, and do you know that the night Gonzaga lost I bought a Gonzaga t-shirt about an hour before they were eliminated from the tournament, talk about kisses of death. Other than that the tournament really didn’t do it for me, better luck next year.

One quick question before I depart. When did Bronson Arroyo become a power hitter? The skinny reliever with a rubber elbow that was sometimes a starter had his first start yesterday as a member of the Cincinnati Reds where he got the win and not to mention a Home Run in his first at bat. He also had a sacrifice bunt and drew a walk in the contest. It almost makes me wish the American League didn’t have a DH and Arroyo was still on the Sox. Wait a minute…does that mean we would have to put David Ortiz at first on a day to day basis? The David Ortiz at first situation is like that one friend you have that you don’t really like but can deal with them in small doses. Well, I have a lot of faith in Ortiz at first, but I don’t know how I feel about everyday. I think one of the reasons he does good when he plays there is because he doesn’t have to focus on it all the time so he’s mentally fresh. So yeah, I love the DH rule and I think it should become universal in the league. Until next time…Swing for the Fences.

One of the Best Days of the Year

April 3rd is easily the best day of 2006 thus far. It was opening day and yes it was amazing. Yeah I had class and missed a fairly sizable chunk of my beloved Red Sox game, but I got to Maxi's just in time to watch David Ortiz hit a Home Run down the Right Field line. If this is any indication of how this Red Sox season will turn out for me I am going to be a very very very happy man come October. The Red Sox ended up winning 7-3 and Curt Schilling pitched a solid game, his first since 2004. It must be nice for Schill to be healthy.

Another great thing about opening day, a point that was brought to me by Nick, this kid in my IH class, is that on opening day no matter what team you root for, there is always that shed of hope that this could be the year. Very deep Nick, very deep indeed, you know what the kid has a point. I know for the last few hours before the game every baseball fan asks themselves at least once, could this be the year? I know I have many times and it has come true only once, thanks 2004 World Champion Red Sox.

Opening Day also symbolizes that warmer days are on the way because the boys of summer are coming out of hibernation. I absolutely love baseball season, all summer you can sit in front of the TV on a given night at 7:05 and watch a game. I feel like its one of the few sports that despite the extremely large salaries and the ever present steroid controversy that still has childhood innocence. Watching the games brings me back to the days when I would sit at the kitchen table with my Dad and oil up my new glove, the one that replaced the glove I out grew the year before. And then that first game of catch in the backyard, imagining about what it would be like one day when I made it to the pros. I discovered early in my high school career that I wasn’t very good at baseball and those dreams fizzled out, but I still love the game and would drop almost anything to watch it.

In other sports topics, the end of the NCAA Men’s Tournament has come and gone. To say the least, it was a very unpredictable tournament, but the end of it was very anticlimactic. All in all I am disappointed with the outcome of the Florida Gators being National Champions in a blow out, a close game would have been nice. My final thought being the fan that threw the syringe at Barry Bonds in San Diego, that was priceless, but not in good taste. That situation could have escalated to a Detroit type brawl and no one wants that, unless Barry Bonds suffered a career ending injury. Though if the rumors about Bonds are true then he’d probably be up on his feet in a month or two thanks to another unhealthy dose of steroids. Until next time…