Undermining Baseball

The fifth batter in pinstripes steps up to the plate and is met with jeering. Boos rain down on his second at-bat, his third, and any time he makes a play from third base. Alex Rodriguez, otherwise known as A-Rod or A-Roid, has been associated with the acronym PEDs just as much as Lance Armstrong has. He has taken the summer's spotlight, and even though that's normally an impressive accomplishment, Rodriguez should show more guilt then he is now.

This year marks Mariano Rivera's final season of a long, successful career. Yasiel Puig made the best major league debut since Joe DiMaggio. However, none of these accomplishments have got as much light as Rodriguez's saga. Rodriguez proclaims his innocence and refuses to give in even though everyone else facing repercussions for the Biogenesis scandal has. A-Rod strikes me as arrogant, and egocentric. Doping isn't what was immoral about his actions, it's the dishonesty to himself and to the game. It's not fair that someone like Mariano Rivera, who literally started from the bottom, has been denied the respect and attention he deserves just because Alex Rodriguez is fighting allegations that everyone in the baseball world already knows are true.

Now, with A-Rod's appeal, there has to be a fair, but punishing, way of dealing with his disgrace to baseball. The solution is to implement a double-or-nothing process in which Rodriguez will have to question whether or not he wants to confirm his appeal. If the initial ruling is overturned, meaning that Alex wins, he will walk away without consequences. Of course, the only way to do so is to prove that he never did dope or participate with the Biogenesis Clinic. If the ruling is upheld, which won't be a surprise in the eyes of the majority in baseball, he will receive his two season suspension as was prescribed before the appeal, but he should also be barred from the Hall of Fame. If he has the nerve to dope and then lie about it. There's no way he should be allowed in the inner circle of baseball's finest.

Rodriguez has glorified himself and his heinous actions this summer. Many players have made impressive accomplishments but won't be recognized because A-Rod's stolen the spotlight and corroded the 2013 season as the year of A-Rod. Thus, there's no way he should be a Hall of Famer, especially not for someone who's undermined baseball.

Putting Lebron into Context

Guy 1: "Lebron will never be as good as Jordan."

Guy 2: "Well, he has the potential to be better."

Guy 3: "He does a lot of stuff better than Jordan though."

The debate is relentless. Is Lebron James better than Michael Jordan? Can he be become better? Will he become better? Obviously, only time will tell, but I think there is a way to put Lebron James into context. They say history repeats itself, but sometimes, in repeats itself in different ways.

There's a fierce debate north of the border (i.e. Canada) concerning who the best hockey players in in all the land is. Like the basketball's counterpart debate, the face-off has been narrowed down to two. Gordie Howe played in the forties, fifties, sixties, seventies, and even season in the nineties with an IHL (International Hockey League), a now defunct minor league. Howe was tough and skilled. Few players on the ice could shoot, skate, nor score as well as he could. He is probably the best Detroit Red Wings ever, given that players such as Steve Yzerman and Nicklas Lidstrom are also Red Wings Alumnus, that is saying a lot.

The name everyone is more familiar with is Wayne Gretzky. Gretzky was a lot like Howe. Except, he was small and not very physical. Gordie Howe was known to not let anyone push him around. However, Wayne Gretzky only got into one fight in his over twenty season career. He didn't do that great. However, there were few players as skilled as Gretzky. He was a fluent skater, a dazzling stick handler, and most of all, a dominating scorer.

Gretzky scored more NHL goals than Howe. However, if you add the goals that Gretzky and Howe scored when not playing in the NHL, Howe has the upper hand. Numbers don't provide a very concise comparison. For example, some argue that that the NHL in the 1950's was much more competitive than it was in the seventies. However, Gordie Howe scored a large number of goals in the seventies, when he played in the WHA. A minor league, and not nearly as competitive as it was in the seventies. There's so many different variables that these arguments are normally settled the same way. Each player had his own special attributes.

So how does this apply to basketball. The simple truth is that Jordan and Lebron played in different eras and with different styles. There is no better of the two; it's a child's argument. Lebron has many years left in his prime and will develop into a legendary caliber. At the end of the day, the predicament in hockey, can be adequately applied to basketball.

Source(s):
- Gordie Howe - Stats - NHL.com - Players
- Wayne Gretzky - Stats - NHL.com - Players

Wimbledon Review

Big names fell, and the hometown hero won the Wimbledon this year. The women's side lost it's star power quickly. Maria Sharapova and Serena Williams both failed to progress to nor past the semifinals. While big names such as Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal lost in the early rounds of the Wimbeldon, competitive stars such as Novak Djockovic and Andy Murray. In the end, Britishman Andy Murray won in an heart warming, exhilarating finale.

Nadal fell first, foreshadowing the rise of the rest at the Wimbeldon. Federer was next, defeated in four sets. In the Women's tournament, Sharapova lost in the second round. Serena Williams made a sizable run, but lost out in the fourth round to finalist Sabina Lisicki. Many big names fell, but two were left stars were left to battle in the finals.

Andy Murray, the boy from Dunblane, Scotland, the site of a school shooting in 1996 faced Novak Djockovic, ranked number one in the world. It took three sets for Andy Murray to win his first Grand Slam. Andy Murray was the first Britishman to win the Men's Wimbeldon in 77 years. He also won the Olympic gold medal last year at Wimbeldon. ESPN's Outside the Lines did a very well thought out feature on Andy Murray's journey.

The third Grand Slam of the year is through with, there's one more to go. Will the US Open feature more upsets, or will the stars shine in New York? Only time will tell how the world of tennis will continue to reveal itself.

Stanley Cup Classic

This year's Stanley Cup was a classic. It was truly one of the most memorable Cup Finals most people have witnessed. Three games of the six game series went to overtime. The first game went into triple overtime, however it was only the fifth longest Stanley Cup finals game ever. Nonetheless, the Finals went down as some of the best hockey ever played.

This series was really one for the ages because of the suspense. The twists and turns occurred every minute. Perhaps the most memorable game in the series was the last. Two goals in less than a minute with seconds left in the game explain fully why the Blackhawks are Stanley Cup champions. With a team filled with great players such as Jonathon Toews, Brent Seabrook, Duncan Keith, Patrick Kane, the Hawks were destined to win. Perhaps the best part of the Finals was what happened after. The Hawks taking a full page ad in the Boston Globe to express gratitude to the people of Boston. Now that's hockey.

Hockey comes and goes with the season. Now, we'll have the normal season, with the winter classic, the Olympics and everything in between. But as long as there's heat, there's no hockey.

Surprise on Ice

The NHL playoffs have been satisfyingly entertaining so far. There's been plenty of suspense, adversity, and good hockey. Super powers aligned in the conference finals; the four remaining teams have each won a cup in the last four years. The two match ups were fast. The Bruins surprised the Penguins with a sweep, and the Blackhawks beat the defending champions in five games. Despite the dominance of the two teams there was plenty to talk about both about this point in hockey as well as the future of hockey.

Tactically, it was apparent that fourth lines come in handy. The Blackhawks' fourth line was what set them apart. Also, being big wasn't the only deciding factor in the series. As exhibited by the final goal of the Chicago-LA series, you had to be fast to be competitive. But the biggest tactical observation I made is that your individual attributes have to be adequately diverse. In other words, you can't have good stick skills but not hit. It's hit or be hit in the NHL. Hitting is a sign of mental dominance more than physical dominance. If all you're doing is being hit, there's no way to score. That being said, you have to be able to skate and take advantage of break-aways. It's the ability to have a balance of assets that set players apart.

The shorter season has made hockey a lot more popular, as far as this year goes. However, throughout much of the playoffs, the NHL has failed to have its game aired on a major network (i.e. NBC). Instead, more games than not have been aired on the NBC Sports Network, a more minor channel. A lot of this is because hockey isn't considered an American sport. The games are expensive. Also, while every town, large or small, has a football field, only the larger cities and the northern small towns have hockey rinks. It's hard to be into a sport that you haven't grown up with. However, this seems to be changing quickly. Artificial ice substitutes are making ice more accessible. As ice and hockey in general becomes more widely accessible, hockey equipment, such as pads, skates and sticks, will come down in price. The future of hockey seems bright...for now.

The Stanley Cup is tight, and it will make hockey all the more popular. Meanwhile, innovation is making hockey cheaper, and more accessible. Greater accessibility will lead to more popularity. That's good news for hockey, and even better news for the NHL.

European Soccer Conclusion

When June rolls around, the greatest show on Earth is over with. Wigan Athletic upset 2011-2012 Premier League champions Manchester City in the FA Cup Final. The weekend after that, The Premier League concluded a few weekends ago with Manchester United on top. And finally, the weekend after the FA Cup, was the UEFA Champions League final, where the best of Germany fought it out to be the best of Europe.

The Wigan Athletic proved nearly every analyst wrong on the Eleventh of May. Wigan managed to beat the 2011-2012 season champions, Manchester City, 1-0. This took everyone by surprise I think. There's not a lot to analyze on one match. However, the match may be a signal that Wigan may be quick to get back in the Premiership after being relegated this season.

The Premier League itself ended on the Nineteenth of May. Manchester United, unlike last year, finished out on top. The real suspense was within the race for the last UEFA Champions' League spot. Tottenham came up a little bit short of seizing that spot from Arsenal, who've qualified for the Champions' League for the fifteenth straight time. Other news since the end of the Premier League has been largely transfer speculations. According to the Press, Wayne Rooney had a transfer listing request denied. He has been, in a way, replaced by Robin van Persie, and he has had a lack of games in late in the season. The other big transfer headliner is Luis Suarez who feels wronged at the hands of the British media being unfair. Which ironic, coming from a player who has bit someone twice in his career.

The last portion of European soccer news has been the final of the UEFA Champions' League. Two German teams made it after routing their Spanish adversaries. German soccer has always been superior, in an ironic way. There are few German superstars, yet both German clubs and the men's national team have been very strong historically. This was shown in a very close game between Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund. Bayern was able to avenge last year's loss by beating Dortmund 2-1.

The Summer of 2013 marks the final preperations for next year's World Cup in Brazil. Also, the MLS takes place over the next few months. But as far as league play goes. We'll have to wait until August.

The Derby and the Dying Sport

Today is Derby Day. The first saturday in May is always warm and sunny; it's also the date of one of America's most symbolic sporting events. However, despite the popularity of the Derby, the sport of Horse Racing is dying. Perhaps this is because Horse Racing is glorified for all the wrong reasons. Nonetheless, the path to the triple crown starts now.

Orb and Verrazano are the two definite favourites coming into the Derby. They have 7-2 and 4-1 odds respectively*. Trainer Todd Pletcher has stacked the deck; he has five horses entered in this year's Derby. Orb has won all four have his last four starts including the Florida Derby. Verrazano has won the Wood Memorial, one of the most prestigious pre-Derby races. Another horse to watch is Overanalyze. Overanalyze is a Mike Repole owned horse; horses owned by him have been very good in the past, Uncle Mo and Stay Thirsty both come to mind. Anyways, it looks like it will be a very exciting race because of a very talent field.

However, Horse Racing as a sport is dying. It definitely makes for good cinema; stories like Seabiscuit and Secretariat have been very successful in recent years. The excitement displayed in the days of Secretariat, however, don't seem apparent today. I think it's the focus thats done Horse Racing wrong. It's centred mainly around gambling. Thus, the sport doesn't appeal to kids, as well as people who just don't like betting. I think that Horse Racing should focus on the the character and magnificence of the horses, as well as on the people wh around the horses.This would create a much more open environment in Horse Racing.

Can this year's derby show something never seen before in Horse Racing? Can it create a rejuvenation in the popularity of the sport? Well, if this year's derby doesn't do it, I don't know which year in the future could.

*Odds at the time of publication. Odds are frequently changing due to sloppy conditions at Churchill Downs.

NHL Playoffs Preview

The NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs are underway. The season was abbreviated, but in a lot of ways it was just as exciting as normal. There are sixteen teams from across two conferences in this year's playoffs. The Canadians made a traditional showing; four northern clubs made this year's playoffs, which is moderately more than previous years. Also, all six Original Six teams made the playoffs this year. I guess you can say the NHL is back to old times.

In my opinion, this season was a lot better than normal. With fewer games, each game had more value. Every game counts more when the season is shorter. Thus, there was a lot more excitement. The shorter season made for a lot better hockey. Every game was a battle, and this season we witnessed things we've never seen before. Teams who are normally locked in the playoffs, such as the Red Wings, had to scramble and bring out their best play to make the playoffs. Other teams, particularly the Chicago Blackhawks, made history by being spectacular.

There are superpowers and underdogs in any playoff action. The teams to watch are definitely the Blackhawks and the Penguins. Both have had immensely strong seasons; their momentum should carry throughout the playoffs. On the other hand, underdogs in these playoffs have either underrated talent, or something to prove. The Ottawa Senators have talent that is consistently overlooked. Similarly, other Canadian teams, such as Toronto and Montreal, have talent and are surfacing as powerful franchises once again. On a different note, the Detroit Red Wings struggled this season with the absence of retired defenseman Nicklas Lidstrom. The Wings have a lot to prove that they are still a dominant hockey club. The teams with the best odds to wins the Cup (in no particular order) are Pittsburgh, Montreal, Chicago, and Vancouver. These teams are all strong in talent and coaching; therefore, all four of these teams have what it takes to be champions.

The hockey season all comes down to the Stanley Cup playoffs. There's so much talent in the running this year that these playoffs have the potential to be the one of the most memorable in NHL history.

Aftermath of the Boston Marathon

There are times when politics and sports get intertwined. Normally it's not too pretty, but there are lessons to be learned. I think that there are multiple lessons and realities that can be taken from the Boston Marathon tragedy. First, tragedies shouldn't scare us from public events. While the attacks on Boston had no connection to marathons at large, sports are often common targets for violence. This shouldn't be a deterrent to participating in, and spectating, sporting events. Also, sports often serve as a stage for international politics.

There was talk of changing marathons so that all 26.2 miles would be secure. I don't think this is a good idea. Runners should be able to run marathons with no fear whatsoever. Making marathons "high security", like airports, would be a hassle, and would make marathons exclusive in a way. Police officers are one thing, but metal detectors and body scanners would just make people not want to watch marathons. Also, tight security is just going to scare runners more. The fact is, being in a free society, we should have the right to run marathons. With tight security, marathons will focus more on being safe, than personal accomplishments. Marathons are public events shared by a community; marathons, as well as other events, are best held without the fear of terrorism.

There are many stages where political views are expressed. The press, cinema, and internet are just a few outlets. But one of the largest transmitters of opinion is sports, especially on a global level.Throughout the Olympics and especially soccer, politics are often transmitted. Regrettably, these opinions are often reproduced forcefully, memorably through acts of terror. Palestinian soccer players in Israel are tormented and persecuted, but vice versa, Palestinians killed numerous Israelis in the Munich massacre of the 1972 Olympiad. Maybe the reason why sports are targets of terror is that sports are universal. Almost every culture has athletic competitions. Sporting events get a lot of attention from a vast audience. There's also peaceful forms of protests in sports. There's Tim Thomas' infamous political goalie masks as well as athletes having mottos on their undershirts that are revealed when he or she scores. Peaceful sporting political expression can have a very large impact. Sports and Politics are definitely not separated, both are part of culture and will probably be long intertwined.

Sports are just like politics. They require strategy, opinion, and most importantly, the ability to please the population. The link is fascinating. Sports allow those with opinions to spread their views - peacefully or not.

Master's Review

The Masters' this year was full of controversy and excitement. Tiger Woods entered the tournament number one in the world, but he exited the tournament in controversy. But in the end, it was an Aussie who donned the Green Jacket.

The controversy didn't start until after the second round. At Hole 15, Tiger Woods hit the flagstick and the ball bounced backwards into the water. Woods could have either a) played the ball from besides the water in the "drop-zone", b) played the ball from behind the water, but still on the same projectory, or C) dropped the ball from where his last stroke was. Woods went with the final option, but with a catch. He admittedly dropped the ball two yards in front of where his last stroke was on purpose. This set Woods up for a decent stroke that would allow him to minimize the damage. When the Masters' Committee found out, they discussed the matter amongst themselves and with Tiger Woods. Woods was given a two stroke penalty, pushing him away from the lead. The public was outraged. Many called for him to withdraw from the tournament. While the penalty did set Tiger a fair way from the lead, (No pun intended) it didn't knock him out of contention. Personally, I thought the punishment was fair. For such a minor amount of yardage, dropping out of the tournament would be a tad over the edge.

However, the magic doesn't reach the climax until the final round. In this case, the defining moments were deep into the fourth and final round. When Angel Cabrera of Argentina and Adam Scott of Australia, both had a score of -9, everyone knew this was just another thriller. The first playoff hole was the eighteenth, which both players recorded a par. Impending celebrations would have to wait. It was on to the tenth. Cabrera came up just a little short by failing to make a birdie. Scott, however, did make a birdie, and became the first Australian to ever win the masters. Scott's inspiration, Greg Norman, is the only other Aussie who came close to winning the Masters in 1996 when he surrendered a six stroke lead. Like his idol, Scott also broke down in the final round last year, except Adam had a four stroke lead at the British Open.

Golf is one of those sports with a very global reach. Which is interesting because it's often viewed as a "Rich Man's Sport" while other internationally popular sports are popular be sauces they require little equipment. (For example, association football/soccer, in theory only takes a couple fabrication of home items found in African homes. A large part of golf is mental. Because of this, I could very easily see both genders competing against each other. The only dividing factor between males and females in golf would be driving distance. In the short game, physical strength doesn't matter nearly as much as finesse and fundamentals.

The Masters has kicked off a bit of a summer fiasco for the PGA. The four major tournaments are starting to begin their cycle, just as the prestigious tennis tournaments have their own cycle. Golf is just another game that's so fascinating to follow because of its global reach and intricate competition.

Final Four Galore

The aftermath of the 2013 NCAA Tournament has set in; its conclusion was just under a week ago. Louisville built upon last year's Final Four appearance by going the distance this year. Upsets came early and came often. Most notably, Florida Gulf Coast's upset of Number 2 Georgetown made headlines for weeks. But in the end, it was the Final Four that got us all up off our feet.

The upset that everyone talked about was Florida Gulf Coast over Georgetown. Many people didn't even know such a college existed. However, Georgetown, favorites to go the whole way, fell to this basketball minnow. The nation was taken by storm by the Florida Gulf Coast Eagles who not only won one game, but two to advance into the sweet sixteen where they were valiantly beaten out by the Florida Gators. Another headliner upset was Number 14 Harvard beating Number 3 Arizona. Though Harvard's run was short lived, it was the first time Harvard won a NCAA tournament game since 1946¹.

However, things don't truly heat up until the Final Four. Louisville and Wichita State (Surprise!) played in the first game, while Michigan and Syracuse played in for the other ticket to the finals. Louisville won the first game, while Michigan won the second. This set the stage for a fantastic final. The game was close throughout, but it ended with the Louisville Cardinals having an eight point advantage over the Michigan Wolverines.

NCAA Basketball's through, giving way for baseball and eventually football to transition into the sports spotlight. Sports fans can only hope to have a tournament next year as exciting as this year's.

Here We Go: MLB Opening Day

Temperatures are climbing in some places, while other places around the country didn't get the memo and are continuing to be snowed upon. As March rolls into April it is time to kick off the ultra-marathon known as Major League Baseball. The offseason has managed to shake the league beyond recognition; many teams have new faces and also a lack of familiar faces. These roster changes will have a direct impact upon the next few months and the outcome of the upcoming season.

The trading and brokerage firm the past few months had to have been the Toronto Blue Jays. The Jays went from the twenty third largest payroll in 2012 ("MLB Salaries", CBSSports.com) to the tenth largest ("2013 Payrolls and Salaries For Every MLB Team", DeadSpin) in one offseason. They acquired Cy Young winner R.A. Dickey, and former Miami Marlins Jose Reyes and Josh Johnson. With all the acquired talent, the Blue Jays' only worries should be injuries and the Tampa Bay Rays. The Rays ironically ended up with former Blue Jays Yunel Escobar and Kelly Johnson. However, those two combined with the prior roster of the Rays should have a threat for the Al East teams. The late powers of the Al East, the Yankees and the Red Sox, have aged and receded.

In other areas of the American League, multiple teams have made improvement to attempt to overthrow long time kings of their respective divisions. For example, the Chicago White Sox have built a decent team to try to take on the Detroit Tigers. Out west, the Los Angeles Angels and the Oakland A's put together all star lineups to try and give the Texas Rangers who themselves have aged and lost talent, such as Josh Hamilton, to up and coming teams, like the LA Angels.

Meanwhile, the National League has its own power houses. The East is one of the most competitive divisions in the National League. Stephen Strausberg and Bryce Harper are starting to have an edge on the elite three, Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee, Cole Hamels, and the Philadelphia Phillies. A power struggle is occurring in the NL Central; the Cincinnati Reds, the Milwaukee Brewers, and the Pittsburgh Pirates all should be relatively close in the upcoming season. The least hyped division, however, would be the NL West. The San Francisco Giants, who've won two titles in three years. Other members of the division include the Dodgers, who are rebuilding from a recent bankruptcy, and the Arizona Diamondbacks, who've been strong in recent years.

It looks like an interesting season in baseball. The long, odyssey-like journey of season should allow for lots of twists and turns throughout the season.

European Soccer Outlook

The quarter-final draw for the UEFA Champions' League has been announced, and thus scrutinized, discussed, and predicted. Managers from around the English Premier League have been are debating over the state of 'English Football' after not a single English club has advanced into the quarter-finals. Also in the news of England and soccer has been the recent calling up of centre-back Rio Ferdinand to the
National Team, and Sir Alex Ferguson's reluctance to let him respond to the call. There's so much to talk about in the world of European soccer.

Sixteen teams have been abbreviated to eight in the UEFA Champions' League. No English teams remain, to the alert of critics. Of course, there were multiple shockers in second round play taking place earlier this week. AC Milan went into the second leg of the tie versus FC Barcelona ahead on aggregate 2-0. Barcelona was required to score two goals to send the second game into extra time and possibly penalties, or a minimum of three goals to win outright. They scored four, with no one other then Lionel Messi contributing two goals to the total. Another head-liner was Real Madrid's defeat of Manchester United. Manchester United had a slight advantage in the second game, having drawn the first at one goal a piece. Manchester had the momentum of one away goal. Instead, Nani was sent off in a controversial play, and Real Madrid scored two goals after United scoring only one; thus allowing Madrid to advance into the quarter-finals. The last game of major speculation was the tie between Bayern Munich and Arsenal. Bayern won the first match in London one-to-three. However, Arsenal struck back as hard as they could in Munich, winning a game filled with controversy 2-0, yet very nearly making the score 3-0 towards the end. Thus, the aggregate was 3-3, and Bayern Munich advanced on the away goals rule, meaning Bayern scored more away goals so they advance. So, after all the drama, the quarter-final draw consists of:

• Bayern Munich v. Juventus
• Paris Saint-Germain v. FC Barcelona
• Malaga v. Borussia Dortmund
• Real Madrid v. Galatasaray

I think that the amount of power in this quarter-final draw shows that the English shouldn't hang their heads. There's a lot of good soccer out there whether its German, Italian, Spanish or Turkish. I think there are someNemanja Vidić surprises in the draw though. One that really sticks out is the match up between PSG and Barcelona. Of course the draws are random, but Paris Saint-Germain and Barcelona are arguably two of the better teams of the eight remaining. However, it is probably widely known that Barcelona has the upper hand. Another key pairing is Bayern Munich and Juventus. Juventus is the last Italian team left in the Champions' League which will serve as fuel to the team. However, Bayern Munich are hungry to go all the way after being the runners up to Chelsea. In addition, Borussia Dortmund shouldn't have a tough time with Malaga, a Spanish club lost in the shadows of FC Barcelona and Real Madrid. Speaking of Spaniards, Real Madrid shouldn't have an issue with the little known Turkish club going by the name of Galatasaray.

On a final note of discussion, the 32-year-old Manchester United back Rio Ferdinand has been in the news lately for his calling up to the English National Side. He's played a vital role in United's defence lately. During
Nemanja Vidić's injury-related absence, Rio has stepped it up, contributing largely in United's last four games, all being clean sheets, or shut-outs as described in hockey or American football. However, Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson is reluctant to let Ferdinand go play for the national squad, citing that he may be playing to many matches and thus cause to much physical stress on the 32-year-old footballer. However, I don't think this is a valid point, because during World Cup Qualifying matches, he will have to miss league games to play international games; Many of Ferdinand's Manchester United team-mates already do just that.

There's so much going on at the moment in the world of soccer. Many of the European leagues, such as the Premier League, have less than ten matches to go in the season. Soccer is at its busiest this time of year.

NFL Newslines

Over a month after the Super Bowl and over day since free agency has begun, the NFL has some new headlines. Looking back, we saw that New Orleans can sure throw a party, especially for a Super Bowl. A week before that, the NFL's best managed to save the Pro Bowl...for now. Lastly, free agency has begun and the league's being shook up. There's so much going on in the NFL right now.

Despite the power going out in the Mercedes-Benz Dome midway through the third quarter, New Orleans threw a great Super Bowl. It seemed like all week long the media was constantly fixated on the never ending party being thrown in the Big Easy. Then came the game itself. Everything was good until the power went out because Beyonce managed to use it all. It was either that, or the Forty Niners have a curse which they cut the power at random times wherever they play because there power went out in San Francisco earlier last season. Either way, New Orleans proved itself as a great host for a Super Bowl.

However, a week before that, all eyes were on the Pro Bowl. Peyton Manning came out wearing the jersey of a totally different conference and a determination to prove the Pro Bowl's worth. Commissioner Roger Goodell threatened to drop the Pro Bowl if there was a lack of effort displayed, as there was in 2012's Pro Bowl. However, the game was a blowout, ending 62-35 in favour of the NFC team. Such a thrashing proved that the Pro Bowl wasn't just a recreational game.

But Finally, the latest and greatest NFL topic has been the recently born free agency period. Among the hype has been Wes Welker, who didn't resign with the New England Patriots, has gone ironically to the Denver Broncos. This means he has gone from one cannon, Tom Brady, to another, Peyton Manning; two quarterbacks whose names often can't be mentioned separately. Other headlines include Steven Jackson moving to Atlanta where he will replace Michael Turner, who was cut after failing a physical earlier this month. Also, Matt Cassel will go to Minnesota to compete with incumbent quarterback Christian Ponder.

And so, the NFL Offseason is under way. Ironically, the offseason is almost as followed and debate as the actual playing season is. The next few months will help define and shape the coming season.

"Wherever I Wind Up" by RA Dickey

In R.A. Dickey’s memoir, Wherever I Wind Up he recaps his journey as a person and as a baseball player. R.A. Dickey’s story is truly inspiring and captivating. His book did a great job of describing Dickey’s struggles in both life and baseball. The book begins in Dickey’s childhood and tells the story of his journey up to a recent point in Dickey’s life. R.A. Dickey’s Wherever I Wind Up reveals life lessons universal in life such as the values of determination, flexibility, and courage.

            R.A. Dickey literally came from nothing. He was born to unmarried parents, whom eventually married, and then divorced. His mother had alcoholism problems which motivated him to leave his mother and younger sister and go live with his father. It wasn’t long before Dickey didn’t feel welcome in his father’s trailer home, and he resorted to sleeping in his car as well as vacant houses. However, baseball was R.A.’s haven and he made something of himself by being a star pitcher in High School, then later in college at the University of Tennessee. Even after college, Dickey still exhibited vast amounts of determination. It took multiple setbacks and obstacles to make it to Major League Baseball. He never gave up, and strived to be his best despite what the circumstances may have been. Determination was a huge factor in R.A. Dickey’s story.

            Another big character value displayed by Dickey was his flexibility. Not physically, but mentally. His life story centers on his switch from being a generic speed pitcher into a knuckleball pitcher. This transition took place at a low point in R.A.’s baseball career. He was nearly out of chances with advancing his career when he decided to transform into a unique genre of pitcher. This exemplified extraordinary flexibility. To be able to drop what you know and have been doing for many years and suddenly learn something totally new is remarkable. It sets an example for people with maybe less exciting careers, and if they’d change their career or even just a method, they’d be better off.

            The last, and possibly most valiant theme told in Wherever I Wind Up was courage. Dickey showed an immense amount of courage time and time again. Even his transition as described earlier took loads of courage. Courage can be hard to come by especially during difficult times; however, R.A. Dickey was able to channel his passion and exhibit great amounts of courage. Times where Dickey showed his courage were during parts of his baseball career where he was in a tight spot during a game and was able to battle his way out. It showed athletic skill, but more importantly it showed the courage to not fold under pressure.

            Wherever I Wind Up was an inspiring book and quite unforgettable. It told the tale of Toronto Blue Jays pitcher R.A. Dickey and his rise from nothing into one of the most respectable athletes and people around. It exemplified numerous universal character traits; traits that are vital not just for athletes but for the ordinary person as well. Inside every professional athlete is an ordinary person. Even though it can at times be hard to believe, these people are just like us and come from all backgrounds. It is people like R.A. Dickey who truly exemplify that inside every rags-to-riches athlete is a remarkable person.

John Doyle's The World is a Ball

The World is a Ball: The Joy, Madness, and Meaning of Soccer

By John Doyle

            Recently, I read John Doyle’s book The World is a Ball: The Joy, Madness and Meaning of Soccer. John Doyle, a television critic for the Canadian newspaper The Globe and Mail, traveled throughout countless destinations throughout the world to cover different international soccer tournaments. The book is written as a travelogue, recapping his encounters throughout the world with supporters and players of various teams. Doyle intriguingly describes how the fans, the hosts, and the culture of the game changes the sport of soccer itself and its many outcomes. In The World is a Ball, John Doyle expertly transcribes his experiences with culture, travel, and competition within the sport of soccer.

            John Doyle visited numerous countries in his travels following soccer. He witnessed many interesting events and met countless intriguing figures. A common encounter throughout his book was with the “Oranje Army”. The Oranje Army is the supporters’ group for the Dutch National Team. Throughout World Cups and European Championships, the Oranje Army would engulf city streets and stadium grandstands in orange. One memorable instance was when the Netherlands won an important game in the 2008 European Championship in Bern, Switzerland. After the game, the Oranje Army stole police tape (the kind that’s commonly associated with crime scenes) from the streets. Even though we know this tape to be yellow, the Swiss police happened to have orange tape. The tape quickly became party streamers and the train station in particular was covered in the orange tape. Many other nations and their fan organizations were associated with specific personalities. England was and is most commonly made out as hooligans; Ireland is associated with green, lederhosen, and leprechauns, while France was known for its bigotry, more commonly with its players rather than its supporters.

            Doyle, while creating a book focusing on worldwide soccer, also succeeded in making a very descriptive travel guide. In Germany for the 2006 World Cup, Doyle described his encounters with drunken passengers on trains, particularly ones with restaurant cars. In adventures to South America and Italy he described his conversations with cab drivers, some much more friendly then others. Finally, Doyle also succeeded in describing the atmosphere in sports bars and city streets. He was able to vividly display local people and how they went about their life in local coffee houses and diners.

            Lastly, Doyle was able to make intuitive connections between culture and psychology and the sport itself. One good example of this was John Doyle’s observation of cockiness among the members of the French team, exhibited during an open training session between the team and the press. He also related to the repetitive woes of the English team to the overrating and overpaying of their players. One of his most impressive conclusions was how Toronto developed into a very soccer-centered city because of its different European immigrant ethnic populations.

            John Doyle concluded his book by stating the game of soccer closely reflects the world and life, in the sense that both have a soul, and both have the potential to have heartbreak, even though you carry on after heart break in both cases. John Doyle’s book can satisfy both soccer fans and those interested in the world and its culture. Especially to anyone with an interest in learning about life in foreign countries, this book would make a great read.