This Week In Sports - Volume 3

Well looky here. . . 3 weeks in a row. You can see I'm so proud of myself, I decided to label this one 'Volume 3', because I'm fancy. Maybe next week I'll add more pizzazz to the titling of this post. Alright now - here's for my thoughts.

1. Last week - a Federal Judge in CT declared Quinnipiac College could not use Cheerleading as part of their sporting opportunities for women in order to be compliant with Title 9. In other words - some nimrod decided Cheerleading wasn't a sport. My local sports talk radio called it 'the activity going on over on the side while sports are happening', and 'foreplay'. Dear twodoebs readers, I am IRATE over this. Yes I agree there are plenty of hooker-ish tramps dallying around on the sidelines and doing little else - these, I agree are not athletes. But competitive cheerleaders of ALL AGES (middle school thru college) are EVERY BIT the athletes of other "sanctioned" (read all kinds of sarcasm into those quotes) sports. May I add - some of the qualifications to be considered a sport include having uniforms (CHECK), coaches (CHECK) and competitive endeavors (C-H-E-C-K). I realize this next thing I'm about to say may cause another line of conversation - but Cheerleading is in fact the most dangerous SPORT in terms of injury to women. Just google it - you'll find lots, including this article from MedPage. Bottom line folks is this - as someone who spent YEARS in the SPORT of Cheerleading - to say that it isn't tells me presumptions are being made based on stereotype - not on knowledge.

2. Dez Bryant is an idiot. Firstly he comes out of the draft process crying to the media AFTER he was drafted by the Cowboys whining that the questions he got asked by the Dolphins were 'too personal'. Sorry kiddo - a team that is about to spend MILLIONS on you - has a right to know whether you are from a crime riddled family that will cause them media grief for years to come. NOW he, while being rather gently hazed by a veteran on his team (hazed = being told to carry the veterans pads to the locker room after practice) refuses saying he was drafted to play football, not carry pads. (oh oh oh - and NOW he's coming out saying 'he didn't know' about hazing the rookies and feels terribly that it got blown so out of proportion. Sure - I believe that) Here's what I know about you Dez - you're a whiner - you are too full of yourself ALREADY and are quite possibly one of my least favorite players and not one snap has been taken. Young sir - you just earned a wonderful opportunity in the NFL. How about you show a little humility. How about you shut up, keep your head down and don't walk into this presuming you know everything.

3. A-Rod still hasn't hit that 600th. I'm doin my best to follow along for ya A-Rod.

4. Tiger is still a major league jerk, even tho there's no real news about him this week.

This Week In Sports

Hey!! Look at me!! Two weeks in a row. Go Me.

Ok, now down to business.

1. I know this was last week (and in last weeks T.W.I.S. post) but George Steinbrenner died. No, not news any more but it's been pondered quite a bit on sports talk radio. Was he good for baseball? Well as a Yankee fan - YES! But as a current resident in a much smaller much less wealthy market whose baseball team suffers for both those qualities, PERHAPS. Before moving to Pittsburgh, all I knew about the Pirates is that they sucked. Now I know that they suck and despite a rather focused effort on building and growing young talent, as soon as they are able - a wealthy team like the Yankees will just swoop in and buy them. Again, as a Yankee fan. Hahahahahah. But as the current resident of a city whose team sucks due in part to the Yankees, this kind of sucks. But in the wise words of my co-blogger - Football is Socialism and Baseball is Capitalism. So players go where the money and opportunity is best. Can you really blame them? I suppose not. Does this mean baseball is suffering because of its captialism??? Dear readers - you tell me!

2. Serena Williams may miss the US Open because of a hurt foot. Not just a hurt foot - but a foot that needs surgery because she stepped on a broken piece of glass at a restaurant (????? That no one has investigated THIS seemingly unlikely story further is beyond me). In any event - to this I say HOOOORAY! After last years' ANTICS I thoroughly thought she should be banned this year. That was pathetic and not to be tolerated. Moreso though - I am SO SICK OF THE WILLIAMS SISTERS. Add to it, I'm sick of Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal. Tennis us become such a sport of 5-7 athletes, it's terribly boring. I want new stories, new people, new anything. PLEASE. So Serena, stay home and rest your foot. I will watch the US Open and not miss you one bit.

3. Tiger sucked it up at the Brisith Open. Tiger, you're a jerk.

I probably shouldn't title this post "This Week In Sports" as it indicates I will posting every week and don't want to make any such promise - but in any event, I just did. There is much on my mind as it relates to sports this week so here goes . . .

1. George Steinbrenner - love him or hate him, you GOTTA admit he was a character and a leader and made the Yankees the dominant force they are today. For that I love him. And he dies on All-Star Game day - a headline stealer to the end. R.I.P George.

2. LeBron James - there was much bandied about on that other website we won't mention (but it's intials are FB) a few nights ago. Half the people were cheering his move (these people all lived in Florida I think) and the other half were mad that it was getting this much attention. There are probably a few shades of other thoughts in between (like those who were just commenting on how much everyone was commenting). Here are my thoughts - while I admit the NBA means absolutely NOTHING to me and I cannot stand watching basketball, I do NOT understand why such a fuss was paid to this whole thing. It's like they were covering an election night!! Yes, I could wax poetic about how asinine it is that 10 MILLION people stopped what they were doing last week to watch this HOUR LONG special when there are 'real' issues in the world like the oil spill, wars, etc etc. I won't be that holier than thou - I spend lots of time watching equally silly crap on T.V. What REALLY boggles my mind is why he's been named "The King" (no offense Elvis) and is getting bajillion $$ to play his game when he is NOT proven to be a winner. AND WORSE, appeared to give up during the playoffs this year. I don't get it . . .I don't like it . . .I'm over it.

3. THE WORLD CUP!!!!!! I adore global sports; I think most of you know how giddy I get over the Olympics. I love the World Cup and watched as MUCH as possible, even with those pesky restraints of oh, say a job and a baby and a house to care for. But I got to thinkin about the World Cup and the state of soccer in general in this country, and here's where I landed. - Soccer will never reach the popularity of football or basketball. Even though I contend that more kids in the U.S. play soccer when they are little, it just doesn't hold enough power to overcome the big two. Even tho every World Cup year, the commentators talk about the growing popularity in the US and whether "this" will be the World Cup year that really establishes soccer in the US. It ain't gonna happen. Not to say it's not a great sport or great to watch, it's just not going to happen. Our good players go to Europe where the payday is good and there simply aren't enough 'stars' to make it a league with intriguing enough stories for people to get excited about. (Though Landon Donovan and his love child is fairly interesting). - "Club" soccer is confusing . . .there are so many leagues and players that play for multiple teams at different times of year; players go on loan to other teams (which I TOTALLY don't get)...we Americans like it simple. Baseball begins in April and ends in October. Football begins in August and ends in February. Hockey just goes on forever. A player is on one team until officially traded at prescribed points during the year. These are rules we understand . . .if Soccer is ever going to pick up around here, I think it needs clearer 'rules'! - REGARDLESS of the aforementioned - I STILL will cheer for US and hope they do well in the W.C. And I WILL watch the W.C. because it's FUN. Someone recently chided "World Cup Fans" for being a bunch of posers alleging that if we don't go to MLS games then we are just bandwagon hoppers 'for a few weeks every 4 years'. To this I say - WHO CARES!!! I don't go watch Track and Field events, Swimming Events, Beach Volleyball events, XGames or really ANY of the Olympic sports that I COULD go watch inbetween Olmpic years and I still love watching the Olympics. Should I go to an MLS game? Sure, why not. But I don't (and the 'burgh doesn't have a soccer team anyway). But there is NOTHING wrong with enjoying this sport once every 4 years to cheer on your country. If you think the game is boring, just give it a try in 2014 - I think you'll enjoy it - - - if for nothing else, all the delightful acting!





4. British Open - Tiger Woods, you're a jerk.