It’s this time of the year when we should all stop, reflect and
give thanks for all we have. Now here is a list of sports related personnel,
events and other things that I have to be thankful for:
I give thanks for John Wooden: the one sports figure I would
want my children to have as a role model.
I give thanks for Wilt & Russ, Ali & Frazier, Magic
& Bird, Martina & Chrissy: enemies and friends who put winning above all
else.
I give thanks for Tom Brady, Kobe Bryant and Derek Jeter: simply
the best and even better when it matters most.
I give thanks for Lambeau Field, Yankee Stadium and the Rose
Bowl: some of the greatest moments in sports at some of the most majestic sights.
I give thanks for Murderer’s Row, the Steel Curtain and the
Showtime Lakers: style and substance made them all-time greats.
I give thanks for Joe Dumars, Wayne Gretzky and Yogi Berra:
nice guys don’t always finish last.
I give thanks for Mary Lou Retton, Michael Johnson and
Michael Phelps: the world watched and they delivered.
I give thanks for Roger Maris and Henry Aaron: the single
season and career homerun record holders by those NOT on steroids.
I give thanks for Vin Scully, Al Michaels and Keith Jackson:
they painted masterpieces with their words.
I give thanks for John McEnroe and Charles Barkley: you have
to play with intensity.
I give thanks for Steve Prefontaine and Bo Jackson: explosive
in just a short time, what if?
I give thanks for Jackie Robinson: courage under fire.
Here are more that other people are thankful for:
“I give thanks for the Catch. Montana to Clark began a
dynasty.” – Joe, San Francisco, CA
“I give thanks for the Leprechaun. Now there’s a steal by
Bird! Underneath to DJ who lays it in!” Adam, Denver, CO
“I give thanks for Walter Payton. Pure Sweetness.” Tommy,
Boise, ID
“I give thanks for Marcus Allen. His switchback run in Super
Bowl XVIII made me bleed Silver and Black.” Ian, Ventura, CA
“I give thanks for US soccer fans. No one shoots and kills
our players when we score an own goal.” Rudy, Eugene, OR
“I give thanks for Tyus Edney and his mad dash buzzer
beater. It makes March Madness so memorable.” Eric, Lake Havasu City, AZ
“I give thanks for NFL Redzone. I’ll never again miss a
Steelers touchdown.” Kirstan, Los Angeles, CA
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
Let me tell
you what I don’t like
I just had to steal a phrase from talk show host Jim Rome. There are plenty of issues, players, and rules that sports today clearly needs
to adjust or change. With the BCS rankings being adjusted and the scandals
arising, here is a list of what I don’t like in the sports world today:
The BCS – Clearly I’m not alone here. I
acknowledge that it has worked a couple times, with USC/Texas in 2006 or Auburn/Oregon in 2011. However, a playoff format is a
must. You can’t tell me a computer is a better way to decide who will play in
the national championship than having an eight-team playoff. You can still
incorporate the bowl games in the final seven games to decide the clear cut
number one. BCS, it’s time to go. I don’t like it.
Yankees/Red Sox match-ups – First let me say, as a
purest, I love baseball games. However, I hate nine inning games that last four
hours, which is what you seem to get when the Yankees/Red Sox meet every time in
the regular season, or in their case, eighteen times per season. I mean, a four
hour playoff game that goes fourteen innings would probably be a masterpiece. I
don’t need eighteen regular season meetings, all of which are going nine innings
and are dragged along for dramatic purposes. Furthermore, IT’S NOT A RIVARLY! It
can’t be when one team has won 27 World Series Championships and the other has
won 7 World Series Championships. When you have one team over a long period of
time that you know is going to beat the other team more often than not, it
cannot be considered a rivalry. I don’t like it.
Baseball’s home field advantage –
Congratulations to the St. Louis Cardinals and their remarkable run to the World
Series flag. Now that the parade is done and the smoke is gone, do people
remember that these Cardinals hosted game seven of the World Series… as a wild
card team? You cannot reward a second place team with a home game seven over a
team who has won their division and may have the best record in all of baseball.
I don’t like it. What’s wrong with best record deciding that advantage? Which
leads me to my next gripe…
MLB All-Star Game – It should be and has in the
past been the best of all the professional all-star games. Today, it is a joke,
especially when the Homerun Derby is more popular than the game itself. Two
things need to change. One, the obvious change is to get rid of the winner
deciding the home field advantage in the World Series. Second, allow players to
re-enter the game. Some of the best moments in MLB All-star game history have
involved big names like Ted Williams, Pete Rose and Tony Gwynn. Players playing
the entire game used to be normal. Nowadays, no way. But can you imagine Mariano
Rivera trying to close it out for the American League and up stepping Albert
Pujols, who gets to re-enter the game for one AB? This should be a no-brainer.
I don’t like it.
College Sports scandals – USC, Ohio State, Penn State: they used to be associated with storied
college football programs. Now they have a black eye because people have lost
their values, or never had them to begin with. John Calipari, Jerry Tarkanian
and UCONN men’s basketball have also stained their sport. It should not be about
the money. It should be about the kids and the integrity of amateur sports. I
don’t like it.
Hatred towards Duke Men's Basketball - Great coach and leader. Great kids who graduate from one of the top institutions in the US. They are great examples of how to succeed on and off the court. They know how to win (four NCAA titles in 20 seasons), know how to compete and are rarely seen in a negative light. Coach K, Jay Bilas, Christian Laettner, Grant Hill, Shane Battier, Chris Duhon, J.J. Redick: What's not to like? Why are there so many haters? I don't like it
California sports fans – Yes, I am one of these and
there are probably other states that are just as bad, but I hope it doesn’t get
any worse for us fans in the Golden State. In the last year alone we have seen a
stabbing at the USC/UCLA football game, a shooting at a 49ers/Raiders preseason
game, a stabbing at a Chargers/Raiders game, and, of course, the unfortunate
beating of Giants fan Bryan Stow at Dodger Stadium on Opening day 2011. Forget the concept
of banning alcohol; it’s just not going to happen. So you fans, clean it up.
Trash talk? Yes. Take it to another level like beating, stabbing and guns? No. I
don’t like it.
Twitter – Is it a nice idea to be able to follow
your favorite athlete and have more access to them than you would twenty years
ago? Sure. But do we need to know every single thing LeBron James is doing? Do
we really care? This is one of those “less is more” situations. Athletes, tone
it down with Twitter. I don’t like it.
The NBA lockout – Obviously, this is a tough
time of year. No Kobe Bryant. No Dwight Howard. No Blake Griffin. This is the
one time I feel sorry for Mark Cuban. He and his Mavericks have yet to raise
their banner and host their ring ceremony. Hey players, take a vote. A full vote
of all 450 players and take the 50-50 deal because I just have a feeling the
worst may be yet to come. By worst I mean a full season gone and perhaps
contraction. I don’t like it.
The Super Bowl in New York – New York City is one of the greatest and most exciting
cities in the world. Madison Square Garden and the New York Yankees both have
their place in the sporting world. However, can you picture the San Diego Chargers
battling the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in a few years in the coldest Super Bowl ever?
Some of you football die hards love watching two teams battling it out in the
sleet or other strenuous weather. I don’t blame Steeler fans or Packer fans
reveling in having home field advantage, especially when you are playing a team
like the Chargers or Bucs. But the Super Bowl is so big and so famous and such
an enormous event. It needs to be in a dome with perfect weather conditions. It
needs to be in a city like Miami or Tempe or perhaps even Los Angeles. Cold weather and the Super Bowl just isn’t
a good match. I don’t like it.
Despite all
of these things, we still watch sports on a daily basis. So my question for you,
what don’t you like?
Reverend Palmer: Thank you to everyone for coming. Let us bow our heads in
prayer. Lord, we want to thank you for watching over us and thank you for the
life we are celebrating today. He was everything to everyone in attendance
today and we know he is better now at your side. He has suffered and is now at
peace, although before his time. The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He
maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.
He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his
name's sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I
will fear no evil for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
Amen
Pat Riley: Earvin
came into my life and instantly made it better. He made me a better person and
made me a better coach. Watching him on the court, leading our team not only
with his words but with his actions, he was everything that is right in the
world of team sports. It pained me to see his physical attributes wear thin, although
his infectious smile never did. My thoughts and prayers go out to his wife,
Cookie, and to the entire Johnson family.
Jerry West:
Earvin came into my life and instantly made it better. He made me a better person
and made me a better executive. There were things on the court that only Earvin
could do. Things only he could see. He was a winner in every sense of the word.
High school, college, the NBA, the Olympics, he accomplished it all. I ask God
why he had to cut his time on this earth so short. We still need him. His
family still needs him. I still need him.
Jerry
Buss: Earvin came into my life and instantly made it better. He made me a
better person and made me a better owner. When signing Earvin, it was clear he
was about winning and being the ultimate teammate. He did more for me than he
knew. He put the Lakers on his back and in some ways put the entire city of Los
Angeles on his back. When he made that announcement, I cried. When he was
unable to continue speaking at Lakers events, I cried. When Cookie called me to
tell me he passed away, I cried.
Kareem
Abdul-Jabaar: Earvin came into my life and instantly made it better. He made me
a better person and made me a better player. It really was Magical timing when
he came into my life. My career was extended in so many ways. That press
conference was so tough to take. In my mind, it just wasn’t the way the hero
was supposed to ride off into the sunset. Life just isn’t fair sometimes and
Earvin’s life is proof of that. But I love him and I am going to miss seeing
him at Lakers games. I’m going to miss seeing him anywhere. He was a true
friend.
Larry
Bird: Earvin came into my life and instantly made it hell. But he made me a
better person and although I would never admit it at the time, he made me a
better player. To steal a line from my speech at Earvin’s Hall of Fame
Induction, “I was going to speak from my heart, but damn it, he broke my heart
so many times I don’t know if I have any heart left.” The day of that press
conference, we were playing Atlanta and that was the only time I didn’t feel
like being at the arena. And from that day on, I valued every moment that I
spent with Earvin. I always felt good whenever I knew I was going to see him. I
just can’t believe I’ll never have that feeling again.
Cookie
Johnson: Earvin came in to my life and
instantly made it better. He made me a better person and made me a better wife
and mother. Most people would have thought I felt lucky to be married to Magic
Johnson. But I felt luckier to be married to Earvin Johnson. The outside world
has no idea the moments he and I shared. I cherished every one of them over the
past 20 years. I guess I should be thankful I had that long with him. There were days I laughed
so hard I cried, and there were days I cried so hard until he made me laugh
again. I would give anything to have the world feel the way I did with Earvin.
He truly was my best friend. I’m sorry I just can’t continue.
Earvin
Johnson Sr.: That day, November 7, 1991, it was a day that will live in infamy
for me and my family. Now here we are twenty years later and I can’t believe
he’s gone. A parent should never have to outlive their child. You may have
known him as Buck, or famously, Magic, but to me he was simply Jr. I thank you
all for coming and being such great friends to my son. He loved you all.
Reverend
Oliver: Thank you to everyone for
coming; let us bow our heads in prayer. Lord, we want to thank you for watching
over us and thank you for the life we are celebrating today. He was everything
to everyone in attendance today and we know he is better now at your side. Everyone
thought his life would be cut short on the day he made that announcement, yet
here we are decades later, celebrating his long life as an inspiration and
great family man to his friends, family, wife, children, grandchildren, and
great-grandchildren. This is how he would want us to remember him. Today we
praise you Earvin Johnson. Amen
James Worthy: Earvin came into my life and instantly made it
better. He made me a better person and made me a better player. I have to say
in a selfish way that I benefited on the court more than any other player by
playing alongside Earvin. But it was more than just teammates with Earvin. I
was honored to call him my friend. I also called him the godfather of my first
born grandson. I will miss him dearly and thank him for the lifetime of memories.
Kobe
Bryant: Earvin came into my life and instantly made it better. He made me a
better person and made me a better player. Growing up in Italy, I would have my
grandparents tape NBA games and send them over so I could watch my favorite
player. Magic Johnson is the reason I became a basketball player. When playing
for the Lakers, I always felt I was responsible for carrying on the greatness
of the franchise, the greatness he started, continued and passed on to me and
those after me. Never has there been a better ambassador for the great game of
basketball. I appreciated his kind words at my jersey retirement ceremony. I
appreciated all the times we spent at NBA events. More than anything I
appreciated the man he was. I am honored that I was asked to speak today and am
thankful that it is Kobe Bryant “the old man” that gets to do it.
Derek
Fisher: Earvin came into my life and
instantly made it better. He made me a better person and made me a better
commissioner. It was he who was instrumental at the end of my playing career
battling the owners and executives in the strike of 2011. It was also Earvin
who advised me during my tenure as head coach of the Lakers. Earvin also convinced
me to become commissioner of the NBA after my coaching days. Most remember his
accomplishments on the court. I remember him as much, if not more, for his
accomplishments off the court. His work in the community, his business savvy,
his willingness to make things better for everyone: those are the things that
will stick with me the most.
Shaquille
O’Neal: Earvin came
into my life and instantly made it better. He made me a better person and made
me a better player. He was a major reason for me coming to Los Angeles and
winning three championships. I had worked out with him before I was drafted and
he taught me about the life of an NBA superstar. He prepared me for a career as
a player, but also as a businessman. Way
back when Kobe and I weren’t getting along, it was Magic who showed me both
sides. We talked about how he and Kareem co-existed. I wish I had listened to
him more. Now look, today Kobe and I are good friends and I have Magic to thank
for that. Magic, I love you. There will never be another.
Elisa
Johnson: My father came
into my life and instantly made it better. He made me a better person and made
me a better family member. I did not know my dad as the great basketball player,
but I did know him as the world’s best father. He was loving, fun,
inspirational and taught me so much. For those who are unaware, he and mom
adopted me at a young age. While dad was overseeing many business ventures,
working within the Lakers organization, doing his media gigs and everything
else, he always made time for me and made sure I knew he loved me. Nobody loved
and appreciated that smile more than me. I love you daddy and want to say thank
you for all you have done, especially for loving mommy.
Cookie
Johnson: A long, long time ago, the world thought my husband was going to die a
very slow and painful death. I’m not going to lie, the days, weeks and months
after that day in November 1991, were extremely difficult. We had only been
married a couple months and I was pregnant with our son Earvin the 3rd.
The press and media killed him and it killed me to hear and see it. But he was
strong and it allowed me to be strong and it made our marriage and our
relationship stronger. He always said he was “going to beat this thing.” In
some way, I always knew he would. But he not only took it upon himself to beat
the virus, he became a spokesman on the issue. He became one of the first people
to speak out about sex and teach the youth of America what schools and the
communities were not teaching. Lest we not forget, the man could play basketball.
I got to see him from the beginning in the green and white at Michigan State. I
had a boyfriend in high school prior to Earvin who begged me not to go to
Michigan State because he believed I was going to meet Magic Johnson and fall
in love. I still smile when I think about that story. Speaking of a smile, I just
melted when Earvin smiled. He could solve everything with his smile. He won
five championships with his intensity and work ethic, but he won the hearts of
the sporting world with his smile. He gave all he had to everyone he loved. I
am so thankful that Earvin lived a full life. No one, and I truly mean no one,
lived life to the fullest like my husband. Let me leave you with this; Earvin
Johnson was funny. He was warm and caring. He was a great basketball player. He
was a successful businessman. And now that he has passed away as a wrinkled old
man, he passed away happy, thus giving us his greatest accomplishment. In the
game of life, Earvin Johnson was the best ever.
As you may have read in an earlier blog, today’s NFL is
highly quarterback driven. More than ever, the stars of the game play that
position. Recently, we have heard so much about so many different quarterbacks
and the kinds of years they are having. Just in case you haven’t been following
along, we have heard about Cam Newton and his amazing debut in the NFL. What
about Tim Tebow? Is he an NFL quarterback? We can’t forget about Aaron Rodgers,
today’s king of the world in the NFL. What’s going on with Joe Flacco, completing
barely half of his passes? It seems that the whole world has heard about Andrew
Luck, the virtual lock to be the number one overall pick in next year’s draft. We
have even heard about Curtis Painter, how he and no one else can play like
Peyton Manning. Then there is the golden boy, Tom Brady. He is having a good
season, but nothing he hasn’t done before. In looking at his game Sunday, he
wasn’t terrible but he wasn’t great, wasn’t quite “Brady-esque.” And in a very
rare instance, he wasn’t as good as the other quarterback on the field. In case
you were saying, oh yeah, what about Big Ben? You would not be the only one. The
fact that Ben isn’t making any front page news is not a bad thing. We remember
how the season started last year: a four-game suspension due to his alleged
actions with a woman. It seems that most have forgotten about it. The main
reason: winning.
Ben Roethlisberger statistically has had better games than Sunday.
He has played and won bigger games on bigger stages. Despite this, Sunday’s
25-17 Steelers victory over the Patriots will go down as one of the most
important games in his already successful career. Let’s look at what we already
know. Until yesterday, Tom Brady was 6-1 lifetime vs. the Steel Curtain, with
not all but most against Big Ben. Looking back at most of those Patriot games,
Brady cut apart the vaunted Steelers’ defense, destroying every game plan that
Hall of Fame defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau drew up. Brady’s offense was
able to spread out the defense, take 3 step drops, threw short passes and
marched down the field with precision and almost perfection. That changed Sunday.
What really happened is that the roles reversed, and that is what Roethlisberger
did to the Patriots. In doing so, Ben may have found a way to not only slay the
big bad Patriots, but may have also changed the culture of one of the most
successful franchises in all of sports. Today’s Steelers are not your father’s
Steelers, or my father-in-law’s Steelers. Here is a clip of the Steelers of the
past, the ones my father-in-law so frequently reflects upon:
Just to catch you up on who the Steelers have always been,
the Steelers have won six Super Bowls, four in the 1970’s when they would
dominate defensively with Jack Lambert, “Mean” Joe Greene, Mel Blount and many
others. They would wear you down and control the clock with Franco Harris. They
would really need only a couple of big throws from Terry Bradshaw, which he
made, probably to John Stallworth or Lynn Swann. The franchise also kept the
players and the success within the Rooney Family. They’ve drafted well and
rarely have they signed free agents. In the past 32 years, there have only been
three head coaches: Chuck Noll, Bill Cowher and Mike Tomlin. The Steelers won their
last two rings this past decade. Yet something has changed. Maybe it started
last year, but it is very evident this year and yinz fans in the ‘Burgh should
get used to it because these changes will likely continue into the future. All
I have heard this season is how old and slow the Steelers have become. Last
time I checked, Ben is 29 years-old and in the prime of his career. Mike
Wallace, only 25, isn’t quite Calvin Johnson, but he is lightning in a bottle
and can explode at any moment. Rashard Mendenhall is only 24 and is coming off
back-to-back 1000 yard seasons. It seems like Heath Miller has been around
forever, but he hasn’t reached age 30 yet and is always a reliable and
formidable tight end. And the up and comers, Antonio Brown, 25, and Emmanuel
Sanders, 28, look ready to produce game-in and game-out.
You may have noticed that I haven’t mentioned any defensive
players. Two reasons: one, while they are still good enough to keep them in
games, the defense is no longer the main focus. Two, the defense no longer
needs to be as dominant due to the more productive offense. The Steelers’ best
player is no longer on the defensive side of the ball. Ben Roethlisberger just
threw for 300 yards in back-to-back games for the first time in his NFL career.
The way he did it Sunday is what makes all the difference. He distributed the
ball to nine different wide receivers. While he did make “Big Ben” plays by
avoiding the rush and extending the play, for the most part he was able to sit
in the pocket and make quality throws left, center and right. The most
important part of Sunday’s game is that, while throwing the ball 50 times, he
led 5 drives of 10 plays or more that not only gave his team points, but kept
Tom Brady off the field. It wasn’t that Brady was bad; he just wasn’t on the
field much. Ben and the Steelers took what Tom Brady’s Patriots have always
done and threw it right back in their faces. Ben kept his Steelers offense on
the field for over 39 minutes. As long as he has his offensive line to give him
some protection, this is how Ben and the Steelers should attack the Patriots in
the future. This is how they should attack the Baltimore Ravens next week. This
is how the Pittsburgh Steelers should game plan for the rest of the season.
That’s how they have been winning games in 2011. And did anyone notice that at
6-2, the Steelers have the best record in AFC? And in an important situation,
shouldn’t every team put the ball in the hands of their best player? That’s
what the Black and Gold are doing these days, leaning on Big Ben
Roethlisberger, the leader of the new Steelers Way.
