Sports

That is what I kept telling myself last night after the UNC vs Dook game where Dook hit a 3 pointer with 1 second to go to win the game. It is just a game.
I was trying to think of ways to justify the loss this morning, not defending the 3, poor fouls, fatigue, etc, but it is just a game. And then I got thinking, how can I
use this for when the boys are older and UNC loses a game? I’m still working on that one, but it really is just a game. Today, the adults are sitting around their offices,
sending text messages, emailing, making calls etc talking about the game, what they would have done differently and what should have happened.

But at the end of the day, it is just a game. The players were probably in class today. Study hall later. Practice, film review, hitting the weight room and trying to prepare
for the game this weekend. And though, like the rest of the fans, I’ve been texting my brother and Godfather about the game, how we feel, what we would have done
differently if we were coaching and it comes back to one ringing fact, it is just a game. I just hope that when my boys are older and we watch UNC Basketball games,
that I can remember that it is just a game and not get too caught up in it.

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As long as I can remember, I always played sports, whether it was soccer, basketball, baseball, or football. And it was always stressed the importance of good sportsmanship. So needless to say, that when I saw the brawl between the University of Cincinnati and the University of Xavier, I was disheartened.



I want my sons to love sports as much as I did, but I don’t want them learning that fighting is acceptable. When I was playing, you shook hands at the end of the game and told each player from the opposing team, good job or congratulations.

Maybe the times have changed? Maybe the times of where you celebrate the other player and give them a hand up when they have fallen or thanked a thanked a teammate for a pass.  We worked hard, training year round and put forth our best. And had any of my teammates or myself been involved in a brawl like the one from the clip, we would have received a much harsher punishment than a few games suspension. We would have been kicked off the team and never allowed back.

Where are the consequences for their actions? 2 – 4 games being suspended? They embarrassed their school, they embarrassed their team, and more importantly, the embarrassed themselves.

I will teach my sons the right way. They might not be the best athletes, but they will be respectful. They will play hard and give it their all. They will thank their teammates. And they will remember that when they put on a jersey, the represent more than just themselves.

 

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It is almost tip off for the UNC vs Dook game and I’ve already started pacing around the room. Being from NC, I grew up watching this game as a child and the importance of how 8 miles separate two schools, but there is a division within the state between the fans of these two teams.  I hate that I’m not at the game, because I’m missing the game, but also because I am missing out on spending time with my Godfather.

Tonight is like Christmas Eve for me, waiting for the game. Sitting on the edge of my seat, usually muting the tv, because the announcers just can not use some of the choice phrases that I like using during the game. The difference this year, I will not be able to jump up and down throughout the game or the loud out bursts. But hopefully, UNC will pull out the win and it will be a quiet night.

 

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There are a few days that I really look forward to, today being one of them, because it is Game Day! Not just any game, but the UNC vs Dook game.  And yes, as most good UNC fans, I started off with my game day traditions. Same breakfast that I ate for the last victory; drove the same route to work; packed the same lunch; when I get home, I’ll put on the same UNC shirt that I always wear (and no, it hasn’t been washed since the last lost), why do this, because it is Game Day! For those that live outside of NC, 8 miles separate these schools. A stretch of highway that separates Good vs Evil. So today, I work, thinking about the game, ready for the 9:00pm tip off. Watching a few clips to get me going and pumped for tonight, but you see, on Game Day, all of these things are just a routine, a way of life, because since I was 5 and understood the rivary between these two schools, my life was forever changed.

So, if time permits, I’ll update this today, but these are two videos that I watched already:

  • Here is an ESPN clip previewing the game tonight and couldn’t agree more with the analysis. Dook’s defense is usually at best, ok. They allow a lot of points and have struggled against teams that wanted to run against them, which UNC will do.
  • And then who can forget this clip on Youtube

 

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I am quickly realizing that being a parent isn’t just about raising your children, but it is also about having to make sacrifices. Last night I got a call from my Godfather and he quickly offered me a ticket for the UNC vs. Dook game tomorrow night. As a HUGE UNC fan and this being one of the greatest games of the year, this one was a tough call. It would have really been easy to say yes, but a few thoughts quickly jumped into mind:

1) The game is a 9pm tip off, so that would require a hotel room – probably around $150-$200
2) The drive is about 6 hours from home, so that is 3 tanks of gas at $150 roughly & taking a day and a half off from work.
3) My wife just started a new job, so that would/could have posed problems as well for taking care of the kids.
4) Did I really want to be away from the boys?
5) And most importantly, how can I say yes to a game that would have cost about $300 to go to the game, when I have asked my wife to cut out some expenses.

As much as I would love to be at the game tomorrow night, I realized that part of being a parent, is that sometimes, I have to make sacrifices, including passing up on tickets for the game of the year. But, there will be another game next year and the year after that as well.

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In thinking about the topics that I have been writing on the past, I thought that now would be a good time to expand and add new topics of discussion. That being said, the first two new topics will be Sports and the always controversial Politics.

Being both a father and also a guy, Sports has always been a huge part of my life and I am hoping that my boys will love playing and watching sports as much as I did and continue to do so. And as for politics, I want my boys to learn about history and politics and allow them to make decisions that best represent their views. I am sure that I will have a little influence, but I want to try to give them both sides of each argument.

Let the discussions begin!

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Tonight is the Super Bowl. And like most, I’m only watching because of the commercials, because honestly, I am not a fan of either the Giants or the Patriots. I will say that after reading that the Stock Market responds better after the Patriots win, that might be an incentive, however, I am fine either way. But in saying that, if you want to watch the commercials, here you go: http://www.superbowl-commercials.org/

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As most Americans yesterday, my wife and I sat down and watched the Baltimore Ravens vs. New England Patriots. The game lived up to the hype to say the least, but with 20 seconds to go, the Baltimore Ravens kicker, Billy Cundiff had the opportunity to kick a 30 yard field goal to send the game into overtime. As the pressure mounted, he pushed the kick wide left, the Patriots are going to the Super Bowl and the Ravens are going back to Baltimore. And as I sat in my chair in disbelief, my wife shaking her head asking how he could have missed a kick that he has made thousands of times, I simple said, “It’s just a game.”

Now, please understand, I love sports. There were three things that I was told when I was a kid:
1) That we support and love UNC
2) That the Yankees were the greatest dynasty every built
3) Under no circumstance do you cheer for duke (or as we were taught to spell it, dook)

And when it comes to the UNC vs. dook game, all bets are off. I save all of my bad language for those games. But at the end of the day, it’s just a game. So, last night, as I was thinking about that, I realized I don’t want my boys having that much pressure put on them for sports. I want them to play, but I want them to play and love it, because it is what they want to do. I want them to understand, that sports is just as much about teamwork, as it is winning a game.

So when I read the press game comments last night and I read Ray Rice and Ray Lewis talked about how this is a team sport and that the blame should not fall on Billy Cundiff, I was really glad, because they are right. The team lost the game, not the kicker, he just happened to miss a field goal. The game was not won or lost on 1 play, but a series of plays. My hope, is that when it is time for Billy Cundiff to retire, that he will be remembered for his off the field actions – helping raise money for hunger programs, Teammates for Kids to name a few, but the sad reality, is that our society will remember 1 kick, from a game.

And at the end of the day, it’s just a game.

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