When I was growing up it was fun to watch a football game or Baseball game at home because we could see the instant replays. In Baseball the umpires got the call right most of the time, If there was an argument by the manager it was because he didn't see the play correctly. The umpires were always pretty good at what they did and very rarely did I have a problem with what I saw.
I have a problem with what I see the past 2 or 3 seasons. The major league umpires these days are awful. They are either not trained very well or not paying attention. It seems like every game has some sort of blown call that could potentially change the outcome of the game. What is worse is the calls are so obviously wrong that it makes the game as a whole look bad.
Instant replay could help with correcting these errors. I am not talking about balls and strikes. There is something to be said regarding the human element to these types of call. Even though every umpire has their own interpretation of the strike zone, the calls should be more consistent rather that having to "feel out" what the umpire is going to call. That has a lot to do with training or retraining the umpires. Regarding instant replays, I am talking about close plays at first, I am talking about fair/foul calls, I am talking about whether a ball was trapped by a fielder. I am talking about whether a player may have been hit by a pitch(Derek Jeter). These reviews can be done quickly and accurately to improve the integrity of the game and the umpires themselves.
As far a football goes I think instant replay is a good because the game has gotten so much faster that the refs have a hard to keeping up. Most of the time they get the call right.
Instant replay has gone from a cool thing that you could see at home to something that could become an integral part of sports. It should be implemented to make sure the calls on the field are correct.
Thursday, October 7, 2010
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Thoughts on Melo and Noah
There are all kinds of rumors regarding the Chicago Bulls again. This time it relates to the Bulls interest in Carmelo Anthony. According to speculation, Denver would want Noah in any deal and the Bulls are unwilling to deal him. My question is why?
Noah is a high energy guy who plays hard on the defensive end. His main liability is his offense. His jump shot is awful and his free throw shooting is not much better. What you would get is an all start player to play with Rose and Boozer and can score a lot of point. This deal has to be done and done as soon as possible.
You can never have too much talent on a team and Noah is not as talented as Anthony who can score a lot of point in a hurry and if combined with Derrick Rose will have a great 1-2 punch. The Bulls need to make this deal and will be better off if they do.
Noah is a high energy guy who plays hard on the defensive end. His main liability is his offense. His jump shot is awful and his free throw shooting is not much better. What you would get is an all start player to play with Rose and Boozer and can score a lot of point. This deal has to be done and done as soon as possible.
You can never have too much talent on a team and Noah is not as talented as Anthony who can score a lot of point in a hurry and if combined with Derrick Rose will have a great 1-2 punch. The Bulls need to make this deal and will be better off if they do.
Thoughts about the WTC Mosque/cultural center
I will start off by saying that the Mosque that is being proposed near the World Trade Center site has the legal right to be built. I will not argue that point at all. I do feel that even proposing that it be built on or near that site is insensitive to the victims and their families of the worst act of terrorism in American history.
I see the protesters who are against the proposed mosque and some of their signs are racist and horrible. I am not against Islam or Muslims and feel that these signs are worse than the idea of the proposed Mosque itself. These signs promote hate and bigotry which is not what the United States should be about.
My point is that the horrific events of 9/11 were done by extremists in the name of Allah and having a mosque on that site is insensitive to the horrific tragedy that happened there. It seems like the people who want it there want to make names for themselves by causing controversy and that is wrong and should be stopped.
If the Mosque is built I believe that it should be left alone and the people who go should be allowed to pray in peace. I do believe that it should not be allowed to be built as a sign of respect for the people who died there.
I see the protesters who are against the proposed mosque and some of their signs are racist and horrible. I am not against Islam or Muslims and feel that these signs are worse than the idea of the proposed Mosque itself. These signs promote hate and bigotry which is not what the United States should be about.
My point is that the horrific events of 9/11 were done by extremists in the name of Allah and having a mosque on that site is insensitive to the horrific tragedy that happened there. It seems like the people who want it there want to make names for themselves by causing controversy and that is wrong and should be stopped.
If the Mosque is built I believe that it should be left alone and the people who go should be allowed to pray in peace. I do believe that it should not be allowed to be built as a sign of respect for the people who died there.
Monday, September 6, 2010
Could the Bears become irrevalent?
Since the Chicago Bears were major players in the NFC in the 1980s, they have been a average to below average team. The team was very inconsistent under Dave Wannstedt who, I believe, is a very bad coach anyway. Dick Juron was an average coach who did lead them to the playoffs once. And now Lovie Smith, who took the team to the Super Bowl a few years ago, is leading the Bears to what most likely will become a very sub par season.
I think the Organization as a whole needs to be fixed either by new ownership or a change in philosophy. I am not going to say they are cheap because they have spent a lot of money on players over they last few years. I feel it is on how they spent the money on the players, the coaches and the stadium itself that has gotten them into the predicament that they are in.
This reminds me of how the Blackhawks became irrelevant in this city for many years until the Bill Wirtz passed away and they changed they way they did business. What the Bears have on their side is a solid base around them in terms of their sport. The NFL is far more popular in the United States than the NHL and is still growing. The fact that they will remain on TV every week while the Blackhawks were practically invisible helps the Bears.
The Bears need to get better leadership at the top whether it be someone in the McCaskey family takes control and organizes the team better or the family sells the team and the new owners reorganize how the team does business.
Whatever happens with the Bears organization, the team needs to scout new players better and coach existing players better. This falls under the parameters of Jerry Angelo, Lovie Smith and his staff. Angelo has proven a sub par GM who does not know how to scout players. He takes too many risks on players from small schools and "projects" who do not turn out.
Lovie Smith has become very arrogant and does not think he can do wrong. He and Angelo continue to bring in players who he used in the past and many have failed. Smith continues to use the cover 2 defensive scheme when he does not have the proper players for that defensive scheme. The team has not upgraded their offensive line to a point where they are good enough to protect Jay Cutler on a regular basis.
On top of that, the team and the city did not build a stadium that is conducive to the area where it is located. The new stadium should have been built with a retractable roof. This would allow the the city to compete for a super bowl. In addition the playing conditions on the field i.e the grass is usually in poor condition. The team and the city are unwilling invest in turf real or artificial that is safe and better to play on.
The fans of the Bears will eventually tire of the dysfunctional way the team is run off the field and the lack of success on the field. Chicago fans are loyal, but with the reemergence of the Blackhawks, the improvements to the Bulls, and the competitive Baseball teams, the Bears will have to start fixing their organization from the top to the bottom or they will be in trouble.
I think the Organization as a whole needs to be fixed either by new ownership or a change in philosophy. I am not going to say they are cheap because they have spent a lot of money on players over they last few years. I feel it is on how they spent the money on the players, the coaches and the stadium itself that has gotten them into the predicament that they are in.
This reminds me of how the Blackhawks became irrelevant in this city for many years until the Bill Wirtz passed away and they changed they way they did business. What the Bears have on their side is a solid base around them in terms of their sport. The NFL is far more popular in the United States than the NHL and is still growing. The fact that they will remain on TV every week while the Blackhawks were practically invisible helps the Bears.
The Bears need to get better leadership at the top whether it be someone in the McCaskey family takes control and organizes the team better or the family sells the team and the new owners reorganize how the team does business.
Whatever happens with the Bears organization, the team needs to scout new players better and coach existing players better. This falls under the parameters of Jerry Angelo, Lovie Smith and his staff. Angelo has proven a sub par GM who does not know how to scout players. He takes too many risks on players from small schools and "projects" who do not turn out.
Lovie Smith has become very arrogant and does not think he can do wrong. He and Angelo continue to bring in players who he used in the past and many have failed. Smith continues to use the cover 2 defensive scheme when he does not have the proper players for that defensive scheme. The team has not upgraded their offensive line to a point where they are good enough to protect Jay Cutler on a regular basis.
On top of that, the team and the city did not build a stadium that is conducive to the area where it is located. The new stadium should have been built with a retractable roof. This would allow the the city to compete for a super bowl. In addition the playing conditions on the field i.e the grass is usually in poor condition. The team and the city are unwilling invest in turf real or artificial that is safe and better to play on.
The fans of the Bears will eventually tire of the dysfunctional way the team is run off the field and the lack of success on the field. Chicago fans are loyal, but with the reemergence of the Blackhawks, the improvements to the Bulls, and the competitive Baseball teams, the Bears will have to start fixing their organization from the top to the bottom or they will be in trouble.
Sunday, August 15, 2010
Wade is the bad guy
To most Bulls fans the big free agency prize would have been getting LeBron James, a great consolation prize would have been to get Dwayne Wade. It never seemed possible until the Bulls had two meetings with him, within a span of 24 hours.
As it turns out these meeting were a ploy by Wade to get an idea of what the Bulls' free agency plans were. He never had any intention of coming back to Chicago, despite it being the city where he grew up. To me Wade was very disingenuous when he said on ESPN that Chicago was his heart. I don't believe that Wade had any intention on leaving Miami and if he had would not have come to Chicago.
To tease a fan base the way he did and then stab them in the back is wrong and should not be forgiven. James did tease The Bulls fans but he is a sad case of a person who doesn't want to have the pressure of being the guy that everyone depends on, on a team. He should no longer be compared to the great like Jordan, Johnson, Bird and others. But the person who Bulls fans should boo every time he gets the ball is Dwayne Wade for acting like he wanted to come back when it is clear he had no intentions of doing so.
As it turns out these meeting were a ploy by Wade to get an idea of what the Bulls' free agency plans were. He never had any intention of coming back to Chicago, despite it being the city where he grew up. To me Wade was very disingenuous when he said on ESPN that Chicago was his heart. I don't believe that Wade had any intention on leaving Miami and if he had would not have come to Chicago.
To tease a fan base the way he did and then stab them in the back is wrong and should not be forgiven. James did tease The Bulls fans but he is a sad case of a person who doesn't want to have the pressure of being the guy that everyone depends on, on a team. He should no longer be compared to the great like Jordan, Johnson, Bird and others. But the person who Bulls fans should boo every time he gets the ball is Dwayne Wade for acting like he wanted to come back when it is clear he had no intentions of doing so.
Saturday, August 14, 2010
diet update, update
For anyone who has not followed my weight loss or didn't see my facebook post, after 6 months I have lost 50 pounds!! I have found that my diet has been an evolving process. I have found out a lot of things about myself and have tried new things that I never thought I would like.
If you have read some of my previous posts, I started off buy trying to eat a lot of soup. I was advised by several people that may not have been the best way to go so I cut back to eating it for lunch or dinner 4 days a week. Eventually I eliminated the soup and replaced it with a serving of fat free pringles with a turkey sandwich. That's 180 calories that I was saving!!!
For years I was a person who ate whatever I wanted, when I wanted and I paid for it by gaining A LOT of weight. This diet is not just about losing weight. For me it's a lifestyle change. I have learned how to eat better and how many calories I should have per day to remain healthy.
I have tried new healthier things recently as well. Many of you know I am a picky eater and I don't eat salads or too many veggies. My wife Jen gave me some of her cut up cucumbers recently and I discovered that they were pretty good. She then made me a little salad with mainly lettuce and shredded cheese and some french dressing. It wasn't something that I could eat every day but it was something that I could eat.
Many people go on fad diets where they eat prepared meals to lose weight. While it may work for them to lose weight, what happens when they stop eating that food after they reach their goal? Many people gain the weight back. While I haven't reached my goal which is another 25 pounds away I believe that since it is a change in my lifestyle I will not gain the weight back.
I can't wait to get to my goal weight so I can eat more through out the day and feel fuller after I eat. The funny part of it how much weight I have lost, is if I continue at my current pace I will reach my goal prior to the holidays starting. I just hope I don't have to restart my diet next February hahaha.
If you have read some of my previous posts, I started off buy trying to eat a lot of soup. I was advised by several people that may not have been the best way to go so I cut back to eating it for lunch or dinner 4 days a week. Eventually I eliminated the soup and replaced it with a serving of fat free pringles with a turkey sandwich. That's 180 calories that I was saving!!!
For years I was a person who ate whatever I wanted, when I wanted and I paid for it by gaining A LOT of weight. This diet is not just about losing weight. For me it's a lifestyle change. I have learned how to eat better and how many calories I should have per day to remain healthy.
I have tried new healthier things recently as well. Many of you know I am a picky eater and I don't eat salads or too many veggies. My wife Jen gave me some of her cut up cucumbers recently and I discovered that they were pretty good. She then made me a little salad with mainly lettuce and shredded cheese and some french dressing. It wasn't something that I could eat every day but it was something that I could eat.
Many people go on fad diets where they eat prepared meals to lose weight. While it may work for them to lose weight, what happens when they stop eating that food after they reach their goal? Many people gain the weight back. While I haven't reached my goal which is another 25 pounds away I believe that since it is a change in my lifestyle I will not gain the weight back.
I can't wait to get to my goal weight so I can eat more through out the day and feel fuller after I eat. The funny part of it how much weight I have lost, is if I continue at my current pace I will reach my goal prior to the holidays starting. I just hope I don't have to restart my diet next February hahaha.
Thoughts on the Blago trial
It's been over a week of jury Deliberations and they are deadlocked on several counts. I guess it's time to ask what part of extortion does the jury not understand. Blagojevich has tried to extort money and favors from a children's hospital to the president-elect. The former governor even tried to extort the Chicago Tribune to have the state buy Wrigley Field if the editorial board wrote nice things about him.
Granted the Wrigley Field thing never happened and he never got a job in the President's administration(one of the few things Obama has done right). The issue should his intent and the prosecution should have proof that he did accept money for favors. If the prosecution does not have this proof they should not have gone forward with the trial.
The evidence in this case is so overwhelming bad for Blago that is he is not convicted, all the lawyers for the federal government should lose their jobs for incompetence. In addition, if the former governor is found innocent he will never let this state and country for that matter forget it. I just want to see this guy go away because he and his wife are out of their minds!!!
Granted the Wrigley Field thing never happened and he never got a job in the President's administration(one of the few things Obama has done right). The issue should his intent and the prosecution should have proof that he did accept money for favors. If the prosecution does not have this proof they should not have gone forward with the trial.
The evidence in this case is so overwhelming bad for Blago that is he is not convicted, all the lawyers for the federal government should lose their jobs for incompetence. In addition, if the former governor is found innocent he will never let this state and country for that matter forget it. I just want to see this guy go away because he and his wife are out of their minds!!!
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