Rivalries

One topic that is frequently discussed on all sports media is rivalries. Which rivalry is the best in college football? Is the Yankees-Red Sox rivalry the best in baseball? And these questions go on and on and on. They go over every sport and even compare rivalries in different sports against each other. Why are rivalries so important? There is an extra burden placed on rivalry games. I’ve always found this to be interesting. Fans get up for the game more than any other, and the teams usually respond to that feeling.

To start, we need to know what makes a rival become a rival. Sometimes it is location. Other times it is because the teams are in the same division. A lot of the times, those two criteria are put together, as in the Penguins-Flyers rivalry in the NHL. These teams absolutely hate each other. They are in the same state and in the same division. There is nothing greater than reminding your rivals that you are better than them. Ask any Flyer fan how they feel when you remind them of the last time they won Lord Stanley’s Cup. I will give you a hint, they will either hang their head in shame or they might punch you in the face (remember, Philly fans are violent). The rarest would probably be the rivalries that come from historic meetings, like the Lakers-Celtics in the NBA.

The main topic I want to discuss is an interesting dilemma that popped up in my mind the other day:

If you could remove your rival from your league, would you?

I found this so interesting when I thought of it. At first, I was like “Hell yeah! Kick them out!” If I could get rid of a team I hated, then my team would never lose to them again. I would never have to deal with their idiotic fanbase. I would  be free and clear of ever hearing people talk smack about how my most hated team beat my team.

But, then I really thought about it. I would be removing some of my favorite games to watch. There is nothing quite like watching the Cy-Hawk football game in the fall for me. I’m on edge the entire time. I feel nervous and excited, like nothing you can feel outside of sports. Isn't that kind of emotion the reason we watch sports to begin with? The feeling of losing to your rival is a kick to the groin like nothing else. However, when you beat your rival, the euphoric feeling is better than anything you can experience.

Sports provide such a large range of emotion, and I think rivalries are some of the best parts. Yes, it would be nice for probably a year to get rid of a team like Manchester United, but in the end I don’t think it would be worth it. I want those feelings of euphoria, and to get those I will need to start doing coke experience some of those heartbreaking lows.

NHL Uniform Rankings 2013

Yes, I'm back. After coming out to a hot start, I quickly cooled down and quit writing for an extended period of time. I'm sorry!

As long as I can remember, I have been very critical of jerseys, logos, and everything like that. Ok, ok, I'm a little obsessed with them! So, to get us started back up, I'm going to rank the jerseys in the NHL (not of all time or we all know the Northstars would win). This is purely my opinion, and yes I know I am biased *cough*Flyers suck*cough*.

These rankings will be done from worst to first, so here we go:

30. Detroit (just kidding, their jersey's are not that bad, I just hate the wings)
30. Anaheim Ducks

The color scheme is bad, but the main reason these jerseys rank dead last is the atrocious logo. Look at that thing, it is horrible! And just think, they used to use this one:


29. Columbus Blue Jackets

This is another casualty of a bad logo. They almost save it by having that alternate jersey, which has a great logo on it. However, their primary logo is so bad I am penalizing them for it. Seriously, just make the alternate jersey the primary one already!

28. Nashville Predators

This is a collision of bad color scheme meets bad logo. The yellow jersey's are just bad, however the white ones have promise

27. Florida Panthers

In case you haven't picked up on the theme yet, a bad logo hurts you in these rankings. And ladies and gents, this logo is bad (although their secondary logo is even worse!).

26. Washington Capitals

I fully admit this one might be lower due to my bias against the Caps. However, I hate so much about these jerseys. Both logos, the team, and Ovechkin.

25. Colorado Avalanche

Maroon is an ugly color. Can we all agree to just get rid of it? Their logos do not help their cause. The alternate jersey has promise, but it's not quite there.

24. Ottawa Senators

This is where it gets a little tougher. There is a large group of jerseys in the NHL I consider in the "meh" category. This is the first of those. The two primary jerseys are decent, and I have little issue with the logo. My biggest concern here is the horrible alternate jersey. Dear Senators, please never wear those... ever.

23. Winnipeg Jets

This one has me confused. I love these jerseys, I really do, but that logo bothers me. Mainly because it could have been this:


22. New York Islanders

21. Edmonton Oilers

I paired these two together because they are basically the same. They both have horrible color schemes with decent logos. I'm not going to remove orange like I did maroon, but can there at least be an application process? It rarely works out well for anyone. The edge here goes to the Oilers because their alternate jersey is better.

20. Carolina Hurricanes

The logo here is the problem. And to solve that problem, they came up with an even worse secondary logo. Not to mention, they are hoarding all the Staal's so I hold some resentment.

19. Phoenix Coyotes

The idea here is getting better than what they used to be. I still don't like the logo, but I don't hate it. However, I do hate their new alternate jersey logo.

18. Minnesota Wild

I'm sorry to all my friends from the State of Hockey. I tried to hold off as long as I could. Let's break this one down jersey by jersey. The first jersey is solid. Love the circle logo idea, however that stupid Wild logo is still in the middle. Second jersey is okay at best. Seriously, stop it with that logo. Hire a better graphic designer. Finally, the alternate jersey. If Minnesota doesn't just switch to this next year, they are dumb. Nothing but love for that alternate jersey.

17. Dallas Stars

These jerseys are not really that bad, just not that good. The switch away from their primary logo on the front was a great decision. Only problem is they still have that garbage logo. Can they just trade the Stars name to Minnesota??? We all just want this back:


18. St. Louis Blues

These are pretty decent jerseys. I really do like how they use the yellow. Yellow can be a difficult color to use right (see Nashville for how to use it wrong), and they do it well.

15. Los Angeles Kings

I don't know what it is about their primary jerseys, but I am a huge fan. I cannot even explain it. However, their alternates are just bad. On to the alternate jersey. I hate everything about it. I hate the chest logo. I hate the use of purple. I hate the Los Angeles on the midsection. I just hate it.

14. Vancouver Canucks

It's getting to the point where I have to get picky. I like a lot of this jersey, but love nothing on it. The weird Orca/C logo is just weird to me. I like the other logo better, but don't love it.

13. San Jose Sharks

When I was a kid, I loved the Sharks jerseys. I loved the use of teal and black and the cool shark biting the stick. But then I grew up. Time to grow up Sharks.

12. Philadelphia Flyers

****BIAS ALERT*** I can't even talk much about these. I hate the color orange, but most people think these are one of the best. I hate these cheaters too much to allow them any higher up my list. If you have a problem with this, feel free to punch yourself in the face.

11. Tampa Bay Lightning

Another example of how I'm starting to get picky. The logo is not bad, but it's not as good as some of the others. I love the white and blue jerseys though. So much potential with those. Not a fan of the "Bolts" jersey. If they didn't have that one, they could have come so close. Maybe next year Tampa!

10. Detroit Red Wings

As much as I hate the Wings, I couldn't leave them out of the top ten. One of the classics. But, I couldn't let them be any higher. Seems to me they resemble something else I hate:


9. Calgary Flames

Seriously, having to nitpick a lot now. The logo is a little weird, but I still like it. Biggest criticism is that the alternate jersey is not their primary one. Love that jersey. Their best choice would be to drop the primary red jersey completely and make the alternate their primary.

8. Buffalo Sabres

Their logo used to be so bad, but they fixed that problem. I'm a big fan of most things with these jerseys. They hit on almost every level, especially with the use of a buffalo. Get rid of some of the piping and we are talking top 5 potential!

7. Chicago Blackhawks

Classic jersey with little to complain about. love the use of the black in these jerseys. Too many teams with black in their arsenal try to overuse it when it is isn't necessary. Only thing I don't like is their logo. I know it's traditional, and I give it props for that, but too many colors are in it. I understand why they are there, but I have never liked it.

6. New Jersey Devils

Simple, but they just work. Seems that red, white, and black just work well with hockey jerseys. I gave them the edge over the Blackhawks simply because their logo is simpler. Just a little on the cartoony side, but simple. I like simplicity.

5. Boston Bruins

Probably the most difficult ranking in the whole league. Their primary jerseys are almost perfect. They are classic in every way. So what is holding them back? That alternate jersey logo is just weird. I don't hate it, it just has a awkward feel about it.

4. Toronto Maple Leafs

So simple, except the socks. Why would they put all those stripes on there? It confuses a simple jersey so much. I guess you cannot ask that much of Canada, eh?

3. Pittsburgh Penguins

I know any of you that know me expected me to put the Pens at number one. I wanted to, I really did, but I couldn't do it. I tried to take some bias out of it. Out of all the non-original teams, this logo is the best. I'm also a sucker for those blue alternates.

2. Montreal Canadiens

One of the most classic looks in any sport. I have no complaints about this jersey, except that they're from Canada.

1. New York Rangers

Very close to the Canadiens jerseys, but just a little better. Love the diagonal writing. Love the red, white, and blue. Just the best uniforms in the NHL. As close as the NHL gets to having my favorite jersey of all time:


Well that's my list. Feel free to offer up your thoughts on where I went wrong. Again, this is my personal ranking.

Greatness

(Insert superstar name here) is the next Michael Jordan. This has been the statement said about any “phenom” player coming into the league since the mid-90’s. It is also a phrase that drives me crazy. Kobe is not the next Jordan. LeBron is not the next Jordan. Why must we always try to find a comparison to everything?

Michael Jordan was a once in a lifetime kind of player. I do not know when or if we will ever see a player like him again. Honestly, even though I’m a huge MJ fan, I would love to see that kind of greatness again. The things he did on a court transformed the game in so many ways. There are people that are better dunkers then him. There are players that are better ball-handlers then him. The thing that sets him aside is he was great at so many things. That combination, and the dominance the Jordan Bulls had, will be hard to recreate ever again.

So why do we constantly find the need to compare players to him, even though it seems impossible? Human nature. As humans, we don’t want to accept that the best is behind us. We are raised to think that things will just get better. We want to remember the past and know that where we are now is better than where we were. I get this, I really do. What I don’t get is the constant forced comparison. Kobe is a great player, but does not quite compare to MJ. Yet, we have been forced to hear this comparison since Kobe entered the league. LeBron is no where near MJ. He doesn’t even fit the comparison. Recently, sports talking heads finally realized that LBJ needs to be compared to Magic more than MJ. No, LBJ is not as good as Magic, but the comparison is closer.

More than anything, I want to celebrate what players have done. When a player has a great season, I want to remember them for having a great season. The problem with this is that as soon as a player starts doing well, the 4 million sports talk shows start comparing these players to the greats from the past. These comparisons add so much extra pressure to these players. This is a problem. Players can ignore sports talk for a little while, but if you are compared to MJ and you miss a shot in the final seconds of a game, there is no way to ignore the avalanche of critics that comes along. Stephen A. Smith and Skip Bayless will yell at whoever is on the other side of the desk for hours on end with criticism of that player’s lack of clutch shooting.

Greatness in sport is something to be celebrated. Too bad, in this country at least, we have changed that. We like to tear down great players for not being the greatest of all time.

Sports hurt...

What a crazy year for my sports fandom it has been. The NFL season saw my Cowboys give me hope, just to come crashing down a few weeks later (as usual…). Then comes the hockey season, where I got to endure the soap opera that is Sidney Crosby. When will he come back? Will he be the same player? Finally, when the Penguins were whole again, they were unstoppable, at least until the playoffs where they fell apart in the third period of game 1. After that, it was all downhill for them (they tried to comeback, but dug themselves too deep). Then there is the NBA. The Bulls dominated the entire year, with or without their MVP Derrick Rose. Watching game 1 of the playoffs, it was easy to see that they were going to dispose of the 76ers quickly and the championship run was on! Well, until it happened. D-Rose made one of his signature moves and he tore his ACL. Now, the Bulls are against the ropes and likely to be knocked out by the lowly 76ers in the next few days. As a Twins fan, I will ignore that there is currently baseball being played.

This brings me to my newest team, Manchester City. I know, I know. I’m a bandwagoner. Kind of, at least.

When I first started working in soccer three years ago, I decided I needed to get fully involved (copyright Firehouse Subs… mmm, this makes me hungry) and pick a premiership team. This led to a week of research into what team I would want to support. I knew I didn’t want to support ManU, Chelsea, or Arsenal, since it seems that is who everyone in the US likes, and I tend to go against the grain. I also knew that I didn’t want to pick a team that would perennially fight for relegation (Sorry Sunderland). I wanted a team that was in the top half, but still had an underdog feel to them. The final choice came down to Tottenham, Everton, and City. The tipping point was that City had Robinho on their team, and I was a fan of his. Of course, his time at City was uninspiring and short-lived, but my fandom stayed. In the next couple of years leading up to this season, a lot of money was spent. I mean a lot of money. Seriously, if you don’t know much about this, look it up. In a way, I did not like that the team I chose turned out to be ridiculously rich (they were purchased by an oil sheikh shortly before I started following them), but then I decided it was nice to support the wealthy team for once.

Fast forward to this year. City was unstoppable early on. They could not be stopped, or even slowed down. They showed some flaws playing in Champions league. Then there was the loss to Chelsea. It was frustrating to see them lose that game, but they were bound to lose one game, right? But then they lost to Sunderland. REALLY??? SUNDERLAND??? They hit a low point when they lost to Arsenal. Not saying that there is anything bad about losing to the Gunners. They had gone from having a seemingly impossible to lose lead in the league to being down 8 points with only six matches to go. They were done. United would never mess that up. They were the model of consistency and winning. But they did. Now, there is one match left for all teams and the Manchester clubs are tied in points. City has a +8 goal differential over United, which is the first tie-breaker. Hope is back!

All that is left for City to do is win against a team fighting to be 17^th, just outside of relegation. Should be easy right? I am having a hard time getting excited for this game. After all the heartbreak I have suffered via sports this year, I’m more nervous than anything. I can see it now. We will tie QPR and United will win and get the title, leaving me crushed.

Sports hurt…

P.S. – All games in the final week are played at the exact same time. No team gets a time advantage over any other. I love this so much. Genius, pure genius! Also, for the first time, all games will be airing on US stations. Every. Last. Game. No words can describe how awesome this is.

Introduction

I’m a sports junkie.

I’ve spent most of my life talking, debating, and ranting about sports, so why not try to put pen to paper finger to keyboard and let everyone know what I’m thinking.

I grew up in Eastern Iowa. Not exactly a sports Mecca. This basically meant that I had no required teams to support based on location. So I had to come up with which teams I wanted to support. I’ll save you the long and drawn out stories for each team and keep this short. I basically chose the teams that were good when I was young, except when it comes to college sports. I will cover that a little more later.

Here are the teams I support:

§         College - Iowa State (Most important one)

§         NFL – Dallas Cowboys

§         NBA – Chicago Bulls

§         MLB – Minnesota Twins

§         NHL – Pittsburgh Penguins

§         MLS – FC Dallas

§         BPL (that stands for Barclay’s Premier League) – Manchester City

So how did I become an Iowa State in Eastern Iowa, where U of I dominates the market? Growing up, my family cheered for all things from the state of Iowa. This meant supporting UNI, UI, and ISU. Even though the only one of those schools that my parents did not attend was ISU, my mom tended to support them in the Cy-Hawk rivalry. So I kind of picked up on that I guess. As I got a little older, and trash talk got more prevalent, I was pushed more to the ISU side. I never liked the way Iowa fans acted, so things escalated quickly. The only thing that made my love for ISU grow more was going to school (and graduating) from there.

Anyways, that is enough of a background of me for now. Go State!