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Category Archives: Sports

Are we total savages


February trade statistics: Days Positive 2, Days Negative 0, Average Day $3,070

I wanted to get my statistics out of the way because this article has nothing to do with trading. I was reading an article last night on ESPN.com about Aaron Rodgers helmet that he is now wearing that will help in reducing his chances of getting a concussion of which he has had two this season.

The article was really about the fact that Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers refuse to say publicly what make and model of helmet he is wearing that is allowing him to play without worry of concussion. Rodgers even said that he would have suffered another head injury from the hit Julius Peppers gave him during the NFC Championship game were it not for this helmet. Apparently the rationale for this silence is that Rodgers and the Packer do not want to be liable for recommending the helmet in case a player gets injured.

That last line of course infuriates me as safety is so important and the NFL must be able to find a way to indemnify a team or get an act of Congress to write a law that makes it ok to reveal this top notch secret. The article goes on to say that there are millions of children out there that play football and they have the right to know if something can make the sport safer.

As I read this article I can’t help but think to myself that we have become a nation of brutal violence and total love for this violence. I enjoy watching football although I am not a diehard crazy fan of the sport, I will watch about 5 regular season games a year (usually as the weather gets worse) and of course the playoffs and Super Bowl.

What strikes me as odd is that the talk centers on safer helmets but the talk never surfaces around abolishing the sport at the very least on the amateur level. The brutal nature of this sport is just coming to light but REAL SPORTS on HBO has dedicated many shows to life after football and it is not a pretty picture. The once hero’s of the sports world are shriveled up pieces of themselves only 10-15 years after they retire. Many are left with brain damage and bodies that are too frail to care for themselves.

I do not really understand how parents allow their children to play this game. I would be willing to bet these same parents would not let their kids drive without a seat belt. I will never let my children participate in this sport other than on a friendly in the park no pads level. You ask “why no pads” and I will answer you that I have the solution to making football less dangerous.

TAKE AWAY THE PADS STUPID! It is the helmet, shoulder pads, etc that make this game so brutal. Would a safety come in as hard as they do and put their head down if there was not helmet to protect them? I think not. All of this body armor makes the player feel invincible and the ones that are delivering the hits have no fear of being hit only fined by the NFL.

So I say don’t tell us what helmet you are wearing, just take the helmets away. Rugby players have been doing it this way for years I watched a rugby match and it was very exciting, so let’s give it a try. How many of us have played a tackle football game with our buddies, no pads and someone got a concussion? I don’t remember it ever happening. This will never happen but that is because I am used to having ideas that make so much sense that nobody else thinks it makes sense, call me crazy.

So enjoy the Super Bowl this weekend and imagine a world without all that junky padding and those pesky concussions.
Happy Trading!



Money & Sports


I feel like I’m ten years old again and going to the Garden to see the Knicks play the Nets. Only now, instead of my mom getting me lower level seats I have to persuade the security guards to let me and my partner in crime sit closer to the court. At least I’m 21 so I can have a few drinks to spicen the game up a little. Knicks vs Heat this year is one of the biggest, most controversial games to look forward to not only because of how highly ranked each team is but because of Lebron James.  

Since talks of James leaving Cleveland started everyone assumed he would join the Knicks to be a hero and bring them back to the top;  instead he joined Miami to be with Wade and Bosh and was named a coward.  This move by James is a clear example of how sports isn’t just about the game and making a name for yourself it’s about money and power. I hope he’s happy — because every time he enters the Garden and has the ball he is booed and videos like this are made about him.

With this controversy, Forbes clearly identifies how much one player’s deicion can impact the amount of money a few teams make. It’s unbelievable to hear how much money individual athletes and established teams can make. The Yankees have the highest amount of money in the MLB which yields them the ability to offer hundreds of millions of dollars to each player for 5-7 year contracts. Not only can the team itself make money, but sponsors can make tons of money off winning teams. This past years BCS Championship game caused Oregon and Auburns sponsors (Under Armour and Nike) to have high rallys in the market.

With the Superbowl coming up shortly, many people are looking forward to not only the game but the commercials. With all of the viewers these new commercials get they are sure to get lots of exposure which will, they hope, gain them business. The risk is paying the million dollar amount to have  30 seconds of air time. With all the hype of sports in the US and overseas, it’s easy to conclude any company or person can gain popularity or just as easily gain hatred by being shown on or off the court or field..



Prediction


I predict that Schwartz will be in a bad mood tomorrow.

(I promise to write a more insightful blog tomorrow.)



Football Friday Predictions


Pittsburgh Steelers win 17-3
Chicago Bears win 10-6



Rangers making strides


Last night the Rangers beat a smoking hot Pittsburgh Penguins team.  Up until a loss to the Flyers the previous night (a frequent thorn in Pitt’s side lately) the Pens were on a 12-game win streak.  Malkin scored a very pretty goal with 13 seconds left in the first period, which left Hank looking quite silly as he flailed aimlessly trying to stop the Russian.  Sid also kept his point-scoring streak a live with an assist on Malkin’s goal.  Second period was fairly uneventful.  The third, however, was all Rangers all the time; or at least for the last 10 minutes it was.  In a brief stretch of 6 minutes and 20 seconds the Rangers scored 4 goals.  What’s interesting is who scored the goals - Christensen, Frolov, Anisimov, Boyle.  Not Gaborik or…Gaborik.  It’s great to see the hardworking, third and fourth line grinders win a game against, arguably, the best team in the league.  Perhaps the strategy of grooming young talent (read Stahl, Dubinsky, Callahan, Girardi) and building a team around them, as opposed to several 12 year veterans whose best years are behind them, is starting to pay dividends.  Then again, I can’t get too excited as these are the Rangers and there’s a lot of season left.  Let’s see if the Knicks can borrow some of what the Rangers are drinking and beat a streaking Miami Heat team tonight.

Rangers getting it right



Fantasy hockey update


Judah = Legend of Dirty Joe

Jeff = Saskatoon Swamp Donkeys

Sam = Taco’s Naginta

Schwartz = Deuce



How good are the Rangers?


After demolishing Edmonton at home on Sunday in a game that included a hat trick by Gaborik and some excellent fights, mostly spurred by Avery (duh), the Rangers did something very un-Ranger-ly; they backed it up.  The actually went into Pittsburgh and won a tight game in overtime.  Official stars of the game were both teams’ goalies, King Henrik had 37 saves, but you gotta give some props to Stahl and, most of all, Dubinsky.  Down 2-1 in the third with 1:26 left, Dubs thread the needle with a pass to Stahl deep in the offensive zone and Stahl flipped in what looked like a trick-shot for a crowd-deflating shorty.  Then, with 1:28 left in OT, Callahan played some nice D and got a little lucky when Zbynek Michalek tripped over his own feet giving Callahan and Dubinsky a wide open 2 on 1, Paul Martin being the 1.  Martin hit the ice trying to block the pass, but Dubinsky dangled around him and fed RyCal for an easy one-timer.  I considered picking Dubinsky up in my fantasy league a few games ago, but figured his production would taper as all Rangers’ production does.  Nonetheless, the kid from Alaska has done nothing but impress me this season.   Speaking of Stahl, Dubinsky actually reminds me a little of Jordan Stahl, but with more talent.  In fact, Dubs is now tied with O-V for a T-5 10 goals on the season - probably should have grabbed him when I had the chance.



Knicks going to hit the wall vs the wizards


After John Wall had his first breakout game vs the 76ers, I believe we could expect more of the same vs the Knicks porous defense.  I like the Wizards +3 in the first half and Wizards +6 for the game over the Knicks tonight in NY.



NBA picks


I like the Raptors +the 5 points over Sacramento tnt on the road.