I'll be honest with you my loyal bloggers, Meredith is in a bit of a writer's block. Basketball is still in preseason, hockey depresses me because the Bruins can't seem to win a shoot out in OT, and I just don't care about the Rays/Phillies World Series. I still feel like someone is playing a cruel joke on me with the Rays playing in the World Series.
So I thought, why not have an impromptu Awards Show for Sports Teams and Sports Fans? There's an award show for everything, why not sports!? And yes, I know there is the ESPY's but this ain't your grandpa's award show (sorry Norm), these are the awards that you secretly wish the ESPY's could dare to give out (don't worry Jenna the Intern, I won't write anything that could contractually get me fired).
Worst Politically Correct Team Logo:
KANSAS CITY CHIEFS: KC in what is either a leaf or head of a spear outline? Lame. If you're going to have a Native American title, you either have to go all the way and possibly, well definitely offend the Native Americans of this great land, or change your name entirely. Give me a good tomahawk or cartoon Indian Man, but a leaf thing? Not cool.
Player I Wish Would Pull a Farve and Come Out of Retirement:
Dennis Rodman looking fab. Photo from flickr.com
Dennis Rodman. Oh yes, the cross dresser himself who married Carmen Electra. I bet a lot of you forgot about him. I bet a lot of you wish you could forget him. But I wish he would return to the beloved game of basketball and wear that infamous wedding dress. He spices up the game.
Worst Player to Ask for Illegal Substances:
Antonio Holmes of the Steelers: Pot was recently found in Holmes' car preventing him from playing in Sunday's game against the Giants so he is a no no. Best player to go for illegal substances? None. Drugs are bad and if you know that they partake in such activities, they've probably already been caught red handed and arrested for it.
Fans That Are Most Likely to Punch You in the Face:
Scary fan. Photo from Flickr.com
The Oakland Raiders: Oakland Raiders are the crudest most violent fans I have ever seen. And just to prove it, I will probably get punched in the face for saying just that at some point. Luckily I never plan on visiting Oakland.
Player Trade Meredith is Still Most Bitter About:
Nomar Garciaparra going from the Sox to the Cubs. Sure it was for the better and Garciaparra was miserable in Boston but it only took him farther away from his one true love, me. And then he married that horrible Mia Hamm. Life is cruel.
Team with the Worst Mascot:
McBeam himself. Photo from flickr.com
The Pittsburgh Steelers': It''s litteraly a steel man named Steely McBeam. According to Brent, my roommate, his name was choosen as a part of a city wide contest. So what have we learned today? Pittsburgers love a good pun. Runners Up were the Jazz. I don't know what their mascot is but last time I checked, Miles Davis and layups didn't really go hand in hand.
Player Most Likely to Ruin His Season Because of His Hot Model Girlfriend:
Tom Brady: Oh wait that already happened! Congrats Tom! Tom Brady was advised to have knee surgery in Boston by surgeon's hand picked by his coaches and team doctors. Instead of listening to them Tom decided, "oh no clearly my Brazilian model gf Gisele Bundchen knows more about knee surgery, she has a degree in being hot." So he went with another surgeon. Big mistake Tommy. You're now out for months instead of weeks and need a second surgery.
Team with the Biggest Fair Weather Fans:
The Tampa Bay Rays: Seriously did Tampa even know they had a team before this season? There used to be about 5 Rays' fans in the stands at any given game before the 07-08 season, enough said.
Best Stadium:
The Arizona Diamondbacks: It's like one big fun fest in the middle of the desert! There's even a pool! And yes I know the Ray's stadium has live rays but they only get one award.
Most Obnoxious Fans/Dedicated Fans:
It's a tie between the Yankees and the Red Sox fans. Because while both are rude, vocal, and passionate about their team's toward the brink of insanity, it is all out of good intentions, anything for their beloved team. To be obnoxious about your team is to be unusually dedicated and as much as I hate to say it, Yankee fans are just as crazy about their team as Sox fans are.
Well there are your winners, and I'm sure at least a couple of you are mildly offended, what do you think? Do you agree? Disagree? Do you have any ideas for other awards for the spring show? (I decided there will be a spring show because I think this one is already going splendidly.) Post a comment and I'll make sure to get back to you!
Awards Season...For Sports!
There May Be Some Good in the Sox Losing
Maybe it's for the better that the Sox are not advancing to the World Series.
Ok Boston fans, back off, before you jump down my throat, hear me out.
When the Red Sox lost the ALCS last night I was....asleep (hey I get up at 6:00am lay off). But I have to say when I saw the headline on Boston.com, I felt a mixture of let down and relief (mostly because it meant I didn't have to deal with TBS announcers or Joe Buck and Tim McCarver till next October), but also because, it made me feel good to see the Sox that I grew up with. The Sox that I knew and loved but didn't seem to have luck on their side.
And maybe this is an odd statement to make, but a part of me still cannot shake this self-deprecating mindset that I grew up with as a young Sox fan. I grew up surrounded by bitter Sox fans and learned the mentality very early on that being a Sox fan meant a life time of let down as well as love for the beloved Beantown favorites.
But that all changed in 2004 in the greatest playoffs I think I will ever see in my lifetime. Not only did the Sox make it to the World Series but they beat the Yankees, the unstoppable Yankees, in the ALCS overcoming the greatest deficit in sports history and then going on to win the World Series. It was one of the greatest moments of my life and I still can remember sitting in my grandparents TV room in their uncomfortable wicker furniture (why wicker furniture? I don't know ask my grandma, Bev) surrounded by my entire family and collectively freaking out when they won it all. It was such a gratifying moment and for the next week I wore my Red Sox shirts with pride in my New Jersey high school where no one could say anything to bring me down. We had a World Series ring. I could die happy.
But then, we won again. And to me this was confusing, I was ready to go back into a sulking "being a Sox fan is so difficult" phase that I had grown up with. 2004 was fabulous but 2007 was confusing. We hadn't won a ring in 86 years and now we had two in the matter of 4 years? What was going on here? 
Papelbon after the 2007 WS win. Why am I not surprised? Photo from Flickr.com
And this isn't to say that I don't wish the Sox success but two things scared me about the Sox going on a World Series tear and especially making it this year. Here they are:
1. Kids need to know what it means to be a Sox fan. A part of that involves suffering. You can't be a Sox fan if you don't know what it is like to be at the lowest low and honestly, losing to the Rays is pretty low on my radar scale. I can't deal with these 10-year-old Sox fans that don't remember what it was like before the Sox had a 2004 World Series ring. You have to know what it's like to feel Sox grief, so kids, take this time as a learning lesson.
2. I don't want the Sox to be the Yankees of the 90's. Growing up, the Yankees were the gods of baseball. You couldn't beat them. Tino, Chuck, Roger, Andy, Bernie, Scott, Derek, the list of Yankee greats went on and on. They couldn't lose and I can't remember a year before this one where they were not in the World Series. And although it must have been fun for gloating Yankee fans, how quickly the mighty do fall. This year was a mess for the Yanks and they couldn't even make the playoffs. That is hard for me to fathom as well but I don't want the Sox to be the team that everyone wants to kill with fans that are both fair weathered and rude. I want the Sox fans that are die hard, win or lose, they are there for the team.
Ok Boston fans, I'm letting myself out of my bunker, taking off the bullet proof vest, I'm ready for your shots. What do you think? What is your reaction to the Rays beating the Sox for the ALCS title? Do you think they'll really go all the way and beat the Phillies? Leave a comment and let me know!
5:30 AM Never Feels Good...Not Even For the Sox
My uncles know how to make me do anything.
On Friday night my Uncle Jay called me to invite me to the Sox game with my other Uncle, Rip, and my brother Jack. But what he failed to mention until he knew he had me hook line and sinker is that we actually had to wait in line for tickets. And oh by the way if I could, could I get to Fenway by 6:45am to hold a spot until they get there from the Cape no later than 8am?
Waking up at 5:30am on my day off, even for the Sox? Heck no.
But then he offered to buy me my ticket. Ok getting warmer. Then he threw in lunch. Closer. Then the underlying promise of beers. You got a deal sir.
So with moderate enthusiasm I made my way onto the T, Ortiz jersey and all to Fenway.
Fenway during the morning. Photo by Richard Constant
And let me tell you, I must have been the only one awake in line at 6:45am. Standing in line for Sox tickets is like a whole other counterculture of sports. There are unspoken laws laid down at these epic events, or at least according to the chatty man in back of me. Not that I minded, I think he kept me from just walking away, my uncles and brother didn't get to Fenway until 9:30am. Jerks.
But honestly, I don't think you have a choice but to be pleasant and make the most of your time spent in that line. Oh another fact my uncles didn't tell me, we were going to be in line for SIX HOURS waiting for tickets. Those little details that make such a big difference. But really if the UN ran like the Sox ALCS tickets line, we would have no world disputes and plenty of Dunkin Donuts coffees and Boston Globe newspapers to go around.
If you ever find yourself in an epic sport tickets line, here are some tips to surviving the wait:
-Bring a warm jacket. 6:30am is never warm, trust me.
-Think you're strong enough to stand for the entire wait? Well you're not. Bring a chair or a blanket to sit on, you'll need it.
- Never agree to wait in line alone, you need someone to make multiple Dunkin' Donuts runs.
-Leggings, no matter how fashionable are a no no. It's not only cold during the early hours of the morning but also in an enclosed ballpark at night, pants ladies!
- If you're like me and go to a school where your hopes of graduating with a M.R.S are quickly diminishing, go wait in a playoff ticket line. Tons of cute boys and if you get in a good spot, you are stuck with them for hours of awkward conversation hopefully ending in an exchange of numbers. I met such a boy but...then my uncle's showed up and we got bored and bought tickets off a scalper instead.
My brother and I. First time I sat down for almost 3 and a half hours. Photo by Richard Constant
Watching the Sox drive into the park. The highlight? Seeing Jerry Remy up close. I'm such a broadcasting nerd. Photo by Richard Constant.
And thank god for that! Our seats were amazing, 6 rows back near Pesky's pole so we would be in perfect position to catch home runs. Too bad none came our way, or were hit by the Sox, who lost dreadfully. But I did see a beer fight, and we made a sign about TBS ruining our souls with their baseball broadcasting (here's my attempt to recreate it):
T errible
B roadcasters
and nice
S uits (not)
I thought it was creative, and so did my Uncle Jay who created it in a cocktail induced haze last night. And apparently the Boston Globe photog also thought it was creative because he took multiple pictures of it.
And we actually made the Globe's website, check it out, hilarity ensues.
http://www.boston.com/sports/baseball/redsox/gallery/10_13_08_game3_scene?pg=11
(you have to scroll a bit to find the picture but it is the green neon sign and you should see me in the corner).
The TBS cameraman? Not so impressed.
5:30am no fun. Free sox game ticket + free lunch + time well spent with family + insulting tbs + watching a beerfight = priceless.
Sports: Just Like Me, Always a Constant
I can't believe I just used my last name as a pun in my blog title, I'm either the most awesome person to walk this earth, or I have truly hit a new low in my blog.
Anyway, I'm sure Jenna the Intern got a kick out of that one (hopefully I can get another shout out in the weekly blogger email, hint hint). And this is the perfect segue to every one's favorite reoccurring character in my blog, Jenna the Intern! After a three month hiatus (Jenna left us for some unknown reason to travel to China) she has finally returned and all is right again in my blogosphere. Anyway, last week Jenna sent out one of her helpful blogging hints and suggested that we all try to relate our blog to something politically related with the election going on and all.
And I thought about it, and came up with......... zero ways to relate my sports blog to politics. I mean I guess Manny is sort of like a Joe Biden, both have been around for awhile and are somewhat controversial. 
From left to right, Joe Biden and Manny Ramirez. Photos from flickr.com
John McCain and Curt Schilling also have something in common, both are old and should probably think about retiring. 
. From left to right John McCain and Curt Schilling. Photos from Flickr.com
And I really truly wish I could have found someone to compare Sarah Palin to but I feel like it could have led to some sort of discrimination lawsuit so I resisted the temptation. Besides SNL makes fun of her enough for one lifetime.
Other than that, I really didn't see the political theme working with my blog because the sports world is in no way effected by race to the White House.
But then I had an epiphany, that's exactly how my blog relates to politics, because it doesn't at all! Nothing does. Sports are in their own little bubble that an economic recession cannot pop, a presidential election cannot burst, and a Heather Locklear D.U.I cannot even crash into and ruin. Sports remain uncomplicated and untangled in every day world problems which is why people love them so much. They are an escape from the mundane and the downright frightening. When CNN scares me about my future chances of getting a job or having money and MSNBC depresses me with the numbers of starving people in Somalia, I can always just change the channel and watch the Dodgers/Cubs or settle into a lazy Sunday with Cassel and the rest of the Pats.
And this is not saying that sports do not cause major swings in emotions like the bailout bill and O.J Simpson's guilty verdict, because within the sports world is it's own special drama and self inflicted pain but the wounds are always superficial. The Red Sox being eliminated in the playoffs is not going to cause you a life of misery, foreclosure on your house may. The Yankees signing A-Rod hurt for the remaining weeks of the off season, America electing and then re-electing Bush for 8 years may have effects that some of us may feel for the rest of our lives.
This is not to say that sports related drama is irrelevant and not as important as real life issues but that sports merely allow us to escape the real world for a few hours. I think the one time that sports have failed to comfort us was when 9/11 happened. Hailing from New Jersey and coming from a town that was delivered a huge blow because of 9/11, it was bad enough that every station showed the traumatizing images of 9/11 and that that radio stations stopped playing music, but the worst part was that there was no baseball. Sports came to a screeching halt along with everything else in America and for me this was very upsetting. I depended on sports to provide me with some much needed relief from what was going on and for the first time, I didn't have baseball to escape to.
9/11 Photo from Flickr.com
When America finally took baby steps towards recovery, the moment I knew we were going to be alright is when baseball returned. One of the most touching moments from that time was when Fenway's Faithful were singing "New York, New York" and put aside their hatred of the Evil Empire for a few minutes to pay tribute to something bigger than baseball.
2001 was the year that the Yankees faced off against the Diamondbacks in the World Series. Many people said that the Yankees should win because it would be nice for New York to have something to be happy about, but I disagreed and still do. The Yankees shouldn't have won for any reason besides being the best team, winning for any other reason is not what baseball is about, it's not what sports are about. You deserve to win for purely sports related reasons and that's why I love the world of sports. It remains un-effected from the rest of the world's issues. So, maybe I don't have a political angle to relate my blog to, but maybe that's ok.
