Yes, he bodysurfs... not, windsurfs!
Showing posts with label Sports. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sports. Show all posts
August 15, 2008
June 13, 2008
November 09, 2007
Watching the start of another season of Lakers basketball, one thought keeps popping into my head: Man, I really miss Chick Hearn.
August 08, 2007
Congratulations Barry Bonds!
I have been a sports fan all my life. It can be the easiest escape form in dark depressive times. I grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area in the late turbulent 60's. My earliest memories were of my Dad taking the family to Candlestick Park to see Willie Mays, Willie McCovey, Bobby Bonds, Juan Marichal and the rest of the Giants play baseball.
In my high school years it was the Oakland A's who had the baseball team that dominated. Then the Golden State Warriors won a Basketball Championship. From there it was the 49er's and all the Super Bowl hardware they have won. Though I have moved away from the Bay Area and my allegiance to certain sports teams is not as strong, those memories are still dear to me.
I'm by no means a purist of sports. Realizing, that as long as humans are involved, playing a game for money there will always be some shenanigans going on. It's society as a whole; corporate power, media exposure, betting, nothing can take professional sports back to the playground like when you're a little kid. To place professional players on some pedestal and expect all of them to be heroes is...well, unrealistic. They're human, they will let you down. The ballplayers today live under a microscope and if they don't say the right thing to the press, plenty of enemies can be made.
I digress, this post is to congratulate Barry Bonds for breaking the Home Run record. No matter what anyone wants to say, Bonds is a true Hall of Famer. To me it's not a question of whether he took steroids or not. It's his body, his responsibility on what he took or didn't take. One thing, Barry Bonds has never tested positive for steroids, ever. The main thing for me to look at are his statistics and records before the allegations of taking banned substances.
Before the year 2000 and the BALCO scandal, Bonds had already won 3 MVP's, 8 Gold Gloves and was the only man to ever reach 400 steals and 400 homers. He was such a feared hitter that opposing managers would rather walk him than face his bat. In 1998, he became one of only 3 men in baseball history ever to be intentionally walked with the bases loaded. He had more walks before the year 2000 than Hank Aaron had in his career. My comment, "just pitch to the man".
He has broken Aaron's Home Run record with 2,500 fewer at bats.
Some say Bonds doesn't deserve to wear a Giant uniform. If anyone deserves to wear the Giant uniform, it's Barry. He was a Giant bat boy, his Dad, Bobby played for the Giants. His Godfather, Willie Mays, the greatest of Giant players in my estimation, played for the Giants. Bonds grew up in the Bay Area, having attended elementary, Jr. High School and High School. He was a first round pick of the Giants right out of High School. Instead, he opted to play ball at Arizona State University. Now don't laugh, his major was Criminology. Upon graduation from Arizona State he became a first round pick of the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Say what you will about Barry. He is one of the greatest baseball players of all time and current all-time, Home Run leader.
A few more Barry Bonds records. Go to link for the rest. He is also fast approaching some other hallowed records.
Holds record for most home runs in a career (756)
Holds record for most home runs in a season (73)
Holds record for most walks in a career (2,540)
Holds record for most MVP awards (7) and consecutive MVP awards (4); (1990, 1992-93, 2001-04). Note: the current version of the MVP award has been given since 1931. Prior to that year, the League Awards were only given to a player once (from 1922-1929) and sometimes not at all (from 1915-1921).
Holds record for most pitchers homered off (446)
Holds record for most consecutive games with a walk (18)
Shares record for consecutive plate appearances with a walk (7)
Holds record for consecutive seasons with 30 or more home runs (13), 1992-2004
Only player in 400 home run and 400 stolen base club
Only player in 500 home run and 500 stolen base club
One of four players in 40-40 club (40 home runs and 40 stolen bases)
Holds record for most consecutive seasons with .600 slugging percentage or higher (8), 1998-2005
In my high school years it was the Oakland A's who had the baseball team that dominated. Then the Golden State Warriors won a Basketball Championship. From there it was the 49er's and all the Super Bowl hardware they have won. Though I have moved away from the Bay Area and my allegiance to certain sports teams is not as strong, those memories are still dear to me.
I'm by no means a purist of sports. Realizing, that as long as humans are involved, playing a game for money there will always be some shenanigans going on. It's society as a whole; corporate power, media exposure, betting, nothing can take professional sports back to the playground like when you're a little kid. To place professional players on some pedestal and expect all of them to be heroes is...well, unrealistic. They're human, they will let you down. The ballplayers today live under a microscope and if they don't say the right thing to the press, plenty of enemies can be made.
I digress, this post is to congratulate Barry Bonds for breaking the Home Run record. No matter what anyone wants to say, Bonds is a true Hall of Famer. To me it's not a question of whether he took steroids or not. It's his body, his responsibility on what he took or didn't take. One thing, Barry Bonds has never tested positive for steroids, ever. The main thing for me to look at are his statistics and records before the allegations of taking banned substances.
Before the year 2000 and the BALCO scandal, Bonds had already won 3 MVP's, 8 Gold Gloves and was the only man to ever reach 400 steals and 400 homers. He was such a feared hitter that opposing managers would rather walk him than face his bat. In 1998, he became one of only 3 men in baseball history ever to be intentionally walked with the bases loaded. He had more walks before the year 2000 than Hank Aaron had in his career. My comment, "just pitch to the man".
He has broken Aaron's Home Run record with 2,500 fewer at bats.
Some say Bonds doesn't deserve to wear a Giant uniform. If anyone deserves to wear the Giant uniform, it's Barry. He was a Giant bat boy, his Dad, Bobby played for the Giants. His Godfather, Willie Mays, the greatest of Giant players in my estimation, played for the Giants. Bonds grew up in the Bay Area, having attended elementary, Jr. High School and High School. He was a first round pick of the Giants right out of High School. Instead, he opted to play ball at Arizona State University. Now don't laugh, his major was Criminology. Upon graduation from Arizona State he became a first round pick of the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Say what you will about Barry. He is one of the greatest baseball players of all time and current all-time, Home Run leader.
A few more Barry Bonds records. Go to link for the rest. He is also fast approaching some other hallowed records.
Holds record for most home runs in a career (756)
Holds record for most home runs in a season (73)
Holds record for most walks in a career (2,540)
Holds record for most MVP awards (7) and consecutive MVP awards (4); (1990, 1992-93, 2001-04). Note: the current version of the MVP award has been given since 1931. Prior to that year, the League Awards were only given to a player once (from 1922-1929) and sometimes not at all (from 1915-1921).
Holds record for most pitchers homered off (446)
Holds record for most consecutive games with a walk (18)
Shares record for consecutive plate appearances with a walk (7)
Holds record for consecutive seasons with 30 or more home runs (13), 1992-2004
Only player in 400 home run and 400 stolen base club
Only player in 500 home run and 500 stolen base club
One of four players in 40-40 club (40 home runs and 40 stolen bases)
Holds record for most consecutive seasons with .600 slugging percentage or higher (8), 1998-2005
July 29, 2007
Iraq Wins Asian Cup
What an inspiring victory...for a country that is short on victory's lately.
Congratulations Iraq, on a great sports win!
| JAKARTA, Indonesia - Iraq won the Asian Cup for the first time Sunday, a beacon of hope for a nation divided by war. Iraq's 1-0 victory over Saudi Arabia on a 71st-minute header by captain Younis Mahmoud was an inspirational triumph for a team whose players straddle bitter and violent ethnic divides. After the game, Mahmoud called for the United States to withdraw its troops from his nation. "I want America to go out," he said. "Today, tomorrow, or the day after tomorrow, but out. I wish the American people didn't invade Iraq and, hopefully, it will be over soon." Mahmoud also said he will not return to Iraq to celebrate. "I don't want the Iraqi people to be angry with me," he said. "If I go back with the team, anybody could kill me or try to hurt me." Iraq, whose only World Cup appearance was in 1986, dominated the Saudis, three-time Asian Cup champions. Iraq joins the United States, Brazil, Italy and host South Africa at the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup along with the champions of Europe, Africa and Oceania. Elation was juxtaposed against the tragedy in the players' homeland. Coach Jorvan Vieira and Mahmoud wore black armbands during the postgame news conference to commemorate the dozens of fans killed back home during celebrations following Wednesday's semifinal victory over South Korea. "It's very clear, from our arms, our respect to the people who died when we put Korea out of the competition," Vieira said. "This victory we offer to the families of those people." Vieira, who is Brazilian, resigned after the game. "I have worked my best to give happiness to the Iraqi people, to bring a warm smile to their lips and my mission is accomplished," Vieira said. "The satisfaction is doubled when you can get this cup and you bring happiness for a country, not just a team. It's more important than anything." Mahmoud, who plays for Al Gharafa in Qatar, scored his fourth goal of the tournament when he met Hawar Mulla Mohammed's corner kick at the far post. Goalkeeper Yaser Al Mosailem went or the ball but didn't get it, presenting an easy chance for an unmarked Mahmoud. At the final whistle, Mahmoud sprinted across the field with his elated teammates in pursuit before they collapsed into a pile, overwhelmed with their achievement. Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's office announced that each Iraqi player will receive $10,000. About 3,000 Iraqi refugees celebrated in Damascus, Syria. In Dearborn, Mich., Iraqi-Americans gathered in the streets, honking horns, sitting on car roofs and waving flags. Jubilation over the team known as the "Lions of the Two Rivers" gave Iraqis a rare respite from the daily violence. The victorious run sent men of all ages cheering and dancing in Baghdad. Celebratory gunfire resounded across the city and revelers poured into the streets in defiance of orders from authorities while mosques broadcast calls for the shooting to stop. Security forces enforced a vehicle ban in an effort to prevent a repeat of car bombings that killed dozens celebrating Iraq's progress to the final. "The players have made us proud, not the greedy politicians," said Sabah Shaiyal, a 43-year-old police officer in Baghdad. "Once again, our national team has shown that there is only one, united Iraq." |
Congratulations Iraq, on a great sports win!
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