Athletic, or a Leader?

Today in the world of the NFL there in lies two basic ways to categorize a quarterback, and the system in doing so is very simple. White QBs are considered to be "great leaders", while black QBs are "athletic". A subtle sense of racially motivated grouping occurs here I believe. While the black quarterback have dramatically increased in the NFL in the past 10 years or so, they have yet to earn the right of being great leaders, and vise versa with white quarterbacks being athletic. You see examples all the time on ESPN of the categorization. Whenever Peyton Manning is mentioned, soon follows the term "leader", and whenever Robert Griffin III is, you will almost surely hear them praise his "athleticism" while both QBs clearly displayed both of these features. I believe the theory behind this stems from a subtle cultural racism that exits in our country where it is believed, maybe subconsciously for some, that white people are generally better leaders than black people while black people are only know for their athletic ability. It's an unfair notion which excludes black quarterbacks from being understood as a leadership role on their teams, and just simply the athletic player that took orders from the white coach to lead their team to victory. White QBs too get some kind of unfair predisposition when it comes to athleticism. If Tom Brady made an amazing run to gain a first down, the announcer would probably say, "Brady with a remarkably smart play decision", instead of "Brady with an incredible athletic display on that run". The same thing occurs with other positions like wide receivers. Being a position dominated heavily by black players, whenever a white receiver breaks out and succeeds in the league, they are mentioned as being "scrappy" and not "athletic". Race seems to be a factor in sports still even years after the integration of all sports leagues. Although it is very subtle, it is very clear and alive.

The Curse of Jersey

Lets talk about something I know all New Jerseyites, Jersians, or whatever we're called have undoubtedly thought about at least once or twice in our lifetimes regarding sports. Why don't we have any real sports teams? When I say "real" I mean it in a sense where hockey doesn't count, sorry NJ Devils, but I'm talking about football, baseball, basketball, and what the hell, even soccer. The closest thing we've had to a real team moved over the river into Brooklyn this past year and for some reason have decided to be a descent team once they left NJ. Do we have some sort of curse or something? Its almost as if New York gets the better end of the deal no matter what.

Lets not even mention the fact that New York has 2 baseball teams (Jersey has 0), 3 football teams (Jersey 0), 2 basketball teams (Jersey 0), 3 hockey teams (Jersey 1) then again who cares, and even a MLS soccer team. That's 11, yes 11 Professional teams to NJ's 1. Not to mention that The Jets, Giants, AND Redbulls all play in Jersey. Whats going on here?! Are we to settle for zero sporting representation while New York takes all the glory? It's as if all sports fans from New Jersey are stuck in some sort of limbo whereas the northern half is forced to root for New York teams, while the southern half roots for team from Philadelphia. This is an unfair epidemic dividing our wonderful state into two separate warring sporting factions. We deserve sports unity. I suggest the Jets, Redbulls, Nets, and Mets simply adopt the NJ brand and move over the border, if they aren't already on our territory. I mean the Jets suck, so do the Mets, who likes soccer anyway, and the Nets were ours first. It seems like a logical deal. New York still gets to keep the Yankees and Giants...c'mon.

Thanks Mom, Happy Thanksgiving to You Too

Thanksgiving has been a quite unpredictable holiday in my family for the last 7 years or so. The dinner always takes place in a different place, usually different state even, and one never knows what family members will end up making it. For the first time in about 7 years however, me, my brother, my sister, and my mom were finally going to have Thanksgiving together and my mom was going to cook. Everyone loves a home cooked meal from their mother, and this was one thing I was looking forward to the most.

Its Thanksgiving day, and me and my brother are watching the football games waiting for my mom to bring the food over and cook. We eventually call her and she explains that she's cooking it at her house first then bringing it over. However where things begin to get a little salty is when me and my brother spot her laying at the pool of my brothers apartment while she should've been watching the turkey. We proceed to question this method and she proceeds to explain that she already finished cooking it. Okay, whatever. Dinner finally starts and we all enjoy a rare home-cooked Thanksgiving meal from my mom for the first time in years. Oh how delicious it was. Unfortunately, none of the cooking was hers. We had somehow found out that not only was the turkey bought pre-cooked from Publix, but so was EVERYTHING else. Wow, so much for a home-cooked meal ma. Anyway me and my brother were heart broken and wouldn't talk to my mom for about 20 minutes.

What am I Thankful For?....Not the Jets

Ahhhh, Thanksgiving; the time for families to get together and indulge in a feast fit for kings. It is quite possibly one of the greatest holidays of all time. I mean think about it, you see all of your family (could be a bad thing), drink heavily, have a huge meal, and watch football. In the eyes of a man, this doesn't sound too bad at all. My personal favorite parts of the holiday are the football games. There's something about thanksgiving football that's just magical. I mean after all, my favorite team is one of the three that is honored every year with the opportunity to play on thanksgiving. Wouldn't one assume this would be an even greater addition to this already spectacular holiday? WRONG!

Here's how my Thanksgiving went this year. It started off great with a few beers, watching the earlier games with my brother while waiting for the meal to be ready. More of my family arrives and we begin to eat. Dinner goes great as we enjoy laughs and each others company. Finally it's time. The perfect climax to a wonderful Thanksgiving day is now upon us. The Jets are playing in the prime-time match-up against arch rival New England, who I hate with a burning passion. Now, don't get me wrong, I'm a realist. I'm well aware of how the Jets have played all season, and especially how the Pats have. I'm not exactly expecting victory, but seriously...c'mon. 21 POINTS IN LESS THAN A MINUTE!? Really New York, really Sanchez, really Rex? You couldn't even just be competitive so I could end the night without crying myself to sleep? If one ever wondered what it would look like to see a college team play an NFL team, one may have been able to see what this would look like Thursday night when the Jets took the field. Anyways, thanks for ruining my "almost" perfect Thanksgiving New York.  

Young Athlete's, an Unfair System

We've seen it a million times before, when young talented athletes come up into the pros from college, get that big payday they've been dreaming about since birth, and then go ahead and spend it all on expensive cars, luxurious houses, and amazing lifestyles. The irony in this matter comes up when the athletes projected talent doesn't quite match their compensation, and so once they spend all their money, they're also out of a job. Some may argue that these athletes are just careless and stupid and that they deserve to be broke for caring more about partying and flashing their newly acquired money than actually winning games, which coincidentally causes them to lose their jobs. Vince Young and Jamarcus Russell are prime examples of this situation. They were both stud athletes coming out of college expected to be among the top picks drafted in their respected years. They were predictably, and their high draft picks came with a high degree of compensation which showed their organizations trust in them before they even stepped on the field. The question isn't whether or not these young players with outgoing and flashy personalities should be paid this much money, but instead whether or not it should be the job of the NFL to find a way to help these players manage it better. Most of these players coming into the NFL come from low-level socioeconomic backgrounds. The second they are given a signing bonus for $100,000, they're going to have fun with that money and experience what they have never been able to before. One cannot really blame them. Sure, it's irresponsible on their part, however to most of these guys, they have never held nearly anywhere near that amount of money in their hands. Its daunting to them. The NFL should keep in mind the financial management welfare of their employees (players), just as most corporations do. For especially young players with little experience in the world of wealth, as well as an uncertainty of retaining a long-term job due to no experience on the pro field, these rookies should be paid nowhere near the amount that they are today until they have proven their worth on the playing field. 1st overall picks today are being paid more than veterans who have led teams to championships. THIS is what needs to end. Rookies should have a smaller base salaries until they play to their potential. This will create incentives for younger players to manage the smaller salaries that they get, as well as increase production on the field in order to truly earn that big payday.

Religion, Politically Motivated Media Coverage

Tim Tebow is a name and face we of the sports world have all grown accustomed to seeing on our TV screens while watching our favorite sports networks and even sporting events throughout the last few years. My question is why? Why is this mediocre second string quarterback arousing such media attention. He must be the worst player of all time to get more media attention than the actual superstars of his respected league. The answer lies not in his play on field, but in fact in his character and how the media has figured out a way to exploit his persona to make some sort of religious monarch of Tebow. He's the Jesus of the sports world, attracting more people to the sport and promoting the love of god incorporated into the most violent sport on earth. The media has created an all out love-affair/obsession with his every move. The reason is politics. People love a "good guy", and what better sports idol to root for than Jesus himself. Although Tebow is currently a second string QB on a team with a mediocre starting QB, people are still obsessed. They are rooting for Jesus to be resurrected from the dead, or the bench, and rise up and lead his team to victory. It all makes for a wondrous story, especially for religiously motivated folk who in turn make up a large portion of our country. I don't want to say that a major part of this media attention is money based, but then again I don't think I need to state the obvious either. All of this media coverage can be thanked for Tebow's numerous endorsements as well as jersey sales. Moral of the story is this, go with god.

A Fantasy League of Extraordinary Gentlemen

Fantasy football. It has redefined how football fans all over the world now look at the game we all love to watch every Sunday afternoon. With football being the most watched sport in America, it is clear we have a love affair with the game which dominates the ratings of any other sport. Americans love to watch football because it's exciting, violent, adrenaline-pumping and it is an excuse to get together with friends and family and enjoy some beer and simply relax, or go nuts, whatever your into. Fantasy football however has transformed the game into something more. Football is no longer simply a game that is played between two opposing teams with fans on both sides rooting against one-another for fun and friendly competition. No, now, it is a game of individual players, being relied on by fans to dominate the field and rack up as many stats as they can in order to benefit the fantasy world of some fans fantasy team in some fantasy league. One can argue that this new craze ruins the sanctity of the game, however I believe it makes it better and more enjoyable to watch.

Fantasy football works as so: Individuals must join a league with others and then create teams either by drafts or other means filled with REAL professional football players in their rosters. They then set lineups of the best players on their roster to "start" against ones opponent for the week. Based on how well, or badly, one's player preforms on the actual gridiron on Sunday, determines how one's fantasy team does. It expands the realm of competition among football fans. Now a fan isn't forced to simply root for one team and dwell on said teams success or lack-thereof, but has the option if necessary to have other means of entertainment during football season. If one's favorite team is preforming poorly, there is nothing they can do about it, yet fantasy football opens the door to a secondary form of football influenced entertainment and allows one to be in total and utter control over their teams success or failure. This also forces one to focus more on every player, and not just those on their favorite team. It has aroused the average fans knowledge of more players, teams, and the game itself. More fans will watch more games to follow their players and see how they are doing. This has undoubtedly sparked an increase in ratings as wells as ticket sales as the popularity of the game has increased. Fantasy football has unlocked a new door to how one can follow the game, and revitalized an already divine sport that all Americans love.

adbuster

 

These pictures combined represent my idea to visualize the importance of religion in sports, more specifically in Tim Tebow's case.

Got Jesus?

I'm sure we've all seen the milk ads portraying various celebrities of all sorts holding a tall glass of silk white milk standing there looking all famous with a dark background enhancing their features, always topped off with the iconic white mustache and an ad slogan reading, "Got Milk?". These ads have always drawn the attention of many for their mixture of pop culture, rebelliousness, and of course, everyone's love of milk. While thinking of an idea for a different kind of ad however, the type of ad that sort of makes fun of familiar ads yet also highlights issues of some sort in the world or in media at the same time, I found that this "Got Milk" ad would serve as the perfect frame for my idea to highlight the medias obsession with New York Jets 2nd string QB Tim Tebow. It's the same idea as the original ad with some tweaks however. Instead of portraying Tim Tebow with a glass of milk campaigning the idea that getting your vitamin D is what the celebrities do, so in fact you should do it as well, I am going to show Tebow posing in his famous "Tebow" pose with the same format of the original ad. Instead of the ad slogan reading "Got Milk?", it will say "Got Jesus?". The idea is to highlight the obsessions the media has with Tebow and to pinpoint whether or not it has to do with his religious antics.

The reason I find this to be such an interesting topic is because as a Jets fan, I've noticed that 80% of their media coverage is on Tim Tebow, a player who doesn't even play. During training camp this was even more evident. This seems to always have been the case since Tebow was in college at Florida. What is it about him that draws so much attention? It definitely isn't his game. I am going to explore the medias obsession with Tebow and figure out what exactly it is about his personality, his traits, his facade, and his general attitude that makes people either utterly love him, or hate him. This is a question that has been bothering me ever since he came to my beloved Jets.

When Sports Stars Sellout Both Stadiums and Themselves

This weekend while watching Sunday football, I was suddenly shocked at the sight of yet another one of Aaron Rodgers State-farm commercials. Usually somewhat entertaining, providing a cheap laugh in situations when I'm commonly fuming in anger due to the Jets lack of ability to play football, this latest addition was different. It featured Aaron Rodgers, the star quarterback of the Green Bay Packers, going head-to-head against pop boy-band One Direction in a competition to see who can make a crowd louder. As the two separate parties displayed their talents in crowd control, the scene suddenly takes an awful turn. Aaron Rodgers is suddenly displayed wearing "hipster" clothing on stage with the Britney Spears wanna-be's and proceeds to act and sing like them. I mean, I understand taking promotions as an athlete bolsters an already fat bank statement, but there is a time when dignity should take moneys place when it comes to priority. This commercial was disappointing as a football fan, but most importantly as a man to watch. Aaron Rodgers not only sells out crowds at stadiums due to his undeniable talents, but this time, also sold himself out.

Mondays

I wake up on a monday morning and the first thing that goes through my still half asleep mind is how badly i don't want to go to work today, however i get up anyways, disregarding my natural instincts to jusy blow it off and sleep another few hours. I search for some clean clothes but of course my girl friend forgot to do another laundry so im forced to scrape together an outfit barely suitable for a substitute teaching job. "This is going to be a good day", i say to myself as i open the shades of my window and stare out into the world being torn apart by thick rain. To add to this perfect start to a monday morning, there's no food in the fridge. I need a new girl friend. On my way to work the traffic is heavy due to the rain. I even almost get into an accident by some jerk-off trying to cut me off. So now not only is it a monday morning which is nobody's favorite thing in the slightest, but I look like i bought my outfit from goodwill, the weather is horrible, I'm cranky from an empty stomach, and my anxiety level just shot up a few notches from the near-death experience moments ago. I finally get to work where it takes me 10 minutes just to find a parking spot and once this seemingly impossible task is complete, i realize i forgot my umbrella in the midst of all my frustration during the pre-work rituals. Im about ready to blow as i trudge through puddles with nothing but a magazine to cover me from the rain. I get into my cozy 6 by 6 foot cupicle where im interupted by my bosses secretary who tells me im needed in her office. this is never a good thing so im pre emptively trying to calm myself down cause at this point anymore stress might cause a brain hemorage. I sit down and my boss looks at me and says without any emotion "your services are no longer needed here, here's your last weeks pay" as she hands me an envelope probably containing enough money to buy my girl friend a nice break-up present. I walk out calm, yet inside im a volcano ready to explode. I dont remember the car ride home because i am too engulfed with rage. I get home and turn on the t.v. and sure enough ESPN is on. The best player on my favorite team is out for the season.....Im going back to sleep. Fuck mondays.

Good Will Hunting

In the film Good Will Hunting the plot follows the story of a troubled young man from a tough neighborhood in Boston. He starts out as a janitor at the prestigious MIT where he secretly solves impossible math theorums that professors at the highly acclaimed school with a base focus in math couldn't even solve. After secretly solving one of these problems on a white board in the hallway, he is eventually discovered as the "secret genious". After being arrested for assault and threatened with jail time, the professor who put up the math problem seeks to mentor him, and use his genious for his own personal gain. The professor strikes a deal with the judge allowing Will, the main character, to stay out of prison if he became the professors apprentice and saw a psychologist weekly. After trying numerous psychologists, all of whom could not handle Will's tough exterior, Robin William's character finally proves to be the doctor who can relate most to Will having experienced similar hardships as a child which you learn about later. The rest of the film follows Will's constant struggle with keeping a relationship with a girl he met, due to the abuse he suffered as a child. As a result of this abuse, Will had refused to allow anyone to love him, and vise-versa, for fear of losing that person down the road. He also never pursued any long-term career or "real" goals with his gift of intellegence for he was taught at a young age that he was worthless. Robin Williams, after weeks of getting to know Will, finally breaks down his barriors and lets him know that "it's ok", and that "it's not his fault", leading Will to finally pursue the girl in the end and not think so low of himself.

This film has a few archetypes that we see in many other films. Will, the main character represents the common troubled character with an edge, yet also a soft side, who we all wish good things for by the end of the film. This cliche takes its natural course as this happens and Will succeeds in the end. Also Robin William's character acts as the role of the old mentor figure with wisdom who helps the main character by guiding him through his through his troubles with advice and friendship.

School Ties

School Ties is a film that covers the complexities of both class identifictation/segregation as well as religious identification/segregation. It is a movie that outlines the lives of boys in a prestegious catholic prep school and how everythings seems to go so well until they discover that one of their teammates, their starting quarterback, is not like them. He is not only Jewish, which contradicts everything the school is about, but he is also lower to middle class which differs from the socio-economic backgrounds of the other kids around him. This bring about an interesting dilemna. We notice that once the main characters religious and economic identity is discovered, he is instantly cast out as a heretic, regardless of being the guy everyone loved before this knowledge surfaced. Even the girl he was dating, who went to a neighboring all-girl prep school nearby cast him out when she found out "who he really was". She felt betrayed and stupid for having had feelings for a poor jew. Nothing else mattered to these people excpet for class and religion. If you weren't like them, then you weren't wanted, almost as if they were afraid to confront the diversities of other people, for then they would have to look at themselves and realize how horrible they really were.

We see a few common archetypes in this film which relate to characters we see in many other films. The main character played by Brendan Fraser is a jewish athlete recruited by the prep school for his athletic ability. The school is aware of his religion and urges him to hide it, just to keep things on an even keel. He agrees, but being the good, moral character he is, he still wheres his star, and practices his customs in secret. This is so the audience respects him and therefore roots for him in the end as the common good guy who comes out on top. The antagonist is played by Matt Damon who also attends the school. He is the opposite of the main character. He is catholic, from a wealthy family, and is left in the shadow of the main characters success. One can already predict this will lead to the cliche clashing of these two characters which it inevitably does.

Trigger To the Good Ole Days/What a Football Player Would Do, and What a Soccer Player Would Do Differently

It's a typical Friday afternoon in Tallahassee Florida. I'm a freshman in college at FSU, riding in the back seat of a taxi on my way to buy my first new laptop. Feelings of anxiousness are filling my gut as I'm about to make one of the biggest investments of my young life.
 Suddenly while on the way to nearest Tech-store, we drive by the local High School where I notice a peculiar scene that grabs my attention. It's the schools football field, and right there in plain sight are two teams, one in red jerseys and the other in black, just about ready to take the field for the first kickoff. The stands are filled with people, the cheerleaders are running around like excited little kids with pom-poms, and the marching band, which was not very organized, is blaring out fight music in almost unbearable unison. Almost instantly my feeling of anxiety disintegrates into nostalgia. I longed to be out there on that field with my brothers in arms (or pads).
Although I am but 1 year removed from experiencing this myself, the overwhelming desire to re-live the glory of High School football became an obsession. I stared at this scene as the cab drove by it, and turned my head to keep it in sight until it was gone. Although out of my view, the image, still burned into my head, morphed into an image of me, in my maroon jersey and over-sized pads taking the field with my teammates. I began to remember the pre-game rituals. How as a team, we'd stand in rows of four and hold each others hands as we walked down the field together towards the away team, who as they warmed up, looked at us in confusion, probably wondering why we were on their designated side of the field during stretches. This was just an intimidation/taunting factor to get inside the other teams head, however to us it was tradition. We'd then stretch, pump each other up in a chaotic cluster of screaming and cursing, and then take the field and do what we came to do. Play football. 

I grew up in a very diverse, liberal setting in central New Jersey so even when there was a strong sports culture, I was still able to be friends with athletes of all different kinds of sports. I don't know this for a fact, but I just assume that in places like middle America or in the deep south, athletes of the same sport stick together and seem to stay away from athletes of different sports, like the stereo-type of football players hating soccer and lacrosse players. But anyways my point is this, since some of my best friends were both football and soccer players, me being a football player, I am able to associate how athletes from each of these sports would go about making everyday life decisions, simply based upon the culture of their sport. For example, a football player would obviously prefer madden over a soccer players fifa. But that's too obvious. Lets get into some more dynamic life decisions and try to break down why each athlete would pick what.
1. What kind of car should I buy? This one is simple. Clearly the football player, being way cooler, tougher, bigger, and more stylish then a soccer player would have to go with a Camaro. The Camaro defines a football player, American muscle! This car has horsepower, speed, descent size, and strength. The soccer player on the other hand would probably go with the Prius. Nothing against them for this great choice. I mean someone has to care for the enviroment (HA!). But just like the soccer player, the Prius is small, eco-friendly, and would be utterly destroyed in the most miniscule of collisions.
2. What should I eat for dinner? Football players aren't necessarily the "weight-watching" types. For us, we prefer heavy protein meals filled with calories and flavors in order to help re-build muscle after a brutal practice. Something like a steak smothered in A1 BBQ sauce, topped off with sauted onions, and complimented by roasted potatoes and gravy on the side. Soccer players need to watch their figure, for any fluctuation in weight can severly alter their stamina, and therefore their game as a whole. For them, a nice fat plate of tofu with some soy sauce (not too much soy sauce, too much sodium), and maybe on a good day a fresh salad. Finish it all off with a nice refreshing glass of wheat grass and you have yourself a scrumptious meal made for futbol gods.
3. What movie should I see in theaters, 300, or The Devil Wears Prada? To be completely honest, football is just the ultimate team sport. When your on the field, every mans job must be done correctly as a unit in order to make sure the team thrives to victory. This is why 300 is the perfect movie for the football machine. It represents teamwork and total toughness as a unit. If one Spartan warrior gives up his position, it could mean annihilation for the entire army, and in this case the team. Soccer players on the other hand would watch The Devil Wears Prada just for the simple fact that they love Meryl Streep.
4. What kind of drink should I order at the bar? When thinking about this question one must take into account the toughness of a football player, and the finess of a soccer player. We battle it out on the gridiron through long fits of pain and anguish, while soccer players prance around kicking a ball. For this reason us football players would either order a nice cold lager, or a whiskey straight. The lager, being the thickest of the beer family, represents the strength of a football players competitive edge. The whiskey straight compares to our hardness in will and perseverance in times when things get tough, yet we stick it through to the end and swallow the pain (no pun intended). Soccer players would most likely order a cosmopolitan, for its sweeter and gentler going down just as soccer players play with a more gentle approach, avoiding pain at all costs. The sherley temple could be another option for the soccer player. Devoid of any alcohol all-together, it represents the soccer player for pain, toughness, and hard will are simply just not characteristics of either.
5. Marines or coast guard?.....Do I really need to explain this one?

We Live, Breath, and Eat Sports!

"Sports is human life in microcosm". -Howard Cosell

For some people, watching sports is a miniscule task when compared to the bigger picture of their lives. To them, the winner of the superbowl isn't necessarily important, for they even picked which team to root for just by deciding which teams jersey colors they preferred. To others, watching olympic sports is more about the social aspect of worldy cultures, and not about the culture of the sports they're actually watching. And then there's those who criticize sports like football or hockey, calling them "barbaric" sports with no benefits to society, and ignoring the most vital parts of these sports to which they naievly condemn, the culture behind, as well as within the game itself. While I have nothing against these people, they didn't choose to be oblivious to how awesome sports are, I pitty them. For sports not only define a culture of a chosen few who volunteer their hearts and souls to these games, but they define entire countries, as well as politics, and even war. The love of sports runs so deep within our culture as humans as a whole, that even if one denied liking sports, they could never escape the affects they had, and still have, on the culture around them. We see this in the case of the football players in Rodney Jone's poem battling physical and mental anguish within themselves on the field just to feel some sort of self acceptance. All they cared about was proving to themselves and to their teamates that they weren't weak and that even after a long and brutal practice, they were going to battle it out during sprints in an attempt to further build that competitive edge it takes to succeed on the football field. This was their culture and their livelyhood, everything that defined them as men. To fail was to die. Similarly in Chuck Klosterman's essay "33" in his book, Sex Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs, we feel the same type of dedication to the culture of basketball simply by the context to which he describes his love of the Celtics. He even goes so far as to creating a system to which one can make any life decision simply by associating one's self with either the LA Lakers, or the Boston Celtics, as well as comparing each of these teams to political parties. The Lakers to the liberal democrats, and the Celtics to the conservative republicans.

These two examples reinforce the point that sports are much more than games, but lifestyles. "This is why men need to be obsessed with things: It's an extroverted way to pursue solipsism (Klosterman pg. 102)." Even Klosterman goes so far as to saying that men NEED, not want, but NEED to be obsessed with things, in this context particularly sports. It helps us define who we are not to the outside world, but to ourselves. The way Klosterman embodies the relationship between the Lakers and the Celtics, is that he uses them as a legitimate reasoning tool behind any question, the same way we reason with issues amongst ourselves when dealing with teams we love. For instance, I love the Jets. More often than not, they play terrible. However on those rare occasions when they play well and win, I genuinely feel like a winner. They've taught me to never take anything for granted, and therefore I consider myself a better person. This is the kind of culture i've adapted to in the sports world. Take a minute to analyze yourself, and try to see which events in your life might have been influenced by the cultures around you. Once you've done this, take another minute to determine if this culture may have been affected or not by sports. Whether it was in high school on a friday night, going out with your friends and the whole town to watch the local high school football team. Or even at pep ralleys, when everyone cheered for the schools individual teams in school spirit. These small examples are but a fraction of the cultural affects sports holds on us all in America, as well as the world.

To My Beloved Gang Green

Dear New York football Jets, I am writing this letter as a testament to my love for you as an organization that has provided me with something to root for, as well as hope for, for the last 8 years of my life. When I say "hope", I mean it in a way which speculates my true feelings, which are that I stay a fan because I NEED to see you win a Superbowl just once before I die! Maybe the fact that this task seems far from reality is the reason I am in fact still alive, waiting, and waiting for that magical day you decide to finally play up to your potential (wait, what potential). So in a sense, I guess I owe you a special thanks for that. Thanks for providing me with perpetual, yet false hope every season. It truly gives me something to live for. Just hoping that any given year could finally be our year gives me the motivation to keep going on with the meaningless life you have coincidentally caused me to live. But still, thanks again. For without you how else would I learn to never take a win for granted? Those patriots fans don't know what they're missing. Always winning and never appreciating it. No wonder they're the most hated team in the league. But not you Jets. No, you know how to make a fan truly miserable, and then right before we contemplate jumping off the George Washington Bridge in an attempt to alleviate the misery of a sub-par season (every year), you suddenly pull out a 38-3 victory over the ever so cunning Cleveland Browns. If it weren't for these occasional, and amazing victories, I don't know how I'd go on watching you week after week, mysteriously still expecting something relevant to happen. Like remember that time you guys scored 1, yes 1, touchdown in an entire 4 weeks of preseason. THAT WAS AWESOME! Especially since our 3rd string quarterback was the one who tossed it in to a no-name running back who was cut the following day. But its alright Sanchez, you'll get it eventually.....I hope.

But seriously, let me please give you guys some humble advice. I feel as though it is my duty to share with you as an organization what I feel is, well, lacking, for if I withheld this information, I wouldn't even be as good as a Dolphins fan. First off, offensive coordinator, whoever you are this particular year, please understand that you in fact have Mark Sanchez as a starter, and not Joe Montana. Yea, that means stop expecting amazing 60 yd. touchdown passes to a receiving core filled with players who wouldn't even be considered an elite college unit. Yea its called "high percentage passes". That means short passes which in fact open up the running lanes you so desperately attempt to own, however in fact relinquish to my pop-warner teams defense. Listen, i'm not saying I could personally run your offense successfully, but in fact I am. And can I just say this?...TIM TEBOW??? What!?!?!?! What was the point of that? Seriously, after giving Mark a contract extension Wes Welker deserved more (yea, and I hate the Patriots), you then go ahead and pick up baby Jesus? Just when I thought I couldn't lose anymore hope in you guys, you go ahead and pull a stunt like this. Hey, maybe next time the most media-friendly player you decide to pick up will have a relevant and beneficial affect on the TEAM.    Until then, I'm going to be hibernating where no one can find me, or where I can't see you play, for it will simply break my green little heart.

With much love, Gavi Reichman

Culture of the Game

For anyone who has ever played a sport and really loved it for everything it offered, its culture, its glory, its heart-break, would know that personal accomplishments, although sometimes not remembered or even acknowledged by anyone, stay firm in our own memories as being some of the most important nostalgic flashbacks in our lives. This is the case when relating to Chuck Klosterman's article referring to a 1980s Juco basketball tournament in North Dakota between two schools most people in America have and never will hear of. The highlight of the story details an all-Native American team who were severely outmatched in not only size, but athleticism, and not to mention physical and literal numbers. Towards the end of the game, they were forced to finish with 3, thats right, 3 players against 5. Astonishingly they came out with a 3-point victory over their competitors who ironically associate the loss with not knowing how to defend 3 players. One would assume a 2-man advantage would be all you need to facilitate and easy win, however this was clearly not the case. In interviews with players from the winning team over 2 decades later, many of them still relish in the glory of that miraculous win and even throw in a few arbitrary facts about their personal stats from that game or season, just to re-live the good ole days.

Even in two different sports, the same philosophies exist in terms of nostalgic glory when looking back at athletic accomplishments. In James Wright's poem, Autumn Begins in Martins Ferry, Ohio, he outlines the very real historical culture related to high school football in america, and specifically in Ohio. He speaks of the fathers gloating over their sons play on the field, making them into figurative sporting heroes, the spectators 'nursing' beers in the crowd, and the boys 'galloping terribly against each others bodies'.

These two very different stories, one describing a 3-man team of natives beating an opponent expected to rout them, and a poem, glorifying the start of high school football season have one thing in common. One must observe the aspect of the culture and nostalgia involved in not just these two sports, but in all sports as a whole. No matter how big or small the accomplishment, when playing a sport you truly love, even the smallest of achievements are forever embedded in our memories. In both these stories examples of nostalgia exist when looking at the memories the native players have of their game in the 1980s which will never be remembered by anyone except those who played in the game, or the glory on the gridiron in which these fathers of high school stars will forever gloat on behalf of the accomplishments they experienced vicariously through their offspring. Even for myself, an ideal fool for the game of football who in my own days of playing in high school never had any note-worthy accomplishments to be remembered by history. However to me, my lonely single career varsity interception, or my one blocked kick that game against Shore Regional, or that time I scored my first touchdown in the back corner of the end zone on a flag route, and then of course my favorite nostalgic memory of all during my last ever high school football game, scoring two of my final three career touchdowns, one on a pass and the other on a reverse hand-off will stand as the accomplishments I had on the football field. However small in comparison, they define everything I personally achieved playing the game I loved, and will be forever engraved in my memory. Just like the natives who to themselves, accomplished something iconic, but to everyone else a unknown fact, and to the fathers of those boys on the football field.

When writing an essay of my own relating to nostalgia and sports, the one thing I can truly take away from James Wright's vision of the start of high school football season, is the vivid details of change when the season comes around and about how almost everyone drops what they're doing to be apart of the culture. To me these memories are not so distant, for as I write this now I am but a year removed from these feelings. However when reading this poem I am instantly taken back to the beginning of September and the crisp fall nights in New Jersey when taking the field to face our opponents. This type of writing that can generate so much nostalgia, especially for sports, is the kind I would use when writing about the love and culture of a game.

The First Time I Actually Cared For Sports

"Football is like life. It teaches work, sacrifice, perseverance, competitive drive, selflessness, and
respect for authority."
– Vince Lombardi, football coach

The majority of people I've known throughout my life have told me stories about their childhood and about how growing up they had an instant infatuation for sports from the moment their father or older brother put a ball, bat, racket, stick, glove, etc. in their hands. It seems as though it is just our human nature to want to compete by means of athletic ventures in which we can feel accomplished by working hard at something, and then having that satisfaction of our hard work pay off with a victory, and in some cases even living with the anguish of defeat. It's the competitive nature each one of us possesses inside our hearts and our souls which drives us to keep going even after a crushing defeat. We grow to love the game we play, and everything it stands for. We follow the pros and someday hope to grow up and be just like them, celebrating gloriously on the field in front of thousands as if you were in ancient Rome on center stage in the Coliseum after having just slain your competitor. Sports aren't just games people play to stay in shape, feed their competitive edge, or even to impress people with athleticism. No. Sports are much more than that. They're a lifestyle, a culture, an art.

Growing up, I was probably on the opposite side of the spectrum of other kids who took up sports at a young age. Sure, I played on the local youth soccer, baseball, and basketball teams, but that was just because my parents pushed me to be involved in something. And yes, it was fun, however I wasn't interested or motivated enough to play at a level where one would be considered "good". My interests at a young age consisted of nature, animals, science, and the power rangers. I wasn't really an outcast among my family for no parent would scorn a young child for admiring educational subjects, however I was in the sense that both of my siblings played and loved sports. Why not me? I was athletic, I could run faster then almost every kid my age, I could jump, I could throw, and I could catch, yet sports never seemed to be a main focal point to me until I was randomly introduced to the game of football.

As I had mentioned before, my parents had always pushed me to play sports and I complied usually with no discontent. I was on my towns local swim team probably around the 5th or 6th grade and swim season took place during late fall and into early winter, football season. While away at a swim meet in another town, I was quietly awaiting my turn to swim in a race when I overheard two other teammates huddling over a radio listening to a playoff match up between the New England Patriots and another team whose identity was lost in the sands of time. I remember thinking to myself that the importance of that game to these two other kids was really intriguing so as soon as I returned home I quickly turned on the television to catch the end of the game. Surprised to see me watching football on my own, my brother began explaining the rules of the game as I watched in confusion. I was captivated by the violence, the rush, and the adrenalin of the game. I instantly fell in love and felt I needed a team to root for. I knew it would either be the Jets or the Giants of New York for I lived in Jersey and wanted to pick a local team. I chose the Jets simply because I preferred the color green over blue. That was it, I was an instant football fanatic, specifically a Jets fanatic. I bled green when they lost (which was often), and triumphed when they won. I then began playing pick-up football games with my friends where my love and passion for the game quickly generated a skill level far exceeding the abilities of the kids I played with regularly. I soon moved on to middle school where I learned how to play organized football, which was quite different than backyard football. High school was more challenging. With bigger, faster, and stronger competition, I had to really test myself and prove I could overcome any odds with the game I adored. I frequently tested the older kids when my peers were afraid to. This not only made me better, but made me stand out. By junior year of high school I was starting as a defensive back and wide receiver. No matter how much better the competition was than me, I never gave up and always played to the best of my ability simply because I loved it. To me, football is not just a game. Its a driving passionate force that defines me. I like to consider myself a disciplined person with a tough edge who will work hard to obtain my goals. This is how the game of football has molded my competitive force today.