I sold out. My self-imposed moratorium on mentioning the World Cup is being broken, albeit indirectly... if not for directly mentioning it two seconds ago.

What's your Brazilian name, so you can pretend you play for the team? Mine's:

Posted by Jeff at 11:42 AM | Permalink | Comments

Welcome back to all four of my readers! Your loyalty shall be rewarded when I hit it big and you can benefit from cronyism. On to the news!

The Tech-Miami Homecoming game is sold out. I have no idea what this means for season tickets, but I need another paycheck before I can afford em. And who decided to schedule homecoming for the Miami game anyhow? wtf?

You can forget yesterday's mention of former Winthrop coach Gregg Marshall coaching at CofC. He immediately decided to stay at Winthrop, where he's had great success. I'm going to Charleston this weekend, maybe I'll try for the head coaching job, if I'm not too busy boozin on the beach and dominating our flag football game Sunday.


Thankfully, the NCAA is not expanding the roundball tourney to 128 teams.

EDSBS has some nice comments about Northwestern's coach Randy Walker, who passed away last night. I didn't know anything about him, but it sounds like he was a stand-up guy. Never good to have news like this.

Speaking of EDSBS, I thoroughly embarassed myself yesterday and showed my GT-ness. And I got the worst props ever:

Zentraedi poon is the bomb [<-him quoting me]

Perhaps the funniest thing I have ever read on this site.

In a somewhat less embarassing comments thread, Kyle King explained why there's nothing wrong with being unabashedly confident about your team during the preseason. It's guys like Kyle that make me like Bulldog fans, which of course just makes me hate the Bulldogs more, much like the quality of Mark Richt.

More info on Pat Nix at the Peach State Pigskin Preview. Nix didn't pull any punches lauding the ACC, and he talks about how his little offspring had trouble with GT/Auburn, after being trained to root for "Auburn, daddy's team and anyone playing Alabama."

Georgia Tech had five young ladies selected to the All-Academic ACC Softball Team. Impressively, four different majors are represented, including one engineering major, and only one player was a management major.

Posted by Jeff at 10:22 AM | Permalink | Comments

Review:
Southern Fried Football is a must-read for any true Southern college football fan, and I imagine a good read for fans from outside the Dirty Dirty. As a young man who is a born and raised Yellow Jacket, but relatively new to being a hardcore CFB fan, I knew a lot about Georgia Tech, but I didn’t get what was the big deal about other teams and knew nothing of their traditions, etc. Southern Fried Football helped me understand what all the fuss is about regarding Ole Miss, Tennessee, Clemson, Grambling, etc.

SFF is a pretty comprehensive volume. After the foreword by Keith “Oh, Doctor” Jackson, Barnhart goes through EVERY thing that makes the Southern game great, and that attaches Southerners to their teams. The book doesn’t just talk about the teams coaches, and players. Whole chapters are devoted to Game Day, Rivalries, and VERY importantly, to “The Voices” of Southern Football, our radio broadcasters.

Readers can really sense Barnhart’s respect for all the programs and people discussed in his book. Although Barnhart is a Bulldog by way of graduation, he gives every program its due.

If you’re a devoted fan of any given team, you may find Barnhart’s coverage of Your Team just a bit lacking, but that’s true of nearly any book giving many brief overviews. Chances are, you’ll learn a lot about other programs, if not about your own.

A little aside: Barnhart released his book just in time. In 2001, Mark Packer, a Charlotte, NC sportscaster, trademarked the term Southern Fried Football, in reference to his annual Southern Fried Football Tour (which is a pretty badass thing).

Recommendation:
First and foremost, I recommend this book to young fans of Southern football. I read this book while enrolled at Georgia Tech, and learned so much about all the other programs we played. I found games a lot more fun when I understood the traditions and history of the schools we faced.

Really, this book is for any college football fan. Southerners will probably enjoy it most, but I would recommend it to fans from elsewhere also. It seems football fans from other regions like to roll their eyes at Southerners proclaiming the greatness of Southern football, but I think this book would help explain things. Hardcore fans are hardcore wherever you go, but it seems the South is the only place where even people who couldn’t care less about football show it a certain reverence. With regards to Southern football, UGA’s Heisman winner Frankie Sinkwich put it best: “I'm from Ohio, but if I'd known what it was like down South, I would have crawled down here on my hands and knees.”

Author:
Tony Barnhart has written for the AJC since 1984, and regularly does sports commentary on both local and national television programs. He is the Georgia regional voting director for both the Heisman Trophy and the John Wooden Award. Barnhart is a graduate of the Henry W. Grady School of Journalism at the University of Georgia.

Posted by Jeff at 11:09 PM | Permalink | Comments

Not really a news flash. Just like two minutes after posting updates, I find other ones. Gosh!


The NCAA approved a new bowl game in Houston. That means, unless some game gets cancelled, there will be THIRTY TWO BOWLS next season. Twenty-seven bowls were renewed, then there's the new BCS championship game, this new bowl, the International Bowl (Toronto), the Birmingham Bowl, and the New Mexico Bowl. Over half of all Division 1-A squads will play in the post-season.
I've argued before that adding bowls hurts no one. All it does is pump money into a city's economy, and allows players to be rewarded for their season... I just don't know, though. Sixty-four teams in postseason play? Now, (I could probably figure out the math, but I don't care to) if too many teams have GOOD seasons (i.e. 8-4, 9-3), rather than mediocre (6-6, 7-5), couldn't it be that 64 teams won't have records of .500 or better?

You can forget about Bobby Cremins ending up at College of Charleston. They hired Winthrop HC Gregg Marshall. I hope that, if Bobby really wants to coach again before he's gone, he gets the chance.

In a totally unsurprising move, SI's Stewart Mandel put Chan Gailey on his Bottom 5 coaches list again. I don't entirely agree, but it's not like I mind people giving Gailey flak. Also from Mandel's Mailbag, check out this from his answer to "which Def Leppard songs best personify various 2006 college football teams?"

Two Steps Behind: This is what Notre Dame's cornerbacks will be in their season opener against Georgia Tech's Calvin Johnson if they haven't improved considerably since the Fiesta Bowl.

Posted by Jeff at 3:34 PM | Permalink | Comments

Well, it's almost Friday which means it's almost the long weekend (unless your office is open Monday, in which case I recommend taking a vaction/sick day). Here's some little updates.

'Preciation goes out to Jacket Dan at What's the Good Word for linking here. Hopefully that means I'm approaching legitimacy.

I abosolutely love this picture; nothing like some Clean Old Fashioned Hate. At first when I saw this picture, I thought, "Man it could suck to be the only Tech kid there." But this quote from the article made me think of it differently:

"Alex Kirk got to be singled out for the Georgia Tech yellow and black proudly worn outside his skin, not for what lived beneath it."

Y'see, he might get ribbed for being "The Tech kid," but that's part of the fun. Nothing but props to Coach Richt for going out to see these kids and help them just be kids, not be cancer patients. I really think Mark Richt is the definition of a Gentleman Coach, and that pisses me off. You always want your rivals to have jackasses for coaches, and chances are I'll have to wait ten or 20 years for UGA to need a new coach, and hopefully get a jackass. Moving on, though.

Matt Winkeljohn (how crazy a last name is that?), new sportswriter at the AJC, has a pretty extensive interview with Patrick Nix, GT's OC. Done yesterday at the Peach State Pigskin Preview at the GA Sports Hall of Fame, they discuss Nix's increased responsibilities, how successes and losses affect his family, and how we have some depth at offense. The Macon Telegraph also has some good quotes from Nix.

Jeff (sweet name) at March Madness All Season discusses teams which should improve next basketball season. He includes Tech in the category "No Postseason to Postseason Contender," along with UGA, VaTech, Kansas State, and DePaul.

Bobby Cremins headlines the 2006 GA Tech Sports Hall of Fame class. Also, this cofcfans.com thread talks about the possibility of Cremins coaching Charleston. They show less respect and/or enthusiasm than I'd expect, but whatever.

Lastly, the Southern Illinoisan has a great article on Rich Yunkus, GT's all-time leading scorer in basketball. What makes this most impressive is his 2,232 points were amassed before there were 3-point shots, and in only three seasons. (Freshman were ineligible then.) Hat Tip: GT Sports Blog

See y'all tomorrow, then it's off to Charleston for the long weekend. Gotta love the beach.

Posted by Jeff at 2:37 PM | Permalink | Comments

Stranko at Every Day Should Be Saturday posted a blogpoll roundtable, and although I've never participated in the blogpoll, who cares? (Plus, I'ma try to get on there this season.)

Responses:

1. Education. List the region of the country you were born in, what universities you attended and at least one other you would have attended if your alma mater didn’t exist.

Born in Atlanta, raised a Georgia Tech fan, went to Georgia Tech (BSIE 06).

If GT didn’t exist, there’s a good chance I would’ve gone to Florida State. I didn’t do a very comprehensive college search, and they courted me strongly because I was a National Merit scholar. (i.e., they offered to waive my out-of-state status, pay my in state tuition, pay for my housing, pay for my food… basically throw money and babes at me for four years.) There’s also a good chance I’d have gone to UGA. I don’t like to admit that, but if there was no Tech, I wouldn’t hate Georgia, and my parents basically told me “You’re going somewhere in-state unless it’s free elsewhere.”

2. Sports Affiliations. List your top 10 favorite teams in all of sports in decending order. For instance, your alma mater’s football team may be number 1, but perhaps there is a professional team that squeezes in before you get to your alma mater’s lacrosse team.

1 - GT Football
2 - GT Basketball
3 - GT Baseball
4 - Atlanta Braves
5 - Pittsburgh Steelers
6 - University of Texas Football (Been a 'Horns fan for years, want to go to law school there.)
7 - Atlanta Falcons
8 - Atlanta Thrashers
9 - Whoever's playing Georgia
10 - UGA (Contradictory, right? Well, I love hating Georgia but my big UGA fan buddies are wearing me down. (I actually rooted for the Dawgs vs WVU in the Sugar Bowl!) Also, I need to steel myself in case I end up there for law school.)

Clearly, I'm mainly a home town squad kinda guy. Also, even though I'm glad both the Steelers and Horns won last year in football, it sucks because no one believes I was actually already a fan of both teams, since I have no real connection to either. Everybody's all like, "You just say you root for em cause they won." Whack.

3. Movies. List the movie you’ve watched the most, your favorite sports related movie, the movie you secretly love but don’t like to admit it (possibly a chick flick or b film), and the movie you were (or still are) most looking forward to from this summer’s season.

Most watched - Back to the Future. In high school (before BttF was on DVD), I swear I saw at least part of this movie EVERY TIME it was on TV. My buddies saw it as a challenge to find a time I missed it. They'd be like, "So, uh, guess what I saw on TV yesterday," and I'd be all, "Oh, you mean the 7, or the 10 PM airing?" and they'd be like "Dammit!"
Favorite sports movie - Tie: Caddyshack & Bad News Bears.
Secret love - Mean Girls.

Most anticipated summer release - Superman Returns. Saw it last night; it was BAD ASS. And I got a sweet free Superman hat; they were giving out swag because it was a special day-early showing.

4. Music. List your favorite band from middle school, high school, college and today. Also, as with the movies, include the song you secretly love but don’t like to admit. If Nickleback is involved in any of these responses, please give a detailed explanation as to why, god, why.

Middle School - Bush (still like em.)
High School - Pennywise (no idea how I listened to it. I own like 6 of their CDs, and they ALL SOUND EXACTLY THE SAME.)
College/Now - Lucky Boys Confusion (um... college was like a month ago.)
Secret love - Ashlee Simpson - L.O.V.E.

5. Books. Favorite book you’ve finished, worst book you’ve finished and the book you really should read but haven’t gotten around to it.

Favorite - Clean Old Fashioned Hate by Bill Cromartie
Worst (hard question because I have NO problem quitting a bad book) - Who Censored Roger Rabbit by Gary Wolf
Should read - Rammer Jammer Yellow Hammer by Warren St. John

6. Travel. Favorite city you’ve every been to and the one place you still must visit before you shuffle off this mortal coil.

Favorite city - Munich, Germany
Gotta visit - Besides every college town possible on gameday? London.

7. What do you love most about college football in 20 words or less?

The pageantry and uniqueness of every school and fanbase. Regional food at tailgates. And, of course, the co-eds.

Posted by Jeff at 10:16 AM | Permalink | Comments

Two lil' bits of info relevant to GT's upcoming football season, both courtesy of SI:

It seems Brady Quinn, along with some other ND seniors, might could be ineligible because Chuck Weiss suggested they choose agents before the season. Although I'm sure the NCAA will excuse the violations, a la Leinart, in pursuit of $$. (UPDATE! See below)


Regarding a lower-profile game, Samford will have a new QB, former Razorbacks 3rd-stringer Alex Mortensen. The Samford game should still be a hands-down win for the Jackets, but maybe having a better QB will give the secondary some good practice.

UPDATE! Okay, so I was led to realize that the whole Brady Quinn thing is retarded and not only unlikely, but damn near impossible. But I still say Brady should grow a Paul Bunyan beard. And does anyone else find themselves hearing Jay saying "Brady Man" Mallrats-style in their head when they heard Quinn's name? No one? Yeah, no surprise.

Posted by Jeff at 2:14 PM | Permalink | Comments

Xbox version Xbox 360 Version
HT: westerdawg

Posted by Jeff at 7:48 AM | Permalink | Comments

Review:
For a big Tech football fan, Focused on the Top is a reminder of better, less 7-and-5-ish times. The book does an excellent job of conveying the unbelievable feeling of Georgia Tech's 1990 National Championship season. That is, Jack Wilkinson starts his story with Bill Curry's exodus to Alabama and the tale of Bobby Ross's abysmal first two seasons. Readers get a good sense of the apathy and low expectations surrounding the Yellow Jackets in the late 80's, and are thereby reminded how extraordinary the 1990 season was.

Focused provides a game-by-game description of the 1990 season, and quotes from players and coaches, as well as photos galore, bring you into the book. There's a brief season statistics section at the book's end, following a (deservedly) long final chapter about the Citrus Bowl and championship voting.

Recommendation:
While Focused is well-written, it's definitely not a book for everyone. It tells its tale well, but this book is just a big love-fest, meant for no one but Jacket fans. Hardcore college football fans may enjoy it to a point, but chances are most non-Jackets would become bored with the detail.

I would recommend this book only for Techies who like having miscellaneous memorabilia; that is, buy this book to have it, not "just" to read it. You won't find it in any book stores, but eBay and Amazon always have a few used copies available, and you can get it for $10-20 easily.

Author:
Jack Wilkinson might be called the official Georgia Tech Sports author. In addition to Focused on the Top, the tale of Georgia Tech's 1990 National Championship, Wilkinson co-authored Dodd's Luck in the mid-80's and Kim King's Tales from the Georgia Tech Sideline in 2004. Sadly and ironically, both Dodd and King passed away soon after their books were published.

Posted by Jeff at 9:48 PM | Permalink | Comments

I've got a lot of books about Tech, and I noticed that many of them are not described anywhere online in any detail, so hopefully I can fill a need and maybe turn some folks on to books they wouldn't hear about otherwise. First book review should be up tonight or tomorrow.

Fight! Win! Drink! Get Naked!
-Jeff

Posted by Jeff at 3:14 PM | Permalink | Comments

Lately, the Dawg blogs have been talking a lot about scheduling (I'd link to specific articles at Dawgsports, but Kyle King mentions playing Michigan about every 3 days).

I took a perusal of Tech's future schedule over at nationalchamps.net, and whadayaknow?, Tech is now playing Vanderbilt in '09 and '13.

Posted by Jeff at 11:15 AM | Permalink | Comments

This has nothing to do with sports, but I feel obligated to link you to Steve Carey's "Saved by the Bell Quote of the Day" site. Possibly the greatest QotD site ever, this site provides so much more. Here's some snippets from an episode synopsis:

• I remember when this episode first aired (though the memory is a touch hazy): it was a special Monday night premiere, right after Fresh Prince, the night before I started the 6th Grade. I thought to myself, “There is probably a very good chance that, a few years from now, I will watch this show after school, like 800 times a day, until every line sings from the very core of my heart.” Then me and my hot model girlfriend had a bucket of fried chicken and took my Camero to the Walmart parking lot and did donuts until dawn, with her whispering “you are awesome, you are awesome...” in my ear the whole time! Yep, that is exactly how it went down I think.
• Most Implausible Moment
  Slater: “I’ve been in 14 different schools in the past 3 years.”
  Um, no you haven’t because that is ridiculous. You are a liar.
  
  Also, where did Zack get a remote-controlled, life-size picture of Kelly Kapowski playing volleyball and how many Proofs of Purchase from Fruit Gushers do I need to get one?
• What is Wrong With Slater? Watch
  
  It’s nice to see he started out retarded.
  
  Zack: “I’m Zack Morris.”
  Slater: “And I’m Roger Rabbit, so what?”
  
  Zack: “You should take [my locker] - it’s right next to the girl’s bathroom.”
  Slater: “Unless it’s IN the girl’s bathroom, I’m not interested.”
  
  Wait a second? Unless it’s IN the girl’s bathroom? Ladies and gentleman, I spy a “SLATERISM”!

Posted by Jeff at 12:15 PM | Permalink | Comments

First off, note that I didn't write most of these, but I have no idea who did, so I can't give credit.

How many Boston College students does it take to screw in a light bulb?
Five. One to change it, one to mix the drinks, and three to find the perfect J. Crew outfit to wear for the occasion.

How many Clemson students does it take to screw in a light bulb?
None. Clemson doesn't have electricity.

How many Duke students does it take to screw in a light bulb?
Three. One to change the bulb, and two to crack under the pressure.

How many FSU students does it take to screw in a light bulb?
Seven, and each one gets four semester hours of credit.

How many Georgia Tech students does it take to screw in a light bulb?
Nine. Eight to study the problem, check the wiring and power supply, and propose alternate designs for a longer life bulb, and one to call a friend a Emory to find out where to buy new bulbs.

How many Maryland students does it take to screw in a light bulb?
Five. One to screw it in, and four to convince "youse guys" they are a Southern school and they do it better than "those damn Yankees."

How many Miami students does it take to screw in a light bulb?
Twelve. One to remove the old bulb, one to replace it, and ten to pay way more than the bulb is worth.

How many UNC students does it take to screw in a light bulb?
Seventy-six. One to change the light bulb, fifty to protest the light bulb's right to not change, and twenty-five to hold a counter-protest

How many NC State students does it take to screw in a light bulb?
Two. One to screw in the bulb and one to buy the Skoal.

How many UVA students does it take to screw in a light bulb?
Three. One to change the bulb, one to hold the keg he's standing on, and another to expound on how Mr. Jefferson discovered electricity

How many Virginia Tech students does it take to screw in a light bulb?
One, but he must be an electrical engineering senior.

How many Wake Forest students does it take to screw in a light bulb?
Two. One to mix the martinis and one to call the electrician.

Posted by Jeff at 11:13 AM | Permalink | Comments

• A dream deferred is a dream denied. The Jackets are out of the CWS, after melting down against Cal State Fullerton in the 8th inning (which followed a meltdown against Clemson in the 8th inning.) Tech will have to wait for its first NCAA national championship. The ACC still has 3 teams (UNC, Miami, Clemson) in the CWS, and GT is unfortunately the only eliminated team so far. UNC beat Clemson yesterday to become the only 2-0 team in the pack.
• This guy is going for broke: he plans to attend a game at EVERY Division 1-A home stadium. This is the kind of thing my buddies and I would say “That would be awesome to do,” but we don’t have the gall to go for it. Good luck. (hat tip: BON) He’s coming to Bobby Dodd Stadium for the September 21 Thursday game vs. UVa.
• Interesting article at Sportsline about ACC expansion, from a 2-years-into-it perspective. Dennis Dodd (by no means the namesake of this site) talks about how expansion has boosted ACC baseball (with the league bringing 4 out of 8 teams to the CWS), but how that was really not the point of expansion.
• Stranko at EDSBS gave me something I never expected: a reason to dig the world cup. I tell my friends the World Cup is perfect for me, because I care about soccer just enough to give a crap once every four years… But, I realized, I really don’t give a crap, because the US losing really doesn’t bring me down at all. I’d be glad to hear that we won, but I know I don’t care about a game if the outcome doesn’t affect my mood at all.

Posted by Jeff at 11:12 AM | Permalink | Comments

Before I say anything, Beesball is always a better place for GT baseball news than here. If you’re a Tech fan and don’t know that site, learn it.

The opening game of the 2006 College World Series takes place Friday at 2 PM between Georgia Tech and Clemson. The action will be on GameTracker, if you’ll be stuck at work like me. If you’re at home, it’ll be on ESPN2. If we win, we’ll play at 7PM Sunday on ESPN2, and if we lose, you can catch Tech 2PM Sunday on ESPN.

In the regular season, Tech lost to Clemson 7-6, won 12-3, won 22-4, then in the ACC tourney, lost 3-2, won 8-7, and lost 16-11. Obviously there’s a good chance of a high-scoring game here. Looking at the bracket, I’m stoked but concerned. Opening against Clemson is no fun, but then, neither would opening against Fullerton or UNC… or Rice or Georgia or Oregon State or Miami.

Posted by Jeff at 10:35 AM | Permalink | Comments

Pete Fiutak at CFN listed GT/Notre Dame as one of the "games that no one is thinking about much now, but will end up being a really big deal." I have been surprised how relatively little mention there's been of GT in all the Notre Dame articles written lately. I'd expect this is a game everyone would be trying to hype up, but then, it'll likely happen pretty good come August.

Posted by Jeff at 4:10 PM | Permalink | Comments

The Jackets are headed to Omaha. If you tell that to a college sports fan, they know that means they’re going to the College World Series. Since 1950, the CWS has been held at The Blatt in Omaha. And personally, I don’t like it. It’s nothing against Omaha or Nebraska or the Blatt, but I’d like to be headed somewhere else.

I don’t like sports events being held at the same venue every year. I think events should move from place to place, much like the Super Bowl, the Olympics, and (admitting I wouldn’t even think to mention this in most years) the World Cup.I think a non-changing venue makes sense for certain events, like the Kentucky Derby, Daytona 500, or the Masters. In events like those, a win is part of the pursuit of a greater championship (specifically, a Triple Crown, Nextel Cup, or PGA Tour championship). Also, with racing and golf, the character of the course/track greatly effects the event, I imagine more than a ballpark typically effects a ballgame.

Other exceptions to my issue with “static” venues are contests where the participants agree on the venue. For instance, The World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party in Jacksonville—Georgia and Florida specifically agree on the venue. Conference championship games also apply here, although less so; although The Conference may agree on a venue, certain teams may have qualms. That’s too bad, but at least that decision may only effect conference members—not more than a dozen or so.

NCAA Division I, on the other hand, includes 327 schools. Although some probably do not field a baseball team, I doubt all those that do want their championship to ALWAYS be in Omaha.

Posted by Jeff at 3:38 PM | Permalink | Comments

I Don’t know if this is worth Fulmer Cup points, since he’s a basketball player, but J. J. Redick was charged with a DUI. Yay Duke.

Redick always struck me as such as d-bag. I know people refer to every good player from opposing teams as d-bags, but I heard directly from Duke students that J. J. was uncool and no one wanted to hang out with him. I see no reason to doubt it.

Posted by Jeff at 2:47 PM | Permalink | Comments

• First off, congrats to the GT Crew Team, for winning a race at the Intercollegiate Rowing Association Regatta (Crew National Championships). The Jackets won their heat, against Yale, Cinci, Navy, and Stanford; Tech also pulled the 2nd best time of all heats combined, behind only Harvard. GT participates in semifinals today. Note that this event is against Varsity teams, and few clubs teams get invited to the regatta. GT already won a club national championship a couple weeks ago.
• It looks like Gailey will again be on Stewart Mandel's Worst Coaches rankings.
  
• NCAA Tournament Baseball: Jackets vs. Stetson tonight at Russ Chandler Field, 7PM.
• If you haven't yet, you've gotta check out Dan's motivational posters. By far the best one is the Wesleyan College one.
  

Posted by Jeff at 11:42 AM | Permalink | Comments

Dave at Maize n Brew has a thoughtful piece about the way football players "vanish" after their careers. In it, he laments the cruelty of the abrupt end of football careers, illustrated by the example of Tony Boles, a standout RB for Michigan.

Football players have developed a sort of "throwaway" nature, in the attitudes of fans. There is always some lip service when players experience tragedies, and the crowd always applauds when a hurt player gets up, but their problems are quickly forgotten.

So why is there this lack of "real" caring for players and their problems? First, what high-profile athletes live is not real life. Much like Hollywood actors, athletes make unrealistic amounts of money (after college) for a pretty easy job. Why should a hard-working middle American feel bad that someone else is no longer an entertainer, since that's what pro athletes basically are?

So should we feel more sympathy for college athletes who go down, since they've not had the opportunity to make the big bucks? Absolutely not. That's why they're in college; so that if--or, more often, when--their pro sports careers don't pan out, they will have a degree to help start some other career.

And what's more, people don't have the time or energy to "really" care about players. We all have enough hardship in our lives, we don't need to stack others' on top. Football is supposed to be fun! We buy tickets to see a game, not to get swept into a soap opera.

I don't mean to suggest that athletes deserve no sympathy when faced with struggle or tragedy, just that their role as entertainers does not entitle them to more sympathy/support than others receive. But chances are, they will receive more support. If I break my leg, or my Dad gets shot, or whatever, then my buddies will feel for me. If some athlete has a problem, there will be some level of outpouring from some fan(s) somewhere, in addition to family & friend support.

Maybe I'm too cynical, or maybe I'm bitter that I can't make millions by throwing a ball. But I think athletes have it pretty good. Get your fifteen minutes of fame, experience some glory, and when it's over, you've just got to make a living like everybody else.

Posted by Jeff at 9:26 AM | Permalink | Comments