This Manti Te’o Story Is The Best

by The Defenseman Posted on January 17, 2013

sportsiconThe thing about breaking news is that it is fun to watch. Throw in the aspect that no one is dead when this news is breaking and now you have guilt free fun. I got home from work at around 4:30 P.M. on Wednesday and shortly after I saw the rumblings of the Manti Te’o story on the Internet. SCINTILLATING STUFF.

Many people have already complimented the Deadspin.com article that started the whole thing, and rightfully so. The leg work done to get the story down onto paper was superb  The original narrative of Te’o and his inspirational late girlfriend is put to pasture. Now all that is left is to solve the mystery. Notre Dame held a press conference the night the story broke and jammed themselves into the picture by saying that they had investigated the whole thing starting in December.

What the hell is going on? Where are we? Is this the real life? Is this just fantasy?

I will admit to being all into this story because it is incredibly fascinating. All of the details and disputed points draw the mind. Conspiracy and tomfoolery there for the taking in. This is why we watch all those crime shows, people. We have an episode of Columbo rolling out in real life. I half expect Robert Culp or Jack Cassidey to round on Peter Falk for asking too many questions.

And why shouldn’t we watch? It’s a hoax that rolled out in public in the first place, and nobody seemed to have a problem having this play out in public when a girl who is now fake was dying of Leukemia  This thing has been above the fold bold type for months. To not talk about it as soon as it gets really interesting is just dumb.

“But there are more important things to talk about!”

The French have driven the Islamists out of Timbuktu in Mali. I am capable of following more than one story you asshole.

“I wish people cared more about this when a real girl was sexually assaulted and committed suicide at ND!”

No argument.

“Who is this person anyway?!”

A guy who can’t tackle anyone who plays for Alabama.

And this story is just getting started to. We just found out about the crime – we haven’t begun to answer all the questions to find the real perpetrators. The Deadspin article, though great, is incomplete. It simply states that a hoax has taken place and points in the direction of who might have done it. We still don’t know the exact how or why. There is more work to be done here. AND I’M GOING TO WATCH IT DAMNIT ITS JUST GETTING GOOD.

I’m not even looking for anyone to be shamed. This is a mystery of high bizarre caliber and I have to know how this thing ends. Either way, Te’o can move on and find a way to be a good person. But this is a great story, and great stories are not to be ignored. Get in on this people!

Posted in Sports | Tagged , | Leave a comment

SABRES: A Glass Case of Emotion

by The Defenseman Posted on January 17, 2013

SabresI’d be more open to protests or boycotts of the National Hockey League by fans for the league’s handling of the work stoppage if I thought there was a decent leg to stand on. I don’t think that is the case. I’m pretty sure, and I’ve stated before, that patrons of sports teams have either the right to buy or not buy tickets to games, but that’s about it. It is where action begins and ends.

The vibe is out there. Fans returning in such large numbers and in such enthusiasm tells ownership and players that there are no repercussions from consumers on how they run their business, lockouts or not. This can annoy some people, and with good reason. There easily could have been a solution to this CBA crisis months ago had both sides been interested in pursuing a more amicable course of negotiations. It was decide long ago, however, that it was to be war in the negotiating room. That’s what we got.

This is what irks most of all, was that this was a stoppage by choice. Negotiations were lax before the season was scheduled to begin to say the least. What if the league and the player’s union had taken losing a season more seriously and had some urgency to avoid any cancelled games as opposed to losing 34? Maybe this all gets wrapped up by late September? It wasn’t to be. It’s not how Gary Bettman does business – and we’ve seen him do this three times, so I think we are justified in saying that this is how he prefers to negotiate. Whatever you want to say about Donald Fehr, it was Bettman’s call as to how these negotiations would go. The fault lay with him.

All of this being beyond the power of fans to influence angers. It should. A loss of power and choice leads to frustration and anger. And now suddenly we are supposed to kiss and make up without anywhere to vent that anger? What the hell! I’m mad! I hate the commissioner and that he does this to the league I love! I hate the stupid greedy players and their stupid greedy faces.

I blame no one for feeling the sting of incompetence, especially when something you care about is the victim of it. But this is the life we have chosen for ourselves. Despite the encouragement of game day presentation managers across all leagues, the question of “How Loud Is This Crowd?” rarely has an impact on events. Even when people say that places can be intimidating to play in, it mostly has to do with the players that reside at said place. The two go together.

We sit and watch and yell shoot. Sometimes we cheer. sometimes we leave really early because nothing fun is happening. This is how entertainment works. We pay for the right to enter the building and watch. That’s about it. Everything else we feel towards what we see is done with no explicit guarantee of results. Teams elict emotion from their fans because it provides a revenue stream. They need you to care, because fans who care emotionally may purchase products and tickets even when the product isn’t very good. Fans may think with their heart rather than their mind. If fans only bought tickets when teams deserved to be watched, pro sports would be a different animal indeed. Good seats still available.

This situation still happens as teams have broken the limit on what fans can endure in a relationship, or in some markets failed to create completely from the start. But the unifying theory of making money in sports is to get people to care about your team beyond their own financial interests. they have to love you, because people who love spend money on things they don’t need.

That’s us, and this isn’t necessarily a reprehensible thing. It’s entertainment after all, spend the money where you like. Get down how you get down. As long as we keep in mind the true nature of our relationship – that teams are preying on our emotions and we are letting them do so – then full speed ahead man. We’re consenting adults. But this does not give us an excuse I think to claim grievance  This is the state of the bargain we have with our leagues and teams. This is professional sports. We cannot be upset when they act as professional businesses. Leagues will go so far as to keep the people coming into the stores or bring more people in, and no further. Such is their right. It is our duty to understand this.

We can’t hurl stones at a business for being a business. We can’t expect them to care like we do. This isn’t how the relationship works. they will never return the love you give them. This lady going to treat you bad, son. But we can still have fun, right? So what if our other half screams and shouts and acts irrationally. When the times are good, they’re good. Good enough to put up with this, anyway.

So off we go into the sportsplexes once more to partake in our probably unhealthy relationships. Let’s at least have some fun while we’re doing it. I know you’re upset. You’ve been done wrong. But dude, it happens a lot, and at some point you need to take responsibility for knowing what you are getting into. Either find a new jam or get off the mat and let the good times roll.

Posted in Sports | Tagged , | Leave a comment

SABRES: All This Action, No Satisfaction

by The Defenseman Posted on January 16, 2013

SabresOver 10,000 people for a Sabres scrimmage after the third work stoppage in the National Hockey League since 1994 probably says something. Like, maybe no one gives a shit about labor issues as long as the games are eventually played. Yes, people arguing over billions of dollars seems out of touch, but our entire society is out of touch. Inequality is on the rise, and people are used to seeing the mega-rich complain that they can’t get more out of the system. Maybe we’re worn out by how our system works. “You know what? Whatever. The NHL Lockout is like any other day in the finance section. Are guys going to play? Great, lets go.”

It would be a good idea to keep in mind that this current Sabres squad left us all on a sour note. They haven’t been particularly good over the past few years; at best you could consider them inconsistent. The team has won five playoff games since losing in the 2007 Eastern Conference Finals to Ottawa. That’s kinda poopers.

A further exam of their roster reveals more to be queasy about. Three players scored twenty goals or more in 2011. They had 36 skaters make an appearance in a game because of huge injury issues. According to HockeyProspectus.com’s GVT stat, they had one player in the top 50, Jason Pominville (ranked 45th). The Bruins had four. The Sabres may have good players. Probably do have good players. They didn’t play that way the last time there was an organized game with officials and scoreboards and such.

So now we are here in the present. Who on the team is any good? In a short season, who can we expect to benefit and who could suffer? Hell if I know! But that won’t stop me from writing about it.

Thoughts on some guys:

Tyler Myers – I still think he is the most important Sabre. There were portions last year when he decided to act like Scott Niedermayer and carry the puck through the offensive zone and attack with it, rather than look for the nearest forward to take over. A man with all the skill sets needs to lay down the law. He can skate, he can shoot, and he is gigantic. He needs to be aggressive when he is on the ice, because he among all Sabres has the talent to be able to take over a game. If we see Myers sit back in the defensive zone and play it conservative, we will know he isn’t quite there yet. If he looks like he is skating like a maniac and he’s cutting through the slot – look out kids.

Christian Ehrhoff – This signing alone makes up for five Ville Leino’s. When he wasn’t hurt he was rock solid on the back end. Between March 7 and March 27 of 2012 both Myers and Ehrhoff rejoined the roster and the team went 8-3. They lost them both after March 27 and lost the next four of five. Ehrhoff played only 66 games in 2012, but logged an average of 23 minuets. Ehrhoff was rock steady when he played. The type of dependable player who didn’t throw up on himself that has been lacking around these parts for a few years. He and Myers combined might be the best defensive pairing in the Northeast – if they can stay healthy. If the Sabres can generate any mojo, these two will have a great deal to do with it.

Marcus Foligno – His ascension to the Sabres roster near the end of last season had fans lamenting what could have been. If only he was a little further along in his development maybe they would’ve made the playoffs. Maybe he could have joined the roster sooner and made more of an impact beyond the sizable one he already had. Well, now is his chance. Jason Pominville is captain because he is respected, but also because there is no one else. I think Pominville actually works in that roll, but Foligno can cement a place in the locker room by being a player who the team doesn’t quite have. If Foligno would like to play like a wildman who cannot be stopped, it would be welcome.

Ryan Miller – He is getting older. Now is the time to get it right and string together some of that magic. Please be the best Sabre from April to June.

Posted in Sports | Tagged | Leave a comment