Being a Sports Fan Can Be Tough Sometimes. Winning Makes It All Worth It.

The Green Bay Packers won the Super Bowl on Sunday making it the first time one of my favorite sports teams won a championship in its respective sport since I have been of an age where it actually could mean something. It felt great. Aaron Rodgers put together a historic performance as the Packers pulled together in the second half despite several key injuries.

But it got me thinking how close several of “my” teams have gotten to winning the big one over the years and why sticking with a team through the tough times makes it all worth it. So excuse me for a minute while I talk about my favorite teams.

Lets start with the University of Oregon Ducks football, the most recent highlight and heartbreak in my sports fandom as they made it to the National Championship only to lose to Auburn last month. Growing up in Oregon as a Duck fan as been an incredible experience as the program has gone from average to elite over the last decade (all thanks to Phil Knight). The Duck football program will only continue to get better as long as Knight is around and making the best athletic facilities in the country even better. While a majority of the powerhouse college football programs build their brands on tradition (Texas, USC, Alabama, etc.), Oregon has branded itself as a brand of change and innovation. As annoying as the rest of the country may think the constantly changing uniforms are, they appeal to the group of people that is most important: elite high school recruits. Watch out for Oregon Duck basketball over the next few years as well. Matthew Knight Arena, the new and appropriately named $230 million unique facility, opened this year and will surely help get the basketball program back on track.

Next you have the Portland Trail Blazers, my beloved hometown NBA team. Talk about a franchise having its ups and downs. Let’s start in the late 90’s when the Blazers made back-to-back Western Conference Finals only to lose to the Spurs and Lakers. The 15-point meltdown in the fourth quarter of game seven against the Lakers is still, and likely will always be, the most devastating moment for me as sports fan. Not only did it lead to the Lakers first string of NBA titles, but it began a half decade of bad basketball and the Jail Blazers era in Portland. The last four or five years have had promise with several emerging young stars, but the dreams of an NBA title has derailed by several key injuries.

My MLB team is the Seattle Mariners. It’s been tough decade as the last relevant season was in 2001 when Seattle won a MLB record 116 games. But the Mariners are great test of my fan loyalty. I can’t just switch favorite teams because it wouldn’t feel right, and when the organization finally turns the corner it will be that much more rewarding for me as a fan knowing I still followed them when they were at their worst.

Overall, being a sports fan can be the most frustrating or the greatest thing ever. That’s what makes it so fun. Watching organizations rise and fall is part of the business, so appreciating the good while dealing with the bad is part of being a loyal fan. Thank you Packers for putting an end to my championship drought. Go Ducks. Go Blazers. Go Mariners.

National Signing Day: It’s Fun for a Day, but Worth the Hype and Potential?

Wednesday was National Signing Day for high school football players who plan to take their talents to the next level and announce where they will be playing college football (see what I did there?). The Decision(s) are broadcast live on ESPN all day with 17 and 18-year old kids holding puppies and putting on the hat of the school they have decided to attend.

It’s like Christmas for die-hard college football fans as we get to find out who could be the next big star on our favorite team. But overall, the idea of having these kids make an announcement on national television is pretty ridiculous, especially when about a third of them (ESPN's Top 150 from 2007) won’t end up living up to the “hype.”

No one is criticizing them like they did LeBron after his Decision, who was already a proven superstar. In fact, top recruit DeAnthony Thomas chose to go to Oregon on Wednesday after verbally committing to USC last spring (not that I am upset about that, considering my hatred for Lane Kiffin and USC. Go Ducks.).

The fact is, this has been going on for years and it has suddenly become normal for top recruits to hold a press conference to make an announcement. So whose fault is it? The players? The Media?

Football is America’s sport, and that has trickled down from the NFL and college to high school over the years. There are websites exclusively dedicated to ranking top recruits and ESPN regularly televises big games with potential future stars. The media undoubtedly puts the spotlight on high school players at a very young age, and with colleges trying to make a big impression during the recruitment period it’s not surprising that some kids can develop a little bit of an ego.

The reality is that no one is really going to care or remember what these kids did on signing day. Football is more of a team sport than any other sport and finding a role on a team is critical. The most important thing for these young kids to do is check their ego at the door when they arrive on campus. No one is going to care what you did in high school or that you were a top recruit because everyone is fighting to get time on the field.

Overall, National Signing Day is a fun day for college football fans to look forward to, but the attention these 17 and 18-year olds receive only puts more pressure on them to succeed and if they fail to live up to the hype it only leads to disappointment for everyone involved.

The Rush for Answers That Aren't There Yet

The way this Cam Newton story has played out in the media has really frustrated me. The amount of hearsay, the release of private records, and uncited sources being used has made several major media outlets, including ESPN, look very bad.

It’s just another example of how journalism is changing in the sports world. Even if it does turn out that Newton violated NCAA rules, I am sure not all the facts that have been reported as the story plays out have been correct. It seems that getting the story first rather than getting it right is more important because people want to rush to judgment before letting a difficult situation like this run its course.

It is understandable with so many unanswered questions that people want to find out what is going on, but sometimes it takes more than a few days, or even a few weeks, to sort such complex situations like this out. With 24-hour news and sources like Twitter, people expect answers almost instantaneously when that is rarely ever how things like this work out.

Deep down, Cam Newton obviously knows what the real story is, but it still is hard not to feel bad for him. This is going to stay with him for the rest of his life regardless of how it plays out. People are digging into some of his most personal information on him, which has got to be tough on anyone, especially a college kid.

There are so many layers to this story and so many people and organizations it’s going to affect. Other than Newton and Auburn University, the Heisman Board and NCAA undoubtedly are feeling the heat. Since Newton is by far the leading candidate to win the Heisman trophy and Auburn is on its to the National Championship, both the Heisman Board and NCAA could be end up having to lay down the same uncomfortable punishment that Reggie Bush and USC received.

Overall, I hope this is the last time we have to hear about a college athlete allegedly taking money, but I know I am wrong. It’s unfortunate how many people are affected by the allegations of one person’s misconduct.

NFL in Tough Spot

Hard hits have always been a part of the NFL and that is never going to change. But with what seems like a rise in big hits recently, Commissioner Roger Goodell has decided he has seen enough and is going to start fining and suspending players who make illegal hits.

It’s a very tough situation for everyone involved. The players just want to go out and play the game the way they always have without worrying about how they make a tackle, while the League has the players’ safety in its best interest. Coming to a compromise isn’t going to be easy, especially since what is deemed an illegal hit is different depending on whom you talk to.

Fans love big hits, and it’s always been one of the NFL’s top selling points, but with new evidence about how bad it can be to receive repeat concussions, the League is trying to do more to protect its players during their careers and after they retire. As a player, you know football is a very violent game, and the risk of injury is certainly much higher than other sports and professions. They know what they are getting into when they decide to play in the NFL.

But what scares me is that these hits are only going to get worse as players naturally continue to get bigger, faster, and stronger. I think that’s why the NFL is trying to send the message now to try to change the culture before it gets too out of hand. I feel like there is the potential for something really bad to happen in the near future, but what is the solution? Try to change the way players make tackles risking other injuries? Equipment upgrades?

This is why the NFL is in such a tough spot. It’s a violent game and head injuries are going to happen regardless of any rule change. Trying to change the way players play the game will be difficult, but we will see if fines and suspensions make a difference.

Getting Rid of the Bowl System Would Be a Mistake

Every year the debate rages on, and as conference play begins this weekend for most teams across the country the arguments will start to heat up again. BCS or playoff?

Before I began working for the Valero Alamo Bowl a few months ago I went back-and-forth on the issue, however, since being a part of the bowl system, I have been able to see first-hand the work that goes into making each bowl game unique and the benefits that they have on their respective communities.

There are 35 bowl games in 28 communities scheduled for the 2010-11 season, meaning 35 teams will finish the season as bowl champions and 28 communities will experience an economic lift during bowl week. Aside from the economic benefits, I think the unique thing about the BCS is that so many college football players get to end their season as a champion. Even though they may not be the national champions, I think it’s a better to end the season on a winning note rather than losing in an early round of a playoff system.

Also, why mess with the system of arguably the second most popular sport in the country behind the NFL? The bowl system has been in place for over 100 years and it makes every regular season game important for teams who are looking to contend for the National Championship.

Michigan Head Coach Rich Rodriguez makes a great point about the BCS: “In Division I-A football, every game is a playoff. Once you lose one game, you’re mostly out. If you lose two, you’re definitely out. We got 12 playoff games. Teams take that approach. That’s probably why there’s so much interest.”

Oklahoma Head Coach Bob Stoops on why he believes college football is more successful than college basketball: “In basketball there is far less interest in the regular season than there is in the tournament. Everyone gets March Madness for the tournament. You don’t want everyone to get January madness for football and forget about everything else that’s happening in the regular season.”

A recent survey by ESPN The Magazine of 135 college football players across the country showed that 62 percent of players would prefer a playoff system, but 77 percent would prefer multiple bowl trips during their college career rather than just one trip to the playoffs. If you think about it, a playoff system would only allow a limited number of teams, likely 16 at the most.
As one SEC player put it: "How many fans are actually going to travel to these road playoff games? I'd like to see a playoff, but we're not going to get that without answering a lot of tough questions."

Not to mention that college players have academic obligations and potentially adding up four games to their schedule would undoubtedly set them back in the classroom and put unnecessary extra strain on their bodies physically. Remember, these kids aren’t getting paid (at least the ones following the rules) and adding more games for them to get injured would be a mistake.

Overall, the bowl system isn’t perfect but a playoff format would cause more problems than it would fix. There are certainly areas the BCS could be tweaked, but a complete overhaul would ruin college football. As one player surveyed said: "The whole bowl experience is great. It's just like bowl camp, a good time to bond with the guys after a long season. Then when you go to the bowl destination, it's even better. I'm not sure with a playoff system you have that."