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Misunderstood and Sullen Love

May 4

Posted by CTS in Columns, Other | 4 Comments

the 3 Duke Lacrosse players who were falsely accused

When the average sport’s fan thinks of Lacrosse, two things likely come to mind: the “sex scandal” at Duke in 2006, and now the murder of Yeardley Love, a women’s lacrosse player at the University of Virginia who was seemingly murdered by George Huguel, a male lacrosse player who also plays at UVA. One is a fabricated story, the other a horrific isolated event.

Beginning with the Duke incident, 3 male lacrosse players were charged with sexual offense, kidnapping, and rape of two female dancers they hired to perform at an off-campus party in March of 2006. The accused were on every media outlet possible, including Sports Illustrated, The New York Times, Newsweek, Rolling Stone, and five segments of CBS 60 Minutes. Their lives, the lives of their families and the Duke community were tarnished.

After investigation into the incident it was determined that the Durham District Attorney General Mike Nifong gathered no evidence before stating that rape had taken place. As a result of Nifong pointing fingers too quickly and the credibility of the dancer crumbling, the North Carolina Attorney General Roy Cooper took over the case, and Nifong was forced to resign.

When speaking about the case Cooper spoke of a “rush to accuse” and said “there were many points in this case where caution would have served justice better than bravado.” Cooper eventually dropped all charges against the 3 student-athletes, but unfortunately there is no way to fully repair the reputations of the accused, their families, the Duke community, or the sport of lacrosse and you can’t bring back the cancelled 2006 season or the coach Mike Pressler, who was forced to resign after the accusations.

George Huguely and Yeardley Love

The Duke incident is pathetic, and its sad that a false accusation can lead to the destruction of so many lives, but it fails in comparison to the abhorrent murder in Charlottesville, Va.

While an isolated incident, it is obviously devastating to see such a beautiful young woman with a promising life ahead of her murdered in such a way. The case is still being investigated, but all signs are pointing to Huguely, who is currently being held in Albemarle-Charlottesville Regional Jail.

Despite the coverage on all of the networks, no one is saying much about the case other than the fact that Love’s roommate found her at 2:15 a.m. early Sunday morning and it was originally believed to be an alcohol overdose, but now Huguely is being charged with murder. It is believed that Huguely and Love had been in a relationship in the past and Huguely lives in very close proximity to Love, but not in the same apartment complex.

While the story unfolds, one thing is for certain – the sport of lacrosse has made national headlines for the wrong reasons. The sport which leads all NCAA men’s sports with an 88% graduation rate and is 3rd in women’s with 94%, is unfortunately known for a false accusation and a terrible, mournful tragedy. With the NCAA Championships on the horizon, make a point to watch a game or two, and learn about the other players, like Yeardley Love, who leave their mark on the sport in a positive way.

-rew

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Tiger, Kobe, LeBron, Manny, Dale, and … Danica?

Mar 4

Posted by CTS in Columns, NASCAR, Other, Tennis | 1 Comment

There is a time in an athlete’s career where they reach a particular pinnacle of popularity.  As fans we honor them by dropping their last name.  Lets take a look and see who could be the next to receive that awe$ome honor.

It would strike me as odd that every time I looked at the PGA page on any major sports website I found a featured article about Nationwide Tour golfer Luke List.  I know, who is that?  Sounds like a fratty name though.

It would also strike me as odd if every time I went to the Major League Baseball page, there was an article about the same guy struggling to make it in the minor leagues.

Therefore, I also find it peculiar that every time I see anything about NASCAR I inevitably hear the name, or see an article about the 34th ranked racer in the second tier Nationwide Series.  What name is that? You guessed it Danica Patrick.

Now everyone has their own opinion of Danica, and why she is as famous as she is.  How popular is she? Her merchandise sales are greater than the four-peat and reigning Sprint Cup champion Jimmie Johnson.  Her sales rank up there with the biggest names in Nascar like Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Tony Stewart.  If you think that merchandise sales are not a good measure of popularity, then you have obviously never been to Talladega (or any other NASCAR race for that matter).  NASCAR fans would gladly play chicken with the 200 mile per hour race cars if it meant they could get their coveted Dale Jr. thong or wife beater signed.  NASCAR fans are like the Beatles groupies of old, except less hot, less mannered, less showered, but way more fun.

The question remains, why is such a second rate driver receiving all this attention.  The obvious and most common answer is because she is a woman.  Is it fair? Maybe, maybe not, but let’s take a closer look at Danica.

Why does that matter that she is a woman?  For Danica, it is the only thing that matters.  She is well aware of the exceptionality of what she is doing in an entirely male dominated sport.  Importantly, one paradigm that is rarely discussed when talking about NASCAR is the tremendous number and percentage of female fans. I bet you did not know that 42% of NASCAR fans are women. Unlike other male dominated sports, NASCAR attracts female fans.  These millions of women are craving for a star of their gender to come along.  Can you imagine the merchandise sales she will achieve if she actually breaks the top 30 in the Nationwide.  Furthermore, what if she makes it into the Sprint Cup? CTS will be in business of selling Danica wife beaters, hats, coffee mugs, bumper stickers, car magnets, antenna whips, head bands, coolers, grill kits, tailgate toilets, shoe laces, shoes, socks, pajamas, wallets, chap stick, sunglasses, cereal, and anything else I can put a Danica picture on.

Does it help that Danica is easy on the eyes?  Of course it does.  Now, I say easy on the eyes because I am not 100% sold that she is the knockout GoDaddy wishes she was.  She surely markets herself in a way that plays up her looks, and there are undoubtedly men who really have a thing for Danica.  However, I think there are many people out there who think the jury is still out.  It is difficult for some to think that a woman in a racing outfit can be attractive.  Much like a woman in a catcher’s equipment or a football pads is a bit off-putting.  Ponder this.  Take Danica and Maria Sharapova and put Maria in the racing outfit, Danica in the tennis outfit, then ask 100 men who is hotter, and I bet 80% or more would choose Danica.  As things are now, Maria as a tennis player and Danica as a driver, how many men do you think prefer Danica over Maria?  I bet it is not 80%.

In closing, I would like to take a look into the future.  Not just the future of Danica, but the future of women in the sport of NASCAR.  The profit margins obviously love having Danica in the sport, and, in our great capitalist nation, profit always leads the way.  But we have seen women like this before right?  There were women who played football, and basketball right?  Not really.  Unlike previous women who have competed in male dominated sports, I feel that NASCAR is the first place where we will truly see men and women competing against each other (Poker, intramurals, bowling, and kickball don’t count).

Whether I am right or wrong about my thoughts, there are undoubtedly voluminous and varied opinions on Danica.  She is still up and coming and just about received the honor of just going by one name.  Danica. Get used to it.  Email coverinthespread@gmail.com or comment above with yours.

-REB

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Sports’ Ugliest

Jan 20

Posted by CTS in Baseball, Basketball, Football, Other, Quick Thoughts | 2 Comments

Listening to coverage of the AFC and NFC playoffs this week on television and the radio, I noticed a familiar topic. Everyone seemed to be talking about Rex Ryan’s weight and his overall unappealing “grossness”. Instead of thinking about the Championship games, I began to think of the ugliest sports figures of my generation (80′s,90′s.’00′s). Here’s what I came up with.

1. Popeye Jones – Have you ever seen The Goonies? Remember the sloth?

2. Mike Ricci – The Stanley Cup champ looks like the trailer park version of skateboarder Rob Dyrdek. 

3. Randy Johnson – Looks like the trailer park version of a giant meth-head, only thinner.

4. Sam Cassell – E.T. phone home! Just kiddin’ Gollum, we love ya.

5. Shannon Sharpe – Now you knew Mr. Ed would make our list.

6. Adam Morrison – No Burt Reynolds or Tom Selleck to say the least.

7. Ronaldinho – Edges out Wayne Rooney and Carlos Tevez in the futbol department.

8. Marshawn Lynch – The man I like to call the “Ghetto Geico Caveman”.

9. Otis Nixon – And I thought Felix Jones looked old.

10. Greg Oden – Damn! And I thought Otis Nixon looked old!

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And the Winner is…

Dec 24

Posted by CTS in Columns, Other, Tennis | No Comments


AP Male Athlete of the Year goes to.. wait what?..

We will save the discussion about whether a Nascar driver, or any driver for that matter, is an athlete for another time. I’m not saying what they do is easy, just not sure athleticism plays a role in risking your life going around in a circle at speeds nearing 200 mph. The Associated Press certainly considers them to be athletes, and recently named Jimmie Johnson Male Athlete of the Year.

Yes you read that right. For the first time a Nascar driver was named Male Athlete of the Year. This could mean one of two things. Jimmie Johnson had the best year of any Nascar driver ever. Nope. He needed the last race of the year to solidify his win over 50 yr. old, washed-up Mark Martin and this was his closest margin of victory (41) of the four championships. Ok so he didn’t have his best career year, then the competition for Male Athlete of the Year must have been down. Negative ghost rider. I wonder if the AP writers have ever heard of Roger Federer, Kobe Bryant, or Usain Bolt.

I understand that Jimmie Johnson is the first driver to win four consecutive Cup Series, and only the fourth to win four – joining the ranks of Earnhardt, Gordon, and Richard Petty. Kudos to Jimmie. Having said that, this award is given to the best Male Athlete of the YEAR. If you wanted to rename it and call it “Male Athlete of the Last Four Years”, or “Male Athlete who did something no one in their sport has ever done” not only would that make for a ridiculous award, but JJ shouldn’t win that either; although it’s more fitting.

This past YEAR Roger Federer completed his career Grand Slam winning the French Open. A month later he broke Pete Sampras’ all-time Grand Slam record by winning a record 15th Grand Slam at Wimbledon. Unlike Johnson, Federer is in a league by himself, whereas Johnson is still behind Earnhardt and Petty who have a whopping 3 more Championships than him!

Ok well Federer may have broken the record, but he didn’t have a great year. Wrong! He reached all 4 Grand Slam finals, won two, lost in the fifth set of the other two, and finished the year ranked number 1. And the most overlooked record Federer owns is he has been in the last 22 semifinals of a major. That is unheard of considering injuries, the drastic difference in all of the surfaces tennis players play on, the brevity of tennis player’s careers, and the competition he has gone up against during this streak. 22! Are you kidding me? That’s over 5 years straight of finishing in the top 4 of the biggest four tournaments of the year!
Let me catch my breath, ok well Federer is a clear number one – should Johnson finish second or at least third? Sorry Nascar fans, but he shouldn’t even be in the top 5. Usain Bolt should be second place right behind Roger. Among many other records, Bolt broke his own 100m record, with an unbelievable 9.58 in Berlin. Third place, how about Kobe Bryant? He won his 4th NBA Title (first without Shaq), Finals MVP, and finished 2nd in MVP voting.

The point here is that if a Nascar winner should be eligible for this award then give it to Petty in 1967 when he won 27 races, Earnhardt in 1987 when he finished top 5 21 out of 29 races with 11 victories, or at least give it to Johnson after his best year in 2007 when he had 10 wins and won the cup by 77 points. Even if they (drivers) should be considered eligible, a driver or any other athlete for that matter, has no business winning it when someone has a dominating year like Mr. Federer did.

Need I go on?

-rew

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WTF of the Week

Dec 1

Posted by CTS in Other, WTF of the Week | No Comments

ballard

ESPN NHL analyst Barry Melrose calls this the “stupidest thing he has ever seen” in all his years coaching and analyzing NHL hockey. Monday night, in the first period of the Thrashers-Panthers game, Panthers goaltender Tomas Vokoun blocked a shot but allowed the rebound to be put back in by Thrashers player Ilya Kovalchuk. Vokoun’s teammate Keith Ballard was not happy about this. Immediately after the goal, Ballard attempts to slam his stick across the goalpost. The goalpost was never hit but Vokoun’s face was. After breaking his stick across his goaltender’s face, Ballard bashes the actual goalpost one more time before he skates off in frustration.

The Blind Side: A Must See

Nov 23

Posted by CTS in Columns, Other | No Comments

For those of you that haven’t seen it, go. If you like sports, it’s got it. If you like true stories, it’s a spiced-up documentary. If you like feel-good holiday family flicks, it’s the best I’ve seen. If you like legs and a tight bod, you are covered here too. I’ve never been a Sandra fan, but man does she look good in this one and plays the part well.

Normally movies based on true stories are exaggerated, overdone, and have disclaimers at the end as to what really happened. This story is 100% true and is still unfolding before our eyes today.

Michael Oher grew up poor in the slums of Memphis. He was in and out of school and never knew if he would have a place to rest his head at night. This was the case until a wealthy Memphis family, the Touhy’s, became aware of his situation and invited him into their home. After hard work and much help from the Touhy’s, Michael becomes one of the most sought-after high school football players in the country. He goes onto play at Ole Miss, the alma mater of Mr. and Mrs. Touhy, and eventually becomes an All-American and was a first-round draft pick for the Baltimore Ravens last year. He is making millions in the NFL, due in large part to this caring family.

This brief summary doesn’t do the movie justice. No synopsis would. Being the extreme cynic that I am, even I could not find a place for a sarcastic comment. It is enjoyable from beginning to end, and everyone left the theater smiling ear to ear. Remember the Titans meets 60 Minutes in this accurate portrayal of Oher’s journey from rags to riches. Do yourself a favor, pay the 10 bucks, and enjoy.

-rw

Connect Four

Nov 22

Posted by CTS in Other, Reports | 1 Comment

jimmie johnsonJimmie Johnson wins record fourth consecutive Cup Series championship

 Jimmie Johnson finished fifth at Homestead-Miami Speedway Sunday to win his record fourth consecutive Cup Series championship. Mark Martin once again could not attain the championship he has always coveted and had to settle for second. With the win, Johnson becomes only the fourth driver in history to win four championships joining Hendrick Motorsports teammate Jeff Gordon, who has four, and Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt, who each have seven.

 Johnson and crew chief Chad Knaus have teamed with owner Rick Hendrick to form a dynasty in NASCAR. Johnson, only 34, just recently signed a five-year extension with Hendrick Motorsports that should keep him the guy to beat in NASCAR through the 2015 season.

 The Hendrick Motorsport team also made history today along with their driver Johnson. The 48 car’s fourth championship gave owner Rick Hendrick a record twelfth NASCAR championship. Not only did team Hendrick capture championship number twelve but they were also able to finish 1-2-3 in the final cup standings. Following Johnson and Martin was teammate Jeff Gordon while the other teammate, Dale Earnhardt Jr., continued to struggle again this year and finished a disappointing twenty-fifth in the final standings.

 Finishing second is nothing new for Mark Martin. With the runner-up finish, Martin becomes only the third driver in history to finish second five times joining Richard Petty (6) and Bobby Allison (5). This runner-up finish was much easier for the 50-year-old Martin to handle than the previous four, who commended himself and his team saying that it was just “such an incredible achievement to have a chance”.

 Jimmie Johnson did something today that has never been done before and may never be done again. This is a feat names like Petty, Earnhardt, Gordon, and Waltrip never came close to. Johnson, Knaus and the entire Lowe’s 48 team has accomplished something truly amazing and it should be fun watching this “dynasty” of NASCAR go for five in a row.

-scf