A coming of age tale

I sat up last night watching an otherwise normal Monday night football game and I realized something. Sports is evolving just as we are, its evolving right in front of us and we are just mere observers.  I am not talking about the Darwin esque evolution or even things like the wildcat offense I am talking about the essence of the game. Usually the New York Jets taking on the Dolphins wouldn’t draw my attention but seeing a game starring players that I can distinctly remember watching throughout their careers was something very odd for me to deal with. I mean I guess at 23 years of age this was bound to happen but it was an odd feeling.

  When I was a kid I watched teams like the 93 Phillies and thought of them as these older wiser figures and left it at that. What I realized last night was these players in the game, the up and comers, are the same age as I am. These are kids that, in certain cases, I have followed since they were 16 and 17 year old high schoolers. In one weekend of football I saw Matt Ryan, the Exton native and Penn Charter grad, create one of the strongest new tandems in football with Roddy White. Then a mere four hours later I see Chad Henne take the spotlight. This makes me think of being 16 and reading stories in the Inquirer of a kid named Henne creating high school records at Wilson High School is suburban Harrisburg, PA. 

I mean before these guys went pro I had another similar story. As a graduate of Coatesville High School I had the privlage of watching Richard Hamilton craft his game before he headed to UCONN. I was lucky enough to see a game between him and a young pre draft Kobe Bryant play head to head. But I never really felt the connection because these guys we so much older then me it just seemed like a lucky tale and it was at a point that I wasnt really pulled into the world of sports then.

    I don’t know why it took until last night to realize this but I think it has a lot to do with my current transition from college to the real world. It’s the transition everyone has to make, when you take your first step towards real world goals and look at the world you are stepping into.  Its strange to no longer look at athletes as these larger then life individuals then people that most of the time I am not more educated and older then. Its a real big step in fandom when you can clearly remember most of a players career. I look at this years phillies lineup and i think of the days that I saw Ryan Howard to Cole Hamels in the Phillies farm system and how they have become some of the most elite players in the game of baseball.

Its just interesting to look at I mean Cole Hamels is only 25 years old, just two years older then me, and he has already achieved so much. I mean the man was a world series mvp and just ushered in his first child into the world. its just funny to look at how sports has grown, and as much I have grown up with it.

So if there is anything I can say to the up and coming sports fans is pay attention to your high school because you never know when they will make it to the bigs and then youll have a real nice bar stool story.

Its just weird that I have now caught up with the world of sports that I love. Maybe in a few years I can use terms like "back in my day" or whipper snapper. anyway just a small tidbit but look for a phillies preview soon.

Phils take the lead and look to close it out...

GAME 3 NLCS: Phillies 6 Rockies 5

We all know its truely playoffs when everyone breaks out the new era ear muff cap and huddles around the heater. Just like most phillies fans I was half asleep during last nights game but luckilly enough the phillies found something more beneficial then hand warmers in their 6-5 victory last night at Coors Field and its called small ball. Thats right the team that lead the league in road home runs and ranked second in the league in dingers managed to manufacture runs and play like a well oiled machine. Once again that pitching was a odd mixture of potential starters and an oddly productive Brad Lidge. But hey who am I to be greedy, they won and now its time for the Fightins to close it out.

The funniest thing that i remember from last nights game was a :30 quip about the heaters in the dugout and how Vinny Castilla, the former Rockies slugger and present special assistant to the gm (bs position they gave him so he would retire) galavanting around the dugout chasing after an intern with a gas heater. I mean I would expect this from maybe a player of the Marlins or Rays but not from a guy that spend a good part of his career in the mile high area.

Tonight Charlie will send out the Phillies true ace Cliff Lee to try and finish of this series and get ready for another meeting with the Dodgers. Lee was on point in his last outing going a complete game allowing 1 run on 3 hits. Its this type of pitching that the Phillies have been in desperate need of in the ladder end of this season.

Gametime is set for 8:08 pm with  expected filed temperature of 41 degrees. So looks like were going to be muffin it up this evening. (sorry it sounded funny)

On another point, I watched the end of the Red Sox game yesterday and came to a realization that I guess I had forgotten to comprehend. Once a team looses a series now thats it. Its all over. I assume that because of the World Series celebration last year I ignored the inevitable nature of this fact. We are coming to that sad part of the year that baseball will be over and we still have 4 months till we hear pitchers and catchers report to spring training.

Last night one of the most memorable stadiums in baseball closed it doors, so here is my little homage to the Metrodome. Yes you were a shit hole of 80's construction. The memorable multi purpose stadium such as Three Rivers or Veterans stadium. You were old, weird and had the weirdest and the most painful right field fence of all time. I mean come on people it looked like plastic rap over a wooden scaffolding. But you gave baseball some memorable calls and even better players. So for this Thank you for "Well see you tomorrow night" and for the name Kirby Puckett, you were exactly what your city and their people stood for. Weird and abnormal but quirky all together. Best of luck in Target Stadium next year (wow we have really sold our souls now). Heres to 2009......

Anyway best of luck to the Phils tonight ill write tomorrow.

b.chan.

Weekend Sports

It was a very eventful weekend in sports. We had Flyers, Sixers, Eagles and in about two hours we have some Phillies. It weird having all four sports intersect it keeps you really busy. You would think that these four tidbits of sport would be what was sticking in my mind but it was actually a college football game between Samford and Tenn Chattanooga.

Not many people saw this game but amazingly enough this weekend I got paid to watch the Bulldogs play the Mocs. Before I get to the game maybe I should give some background. I have never really explained myself or what I do so maybe this will help. I recently graduated college in may and after a long summer of busting my ass interning for the Philadelphia 76ers I spent that last few months unemployed until I recently procured a job as a sports stastician for an independent wire service. So as the new guy I get paid to watch the games that noone wants to bet on an update the scores.

 Don't get my wrong its the best job I have ever had and it makes me feel that I am finally working in the world of sports, Not that I didnt love broadcasting for millersville for the last four years or working in the athletic department but there is just something about working in a professional atmosphere that really makes me think that all of these dreams that I have seem possiable. But anyway before I start let me explain why I was picked to work this stunning exhibition of athletic prowess...... well pretty much because im the new guy.

I compare my job a lot to that of boiler room, the 2000 era wallstreet esque flick. If you know this movie I am essentially the trainee making $150 a week. I am learning the ropes and doing the games that no one else wants to do. but you know what it beats the hell out of waiting tables so at this time ill take it.

For those of you that don't know about boiler room the moves works like this. A kid named seth wants to get into a world of money. He isnt sure of where or how but wants in. He doesn't want the cushy job he wants his start. (the sad reality is he chooses a company that sells fake stock for a fake and helps steal millions of dollars) but other then that its really a perseverance tale.

So back to the game. Why did I choose this game out of the 4 or so that I was assigned, well it was not the game (btw Samford lost to Tenn Chattanooga 14-7). The reason I think about this was because of Samford's coach. For a lot of you out there that don't follow SOCON football ill tell you who it is. It is no other then 1971 Heisman Trophy winner and former Auburn quarterback Pat Sullivan. Now Sullivan had a moderately successful career in the NFL with short stints with Atlanta and Washington but what I really appreciated was how he looks as like with a very optimistic approach that many would see as a failure.

Many people in the world of sports would think of this as a failure, they would say "why is a former Heisman trophy winner coaching low level DI football" and the answer is for the love of the game. See I look at this and feel a mild connection with Sullivan. I know that I am no where near a Heisman trophy winner seeing as I am neither a player nor an athlete but I did work in college sports for the last four years and do feel that I have made a very strong start towards what I want in life.

So as I watch this game I try to think about Sullivan and what he imagined his life being like after Auburn: NFL stardom, a plaque in Canton and maybe even a cushy job at ESPN, but sometimes in life that doesn't happen. When i saw this i thought... "well here is a guy that gets it". Its not about the cushy job or the primetime paycheck its about working in an industry you love and knowing that everyday you wake up and do what you love.

A wise man once told me that the day you begin working in a career you love you never have to go to work ever again. And this stuck with me. This is a man that loves the game of football and enjoys being a part of it.

I guess I think about this because as a post graduate I knew that I would be starting out in a non ideal job. But I have recently began to appreciate the smaller things in life, like Samford football. Like Seth in boiler room (before the whole illegal activity) I am just happy that I finally have a chance to get in, to be a part of something. Anyway above anything that is what stuck out most to me about the weekend of sports. And not that you or anyone would ever read this. Coach Sullivan I say "thank you" for showing me what the world of sports is really like, so best of luck to you and your Bulldogs next week against Furman your 3-3 and could be a shocker in the SOCOM . Maybe ill be watching.

Until next time.

b.chan

Baseball and a little basketball too.

So i guess that I should stop procrastinating and start working on this whole blog thing. Its crazy time goes by so fast is weird to think that it is already October. And with the onset of fall comes two very important things in the world of sports and those are hockey and basketball. Its crazy because we philly fans have been so spoiled in the last three years with October baseball that we forget to realize that its now time for something else other then the fightins. Don't get me wrong this is nothing better in life then waking up at noon, watching two hours of sportscenter then going straight into three back to back games of good quality baseball. Even though they lost yesterdays phils game was exactly what we have come to expect from this team, down to the wire quality baseball.

I listen to the onslaught of ignoramus on wip and how they constantly want to bitch about Cole Hamel's and his control and how he had a rough outing today. Personally i don't think it was a bad day for Cole. Yes seven hits on 83 pitches isn't spectacular but you try to concentrate on baseball when your wife is waiting to have your first child. (btw on a side note CONGRATS). The thing that baffled me during that game was the use of the bullpen. I could see using Blanton or Happ as a backup to eat up innings but why both. not to mention you use Eyre and Madson. We still need to win two more games to move on and i cant think of who they will use as a started after Pedro pitches Saturday. its one of those classic ideas that when it comes to a bullpen if it works then the manager is a genius (crosses fingers) but if it fails then you become the Mets.

Anyone off that note now its time to talk about the real reason I wanted to write this and that is the upcoming winter sports season. I have been so interested in baseball that I completely forget that hockey season was starting. Now I am not a huge flyers fan and i think its cause i cant relate due to the fact that I cant ice skate. (which is odd cause I'm 5'8 and love basketball). I felt bad cause the only thing i really remembered about hockey and the flyers this season was that they were playing in the winter classic at fenway and for some reason thought that was going to be the start of the season. but hey look at those flyers they start our 3-0 with a new goalie that fits the perfect Philly stereotype. (angry, a felony conviction and a bad attitude) AWESOME. I did finally get down to watching a game and it was last nights game against the penguins.

I really only did that is cause katies family loves pittsburgh and it would have given me good fodder to joke with her dad (its just sad to make so many pirates jokes its like poking a stranded jellyfish with a really pointy stick). But i gotta say the flyers played well. I mean yes we are exactly what the flyers should be: old, angry and above all else scrappy. Infact i actually think I saw someone bite someone else at the end of the game. (mike tyson anyone). If this is the way the hockey season is going to go then hey bring it on its time for some hockey. (btw it was nice to see them beat the caps, i really dont like ovechkin). So with one season beginning now its time for the real fun to start.

I know what your saying, how bout that ufl...... j.p losman and weird uniforms. I think not. No really people there still is another sport out there and its called basketball.

Its finally time for sixers basketball season. Just like the other 5000 people that actually paid attention to the sixers last year its actually exciting for me to see some new basketball games in philly. I think it helped that i spent the summer enthralled in everything comcast and sixers so i guess i am part biased. But seriously guys this team could be really good.

The Sixers made the playoffs and pushed the eventual Eastern Conference champs to a very tough opening series and even though the team hired probably the dumbest coach in NBA history this team has a chance. (as long as this give up on the whole Princeton offense nonsense, i mean guys come on we saw how well it worked in Washington). The team has talent and have actually fixed some of their only problems from last year (accept for the fact that SamuelDalembert is still a sixer but that is a rant for another day.)

The sixers had two main probelms last year: Post play and three point shooting.

The sixers made only 31.8% of their threes last year and most of those were made by Igoudala who should have been the only person shooting the ball last year anyway. So to fix this problem the sixer bring in Jason Kapono who shoots a career 45% from three. So in this aspect Ed Stefanski made a smart move (brace yourself its the only time ill probably ever say that). One problem solved one more to figure out.

Post Play: In comes a hopefully healthy Elton Brand. The 14 million dollar machine will hope to play an entire season with bruising his surgically repaired ankle. If healthy this could be exactly what the sixers will need. The only fault i see what this is that we all know Brand will not play every minute so there will be times that there will have to be other post players in the game, your options: Jason Smith or Dalembert. On this one ill choose the white kid.

Now ive met Jason he is a really nice guy and at 7'0 he could be a promising young post player. We really dont know what he has to bring to a pro game seeing as he was injured all last season but as we have seen in the sixers past philly has a may to make 7'0 guys look productive (todd mccullough!).

So in this sense I really thing the sixers can do something this year. Heck they made the playoffs and at 41-41 last year the teams has no where to go but up. I mean if you start average and are coming off an average year and you add and average coach and average players how can you not expect to become average. Anyway that all i got for now.

Maybe ill update during the phils game on saturday.