Monday, July 28, 2008

2008 NFL Predictions

The N.F.L. preseason begins next week. Coleman and I have decided to make some educated guesses as to how the season will play out.

While I mulled over schedules and past trends...Coleman just selected...based on his own personal biases..(That is why Dallas is not picked to win)...

Here are our picks, lets have yours...

Ryan's Picks

NFC EAST-----------------NFC NORTH
1. Dallas --------------------1. Minnesota
2. Philadelphia (WC) --------2. Detroit
3. Washington --------------3. Green Bay
4. NY Giants --------------- 4. Chicago

NFC SOUTH --------------NFC WEST
1. New Orleans ------------1. Seattle
2. Carolina (WC) -----------2. St. Louis
3. Tampa Bay ------------- 3. San Fran
4. Atlanta ----------------- 4. Arizona

AFC EAST--------------- AFC NORTH
1. New England ----------1. Pittsburgh
2. Buffalo ----------------2. Cincinnatti
3. NY Jets --------------- 3. Cleveland
4. Miami ----------------- 4. Baltimore

AFC SOUTH ------------AFC WEST
1. Jacksonville -----------1. San Diego
2. Indy (WC) ------------ 2. Denver (WC)
3. Houston -------------- 3. KC
4. Tennessee ------------4. Oakland

Coleman's Picks

NFC EAST -------------NFC NORTH
1. Philadelphia ----------1. Minnesota
2. Dallas (WC) -----------2. Green Bay
3. NY Giants ------------ 3. Detroit
4. Washington -----------4. Chicago

NFC SOUTH -----------NFC WEST
1. New Orleans ---------1. Seattle
2. Tampa (WC) ---------2. Arizona
3. Carolina ------------- 3. St. Louis
4. Atlanta -------------- 4. San Fran

AFC EAST --------------AFC NORTH
1. New England ---------1. Cincinnati
2. Buffalo ---------------2. Pittsburgh
3. NY Jets -------------- 3. Cleveland
4. Miami ----------------4. Baltimore

AFC SOUTH ------------AFC WEST
1. Jacksonville ----------1. San Diego
2. Indy (WC) -----------2. Denver (WC)
3. Houston ------------- 3. KC
4. Tennessee -----------4. Oakland

Monday, July 7, 2008

Panther Nation Mourns


There's nothing worse then trying to talk to a mother who's just lost her son. It's heartbreaking. It's the one story you dread as a reporter. In fact, it's why I chose sports and not news. Sports takes you away from real life. Unfortunately, every once in a while real life comes into the sports world. So you can imagine how I felt on Saturday morning, to hear that Lufkin's very own Terrence Kiel had died in a car accident.
I had mixed emotions. I was sad for Kiel's family and friends. But I was also upset with Terrence. Toxicology tests won't be out for another six weeks, but there's reason to believe Kiel should not have been driving Friday night. Reports say friends told him not to drive himself. An eye witness told police she saw Kiel driving on the wrong side of the road before he lost control.
Those close to Kiel say he was a great person, who started making bad decisions. This was one that not only cost Kiel his life, but hurt an entire community. It was one of many bad decisions he's made since leaving East Texas. Only 27 years old, Kiel had so much potential. Unfortunately we'll never know how much.
This seems to be a growing trend for many East Texas athletes. I won't mention any by name, but so many talented young men I've covered have thrown their talents away. They haven't lost their life for it, but they have hurt their future. It's painful for me to see. When you cover these kids through high school, you can't help but root for them. I feel a sense of pride when they succeed. I'm extremely disappointed when they don't.
I'm not writing this post to pass judgment. It's not my place. But I would like to make a plea to all the young athletes in East Texas. Do the right thing! You may be great on the field, but you're not invincible. It's not tough to obey the law. It's not tough to go to class. In fact, it's pretty easy. It should be even easier when you have so much to lose. If anything positive can come from Terrence's death, I hope it serves as a wake up call.
I've often heard people say that the media only focuses on the negative. That's not true in Lufkin, Texas. I don't want to report on funerals and fatal accidents. I prefer to stick to touchdowns and home runs. I don't want to interview a mother about her lost son. I want to interview a mother about her son's game winning play.
When you leave Lufkin or any other East Texas town, you're representing more then yourself. You're representing your family, your friends and an entire community. Give us tears of joy, not tears of sadness.

Sunday, July 6, 2008

A Historic Week for Yankee Stadium

It is truly a sad week for baseball.

Later this week, the All-Star game will be held at historic Yankee Stadium for the last time.

The Stadium, "That Ruth Built," that saw Lou Gehrig declare himself the "luckiest man on the face of the Earth," the same stadium that saw Reggie Jackson and Billy Martin fight in the dugdout, that saw George Brett go bonkers after the "Pine Tar" incindent, the stadium that saw Jeffery Maier become a household legend in New York, and the most wanted man in Baltimore, and the same stadium that saw President George W. Bush throw out the most emotional first pitch in baseball, in the first Yankee game back from September 11th, will be gone at the end of the year.

The era of new, state-of the art ballparks, is finally hitting one of the most historic parks in the MLB, as the Yankees will no longer play in Yankee stadium.

Even if you are not a Yankee fan, or even like baseball, and as the city of New York decides to build a "new" Yankee Stadium, remember, that historical stadiums like this one, are slowly being done away with, and as teams all over the league, give in, and build new parks, I urge all you to remember the times you saw in your own ballparks...even if they dont stand anymore.


Tuesday, July 1, 2008

Chacon Backers Make Me Laugh


It was expected, but still makes me scratch my head. Today the baseball players union filed a grievance over the Astros release of pitcher Shawn Chacon. The union says Houston's decision to terminate Chacon's contract was without just cause.

Really? Without just cause? What about attacking the general manager. What about ignoring your pitching coach and manager several times after being demoted from the starting rotation. Regardless of how Ed Wade handled the confrontation, there's no excuse for what Chacon did. If I had shown the same lack of respect to my news director or general manager, I'd been gone in a heartbeat.

Chacon has no one to blame but himself. What business would allow an employee to stay employed for such behavior? Does the players union not understand that Chacon attacked the general manager? The only thing worse would have been owner Drayton McLane. If the Astros had kept him around, maybe Chacon would have eventually roughed up the owner.

No one wants Chacon, and now he needs his remaining salary to get by. He should have thought of that before he decided to show how tough he was. If Chacon wins his grievance, it's a sad day for baseball.