Complete Madness

Tis the season for basketball lovers. March madness is a time for upsets, buzzer beaters, and all out hustle. My eyes clued to the television while multiple college games are shown. Watching player's dreams come true and others become what could of been. There is a special feeling when every player gives 100 percent. They aren't getting paid billions of dollars, or have 12 Ferraris, all in different colors with rims bigger than my body, but they all have heart and a love for the game.

Basketball pools bring the madness in March to a whole other level. Almost everybody is in one, even though they are illegal. A whole years allowance relies on such risky picks, but the reward is oh so sweet. Yelling at the television. Shoving handfuls of over butterd popcorn down my throat because of the suspense. It's all part of this beautiful culture called college basketball.

Every year there is a Cinderella story. Some no name college players become national superstars. They pick up more and more fans as there miraculous story begins to unfold however, they can totally screw up one's pool multiple times. You never know when you should circle that no name college that just beat the number one seed last game. It brings even more fun to March. A story that these players will tell there children and grandchildren over and over again.

Every game seems to be close to. Flip the channel or fetch a soda and you come back and the team that was down ten just tied it up. The players are making shots they didn't even know they could. Players are dunking from further and further out. After watching the games i can't help but go outside, lower my hoop to a good 8 feet, and mimic their gravity defying dunks. "And the crowd goes wild, Christian Baker dunks over Tyreke Evans to give them a one point lead with time expired" . I could only imagine what it feels like.

Exhaustion isn't an option for these players. Every game could be their last and if you want your season to stay alive you have to give one hundred percent. Round after round each player gets closer and closer to what will be the highlight of most of their lives. College basketball is better than the NBA. The kids would give a limb to see their team win. They cry after reaching their goals. Who would ever think a 6 foot 8, 270 pound, tattooed covered big man could shed a tear? Only in March Madness.

Word Count: 430

Love the Game

Ask a teenage boy's basketball team from the Bronx what the capital of Tuvalu(a small 9 square mile country) is. Chances are the boys will shake their head and ask you to repeat the question. Now ask another teenage boy's team from Madrid the same question. Chances are they won't have a damn clue. (The capital of Tuvalu is Funafuti in case you were wondering.) Now ask both teams who scored the most points in a single basketball game. Almost a no brainer. Basketball is a language. It can bring kids from all around together. It can unite the world.Anybody who plays basketball knows what a bounce pass is or what a 3 point shot is. They know and understand the rules of the game. Someday I wish to travel the world and play world wide. I love the feeling basketball brings. When I am out on the court it is like I zone out. That impossible chemistry crap gets flushed out of my head. My math test first period the next day is put on hold. If I am playing with kids I have never met before it feels like we have a special bond. Basketball is my antidote to problems. There is no drama. There is no stress. When I am out on the court I am free.

Syracuse vs. Uconn. Just thinking about the game that happened last week gives me chills. I don’t care for either Syracuse or Uconn however, my eyes were glued to the screen. I had one of my friends sleepover and we were up until 2 30 watching the game. Every so often we would scream waking up my parents. It was worth it. Six frigen overtimes. You gotta love this game. The excitement and the upsets. The buzzer beaters and the long bomb threes. The next morning everybody I saw I asked them if they saw the game. First thing I brought up in my conversations.

My favorite basketball player is Brandon Jennings. Some people have never heard of him, but he is easily one of the greatest to ever play the game. You may think if he is so good why doesn’t anybody in the United States know of him? Well, if you don’t watch too much basketball and don’t know where Oak Hill is you are probably lost. Brandon skipped college but was not allowed to go to the NBA. He is currently playing on a team in Rome and is absolutely owning. Europe basketball is now on a whole other level. Many American players dream about playing in Europe which is just another example of basketball uniting the world.

If you watched the NBA dunk contest this year you would have seen yet another example of how basketball brings the world together. High flying Rudy Fernandez from the Portland Trailblazers was born and raised in Spain. Pao Gasol and his brother Marc are also from Spain and are currently playing in America. Nobody cares what ethnicity they are. It is only about skill and their love for the game. Without basketball and other sports the world would be distant.

Word Count: 525

Referees: An Injury with a whistle

If you have ever played or watched a sport you have encountered the referee. A player and a referee is definitely a love hate relationship. One second you two are in love, the next your saying words to him that your mom would stick a bar of soap down your throat. Referees will always be part of the game, even in this technology world when the instant replay seems to get the call perfect every time, but the whistle blowing zebras will always stay around.

Basketball refs have it tough. It maybe one of the hardest games to officiate. This year was my first year in the TVL, and I have never had so much anger with the refs in my whole life. At some points of the season, I felt like I wanted to go up and strangle the refs. They simply call too many fouls. Touch fouls. This isn't pee wee league, and I don't see anybody running around in diapers, whining. The refs call absolutely everything! If it looks like you touched his arm you will hear the high pitched whistle that was anticipating the baby foul. It is awful and takes players out of the game. This year, multiple times a ref would call a foul and the kid you got fouled would say "really ref, I dont know about that one". When playing against Norton a player hit it out of bounds. The ref yelled "Norton ball" even though the player told the ref it was out on him. Really? Something has got to change.

I understand that there needs to be fouls that need to be called. But some games it feels like every two seconds the ref is stopping the game because he believes a player touched another player resulting in a foul. Take the whistle out of your mouths! Nobody wants to watch kids shoot free throws all game, especially if they are getting called for touch fouls. I know the fans and players would have more fun and the game would be better if the refs were not there. Most of the players have been playing for awhile, and they can take a little push here and there. As a point guard I enjoy someone playing defense right in my face. Its a challenge and its competition. But when the ref calls him for fouling he backs off 2 feet. Takes a player right out of there game. Its the same as an injury, a player wanting to play but simply can't because he picked up bull crap fouls.

The NBA referees are excellent. They let the players play the game of basketball. It is more enjoyable to watch and the pros love every second of it. When I watch some college games the refs seem like they are trying to play a melody with there whistles and calling a "foul" every other second. I seriously get pissed off. I scream at them, "Nobody wants you. That's awful" and many more things (that I probably shouldn't type on a school blog). It ruins the game, and the referees can be a disease to the game. So all the refs out there feeling like they messed up if they didn't blow the whistle, let us frigen play!....please.

Word Count: 522

Being a Hero vs. Being Stupid

Coaches love to see heart in their players. The athlete that simply loves the game is an ideal player to have on your team. You know he will hustle and will always give it his all. Most sports have a physical side to it. With this physicality comes injuries occasionally. What if one of those players with heart gets injured? Well, this is when a problem occurs.
Over the years I have never broken a bone (knock on wood). I have been blessed and feel very fortunate to be this lucky. Many of my friends have obtained multiple injuries that are very difficult or even impossible to overcome. This is when things could get messy. If a player who is injured pushes themselves things could become more severe. They are risking their recovery time and in some cases their lives. Although I have never broken a bone (knock on wood once again) I have had multiple concussions. Every time I feel almost fine after the hit or whatever caused the impact. I want to get in. I beg and beg for coach to let me in. You see it on t.v. all the time. NFL players getting crushed. Slowly getting up like they were shot. Wincing in pain but trying to hide it from the trainers or coach. But athletes today need to realize that they are risking their sporting career or even life if they are playing injured. Its really not worth finishing one football game when it could save your life if you sit out after being drilled by the 200 pound linebacker straight in the head. "Its just a dinger" "I got my bell rung, I'm fine" Most of us are guilty of it, I know I am but this matter needs to be addressed more publicly.
Athletes, especially teenagers, think in a way their are invincible. When they get hurt they might not think, or want to admit, that they truly are in pain. If the games on the line it gives them even more reason why they NEED to stay in. That trainer whose telling you you need to sit out, could be the person saving your life or body from further damage. Everybody wants to be a hero, and nobody wants to sit out, but sometimes an athlete needs to face the facts and realize he is in no condition to preform and should sit out.
At my old school we were requierd to take a brain test that would be able to tell if we had a concussion. You would take the test before the season and then retake it after you think you have got a concussion. It seems to easy. Why isn't it expanding to more schools? Why isn't it becoming a requirment? I am sure trainers around the country are puzzled as well as many parents. And for the athletes it may show the trainor they are not actually concussed and are allowed to play.
There are safe solutions and things that can be done to help an injured athlete return to the playing field. Rushing is not the answer and will actually generate more problems.

Word Count: 526

Mascots Keep Racism Present

Why are sports commissioners allowing racism to stick around in professional sports? Why are towns allowing their youth teams to represent segregation? As a 16 year old sports fan, I have no clue. Yes there was a time where discrimination based on one's culture, gender, or race existed, however, in America those times should and COULD be long gone.
When watching a NFL game involving the Washington Redskins racism might not come to mind. However, when you think about it, it is just like calling a team "the Washinton N words". A term that allows racism to stay present in our society, but why wont people do something about it if it getting rid of it is such a doable task?! Just because the fans watching the game don't take offense to the mascot makes it OK? Absolutely not. Nobody would want a team to represent a negative term towards their own race. This issue is not just in professional football either, the Cleavland Indians, Illinois Fighting Illini, and many other colleges still obtain a mascot that is racist. It is a known issue to the sports world, which leaves me wondering why nobody is making changes.
Racism in sports isn't just present in the big leagues. Look right here in the TVL. Millis Mohawks. Seriously? How can you represent a negative stereotype of Native Americans. And for what? To make your school look tough with a bad ass mascot? I just don't see it. Yes there has been other schools in the area changing their mascots because they were thought of to be racist, but why isn't there a chain reaction. Its time to have a nation wide discussion, or a poll, or something that would generate this overlooked matter into a bigger proportion.
Native Americans have lost their voice in the U.S. if they don't have a right to claim that the present day mascots are injustice to their culture. They take a slap to the face when the bright red, feather headed Indian pops up on ESPN. It wont change the sport if the mascots are changed. People barely notice the racism now, why would they care if the mascots were changed. Many people thing the new president will bring change to this country. I know he has numerous tasks to accomplish and obtains hardly any free time, but all it would take is him to say racism has got to go COMPLETELY and people would follow. Change is good and changes need to be made.
Ask yourself this question. Would you play for a team that still carried a racist mascot? Maybe you would, maybe you wouldn't. What if that mascot was directed at your culture, would you still play for them? Probably not. Just because these mascots do not effect you, doesn't mean they are right and innocent. The mascots do hurt people and carry racism years after it was said to be terminated. Come on America. It is time to truly unite.

Word count: 502

Rivalries: An inevitable path to a lack of sportsmanship

Rivalries bring both positive and negative aspects to sporting events. However, in all levels of the sporting world today, rivalries seem to generate negative actions. Since when has it become OK to treat someone like complete crap just because they go to a different school and play for a different coach. Yes, I am all for the sense of family and brotherhood in sports, but that does not mean treating people from other teams poorly.

Rivalries are seen in all sports at every level. The Red Sox- Yankees rivalry may be the best in baseball history. Does it give Jason Varitek, a well respected baseball player, the right to punch Alex Rodriguez, a mostly hated player in the Boston region, during a playoff game? Some fans love it, some fans think athletes are more like punks. Both have many reasons for loving or hating it, but the lack of sportsmanship is inevitable nonetheless.

As a high school football player, I am prepared to hate my opponents. I am supposed to want to hurt them, make the suffer, and flat out destroy them. I am a new student to Holliston High School, although I have been living here for my whole life and have many friends here. But because I went to a private school my friendships have expanded beyond to nearby towns. I have many friends from the town of Hopkinton, including my girlfriend. One of my football coaches singled me out and said it was a "border war", which is OK, but does not give any reason on why I should hate them. I do want to beat them badly, but I don't need to hate them to do so.

With a sense of hate comes a sense of a "bad ass" anger. Shoving, biting, and swearing are all part of present day sporting events. It's no longer if you score a touchdown or hit a three, but whether you knock somebody out or embarrass someone and rub it in during the process of scoring. Rivalries are can be great - just look at Bird vs. Magic - but with vulgar actions in sport rivalries today, rivalries can produce negative outcomes and sportsmanship can be lost.

Most kids who grow up playing sports want to be a professional player when they grow older. As a kid I would watch the pros and pick out my favorite players. I did look up to them and tried to imitate them when I played. If a player shows no sportsmanship why would a little kid who thought of him as a hero show any himself. Pro athletes need to notice how important their actions are as well as their talent. They are being viewed by many fans, including young children, and sportsmanship is an important aspect that should be taught throughout the sporting world.

Rivalries will always exist, but the choice of whether sportsmanship will be part of a rivalry is up to today's professional athletes. I hope athletes will begin to show their respect for each other, because it makes the games both more fun to watch and play.

Word Count: 507

Theres no "I" in NBA

It was not long ago when a basketball fan would check to see if the NBA game he was watching wasn't an And1 commercial. The sloppiness and "one on one" style has seemed to dim down this season, and teams are simply playing more like a team. And not only is it more fun to watch but it is producing positive results. The Celtics have multiple superstars on their roster, but it seems that every game they share the ball more and more. As a fan you like to see the movement and extra passes made by your team for an open shot instead of a disgusting, no look heave towards the basket.

The NBA is bigger, faster, and more skilled than ever before. No one-man team will be able to win consistently. Even a captain or a leader needs to rely on his teammates. A player can't average 50 points every night although sometimes it is doable, but does not necessarily guarantee a win. The faces of the Celtics include Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, and Ray Allen. All have been in the NBA for several years and are making more money every year. No matter how heavy their pockets may be, they still play basketball because they love the game. Not to long ago, if NBA players received their pay checks they didn't care how many wins they obtained that season but how many cars, houses, or diamond necklaces they could collect.

A prime example of the NBA playing less sloppy and have better chemistry throughout the league is the Olympic games. One would think that combining multi-millionaire professional athletes who are not used to sharing the spotlight and put them all on one team would lead to a catastrophe. However, the 2008 United States basketball team led by Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski all received gold medals through hard word and determination. The team showed composure and compassion towards the game in a way that they were almost untouchable. They did not care about personal stats or how many threes they could make in a single game which led to victory after victory. And when they did receive the gold medals they hung them around their coach's neck to show how grateful and thankful they were. This is American sports, this is what the NBA should be all about. When the players on the team care more about winning and less about the amount of credit they receive, the goals and success are limitless. It is also more fun to watch as a spectator and generates positive energy throughout the NBA. November 19th 2004 a brawl took place in an NBA game. The Pistons were playing the Pacers until the players on the court began a fist fight. The night ended with fans being charged at by NBA players and a truly embarrassing moment for the NBA. However, the progress the NBA has made with teamwork and the positive attitude players now have has done a great deal. "Individual commitment to a group effort - that is what makes a team work, a company work, a society work, a civilization work." Vince Lombardi

Word Count: 527