Adventure Sports

Jamie Mitchelle is a 33 year old who is more than an accomplished SUPer and has 9 Molokai and Oahu paddle-board titles.  He is the person that goes on 50 km paddles and at some points gets blown off track and lost at sea.  The Coast Guard searches, but cannot find him, and then somehow he finds his way back.  He explained that Molokai is between 30-40% mental because while you are out there at sea you face pain and sometimes even set-backs.  Its those who keep going that push through and succeed.  Also, other factors such as wind and the weather can hinder your performance, but really one has to not worry about that and just go out there to finish.  Due to all of his success, it makes sense that he was nominated for the Adventurer of the Year Award by National Geographic.

Making Leaps and Bounds

With a program that was started in 1921 and for Steve Fisher in his 20th season as a head coach, the San Diego Aztecs have had the best start ever for their program with a a 10-0 record right now.  This winning streak is the second longest they have had in 90 years.  They finish out the top ten in college basketball behind:
     #1-Duke (10-0)
     #2-Ohio State (8-0)
     #3-Kansas (9-0)
     #4 -Connecticut (8-0)
     #5-Syracuse (10-0)
     #6-Kansas State (9-1)
     #7-Tennessee (7-0)
     #8-Pitt (10-1)
     #9-Baylor (6-0)
     #10-Aztecs (10-0)
This is almost not heard of and is definitely not expected.  This team is pulling it together and facing the odds.  Even though they are not expected to be where they are, they are still pulling ahead and making it happen.

An Alumni Game in the NHL

A team of Pittsburgh Penguins are scheduled to take on a team of Washington Capitals, all of which are players from that past that no longer play in the league.  Mario Lemieux and his Penguins are facing off against Peter Bondra and his Capitals.  This is going to take place the day before the Winter Classic in Pittsburgh and the full rosters for these teams will be announced sometime in the near future.  The tickets for this event will be $25 and are not only good for the game, but also for the current Penguins practice session afterwards.  The practice session is a warm-up before they take the ice to play in the Winter Classic.    The event will also be held at Heinz field in Pittsburgh and will be played outside.

College QB Out for the Game

Mike Hartline of the Kentucky Wildcats, who was supposed to play in the quarterback position in the BBVC Compass Bowl, will no longer be doing so.  He was recently charged with public intoxication and disorderly conduct, both of which he was arrested for.  Even though it was a tough decision to suspend Hartline from the game knowing that back up quarterback, Morgan Newton, a sophomore, has only thrown for 54 yards this season, it was necessary due to his actions.  Also, if it was not enough drama already, the Attorney for Hartline entered a not guilty plea shortly after Hartline and Ashely Carnes were arrested for having a dispute with another woman and also after he found out that Hartline was suspended from the game.

How Low

People are serious ridiculous.  Pat Burns, who coached the New Jersey Devils to the 2003 Stanely Cup final title passed away on November 19th.  He was only 58 years old and died due to a long battle with cancer.  In attendance at the funeral for the fallen police officer-turned-hockey coach was the entire roster of the Devils. The morning after the funeral was held though there was a shocking discovery.  Not only was Ms. Burns' car broken into, but items were stolen.  A designer men's watch, two suitcases of his and her clothes, an iPad, and jewelry were taken.  If that wasn't bad enough, autographed hockey sweaters from each of the 30 NHL teams as well as family photos, but even the bed sheets from the hospital were missing.  The one thing that still remained in the car was Pat Burns' wallet.  How rude and low can people really be?

How Low

People are serious ridiculous.  Pat Burns, who coached the New Jersey Devils to the 2003 Stanely Cup final title passed away on November 19th.  He was only 58 years old and died due to a long battle with cancer.  In attendance at the funeral for the fallen police officer-turned-hockey coach was the entire roster of the Devils. The morning after the funeral was held though there was a shocking discovery.  Not only was Ms. Burns' car broken into, but items were stolen.  A designer men's watch, two suitcases of his and her clothes, an iPad, and jewelry were taken.  If that wasn't bad enough, autographed hockey sweaters from each of the 30 NHL teams as well as family photos, but even the bed sheets from the hospital were missing.  The one thing that still remained in the car was Pat Burns' wallet.  How rude and low can people really be?

Violence Filling the Sports World

In Birmingham City the fans at a soccer game rushed onto the field running, after Birmingham rallied to a win.  They threw flares at the rival teams' supporters who then in turn retaliated by ripping up and throwing their seats onto the field.  All of this chaos erupted after Birmingham won 2-1 against Aston Villa a local rival in the League Cup quarterfinals.  St. Andrews field was a complete mess.  Even though this violence has been in the English soccer history since the 70's and 80's it does not stop their goals of hosting the World Cup.  Alex McLeish reasoned that this fight should not have any influence on the voting for the 2018 World Cup Host.  Along with England, other hopeful hosts are Spain-Portugal, Russia, and the Netherlands-Belgium.  In the next up and coming games around the same time as the voting for the "host" takes place; Birmingham will face off against West Ham in the semifinals and Arsenal will play Ipswich.

Tragedy Strikes Over Seas

Pascal Grosjean who was only 39 years old when he was killed in what should have been one of the happiest moments of his life.  He had just crossed the finish line at the Dubai Autodrome in the Sportsbike Championship race.  As he was slowing down after the race, it happened.  Just like that, at the blink of an eye he was hit.  Coming from behind, Tony Jordan crossed the finish line in third place and collided with Grosjean at 124 mph.  Both the riders were thrown from their bikes before they hit the track again.  Grosjean was flown by helicopter to the local hospital where he was pronounced dead.  Jordan is still alive, but listed in serious condition.  Grosjean's team reasoned that this was the peak of his career.  He just started having the success that he was looking for and had his aspirations set high.  He had also, just recently won the title of UAE Sportbike 600cc Champion as well.  Unfortunately, he will no longer be seen in the upcoming sportbike races.

Letting Go

Robbie Caldwell, the head coach for Vanderbilt has been asked to step down.  It was a common feeling that it was in the best interest of the university and the football team that  he be let go.  Caldwell is thankful for the opportunity that was given to him, but he also understands that it was time for a change even though he was only there for a year.  The program has not improved under his directing, but this has been a common problem with coaches in the past as well.  He will coach his final game as head coach of the Commodores against Wake Forest.  The Commodores team has lost 6 straight games and is ranked 115th of 120 teams in FBS.  The team is also averaging a total of 285.1 offensive yards.

Another Remember the Titans Story

It was supposed to be a time to celebrate after their win over Central Florida, but instead the players of Southern Miss were pray for their teammates.  Once, the team returned after their 31-21 victory on the road against Central Florida, a small group went out to a local bar.  Trouble erupted inside and carried out into the streets.  The players were caught off guard and unarmed.  Three players total were injured.  Martex Smith, linebacker was paralyzed from the waist down, Tim Green was shot in the neck and can no longer speak, and Dedrick Jones was also shot.  The players are all determined to overcome such injuries and Martex has his sights on walking again.  The coach and players are talking about the misfortunate events and pulling together.  The team is practicing hard and using those hours at practice time to clear their heads.    The team is scheduled to play Houston on Saturday, so best of luck to and them and it is sure to be a very moving game due it being the first game with the absence of these three players.

He's Gone

So, after a rough start to the season, it is official, Jeff Reed is no longer the kicker for the Steelers.  He has had a rocky start and never got out of the whole that he dug himself.  He has missed extra points that could have made all of the difference this season.  Normally, he will show improvement, but for this season that is not the case unfortunately.  After nine years, battling the winds at Heinz Field, and having a strong showing at the Super Bowls for the Steelers; his luck has run out.  I am not so sure that I completely agree with this decision just based on the fact that we all make mistakes and have our rough times.  If we were turned away each time we did, most people would lead miserable lives.  I just cannot see how to be a few games off of nine years makes complete sense.

Second Thoughts

Terrelle Pryor is committed to football and will return to the Ohio State Buckeyes for his last season to play just that.  Recently, he let his mind wonder and found depressed feelings of his love for basketball.  Of course, he misses it, but at the same time he not willing to give up what he has going in football right now to see that his yearning for basketball is diminished.  Pryor also reasoned that he has no intention of jumping into the NFL draft.  He really wants to see to it that he finishes out his education with the Buckeyes.  He does want to finish strong with not only a degree, but also a better season next year as well. In then end, not only does his education play a huge role in his life, but also he wants to become a legacy at Ohio State, therefore, he is not leaving until his business there is finished.

New Hopes

Teal Bunbury has recently decided to make the U.S. his choice of a team instead of Canada.  He is choosing not to follow in his father's footsteps, who scored 16 goals for Canada's national team, but his father is okay with is decision.  Since Bunbury has lived in the United States in Minnesota for most of the last decade with his mother this gave him the option to either play for the U.S. or Canada.  He evidently chose the U.S and more specifically the Kansas City Wizards.  He was a skilled athlete even in college where he attended Akron and won the Herman Trophy as the college player of the year there.  He reasoned for his choice of the U.S. was because he wanted to play in the World Cup and get to know the strategies of Bob Bradely's coaching.  In the end, Bunbury is not tied to the U.S. by any means until he plays in an official match, either the CONACAF Gold Cup or the World Cup Qualifier.  

Headed to China

The United States is sending 13 athletes to compete in the Cup of China, which is the third event of the 2010 International Skating Union (ISU) Grand Prix of Figure Skating Series.  This series is in its' 16th season and in composed of 6 different events that are scored on a cumulative point-scoring format.  There are about 300 athletes representing 30 countries that take part in this series and each is eligible to compete and score in two of the six events.  The top six finishers with the most points will earn a spot to compete in the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final in Beijing where they will compete for the grand prize of $1.35 million in prize money.  The ladies that are taking part in this series are Mirai Nagasu who is an Olympian, and Amanda Dobbs and Kristine Musademba who are making this their first appearance in the series.  The men are Ross Miner who is appearing in this series for his htird time and Brandon Mroz who finished 7th last season at the Rostelecom Cup.  The pairs teams that are attending are Amanda Evora and Mark Ladwig that finished 4th at this event last year and Caitlin Yankowskas and John Coughlin who just finished 4th at the NHK Trophy a few weeks ago.  The ice dancers that are going to represent the U.S. are Madison Hubbell and Keiffer Hubbell who are the 2008 U.S. junior champions and Isabella Cannuscio and Ian Lorello who are making their senior international debut in Beijing.
 

Wrestling on Ice

Another fight yet again errupted on the ice during the hockey game between the Penguins and the Dalllas Stars.  Sidney Crosby found it necessary to stick up for his teammate and off came the gloves and the fists started swinging in Matt Niskanen's direction.  Niskanen thought that the reason for the fight was to encourage the Penguins team to pull it together and get them pumped up to start playing like they mean it; considering Crosby asked him if "he wanted to go".  Also, at this point the Penguins were loosing poorly.  There was no communication between the two for whole game and then all of a sudden it just happened and the gloves hit the ice.  This fight was not the first fight of the night either, but instead it closely followed one between Brenden Morrow and Kris Letang.  The reasoning for the fight between these two is not completely sure, but Morrow was angered about something.  So, in order to make it fair Crosby stuck up for Letang and started his own battle, making it the 4th fight in the game and only the fifth time Crosby has fought during a game.  Hockey is definitely more interesting with fights, but is it completely necessary?  Is hockey turning into it more being about the fights than the game itself?

Uncontrollable Struggles

So, what is an athlete to do that can compete in the 2012 U.S. Track and Field Trials and not the Olympics.    LaShawn Merritt is the 2008 Olympic champion and 2009 World champion in the 400m race.  He also tested positive on three different occasions for the use of anabolic steroids.  Unfortunately, due to these circumstances and the need for his punishment, Merritt is unable to compete for a total of 24 months at a minimum if he does not violate this law during that period of time.  Due to the length of his suspension time from the sport and competition his case had to be presented before the Olympic Committee to be ruled that he was unable to compete in the next Olympics.  So far, recent news detected that Merritt has been abiding the rules and has not used the steroid and therefore, is rewarded by only having to be suspended for 21 months instead of the original 24.  So far, this reduction raises hopes that just maybe the punishment will be reduced again, but not one can get their hopes up yet.  Only time will tell if Merritt will make an appearance at the 2012 Olympics or if he will have to wait until the time presents itself again.

Rules, Rules, Rules

So I am pretty sure that each sport out there has certain rules that it has to follow.  There are certain guidelines and qualifications that must be met in order for a team to play, certain uniform regulations and restrictions, and certain play rules that must be followed to ensure the safety of the players.  At the same time though, there comes a point when there are so many rules that restrict what a player can and cannot do or how something must be performed that the sport is no longer interesting.  Football is becoming this way and since the new judging system that was implemented for figure skating it has not only made these sports less of a risk taking sport, but it has also made them boring.  Pretty soon hockey will be the same way since it is a high intensity sport as well.  In the figure skating world now every skater is not taking risks and instead playing it safe trying to avoid any deductions.  Also, everyone is trying to get a high level score on each element so the programs are all looking the same just a different skater to different music in a different costume.  That is not how any sport should be, so before making all these rules, regulations, and restrictions one should really think if it is worth it to create a rule that will change the livelihood of many for the years to come.

Devoting Your Time

Along with being an athlete, whether professional, ameature, college, or high school, there is always a time to volunteer your time and give back to the community.  Even if it not required it is always nice to take a chance and thank one's community that supported the team through the season or even helped get the team funding to get the proper facilities for training.  Sometimes one might not want to and they feel as if practice is more important, but at the same time making sure people know how thankful you are for their help and encouragement is necessary as well.  Thorughout college there are numerous chances to give back to the community.  There are times when one can volunteer to work meets and games, and then there are others like Adopt-A-Highway and Special Olympics that might not be directly related, but still make one realize how lucky we are.  So, even though we might feel as if we are too busy and focused on our sports we still need to save the time and energy to make sure we thank and show respect to those that are helping us along our way in search of our dreams.

What does it actually mean?

There are large amounts of students that attend college that used to play sports in high school, but few seek out their abilities at college for numerous reasons.  The athletics at different colleges and universities are stressed at different levels of intensity.  Which each Division, brings about different restrictions, qualifications, and rules.  Also, not only is an athlete expected to attend practices, lifting sessions, and team meetings there are a lot of other activities that one must complete as well.  Community service and volunteer opportunities come into effect along with meetings that are set up just for specific sports.  There are NCAA meetings, alcohol and drug meetings, as well as Title IX meetings.  One must also maintain thier grades to be elligible to participate in meets, games, and matches.  Each team may differ in the requirement for a minimum GPA, while others just strive to have the highest GPA on campus year round.  It takes a lot more of ones time to dedicate to a sport in college along with a lot of other adjustments.  While in high school practices might only be one hour each day with the weekends off, in college the intesitiy is increased along with practice time and the amount of days that practice takes place.  Even though it might be a little discouraging, at the same time there are a lot of perks that come along as well.  There will always be a group of friends for you turn to, a lot of respect is given to a college athlete, and one would get to schedule early for their classes just by being a member of the sports' team in college.  So, there is no reason not to give it a try if there is a desire to do so.

Uh Oh...

It's game time!! After a years of practicing and games and learning the ropes, do professional athletes still get anxious and nervous before they take to the field, court, mat, or ice?  From personal experience, no matter how big or small a meet or competition was, I was just as nervous for the small local ones as I was the large invitationals or regionals far away from home.  Does it ever go away?  Is there a time when things just calm down and there is a feeling of comfort when it is time to shine?  I guess it also has to do with each individual and the sport as well, but some are just naturally calm while others still get all worked up and stressed about the up and coming event.  I wonder if the media has something to do with how an athlete feels heading into a game as well or if the game will be televised or not has any effect on their feelings.  I mean it i basically assumed that now a days there is going to be some type of technology that will cover every game no matter what.  If there was a way to make the nerves go away I sure wish there was a cure to do so.

Effort

So why does it seem as if the college athletes put out more effort on the fields and courts when they are not getting paid as compared to the professional athletes that are getting paid?  I mean that just does not make much sense to me.  I thought no matter what, a true athlete would participate in a sport for the love of the game; not the money.  Also, if you were getting paid, doesn't it make more sense to put more effort out to do better so you actually deserve the money; not less effort.  Football and ice hockey, those guys go all out, but professional baseball just isn't the same.  I would rather see the batter run all the way down the baseline and try to beat the ball out, instead of slowly trotting down and getting out without a care.  I just wish some of these athletes that were making the big bucks still played the game like they used to when they were doing it for the love of the game.

Not Another One...

Commercial after commercial after commercial.  Definitely one plus of actually being at the game is that there are no commercial interruptions.  There really needs to be a limit in how many that can air in a certain span of time.  Sometimes it feels as if ten minutes goes by and commercials are still being played instead of getting back to the action of the game.  I know companies pay large amounts of money to have their company advertised on television, but is it really necessary to see the same company three times in a twenty minute span?  I am to the point that I would rather have a whole different channel for commercials and advertisements because otherwise, we see the same things being sold and promoted every time there is a break in the action.  I would prefer to be able to sit and watch a game all the way through without any advertisement interruptions.  This way, there are not any breaks in the action and it is not as though you are playing catch up on what happened while the time passed that a commercial was on.  It also, gives one the feeling that they are truly watching the game just from the comforts of their own home.

Is it Just A Game?

We all put so much hype and excitement on the line when it comes down to game time even though we are told that it is just a game.  If it is just a game, why does it feel like it means much more to us than that at any given time?  If we are playing the game, running the meet, or competing at any given time we feel as if we are dedicating our lives, sweat, and hard work just to make a name for ourselves and earn a title.  In reality though it does seem like just a game, a meet, or a match to others, but those are not the ones taking part in it and may not have the goals we aspire to achieve.
This is also the same, when we are spectators.  We tend to call our favorite teams "My Team" and show ownership like the team belongs to us, when really we have no relation what so ever to the team; other than just being a fan.  Even though we are not involved in the games or matches, we feel as if we are and try to yell at the players to make this move or you should have had that play.  In this day and age, we really take our sports seriously and makes me wonder if it is really just a sport or if it is more.

Is it really like that?

The locker room...what really goes on?  I mean is it all inspiring and motivational in between half-times, intermissions, or breaks;  or are there times when there is nothing but silence and the team members basically do as they please?  From my past experiences, locker rooms really were not where the talks happened, but instead it all took place on the bus to and from meets and competitions or car rides to and from.  It also happened at the starting line and the gate to take the ice.  There were times though where high school basketball teams came out after their break and the team looked completely different.  Sometimes the girls came out and looked as if they were crying, others came out looking like they were ready for war, and the men came out as if they were out for revenge.  The football team really never had anything inspirational or motivational to say so they mainly laid down in their lockers and and just tried to catch their breath.  The coach got to them during the game and in practice after games days when the films were viewed.  I really do not know which is best.  I feel as if we all respond differently and certain tactics work better than others in different circumstances.

Watch Him Run

The Steelers game against Tampa Bay ended in a very surprising score of 38-13, which they thought was going to be a closer game.  The Steelers looked strong and so did Charlie Bach in the pocket.  Bach only made a few errors throughout the entire 4 quarters.  For me though, the highlight of the game was when Brett Kiesel caught the tipped ball for an interception and ran it all the way back for a 79 yard touchdown.  I mean we all expect the guys with speed and agility to run the ball all the way down the field, but personally it is nice for a change of pace to see someone step up their game and make plays they normally would not make.  Everyone on the Steelers team and in the stands appreciated it that as well.  Kiesel was rewarded with his first ever touchdown that game and truly deserved keeping the ball.  To see someone of his size running down the field with his fellow teammates protecting him, is just something that you do not think is going to happen every game, but when it does, it just opens everyone's eyes.  Anyone is capable of anything; it is just if they apply themselves or not and if they want it bad enough to keep pushing and reaching for better.

Having the Talent and No Desire

Why is it that most of the athletes that have the talent do not have the desire, but end up getting far.  At the same time, athletes that have all the want and desire in the world end up falling short of their dreams due to insufficient funding or injuries.  It just does not seem fair to see those who do not wish to be where they are succeeding, while those who are willing to risk everything sitting at the bottom wondering where they went wrong.  Too many talented athletes don't live up to expectations for various reasons, whether its drugs, alcohol, or abuse charges, but they are still given a chance and make the decision not to follow through with chance they have been given.  Meanwhile, an athlete that would never have gotten into that type of trouble is sitting at home moving on to a profession in the business world instead of following their dreams in the sports world.  It's just funny how things have way of working out even if they really don't make much sense.

Another Game We CANNOT See...

Ok so the hockey season is up and running now, well at least the pre-season and nothing annoys me more than not being able to see the game.  Listening to the radio versus watching it on television is just not the same.  I know everyone wants to be there in person, but unfortunately, most of us cannot be.  One major complaint of mine is that most of the teams and most competitive games cannot be viewed on normal television.  I mean some of us do not live the pampered life and get all of the extra satellite channels here at college.  It would be nice to see a successful team such as the Penguins, get more television time over some of the others that might be struggling.  Due to their recent success and new arena it just seems fair.

Just a Tid-Bit of Me...

My name is Stephanie Clark and currently I am a sophomore attending Slippery Rock University, majoring in journalism and minoring in sport management.  I graduated from Fort Cherry High School and reside in a small town on the outside of Pittsburgh, PA.  Here at the university I participate in cross-country and track and field, but when I am back home I also ice-skate as well.
While I am back home I coach ice-skating lessons both privately and as a group along with working at Adidas at the Tanger Outlets.
Either place, whether it be at home or the university there is always something for me to be doing. There is never a dull moment.  Not only am I involved in sports around campus, but I also take part in a few other activities as well as being a member of the Honors Program, writing blogs for the school and serving as a Peer Leader for FYRST Seminar.
That is definitely a load and at times very trying on top of school work to balance and manage, but it works itself out eventually even if that means not getting a lot of sleep.  It definitely becomes less of a necessity once college hits, so when I get a free moment relaxing and sleeping is normally a top priority as sad as that is.  When I am not sleeping and I have a free moment I like to keep busy and hangout with friends, and watch movies, go shopping, and just have a good time and try to stay positive and in a good humor as much as possible no matter what.
In the end, at the commencement of my education here I would ultimately like to pursue a career as a   sports journalist.  So, thats just a tid-bit of me!  :)