Oops...

So yeah... big OOPS! Seems like forever since my last blog post. The crazy thing is, I have been thinking about posting almost every day. It seems like every time I turn the TV on or read the news, a new topic catches my eye. Oh well, I suppose I am new to this and it will take some diligence on my part to not just formulate posts in my head, but to write them out!

The biggest news in sports right now, or at least so it seems, is the labor dispute between the NFLPA and the League. I really want to write about this, but the problem is, this issue has way more than what is on the surface. On the surface, its a simple labor dispute involving more money for owners, blah blah blah. But the fact is, both sides have some baggage they are bringing to the table. Once I investigate a little more, I will post on some of my thoughts. But until then, for the sake of sounding uneducated (OH MY!) I am going to sit on this topic for a while.

Not to be a total tease, I promise to get caught up on some current events. I wanted, however, just to let my faithful followers (all two of you - lol!) know I had not forgotten about the wheelbarrow and posts will be sure to follow. Stay tuned!

GENIUS!

If you read my last Blog spot you will know the title of this one has absolutely nothing to do with football picks. Me and SVP got 'em dead wrong and I went 0-2. Like I said, I was never confident in either pick, but I didn't foresee Cutler needing to take some more Midol and I figured Rex could get his players fired up enough for the game. Nonetheless, the great thing is it will be a great game with the Steelers and Packers and should be a lot of fun to watch. 

Back to the title of the post... I had this epiphany while watching the games this weekend and it has to do with sideline communication. Why are teams still relying, with all the advances in technology, on pictures? Why not create a media hub on the sideline where team sets (offensive, defensive, special teams, etc) can gather around and see video, watch replays, etc? You always see the QB coach flipping through some photos with the QB looking at various defensive sets and going over how to audible for those coverages, what to look for in mismatches, etc, but why not be doing it over a computer or "smartboard" screen? 
Now, I am by far not the sharpest tool in the shed and I would have to imagine that NFL has deemed this type of technology against the rules of play... but, on the off chance they have not, I can see this being the next logical step and one that cannot be THAT difficult to implement and one that could make a huge difference in the sideline coaching of teams. Even if, however, the NFL has ruled it illegal, I would bet there is a way for a company to create a product that would conform to NFL guidelines and still be able to succeed and increase the capabilities of teams. 

If anyone has any insight on this let me know. I also would love some feedback from anybody and get your thoughts on the idea. The more I think about it, the more I realize I cannot be the first one to consider this, but, on the slight crazy chance I am, I think I just became a millionaire. :-)
Those are my TFTSL (who knows, maybe I just changed the sidelines in sports FOREVER!)

Pick 'Ems

So I am lying in bed after a great weekend at The Hangar and realized I have not made picks on the Championship games this weekend.


You recall I am not a huge NFL guy, but I do love the games and the match-ups. For those closest to me you know I am a huge SVP fan (Scott Van Pelt) - yeah, its a man crush, get over it. Anyway, my boy SVP has been on fire these past few weeks and is calling it Bears - Jets.


I have been wrestling with these picks for a while and I have decided that even though I am not 100% confident in them and I would not call them my stone cold lead pipe locks, I am backing my boy, SVP and calling it Jets and Bears in the Super Bowl.


That's my TFTSL...

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You Should Read This...

So, the previous two posts have focused mainly on catching my faithful readers, all five of you (thanks for help padding the #'s, Mom and Dad!), on who I am and how I have come to have such amazing opinions on the world. Now, its time for me to share some of my thoughts on current events. I hope to have a post like this once or twice a week. These posts will serve as your key on the proper thoughts and opinions you should have during water cooler discussions... trust me, my opinions are pretty valid!


NFL - We might as well start things off with the good ole' NFL. One more round of games before the Super Bowl and we have some phenomenal match ups. Even though, as you will remember from Post #2, I am not a huge NFL follower, how can you not like these match ups. We have two amazing "Big Market" teams, the Jets (NY) and the Steelers (Pittsburgh) and one of the greatest rivalries in the NFL Packers/Bears. Its a great moment for Roger Goodell as he realizes that either way, it will be a great Super Bowl with four sets of amazingly loyal and dedicated fans. Ratings should be sky high and the money will be flowing! I am excited for the commercials, but the big game should prove, no matter who wins to have a fantastic match up. In other NFL news, how about Rex Ryan. I got to be honest, I am pulling for the Jets. The foot fetish loving coach is a great thrill to see because you never know what he will say or do. I don't always agree with him, but he has created a persona and stuck to it and I think he is good for the sport. He has his cocky Jets ready to play and they are a very exciting team to watch. I will hate it if that snot nosed brat Sanchez wins a Super Bowl, but I do like Rex and what he brings to the table. Brett Favre is retiring (wait for it, wait for it...) AGAIN. Ha. He has filed his papers with the league and claims he is done. I really have to believe this has been the swan song for him. Its a bit of a shame as he comes off one of his worst seasons and embroiled in a bit of sexual drama (seriously, Brett? You are a grown ass adult... you should have known better) with Jenn Sterger formerly of the Jets. He is still, no doubt, a first ballot addition in Canton, but I will say I, and I believe many others have lost some respect for him. Just please, save of the tears this time and go back to fishing on some creek somewhere or bailing your sister out of jail! Lastly, the Raiders hired their 7th coach since 2010. Al Davis made the announcement this week and I am fairly confident he has been dead for at least 5 years. Good Lord the man is down right scary looking. 



College Sports - Due to my disdain for the University of Alabama (roll tide) and their obnoxious use of the aforementioned phrase, I have decided to pay homage by mentioning that annoyance (though the ESPN commercial is down right hilarious) every time I mention or elude to the Crimson Tide (roll tide). They defeated KY this past week at home in Tuscaloosa (roll tide) and though the score at the end was close, this was an utter beat down for the Wild Cats. John Calipari is a cheater and disgusting excuse for an "educator" as a college coach and I have negative amounts of respect for him as a human being. However, I hate Alabama (roll tide) and really could have given two of my dog's turds to who won. I don't even know why I watched it except for the fact that a good SEC basketball game is better than half the crap on TV today. Mack Brown and the University of Texas signed a 20 year $300 MILLION dollar deal with ESPN this week to create the Longhorn's own little TV universe. This is great for Texas. Lots of $$ to pour into the school and great exposure for their programs. Bad for the rest of us who want to watch anybody else other than Texas on TV for the next 20 years. 


NASCAR is looking to update their points system. The old one has been in place for decades and was created on a bar napkin while the developers drank PBR and moonshine in some shack in North Carolina (no lie, look it up). The funny thing is, the new point system is WAY simpler than what the drunks drew up in the first place and it amazes me that they didn't switch to it sooner. I love the fact that NASCAR is not afraid to make some changes and flip things on their head every now and then. They are reacting to what fans and drivers want and though its mostly reactive changes, they are staying in front of the curve, in my opinion. It would be nice if the NCAA would take some notes from the France family and look into the BCS crap we have right now. 


Well, that is it for now... I am sure I will find some newsworthy items for my delicious comments over the next few days. Until next time, those are my TFTSL.

Post #2 - I am on a roll!

Alright, time for post #2. I think once I officially finish this post I will be on a roll and ready to quit my job to become a professional blogger! Ok, not so quick I suppose, but the follow up to post #1 is just as important as the former. Gotta keep building some momentum.


Since we are still in the infancy stages of this grand social experiment, I decided some more background info may be good on me and my sports preferences and team affiliations. (Note: Please flag and bookmark this post as their will be references to it from time to time, it may be handy to catch me jumping on a bandwagon, and there will be a test):


NFL- If hard pressed, I would say the Bucs. That was the last NFL city I lived in and I spent the second longest part of my life in the that city. However, calling the Gulf Coast home now, it is hard to not cheer for the Saints. Yes, I am late to the bandwagon. But for me, the Saints resurgence earned my respect for the organization and a perfect case study for the importance of sports in our world. For an academic tactician, it's hard not to give that organization some major props. I will always throw my support behind these teams. However, I will pledge to take up the colors of a new team once and when I move to a town that has one. I don't care whether it is the Super Bowl champion Pats or the mired in despair Rams or even worse, the Raiders... I will cheer for them as the first NFL team I will call my own.


MLB- Boston Red Sox. I am a Boston junkie. I love the team, the history, the rivalry, the city (at least what I make of it in my mind); sometimes, when alone, I even like to walk around the house and talk like I am from "Bahston". Just kidding. However, I am a late bloomer to the Boston love fest. I joined the ranks of the Fenway Faithful the year that they won the World Series. Now, before you shame me, here me out. I was never much of a baseball guy. When I was growing up in Tampa, we moved just after the Rays (then known as the Devil Rays) came to town and my father never found baseball attractive and thus I was never exposed much to it. When I joined my fraternity in college, my big brother was a huge baseball fan. Being as that we spent so much time together and I really wanted to be initiated in the fraternity and the quickest way to do this was to conform and not piss anybody off, least of all, him, it made sense to follow the team he followed - the Boston Red Sox. Like I said, I had no idea the run they would go on or how they had building and growing their team - I simply chose the path of least resistance. I still have and love the very first Bo'Sox cap I bought... one of my most prized and worn possessions.


NBA- No team here. I like the game, don't get me wrong. But I follow certain players more so than teams and generally don't watch much until the playoffs. This probably stems from the fact that this may be the one sport, try as I may to even have a chance at competing in, I always fell short. My reflexes are too slow, my rhythm is off and I am white and fat...Though, like I said, I still follow the league and will offer my opinions from time to time.


NASCAR- My car fetish explains my connection to NASCAR. I first started following it after reading a piece on Jeff Gordon when I was younger and began watching and learning the sport. Its a fascinating blend of endurance, skill, and science and a lot of fun to watch when you keep up with it (and yes, even makes a great Sunday afternoon nap). I cheer for Hendrick's Motorsports, particularly Jeff Gordon, but the one thing I like about NASCAR is though you have your favorite drivers, you can cheer for more than one competitor and there are several drivers I will throw my support behind - Dale Jr, Martin Truex, Jr, Jaime McMurray, Tony Stewart. Two drivers I despise - Kyle Bush and Kevin Harvick.


NHL - So, I am new to the sport and growing to appreciate it more and more. Like I said earlier, I work in hockey now with a minor league franchise in Pensacola, Fl. Growing up in the south, my exposure to hockey was very limited. I consider myself a fan of the sport, but find it hard to follow a team because of my relative newness in the arena of hockey fandom. However, I was around in Tampa for the Lightening's inaugural season so I always have a spot in my heart to see them do well. However, I do have a slight conundrum in the sport. Our owner is the great Tim Kerr. Yes, that Tim Kerr that rose to greatness in the Flyers organization. So, naturally, I find a desire cheer for the alma mater of the guy that signs my checks. However, my love for Boston comes into conflict as I feel a desire to cheer for the Bruins and that is just not allowed. So, like I said, I am more a fan of the sport vs one particular team (except of course the Ice Flyers... I gotta root for them!)


PGA - This, like NASCAR, has me following several players all the time. Three top faves, hands down, however, are Freddie Couples (smoothes swing in golf), Boo Weekley, and Bubba Watson. Others I enjoy watching include Phil and Tiger (great rivalry), John "The Trainwreck" Daly, Tom Watson, and the list goes on. I love playing the game, watching the game and failing miserably at trying to understand it.


MLS - Love the sport, don't care too much about any particular team. Wish it would gain more momentum in the States.




College Athletics - Mississippi State University and Penn State pretty much anchor my love of college sports. However, I always enjoy a good story or feature on a school. Though I usually try to see past institutional differences, (ie I am not a Gator Fan, but enjoyed seeing Tim Tebow), there are some schools I can rarely justify ever cheering for. Ohio State (THE, my ass...) Ole' Miss, Miami (The "U"), and Alabama ("Roll Tide"). These schools have done something to me that has scared my soul. I can't and wont ever root for them and you will rarely hear me praise one of their actions. More so, their fans suck too :-)!


World Series of Poker - Just kidding... not a sport. Neither is flair bar tending so don't even try :-)


So, that is my sports leanings in a nut shell. I will voice a ton of opinions over all because when it boils down to it I am a fan of sports. I love what it does to us and what it means to us. How seemingly normal human beings can become rabid fans over what some 19 year old freshman does with a spherical shaped object. I love the life lessons. I love the business of sports and how uniquely complicated it is from selling widgets.




So, that is is for now... I hope to give you my take on some current events next post and enough rambling about me. Until then, those are my TFTSL.

Finally Started... An Introduction of Sorts

Welcome... First, thanks for checking this out. You must me one of two things, a great friend or incredibly bored. Either way, I appreciate you and your time. I promise to try to make this interesting, timely, funny, sad, utterly irreverent and a worthwhile excuse to kill some time every time you read.


So, for starters, who am I? Hopefully if you are reading this you have a vested interest in who I am. My name is Aaron, I am 26, good looking and happily taken; oh yeah, and I am a delightful human being - that pretty much summarizes it all. I live in beautiful Pensacola, Fl and work for a minor league hockey team, the Pensacola Ice Flyers. We play in the Southern Professional Hockey League, or the SPHL or the "SP" as us in the league like to shorten it. I serve as the Director of Marketing/Business Development & Game Presentation. I have a Master's of Science in Sports Administration from Mississippi State University and a Bachelor's of Science in Hospitality, Recreation and Resort Management from the University of West Florida. I won't bore you with much more right now as I am sure more about me will come out in my posts. However, that gives you a little background to get your started.


So, on to this Blog. I was inspired to start writing because my girlfriend was tired of my Facebook rants on a variety of subjects - particularly sports, and Facebook doesn't provide me enough space to make my points anyway. The subjects will probably be varied, but, who are we kidding, it will most likely be about sports. I have a passion for sports, but more importantly, the BUSINESS of sports. Too many times I read ignorant posts and opinions by people who only see one side of things - mainly as fans. But, the more I spend time working in the "biz", the more I see an entirely different side of things that not everyone does. That will be my goal, to bring together the views and opinions as a fan with those of a sports professional.


Now, the title... yes, that fancy, creative, witty title at the top: Missing the Wheelbarrow. The reason behind it is simple, my friends hate me. You see, one week, while celebrating the harmonious joining of two souls in love, myself and several friends spent lots of time around a campfire reflecting on life, love, world problems, drinking, making fun of each other and drinking some more. Due to the copious amounts of Coors Light (sponsorship, please?!) being consumed, we would toss empty cans into a wheelbarrow. Well, that was the plan. The problem is I missed the wheelbarrow... A LOT. Not just the occasional can, MOST of the cans. Being the ham I am for attention you may think I did it on purpose. Good thought, and one based in logic for those that know me. However, that was far from it. My competitive side came out and I tried and tried my best to get those cans in the wheelbarrow but just couldn't. I folded under pressure and couldn't perform.


Nonetheless, when I solicited ideas from my friends, they reminded me of that time and voila' a blog was born. Now, it makes sense in more ways because in life, I have always felt I "missed the wheelbarrow". I should have played way more sports than I did and wish I had found the passion for sports that I have now earlier in life... probably would have led me to a great college career in football and probably the NFL (just sayin') and prevented me from having nicknames over the years like "Big E", "Hagrid" and the "Big Show". But, here we sit. The full name of the blog, for your reference, is actually, 'Missing the WheelBarrow: Thoughts from the Sidelines".


So, there you have it... the beginnings of something great. Be sure to check back often, drop me a line if you have an opinion on what I say, want to shoot the wind or want me to talk about something in particular. I'd love to know who is wasting time reading this, so you can always just say hello. In closing, welcome, enjoy and have fun!


That's my TFTS (get it... Thoughts from the Sidelines). :-)