Parents Gone Wild

Sports are a great way for kids to learn sportsmanship, teamwork, dedication, discipline, and hard

work. Parents play a huge role in the beginning of their children’s sports careers. First off, participating in sports is a financial investment for parents. The more kids one has, the more money and time a parent has to spend. Sports aren’t cheap. Kids need uniforms, equipment, there are registration fees for tournament and league play, and there is the possibility of private lesson. Second, parent like to see their children succeed. This is why parent push their kids so hard. Some parents yell at their kids if they feel that they should be performing better. Other parents are very encouraging especially when their kids make mistakes.

Unfortunately, sometimes parents view their kid’s sports events as life and death. Sometimes they even turn into what is called "sports rage or parent rage". These parents will physically or verbally attack another parent, player, coach, or official.

I’ve been umpiring baseball for the last five years. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen parents get out of control. One time during a 10 year-old tournament a coach was so furious at his son for walking two batters in a row. He called a stoppage in play to talk to his son, and in front of everyone started to verbally embarrass him. He started using profanity which I felt was inappropriate for that level of baseball. I quickly confronted the coach and informed him that that type of language was not acceptable. He quickly informed me to “screw myself.” As fast as his last word exited his mouth, I ejected him from the game. He continued to curse and rant at me for a minute and soon enough made his way to the parking lot.

Parents need to realize that youth sports are supposed to be fun. It’s for the kids, not the parents. It’s not worth embarrassing yourself because you feel your kid isn’t performing the way you want them to or because you feel the official made the wrong call. It’s time to take a chill pill and enjoy the game.

Why is Kevin Love not play for Team USA anymore?

Twisted Word Fume Twitter Battle

In February 2014, Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice was involved in an altercation with at the time fiancée Janay Palmer. One thing led to another and while Rice and his fiancée Palmer were in the elevator, Rice allegedly struck Palmer unconscious. Rice and Palmer were both arrested following the incident by Atlantic City police.

Almost five months later, the NFL sentenced Rice with a two game suspension. Steven A. Smith and Skip Bayless discussed the suspension on ESPN‘s First Take. Some of Steven A. Smith’s comments were construed to be offensive to women, acknowledging that women need to do everything in their power to not provoke situations of domestic violence.

Michelle Beadle, another ESPN host watched Smith’s comments and went to Twitter to express her feeling on the matter. Beadle tweeted this:

“So I was just forced to watch this morning’s First Take. A) I’ll never feel clean again B) I’m now aware that I can provoke my own beating.”

Michelle then went on to tweet this comment:

“I’m thinking about wearing a miniskirt this weekend…. I’d hate to think what I’d be asking for by doing so.”

Before the days of Twitter and Instagram, Michelle Beadle would’ve had to wait until she was in front of a camera to respond to Steven A. Smith’s comments. But, with the rush of social media, Beadle was able to reach hundreds of thousands of followers without any delay. Steven A. Smith had the same opportunity as Beadle and he immediately responded to her comments in an attempt to set the record straight about what he really meant.

Smith first started off his tweet by saying that after hearing what he said on First Take, he admits that he could have articulated his statement a little better. He expressed his respect for his ESPN colleague Michelle Beadle and apologized for his comments if it offended anyone.

 Social media is a great way for athletes, reporters and celebrities alike to be able to express themselves, clear up any misunderstandings, or portray themselves in the way they want their fans to see them. Just like any tool, there are both positive and negative ramifications of social media.

What has Johnny Manziel done now? And why might the Browns be regretting drafting him?

Throw Me The Heater Agnes

When you think of a professional athlete, you think of an individual that can do amazing things. They can jump and dunk a basketball. They can swing and hit a baseball over 400 feet.  Any, they can run over a defender in an attempt to score the winning touchdown. All of these amazing feats are performed by highly sculpted bodies that every fan wishes they possessed. They are chiseled, defined, and perfectly sculpted to perform when the cameras are on and the lights are shinning the brightest.

Unfortunately, no one decided to tell Agnes McKee that you need an athletic body to perform in the spotlight. Recently, Agnes McKee threw out the first pitch at Petco Park in San Diego California. Now you might be asking yourself, what’s the big deal? Well, Agnes is 105 years-young. That’s right, after countless of hours of practicing her underhand windup, Agnes was able to throw out the first pitch just days after she turned 105 years-old. Surprisingly enough, her throw was even better than individuals a quarter of her age. She had a wicked windup that any softball player could recognize and she even managed to reach catch Rene Rivera behind the plate. This made her the oldest person to ever throw out a ceremonial first pitch. She wore a custom made San Diego Padres jersey. On the back of the jersey Agnes had her last name and the number 105 representing her age.

It was also a good thing that rookie pitcher Odisamer Despaigne was taking notes during Agnes’s ceremonial first pitch because he was able to almost seal his first no hitter of his career. In the eighth inning, with two outs, Odisamer allowed New York MetsNew York Mets second baseman Daniel Murphy to double into left center field for the Mets first hit of the game.

What an awesome outing for the youngster. All in all, I guess Odisamer did pretty good too.

Check out what happens when parents and coaches take it to the extreme in kid’s sports. Who's at fault in these situations? You be the judge.

Social Media Search For A Killer

In today’s world, celebrities and athletes are using social media more and more to communicate with their fans. It’s a fast and easy way to update fans on what they’re doing, where they’ve been, and what they’ve experienced. Since the boom of social media, athletes and fans are able to stay connected with one another and sometimes fans are even able to receive insider information straight from the source before the news breaks on ESPN.  A good example would be in 2010 when Kevin Durant from the Oklahomoa City Thunder announced on Twitter that he would stay in Oklahoma and resign with the Thunder.

Recently, another NBA basketball player used social media, but this time is wasn’t to update his fans on his basketball career. Matt Barnes from the Los Angeles Clippers cleverly used the social media channel Twitter to start a man hunt for an individual who murdered his aunt. Unfortunately, family reported that Barnes’s aunt, Tanganyika Williams was on her way to visit her estranged husband Michael Williams. Tanganyika died due to a fatal stab wound to the neck.

Barnes posted two picture of 51 year-old Michael Lee Williams on Twitter with this quote: “This dude stabbed my auntie in the neck last week & left her for dead on the sidewalk, she ended up dying on the way to the hospital in the ambulance. If you have any info on his where abouts contact the #SacPD.”

The second that Matt Barnes hit the send button on his Tweet, he instantaneously reached out to over 262,000 followers. Barnes could have waited until the ten o’clock news to voice his concern but he didn’t, he decided to take matters into his own hands. It’s amazing that with the technology we have today, Barnes was able to voice his concern in less time than it takes to order a burger at a fast food restaurant.

Join the social media frenzy by joining Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram

Argentina! Sore Losers!

The World Cup is the biggest stage for the sport of soccer. Fans from both Germany and Argentina filled not only the Estadio do Maracana in Rio de Janeiro, but also every city around the world. At every location you can find the whole spectrum of fans. From your social fans whose interest in soccer and the World Cup is primarily a social aspect or a way to gather with friends, to your highly vested fan who is so emotionally attached that they wear their team and fan pride on their sleeves.

Unfortunately, there is another type of fan that rears his ugly head every once and a while. These fans are classified as dysfunctional fans. Dysfunctional fans are normally overly aggressive towards the opposing team, its fans, the officials, and sometimes each other and law enforcement. In the case of Argentina’s one to nothing loss against Germany, tens of thousands of fans decided to take out their emotions on the town of Buenos Aires.  Fans started taunting law enforcement and destroying public property. Riot police were forced to step in to control the crowd. Cans of tear gas as well as water cannons were shot at the rioter’s in an attempt to control the situation. Police were even forced to use their nightsticks while riding a two manned dirt bike. 

In the end, at least 15 police officers were wounded from the angry rock chucking fans. In addition to those wounded officers, countless fans were injured and more than fifty rioters were detained. If you ask me, I see this whole riot situation as a huge temper tantrum.  I’m sure these fans were all happy jolly at the beginning of the game, but once they lost then that’s when the vested fan turned into the dysfunctional fan.  

Read about Brazils most embarrassing moment

LeBron Says I'm Coming Home

In 2010, LeBron James became a free agent for the first time in his career. Being the most coveted free agent in the NBA, LeBron decided to have a one hour television special to announce where he would be playing for the next four years. LeBron decided to use the most popular source of media possible, ESPN. He was courted by the New York Knicks, Chicago Bulls, New Jersey Nets, Miami Heat, Los Angeles Clippers, and his current team and hometown Cleveland Cavaliers.

In the end, LeBron chose to take his talents to South Beach and join NBA  All-Stars Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh. His hometown of Cleveland was devastated, fans burned his jersey and all the pictures of LeBron in the state of Ohio were immediately taken down. LeBron was widely criticized for the way he went about announcing his decision and his image took a huge hit. Unfortunately, the way he did it rubbed a lot of people the wrong way, especially the city of Cleveland.

 Four NBA finals and two championships later, LeBron once again became a free agent. This time around LeBron played things a little closer to the vest. He had his agent meet with potential teams that he was interested in. When it was finally time for LeBron to make his final decision on where he would be playing, he didn’t take the same route he did last time. He decided to go old school and release a statement to Sports Illustrated. He eloquently poured out his heart and soul by putting pen to paper and expressing how much his hometown of Akron Ohio meant to him. He explained his thought process for leaving as well as the reasons he wants to return to the Cavs. He forgave the fans and Cleveland owners for all the heart ache and pain he suffered while at the same time sympathizing and empathizing, then apologizing for his own short comings. 

In the end once again, LeBron demonstrated maturity and class when announcing his decision.  This does show that the way you deliver your message is just as important as the message itself. Welcome home LeBron. Good luck next season.

How did LeBron celebrate his return home to Cleveland? By going to Brazil and attending the World Cup Finals.

Fights, Franchise, and Freaks

On July 5^th and 6^th, the UFC not only had fights at the Mandalay Bay hotel, they also held the UFC Fan Expo. This is an event that the UFC puts on several times a year to allow its fans to interact with the superstars of MMA. From the moment you walk in, you notice a couple of things right away.

The first thing is that there are booths all over the place. Every booth is a franchise/company commercializing their brand name to lure individuals to see their products. It’s a free market for those companies to not only get their name out in the MMA community but to also show their new and returning customers some of their new products.



Some of the companies who had booths at the Expo



The second obvious thing that you’ll notice is that there are a ton of fans. Every fan has his or her own level of interest in the sport, and it’s very easy to discern between the real fans and the fake one. There are fans that are there who range from being there just because her boyfriend or husband is a UFC fan (social fan), to the super freak who is deck out in UFC appeal and stand in an hour and a half line just to get a signature or their favorite fighter or ring girl (Vested fan). But no matter whom you are, every person there has some tie or knowledge of the UFC. It’s a social gathering of comrades.

The last thing you might notice is that there are fights going on the in and next to the Expo. Fans are able to watch up and coming fighters duke it out in the cage while shopping for their favorite MMA brands. You might also notice that there were two huge tournaments that were associated with this Expo. One for Jiu-Jitsu, and one for wrestling.

All in all, the UFC Fan Expo had a little of everything. It had something for every type of fan. Whether you were there to watch your niece and nephew compete in Jiu-Jitsu like me, or to get a poster signed from UFC heavey weight champion Cain Velasquez, the UFC Expo was super fun.

What happened to Neymar. Find out how bad his injury is and if he's going to play in the semi-finals.

Sony Beats Up On Apples Headphones

Neymar walking off the bus with Beats

Athletes now days wear headphone as if it’s an accessory to their outfit. Since the world cup started, soccer players have been matching their headphones to represent the color of their countries. Brazilian superstar Neymar like his headphones in Brazil-green. England’s Wayne Rooney like to represent his country colors by sporting a pair of pure white headphones, and Uruguay’s Luis Suares like his headphone in his country’s color of blue.

There’s only one brand of high-end headphones that looks as cool as it perform. That is none other than Apple’s newly acquired Beats. All the players love them. Neymar was even wearing a pair of Beats as he stepped off the bus in Fortaleza. Suarez had his pair of Beats wrapped around his neck at the end of Uruguay’s practice. With these and other top players at the World Cup using Beats, the World Cup has just became an unofficial bulletin board for the whole world to see.

Unfortunately, Beats are now banned from World Cup. This means that no player is allowed to wear their Beat headphones in any World Cup stadium or during media coverage. Apparently, Sony Corp is an official sponsor of the World Cup and I’m sure they send every athlete a pair of their high-end headphones. So, when they realized that more and more players were choosing to wear Beats instead of the free pair that they provided for the athletes, Sony must have gotten jealous.

Cristiano Ronaldo wearing Beats

Beats had a good run there for a while. They were able to receive free advertising as well as persuade all the top athletes to wear their headphones. Sony might have stopped Beats from profitning from anymore free advertising but unfortunately the damage is already done. The public knows that Beats are preferred over its counterpart Sony. If you think about it, Sony really was in a lose-lose situation. They could have continued to let Apple receive their free advertisement while hoping that maybe some athletes would wear their pair instead of the Apple’s Beats, or they could stop Apple from advertising while at the same time exposing the real reason Beats are no longer welcomed at the World Cup (Athletes prefer Beats).

UFC is hosting thier FAN EXPO, click on the link to find out whos going to be there and autograph signing schedules.

A Player's Coach



The Mount Rushmore of NBA Coaches



When you think of the Mount Rushmore of NBA coaches, one might think of Phil Jackson, Red Aurbach, and Pat Riley. One thing that all these coaches have in common is the personal relationship that they have with their players. In the sports world this is known as a player’s coach. A players coach is someone that everyone wants to play for not only because he/she is great coaches, but because they know how to get the best out of their players. This is no exception for the fourth member and current San Antonio Spurs Head Coach Gregg Popovich.





Coach Pop Leading His Players

Gregg Popovich is considered by many to have a unique but successful coaching style. He knows how to breed winners and champions. At times Coach Popovich can be an autocratic coach. His blunt, forceful and direct comments are fair game even for his superstars. No one is too good to have their flaws or laziness pointed out in the game or in practice. Coach Popovich is also a very democratic coach. He’s never too prideful to not want to listen to a play drawn up by one of his players. He encourages each of his players to voice their opinion for the betterment of the team. He truly believes that no one person is better than the unity of the team. The next thing that Pop (short for Popovich) excels at is the social support that he has with his players. Every player has a unique and special relationship with Coach Popovich. Some see him as a great friend while other might see him as a father figure. These relationships are captured time and time again during games and practices when Coach Pop is mic’d up. He tells his players how proud he is of them or how he’s grateful to see them succeed. He believes in his players and his players in him. Lastly, Coach Pop is a master at positive feedback. Every good deed is mentioned. Nothing gets by Pops. His words pierce the hearts and minds of his players. Player’s listen to him because they know that he only says things to elevate their game.

Pop Celebrating with Patty Mills

Phil Jackson, Red Aurbach, and Pat Riley are already hall of fame coaches and well deserving of a spot on the Mount Rushmore of NBA greatest coaches. But move on over, because Coach Popovich is already considered a lock for the hall of fame and a spot on that mountain.  



Check out who the USA Men's Soccer Team Plays in the World Cup Round of 16 Can They Survive the Round of 16 & Keep Thier Dreams Alive

Going Under The Knife

Athletes bodies come in all
shapes and sizes

There is one thing that an athlete needs to perform his/her job at the highest level. It’s the most sophisticated piece of equipment ever created and the one thing that separates one athlete from another. That one thing is the human body. When fans and the media watch sports, what they’re seeing are bodies performing extraordinary acts. To perform these acts, athletes attempt to push the limits of their bodies. The stronger, faster, or more flexible an athlete's body is, the more athletic they are considered. With this in mind, the higher a basketball player jumps, the more he is admired. The stronger a football player is, the more he is admired. And the faster a baseball player can throw a ball, the more he is admired. All of these astonishing feats are marveled by fans and media alike.

The body every women wants
and every man wishes he had

However, just like turning of a key to start a car, an athlete’s body is expected to perform every time he/she steps on the field.  Athletes take care of their bodies hoping that when it’s time to perform under the bright lights, their bodies will reciprocate that good fortune. Unfortunately, injuries do occur and the body does break down if it’s pushed too hard or if it’s not strong enough to endure such tasks.

This became true for Orioles all-star catcher Matt Wieters who will undergo Tommy John surgery. Unfortunately Matt’s body couldn’t hold up to the stress that an elite athlete put on his body day in and day out.  Just like a lot of injured athletes, Matt has been dealing with a nagging sourness for the last couple of weeks. He wanted to rejoin the team in early July but when his throwing strength wasn’t up to par, Dr. James Andrews opted for the surgery. Matt’s body should be healed by the 2015 opening day season.

If you would like to read more about Matt Wieters surgury click on these links below
YahooSports- Wieters Elbow Surgery
CBS- Wieters Undergoes Season Ending Surgery

I Can’t Play In These Conditions

In every sport and in every era there is always that one player that everyone looks to and admires. In hockey, he’s only known as the “Great One” (aka Wayne Gretzky). In boxing he’s considered to the “Greatest Ever” (aka Muhammad Ali). In baseball there was the “Great Bambino” (aka Babe Ruth), and in basketball he’s known as the G.O.A.T. (Greatest Of All Time aka Michael Jordan).  All of these athletes have revolutionized their sports in one way or another.  But, there is always a defining moment in every athletes career that either makes or breaks them

LeBron James asking to come
out of the game due to cramps

LeBron James had a similar opportunity during game one of the 2014 NBA finals. With the air conditioner broken in San Antonio Arena, temperatures climbed to over 100 degrees. Then, with the game on the line and with 7 minutes left, LeBron James decided to signal Coach Spolstra to take him out of the game due to cramps. LeBron made several attempt to come back into the game but soon left with the same symptoms. The announcers of the game immediately made this the headline for the game one lost which the Miami Heat suffered. At the end of the game, even Tim Duncan from the San Antonio Spurs had to address the issue of whether it would have been a different game if LeBron would have stayed on the floor.  I’m sure Tim Duncan was thinking, “I don’t care about LeBron, I just won game one of the NBA finals. Who’s comes up with these ridiculous questions?” Well Tim, the media does. It’s the medias job to tell us the public what topics are relevant and what topic are not.”

This was just the beginning. Every media venue from the local 10 o’clock news to ESPN covered the LeBron exiting. Even the postgame recap took only 5 minutes to cover the outcome and the rest of the time on LeBron.  Everyone had his/her own opinion on what they thought he should have done or whether it was justified. In every story, the media is attempting to persuade or influence its audience to think what they want them to think. This technique is called framing.

In this YouTube clip with Steven A. Smith, Skip Bayless, and Hall of Famer Isaiah Thomas they’re all trying to influence the audience to make them think the way they think. Isaiah Thomas is trying to persuade the public that there was nothing LeBron could do in that situation. Skip Bayless was making a point that LeBron pulled himself out prematurely.  Another argument that Skip made was that everyone else had to play through the same conditions as LeBron, but no one else came up with cramps and no one else asked to be removed from the game.

After watching that clip I found myself torn between the two sides. On one hand I was a collegiate athlete and I know what cramps feel like. Fortunately I’ve never had them during a game so I couldn’t relate in that sense. Then, I thought about Skips points and thought whether I would leave the game or not. Isn’t it funny that the media can make you think and feel whatever they want? Point framing theory.

Read the entire story on SBNation here-LeBron Cramps

From Failed Test to Retirement

According to an ESPN article, three time light heavy weight title contender Chael Sonnen was pulled from UFC 175 against Vitor Belfort for failing a random drug test.  Then, less than 24-hours after testing positive for anastrozole and clomiphene Chael Sonnen decided to retire and hang up his 8 ounce gloves. This was Sonnens’ second offense, the first one coming in 2010. In his retirement announcement on UFC Tonight, Chael claims that the drugs found in his system were legal and prescribed to him by his doctor with hopes of stimulating natural testosterone production. Sonnen revealed that he has been having fertility issues and the drugs have helped him and his wife to finally receive their first child.

I wonder what the public’s perception is on Chael Sonnen and the UFC organization. I’m sure that this type of situation occurs frequently in the world of sports. Every athlete trying to get a small edge over his/her opponent.  But this doesn’t just stop at the athletes. Coaches, owners, and even leagues are trying to find ways to stay on top and bring in more revenue. It’s true that this situation might negatively effect of publics perception of Chael Sonnen and the UFC. Unfortunately all athletes and organization have a lot more to worry about. For example, illegal betting, thrown fights (UFC or Boxing), after fight brawls, and press conference outburst can shine a negative light on the athlete and the organization he/she represents. Another way that an organization can receive bad publicity is through the athletes or owners off the field antics. This includes DUI’s, assault, and player abuse, bar brawls, illegal weapon charges, and homicide. In recent years with social media athletes are so connected through Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter that their apology statements are almost immediately posted. Normally, it’s those statements that are read on ESPN, not a personal on camera apology.

So, is the publics perception of the UFC and Chael Sonnen diminished? I would say yes. But at least it’s not Major League Baseball. Happy retirement Chael.

If you want to read the entire story of how Chael failed his drug test press this link-ESPN Chael Sonnen Fails Random Drug Test

If you want to read about Chael Sonnens' retirement announcement press this link-Chael Sonnen Retires

Out with the OLD, In with the NEW



2014 Men's World Cup Soccer Team

To an inexperienced fan of soccer, what do you look for when you look at the 2014 Men’s World Cup Soccer Team? For me I look for one person, Landon Donovan. Whether you follow soccer religiously or gather with a friend to watch USA during the Olympic or World Cup, everyone knows Landon Donovan. Landon is considered by many to be the most decorated USA soccer player in history. He leads all Americans with 57 career goals, 12 World Cup games appearances and 5 World Cup goals. Unfortunately, Landon Donovan won’t be making the trip to Brazil to play on the 2014 USA Men’s Team. According to an article written on time.com (http://time.com/110022/landon-donovan-cut/), Coach Klinsmann warned the veterans two years ago that when he took over USA Soccer that no one is guaranteed a spot on the team. He expected every player to compete for their position at every practice and not assume that they are automatically a starter.

I gained my knowledge of Landon when I was on an LDS mission in Portugal in 2002 during the World Cup. The United States was able to upset Portugal with a 3-2 victory. That night was a bad night to be an American in Portugal. No one wanted to talk to the two American boys wearing white shirts and ties. What everyone wanted to talk about was how surprised they were with the United States defense and the ability of some guy named Donovan. This was the first time I’ve ever heard of Landon Donovan. As you might have already figured out, I don’t really follow soccer. I would probably consider myself a social fan, only watching soccer or Donovan during the World Cup or the Olympics.




Portuguese Fan Painting the Streets Red & Green



As for the Portuguese, I would say that they would be considered vested fans. A lot of them have emotional ties to both the game of soccer and the players that represent them on their National Team. In Portugal, the world cup is like the Superbowl of soccer. Every town has a ritual to gather together to watch and cheer on the Portuguese National Team. I’ve never seen so many people dressed up in sports attire in my whole life. It was like a sea of red and green Portuguese player’s jersey rolling down the streets. At the time I thought that the Portuguese people were crazy.

It’s just a soccer game, right?

The answer is no, it’s not just a soccer game to the Portuguese people. Soccer is a huge part of their lives.  They know the stats of each player and the teams they play on when they’re not playing for Portugal. I also think that the Portuguese people feel socially connected to one another when they gather together to watch their National hero’s take on another country. It’s them against the world, and when the team wins, they win. The team’s achievements are their achievements. They are true fans in the sense. But, when the team loses, they too lose. Their emotional tie to their team and players are unmatched.

Landon Donovan with USA Flag

I wish the USA Men’s Soccer Team the best in this upcoming World Cup. Even though I’m saddened by the new that the only player I really can relate to isn’t playing anymore, I’m still an American. I will always support team USA.

Here are some extra links and videos for your enjoyment.

http://news.lalate.com/2014/05/22/landon-donovan-doesnt-make-jurgen-klinsmann-usmnt-2014-world-cup-roster/

http://www.espnfc.com/league-name/story/1862206/headline

BANISHMENT ! ! ! !

It’s true that as a society, we have come a long way from the days of selling slaves and forcing them to work in the cotton fields. But, if you think that racism has completely died since the days of Martin Luther King, then you’re totally wrong.  Racism is like the plague that can’t be killed and if you would like evidence of racism, all you have to do is turn on the 10 o’clock new. From the work place to the church one attends on Sunday, racism still has a heartbeat.

Racism can even be found in sports. Former hall of fame NFL player Reggie White made some racial comments about Native Americans and Asians. ESPN talk show host Rob Parker even went so far as to call NFL quarterback Robert Griffin III a “Cornball brother.” Stereotypical comments like these can be found in every sport and on every playing field in America. But no comments were so brutal as the comments made by former Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling.



V. Stiviano Instagram
photo with Magic Johnson



Donald Sterling and his girlfriend V. Stiviano had a conversation that was caught on tape in which Sterling degraded the African American people. Apparently the whole argument started when his girlfriend posted a picture on Instagram of her and NBA legend Magic “Irving” Johnson. Sterling wasn’t happy with the photos being posted for the whole world to see and mentioned to Stiviano that she shouldn’t be associated with black people. He even suggested that she erase all of her black friends from Instagram. He also told Stiviano that he doesn’t want her bringing “black people” to his Clipper games. When Stiviano finally confronts Sterling by informing him that he hires black players Sterling responds by saying that he supports his players by giving them food, clothes, money, houses and cars.

Many fans, players and owners responded to Donald Sterling’s comment. Some went on ESPN and made their opinions known of what they thought of the comments and what they think should happen to Donald Sterling. Others decided to fire back on social media like Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube. Even the great Magic “Johnson stated that he wouldn’t attend another Los Angeles Clippers game as long as Donald Sterling is the owner. However, the biggest statement wasn’t made by one single person; it was made by the LA Clippers themselves. During a playoff game against the Warriors, the Clippers players decided to take off their normal warm up jerseys with the Clippers logo on it to reveal a pure red t-shirt with nothing on it. The symbolism was clear; they’re playing for each other not the owner (http://www.nba.com/2014/news/04/27/clippers-silent-protest-donald-sterling.ap/). You can tell that the relationship between the players were strong, but the relationship between them and management had been tarnished.

Three days after the tape was leaked new NBA President Adam Silver held a press conference to announce Donald Sterlings' future with the NBA. According to article written on ESPN.com (http://espn.go.com/los-angeles/nba/story/_/id/10857580/donald-sterling-los-angeles-clippers-owner-receives-life-ban-nba), President Silver issued Donald Sterling a life ban from the NBA. This means that Sterling would be immediately banned from attending any NBA games or practices as well as being present in any NBA building for business or personal decision relating to any NBA teams or players. Sterling was even fined by the NBA 2.5 million dollars. President Silver was very stern and clear noting that there is no place for racism in the NBA. This has been the stiffest punishment ever issued to a team owner as well as to someone associated with the NBA.

Several weeks later, former owner Donald Sterling sold the LA Clippers for 2 billion dollars.  It’s sad that our society frequently falls into patterns where racial profiling occurs. No person should be judged by another due to his/her race, ethnicity, or gender. Just as President Silver said that there is no place for racism in the NBA, there should also be no place for racism in the world we live in.

Here is the full video conference of NBA President Adam Silver banning Donald Sterling.

The Kiss Seen Around the World

Michael Sam
Co-defensive Sec Player of the Year

On the last day of the 2014 NFL draft, commissioner Roger Goodell stepped to the podium to announce one of the final picks of the draft.

“With the 249^th pick of the 2014 NFL draft, the St. Louis Ram select, defensive end Michael Sam from the University of Missouri”.

You might be thinking to yourself, what’s so special of the 249^th pick? It’s the last day of the draft. These picks normally don’t even make the final roster. Well, Michael Sam just made history. He’s the co-defensive SEC player of the year as well as an All-American. His senior year Sam collected an impressive 11.5 sacs. But, he’s not making history for his college stats. He’s making history because Michael Sam is the first open gay player to be drafted into the NFL. In February Michael Sam decided to announce to the world that he is gay. Since then the news has been a buzz though out not only traditional media, but also social media. Michael was even on the cover of Sports Illustrated with the caption saying, “American is ready for Michael Sam. Is the NFL ready for Michael Sam?

Sports Illustrated Cover

Unfortunately, a lot of gay player hide the fact that they are gay to avoid being ostracized by teammates and the media. Brittany Griner hid her sexuality because Baylor University had a so called “unwritten policy”. Michael Sam is different. He never backed down from questions or comments addressing his sexuality.

Michael Sam celebrated his entrance into the NFL at his house with his closest friends, family, and partner. Coach Jeff Fisher was able to call Michael to inform him that he wanted Michael to be a St. Louis Ram. The video below will show the emotions that Michael Sam was feeling when he received the call from Coach Fisher as well as the kiss which caused so much controversy.

That video and other similar videos swarmed EPSN, ABC, NBC, and every type of social media you can think of. Just as you might be forming your own opinion of the appropriateness of the kiss, many individuals were congratulating Michael for his success. His new teammate All-Pro defensive end Robert Quinn said that he’s only worried about what Michael does on the field. Quinn even believes that Sam has already proven himself on the football field.

According to the NFL.com and an article written by Marc Sessler (http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap2000000349371/article/michael-sam-drafted-by-st-louis-rams-at-no-249), even President Barack Obama sent his congratulations.

President Barack Obama

"The President congratulates Michael Sam, the Rams and the NFL for taking an important step forward today in our Nation's journey. From the playing field to the corporate boardroom, LGBT Americans prove everyday that you should be judged by what you do and not who you are."

Unfortunately, not everyone thought that the kiss was very appropriate. One of those players is Don Jones from the Miami Dolphins. Don tweeted some comments which in the end received him a fine from the Dolphins organization as well as mandatory educational training. Just another fine example how social media and in the heat of the moment comments can hurt athletes.

Whether you feel America or the NFL are ready for gays to be a part of professional sports, the time is here. More and more gay and lesbian athletes are not afraid to hide what they’ve been hiding for years. Good luck Michael in the NFL.

Here are some other links with videos coverage of Michael Sam's draft experience.

http://espn.go.com/nfl/draft2014/story/_/id/10913755/2014-nfl-draft-michael-sam-drafted-st-louis-rams-seventh-round

http://abcnews.go.com/US/rams-make-michael-sam-openly-gay-player-drafted/story?id=23667100

http://news.sky.com/story/1259825/michael-sam-kiss-goes-viral-as-nfl-player-fined

Title Fight at Fatburger

Floyd Mayweather Jr.

Who would have thought that on a Sunday night in Las Vegas, you could go down to your local Fatburger restaurant and catch a title fight featuring Floyd “Money “ Mayweather Jr. Floyd Mayweather is considered by many to be one of if not the best boxer to ever lace up a pair of boxing gloves. He has an unblemished record of 46-0, 26 of those wins coming via KO. His ability to adapt to a fight and counter punch his opponent are virtually unmatched. The only problem is that this fight wasn’t on Pay-Per-View, HBO, or even Showtime.  It was literally at a Fatburger restaurant on the Las Vegas strip.

Now you might be thinking to yourself, who in their right mind would be dumb enough to challenge a man who hands are registered lethal weapons? That man is none other than Clifford Joseph Harrison Jr. Who? Well… you might know him better as T.I., the rapper.



According to TMZ (http://www.tmz.com/2014/05/25/t-i-mayweather-fight-video-vegas-about-tiny-fatburger-wife-stabbing/), the incident started when T.I.’s wife Tameka “Tiny” Cottle posted pictures on Instagram of her with the world champ and his daughter. What allegedly pushed T.I. over the edge was that Tiny called Floyd Mayweather’s daughter her “new boo”. T.I. was very upset with Tiny because he felt disrespected that she would post those types of pictures. T.I. decided to confront the champion and that’s when a brawl broke out. Chairs and punches were thrown between both entourage. Both T.I. and Floyd left before the authorities arrived at the scene.



Tiny & her "new boo"

There is no question that most people get their sport news through what is consider to be traditional sports media like ESPN, FOX Sports, or their local newspaper. But, there is a new wave of media that is taking the world by storm. With Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, and Tumblr, social media is newest and hottest way for everyone to get information right at their fingertips. Social media is the perfect way that fans are able to stay connected with their favorite athletes, teams, or organization. Though social media has a lot of benefits, you can also see from this example that social media can get athletes in trouble. Isn’t it amazing that T.I. was so heated because his wife posted picture for all her followers to see. Tons of athletes will post their thoughts and feelings on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter and then later regretting their comments.  A good example is Matt Barnes from the Los Angeles Clipper. He made some comments about his teammate Blake Griffin after he was fined for by the NBA for a fight that broke out during a game. He was later remorseful for his comment and released an apology to the Clippers organization, the NBA, and his teammate Blake Griffin.