BY MICHAEL GOODPASTER
It’s the time of year where sports are kind of awesome. There seems to be tons of huge stories popping up, big games, futures being molded, and controversy being spread throughout. The days of wins and losses are over. It’s now wins, losses, fame, PR, merchandising, performance enhancing junkies, contract disputes, and criminal charges. I wanted to touch base on a few things.
UFC is turning into the WWE. It’s all but a sure thing now. The theatrics and characters are starting to show up in full force. There is a difference between someone who has an eccentric personality and someone who is putting on a show. More and more UFC fighters are putting on the show. Eventually someone will figure out its more beneficial for everyone if a result goes one way as opposed to another. Not so surprising, I find myself more interested in UFC right now than ever. It’s not much, but still.
The NFL had a Draft. I’ve not kept up on every team and stat like I used to while doing fantasy football, but the Jets sure do like quarterbacks. They just can’t get enough of em’. My Chicago Bears drafted Howie Long’s son, which will at least make the preshows more interesting. The NFL is really changing. The role of the running back is being pushed away in favor of an all passing league. Before too long they won’t need kickers and the seasons will consist of one 5 minute quarter flag football game between two robots controlled by trained scientists from remote locations a hundred miles away. The NFL should stand for “No Fun Left”. There is at least SOME good in the world though. Tebow did in fact the boot. At this point I’m not even sure if he was a real person. He very well may have been a hologram created by a marketing company. His lack of stats make it hard to argue that, doesn’t it?
Speaking of “no fun”, the WWE is lame. I watch every Monday and keep up on the news and info every single day. I am a routine fan. Sadly, right now it’s a drag to watch. It’s just really boring and stale. I’m thrilled that Dolph Ziggler has the belt and that The Shield is getting tons of awesome moments so soon in their run, but those little parts are buried in a show full of movie trailers, John Cena propaganda, and recaps of recaps. I want to chalk it up to “post-mania depression” because after being built up for Mania for months there has to be a down time. I WANT to chalk it up to this, but no. It’s just boring.
Keeping up with the “boring” theme, MLB exists.
It’s the time of year in Chicagoland where people pretend they’re Chicago Blackhawk’s biggest fan. Seriously. No one REALLY watches hockey. If you claim you do, you’re using it to cover up for something else. You hate your life, your wife, you’re using the games as an excuse to meet up with a fling, you have underworld dealings to take care, or maybe you just like seeing people fight but HATE it when it’s organized. Who knows? It’s the Playoffs! This means in a few weeks a whole bunch of roofer-looking guys with beards in long sleeved football jerseys are going to have an orgy with a keg looking “trophy”. I literally couldn’t tell you who won the Stanley Cup in ANY year.
The NBA is where it’s at. There is tons of crap to focus on there. They’re in the Play Offs too, but it’s half fun. The teams that didn’t make it have all seemingly fired their coaches, the first openly gay play is well,… open, and my Chicago Bulls are still in it. Well, at least as I write this. I’m going to be realistic and give my prediction for the Bulls. They’ll end up playing Miami in the next round. Chicago wins! I have nothing to lose by proclaiming that the Chicago Bulls will defeat the Miami Heat in the second round of the NBA Playoffs. You heard it here first, ladies.
I want Derrick Rose to come back. I wanted him back at Christmas, the All Star break, after, and even for the start of the Play Offs. There are so many little things about this situation that bother me. There are the obvious ones of “he’s making a trillion dollars to sit out”, the “he’s been cleared for months, why not play?!”, his brother basically saying his teammates weren’t worth him coming back, his agent BJ Armstrong’s involvement, Rose sitting on the bench riiiiiight around the time season tickets went on sale, the insurance money the Bulls get back on Rose for him not playing the whole season, Rose’s teammates killing themselves to still play while he is scared, and yes there is no other way to describe this. It’s fear. He’s being overly cautious and doesn’t seem to want to risk it. That’s fear. You can say it’s justified, but there are too many of those “little things” to not have any answer other than “it’s in God’s hands”. What about that little kid who after begging for years and dreaming night after night about going to his first game? He goes and his favorite player is dunking and having a good time during warm-ups, but doesn’t play. What about those season ticket holders? What about the kid who got Rose’s adidas shoes this year? If I was in that playground I’d make fun of him and I’m a diehard Bulls fan. I want to be Derrick Rose’s biggest fan. He’s an outstanding player, but you have to question things now. Now that we’ve had a year without him, it’s clear he’s not the leader we needed. He’s too quiet. Chicago needs a superstar to carry things forward. Someone who’ll show passion, emotion, and add some excitement to the city. Someone who won’t leave things in the hands of “God” and go out there and do their best. At least we got Noah.
Stupid sports.
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