A double Battle of Alberta and the NFL adds another ref

From where I sit it looks like it's a unique day in Edmonton...

via calgaryherald.com

The Oil Kings and Oilers are playing a Battle of Alberta double-header. It's not just that Edmonton and Calgary are facing each other twice in the same day on the same ice, it's the massive difference between the four teams. Both the Hitmen and Oil Kings are battling at the top of their conference, while the Flames and Oilers are two of the worst teams in the NHL. What strikes me about this is that while, the Oil Kings and Hitmen are at or near the top in attendance, they are playing no where near capacity. Both the Oilers and Flames are constantly playing to full houses with almost a guarantee of disappointment. To top it all off the WHL tickets are massively cheaper. A pair of lower bowl tickets to either team are about 45 dollars. You can't get in the door for that in the NHL. Hockey fans in both cities need to realize the highest quality of hockey isn't always in the NHL.

The NFL is looking to add another set of eyes to their officiating crews...

via csmonitor.com

The eight man referee experiment starts next pre-season and I'm expecting it to be added fully the year after. The athletes are getting ever bigger and faster, making life increasingly difficult for the refs. At the same time, training must play a big factor. It's all well and good to have more people watching for infractions. However, if they aren't properly trained and don't fully understand the rules, what difference will this make? The past couple of season we have seen some flagrantly blown calls. And it's not just the play being missed, but the refs flat out getting the rules wrong. It wouldn't matter if there were a dozen officials on the field, if they don't know the rules it won't make any difference. All that being said, they still get the calls right the vast majority of the time. With the speed of the game it's amazing that they pick up on the fly, what many of us can only see on slow motion replay.

At least that's how I see it...and I sit in the cheap seats.

Whining starts as NHL trade deadline nears

From where I sit it looks like at least a couple NHLers have asked for trades...

via thestar.com

I have a bit of a divided opinion on this. One the one hand, the general public is free to look for other jobs if they are unhappy with their current situation. Don't like your boos? Look for another job. Sometimes it's not that simple, but the option is always there. What do players have apart from asking to be traded? That being said, they are getting paid millions to play a game. The two biggest names right now are Martin St Louis and Ryan Kesler. Both having allegedly asked for trades. In Kesler's case the writing is on the wall for the Canucks. They are getting old and struggling mightily to score goals, as it stands Vancouver could miss the playoffs altogether. St Louis is another story. The Lightning remain a strong contender in the East. In fact, much of his discontent seems to stem from his 'snub' from Team Canada. That's pathetic. Every Canadian players wanted to be on that team. Add to that he ended up making the team anyway. Further to that rumour has it St Louis only wants to be traded to the Rangers. Quite frankly, I would like to see Steve Yzerman force St Louis to stay in Tampa Bay, at least until the end of the season. It's hard to feel sympathy for anyone making that much money to play a game.

At least that's how I see it...and I sit in the cheap seats.

Another boring NFL Combine

From where I sit it looks like the NFL has wrapped up it's most pointless off-season activity...

via bleacherreport.com

The NFL combine is a wonderful way to fill up time on the NFL Network and keeps the league in the news, but apart from that it's boring. What did we learn from this year's activities? Not much. Johnny Manziel refused to do any throwing. Jadeveon Clowney is fast. Hardly shocking stuff. A number of these activities are useful, but the two biggest are almost useless. Running the 40 and benching 225 mean nothing to the game. Yes, it's good to be a fast runner in the NFL. But when was the last time you saw a lineman running 40 yards down field in an arrow straight line? Or a DB running forward at all? I don't care if a MLB can bench 225 50 times, can he read the play? Can the Center see blitz packages and call blocking schemes? There's only one way to figure all that out. Watch them play. I'm not saying abolish the combine. It has several good tests and is a chance for teams to meet with prospective talents. But it's not the be-all-and-end-all of football scouting. Just ask the Seahawks.

At least that's how I see it...and I sit in the cheap seats.

MLB takes another step to keep players safe

From where I sit it looks like MLB is trying to make the game safer...

Yes, there are people complaining about it, but honestly what difference will this make? How many collisions are there in a normal week? One or two. Maybe. Sure, it's exciting. Much in the same way it's exciting to watch a massive pile-up in NASCAR. You hope nobody gets hurt and that you're favourite player isn't involved. Out side of that, it has nothing to do with the game. Purists will argue that it's always been part of the game, so why make a change. Remember, once upon a time batters didn't wear helmets and pitchers could use a spit ball. Yet the game has changed for the better. Watching stars like Buster Posey get carted off the field does nothing for the game. The catcher's equipment is designed to protect them, at least mildly from the ball, not from players. Football and hockey players wear protection against physical contact. Catchers don't. This isn't going to end plays at the plate. Just flying elbows.

At least that's how I see it...and I sit in the cheap seats.

Canada dominates and Backstrom gets a needless suspension

From where I sit it looks like this was the best Team Canada ever iced...

via montrealgazette.com

Sure 1972 and 1987 saw some of the greatest players ever. 2010 was thrilling, complete with hammering the Russians. But each saw their speed bumps along the way to a dramatic finish. But this was domination. Three goals in six games. None in the last eight-plus periods. It was so simple, but ever so complex. Convince the best players to accept short shifts and defend. Back-check hard and trust the offence will score enough to win. Five of the top 10 scorers in the NHL combined for 8 points (3-5). Shea Weber (3-3) and Drew Doughty (4-2) tied for the team lead in scoring with 6, Jeff Carter was the top forward with 5 (3-2). In Vancouver, Canada had five players with 7 or more points. However, every member bought into the Mike Babcock system. They played their best when it mattered most. This was, simply put, the best Team Canada we've ever seen. By the time the final arrived there was no doubt Canada was going to win.

I do have a couple thoughts on Nicklas Backstrom missing out on the gold medal game...

via espn.go.com

For starters it wouldn't have made any difference in the outcome. Secondarily, this was a needless, stupid suspension. And, no, I'm not blaming the IOC for this. They have their rules. It's up to the athlete and, more importantly, the doctors to know what everyone is allowed to take. I'm not an athlete, but even I know Pseudoephedrine is banned. After initially being banned, it was monitored between 2004 and 2009, before being banned again starting in 2010. I do feel bad for Backstrom. He trusted that the doctors knew what was allowed, clearly they didn't. There's plenty of blame for this and most of it belongs with the Swedish Olympic Committee for not knowing what was happening in their own camp.

At least that's how I see it...and I sit in the cheap seats.

Hardly surprising that controversy erupts at Sochi

From where I sit it looks like there is controversy over figure skating in the Olympics...

via olympics.cbc.ca

There is also skates, ice, fancy costumes and music. Is anyone surprised that there's whining about scores? As long as it's a judged competition there will be question marks about what happened. It's something that the world at large only really pays attention to every 4 years. But, there are always questions raised about judging. To a degree it's good that people aren't afraid to call out the judges and question whether marks are deserved. However, this is something that happens in all judged events. It's subjective. It could be the Olympics, summer or winter, the X-Games, even dog shows are judged. This is one person's opinion on what happened. I will give figure skating credit for trying to fix their system, sadly it will never be perfect. Until someone writes a computer program that can grade objectively there will be problems. However, to hear an athlete start griping about how she was screwed and finished 7^th is amusing. I'm not an expert on figure skating, but if you aren't doing hard enough jumps don't be surprised if you don't win.

At least that's how I see it...and I sit in the cheap seats.

Time to shrink the rink at the Olympics

From where I sit it looks like there needs to be a major change to the hockey tournament at the Olympics...

via commons.wikipedia.org

Specifically, the size of the rink. I'm not trying to downplay the skill of the players in the last 2 weeks, but the quality of play. Sure, the USA-Canada game was thrilling, in fact all three of them were. The USA-Russia game was great too. But, for the most part the games have been uninspiring. A lot of clogging the middle of the ice, keeping chances to the outside. Yes, it meant that every team was in every game. But that was more thanks to the mind-numbing level of defence, as opposed to deserving skill. Hockey is the fastest team game on the planet, sadly that speed is completely lacking on international ice. Try looking at the numbers. So far in there have been 133 goals scored in the 46 games (excluding medal games). That's 2.8 goals a game. Nearly a full goal per game less than Vancouver (3.6). In terms of individual teams, everyone has lower goal totals. Russia, had 16 in Vancouver and 13 this year. Highly defensive Switzerland produced a satisfying 11 goals in 2010, compared to a paltry 3 in Sochi. It's time the IOC took a careful look at the size of the ice and what impact it's having on the quality of hockey.  Until they do that we will remain stuck with bland hockey at supposedly the highest level of competition. 

At least that's how I see it...and I sit in the cheap seats.

A fantastic end to the women's gold medal game

From where I sit it looks like the world was treated to an amazing display of hockey...

via news.yahoo.com

Canada and the USA put on a show that has given the womens game it's first 'where were you?' moment. Henderson, Lemieux, Crosby, even names like Sittler and Bossy have their place in the lore of Canadian hockey. Now Poulin has added her name to that list. There had never been a game at this level to produce a finish this stirring. Yes, there have been many dramatic finishes at the Worlds, but this is the Olympics. The world was watching, and we got our moneys worth. Both teams were at their finest. Sadly, the same can't be said for the officiating. It was decent at the best. Awful at the worst. And in overtime it was terrible. Yes, the call against Ward was a penalty. Should it have been called? Probably not. The first American penalty (Lamoureux) was nothing more than a make-up call. All that lead up to the necessary call against Hillary Knight, all of which could have been prevented by a non-call against Ward. In spite of that, it was still a fantastic game.

At least that's how I see it...and I sit in the cheap seats.

Two scintillating match-ups at the Olympics

From where I sit it looks like we get a pair of delightful semi-final games...

To be honest there isn't a result going either way in either game that would really shock me. These are 4 of the top six ranked hockey countries, In fact, calling the Finland victory of Russia an upset is taking a lot away from the Fins. They are a quality team with great cohesion. Which is way more than can be said of Russia. The Russians saw the Olympics as a return to international prominence. Even from the outset I couldn't see Russia getting a medal. They lack solid coaching, top defence and a team mentality. Meanwhile, Canada can't score. They are getting chances by the boatload and simply can't score. The game against Latvia was another prime example of that. Sure, the Latvian goalie was pulling a Bernier, but that doesn't preclude the fact that Canada hasn't been able to score much in any of their games. The US and Sweden have been on cruise control clean the way through the tournament and deserve to appear in the final. Sadly, in a single knockout tournament none of that matters. It's all about the next game. Beautiful simplicity. Just win.

At least that's how I see it...and I sit in the cheap seats.

Canada to meet USA in gold medal game

From where I sit it looks like the promised match-up is coming in women's hockey...

via businessweek.com

Let's face it, this is exactly what we all wanted to see for the gold medal in Sochi. These two teams simply hate each other. I know that's a cliche, but I can't think of a better description. It's the result of being the two best teams, with little to no other viable competition. The only real complaint that I can think of is, I wish this was a best-of-5, or better yet a best-of-7. One other thing, can we please have competent officiating? These are the two best women's teams in the world. There's no reason we can't have the best referees. And, yes if that means a Canadian or American so be it. I would even be fine with a male ref, but please I don't want to be left shaking my head at some phantom call or worse yet a steady stream of inconsistent calls. It's the gold medal game, I want gold medal officiating.

At least that's how I see it...and I sit in the cheap seats.

NBA jerseys will have ads; deal with it

From where I sit it looks like the NBA is set to make lots more money...

via msn.foxsports.com

To be honest I don't really have a problem with ads on jerseys. It's going to be a necessary evil if leagues want to keep their tickets affordable. The NHL is quickly heading out of the average fan's price range and the NBA isn't far behind. It's going to be a revenue stream that helps keep prices lower. I'm not naive enough to believe that prices wont go up, but even if it saves a bit of money, go for it. It's been like this in Europe for years. Every club side has a sponsor on their chest. It will take a while for North American fans to get used to. But given the number of ads on the side of a race car, it won't take long. All that being said, it does need to be done right. I want to still be able to see my teams logo on their jersey, not Wal-Mart. I don't want to tune into a game and have the uniforms look like a billboard exploded. In other words...not this:

via barstoolsports.com

At least that's how I see it...and I sit in the cheap seats.

Petty is correct with his assessment of Patrick

From where I sit it looks like Richard Petty is right...

It's got nothing to do with sexism. It's got to do with an accurate assessment of driving acumen. Danica Patrick is not a top flight racer. In the past decade she has been in 238 races with 1 win. Motgei in Japan in 2008. Patrick has had 6 poles, 3 fastest laps and 6 podium finishes. That's it. In a decade. As comparison, Simona de Silvestro in the last 5 years has produced 5 wins and 6 podiums. It should also be noted that de Silvestro has just signed on with Formula 1's Sauber with an eye on making her debut next season. My daughter will be watching carefully to see how she does. Yes, Danica is a great role model for young girls wanting to get into racing. There's no question about that. However, she should be open to criticism just like the other drivers on the track. The fact that Petty's comments immediately provoked accusations of sexism, as opposed to agreement shows there's still a long way to go before equality is reached.

At least that's how I see it...and I sit in the cheap seats.

The US and Russia create Olympic memories, if you were awake

From where I sit it looks like Sochi saw a classic hockey game today...

via krdo.com

It was dramatic, exciting, saw some controversy and a dramatic finish. T.J. Oshie starred in the shootout, taking 6 shots, scoring 4 times. Thrilling to watch. At least for anyone who was up. I wasn't. I woke up in time to read all about the game. So did most of the west coast. At least people in the eastern time zone got to see the game. It's going to be just as bad in Pyongchang. For example, the eastern time zone is GMT -5, pacific is -8. Pyongchang is +9. Meaning there's a 7 to 10 hour time difference. Yes, this is a great example of high quality hockey and does a great job promoting the game. Provided you saw it. And further to that, after next Sunday, we won't see it again. Not because the NHL is back, but because the NHL doesn't have any control over the video or images. If the league could take this and do something with it, it would be great. But they can't. The IOC has all the control. Until the NHL gets major concessions on that front, I can't see the league wanting it's players half a world away to get basically nothing out of it.

At least that's how I see it...and I sit in the cheap seats.

proposed rule makes NCAA look idiotic

From where I sit it looks like the NCAA is thinking about making a bizarre rule change...

For starters I can't really understand how a team can be called for a delay of game when you aren't actually doing anything to delay the game. But that's arguing semantics. The real point is quite simple: this is a stupid idea. Even by their own admission, it's pretty much unnecessary, since it's rare for teams to get a play off that quickly anyway. This sounds like a rule that was dreamed up by someone in an office. Given that the number of plays starting that quickly is rare, by extension the number of injuries must be bordering on non-existent. So, it's an needless rule in response to an imagined threat. This really leaves me questioning the decision to make this plan public. How many football people looked at this rule and agreed to it? I'm also wondering if there's another level to this...appeasement. Is this an effort to create an illusion of safety? A token gesture to assuage a public concerned about player protection? Whether the proposed rule is sincere or just a smoke screen, neither o them preclude the fact that it's just plain dumb.

At least that's how I see it...and I sit in the cheap seats.

Stop complaining about attendance in Sochi

From where I sit it looks like there aren't many people in Sochi...

via brunchnews.com

There are chunks of empty seats at many events. Let's be honest, this isn't a new problem. London had the same issues. I was at a hockey playoff game and a medal ceremony at the Vancouver games where there were empty seats. Both those events were theoretically sold out. There are so many issues when it comes to security and transportation this shouldn't be a surprise. It's like that at basically every Olympics. Even the largest city can't be fully prepared for the influx of people and security. If organizers say they've sold most of the tickets, I believe them. There certainly aren't many left on their website.  If fans can't make it out to events, I'm not surprised. In Vancouver, over a million people were taking transit in and out of the downtown core every day. Some times people will miss a connection, or get there late. My ticket package included a curling draw. I could have easily skipped (no pun intended) curling altogether. I'm not a huge fan of the sport and the ticket itself was only $20. I did go. And had a blast. But others might not have gone. For all the criticism, a good chunk of it justified, leveled at the Sochi games, organizers and Russian government in general, attendance is a minor detail.

At least that's how I see it...and I sit in the cheap seats.

Don't expect NHLers in South Korea

From where I sit it looks like at least one group wants the NHL back inthe Olympics...

via olympic.ca

But at the same time it's hardly surprising that's what the IIHF is after. It promotes the game, and is high quality hockey. However, it comes at a steep price for the NHL. A three week break in the schedule, combined with the compressed season the league has to run is taking it's toll. There have been a number of injuries to star players this season, including some stars massing out on the games altogether. How many of those could be chalked up to over taxing the body? Sure, Steven Stamkos has a broken leg, but Henrik Sedin doesn't. The NHL doesn't get any control over the images or video from the games either. Add to that the next games are in South Korea, and the following games won't be any closer. At best the Olympics returns to North America in 2026. At best. The teams make no money off the Olympics, and risk injury to their top players. I can't see them being too enthused about going back, not without a lot of concessions.

At least that's how I see it...and I sit in the cheap seats.

NCAA star comes out

From where I sit it looks like tolerance in the NFL is going to be tested...

via autostraddle.com

We all knew this was coming. Now it's up to the pro teams to take a look and make a big decision. Specifically, if Sam fits with their defensive scheme. He's the SEC Defensive Player of the Year. He should be a great addition to either a defensive line or linebacking corps. Sure, there will be a circus that comes with picking him, but what's the reward? A great player. It was inevitable that a top athlete in a major sport would come out. It's also inevitable that he will be drafted. It might not be in the first round, but he will be drafted. That will be history making. Than comes the real work. Making the team. Assuredly, there will be complaints, comments, and hate sent Sam's way. But, once upon a time the same was done with black players. It took a brave team to sign Jackie Robinson. And a manager willing to play him. Once that happens it will only be a matter of time before it's a regular occurrence and nobody will care any more. But first will come the day when a coach has to summon his inner Leo Durocher speaking of Robinson joining the Dodgers, “I do not care if the guy is yellow or black, or if he has stripes like a fuckin' zebra. I'm the manager of this team, and I say he plays.”

At least that's how I see it...and I sit in the cheap seats.

Changes needed to Olympics events

From where I sit it looks like the Olympics has a couple too many sports...

via showtimetickets.com

As much as it pains me to say this, I really think women's hockey should be changed. Until the teams are closer in skills it's almost embarrassing. Canada blitzed Switzerland with 69 shots. If it wasn't for Florence Schelling pulling a Scrivens and keeping it close, this would have been worse. Even in the US-Finalnd game it wasn't until the 3^rd that Finland began to show signs of life. How about 2 teams from Canada and the US, dilute the talent pool a bit for both nations. Something, anything, to keep the North American teams from look at the women's hockey tournament as the 'free' space on the bingo card.

Meanwhile, figure skating is already a joke...

via cbc.ca

It didn't take 36 hours for the conspiracy stories to begin. And given the history in all levels of the sport it's hardly surprising. Is there a solution? Not easily. How about judges from non-competing countries? Hell, train a bunch of judges from non-participating countries. Jamaica, for example. They already have athletes at the games. Send a couple judges too. I know that's not a great solution, but the current system is terrible. Out of all this, I honestly feel bad for Davis and White. They are a great ice dance team and quite possibly will deserve to win, but if they do there will be questions. And, even more than the unfair judging, that seems to be the deepest problem. A worthy champion surrounded by debate as to whether it was earned.

At least that's how I see it...and I sit in the cheap seats.

Sochi security is watching everything

From where I sit it looks like Sochi is keeping a close eye on everyone...

via thestar.com

Maybe a bit too close. That's not just creepy, but scary. It's disgusting. It shouldn't be happening. Any where. All that being said, I can understand, at least partially, why they're doing it. Nobody wants a return to Munich. The terrorist threats are very real and Russia is doing everything it can to keep the world's athletes safe. And in that respect I'm fine with it. What would the outcry be like if there was an attack and it could have been prevented through tighter surveillance? At the same time, did we really hear the truth? Let's face it this isn't a transparent system. I wouldn't be at all surprised to find out there are cameras in literally every room. It also wouldn't come as a big shock to find out that the 'leak' was simply a ploy to have people think there are cameras everywhere. With a budget ballooning to over 50-billion dollars it's not hard to think there are cameras every couple feet. And with so many logistical problems, it's not hard to think even if they do have cameras everywhere they probably don't work.

At least that's how I see it...and I sit in the cheap seats.

National Signing Day is a joke and the Olympics are underway

From where I sit it looks like National Signing Day should be scrapped...

via ncsasport.org

It's bad enough these kids are facing the pressure of a full-ride scholarship, but does there really need to be a day of media coverage? The vast majority of them won't make the NFL, there's probably a good number who won't even make their college team. Quite literally they are children. They are wined and dined, shown a lifestyle they have never experienced, and then expected to make a rational decision. I know all the crap from the colleges will continue, whether the media is talking about it or not, but the less attention drawn to this the better. There should be focus on getting an education and life after football, not playing. The only positive I saw yesterday, was from Texas A&M. That is a classy move that didn't get enough coverage. They didn't have to honour a verbal agreement, but for Cedric Collins, it's guaranteed not only an education, but a future.

Meanwhile, the Olympics are underway in Sochi...

Outside of Canada getting off to a great start in moglus and and slopestyle, I actually felt good for the host Russians. I watched Evgeni Plushenko skate as part of the team competition. Not only was Plushenko called washed up, but some thought he shouldn't be on the team period. But to see him skating was a reminder of the skill he still has. It was also fun to watch him play to his home crowd. It brought memories back for me watching Canadians get the same charge in Vancouver. It's a reminder, if only a brief one, that the Olympics are about the competition, not the organizing committee.

At least that's how I see it...and I sit in the cheap seats.

Sochi isn't ready and the Broncos should have been

From where I sit it looks like the race to Sochi is going to the wire...

via breitbart.com

No, not for the athletes, for the organizers. The games officially start on Friday and it looks like half the place isn't ready. I'm not surprised the beds are small. That's pretty normal for European hotels. It's more the colour of the water and herds of dogs that are a concern. Corruption is rampant. Add to that human rights concerns and this is a recipe for disaster. Once the games start, coverage of the problems will fade to the background. Unless something major happens the focus will be on the athletes. And it should be. Given all that, questions should be raised with the IOC. More to the point, what the hell were they thinking in awarding these games? None of these issues are a real surprise. So, why was Russia given a job they were clearly not able to handle from the outset? Hopefully nobody gets sick from the water, or attacked by the dogs. Those should never be worries at any Olympics. On the plus side Pyongchang has an easy act to follow.

Meanwhile, there should be questions raised about the Broncos offense...

via blog.seattlepi.com

For all Richard Sherman runs his mouth, this revelation sounds quite plausible. How many plays were receivers met within seconds of catching the ball? How could Seattle have dismantled the most potent offense in league history in under 60 minutes? Sherman is telling the truth. They knew what was coming. I want to know why Denver didn't feel the need to change anything in their offensive scheme in two weeks. They had the time to do it. Clearly Seattle had some new plays. But, no, the Broncos sailed happy down the river assuring themselves that the best defense in football wouldn't be able to figure them out. Hubris. Arrogance. Stupidity. They all fit.

At least that's how I see it...and I sit in the cheap seats.

Seattle hammers Denver in the Super Bowl

From where I sit it looks like the Super Bowl was fun, at least to Seattle fans...

via bleacherreport.com

And they were pretty much the only ones enjoying it. As a Seahawks fan, I sure did. I bet that Peyton Manning will get the lions share of the blame for this debacle. And he certainly deserves some, but everyone in orange deserves some. He didn't get enough protection from his offensive line. On the pick six, Knowshon Moreno was the intended receiver, Moreno made little to no effort to go after the ball. The Broncos defence couldn't figure out how to stop Seattle's passing. And the Denver special teams didn't show up. There is the other side of the coin to the blow out...Seattle is a really good football team. They dominated every aspect of the game. It was a stark reminder that defence wins championships. One thing that really struck me late in the game was both teams making a concerted effort to run the clock out. Denver ended with all 3 timeouts remaining. Seattle was running on basically every play, even putting in back ups to make sure everyone got some playing time. Yes, it was a lop sided game, but as a Seahawks fan, I'm just fine with that.

At least that's how I see it...and I sit in the cheap seats.

Namath admits to having brain damage

From where I sit it looks like the NFL is again facing facing questions about the long-term health of it's players...

via nydailynews.com

What makes this different is that this isn't some offensive lineman. This isn't a peripheral player, this is Joe Namath. And he's not holding back. The amount of lasting damage sports can do to the brain and body is staggering. And now the NFL is having to deal with more revelations on Super Bowl Sunday. Good. It's something the league has been running from for a long time. If Namath is having issues, I would bet at least one of Bob Talamini, Randy Rasmussen, John Schmitt, Dave Herman or Jeff Richardson does too. Who are those guys? The Jets offensive line. They were taking more abuse to keep Namath from getting creamed. For all today's athletes are well (and over) paid the long-term impacts of sports like football and hockey aren't well known. It's only in the very recent past that science is starting to realize the amount of damage that is done to a body and that it's irreversible. I don't know what can be done. Better protection? Better training? Eliminating the 'macho' culture? All of the above? Namath is right. The human body wasn't made to take this level of abuse. Sadly it will be up to the public to protect athletes from themselves.

At least that's how I see it...and I sit in the cheap seats.

Welker walks out on interview

From where I sit it looks like Wes Welker needs to grow up...

 

I can sympathize with the players in all this, at least a little. I can't imagine what it's like to have this long a wait to play, with that many cameras recording every move. The litany of inane questions. Reporters who seem to have no idea what's actually happening in the game. I'm sure it's frustrating. But guess what, it's part of the game. I'm not a big fan of Michael Landsberg either, but that doesn't mean you can act that unprofessional. Chael Sonnen did the same thing and looked like an idiot too. But that doesn't preclude that fact that you are representing yourself, your team and your league. Act like it. It shouldn't matter if you're getting fed up with the interviewer, you suck it up and answer the questions. For all Richard Sherman has been pilloried for his post game interview, Welker should be given the same for storming off. At least Sherman gave the interview. Welker rolled his eyes and stormed off like a sulky 6-year-old. He might be a great receiver, but should be reminded how to catch fans.

At least that's how I see it...and I sit in the cheap seats.