Following the Big Aristotle
November 25, 2008 by Ryan
The Diesel…
The Big Aristotle…
The Big Daddy…
The Big Shaqtus…
The Big Baryshnikov…
Shaquille O’Neal!
I remember when he first came into the league he made a huge impact, most memorably because he would always break the back boards. I remember even more fondly when he came to the Lakers and we went on a tear and won three straight championships! Of course there was the Kobe feuds, which I think the media way over-hyped and unfortunately led to the breakup of one of the best dynasties in recent memory. He went to Miami and delivered on his promise to bring a championship. Then he came to Phoenix, stepping into a system that many doubted he could fit in, but got slim and fit and sure enough ran right along Steve Nash. This year he is one of Hollingers top surprises of the season.
He impacted the league in a big way and he’s just stepped into a new league where he could have a huge impact…Twitter. Twitter? I would imagine many of you have never heard of it. Maybe you’ve heard me go off about it but didn’t really get it. My quick explanation is it’s somewhere in between instant messaging, texting & blogging. I could/should/will write a whole post about Twitter and how cool it is, but this post is about @the_real_shaq! Unlike some of the accounts on Twitter (Britney Spears aka @therealbritney & Barack Obama aka @barackobama) who have staffs doing posts, @the_real_shaq IS the real Shaq! Here’s some fun things I’ve seen since I’ve been following his updates:
- Shaq called one of his early followers who doubted it was really him and then invited him to a game! Here’s a story Mashable did about it.
- Shaq asking where he should go to Subway or Schlotsskys. He chose Subway, so I went too! Could be a huge marketing campaign to have what Shaq orders up at Subway. I guess he’d have to eat there everyday which I don’t know if I could do.
- Shaq and @PhoenixSunsGirl took pics at their “Twitter Tutorial”. She introduced him to Twitter. Still trying to get them to get Steve Nash on.
- Watching my friend Nate (@mollermarketing) campaigning to get Shaq to follow him…only to have him do it! He even gave him a few shout outs which will be huge for Nate!
I think Shaq coming to Twitter could have huge implications in bringing it into the mainstream. Check it out!
Don’t forget to follow me! @ryansmiller
Angels Step Up
July 29, 2008 by Ryan
For a couple of years now the Angels have held on to their talent pool so tightly, it started to frustrate their fanbase. I suspect they have been taking a page out of Oakland’s Moneyball, being in the same division. Finally, today, the Angels stepped up and dealt for a huge piece in pursuit of the Championship, dealing Casey Kotchman and a minor league pitcher for Mark Teixeira! He’s the power the Angels have needed to get over the top.
As it is, they are at the top! a full 3.5 games over the Chicago Cubs for the best record in the majors. Almost more meaningful is their recent dominance over the Red Sox, sweeping the last series and winning last night!
This is our year!
Remnants of the Bash Bros.
July 15, 2008 by Ryan
Down goes Canseco! War at the Shore: Vai Sikahema vs. Jose Canseco
It took all of a minute and a half for the 5′9″ BYU great, Vai Sikahema, to knock out the 6′4″ A’s great, Jose Canseco. The celebrity boxing match was put on for a good cause and Vai donated his $5,000 purse to the family of a Philadelphia police who was killed in the line of duty, according to Sikahema’s NBC affiliate where he works as a Philadelphia Eagles correspondent.
Here’s a video link to segments of the fight and here’s a great interview of Vai by a Utah radio station.
Let’s Do This Again Next Year
June 18, 2008 by Ryan
Congrats to Paul Pierce, Ray Allen, and Kevin Garnett & Danny Ainge. I am glad to see them win. At least it’s not the Spurs or the Pistons.
There’s a good chance we can be doing this again next year. I don’t see the Celtics going anywhere. The Lakers will get Andrew Bynum back and probably pick up a few more defensive pieces. So, I hope this really is the start to another Lakers-Celtics Rivalry.
But the basketball season is over! I don’t want to hear anymore about it till next year. Go Angels!
The Best Thing About Kobe
May 24, 2008 by Ryan
He’s the best player in the world. He is the current MVP. He can “manage the game [and] can get off at any time…” Doesn’t matter who guards him (even the defensive specialist dirtiest player in the league, Bruce Bowen). Doesn’t matter how many people guard him. In my opinion, he’s just as good as Jordan and maybe even better! (Debate for another post)
But that’s not the best thing about Kobe.
To explain, let me refer to a baseball movie, Fever Pitch. In the movie, the Sox just lost the game that put them down 0-3 in the playoffs and Jimmy Fallon and his buddies are at a bar. They are mourning their teams situation, thoroughly depressed. They look over and see several of the Sox players “eating”. How can they be eating like it’s just another game?! Jimmy Fallon has a revelation that these players have “perspective”. It’s just a game…blah blah blah.
My point. As a fan, I don’t want perspective! I want my teams to win! Every game! Every championship! Every year! Which brings me to the best thing about Kobe. He wants to win as much as I do! He wants to win every game. And no other player can also deliver like he does! But when he loses, you know he’s just as disappointed as you are as a fan with “no perspective”. And that’s just it. You can put your loyalty, love, fanaticism on Kobe and never be let down. You may lose every now and then, but you know that Kobe gave everything and is just as pissed as you are.
On the court he’s the real life superhero you fantasize being. I wish I could fly. He can. I wish I could hit every impossible shot with a sick move and a hand right in my face. He does every game! You want to vicariously be the best in the world? Become a fan of Kobe Bryant!
Yep, Everyone’s Dirty…Now What?
December 14, 2007 by Ryan
Here’s a great question:
Which is worse? Barry Bonds who has hit a ton of homeruns, won NL MVP 7 times, and holds one of the most hallowed records in baseball or Roger Clemens who has tossed a ton of K’s, won 7 Cy Young Awards, and 2 World Series rings
- Micah Bate
Let me just say that I called Clemens! We all knew the Mitchell Report would be big and it is. Tons of names. Tons of big names. It kind of pains me to see my childhood hero Wally Joyner on there, but, as I have stated in other posts, it was a different time. I’m not saying it’s right. I’m not saying the players are less to blame than the trainers or the owners or the commissioner. Hopefully, this presents a big enough shakeup to where real changes can be made to prevent the use of performance enhancing substances.
I still say that you can’t asterisk the whole era! I would not be a baseball fan today if it weren’t for that era! And I don’t think many of you would. But that can be debated and quarreled over, the more important point now is: Let’s make the right changes and MOVE ON!
Update
Here’s a great quote I found from Bro. Murphy on ESPN:
It’s disappointing and discouraging, but this is the moment baseball has been waiting for to shock us into action. Now we have a golden opportunity to quit the fighting between the union and the owners and, like Sen. Mitchell said, turn the testing over to a truly independent agency that can help solve this problem. It’s an opportunity I hope baseball doesn’t miss. We can still change the culture of baseball.
- Dale Murphy, seven-time NL All-Star and two-time MVP. Since retiring in 1993, Murphy runs “I Won’t Cheat,” a grassroots foundation aimed at helping America’s youth make the right choices when it comes to cheating and performance-enhancing drugs.
The Bonds Indictment
November 16, 2007 by Ryan
There is a great deal of vindictiveness surrounding the Bonds indictment. Some feel that he deserves to be “thrown into the bay.” Some feel that he should be castigated for all time. I tend to agree with Curveball City, “This is not something to be happy about.”
I think I view the whole Steroids Era a little different than the general public (Here is a quote from my “Mark McGuire Deserves the Hall of Fame” post:
You say, “But the balls & the players were juiced.”
I say, “I don’t care!”
That’s what we wanted needed to see! Steroids got out of hand, I agree. When it gets into the high schools, that’s bad. But at the time there wasn’t that stigma. You can’t punish one without punishing all during that period and I don’t think we should. Ask yourself this, would you be a baseball fan if it weren’t for Mark McGwire?
Would baseball be around if it weren’t for the Steroids Era? And don’t try and separate the two, Bonds & the whole era. Bonds stands out for several reasons: Read more
I Think I Crossed A Line
November 12, 2007 by Ryan
Have you ever done something that you know is going to stir up a hornets nest? There are things that you can do and things that you can’t do to sports fans…and I think I crossed the line with one of the most stubborn dedicated A’s fans. It’s my cousin Sean. He was lamenting on his site, Curveball City, about how badly Bay Areas sports have performed as of late.
I’m normally not this cruel, but you have to understand that their loyalty to the A’s is amazing! It doesn’t matter how many times the Angels beat them, the A’s “are better.” And I don’t hate the A’s to be honest. I think it’s amazing what they do for the money! I’m reading Moneyball! I think that walk-off bunt was a thing a beauty a few years back! But they’re root for the Yankees or the Red Sox before they’ll root for the Angels (a least as far as I know). So yeah, I took the opportunity to pour some salt. I commented on their latest post:
Sean,
I have an offer to make you:
Right now you are in LA for law school. I am offering you the ability to become a SoCal sports fan. No questions asked. We’ll overlook any conflicting past allegiances and you can be welcomed in with no “fair-weather” stigmas attached.
Think about it. And let us know!
Ryan
PS
Joe Torre’s coming to town…why not become a Dodgers fan!?
That last jab should be particularly offensive courtesy of Kirk Gibson.
I am just bracing for the backlash.
What a Time to be from Boston!?
October 31, 2007 by Ryan
I was rooting for the Rocks, but that was just silly. So much for another 80+ year drought. The worst part of the Red Sox winning is all the new Red Sox fans! Don’t think that buying a worn-in hat is gonna fool anyone! Here’s an example of why I don’t want more of them:
At an Angels game. Playing the Red Sox. Somewhere in the 6th inning all the Red Sox fans start chanting, “Yankees Suck! Yankees Suck!”
WHAT?! What does this game having anything to do with the Yankees!? Get the freakin’ chip off your shoulder!
Maybe that will be one positive about the Sox winning again…the Sox can get over their inferiority complex to the Yanks.
But man! What a time to be a Bostonian!? The Sox are champs. The Pats are being talked about being the “best offensive team ever,” not to mention that defense! (Looking forward the Super Bowl XLI and 1/2 this Sunday) And then the Celts get Ray Allen AND Kevin Garnett! Too bad the Bruins aren’t going to do anything.
It takes me back to when the Lakers were in the middle of their three-peat, the Angels had just won the World Series, and the Ducks were streaking all the way to the Stanley Cup Finals. Ahhh, good times!
Go Rockies!
October 7, 2007 by Ryan
We got swept! Stupid! Ridiculous!
Why didn’t we play for home field advantage? We had best record and let it slip away.
Momentum is way more important than resting players and setting rotation. Look at the Rockies! They rattled off 11 wins in a row and won something like 14 of 15 to end the season, and now look at what they are doing to the Phillies! Beth’s family is from Colorado so…
Go ROCKIES!
