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Mike Coulter

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Name: Private | Gender: | Member Since January 23, 2008
Current Level: All-Star | Email: Private
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Posted on: June 9, 2008 7:04 pm

Blog Cabin: Don't be 'that guy' at the game

From my life...

It doesn’t matter where I go, at every sporting event I attend, I always seem to sit next to “that guy”.

Now, I don’t mind people taking through a game, or screaming at the players. I don’t even mind the big, fat, smelly guy who’s had a few too many, and insists on a dancing the “shirtless shuffle” up and down the isle.

I’m fine with that, that’s what you expect when you go to a game.

What I don’t expect, is to see a couple ladies gossiping while knitting... and I have. In fact, it seems like most of the time, my “that guy” is a woman.

I’m not trying to say that women don’t belong at ballgames, or even that they don’t know the etiquette. By and large, women do just fine in the midst of the shirtless, sun-burned fat guys and over exuberant fantasy players. Most of them even know the game well enough to add something to the conversation that usually develops among the fans in your vicinity.

There are a few, though, that have no business anywhere near a sporting event. They drive me crazy! And why, God, do they always sound like Fran Drescher!?

The two knitters I mentioned before... Basically, they looked like fourth grade teachers, and they didn’t watch or say one word about the game. Not one! Of course, I did, unfortunately, get to hear about what Sally said to Marge, and why Anne’s granddaughter shouldn’t be dating that boy.

This type of thing has no place at the stadium, and I thoroughly believe that you should be able to call an usher and have them removed. After all, what if a foul ball came up there? These old hens could have been seriously hurt... and they probably would have freaked out and stabbed me in the neck with a knitting needle.

OK, the yarn-wielding grannies are maybe my best example, but I ran in to another of “those guys” yesterday at Dolphins Stadium.

The woman sitting right in front of me was probably in her mid-40s, but I could tell that most of those were hard years. At first, she just seemed like an average fan, but it didn’t take long for her to scare off the two guys sitting next to her.

I’m actually shocked that her date didn’t abandon her as well, because all she did was harass him about “smoking four cigarettes every time he went to get more beer”.

Self-medication, I’m sure.

By the third inning, it was full-on. She, for whatever reason, found it necessary to use her horse, nasaly voice to give play-by-play for the entire game.

If you can, imagine Joan Rivers as a baseball commentator, while holding her nose...

Yeah, it was brutal... and it would have driven me crazy, except for the first time, I figured out great way to combat the annoyingness.

I listened to her, and I imagined that she was the play-by-play voice.

“Oh, Keeen Greeffey hit a fowl bawl!”

“Oh, weeew, he made the catch ova theeer!”

I would have preferred not to have to role play through the entire game, but let me tell you, it made for one of the most hilarious games imaginable, and it was a small price to pay for the chance to catch No. 600.

In any case... Has anyone else had to deal with that guy or girl? I’m curious to hear some of the great stories from around the country.


From the Blogosphere...

Can Indiana make it to the NIT next season? While the NIT hardly seems important to many basketball fans, that's the question on The Teen Expert's mind. See what he predicts.

With the Greatest NFL Team of All Time complete, cirknick has decided to fill the void by putting together the Greatest Colts Team of All Time. This week: wide receivers.

Boziebob thinks that the NBA Playoffs are rigged, and to prove it, he sites the horrible disparity in free throws. Yeah right, Bob. Next you'll be telling me that boxing isn't legit.
Posted on: June 6, 2008 7:54 pm
Edited on: June 6, 2008 8:05 pm

Blog Cabin: Your sports weekend planner

In the news...

There’s no better feeling than the one you get when you’re leaving the office on Friday. Walking out to your car, knowing that you will soon be relaxing on your couch, or on a bar stool, with a cold one in your hand, and watching the best athletes on the planet do what they do.

You can stay up past your bedtime if you want, and you can sleep right through the time when you’re normally grabbing your second cup of coffee at the workplace. All you have to do is make sure that you’re up in time for the start of day baseball.

Sure, you may have to mow the lawn or run a few errands, but you gotta love the weekend.

Here’s my guide to this weekend in sports


Baseball


We’re all waiting to see if Griffey can get to 600. Heck, I’m even going to the Marlins vs. Reds game on Sunday, but, in all honesty, it could be August by the time it happens.

So, what else is going on in MLB?

Twins vs. White Sox

That’s right, the American League has two divisions besides the East, and this weekend the top two teams in the Central will battle. Neither team is playing spectacularly, but no division beats itself up like the AL Central. Also, if you haven’t seen Chicago’s young pitcher Gavin Floyd, you might want to take a peek on Sunday. We could have a budding superstar on our hands.

Angels vs. A’s
The top two teams in the AL West will also face off this weekend. Thanks to weak pitching, Saturday’s contest should be a slugfest. Sunday’s game, meanwhile, should have a much lower score, with aces Ervin Santana and Rich Harden taking the mound.

Yankees vs. Royals

I know these teams are nowhere near the top of their respective divisions, but Sunday will still bring us a pretty interesting storyline. Joba will take the mound for his second start, and it will be interesting to see if he’s able to improve from his last not-so-great outing. On the Kansas City side, Zack Grienke will try to bounce back from an awful last start.


Horse Racing

The 140th Belmont Stakes
In Saturday’s big race, Big Brown looks to become the first Triple Crown winner in 30 years. Ten horses will enter the starting gate, but can any of them beat the Big guy?

Millions of people will be watching and tens of thousands will be in attendance. Why wouldn't I want to watch what could be a great moment in sports history? This feat hasn't been accomplished in my lifetime, so if it happens, I want to see it.

This past week we've heard that Big Brown's hoof is fine, and that top-contender Casino Drive now has a bum foot. We’ve also heard that Hooters wants to get in on the action, by sponsoring the potential Triple Crown winner... which leads me to this funny note.

When the Hooters story came across the wire here in the newsroom, there was a series laughs around the office. The title: “Big Brown Hooters”. Lol... That’s still funny.

Let’s get to the race already!


NBA

Lakers vs. Celtics: Finals Game 2
After the Celtics beat the spread in game one, you would have expected that there would be a larger spread for game 2, right?

Wrong. The Lakers come in to the second contest as one-point underdogs.

We all know this will be a good game, and a good series. Basically, this is why people watch the NBA... or at least the NBA Finals. It’s the biggest names on the greatest stage, and in this case, it’s the resurrection of a long-dead rivalry.

Personally, I have a hard time believing that Boston will be able to hold off Kobe twice in a row... at least not if Bryant decides to shoot the ball in the fourth quarter this time. Man, some of his passes in game 1 were horrendous.

I’ll take the Lakers by six. Kobe scores 36.


Tennis

French Open Women’s Final
Dinara Safina will take on Ana Ivanovic on Saturday and, for those of you who don’t know, women’s tennis might be the only sport besides volleyball where the women are actually equally as entertaining as the men. On clay, especially, you can see an amazing variety of shots and angles. This match could help Ivanovic make her case as one of the best female players in the world.

Oh, and by the way, Ana, the bronzed goddess that she is, would make this worth watching even if both players were standing still. I mean... Wow.

French Open Men’s Final
On Sunday, the men take the stage... and it should be one for the ages. No. 1 Roger Federer goes up against arch-nemesis No. 2 Rafael Nadal, in the pair’s second French Finals meeting.

Federer is after his 13th major title, which would place him one behind the great Pete Sampras... but he’ll have his work cut out for him. Nadal owns Roger on clay. In fact, Federer is 1-8 versus Nadal on the red court, and 0-3 in the French Open.


From the Blogosphere...

Donbedouin has some interesting things you might not know about the 2008 Chicago Cubs. For instance, did you know that Ryan Theriot is in 6th place for the MLB batting title?

If you like to watch Cold Case or Law and Order, you might want to check out one of the most interesting blogs since the blogosphere's inception. Footballprophet brings us his Diary of a true Crime Scene Analyst... and that name should tell you everything you need to know about its subject.

The always-dependable PAOLO is back on the list, as he's once again recognized for his spectacular Marlins breakdowns. If you like the Fish, this is the place to be.
Posted on: June 4, 2008 7:28 pm
Edited on: June 4, 2008 7:33 pm

Blog Cabin: Who can't debate sports?

From my life...

For many fans, talking sports is almost as fun as watching them. And, what better way to talk sports than to get a nice debate going about the hot topics of the day, right?

Well, for the most part, that’s true. But, sometimes, you run across a person who, for whatever reason, has such a delusional perspective that it makes a normal dialog utterly impossible. Their points make little sense, and their logic seems as though it came from a completely different dimension.

It’s frustrating. It’s infuriating. It makes you want to grab that person and shake them until their brain starts to function again.

Enter, my friend Will.

I’ll preface this by saying that Will is, without a doubt, one of the most knowledgeable fans I know. He is well versed in many sports, and has a better than average understanding of sports history.

I’ve been friends with Will since college, and after having many time-consuming debates with him, I’ve come up with a small list of grievances.

Please tell me if you’ve experienced something similar, or if you think I’m the crazy one.

1. A general lack of perception when it comes to the realities of sports.


He believes that a team with “heart” can beat a team with talent. He thinks that professional players would rather sign with a winner than take a contract with the highest bidder... not ringless veterans, mind you, but guys at the beginning of their careers.

Basically, he prefers to ignore the monetary aspect of sports, and views things through the scope of a Disney movie. “Guys that try hard make the squad. The underdog team really can work together and win the championship.”

2. He has some kind of bizarre love affair with drafts, real and imaginary.

He loves to play video games on “manager mode”. He’ll simulate entire seasons of game play, only to focus on drafting and signing players.

Even when he does play a season of Madden, he’ll make due with a sub-par quarterback or running back, while hoarding picks for the draft. Doesn’t he realize he can trade his first-round pick and his mediocre quarterback for Tom Brady or LaDainian Tomlinson?

I know it wouldn’t work in reality, but it works in the game, so why not do it?

In real life, he’s quick to suggest trading proven players for picks in the draft. If he was an owner, every unhappy star would immediately be dealt for a 3rd and a 5th.

See ya, Ocho Cinco. See ya, Jason Taylor.

He honestly believes that picks are somehow equal to a Chad Johnson... even though history would show that those players have only a small chance to make a significant impact in the long run.

Don’t get me wrong, drafts are important... They’re just not as important as getting or keeping proven players.

*This trait isn’t all bad, it does help me beat him consistently at Madden.

3. He believes everything he hears.

Will heard an Atlanta Braves commentator say that John Smoltz studies hitters, so now he thinks Smoltz will be a MLB hitting coach when he retires.

He heard some crazy story about the Miami Heat trading Dwyane Wade for draft picks... so he told me about that “immanent” transaction.

When the guys on TV started to talk about the Triple Crown of horse racing, he immediately started thinking that winning one of those is just as hard as winning one in baseball. Never mind that most of baseball’s Triple Crowns came from an era of 16 teams... He didn’t want to hear it.

Doesn’t he understand that the TV media needs to come up with these things to generate interest, and that they’re not always factual or even possible? These guys say things like "LeBron is better than Jordan" or "Terrell Owens should be banned for celebrating." Why? Because it's inflammatory, or invokes a strong reaction... It's good television.

Nope... He doesn't get it.


From the Blogosphere...

Mock MLB drafts see