View My Seats

At the Intersection of Sports and Culture

Photo Credit for Header: Alex Foucre-Stimes

Unguarded But Not Untouchable

by

After watching Unguarded I felt like I should have known more about Chris Herren before sitting down to watch the ESPN Films documentary. After all, Fall River isn’t too far away from New Hampshire and he did only graduate from Durfee 3 years before my senior year of high school. If Al Gore had invented the internet back in 1994 I would have been able to follow his meteoric rise and humiliating descent with a bit more regularity. But I rarely read the Boston Globe and wasn’t ever invited to travel on an AAU basketball team with the likes of Scoonie Penn, Wayne Turner, and the Curley brothers.

I first remember hearing the name Chris Herren when he started his amazing run at Fresno St. Back then, the Bulldogs were featured quite prominently on ESPN2 primarily because of their famous coach Jerry Tarkanian and also because the WAC monopolized the 12am tipoff like they worked for the power company. Tark’s Fresno State teams always felt like they had a little Running Rebel in them, impart because their star guard Chris Herren had tattoos before Chris Anderson and bleach blond hair before Eminem.

I can remember talk of Herren being a high draft pick but that there also being concerns of baggage related to earlier run-ins with the law and drugs. When he was traded to the Celtics in 2000 it barely registered with me but mostly because Boston was in the midst of the Rick Pitino years and as we can all remember “Larry Bird is not walking through that door”. And then, more trouble and drugs and eventually Herren moved his game overseas and became somewhat of a footnote or a cautionary tale on the price of small town fame and addiction. It wasn’t until watching Unguarded that Chris Herren’s life came in to focus and I can now truly appreciate his story.

A few other quick observations from Unguarded:

1) Who knew scoring drugs was so easy? It’s one of the scarier realizations in the entire film. If you want to catch a fix, the dope is going to find you. Some of us would probably end up looking like Larry David in Curb Your Enthusiasm when he buys some “medicinal” marijuana for his father who is suffering from glaucoma. But the way Herren describes the process makes it seem like such a simple endeavor.

2) Antonio McDyess and Nick Van Exel, two of Herren’s teammates during his rookie season with the Denver Nuggets, were legit team leaders. I always thought Van Exel was a hothead and was therefore quite surprised to hear Herren describe how these two basketball veterans lived good, clean lives off the court so as not to tempt their addiction addled rookie point guard. Couldn’t see Kenyon Martin or Carmelo Anthony doing this today.

3) Chris Herren is an impressive public speaker. He has a resounding presence and credibility when he stands before a group of kids and recovering addicts. I would not be surprised to hear or see his career as a public speaker/coach take off after more and more people watch this documentary.

Finally, as Herren said, being a recovering addict is a day to day proposition. By the end of the documentary, as he was staring into the bathroom mirror, I got the sense that it would much easier for him to fall back into a life of drugs than it is for him to stay sober. I hope Chris Herren keeps clean and continues to share his message with others. It’s an important story, one that we can all learn from and appreciate.

view from Hinkle Fieldhouse courtesy of @shmos 

 

Quick Snaps: NFL Week 8

by

When people go on and on about climate change, melting ice caps, and displaced polar bears, they always seems to focus on the doom and gloom that goes along with the end of human existence but fail to focus on all the good stuff like more snow days for kids, and tons of fresh powder at the New England ski resorts. So while I could be upset about the fact that the power company has yet to respond to my multiple phone calls indicating a downed line laying across the driveway, instead I’ll choose to focus on how great it was that the electricity stayed on long enough Saturday night into Sunday morning to watch the end of the USC/Stanford* football game. In the future, I’ll be fine with “evolving” weather patterns so long as it doesn’t interfere with my sports consumption.

*A few observations about this 3OT instant classic in the Pac12. 1) Some people are saying that Andrew Luck did not improve his draft stock with his performance against the Trojans. But when you were already the presumed top pick in the 2012 draft, isn’t it impossible to improve your position? 2) Matt Barkley is going to be a very good NFL quarterback someday. 3) USC defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin looks like the kind of guy who enjoys wearing boat shoes. I can totally see him sitting up in the coaches booth wearing a nice new pair of Sperry’s just wishing he were on a boat off the Florida Keys fishing for blue marlin.

Quick Snaps

Rams 31 Saints 21 – Just look what throwback uniforms will do for you. St. Louis decides to don the old school Eric Dickerson yellow and royal blues and ends up putting an absolute hurting on Drew Brees, Sean Payton, and the rest of the New Orleans Saints. I would also like to thank Steven Jackson for single handedly ending any chance I had at winning my weekly fantasy matchup. Finally, a quick congrats to David Freese, Albert Pujols, Tony La Russa, and all the St. Louis Cardinals. Game 6 of the 2011 World Series was one of the most memorable baseball games in recent memory, perhaps even surpassing the drama of 1986 with Mookie and Buckner.

Ravens 30 Cardinals 27 – I wasn’t able to watch the 1pm games, but tried to follow along on my phone as best I could. Needless to say, when Baltimore trailed Arizona by a score of 24-3 I figured it spelled the end of my 2011 gambling season. Luckily, Ray Rice decided to place the team on his broad shoulders and preserved my spot in our weekly suicide pool.

Steelers 25 Patriots 17 – My knee jerk reaction is that New England is months, if not 5 defensive backs, away from being able to compete for a Super Bowl. The Patriots haven’t had a genuine pass rusher since Willie McGinest and BB’s “bend but not break” defensive scheme allows for a ton of yards. You can’t outscore your opponent when don’t control the time of possession.

Lions 45 Broncos 10 – For the record, I still believe “tebowing” is here to stay. Also, do you think there is silent majority within the Denver organization that secretly wants Tim Tebow to fail? Couldn’t you see John Elway just hoping the Broncos are bad enough this season to be in position to draft Luck, Barkley, or Landry Jones?

view from Lincoln Financial Field courtesy of @Danie_stars

If Gambling Were Legal: NFL Week 8

by

Indianapolis (+8.5) over TENNESSEE – It’s fun to try and think about what the spread of each Colts game this season would have been if Peyton Manning were healthy and playing. Take for example this matchup against the Titans. With Manning, I say the line goes to Colts (-6.5). Also, to whomever suggested this past week that Manning deserves a few MVP votes…you sir are a pot stirring nincompoop.

Jacksonville (+9.5) over Houston – The potential return of Andre Johnson means two things: 1) Texans tease the cover and win game 21-13 and 2) my fantasy team gets back on track after nearly three full weeks of mediocrity. How does the old saying go? You can’t make chicken salad out of chicken____?

CAROLINA (-3.5) over Minnesota – For some strange reason this matchup between two teams who are a combined 3-11 is one of the more appealing of all the 1pm starts. Probably has something to do with the two rookie quarterbacks, Cam Newton and Christian Ponder. I won’t be as excited if this game some how ends up involving Donovan McNabb.

New Orleans (-13.5) over ST. LOUIS – How exactly is a high ankle sprain any different from a regular ankle sprain? Is there such a thing as a low ankle sprain? In high school, I can remember rolling my ankle at least once a varsity basketball game. Today, my ligaments are so stretched out that I sprain an ankle climbing the stairs.

BALTIMORE (-13) over Arizona – What the heck happened last Monday night? Maurice Jones-Drew fumbled the ball four times and the Jaguars STILL managed to beat the Ravens. Is it all on QB Joe Flacco? It certainly seems like a lot of Baltimore fans are piling on the Delaware grad right now. I say give him a break. After all, it wasn’t too long ago that he was still living in his parents basement driving a beat up old Ford Taurus wagon.

NY GIANTS (-10) over Miami – It would be so like the Giants to play down to their competition here. However, since these are the dysfunctional Dolphins, there’s a better chance of Tony Sparano getting fired during halftime than of Miami actually winning this game.

BUFFALO (-6) over Washington – Since Buffalo is allowed to play one game a year in Toronto, then I think it’s only fair for teams like Seattle and Minnesota to schedule a “home” game in Canada as well. Imagine how crazy Edmonton would go for Vikings/Cardinals.

Detroit (-3) over DENVER – I never really got into the whole planking thing. I always thought it was a little unsanitary to lay across the jewelry display at your local Macy’s. But I’ll tell you, this tebowing thing has some real potential.

New England (-3) over PITTSBURGH – At what point Sunday do you think we will be able to tell who Jim Nantz is pulling for? I say second quarter after Simms drops the 8th “Ben” of the day.

SAN FRANCISCO (-8.5) over Cleveland – The Browns are like gambling kryptonite. Doesn’t matter who you take in this game it will most certainly come back to haunt you. Speaking of haunting, really looking froward to my first Halloween as a father. Of course, my son is much to young to enjoy candy himself which means….more Take 5’s for me!!!!!

SEATTLE (+3) over Cincinnati – I hope the Seahawks are the next team to go back to their “old school” uniforms. It would bring back such fond memories of Dave Krieg and Steve Largent.

Dallas (+3.5) over PHILADELPHIA – I watched a few minutes of the Chuck Wepner documentary on ESPN and one thing was made abundantly clear; the Bayonne County Park is just not the same thing as the Philadelphia Art Museum.

San Diego (-3.5) over KANSAS CITY – I for one am a huge proponent of the playoff, or in the case of Chiefs head coach Todd Haley, winning streak beard. It’s a proven fact that unkempt facial hair is good for at least one or two victories a season.

Last Week 6-7 (Overall 56-47)

view from Sun Life Stadium courtesy of @akosnitzky

The Chicago Cubs Hire Eddie Vedder’s Best Friend to Run Baseball Operations

by

Some will say that Theo left Boston after it was revealed how dysfunctional the Red Sox clubhouse had become in 2011. And sure, the endless hours of Black Ops in the catacombs of Fenway Park remain a disgrace for the entire Red Sox organization, it was nothing so egregious as to cost Epstein his job. Others will argue that after 10 years, and 2 World Series rings, he was looking for a new challenge in a different city. And while taking over a franchise that hasn’t won a World Series since 1908 presents its fair share of inherent obstacles, I’d like to believe that Epstein to the Cubs happened because of the simple fact that it is what Eddie Vedder wanted.

I’ll never forget my first ever Pearl Jam concert. Back in 2006, a buddy of mine who was a loyal member of the Ten Club managed to get us two floor seats for one of the bands Boston shows. As to be expected, it was a pretty great experience full of the traditional standbys like Even Flow, Corduroy, and Alive, along with enough anti “W” Vedder speak to antagonize the most conservative sect of Pearl Jam concert goers. During the encore, the band brought out a few friends to help them out with Uncle Neil’s Rockin’ In The Free World. Why Theo Epstein decided to take the stage in full disguise I’ll never know. But there he was, the Boston Red Sox GM jamming away next to lead guitarist Mike McCready.

Only later did I find out that Epstein was in fact a huge Pearl Jam fan and that he and Vedder had become pretty good friends throughout the years. And while a few persnickety Sox fans killed Theo for choosing a concert over Fenway Park, I always thought it was pretty cool that the guy wasn’t afraid to take a break from the daily grind and partake in the kind of seminal, life altering experience that would have made even Peter Gammons jealous.

Now I can’t tell you how Eddie Vedder became a Chicago Cubs fan. Whatever the backstory, the SoCal native’s passion for the Northsiders prompted Wrigley Field officials to invite him on several occasions to sing “Take Me Out To The Ball Game” during the 7th inning stretch. Vedder’s love for the Cubbies runs so deep that he even wrote a song about them.

Connecting the dots, it’s clear from this very simple algebra that one of the primary reasons Theo Epstein became the President of Baseball Operations for the Chicago Cubs was because of Eddie Vedder. And although I can’t guarantee you that Vedder will play an integral role in the pursuit of hotly contested free agent to be Albert Pujols, I can tell you to expect Pearl Jam to be one of the very first musical acts invited to serenade the Wrigley faithful during the 2012 season.

view from Ballpark in Arlington courtesy of @ravedelay

 

Quick Snaps: NFL Week 7

by

Before getting into the NFL, here are just a few thoughts on the final drive of that Michigan St./Wisconsin instant classic from Saturday night.  1) When the Badgers couldn’t recover a Kurt Cousins fumble in Spartan terrority you just had to have the sense that this wasn’t going to be Wisconsin’s night. 2) And then head coach Brett Bielema started calling timeouts. I don’t understand why he was so compelled to win the game in regulation, especially considering that CFB has by far the fairest, most equitable overtime rules in all of sports. 3) Thanks to that extra time, MSU was able to launch a prayer towards the goal line…and we all know what happened after that. But what in the world was Wisconsin WR Jared Abbrederis doing in on defense? Why do coaches always think that an offensive player has a better chance of defending against the hail mary than an extra defensive back? I’m not trying to lay all the blame on Abbrederis, just hoping to shed a little light on a common case of overcoaching.

Quick Snaps

Falcons 23 Lions 16 – Matthew Stafford may be seriously hurt and Ndamukong Suh is a bully. So what’s new? Actually, I think we are all hoping that Stafford’s lower leg injury ends up being fairly benign. Without him, that Thanksgiving Day game against the Packers becomes a whole lot less interesting. If the Lions swoon continues, it’s going to be much harder to convince the wife and extended family that I’m unavailable for a last minute ingredient run due to a 1230 start from Ford Field.

Jets 27 Chargers 21 – Something just ain’t right with Philip Rivers. He was trying to squeeze the ball into double coverage all afternoon and that last drive he conducted was so out of tune that I began to wonder if the Chargers ever practiced the two minute drill. And wouldn’t it be just my fantasy football luck for Rivers to continue posting rather pedestrian numbers. On the other hand, Darrelle Revis played well again and we can only hope that Francesa has him back on the show sometime this week.

Chiefs 28 Raiders 0 – Well that didn’t go so well. If you’re the Raiders you have seen better days. If you’re Kyle Boller your days in Oakland may be numbered. And if you’re Carson Palmer, you’ve got a lot of work to do before regaining the confidence of Raider nation. The two Oakland QB’s combined for 6 total interceptions yesterday, 1 more than Cincinnati Benglas rookie signal caller Andy Dalton has thrown all year. Is it possible for a team to win even during their bye week?

Broncos 18 Dolphins 15 – You win Tim Tebow, you win. We’re all mere mortals simply just awaiting your instructions.

view from the Superdome courtesy of @_NatuRAL_Neci