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At the Intersection of Sports and Culture

Photo Credit for Header: Alex Foucre-Stimes

View My Picks: NFL Week 11

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I sure hope they didn’t pay face value for these seats! Judging from this vantage point, it’s fair to say that Wrigley Field was not built to house major college football games.  Today’s contest between Northwestern and Illinois was the first college football game played in the Friendly Confines since 1938.  Even though stadium seating wasn’t perfect, and the field itself had only one operable endzone, I still would have enjoyed being a part of the atmosphere in Wrigley today.

On to the NFL Week 11 picks!

Oakland (+8.5) over PITTSBURGH

The Raiders and their fans relish the “no respect” role.  Take the points. Keep Reading

College Football: Harvard vs Yale in the 127th playing of “The Game”

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127 years is a long time.  That’s the number of times that the Harvard and Yale football teams have faced one another in what is known simply as “The Game”.  “The Game” probably carried more national weight back when these teams were competing for championships during the first half of the 20th century.  Now, Harvard/Yale is regarded as a nice tradition between two of America’s best private universities.

In Boston today, Harvard outlasted Yale  28-21, ending the Bulldogs chances to share the 2010 Ivy League championship.  Yale still holds a 65-54-8 series lead over the Crimson.  While “The Game” gets all the prestige, did you know  that “The Rivalry” between Lehigh and Lafayette, was played for the 146th time today?

Since both of these games no longer have much, if any, national relevance, do you think it’s time we give the titles “The Rivalry” and “The Game” to two different college football matchups?  Also, what’s the best rivalry game nickname?  My vote goes to “The Civil War” between Oregon and Oregon State.  Share your views.

NFL Thursday Night: Maybe It’s a Miami Thing

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Yesterday, I gave a view from the Heat/Suns game and wrote about how the fans in Miami do not support their basketball team like they should .  Last night, during the Dolphins Thursday Night Football game against the Bears, things became clearer to me.  Maybe it’s a Miami thing.

During the the second half of Chicago’s convincing 16-0 win over Miami, it became clear to TV viewers that Bears supporters in Sun Life Stadium were the much more vocal group.  This could have been a product of the game itself.  The Dolphins looked lost on offense and eventually wore down on defense.  The Bears were solid on both sides of the ball, especially on defense, where they sacked a hapless Tyler Thigpen 6 times. So Chicago did have much more to cheer about during the game.

However, why were there so many Bears fans in the stadium to begin with? Did a lot of Midwesterners travel down to South Florida for an early Thanksgiving break?  Are the Chicago Bears truly one of “America’s Teams” with a national fanbase?  Or, like with the Heat, do people in Miami have priorities that prevent them from supporting the Dolphins?

Share your views.

View of the Day: November 17, 2010

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This photo was taken roughly 10 minutes prior to tipoff at American Airlines Arena before last night’s Miami Heat 123-96 victory over the Phoenix Suns. And where are all the people?  I can remember Miami having attendance issues last season, when they were a mediocre team at best, but this year?  With the three biggest off-season free agent acquisitions (Lebron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh) I figured Miami fans would be turning out early and often.  I watched parts of this game and can tell you that the arena did fill up eventually.  However, we are less than a month into the season and I figured fans would be a bit more present/vocal.

What accounts for the overall malaise in Miami? Part of the economic turndown or are fans, like the Heat players themselves, just waiting for the playoffs to give it their best?  Share your views.

College Basketball: Last Year’s Darlings, This Season’s Hunted

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For the past decade, Gonzaga has held a special place in the hearts of most college basketball fans.  They have been the Boise State of college basketball, the Cinderella team from a non BCS conference that usually hangs around, pestering the perennial powers, until late March.  Last season, with their run to the national championship game in Indianapolis, the Butler Bulldogs emerged as America’s other sweetheart alongside the Zags.  Both programs tip off this season ranked in the top 25.  If last night was any indication, opponents have circled their calendars and are ready to take aim at both teams.

The Louisville Cardinals opened their new arena, the “KFC Yum! Center” with an impressive 88-73 win over Butler.  The crowd was clearly exited about the new arena and gave their Cardinals an overwhelming home court advantage.  For their part, the Bulldogs looked detached and a bit scared.  This is not the same team that came within inches of beating Duke in last year’s national championship.  Matt Howard refuses to stay out of foul trouble and Butler clearly misses the presence of a supreme talent like Gordon Hayward.  Not time to write the obituary yet, Butler has the pedigree and coaching to recover and stay in the headlines.

Share your views. Will Butler make a run in the NCAA tourney this year?  Is Louisville a true contender in the Big East?  And finally, “KFC Yum! Center”. Really? Can’t take the place seriously with a name like that.  I prefer the name Freedom Hall.