other
This past Sunday morning, the NFL has lost one it’s greatest alumni. Reggie White, who played for a total of fifteen years with the Eagles, Packers, and Panthers; passed away from an apparent heart attack at just forty-three years of age. The “Minister of Defense” truly lived up to his calling both in the ministry and on the football field. His legacy will live on both as a servant of the Lord, and one of the NFL’s all-time greats.
They are anonymous. Their faces are unfamiliar. Their teams are not national powerhouses. No major bowl games, no major fan fare. Their names might as well be John Doe. One of them is Mean and Green. Another is a Blazer, and the third is simply a Falcon. Regrettably, Jamario Thomas, Roddy White, and Omar Jacobs are the three best college football players you have never seen play.
Forget the war in Iraq. Forget global warming. I finally found something worth creating a petition for. On Monday December 13th, EA Sports announced that they signed an exclusive 5 year licensing agreement with the NFL and the Players Union. Essentially, what this does is prevent anyone else from creating any football games except for EA. Say good bye to competition.
The BCS Playoff system is ridiculous. First of all, you have to have degrees in mathematics, statistics, and rocket science just to understand the ranking system. If you’re like me you’ve given up on totally understanding the system. That aside, what upsets me is the Bowl Selection process and ultimately how the champion of college football is determined. Granted, USC and OU are going to play a dynamite Orange Bowl game that lives up to all of the hype that surrounds it. But at the end of the day, will that ultimately determine who the best team in college football is? I don’t think anybody at Auburn thinks it does. Furthermore, by some miracle Texas is playing Michigan in the Rose Bowl instead of Cal, this marks the first time since 1919 that there was not a west coast team in the Rose Bowl. Understandably, Auburn and Cal are upset, and they’re right to gripe.
Boxing has disappeared. And so have its champions. Everything that was good about boxing has faded away. The unique, unmatched Muhammad Ali has all but vanished. The crafty Sugar Ray Leonard has slipped away just like the marvelous Marvin Hagler and the ageless Roberto Durán. Mike Tyson, the youngest undisputed heavyweight world champion ever, suffered a fall from grace that was so quick that nothing could have saved him.
Evander Holyfield’s biggest fight will no longer be in the ring but against the New York State Athletic Commission and their medical suspension. The lonely Lennox Lewis has retired and expectedly will never surface again. All of the great fighters are gone and all that remains is a shadow of a sport left in shambles that has subsequently become influenced by self-consuming, morally bankrupt bosses, manipulated by one-eyed judges, and marked with dubious referees. Boxing is currently fighting for its survival as even its own tradition is in crisis. The need to restructure professional boxing has never been more essential than now.
900 words to conclude my series.
I hope you enjoyed 2004 as much as I detested it.
Yes, it is I, Alex Fitzsimmons, and yes, I know I haven’t contributed to this site in a while, you know how it is. But I’m happy to say the A man is back and better than ever. So enjoy, and I know you will.
Throughout the many years organized sports have existed, there have been many ups and downs. Struggles through cheating, betting, lying and deceiving have haunted the lives of the athletes as well as fans. There have been several dark ages in sports history. Many liars, many cheaters and many deceivers have plagued the world of sports since the beginning of time. In my short existence on this earth, 15 years, I have already been exposed to so many acts of deceit. I may not know what has happened in the past, but I certainly know what has transpired recently, and I am definitely not impressed.
Part I of this classic (alright, classless) II part series about the end of 2004 and the beginning of 2005.
This part is a review of my 2004 predictions. A few of them were actually right!
So here is Part II of my 3-part series reviewing 2004 and previewing 2005.
I will tell you what will happen in 2005.
I will be right.
I guarantee it.
It sits for everything good in amateur athletics and stands for what is bad.
It collects billions of dollars for its athletes struggles and gives out billions of words to bring down athletes who did nothing wrong.