Robotic Sorrys

            Tiger Woods. I know you saw the apology, or attempted apology last week. Everybody saw it. It was playing on every damn TV in my house. My dad was watching it in his room, my mom was watching it in the living room, I was watching it in my room, and it was on in the kitchen for some strange reason; nobody was even in there. Yeah, we have the tendency to leave the TV on well after we’re done watching it. Anyways, Tiger’s speech. Interesting, right? A lot of things happened, mainly because it was over ten minutes in length. But, it was definitely an interesting event.
            It was a big event. It was broadcast on numerous television channels and radio stations. A lot of people watched it. It was a big event, but there were so many weird things that occurred. As big as it was, it didn’t live up to the hype. I want to believe that Tiger is sincere in his apology, but it’s difficult to do so. There were just too many questions that I had after I saw and heard it. I had questions about the sincerity and structure of his apology. There were many awkward moments. 
            First, only people invited could attend the press conference and no questions could be asked. That’s not a press conference. If he had this apology conducted to garner respect, he didn’t really gain much. He didn’t face the music.

            Secondly, the actual speech was too robotic. All he did was look into the camera and say “I’m sorry.” Sorry bro, didn’t feel it (Using frat boy lingo that Tiger probably uses). It seemed a little awkward. You’re not conducting this apology for your family and sponsors because you don’t need to hold a “press conference” to apologize to them. Clearly, you wanted to apologize to your fans. But your fans didn’t feel it.
            The really annoying thing is that he did it his way. He always wants complete control of the situation and he was able to have that. Furthermore, he got so much free publicity from this. He saved so much money that he had been stealing from sponsors. Another annoying thing was when he hugged everyone after his apology. He definitely smiled after he hugged one person and it didn’t look like an embarrassed smile but more like a “I still have so much money” smile. One more annoying thing, a lot of blue. There was a LOT of blue in that room. I like the color blue but that blue with that material of whatever they put up as walls was looking funky.  
             At the end of it all, I don’t really know what to think. I mean I think that he’s still a punk, but I don’t know what to believe about his apology. He very well could have been sincere in it but it’s hard to tell with Tiger. He’s so reserved, the only time you see him smile is when he wins. And when he’s not winning, he’s making that really annoying face that makes you want to slap him. Or at least, makes me want to slap him. And when he speaks, it sounds like he really doesn’t want to be there. That also deserves a slapping. So its difficult to tell based on his usual character. However, it is easy to tell that he is still a punk. As big as this event was, it seemed half-assed. Might as well have not even apologized. I admire the fact that he’s been going to rehab for this, but only time will tell if he’s really changed.  

Found It!

            What'd he find? Well I found my social bookmarking soulmate, guy who I imagine is asking me questions. Wait what? Geez, it's someone who shares my interests, okay? They just get me, alright? Through Delicious, a social bookmarking site, I was able to find someone who is interested in the same things that I am interested in. liveguy is a user that has bookmarked many sites pertaining to sports and sporting news. The thing that makes him my social bookmarking soulmate is that many of his bookmarked sites happen to be amusing and humorous as well. I am a fan of the blending of sports and humor.
            This liveguy has bookmarked tons of sites; I'm talking over a thousand here. Yeah, I know, it's pretty wild. There are a plethora of sites for me to sieve through. Now, is he more like a life partner with a substantial bank account than an actual soulmate? I don't know. He's kind of like a significant other who has a lot of money that I am going to use. Is that wrong? I don't think so. He's got the goods and I need them.
            It's difficult to get a specific read on this guy, given the fact that he has bookmarked over a thousand sites. However, a good amount of his sites include the tags "sports" "blog" and "funny". That works for me. Even if his sites are not directly tagged "sports", they still have some sort of sports relation. He doesn't seem to comment on his tags too much. However, he is pretty organized with his tagging. There are over 600 tags with "sports" and "blog" taking up the majority of them. Another aspect that makes this individual my social bookmarking soulmate is the fact that there is a potpourri of tags. There are tags of practically every team in every sport which leads me to believe that he is more of a general sports fan like myself. How fantastic.
            One of the sites I really like that he's bookmarked is Kissing Suzy Kolber, which is a great title for a sports blog like this one. I wish I would've chosen this title for my blog, just because it was such a wild moment when Joe Namath was drunk and wanted to kiss a reporter on television. Kissing Suzy Kolber is a sports blog that is pretty random in its topics. I like the fact that it is all over the place. The articles can be harsh at times but still funny. Another site I like that liveguy has bookmarked is Sports Pickle. This site is a little more organized than Kissing Suzy Kolber but still has the same humor and randomness. The writing style in most of the articles is very sarcastic. This is where their style of humor derives. These are just two of the many sites liveguy has bookmarked.
            I've found my social bookmarking soulmate and his name is liveguy. My content will be enhanced thanks to this sweet, sweet man. There are plenty of sports blogs out there, but when someone like liveguy comes along and bookmarks plenty of sites with the tag "good", then you know you have a good thing. Sort of obvious, I know. I've found that special someone and its delicious. Oh no he didn't! Uh yeah, I kind of did. 


     

Trifecta

Hello World

I love sports. I think they’re delicious. Delicious? Why not delightful? Why did he write that? Well, that’s because sports are so enjoyable you could taste it. Yes. It’s not just me who sees it this way. The world of sports is all around us.  There is so much attention placed on anything sports related. There are plenty of television channels, movies, and websites that are completely devoted to sports. Athletes have risen to celebrity status like that of an actor or musician. It is not just the athletes, but even some owners, executives, and coaches have become household names. There has long been a fascination with star athletes, but now these figures appear in tabloids like Star and OK or even Perez Hilton.

It seems that there’s always something controversial popping up in the sports world. Mark McGwire uses steroids here; Tiger Woods cheats on his wife there. No matter what the issue is, people have an opinion and want to discuss it. Athletes are, often times, the subjects of these debates. However, they receive a different treatment. They don't live like most Americans do. Their every move is scrutinized. This is even truer in the society we live in today. The internet and television have grown to include websites like Twitter that tell people what athletes are currently doing and reality shows that follow athletes in their everyday routines. I definitely saw Juan Manuel Marquez drink his own urine on HBO. It was wild.

Sports are fantastic. Like the great ESPN anchor, Scott Van Pelt, always says, “Sports are the greatest thing in the world.” I agree with him. Why? Well, because sports have everything.  They combine so many feelings and emotions. There is drama, humor, amazement, love, and something as enjoyable as good sportsmanship. Another great thing about sports is that it is ongoing. When a season ends, it is not long before it starts up again. The topical issues that arise in sports are very much like the cycle of a sports season. When one sports figure is under the microscope, he simply waits for another to screw up. The attention shifts. For example, the Mark McGwire issue took a little load off of Tiger’s back.

Sports discussions take place every second. It seems like everyone has an opinion on which team is better or why "that athlete shouldn’t have done that.” Often times, these opinions are biased. Some people have a certain agenda. We become a fan of a team or an athlete and feel a sense of inclusion and attachment. These associations or attachments poison the sports fan’s rationale.

I decided that I should input my opinions on sports related issues and so I started this blog. I pride myself on trying to being fair. I still have my favorite sports teams and athletes that I root for, but I strive to be fair in my sports related analyses. I guess you'll agree or disagree based on my upcoming posts.

I live in Los Angeles, the second largest media market in the United States and essentially the second largest sports market. See! I submitted to New York there. I'm not going to sit here and say "No! LA is the best!" New York is at the top; still painful to admit though. I am actually more of a general sports fan than being a fan of certain teams and athletes. Don't get me wrong, I love my teams. It’s just that I enjoy each sport as a whole. For example, I'm a Dodgers fan, but baseball is just better when teams like the Yankees, Cardinals, and Red Sox are good. The same goes for basketball. Basketball is better when the Lakers, Celtics, and Knicks are relevant. I can admit these things while not even being fans of those teams. Really, I’m not a Lakers fan. Hopefully, you're seeing the evenness here, really trying to bring that home. Apart from the “living in Los Angeles my whole life” thing, I am currently a college student. Therefore, in addition to the constant reminder of my fairness, I believe that I also bring an academic aspect to my blogs. Basically, I’m trying to say, "these blogs will make sense" (hopefully). So let’s go over the credentials again: live in the second largest sports market; college student; and willing to admit things that might be painful. Alright, looks good.

For the most part, my blogs will consist of controversial issues as they relate to sports. This includes issues of integrity and ethics as well as more menial issues like what Matt Kemp has been grabbing lately. I think the celebrity aspect of athletes deserves mentioning. Upcoming posts might include topics like the ethics in horse racing, a sport I have loved since birth basically; sportsmanship in mixed martial arts; and fighting in hockey.

Sound interesting? I know, right? (To be sung) Someone wants to keep reading.
 

 Blog Profile of the Bleacher Report

There are plenty of sports blogs out there. Many of them are independent , but not all of them are. One that sticks out and is actually the top rated sports blog according to Technorati is Bleacher Report. Their claim to fame is that they are the web’s first Open Source Sports Network. I’d be lying if I told you that I didn’t exactly know what that meant at first. I got it cleared up though. I feel a little dumb for not figuring it out based on what it sounds like, but we're going to be honest with each other in this relationship, okay? Good. What an Open Source Sports Network basically means is that it is powered entirely by fan-generated content. Oh. Open source. By doing this, the blog is more creative and original than other sports blogs. It doesn’t have just one voice, but multiple voices. It also gives any visitor to the site a larger sense of variety.

Four guys came up with the idea to let "talented writers", basically able individuals, have a voice in the world of sports analysis. As a result, thousands of writers have contributed to the blog and content is constantly being generated daily. The blog has grown to be quite professional. The four pioneers quit their jobs to focus full-time on the site. In addition, they hired many staff members to assist in the efficiency of the site. It is a full on professional blog network. It sounded like I could’ve been describing something else there. Anyways, moving on.

The great thing about this blog site is that anyone can contribute. Of course, that doesn’t mean that everything submitted will be published. I’m sure some of those staff members these big shots hired will decide what’s worthy reading; or “talented” reading. As long as it’s rational, it’ll probably be published. The majority, if not all, of the writers are college graduates. The benefit of this is that the reader can count on the posts being well written and simply, good. For example, the writer of Brock Lesnar: An Ugly American?, Dorothy Willis, has a B.A. in Secondary Education and has risen to senior writer status. She is a nurse and gives medical insight in her post about the health care and recovery of Brock Lesnar. Her knowledge and history of the medical world are beneficial to this post. This is just an example of what the quality fan-generated content can offer to a blog network like this one. Specific insight can be provided and produce better opinions and stories.

The site says that hundreds of stories are posted a day. The people that read these posts are sports fans. They read this blog because it offers a wide variety of opinions and analysis. People are always interested in variety and they can get a good amount of it by going to this site.

This blog is very much related to the work I’ll be doing. The writers come up with posts that are topical in the sports world. There are so many stories that just about everything gets covered. My blog differs however because mine has only one voice. A reader can look at stories on Bleacher Report but might be uninterested in some stories based on the voice and style of writing. Of course, a reader can also look at my posts and not be a fan of my voice either. But, there is still a one voice guarantee. C'mon you want to buy (wait, what?). Also, my blog differs because of the source. Most of the writers that contribute to The Bleacher Report are already in the professional world. My blog comes from someone who is still a college student. Post graduate versus undergraduate. Don't you want to hear from the young people? They’re hip. C'mon you want to buy (ok, I'll stop with that).

My blog is no Bleacher Report but it is the unified voice, very sensual, college…uh…report. Yes. It’s fresh.

The Sports Guy's Voice

Bill Simmons is a writer known as the “Sports Guy.” His blogs are always interesting and his writing style is very engaging. His blogs possess conversational characteristics, which is beneficial for the reader. The reader gets a good sense of his persona through his writing. He is comical but not just for the sake of trying to be funny. He inserts little jabs at athletes but the reader appreciates when he does and is just waiting for more. He’s sarcastic at times. He’s also negative at times, but only to make the reader laugh, either through indifference or by empathizing with what he is saying. His analogies and metaphors link to pop culture and common ideas that most people can relate to. 

The easy way of describing his voice is to say that he is real. I say “easy” because, well, “real” isn’t exactly saying much. What I mean is that he’s honest. He admits when he’s wrong and admits when he has to change. He also admits to participating in the ridiculous idea of “sports-hate”, in simple terms, where a fan hates a team or athlete but doesn’t necessarily want anything bad to happen to them (doesn’t necessarily? whatever dude).

His post “Running on sports-hate empty” is a good display of his persona.  He talks about the athletes he used to sports-hate but can no longer sports-hate them. Still questioning this new appreciation for certain athletes, he asks the reader to read the previous paragraphs because his flesh his on fire and he can no longer see the screen from all the smoke. Later in the article, he becomes even more frustrated to the point where he writes: 

Forget about lighting myself on fire. Too easy. I'm leaning toward giving myself a colonic with a leaf blower. 

This is an exhibition of the dry rumor that he sometimes employs. The imagery is quite amusing but the reader is able to understand what he is saying by the exaggeration of his descriptions. A colonic with a leaf blower seems painful and wrong. Wrong, mainly because I believe that's the opposite way things are supposed to be flowing in that procedure.

He uses a lot of pop culture references which add to the further characterization of his voice An example of the pop culture referencing is in the following quote: 

I was watching "Forgetting Sarah Marshall" at something like 4:30 in the morning recently because my body clock is screwed up and I keep waking up at weird hours like the girl in "Paranormal Activity."

This is just another example of his distinct style of humor. He makes theses pop culture analogies that seem pretty random at first but are actually quite appropriate. The humor comes from the fact that he and the girl both wake up at odd hours, but he is not possessed by a demon like she is. It is funny that he purposely chooses to disclose that fact.  

There is another article,”We are all witnesses”, that displays his voice well. In it, he discusses Lebron James and all of his awesomeness. He writes:

You never forget he's on the court. Not for a second. Even his teammates are enamored with him; they jockey for his attention like Octomom's kids.

The reader could understand what he’s trying to convey before the Octomom reference, but he goes that extra step. That extra step is taken for two reasons: to give an example, because people love examples, and to make the reader laugh. He can attempt to be funny without jeopardizing his arguments on the topic; he finds the right balance.