Friday, May 28, 2010

Super Bowl Winter Wonderland

The NFL owners have spoken. Commissioner Roger Goodell has spoken. By presentations end, the owners of both the New York Jets and Giants had spoken. So in 2014 the most popular sport in America will take the most popular sporting event to the New York/New Jersey market. Many are probably asking what is the big deal? Well only three times in the history of the Super Bowl has the host been a cold weather climate city. Detroit hosted Super Bowl XVI and Super Bowl XL while Minnesota hosted Super Bowl XXVI. All three games however where played in Dome stadiums. The reason being was a long standing league policy to have games played in temperatures above 50ºF (10ºC) unless the field is completely covered by a fixed or retractable roof. So New York winning the bid to become the first host city to have an outdoor stadium in a cold weather climate can and will make for exciting possibilities.

Many former and current players, coaches and media members have all chimed in with their adaptation of a cold weather Super Bowl making it's way to New York/New Jersey. I reference New Jersey because the New Meadowlands stadium is located in East Rutherford. So although the Giants and Jets are named for New York, they both play just across the George Washington Bridge in New Jersey. As for me? I cannot speak for anyone else, but, I love it. The 1967 NFL championship game coined ''The Ice Bowl'', played in Green Bay between the Packers and Dallas Cowboys are the talk of legend. In 1934 The New York Giants and Buffalo Bills played in the famous ''Sneakers game''. Then you have the 1948 title game between the Eagles and Cardinals that is widely considered one of the great games of all-time. And more recently the 2001 AFC championship game now referred to as the ''Tuck rule game'' launched Tom Brady to stardom and the New England Patriots to there first of three Super Bowl titles in four years. With exception to the latter, what is the common theme here my good readers? Many of us were to young to have watched or had not even been born to enjoy some of the most classical series of in climate weather championship games that separate the NFL from any other sport in the world.

It is time for this generation of grid iron fans to experience the type of euphoric moments that we no longer have to hear about, but rather see and enjoy with our own eyes. The kind of games that will earn nicknames and headlines while launching some of the games youngest and brightest stars in to legend. In the end that is the attraction. To be apart of history. To witness it either live or on television and say ''I was there''. The kind of moments that you can look back on and recall where you were when that special moment happened. Detractor's will point to the slippery and sloppy play that could make for a bad game. My response? Well in warm weather or Dome stadium games you can get a snore fest too. Football was made to be played in any condition, on any terms and in any place. That is was attracts us as fans. So when 2014 roles around (that is if we are still here after December 25, 2012)those not in favor of a New York Super Bowl can complain, argue and downplay the significance of the game all they want. The rest of us however, will be attentively watching history being made.

By Ephraim Vega
-Blog or Bust News-

Tuesday, May 25, 2010

Five questions with Rashad Reed.

Blog or Bust News caught up with the man with all the answers, our own coach potato and resident sports guru Rashad Reed. All questions in this segment were answered prior to last nights action but we will not hold it against you Double R. So with that being said, Rashad, let us dive right in.

Q-Will the Celtics sweep the Magic?
A-Celtics will sweep the Magic.

Q-Should Patrick Ewing be giving Lebron James advice about his basketball future?
A- Why is Ewing even talking?? He never won a championship, so he has no clout in my book. I think Ewing should spend more time with Howard and develop his post game.

Q-Is there new life in the upstart Suns in there WCF series with the Lakers?
A-Lakers will win the Series in 5!

Q-Do you think Amari Stoudamire made a statement with his monster game 3 performance against the Laker bigs?
A-I liked what I saw from Amare. That's what Howard needs to do. I would love to see Amare in Miami next year with D-Wade, and maybe Joe Johnson.

Q-The million dollar question. Will Brett Favre return to the Vikings for another run at a Super Bowl in 2010?
A-Favre is coming back. He knew he needed that surgery, he just wanted to make sure he would be able to miss camp first. Favre is a complete joke, and hes probably going to play until he's 50. lol

There you have it, Rashad Reed ladies and gentlemen in all his splender, telling it like only he can.

-Blog or Bust News-

Friday, May 21, 2010

Celtics vs Lakers: Must See Finals

Two years ago the Boston Celtics captured their seventeenth NBA title at the expense of their long time rival Los Angeles Lakers in six games. Shortly after you could here Celtics forward Kevin Garnett utter the words, ''anything is possible'', leaving many of us craving for a second serving and believing that the once prominent rivalry was back in full tilt. The Lakers and their star Kobe Bryant answered the bell last season, returning to the finals and besting the Magic to garner the clubs fifteenth title, while the C's were forced to play (although valiantly)without Garnett and fall short of the much anticipated rematch.

Fast forward to the present where both the Lakers and Celtics find themselves not only in there respective conference finals, but both up 2-0 going in to this weekends game 3's. I have to admit that I am a tad bit giddy, but I can promise you one thing.... I am not the only one. Not by a long shot. Basketball purist want this match up. David Stern wants this match up. The media wants this match up. But more importantly the Celtics and Lakers want this match up. To not is to not want to be apart of history. Think Ali vs Frazier. Steelers vs Cowboys. Yankees vs Redsox. Heck me vs anything edible. It is must see TV.

Hall of famers Bill Russell, Bob Cousy, Larry Bird, Robert Parrish, Dennis Johnson, Kevin McHale and many other Celtic greats lived for their yearly wars waged against their western counterparts. While Laker legends Jerry West, Elgin Baylor, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson, James Worthy and showtime city could not wait to get their feet on the hardwood and take it to their eastern nemesis. Now it's Rajon Rondo, Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen leading the Celtics as Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol, Ron Artest and Andrew Bynum are the faces of the new Hollywood showtime.

Both teams look primed and ready. Playing their best basketball and peaking just as a trip to the finals and a date with history is a mere arms length away. We deserve this rivalry renewed, with all it's sub-plots and star power. A rematch two years in the making that would make all who came before them proud and those that will come after dreaming of Celtic pride and Laker glitz.

By Ephraim Vega
Blog or Bust News