UFC then and now Nov 16, 2015
I started watching UFC in 2006, and back then as well as for the following several years, the UFC was a bit like college football:  Week in and week out, you never knew what to expect.  Both opponents were expected to be at roughly the same skill level and physical ability, but in actuality the fights were often one-sided, and surprisingly so.  This was almost expectable in a sense, because it was a relatively new sport, and fighters were still figuring out which techniques worked (grappling and kickboxing) and which didn't (traditional martial arts). 

The UFC has evolved quickly since then, and to continue the analogy, it's now a bit like professional football:  Week in and week out, you have a pretty good idea of what to expect.  Fighters are fairly evenly matched.  There's rarely a standout that destroys everyone they encounter.  Most fights at the highest level are back-and-forth, skill vs. skill.  It's boring at times, but it definitely has its place. 

But sometimes, just like in the NFL (undefeated Broncos getting shut out for three quarters before benching their record-setting quartback) some fights don't go as expected (newcomer Holly Holm knocks out undefeated submission artist Ronda Rousey). #sports
Tough Mudder (1) Oct 12, 2014
I just ran my first Tough Mudder yesterday.  For the uninitiated, it's a 10-ish mile obstacle run through mud.  The obstacles are things like walls and ramps that require teamwork to complete.  It's not really a competition unless you want it to be.  My five-person team completed it in around 3.5 hours. 

My first observation is this:  Damn, white people sure do like their mud runs.  This is something I first noticed a few years ago.  The Tough Mudder came to town, and then a bunch of mom-and-pop races followed suit.  And I don't know if it's because of the demographic in my area or the friends I have on Facebook, but it seems like the only people who do mud runs are white.  Not that there's anything wrong with that, but damn. 

The race itself wasn't all that terrible.  It's the farthest distance I've ever run at one time, and I didn't run out of stamina.  The obstacles were mostly fun.  I'm in moderate physical shape by doing weight training and running, so it was rewarding to be able to use my strength to climb up walls and ropes and help other people do the same.  One obstacle consisted of jumping into a pool of ice water, which didn't turn out to be as bad as I'd thought.  I was already cold and wet, and despite some brief hyperventilation, it wasn't that bad. 

The electrical shock as the final obstacle was fairly bad.  You had to run through dangling wires and jump over hay bales.  I made it over the first set of hay bales while getting shocked pretty hard, and the next thing I remembered was the pain of my face hitting the mud, which was after the second set of hay bales.  Apparently I blacked out and continued moving, which was good I guess, but also kind of unsettling because I didn't realize you could black out by getting electrically shocked. 

The weather was rainy and in the 50s.  The rain didn't matter because everyone got wet anyway.  But the temperature was a struggle.  It's difficult being shivering cold for three hours (and then blacking out by getting shocked with electricity).  It wasn't as cold as it could've been, but I wouldn't have minded if it was 75 or so. 

I'm not sure if it was a New Jersey thing or what, but the lines were stupidly long.  I realize it's a popular event and it's a crowded state, but I didn't expect the first obstacle to be standing around in the cold rain for an hour before the race actually started.  And they kept getting our hopes up and making us wait some more.  It was a little demoralizing.  Several of the obstacles had long lines too, which was annoying when you were trying to keep warm by running, only to have to stop to stand around in cold puddles. 

The end of the event was kind of poorly done.  The organizers (and participants) kept talking about the free beer and headband you got as you crossed the finish line.  But when you're cold and wet and exhausted, all you really want is something warm and dry like a giant bonfire or a heated pool to wash some of the mud off.  Instead we stood around shivering holding our ice cold beers, trying to get the mud out of our eyes after faceplanting unconscious. 

I realize that's a lot of complaints for a completely voluntary activity, but that's kind of my thing.  All in all, it was a fun experience, and I would consider doing it again in slightly warmer weather. #sports
Snowboarding on snow vs. air Feb 20, 2014
I was listening to an interview of a Snowboard Cross competitor in the Olympics, and he said something along the lines of how the riders try to get as little air as possible because riding on the snow is faster than flying through the air.  My nerd sensors went off as I thought about how wrong that statement is.  In simplistic terms, a snowboarder's movement is governed by the sum of the forces of gravity, friction, and drag (I talked about this a little in a previous post).  Basic physics tells me that if a snowboarder is in the air, he's no longer dealing with the friction between his board and the snow, so he should go faster.  In my own experience, I've always felt like flying through the air makes me go momentarily faster, but that could also be a function of the uneasiness of landing a jump and whatnot.  After thinking about it for a little while, I realized the caveat he failed to mention is this:  When you're traveling through the air on a snowboard, you typically leave the ground at an angle greater than the slope of the hill.  In other words, you're traveling in the relative direction of "up" while your competitors are traveling in the relative direction of "down".  So even though you're technically going a little faster, you're traveling a longer distance, which probably equates to "snow is faster than air". #sports
College football rankings over time Dec 11, 2013
I was curious how college football rankings change over the course of a single season, so naturally I scraped a bunch of data from ESPN and made a graph: 



Specifically, I looked at the AP Top 25 and only plotted the teams that started the year in the top 10 spots (because looking at a plot of all 25 is a mess).  Here are some observations: 
  1. Half of the top 10 teams at the beginning of the year are members of the SEC.  That sounds about right.
  2. Half of the teams that started in the top 10 finished in the top 10.  Of the remaining five teams, four finished in the top 25.  What happened to you, Florida?
  3. Alabama and Oregon were ranked in the top two spots for 10 out of 16 weeks.  Neither team is playing for the national championship.  That goes to show you consistency doesn't matter.  Winning at the end matters.
  4. The two teams that are playing in the upcoming national championship game and who are ranked numbers one and two aren't included on the plot.  Florida State started the year at number 11, and Auburn didn't make the top 25 until week 8.  That's a little ridiculous.
In conclusion, I quite enjoy college football. #sports
NFL team name categories (7) Sep 17, 2012
I noticed recently that NFL team names can be grouped into one of five categories: 
  1. Birds:  Cardinals, Eagles, Falcons, Ravens, Seahawks
  2. Cats:  Bengals, Jaguars, Lions, Panthers
  3. Large Mammals:  Bears, Broncos, Colts, Dolphins, Rams
  4. People Group, Historical Figure, or Occupation:  49ers, Bills, Buccaneers, Chargers, Chiefs, Cowboys, Packers, Patriots, Raiders, Redskins, Saints, Steelers, Titans, Vikings
  5. Other:  Browns, Giants, Jets, Texans
Yes, I realize it's a stretch to call a dolphin a large mammal, but it's technically accurate.  And a Charger is someone who charges into battle.  Stupidest team name:  Browns, named after one-time owner Paul Brown.  That's the best they could come up with? #sports
Tony Romo chokes (1) Jan 24, 2012
This image of Tony Romo from the 2006-7 playoffs still makes me laugh: 



On the one hand, I feel a little bad for the guy, since this image has been burned into the collective conscience of the American football fan.  On the other hand, it's always good to see the Cowboys lose. #sports
Bowl schedule Jan 3, 2012
I think it's stupid that the current schedule of college football bowl games consists of a bunch of insignificant, poorly-named, ill-timed matchups that take place randomly over the course of 7-10 days, often over a month after the end of the regular season.  When I'm elected Supreme Commander of All Things, here's how I would change that: 
  • First of all, no more PAC-10 changing its name to PAC-12, or a BIG-10 with 12 teams.  Stick to letters.  BIG-10 and BIG-12 get to fight out the details.
  • Season ends with conference championships.
  • Conference champions compete in bowl games.
  • The National Championship Game cannot contain two teams from the same conference.
  • Bowl games take place no more than two weeks after the end of the regular season.  All in one day.  The end.
Everybody who has ever had an opinion about college football agrees that the current system is stupid.  Yet the system remains. #sports
Polamalu quote Nov 2, 2011
I missed the game, and I dislike the Steelers, but I like what Troy Polamalu said about this past weekend's game: 
When asked about the play after the game, Polamalu said, "Whatever is going to get me in trouble, I'm saying the opposite."
I like his style. #sports
Quarterbacks as leaders Oct 13, 2011
There's a lot of talk in the sports media about whether or not Tim Tebow can be a legitimate NFL quarterback, and obviously only time will tell.  Despite his inexperience, his apparently poor throwing mechanics, and his unfamiliarity with losing, I think he'll do well, simply because he's a great leader.  You see it on the sidelines, after a three-and-out, where he pats each of his offensive teammates on the back.  Or after a touchdown, where he specifically goes up to the player who scored and celebrates with him.  It's the same with Mark Sanchez.  Seeing these guys lead their team, whether they win or lose, makes me want to get off the couch and follow them onto the football field, where I would be promptly murdered by a 350-lb defensive lineman.  It's inspiring.  Contrast that with quarterbacks like Tom Brady and Eli Manning, who seem to treat football with as much enthusiasm as a desk job, really only expressing emotion by getting angry at one of their receivers for dropping a pass, then sitting on the bench in silence while the defense is on the field.  Brady might be the best quarterback ever, and Eli has his moments, but personally I'd rather watch a Mark Sanchez or a Tim Tebow. #sports
Loop running Aug 31, 2011
Running on a track has never appealed to me because it feels like I never make any progress.  "Ugh, I'm at the starting block again?"  Same with a soccer field or anything that must be looped many times to gain any amount of distance.  And I'm not really a fan covering the same route twice, like a there-and-back type of thing.  It makes me think about how much more area I could've covered if I didn't have to end where I started.  I like running in large loops, preferably with a few turns and some terrain variation.  I like the scenery change, and it makes it feel like more of a race, albeit one that takes place entirely in my own little world while my headphones fill my head with old school rap. #sports