Instant replay in sports (3) Jul 28, 2011
I think the question regarding instant replay in sports is not if it'll become more widely used, but how it'll be implemented.  There's no doubt that human referees make mistakes.  It's perhaps a little naive to think a mere mortal can make an important split-second decision while under immense financial and spectatorial pressure, and to do so flawlessly, every time.  I think we should accept that fact and do something about it instead of getting angry and blaming the refs for bad calls.  The way the NFL currently uses instant replay is a little annoying at times, and certain coaches appear to use it as a momentum-stopping tactic, which is smart but not what it's there for.  But at least it's there as an option to challenge the calls that are the most obviously wrong.  My prediction is that most, if not all, sports will soon adopt some sort of instant replay.  Or else they'll start utilizing error-proof robotic refs.  One or the other.  Because honestly, something like the strike zone in baseball is a scientifically measurable thing.  Nothing that's measurable should ever be left up to the opinion of a lowly human. #sports
Pictures of feelings Jul 26, 2011
Concerning the Women's World Cup (of soccer) and its sudden popularity: 
Now that they've gotten all this attention ... they're gonna start behaving more like men.  For example, US Soccer team captain Christie Rampone was busted for texting pictures of her feelings to a young intern.
Well played, Peter Sagal.  Also of note: 
Honestly, the only way it seems to make Americans care less about soccer is to offer them a free salad for watching a game.
Yay, fatness! #sports
Sports head injuries Jul 21, 2011
For a while now, there's been almost constant news coverage of head injuries in sports and the long term effects suffered by football players and other contact sports athletes.  Most of the discussion is centered around how older players are experiencing brain issues that they didn't anticipate, or simply dying young.  I think it would be wise to pause for a moment, stop the lawyer talk and even the scientist talk, and look at this logically:  If you spend the majority of your life getting hit on the head or using your head to hit things, you will experience long term head injury effects like dementia, migraines, depression, etc.  To be surprised by this is not really an option. #sports
Acceptance of golf Jun 28, 2011
Seinfeld creator Larry David wrote about the similarities between golf and terminal disease, where he went through the stages of anger, denial, bargaining, depression, and finally, acceptance (of golf, not disease).  I fully agree.  The only way to enjoy golf is to not try to be good. #sports
Legs for arms Jun 2, 2011
This pitcher looks like he has legs for arms: 



His name is Paul Splittorff and he played for the Kansas City Royals in the 1970s. #sports
BPM running (2) Jun 1, 2011
I got into this a little last summer, but I've finally come to the conclusion that running with music whose beats per minute match your normal pace is an incredible way to run.  I kind of stumbled into it by accident when I noticed my pace matched a few of my favorite songs.  Alternatively, I would assume it's fairly trivial to measure one's pace by simply counting the number of steps taken in a certain amount of time and dividing the former by the latter.  Once you have that magic number, it's just a matter of finding music with that BPM or a multiple of it.  I find that not only do I run faster, but I completely zone out and feel awesome (although that could be a function of how music affects me personally).  It's almost like instead of running while listening to music, I'm listening to music while also running.  Very therapeutic. #sports
College bowl game names Jan 3, 2011
I think something needs to be done about the names given to college football bowl games.  I realize these games are really just long commercials interrupted briefly by bits and pieces of college football, and as such, they need sponsors to pay for naming rights.  So things like the "Tostitos Fiesta Bowl" or the "Allstate Sugar Bowl" aren't all that bad.  But the "Beef 'O' Brady's Bowl" or the "AdvoCare V100 Independence Bowl"?  Couldn't they pick a slightly more universal name than a regional restaurant or an obscure pyramid scheme drug store? #sports
Grill facemask Dec 23, 2010
I like these new facemasks that NFL defensive linemen wear sometimes: 



They probably serve a legitimate purpose, like preventing eye pokes and such.  But to me, they make players look like robots, which is what I imagine the NFL will consist of in 50 years. #sports
Live sporting events Oct 5, 2010
I went to the Giants-Bears football game on Sunday night.  It was a fairly crappy game until about the fourth quarter.  Oh and it was cold and rainy, which didn't add to the non-excitement exhibited on the field.  But Wendy got free tickets from a friend, so it was hard to say no.  Here are the reasons why I'll say no in the future: 
  1. The view.  I don't have particularly good eyesight, but even if I did, there are only a handful of seats (right around the 50-yard-line) in a typical stadium where it would make a difference.  Otherwise, I'm constantly craning my neck to see what's happening at the other end of the field, and when that fails, looking up at the giant screens.  You know where else I could sit around and look at a screen?  On my couch.
  2. The refreshments.  I have problems spending more than $1 on a beer, but I realize people need to make money, and many different people are involved in the shipping and handling of my beer from the factory through the stadium to my mouth.  But honestly, $8 for a single crappy beer in a 10-ounce plastic cup?  And $6 for a pretzel?  The markup is something like 800%, which is one of those things you'd think rational economics would dispense with.  But I like beer and pretzels.
  3. The people.  I only like about 10 people on this planet, and as unlikely as the odds are, not one of the 80,000 drunk Italians at the game were in my circle of 10.  It's weird how that works.  Also, I could do without that lone Bears fan with the loudest human voice I've ever heard sitting directly behind me.
  4. The effort.  Drive an hour to the stadium.  Navigate a maze of parking options while being yelled at by angry parking attendants.  Walk 12 miles up to our seats.  Sit around in cold rain, waiting for commercial time-outs.  Watch a three-and-out football game for three hours.  Walk 12 miles back to the car.  Sit in angry, drunk stadium traffic while being yelled at by angry parking attendants.  Make it home after midnight, making a 60-minute football game a 6-hour ordeal.
We just got an HDTV last week.  There's almost no reason to ever leave the house again. #sports
Favre watch (2) Aug 17, 2010
I love how the NFL Network is currently using the headline "Favre Watch 2010" as if his decision about whether to play another season is the sports world's equivalent of a major hurricane or war coverage.  And ESPN, in addition to their frequent updates for things like baseball and football, have their own "Favre" section.  He's like Lindsay Lohan, but for football. #sports