This is the Ol’ Sport Talk wishing everyone a belated Happy New Year!
I'm over the shock of my Indianapolis COLTS going 1 and done! Four out of the eight years they have done that! Arghh! Tony Dungy has stepped down as Head Coach to answer a higher calling. Good luck Tony! Critics say that Tony should have done more with the talent he had. Who knows? I'm happy that the COLTS were perennial winners from a team that always had high hopes at the beginning of the season only to be let down by 1/2 way through.
The Baltimore Ravens are in the hunt for another Super Bowl. Will the City of Baltimore EVER get over the Colts leaving? They have to be the bitterest fans I have ever seen. You don't hear Boston or Milwaukee complain about the Braves in MLB. Even as bad as the Timber wolves are in the NBA, you don't hear fans complain about the LA Lakers. Or even Philadelphia or Kansas City complain about the A's! I have known COLTS fans who go to a game in Baltimore to see the COLTS-Ravens play, get harassed by the fans. Let it go already!
Speaking of baseball. After what the Yankees have paid out this year in salaries, MLB is now talking salary caps. Just now? Does anyone but me, think this is about 20 years over due? (At least 10 years over due!) This is only one of the problems I have with MLB. As you know, I much rather see a minor league game. I have discovered the problem with the Cincinnati Reds. No Japanese players. All the successful teams have at least 1 Japanese player on the rooster. Okay, maybe that's not the only problem with the Reds.
Another month and we will be talking NASCAR. I keep hearing about how the NASCAR teams are having trouble with their budgets and sponsors. I don't doubt this, but I have to wonder how F1 keeps doing it. A Formula 1 teams has a budget greater than most of the emerging nations of the world GNP. F1 runs a 1/3 of the races; with less than 1/2 the cars with the most advanced technology in the world. Maybe it's because each race that F1 runs is like the Indy 500 of that nation. NASCAR is talking about going to smaller engines, Ethanol as a fuel, but maybe they ought to think about some less races. Is NASCAR getting too overexposed as a sport?
College basketball. Is it me, or do the UNC Tarheels seem to win when they didn't have Tyler Hansbrough, but lose when they don't have Marcus Ginyard. Makes you wonder who the more important player is. Coach K of Duke is complaining about his team isn't getting enough press now that they are #2 in the nation. So now I have given you press! Hey, vote Indiana State #1 in the nation. It doesn't mean anything come March. (Okay, maybe it has to do with seeding for the playoffs.)
Speaking of important players, Stephen Curry! IF I had a vote for Player of the Year, it would be this guy. I’m guilty of being the head of his fan club, but I do enjoy watching him play. At 13-3 the Davidson Wildcats will have their conference games to play here on out. They could very well end up 27-3 for the year. Coach K will now be mad that I gave more press to the Davidson Wildcats that I did to the Blue Devils. Whine, whine whine!
I would talk about the NBA, but does anyone really care until we get to the playoffs?
One last shout out! To the Naptown Roller Girls! Indianapolis flat track Roller Derby. They started the 2009 season on January 10th! The games are at the Indiana Fairgrounds and if you like something loud then go see them. You can't help having a good time with players’ names like Cereal Killer or Joan of Dark!
This is the old Sports Talk saying, I hope your team wins this weekend. As always, be an athletic supporter!
