Unwritten Rules of Sports

Now that all this hoopla surrounding the New England Patriots and their cameras has passed, it made me think about sports and their unwritten rules.If you don’t know, the Patriots got caught using cameras to film the New York Jets sidelines. That film could be used to several different reason, such as figuring out play calls. Supposedly, they would film them the first half, go into halftime, analyze the tape and make adjustments in the second half.Now to me, that basically sounds like cheating.

But the question is, is this a common occurrence among NFL teams? Does everyone do it? Do they do it to the extent of the Patriots?

Because if no other team does this kind of thing, then the Patriots are in the wrong. However, if there is a level playing field (i.e. every team does something of this sort) then hey, whatever.

Flashback: World Series 2006. Detroit Tigers vs. St. Louis Cardinals. Kenny Rogers on the mound.

He gets caught with an unknown “substance” on his hand. Rogers goes into the dugout, washes it off and continues pitching the rest of the game. He has a stellar performance. But that situation opened up an entire can of worms for him, the Tigers and baseball itself.

Was he cheating? Not if 90% of other Major League pitchers do the same exact thing.

It makes me wonder quite a bit about professional sports and their ways.

With everything that goes on, it can’t help but beg the question: is it cheating if EVERYONE does it?

Is Barry Bonds a cheater? Probably so. But isn’t he also one cheater amongst many cheaters? Definitely. So does that mean steroids have become an unwritten rule of sports?

And that’s what it all comes back to…the unwritten rules of sports. Some say they don’t exist but most would agree they do.

Only question is, how many rules are there that we don’t know about?

Just something to mull over if you’re a sports fan…think about it.

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Summer Recap

Granted, I am about a week-or-so late writing this entry.

Given that, I still felt the need to write it.

I suppose that anyone could argue the fact of summer ending in August, and that’s a valid point because many people’s summers do end around that time. However, summer “officially” ended on…I dunno, whenever.

To the point…

I had a pretty good summer.

A really good summer, actually.

It was the first one spent at home in over a year. And it would also mark the first time in a long time I would be moving home for an extended period after five years spent in Mount Pleasant.

At first, I was worried that it would be a huge adjustment. It was. But, the adjustment came easily. The hardest part was not partying enough. At college, everything is fast paced. At home, things seem a lot slower. A LOT SLOWER. There’s just not as much action going on…not that it’s a bad thing, but that’s just how it is.

There are also zero girls back here compared to up at school, a fact that definitely sucked at first. However, I had no problem whatsoever figuring that situation out towards the end of the summer months, leading to another reason it has been a great summer.

Do you believe what they say about falling in love during the summer? I do now.

The overall tone of the summer was amazing for me. It had been so long since I had taken a break from the college environment. Taking that break made me realize how much I needed one. After about a month or so I finally recognized how worn down my body was from five years of partying. Crazy thing to say at 23-years-old.

Being at home was almost somewhat of a detox…although, not so much at certain points. Cutting back on the party was definitely something I was actually looking forward to. That doesn’t necessarily mean cutting back on the fun, it just means cutting back on the frequentness of it.

I also had a great chance this summer to see people I haven’t seen in a long time. Spending time with my family is important to me and I had a lot of opportunities to do that. That’s one of the things that really made me happy this summer.

And sometimes, things don’t always work out. Sometimes that time you spend with your loved ones can be bittersweet. I say this because when you spend that time, you may know its not going to happen as often anymore. Or maybe at all, you never know. That’s why that family time is so important to me.

I ended up making some new friends and hung out with the ones that have always been there.

That is comforting to me. Good to know there’s people on your side.

And guess what? Wouldn’t you know, after all this time, I finally got something remotely close to a job at the end of August!

I’m definitely looking forward to see what the rest of the year has to offer me. One day at a time, of course…

Why 50 Cent is a fake…

When I think about the whole Kanye West vs. 50 Cent thing started, naturally I knew it was a publicity stunt. Two guys, talking shit to each other to start a buzz right before their records come out. The thinking is, the more controversy, the more sales. Jesus, they were even on the cover of Rolling Stone! Face to face on stage at the MTV Video Music Awards!It was crazy, but fun. It was a competition. Now, three days after the albums dropped on 9/11, it has turned into a fiasco. Not so much for Kanye, but definitely for 50. Lets take a look at the quick time line of the entire situation…- Singles from Kanye’s new album are released…well received by many.
- Singles from 50’s new album are released…not well received by many.
- 50 calls out Kanye, saying there’s no way Kanye will outsell him the first week, and if he does, 50 will retire.
- Kanye kills 50 in album presales.
- 50 gets pissed that tracks from his album are leaked onto the internet, goes kinda crazy.
- 50 talks shit about Kanye.
- 50 tries to start beef with Lil Wayne.
- T.I., Jay-Z, Diddy, 50 Cent AND Kanye all perform together on-stage.

After the albums are released…

- 50 says that he, “probably won’t put another album out.”
- 50 talks shit about Nas (again?).
- 50 talks more shit about Kanye.
- 50 declares war with Def Jam Records.

WHAT?!?!?

This guy is ridiculous! What kind of farce is this? This is not hip-hop. This guy recycled music from his first two albums and that is the reason his album is not and will not sell. When you are a fake, you get exposed like Milli Vanilli.

Did 50 really think that all the guest spots from R&B singers and white boys like Robin Thicke and Justin Timberlake would save his album? 50 Cent has become EXACTLY what Ja Rule was a few years back when he more or less ended Ja’s career…he is a rapper with R&B singers on his wing.

Why does 50 seem to think that people will be so upset at his “retiring?” REAL MUSICIANS NEVER RETIRE. Apparently he thinks that will make people go out and buy his “last album.” Oh wait…it’s not his last album. Or is it?

Get real!

Starting shit with Kanye, starting shit with Wayne, saying he will retire, saying he won’t put another album out…ALL HYPE. It’s all a cover up for a shitty product. 50 put out a mediocre album and he knows it. So in turn, he must create hype among the media and the fans to up his record sales.

And I know what you’re saying, “Whatever, Mike…you’re the one following this stuff, so the hype must be working on you.”

Wrong. You’re wrong. Because where I stand apart is the fact that I am a lover of REAL music…NOT HYPE.

Good music will create it’s own hype and speak for itself.

It has to be about the music. Not about hype, not about controversy, not about BEEF, not about threatening to retire, not about record sales. The music is all the matters.

50 Cent’s entire career has been a publicity stunt. It hasn’t been about the music…it’s been about hype.

Like Nas said…

“Fuck a bum, whack rapper making his career outta dissin.”

Good riddance, 50 Cent.

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Game Over…?

Yes…actually, the game just ended.The end result was a loss…a huge loss at that.

Pennant race time…the month of September…can’t lose big games.

The games the Tigers have been losing shouldn’t be “big” games at all, but they have been.

Tonight’s loss was to the White Sox, one of the worst teams in our division, struggling to stay out of last place.

Oh wait, correction: the worst team in our division, in last place.

The Tigers just can’t seem to pull the close ones out.

Tonight, the score was 3-1. The last game, against the A’s, was a 7-0 lead…ending up in a 7-8 loss.It’s been a tough second half of a season.

All I can say is, the Tigers control their own fate. And if they don’t realize that, then I guess they won’t be going back to the World Series this season.

I’ve been watching them closely down the stretch as the season winds down. From what I have observed this past month or so, one thing I can say is they don’t look hungry. The Tigers do not have the attitude they had last year and something is wrong.

A lot of things are wrong.

Yes, injuries have played a part in that. Definitely. But every single facet of the Detroit Tigers baseball team has had major downfalls in this second half of the season.

From our offense to our bullpen to even starting pitching, when one fails, the team falters. When one steps up, the other isn’t there.

If the Tigers score 10 runs, the starting pitching gives up 12 runs. If Robertson goes 9 scoreless innings, Maggs goes 0-4 and the offense can’t put up one single run.

The question I have been asking, as have many Tigers fans, is, when are we going to see it? When are we going to see the fire from last year?

We’re waiting. We know its there.

Or is it?

Players (absolutely), managers (yeah, kinda) and coaches (hitting and pitching) of the Detroit Tigers. You are being called out, right here and right now, in regards to your recent play and sudden fall out and also referencing the game I witnessed in person tonight, September 4 against the Chicago White Sox.

You are being called out by a lifetime Tigers fan in myself.

I, Mike D’Orazio, am asking you…do you have what it takes?

If the answer is yes, then PROVE IT.

24 games left….