It's Time To Cut The Head Off The Angels Snake

That is one big snake!

Photo Courtesy of: Wikimedia

Keith Allison under CC BY-SA 2.0 License

Over the past five years of mediocrity, I have tried to be as patient as I can hoping for an Angels turnaround. Well that's all changed.  It's frustrating to know that the Angels have an owner in Arte Moreno who seems to run his franchise like Jerry Jones runs the Dallas Cowboys in football.  Now I know there's no point in thinking Moreno will fire himself or sell the team in the near future because that's not going to happen.

I'm here to tell you that my patience has run out.  April 2, 2014 may just turn out to be an important day in my Angels' fandom.  That wasn't the day I realized Arte Moreno wasn't the world's greatest owner after all.  I found that out a long time ago.  No, April 2 of this year was the day I officially joined the "Fire Mike Scioscia!" bandwagon.  The reality is he probably should have been canned at the end of last season.  Well Sosh, I've had it with your apathetic attitude and inept strategy as a field general!  You know it's bad when players are openly griping, whether it's right or wrong, about the shortcomings of a coaching staff a mere three games into the season.   As the fictional Howard Beale says in the film Network, "I'M MAD AS HELL, AND I'M NOT GOING TO TAKE THIS ANYMORE!"     

There are those who are going to say that it's still early in the season, so there should be no reason to push the panic button when the Halos have only played 3 games coming into tonight without notching a win.  Well I say it's time to push the panic button and push it hard!

What's so baffling about the whole situation is the Angels actually had a good Spring Training for a change that brought some much needed optimism to a increasingly impatient fanbase.

Long gone are the days when the Angels faithful were willing to subject themselves to last place finishes year in and year out.  The difference between then and now is the expectations and aspirations weren't as intense as they are in today's win now philosophy in sports.

I will still keep tabs on the Angels and hold on to a slight glimmer of hope that they will turn in around, but the longer they keep their stubborn manager around, they will remain a hapless bunch with no shot at postseason glory.

Tim Musick
Copyright 2014
All Rights Reserved

       

MLB 2014 Where To Watch And How To Listen: Seattle Mariners

This is a new series of posts with the goal of providing the most in-depth and up to date information possible on where you can watch and listen to your favorite MLB team's local broadcasts. (For those who live outside the local broadcast area, Major League Baseball offers subscriptions to mlb.tv).

Seattle Mariners
Photo Courtesy of:
Wikimedia
BlueCanoe under CC BY-SA 3.0 License
 

Radio Broadcasts

ESPN Radio KIRO 710 AM

Commentators: Rick Rizz, Aaron Goldsmith (play-by-play), Matt Pitman (pre/postgame host), Shannon Drayer (clubhouse reporter).

KIRO 710 AM is the flagship radio station of the Seattle Mariners and the Seattle Mariners Radio Network. KIRO is based in Seattle, Washington and has a sports talk format.

The Mariners Radio Network carries M's broadcasts throughout the Pacific Northwest, Alaska and Hawaii.

Television Broadcasts

Root Sports Northwest

Channel Availability:

DirecTV-687 (HD/SD)
Dish Network-426 (HD/SD)

Commentators: Dave Sims, Rick Rizz (play-by-play), Mike Blowers, Dan Wilson, Jay Buhner (color analysts), Brad Adam (pre/postgame host), Jen Mueller (field reporter).

Root Sports Northwest is an American regional sports network that is part of Root Sports.  It is an affiliate of Fox Sports Networks that serves Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana and Alaska.  It is owned by DirecTV Sports Networks and the Seattle Mariners.

Tim Musick
Copyright 2014
All Rights Reserved

Northwestern Football To Unionize?

Photo Courtesy of: Wikimedia

KoreAm under CC BY-SA 3.0 License

The Northwestern Football union ruling last week could signify a monumental to the future landscape of college sports.  Either way you look at it, the issue of whether or not to unionize in college athletics is definitely not so cut and dry.

On the one hand I feel that college athletics, particularly in Division I, has a definite business aspect to even though the NCAA seems to do everything it can to dispute such a viewpoint.  Most recruits are brought into a college for what they can provide on the playing field while a proper college education is pushed to the side in most cases.  Another thing is while former Northwestern player Kain Colter has said the main desire with unionizing is due to medical concerns for players, I find it hard to believe that's the only motivating factor behind the union movement.

As the days have gone by since this news first broke, I have done a lot of thinking as to whether this would be good or bad for college athletics.  My initial reaction was that a union in college athletics would be a good thing overall but now I'm not so sure.

No matter how you or I feel about this movement, I think there will be a time when unions are a part of college athletics in the future.

Tim Musick
Copyright 2014
All Rights Reserved