State Of The Angels: What Will 2016 Bring?

The Angels success in 2016 will depend on how far this man is willing to push payroll for the coming season.

For the Angels, 2015 was a year filled with inconsistency that had its fair share of ups and downs. The early part of Spring Training saw the Josh Hamilton saga come to a conclusion with a return to the Texas Rangers after a reported relapse with drugs.  Then came the inconsistent start that Mike Scioscia's club have become famous for en route to an 85-77 record.



When July rolled around, there were reports of another rift between Scioscia and past General Manager Jerry Dipoto, which led to Dipoto's resignation to find greener pastures in the Pacific Northwest as the new General Manager of the Seattle Mariners.



Fast forward to now and the Halos still have the game's longest tenured manager in the sport working under yet another General Manager in Billy Eppler to go along with owner Arte Moreno who has shown a willingness in the past to loosen the purse strings on the team payroll past the Luxury Tax threshold.  Will Moreno do so once again this off season in pursuit of a coveted World Series championship in 2016 with a Jason Heyward or Yoenis Cespedes signing?  Considering all options, that may be his only chance for true success in 2016.



This fan is still waiting patiently to see what the team looks like when 2016 Spring Training rolls around once all the off season dust is settled.



Tim Musick
Copyright 2015
All Rights Reserved.  

  

Steve Sarkisian And The NCAA Athletics Quagmire: A Call to Action for Accountability and Transparency

Photo Courtesy of: Wikimedia and Bobak Ha'Eri under

CC BY-SA 3.0 License

The Steve Sarkisian saga continues to roll along as we head toward Christmas and New Years.  The latest chapter involves a lawsuit filed by Sarkisian and his legal team against USC asking for $30 million dollars in damages.  How much of that $30 million Sarkisian gets remains to be seen.  My guess is lawyers from both sides will get together and come to some sort of financial agreement that works out for both parties.  Oh and the last time I checked, having a problem with alcohol does not count as having a disability in my book.  This is coming from a person who has an actual disability, so give me a break please!



By now, we're probably all familiar with the speech from four months ago at a USC pep rally that caused trouble for Sarkisian.



The bigger issue I want to focus on here is that going forward, athletic departments at any academic institution, big or small need to do a better job at looking closer at the individuals they hire when conducting background checks.  I realize that having issues with acoholism isn't something that should not keep an individual from being hired for a certain job position, but common sense would probably tell us that it certainly wouldn't look good to prospective employers who no doubt want to hire the best candidates for any job openings.

Photo Courtesy of: Wikimedia and Bobak Ha'Eri under

CC BY-SA 3.0 License

In USC's situation, I really have no idea what USC Athletic Director Pat Haden considered as essential job requirements when he ultimately hired Sarkisian for the USC head coaching position two years ago, especially since it's been well publicized by now that Sarkisian's issues with alcohol date back to his time as head coach for the Huskies at the University of Washington.



From Sarkisian's perspective, he will most likely be given a second chance to coach at some other university or possibly the NFL because we've seen coaches come and go in both the College and Professional ranks over the years.  All I know is that if I were in charge of the hiring process, Sark would have to get his personal life in order first before I would even consider gim him that second chance.



Tim Musick
Copyright 2015
All Rights Reserved.  

Will Smith's "Concussion": What Will the NFL Have to Say About the Fresh Prince's Latest Film?

Will Smith's newest movie Concussion is slated to hit theaters on Christmas Day.  In it, the former Fresh Prince of Bel Air star plays Dr. Bennet Omalu.  Omalu's name is most likely not well known in many households across America, but what he discovered throughout years of painstaking research has no doubt had an effect on the way the National Football League does business today.

Dr. Omalu's groundbreaking discovery is what is known today as Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy or CTE.  CTE affects those athletes who have had a history of repetitive brain trauma, such as concussions.  Junior Seau is perhaps among the most well-known former NFL greats who fell victim to the disease in 2012 by committing suicide.  It wasn't until sometime later that it was discovered that Seau had been suffering from CTE.

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Angulo otimo under CC BY-SA 3.0 License

Other than the 2013 PBS Documentary entitled League of Denial, there aren't too many works of film or television that have been a real eye-opener to the story of CTE.  The League of Denial documentary was pretty groundbreaking itself in shedding light to years of the National Football League staying quiet on an issue that over the years, greatly effected the safety of its own players. Hopefully with the Christmas Day release of Concussion, the game of football can be even greater than it already is going forward.  Not to mention possible medical advancements for treatment in the field of CTE in the coming years.



Tim Musick
Copyright 2015
All Rights Reserved.  

Rule 9.0...Whatever: The Take-Out Slide Rule

Caution!-the runner's shoes contain spiky cleats!

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Wikimedia

and

Stu Steeger and Mattingly23 under CC BY 2.0 License

The Take-Out slide rule seems to be well on its way to becoming reality.  In comparison to my Check-Swing rule proposal that I wrote about in a previous post, the abolishment of the Take-Out slide is of greater importance at this time for the sake of player safety.

I'll admit that I don't even know all the rules in the official Major League Baseball rule book even though it is my favorite of the 4 major professional sports in North America.  There are times when I'll learn about a new rule (new to me), that I didn't know about either during a given game broadcast or on one of MLB Network's numerous programming choices.  For all I know this kind of rule or some other version of it is probably already in the rule book.

From my own viewpoint as a fan, I want to see the best players' each team has to offer throughout the entirety of the regular season with fewer and fewer days spent on the Disabled List each year.  Over the last few years, Major League Baseball has done a good job with implementing Instant Replay and expanding it and eliminating home plate collisions. Next on the rules to-do list-addressing the action of what happens in the second base area of a baseball diamond.

Tim Musick
Copyright 2015
All Rights Reserved.

New Addition to the MLB Rule Book-Rule 8.0...Whatever: The Check-Swing Rule

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jimcchou and Mattingly23 under CC BY 2.0 License

Under new Commissioner Rob Manfred's leadership, Major League Baseball has not been shy about tweaking the rules and procedures of the game to give it more of a modern-day feel and not be left in the dust by the other big three sports.  Instant Replay has been implemented and expanded upon and home plate collisions are seemingly no more.  Following in the Commissioner's overall goal of considering all areas to improve America's Pasttime, I bring forth two new rules for Major League Baseball to consider.


The first one as listed above is the Check-Swing rule.  The numbering of the rule is not important. You could give it any number designation to be included in MLB's Official Rulebook as long as it was implemented.  The new Check-Swing rule would be pretty simple to implement and follow in that this new rule would make it mandatory for the home plate umpire to appeal with the first or third base umpires on all check swings.  This new rule would hopefully further curb manager and player outbursts against home plate umpires who take it upon themselves to make a judgement call from a vantage point on a baseball field that isn't best suited to determine if a player made a full swing at a 95 mile per hour fastball or any other pitch a pitcher delivers to the batter from 60 feet 6 inches away.


Tim Musick
Copyright 2015
All Rights Reserved.

MLB's Statcast: The Next Evolutionary Step In Baseball's Sabermetric Life Cycle

These are among the most intriguing plays for StatCast analysis.

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Wikimedia

and

Keith Allison from Owings Mills, USA under CC BY-SA 2.0 License

While watching the 2015 Major League Baseball season unfold, the new-school Sabermetrics community eagerly unveiled its latest and greatest toy filled with tons of advanced statistical data in StatCast.  Just a few of the new advanced metrics introduced by StatCast are Route Efficiency, Spin Rate of a certain pitch along with Exit Velocity and Launch Angle of a batted baseball.  The coolest thing about the StatCast system in its rookie season in my view was watching the flight path of a ball in flight that would either find its way into the stands for a home run or be stopped at the wall by a leaping grab from an outfielder.

While all the new advanced measurements of the StatCast system are certainly worthy of taking notice in further advancing the New School Sabermetric approach to baseball that isn't going away anytime in the near future, one has to wonder what will become of the good old-fashioned eye test that traditional scouting is associated with?  The most ideal outcome in the coming years would be a blending of Old-School scouting with New-School analytics.

Tim Musick
Copyright 2015
All Rights Reserved.

The DraftKings And FanDuel Fantasy League Phenomenon: The Latest Chapter in the Sports Gambling Legalization Debate in America

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Baishampayan Ghos under CC BY-SA 2.0 License

Modern-day fantasy sports leagues have come a long way since their Rotisserie Days of Yore. As the New Millennium marches along you can't turn your television sets on without seeing an ad for some type of fantasy league trying to entice you-the consumer-into spending the All-Mighty American Dollar.  The two sports fantasy web sites that have made their imprint known over the last several months are DraftKings and FanDuel.


Of course with the growing popularity of sites such as DraftKings and FanDuel comes the question of whether fantasy sports leagues constitute a form of gambling?   If so, should it be viewed as a legalized form of gambling somewhere down the road? This is one of those topics where it seems there are a lot of gray areas. Since participating in fantasy leagues involves spending one's hard-earned cash and relying on an athlete's performance over a set amount of time in determining whether one wins or loses in said fantasy leagues, it would certainly seem possible  that you could make a case for fantasy sports leagues being considered a form of gambling.  On the other hand, it is important to recognize the value these fantasy leagues have in partnership with the four major professional sports leagues.  Fantasy sports itself has for years and will most likely continue to be an important part of the overall sports landscape for the forseeable future.


I know for myself as a consumer, I don't particularly see the allure of daily fantasy leagues.

Throughout my life I have watched sports for pure entertainment value without the desire to partake in gambling for the most part.  About the closest thing I've done in terms of sports gambling is betting on the horses at my local race track.  Sports gambling of any form is one of those things that should be done in moderation.  Whether or not fantasy leagues fall under the gambling distinction remains to be seen.  My only wish if this continues to be a hotly debated topic in the coming years is that it won't reach the Supreme Court level before something is decided one way or another.


Tim Musick
Copyright 2015
All Rights Reserved.

Hey Closeted Athletes!...Stop Worrying And Start Living!

Billy Bean-Major League Baseball's Ambassador of Inclusion.

Photo Courtesy of:Wikimedia and Greg Hernandez from California, CA, USA under CC BY 2.0 License

Baseball has Major League umpire Dale Scott, a veteran official with 30+ years of experience on the job and Billy Bean, Major League Baseball's Ambassador of Inclusion.  There's also minor league ballplayers David Denson in the Milwaukee Brewers organization and Sean Conroy of the Sonoma Stompers, an independent minor league team not affiliated with any of Major League Baseball's 30 clubs.  Football has Michael Sam.  Basketball has Jason Collins, referee Violet Palmer and Sheryl Swoopes. Soccer has Abby Wambach, Megan Rapinoe and Robbie Rogers. 

Abby Wambach 

Photo Courtesy of: Wikimedia

and Hmlarson under CC BY 3.0 License

If you're having trouble figuring out what these athletes and sports officials have in common, it is that they are all out of the closet when it comes to their sexuality while enjoying various degrees of success in their careers at this point in time.  This post isn't necessarily about those individuals who have shown a willingness and a certain comfort level to be open to the public about their lives, but rather those athletes or officials out there who for one reason or another still choose not to disclose that part of their personal lives. I should also mention that I'm not saying you should go about your daily life worrying about what others might think about you when it comes to how you feel about your own sexuality whether you are an athlete or not.  The choice of opening up that part of your life to others should be yours and yours alone to make.
  

As I've grown older and have continued to watch sports and media in general over the years, one thing I've come to realize is the power that any athlete celebrity or other public figure has as a role model to kids and adults of society at large.  Now I generally don't view any athlete or celebrity as a role model as it relates to my life because I believe that term should be reserved for someone in a person's life who they feel a close connection to such as a parent, teacher or other close relative, but I can certainly understand why some people in today's society would view athletes or other sports officials as potential role models-especially among younger sports fans who start to form their own beliefs and opinions about what goes on in the world around them at an early age.  To those other individuals who fall under the Public Figure category who identify (secretly or otherwise), themselves as members of the LGBT Community, I hope you realize the potential impact your story might have on someone's life down the road.


So as we wait for the next big name athlete or sports figure to open their closet door as society becomes even more accepting of these individuals than they already are, it is my hope that 10-20 years from now, what someone chooses to do in their personal life becomes a non-issue and people can be free to go about their daily lives however they choose to do so without the fear of being judged by others.


Tim Musick
Copyright 2015
All Rights Reserved.

The Toy Department of Life: Ranking The North American Four

Baseball.  Basketball.  Football.  Hockey.  In no particular, these 4 sports are what I like to refer to as the North American Four.  Soccer doesn't count among them since it hasn't really been among the most popular sports in North America throughout much of its history.  Those four major sports can also be put into the so-called Toy Department of Life because they help serve as a type of distraction to help take our minds off certain things going on in our lives that may cause stress or other personal obstacles we may face on a daily basis.



As a sports fans throughout a given year, I like to focus my viewing efforts on the four sports listed above.  The one guideline I will use in ranking each sport is I will focus on my own opinions and viewpoints on each sport from the past year or so.

Photo Courtesy of: Wikimedia and

Frederick Dennstedt from Los Angeles, USA under CC BY-SA 2.0 License

1. Major League Baseball (MLB)-America's Pasttime will most certainly be at the top of this list no matter what season it is.  The fact that there's a game being played everyday of the week during the regular season is a definite plus.  I don't care if some fans out there view the sport as boring and slow at times.  At least teams not named the Boston Red Sox or New York York Yankees have joined in on the championship train in recent years.

2. National Football League (NFL)-The one sport that plays its regular season games on one of three (sometimes four, when Saturday games are added later in the season), days in a week.  The Sunday slate of games (Sunday Night Football included), to go along with Monday Night Football and Thursday Night Football make it pretty easy to remember when a gridiron game is taking place in order to satisfy your weekly football fix.  What also beneficial for NFL fans watching on television is that the majority of each week's games can be found on one of the big three networks in CBS, FOX and NBC.  For those who have access to ESPN, the NFL Network and NFL RedZone, all your viewing bases are covered-so you should have no excuses for not keeping up with this gladiator sport if you consider yourself a die-hard fan of the yardage game.

Photo Courtesy of:Wikimedia

and Aude under CC BY-SA 2.5 License

3. National Hockey League (NHL)-The excitement of the Stanley Cup Playoffs is enough to put the game invented by America's neighbors to the North in the #3 spot on this list.  The emergence of the Kings and Ducks as perennial doesn't hurt either.  I also like giving my Grandmother a hard time whenever I watch because she has trouble following the puck from time to time.

Photo Courtesy of: Wikimedia

and Keith Allison under CC BY-SA 2.0 License

4. National Basketball Association (NBA)-If the Lakers of recent vintage would come out of their Dumpster Fire phase of the past few seasons, the squeaky sounds of sneakers running across hardwood floors would be moved into the third spot.  Until that happens, Adam Silver and company will have to wait a little longer for my full and undivided attention.



Tim Musick
Copyright 2015
All Rights Reserved.

To DH Or Not To DH?: That Is The National League Question.

If the National League had the Designated Hitter, this guy might still be wearing the uniform pictured above.

Photo Courtesy of Wikimedia and

shgmom56 under CC BY-SA 2.0 License

One of the new topics up for debate as the the 2015 Major League Baseball season rolls along into its second is the potential addition of the Designated Hitter rule in the National League.

Old school baseball fan purists will argue that the addition of the DH to possibly both leagues will take away from the overall strategy of the game.  New school baseball fans will most likely consider all avenues of improvement to make America's national pasttime a better game overall going forward and that includes looking at adding the DH to the senior circuit.

I've had many a conversation with my Dad on this issue.  Let's just say his view toward it is the get off my lawn cranky old neighbor whereas I'm more open minded about seeing the DH in both leagues.

Perhaps my biggest selling point on adding the DH to the National League is for selfish reasons. That is I just think it is just plain boring to watch pitchers hit nowadays.

Consider the following as an example.  Your favorite is up batting and has a rally going with a pretty good chance of scoring multiple runs in said inning.  Things are going so well that your team now has the bases loaded with the pitcher's spot coming up.  To make the situation even better (or worse, depending on your perspective), there are no outs.  Now the way thing currently stand, your team will probably use a pinch hitter off the bench in this situation.  All I can say is good luck to that guy on the bench who probably is not good enough already to be penciled into the starting lineup.  Either of these situations would be less than ideal for me as a fan.  I wouldn't want to have to depend on that day's starting pitcher to come up with a big hit or put my faith in a bench guy who may only get a couple at bats a week.  That is not a successful recipe for offensive consistency in a lineup if you ask me.  Pitchers already have enough to worry about when facing a big league lineup loaded with hopefully quality Major League hitters.  They don't need any added distractions on top of that.

Here's another question to consider on the subject?  Have you ever thought to yourself why is it that the big name superstars like Miguel Cabrera and Albert Pujols sign with American League ballclubs when they hit free agency and cash in on the mega deals of their careers that has them set for life financially?  If you guessed the security blanket of the Designated Hitter spot as they get older, here's your gold star!

By adding the DH to both leagues for future seasons, all 30 Major League ballclubs would have an equal opportunity at going after the big superstars instead of the usual 15 that the junior circuit has to offer.  If that was the case, Albert would most likely still be a member of the St. Louis Cardinals.  As for Miguel Cabrera, he probably still wouldn't be a member of the Miami Marlins but that's another story for another day.

In any case, the DH Debate isn't going away anytime soon.  Here's my final prediction: the DH is coming to the National League and baseball will be better for it in the long run.

Tim Musick
Copyright 2015
All Rights Reserved  

Capturing The Excitement Of The Stanley Cup Playoffs

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Alexey Chernyadyev under CC BY 3.0 License

Well to say it's been an adrenaline rush watching this year's Stanley Cup Playoffs would be a huge understatement.  And the funny thing is I didn't really start getting into hockey until the Los Angeles Kings made their run to 2 Stanley Cup victories over the last few years.

So go ahead and call me a bandwagon fan if you must.  That still doesn't diminish my excitement as the playoff march rolls on.  There's just something dramatic about the potential of every play leading to a scoring chance or missed opportunity.  It's even more exciting with the added element of sudden death overtime!  Oh and then there's the extra chippiness that comes with scrums and altercations that develops between the players, coaches and officials and I love it!

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Resolute under CC BY-SA 3.0 License

That's the way it should be over the course of any best-of-7 playoff series in any sport.  Trophies aren't handed out for taking it easy on your opponent.  On the contrary, greatness is ultimately rewarded by pushing your foes to their breaking point.  So as the 2015 Stanley Cup Playoffs march on, here's to hoping that the excitement doesn't stop.  Oh and for my money, I'm rooting for the Blackhawks and Rangers this year with the Rangers coming out on top.

Tim Musick
Copyright 2015
All Rights Reserved  

Derrick Rose: The Cautionary Injury Tale

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Keith Allison from Owings Mills, USA under CC BY-SA 2.0 License

 

Will the real Derrick Rose please stand up?  The Chicago Bulls point guard's injury history brings this question to the forefront of my mind as well as fans of the Bulls and the NBA.  As we all may know, Rose suffered yet another knee injury at the end of February.

If my memory is correct, this is the third knee injury he's suffered in his career.  Hopefully by the time you see this writing, he will have undergone a successful rehabilitation program and is doing all he can do in leading the Bulls on what could be a deep playoff run.

On the other side of the coin, fans are instinctively going to be asking themselves what's going to happen if this same scenario happens again and praying for the best. Part of the good news this time around is The Bulls were in pretty good shape as the season wound down.  It could be that with all the time Derrick Rose has missed over the years, the organization has done pretty well adjusting to competing without their marquee superstar on a regular basis.  There is no question though that the Bulls are a better team when Rose is in uniform and on the basketball court.

While I'm not a Bulls fan myself, I can certainly picture what it would be like if my Angels played a significant amount of their games in a given season without Mike Trout.  Let's just say the results would not be pretty.  So here's to good future health to Derrick Rose and hope that the injury bug doesn't hit your favorite sports team anytime soon.

 

Tim Musick
Copyright 2015
All Rights Reserved    

Catching The Worldwide Leader: The New Age Of Niche Market Sports Television

Chris Berman, one of ESPN's original and more polarizing personalities.  

Photo Courtesy of Wikimedia and

Martin Lobberich under CC BY 2.0 License

Back in 1979 a trend was set in sports television viewing that would forever change the landscape of sports television.  I'm talking about the arrival of ESPN and SportsCenter.  For the past 36 years and counting ESPN has had a place in virtually every sports fan's life in one way or another.

In its early heyday, ESPN was the one stop marketplace for fans with pay TV to get their fix of the latest sporting events and news of the day and 36 years later it continues to have an influence on the still growing new sports network landscape whether we like it or not.

As we get further into the 21st century, another thing about ESPN is still quite clear-the network will always have its critics.  I'm one of them.  I have another confession to make.  I don't watch ESPN to get my daily fix of sports news anymore.  The only real use I have for ESPN nowadays is to watch the live sporting events I want to watch where ESPN is the only network carrying said sporting event. I also watch some of ESPN's original programming options such as Around the Horn, Pardon the Interruption and the 30 For 30 documentary series.  That's it.  

So where do I get my daily sports?  With the arrival of sports networks that are specific to each league they cover, it is now easier than ever to follow the ebbs and flows of sports without having to rely on the rely on the Worldwide Leader.  For baseball there's MLB Network.  The NFL has NFL Network.  NBA TV has the Association covered and the NHL Network covers the league invented by the USA's neighbor to the North.  Each of these networks does a far superior job in cover each league's daily news and happenings in comparison to the "Big Boys" in Bristol Connecticut.  So the next time you feel yourself getting tired of the latest discussion on the Yankees-Red Sox rivalry or New England Patriots scandal, consider flipping the channel if you want a more balanced view on sports.

Tim Musick
Copyright 2015
All Rights Reserved      

My Vote For Potential NBA Playoff Format Change Goes To...

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Keith Allison from Hanover, MD, USA under CC BY-SA 2.0 License

 

Whenever discussion starts to heat up in the world of sports concerning any potential change to a respective league's current playoff format I'm usually in favor of it as long as it doesn't cheapen the value of said playoffs.

To that effect, I applaud NBA Commissioner Adam Silver's efforts to look at any and all possible ways to improve the NBA'S current playoff format.  Under the current system a total of 16 out of a possible 30 teams make the playoffs from the league's two conferences. 8 from the Western Conference and 8 from the Eastern Conference make the playoffs under a seeding system based on overall records where the #1 seed from each conference plays the #8 seed, the #2 seed faces the #7 seed and so on leading to the winners from each conference playing each other in the NBA Finals to determine a champion.

This current system has been in place in some form or another for over 30 years.  It has worked fairly well for the most part during that span.  There have been numerous instances recently though when the 9th place team from one conference had a better overall record than the 8th place team from the other conference.  This scenario played out last season when the Atlanta Hawks made the playoffs with a record of 38-44 made the playoffs while the Western Conference's Phoenix Suns had a record of 48-34 and did not make the playoffs.  Historically the Western Conference has now become far superior of the two conferences to the point where it is almost laughable.  In what world does it make sense for a team with a clearly worse record than another to be granted the opportunity and privilege of competing for the league's top prize, especially when one of those teams has a losing record and the other does not?

The way I see it, the league could do one of two things to fix the current conundrum.  Do some form of conference realignment where you could have 3 conferences of 10 teams each based on geographical location and proximity where the top 4 or 5 teams from each new conference make the playoffs.  Or my personal favorite, have the best 16 teams regardless of conference affiliation qualify for the playoffs and the right to compete for the championship title.  Whatever new system is put in place for the future, it is quite clear that something needs to be done to give all teams a fair and equitable shot at potential playoff glory.

 

Tim Musick
Copyright 2015
All Rights Reserved
        

    

The Sports Elitist Lifestyle

All future Mike Trouts of the world will need to graduate to the varsity level for me to take notice.

Photo Courtesy of Wikimedia and

Keith Allison from Owings Mills, USA under CC BY-SA 2.0 License

One of my core beliefs in life is one should strive for the highest possible standards you can achieve. If you are not striving to be the best at something than you won't be able to fully appreciate true greatness and excellence.

This is the the way I approach all of my sports viewing today.  I consider myself to be living the Sports Elitist Lifestyle.  That means when I do watch sports, I only concern myself with what's going on at the major league levels of all sports.  So welcome to the club Nathional Football League (NFL), Major League Baseball (MLB), National Basketball Association (NBA) and the National Hockey League (NHL).  Sorry NCAA and all other developmental leagues across America.

As a kid I have many memories of attending my fair share of minor league sporting events.  While they were each fun in their own way, I always felt I could never get fully invested into learning about the future athletes whose ultimate dream is to make it on the big stage.  That maybe due to the fact that in the minor leagues of sports, winning is secondary to making a name for yourself and getting noticed.  The enjoyment of minor league sports seems better suited for someone who has the time and patience for evaluating the pros and cons of the future talent the bigger leagues have to offer.  The future Mike Trouts will have to make the big show for me to take notice of their talents.  Until then, they are only prospects with potential to be great.

Another area of my life where my only interest is in seeing the best aspect of a certain sport is my lifelong goal of seeing all 30 Major League ballparks in baseball.  I have very little interest in seeing every single minor league ballpark throughout the United States.

Yes I'm a sports snob and I'm proud of it!

 

Tim Musick
Copyright 2015
All Rights Reserved
    

Dale Scott And Billy Bean: The Foundation Of Major League Baseball's New Era Of Inclusion

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Wikimedia Commons and tweber1 under CC BY-SA 2.0 License.

As the dawn of the 2015 Major League Baseball draws near one thing is crystal clear: we are entering a new era of progress and inclusion.  When the bell rings on Opening Day today, not only will the game be under new leadership in the Commissioner's Office, it will also mark the beginning of a new era of inclusion.

Two key members who will hopefully serve as excellent role models for the future are Billy Bean and Dale Scott.  Bean, (not to be confused with Oakland Athletics General Manager Billy Beane), will set sail as Major League Baseball's new Ambassador of Inclusion.  Bean also happens to be openly gay.   Dale Scott will be entering his 30th season as a Major League umpire.  That is quite an accomplishment in itself.  Oh and did I mention that Scott is also openly gay and is married to his partner of 28 years in Michael Rausch.

Unlike Bean, Scott never went to great lengths to hide his sexuality and in today's day and age frankly, that's the way it should always be.  Like the honorable Dr. Martin Luther King famously said a person should not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.  This doctrine should also apply to members of the LGBT community.

Lastly, it is my hope that the stories of Billy Bean and Dale Scott will help provide inspiration and understanding to future generations worldwide that at the end of the day, we are all simply human beings with no label required-myself included.

Tim Musick
Copyright 2015
All Rights Reserved.              

March Madness?!...Not So Fast My Friend.

 Living the life of an uber sports fan can be hard to juggle at certain times of the year. Right now I'm doing all I can to balance this juggling act.

Sports is no different than any other aspect of everyday life in that events unfold at an always increasing pace. As in any other aspect of everyday life, there are four very distinct and very different seasons a la Winter, Spring, Summer and Fall.

The new year begins with a bang as the NFL gets things going in January with the arrival of its playoff journey to crown the ultimate champion.

February continues on the natural leisurely path with the world's most watched television of the year at the beginning of the month.  You may have heard of it.  Advertisers call it the big game because that's what the league tells them to call it.  They have to do this because whatever the shield wants the shield gets.  If advertisers stray from this doctrine, you better believe they are going to be hearing from the almighty Commissioner Goodell and his cronies.  We fans call it what it is...THE SUPER BOWL!

Once March rolls around, the sports dialogue gets ratcheted up EVEN MORE to an insanely high volume.  As Nigel Tufnel in Spinal Tap put it so eloquently in perhaps the film's most memorable scene, the sports speakers are pushed to eleven as we reach the end of yearly cycle's first quarter pole.

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Ucla90024 under CC BY-SA 3.0 License

This is when brackets are busted, spring training signals the dawn of the 7 month marathon that is the Major League Baseball season and the march, (no pun intended), to the NBA and the NHL's Stanley Cup Playoffs hits full bore! When you put it those various ingredients all together simultaneously, it is enough to drive the senses crazy.  

This is where I am right now.  I just need to remember to and remind myself from time to time to adjust adjust my internal head noise when needed. Right now the speakers are at eleven.  Level five would certainly be nice.  Not too loud and not too soft...JUUUUUUUUUST Right!

Photo Courtesy of: Wikimedia and

Frederick Dennstedt from Los Angeles, USA under CC BY-SA 2.0 License

At least I can find solace in knowing that a new baseball season is so close I can almost taste it. BRING ON THE 7 MONTH LOVE AFFAIR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Tim Musick
Copyright 2015
All Rights Reserved.

Changing Of The Guard: From Old School To Progressive New School In Major League Baseball

Photo Courtesy of Wikimedia and Arturo Pardavila III from Hoboken, NJ, USA

under CC BY-SA 2.0 License

The dawn of the 2015 Major League Baseball season is exactly one week away!  Can you feel the excitement?!  Major League ballparks across America will be open for business once again for the next six months.  For 10 lucky clubs there is hope they will be open for business a little longer than the usual six months thanks to a postseason appearance in pursuit of a possible World Series title.

The beginning of the 2015 season, while bringing the same hope and dreams for all 30 Major League clubs, will be unlike any other we have seen in more than 20 years.  Bud Selig is no longer the commissioner.  That job now belongs to the man Selig seemingly hand picked as his successor in Rob Manfred.  Manfred will now be entrusted by all 30 Major League owners to continue the never ending mission of evolving the game known as America's national pastime.

In his first few months on the job, Manfred has not been shy about his desire to make significant changes in the game to better improve the overall product.  Count me in favor of looking at all areas for ways to improve the game even if I don't agree with every single idea being discussed such as possibly banning defensive shifts.  At least we're at a day and age in baseball where the powers that be are willing to discuss these kinds of issues.  I'm not sure the desire for improvement would have been taken seriously some 20 years ago under Bud Selig.

Tim Musick
Copyright 2015
All Rights Reserved    

As Roger Goodell's World Turns

With his less than stellar reputation, Roger Goodell is always on the proverbial Hot Seat.

During the NFL'S regular season and playoffs I couldn't find time to offer my take on the continuing tumultuous tenure of NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell.  Well with the scouting combine freshly completed and the draft more than a month away, I figured now would be a very good time to offer my thoughts on Roger Goodell's world.

The bottom line plain and simple is that since he became commissioner of the most popular of the four major North American sports leagues in 2006, he has fallen well short of my expectations as a fan.  From the snafu of the Ray Rice investigation to Deflategate, Goodell has made a couple of things very clear.  He is very inept for one reason or another at overseeing the various investigations of alleged criminal activity and his handling of numerous player suspensions is at times beyond comprehension!  We all know that 2 games was more lenient than it should have been given the evidence and circumstances of the Ray Rice case.  As far as the Deflategate episode goes, that is a totally different situation which I will expand on in a future post.

In all likelihood however, Goodell's job status will remain safe as long as the NFL keeps making huge gobs of money under his watch.  If the tide starts to turn the other way I would give serious consideration to finding a replacement for Goodell's services.  There's no telling what will happen on the next episode of 'As Roger Goodell's World Turns.'  Your guess is as good as mine.

 

Tim Musick
Copyright 2015
All Rights Reserved    

Welcome To Your First Day Of Sports Officiating 101

Photo Courtesy of

Wikimedia

and

Keith Allison from Owings Mills, USA

under

CC BY-SA 2.0 License

As the name of this very blog implies sports is one of the items that my world revolves around along with music and movies.  To go along with my undying passion for sports, I've also developed and cultivated another passion for officiating and what it takes to be a good official no matter the sport.  I have become some engrossed in it that I know pretty much all the names of the officials in each of the four major North American sports.  Yes I am that obsessed with it!

Throughout my years of sports observation I have learned one simple lesson when it comes to officiating.  Anybody can be a sports official if they are willing to put in the time and effort it takes to become one no matter what line of work you're involved at any point in your life.  With that in mind it is important to remember that the job of officiating suits some individuals better than others.

The key thing to ask yourself when determining whether officiating is something you truly want to do in life is is this something that you are truly passionate about?  

The second and more complex lesson I've learned about officiating is what exactly does it mean to be a GREAT official and not just good or adequate one.  Below is my list of my 10 essential rules all officials need to know to go from being good to great:

1. You are one half of the human element in an otherwise unfair world of two true exact outcomes.  One of the beautiful things that makes sports exciting are the true outcomes.  The competitive nature of sports allows for one of  two things.  A winner and a loser.  At the end of the day, sports doesn't care about the human element.  It just wants to find a winner and a loser.  That's it.  As an official, it is up to you to help inject the human element of sports to determine the two true outcomes in a winner and a loser.

2. You must possess excellent communication skills.  We are all human beings correct?  We all have the ability to communicate with each other in one way or another right?  As an official it is paramount that you are able to get your point across without sounding lost or confused.

3. Be fair to all parties involved.  In a world that is essentially set up to be unfair it is your job to act in a fair and just manner.

4. Allow for players and coaches to have their say during competition.  Regardless of whether or not you've blown some calls, players and coaches should feel free to have such discussions without fear of any possible recourse of action.

5. Check your ego at the door when entering the arena of competition.  It is VERY important to keep in mind that sports fans don't shell out huge wads of cash to come see you in your craft.  They are there to see some of the greatest athletes in the world do what they do best in a competitive environment.   

6. You must have confidence in yourself and your abilities.  This sounds like something that should be easy to come by but can be hard to achieve sometimes.  If you don't have confidence in yourself and your abilities then you are doing a disservice not only to yourself but those around you as well.

7. Don't be afraid of failure.  We all make mistakes at some point in our lives and you will undoubtedly make some yourself as an official.  You are not always perfect.

8. Get the calls right no matter what the situation is.  In the name of fairness in an unfair world it is imperative that you do everything you can to make the right calls, even if it means conferring with your fellow officials or utilizing instant replay to do so.

9. Maintain control over any and all situations.  As an official this is probably one of the most important jobs you have as an official.  You must not let things get out of hand.

10. Be invisible.  If you have gone about your job without anybody noticing you're there then you have put in a great day's worth of work.

If you follow these 10 rules, you will have what it takes to succeed in the officiating world.

Tim Musick
Copyright 2015
All Rights Reserved