A Friday morning drive edition of The Longest Inch features some more baseball discussion including Verlander's $80 million signing in Detroit, Hudson's deal with the Twins, and Marmol's one year contract with the Cubs. We wrap up the 2010 NCAA Top 25 with #1-5 and then delve into the glory that is National Signing Day and break down some Top 25 recruiting. Given that the Superbowl looms just 2 short days away, Stump the Skyler features a trio of NFL trivia questions. And finally, Sklyer and I tell some chumps to be serious.
This week's trivia questions (for those who want to test their knowledge, but don't want to listen to the greatest podcast ever):
Name the 3 players that hold the NFL record for:
A. The most seasons played.
B. The most interceptions in one season.
C. Leading the NFL in touchdowns scored the most times.
Bonus: How many seasons, interceptions, and seasons leading the league did each player have?
*The answers will be posted with Episode #25 of The Longest Inch.
Friday, February 5, 2010
Be Serious
Here's a little preview of one of the topics discussed on this week's episode of The Longest Inch. If you haven't already, you can subscribe by going to the iTunes store and searching for "the longest inch." Then just click on the "SUBSCRIBE FREE" button for The Longest Inch podcast.
On Thursday, February 5th, ESPN.com reported that 13-year-old David Sills of Bear, Delaware verbally committed to play for Lane Kiffin and USC. He is 6 feet tall, throws a football pretty well, breaks down NFL footage, and has his own youtube video, (absolutely horrendous soundtrack included).
Let me be clear about this: I am in no way trying to diminish this kid's skills, in fact my overarching point really isn't about David Sills at all. It's about the athletic society we have developed. There is a line that needs to be drawn somewhere and for reason I say, "Be Serious" to the athletic community and society as a whole (ok, it's a stretch, but go with it).
This is part of what has been driving me away from watching and following basketball for a few years, and now it's slowly but surely spreading to football. Just like it will inevitably spread to every other sport, if it hasn't already. I guess my main probleb with it is just that it's plain, flat-out, exhausting. It's too much. Let me be the first to officially say, "Uncle."
Does anyone remember when you watched a "kid" play in college and thought, "Wow, who is that?! He is pretty damn good!" Remember that shock in awe before the 24 hour news cycle and youtube and ESPN when you felt like you actually discovered someone or something before everyone else on the planet?
Remember when you could just watch a NBA game and it didn't have to be all about the wunderkind who skipped out of school after being there almost 7 whole minutes and taking 2 cooking classes who can barely read his own name? You know what I'm talking about. The kid who can't even legally drink yet who's now being touted as "the NEXT big thing" who's going to revolutionize the entire sport and life as we know it and go on to be the G.O.A.T. because he's been training every waking moment of every single day since he was conceived to do just that.
I'm just tired of it. I'm sick and tired of the whole process.
I DON'T CARE. I don't care about this 13-year-old who's tall and can throw a football far with a nice spiral. I don't care about the 11-year-old who can make no-look passes and jump out of the gym. Can we please just go back to playing a game and competing and just letting the chips fall however they may?
No, we can't. We can't because there's just too much on the line now. There's too much at stake. There are just too many millions upon hundreds of millions of dollars to be made and too many advertisements to be in and too many youtube hits to be gotten and too many magazine covers to be on and too much fame to be had and too many and too many and too many. Blah blah blah blah blah blah I don't care.
I want sports to be like they used to be. When someone played because he loved playing and it made him feel good and he liked competing. And maybe, just maybe if he was lucky enough he might have even gotten payed to play the game he loved. Maybe even as much as the guy working in the car factory (if only those still existed), or the accountant or the teacher. And you know what? That was fine. That was more than fine... because he was playing A GAME. He was getting paid a living wage to play a game (do I sound like Allen Iverson yet? Just insert game for practice.) How much luckier could one get?!?
And please, whatever you do don't say, "Lucky enough to get 1 million views on youtube," cause I'm still striving for that.
On Thursday, February 5th, ESPN.com reported that 13-year-old David Sills of Bear, Delaware verbally committed to play for Lane Kiffin and USC. He is 6 feet tall, throws a football pretty well, breaks down NFL footage, and has his own youtube video, (absolutely horrendous soundtrack included).
Let me be clear about this: I am in no way trying to diminish this kid's skills, in fact my overarching point really isn't about David Sills at all. It's about the athletic society we have developed. There is a line that needs to be drawn somewhere and for reason I say, "Be Serious" to the athletic community and society as a whole (ok, it's a stretch, but go with it).
This is part of what has been driving me away from watching and following basketball for a few years, and now it's slowly but surely spreading to football. Just like it will inevitably spread to every other sport, if it hasn't already. I guess my main probleb with it is just that it's plain, flat-out, exhausting. It's too much. Let me be the first to officially say, "Uncle."
Does anyone remember when you watched a "kid" play in college and thought, "Wow, who is that?! He is pretty damn good!" Remember that shock in awe before the 24 hour news cycle and youtube and ESPN when you felt like you actually discovered someone or something before everyone else on the planet?
Remember when you could just watch a NBA game and it didn't have to be all about the wunderkind who skipped out of school after being there almost 7 whole minutes and taking 2 cooking classes who can barely read his own name? You know what I'm talking about. The kid who can't even legally drink yet who's now being touted as "the NEXT big thing" who's going to revolutionize the entire sport and life as we know it and go on to be the G.O.A.T. because he's been training every waking moment of every single day since he was conceived to do just that.
I'm just tired of it. I'm sick and tired of the whole process.
I DON'T CARE. I don't care about this 13-year-old who's tall and can throw a football far with a nice spiral. I don't care about the 11-year-old who can make no-look passes and jump out of the gym. Can we please just go back to playing a game and competing and just letting the chips fall however they may?
No, we can't. We can't because there's just too much on the line now. There's too much at stake. There are just too many millions upon hundreds of millions of dollars to be made and too many advertisements to be in and too many youtube hits to be gotten and too many magazine covers to be on and too much fame to be had and too many and too many and too many. Blah blah blah blah blah blah I don't care.
I want sports to be like they used to be. When someone played because he loved playing and it made him feel good and he liked competing. And maybe, just maybe if he was lucky enough he might have even gotten payed to play the game he loved. Maybe even as much as the guy working in the car factory (if only those still existed), or the accountant or the teacher. And you know what? That was fine. That was more than fine... because he was playing A GAME. He was getting paid a living wage to play a game (do I sound like Allen Iverson yet? Just insert game for practice.) How much luckier could one get?!?
And please, whatever you do don't say, "Lucky enough to get 1 million views on youtube," cause I'm still striving for that.
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