NBA Playoffs offer hope

There used to be a time in sports when experience meant everything. In fact, it was true as little as a year ago. The young pre-pubescent Pittsburgh Penguins, no matter how hard they tried, couldn't grow playoff beards. Thus, they never made it out of the first round of the playoffs.

The youthful Colorado Rockies, riding a tidal wave of momentum, failed to win a game in the world series against the veteran Red Sox.

But this season's NBA playoffs seem to be bucking the trend. The athletic, completely inexperienced Atlanta Hawks nearly pulled off the upset of the century before looking childish in game 7 against the Boston Celtics. And being favored at -6000, the Celtics almost cost the author of this blog a hefty penny. In fact, I planned on fleeing the continent and heading to Canada, which is why it took me so long to post this blog. But i digress.

Chris Paul didn't seem to care that he had absolutely no playoff experience either. On his way to disposing the Mavericks and jumping out to a 2-0 lead over the reigning champion Spurs, he became the first ever player to record 30 points and 10 rebounds in three of his first seven playoff games.

Even the seasoned Pistons who have around 3,300,897 games of playoff experience limped through the first round against the Sixers.

Now parity hasn't completely affected the Association, as it has, say,the NFL. In fact, there was a great article written about parity in the NFL. If I were you I'd check it out. The writer is very talented, and sexy too. Here is the link.

Actually, parity has nothing to do with this. That was just a shameless plug.

But the current state of the NBA should offer hope to other sports. Just like in the NFL, you can go from chump to champ in one short season. Not everyone has to completely re haul the roster like the Celtics did to win.

Hopefully baseball will be the next to follow suit. Maybe someday the Royals, Rays, Pirates, Orioles and Nationals can follow the lead of the Hornets, Hawks, Magic and 76ers, and actually be meaningful again. Or in the Rays case, be meaningful for once.

No Belles at This Ball

As we have learned over these past 102 blogs (oh yes there have been 102 blogs and at least 3/4 of those are mine, don't forget children, Auntie Meredith was around long before crazy Uncle Joe although we have learned to love him haven't we?) Anyway, as we have learned over these past 102 blogs, I hate a lot of things sports related which is ironic because I write a sports blog. The WNBA, NASCAR, you name it, I probably hate it.

And the Kentucky Derby is no exception.

Let me back track for a second, I don't necessarily hate the Derby I just think it's a major let down. I mean it's less than 5 minutes of racing for a huge, blown-out, event. But, on the plus side, there are pretty outfits. I'll be honest, I'd do just about anything to wear a big floppy hat, a summer dress, and some sweet shades to go watch emaciated boys (men I mean) whip horses for 5 minutes. And I'm sure there is some fabulous champagne.

But you want to know what really makes me hate the Derby? Death. Incase you missed it (which I'm sure you didn't) while Big Brown and his trainer were celebrating their victory, 2nd place finisher Eight Belles was being euthanized on the track. Apparently the horse broke both of its ankles (which is unheard of) during the race and there was nothing left that they could do but end her life. First let me say this. When a human breaks their ankles, we put them in a cast, but when a horse does it we kill it? I don't know much about horses but that seems a little messed up and this is coming from a blogger who hates animals. That's right, cute little puppies and kitties and baby chicks (ok maybe not the last one), but I hate them all. And with that I probably lost everyone who reads this blog. Wait that isn't true, my mom loves me no matter what and Jenna the Intern has no choice but to read my blog! Never mind.

But this whole death at the Derby makes me question horse racing even more. Is it ethical? Are the horses being treated right? I don't know about you, but I wouldn't want to be whipped while some little boy rides on my back and then claims all the glory when I win. Also, what kind of shape could Eight Belles have been in if she broke both her ankles at the Derby? Who was taking care of this horse? I think this is a bigger issue than Eight Belles, it's an issue of animal rights.

So, what are your thoughts on the last Derby? Did you even watch the Derby?

Probably not but on a lighter note, this is my last blog of the semester! We made it through the barren winter months but spring is finally here which means it is time for this blog to take its final bow. But, before you go cry in a corner or something, fret not children, I will be back in a few short weeks to begin my summer blogging. So, try and find something to fill the void left by my blog for a few more weeks and I will see you all soon!

Top Nine Reasons to Love the NFL Draft

I was given a great topic to blog about this week. The NFL Draft. The most drawn out, over hyped event in sports. But I'm sick of being negative all the time. Into every blog a little light must shine every once in a while. Plus, sports fans think they come off more knowledgeable by bashing everyone and everything in sports. Sometimes I even get suckered into that way of thinking. Actually, I always get suckered into that way of thinking.

You deserve better from me, so that's what I am going to deliver.

What follows is my Top Nine Reasons to Love the NFL Draft *(Please read the disclaimer at the bottom afterwards).

9. Obviously Mel Kiper's hair. No punch line needed.

8. It's a great opportunity to play drinking games. Like taking a drink every time Kiper says "impact player". Before the first round is over you end up drunker than Tony LaRussa at a red light.

7. You get to make fun of Mr. Irrelevant (the last pick in the draft). It must really suck to be him. He probably won't make his team and he'll be stuck on the practice squad all year. So he'll only make $5,000 a week while practicing football with NFL stars. Haha, what a loser.....wait...

6. If you were watching the draft that means you weren't at the Pirate game and didn't see Matt Morris give up 6 runs in 1.2 innings. Random, I know, but still a good reason.

5. Watching the Draft is a great excuse to keep you from having to cut the grass, go shopping, walk the dog, pay the bills, clean your house, take a shower, paint the deck, wash your car, do the dishes, cure cancer, do laundry, watch an NHL playoff game, balance your checkbook, etc.

4. You get to see athletes who are younger than you and dumb as dirt become millionaires right in front of your eyes. Who cares if Vince Young thinks 7+7=banana. All that matters is that he can throw touchdowns...at least, they keep telling us he can.

3. The Browns had to wait four rounds to make their first pick. Good. Everyone hates the Browns. Even people from Cleveland.

2. The Steelers draft better baseball players than the Pirates do. In the 5th round they took Oregon QB Dennis Dixon. Dixon also played minor league baseball in the Braves system in 2007.

And the top reason to love the NFL Draft...

1. It's football in April. Real football, not that futbol junk. Who cares about Ronaldo.


*Actually I hate the draft. I don't want to watch football in April. I want to watch the NBA playoffs and MLB games and the Family Guy and Seinfeld reruns. It is possible to have too much of a good thing...except whoppers, I could eat them all day.

It's Time to Have "The Talk"

Ok kids, it's time for Aunty Meredith to give you all "the talk." For all you boys out there, you can stick around, but "the talk" is not directed towards you. And at this point I am going to stop putting the phrase "the talk" into quotations. So, grab your sleeping bag, snuggle up around the campfire, and get ready for Aunty Meredith to give you the talk.

And yes, this is the birds and the bees talk and by birds and the bees I obviously mean men and women working in sweet harmony in the world of sportscasting! Where did you think I was going with that? sheesh. But let me tell you a little secret kids, it isn't true. Men and women do not work in harmony in the world of sports journalism and you might as well know that now before you start your careers.

When I first began sportscasting I looked at my sex as an advantage. I was the only female sportscaster on a college news program; I provided diversity among the sportscasting team. This wasn't a smart way of thinking. Although being a female may have helped me get the job, I should have focused more on whether or not I was chosen because I was, in fact, a solid sportscaster.

It wasn't until I became the Director of Sports for my news program that I first felt the sting of sexism. And it wasn't necessarily that my fellow male counterparts blatantly looked down on me but there was a certain level of distrust. For instance, I would receive calls and emails to make sure I didn't "miss" important stories that were going on in sports. Would that happen to a male Sports Director? I think not. And let me tell you another secret, doing sports for a localized news program isn't rocket science, Local sports first, everything else second. It's a pretty self explanatory formula. And then there was the rewriting of my scripts or simply not using my stories. There were times as an Assistant Sports Director that I would write stories and have them not show up in the script, with other stories put in their place instead. You would think once I became Sports Director that this would all change but no, my stories still were rewritten, highlights and v.o's cut without my permission, and essentially my title of Sports Director became just that, a title, and nothing else.

Now before you label this as a bitter diatribe, I know that I could have done more to reclaim my title of Sports Director. I know I should have put my foot down and spoken up when I bit my tongue instead but I didn't and I am telling you all this so that you can stand up for yourself when the time comes. Because let me tell you something ladies, respect in the world of sports is a hard thing to gain. Men will never think you know enough, no one will trust you to run a sports department, and even other woman in the field will hate you because you are their competition. Because remember, there are only so many female sportscasting positions to go around.

But don't wave your white flags just yet, look at this as a helpful warning, something I would have liked to have heard as a naive freshmen. Being a female sportscaster is difficult, don't listen to those news anchor girls who complain about not getting respect, being a woman in sports is harder. But that doesn't mean it's impossible. Getting a foot in the door as a female is fairly easy, but do not rest on that. Continually brush up on your sports knowledge, strive to be the best, and when anyone treats you like you don't deserve to be in the position you're in, stand up for yourself. The second they know they can walk all over you, they'll never stop.

Female Athletes and Moving Crotches

You may have noticed my two day hiatus from the blog. And if you didn't, well shame on you I blog every Monday don't forget that. But alas, the reason for my hiatus? Forensics Nationals at Tennessee State University in Nashville, duh.

Ok let's just get it out of the way and answer all your questions. No forensics isn't science, it's a term for competitive speech and debate. No I do not debate nor do I debate dead bodies (I seriously was asked that). It's sort of like competitive acting in a sense.

And I know it is probably a shock because I know how you all look up to me as a sports goddess of the blogosphere. And I also know it is hard to believe that I would look forward to waking up at 5:00am for four straight days just to put on a suit and compete in front of judges for top rankings in public speaking, but trust me, it's super cool.

And want to know what is even cooler!? I won.....sort of. Well I made it to finals in ADS (after dinner speaking which is a persuasive speech with humor) and I was one of the few from the northeast to make it that far and one of the youngest in my final round. And want to know something even cooler than that!? I was known as the magical crotch girl at my tournament! Now, to some of you that is simply disgusting but I'm sure that you are wondering why and the only thing I am going to say is that, it's my coaches fault. He decided that nothing would be funnier than a vagina joke in my ADS...unfortunately he was right.

But why was I talking about lady parts in the first place in my ADS? Well that is because my speech was on how female athletes are hyper sexualized by the media to reinforce gender stereotypes that society has given women! Duh. And now we have reached the point of my blog and it only took 4 paragraphs! Although my speech did well at Nationals, I was surprised by the reaction of most of my judges. Many of them seemed to believe that this wasn't a significant societal issue.

To which I responded, shame on you judges! Well, actually I didn't say that. I just spent the night convincing myself that they were just jealous of my ADS prowess. But then I started to think, why do people think that this isn't an issue? Why was my speech on sexism among female athletes less of an issue than the other girl who did a speech about snowmen and how they are a symbol of racism in America? Snow is white, that cannot be changed, female athletes being portrayed as sex symbols can be changed.

I'll admit, in many ways, female athletes have taken strides to gain respect in their realm of sports. Maria Sharapova is a more talented Anna Kournikova, Danica Patrick is one of the pioneers of women in NASCAR, and Amanda Beard helps teach ditzy blonde's who date men old enough to be their great-great grandfather how to swim! (obviously I'm talking about Holly, Hugh Hefner's main girlfriend.) But for all of the titles Sharapova wins, she also stars in commercials that focuses on her looks and not her athletic ability. And last time I checked, it's pretty hard to fit a camera under your skirt in your spanks, Sharapova. And Danica Patrick, you may have added a feminine touch to NASCAR, but that doesn't mean you have to pose next to your car in lingerie with your buttcrack hanging out. Now I know what you're thinking, half of NASCAR in general walks around with their buttcrack's hanging out but have you ever seen Jeff Gordon in a two piece posing over his car? Nope. And I hope I never have to. And hey, Amanda Beard, you may be a breaststroker but that doesn't mean you have to take racy photos with your top off.

So we have determined that sexism is alive and well in female athletics and although it may not be as big of an issue as the water crisis or gas shortage in America, we still perpetuate the issue when we refuse to acknowledge that it exists. Women's suffrage may have happened decades ago but things are far from equal in sports. Besides sexism, female athletes rarely receive media coverage. How many times have you seen a women's sporting event on ESPN or in Sports Illustrated magazine? And no, the SI Swim Suit edition doesn't count as a women's sporting event. A female athlete is only respected when she is hot and talented, or just hot, but god forbid she is an average looking women or even a lesbian (gasp!) and she suddenly receives less media coverage.

Still don't believe me? Search for pictures of some of your favorite leading ladies in female athletics and see how many pictures pop up of her half naked. And tune into the summer olmypics this summer and watch for how many television profiles they run that concentrate on "prettY" athletes. And then, judges where ever you are, come back and tell me that female athletes aren't hyper-sexualized by the media. Yeah, that is what I thought.

ESPN and World Domination

Quick, at the count of three say out loud who won the Stanley Cup last season.

One.

Two.

Three...

You don't know, do you? Well, the answer is the Anaheim Ducks. Now, name five players on the Ducks besides Goldberg and Gordon Bombay. Probably can't do that either. That's because ESPN has given the NHL as much airtime as women's billiards (which is fine).

What brought up this quiz was an article I read in this months ESPN Magazine (which is a great magazine by the way, I recommend it over Sports Illustrated and Sporting News, but right below Penthouse). Mike Greenburg and Mike Golic wrote that the reason Hockey isn't as popular as the other major sports is because they don't have any recognizable superstars. They said most Americans could be standing right next to Sidney Crosby in a bar and not even know it's him (which is good because he isn't 21 yet).

The lack of the recognizable athlete is what keeps the casual fan disinterested. Every sport has loyal fans, but its the casual fans that boost the popularity. They are the fans who tune in just to see the superstars like LT, Kobe or Albert Pujols.

And ESPN is solely responsible for this. I think it has become obvious that ESPN controls what is newsworthy in the sports world. If they want to promote a game on prime time, they advertise the hell out of it, making it seem like the game of the century, and people buy into it. But they haven't had any NHL games since the strike. Which means hockey is low priority. If it isn't on their airwaves, then there is no need to promote it.

Think hard to last time SportsCenter devoted more than 10 minutes to the ice. Barry Melrose must work about five minutes a night on the air. Which sucks for him because it probably takes him at least thirty minutes to fix up his mullet.

So until ESPN gets the rights back to air the games, don't expect the NHL's popularity to rise to any new levels. You may hate it, but it's smart business. ESPN has us in the palm of their hands.

Pants Optional

I had my first experience in a Major League clubhouse this past weekend at PNC Park. I'll admit, it was a little intimidating at first. All the big money superstars walking around - wait, never mind. I was in the Pirates clubhouse. That was a cheap shot, sorry.

But I've heard all the stories about how laid back it can be, almost like a social hall in a college dorm. And all those stories were true. Well, minus the half naked guys walking around. I don't know what kind of college you went to, but it didn't go down like that at Pitt.

The following 17 lines in no way contain any valuable advice for anyone. It might actually make you dumber by reading it. So please, feel free to skip to the asterisk if you are looking to learn anything.

The first night I went was a Friday when the Penguins happened to be playing a playoff game right down the street. There were almost as many people in the press box as there were in the stands (I counted ten. Not ten thousand. Ten.) And there were even fewer in the clubhouse before the game. In fact, I was the only one. It might have something to do with the fact that I got there at 4:00 for a 7:05 game. As I waited for the one player I needed to talk to for the story I was writing, I took notice of the following surroundings.

• Baseball players don't like to wear pants.
• About 95% of players chew tobacco (which is fine by me).
• The Latin players like to play checkers, and the winner usually rubs it in by pulling down his pants and mooning the loser.
• Baseball players don't like to wear pants. Did I say that already?

With the exception of strippers, what other profession has the option of not wearing pants at the workplace? I know I'm jealous. Although, I would be a little embarrassed by my cartoon boxers with little baseball on them. But I feel like I've given you the reader too much information.

Annyywayyss, back to my main story. The player I needed to talk to ended up disappearing and no one could find him. But, thankfully I also had a press pass for the Sunday afternoon game, too. And luckily, I caught him then.

* And now to put a Danny Tanner-like lesson on this particular blog. Usually when I go to games or press conferences, I don't talk to anyone. But I was feeling frisky this time, so I started a conversation with the reporter next to me. His name was Max and he just happened to own his own website and radio station. He also just happened to be looking for a freelance writer to cover a few local sports stories. He asked for my information and said he would be in touch.

Nothing would have happened if I didn't introduce myself. Who knows what can come from this? Maybe I'll get a few assignments. Maybe I can make some extra cash and eventually move out of my parents house. Maybe he'll make me part owner of his website?

There is actually a better chance of him making me part owner of his website. If I move out of my house who would do my laundry?