Redskins

Why is it that every team in Washington that is slightly controversial is demanded by the media to change their name?

Washington Bullets - too much violence from guns - change it to Washington Wizards (which is even more offensive

Washington Redskins - offensive to Native Americans (despite the fact that the term was created to honor the two Boston teams where the football team originated - the Boston Red Sox and Braves.)

Washington Senators - moved away to become the Minnesota Twins AND Texas Rangers - then the Montreal Expos moved in and got renamed the Washington Nationals (why not the Federalists!!)

Since the Redskins will probably change their name, let's name them the Washington Lobbyist, in honor of the creature that dominates that region

My point is that the Washington D.C. media is too sensitive to their sports teams' name. Cleveland doesn't care that the Indians are their baseball team and Chief Wahoo is their primary mascot. Atlanta still has the Braves and Minnesota still has that ugly Viking on its logo.

NCAA

In recent years, the push to pay college athletics, particularly basketball and football players, is coming from all the national media. Athletes are complaining about going hungry while playing games on national TV. The proponents argue that everybody but the players are making a lot of money on the back of these athletes, thus the athletes deserve a cut of the money.

However, I think that this is a bunch of hogwash. We are talking about paying a group of people who are getting their education paid for, they are given the best training money can buy, and they potentially could get millions that they would not receive if they did not go to college. The NCAA should not pay their athletes beyond scholarship for room, board & tuition.

If we start giving athletes a "salary" for playing a sport, where does it stop? Do the colleges have to pay every athlete in every college sport? Resources will be drained from other departments of academia to pay for sports. Other students that are not related to sports will lose money. Also, I thought the concept of student-athlete meant that the athlete was a student first.

On top of that, the NCAA lost a lawsuit where the athlete now can receive money if the computer game use their likeness as part of the playing experience. Personally, I have never bought a computer game with college players in them. I buy games that are based on the professional sport.

The NCAA is in a dire position. The major conferences are consolidating teams so they can make even more money, the athletes demanding money and even collective bargaining rights, and the major television networks demanding a product they can sell to the public. The NCAA is in an unenviable position of either carrying the flag of amateur sports against the wave of public opinion or be exposed as hypocrites by allowing the college athlete to be paid for playing sports.

NCAA loses case against athlete

NBA

Lebron James is the worst thing to happen to the NBA. Commentators always claim that he has a pass-first mentality. Maybe that is true when in the regular season. When it gets to the playoffs, the pressure turns him into a ball-hog.

"The Decision" - 30 minutes of my life I want back.   ( I watched the first half, had to leave to do something else after the announcement)

Not 3...Not 4....Not 5...Not 6....Not 7....Just 2 championships!!! You will never catch Bill Russell's 11, Jordan's 6, or even Kobe's 5 rings!!!

General Sports

Commentary on sports

1. NFL - The NFL is the best sports league in the United States and will stay that way for a long time. The only thing that can bring it down is left-wingers trying to destroy the game by regulating it to death. Concussion rules and other regulation will hurt the product.

The NFL should expand the fan base -  that's a given. However, no NFL team should EVER be based outside the United States. No teams in England, Europe, Canada, Mexico, anywhere else other than the good ole US of A.

On a side note, Tim Tebow thinks he can still play in the NFL. He's a good person, a motivational figure (they even made a mundane statement of his as a "class quote" for the 2014 Kadoka graduating class). However, Tebow does not have the mechanics nor the ability to play in the NFL as a quarterback.

Favorite Team: Green Bay Packers - 13 time world champions.


2. MLB - Baseball is as American as apple pie. However, the season is too long. I would cut the season in half - make every game count even more. I would get rid of inter-league games and the Chicago Cubs.

Favorite team: Minnesota Twins

In terms of New York city baseball franchises, I would root for the bubonic plague over the Mets and the Yankees.

3.  NHL - I understand that hockey is a Canadian sport but it is more entertaining to watch live than most sports. Hockey has speed, excitement, and fighting, along with the punishment system second to none.

Favorite team: Rapid City Rush and the Colorado Avalanche


4. NBA - Basketball is a sport that I used to enjoy but now with the players making stupendous amounts of money and the sheer arrogance of most of them, I don't watch it unless I'm bored or in the middle of the playoffs.

I cannot stand Lebron James - he makes millions of dollars,

Favorite team: No NBA team wants me as a fan, Spurs if I had to choose.

Finally, a dishonorable mention: Soccer is an international sports for countries that don't have a decent military and can't win wars. If you can't use your hands (unless you're SPECIAL and call yourself a goalie), and the time clock goes the wrong way, it should not be called a sport. It in the same category as cheer-leading for sports - on the margins.

World cup.......go away!!!

The World Cup starts this week. Am I the only one that does not care what happens in this tournament? I am more concerned about the strikes and political discord that surround these games. Strikes, unrest, chaos, and debt are the major issues in Brazil. They have problems with the World Cup and then expect to have the Olympics in two years?!! Personally, I don't care how these teams compete as long as there is no octopus to predict the outcomes.