The Corner of Controversy and Criticism- 1/4/2015
Happy New Years sports fan everywhere. The New Year is a time for resolutions, new goals and celebration. Now I am sure there will be plenty of that in 2015 but if you are a sports fan who has watched ESPN most of their lives then today has been a sad day. Stuart Scott, who I consider a legend in sports media passed away at the age 49. He had a seven year battle with cancer and he fought hard to the end. He had an amazing speech last July at the ESPY’s that inspired so many people. Stuart brought a certain swag to ESPN that will never be duplicated again. He made to want to watch Sportcenter or any other ESPN programming he was on. Stuart Scott will be missed by so many and his legacy will continue on by those he touched. My thoughts and prayers go out to his family, friends and colleagues.
This weeks has featured playoffs in both College Football and the NFL. I love that there are playoffs in the College now. I am sure fans of the SEC are absolutely disgusted that Alabama was beat by Ohio State and Florida State was crushed by Oregon. This proves even teams ranked 3-5 are just as good the top two ranked teams. I still think it needs to expand to eight teams because I think eight teams would get more conferences involved which would make it more intriguing to watch. I think Oregon vs. Ohio State is going to be a really interesting game. These two schools have history with first time playoffs. In 1939, Oregon beat Ohio State in the first ever tournament to decide a National Champion in NCAA Men’s Basketball. Can Oregon win the first College Football Playoffs? Well I guess we will have to wait another eight days to find out.
The NFL had wildcard weekend this weekend there some good, bad and really ugly. The two best games were in the AFC and that’s because the AFC is way more competitive then the NFC. The Colts and Ravens are moving on in the AFC, while the Panthers and Cowboys are moving in the NFC. A lot of people are still saying the Panthers should not be there due to their 7-8-1 record. Well the Panthers have won five in a row and that’s including a week without Cam Newton due to a horrible car accident he got into. The fact that he’s on the field taking hits and still playing is a testament to his heart, toughness and character. Next week we have some intriguing games. You will see Ravens vs. Patriots, Panthers vs. Seahawks, Cowboys vs. Packers and Colts vs. Broncos. All the games will be fun to watch and I hope that next weeks games are more exciting then this weekends.
Speaking of lacking excitement, the heavily hyped UFC 182 was an epic fail on Saturday Night. Jones-Cormier did not deliver like it should have and the rest of the main card acted like they had no heart and didn’t want to be there. The most excitement was in the preliminary fights on Fox Sports 1. I think the refs need inside the octagon need to start pushing the fighters for more action when they are just circling around doing nothing. Even Dana White criticized Herb Dean for allowing Jones and Cormier to clinch the entire fifth round. I hope the next few fight cards are a little more exciting then what I saw on Saturday night.
The New Year is off to a busy start and I have a feeling it’s going to a busy year for Hollywood’s World of Sports. In 2015 remember to be strong, be safe and believe in yourself. Controversy Doesn’t Come Without Criticism!
