Recently, I came across my first blog post which I've copied below. I called it The First Nail and I managed to write one more post before I quit. This time I've kept it up for a couple months. Now I need some help and feedback. There are tons of websites and articles that cover games and give all sorts of analysis so I try not to repeat what actually happened, but rather bring some non-standard (I hope) insight into it. I've also, on occasion, strayed away from sports, as I did a bit in the Be Amazed post, which I hope you checked out.
I obviously have free reign, so if you let me know which posts you've liked and which you haven't, whether you want lots of links or not, whether you want me to occasionally list a bunch of links to articles I like, like Rob Neyer and others do, whether you like the non-sprots stuff or not, it's helpful. If you have a second go to the comments (if you're a subscriber you have to click on the title and it will take you to the website, where you can comment) and let me know your thoughts. Feel free to be anonymous and let it rip. Or you can e-mail me at hammerspeaks@gmail.com. Thanks.
The First Nail
Let's give this a try. I'll write it, you read it. If it sucks it'll save us both some time, but for now I've been given some encouragement to post, so we'll see how it goes. I don't want to repeat what other people write so a lot of what I post will be links to things that I think are interesting. Hopefully you'll check out the links, because I'm sure you'll quickly be bored with my opinions.
Let's start with something off the beaten track--boxing. Certainly boxing's days as a mainstream sport have come and gone. I remember when you'd turn on the television on a Saturday afternoon and Wide World of Sports would be showing a big fight, live. The '70s and '80s were great times for boxing fans. It was the era of Marvin Hagler, Thomas Hearns, Ray Leonard, Ray Mancini (Has anyone ever written a sentence naming those four and not used their nicknames? Certainly this blog's first first.) and Howard Cosell. But like all other sports, boxing has changed dramatically. Like most it has been driven by television and the revenue it generates. But, unlike the others, boxing's popularity has consistently declined, and most certainly will be superseded by ultimate fighting, if it hasn't been already.
But there is an interesting fight this weekend, and it's worth paying HBO $50 to see--Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs. Carlos Baldomir for Baldomir's welterweight title Saturday night at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas. Don't be confused by the fact that Baldomir is the belt holder, Mayweather is generally considered the best pound for pound fighter in the worldhttp://insider.espn.go.com/sports/boxing/insider/columns/story?columnist=rafael_dan&id=2621252. And Mayweather, clearly the best technical fighter on the planet, is a heavy favorite. But it's a very intriguing matchup and here is a great background story previewing the fight by ESPN's Dan Rafaelhttp://sports.espn.go.com/sports/boxing/columns/story?columnist=rafael_dan&id=2645588. Rafael is a great boxing journalist and one of the most knowledgeable and insightful guys writing in the sports business. Here is a link to his weekly chats at 2 pm on Fridays. The transcripts are archived and you'll not only learn a ton about the sport, you'll get a good laugh at his exchanges with the Fight Freakshttp://sports.espn.go.com/chat/sportsnation/story?page=ChatArchiveRafael.
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And a few thoughts:
--The buildup for Sunday night's game between the Colts and the Pats is going to be extraordinary. The Manning v. Brady/Belichick storyline will be covered thousands of times, but it is a good one and the game should be as well.
--Does anyone watch the Breeders Cup? The Derby does genuinely excite me, but even though I'll put a few bucks on the ponies now and then, I can't even name five horses total running in the ten races.
--It's already time to start salivating over Michigan vs. Ohio St, but $2,000/ticket? As Wilt said when asked about the extraordinary quote in his autobiography, "Sounds about right."
--And this week's betting tip. The Steelers are 2-5. The Broncos are 5-2. The Steelers are a 2.5 point favorite. Guys making the line generally know what they are doing. I'm biased and I will rarely ever tell someone to get on a team that I have an emotional stake in, but get on the Steelers this weekend.
Let's start with something off the beaten track--boxing. Certainly boxing's days as a mainstream sport have come and gone. I remember when you'd turn on the television on a Saturday afternoon and Wide World of Sports would be showing a big fight, live. The '70s and '80s were great times for boxing fans. It was the era of Marvin Hagler, Thomas Hearns, Ray Leonard, Ray Mancini (Has anyone ever written a sentence naming those four and not used their nicknames? Certainly this blog's first first.) and Howard Cosell. But like all other sports, boxing has changed dramatically. Like most it has been driven by television and the revenue it generates. But, unlike the others, boxing's popularity has consistently declined, and most certainly will be superseded by ultimate fighting, if it hasn't been already.
But there is an interesting fight this weekend, and it's worth paying HBO $50 to see--Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs. Carlos Baldomir for Baldomir's welterweight title Saturday night at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas. Don't be confused by the fact that Baldomir is the belt holder, Mayweather is generally considered the best pound for pound fighter in the worldhttp://insider.espn.go.com/sports/boxing/insider/columns/story?columnist=rafael_dan&id=2621252. And Mayweather, clearly the best technical fighter on the planet, is a heavy favorite. But it's a very intriguing matchup and here is a great background story previewing the fight by ESPN's Dan Rafaelhttp://sports.espn.go.com/sports/boxing/columns/story?columnist=rafael_dan&id=2645588. Rafael is a great boxing journalist and one of the most knowledgeable and insightful guys writing in the sports business. Here is a link to his weekly chats at 2 pm on Fridays. The transcripts are archived and you'll not only learn a ton about the sport, you'll get a good laugh at his exchanges with the Fight Freakshttp://sports.espn.go.com/chat/sportsnation/story?page=ChatArchiveRafael.
--------------------------------------
And a few thoughts:
--The buildup for Sunday night's game between the Colts and the Pats is going to be extraordinary. The Manning v. Brady/Belichick storyline will be covered thousands of times, but it is a good one and the game should be as well.
--Does anyone watch the Breeders Cup? The Derby does genuinely excite me, but even though I'll put a few bucks on the ponies now and then, I can't even name five horses total running in the ten races.
--It's already time to start salivating over Michigan vs. Ohio St, but $2,000/ticket? As Wilt said when asked about the extraordinary quote in his autobiography, "Sounds about right."
--And this week's betting tip. The Steelers are 2-5. The Broncos are 5-2. The Steelers are a 2.5 point favorite. Guys making the line generally know what they are doing. I'm biased and I will rarely ever tell someone to get on a team that I have an emotional stake in, but get on the Steelers this weekend.
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