Tag Archives: National Football League

HO HUM, ANOTHER ONE …..

And I’m not talking about a win, though we did, and I am, but this is about the San Francisco 49ers and the New York Giants game on Thursday night football. Evidently, this particular game had a few brawls going but these were in the stands, not on the field, and involved two “ladies” throwing blows at each other, who were eventually pulled apart when a beer drinking man fan, pulled one by the hair and yanked her down the stairs. Seriously? According to the Mercury News there were a lot of “fan fights” going on during that game.

What’s this got to do with Baseball you ask? On April 2, 2011, a local Santa Cruz fellow was the victim of a vicious crime while attending a Giants/Dodger game in Los Angeles. It was a heartbreaking story: https://garlicfriesandbaseball.wordpress.com/2011/04/01/a-dodger-fan/ and received national attention, rightfully so. The end result being brain damage and disability to the victim and 8-and 4-year prison sentences to the perpetrators.

I guess the compelling reason I felt so strongly about writing on the subject relates to a passion for sports and also for politics and the same question, “What’s being done about it?” An obvious answer for the sports mania might be to stop selling booze at the games but you know that’s not going to happen. Maybe harsher sentences for the perpetrators? Or how about banishing them from future games? If you have an idea you can always write it up and send it to the powers-that-be at the NFL or the MLB.

Politics? Not so much ~ It just seems to go on and on with the best of intentions. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose and sometimes it rains (Bull Durham). It seems to be a game that can’t be won, even when you win. If you have an idea you can always write it up and send it to your Congressional representative who may or may not be there. It depends on whether the government’s still open after a looming shutdown.

It’s just never easy is it?

Gimme a Break! ……Is this Baseball Season or Not??

Boy, I’m telling you, this time of year it gets really frustrating trying to read the sports section in the morning newspaper.    I went to a game this week-end and couldn’t wait to get up in the  morning and read all about it in the paper from  a  local sportswriter’s perspective.   This was a game of monumental importance!   This was a game between two teams vying for first place in their division and where do you think I finally found it?   Bottom of Page Three!   The front page of the sports section was dominated by, you guessed it,  “f o o t b a l l “,  and the 2nd page was all about “g o l f”,  and not even professional golf, but high school golf!   And the top of Page Three wasn’t about other baseball teams either.  It was about Lance Armstrong and cycling.   Is baseball not America’s favorite pasttime?   I understand some might find the season a little long.  Okay, maybe really long, but when  ESPN starts showing daily doubles and NFL rookie interviews  before they show  highlights of today’s actual division games that have a significant meaning in the league standings, something has to give.  And this happens every year.  

So today I finally broke down and bought an annual subscription to MLB Magazine and set up the  Online Edition of the  Mercury News so I can get my morning “fix”.   I really hate giving up my newspaper.  There’s something very enlightening and peaceful about settling down each morning with my coffee and newspaper  in hand, chuckling at the play-by-plays reported by another sports fan/writer with a really great sense of humor.  But so be it.   This entire scenario reminded me of a George Carlin routine I’d heard about the differences between football and baseball.  I finally found it and posted it here for you to see.   Unfortunately, you can’t watch it in bed with your morning cup of coffee, but hope you enjoy it anyhow.