Sports logos controversy

When sports fans think of their favorite sports team–whether it be at the professional, collegiate or high school level, one of the first images that pops in their head is the team logo.

The raven with the Baltimore “B” for the Baltimore Ravens, the “D” with the devil for the Duke Blue Devils. The Gator for the Florida Gators.

I know that even in grade school I would sketch that interlocking N.C. for the University of North Carolina TarHeels on my binder.

So why are these logos such a big deal?

Recently, the University of Florida cracked down on two Florida high schools that have been using the UF gator symbol; at Palm Beach Gardens’ campus the Gator was depicted on the gym floor, team uniforms and other school property. The other school, Glades Day, received the same message: remove the Gators logo from your campus.

Collegiate Licensing Company, an Atlanta-based group that offers licensing protection services to more than 200  schools, recently asked a number of high schools to stop using college trademarks on team uniforms and school property that are trademarked to universities.

Closer to home, Westminster High School in previous years also was accused of stealing their Owl mascot picture from the Temple Owl.

What other schools out there have derived their logo and mascot based off of a big university? Why is this a big deal–should these colleges go after high schools, or are they making a fuss for no reason.

With so much going on with bowl games, recruiting and dealing with national recognition, should colleges go after small high schools using their teams logos and mascots?

What are your takes? is stealing a trademark that evokes emotion to fans wrong, or is this no big deal and the colleges should let it all go?

Lingerie Football League invades Charm City

Baltimore city has incorporated a new outlook for football as the city is now participating in the Lingerie Football League (LFL) as the Baltimore Charm.

The league is an all-female league where the girls wear lingerie-type uniforms as they play full-contact football.

Over the weekend on May 2, at First Mariner Arena, LFL held tryouts for Baltimore Charm that brought a crowd of girls with bare mid-riffs and showing cleavage with full make-up—but don’t think these girls don’t know how to take a hit or sprint down the field.

Heather Perez plays for the Philadephia Passion. (Picture from LFL.com/blogs)

A student at Towson University tried out for the Baltimore Charm after her roommate found an article about it, so they decided to try out together.

” The idea of us being in the LFL started as a joke, but a few weeks after we heard about the league they announced Baltimore tryouts,” Shay Kemble, a senior at Towson, said. “We both wavered back and forth as to whether we should actually go or not, but decided to do it just to say we did it and to see if we were good enough to compete with the other girls.”

About 70 people tried out for the Baltimore Charm Sunday. It will be the newest in the 10-team Lingerie Football League. So far, the LFL has peaked interest in some and caused racy sneers from others.

“I don’t think there is anything wrong with showing off some great abs and I really don’t think the uniforms are that scandalous,” said Kemble.  “I, personally, would feel great to show off an athletic body.  I don’t think it exploits women at all because it is just as much about having skill as about having looks.”

What you need to know for Draft Day for the 2010 NFL season

It is the most wonderful time of the year!

Yes, I am singing Christmas carols. Because draft day is my Christmas.

I dare you to name one better, more exciting day for a football fan.

But Ravens fans, there are a few things you need to know before the draft starts  up tonight at 7:30 p.m.

First, this years draft has been changed up a bit. Where it once used to be held on one day, all day long on Saturday, it has been changed to tonight at 7:30 p.m. for the first round.

The NFL draft for the 2010 season is going to be prime time over the next three days.

Then tomorrow, Friday 23 at 6 p.m., the second and third rounds will be chosen. Saturday, starting at 10 a.m. rounds 4-7 will be announced.

How will this new time schedule effect the draft? Will there be more trading down?—there is definitely going to be less sleep for owners, players and agents, that’s for sure.

Before the draft gets started, Baltimore know what is on the table in front of us.

David Zirin of the Edge of Sports visits Towson University

The voice and mind behind “The Edge of Sports” radio and blog, David Zirin, gave a lecture at Towson University March 30 to a room full of students and faculty.

Zirin also published the book A People’s History of Sports in the United States in 2008 and it covers 250 years of politics, protests and people in the United States surrounding sports and games.

Zirin’s life growing up was centered on sports, so his current lifestyle is no surprise.

“Sports were my whole life, we are talking total sports geekdom. I used to memorize statistics, play strategic baseball–you know before computers–but that’s what we did; geek out on sports,” said Zirin.

Zirin joked with the full lecture hall about the different sports he played growing up.

“I was obsessed with sports and played everything. I was starting center for my basketball team but we sucked; it wasn’t pretty. We were the Friends Seminary Fighting Quakers–gives you an idea of what we were about,” said Zirin.

“I played every sport other than golf which I don’t view as a real sport because I don’t see anything where you can play while smoking and gaining weight as a real sport.”

An incident in 1996 drove Zirin to write his history of sports when it woke him up to the history behind our country and the sports games we play.

This is truly a march madness

With the sweet 16 games set and ready to be played, how many people could have possibly predicted half the games lost and won?

The biggest upset by far was the Northern Iowa and Kansas game. I myself picked Kansas to win overall as did 90+% of Americans. Apparently only 0.9% of people who filled out brackets at http://www.espn.com predicted that game—and I am sure we can all assume where they live.

Twelfth-seeded Cornell became the highest seed to advance to the Sweet 16 this year as they knocked off Wisconsin, 87-69. It’s the first Sweet 16 appearance for the Big Red, and just the third ever for the Ivy League; the last team from the Ivy League to get this far was Penn in 1979.

For all you Maryland fans out there, a real heart-breaker if you saw the game against Michigan State. With an 8-0 run in the final few minutes of the game, it looked as if the Terps might pull out the victory, especially after taking the lead by one point with 6-seconds to go with a shot by Grieves Vasquez.

But Vasquez should have waited a second or two longer to make that basket.

If he had, Korie Lucious of Mich St. would never have had the chance to say a quick prayer as he took the 3-point shot heard round the state of Maryland—ending the game at 85-83 with Mich St. advancing to the sweet 16.

North Carolina Tar who?

The past years national champions are not recognizable this season, especially in tonight’s game.

The University of North Carolina Tarheels are playing Florida State Seminoles at home tonight, and at halftime, they trail by 15.

Not only are they not playing like the Tarheels fans and other ACC teams know them to play, they also are not playing with their trademark baby blue jerseys in honor of the 25th anniversary of the air Jordans.

Under coach Roy Williams, the Heels have won 185 games and lost 50 from 2003-2010, giving him a winning average of 0.787.  The Heels for years have been one of the best teams not only in the ACC, but also a deadly team to face in the NCAA tournament in March.

This year, the boys NOT in blue are not going to be playing March Madness NCAA basketball. Instead, they will be heading to the NIT tournament–most commonly called the Not In Tournament Tournament; one that is for the teams that just couldn’t cut it in the regular season to play in the big games.

Do the Heels belong there? After the way they have been playing this season, I would have to say yes.  The team itself isn’t terrible; they are just new and need to start building again after losing big name players like Tyler Hansbrough.

Coach Williams, with stats after 22 seasons of coaching Kansas and UNC, winning 603 games and losing 151 (101 of those at Kansas).

He also has had 20 NCAA tourney teams , seven final four teams and two NCAA tourney titles since 1980. He also has had 26 draft picks from his teams (all stats can be found at statsheet.com).

Don’t be fooled, Maryland, Duke, Clemson, etc. The Heels won’t be kept down for long. This season might be down the drain for them, but they will soon be back to the team to beat in coming years.

Pro-life SuperBowl ad featuring Tebow’s Mom creates controversy

People seem to fear the unknown, or hate to be told what they are doing might be wrong.

What happened to America being the country that once declared freedom of speech and press. But it seems lately, that deems more a suggestion than a right. In case people have forgotten that first amendment in the Bill of Rights:

“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”

A big issue is going on in advertisements for the Super Bowl. Those coveted and expensive as hell commercials during the Super Bowl are like a sironic song to draw even those who don’t have a sports bone in their body to watch the world’s biggest game at the end of the NFL season.

This year, Focus on the Family Christian organization paid out big bucks (and by that I mean $2.8 million…just a small chump of change..) to make an ad against abortion. Why is this a big deal? Not only because it is during the Super Bowl, but the focus is on Pam Tebow.

Tebow…sound familiar? For even those who don’t watch college football know this name….the name of one of the most well-known college kids in America right now, with good reason. Tim Tebow is the four-year winning QB of Florida U, a Heisman trophy winner and notorious waiting-for-marriage-to-have-sex Christian. His story is more than meets the eye, however.

Pam Tebow, while pregnant with Tim, got an infection and was told by her doctors to have an abortion so she could take the drugs that could save her life. She refused…and her refusal led her to giving birth to a baby boy who would, 22-years later, become a face and name that most would know.

Focus on that choice will be the center of this controversial commercial. And the National Organization for Women is outraged and demanding it be taken off the rundown.

Abortion has been and still is one of the biggest debatable topics in our country. I won’t lie; I am extremely pro-life with reasons that are beyond my religious background.

I have always been the type of person that will stand up for someone else before I stand up for myself, especially those who don’t have the strength or confidence to stand up for themselves. The same way, that unborn fetus has no voice. No love. No one else to protect it but hopefully my or someone else’s voice asking to please save him or her. I also have seen and know the affects abortion has on the women who get them.

But–saying that angers people. Suggesting that not aborting a baby will be the best thing you could ever do to a pregnant woman, or a couple who were not planning on a child, is sometimes the very worst thing you can do. My opinion is that you will never regret keeping the baby, but you can’t get back that baby that never had a chance to live.

In the end, it is not my or anyone else’s decision except for those two people. I have a few friends who have gotten abortions and yes, it breaks my heart, but it is not my life or choice, and the only thing I can do is hope someone else who unexpectedly gets pregnant decides to keep theirs and see who that child becomes…

…because those children could become amazing more than anyone knows. That is what this whole issue is about, isn’t it? That N.O.W. is so ‘GIRL POWER!’ that they are afraid that women will stop using Planned Parenthood, or birth control, or God forbid, that ad spot might take up another ad of big chested girls prancing around in bikinis drinking beer.

Because that is the typical Super Bowl commercial, right? See BudLight, Coors Light, etc. But thanks N.O.W., those years of breaking through the glass ceiling to attempt to be equal to men–ha this organization by their actions currently are making it seem that equality means degrading themselves and using a woman’s body to get what they want.

Personally, I would rather be respected and be considered equal because I earned that status due to my cunning, wit and knowledge in a particular field. But hey, thanks to N.O.W., they basically are saying, by fighting only this particular ad, that really, I should sleep my way to the top if I want to become anything. Susan B. and Lucrietia Mott would be proud.

The freedom of speech is a RIGHT, not an option. I have become sick of all these people and organization’s that force the words ‘under God’ out of the pledge of allegiance (you won’t ever hear me omit it, though), or the school bus driver who was fired after leading her bus in prayer when the Twin Towers were attacked on 911.

Is it a fear of not knowing what these words mean? That in actuality, some of these words and actions have more meaning that are beyond our control? Are people that bored that they have nothing else to do with their time then to change traditions and speeches and pledges and rules that have been established for years?

This ad is not showing those pictures of unborn fetus’. It is not lecturing or telling people who have had abortions they are going to hell or anything that viewers might find offensive. No, from what I have heard, it is simply Pam Tebow telling her story and showing people what can happen if you take that chance of giving life to that baby, and the possibility that could become of your child.

If I have to sit in a college class and be told I will fail if I leave because I could not stand that bashing of my religion and beliefs during a class discussion (yes, I know people this has happened to), or listen to offensive women jokes (even though I will admit, I have made a few myself), or I have to hear jokes about priests and children but am not allowed to do anything about it, then I am sure N.O.W. and other pro-choice people can sit through 30-seconds of this commercial.

After all, being pro-CHOICE means having a choice to have the child too, right? So why not show all the options and possibilities?

And remember, to all you people who are still objective to seeing this ad, it takes 30-seconds to walk to the fridge and grab a beer. So while you’re up, grab me one.

Plays from the heart

There has always been the bashing of professional sports players and coaches who stopped playing for the love of the game, and just showed up to make their millions. Not saying they don’t care, but…do they give it their all?

For our local football team, the Raven’s have started to play not only for themselves, but for a kid who would die to switch places with them for a day…and the sad thing is, he might.

Matthew Costello, a 14-year-old Loyola High School football and baseball player has been the guy behind the scenes for some of the end of the season offensive plays that ended well for Baltimore. The first play called by Costello was in the game against the Chicago Bears–a win that was needed to keep the playoff bid alive for the Ravens. A faked hand-off and throw to tight-end Todd Heap resulted in a 14-yard touchdown…later Baltimore would go on to win 31-7. A big noted play was that huge 83-yard rush touchdown by Ray Rice against the New England Patriots…a play set up by this local teen.

Who is Costello, and why is this 14-year-old kid taking the reigns for the offense in his hands? Baltimore’s offensive coodinator, Cam Cameron, has a son who goes to school with Costello at Loyola High School in Towson, MD. He informed his father of Costello’s inoperable brain tumor, and his courage and strength as he handles something incomprehensible to most of us. Cameron, for those who know, went through series of scares of cancer in previous years so he could relate, and wanted to do something for Costello, and asked him what the first play of the games should be.

Costello was a ‘secret weapon’ until last week, right before the Ravens played the Colts in the playoffs on Saturday night. After hearing a story like this, how can you not be a Raven’s fan? They are not only playing for love of the game, but are playing for Costello, to make his plays happen as we, as Baltimorians, should all pray and hope and believe not only in our team, but also this kid given a chance of a lifetime and a reason to keep a dream and hope of life stay afloat.

Next time you watch a game and think your favorite player is being lazy or not trying hard enough–think of Costello. None of us ever give 100% all the time at everything we do. These players are also at work every weekend as we cheer them on. If they miss a pass or fumble the ball, before screaming profanities at the screen,keep in mind that there is always something we don’t see behind the scenes. And our Ravens were playing for a kid who never gave up on his favorite football team, despite a quasi decent season and the hardships life is throwing his way at such a young age.

When I heard this story, it reminded me of a favorite quote when I was competing in a variety of sports in previous years: “Somewhere behind the athlete you’ve become and the hours of practice and the coaches who’ve pushed you, is the little girl who fell in love with the game and never looked back… Play for her…”

You started out either playing or watching a sport because you loved it…don’t give up on that passion.

Bad Fan-menship

Starting at the end of the season, but what better time to analyze and be a critic on a season after it is over? NFL finished its first postseason weekend and has four teams that are to move on to next weekends divisional championship games….do all of them deserve to move on? And do the four other teams that got first round byes belong as the best out of the 32 teams in the league?

That question is one that I think many people, despite who their team is, forget to remember. All those players on every team are the best of the best football players in the country. To downplay any teams efforts as say “they came out and played like s***today, that is the only reason the other team won” is ignorant. Even if a team is having a very bad losing season (in this season’s case, that would be the Lions or Browns)…people need to remember that these players still beat the ridiculous odds to get to where they are. The coaches are the crème of the crop. All this critiquing and downing teams is simply bad fan-menship, whether it is your own team or not.

I have noticed this all season, but once again today, after Baltimore’s big win in their first postseason game this year against the New England Patriots, all I saw and heard were comments about how the Pats didn’t play well and Tom Brady acted like he wanted to throw the game away, so that is the only reason the Ravens won. Yes, Brady looked like a Rookie QB, not the “comeback player of the year” (which I strongly disagree with…check for future blogs) or past MVP of the year. But those boys are one of the best teams in the league. Not only that, but they also beat Baltimore earlier in the season. For those who forgot about that…there was a lot of debate whether THAT game was fair due to outrageous penalties called against the Ravens favoring Brady. But the season still moved on, the Pats got the W and the Ravens got their first loss.

This time, the Ravens came out to prove who should have won that first game. But this game had more on the line. It wasn’t the beginning of the season. It was a win and stay in, or lose and pack your bags kind of game. The Ravens played great, didn’t commit as many penalties as was typical of them all season and they went out to win a game…and they did. This was one of their best games all season. But…don’t get too cocky Baltimore fans.

Rubbing this game in to Steelers fans is more than acceptable considering it is a mutual dislike rivalry between the two cities. No matter what time of the year, who is playing whom, or what sport is being played, I think Baltimore fans will always hate on Pittsburgh. And vice versus. But—be reasonable and fair and stick to facts. To state that “Shitsburgh is the worst team ever, which is why Baltimore beat them out to make playoffs” is simply making Charm City civilians seem Neanderthal and ignorant. The Steelers may be a team to ‘hate’ but give credit where credit is due. They have fought hard to get to where they are. They have the most Super Bowl rings out of any team in the NFL. Just because they fell short this season does not make them ‘the worst team ever.’ Just the most hated in Baltimore 🙂

Another bad fan-menship I have noticed today is basically the same as I mentioned before–the excuses of opposing players on the IR list or being benched is why the team lost. Again—how many players are on that team? They are all there and getting paid and were drafted to play professional football. Not everyone is going to run like Chris Johnson or throw like Peyton Manning, but there are players that are still good and ready to play backup and help their team get the W. For example: the Ravens and Steelers first match up in Baltimore. The Steelers backup QB for Ben Roethlisburger played one hell of a game. The Steelers played tough and took Baltimore to overtime and ultimately lost, but not without a fight. After the game, there were still the typical rivalry comments, but for the Steelers, instead of standing by their backup players, said they lost because they didn’t have Big Ben. That just rubs salt in the wounds for the players they are fans of in my opinion.

Today’s game was no different. The Baltimore Ravens went to Foxboro and brought a vigor and intensity that has been only slightly lit all season but was fully ignited the whole game through. It was obvious from the first five minutes of the game; Ray Rice’s 80+ yard run for a TD and then Suggs forced fumble and recovery of the ball for Baltimore which in turn led to McClain running in for TD numero dos; and later in the first half, Ed Reed’s interception and lateral pass leading to a third TD for the Ravens; it was obvious to whom the game belonged to. Maybe Brady could have, should have, would have played better. Maybe it was that new baby at home keeping him awake…or wait I thought he was the baby? Ether way, the Patriots have what NFL and ESPN have named one of the best QBs, they have Randy Moss who is no stranger to getting points on the board for his team. To say they did not go out and play to win is being a sore loser and disrespectful to New England and the effort they did put out to get as far as they did, and it is disrespectful to Baltimore who finally played like the team we, as fans, know they can be if they stopped making the stupid mistakes.

Baltimorians, we aren’t perfect either. Every Monday after a game, I listen to a radio station giving commentary on the previous day’s match ups, and the mood of the callers naturally matches whether the Ravens got a W or loss the day before. That is all fine and good. But when they lose you hear “we need a new coach;” or “we need a new offensive coordinator, even my blind 98-year-old grandmother knows Ray Rice is going to run the ball up the middle;” or “the refs hate us and cost us that game.” Well, maybe the comments about Ray Rice are true considering until tonight’s game; the offense highly relied on this record setting running back from Rutgers University. But come on Baltimore…whether the refs hate our team or not, if the Ravens would play the way a GREAT team should, the way we saw them play today, they would win despite the refs being ‘unfair.’ Not every push will be seen, not every penalty called will be rational. But that is the way of the game. You go out there hoping to get the best of your opponents; the refs are there to regulate. The truth was and is that Baltimore was a slightly above mediocre team this year. They could have been and should have been a lot better but they made a lot of stupid mistakes that resulted in a lot of penalties which of course cost them more yards lost in penalties than the Detroit Lions would gain in yards passing or running. (sorry for the low blow Motor City fans, but it is true!)

Be a fan. This bandwagon-only-positive-when-they-win attitude needs to go. Your team is representing you and giving you something to look forward to each Sunday day and Monday night, and every fall season. The fans in the stands get these boys going. I know I have noticed the Ravens react positively to cheers from their fans. Keep those positive cheers all week long. While our boys in purple practice hard every day to hope to do better in the next weekends game, every fan should practice on their fan-manship. Remember what we were all taught when we were younger by our parents: “If you don’t have something nice to say, don’t say it at all!” Critics, beware 🙂