Tag: womenwholovesports

The Weekender

On By kassienetteIn 49ers, Baseball, Basketball, College football, Controversy, Football, Hockey, NASCAR, NFL, Panthers, Sports, WolfpackLeave a comment

Happy October!!! Special shoutout to my mother celebrating her birfday on the 25th. LOVE YOU MUMPHREY!! Now for what happened in the wonderful world of sports this weekend….

Europe won the Ryder Cup. Bah humbug.

Laaaaawd they have bounties in Pop Warner too? In my Megatron voice, “DISGUSTING!”

‘Bama wins. Remains number one in the polls.

The Cardinals are 4-0 and the Saints are 0-4. Just like last week, this is NOT a typo.

The Texas Rangers clinched a playoff spot(Yes!). The New York Yankees did too(Boo!).

Ed Hochuli was spotted on the field in Jacksonville. His biceps were in attendance too.

My 9ers grounded the Jets. Shutout style!

Brad Keselowski won at Dover. His win secured first place for him in The Chase.

The Eagles held on for a victory against the Giants. I think Tynes may be feeling really Billy Cundiff-ish right now.

Speaking of Billy, he saved his job yesterday by kicking the game winning field goal for the tataskiz yesterday. That profanity you hear is courtesy of Ravens fans.

The Pack had every opportunity to beat Miami on Saturday but just could not get it done. Crossing my fingers, toes and eyes in hopes of us bringing our A+++ game Saturday night against the seminoles.

Detroit’s Miguel Cabrera is still in position to do something that has not been done since 1967, capture the Triple Crown(Leader in HRs, RBI’s and batting average). He has three games left to make it happen.

The Patriots were down 21-7 early in the third quarter to the Bills before mounting a huge comeback to win 52-28. Impressive but it is the Bills.

The Orioles clinched their first playoff spot since ’97. Cheers to the birds.

Welp, KG obviously isn’t happy with Ray Allen’s decision to leave Boston for Miami. Ray Ray does not seem to be the least bit concerned.

The NHL & the NHLPA are still….on ice. Sigh.

Kansas restructured Bill Self’s contract to keep him on the sidelines through 2021-22. It pays to lookout for Self.

 

Until next time…TOODELLS.

The real “zebras” are back!!!

On By kassienetteIn 49ers, Controversy, NFL, Panthers, Sports3 Comments

Want to know how I  feel about the NFL referee lockout ENDING?? This sums it up perfectly….

Dear referee…

On By kassienetteIn Controversy, FootballLeave a comment

I knew there had to be reason I kept waiting and waiting and waiting for the right time to blog about the replacement refs….

Who knew an Touchception/Interdown would cause such a stir? In case you were one of those early birds who went to bed before the game went off, let me explain to you real quick what happened. Russell Wilson, QB for Seattle, heaves the ball into the endzone with eight seconds left. Packers safety M.D. Jennings and Seahawks WR Golden Tate both leaped for the ball. Jennings leaped higher, got both hands on the ball and maintained possession. Yet, it was called a touchdown. HOL LUP. What? Yes, Tate had a hand on the ball but it is obvious, through replays, that he did not have possession. Nevertheless, the Hawks get the win, the Packers got the sham and TJ Lang gained thousands of new followers on Twitter after his rant.

As if we did not already know it before, the replacement need to be replaced. For the sake of everyone including theirselves. Blown calls. Wrong calls. Unsure calls. Not enough calls. Non-fluid hand signals. Fantasy owners. Facebook operators.  This is getting out of hand and the NFL is slowly moving from a well-oiled machine to a circus. I would not be surprised if a clown car drove onto the field at MT Bank Stadium Thursday night.

For the first two weeks, I had been adamantly defending the replacement refs. I am somewhat of a softie and I felt bad for them. They did not ask to be in this position and I truly believe most of them are doing their best. Everyone makes mistakes, including the “regular” refs. Remember the Tuck Rule? However, you have to recognize when you are in over your head and these refs are drowning, FAST. I know the opportunity to ref an NFL game is hard to pass up. I get that but I realized I needed these refs to have a reality check beforehand. Why would you accept the challenge if you were not going to take the game serious? Why would you accept the challenge if you are not confident in your refereeing skills? Why would you accept the challenge knowing you were not knowledgeable of the rules ? There are a lot of rules! Most of the players do not even know all of them. Just ask Donovan McNabb.

While it seems to be easy for everyone to point the finger at the NFL because we all know the NFL is a multi-billion dollar organization, the “regular” refs are not exempt from blame. They want to keep their pension plans. The NFL wants to take them. The NFL wants to hire seven full time officials. The refs do not want that. The refs wants this. The NFL wants that. Yada yada yada. Blah blah blah. Make. It. Stop. Last night’s disaster is unacceptable. When you have current and former players, general managers and analysts all turning against the league, you have a major problem on your hands. The refs are just as important to the game as the players and it is time that they get the respect they deserve.

Honestly, I do not care why the lockout is happening. Let me rephrase, I do care, if people’s well being and livelihoods are being affected. What I do not care about is who is right or wrong. Who said this or who said that. It does not matter. This fiasco should have ended before the season even started. After week one I was certain that we would not see another replacement ref on the field. The players need officials on the field who know the rules. The coaches needs officials on the field who are knowledgeable of the game. The league needs officials on the field who uphold the values and standards that the NFL has preached since day one. And, I need my dose of Ed Hochuli mixed in with some Mike Carey. If the NFL and the NFLPA truly care about the integrity of this league then they will do whatever it takes to reach an agreement, SOON. Or the clown car may be too full to drive into the stadium Thursday night.

 

Until the next fiasco….TOODELLS.

The Weekender

On By kassienetteIn 49ers, Baseball, Basketball, College football, Controversy, Football, NASCAR, NFL, Sports, WolfpackLeave a comment

Aw man, the weekend is over. Five days until the next one!! And your weekend rekap is as follows….

 

The Cincinnati Reds clinched the NL central title. Hip Hop Hooray!

Taylor Heinicke, QB for Old Dominion University,  passed for 730 yards in a 64-61 win against New Hampshire. So this season we have had a QB pass for 736 yards(all-time divisions record) and another pass for 730 yards(Division-I record).  That is crazy and deserving of more than three sentences.

Gio Gonzalez is the first pitcher to reach the 20 win mark this year. #Natitude

Arkansas lost to Rutgers. It is amazing what a motorcycle ride will do to your program.

The Saints are 0-3 and the Cardinals are 3-0. No, that is not a typo.

Chris Paul revealed that his preference was the Clippers over the Lakers. Oh and he is still upset about Pau Gasol “sonning” him.

According to my mother, the cowgirlies won(I refuse to call them by their government name until they win 10 games) and the 9ers lost. Unfortunately, she is right.

22 year vet, Jim Thome, doubled in the go-ahead run in the Baltimore  Orioles win against the Boston Rex Sox. The Orioles remain one game behind the New York Yankees in the AL East.

Jamaal Charles rushed for 233 yards and had 55 receiving yards. So glad he is on my fantasy team. *fist pump*

Oregon leaped over LSU to take the number two spot in the AP Poll. They remain number one in the gameday apparel poll.

After predicting a victory, Denny Hamlin made good on his promise winning in New Hampshire. Jimmie Johnson is now The Chase leader.

The NFLPA sent an open letter to the NFL owners asking them to reach an agreement with the locked out officials. Both sides met this weekend and the owners are still locked into their position.

The Texas Rangers defeated the Mariners 3-2. They maintained their four game lead over the A’s in the AL West.

Sebastian Janikowski kicked a 43 yard field goal as time expired to lift the Raiders to a 34-31 victory over the Steelers. No one lifted the 6’1, 258lb kicker during the post game celebration.

St. John’s men’s basketball coach Steve Lavin is eager to get back on the hardwood after missing most of last season recuperating from prostate cancer. Cheers to a great season Coach!

FSU defeated Clemson 49-37 on the backs for strong performances by EJ Manuel and Chris Thompson. Speaking of backs, Thompson broke his last year….

Stephon Marbury voiced his opinion saying he does not think Carmelo Anthony and Amar’e Stoudemire are a good fit for the Knicks. When was the last time Marbury’s opinion was relevant?

Bill Gillespie resigned as men’s basketball coach at Texas Tech, citing health issues. Sooooo, that NCAA investigation had nothing to do with it????

The Wolfpack won!! Whoop!

So much to say about the Ravens-Patriots game. The courage and perseverance that Torrey Smith displayed despite learning of the death of his youngesr brother was truly inspiring. He had six catches for 127 yards and two TDs. The game ended with the Ravens Justin Tucker kicking a 27 yard FG that came as close to the upright as I have ever seen. Bill Belichick thought the field goal was no good, chased down a ref, grabbed him then sucked his teeth throughout his press conference. Too funny.

 

Until next time…TOODELLS.

Ladies, klass is in session….Football 101, Lesson 3

On By kassienetteIn 49ers, College football, NFL, Sports1 Comment

Alright ladies, how are you feeling?? Feeling more confident about this football thing? Are you loving it yet? Or are you still lost? No need to fear, Kassie is herrrrre!! Today I am going to talk about different plays and coverages that you will see from the offense and the defense. Remember, this applies to both college and pro football.

Offensive terms

Play action-A pass play that is designed to look like a running play. The purpose of this play is to fool the defense into thinking it is a run so the QB has a chance to find an open receiver.

Shotgun-This is a passing play where the QB typically lines up about five yards behind the line of scrimmage. This formation allows the QB to see what the defense is doing and make any necessary changes before the ball is snapped.

Throwing it away-When the QB deliberately throws the ball out of bounds or over the head of one of his receivers. A QB will throw the ball away sometimes if he can not find an open receiver or if he is in danger of losing yardage because of pressure from the defense.

Intentional grounding-This is called sometimes as a result of the QB throwing it away. A referee can determine that either there was no receiver within the vicinity of where the ball was thrown or that the receiver had no realistic chance to catch the ball. The penalty results in a loss of 10 yard and the team will also lose a down.

Pump fake-When the QB fakes like he is throwing the ball in hopes of throwing off the defenders which will give his receivers more time to run their routes

Defensive terms

Man to man-A defense designed where a defender is assigned to cover a specific receiver

Blitz-My favorite defensive play! Remember there are five offensive linemen and there are typically three or four defensive linemen. During a blitz, the defense will rush the offensive linemen using additional defensive players in hopes of sacking the QB, tackling the runner behind the line of scrimmage or rushing the QB’s throw. I have dreams of one day blitzing a QB, preferably Tom Brady and his short helmet :-}.

Zone coverage-A defensive set up where defenders are assigned to cover certain areas of the field and the receivers that venture into those areas

Double coverage-Two defenders are assigned to cover one receiver. If you see two defenders for one receiver, then this automatically tells you that this receiver has the potential to change the game at any moment and the defense knows that.

Bump and run-A defender can bump the receiver within the first five yards past the line of scrimmage. By bumping, the defender hopes to disrupt the route the receiver is trying to run. However, if the defender is not successful at disrupting then the defender will have to match the receiver stride for stride in an effort to keep the receiver from catching the ball.

Bonus term

Audible-When the QB changes the play at the line of scrimmage….it is that simple.

NFL Tidbits

There are 32 team in the NFL. Learn at least half before the end of the year.

The NFL is divided into two conferences: The National Football Conference and the American Football Conference. Each conference has 16 teams, divided into four divisions.

The New York Giants are the reigning Super Bowl Champions.

SuperBowl XLVII(47) will be held in New Orleans on February 3, 2013. Yes ladies, your man and some of your girlfriends will be M.I.A. for another 4.25 months. Sorry!!

The Pittsburgh Steelers have won the most SuperBowls. They have six rings. The San Francsico 49ers(the only teams to win EVERY SuperBowl they have played in) and the Dallas Cowboys have won five.

Until next time…TOODELLS!!

The story you probably missed…

On By kassienetteIn Controversy, Sports, Tennis3 Comments

Taylor Townsend. A name you need to know. She is the number one ranked junior tennis player in the WORLD. She is the reigning junior girls Australian Open Champion in singles and doubles and she won the junior girls Wimbledon doubles title this summer. Did I mention she is only 16? Impressive, right?

At a time when we should be celebrating a young woman who has a promising future ahead of her, we are forced to deal with ugly issues that the world can not seem to get past:  BODY IMAGE & STEREOTYPES. Yes, you read that right. BODY IMAGE & STEREOTYPES. Townsend, who planned to travel to the US Open last month, was told by the United States Tennis Association(USTA) that they were not going to finance any more tournament appearances for her until she lost weight and got into better shape. Huh? Did I miss something? The first American girl to be ranked number one since the International Tennis Federation(ITF) combined singles and doubles rankings in 2004, was all of a sudden “too big” to compete. Or as Patrick McEnroe, the general manager of the USTA’s player development program so eloquently stated, “Our concern is her long term health, number one and her long term development as a player.” Was that not your concern before hand Mr. McEnroe? As a PR major, I know a “spin” when I see one and that statement may as well be in bold red letters, in all caps!

I know Mr. McEnroe said her health is his main concern but lets be real this issue centers around body image and stereotypes. The fact is, Towsend is not your stereotypical tennis player. She is tall. However, she is not slim or white. She grunts when she hits the ball. And she is black. Reminds you of some tennis players who came before her, huh? While Townsend herself has admitted that she needs to lose some weight and get into better shape, that is the least of my concerns. I have a problem with an entity such as the USTA making a public spectacle out of a 16 year old girl. I have a problem with the USTA telling Townsend, days before she was scheduled to go to the US Open, that she needed lose weight. This same girl played in tournaments all over the globe earlier in the year, in matches that lasted for hours and suddenly she is too out of shape to compete? This same girl who has been attending the USTA’s academy in Florida, where she attends classes and works out with coaches and trainers everyday now has an weight issue?

This story is disturbing. It screams of what is wrong with the world and how people, especially girls and women, are constantly made to feel less than adequate because of their physical stature. We have created this false Barbie doll image and have forced the notion onto people that every woman should look just like her. The reality is MOST women do not look like her. Every woman in this world was not born a size zero and most women in the world will not be a healthy size zero no matter how hard they try. As petite as I am, I am not even a size zero and according to some I am still too small. The fact is women come in all shapes and sizes. Women are tall, small, curvy, slim, blond, brunette, short, the list goes on and on.

It saddens me that instead of celebrating the accomplishments of a young lady, I am having to write about body image and stereotypes. I think the reason this bothers me so much is because at 16, young girls are so impressionable. They are at an age where a person’s words have the power to change the direction of their life, for better or worse. In the media, Towsend seems to be handling the issue with grace and poise. However, I can only wonder how she feels on the inside. I wonder if she feels humiliated. I wonder if she feels ostracized. I wonder if she feels that she is not good enough. I wonder if she thinks the negativity she will have to endure is worth it. At 16, she should not have to feel any of those things because we should be rejoicing over what she has done regardless of how she looks. We should be proud of her number one ranking. We should be applauding her championships. We should be telling her the best is yet to come. We should be telling her that she has potential. We should be encouraging her. We should be her biggest cheerleaders not her biggest critics. We should be rewarding her for her hard work. And if she indeed does need to lose some weight, we need to be right there in her ear telling her that she can do it.  That is what we should be doing. She needs to know that not being a stereotypical tennis player is not a curse. It is a gift…..one that helps her shine the brightest on a crowded court.

CONGRATULATIONS ON ALL YOUR SUCCESS TAYLOR!!! THE SKY IS THE LIMIT!!

The Weekender

On By kassienetteIn 49ers, Baseball, Basketball, College football, Controversy, Football, Hockey, NASCAR, Panthers, Sports, Tennis, Wolfpack3 Comments

 

Twitterverse was buzzing about my 49ers last night. Note to all of you who were not fans before hand….we DO NOT do bandwagoners!!

My Panthers handed the Saints there second loss. It is amazing what removing bounties will do to a team.

The NHL is officially in a lockout. The game is ‘on ice’ for the forseeable future.

The Jets ran into A LOT of turbulence in Pittsburgh. Back to life, back to reality.

Rookie QB Russell Wilson picked up his first win on Sunday against the cowboys. *insert huge grin*

The Baltimore Orioles beat the Oakland A’s thus ensuring their first winning season since 1997. The average price for a gallon of gas was $1.22 that year.

Boston Red Sox manager, Bobby Valentine, stuck his foot in his mouth. Again.

Brad Keslowski won the Geico 400 in Chicago. His win puts him in first place in The Chase standings.

Standford proved they do not need ‘Luck’ when they play USC. The Cardinals beat the Trojans for the fourth straight time.

Dwight Howard expressed himself during the ESPN Sunday Conversation and said he does not want anyone to hate him. Hmmm, is that why he took out that ad??

Sam Bradford had a solid performance on Sunday. So did RGIII, who was on the losing end.

My beloved Wolfpack landed one of the top point guards in the nation, Anthony Barber. Welcome to the Pack young fella!

With his win on Saturday night, Ryan Blaney became the youngest person to ever win a NASCAR Truck Series Race. He is 18 years and 8 months old :-}.

Former boxing champs Oscar De La Hoya and Julio Cesar Chavez admitted to drug and alcohol abuse in the latter stages of their careers. Thankfully, both have been sober for years.

Eli Manning passed for 510 yards against the Bucs. Even though it is the Bucs, it is still impressive.

The Chicago White Sox won and the Detroit Tigers lost. Chicago is now two games ahead of Detroit in the AL Central division.

Sergio Martinez defeated Julio Cesar Chavez, Jr. by unanimous decision Saturday night. If only Chavez Jr.’s rally would have begun in the 11th round, we probably would have had a different outcome.

Giants coach Tom Coughlin was not too pleased with what he deemed “a cheap shot” by Greg Schiano’s Tampa Bay Bucs near the end of regulation. I did not think it was possible for Tom Coughlin to get any redder but booooooooooy was I wrong.

 

Until next time….TOODELLS.