Wednesday night, Debbie Reid, executive director of Bikes for Kids Utah, got to drop the puck to start the game between the Utah Grizzlies and the Stockton Thunder. Last month, with the help of Dave Zabriskie, the third American to ever wear teh Yellow Jersey during the Tour de France, Bikes for Kids Utah gave away 1,000 bikes to underprivileged kids around the Salt Lake Valley. During the bike giveaway, the Grizzlies also gave two tickets to each kid (one for them and whoever they wanted to take) to the November 28 home game.
It was fun. I got to waddle out on the ice and get a shot of Debbie dropping the puck along with her son Tyler. When they announced Debbie and that she was with Bikes for Kids, there was a big cheer from the audience, especially from the kids that were there.
After the puck drop, a bunch of the volunteers who helped with the event got to hang out in a VIP suite located on the third level, center ice watching the game and munching on some nachos and sodas. We had a great view of the game and it was a fun night. Unfortunately, the Grizzlies lost in a shootout with a final score of 4-3. You can read about the game here.
A big thanks to Adrian Denny of the Grizzlies marketing department for his help with Bikes for Kids Utah, donating the tickets and for providing a VIP suite, and to Todd Reid of Intermountain Financial for providing the food for the night.
I admit it…I’m a Red Sox fan. I was glued to the Series, to my wife’s chagrin. And I enjoyed watching the Sox not only get back to the Fall Classic, but winning it for the second time in four years. However, in the midst of the whole enjoyable experience, I found myself wanting the Rockies to win at least a game. The feeling was borne of nothing but the desire to see the Sox continue to play. The thing that is sad is to see the season come to an end. Even though they hoist the Commissioner’s Trophy, they have to pack up their things and hibernate for the winter. It’s a bittersweet experience, from this fan’s perspective. Granted, I wouldn’t want it to end any other way. But at the same time, it’s hard to see it end.
Regardless, congratulations to the World Champions! Well done! Let’s do it again next year!
Here’s Oklahoma State’s Coach Mike Gundy ripping into a reporter from the Oklahoman for an article about one of his players. Read the article here and then watch the clip and see if you think the coach was out of line in his response.
Is this the last time we’ll see Lloyd Carr on the University of Michigan’s sidelines? If it is it doesn’t seem like the fans will be too upset. At this rate Michigan should get comfortable out behind the wood shed! First Appalachian state thumps ‘em and then Oregon takes them to town, will the Irish prevail to make it a hat trick at Michigan’s expense?
I don’t think the issue here is losing. Lots of good teams and coaches lose, it happens week in and week out! (My alma mater, BYU, lost earlier today.) I think what makes Michigan’s losses significant is the margin of defeat coupled with the hype around the Big Blue and the poor level of play. Execution is key, and although blame falls on the players’ shoulders, the coaches are there to instill discipline and teach and practice execution.
The commentators on ABC today remarked that the defensive coordinator threatened his defense that if they didn’t perform they’d find themselves on the bench — well, after today it would seem that most of the defense should be sitting on the bench, think the coach will follow through?
As with all money making ventures, key stakeholders (boosters, alum and university officials) want to see results, Carr certainly isn’t making a case for himself with these two recent debacles, it’ll be interesting how things shake out in Ann Arbor. Is it too late to schedule a local high school team for a win?
With all that said, maybe the real question here deals with rankings. Last year’s national champion Gators put a hurtin’ on Ohio State, did the final score and outcome reflect an accurate prediction based on the rankings going in? So with that I add yet another item for the NCAA to come up with, along with a better championship structure, find a way to more accurately rank teams.
Are you as excited as I am for football season?
No time of the year is more exciting to me than the period of time between the end of August to the end of December. Most people would call it Fall, but it’s more than that. It’s football season.
I grew up playing and watching football. Now I mostly watch, but I play too…Fantasy style. In high school, I played tight end for our team, which was pretty good. And in college, I played intramural at BYU. Our team was awesome! Over two years, we went 22-0, winning the championship both years.
And now it’s that time of the year again. We’ve got football in the air, even in the office. Poppa P’s son plays tight end for a local high school, so it’s fun to talk football with Poppa P. We’ve even brought a football into the office to toss around on occasion–I think it helps get the juices flowing.
I’ve also got my fantasy league draft this weekend, which I’m really excited about. I just love the game, the ins and outs of what makes certain plays work. I owe that to my high school football coach. He had a mind for the game unlike any other I’ve ever known. He understood how it worked and instilled a love for the game in most everyone he coached.
So, here’s to Friday night lights, Saturday morning hype and continuing to live the dream. And here’s a little clip to get you exctied…one of my personal favorites.
So we’re on the downward slide of Summer and it’s been a hot one here in Salt Lake City. And although I don’t like snow very much, I just thought putting up this video would be just a little reminder of cooler days.
This is extreme outdoor sports for sure!
Oh yeah, and just a reminder that we have great skiing in Utah.
These guys are certifiably insane!
Who in their right mind would ride down an 80-foot ramp, soar over 70 feet of nothing while attempting some crazy stunt and then try to reach heights of 20 feet above the quarter-pipe with just a helmet and knee pads? I think it’s the acrophobiac in me, coupled with seeing this clip:
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You have to admit, though, it’s pretty cool some of the things they do. I love watching the X-Games, and I’m glad ESPN has picked them up.
An article in the Deseret News today by Dick Harmon brought out an important lesson in sports and athletics: skill alone does not a champion make.
I think I speak for the majority of BYU football fans when I say that hiring Bronco Mendenhall was the best decision the athletic program and university administrators made after Gary Crowton’s departure (come on, he’s a great offensive coordinator, not head coach).
The thing that sets Mendenhall apart as a coach is that he relies on principle-based leadership to run his team. The principles of accountability, tradition and responsibility are only a few of the pillars he and the program’s success are built upon.
Of course this isn’t anything new, Herb Brooks taught us that skill alone won’t get a championship trophy onto our shelf; he understood that working as a team and playing intelligently are keys to victory.
In addition to changing the uniforms from the hideous tan, blue and white back to the respectable, well-known BYU blue uniforms with the signature ‘Y’, Mendenhall also tapped into the legacy that is BYU football. As a result of his dedication to detail, perfectionism and principle-based leadership in only his second year as the head coach, BYU won the Mountain West Conference (MWC) outright, holds claim to the second longest winning streak in the nation, returned BYU to the top 25 NCAA football polls, won a bowl game — against Crowton and the Oregon Ducks, got BYU fans excited about football again and won the MWC Coach of the Year title.
Don’t believe he’s for real? Ask running back Fahu Tahi, a starter who sat out a game because he violated team rules. Mendenhall is the real deal and I’m happy that the blood flowing through my veins is blue, BYU blue!
(Photo Credit: Jaren Wilkey/BYU)
How many sports/TV fans aren’t familiar with 300+lbs pound office linebacker Terry Tate? Well in my opinion the Terry Tate ad campaign by Reebok is a classic (produced by Hypnotic in association with Arnell).
Here’s a link to one of the spots from YouTube, enjoy!
With the 2007 Tour de France wrapping up yesterday under a dark cloud of suspicion, allegations and forced rider withdrawals, I can think of no better way to open this SOAR blog than with some thoughts about the question about the use of performance-enhancing substances by athletes.
As a long-time baseball fan who grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area, I found myself in awe of childhood heroes at the S.F. Giants, including Willie Mays, Willie McCovey and Bobby Bonds. Their towering homerun shots were amazing to behold, and I was, in fact, privileged to be in the stands to see McCovey hit a line shot out of Candlestick Park during the 1971 National League Championship Series against the Pittsburgh Pirates – the Giants only win of the series.
Since moving out of the Bay Area I’ve followed baseball from afar, catching the Giants position in the standings in the local paper and catching a Giants game on the tube or in person when I could. But I’ve always been a Giants fan.
Hence, the addition of Barry Bonds to the Giants roster in 1993 led to a renewed interest in the Giants franchise. Soon his long-ball drives in Candlestick (and then to PacBell Park) were attracting fan attention around the globe, including mine.
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