Calling NFL Fans

Unless your favorite NFL team is the Dallas Cowboys or the New York Jets, you probably feel like your team gets short shrift in the national media.  And when your team does get mentioned, it's often limited to a trite, oft-repeated and sometimes false narrative.  In these moments, you find yourself wondering why Joe Pundit has a daily radio gig and your audience is limited to the 2 guys whose cubicles neighbor yours.

Well, here is your chance to right this wrong!  It's still a little over 3 months until the NFL season begins.  And, in that time, I'd like to get posts on as many different NFL teams as I can.  I could write stuff myself, but I'm no expert on the Kansas City Chiefs or the St. Louis Rams.  I'd end up posting just more of the same garbeldy-goop that you get from the big boys at the Worldwide Leader.

So, I'm looking to you fine folks.  Write something on your favorite team this offseason.  It can be about a player to watch for this season.  Off season moves.  The reason why everyone should love your team.  Interesting personnel moves.  The game day stadium experience.  Anything that you feel passionately about and think the rest of the sports world should hear.  You write it and email it to me.  I'll edit it and post it here on Banshee Sports.

Need some ideas on what to write?  Here's what's been contributed so far:
Jacksonville Jaguars
Denver Broncos
Green Bay Packers
Buffalo Bills
Washington Redskins

Let's do this thing!


Check out Banshee Sports on Facebook.  "Like" it if you like it.

NBA: Pick a Team, Any Team

When the NHL playoffs got under way, Grantland published a fantastic team-by-team guide for those of us who were looking for a bandwagon to jump on for hockey's second season.  I loved that article, so I decided to do something similar for the NBA playoffs.  Sure, I'm a little late.  The NBA playoffs are into the 2nd round.  But really, eight teams is enough to choose from.  And, at this point, all four series on the second round are tied at 1-1.  In other words, the NBA playoffs are just beginning.

So, here is my sales pitch for why you should root for each of the remaining NBA playoff teams.  We'll start in the West.  And we'll go from the lowest seed up to the highest seed in each conference.

Stephen Curry (Debby Wong/USA Today

Golden State Nuggets.  There are a lot of reasons to root for these guys.  The Nuggets are the 6th seed in the West.  That makes them the lowest seed remaining in either conference.  So, they've got the underdog thing going for them.  But, the Warriors aren't even at full strength.  They lost their all-Star forward David Lee to injury in the first round.  But the real reason you should root for the Warriors is Stephen Curry.  Look at this guy!  He's what we all thought we could grow up to be when we were shooting hoops in the driveway.  Under sized.  Wiry.  And able to shoot the lights out.  Much like when he led the Davidson Wildcats in the NCAA tournament a few years ago, Curry's Warriors have captured that March Madness feeling that isn't usually part of the NBA playoffs.

Memphis Grizzlies.  The Grizzlies are a blue collar team built on defense and balanced scoring.  They have good players on the roster, but these guys aren't really household names.  The Grizzlies are led by the defensive player of the year, Marc Gasol, at center.  Following Gasol's lead, they were able to upset the high-flying and flashy L.A. Clippers in the first round.  True, a 5-seed upsetting a 4-seed is hardly earth-shattering, but it was a triumph for small markets.  Despite their lack of fame, the Grizzlies are looking like they might be a legitimate contender to win the West because they really don't need any one player to have a great game on a given night to be successful.  They just need a a solid team effort on both ends of the floor.

(Steve Dykes/Getty Images)

San Antonio Spurs.  The San Antonio Spurs are the team all curmudgeons can get behind.  The Spurs are basically like that group of older guys you run into at the Y on a Saturday morning.  You know the group.  It looks like they should be easy to beat, what with their rec-specs and knee socks, but they keep sending young, undisciplined whippersnappers back to the sidelines in defeat.  Tim Duncan is approximately a thousand years old but still getting it done.  Manu Ginobili has an epic bald spot on the back of his head.  They both embody the addage, "Age and treachery beats youth and skill."  And all the while, their head coach Gregg Popovich yells, "Get off my lawn!" every time a sideline reporter tries to ask him a question.  I guess this doesn't sound like much of an endorsement, but all Dennis the Menace fans actually do love Mr. Wilson.  Besides that, the Spurs play about the purest form of basketball of any franchise in the NBA.  Cutting, moving, passing and team defense.  Students of the game can get behind that.

Oklahoma City Thunder.  OKC is the ultimate example of how to win in a small market.  General Manager Sam Presti has not only drafted well, but convinced big stars like Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook to stay in the fold rather than bolt for the bright lights of either coast.  Loyalty is a endlessly likeable quality.  And the Thunder fans appreciate that fact.  The atmosphere at home games is reminiscent of a raucous on-campus college arena.  And, even though the Thunder are the defending champs of the West, they still have a bit of an underdog thing going for them because Durant will have to go it alone without co-star Westbrook due to a knee injury in the first round.

Deng's seat for Game 1 vs. Heat

Chicago Bulls.  The Bulls managed to get the 5th seed in the East despite the fact that their best player and former MVP Derek Rose has missed the entire season with an ACL injury.  But the casualties continued to mount during the Bulls 7-game series against the Nets.  Rose's back-up, Kirk Hinrich, hasn't played since the middle of the Nets' series due to a calf injury and may even require surgery.  Then there is Luol Deng.  Deng is an all-star caliber forward, but he got sick with flu like symptoms that just wouldn't go away.  He ended up undergoing a spinal tap to test for meningitis.  Turns out those tests came back negative, but side-effects from the procedure have kept Deng in and out of a hospital in Chicago since April.  He's lost fifteen pounds during the ordeal and has no projected return date.  Nonetheless, the Bulls not only advanced past the Nets but also stole Game 1 from the mighty Heat in Miami to start the second round.  The guys that are suiting up are playing a ferocious style of basketball that has captured America's fancy.

Indiana Pacers.  Basketball is clearly the number one sport in the state of Indiana.  So, it's nice to see a team from Indianapolis having real playoff success.  The Pacers have the best young star you've never heard of.  Paul George.  Plus, if you are a fan of old school post play, this is your team.  The Pacers have two big men in David West and Roy Hibbert who actually play on the blocks with their backs to the basket.  And they do it effectively.  Because of this unique style of play, the Pacers could present a real challenge to the Knicks and even the Heat in the East.

(Debby Wong/USA Today)

New York Knicks.  Events happening in New York just feel bigger than events in other places.  So, it's fun to have meaningful playoff basketball back in the Big Apple.  I've talked about defense and grit with several of the teams.  Neither one of those terms come to mind when you think about this edition of the Knicks.  This team is all about scoring.  As the whole world got to see this summer in London, Carmelo Anthony is one of the best pure scorers on the planet.  Then there is J.R. Smith coming off the bench.  His range begins when he enters the gym ... just ask him.  And, this team has to lead the league in tattoos.  Between the explosive offense and the colorful cast of characters on this roster, Knicks games are at the very least entertaining.

Miami Heat.  If you are reading this sports blog, then you are certainly already aware that the Miami Heat are a tremendous team led by the historically great LeBron James.  As long as you don't pretend that you've been sweating and bleeding and crying with this team for years (my apologies for the ten of you who actually do get to your seats in time for tip-off), there is nothing wrong with jumping on this bandwagon now.  It's fun to see historical greatness.  It's exciting to watch something you know your grandkids will ask you about some day.  And this team, with this collection of players could fall into that category.

So, pick a team ... any team.  And join the fun!



Check out Banshee Sports on Facebook.  "Like" it if you like it.

Banshee's Best: Loving Baseball Through the Radio

"It is high.  It is far.  It ... is ... gone!  A home run!"

I can picture the right fielder, dressed in his road grays, drifting towards the warning track before giving up chase.  In my mind's eye, I can see the Modell's sign on the wall in right-center as the ball soars overhead and into the bleacher seats.  I sit alone on my porch in the dark ... five hundred miles away from the stadium.  Yet, as I listen to the play-by-play announcer, I feel as if I am right there with the Bleacher Creatures in the Bronx.

This is the magic of baseball on the radio.

Thanks to MLB cable subscriptions, no matter where you live, you can watch every game your home town team plays.  I can afford these subscriptions, but I choose not to.  If baseball on TV is an expensive date at a trendy restaurant, then baseball on the radio is a candlelight dinner dinner at home.  Subtle.  Heartfelt.  And intimate.

(AP Images)

But, it's not just the romance that draws me in.  Listening to baseball on the radio is a connection to the past.  Baseball, more than any other sport, is defined by its history.  This is why steroids use in baseball is treated as a capital offense while it is merely a misdemeanor in football and barely tested for in basketball.  When I listen to baseball on the radio, I feel connected to the history of the game and the history of my family.  As I listen in 2013 to John Sterling regaling Robinson Cano's exploits, I imagine my grandfather listening to Mel Allen describe the exploits of Joe DiMaggio in 1942.  Through radio waves, seventy years of baseball remain connected.


Check out Banshee Sports on Facebook.  "Like" it if you like it.

Movie Review: 42

The movie 42 debuted a week ago.  Unlike real movie critics, I don't get advanced copies of movies so that I can have reviews published in time for opening night.  I finally got to see 42 this week.  And, it was worth the wait.

Despite the title, this movie is as much about Branch Rickey and the Brooklyn Dodgers navigating the tempestuous season of 1947 as it is about Jackie Robinson himself.  I've heard some critics complain about that fact, but I see this as a strength of the movie.  MLB rightly honors Jackie Robinson every April when all players where his number instead of their own on their jersey.  But, Robinson's appearance in that particular time and place would not have been possible without the dedication, vision and religious beliefs of Rickey.  In fact, as the film portrays, it was Robinson's strength of character and shared religious beliefs that caused Rickey to choose this particular player for an invitation to spring training in 1946.  And, the impact Robinson had on his Dodgers' team mates and front office is also worthy of examination.

(Rights belong to Warner Brothers)

Another positive aspect of the film is the portrayal of Robinson as a husband and a father.  The movie could easily have focused exclusively on Robinson's magnificent career on the field.  But, instead, director Brian Helgeland takes the time to show us the importance of Robinson's marriage as he struggled through the racial tensions.  There is also a meaningful scene where Robinson talks about the kind of father he wants to be for his boy.  I am glad Helgeland went this route because it is these aspects of Robinson's life that make him truly worthy of our admiration six decades later.

As far as the filmmaking goes, the movie is very stylized.  Similar to Eight Men Out in this respect, this seems to be done intentionally to capture the era in which the film is set.  Despite this, there are a couple of strong performances from the actors in 42.  Chadwick Boseman makes his debut in a starring role as Jackie Robinson.  Boseman delivers a strong and complex performance.  He ranges from funny to furious.  And, physically, Boseman is quite believable in the role of the ultra-athletic Robinson.  Harrison Ford stepped out of his comfort zone a bit to play the deeply religious and elderly Branch Rickey.  And, Nicole Beharie was fantastic in the important supporting role of Rachel Robinson.  The editing and cinematography in the game sequences is well done, and the soundtrack is quite fun.

To sum it up, 42 might not have lived up to the hopes and dreams of social activists or baseball historians.  But, 42 is a movie about men who are admirable in their personal and professional lives.  It is uplifting, and it is entertaining.  And that cannot be said about many movies these days.


Check out Banshee Sports on Facebook.  "Like" it if you like it.

Cooking with Banshee: The Azalea

It's Sunday at the Masters.  The Masters is played at Augusta National Golf Club, one of the most beautiful and picturesque golf courses in all the world.  The 13th hole is one of the most famous holes on the course, both because of its history and it's beauty.  It is a par 5 where many Masters champions have launched their charge to the finish line and many other players have seen their hopes trickle away into Rae's Creek.  The hole is named Azalea, and this drink bears that name.  And, before you start protesting about your dislike of gin, give this a try.

The Azalea

Ingredients:
2 oz gin
1 oz lemon juice
1 oz pineapple juice
Splash of grenadine

Directions:
Add ice to a cocktail shaker.  Combine all the ingredients into the shaker.  Fill a tumbler with ice.  Shake it up.  Pour over the ice in the tumbler and enjoy.  If you want to fill a mason jar, you'll probably need to double up the recipe.


This recipe and photo came from foodgawker.com.  Check out that site.  And check out Banshee Sports on Facebook.  "Like" it if you like it.
01 09 10

Master of March Madness

This post is about a week late.  The Louisville Cardinals captured the men's basketball championship on Monday night.  But, it didn't take that long for J.B. Errico to win the 2nd annual Banshee Bracket Bonanza.  Errico picked Louisville to win the title and had things wrapped up when Louisville defeated Syracuse in the semi finals.

In an email to me, Errico revealed a little bit about his process for picking the brackets but confessed that luck plays a big part in it.  Since I failed to predict any correct teams for the Final Four, I whole-heartedly agree with the "luck" analysis.  But, in all seriousness, J.B. has been playing fantasy sports for a good long time.  He won his fantasy football league way back in 1998 thanks to a late season pick-up of Jake Plummer and a cheap $1 draft pick of rookie Randy Moss (and yeah, that $1 was straight cash, homie!).  He's also a sports industry kind of guy who who actually does some of the official scoring for the Yankee's Triple A affiliate, the Scranton Wilkes-Barre Rail Riders.

I'm especially excited that Errico won the 2nd Banshee Bracket Bonanza because it marks an expansion of Banshee Sports' online persona.  J.B. and I only know each other through Twitter. He was one of the first people I followed when I first started to explore the Twitterverse.  In addition to J.B., there were three sports writers in this year's Bonanza who only know Wild Banshee through the Internet.  But, there was still a little family flavor to the top of the leader board.  Jerry Wetzel, my father, finished in second place.  Since J.B. already had a subscription to ESPN the Magazine, both he and Jerry will receive their favorite movie from the Banshee Sports top movie list.  J.B. picked Hoosiers.  Jerry picked Cinderella Man.

So, congratulations to J.B. and Jerry.  And thank you to everyone else who entered and helped to make this a fun competition.  Can't wait for next year.


Check out Banshee Sports on Facebook.  "Like" it if you like it.

Banshee's Best: Banshee Blitz

This blog has been around for about eighteen months.  Nonetheless, Banshee Sports is still very much a work in progress.  As I announced in January, I'm committed to having several recurring features on this blog that readers can depend on.  One of the recurring posts is Banshee's Best.  I had such a hard time picking just one topic to focus on that I came up with an idea for a new monthly feature:  The Banshee Blitz.  This column is a test run.  The basic idea of The Banshee Blitz is that I'll hit on a few hot topics.  Not a lot of research and backstory.  Just my thoughts ... rapid fire.

So, here we go ...

Mike Rice and Twitter mob:  If you are reading this blog, then you surely know by now that Mike Rice, the head basketball coach at Rutgers was caught on video tape throwing basketballs at players in practice and screaming homosexual slurs.  When this story jumped from ESPN to CNN, the Twitterverse and the blogosphere lost it's collective mind.  There was a non-stop demand that this coach, who had already been punished with a heavy fine and multi-game suspension, lose his job.  Once Rutgers complied with that demand, the Internet mob turned its attention towards the AD who had not immediately fired Mike Rice.  Although the exact circumstances might be a little hazy, the AD has resigned.  Next in the Twitter and media firing line: the president of the university.  That has yet to be resolved.

Don't misunderstand what I am about to say.  I would never behave the way Mike Rice behaved.  And, I would not function well under a coach who behaved that way.  Do I think Mike Rice should have been fired?  Do I think the AD should have been fired for moving too slowly?  Do I think the president of Rutgers University should be in the unemployment line?  I DO NOT KNOW.  Here is what I do know:  People with Twitter accounts or blogs or a national radio audience really do not know, either.  Being qualified to break down a teams ability to score against a 2-3 zone does not make you qualified to make personnel decisions at a state university.  The general public has no idea what disciplinary processes and rules exist at an institution.  The general public doesn't have any idea what mitigating circumstances might have existed.  Nor do they know the details of the investigation that was conducted or even if an investigation was conducted at all.  In short, the general public only knows what is shown on a 30-second video clip that was edited to fit in a SportsCenter segment.

Again, I am not saying that Mike Rice should not have been fired.  But, I am saying that the Twitterverse and the blogosphere are not the proper forums for making that type of decision.

Brittney Griner to the NBA:  Last week, Mark Cuban, the owner of the Dallas Mavericks, hinted that he might give Brittney Griner a shot at a roster spot in the NBA.  I don't believe for one moment that Cuban was serious about doing this as anything more than a publicity stunt.  And yet, this somehow sparked people to legitimately debate this on Twitter and on sports talk radio.  That was still just idle chatter.  And then Griner herself chimed in.  Griner responded to Cuban on Twitter by saying: "I would hold my own! Let's do it."  Fine.  Griner's a confident college kid having some fun.  But, a couple days later, Griner followed up that tweet by posting this picture on Instagram:

Okay.  That was the last straw for me.  I'm not sure who photoshopped this image.  But I am sure that Brittney Griner wouldn't "hold her own" in a men's college game, let alone the NBA.  Could Brittney Griner compete with men?  Yes.  But those men would be at a suburban YMCA.  Not the NBA.  Griner is a center who plays in the post with her back to the basket.  She is 6'8" and weighs 208 pounds.  Given optimal circumstances, she can squeak a one-handed dunk over the rim.  Impressive ... for a girl.

So, just for comparison's sake, let's look at a few NBA players.  Who is the first 6'8" player in the NBA that comes to mind?  LeBron James, of course.  Somehow, I don't see Griner getting a lot of shots off against King James, let alone guarding him.  Not fair, you say?  Maybe so.  After all, James is the greatest player in the world.  So, let's look at a few other power forwards.  Serge Ibaka.  Zach Randolph.  Dirk Nowitzki.  Those names ring a bell?  How about Blake Griffin?  Somehow, I don't think that the man who jumped over a car in the process of dunking would be impressed with Griner's hops.  And, if you want to keep Griner at her natural position of center, things don't get any easier.  Who would she be facing down on the blocks?  Dwight Howard.  Tyson Chandler.  Pau Gasol and his brother Marc.  Greg Monroe.  Roy Hibbert.  Joakim Noah.  Brook Lopez.  Need I go on?  Not only is Griner 4 to 6 inches shorter than these guys, but she is slower and has about 24 inches less on her vertical.

Brittney Griner is possibly the most athletic and talented woman to ever play the game of basketball.  But, the idea of putting her on the court with the best male players in the world is ludicrous.  It's also insulting to the greatness she actually possesses as a female player.

Louisville's Luke Hancock comforts Kevin Ware
(Brian Spurlock/USA Today Sports)

NCAA Basketball is Still Great:  All throughout the this season and this year's NCAA tournament, the narrative that has been rammed down our throats is that the quality of play in men's college basketball is declining.  Well, I am absolutely fed up with hearing about how the quality of college basketball is something that needs to be apologized for.  Like most tautologies, "it is what it is" is kind of meaningless.  But college basketball in 2013 "is what it is," and what what "it is" is still worth cherishing.  Sure.  I agree that it would be nice if the officiating was such that a guard could cut through the lane without risking a mortal wound.  And the current one-and-done NBA rule probably means that no other 5-year old will have an imaginary playmate like the collegiate Patrick Ewing.  But, in just the last few weeks, we got to see a a Protestant Christian school in Central Virginia bounce back from an 0-8 start to earn a ticket to the Big Dance.  We got to see a school that only began playing Division 1 basketball last season advance to the Sweet Sixteen.  And, we got to see a team that was vomiting and crying after seeing 4 inches of a teammate's shin bone sticking out of his skin cut down the nets and celebrate a national championship just eight days later.  You tell me what other sport can bring your those story lines in the space of one month. I'll tell you the answer:  It's none.


Check out Banshee Sports on Facebook.  "Like" it if you like it.

Banshee Rant: A Connecticut Yankee

In this edition of the Banshee Rant, I am joined by my baby sister, Kay Kay.  Kay Kay is a die hard Yankee fan trapped in New England.  Stick with it till the end to hear Kay Kay's story about some crazy Red Sox fans in a Boston bar during the 2007 ALCS.





Check out Banshee Sports on Facebook.  "Like" it if you like it.

Banshee's Best: It's a Shocker!

A month ago, I wrote about Liberty University getting their glass slippers for the Big Dance.  In the last three weeks, we've gone from 68 teams down to 4.  Liberty had an early curfew and didn't even make it to the first real weekend of the NCAA tournament.  But there is still one Cinderella dancing.  And it is a Shocker!  Actually it's fifteen Shockers.  On Saturday night, the #9 seed Wichita State Shockers defeated the #2 seed Ohio State Buckeyes to win the West region and advance to the Final Four.

Normally, a #9 seed from the nation's heartland making it to the Final Four would be the lead story from the regional final weekend.  Unfortunately, the horrific leg injury to Louisville's Kevin Ware dominated all media outlets.  And, unfortunately for Wichita State, the buzz saw that is Louisville's defense is awaiting them on Saturday in the semi-finals.  But, before the Shockers have to face the Cardinals in front of a national audience, let's take a moment to look at the Wichita State Shockers and their path to the Final Four.

The Shockers got off to a 9-0 start.  They appeared in the polls off and on throughout the season, peaking at #15 in the AP around the middle of the season.  So, it's not as if this Cinderella didn't have some dating opportunities throughout the year (yeah, I couldn't resist continuing the Cinderella and her prince metaphore).  But Shockers struggled a bit down the stretch, losing two of their last four games in the regular season.  Wichita State did not win the regular season championship in the Missouri Valley Conference and did not win the conference tournament.  Hence the #9 seed.

But once the tournament started, things started clicking again for the Shockers.  The first team to get shocked in the tournament was the Pitt Panthers (pun intended).  The fact that #9 seed beat a #8 seed is really not an upset.  But, the decisive fashion in which WSU dispatched one of the Big East's big boys was surprising.  That win lined up a date with the #1 seed Gonzaga Bulldogs.  Perhaps it was because many people still remember Gonzaga as a Cinderella itself or perhaps it was because the game was played towards the end of Saturday night after die hard fans had already spent over thirty hours watching basketball, but the Shockers victory over the top seed in the West wasn't nearly as big of a headline as you'd expect.  In the Sweet Sixteen round, the Shockers got a bit of a reprieve when they faced the upstart thirteen-seeded La Salle Explorers.  Wichita State took care of the Explorers by a comfortable margin.

The win over La Salle led Wichita State to a match-up against the Ohio State Buckeyes.  The Buckeyes were the #2 seed and had won the conference tournament in the mighty Big Ten.  But, the Shockers weren't intimidated by the name n the front of OSU's jerseys.  Wichita State built up a 20-point lead in the second half before holding on for a 4-point win.  And, with that victory, the Wichita State Shockers earned the right to cut down the nets in Los Angeles.

So, what awaits the Wichita State Shockers in the Final Four next weekend?  Well, for starters, they will face the Louisville Cardinals, the overall top seed in the tournament, on Saturday.  But, after knocking off a #1 and a #2 seed to get out of the West region, there is reason for optimist in Shocker nation.  At the very least, Wichita State will have the best mascot roaming the baselines in Atlanta.

Check out Banshee Sports on Facebook.  "Like" it if you like it.

Cooking with Banshee: Grilled Pepper Poppers

It's finally spring time.  Or as I like to call it ... grill time.  But, grills aren't just for burgers, steaks and hot dogs.  Here is a snazzy grilled appetizer for your next party.  I made these last night, and they were a huge hit.  Don't be scared off by the name or the looks of these tasty treats.  They are more savory than spicy.  Even my mom loved them.


Ingredients:
16 jalapeño peppers, halved lengthwise and seeded
4 oz (half cup) soft goat cheese
4 oz (half cup) light cream cheese
1/2 cup fresh grated parmesan cheese
1/2 cup finely chopped tomato, seeded
2 Tbs thinly sliced green onions
2 Tbs chopped fresh sage
1/2 tsp kosher salt
2 Tbs chopped cilantro
Cooking spray or olive oil to coat the grill

Directions:
Let the cream cheese and goat cheese warm up to room temperature so that they are easier to mix and spread.  Combine the goat cheese, cream cheese, parmesan cheese, chopped tomatoes, green onions and sage in a bowl.  Stir well.  Spoon the mixture into the pepper halves.  Oil the grill with cooking spray or olive oil.  Grill over medium heat for approximately 5 minutes until peppers start to char and cheese mixture begins to brown.  When the poppers are done, place on a serving platter and sprinkle with cilantro.

Enjoy!


This recipe came from MyRecipes.com.  So, if you love it, they get the credit.  Check out Banshee Sports on Facebook.  "Like" it if you like it.
01 09 10