So it has been around 6 months since I've last posted and I could go through everything that has happened since then...but you all know it anyway. I'm going to briefly mention a few that really stuck out to me.
-The San Francisco Giants winning the World Series
A very exciting moment for me, as they are the only professional sports team I root for to actually win their championship game or series. And to do so in the "Year of the Pitcher" really speaks to just how good their pitching staff was. It will be interesting to see if the Phillie's new staff will mesh right away and blow people away like many are suspecting. They obviously have a better offense than the Giants do but have lost one of their power hitters to the Washington Nationals and were beat by the Giants in the playoffs. Like I said, it will be an interesting season.
-LeBron signing with the Miami Heat
This past summer all anyone could talk about was where LeBron James would end up. I even wrote about it a couple of times. He wound up with friends Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh in South Florida, much to the chagrin of Ohioans, New Yorkers, Chicagoans and Brooklynites a few years from now. I liked the move even though I thought he would be more successful on a loaded Chicago team that could've been great with him, but will manage without (though I HIGHLY doubt they will ever win anything, Rose and Booser just aren't enough to push them over the threshold when there are still teams like the Lakers, Magic, Celtics, Spurs and yes the Heat to stand in their way).
LeBron's Heat, or is it Wade's Heat? It doesn't really matter because they have finally hit their stride and are playing meaningful basketball together. I have even found myself rooting for them because I want to see something that hasn't been done before happen. If they can manage to get one or two more solid role-players they can absolutely run the regular season table and go far in the playoffs. I want to see a juggernaut outside of Los Angeles, and I want to see LeBron realize his full-potential. Players of his caliber don't come around too often, he is better than Kobe, and better than anyone else in the league right now. He needs to take that next step though, I'm not sure if he has to be ruthless to accomplish that like MJ or Kobe, but he needs to do something because his fingers still have no hardware on them.
-The San Francisco 49ers finally fire Mike Singletary and presumably will not keep either Smith as quarterback.
Granted, this story isn't that big in the scope of the sport's world, but for me and every other 49er fan out there it is momentous. Singletary is at most a motivational speaker, which is definitely something you want in a head coach. That unfortunately was Singletary's only strong suit. He had no management skills, bad decision making skills and often times looked and acted lost during games. He was not the sole reason for the 49ers having yet another unsuccessful season, but he certainly didn't help matters much.
As for the Smith brothers, I still feel like Troy Smith deserves some chance to prove he can be a quality quarterback, but Alex has had more than his share of chances. Draft-mate Aaron Rodgers just won a huge game against the top-seeded Atlanta Falcons tonight in Atlanta and played so well he didn't even need to play the whole to game to amass over 300 yards passing, three passing touchdowns and one on the ground. I'm not saying Rodgers would have excelled in the 49ers organization, in fact I'm happy for him that he didn't get drafted by the 49ers because if he had he would probably be out of the league right now too. The problem is more with the lack of leadership from the head coach and offensive coordinator positions for the 49ers than it is the personnel. Imagine if Alex had been able to sit his first season, learn how to be a NFL level QB and had the same offensive coordinator every season in SF? Do you think he would be praying for a desperate franchise to pick him up on the cheap as a back-up? I don't think so either. Either way I'm glad all of those mentioned above are on their way out and the 49ers can start fresh with a new coach and hopefully a new QB soon enough (Donavan McNabb anyone??)
So with a few of the big sports moments of the past six months out of the way that leaves me open to the new year and all the sports happening before us. The Kings still suck, The Steelers and Packers are on their way to league championship games and the NBA and NFL may not happen next season.
It is always exciting to be a sports fan and now that I have graduated college (feel free to shower me with praise and accolades) I should have more free time to keep up with writing about just how it feels to be one.
P.S. I won my Fantasy Football League. First time fantasy player, beat 9 other people who have all played before and it feels fucking awesome.
