The better route

TV sports personality's (either an announcer or an analyst) all seem to have taken one of two routes to get to their positions. Most of them have taken the sports route. They were players of their sports who exhibited a certain charismatic ability to speak to the cameras. The other route seems to be of the way of sports journalism. Sports journalists start normally in college. After college most write in Newspapers and for Magazines before ever getting a shot at being a radio or local television announcer. The ones who make it though are masters of their craft and have spent the better part of their lives studying sports for a living, not just playing one.

A stunning example is Tony Kornheiser who I don't believe has ever announced a live game before being thrown onto ESPN's Monday Night Football broadcasts this year. He took to the spot naturally though. He shows that he understands the sport and what is going on. He makes Theisman, who has been doing this for years, sound like a bumbling idiot some of the time. Have you ever noticed the long pauses from Theisman and Tirico (Yes I know Tirico took the route of journalism, but he is a college football specialist)?

And Its not just Theisman look at all the horrible analysts they show on an ordinary sunday. Terry Bradshaw, Shannon Sharp, Michael Irving, Phil Simms I could list them all day. Why do the company's keep hireing these idiots? Do people actually tune in to see which of their favorite players is making a fool of himself on national tv?

Players just do not seem to translate into good sports analysts or announcers. Coaches, although lacking the charisma needed, can at least show a good understanding of the game. I don't know though, maybe they should just let the professionals do their jobs.

Drugs on a Plane

Michael Vick entered Miami International Airport on Wednesday carrying a 20 oz bottle of water. After displaying a hesitancy to allow the bottle to be checked out by airport personnel suspicion arose and Vick had to relinquish the bottle to enter his flight. The bottle was found to contain a secret compartment hidden by the label that contained a dark sediment and smelled like marijuana.

Now I am a college student and I understand that there is nothing really wrong with smoking marijuana. But the United States as a whole has decided that that substance is illegal. So why would a high profile individual like Michael Vick even have the need to try to sneak it onto a plane? It is not like it would be hard to get once he landed. Vick you are not a bad guy for smoking marijuana, you are an idiot for attempting to sneak it on a plane.

Steven A. Smith... Your Fired!

Yes its true. ESPN has announced in a statement released last week that it had canceled its night time talk show "Quite Frankly" starring sports writer/commentator Steven A. Smith. And I couldnt be happier.

Steven A. Smith was a racist hack who should have had his show cancelled after his first dumb politically incorrect statement was ever uttered for the world to hear. The man spends most of his show talking about how the white man is holding the black athlete down. He even stood up for Barry Bonds (alleged) steroid use by saying he was just trying to level the playing field with the likes of Mark McGwire (and other white athletes who cheated first). Even more rediculous for that he lectured about how the NBA was in the wrong when they punished Carmelo Anthony and a few others for an on-court fight that occured. He even said in his show that if they had been white players the penalties would have been less severe.

Racism is a horrible thing, and breeds hatred between people. Steven A. Smith is a racist in the worst sense of the word because not only does he base decisions on race, but he attempts to spread his racism as fact to the world through tv and type. I hope he is never given another chance to get on television.

Will Peyton Manning Ever figure out the Playoffs?

Peyton is almost undeniably one of the most skilled quarterbacks to ever play the game of professional football. He comes out every game with fire and intensity and a will to win. He makes incredible passes with laser like accuracy. That is until the playoffs roll around. Before this years playoffs even began most of the sports writers were already writing his team off because of his inability to pull them through in the big game. I stood by his side though. I believed previous years failures fell more on the team than just the star quarterbacks inability to win.

This year has changed everything. With the Colts rolling to two playoff wins noone thought that they would even have (especially over the great defense of the ravens). Cheers for Peyton, or not. He looked more like Eli Manning in those games then the great Peyton. He made bad decisions threw balls that should have never left his hand. Yet his team rallied around a great defensive effort and held both the Chiefs and the Ravens from taking advantage of Peytons mistakes and turnovers.

After all the sports writers said he needed to play like the hall of fame quarterback he is to pull his team to victory his team played like super bowl competitors and pulled their hall of fame quarterback to two wins he didn't deserve. Now he is going into the AFC Championship and needs to have a great game not only for his fans but his teamates who deserve it more than anyone.