Wednesday, December 19, 2007

Weekly update

Happy Holidays all

Just a quick weekly update.

For the first time in 32 years the Hartford Civic Center will have a new name. The second home of the UCONN Huskies will be called the XL Center after the company XL, which is a Bermuda, based insurance company.

College Basketball will be a little more quite in the next few months. ESPN college basketball analyst Dick Vitale had successful surgery yesterday to treat ulcers on his left vocal chord. Vitale plans to return to the air in early February. His has never missed a game in 29 years with ESPN.

Weekend TV viewing

Sunday at 2:30 P.M. on NBC is a special curling event called the Korbel Elite Challenge. The game will be played on the Rockefeller Center Ice Rink in New York City. It will feature 3-time world champions Team Sweden VS. Team USA that won a bronze medal at the 2006 Olympic games.
Just a note for you that have never head of curling, it is a great sport. It is like bocce on ice, so check it out.

This coming Monday World Wrestling Entrainment (WWE) presents their 5th annual “Tribute to the Troops”: holiday special on the USA Network at 9 P.M. It features the stories of military personnel on the front lines, their interaction with WWE Superstars, and their participation in the special live wrestling event that culminated the WWE tour. The WWE “Tribute to the Troops” tour, in the grand tradition of Bob Hope, is the largest celebrity production to visit troops in Iraq, with WWE Superstars visiting 20 forward operating bases in three days.

Marry Christmas to all and to all a good night

I hope my column will be up by the end of the week.

That’s my take.

Monday, December 10, 2007

sports column #4

It is the best time of year in sports, baseball is in the home stretch, football is right around the corner and basketball is not far off.

I hate the New York Yankees. Some people have accused me of hating the City of New York, as Frank Sinatra sings, “I love New York and It’s the city that never sleeps” If I had a day to just sit and relax at one of the outdoor cafés in New York, I would truly enjoy it. The reason I hate the Yankees is not just that they have 26 World Series championships, more than half than the next team, the St. Louis Cardinals with 10 championships. It is because they flaunt their championships excessively. Just because you are the best team money can buy year after year does not mean you have to shove it in every ones face.

What a story Rick Alickel is. Rick was a pitcher for the St. Louis Cardinals. After arm trouble in 2001 he had Tommy John sugery in 2003, he decided to become an outfielder.
Ankiel made his return to the big leagues on Aug. 9 against the Padres. In this game he hit a home run, what a way to come back!! Hollywood could not write a better story.

I do not understand preseason football. Four games are to many, players get hurt and in the first two games the starters don’t even play. Training camp is over hyped as well. I know hope rings eternal, but come on and play the games that count already.

Now that Barry Bonds has broke the all time home run record, I have been ask to give my opinion to if we should embrace him. No, he doesn’t embrace us why should we embrace him? Also the only baseball player from the old school that he has ever embraced is his godfather Willie Mays.

This week’s spotlight shines on my good friend and fellow Special Olympics athlete Harold Rohloff. Harold competes in Floor Hockey, soccer and for the first time this year Golf. He has worked at Stop and Shop in Putnam CT for 10 years. He also works at the Cinnamon Tree Bakery and assists with gym classes at Woodstock Elementary School. He likes to travel and recently joined a group for a twelve-day cruise to the Panama Canal.

Harold says,” Special Olympics Connecticut gives me a chance to get some physical activity and to have some fun with my friends. I played hockey this winter for the first time and learned the rules and moves of hockey. We have many fund-raisers for Special Olympics Connecticut and I enjoy being part of those activities. I enjoy the State Games where I see people I have not seen for a long time and also meet new people. I have been participating in Special Olympics since 1976.”

That’s my take: I would like to hear yours

Jamie Lazaroff

Thursday, December 6, 2007

Pollitical Correctness

This is from an blog that I would like to share with you.

Are.
You.
Freaking.
Kidding.
Me?
You know, I've had it.
We can't work in a store and wish customers Merry Christmas because they might get offended.
Stores can't run a sales flyer promoting Christmas Trees because someone might get offended.
We don't send out Christmas cards but Holiday cards because someone might get offended.
We don't get to have Christmas parties but Holiday parties because someone might get offended.
My child can't sing Christmas carols that even remotely mention Jesus or the baby child with his school chorus because someone might get offended.
The nativity I put on my front porch during the holidays is under attack because my neighbors might get offended.
Now Santa shouldn't say Ho! Ho! Ho! because a woman might get offended????
You know what, I AM OFFENDED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I'm offended that MY RIGHTS as a Christian are trampled on DAILY but I have to step on eggshells because YOU might be offended
!I'm offended that I am subjected to listening to your offensive music, language, and rhetoric but can't say anything because you'll sue me for violating your free speech rights!
I'm offended that my children have EXTREMELY easy access on the Internet to smut and porn (hey, some even gets through filters) but I can't say or do anything because I'm violating you're free speech rights!
I'm offended that when I open my mouth to offer you Christmas greetings or say God bless you when you sneeze you attack me and say I'm forcing my religion down your throat and violating you're free religion rights!
You know what-Get.Over.It!
You have your rights and I have mine!
I have the right to display WHATEVER religious symbols I want to both inside and outside my home.
It's called freedom of religion.
You don't like what you see?
LOOK THE OTHER DIRECTION-THAT'S YOUR RIGHT!
I have the right to say whatever greeting I want to during the holidays.
I can say Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, Peace be with You, WHATEVER I freaking want to say.
It's called freedom of speech.
You don't like what you hear?
TURN YOUR IPOD UP LOUDER-THAT'S YOUR RIGHT! Or better yet, ignore me. Trust me, I do it to you when I need to.On that note...
I hope you all have a MERRY CHRISTMAS this holiday season if you sneezed while reading this post...GOD BLESS YOU!
Just a thought!

Monday, December 3, 2007

This week in sports

Happy Holidays everyone! I would like to update some stories that are back in the news.

Michael Vick has surrendered and gone to jail before his sentencing on December 10th. He is turned himself in to look sincere in accepting responsibility for his actions. I think this is a PR move to get his sentence reduced by the judge. Remember he also faces state dog fighting charges, with a trial by jury set for April 2 Even if Vick gets 12 to 18 month in prison he still faces more time if he is convicted in the state case, he could miss the next two or three football seasons. His football career is all but over. I hope he is sincere in accepting responsibility for his actions, but I don’t think so.

Barry Bonds has been indicted by a federal grand jury on perjury and obstruction of justice charges. Thank God there is some justice in the world. I’m not sure how Major League Baseball should handle the home run record now. I don’t think you can just erase it from the record books, but I do think you need to do something, like a note in the record books that say Barry Bonds cheated to break the record. The message should also be to don’t lie to a federal grand jury. History might of treated Bonds better if he didn’t lie.

I would like to correct something I said in a previous column. Women’s pro soccer in the US will start back up in 2009. Sorry for any confusion, they have all their financial backers to start in 2008 but want to get everything right for a 2009 start.

College Football needs a playoff because right now they have a mythical championship created by history. When you have no idea who’s going to play for the national championship, it is time for a playoff. In comparison, college basketball has a playoff. The final 65th team to get in to the field is always debated, but the committee always seems to get it right. My idea in college football is to:
1. Have all 11 division 1-A conferences have a championship game,
2. Those winners plus Notre Dame, or any other independent team, who has more then 10 wins gets an automatic bid into the playoffs.
3. Then a committee chooses 4 or 5 at-large teams.
4. The conference title games would be played in December
5. The first round games could be played as bowl games (Rose Bowl, Sugar Bowl etc.) on January 1.
6. Then, play down from there until you have a national title game the day before the Super Bowl, and make it a Super Championship weekend.
I don’t think a play off in college football will happen in my lifetime because the bowl games already have so much rich history and are worth so much money for the schools.

My sincere condolences go out to the family of Sean Taylor. What a horrible act, his home was burglarized a few months ago but he was not home at the time. I guess the burglar was back for more and Taylor was unfortunately home this time. This shows that any one in the spotlight is open to being a target.

This week spotlight is on the winners of the 2007 Paralympic Awards. Held on November 24 at the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) General Assembly in Seoul, South Korea

The Paralympic Sport Awards 2007 were awarded in five categories, based on performance at the Torino 2006 Paralympic Winter Games:
Best Male Athlete: Brian McKeever (CAN, Cross Country Skiing)Best Female Athlete: Lauren Woolstencroft (CAN, Alpine Skiing)Best Team Performance: Canadian Ice Sledge Hockey TeamBest Games Debut: Thomas Pfyl (SUI, Alpine Skiing)Exemplary Games Official: Dr. Karl Quade (GER)The Paralympic Media Awards 2007 honour members of the media who presented the highest quality and most dynamic coverage of the Torino 2006 Paralympic Winter Games, in three categories:Broadcast: Australian Broadcasting Corporation (AUS)Written (Online): BBC Sport Website (GBR) Photo: Mikael Helsing (ESP)The Paralympic Scientific Award 2007 recognized one outstanding contributor (academic or scientific) for research in the field of sport for persons with a disability. Paralympic Scientific Award 2007: Garry Wheeler (CAN)Furthermore, the Paralympic Order, the highest recognition presented by the IPC, was awarded to two persons, who have made an outstanding or long-lasting contribution to the Paralympic Movement and/or to the overall success of the Paralympic Games. The recipients were Mr. Silas Chang (Hong Kong) and Mr. Stavros Stavrianopoulos (Greece).
In the Seoul Declaration, signed by the IPC and Korean Paralympic Committee President on 25 November, the IPC and all its members committed to advance the rights of Paralympic athletes, achieve sporting excellence, promote values and empower youth.

That my take, I like to hear yours

Jamie Lazaroff