Here are three things you should lock your lookin’ balls on…
1. Long Beach Football
The Long Beach Century Club took some time during Tuesday’s meeting to discuss college football in Long Beach. No, they weren’t crunching numbers to revive the deceased Long Beach State program. Instead, they were talking about college ball that has been in Long Beach for 80 years.
Long Beach City College Head Coach Mike Reisbig was on hand at The Grand Hotel to talk up the 80th version of Viking football. Reisbig is taking over as head coach after coaching the offensive line at LBCC for the past 16 years.
When he took the job, Reisbig promised to maintain a “homegrown” philosophy in terms of recruiting and involvement. The scouting report looks good and SoCal heavy, and after a nine year hiatus, the Viking Huddle Booster Club is forming once again and will have it’s first meeting on Thursday, September 4th at Tracy’s in Long Beach.
Reisbig also touched on some JUCO ball pitfalls, such as thin numbers, and thin players. “We’re not going to be big, so we’re gonna run around a lot. We’ll be fun to watch.”
The Vikings take the field for their fall camp on Friday, August 15th.
2. ’08 = Oh My!
I know that you know that I know I’m more than overtly excited about the Summer Olympics, but I’ve heard some apathetic tones through the grape vine, and I don’t like it. So, i’ll say this… if you think you can just half pay attention to the games this week in Beijing, you may regret it for the rest of your sports loving life.
We are a little more than half way through what could go down as the sports year of the decade, if not the last few decades. I hate to do a laundry list, but if it’s good enough for HBO Sports, than it’s good enough for me.
Two weeks ago, Jim Lampley and HBO Boxing were in Las Vegas for the Miguel Cotto/Antonio Margarito title fight. Before the fighters walked to the squared circle, HBO showed a graphic listing the Super Bowl upset, March Madness final, Big Brown, Tiger Woods at Torrey Pines, and Nadal at Wimbledon. They literally put Cotto/Margarito on the spot to deliver a boxing match worthy of these storied last few months. And what happened? The two welterweights put on a show worthy of Leonard/Hearns mentions.
I hate to jinx it and say that these Olympics could be among the most memorable of all time, but so far, 2008 seems unjixable.
3. Settle Down, Journalist
On ESPN yesterday, Jim Caple used his Page 2 space to announce that the closer in baseball is the most overrated position in sports, and the save is the most overrated statistic in sports. Caple explains that saves are too easy to obtain, and that managers purposely change their game plan to get closers saves.
While I will agree that taking the mound in the ninth, up by three with no one on, is like me saving Mike Phelps from drowning, go ahead and take your frustration elsewhere, Jim. This is not your father’s baseball, and with all the late inning replacements these days, you need a specialist. Just like that receiver who only comes in for the reverse, or the white guy at the end of the Memphis bench who doesn’t even step inside the arc.
If you want to get mad at a stat or how much someone gets paid for a stat, get mad that players are given big bonus money for winning awards given out by guys like you.
But hey, at least you didn’t write about Brett Favre, so thanks for that.