The semester is coming to a close, graduation is approaching and the job hunt is at its peak. My good friend, Bobby, looks back on his years as the coxswain for the Men’s Varsity Crew team, the good times and the bad and what his future may hold. It may not be what you think.
100 years and still hitting
Being a student in Boston is a special experience – a Boston University student, in particular. My first year at BU, I lived in one of the handful of less-than-desired freshman dorms. There was a silver lining though: at 18 stories high, my room overlooked the iconic Fenway Park. During baseball season, when the sun goes down, the florescent lights of Fenway keep the city bright and the roar of the crowd keeps the city alive into the late hours of the night. Needless to say, it was a different lifestyle than growing up LA where everything is so spread out, people don’t walk and the thought of public transportation is comical. To get to Staples Center for a Laker or Kings game, I’d give myself over an hour (due to traffic, mostly) to get to the arena. The thought of walking to Fenway and a quick T ride to the Garden blew my mind.
This year, my final lap at BU, Fenway Park and the Red Sox are celebrating their 100th year anniversary. Not really knowing the impact this event had on Boston at first, I’ve watched the events unfold literally while I walk to class. In January, Fenway hosted Frozen Fenway, two nights of games featuring Division 1 school in the America East conference, including Vermont, Boston College, New Hampshire and Northeastern.
Friday the 13th marked the 100th opening day for the Boston Red Sox against the Tampa Bay Rays. A cloudless, breezy day, Yawkey Way was a sea of red and green authentic jerseys with a mix of David Ortiz, Jonathan Papelbon and even some Celtics players. Bars are way over capacity filled with fans sans tickets and Boston accents get thicker after every beer. Boston fans are the core of the city culture and unexplainable to nonresidents. It is something that simply needs to be experienced.
April 20 was and perhaps might be one of the memorable days in sports history. It was 100 years to the day that the park has been opened. To celebrate the legacy, the Red Sox scheduled a game the same date, time and opponent (the New York Yankees) as the first day. Fenway also hosted a free open house featuring historical artifacts, photographs and banners. In addition, fans got the chance to meet Red Sox legends and visit parts of the ball park usually inaccessible to the general public.
As I walked around the city, I couldn’t help but get the chills strolling down Commonwealth Avenue heading toward Kenmore Square. Bars and restaurants with red and white balloons tied in the front, people waiting for patio seating while drinking a pint of Sam Summer beer. There’s a lot of pride in this city, no matter what team stats say. Fenway Park will always be sold out. Fans will always show up. And Boston will always be one of the greatest sports cities on earth.
a week in someone else’s cleats
The past few weeks in class have been focusing on production and editing on Final Cut Pro. This week, we were asked to shoot and produce a MOS (man on the street) style video pertaining to the theme of our blog. Last week’s post was my first attempt at a MOS, so I felt more comfortable this time around. Watch my video to see what I asked people this time.
Game Changer
Around the beginning of April, I always find the air is filled with a bit of uneasiness and uncertainty. At school, spring break is over and students are still trying to adjust to the fact that they still have another month and a half left before summer break. In the back of our minds though, we’re starting to scramble to get grades up because it’s hit us that there’s only a month left of actual class. I sense a similar air in the world of sports.
Basketball fans can’t find solid footing because key NBA players are being traded and NCAA fans are still wrapping their heads around the fact that some of their picks didn’t make the final four. Baseball fans are ramping up for their season openers in a couple of weeks, many excited but nervous fans in Boston await their revamped Red Sox players and management for the season opener against the Tampa Bay Rays. The NFL, although not in season, are gearing up for the 2012 draft and with the top players taking part in team tests and workouts, it’s hard to say who is going to be the top pick. The NHL might be in the middle of its season but the struggle to make and remain in the top 8 is heating up.
It’s a weird time for a lot of people. There’s a lot going on and a lot of catching up to do, that’s for sure. With everything going on in the sports world, my mind started to wander and I asked myself, “sports fans can speculate and talk rumors all they want, but if you could, what is one rule in the world of professional sports you would change?”
Check out some of the responses…..
Saints’ Sean Payton Punished for Sins
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NFL team New Orleans Saints suspended and fined for a bounty system targeting opposing players.
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Sean Payton of New Orleans Saints banned one year for bounties …
10 hours ago … Saints coach Sean Payton has been suspended for one year, former … the NFL suspended New Orleans Saints head coach S… -
New Orleans Saints will be punished heavily for bounty program …
Mar 2, 2012 … The National Football League on Friday found the New Orleans Saints guilty of a wide-ranging system of bounty payments … -
“NFL suspends New Orleans Saints Coach Payton for one year without pay. fb.me/1rMSMGi8d
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Saints’ Payton Suspended for Season by NFL
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“Sources: Sean Payton’s season-long suspension without pay will cost him his $7.5 million salary
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“Sean Payton suspended one year. Mickey Loomis 8 game and $500,000 fine. Saints fined $500,000 and a second round pick in 2012 and 2012.
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Some sources, including Payton himself, are surprised at the punishment, indicating it is too harsh.
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Sean Payton Suspended: One-Year Ban Is Ridiculous Punishment …
8 hours ago … The New Orleans Saints have finally learned their fate for running a bounty program during the 2009-11 seasons that pai… -
Paging Drew Brees: Why Sean Payton’s Suspension Was Way Too …
4 hours ago … NFL commissioner Roger Goodell just handed down a one-year suspension to New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton, and… -
ESPN’s Pardon the Interruption react to the year-long suspension of head coach Sean Payton.
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Sean Payton Suspended For One Year – PTI – 3-21-12
From land to sea: A Boston University Novice Rower
Boston University is known for their exceptional Division I teams, conference championships and multiple national titles. Upon entering college and in an effort to find a niche of my own, I joined the Womens Rowing team. You can watch the highlights of my freshman year as a novice rower, the friends I’ve made and my experience as a Division I athlete.
New York vs Boston: The Ultimate Rivalry
The rivalry between New York and Boston is nothing new. A lover of both cities, but loyal to the west coast in its entirety, I wanted to document some of the iconic symbols, people and teams in Boston and New York.
Boston University Men’s Ice Hockey
Photo courtesy of Teka England on Flickr
Boston University Men’s Ice Hockey team has always been held on a pedestal. Coach Jack Parker molds players into international names and big-time NHL players. What the community sees on the ice does not always reflect what goes on behind the scenes. Teams are a brotherhood. Teammates go great lengths to help each other out, on and off the field or ice, in this case. Since December, BU Men’s Ice Hockey has been under the microscope after two players were arrested for similar charges. President Brown recently emailed the student body informing us of a Task Force that will be enforced for the rest of the year to study the hockey culture and report back to the President to see what changes can and should be made. Charges against the the two players, Corey Trivino and Max Nicastro can be found online.
Linsanity in New York
photo courtesy of DvYang on Flikr
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Jeremy Lin: New York Knicks’ Cinderella story – CBS News
1 day ago … Undrafted Asian-American player from Harvard seized opportunity, becoming the NBA’s latest basketball sensation. -
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Jeremy Lin Stats, News, Videos, Highlights, Pictures, Bio – New York …
Get the latest news, stats, videos, highlights and more about New York Knicks point guard Jeremy Lin on ESPN.com. -
Jeremy Lin’s game winning shot with 0.5 seconds left in the 4th against Toronto Raptors
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Linsanity continues(Jeremy Lin Game Winner vs Toronto Raptors -February 14)
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“If Jeremy Lin dunked on Lebron in a Yankees cap, and then celebrated by Tebowing in front of Brett Favre, would ESPN explode?
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Lin’s post-game interview after game winning shot against the Raptors 2/14
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Jeremy Lin – Knicks vs Raptors – Post Game Interview MSG [2-14-2012]
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Top 5 nicknames for Jeremy Lin (@JLin7) http://youtu.be/VK_lj2f6F24 #Linsanity http://pic.twitter.com/8SVvzLuC
Clippers’ Billups is Donezo
Photo courtesy of Flickr
I’m from Los Angeles, so of course I’m a Lakers fan ’till the day I die but like any other team in sports, there comes a time when the current talent starts to wane. Sure, Kobe Bryant is still Kobe Bryant and Derek Fisher is still The Fish, but they’re no spring chickens anymore. I can say I witnessed the hay day when it was the Shaq and Kobe show, when Odom was the best 6th man in the league. The Clippers are stepping up their game in a big way.
This season is proving to be more exciting than most though, given the 20ish game decrease. Trade rumors running rampant, players opting out of their final year contracts. One of the most newsworthy mergers and acquisitions was the Clippers beating out the Lakers for Chris Paul. Chris Bosh, Dwane Wade and Lebron James weren’t the only Big 3 in town anymore – CP3, Blake Griffin and Chauncy Billups had arrived.
Big plays, big dunks and big wins were making the Clippers hot to trot. Games were selling out and the crowd loved to watch the three men dazzle. So did the media. But Billups season-ending injury could be a major game changer. In the game against Orlando on Monday night, Billups tore his left Achilles tendon therefore ending his first season with the Clippers. NBA.com confirmed, however, he will not let the injury end his career. After surgery, which has yet to be scheduled, Chauncey plans to help the team in any way he can. More bad news: the 35-year-old will require at least 8 months to recover, putting his chance to play on the U.S. Olympic team at risk.
Billups is certainly a fun player to watch. He’s played on his fair share of teams, but I’ve got to say that watching him with Blake and Chris Paul is lots of fun. He’s got the energy of a 25 year old and can sink 3’s as good as any college player. I’m more than confident that he will come back from this injury stronger than before. These players have an ability to rebound from injury, making them superhuman, of course.
Athlete Weekly Review 