The internet is full of inspirational videos. Sports videos, spiritual videos, just plain old inspirational videos, but there are few that touch me and make a big difference. Being that team sports have not always been a part of my life, but have recently come up and made an impact I look for something to keep me moving. Something that makes me want to play hard and something to inspire my teammates. A quote by Henry Ford is something I keep in my mind when the team is having a hard time, “Keeping together is progress, coming together is a beginning, and working together is success.” 
Sometimes our teams don’t work together, but work as individuals. That isn’t how the game is played. Some people have to be willing to work hard and get none of the glory. Being a lineman in football I understand this feeling very well. I go out everyday and I try and I try. Am I the best at it? No, not even close, but do I try? Yea, I try really hard day in and day out. But nobody ever says, “hey he really took up space so that that someone else could get the glory.” The glory goes to the people who run the ball, throw the ball, but that’s not possible without the people on the line. As our coach said, we are the Dirty Dogs. Nobody wants a dirty dog, but they are rough and tough, but get no glory. That is how to work as a team, everyone has to be willing to put in 110% and get nothing in return personally, but understand it was for the betterment of the team. This is one of the first speeches that truly inspired me to be better and do better.
Category: sports
Why the Red Wings?-Let’s Discuss
So why do I think the Red Wings spell disaster for the Chicago Blackhawks (the Western Conference’s projected number 1 seed)?
The Detroit Red Wings are an incredibly storied franchise not only in the NHL but in all of sports. This season’s Red Wing team is equally as dangerous as in years past. This team is simply flawless. They are much younger than they have been in the past, being right in the middle of the league’s average roster age.
For those that are interested, the link for NHL ages is right here. Really just had to google it.
And for those interested, the NHL’s oldest roster is my New Jersey Devils. That might have something to do with the fact that our goalies are Martin Broduer (40) and Johan Hedberg (39).
Back to the Wings, though. Detroit has a few stars on their roster that while a little older, have superb conditioning. They are the most fundamentally sound team I’ve probably ever watched.
Let’s take roll call. We have the captain, Henrik Zetterberg, who has 8 goals but 27 assists. So whose scoring the goals?
EQT Elevation
A little retrospective on Kobe’s first pro sneaker
The adidas EQT Elevation are coming back and we got a chance to check them out. Now he is considered one of the best players of all time, but in 1997 Kobe Bryant was an untested rookie. adidas brought him in as a new signature player. 1997 all-star weekend. The dunk competition. Featuring stiff competition from players like Ray Allen and Chris Carr, Kobe Bryant would have to be great. Wearing the purple adidas Equipment Elevation, Kobe threw down his first two dunks to limited fanfare. His last dunk would have to be amazing. He dribbled up and made a high-flying between the legs dunk. The dunk was legendary. It was the turning point of his career.
When he made that dunk Kobe Bryant brought the EQT Elevation to the history books with him. The Zig Zag pattern on the midsole and the deep purple on the upper were representations of Kobe himself. Kobe was young, new, and had the potential to be a legend. He was part of a dynasty; The Lakers became titans with Kobe on the roster. A living legend, Kobe’s rookie year is remembered by that dunk, and on his feet, the EQT Elevation… set to release later on this year.
Let’s Talk a Little Hockey
As many know, the NHL season was cut in half this season due to problems with a collective bargaining agreement, or CBA. It’s funny how in the past 2-3 years, labor issues have been a serious problem in professional sports across the board. The NBA and NHL lost games while the NFL lost certain preseason workouts. All three were greatly affected. However, this 48 game season of hockey (a full season has 82 games) has been nothing short of exciting yet confusing.
I’m a big New Jersey Devils fan. They lost in the Stanley Cup finals last year to the Los Angeles Kings, but I wasn’t torn up about it. I was excited to even get to the finals and win the Eastern Conference. That was way more than I was expecting last season, but it elevated my expectations for this season.
We aren’t the best team in hockey. But, we play very well. At least we can say we are better off than Columbus.
Regardless, the playoffs are fast approaching as there are about 10 games left for most teams in the regular season.
The NHL is ranked on a point system. A team is given 2 standing points for a win, 0 for a loss, and 1 for a loss in overtime or a shootout. In each conference, there are 3 divisions. This is the last year we will see this, as next year the league is realigning into four conferences. Anyway, there are three divisions in each conference, and the division leader in each makes the playoffs as the first, second or third seed. In order to finish off the playoff bracket, the next 5 teams in point standings are added to the bunch. 8 teams from each conference go to the playoffs, making a total of 16 teams.
What’s that I smell? Comeback.
The Kings started off this shortened season on sort of rocky seas so to speak.
The home opener against the Chicago Blackhawks was nothing short of depressing after riding out the high of winning the Stanley Cup.
In the end losing to the Blackhawks made sense seeing as they went on to set the all time record for most consecutive games from the start of a season not lost in regular time.
For a while it looked like the Kings were going to fall out of playoff contention, but just as they did last year they, to quote a song, “started from the bottom, and now the whole team’s [*******] here.”
Last year they went from being the #8 seed in the Western Conference to the #1 team in the NHL within a matter of weeks.
The Kings are currently holding in 4th place, but are tied with Vancouver at 48 points.
The Blackhawks remain #1 with 62 out of a possible 76 points, and have clinched a playoff spot, but it will be a battle with the Anaheim Ducks to see who takes the west.
Hopefully the Kings climb to the top, but their final position in the west is unknown.
Hopefully they can pull out a repeat of last year and come up from the bottom, surprising everyone in their path.
Kevin Ware
There are no other words I feel comfortable putting in this title. I’m not going to show you guys the video or anything like that. This is mainly about how hard an athlete has to work to reach his goals. Kevin Ware is no different than anyone in the sense that he worked hard at what he loved. He loved basketball and because of what happened yesterday, he can probably never play again.
By now, just about everyone knows about the Kevin Ware incident. He jumped up to block a shot and while landing, his leg crumpled in a number of spots. According to reports, his tibia went through his skin and was exposed. This goes down as possibly one of the most gruesome injuries in the history of sports. It’s right up there with Joe Theismann.
I don’t want to talk about it too much. But what I do want to point out is something I saw on Facebook the other day. There was a picture by Adidas posted on their wall, asking the public “Is there anyone on YOUR team that brings out the best in you?”. I immediately started thinking about players I had competed with at any given time. I thought of a few, but after this moment in the game yesterday, I undoubtedly believe that Ware is one of the most inspirational players I’ve ever seen.
He spoke to his coach Rick Pitino and some of his teammates as he was being tied to the stretcher. “Just win the game” he said to his teammates.
A man who is laying on the ground with part of his bone out of his skin still tries to rally his teammates. And it worked.
Louisville won by 22 points and buried Duke. It was inspirational, and I wish Kevin Ware the very best.
NHL-It’s a distant second
Well, as you guys remember, I was a pretty big fantasy football player during the NFL season. This season, I follow fantasy hockey. I’ve been playing with a few of my friends this season and I’ve really enjoyed making some trades (including some that shouldn’t have been made and now I’m just laughing to the bank with it :))
Anyway, I’ve always been a pretty big NHL fan. I am a New Jersey Devils fan, and my favorite player is probably Ilya Kovalchuk. To be honest, I don’t have a favorite player. I just love watching some good hockey.
I especially love this time of year, which is trade season. The trade deadline is on Wednesday and teams are making some last minute adjustments to their rosters in the hopes of pushing for the playoffs.
I just want to discuss the Jarome Iginla trade from last week real quick. Iginla was traded to the Pittsburg Penguins for a first round pick and two college prospects. I think the Flames win this trade given Jarome’s age. But, I want to direct everyone’s attention to one of the college prospects that the Pens sent to Calgary.
Yes. Yes you did.
“We just messed up royally,” Mike D’antoni said about last night’s loss to the Wizards.
And yes, you all definitely did.
It’s not that I’m upset that they lost to such a low-seeded team, it’s that they lost to such a low-seeded team this late in the year. It’s kind of important for the Lakers to be winning right now, as it’s their last chance to get into the playoffs.
While we’re on the subject, the playoffs have become kind of a joke this year for the Lakers. If they make the playoffs, that’s when I’ll be done. Just making the playoffs would be like winning the championship (which is sad when you have four all-stars on your lineup).
Like I’ve said before, I’m blaming this catastrophic loss on whoever has been picking the coaches. I guarantee you that if Phil Jackson was coaching this team, they would be on a stupid win streak, and not the Heat.
But I still hold fast to my beliefs that the Lakers will make the playoffs. Utah just lost again, so I think we’ll get the 8th seed. But, after that, playing the Spurs won’t be too much fun.
Worst Person 28-Elvis Dumervil Edition
I’m not calling Elvis the worst person. I’m calling his situation the worst thing in sports this past week. No, I’m not taking the March Madness angle on the worst things to happen. I made a bracket based on literally no knowledge. I rooted for Temple, and they’re gone.
I want to focus on one of the most bizarre stories I’ve ever heard. Yes, this beats Manti Teo in my opinion. Although, that one has an answer.
This one does not.
Elvis Dumervil and the Broncos were trying to renegotiate his contract in order to accommodate some of the new free agent signings that were coming to Denver, like Wes Welker. Elvis was set to take a 2013 pay cut from 12 million to 8 million. He agreed, and signed a faxed contract. The team had a deadline before being forced to pay Elvis the 12 million. They needed the contract done so they could save the extra 4 million bucks. But, everything was set. Elvis signed, and his agent was faxing the contract back to Denver.
Unfortunately for Elvis and the Broncos, the fax was six minutes late. So, what does Denver do? Should they suck it up and pay Elvis the 12?
Nope.
THEY CUT HIM!!!!
Because an agent was unable to send a simple fax on time, a man lost his job, which then led to the agent losing HIS job.
The Broncos then were forced to treat their All Pro defensive end as a free agent. He was fair game for the rest of the league. So they went ahead and offered him a fast contract to come back to Denver.
One problem though.
This time, Elvis said NO!!!!
Don’t get mad at me, Elway. This is on you guys.
Need to Skate
Seeing as the hockey season has been over for about a month or so I haven’t been on the ice as much.
The season just started this past Thursday, but sadly I had to bench myself and sit in bed at home sick.
Tomorrow night is the 2nd game of the season and I am ecstatic about lacing up the skates and going out to play hockey.
I honestly have not skated as much as I should have in this off season, but hey I can’t be perfect.
What I really need is to find time to start lifting in the gym again, but I have no idea where that is going to fit in.
This season is going to be the one, I feel it.
Last season brought some new faces to Team USA, myself included, but this season we have all worked together and we know what we are walking into.
It is time to get down to business and change the face of Team USA.
OVS Journalism Blog 
You must be logged in to post a comment.