Team USA

The Olympics start on August 8th and I am super excited. It is by far my most favorite sporting event that the world has to offer, and it is because the whole world is offering it. I mean where or when else can we have members from all cultures, countries, and races come together peacefully? It is a nice relief from wars and differences that separate and divide the Earth every day. Sure there will be many political rallies and opportunities for debate and divide, but it is in the spirit of friendly competition that the games are set.

With that said, I hope Team USA puts the "friendly" competition aside and puts a good ole' fashioned American Beatdown at the Olympics. I have a lot of pride for my sports teams, and more importantly for my country. It doesn't matter if I am watching ice dancing or boxing, I always cheer for our team. We as Americans are a prideful people, we believe we are better than everyone, and that is why a lot of countries despise us. I think our USA pride gets us a bad rep. But let's face it, there are certain things we are just dang good at and no other country comes close. I'm not saying we are "better" than any other country when it comes to something such as culture or tradition because individuality is what makes this world so great. But when it comes to one thing, no one should be able to touch us. You know what I'm talking about.

Basketball.

Bronze? Are you kidding me? How do we get anything but the gold in basketball? 2004 was an embarrasment. We lost more games (3) in that one Olympics than all previous Olympics combined, and that dates back to 1936. I will not accept that Argentina won the gold, or Italy won the silver. We lost those medals. Arguments have been made like, "Well those countries practice together year round and the US only gets a month." I don't care. On any give night, Team USA could be assembled, and should go out and beat any team the world can put together. They shouldn't even have to practice. The fact is that the team we had in 2004 just didn't care. That needs to change.

Upon receiving news that knee surgery was imminent, Yao Ming had to choose between missing the Olympics or the NBA Playoffs. Not even thinking twice, Yao stated that playing for his country was much more important than playing in the NBA.

How many Americans would do that? What happened to the pride of being able to stand together and listen to the Star Spangled Banner with gold medals around their necks? Today's players are more concerned with money and status. Or concerned about getting an injury that could jeopardize future money and status. Just go play the game, and be proud.

With all this said, the team we have put together this year is probably the best since the 92 dream team, which was the greatest team ever assembled, with one exception (Sorry Christian Laettner...but you know). Just for the fun of it, did you know that the 92 Dream Team won every game by an average margin of 43.8. Coach Chuck Daly never even used a timeout. There is no reason why we should lose a game this summer, no reason why we shouldn't win by an average of at least 3o.

Let's take a look at the team.

With a team this star-studded, the playing time between starters and non-starters will be pretty equal so it shouldn't make much difference. This is how I see the depth chart:

Starters:
G: Chris Paul
G: Kobe Bryant
F: Lebron James
F: Carmelo Anthony
C: Dwight Howard

Bench:
Dwyane Wade
Chris Bosh
Deron Williams
Tayshaun Prince
Michael Redd
Jason Kidd
Carlos Boozer

Black Uniforms

Football season is rapidly approaching. Yeah, I wish. Still a little over two months to go, but a whole lot better figuring it's been over six months since the bowl game. A while back I wrote an article on the evolution of Utah's uniforms. Remember it? Amazing huh? Anyways, at the end I tried to photoshop an idea for the new rumored "all black" uniforms. Well, check out what I found. This is supposively from the new NCAA 08 video game, and it has the Utes in an alternate, black uniform.


It's okay BYU, you can cry. Or do you want to wait until after the game?

Quick update

It's been a month and a half since I wrote on here. I recently moved and don't have the internet yet so it makes it a little tough, but I figured I had a minute to get on here and make some quick notes.

First off, Celtics beat the Lakers in the Finals...okay, I can live with that. If I would have kept my predictions up to date, I honestly would have had the Spurs and Pistons in the Finals, but oh well, can't win them all.

Second, I got a new job. It's pretty fun I guess but gets a little monotonous at times. I do get to talk to people from all over the country and get some pretty crazy stories which is fun, also I love the people I work with which makes it fun too.

Third, I am playing a lot of basketball lately which is awesome.

Fourth, it's summer and the weather is nice...so I'm going to the pool right now. Bye.

2nd Round Predictions

Alright so the first round is pretty much over as of now, the only game left being a game 7 between Atlanta and Boston...yep, game 7. During the regular season, Atlanta went 37-45, Boston went 66-16. 7 Games. Amazing. The home team has won every game in that series and unless some sort of divine intervention happens, Boston will finally get their act together, and finally dispose of the Hawks Sunday afternoon. But, tomorrow kicks off the start of the second round for 4 teams, so I have to get these predictions rolling. I'm just going to presume Boston will win Sunday and roll with that...if Atlanta wins, well then I will have to edit this later.

Lets take a look at how I did in the first round...

So when the Celtics win Sunday, I will be 8-for-8 on my first round predictions. All the top seeds advancing. However, I only got two series right on with my series-length predictions, both the Cavs and Jazz winning in six. Both my sweep predictions ended up being the only series to be tied 2-2, but lets be honest, who thought the Sixers would win two and that the Hawks would even win a game? I was shocked at how easy the Hornets beat up the Mavs...and so was Mark Cuban. Goodbye Avery Johnson. I thought Denver would win one, but no surprise they got swept. I also thought the Suns would be a little better too, but the Spurs are the Spurs. Were there any other series? Oh yeah, the East. Who cares.

2nd Round Match-Ups and Predictions


Eastern Conference

(1) Boston Celtics (When they win)
(4) Cleveland Cavaliers

So, assuming the Celtics win, I am sure they will be glad to finally get rid of the Hawks. I still think they are the best team in the East, they are definately the most talented team. The tough opening series with the Hawks could either do two things for Boston. 1) Wake them up and remind them that this is the playoffs, and anything can happen, so get out there and come to play every night. -or- 2) Show the league that Boston is vulnerable and expose their weaknesses. I think that #1 is the more likely scenario. I don't think Cleveland has the collective firepower alongside Lebron to expose Boston enough to win the series. Boston is a mature team and will be more focused. Cleveland just didn't look very in-sync at times against Washington and that will continue, and be more evident, against a better team in the Celtics. Lebron will win a game or two for his team, but that's about it.

Boston in 6


(2) Detroit Pistons
(3) Orlando Magic

After watching the Pistons lose a couple in Philly, I began to question this team. They have the same basic core as when they were champions, but they didn't seem to have the same desire. I blame Flip Saunders. He looks lost sometimes when the team needs him to draw up quality plays down the stretch in close games, and his name is Flip. However, the Pistons are too talented to let him personally lose this series. Plus they completely dominated the Sixers the last two games like they should have. The Magic are a good team. Young and still developing, but not yet mature and experienced enough to take out Detroit. The centerpiece is in place for a good future, and Dwight Howard will dominate several games in the paint, but it won't be enough. Pistons just have two many steady and consistent weapons.

Pistons in 6


Western Conference

(1) Los Angeles Lakers
(4) Utah Jazz

This will be fun. The Lakers are playing great basketball and the first round was a breeze, but who in the West wouldn't have swept the Nuggets right now? It didn't really tell us anything new about LA, except that they continue to consistently win games they should. The Jazz on the other hand are very inconsistent. During the season, they lost to Minnesota one night, and beat Boston by 18 the next. They beat the Rockets twice in Houston, and then lost at home for just the fifth time all year. This series' outcome is 100% contingent on which Jazz team shows up. The Lakers will be the Lakers. We know they're a great team. The Jazz are a great team too, sometimes. If they want to beat the Lakers, they need to be great every game. I think the Jazz can win, I really do. The problem is, I think the Lakers will win. In my opinion, this series is a toss-up. But with homecourt belonging to LA and their consistently good play, they are the logically correct, but painful, choice.

Lakers in 7



(2) New Orleans Hornets
(3) San Antonio Spurs

This series will be interesting. The Hornets gained some good experience during the first round, but now the real test begins. It's playoff time, and that means the Spurs have flipped the switch which turns them from a good team into a championship team. Every year. It will be very hard for the Hornets to win this series. Tony Parker will play Chris Paul a lot tougher and quicker than old-man Kidd (no pun intended), and maybe even Bowen will get in on the act as well. Add Ginobili and Duncan to the mix..how does New Orleans counter? I don't think they have the talent and their lack of experience will finally catch up. Homecourt doesn't matter against the Spurs either. The Spurs owned the Suns, and the Suns are much more talented then the Hornets. The Hornets have proved me wrong before, but I am pretty confident it won't happen this time.

Spurs in 6

You Learn Something New Every Day

I was browsing ESPN.com just checking out if their were any articles worth reading today and I was reminded of something that confused me. The NHL playoffs are going on right now but I have never really been into hockey before so I know very little about it. I occasionally watch a Stanley Cup Finals game or two if nothing else is on, but that is about the extent of my interest the NHL gets. I also went to an Olympic Hockey Game in 2002, Czech Republic vs. Sweden, and I went to the first ever Atlanta Thrashers game. I may be a complete idiot when it comes to the game, but I understand enough to know that the team in Montreal is called the Canadiens.

But everywhere I look and whenever I hear something about them on TV, they are called the Habs. And why do they have an "H" in their logo? Is their a correlation between the two?

It made absolutely no sense to me, until now, after some research. I had to get to the bottom of this. If you know me I hate not knowing the answer to something, and I especially hate not knowing the answer to a sports question So, here is today's entry of "You Learn Something New Every Day"

Montreal is in Quebec, and the official language of Quebec is French. Thus, the official name of the Canadiens is "Le Club de Hockey Canadien" but a common nickname for the team among the locals is "Les Habitants." Les Habitants refers to the French settlers who farmed the land between the St. Lawrence Gulf and the St. Lawrence River, in what is now Quebec. The Habitants referred to themselves and others of French Canadian origin as "habs." The nickname died off in the early 20th century giving way to the more popularly used term "agriculteur" which simply means "farmer."

I always wondered why the Canadiens had the letter "H," on their logo inside the "C." With my newfound knowledge I figured it simply stood for "Habs" or "Habitants." But that in fact is not true. The "H" in fact just stands for "Hockey." So there you have it, the mystery of the term "Habs" and the mystery of the logo's "H," all solved in one day!

2008 NBA Playoffs

Now that the season is officially over and the playoff bracket is set, I can make my predictions for the first round. The seeding came down to a couple game 82's in the West and after a predictable night, playoff pairings settled into where most thought they would be. At first glance, the East is pretty predictable, at least we all know who will be in the East Finals. But I'll do my best at who I think will get through the first round. The West on the other hand bunches 5 or 6 teams all with a legitimate shot at getting to the Finals because for good teams in the playoffs, which the West is full of, anything can happen. So, for the fun of it, and I think this is a lot of fun, here are my first round picks:

Eastern Conference


(1) Boston Celtics
(8) Atlanta Hawks

I think that the Celtics and the Pistons should just play a 21 game series for the Eastern Conference title. Just get all of these meaningless 1st and 2nd round series out of the way. But unfortunately, that's not how it works. So, I bring you my analysis of this match up between the Hawks and Celtics. Celtics = really good. Hawks = Not really bad. Hey give credit where it's due. The Hawks are back in the playoffs after taking a ten year break. (Thank you Eastern Conference). The Celtics are arguably the best in the league, backed up by the league's best overall record and a 25-5 record against the West. This series will be an intriguing, intense, gritty, tough it out, hard fought battle for both teams. Just kidding.

Celtics in 4.


(4) Cleveland Cavaliers
(5) Washington Wizards

These teams meet again for the third straight postseason. You think that would make for a great and epic playoff rivalry (ex. Lakers and Kings). But if you were thinking that, you thought wrong. There have been some exciting games in the past, but for the most part this match up has been irrelevant. The Cavs have Lebron of course, so you can never completely count them out. Plus the addition of Big Ben in the middle gives them championship experience and some added defense. They were in the NBA Finals last year, but if I remember correctly they were also in the East last year, so that doesn't mean much. The Wizards have done a commendable job getting this far without Gilbert Arenas for most of the season and should be pleased with a playoff appearance. A win or two would be icing on the cake.

Cavs in 6.


(3) Orlando Magic
(6) Toronto Raptors

This series could be closer than most people think. But the reality is, most people will forget this series is even happening. I mean get real, one team is from Disney World and the other is from Canada. If you need a reason for caring however, the match up between Dwight Howard and Chris Bosh will be awesome. Both teams have legitimate young talent and some highlights are bound to be made. But other than that, check out this series to see who will lose to the Pistons in the second round. My bet is on the Magic.

Magic in 6.


(2) Detroit Pistons
(7) Philadelphia 76ers

This series is a no brainer. The fact that the Sixers are in the playoffs should be reward enough for Philly. My vote goes to Andre Miller for Most Improved Player...or more like the award for Most Under Appreciated Player Until Now. He has singlehandedly got the Sixers to the 7th seed. But the Pistons are the Pistons. Too much experience, depth, and talent. Not much needed to be said here. Bring out the brooms.

Pistons in 4.

Western Conference

(1) Los Angeles Lakers
(8) Denver Nuggets

This series in my opinion is the most predictable in the West. The Lakers are playing great basketball lately with Pau Gasol and it's almost disgusting how smooth his transition from the Grizzlies to the Lakers went. In fact, that whole trade was disgusting to everyone outside of LA and Pocatello, Idaho. If Andrew Bynum can work his way back into the lineup nicely during the playoffs, this might be the team to beat. The Nuggets have to play flawless basketball in order to put up anything resembling a fight. They are a streaky team and when they're on they are good, plus Iverson is a fighter. But, possibly the only thing they will leave this series with is another Carmelo DUI.

Lakers in 5.


(4) Utah Jazz
(5) Houston Rockets

By virtue of winning the Northwest Division, the Jazz get the #4 seed although the Rockets finished with a better record and will have homecourt advantage. The Jazz match up well with the Rockets and seem to be in their heads. With homecourt advantage this series would be a lock for the Jazz, who finished with a league best 37-4 record at home. But the Jazz will have to steal a road game in Houston in order to move on to the second round. The Rockets have come back to Earth since tearing off a 22 game winning streak. The absence of Yao Ming and a definite inside game will hurt them in the playoffs. If they get hot from the three point line, they have a chance. But, I see this series going to the Jazz like last year.

Jazz in 6.


(3) San Antonio Spurs
(6) Phoenix Suns

The Suns have been playing great basketball lately and the Shaq trade looks better every game. The Suns still have a top point guard in Steve Nash and a superstar in the making Amare Stoudemire. They pose difficult matchups for a lot of teams because of their ability to play both an up-tempo and half court game. But, unfortunately for the Suns, so can the Spurs. Tim Duncan is getting old, but Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili more than make up for his age. And I mean come on, he is still Tim Duncan, and the Spurs still are the defending Champions. I see this series being very fast at times and very slow at times, but ultimately, the Spurs will grind it out when the games get down and dirty.

Spurs in 6.


(2) New Orleans Hornets
(7) Dallas Mavericks

Normally you would think the #2 seed would have the distinct advantage in this series, but this year I don't find that to be the case. Dallas seems to have finally got things in working order since the Jason Kidd trade and might be gelling at the right time. However, I can't discredit the season the Hornets are having. They finished #2 in the West for a reason, they win games. They are collectively young and inexperienced in the playoffs, but I think Chris Paul and friends will continue past the first round, albeit a tough and grueling series.

Hornets in 7.

Playoff Sechedule

Holocaust Lecture

Last Thursday, which actually was my birthday, I had the opportunity to listen to a guest lecture from Theodore Weiss, President of the Holocaust Education Foundation. People have asked me why I chose to spend my birthday night listening to something so depressing, but I figured it won’t be much longer until there are no Holocaust survivors left and I wanted to make the most out of the chance to learn from one firsthand.

Instead of needing to give background information about Theodore Weiss, his story provides all the background anyone should need. The title of his lecture was “Memories” and he spent the better part of 2 hours just recounting his experiences as a Jew during the Holocaust. Forgive me if not all the information I give is 100% accurate according to his story, I am merely going off my memory of what was said and it has been about 5 days. Also, his accent was a little difficult to understand at times, so if I mispronounce or misstate anything it is purely unintentional. For this purpose I am going to write this from my point of view as the listener, instead of statement of fact.

Weiss started off by telling us that growing up as a Jew was difficult, but for the most part life was pretty good. He grew up in a village located in what is now modern-day Hungary. He came from a very large extended family, I believe he said that he had 10 aunts and uncles and 72 cousins. His family worked on farms and for the most part, food and the necessities of life were plentiful. Being Jewish during this time, it was common to be harassed and occasionally beat-up. This was just accepted in the community and over time Weiss said he learned to defend himself.

As time passed however, things continued to get worse and worse for him and his family. Eventually, the Jewish citizens in the village were forced to wear gold patches of the Star of David so they could be easily located when it was time for certain events to happen. Taxes became heavy and the life resources that were once ample became scarce. It got to the point where Weiss and his family had hardly enough to eat and survive.

One day, while just going about the normal daily routine, soldiers showed up. Weiss told us that he and his family were blindfolded and taken from their home. Not knowing where they were going or what was going on; they were placed on a train. When they had arrived at the destination they were lead from the train and placed into a long line. Weiss was able to stick with his family until now, but that would soon change. The place they were at was Auschwitz-Birkenau, which was among the largest concentration camps during the war. According to Weiss, the camp was separated into two distinct camps, Auschwitz being the “work camp” and Birkenau being the “death camp.” When his family arrived at the end of the line, they were separated into two separate lines, one to Auschwitz and one to Birkenau. His mom and sister were placed in the line to Auschwitz and Weiss, his brother, and his dad were placed in the line that lead over to Birkenau. He hasn’t seen his mom and sister since.

As Weiss, his brother, and his dad were being lead down the road to Birkenau, the soldiers just grabbed his brother for no apparent reason and shot and killed him. He was able to stick with his dad through the first night, but the next day they were separated and that was the last they ever saw of each other.

Imagine that, having your mom and sister drug away never to be seen again, your brother killed right in front of you, and your dad soon to be gone forever. I don’t think I could ever comprehend something like that. And for what? Because of your ethnicity, heritage, whatever?

Weiss was now all alone, I believe he said he was somewhere between the age of 11 and 12 at this time. Every night in Birkenau all the prisoners were lined up and the soldiers randomly selected people to be taken to die, whether by firing squad or by gas chamber. There was a name for this but I couldn’t understand what it was called. Weiss was able to survive for a while luckily, but the night came when he was chosen. Once the chosen were marched into a barrack, presumably a gas chamber, they were arranged and lined up. Weiss remembers there being two windows opened in the back of the chamber for some reason. He said that all of a sudden the man next to him in line made a run for the window. Weiss followed him and they both proceeded to dive out the window and out of the chamber just in time.

He didn’t know what possessed him to do it. At the time, being a young boy, Weiss didn’t know they were going to die in that barrack. Something possessed him and he made a move.

At this time, the allied troops were closing in. Weiss even said that after his later research, the war might have even been over at this time and Hitler already dead. Nonetheless, the Jews were still being persecuted and killed. Before the camp was taken, the inmates were loaded up and led on the “death march.” Weiss remembers this as being the most terrible thing ever. It was the winter and they were forced to march without food for days. Only an average of 2 out of 10 survived the march. After, if I remember right, a week or so of marching, he and another guy decided to sneak off the road and find a place to lie down and die.

They found a dirt road somewhere off the beaten path, and laid down. Soon after, a truck full of American soldiers passed by and instead of just driving on, stopped and helped them. They were taken to a hospital and the doctor refused service since the two were Jews. The American soldier demanded they be treated and after some commotion, Weiss and the other man were admitted into the hospital and treated.

Weiss spent 6 weeks in the hospital, recovering from various diseases such as Typhoid and others due to malnutrition. After he was recovered enough, he was admitted to a type of boarding facility, where he could be educated and somewhat provided for. An opportunity to move to Canada came up and he took it, sailing across the North Atlantic and into Halifax. Not liking the people in Halifax, Weiss continued over to Montreal. He had no high school diploma or anything like it, but being exceptionally good at math, he was accepted into Cargill University, and later Harvard.

The main message of his lecture was that one should never forget the capacity of the human species to do evil, and likewise the capacity to do good. He cites the example of the American soldier who went out of his way to help. The soldier didn’t have to do it, but it was how he was raised. The soldier’s mother told him when he was young, that the second he doesn’t stop and help someone in need, he is no longer her son.

I look at Theodore Weiss and admire him. Not for what he had to go through, but because of how he overcame it. We all have bad days and sometimes we feel that nothing could possibly get any worse. I look at this man and think, “I have had the easiest life ever.” Sure I may have a lot of homework and am wondering if I can get it done in time, but at least I don’t have to wonder whether or not I am going to be killed tonight. I may have car problems that get frustrating sometimes, but I have never had to walk for days, even weeks, in the cold without food…I have a car.

There are so many things that are taken for granted every day that would have been an absolute luxury to these people during the Holocaust.

He said it has happened before, and it can happen again. Be thankful for the way things are today because it could be a lot worse.

Salt Lake Tribune article.

Yankee Stadium

I have few regrets in life. For the most part I have made good decisions and been able to avoid disasters that bad choices can sometimes produce. I try to look at past decisions that maybe were not the smartest and use them as examples to learn for the future. Mark Hoppus sang "The past is only the future with the lights on," and I think that if I look at past mistakes as stepping stones for the knowledge I have today, then it's easy to not have any regrets.

With all of this however, I do have a regret. After living in New York City I never went to a game at Yankee Stadium. Now I know what you are thinking, "How can a Braves fan even think about stepping foot in such a terrible place?" Well, if you know me you've learned that I am a sucker for the hometown team. Think about it. All of my favorite teams are from places I lived. While living in NYC I met the craziest, die hard fans I have ever met. I loved it. So, I had to pick a team and my choices were either the Yankees or the Mets. While the Yankees have given the Braves problems in recent World Series, I could never lower my standards and become a fan of the Mets who are a division rival.

So I went and did this:

It was tough at first and I think I actually suffered some brain damage and hair loss as a result, but I bought a Yankees cap (not hat, I learned the hard way). Look at me, I look confused and scared, maybe even a little cold, but it wasn't because I was in a busy Times Square at night. Luckily, over time I got used to wearing the NY on my head and believe I have made a full recovery.

Now that I had this new cap and a new team to cheer for, I figured I better go to a game, and what's better than seeing the Yankees game at historic Yankee Stadium? So, I began to petition the idea of a "Day at the Ballpark" with those I knew. No one bit.

I know baseball is not the most exciting form of entertainment known to man. And believe me I would choose to go to a football or basketball game over baseball any day. But come on! This is Yankee Stadium. This is like visiting a national monument! Only this national monument is being torn down at the end of this season to make way for the "New Yankee Stadium." No one would go with me, they just hated baseball more than they wanted hot dogs on a July afternoon at the park. I should have manned up and just went by myself, but I never did, and now most likely never will get the chance.

Is it worth a trip to New York this summer? I'm not sure. Chances are it's not happening. So I figured I could write a little bit about the history of Yankee Stadium. And maybe, just maybe, I can learn from this past mistake and seize any opportunity that grand next time it comes around.

History Lesson: Yankee Stadium

In 1900, plans were made to add another team to New York City, but the existing National League New York Giants wouldn't let it happen. Western League President Ban Johnson decided to form a team, placed it in Baltimore, named them the Orioles, and began play in Baltimore's Oriole Park. Soon after learning of the newly founded team not far down the road, the Giants began to steal players from the Orioles. After a lot of tension, a "peace conference" was held (although their relationship stayed pretty nasty) and Oriole owners Frank Farrell and William Devery moved the team to New York as originally planned.

The Yankees joined the American League and moved to their new home, Hilltop Park (because it was built on the highest point of Manhattan), not far from the Giants' stadium, Polo Grounds. The Orioles were renamed the Highlanders, a reference to their park's location. The Highlanders had a home of their own until 1911, when Polo Grounds burned down. The Highlanders allowed the Giants to share Hilltop during the reconstruction of Polo Grounds.

In 1913 the new Polo Grounds was completed along the Harlem River, and since the relationship between the two teams had grown better, they shared the bigger and better facility. As a result of the move, the nickname 'Higlanders' no longer applied and the team became known as the 'Yankees.' Farrell and Devery both were in need of money, and decided to sell the team to Colonel Jacob Ruppert and Captain Tillinghast L. Hommedieu Huston. Ruppert had inherited a brewery fortune and thus had the money to support the Yankees with big time funds. This led to the Yankees being able to buy Babe Ruth from the Red Sox for $100,000 in 1920.

The acquisition of Babe Ruth enabled the Yankees to develop plans for their own stadium and avoid a possible eviction from Polo Grounds at the hands of the now less-popular Giants. Plans were made for a $2.5 million stadium, a huge financial risk for the owners. The stadium design called for 60,000 seats, nearly double the average of other stadiums at the time. Doubters speculated that New York City could not support a stadium that size due to the fact that the city had 2 other teams (Brooklyn Dodgers and the Giants).

Many locations were scouted including 137th Street and Amsterdam Ave. in Manhattan, West Side Manhattan, and Queens. The owners settled on a 10 acre lumberyard not far from Coogan's Bluff in the Bronx and purchased it for $600,000. Construction began on May 5, 1922 and finished less than a year later. So, after several years of playing home games at Oriole Park, Hilltop Park, and Polo Grounds, the Yankees finally had a permanent home. The first game played at Yankee Stadium was an April 18, 1923 defeat of the rival Red Sox 4-1, with Babe Ruth hitting the stadium's first ever home run. The Yankees also went on to win the World Series in the stadium's inaugural season (The first of 26).

Baseball stadiums at the time were all known as parks, fields, or grounds. Due to the massive size of the Yankees new park, it was called a "stadium." The term "stadium" referred to the Ancient Greece measurement of a footrace, thus Stadiums were the buildings that housed these footraces. Yankee Stadium was the first "three tiered" sports facility in America and housed the first ever electronic scoreboard. The original capacity was 58,000. Nonetheless, the opening game somehow managed to fit 74,217 with over 25,000 turned away. It wasn't rare for attendance to exceed 80,000.

Renovations in the mid 30's replaced wood with concrete. The second and third decks were extended around the foul poles, and the green colored exterior was painted white. During the 70's another massive renovation occurred. The 118 columns supporting the upper decks were removed, new lights were installed, the famous copper frieze (fans call it the facade) was extended around the entire stadium, a new upper concourse was constructed, the press box was expanded, the dimensions were narrowed (now allowing monument park to be out of the field of play), and several other attributes were added or modified.


All in all, this is the Yankee Stadium we see today. But the new stadium will be finished by next season and this landmark will be torn down. Although most of the new stadium will look exactly the same, and elements of the old stadium will be physically transferred, it won't quite be the same.

New Yankee Stadium

Quickly, Baseball is here

So, baseball season has started and once again that really excites me. Not really because baseball has actually started, but because it means the weather is getting nicer. This year however, I am going to try and be a better Braves fan and follow them much more closely than I have since I moved from Atlanta. I feel good about the team this year and think we can take the NL East back. The two year drought has been agonizing, especially after winning the division 14 years in a row. The Phillies and Mets will be tough to beat out, but I like our chances.

Although I don't think the Braves will win it all this year like Jayson Stark believes, I do agree that the team's play will turn some heads. I just wish we could go back to the old "Laughing Indian" logo.

Now that would turn some heads! Go Braves!

New Uniforms

So the Utes have new uniforms for the upcoming season. One thing that has always frustrated me, or should I say confused me, is that the football and basketball teams seem to switch the uniforms every couple of years. It's not unusual for teams, especially in college sports, to always be changing things up. But the big time programs like Ohio State, Notre Dame, Michigan, Florida State, USC, and several others have kept the same uniform design for years, with the exception of a wrinkle here or there. I believe this just adds to the tradition and aura of these programs...it's why they remain elite year after year. For example, check Notre Dame:


<--- Here is the uniform worn by Notre Dame's Joe Montana in the mid 70's

And here is the current Notre Dame uniform worn by Brady Quinn --->

You see, hardly any difference. I love it. But, to say that the Utes have a tradition as rich as any of those major college football teams would be wishful thinking. So for now, I figure we look for a uniform that works and when we do get one, stick with it. After all, I guess some pretty big names in college football also change it up quite a bit, such as Miami and Oregon.

So, I figured to celebrate the history and tradition of Utah football, we would take a look at some of the uniforms the team has sported over the years.

The year: 1930








Leather helmets with long knit sweaters. Wish it wasn't in black and white so we could see the sweater design in color. Nonetheless...classic old-school.


The year: 1939




















The Utes (white sweaters and dark pants) defeated New Mexico 26-0 in the '39 Sun Bowl, their first bowl game victory. Note the use of block numbers on the sweaters instead of the fancy design used 9 years previous.


The year: 1964

















The Utes, pictured here in their 1964, 32-6 Liberty Bowl defeat of West Virginia, are wearing the dark jerseys with gray pants. Instead of leather, the use of a hard football helmet which appears to be white, is worn by the Utes. Most visible is the snazzy block U cheerleader outfits.

The year: 1973


Arizona State, riding a 12 game winning streak and ranked 8th in the country, was defeated in Salt Lake City 36-31 by the Utes in these uniforms. White helmets with double stripes, dark tops, and white bottoms with double stripes are featured here. (This must be where BYU got the idea for their uniforms, thiefs)

The year: 1978

















Finally a colored picture! The uniforms worn during this 23-22 victory over BYU in 1978 feature a red top with white bottoms. The now red helmet featured double white stripes, white facemask, and the classic drum and feather U logo on each side. White pants with red stripes are also featured atop red socks. Simple white block numbers adorn the chest, back, and lower sleeve.

History lesson: The year previous this picture, which was 1977, BYU beat a clearly over-matched Utah team handily. Marc Wilson, BYU's quarterback, was left in the entire game in order to run up the score and attempt an NCAA record. After the game had finished, the coaches met midfield and a BYU coach voiced some racially-disparaging comments to coach Wayne Howard about the Utes' team. Wayne Howard comments following the game:

"This today will be inspiring. The hatred between BYU and Utah is nothing compared to what it will be. It will be a crusade to beat BYU from now on. This is a prediction. Utah will drill BYU someday, but we won’t run up the score even if we could set an NCAA record against them."

One year later, coming into the Holy War with a 6 game losing streak, the Utes rallied from 16 points down to knock off the more-talented Cougars. Perhaps they were inspired from the year before? You be the judge.

The year: 1988























After a period known as the "Dark Ages" of Utah football, otherwise known as the 1980's, these uniforms, worn on the cover of this game program, were featured. BYU was favored by 11 points coming in to this episode of the Holy War, only to leave Cougar Stadium with a 29 point blowout loss to the U (57-28), despite the Utes subbing in backups and attempting to avoid classlessly "running up the score" (a la the 1977 Cougars).

When I think of the "Classic Ute Look," I think of these. The uniforms pictured here are the away uniforms (white top, red bottom). The Utes stayed consistent, wearing dark tops and light bottoms for home games, light tops and dark bottoms for away games. The red helmets featured the same double white stripe, logo, and white facemask. Double stripes down the side of the pants remained. Last names appear on the backs of the jerseys. The numbers feature an outline. A wide stripe surrounded by two thin stripes replace the number on the lower sleeve while the number finds its way to the top of the shoulder pad.

The year: 1996


















Future Pittsburgh Steeler Chris Fuamatu-Ma'afala helped the Utes to a 45-42 victory over the #20 Kansas Jayhawks wearing this Utah uniform. The double white stripe has been removed from the helmet, but the rest of the helmet remains the same. The white stripes have also been removed from the lower sleeve and replaced with the drum and feather logo; the numbers remain on the shoulder pad. The pants are now red, ushering in the era of the all-red home uniform (the away uniform rotates between all white, and white top-red bottom). The stripes are also removed from the pants as well. Possibly we were trying to distance our uniforms as far from BYU as possible, even though they stole their "classic" design from us.

The year: 2004























During the Utes perfect 12-0, BCS busting season in 2004, the Utes sported these jerseys worn here by Alex Smith. Black trim made a big debut on these Nike designed models. The home uniforms were all red and the away were all white, both featuring a thick, solid black stripe up the sides and curving around the armpit. The helmet design stayed the same but the crimson red took on a deeper, darker color, despite the jersey and pant colors remaining traditional crimson. The numbers were outlined in black and a small print "UTAH" appeared above the chest numbers. Numbers were also located on the lower sleeve. A drum and feather was located on the upper left leg. Other teams such as Cal and West Virginia wore uniforms along the lines of this template.

The year: 2007


















The most recent Ute uniforms are pictured here. Adopting the "Miami design," the Utes were one of several teams to wear this style. Awarded #10 in "College Football's Worst Uniforms" by Sports Illustrated, the death of this design was in the making last year. The uniforms are very busy, to the point I don't even want to describe them. Several elements from previous uniforms remained, but the addition of a few new lines and curves, such as the ugly line going beneath the back numbers, made this uniform one to forget. In fact, they were so forgettable that Utah dropped Nike in favor of UnderArmour, the designer of this year's new uniform, pictured here:

So this is what we will look like next year. Personally I think they are pretty classy, but still a little busy like the last design. At least the back stripe is gone, I hope. (Can't see the back, but doesn't appear to have anything going back there) UnderArmour has been an up and coming brand that prides itself on innovative and revolutionary design/fabric. They have made a splash in the NFL and several other college teams such as Auburn, South Carolina, and Hawaii have UnderArmour gear. One thing that has become popular over the past few years is the "all-black" uniform, used on special occasions such as rivalry games. It has been rumored that an all-black uniform is in the works for the Utes, but no confirmation or images have been release. Using my modest photoshop skills, I have come up with this possibility:

This is pure speculation, and I know the art is pretty choppy, but you get the idea. I think they would be awesome, especially against BYU, and especially since this year's game is at night! Most traditionalists are opposed to this, and don't even like black trim, but I'm all for it. Let the players have a little fun.

So there you have it, a little history of the Utah football uniform and a sneak peek to next year!