There has been much talk of late about “regionalizing” Aquidneck Island schools. For those who haven’t been paying attention, basically, this means sending all island high school students to one high school.
There’s no telling if local politicians and school boards will ever allow this to happen. But the concept got me thinking about it, not surprisingly, from the sports angle. And the idea of one powerhouse athletic program on the island seems pretty cool.
Aside from the fact that such an arrangement would make our jobs in The Daily News sports department quite a bit easier — covering two fewer high schools — and Aquidneck Island high school would be fantastic for student-athletes and the Rhode Island Interscholastic League.
Imagine kids from Newport, Middletown and Portsmouth joining forces to be a dominant player on nearly every sports stage in the state. The school would almost certainly move up to the top division in each sport, and in all likelihood, be pretty damn good at all of them.
Each school year, we pick the top players from each Newport County school to make up our Newport Daily News All-County teams. I, for one, would love to see these players on the same actual team.
And with Tiverton exploring the possibility of closing its high school and sending kids elsewhere, presumably to the island, the sports possibilities are intriguing, to say the least.
The downside, from the kids’ perspective, is that one team per sport means fewer roster spots and more cuts. Not only that, but kids who were accustomed to seeing a lot of playing time might see that diminish.
But that’s the way most high school sports work all over the country. If you’re not good enough to make the team, get better. If you’re not getting the playing time you want, earn it.
With that kind of competition among classmates, there’s no doubt our local teams would be a force with which to be reckoned and be more than capable of knocking the likes of La Salle, Bishop Hendricken or Barrington from their pedestal as the top dogs of the RIIL.
Friday, February 12, 2010
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Driving me crazy
This Danicamania, as one Associated Press story put it today, is getting a bit ridiculous. Danica Patrick, who is known just as much for her photo spreads in a bikini as her driving, is scheduled to make her NASCAR debut at Daytona International Speedway this weekend in the Nationwide Series.
This is on the heels of Patrick finishing sixth in the ARCA race, a minor league to the minor league of stockcar racing. In that event, she nearly wrecked after driving onto the infield grass.
Here's my problem: While it may be good for the sport and great for NASCAR, which has struggled through this recession, Patrick hasn't paid any dues. She's just a cute girl with a nice smile who can drive a car. OK, she drives better than anyone I know, but I'm sure there are hundreds of guys who have waited for their shot to take to the Daytona Speedway.
Not only that, but she's deflecting attention away from guys who deserve it - guys who drive in the Sprint Cup. If I were a real NASCAR fan, and I'm not, I'd be a little peeved by all this attention given to a driver in a race that few actually care about.
And let's not forget that she's not even that good. She has one victory to her name in the Indy Series, so it's not like she was tearing it up elsewhere and was looking for a new challenge. There have been women to come before Patrick, and there will be women after her, but none will garner the same attention.
She's the Michele Wie of auto racing, someone who gets a free ride everywhere she goes. Literally.
This is on the heels of Patrick finishing sixth in the ARCA race, a minor league to the minor league of stockcar racing. In that event, she nearly wrecked after driving onto the infield grass.
Here's my problem: While it may be good for the sport and great for NASCAR, which has struggled through this recession, Patrick hasn't paid any dues. She's just a cute girl with a nice smile who can drive a car. OK, she drives better than anyone I know, but I'm sure there are hundreds of guys who have waited for their shot to take to the Daytona Speedway.
Not only that, but she's deflecting attention away from guys who deserve it - guys who drive in the Sprint Cup. If I were a real NASCAR fan, and I'm not, I'd be a little peeved by all this attention given to a driver in a race that few actually care about.
And let's not forget that she's not even that good. She has one victory to her name in the Indy Series, so it's not like she was tearing it up elsewhere and was looking for a new challenge. There have been women to come before Patrick, and there will be women after her, but none will garner the same attention.
She's the Michele Wie of auto racing, someone who gets a free ride everywhere she goes. Literally.
That hurts
Most athletes know the frustration of being unable to practice or play because of an injury. One of the worst parts about rolling my ankle playing basketball is knowing that I won't be able to get back on the court for a week or so.
But none of us can relate to Lindsey Vonn's current situation. The American skier suffered a badly bruised shin while training last week, and now her status for the Winter Olympics is in jeopardy.
Can you imagine training for your sport's premier event for four years and then getting hurt 10 days before said event? I can't.
Vonn reportedly tested the shin today in Vancouver, and is hopeful she can compete. But in any case, she almost certainly won't be at 100 percent. Her husband said that Vonn might skip some early races (she's scheduled to compete in five downhill events) to give herself more time to heal for the later events.
Hopefully she is able to compete and the level at which she is accustomed. If not, chalk up another casualty to the Sports Illustrated cover jinx.
But none of us can relate to Lindsey Vonn's current situation. The American skier suffered a badly bruised shin while training last week, and now her status for the Winter Olympics is in jeopardy.
Can you imagine training for your sport's premier event for four years and then getting hurt 10 days before said event? I can't.
Vonn reportedly tested the shin today in Vancouver, and is hopeful she can compete. But in any case, she almost certainly won't be at 100 percent. Her husband said that Vonn might skip some early races (she's scheduled to compete in five downhill events) to give herself more time to heal for the later events.
Hopefully she is able to compete and the level at which she is accustomed. If not, chalk up another casualty to the Sports Illustrated cover jinx.
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
More Super Bowl musings
Now that I’ve had a few days to digest the Super Bowl, here are a few more thoughts:
* “Who Dat?” is already getting old. The rally cry for the Saints was funny at first, but now it’s nearly as annoying as the tomahawk chop and chant fans of the Atlanta Braves employed throughout the 1990s. Or anything to do with the Rally Monkey. Or the fabricated Red Sox Nation.
* The National Organization of Women (NOW), which was fully against the Tim Tebow ad for its anti-abortion message, now claims that it promotes violence against women after Tebow “tackled” his mother during the spot.
“I am blown away at the celebration of the violence against women in it,” said Terry O’Neill, president of NOW. “That’s what comes across to me even more strongly than the anti-abortion message. I myself am a survivor of domestic violence, and I don’t find it charming. I think CBS should be ashamed of itself.”
I’m starting to realize that some people aren’t happy unless they’re pissed off. NOW would be a good time to shut up.
* New Orleans had a pretty good thing going with Mardi Gras. To be honest, the Super Bowl victory kind of ruined it. With the parade coinciding with Fat Tuesday, local police warned fans that the annual “breast-flashing-for-beads” trade won’t be tolerated. ESPN showed the parade live, and the city wanted to put its best foot forward.
While keeping all boobs tucked away.
* It’ll take a miracle, or some fancy work by the front office, for the Saints to repeat. They have 28 free agents to deal with, including standouts Pierre Thomas, Lance Moore, Darren Sharper, David Thomas and Roman Harper. But the two biggest pieces of that team, quarterback Drew Brees and linebacker Jonathan Vilma, remain.
* I know it was an important play, but didn't it seem like the tussle over the ball on the onsides kick went too long. Players just kept jumping into the pile, and the refs watched it happen. I was waiting, and waiting, and waiting for a flag that never came. I'm sorry, but the refs need to better control what's happening on the field.
* If you Colts fans are looking for someone to blame for the loss, start with Daily News sportswriter Josh Krueger. Josh and his wife, longtime and diehard fans of the Packers, wore matching Colts shirts for the game. They bought them out of spite, right before Indianapolis was to host the New England Patriots in the AFC title game in 2007. The football Gods don’t like such things, and they made an example of the Colts.
I can only hope they do the same with the Packers for the foreseeable future.
* “Who Dat?” is already getting old. The rally cry for the Saints was funny at first, but now it’s nearly as annoying as the tomahawk chop and chant fans of the Atlanta Braves employed throughout the 1990s. Or anything to do with the Rally Monkey. Or the fabricated Red Sox Nation.
* The National Organization of Women (NOW), which was fully against the Tim Tebow ad for its anti-abortion message, now claims that it promotes violence against women after Tebow “tackled” his mother during the spot.
“I am blown away at the celebration of the violence against women in it,” said Terry O’Neill, president of NOW. “That’s what comes across to me even more strongly than the anti-abortion message. I myself am a survivor of domestic violence, and I don’t find it charming. I think CBS should be ashamed of itself.”
I’m starting to realize that some people aren’t happy unless they’re pissed off. NOW would be a good time to shut up.
* New Orleans had a pretty good thing going with Mardi Gras. To be honest, the Super Bowl victory kind of ruined it. With the parade coinciding with Fat Tuesday, local police warned fans that the annual “breast-flashing-for-beads” trade won’t be tolerated. ESPN showed the parade live, and the city wanted to put its best foot forward.
While keeping all boobs tucked away.
* It’ll take a miracle, or some fancy work by the front office, for the Saints to repeat. They have 28 free agents to deal with, including standouts Pierre Thomas, Lance Moore, Darren Sharper, David Thomas and Roman Harper. But the two biggest pieces of that team, quarterback Drew Brees and linebacker Jonathan Vilma, remain.
* I know it was an important play, but didn't it seem like the tussle over the ball on the onsides kick went too long. Players just kept jumping into the pile, and the refs watched it happen. I was waiting, and waiting, and waiting for a flag that never came. I'm sorry, but the refs need to better control what's happening on the field.
* If you Colts fans are looking for someone to blame for the loss, start with Daily News sportswriter Josh Krueger. Josh and his wife, longtime and diehard fans of the Packers, wore matching Colts shirts for the game. They bought them out of spite, right before Indianapolis was to host the New England Patriots in the AFC title game in 2007. The football Gods don’t like such things, and they made an example of the Colts.
I can only hope they do the same with the Packers for the foreseeable future.
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Out with the old
Janet Jackson’s breast changed Super Bowl halftime shows, maybe forever, and it was a change for the good. But now the show needs to further evolve.
In something of a knee-jerk reaction to Janet’s “wardrobe malfunction” in 2004, and the subsequent fallout, those charged with organizing the halftime show went old school — I mean really, really old school — with acts that posed zero threat of doing anything that could be perceived as offensive to anyone.
In the last six Super Bowls, we’ve had, in order, Paul McCartney, The Rolling Stones, Prince, Tom Petty, Bruce Springsteen and The Who. The average age of the six frontmen of these acts is 61. Prince is the youngster of this group, at a spry 51.
While I wouldn’t call myself a fan of any of these performers, with the exception of Petty, they’ve all done a reasonably good job playing the biggest sporting event in America. The Who was no exception this past Sunday.
These old guys have, for the most part, been a significant improvement from the multi-star crap shows that preceded them.
Britney Spears, ‘N Sync, Aerosmith, Nelly and Mary J. Blige (the lineup in 2001) on stage together, lip-synching bits and pieces of each others’ songs before painfully transitioning to the next. Those were absolutely dreadful, and we have Janet’s boob to thank for the fact that they’ve gone by the wayside.
But the time has come to move away from senior citizens — after all, Roger Daltrey was probably due back at the old-folks home long before halftime was over on Sunday.
There are, it turns out, other safe alternatives to horrifying pop medleys.
A few established rock bands, who still make records and have some pop appeal, would be solid options. Green Day, for example, or maybe Pearl Jam, Nickelback or Red Hot Chili Peppers, to suggest a few.
Unfortunately, with next year’s game being at Cowboy Stadium in Arlington, Texas, a country performer seems almost unavoidable. Bon Jovi, as my wife has predicted, also is a strong possibility with their endless supply of innocuous pop-rock.
That would at least be a step in the right direction, albeit a boring one (sorry, Mom).
Regardless, the show needs to get younger, and soon.
In something of a knee-jerk reaction to Janet’s “wardrobe malfunction” in 2004, and the subsequent fallout, those charged with organizing the halftime show went old school — I mean really, really old school — with acts that posed zero threat of doing anything that could be perceived as offensive to anyone.
In the last six Super Bowls, we’ve had, in order, Paul McCartney, The Rolling Stones, Prince, Tom Petty, Bruce Springsteen and The Who. The average age of the six frontmen of these acts is 61. Prince is the youngster of this group, at a spry 51.
While I wouldn’t call myself a fan of any of these performers, with the exception of Petty, they’ve all done a reasonably good job playing the biggest sporting event in America. The Who was no exception this past Sunday.
These old guys have, for the most part, been a significant improvement from the multi-star crap shows that preceded them.
Britney Spears, ‘N Sync, Aerosmith, Nelly and Mary J. Blige (the lineup in 2001) on stage together, lip-synching bits and pieces of each others’ songs before painfully transitioning to the next. Those were absolutely dreadful, and we have Janet’s boob to thank for the fact that they’ve gone by the wayside.
But the time has come to move away from senior citizens — after all, Roger Daltrey was probably due back at the old-folks home long before halftime was over on Sunday.
There are, it turns out, other safe alternatives to horrifying pop medleys.
A few established rock bands, who still make records and have some pop appeal, would be solid options. Green Day, for example, or maybe Pearl Jam, Nickelback or Red Hot Chili Peppers, to suggest a few.
Unfortunately, with next year’s game being at Cowboy Stadium in Arlington, Texas, a country performer seems almost unavoidable. Bon Jovi, as my wife has predicted, also is a strong possibility with their endless supply of innocuous pop-rock.
That would at least be a step in the right direction, albeit a boring one (sorry, Mom).
Regardless, the show needs to get younger, and soon.
Monday, February 8, 2010
Super Bowl musings
A few thoughts on the Super Bowl while thinking Roger Daltry’s wish didn’t come true — he did not die before he got old.
* It was nice to actually see someone penetrate the suit of armor Peyton Manning wears. Few could have predicted that Manning, considered by some to be the greatest quarterback of this generation, would throw a bad interception at a bad time that sealed the victory for the other team. He just doesn’t make those kind of throws anymore.
* The whole “Who is better: Brady or Manning” debate has to stop. I think they’re both really good, and they each have their strong points. Manning is always going to put up the better numbers, while Brady will always be known as the better performer under pressure.
* The onside kick recovered by the Saints to start the second half certainly will be seen as the play of the game, but there were so many moments that broke for New Orleans throughout. The first was the fact that they didn’t score on fourth-and-goal from the 1. I saw that as a good thing, to be honest. The Colts ran the ball three times just to get out of their own end zone and kicked it away. The Saints came back down and kicked a field goal, taking momentum into the half.
Then there was the 2-point conversion from Lance Moore. This acrobatic catch made it a full touchdown lead instead of five points, taking the pressure off the Saints defense a little bit.
* Reggie Wayne looked terrible in his second Super Bowl. He finished with five catches for 46 yards, and it was his terrible route running that caused the game-changing interception. He also let a potential touchdown pass go through his hands in the waning minutes. Not what you’d expect from an All-Pro-caliber player.
* I think the thing that bothers me the most about the Super Bowl is the fake laughs, or forced chuckles, people let out at stupid commercials. Personally, I thought only a few were mildly humorous, and I’m kind of sick of that E-Trade baby. The Betty White playing football ad was fairly decent, and the Brett Favre 2020 MVP one was pretty good, but the winner was the TruTV spot with Troy Polamalu posing as Punxatawney Phil.
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