Monday Musing Oscar Style

     Coming at you from NOLA this week, and in commemoration of the Oscars, Monday Musings will follow the protocol of the 87th Academy Awards handed out yesterday in Los Angeles. But before we get to the sports, only one outcome from Hollywood's big day was utterly befuddling and once again fueled the flame that is my lack of faith in the Oscar winner selection process. How the song Glory from Selma beat out Everything is Awesome from the Lego Movie is a tragedy, to say the least. The beat, the lyrics, the profound depth of the song is simply incredible.

Best Adapted Screenplay - Rick Pitino
     In this day and age of prima donnas and free rides and sweeping adults horrible behavior under the rug, the 10th ranked Louisville head coach dismissed one of his best players and starting point guard this week for some poor decision making. Many would not adapt the same way in such a high profile and lucrative situation and for the courage to make the right decision the the statue goes out to him.

Lifetime Achievement Award - 1980 US Men's Olympic Hockey Team
     35 years later, if you still don't get goosebumps every time the clip gets replayed on ESPN then you either don't remember any part of the Cold War or you are Russian.

Best Original Song - Marshawn Lynch - "I'm Just Here So I Won't Get Fined"
     A man of few words, at least in front of the camera, Lynch filed for the trademark of the phrase last week. This year's only repeat winner, last year he filed to trademark the phrase, "About that action BOSS."

Best Actor in a Leading Role - Alex Rodriguez
     He's back, reported to training camp three days early, and he's once again saying all the right things. Is he for real this time? Growing up a Seattle Mariners fan and witnessing his arrival to the big leagues and his forthcoming bolt to Texas and becoming A Wad and Pay Rod, I ask myself how I would feel about a return to Seattle and his glory days for a finale as Ken Griffey Jr. did. One part of me says nope, and the other part of me says no way.

And finally, Best (Team) Picture - New York Knicks & Los Angeles Lakers
     Two NBA stalwarts, two largest TV markets, massive fan bases, deep pockets, big names like Buss & Jackson and Bryant and Anthony, lots of history, and both teams in complete shambles and at the bottom of the league. This picture has it all, never-ending drama, terrible acting, tanking, losing streaks, scantily clad cheerleaders and a little Swaggy P. Their complete dysfunction leaves the door open for small market teams like Portland, Memphis, and Milwaukee to win next year.

Disclaimer: Front Butt Sports is not responsible for your poor opinion.

Monday Musings - Valentine's Day Style

     I'm not a huge fan of Valentine's Day. I am a fan of what it symbolizes, loving someone and expressing it, so this week in celebration of another overly commercialized holiday and for the love of all things sports, here are a few things we can love - or choose not to:

• Rumor has it Davis Love III was just selected to be the Ryder Cup Captain in 2016. Love didn't get a lot of love from his squad last time he captained back in 2012 at Medinah when the US held a 10-6 lead heading into the final day. They lost 14 1/2 - 13 1/2 and most players felt they let him down. Maybe this time the boys can love him up.
• In case you didn't know, the 2015 Cricket World Cup is in full swing down in Australia & New Zealand. Not a common household experience here in the states, the event and the game don't get a lot of love on this side of the pond. It did however remind me of the great John Goodman slamming a "home run" and rounding invisible bases in his royal cricket training in the classic 1991 comedy King Ralph. Not the cricket clip, but check out the classic dessert scene full of love:

• For all you dog lovers out there, it's also the 139th Annual WKC (Westminster Kennel Club) Dog Show and because we all LOVE to say Shih Tzu over and over, it must be mentioned that Rocket the Shih Tzu won the Best of Group in the Toy group. Personally I think it has a face only a mother could love, but that's just me.

• I loved watching the NBA All Star game on Sunday. The NBA is about entertainment and watching Stephen Curry DDR (Dance Dance Revolution) a few defenders and then toss it up in the air for some freak athletes to rip down the rim is priceless. And how about the brotherly love of the Gasol hermanos going head to head during the game? Pau won the tip between the two least athletic guys on the court. Also in  the running for least athletic - Dirk Nowitzki. Does it look like Dirk is in serious pain every time he jumps these days? Gotta love his alley oop though - classic love.
• And finally, tough love for the Little League kids from Chi-town. Great story last summer as the first all-black team to win the US championship and represent the USA in the global championship game. However, bad parents right now as it has been revealed that they cheated by using kids from areas outside their defined geographical boundaries to create a super squad. Some are saying punish the parents, some are saying the kids deserve to keep the championship they were stripped of, and some say the kids are innocent. Here's what I know. I played Little League in my home town growing up and I was a Little League All Star twice. I also knew the rules and I guarantee every other kid on our team knew the rules. We knew the names of every kid who was a flame thrower or monster bat or already had chest hair at age 12 on the other All Star teams in neighboring communities as well. Had one of those kids all of a sudden appeared on our All Star team there's no way it would have flown under the radar or gone unnoticed. I'm not sure how they kept it quiet but I'm quite certain the parents aren't the only ones to blame in this case. I have a 12 year old - they get it. Not a lot of love from the former Little Leaguer. 

Gotta Love sports, especially this week.

Front Butt Sports is not responsible for your poor opinion.

Monday Musings - From Job to Pop

Monday Musings:

- I saw and heard Austin Hatch's incredible story this week - puts things in perspective. Well worth the 16 minutes.

- Does anyone else agree that the Pelican is the worst mascot for a team in any of the major North American professional sports? I totally get the reference, but who woke up one morning and signed off on that one. It got me to thinking, who has the worst mascot in each of the sports and here's my list:
     NBA - New Orleans Pelicans
     NFL - New Orleans Saints - lots of great food and music, not a lot of saints
     MLB - tie between the Boston Red Sox & Chicago White Sox - feet are gross
     NHL - Columbus Blue Jackets - still stuck on the Civil War, makes total sense
     MLS - All teams "FC" - the complete lack of creativity speaks for itself; I can appreciate the "SC" on this side of the pond

- The #2 ranked UConn women's basketball team just destroyed #1 ranked South Carolina. It wasn't as close as the final 87-62 score indicates. Hard to bet against UConn again this year, the championship goes through them again.

- Congratulations Gregg Popovich - 1000 wins - great milestone, rarefied air, and amazingly enough, still one of the least entertaining teams in the NBA to watch. The question was posed, "Who would you rather play for, Greg Popovich or Phil Jackson?" and 11 out of 10 players surveyed have responded Greg Popovich.

- Just saw the Oklahoma Sooner men run away from Iowa State in the second half. Their style of continued offensive pressure in the second half was refreshing, even after grabbing a healthy lead. Many teams get up by 10 or 15 and then sit back and let their opponents crawl back into the game. Oklahoma will be a tough out in the tourney. On a side note, I've watched Oklahoma big man Ryan Spangler multiple times this year and I like his game. Big body, banger, good footwork with face and back to the basket, knocks down the 15 footer with consistency and even keeps you honest by knocking down nearly 40% of his three pointers. Not flashy, but a huge difference maker. Imagine the front line if he had stayed at Gonzaga - Wiltjer, Karnowski, Sabonis, & Spangler. Maybe not the defensive line of Kentucky, but so much more skill offensively.

- C'mon Tiger, I read that this is the end of the line for arguably the greatest golfer of all time. To borrow a line from a different great comeback story - Weezer - Say it Aint So! Augusta needs you or we aren't watching.

- The San Diego Padres made another surprise off season move - they spent money. Gas prices are down so they have a little extra change. It would be good to see them back on the winning side of the game.

- Last week saw NCAA football National Signing Day come and go and I found an interesting article on class recruiting rank and its relation to end of year rank.
http://www.sportsonearth.com/article/108250714/recruiting-rankings-vs-on-field-success-national-signing-day
Not exact math and uses only one ranking service, but good insight. More analysis to come.

- My picks for the NBA All Star festivities:
     Celebrity Game MVP - Kevin Hart - even if he doesn't win he'll steal the trophy and say he won
     Rising Stars MVP - Giannis Antetokounmpo
     Shooting Stars - Team Curry in the evenings biggest landslide
     Skills Challenge - Isaiah Thomas
     3-point Champion - Klay Thompson
     Slam Dunk Champion - Zach Levine
     All Star Game MVP - Stephen Curry - will set new All-Star game record for # of 3-pointers made

Front Butt Sports claims no responsibility for your poor opinion.

Super Bowl XLIX

TRAGIC!  BEWILDERING!  You had to watch it to truly understand.  Down 4 with 2 minutes left in the game, Seahawks fans were praying for a repeat of the NFC championship game, a victory they had pulled off in miracle fashion.  A beautiful reception for a gain of 31 to start the possession renewed and increased our hopes.  Anxiety set in as the next 2 plays contributed nothing.  Then there it was, Wilson let one fly and the most fortuitous bobbled reception ever put us within reach.  We could feel it, taste it, the Lombardi trophy would be ours.  "Beast Mode" advanced the ball to the one yard line and we knew that this man, who had carried us here in consecutive years, our superstar, would come through no doubt.  Nothing would stop him from scoring, we knew that if they just kept handing him the ball he would find a way to cross the plane of the goal line.  Well, if you don't know what happened, you should look it up and watch it....  Tragic, bewildering!  We sat there in stunned silence, sick. 

Guest Contributor
-AstomM

So Close

     I grew up in the Pacific Northwest and yes, I am a Seattle Seahawks fan. As a spawn of the Jim Zorn, Steve Largent, Dave Kreig, Curt Warner, Brian Bosworth, Cortez Kennedy, and Shaun Alexander days, it was fantastic to see Kenny Easley out there for the coin toss of the Super Bowl.

Kenny Easley - www.seahawks.com

     As I traveled to LA last night, still bummed from the Bill Buckner-esque freebie (bless his heart)we gave the Pats, I wore my Seahawks gear in a show of pride and support as well as making sure the world knows I'm a true Seahawks fan, not a bandwagon, fair-weather, when the going gets not tough kinda fan. As it happened, a lady sat behind me on the plane wearing a New England Patriots hat. Being on the losing side, I didn't engage the woman. However, I did eavesdrop on her conversation with her seatmates (so did everyone within 20 rows of them, serious voice immodulation disorder) as she mentioned she was heading home after attending the big game. She was neither fan nor foe of either team and had much more to say about Katy Perry's lion and sharks but when asked about her Patriot's headgear, she responded with a quip about cheering for the winning team.
     Next year when the Seahawks are playing in their 3rd straight Super Bowl, a feat only accomplished by two other teams in NFL history, give me your ticket and you can watch from home. I fully appreciate the entertainment aspect of the spectacle, in fact I even enjoy it, but next year's Super Bowl is in the Bay Area and we'll need all the real fans we can get in that hostile environment, not to mention enough screaming and yelling on the sideline to overcome a brain fart and make sure Beast Mode gets the ball from the 6-inch line.
     Oh the wonderful roller coaster that is sports. Who would want it any other way?
     Go Seahawks, thanks for a great season!