The Culture of Football

Football is the name of the game.  It is the culture that people go crazy for.  I honestly believe people would die if there was NO football.  That is what makes it such a special culture.  The football culture is just incredible.  When one thinks about football, the thoughts of blood, pain, sweat, discipline, dedication, determination, and battle come to mind.  It is a culture that takes very hard work to be successful in and could be very dangerous at times as well.

Coaches play a major role in the football culture.  Coaches are the gatekeepers, the decision makers, and the communicators.  They are the ones who control who makes the team or not.  It is the coach’s job to see what an individual can bring to the table to help the team in any way. 

In a small way, you can say the coaches are the leaders.  They help prepare the team for the upcoming games and get them motivated.  However, the players are the most significant leaders in the football culture.  They are the ones who make what happens happen.  It is them who play the game and make the plays.  When it is a pressure situation, they are the ones who come through and set the standards.  They are the tempo builders. 

After watching and observing many football games in the football culture, FAMILY is what it is all about.  Those teams are not on the field playing for themselves.  They are out there playing their hearts and souls out for each other.  You can sometimes see the love and passion they have for one another.  David Ogden Stiers once said, “Family means no one gets left behind or forgotten.”  The football culture is a family.

Rituals are what bring a culture together but separates itself from other cultures.  Most of the time, rituals are strange, abnormal, and done unnoticeably.  “Like primitive man, we are generally not aware that much of what we do in the course of daily life may actually be considered ritualistic” (Axelrod).  That is what makes the particular action a ritual.  The football culture’s rituals are mostly done as a team.  Before a game, teams will huddle together and say a prayer to ask for protection and strength to play the game.  After winning a game, a hand full of player will grab the coolers full of Gatorade, sneak up behind the coach, and dump then all over him.  That is one way the culture of football goes about of celebrating a team ‘WIN’.  Another ritual that was interesting is that a team will not walk on the team logo that is on the locker room floor.  They will walk around it to get to where they are going.  Also, one ritual that  people would find disgusting is that many players will go a season without washing  their ‘lucky’ socks or wristbands because they feel as if they want be as good if they wash them.  Some of the things done are crazy, but that is how the football culture is.  Everything about this culture once again comes down to ‘Family’.

Coaching is where the football culture commences.  Without the coaches, this culture would not have much structure.  The coaches are the ones who decide everything such as: the players who make up the football team, when and where the players play, the team rules and guidelines, the playbooks the team goes by, and many more things.  The coach is judged by every decision he makes.  If he decides to go for it on 4^th down instead of punting the football and fails, he looks like an idiot.  On the other hand, if he converts on 4^th down, he is the hero.  The coaches are the ones who argue with the referees to take up for their players and try to get a call to go their way.  A coach is the one who encourages a player when they need it the most.  The one who takes the blame for any mistake made by his team.  Coaching is brain of the football culture.

2011 Offseason

Going into this offseason, the Atlanta Braves are looking for a shortstop (there still is a chance that they could resign Alex Gonzalez if he does not ask for too much money), a good corner outfielder with some pop in his bat, and a veteran reliever or two...And of course a good couple of bench, utility guys.

This past Monday, the Braves and Indians started the whole offseason with a big move. We sent Derek Lowe and $10 million dollars to the Cleveland Indians for a minor league pitcher in return. No, the Braves were not able to dump all of his salary on the Indians, but we knew that $5 million was probably going to be the most we were going to get out of another team. It was time for Lowe to move on with his career. He did what we needed him to do and now we have our kids up and ready.

Speaking of starting pitching, the 2012 season is going to be exciting seeing who wins the 5 spots in the starting rotation. Here are the Braves' starting pitchers who all have had Major League experience: Tim Hudson, Tommy Hanson, Jair Jurrjens, Brandon Beachy, Mike Minor, Kris Medlen, Randall Delgado, Julio Teheran, and Aroldys Vizcaino. You can never have too much pitching as we watched and learned with the Boston Red Sox just a few years ago when they all got hurt. However, with so much depth and talent on hand, the Braves may decide to move one of them to help fill the needs of the team. Personally, I feel like it's going to be Jurrjens, but who am I to say. We all saw last season and two years before how dominate he can be when and if healthy.

With the shortstop situation, everything is being evaluated before Frank Wren and the Braves make a decision. I am sure they have thought of deals and moves I have yet to think of. We did remove Alex Gonzalez from the 40 man roster. They could very well resign hiim though. We have been fortunate to get him at such a bargain. I know his offense production is not real good, but there really are not many much better out there. We do have a shortstop that did well in AAA this past season, but he may not be MLB ready come start of the season. Also, there are a couple of big names out in the FA market like Jose Reyes and Jimmy Rollins. Like I said, Wren will probably make a deal that we, or at least I, have not thought of...Maybe not as big of a trade like last year with Dan Uggla.

You may of already knew this information, but I hope you guys enjoyed this piece of article. I am really looking forward to the other moves and signings the Braves make. If you have any comments, questions, trade talks, FA signings, or anything else, feel free and please share! GO BRAVES!!!

How to do Well in College!

High school and college are completely different in the way you approach them as a student.  As a new college student, I have learned that there is so much more freedom and responsibility.  In the movie ‘Spider-Man,’ Uncle Ben said that “With great power comes great responsibility.”  I feel like that is so true in college because there is so much power in freedom that any little mistake or wrong choice made may take a long time to catch up to where one left off.  In high school, majority of the students are babied and spoon fed everything they need.  However, when in college, you even want an education or you do not want an education…And like my mom has always told me, “Nothing in life is free!”         In reading this essay, the author has helped me come to realize on how to approach college.

            The author of this essay is a college professor who gives his outlook, tips, and advice to students on how to succeed in college.  I found this essay helpful and interesting coming from a teacher because it helped me understand on how they look at things.  Also, with the author being a college professor, the tone is a little different than it would be if a school bus driver or a chef were the author.  The author’s tone is neutral and positive at the same time.

            The author’s tone of this essay is so impassioned in students succeeding in college.  As the reader and a part of the audience, it shows me that the author is not just writing because he has to.  The author really cares about his job and students doing well.  His attitude toward the topic is very fervent.  You can tell this by when the author goes to say, “Following my advice will lead you to a better job when you graduate.” 

            The author’s tone is also realistic, but at the same time, he is humorous in a way.  He says things as they are and does not try to tidy it up.  For example, he stresses that “if you are nice to your professors that there is a real good chance that they will be nice to you.”  One piece of advice the author said that I liked was laugh at the professor’s jokes, that it will help the professor get to know the student in a positive way. 

            The purpose for students to go to school is to get an education so they can get a job.  The author uses this specific tone to help students grasp the meaning of the purpose.  Also, when a freshman reads this essay, the author wants the student to feel motivated and want to reach their PURPOSE.  This tone helps get across to college freshman in a more effective way.

            With the author being who he is, a professor, I think this was the most effective tone.  This tone fit in great because students are more bound to listen to a professor on the topic of ‘How to do Really Well in College’ than to someone else like I said earlier.  A professor can just relate better to students because they see the way students act, behave, and so many other things on a daily basis.

            The four pieces of advice that stood out the most to me were treat college like a job, read the syllabus carefully, keep the professor happy, and read.  All of these pieces of advice is helpful to me and I am sure it will be helpful to every other college student out there. 

Treating college like a job will help you manage your time better.  A job is forty hours a week, so if you go to class for fifteen hours in a week, that leaves twenty-five hours outside of class to study and stay on top of your classes.  It’s your job so do it well.

            Sometimes, I would find myself not reading the syllabus the teacher handed me on the first day of school.  However, I have quickly learned not to do that.  The syllabus is very important and has much information about who the teacher is, what they expect, and how the class works so make sure you read it regularly.

When I read the piece of advice about keeping your professor happy, it made me think of the saying, “When Mama is not happy, no one is happy.”  Everything you do is a reflection of yourself.  A teacher is more likely to give a break to a student who has made the effort than to a student who hasn’t.

Reading is also super important and useful for college students.  Reading has many advantages and benefits.  You learn a lot of information, it helps you become a better writer, reading gets you into the habit of reading, and it relaxes you.  Read, read, read.  This one is very hard for me.  I struggle at making myself read. 

I have not been in college long at all so I am still learning how to stay on top of my classes and succeed, but I have experienced some things that could be helpful advice for upcoming freshman.  In college, you have to adjust to your teacher, your teacher doesn’t adjust to you.  You don’t have many quizzes or tests so when you do, make sure you make them count because it’s hard to bring grades up.  Last but not least, sometimes you have to teach yourself everything.

Braves Bullpen Fatigue Issues

The Atlanta Braves bullpen has been dominant all season long.  It contains arguably the best three young arms in all of baseball in Eric O'Flaherty, Jonny Venters, and Craig Kimbrel.  However, they have been exposed and have had so many appearances that it has to be a concern to Braves Country.  As of this morning, the Braves' three armed monster rank in the top 5 in all of MLB in appearances.  Venters has 82, Kimbrel has 77, and O'Flaherty has 75.  For the fans out there that don't know that is a lot, Mariano Rivera (the all-time saves leader and soon to be Hall-of-Famer) has never had more that 74 and Trevor Hoffman (another soon to be Hall-of-Fame pitcher) has never had more than 70. 
Here are some quick statistics.  In Kimbrel's first 96 appearances in the majors, he allowed one home run. Now he's allowed two homers in his last two games, both devastating.  In Venters' last 11.1 innings, dating back to Aug. 26, he has allowed 12 hits, nine walks and seven runs. O'Flaherty hasn't allowed any runs in 10.2 innings this month.
With only 8 games left in the regular season and a 2.5 game lead in the NL Wild Card race, the Braves do not have time to worry about this right now.  With the surging St Louis Cardinal right behind them, the Braves just want to make it to the playoffs.  The Braves are definately in the better position right now because all they have to do is take care of business and win.  If they can do that, then that will put all the pressure on the Cardinals.
The Braves next game is tonight in Miami against the Florida Marlins at 7:10 pm ET.  The Braves' Randall Delgado will be up against the Marlins' Jonathan Sanchez.  The Braves lost a heartbreaker in game 1 of the series last night to a score of 6-5.  Let's Go Braves!!!

All or Nothing...For the Playoffs!!!

The ultimate goal for every team is to win the World Series.  But first, you have to make it to the playoffs.  As you may know, only eight teams make it to the playoffs; four from the National League, and four from the American League.  Three of the four teams from each league consist of the division winners (East, Central, and West).  For the fourth team in each league, they are the Wild Card winner.

The Atlanta Braves are currently in second place in the NL East behind the Philadelphia Phillies who have a commanding lead and are more than likely not going to give it up.  Therefore, the Braves' only opportunity to make it to the playoffs is win the Wild Card.  The Braves are leading the NL Wild Card by 4.5 games.  They did have a 10 game lead at one point, but they caught cold while the St Louis Cardinals have done the opposite.  The Braves were just swept by the Cardinals in a three-game series ending a forgetful road trip going 2-6 and going 6-10 in their last 16 games overall.  The Cardinals have went 12-4 in their previous 16 games.

The Atlanta Braves have 15 and the Cardinals have 16 games remaining in the regular season.  So these next couple of weeks is going to be very interesting.  The Braves magic number (the number of games the team leading the division must win plus the number of games the trailing team must lose in order to guarantee a playoff spot) to win the Wild Card is 12.  Yes, the Braves have been playing some bad baseball the past couple of weeks, but I believe they will hold on to the Wild Card.  I want them to go deep in the playoffs so bad.  However, I know they have to get there first.  It's all or nothing right now.  Everything the Braves and Cardinals do is for the playoffs!  GO BRAVES!!!

Corn

Corn is a very vital food that plays a major role in the world today.  It is not a natural grown crop.  It requires cultivation, preparation, and protection by humans in order to survive.  Corn is used for many purposes and without it, many products would be less useful, more expensive, and even unavailable.

Corn is a gift to us from the Indians.  It was first planted and domesticated by Native Americans approximately 6,000 years ago in Mexico.  Columbus was the first person from Europe to learn about after he sailed over in 1492.  It soon spread rapidly all over North America as Indians migrated and traded stimulated.  Also, the early American colonist used corn as money.  People paid their rent, taxes, or debts in corn.

Corn played an important part in the religious life of many American Indian tribes.  They had elaborate ceremonies, stories, and traditions when planting and harvesting it.  The Green Corn Festival is a ceremony celebrated by many tribes in one form or another to give thanks for the new ripened corn.  It was also used to decorate pottery, sculpture, and other works of art. 

To give you an idea on just how important corn is to us today, here are a few things corn is found in; chewing gum, salad dressings, paints, soft drinks, medicines, ketchup, and even popcorn.  The U.S. is the world’s largest producer of corn today.  Nearly 80 percent of the corn grown within the U.S. is used for trading purposes to other countries.

Speed Never Goes In a Slump

     I am new to this whole blog thing, so more than likely, you are probably not familiar with me.  I am a HUGE Atlanta Braves baseball fan.  I watch every single game on telivision and if I am unable to do so, I have a portable, hand-held radio that I listen to the game on.  I am always aware of just about everything that is going on in their clubhouse.
     In this blog, I want to introduce you to the fairly new component to the Braves team...SPEED!  Speed is a very vital part to a baseball game.  It can change the complection of the game in so many ways.  A player can bunt for a hit, beat out an infield single, avoid getting doubled up, track down balls that have no business of being caught in the outfield, and steal a base whenever the time is right.
    There is really no downside in having speed on a team.  Having a speedster in the lineup puts a great amount of pressure on the opposing team.   For example, when someone who is lightening quick puts a ball in play, the defense has less time to react because they know they have to hurry in order to get the runner out or when the player with wheels is already on base and the pitcher can't focus on the hitter because they are too worried about the baserunner stealing the base.  They have no room for error and more times than none, that speedster creates mistakes by the other team.  That is what newly aquired center fielder Michael Bourn and rookie Jose Constanza bring to the table for the Atlanta Braves; something that has been missing from a Braves team since Rafael Furcal back in 2005. 
     Jose Constanza was the first one to join the Braves team back in late July when injuries piled up.  Then, when the trade deadline approached on July 31st, the Braves needed to make a move to better the team and that's when they aquired Michael Bourn who had led the National League the past three seasons in the stolen base category.  Once again, he is leading the league again.  However, like I said, the Braves were not a team that scared you for the past five-plus years.  They had been near the bottom of the league in stolen bases.  Having speed just makes it much easier to manufacture runs.
    Since joining the team, they have added another weapon to the already well-rounded Atlanta Braves.  They are catalyst to the team up and down the lineup.  They say 'Speed never goes in a slump' and I am starting to understand it fully.  I hope you begin to watch the Atlanta Braves more if you don't already as the season winds down and they approach the playoffs.  As I am closing up, i want to leave you with this...Speed Kills and GO BRAVES!!!