Update: I have a new resolve to watch the Patriots play. I will not be one of these women:
"More than 90 percent of female football fans were lost for the season on Sunday...Brady left Sunday's game against Kansas City after suffering an ugly anterior cruciate ligament tear in his incredibly handsome left knee after being hit by merely average-looking Chiefs safety Bernard Pollard."
Original:
As most of your who care have heard, Tom Brady tore his ACL in the first quarter of his first game this season. It sucks. I tore my ACL in my left leg (just like Brady) about 6 years ago. I had a long day of hiking and biking and then played my first coed outdoor soccer game. I was playing right forward and I dribbled the ball down the line and took a cross with my right foot. My upper body turned but my lower left leg did not, tearing my ACL. I'm pretty sure I cried from the pain and I remember it was pretty swollen for a while. I was told that at least it was a nice cross.
After I tore my ACL, I continued to play soccer until my doctor advised me not to since I could cause more damage. So instead I focused on getting the muscles around my knee as strong as possible with bicycle riding and weight lifting, which would help my recovery. I had about 1.5 months to do so before my surgery.
The surgery was a weird experience. As the anesthesia was administered, I remember being told that I would begin feeling a little dizzy. I remember thinking, "I don't feel dizzy," and the next thing I remember was a nurse fussing over my knee. I asked her if the surgery had taken place and when she said it had, I sat up in bed and asked her if she was sure. It was as if I had lost a few hours of my life. It's definitely different from taking a nap and it's probably hard to understand unless you've experience it yourself.
Immediately after surgery my knee was placed in a passive motion machine (I think that's what they are called) which caused my knee to flex and extend in a bike-riding motion. This would get my full range of motion going and prevent scar tissue from building up. My left knee has a few more degrees of motion than my right knee. I also had a morphine drip with a clicker that I could control. I think I was pretty clicker happy but it turns out that I had a 10 minute window so at most I would get a morphine shot (drip?) every 10 minutes. My hospital visitors later told me that I would phase in and out of our conversations.
Anyway, so the whole point of my story was that I think Brady will be back in 3 months. Although my husband just told me that Brady can't come back this season even if a miracle occurred (something about football rules) and we don't really know what happened to his knee. So, assuming Brady did tear his ACL and suffer minor meniscus damage and assuming he can come back this season, he'll be back in 3 months. I was walking without crutches about 2 weeks after surgery (probably shouldn't have) and I was running within 5 (and playing a little hallway soccer instead of studying). I was a lowly graduate student without access to state of the art facilities and doctors as I am sure the NFL has. Plus, I had research to do and I couldn't focus on my recovery.
Another thing, I had a hamstring graft used to replace my ACL. This was a good option for me since the incisions would be small, the recovery would be less painful, and I was only playing intramural soccer. My alternative was a patellar graft which would require a larger incision and make recovery more painful. This would have been a good option if I was play collegiate soccer. There was also the option of using cadaver tissue, but, at least back then, the risk would have been sacrificing the tissue elasticity to sterilize the tissue (prevent the transfer of diseases, etc.). I'm sure Brady will get a graft from one of the many supermodels that are all over him.
I'm almost done talking about Brady, just a bit more. So I keep hearing all this talk about how the NFL lost its marquee player in the first 15 minutes of the season and how that's a really big deal. If Brady is the NFL's marquee player, why the hell are Eli and Peyton Manning in every single commercial on TV?? I am so sick and tired of those guys. I think the biggest fallout of the super bowl, apart from not getting to witness history, is that Eli and Payton are going to dominate commercials for years to come. Ugh!
I really hope Cassel doesn't forget about Wes Welker. Welker is actually my favorite player because he is so under-the-radar and his soccer skills show up in the way he runs and cuts. Cassel seemed to be looking only for Brady at the game on Sunday. Hopefully he worked on looking for other targets this week.
So I go back and forth about being excited for the season. As the husband said, anything can happen and the Brady loss adds excitement to the game and season. The Patriots still have some really good players, so they can still go to the super bowl.
Ok, that's enough. I promise not to take up too much time talking about football.
Showing posts with label Sports. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sports. Show all posts
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Tuesday, February 5, 2008
Bummer
I think the Super Bowl was one of those games that could have gone either way. And unfortunately it didn’t go the way I had hoped. The Patriots have been on the other side of the score in previous games. Even this perfect regular season, there were a few games that they won by 3 points. Those are the games that can go either way and lend to the saying, “on any given Sunday…” This time the Patriots were unlucky and the Giants got lucky. I won’t take away Eli’s and other Giants players’ outstanding games. But anyone watching the game can’t deny that the football gods smiled on Eli as he kept the Giants alive when he escaped getting sacked and got off a 32 yard throw to Tyree, who held on to it using his hands and helmet as he got tackled. Amazing.
What I am most sad about is that the Patriots didn’t get the 19-0. They had the perfect season but not the Super Bowl ring to go along with it. My husband is most disappointed that they didn’t win the Super Bowl. But for me to have witnessed history at a time in my life when I really am excited about football and the Patriots would have been truly amazing. We watched every single Patriots game. We would often have to go to the local sports bar and sit as the lone Patriots fans in a room full of Steelers, Cowboys, and non-Patriots fans. I loved talking about football and would do so with anyone that would listen. My parents started following the Patriots because we were so excited about them.
Let’s not forget that the Patriots did go 18-0. No other team has done that. It’s probably hard to imagine what that really means unless you are there. As a soccer player, it’s often hard to keep my consistency and excitement for the game going from week to week, let alone that of my teammates. But football is so much more physically and mentally demanding. So whether you are a Patriots fan or not, you can’t deny this accomplishment and its magnitude. It will be a long 8 months before football starts up again. I can’t believe I just said that.
Update: Someone else said it much better than I did:
"Sports is one of the few areas of endeavor in which perfection can be measured. But achieving perfection is rare because it requires good fortune as well as skill and execution."
Update 2: Thank goodness for elections. Nothing like another competition to help ease the pain from the previous one.
What I am most sad about is that the Patriots didn’t get the 19-0. They had the perfect season but not the Super Bowl ring to go along with it. My husband is most disappointed that they didn’t win the Super Bowl. But for me to have witnessed history at a time in my life when I really am excited about football and the Patriots would have been truly amazing. We watched every single Patriots game. We would often have to go to the local sports bar and sit as the lone Patriots fans in a room full of Steelers, Cowboys, and non-Patriots fans. I loved talking about football and would do so with anyone that would listen. My parents started following the Patriots because we were so excited about them.
Let’s not forget that the Patriots did go 18-0. No other team has done that. It’s probably hard to imagine what that really means unless you are there. As a soccer player, it’s often hard to keep my consistency and excitement for the game going from week to week, let alone that of my teammates. But football is so much more physically and mentally demanding. So whether you are a Patriots fan or not, you can’t deny this accomplishment and its magnitude. It will be a long 8 months before football starts up again. I can’t believe I just said that.
Update: Someone else said it much better than I did:
"Sports is one of the few areas of endeavor in which perfection can be measured. But achieving perfection is rare because it requires good fortune as well as skill and execution."
Update 2: Thank goodness for elections. Nothing like another competition to help ease the pain from the previous one.
Monday, January 7, 2008
Ode to Brady
In general I don't care about football. I think it's a very dangerous sport and I hate how it takes money and attention from sports I think are more elegant and satisfying--mainly soccer. But this NFL season I have been a big fan of the New England Patriots. My husband is from the Boston area and he grew up watching the Patriots play, back when they really sucked. The past few years the Patriots have been really good, but my husband was still not really interested (he would catch a game every once in a while and we would watch the super bowl, but that's it).
This year, however, he went crazy about the Patriots. I think the turning point was when they signed Randy Moss. I remember him telling me the news, but I didn't think too much about it. When the season began and my husband was truly interested, I was surprised, but also excited. So I put aside my intolerance for football. Watching the games every weekend gave us something to do together. Plus, I am very competitive so it was fun to partake in a sport event with him, even if it meant that as the 12th and 13th players of the Patriots we would merely scream at the tv and drink lots of beer.
As the season progressed, I began to enjoy the games even more. I was impressed with the skill, hard work, and elegance in the Patriots' game. I still think football is a very dangerous sport, but I respect the mental discipline and physical capacity required to play the game. I am surprised there aren't many fist fights in a game. The players go from pushing, shoving, and tackling, pumped with adrenaline, to stopped play and helping each other up at the sound of a whistle.
I found an article at SI today written by Ross Tucker, a former Patriot. Tucker's article describes what he thinks are the 5 keys to the Patriots' success. Among them are Tom Brady.
"'During my time in New England I worked as a backup lineman and often had to snap to Brady while playing center. In spite of all of the other chaos that he had to sort through, he always found the time to look me squarely in the eye and say, "C'mon Ross, me and you, let's get a great snap first.'
I never wanted to snap a ball so well in my life.
Sure, you can't really have one thing make or break a team. It's important to have good coaching, good recruiting, good players in all the positions. But in football, more than any other team sport I can think of right now, the quarterback is the single most important player on the team and everything else that needs to be right culminates in that position and player. Most plays start with the quarterback. It doesn't matter that you have someone calling the right plays or that your offensive line gives you all the time in the world or that you have 3 people open and waiting for the ball, if you can't stand up to the pressure and be creative and make the right plays, everything else doesn't matter. So I definitely have a lot of respect for Tom Brady as a quarterback, athlete, and team leader.
With that said, I would definitely list Bill Belichick as essential to the Patriots' success. A good coach will do his homework and mold a team's talent. I am impressed with Belichick's love of football and winning. He doesn't mess around. But I wonder how much of his success is due to the fact that he is divorced? I don't know much about Belichick's personal life, but I assume it's close to nothing. I don't think you can be so successful at anything unless you give a lot more time than required to do the job well. This is true in general. I was not a successful researcher because I did not want to spend 80 hours a week in my lab. I always had something else I preferred to do with my time. I am not trying to little Belichick's work or success, but I was honestly wondering how important it is for Belichick to dedicate so much time to coaching or if he is a true genius.
Another thing I was wondering about football was whether or not football players needed help to get dressed before games. I posed the question to my husband and he looked at me like I had grown a second head. I think it's a valid question. It looks like all the padding and equipment needs to fit together properly and I can't imagine it being one piece that can just be slipped over the head. In the least, they must have a very specific order for putting stuff on, like socks and shoes before upper body armor.
One final football note...I am not a big fan of the post-touchdown celebrations. I kind of enjoy soccer celebrations but I find spiking a football pretty stupid. I think it's much classier to toss the football to the ref and walk off the field like it was nothing. But that's just me.
This year, however, he went crazy about the Patriots. I think the turning point was when they signed Randy Moss. I remember him telling me the news, but I didn't think too much about it. When the season began and my husband was truly interested, I was surprised, but also excited. So I put aside my intolerance for football. Watching the games every weekend gave us something to do together. Plus, I am very competitive so it was fun to partake in a sport event with him, even if it meant that as the 12th and 13th players of the Patriots we would merely scream at the tv and drink lots of beer.
As the season progressed, I began to enjoy the games even more. I was impressed with the skill, hard work, and elegance in the Patriots' game. I still think football is a very dangerous sport, but I respect the mental discipline and physical capacity required to play the game. I am surprised there aren't many fist fights in a game. The players go from pushing, shoving, and tackling, pumped with adrenaline, to stopped play and helping each other up at the sound of a whistle.
I found an article at SI today written by Ross Tucker, a former Patriot. Tucker's article describes what he thinks are the 5 keys to the Patriots' success. Among them are Tom Brady.
"'During my time in New England I worked as a backup lineman and often had to snap to Brady while playing center. In spite of all of the other chaos that he had to sort through, he always found the time to look me squarely in the eye and say, "C'mon Ross, me and you, let's get a great snap first.'
I never wanted to snap a ball so well in my life.
Sure, you can't really have one thing make or break a team. It's important to have good coaching, good recruiting, good players in all the positions. But in football, more than any other team sport I can think of right now, the quarterback is the single most important player on the team and everything else that needs to be right culminates in that position and player. Most plays start with the quarterback. It doesn't matter that you have someone calling the right plays or that your offensive line gives you all the time in the world or that you have 3 people open and waiting for the ball, if you can't stand up to the pressure and be creative and make the right plays, everything else doesn't matter. So I definitely have a lot of respect for Tom Brady as a quarterback, athlete, and team leader.
With that said, I would definitely list Bill Belichick as essential to the Patriots' success. A good coach will do his homework and mold a team's talent. I am impressed with Belichick's love of football and winning. He doesn't mess around. But I wonder how much of his success is due to the fact that he is divorced? I don't know much about Belichick's personal life, but I assume it's close to nothing. I don't think you can be so successful at anything unless you give a lot more time than required to do the job well. This is true in general. I was not a successful researcher because I did not want to spend 80 hours a week in my lab. I always had something else I preferred to do with my time. I am not trying to little Belichick's work or success, but I was honestly wondering how important it is for Belichick to dedicate so much time to coaching or if he is a true genius.
Another thing I was wondering about football was whether or not football players needed help to get dressed before games. I posed the question to my husband and he looked at me like I had grown a second head. I think it's a valid question. It looks like all the padding and equipment needs to fit together properly and I can't imagine it being one piece that can just be slipped over the head. In the least, they must have a very specific order for putting stuff on, like socks and shoes before upper body armor.
One final football note...I am not a big fan of the post-touchdown celebrations. I kind of enjoy soccer celebrations but I find spiking a football pretty stupid. I think it's much classier to toss the football to the ref and walk off the field like it was nothing. But that's just me.
Friday, November 2, 2007
Good vs. Evil, blah, blah, blah
A couple of weeks ago, my husband pointed out the outrageously bizarre and funny Gregg Easterbrook preview of the Colts vs. Patriots match this weekend. Easterbrook titled this football game as THE BATTLE BETWEEN GOOD AND EVIL.* I thought perhaps Eastebrook had taken cues from the White House and was seeing everything as good or evil, and nothing in between. I expected everyone who read this to point out that Easterbrook had lost his mind. I never expected any other credible sportswriter to claim the same. I was wrong.
Fox sports (I know, I'm going out on a stretch here in claiming them credible) has jumped on the Easterbrook wagon:
"By kickoff time, Tony Dungy versus Bill Belichick will be shorthand for Good versus Evil."
Who knew, Boston is the heart of the axis of evil.
"He's a great coach, maybe even the greatest. But he's also a cheater."
Aren't we all? In the very least, we're all trying to cheat death. That's not very fair. In regards to the Patriots running up the score against Washington:
"There's no need for another debate about running up the score."
In AYSO there's also a blowout rule. Because it's just for fun and who cares what the score is. There's even a penalty if you win by more than 4 goals (it counts against you in tiebreaker for playoffs). If it shouldn't be done in the NFL, then make a penalty for it. I did feel kind of bad for Washington, but mostly because they sucked and were no match for New England. So what should have the Patriots done?
"One might recall a Colts-Ravens game three years ago. Peyton Manning was a touchdown pass from breaking Dan Marino's single-season record. Already up by 10, the Colts intercepted a ball that gave them a first down on the Baltimore 4-yard line. Instead of going for the record, though, Manning took a knee, then another. Finally, the clock ran out. 'That's the right way to play,' said Manning."
Uh, no. If the score had been run up against me and the other team had actually stopped playing to prevent from further scoring, I would have been more upset and embarrassed. It's not over till it's over and as long as the ball is in play, the losing team has a chance. If Manning really wanted to be nice to the Ravens, he would have thrown a few interceptions.
The media doesn't like Belichick because he doesn't give them anything. I personally love that about him. I think you are better off not saying anything going off on a rant a la Hope Solo.
Go Patriots!
*Note that what actually bothered me more in this article besides the good vs. evil rant, is the sexual remarks he would make. For example:
"Cheerleader of the Week: Reader Kevin Ward of Ireland proposes Leigh Killian of City of Tampa. According to her team bio, Killian is a graduate of Appalachian State -- one of this year's cool schools -- and works as a probation officer. Leigh, cuff me! The Bucs cheerleaders' warm-to-the-touch team pose is here."
I shiver every time I read that.
Fox sports (I know, I'm going out on a stretch here in claiming them credible) has jumped on the Easterbrook wagon:
"By kickoff time, Tony Dungy versus Bill Belichick will be shorthand for Good versus Evil."
Who knew, Boston is the heart of the axis of evil.
"He's a great coach, maybe even the greatest. But he's also a cheater."
Aren't we all? In the very least, we're all trying to cheat death. That's not very fair. In regards to the Patriots running up the score against Washington:
"There's no need for another debate about running up the score."
In AYSO there's also a blowout rule. Because it's just for fun and who cares what the score is. There's even a penalty if you win by more than 4 goals (it counts against you in tiebreaker for playoffs). If it shouldn't be done in the NFL, then make a penalty for it. I did feel kind of bad for Washington, but mostly because they sucked and were no match for New England. So what should have the Patriots done?
"One might recall a Colts-Ravens game three years ago. Peyton Manning was a touchdown pass from breaking Dan Marino's single-season record. Already up by 10, the Colts intercepted a ball that gave them a first down on the Baltimore 4-yard line. Instead of going for the record, though, Manning took a knee, then another. Finally, the clock ran out. 'That's the right way to play,' said Manning."
Uh, no. If the score had been run up against me and the other team had actually stopped playing to prevent from further scoring, I would have been more upset and embarrassed. It's not over till it's over and as long as the ball is in play, the losing team has a chance. If Manning really wanted to be nice to the Ravens, he would have thrown a few interceptions.
The media doesn't like Belichick because he doesn't give them anything. I personally love that about him. I think you are better off not saying anything going off on a rant a la Hope Solo.
Go Patriots!
*Note that what actually bothered me more in this article besides the good vs. evil rant, is the sexual remarks he would make. For example:
"Cheerleader of the Week: Reader Kevin Ward of Ireland proposes Leigh Killian of City of Tampa. According to her team bio, Killian is a graduate of Appalachian State -- one of this year's cool schools -- and works as a probation officer. Leigh, cuff me! The Bucs cheerleaders' warm-to-the-touch team pose is here."
I shiver every time I read that.
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
The Way It Is
My brother (my blood) is a big fan of the LA Lakers, the Dallas Cowboys, and the NY Yankees (gasp!).
My husband (my love) is a fan of anyone who beats the Lakers, the New England Patriots, and the Boston Red Sox.
Fortunately for me they act like adults and keep it civil.
My husband (my love) is a fan of anyone who beats the Lakers, the New England Patriots, and the Boston Red Sox.
Fortunately for me they act like adults and keep it civil.
Sunday, October 21, 2007
Sports Update
Has anyone been watching the New England Patriots walk all over their opponents? Last weekend the Patriots beat the Dallas Cowboys in Dallas in a very exciting match-up. Both teams were 5-0 going into the game but the Patriots were clearly the better team. This weekend the Patriots played Miami who were 0-6. The amazing thing about the game is that for a good part of the game (the entire first quarter and a little more, I think), both quarterbacks had perfect completion rates. The 49-28 score doesn't reflect how well the Dolphins played. They actually played pretty well and when Lemon, the quarterback, was hot, he was hot. But the Patriots are clearly the better team in the game, and perhaps the NFL.
My little girls, on the other hand, have not been doing so well. We've lost our last two games, 0-1. The other teams have scored in the first quarter and while we play really well and have plenty of opportunities, we just can't convert. I was especially proud of my girls in the last game because they played like they wanted to win. We got a penalty kick at the end of first half. My player kicked the ball right at the goalie and then nailed the rebound over the goal. Towards the end of the second half, the other team got a penalty kick too, and our goalie saved it. In my soccer experience, a penalty kick usually results in a goal. However, in AYSO teenaged girls' soccer, of the 5 penalty kicks I have witnessed, none have resulted in a goal. Interesting.
Other sports side notes:
I find myself reading up on pro football during the week. I don't like it.
Watching the Red Sox vs. the Indians in game 7 of the semifinals. It's the bottom of the 8th and the Red Sox are in the lead, 6-2. It looks good for the Sox.
You can now watch Women's College Soccer on ESPN and other cable sports channels. I was watching UCLA vs. Oregon yesterday afternoon. I miss playing soccer.
Last weekend we had a coaches/referees game. It was fun. I wasn't as sore as I expected to be the day after the game. However, while I was playing, I realized I had forgotten how big the soccer field is. It definitely gave me a new perspective on how my little girls might feel when they play. It's definitely much easier to yell at someone to get back on defense than to do it myself. It had been a while since I had been on the field.
My little girls, on the other hand, have not been doing so well. We've lost our last two games, 0-1. The other teams have scored in the first quarter and while we play really well and have plenty of opportunities, we just can't convert. I was especially proud of my girls in the last game because they played like they wanted to win. We got a penalty kick at the end of first half. My player kicked the ball right at the goalie and then nailed the rebound over the goal. Towards the end of the second half, the other team got a penalty kick too, and our goalie saved it. In my soccer experience, a penalty kick usually results in a goal. However, in AYSO teenaged girls' soccer, of the 5 penalty kicks I have witnessed, none have resulted in a goal. Interesting.
Other sports side notes:
I find myself reading up on pro football during the week. I don't like it.
Watching the Red Sox vs. the Indians in game 7 of the semifinals. It's the bottom of the 8th and the Red Sox are in the lead, 6-2. It looks good for the Sox.
You can now watch Women's College Soccer on ESPN and other cable sports channels. I was watching UCLA vs. Oregon yesterday afternoon. I miss playing soccer.
Last weekend we had a coaches/referees game. It was fun. I wasn't as sore as I expected to be the day after the game. However, while I was playing, I realized I had forgotten how big the soccer field is. It definitely gave me a new perspective on how my little girls might feel when they play. It's definitely much easier to yell at someone to get back on defense than to do it myself. It had been a while since I had been on the field.
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
Say That Again
Stuff like this just cracks me up. I'm sure a lot of you have heard about the San Diego Padres' Milton Bradley who tore a ligament in his knee while his coach tried to restrain him from attacking an umpire. Bradley is a good player and now the Padres' chances of making the playoffs are a little slimmer and Bradley's career will certainly suffer due to the recovery time needed. The umpire involved in the incident has also been suspended. Bradley and his coach have claimed that the umpire used profane language to try to bait Bradley, who is known for his bad temper. Bradley's comments on the incident:
"the most unprofessional and most ridiculous thing I've ever seen."
Uh, Bradley, did you include your childish reaction to the umpire's remarks and the need to have to restrain you in your list of unprofessional and ridiculous things you've seen? Really, now. Let me guess, did the umpire say something mean about your mom?
What is it with guys and their inability to ignore mom jokes/comments? You know the old saying...sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me...? Well, there is a lot of truth to that. Words are just words. I'm not saying that verbal abuse should be excused because it is not physical abuse, especially involving children. But in this case, two adults need to act like adults and not go berserk over comments. Grow up!
"the most unprofessional and most ridiculous thing I've ever seen."
Uh, Bradley, did you include your childish reaction to the umpire's remarks and the need to have to restrain you in your list of unprofessional and ridiculous things you've seen? Really, now. Let me guess, did the umpire say something mean about your mom?
What is it with guys and their inability to ignore mom jokes/comments? You know the old saying...sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me...? Well, there is a lot of truth to that. Words are just words. I'm not saying that verbal abuse should be excused because it is not physical abuse, especially involving children. But in this case, two adults need to act like adults and not go berserk over comments. Grow up!
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