Tag: sports

Writing when I’m not feeling writing

~ dannyhong ~ Leave a comment

Every now and then, I’ll hit a point where I look at my docket of written things, and feel as if I haven’t written anything in a while, and then I feel anxious because I’m OCD like that and feel like I should be writing at the very least, once a week.

However, admittedly a lot of it has to do with the fact that I’ve been feeling like the world around me is in this stagnant state where on any given point, it feels like the world’s primary topics of discussion are encapsulated in these really small capsules as of late, and it’s like the same things are discussed and rehashed 50,000 times before the next thing that should probably be taking a back seat to larger things emerges and the cycle repeats itself.

Like, for example, it seems like the only things being talked about in the world are:

  • Sexual harassment that stemmed from Harvey Weinstein
  • Gun control that stemmed from the Las Vegas shootings
  • Kneeling during the National Anthem that stemmed from Colin Kaepernick
  • Football

Despite the fact that there are vastly bigger issues in the world currently such as:

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I like Deshaun Watson

~ dannyhong ~ Leave a comment

Good people just get it: Texans rookie quarterback, Deshaun Watson donates his first NFL paycheck to NRG Stadium workers affected by the flooding of Hurricane Harvey

Seems fitting to talk about this since we’re on the eve of the biggest college football game of the season for me, when #12 Virginia Tech hosts #2 Clemson, where it just might be a good game, but nobody on the planet can defeat Clemson, so it’ll be the that game where Tech stumbles and falls far in the rankings before dropping out outright by season’s end.

But in spite of my general disdain for Clemson, and how they have owned Virginia Tech for the last five years, I have to confess that I’m a Deshaun Watson fan.

At first, I hated the guy for being so good and just so far beyond everyone else on the field, and thanks to his talent, Clemson’s success never wavered while he was at the helm.  I rooted for any team to beat him; NC State, Boston College, Auburn, Alabama, and even teams that I really don’t care for, like Georgia Tech and even fucking Florida State.  But that’s just how much I wanted to see Clemson knocked down, because if they didn’t take some losses, they were always a threat to the National Championship, and they were about the last team I wanted to see winning one.

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KOREAN RUDY

~ dannyhong ~ Leave a comment

News to me: Notre Dame’s placekicker is a Korean junior, Justin Yoon

Kind of on a lesser degree than Ohio State, I have a tendency to root against Notre Dame.  The Fighting Irish have never offended me or done anything that would warrant my antagonism, but it probably stems from the fact that they’re a nationally recognized brand with a lot of blindly-following fans, which is often times the case why I develop favor against particular organizations.

Needless to say, I was pleased when Georgia marched into South Bend and defeated Notre Dame this past Saturday, and all in all, it was a pretty good game.  But I was happy to see the Irish lose, nonetheless.

However, the most surprising thing I witnessed during the game was when the Irish repeatedly made their way down the field before Georgia’s defense kept them out of the end zone, resulting in settling for field goals, I heard the name “Justin Yoon,” and my Korea-sense tingled at the surprise at seeing a Korean football player taking the field and doing work.  And not just for some scrub, but for a notable, reputable football program like Notre Dame.

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Rent-A-Fairweather

~ dannyhong ~ Leave a comment

I want to goof on this, but I also actually think it’s not a terrible idea: a company that will allow (pseudo-)sports fans to rent jerseys, instead of buying them.

The very first thing that comes to mind when I read about this is that it’s basically Rent-A-Swag from Parks & Rec, but for people who want to pretend like they’re in to sports.  But instead of Tom Haverford renting out his overly-metrosexual wardrobe to primarily teenaged boys, it’s a company that will rent sports jerseys to people to go to a game, or a sports party or event to be appropriately accessorized.

The Parks & Rec correlation is definitely laughable, but the logic behind the show’s store as well as this seemingly real jersey rental service is justifiably sound: sports apparel is always a risky investment, because players come and go at the drop of a hat these days, and it’s always entirely possible for fans to have sunk $40-100+ on player apparel only for it to be invalid and obsolete in a matter of time.  The Braves-Jason Heyward shirt in my closet most certainly agrees with that notion.

However, this is also an idea that holds a substantial sense of insufferable, because it’s a service that basically fishes out fake and/or fairweathered sports fans, because it’s directly catering to the flip-flopping nature of those types who want to support a player/team while they’re popular, but don’t want to commit to the fandom to actually buy something and support said player/team.  It’s almost too perfectly fitting that among their initial wave of available teams are the 49ers and the Seahawks, because their fanbases are amongst the most fairweathered and fickle; all aboard when they’re good, but nowhere to be seen when they’re not.

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I really dislike it, but I kind of respect the trolling

~ dannyhong ~ Leave a comment

Football fans love to waste money: group of New Orleans Saints fans want to troll the Atlanta Falcons and its new Mercedes-Benz Stadium by renting billboard space across the street, mocking the 28-3 lead the Falcons had in the Super Bowl before suffering the biggest collapse ever

I often say that I’m ambivalent towards football, and that I’m not really a fan of the Atlanta Falcons.  To some degree, I do stand by such claims, but I’m not going to lie that I felt absolutely crushed, heartbroken and completely demoralized by the result of the 2016 Super Bowl Lee, when the Falcons had a gigantic lead, and choked it all away, suffering the mother of defeats to Tom Brady and the New England Patriots.

I chalk up my frustration and disappointment not so much because the Falcons lost, but the City of Atlanta lost, an opportunity to shed the notion that as a sports town, it’s full of teams that always choke, and actually win a major sporting championship.  Instead, they swing the pendulum full retard and go from having victory all but guaranteed, to being defeated in the most gut-wrenching, most-Atlanta way ever.

Needless to say, I do admit that the Falcons’ loss really upset me, and thinking back to Super Bowl Lee isn’t the easiest thing for me to do as a sports fan.

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Why not a cricket stadium too???

~ dannyhong ~ Leave a comment

Real fast, what does Atlanta need?  Improved mass transit?  Actual infrastructure?  Less-corrupt politicians?  Another taco restaurant?   Pssh, that’s all trivial shit.

But if you said “Atlanta needs a new stadium,” then you’ve got the clairvoyance of Professor X and you’d be 100% correct!

Not just any stadium though . . . but a CRICKET stadium!!!

I mean shit, how naïve of me to think that the Atlanta Stadium-Palooza would have come to an end now that the Falcons have a new stadium, the Braves have a new stadium, and the Hawks have secured a couple of hundred of million dollars to renovate their existing stadium to a slightly newer state.  I mean, NFL, MLB and NBA, covering the big three sports entities would have been enough right?

Of course not!  If MLS can get a brand-new training facility, and the NBA D-League can get themselves a new stadium, who am I to say that I shouldn’t have been surprised to hear that of all the sports in the world, cricket would be the next to descend on the Atlanta area and out of nowhere begin demanding a stadium for themselves.

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Honestly, this fight is probably going to suck

~ dannyhong ~ Leave a comment

Anyone who likes sports in general would had to have been living under a rock if they didn’t hear about the year-plus of build-up that has finally culminated in an official set date for the next fight of the century, pitting MMA superstar Conor McGregor against Floyd “Money” Mayweather.

Let’s be real here though, the buildup was everything, will continue to be everything as we’ve still got nearly three full months until the match itself, and said match itself will be the most disappointing part of this entire saga.  Basically, this is kind of like a slightly watered down version of Mayweather vs. Pacquiao all over again, except McGregor is a way more entertaining shit-talker and as colorful and flamboyantly outspoken personality as Mayweather himself.

But the result is going to be the same, and that, I would actually wager money on: Mayweather will win via decision after 12 rounds.

As much trash Mayweather spouts, it’s kind of laughable that his boxing style revolves almost entirely around defense, dancing around for 36 minutes and occasionally landing a jab only after he’s 100% certain it will hit after endless time spent observing and circling, instead of actually boxing.  He spends 36 months talking shit, and when it comes time to throw down, he always turtles up and waits for his opponents to make the first moves before methodically playing the counter attack game all the time.

I mean really, the guy is 49-0 where 23 of them came via decision. 

“I’m gonna defend myself against you to death!” 

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