Sports are not Sports anymore.

[BIGNASTY]

I don't watch to many sports on TV any longer, mainly because they are a bunch of over paid sissy's. We have a long time friend and his wife staying with us he is totally into football, and that's fine. Sitting here watching the Cowboys and Giants the game sure has changed from the time that I played in High School. Now if you look at the QB wrong its a flag, if you make sure the guy is going out of bounds to stop the run its a flag. I played defensive end, my job was to make sure that the running back did NOT GET AROUND THE OUTSIDE. I had no problem with this idea of turning the runner in so as a team we could teach him not to run the ball. If I could I would hit him so hard that when he woke up on the side lines hearing train whistles for the rest of the night that was part of the game. Now you have to be a gentleman about this VIOLENT SPORT.

This is one reason that since the time I was in Maine in the Military I have enjoyed the sport of Ice Hockey, we use to go to the University of Maine at Presque Isle to watch hockey, there were rules and cheap shots, but if you had a problem with that, it was not really a problem, do it back or take of the mitts and have a go at knocking out some teeth, Boxing was good until Don King got involved, I do watch the cage type fighting, I kind of like the LACK OF RULES and any part of the body is a weapon mentality!!! they wont let a few martial arts in them because they are meant to disable an opponent by not being able to use that limb any longer, but that's just to protect the sport from extinction I think, if you knew that going in if you lost you weren't going to be able to use your arm any longer, well that may be a deterrent to getting involved in the sport.

Sports are over paid guys with rules what a bunch of Crap that is!!!

JMO BIG

 

[jgillott]

I'm much more of a baseball fan than anything else, but I do agree that some of the changes in football are unwelcomed. How about the new taunting penalties and bullies. I mean come on....now we are worried about feelings.

Don't even get me started on what Brian France and Mike Helton have done to NASCAR.

 

[BIGNASTY]

I'm much more of a baseball fan than anything else, but I do agree that some of the changes in football are unwelcomed. How about the new taunting penalties and bullies. I mean come on....now we are worried about feelings.

Don't even get me started on what Brian France and Mike Helton have done to NASCAR.

Well being worried about feelings is a big deal!!! before my last surgery it was thought that I needed to take some steroid shots to bulk up so that later in life it would make it easier for me to move around without my leg. I did and put on some big time mussel but along with that a terrible side affect for a cowboy, Crying at the least little thing that makes me feel hurt. Penny can yell at me to pick up my clothes and I want to cry. So I can see not taunting these big sensitive guys.

NASCAR let me see LEFT HAND TURNS most of the time???? really this is a sport for the Drivers? or a Sport for the mechanics that set the car up???

Baseball is a good way to spend the day. The above mentioned guy in my first post was my boss at work, we use to get the company box seats to all the sporting events. Baseball is good, a few beers and couple of dogs and some peanuts and telling the ump he's blind, YA!!! baseball is a good day.

When the Daughter got into tennis in High School, we went to Indian wells to see the tennis matches. You have no idea watching it on TV how fast that ball is moving when its served. Our Daughter and I use to go to the tennis court at school and she would practice her serving I just tried to return the balls so she could continue practicing. I caught one in the Nuts one time put me down for a few minutes, went down to sport mart and got a catchers cup and a catchers mask.

 

[p-Bar]

I got better things to do with my time like reloading , bird hunting , cleaning guns....

 

[ZBrooks]

I have come to the conclusion that sports are nothing more than a distraction to occupy the sheep while their country burns around them. I played 4 years of collegiate baseball and had the opportunity to play professionally at one point. Now, I can hardly tolerate watching an inning or two. As for football, it will never be fixed until they take away the helmet.

 

[BIGNASTY]

As for football, it will never be fixed until they take away the helmet.

They have its called Rugby!!!

 

[rscurtis]

Baseball and Football have morphed from "sports" to "big business". Just look at the recent cost of tickets. As far as NASCAR is concerned, the name should be change to something else until they start racing "stock cars" again like they did in the '60's and '70's. What passes as a NASCAR racer today has no more resemblance to a stocker than I do to Santa Claus.

 

[BIGNASTY]

But they had to make NASCAR more competitive, so they made rules that make them essentially the same. R. Petty's records will never be broken, he had the berries to run a hemi with his foot to the floor.

All sports are big business. and I don't blame the players for the outrageous paychecks, they take the risk so why should the owners get ALL the money. Just about everything is about money these days. Well maybe not EVERYTHING!!!

 

[Wayne M.]

Never been a sports dude. I can tolerate baseball and most hockey is good. I've always been a man and machine guy. Along with most major league sports, NASCAR has really gotten away from its roots. However they do pack a house and they put on a heck of a pre show you won't see on TV. I also appreciate the patriotic and conservative experience they offer. Always keeping the armed forces in mind. That being said, I like my racing at a grass roots small time level. If I get to participate, I want to be one of the gang to make this car do this!
http://http://youtu.be/jqMeAR6YKcI
It starts off slow, but give it a chance.

 

[jgillott]

I've been to quite a few races over the years....Dayona, Richmond, Martinsville, Pocono, Waltkins Glenn, and Sears Point I believe. They used to pack the house on a regular basis. There's a lot of empty seats now. The chase model, changing rules as they go to meet thier needs (IE..making up a rule to let Gordon in the chase this year) etc. has really taken it's toll on the fan base.

 

[Wayne M.]

Very true. In any case, If there's no competition, like in the case of racing, passing and door to door action, you don't have much. J, you called out some awesome tracks, but within an hour or three of your place, you've got some awesome grassroots action right there. Just like how some prefer college or minor sports, the small organizations have lots to offer.

 

[BIGNASTY]

Never been much on circle track racing, Making left hand turn all day gets kind of boring. FIA Endurance Racing, Grand Prix, F1 type racing has been of more interest. Drag racing was my mainstay but in So Calf they cut down many of the strips and really have very few major races left. Racing has pretty much gone to the people that have the money. Growing up in So Ca. we had lots of strips and could run most anything from your Grandma's car to full on nitro burners. Even in High School we had a car that IO auto worked on and took to the strip, couldn't even imagine that happening now.

 

[jgillott]

I grew up with two local short tracks, Motordrome Speedway in Smithton and Jennerstown Speedway. Motordrome is still running on Friday nights in the summer. Jennerstown closed a few seasons ago. It is a shame, it is a really nice facility. We still have the drag strip, Pittsburgh Raceway Park. I've been down that track once or twice.

 

[Wayne M.]

Good to hear that j. Big, some drag strips do have high school leagues to keep them off the streets. One thing happening today is the venues for youngins. It's going on in round track and drag racing.

 

[BIGNASTY]

Its good to hear Wayne, People yell about the young drivers but then there is no place to let them have fun. Our School car was all paid for by the auto shop we did fund raisers for the parts and of course we did the work, our shop teacher Mr. Wayne was the best!! he hadn't forgot what it was like to be a kid. I don't think to many teachers would spend as much time as he did, most of it was on his own time.

 

[EGroeneveld]

NASCAR got sucky when then went to 800 races a season and the whole race to the finish crap... So many races I just never watch any more.

When there was really a NASCAR ''season'' I would actually try to watch a couple of them....to many races now that are not special.

 

[JR]

For those that know who Dave Blaney is (I know, I know :-laf) he bought a dirt track in nearby Sharon, PA about 30 minutes from here. He has a son that is now racing in NASCAR but he grew up racing (as did Dave) at Sharon Speedway. That was the whole reason Dave bought the track, the owners were looking to sell and there was a real threat of the track closing up. So he kept the dream alive, and puts on a ton of youth oriented events during the summer. He truly has done the community a great service. He also brings all the NASCAR boys that grew up racing dirt track (Tony Stewart, Ken Schraeder, Kenny Wallace, Kasey Kane to name a few) every year when they run at Michigan which is the closest track to us. They bring their own cars and let me tell you those boys put on one hell of a show. And theyre great to talk to. You get em away from the lime light and into doing what they truly love and theyre all a bunch of kids. I'm sure there are just as many scmucks in the sport but these guys are mostly all small town boys to begin with and have fallen victim to the greed that Helton and the Frances have spewed into the sport. It's a real shame.

 

[crispyboy]

Never had the opportunity for competitive sports in school so it doesn't mean much to me. My wife has to explain the foul shots in college basketball to me - I know pretty lame. I would rather spend my time fixing something in the garage or around the house.

Back when I was in college I attended a rugby game one time - I enjoyed watching it. It was "kill the man with the ball" type of game. Several times I would see one guy grab the a guy from the opposite team by the collar of his shirt and just cold cock the guy. That seemed like a real sport to me! Back in the day one of my friends was on the rugby team and they would go down to the local bar where the frat guys hung out. They would have fun beating them up and taking their girlfriends - those boys were wild!

 

[Wayne M.]

For those that know who Dave Blaney is (I know, I know :-laf) he bought a dirt track in nearby Sharon, PA about 30 minutes from here. He has a son that is now racing in NASCAR but he grew up racing (as did Dave) at Sharon Speedway. That was the whole reason Dave bought the track, the owners were looking to sell and there was a real threat of the track closing up. So he kept the dream alive, and puts on a ton of youth oriented events during the summer. He truly has done the community a great service. He also brings all the NASCAR boys that grew up racing dirt track (Tony Stewart, Ken Schraeder, Kenny Wallace, Kasey Kane to name a few) every year when they run at Michigan which is the closest track to us. They bring their own cars and let me tell you those boys put on one hell of a show. And theyre great to talk to. You get em away from the lime light and into doing what they truly love and theyre all a bunch of kids. I'm sure there are just as many scmucks in the sport but these guys are mostly all small town boys to begin with and have fallen victim to the greed that Helton and the Frances have spewed into the sport. It's a real shame.

JR. Totally agree. It's like having Babe Ruth show up for stick ball. I used to go to Flemington speedway in NJ. Now gone. Probably the most famous dirt oval in the northeast. Well, Ken Schrader showed up and got a ride and he put on one helluva show, and the local legends were a force to be reckoned with. I didn't know about Blaney owning Sharon. I think Tony Stewart bought Eldora. I know Kasey Kane is good for showing up unannounced.

 

[JR]

JR. Totally agree. It's like having Babe Ruth show up for stick ball. I used to go to Flemington speedway in NJ. Now gone. Probably the most famous dirt oval in the northeast. Well, Ken Schrader showed up and got a ride and he put on one helluva show, and the local legends were a force to be reckoned with. I didn't know about Blaney owning Sharon. I think Tony Stewart bought Eldora. I know Kasey Kane is good for showing up unannounced.

Yep, Tony bought Eldora and has been having some big events there every year since. A friend offered me an extra ticket last summer for the NASCAR return to dirt at Eldora where all the big boys showed up for 2 nights, and his girlfriend decided at the last minute she wanted to go. Talk about being bummed out.
Dave actually grew up right down the road from me and raced at Sharon all through high school. Even as a teen ager he was always the class of the field. He doesnt spend alot of time there because of his obligations with NASCAR but his dad "Papa Lou" did a stellar job running the show. I get a real thrill out of watching Dave, Kenny, Kasey and some of the other fellas run the wing cars together. They put a feature on at the end of the night and will really push it hard for 20 laps. Those guys have alot of faith and trust in each other to be able to run 3 and 4 wide sideways at that speed. Talk about intense!