Sunday Night Football

What am I doing? It is officially Monday morning - though barely - and I am scouring the web for a stupid trick play I remember the St. Louis Rams pulled off years ago. Something about (Kurt) Warner walking toward the sideline acting like something was wrong with his helmet all the while another player snaps the ball and the play moves forward...

The whole point was because I was going to have a short list of trick football plays because Daniel showed me this video tonight:



Oh well, guess this post will just have to be a one trick pony.

Cardinals 2009 Opening Day

This year the Cardinals Opening Day was amidst a flurry, quite literally. With April 6th upon us, the season opened with huge snowflake flurries in the morning and a opening day game kicking off at 3 pm. Despite the Redbirds falling to the Pirates (4-6), serious obsessions can now resume in St. Louis in the form of baseball. The Cardinals lineup this fine spring (opening) day:

1. Brendan Ryan, 2B
2. Rick Ankiel, CF
3. Albert Pujols, 1B
4. Khalil Greene, SS
5. Ryan Ludwick, RF
6. Yadier Molina, C
7. Chris Duncan, LF
8. Brian Barden, 3B
9. Adam Wainwright, P

Professional Bull Riders

Last Friday evening, we went to the Professional Bull Rider (PBR) competition in downtown St. Louis. The event showcased the skills of bulls and bull-riders alike, but went off like the well-oiled corporate-sponsored event it was and not like a small town rodeo operation. That observation carries with it the weight of good and bad, but overall the event was most enjoyable. Of note, some of the evening's highlighted riders were also profiled in the documentary Rank, which we had watched a while back and found interesting.


The rules. Let's go ahead and get the 'book keeping' out of the way. Most everyone knows the rule is to stay on the bull for 8 seconds. More accurately, falling off the bull or touching the bull with your free hand (I didn't know that part) in under 8 seconds means no score is given. Also, if the judges think the bull's performance is not up to PBR standards (i.e., too easy for the rider), then the ride is disqualified and the rider is given another bull to ride later in the night. After these rules, I have no idea how the ride is scored, but the highest score wins.

The fanfare. Any good professional athletic event must start with a solid bit of fanfare and PBR stayed true to this standard. At the very beginning of the event the house lights were dimmed and colored light skimmed over the crowd and arena. A fog machine was working overtime to produce an unreal amount of low-lying fog...then a collection of pyrotechnic machines blasted small sprays of fire in the air and two enormous bull heads flanking the entrance snorted giant flames out of their nostrils. Not enough fire? I might mention, then, that the letters 'PBR' and the letter 'e' (for Enterprise) were aflame in the dirt. You know what these letters spell? "Hot damn!"


The sponsors. The big sponsors of the evening were Ford trucks (le duh), Copenhagen (no comment), Las Vegas Tourism Board (the Championships are held there each year) and Enterprise Rent-a-car (? and even more ?? is that they were the main sponsor of the St. Louis event). Another big sponsor of note was the U.S. Border Patrol. I think all in our party couldn't help but think the sponsorship exploited a stereotype (right or wrong) of the targeted demographic. Then again, we do need to prevent those Iowans from crossing into Missouri.

...2 surprises and 1 small injustice:
- The music selection surprised me - very few country songs were played. Instead, the DJ selected a playlist that was pulled from the Top 40 charts of the last few decades. Something surreal about watching a bullride to the tune of Franky Goes to Hollywood's Relax...but I liked it.

- Several of the riders were Australian. I found this interesting, but I am not sure why. I guess others took note, too, as the woman next to us shouted "he came all this way for that ride?" when one of the Aussie riders didn't turn out an particularly impressive (read: less than 8 sec ) ride.

-Now for the injustice: In the middle of the arena was a small cage - so small that anyone in the cage would be sitting cross legged on the ground so they didn't hit their head. In the middle of the event two young, attractive women were paraded into the arena and announced as the winners. The prize: getting to watch the rest of the event from said little cage for an up-close-and-personal view from the dirt. I might note that while walking on the dirt one woman walked on her tiptoes. These "random" winners were not worthy. PBR should have selected a kid or some superfan who would have really appreciated such a unique vantage point. Take note, PBR.

Guest list: Zorro Garcia . Best College Football Helmets

Zorro strikes again! Listen to him wax poetic on helmet design and philosophy.


To commemorate the Football Championship Bowl Season I offer the best college football helmets:

Washington State University Cougars Two things put this helmet at the top: The letters W-S-U form a Cougar and the team wears red at home and silver on the road- cool!

Florida State Seminoles The spear on the helmet reflects the traditional pregame declaration of war. Couple that with the never-ending tomahawk chant of the crowd and the Garnet and Gold is hard to top.

Air Force Academy Falcons Reflective of their mission to command the air the lightning bolt is the perfect logo for AFA. What is ironic is that they are one of the leading rushing teams in football.

Kansas State Wildcats One of the first action graphics, it has became the model for many of the new helmet logos.

Colorado State Rams The perfect logo for the shape of a football helmet the original was designed by a former LA Ram player who happened to have majored in art at UCLA.

San Diego State Aztecs This helmet is unique in that it is the only one to date that darkens toward the lower edge and fades into black.

University of Hawaii Warriors The former Rainbow Warriors lost their rainbow nickname as well as their care bear logo and now sport this tribal inspired helmet. Success on the field has followed.

West Virginia Mountaineers The W and V are reminiscent of the mountains from which the team derives its nickname. It’s also the birthplace of my mother so that gave it bonus points

Michigan Wolverines This one is in on tradition alone. It is a throwback to the construction of the old leather helmets and has not changed since the old days.

Helmet graphics from The Helmet Project

Guest list: Zorro Garcia . Worst Team Nicknames

Inherent to most males in my life is an amazing amount of football knowledge (American football, in case that makes a difference). How you know about stats for pro, college and local football teams is beyond me, but not for these guys. Today's guest blogger is a life-long football fan, player and coach - my dad. For the first time in lickity list history, we present a sports list...and feel free to laugh aloud as I did.

Worst Team Nicknames
10. Stetson University Hatters
9. Arkansas Tech Wonderboys
8. Webster University Gorlocks
7. St. Louis University Billikins
6. UC Irvine Anteaters
5. Arkansas- Monticello Boll Weevils
4. Washburn University Ichabods
3. Scottsdale Community College Fighting Artichokes
2. UC Santa Cruz Banana Slugs
1. Rhode Island School of Design Nads

* Oh, in case the whole Zorro Garcia pseudonym doesn't make sense: My grandparents allowed their first 2 sons to name their 3rd and 4th sons. The eldest son, Guy, named the 3rd son James Dodd (apparently after the adult Mickey Mousekeeter and my grandparents weren't keen to the fact that it was a TV celebrity name). My dad, being of great imagination and little wit, choose to name the 4th born Zorro Garcia - after Zorro and Agent Garcia off the ever popular Zorro fame. Of course my grandparents picked up on inspiration for this name quite quickly and vetoed immediately. Poor Bernie (my dad) is still not over the snub and has since resurrected the name...Viva Zorro!

True story.