The Third Half

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A column written by J. Andrew Lockwood on athletics, the Mercer Bears and the world at large.

The Third Half

Semi-retirement

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Published Apr 27, in Columns, Sports, The Third Half

(photo courtesy of connectin.com) Don't cry for me Brett Favre, this is only my semi-retirement.

I’m calling it quits, at least for the time being. It’s been a fun four years here on the staff, but it’s my time to go. The ownership wouldn’t pay me a big bonus and with all of this speculation floating around me concerning performance enhancing drugs (PEDs), it’s time for me to move on.

I swear, I thought I was just putting Icy Hot or some type of Gold Bond lotion on my forearms, but what do you know, four years later I’m writing stories, columns and breaking reports at the same rate that Barry Bonds hit home runs and Lance Armstrong won Tour de Frances.

To be honest, I feel pretty mentally beat up from all of this writing. I had a good season again, but it’s time to go back to the farm and mull things over before giving the ownership news of whether or not I’ll return next season. I know, you’re thinking here comes another Brett Favre, but I promise my first retirement will be my last…at least until my first comeback.

It’s been a nice run here at Mercer, though, with former sports editor Jeremy Timmerman handing me the reigns after my sophomore year. We even had a ceremony to inaugurate my coming as the “next big sports columnist on staff’ as I told the rest of the media present, “Get your popcorn ready—it’s going to be awesome.”

Hey, my columns were “popping” for a while. I correctly predicted the four Final Four teams and the NCAA tournament winner in March of 2008, said over a baseball broadcast that the Tampa Bay Rays would win the AL East in 2008 and have won plenty of sports bets for lunch at work, but I chalk it up to just being knowledgeable about the game.

As the clean-up hitter, I’ve watched plenty of good, mediocre, not-so-good and very talented writers move through the pages of the Cluster. That’s why I’m going into semi-retirement, albeit a forced one due to graduation. I feel confident with where the team is at, though, with a staff full of great writers, especially rookie Zach Wells. Where did this guy come from, relating his spring break trips to intramural softball and previous relationships to the men’s basketball teams’ achievements and struggles?

Returning editor Samir Moussawel is an all-star, but we traded him to George Washington for the year. The owners said that it was for financial reasons, but I think they just needed some more cash on board to get another puzzle piece once I retired. I don’t like to speculate, but this might be another Cleveland Cavaliers situation.

Both Wells and Moussawel are future Hall of Fame material and that’s why it makes sense for me to get out while I’m on top. Think about all the pros who outlasted their welcome. Joe Montana with the Chiefs? Michael Jordan with the Wizards? No sir, this writer’s pen stays with the team I helped build up, the Cluster.

I’m sure Georgia Tech, Georgia, Georgia State, Emory and perhaps even Georgia Southern will all vie for my services. I’ll gladly take the steak and shrimp dinners, the dining and wining as it’s known in the business, but at the end of the day I’ve got to do what’s best for me and my family. And right now, I’m trying to take care of my legacy at the ripe age of 23 years old.

I’ve got to give a ton of credit to Garret McDowell, the workhorse of the squad. He’s been a Scottie Pippen to me, or even a Chris Bosh. His best years are still ahead of him.

I’m no Latrell Spreewell. Remember, he was the former NBA player who turned down a three-year, $21 million deal because he said that it wasn’t enough to feed his children. I’ve got plenty of Bear Bucks to eat on in the University Center, but I’m just tired of eating Chick-fil-A and Subway every week. I need to branch out a little bit, have a change of pace, that’s all.

Don’t worry, I won’t be one of these superstars that just disappears off the face of the planet. No one saw Mark McGwire for five years after he retired, as well as many of the other sluggers of our generation. My approach will be more like that of Chad Ochocinco: trying out for a major league sports club other than his own. When the football star gave soccer a try last month, it got me to thinking about my versatility. Why not start something new?

Whatever it is that I conjure up to try, you can guarantee that it’ll be more successful than Michael Jordan at minor league baseball. Even if it’s not, I’m sure ESPN will make a 30:30 documentary about it ten years from now with my closest buddies giving their recollections about my decision.

Speaking of decisions, the television network turned down my offer to air my own decision of where to go to after graduation. So, I’ll say it here: I’m taking my talents to Chattanooga. I’ll be back for Homecoming, though.

 

 

 

The Third Half

Significance of Perspective

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Published Apr 13, in Columns, Sports, The Third Half

 

(photo courtesy of VeloNews.com) Despite how cool Bahati looks on his bike, the difference between how I view him and how a non-cycling fan views him simply boils down to perspective.

Perspective is everything. I realized this after meeting one of my favorite athletes last weekend at a national cycling race in Anniston, Ala. You’ve probably not heard of him, but Rahsaan Bahati is one of the best Criterium cycling champions in the United States today. His organization, Bahati Foundation, raises money and awareness to help put inner-city kids on bicycles so that they might escape the dangers of low-income neighborhoods. Bahati himself came out of the Los Angeles suburb of Compton and rose to fame quickly on two wheels.

So while Bahati means a lot to an avid cyclist and cycling fan like me, most people would probably not have a clue who this guy was if he passed them on the sidewalk and even mentioned his name. His significance to me and other cyclists is all a matter of perspective.
One man’s average Joe is another man’s hero. This made more sense to me as our cycling team recently visited Ingram Pye Elementary school less than a mile from Mercer’s campus. To these kids, ranging from kindergarten to fifth grade, we were impressive — college athletes with nice bicycles and a knack for racing. And while we certainly don’t think we’re big stuff, they hold us in high esteem. It’s all a matter of perspective.
I wonder how some of the world’s most recognizable athlete’s feel about their own significance. For some, the separation between one’s own significance and the significance acknowledged by the general public can be troublesome.

Take for example LeBron James’ mother, Gloria James, in a recent news story last week in which she allegedly assaulted a valet parking attendant outside of a hotel when it took them too long for them to bring her vehicle. She was quoted shouting the words, “Do you know who I am?” to the parking attendant.
Perhaps the parking attendant didn’t know that Gloria James was LeBron’s mother. Even if he did, would it have made a difference? Should it have made a difference?
No wonder athletes have a hard time hanging it up. I don’t believe Brett Favre has a complex where he has to be in the public eye all the time, but his retirement-unretirement situation got ridiculous after the third go-around. Lance Armstrong’s comeback out of retirement launched the cycling superstar into the public eye once again, albeit with a guarded approach.

For those halfway around the world who follow cricket like we follow baseball, India’s Sachin Tendulkar is a superstar. He helped the country win the world title this past week in rousing fashion over Pakistan. Even if we don’t understand the game, shouldn’t we recognize his name? Again, for the billion fans that tuned into the championship cricket match, he was the hero. It’s a matter of perspective.

My sports card collection is collecting dust on the very top shelf of my bedroom closet and while I don’t claim to have any rare cards or valuable vintage ball cards, some hold special significance to me. My Keith Lockhart autographed baseball card is probably my favorite, even though Lockhart was a utility infielder for most of his career for the Atlanta Braves in the early 2000s. I simply liked Lockhart’s walk-out song when he would come to bat and sent him a letter in my 13-year-old writing with a baseball card asking for his autograph.

That trip to the mailbox to find the letter from Mr. Lockhart is one that I’ll always remember. At the time, an autograph from a major leaguer was a story that I could tell at school all week long. Now it all seems so silly, blue Sharpie ink on a cardboard baseball card with a glossy finish.

I don’t like to think that I’m jaded against stardom and status, but when I get to meet a professional athlete of any sport, I rarely ask for an autograph anymore and sometimes will ask for a picture. A handshake and a conversation will suffice for me. Just to know that they’re human and perhaps extremely talented at their profession is enough for me. It’s a matter of perspective.

The Third Half

Upsets and Underdogs Abound!

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Published Mar 30, in Columns, Sports, The Third Half

 

(photo courtesy of thestate.com) VCU's improbable run into the NCAA tournament is this year's top underdog story.

Like many sports fans, I love rooting for the underdog. Upsets and the uncertainty of the NCAA tournament make for a hoops fans’ heaven as small schools defeat big schools and as little-knowns grace the front pages of Sports Illustrated the following week.

For Butler and Virginia Commonwealth, two mid-major schools from the Horizon and Colonial Athletic Association respectively, their run to the final four was a historic, improbable leap for two small schools seeking national attention. They weren’t the only ones to receive attention though as Morehead State and Richmond also sank their first round opponents (with Richmond eventually in the Sweet 16 to Kansas).

For CBS, the bracketologists, and NCAA, this year’s tournament was another step forward in creating a month long buzz stemming from our obsession with college basketball. Add in a possible work stoppage in the NBA (much less the NFL) next season, and college basketball could be the only choice on television other than hockey.

This means big dollars lining the pockets of television networks that broadcast the games, the schools that make the tournament, trickling down all the way to the local sports bars and grilles that serve chicken wings to the fans wearing their school’s official gear licensed by so-and-so. No wonder President Obama seems to be taking an interest in the tournament.

For Butler, their return to the Final Four for the second straight year perhaps only signals the beginning of their mid-major dominance. Their opposition, VCU, took down a highly favored Kansas squad to reach their first Final Four in school history. Before the tournament, I couldn’t name VCU’s conference much less a player or coach from the team.

But this is why we seem to like March Madness – the 15 minutes of fame that an unknown school can receive from a major upset or string of wins against tough opposition. George Mason could be considered the first ‘mid-major’ to crack the Final Four in 2006. Now, Butler returns for the second year in a row (might I add as the favorite to defeat VCU and to return to the championship game).

Perhaps so much of this madness stems from the ‘surprise effect’ that comes with unknown schools defeating more established ones. It’s not like VCU or Butler popped out of nowhere. VCU put together a great year (28-11) and despite finishing 4th in their conference during the regular season, put together a nice run to advance to the tournament. Meanwhile, Butler was 27-9 and a year removed from almost defeating Duke to win the entire tournament.

Upsets and underdogs don’t just pop out of nowhere. With more and more younger players leaving larger conference teams for the NBA early, the talent gap between conferences large and small has closed. Consider it ‘athletics socialism’ in which everyone can have a piece of the pie.

For this channel surfer simultaneously watching three first round games on TruTV, TNT, and CBS, I can only hope to be watching St. Bonaventure take down Kentucky next year or perhaps Belmont bruise UConn on an expanded selection of channels including E! and Oprah’s Network. Who knows, maybe my boss will even wise up given the situation and just give me a whole week off…or at least official bracket printing privileges on the company’s printer. After all, in this day of upsets and underdogs, nothing is for certain.

It’s bracket time baby!

The Third Half

By:
Published Mar 16, in Columns, Sports, The Third Half

(photo courtesy of culturemap.com) BYU's Jimmer Fredrette leads the nation in scoring, but can he lead his team to a national championship?

The culmination of four and a half months of college basketball is finally here. Tourney time gives us the ability to finally pull out the pen and pencil, run off a few copies of the NCAA tournament bracket on the printers at our work (or dorm room) and compare matchups on the more complex statistics of the sport: RPI, SOS (strength of schedule) and their overall record.
I’m just glad that I no longer have to hear about what ESPN’s Joe Lunardi thinks in his newest version of “Bracketology 101” or who the “last four in and first four out” are. Predictions and talking sports heads can wear on the average college basketball fan after a while. But now that tournament time is near, that means it’s time for us to be the experts of our own bracket. Seeking to conquer the office or dorm hall pool, here are my predictions in a wild tournament. May they help you in your decision-making. One final word of advice: don’t get too serious. Sometimes the brackets picked on the merits of a team’s mascot turn out better than anything the experts could have ever predicted. After all, it’s college basketball.

East
This fourth of the bracket should provide fans with a few interesting matchups late in the tournament including the likes of Ohio State (1), Kentucky (4), Syracuse (3) and North Carolina (2). I like the Buckeyes to advance to the final four as they’ll get the easiest matchups in the first two games before facing Kentucky (most likely) in the Sweet Sixteen. Looking for an upset? Georgia could possibly get by Washington in their opening-round matchup to take on UNC in the second round, a team that was pummeled in the ACC Championship by Duke.

West
Perhaps this is my favorite part of the bracket this year due to the mixture of big name schools and lesser-known teams matching up. Of course Duke (1), UConn (3) and Texas (4) lead the odds in this bracket, but I have the Aztecs of San Diego State advancing to the Final Four. Sure a Mountain West team hasn’t been seeded this high (#2 seed) in years, but they’re 32-2 and the best story in college basketball this year. It will be hard to see the Aztecs fall before at least the Elite Eight this March. An upset from this end looks unlikely, but I do like the 4-13 matchup when Texas faces a pesky Oakland squad in the opening round. The Golden Grizzlies are fresh out of their title run in the Summit League and could give the Longhorns all they want to handle.

Southwest
Rock Chalk Jayhawk. Kansas (1) looks to advance in a section of the bracket that may contain the most upsets this year. Vanderbilt (5) versus Richmond (12) is gaining momentum as the first-round upset favorite, but another matchup to keep an eye on is Louisville (4) and Morehead State (13). Morehead State’s Kenneth Faried is another feel-good story of 2011 as he leads his team against a Cardinal squad with a nearly identical record.

Southeast
Do I have Jimmer-fever? Yes, I like BYU and their multitalented guard that leads the country in scoring. He’ll be a lottery pick in this year’s NBA draft. I have a hard time seeing BYU advance, though, past the Sweet Sixteen when they could take on Florida (2) and then possibly Pittsburgh (1) before getting out of their respective quarter. Instead, I’m predicting a big run by Kansas State (5). They’re very talented, and despite an early exit in the Big XII tournament to Colorado they can play with anyone in the country. Don’t overlook the other team from Kansas this year.

May your brackets succeed and if you lose more than half of your opening round games, don’t worry. There’s always the Women’s NCAA bracket, or the NIT bracket, or the CBI bracket, for that matter.

Death of a sixth man

The Third Half

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Published Feb 23, in Columns, Sports, The Third Half

(Alex Lockwood / Cluster Staff)Mercer “fan-hood” observed at a recent game. Athletic events simply need more of what’s pictured above.

No, this isn’t an opinion about Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman, but it does borrow from its ideas of defining greatness. Perhaps the biggest take-away from the famous 1949 play is understanding the misconceptions of ourselves and how we should define greatness. Nevertheless, we’re talking about the “sixth man” on the basketball court: the crowd.

What defines a great crowd?  Is it the attendance number or maybe the noise level? Could it be the thrill of sitting next to your buddies and yelling until your larynx goes limp or could it be just waving your hands in the air when the wave comes to your side of the arena? It’s a question worth considering as Mercer looks to redefine and rebrand athletics after the announcement of football taking centerstage beginning in September of 2013.

I’ve considered the title for this column for some time.  Attendance is way up by all accounts to our men’s basketball games, the biggest money sport at Mercer, yet our student section wanes in support of the team. A small yet energetic group of rowdy fans known as “Hoffman’s Hooligans” command the first two rows of the section for most games, yet many times they seemed to be outnumbered by the apathetic un-enthusiasm of the crowd that hangs in the air like a thick fog after a hard rain.

Sports Illustrated recently released a study on the myths and proven reasons behind why home teams seem to win more often than visiting teams in nearly all sports. In summary, it boils down to the fact that the officials, not the crowd, are the largest influencers in the outcome of a game. The study also went on to reflect that psychology behind this phenomenon in that officials conform their calls to the social pressure created by the home crowd (i.e. using crowd noise to help them resolve uncertainties in making a call).

The point is that the home crowd can have an enormous effect, albeit in small ways, on the outcome of a game. That leads us to the question of introspection: why does our student body seem so lackadaisical in supporting even our biggest sports?

As of print time, the men’s team averages 2,086 people over the course of the 13 home games they played this season. Undoubtedly, that’s almost a 100 percent increase from four years ago and about a 40 percent increase from two seasons ago. However, more and more of the spectators are Maconites, not students.

It doesn’t seem to be a matter of wins and losses. The men’s basketball team seems to be matching last year’s record at this point in the season. We did lose popular players and a polarizing one in James Florence — fans either loved the way he played or couldn’t wait to get rid of him. It’s not a matter of promotions either, as Bass Pro Shops, Chick-fil-A, and a handful of other businesses have sponsored games this season.

I believe it’s the message that we hear from those who wish to be great (like Willy, the salesman in Death of a Salesman) but are unfortunately looking through life with jaded lenses. To put it bluntly, cheering a team on is not cool at Mercer. Supporting something other than yourself is not cool at Mercer. Those living under King David’s reign chastised him for dancing. We chastise others with our thoughts and eyes when we cheer exuberantly at games.

There are two people that go to Mercer: givers and takers.  Unfortunately, there are simply too many “takers” in the stands on any given night. They’re the ones who ask, “What can I get from the game?” and, “What’s in it for me?” They’re the ones who come to the game to look cool in their designer jeans and Patagonia jackets, hoping to impress. Mercer shouldn’t have to offer incentives and free T-shirts to encourage you to come to an event. In addition, what an embarrassment to the men’s and women’s soccer programs and volleyball programs when QuadWorks required students to attend at least three of six events in the fall to get a priority homecoming ticket. Students showed up to sign in, only to leave after five minutes. That’s embarrassing and if you’re a taker — shame on you!

No, we cannot be involved in all campus activities, but for the ones we are involved in, shouldn’t we take them and leave them better than we found them? Why is Duke such an imposing place to play? Students took it upon themselves to paint up and jump up and down for 40 minutes in order to pysch out other teams.

Hoffman, the men’s basketball team, and the rest of the athletic teams are doing what they can to put the best product on the field/court. Yes, winning sells tickets and goes a long way, but many Mercerians need to wake up and smell the coffee — life is not just about “Being the Bear,” adding as many activities and positions to the bottom of your e-mail signature as possible and looking out for #1 all the time. It’s not about being apathetic and lukewarm in the 1,426 things that you do around campus.

That’s my challenge to the student body. It’s almost March and it’s put-up-or-shut-up time. If you want to waste oxygen in the UC Arena and sit in an orange fold-out only to appear mildly interested in the happenings on the court and wondering how you benefit from coming to the game, don’t come. For those who want to cheer and cheer loudly to be the sixth man for the team — true Mercerians — I’ll see you at the game!

My sporting bucket list

The Third Half

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Published Feb 9, in Columns, Sports, The Third Half

The Hawaiian Ironman, the top of my bucket list (photo courtesy of thefuntimesguide.com)

There are events and games for which we all wish we had a ticket. If you’re a sports fan of any kind, you most likely have a “sporting bucket list” of major events or matchups you want to attend during your lifetime. Sure, ESPN will always give you a recap on the next morning of SportsCenter, but unless you’re there in the stands, on the sidelines or across the tape, you just don’t know what it’s really about.

My bucket list is probably a bit different than that of the average American sports fan. I tend to gravitate to endurance sports, especially those held in harsh conditions around the globe, but I can also appreciate the skill needed to sink the winning putt at the Masters or the timing necessary to pull off a game-winning three pointer. It’s a hodgepodge of events that I want to see before I die or before my bank account runs dry.

1. The Hawaiian Ironman

It’s the world’s toughest Ironman triathlon, a race for the best endurance athletes in the world. After a grueling 2.5 mile swim, 112 mile bike ride, and 26.2 mile run, the contestants finish a race that many describe as “life changing.” Last year’s winner Chris McCormack (a two-time winner) won with a time of 8:10.37, leading the 1,849 contestants who entered. Just to watch the elation of the finishers would well be worth the trip to Kona.

2. The Super Bowl

The world’s largest sporting event in terms of television audience, media presence and hoopla is a must on my bucket list. Forget the fact that the cheapest ticket I could find three days before the big game went for $2,185 and was so high in Cowboy Stadium that you would not only get a nose bleed, but suffer from altitude sickness. I just want to go to see what the frenzy is about. Even if it features two teams that I could care less about, the importance of the game makes it a can’t miss.

3. The Masters

There’s just something so attractive about a beautiful Sunday afternoon at Augusta National. The perfect greens, the chirping birds, the scenic view and the best golfers in the world create an even more incredible combination than Arnold Palmer’s sweet tea and lemonade. The story lines generated during the opening rounds and the always nail-biting finishes make this a big ticket in the spring.

4. The Tour de France

Perhaps it’s been tainted by doping allegations and the departure of Lance Armstrong, but the tour is still one of the most dramatic events to witness over the course of the month. It could be the length that makes it so attractive, the act of finishing a 3,000+ mile race with top competition that draws me to the sport of cycling.  Nonetheless, sipping a glass of vino on top of the Pyrenees while watching the best in the world give it their all would be quite the sight to see.

5. UNC vs. Duke (College basketball)

Mercer basketball turned me into a hoops fan for reasons undiscovered before my college years. The story lines during games, the crazy fans, the spectacles on the court and the occasional basket-brawl keep me watching. I have no allegiances to either North Carolina or Duke, but just to be surrounded by passionate fans of their caliber would make a trip to Cameron Indoor Stadium worthwhile.

6. The Daytona 500

In the words of Darryl Waltrip, “Boogity, boogity, boogity!” The smell of cheap beer, sunscreen and racing fuel is enough to draw me. While 43 cars enter, there are only a few fan favorites. Despite the race’s length, what could be more fun than cheering for your favorite driver next to a dude with a ‘3’ shaved into the side of his head, wearing jorts?

7. MLB Spring Training (Grapefruit League)

It’s the only time of hope for clubs like the Pittsburgh Pirates. Everyone’s happy and giddy for the season to begin. Temperatures are warm during the day and cool at night in Florida’s Grapefruit league and players are willing to talk and sign autographs for hours with fans. The games don’t count—the glorified warm-up practices (more or less) with official jerseys and caps—but for baseball purists, Spring Training is a pot of gold.

8. Wimbledon

The English love their tennis and Wimbledon is considered by many the greatest tournament in the world. So many winners have made a lasting impact on the sport at Wimbledon, including Andre Agassi, Rafael Nadal, the Williams sisters—the list goes on. Television doesn’t really do it justice. It’s just one of those things where you have to be there to experience it.

9. Heavyweight title bout

I never quite figured out the appeal of MMA (although I’d still like to attend), but boxing goes back longer than almost every other sport. It’s mano a mano, except with boxing gloves and slick-looking shorts. Insert a television broadcast by HBO and a ring announcer with a voice lower than a humpback whale and you have an experience. Where was I when Tyson-Holyfield II was going on in 1997?

10. Yankees vs. Red Sox

It’s THE rivalry in American sports, I’m just not sure why. Perhaps this country boy doesn’t understand the hate involved in the 102-year-old rivalry, but I’d sure like to sit behind a few Yankee and Sox fans during the next classic at Fenway or in the brand new Yankee stadium and try to. Nevertheless, it makes my top ten list.

Other events that were close, but didn’t crack my top ten:

FIFA World Cup, the NBA Finals, the Kentucky Derby, ICC Cricket World Cup, MMA fight, Rugby World Cup