Am I a Sports-aholic ???

Disclaimer: By this time, if you've not already realized and as I hear from people, I fear I'm turning into a Sports-aholic; I hope to get some valuable feedback and search for some answers.

I typically begin my day by watching Sports Center, listen to 'Mike and Mike in the Morning' on my way to work and get back home and try to catch glimpses on some shitty MLB game or other features.

These are few of the things I've doing consistently for sometime now:

1. Being an Indian, be default, I obviously read every article on cricinfo
2. Took the option to work from home so as to watch most minutes during the recently-concluded World Cup (again, anyone with no sports interest also watches the World Cup)
3. Learnt the intricacies of Major League Baseball this season - how to read the stats, player histories, team traditions etc. to name a few
4. Watched almost all rounds of the NFL draft on Day 1
5. Watched the NBA draft for 4-5 hours straight on a weeknight
6. Saw a couple of Team USA games in the women's Softball world cup
7. Watched the March Madness' even after my team lost for the sake of my office pool
8. In the pretext of getting ready for the NFL season followed the progress of every team through their training camps
9. For the first-time, analyzed pre-season NCAA football rankings and their potentials for the year
10. Thanks to a bunch of golf-crazy co-workers I've started following each of the PGA Championships, the techniques of Tiger and Phil's swings and the drivers they use

But, a couple of things that I ended up doing the past weekend has sorta re-inforced people to believe this way - for one, people were surprised as I was up till 1 a.m. to watch Team USA tip-off live in Japan and I also shocked a guy I know here who has been a crazy Steelers fan since the day he was born by watching every minute of their pre-season game and with my knowledge of the team and related happenings. I also sat for two hours and played in a manual draft, this season for I believe that is the real test of your football knowledge.

More of this interest developed into sort of a passion due to the knowledge and interest of people around me - friends and more so, coworkers - you had to keep yourself updated with things to discuss and talk to them during non-work hours!

Talking about some of the implications of this sports craziness' in general - after some self-retrospect, on one side I could argue that it is a good distraction, something that'll keep you occupied and also maybe busy, especially if you are "single" and living alone. When a friend recently asked me as to if I feel bored and lonely by living alone - I said I always have had something to read or watch ;).

From a long-term perspective, for one practically it'll not be possible to be hooked onto the TV/Internet as it is now. And definitely, I'm sure flaunting your Sports IQ could possibly earn you some brownie points when you're talking with most girls these days. But, in that perspective the key is to not-to over do things and give the girl an impression that you will probably watch the TV more than her ;). The right balance with a good-mix is what I'd hope for.

As we embark on a new season I must say as always -

My heart is with the Steelers and my Soul is with the Mountaineers'!

Before signing off - as an FYI - my friend asked me if I wanted to get Mobile-ESPN, I politely declined more so after seeing the TV ad where a girl breaks-up with her guy who was ever hooked onto his cell looking for fantasy updates.

Numbers or rings - What matters in American Sports?

This is probably the most popular debate in sports that will never end. Last Week, on ESPN Radio, Dan Patrick openly declared that numbers mean nothing to him, they are almost baseless and he goes only by the number of championships a player has won in his career.

I've been thinking about this rather rash statement for a while now and have finally found something to write. Historically speaking, I believe in most cases numbers go hand-in-hand with the number of rings a player has won. It's usually the numbers he puts up that takes him far and deep into the play-offs; ofcourse, there have been rare instances of exceptional athletes not wining championships.

The fundamental context for these arguments is when sports journalists sit to vote players to the Hall of Fame or when any panel discusses to come up with some sort of list of great players like the recent Hometown Heroes poll conducted by the MLB.

You usually see people echo the fact that some guys could have made it if they had a ring etc. Say, people say that Steve McNair might make it the HOF if he wins a ring by the end of his career or Bill Cowher would never be called a great coach, if he had not won the Super Bowl the past year and the same goes for Jerome Bettis. Like this there are many instances where a ring separates a player from the HOF. Not everyone is a Dan Marino for he owned most NFL records and that took him to Canton! People now talk of Peyton Manning getting there even if he does not make a Super Bowl for now he has taken over most Marino records. And, on the other flip side a common statement is Tom Brady will make it even if he stops playing today for he has 3 rings.

Now, for my take on this subject - Phil Simms opens his autobiography saying that the stats give you an indication of what a player is, but they do not tell you the full story and are not a testimony for his talents. I couldn't agree more with Simms on this. However, I do think a player is great only if he takes up responsibility and carries a team till the finish, he needs to have it in him to sustain and ward-off any pressure to fight until the end. All said and done, it does remain a fact that these rings add glamour to your career and is like a feather in your cap; jewel in your crown and more such fancier things can be said.

If it comes down to equally talented players with similar numbers, I'll go for the rings!