A Summer of Sports

How was everyone’s summer? Short? Yeah, I know the feeling. I clocked in an average of 60 hours a week at work. Between working at a CVS and working at a science warehouse – where I put bagged animals to the shelf – I didn’t have much free time. That doesn’t mean though, that I didn’t have time to take in the wide world of sports. Here’s a little timeline of my summer in sports.

April 29: Watched the NFL Draft. Being a Bills fan, I’ve grown to use to disappointment and failure. It’s a sad thing, but I’ve come to expect it. For a team that changes head coaches and quarterbacks more often than Hillary Clinton changes sides on an issue (save this one – you’ll all appreciate it come the 2008 presidential election), you really can’t expect much consistent success. But I’m used to that. So when the Bills came up with the eighth pick in the draft this year and Matt Leinart was still available, I should’ve just known that the Bills leadership would screw up. I mean, why would Buffalo want a two-time national champion, Heisman winning, box office draw? Naw . . . we don’t need those in Buffalo. Instead, the Bills took a safety who no one thought would even go in the top ten. Amazing. Just amazing.

May 28: Barry Bonds hits career home run 714. Baseball fans weep on this day. When talking about Bonds, I’m legally required to use the word “allegedly.” Bonds “allegedly” used steroids. Bonds “allegedly” cheated at the game of baseball. Bonds “allegedly” scarred the record books. Retire, Bonds. Do us all a favor and retire.

June 1: The Buffalo Sabres are eliminated from the NHL play-offs. Oh well, NHL, you almost got me to care. Really, you were really, really close. After a year of no hockey, the NHL returned with new rules and a new attitude – or at least that’s what the advertising campaign told me. But kudos to you, NHL, you’ve piqued my interest, whetted my appetite now. I think I might just tune in a little bit more this upcoming season. If not for the hockey, but to see the Sabres’ new jersey. Let’s go charging slugs!

June 3: Attended the opening of PAETEC Park. For those of you not from the Rochester area, PAETEC is our soccer stadium, home of the Rochester Rhinos. For those of you not from the Rochester area, the Rhinos are probably the greatest non-MLS soccer team in America. This stadium went through constant redesigns, relocations, and refinancing. So after years of hard work and determination, PAETEC Park finally opened its doors in June. And it poured. Not just your usual “Oh it’s Rochester, of course it’s raining” rain, but torrential downpour “let’s start building an ark in the Kodak parking lot” kind of rain. Due to my disposition to pneumonia, I left at the half.

July 16: Michelle Wie withdraws from the John Deere Classic due to “heat exhaustion."

September 8: Michelle Wie misses cut at the Omega European Masters.

September 15: Michelle Wie misses cut at the 84 Lumber Classic. Okay, for those of your catching onto a trend here, I’m not a fan of Michelle Wie. She worth millions in endorsement deals and Time magazine said that she’s one of the people who will shape our world, etcetera, etcetera. Well, I’m not buying it. So far, all we’ve seen from her is a girl with poor golf etiquette, someone who felt she didn’t have to pay her dues before going trying to go to the top of the sport, and someone who at this point, has made the cut at zero PGA events. For those keeping score at home, Michelle Wie and myself have made the cut at the same number of PGA events. And I don’t even have an endorsement deal.

Welcome back, everyone. Enjoy another season of Courier sports.

- Originally published in the Cardinal Courier (Volume 6-Issue 1; September 20, 2006)