The Monday Massacre: Sammy Watkins

I need only massacre one football player this week.  His infamous decision to begin his celebration of a long touchdown pass with a defender directly on his heels was possibly the worst decision of the year, in any sport.

If this wasn't his first offense, there's a good chance the punishment for that crime would go far beyond public humiliation.  He made himself look like a dumb ass.  Sammy Watkins, ladies and gentlemen, is the victim of my Monday Massacre.


Nothing irritates me more than show boaters that perform their show boating before they reach their goal.  Boasters have the worst karma in the world.  Everyone wants them to get what is coming to them, and they usually do. It's no different with athletes.  If you're going to celebrate scoring a touchdown, wait until you actually score a touchdown.  Almost only counts in horse shoes and hand grenades. The NFL is neither one of those.

Sammy Watkins, you have been massacred.

Trey Frisbey
Boy Meets Sports
@t_frisbeysports

Titans: Welcome, 2014 Football Season

First, let us properly congratulate the Seattle Seahawks on their absolute demolishing performance against the Broncos in the big game. No, we didn't see it coming either.

http://nashvillemusiccity.files.wordpress.com/2010/08/titans1.jpg

Now that we have that out of the way, let us focus of the 2014 football season that will be here in the blink of an eye.  The excitement will build slowly throughout free agency, the draft, mini camps, and training camps. Like the 31 other teams in the league, The Titans are 0-0 starting now and the anticipation and hope will rise slowly.

Here are five things the Titans need to do before they kick off their season on that hot summer day in September:

Release CJ, Britt 

I know many of you think Chris Johnson is still an "elite" running back in the NFL and that the Titans would be making a mistake by releasing him. In reality, though, CJ had three really good years that were followed by a mostly unproductive, average career.  Is he fast? Yes.  Can he be exciting? Yes. I just haven't seen much of either of those in the past three years. What once was is no more. Doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results is insanity. As for Kenny Britt, well.... HA.

Draft a Running Back, Quarterback

There are are going to be a few holes on this team going into the season.  If they pull the trigger, one of the biggest will be at running back.  Look for them to take a running back in the 2nd or 3rd round of the draft.  Who will it be? I'm not sure, you tell me.  At the QB position, Jake Locker will get one more shot and he deserves it, but they need to start developing a young quarterback just in case.  We'll see if its Tyler Wilson or a QB from the draft.

Re-Sign Bernard Pollard

Pollard became a staple of the defense as soon as he walked into camp last year.  He's a leader that has been much needed on this team.  He brought a fire that we haven't seen in quite some time. Letting him go would be taking a huge step back.  Bring him back, make a few defensive additions (especially on the line) and strive to be like that swarming Seattle defense we saw tonight.

Pick Up A Good Cornerback

Unfortunately, it's looking like Alterann Verner will not be wearing two toned blue next season.  If they do bring him back, we should all be ecstatic, but since I don't expect it to happen, they need to bring someone in to bring the production he brought.  Please, please don't give us the Tommie Campbell treatment again.  Really... Please.

Focus, Work, And Be Consistant

Being tough and having the right mindset should be a huge focus for Ken Wisenhunt and the new coaching staff.  We saw a lot of games slip through our hands last year.  We need a team that is hungry. We need a team that will finish.  We need a team with the heart of a champion.  No more soft play or soft minds.  The eye of the tiger is what they call it, I believe.

So here's to the 2014 season.   May it bring us bountiful gifts.  It's time to see two toned blue nation rise up and bring that trophy to Nashville.  Go Titans!

Trey Frisbey
Boy Meets Sports
2/2/2014
Twitter: @boymeetsports

Golden be thy Name

http://prod.static.seahawks.clubs.nfl.com//assets/images/imported/SEA/bio-images/2012/players/Tate-Golden/120919-tate-480.jpg

The 48th playing of the Super Bowl will be played today between the Seattle Seahawks and the Denver Broncos. I, along with many others, are hoping for a great game. However, I am also pulling for the Seahawks to win based on the fact that I went to high school and played baseball with one of their players, Golden Tate. I am going to give an inside scoop of what it was like being in high school and being friends with an NFL superstar.

My earliest memory of Golden was in 8th grade. I was playing football for Christ the King school (I went to St. Ann's but we did not have a football team). St. Joseph's was one of the worst teams in the league and lost almost every game. The last game of the season, we heard that St. Joseph's had a new player, his mom just now letting him play. They won the first game of the playoffs, but lost to the powerhouse Holy Rosary. It was us and Holy Rosary in the finals, while St. Joseph's was in the 3rd place game which took place right before our game. I got a chance to watch some of the game and I noticed somebody who was head and shoulders above the competition. You could see the potential in this kid and you knew that he was something special.

Fast forward to basketball season when my school took on St. Joseph's. It was one of the toughest games I have ever played. Golden was incredibly quick and you had to be in great condition just to keep up with him. You could tell that he was not as polished as a basketball player, but he was still really good and you were afraid to play him. We played them in a tournament later in the year. We were relieved to know that he was not playing due to bad grades. However, we lost to them in OT. They were a pretty stacked team with Golden.

During High School, I went to Pope John Paul II High School. Me and Golden were in the same grade. Everybody knew that he was a great athlete and treated him like such. I remember having a few classes with him. He was not the smartest guy but you could tell that he tried hard. During my junior year, we had a test in Personal Finance. Golden was sitting right next to me. I noticed that he keeped looking at the teacher and when the teacher looked away, he had a note card underneath the test that he would look at with all the answers. Personally, I always liked Golden. We were never great friends, but we always talked and he took the time to get to know me. I also liked that just because he was a star athlete he did not change who he was. He was not cocky and was very friendly. He was never in over his head and think he was better than anybody. I believe he got that attitude from his mom, who was a very sweet woman, but was also very stern.

In sports, Golden played football, basketball and baseball throughout high school. You could tell that football was the number 1 sport for him and the sport he loved the most. He played QB, wide receiver, running back, punt and kick return, and cornerback all throughout his high school career. Golden was an impact player and you had to keep your eyes on the game, because if you looked away you might miss something special. His biggest moment was againgst Goodpasture one year. We were down by 14 with about 20 seconds left. Game over right? Wrong! Golden scored a TD, recovered an onside kick, then scored the game-tying touchdown dragging 2 defenders with him to send the game to OT which we wind up winning. We knew he was going to go to a big time school. he would come into the baseball locker room with letters from schools like Nebraska, Michigan, Texas and Wisconsin among others. Every now and then, he would get a letter from a school like San Jose St. He would look at it and laugh and throw it at us and said we can open it. Phillip Fulmer came to our school one day, though we never saw him. Once when I was in theology class one day, Charlie Weis, head football coach of Notre Dame at the time, walks in and talks to us. Later that day, Golden walks up to the stage and lets the school know that he decided to play football at Notre Dame.

Golden also played basketball in High School, although he did not play his Senior year. You could tell that out of all the sports, basketball was his "worst" sport which really did not mean anything because he was still great. One of my favorite memories of high school is my junior year when we played our arch-rival Father Ryan at their place. Down by 1 with 3 seconds left, we inbound just past midcourt. We throw it to Golden at the top of the key who drives to the free throw line and puts up a floating bank shot that goes in to win the game. We rushed the court and it was an epic moment.

Golden also played baseball and boy could he play. I played with him for 3 years, but I mostly sat on the bench watching greatness. Golden is making a name for himself in the NFL but if he really wanted to he could switch over to baseball and he would do just fine. He actually got drafted right out of high school but decided to go to Notre Dame, where he played baseball as well. Golden was the perfect 5-tool player. He had it all and made everything look so easy. He was the starting Center fielder all 4 years. His range was incredible and he had a cannon of an arm. He could throw it from the fence, which was 375 feet away, all the way to home plate on just 1 hop! At the plate, he could hit for average and power. He once hit 3 homers in one day and had an inside-the-park homer as well. He had great speed on the basepath. Many times he would get picked off but he had the speed to get down to second base before the ball could get there. During his senior year, he was gone for most of the practices because he had to go to banquets and other commitments. However, his playing time was never cut, because you know it's Golden Tate. The coach would be stupid to bench him, although if anybody else did the same thing they would not have been playing. One day he even forgot his jersey and the coach gave him his. One day we were playing in a tournament when some scouts for the Yankees came to watch him play. At one point, he had to lay out for a ball. When he came back to the dugout, he asked us, "Is my thumb supposed to bend this way?" with his thumb bent in a weird direction. He wound up tearing a ligament in his thumb and that was the end of his baseball career in high school. He would run track the rest of the year.

As I watch the game today, I will be proud to know that I got to know Golden Tate. Many memories have revolved around him. The last time I saw him was 2 summers ago. I was walking around downtown Nashville when all of a sudden I saw him. Before I could say anything, he yelled my name and rans up to me and gave me a big hug. Not everyday you see an NFL star walking around downtown Nashville. I think that is what sums up Golden Tate. He is a very caring, genuine guy who never forgets the people from his past. He will never let fame get to his head and will never change who he is. That is the Golden Tate that I know and I wish all of you could know. Go Seahawks!

Until Next time,

Nathan Krispin
Boy Meets Sports

The Six Cancerous Players In The Titans Locker Room

Most Titans fans have heard TE Delanie Walker's comments about the "cancerous" players in the Titans locker room last season.  Walker mentioned the cancer earlier in the year after a crucial loss.  Many of us are pretty sure of two players that may have been unhappy with the organization and ready to get out of Tennessee, but who are the other four?  It's hard to speculate, but I'm going to because it makes for interesting content.

http://www.examiner.com/article/titans-2010-preview-receivers

1. Kenny Britt- Britt is the most obvious player on the 53 man roster that was completely out of it last year.  His lack of work and concentration sent his career into a downward spiral.  He believes he's better than he is and never quite figured out how to separate his personal life from his football career.  It's sad because his potential was sky high.  Potential only gets a try-out, though.

2. Chris Johnson- CJ is never slow to point the finger at other players.  Like Britt, he thinks he's better than he actually is.  I could have hit some of the holes he's missed the past few years.  He's fast, but guess what? Everyone in the NFL is fast.  He's said he won't take a pay-cut to stay in Tennessee.  See ya!

3. Akeem Ayers-  Ayers hasn't lived up to the hype coming out of college, and claims he played through a key injury all of last season.  When I see a guy talking about his college team on twitter more than the team he plays on to make money, a red flag goes up.  That's the basis for a few of the players I've chosen.  You're in the NFL now. Take pride in your team.

4. Tommy Campbell- A guy that's not heard from much in the media, mostly because he's never lived up to his "athletic" expectations.  He was given every opportunity to beat out Alterraun Verner at the CB position this year and he couldn't do it.  He's a hell of an athlete, but he doesn't have the mental capacity to be a star. He may not have the will either.

5. Kevin Matthews- Not too sure if the guys attitude was a cancer to the team, but the fact that he kept resigning with the squad after a number of cuts seems a bit off.  His dad was the offensive line after all.  He may or may not be a good guy, but I don't know how well the whole deal sat with the players.

6. Jerry Gray- May not have been a direct cancer to the players, but the way he coached the latter part of the season brought a lot of people down with him.  There were rumblings of him changing the defensive plan midway through the season.  I wonder if it was out of spite? He knew Gregg Williams was going to be the defensive coordinator regardless.  Did he want to prove that his way was the right way? My guess is yes.

The Titans 2013 season was a huge disappointment.  Training camp was filled with so much hope and promise.  The talent was there but something was just off.  Speculation will continue into the 2014 season. We'll see if the new regime can turn things around.  I'm tired of watching scrubs in Tennessee on Saturdays and Sundays.

Trey Frisbey
Boy Meets Sports
1/30/2014
Twitter: @boymeetsports

Best Guide To American Football Ever

Thank you, Fraser Davidson, whoever you may be...

Trey Fribey
Boy Meets Sports
1/23/2014
Twitter: @boymeetsports

Great Sports Movies You May Have Forgotten

Sports flicks have been around forever and that's not changing.  We all know some of the best ones like "The Sandlot" and "Remember the Titans", but we also forget some solid sports movies that become forgotten as time goes on.  Here is a reminder of some good sports movies that you'll want to revisit after reading this.

5. The Little Giants

Remember "the anexation of puerto rico"? Of course you do! But I bet you don't think about it too often. Go watch the "The Little Giants" and remember your childhood.  

4. the garbage picking field goal kicking philadelphia phenomenon

That's right.  I pulled this card.  There are nine parts on YouTube which shows the entire film. You can also  Here (amazon link)

3. Angels In The Endzone

I apologize for the quality of the video, but this was an underrated sequel! Either that, or I was too young the last time I saw it.  You know, that age when you think every movie is outstanding.

2. The Rookie

No, not "Rookie of the Year". This movie isn't underrated at all.  Most that have seen it, love it.  It's not talked about much, though.  It's one of those movies that "fall through the cracks", when great sports movies are brought up. Go watch it.  You might cry.

1. Hard Ball

Not sure if it has survived the test of time or not, but I never hear much about it.  It's not bad at all! Go check it out.  "I love it when you call me big papa".

Those are just five of the movies that came to mind when I starting digging through parts of the brain that hold that library of my forgotten past.  Feel free to add more in the comments!

Trey Frisbey
Boy Meets Sports
1/19/2014
Twitter: @boymeetsports

Fans, Your Attendance is Crucial

Seeing videos like this on ESPN have made me realize the changes that are coming in the sports world, and I don't like them. You shouldn't either.

HDTV's have taken over our homes and are only getting bigger and better.  Going to the fridge and getting a one dollar beer is cheaper than buying one at the game.  My couch is just so damn comfortable.  I love being able to watch the game in peace. Ticket prices are so expensive.

These are the excuses that are being heard louder and louder throughout the U.S. when people are asked why they prefer to stay at home and watch the game compared to attending it.  When I was growing up, going to a Titans game was one of the most awesome things I could attend.  Smelling the beer on the seats, hearing the cursing fans, and feeling the energy in the stadium gave me a feeling that can never be replicated. That feeling that I used to feel is beginning to die.  Not only in Nashville, but in a lot big arenas and stadiums around the country.  Even the NFL playoffs didn't sell out right away. 

 There is something special about the atmosphere that a sporting event provides.  Sure, your couch is comfy and the beer is cheaper, but what about coming together as a whole?  Even during games that were boring or when the team you love is bad, fans will do things like start the wave or yell out crazy, funny remarks.  You see crazy fans at games on the internet all the time, but not in this video.

A stadium without fans feels like the quietest thing on earth.  Being in such a big, unique structure without any people can be very peaceful or very depressing.  Immagine hearing your favorite announcer on the radio or TV perfectly clear because you can't hear fans screaming behind them.  Imagine hearing the referee talking in a normal voice so he doesn't have to scream over fans yelling.  Imagine hearing defensive players talking.  Imagine a lifeless, quiet stadium holding two teams hitting each other with no support.  The adrenaline would go down and performance would go down.  Start attending games.  Take your family.  Take your friends.  I don't want to see the games I love without the support they deserve.  Ditch the dish and go support your team.  

Trey Frisbey

Boy Meets Sports

1/13/2014

Twitter: @boymeetsports

The Case to Keep Munchak

After browsing twitter for the past month or so, it's obvious where the fans stand on their opinion of Mike Munchak and his return for the 2014 NFL season.  It's hard to find many supporters for him and that's understandable considering the record his teams have held over the past two seasons.  You are only as good as your record says, yes, but the way this team plays and leaves their hearts on the field should be a factor in his job future as well.  He's made mistakes, yes, but he deserves just one more year, and here is why.

Team Chemistry

Coach Munchak's team have had problems closing games this season, but I have yet to see a game where they quite on each other or the coach.  This group really seems to love each other.  While the wins haven't come, I have a hard time believing they won't in the near future.  hypothetically, if we gave this team five or six mulligan plays this season, they could very well be 9-5 or better.  They love each other and they love their coach.  The wins will follow.  They just haven't gotten over that hump yet.

Improvement From 2012

Sure, the record may not indicate any improvement from last year to this year, but the play on the field has definitely said otherwise.  Other than two games, the Titans have been in every game this season going into the fourth quarter.  I know fans want wins, and rightfully so.  Close only counts in horse shoes and hand grenades, but the improvement does need to be acknowledged.  Accept it people.  I know you love the mob mentallity, but it's not as bad as you make it out to be.

One More Offseason of Improvements

Justin Hunter, Delanie Walker, and Bernard Pollard are three names on the 2013 roster that we didn't hear last year.  They were off season pick ups that have really helped this team improve and move forward.  If Munch can have the courage to fire Bruce Matthews and have one more successful draft and free agent class, this team should get over the hump in 2014.  The quarterback position is still a big question mark, but next season could be a perfect storm for this team.  The division is anyone's to win in the next few seasons.

Trey Frisbey
Boy Meets Sports
12/15/2013
Twitter: (@boymeetsports)

BCS Guru

My colleague decided to make predictions for the NFL, so I say why not do one for college?

This is the last year of the BCS, which means that many of you are rejoicing. The BCS has had alot of problems but it still made College Football exciting and sparked some debate. If the 4 team playoff started this year, Alabama's loss to Auburn would not be that big of a deal. Alabama would be one of the top 4 teams and still had a chance to win a 3rd straight National Championship.

But we do not have a playoff yet. So here are my projections for the BCS matchups:

Rose Bowl: Arizona St vs. Michigan St.

Arizona State will beat Stanford to get to the Rose Bowl. Michigan St. will get to the Rose Bowl even after a loss to Ohio State in the Big 10 Championship game because that is what the Rose Bowl does.

Fiesta Bowl: Oklahoma State vs. UCF

OK State beats Oklahoma to win the Big 12 and UCF wins the AAC.

Sugar Bowl: Auburn vs. Northern Illinois.

Auburn beats Missouri to win the SEC while Northern Illinois gets to go to a BCS bowl game and get beat down for the second year in a row.

Orange Bowl: Alabama vs. Oregon

The National Championship game that everybody wanted to see during most of the season. Here is the matchup but not the venue everybody wanted.

BCS National Championship: Ohio State vs. Florida State

Whether you like it or not, here is your national championship. The SEC will not have a champion (does not mean that they are not the best conference in football though). Should be a great game.

Until next time,

Nathan Krispin

Boy Meets Sports