Friday, 02.11.2011 / 03:36 PM / Radio Waves By Lightning Radio
We continue with our Lightning player interviews, as “assistant to the assistant” Rob Boelke brings you his interview with Dominic Moore, recorded on February 2nd.
You can listen to the interview in its entirety here:
http://downloads.lightning.nhl.com/audio/2011/02/08/lrn/DMooreRW.mp3
Original Post here:
http://blogs.lightning.nhl.com/11319/striving-to-learn-moore-an-interview-with-dominic-moore/
If you remember the last time I penned a column for Radio Waves, I also eluded to this edition of the Lightning as a team ‘graduating college’ or beginning the process of becoming one of the premier hockey franchises in the world. In the past couple of weeks we have certainly seen evidence that supports my analogy, both on and off the ice. Off the ice, our owner Jeff Vinik has pledged the better part of $50 million to renovate the St. Pete Times Forum as well as to assist local charities and organizations within the Tampa Bay area. On the ice, the Lightning continues to set franchise records, off to its best start this late in to a season.
During a recent six-game win streak, broken February 4th in a loss to the Washington Capitals, Dominic Moore made his presence known once again, especially in the shootouts against Florida and Atlanta. “Those were a couple games where we maybe did not play our best, but we hung in there and gave ourselves a chance. I was fortunate to get lucky on those couple of goals. The more important thing is that everyone is doing their part and that we have a total team effort every night”, Moore told me after practice last Wednesday at the St. Pete Times Forum.
Moore is no stranger to talks of graduation or schooling either. In fact, this entire team isn’t. Eleven players have attended college in some capacity, not to mention Coach Guy Boucher’s four degrees, but there is something about Moore that most wouldn’t know without having a look at his bio. He spent four years at the Ivy League of Ivy League schools– Harvard University. As soon as I found that out, I knew I had to grill him about the secret societies and infamous final clubs.
“The good thing about going to a place like that is that you get the best of both worlds. (Harvard) hockey is one of the longest standing traditions in NCAA hockey, and academically, the best thing about going there are the people you meet. People from all walks of life, and that’s what I appreciate the most.”
Any educated hockey fan knows that the usual course to a professional career is one of the many regional junior leagues, but what I wanted to know was how many current NHL’ers went the college route like Dominic. USA Today keeps an updated database on NHL player origins. As I counted the 142 names one by one, nearly 20% of the league, I realized Moore’s decision to follow a different path is truly rare and unique. He told me that this path was not one paved just by hockey, but by family.
“We’re very grateful for the opportunities that we we’re able to get and I give the credit to my brothers for paving the way. It was a neat experience, one which we all appreciate.” Dominic’s older brothers, Steve and Mark, also attended the university and also played Hockey for the Crimson. In fact, the trio was able to play together during the 1999-2000 Eastern College Athletic Conference season, a season in which Dominic was named Ivy League Rookie of the year. Dominic went on to captain the Crimson during his junior and senior seasons, and following his senior season, he was named Harvard Male Athlete of the Year.
Aside from his brothers already being in Cambridge, Dominic mentioned that his decision to play college hockey over juniors came down to the structure of the league, and his ability to grow as a player within that structure. “College hockey is stronger now than it ever has been, and for me, it was a great experience. I was a late bloomer in terms of my game, and (college hockey) allows you to work on your fitness more, because you don’t play as many games.”
Late bloomer or not, his game is all there now, giving reason to the Lightning’s offseason acquisition of Moore, who’s bounced around the league a bit, playing with the Rangers, Leafs, Sabres, Penguins, Canadiens, Wild, and Panthers, before signing his current two year deal with the Bolts. When asked, he seemed happy to be here and have a bit of consistency. “There were so many changes here from last year to this year, with a lot of new faces from top to bottom. It’s an exciting time to be a part of this team, and I think everyone feels that energy.”
That bolt of energy has helped Moore carve out a niche in the hard-working third line of the Lightning, and has also helped him start his time in a Lightning uniform with four goals in the first five games of the season. In fact, the Bolts are 7-1 when Moore has scored this season. His work ethic on the ice is something we can all learn from… and it’s an education we can all experience without the costly student loan repayments over the next 25 years.
Friday, February 11, 2011
Monday, January 3, 2011
Attack of the Intern!
Originally Posting can be found here...
http://blogs.lightning.nhl.com/11105/attack-of-the-intern/
Monday, 01.03.2011 / 05:00 PM / Radio Waves By Lightning Radio
(Editor’s note: The top story in this edition of Radio Waves is penned by Rob Boelke, the intern and official “assistant to the assistant” of the Lightning Radio Network.)
Hey there Lightning Radio junkies, it’s “Assistant to the Assistant” Rob Boelke, the artist formally known as “Intern Rob.” The only way you might recognize me is from listening to “Lightning Hockey Hotline” on 620 WDAE, or you are one of my friends or family members whom I will forcibly make read this article.
For starters, the whole ‘Assistant to the Assistant’ is getting old and I am using this as a forum to petition for a better title. Anyone who watches ‘The Office’ or ‘Seinfeld’ knows why I feel so offended to be associated with this. Hell, ‘Intern Rob’ was fine in the first place, though it was slightly derogatory. So if after reading this, you could leave a comment with a better title for me? I’d appreciate it. (Editor’s sidebar: Knowing full well that a reader’s suggestion could actually be far worse than what the Lightning Radio staff has called him, we are taking suggestions at LightningRadio@sptimesforum.com. If we deem one of them worthy, the winner will receive a post-game meet-and-greet with the Lightning players following a mutually-agreed upon game).
I recently graduated from the University of South Florida with a Bachelors of Arts in Communications for Media and Cultural Studies. I was born and raised in Tampa Bay and grew up watching all of the Tampa based teams, and I pride myself on being one of the few to remember such sporting ventures as the Tampa Bay Terror, as well as one of the few to be at both home Arena Bowl wins for the Tampa Bay Storm. I wasn’t there in ’98, the only other Arena Bowl held in Tampa, because it was Beanie Baby Day at the DEVIL Rays game. I’m digging a bit of a hole with that statement there.
My favorite memories from childhood are watching sporting events I shared with my father, whether we were in attendance or watching them on television. There were times when my father would just mute the TV and let me do all the talking. Other times, he’d yell for me to shut up…because my Pat Summerall and John Madden impersonations were atrocious. So from a young age, it has been the plan to pursue a career in sports broadcasting. Fast forward to this past summer. I attended a Lightning-sponsored intern fair, and after a series of challenges, obstacle courses, puzzles, police interrogations, etc, voila, here I am.
I get the most out of the internship at home games. I attend morning skate and gather interviews of players and coaches before and after that night’s game. I regularly have access to the players and the locker rooms, and what would seem like an amazing experience, at first, was terrorizing. I used to write blogs and opinion articles about my favorite teams and their issues from afar, so the thought of actually having to interact with those I so often criticized or glorified was a bit nerve-racking.
The locker rooms tend to be chaotic and intimidating. With media members aplenty scrounging for interviews, I was expected to just “get in there” and mix it up with professional athletes. It took a little while to get used to, but I very much settled in now. Not one of the guys in the Lightning room is too ‘big’ not to talk to the lowly intern. I also take care of gathering sound from the visitor’s locker room, which brings its own set of challenges. For the most part though, the other teams have been more than inviting and supportive, players and staff alike. I think this is a testament to the game of hockey, as most everyone involved are pleasant and approachable, off the ice anyways.
During games, I am also in charge of arranging the on-air, intermission and post-game interviews with players outside our locker room. Soon after the game has ended, I head on over to Trolley’s, the site of our post-game broadcast and ‘Lightning Hockey Hotline’ where I do what I am best known for. I stand around holding a microphone, waiting for someone to gather the courage to come talk to Matt and ‘The Chief’ Bobby Taylor.
Having just graduated/escaped from the hell that is the modern day college experience, I feel like I have something in common with this year’s team and staff. Consider the ’04 Stanley Cup run as the organization ‘graduating high school’. A few bumps in the road as the team ‘started college’ through the last few seasons, and they have wound up here, in what seems to be one of the final classes required for their ‘degree’. The Bolts are very much a team in transition, having learned some hard lessons over the past few years. But it seems now, under the tutelage of Steve Yzerman and Guy Boucher, who is no slouch himself when it comes to schooling, the Bolts are ready for the proverbial ‘next step’.
From my vantage point, Couch Boucher is the most well-rounded coach we have had in the organization. He is the professor that changed your outlook in college. His personality is infectious. I attend his pre-game press conferences every home game, and it is evident why the locker room has that friendly and inviting tone. Boucher’s most used phrase this season has to be “Does that answer your question?” He also likes to joke a bit. Smiling is not uncommon when you are interviewing Guy, and even then you still get the sense everything he does has purpose. Nothing he says to the players or the media is ever unimportant or not thought through. He is always focused. It is as if Guy treats his job like a chess match, picking and choosing the appropriate actions and reactions to every situation.
Speaking of tutors, the play of Martin St. Louis and Vincent Lecavalier, thus far, can not go unmentioned. I feel Marty is likely to eclipse career highs in a couple of categories this year, and his influence over Steven Stamkos can be seen in Stammer’s work ethic and attitude over the last two seasons. And though Lecavalier missed 14 games with a hand injury this season, his play has been sublime since returning two weeks ago. There is a presence and calmness that can be seen in almost all of his shifts, which culminated in the wraparound goal against Tim Thomas and the Bruins on December 28th. I believe the team feeds off of that poise, and our boys are 7-1-1 since his return, which can’t be too much of a coincidence.
Some of the new students are quickly showing their ability as well. I have been impressed by Dana Tyrell since training camp. His tenacity on the forecheck, coupled with his speed on the puck, has lead to a number of odd man rushes and breakaways for him and his line mates.
The experience to this point has been indescribable, and there should be plenty more to come. I intend on making the most of this while it lasts and undoubtedly, these experiences will help set me apart when it comes time to start my career.
http://blogs.lightning.nhl.com/11105/attack-of-the-intern/
Monday, 01.03.2011 / 05:00 PM / Radio Waves By Lightning Radio
(Editor’s note: The top story in this edition of Radio Waves is penned by Rob Boelke, the intern and official “assistant to the assistant” of the Lightning Radio Network.)
Hey there Lightning Radio junkies, it’s “Assistant to the Assistant” Rob Boelke, the artist formally known as “Intern Rob.” The only way you might recognize me is from listening to “Lightning Hockey Hotline” on 620 WDAE, or you are one of my friends or family members whom I will forcibly make read this article.
For starters, the whole ‘Assistant to the Assistant’ is getting old and I am using this as a forum to petition for a better title. Anyone who watches ‘The Office’ or ‘Seinfeld’ knows why I feel so offended to be associated with this. Hell, ‘Intern Rob’ was fine in the first place, though it was slightly derogatory. So if after reading this, you could leave a comment with a better title for me? I’d appreciate it. (Editor’s sidebar: Knowing full well that a reader’s suggestion could actually be far worse than what the Lightning Radio staff has called him, we are taking suggestions at LightningRadio@sptimesforum.com. If we deem one of them worthy, the winner will receive a post-game meet-and-greet with the Lightning players following a mutually-agreed upon game).
I recently graduated from the University of South Florida with a Bachelors of Arts in Communications for Media and Cultural Studies. I was born and raised in Tampa Bay and grew up watching all of the Tampa based teams, and I pride myself on being one of the few to remember such sporting ventures as the Tampa Bay Terror, as well as one of the few to be at both home Arena Bowl wins for the Tampa Bay Storm. I wasn’t there in ’98, the only other Arena Bowl held in Tampa, because it was Beanie Baby Day at the DEVIL Rays game. I’m digging a bit of a hole with that statement there.
My favorite memories from childhood are watching sporting events I shared with my father, whether we were in attendance or watching them on television. There were times when my father would just mute the TV and let me do all the talking. Other times, he’d yell for me to shut up…because my Pat Summerall and John Madden impersonations were atrocious. So from a young age, it has been the plan to pursue a career in sports broadcasting. Fast forward to this past summer. I attended a Lightning-sponsored intern fair, and after a series of challenges, obstacle courses, puzzles, police interrogations, etc, voila, here I am.
I get the most out of the internship at home games. I attend morning skate and gather interviews of players and coaches before and after that night’s game. I regularly have access to the players and the locker rooms, and what would seem like an amazing experience, at first, was terrorizing. I used to write blogs and opinion articles about my favorite teams and their issues from afar, so the thought of actually having to interact with those I so often criticized or glorified was a bit nerve-racking.
The locker rooms tend to be chaotic and intimidating. With media members aplenty scrounging for interviews, I was expected to just “get in there” and mix it up with professional athletes. It took a little while to get used to, but I very much settled in now. Not one of the guys in the Lightning room is too ‘big’ not to talk to the lowly intern. I also take care of gathering sound from the visitor’s locker room, which brings its own set of challenges. For the most part though, the other teams have been more than inviting and supportive, players and staff alike. I think this is a testament to the game of hockey, as most everyone involved are pleasant and approachable, off the ice anyways.
During games, I am also in charge of arranging the on-air, intermission and post-game interviews with players outside our locker room. Soon after the game has ended, I head on over to Trolley’s, the site of our post-game broadcast and ‘Lightning Hockey Hotline’ where I do what I am best known for. I stand around holding a microphone, waiting for someone to gather the courage to come talk to Matt and ‘The Chief’ Bobby Taylor.
Having just graduated/escaped from the hell that is the modern day college experience, I feel like I have something in common with this year’s team and staff. Consider the ’04 Stanley Cup run as the organization ‘graduating high school’. A few bumps in the road as the team ‘started college’ through the last few seasons, and they have wound up here, in what seems to be one of the final classes required for their ‘degree’. The Bolts are very much a team in transition, having learned some hard lessons over the past few years. But it seems now, under the tutelage of Steve Yzerman and Guy Boucher, who is no slouch himself when it comes to schooling, the Bolts are ready for the proverbial ‘next step’.
From my vantage point, Couch Boucher is the most well-rounded coach we have had in the organization. He is the professor that changed your outlook in college. His personality is infectious. I attend his pre-game press conferences every home game, and it is evident why the locker room has that friendly and inviting tone. Boucher’s most used phrase this season has to be “Does that answer your question?” He also likes to joke a bit. Smiling is not uncommon when you are interviewing Guy, and even then you still get the sense everything he does has purpose. Nothing he says to the players or the media is ever unimportant or not thought through. He is always focused. It is as if Guy treats his job like a chess match, picking and choosing the appropriate actions and reactions to every situation.
Speaking of tutors, the play of Martin St. Louis and Vincent Lecavalier, thus far, can not go unmentioned. I feel Marty is likely to eclipse career highs in a couple of categories this year, and his influence over Steven Stamkos can be seen in Stammer’s work ethic and attitude over the last two seasons. And though Lecavalier missed 14 games with a hand injury this season, his play has been sublime since returning two weeks ago. There is a presence and calmness that can be seen in almost all of his shifts, which culminated in the wraparound goal against Tim Thomas and the Bruins on December 28th. I believe the team feeds off of that poise, and our boys are 7-1-1 since his return, which can’t be too much of a coincidence.
Some of the new students are quickly showing their ability as well. I have been impressed by Dana Tyrell since training camp. His tenacity on the forecheck, coupled with his speed on the puck, has lead to a number of odd man rushes and breakaways for him and his line mates.
The experience to this point has been indescribable, and there should be plenty more to come. I intend on making the most of this while it lasts and undoubtedly, these experiences will help set me apart when it comes time to start my career.
Monday, October 18, 2010
Special Stuff From Special Teams As Lightning Bounce Back...
Bolts 5 - Stars 4, St. Pete Times Forum, Tampa.
The Power Play takes center stage as the Lightning score four with the man advantage to defeat the previously unbeaten Dallas Stars, 5-4.
4W-1L Dallas @ 4W-1L Lightning.
Dallas Goals: Peterson (1), Burish (1), Morrow (5), & Neal (3)
Lightning Goals: Downie (2), Stamkos (5), Bergenheim (1), & Moore (3 & 4)
Dallas SOG: 19
Lightning SOG: 44
Three Stars: 1)Hedman 2)Moore 3)Thompson
The 3rd Line got the game started Monday night as the Lightning looked to put aside an eye-opening, 6-0 loss to the Florida Panthers from Saturday against the previously undefeated Dallas Stars. Saturday's game saw the Lightning frustrated offensively, coming up empty despite 29 shots on net. Possible doubt around the consistancy of the Lightning attack was hightened with the news that captain Vincent Lecavalier would be out of the lineup due to injury. Lecavalier was scratched for a bruised hand that was struck by a shot in that loss to the Panthers.
The Lightning were on front foot early in the first, until two Stamkos penalties, a slash and a roughing call, curtailed their early pressure. The penalty kill had an easy go of things, however, as the Stars, who came into the evening ranked 28th in the league on the power play, could not seem to get the final pass onto anyone's stick for a clean shot. Lightning RW Sean Bergenheim and C Dominic Moore were adventurous and inspirational on the forecheck, as the forwards provided an early spark defensively. After killing off the two early penalties, the Bolts settled in and earned a couple of power plays of their own.
All three first period goals were on the Lightning power play, but the first came from an unexpected source and the unexpected team, given the situation. Dallas C Toby Peterson, who only scored nine times last season, gave the Stars a 1-Nothing advantage with the shorthanded goal fifteen minutes in.
Not long after, on the same penalty in fact, the Bolts answered through RW Steve Downie, who deflected in a RW Martin St. Louis shot. Stamkos added another PPG with 16 seconds left to close out the period, and to give the Lightning a 2-1 advantage going into the break.
On the other side of those early power play chances was a frustrated Stars C Brad Richards, who was only playing in his second game against the Lightning in Tampa since the 2004 Conn Smythe winner was traded in 2008 from the club that drafted him. Richards is very much the quarterback of the Stars offense, and is happy to play provider, with 8 assists through 5 games so far this season including one on the Stars 4th goal of the night. When I spoke to him after the game though, it was obvious he was not pleased with the team's offensive performance...
"They (the Lightning) were working real hard early, and we didn't want to do that. We wanted to play our own 'fancy' game, and we can't rely on him (G Keri Lehtonen) stopping 50 shots while we play 'fancy'"
I asked Richards about the set up passes, and why, with all of Dallas' possession, things didn't click...
"You just said it. Those last passes, there was no need to pass. We knew, and we talked about it...If you are going to get 'fancy' it will not work. We didn't get shots on goal. We didn't test their goalie. If we get 30 shots, maybe we win. You can't have four power plays, and only have three or four shots (on each)"
Tailing off of Richie's word for the night, the Lightning gave us a bit of 'fancy' in the second period. The Lightning's only even strength goal came from the hard work of RW Teddy Purcell, who cut off Dallas RW Adam Burish at the blue line, attempting to make a clearance. Purcell fought 4 or 5 seconds to push Burish over to the left point, where he stole the puck and whipped a backhand pass to Steven Stamkos sitting at the bottom of the left circle. Stammers immediately slipped the puck across to a charging Sean Bergenheim, who smartly followed up on Stamkos' vacated position in front of the net, and scored.
C Dominic Moore scored the last two of the Lightning's 5 goals, both of which came on the power play. The Bolts are now 6 of 10 on the power play at home this season (60%) and 8 of 24 altogether (33%).
Side Notes: Last nights game was 'Hockey Fights Cancer' Night, where several members of media and staff wore pink and purple ribbons, pins, and ties in honor of the occasion.
Sunday, August 8, 2010
My Rant/Term Paper on Racism in European Soccer
Hegemony and Racism in European Soccer
An optimist would view the election of our current president as the epitome of anti-racism. To have a black/multi racial president only a matter of decades after the civil rights movement is to optimists/anti-racists movements the end of racism. I feel a smarter person would take the opposite stance. Thousands upon thousands of Americans were quite open about their displeasure with Barack’s blackness during the election, and subsequently voted against him. So what does that say about where we are at on this issue? My loose explanation of the 2008 Presidential election can be used as a simile to the condition of racism in European Soccer.
The International Federation of Football Associations (FIFA) and the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA), the two largest governing bodies of soccer, have both provided Anti-Racism programs in recent years. These programs include banners at nearly every international match played, player statements before games, and community involvement. Fifa and Uefa also have strict policies against large acts of racism at games, being known to ban fans from attending games on both small and large scales.
Michel Platini, former Juventus F.C. forward and current Uefa president enacted a zero tolerance policy towards racism in 2008, affecting all aspects of European football competition (Officials, Players, Fans, etc). In his address to newly delegated match officials in 2008, Platini expressed: "It is vital that your post-match reports demonstrate no leniency whatsoever in the face of violent, racist or discriminatory behavior on the part of players, club officials, technical staff or fans. You are the instruments and implementers of this policy and I urge you to be as firm as possible. The image of football lies, to a great extent, in your hands."
Platini’s former club, the aforementioned Juventus F.C., 27 times champions of Italy, twice winners of the Uefa Champions League, and most popular team in Italy (32.5% of the Italian Football fanbase, nearly 13 million people), are the most famous, now possibly infamous, club in Europe to receive penalties regarding racism. With numerous fines to the club as well having all fans barred from attendance at two matches last season as a result of extremist fans’ racial displays, one would hope that these displays would decrease in size and number continentally, as this is an extremely popular club that is being made an example of.
Much like those that take the optimist view of our own racial issues here in America, you would be wrong.
There are several points about this hot button issue that I would like to discuss. First, based on what we discussed in class regarding hegemony and the Marxist model of discourse, I will point out how I feel Uefa is not doing enough to squash the issue. Uefa’s campaigns are a hegemonic trick to make fans/players feel safer when attending events, even though what is being done is not really making any headway or having any affect on the racist communities/firms of fans in certain parts of Europe. Secondly, I want to talk about the minority perspective in regards to the racism. And third, I want to express a couple elements of irony that are results of the lackluster policies against racism in these stadiums across Europe.
I recently watched an in depth report done by HBO’s Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel, which originally aired June 22nd 2010 about the topic of racism in European soccer. The report was an update of a shocking 2005 report in which radical racist factions of fans were first exposed to the American public. That update consisted of interviews with American Internationals Oguchi Onyewu, Maurice Edu, and DeMarcus Beasley, and how they have dealt with racial incidents while playing abroad professionally in Europe. Onyewu, now playing for Italian club AC Milan, spoke of an instance in Belgium, while playing for his former club Standard Liege, having been called a ‘dirty monkey’ repeatedly by an opposing player. Nothing was done by the referee, but the comments were caught by cameras as the two players squabbled throughout the rest of the match. The player was later fined, but never provided a public apology, something that is common place here in the States when sports stars screw up. Uefa’s current policy regarding player and fan involvement in racial altercations is to fine the players or teams based on the severity of the action.
Most every racially motivated fine is nominal compared to the salary of the player or the income of a team, a mere 16,000 euro. Most players in Serie A in Italy average around 1.5 million euros a year, with the most expensive players making anywhere between 5 to 12 million. In the English Premier League, top players like Fernando Torres, Carlos Tevez, or Wayne Rooney are making over 120,000 pounds a week, 44 weeks out of the year. The EPL however, is not the problem. The English F.A. made several moves years ago to completely ban any and all racist chanting in all divisions of football. Teams in England are fined based on the severity of any fan or player racism, but there have not been any organized instances since the early 2000’s.
Viv Anderson, England's first black international, has repeatedly condemned Uefa’s tactics at suppressing racism amongst players. In 1978, the former Nottingham Forrest and Manchester United player became the first black player to dawn the kit of the three lions, 31 years after Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier in our own national pastime. "We have our house in order in the UK. Nobody is allowed to chant. It is when we go to other countries. To get rid of it, the lead has to come from Uefa. The fines have to be more stringent." Anderson, twice a winner of the Uefa Champions League, feels that Uefa should fine players/teams a million pounds for each instance of racism, in order to send a clear cut message across the continent.
Viv was the first in a long line of internationally recognizable players willing to walk off the pitch for racial discrimination, the likes of Samuel Eto’o, Thierry Henry, and Mario Balotelli being the most notable recent additions to have to deal with bigotry. Balotelli is the subject of the last major offense in Italian soccer, as he was targeted by thousands of fans in Turin, when his team, Internazionale Milano, was playing, you guessed it, Juventus F.C. The punishment handed down by Uefa was to force Juventus to play its next home game against A.S. Roma, behind closed doors. While that is a severe punishment, and may fit the crime, is it appropriate to bar fans from attending a game who are not apart of the problem? Is it Uefa’s intention to have the teams, or the fans themselves fish out the rotten ones in the bunch that are ruining things for everyone else? And who’s to say those inconsiderate fans won’t just show up in more numbers because they see they are having an affect on the sport, locale, and the continent?
In the same HBO segment, Thierry Henry spoke about how you could not understand what it is like to be harassed on the field unless you walk in his cleats. This age old sentiment is where I feel the lack of aggressive punishment and action against racism in Uefa’s politics comes to light. There are currently no members on the executive board of Uefa of any color or non white ethnicity. They simply cannot know what these players have to go through, so how can they govern it properly? Viv Anderson’s comment on this idea I felt was great. "There are a lot of middle-class white people running football. This is 2010. We live in a multiracial world. If you had paid 30 pounds to watch a match and someone like Eto'o or Thierry Henry walks off because of a few idiots, how would you feel? They have to clamp down on it. Racism should have been eradicated by now."
In the 2008 Michel Platini quote to referees I provided earlier, you will notice reads “The image of football lies, to a great extent, in your hands”. Uefa is clearly not doing enough to prevent or punish these occurrences, as they continue to repeatedly happen, and it is easy to feel that the media campaign along with the parade of children and star players with anti racism banners before matches is nothing more than a band-aid over top a continent wide laceration. It is not the actions that Uefa care about, it is how their response may or may not be viewed in the European media. In my opinion, I feel Uefa could do more, but is deliberately not, and maybe for good reason. You cannot change ideology overnight, and where the majority of racial protests and discriminatory acts occur, you might agree with why they are not. The most racist leagues are in countries with strong racist ties: Italy, Germany, and Spain; The WWII Axis powers.
An optimist would view the election of our current president as the epitome of anti-racism. To have a black/multi racial president only a matter of decades after the civil rights movement is to optimists/anti-racists movements the end of racism. I feel a smarter person would take the opposite stance. Thousands upon thousands of Americans were quite open about their displeasure with Barack’s blackness during the election, and subsequently voted against him. So what does that say about where we are at on this issue? My loose explanation of the 2008 Presidential election can be used as a simile to the condition of racism in European Soccer.
The International Federation of Football Associations (FIFA) and the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA), the two largest governing bodies of soccer, have both provided Anti-Racism programs in recent years. These programs include banners at nearly every international match played, player statements before games, and community involvement. Fifa and Uefa also have strict policies against large acts of racism at games, being known to ban fans from attending games on both small and large scales.
Michel Platini, former Juventus F.C. forward and current Uefa president enacted a zero tolerance policy towards racism in 2008, affecting all aspects of European football competition (Officials, Players, Fans, etc). In his address to newly delegated match officials in 2008, Platini expressed: "It is vital that your post-match reports demonstrate no leniency whatsoever in the face of violent, racist or discriminatory behavior on the part of players, club officials, technical staff or fans. You are the instruments and implementers of this policy and I urge you to be as firm as possible. The image of football lies, to a great extent, in your hands."
Platini’s former club, the aforementioned Juventus F.C., 27 times champions of Italy, twice winners of the Uefa Champions League, and most popular team in Italy (32.5% of the Italian Football fanbase, nearly 13 million people), are the most famous, now possibly infamous, club in Europe to receive penalties regarding racism. With numerous fines to the club as well having all fans barred from attendance at two matches last season as a result of extremist fans’ racial displays, one would hope that these displays would decrease in size and number continentally, as this is an extremely popular club that is being made an example of.
Much like those that take the optimist view of our own racial issues here in America, you would be wrong.
There are several points about this hot button issue that I would like to discuss. First, based on what we discussed in class regarding hegemony and the Marxist model of discourse, I will point out how I feel Uefa is not doing enough to squash the issue. Uefa’s campaigns are a hegemonic trick to make fans/players feel safer when attending events, even though what is being done is not really making any headway or having any affect on the racist communities/firms of fans in certain parts of Europe. Secondly, I want to talk about the minority perspective in regards to the racism. And third, I want to express a couple elements of irony that are results of the lackluster policies against racism in these stadiums across Europe.
I recently watched an in depth report done by HBO’s Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel, which originally aired June 22nd 2010 about the topic of racism in European soccer. The report was an update of a shocking 2005 report in which radical racist factions of fans were first exposed to the American public. That update consisted of interviews with American Internationals Oguchi Onyewu, Maurice Edu, and DeMarcus Beasley, and how they have dealt with racial incidents while playing abroad professionally in Europe. Onyewu, now playing for Italian club AC Milan, spoke of an instance in Belgium, while playing for his former club Standard Liege, having been called a ‘dirty monkey’ repeatedly by an opposing player. Nothing was done by the referee, but the comments were caught by cameras as the two players squabbled throughout the rest of the match. The player was later fined, but never provided a public apology, something that is common place here in the States when sports stars screw up. Uefa’s current policy regarding player and fan involvement in racial altercations is to fine the players or teams based on the severity of the action.
Most every racially motivated fine is nominal compared to the salary of the player or the income of a team, a mere 16,000 euro. Most players in Serie A in Italy average around 1.5 million euros a year, with the most expensive players making anywhere between 5 to 12 million. In the English Premier League, top players like Fernando Torres, Carlos Tevez, or Wayne Rooney are making over 120,000 pounds a week, 44 weeks out of the year. The EPL however, is not the problem. The English F.A. made several moves years ago to completely ban any and all racist chanting in all divisions of football. Teams in England are fined based on the severity of any fan or player racism, but there have not been any organized instances since the early 2000’s.
Viv Anderson, England's first black international, has repeatedly condemned Uefa’s tactics at suppressing racism amongst players. In 1978, the former Nottingham Forrest and Manchester United player became the first black player to dawn the kit of the three lions, 31 years after Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier in our own national pastime. "We have our house in order in the UK. Nobody is allowed to chant. It is when we go to other countries. To get rid of it, the lead has to come from Uefa. The fines have to be more stringent." Anderson, twice a winner of the Uefa Champions League, feels that Uefa should fine players/teams a million pounds for each instance of racism, in order to send a clear cut message across the continent.
Viv was the first in a long line of internationally recognizable players willing to walk off the pitch for racial discrimination, the likes of Samuel Eto’o, Thierry Henry, and Mario Balotelli being the most notable recent additions to have to deal with bigotry. Balotelli is the subject of the last major offense in Italian soccer, as he was targeted by thousands of fans in Turin, when his team, Internazionale Milano, was playing, you guessed it, Juventus F.C. The punishment handed down by Uefa was to force Juventus to play its next home game against A.S. Roma, behind closed doors. While that is a severe punishment, and may fit the crime, is it appropriate to bar fans from attending a game who are not apart of the problem? Is it Uefa’s intention to have the teams, or the fans themselves fish out the rotten ones in the bunch that are ruining things for everyone else? And who’s to say those inconsiderate fans won’t just show up in more numbers because they see they are having an affect on the sport, locale, and the continent?
In the same HBO segment, Thierry Henry spoke about how you could not understand what it is like to be harassed on the field unless you walk in his cleats. This age old sentiment is where I feel the lack of aggressive punishment and action against racism in Uefa’s politics comes to light. There are currently no members on the executive board of Uefa of any color or non white ethnicity. They simply cannot know what these players have to go through, so how can they govern it properly? Viv Anderson’s comment on this idea I felt was great. "There are a lot of middle-class white people running football. This is 2010. We live in a multiracial world. If you had paid 30 pounds to watch a match and someone like Eto'o or Thierry Henry walks off because of a few idiots, how would you feel? They have to clamp down on it. Racism should have been eradicated by now."
In the 2008 Michel Platini quote to referees I provided earlier, you will notice reads “The image of football lies, to a great extent, in your hands”. Uefa is clearly not doing enough to prevent or punish these occurrences, as they continue to repeatedly happen, and it is easy to feel that the media campaign along with the parade of children and star players with anti racism banners before matches is nothing more than a band-aid over top a continent wide laceration. It is not the actions that Uefa care about, it is how their response may or may not be viewed in the European media. In my opinion, I feel Uefa could do more, but is deliberately not, and maybe for good reason. You cannot change ideology overnight, and where the majority of racial protests and discriminatory acts occur, you might agree with why they are not. The most racist leagues are in countries with strong racist ties: Italy, Germany, and Spain; The WWII Axis powers.
Sunday, February 7, 2010
Super Bowl Predictions
I'm up late watching ESPN re-run all of the NFL Films productions of the last few Super Bowls and I had a bit of a realization. We, the citizens of the United States of Football, have been spoiled over the last few February's. Nearly every Super Bowl since the Bucs emphatic win in 2003 has been close and compelling. You have the 2004 thriller in Houston between the Pats and Panthers that went down to another Vinatieri field goal. The following year the Pats did it again in a close one with Philadelphia, with my favorite Super Bowl blunder: Donovan McNabb blowing chunks on the field before the final drive. The 'little' Giants coming from nowhere to end the threat of perfection in 2008. And what can you say about last year? More like what can't you say, from the never-ending fairy tale that is Kurt Warner and his memorable fourth quarter connections with Larry Fitzgerald, to the 100 yard interception returned for a touchdown by James Harrison and that insane catch by Santonio Holmes in the corner of the endzone to seal it for the Steelers.
This year should be no different.
For the first time since the 1993 season, we will see the top seeds from both conferences face each other. We have the league's top two quarterbacks. We have the city of New Orleans on the World's stage in what they hope will be another defining moment in their recent tumultuous civic history. We have Number 18 looking to become the best QB of this generation.
We all know that the Colts were in Miami just 3 seasons ago lifting the Lombardi Trophy. The Colts even decided to stay in the same hotel as last time. Needless to say is that they have been here before, literally. Peyton is a good as ever, and he is playing pitch and catch with young, unknown (we know them now) receivers as if he was still throwing to Marvin. The Colts will score and score often, but their ability to win today hinges not on offensive prowess but the defense's ability to stem a tide. Drew Brees and the Saints 'O' can score just as much as Number 18 can, so I feel the deciding factor will be whether or not the Colts defense can get a stop each quarter, to allow for Peyton to outscore the Saints.
Just as needless to mention as the Colts' having been here before is to mention the fact that the Saints haven't, ever. That does not mean to say they will not put up a fight. The Saints do one thing well that the Colts don't. They run the football. If the Saints hope to win today, I feel their only shot will be having a superior time of possession by sticking with the run. The longer you keep Manning on the sidelines, the better your chances.
So, the prediction...
Colts 35 Saints 27.
MVP: Pierre Garcon or Dallas Clark
Given the last two Super Bowls, we can all only hope this one comes somewhere close. Hope everyone enjoys National Football day!
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
United lose at the hands of a traitor...
Alright, so all of you know my undying passion for the Red Devils. And if you didn't and you're reading this, and you know me, you're bloody clueless (You like that Brit word right, I know you do...). All of that aside, I just wanted to reassert the fact that any and all posts from here on out about Manchester United will be completely and apologetically biased towards the red half of Manchester. I say the red half, because the mighty Reds share the city with another club (Most non-soccer enthusiasts would not know this fact). Manchester City, aside from Liverpool, are Manchester United's greatest rivals. If you are looking for a comparison to an American rivalry, try White Sox/Cubs or Mets/Yankees or any two teams in the same sport sharing a city. In actuality, the majority of Mancunians are 'Citizens', or City fans. However, City has always played second fiddle to United, but the 'gap in the bridge' is being mended.
Over the Summer of 2008, Manchester City was bought buy Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan (bit of a mouthful, his name, isn't it). Sheikh Mansour is a member of the Ruling Family of Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates. To put it in layman's terms, HE HAS A S#@! TON OF CASH!!! In fact, the famous Sheikh has spent over £500 Million in wages and transfer fees, money given in exchange for players (like a trade for cash), alone, bringing in the likes of Emmanuel Adebayor and Kolo Toure from Arsenal, Gareth Barry from Aston Villa, and Robinho from Real Madrid. Long story short, Manchester City has become the New York Yankees of the Premier League, doing their best to buy trophies and their way into the Champions League.
One of their most famous coups was the signing of Manchester United fan favorite, striker Carlos Tevez over last summer. Tevez was upset with United boss Sir Alex Ferguson over playing time. In fact, we all were. Tevez was an amazing player for us. In just under 100 games for the club, he bagged 34 goals. Tevez had a knack for getting stuck-in to challenges, an could stand his ground against anyone, which says a lot as he is only 5'8". And still today, nobody really knows what went wrong, and why he was not given more playing time or offered a new contract. Most say it was the large transfer fee that was going to an agent, not another team. Tevez was on loan to Manchester United through a company run by his agent Kia Joorabchian, called Media Sports Investmant, not from another team. His rights as a player were protected and handled by Joorabchian, and talks between Joorabchian and SAF over Tevez's two years with United were never good. As last season came to a close, and no deal with United had yet surfaced, rumors of Chelsea, Liverpool and Real Madrid began roaring in. Tevez quickly turned down any thought of joining Liverpool, as he did not want to disrespect any of the United faithful (see Johnny Damon going from the Red Sox to the Yankees). Unfortunately, he chose the second worse option.
Fast forward to yesterday, where United and City played the first leg of the home and home semi-final of the English League Cup. Known now as the Carling Cup, (because every stinking thing in sports has to have a sponsor) the ELC is played only by professional teams, unlike the famous F.A. Cup, which includes every level of semi-professional and professional teams in England. These 'Cup' competitions are played aside from normal Premier League play. The semi final in this competition is two-legged, meaning two games, home and away for each side, where aggregate scoring applies.
Now then, I told you ALL of that to rant about this. My boys lost to those money grubbing, player stealing City idiots yesterday 2-1, and I'm miffed. Now I'm not upset about the game. We had plenty of chances to score an equalizer, and all we need to do is win 1-0 at home, next week, to advance to the final and defend the first of the titles we won last year. I'm even saying that after the fact that both City goals were gifts from the referee's (Don't want to believe me, watch the video below. The corner call that set up Tevez's goal was total rubbish). What I am ranting over today is that Carlos Tevez was the scorer of both City goals.
As a United fan, I knew revenge would ultimately come in the form of goals, and that Tevez would get a laugh in at us. He deserves it. He is a great player and our front office brass, David Gill and the Glazers's, should not have let him go the way they did. I never thought of Carlitos as a vengeful man, though. He turned down Liverpool, and he didn't celebrate his assist in the derby game (derby=rivalry) at Old Trafford earlier this year. Surely he still has repesct for our club right?
Guess not.
After scoring his second goal in the 65th minute of Tuesday night's match, my opinion, along with the opinions of all the United fans, were changed. A man we once adored, and still respected, despite his new team, called us out.
This is Tevez in front of our bench celebrating his goal, after running half way across the field just to do so. He had done this once before, last season, just after contract talks stalled. He was given an immediate response as a wave of United players on the bench got up to have a shout at him. Seen below is our captain, Gary Neville, inconspicuously showing Tevez the finger.
Now, I am in no way condoning what Nev's did in response, but c'mon Carlos, you are better than that. We all know you are. The United fans cheered for you earlier in the year when you played at Old Trafford. I'm disappointed that you could be so petty. The public know that United didn't offer you the contract because of money, but I am just wondering if it was really because of antics like this. I can now honestly call you a traitor, especially after your attempts to show that you were trying not to be one. Way to contradict yourself, Carlitos. You cannot throw fuel on the fire and expect not to get burned. I hope that the fans 'boo' him next week. Even more so, I hope that my Red Devils can reverse that scoreline and come out on top.
That's my rant for this week. Next week, you will get to see my Super Bowl pick.
Thanks for reading...
Over the Summer of 2008, Manchester City was bought buy Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan (bit of a mouthful, his name, isn't it). Sheikh Mansour is a member of the Ruling Family of Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates. To put it in layman's terms, HE HAS A S#@! TON OF CASH!!! In fact, the famous Sheikh has spent over £500 Million in wages and transfer fees, money given in exchange for players (like a trade for cash), alone, bringing in the likes of Emmanuel Adebayor and Kolo Toure from Arsenal, Gareth Barry from Aston Villa, and Robinho from Real Madrid. Long story short, Manchester City has become the New York Yankees of the Premier League, doing their best to buy trophies and their way into the Champions League.
One of their most famous coups was the signing of Manchester United fan favorite, striker Carlos Tevez over last summer. Tevez was upset with United boss Sir Alex Ferguson over playing time. In fact, we all were. Tevez was an amazing player for us. In just under 100 games for the club, he bagged 34 goals. Tevez had a knack for getting stuck-in to challenges, an could stand his ground against anyone, which says a lot as he is only 5'8". And still today, nobody really knows what went wrong, and why he was not given more playing time or offered a new contract. Most say it was the large transfer fee that was going to an agent, not another team. Tevez was on loan to Manchester United through a company run by his agent Kia Joorabchian, called Media Sports Investmant, not from another team. His rights as a player were protected and handled by Joorabchian, and talks between Joorabchian and SAF over Tevez's two years with United were never good. As last season came to a close, and no deal with United had yet surfaced, rumors of Chelsea, Liverpool and Real Madrid began roaring in. Tevez quickly turned down any thought of joining Liverpool, as he did not want to disrespect any of the United faithful (see Johnny Damon going from the Red Sox to the Yankees). Unfortunately, he chose the second worse option.
Fast forward to yesterday, where United and City played the first leg of the home and home semi-final of the English League Cup. Known now as the Carling Cup, (because every stinking thing in sports has to have a sponsor) the ELC is played only by professional teams, unlike the famous F.A. Cup, which includes every level of semi-professional and professional teams in England. These 'Cup' competitions are played aside from normal Premier League play. The semi final in this competition is two-legged, meaning two games, home and away for each side, where aggregate scoring applies.
Now then, I told you ALL of that to rant about this. My boys lost to those money grubbing, player stealing City idiots yesterday 2-1, and I'm miffed. Now I'm not upset about the game. We had plenty of chances to score an equalizer, and all we need to do is win 1-0 at home, next week, to advance to the final and defend the first of the titles we won last year. I'm even saying that after the fact that both City goals were gifts from the referee's (Don't want to believe me, watch the video below. The corner call that set up Tevez's goal was total rubbish). What I am ranting over today is that Carlos Tevez was the scorer of both City goals.
As a United fan, I knew revenge would ultimately come in the form of goals, and that Tevez would get a laugh in at us. He deserves it. He is a great player and our front office brass, David Gill and the Glazers's, should not have let him go the way they did. I never thought of Carlitos as a vengeful man, though. He turned down Liverpool, and he didn't celebrate his assist in the derby game (derby=rivalry) at Old Trafford earlier this year. Surely he still has repesct for our club right?
Guess not.
After scoring his second goal in the 65th minute of Tuesday night's match, my opinion, along with the opinions of all the United fans, were changed. A man we once adored, and still respected, despite his new team, called us out.
This is Tevez in front of our bench celebrating his goal, after running half way across the field just to do so. He had done this once before, last season, just after contract talks stalled. He was given an immediate response as a wave of United players on the bench got up to have a shout at him. Seen below is our captain, Gary Neville, inconspicuously showing Tevez the finger.
Now, I am in no way condoning what Nev's did in response, but c'mon Carlos, you are better than that. We all know you are. The United fans cheered for you earlier in the year when you played at Old Trafford. I'm disappointed that you could be so petty. The public know that United didn't offer you the contract because of money, but I am just wondering if it was really because of antics like this. I can now honestly call you a traitor, especially after your attempts to show that you were trying not to be one. Way to contradict yourself, Carlitos. You cannot throw fuel on the fire and expect not to get burned. I hope that the fans 'boo' him next week. Even more so, I hope that my Red Devils can reverse that scoreline and come out on top.
That's my rant for this week. Next week, you will get to see my Super Bowl pick.
Thanks for reading...
Saturday, January 16, 2010
'Skipping' to See Skip and Turtles on Fenceposts...
On Friday, I had my first chance of the new year to attend a school sporting event. There were no jerseys or pads or referees there, but the same atmosphere and out right insanity you have come to expect from our student body at USF was. I actually had to 'skip' class to be there. Skip Holtz, former front man of the back-to-back Conference USA champion East Carolina Pirates, and son of Notre Dame legend, Lou Holtz, was being introduced as our new head football coach. I couldn't miss this. We have only ever had one football coach, so to see the first ever 'new' coach be introduced, it should be something else, right?The band played. Rocky danced. The Beef Studs were all painted up. It was just like being at a football game except on a Friday at lunchtime. We were thrilled, as students, to have an new coach. I was thrilled just to know the whole Leavitt controversy was coming to an end. I also think Skip was thrilled too. You could see it on the man's face as he took the stage, that he was absolutely jovial. Grinning from ear to ear. I felt that way too. I had the comfort of knowing my school, eager as it is to rise to national prominence academically as well as athletically, made the right choice.
I felt we needed to bring in a coach with a different attitude. We have a program here that is frustrated, looking to attain a Big East title, something that has alluded us at the ends of the last three seasons. Attitude was also important to factor into the search because we were coming away from the Joel Miller/Jim Leavitt fiasco. We needed someone who wasn't standoff-ish, wasn't arrogant, but still had the same hunger and drive that we all loved in Leavitt. Holtz is that man. And to boot, Holtz has the resume of a winner. He learned the trade as a graduate assistant with Bobby Bowden at Florida State. He then went on to assist his father as Offensive Coordinator at both Notre Dame and South Carolina, and won a combined 3 Conference Championships (Atlantic 10/Big East and C-USA) as a head coach at both UConn and ECU.
After the introduction and pleasantries with the crowd of near 2000, his opening quote was "It's like the old saying: If you see a turtle on top of a fence post, it didn't get there alone". "Wow man, did he just say that?" is all I could muster between the laughs. I then realized that that's exactly what I was thinking about with attitude change.
As the speech wore on, Holtz talked about the entire community banding together in order to reach higher goals, like continuing the growing traditions, graduating more players, and helping students become better people then they were the day they started at South Florida. He said that we will not be winning championships just because Skip Holtz came to Tampa.
"We will have the same goals now, as we will in 3, 4, and 5 years down the road...When the seniors who came here 4 and 5 years ago, they didn't say they wanted to be average. They wanted to be apart of something special. They wanted to be apart of something great...We came to the University of South Florida to championships, and we want to win a National Championship in Tampa."
Cheers and applauding ensued as the 'press conference' came to an end. The whole event felt more like a pep rally than anything. The crowd dissipated and the media then clambered to speak to Coach in a little more personal setting, right behind the stage where he was just introduced. Security urged everyone to leave, however, a handful of students remained behind for the possible chance to meet our school's new 'football god'. I was one of them. He took over an hour with the press before needing to exit for a scheduled coaches or team meeting. I can't really remember which it was. I was too busy realizing that if he came by to see us, I could totally use that as a chance to ask him some questions for the blog. I mean, he did say during the speech that "the student body is the heartbeat of any college atmosphere", so it would be impolite if he didn't stop by right?
That's precisely what he did, and I bet you all can guess what I did.
Me: "Hey Coach (shakes hand). My name is Rob Boelke and I am studying to become a sports journalist. Was wondering if I could ask you a question for my blog?"
Coach Holtz: "Hi there. Nice to meet you. Of course you can."
Me: "This, your hiring, is a big opportunity for us here at USF, as well as it is for you. The competition level is going up for all of us. As was mentioned, we are playing Florida next year, along with Miami over the next few, but I have to ask you, will there be a family feud when we go to South Bend in 2011?"
Coach Holtz: (Laughing) "No, there shouldn't be. It will be a great honor to go back to Notre Dame, just as it will be to play a lot of these major non-conference games coming up."
Student next to me: (Sarcastically) "Like when we play Stony Brook?"
Coach Holtz: (Again laughing) "Especially that one, that's the first one."
Too cool, just too cool.
I was quoted in the Saturday Sports page of the Tampa Tribune, in an article by Scott Carter, in regards to the hiring. To see the article, check the link below.
Holtz wins over crowd as USF Bulls usher in new football era - Scott Carter
There is also a vid on Youtube of the event, where you can see me in the crowd.
Click Here - Youtube
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)