Christmas Time, Jingle Bells, and oh so many Bowl Games.

"It's the mooooooost, wonderful tiiiiiiiiime, of the year!!!" Yep, that's right everyone, it's Christmas Time once again.  Colorful lights every where you turn, the sound of Christmas music pouring out of drug store speakers, and that ever-present aura of goodwill and cheer.  And of course, the most important facet of late-December culture, college football bowl games.  There really isn't anything like them.  I mean what other sports league culminates in a cornucopia of championships spanning across the entire country pitting different worthy and skilled teams against one another, putting their respective seasons on the line and playing for trophies, tv spots, money, and the most important of all, bragging rights on college football's biggest stages.  Just the fact that there are so many bowl games played in mid-December to early January is the essence of awesomeness in itself.  Along with hearty holiday dinners, one can expect to cozy up to the fire with a huge mug of hot chocolate, as well as a hard-hitting and exciting championship football game.  I don't care what anyone says about those earlier "less-important" bowl games; each one is a thrill on it's own, and they really encompass the passion and determination that I so dearly love when it comes to all college sports, especially football.  There is so much undiscovered, covered-up football talent in this country, and college bowl games really allow these players and teams to portray what they have to offer to the world.  Just because these teams play out of DII colleges or are not from big football regions, does not mean that they can't throw/run/tackle/kick/or coach like the rest of America.  These teams/players/coaches all have something to prove, and I believe that there is no better way to give them that opportunity then in a College Football Bowl Game.

I've always been a college football fan, starting since I was groomed as a Seminole from birth, and then  finding my love for the game on my own through EA Sports video games and throwing around the old pigskin with my dad.  And how could I forget watching those exciting games on television every Saturday; beginning with College Gameday and culminating in those top-ten prime time match-ups that everyone wanted to see, mostly due to National Championshp implications.  It is in those Saturdays that I could find solace from annoying homework and chores and just relax and immerse myself in a culture that I was proud to be a part of.  It is in this month of mid-December/late-January that I find myself bubbling with these emotions once again, not only because of the Christmas Season, but because of this time of the year being one giant Saturday for me.  The first couple bowl games imitate those gritty high-noon games where players battled the elements, but also played to win.  Then, of course, this wonderful season will end with the National Championship in January, the biggest prime-time game of them all, where the entire country will watch in anticipation to see who the next true Champions are.  I really could keep talking about bowl games and Roses and Oranges all day, but I believe that I should just let the games themselves speak for me and what I am trying to get at.  Happy Holidays everyone, and remember to go "bowling" this winter season, no matter who is playing.  

ACC < SEC, for now...

The Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) is home to many great football programs.  Such teams include the Florida State Seminoles, Miami Hurricanes, Clemson Tigers, and Virginia Tech Hokies.  There's only one problem though.  These teams are not what they used to be, and long story short, suck compared to the powerhouse conferences of the SEC and the Big 12.  FSU, being ranked at an average of 8 in the top 25 polls this season, has manhandled this conference for the entire season with an ACC record of  7-1, with Clemson coming in with the same record, having their only loss given to them by FSU.  Since the ACC is such a big conference and has to cover alot of ground on the east coast, it was decided way back when to split it into two separate regions, the Coastal and Atlantic divisions.  Florida State and Clemson are both in the Atlantic division, and have both had very worthy seasons, finishing the regular seasons well within the top 25.  The Coastal side of the ACC, however, has been a huge mess the entire season.  The top three records are all 5-3 and they belong to Georgia Tech, North Carolina, and Miami.  Now, not that this takes away anything from the prestige and history of the Atlantic Coast Conference, but to only have two teams in the tops 25 out of 12 solid teams is nothing to be too proud about.  There were times in history when the ACC was better than the SEC; producing powerhouse national championship teams.  Florida State had a great run in the 90's with and undefeated season and two national championships.  Miami was a force to be reckoned with, and Virginia Tech was known to pull many heartbreak upsets from time to time.  So, what happened to all this skill and glory?  And why does the SEC seem to dominate the sport of college football nowadays?

The answer is really within how certain teams go about the recruiting process, and the help that those teams get that is slightly out of their control.  Sure, any team can offer a top recruit a substantial scholarship offering cost benefits and apparel and such, but it really comes down to the players decision to where he will end up.  And long story short, that skilled and top-ranked player is going to want to go to a skilled and top-ranked university to play; a school with a history of college greatness and lore.  FSU is one of these schools without a doubt, and it is no surprise that they consistently pull in the number one ranked draft classes year after year.  Many SEC schools pull in good recruits as well, just because they are that good and the history of the conference that they play out of is so rich and well known.  In other words, college football is beginning to become monopolized in a way, and it will be difficult for, say teams in the ACC, to fight against the tide and make a name for themselves.  Miami and Vtech are not what they were, not even close.  I believe that for the ACC to get back on the map and get some respect as a football conference, that they will need to step up their recruiting substantially, and begin acting like they belong in the same breath as the SEC.  One day the roles will be reversed, and computers will know to show a little more respect.

It was good while it lasted Stoops...

Over the Thanksgiving break, Florida State Football fans got some upsetting news from the coaching staff that we have all come to know and love.  Our very own Defensive Coordinator, Mark Stoops, will be stepping down from his position here at FSU to fulfill the job of Head Coach over at Kentucky University.  The wildcats had a season to forget this year, posting a pitiful 2-10 (0-8 in conference play) record with both of their wins coming against Div. II teams.  They also fired their head football coach, Joker Phillips, based off of the poor effort put into this year.  Mark Stoops, on the other hand, has had a great season as the DC for the Florida State Seminoles, grooming the defense into one of the best in the country, and helping the team to a solid 10-2 record.  Without the work of Stoops this year, who knows how the Seminoles would have fared this season.

Even though this is big news for the Stoop family and for Mark himself, he will be severely missed here at FSU.  Since Stoops has joined the team back in 2009, Florida State has consistently had one of the nation's best defenses, and because of this, has helped coach the team to top-ten rankings and bowl games every year.  I know I speak for all of Seminole Nation when I say you will be missed Mark Stoops.  We hope the best for you in Kentucky.

Scalp 'em!!!

A Thanksgiving sports story that I have isn't exactly a single story that I remember way back when, but actually, is an accumulation of many years of Thanksgivings that revolve around watching a certain special football game that actually occurs only a couple days after Turkey Day.  This game is, of course, the annual Florida State vs. Florida college football game.  One of the biggest rivalry games in all of college football, and in the country, ranks right up there with the Iron Bowl (Alabama vs. Auburn) and the heated Yankee's vs. Red Sox rivalry.  Seeing as my parents are both Alumni, the watching of this game the Saturday after Thanksgiving has become a pretty steadfast tradition in our household.  My parents both bleed Garnet and Gold, and over time, have influenced me heavily in my decision to go to FSU as well.  I wouldn't have it any other way either.  The battle of the Florida Schools is usually a very gritty game, with two sets of fan bases that hate each other passionately.  It is no surprise that you will see fans going all out for this game, covering themselves in body paint and cheering on their school until their lungs cannot cheer any more.  Sitting there watching those games on tv doesn't even inhibit my emotions from wanting FSU to win, to hating the refs for making countless boneheaded calls.  That was the only option that I had for partaking in this game.  That was, until this year.

Being a freshman at Florida State University has its ups and downs, but the positives outweigh the negatives by a long shot.  One of these countless positives includes being able to attend all the home football games for free, just because I am a student here.  Seeing as the Florida game was at home this year, I made sure that I was one of the first students to reserve a ticket online.  I knew that attending this game would be hard, seeing as I would have to fly home from Connecticut a day early and probably miss the first quarter.  This did not stop me from trying to pursue my dream of attending this awesome game, and I was able to get there in a timely fashion.  To my dismay, however, I arrived to a dead Doak Campell Stadium, with the Gators leading the game 13-0.  As the second half rolled around, you could feel the electricity begin to fill the stands once more.  FSU scored 20 unanswered points after being shut out for the first half, and the future was looking bright for all of us fans and the players on the field.   I could not believe that I was actually at this game, and that I was about to watch my own college team beat the Gators in person.  As everyone already knows, however, my dreams quickly faded as my Seminoles began to falter and opened up the door for the Gators to score 24 more points in less than two quarters, while all we the fans could do was watch, horrified.  As the game came to a bitter close, my emotions were filled with hate and anger at the world, and especially the population of Gainesville.  This would be a Thanksgiving to remember for sure, but hopefully, next year would be one to remember for all of the right reasons.

Turkey Day Road Race

For living in such a small town in one of the smallest states (Connecticut) in the United States of America, I feel like I am truly blessed to live in a place that hosts one of the nation's largest road races on Thanksgiving Day, that race being the Manchester Road Race.  Over 20,000 people run in this annual race that runs approximately 4.8 miles long and is populated by a mix of elite runners that come from all across the world, as well as excited locals who run for success and a good time.  Most of these pleasure runners also dress up in various original and hilarious costumes, a growing tradition that has begun to catch on. People who don't run in this race have also brought the run into their Thanksgiving day cultures, making sure to watch the race and cheer on the runners while enjoying some early morning brews along with friends and family.  In my opinion, their isn't any better way to spend a Thanksgiving morning than waking up bright and early, tying up the old running shoes, and walking down to main street (the start of the race), to be greeted by thousands upon thousands of people in high spirits and costumes ready and rearing to earn their dinner's later on that night.  The atmosphere that abounds through the crowds is indescribable, and the people you see walking around can only be described as ready for a good time.  The loud speakers that you hear all around you announcing the nearing minutes to the start of the race, paired with a jolly, "This is Thanksgiving in Manchester!!" really emphasizes the point that everyone should be thankful for the community that they are a part of, and be gracious for the opportunities that they have.

This year's Thanksgiving Day Race was especially important to me because of the fact that it was going to be the first time I would be home in over 3 months, due to going to college on the opposite side of the East Coast (Florida).  On top of being able to immerse myself in New England Thanksgiving culture once again, and run in one of my favorite holiday traditions, I was going to be able to see my family once again, as well as the countless friends that I left behind August prior.  The chill morning that Thanksgiving Day brought reminded me of all the Thanksgiving's before this, and all of the memories that I have accumulated over the years both running and watching the Turkey Day Race.  It will forever be a part of me and my family, and I know that as long as I am able, that I will make it my mission to run/walk/crawl in the annual road race that has become a part of my livelihood  my culture, my DNA.  Some memories are great to hold on to, but some are even better when you add to them every year.   

You Can Never Be TOO Flashy

Athletes these days are frequently criticized for the way that they bring in to much celebration, showboating, and theatrics into the sport that they play with no respect to the actual league itself.  Many sports that are infamous for housing players that revolve their style of game play around such flashy actions include the NBA, most soccer leagues, and without a doubt the leader in this category, the NFL.  Most critics believe that it is the frequent TD dances and off-field antics that make the NFL a joke to the game of football and are constantly taking away from the good 'ole days when an athlete was defined by his skill at the sport, and his talent alone.  I believe that this new era of sport, football especially, should be embraced and brings in an entire new fan base on top of the already thousands of fans that are devoted to the sport.  Football players such as Tim Tebow, Aaron Rodgers, and Terrell Owens bring a sense of diversity and culture to the game of football and give fans a whole new reason to cheer for their favorite players.  Its not just the excitement of who will score or how many points a certain player will rack up, but now fans can look forward to the new TD dance that that one player might bring out, or the latest trick that someone pulls off a makes sports history.  An athlete can never be too flashy and whatever they end up doing can only grow the game that they are a part of.  When a kid sees Tebow "Tebow" or watches Aaron Rodgers put on his invisible title pass after a perfect TD pass down field, that kid falls in love with football even more and has someone to idolize.  This is the future of sport and the future is bright.

ahh....the Miami Marlins...lol

I recently read an article on Deadspin.com that talked about how the Miami Marlins, formerly the Florida Marlins, were the epitome of a disgrace to the game of baseball this past season and this offseason as well.  The recent trading off of Jose Reyes, Josh Johnson, Emilio Bonafacio, and Mark Buehrle, as well as the firing of Ozzie Guillen, have put the slim remainder of the Marlins fan base in a state of rage and shock.  First of all, the Marlins put on a season performance that was less than worthy to talk about (69-93), not to mention the ridiculous amount of money that was spent on building a new stadium just for the club in the heart of Miami and the changing of the team name to the Miami Marlins. Seeing as it was a new beginning, I'm sure many of the old Florida Marlins fans, as well as the new fans spawned from the new baseball interest in Miami, expected ALOT more.  So its the offseason now, lets just count on the solid players they still have and hopefully they will bounce back positively next year.  Yeah well thats a joke now seeing as the Marlins organization has decided to trade the majority of the team's offense and pitching staff that actually contributed to the team.  This entire mess has all seemed very sad and comical to me at the same time, most likely in part of my personal favorite team, the Boston Red Sox, going through the same troubles as the Marlins, boasting an identical 2012 record and firing the first time coach Bobby Valentine who was promoting a solid season ahead.  I have also recently befriended some true Miami natives who are avid baseball fans and feel obliged to root for the Miami Marlins.  Sitting and watching Sportscenter with them the day that the trade news came out was like being immersed in a riot with people screaming to the right and left of me, cursing to the digital man on the screen, and crying over the shocking list of names that he was displaying.  I admire their dedication and emotional pull to the team they love, and sympathize with them as a fellow fan who has just gone through a tough season to watch.  Why do us fan's put ourselves through the stress and inner turmoil that comes with rooting and caring about our team, whether they win or bring about the lowest lows?  Whatever the reason I know that I will just have to suck it up and follow my Red Sox into the dark shadows of 2013, leaving my Marlin friends to wallow in their depression.  Being a sports fan is a pretty sadistic and twisted hobby, but I'm sure as hell glad that its my hobby.