And it comes to an end... Saying goodbye to a G.O.A.T

Hey Ya'll it's your favorite, SportsGal89 Innnnnnnnnnn the buildin'! It's been a long time coming for me to write this post. I have been holding on to these thoughts so closely because there is something about putting it out in the world that makes it all so real for me. And I don't think I truly want to believe that the game as I have loved it will not be the same....

There will only be one Kobe Bryant and the post today is about him and the dreaded "R" word when it comes to sports- RETIREMENT!

On November 29th, 2015 my timeline jumped with so much buzz around a posting on The Player's Tribune. That posting was announcement from Lakers star and notably one of the great NBA players, Kobe Bryant announcing his retirement.

This season I have been catching glimpses, predictions and more about Kobe retiring and I didn't want to hear it. I even think I told a friend in October that if that day came, someone would have to pick me up off the floor. I think in the world of sports each generation has their person, their great athlete who makes the game enjoyable for them. One who will top it all. For some athletes they eclipse the game across the boundaries of teams etc, but for most athletes, they just become the "It" to the game. They make it all make sense.
 Names like Babe Ruth, Jackie Robinson, Walter Payton, Joe Namath, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Cal Ripken, Derek Jeter and of course Michael Jordan, just to name a few. These are legends of the sport, greats who changed the game in how they played it. They were and are still respected, even if you despised the team they played for there was something about the athlete that you just wanted to watch. You wanted to see the magic, they were what made the game great.

In basketball my great, was and is Kobe Bryant. I came in too late to understand the magnitude of Magic and Larry, and I was growing up in the midst of MJ. But as a sports fan you are also waiting for the one to come out of your generation and that one was Kobe. He was 18 when he entered the game, just out of high school in Philadelphia. I will admit as a young girl he was the heartthrob athlete who took Brandy to the prom- HA! I was all over my Teen Beat magazine when that story broke. My love of him wasn't instantaneous.

I knew he was drafted with the Hornets, and then traded to the Lakers and yes as a young Lakers fan, it's equally exciting to have your basketball great on your team. But as I was saying of course he didn't become my great right away. It took time, it took watching him transform the team, watching him grow, mature and develop in the game. Like my favorite in the rap game- Eminem, Kobe had a volcanic relationship with the game he loved.

It wasn't perfect, at times he took it for granted, at times he risked it and at times you worried, would your glimpse at greatness taint the game in a way that would be disappointing (I.E. performance enhancing drugs, scandals etc). And it was touch and go, especially The Trial.

Or the drama- he's cocky, he's not a team player, he leads with agression, he's a baby, he wants to get his way.... Blah blah blah. But when he plays and he shines, it's just magic.   You catch a glimpse of why the sport is played, you catch a glimpse of joy, of pure synergy and it makes the risks, the times the game is taken for granted, the drama go away.

And you crave it! The fire, the passion, the boldness that Kobe plays with, as a fan you can't hate it. It stokes the fire of your team especially when they are winning and dominating the game and the league in a particular season.

Going into this season, I asked myself what would happen if there wasn't a Kobe. I was asking myself more for the Lakers than I was for the sport. I was being selfish, the Lakers have been slipping in their reign of being one of the formidable teams to beat. Teams end up having their ups and downs, but I never expected it with the Lakers and certainly not with Kobe on their team. But some things just fade, the music fades away, the curtain closes and that moment was coming for the era of Kobe and the Lakers. The Lakers will be my team through their inevitable seasons of rebuilding.

But the game will have changed, some might argue it already has and your body as an athlete- I can only imagine- just let's you know when it can't keep up and change and grow with the rate the game has. And I guess that's what happened with Kobe. It will be sad not to see him suit up, it will be different not watching his side grin when he knows he banked a shot that just sealed the game. The game will be different because even if the team around him isn't the strongest, the way opponents play against them is still with a fight because he's on the court.

As the ticks for this season, and the send-offs continue on the farewell tour, I will hold on to the great moments, the moments when a community says farewell to my G.O.A.T in the NBA- Kobe. It's bittersweet for sure, because when they close the chapter in the game, you hope they can go out on top (cut to Peyton Manning entering Super Bowl 50- yes I am foreshadowing a retirement from Peyton, and no I don't think the Broncos are going to win), that won't be the case for Kobe. There is not one last championship in his future. All he has are the last games, the last games in this city or that city, the last games against that opponent etc.

So Kobe, here's to your last games. May you at least go out in you own blaze of glory! Thank you for making this game exciting, thank you for giving me my greatest in the game, there will never be another one like you.

And here we have it The CONTENDERS: SuperBowl 50

Hey Y'all it's your favorite SportsGal89 Innnnnnnnnn the Buildin' and I come to you with what I am so excited about for the now defined Super Bowl matchup!

In an epic SUNDAY FUNDAY, two Sundays before Super Bowl 50, fans got to finally see who the matchup will be against. The final games AFC Championship- Patriots Vs. Broncos, NFC Championship- Cardinals VS. Panthers. Going into these games, my hopes were that the Broncos would beat out the Patriots(although, I think everyone who counts out the Patriots knows that you always hold your breath knowing they can never truly be counted out) and for sure the Panthers were going to go.

Why the Panthers? Even though my team (Steelers Nation stand up) was still in the running for the Championships a week ago- we got edged out by the Broncos. I have loved what I have seen out of Carolina. And in previous blogs I have talked about Cam Newton and the energy he brings to that team and city. For one when Cam first came to Carolina, he had huge games. There wasn't much to question about his ability as a Quarterback. But what you felt bad for was no matter what Cam did, his team in the early stages just couldn't back him up the way they needed to, in order to solidify  wins. But this season he had the surrounding cast that he needed and they just fit together. The energy this team has played with all season has been exciting. They have continued to get stronger and better and even with their only loss of the season they have just bounced back. They have jelled like a team and in many ways remind me of the NBA Championship Oakland Warriors. The spirit, the fire, the tenacity- both teams have the making of an incredible legacy for the cities they are representing. So I guess for me, the question was, why not now? Why couldn't the Panthers take it? They had the right formula and even though I would love my team to win, something sat with me for a while that this team would get to Santa Clara.

The AFC was a little less easy to choose, I am a Steelers fan- proud of it! So of course I want my team to win. And we had an incredibly great run, but injuries in the end destroyed us and that is heartbreaking. It seems like at least in the last two seasons we peak at the right time, but then an injury destroys us. Last season it was the late injury to LeVeon Bell, although I still question whether he was the key. But this season, he was out early and our team just soared. Our offense was incredible and our defense while they definitely need work, started to create an identity- but alas, it's not about the Steelers.

All I know is this, if my boys aren't in it I sure as heck don't want the Patriots or the Ravens representing us. And when you break down the stats the Broncos, the Steelers, the Ravens and the Pats have been the AFC champs in the last several years, so it says something. So when it comes to the AFC, the road was a lot longer in deciding who should be in it. And it really came down to our matchup against the Broncos before the AFC Championship to know for sure where it was going to go. My team was still very much in it, again despite a horrendous game against the Bengals. But after an honorable game, the Broncos edged us out and were set to be up against the Patriots in the AFC championship. Then the decision became easy. The Broncos!- and not just on the principal that I literally cannot stomach another Patriots Super Bowl and potential win, but because they are the Broncos. The team that literally MY favorite Quarterback built. I was once a young Broncos fan, through and through. And Elway was at the center. It wasn't until middle school that I fell in love with the Steelers and hard. But that's not this story. Anyway, so I have a soft spot for the Broncos, the organization is classy and the way that the team started to build around Peyton Manning was definitely a great thing to witness. It didn't hurt that one of my beloved former Steelers- Emmanual Sanders was playing for them, or that my beloved Ohio State had representation in number 29 #BRoby! But Peyton is the pinnacle of all things great with the league. I mean I don't think a bad word can be said about Peyton. He is the NFL's golden boy and not in the Brady way. He loves the game, he plays the game with honor (regardless of what recent articles and reports have started to say) and it's because of that class, that many people love playing against him & respect him. There was a question as the season started to wind down if Peyton was going to be able to make it though. An injury had him sidelined and the question came up, what if the team can't carry this game in his absence? But they did and then he played my team and they won. To think that Peyton wouldn't be at the helm of this team during the AFC Championship would have been a dumb thought.

So when you have, and yes I am biased, one of the greatest players, and one of the classiest organizations against well the Patriots, the choice is pretty easy.

So here was are, both home teams won the championship game and the matchup for SuperBowl 50 is:

(image courtesy of ESPN)

And my Prediction: PANTHERS 

Here's why: I know everyone is going to talk experience and that this is Peyton's year and Peyton's championship. And while I would love Peyton to go out on a high note- let's be honest he only has a small level of gas in the tank, it's not Peyton that I am worried about. I know he can lead a team, but I just don't see this TEAM winning against this vibrant energizing Panthers team. 

Legitimately you have the dominating teams on both sides of the ball against each other. But the game in which the Broncos play is too traditional for the way that the Panthers play. It's not just the usual suspects that the Broncos Defense needs to be ready for, it's that they also need to be watchful of Cam and he's not one to be taken down easily and he uses his arsenal in a balanced way. It's that game play that I think is going to confuse the Broncos Defense. Nothing that the Panthers offense does is too predictable, because this season it has just been so high powered and different with each game and each drive.  Then you have their Defense, it's not to say that tradition won't win out, and you see that Peyton has some long balls in him, hello that needle thread to Sanders (I'll wait, you watch)

But I just don't know if this Broncos Offense can make plays that are going to cause the Panthers Defense to be on their toes too much. 

I guess what I mean to say is this, like the Warriors Championship season last season, there is something about a team that is just coming together on all sides of the ball, that momentum is sustaining each and every game, even with losses and it's that momentum that I believe is going to make your Super Bowl 50 Champions the Carolina Panthers.

But what do I know, I don't really have a horse in this race and I am just a girl who thinks she knows a thing or two about the sport. That's all she wrote folks, see you on February 7th! 

There were no winners in the sport that I love (NFL AFC North Wild Card 2016)

Hey Y'all it's your favorite SportsGal89 Innnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn the buildin'!!

When your team loses a game, you expect that your energy will be a little low. The days after a game loss are painful, especially as the season progresses and math starts to take place and you realize that if the losses add up, so do the odds of your chances of progressing any farther than the regular season. Wins, however, wins are supposed to be a joyous occasion. Wins no matter how sloppy, give you another day to breathe, to rejoice, to be excited that you are one step closer to your goal.

As fans we live through the wins and losses of our teams. They are emotionally taxxing, especially because often we feel just as much a part of the game as the players. Wins can be disappointing though, especially when you survey the cost it took to earn that win, injuries etc.

Today, I woke up feeling disappointed in a win, that I should be rejoicing in. Last night, the Steelers and the Cincinnati Bengals met up for the third time this season in the AFC Wild Card game. Here's what I knew, the game was going to be intense. While the Bengals are not our rivals so to speak, the matchups we have had this season have intensified with emotion. Growing up in the heart of these two great teams I understand what is at stake. As an Ohio Native, the Bengals have risen to over the years to be a pride for our state, second to our real national football team- the Ohio State Buckeyes :P.

In regards to a rivalry, the Steelers longstanding rivalry has been the Cleveland Browns. The Ravens have become a formidable opponent because the battles since the Ravens became a team have become exciting to watch. Two teams having strong defenses and energizing offenses. But as of late, with restructuring this rivalry while still very much at the heart of the fan base and a high point for the NFL hasn't been crazy.

Saturday's game was met with much anticipation. The NFL issued strict notices to both teams and to referees to keep their players and the game in line. During warm-ups both teams were forced to stay on opposite ends of the 50 yard line, and were separated by heavy security. Chippiness was expected, a tussle or two was expected, but what was displayed was a disgrace.

The game started slow, in that there hadn't been a score for much of the first two quarters. Both defenses were holding the other teams offense pretty steady. I was getting bored quite frankly at how slow the game was going and was excited for the game to ramp up. It didn't help that technical difficulties also made the game slow, because for much of the game there was no commenting due to equipment failure and a power outage.

But then the game fired up, Steelers scoring first (a field goal), then scoring again (another field goal). And then came the tussles, which in many games can be expected. Athletes get ramped up, you start running your mouth and then hands go flying. I get that those things are expected.

But here's what's not expected, Coaches not role modeling proper sportsman behavior (and yes I am giving the side eye to the Steelers sideline), players not regarding their own or other players safety (Vontze Burfict, and regardless of what you say to me, that man had an agenda. He was worked up the entire course of the game and continued to egg on a hostile environment throughout), players not being good sportsman (Looking at you Ryan Shazier, of my beloved Ohio State Buckeyes, you acted like a 5 year old who just got another kid caught for teasing you, while an injured player is laying on the ground after a collision with you. Whether or not the call was the right call, whether or not what you were hearing from the stadium was frustrating, we all know that when a man lays still on the ground, you pay respect. Even if it is the opposite team. As a cheerleader for my elementary school football team, that was rule number one. You kneel, you clap and cheer when they get up, but you pay respect) and finally, the level of injuries that came and high emotion that were behind them.
                               

Bernard's hit was a tough call, was there a connection with the helmet- yes. Does the ruling suck that he wasn't defenseless, yes. For any fan watching a hit like that, sucks! It totally sucks seeing a player injured. And maybe I am taking this a little more seriously, considering that I watched Concussion recently, but we owe our players more when we use them for entertainment. We have a responsibility to protect them as much as the other players, coaches, referees and the league is supposed to.

Then you have the hit against Antonio Brown and that one was even tougher to watch. When tape slows down as watching on TV always does and you watch Antonio's head wobble it is not easy to watch. Especially when this is a critical player for your team, a name you hear game in and game out. Pacman Jones is spending too much time off the field talking about Antonio Brown faking the hit. You don't take a hit like that and fake it, the same that you can't fake medical records or Drs. Assessment.

Finally, you have Big Ben's hit. I don't think that Burfict was gunning for him the way that others might. I think you had a high emotion game and the hits intensify that emotion. I would hope lessons have been learned from the Saints' bounty days. It wasn't the hit that disgusted me, it was the actions of the fans that disgusted me. Throwing bottles at a player who is being carted off the field is disgusting. You spit on the game that you call yourselves a fan of.

As much as any individual representing the Ravens literally infuriates me, there would be nothing that would make me desire to throw something at them, especially when they are injured and heading into the locker room.

But here's what, at the end of all of that, my team won and I am not happy about it. I am disappointed. No one won that game with the way it was played and that disgusting display. There were no winners in the sport that I loved on Sunday night, well maybe the NFL with it's ratings. But a young kid is going to get the impression that this is how you act when you play for the NFL and that is sad. No one wins when that display reminds me of the Detroit- Pacers melee. While there wasn't a brawl to that magnitude on Sunday night, the display of grown men, adults was just as disgusting as that fight.

So as I look to Sunday, I am saddened knowing that the game against the Broncos won't be anything like that game against Cincy. I am saddened to say that Cincy has unfortunately written it's identity entering in next season based on that display. And all I can do is shake my head.

That's all she wrote folks...