My Beautiful Dark Twisted (Football) Fantasy

Arian Foster shared his distaste for fantasy fanatics

“It may just sound all whack and corny, yes it’s awful, blasted, boring. Twisted fiction, sick addiction. Well gather ’round children, zip it, listen. ”

– Dark Fantasy by Kanye West

Fantasy football is an addiction. An awful, twisted, sick addiction. And is often a lot less of a fantasy than we all hoped for.

Let me get this out of the way, I don’t like fantasy football. I’m a lightweight. A couple roster moves and I start feeling a head buzz. I take a couple hits to look cool, but I’m really not inhaling.

To me, fantasy football sounds beautiful, but always ends up on the dark and twisted side. I appreciate the idea of learning more about the athletes and playing a faux NFL season where each “GM” controls his/her team. It gets us more involved and raises the general football IQ of the country.

But at some point fantasy football stopped being a fun, gentle game, and went the way of a dark, dingy, kinky dungeon. Probably around the time I watched three quarters of an NFC West showdown because my kicker was playing.

Everyone knows how fantasy has changed the way we watch a game. We don’t root as whole-heartedly against rivals because there is a good chance their star player is on our fantasy team. The fact that the Jets’ Shonne Green is my fantasy running back makes me sick to my stomach.

But my biggest bugaboo with the fantasy world is the way we talk football these days. Instead of discussing the finer points of our hatred of Peyton Manning, I now find myself talking with fellow Pats’ fans about his trade value. We both still hate him. But not in the “I hope Albert Haynesworth breaks his neck” kind of way anymore, but more of the “I can’t believe I traded him for Ray Rice!” kind of way. There’s something inherently wrong about that. We don’t talk about our favorite team’s weekly match-up at the bar, we talk about our fantasy match-ups.

Will 2 touchdowns be enough for your fantasy team this week?

I’m willing to bet you my fantasy QB (Michael Vick) that instead of watching the entire Ravens – Steelers game this Sunday (which is probably the best game of the weekend) someone asks to check the Cleveland – Cincinnati game because “I need Peyton Hillis to score two touchdowns!” And watching any amount of the Cleveland – Cincinnati game does not constitute a fantasy, no matter how sadistic your tastes are.

Each week at work we’re cruelly subjected to the fantasy musings of the office genius who can’t figure out who to start at the flex position. “Mike Williams against the Chargers or Kenny Britt against the Jaguars?!” Seriously dude? I have my own terrible fantasy roster to watch, and I don’t care how hard your brother-in-law dropped your baby nephew when Graham Gano missed that chip-shot field goal. Other people’s fantasy teams are awful to hear about. But we keep hearing about them. Every. Week.

One final note. The NFL Redzone station is a product of fantasy football. And flipping between games just to see which WR gets credit for the TD is, well, twisted.

I long for the wholesome days of yesteryear, when a Drew Bledsoe to Ben Coates touchdown connection meant six points for the Patriots, not six points for (insert terrible pun) fantasy team. But that innocence is gone. That fantasy habit started harmlessly enough, one toke at a party. You said you’d just play one season, but now it’s full-fledged addiction.

After just one game in 2011, my football season has been anything but fantasy. And if your fantasy involves fantasy football, we might run in different circles.

*Bonus points if you understood the Kanye reference in the title.

The Worst Sportscaster in Baseball: Not Who You Might Think

I never thought I would say this, but Tim McCarver is not the worst announcer in baseball.

I know, shocking. Tim McCarver is miserable. He butchers names, goes off on wild tangents and honestly, I don’t think he knows much about the game of baseball (sadly, I’m only half kidding). If you placed him in a lineup of senile septuagenarians and had them recall a play from the 1960’s, nine out of 10 times you wouldn’t be able to pick him out.

But as bad as McCarver is, he has been replaced as the worst sportscaster currently calling MLB games.

Bobby Valentine has quickly etched his name atop the list of terrible baseball announcers. Of course, this is the same man who wore a fake moustache and sunglasses as a disguise in the dugout after being ejected from a game – so we really shouldn’t be that surprised.

Maybe my players will absolve me of all decision making if I wear this moustache

Several weeks ago, Valentine mentioned that he would routinely ask his players, who had just been hit by a pitch, if they’d like retaliation against opposing hitters. Instead of making the decision himself, he’d ask recently plunked hitters for advice. Because why should the manager make the decision, right? After getting hit with a 95 mile-an-hour fastball, the player is probably thinking most rationally.

This week he defended Carlos Zambrano (which is in itself insane), after Big Z went off on his teammates for blowing a lead. Valentine said Zambrano was speaking the truth; his teammates weren’t performing. Well let’s think back to your managing days Bobby. You think you’d want your players calling each other out in the media, rather than holding a closed-door meeting? You don’t think that would cause any headaches for the man who’s only job is to manage his players?

Fortunately for us, the season is only two months old. We still have five months or quips and musings from the once immortal manager of the New York Mets and the Chiba Lotte Marines of the Japanese Pacific League.

I think adding former players and managers to sports booth is a brilliant idea. Dennis Eckersley, Aaron Boone, Orel Hershiser (who coincidentally broadcasts with Valentine, and routinely saves his ass) and Nomar Garciaparra all do a fantastic job of comparing experiences with the situation at hand. Valentine tries to do the same, and you quickly realize why he no longer manages.

He may not have as many career flubs as the infamous McCarver, but Valentine certainly has left me scratching my head quite a bit this season. As long as the two are never paired together I think we’ll be okay. Not even Orel Hershiser would be able to save that mess.

Did he really just say that? -Hershiser

7 Team Names We Want Back

The most recent rumor coming out the Association is that the Washington Wizards may be changing their team name.  Frankly, it’s about time.  A team name should strike fear in the hearts of opponents. It should be jazzy, have spunk.

It should not conjure an image of an old man wearing a goofy hat, who is probably drunk and has arthritis in his knees.

So in honor of the Wizards (hopefully) realizing the mistake that is their name, here are 7 team names that should never have been changed.

7. Houston Colt 45s

This team founded in the early 1960s would later become the Houston Astros after just three seasons.  Nothing scares opponents quit like a gun.  And what says Texas more than a six-shot revolver? Certainly not some dinky star referred to as an Astro.

This design is a throw back to a time when typeface meant something in logos- seriously, how cool is the gun smoke “C”?  Alas, the second amendment doesn’t seem to hold water when it comes to sports teams.

6. Decatur Staleys

Now the Chicago Bears, the Decatur Staleys were disbanded in 1922.  Suffice to say, not many remember the Staleys, who were named after the A.E. Staley Food Starch Company of Decatur Ill.

While a starch company may only scare those with Celiac Disease, there really is something about this team.  Maybe it’s the fact that players were still wearing helmets like this when The Staleys ruled the gridiron.  Either way, you have to admit that “The Decatur Staleys” has a better ring to it than the Carolina Panthers or Columbus Blue Jackets.

5. Hartford Whalers

Sure Whalers may be terrible human beings who prey on endangered mammals, but tell me a guy on holding a harpoon while braving the open ocean isn’t awesome.

Besides, has there ever been a better team anthem than Brass Bonanza?

4. Chicago Zephyrs

Has there ever been a more aptly named team than the Chicago Zephyrs? I’ll save you the time of grabbing a dictionary – a zephyr is a westerly wind.  And of course the Zephyrs played in the Windy City. The pure wit of the Zephyrs front office is astounding.

Chicago may have been a terrible team (their best record was 25-55 in just two full season), but who really cares with jerseys like these?

Tell me that name doesn't look cool on a jersey

3.  Montreal Expos

Any team named after a one-time event is legendary.  And such is the case with The Montreal Expos who were named after the 1967 World’s Fair held in (you guessed it) Montreal.

Forget epic battles, natural disasters, fierce weapons or snarling animals; I’ll take a team named after a “The Universal Exposition” every day of the week and twice on Sundays.

2. Baltimore Bullets

Xmas is right around the corner... I wear size medium

Similar to the Houston team mentioned earlier, is there anything scarier than a speeding bullet?  Baltimore gets the nod for its simplicity and alliteration.  Alliteration can NOT be understated when it comes to team names, and that’s why the Washington Bullets aren’t in the No. 2 spot instead.

Add in the opportunity to say that the Baltimore team is “faster than a speeding bullet” on every fast-break and you have struck gold.

1. California Golden Seals

It's true, a picture is worth 1,000 words

Was there ever any doubt?

The Golden Seals were added to the NHL as part of the leagues six team expansion in 1966.

When you think of the California Bay Area, two things come to mind: hockey and seals.

Olympics Open with Tragic Start

Typically, the opening ceremonies of the Winter Olympics mark a cheerful celebration only seen every four years.  Last night’s ceremony in Vancouver carried a somber tone after 21-year-old Nodar Kumaritashvili of Georgia careened off the Whistler Sliding Track and crashed into a metal support beam.

Kumaritashvili was rushed to the hospital, but was pronounced dead after several hours.  The accident marks the fourth fatality in Winter Olympic history, and the first since 1992.

The Whistler Sliding Track has been marked as the fastest track in the world, and Kumaritashvili was clocked at 89.4 MPH when he went off the course at Curve 13.  NBC released the footage of the fatal accident, and the images are chilling.  Frankly, the human body isn’t meant to travel that fast on a tiny metal sled.

The incident in Vancouver finally begs the question, how fast is too fast?

The track was designed to be the fastest of its kind and lugers can be subjected to G-forces similar to those experienced by military jet pilots.  Racers have consistently broken 90 MPH on the 16-curve track, and on Thursday Romanian luger Violeta Stramaturaru was knocked unconscious after a similar crash during her training run.

There has already been an increase of crashes at this year’s Olympics, on The Whistler.  In fact, Kumaritashvili crashed on his second training run as well.  American bobsled pilot Steven Holcomb has gone as far as nicknaming the infamous Curve 13 “The 50/50 Curve” because of the chances of crashing.

Interestingly, the Georgian athlete is only the second luger to perish Olympic history, the first coming in the 1964 games at Innsbruck.  The luge is certainly one of the more dangerous winter events, and the fact that only two lugers have died since the first Winter Games in 1924 is impressive.

Fortunately for the lugers, the track has been shortened by officials in an attempt to slow down the course and protect the athletes.  Thankfully, the officials realized just how dangerous The Whistler Sliding track is and have finally made the health of competitors the top priority.

As the Olympics continue, look for every country and all athletes to honor the memory of Nodar Kumaritashvili whose life and promising luging career were cut drastically short on The Whistler Sliding Track.

A New NASCAR

This past week, NASCAR officials announced that they will be relaxing some of the sport’s rules, in an attempt to “energize” racing.  The Associated Press reported that drivers are being encouraged to “show more aggression and emotion” while driving.

In addition, drivers will be allowed to “bump-draft,” which consists of a racer bumping the car in front of him in order to maintain speed.

The changes don’t stop there.  Teams will also be able to increase the horsepower of their vehicles, allowing for faster speeds on the track.

Does any of this seem odd to anyone else?

One of the most dangerous sports, in which drivers push their cars over 180 MPH for hundreds of miles, just encouraged drivers to be more aggressive.  This is truly a disaster waiting to happen.

The last fatal NASCAR accident occurred in 2001 when racing legend Dale Earnhardt crashed into the wall on the last lap of the Daytona 500.  After the tragedy, new regulations were put in place to protect drivers and limit vehicles from traveling at perilous speeds.  Drivers were routinely fined and suspended for on-track aggression or arguing with other drivers before and after races.

And with all the new regulations and precautions, not a single NASCAR driver has died in nine years.  Losing “The Intimidator” was a huge blow to the sport.

NASCAR officials stated that ratings are down and that fans have lost interest in racing. NASCAR’s vice president of competition Robin Pemberton told the Associated Press, “We will put it back in the hands of drivers, and we will say ‘Boys, have at it and have a good time.’ ”

So after working so hard over the past nine years to protect drivers and lessen the dangers of racing, officials are now encouraging drivers to be more aggressive because fans are getting bored with the sport?

Interestingly, these rule changes come at a time when many other sports are enacting regulations to protect athletes.

In November, the NFL created new regulations to protect players who have experienced concussions.  Even earlier than that, the NFL created rules to protect quarterbacks and defenseless receivers.  While many fans have criticized NFL officials, the regulations have remained intact and players remain protected.

Likewise, Major League Baseball has prevented pitchers from throwing at opposing hitters in retaliation.  This was a staple of the game throughout its history, but because of injuries and fights, umpires are very quick to warn and eject pitchers now.  Sure the fans would love to see more bean-balls and brawls, but the MLB has acknowledged that protecting players is more important.

Imagine if other sports took the same viewpoint as NASCAR.

Everyone knows hockey has been struggling to reach new fans.  Why not allow more slashing?  Basketball is getting boring? Encourage players to start throwing more elbows and cheap shots.  College lacrosse isn’t resonating with fans?  Tell the student-athletes to start swinging their sticks at anyone within reach. That should bring in more fans.

If NASCAR continues to change the rules just to bring in more fans, it is only a matter of time until another Earnhardt-like tragedy strikes the sport.  When cars start bumping, tempers will start flying.  And no one wants to experience road rage amidst dozens of vehicles that are traveling 180 MPH.

How many fans will stick around when all the superstars of the sport are being injured in horrific accidents?

Finally, how many of those supposed “bored fans” are going to be thrilled to see one of these cars come flying in their direction after being bumped and lifted off the ground, because of aggressive driving.

Only a chain linked fence between me and the race car flying in my direction? Now that’s exciting!

Hopefully, more fans will start enjoying NASCAR and the excitement that it already offers millions of fans.  But in the case of another fatal accident look for these new regulations to be rescinded immediately.

Until then, have at it boys!

Top Moments of the Decade

The past decade was full of unforgettable sports moments, and since every other media outlet has released their list of “top moments of the decade,” it’s time I unleash my very own.

5. USA men’s swimming wins 4×100 freestyle relay

The Olympics have the uncanny ability to unite Americans unlike any other sporting event.  Whether you’re a compulsive sports gambler or are completely disinterested in athletics, you watch the summer games. And the prospect of Michael Phelps winning a record eight gold medals had Americans glued to the screen.  The split-second victory at the relay punctuated Phelps’s Olympic domination and had Americans more excited about the Olympics since the Miracle on Ice in 1980.

4. Red Sox World Series Victory in 2004

The 1918 chant would never be heard again after the Red Sox swept the St. Louis Cardinals in the 2004 World Series.  The victory, which erased 86 years of heartbreak, would have cracked the top 10 regardless, but the way the Red Sox won places Boston’s championship comfortably in the top 5.

Down 3-0 to the rival Yankees, the Red Sox win games four and five on walk-off hits. Schilling’s bloody sock in game six. Blow out in game 7.  Call me a New England fanboy, but the series stands as the best comeback in baseball history.

3. Barry Bonds, number 756

Love him or hate him, Barry Bonds holds the most respected record in the most statistically-revolved sport.  By passing Hank Aaron’s record amid a cloud of steroid dust, Bonds has received scorn from every possible critic.  And that is most likely why his record breaking performance was kept off many “best of the decade” lists.

Controversy aside, the image of Bonds standing at home plate with his arms raised as the ball cleared the left-center field wall is timeless.

2. Dale Earnhardt dies

To this point I have not seen this tragedy on anyone else’s list.  Not only did the crash at The Daytona 500 in 2001 end The Intimidator’s illustrious career, it paved the way for new safety regulations in NASCAR.  Earnhardt’s death stands as the last fatal accident NASCAR has seen.

1. Tyree’s catch

When looking back on the decade, this is the first moment that should come to mind.  The story of Super Bowl XLII reads like a cliché movie plot.  Huge underdog defeats previously perfect team.  Scrappy defense shuts down record-breaking offense.  Hall of fame coach and quarterback come up short.

The Giants final drive was capped off by the miraculous catch from a no-name receiver. Tyree may never make another catch in the NFL again, but will always remain a legend.

Honorable Mentions

a. Tiger Woods, 2008 U.S. Open

Greatest golfer of the decade fights through a serious leg injury and comes from behind to force a playoff.  This victory punctuated Tiger’s dominant decade.

b. Adam Vinatieri’s Snow Bowl Kick

Toughest field goal ever made.  45-yarder through driving snow to force overtime.  The Patriots victory over the Raiders was the precursor to a dynasty.  Conversely the Snow Bowl game along with the Raiders’ blowout loss in the following year’s Super Bowl mark the last time Oakland was a relevant NFL franchise.

What moments do you think should have made the list?



The Toughest Job in Sports

There are a lot of tough jobs in sports.

Lugging a piping hot bin of hot dogs up and down the stands during an August day game in Arlington Texas is one of them.  Tearing thousands of ticket stubs at Daytona National Speedway must leave workers with severe Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.  And I don’t even want to think about the guy cleaning the bathroom at Fenway.

But without a doubt, the award for toughest job in sports goes to the event staff.

You’re enjoying the game with an Italian sausage and some popcorn from the comfort of your red plastic seat in section 151, while this guy stands facing the crowd the entire time.  Don’t get me wrong, people watching can be fun, just go to Venice Beach.  But I’d rather be watching Lebron hit a fade-away three than the drunk guy in row BB try to lick mustard off the side of his face.

And while their job is less than desirable, those guys are good.  When’s the last time you saw a worker admiring a Peyton Manning pass?  The entire world has its eyes locked on the Super Bowl winning field goal, and the woman in the yellow “event staff” jacket has her eyes locked on you.

There’s no way I could ever spend a day in their shoes. During timeouts, they’re making sure no crazy fans rush the court.  I’d be trying to get a copy of the box score from press row.  They make sure everyone exits the stadium peacefully.  I’d be sneaking into the locker room for autographs.

Well, maybe it isn’t that bad?  When Santonio Holmes made the game winning catch during the Super Bowl, they got to watch how excited all the fans were.  The joy on their faces must have been priceless.  On the other hand, have you ever missed a big play and had to listen to the guy next to you talk about it for the next three quarters? Miserable.

One more thought.  Have you ever spent five hours outside in Green Bay, Wis., in December?  They have; every week.

I used to think the event staff had the best job in the world.  “They get paid to go to the games!” I’d exclaim.

How naïve.

Kids, Avoid Andre Agassi

This article was originally published in Loyola University’s student newspaper The Greyhound on November 2, 2009.

This past week former tennis superstar Andre Agassi announced the release of his autobiography titled “Open: An Autobiography,” in which he reveals many surprises about his past. Topping the list of shockers is his admission of lying to the ATP tour after testing positive for crystal meth in 1997.

According to an Associated Press report, Agassi told tennis officials that he had accidentally ingested the drug after drinking the spiked beverage of his assistant. The ATP accepted this excuse, allowing Agassi to play, rather than suspending him.

While these positive drug tests are very surprising, the most unsettling excerpt from the tell-all book relates to Agassi’s attitude toward the sport that made him famous.

Agassi revealed that he in fact hated the sport of tennis, and only played it because his “overbearing” father pushed him to as a child. This news is nothing short of catastrophic for tennis fans who watched Agassi dominate the tennis scene during the 1990s and early 2000s with eight grand slam singles titles and one gold medal.

“Apart from the buzz of getting high, I get an undeniable satisfaction from harming myself and shortening my career,” Agassi writes. “But the physical aftermath is hideous. After two days of being high, of not sleeping, I’m an alien. I have the audacity to wonder why I feel so rotten. I’m an athlete, my body should be able to handle this.”

As sports fans, it is disheartening to hear how a superstar like Agassi loathed the sport he played with such passion. And while cases like Agassi’s are certainly rare, there are surely more athletes out there that do not feel the same passion on the field or court that they show the public.

There are undoubtedly student athletes across the country who fit into the same mold. Most of these athletes have played their respective sport for their entire lives. They spent their high school years honing their athletic skills, working out and pushing their bodies day after day.

So when college rolls around and these athletes are offered a scholarship, they keep playing. And playing. And playing.

And somewhere along the line, the passion they once had for their sport is gone.

Now this is definitely not the case with all athletes, but there are certainly kids out there that only participate in their sport because they feel pressured to. Imagine not being able to afford the college of your choice unless you play football (a sport you no longer love) to maintain your scholarship.

Imagine continuing to practice every single day because your father is making you. You think taking five classes is already tough enough, now add the schedule of a division I athlete. And don’t forget about all the pressure you are already feeling from parents and coaches to perform on and off the field.

After taking a closer look at Agassi’s unexpected comments, it becomes a little clearer why he disliked tennis so much. According to the Associated Press, at one point Agassi reveals how his father bet $500 on one of his son’s matches, when Andre was only nine. Agassi portrays his father as a violent man in the book, and remembers a time when his father pulled a handgun on another driver.

After winning Wimbledon in 1992 Agassi’s father did not congratulate him, but instead criticized him for dropping a set.

Clearly Agassi had a reason to hate the sport, but the entire situation is still devastating to tennis fans. How would football fans react if John Elway or Joe Montana had the same feelings for their sport?

Surely more details will be revealed as the book is released, and Agassi is already set for an interview on “60 Minutes,” on Nov 8. But it will be important for young people as well as parents to learn from Agassi as further information is realeased.

Hopefully people will begin looking at sports as a form of entertainment and fun, as opposed to a business as surely Agassi’s father did. Clearly, if Agassi had been playing tennis for the fun of the sport, he would have not gone down the road he eventually did.

Sadly, more stories like Agassi’s may be released if people continue to treat sports as an obsession. Hopefully parents can understand what Agassi went through and can see how placing so much pressure on youth sports can have such a devastating effect.

Pro’s, Grow Up

This article was originally published in Loyola University’s student newspaper The Greyhound on September 22, 2009

“I’m going to take this ball and shove it down your (expletive) throat.”

Serena Williams didn’t just use foul language while threatening a line judge during last week’s US Open; she also waved her racquet and pointed menacingly at the judge during her rant. It was a tirade that tennis fans won’t soon forget, not solely because of its ruthless nature, but because it also cost Williams the semi-final match.

When her outburst finally ended, the chair umpired penalized Williams one point, giving the match to Kim Clijsters. What was Williams arguing about? The line judge called her for a foot fault on her second serve, awarding Clijsters a point. Had Williams not gone ballistic, she would have still been in the match, but her actions handed her the loss.

No doubt about it, the double fault was a close call. But close call or not, Williams’s temper tantrum was completely unwarranted, and unfortunately it was just another example of poor sportsmanship by an immature athlete.

When people think about Tiger Woods, they think of his powerful drive, his enthusiastic fist pumps and of course his blazing red shirt. Very few think about his poor manners while on the course, which normally result in the throwing of his club or cursing in front of the camera. But Tiger doesn’t seem to get fined too often.

Baseball is full of temper tantrums. How many times have we seen the manager come waddling out of the dugout and scream into the face of the umpire from two inches away. Or how about when a player gets plunked by a fastball and charges the mound? While these scuffles are often quite funny and entertaining (admit it), they reveal how immature today’s athletes really are.

Of course player outbursts aren’t some new thing. Sports figures like John McEnroe and Lou Piniella made careers out of it. Face it, professional sports are extremely competitive and when things don’t go according to plan, players blow off some steam.

The problem however lies in the punishments that are given out to professional athletes when they act like little kids. Surely Serena will be suspended for her inappropriate behavior right? Not quite. Williams was fined $10,500, which may seem like a lot to those of us scrounging up $10 for a pizza, but it is really nothing for these superstars worth millions. Is the $10,000 going to stop Williams from doing it again? What do you think?

These light punishments seem particularly unfair when they are compared to those handed down on NCAA athletes.

In the opening week of college football, Oregonís LeGarrette Blount threw a punch that connected with the jaw of Byron Hout from Boise State. Frustrated with the loss, and presumably some post-game trash talk, Blount lost his cool for a split second and sucker punched Hout.

How did the NCAA react? They ended Blount’s collegiate career. It turns out Blount’s first game of his senior season was also his last. No light fine or suspension like we see in professional sports. An entire season was lost because of a split second worth of indiscretion.

It helps to examine some suspensions from professional sports to appreciate just how substantial Blount’s sentence really is. Take the altercation between Kevin Youkilis of the Boston Red Sox and Rick Porcello of the Detroit Tigers from Aug 12. After Porcello hit Youkilis with a fastball, Youkilis lost his cool and charged the mound. Both players hit the ground, and both benches cleared.

What kind of suspension did these MLB players receive? Five games each. Five measly games in a 162 game season. A college player throws one punch at the end of a frustrating game and loses his season.The last truly memorable professional athlete that was suspended for the remainder of a season was Ron Artest of the Indiana Pacers.

While the referees were trying to assess fouls after a small skirmish between the Pistons and the Pacers, a fan threw a beer on Artest. How did Indiana’s forward respond? By jumping in the stands and throwing haymakers at every fan in the vicinity of the culprit.

Artest was suspended for 73 regular season games and 13 playoff games. So LaGarrette Blount can throw one punch and receive the same suspension as Ron Artest who jumped into the stands and started a melee with fans?

Blount’s case is not out of the ordinary however. The NCAA enforces very strict rules regarding players conduct on and off the field. For instance, a Loyola student athlete could face serious fines for cheating or receiving help on papers, exams or even homework.

While this may pose an academic as well as ethical issue, in no way are these actions illegal and they have no affect on the athlete’s performance on the field. In fact, a student athlete could face suspension if he or she even requests a tutor meeting without filing the proper paper work.

But Serena Williams can threaten an official and receive a slap on the wrist? While it may seem like NCAA regulations and suspensions are rather harsh, it is time that professional sports start learning from the college model.

Handing out minor fines to extremely wealthy athletes does nothing. Just look at the NFL. Players continue to create extravagant touchdown celebrations despite the fact they will be fined each and every time.Most importantly, it is time that professional athletes like Serena Williams and Tiger Woods stop acting like children when a call or play does not go their way.

Everyone makes bad plays and referees are human. There is no need to berate an official over a call, especially when it is a tough call to make. And cursing is never appropriate when millions of fans are watching on national television. So here’s a message to the professionals, grow up.