A Torn Tale Between Two Cities

Sunday, September 14, Charlotte, North Carolina. It was a nice, cool, Sunday in the Queen City- great day for some good 'ol American football. I have been living in North Carolina for the past six years, the last four in Charlotte. Today, my home team, the Detroit Lions, play the Carolina Panthers. I have been super excited about this game since the Panthers and Lions released their schedules late spring. 

My very first Panthers game was last year, when they played and crushed the New York Giants 38-0; I was hyped, sporting my Lions tank top, hanging with my girl Sheila, also from The D. Lions blood has flowed through my veins for twenty-five years...that's a quarter of a century! Up until January of this year, I had never worn or owned any other pro football team paraphernalia, ever! 

In December 2013, I lost a bet to a friend. The Lions with a winning record in their division, started to lose games and dropped in their ranking when they lost to the Jacksonville Jaguars, who were struggling to stay alive last season. The Panthers played the Jaguars the week after the Lions. I was being facetious.."The Bet" was.. should the Panthers win against the Jaguars, I would purchase a Panther something, and should Michigan State win The Rose Bowl vs Stanford, my friend would purchase a Michigan State something. The loser would wear the item and take a photo. Well, I lost and bought a Panthers hat. He lost and bought two Michigan State shirts (one for me...too sweet!). As the Lions spiraled from a winning streak to a losing one, my friend, clearly a Panther man, tried to recruit me into Panther Nation. His argument was for me to at least support them seeing I now live in Charlotte. His argument was well made, understood, considered and implemented. 

It wasn't until a few weeks ago that friction started between us. As the Panthers vs Lions game drew closer, I grew anxious. I made my mind up that I didn't care who won. I would support both teams- yeah, I know that's straddling the fence but I was going to be okay with it either way, lol. Then I decided to support the Panthers fully, gear and all. To show allegiance to my new home team and to someone that supports me at all times. I was crushed when my show of support was criticized and disbelieved [enter friction here]. I couldn't even sit where I was initially sitting. With an emotional blow to my heart, I graciously accepted my other seats and let it be. 

After the blow, and being asked over and over by my friends who I was rooting for, I started to agonize over my support and gear, even asking my NC family (Nina & Allen) for help. I felt torn between two teams, two cities that I love, and found myself questioning my friend's actions and his faith in my support... what I had felt good about initially, started to give me anxiety attacks as the game approached. I finally decided to revert back to my initial plan and show support for both teams, whew! 

Yeah! Game Day is finally here!! I threw on my Panthers shirt and my Lions hat- Panthers blue and Lions blue clashed a bit, but hey, blue is blue and I am down for a good game. I expected nothing short of a good game! 

Instead what I witnessed was a terrible game...for the Lions anyway! A feeling of unease started twirling in my gut. Though I went in with the mindset of not choosing sides, that I'd be good with whatever, and sincerely happy for whomever wins; I did not expect the Lions to play so poorly. The bad plays started to make me nauseous. I found myself clapping for Carolina and wanting to cry for Detroit. I started praying a familiar prayer- Dear sport gods, why must we go thru this? Why must we (Lions fans) be subjected to such debacles year after year. The Lions were not ready and clearly unprepared for the Panthers defense. I wasn't mad that Carolina was winning, I was frustrated and perturbed with how poorly the Lions were playing. The Lions, once again, showed they were stuck, high on their egos coming off off their Monday Night game win against the Giants.

The Lions may have a different look and a different coach, but under that Lions blue and silver armor flows the same Lions blue blood of games past...bring you up, only to let you down. 

It was a bittersweet day in the Queen City. I never knew Charlotte had so many Lions fans. They were out in full force, representing hard, doing what they've done forever- win, lose, or draw, they still showed up, showed out, and showed love, even after the loss.

Don't get it twisted, I am very proud and happy for the Panthers!! They have been working hard for a couple of weeks preparing for the Lions, their defense and stopping Calvin Johnson aka Megatron, and it showed! It was a well executed game by the Panthers, and though I didn't mind the win at all, it honestly pained me to watch the Lions take a beating. I was ready and mentally prepared for a good game; but I wasn't ready or mentally prepared for a piss poor performance or an @$$ whoopin'...or what I felt...the team spirit of a ghost Lions past. 

Someone once said, "Proper Preperation Prevents Piss Poor Performance"...The Lions need this quote inked in Lions blue on everything they have. 

On Any Given Sunday, you will win some and you will lose some, but you need to come to play!

Great game Panthers!!! #KeepPounding

 

~A2   

The Curse or Not The Curse…What Is The Detroit Lions Problem?

After decades of little joy and many painful, heart wrenching moments. After acquiring Reggie Bush to attempt to fill the shoes of Billy Simms and Barry Sanders (poor Reggie). After having one of the best receivers in the league in Calvin “Megatron” Johnson, as well as a strong defensive tackle like Ndamukong Suh, and what seems to be a seemingly nice defense; the Lions still can’t seem to get it together and regress to the same bs as years past.

One week they’re leading the NFC North and on the right track, then the next two weeks they lose back to back games to the Steelers and Bucs.  How do you lose at home to the Bucs? It’s more than just embarrassing, it’s outright shameful! Are the Bucs even rated this year? Okay, yes, I’m salty but going into the Thanksgiving game against the Packers thinking about the Bucs loss, is very unsettling. Thinking that we can be 6-6 and may forfeit yet another chance at seeing the playoffs is disturbing. 

This relationship, this emotional roller-coaster ride of emotional highs and lows that I’ve been on for decades has turned from abusive to quite toxic. Have I had enough? Am I nearing my sport-witted end? Am I ready to cut ties? I’ve called myself taking some "me" time, some "space" from my beloved yet frustrating home team before. Maybe, like any other relationship that has run its course, it’s time for us to part ways? Maybe, seeing I live in Charlotte now, I should switch allegiance and give the Panthers my attention? The Carolina Panthers are now 8-3 and they play the Bucs at home this Sunday. I made a wager with a friend that if the Panthers win at home against the Bucs, I will break down and do something I don’t do--purchase a Panther something…as I clearly need to start scoping other teams that will appreciate and reciprocate my devotion. I’m not a bandwagoneer, but this ride has gone on far too long, and seeing images like this really doesn’t help my sport spirit...sigh! 

56 years and counting...it's been 56 years since the Lions have won a Super Bowl! The storyline never changes, it never fails; either we totally suck or we hype up, make the playoffs only to lose in the first round. Turnovers, interceptions, inconsistencies, blah blah blah- when/where does the cycle end? Sometimes, when I hear the team explain themselves, I swear I’m watching a Charlie Brown special! When will the excuses stop? At what point do we, the fans, fold? We’ve held on for so long, hoping, praying for a different outcome, only to be disappointed and witness the same results. We've had some great players. We've had decent squads. What is the Lions problem? Why can’t they get it right? Get it together? Are they just too spoiled- having a plush indoor stadium, indoor practice facility, new logo and uniforms but still over promise and under deliver year after year? Or are they just cursed? Maybe they need to practice outside in this brutally cold Detroit weather! Maybe that will give them the edge, the focus, the consistency they need. Something has got to give and soon!

Having one of the best running backs to just up and quit the game because he lost the love for it isn’t much hope to hold on to either; it depletes your sport spirit to think if he lost hope, if he lost the love…how could a fan after years of torture keep hope alive? I pray to the sport gods to bless my Kitties every game and most often than not, I’m left burying my head into my hoodie in silent pain. 

This week is Thanksgiving, which means we entertain at home and play the Packers this Thursday on national TV. I wish the Lions the best of luck and hope that they have learned something from the Bucs game!!

What if the Panthers defeat the Bucs, you ask? (In my Sheldon voice) "Oh, the horror!!" 

I guess we shall see. Good luck to the Panthers as well! 

tbc...

Sincerely Disappointed,

~A2

Penn State’s Disgraced Code of Ethics

When you think of a teacher, a coach, a school, a college institution and its faculty, you think that your kids are safe; you assume that those teachers, professors, coaches, counselors, administrators are there because well, they must care, right? As a single mother, and an over protective one who threatened to shut down the frat house at the MSU campus if her son or other children decided to pledge a particular fraternity had the fraternity decided to practice unethical methods, I believe that we should ensure that the welfare and wellbeing of our children, as a whole, are in the hands of those that are assuming the responsibility of their care at that moment. You would think that someone would have the moral stance to do the right thing….think again…not so much!

Penn State: There’s a humanitarian and human rights violation here and I for one am holding the entire heads of the institutions faculty responsible.

Someone said to me the other night that they couldn’t understand why the media and majority folks were out for Joe Paterno’s head. They had no idea exactly why Joe Paterno, a very well respected NCAA football coach of the fine collegiate institution of Penn State got fired? Even Ashton Kutcher  (without all the facts) tried to stand up for Paterno on Twitter and was almost virtually slaughtered.

Let me break it down for you twenty-five percenters out here that may not be sport fanatics or may not care for college athletics, this of course has nothing to do with Ashton Kutcher, as not only is he an avid sport fiend but an advocate against child trafficking. So again, this is for you folks out there that just don’t know the complete facts and are not glued to ESPN and News Channels.

As a fan of sports and the Big Ten, I was literally appalled that Joe Paterno, a respectable coach with 46 years of coaching the Penn State Nittany Lions football team didn’t feel the “MORAL OBLIGATION” to protect innocent kids from a predator. Can you imagine, if someone came to you and said, ‘Hey, your assistant coach or whomever, is in the shower with a kid, molesting or sodomizing them..” and you do nothing but tell someone else?? Let’s get this straight, JoePa runs Penn State, period! So don’t tell me that he told the Athletic Director and that’s it; sorry, I expect more from the man who is proclaimed a humanitarian. Paterno was known as a humanitarian…STOP! REALLY??? By whose and what standards?? Because to turn your face and allow this disgusting, vile, disturbing behavior to continue, to me, makes you an accomplice and a coward. Personally, I would flip out!! Not only on Sandusky, but I would see to it that the situation was handled appropriately. Paterno never so much as asked Sandusky if he had a problem, as a matter of fact, Paterno, never asked Sandusky anything! Let me reiterate, The Man, Thee Coach, The MAN that runs Penn State, The Man that has 400 wins under his belt, the man that is worshiped by the entire institution, its faculty and student body, NEVER questioned Sandusky or his inappropriate behavior…EVER!! Joe Paterno was an enabler! He and other Penn State heads, enabled Sandusky to utilize the Second Mile Organization, the Penn State facility and plane for his sick behavior and now Sandusky has been charged with forty (40) counts of sexual abuse of young boys within a 15 year span.

But then again JoePa wouldn’t resign when initially asked by the president and athletic director in 2004 because he claimed that Penn State and the football program were his life. He stated he doesn’t have any other hobbies, except college football and raising money for the institution that he spent the majority of his life in, I guess he felt he may have needed to cover things up. There’s NO WAY Paterno was not aware of all that was going on, starting with the first allegation in 1998.

Yes, 1998, NOT 2002, sparked the very first allegation that Sandusky was having inappropriate interactions with young men (little boys) but no charges were filed and Sandusky was asked to step down as coach and retire. However, he was still involved in the Second Mile Organization and was given “emeritus” status by Penn State, which means he still retained his title at the university and that allowed him to have an office at Penn State and utilize their facilities and plane.

For those of you who don’t know where Penn State is, it is in the middle of nowhere. They are their own community. It’s a bubble and therefore can hide whatever they want and continue to portray the image they’ve managed to display until now.

Bob Costas is one of my favorite journalists and in an interview with Bob Costas last night, Sandusky repeatedly stated that he showered and “horsed around” with several little boys. He stated that he would touch their leg and they jointly showered naked. I wish Costas would have asked Sandusky to define “Horsing Around”… and I wish Sandusky would stop playing the public as Fox News does- like folks are stupid. He kept repeating the “horsing around” because someone caught him, however, it’s too many years too late for a DNA test, no actual DNA of a rape can be proven at this late stage, but the testimonies of these young men are compelling. I also feel that there are more than the eight that came forward. I’m positive there are more, but they probably are ashamed to come forth and probably have tried to block those moments and are in the efforts of moving on with their lives.

As for Sandusky’s attorney, it’s quite fitting that Sandusky would choose an attorney who also lacks moral ethics as he, the attorney, had an affair and impregnated his then 16 year old CLIENT when he was 49 years old and married her 6 years later. But who would represent such a disgusting and sick human being?!

And where is the NCAA in all of this? What do they have to say? Damn, they sure have been mighty quiet. Funny how when a kid is in need of money to eat, go out or maybe even get a tattoo, the very same kids that the NCAA is profiting off of get caught violating any NCAA rules or are accused of misconduct, the NCAA will hop on them and strip them of their accolades and trophies, but when it’s one of their own in the hot seat, they seem to turn the other cheek.  Surely they do not think this is beyond their “boundaries” or out of their hands. These coaches, assistant coaches, athletic directors are branded and honored, not to mention well paid. They are handpicked to make the perspective institution a ton of money and the NCAA is not holding them to anything??? How about a simple Code Of Conduct? Moral Code? Ethics Code? Because in my eyes the entire Penn State administration along with its Athletic Department violated all three. The Penn State Board of Trustees fired President Graham Spanier and Head Coach Joe Paterno on November 8, 2011. I wonder if the NCAA will strip Paterno and the Penn State football program of all accolades from 1998 or 2002 until November 8, 2011?? Though we are aware that the collegiate system is systematically and disturbingly flawed, hopefully the NCAA will do the JUST thing, the RIGHT thing and finally acknowledge the children that have been violated and voiceless all this time and strip Penn State’s Football Program of all accolades and victories for this time period, just as Penn State and its head Athletic Directors and responsible parties in charge have stripped these boys of their youth and innocence. God Bless.

On a comment section in an article by the Huffington Post: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/11/14/jerry-sandusky-interview-_n_1093792.html turamali said: “40 counts against him and this pedophile is out on bail, the judge needs to be brought up ethics charges.”  
And I agree, 1000%!!! 
~A2

Sources:

Sandusky Grand Jury Presentment: http://www.mcall.com/news/local/mc-sandusky-grand-jury-presentment-pdf,0,7493506.htmlpage

Bob Costas Full Interview: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wQr4x7yzNxg

Info: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Paterno

http://www.timesonline.com/columnists/sports/mark_madden/madden-sandusky-a-state-secret/article_863d3c82-5e6f-11e0-9ae5-001a4bcf6878.html

There are also allegations of child prostitution involving Sandusky: http://audio.weei.com/a/48513214/mark-madden-talks-about-the-penn-state-scandal-and-drops-a-new-bomb-about-jerry-sandusky.htm?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

Sandusky’s secret wasn't so secret: http://www.timesonline.com/columnists/sports/mark_madden/madden-sandusky-a-state-secret/article_863d3c82-5e6f-11e0-9ae5-001a4bcf6878.html