More Than a Fan But Less Than a Player

     I grew up in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in a family that breaths, sleeps and dreams football. With that being said, all my life I have been a die heart Pittsburgh Steelers fan. I have attended well over fifty home Steeler games which included two AFC Championships. Watching every game since I can remember and going to as many as I can, it seemed as if I would be a Steeler fan for the rest of my life. However, something changed that and it was certainly for the better. It wasn't expected but it turned out to be the best thing that could have possibly happened.
    
On April 28, 2012 my cousin Gino Gradkowski was selected 98th overall in the NFL draft by the Baltimore Ravens. Considering we were all Steeler fans it was tough to swallow knowing we'd have to wear purple while rooting for out Division rival. That feeling lasted lasted for a split second and once we came to realization that our cousin Gino had just been drafted, we were all immediately Ravens fans. In our family we are all raised like siblings and are closer than anyone could even imagine and that's why that day was special for so many of us. Even though it was our second time experiencing an NFL draft day, as Gino's big brother Bruce was selected in the sixth round by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the 2006, we were just as excited as the first time. On that day, there wasn't a person in attendance who could have ever imagined how amazing Gino's rookie year would be.
    
It has been twelve years since the Ravens have been crowned Super Bowl champions, but destiny was on their side when 17 year veteran and future Hall of Famer, Ray Lewis announced this would be his final season. A little over a month after his announcement, the Baltimore Ravens hoisted the Lombardi Trophy for the first time since 2000.

Super Bowl XLVII was hosted in New Orleans, Louisiana and this one was particularly special for me. Not only did I get to watch my cousin run out of the tunnel on Super Sunday, but I was lucky enough to be in New Orleans for the whole weekend. The experience was like none other before, I was basically living the dream for five days.

It wasn't your ordinary Super Bowl trip; we were able to experience much more than any spectator. Arriving in New Orleans on Thursday my expectations were high, but I never could have imagined experiencing the things I did. Thursday night I went to the Welcome Party for players and their families. I was able to meet Ed Reed, Torrey Smith, Ray Rice, Joe Flacco, and even Coach Harbaugh.

Being surrounded by all these professional athletes was unreal and it was a dream come true to meet some of the people I did. Looking back at that night, now knowing they won the Super Bowl it was unbelievable that I was “hanging out” with World Champions.

The rest of my guy cousins got there on Friday. We met up with them on Bourbon Street for lunch and then later that night was once again remarkable.

We met at Gino’s hotel, which was a five star hotel, and ate at the famous oyster restaurant connected to the hotel. Not only was the dinner excellent, but it tasted even better since it was free.

As I’m sitting at the table, I look to my right and see Keyshawn Johnson, former Dallas Cowboy wide receiver and current ESPN broadcaster. Also that night I saw Mike Ditka, Phil Simms, Hines Ward, Chris Burman and Marvin Lewis. Surrounded in celebrities I wanted to go crazy like a little kid on Christmas, but I was able to remain calm and “cool.”

Saturday morning was yet again special. We woke up early and outside our hotel was a charter bus that took all the players families down to the Super Dome for the Ravens final practice. It was so awesome walking through the tunnel and coming out to see the empty dome. To think that it would be filled with 70 thousand people the next day for the biggest event in sports, well, it gave me chills.

They practiced earlier that morning so when the families got there they could just hang around and talk with us. They were all in their jerseys and having a great time being surrounded by their families and just taking in the moment.

I got to meet Ray Lewis, Jacoby Jones and Ray Rice and Coach Harbaugh again. As this winded down, we said bye to Gino and then began walking to the Hyatt hotel where we got to eat in the VIP room because my uncle knew a sales executive that worked for LG.

Saturday night was less eventful as I ate with a couple of my cousins, my dad, my Uncle Bruce and my Aunt Debbie at a local Bar and Grill.

After dinner was exciting as me and my cousin Timmy walked down to Bourbon Street to meet up with the older cousins. On a Saturday night Bourbon Street was crowded and wild. It was like nothing I've ever seen before and I can’t put into words how crazy that atmosphere is.

The big day was here, we woke up on Super Sunday and headed down to the players families luncheon. Full of gator meat and oysters, it was your typical New Orleans meal. After the meal we all went back and got ready as game time was almost there.

There were too many cousins for all of us to have tickets so we decided that none of us would go. Joe Flacco, Matt Birk whose the starting center and my cousin Gino all have the same agent so he rented out a restaurant for all of their families.

Free appetizers kept coming out and a buffet dinner at halftime. Around 100 family and friends of those players were there and it was absolutely nuts.

When the Ravens started off strong by scoring a touchdown on their first possession, I thought the place was going to collapse. Continuous cheering and screaming throughout the whole night created a game-like atmosphere.

As the clock hit zero it went even crazier and the restaurant literally was shaking. High fives and hugs being exchanged with everyone, it was an amazing feeling.

After the game, Gino got there and gave all of us the biggest hug ever. To think that my cousin, the same guy I watched pay since I can remember, was a Super Bowl champion.

All of my family unable to hold back the tears because they were so proud of him and all the work he put in to accomplish the ultimate goal on the biggest stage in football.

Not long after that Joe Flacco, Super Bowl XLVII MVP, comes walking into the restaurant. It was surreal partying with three guys that had just won Super Bowl, one in which was the MVP.

This was the best experience of my life and I made memories that I will cherish forever. I couldn't be more proud of my cousin Gino who is, always has been, and always will be one of the biggest role models in my life.

Sad, but Debatable

About a month ago a video was made by a professor who teaches at Florida Atlantic University showing why the Sandy Hook Elementary shooting was a conspiracy. Now you may be thinking that this could never be true or happen. However, watching this video made me change my opinion and I firmly believe it was fixed by the United States Government.

The media had been getting facts wrong all day, even more than they usually do. They were way off on a lot of things. Think back to that day, do you remember seeing ambulances or people running away from the school? No, it was a calm environment full of people who seemed to know this was going to happen. Twenty miles down the road there was a training program for military that had to do with dealing with children in crisis in schools. On the same day at the same exact time, coincidence?

Many families who were involved with the shooting or had a child at the school also had a background of being involved with the Crisis Acting company. This is where people get paid to act in a tragedy like this.

There were numerous occasions where a victim's parent(s) spoke to the media and didn't seem effected at all. For example, the father of Emily Parker was seen the day after laughing before he gave a statement to the press. He was smiling and full of laughter and when they said your good to go, he got in to character and began to act sad and devastated. Don't you think if your six-year-old was brutally shot to death it'd be years before you'd ever smile again?

The list of things that don't add up on that day go on and on, too many for me to name in a blog. I will post the video with this blog so you can check it out for yourself.

After watching this video, it made me think, made me realize that our Government is so in control and capable of a lot more than we think. I don't necessarily believe 100% that it was stage but this video showed me enough evidence to make me wonder. 

This is still a tragedy, one of the biggest our nation has seen and I send my condolences to the families who have lost a child. But, it only makes me wonder if they really did or not. Please watch the video below and comment your opinions.

Barton College Football! Wait what?!

Why would a high school senior choose to come to the small town of Wilson, NC and attend Barton College? Barton is a small, private institution that strives on inspiring their students for a successful future. Although Barton has a great academic reputation, it is such a small school that it's tough for students to find it. Kids want their college experience to be full of fun; partying, participating in school organizations, playing a sport, hanging out with friends and they want to earn a degree along the way. Barton College needs to have something that no other small college in North Carolina has. What could that be, you might be wondering? Below I will give you one thing Barton can add to attract more students. 

In America today there is nothing more popular than football. It is the most popular sport in the United States and it is something that can attract a lot of fandom by the students and residents of the City of Wilson. Although football is not a cheap sport to start up, especially at a small college, in the end it would all pay off. This is not something that could happen over night, but with fundraising, donations, and dedication this private college could become a football school. Having a football team would bring Barton College not only more money and students but it would give this institution more recognition in the city of Wilson and its surrounding communities.

As a senior in high school and making your college visits, why would you attend Barton when they only take you around an average campus of about 1,200 students. College visit dates could be arranged that its on the same day as a home football game, and you could take potential students to the game and they could be attracted by an electric football stadium atmosphere. A big problem at Barton College is that many students, other than athletes go home on weekends. This means there isn't much to do on weekends and it pushes people away from Barton and that's why many people leave after their freshman year. That problem could be fixed by people planning to stay for home football games because they know that there will be a party or some event happening later. Saturday night would probably include a party hosted by what would be the most popular group of people on campus, the football team.

One big way to make money, is to get more students to attend Barton College. Not only would this attract more students that don't participate in a sport but it would add the football players, which could range anywhere from sixty to eighty student-athletes, and it would also add cheerleaders, which is about another twenty.

All of this would help the college bring in more money, but it would also give the college more opportunities for fundraising and events. Home football games would give the football program and college an opportunity to recognize an upcoming event or even recognize other teams in the school. Barton's homecoming weekend is only recognized at the home soccer games on that particular weekend. No offense, but how many alumni, other than soccer alum, would actually come to watch a soccer game against a random team. Having a football team, and eventually a football stadium, would certainly give Barton the chance to make homecoming weekend an "electric" environment throughout Wilson. You might be wondering, why would more alumni attending a football game help Barton College? I'll tell you why, the more alumni that come back on homecoming weekend, the more people you have to ask for donations. Obviously you aren't going to go up to alumni and say, "Can you donate some money to Barton College because your wealthy?" Not only is that rude, embarrassing, and impulsive but it also not effective. In order to make the most of wealthy alumni on your campus for a whole weekend, Barton College would need to be organized in planning events that would get them to donate without asking them. For example, a night at the races would be a great event to hold on the Friday before the game. This is when you are in a big room or event hall with food, beverages, and obviously alcoholic beverages. Tables would be set up and televisions would be all over the room, making sure everyone has a good vantage point of a television. Then throughout the night there would be simulated horse races played and people at the event would bet on horses. If they win, they would get raffle tickets to put into a drawing of their favorite prize. The prizes are at the front of the room, all donated from people throughout Wilson, the Barton community, or whoever else would want to donate. Each prize has a closed box in front of it, allowing winners to put their tickets into the box of the particular prize they hope to win.

I'm sure your thinking that Barton College benefits greatly from the fundraising and having a football team, but how does this attract kids to Barton? The more money Barton College can raise is the more that they can save in order to make improvements to the campus that will attract potential students. Football is an attraction within itself, but the opportunities it will make available for this private institution are endless. Keep in mind that all of this success, money, and plans might not happen right away, but all great things start small and grow into something great. 

Although it is unlikely that there will ever be a Barton College football team, due to how expensive and difficult it is, but that doesn't mean it's impossible. All it takes is for one person capable of starting a football team to believe in it and begin to plan and save. It's obvious that you can't have one meeting and just start a football program the next day, but Barton College should begin to plan now in order to set this institution up for a successful future. 

I am willing to bet that if this college started a football program, enrollment would go up vastly. Never underestimate the power of sports, especially when that sport is football, the most exciting and entertaining sport in America.

GO BULLDOGS! 

Can Steroids Hit a Baseball?

Arguably the hardest thing to do in all of sports is to hit a round ball with a round bat. If you look at in terms of physics it seems hard, but for those of you who have played baseball at a high level, you know it's even harder than that. In Major League Baseball, the players are not only hitting a round ball with a round bat, but they're doing it while the ball is coming in at ninety miles per hour or above. If a fastball coming in at a hundred miles per hour was all that these hitters saw, baseball would be the easiest sport in the world because they knew what was coming and could time it up. People in America fail to think that these hitters have a split second to decipher between a fastball at 100mph and a change up that looks the same but is only coming in at 75 mph. Batters in the MLB have two-tenths of a second to react to a ninety mile per hour pitch, which means it's even less than that to react to a one hundred mph pitcher, which you could see thrown by Cincinatti Reds closer, Aroldis Chapman. Like I stated earlier, that would be a lot easier to hit if he didn't throw a nasty curveball. In the MLB a curveball appears to be coming straight for a hitters head until it drops off at the last second and crosses the plate for a strike. However, some of the best hitters do a great job of picking up the spin of a curveball, which is why it's not the hardest pitch to hit. Ask any baseball player from high school to the MLB what is the hardest pitch to hit, I guarantee that well over half of them would say that it is a change up. The reason it is so hard to hit is because it looks like a fastball coming out of the pitchers hand and is so hard to pick up that it's an off speed pitch, you think it's a fastball until you swing and look silly.

You might be curious to why I am preaching about the difficulty of hitting in the major leagues? After giving you the background and difficulty of hitting, nowhere did I mention steroids hitting a baseball. As you all know, last week, the National Baseball Hall of Fame failed to induct any players. The biggest reason was the controversial topic of steroids. Barry Bonds, Mark McGuire, Sammy Sosa, Rafael Palmeiro, Jeff Bagwell, among others were robbed from the Hall of Fame and it's no secret that it was because if steroids.

Personally, I don't agree that they should be kept from the Hall of Fame for accusations of steroids. People make an argument that they "cheated," and honestly that is an absurd thing to say because steroids didn't hit those home runs and steroids didn't make all those plays in the field and steroids certainly didn't help them react to the pitch and square it up on the barrel. How you lift and how hard you work in the weight room is going to determine how strong you get. I'm not saying they didn't take steroids, because I think they did, just like 80% of players in the MLB. But in order to get stronger you need to put hours of hard work in the gym. Cheating is when you altar the game to make sure your team wins. Cheating is done between the lines during a game. Another reason that this irritates me that they didn't get into the HOF is because an unidentified source that works in the medical field working personally with Major League Baseball told me that before spring training about 80% of players have high testosterone when they get their blood work done. These guys are just the ones that got caught because they were continuously tested but steroids are becoming a part of the game of baseball.

Voting for the Hall of Fame is done by a majority of people who've never played the game of baseball since they were twelve years old. They just think it's cheating because its helping them get stronger. It would be cheating if they were participating in a weight lifting competition but of course, that's not the case. I want everyone to imagine themselves in the MLB, playing 162 games, only one off day a week, at the field early in the morning and leaving late at night, on the road for days at a time, oh and lets not forget that these guys are doing this physical torture in their late thirties. People who don't know baseball say, well it helps them hit the ball farther, yes that's correct, but a lot less than you think. Bat speed is what allows hitters crush the ball 500 feet. Have you ever watched Dustin Pedroia hit? Well if you haven't he is 5'7" and 165 pounds. So that means it's impossible for him to hit a home run, right? That's false, because Pedroia has hit 90 home runs in his career. Now they're are people that will argue that it's not even close to Bonds 762, and certainly that is correct. But what they don't know, is why that margin is so large between the two. A word all of you are very familiar with, approach, but you never think of that word in terms of baseball players. Barry Bonds had an approach every time he stepped in the batters box, hit the ball out of here. If you look back on Barry Bonds career, you will see he had a lot of fly ball outs. Because his approach was always to hit the long ball, which means his swing was different than Pedroia. Bonds would drop his back shoulder trying to get under the ball so it would give him an opportunity to hit a Lon fly ball out of the stadium. As some of you don't know, when a pitch is thrown on the outside part of the plate, hitters are taught to wait back and hit the ball to the that side of the field, which would be to right field for right handed hitters and left field for lefties. Bonds tried to pull most balls because you have more power pulling the ball, because he was a "home run hitter." On the other hand, Dustin Pedroia's approach is to take what the pitcher gives him. He has a level swing, and tries to hit the ball in gaps of the outfield, depending on the location of the pitch. Every once in a whole, Pedroia will get a pitch right at his belt, known as a perfect pitch to hitters, and hit a home run.

I would love for a body builder who has taken steroids to grab a bat and play a game in the major leagues. He's going to do amazing because since he took steroids, he's cheating and it will automatically make him hit home runs, isn't that right? Absolutely not, I would be willing to bet all the money in the world that he would not get one hit, in one hundred at bats. But as the voters say, taking steroids is cheating. If that's true, why couldn't the body builder hit home runs? It's simple really, steroids don't hit home runs.