The NHL Lockout is a very complex and upsetting thing. The major players are Gary Bettman, Bill Daly, Donald Fehr and the players. This lockout is the leagues third under Gary Bettman. Donald Fehr is known for being the MLB PA, players association, head when the MLB lost an entire season in 1994-95. There has been much uproar with social media sites blowing up over this lockout. There is a ton of memes and parody's of songs on YouTube about the lockout. I think somebody, a fan should some how get into the negotiations and  tell the two sides the truth, that they are fighting over  money when they already make a ton of money while some fans can't even make ends meet. I think the players are also in the wrong because they are supposed to be playing for the love of the game not the money. This lockout is tremendously hurting the buisness that get a lot of buisness on game nights near the arenas. This is just adding to the bigger problem in sports today, last year, the NBA and NFL both locked out it's players. In 2004, the last NHL lockout, the entire season was canceled. The 2004 lockout was a major step back for the league because the NHL was at it's peak the New York Rangers were a good team, so they generated a lot of money in a big market and then when the lockout happened a lot of fans lost interest. As well, after the lockout the NY Rangers were a terrible team. Last year, the NY Rangers were also a very good team, the Rangers got within two games of the Stanley Cup Finals, the championship. This season also might end some legends careers, it might end Teemu Selanne of the Anaheim Ducks, Jaromir Jagr of the Dallas Stars and Martin Brodeur ( I would be happy about this) of the New Jersey Devils' careers. I do not understand why the NHL is not urging to get a deal done because one of their superstars, money makers, Alex Ovechkin said that he would stay in his home country Russia if the NHL does not get a deal done. One parody on YouTube  that i like suggested a "Fan Lockout:"  meaning when they get a deal done, for two weeks after the deal is done not wear any NHL paraphernalia, and not buy tickets or anything. The reasoning is if they don't have any money to fight over they cant fight. The link for that will be provided at the bottom of the article. A recent devlopment was that Gary Bettman suggested a two week moratorium, or break from negotiations, that was ripped tremendously by players. Brad Richards of the New York Rangers even going as far as to say "(I'm) very frustrated. I didn't expect for it to go this long. I don't think there's any need for it to be this long. We've been going for a while and then for Gary to come up with a comment about another two weeks off, is mind-boggling, to be honest with you". He also said, "I don't know what good that's going to do, I don't know what the tactic is. We want to get to the table; we feel we're close. ... We've indicated to them in the last meeting and ... it seems like they don't want to listen to that. They want to create this other view that we're so far apart." Players are keeping busy in a plethora of ways. For example, Alex Ovechkin is playing for Dynamo Moscow of the KHL. The KHL is getting a majority of the NHL players because, it is Russia's version of the NHL. Brad Richards and a lot of other players kept busy a few weeks ago by playing in "Operation Hat Trick." "Operation Hat Trick" was a special charity game benifiting victims of Hurricane Sandy. The likes of Brad Richards, Henrik Lundqvist, Aaron Asham, Martin Brodeur, Scott Hartnell, Steven Stamkos and more played in this game in Atlantic City. Overall, I am very sceptical of the likelyhood of a season happening.

Religion in Sports


I do not know why but in Spanish today I was bored and i randomly thought about how i could write a great article on religion in sports. Well, with the explanation out of the way here it goes! I think religion will always be associated with sports. In Sports you constantly hear things about religion.  In Sports people constantly say Football's a religion in this town!".  I do not know if this only me or other people have it but i take pride in the Jewish athletes and their success. Ryan Braun is one of my favorite players in the MLB for the sole reason he's Jewish. When he was proven not guilty of taking steroids i was really happy because that was a successful Jewish athlete that  "beat the system". Forgive the non politically correctness of that statement. Tim Tebow is by far the most famous athlete to be very religious.  He is pictured above praying before a game, better known as "Tebowing". One famous religious line that was spun for sports purposes was the line in the beginning of the Torah/Bible "In the beginning". That line was changed to "In the Big Inning". That was refferenced twice that i have seen in pop culture, "The Yankles" and "Jews and Baseball: A True American Love Story". That is the only times i have ever seen a religious line twisted in pop culture.   I think Sports need religion and Religion needs sports. Religion will always be part of sports.

Notre Dame Football 2012

At the beginning of the year Notre Dame was getting called out even before the season began. They were getting called out because they had one of the toughest schedules in the country. They had to go to a tough stadium in Michigan State, in week 3 then in week 4 come home for a tough Michigan team that has beat them every year since 2009. Next they have a bye week before they play the Miami Hurricanes in a neutral site game(Chicago). After that they play Stanford, at Oklahoma, at BC, and to end the season in  California against rival USC. I however, have faith in my team every year and we won the 1st game of the season 50-10 vs. Navy in Dublin, Ireland. Then, in week 2 we beat Purdue 20-17 behind the game winning drive from veteran QB Tommy Reese. In week 3 we beat Michigan State in a hostile enviorment, 20-3. That game was a big win for Manti Te'o, an All American linebacker, because the during the week leading up to the game his grandma and girlfriend both died less than 24 hours apart.  Last week, we beat rival Michigan 13-6. In that game the Irish defense and captain Manti Te'o forced Denard Robinson to 4 interceptions and 1 fumble. As i mentioned before we have a much needed bye week this week in which Manti Te'o is going to go home and be with his family. I think we could battle through and beat Miami next week to improve to 5-0 and maybe 5th in the AP polls. I think we will end the season with a BCS bowl, mabye the Sugar or Rose Bowl.