Emergency Sports Blog: Focus Yankees

I am a die-hard Yankee fan, but today I am extremely disappointed. As everyone knows we have gotten Roger Clemens. We all should be proud right? We beat out the Red Sox and the Astros, right? Actually no, both teams declined because the thought it was too early in the season to make such a big investment. Then if the Yankees had no competition then why did they give a record 28 million dollars to a 45 year old pitcher who didn't get close to that amount of money, when he was in his prime? To this I have no answer. If he has 18 starts that is over 8K per pitch ( Averaged 95 pitches per game last year. Ok now that we have gotten the Yankees out of the way let's talk about the real disaster ROGER CLEMENS. He gets 28 Million dollars a half a year, and has the nerve to put in his contract a clause that let's him leave and go back home when he does not pitch. He is not only selfish but a bad teammate. All of the Yankee's defend him, but obviously they can't start a huge controversy with the Yankees prized investment. I know the players are upset, the fans are upset. We pay to see all the Yankees, not just the one's who play. There are fans out there who come to see Joe Torre, who sits in the dugout all game. If your not going to fight with your teammates through the dog days of summer, you don't deserve to celebrate on the cool October nights. He replied " I didn't even know it was in my contract" Well then why didn't you pick the Yankees last year instead of the Astros? The Astros gave you the clause, the Yankees didn't, and you used the clause. IF you didn't know it was in there Roger, the repeal it! I have always had a grudge to Roger when he said he was retiring in 2003, then jumped to Houston as few months later. From that point on every year we have to hear him say " I don't know if I can do it again, it is so much work, and I am getting old" By these statements he makes the Clubs mouth's drool even more, then they get him half way during the year and he gets more that Derek Jeter, AROD, Manny, Albert P, who are leaders, who do more for there team on and off the field. These boys are true ball players because no matter what, they stand by there team. Roger has what he wants, fame, money, leisure time to play golf, and being on his team, the I have alliance to any team who can get my son Koby to the major leagues fastest, then I will drop you anyway, and be by myself club.

A word on TV

As technology continues people want better capabilities and cheaper prices. But what are the tradeoffs? Would you want a bigscreen in your living room or a small one on your phone? These are some of the questions people have to deal with now. I personally would rather have the bigscreen, because there is no better feeling than watching the Yankees win the big one then on a massive screen. Although I would love it, a phone TV would distract me from my responsibilitys and living life.
Another question people have to answer is: If you were given a choice would you pay per minute, hour, per show? We all want cheaper prices, but how much are you willing to sacrifice? Would you sacrifice your name, your street address. Would you watch more commercials? After reading all of tbis you are probably in the same boat as me... leave it the way it is. People have to understand that when they demand lower prices, the cable companies will get you other ways. They don't say " oh Mr. Smith down the street is right, everybody takes a pay cut". Paying cheaper prices is great, but I am not willing to risk my identity and being hassled just because I didn't want to watch a few commercials. So pick your size, your show, your price and let's kick back and relax.

Tradeoff's with mobile phone technology

Mobile phones are a subject that I know a lot about, this is so because I used to work at a cell phone store. Over that past 5 years there has been an enormous change in all aspects of mobile phones. For one thing, something that can be noticed right away is the size of these new phone. They are slimmer, smaller. and more convenient for the average user. This smaller size allows the user to be able to have an important device with them and not have to feel the burden of a heavy instrument.
However, all things have a down side. The smaller size of these phones allow them to break easier and are lost more often. Most people are satisfied with the MotorolaRazor, so am I. But please no smaller, because if we keep going on this pace we will need a toothpick to press the buttons. Technology on phones are amazing, it is so convenient and fun to have so much capability on a phone, but another negative with the new advancement in mobile technology is the price of phones. You used to be able to get a new phone and amonthly plan for under $100 dollar... not anymore. The average smart phone is around $450 with Internetplans about $100 per month, and that is if you don't go over you phone,data, and text messaging minutes. This steep price makes it difficultfor a college student or young business person to stay connected to a fast changing world.
My perfect mobile phone would be as follows: A small flip phone with unlimited data, cell minutes, and text messaging for a low fee. Thetrade off for this low fee should not be unreliable service. I want my privacy not violated by the carriers. I also would like to be able to erase ALL content on my phone that I don't want ( including locked software, and pictures that the phonecompany's put on your phone that takes up huge amounts of space). And the capability to download stuff faster and without hassle.
Mobile phones are great and will get even better, but let's keep improving internally and stop trying to make it so flashy.

Entrepreneurship... doable for anyone?

The Idea of someone starting their own business is a very appealing thing. No boss, freedom, you decide your hours, and your salary. Well starting you own business is great for the person who loves to create, go against the norm, and take a risk. An example of this is if someone loves sports marketing, but doesn't want to tied down to what the boss' vision is, it would be a good idea to venture out and put your vision out there. Starting your own business has many perks, but the liability and time ( in most cases) is on the individual. Years and thousands could be wasted if one's idea tanks.
Risk will always be present in life, especially if there is a potential for growth, and success. For a long time now, I have been thinking about starting my own business as well. Although I appreciate big business, and the jobs it creates, I never really felt that I would enjoy "falling in line" so if their was anyway to do something I liked, that would support my family, on my own terms I was all for it.
I am still at the crossroads in my life. There are many things that I would love to do. I would love to open a sports management firm, my own restaurant, even a candy factory, but as I experience more I know I will find the special occupation that is right for me. No matter what business I decide to go in, I will always be ready to jump into politics, where my first love has always been. I believe nobody should have to "fall in line" Fordham student and college students all around the world should have to feel as though their are barriers around them. All they need is a solid plan, the desire, and a little help along the way. Entrepreneur's have created many great things, and have helped many places, so my opinion is if you want to do your own thing in life and not be restricted... go for it.

As spring training heats up, the Yankees cool down

With opening day one week away, Yankee fans all around the country are starting to sweat. It seems like it has been forever since the the World Series trophy was back in New York, and to some Yankee fans it has. As spring training starts to give way to the season the Yanks already have two of their five out. Wang has a bad hamstring, and Pettite has a balky back. The other two in the rotation are unproven, Igawa and Pavano are both the wild cards.
The Yankees dynasty that ran from 1996-2000 was built solely on one thing ...pitching. The Yankees have probably the best offense ever, and I promise that they will not win a championship until the pitching starts to bloom like it once did so wonderfully. This will happen because a baseball teams offense will go cold many times during the season, and sometimes in the playoffs and if that happens and the pitching is weak its all over. The Yankees will be there in October, like they always are, but to put it away this year and beat the Red Sox, Angels, and Tigers the pitching has to walk hand in hand with the hitting.
Now how to fix the pitching?: First of all we must acquire Roger Clemens, some people hate this idea. I don't like how Mr. Clemens conducts himself either(playing half seasons, demanding alot of money, threatening to retire, causing wars between teams, lying the the Yankees about his retirement plans, not coming on all road trips, etc.)but he is a great pitcher, a positive influence in the clubhouse, and leader on the field. He would be a great addition with a healthy Pettite, Mussina, and Wang. If Pavano can stay healthy and get on track the final piece to the puzzle is complete, if he can't a Dontrelle Willis or another top tier pitcher with playoff experience can be acquired. But don't worry too much Yankee fans because in my crystal ball I see Curt Schilling in the Yankees future for next year. Let's just hope the Yankee magic that we all took for granted a decade ago will come back soon.

Interesting twist?

In an interesting twist to our debate on whether digital music is good or bad, there is breaking news.... it is healthy. Music is a powerful tool, and can actually ease tension, and stress. This is very important in the work place. During work, when you have a deadline due and your boss is yelling, it has been proven that you will be calmer when you are listening to something you enjoy. I was reading Dr. Julie Trudeau's blog (http://digital-music.blogspot.com/) She argues at the workplace digital music is a positive because it allows the employee to complete there work better due to a smaller amount of anxiety. This example has to be pro free download, it is another example for the people who believe downloads should be free. In Dr. Trudeau's example digital music gives people a quick boost of happiness and helps efficiency at the workplace. People feel it is not fair to charge another to listen to one song for three minutes, especially if it makes their day a little better.

Digital music... friend or enemy?

During the past few years the debate over digital music has grown significantly. With technology continuing to grow, it allows people to get information and services very cheap. This is good for the consumer but terrible for the artists and producers. Both sides will continue to debate until their faces turn blue. I have had many experiences with digital music because the phenomenon exploded during my high school years. With programs such as Kazaa and Napster my friends could download their favorite songs for free. Especially now in an ipod world, it is so conveinent that people can have thousands of songs for absolutely nothing. However, it is still illegal, and the music companies are very serious about these offenses, and are taking serious measures against the individuals. My stance is that the music companies should recognize technology’s power and find alternative means of money making. Music is a very valuable thing, but to think that they can plug every loophole in internet, which is virtually endless is impossible. Instead of wasting more money and energy on catching the pirates, they should look for new ways for the costumer to spend their money on them. An example would be for a record company to charge a cheap monthly fee for a subscription to their website. The website would contain the music groups and individuls that company represents, and one could download all of the music. In turn the record compny would divide the sales among themselves and the music groups accord to sales figures. Maybe this wouldnt work, but people should start thinking instead of sitting around yelling about something they can't control.