Tailgating Ideas For This Season!

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This season, loyal fans and tailgaters are taking to the parking lots and outskirts of college and NFL stadiums across the country. The smell of grilled burgers and baked brownies extends east to west, proving that tailgating traditions are rooted in American culture. A few of these tips from avid tailgaters include:

Get to the game early. It’s important to arrive early to secure the location where you’d like to set up and begin unpacking your food/ utensils/ decorations, etc.

Study a map to beforehand to pinpoint which location you want. A map of the stadium and the surrounding area will inform you of the best areas to set up your tailgate. Most likely, you’ll choose a spot based on where you need to enter the stadium or where there’s room left for parking. Hopefully not somewhere too faraway!

Stick to the essentials. Avoid overpacking, but to make sure you need the necessities to ensure a great tailgating experience for all.

Keep track of your supplies (label them if need be). With many tailgaters in the same place, supplies can get lost or misplaced. Make sure to keep track of what you bring with you. Resort to labeling the supplies if you need to.

Bring a variety of food options for guests. Ensure your guests have an assortment of foods in case some have allergies or preferences.

Fore additional tips check out this presentation:

Why Kevin Love Must Be A Warrior

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The Warriors have now reportedly added guard Klay Thompson to a package including forward David Lee for 3-time All-Star forward Kevin Love. My initial reaction? Hell yes! Hurry up and do it before the Timberwolves change their minds.

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Love is a double-double machine with a deft passing touch, a sweet stroke from the outside and a nose for rebounds. He was in the top 10 for scoring this past season. Love would be the perfect compliment for Steph Curry as the faces of the franchise. The Warriors don’t lose anything with Lee, who is being grossly overpaid for his production. He’s due $30 million over the next 2 years, so Love would take his spot. He would play next to a defensive-minded center in Andrew Bogut, who when healthy, can be productive guarding the paint.

Draymond Green is the kind of player that hustles and manages to get under the skin of opposing players. Andre Iguodala is a terrific scorer, not to mention an effective perimeter defender. In other words, the Warriors have the pieces to get Love to the postseason for the first time in his career.

This is not too say that it will be easy to unload a young player like Thompson who has the potential to be a consistent. He was in charge of defending Clippers guard Chris Paul and did a fairly good job of it in the playoffs. His 3-point range seemingly has no limit as evidenced by his 41% shooting percentage. Knowing the luck of the Warriors from past trades, Thompson will likely be a first ballot Hall of Famer with a street named after him. Still, the Warriors need to make this happen. Will it get them past the first round of the Western Conference? That’s tough to do, especially with the Thunder, Clippers, Blazers, Rockets and Spurs standing in the way, but this is at least a viable step toward making a deep run a possibility.

Machado Deserves MLB Wrath

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Bat-tossing may become an obscure Olympic sport sometime, but it’s frowned upon in baseball, especially if there’s intent to do harm, which brings us to Orioles third baseman Manny Machado and what he did Sunday versus the A’s. One gander at the video and you can clearly see the bat didn’t just slip out of his hands. He flung the piece of lumber in the hopes that it landed on a player’s dome.

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Immediately after the game, Machado, who was ejected said the “bat slipped out of my hands. I was trying to make contact.” Yeah, riiiight. I don’t think so and you can bet Major League Baseball will agree with me. He deserves a hefty fine and a long unpaid vacation for pulling that off. There’s no place in baseball for it. He’s 21 going on 12. It appears Machado took severe umbradge with getting pitched inside by Fernando Abad because, ya know, that never happens in the sport.

He also didn’t like the routine tag A’s third baseman Josh Donaldson placed on him Friday night. That’s right, FRIDAY NIGHT. With the latter point, Machado never really said why the tag was a problem: “Donaldson made the right play, but I just didn’t agree on the tag that he made on me, and I just had to get up and confront him.” Uh, so explain to me why you are angry again? Manager Buck Showalter wasn’t sure what set off Machado but added, “Until you’ve walked a mile in a man’s shoes, you really don’t know what goes on, but it’s a pretty easy call for me what side of the fence I’m going to sit on.” C’mon, really? It was dangerous. It was dumb. There must be something about the name Manny that brings out this kind of kooky, head-scratching behavior because I don’t know how else you can explain away what Machado did on Sunday.

Warriors Take Leap of Faith With Kerr

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As a longtime observer of Warriors basketball and even covering it for a short period of time, my initial reaction about the Steve Kerr hiring by the Warriors was ‘meh.’ Don’t get me wrong now, Golden State was able to land the top name candidate out there, one that equally captivated Phil Jackson, who’s running things in Gotham, so he must be good, right? Listen, the Warriors in years past would never, ever be able to woo a high-profile head coaching candidate. It shows just how far the Warriors have come when a coach spurns the Knicks.

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The Warriors take on a new coach.

Kerr has the championship pedigree as a player, has strong ties to the team brain-trust, experienced with personnel decisions as a former GM himself, but we have no idea how he will be as a coach. None. Zero. Zip. Nada. Zilch. The same was said about Jackson when he was hired, but he eventually learned to motivate the team and instilled the need to play tough on defense. The players bought into it. His short-comings came out with his in-game strategy. Stephen Curry needed an offensive scheme that truly utilizes his talents more. Perhaps Kerr will provide that to him. From all the All-Stars being shipped off over the years from Golden State to the long playoff droughts, Warriors fans have endured a lot with an unwavering loyalty to this franchise.

It’s nice to have an ownership group declaring the goal to be the NBA Finals or bust, but on the other hand, expectations need to be somewhat tempered and realistic here. The Warriors have more or less really burst onto the scene as a force only over the last 2 years. It’s not like the Celtics with a long tradition of winning titles. Golden State is building something meaningful, but now they want it built at warp-speed with everyone living inside. We’ll never know if Mark Jackson would’ve been the answer. Golden State is now a pressure-cooker situation. Yeah, I never thought I would write that last sentence either, but that’s the new reality Kerr is walking into. Let’s hope, for his sake, he realizes what he’s walking into.

(Youtube)

Owners Mostly Silent on Sterling

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Donald Sterling’s name is now a fixture on Twitter with more days of trending sure to come. In the days and hours since the alleged explosive audio between Sterling and his girlfriend was released by TMZ, we’ve heard from all corners of the basketball and sports world. Hell, President Obama was asked about it on his trip to Malaysia, so you know it’s escalated to a global level. The one group we haven’t heard from is Sterling’s fellow owners.

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The only one to respond was Michael Jordan, who says he was ‘outraged’ by the audio. Unless you personally share Sterling’s unappetizing views, who wouldn’t be? Heat owner Mickey Arison called the comments “offensive, appalling and very sad.” Outside of Arison and MJ, there’s been mostly silence from the rest of the owners. Zippo. Nada. Zero. Perhaps the most vocal and bombastic one of them all, Mark Cuban, has kept his mouth shut during this stinky mess, which must’ve taken every ounce of willpower to do.

There should be more owners sharing their disgust with Sterling, but their fraternity is clearly sticking together on this one. Maybe they’re petrified that some of their own foibles or inequities will be out examined and picked apart in the open. If anything, this needs to serve as a shining example of why there needs to be more minority owners not only in the NBA, but all sports leagues. Former commissioner David Stern deserves some of the blame here as well. Sterling, by all reports and or lawsuits, had a disturbing point-of-view about minorities and continued to do whatever he wanted so long as he kept lining everybody’s pockets. Stern was a forward thinker in many ways, but he whiffed on this one. He should’ve dealt with Sterling a long time ago.

Now Adam Silver must act swiftly and decisively to boot Sterling out of the league for good, although he’s not instilling a lot of confidence. Why does he need an investigation? Why not just ask Sterling straight up – Is this your voice? There isn’t a precedent for Silver to go on, but if Ron Artest was punished 86 games for going into the stands in Detroit, Sterling deserves the absolute harshest and stiffest penalty ever given.

Puig Conundrum

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A tweet earlier this week stated that Dodgers outfielder Yasiel Puig was 5 minutes early for a workout. Baby steps, right? Ahhh, such is la vida loca in Puigland where every nuance, move and look is now scrutinized more than the CBS cutaways of crying kids during the NCAA Tournament.

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The latest Puig news bulletin pertains to a team meeting, one that did not involve sitting around a campfire, but rather a frank “clear the air” skull session about the young Cuban that was supposedly productive and sorely needed. In reality, it was a lot closer to an intervention than anything else.

The Aussie experience clearly showed that his act was wearing thin with his teammates and manager on not just one continent, but two. Think about if they had started the season 0 and 2? Quite frankly, they had to nip this early. He’s already grated on opponents’ nerves with his bat-flipping on routine pop-ups. His other perceived showboating antics could inevitably make him an easy target for pitchers trying to make a point. He needs the clubhouse support. The first two boxscores of the season encapsulated the maddening dichotomy that exists within Puig’s very nature: Either budding star possessing unbridled potential or volatile headcase prone to head-scratching mistakes. He was 0 for 5 with 3 strikeouts in the opener, but then followed that up with a 3 for 5, 2 RBI performance. You never quite know what you’re going to get. We’ll see if the stern message delivered by his teammates is actually received or whether he’ll be nothing more than Raul Mondesi dressed in a 66 jersey. It’s all about baby steps.

(Youtube)

Bracing For Bonds

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One of the last times Barry Bonds caused any kind of noteworthy spring training fuss was back in 2005 when he arrived fresh off knee surgery with the vortex of baseball’s steroid scandal swirling around him. Flanked by his son, a dejected Bonds told the assembled media, “You finally brought me and my family down.”

Bonds was playing the role in a Shakespearean tragedy that was moving to the third and final act, but there WAS that other time he sparked a ruckus in the desert that I almost forgot. Almost. You remember. I mean, how could you forget? He dressed as American Idol judge Paula Abdul. Some people gleefully point out that we hadn’t seen much of him or Abdul for that matter since then.

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Barry Bonds

Well, Bonds is back as a guest hitting instructor and with it will come a tsunami of suffocating round-the-clock processing. The organization is treating this experience as they would with any other former star that visits the spring training facility, whether its J.T. Snow, Will Clark or Jeff Kent. Now if it was Kent AND Bonds together, two people that like each other about as much as Obama likes Putin at the moment, then we would really have something to look forward to, but this is merely one week and one week only for both sides.

Love him or loathe him and there are plenty of people on both sides, Bonds had one of the keenest eyes ever at the plate. Seeing maybe four or five good pitches to hit a game. That requires superior hand-eye coordination and supreme discipline. How this acumen translates to fertile hitting minds remains to be seen, but he’ll have an eager audience hanging on his every word. During his playing days, Bonds typically wore a metaphorical suit of armor, clanking around in a surley mood, rarely letting others peak at what was underneath. In one way, he’s actually being transparent. Granted, it’s about his hitting secrets, but the transparency can’t just be within the confines of the batters box. The real issue is his long-term viability in the sport he lorded over for several years and if he wants to be a permanent fixture and not just a guest hitting instructor, he will need to come clean about absolutely everything.

National Signing Day Thoughts

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I always had a peripheral interest in National Signing Day, mainly because my alma mater, Arizona State, rarely had a recruiting cycle that was enough to heighten my curiosity. That changed over the last couple of years thanks to a much improved product on the field which generated 18 wins over the last two seasons. In the months leading up to this year’s National Signing Day, I found myself reading House of Sparky, ASUDevils.com and other websites to learn more about potential targets and their respective backgrounds.

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How will national signing day affect college Arizona State and other college teams?

It was like a day trader keeping track of stocks or witnessing a high-roller at a lively craps table in Las Vegas. You’re literally riding the highs and lows of the mere prospect that a 4-star athlete will land at your school, in this case Tempe, Arizona. I can only imagine what it’s like for passionate fans in other parts of the country, where every decision feels dire to the fortunes of their programs. Some would say certain adults take the exuberance too far when it is, after all, 17 and 18 year-olds that we’re talking about, right?

It’s OK for them to be excited and even act goofy. They’re kids, but for the grown ups, it can get borderline creepy. Once again, the SEC proved to be the conference many recruits gravitated to this year topped off, of course by Alabama. This maybe Nick Saban’s best class yet and that’s saying something considering how they finished the season. Tennessee did well for itself, building quite a collection of talent in Knoxville. Heck, Kentucky’s work in the state of Ohio paid off. LSU showed that it could close strong under Les Miles. Out West, Steve Sarkisian was able to snag three top-notch players. Given his time frame and the way he did it by having them turn away UCLA, USC fans must be ecstatic. Oregon’s class underwhelmed, while Stanford reloaded with another strong crop of 4-stars.

As for ASU, a top 20 finish is all you can ask for given it’s lack of consistency in recent years. Todd Graham clearly has people buying into his plan. He has to. In this day in age, it’s not enough to just be bowl-eligible. You have to strive for a conference and national championship. That’s what makes National Signing Day a true reality show that’s impossible to turn off.

Last Word on Sherman

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There’s already been way too much time spent on the Seahawks’ cornerback Richard Sherman’s actions, and you know there’s only going to be more space dedicated to either celebrating or condemning him in the days leading up to the Super Bowl. Whether you are a 49ers or Seahawks fan, believe he’s a classless punk or colorful character, this much was undeniable in the immediate aftermath of Seattle’s win in the NFC Championship game. Richard Sherman is about Richard Sherman.

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Will Selva discusses Richard Sherman and the Seahawks.

The proof was in his rant when he referred to himself FIRST, then mentioned Michael Crabtree SECOND. He did not mention his teammates nor did he talk about one of the biggest victories in franchise history. He talked about numero uno. The only thing that mattered at that precise moment: Himself. You can chalk it up to the overflowing emotion from an intense battle, but he knew exactly what he was doing. I’m all for athletes letting their personality shine rather than spouting the same trite cliche.

In fact, I encourage it. As someone who has interviewed countless athletes, it certainly makes things way more interesting. However, he’s smart enough to know that he had a spotlight and an opportunity to perhaps further make a name for himself or even build up a brand. Who knows the actual motivating factor. Guys may claim that when they score a touchdown, they just spontaneously come up with a celebration. Yeah, right. It’s choreographed and well thought out ahead of time. Same thing in this situation. I’m actually shocked Sherman didn’t have an email composed in his draft folder and just fired a mass message to a bunch of reporters declaring his greatness.

Keep the focus on the team. Ya know, the reason why you’re even in this position in the first place. Too often this postseason, we saw players yapping after catches and first downs, or they draw attention to themselves by mocking the opposing players’ celebration. Just watch a replay of the Panthers – 49ers game. Again, all for the emotion, but its a TEAM sport. Sherman actually apologized for taking attention away from his teammates and rightfully so.

He explained himself more in Peter King’s MMQB by saying that he’s not a villain. Too late. He just converted a wide swath of the country into major Broncos fans. He said he did the choke sign because he wondered why the 49ers would throw to his side. He’s partially right. The 49ers shouldn’t have thrown his way. Hell, they shouldn’t have even thrown the deep ball in that situation. They were driving down the field with timeouts at their disposal, but you simply can’t explain away the choke sign. No reason for it. No place for it. I was positive a throat slash was going to follow. Go ahead and show all the emotion you want. Just remember you have teammates and while you’re at it, mix in a little sportsmanship.

Broncos-Chargers Thoughts

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It’s been suggested that this incarnation of the Chargers is a team of destiny. I think that might be a reach, but I am becoming more of a believer in the mystical power that has become the “Bolo Mojo.” Their demeanor exudes a carefree mentality that’s been noticeably present during this 5 game magic carpet ride.

It’s reason enough for Broncos fans to be a tad leery on Sunday. Never mind the fact that the Chargers went to Denver last month and won only adds to the angst felt in the Mile High City. The Broncos defense has clearly showed that it has problems stopping the run, but they may get a boost from the news that Chargers running back Ryan Mathews could miss Sunday’s contest with a bum ankle.

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Will Selva gives his thoughts on the Broncos and the Chargers.

Phillip Rivers, who’s the highest rated QB in NFL history (96.0) not to have advanced to the Super Bowl, has not made any back-breaking mistakes during their winning streak. Still, the Broncos can counteract with a prolific offense that can strike quickly and often, putting more pressure on the Chargers corners. Peyton Manning will also be armed with his full compliment of weapons, namely Wes Welker, who’s recovered fully from his concussion.

However, Manning must now do what he hasn’t done before in the playoffs in two tries: Beat the Bolts. The other stat that haunts Manning at this time of the year is this: He’s had the most one and dones than any quarterback in NFL history. It’s hard to pick against him, but the Chargers are ripe for the upset. What can you say? They’ve got that Bolo Mojo workin’ right now.