Absorbing a Nation: The Story of the Terrible Towel

In American sports, particularly pro football, there are symbols that represent us. They represent our teams, our cities and the people that live there, were raised there, will die there. These symbols inspire us for years, a single game or sometimes just for a frozen moment. In some cases, they transcend time. Sometimes, the symbol that comes along is embraced to such an extent, it becomes a fabric of everyday life, so recognizable it supersedes its initial purpose, evolves into something more, something that can't be quantified. Sometimes these symbols develop organically, growing within the culture of the fans and eventually breaking into the periphery of the entire sports landscape, to be witnessed and even embraced by all.

Of course, it always starts with an idea, a simple thought that grows into action and substance. Sometimes it's complex, but often enough it's simple. That's where this story begins, on a simple day in 1975.

It's two weeks before the start of the 1975 playoffs. The Pittsburgh Steelers just put the finishing touches on a 10-3-1 regular season and were preparing for a first-round playoff match-up with the 10-4 Baltimore Colts. The management team of WTAE, the Steelers flagship radio station, decided they need a "gimmick" to promote their station, but also help inspire the Pittsburgh fan base in the upcoming playoffs. Initially perplexed to find an idea, vice president and general manager Ted J. Atkins and president of sales Larry Garrett approached radio personality Myron Cope with the the conundrum.

Cope, who had joined the broadcast team five years earlier, had quickly become the voice of the Steelers. Beloved by fans for his distinctive nasally twang, heavy Pittsburgh accent and capricious catch phrases, most notably "Yoi," "Double Yoi" and "Okle Dokle," his radio commentary embodied the spirit of Pittsburgh. Cope had the attention of the Steelers fans and a good indication of what they appreciated. To Atkins and Garrett, it only made sense to ask for his assistance.

Upon first request for help with the "gimmick," Cope refused. He recounts in his book, Double Yoi, he said, "I am not a gimmick guy, never have been a gimmick guy." Cope also thought the Steelers fans -- a group of hard-nosed, no-nonsense, blue-collar workers, much like the team they supported -- would be a bit put-off by a gimmick. But, upon further prodding and debate, including the explanation that this "gimmick" would be a good advantage in his upcoming contract renewal, Cope changed his answer. "I'm a gimmick guy."

Is Trading Dwyane Wade only a matter of time?

With the previously-perceived trouble in South Beach, is trading Dwyane Wade only a matter of time?

Until last week, things were not working in Miami. The team wasn't getting along, people were not settling into their roles and the wins weren't coming as easy as people predicted. Though the team has improved to 15-8 with a six-game win streak and are sitting at third in the Eastern Conference, it is still a far cry from the record-shattering 73-plus win season people predicted.

Many things have contributed to the unexpected sub-par season. Injuries, unestablished identity and, according to the "King," too many minutes and lack of a fun atmosphere. A week ago, it was being reported there was frustration from the players with coach Erik Spoelstra.

It was becoming obvious something had to happen. Things were not right and the blame had to fall somewhere. Heads needed to roll, so to speak. The media seems to think Pat Riley will step in and take over as coach like he did in '05-06. The conspiracy theory was this was the plan from the beginning when he lured Chris Bosh and Lebron James to South Beach. But I have to question that move. I honestly wonder what kind of difference Riley would make coaching this team because the problem isn’t the coach.

Lebron is a PR nightmare, making things worse for him and his team every time he opens his mouth (somewhere out there Mel Gibson and Pat O'Brien are giggling wildly together saying. 'Look at that idiot'). Bosh seems to be going through the motions and has been putting up decent numbers, but he looks like a deer in headlights, genuinely surprised (and scared) at the negative firestorm the Heat have to endure on a nightly basis.

Dwyane Wade has been oft-injured and put up some of the worst shooting percentages of his pro career. But the most alarming part? Wade really doesn't look like he wants any part of this union. Even when he claims he does.

Does anyone think Riley wants to take this team over? Riley is not a stupid man, and he knows simply changing coaches is not enough. Riley knows what it takes to win (note to King James: If you think Spoelstra is hard on you as a coach, you might want to ask around about Riley's practice sessions), and he knows the Heat are missing massive pieces like a point guard and a center. Why would Riley tarnish his image coaching this team?

Miami needs a floor general, a leader on and off the court who knows how to get the most out of the talent. Wade would be that leader in a normal setting. But after reports surfaced of player's being frustrated with Spoelstra, along with Wade's comments that the coach is “his guy,” it quickly became apparent teammates gravitate to Lebron as their leader. An odd occurrence considering he has made it clear through actions and words he isn’t the guy. Mentally, he isn’t capable of leading this team, though throughout their recent win streak he has led in most categories over Wade. Lebron is a spoiled child with a ton of talent -- Bobby Fischer, if you will. He just wants to have fun and joke around, practice his celebrations with teammates and enjoy South Beach.

So now that things are all better in South Beach, and Miami and the Heat have finally beat a winning team (the Utah Jazz Dec. 8), we don't need to worry about trades, right? But what if the current win streak is just a flash in the pan, a mirage? What if when they start playing some of the league's elite again the losing starts along with it.

The one thing championship coaches know is you can win all you want in the regular season, but if you can't beat the elite teams, you won't win a championship. Miami has been looking so good against sub-par teams lately, we are already starting to forget about their glaring holes at point guard and their attrition in the post. Riley, on the other hand, is still well aware of those holes. He knows as the team is built now, they cannot win it all. So if and when Miami starts losing against winning teams, what should Riley do? Well, the correct and unpopular decision is trade Dwyane Wade.

Delusions of a Sports Fan

This post came to me after the Nov. 14 Steelers game. See, I'm an avid Steelers fan, and it's important to me to see every game (yes, I mean every game) when it airs. I pride myself on seeing every moment of a game. The same is relatively true for Lakers games. Nov. 14, however, I broke a rule, a superstition rule, if you will. I fell asleep in the middle of an important game which led me to write out these rules so others would not make the same mistake.

See sports are riddled with athlete superstitions. Through the years, the media has made us privy to many of them:

• Jordan wore his UNC shorts under his Bulls shorts, and clapped hand chalk in front of the announcers' faces before games.
• Lebron does his Jordan-copycat, all-eyes-on-me, witness-my-greatness, worship-me chalk clap.
• Dwyane Wade has his pull-ups on the rim.

These are a few normal ones for starters, but they get far more interesting.

• Hockey sticks dunked in toilets before every game (Bruce Gardiner)
• Sleeping in opponents' game shorts the night before a game (Jason Terry)
• Wearing thong underwear while in uniform to break a hitting slump (Jason Giambi)
• Talking to the goal posts as if they are your "friends" (Patrick Roy)
• Brushing teeth between each inning (Turk Wendell; He has a bunch, actually.)
• Getting smacked in the face as hard as possible before an NFL game (John Henderson)
• Sexting pictures of your genitals to Jen Sterger (Brett Favre; What? Too soon?)

Athletes believe they must do these things or planets will fall out of alignment, groupies won't flock or poor performance will ensue. Well, fans have rules, too. Some are personal, and some apply to all fans.

If you are a true fan, these rules apply to you. If you violate a rule, it's a cardinal sin against your team, and chances are you have put your team in a position to lose (well, at least in your delusional mind).

Some of my personal ones are simple. I have to wear something Lakers-related on game day -- the bigger the better. On most game days, I'm wearing a pair of Lakers shorts underneath whatever pants I'm wearing to work. Steelers' garb is a much easier undertaking because I'm rarely working during a game. Watching the game is the ritual.

As I see it, there are a set of rules that must be followed by all fans when it comes to being a good/great fan:

Album Review: Arcade Fire -The Suburbs

Somewhere along the way we got lost in this country. The 35 and under generations got lost, lost in the dreams and ambitions of our parents. The things our parents idolized and wanted for their children -- freedom, enjoying work, fair pay, equality, job security, lack of war -- have somehow been taken for granted.

We assumed when our parents said they didn’t want us to work and struggle as hard as they did that we didn’t have to work at all for the lavishes of life. The idea of a normal life with a wife, kids, dog, some travel, good friends and a place to call your own is no longer enough. We want to see and have more. We watch TV and movies (and read the Hollywood tabloids, follow famous people on Twitter) and get the sense that to live normal is to be dead.

To endure what many would consider an average life is below ordinary. We have become enamored with our own dreams and believe the lies we were told as small children by our overprotective parents. "Everything is going to be bubble gum and rainbows" seemed to be the promise of life growing up.

But it's not.

And this generation has found the truth quite unsettling and confusing to the point of feeling betrayed. That feeling is something Arcade Fire addresses in their first album, "Funeral." "Funeral" was a simple WTF statement, a "you never told us it was like this!". There is pain, death and strife. It was an awakening, a scream at our elders for keeping the truth away from us. A scream because they assumed we couldn't handle the truth.

Arcade Fire's second album, "Neon Bible," was a reply to that scream. A tale from the other side, an explanation of why older generations felt they needed to hide the truth, why they overprotected us, why they indulged our every want and desire, revealing just how dark things really are in this world. But also sending a reassuring declaration of hope and encouragement before it was all said and done.

Arcade Fire's 2010 release of "The Suburbs" is the rebuttal of those children and their coming of age. A tale of just how interesting, complex and utterly boring alleged simplicity and over-protection can be.

The title track tells the story about how life wasn’t nearly as easy as our parents had hoped. "The Suburbs" encapsulates the angst we felt as teenagers, how we enjoyed so much, yet couldn't wait to get out on our own to take on the world. How boring that wait really was, and how unbelievable it was to finally get out in the world, be on our own and move past the bullshit, and in the same breath look back with an air of whimsical nostalgia upon all those feelings.

"The Suburbs" captures the feeling of growing up in the suburbs of middle America. Though it may not be the grit and struggle of the ghetto, things are still no picnic. The album manages to run a gamut of emotions most of us felt as teenagers. Songs like "The Suburbs," "Empty Room," "Suburban War" and "We Used To Wait" encapsulate the feeling of teenage angst, while "Rococo" and "Month of May" show even suburban kids can bare their teeth once in awhile.

"Wasted Hours," "Deep Blue" and "Sprawl II" bring the typical Arcade Fire introspection we have become acclimated to, while "Ready To Start," "Sprawl II" "Half Light II," and "Modern Man" serve as notice that the kids have come of age and are ready to play adults, setting out in the world.

The sounds on this album are classic Arcade Fire, but hit a more grandiose level. The drums are heavier, the bass lines thicker, the sound of the guitars just a little bit richer with an occasional 80s synthesizer thrown in. Arcade Fire have strived to give us something new but familiar with every album. In this day and age of overnight Internet sensations where most stars care more about their fame than their art, Arcade Fire have made it their goal to give us more than just a flash in the pan. "The Suburbs" is an American classic, something that not only captures the feeling of the moment it was in, but will portray and relate that feeling to future generations.

Arcade Fire did what so few in this day and age are capable of -- creating an album to echo through history. Now the question becomes: Where do they go from here? Who knows, but for now let's enjoy our walk through the 'burbs.

Must Listens: The Suburbs, Rococo, We Used to Wait, Sprawl II.

P.S. for a walk through your burbs set to the sounds of "We Used to Wait" go to www.thewildernessdowntown.com  Enjoy the Walk ! :)

Broderick Brown and the Play of the Year

Of all the football I have watched in my life I'd say this is easily one of the top 5 football plays I ever saw!Amazing awareness and football IQ to even know you could do something like this.

Blake Griffin -Thats Elevation Holmes

Cant describe in words what happens in this video. This kid is a monster athlete. He turns in 2-3 of these dunks a night. If you get a chance to watch a Clippers game do it, so worth it. By the way when was the last time you heard someone say that last line?

NBA Preview 2010-11

NBA 2010-2011 Preview

Here we are again, on the verge of another NBA season. For the first time in years, I am absolutely giddy to watch the NBA because of Lebron James and “The Decision,” and Craig Sager's ridiculous wardrobe choices (a Sager Suit Face off for your veiwing pleasure)

Nonetheless, I cannot remember a time when there was more excitement going into an NBA season, especially before the season even started. I suppose we have Lebron's “All eyes on me, kids there is no Santa Claus, Easter Bunny, Tooth Fairy, I'm going to crush the hopes of an entire fan base and city with my ego” summer to thank for that.

And after all, it's been years since fans have had a common enemy to root against. The last one in memory was the Bad Boys in the 80s. For the past few years, people have hated different teams for different reasons. Whether it was for the team's image -- the Portland Jailblazers, Iverson's thugged-out 76ers squads, the Knicks' band of merry thugs (Sprewell, Mason, L.J., Marcus Camby) -- or just players like Kobe Bryant, Rasheed Wallace, Ron Artest to name a few. NBA fans have not had a common enemy. This year is different; every fan will cheer for any team playing against the Heat. We will rue their wins and cheer gleefully when they lose. We will mock Lebron every moment we can, with every commercial he does and every pseudo apology he tries to make because honestly it's way too late to apologize.

I'm excited not only because for the first time in a long time there is a true team to hate, but also because the NBA is competitive again. The league is no longer watered down, making a regular season pointless for fans. Top that off with the fact the word rivalry has reappeared in the NBA lexicon (thanks to Boston Celtics and LA Lakers of 2010) and you have a season I cant wait to watch.

Teams have stopped giving love to each other. Players have shown they have a distaste for the other team or the city (Johkim Noah's vacation to Cleveland ). Bulletin board material is no longer an issue. If you hate the team, you just come out with it and then let your play back you up. That’s why we have seen some of the best playoff matches in years. Politically correct is going out the window and fans are witnessing a resurgence of tough, hard-nosed players who care more about championships than money.

With that in mind, let me introduce you to my 5 part 2010-2011 NBA Season Preview.