So the Red Sox just won the World Series again. I didn't think this day could get any worse. Then there's the breaking news that Alex Rodriguez, the man that had finally won over the fans of New York and proclaimed his love of playing in New York, has decided to opt out of the final three years of his contract.
As a diehard Yankee fan, I was devestated when I first saw the A-Rod news. Then I read the reported reasons. My mood changed to 'to hell with A-Rod.'
The article on ESPN.com says that A-Rod opted out because of the uncertainty of the free agents of the Yankees. The players he's all of a sudden concerned about are Jorge Posada, Mariano Rivera and Andy Pettitte.
So logically, to show your concern, the best thing to do is to bail on them?
Listen Alex (and Mr. Boras, if you'd like, you can listen to), if you were really concerned about whether the Yankees brought those players back, you should have called all three of them up and said "if you come back, I will come back. We have something good here, so let's keep it together."
You're not fooling anybody. You don't give a hoot about Jorge, Mo or Andy. All you and Scott care about is having the biggest contract in sports. Now that David Beckham has a $250 million contract, you feel the need to top that, even though technically, your current contract was worth more when you signed it.
You're not fooling us. You never cared about any of the players on the Yankees.
This is a perfect example of why Derek Jeter will always be twice the man you'll ever hope to be. Derek will go to Jorge, Mo and Andy and tell them the right move is to come back. He's not going to go to Cashman and say "I'm worried about Jorge, Mo and Andy not coming back, so before you attempt to re-sign them, I want to be traded." Derek would go on recruiting trips for Cashman if he was asked to.
Alex, I hope you find happiness in whichever city you decide to go to. But remember, for as long as you live, you will be remembered as a loser and a quitter in New York. That's something nobody can live down, even if you hit 800 home runs.
Take it easy,
Ali
Sunday, October 28, 2007
Monday, October 22, 2007
There is Hope after all
A little over three weeks ago, I called for the firing of Greg Ryan, the coach of the U.S. Women's soccer team, after he benched the current and unscored upon goalie, Hope Solo, for the grizzlie veteran, Briana Scurry. I wonder if someone read that posting.
If only I had that kind of influence.
Either way, come January 1st, Ryan wont have to decide between Solo and Scurry.
When the goal of the team is to win every game, and a decision made by the coach costs his team a chance to win, the coach has to go. It was the right move, and I commend U.S. soccer president Sunil Gulati for doing what was right for the team.
I defended Solo and her comments, and by firing Ryan, Gulati backed up his goalie. Most people in the media ripped Solo for speaking out, but she was right, and this move proves it.
Take It Easy,
Ali
If only I had that kind of influence.
Either way, come January 1st, Ryan wont have to decide between Solo and Scurry.
When the goal of the team is to win every game, and a decision made by the coach costs his team a chance to win, the coach has to go. It was the right move, and I commend U.S. soccer president Sunil Gulati for doing what was right for the team.
I defended Solo and her comments, and by firing Ryan, Gulati backed up his goalie. Most people in the media ripped Solo for speaking out, but she was right, and this move proves it.
Take It Easy,
Ali
Sunday, October 7, 2007
George, back from the dead...
BREAKING NEWS: George Steinbrenner is, somehow, still alive!
Yes folks, The Boss, is still here. And today, he announced his resurrection with a profound bang.
If the Yankees don't win the next three game, start with the game starting momentarily, Joe Torre will be looking for a new job, just like Jim Tracy and possibly Tony La Russa.
I've been a huge supporter of The Boss over the years. I think he has been unfairly criticized by the media and fans of other teams for his spending. It's his money, there is no salary cap in baseball, so stop whining.
I've loved just about everything about George. The win-or-else mentality. The spend-at-all-costs way of doing business.
But I hate how he puts all the blame on Joe Torre. No other manager would be able to do the job that Torre does. No other manager, not even Sweet Lou Pinella, would have been able to get this year's Yankees out of the rut they were in at the end of May. Torre stayed calm, knowing that eventually the stockpile of talent on the team would wake up.
Torre has the respect of these Yankees. They trust him. He has a bond with Derek Jeter, Jorge Posada and Mariano Rivera that a new manager will not have, and probably will never have. The other veterans are comfortable with Torre, and firing him would be a colossal mistake.
Hopefully, this is just a scare tactic in an attempt to light a fire under the Yankees, who are on the brink of elimination. With the hole the Yankees have dug themselves, it probably wont work, and George will have put himself into a position where he has to fire Torre.
Yankees fans need to hope for one of three things to happen:
1. The Yankees stage a miracle comeback by winning three straight, including a Game 5 in Gnat-Land.
2. Brian Cashman grows a set of onions, and publicly backs Torre, stating that Torre isn't going anywhere. And lastly...
3. Before he has a chance to hand Torre his pink slip, Steinbrenner dies, thus bringing sanity back to the Bronx Bombers.
Sadly, I don't think either of those three things will happen, and a combination of Steinbrenner sticking by his words and Torre finally being fed up with having his job dangled in front of the Yankees playoff success, will part ways.
The Yankees will then bring back Torre on Opening Day 2008, where he will get the longest standing ovation in recent memory. Following that, there will be a long chant of "Fuck You George" by the Yankee faithful, showing their support for Torre.
Yes folks, The Boss, is still here. And today, he announced his resurrection with a profound bang.
If the Yankees don't win the next three game, start with the game starting momentarily, Joe Torre will be looking for a new job, just like Jim Tracy and possibly Tony La Russa.
I've been a huge supporter of The Boss over the years. I think he has been unfairly criticized by the media and fans of other teams for his spending. It's his money, there is no salary cap in baseball, so stop whining.
I've loved just about everything about George. The win-or-else mentality. The spend-at-all-costs way of doing business.
But I hate how he puts all the blame on Joe Torre. No other manager would be able to do the job that Torre does. No other manager, not even Sweet Lou Pinella, would have been able to get this year's Yankees out of the rut they were in at the end of May. Torre stayed calm, knowing that eventually the stockpile of talent on the team would wake up.
Torre has the respect of these Yankees. They trust him. He has a bond with Derek Jeter, Jorge Posada and Mariano Rivera that a new manager will not have, and probably will never have. The other veterans are comfortable with Torre, and firing him would be a colossal mistake.
Hopefully, this is just a scare tactic in an attempt to light a fire under the Yankees, who are on the brink of elimination. With the hole the Yankees have dug themselves, it probably wont work, and George will have put himself into a position where he has to fire Torre.
Yankees fans need to hope for one of three things to happen:
1. The Yankees stage a miracle comeback by winning three straight, including a Game 5 in Gnat-Land.
2. Brian Cashman grows a set of onions, and publicly backs Torre, stating that Torre isn't going anywhere. And lastly...
3. Before he has a chance to hand Torre his pink slip, Steinbrenner dies, thus bringing sanity back to the Bronx Bombers.
Sadly, I don't think either of those three things will happen, and a combination of Steinbrenner sticking by his words and Torre finally being fed up with having his job dangled in front of the Yankees playoff success, will part ways.
The Yankees will then bring back Torre on Opening Day 2008, where he will get the longest standing ovation in recent memory. Following that, there will be a long chant of "Fuck You George" by the Yankee faithful, showing their support for Torre.
Saturday, October 6, 2007
I saw the future of the Warriors flash before my eyes late last night...
...Thankfully, the future remains bright.
Last night, the top headline on ESPN.com was a breaking news story from Hawaii, where the Warriors are holding their training camp. The story said that Monta Ellis, the 21-year-old diamond in the rough, had hurt his neck during a drill, and lay prone on the ground for over 20 minutes. Reports from eye witnesses said that he had no movement in his arms and legs.
It took a while, but the Chronicle finally put something up on SFGate. Janny Hu, who was at the practice, said that Monta fell and hit his head on the hip of Brendan Wright.
The news left me with a heavy heart. Anytime we see a player suffer an injury involving the neck, we instantly think the worst. My first thought when I saw that he had hurt his neck and had no movement was that at 21, his career was over.
I'm not a religious man, but I was praying for him as I went to bed.
When I woke up, and turned on ESPN, I caught something out of the corner of my eye. It was the scroll on the bottom of the screen. I managed to read the last part which read something along the lines of "left hospital under own power." I didn't have to see the rest of the scroll. I knew it was about Monta. The biggest sense of relief came over me.
When it comes to sports, neck injuries terrify me. Torn tendons in a players elbow or knee can heal with surgery and inactivity. Concussions take time, but the player gets over it (until he gets hit hard again...see Steve Young) and broken bones mend themselves. But serious neck injuries can be life changing injuries. Players may walk again, but it can take years, and usually, the effects are noticable. Think Kyle Brady, Adam Taliaferro, and now, Kevin Everett. Time will tell what kind of effects Everett's injury will have on him. Doctor's think he'll walk again, but the chances are slim as to whether he'll ever play again.
Monta Ellis should be saying a million prayers, and thanking his lucky stars he doesn't have to start planning rehab assignments in order to walk again.
Last night, the top headline on ESPN.com was a breaking news story from Hawaii, where the Warriors are holding their training camp. The story said that Monta Ellis, the 21-year-old diamond in the rough, had hurt his neck during a drill, and lay prone on the ground for over 20 minutes. Reports from eye witnesses said that he had no movement in his arms and legs.
It took a while, but the Chronicle finally put something up on SFGate. Janny Hu, who was at the practice, said that Monta fell and hit his head on the hip of Brendan Wright.
The news left me with a heavy heart. Anytime we see a player suffer an injury involving the neck, we instantly think the worst. My first thought when I saw that he had hurt his neck and had no movement was that at 21, his career was over.
I'm not a religious man, but I was praying for him as I went to bed.
When I woke up, and turned on ESPN, I caught something out of the corner of my eye. It was the scroll on the bottom of the screen. I managed to read the last part which read something along the lines of "left hospital under own power." I didn't have to see the rest of the scroll. I knew it was about Monta. The biggest sense of relief came over me.
When it comes to sports, neck injuries terrify me. Torn tendons in a players elbow or knee can heal with surgery and inactivity. Concussions take time, but the player gets over it (until he gets hit hard again...see Steve Young) and broken bones mend themselves. But serious neck injuries can be life changing injuries. Players may walk again, but it can take years, and usually, the effects are noticable. Think Kyle Brady, Adam Taliaferro, and now, Kevin Everett. Time will tell what kind of effects Everett's injury will have on him. Doctor's think he'll walk again, but the chances are slim as to whether he'll ever play again.
Monta Ellis should be saying a million prayers, and thanking his lucky stars he doesn't have to start planning rehab assignments in order to walk again.
Sunday, September 30, 2007
Solo by herself, but I'm with her
Let me preface this post by saying that I'm not a big soccer fan. I've tried really hard to make it a sport that I care about, but I just can't get past the lack of action.
But when the World Cup, Men's or Women's, starts, I find myself paying quite a bit of attention. As was the case this past week when the USA Women made it to the semifinals to play Brazil. I figured that it would be a good match-up.
Since I don't really follow the day-to-day news of soccer, I had no idea that Briana Scurry, the goalie for the USA for the better part of the last decade, had been replaced by a younger, better goalie, Hope Solo. From everything I heard on ESPN, Solo was playing really well during the tournament, and hadn't allowed a goal in over three games.
Then, after the U.S. wins their quarterfinal match, with Solo patrolling the net, coach Greg Ryan decides to replace Solo at goalie with Scurry. Scurry hadn't played a full game in about three months, and Solo was playing shutout, shutdown goal tending.
It's one thing to do this if the match is just an International Friendly or an exhibition, but you don't make this kind of a move in the semifinals of the World Cup.
Some of the reasoning I heard from ESPN analysts was that Scurry had a great record against Brazil, and Solo had never faced them. My problem with that reasoning is that Scurry accumulated her sterling record against Brazil in the late 1990's and the early part of this decade. And just because Solo has never faced Brazil doesn't mean she can't stop them. We're never going to know if she can stop Brazil until she faces them.
I woke up at 6 a.m. on Thursday morning to find Brazil up 2-0 at halftime, with the U.S. already looking defeated. Scurry looked old, and Solo looked pissed on the sideline. When the match ended with the U.S. on the losing end of a 4-0 score, Solo walked off the field, practically in tears. And I don't blame her.
After the match, a reporter stuck his microphone under the nose of an upset Solo and he got an honest reaction from her. She criticized her coach for making a dumb move, a comment which I wholeheartedly agree with. But she then made a comment saying that she would have made saves on the shots that got by Scurry. The media heard this, and ran with it as a criticism of Scurry by one of her teammates. I saw it as that, but also as a confidence in her abilities to make the crucial saves.
Solo was the goalie who hadn't given up a goal in over 300 minutes. She was the goalie that got her team to where it was. She should have been starting, and I applaud her for being honest. She later apologized, and I honestly think that was the wrong move. She should have stood by her words.
Coach Greg Ryan should be fired for making such a boneheaded move.
In baseball, if you have a young, phenom pitcher who is pitching well, you don't replace him with an over-the-hill veteran just because the veteran has experience in tough situations.
Ryan cost the U.S. team a chance to bring back the World Cup to the States, and for that, he should lose his job. The ultimate goal is to win, and he sabotaged his teams' chance of winning. There is no forgiveness. There should be no second chance.
But when the World Cup, Men's or Women's, starts, I find myself paying quite a bit of attention. As was the case this past week when the USA Women made it to the semifinals to play Brazil. I figured that it would be a good match-up.
Since I don't really follow the day-to-day news of soccer, I had no idea that Briana Scurry, the goalie for the USA for the better part of the last decade, had been replaced by a younger, better goalie, Hope Solo. From everything I heard on ESPN, Solo was playing really well during the tournament, and hadn't allowed a goal in over three games.
Then, after the U.S. wins their quarterfinal match, with Solo patrolling the net, coach Greg Ryan decides to replace Solo at goalie with Scurry. Scurry hadn't played a full game in about three months, and Solo was playing shutout, shutdown goal tending.
It's one thing to do this if the match is just an International Friendly or an exhibition, but you don't make this kind of a move in the semifinals of the World Cup.
Some of the reasoning I heard from ESPN analysts was that Scurry had a great record against Brazil, and Solo had never faced them. My problem with that reasoning is that Scurry accumulated her sterling record against Brazil in the late 1990's and the early part of this decade. And just because Solo has never faced Brazil doesn't mean she can't stop them. We're never going to know if she can stop Brazil until she faces them.
I woke up at 6 a.m. on Thursday morning to find Brazil up 2-0 at halftime, with the U.S. already looking defeated. Scurry looked old, and Solo looked pissed on the sideline. When the match ended with the U.S. on the losing end of a 4-0 score, Solo walked off the field, practically in tears. And I don't blame her.
After the match, a reporter stuck his microphone under the nose of an upset Solo and he got an honest reaction from her. She criticized her coach for making a dumb move, a comment which I wholeheartedly agree with. But she then made a comment saying that she would have made saves on the shots that got by Scurry. The media heard this, and ran with it as a criticism of Scurry by one of her teammates. I saw it as that, but also as a confidence in her abilities to make the crucial saves.
Solo was the goalie who hadn't given up a goal in over 300 minutes. She was the goalie that got her team to where it was. She should have been starting, and I applaud her for being honest. She later apologized, and I honestly think that was the wrong move. She should have stood by her words.
Coach Greg Ryan should be fired for making such a boneheaded move.
In baseball, if you have a young, phenom pitcher who is pitching well, you don't replace him with an over-the-hill veteran just because the veteran has experience in tough situations.
Ryan cost the U.S. team a chance to bring back the World Cup to the States, and for that, he should lose his job. The ultimate goal is to win, and he sabotaged his teams' chance of winning. There is no forgiveness. There should be no second chance.
Monday, September 24, 2007
Etch-It-In-Stone Prediction #2
In my last post, I analyzed this years Heisman race. To recap, I predicted that Tim Tebow would walk away from the ceremony with the hardware. Colt Brennan sprained his ankle and did not play this weekend. If he sits out another game, I think his chances of winning the Heisman might vanish.
Now for the prediction part of my post. I've been wanting to write about this for about two weeks now, but since I didn't have a place to post, I was just telling friends about this prediction.
During the first week of the season, I watched Oklahoma play, and got my first look at true freshman quarterback Sam Bradford. For a freshman he looked confident and was making precise passes. 21 of 23 for 363 yards is nothing to sneeze it, even if it was against lowly North Texas. But then again, it was North Texas.
But four weeks into the season, Bradford has a 78.1 completion percentage. That's not too shabby. In fact, that's the best completion percentage in the nation. USC senior QB John David Booty has a 70.1 comp pct. Did I mention that Bradford is a true freshman. A true freshman is propelling the #3 team in the nation.
My Etch-It-In-Stone for today is that by the end of his junior year, Sam Bradford will win the Heisman. I'll take it even further. If he wins the Heisman in 2009, he will be the first overall pick in the April 2010 NFL Draft. A kid that has this kind of accuracy and confidence is sure to have a bright future at the next level.
Take it easy,
Ali
Now for the prediction part of my post. I've been wanting to write about this for about two weeks now, but since I didn't have a place to post, I was just telling friends about this prediction.
During the first week of the season, I watched Oklahoma play, and got my first look at true freshman quarterback Sam Bradford. For a freshman he looked confident and was making precise passes. 21 of 23 for 363 yards is nothing to sneeze it, even if it was against lowly North Texas. But then again, it was North Texas.
But four weeks into the season, Bradford has a 78.1 completion percentage. That's not too shabby. In fact, that's the best completion percentage in the nation. USC senior QB John David Booty has a 70.1 comp pct. Did I mention that Bradford is a true freshman. A true freshman is propelling the #3 team in the nation.
My Etch-It-In-Stone for today is that by the end of his junior year, Sam Bradford will win the Heisman. I'll take it even further. If he wins the Heisman in 2009, he will be the first overall pick in the April 2010 NFL Draft. A kid that has this kind of accuracy and confidence is sure to have a bright future at the next level.
Take it easy,
Ali
Saturday, September 22, 2007
Etch-It-In-Stone Prediction #1
With the college football season in full stride, the candidates for this years Heisman Award are seperating themselves for the wannabes.
Steve Slaton and Pat White are powering West Virginia through the Big East, but they still have to go through Rutgers and South Florida. One loss for WV could mean the end of the run for both Slaton and White.
Brian Brohm is arguably the best quarterback in the nation, but his Louisville Cardinals just lost their second game of the season. In the weird college football world that we live in, his chance are pretty much gone, no matter what kind of numbers he puts up.
Darren McFadden is the most overpowering running back in the nation, combining wrecking ball force with blazing speed. The problem is Arkansas has to run the gauntlet known as the SEC. They've already lost to Alabama and Kentucky, and football isn't what the University of Kentucky is known for. They still have to play Auburn, Tennessee, new power South Carolina and national power LSU. Since the Razorbacks already have two losses, I feel comfortable writing off McFadden. If they lose one more, he can go ahead and ask for a refund on his plane ticket to New York City.
In my eyes, the leading contenders are USC quarterback John David Booty, Florida QB Tim Tebow and Hawaii QB Colt Brennan.
Booty is the conventional pocket passer with a dozen weapons surrounding him. I expect USC to run the table, which means Booty is going to have a solid season, ensuring his spot in NYC.
Tebow and Brennan are the true sleepers in the field. Tebow is the dual-threat battering ram that now gets center stage with the graudation of Chris Leak. Leak had low expectations and ended by winning a National Title. Tebow has high expectations, so he has to do more than just win the National Title. Tebow's candidacy depends almost solely on Florida's mammoth meeting with LSU on October 6th. If Florida leaves New Orleans with a win over the Bayou Bengals, Tebow should be considered the favorite for the Heisman.
Colt Brennan is the player I always keep an eye on. More accurately, whoever is playing QB for Hawaii gets my attention. If you can't put up big numbers in June Jones' offense, you shouldn't be allowed to play quarterback. While the offense scheme does comtribute to Brennan's ridiculous numbers, he still has to execute the plays. I really feel like if more people had a chance to watch Brennan play, he'd get more consideration. Hawaii's schedule may be soft compared to what Booty and Tebow have to deal with, but if Hawaii remains unbeaten, I think the committee has to at least invite Brennan to the Heisman ceremony.
With all that said, my pick for the 2007 Heisman is Tebow. Booty may get more exposure and have an easier chance of getting to the National Championship game, but Tebow does it all. We all knew he could run, but now he's proving that he can throw the ball down field. He's flashy and has more personality. And he's a sophmore. And he has the defending National Champions thinking Repeat, just like their basketball counterparts.
So Etch-It-In-Stone: 2007 Heisman Trophy Award Winner: Tim Tebow, QB, Florida.
Take it easy,
Ali
Steve Slaton and Pat White are powering West Virginia through the Big East, but they still have to go through Rutgers and South Florida. One loss for WV could mean the end of the run for both Slaton and White.
Brian Brohm is arguably the best quarterback in the nation, but his Louisville Cardinals just lost their second game of the season. In the weird college football world that we live in, his chance are pretty much gone, no matter what kind of numbers he puts up.
Darren McFadden is the most overpowering running back in the nation, combining wrecking ball force with blazing speed. The problem is Arkansas has to run the gauntlet known as the SEC. They've already lost to Alabama and Kentucky, and football isn't what the University of Kentucky is known for. They still have to play Auburn, Tennessee, new power South Carolina and national power LSU. Since the Razorbacks already have two losses, I feel comfortable writing off McFadden. If they lose one more, he can go ahead and ask for a refund on his plane ticket to New York City.
In my eyes, the leading contenders are USC quarterback John David Booty, Florida QB Tim Tebow and Hawaii QB Colt Brennan.
Booty is the conventional pocket passer with a dozen weapons surrounding him. I expect USC to run the table, which means Booty is going to have a solid season, ensuring his spot in NYC.
Tebow and Brennan are the true sleepers in the field. Tebow is the dual-threat battering ram that now gets center stage with the graudation of Chris Leak. Leak had low expectations and ended by winning a National Title. Tebow has high expectations, so he has to do more than just win the National Title. Tebow's candidacy depends almost solely on Florida's mammoth meeting with LSU on October 6th. If Florida leaves New Orleans with a win over the Bayou Bengals, Tebow should be considered the favorite for the Heisman.
Colt Brennan is the player I always keep an eye on. More accurately, whoever is playing QB for Hawaii gets my attention. If you can't put up big numbers in June Jones' offense, you shouldn't be allowed to play quarterback. While the offense scheme does comtribute to Brennan's ridiculous numbers, he still has to execute the plays. I really feel like if more people had a chance to watch Brennan play, he'd get more consideration. Hawaii's schedule may be soft compared to what Booty and Tebow have to deal with, but if Hawaii remains unbeaten, I think the committee has to at least invite Brennan to the Heisman ceremony.
With all that said, my pick for the 2007 Heisman is Tebow. Booty may get more exposure and have an easier chance of getting to the National Championship game, but Tebow does it all. We all knew he could run, but now he's proving that he can throw the ball down field. He's flashy and has more personality. And he's a sophmore. And he has the defending National Champions thinking Repeat, just like their basketball counterparts.
So Etch-It-In-Stone: 2007 Heisman Trophy Award Winner: Tim Tebow, QB, Florida.
Take it easy,
Ali
Welcome to my Opinion-driven World.
Since this is my first posting, the polite thing to do would be to introduce myself. My name is Ali Thanawalla. I go by the name Ali Thanawalla. But you can call me Ali.
I'm a 23-year-old student at San Francisco State, majoring in Journalism and Photojournalism. I'm trying to decide which concentration I want to focus on. Photography is what I enjoy more, but I've had a real passion for creative writing since my senior year of high school. I finished high school with more experience looking through a viewfinder than writing about the thoughts that came into my head. But at the community college I went to, there was no photography department. So I put my mom's old Minolta camera down and turned my attention to creative writing classes.
Writing was the first solid direction I had. During high school, I dabbled in website design and thought about psychology, but I was never able to grasp those concepts completely. Writing is what pulled me towards journalism. I never thought about being a journalist growing up. But when I would pick up the newspaper every morning, my first move was to pick up the Sports page and see what columnists like Dave Del Grande, Bruce Jenkins, Tim Fitzgerald and Scott Olster had to say.
I'm a huge sports fan. I've had friends tell me that they've never met anyone that knows more about sports than I do. Combine that with my love for writing, and that's how I came up with journalism.
As one can imagine, my dad is a quite skeptical of this journalism thing, but I'm determined to do something I love with my life, and on some level, prove him wrong. I may not make as much money as he's made in his life, but I want to do something in life that makes me happy at the end of the day.
This blog is going to revolve around sports. I am going to tell you how I genuinely feel about a lot of topics, and I am going to make predictions. One of my favorite things about debating sports with friends is making bold predictions, having your friend laugh in your face and tell you that's the dumbest thing they've heard, and then have your prediction come true. I may even post some photographs that I take.
I welcome feedback, and I love to debate sports, so I hope anyone and everyone that reads this feels compelled to challenge me.
Take it easy,
Ali
I'm a 23-year-old student at San Francisco State, majoring in Journalism and Photojournalism. I'm trying to decide which concentration I want to focus on. Photography is what I enjoy more, but I've had a real passion for creative writing since my senior year of high school. I finished high school with more experience looking through a viewfinder than writing about the thoughts that came into my head. But at the community college I went to, there was no photography department. So I put my mom's old Minolta camera down and turned my attention to creative writing classes.
Writing was the first solid direction I had. During high school, I dabbled in website design and thought about psychology, but I was never able to grasp those concepts completely. Writing is what pulled me towards journalism. I never thought about being a journalist growing up. But when I would pick up the newspaper every morning, my first move was to pick up the Sports page and see what columnists like Dave Del Grande, Bruce Jenkins, Tim Fitzgerald and Scott Olster had to say.
I'm a huge sports fan. I've had friends tell me that they've never met anyone that knows more about sports than I do. Combine that with my love for writing, and that's how I came up with journalism.
As one can imagine, my dad is a quite skeptical of this journalism thing, but I'm determined to do something I love with my life, and on some level, prove him wrong. I may not make as much money as he's made in his life, but I want to do something in life that makes me happy at the end of the day.
This blog is going to revolve around sports. I am going to tell you how I genuinely feel about a lot of topics, and I am going to make predictions. One of my favorite things about debating sports with friends is making bold predictions, having your friend laugh in your face and tell you that's the dumbest thing they've heard, and then have your prediction come true. I may even post some photographs that I take.
I welcome feedback, and I love to debate sports, so I hope anyone and everyone that reads this feels compelled to challenge me.
Take it easy,
Ali
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