Archive for the ‘Joe Davis’ Category

The Defense of Ray Rice

Monday, September 15th, 2014

by Joe Davis

Joe davis

 

 

 

 

RR

I’m not defending the actions of Ray Rice.  I believe he made a horrible decision that will change his life forever.  Whatever discipline comes to him, it is warranted.  Many people around the country are upset with the Ravens fans that are still supporting him by wearing his jersey.  They are quick to criticize them as close-minded, die-hard fans that only care about football.  It’s not all about the fan base.  The answer lies within the city.

Baltimore is a very loyal place.  In Baltimore, the city has a very close family feel.  It is a major city (600,000+ population) with a small city feel.  Baltimore has a big chip on its shoulders.  Being in between Washington, Philadelphia, and New York, it often gets overlooked nationally.  If Baltimore embraces you as one of their own, they have your back through the thick and thin.  If the Ray Lewis incident happened in another city, he probably would have been cut and pushed aside.  Here in Baltimore, he just had a statue erected in front of M&T Bank Stadium.  The sense is we can talk about you but if someone outside the family does, then it’s on.  I have been in debates with Ravens fans that have spoken badly about Joe Flacco, but as soon as I have criticized him, I have felt the wrath.  As a Baltimorean that isn’t a Ravens fan, I really understand both sides of the issue.

So here’s the truth about Ray Rice.  He isn’t a wife-beating monster that should never play in the NFL again.  Nor is he the 1500 yard back that the Ravens can give the ball to 25+ times per game anymore.  The Ravens struggled with weather or not they should have cut him after a terrible 2013 season.  I honestly that they kept him because he was such a good guy, both on the field and off.  Ravens fans that wore his jersey to the game on Thursday against Pittsburgh were saying loudly that this is our guy and we still love him.  I hope Ray Rice has learned from his drunken actions from that night.  I also hope that his wife Janay and Ray continue to grow and support each other.  More than anything, I hope that their daughter will grow up and know that her daddy isn’t the bad guy that hit mommy.  I hope that the family gets the support from those surrounding them that they will need.  If not from the NFL and the Ravens, they can always turn to Baltimore.

 

Joe Davis of Sideline to Sideline, for War Room Sports 

Orioles Magic

Saturday, August 2nd, 2014

by Joe Davis

Joe davis

 

 

 

 

(Image via MASN Sports)

(Image via MASN Sports)

It’s the beginning of August.  Many MLB teams have either made moves to improve their team or have thrown in the towel to begin preparing for the future. Oakland and Detroit have made significant improvements to their pitching staff. But the AL East leading Baltimore Orioles are riding the team that has brought them this far. They did acquire a relief pitcher from Boston, but for the most part they are relying on their guys.  As of this writing they sit in first place 2.5 games up on Toronto.  This is after Toronto won 7 games in a row.  New York has made several moves and they can’t seem to get close to Baltimore.  Just 4 years ago fans were happy just for a competitive team and now they sit at 61-47.

Baltimore has had an impressive season, besides dealing with a number of issues. They don’t have a true ace to lead their pitching staff.  While l personally like guys like Bud Norris and Miguel Gonzalez, you never get them confused with a Verlander, Price, or Lester.  lf they had one of those guys, their lead could be 10. To limit his innings, Kevin Gausman was yo-yoed between the show and the, minors even though he was one of the team’s most consistent performers.  Ubaldo Jimenez can’t seem to find the strike zone even though he is paid $50 million over the next 4 years to do so.  Tommy Hunter started off the season as the team’s closer but wasn’t very effective.  Insert Zach Britton to give them stability and 22 saves.  Buck Showalter is really amazing in how he has pushed all of the right buttons.

Offensively, how they have kept this team together is just unbelievable.  Chris Davis, who hit 53 home runs last year and finished 3rd in the AL MVP race, has only hit 17 home runs and is batting under .200.  Speaking of batting under or around .200, the O’s have 6 regular bats that are hitting in the .200 neighborhood.  Nelson Cruz has cooled off since his blistering start but still leads the team with 29 HRs and 75 RBI.  The only season-long consistent bats have been Hardy (even though he has not produced his usual power numbers), Jones, and Markakis.  They have had timely hitting all season and Camden Yards is buzzing at a time when many Baltimoreans are thinking “Purple and Black” instead of “Orange and Black”.

So, can they keep it up?  I say they can.  While some other teams have made moves to strengthen their rotation, it has come at a cost.  Baltimore has a special chemistry going in their dugout.  Smiles and hi-fives are the norm.  When a guy has a walk-off hit, you can expect a pie to the face.  They don’t quit nor do they give up easily.  12-4 is their record in extra-innings games.  Showalter keeps guys like Delmon Young and Steve Pierce engaged because they are needed, and they haven’t disappointed their skipper. Caleb Joseph and Nick Hundley have provided an adequate fill-in since Gold Glove catcher Matt Wieters went down with an elbow.  Darren O’Day and TJ McFarland have anchored a bullpen that is one of the best in baseball.  There is something magical happening and hopefully it leads this team to a World Series ring.

 

Joe Davis of Sideline to Sideline, for War Room Sports

The Power of Weed

Wednesday, July 30th, 2014

by Joe Davis

Joe davis

 

 

 

 

Browns WR Josh Gordon (Image via eurweb.com)

Browns WR Josh Gordon
(Image via eurweb.com)

I don’t smoke weed.  I have only tried it once in my life so maybe I’m lost.  But can someone please explain to me why people are defending Josh Gordon?  He is a repeat violator of the NFL drug policy.  A policy that many former and current players have said that it’s very easy to pass. Josh Gordon has top 5 wide receiver talent.  He has bottom 5 sense.  He has been suspended from the NFL already.  He was kicked out of Baylor University for testing positive for marijuana in July of 2011, after being suspended for marijuana use during the 2010 season.  He transferred to Utah and sat out before entering the NFL thru the supplemental draft (some reports even say that he failed drug tests at Utah).  In 2013 he was suspended for the first two games of the season because he failed the drug test.  And now he is possibly gonna miss the entire season because he failed the drug test AGAIN! REALLY?!?!?!

(Image via HelpingHandsDispensary)

(Image via HelpingHandsDispensary)

I am not gonna argue about whether weed is or isn’t a drug.  I’m not even gonna debate the people that will talk about how marijuana is being decriminalized by many states in our great country.  Here is my point. If your job says don’t use a substance then don’t do it. ESPECIALLY if they test for it.  There are hundreds of thousands of people that also are subject to random drug tests; and they aren’t making $825,604 this year.  THAT IS $51,600.25 PER GAME. I make a little more than that in a year, but if my job said stop drinking coffee (something I drink 6 days a week), I would quit that shit in a heartbeat.  So I don’t get how someone would blow this opportunity to set themselves and their family up for a lifetime.  And to defend this man seems to be the problem.  He’s under contract.  He’s got a talent that many would kill for.  He has been given a 2nd, 3rd and now 4th chance.

In a famous skit on Chappelle Show, Rick James said “Cocaine is a helluva drug!”  But how powerful is weed?  Let’s not defend bad behavior.  Josh Gordon needs a wake-up call before he’s on the list of “could have been” or “should have been” players.  Josh Gordon needs one of his buddies to tell him that he can still be his boy but leave the “wacky tobaccy” alone.  Josh even needs to get away if his friends are smoking, since he said that his last positive test comes from second-hand smoke. I guess the power of weed is stronger than many will give it credit for.

 

Joe Davis of Sideline to Sideline, for War Room Sports

Football: The Passion of the Fans

Monday, July 28th, 2014

by Joe Davis

Joe davis

 

 

 

 

(Image via ethnicsalarms.com)

(Image via ethnicsalarms.com)

It’s that time of year again, where optimism rings through this country from end to end. Whether it’s Washington DC or Washington State, Boston to Los Angeles, football fans believe that THIS is the year that their team will win it all. From little league to the NFL, you won’t find a fan that thinks that their team has no chance to Win a championship. This is why football is America’s game. In the NFL the new draft pick or free agent signing gives a team that finished in last place a feeling of hope. In college that new recruiting class or spring practice has the university believing that a conference championship is within grasp. Even at the high school level, the 15 year old kid that had a 6 inch growth spurt has the school with state championship dreams.

So how realistic are your teams’ chances in winning the ultimate prize? 3% chance if you are talking the NFL. 0.8% chance of winning the national championship. On lower levels the odds are even greater, where there may be over 2,000 schools in a state, all competing for a state title. And that’s what makes it great. Even with these amazing odds, we still believe that our team will win the championship THIS year (Full disclosure; I am a Dallas Cowboys fan and I still believe that if everything breaks right, we can win it all). The passion that we as football fans show for our sport is awesome.  Now I’m not here to compare with other sports (partly because it’s not even close); just to uplift my sport. From programs that are perennial contenders to that dark horse that has never been in a championship game, the passion is the same. THIS IS OUR YEAR. WE ARE GOING TO BEAT OUR RIVALS. WE WILL WIN IT ALL.

So as training camps continue to open in the next couple of weeks, our optimism may begin to fade. This dude has a season ending injury. This guy hasn’t progressed as much as we would like. Why isn’t the newer player as good as he was hyped? Many dreams will get crushed. Some will be delayed. And a few will be sidetracked. It makes the ultimate prize that much greater when we finally reach it. Enjoy your teams’ season for all of the ups and downs that are sure to follow.

 

Joe Davis of Sideline to Sideline, for War Room Sports