Venus Trapped in Mars Sports and Lifestyle Blog Dallas
Showing posts with label 7 Things You Need to Know. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 7 Things You Need to Know. Show all posts

13 October 2015

The 5 Things You Need To Know Before You Go || The MLB Postseason

The MLB Postseason is well underway. There are currently 8 teams left in the postseason, and all teams are playing in the current round, which is a best of 5 series.

Texas Rangers vs Toronto Blue Jays 
(Series tied 2-2)

Houston Astros vs Kansas City Royals 
(Series tied 2-2) 

Chicago Cubs vs. St. Louis Cardinals 
(Cubs Lead Series 2-1, can clinch tonight at home) 

New York Mets vs Los Angeles Dodgers 
(Mets Lead Series 2-1, can clinch tonight)


So while the NL could wrap this round up tonight, and AL will most certainly wrap this round up tomorrow, here are some things you should know before you go: The MLB Postseason Edition.



As we all know, the Cubs are cursed. I have a full post about the last time the Cubs last won the World Series, and the "Curse of the Billy Goat" that I think you should read if you want the full scoop. They haven't won a National League Pennant since the Billy Goat incident, and haven't won a World Series since 1908. 

But....

Do you want something cool to tell your friends that I bet they won't know? Do you think a movie can predict the future? Well, in the move Back to the Future 2, Marty McFly reads a copy of the USA Today with the headline, "Cubs Sweep Series in 5." 









Before everyone gets too excited, the movie says that the Cubs sweep "Miami." Unfortunately, Miami is an NL team, making it impossible they'd face each other in the World Series. It also says the date is October 22, 2015. The World Series won't even start this year until the 27th.

Those minor details aside, the Cubbies are still very much alive. Will Back to the Future be correct in their prediction? Hey, I'd throw a few dollars down on the idea!

But as you know, I'm also a bandwagon Cubs fan.


Here is a statistics for you:
Teams that win the first two games in a best of 5 series, go on to win that series 93% of the time.  

My Texas Rangers won the first two games in the series.

Just thought you should know that important information.





In baseball, there really aren't many rules on sliding into a base in a manor that will disrupt a double play. For example, when a ground ball is hit to the shortstop, he'll toss it to the fielder at second base. The runner that is running from first to second will do what he can to make it so the second baseman can't get the runner out at first. This can include sliding, and sometimes sweeping the fielder off his feet.  

On Saturday, the Dodgers' Chase Utley broke Mets Shortstop Ruben Tejada's leg on a dirty slide into second base. I won't post the video here, because I don't do well with legs that are not bending in the proper direction, but if you want to see it go here. 

Utley was suspended two games for the slide. He appealed, and is able to continue to play in the series until the appeal goes through. Many consider the slide to have been a turning point in the game, as it allowed a runner to score from third. 

Did you see the slide? What do you think? Dirty or just part of the game of baseball? 






Back to the Cubs again, because they were on fire last night. They made history last night when they became the first team to ever hit 6 home runs in a post season game. I should also mention that SIX DIFFERENT PLAYERS hit those home runs. Even crazier? It was batters 1-2-3-4-5-6 in the lineup. Yowza.

As a reminder, the Cubs can win the series tonight, which would mark the first time in post season history for the Cubs to win a playoff series at Wrigley.

Also, in the event that I'm not drinking enough of the Cubbies Kool-aid already, their GM is Theo Epstein. Epstein was the GM for the Red Sox when they broke the 86 year long Curse of the Bambino, and won the World Series in 2004.

Facts are facts, people. Should tragedy strike for the Rangers (I pray it doesn't, seeing as we've NEVER won a World Series), there's a strong chance you'll see me digging through my closet to find that Cubs jersey I bought back in 2008.



I'm saving the best for last. I think this is the coolest thing ever, and I'm only minorly embarrassed by how cool I think this simple thing is. When you tweet your team's official hashtag, twitter automatically ads an emoji to the end of the hashtag. Mind blown. Way to go 2015. 

Below are each team's official hashtags. Check out my original tweet to view the emoji -- blogger won't show it for some reason... lame!




So, of the 8 that remain, what team are you rooting for to bring home the Commissioner's Trophy with a World Series victory in 2015?

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27 March 2015

5 Things You Need to Know Before You Go: All of the Feels Edition

Everything in the sports world this week made me emotional. True, I would get emotional over a pizza buffet, but still.... these are some great stories you need to hear from this week!

The 5 Things You Need To Know Before You Go: All of the Feels Edition 
 
Let's start with THE best news of the week, month, year! We first met Leah back in September when the Cincinnati Bengals became my honorary favorite team in the NFL when they signed Devon Still to the practice squad so he could keep his health insurance and pay for his baby girl, Leah's, cancer treatments. Devon, just a week later, was brought back up to the 53 man roster, and proceeds from his jersey sales were donated to Pediatric Care Cancer Research. That story is still so beautiful to me.

But then....
June 2, 2014 and March 25, 2015 are days I will remember for the rest of my life. As everyone probably knows, June 2nd was the day doctors walked into the waiting room to tell me my daughter had cancer. It was the most devastating day of my life. March 25th , however, is feeling like the best day of my life. Today we received news from Leah's oncologist that her cancer, stage four neuroblastoma, is officially in REMISSION! After 296 days of day dreaming about what it would feel like to hear the doctors say my daughter is in remission, I finally know the feeling. Funny thing is there is really no way of describing it because I never knew this feeling existed. When I look at my daughter all I can do is smile and hug her. It was not easy but every day, and every treatment Leah fought like hell and kicked cancers butt! I'm so proud and blessed to call her my daughter. She has made an impact on me and on the world, at the age of four, that I can only wish to make in a lifetime. Thank you to my family and friends for the support through all those tough days. Thank you to everyone who has sent a letter to give Leah and our family motivation to keep fighting, a toy that helped Leah get through her days in the hospital, and more importantly a prayer that helped God hear our cries for healing. Thank you to the doctors at CHOP for putting together the best plan of action for my daughter. Thank you to Child Life members Sarah, Laura, and Lindsey for really turning what could be a scary place into a place where Leah would enjoy going because she knew she would have fun with you guys. Thank you to the Bengals for taking on my situation and standing by me and my family and for helping to raise money to fight pediatric cancer. To every media outlet and persons that helped raise much needed awareness, thank you. Leah is not done with treatments yet. She still needs more to make sure the cancer cells do not return and to build back up her immune system and other damage from the chemo but I know my little warrior will get through it! #FistBump #LeahStrong #BeatCancer #TheFightAgainstChildhoodCancerIsFarFromOver #ThrowingTheBiggestKidPartyEver #WaitForIt
A photo posted by Devon Still (@man_of_still75) on

What a dad. What an incredibly strong, inspiring little girl. Go take on the world now, Leah! 

All of the feels. 


I'm sure you all know Dean Smith who passed away last month at the age of 83. He was the former UNC coach, and one of the most legendary basketball coaches of all time. Yesterday it was made public that he had left something in his will to every single player that he had ever played at UNC. 

image via

He left every single former varsity basketball letterman player of his a $200 check with instructions to have dinner out, on him. 

All of the feels.





I've got a player in the NCAA tourney I think you will LOVE. Meet Nigel Hayes, one of Wisconsin's best players and your new favorite person in the tournament. First, he got all excited that he would be occupying Kobe Bryant's locker during the sweet 16....


Then he started a press conference with a little test of the stenographer's spelling capabilities....

image via

And then, what you'll totally die of cuteness over....

He calls the stenographer beautiful, not realizing anyone can hear him, and then gets ALL embarrassed.



 
Holy adorable. I just cannot stand it. You just gained a fan, Wisconsin... and by Wisconsin I mean Nigel! 

All of the feels!!


Our girl, Mo'Ne Davis will have a Disney movie made about her, but that isn't what I want to talk about today. This douchenozzle (sorry, no other word for him) college baseball player sent out the most disgusting tweet about Mo'Ne and her Disney movie. I'm not posting the tweet, but it was foul and the school he played for immediately dismissed him from the team. 

What was Mo'Ne's response?

First, she makes an appeal to the school to reinstate him and says this on SportsCenter....

“Everyone makes mistakes and everyone deserves a second chance. I know right now he’s really hurt and I know how hard he worked to get where he is. I mean, I was pretty hurt on my part but I know he’s hurting even more.”


WHOA.

I'm not adult enough to forgive the jerk yesterday who didn't wait in line like the rest of us, and cut me off to jump the line on the exit ramp... yet she can be this mature, compassionate and understanding about this douchenozzle??? Get it girl, I look up to you.

All of the feels. 
 


Images via: Ben Platt / MLB.com:




Will Ferrell played every position on the field, and played for 10 different teams on Tuesday. I'm not kidding. 

He started as the 5th batter for the A's, that's a pretty good spot to have, assuming you recall the baseball lineup according to Carrie Bradshaw! He was traded throughout the day to various teams, for various things..... yes, things.









Traded, released, picked up off waivers... Will traveled from team to team by van and helicopter. He did this all in partnership with HBO and Funny Or Die, in an effort to raise money to support the fight against cancer. A lot of money. As in nearly a million raised.

All of the feels!!
Want more Ferrell antics from the day? Go here! 



Venus Trapped in Mars


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20 February 2015

The 5 Things You Need to Know Before You Go

I realize this isn't imperative information, but actually it is. I have a bleacher report Facebook troll. Do you remember a couple of weeks ago, when I told you about the guy who was Tom Brady's butt buddy facebook white knight?  Well apparently he just sits around, just waiting for me to comment on a Bleacher Report Facebook status update. 

Exhibit A...

Do you guys remember Leah, Devon Still's daughter who was diagnosed with pediatric cancer? Well Bleacher Report posted this and my heart melted all over everything....


I got so excited and emotional and happy and giddy, so I commented... and here comes Corey, my facebook angry elf......... 
I mean, what?! This is a comment on how beautiful and strong this young lady battling cancer is. I realize everyone came to my rescue in the comments, but good lord if that doesn't infuriate me. What on all of God's green earth is wrong with people? 

Aside from that, how bout that beautiful little girl Leah though???




Major League Baseball is picking up the pace! 



Today, the MLB is scheduled to announce 4 new "pace-of-play" rules that will speed up the game. Last year, MLB games averaged a total time of 3 hours and 2 minutes, compared to 2 hours and 33 minutes in 1981. 

Last season, there was a ton of discussion that baseball had, quite frankly, become boring for fans. Younger generations was not purchasing tickets or watching games on tv because the games were so dang long.

Here are the 4 new rules:

1. Managers must stay in the dugout during replay challenges
2. Hitters must keep at least one foot in the batter's box during at-bats 
3. A prompt return to play after TV commercial breaks
4. Timed pitching changes. 





The NBA trade deadline was yesterday at 3pm and in a span of about 2 minutes there were approximately 32,432,245,235 trades. The trades consisted of a frenzy of guys I'd never heard of... plus Kevin Garnett. Garnett was traded back to the Timberwolves. I didn't know he was still in the league. The man is 38 years old. Isn't he the guy that used to do those Sprite commercials?

Speaking of NBA, did anyone watch the NBA all-star game? Defense is overrated I suppose...

Moving along.





Let's talk about what a beast Mo'ne Davis is. She is the 13 year old pitcher that put a beat down on all the boys in the 2014 Little League World Series. She was the first girl ever to win and pitch a shutout, and the first African American girl to ever play in the Little League World Series. This chick is the bomb. 

But this girl can do more than just pitch a baseball. Watch the utter embarrassment she lays down on Kevin Hart in the celebrity all star game.... 
Gif Via
Dang girl. You think some colleges might be interested in her?????!!!!! 



For number 5 today, I want you guys to meet Jamie from Gunters Abroad! Jamie and her husband Van met at Auburn  and have lived all over the south, but are now residing in the UK. Speaking of the UK, her guest post today is all about why living in the UK has been fantastic thus far. As someone who has never been there, but is dying to go, I'm taking notes!!! Maybe I can convince CB to take a little road trip across the pond...... hmmm.... food for thought. 

Take it away, Jamie!

 ---

Hi VTIM readers! I’m Jamie from Gunters Abroad! You may have
seen me hanging out on the sidebar this month….eating some gelato in Rome, yum!
My blog chronicles mine and my husband’s adventures while living in the UK. We
are big time travellers, drinkers, skier/snowboarders, golfers and Auburn
fans!! (Sorry Sarah!) While I could gush about some of our specific travels, (which
include places literally all over Europe) I want to bring the focus to our
host country, the United Kingdom, and tell you just a few reasons why living
here is AWESOME.

Why Living in the UK is Awesome (in no particular order)

Golf

The birthplace of Golf. The Holy Grail. I
cannot describe to you how amazing it is to step onto a Scottish golf course
and play. Never mind that there are 14th century castle ruins off in
the distance. Surreal experience no matter how crappy you play that day! And of
course, the best places aren’t just in Scotland. Whether you are playing
in England around a castle, or even hopping
a plane to the mainland with your clubs, you will not be disappointed at
the options offered to you!




 Castles
You may have dreamt of living the princess
life as a little girl or being a knight in shining armour. And here in the UK, you
can relive those dreams! Castles are literally
everywhere and we go and seek them out whenever possible. My favourite
castles are the ones that are ruins to be honest. It gives them an eerie feel
and you can just imagine the ghost of a knight popping out at any moment, or
maybe a queen with her head cut off for that matter!


My favourite castles include: Alnwick
Castle, Tantallon
Castle (pictured above) and Arundel
Castle (below) just to name a few. And those are just the ones in England. Super.
Awesome.



Slang/Accents/Wit
One of my favourite bits of living in the
UK…..the language. While there are some obvious differences in our words (I have
a whole list here),
I still am amazed on a regular basis by some of the phrases that I hear! And
while it is funny to hear silly phrases, I am finding that I am adopting a lot
of the slang which should make for an interesting challenge when we return to
the States one day. A few of my adopted terms include: ‘Brill’, “cheeky’,
‘cheers’, ‘chuffed’, ‘knackered’, ‘dodgy’….wow, as I’m typing, I realize I
could on and on!! Anyway, point being is that it is seriously fun to figure out
what someone is trying to say sometimes! And my British friends and I will swap
accents for the night which is the perfect drinking game!



 FOOD/BEER
Food glorious food’ (hello Oliver) While
you might have heard that British food is bland, I’m here to rebuke this
statement. British food is amazing. Whether its pub grub or Sunday roast, the
freshness in British food is amazing. They really strive to locally source
their ingredients and it makes a world of difference. While I do miss my
favorites, like a good round of chips and salsa, a good steak and ale pie
will suffice for now.



And the BEER. Goodness, how will I ever
drink a run of the mill beer again in the States?! I’ve actually learned a lot
about drinking while living in the UK. And it is totally normal to go for a
pint on your lunch break. America’s got it all wrong my friends.


European
Travel obviously
Now this is what my blog mostly revolves
around….our travels. We love to visit new places, drink their alcohol, eat
their food and learn a little bit about the history and culture along the way. We
have been to so many places that I would have never dreamed of being able to
visit while living in the States. We just returned from our second trip to
Prague which is our favourite European city. You can’t beat $1.50 on a fresh
pint of Czech beer! And while Prague is our favourite, places like the Greek
islands and Amsterdam run in a close second. Or skiing the Alps….that’s another
good one.






                                                                                                      
See? Living in the UK is pretty sweet I tell you! So come
along and see what else we are getting up to over at Gunters Abroad! Take a
look over on my travels page and get lost in some wanderlust for the day
instead of working, you know you want to! Thanks for having me on! 
Cheerio!

Get Social and say Hey girl Heyyyyyy! ::: Bloglovin | Instagram | Twitter



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06 February 2015

Fan Friday: The 5 Things You Need To Know Before You Go

 

I know what you're thinking... "But Sarah, how will you ever come up with 5 things I need to know about the sports world?! There is no football on!!" Well, where there's a will, there's a way, folks. Plus, hello, National Signing Day was this week y'all! Let's get started, shall we? 





 
This one might make you an angry elf. 

Let's actually start here: did you know there are two current full-time female refs in the NBA this season? This is news to me, I didn't know there were any female refs in the NBA. That's pretty cool! 

So last night, rookie ref Lauren Holtkamp, shown above (pretty girl too, right?), ref'd the Clippers vs Cavs game. The Clippers were T'ed up (given technical fouls) five times on the night. That's a lot. 

Clippers Point Guard, Chris Paul, took to attacking Lauren after the game. Mind you, there are 3 refs on the court each night, not just 1...

"The tech that I get right there was ridiculous. I don't care what nobody says, I don't care what she says; that's terrible. There's no way that can be a tech. ... 

That's ridiculous. If that's the case, this might not be for her."

Paul assured everyone, of course, that his comments had nothing to do with her being a female. I don't have an issue with complaining about calls, but how often do you hear a player question a ref's whole career path? "This might not be for her..." 
I dunno, that last sentence, just rubbed me the wrong way. What do you think? 
Side note: the Clippers have THE MOST TECHNICAL FOULS IN THE LEAUGE. Just thought I would include that little statistic for you. 





Tiger Woods sucks. If that's the case, golf might not be for him... (hah, see what I did there?)
 
Yesterday, Tiger withdrew for the 3rd time in his past 9 tournaments. 

He said last week he had no back issues since his return to golf in December. But sometime on the back nine, he began complaining of back issues he earlier said he didn't have. He blamed it on a 2 hour fog delay. I hate it when that big-bad-bully fog attacks me! So frustrating. 

Even though Tiger has been playing horrific golf as of late, Sports Center felt the need to show every last stroke he took in the Farmers Insurance Open. Makes sense.... I have no idea who is in the lead at the tournament, but I do know what all 11 of Tiger's bunker shots looked like. 




College Football's National Signing Day took place on Wednesday, and I've got the top ten recruiting classes for you! They are as follows...



Did you see Tennessee came in 5th? Not sure if you saw? #GBO




Facebook is humorous. I commented on Bleacher Report's Facebook status a couple of days ago, and hilariousness, and incoherent, very poor grammar ensued. I just feel that, unless you know how to properly use your and you're, then you shouldn't be allowed to troll people on the internet. 
If you can use your and you're properly... then by all means, please troll on! 


   
 
 

BRB... gotta go shut you're dumbass up.
And I wonder why I get into bar fights.... 




This isn't sports related, but it is awesome and is for sure something you need to know! If you remember last year, Helene and I hosted a Valentine's Day linkup. This year, we will be hosting another one this coming Friday, a week from today, February 13th! 

Venus Trapped in Mars


Fan Friday can still continue as normal too. Come linkup anything Valentine's Day related, Fan Friday related, or if you are really talented you can link up a post that is about a Sporty Valentine's Day..... i.e. how you would like Rob Gronkowski to lick a box of chocolates off bring you a box of chocolates. 

Just a suggestion. 


Venus Trapped in Mars


  • Write a post about anything listed here
  • Grab a button. (It's glittery, would you have expected anything less?)
  • Link up EVERY FRIDAY FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE
  • Follow me so we can be friends
  • Meet new friends who also like sports and being a fan
  • Hop, hop, hop.... hop around.







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