Prompt 20

     One story which I have been following very closely in the world of sports is the Jets quarterback controversy.  The Jets have three quarterbacks: Mark Sanchez who is currently the starting QB (but he is probably the least talented of the three quarterbacks), Tim Tebow who is currently the backup QB (but probably has the most talent of the three quarterbacks), and Greg McElroy (who led Alabama to a perfect season and a SEC and National Championship, but who has yet to see any real playing time in the NFL).  During last weeks game against the Arizona Cardinals, Mark Sanchez threw three interceptions early in the game and was replaced by Greg McElroy (Tim Tebow was inactive in the game with two broken ribs, but who led the Broncos to the playoffs last season, and won the Heisman trophy and a BCS National Championship).  Greg McElroy led the Jets to a come from behind victory, which has caused a huge problem for the Jets, which is who to start next week.  Rex Ryan in a press conference Monday said he had no idea who he would start, and that Tim Tebow would be active this week and would be a possible candidate for the starting position.  This indecisiveness comes after Rex Ryan has stood by Mark Sanchez the entire year, saying that he was the team's quarterback.

     Personally I think that Tim Tebow should be the starting quarterback, as much as it brings me pain since he was a Florida Gator.  Tebow is a proven leader, and can make plays with both his running and passing abilities.  He also has proven that he can win as an NFL quarterback, by taking the Broncos to the playoffs last season.  Many people question Tebow's ability to be an NFL quarterback, but I feel that his season last year has proven that he can win.  His stats might not be the best, but he can win football games, which is what should matter.   I would much rather see Tebow win games in an ugly fashion, than see Mark Sanchez throw throw an uncountable number of interceptions and lose games.

Prompt 19

     Tyrann Mathieu recently announced that he will be entering the NFL Draft.  Mathieu was a finalist for the Heisman trophy last season, and had a great season, leading his LSU Tigers to the BCS National Championship game.  But, most people recall Mathieu's actions at the beginning of this season  when they hear his name.  Before the start of the 2012 season, Mathieu was suspended for the season by the LSU football team for a substance abuse issue.  Mathieu thought about transferring to a lower division school so that he did not have to sit this year out, but he decided to stay at LSU, but instead just be a student.  Mathieu's name stayed out of the press for a while and many assumed that he was doing better and that he would be back on the field for LSU or quite possibly an NFL team next year.  About a month ago Matieu's name was again being mentioned by the media.  Mathieu was arrested last month for possession of marijuana.

     There are two questions that must be answered, 1) will an NFL give Mathieu a shot to play for them based on his previous record, and 2) should the NFL suspend Mathieu if he is signed by a team for his inappropriate conduct off the field.  I personally think that an NFL team will give Mathieu a chance to play for them because he has an incredible amount of raw talent and ability, but I think Mathieu will not last long in the NFL and will fall into trouble with the law again, or fail an NFL drug test.  He will be much like a Ricky Williams, someone who could be a great player, but has it ruined by his "addiction" to marijuana.  Getting to the second question, I think the NFL should suspend Mathieu for three or four games at the start of the his first season for being arrested.  LSU did not suspend him for being arrested just for failing a drug test, I feel that he must also face the consequences for getting arrested.

Prompt 18

     What I am currently following is sports is Tampa Bay Rays signing of Evan Longoria through the 2022 season.  The Rays had Longoria signed through the 2016 season, but recently gave him a six year contract extension worth about $100 million over those six years.  To me this is way to much money for the Rays to pay one player. The Rays have the 25th highest payroll in baseball at about sixty five million dollars.  For the Rays to give Longoria about sixteen million a season is ridiculous considering that his salary will take up about twenty five percent of the Rays payroll.  I understand that he is the superstar of this team and that only a large contract like this would keep Longoria in Tampa, but would you rather have one superstar with a huge salary and a bunch of bad players with low salaries, or a bunch of average players with average salaries.  This move by the Rays has shown me that it is more important to keep Longoria there with bad players, then to lose him and find a team of average players.  For example, this move will likely not allow the Rays to resign their ace pitcher David Price.  Price was looking for a deal close to the deal Longoria recently signed, but it will be nearly impossible for the Rays to pay for two contracts this big each year. 

     I believe Longoria got the money he deserved compared to what other players are being paid to play the game of baseball.  But, I think that salaries in Major League Baseball and in all of professional sports are getting out of hand.  When there are teachers who are having trouble putting food on their table and paying their bills, but athletes are living in mansions and driving around in Bentleys something is wrong.  Teachers shape children s' lives and inevitably shape our future, but athletes are merely there for our entertainment.  This tells me that there is something wrong with society today, and I am honestly not sure if this will ever be fixed or if anyone can even fix this problem.

Prompt 17

     One sports memory that I have from Thanksgiving is the annual "Turkey Bowl" that is held in my neighborhood every year on Thanksgiving morning.  Every year the teenagers play the adults in a flag football game and whoever wins gets bragging rights for the entire year and a trophy which is housed in the clubhouse.  The first year that I played in this game stands out in my mind.  I was thirteen years old, and had many friends around the same age as myself who were also going to play in the game with me.  My friends and I were excited and thought that we would easily defeat the "old men."  My friends and I arrived at the field early on Thanksgiving morning to practice plays and to warm up, we were taking this game seriously, it was out Super Bowl.

     The game ended up being a dog fight, coming down to the last play, and it was also extremely violent for a flag football game.  The game was close, my team would score, and then the adults would score, it went back and forth like this until the end of the game.  I was playing wide receiver and had a few key receptions, which was even sweeter because my Dad was the one covering me.  To my team's surprise the adults were pretty good, and they were taking this game more serious than us.  On the final drive of the game, the adults had the ball and needed to score in order to win, but if we held them and did not let them score the teenagers would win.  The adults drove down the field quickly, and everyone on my team quickly began to lose hope.  But, on the final play, about five yards from their end zone, they ran a pass play I intercepted the ball.  We won the game!  It felt great to win the game for my team and to have bragging rights over the adults, especially my dad.

Prompt 16

     My Thanksgiving memory is not a memory from one particular year, but it's a memory I have from Thanksgiving every year.  Every year I wake up fairly early to help my mom clean the house up before my family and friends arrive to celebrate Thanksgiving.  When I walk down the stairs I smell the food that my Mom is cooking, reminding me what day it is.  Every year my Mom makes the same food: turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, corn, sweet potatoes, and a few other dishes which are irrelevant because I do not like them.  As we sit down at the dinner table and say what we are thankful for everyone waits in anticipation to begin eating the feast my Mom has prepared.  After taking his first bite, my cousin Jonathan, always says to my Mom, "Aunt Jill you have out done yourself."  This is a somewhat famous line in my family, that people use every time my Mom has done something good.

    Another memory that I have from every Thanksgiving is watching football with my Dad.  Before my family comes over my Dad and I sit on the couch and watch the 12:30 game together, or at least part of it.  This is something my Dad and I do every Sunday, but it seems a bit more special when we get to do it on Thanksgiving.  My mom cooks pigs and a blanket, and puts out chips for us to watch the games.  It is pretty much 12 straight hours of football on a day filled with food, I'm not sure what else an American man would want in a day.  I realize that Thanksgiving is not a day all about football and food, rather about giving thanks for what you have.  But, I believe that people should not be thankful just for one day, people should be thankful everyday for what they have.

Prompt 15

     Colby's ad is discussing the accusation against Kobe Bryant, which says that he raped a woman in Colorado.  He thinks that atheletes are looked at more of a microsccope because of the media.  The media has the ability to make atheletes victims or heroes.  My argument is that atheletes grow up their whole lives seeing other people being scrutinized by the media, and seeing how the media blows things completely out of proportion.  Atheletes should realize this and want to act in a more proper fashion, that way the media cannot villainize them.  Also, many atheletes have grown up in a time that social media and technology has ruled the world.  Once one person finds out something, the whole world can find out about it in a matter of minutes.  Atheletes should realize this, and it should drive them to not do anything wrong, because they know if they do, the world will find out in a very short amount of time.  Atheletes willingly sign contracts to play for professional sports teams, knowing that every aspect of their life will be under a microscope.  These atheletes willingly do this, and must acknowledge that once they enter the spotlight of professional sports their lives will never again be the same.  Most athtletes make millions of dollars, that should be incentive enough to have good conduct.  Instead of behaving badly, the atheletes should take full advantage of being in the spotlight and use their influence to positively influence the kids who admire them, and think of them as role models.  Instead of acting as though they do not like being in the spotlight and shying away from the spotlight, atheletes instead should embrace it, and use it to positively influence someone's life.

Prompt 14

     One way which I can incorporate politics into my adbuster, is by mentioning how Congress has become involved in the investigation of steroid use in baseball.  Mark McGwire testified in front of Congress about steroid use in baseball.  I do not think Congress or any government body should be involved in the investigation of the problems of a sports league.  A sports league should have their own governing body in order to investigate and settle these disputes.  The government should be investigating and settling disputes of greater importance, than the problems within a certain sport.  Steroids effect the game of baseball and many other sports, but they do not effect the nation as a whole or harm the majority of the population. 

Prompt 13

     Something that I have been following in sports is the Lakers' firing of their head coach Mike Brown after just five games, and their hiring of Mike D'Antoni.  The Lakers' firing of Mike Brown after a 1-4 start, after just five games, is equivalent to an NFL team firing their head coach during the first quarter of their first game of the season.  Nobody thought this firing would or should occur this early in the season.  Especially when the Lakers just added Dwight Howard and Steve Nash to their roster this offseason, and they are both coming off injuries.  Dwight Howard had back surgery in the offseason, and is still recovering from that injury, and Steve Nash is still recovering from a wrist injury.  Personally I think the Lakers should have waited before firing Brown.  It is not fair to gauge his success after just five games, especially when this is the first time many of his players have played together.  It takes time to develop team chemistry.

     Many believed that the Lakers' former coach Phil Jackson would replace Brown.  Late Sunday night  talks between Jackson and the Lakers broke down.  Jackson seemed like the perfect candidate because many of the players already have good relationships with him, and the Lakers know that he will get the job done, and win games.  There were still questions about how Jackson's health would effect him, and how much he would want to travel, but those problems did not seem like they would keep Jackson from taking the job.  Also, many assumed that Jackson would become the highest paid coach in the NBA.  I think that Jackson was the best candidate for the job, but I think D'Antoni will do a good job, but they will not be as good as they would have been with Jackson as their coach.

Prompt 12

These are the images that I will use for my adbuster, Mark McGwire Milk Ad, and Syringe.  I will cut out the syringe and make it so that the syringe is going into McGwire's bicep.  Then I will change the "got milk" slogan at the bottom of the ad, to "got roids."  This addresses the problems of steroids in baseball and makes fun of his actions when he was asked about steroid use during a Congress hearing.

Prompt 11

     My idea for an adbuster is to take Mark McGwire's, "got milk," ad and change the words from "got milk," to "got roids."  This will be the picture that I will use Mark McGwire "Got Milk" Ad.  I will also put a syringe on the ad, going into his arm.  This is very relevant to today's society, and it is also very relevant in baseball.  Today there are many professional athletes who were found to have used performance enhancing drugs, such as steroids and human growth hormones, to increase their performance on the field.  There are still many professional athletes who use them today and are suspended for using them after having a positive drug test.  Mark McGwire was never found to have used steroids, but when he went to testify in Congress on Major League Baseball's behalf, he refused to answer any questions regarding his steroid use.  Many people take his silence in this situation as an admission of guilt.  Anyone who uses or has used steroids are now looked down upon in sports.  For example, the all-time home run leader, Barry Bonds, was found to have used steroids.  If someone became the all-time home run leader without the use of steroids they would easily be inducted into the baseball hall of fame the first year that they could.  But, due to his use of steroids, it is unclear whether Bonds will be inducted into the hall of fame or not, when he is eligible.

     This ad uses McGwire's massive size to promote drinking milk.  I'm sure if milk knew that McGwire used steroids, they would not have used him to promote their product.  This ad is meant to tell people that if you drink milk you can get a body like Mark McGwire, not that if you use steroids and drink milk you can get a body like him.  This ad also tries to make people believe that if they drink milk, they will be able to play baseball like Mark McGwire.  This is evident by the phrase at the top of the ad which says, "going, going, gone," and the fact that Mark is holding a bat in the ad.  At the time this ad came out, Mark McGwire held the single season home run record with seventy home runs in one season.  Again, if milk knew about McGwire's steroid use they probably would not have used him for this ad.

Prompt 10

     The worst ads that I have ever seen involving a sports players are the Nutrisystem commercials, which use retired NFL players to endorse their product.  Lawrence Taylor and Terry Bradshaw are two of the NFL players that Nutrisystem uses to endorse their products.  What makes this worse is that Lawrence Taylor is currently on six years of probation for having sex with an underage girl.  LT is definitely someone who I would want to endorse my product, and what I mean by that is what was Nutrisystem thinking when they decided to put LT in their commercial.  Also, it is obvious that this product does not work, and does not taste or look as good as Nutrisystem makes it out to be.  So the fact that NFL players are willing to lie, and say that this product helped them lose incredible amounts of weight is terrible.  My favorite ad that contains an athlete, does not endorse any company or product, but it makes fun of the commercials that United Way airs showing that NFL players are great humanitarians.  But, in this NFL spoof, Peyton Manning shows parents why they should spend time with their kids, so that they will not have to spend time with him.  There is one scene which shows Peyton playing the football with the kids.  One child goes out for a pass, and Peyton beans him in the back of the head with the football, and the boy instantly drops to the ground.  Then when the boy walks back into the huddle, Peyton tells him that he can't look at him right now and that "he sucks," and tell him to take a twenty minute timeout in the port-a-potty.  The next scene shows Peyton teaching the children how to break into a car, then they hear police sirens, and Peyton says, "Run! Cops! Every man for themselves!"  This is one of the best spoofs of a commercial or an ad that I have ever scene.  Every time I watch this, I cannot help but laugh.

Prompt 9

     I woke up at 7:00 AM...late as usual from a long night of partying.  I woke up with the worst hangover of my life, the world seemed so bright, as if the sun had somehow landed on the earth, making me unable to open my eyes, and my head was pulsating.  I had been too lazy to do laundry for the past month, which meant I had no clean clothes and I had been too lazy to go grocery shopping, so I had no food in my house.  I decided I would stop for a healthy breakfast at McDonalds on my way to work.  After picking up a sausage mcgriddle and a sweet tea, I headed to work.  Traffic was horrendous, it honestly probably would have been faster to walk to work than to drive the rest of the way.  Some jerk cut me off, and I flipped him the bird and threw the rest of my sweet tea onto his car as he drove by, as I nearly avoided a wreck with an oil truck.  I arrived at work in a happy mood, even though I was about an hour late, because I was able to get even with the jerk who cut me off and avoid death.  As I approached my desk there was a note to go see the boss.  I was estatic, I thought this would be when I would get the promotion that I had been waiting two years for.  I sprinted to my boss's office, and ran through the door with excitement, but then she told me she was busy and made me sit outside her office and told me that she would call me in in a bit.  Sitting outside her office, I couldn't hide my excitement, i had a grin from ear to ear.  After about two hours, she finally called me in her office, which was probably a good thing because any longer and my face may have turned into a permanent smile.  My boss greeted me and then handed me an envelope, and I thought to myself this was it, all my hard work was finally going to pay off.  I tore open the envelope and read what was enclosed.  While I was reading, she told me that my services were no longer needed and I was fired.  I couldn't believe what I had heard, I was the best worker in the entire office.  Suddenly I became furious, and started shouting expletives as I walked out her office and out of the building, gathering my belongings as I left.  I threw my things in my car, and began to drive home.  The drive home would have been quick because there was no traffic so I was going 120 miles per hour, but a cop suddenly pulled up behind me and put on his lights.  For some reason I thought it was a good idea to run from the cops, just like I done in the numerous video games I have played, I mean I was really good at video games.  But, I found out that evading the police was a lot harder to do in real life than in a video game, and the cops caught me within about a minute.  It wasn't a long chase, but you should have seen me out there, I looked like a NASCAR driver. I was arrested for going 50 miles per hour over the speed limit, and resisting arrest.  I am now in jail and unemployed.  But, the one good thing that happened was that I made it on television, on the show Worlds Dumbest Criminals, I guess my driving skills weren't that good after all.

Prompt 8

     My favorite sports movie is The Sandlot.  The Sandlot is a story of a group of boys who play baseball everyday.  Then one day one of the boys brings out his dad's Babe Ruth autographed baseball.  One of the boys hits a home run, but the ball lands over the wall of old appliances and in the backyard of an unknown old man.  This old man is thought to have a huge dog who attacks people.  The boys go on a mission to get the ball back, and after numerous attempts the boys finally get the ball back, and all is right on the sandlot.  This story has many things which fascinate people.  The boys' friendship is great, although they argue a lot, they never break apart, and always stay friends and help each other.  The boys are forced to overcome impossible odds.  The boys had heard numerous stories about how the old man and his dog would attack anyone who tried to go on their property, and to make the situation even worse, the wall which separated the field from the backyard had old appliances that were stacked extremely high.  Also, in this movie the boy who is extremely nerdy gets to kiss the best looking girl in the movie (granted it was because she was a life guard and she thought he was drowning and she gives him mouth to mouth to try and save him, but he turned it into a kiss nonetheless).  This movie also contains archetypes of characters which are very common in films, this movie contains the nerd and the good looking girl, as stated earlier, and this movie also contains the hero or the superstar.  One boy is the leader of the group, and he is the best baseball player out of all of them.  He takes it upon himself to get the baseball from the old man's yard, and works up his courage and gets the ball from the man's backyard.  To his friends he is a hero., because he was able to do the impossible.

Prompt 7

     My favorite "non-sports" film is The Hangover.  The Hangover is the story of four friends who travel to Las Vegas to celebrate their friend's bachelor party.  While in Las Vegas, one of the friends secretly gives all of his friends roofies so that way they would have a good time.  The friends wake up the next morning, and realize that they have lost their friend Doug, who is supposed to get married the next day.  The men go on a journey to find their lost friend Doug.  In the process, the men encounter Mike Tyson, Mike Tyson's tiger, a baby named Carlos, children who shoot them with tasers, an Asian man who jumps out the trunk of a car and beats the friends, and a drug dealer whose name is also Doug.  But, after about a day of searching for their friend, the friends find Doug on top of the roof of their hotel, and rush him back just in time for his wedding.  The theme of this movie is that friendship will prevail, and that friends (when they work together) can get through anything.   There are many parts of this movie, which throughout history have fascinated the American people.  One of these things are large animals.  In the Hangover, after the friends wake up from their night of partying, the friends find Mike Tyson's tiger in their bathroom.  Mike Tyson forces the men to bring the tiger back to his house, since they stole it from him the night before.  After knocking the tiger out with roofies, and bringing the tiger to their car, the tiger wakes up on the way to the house, clawing one of the friends, and destroying the interior of the car.  Another thing that Americans are fascinated with is violence.  In this movie there is a lot of violence, for example, Mike Tyson punches and knocks out one of the men, schoolchildren use tasers on the men to stun them, and the tiger claws one of the men.  These are only a few instances of violence in the Hangover.  These acts of violence appeal to the American people because most of the time they are portrayed in a funny manner.  The purpose of this movie is to humor its audience.  There may be some underlying purposes, such as showing that when friends work together they can accomplish anything, or not to take roofies because you won't remember anything the next morning.  But, the funniness and irony appeals to the American people, and allows people to forget about what is going on in their lives, and gives them the opportunity to genuinely be amused.

Prompt 6

     Everytime I see children or adults playing baseball, it takes me back to when I played baseball.  Although, it is not just seeing the people play that brings me back, it is all of the different things which I associate with baseball that are present while watching or playing a game.  Including the fresh cut grass, the smell of hot dogs and hamburgers cooking on the barbecque, the blinding light and heat from the large lights used to light the field, and the freshly painted bases.  All of these things make my experience of watching or playing baseball so much better.  It could be the highest level of competition (MLB), or it could be a tee-ball game, it does not matter, it still takes me back to when I played baseball.  The level of competition does not matter to me because I played at levels of very low competition (tee-ball), all the way up to levels of high competition (varsity high school baseball).  Depending on the age of the people playing, it brings me back to different times when I played baseball.  If I see younger kids playing it brings me back to the days that I played tee-ball or coach pitch.  But, when I see a major league game or a college game it takes me back to the days that I played high school baseball.  Also, the score of game can affect the type of experience I have while watching a game.  If the game is close, it takes me back to a game that I was playing in that I was very close, or if the game was a blowout, it takes me back to a game that I was playing during which my team was either winning by a lot or losing by a lot.  But, no matter what baseball game I watch, it brings back my love of baseball.

     For many people who have played baseball for as long as I have and as much as I have, watching a baseball game will them sick.  My friend who I played high school baseball with could not watch any baseball game on television or in person.  The reason, he told me was that "his life was already all about baseball, and he didn't need to watch any more of it."  This is very different to my own feeling about watching baseball games.  When I watch a game it brings back my love for baseball, but when he watches baseball it brings him back to countless hours of gruelling practices.  Also, he does not get the same satisfaction as I do from the fresh cut grass, the smell of hot dogs and hamburgers cooking on the barbecque, and the freshly painted bases.  When he smells fresh cut grass, he thinks about mowing his lawn.  When he smells hamburgers and hot dogs cooking on the barbecque he simply thinks about eating, and when he smells something which is freshly painted he thinks about painting his room.  All of these things bring me back to playing baseball, but for him when he smells these things, he does not think for one moment about the game of baseball.

Prompt 5

     "33" is an essay by Chuck Klosterman which discusses how the Celtics and Lakers represent politics, and also how this historic rivalry can represent almost every aspect of life.  Klosterman compares the Celtics to the Republican party, and the Lakers to the Democratic party.  The Celtics are compared to the Republican party because the players coach themselves in order to avoid anything too "taxing."  Which goes along with the Republican party's ideals of people running the government and wanting less taxes.  The Lakers are compared to the Democratic party because of their strong leader, Pat Riley.  Klosterman compares Pat Riley to LBJ, who he argues is one of the strongest and most influential leaders in the history of the Democratic party.  The poem "End of Practice," is about players on a football team running after practice.  Each time the players race, the person who finishes first will attain momentary glory, and be able to leave practice.  The author talks about how he had a dream to finish first and win, and this is what drove him to succeed.  But, he says that each players motivation comes from a different source, it may come from a relative who is ill, or a girlfriend.  Although, each has one common goal, which is to finish first and win.

     The combination of sport and community can undoubtedly define a culture.  A culture in many cases is dominated by the sports teams which surround it.  For example, when I played baseball for my high school team, all of the other teams that we played thought we were "red-necks."  This was due to the fact that most of our opponents thought our athletes drove pick up trucks, and used chewing tobacco.  This was true for a handful of the athletes at my school, but for many of us this was not the case.  I drive Honda Civic, and I have never used chewing tobacco.  But, this was the idea by which other schools defined my school and its athletes.  Many of the other teams would make rude remarks when we played at their fields about being red-necks.  But, we used this as fuel to play better.  Instead of running away from this idea, we embraced it.  Deep down inside I wanted to deny being a "red-neck," because I really hated what other teams had to say about me, and I knew it wasn't true (because let's be honest, how many "red-necks" do you know that lived in New York for most of their lives, the answer is not many).  When someone is a fan or is a part of the sports team, it is much easier to accept a culture which is defined by sports.  But, when someone is not a fan or not a part of a sports team which defines their culture, many more people will attempt to disassociate themselves from this culture.  I feel as though a culture which is defined by sports, will most influence a person when they are participating in the sports that define the culture.

Prompt 4

Dear Jason Bay,

     I would like to ask you one question.  That question is how is it possible that you can be paid sixty-six million dollars over four years, when you are this bad of a baseball player.  I will be honest and tell you that you did have a few good years as a Boston Red Sox.  But, ever since you became a New York Met, YOU SUCK.  Three-quarters of the way through this season you had 22 hits and you were batting under .200.  Mike Trout who is a ROOKIE, had more home runs than you had hits, and so did almost every other player in MLB.  What makes this whole situation even funnier is that you grew out your hair in order to play better and save your career.  The harsh truth is that growing out your hair, nor growing out your facial hair, will change the fact that you are washed up and you flat out suck.  For most teams their second highest paid player is batting in the number three or four spot.  Instead, you are either hitting in the 7 or 8 spot (you would hit in the 9 spot too if the Mets were an American League team), which are spots reserved for the worst players on the team.  Also, the only reason you still play in the MLB is because the Mets can't release a player who has such a big contract.  If you didn't have such a big contract, you would have been realesed about two years ago, forgotten about, and would be sitting at home watching baseball on television just like me.  Then a few years down the road, after a few years of retirement, you would try to make a comeback like Manny Ramirez (I applaud Manny for attempting to make a comeback, it really worked out well for him, NOT), play for some double-A team in the middle of Idaho.  Then you would receive a fifty game suspension for use of PEDs because you know that would be the only way you could bat over .200 in the MLB.

     I'm sorry about this letter, I know it is extremely cruel, but 100% of this is true.  I watch you hit on television and it honestly makes me want to cry.  I watch almost every Mets game, and seeing you get a hit is more rare than Sportscenter not talking about the New York Football Jets and Tim Tebow.

Sincerely,
Phil Borroni

Prompt 3

     The author of this text discusses the difficulty of playing sports at higher levels of competition.  I was able to witness this first hand, and completely agree with the author's position on this point.  I played baseball since I was four years old.  As I got older I began to excel, and made a travel team.  After years of playing on this team, and traveling all around the nation with my parents, I left this team to play high school baseball.  I made my high school baseball team, although many of the kids that I played with on my travel team did not make their high school baseball team.  This was very surprising to me considering many of these kids were good baseball players and athletes.  While in high school, many of my friends attempted to be recruited by colleges.  Many of them spent thousands of dollars in order to be recruited by these schools.  They traveled to different college camps, and showcases around the entire nation.  Even though they put immense time and effort into this venture, only a hand full of my friends received offers to play at the collegiate level.  Going through this experience made me realize that in order to play at the highest level of competition, a person must put enormous time and effort into making this dream a reality.

     Another thing I agree with in this reading is the statement that most people who play a sport are more likely to watch the sport and have a connection to the players who are playing the sport.  Every time I sit down to watch a baseball game I watch very closely, knowing that one pitch or one at-bat could have a decisive impact on the games outcome.  I can feel the emotions of the players, and I can assume what they are thinking during each at-bat or before throwing each pitch.  After playing hundreds of baseball games, it is almost as though it is a sixth sense.  But, when I go to watch other sports, it almost seems foreign.  Since I have never been in their shoes I seem to have no clue what they are thinking, or how they are feeling.  When I watch those games I don't watch as intently.  Most of the time I will just glance at the scoreboard and see how the teams are doing, but after a certain amount of time I begin to lose interest.  I can use this connection that the author describes in my paper, because the connection that I have with baseball made me fall in love with the game.  Also, the author's use of facts to back up his argument may help me in writing my first paper.  Instead of just simply stating an idea, the author uses reliable data to support his argument.  This adds a formal touch to the reading and makes it much easier to accept the author's argument.

Prompt 2

     In the two readings, The Greatest Game I Ever Saw and "Autumn Begins in Martins Ferry, Ohio," there are two commonalities.  One is that they both deal with sports, The Greatest Game I Ever Saw, about a junior college basketball game in North Dakota, and "Autumn Begins in Martins Ferry, Ohio," about high school football in Martins Ferry, Ohio.  In The Greatest Game I Ever Saw, junior college basketball is unimportant.  Even though this game is unimportant it is something the people who saw it and played in the game will never forget due to the great performance by United Tribes, who beat NDSU-Bottineau with only five players on their team.  "Autumn Begins in Martins Ferry Ohio," discusses the importance of high school football in Shreve High School and Martins Ferry, Ohio.  It describes Martins Ferry as a poor town, where high school football plays a huge role in the community.  Another commonality between the two readings, is the importance of race.  The Greatest Game I Ever Saw discusses how the under dog, United Tribes, was a school for Native Americans.  Also, the struggles Native Americans face to this day of being recruited to play basketball in college, and to be drafted by an NBA team.  This is a common predicament in Native American culture.  People seem to forget that Native Americans have not held as many high-ranking positions as people of other races, and they have still not had a "star" in any professional sport in the United States.  In "Autumn Begins in Martins Ferry, Ohio," the author mentions the Polacks and Negroes. This shows the divide between the Polacks and the Negroes in Martins Ferry, Ohio, but how they come together for Shreve High School football.  This is also another common problem in many towns.  Towns become divided by two races, but in many cases they have something which brings them together, which in this case is high school football.

     Nostalgia and memory play a huge role in, The Greatest Game I Ever Saw.  Without nostalgia and memory this game would have never been told by Chuck Klosterman.  The emotions that this game evoked made a lasting impression on Klosterman's memory, and without these emotions the story of this game may have never been written about.  This game may have perhaps never been talked about, and forgotten forever.  Nostalgia and memory also plays a large role in "Autumn Begins in Martins Ferry, Ohio."  The reader can feel the emotions of the people of Martins Ferry, Ohio, thanks to the memory of James Wright.  The reader is able to see how high school football is able to bring a divided town together.

     These reading will help me immensely when writing my first paper.  Like The Greatest Game I Ever Saw, the game which I attended was probably forgotten by most people, but to me this game is a huge part of my life.  Also, I can use the structure of The Greatest Game I Ever Saw, to write my essay.  Like Chuck Klosterman, I can use the emotions that I felt during this game to show its importance to the reader.  My first paper will not have much in common with, "Autumn Begins in Martins Ferry, Ohio."  My paper will not discuss the circumstances surrounding the game, but it will discuss how the event influenced my love of sports.

Prompt 1

     Walking out of the long hallway to my seats at Shea Stadium, I began to smell the green grass, and the hot dogs.  My head was spinning because of the noise from the large crowd that had emerged to see the New York Mets play their final game of the season.  I had been watching the Mets play my entire life, and I had memorized the names and stats of everyone on the team.  Ever since I began playing baseball and watching the Mets, I had only dreamed about going to Shea Stadium and watching the Mets play in person.  This was the day that I fell in love with sports.

     A few days earlier I was watching the Mets game at my uncle's house during a family party.  Everyone was intently watching the game since it was towards the end of the season, and the Mets had a chance of making the playoffs since they were only two games back in the wild card race.  During the game my uncle told me that he had tickets to the last game of the season, Mets vs. Phillies, a rivalry game in itself, but it was an even bigger game because the Mets would need to win this game to make the playoffs.  He asked me if I wanted to attend the game with him.  I was shocked and excited, going to a Mets game had been a dream of mine for a couple of years, and this game was probably the most important game of the season.

     The next few days dragged by, as I waited in anticipation to attend my first Mets game.  I woke up the day of the game, and my Dad informed me that the Mets would need to beat the Phillies in order to make the playoffs, and if they lost their great season would be over.  I went to the stadium with my uncle that day, filled with excitement.  The Mets ended up beating the Phillies, which meant they advanced to the playoffs.  After the win, the stadium broke out in celebration.  This was a great ending to an unforgettable day.  The Mets ended up making it all the way to the World Series, losing to the New York Yankees.