The M Word in Sports

7/14/08 – 7/20/08

The M word had got me good on Wednesday night of last week in sports. As it, I had almost wanted me to cry a river, literally. For those of you wondering on what that word is, it’s the word, in which no sports fan of any team should have to go though or even here your team being mention it. As the effects of it can be deadly or however you want to put it.

The M word is moving, as in your favorite team moving from one city to another.

The team that I am talking about is my beloved Jacksonville Jaguars. As their was an article in a Philadelphia newspaper, of all places, about a report that the owner of the Jaguars who is Wayne Weaver was negotiating to sell the team to a New Jersey food king named C. Dean Metropoulos.

In which after the deal was done, Metropoulos was going to move the Jacksonville Jaguars out of Jacksonville to play out in Los Angles California. That story reached the Jacksonville area websites at two minutes to 9pm, how I now that is because I got an email from one of those saying with the headline” Wayne Weaver Selling Team” at that point in time I was num from the waist down for about 5 minutes.

As it was turning out to be one of the worst days in my life as earlier that day I had root canal work on one of my tooth. For the rest of that night along with the pain form the root canal work I knew it was going to be a long tough night to sleep.

But as it would turn out on that Thursday of last week it would change everything even my month felt a little better after reading the news from a Jacksonville Jaguars news site.

The news was that my beloved Jacksonville Jaguars were not going anyway as I will give you this quote from the owner himself on that wonderful Thursday morning.

“But I can emphatically tell you the Jaguars are not one of the clubs lining up to go to L.A.”



But that got me thinking, what if the team had move to different city like what the soon to be formerly known as the Seattle Super Sonics. Who are moving to Oklahoma City, Oklahoma this off season and will began playing games there come this October. The more recent move in memory for the NFL would have to be the Houston Oilers.

The Houston Oilers moved to Tennessee in 1996. The team would keep the Oilers name until 1999 as they would later be known as the Tennessee Titians.

The More recent move in the National Hockey League would have to be of the Hartford Whalers. As they moved all the way down to North Carolina from the country of Canada in 1997.today that North Carolina Hockey team is called the Carolina Hurricanes.

As you can tell it’s not uncommon for any team of any league to move. But it sure does get that city of fans in a despair mood, in which I was until the next day. But as I have realized some fans are not as lucky as I was to learn that my team is safe for the unspeakable future.

That as fans of other teams need to start taken advantage of what they have in their team city. Because from my short experience of losing my favorite team. It was not an experience that I would wish the M word on others.

RJINTAMPAWSA@AOL.COM

MY NASCAR EXPERINCE

7/7/08 – 7/13/08

Well it was the forth of July weekend, and as I had said, in last week article that I was going to be attending my first ever NASCAR race. First however let me tell you this, nothing beats seeing any sporting event live, I bet even Cricket, is a fun sport to see live in person.

So now I will tell you about that experience that was my first ever NASCAR race.

My NASCAR experience, began the day before the forth which was a Friday night in Daytona Beach Florida and as NASCAR followers refer to as the race before the big one. Which in this case happen to be “The Coke Zero 400 powered by Coca-Cola “.

I did happen to big race as well but that would officially be my second race not my first. Anyhow back to my “first “experience taste of NASCAR one quick little fact before I get into my experience, NASCAR stands for National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing.

As Promise here is my NASCAR experience, the name of my first ever NASCAR race was called “The Winn-Dixie 250” although that level was in what NASCAR fans refer to as “The Nation Wide Series” which in general is the minor league of NASCAR.

But on this night there was nothing minor about it. As I had the following racers in that were racing that night were: Dale Earnhardt Jr, Kyle Bush, and Denny Hamlin as well as Clint Bowyer and finally Kasey kahne. The rest of the racers were the ones trying to get up to what is known to as “The Sprint Cup Series of NASCAR”.

Even if it were just a minor league race in NASCAR terms, to me it sure did not look like it that is from the amount of people in the grand stands. There had to have been at lest half of the 168,000 seats that makes up at Daytona international speedway full with race fans.
That only got me but it should not have as I was coming into the gates and into one of the world most historic stadiums as well as what is know as the grand daddy of them all in stock car racing.

I saw thousands of other race fans just seating in the parking lot as they would watch the race from outside the track and tailgate to get ready for the big race tomorrow night.

The third or actually second thing that drew my attention was the wide variety of fans of different drivers and boy did they show their support. It kind of reminded me of going to NFL game except multiply the teams by 20.

As there were all kinds of: jerseys, hats, shirts, window decals and anything else you can name the fans of that particular driver had it.

The last thing that drew my attention on the way in was the amount of tailgaters and actives that all of the sponsors of NASCAR had on for display for the fans. As there was three concert venues, two different rock climbing walls, tons of arcade games and carnival games as well and did I mention that all these actives you could do were free of charge.


Gentlemen start your engines!!

Those four words that start out any NASCAR race are the most chilling words when said.

As, I myself experience those bone chilling goose bumps, when those words were said. After a few seconds those engines sure don’t help, that is in terms of getting away with your goose bumps, instead it only adds more.

First it’s those words and then it’s those three pace laps and from there its green flag. At this point the couple of laps add more bone chilling goose bumps. As you can feel the power as the cars zoom on by you can also hear it and you better way ear plugs or else you will end up with hearing problems.

That’s is why the majority of people who have not been to a NASCAR race say it will be boring, because it’s not like a social sports event like football. Well those people are wrong, as I talked to people during the race, as well when there was a caution flag which is the flag when to stop the race for a car crash and after the race as well.

Another thing about NASCAR is those headphones that see people wearing, well I will let you in on what that is, the person with the head phones on, are listening to what their favorite driver is saying to his crew chief as well what the crew chief is saying to the driver.

I did not try those heads phones and they as I opted for one that sprint came out with it. It’s called the “sprint fan view”; it’s a two inch color screen, with several camera angles that you chose to follow your favorite drivers.

You will also be able to hear your favorite drivers like in the regular headphones. I did try this one as well and for the fifty dollar it cost to rent it was sure worth it and I recommend anyone to rent that during your NASCAR experience.


The greatest fan advantage about NASCAR is that the fans are allowed to bring in their own beverages, as well as food into the stadium. By beverages I mean any kind of liquid you can name of.

The only things, which you are not allowed to bring into the stadium, are hard coolers. That to me is one of the best money saving advantage that a sports fan has in today major leagues of sports.



Overall, I would rate my first ever NASCAR race experience as exceeding in all of my expectations.

The race was great, the weather was perfect and the roar of the engines made it all a great first experience that will give me memories to look back as well a new sport league to cover.

Because there is nothing more American, then going to a NASCAR race period but having the chance to have gone to one that is on the weekend of the 4th of the July. Made it a little extra American, so readers, start your engines!!

RJINTAMPAWSA@AOL.COM