Is This Really Necessary

Last week Major League Baseball felt it needed to post a new sign in every team's clubhouse. The sign stated that items such as guns, explosives, daggers, metal knuckles, switchblade knives or knives with blades exceeding five inches are prohibited from the clubhouse. My question is wasn't this obvious in the first place? It is like having to put a sign over a tailpipe saying do not suck on this, especially when the vehicle is running. I am really glad that they put explosives on the list because I wasn't sure that they would be banned, it seems like such a normal thing to bring to work. Of course the all stems from the incidents that occurred with Plaxico Buress and Gilbert Arenas in the last couple of years. MLB, I assume, felt it was better to be safe than sorry and put up the ridiculous signs. I'm also curious to see what the next sign will cover. Will it be please do not urinate or defecate on the floor of the locker room please use a toilet or urinal that is provided free of charge. Or maybe it will do not stick objects, your fingers or any other body parts in the electrical sockets or you may end up with hair like Oscar Gamble's in the mid 70's. These things seem like no-brainers to me, but then again I am not a professional athlete.

The Song of the Blog: Black Label Society's Just Killing Time is this week's song of the blog. A slow, dark kind of song and I absolutely love the beginning. It is also cool seeing bands of this kind occasionally use a piano in their music.

You can find more articles of mine at: http://www.associatedcontent.com/user/654645/darren_pare.html

What To Do, What to Do?

We are now in the heart of February and as a sports fan I am sad. The Super Bowl is now over and I am left with a whole lot of nothing to take its place. Oh I could watch the NBA and see the Celtics continue to blow big second half leads, but no thanks. I could turn my attention to the NHL, but watching the Bruin's scoring woes would probably cause me to hurl an object through my television screen and I'm sure the wife would not appreciate that. There is always college basketball, but they are still in a regular season that means almost nothing so why waste my time. When 65 teams make the tournament it kind of dilutes the regular season and hey there is even talk of expanding the field to 128 teams, don't get me started on that joke of an idea. Then there is always high school basketball to watch, no I think I would rather bang my head against this desk. Oh wait the Olympics are coming up, oh wait its the Winter Olympics, nevermind. So for the next few weeks I am left without much of anything going on in my world of sports. Pitchers and catchers will report soon and at least the pictures from the spring training camps will make me think of Spring. So if you see someone wandering around the sports world looking lost it is just me, don't worry though I will be fine come springtime.

The Song of the Blog: This time around the song of the blog is Last to Know by Three Days Grace from the CD Life Starts Now. My wife turned me on to this song as she is a huge Three Days Grace fan. Just a simple tune of a love gone bad, not a new topic but still a good song.

What Means Most to You as a Fan

I was listening to The Scott Van Pelt Show on ESPN Radio this afternoon and they brought up an interesting subject, as a fan what championship means the most to you? Well like any good idea it was ripe for the stealing, so here goes. This column will list the top five sports championships that mean the most to me if my team wins it all.

5. NBA Championship: As a Boston Celtics fan I experienced this just a couple of years ago. I can't say I watch a whole lot of basketball in the regular season, maybe the final quarter of about every other Celtics game. I do start paying more attention when the playoffs come around, but if I miss a game it isn't the end of the world. Only if the Celtics are in the Finals does it become appointment television.

4. The Stanley Cup: Unlike a lot of Americans I like hockey. In fact I am more likely to tune into A Boston Bruins game than the Celtics. Unfortunately I haven't experienced a Stanley Cup victory by the Bruins and to be perfectly honest it isn't looking good for this year either.

3. The Super Bowl: The New England Patriots have been very good to me recently giving me three Super Bowl championships to celebrate. I also was quite upset when they lost their perfect season to the New York Giants in Super Bowl XlII. Still as happy as I was when the Patriots won it still didn't match the feeling that I get from my top two.

2. NCAA Frozen Four: This one probably comes out of nowhere for most people across the country, but when you are a product of the University of Maine you understand. Hockey is easily the best U. Maine Black Bears team. Maine has won two ice hockey championships and both hold a special place in my heart. I probably also felt closer to those titles because I went to so many games and would sometimes see the players on campus.

1. The World Series: I am a baseball fan first and foremost. I fell in love with the game and the New York Yankees when I was just six years old. I have been blessed to see my team win seven titles in my lifetime. The biggest win was in 1996 when the Yankees won for the first time in 18 years. Granted that isn't a long time between titles for some teams, but the drought lasted from elementary school through college for me. I know I have nothing on Chicago Cubs fans, but it was nice to win one again in 1996. It was also especially nice since it was the first time the Yankees had won since my brother, Dennis, dies in 1989. He was a huge Yankee fan as well and I knew just how much he would have enjoyed the 1996 season.

So there you have it the five sports titles that mean the most to me, How are yours different? Leave your comments in the comment section.

The Song of the Blog: The song of the blog this time around is Blue On Black by The Kenny Wayne Shepherd Band. A bluesy song that has great guitar, not much more to say.