One of 1370 WSPD’s sister stations, Fox Sports 1230, recently launched a new show, meticulously named “It’s Just Sports.” I say “meticulously” because Program Director Eric Chase knows how people get when it comes to talking ball. Any argument can become very, very overheated. Who should have won AL MVP? Who’s the better running back in college ball? Could Mike Ditka wrestle a bear? Especially in the talk radio world, people elevate these topics to levels of importance that rival some political topics. Combine that with the type of ego that would work in a business where you speak into a microphone, only to hear it fed back to you in your headphones … and you can see how an inane topic like sports can start to sound self-important.

This past week, the world of sports sent me a message that it can be important. Not necessarily on the field, but in the community.

There are the obvious reasons — the economic benefit of people working at the stadiums, a reason for people to come to town and eat at restaurants or pay for parking. There is also the intangible: civic pride. When we put our name on a team, we expect it to represent us. Win or lose, it exemplifies the city. When people talk about our baseball team, sure they can talk about “the Mud Hens,” but they can also simply say “Toledo,” and that means more than just the guys on the team.

These civic organizations made their voices clear this week after the tragic events in Boston. One by one, organizations stepped up in support of their brethren. It started Tuesday when teams across baseball took time out of their games either for a moment of silence or to play a few bars of Neil Diamond’s “Sweet Caroline,” a Boston Red Sox favorite. The Cleveland Indians hosted the BoSox on April 16, and showed their respect by flying their flag at half mast. Even the New York Yankees, hated rival and “evil empire,” took time to sing those “So Good, So Good, So Good!” lines in the middle of the third inning. If anybody could sympathise with what Boston was going through, it would be New York.

The NBA and NHL also followed suit. The Bruins and Celtics each canceled games on Monday and Tuesday for security purposes, but many teams that were playing observed moments of silence. On April 17, the Bruins played at the TD Garden in Beantown, coming out of the locker room to the powerful chants of The Dropkick Murphys singing “For Boston” (look it up, it is amazing). After the game, despite losing to Buffalo in a shootout, both teams came to center ice to salute the fans. The Celtics were on the road in Toronto, but the Raptors also took heed, playing “Sweet Caroline” as they announced the starting lineup. A message shone on the scoreboard: “Tonight, we are all Boston fans.”

These gestures don’t mean that we’re actively rooting for Boston’s teams to win against our favorite guys. No, once the game starts, then Pedroia is a bum, the Celtics are old and the Patriots are a bunch of cheaters. There is a difference, though, between rooting against the Red Sox and cheering for Boston. Again, we expect these teams to represent our cities, whether collegiate or professional, and so when the visiting teams come into town, we treat them as we would treat the regions they represent.

Yes, it’s just sports. But when the nation needs to heal (an all-too often occurrence these days), it’s these athletes who reach across borders to tell those who may be hurting “We’re with you, and we got this.” They put on a show that distracts us from our worries, at least for a little while.

We may not be Red Sox fans, or Bruins fans or Celtics fans … but we are all Boston fans.

Matt “Shaggy” Culbreath is sports director at 1370 WSPD. Email him at shaggy@wspd.com.

Tags: Boston Bruins, Boston Celtics, boston marathon, Cleveland Indians, Eric Chase, Fox Sports 1230, Matt "Shaggy" Culbreath, Mike Ditka, NBA, Neil Diamond, New England Patriots, NHL, Shag on Sporyts, The Dropkick Murphys, WSPD 1370

This entry was posted on Thursday, April 18th, 2013 at 5:37 pm and is filed under Shag on Sports, Sports.
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Inspired by the rousing appearances of the U.S. women’s soccer team in last summer’s World Cup and this summer’s Olympic Games, my 9-year-old son informed me that he would really like a women’s soccer video game. He already has a few games showcasing the premier men’s soccer players in the world, so he was hoping to also add the premier women’s players to his collection. We reserve such purchases for birthdays and holidays, but I decided to take a peek at what was out there for future reference.

Nada.

Somewhat surprised, I decided to dig a little deeper into the gender equality of the sports gaming world. After some searching, I found that the reality-based video games do tend to computer generate many more male athletes than female athletes. EA Sports, the maker of the Madden franchise, offers computer-generated versions of the NFL, NHL, NBA and FIFA, along with NCAA football and basketball. However, I could not find any games featuring female WNBA, FIFA or NCAA players.

I did find video game representation of real-life female athletes included in EA Sports’ “Grand Slam Tennis” and “Tiger Woods PGA Tour” series. From other manufacturers I found a “Shawn Johnson Gymnastics” game and two female athletes depicted in “Supremacy MMA,” a mixed martial arts game. I eventually tracked down a Mia Hamm Soccer game … released in November of 2000 … for Nintendo 64. I see.

As a woman, I feel I should be outraged that my gender is underrepresented in sports-based video games. After all, I was very athletic as a child, playing everything from soccer to softball to varsity tennis. I even quarterbacked my otherwise all-boy flag football team. I spent my Sundays glued to NFL games and asked for sports memorabilia for my birthday. I was a female athlete before cleats and mitts came in pink to please the athletic female masses. Yet, somehow, I’m just not overly appalled that female athletics sometimes take a back seat to male athletics.

Despite my own affinity for sports, I have a daughter who couldn’t care less about them. However, I’ve still encouraged my mechanically-inclined, fashion-minded, no-interest-whatsoever-in-sports middle child to play anyway, because society now says that girls should be involved in sports. I personally just want to see her do whatever it is she enjoys, but growing up in the Title IX era I can’t help but think that it’s somehow my responsibility to ensure that she picks at least one sporty side dish for her life’s main course.

On the flip side, I have a son who has an affinity for sports that far surpasses even my own as a child. With very minimal nudging, he has realized an inherent love for soccer and for the sporting world at large. There is something about it that strikes a chord in him and gives him not only an understanding of athletics but of life in general.

So, I just happen to have a boy who lives for sports and a girl who could easily live without them. They are easily only two cases in a sea of millions, and their personal preferences could no doubt be vice versa. Yet, I can’t help but hold some concern about them both having the freedom to pursue their individual interests as time goes on.

Due to Title IX requirements and the higher cost and gender-partiality of certain sports (namely football), some universities now offer more women’s varsity sports than men’s varsity sports. In fact, our largest local university only offers six men’s varsity sports as opposed to nine women’s varsity sports. One of the sports that got the Title IX boot locally was men’s varsity soccer.

My daughter, who couldn’t care less, will have the opportunity to play collegiate soccer just down the road from us, but my son, who may actually want to do such a thing, will likely not be afforded that same chance because of his gender. In fact, life often becomes unfair in the name of fairness, because equality is ultimately in the eye of the beholder and not in the lines of well-meaning laws. Equality comes more in the form of respect and opportunity for those who take an interest than in the form of evenly split monetary, gender and other ratios.

With that in mind, I’m honestly OK with things like an unbalanced supply of male to female athletes in the world of video games if it reflects the demands of those who do take an interest. However, when my fair-minded, sports-loving, video-game-collecting son points out that he would like to see a league of determined and talented athletic women get a fair electronic shake, it’s time to send an email to EA Sports.

Shannon and her husband, Michael, are raising three children in Sylvania. Email her at letters@toledofreepress.com.

Tags: EA Sports, Family Practice, FIFA, NBA, NCAA, NFL, NHL, Shannon Szyperski

This entry was posted on Thursday, August 9th, 2012 at 4:11 pm and is filed under Arts and Life, Family Practice.
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When I arrived at the Huntington Center for the Oct. 19 preseason matchup between the Detroit Pistons and the Washington Wizards, a grin flashed across my face.

As I entered the floor level of the arena, it was clear that this facility has the perfect setup for basketball. The floor, which had been last used by the now defunct Toledo Ice, had been repainted and finished for the basketball game.

The facility really did shine, and I wasn’t the only one who thought so either.

“This arena is a great venue,” Pistons head coach John Kuester said after the team’s 98-92 preseason win against the Wizards. “It really is a beautiful place, and I think that Toledo has a lot to be proud of.”

Kuester wasn’t the only one singing the new arena’s praises. Several of the Pistons were impressed.

“I felt real comfortable out there tonight,” said point guard Rodney Stuckey said after scoring 34 points in the win. “It is really nice here, and it has been first-class since we got here this afternoon.”

Center Ben Wallace was seen interacting with fans near the Pistons bench, handing out Juicy Fruit gum to the crowd.

“I am a gentle giant by nature,” Wallace said with a smile. “But these great fans really got behind us. This was a great crowd here tonight.”

Starting guard Richard “Rip” Hamilton was impressed with the facility amenities, despite the Huntington Center not hosting a basketball game in its one year of existence.

“We play in many different places during the preseason, and not every place has the same quality,” Hamilton said.

I am not suggesting that an NBA team set up shop in the Glass City. I am not insane, but I do think an NBA Developmental League (NBDL) franchise is maybe more up Toledo’s alley. The attendance was more than 6,000 fans on Oct. 19, and while it was not a sellout, when you take into account the ticket prices the number is more than justified. Tickets ranged from $20 to $200, which would be considerably less with a NBDL team. Imagine what kind of attendance a franchise would draw with tickets around the $15 mark, much like Walleye tickets.

An NBDL team normally is affiliated with either two or three NBA teams, and with an NBA an hour to the north and another two hours east, Toledo’s location sets up beautifully for both teams to check in on their prospective players. Fort Wayne, Ind., has a NBDL franchise of their own, and the Mad Ants have been a success in the city. We have similar population sizes, industry and values. The same could happen here.

But Toledo’s real “ace-in-the-hole” is Toledo Arena Sports Inc. The parent company to the Toledo Mud Hens and the Toledo Walleye has done a fantastic job putting together two minor league franchises and making them a success.

I think it is realistic to think that they could make another minor league franchise a success, especially with the Toledo Bullfrogs, a proposed arena football team, still an unknown. The ownership of the three franchises has been able to have the teams transcend from just being sports to being family-friendly events. This group could do the same with basketball in Toledo.

Chris Schmidbauer is sports editor for Toledo Free Press and Toledo Free Press Star. Contact him at cschmidbauer@toledofreepress.com. He is also the co-host of the “Odd Couple Sports Show” on Fox Sports Radio 1230 WCWA and can be heard every weekday from 10 a.m. to noon. He can also be seen weekly on the “Friday Night Frenzy Tailgate Show” on NBC 24.

Tags: Chris Schmidbauer, Detroit Pistons, Huntington Center, NBA, The Cheap Seats

This entry was posted on Thursday, October 21st, 2010 at 3:05 pm and is filed under Sports, The Cheap Seats.
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When the Detroit Pistons made the roughly hour-and-a-half trip down I-75 for the Oct. 19 98-92 preseason victory against the Washington Wizards in front of a crowd of 6,424 at the Huntington Center, it marked the first time in 21 years nearly to the day since the last time the team from the Motor City made a pit stop in Toledo.

The Pistons last came to T-Town on Oct. 23, 1989, for its preseason game against the New York Knicks at Savage Hall, where the players were victorious 105-92 in front of a crowd of 8,379 for a contest that benefited the local arthritis foundation. Detroit was fresh off its’ first championship in franchise history on that trip back in ’89, and then-guard Joe Dumars was fresh off his NBA Finals MVP performance and scored 17 points.

This time around, the Pistons came into Toledo after missing the playoffs for the first time in eight years, a team trying to return to the form it had last decade when it went to six consecutive Eastern Conference Finals and won the 2004 NBA Championship. And Dumars, who retired in 1999 after 14 seasons with Detroit and was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, saw this week’s game a few rows back from the bench as the team’s President of Basketball Operations, a position he’s had since 2000.

“Playing preseason games in neutral arenas is always a good experience because you are playing in front of a new group of fans that don’t have the opportunity to see an NBA game on a regular basis,” Dumars said via e-mail. “I remember it [Savage Hall] being a good experience and we got a nice reception from the fans.

“The experience of playing in smaller markets is fun because you normally have good, energetic crowds in sold-out arenas. With the arena size smaller, the larger crowds make for a good atmosphere.”

Despite not having played a game in Toledo in more than two decades, the Pistons have made a few trips to Northwest Ohio the past couple of years for various team and charitable functions. In 2008, a customized tour bus filled with several Detroit team and media members visited Toledo as part of the team’s 2008 Tipoff Tour. Last month, the Pistons’ Year Round Hoops Squad, Vice President of Basketball Operations Scott Perry and first round draft pick Greg Monroe visited Birmingham Elementary for a “Homework Before Hoops” assembly to reward the school’s students for academic progress.

“We always try to stay connected to the Toledo market because we think it is a viable fan base for us,” Dumars said. “The drive is not long, and if we can create some new Pistons fans in that region, it’s good for our team and our organization.”

Fourth-year Detroit guard Rodney Stuckey, who had a game-high 34 points Oct. 19 and was part of that 2008 Tipoff Tour that came to Toledo, enjoyed the experience of playing in a smaller market.

“We have a big fan base, so it’s good to just get out and just show our fans our appreciation for them,” Stuckey said. “I know it’s hard for people to drive over to Auburn Hills and watch a lot of games, so it’s good for us to just come over here and play a preseason game.”

Fellow Pistons guard Rip Hamilton, who is in his ninth season with Detroit and one of three players remaining from the 2004 championship team, also had fun playing at the Huntington Center.

“It was fun,” Hamilton said. “It was exciting. The fans don’t always get an opportunity to come see us in Detroit, so it’s a great opportunity for them to come out, and we had a good time with it.”

Stuckey, Hamilton and their Detroit teammates did a good job of keeping 2010 No. 1 overall pick John Wall in check on Oct. 19, forcing the speedy Wizards guard into six turnovers while the rookie notched 13 points and seven assists.

“He got a couple, but as for the whole game, I think we defended him pretty well,” Stuckey said. “He’s going to be a good player.”

As for whether the Pistons are planning on playing future preseason games in the Huntington Center as they have done at Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids, Mich., nothing is set in stone. However, Dumars said it is something the organization will evaluate.

“It is something that we’ll continue to look at and take into consideration,” Dumars said.

After the turnout at the Huntington Center, it’s safe to say that Joe D. and company will be back in Toledo before another 21 years pass.

E-mail Mike Bauman at letters@toledofreepress.com.

Tags: Bauman's Breakdown, Detroit Pistons, Huntington Center, Joe Dumars, Mike Bauman, NBA

This entry was posted on Thursday, October 21st, 2010 at 3:03 pm and is filed under Bauman's Breakdown, Sports.
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For those of you who follow this column on a regular basis, you may already know that I have the opportunity to go on a local sports talk show, and for about 20 minutes, the program’s two hosts pick my brain on current events in the world of sports.

Last Tuesday during my appearance, we were just a mere 11 hours after open season in the NBA began, and stars such as LeBron James, Dwayne Wade, Chris Bosh, and Amare Stoudemire officially became free agents.

The sports wires were abuzz with who was meeting with what team, who would sign where, and any question of the sort. Obviously locally many of us, including yours truly, were trying to digest all the initial information poring in and struggling to figure out what was fact and what was fiction.

During my segment on the Odd Couple, I was asked what my predictions were for the most anticipated free agency period and who I thought would end up where.

My response, while somewhat vague, was that I was not sure where everyone would end up, but I thought that many of the players who were free agents would end up back with their original teams instead of moving on to greener pastures.

While combing the latest news headlines on Sunday evening, I came across a report filed on CBS Sports.com by NBA blogger Ken Berger. Berger’s story, located here, cites a conversation with an NBA executive who said that after presenting to Wade and James that the feeling was that both would return to their respective clubs last year.

Berger’s NBA source raises an interesting point, especially if all of the highly publicized turned out to be nothing more than a chance at showmanship.

Throughout the entire build up to the NBA free agent season, it has been regularly suggested that all the free agents, especially LeBron James, would definitely be suiting in a different uniform next season.

There were talks of a dream scenario with James, Wade, and Bosh all playing for the same team in Miami next season.

I wrote in a column a few weeks back that I hoped James stayed in Cleveland for some selfish reason but more so because I wanted someone to choose the underdog once, especially for a city that has been reeling due to economic hardships.

But is it possible that all of the hoopla was more of a hoax than anything else?

James, Wade, and the rest of the free agent lot deserved to meet with other teams to hear them out. It is possible, as hard as it is for the Cleveland fan in me to admit, that there are other opportunities out there to win.

But James, who has always been known for his flare for the dramatics on the court, may have just entertained the sporting world with one of the greatest performances of all time.

Imagine how unsatisfying it will be if Wade, LeBron, and Chris Bosh all re-sign with their respective teams.

We have been waiting for the earth shattering signing that will fill one city with immense pride and make several others dreaming of what could have been. How hollow will it be if all the potential blockbuster deals fizzle?

Dirk Nowitzki already re-signed with the Dallas Mavericks. Joe Johnson seems to be leaning towards re-signing in Atlanta. Paul Pierce appears to be set to don the Celtics green for another season. Maybe the summer that was supposed to go down as the most exciting summer in history turns out to be a biggest flop in history.

But this brings it all back to James and Wade, who both seem to be the ring leaders of this circus.

These are two players who have gotten the business side of sports since they were both drafted in 2003. Sports are more than just athletes playing a game these days. It is about endorsing products and generating a brand, which Wade and LeBron have worked at tirelessly.

But if the speculation is true, Wade and James may have pulled off the biggest promotional event ever. With where each superstar would play dominating talk since the Cavaliers were bounced from the playoffs, the free agency period overshadowed the rest of the playoffs and the NBA Finals.

It seems trite to say but if LeBron James winds up in wine and gold next season and Dwayne Wade finds himself back on South Beach, the biggest free agency period in NBA history may turn out to be its summer of discontent.

Chris Schmidbauer is sports editor for Toledo Free Press and Toledo Free Press Star. Contact him at cschmidbauer@toledofreepress.com. He also can be heard every Tuesday at 11 AM on the Odd Couple Sports Show on Fox Sports Radio 1230 WCWA.

Tags: Cheap Seats, LeBron James, NBA

This entry was posted on Tuesday, July 6th, 2010 at 6:58 am and is filed under Sports, The Cheap Seats.
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