Tyson Kirksey » sports

Clever Marketing from EA Sports and Tiger Woods

Tyson — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 14:14:46 +0000

Steve Rubel over at Micro Persuasion had a great post this week regarding EA Sports responding to a video gamer on Youtube.

Levinator25 posted this video on YouTube poking fun at an apparent glitch in Tiger Woods ’08:

EA Sports responded with a video of their own…

A Baseball Rule I Don’t Understand

Tyson — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 01:29:34 +0000

Just sitting here watching a little baseball, and I was reminded of a rule that I completely don’t understand: collisions at home plate. Specifically, when the runner doesn’t slide, but collides with the catcher in order to knock the ball out.

For one thing, this does not seem like baseball to me. It’s one thing to slide hard in order to break up a double-play – I’m all for that. But in this case, the runner realizes that he’s been had, and the only option left is to pile-drive the catcher in hopes that he completely loses control and can’t hang on to the ball. Isn’t that more like MMA?

Secondly, it seems like the runner should be out as soon as there is contact with the glove – regardless of what happens afterwards. If the catcher has control of the ball and there is contact, even slight contact, on a normal tag play, the runner is out. Why is there a different standard for collisions?

Opening Day, Yeah!

Tyson — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 14:43:56 +0000

It’s opening day for the Astros, and I’m pumped! Not because Houston is going to be good this year – just because I enjoy baseball. The double-switch, the hit-and-run, watching Jose Cruz Sr. remind professional baseball players how many outs there are at every visit…you can’t beat that!

I also enjoy listening to Jim Deshaies’ humor…yes, that’s a great bonus. Personally, I can’t stand announcers from other teams, especially the Rangers. I mean, I understand it’s punishment having to watch that team every year, but man those guys just don’t have a clue. I remember a game last year when they spent the entire inning talking about cold remedies. And the Braves announcers – I’ve always wondered if they suck helium before each inning. Don’t get me started on ESPN’s hot air blowers who watch one game of each team and think they know everything. To be fair, the Cubs announcers are decent – at least they have a good grasp on the game and the players for each team.

Anyways…back to the Astros. I think they will be around .500 this year, and probably miss the playoffs again. The offense is obviously improved, but the pitching is definitely below average. I think Backe will be OK, but I don’t see Wandy improving much from previous years. If he was going to get better, I think it would have happened by now. Hopefully I will be surprised and we’ll be in the hunt come mid-season. If so, maybe we can get a #2 starter at the trade-deadline and make a playoff run.

Play ball!

My Kind of Soap Opera

Tyson — Tue, 08 Jan 2008 15:57:01 +0000

This Roger Clemens fiasco is killing me. I’m so caught up in it, constantly wanting the latest story, opinion piece or rumor. It’s like a soap opera that I’m helplessly addicted to. Lies, deception, manipulation, bare buttocks…OK, sorta like a soap opera. I’ve even been emailing the journalists of the Houston Chronicle, begging them to ask certain questions of Clemens (Richard Justice tried his best for me – thanks Richie!).

I’m trying to restrain from passing judgment, but many it’s hard! We’ve become so jaded because so many other atheletes have denied and denied and denied and denied, writing books of denial and telling all kinds of believable tales – then we almost always find out they were lying.

I have to again mention Guillermo Mota of the New York Mets for being the gold-standard for me. I guess it’s sad that he’s the exception to the rule.