Display of sportsmanship; The big fight; Football is back

I’ve got plenty of talking to do with college football returning this week and a couple other subjects I want to fit in so here we go. Bear with me:

Sportsmanship never goes out of style

Most sports fans would do anything for their team to get a win. In a lot of people’s minds, that means going outside the rules to come out victorious or not exactly pointing it out when their team gets away with something.

On Tuesday, the Sonoraville High volleyball team walked the walk in showing that they believe more highly in sportsmanship, integrity and honesty than the almighty ‘ W.’ In an area match against Bremen, a ball was called out off of the Lady Devils and the point was awarded to Sonoraville. This was in a very tight, hard-fought match by the way. Sonoraville’s Alea Johnson stepped up and made it clear that she had touched the ball before it went out. The team made the referee aware of that, and the point was awarded to Bremen.

Sonoraville went on to lose the match. But that display showed everyone there and everyone who will hear about it that the Sonoraville Lady Phoenix care more about integrity and sportsmanship than winning. Hopefully, that lesson will be put to good use by others because of what occurred.

Kudos to Alea and the Sonoraville volleyball team as a whole. There aren’t enough good, positive stories in the news right now even in sports. here is one that should get some attention.

What I learned from Mayweather-McGregor circus

Last Saturday we finally got to see one of the most hyped events in recent years come to fruition as Floyd Mayweather and Conor McGregor stepped in the boxing ring. I was among the folks who gathered with friends and purchased the pay-per-view, and I came away relatively pleased with the event.

McGregor held his own for a little while before Mayweather’s skill and experience took over and finished things off in the 10th round. The match didn’t really live up to the hype, but with the kind of hype it got, what really could have.

The event as a whole taught me that people can still be duped into paying a ridiculous amount just to see a spectacle. (I say that with all due respect because I was one of the duped.) It wasn’t about a boxing match. It was about seeing what in the world was going to happen. In the end, a normal boxing match happened. Noth- ing crazy…like a brawl between the two fighters’ entourages or McGregror throwing a head kick. Just a boxing match. And it was a solid boxing match. Not the total mismatch like many had predicted.

Also, the fight taught me that I need to stick to MMA. I’ve been a UFC fan for more than a decade, and it’s simply more exciting to me than boxing.

Maybe I’m just a simpleton when it comes to combat sports. I like boxing, but it’s just not the same thrill level as watching a UFC fight.

Lastly, I learned that whether you like him or not, Floyd Mayweather is an incredible boxer, maybe one of the top five all time and an even better businessman. When it is all said and done, he will probably take home between $300-$400 million for fighting a guy that has never had a professional boxing match before.

And it moved Mayweather to 50-0 on top of that, which is one win more than Rocky Marciano.

Football opening week picks and CFB Playoff picks

It’s finally here! The summer and offseason has come to an end, and college football is back in full force this weekend. It’s not too shabby a slate of games for opening week either. There’s plenty of juicy matchups, including a couple right down the road from us.

First, I’ll start by giving my picks for the Final Four (College Football Playoff) and national champion pick. Making it into the field to compete for the big prize this year in my opinion will be (in no particular order) Alabama, Florida State, Oklahoma State and Washington. No disrespect to the Big 10. I just think Ohio State, Michigan, Penn State and Wisconsin are going to beat up on each other leaving them all out of the party.

I will go even further in saying that the Week 1 matchup between Alabama and Florida State will be a preview of the National Championship Game. And just like I believe they will do in Week 1, I have the Crimson Tide beating the Seminoles. Coach Nick Saban’s team is already good enough, but you add in the motivation of losing on a last-second play last year that cost them the title. I’d watch out if I’m on their schedule.

As far as some of the picks for this weekend’s games, I’ve got Georgia pulling away in the second half for a win over Appalachian State 31-17, Alabama wearing down Florida State in a four-quarter battle for a 24-20 victory, Michigan being too much for Florida in a 28-20 win mostly due to the Gators having 10 players suspended, and Tennessee (unfortunately for me) bullying Georgia Tech on the lines of scrimmage to earn a 35-28 win in Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Monday night. If you don’t see your favorite team represented in these picks just assume that I have the favorite winning the game.

We’ll see if I have a clue what I’m talking about or not this weekend. Either way, college football is back so let’s enjoy it.