Sunday, July 31, 2011

Former Hawkeye Ricky Stanzi at Chiefs Training Camp

Stanzi Nation has came to St Joseph, Missouri for Chiefs Training Camp 2011.

If he starts to struggle, maybe he needs to get the arm bracelets back on. 

The best future line of maybe a KC hero I've heard so far (Thanks to a twitter post from Brad M.) is Stanzi City!

So is Kansas City read for Stanzi City or is Stanzi City ready to invade Kansas City!

Today's Class Act Goes To Matt Cassel

It was very hot day at Missouri Western University for the Kansas City Chiefs Training Camp as practice began at 3:00pm.  I showed up early enough to catch some photos and view some of the happenings around the training camp before I watched the players trickle onto the field.  For a small $5.00 fee for parking, you can attend the training camp and watch the players at a very close view-point.  If your an autograph seeker, many of the players sign at certain points but enjoy the football aspect of the camp and if you get a star player's autograph, consider it a bonus to your day.

I want to share a small story of today's highlight of camp.  It wasn't on the field, it was right before camp started.  The quarterback from the Kansas City Chiefs, Matt Cassel, was walking down the cement path towards the field when a little girl, probably 4-5 years old started saying "Matt Cassel" loudly from on top of her dad's shoulders.  Many of the fans around felt the warmth of this child's voice as she said "Matt Cassel" a few more times.  You heard the crowd suddenly respond with an "awwwww".  It even got to Matt as to hear the girls voice among the chattering fans as well.  Matt grinned with a big smile and looked at the girl and even had a bigger smile.  He looked at the rest of the crowd and said, "Hey I'll sign for the rest of you after practice, but right now I got to practice but I am going to sign for her".  It was the right thing for Matt Cassel to do.  From a back-up role on the Patriots to now the man-in-charge the past year as the QB of the Kansas City Chiefs, he still has a heart for at least some of his most adorable fans.  I've seen other so-called bigger stars in other sports and other teams, acknowledge with a smile and a wave, but not for Matt Cassel this time.  He signed the little girl's football and than went off to practice. 

This is what the NFL needs right now, after a long labor negotiation that could of turned-away many fans, Matt Cassel made one fan feel real special.  I didn't hear any complaints that he only signed for her as I think the whole crowd was touched by this one girl.  Matt made the whole situation right by signing for the right person in the crowd at that very moment.  If anyone deserved an autograph from Matt at that time, it was the little girl.  It was almost like I got an autograph of Matt Cassel's with this story I am writing to all of you.  Maybe you had to be there to feel the moment, maybe you have to appreciate a players interaction with the fan like this, maybe the NFL needs more of this... or maybe I'm just a sucker for the little kid's hopes and dreams like Matt was today...  It really doesn't matter... as today in my book, Matt Cassel, was a class act.

Tuesday, July 12, 2011

Some Give-aways Coming Soon!

Hey everyone... thanks for all the views and reads lately and the posts on facebook and such.  Anyways... just wanted to let you know that I've been given some giveaways and will do some things coming up and pass on these giveaways on to some of my readers here in the future.  So make sure you either follow me on twitter @nickauge or sign up for emails of the blog that come directly to you so you don't miss out.  Again thanks and hope you enjoy future blog posts.

Monday, July 11, 2011

A quick MLB All-Star game thought

Seriously should we even care about the MLB All Star game.  Jeter and Rivera don't.  I guess MLB doesn't except for the income it brings in.  Players who don't play due to "exhaustion" should be well... put on the disabled list.  What is the point of fans voting?  Obviously, it doesn't matter cause they can simply say, "thanks but no thanks".

I consider this a problem when players can decide they just don't want to come.  A fine or a loss of paycheck doesn't matter to most of these guys when they have millions upon millions of dollars already in their contract set-up.  When I was a kid, it was a proud moment if you were selected for an all-star game or traveling team.  You felt a sense of pride and accomplishement and usually cost you some expense money from the parents to go and play.  No one declined because they were tired.  If your injured, go on the Disabled List.  If your healthy enough to play after the all-star game, you shouldn't get to, because you failed to show-up to a game you were supposed to be at.  Instead, MLB punishes the fans by adding replacements instead of the original fans votes. 

MLB once was trying to figure out how to get the ratings up at the All Star game.  Well, again, why should fans or people in general care when the players or MLB seem not to.  It's unfortunate to see a National Pastime that once hosted players like Ruth, Mantle, Brock, Banks, and many many others become an after-thought to these players now.  Hey Mr. Jeter, people in the past played in their All-Star game and still won a championship.  To me, your 3000 hits just became a joke in what originally was thought as an outstanding accomplishment.  Don't get me wrong, it is a great feat... but you as a player that is too "tired" is what makes it a joke.  A person that doesn't appreciate the meaning of the All-Star game and acknowledge that the fans voted you in and you fail to show up is a lack of leadership and fan-appreciation on your part.  Your not the greatest Yankee because of 3000 hits, and your not the fan-favorite player, because your lack of showing up. 

Sorry Yankees fans... but its the truth... and I get it.