"Tebowmania: ESPN Exuberance or Excess?"

http://espn.go.com/blog/poynterreview/post/_/id/223/tebowmania-espn-exuberance-or-excess


     I liked this article because it explains the reasoning and blame for "Tebowmania".  The author blames countless sources for blowing Tebow out of proportion.  For example he talked about radio, ESPN, magazines, and the media as a whole.  it was an interesting article because there has been so much hype around Tebow and nobody is really sure if he is really any good.  I mean, he did have several good comebacks during the regular season, and led his team to the playoffs, but maybe that's just beginners luck. I guess we will find out next year.
     The author of this article focused on both ethos and logos.  For example, he focuses on what we value as Americans and how we make such a big deal about things.  Also he provided a lot of key information and statistics such as the amount of shows that have been about Tebow and all the magazine covers he has been on.

"Giants vs. 49ers: 50 Cent Proves to Be a Bigger Gambler the Floyd Mayweather"

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1035583-giants-vs-49ers-50-cent-proves-to-be-a-bigger-gambler-than-floyd-mayweather


     This article discusses how 50 Cent bet on the Giants in the NFC championship game.  Apparently 50 won $500,000 betting on the Giants with an unnamed person.  According to 50 himself, and his Twitter feed, he heard voices that told him to bet on the Giants.  That may seem reckless but I'm sure 50 has a good amount of money to waste.  Overall, I liked this article, especially because it had a good ending: 50 said on Twitter,"I'm giving this money to my nana she gonna faint LMAO all she do is go to the church".
     The author of this article made the article itself extremely brief, yet humorous.  He cracked a few jokes and asked a rhetorical question.  He was wondering if 50 was planning to bet on the Super Bowl and he personally believed that 50 would once again bet on the Giants.  The difference is that 50 will lose this time cause the Pats are going to destroy the Giants in the Super Bowl.

"A Splashy Tradition, Gatorade Style"

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/21/sports/football/a-splashy-football-tradition-gatorade-style.html?_r=1&hpw



     This article discusses the well-known gatorade shower that we've seen in football for a very long time.  According to the article, "it was 25 years ago that the Giants popularized the postgame rite on their way to a Super Bowl title in 1987, with Harry Carson, Lawrence Taylor, and Jim Burt standing as its somewhat sticky forefathers".  The author of the article said it would be fitting if the Giants doused Coach Couglin after winning the NFC championship this Sunday.  The article went on to discuss some other examples and variations of the shower such as when a Gatorade bucket filled with popcorn was dumped on Ronald Regan.  I found this article funny and informative about something I had never really thought too much about before.
     The author of this article definitely has a sense of humor and he did an excellent job writing the article.  Not only did he explain the history of the gatorade shower (dunk, bath, etc.) but he also talked about random things and rumors that had anything to do with it at all.  For example he made it clear that the rumor abut a man dying from a Gatorade Shower was not true and that the man just so happened to get a heart arrhythmia a few weeks after getting dunked...a coincidence.  I hope that the Giants win the NFC championship so that the will get to the Super Bowl and lose to the Patriots.  Then, and only then, will the Patriots get their revenge for that Super Bowl defeat in 2007 against the Giants which crushed the Pats undefeated season.

"Tim Tebow: Denver Broncos' QB Played Through Injury in Patriots Blowout"

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1028981-tim-tebow-denver-broncos-qb-played-through-injury-in-patriots-blowout


     According to the article, Tim Tebow played through much pain during Denver's season-ending playoff game against the Pats last weekend.  "Tim Tebow was not at full health in the AFC Divisional playoff matchup against the New England Patriots this past Sunday, but the Denver Broncos' quarterback stuck it out and finished the whole game".  Tebow suffered from torn cartilage on his ribs, a bruised lung, and fluid buildup in his chest.  It is interesting that Tebow continued to play in the game even though he had injuries and his team was losing 35-7 at halftime.  They should have thrown in second string QB Brady Quinn to preserve Tebow but the Broncos fans would probably have been angered by that.   There wasn't really any hope for Denver so Quinn should have gone in the game just to make sure Tebow didn't suffer any major injuries, as he is most likely going to be Denver's starter next year.  This article was simple and to the point, but it was able to fully inform me on the topic and it was enjoyable for me to read knowing that the Pats destroyed the Broncos in the game.
     The author of this article is very blunt and doesn't reveal much more than the facts except for one point that he made clear: "Perhaps they were afraid Quinn would actually thrive and then the quarterback controversy would really heat up in Denver.  I know that's something I would have loved to have seen just stir up more debates..."  The point is, Tebow has a giant fan base yet he isn't exactly an all-star qb like people make him up to be.  Therefore, if Quinn did do well in this game, there would but much more controversy over the starter in Denver.  Nonetheless, Denver has all offseason to analyze their qb's and make a decision.  My prediction: Tebow will get the starting job.

"Teacher Man" (memoir blog)

     I have not read much into my book, only a few pages.  So far the man writing (Frank McCourt), who was a teacher for like 30 years, doesn't act like a teacher at all.   His personality seems nothing like the stereotypical teacher and I think that is what will make the book interesting.  So far in the memoir, he has spoken about his first few days as a teacher.  One story was actually really funny, and it is easy to see why McCourt remembers the event so well.  Apparently, some kids were arguing and one kid threw a baloney sandwich at the other kid...I know, kind of random. Nonetheless, Mccourt wasn't exactly sure how to respond to this since nobody had taught him what to do if some kid throws a baloney sandwich.  Therefore, he walked over to the sandwich, picked it up, and to the surprise of the students, he began to eat it.  Once again, kind of random.  This makes the book enjoyable though and makes me want to read on.  Frank Mccourt was then scolded by the principle and it appeared that his career as a teacher wouldn't last so long.  That is about as far as I got in the book and I have high hopes for it.

"What if Tim Tebow were Muslim?"

http://www.salon.com/2012/01/12/what_if_tim_tebow_were_muslim/



     I am aware that I have done many articles concerning Tim Tebow yet I feel that they are interesting and often very funny.  This article certainly falls under that category as it asks the question "What if Tim Tebow were Muslim?"  The inspiration for the article comes from another article titled "What if Michael Vick were White?".  The article debates possible outcomes of public reaction if Tim Tebow openly practiced the Islam religion as he does now as a Christian.  According to the article, some studies say the it would not be well-received by the public.  The article went on to compare other instances when Muslims have received bad reactions from the public.  For example, the show "All-American Muslim" lost advertisers "who were pressured by groups claiming that the show was Islamic propaganda".  One other example that the article provided was that of NBA player Chris Jackson who converted to Islam with the name Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf.  In 1996, he refused to stand for the national anthem at an NBA game, creating chaos in the media.  This article was interesting and really made me think about the question the that author posed.
     The author of this article, Marcus Cederstrom, appealed to the connection between sports and religion throughout the article.  I am sure that many readers thought the article was interesting aI a sure that many people had different answers to the question. Nonetheless, in my personal opinion I think that Tebow would still be all over the media if he openly practiced Islam, yet I think it would not be received well by the public.

"NFL pre-game question: Does God exist"

http://www.salon.com/2012/01/13/nfl_pre_game_question_does_god_exist/



     This sarcastic article's thesis appears to be that if Tebow continues to win, than God must be real.  It discusses Pascal's wager:  "Man cannot know for sure whether or not God exists, but he has nothing to lose and everything to gain if God does exist, so he should "bet on God"".  Obviously, Pascal, a french philosopher, was not referring to actually "betting", this article compares his statement to betting on God in the Patriot-Broncos.  As we all know, Tebow has continued to win against great odds and ths article suggests that since he is "divine" he has a chance of winning.  For example, "Thanks to Tebow, the non-faith of millions is hanging by a thread. And if he manages to beat Tom Brady and the Patriots in Foxboro, the issue will be resolved once and for all. Pascal’s bet will be paid by the Man Upstairs, and all those who pick the Pats will find themselves descending into the Lake of Eternal Fire".  I found this article to be funny and I think that the author did an excellent job in the use of sarcasm to make an enjoyable article.
     The author of this article, Gary Kamiya, used a great deeal of iron in the atyicle in order to describe to the reader the connection between quarterback Tim Tebow and "the Man Upstairs" (God).  Some very religious peple may have been offended by this article because it suggests Tebow is divine, but it was an article made for humor and sarcasm.

"He Shoots. He Scores?"

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/06/sports/soccer/he-shoots-he-scores-from-soccer-to-lacrosse-goalkeepers-get-in-on-the-act.html?hpw



     This article discusses a funny goal that was scored recently in an Everton and Bolton soccer game.  According to the article, Tim Howard, the goalie for Everton, scored a goal from his own net on opposing goalkeeperAdam Bogdan.  "From roughly 100 yards, a goalkeeper had scored a goal.  In a soccer game.  in one of the world's best professional leagues".  The article also discussed goals at other times in soccer matches and in other sports.  For example, only 11 goalies have scored a goal in NHL history, many times due to pure luck.  On the other hand, "Goalies have scored at least 14 goals in the 24-year history of the National Lacrosse League and its predecessor, the Major Indoor Lacrosse League".
     The author used logos and many statistics to prove to the reader that scoring a goal as a goalkeeper is a "rare athletic accomplishment".  He also used pathos by appealing to the emotions of the reader.  He did so by focusing on how bad he and Tim Howard felt for the other goalie, Bogdan.  Tim Howard did not celebrate when he scored the goal and I think that was very nice of him because it would be very embarrassing to get scored on by another goalie.  The author must have agreed with this and that is most likely why he included this information in the article.  Overall, it was an enjoyable article that appealed to people that like sports.

"Source: Bill O'Brien to coach Penn St."

 www.espn.com



     After the whole scandal at Penn State, this article got my attention quickly, especially because Bill O'Brien is the offensive coordinator of the Patriots.  Although the exact terms of the deal are unknown, the author wrote that O'Brien will be the Patriots offensive coordinator for the rest of the season, and next season he will be the head coach of the Penn State football team and its scarred program.  O'Brien joined New England in 2007 after 14 seasons at the college level with some very big football schools.  One question I still had after reading the article is: Who will be the offensive coordinator of the Patriots next year without O'Brien?  They may have difficulty finding a coach that can match O'Brien.
     The author of this article used mostly logos in writing the article.  he did so by presenting the statistics of the Penn Sate and Patriots football teams.Basically, these facts help to back up his claims.  By giving reason to his opinions, the article appears more factual and makes the author appear more qualified to write an article about the topic.

Bless Me, Ultima Chapters 17-22

     I enjoyed "Bless Me, Ultima".  At times it was difficult to predict the destiny of Antonio due to so many conflicting influences in his life: Gabriel, Maria, Ultima.  Nonetheless, this causes his mind to  wander and think about who he is and what religion he believes in.  This is highlighted in the end of the book when Antonio wonders if it would be possible to create a new religion.  The last chapter provides hope for Antonio by suggesting that he will be the most successful child of his parents and that he will find the answers he wants in life.  In fact, he learns this through Gabriel, who is not very religious.  He speaks to Antonio of understanding by saying that understanding comes with time and life experience.  He tells Antonio that understanding does not come through Communion.  This makes sense to Tony:  Throughout the whole book he has thought of many questions that couldn't be answered.  He believed these questions  would be answered after he received his First Communion but this did not happen.  Yet, when he talks with his father he gains more knowledge than ever before.  This information gives him something to base his opinions and beliefs on and it also provides him with assurance that he will learn and understand more and more as he grows older.  In the past blogs that I have done for this book I have made predictions as to what I believe Antonio will become when he is older.  In the end, Anaya does not directly reveal Antonio's future yet he provides a final hint that Antonio will become what both his father and mother would like him to be:  "Then maybe I do not have to be just Marez, or Luna, perhaps I can be both-" (Anaya 247).  I do not know what occupation supports this characteristic but I think that Gabriel, Maria, Ultima, and especially Antonio will be pleased with his future life.  Although Ultima dies in the end, she takes the evil Tenorio down with her in a way.  Now that Tenorio is no longer alive, the family is able to live peacefully, especially knowing that Ultima died an accomplished and influential woman.

"N.F.L. 2011, From January to Tebowary and Beyond"

http://fifthdown.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/12/31/n-f-l-2011-from-january-to-tebowary-and-beyond/?ref=sports?src=dayp


     This article talked about the NFL throughout the year of 2011.  Since we are now in the new year, I figured I would blog about an article that covered the topic of summarizing the past year and this article seemed interesting... and it turned out hilarious!  From January 15, when the Jets beat the Patriots to December 31, Mike Tanier talked about all the major events within the NFL including the lockout, Tebowmania, and so many other things.  The article may appear to be like a boring summary, yet Tanier made the article very funny.  I enjoyed it even though the article was very long.  I also liked how the Patriots were included in many of the topics Tanier discussed.
     Tanier was mostly sarcastic throughout the article, causing the article to be very enjoyable for the reader.  For example, when Tanier wrote about several players making fun of Jay Cutler on Twitter for missing the second half of the NFC with a "less-than-devastating" injury, he also wrote that "Cutler also becomes the mayor of the Bears' sideline on Foursquare".  Comments such as this gave the article a different spin and also brought back many memories.  For example, I remember watching the Super Bowl last year and how bad the half-time show was and Tanier wrote "By winning the Super Bowl, the Packers rekindle the thrill of watching outstanding performers achieve excellence in the international spotlight that the Black Eyed Peas did everything possible to extinguish at halftime".  If you have any interest in the NFL I would definitely recommend reading this article, the link is at the top of this blog.