Good Night and Good Ducks...

Dearest Blog Believers,
                                      I sincerely apologize for my brief, but (in my humble opinion) pronounced absence from the blogosphere.  Needless to say, there is soooo much more to look forward to in 2012, and I'll be sure to continue expounding upon the pressing, intriguing, and inspirational developments in the world of sport.  I am currently drinking in the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl, and thrilled that both BCS bowls have lived up to the much-belabored hype so far.  I will now take this moment to publicly apologize to all the Wisconsin fans out there, as your dream season became a microcosm of 3 games and tragic plays, and unfortunately, it was this final instance where the Badgers were most to blame.  Spiking the ball with limited odds of success aside, ball security is nearly your only meaningful task against the Oregon defense, and Jared Abbrederis failed to do so in the climax of one of the great Rose Bowls ever.  What a fitting tribute to greats Dick Enberg and Ron Dayne, who were honored today, but no doubt Dayne will have wished he could've thrown up one more W for Bucky.  Alas, the Badgtastic Voyage falls just short for the second consecutive season, albeit against a truly impressive Oregon team that has revolutionized the offensive spectrum of collegiate football.  May I qualify my point about the fumble in saying that Oregon's offense is essentially the Death Star of college football, and if you don't do enough damage before the generators fire up the beam, you're going to get vaporized.  LSU and USC knew how to do it, and no one else figured it out.  Look out for USC in the title race next year, also.  Those are two massive programs that took out the Ducks, so don't look past their ability to beat anyone on a given day based on the 2 sitting at the right of the dash.  These teams put up tons of points, but scoring against the Ducks is a double-edged sword, and seldomly have teams been able to keep pace with the likes of Darron Thomas, De'Anthony Thomas, and LaMichael James.  Wisconsin played this game the right way for much of the proceedings, and unquestionably seemed destined for an OT shootout with Chip Kelly's waterfowl, had it not been for the crucial turnover.  Unalienable facts state that when Oregon has the ball, they will score, and when they don't, they're extremely liable to giving up points.  That defense has one assignment (to my knowledge):  Give the football to the offense.  Same as every other defense, right? Not really...
Chip Kelly has developed such a well-oiled offensive machine, he knows that no one can score with him if he cannot be stopped, and also understands the commandment that He Who Hath Won the Turnover Battle Hath Won The Game.  When you know you'll turn those mistakes into points, all you're looking for is that mistake.  Oregon plays open and aggressive on every side of the ball, and although they could be criticized for playing 30 yards off the ball at the end of the game, look what happened.  They did exactly what they spend 75% of practice doing...getting the ball.  Watch that defense enough and you'll realize that the ability to tackle, wrap up, bat down balls, bump-and-run, and pursue properly is put upon the athletes.  The discipline is nowhere near the level of that at LSU or Alabama, let alone Stanford, Wisconsin; the list goes on...
Oregon gets any defensive effort it can muster from a commitment to getting the football, even at the cost of broken arm tackles.  Lovely philosophy when you consider the only defense able to slow this offense isn't eligible and wears the stripes...Well, of course, them and the team that has a striped mascot and a great shot at lifting the crystal on January 9th.

Out Of The Frye-ing Pan... (Part 1)

 Exhibit A:  A trio of wanna-be poison dart frogs from the Circus Of The Sun...Ok, ok, Cirque du Soleil, frogs and French belong together anyway.  Superior flexibility, excellent technique...honestly, I don't know what I'm talking about and I'm sure the performers would pick 6 different things they failed to execute in this routine.  That's neither here nor there...MOVING ON!





Exhibit B(engal): An abbreviated shot-by-shot slide of Jerome Simpson's TD that has the nation flipping out.


1) In the far left, we see that Simpson has already called attention to his ability to be the next Peter Pan..."Second star to the right and straight on til morning."  He might also win a few Olympic medals in London with the tuck dive form he demonstrates at the apex of this leap.

2) At this point (second from the left), we begin to see shades of Kerri Strug, Paul Hamm, and basically any notable American gymnast name you care to spout off without looking it up (go ahead...impress me/embarass yourself).  The shoulder pad of our victim, Daryl Washington, now functions as the perfect springboard to six points.

3) Frames 3 and 4 demonstrate spectacular command of the body, and an uncanny ability to gauge how much rotation is needed to stick the landing.  Athletic intuition, if you will.  You know this guy does flips and handstands just for kicks.

4) Final frame shows the hand touching down for a bit of balance as Simpson sticks the landing and gave himself a 9!  Talk about high expectations...so believe it...this cat has tried this stunt before in full pads, and was disappointed with the result.  He's lucky he's alive given that he had premeditated the flip.  Any diversion in his course could've resulted in a spine slam that wouldn't have felt too cozy.  In regard to that mentality, this man is absolutely a stuntman, but given that the only prop was a football and another human being (not to mention the comfort of full body protection), I currently see Simpson as a combat extra in the Twilight finale.

I know, I know, a bit harsh, but you'd be surprised by the nuances of these legendary "tough guys".  I'll never forget reading in SI that the man best known for swallowing grown quarterbacks whole, Reggie White, had a paralyzing fear of sharks! The guy could probably choke one out if he so desired, and he spent most of his career in Green Bay, Wisconsin! There's a lot of real estate between Cheeseland and the nearest body of salt water.  So, I suppose the next question would be whether Jerome could handle whipping cars around exploding buildings and other fast-moving vehicles, but the reality of the matter is he's perfect for choreographed stunt work and has a potential career in the circus...beyond that, I wouldn't put too much stock in it...Unless he's into scientology...

The Zanzibar Manifesto

To all Sports Specialists, Audio Addicts, and Entertainment Junkies:

This blog represents a promise unfulfilled for several years up until today.  This blog belongs to my friends, and is driven by them, as I've been fortunate enough to have the enduring belief of those around me in my pursuit of a sports broadcasting career.  Those that know me wouldn't hesitate to say that I'm seldom without an opinion to air or a story to tell.  I'm notoriously long-winded and yet, in this Golden Age of digital media, I haven't quite settled.  That changes today.  I've wrestled with the merits and pitfalls that outlets such as Facebook and Twitter provide us nowadays, and despite my trepidation, it is high time I embraced the entire network and reconnected with the world around me.  I've struggled since the beginning of my career pursuits to understand the balance between strategic and shameless self-promotion.  The insipid narcissism of social networking has caught me cold on the entire concept at times, but it is for that reason that I've returned to embrace it.  The goal of this blog is to reach out to every person I've ever known and those I hope to meet, adding a one-of-a-kind perspective to the realm for which I have greatest passion (sports).  I am also driven by the impact music has on people's lives, and there will be plenty of space on this blog for just such discussion.  In whole, the Zanzibar blog will encompass the worlds of sports, music, and entertainment, dovetailing elements of all three in an inviting package that will warrant repeat visits.  Most importantly, the focus of this blog is YOU, yes, you (the person who's eyes are reading this now), because I want to hear from each and every individual who visits this page, be it via e-mail, a blog post, or another page that someone wishes to contribute.  I will gladly encourage and promote any brother/sister sites that hold relevance to the topics contained within this blog, and hope that may fuel a greater sense of community and a larger discussion.  Bias is expected, allowed, and appreciated, for it opens a window into the psyche of a specific genre, franchise, program, or person.  This mentality will be adopted throughout every part of this blog, as the greatest conversations about sports, music, and entertainment hinge upon the passion, vigor, and fervor of those devoted to their team, artist, or icon.  I will also provide my fan's perspective about my favorite teams and players through analytical articles, reactions, and live blogs.  This is great news for those of you that happen to like Chelsea, the Carolina Panthers, UNC (football and basketball), or the Pittsburgh Penguins.  It also doesn't hurt if you like keeping tabs on the world of tennis.  Above all, I want to adapt to the opinions and feedback that I get from those of you that frequent the blog.  I will provide objective commentary and insight (on a larger scale) about all of the major developments in the sporting universe, and if I'm missing a beat, feel free to notify me.  With the mission statement of this blog more or less defined, let me give you the origin story...

Zanzibar is the name of a song written by Billy Joel, from his 52nd Street album, which was released in October of 1978.  The lyrics of the song describe a sports bar where any shadow darkening the door feels welcome; a microcosm in which one can simultaneously feel as though they are part of a live sporting event, saddling up to the bar for a drink, or being washed in the glow of a live musical performance.  Each person can feel as an individual within Zanzibar, gravitating towards the events, people, sights, and sounds that inspire them most.  Still wondering what Zanzibar is all about? Have a listen...