TresSugar

Domestic Violence Linked to Football Losses

TresSugar — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 13:00:27 -0800

Sitting around with the family watching football is a favored Thanksgiving tradition. But new research reveals that football spectating is not always pleasant: losses have a statistical link to a rise in domestic violence. The study, which matched 12 years worth of team records with local domestic violence rates, suggests that a painful loss can trigger moments of anger in fans, causing them to lash out. Here are some of the findings:

When a team favored to win loses, there is an eight percent increase in intimate partner violence in the hometown state (the study only looked at states with one team).
The increase in violence comes in the hours immediately following the loss.
When the loss is against a traditional rival, the spike in violence doubles.
The rate spike also doubles following losses in games with a lot of turnovers and penalties.

But don't call for a ban on football quite yet - the experts reasonably point out that emotional games might just set off violence that would otherwise happen later. So while this information enlightens us about occasions that put women at higher risk of suffering domestic violence, it doesn't exactly tell us more about how to address the root causes. What do you make of it?

Convicted Rapist Gets Football Scholarship - Right Call?

TresSugar — Thu, 14 May 2009 14:00:00 -0700

Star high school football player Daniel Hood had 27 scholarship offers, until the universities got wind of his 2003 convictions for kidnapping and raping his 14-year-old cousin when he was 13. His then 17-year-old accomplice is now serving a 10-year jail sentence.

Lucky for Hood, one scholarship remains. Every other school retracted their offers, but the University of Tennessee concluded that, "He's a very bright young man who wants to move past this incident and be a good representative for the team, the university and the community." UT also says that the victim wrote a letter on Hood's behalf, urging them to accept him.

While many may think it's outrageous that Hood will get a free education and the perks of playing college football, the University of Tennessee is prepared to give him a second chance.

Source

College Football Ranking System Might Violate Antitrust Laws

CitizenSugar — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 06:00:00 -0700

Attention college football fans. Your lawmakers are listening to you!

The Senate will soon review how college football picks the country's number one team each year.

In case you've been living under a rock, the NCAA doesn't support a playoff system. Instead polls and computer models rank teams. The top two play each other for the BCS championship. The other ranked teams play in bowl games. Certain conferences get automatic bids to the bowl games, which prove to be major money making events for the schools.

In a statement, the subcommittee on antitrust said that the current BCS system "leaves nearly half of all the teams in college football at a competitive disadvantage when it comes to qualifying for the millions of dollars paid out every year."

Do you think overlooked teams are being sore losers, or should lawmakers rightly step in?

Source

The Dos and Don'ts of Attending a Super Bowl Party

DearSugar — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 09:00:00 -0800

Super Bowl Sunday is a national holiday for sports' lovers, but if you're not a football connoisseur, you can still reap the benefits of a fun Super Bowl party! Check out my dos and don'ts before spending this weekend with die-hard fans, and please feel free to add you own in the comment section below.

Just click here to read more

Don't

Do know what teams are playing.
Do root for your team if you're a fan - don't be shy!
Do enter the betting pool - even if you don't know the facts, you could end up victorious.
Do throw the football with the boys at halftime - it'll help burn off some of the calories you've consumed!
Do be understanding if your significant other's team loses - some guys take a loss very seriously.
Do look forward to the commercials.

Don't talk during a big play, or any intense moment in the game for that matter.
Don't overdress for a Super Bowl party.
Don't comment on the players "outfits."
Don't walk in front of the TV.

Source

Handle This: Your Date Is Buzzed!

DearSugar — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 06:00:00 -0800

If you were put in a situation like this, how would you handle it?

You finally met a guy that you were excited to go out with. A date was set and you were looking forward to it all week. He said he'd call you in the late afternoon to solidify your plans for the night, but when he called, you could tell that he was out someplace and it was pretty evident that he had been drinking. When you asked where he was, he told you that he stopped by the local pub to catch the football game with his buddies. He went on to say he was really excited to see you and asked when you'd be ready. Unfortunately you're instantly turned off - you weren't expecting to have to deal with a buzzed date, especially a buzzed first date!

Part of you wants to reschedule, but you're already in the going-out mindset, plus your calendar is almost completely booked up due to the holidays. You're torn, so how would you handle this?

Source

I Agree - He Does Have a Great Ass

GiggleSugar — Sat, 25 Oct 2008 01:00:00 -0700

I don't know football from ping pong, but men with great asses, well, I try to keep up on that news. So when I heard that Missouri Tiger quarterback Chase Daniel ass-essed Texas Longhorn quarterback Colt McCoy's bum and deemed it a fine one, I was all over it. (Granted, it was a "Freudian slip," but you know what they say about that!)

West Point Grad Gets Drafted to Football Field

LibertySugar — Fri, 02 May 2008 06:00:44 -0700

Soon to be West Point graduate Caleb Campbell (#13) will start his active duty as a member of the Detroit Lions professional football team. If he hadn't been drafted, he would be headed to Iraq or Kuwait as a platoon leader in charge of 32 soldiers.

Campbell's first dream was to serve his country, as he turned down offers to play football at other colleges as a high school senior. He didn't have hopes of going pro, as when he began his career at West Point the military had not yet implemented its "alternative service option," which allows graduates to play professional sports.

The Army hopes that Campbell will be a successful high profile recruiting tool. During the off season, he will work in a Detroit Army recruiting office.

Critics of the policy feel it betrays the American people who expect West Point men and women to serve as military leaders in exchange for their education, not play professional sports. In addition, it may undermine camaraderie among West Point alumni and the armed forces in general. Even Campbell admitted that his classmates didn't understand his decision at first.

Do you think Campbell can serve his country just as well on the gridiron or is he backing out on his commitment? Will a NFL player help the Army successfully recruit more Americans to serve in the military or is a better West Point football team all the Army has in mind with the "alternative service option"?

Source

Guess Who?

LibertySugar — Sun, 03 Feb 2008 07:24:05 -0800

Which President also knew his way around the gridiron?

Mascot Takes a Tumble (or Two)

GiggleSugar — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 07:00:00 -0800

It's gotta be this dude's first day on the job. When the game time festivities begin and he makes a run for it, he quickly learns that sporting the big bird costume ain't what it's cracked up to be. The mascot falls once, twice, and he scores-an injury.

Coach Confuses Interview for Pep Talk

GiggleSugar — Thu, 27 Dec 2007 07:00:00 -0800

This adrenaline junkie can't answer a question. While the interviewer asked about the first half of the game, he talked about the second half. And then there's his tone- it's a little much. And by "much," I mean WHY ARE WE SCREAMING?!