Sports and...Love: Blogger Valentines

I have to admit, I have nothing today. I wanted to write an story about a romance I had during a game of pick-up basketball, but I can't do justice to it right now. Next week, the site will return to a semblance of order: NBA column on Mondays, Artist of the Week on Wednesdays, and wild-card topics on Fridays. For now, let me instead pass out some blogger Valentine's, a day late, in appreciation for some of my female blogger colleagues. While I've never been of the opinion that my female blogger colleagues have terrible lives (being outnumbered 10:1 by the opposite gender in your field is more the stuff of dreams than of nightmares), it's certainly true that they often are less appreciated and respected than their male counterparts. So here's my small contribution towards recognizing my three favorite female sports bloggers.

Sooze of Babes Love Baseball:

Sooze deserves a blogger Valentine because she was one of the first people to read my blog and comment on a regular basis. She gave me some tips on how to start a blog, and she was one of the first female sports bloggers. If Jamie Mottram is the Blogfather, I think there's a good argument for Sooze getting the honorary title of "Blogmother". She's also genuinely funny and finds a lot of interesting baseball stories on her blog. Sooze, thanks for the help and encouragement and for being a blog friend!

Kristine of This Suit is Not Black and the Fanhouse:

I met Kristine when I was considering whether to start a sports blog of my own or not. At the time, she was posting her sports blog on Myspace; then she decided to move her blog to Blogger. I paid close attention and asked her questions about the experience. Watching her build her blog helped build my confidence that I could do it too. She was also my first interview victim, I mean, subject, on here. What I like best about Kristine is that she is cheerful and friendly, and yet also has a wicked flavor of straight-faced sarcastic humor (see video above) that makes me laugh. Kristine, thanks for the laughs and and for being a blog friend!

Head Chick in Charge of Leave The Man Alone:

That picture she used as her avatar obviously is not HCIC (I think!), but none the less she still gets a Blogger Valentine. I worked late hours this last summer, and spent some time talking to HCIC after I got off work, and it was a pleasure. I believe she was one of the few truly original voices in the sports bloggosphere that often is over-run by Deadspin/Fanhouse clones. Whether it was providing a strong, intelligent voice as a rare black female sports blogger, using technology to pull screencaps of sports announcers for her fashion analysis posts, or relying on her legal training to analyze the Vick case and other situations, her unique talent was a pleasure to read and follow. HCIC, thanks for being willing to be different than the mediocre mainstream, and for being a blog friend!

Sports and...Love: My Perfect Valentine

For Valentine's Day, I wanted to hear from a lady sports fan what combination of sports and romance would win her heart. Top Pistons' fan Natalie of Need 4 Sheed, graciously accepted a guest blog invitation to explain the perfect day to us unwashed blogger masses. Her words follow.

I’m sure I’m not the only woman who would enjoy the perfect sports themed Valentine’s Day. Let’s get one thing straight first, I’m not turning down any Ice if it comes my way, but I wouldn’t be offended if February 14th, was mixed with my love of The Pistons and the special someone I love. (MCBias note: being a Cleveland fan, I didn't recognize the ice in the picture at first. Sigh.)



Every girl would love flowers and breakfast in bed to start off the day right but, give me an hour or so with the 1989-90 Pistons Championship Box set on a big screen and I’m smiling from ear to ear. As far as presents go, I will take anything Pistons related except maybe a Pistons jersey from the teal era, any self respecting Pistons fan who knows better anyway. If you really want to impress, scrounge up a vintage Joe Dumars bobble head and you will have one happy girl on your hands.

If you’re going to go all out on the perfect night for me it would have to be courtside seats at The Palace of Auburn Hills for a Pistons game. No need for candlelight, the flames at the Palace will put me in a romantic mood. I don’t need a fancy dinner, I’ll take the courtside waitress bringing drinks and snacks. I mean how can you go wrong when Sheed is 10 feet away, the only thing you need to get out of your seat for is a thunder dunk and you have your sweetheart is by your side? If a Cavalier beat down just so happens to end the night, who knows what could happen.

Gasp! My heart is given over to Lebron the Pure and his band of valorous men, and I've let a traitorous Pistons fan on to my site! Forgive me, Sir Lebron! haha. My thanks to Natalie for contributing a column, and make sure to visit the graphical gathering, the Pistophonic pandering, the sheedtasticly stupendous site that is Need4Sheed.com

Sports and...Love: A Valentine's Day Alternative

With Valentine's Day coming up, and with the sports world being so quiet in February, I decided to do some posts about Sports and Love. I am too tired from Leitch-a-palooza to actually do a real post, so here's a video about "Malentine's Day." I guess the idea is, since Valentine's Day is a tension-filled holiday where males are put on the spot and forced to buy gifts in areas they don't know much about, then Malentine's Day should do the same to females. I'll post more interesting stuff in the days to come.