valley sports

I just can't wait!!

For those of you who might not know or care about the upcoming

Imperial Valley

High School

wrestling season you are all missing out.

Every year I wait in anticipation for it to be here as if I were a little boy waiting for that special day in December, I don't know why, I guess it's just in my blood.

For as long as I can remember my dad has been a fixture in the Brawley Wildcat Wrestling team and like me, my brothers, uncles, and cousins have also taken part in the tradition.

Last year was an extra special season for me and my father as we got to see my youngest brother mature as a wrestler right before our eyes as he accomplished his goal becoming a San Diego Section CIF Champion.

When he threw his hands in the air, before they reached this face to hold back his tears, I couldn’t help but reach to hold back mine as well knowing all the work he put in for this accomplishment.

Then I looked to see my father ecstatic with emotion waiting for his son to reach him and give him a mighty embrace.  And as I looked at his face I could see the relief from all the stress this season has put on him from all the ups and downs, the late nights and early mornings all for the love and passion he has for the sport.

So as you can see it’s kind of easy for me to be so anxious this time of year.

If you have yet to witness a wrestling match I urge you to take the time to see what so many have dedicated to be the best and watch them leave it all on the mat.

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

So it's now basketball season. The NFL..eh? Tom Brady's hurt and both my fantasy football teams are just a hair better than the Lions. No real reason to watch. MLB? That was entertaining for a little while but being that is was really an East Coast championship, it didn't interest me a whole lot. College football? Well I will sit down and watch college football on a regular basis because it's actually fun to watch and there seems like there is a very good chance we could have two unbeatens in the national championship. That would be great. But in October usually around the 15th to the 18th, Midnight Madness starts up around the country. That's got to be one of the best times for me. Better than a baseball opening day. Better than a season premiere of It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia. It's just the start of the best sport to participate in and watch probably in the world. College basketball. North Carolina is ranked No. 1 as well they should. Tyler Hansbourough is going to be player of the year and the Tar Heels are most likely be in the Final Four in April. The Final Four is actually in Detroit this year and I'm going to do my best to get down there and go. I love Detroit and I love college basketball just as much. It will be a much needed bright spot to the state that is just seeing people fleeing it for jobs in other areas of the country. The Michigan State is coming in at No. 7 at last I checked. I'm looking forward to this upcoming year for sure. I still wish though that the rule for incoming freshmen was more like baseball and the kids could come out of high school into the NBA and if they're not drafted, they can go back to college and can't enter the draft until they turn 21. The quality of both college basketball and pro would be exponentially better in the years to come. Also the NBA is kicking off, or well kicked off this week. There's a lot of good teams out there in both conferences this year. The Lakers are looking good. They are so deep and everyone seems to have spider arms and 7-foot wingspans. I also laughed my butt of in the game where Shaq got fouled like a few seconds into the game against the Spurs. Popovich gave him two thumbs up and Shaq had a smirk on his face. That's a funny joke after O'Neal wasn't too pleased with the Hack-A-Shaq play and let the league know it in an interview. Well, I'm ready to go this season with my fantasy hoops team and I'm ready for Imperial Valley College to start up it's men's and women's teams. This is the most wonderful time of the year!

James Arens
Sports Writer/Foodie

OK, seriously?

So is San Diego really that bad or is Miami really that good?

This is absurd that the Chargers, a preseason Super Bowl favorite, lost to the Miami Dolphins. Didn't they only win one game last year? How many games did San Diego rattle off? I mean, they're no Detroit Lions who have the opportunity to lose every game, every year. I know the Washington State head coach just had tryouts for I think a backup QB, maybe the Lions should do the same for the entire team. Anyway back to the Chargers.

I watched some of the game to see the "Wildcat" offense Ronnie Brown runs and I guess without Merriman to blow up some of those running backs and lanes, RBs can run all they want with that type of offense. I also have a vested interest in the game because I have Vincent Jackson and L.T. on one of my teams. Another thing, L.T. is playing like a wuss. I think all those years of busting butt have caught up with him because he might as well put on a tutu when he's limping off that field. He's got a stubbed toe. He--Stubbed--His--Toe. Seriously, I stub my toe, say a few less than creative words and then go back on with my day. I broke my arm in two places, didn't know it, and finished my basketball game scoring twice more with only one arm. If I can do that, L.T. can start producing and suck it up and make the Chargers a better team. I know that there are a lot of Bolts fans here in the Imperial Valley but it's ridiculous that the team isn't destroying the rest of the league. They are mediocre and on the verge of slipping down that hill back with the Lions, Chiefs and the St. Louis Rams. They don't want to be lumped in with them but they have to figure out what's wrong other than someone not wanting to play with a stubbed toe. Tape it up and suck it up. Win like the team is supposed to.

James Arens/Sports Writer

Some of my own personal expectations and some of the Valley

So starting this August, I started going back to school. School is such a great experience overall because while you're still a student you still have no REAL responsibilities for the most part, for the younger students anyway. You get to learn and have fun and meet a whole lot more people you might never get a chance to meet otherwise while you're attending a college. For those who read the Desert Dining blog, I'm going to culinary arts school right now but I'm also taking classes at IVC. This blog is sports related because I'm taking a volleyball class.

When I first signed up, I was just taking the class to learn how to do the fundamentals of volleyball: pass, set, hit and block. I wanted to play another sport other than basketball just to change it up a little. Little did I know the class I was taking wasn't a Volleyball 101 class for people who need a physical education credit so they could graduate. This class was with the Arabs volleyball team. While I wasn't too worried, I was on edge because while I was a line judge for volleyball games in college, all my sisters for the most part played volleyball in high school and for a college, I dated my fair share of volleyball vixens, I'd never really learned or knew how to do everything correctly on the court. Sure I was a fan of watching the game and I could pick things up that way but I never played too seriously. So far this class has been a crash course.

Turns out because I was a hooper in college, I was able to not get hurt during the practices/classes. I've been learning a lot about the sports from the girls on the team, the assistant and head coaches. I'm expecting to come out of this class with the ability to play some sort of competitive men's volleyball. My vertical is coming back along with sports intuition. I've also come to realize that the women's volleyball team at IVC is good. While I've only got one chance to see the Arabs in action, when they hosted their own tournament which they won fairly easily with good competition, I've been impressed with the team.

All the players on the team, six main starters and three reserves, are, if they're focused, in the hunt for a Pacific Coast Conference title. I don't think they've ever done that at least not in recent history. Every player on the court can do everything needed, well. Hitting, passing, blocking, setting, the girls got it all. This might sound biased, but hey it's a blog and I think we're supposed to say what we're thinking. So as I said in the title, I expect to help the women get better because they're playing against guys and having to ramp up their play in practice so when they have games they are set to destroy. But my other expectation is for the Imperial Valley to come out and watch the best volleyball being played in the Valley at IVC's home games. Head coach Jill Tucker didn't want me to write anything but when I was at the tournament a few weeks ago there were just family members there and a few girls from high schools. That's it. I was at the Southwest/Brawley battle last night and the stands behind me were pounding with people. The thing is, that volleyball game, while it was exciting, it pales in comparison to the level that the Arabs play at. You could take the best high school players in the Valley, put them on an all-star team and have them play the Arabs, and while I'm not a betting man, I'd put big bucks on the Arabs sweeping them in straight sets. The women's volleyball team has the opportunity to do something they've never done before and not enough people know about it. I guess the reason for this blog is to hopefully get more people to come to those games because people need to go to these games. I guess I'm also saying that for all the sports at IVC. In any sport in the Valley, IVC has the best team. There were three people at the men's soccer game and I think one person at the women's. That's stupid. With as many people who play soccer and baseball they should be showing up to those games to watch them and support them. Everyone has a little bit better idea of the men's and women's basketball teams because they've already have established programs that people in the Valley know about. IVC sports, while some don't win their league, while some lose more games than they win, it's not because of lack of effort or talent. IVC has the best players in any sport in the Valley and more people here in the Valley should recognize that and support them. I'm going to be at most of the games, will you?

James Arens/Sports Writer 

Is anyone interested in indoor soccer

So I was thinking the other day, randomly, with the popularity of soccer here in the Imperial Valley and even over the border in Mexico, why is it that there isn't one indoor soccer area anywhere to be seen? Mario (Renteria) an avid soccer fan and a soccer stud in high school and at Imperial Valley College, said there was an indoor soccer place down in Mexicali but he didn't know if it was still open. With the heat the way it is I don't understand why there isn't some huge complex, out in the middle of some fields (we've got plenty of them here in the Valley) that has six to eight astro-turfed fields. The person who owned the thing would have soccer all year round especially more so during the summer.

I'm from Michigan and the summers are mild for the most part so the soccer arenas aren't as busy when it stops snowing, which is sometimes in July (For real, it's happened.) But in the winter, they places are jam packed with kids playing soccer, playing basketball or playing indoor football. Imagine the boost to the Valley if someone opened a place like that. Imagine how the level of play of the Valley teams would increase. We could even pull players from south of the border to come and play in the leagues or on teams at the arena. That would make the Valley a powerhouse of soccer. We could maybe even pull an arena football team out here or have a local semi-pro team like the Yuma Blitz over there in Arizona. There's a lot of possibilities with an arena like that with, what I think, a ton of money to be made. If I had the money, that's something I'd look into. But being that I'm a lowly sports writer, chances of me building an arena like that aren't really existent. Give me a heads up on why there's not an arena like that in the Valley.

James Arens/Sports Writer

Band-Aid anyone?

Is it just me or is just about everyone getting hurt, especially their knees? Tom Brady is out for the season with a blown knee. Merriman made the right decision and got surgery on his knee and that ended his season. Vince Young got his knee sprained as well as his ego. And it's really only the first week of official games. I know what the blown knee entails. When I heard about Merriman wanting to play this season instead of getting surgery, the first word that came out of my mouth was "STUPID!" I'm a wanna-be pro athlete and playing on a bum knee at the park is one thing but playing against the best of the best and being one of the best, a bum knee isn't going to cut it. I know you can get a cortisone shot, you can wear a brace but with the force that he would be putting on that thing, his bone could slip and go right through his skin. That'd be gross. I'm glad Merriman made the right choice for surgery so next year he can be fully healthy and the Chargers will have another opportunity, if they don't make it this year, to play for a championship.

I feel bad for Brady. Not many people like him because he's part of the Patriots but I like him because he's a leader, he doesn't run his mouth and just goes out there and kicks butt and goes home and does it again next week. I really think with the bitter taste in his mouth of losing in the final game last year he was going to have a solid year and win another Super Bowl. But going down in the first game of the season has got to be one of the saddest things I've seen in a while in sports.

Vince Young needed to lose more in college and maybe even high school. He's not coping with failure as well as he should be. He's always been great at whatever he does and now he's mixed in with great players all over and he beginning to realize he's got to go to the next level and I don't think he's ever had to think about that before. He's always been ahead of everyone. Now he's equal with most and it's scary for him. I don't think he was in any problem the other day when the cops were called to find him. Eh, he just wanted to blow off some steam and everyone was hounding him. I don't blame him for turning off his cell phone. Hopefully now that he's had some time to think he can really set a course for him to get to that next level instead of just being good he can up his game and get great again.

Fantasy football is upon us again and I've got a great team on paper, but I've lost my first match-ups in both of my leagues already. LT laid an egg, Peyton wasn't Peyton and I lost to Jay Cutler. Geesh. I hope this isn't a long season like it was last year. I hope for the best though!

James Arens/Sports Writer

Isn't it sweet

The San Diego Padres baseball team is currently 18 games out of first place in the less than talented National League Western Division and for me being a Padre fan this season has been especially hard for a fan like me.  On Monday night I got the rare chance to go and watch a Padre game at Petco Park and even though this has been a hard year I was more than eager to get my live game experience for the year as the San Diego took on the division leading, hated rival, Los Angeles Dodgers.

During the game i sat in behind the right field wall and just as you guessed it right next to Dodger fans.  They looked like typical fans to me covered in white and blue with a certain beverage close by so as they game began they were in my ear on every little the Dodgers did. But thankfully the atmosphere of the ballpark was able to shut the ranting and raving for a couple of innings.  The Padres were able come out strong with a two-run home run by Adrian Gonzales, which when happened i couldn't help but cheer and clap a little louder than i would normally but I couldn't help it.

The game progressed the Padres slowley pulled away with timely hitting and strong pitching and everntually won 4-0 over a rival which was great for me seeing how this season has gone.  But for the Dodger fans it seemed like a dagger to the heart as they began to file out as quiet as can be boy isn't that sweet.

High school football

The high school football season kicked off last week and unfortunately I didn't get to see any of the games. I have to be at the office making sure things go well. Calexico got beaten pretty badly (70-0). Is Calexico not good or just ran into an extremely good team? Central barely beat Yucca Valley with a handful of back-up players. Did the Spartans look good or are they in trouble? Brawley also started slow against Desert Hot Springs. Anyone catch that game?

Mario Renteria, Sports Editor

Favre and Phelps and those pesky Olympics.

So it's been a while. Probably too long. There's been a lot going on in the sports world that I've been watching, talking and thinking about and not putting it down on here. So here's some stuff that's peaked my interest.

Favre a Jet?
I know it's like two weeks late, but seriously, he's in the same green for the most part but instead of yellow it's now white as the compliment color. Weird. That stinks because I'm a Midwest guy used to things not changing too much, if at all. And now Brett, the grizzled ole' gun-slinging general, is on the East coast, in New York. He's from Mississippi. He played in Green Bay another smaller market. He's not a big city guy. He just isn't. But he wants to play football and loves to play football so he's going to go somewhere he gets the opportunity to play football. I understand his pride was hurt. They didn't get Randy Moss. Every competitor wants to win and wants to have the best opportunity to win. But I think that Favre was kind of being a baby and should have just swallowed his pride a little bit, had a competition for QB in GB and won it hands down. It's pretty simple. But he was told no and got grounded. Now instead of staying in his room, he's running away from home.

Phelps is a pretty good swimmer-
So the swimmer that's winning all these medals, you might have heard of him, his name is Michael Phelps. From Maryland. Went to the University of Michigan. He's what a lot of little kids should look up to. He works hard, he's dedicated, he's humble and he's intense. He just wants to go out there and win everything. I watched quite a few of his races. In some he was lucky. In some he was pushed by other swimmers but in most of the swims, he BLEW out the comp. Some people might have compared him to Tiger Woods because he's so dominant. That's not a good comparison. I really don't know who to compare him to do any of you? He's really never lost so you have to compared him to someone who's never lost. He's just a one in a million swimmer. I think he's going to push the sport forward and I hope he does.

The rest of the Olympics have been really good to watch. Beach volleyball, both men's and women's. Indoor volleyball, again both sexes. Basketball has played second fiddle to Phelps but they've came out with a purpose. Hopefully they stay focused and an win the gold. That'd be great for them. I still don't think a person, other than maybe Kobe, Wade and Redd can shoot. The NBA is where the biggest, strongest and fastest play. In some instances, you get some of the smarter, coordinated and skilled players but it's super rare to get all six in combination. Back in the day, you had players that were all of the above where as in the past six years or so, all our players were the big guys who couldn't shoot and couldn't play team ball, a solid portion came right from high school or stayed one year in college and jetted. I think that the old Dream Teams would BLOW OUT the new one but at least 10 points. Everyone could shoot, pass, dribble, dunk and run the floor and all of them could play team ball. We'll see if that form comes back to this Redeem Team for the future.

OK, I'll be back sooner than later on this blog, I promise!

James Arens/Sports Writer

I was wrong

So I didn't pick the correct winner. The Celtics won. I think they deserved to win. They had the "Eye of the Tiger" the entire series. I wanted the Pistons to win. I think the Pistons would have had a chance to beat the Lakers if they would have turned on their playing switch and set it to cruise.

So what's going to go on in the NBA this year? The draft is overwith. Pretty much most of the non-blockbuster trades happened during the draft or shortly there after. Jermaine O'neal went to Toronto. Richard Jefferson went to Milwaukee. New Jersey is making room for LeBron. Where's Elton Brand going to go? Corey Maggette? What sort of moves are the Lakers going to make to tweak their runner-up line up?

I still think that L.A. is going to be real dangerous next year with the return of Bynum. Real dangerous. The Lakers did get a great player in this year's draft regardless if he's going to play with the team or in the D-League. Joe Crawford. Detroit native. Tough 6-4 guard that can jump out of the gym when he wants to and can play in the NBA and be a solid 7th or 8th man. Malik Hairston is another Detroit native who oddly enough played on the same team as Joe. Both guys are in the league but Hairston has a little bit better of a chance to make a career out of the NBA.

So who's going to pull off that blockbuster trade to mimic what the Celtics did last year to win a championship? I think that sort of trade can be duplicated. I think Elton Brand, maybe Amare Stoudemire, Marion can be moved to another team and right away contend for a championship. I'm actually pretty curious to see what sort of moves are going to be made in the next week or so. Teams should have some pretty new faces and I hope I recognize them especially if their top-flight athletes.

James Arens/Sports Writer