Mike:

You and Donald are so young....why have you prematurely turned anile?

Very eloquently stated, Marcel.

You too, Mike Oz.

THIS IS NOT THE ONLY THING GOING ON IN FRESNO!!!
GO SEE THE SMOG CITY ROLLER GRRLS ON SATURDAY NIGHT!
They may not be winning any national championships but they sure look good and are very talented as well!

Because I have a view of Fresno that doesn't begin and end with Bulldog athletics, I'm a feeble old lady?

This is a great accomplishment for the baseball team, yes -- but hardly the only great thing Fresno has going for it.

Well put. If I choose to, I have something to do all the time in Fresno. The great thing about this town is that you really do get what you give--Fresno is truly as wonderful as you make it.

Actually Mike, if you searched for Fresno before the CWS win by the Bulldogs, we popped up somewhere in eastern Iowa. But now that they've won, Google has rectified the situation.

Thank Jebus for the CSUF baseball team.

What a bunch of complainers. I've heard nothing but nagging from the beehive on this subject (besides from Felicia).

Can't we just be proud and happy about these boys doing something unbelievable and amazing PERIOD??? Geeeezzz.

Bryan:
I fully acknowledge it's a great accomplishment for the team, that it's an amazing story and that it's something to be proud about.

But I stand by the points made here. I don't think they're negative or nagging, either.

This is not the only thing Fresno has going for it.

Well at the moment... yeah, it kinda is.

I don't necessarily agree with the whole "putting us on the map" and the other talk. But let us celebrate for gods sake!

What a great opportunity: To hold the big celebration and parade on the streets of downtown Fresno and in the downtown stadium. This is a Fresno event; not just a FSU event. How about it?

Mike (and others) have a point. People have tended to overdo it with the mythologizing of the baseball team, even before the national championship was clinched. But I'm all for letting the team -- and the city -- have its due. A celebration is a celebration. I promise to celebrate just as hard for spelling bee champs, Tony Award winners, poets, and anyone else. For the next few days, let's make it the baseball team.

But let's get to the real heart of this post: I think Mike's just a bit upset that the only national sports title San Jose State ever won was in tiddlywinks.

Nowhere did I say don't celebrate or don't be happy.

In fact, here's a parking map for the celebration and some info on the team's arrival at the airport in a half hour.

While I'm excited about the national championship and I think that civic pride is important...I must agree. Cal State Fullerton won the title when I was in school in 2004, I don't think that Betty Jo from Joplin, Missouri thinks of Fullerton now as some glamorous California city.

If we really want to be proud of fresno, let's do something about this .

I listened to the game in it's entirety last night on the radio while building,(same with game 1.)

It's an interesting juxtaposition:

In keeping with Marcel's theme, I think it's excellent that great the ballclub played a great bunch of games.
I think it's excellent that something good in Fresno is being recognized for what it is.

I also look at some of the other blog entries and such speaking about how the athletes had (questionable) gpa's --and there's always the references to criminal behaviors in other sports also at CSUF.
--Then the problems with administration,(McEwens? article.)

What I couldn't help notice was how, during the game, the announcers were constantly blending the individual team players (the high-profile seniors and such,) --with the 'low profile,' freshmen, (emphasising 'team with heart, cohesive team.)
-Okay, got that.
---Then it began to expand out...
past teammates, college leaders, fans, the fans at home, ---fans worldwide... --I mean, it was KMJ, --but it was really 'BullDog Nation,' --and they were right.

(The commercials alone were like
'...Yeah, we do this and that, and we're all professional and all, ---but 'GO Dogs,' We're Bulldog supporters and THAT's what's important..' (Slightly creepy.)

The State School Sport support and devotion here in town is massive and goes for generations (from what I see.)
With this many people basing their identity on 'sports.' You really can't say 'it's only a game.'

It's a religion.

Does saying that take away from the excellence of the plays and players?
No.
These guys have worked hard, and deserve to be rewarded for what they do well, -and have done.

But I wonder how much of it is 'Reasons for everything,' --and a bit of an overreach.

I just (sincerely,) hope that somebody (players, team, parents, alumni, school, town, world ---how far you wanna go.)
Is really planning for what happens once the ballyhoo begins to dissipate.

-People get older, -the body of a pro-athelete does not hold up.
-A 'sport,' as salvation identity (where only a few will make the team, -and only a few will be paid well for what they do?)
---is NOTHING like a solid education and knowledge applied in a credible career.
(I'm hoping that is put up in lights somewhere where folks will be able to see it.)

I mean, party on, it's great...
but yeah keep it in perspective...

(And for a real twist:
-Right now there's a crushing need for nurses on all levels.
-Not only is there a lottery (just to get into classes because there are so few 'seats,' in the training programs, BUT also -(State) requires something like a 3.5 to a 3.7 cum.gpa.?)
---They can raise the barre, because there is such a huge degree of applicants and so few spots in the classes.)-EXTREMELY HARD to just get accepted,
--and then the 'wait,' for classes (lottery,) for a much needed vocation (that pays quite well.)

(What's wild about that?
The nursing shortage has been on for probably a decade and a half, even longer,
---ANY school that has a well built and extensive program in this?
Has guaranteed students... (Students that, when they pass all now raise the economy and 'well-being,' of the community that they're in just by exisiting...

--Still, -in the past ten to fifteen years?
The program is quite small, ---and a real crisis continues.
Nearly every program in this area is jam packed with people who've already 'qualified,' -there just aren't enough open seats for training.

Now:
The sports programs, and money generated through it (for the school,) will bring in millions.

(All for something that (truly? honestly?) benefits very few.
(It's entertainment, -I love entertainment, (arts, sports, music, theatre, (etc.)
Some of my sports of choice make no sense whatsoever, involve high risk and are brutally expensive (with no decent payoff...)

-But I think it would be a stretch to say that college ball clubs 'give back,' and reward the particpants (nor society,) on the level of anything in the health-field.)
(It's great, town/team pride, etc. etc. ---I get it.) But I don't see any real comparison.

Do I think CSUF and Fresno (the town,) should not celebrate with the team?
Absolutely not.
This was good stuff....
Excellence and great work needs to be applauded, (and it's great to see 'the team' not the 'gang,' get so much ink, (though a lot of them got busted last night as well...)

Good hits and excellent double-plays are totally cool.

I just think it would be cool if the programs here in town (for example in nursing,)
--or other careers that are actual 'careers,'
-where people will be earning a great living, taking care of others, giving back to their communities and cultures (etc. etc.)

-I'd like to see them not sitting around as paupers hoping for a bit off the plate,
--but instead recognized, rewarded, funded, -and 'putting the place on the map,' as much as, say, winning a game.

I think somebody at the Bee should maintain a follow up series
--on who these guys were,
who they are now,
--and who and where they're going to be in 3months, 6months, A year or two, FIVE years, --TEN years.

-Not to be invasive (nor to cheapen the victory,)
---just to show a comparisson as to what really happens.

(It would also be interesting to see where all the proceeds and fame from this will be going in the school.)

(I'd love it if somebody walked up to the English Department, or KFSR (or ANY 'non-glamorous' division,) and was like:
'...Dude, you guys have been unsung heroes long enough, here's a few G's, Maybe a Mill,
-go, develop your programs, pay your proffs, teach kids to do this...Build lives in YOUR areas too...)

In the end, yeah, it's a celebration.

---but as far as 'putting the town on the map,'
or
' building real civic pride,'
--or building the community (as a college should?)
This feels like one more quick fix, a 'fast money deal,' and too much attention paid on something,
---where other more important things are going unnoticed and not supported.

Such an image and reputation from any credible 'Learning,' 'Education,' institution?

'Red Flag' going up... in all sorts of ways.

Ooooh snap, Jeffresno!

I agree mike. I don't watch baseball either but when they were getting within 1 win I got a little giddy inside. I was hoping my home team would take it all.

But in no way, shape or form do I feel this will change anyone's perspective on Fresno. No one forgets how we top all those lists right? Car theft, car jacking, homicides, smog, etc.

Regarding the sports history thing. ESPN.com has a great poll up that asks readers to rank the Fresno State baseball win against other big moments in underdog sports history. The results this morning? The 1980 U.S. Hockey team's win at the Olympics was a well-deserved, runaway first place.

Here's the interesting thing, though: The Fresno State baseball team's run was in second place, not far ahead of NC State's miraculous college basketball win over Houston in 1983, as well as Villanova's big run to upset Georgetown in college basketball in 1985.

The comparison to those two big victories, it seems to me, puts the baseball team in more appropriate and proportionate company. Greatest of all time evar in the world? Of course not. Among the greatest in NCAA history? Absolutely.

A few responses:

- @ Jerry: I'm for that -- but do you think the Elbow Room crowd would go Downtown?

- @ Jeffresno: SJSU has one heck of a judo program. Like 30 something national titles when I was there. But this isn't an SJSU/Fresno State thing ... even though the year SJSU went to the CWS and I was trying to watch it at World Sports Cafe, all the Red Wavers were giving me dirty looks. I've let that go.

- @ Ryan: Yes, civic pride is about more than athletics. Athletics can certainly -- and should -- be a part of it, but not the only thing.

- @ Rob: For me, it's not about all the bad stuff that this is masking, it's about all the good stuff that people usually don't excited for. It's like Fresno needs the ESPN stamp of approval to mobilize.

- @ Jeffresno (again): I think putting the "underdog" in there is fair. But when you're just talking about all time greatest sports moments, that's an entirely different conversation.

Mike, thanks for quoting my post to make your point. In it (the post) I also give the boys their well earned kudos and encourage celebrating this wonderful achievement... but in it (the entire post) a broader perspective is also reflected upon.

Now, off to cook lunch. Cheers!

Mike, can I come over and camp in your corner of the Beehive for a couple of days?

The thing to remember, oh hyperbolic sports fans, is that there is ALWAYS an underdog sports-team winner somewhere in the country. Every single year. It's the nature of sports: There's always a guaranteed winner or loser. Sure, you can debate how "rags to riches" this particular Bulldog story is, but the fact remains that there is a College World Series winner every year (and a basketball winner and a lacrosse winner and a women's equestrian winner, and so on), and those honors come with some deliriously excited groups of fans. It's the law of averages. The rest of the country simply doesn't care that much. Think about it: If EVERYONE got this excited about these kinds of stories, the whole country would spend much of the time adding more and more cities to those that have been "put on the map" until it'd overwhelm everyone.

That said, it's a nice local story. It warrants lots of excited coverage. As I've said before, I'm just against the media overkill. Is it a story that warrants wiping out the front page of the local paper and not having anything inside resembling a second front page or at least top-of-the-news roundup? Not in my book.

For an interesting commentary about sports hype, check out this "opinion piece" from the L.A. Times.

How come no one wants to come over and camp in my corner of the Beehive? My corner has Internet porn, half-naked celebrities and kitten videos. I mean, come on...

Go A's!!!

Can't we just be happy for the diamond dogs and forget everything else? Damn.

And Heather if you dirt on Amy Winehouse I'm there.

I am thrilled for the Fresno State Bulldog Baseball team. This is huge for them.

Their celebration has until 7:00 pm tonight to be done and over with because, Bryan Harley, the 4th Season of the Woodward Shakespeare Festival opens "Twelfth Night" and that is something else going on in Fresno.

DON'T HATE, APPRECIATE!

u r so stupid and annoying!

re: first commenter ...

anile?

this is a great discussion
its fun to read everyones posts
thanks for sharing.

here's my opinion
the victory was "HUGE" in the baseball world.
sure a lot of people got caught up in the hype
like it was a soap opera, and those people will never fully understand how "HUGE" winning a national championship is.
now did it put us on the map??????
as far as baseball goes, yes.
but, fresno state baseball has always been on the map. we started the season ranked #25th in the nation (like we usually do). our coach, coach batesole was named coach of the year on june 13th, before we even got to omaha.

its great for the fresno state baseball program
they will get a ton of extra money for making to omaha, let alone winning it. hopefully high school local ball players will want to stay and play for their home team. in state and out of state recruits will be more reluctant to come play here.

people will forget about it in a week or 2

but not people like me
people who played the sport, know the significance
nothing against folks who didnt play.
theres just a major difference..trust me
__

it was cool to see people who can give a s*** about baseball
talking about it and this and that.

we dont have a major sport here to follow
were not like LA who has the lakers, clippers, dodgers, angels.

and for a week we got a glimpse of what it would be like.

now back to reality

Um JohnnyQ..... we don't have a major sport here to follow?? Um.. the Grizzlies feed directly into the SF Giants, the Falcons is affiliated with the SJ Sharks, the Coyotes are a professional arena football team, and the Fuego is a professional soccer team...

seems to me we have a whole lot of sports going on in this town...

Congrats to the Diamond Dogs from someone who frequented Beiden the year Bobby Jones took FSU to Omaha.

And congrats to all the bandwagoners who are busy buying their season tickets for next year, but who probably never went to a game before.

Some questions...

Anybody remember who won the CWS last season? (Follow-up: Anybody care? Anybody really watch NCAA baseball?)

Can a best of three really be considered equal to a March Madness second half comeback?

And how come no one gave a victory parade 10 years ago when the FSU Softball team won the National Championship? (Or did they but no one heard about it?)

Congrats to the ASU Sun Devil softball team who put Tempe on the map after the Women's College World Series, only to be replaced by Fresno! Woo hoo!

Go Grizzlies!

Um, Renee N....do you even read any of Mikes other posts????
What about the Smog City Roller Grrls.
Or is that not considered a sport in your opinion?

mike,
i like how you start the post by congratulating fresno state on winning, but it was apparently invisible when some people read it. i didn't know you had magic skills like that.

and, yes, i'm talking about these two in particular,
"DON'T HATE, APPRECIATE!

Posted by: Bino at June 26, 2008 3:22 PM

*****
u r so stupid and annoying!

Posted by: katy at June 26, 2008 3:35 PM"

keep up the good work, mike. and we fresnans will continue to be myopic.

To Jeffresno: That's very nice about the poll on ESPN.com, but don't you think that such a survey might be a teensy bit influenced by the fact that the question is being posed the DAY AFTER the Bulldog win? Go ahead and stake your claim for bragging rights, but don't try to back it up with so-called "stats" ...

Congratulations to the 'Dogs...from somebody who frequents BOTH Elbow Room and the taco cart at the Fulton Mall. O.O

Thank you MsJoey... I knew I'd forget someone!!! Go SCRG!!!!

Lemme ask this question. Before Fresno State went to the playoffs did any of you care about the baseball program? Why don't you all jump off the band wagon and go on with your lives.

Fresno will always be the ugly step sister of Los Angeles, San Diego, and San Fransisco. We will always be the place that you hate to admit you are from. Get over it!

J (I assume that's your Christian name), I'm proud to admit I'm from Fresno. Always have and always will be.

And let me ask you a question Missy. Why is the fact that people are happy the Dogs won a national championship getting your panties in a bunch? Why does it matter what others think? Does it effect you that much? Perhaps you should practice what you preach and get over it yourself.

And to answer your question, I know a few people who played for them in the past so I got in the habit of following the team and even went to a few games. But I guess that doesn't matter right?

Michael, I think it's great that you know FSU baseball players. Good for you. Here is a pat on the back.

As for me. I am over it. I was simply saying that it is funny to see everyone get all excited over something they didn't care about a month ago.

ummm to renne n
thanks for proving my point that we dont have any major sports teams.
all you did was just name affiliates to major teams.

and i never said we didnt have sports goin on around here
not sure where you got that one from...

OK,Mike. I see your point and Donald's. Really, I do. I wish life was fair. I wish balance and perspective were consistent things.

But, please, this is a rare moment -- a flash in time -- when people are celebrating a historical achievement. It's normal that people (stop wagging your fingers about the average attendance at Bulldog games)want to feel some ownership in something bigger than themselves.

It's called euphoria. Give us all a break. Let us have some fun.

i really couldnt care less. i was only looking for the part where mike oz said someone called him a name.

these same people who think this is the only thing going in fresno, were probably the same people who camped out the nite before Krispy Kreme opened.

mike,

i always read ur column and the beehive, but ur attitude here is not cool. as a fresno state student i think winning the CWS is amazing! cant u just lets us celebrate! things like this dont happen in fresno so just let us have our time, ok thanks.

Give me a break. This is a huge deal that Fresno State won the College World Series. Do you really think people want to talk about seeing some Smog City Roller Girls? AHHAAHA. Come on now, college athletics are a huge deal in the United States. If you don't like it, then move to Siberia or something. Is reporting on some no name band at some place as big as a closet really important? How is that more important than a national championship? Really, your priorities are really off.

JohnnyQ: the Coyotes, Fuego and Smog City Roller Grrls are not affiliates of a "major" sports team... they are the major sports team.

And people... Mike Oz NEVER said do not celebrate, he's just giving perspective on the win and the overblown response it has gotten.

I hope everyone here that's gotten fired up about the post goes out and buys season tickets to support the Bulldogs... I mean since they are so amazing and awesome and wonderful... after the hoopla is over... where will you be?

Nice knowing you Steve.

major sports teams are considered teams that are in major leagues, like the NFL, MLB, and NBA. Of course you can throw in the NHL too.

no disrespect to roller derby but i don't see how that's considered a major sport. it's a sport, but it's not considered up there with the majors. are the Fuego in the MLS? I don't think they are so that's not a "major" sports team.

i don't consider arena football a major sport. if the coyotes won an arena football league title, i don't think the city is going to be throwing a parade. and if they have won a title, i didn't hear about it, haha.

it will be interesting to see if Bieden/Bledsoe Field is packed next season. i remember driving by the field during the night games and day games this season, and it didn't look like more than 20 people were there.

baseball really tests the patience of the casual fan. i hope the stadium is packed next year to see the studs that are coming back to defend the title, but if the bulldogs start off the way they did this past season, i don't think the casual fan will be there to go through the tough times.

kind of like how the fans treat the bulldog football team when they have no chance at the BCS or WAC late in the season.

Hey Steve, I would bet $100 dollars that you've never been to a SCRG bout.
And there are quite a few people who want to not only talk about seeing the grrls but also go out and see the grrls.
Think outside of the box for a minute.
This win for Fresno State is a HUGE deal. And i'm especially proud because i myself am a Bulldog. But to compare it to another sport and overshadow that sport is not only ignorant but quite ridiculous.
Our average attendance during this last season has been well over 1,000 people.
All that without scholarships, boosters and media in our pocket.
I think thats quite a feat for a bunch of "girls" AHAHAAAA!
If you are comparing us to a no named band and the Ernest Valdez hall to a closet, I would suggest you come see us in our "closet" and you'll see that we bring in more fans than a typical ball game at Fresno State BEFORE the win!
Our numbers and success speaks for itself!

Signed
Lola La Chola #17

A couple of replies:

@ brittney: I agree it's amazing. It's in the first paragraph. If you notice, I've never said anything about the players or coaches or anything. My issue here is with a few people who said things there were a bit over the top. To me, it comes down to this: Yes, this was a really cool thing for Fresno. But Fresno was cool a month ago and Fresno will be cool a month from now. For people to say this is all Fresno has going for it, is ridiculous. Can we agree on that?

@ steve: As Lola states, I'd say that SCRG has about as much of a fanbase as the baseball team did pre-CWS. To have to say this is more important than everything else and nothing else matters is exactly the problem.

Yes, this is a good thing for the university and the city -- no one can deny that. But it's a PART of great things happening in Fresno.

Think of it like this, a sports fan in Fresno this weekend can:

- Go/Went to the Fresno State celebration on Thursday
- Go to the Vibe on Kern Street event, then to the Grizzlies game on Friday.
- Go see the Roller Grrls on Saturday

Right?

I agree with Mike. Don’t get me wrong I love that they won, I am a huge sports fan. I watched the games with just as much excitement as everyone else, I went to Beiden Field last night and cheered but I think people are taking it a little too far. The players and the coaches deserve all of the recgonition they are getting but best upset in all of sports history? Not so much.

The real test will be next season…lets see how many people show up for games even when they aren't winning.

And the feminist in me gets a little annoyed because Fresno State has had a great softball team for years, won a national championship, made numerous NCAA appearances, had players play and win at the Olympics and nobody seems to get this excited. Yet they work just as hard and play just as well if not better.

** renne n
no offense but maybe i didnt clarify myself
read the post by mdub420 at June 27, 2008 9:03 AM

**natalie
very well put.
and i can only hope the same success the softball team has had all those years will now bless the baseball team

**mike oz
lets have a cocktail
love ya man
keep rockin

ummm....what's wrong with no name bands playing in closets?...some of us have worked darn hard to play in...oh never mind...

(laughs)

It's funny how one must choose either to be:
1) a supporter who loves loves loves
or
2) a grumbler

What was Mike's and Marcel's original point?

will:

Look it up.
Thanks for playin'.

I'm not a sports fan by any stretch of the imagination, but I got pretty excited for the boys. I liked their interviews, I liked how appreciative they seemed about the support. I especially liked that in spite of the media working on making stars, the team stuck together as one. Good stuff in the world of sports.
What struck me was the parade. A parade for a bunch of baseball players that happened to include a few of our real heroes, the fire department ( or soldiers, or police, or I guess that took a little of the joy of the victory out of my sails. Yes, it's nice that these young men played hard, overcome the odds of their game, and did so with grace and dignity. But goodness everyone else's perspective is so frighteningly skewed that I'm back to the bah humbug sports unfantatic that I was.
It's baseball, folks. It's a game, that's all, a game. I'm happy for them, but the truth is I'm disgusted that our real heroes serve as the backdrop, the limo service of a bunch of baseball players.
bah humbug.

Last time I checked, the Fresno Fuego were the minor league soccer team to the MLS, the Coyotes are in AFL2, not even the main arena football league, and the Roller Girls aren't even relevant to be discussed in the same sentence as a Divison one baseball national championship. Were the Roller Girls on ESPN for essentially 3 straight weeks in primetime? I don't think so. These are just simple facts.

no the rollergrrls were only on ESPN radio for like 3 minutes yesterday but it can be arranged that they come to your house 3 straight weeks in a row and kick your ass with their roller skates on!
just sayin' ;)

~Lola

ps. relax Steve, take a breath and a minute to yourself.

Steve:
I'm still curious to hear your retort to the fact that an independent, self-promoted, self-funded roller derby team in its second year draws pretty close to what the College World Series winning baseball team (which is tied into Division I college athletics) draws at its home field.

Or does everything pre-CWS not count anymore?

Don't tell me that. I was at all the home games and guess what, I didn't see you at any of them. I guess you were too busy covering some band in a closet that will never get signed to a major record deal or covering some "women" on roller skates beating each other up. Mike, I get what your point is and believe me, if I could punch everyone of those bandwagon losers in the face for not supporting the team, I would. I am sure the viewers of roller derby are at the top of the socio-economic ladder and all, but does quantity of viewers really count when dealing with food stamp recipients? At least at Beiden Field, the fans don't resemble the Raider Nation. And, whether there is 2 or 2,000 at a home game, at least I wouldn't have to fear for my life while watching a game from fellow spectators who look like they just got released from San Quentin.

Mike O... Dude. You are seriously wrong on this issue. First problem. Fresh off what is being called by the national media (yeah national media, that means millions of people read it as opposed to..) as a miraculous event in sports, you include the words "let's not get too carried away".. Why? I know you made points later in the body of your article about what you were trying to imply, and have responded to posts here as well with the same defense. But the one fact that you cannot deny is that history was made, regardless of how important you may deem it to be. What we saw, what THEY did. That is really important. How can 'we" in Fresno of all places not get carried away by what happened and yet the national media's front story is Fresno State and the fact that these young men went a month doing what they did and ended up on top. Once again, I get your side point about the whole putting Fresno on a map thing, and it does make sense. But there is a time and a place for such things. I get it, you are doing your best to make Fresno seem cooler than just sports, but you know what. Fresno likes Sports. Fresno likes The Wire. Fresno likes waterslides. Fresno likes a whole plethera of things... But as of Wednesday this week. Fresno liked their Diamond Dogs, and their will, and their youth and their spirit. Sounds hard to believe, but that spirit actually eeked its way into many of us. As weird as it sounds, that is how it works. I get your schtick about bringing "cool" to Fresno all the way from up north, but for at least one week, may I beg of you to just let it go, let your ideas and opinions go, and stop writing for at least one day...? If I may attempt to sum it up, let me do with one anecdote. Setting: Bally's Gym, NW Fresno. FSU hit the go ahead HR in game two after falling behind 5-0. We were all doing our things on various forms of equipment, ages, ethnicities, and interest in all things called sports. Yet, despite all of that, the entire gym erupted in a collecive yell and fist bump when the ball flew over the fence. I will never forget that moment, for I was in Fresno, in gym shorts nonetheless, and I felt like I was in Philly watching the Eagles winning the Superbowl. It was truly a transcendental moment. I was in Fresno, and I was experiencing that!! For the first time, it felt like a real community, a city! Hence the power of sports. As silly as it may sound, it happened. And it was way cool, and being this is a "cool" blog and you seem to be all about promoting Fresno, I was disappointed with your tone of the article. You ignored what makes Fresno special. While we are not opposed to clubs and good food, we are especially inclined towards our boys (and girls) doing good. And in this particular case, I must say, they did pretty damnd good, assuming that national championships are a good thing that is.

The baseball team's national championship is an unbelieveable accomplishment and they deserved a better victory parade than having a radio/sports personality reciting a cornball poem and putting the players on the spot to speak, that was ridiculous. You could see the players cringe at the schmaltzy display of nerdiness. These kids earned the right to let loose and celebrate. You wonder if Georgia lost on purpose so they could get a kick out of watching Loeffler embarrassing himself. Where was Mike Eagles?

Wow.

I haven't seen so much outright prejudice expressed openly in a very long time.

"some "women" on roller skates beating each other up" ...

Yeah. That's not very interesting. It would probably be more interesting if it were men.

"if I could punch everyone of those bandwagon losers in the face for not supporting the team" ...

And this is such a very valid sentiment. After all, it's not a good thing that a few people who might have previously been indifferent MAY have finally seen the value of the local university sports teams and decided to get a clue and support them. So what if it's a little late. Better late than never. Maybe some of them will stick and be supportive in the future.

But who wants that? Let's just punch them in the face instead. Thanks for your support folks. You didn't know, you finally got a clue, so lets punish you for it.

"I am sure the viewers of roller derby are at the top of the socio-economic ladder and all, but does quantity of viewers really count when dealing with food stamp recipients? At least at Beiden Field, the fans don't resemble the Raider Nation."

Yeah. So the successful (NOT POOR), smart, beautiful woman I met at a REALLY nice engagement party last night, who said she's going to see the SCRG on Saturday should be considered to be on food stamps? I'll bet that would be news to her and all her equally successful, smart, well-dressed friends who are going with her...

As for the rest... On the one hand, not enough people are being supportive of one sports team... but when MANY people are supportive of ANOTHER kind of sport... they're... what, lowlifes? Because that sport isn't your cup of tea?

Maybe baseball fans are lowlifes, and less than worthy to ardent followers of sports like polo, lacrosse, or yacht racing.

No. I don't think so. But surely that illustrates just how incredibly classist such statements are.

People like what they like.

I don't like baseball. Yet I'm THRILLED for the CSUFresno baseball team that trained, worked, and played their hearts out to win a well-deserved champsionship.

See, it's possible to be happy about things that aren't necessarily of your personal interest.

One last note. How DO you think all those super-popular bands that are played far too much on corporate radio got started? Sometime, somewhere, they weren't that good, and they were playing in somebody's garage... or maybe in a little venue the size of a closet. And they kept doing that, and got better, and didn't give up, even when people discounted them for not living, or playing, on the North side of town.

Steve,

you just dug yourself a nice little hole i'd like to see you work your way out of.
as for any comments you made about a sport you obviously know nothing about(fighting isnt allowed in roller derby) and group of people you ignorantly regard as food-stamp recipients, i wont respond because your ignorance speaks volumes and why would i even stoop to your level?
although, i'm sure you'll respond to this with something you no-doubtly think is clever.

Careful Joey, he may call you a poo poo head or something.

And congrats on the win the other night. Wish I was able to go but I had to help my girlfriend with something.

And as much as I love baseball, if I had to chose I'd go roller derby. But that's just me and what do I know?

I think I just fell in love with Joy.

What I love ( not ) is that Steve-O there wants to punch everyone in the face and then a few lines later fears for his life when thinking of a roller-derby game. Spoken like a true bat-B O Y.

If so many people go to see roller derby and it is such a big deal, why do you have so many financial problems? I would love to hear the answer. Also, I think you misunderstood when I said "women." I was making the point that nobody wants to see WWE Chyna clones skating around. Not anyone who doesn't receive welfare checks that is for sure. It is like a circus freakshow that the only people who would watch would be out of sheer astonishment at the horror they are witnessing. Spin it however you want, anyone that matter would rather watch a baseball game than Chynas on skates, unless your name is Rosie Odonnell.

dear steve,
i am not on welfare. none of my friends are on welfare. in fact, i'm not sure if i know anyone on welfare, not that it matters if we were. are we to assume that people on welfare don't go to baseball games, or that they only enjoy "sports entertainment" like wwe?

and i totally see how everyone misunderstood that you were talking about wwe chyna clones skating around, especially since you never mentioned that once. you did say "women" and i guess for you that equates with chyna clones. maybe the rest of us are dense and need it explained in a little more detail.

does the league have financial problems? well, i haven't seen their bank account. sure, they do car washes to help support their league, but i'm sure that it's quite expensive to rent valdez hall, afford liability insurance, and promote a match, especially when you don't have the millions of dollars to build a stadium and promote your sport, like a state university does. and yet, they had a pretty full house of people paying $12-$15 a head. at least one of their pre-sale locations (retro rag) sold out of tickets. i would imagine that the attendance @ the three matches i've been to over would be comparable to three fresno state baseball games from last season. btw, you still haven't answered the repeated question about attendance at beiden field last year. are you dodging that question, unaware of the answer, or unwilling to admit that average attendance at fsu baseball games is the same or less than at scrg matches?

finally, college baseball is a distant third to college football and college basketball. as a sports fan, you should realize that. yes, the cws was on espn, but the national spelling bee has been as well. i don't say this to diminish the accomplishment of the fsu baseball team. they played well, and won the second national title in fsu history (let's not forget that women's sport that did it first, softball.) but we shouldn't pretend that college baseball is the be all and end all of sports, and that we should degrade other things that are going on in fresno because our college baseball team accomplished something. instead, let's take time to sensibly celebrate what they accomplished, keep it in perspective, and enjoy everything else that fresno has going for it.

Thank you so much Ed for saying all the things i was going to say.
As for our financial situation, I'm not sure were you got the idea we had problems. Do we need some extra help sometimes? yes. We never started this league to make money. If that was the case we would have accepted the offers from various Fresno investors. We are league owned and operated which means what we do comes out of my salary along with the rest of the grrls salaries.....none of which are provided by the state of California. And all of those expenses Ed spoke of and more cost way WAY more than you might imagine. But its worth it, every car wash, bake sale, benefit concert we do is worth it because we cannot put a price tag on the joy we feel when we skate out to a standing room only crowd hearing our names called out, knowing we are providing something unique for Fresno. its so worth the hard work on and off the track.
I wonder why you have become so negative towards a group of women whom you've never met nor do you know anything about.
I'll extend the offer of 2 complimentary tickets to our September 26 bout at the Valdez Hall because i'm not easily offended and I am 100% confident that once you have seen us skate and have learned about the resurgence of roller derby and what a valid and legitimate sport is has become, you'll be won over and will be forced to like us.
Because after all, where you speak from is ignorance. we've all been accused of that so dont feel bad. just open your mind.

Ed, I already addressed the question by saying that I was at Beiden Field for all of the games and if I could I would punch all the bandwagon fans in the face that were off doing less important things such as watching roller girls. I am sure you can read as I clearly stated my response.

As far as "women," I am basing my opinion of the roller girls being WWE Chyna clones on their bios and videos that were so greatly posted by Osegueda. I am not blind, and the opinion I have of them resembling WWE wrestlers has been said by many people. If you find that kind of "woman" attractive I assume you were probably the number one buyer of Balco drugs, or you must be blind.

I realize college baseball is a distant third to football and basketball. I also realize that college softball is a distant tenth to mostly all male sports which actually generate revenue and don't have a coach willing to try to ruin the university for her own selfish reasons. If you feel like supporting a woman content on making life miserable for many for her own pleasure, then I guess you must be like Al Renolyds if you get my drift.

Um, the spelling bee is on espn for one day, not 3 weeks like Fresno State was on. The only reason the spelling bee is on espn is that disney owns both abc and espn, with abc televising the finals. I think a first grader knows that.

Why the hell would I support single mothers who aren't even college graduates which comprise the roller girls? I would rather support college athletes who are going to college as well as play sports, than "women," who are just a statistic which downgrade the city of Fresno. Response?

Steve,
i think the collective commentators heave a big exasperated sigh for you.
you are an angry person.
i am a single mother and i am still toiling away at Fresno State but none of my personal business is in question here yet you call it out as if it were the last thread you have to hold on to.
and to resort to insulting our appearances.....well, i just have to say you are a sad little man.

Steve, normall I don't feed trolls. But for your ignorant ass I'll make an exception.

Your assumptions show how ignorant and just plain stupid you are. To assume that the grrls aren't even college grads is plain ludicrious. Joey is a college grad (from CSUF I may add), though I doubt you read that in her interview since you obiviously only read what you want to read. I bet the other girls are as well. I had the honor to hang out with them one night passing out flyers in Tower and they are some of the most intelligent women I have met, the fact they play a full contact sport makes them that much cooler.

What really makes me laugh is you are making these stupid accusations behind the safety of a keyboard where you know no one will have the chance to kick your ass (and I imagine with each post of yours the line gets longer). Why don't you do us all a favor and just shut up. At least the SCRG bring pride to this city. You just bring ignorance.

How's that for a response clownshoe?