The Rise of Bite Size Games

            This generation of video games has certainly introduced its fair share of problems to the game industry. The rise of downloadable content, the prominence of annually released franchises, and the sharp increase in popularity of social games are three of the biggest concerns of the average “hardcore” gamer. We worry that the industry will be taken over by Call of Duty and Farmville, leaving no room for innovation and the franchises held near and dear to our hearts. While I can’t argue that these aren’t disappointing trends in the game industry, I think that this generation has introduced some good things as well.

            While many are concerned about the medium-budget releases that can’t compete with AAA games, I think that the rise of smaller, downloadable games in the $15 price range can make up for that. Microsoft’s Xbox Live Arcade and Sony’s PSN Store have helped bring these games to prominence on consoles, while Valve’s Steam has allowed hundreds of smaller games to reach much larger audiences. These games don’t offer the length of single player games that higher budget games do (in general), but the lower price tag makes it a justifiable purchase despite the lower amount of content.

            I think that the shorter length of these games allows for more unique concepts to be tried out. When a single playthrough takes only 6 hours, the gameplay, story, and setting don’t get old to the player. Developers don’t feel the pressure to create more content to satisfy players, and as a result, the content in the game is often very enjoyable. Take Limbo, for example. The game is only a few hours long, but almost all of the puzzles are well-designed, challenging, and interesting. I would rather have a few have 3-4 hours of great content for a quarter of the price of 15 hours of mediocre content.

            The business model of these games is much different from an AAA game, and I think it allows for more innovation. Developers are more likely to try new, unique gameplay and settings for their games, as these games generally don’t have amazing graphics or physics engines, keeping development costs much lower. The Summer of Arcade promotion on XBLA has helped to promote some great games, such as Limbo and Bastion. Gamers are more likely to take a chance on games when they are cheaper, and discounting the games on Steam often brings a lot of revenue to the developers. The developers of Limbo were able to use revenue from the game to buy their studio back from investors, and Bastion sold over 500,000 copies in 2011, which is only 5 months of sales. Hopefully this continues to encourage developers to innovate and not be afraid of smaller releases. 

Toronto Argonauts vs. Hamilton Tiger-Cats Running Diary

The final game of the week in the CFL is the Ontario rivalry, Toronto vs. Hamilton. Can the Tiger-Cats get their first win of the year? Or will new Argonaut quarterback Ricky Ray lead his team to victory? Running backs Chevon Walker (Hamilton) and Cory Boyd (Toronto) will play key roles in this game. Without further ado, my second running game diary of the day!

1^st quarter

14:59 – Returner for the Ti-Cats runs out of bounds quickly.

14:39 – Chevon Walker with a short run out of a clear run formation.

14:00 – Andy Fantuz can’t make the catch, good defense by the Argos.

13:49 – Chad Owens can’t get much on the return, he’ll need to do better than that during this game.

13:24 – Ricky Ray finds Andre Durie in the flat, who manages to break a tackle and gain 13 yards.

13:03 – Short pass to Jason Barnes.

12:29 – Big stop for the Hamilton defense, led by Jamal Johnson, who prevents Cory Boyd from gaining any yards.

12:01 – Two-and-out for both teams on their first offensive drives.

11:42 – Pitch to Chevon Walker, who gains 5 yards before getting hammered by the Argos.

11:01 – 22 yard catch over the middle by Andy Fantuz, well-thrown by Burris.

10:23 – Burris shrugs off the pressure, but can’t complete the pass. Hamilton wants pass interference.

10:01 – Burris looks for Giguere over the middle, but is unable to complete the pass.

9:35 – 6 yard loss on that play, Jermaine McElveen had that read.

8:19 – Burris takes a big hit as he throws, resulting in an incomplete pass.

7:56 – Another incomplete pass from Burris, looking for Dave Stala.

7:46 – Wow, big hit on Owens. Not worth the 15 yard penalty, however.

I’m not sure if both defenses have been very good so far, or if both offenses have been struggling.

7:22 – Nice play by Andre Durie, but Chad Owens was offside.

7:01 – Swing pass to Andre Durie gains 6 yards. I like what the Argos are doing here, working the short routes like that.

6:44 – Hamilton defensive back Jeff Tisdale can’t make the interception, and Toronto will punt it away.

6:20 – Solid return, and there’s a flag on the play.

5:59 – Nice 8 yard run by Chevon Walker. The TiCats should capitalize on this good field position.

5:21 – Walker bounces it outside and gains a first down.

4:48 – A rocket from Burris to Chris Williams, touchdown Hamilton. Good read on the Argos’ coverage, Burris knew where to get the ball to Williams.

4:00 – Handoff to Boyd as the Argos fake a reverse, only a 3 yard gain.

3:21 – Ricky Ray scrambles and throws to Jason Barnes, who can’t hang on. McElveen continues to put pressure on the Argos.

2:38 – What happened there? Walker has nowhere to run as the Argos burst through the line of scrimmage.

1:56 – Burris finds Walker on the screen, who manages to break some tackles before being brought down. Hamilton needs to give Walker more protection.

1:34 – Owens fumbles the ball, Hamilton recovers! Toronto is quick to challenge the call. I can hear “Call Me Maybe” being played in the background. For shame, Hamilton. You’re better than that.

1:34 – That will be a major momentum swing. Hamilton gets great field position and the chance to go up by 14.

1:19 – Walker just short of the first down, seems to be getting better blocking on that play.

0:46 – Burris finds Samuel Giguere for a 13 yard gain.

0:08 – Touchdown Hamilton! Burris finds Andy Fantuz, who gets his first touchdown as a Tiger-Cat. That must be debilitating for the Argos.

0:00 – The Argos have negative rushing yards after 1 quarter. They’ll look to establish the running game during this game.

2^nd quarter

14:30 – Ricky Ray finds Cory Boyd in the flat, who gains about 2 yards on the play.

13:40 – Ray finds Durie over the middle, but he’s short of the first down. The Argos need to be a little more aggressive on offense.

13:02 – 87 yard return for Chris Williams, but there’s a flag on the play.

13:02 – Touchdown Hamilton! This game is quickly spiraling out of control for the Argos.

12:23 – Quick 9 yard run by Cory Boyd. If the Argos can keep him involved in the game, they can make a comeback.

10:59 – Ricky Ray’s pass is too short for Jeff Johnson. I expected him to make that throw.

10:41 – Andre Durie makes another good catch, gaining 15 yards and a first down. He seems to be the most reliable receiver for the Argos.

9:33 – Big pass to Dontrell Inman! Toronto is gaining confidence.

9:21 – Pass interference on Hamilton, big mistake on their part. 1^st and goal for the Argos.

9:05 – Ray looks deep in the end zone for Jason Barnes, but the pass is too far.

8:44 – Big hit on Ray, looks like the Argos will have to kick a field goal.

8:33 – Hamilton leads 21-3. Toronto is finally on the board.

7:17 – Burris runs, but short of the first down. Hamilton will have to punt this time.

7:16 – What’s the over/under on how many times the announcers mention Josh Bartell’s Aussie Rules football experience?

6:37 – Toronto’s left guard is injured; looks like it might have been his arm or leg.

6:19 – Ricky Ray gets sacked. The left tackle just got embarrassed by Boudreaux.

5:28 – Chevon Walker is chased out of bounds, leads to 2^nd and 12.

5:05 – Burris throws it away, but there’s pass interference on the play.

4:51 – Andy Fantuz drops a beautiful pass from Henry Burris, which would likely have resulted in a touchdown.

4:39 – Hamilton gets a point on that punt after a good roll.

4:16 – Nice play by Chad Owens, who gains 14 yards on the catch.

3:43 – Ray finds Durie for a 7 yard catch.

3:20 – Cory Boyd makes a nice cutback and breaks a tackle to get to the TiCats’ 36 yard line.

2:37 – Ricky Ray throws it a bit too far for Chad Owens, and the Argos will have to settle for a field goal try again.

2:27 – Samuel Giguere almost makes a great diving catch.

2:23- Burris throws to Chris Williams in the flat, but it’s incomplete. This should be a good chance for the Argos to score again.

2:12 – Owens keeps running and gets to midfield.

2:08 – Ricky Ray bounces another pass. Very uncharacteristic of him.

2:03 – That’s the easiest pass interference call these refs will ever make.

1:55 – Ricky Ray finds Spencer Watt, who gains 15 yards and a first down.

1:49 – Huge hit on Ray as he fires across the middle for Jason Barnes, who can’t hang on.

1:42 – Ray finds Spencer Watt wide open for a first down.

1:20 – Chad Owens dives for a pass in the end zone, but it’s incomplete. However, there’s another pass interference call on the TiCats. Argos get the ball at the 1 yard line.

1:15 – Cory Boyd runs hard, but can’t get in the end zone.

1:05 – Touchdown Toronto! Jarious Jackson scores on the QB draw.

0:53 – Bakari Grant fumbles, giving the Argos very good field position. The TiCats are showing a real lack of concentration.

0:48 – Short pass to Dontrelle Inman.

0:25 – Ricky Ray feels pressure and starts running, managing to gain 3 yards.

0:00 – What a return! Chris Williams takes advantage of lazy tackling from the Argos and good blocking to return the missed field goal 110 yards for a touchdown. That was a very bizarre change of momentum.

3^rd quarter

11:05 – Did the Argos squander another good chance to get a touchdown?

10:43 – Burris calls an audible, TiCats look off-balance.

9:52 – Fake handoff allows Burris to roll right and find Andy Fantuz for a big gain.

8:52 – Hamilton’s drive gets stalled at the 44 yard line.

8:25 – Big run for Cory Boyd, gain of 16. That’s what they need him to do going forward.

7:47 – Ricky Ray throws off his back foot, finding Chad Owens for a 9 yard gain. Well executed play action fake.

7:05 – Cory Boyd finds space and gets the first down.

6:25 – Nice cutback by Boyd, who is bumped out near the TiCat 30.

6:03 – The reliable Andre Durie makes another catch, this time for 9 yards.

5:43 – The short yardage team comes in, and Jarious Jackson is able to get the first down.

4:44 – Short pass to Boyd on 2^nd down, short of the first.

3:19 – Fantuz can’t hang on to another pass, and the Argos will get the ball back.

2:37 – Great diving catch by Jason Barnes, but Hamilton is going to challenge that call.

2:22 – The call gets reversed, and the Argos will need a quick stop on defense.

0:58 – Huge return by Chad Owens, showing off his great speed.

0:00 – Cory Boyd showing a lot of power, dragging the pile inside the 5 yard line and putting the Argos in great position to score.

4^th quarter

14:05 – Touchdown Argonauts! Cory Boyd with another powerful run, and Toronto is right back in the game.

12:04 – The Argos threaten again as Cory Boyd picks up a first down.

11:30 – Ricky Ray underthrows Andre Durie in the end zone.

11:09 – Ray seems very streaky today.

10:02 – No one open downfield, so Burris takes off and gains 23 yards on a run.

9:06 – Burris with a solid 14 yard run for the first down. The Argos need to contain him.

8:05 – Play action allows Samuel Giguere to get open for a 12 yard catch.

6:59 – Burris fires to Bakari Grant for a touchdown. Great play by Grant to hold on to the ball.

6:16 – Ray finds Chad Owens down the sideline for a nice 17 yard gain. The Argos are really starting to feel the pressure of the clock.

5:18 – Deep ball to Chad Owens is deflected by Matt Bucknor, forcing the Argos to punt.

4:55 – Bad field position for the TiCats.

4:30 – Very good execution on the play action, Burris finds an open Chevon Walker in the flat for a 22 yard gain.

4:10 – Walker stopped just short of the first down.

2:52 – Gutsy call by Hamilton, but Burris manages to pick up the first down.

2:30 – Walker makes a good cutback before getting hit hard.

2:05 – The Argos get the stop despite Walker’s great efforts to break free of tackles.

1:51 – Ricky Ray throws an interception! A very uncharacteristic game from the great Ricky Ray.

Despite a great effort from Cory Boyd, who had 19 carries for 168 yards, the Argonauts lost to their provincial rivals. Henry Burris had a mere 44% completion percentage, but the TiCats managed to be more effective in the red zone. I will give the Argos credit; they did well for a team that was down 21-0 in the 2^nd quarter.

BC Lions vs. Saskatchewan Roughriders running diary

Welcome to my running diary of the BC Lions vs. Saskatchewan Roughriders game. I love being able to enjoy football in July. You should know that I’m a Riders fan, so my bias will come through sometimes. We pick it up part way through the first quarter, with the Lions leading 3-0.

1st quarter

9:36, 1^st quarter – Darian Durant escapes a lot of pressure, gets a first down. Unfortunately, the Roughriders pick up a penalty, first and 15.

9:14 – short out to Getzlaf.

8:55 – Offside on the BC Lions, leads to 2^nd and 1.

8:30 – Kory Sheets gives Rider fans some excitement with his cutbacks. Very tough 3 yard run to get the first down. The commentators inform us that Sheets is really enjoying playing in the CFL.

7:24 – Local Jordan Sisco makes a big catch for the first down. Durant keeps the play alive again.

6:45 – Kory Sheets with a short run, good cut to pick up a few yards.

6:04 – Getzlaf gets wide open on a curl, picks up the first down. Unfortunately, he can’t pull away from the defender.

5:00 – Riders barely get the play off, but Durant finds Dressler for a first down.

4:59 – Never mind, offsides on the Riders.

4:34 – Nice run by Durant, just a couple yards short of the first down. Set up by a nice holding non-call on the Riders’ left guard.

3:54 – Saskatchewan ties it up with a field goal. Dressler is holding for the kicker, apparently.

3:22 – DAMN IT! That happened way too fast. Poor tackling and positioning from the Riders’ secondary. Lions lead 10-3.

2:58 – Solid return, out to the 37 yard line. Tristan Jackson is hobbling after that return. Hopefully he’s ok.

2:39 – Handoff to Sheets, who gains a few yards but can’t escape the tackle.

2:00 – Short slant to Rob Bagg, the reliable receiver, picking up the first down. One thing I notice is how much smaller some of the Roughriders receivers are compared to the receivers of other teams.

0:41 – Short pass to the sideline, but the Lions get a facemask penalty that leads to a first down.

0:12 – Double tight end formation makes the shovel pass somewhat obvious. Sheets with a 6 yard gain.

0:00 – Wow, that would have been an amazing catch by Sisco. Lions up 10-3 after the first quarter.

2^nd quarter

14:34 – Chris Milo misses a 43 yard field goal, the dangerous Tim Brown brings it out of the end zone. Fortunately, he’s tackled at the 8 yard line. Rob Bagg, the reliable wide receiver for the Riders, hurt himself on the last play. I really hope he’s ok, it would be bad to lose such an integral part of the team.

14:10 – Handoff to Andrew Harris, who is stopped for no gain. Mosaic Stadium is getting very loud right now.

13:26 – Tyron Brackenridge breaks up the pass; the Lions will have to punt from deep in their own territory. The Riders should get good field position.

12:55 – Short punt, Riders get it at the 35 yard line. I’m not totally sure what happened there.

12:05 – Rob Bagg is back in the game, and immediately gets involved. Durant just overthrows the wide open Bagg, and the Riders have to settle for a field goal. Disappointing to waste such great field position.

10:47 – A false start penalty on the Lions causes Rider fans to get even louder.

10:20 – Willis comes shooting off the edge, and Lulay barely escapes him. Keith Shologan, the big defensive tackle, makes the tackle as Lulay scrambles.

10:15 – Craig Butler comes up with a big interception! Great defensive performance on that drive.

9:13 – Weston Dressler with an amazing catch! How did he come up with that? Pass interference on the play, Dressler manages to get an arm under the ball to roll it on to his body and secure it. Seems like a bad play to challenge, unless the Lions have some reason to think they can stop the Riders from the 1-yard line.

9:11 – The pass is ruled incomplete. I’m surprised, it didn’t seem like there was enough evidence to overturn it. Oh well, Riders ball on the 1.

8:49 – QB draw, not quite enough to get the touchdown.

8:38 – Touchdown Kory Sheets! Nice jump over one of the BC Lions. 13 – 10 Saskatchewan.

7:32 – 2 yard run, Riders defense holds strong.

6:52 – Lions now struggling, another false start penalty makes it 2^nd and 13. Rider fans are getting even louder.

6:28 – Nice pass from Lulay to Geroy Simon, first down for the Lions.

5:50 – Outside handoff to Andrew Harris, who gets 7 yards.

5:27 – Direct snap to Andrew Harris, who appears to be just short of the first down. I think the Lions should go for it if they don’t get the first down.

5:14 – 3^rd and less than a yard, and the Lions are going for it.

4:57 – The Lions will pick up the first down.

4:10 – Fake handoff to Tim Brown, but the Lions only pick up 2 yards on the pass.

3:25 – Lulay throws deep to Arlan Bruce, but the pass is too far and goes out of bounds.

3:02 – Well executed coffin corner punt from Paul McCallum, and the Riders will start from their own 8 yard line.

2:44 – Durant looks for Bagg on a short in route, but he can’t hold on.

2:29 – Clutch play from Darian Durant, who undoubtedly feels the pressure, but finds Chris Getzlaf for a first down.

2:24 – Handoff to Sheets up the middle, 3 yard gain.

1:58 – Big first down pass to Jordan Sisco! The Riders get into Lions territory, with momentum.

1:38 – Fake handoff to Kory Sheets, but the pass to Weston Dressler gets only 3 yards.

1:11 – Durant scrambles right, as he’s under pressure, and is forced to throw it away. The punt team comes on for the first time of the game.

1:03 – Very good punt from Chris Milo, and the Lions will get the ball at their own 8 yard line.

0:58 – Lulay finds Jackson, who is bumped out near the first down. Short yardage team will come on for 2^nd and inches.

0:54 – First down Lions, on the quarterback draw.

0:45 – Paris Jackson makes another catch, this time gaining 7 yards.

0:37 – Lulay throws to Geroy Simon for the first down. The Lions are slowly picking away at the Riders.

0:27 – Great throw from Lulay, who is hit as he throws. First down Lions.

0:18 – The Lions make it into Rider territory with a catch by Arlan Bruce. McCallum is warming up on the sideline.

0:09 – Andrew Harris catches the ball in open space and runs out of bounds at the 43 yard line.

0:04 – Geroy Simon makes a solid catch before getting absolutely demolished by Rider safety Craig Butler. BOOM!

0:00 – McCallum capitalizes with a field goal. We enter halftime tied 13-13. I was expecting more scoring after the first quarter, but overall this has been an excellent game between two very talented teams.

3^rd quarter

14:55 – Decent return from Louis Rankin, good to see the former Washington Husky is still doing well.

14:20 – 7 yard pass to Weston Dressler.

13:59 – Kory Sheets appears to have the first down, but not by much. He won’t have great stats at the end of the game, but he has been running with power.

13:11 – Durant steps up in the pocket and nearly finds Efrem Hill deep.

12:48 – Incomplete pass as Durant looks for Dressler. Flag on the play, holding on the Riders, who will have to punt it away.

12:30 – Tim Brown brings it out to the 36 yard line. The Riders special teams players have been very effective today, and have apparently been dubbed “The Canadian Hair Force”.

12:09 – 6 yard run by Tim Brown to the right side.

11:25 – Marco Iannuzzi makes his first catch of the season for a first down.

10:46 – 8 yard catch by Geroy Simon.

10:06 – First down Lions on a run by Tim Brown.

9:22 – Andrew Harris picks up 7, and the Riders jump on the pile as if there is a fumble. It looks like the play will be challenged. It’s hard to tell if Andrew Harris’ forward progress was stopped before the fumble.

8:57 – The call on the field is upheld, and Riders fans begin booing the refs.

8:37 – Lulay is under a lot of pressure from the Riders defensive line, and barely manages to get it away.

8:04 – McCallum misses a 45-yard field goal, and Tristan Jackson brings it out of the end zone. He manages to pick up a few blocks and bring it out to midfield, getting the Riders fans excited again.

7:47 – Kory Sheets picks up 6 yards on a run up the middle.

7:05 – First down Riders, pass to Getzlaf.

6:38 – Durant gets sacked for the first time, 7 yard loss.

6:20 – Anthony Reddick’s injury could be a big problem for the Lions if it’s serious.

5:59 – There appears to be a penalty on the Lions. The replay shows that it’s a good call.

5:30 – Dressler makes a good catch for the first down.

4:54 – Durant finds Kory Sheets for a short gain in the flat.

4:15 – Pass broken up by Muamba, and the Riders will have to go for a field goal.

4:04 – Chris Milo makes a 33 yard field goal, and the Riders take the lead, 16-13.

3:31 – Swing pass to Andrew Harris, who picks up 15 yards and a first down.

2:51 – Fake handoff to Harris, and Lulay’s pass is batted down at the line of scrimmage.

2:24 – Lulay escapes the blitz and gets a first down, tough break for the Riders.

1:43 – Andrew Harris gains 5 yards on a very tough run.

1:02 – Geroy Simon makes the catch for a first down, continuing to make plays on the short routes.

0:21 – Tim Brown runs for 5 yards, and one of the Lions’ offensive lineman comes up hobbling.

0:00 – Lulay looks deep for Simon, who has a step on defenders, but the pass is too far.

4^th quarter

14:20 – TOUCHDOWN RIDERS! Jackson just pulls away from defenders on what initially looked like a poor decision to bring the football out of the end zone. Quite the turnaround on a play that could have tied the game. Paul McCallum will likely be a scapegoat if the Lions lose.

13:59 – The official verdict is a 129-yard return. Can’t get better than that.

13:20 – Nice pass from Lulay to Jackson, who has been very reliable this game. 31 yard gain.

12:41 – Lulay steps up to avoid the pressure and flips it to Andrew Harris. No gain on what was ruled an incompletion.

12:16 – Short gain on the play, Willis makes another tackle.

12:05 – Incredible punt from McCallum, it goes out at the 1 yard line.

11:41 – Swing pass to Rob Bagg, who gains 8 yards and gives the Riders room to breath.

11:18 – Kory Sheets spins and makes a nice gain, but the Lions claim that he fumbled and they recovered the ball. Pushing and shoving from both teams after the play. Call on the field is a fumble.

11:09 – Unsurprisingly, the Riders challenge the play. Looks like they might get the call overturned.

10:45 – Durant scrambles and escapes the pressure, making a 5 yard pass to Louis Rankin.

10:10 – Quick pass to Dressler is incomplete.

9:50 – The Canadian Hair Force strikes again, preventing Tim Brown from gaining any yards on the return.

9:27 – Great play by Lulay to avoid being sacked and throw the ball away. Mosaic Stadium is the loudest it’s been all game.

9:04 – Lulay barely overthrows Arlan Bruce, and the Riders defense manages to force a punt.

8:27 – Durant fakes a handoff and runs to the right side, taking a big hit on a gain of 4.

7:40 – Sheets takes a handoff up the middle, bouncing off a defender and gaining 4 tough yards. Not enough for the first down, unfortunately. That was only the second 2-and-out of the game for Saskatchewan, apparently.

6:46 – Lions need to score on this drive.

6:34 – Well that was quick. Lulay breaks a tackle on a very nice 43-yard run.

5:51 – Lulay looks for Iannuzzi on the sideline, but the pass is incomplete.

5:41 – Hey Rider fans, more cowbell!

5:21 – Lulay rolls right under pressure and throws down the sideline for Iannuzzi. The pass is ruled complete, but it’s unclear if he did make the catch inbounds.

4:35 – Direct snap to Andrew Harris, who picks up the first down. Lions threatening.

4:08 – Incomplete pass as Lulay looks to the end zone.

3:44 – Marco Iannuzzi makes the touchdown catch, taking a pretty big hit right before he gets into the end zone.

3:30 – The Lions are only behind by 3 now.

3:24 – Louis Rankin brings it back out to the 25. Durant has to be feeling a lot of pressure now. He only has 157 passing yards so far, but I think he’s been very effective.

3:06 – 8 yard run by Kory Sheets, who has been very workmanlike. That brings us to the 3 minute warning.

2:44 – Kory Sheets picks up a first down. The Riders have been very efficient in getting those short yardage gains.

2:19 – Another handoff to Sheets, who makes a cut to pick up 13 yards. Might as well make the Lions stop the run.

1:54 – Short pass to Efrem Hill, who gets by a defender for 14 yards and a first down.

1:31 – Sheets shows patience in waiting for the hole to open up, picking up 7 yards on the run.

1:08 – Drew Willy comes in at QB, and the handoff to Neal Hughes goes nowhere.

1:07 – The Riders appeared to consider going for it on 3^rd and 2. Instead, they elect to go for a field goal. Lions take a timeout.

0:58 – Chris Milo misses a field goal, but Tim Brown is tackled before he can get too far. Clutch tackle.

0:56 – Early movement on the play as the noise is getting to the Lions offensive line. 1^st and 15 after the false start. Corey Chamblin, the Riders’ head coach, asks if they can decline the penalty and keep the clock running. Apparently not.

0:53 – Lulay rolls right and finds Iannuzzi just short of the first down.

0:38 – Short pass to Andrew Harris for the first down, and he gets out of bounds.

0:32 – Lulay under pressure, and the diving defensive back Maze can’t make the interception.

0:27 – Geroy Simon can’t make the catch over the middle, and appears to have injured his hand. He is not in the next play.

0:15 – Lulay heaves it downfield, and it’s intercepted! Big win for the Roughriders, who have shown they can compete with the defending Grey Cup champions.

0:00 – Riders win!

The Riders’ defense deserves a lot of credit for that win, making the stops when they needed to. The offense was very efficient, led by Kory Sheets and Darian Durant. Sheets had 15 carries for 76 yards, including 1 TD. He was very effective on their last drive of the game, using up time very effectively.

Mariners Trying to Develop Young Players

The Seattle Mariners, my favorite baseball team, have a lineup consisting mostly of young players this year. Sometimes teams have to go through rebuilding years (though I would say the Mariners have been rebuilding since 2004), and I understand that there will be lots of growing pains. Apparently local sports radio hosts don't get that, or they just desperately need something to talk about. One thing I hear a lot is that the Mariners should send some of the young players who are struggling down to Triple A to help get their rhythm back. The problem is that there is no one to replace them.

What if the manager just went to the young guys and said, "It's fine that you are struggling, many players do when they first come up to the big leagues. This organization sees you as a part of its future, and we want to give you time to develop into the highly talented players we know you can be. Don't worry if you aren't hitting as well as you would like to be. You still have a spot in our lineup, and we want to work with you to make sure you succeed. Don't lose confidence, we believe in you." I feel like that sort of speech would really help the young guys.

There's one more important part of that speech: back it up. Stop messing around with the lineup, let the young guys play, get their reps, and improve. Miguel Olivo should not be playing if Jesus Montero isn't playing. We know that Olivo is a 33-year old catcher who has a career OBP of .276, and never met a pitch in the dirt he didn't like. Montero, on the other hand, has a lot of potential, and is hitting better than Olivo this year anyway. Veteran leadership doesn't mean anything when you have an OPS of .575, so why keep him in the lineup. Put John Jaso in, he's 5 years younger and arguably the best hitter on the team.

I know that rebuilding years are tough for fans. It kills me to see the Mariners struggle so much offensively. The first step in rebuilding a team is recognizing that you need to do so. The Mariners are not good, but there are young players with great potential on the team and in the farm system. Coasting along with worthless veterans just prolongs the rebuilding process. Let Seager, Smoak, Ackley, Saunders, and Montero know that they are the future of the team. Get ready for the arrival of Nick Franklin. Accept the tough times now, knowing that if we don't do that, the future won't be as good.

Bringing an NBA and NHL team to Seattle

I have loved basketball for as long as I can remember. When I was 3, my dad carried me around our neighborhood so I could make a shot on each of the hoops there. In the living room was a Fisher Price kids basketball hoop, which allowed me to play through imaginary games that my favorite team, the Seattle Supersonics, always won. I grew up rooting for those great Sonics teams of the '90s, with Gary Payton, Shawn Kemp, Detlef Schrempf, Sam Perkins, Nate McMillan, and my favorite player, Hersey Hawkins (as a kid I thought his name was Hershey). The early 2000s Sonics couldn't match the glory years, but the departure of Sonics legend Gary Payton brought the sweet-shooting Ray Allen to the team, who quickly earned the love of the fans. I was a proud Sonics fan until I was 16.

That's when they left.

The NBA has never been the same for me since my beloved Sonics were taken to Oklahoma City by Clay Bennett and his crew. You probably know the rest of the story. Young team builds around one of the best players in the league and becomes a perennial playoff contender. Seeing them play in the finals is like being punched in the stomach over and over again, because that could have still been Seattle's team. Taxpayers in King County didn't want to finance another professional sports venue, seeing as we had just provided a lot of funding for Safeco Field (baseball) and Qwest Field (football). That doesn't make it less disheartening to see the Thunder achieve so much. 

Some people ask why I can't just root for the Thunder. That's not my team. Yes, there are some players I rooted for in Seattle. I like Kevin Durant and Nick Collison as players, because of that connection. But the thought of Clay Bennett smugly holding that NBA trophy up, after he came here and pretended that he wanted to keep the team in Seattle, prevents me from rooting for that team. It's hard to explain, but I guess if you are a passionate sports fan you might understand. There's a connection that combines civic and regional pride with a love of sports, and somehow that becomes even greater. Communities get united by their teams, fostering the civic pride that we all claim to want.

That sort of pride that citizens have in their favorite teams is a huge benefit that economic analyses of the viability of professional sports struggle to capture. How do you factor in a 5-year-old me wearing my Hersey Hawkins t-shirt as the Sonics dominate their opponents in my imaginary game? What about 9-year-old me checking the Mariners' record and stats every day during the 2001 season, during their incredible run to 116 wins? While those examples may seem small, random, or irrelevant, think about the millions of sports fans in the area who each have little stories like those. Maybe it means someone is excited to go to work, if just to discuss the Seahawks' game with their coworkers, or a kid who wants to try hard in school to be able to play on the basketball team.

At this point, you can probably tell that I love sports, and that I have a powerful connection to my teams. Maybe you do too, but that's not entirely the point of this post. Seattle city councilman Richard Conlin stated that he opposes using any public funding for the proposed arena. Whether we like it or not, public funding for professional sports venues is the reality now, and the arena proposal from Christopher Hansen and his ownership group is incredible as far as financing these venues goes. You can read about it here.

I have a sneaking suspicion that Conlin is voting against these because he doesn't like professional sports, as is the case with a fair number of Seattleites. I can respect that. The concern I have is what he views about for public funding for entertainment in general. If he opposes the SoDo arena proposal on the principal that no public funding should be used, then he shouldn't be voting for public funding on any sort of entertainment venue or event. Conlin shouldn't be able to use his personal tastes to influence what type of entertainment Seattle funds. If he wants to support the use of public funding for the Seattle Symphony, or a new concert hall, or a new art museum, then he shouldn't be opposing this arena proposal.

He has no right to determine what entertainment or art I should like. That's not the city government's role. I fear that the powerful, progressive Seattle elites who look down on professional sports oppose this because of their personal tastes, but support something like an art museum or symphony hall. They should know that even if professional sports didn't exist in Seattle, I (and thousands of other kids) would not have grown up liking the symphony or modern art. Not everyone is going to appreciate every form of entertainment. But denying some the chance to enjoy their favorite form of entertainment while forcing them to fund yours is just a horrible thing to do.

I happen to think this arena proposal is an incredible deal for the city, given that people who use the arena are the ones paying taxes for it. Christopher Hansen seems to have addressed concerns that people have raised in his letter to the community.

Hopefully the Seattle City Council will allow the next generation of kids the chance to grow up loving basketball like I did, and give the city a chance to discover the great sport of hockey (we have a championship tradition). Bring back our Sonics!