Kyle's Corner 8/11
What a great time of year and a great time in general for sports? 2016 is an Olympic year, football is right around the corner and the Texas Rangers are handily in first place and on a great path to win a World Series. It’s a good time to be a sports fan and a better time to be sports writer.
The Olympics are special. They only come once every four years, and they offer us a chance to not only see athletes compete for their country, but it gives us a glimpse of sports we do not get a chance to see too often. Rugby is a new Olympic sport, and I’m thrilled to have the chance to watch it. I got the chance to become familiar with the game while attending college in Utah. The sport is very popular out west and the BYU Rugby team has been the best in collegiate rugby for quite some time. The sport is more popular internationally and it is good to see the sevens variety played in the Olympics.
I have also became more fascinated with swimming and diving in the Olympics. At this year's Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series I had the opportunity to interview world class athletes, one of them was an Olympic diver for Great Britain. The athleticism and work that go into the sport is phenomenal. These athletes are dedicated and true to their craft.
I have always been more attracted to team sports, so the Olympics provides an opportunity to watch some individual sports. I gravitate towards tennis because I enjoy playing it and watch it on the professional level. The Olympics presents a dual of nations and it is quite a spectacle.
Football season is also around the corner. The NFL preseason was supposed to start on Sunday night, but the crew in Canton, Ohio botched the Hall of Fame game with a field that was not ready for play. The NFL will start their preseason action on Thursday night.
College football is very close, as well. A portion of my time recently has been devoted to hearing what will come of Big 12 expansion. I am mixed regarding my feelings about BYU joining the conference. I want BYU competing on the highest level, but I was also a Red Raider before finishing college in Utah. The emotional part of me would prefer Tech and BYU to not play each other. The logical part of me also doesn’t want BYU joining the Big 12 unless it is for all sports. The other sports are suffering now at the expense of football and I believe the Big 12 should make an all sports invitation, if they are going to invite BYU. It will be exciting to see how this story develops as the season draws nearer.
My favorite sports story is definitely the Texas Rangers. I have been looking forward to this season since before spring training started and it has not let me down. The Rangers got even better at the deadline. Jonathan Lucroy has already been a fantastic addition at catcher, and Carlos Beltran is a great offensive addition down the stretch. The Rangers have a chance to finally bring a World Series championship to the Lone Star state. The Astros appear to be fizzling and the Rangers front office was brilliant at the deadline. There are two months left of the regular season, but baseball has my attention with football season starting.
High School football is back too. The students are hard at work with two-a-days underway and soon they will be lacing up their cleats and tightening their shoulder pads for Friday night glory. It’s a good time to be a sports fan and its a great time to be a Texan.