Monday Spread Option 08-11-14

1. Over the weekend sports fans were focused on a place very familiar to us, Western New York, where Tony Stewart hit and killed Kevin Ward Jr. on Saturday night on a dirt track race at Canandaigua Motorsports Park. There was speculation that Stewart purposefully hit Ward

who got out of his car angry at Stewart who had spun him out on the previous lap. Do you think Stewart intended to hit Ward, or was it an accident all around? Should Stewart have raced yesterday at Watkins Glenn? 

Spencer- 

I  don't think Stewart intentionally hit Ward, but I can see why some people think otherwise. In the video you can clearly hear Stewart speed up as he get's close to Ward and obviously he made Ward spin out in the first place, adding to the suspicion. Regardless I don't think there is enough evidence to say Stewart did it on purpose though, which is why he won't be charged or get in any legal trouble. I was happy to see he decided not to race at Watkins Glenn yesterday though. It should of been obvious from the start that racing was a bad idea after the accident the night before. I know he is a competitor and wants to race but it was obvious what the right decision was. Glad he made the right one.

Ty-

 I don't think Stewart wanted to intentionally hit Ward. This story is tragic but it could have possibly been prevented if Ward remained in his car. Once he left his car and stood in the middle of the track he lost all of the safety afforded to him. It was also reported that several other cars almost hit Ward as well. The story just looks really bad because Stewart caused the spin out in the first place. But to think that Stewart intentional hit him with his car then you are questioning Stewart's morals. Either way he has to live with it the rest of his life. Stewart was right to not race the next day, But I'm sure it would have made the situation much worse.

Monday Spread Option 07-21-14

1.Wednesday night was the slowest sports night of the year, and ESPY night on ESPN. What

are your thought on the ESPY's, are they meaningful to the sports community and fans, or no? 

Spencer- 
Honestly the ESPY's aren't really that important, in the grand scheme of things, to the sports community and fans. It is a good concept, honoring the biggest sports stories, moments and players in the past year, but it retrospect it doesn't really mean much. For example Kevin Durant won the ESPY for Best Male Athlete this year and some people were like, appalled it wasn't Peyton Manning. I get that, but in retrospect we all know how how great Kevin Durant is at his sport and how Manning is at his sport and how other guys are at their respective sports. We love sports year after year because there are great players, memorable plays, drama and a the chance for upsets. We don't need the ESPY's to put a ranking on them or hand out awards for them, they are all fantastic in their own way. I will say though Stuart Scott's speech was phenomenal. That's a guy I have looked up as an aspiring sports journalist so to see him talk about his struggle with cancer and what keeps him going was just inspiring.

Ty-  

The Espy are not important at all. It really is just a made up reward for sports. Granted every award show centers around An award that was made up at some point. But either way it isn't that prestigious of an award and i doubt athletes care too much if they win one or don't. I do think that it is cool for what it is and now that it is a live show it makes it a lot better to watch and live tweet. I guess I do agree with all of the awards that were given out and it is cool to look back on on some of the biggest sports moments in the past year. The thing that it usually lacks that other awards shows have are performances which make no sense but I still would have watched it. Either way I doubt that sports fans really care about the ESPY's and probably shouldn't. Drake was surprisingly good though and the "Side Chicks" song was funny.