I Always Knew That Mariano Rivera's Favorite Number Was 602

Good evening readers. How are you feeling tonight? Did you have a rough day? Are you ready to go postal on your job and co-workers? If you've answered "yes" to any of the above questions then you are having another case of the Mondays. For those of you who are having a beyond extraordinary day, I can tell you why. It has nothing to do with the new love in your life, that promotion set in place, or that upcoming weekend trips with friends. No, your happiness stems from the fact that MARIANO RIVERA IS NOW THE ALL-TIME SAVES LEADER!

It seems like just yesterday, 1995 to be exact, that we began hearing the name Mariano Rivera. Like many people on the New York Yankees, Mariano was a young, lanky, hungry pitcher just trying to make a name for himself in this big city. In 1996, Mariano became the Yankees' setup man and in 1997 had the honor of being named the closer. It's not an easy gig closing out baseball games but there was something about Mariano in which we NY fans knew that we had just hit the jackpot. Things would never be the same.

With the Yankees and their impressive storybook dynasty throughout the 90s, Mariano Rivera was the key man in making sure that his team always acquired the win. Now, I know what you're thinking "there's no way in hell that anyone could be that great at his job for 17 years" and I say to you "sip on that haterade because baby it's true!"

How do I even continue to describe in detail the plethora of accolades and praise this man has amassed over the years? Is there even room in this post? This blogger has more than enough time and energy to go into detail but I want to reserve this portion of the post to let my emotions run deep and my fingers to type away.

As a fan of the Yankees since 1995, all I've come to know and selfishly expect is winning. My entire baseball fanhood has seen its fair share of heartache and joy but what keeps me coming back are the familiar faces and once known as the Core 4, it has now become the Core 3. These 3 men, Derek Jeter, Jorge Posada, and Mariano Rivera or God Almighty may have kept my pockets low from the amount of money spent on tickets and memorabilia(it was so well worth it) but my spirits were always high. Thank you guys.

So, to Mariano Rivera: thank you for your humility, for your undying passion, unwavering grit, and for always keeping us, your fans, at the forefront in your life. Thank you for reminding us in a very subtle manner that the start of the game can be bumpy and you either strikeout or hit a home run, but it's how you choose to end whether it be a 1-2-3 shutout or a completely blown save. Thank you for gracing us fans with a piece of calm and tranquility. Thank you to your wife and children for never scorning us and cursing us because we share a place in your heart.

Before the rambling begins because of my joyous emotions, I'll end this piece by simply saying Congratulations on 602 saves Mariano. I look forward to seeing 700 Sandman ;)

XOXO,
Whitney

All Together Now: Hug...And Then Sucker Punch!

Before we begin the recap, let's give ourselves a round of applause because this is the first ever boxing post since this blog has been active. There's only one monumental event that could ever warrant a boxing post and that is due in part to Floyd Joy Mayweather, Jr.

You know the name, you know the flair, you know the world records, and you love the controversy which is what Pretty Boy Floyd/Money Mayweather always brings to to the ring whenever he's fighting an opponent. Tonight's match was against boxing's gritty, hard worker Victor Ortiz. We fans were treated to the hype surrounding to this match with HBO critically acclaimed 24/7 in which Mayweather bragged, boasted, used his millions as a telephone with friend 50 cent, fought with his father, repeatedly, and also opened up old wounds. Ortiz won fans over with his back story of abandonment by both parents and clips of him training with his not-so-much affluent team. The lines of fanaticism were drawn after 2 episodes and fans knew who they wanted to win.

The night was upon us and the festivities commenced. Mayweather looked strong in the beginning and Ortiz counteracted with a few punches of his own. After a few more punches, Mayweather seemed to be getting the upper hand on his opponent and in the blink of an eye, something happened. Omg...could it be...did I see this correctly...Victor Ortiz kept his head down and headbutted Mayweather. That's right! HEADBUTTED. My jaw was on the floor readers because to violate the first rule of boxing in a blatant manner is something that I cannot let slide. As Ortiz and Mayweather hugged, Floyd proceeded to throw more dirt on the situation by sucker punching Ortiz! WHAT DID WE JUST WITNESS?

Call this fight over because the sheer disrespect and foul play on both parts was just too much for us fans to handle. I am disgusted by both Floyd and Victor, although the fight was entertaining, because so many of us were left disappointed...especially those of us who paid for PPV.

We'll be talking about this fight for some days and all I can end this first ever boxing post with is: Man...I love sports!

XOXO,
Whitney

Mariano's 600th Save = Swag on Swag on Swag

As baseball season approaches its end, there will be countless montages and videos dedicated to all the water cooler moments that made our love for the game downright/borderline obsessive. Included in the reminiscent reels will be Derek Jeter's 3000th hit and Mariano Rivera's 600th career save. Yes folks, you read that last part correctly. Every Yankees fan's lord and savior Mariano Rivera garnered his 600th save against the Seattle Mariners with some clutch performance help from no other than Russell Martin and fans home and abroad have got to be feeling the same way I am....effing ecstatic!

Trevor Hoffman leads the league in career saves and the magic number for Mariano to become the all-time saves leader is 2. 2 has always been a favorable number for myself so there's no doubt that 602 won't become my new favorite number. I am more than certain as well that 602, painted in classic white and blue, shall be tattooed on the arms and legs of die hard Yankees fans....probably myself included!

Congratulations Mariano, you have come to represent strength, passion, and calm for us fans for the past 16 years. Thank you for your humility, and always stepping up and showing out for your fans. I can't wait to write an extensive piece on you and your lustrous career once you get to lucky number 602.

Also, congrats to the Yankees for picking up another victory winning the game 3-2.

XOXO,
Whitney

Welcome Home NFL! We've Missed You!

 I am so excited that the NFL season is back that I don't even know where to begin so let's roll the clip!


When it's difficult to write down how I'm feeling on a particular topic, I try to find alternatives. In finding these alternatives, the likely winner to help me sum up my emotions is a video. Well, like the title suggests, the NFL season is underway and we have fans are more than happy because we've been put through the ringer and our emotions for the sport has been put to the test. We all remember the infamous "NFL lockout" and how we truly believed our Sundays would cease to exist right? Well thank our lucky stars that the league, unions, and players could reach an adult agreement so that we can get back to ignoring our girlfriends/boyfriends.

I'll keep this short because I don't want to suck all of the energy out of the room but I will say congratulations to my New York Jets on their kickoff win against the Dallas Cowboys with a score of 27- 24. I look forward to great things from this team and I wish every team in the NFL the best of luck this season.

Alarmed that there's no recap? Well don't be because starting next Sunday, the usual play by play shall be documented and commented on.

Happy NFL season everyone!

XOXO,
Whitney

State Farm Gets My Likability Vote

With emotions running rampant today to commemorate the 10th anniversary of September 11th there's a fine line between expressing sincere emotions for those who have lost their lives and trying to seemingly profit off of this horrific attack. There has been much debate about this matter and while the banter continues, I have to take this time out to say thank you to State Farm for putting together an awesome & heartfelt tribute to this day. The best way to sum up the emotions I felt for State Farm's endeavors is by watching their commercial that has been airing all day.

May we honor those who have lost their lives and look forward to a brighter & prosperous future. 



XOXO,
Whitney

Derek Jeter's 5 Year Plan Doesn't Work With Minka

This post is for all the men and women who I shall break down into three categories: the haters, the supporters, and those who just didn't care. You'll find out which category you belong to as we get in depth with this post. Sources have confirmed that Derek Jeter and Minka Kelly have ended their 3 year relationship(they were together since May 2008). While no specific reasons were mentioned, it has been deduced to the fact that they both have increasingly hectic work schedules.

It's not in my nature to lie to you readers so I will proudly admit that I've spent some time being the ultimate hater offering very little support. Many of us women have been in love with Derek for YEARS and because women are known to be territorial, the minute we hear that a new woman has come into his life, we're ready to put on those boxing gloves and give her the beating of a lifetime. I was one of those women and couldn't find a nice thing to say about Minka. Men, I know you too harbored a bit of jealousy towards Derek when it first reported that he was blessed to be dating Minka. So, how do I feel about the split? You'll see.

As a person who is compassionate, mindful of the situation, and have been through a break up, I know that this is a difficult time for both parties involved although their split was amicable. Likewise, it does me no good to sit and stew in hatred over a woman who doesn't know I exist nor will probably never know who I am. Ladies & gentlemen, I'm talking to you as well. Don't spend your time gloating on this break up, it blocks your blessings and it reveals an ugly side of you.

To my supporters of this relationship since day 1, continue to project your hopes and optimism towards a reunion and never lose that fighting spirit even if this split is forever. To those who could have cared less, keep moving forward in your lives and treat this news as you would any other piece.

I wish Derek and Minka nothing but the best as they progress and grow older. May they both find love and happiness and never give up on love. Also, may we haters find a happy medium when our favorite stars decide to settle down with people who aren't us.

XOXO,
Whitney

Greatness Comes In 3's!

Whenever I'm excited about a team or a game, it becomes difficult to sit down and write because my heart is pumping and my hands are shaking. There have been a few times in which this has happened and it's happening right now. This behavior can only be attributed to one team and my readers, if you know me well, you know that team is the New York Yankees. I'm more than ready to dig in so let's begin:

"The New York Yankees are synonymous with greatness, excellence, and history". We all know we've heard this quote said in many different ways from many different people and I must say, it's more than true. Today, the Yankees finished the 3rd game in their series against the Oakland Athletics and after the emotional defeat by the A's for the first 2 games, we fans were praying for a miracle, praying for a way to hold on to our dignity, and praying for a way to continue to hold our heads held up high. Baby were we in for a treat.

The A's started out dominating against Phil Hughes and continued to beat up on Cory Wade finally garnering a 7-1 lead against the Yanks. Sitting through a dismal rain delay and then witnessing this tragedy just added insult to injury. It seemed as if all hope was lost until the magical 5th inning.

Had the rain decided to start up again in the 5th, the A's would have mustered up a sweep against the Yankees as it would have been called an "official game" but, luck was on our side and something great happened. With the bases loaded, the man who can wield a bat like no other, Robinson Cano hit a monster grand slam that woke the Bronx up and put us one run behind, 7-6. To say our blood was pumped up is an understatement. It gets better.

In the 6th, the Yanks managed to have the bases loaded again and Russell Martin hit a grand slam. The Yanks now lead 10-7 and the notion that we were dead flew out of the window. There was no stopping us now. By the 7th, we were steamrolling past Oakland as we coasted to a 16-7 lead, then 16-8 lead, and after another run had scored, we were leading 17-8. You couldn't tell us anything.

Now, one would think after a score like that, the Yanks would ease up a bit but that's not how our boys play and in the 8th, with the bases loaded again, New York's MVP Curtis Granderson came up to the plate and shall I say it? Would you even believe me? Alright here goes, Curtis hits a GRAND SLAM! 3 grand slams in one game put the already storied franchise in the history books again as the ONLY team in MLB history to hit 3 grand slams in one game!(score was now 21-8) To top it off, Andruw Jones hit a solo shot that gave the Yankees the ultimate 22-8 lead.

The final score of this game was 22-9. I think this DEFINITELY made up for the previous disasters called games. Our boys truly know how to show up and show out.

Congratulations to the Yankees who have mastered the art of knowing how to make their fans smile and have 911 on speed dial. We wouldn't have it any other way. See y'all on the road.

XOXO,
Whitney