In My Opinion

Truly that's all we have these days, when it comes to things going on in the world is our opinion.  I am no expert when it comes to sports, because I never played the game professionally, I have watched it, I have been around it, I have walked through locker rooms and club houses, but I have never once was hit by a lineman, or gave an assist on a basket, or saved a goal in either hockey or soccer-- I have never driven a car in an oval-- and I have never ridden a horse in a race, I HAVE, however hit a baseball and know that feeling, but never on the professional level.

Alright- so IF I HAVE NEVER DONE ANY OF THIS PROFESSIONALLY, what makes anyone think that I know anything about it as an expert?

I get a lot of friends, casual friends at that, asking me about the NFL LOCKOUT or what I think the Mavericks will do in the playoffs, or now that Chuck Greenberg is out of the picture with the Texas Rangers how will that effect the players... or my favorite one is, how will the Stars do if they make the playoffs-- PLAYOFFS? REALLY? (fill in your own punch line here)

I am a reporter and I have done talk shows about sports-- I will give you an opinion, but yours is just as strong or accurate as mine.  I ran into a college student the other evening-- and he was talking about Orlando Scandridge of the Dallas Cowboys, and how he should be signed again by the team and not allow to check free agency-- since there is a Lock Out in process-- there is no Free Agency going on... however, none the less- I said something to fact that Orlando did nothing to impress me, and all of a sudden the student goes into this tirade of how I don't know squat! (well I cleaned it up a bit).

The truth is, in my opinion that is the case! I believed that Bryan McCann from SMU (the rookie free agent) did more last year for the Cowboys filling in-- in tight spots and did a hellva job considering the situation he was thrown into! YES that is my opinion, it doesn't mean I am an expert!

Scribes, the ones that write for a living for newspapers or magazines or blogs for that matter, all have opinions, especially if they are writing columns for the publications. I have a couple of friends that do that for a local paper in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area, as well as for a national publication, not too mention the Blogs.

Not a one has played the games in which they cover, professionally! They have the same seat in the press box as I do for all the games and events, and yet not one has walked between the lines and been face to face with the enemy! However, we take what they say or write to be gospel! Its just an opinion. Its a thought, its an insight that the average fan might not get because they are not allowed into the inner sanctum of the locker room or club house.

Those of us that wear credentials and ARE allowed in, we might hear something that makes us a little bit more insightful, we might see something that allows us to form a thought about something in particular, we might be able to break something down on our own to inform you that there might be a change coming with that team, be it a transaction or firing.

Last year when Coach Wade Phillips was ultimately fired from the head coaching position of the Dallas Cowboys, the writers were all jumping on the fact that the trigger was pulled too late! That this should have happened after week 5 and not week 7 and the horrible lost to the Green Bay Packers.  None of those people were on the front line of the Dallas Cowboys football team that had to go out onto the field and play those Packers, or for that matter any of the other teams that they lost to in the early portion of the season!

YOUR Opinion matters just as much as theirs,  so don't think we don't listen to you, but remember we do have some advantage by going into the areas in which you can't have access as an average fan! However, even still, we form an opinion just like you do!

By the way-- just for the record-- what is an expert? The guy who did wear the uniform and stepped between the lines and was hit, or dunked or slammed or driven, or caught anything for a living! THOSE ARE THE EXPERTS and their opinion is more valuable than any one of us with a microphone, lap top, or yes even the old fashion typewriter!

It's just a thought!