First Sports Blog Post

Now that my week of Drunk Driving Posts are over I have decided to share my opinion on what is going on in the world today, this post is about the world of Sports, I will look at the three major sports playing right now as well as other sports which I like.
MLB: Manny tested positive for a female fertility drug (i don't need to add a punchline that is a good one). With all of these players such as A-fraud and Manny testing positive it gives me new found respect for guys like Cal Ripken and Tony Gwynn as well as modern day stars like Albert Pujols who have proven, so far, that they are or were clean. The Blue Jays, Royals, and Rangers are all suprise division leaders and i see the Royals and Jays being there till the end. The Yankees pitching sucks, like I said it would, and they won't make the playoffs. Here are my picks for the 8 playoff teams 1/5 of the way into the season: AL EAST-Red Sox, AL Central- Tigers AL West- Angels WC-Rays, NL EAST-Marlins, NL Central-Cardinals, NL West-Dodgers, WC-Cubs.
NHL: The League's dream series (Caps-Pens) will go 7 with the Caps winning, The Canes close out the Bruins in six, the Wings and Blackhawks both advance. The caps will meet the Blackhawks in the cup finals with the Caps winning in 6.
NBA: Kobe is a dirty player with the flaling of his arms after shots, cheap elbows (ask Artest), and the NBA should have suspended him but the want cavs lakers so badly, too bad neither of them will make it, it will be Nuggets vs. Magic (Magic in 7).
MMA: For those of you who don't know me I am a huge MMA (UFC) fan and can't wait for UFC 100 and 101 (I hope to go to 101 in Philly). This is the fastest growing sport in the world and is swallowing Boxing because unlike boxing it does not have to rely on two or three guys to carry the sport.

Reflection

Over the past week I have had to reflect on a very touchy subject for me, dunk driving and drunk driving accidents. From going through the celebrities who died due to drunk driving to reflecting on a drunk driving accident involving my family and all the trauma it brought to me. But now it is not up to me alone it is up to all of us. We need to educate our friends and pass on this information to them and prevent them from becoming another statistic or story. Tell them it does not only hurt them but it also hurts their family much worse. So please if you or your friends have a problem please get them help ASAP

Where to get help/videos of accidents

If you think this is all a joke and it can't happen to you take a look at these videos

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9393Rjqr2VE


•http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N05UVP2lbHI&feature=PlayList&p=6C5A62BA7807DDB1&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=49

•http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-10p1ylZhJM


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O244vaDCzfc

If you dont want that to happen to your friends here is what you do:

•If you are going out with friends make sure you choose a designated driver
•If some of your friends want to leave the party/bar early call a cab to take them home
•As the host of a party stop serving alcohol an hour before you plan to end the party
•The host should start serving sweets once they stop serving alcohol
•When drinking with co-workers offer to split appetizers and drive any drunk co-workers home

If you think you have a problem and you want to get help here is what you do:

•Talk to someone you (if you have the problem) or your friend (if they have the problem) trust
•If that does not work get Medical help
•If that does not work go to or send your friend to rehab or Alcholics anonymous

Or you can call these numbers:

•Addiction Help Services-toll free at (877) 554-7308
•Alcoholics Anonymous: 212-870-3400
•1st Alternative Counseling 410-356-9466
•Towson Addictions Center: 410-337-8193
•Alcohol and Drug Abuse Program of Baltimore 410-328-0126
•Partners In recovery Towson: 410-296-9747

Follow these steps don't be in one of those videos and be smart.

Time to get personal

Drunk Driving and drunk driving accidents don't just effect the people involved they impact the families. First of all families have to pay for all the hospital and legal bills which really can cripple them financially. Also, the emotional damage is so severe it still hurts some of the family members of drunk driving victims 35 years later. One more way drunk driving accidents impacts the families of the victims is there is a feeling of regret and guilt as some family members and friends feel they could have the changed the outcome.
For me there was one time where a close family member was involved in a drunk driving accident. It was five and a half years ago when was a freshman in high school and. He had some of his friends over before a dance and they drank some hard liquor before going to the dance. About two hours later I see two of his close friends carrying him in my house and laying him down on the couch, he was unconscious. After more of his friends arrived we went out to see his car, he had been in an accident and the front right side of his car was destroyed. He woke up two and a half hours later when the cops came, luckily he was not arrested and neither were my parents. He did in get trouble and almost had a lot of opportunities taken away but he still got into his top college. Since then I can't go a week without thinking about it and how lucky I was that he survived.
To drive this point home I want you to read this poem I found: http://www.scribd.com/doc/20023/Poem-Against-Drunk-Driving

Statistics, laws, and penalties

Numbers can tell us a lot so take a look at these numbers and think about what they mean:
•In 2006 there were 13,470 deaths in accidents which included a drunk driver
•In 2006 306 children under the age of 14 were killed in accidents involving a drunk driver
•62% of the time the drunk driver in these fatal crashes was in their 20s

You may think you know the laws and penalties that go along with drunk driving but you don't know the whole story:
•In the United States you have to be 21 to purchase or consume alcohol
•If you are above the age of 21 a blood alcohol content (BAC) of .08 makes you legally drunk
•If you are under the age of 21 a blood alcohol content (BAC) of .02 makes you legally drunk
•It is illegal in most states including Maryland to have an open container of alcohol in the car

The penalties for violating these laws are scary just take a look:
•In Maryland: 1st offense: license suspended for 60 days
•2nd offense: license suspended for 120 days and mandatory jail time
•Most states deem a 3rd offense a felony and is punished as such
•Drunk drivers who cause accidents that result in fatalities or injuries are held financially responsible and must fully compensate the victims

Don't let this happen to you or your friends be smart, don't drink and drive it will ruin your life or possibly end it.

Dont Join this List

We all would want to be included on a list with a bunch of celebrities, but there is one list of celebrities we don't want to join. This list includes Olympic gold medalist Jack Shea, NHL hall of famer Tim Horton, Pitcher Nick Adenhart, Comedian Sam Kenison, and Lisa "Left Eye" Lopez of the R&B group TLC. What these people have in common is that they all died in drunk driving accidents. Please be smart, watch after your friends, and don't drink and drive. Throughout the week I will post more blogs about this topic and please take note and be smart.