Things about the All Star Break that ESPN has said to piss me off

1. On Joe Maddon's decision to pick Halladay as the starter:

"No question it's Halladay. Some would argue that you could pick Beckett or Wakefield, but Halladay is the easily the correct answer."

2.85 ERA 1.098 WHIP .7 HR/9 106 K 16 BB 3 CG

4.31 ERA 1.380 WHIP  .7 HR/9 61 K 31 BB 2 CG

3.35 ERA 1.149 WHIP .7 HR/9 110 K 35 BB 2 CG

2.12 ERA  1.076 WHIP .3 HR/9 129 K 21 BB 5 CG

One of these is Zack Grienke. Hint: It's not the one with the 4.31 ERA who is only getting the All-Star nod because he wears a Boston uniform. He's actually the one with the 2.12 ERA and the best numbers in the league in pretty much everything.

Listen, there's nothing WRONG with the Halladay selection. It's just the All Star Game and it's not a big deal, even though Grienke is pretty clearly the best pitcher. But for ESPN to completely snub him in favor of two Boston pitchers - one who shouldn't be allowed within 20 miles of the fucking game - is about as dumb as the next thing I'm about to talk about.

2. "At the end of the game, you've got Nathan, Rivera and Papelbon? Those guys are unhittable!"

Ok, I get it that we're supposed to believe that the closer is supposed to be this enigma who can't be touched and no one will ever score off of. But I think Brad Lidge should have blown the cover off that ridiculous mindset this year. 

Papelbon is, however, in the middle of his worst year ever and is quite hittable. His walks are WAY up, his homerun rate is up, and he's on his way to let up more than double the hits he usually does. But yeah, he's unhittable, sure, ok ESPN.

Mariano and Nathan are doing awesome though so it would have been a pretty legit statement had they not done the usual Boston pandering and added in Papelbon's name.

3. "With Pedroia out, Aaron Hill is the only second baseman on the roster and will have to play the whole game."

Hello, ESPN, let me introduce you to All-Star Ben Zobrist. He happens to lead the AL in almost every statistical category. He's been the Rays' starting 2B for over a month. He also plays 6 other positions and can pitch. It's cool that you guys forgot about him, though. It's not like your only job is to watch baseball all day and talk about it on TV. It's a tough life.

The Bench Press: Overrated and Dangerous

by Mike Balducci
Bench Press


Timothy Looney prepares to compete in the UCF Intramural Bench Press competition, 12/3/08. Looney went on to win the competition.

The University of Central Florida Intramural Bench Press competition last Wednesday night was billed as a collegiate version of the “World’s Strongest Man” contest.
Just how accurate that nickname is in regards to the bench press, however, is up in the air.
“The bench press really just tests the chest’s pushing ability,” said Brian Schwab, owner of Orlando Barbell and Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist. “The power lifting trio of squatting, benching, and dead-lifting works the entire body and is a more true test of strength.”
The contest consisted of seven separate weight divisions. Timothy Looney, sophomore, lifted the most weight overall with a 365 lb bench press.
In recent years, the bench press has become one of the most popular exercises. Although it has become fashionable and common in most gyms, the bench press is considered by experts such as Schwab to be the most dangerous general exercise and one of the least important gauges of strength.
At the UCF gym, the popularity of the bench press is noticeable. There are eight benches at the gym, six more than there are of any other piece of workout equipment.
Myra Segarra, the UCF Gym’s Athletic Training Coordinator, says that the visual appeal of a big chest and toned arms is one of the main reasons the bench press is so popular.
“I think that it is a good determinant of strength, but mostly it helps males get the aesthetically pleasing look of cut muscles and a toned body,” said Segarra.
Fitness Coordinator Kim Halliday says that she finds the bench press particularly interesting.
“It’s not all about sheer size as much as it is technique,” said Halliday. “Some of the smaller guys put up the most weight.”
Although the merit of the exercise’s true ability to assess strength is often questioned, the dangers of the workout are evident.
According to author Mark Rippetoe, a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist, the bench press utilizes a useless motion and puts too much stress on the shoulder muscles. Rippetoe said that the stress on the shoulders and upper back make the bench press the most dangerous of the common exercises.
According to Schwab, the most common injuries are tears to the rotator cuffs, ligaments and pectoral muscles. Major sprains to the lower back are also frequent.
In order to eliminate chance of injury, Schwab recommends some sort of cardiovascular exercise prior to the bench press in order to keep the core of the body warm.
Intramural Sports coordinator Gary Cahen was on hand for the competition to help prevent injuries due to bad form or disproportionate weight. Intramural coordinators are present at every intramural event in case of injury or emergency.
Lance Feldman, senior, emerged victorious in the 125-140 lb weight-class. Feldman noted that his arms often cramp during the exercise, so he warms up by doing push-ups and pull-ups.
Feldman lifted 240 lbs, which was over 100 pounds more than his body weight. Feldman said that he works out five times a week and stays in shape through sports and cardio.
Additionally, Feldman said that he owes a lot of his success to genetics.
“I come from a generation of strong men so my genes play a big role,” said Feldman.
Schwab considers Feldman’s weekly workout routine a strong, standard plan. Each day Feldman focuses on a different body part, mixing in cardiovascular exercises to keep the body warm. Schwab does, however, say that the role of genetics is overrated.
“Too many use genetics as a crutch,” said Schwab. “Genetics are never going to determine how strong you can be, but it can determine things like how short your arms are, lessening the distance you have to lift your arms in a workout.”
Sam Josephener, freshman, entered the contest with just one goal.
“Don’t finish last,” he said.
Aware of the high risk of injuries due to bad form and stress applied by uneven weight, Josephener noted that he stretches extensively and warms up with upper-body exercises before every bench press session.
“I don’t want to get hurt,” said Josephener. “Too many guys don’t get their bodies in shape and end up tearing something out there. It’s not worth the risk.”
Josephener finished the competition, the first strength test challenge he’s ever competed in, with a second place finish in his weight division.
“I just wanted to do it big,” he said. “Looks like I did better than I expected.”

###





The technique of a bench press is extremely important. Kim Halliday was correct when she observed that some of the smallest competitors could lift the most. The exercise has little to do with overall size. With good technique, as seen in Lance Feldman's video below, the shortest range of arm motion can be achieved, meaning the bench press can mastered by calculated methods rather than brute strength.

Below, Lance Feldman shows a proper pre-bench routine. Note that he arcs his back while keeping his shoulders on the bench. He also shifts his legs until he finds the perfect weight distribution. His arms "lock in" to a perfectly straight vertical line, minimizing the distance his arms have to travel.


In this video, freshman Sean Kilbride fails in a bench press attempt. Note that unlike Feldman's successful bench, Kilbride doesn't look for proper weight distribution or arc his back. On the ascension of his lift, he moves the weight too far back towards his head rather than keeping it in a straight line from its descent. Because of this, his arms have to travel a longer distance, making the exercise more difficult.




Sources:

Myra Segarra
Athletic Training Coordinator
407-823-2408

Brian Schwab
lightweightpower@aol.com
407-678-2447

Sam Josephener
Freshman student

Kimberly Halliday
Fitness Coordinator
khallida@mail.ucf.edu

Gary Cahen
Assistant Director, IM Sports
gcahen@mail.ucf.edu

Myra Segarra
Athletic Training
Coordinator
msagarra@mail.ucf.edu

Lance Feldman
Senior student
Lanced.feldman@gmail.com

Mark Rippetoe
940-696-0829
Author, Starting Strength

All videos and pictures taken by Mike Balducci, 12/3/08.

Crime Map

Winter Park Crime Map


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On Carlton:

It has recently been brought to my attention that there is controversy surrounding my selection of Carlton as my favorite character on the hit '90s sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. I take particular offense with the decision to select Will over Carlton, because it neglects to recognize the comedic stylings that Carlton provided as side-kick and lead supporting actor. In the next few paragraphs, I would like to explain my reasoning for selecting Carlton as my favorite character and why his legacy has outlived his acting career.

Actually, nevermind, I'll just show you his dance.

Some Baseball Stadiums

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Note that I didn't include Citizens Bank Park because A) The Phillies beat the Rays, and B) Ryan Howard sucks.

A Picture

This is a picture and I do not know who it is or what is significant about it, but it is a picture nonetheless. If I were given the choice of what picture to post here, I would have posted a picture of Albert Pujols because he's about to lose in the MVP race today at 2PM when MLB announces Ryan Howard as the winner. And Ryan Howard sucks.

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