Football 101 for women...Part I

Well ladies, it's that time of year again. The time when 99.9% of you lose your man to Football and Sports Center. Instead sending your man running, screaming into the night to the nearest sports bar with your questions and mindless chatter during the game (trust me your man could care less about what you have to say when his favorite team is 4th and inches away from winning the game in the last 2 minutes), why not try and learn a little about it. It's a really entertaining game when you know what's going on. So I thought I would attempt to give you a little information to help you be able to enjoy a nice game with your man every once in a while. I mean what man doesn't like a girl who has a healthy appreciation for sports? Picture it...you bring him a nice cold beer (and you can have one yourself if you get down like that)...snuggle up on the couch on a Sunday afternoon while watching the game. His head nestled on your chest.....need I go on?

So we'll just start with the basics. This one will just start you off with who does what on the team. Each team is composed of an offense, a defense and special teams. Let's start with the offense. The offense are the main guys in charge of scoring. The offense is made up of these guys:

Quarterback
The player who receives the ball from the center at the start of each play before either handing it to the running back, throwing it to a receiver, or running with it himself. The quarterback is usually the player in charge of running the offense on the field. He is also the guy that usually informs the offense of the play while in the huddle.
Translation: He's the one who throws the ball.

Halfback
An offensive player who lines up in the backfield and generally is responsible for carrying the ball on run plays. A halfback's primary role is to run with the football, he is also used as a receiver at times.
Translation: Usually if they don't throw the ball, he's one of the guys who runs with the ball.

Fullback
An offensive player who lines up in the offensive backfield and generally is responsible for run-blocking for the halfback and pass-blocking for the quarterback. Fullbacks are usually bigger than halfbacks, and also serve as short-yardage runners.
Translation: He's the one keeps those guys on other team from hitting the guy who runs with and throws the ball.

Wide Receiver
An offensive player who lines up on or near the line of scrimmage, but split to the outside. His primary job is to catch passes from the quarterback.
Translation: He's the guy who catches the ball when the other guy throws it. He runs a lot.

Tight End
An offensive player who serves as a receiver and also a blocker. The tight end lines up beside the offensive tackle either to the right or to the left of the quarterback.
Translation: He's one of the guys that keeps the other team from hitting the guy who runs with the ball. He may catch the ball sometimes too.

Offensive Tackle
A member of the offensive line. There are two tackles on every play, and they line up on the outside of the offensive guards.
Translation: They are the guys on the field who hits the guys on the other team.

Offensive Guard
A member of the offensive line. There are two guards on every play, and they line up on either side of the offensive center.
Translation: They are the other guys on the field who hits the guys on the other team.

Center
The offensive lineman who hikes (or snaps) the ball to the quarterback at the start of each play. The center lines up in the middle of the offensive line, between the offensive guards.
Translation: He is the guy with the ball between his legs that gives the ball to the guy that throws the ball.

Any questions? This should be a good start. Next time we'll cover the defense. And if this doesn't inspire learn a little more about football, try these:

Just a small plea. Please. Pull up your pants. Why do I want to see your drawers? The answer is I don't. There is nothing attractive about underwear bubbling over the top of your pants. Not boxers. Not tidy-whiteys. And if you go commando....PLEASE.....wear a BELT! There is no need to have the crotch of your pants at your knees. Trust and believe that NO woman believes your boys are hanging that low. It's not to say that you have to go around with your pants around your ears, however, there is a little thing called fit. Do you realize how good men look in clothes that fit? That appear specially tailored to their bodies? Not just suits and dress clothes. All clothes. Clothes that are too big only dwarf you. Make you look short and stocky, fat, and immature. Like a great majority of fashion trends this one originated supposedly in prison. Prisoners wear it low because they are not allowed belts to prevent suicide and murder. Men in prison also wear their pants low supposedly to signify them being spoken for. Taken. Easy access. Get it? Is that really what you're trying to portray? Really? So please. All men. Keep them up. Invest in a belt that actually fits your waist and not your knees.

And I'm sure you already know....SAGGIN...is just NIGGAS spelled backwards. Get your mind right.

I am drawn to attempt to explain exactly WHAT the word "Freestlye" means. There seems to be much confusion and bastardization of the word lately, so I feel it is my responsibility as a lover of Hip-Hop music to explain the word.

Wikipedia has the word defined as:

Freestyle:

improvisational form of rapping, performed with few or no previously composed lyrics, which is said to reflect a direct mapping of the mental state and performing situation of the artist. It is non-scripted, non-rehearsed, uncut, and the rawest form of hip-hop. Artists will often refer to places and objects in their immediate setting. Freestyle rapping forces an individual to think on the spot, describe his or her surroundings, and, to a certain degree, rap uncensored from what is inside. It is similar in this sense to improvisational music or acting and draws comparisons to improvisational Jazz in particular.

So in other words, if you write your verses, your entire song, and spit it acapella or over a beat given to you by a DJ...YOU ARE NOT FREESTYLING...you perping b!%@% a$$! It is bad enough that the children do know what true Hip-Hop is, we do not have to further destroy the fabric of the music.

There should be no questions about what freestyling is or variations on the way you define what it is. IT is what IT is. Understand! Good!

This is a very messed up incident. Watch the clip below and get involved. This will only stop once enough people make enough noise. Don't let this and other incidents like this be silenced.

Finally some ounce of word on the new season of The Boondocks. For those who are unaware, The Boondocks is a cartoon series brought to us via Aaron McGruder. I began reading it when it was in its comic form. Cartoon Network brought it to television through Adult Swim. Since an animated series takes longer to turn around than a comic strip, the content is not as directed to specific political and social issues. However it still covers broader and longer standing issues and is just as socially conscious, politically incorrect, sometimes offensive, and absolutely hilarious as the strip.

Adult Swim has ordered 20 more episodes for season 2. Which was smart of them considering its season 1 debut was the highest ranked series premier in Adult Swim history. It was originally supposed to air in June of this year but, like season 1, was pushed back....all the way to October. Let's just hope they don't push it back to November for sweeps again. This season is supposedly lined with more action sequences. Probably due to production from the Japanese based animation studio Madhouse (fyi the site is in Japanese). There are also supposed to be introducing more characters from the comic strip. I've only heard about the addition of Cindy McPhearson. Sadly once again...NO CAESAR!! I don't really know why they are holding on to his release. Perhaps it's because, in my opinion, he mellows Huey out a little. Either way they have an idea that this series will be around for a while, so my hope is they don't wait too long. Most other sites have listed some of the episodes, some spoilers, but I won't do that here. I'll just post this preview for your enjoyment. Can't wait until October!

If you are a person in the know, then you know you need to have savvysocialite.com bookmarked and in your favorites. It is a webzine that has been the brain child of my good friend Elizabeth Jackson for years now that is finally really coming to life. She is a woman on the move and she has dedicated her webzine to bringing you what is current, and what is up in coming. With information on everything from food to fashion, to high profile vacations, this on line magazine is your virtual ear to the street. Visit the site. It has excellent articles and keep a look out for her. Ms. Jackson is really doing big things!

Thanks to the amazing purchasing with out a job ability of my youngest sister, I'm listening to the much awaited Finding Forever. This album comes on the heels of the highly acclaimed BE which basically raised Common as a hot "new" artist for the MTV crowd. I will say that I have a bias. I have loved this man and his music since forever, even through his "crochet sweater" Electric Circus phase. I'm trying to objectively listen to the album to really see if Common has managed to maintain or improve upon what he has done on BE .

Though I often worry about the potential sell out of artist who get commercial success, I am happy that Common is finally getting some real shine. He has managed to stay true to his style, and his art, and his beliefs and has yet again released an album that reflects them. Amidst the beats submitted by the likes of the late J. Dilla, Will.I.Am and hip-hop's self-proclaimed Louie Vuitton Don Kanye West, Common delivers intelligent lyrics in his trademark unforced, eloquent style.

The album opens with what sounds like a throw back to his Electric Circus days. But don't fear Common fans, it barely 2 min long and blends seamlessly into the first track. The album ends with more beautiful words from his old man. There is even a track that features the much missed neo-soul's thug, D'Angelo. Lilly Allen and his P.I.C. Mr. West also visit a few of the album's tracks. The album is not over saturated with monotonous tracks. Nor is it so deprived of tracks it leaves me wondering why he wasted materials on the production of the album. Each flow seamlessly into one another, and as I listen it's seemingly over just a quickly as it's started (though almost 2 hours have passed), leaving me to return to track one and listen all over again. He tells stories, calls people out, and just speaks to the people. And this is as specific as I'm going to go. Common says a lot on this album. Listen carefully.

Overall this album is a lesson in consistency. Some may thumb their noses at consistency. Why? If you are confident and know who you are, why is it necessary to experiment with superficial trends and styles? How do you create a core audience, gather and maintain a faithful fan base if you are always changing what you're doing? I say consistency is a sign that an artist has truly found his voice. Common is who he is. He took sometime, found his voice again, and he's staying true to himself. He has made it based on a chemist like combination of valuable lyrics, and ingenious beats. I have listened to this album twice since I began writing this and I would like to start the CD again. Good job Common and the G.O.O.D. Music family. Keep it coming!