I began this site back in January 2012 because I was fed up with the culture of sports talk, specifically with the ridiculous notion that unless you were a former professional sports athlete, your opinion was not to be taken seriously.

Not only is that condescending, but it is insulting to scores of thousands of sports nuts everywhere. If you’ve paid any attention to my blog over the past 3 ½ years, you will have noticed that I hit the ground running, writing feverishly for the first year, only to cut back during the second year, and then pretty much drifting into hibernation as the third year approached.

There are a few reasons for this, but the biggest reason is my disappointment in the sports world today. As I began my quest to get the opinions of the common fan into the mix of the conversation, I began to realize that the problem went deeper than simply a mass flooding of the market by retired pro athletes that had no business sitting in front of a microphone (or computer). (Not all, but enough.)

Another equally disturbing problem is the mentality of so many of the athletes themselves. Granted, I am talking about a small minority of the athletes, and the percentage of the total athletes within each sport varies greatly.

For instance, the NBA is almost unbearable to watch anymore, and it has been getting worse for nearly a decade. Although there are some good guys in the league, the spotlight has turned to the spoiled rotten prima donnas. And as long as the team wins, ownership lets anything happen, to the extent of letting the stars call the shots, with the handcuffed head coaches becoming mere puppets. When Poppy finally retires as the Spurs head coach, the final pebble of discipline will be gone.

Baseball had its share of issues over a decade ago, during the proud days of McGwire, Sosa, Bonds, etc. It has taken nearly a generation of players to filter out the bad taste in the mouths of fans. When the likes of A-Rod and Braun have finally left the MLB rosters, the whole steroids fiasco will finally be a distant memory.

The NFL has found itself at a critical juncture. The next few years will determine whether they will follow suit and fall into the abyss or decide to keep their game respectful and, therefore, financially dominant.

Anyone that has followed me over the past few years knows a few things about me. I live in the Valley of the Sun in the great state of Arizona. Although I am a fan of my local teams, I have also been a diehard Red Sox fan since Yaz was a rising star. And I am a notorious smartass, but that does not necessarily mean I am joking.

I will do my best to keep the spark going and avoid these 6-month droughts. If you agree with me, or even if you don’t, drop me a line and let me know what you think. Most importantly, your job is to enjoy, even if I never made it to the pros!