Sports Entertainment...At What Cost?

Eddie Guerrero
1967-2005
Rest In Peace








I'll admit it. I've been a fan of professional wrestling for most of my life. I grew up in a household where you loved all things Dallas Cowboys and wrestling Southern family dynasty, The Von Ericks. I also grew up watching Chavo and Eddie Guerrero. Thus, when Eddie died last Monday, November 15, from heart failure, it felt strange, yet oh so familiar.

It will be strange not to see him every Friday night on Smackdown...no more "Latino Heat," no more "Lying, Cheating, & Stealing," no more "Lowriders." Yes, pro wrestling is entertainment; however, the beating these guys put on their bodies (inside and out) each day and night, is real...all for the sake of entertainment. Years of addiction, stressful working conditions, hardcore training in order to remain one of the top tier stars in the WWE, and just plain old "hard living," finally cause Eddie's heart to fail, as such conditions have done to many young professional wrestlers in the past few years.

No matter how you may feel about the sport, there are a great many kids out there aspiring to be like these modern day "Gladiators," who beat the crap out of each other (scripted ot not) simply for our enjoyment. As Russel Crowe's character in Gladiator, Maxximus, would ask, "Are you not entertained?" So many of these athletes go on stage night after night, peforming with all sort of debilitating injuries, but use drugs such as pain killers continuously, in order to keep performing in fear of losing their jobs, or star status, due to taking time out to heal. Such behavior is not just limited to the world of professional wrestling, yet transcends to other pro sports such as football, baseball, etc.).

Is this what we want for our future young athletes? Like it or not, especialy if you are in the good old U.S. of A., there is probably a kid or teen close to you, who desires to be a sports star. Why? Because that's who the majority of we Americans love and place in the limelight. What child wouldn't want to grow up and be a star? However, at what price is it worth for a young athlete to be considered a star, and remain as such, according to our high standards as ticket-buying fans? Instead of trying to create the next Jerry Rice, Michael Jordan, Mike Tyson, or Mark McGwire, we need to emphasize to our young athletes to just practice and learn as much about there skills and technique as possible, stop looking for the easy way out by using performance enhancing drugs, get ample rest, eat right, let injuries heal, and most of all, just have fun.

Athletes, such as Eddie Guerrero, should not have to die at such an early age in order to satisfy our thirst for insatiable sports entertainment. Yes, most of these athletes are grown men and are able to make there own choices. However, there are teens and kids who look up to and emulate these athletes, and think that these addictions are the only way they "will make it." So as another young athlete is somewhere injecting Roids in their behinds, or popping pain killers in order to play injured as to not lose their starting position, for the sake of keeping you, the fan, screaming in the stands; ask yourself, "Are you not entertained?"

Today's Quick 20 min workout:

1. Burpees: 3 x 10
2. Mountain Climbers: 5 x 20
3. Rollouts : 3 x 10
4. Sandbag Front & Back Lunge (31lb bag): 2 x 10 each leg
5. Stability Ball Push Ups 2 x 15

Plus, mowed and raked the lawn for an hour this morning. I also added 20 minutes of chasing my Jack Russell (or would it be Jane Russell since she's a female?) around the backyard for 20 extra minutes. (chasing her is always a good workout!)



Mi perrito says, "Bring it on muchacho grande!"

Holiday Tip Of The Day

Holiday Tip #2

Don't skip meals!

We all have been there. You know, waking up on Thanksgiving or Christmas Day (or whatever your festive holiday of choice), and deciding you were not going to eat until all of the food was ready, for fear of not having an appetite by the time the festive meal was served.

Big mistake....because once you sit down to eat with an empty stomach, 4-6 hours after waking up, you are just setting yourself up to define the term "pig out!" Eating one big festive meal, plus a load of desserts afterwards, is a recipe for disaster in regards to your fitness program.

Wake up early enough to have a big, balanced/healthy breakfast composed of a lean protein (eggs, fat-free or reduced fat milk, lean meat), fiberous carbohydrate (i.e. whole grain cereal, or oatmeal), and a serving of fruits or veggies.

If your festive meal will not be ready within 3-4 hours after breakfast, eat a small snack for lunch such as fat-free or low fat yogurt, a serving of fruit with a couple of tablespoons of peanut butter, or a salad full of various greens with a tablespoon of olive oil.

In doing this, you insure that your metabolism does not slow down, which can lead to fat storage, as well as a reduction in energy. Oh, you thought "tryptophan" was the reason your felt so sleepy after your big holiday meal....bah, humbug!

It's because you starved yourself for most of the day, and overly stressed your digestive system by craming a plate-full of turkey and dressing (not to mention seconds), various slices of cake and pie, and egg nog, all in one sitting. Don't forget the random nibbling everytime you pass by the kitchen in the aftermath of your stuffing spree. It's no wonder your stomach is tired. Therefore, when the old gut is tired, guess who's next?

Just remember to keep your metabolism going by continuing to do what you do on a daily basis, eating small frequent meals. Once the festive meal is served, instead of doubling up on the stuffing and rolls, double up on the veggies, and let your source of lean protein (don't forget to remove the skin and fat) be the basis of your meal.

Once you've finished eating, wait a couple of hours (typically, by the time the football game ends), grab a few family members and take a walk together, in order to burn off some of those unwanted calories. This is the perfect time to catch up, reflect, and reconnect. Isn't that what the holidays are really about anyway?

Raising Your Expectations

One of the cats over at USC.com, the boys from Diesel Crew, posted a great quote from Elitefts.com's Jim Wendler that I would like to share here.
"Raise our expectations"...and great things will happen." - Nuff said.....

Healthy Holiday Tip

When shopping at the mall, park as far from the front door as possible. Better yet, to add more to that calorie burning shopping spree, skip the elevators and/or escalators, and take the stairs. If you shop as much and as long as my wife does, you will burn a lot of calories doing the one thing you love. Isn't that what a good workout plan should be about anyway?