Ask just about any young boy what he wants to be when he grows up and the answer will likely involve being an elite athlete – usually football or baseball – or an astronaut.

My youngest son deviates slightly from these typical career ambitions as his dream is to be a professional skateboarder that moonlights as a rock star (or maybe it is the other way around).

However, my oldest son has his sights set on a prosperous career in Major League Baseball and I fully support his dream – although I did tell him he cannot play for the Chicago Cubs. You might think I am joking, but I did plead for him to be traded during Little League Baseball when he was placed on a team named the Cubs.

During my younger days, I had a dream of being a professional football player.

That dream was fueled by the fact that I played football for my Junior High School team as well as my High School team. For a brief period, I was distracted by the dream of being a professional hockey player but quickly came back to my love for playing football.

There was only one problem.

I wasn’t all that good.

Heck, just this past summer I was demoted to the second string in my very own yard playing with the above mentioned kids.

Talk about a dose of reality.

Even though I might not have been very good, and have long since given up the dream of being a professional football player (even though I know that I can tackle better than half the clowns making millions of dollars on the Chicago Bears defense!), that doesn’t mean my passion for football has disappeared.

That might explain my devotion to plunking my rear end down on Sunday morning – after setting my fantasy football lineup of course – to enjoy the selection of games.

Yes, there have been times where I have watched the early game, the late game, and the Sunday night game without much more than bathroom breaks.

No, I have never resorted to breaking out the Depends – don’t ask!

Ever since those days when I played football in school, I have always wanted to get my hands on an Authentic “ProLine” NFL Helmet to wear on game day display in my office. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that players were not allowed to keep their helmets in school, although I do still have the stylish CCM helmet that I wore during my hockey days.

There is just a certain “coolness” factor about having your own NFL helmet.

For those of you fortunate people that still have a team to cheer for in the NFL playoffs, you still have time to get your helmet to wear (there I go again) admire as your team marches towards the Super Bowl.

In case you are wondering, my Super Bowl prediction is the Baltimore Ravens and the Philadelphia Eagles (maybe the throwback helmet is more your style) – with the Ravens walking away with the Vince Lombardi trophy.

As a dad, I believe it is your duty – if not your desire to live vicariously through your children – to support them in their dream to play football (or whatever it is they want to do) when they grow up.

There are the times we spend an afternoon at the ballpark and days where the hours just melt away while we play catch in the yard. Of course, being so involved with sports makes it difficult when your kids tell you that you have been demoted to second string too.

Last night, after the Chicago Bears ruined a perfectly good Sunday with a terrible performance, I realized that maybe sports (at least watching sports) has taken on too much significance and I might just be…a football fanatic.

Top 10 Signs You’re A Football Fanatic

• You wear the exact same clothes on game day, unless your team lost the last game.

• You believe that last loss was a result of you sitting in the wrong seat on the couch.

• You change clothes, seats, or televisions while watching a game in hopes of giving your team some mojo.

• You would rather watch the big game alone than with your friends and family.

• You have ever broken a remote control after throwing it against the wall in frustration of your team playing like crap.

• You know what the term “Mr. Irrelevant” means – and can name at least one guy that qualifies.

• You pass up tickets to the game so you can stay home and tune your fantasy football lineup, not to mention watch the other games.

• You are a grown man and have sheets or blankets from your favorite team on your bed.

• You schedule family events around game time, including the birth of your children.

• You have received a call from your neighbor – four houses down – to make sure everything is alright after they heard screaming.

Parenting has become the most competitive adult sport.

You might think this sounds like a ridiculous statement, although one only needs to visit a local youth sporting event to see this in action.

When a child performs a superb play on the field, it isn’t too hard to pick the parents out of the crowd as they are likely grinning from ear to ear and commenting to anyone within earshot that that is their child. The shocking thing is that often times this sense of pride in their child is more about them than it is about the child.

Likewise, when a child fails to make a play, more often than not there is a parent waiting on the sideline with words of criticism rather than encouragement.

This behavior isn’t unique to sports either.

You will find parents competing with one another when it comes to their child’s athletic accomplishments, academic accomplishments, and social accomplishments.

To be honest, I am not even sure that many parents realize what they are doing. This behavior is grown from good intentions, as we all want to be the best parents we can and help guide our children down the path of success. However, conversations about our children quickly become a game of oneupmanship with other parents.

Parent Smith: “Johnny had a great year, he received straight A’s again!”

Parent Jones: “That’s great, Jane had straight A’s in all of her advanced placement classes for the third straight year.”

Not wanting to be outdone by another parent’s boasting, the following response is not uncommon:

Parent Smith: “Right, Johnny would have taken the advanced placement classes too but between being the star quarterback and his volunteer work he just didn’t have the time.”

By now you probably think I am joking.

I wish that I were.

While not verbatim, these are scenarios that I have witnessed and conversations that I have overheard in my community.

Parents are competing with one another and the game is their children’s lives.

Children are being forced into competitive sports, signed up for extracurricular activities, and enrolled in additional educational courses. The fear is that if your child is not excelling in all of these areas that they will be a failure, which means that you have lost the parenting game.

There are preschools near my home that charge an annual tuition that exceeds many colleges and universities. Would you believe that there is a waiting list for enrollment in these preschools?

Watching the parents that were watching their children compete on the baseball field really made me recognize this twisted sense of competition between the parents. There were parents chastising their kids for missing a ball. There were parents screaming at their child to try harder. There were even parents making a point to recognize the failures of other children, as that means their child has a better chance of making the team.

It was a rather sickening experience, one which I wish that I could tell you that I have never been guilty of but I am certain that I have done it as well.

Why are we, as parents, competing so heartily with one another?

As part of my son’s PONY Little League season that recently concluded, all of the kids were given vouchers for free tickets to a Chicago White Sox game. While the tickets were in the upper deck, we still had a great view of the game and had an enjoyable day even though it reminded me of one reason minor league baseball is better – cost!

Without the expense of tickets to the game, I didn’t think the cost would be too bad. But $22.00 for parking and $30.00 for four drinks and three hot dogs does not make for a cheap afternoon. Then throw in some cotton candy, a super rope, and Edy’s Dibs just to make sure there isn’t any money left.

For the first time, I decided to bring my Nikon D40x along to the game to try and capture a few interesting pictures. Before I share a few of my pictures (btw, I was shooting in JPEG mode) with you, I have to say that I am a bit apprehensive given that there is now a professional photographer here at The Man Page.

Enjoy the photos and please let me know what you think.

To see more of the photos that were taken at the game, check out my White Sox picture set at flickr.

2005 World Series Banner – That’s right Cub fans, eat your heart out!

Jim Thome connects on a home run swing.

Ozzie Guillen speaks his mind after being ejected.

Carlos Quentin as he watches what became the game winning home run.

Fun (lower right corner) at the Sox game.

Nick Swisher in a mid-air victory leap.

While attending SOBCon08, I had a nice conversation with Jeff Sable from Chitika where we chatted about quite a few family activities, including the appeal of attending a minor league baseball game.

As summer is approaching, I am getting the itch to get the kids out to the ballpark to enjoy a baseball game. Given that our preference is to attend minor league baseball games, I thought I would share a few of the aspects that have led us in that direction.

Here are five reasons that minor league baseball is better than their professional counterparts:

1. Cost

It is possible for a family to attend a minor league baseball game without having to take out a second mortgage on the house. And you’ll even be able to get a hot dog or two and not feel like you are being taken to the cleaners.

Not only are the ticket prices cheaper for a minor league baseball game, but often times the parking is much cheaper and might even be free depending on the team.

If you have younger children, don’t be surprised if they say that they want to leave by about the 5th inning. It is much easier leaving early from a game that has not cost you a small fortune to attend.

2. Passion for the Game

While professional ballplayers certainly have a passion for the game, many of them are also being driven by the greed of a bigger contract. In the minor leagues, particularly the lower levels, you have an opportunity to watch young men that may have the dream of the big payday but have a real passion for playing the sport they love.

3. Close to the Action

Have you tried to get an autograph from a professional ballplayer recently? Even if you are able to get close enough to have a chance at an autograph, many players avoid coming anywhere near the fans near the dugout as they know they will be swamped. In the minor leagues, many of the players are very accommodating with autographs – as it is likely just as much a thrill for them as it is for your kids.

In addition to the players being more accessible, many minor league stadiums put you right on top of the action. However, this does require more care as you are also much closer to flying baseballs and possibly even bats.

4. Cool Team Names

Part of the appeal to the atmosphere surrounding a minor league baseball game is the team name. Minor league teams usually have very fun team names with interesting mascots that really appeal to the kids.

Here are just a few examples: Lakewood BlueClaws, Lehigh Valley IronPigs, Hickory Crawdads, Casper Ghosts

5. It’s Not Just a Game, It’s an Experience

The best part of a minor league baseball game is that it is truly more than a game, it is an experience. Minor league baseball teams are really brilliant at marketing and promotion as they do a great job to make the fans part of the game, which will leave a lasting impression on your kids moreso than sitting in the nose-bleed seats to see the local professional team.

From a handful of little kids racing the team mascot around the bases to promotional items being launched into the crowd, you will be entertained in between innings throughout the game.

And when is the last time you and the kids were allowed to run the bases after a major league game?

Take Your Kids To The Ballpark

If you’ve never attended a minor league baseball game, do a search to find the team closest to your area and get the kids out to the ballpark.

It will be a great experience for the whole family!

Photo credit: jslander

No, this controversy is about something else entirely.

While mired in a six game losing streak where the team’s offense has essentially disappeared, someone on the team thought that they would do something a little fun to try and lighten the mood and turn their luck around.

Before Sunday’s game in Toronto, one of the players positioned two nude blowup dolls in the clubhouse with bats of the players fanning out around them – a ritual of sorts to try and get the team out of its slump.

Apparently the media was permitted into the clubhouse while this shrine was still out in the open and the incident has been blowing up ever since.

Why is everyone so up in arms over this incident?

Is it degrading to women?

That depends on the woman that you ask, I am sure. After asking my wife about it, she said that she didn’t believe that something like this is degrading to women.

Is it inappropriate for the workplace?

That depends on your workplace.

While I am sure that placing a blowup doll in my office would not go over well, neither would spitting on the floor and walking around scratching my family jewels every five minutes.

But I don’t believe that the clubhouse of a professional sports team is quite the same as a corporate office. It is not uncommon for an athlete to spend more time in the clubhouse than they do in their own home; and I am sure there are more than a few people that have things like this in their home.

Do you remember the movie Major League?

Bats, they are sick. I cannot hit curveball. Straightball I hit it very much. Curveball, bats are afraid. I ask Jobu to come, take fear from bats. I offer him cigar, rum. He will come.

- Pedro Cerrano

Many athletes are extremely superstitious and will do just about anything to try and guarantee their success. There are players that won’t shave until they lose, or won’t change their game socks, or wear the same t-shirt every game.

In my opinion, this incident with the Chicago White Sox and the blowup dolls is nothing more than a group of grown men doing something a little juvenile in an attempt to turn around their misfortune.

Nothing more, nothing less.

Anyone that says otherwise is just blowing hot air.

What do you think?