Did Wood's Really Roar...A Cover-Up?

Sorry, the Tiger Woods farting video was taken down off of YouTube by the PGA Tour. I got a notice on my account today that it violated copyright laws, so until this slows down I can't repost it. However, people are continuing to put up videos (no HD quality like mine, but it will do). So do a little YouTube search and you should find something if you really want to see Wood's Roar!

Could It Be...Tiger Passes Gas on National TV!

Tiger Woods won the 2009 Buick Open by 3 shots today, but the buzz around Tiger's 4th round was really based on his Sunday play, but instead on some "sounds" coming from Tiger's area on the 28th fairway today.

After putting his drive in the fairway, Woods and caddie Steve Williams walked up to his ball and waited on Woods' playing partner to hit. While Woods was standing in the fairway, he seems to move side to side and lift a leg a few times appearing uncomfortable. Then, as his right leg bends upwards, a noise (roar or squeak...call it what you want) comes from his area. A CBS cameraman and mic happened to capture the moment and if you listen carefully after the sound is heard, Woods says "are you serious" seemingly in reference to the cameraman telling him that they heard that. Tiger and Williams precede to have a laugh and as expected, Tiger goes on to par and win his 69th tournament in his career and 4th this year.

But who cares about the win, we all want to know about the wind!

Is Phelps' Run Over?

Today, FINA (the swimming governing body for those that don't follow swimming) ruled that those new, fancy, way too tight swim suits that athletes have began swimming in will not be allowed in future meets because they provide an unfair advantage. Thank God for this ruling.

Its not the unfair advantage that I am against...its that I don't want to see the Men's 4x100 relay team in anything tighter than what they are already wearing. These new suits make spandex look like a rain parka.

So the question is...was Phelps breaking world records because of the equipment he was using or because of his skill level? I'm sensing a steroid like scandal on our hands that will shake up the swim world more than baseball has been shaken up. Well, maybe not that much, but I could be on to something.

Regardless, since this will probably be the only time I write about swimming, I have also attached and old Ryan Parker gem from last August that I just came across. It might seem random, but I feel its relevant since the FINA World Championships in Rome are approaching.

ENJOY!!!!

Tiger Gets Ripped...But Is It Fair?

ESPN.com writer Rick Reilly published an article today entitled "Woods needs to clean up his act" in which he precedes to explain why Tiger Woods needs to stop with his outbursts of disgust and rage on the course because it sets a bad example for the kids. I found this article interesting and here are a few observations.

First, Reilly brings up a lot of good points regarding Tiger often slamming clubs and cussing whenever he hits a bad shot, but at the same time I feel that Reilly tries hard to throw in several sentences here and there about the good that Tiger does in hopes of still landing the coveted Tiger one-on-one interview for his next video essay. Reilly is in an odd place because he works for ESPN and puts together cheesy, albeit entertaining essay's and blogs for their various shows thus he needs access to players, coaches, caddies, owners etc. In order to do that he has to play nice and put together fun, soft stories that won't offend people. So when he steps out and completely rips arguably the most famous athlete of our generation, he is wadding into waters that he rarely travels into. Reilly isn't T.J. Simers or Mark May or any of these sports "journalists" that make a living on tearing apart and highlighting the negatives of athletes as opposed to the good things going on. So this article comes across as a bit of an angry diatribe that has boiled up inside Reilly for awhile. What is going to be interesting is at next years U.S. Open when Tiger shows the competitive emotion and win at all cost attitude he often puts on display and Reilly suddenly decides to spin it around to make another entertaining essay promoting himself...this business has a fine line of getting a story and being two-faced and Reilly might end up tip-toeing that line in the near future.

The second problem I see with the Tiger anger issue is this...Tiger has injected golf with a passion and a vigor that the sport was missing for the better part of 2 decades (if not longer). Part of that interest is undoubtedly stirred by the passionate fist-pumps, dramatic yells and pure competitive spirit of Tiger. We loved the "seek, kill and destroy" attitude that we saw in the 2008 U.S. Open when Tiger hunted down Rocco. And when Woods ran wild on the entire field of golfers in 2000 winning 9 tournaments and 3 Majors, we all couldn't take our eyes of the fierce drive of this young golfer. So to only care about a sport because of how passionate and successful one man is and then to write about how tired we are of his over the top and sometimes angry emotion is unfair.

If we want to watch golf because we are in awe of Tiger's passion and drive for victory then great, but we can't pick and choose what aspects of a champion we want Tiger to have. Ask Kobe, ask Michael Phelps, ask Lance Armstrong...these athletes are just as passionate about winning and perfection as Tiger is and they too would slam their club down if given the chance.


Go ahead and check out Reilly's article and let me know what you think.

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/columns/story?id=4347419

Look What Leaked Out!

Remember that huge scandal a few weeks back. No, not whether or not Michael Jackson was killed. And no, not the questions surrounding Sarah Palin's resignation. The one that really matters, the one that if true, would shake our world as we know it.

The video that Nike confiscated of Xavier's Jordan Crawford dunking on King James (thus proving Lebron is simply a pauper [gasp]). Well, guess what, a version of the video has leaked out onto the web and now we can surely see how Crawford "owned" Lebron.


***Does anyone think this whole idea that someone dunked on Lebron is extremely blown out of proportion...I mean what professional basketball player has never been crossed over, blocked or dunked on? COME ON NOW****

With that said, here is the video so that you can say you saw it!

Donovan Rips Becks

Fresh off giving up a 2 goal halftime lead on Brazil in the FIFA Confederations Cup Final, Team USA veteran and L.A. Galaxy captain Landon Donovan is coming out with a book where he blatantly rips into David Beckham and makes no bones about his disappointment in the highest paid player in the MLS. Listen, I had high hopes for Beckham's move to the MLS along with thousands of Americans. As a soccer fan, I wanted to see his transfer take the sort ot a new level and it hasn't, for many reasons. Sure it sometimes feels that Becks and Posh (can I call them that even though I'm not British?) are more about Hollywood than about taking the soccer move seriously, but wasn't that kind of expected. I mean, Tom Cruise showed up to a Real Madrid game...maybe that should have been an early sing about the "circles" the Beckhams run in.

Here are some excerpts from Donovan's book called The Beckham Experiment (notice that the book markets itself on Beckham's name, not Donovan's):

All that we care about at a minimum is that he committed himself to us, as time has gone on, that has not proven to be the case in many ways - on the field, off the field. Does the fact that he earns that much more money come into it? Yeah. If someone's paying you more than anybody in the league, more than double anybody in the league, the least we expect is that you show up to every game, whether you are suspended or not. Show up and train hard, show up and play hard."

Donovan, also questioned the former England skipper's leadership abilities, claiming he is too often silent in team meetings.

"Maybe he's not a leader, maybe he's not a captain, fair enough. But at a minimum, you should bust your ass every day. That hasn't happened. And I don't think that's too much for us to expect. Especially when he's brought all this on us.

However, I don't know if Donovan should really be ripping into his teammate (they are still apart of the same club). For US soccer fans, Donovan has had a lackluster career as a National Player. He played very well last week in South Africa, but his career is still largely associated with someone who misses many open shots, fails to lead the team in big matches and has a skill set that primarily focused on speed as oppossed to touch and finishing ability.

All I'm saying is, maybe not the best move to go out and rip Beckham; he makes more money than you, has done more for soccer than you have, has played better at a higher level for a longer time than you have and in the end, wins...something you have only done in the MLS and even that has been mising lately!

Lakers Pick Up Artest

The L.A. Lakers have picked up free agent Ron Artest from the Houston Rockets. This is very ironic move considering Artest has often been called a Kobe Stopper (assuming such a thing actually exists). But now, the hated Artest, the same one that often looked on the verge of throwing a punch a Kobe throughout their 2009 NBA Playoff Series, will don the Purple and Gold.

Some Laker fans may hate this move because you are literally bringing one of the most hated players into you franchise...however, from a winning perspective, this is a brilliant move.

The Lakers only went to a 7th game once during their Championship run...against Artest and the Houston Rockets. With this move, they have just removed a veteran and a prolific scorer/ defender from that team. Ok, so the Lakers will undoubtedly lose Trevor Ariza now that Artest is there. But consider this. Ariza is a great defender, but Artest has been playing just as good of defense in the NBA over a longer period of time.

You also get a savvy veteran (not a leader, but a veteran with a lot of "in-game" experience). The Lakers are young, but have to huge leaders already in Fisher and Kobe. They do not need a 3rd leader on the court, but it always is nice to have valuable experience on your team and Artest brings that.

Additionally, Artest brings a big offensive threat...bigger than Ariza and as big as Odom (another free agent the Lakers could lose this off season). If you watched Laker games throughout the season, you often saw Kobe and Gasol take over offensively, but when those two were on the court, their was a huge offensive hole missing. Artest can now fill that. He plays hard and leaves everything on the court. Sure he plays dirty at times, but then again some would argue Kobe does also (think slap in the face after a jumper), so lets not get stuck on that topic for too long.

Then there is the financial aspect. Artest is 29, Ariza is 24 so you lose out on age there. But I don't think Artest is old enough for age to factor in to this equation too much. I mean, if there is any age to worry about, it is how many years does Kobe left in the tank after the grueling schedule he endures. Artest is getting $18 million over 3 years ($6 mill per year) and the talks are that Ariza wanted more than the league mid-level exception of $5.6 million.

This move doesn’t secure another Championship Trophy in L.A. for 2010, but it does keep the Lakers fresh and in the hunt (probably even the favorites) for winning it all next year. With teams across the league making huge moves (Jefferson to the Spurs, Shaq to the Cavs, Carter to the Magic and talk of Rasheed to the Celtics), the Lakers had to switch some things around and in the end, this move probably cost them Ariza, but I don't think that is all too bad.

Did You Know Phil Jackson Has a Son In the NBA?

Came across this at work and it is hilarious. And actually, if you step back and look real hard at the pictures, Ryan Parker has a point!



****You have to turn the volume up on the actualy player before listening****


There was a man - there was a man who once played for the Knicks,
His name was Phil and he was built much like a stick,
He had some skill so just like Wilt it was hard to abstain,
For very long so here's a song about one night in Spain,

Phil went abroad on a vacation in '79,
It was a year when his career was on the decline,
He met a fine Senorita who answered his call,
And it was there where he conceived Pau Gasol,

It's not like Opie is to Andy - more like Luke is to Vader,
Phil and Pau were reunited when his boy became a Laker,
Some ignore the close resemblance looking over the real story,
How a father and a son will return the Lakers glory,
So like Kobe is to Joe and like Luke is to Bill,
That's why Pau is so special to his coach slash Daddy Phil,
Now it's time to go on Maury - here's the reason they should bother,
Cause the DNA's been tested Pau and Phil is your father,

There was a man - there was a man who once coached for the Bulls,
While far away he had a son developing tools,
He had the seed and it would lead him to the NBA,
Where he would stay until he played for his father one day,

He had the build - he had the Zen - the beard and the hair,
He had the skill thanks to Phil and his one night affair,
He came to save L.A. from their injury,
They call him Pau - but now Phil can say little P,

It's not like Opie is to Andy - more like Luke is to Vader,
Phil and Pau were reunited when his boy became a Laker,
Some ignore the close resemblance looking over the real story,
How a father and a son will return the Lakers glory,
So like Kobe is to Joe and like Luke is to Bill,
That's why Pau is so special to his coach slash Daddy Phil,
Now it's time to go on Maury - here's the reason they should bother,
Cause the DNA's been tested Pau and Phil is your father ...

Phil is Finally at the Top

With the Lakers NBA Championship tonight, head coach Phil Jackson captured his 10th NBA ring, a new record as he passes Celtics coaching legend Red Auerbach. Phil won 6 Championships with the Bulls and now 4 Finals with the Lakers. Sure he had Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant and Shaq O'Neal on all those teams, but as Derek Fisher said after tonight's game, simply having those players doesn't win championships, you have to convince them all to put the jersey on and play as a team.

Phil is the first coach in the 4 major American sports (baseball, basketball, football and hockey) to win 10 Championships and he has now won 10 of the last 19 NBA Finals (appearing in 12 of the 19). Now the question is whether the Zen Master will call it quits or comeback to honor the final year of his contract. But remember, Phil's rings come in bunches of 3 and this could be the 1st ring in the 4th installment of Phil Jackson's Championship journey.

The Coronation May Have To Wait

The numbers are there, almost to gaudy to overlook. But despite impressive statistics and equally impressive performances from Lebron James this season, Kobe may have delayed what many including myself had been saying...that the torch and title of "Best NBA Player" has already been passed to King James.

We saw a new Kobe in the NBA Finals this year. A different Kobe than even what we saw against Utah, Houston and Denver in the first 3 rounds. I don't know if it was the taste of a 4th ring being closer than its been in awhile, or maybe some horrible memories from last years Game 6 in Boston. But, whatever the change was, we were able to see Kobe Bryant take over a series with more than just scoring (which he still did plenty of).

Kobe's career tends to be defined by his ability to morph into a lethal offensive assassin, but in the 2009 Playoffs, we saw him open up his game on a consistent basis dishing to teammates, fighting for rebounds and showing why he is considered the best closer currently in the game. The Lakers were labeled the favorite to win the Championship early on this year and although the road was filled with uneventful, lackadaisical and sometimes pitiful performances even in the playoffs, Kobe & Co. stepped up down the stretch, won close games including 2 overtime victories and closed out a hot shooting and streaky Orlando Magic team.

Congrats to the Lakers on a 15th NBA ring...keep this team together and we may see this franchise pass the Celtics in the next few years.

Rough Day at the Indy 500 for Meira

Brazil's Vitor Meira competed in yesterday's Indy 500 and while there were many drivers who crashed and had to leave the race, it is safe to say Meira had the longest day of them all.

First on Lap 134 this happens: (around the 1:00 minute mark things heat up!)



Despite being wet and probably a little shaken, Meira continued to race. Then on Lap 173, this encounter with Raphael Matos occurred: (at 1:20 it gets good)



Luckily, neither of these incidents ended anyone's life, however the crash was serious for Meira as he suffered 2 broken vertebrae in his back.

BTW, former Dancing with the Stars Champ Helio Castroneves joined elite company capturing his 3rd victory at Indy over Dan Wheldon and Danica Patrick.

How Good Are the NBA Conference Finals?

I was sitting at home watching the Cavs-Magic Game 2 and as Cleveland's lead slowly dwindled, I began to think about how it might be appropriate to blog about the possibility that Lebron may be great, but he still doesn't have the killer instinct down the stretch that Kobe has. But that all changed in the final second when Lebron stepped back and hit an absurd three to win the game. Call it luck (which it probably was), but he did it and it was amazing.

So my latest idea for a post went from continuing to develop the Lebron-Kobe debate, to instead talking about how great the first 2 games of both the Western Conference and Eastern Conference Finals have been. In case you haven't been tuning in, lets recap the Lakers-Nuggets series first. In game 1, the Lakers started off horribly and Denver opened up a big first half lead. However, the Lakers managed to stay in the game (although Denver still controlled almost all 4 quarters) and then in the final minutes of the game, Kobe Bryant stepped up, Denver missed their free throws and Trevor Ariza came up with a huge steal to help Los Angeles take game 1, 105-103. If you take game 1 and flip it around, you pretty much get game 2. In this one, L.A. jumped out early, looked to be in control for most of the game, but then saw Carmelo Anthony (btw, how impressive has he been in these playoffs?) and Chauncey Billups step up down the stretch. With 18 seconds to go, there was a controversial jump ball that allowed Denver to gain control, hit some free throws and then when the final shot went into Derek Fisher's hands instead of Kobe's, the game ended with Denver taking game 2, 106-103 to get a spilt at Staples.

If the Laker-Nuggets series has been entertaining for you, then watch out for the Cavs-Magic series because you might just have a heart attack. In game 1, the Cavs jumped out in dominating fashion and it looked like this may just be another sweep for the Cavs. But the Magic slowly came back and then down the stretch, Rashard Lewis hit a huge three followed by 2 poor shots from Cavs players not named Lebron and suddenly Orlando found themselves with a one game advantage over the team with the best home record in the NBA. Unlike the L.A.-Denver series, game 2 of the Eastern Conference finals started out very similar to game one, with Cleveland leading by 20+ points in the first half. But just as in game 1, the Cavs couldn't hold onto their lead as Orlando stormed back to go up. When Hedo Turkoglu hit a running jumper to put the Magic up by 2 with 1 second to play, it looked like this series and the magical run that many thought Cleveland was going to have would suddenly come to a hault. I mean, winning the first two games on the road all but assures you of moving onto the next round. But King James wouldn't have it as he received the inbounds pass and immediately managed to drain a fade away three to win the game and even the series.

The 4 games thus far are undoubtedly some of the most entertaining playoff games we have seen in a long time. Lets just hope the competition stays up because we could end up witnessing something legendary!


In case you want to see Lebron's game winner that everyone is and will be talking about...here it is.

Lefty Taking a Break

Phil Mickelson is suspending his involvement in future PGA tournaments after getting news that his wife, Amy, has been diagnosed with breast cancer. This means that Phil will miss this weeks HP Byron Nelson Championship and will also not defend his title at the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial. Mickelson is currently 3rd in the FedEx Cup standings having already won twice this season (Northern Trust Open and WGC-CA Championship).

But as much as Lefty's presence will be missed in the upcoming PGA events, it is nice to see an athlete put aside his job and be with his family when he is needed. So often the poor decisions from athletes are plastered all over the front pages of websites and newspapers, so when you read or hear about an athlete, especially one with the talent and resume of Phil Mickelson, and how they set aside work during a difficult time like this it strikes you as a unique story.

Jason Sobel, a golf blogger for ESPN put it best in his piece on Mickelson when he wrote, "There are more important matters in Phil Mickelson's life right now, more meaningful than his current world ranking or placement on the FedEx Cup list or, yes, even winning major championships."

The fact that Lefty, during a time when his nemesis Tiger Woods continues to look vulnerable, is stepping aside from his sport to attend to family matters, is unfortuante for the golf fan because we will miss out on the potential for a great duel in the weeks and months to come on tour. With that said, so often we read about the mistakes and poor choices made by athletes, but today we get to see a major figure in the sports world set everything aside to be with his family and that serves as a refreshing reminder of what is important in life.

Lebron vs. Kobe...The Debate Might Be Over

The hottest debate in all of sports right now may just be what NBA Superstar is better, Lebron James or Kobe Bryant. But as the 2008-2009 Playoffs continue to unfold, one of these two players might be ending this debate and establishing himself as the superior.

INTRO
Kobe just finished his 13th NBA season while Lebron finished his 6th. Keep that in mind as we discuss various numbers because that does create a bit of an unlevel playing field for both Lebron and Kobe (depending on what we are comparing).

NBA RINGS
The first thing many people look at when discussing the best players of all-time are NBA rings. Kobe has 3, Lebron has 0. Kobe won his first ring in his 5th season and Lebron is in his 6th. However Kobe won all 3 of his championships with a man named Shaquille O'Neal on his team, arguably one of the Top 10 most dominant players ever. Lebron has never had, and probably will never have a player of that caliber on his team. So to give Kobe a huge nod over Lebron because of rings isn't really fair. Since Shaq left L.A., Kobe has made it back to the Finals once losing to the Celtics in 2008. Lebron also has made the NBA Finals in his 4th season losing to the Spurs in 2006. If NBA rings determines greatness, than Robert Horry needs to be in this argument. In my opinion, NBA championships doesn't determine greatness, it merely solidifies it.

GAME ON THE LINE
Another factor that people often look at is closing games and most people would agree (including myself) that right now, if you had one shot to win a game, you would want Kobe taking it. He has hit so many game winners and it seems that in one on one, he can always get a decent shot off. But once again this argument is weak as far as who is better for two reasons. One, Kobe is 31 years old and a 13 year NBA veteran. In his first 6 years, Kobe would not have been chosen as they one people wanted to take the final shot. In fact, I don't even know if he would have been chosen on his own team to take the final shot. Shaq would have probably been the first option and if he wasn't it was simply because he couldn't shoot free throws. Kobe hit game winners early in his career, but when a teammate draws two defenders and opens up a jumper, any NBA player should be expected to knock the shot down (i.e. Steve Kerr and Big Baby Davis).

CAREER NUMBERS
So after two topics that really are opinion and can't be measured (being a Champion and hitting the game winner), we get to the numbers game. What have these two players averaged in their careers?

Kobe: In his career Kobe averages 25.1 points, 4.6 assists and 5.3 rebounds per game. He shoots 45.5% from the field, has 134 career double-doubles, and has played in 948 career games (starting in 799).

Lebron: In his career, Lebron averages 27.5 points, 6.7 assists and 7.0 rebounds per game. He shoots 47.1% from the field, has 134 career double-doubles and has played in 472 career games (starting in 471).

Comparing the above numbers, Lebron has better numbers in every category than Kobe except number of games played (although he has started a higher percentage of the games he has played in). One statistic not mentioned which is significant is free throw percentage and Kobe (at 84%) far and away outshines Lebron (73.8%). only one time in his 13 seasons has Kobe shot less than 80% from the charity stripe whereas Lebron has never shot above 80%.

CLOSING ARGUMENT
Kobe is a great player. In fact, he is one of the best guards to ever play the game. But as we are seeing this postseason and have seen previously in his career, Kobe turns his game on and off and in my opinion, the best of the best need to come out every night and shine. Kobe has been blessed in his career to play with perhaps the best center ever (resulting in 3 NBA championships) and now has a team with savvy veterans (Gasol, Odom, Fisher). The supporting cast that have surrounded Lebron and Kobe throughout their careers can't be compared because Kobe's have been much better. So then, maybe this is why Kobe averages less points, assists and rebounds than Lebron. But if we ignore career averages for a second, and look at specific games, how many times have Kobe's teammates not shown up for a game (think NBA finals last year, Rockets game 4 yesterday etc.). In those games, the burden should fall on one of the best players ever to step up and win, yet Kobe didn't do that. Once again, every player, even Michael Jordan and Wilt Chamberlain has games where their shot wasn't falling and they had a low scoring output. This point right here is where Lebron in my eyes leaps over Kobe. I agree players, no matter how dominant they are, have bad games scoring, but Lebron is able to score 10 points and still put up 6 assists and 10 rebounds. Kobe on the other hand, just doesn't do that. If Kobe's shot isn't falling, he keeps shooting instead of adjusting his game to get others involved.

In this years playoffs, Lebron is averaging 33.7 points, 6.6 assists and 10 rebounds per game (plus as of today his team is undefeated). Kobe has played 9 playoff games this season and only twice has had over 6 assists and never had over 10 rebounds. So take away the points and you still have one player that is clearly for valuable and dominant than the other.

Championships are not won by single players, so this post is not me saying the Cavs are better than the Lakers. That would be stupid considering the Lakers swept the Cavs this season, so if the Lakers win the championship it is a plus for Kobe because he did it without Shaq, but it is not a knock on Lebron necessarily. The argument here and today is simply whether Lebron or Kobe is a better player and being only 24 years old and already with numbers that equal if not surpass Kobe's, I would have to take King James.


With all that said, he still isn't the best #23 ever!

How Good Are The Playoffs?

When you read the title of this post, I bet you were thinking about the NBA finals...but that is not what I was referring to. We have all probably watched at least one NBA game this playoff season, but how many have set aside some time to watch the NHL playoffs? If you haven't you should, because this years playoffs have had everything we could ask for.

This is tough because the NHL is the NHL and this is the U.S.A. and no matter how entertaining and how exciting hockey is, it will never supplant the top 3 sports. But that doesn't mean some good hockey should go unnoticed and in this years 2009 NHL playoffs, there has been some phenomenal hockey being played.

We have the 8 seeded Anaheim Ducks taking down the top seeded San Jose Sharks which as we know, is a Cinderella story that would be enough to hook viewers. Add to that countless games heading into overtime (10 thus far), including a 4 OT thriller between the Ducks and Redwings in the second round. There was also a HUGE controversial call in game 3 of the Ducks-Redwings series that potentially changed the entire playoff picture. Put it this way, the goal that was disallowed in game 3 was such a bad call that if it was in an NFL or NBA or MLB playoff game, the web and sports shows would be inundated with uproar. But its hockey, so the shows mentioned it and now lets move on! Believe it or not, there is even more awesomeness in this years NHL playoff picture because the two best and most popular players Alex Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby (who btw appear to strongly dislike each other) have their teams going at it in the Eastern Conference semi-finals and both players have lived up to their respective hype culminating in each of them netting hat tricks in a wild game 2.

These are just a few of the memorable moments that we have already witnessed in the 2009 NHL playoffs and we are only half-way through the 2nd round. So if your NBA or MLB team isn't playing, search your cable for Versus (which may be more difficult than you think) and tune in to a hockey game because chances are it will be more entertaining than NBA playoff game will be (now that the Bulls-Celtics series is over).

Am I daydreaming?

Early reports this morning by the LA Times (and now confirmed by Major League Baseball) say that Dodgers left fielder Manny Ramirez tested positive for steroids and will be suspended for 50 games beginning tonight. Re my post late last night, the Dodgers have a ton of momentum and this could wipe all that out. Manny is not only the biggest, scariest bat in the order (thus allowing batters around him to see better pitches), but he is the life of the clubhouse, a veteran player who shows the younger guys how to mix having fun while continuing to get the job down on the field.

The Dodgers need to circle that July 3rd game against San Diego (that is when Manny will be able to return) and then hope that over their next 50 games, they can go .500 and be sitting at 46-33 with 83 games to go when Man-Ram enters the lineup again.

What To Make Of The Blue Streak?

The Dodgers beat the Nationals at home tonight 10-3. It was a great win that saw all sorts of good things come from the Dodgers. The lead-off batter for L.A. reached base in 6 of the 8 innings that the Dodgers batted in. Additionally, the Dodgers had 8 batters step up with the bases loaded (and no one hit a grandslam!).

But the headline from tonight was not the 10-3 win over Washington, instead it was the fact that the Dodgers captured their 13th straight home victory to start the season moving past the 1911 Detroit Tigers for the best home start ever. The Dodgers currently hold the best record in baseball at 21-8 and already have a 6.5 game advantage in the NL West and are 1.5 games better than every other team in MLB. But I don't know if its fair to start crowning Los Angeles the best team in baseball.

As we see right now, with Manny and the boys driving in runs and the starting pitching going at least 6 innings, the Dodgers appear to be one of the favorites out of the NL to reach the World Series. But the knock on them and their 21-8 record and their 13-0 home start is this: the six teams the Dodgers have faced SF, San Diego, Colorado, Arizona, Houston, and Washington have a combined record of 66-94 and none of the 6 teams are over .500. So the Dodgers clearly haven't faced the toughest teams in baseball, however, they have dominated their division and as weak as the NL West may be, this isn't college football and so strength of schedule doesn't matter...what matters is winning games. If you want proof of this, just talk to the 2008 Cubs who were considered the best team from the NL last year yet were swept by the Dodgers in the playoffs.

Sure the teams that the Dodgers have beat up on don't have the flashiest resume, but what we can't overlook is that the Dodgers are doing exactly what they should be doing...beating up the teams. So many other ball clubs drop games here and there to teams they should dominate, but the Dodgers simply haven't done that. They have been in almost every game they have played (4 losses have been by 1 run and their worst was a 10-4 loss to the Rockies) and they have held down the fort at Chavez Ravine. Sure this 13 game home winning streak and 21-8 record doesn't mean the Dodgers will finish 122-40 (81-0 at home), that is obviously illogical.

But there is one stat that sums up why the Dodgers are where they are. Don't forget that the Dodgers have scored in the first inning of 14 out of their 21 wins which is unbelievable and means most of the time you instantly put an opponent on their heels and make them play catch up. That is an extremely valuable thing to have going for you and if they keep doing it, who knows how many wins the Blue Crew could reach.

The Greatest Series Ever?

Can a first round NBA playoff series ever go down as the best series ever? Two weeks ago I would have said no. There is no way it would have the drama, excitement, aggressiveness, passion and adrenaline that we often see if the NBA finals. I mean, sure its the playoffs, but its the first round so there is no way a team will go all out because they are still 3 rounds away from "tasting the championship."

Suddenly, I find my thoughts being challenged by the Celtics-Bulls first round playoff series. Currently, the series is tied at 3 games apiece. Boston is the defending NBA champs, they are the #2 seed in the East and have many savvy veterans. The Bulls are an up and coming 7 seed that many think may just be a few years off from becoming and playoff mainstay. That whole "few years away" talk appears to be nonsense because the Bulls are for real and have pushed the Celtics to a game 7.

But the idea of this post is that this may be the best series ever (and its not even over). Chew on these facts:

- Of the 6 games, 4 have gone to overtime (2 single OT games, 1 2OT game and 1 3OT game).

- Of the 6 games, 5 have been decided by 3 points or less (read that again, it might just blow your mind).

- There have been 7 overtime periods played in the first 6 games, the most ever (ironically, the 2nd most is 4 overtime periods and has been done twice, and both also involved the Celtics).

- In 6 games, there have been 5 different players that have scored the game high in points (Rose, Gordon, Pierce (2 times), Rondo and Allen).

- There have been 12 double-doubles and 2 triple doubles in the series thus far.


So whats the point with all this? Lets just say I suggest tuning in to Game 7 between the Celtics and Bulls at 5:00 PM on Saturday night, because you may just be watching the final saga of the greatest NBA playoff series ever.

This is What Al Davis Missed Out On

Michael Crabtree's Game Winning Touchdown Against Texas

Al Davis is CRAZY

In the First Round of the 2009 NFL Draft, many teams made great pickups. The Jets traded up and got what they hope is their new franchise quarterback. The Packers shored up a young defense with two great first round picks, B.J. Raji and Clay Matthews III.

Then there was Al Davis and the Oakland Raiders. Davis has been known to like speed over anything else and yesterday, with the 7th overall pick, Davis made perhaps one of the worst selections ever taking Maryland speedster Darrius Heyward-Bey over the only two-time Biletnikoff winner, Michael Crabtree. Heyward-Bey is smokin fast running a 4.30 40-time at the combine and he has good size. So those are two things you can't teach and he posses them. The issue is hands and route running. Heyward-Bey is unpolished and needs time and good coaching to help him mature into a valuable NFL receiver.

The issue that I have, along with many other sports fans who followed the draft yesterday is that Michael Crabtree was on the board (along with Jeremy Maclin who I am not even really addressing). Crabtree is polished, talented, good speed, excellent hands and has played big when it counts. The Raiders need instant help from a polished player considering their former Top Overall draft pick Jamarcus Russell is still working on his game. So to bring in another player that needs time to learn and perfect his game doesn't make sense to me. I think its time for Al Davis to retire...PLEASE!

Gilbert "the Pool Jumper" Goes to Chicago

Jarron Gilbert, the Defensive End from San Jose State was drafted today in the 3rd round by the Chicago Bears. So what, it was the 4th pick of the 3rd round, who cares? No one really...except it gives me a reason to tie in the NFL draft and an amazing YouTube video.

Watch the video and be amazed at the raw strength of Gilbert. Then go try it yourself!

Which College Produces the Best NFL Offense?

On the eve of the 2009 NFL draft, I started wondering which college currently has the best 4 person offensive unit using only a list of current NFL players. For no reason other than to make my research easier, by offensive unit I mean a quarterback (QB), a running back (RB) and two receivers (either wide receivers (WR) or tight ends (TE)). There are hundreds of colleges/ universities out there, so there could be an oversight on my part, but here are some thoughts on schools that could be nominated for producing the top offensive unit.

(In Alphabetical Order)
California: Aaron Rodgers (QB), Marshawn Lynch (RB), Tony Gonzalez (TE), Desean Jackson (WR)
Florida: Rex Grossman (QB), Fred Taylor (RB), Jabar Gaffney (WR), Andre Caldwell (WR)
LSU: JaMarcus Russell (QB), Joseph Addai (RB), Dwayne Bowe (WR), Michael Clayton (WR)
Marshall: Chad Pennington (QB), Ahmad Bradshaw (RB), Randy Moss (WR), Jason Rader (TE)
Miami (FL): Brock Berlin (QB), Clinton Portis (RB), Jeremy Shockey (TE), Andre Johnson(WR)
Michigan: Tom Brady (QB), Mike Hart (RB), Braylon Edwards (WR), Steve Breaston (WR)
Michigan St: Drew Stanton (QB), T.J. Duckett (RB), Muhsin Muhammad (WR), Derrick Mason (WR)
Notre Dame: Brady Quinn (QB), Ryan Grant (RB), Maurice Stovall (WR), John Carlson (TE)
Ohio St: Troy Smith (QB), Anotonio Pittman (RB), Santonio Holmes (WR), Michael Jenkins (WR)
Oregon St Derek Anderson (QB), Steven jackson (RB), Chad Ochocinco (WR), T.J. Houshmandzadeh (WR)
Penn St: Kerry Collins (QB), Larry Johnson (RB), Joe Jurevicius (WR), Bobby Engram (WR)
Tennessee: Peyton Manning (QB), Jamal Lewis (RB), Donte Stallworth (WR), Jason Witten (TE)
Texas: Vince Young (QB), Ricky Williams (RB), Roy Williams (WR), Bo Scaife (TE)
USC: Matt Cassel (QB), LenDale White (RB), Steve Smith (WR), Billy Miller (TE)
Virginia: Matt Schaub (QB), Thomas Jones (RB), Heath Miller (TE), Billy McMullen (WR)
Wisconsin: Brooks Bollinger (QB), Michael Bennett (RB), Chris Chambers (WR), Lee Evans (WR)

So, there you have it, the top 16 (really these were the only 16 colleges that could field a team with the required 4 positions). Obviously some schools have players that didn't make the "team" but are very talented. If this is the case (i.e. Kellen Winslow, Reggie Bush, Carson Palmer, Cedric Benson, etc.), I tried to go with the player I felt was the most productive. With that said, here is my personal Top 5:

1) Miami (QB is very weak, but you can't argue with the other spots which have some of the top players at their respective positions)
2) Oregon State (QB is average, but the running back is a perennial all-star and they have 2 wideouts that are excellent (despite being headcases))
3) LSU (Overrated QB, but very solid skill players highlighted by the up-and-coming Bowe)
4) Tennessee (Manning behind center, enough said. Also, an excellent TE with a pretty good WR and RB to go with him)
5) Cal (Arguably the best TE ever, decent quarterback and one of the top young RB in the league)

JUST MISSED:
USC (good players, but no one on their list jumps off as a year in and year out star and they all are young with a lot to prove
Michigan (I went back and forth with them, but 2 positions are solid and 2 are rather weak. I felt other teams just had more all around talent)
Marshall (maybe the biggest surprise on this list [along with Oregon St.], but when you have a player that I have never heard of [Rader] you are docked a lot of points.)

23 Years Ago Today, #23 Went Off Against the Celtics

Happy 4/20... and in celebration of the day when so many people light up, I figured I would post a video from April 20th, 1986 when Michael Jordan lite up the Boston Celtics for 63 points in the playoffs.

Despite the Bulls getting swept by the Celtics in the series, this still remains one of the greatest single game playoff performances of all time. Enjoy and who knows, maybe Derrick Rose will celebrate this anniversary tonight in Boston for Game 2...wouldn't that be something special?

The Voice of the Florida Panthers Entertains

Randy Moller, the radio voice of the Florida Panthers hockey team might make the most random pop culture references ever after the Panthers score a goal.

The Dan Le Batard Show (which shares a station with Moller) produced a 3 minute segment of some of Moller's best calls synched with the movies/ shows he is referencing. Take a look, it will crack you up.

Dodgers Getting The Most Out of The Starters

The L.A. Dodgers are 9-3 (5-0 at home) and in the midst of a 7 game winning streak. Granted their offense has found a nice rhythm with the O-Dog, Kemp, Ethier and others getting their bat going...and as of yesterday, the long ball finally came for Manny. But the most significant piece for the Blue Crew so far this year has been their starting pitching which was questioned alot during the Spring.

During this current 7 game winning streak here is a look at what the starting pitcher has done:

11-2 win over Arizona: Eric Stults- 5 1/3 innings, 4 hits, 1 ER and 5 strikeouts

3-1 win over Arizona: Randy Wolf- 7 innings, 2 hits, 1 ER and 5 strikeouts

11-1 win over San Fran: Chad Billingsley- 7 innings, 5 hits, 1 ER and 11 strikeouts

5-4 win over San Fran: Clayton Kershaw- 7 innings, 1 hit, 1 ER and 13 strikeouts

7-2 win over San Fran: Eric Stults- 5 innings, 5 hits, 2 ER and 2 strikeouts

4-3 win over Colorado: Randy Wolf- 6 innings, 4 hits, 3 ER and 9 strikeouts

9-5 win over Colorado: Chad Billingsley- 6 innings, 4 hits, 3 ER and 6 strikeouts

So in 7 games, every Dodger starter has gone at least 5 innings with no starter giving up more than 3 runs. This is huge because it allows Los Angeles to keep their bullpen sharp and fresh and also means that the offense never has to dig themselves out of too big of a hole. I think it is unlikley that the Dodger starters can keep this up for the entire season, but only 12 games into the season, we have already caught a glimpse of the potential that L.A. has on the mound.

Champions League Quarters Produce 2 Brillant Goals

If you didn't tune in to ESPN 2 last Tuesday and Weds. at 11:30 a.m., you missed the Champions League Quarterfinals which also means you probably didn't see 2 of the best goals the game will produce this season.

The first was on Tuesday in Chelsea's match against Liverpool. This game was an instant classic and ended in a 4-4 draw meaning Chelsea advanced thanks to their 2-1 win at Anfield a fortnight ago. In the 57th minute, Chelsea was awarded a free kick about 15 yards outside the penalty box. With all the stars lined up over the ball (Ballack, Lampard, etc.) it was the Brazilian Alex that decided to take a rip and his free kick goal would make Beckham blush.

Then on Weds, Manchester United visited FC Porto (where no English team had ever won) and pulled out a 1-Nil victory thanks to an amazing rocket off the foot of the reigning Fifa World Player of the Year, Cristiano Ronaldo. He took his shot over 39 yards out and somehow managed to tuck it in the back of the net. A phenomenal blast from one of the games best.

Alex- Chelsea



Cristiano Ronaldo- Manchester United

Kubel On A Tear

In case you aren't keeping up on your Twins baseball so far this season, you have missed two back-to-back phenomenal games from the Minnesota DH, Jason Kubel.

The Twins are hosting the LAA Angels (last game is today at 11:00 a.m.)and in the first 2 games of this series, Kubel has exploded. In Game One he hit for the cycle, including a Grand Slam BLAST in the 8th inning. The twins held on to win and Kubel went 4 for 5 with 5 RBI's and completed the 3rd cycle already this season (O. Hudson and I. Kinsler). Game Two of the Twins-Angels series was last night and Kubel continued his torrid pace. He again went 4 for 5 with 2 RBI's including a double that broke a 2-2 tie in the 5th inning. We will have to see today if Kubel can keep this blistering pace going against the Halos.

Federer Breaks Down After Coming Up Short Again

Rafael Nadal took out Roger Federer in the Australian Open Final to capture his 6th Major and first victory down under. But afterward, it was the man from Switzerland who stole the show with his display of raw emotion in front of the crowd at Rod Laver Arena.


Here is the video:

Super Superbowl

If you watched the first 3 quarters of the XLIII, who could have guessed that the Superbowl between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Arizona Cardinals would go down as one of the best games in recent memory. For 3 quarters, it appeared that the game was nothing more than an average football game with a high powered offense that never got going, a stifling defense that was so-so and some calls by the officials that had many wondering if Goodell had paid the zebras to ensure a Steel-town victory.

But just when everyone seemed to be emptying the ice from the cooler and put the lids on the bean dip, Larry Fitzgerald decided to show up and suddenly the Cardinals starting sensing that they still had a chance to win the Big One. After a phenomenal defensive stop and safety from Arizona, Fitzgerald showed once again why he is the best wide receiver in the NFL (did anyone else find it odd that Larry Fitzgerald Sr. didn't set work aside and attend the game as a father, not a journalist?).

But when Fitz crossed the goal line, hopefully you did start jumping up and down like I did, because with a drive that will go down as one of the best ever, Big Ben and the Steelers put together a 2 minute, 78 yard drive capped off my a miraculous catch by Santonio Holmes to send Pittsburgh into a frenzy.

In the end, after the last pieces of confetti have been blown away and empty beer cups cleaned up, its pretty amazing that a Superbowl that seemed so bland and lifeless will suddenly be added to the reel that includes the greatest games ever played.

OOO, by the way, there was an amazing Australian Open Final early this morning between Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer, but who really cares about that.