The Skinny Post Blog

Under Pressure Cards Fold

2011-12-08T17:45:00.009-05:00

Amazingly I remembered the password & the link to this website...how can I pass up an opportunity to address the biggest free agent signing to hit the baseball market since Alex Rodriguez in 2001. By know we all know that Albert Pujols, former Cardinals legend has left St Louis & is taking his talents to Long Beach. The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim signed him to a 10 year $254M contract early this morning.

For years the St Louis Cardinals were the envy of baseball teams and fans everywhere. Great franchise with a very rich tradition, great front office who found ways to get it done, the self proclaimed "greatest fans in the world" & the best player in todays game, Albert Pujols. The "Yankees of the NL" according to some of the misguided below the Arch. However the Cardinal faithful & ownership group found out today why the are "Yankee light" & not indeed the Yankees. Allowing (yes, the Cards ALLOWED their star to walk) Albert Pujols to reach free agency this winter & ultimately losing him to the lesser known LA franchise.

Make no mistake about this the Cardinals and their incompetent or arrogant front office played a dangerous game of chicken with the prized slugger & well lost the house doing so. This however is only a surprise to Cardinals fans, who feel their franchise is untouchable when it comes to free agent loses. Consider the cockiness of the franchise when it comes to handling free agent, their basic philosophy amounts to "we're the Cardinals...you wanna play for us...why? cause unlike other franchises we have the best fans, environment, & a winning tradition." Lost to good ole St Louis is that this, like anything else in life, is a business & to players this is a job.

How can I safely & confidently say this about the fans of St Louis? Here's a quote from one of the locals concerning this situation..."Wow. All I can say is that the entire baseball world overestimated the honesty and sincerity of Albert. We thought he was different. He's no different than ARod or any of the others. So much for "love of the game", "I want to be like Stan Musial", etc. Now, he's more like Garry Templeton, who left with a big "fuck you" to St. Louis."

Ladies & gentlemen that HARD paper shred you heard at around 11AM was the collective Albert Pujols posters being ripped off the wall in the local St Louis, Missouri area. This long time Cardinal fan (we'll call him Steve for the purposes of this blog) is obviously so shocked that he actually is forgetting the 2 championships Pujols brought to them. But in all reality, the fans have no one to blame but their own inept franchise for letting their superstar player walk. It really shouldnt have gotten to this point. According to Fan Graphs (thanks Aaron) Albert Pujols was paid 104 million for 11 seasons when he was "worth 330 Million in production!!!" That's less than 1/3 paid for the production. But that's even hardly the point. Its the way the St Louis Cardinals had chosen to do business. I wont speak of the past free agent (although they do have a reputation of low balling players wanting a hometown discount), I'll speak about this very situation, a special player that hasnt been seen in this franchise since...well as "Steve" mentioned Stan Musial.

When you have a valuable asset such as this, you take proactive steps in protecting it...the Cards did the complete opposite. You knew after the 2009 season you had to address this in the form of an extension. Going into the 2010 season nothing was said contract wise. In April of 2010 the Phillies (being proactive signing their star to an extension) signed Ryan Howard to a 5 year $125M deal...probably a little too much for Howard, but this was the first domino to drop for a Pujols exit. You would think at this point St Louis would eat the loss & sign Pujols, but no...no extension talks...nothing...not during the season, not after it, not until Spring Training of 2011 when Pujols announced he wouldnt negotiate during the season, including giving the Cards a deadline. Minutes before the Pujols imposed deadline the Cardinals finally make an offer...this was it St Louis fans...this was the offer that would cement the Pujols legacy in Cardinal red forever...the contract fell short in years (8 year offer) & in dollars (Pujols would have been paid in the baseball's top 10 only, not highest paid, not even top 5). Then after another World Series title, the Cardinals failed to talk contract with Albert. Instead they watched the Miami Marlins romance their slugger with what ultimately was a 10 year $220M contract. The Cardinals then matched that offer...not a dollar more. Essentially wanting Albert to take less annually than Mark Teixeira, Adrian Gonzalez, Ryan Howard, Joe Mauer, & a few others...then LA blows them both out the water with a 10 year $254M deal, Albert signs, let the Garry Templeton comparisons begin in St Louis. In short, the Cardinals didnt put enough of an effort. For all thats said about athletes the one thing thats missed is they are somewhat sensitive. I mean think about it this way, lets say you are unequivocally the best player/person/employer/employee, not just at your position...but in the entire industry...wouldnt you want to be paid like it? Would you really allow your employer to basically string you along like this? They know your value, theyve have to be dense not to. Not only do we want you to take less to be employed by us, but we want you to take less than Ryan in Philadelphia, Joe in Minnesota, Mark in New York, & Adrian in Boston. How would that be fair to you?

In closing, St Louis is known as the Gateway to the West...& thats exactly the purpose they served with one Albert Pujols. Years of neglect led to this. So make all the Arod comparisons that you want St Louis. All players want to be appreciated. Whether that be in dollars or in attention showed. You fell short in both categories & now you want to paint Albert in Los Angeles a villain when your front office had as much if not more to do with his departure to LA. A song from Lil Wayne & Babyface sounds eerily familiar to the point Im trying to make. The Chorus goes, "I'm not saying this to shake you up, I'm just saying this to wake you up. It's all good when we making love, all I ask is don't take our love, for granted, it's granted...My love for you, is real. if you don't love me, somebody else will...So don't you...ever...get too...COMFORTABLE!!!"

Void the Mets, Not K-Rod

2010-08-17T09:29:00.008-04:00

I know its been a while but very few things draw my ire more than an angst driven fan base that just doesn't get it. Every blog & sports radio show in NY is a buzz at the last news coming from Flushing. Francisco Rodriguez, out for the season with a torn ligament in his thumb, stemming from the attack of his father in law last Thursday.

Now mind you the Mets aren't in contention (regardless of what its most optimistic fans tell you). The reality is this makes bigger news fantasy wise since K-Rod is an elite closer & many owners who are actually in contention just lost him. But I digress, the Mets simply don't need Rodriguez this season anymore anyway, so his injury as far as the 2010 season is irrelevant. Now word is out of NY is the Mets, are trying to void the rest of the contract. Sadly, theres no word yet on whether MLB will void the rest of the franchise. The Mets have again managed to take a humiliating situation, & make it worse. This incident would have been out of the news by now. Instead, the Mets make it news worthy with talk of voiding a deal. Something the MLB Players Association will NEVER ALLOW! What's worse is the media has jumped on this (as well as every blogger) making it the over blown spectacle its going to be for the near future.

Voiding K-Rod's deal will accomplish nothing for the Mets. Other than it basically it makes the franchise less attractive to future free agents. It would also put a legit closer in his prime out on the market for say the Phillies, Braves, or Marlins (among others) to sign. Now the worse part of this is Met fans in general are ready to jump on the same boat as their misguided franchise & exile K-Rod. Let me be the voice of reason here for you less educated fans. Francisco Rodriguez while volatile is one of the most talented players the Mets have. He also isn't signed to a ridiculously over bearing contract for the next 20 years. He is making market value for a player at his position, has 1 year left with a team option that was never going to be picked up. So what's the problem? Why is the team looking to void one year of a contract that compared to others on the team is a relative bargain. The Mets front office again, is wasting time not looking at the real team issues, instead are concentrating on shit that simply doesn't matter & won't make a difference in the near future, if ever. This void contract talk is not going to accomplish anything to turn around the franchise's sad fortunes.

In short K-Rod is simply being used as a scapegoat, for another epic failure on the field with a team full over overpaid wash outs that they have no chance at getting rid of. The contract isn't going to get voided, the Union simply isn't going to allow it. But even if the Union did allow it, how would the Mets be better off without his services or talents going into 2011?

We Were All Witnesses...

2010-05-12T08:33:00.008-04:00

To what may have been the Lebron James curtain call in Cleveland. For all intents & purposes, last nights 32 point home playoff loss may be the last time Cavs fans get to watch Lebron James wear their uniform in their arena. & by the crowd body language & silence, they all know it. Now they have to pray, that their one man show can go to Boston for an inspired performance, so they can get 1 more look at James before he exits stage left.

Make no mistakes about it, Lebron James is leaving Cleveland this summer. His entire body language this post season screams it from his nagging elbow to how he looked at his talentless roster on the floor during last nights game. Undoubtedly once the Celtics close them out Thursday night James will start fielding the questions, "Lebron what are your thoughts on your free agent status this summer?" James of course will say something along the lines of "I have to get over this inept group of rejects letting me down again before I can decided that. I'm sure I'll figure it out by July." For James, the most talented basketball player in today's game, its about winning & he isn't going to do it with Shaq, Mo Williams, & Jamison. He has no desire floating around an organization with 2nd & 3rd rate talent with virtually no shot at beating a team like the Orlando Magic & in this case an aged Boston Celtics team. Don't kid yourself into thinking the Cavs have a good roster outside of Lebron. Mo Williams is again pulling his annual post season disappearing act. & while Jamison is still somewhat productive, he's not the type of fit James needs to win with this team. If winning with this team is even possible. The Cavs just need too much help, much more than James can provide them as is evident by the 2 games they have won in this series. James has been superhuman while winning. In the Game 1 win Lebron had 35 pts 7 board & 7 assists. In Game 3 the line was 38/8/7. In the games he doesnt score 25, the Cavs lose. A bad shooting night from James like last night & they get BLOWN OUT at home by 30 plus.

James isn't dumb, he knows that both Jamison & Mo Williams, under average NBA players are under contract for 2 more years in Cleveland. Shaq is on his way out the door. Varejao is due a huge contract (or be let go). Ilgauskus is finished a serviceable NBA player, & the the rest of the rotation that won the Cavs 60 plus games the last 2 seasons, just isn't good enough to beat teams that have multiple scoring options, especially since the opponent only has to stop their 1 option. If you look at this series with the Celtics, its inarguable that after James, the Celtics have the 4 next best players with Garnett, Rondo, Allen, & Pierce & i can make an argument for Rasheed Wallace as the 5th before selecting another Cav after James. It's just too much for ANY player to overcome...even for Lebron.

I said this last season, take Lebron James out of Cleveland & what the Cavs have is a 20+ win team similar to the NY Knicks. So the decision is to come. Does James have enough faith in Cleveland management to come up with the changes needed to make them a winner? Or does he chase the greatness he feels he warrants & gives another franchise the opportunity to make him a winner. The Magic reached the Finals last year & this year look even better after sweeping past their first 2 opponents in impressive fashion. Dwight Howard is only going to get bigger, better, & stronger & as long as he is there, James will never get to an NBA Final. Not with that Cleveland roster. If you ask me, it's over. WELCOME TO NY LEBRON!!! Get those #6 NY Knicks James jerseys printed now.

5 Fantasy Players Who Will Outperform Their ADP

2010-03-22T08:26:00.019-04:00

Every year in fantasy you struggle with decisions on when to draft certain players. Is the 3rd round too early to draft say a Derek Jeter or a Dustin Pedroia? For me it is more psychological than just picking the right player. Reaches really depend on 2 things. Position depth & the player's individual draft value (as opposed to their performance value). Here are the players that I feel you can go a round up to get:

5. Alcides Escobar of the Milwaukee Brewers. He has a great glove & with JJ Hardy traded to Minnesota, he will stay in the lineup. Like many youngsters, Escobar doesn't walk a lot, 4 times in 134 PA (Plate Appearances). But he does run, Alcides had 42 SB last year in the PCL (Pacific Coast League) & 34 the year before that. If your league counts OBP or SLG, you should pass. But in a normal 5X5 league he is Jose Reyes with less power (& hopefully less injury risk). His runs will depend on where he hits in the Brewers lineup, but worth the risk in the ultra thin SS position.

4. Brian Matusz of the Baltimore Orioles. He's having a good spring, yet by the looks of his ADP* (Average Draft Position) of 219, no one is noticing. Matusz is a ROY (Rookie of the Year) candidate that could surprise. Matusz will be an excellent source of Ks during the season (has a 18 K to 2 BB in 14 1/3 IP in the spring thus far) & for a young pitcher he doesn't walk an astronomical amount of hitters. If you are thinking of drafting Andy Pettitte, roll the dice with Matusz instead. In limited time last year, Matusz had a higher K rate (7.67 to 6.84) & a lower BB rate (2.82 to 3.51)than Andy. The risk may be worth the potential reward with Matusz.

3. Carlos Gonzalez of the Colorado Rockies. I absolutely love this guy. While he only has 4 extra bases so far in the spring, he is FLYING up the draft boards. & why wouldn't he? Gonzalez is a legit 5X5 fantasy option even in a 12 team leagues. Gonzalez's only issue is going to be playing time. The Rockies OF is pretty crowded at the time being. He likely will not play against lefties even though he hits them pretty well. His home numbers obviously carry the typical Rockies' player road/home differential (hitting over 40 points higher on the road). But he gave the Phillies nightmares in the playoffs, & went 13/16 in HR & SB respectively in 317 PA last season. That means he's 20/20 material with 450 PA.

2. Garrett Jones of the Pittsburgh Pirates. While many owners will jump on popular "fantasy sleepers" like Jason Heyward, I'll be chuckling & draft Jones 3-4 rounds later. This isn't a diss on Heyward who is doing exceptionally well this spring, but Heyward's ADP is in the 166 area. Meanwhile Garrett Jones is in the 208 range. That's 42 picks later for a proven ML player who hit 20 HR/10 SB last year in 358 PA. Jones is also a Pirate, making him easily forgettable on draft day. But it also makes him the perfect post hype candidate.

1. Francisco Liriano of the Minnesota Twins. Last year I went a round early on Ubaldo Jimenez & it paid dividends. This year Francisco Liriano wears the crown of an arm I'm taking a gamble on by selecting him well ahead of my peers. I saw him pitch in the Dominican Republic...in person. He was simply DOMINANT, throwing 5 shutout innings while striking out 10 in the Dominican League title game. Liriano CARRIED Escogido to it's first Caribbean World Series title since 1990. His fastball was back to 2006 speed & he had devastating control of his nasty slider. Thus far in spring training, he has 16 Ks in 10 IP. Combine that with his winter league stats & his K rate is at a semen spilling 11.75 K/9IP ratio, with a K/BB (Strikeout to Walk) Ratio of 8.75. His ADP is 209. That's like in the 17th round (in a 12 team format). Do not let him get that far. You'll be sorry. Also, ignore the reports that say Minnesota will put him in the pen. He's going to be a starter.

You can safely go a round or two early on any of these guys. They will perform past their draft values.

*ADP is an average draft position may differ per site.

Top 5 Fantasy Baseball Draft Day Don't Do's

2010-03-03T21:45:00.019-05:00

It's my favorite time of the year. It's baseball season & with it, FANTASY BASEBALL!!! I don't care what anyone says, fantasy baseball is the best fantasy sport out. A season long daily roster change & standing flux drama. Weather you are in a Roto or a Head to Head, if you draft early or late, make sure you don't make draft day mistakes. Here are the top 5 I expect to see in most drafts & the ones you should avoid.

5. Don't reach for players switching teams expecting a big boost in production.
In other words, don't think Adrian Beltre is going to go 25 HR/100 RBI because he went to Boston. He is a good late round pick up sure, I'd agree. But he isn't going to have the huge bounce back year nearly every expert is predicting. In fact, if he does it can hardly be considered a "bounce back." A bounce back from what? Beltre has 1 season with 100 RBI (of his 12 in the Majors). So you can immediately rule out 100 RBI's. The 25 HR? Well that's about his average anyway, so you really aren't gaining anything production wise compared to his career norms (which is .270/24 HR/87 RBI). Those are the numbers you should expect. In a league I've been in for about 9 years Beltre went 136th overall last year. That was too early then & would be too early in 2010. The owner (sorry Chris) was likely using the infamous "he's in a contract year so he's due for a big season" theory. Which brings me to my next point.

4. Don't draft a player in a contract year expecting a big boost in production.
You wouldn't believe how many people buy into this year in & year out. Remember when 30 year old Andruw Jones was a pending Free Agent in 2007? Everyone told you "he's in for a HUGE year." That year in the same league, I drafted him in round 3 (34 overall). Somehow I managed to trade him at mid season for reasonable return...& that was only because this was at the time unforeseen territory for Jones, who came of a 41 HR season. But in 2007 he ended the season with an abysmal .222/.311/.413 AVG/OBP/SLG line. The rest is history. This years candidate? Carlos Pena. I know you love the power (who wouldn't). But his batting average (the most underrated category in fantasy especially in roto leagues) was unbearable last year. The last 3 years it has plummeted from .282 to .247 to .227. His K rate has gone up, his BB rate has gone down. Sound like disaster to me.

3. Don't draft Johnny Damon.
Read why here. Seriously, just stay away from him.

2. Don't draft Stephen Strasburg.
Listen, if you are in a keeper league, go ahead & knock yourself out. But if you are in a regular yearly league, DO NOT BOTHER...he isn't going to play in the majors this year. You'll draft him in the middle rounds instead of drafting a serviceable pitcher & end up dropping him in May. Next year consider it. This year just pass & laugh at the guy or girl who drafts him.

1. Don't draft Joe Mauer in the 1st round.
I wouldn't even draft him in the 2nd round. Unless you are in an extremely deep league (like 20 plus) don't buy into "Mauer Power" in round 1 or 2. First he's a catcher...extremely too much risk (injury & otherwise) involved drafting that position in the 2nd round, let alone in the 1st. Not even Mike Piazza in his prime was regularly drafted in the 1st round when he dominated the position in the 90's & early 2000's. And Piazza had a much higher pedigree than Mauer entering their 7th season. Secondly, before last year Mauer had exactly 1 double digit HR seasons (in 2006 with 13). In my opinion, there isn't enough of a track record in the power department to draft him that high. I know he's the reigning AL MVP, but are you really going to draft him as high as 14th his ADP (Average Draft Position)? If he duplicates last season, he will be worth it. But are you going to gamble that he duplicates that? Go ahead...I won't

So there you have it. Remember, that while you can't win your league on draft day, you can sure lose it making any of these mistakes. Draft wisely.

Business As Usual

2010-02-25T09:59:00.003-05:00

When it comes to sports economics fans typically are on management (owners/teams) side of the squabble. You hear it everywhere, even the educated sports fan will foolishly tell you, "these players are TOO GREEDY, what's the difference when you make THAT MUCH!!!" People will tell you a few millions here & there might not make a difference to a player, but why is the same mentality not used when it comes to team or the owners? Aren't the team owners also making millions? I for one, have always sided with the player when it comes to labor disputes, especially when it comes to football. After all, they are the product. But most importantly, they are the ones taking the risk & placing their respective bodies on the line. I know what your thinking, "you can't compare the money we make to the amount they make...they get paid millions to play a game." They also limp home, have concussions, blow out knee caps, & break bone at the end of the "work day" while you stroll in & eat your dinner.

I could be one of these uninformed fanatics who sees a sports labor headline & instantly thinks, "these damn players are greedy." Yet when they see a player like LaDainian Tomlinson, crying uncontrollably like he did at his press conference, it's nothing more than another overused player that has worn out his welcome in the game. In 2006, Tomlinson won the leagues MVP in a season where he touched the ball over 400 time (404). Marking the 6th straight season LT had over 390 touches. Mind you, that these touches are in a 4 months span, not including the playoffs, which amounts to nearly 100 blows a month from 270 pound linemen. This is why, when players hold out for more money I say one thing... GET YOUR MONEY!!! Cause when you're all used up, this is where you'll be. On the unemployment line.

I'm not saying I feel sorry for sports athletes, they know the risks of the game. What I'm saying is I understand them & their desire to be compensated to a level they deem fair. We all work, we all make our money & likely work for people who make more money. If that's the case, if you are an asset making your owner richer, wouldn't YOU want your cut? Why would you take a dime less? Fans OFTEN speak out against players due to their jealousy. There really is no other reason to care who makes what. You call players "mercenaries" selling their service to the highest bidder. I call it securing a financial future.

Damon's Dash

2010-02-22T11:00:00.003-05:00

Finally it's over!!! Never in my wildest & most imaginative dreams would I ever think, that a washed up 37 year old player who can no longer play the OF, would DOMINATE the baseball free agency period. I give you 2009/2010 & the curious case of one Johnny Damon. If you thought you missed the early signings of Jason Bay & Matt Holliday, it was probably just overlooked because of the media suffocation around Damon, the prize outfielder during the FA (free agency) period this year...apparently. Previous to this weekend Johnny was still not signed. He wass still the most coveted free agent outfielder since Barry Bonds. Unlike Bonds though, no one will confuse Johnny for a future Hall of Fame caliber player. Yet the media (& myself since I am blogging about this), continue to clamor, over a player towards the end of his career.

Now I know in the opinion of some that I (Russ Rosario), am being somewhat harsh on Damon. But am I the only one who seems to think this guy is getting a little too much attention? I think we can all agree Johnny had a good baseball career with the best season arguably coming last year. It was a good swan song IMO & teams need to check his vitals before jumping the shark on this one. The Yankees (who I have often & openly been critical of various times in the past) thought so much of Damon, that they replaced him with Nick Johnson (who has spent 1/3 of his career on the DL) & Randy Winn. This isn't a diss on Johnson, who is a very good player. He is however as injury prone as they come. & while Randy Winn is the only player in baseball history to be traded for a manager, there is a reason why baseball's best run franchise gave him a non-guaranteed minor league deal.

But any baseball related site you visit, you see the headlines. "The Braves & White Sox can't afford Damon." My question is WHY WOULD YOU WANT TOO? First of all, if you're the Braves (or ANY NL team) why would you have a slow defensive liability in your OF? An OF who besides that, no longer steals & won't hit for power outside the friendly confines of a stadium tailor made for his swing. Reportedly, the Detroit Tigers had offered Damon a 2 year deal for $14M...a similar contract to that offered by the Bombers. Miraculously, Damon DID NOT sign the deal. There are only two theories feasible enough to explain as to why. The printers at Yankees Stadium or Comerica Park ran out of toner, paper, or both. Or the fax machine was stolen right out of Scott Boras' office. For the Tigers, this is inexplicable. To trade Curtis Granderson, a 29 year old All Star OF, with 3 years & $25M (including a $2M buyout) left on his contract, then turn around & sign a Johnny Damon to 1 year at $8M makes ZERO sense. The average annual pay out is VIRTUALLY the same. The contract value for Damon is more questionable to that of Granderson's considering Damon's age & skill set at this point of his career. This is again, why bad teams STAY BAD. I'm sick & tired of teams complaining about competitive balance & owners wanting caps. You want to be a better team? Try making better decisions. This was a step in the wrong direction for Detroit.

Is Johnny Damon completely done? I'll put it this way, if you are driving a car & the tank is on E & the warning light just came on, are you going to push it another 100 miles? If your answer is YES...don't kick yourself when you're stranded in the middle of the road. That's the exact scenario teams are facing, more so the Tigers after bidding against themselves to secure Damon. My prediction for Damon this year is simple. .270ish/10 hr/50-60 rbis/75-85 runs/8 sb, & a bunch of fly balls over his head.

Tiger Woods Reaction

2010-02-19T11:33:00.017-05:00

Shockingly (at least to me), Tiger Woods came out & took it like a man. Not that he wouldn’t have manned up, he just simply didn’t have to & did. Tiger’s the latest athlete to crumbles under the immense media pressure that he could have simply ignored. There he stood, baring all to the entire world addressing the allegations of steroid use, the infidelity, paparazzi & the constant harassment of his family, The Thanksgiving Day incident with Elin, his irresponsible behavior, how he felt the rules of marriage & life didn’t apply to him, & lastly but likely the most astonishing, his Golf etiquette or lack there of. Woods made apologies to everyone from Elin, to parents of children who idolized him, to Accenture & the players in the Match Play.

I thought the most intriguing part of his near 14 minute speech, came where he stated, "the issue involved here, was my repeated irresponsible behavior, I was unfaithful. I had affairs. I cheated. What I did was unacceptable and I am the only person to blame." Fully divulging his wrongdoings & taking responsibility for them. He added, he knew his actions were wrong & convinced himself that normal rules didn't apply to him. How he felt he deserved to enjoy all the temptations around him...he felt entitled. This is where I gained the ultimate respect for Tiger. My question is what athlete/celebrity DOESN'T feel & act this way? Tiger, unlike most athletes/celebrities & actually came clean.

In the end, I believe this was one of Tiger's rehab steps. Making a full contrite public confession WHILE disclosing to having extra-marital affairs. Woods never took a question & really didn’t have to. He answered them all for the exception of when he will return. Woods didn't rule out a return in 2010. Woods gave the public exactly what they wanted adding he had a lot to atone for. But it makes me wonder why the public wanted to see a Golf athlete become so intimate with personal details of his life, when we wouldn't expect that from anyone else.

Insert Generic Tiger Headline Here

2010-02-18T11:15:00.010-05:00

I'm not as witty as those other writers who give you all those catchy headlines so excuse the header. After months of silence, Tiger Woods will finally appease the masses by reading a statement tomorrow at 11:00 AM EST, in what should be a media spectacle. He will not take questions, he will simply read a statement to selected media, in front of 1 camera, while other media members wait in a hotel conference room watching. The public is eagerly awaiting this as well as I. While the general populous wants him to be contrite, I want him to remain himself, an egotistical, self serving jerk who hid behind the word "addiction" to justify his "wrongdoings." But does your opinion of him really hinge on what he says tomorrow? Here's why mines won't.

For the record, I'm not a moralist, nor do I need Woods to be one. I've said this before, do you really care if the butcher who slices your meat or the guy changing the oil in your car sleeps around on his wife? This is why I don't think Tiger owes any one of us an explanation & I truthfully, do you want one if it's going to be full of crap? Well get ready, because that's what you should expect in tomorrow's presser. In fact, I say pay more attention to his surroundings because that might be more interesting than what he says. What I want to hear from the media personnel who were deemed worthy enough to breathe the same air as him, are answers to the following questions:

Who will be next to him? Elin Nordegren Woods, the hotel maid he'll undoubtedly slept with prior to the conference or his agent?
Will he be wearing his wedding ring?
Will he cry?

Those are the only answers I need. His testimonial is inconsequential because he'll read a standard, non specific & prepared speech where he won't directly admit to any affairs. It will be carefully worded & worse of all, no one in the media can question & test the veracity of his statement.

I am absolutely in love with the fact Tiger Woods did this during the Accenture Match Play, being that Accenture was one of the sponsors that dropped him. Because as opposed to the majority of the world, I'm ok with Tiger being a self absorbed asshole. & tomorrow, I hope we get more of that Tiger. I don't want to see him humble himself because in all reality, I gain nothing from it & neither do you. All these media guys like Rick Reilly saying he has to win women back is NONSENSE. He only has to win 1 woman back & that's Elin & that's if he cares enough to do so. If you are a woman, does Tiger really need to win you back? Why does he have to? His vows were to his wife, not to any of us. You are still going to watch him, listen to him, & idolize him for his play. So your opinion on a Golfer shouldn't change based on what he says. If it does, you really need to look in the mirror at your own hypocrisy.

Kurt Warner Retires

2010-01-29T15:53:00.003-05:00

From bagging groceries to Hall of Fame Quarterback. No, this isn't a fairytale, this is the story of Kurt Warner. We've all heard the story before & what Kurt Warner was doing before he elevated himself into a Hall of Fame NFL QB. He was stocking shelves at the Cedar Falls Hy Vee grocery store for $5.50 per hour. & in 5 years, he will cement his name in the annals of football lore.

I can go all day taking about his stats. How Kurt Warner has the 2nd highest passing yard per game average, how he has the most passing yards in Super Bowl history (single game & career), how he's tied with Joe Montana for the most TD in one postseason (11), or how he's the only QB to throw for 14,000 yards for 2 different franchise. It's not only the stats that make Warner HOF worthy. It was the fact that he took 2 of the NFL's worst run franchises & turned them from laughing stocks, to Super Bowls, making one of them a champion. Think about that for a minute.

The Chicago/STL/Arizona Cardinals had a total of 2 post season wins (spanning back to 1947) before Warner. He collected 3 in one season & came within seconds of delivering the pathetic franchise a Super Bowl victory. The LA/STL Rams, were coming off a 4-12 season led by Tony Banks in 1998, before the grocery bagging QB changed the fortunes of the franchise seemingly overnight. The Rams went from ZERO playoff appearances in 10 years, to the Greatest Show on Turf & winning Super Bowl 34. Stats aside he changed the culture of 2 losing franchises making them into winners. That's IMPACT!!!

Lane Change

2010-01-13T06:12:00.007-05:00

Before everyone decides to crucify Lane Kiffin for taking the USC job, ask yourself this...would you have hung up the phone without accepting what you deem a better career opportunity? So where is this "he's a traitor/he betrayed us" talk is coming from?

When news came down of Lane Kiffin shockingly leaving Tennessee last night there was the immediate overreaction by the populous. "How could he do this 3 weeks before National Signing Day?" Easy...by answering the phone & saying "I accept your job offer USC." I can understand being upset, but lets not make it sound like this is a Jesus & Judas situation & that Kiffin sold out Tennessee for 30 silver pieces. He left "Rocky Top" the #6 recruiting class, when Tennessee hasn't been part of the relevant college landscape for the majority of the decade. In other words, an improvement.

Sure you'll lose some recruits, but you aren't losing them all. One recruit they are losing is Brandon Willis. Willis, a top 50 high school recruit (according Rivals.com), was expected to start school early, but upon hearing the news said, "I am not going to Tennessee, I am not sure what I am going to do now. I am going to sit down with my dad and talk about it." However, Willis' high school teammate, Corey Miller (who is a higher rated prospect than Willis) is still headed to UT. & before you react & say "Kiffin left them high & dry." think about it this for a second...aren't these recruits going to leave college (in some cases early) to pursue better career opportunities in the NFL? So stop the hypocritical outrage.

Even though I would have thought twice about taking over head coaching duties in a school that may face NCAA probabtion (like USC may face), Kiffin thinks he has a better opportunity in Southern Cal than in Tennessee. & let's face it, location is a big deal to recruits. If someone is trying to get you to commit to their school, who do you think will have an easier time doing so? Tennessee or Southern California? It's not even a contest.

Of course if USC is sanctioned, Kiffin will have a lot of egg on his face. Steve Spurrier once said "you can spell Citrus (as in the Citrus Bowl) without the UT." Maybe Lane Kiffin thought you couldn't spell success, without USC.

McGwire's Admission

2010-01-12T07:58:00.010-05:00

Well you knew sooner or later. That another athlete would crack under the immense pressure of the media's "come clean" campaign. The latest admission came from Mark McGwire yesterday, when he revealed he used steroids on & off for most of the decade in the 90's. Now since its been a while, I'll remind the audience who Mark McGwire actually is. He's the Cardinals first basemen who broke Roger Maris' 37 year old single season HR record in 1998. No, I'm right about the year, 1998. So this news comes a decade too late & when no one any longer cares. It's just another name, on top of the pile of embarrassment for MLB.

McGwire, took it a step farther, & stated, "Looking back, I wish I had never played during the steroid era." Well Mark, this is similar to Christopher Columbus wishing he never discovered the Caribbean Islands after he raped & pillaged it. Being a willing participant, no wait, one of the original Godfathers of this steroid era, you have very little room to complain about the circumstances you find yourself in. Big Mac went on to dispute how much of an effect steroids had on his 70 HR season saying, "I was given a gift to hit home runs." Telling Bob Costas of MLB Network, that studying pitchers and making his swing shorter led to his increase in home runs, and that he could have hit them without PEDs. AMAZING...the man has lied to himself so much over the last 10 years, that he actually believes this. Mark, they are called performance enhancing drugs...in other words, they are specially manufactored drugs to enhance your performance. If they didn't do anything...why take them? Oh yeah that's right...to stay healthy (the Andy Pettitte excuse)...like healthy enough to stay on the field & play enough games that allowed you to hit the home runs & eventually break the record. Personally, I feel this admission negates his career to the BBWAA (Baseball Writers Association of America), who will now never vote him in to the Hall of Fame, after admitting use during the majority of his career.

Like most players who came forward after the exposure McGwire said "the truth will set you free." Then why does every player give us the same story? That they took it for injuries, made a mistake, didn't know what they were doing, it was a bad decision on their part or everyone else was doing it? Just once, I wish an athlete would come out & say, "I was in a contract year & I wanted to get a huge payday. That's why I did it." or "I wanted to be the greatest player who ever played & this drug took me a step closer to that." or "I knew it was wrong, but I didn't care. I wanted the fame that came along with the historic performance I was about to embark on & I don't regret it one bit." Any of those statements would be more truthful, than the alligator tears segment we get from every player, every time there name is mentioned in the same breathe as "steroid user." The only reason they are sorry & they cry, is because they are being exposed to the public. Nothing more nothing less.

Let me be the first to officially name a fantasy baseball team Big Mac Special Sauce for the upcoming 2010 fantasy season. It'll be the next team name to catch on.

Trouble In Trojan Town

2010-01-08T15:52:00.016-05:00

It may not rain in Southern California, but it's about to pour on USC. Pete Carroll is the first College Coach teams in the NFL think of when they make a firing. That didn't change when the Seahawks fired Jim Mora Jr. on Friday. Pete Carroll, an underachiever as an NFL Head Coach (at least compared to his USC success), was again the first person mentioned for the Seattle Seahawks opening, mere hours after Mora's dismissal. If Carroll leaves USC & takes the Seattle offer, it can only mean one thing...how long before the proverbial shoe drops, & the Trojans of USC are placed on probation?

No official offers have been made to Carroll & no one has confirmed that both sides have even talked. But a source close to Carroll said, "You're about to see a big headline that shakes up the major college football world, " referring to the Seahawks sudden opening. Chris Mortensen of ESPN has stated Carroll is choosing his eventual staff for Seattle. The current headlines will likely be how Pete Carroll will be offered a Head Coaching Position (& what will likely be the VP of Player Operations opening along with it) of the Seattle Seahawks. But afterwards what will be the next domino to fall? My prediction is USC, so prepare yourself for the headlines. "Trojans stripped of national titles, forfeit wins, sanctioned, & placed on probation until year X." The basic death nail to a football program that enjoyed a quick rise into prominence during the early 2000's, ever since Carroll was hired. With him leaving (if he eventually is offered a position & does leave), it will signal an even more rapid fall from grace, than the last empire fooled by the Trojan horse.

This week USC put their own basketball program on probation over OJ Mayo's relationship with Event Promoter Rodney Guillory. The sanction includes a post season ban this year as well as forfeited games when Mayo played. Then you add the recent Joe McKnight SUV situation & the fact the NCAA is still looking at them for Reggie Bush's alleged violations from a few years ago, & its easy to see the end is near for the USC football program. McKnight has already declared for the NFL draft & Carroll is scheduled to meet with Seattle this weekend & is expected to accept the offer according to various league sources. What this spells is the end for USC as an elite college program.

We would like to extend a special thanks to Jon Alba of Sports Full Circle for being the main source to The Skinny Post Blog concerning this news story, when it originally broke.

Colts Give Up Perfection

2009-12-28T12:09:00.005-05:00

Apparently the Indianapolis Colts are so good they can afford to give games away. & in doing that, they stole something from fans, their players, & the history books, while complicating the playoff scenario for various teams. What the Colts also gave away, was respect for the game.

It's one thing to get out played, but it's another thing to wave a white flag in the middle of the game basically giving your opponent a win & a chance at the playoffs that they likely didn't deserve. Last week Rex Ryan basically said the Jets playoff chances were dead (& they were). Little did he know...little did anyone know, that Colts Coach Jim Caldwell would gift wrap him a win, disrespecting the tradition of the game in the process, & foolishly giving up on a once in a lifetime opportunity. With 5:36 left in the 3rd quarter & a 15-10 lead, Caldwell turned his back on perfection. For the Jets, it was like taking candy from a baby. Scoring 19 unanswered & through no fault of their own, being credited with the most disgraceful win in NFL history.

If you watched the game, Manning & Co had the Jets defense on their heels, even Darrelle Rivas looked confused. It was a very winnable game. But Jim Caldwell, being precautions I guess, decided to punt the game. As if to say, "we'll get em next week guys." In an era where guys like Randy Moss get eaten alive for not giving 100% on the field, I'm not ready to forgive a coach who basically decided to do the same & disgracefully lose purposely. I've seen plenty of players lay down, but nothing compared to the disgust I felt Sunday, as I saw Peyton Manning standing on the sideline as Curtis Painter took snap, after snap, after snap. After the 3rd quarter ended, my viewing of the game ended. Hey if the Caldwell gave up on the game I figured I could as well.

I understand that you need to protect players from injury, but didn't Tony Dungy do this with the Colts in 2005? The Colts started out 13-0 & after a loss to San Diego, Dungy basically decided to give Manning the rest of the season off. The Colts then met the Steelers, who quickly ended their season, giving them the rest of the year off. Now I'm hoping history repeats itself & the very same teams Indy foolishly gave a glimmer of hope in the playoff race, comes back to haunt them in January & eliminate them. Because they aren't worthy of wearing a Super Bowl ring this year.

Giant Disappointment

2009-12-28T10:50:00.004-05:00

When a respective teams starts 5-0, you expect them to make the playoffs. But not so for the 2009 NY Giants. In the end, they close The Meadowlands with an embarrassing 41-9 loss to the Panthers, a team familiar with dashing the hopes of NY fans hopes, much like the Panthers did in the 2006 Divisional Playoffs.

For the Giants it was supposed to be a Super Bowl contending year. With an improved defense that was getting Osi Umenyiora back, in addition to acquiring guys like Rocky Bernard, Chris Canty, & Michael Boley, the Giants defense was supposed to overcome the perceived lack of firepower they had with the absence of a big time WR. Their pass rush was supposed to dominate opponents every week. It seems unreal how the complete opposite happened during the season, and that the Giants are eliminated from playoff contention going into Week 17 at Minnesota. The defense has to take the brunt of the blame, allowing the 5th most points in the NFL. Umenyiora couldn't stop teams from running it to his side for huge yards, likely slowed by the last years knee injury, Michael Boley had nagging injuries all year, & Chris Canty missed half the season on his way to accumilating 12 tackles & 1/2 sack. Many fans put the blame on Defensive Coordinator Bill Sheridan, who never seemed to efficiently use his gifted personnel.

In my opinion though, you have to wonder what happened to Brandon Jacobs? Last season Jacobs was signed to a 4 year $25M extention following two 1000 yard seasons. This year he followed that up with his worst yards per carry output since his rookie season (3.7) plummetting from his 5 yard a carry average from the past 2 seasons. If you look at the first half of yesterdays game, it was a microcosm of the season. The Giants defense couldn't stop the Panthers on 3rd down, they couldn't create a single turnovers, while their offense made numerous. 5 of the 6 Giants first half possession ended in turnovers or in 3 & outs. The one possession that didn't end in a turnover or a 3 & out was a 4 possession drive. Jacobs had 5 rushes, for a total of 1 yard. The Giants abondoned the run, while Carolina wore them down & ran it to the tune of 247 yards. The game was over, & so were the Giants playoff hopes.

Orange Blush

2009-12-27T20:44:00.011-05:00

Was I dreaming or did John Elway make a comeback without me knowing. Did the Broncos really start the season 6-0? The Broncos' miraculous start to the season was a mirage, we knew that. But the 6-0 start gave fans a realistic expectations. The expectation was to make the playoffs. Afterall, no team in history has ever started 6-0 & NOT made the playoffs. The Broncos are gonna be in, Josh McDaniels will look like a genius, & everyone will be in a festive mood. It's not like a team that has quality wins like the ones Denver had is gonna suddenly fall apart right? They'd have to lose something like 7 of their next 9... & that's just crazy!!! RIGHT?!?!?

7 losses out of their next 9 games later, the Broncos are looking to out do the Giants, for most pathetic team to close the season. If you take a look at 4 of the teams Denver beat during the 6-0 start, you'll see that 4 of those 6 victories came against playoff teams like Dallas, New England, @ San Diego, & @ Cincinnati. So how do you go from 6-0 to not even controlling your own destiny to reach the playoffs? By losing 7 of 9, including 4 straight following the hot start. With humiliating losses to the turmoil ridden Redskins & a home loss to the hated rivals Oakland Raiders. The biggest difference between the Broncos start & humiliating finish is their defense. While 6-0 they allowed less the 12 points per game, while dismantling teams in the 2nd half of games. During the 2-7 free fall the defense has allowed nearly 24 points per game. While the Broncos can still get in, they don't tiebreakers over the Steelers or Ravens (because of head to head losses) & need the following to happen:

A Ravens loss at Oakland and a Texans win vs New England.
A Ravens loss and a Steelers loss at Miami.
A Jets loss at home vs Cincy and a win by the Texans.
Or a loss by the New York Jets, along with either a Ravens loss or Steelers loss (not both if the Jets loss).

In 3 of the 4 scenerios, the Broncos need the Raiders to Just Win Baby. Nothing says desperation like the phrase "we need a Raiders win." What is likely to happen is Al Davis will order the Raiders to loss on purpose, to eliminate Denver out of spite. It's not so far fetched. Afterall, we've already seen the Colts throw a game this year.

Pac Man's Power Pellets

2009-12-24T09:55:00.008-05:00

The title is an absolute cheap shot I know. But it's not like we aren't thinking it. Maybe you aren't giving it a 2nd thought, but get ready...because it will be the new topic of the conversation. When Floyd Mayweather Jr asked for & agreed to Olympic Style drug testing he did what he's always done in the ring vs his opponent. He gets in their heads, corners a fighter, make him feel uncomfortable, & then proceeds to dominate. Manny Pacquiao's camp did what we've seen every other opponent do in the ring against Floyd...backpedal & puts up a lame defense that any half skilled technician can pick apart. So this isn't something we haven't seen before. What is surprising, is that Pacquiao, seemingly invincible, didn't agree to the test & the fight which I said wouldn't happen for another 18 months, may be in jeopardy.

What angers me most is that Manny himself hasn't addressed the situation. His camp, Bob Arum, Freddie Roach & company have been the only one saying why Manny won't agree to it. Here are the list of lame excused from Top Rank Boxing

Manny is superstitious
He doesn't want to be severely weakened during his training camp
He doesn't like needles
Manny gets "freaked" out when his blood is taken

Sorry, but that isn't gonna fly with me or with the court of public opinion. Top Rank was still trying to bob & weave Thursday, when Bob Arum suggested an alternative drug testing plan. He wants to employ the same agencies as the NFL, MLB, & NBA, while in the same breathe saying, "every doctor in the world would say doing such a thing is stupid and blood tests don’t prove anything." Really? Then if it doesn't prove "anything" why is your boxer running from it? Why would he agree to testing after the fight & not before it? With athletes getting popped left & right for PED's (from Marion Jones to Alex Rodriguez, to even former Boxer Fernando Vargas & current welterweight champion Shane Mosley) can you blame the undefeated Mayweather for wanting to make sure he's fighting on an even playing field? Cause I can't. Vargas was KO'd in the Sept 2002 fight by Oscar De La Hoya (the fight he tested positive for Stanozol). But the positive test didn't come until AFTER the fight. In Mosley's case, he admitted unknowingly to taking 2 designer steroids (while Victor Conti disputes the unknowingly part), & his victory over De La Hoya still stands. In Boxing, even if you are found to be guilty of taking PED's after the fight, the result of the fight will still stand...win, lose or draw. All Mayweather is trying to do is protect his ZERO loss record. Wouldn't you do the same?

While this style of testing is not mandatory for the fight to happen, it is mandatory if Pacquiao wants to salvage his near flawless stature in boxing. Mayweather has asked for more testing. Something the public will side with (to include myself). There have been rumors of Pacquiao & performance enhancers (most started by Floyd Mayweather Sr). Taking the extra tests will prove he's entire boxing career was built on hard work, not on a man made concoction. I'm not accusing Manny of taking anything, but now, with Manny not agreeing to random testing before the boxing match, I now have reasonable suspicion. Some of you may say "oh this is just Floyd's way of getting out of the fight, he wants no part of Pac Man's power." All Pac Man has to do, is accept. Show me Manny...prove your followers right, that Mayweather wants no part of you. If Pacquiao agrees...what stunt would Floyd have left to "duck" the fight? NONE!!!

According to his camp, Manny fights for the people...he fights for his legacy, while Mayweather fights for money. It's a good thing Manny fights for his legacy, because that's EXACTLY what's at stake here. The choice is simple for Top Rank & Manny Pacquiao. Agree to the testing. If you don't, get ready to enter the ring of public scrutiny. No matter how talented he is, this is the one fight HE CAN NOT WIN, but one he better not back down from.

Mercury Poisoning

2009-12-07T11:12:00.007-05:00

Well it's December & there is not only 1 unbeaten team...there are 2. Going into week 14 the Saints & Colts are 12-0, so you know what that means. Mercury Morris makes his media rounds to tell us how great the 1972 Dolphins were & how no team will ever go undefeated. In fact, the only draw back from the Giants winning 2 years ago against the 18-0 Patriots, was that it guaranteed Morris more air time in the future.

Looking ahead, the Colts only real stumbling block (IMHO) is the road game at Jacksonville. Lately, the Colts have owned the Broncos, so I don't see a loss in that game. The Jets are inconsistent, & forget about circling the wagons like those Buffalo Bills. The Jags almost ended the Colts perfect season before it started in week 1. The Colts won a close 14-12 contest.

The Saints play the Cowboys in New Orleans on December 19, but the game that kind of scares me for them is this week in Atlanta. In week 8 Matt Ryan was picked & sacked 3 times while somehow amassing 289 yards passing yards. You can argue that if Jason Elam doesn't miss 2 FG that game may have had a different conclusion. If Ryan & Turner both play, the streak may unfortunately end. Which will bring upon more dribble from Morris.

Not sure if anything in sports irks me more, than when a back up RB mouths off about a team accomplishment from 37 years ago. 2 years ago we were treated to a platinum hit from Mercury in a rap song when the Pats threatened the perfect season. Morris went on & on on how it didn't matter if the Pats went undefeated since the Dolphins did it first. Actually Mercury it would matter because of a few points.

They play more games now, which means more possible landmines on the way to perfection
Competition now is immensely better than back then in good ole 72
It would permanently eliminate you from ever making a TV/Radio appearance ever again on this subject, making you as obscure as your short career was

Seriously dude, just GO AWAY!!! I am on my knees nightly praying to God that both the Colts & Saints roll into MIAMI (of all places) unbeaten. So it guarantees that someone will go undefeated, & that it is done in HIS OWN BACKYARD with what will be the rest of the 72 Dolphins on the sideline. So they can all watch what real perfection is all about. GO COLTS...GO SAINTS!!!

Boxing Trumps MMA This Saturday

2009-12-06T01:31:00.015-05:00

December 5th marked a big day for combative fighting. UFC had the finale of The Ultimate Fighter 10, while boxing had a match up between 2 of boxing's most avoided fighters, Sergio Martinez vs Paul "The Punisher" Williams. Having the advantage of TiVo, I watched both events extensively. And in the end, Boxing had more action in 2 bouts than MMA had in 6.

Before the night began I was leaning towards UFC than boxing. Lets face it, if you are a real Boxing fan, you were upset that Kelly "The Ghost" Pavlik was ghost & bailed out twice on fighting Paul Williams. But Sergio Martinez actually turned out to be more than a fitting opponent. In the 1st round BOTH fighters scored a Knock Down, but Martinez's was more convincing. During the first 3 round the underdog Martinez dominated a close match, including the CONVINCING knock down over the favorite Paul Williams in the 1st. Going into the 4th round, Williams was starting to land his vicious left hand. Both fighters went back & forth for a full 12 rounds, but in the end Paul Williams landed the majority decision, 114-114, 115-113, & 119-110...wait...119-110!?

Yes, 2 of the 3 judges had the fight close & one had an unexpected blowout. This marked the first night women were able to judge a fight better than men...Amazingly, there were 2 female judges who scored the fight correctly, while 1 male judge had the fight scored dramatically skewed. Pierre Benoist (the Judge who scored the bout ridiculously) somehow saw the bout 119-110 favored towards Williams. If you saw the fight, there was no way Martinez won just won 1 round (as Benoist scored it). Especially when everyone else on Ringside saw the fight more evenly matched. This is the problem that haunts boxing, that feeling that the fight 'might' be fixed occasionally. The fight was a close toe to toe bang out. Every round was close, but you couldn't have possibly give every close round to Williams. Williams was undoubtedly the busier fighter, he threw more & landed more punches overall. But Martinez landed at a higher connecttion rate across the board on jabs (Martinez 37% to Williams 27%), power punches (Martinez 41% to Williams 33%), & total punches (Martinez 40% to Williams 31%). In all but 3 rounds Martinez landed at a higher percentage & landed more punches in several rounds (2, 3, 4, & 10). So how can Benoist just give him one round? Benoist should be banned from ever judging a prize fight again.

I then tuned in to MMA, the Finale of The Ultimate Fighter 10, which was full of surprises. Matt Mitrione vs Marcus Jones ended in the 2nd round, when Mitrione landed a devastating punch that put Jones out. But the fight everyone was waiting for (at least those watching the UFC event) ended in a surprising disappointment. Kimbo Slice vs Houston Alexander was as eventful as reading the Dewey Decimal System at your local library. Kimbo & Alexander went a full 3 minutes (in a 5 minute round) without landing anything significant in round 1. Alexender threw a few kicks, Kimbo threw a total of 3 punches. & the most hyped fight in MMA history started with more questions than answers. In the 2nd round, Kimbo dominated with a powerful SLAM, that shook the Octogon, then passed to a FULL MOUNT on Alexander, but did little damage. The 3rd & final round was also uneventfully, as Kimbo landed the unanimous decision for his first UFC win.

The Ultimate Fighter main event was Roy "Big Country" Nelson against Brendan Schaub, which ended late in the 1st round with a Nelson (former IFL Champ) KO of Schaub, winning a 6 figure contract for the UFC. In the end, Dana White's plan to steal viewers from Boxing might have worked in the box office, but failed miserably in action. In fact, I can argue that the most drama was provided by a bunch of UNPAID athletes in College Football in the Big 12, Big East, & ACC Championships...but I digress.

In the end, I believe that the UFC will overtake Boxing sooner or later...or will they? Regardless of what the "ratings" tell you, boxing wins yet another head to head battle with Mixed Martial Arts.

Watchable TV In Detroit & Cleveland

2009-11-19T19:20:00.007-05:00

Well how lucky are local networks around the local Detroit & Cleveland area? On Thursday afternoon Lions spokesmen Bill Keenist confirmed news we all eagerly anticipated. The game between the Browns & Lions would be blacked out because the team didn't sell over 7,000 tickets. Instead of watching two dreadful 1-8 teams, fans in those areas get a real treat. A black screen with some sort of text message about a supposed game going on in Detroit. That will likely pull higher ratings for the local networks then this game ever could have. Now all we have to wish for is that the Thanksgiving Day game doesn't sell out either & have a National Black Out. More surprisingly is the fact the Lions sold every seat for the exception of 7,000 or so. How the hell did they do it?

Pacman's Impressive Show

2009-11-18T08:52:00.005-05:00

WOW!!! That's how you describe the Boxing clinic held by one Emmanuel Pacquiao last Saturday. A 12th round TKO victory over a brave Miguel Cotto. Pacquiao's win was so indelible, that a 3 year old I tucked into bed that night said, "he...he just kept punching him." That he did Junior...that he did.

Going into the fight it was supposed to be Cotto's power vs Manny's speed. But by the end of the night, it was Manny's power vs Manny's speed. & Pacman used both in devastating fashion to defeat a WBO Welterweight Champion Miguel Cotto. Pacquiao's punchstats were so more than dominant. He out landed Cotto in every round. Pacman enjoyed a huge power punch advantage in every round, but an astounding gap after round 4 of 187 to 40, after knocking Cotto down in the 3rd & 4th. It got so bad for Cotto, that his child & wife Melissa left the arena after the 9th round. All they missed was the continuous onslaught by Pacquiao.

After the 11th round, Miguel Cotto's father didn't want him to come out for the 12th. Cotto didn't appear to want anymore of Manny either. His body language said as much (regardless of what Miguel said in his postfight interview) before the round & during the 55 seconds of the 12th. At one point Manny even looked at referee Kenny Bayless with his hands up as to say, "hey man, he isn't swinging or anything." Pacquiao was right...Miguel didn't connect at all in the final round only throwing 8 feeble punches. Moments later, Bayless mercifully stopped the brutal beating that Cotto's corner ignorantly kept going. Cotto's corner offered no support & no solution through most of the fight. Either the corner was incompetent or Pacquiao had them just as puzzled as he had Cotto.

After the win, many spectators were chanting "we want Floyd." As in Floyd Mayweather Jr, a fight I personally don't see happening within the next 18-24 months if ever. The respective camps are already fighting over money. Earlier this year, negotiator for Top Rank Boxing Bruce Trampler told the LA Times, "If Floyd comes in here with that, 'I'm 'Money' Mayweather' thing, then I've got news for him: There's no way Manny's only going to take half." After Mayweather's victory in September over Juan Manuel Marquez, Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Shaefer was quoted saying “Love him or hate him, he (Floyd Mayweather) is the biggest name in the sport, and the biggest revenue stream doesn't come from the Philippines. The U.S. is the capital of boxing, and Floyd Mayweather is the president of the capital."

So it looks like both fighters are looking for 55% of the purse. This Pacman-Cotto fight (as well as the expected PPV Sales), are big victories for the Pacquiao camp, as it will undoubtedly have more PPV sales than Mayweather-Marquez. But Mayweather's camp can argue (& will argue), the Floyd sold that fight by himself. Furthermore, Mayweather has outsold Pacman in 3 other events with similar opponents.

Floyd did 2.45 million against Oscar De La Hoya; Pacquiao did 1.25 million.
Floyd did 1 million against Juan Manuel Marquez, Pacman fought Marquez twice but only one was a PPV bout & no where close to 1 million sales.
Floyd did 940,000 with Ricky Hatton and Manny did 810,000.

"Those are the numbers and the numbers don’t lie," said Leonard Ellerbe (Mayweather's manager), adding his fighter is willing to take the fight, but the lion’s share of the money would have to go to Mayweather. Undoubtedly this will go back & forth for some time while both boxers take other fights. Maybe the winner of Mosley vs Berto for Mayweather, while the other fights Pacman (or vice versa), maybe a bout for either against undefeated Ukrainian Vyacheslav Senchenko. But any thoughts of this happening before 2011 is not realistic because there is too much pride at stake. So now we play the waiting game. No matter the hype & attention the other fights get...nothing will compare to what Mayweather-Pacquiao will bring in PPV Sales. The fight will live up to expectations, as both fighters are too gifted not too.

Brown Out

2009-11-17T08:13:00.013-05:00

At what point does a team become unwatchable? 14 years ago, when the Cleveland Browns were set to leave town in favor of Baltimore, many fans cried. Not only that, but many demanded the franchise history & colors stay in Cleveland & that they be given another franchise. A new franchise was indeed given to Cleveland, but after 10 years of mediocrity (8 of which are double digit losses if you count 2009) the appeal has worn off to the point many fans are wishing, they never fought so hard. While many seats were empty during the Opening Kick Off (due to a fan walk out planned by season ticket holder Mike "Big Dawg" Randall), fans still had to sit & endure the torturous 3 hours of an offense without a playmaker, & a QB who couldn't hit his targets even if he had stars on offense. & while the defense played well, they didn't create any turnovers for their lackluster offense.

Words, not even pictures can describe how bad the Browns have been, so I'll try stats. They are dead last in points scored (78), next to last on 3rd down conversions, & last in turnover differential. Needless to say, that's a recipe for disaster. On offense the Browns have 5 TD's all year & have given up 3 TD's on offensive side, including another last night. Browns QB Brady Quinn couldn't make any passes on target. He threw behind receivers or over their heads by 15 feet. The Browns had no running game, they didn't pass deep, & had inopportune penalties that pinned them to constant 3rd & long situations. They had 5 plays in Ravens territory...5 & NONE past the 45. The Browns never threatened to score & never did. End result was a 16-0 shutout infront of what was rumored to be a national audience.

In closing, I know a lot of people complain about the games put on TV & how the networks only have a few select teams on. But there is a reason for that & if you saw last nights Monday Night game, you found out why. Sports is supposed to be entertaining. Last night wasn't. So can you really blame the networks for wanting the better games when they are only trying to provide us with a better product? I wouldn't subject any sports fan to the garbage I forced myself to watch. Last night, ESPN played the role of Brandon Spikes, & I was Washaun Ealey.

Alex Rodriguez's Dimise Greatly Exaggerated

2009-11-05T07:38:00.001-05:00

I really couldn't wait to write this article when all the negative steroid news came out about Alex Rodriguez at the beginning of the year. First I'd like to thank Alex Rodriguez, Kate Hudson, Selena Roberts, & the NY Yankees for making this so easy to write & stick it to all the A-Rod haters. Coming off his most accomplished season ever, clearly all the Rodriguez haters are FOREVER SILENCED!!!

In February, many expected Rodriguez to collapse under the immense pressure of the steroid controversy. Selena Roberts published a book & printed 150,000 copies (only sold 16,000), he was going through a divorce, & a June slump where pitchers went right after him with fastballs. As always, questions persisted on how Alex would do in the post season. But a funny thing happened on the road to oblivion. From the first pitch he saw this season, Alex started hitting in pressure situations early & late. Another 30 HR & 100 RBI season, after missing 6 weeks. He even produced in the post season, while carrying NY into the World Series, & exercising all the demons of post seasons past by winning a championship. Personal accolades aside, Alex made his team better immediately upon his return. Before Rodriguez's triumphant return to the Yankee lineup, New York was 13-15. After May 8, the Yankees won 2 out of every 3 games the rest of the season. That is what we call, IMPACT!!!

"But wait!!!" said the detractors. "Let's see in the postseason...he'll CHOKE!!!" The very thought that Rodriguez would NEVER hit in the post season was beyond ludicrous. Alex is simply too talented to NOT hit. Alex owned pitching through the first 2 rounds going 14-32, 5 HR, & an RBI in every game for the exception of 1 (Game 5 ALCS). Then, in the midst of "he took steroids" chant in Philadelphia (how quickly Philly fans forget about David Bell), Alex simply continued the timely hitting. Game 3, a HR opposite field off the camera, an RBI double in the 9th in Game 4 to put NY ahead, & 3 more RBI in the Game 5 loss, that kept NY in the game. Alex Rodriguez tallied a Yankee record 18 RBI during the 2009 post season...cut straight to the Yankee-o-graphy folks, this is how legends are made, nothing else needs to be said.

But for you haters scoring Alex at home:

Fame...CHECK!!!
Looks...CHECK!!!
Money...CHECK!!!
Hot Girlfriend...CHECK!!!
Your Girlfriend's Approval...CHECK!!!
Championship...OH YEAH...CHECKMATE!!!

You're O for everything, he's 6 for 6...

Current World Series Make Russ Big Winner

2009-10-27T14:59:00.003-04:00

Well there it is Metropolitan fans. The World Series we all dreaded. Phillies-Yankees & all our friends asking us that stupid question, "Who are you rooting for?" Sickening I know...but here is where Playoffs Perspective comes in. I get to watch an exciting series as well as 2 irrational fanbases get themselves into a panic with every eye twitch during the series.

In the blue corner, you have hyper analytical Yankee fan, who can tell you exactly how many whiskers Mickey Mantle had during every single of his 18 post season HR, whether they were alive or not. & in the red corner, you have easily angered & illogical Phillie fan, who will swear on their dead dog J-Bone, that Jamie Moyer is Hall of Fame material (Joe Clark & Southern Rob can vouch for me on that).

In case you didn't know, the Yankees & Phillies are 1 & 2 in walk off wins this year. They also are 1 & 2 in HR past the 7th inning respectively. Meaning that I will be enjoying EVERY SINGLE IN-GAME PLOT TWIST, while fans agonize over how Joba Chamberlain let them down again, or how Brad Lidge turned into Bad Lidge seemingly overnight. Bad managerial call? Why I could care less... Andy Pettite balks his way to another pick off? I laugh...lol smiley face. Comparisons between which SS is more clutch? Not even a concern. Charlie Manuel scratched his ass while reaching for the phone to the bullpen? I barely noticed. Another missed call from the umps? You don't say?

For the next 2 weeks Phillie & Yankee fans will be trying to figure out a game's turning point. My only concerns will be beer intake ratios & who gets to kiss the baby at the end of the night. Philly & New York fans will have their HEARTS RIPPED OUT & STEPPED ON, while I sit back, laugh at every over the top Facebook status update that flies upon Girardi scratching the side of his face & Manuel spitting. You wanna know why? BECAUSE I STRIP EMOTION OUT OF IT & ENJOY THE ACTION.

Yes, I know...one of these fanbases will celebrate at the end, but 1 fanbase has to celebrate at the end of the year anyway. & let's face it, all fanbases are annoying when they win. So another group of fans mock the team I follow...that ship has sailed LOOOOOOOOOONG AGO. I'll be in a very festive mood as I'm sure both group of fans won't fail to entertain, even if the games do.

Mariano's Cutter Getting Nastier With Age...

2009-10-20T12:06:00.015-04:00

& now we know why. Baseball's nastiest pitch, just got nastier. Yesterday evening while watching the game & relaxing with my boy G-Doe, I heard the most shocking sentence ever muttered. "Yo...Mariano just spit on the ball." To which I responded, "What? No he didn't." He rewound the DVR & there it was...in High Definition, Rivera spitting on the ball.

I was speechless. Rivera pitched his way out of a bases loaded situation unblemished on the scoreboard, but tarnished when it comes to his image in the eyes of some. How will this affect his credibility? I'm sure the Angels will watch this closely the rest of the series, but how long has Rivera been doing this is the question? Rivera is obviously a student of the "if you ain't cheating, you ain't trying" school of thought. Professor Gaylord Perry would definitely be proud. I'm not sure if this taints Rivera's immaculate legacy, but if I wanted to I could definitely spit on it.

Rebuilding the Sanchize

2009-10-20T11:09:00.004-04:00

It has finally hit Jet fans. & all it took 3 straight loses which included an embarrassing OT loss at home to the lowly Bills. It was only a matter of time before the Sanchize, became the Tankchize.

For all those who thought Mark Sanchez was going to come into the league & roll over defenses like Joe Flacco & Matt Ryan did last year, here's your awakening. Flacco & Ryan were the exceptions, not the rule. In the history of football it is a proven fact that rookie QB's do not succeed & have to go through the growing pains. & for Sanchez the last 3 games have been exactly that, painful to watch as another errant throw gets intercepted. Sanchez has never played in the cold weather & Sunday at the Meadowlands it showed. 5 interceptions, 0 TD with his QB Rating plummeting to disasterous proportions against the Bills (8.3%). He's tied with Jake Delhomme for interceptions (10) & only Jamarcus Russell & Derek Anderson have a lower QB rating than Off the Mark Sanchez (56.3%)...think about that for a minute.

Growing pains is part of the territory with a rookie QB Jet fans. Cancel your playoff reservations, hold off on that trip to Canton, & feel free to welcome yourselves back to reality.

Pap Smear

2009-10-12T12:21:00.009-04:00

Woke up early Sunday morning fully looking forward to the full sports day ahead of me. As I set up shop, the first thing I tuned into was the Red Sox-Angels game. Eagerly awaiting a possible sweep of the Boston Red Sox. But I didn't want just a sweep, I wanted pain. I wanted the most hated man in baseball (Jonathan Robert Papelbon) to be the one weilding the knife as it cut into the hearts of Red Sox Nation. How tasty was the Angels sweep of the Red Sox? The pictures below says it all:

That my friends, is total dejection & utter dismay & I LOVED IT. The Angels killed JR. I am reveling in the misery of Red Sox's nation right now. The beloved Pap, unable to get 1 more strike at home to keep the Red Sox season alive. Many in Red Sox nation declared "WE HAVE THEM RIGHT WHERE WE WANT THEM!!!" Referring to the recent string of post season success facing elimination. Papelbon entered the 8th for the 4 out save with runners on 2nd & 3rd allowed the single that scored 2 runs. Papelbon then picked off Reggie Willits to end that inning. In the 9th, Papelbon had a 2 run lead & quickly got 2 outs. Then, he imploded. A single to Aybar, walk to Figgins, a double to Abreu, intentional walk to Hunter before Vlad "The Impaler" lined a single to centerfield scoring the tying & the go ahead runs. Papelbon not only didn't close, he didn't finish, left after 1 inning of work, without a strikeout & allowing 3 runs before making way for Hideki Okajima.

The Red Sox bullpen, a staple all year, gave up 5 runs with 6 outs left in an elimination game. What makes it more hysterical, is that Papelbon, allowed 2 inherited runs to score in the 8th. Runners he inherited from Billy Wagner, the same Billy Wagner he critisized earlier in the year.

Actions speak louder than words, so here is a picture describing the way I feel:

Have a happy off season LOSERS!!!

The Typical Yankee Fan

2009-10-11T22:58:00.011-04:00

Maybe I'm stereotyping but I can't help but laugh. Before I start the diss fest at what I call the typical yankee fan, understand this...I admire the yankee fans that understand baseball & can truly appreciate that there are 27 outs in the game. But like Jay-Z said, "this ain't politically correct, I might offend my political connects."

If you were a Yankee fan suffering during game 3 of the ALDS then this pertains to you. YOU ARE PATHETIC!!! Seriously? You were nervous? Playing the Twins? You'd be laughable if you weren't so sad. This series was a give away, a tune up, nothing more than passing time until you played the Red Sox or Angels in the ALCS. Yet, some of you decided to make this into a life neglecting tasks that took on another personality. Feel free to laugh audience, cause I did.

Going into the 7th inning many 96ers were at the point of suicide once the Twins took a 1-0 lead. But low & behold, here come the much maligned Alex Rodriguez to SAVE US...the same Alex Rodriguez that "isn't clutch in the post season." Alex hits the game tying HR...now we can all gracefully RIDE HIS DICK like Kate Hudson. AROD!!! comes through in the clutch...he's relaxed, he's a new man. What would you have thought if in Game 2 he grounded into a double play? The question is rhetorical "Yankee fans" so BE EASY.

One batter later, Posada hit a HR that put the Yankees ahead for good on their way to a sweep of the Twins...which only suprised the Yankee fan at New York Presbyterian Hospital who's been in a coma since 1976. They move on to play the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (who swept the Red Sox Sunday) in the ALCS.

Bottom line is this Yankee fans. This series wasn't a test to your team. The next series might not be a test either. The World Series might be another dominant performance by your team. None of that matters. You know why? Because those of you who sweat every pitch, every cut off throw, every swing...you REMAIN PATHETIC whether you win or lose. It will never change. Most (not all) of you do it. You sit there, with your 2008 Jeter jersey, praying you won't be embarrassed, that your team, after 9 years without any hardware, will finally fulfill your right to claim you are the greatest team of all time. While you FORGET to actually enjoy the triumph, me & my friends are nudging each other in the background LAUGHING at the fact that you have no type of composure, as another insignificant single goes over Andy Pettitte's head.

Whether my team is in it or not (& this year they are NOT), it is a true pleasure watching you FOOLS embarrass yourselves. Regardless if the Yankees win or not, Yankee fans are in a no win situation & IT'S THEIR VERY OWN FAULTS. You arrogantly parade yourselves as your team beats another inferior opponent, as if your team's success equates to your success. Feel free to entertain me for the next few weeks fairweather Yankee fans. I always will make time to embarrass you. But until then...Let's here it for NEW YORK!!!

Joba's Unwritten Rule

2009-09-30T20:40:00.008-04:00

The biggest topic on the NY baseball scene was been Joba Chamberlain, starter or reliever. Many Yankee fans tell me this guys is a legit future Ace with 4 plus pitches. Well right now he looks more like a two of clubs that can only throw in the low 90's, who's slider happy on a 3-2, & can't get through 5 on a good day. Instead of grooming him to be a front line starter or a back end closer, the Yankees pin-balled Joba back & forth & today the machine finally hit TILT!!!

In what was dubbed a "make or break" start to see if Chamberlain was worthy of being a starter in the postseason, Joba didn't get out the 4th. His official caddy (Alfredo Aceves), had to collect the final out of that inning. The final tally for Chamberlain was 3 2/3 IP, 3 ER, 7 hits, 4 BB, & 3 K's & booed mercilessly in the Bronx...did I mention the start was against the powerhouse Kansas City Royals?

I'm not sure who's plan it was to derail Chamberlain's career, but they've finally succeeded. Chamberlain doesn't know if he's coming or going at this point. & this weekend the Yankees will undoubtedly add more fuel to the fire by bringing him out of the bullpen. What the Yankees are doing kind of reminds me of what the Mets did with Gregg Jeffries in the late 80's early 90's. was he a 2B? A 3B? A top of the lineup guy, a middle of the lineup guy, or a bottom of the lineup guy? The Mets didn't know & at the end of 5 seasons neither did Jefferies. The Mets misuse of Jefferies, led him to write a letter to WFAN (the local Flagship station of the NY Mets) in May of 1991 voicing his displeasure with teammates who supposedly bickered to the media about his performance. Jefferies was later traded that off season to the Royals.

After looking at his numbers, closely examining 80% of his starts, including the 3 inning variety, & splitting his splits, I've come to the conclusion the Joba Chamberlain will be nothing more the a middle of the road pitcher going forward. Whether Cashman, Girardi, or the Steinbrenner's are to blame is irrelevant.

From the 3 Months to Late Department

2009-09-30T12:31:00.004-04:00

The Cleveland Indians will officially fire Eric Wedge today. Finally dropping anchor to a ship that started sinking when they blew a 3-1 ALCS lead to the Red Sox in 2007. The overdue firing is official now, even though Wedge will "finish out the season."

Cleveland Ohio is now the official "wait til next year" city in America. No championships for that city since 1964 & for the Indians, the 2nd longest drought in baseball (1948). Currently at 68-92, the Indians clearly never recovered from losing to the Sox 2 years ago. The year could not have gone worse for the Tribe & their fans, attendance dropped to 5th worst in the majors, they traded 2 of their best players in order to cut salary, Grady Sizemore, their only bright spot, was awful & injured, Kerry Wood blew too many saves too early, Travis Hafner isn't half the player he was 3 seasons ago...the list goes on & the future doesn't look much brighter either.

While not everything is Wedge's fault, you can hardly blame Mark Shapiro & the rest of the front office for this move. Wedge clearly wasn't getting through to the players anymore losing 20 of their last 25 games leading to his worst winning percentage as the Indians manager. In 7 seasons, he only won the division once, finishing over .500% twice.

Cleveland will start interviewing candidates in the upcoming weeks & would likely turn to John Farrell, former pitching coach of the Indians & the current pitching coach of the Red Sox. For the Indians, the franchise needs to figure out where their going. Ownership needs to make a bigger commitment & the GM needs to make better decisions if they want the fans to keep coming out. Sooner or later the fans will just start saying screw next year.

Dallas Cowboys...More Glitz Less Glory

2009-09-29T10:21:00.005-04:00

I was going to wait to write this, but I can recognize a grease fire in the making without having to study the oxygen levels in the atmosphere. That's what the Dallas Cowboys are, a GREASE FIRE, a glitzy team that manages to disappoint no matter how low the expectations are. After being subjected to last night's torturous game against the Panthers, the fans booed the Cowboys off the field at Halftime inside their shiny new $1.5B stadium.

While the Cowboys managed to win (after being shutout af Half), the Cowboys were as impressive as a cold sour on a first date. On their first drive Felix Jones looked great, moving Dallas into the Red Zone with 2 big plays. But much like their franchise, the early sizzle, didn't deliver the steak. Once inside the 15, Dallas called a horrible TE screen that resulted in a sack, followed by a 40 yard FG miss. The next 4 drives ended in punts & more frustration for Dallas fans.

& before we credit the Cowboy defense for "shutting down" the Panthers, lets not forget about the 8 play 90 yard drive right before half that resulted in a TD. There is differences in turnovers. Giveaways & Takeaways. Carolina gaveaway the ball 3 times, one resulting in a TD, basically ending the game (THANKFULLY).

The Cowboys are not a playoff team. Probably not news, but if this team didn't have an a media hound for an owner, & was located anywhere else, no one would even notice them. They remind me of the 1980 Yankees. Both teams have immense advantages, the owner is bigger than the team itself, they have big name players with small time impact, & a mediocre track record post the glory years that includes ZERO playoff wins since 1996. Regardless if they beat the Broncos next week & become 3-1, no one can expect them to contend for a championship this year. Roy Williams is a fraud at WR, their #2 WR (Patrick Crayton) has more drops then he says 'definitely' in a 6 minute interview, Romo is a celebrity QB who is more of a marketing tool for Jerry Jones than a winner, an underachieving defense, & this is all led by Wade Phillips, who has been a coaching failure everywhere he's been. If this is America's team folks, America has problems.

Playoff Perspective

2009-09-23T21:58:00.001-04:00

I really love this time of year. With the playoffs around the corner, we get to see who the veteran fans are. We separate the real from the fake. October built fans don't panic, they don't make fools of themselves agonizing after every out or count magic numbers. The only thing more annoying than fans counting "magic numbers" is Jonathan Papelbon holding up index cards with Magic Number written on them after each save, but I digress.

If you're one of those fans who pushes the panic button once the 2nd batter of the game triples against your team in Game 1, you my friend, are in for a LOOOOOOONG post season. No enjoyment for you as a fan. You instead will yell at the TV at the top of your lungs on an innocent pick off attempt, launch the remote 3 rooms over when your starter gives up a 2 out double with a 5 run lead, & oh yes, curse the manager for double switching too early. As a grizzled October playoff fan i typically enjoy the postseason whether my team is in it or not (in this case their not). That's how you're supposed to act. Especially if your team is a post season regular.

Seriously, look back at all the playoff drama in history & think of all the moments you didn't fully enjoy because of your rooting interest. I'm not saying don't be a fan, but enjoy the action people. I recall waking up at 2AM (local time in Afghanistan) to watch Game 7 of the 2003 ALCS. Coming off 3 hours sleep I had to watch it. & while at the time I was rooting for the Red Sox, it did not make it less enjoyable when the Yankees won in dramatic fashion. Because of where I was, this will forever live as the most memorable game I have EVER watched. If I was an angst ridden Sox fan I would have just ctrl-alt-deleted that & never enjoyed that historic ending.

This is why October baseball is so gripping. If your team is out of it, you will undoubtedly find a rooting interest with another team. When you do, don't forget why you watch. For the drama, the action, the beauty, & the endings. ENJOY THEM ALL!!!

Golden Boy's Black Eye

2009-09-20T01:35:00.009-04:00

As predictable as the fight between Mayweather & Marquez was, no one could predict the post fight mayhem that nearly occurred caused by 2 aged fighters looking for their next payday. After Floyd Mayweather made his triumphant return to the squared circle, Sugar Shane Mosley & Bernard the Executioner Hopkins made it a point to rush the ring, during Mayweather's post fight interview, to ambush Floyd into his next fight.

Lets get to the results first, Mayweather looked as brilliant as he ever has in his career. For all the talk you hear about Floyd "running" during fights, believe me, its well overblown. Floyd knocked down Marquez in round 2 & was dominant the rest of the fight. Mayweather connected at such a high punch percentage, that one of my friend (Jungi) commented, "I've never seen a boxer punch at such a high rate connect percentage." This was BEFORE the stats were out mid way through the 6th round. The end result for Mayweather was a percentage advantage of (get this...I will bold it so you get the disparity) 59% connection rate to a misely 12% for Marquez...for those of you who aren't math majors, that adds up to a complete white washing of what was supposed to be the #2 pound for pound boxer in the game after a 21 month lay off...Marquez, who in 2 fights gave Manny Pacquiao all he could handle, got SHUTOUT by a boxer who hadn't fought in nearly 2 years. Marquez only connected on 69 punches THE ENTIRE FIGHT...7 % on Jabs & only 16% on "power punches."

The post fight interview by Max Kellerman was pretty uneventful...until Shane Mosley uncharacteristically interrupted the interview, to basically challenge Mayweather for a fight. Uncharacteristically because Shane is a respectful boxer, who has never been the least bit controversial (for the exception of some steroid accusations). Backed by Bernard Hopkins (both of Golden Boy Promotions) Shane simply said, "This is a fight people want to see, I just want to get it on." Mayweather, upset by his moment of glory being interrupted said, "Don't interrupt my interview. Respect me as a MAN!!! With that said, Max Kellerman tried to defuse the situation, tried changing the subject before Floyd grabbed the mic from him & said. "let me talk, cause you're doing a little too much of the talking." Kellerman then signed off & the telecast went back to Jim Lampley at ringside. The interview was so eventful, that no one bothered to interview the loser, Juan Manuel Marquez, who actually approached Lampley & Kellerman at ringside while Mayweather walked back to the locker room.

As Mayweather walked backstage, the chorus of boos followed, but it went beyond that, as you heard numerous fans yell "FUCK YOU MAYWEATHER, FUCK MAYWEATHER." Mind you this was in Las Vegas, considered a "home field" for Floyd. Even after the Marquez interview, the story was the disrespect shown by Mosley & Hopkins, 2 veteran fighters, toward the UNDISPUTED, pound for pound king of boxing. To me, that's not how you ask for a fight. Mayweather's dazzling display, may have been overshadowed by what can only be described as a classless act by the new GOONS of Golden Boy Promotion.

Maybe this was boxing's way of taking some of the spotlight away from UFC (who had an event running against boxing tonight). However, this was a pretty TASTELESS MOVE by Mosley, Hopkins, De La Hoya, Golden Boy, & any one else involved. Usually fans would jump on the side of the boxer disrespected (in this case Mayweather), but Mayweather's arrogance & brilliance attracts more hatred than any athlete in recent memory, so most will find it funny. In a sport where no one can seem to touch him, Floyd looked semi-vulnerable for the first time in his career inside the ring. Although this Saturday, was the closest Mosley will get to touching him in the ring. If the fight ever happens Mosley-Mayweather it will be Floyd's biggest challenge. In the end, Floyd will leave all fans like he usually leaves them. In sheer shock that anyone can be THIS RADIANT, against the supposed best in the sport, without breaking a sweat.

Classless Jorge

2009-09-16T09:50:00.004-04:00

Well it was only a matter of time before the Yankees annoyed me. While much of the off field attention has gone to the steroid story all year, the real story is the continuous pussification of the game of baseball. In this riveting episode Yankee catcher Jorge Posada took exception to Jesse Carlson throwing BEHIND him after 2 of his teammates were hit by pitches. In case you missed it, take a look at the video courtesy of Major League Baseball.

Has baseball really come to this? Where pitchers can't send messages? Or is Jorge Posada so arrogant, that he believes a common baseball practice shouldn't apply to him? As you saw, Posada lightly nudged Carlson with his elbow crossing homeplate. An absolutely unnecessary & unprovoked action which got him ejected immediately by Umpire Jim Joyce. Joyce later added as he ran past Carlton he gave him a little shove with his elbow. It was very unsportsmanlike. The pitcher wasn't looking for anything like that & he ran past him, didn't say anything & just gave him a shove with his elbow. It was a cheap shot." Cheap shot indeed. Posada clearly went across the plate with intent to get Carlson's attention. Carlson didn't back down & went after Posada & the fracas ensued. Tonight's game will be interesting if Posada doesn't sit. Personally I would like hit Posada square in the face, but I'm violent & unreasonable. I'll set the over/under on a 4 1/2 game suspension for both players, although Posada on intent alone should get 10 games. It's the intent that matters, not just the action. & Posada's intent was malicious if not careless.

UFC vs Boxing-PPV Battle September 19

2009-09-10T09:49:00.004-04:00

Circle you calender folks, on Saturday September 19 truly has an anticipated battle we've all been waiting for. But I'm not talking about Floyd "Money" Mayweather vs Juan Manuel "I drink my own piss" Marquez. I'm not even talking about UFC Superstar Rich Franklin vs the Phenom Vitor Belfort. I'm talking about the drawing capability of a UFC PPV event vs that of a PPV Boxing event. Which will outdraw who?

Earlier this year in March, MMA & Boxing combined for a night of combat which quickly turned into a night of boredom. The event, which was $29.95, featured an atrocity of mixed martial dregs with ZERO national appeal or MMA recognition. The PPV debut of failed WWE wrestler Bobby Lashley, a little known boxer Omar Shieka from Paterson, NJ who's last meaningful fight was 5 years ago in a loss to an undefeated Jeff Lacy, & boxer/"producer for the night", Roy Jones Jr. The event was of such poor broadcasting quality, that you couldn't even purchase it in HD.

The above event WAS NOT a UFC MMA event as UFC doesn't share promotion rights. UFC 103 doesn't have the greatest card that night however. It lacks a true main event to run up against Floyd Mayweather Jr, who is the greatest self promoter Boxing has had since Muhammad Ali. Dana White however doesn't go quietly in this presser comparing the 2 events. Funny right? What White failed to tell you there is while he put together a few KO potential match-ups, he did it without a star attraction or a title on the line. So while I may get "5 great fights" they are fights no one anyone wants to see either, because those guys are more obscure than Juan Manuel Marquez (Mayweather's opponent).

For all intents & purposes the UFC has been gaining popularity to the point where ESPN & Sirius XM cover it as part of their sports repertoire. On the other hand, boxing is a sport that is fading in popularity for multiple reasons. On September 19 we find out how close the gap between Boxing & UFC truly is, as far as mainstream sports attractions & PPV sales. In the end, I think Boxing will win the PPV sales on this night & likely on November 14th (Miguel Cotto vs Manny Pacquiao) against UFC 105, unless White puts together a great card. Eventually, UFC will overtake Boxing in PPV sales at some point, maybe as early as next year.

Mariano Cy Young Rivera

2009-09-06T11:16:00.005-04:00

For all the talk you here about Derek Jeter should win this years MVP, no one seems to give Mariano Rivera similar consideration for the Cy Young award. Although I completely disagree with Jeter being an MVP candidate this season, an argument can be made that Mariano, on the cust of another 40 save sub 2.00 ERA should finally be awarded a trophy very few closers are given.

Rivera has had several season in where he competed for the Cy Young Award, placing 3rd on 3 seperate occasions & 2nd once. Losing to 4 different 20 game winners (Bartolo Colon in 05, Johan Santana in 04, Pedro Martinez in 99, & Pat Hentgen in 96). But this year, with no likely 20 winner (3 pitchers with 16 are currently CC Sabathia, Scott Feldman, & Justin Verlander), The Sandman finally has his best chance.

As masterful as Zach Grienke has been, he just doesn't have the win-loss record (13-8). Of the above guys I mentioned, Feldman is likely eliminated because of the lack of strikeout. I'm eliminating CC & Verlander unless they don't get their respective ERA's under 3.00 since they have lost 7 & 8 games this season. Clearly, none of those mentioned has been dominant. For as well as CC has pitched, there were times he was outpitched by teammate AJ Burnett. Verlander's ERA is less impressive considering he pitches in a spacious ballpark & has only 5 of his 16 wins vs contending teams like Texas, Anaheim, NY, & Boston.

The last closer to win the award was Dennis Eckersley in 1992, who led the league in saves that year with 51. Mariano would have to lead the league in saves to win the award (currently 1 save behind Brian Fuentes). The only pitchers in the history of the Cy Young to ever win the award without having led the league in saves was Sparkie Lyle in 1977 & Willie Hernandez in 1984 (Hernandez also won the MVP that year).

My theory is this, if we are going to start giving out lifetime achievement awards in the form of awards like the MVP (like many want for Derek Jeter), lets find someone we can actually make an argument for. & that's Mariano Rivera.

The Marshall Plan

2009-08-28T16:37:00.002-04:00

The Broncos are well on their way on mishandling another player rift. Today the Broncos suspended Brandon Marshall for conduct detrimental to the team. The suspension runs through the rest of the Pre-Season, but this beef could go on all year.The Broncos are already a mediocre team with Marshall. Without Marshall they instantly become The AFC version of the Detroit Lions.

While Marshall is acting immature, can you blame a player in the NFL for trying to strike while the iron is hot? Marshall has no future guarantees, no long term contract, & his salary this year ($2.4M) is obviously well under his value for a WR coming off 2 seasons of 100 receptions & a Pro Bowl. Marshall is a 25 year old WR with hands, speed, blocking ability with the ability to break tackles who has clearly outperformed his contract. Brandon wants the Broncos to address his contract, the Broncos was Brandon to perform one more year before they address the contract. A common dispute with teams & players since no contracts or moneys are guaranteed. So while I despise Marshall for acting like a jerk, I'll defend it on this blog because it is truly the only leverage NFL players have to get paid.

Year after year there are dozens of players making this decisions. The Collective Bargaining Agreement is so pro owner, that the owners can actually lock out players & not pay them until the owners get there way. Players can't hold out, because they get fined (Marshall still gets paid during this suspension). Yet players can be Franchise Tagged & have their salaries controlled basically their entire careers, with NO GUARANTEES, in a sport so violent that the average player has a 6 year shelf life. If management can cut players for underperforming contacts, why can't players have some sort of avenue, to address outperforming a contract?

Management in Denver should address this contract & pay Marshall something reasonable to what he has done. Pat Bowlen has always been a reasonable owner. When Dan Reeves & John Elway didn't get along, Bowlen squashed a trade that would have sent Elway to Washington. Bowlen failed to step in during the Cutler fiasco, he should step into this one & get Marshall signed long term.

Josh McDaniels is really not warming himself up to me. He's already ran one star out of town carelessly pursuing a QB with only 1 good year under his helmet (Matt Cassel). Is Marshall next?

Mark Teixeira MVP & Next Yankee Captain!!!

2009-08-26T10:10:00.004-04:00

Two dates you should remember when the story of how Mark Teixeira won the MVP in the 2009 season. Date 1 is December 23, 2008, when the Yankees secured Teixeira to an 8 year $180M contract. Date 2, was the return of a certain Yankee teammate. In June I text messaged my Co-host Joe Sarno that Mark Teixeira would win the AL MVP.

It came to me as an epiphany on a Saturday game vs Tampa as Mark Teixeira went 2-5, with a HR & 3 RBI's. Nothing really stood out about that game, like most things Teixeira does & has done his whole baseball career. It was just the way he carried himself & has carried himself. His slow start this year was no surprise as he always a subpar start to the season. Now there isn't much of a doubt he should win AL MVP, but Teixeira is going to cement himself in Yankee history.

Take a good look, because you are looking at the next Yankee captain. Teixeira, who is a carbon copy of Derek Jeter, is worth every dime he's getting. He's a productive switch hitting middle of the line-up Gold Glover. Teixeira's real value though, comes with how he plays, much like Jeter (with a much higher skill setting physically), he leads by example, hustles, & plays hard as he showed running out the Castillo dropped pop out scoring all the way from first base. Stays cool under pressure, humble, he cares about winning, & is a leader who's prepared to carry the team weight when needed. He stays out of the media spotlight. He's that rare player that can change the fortune of a franchise (not that the Yankees needed a fortune change) & carry a legacy with him. 1 player makes a huge difference & if you disagree, imagine if Teixeira had signed to be a Red Sox?

I said it in December & I'll say it again, the Yankees iced the East division upon signing Mark Teixeira & have probably done so for the next 5 years. None of the other signings mattered. In Mark Teixeira, the Yankees not only signed the most attractive free agent in the 2008 class, they re-invested into their legacy. That another player would carry Yankee Greatness to the next generation of players. He's the next name you will associate with "The Pinstripes" after Derek retires. While teams can easily put a price on players, you can never put a price tag on a Signature Player & that's what Mark is.

Wagner's Chooses His Death

2009-08-25T13:54:00.003-04:00

It says a lot when a player originally rather rot in mediocrity (ok...maybe the Mets are dreadful), than play for a contender, before flip flopping & changing his mind. Wagner originally decided to invoke his no trade rights to stay in NY... or maybe, it was to avoid Boston. Ultimately he was indeed traded. Such a tough choice...

I feel sorry for Billy Wagner. I wouldn't wish this choice upon my worst enemy. Regardless of how evil a human being has been, no one deserves this. Can you imagine this being your only choices? Stay with the dysfunctional Mets or go to the exasperating Red Sox? I mean this is like selecting between being drowned in acid or being chopped up alive with a rusty hand saw. I just can't imagine either being pleasant. The last thing I'd want to do is share a small locker room with the most irritating threesome in existance (Papelbon, Youkilis, Pedroia). The Mets locker room isn't much better with the losing environment fully entrenched into the Citi Field walls.

So ask yourself readers...which choice would you make? Choose carefully...

Jonathan Papelbon...All American DOUCHE

2009-08-24T16:57:00.007-04:00

This fucking guy is the douche of all douches. Someone needs to hit a line drive & catch him in the mouth. Actually, nothing would be wrong with just charging the mound either. I'm sure Major League Baseball would allow it & not suspend the player. Someone do the world a favor & take the bullet for the rest of baseball. The Red Sox have plenty of annoying players. But Papelbon is top douche in an organization full of douches.

With the Red Sox claiming Billy Wagner off waivers, little Johnny voiced his opinion in asinine fashion saying, "What has he done? Has he pitched this year?" "Is he ready to pitch or is he not? … I think our bullpen is good where we’re at right now. Don’t get me wrong. But I guess you could always make it better. It’s kind of like the Eric Gagne thing, I guess."

What has he done? Well he's managed to save 385 games or so, but more importantly, he's done so without becoming an arrogant piece of shit. If Papelbon is too dense to see that this makes his team better, then he clearly is not capable of processing thought. Wagner however did not go quiet of course. "I don’t have anything to say about somebody like that. When he walks in my shoes then I’ll say something. Let him be 38 and have Tommy John surgery."

Personally I'm hoping for Tommy John surgery next week of the career ending variety. No player deserves a bigger fall off the pedestal than Papelbon. But I'll settle for someone punching him in the face. So to anyone reading this, if you happen to be a crazed maniac, & happen to see Jonathan Robert Papelbon, PLEASE PUNCH HIM IN THE FACE. Your friends at The Skinny Post will have bail money ready.

The Season of Humiliation Continues...

2009-08-23T13:36:00.006-04:00

You knew Pedro was looking forward to this when he signed on with the Phillies. & after merely 15 minutes, Ollie Perez gift wrapped Martinez a victory against his former team. How hard was Pedro laughing inside early in the first? Before Pedro Martinez took the mound Sunday vs the Mets, he got a plate appearance courtesy of the enigma Oliver Perez. After giving up two 3 run home runs in the first, Perez couldn't throw a strike to opposing pitcher at the plate before Jerry Manuel ended his afternoon on a 3-0 count to again, the opposing pitcher. I can't think of a more embarrassing way for a pitcher to be replaced in a game.

The ending to the game wasn't any better for the Metropolitans, ending in an unassited triple play & what can only be called an ill-adviced hit & run call by the inept Mets manager, Jerry Manuel.

Pedro got in trouble a few times but in the end, Martinez exacted his revenge & outpitched a guy NY gave a 3 year $36M deal. Martinez's 6 IP 4 ER & 5 K performance Sunday was yet another chapter in the 2009 Season of Humiliation for the Mets. The Mets had plenty of chances vs Pedro. But the punchless line-up couldn't capitalize & in the end, another incompetent call by Manuel cost the Mets an opportunity against a flustered Brad Lidge & the hated Phillies. The Wilpon's seem happy with this sort of mediocrity announcing that Minaya would be back next year. Minaya then announced Manuel would be back as well. While the injuries are too much for any team to handle, there is no way Minaya or Manuel should be part of the Mets future. Minaya has never been a success as a GM anywhere. & Manuel isn't the fiery type manager the loose Mets clubhouse needs.

In addition, the Mets just need talent. For a team with the 2nd highest payroll, there sure are holes on that team. Positions in need of being addressed is the OF, 1B, 2B, C, & of course the rotation. There are a few interesting options in the upcoming Free Agency period(you take your picks), but among the players needed Jason Bay, Orlando Hudson & Adam LaRoche are the most interesting to me. Good baseball players that are skilled & more importantly give a damn. If the Mets can bring themselves to sign players that aren't Latin...it will be a step in the right direction

Tom Cable? This is Dana White...

2009-08-18T10:48:00.001-04:00

This is laughable...really it is. Being a proud Denver Bronco fan (Russ...Joseph is a Giants fan), you knew I would blog about the dysfunctional grease fire that is The Oakland Raiders. Coming from the team who hired a Bed & Breakfast owner to run their offense, comes the latest debacle to the franchise committed to excellence.

If you haven't heard by now, Head Coach Tom Cable punched & broke the jaw of defensive assistant Randy Hanson nearly 2 weeks ago. Yet another black eye, for a team considered a black eye itself. No wonder the logo on their helmet wears a patch over his eye. Of course all involved are denying the story, but is it so far fetched to believe that someone on the Raiders would do this? Tom Cable refused to address the situation in a press conference, calling it an internal issue, after telling ESPN's Mark Schlereth the story wasn't true. Cable wouldn't even answer if Hanson was still working for the organization before stepping down from the mic.

This by far is the least surprising news in the NFL this year. I guess if you can't be good, be interesting. This is the only way the Raiders can stay relevant.

New Hope Or New Hype in Washington

2009-08-18T10:06:00.002-04:00

There is only a 1 letter difference between the words hype & hope. In the Nationals case, they'd like the spelling to contain the letter O, like the one they so famously left off their own jerseys in April.

While you can argue that signing to the deal Boras reportedly wanted would have increased the DC crime rate, you can't argue that the Nats are in serious need of not only talent...but a box office draw for a franchise that is 26th in attendance. More importantly than that, Washington entered Monday night without an identity. So at approximately at 11:58 last night, they purchased that. An identity. And for Stephen Strasburg, he immediately becomes the face of a franchise, signing to the highest signing bonus ever paid to an amateur draftee. The record $15M signing bonus surpassed the previous high paid to Mark Teixeira ($10.8M with Texas in 2001). Personally, I think this was an absolute necessity for a franchise desperate to shed the vagabond label that has followed them from Montreal. Simply put, the Nationals weren't just biding for a pitching prospect. They were biding for a face & a name fans can recognize & pin some sort of hope on.

Hopefully for the DC franchise, this is money well spent & it doesn't turn into something similar to the Smiley Gonzalez signing who was discovered this year to be 23 (not 19) & actually named Carlos Alvarez Daniel Lugo. Even if the list of failed high caliber pitching prospects is as long as Yao Ming, the Nationals sent a message to their fans late Monday. That message being we are ready to compete, & we will spend record dollars to do it.

Vick Gets His 2nd Chance

2009-08-14T13:39:00.007-04:00

If you listened to The Skinny Post late last night, then you found out that Mike Vick was signed by the Philadelphia Eagles for 1 year $1.6M & an option for year 2 at $5.2 million. My first thoughts were "what the hell are they doing?"

As with most athletes Vick is being remembered for all the on the field positives, like rushing for 1000 yards as a QB, his amazing athleticism, & the dazzling plays he occasionally pulled off. No one wants to talk about his 53% completion rate or the questionable decisions he made on & off the field. The consensus on Vick, is that for a player who has been away from the game for 2 years, will still come into the league & DOMINATE. Not only will he dominate, but he will dominate opponents it at another position in "The Wildcat." Forget that Vick wasn't a dominant QB in an offense drawn up for him in Atlanta. None of that matters, for Vick is the god of all gods & the king of all kings when it comes to the game of football. The common fan will tell you how tremendous of an athlete he is & how he will mesmerize opponents with his quick feet. What people in general fail to realize, is that this is the NFL. Not Fantasy Football or Madden 10. Football revolves around 3rd down conversion rate & the ability to avoid turnovers. Vick isn't a needed piece to succeed in those 2 aspects.

The thought that Vick will make enough of a difference in Philadelphia is beyond ludicrous. Suddenly, because of "The Wildcat" Vick is a hot commodity that will make any team he is on, the team to beat. If you are one of those people who believes that...sorry, but you are being quite asinine. Vick will NOT get anything over 8 touches in any game (other than a McNabb injury or benching). Feel free to think rationally before you embarrass yourself making any proclamations. The only category Vick is going to improve the Eagles in is the most hated team nationally category. He will he be a media distraction to the Eagles, that could only rival Terrell Owens. Andy Reid will continuiously have to answer questions concerning Vick's playing time & his role with the team. Not to mention the irrational Philly fan he will be playing in front of or the undue pressure on Donovan McNabb looking over his shoulder every time he throws an interception.

Vick's signing may be high profile, yet will be low impact. In fact...NO IMPACT. Barring injury, Vick will be standing next to Andy Reid, watching his beard gain more gray & catch a few WR screens. If you disagree, feel free to prove me wrong.

Big Papi's Big Press Conference

2009-08-07T21:02:00.008-04:00

Kind of strange to hold a Press Conference on a Saturday (12:30 PM on ESPN) before a game in your biggest rivals territory isn't it? But that's exactly what David Ortiz is going to do. Ill-advised or not, Ortiz is to address the situation he said he would not run or hide from.

Ortiz (in case you don't know) will answer questions about his 2003 positive steroids test. If you ask me this is a distraction the Red Sox didn't need. In the middle of a post break swoon, the Red Sox not only find themselves playing a hot Yankee team, but find themselves 4.5 games back of a team that hadn't beaten them before Thursday. This series was such a big deal, that it drew a national debate of "what team needs this series more." Meanwhile Ortiz is drawing national attention for different reason all together. After stating that a positive test should carry a 1 year suspension (amidst the Alex Rodriguez positive test) in Spring Training, Ortiz has let a week plus go by without answering questions on his own positive test. Tomorrow's press conference is supposed to answer those questions. But why do I get the feeling Ortiz will say very little & most of the press conference will be directed by the new leader of the Players Association Michael Weiner. Oddly enough Weiner will be at the press conference, but is there really a need Union head there? Why not just answer questions like others have in a forum that you called for?

When the news came out, Manny Ramirez (who was also implicated) said, "we are like two mountains. We’re going to keep doing good no matter what . . . Only God is going to be able to move those two mountains." Actually Manny one of those mountains is in the middle of a 4-29 slump since the news came out. So obviously this is getting to Ortiz, who has prided himself as a lovable clean player throughout his Red Sox career. I'll be real interested in what Papi has to say (as will most baseball fans) tomorrow.

About a year ago some idiot RSN Inhabitant buried a David Ortiz jersey in this very stadium. If Ortiz fails to give a reasonable explanation, his career might be buried there as well.

The Re-Opening Of The Big Apple Circus

2009-07-28T00:15:00.009-04:00

Can it possibly get more embarrassing for the Mets? Just when you thought the answer would be no, the futile franchise manages to out-do its very own pathetic history. Coming from the franchise that flies a manager cross country only to fire him, comes the latest gem; the Tony Bernazard firing. For those not familiar with Tony Bernazard, he's the VP of player development that dim-wittedly ripped his shirt off, while challenging a young minor leaguer to a fight, in the midst of vulgar name calling. The Mets earlier today announced his firing, but not before raping the franchise of more dignity, with a totally mismanaged 3 ring circus, disguised as press conference. Take a look at the video & how Omar Minaya tries to bury the writer (Adam Rubin) who broke the story. Instead of making the firing the story, Omar made an embarrassing situation into an uncomfortably embarrassing one.

Sadly, Adam had to hold his own presser addressing the misguided accusations. Rubin admitted how devastated he was & didn't know how he could cover the team going forward, calling Minaya's actions reprehensible. Rubin also addressed the situation in this interview.

Adam, consider yourself lucky if you are reassigned by the Daily News to cover an actual baseball franchise. Personally I recommend the Long Island Ducks of the Atlantic League. I'm sure their management figures will be able to guide you in how attain a player personnel position without trying to derail your current career as a writer.

Seriously, the Mets have become the Oakland Raiders of baseball. More known for their sheer absurdity, than the on field success normal franchises strive for. The Mets needs more than an enema. The organization needs to fade into bolivian (ala Mike Tyson) & be replaced with an organization that can function without constant chaos around it. The next press conference the Mets should hold, is the dismissal of Omar Minaya. This latest act by the Ringmaster of The Big Apple Circus is too much for anyone to handle. My sources tell me the press conference will be sponsored by Ringling Brothers as the Mets will undoutedly name Rebo the Clown as Minaya's replacement.

Fresh As A Rose

2009-07-27T10:12:00.015-04:00

It comes up every year at this time. No matter the season, the Pete Rose debate continues. Every year when the Hall of Fame gathers in Cooperstown, NY for the latest inductees, the back room debate centers around a man who was banned from the game 20 years ago. Rose agreed to be place on the permanent ineligible baseball list as part of a settlement to stop the investigation that he gambled on baseball games. He effectively agreed to be banned for life by then commissioner Bart Giamatti. With the current climate of baseball & the steroids controversy, many fans say it's finally time to lift the ban. I take exception.

You have to remember, gambling damages the very fabric & legitimacy of the game. Before you say, "well steroids does the same thing," let me give you a scenerio. While manager of the Cincinnati Reds, Pete Rose was in a position of power. He also gambled on those games (52 of them in 1987 alone). So it's not far fetched to think he might have lost some games purposely in order to win the wager. To me, that sort of behavior is irreperable. Games could have been influenced or pre determined & as much as an affect as steroids has had on the game, it doesn't pre determine the outcome. A manager can literraly fix a game however he likes. Rose even bet as a player, so who is to say he didn't purposely throw an opportune error or worse. Now Rose says he never bet against the Reds, but are you going to believe a man who lied for nearly 15 years?

Even with the ban lifted, it won't get him placed on the ballot thanks to a 1991 voting by the Hall of Fame Committee recommending a change in the admission rules, to exclude any person banned from baseball. So even if Selig lifts the permanent ban, many members of the HOF committee who are against Rose being allowed in the HOF, would have to vote him in (which is historically a harder vote to get then the Baseball Writers 75%). While Rose's career stats are Hall of Fame quality, his decision to gamble put into question the reputation & credibility of the game itself, as well as his own.

While I am not condoning the use of steroids, there has only been 1 rule that gets you a lifetime ban in baseball & it's been that way since 1920. It's in every locker room & clubhouse wall for all to read. Rule 21 states that, "Any player, umpire, or club or league official or employee, who shall bet any sum whatsoever upon any baseball game in connection with which the bettor has a duty to perform shall be declared permanently ineligible." It's as basic as "3 strikes your out." For 15 years Rose denied ever gambling on games before finally coming clean & saying "everything the Dowd Report contained was the complete, unadulterated truth." Case closed ladies & gentlemen, he broke Rule 21, game over, permanently ineligible.

MLB All Star Event Exposes More Flaws

2009-07-15T08:11:00.009-04:00

This weeks "Mid Summer Classic" revealed many of the flaws the game has today. Not only is fan favoritism putting the validity of a game "that counts" in question, but MLB itself it stays living 50 years ago. Promoting its past instead of living in the current or promoting its future.

For baseball purists this might be a great event. But to me, it was a bore. Here I am at home enjoying a rerun episode of the Family Guy when it dawns on me..."Oh shit the All Star Game is on." At this point it is 8:40 pm & I think, "Damn, I missed the first inning." Oh how wrong I was my friends. In fact, I tuned in on time to watch Stan Musial being driven in a Golf like cart, to hand the game ball over to President Obama. I just could not believe that it was 40+ minutes of pomp & circumstances. Of course this should be no surprise, baseball does this every year, so shame on me. 10 minutes later Tim Lincecum was actually on the mound & threw his first pitch, at approximately 8:50 pm. 50 full minutes after the advertised start. Since I cursed already I'll do it again, WHAT THE FUCK FOX & MLB? A 50 minute dog & pony show? That's the plan to keep viewers interested?

This all goes back to the central issue with MLB. Forget steroids, team salary disparity, & competitive balance. The prevelant issue is still promoting the past legends, while failing to promote the current & future stars of the game (as I so elequently covered here). Time for baseball to wake up. Stop trying to sell the game to an audience (baseball purists), that you already OWN. Start promoting the young talented players you have in the game today & the ones you will have in the future. Case in point, the All Star Futures game was held on a Sunday (July 12) at 2 PM. It was running against many Sunday afternoon Major League games, giving it ZERO visibility. How many of you even knew it was on? Instead of making it a notable part of the All Star festivities, MLB puts it on witness protection. Don't hide it in the midst of 4 Sunday afternoon baseball games, play the All Star Futures game on Tuesday night, have the MLB All Star Game on Wednesday night, that way the Futures game can have the spotlight to itself.

In order to attract fans, you can't bore them by talking about how great a player was 50-60 years ago. Try giving fans a look into who will be in the All Star game in the future. I am fully aware of Stan "the man" Musial & what he meant to the St Louis Cardinals & I appreciate his mark on the game. But the only ones who care, are baseball purists & YOU ALREADY HAVE THEM. Baseball spends so much time promoting its past, that I'm willing to wager more people are familiar with the name Roger Maris, then someone like say Hanley Ramirez. See for yourself, take a survey & I'm willing to bet at least 50% of random people think Maris is in the Hall of Fame, when he actually isn't. I'm not saying don't have a ceremony at all. Just have it from 7 pm to 8 pm & start the game before darkness hits the majority of the nation. Don't tell me 8 pm & start at 9 pm. These 9 o'clock starts is another thing absolutely killing MLB, in the younger demographic.

Now on to fan voting. This is supposed to be an event where the best of the best showcase themselves. Instead, it's where any Tom, Dick, & Harry can start in an All Star game. Case in point, Dustin Pedroia. 2 days before online voting closed Ian Kinsler had about a 7,000 vote lead. When voting finally did close, the reigning AL MVP won by about 73,000 voted. That's 80,000 votes for a second basemen who at the time was batting .289, had a slugging percentage of .382 & 2 HR. Here is a direct quote from a Red Sox fan (who will remain nameless) as to why Dustin was sooooooo worthy of starting second base for the AL. "Started out hot took a month off and got red hot and stayed that way." So there you have it. Apparently that's all you need in Beantown to become an "All Star." Laughable right? The truth is Pedroia's batting average (.303) wouldn't be where it is if not for a 15-29 streak he went on recently. There are at least 3 second basemen that I can make a case for, more worthy than Pedroia, as the starter for the AL. So it is undeniable that this was ballot stuffing at it's finest by the habitants of the Red Sox Nation. I'd prefer to hear, "he's a Red Sox, so I voted for him" instead of this jibberish. Thankfully, Karma made it right & Pedroia had to miss the All Star Game for personal reasons. I don't know about you, but when I hear All Star Starter, I think of the most talented player in that position or National Star Power. Not a guy that starts off hot & then takes a month off.

Lets not forget that some players have bonuses tied to All Star game appearances. I don't think players like Pablo Sandoval (who has a higher batting average than Albert Pujols) should be denied those all star appearances by the fans idiotic voting. It speaks volume of how irrelevant the term "All Star" has become. Instead of a gala of talent, its becoming nothing more than a puppet show for fans wanting the title All Star attached to a player of mediocre talent.

Mets Should Stand For Mets Explore Trading Shortstop

2009-07-07T18:40:00.005-04:00

With Roy Halladay reportedly available, the Mets should finally explore trading Jose Reyes. Yes I know...considered blasphamy by the Dominicans in apartment 1C, but lets actually look at this sensibly without a bias shall we?

During the next few weeks you'll hear experts from the World Wide Leader tell you the Mets don't have the talent to get someone like Halladay because of a weak farm system. Well no one will disputing that. What they do have is a multi tooled 26 year old SS under a favorable contract until 2011 & at least 2 hyped prospects that has drawn interest. Regardless if the Mets are in it this year or out of it isn't relevant. Halladay is a dominant pitcher that can give the Metropolitans the best 1-2 punch in recent history. If you look at a playoff series, opponents are looking at Santana, Halladay 3 times in a 5 game series, 4 times in a 7 game series. That's as unbeatable as it gets. Sure the offense will not have the "Dynamic" Reyes at the lead off spot. But I am personally sick of Reyes' selfish play. He cares more about his handshakes than actually maturing as a baseball player. So many times he steals, he does so for him & not the team.

If you listen to the show, Joe, Adam, & I talked about this a month ago on a special off air segment where we discussed Reyes, Martinez, & Parnell in a package for Halladay. I'd fly all 3 to Canada in a Gulf Stream today. The Mets have a need for a pitcher of Halladay's ilk, especially with a barren farm system. & I understand Reyes is injured, but the Jays are waving the white flag anyway (apparently so since they are listening to offers for Halladay), so they really don't need Reyes in 2009 anyway. Reyes injuries are far from career threatening & JP Ricciardi can certainly do worse than a package surrounding a mid 20 year old superstar SS.

Nomar Returns to Fenway

2009-07-07T09:40:00.013-04:00

The last time Nomar Garciaparra was in Fenway he played against the hated rival New York Yankees. 5 years later, he was greeted as if he never left. Since then, this is Garciaparra's 3rd different team & he has never come close to recapturing the magic he enjoyed as a Red Sox.

In 2004, GM Theo Epstein shocked the baseball world & Sox fans, by trading the popular SS. Back then, Garciaparra was arguably the best SS in baseball. We all had the discussion, "who would you take at SS? Nomar, Jeter, or Alex." Even Alex was quoted as saying, "Jeter is the richest, I am the youngest, Nomar is the best." & armed with a Rookie of the Year in 1997 along with a Silver Slugger Award that year, 2 batting titles, & 5 all star appearances all before 2004, he had the credentials & was recognized as one of the best SS to ever play in the history of the game. Likely the worst fielder of the 3, it was Nomar's ability to come through in Late Inning Pressure Situations (check out the numbers yourself by clicking on the hyperlinks provided) that set him apart from Rodriguez & was even better than Jeter "in the clutch." The last 5 years however, weren't as kind to him, & I can point to 1 game, the turning point of when & where it was over for Nomar in Boston.

The Sox front office & Nomar couldn't agree on a contract in 04 & you know what happened next. The Sox follow the standard operating procedure, leak to the media Nomar turned down a 4 year $60M offer, Nomar denies it, relationship turns sour, later on is traded, some of the fans of course turned on him, while others were heartbroken. But more than that, it was Garciaparra's body language that year that led to his subsequent trade. He looked like he was finally fed up of the fans, the team, & the whole RSN environment filled with angst (& who wouldn't be). This was noticeable & on display on the July 1, 2004 game at Yankee stadium.

Most of you might remember that game for the Derek Jeter dive into the stands going for a pop up. I remember that game, as the day I finally answered Jeter to the "what SS I would take" discussion (since Alex was at 3B). Not because of the play, but because in a huge series, the at the time leader of the Red Sox, was pouting in the dugout because he was benched that game. While Ortiz, Ramirez, Nixon, & Varitek, & Pokey Reese were all at the top of the dugout steps watching each play anxiously...Nomar just sat, practically abandoning the team.

Sometimes when it's time to go, it truly is time to go. But his return last night was a touching moment, from a fan base that usually chews up players & spits them out. Nomar will never be a Hall of Fame player he was once thought of. Hell he might not even get his number retired. But very few former Red Sox players will be greeted like he was last night. It was a historic moment that might never happen again.

The Mets Corporate Color

2009-06-28T12:33:00.003-04:00

It's not a secret & it's well documented. The Mets Omar Minaya finds a way to get player to NY, as long as their the "corporate" color.

Late last night Mark Derosa was acquired by the Cardinals for Chris Perez & the ever famous PTBNL (player to be named later). Derosa would have been a perfect fit for the Mets (among other teams). Good lifetime OBP, a veteran hitter in a lineup, but most importantly, he's so flexible he can still play any position (likely the OF) once Beltran, Delgado, & Reyes come back. Derosa unfortunately wasn't the "corporate color" & Minaya likely never gave him a 2nd thought. Derosa is actually Italian, not Hispanic. Last year the Mets failed to get Casey Blake (American) when available. It may be a coincidence, but a disturbing trend nonetheless. Blake & Derosa as they type of hard-nosed players needed in Queens. This is apparent to everyone, except the incompetent General Manager of the Metropolitans. The Mets have a severe lack of "fire" in that clubhouse. They all seem so passive. & while blake & derosa aren't fiery guys, i can guarantee you they care & give a damn. Which is more than i can say for some of the players there. The player I'm most upset is at Carlos Delgado. Where is the "clubhouse leader" he was supposed to be? The biggest mistake Minaya made was picking up his option on a year Mark Teixeira was available as a Free Agent. Instead of take charge lead by example guys who hustle (& happen to be white), the Mets have settled for below average performers who seem to not give a damn about wins or losses.

So dig in Mets fan. Because this will not change until the culture changes. & the first change needed is right at the top

Sometimes Less is More

2009-06-26T17:37:00.021-04:00

NBA Draft was last night & after digesting all the players drafted & the situations they are in, I've concluded that the less you did, the better off you were. Sometimes it's not a mystery why good teams stay good & why bad teams stay bad. In the below example I will talk about 4 teams. The Spurs, Magic, Timberwolves, & the Kings. Can you guess who are the winners & losers? Don't just guess. Take the same journey I did, & find out why.

The Winners

The San Antonio Spurs made the best pre-draft move by adding a 20 PPG scorer in Richard Jefferson, giving away 3 bench clogging players in the process. Then, with no first round pick, instead of trading up in a weak draft, they waited...& waited...& waited some more. Then before you knew it, they get the steal of the draft. DeJuan Blair, projected to go in the middle of the 1st round, fell right into their laps at 37. While other teams made noise (see Minnesota below), the Spurs made sense, getting the physical rebounder they needed. If Blair sticks (& he'll be giving every opportunity), this will allow Duncan to move over to center, while Blair just eats up rebounds inside & learns from one of the best coaches in the NBA. Blair finds himself looked over by less intelligent teams, but in an ideal situation with a Championship contender. & while many detractors will talk about the "health concerns," they fail to tell you he only missed 1 game at Pitt in 2 years.

The Orlando Magic instantly became the most exciting team to watch next year by trading for Vince Carter. So even with the pending lose of Hedo Turkoglu, the Best team in the East just got better, even trumping the Cavs move getting Shaq. Now guess who the Magic drafted last night? NO ONE. So why did they win? Because this was one of the thinnest & most overhyped drafts of recent memory. So instead of buying a lemon for 5 figures, the Magic walked off the car lot with their credit intact, walked to the next lot & wheeled off in a Bugati.

The Losers

The Minnesota Timberwolves did their best Jason Williams (White Chocolate Jason Williams) imitation on Thursday. They made all those extra moves & didn't score. From my perspective, Rubio is too much of an unknown for my taste. & why take risk at Point Guard? I would have drafted Jonny Flynn. But what do you know, they did pick Jonny Flynn...David Kahn has dreams of playing them both ala Dennis Johnson and Danny Ainge. Really? If that was the thought process, why not draft Flynn & Curry? Curry is a much better shooter than Rubio, with much better range. So which of those 2 is playing Danny Ainge? Now Rubio is already angry, Ricky is already saying he might not opt out of his Euro contract...& who can blame him? Later the Wolves go on to draft Ty Lawson. That's 3 Point Guards in the first round. But it didn't stop there...their PG thirst not quenched they also drafted Nick Calathes from Florida (averaged 17 PPG & 6 APG). On a team that has holes at Small Forward & Shooting Guard, they drafted 4 PG. What was the point? This is why the Wolves are the Wolves. Poorly run franchise, still making bad decisions. The T-Wolves outsmarted themselves Thursday & no one else. When one of your very own players (Kevin Love) Twitters "what are we doing?" you have to wonder the same.

Lastly, the Sacramento Kings actually drafted 3 players last night. Yet did everything within their power, to assure themselves another Lottery pick next year. Mission accomplished. Tyreke Evans was a monumental reach considering 2 PG graded ahead of him (Curry & Rubio) were still available. When you think PG, you think ball distributor. Evans averaged less than 4 APG in Memphis. So instead of getting the passer they severely needed, they drafted a player that will back up star guard Kevin Martin at Shooting Guard with the #4 pick. Then with the 23rd pick, the Kings select obscure Euro leaguer Omri Casspi (pronounce it, I dare you). European players in the league exhibit certain skills like great passer, a good mid range game, & ball handling skills. Well Omri possesses none of these. His scouting report positives are: Good NBA size for a Small Forward, energetic, & "jack of all trades." I don't know about you, but when i hear "jack of all trades" my first thought is this guy doesn't do 1 thing great. Casspi averaged about 9 PPG & 3 rebounds per game. What "trade" do those stats fit under? Mediocrity if you ask me. Before the draft, the Kings desperately needed front court help, especially in the rebound department where they were next to last in the league last season. But wait...the Kings had one had 1 more chance to get it right...& with the 32nd pick they indeed do get it right. "Take that obscure blogger guy." The Kings had finally done it, they drafted Jeff Pendergraph, the 6'9 Power Forward from Arizona State that averaged 14 PPG & 8 RPG...Kings fans celebrated..."we got one right...we did it...YES!!!"...then the party ended, as Sacramento traded Pendergraph to Portland for Sergio Rodriguez & Jon Brockman. Brockman, while a great rebounder, is a 6'7 PF with nowhere near the athletic skill of Pendergraph. In fact, Pendergraph outscored & outrebounded Brockman in BOTH games Arizona State played against Washington last season. The Kings indeed. The Kings of bad draft day moves.

So to recap, The Spurs had 1 pick, the Magic had 0 picks, the Wolves had 4 & the Kings have 3. Yet the Spurs & Magic did more with less, while the Wolves & Kings continued to make inept decisions with extra picks.

Say it is Sosa

2009-06-16T22:10:00.012-04:00

Another day, another of the 103 names from the "anonymous" test in 2003. At this point, the media would make a bigger splash releasing the names of 650 plus players that didn't test positive for performance enhancing drugs.

Somehow I feel like Jose Canseco has the entire list & is blackmailing MLB via phone. "Hey Bud Selig...it's me Jose Canseco. I have the list of the 103 players that tested positive in my hands." "I want $100,000,000 & admission into the Hall of Fame." "If you fail to meet my demands, I will leak the list one name at a time." "I have some juicy names Bud...don't make me do it"

The latest leaked name was Samuel Peralta Sosa. But was this really a shock? The real surprise came when he announced his retirement and proclaimed, "I always played with love and responsibility and I assure you that I will not answer nor listen to rumors. If anything ugly comes up in the future, we will confront it immediately, but with all our strength because I will not allow anybody to tarnish what I did in the field." Sammy as you all remember didn't answer questions in front of Congress, why set new precedent now would be my question. Sosa was a real "hero" to the Dominican people. And because of my heritage (Dominican), this is somewhat difficult to write. But Sosa was among the most fraudulent players to ever play in baseball. His phony smile, his kisses towards the camera, his annoying hop, his false enthusiasm as he ran out to RF in Wrigley...& we all ate it up. Lovable? maybe to the droves of groupies on the road. But I digress...Sammy even bought into his own hype, knowing his numbers weren't on the level, he sat out the 2006 season because "he was too proud to take a minor league deal" after a season in which he slugged a paltry .376. It was apparent to everyone, he was the Sosa of old. The real Sosa.

The book on Sosa before the 98 season was free-swinger lacking plate discipline that struck out way too often. At the end of the 97 season he had an OPS of .779, nothing to write home about. The very next year he won the MVP & his OPS EXPLODED above the 1.000 mark the 4 seasons after 97. Those are the type of stats, that will get you on Pepsi commercials. Of his 609 HR Sosa hit 336 after the age 30. Despite his increase in HR, Sosa actually struck out at the same rate from 89-97 as he did in 98-07 (23% of the times). So how did he become a "better" hitter without progressing as a hitter? A better question is how much more "evidence" is needed before you believe what every other expert in the game knew? I'm in the court of public opinion so I don't need much. & if the judicial system can convict a person of murder without a body, I can certainly convict Sosa of juicing, with this circumstantial evidence.

In his retirement speech Sammy arrogantly said, "I will calmly wait for my induction to the Baseball Hall of Fame. Don't I have the numbers to be inducted?" Wait you will Sammy...& wait & wait. To answer your question Sam...yes you do. You do indeed have "the numbers". What you don't have is the integrity. & before 1998, you didn't have the talent. Luckily for you Sammy, you might not need either to be eventually inducted.

How Baseball Has Become ESPN's Illegitimate Son

2009-06-14T20:03:00.000-04:00

ESPN is celebrating it's 20th year of broadcasting baseball. It's never been more apparent, that it's become the 3rd or 4th fiddle to any other Sport carried by the "World Wide Leader" & it's partially their own fault.

You would think ESPN execs would sell out their own mothers to broadcast a Yankees-Mets game (which would draw huge nationally because of NY especially with Santana pitching). Instead, they'll televised two teams that won't draw nationally what the NY game would. Why? Because on a day the "sister station" ABC runs Game 5 of the NBA Finals, ESPN purposely picked a game they knew less homes would tune into, in order to protect the ratings for ABC & the NBA. The Sunday Night Game between the Cardinals & Indians while intriguing for me to watch, obviously has LESS national appeal then some of the other series being played. I count at least 3 games that would have drawn better numbers than this one. Mets-Yankees, Red Sox-Phillies, & I can make an argument with the Dodgers-Rangers. All huge markets that would draw better nationally than Cards-Tribe. This game was originally an afternoon game when the schedule was out, magically rescheduled. ESPN will of course, have the Mets-Yankees on June 28th as the Sunday Night game. While MLB is somewhat a victim, they also share part of the blame for selling their own game short & not making it more recognizable nationally.

MLB's non-existent marketing scheme leaves them vulnerable to becoming the #3 sport to football & basketball in the near future. They are already losing younger & minority viewers to the NFL & NBA. Meanwhile the NFL had a campaign in order to attract more Spanish viewers with the Futbol Americano spots. ESPN polling showed that among Spanish dominant Hispanics only 32.8% of respondents considered themselves NFL fans and 8.7% called themselves avid NFL fans. Compared to 64.4% of English dominant Hispanics are NFL fans and 34.3% called themselves avid NFL fans. So the NFL went out & marketed the sport to people who technically don't watch the sport. In fact, ESPN Deportes has been broadcasting NFL games in Spanish the last couple of year. Brilliantly done by the best marketed sport in the world...

MLB has no such plan. Consider this...unless you're a fantasy guy or live in LA you don't know who Matt Kemp is. Yet he's one of the elite young talents in the game playing for the 2nd biggest market nationally. If you aren't a baseball fan, you couldn't pick someone like Ian Kinsler out of a lineup, if he had his uniform on. Yovani Gallardo is unrecognizable outside of Milwaukee. Who's Joey Votto? I could go on all day. These players are all less recognizable than someone like Mark Sanchez & likely have less jersey sales than someone like David Lee, but are more impactful players in their sport. They are part of the large influx of young talent baseball has had lately. While I don't personally like Dustin Pedroia, MLB lost a huge opportunity not promoting a 5'5 160 pound player as the AL MVP to young kids. Remember the Chicks Dig the Long Ball campaign? MLB needs something similar. There's no reason players wearing helmets & mask are more recognizable.

Mets Lose in Excruciating Fashion...What Else is New?

2009-06-13T08:02:00.001-04:00

I avoided writing this last night because i didn't want it to be reactionary towards the disaster in the Bronx yesterday. For those not keeping score the Mets lost the first game of the Subway Series last night 9-8, when Luis Castillo dropped a can of corn pop up of Alex Rodriguez's bat. So it wasn't the loss obviously, it was how they lost it.

Losses are always more memorable than wins. Just ask Yankee fans as I'm sure they can tell you about the Dave Mlicki CG Shutout in 97 when Interleague play started. But this loss was beyond devastating. As soon as Castillo faded back, you can see him possibly dropping the ball. Then, inexplicably, he throws the ball the 2nd base while Teixeira rounds 3rd...laughable, if not so tragic. Clearly Castillo wasn't paying attention to the situation or the field of play. I've seen a lot of heart breaking plays in sports, this is near the top of the list.

The only good that can come of this is the Mets go into a tailspin, missing the playoffs, resulting in a massive head rolling session in Queens, starting with the GM responsible for bringing Castillo to NY & ending with Jerry Manuel's firing. When Alex hit the ball to "end" the game, my thoughts were, "headline tomorrow, A-Rod fails in the clutch again" instead he's bailed out, by a player I said the Mets should release (last week on TSP Off Air). I'm sure the good fans of Yankee Stadium will give Castillo quite the ovation when introduced today (if he plays). Deservedly so

Lost in all this though was the sheer HUSTLE by Mark Teixeira, who scored all the way from 1st base. That's the type of heart, leadership, & heads up play needed in Flushing.

Shake Hands or Flex Finger

2009-06-08T09:19:00.000-04:00

Recently LeBron James was fined $25,000 for skipping the Game 6 post game press conference. A lot was made about James leaving the court early & not shaking his opponent’s hand. Notice though he was fined for passing on the press conference & not the post game hand shake. What message does it send to me? The same one you’ll read about in this blog…who cares?

Now before you read any further, this is strictly my opinion, Russ Rosario. My co-host Joe Sarno COMPLETELY disagrees with me on this point. Now on to my view…

Once again the mass media whore jumped on this as if it was some egregious act. See, I myself like what the Pistons did in 1991 & walked off the court on the Bulls. I don’t like the friendly hand shaking GARBAGE. Don’t give me this sportsmanship crap. I just got beat, I am frustrated, the last thing I’m going to do is congratulate the next man. Truthfully, I don’t want to see sportsmanship in today's sport. I want heated competition while still respecting my opponent. In my opinion one doesn't have to shake hands or congratulate to show respect. It should be understood really. So often the media runs with stories of players on rival teams being “too friendly” to each other. So which way do you want it? Don’t say you can hate a rival & be a good sport. The hell with being a good sport. I care about ME winning. I don’t want to wish anyone else good luck. I just lost, I could give a damn if another team or player wins or lose. As a child I would walk off the field after losses REGULARLY. Of course once I was benched I took part in the hated post game festivities.

My point is this. I don’t want anyone else to pawn off thoughts on their idea of morality to me if I don’t agree with it. Much like the media & others have done to James the past 2 weeks. To me, sportsmanship is meaningless & should be a choice. It isn't mandated by the NBA to shake hands after a game, nor should it be mandated by the media, society, or the fan base. It doesn’t add anything to the game, in fact, I would argue it takes away from the competitive spirit of the game. I don’t want to see the Francisco Rodriguez walking over to Jimmy Rollins as he mutters, “great game man” or “better luck next time”. SCREW THAT. Pump a fist or hang your head as you walk off the field. You are hated rivals engaged in competition. Do you really want to see Derek Jeter hug Jonathan Papelbon & say, "good luck in the Fall Classic kid, you earned it..."

So i commend James for taking an unpopular stance & passing on the post game hand shake. Now I do take exception to James skipping the post game press conference. You have to answer questions & give us your thoughts & views as to what happened during the game & throughout the series (even though it was pretty obvious). In short…if you’re the King, answer your Kingdom. Ignore the peasants criticism on the congratulatory hand shake.

And Now at Shortstop...

2009-06-01T10:29:00.001-04:00

Derek Jeter…But for how long? I recently asked a friend of mine his thoughts on Derek Jeter’s pending free agency in 2010. He had an intriguing response.

“That's the 1000 lb gorilla in the room. Obviously he can't be resigned to be the SS anymore. He would have to move to a corner OF spot and not sure that's the greatest of ideas. I guess you never know, but I don't think there's any chance he signs somewhere else. Definitely gonna be interesting to see how it plays out.”

Jeter, the Yankee Shortstop the last 15 seasons, in the OF? & this is the response from a Yankee fan. That’s as unimaginable as a move to a different team. I myself can’t imagine Jeter anywhere but at SS. Jeter, who has never been had great range for a SS is getting older. And you have to wonder where the Yankees & Jeter part ways in 2010. In 2003, Alex Rodriguez had to move to 3B even though many thought Rodriguez was the better defensive SS. Same friend told me it’s not out of the question Derek moving to 3B with Alex coming out of 2 hip surgeries and getting older himself. A move Cal Ripken himself made.

This is of course the challenge that meets every athlete, once they get older, no matter how beloved a figure in the organization, their bodies can’t do the same & must consider a different situation. That’s the problem in NY, they have entirely too many players that are not fit to play the field or the position they naturally play because of age & deteriorating skill. And as unimaginable as it is for Jeter to play anywhere but SS, remember how painful it was to watch #51 in CF a few years ago? Williams, once an exceptional athlete, no longer could track down routine flyballs. The problem will continue to get worse. Posada was this year’s exhibit A, with Jeter close behind, & Rodriguez after that, you wonder what the Yankees will do with so many DH type players. The same problem they have now, with Damon & Matsui. He's a great leader & a must have in the clubhouse, but how long before you stop running him out to Shortstop

NFL Should Dog Vick

2009-05-21T22:12:00.001-04:00

Has it been 2 years already? As Mike Vick comes out of jail I one of the most popular questions is will ever play in the NFL again. No doubt Roger Goddell will enforce his own punishment on the former NFL Quarterback, for the embarrassment the league went through. But it will all pale in comparison, to what Mike Vick was guilty of doing a couple of years ago.

Whether or not Vick “deserves” to play in the NFL again is up to you as an individual reader. Some will IMMEDIATELY say everyone deserves a 2nd chance, we all make mistakes. Mistake? Before you take that position or call this a simple faux pas, closely examine what Mike did. Vick, a gifted athlete, not only fought & KILLED dogs, oh no…let’s not simplify this. HE TORTURED & MAIMED THEM. Not only did he torment defenseless animals, but he BANKROLLED it...for “sport”. He was the money pipeline to a seedy & despicable underground operation, which is run by low lives & cowards. He caged & imprisoned dogs to fight & tear each other apart…for ENTERTAINMENT. That’s what he did…& when those animals didn’t perform to his liking, he attached wires to them, & ran a deadly amount of voltage through there bodies. After he electrocuted them, he stood there & WATCHED THEM DIE. In my humble opinion, Vick got off light. What he put these animals through is unthinkable. He physically SLAMMED these animals into the ground, watched them suffer & heard them whimper, to their deaths. What type of sadistic, vicious, cruel human being does this…FOR AMUSEMENT? Not only participate in it, but maintain it, finance it, manage it, wager on it & support it, FOR YEARS. And when confronted with it…HE LIED & DENIED IT. 2nd chance? I don’t want this guy anywhere NEAR, a team I follow.

Undoubtedly, some GM in the NFL will be foolish, roll the dice & put some sort of spin on it. Maybe the Bengals or Raiders will sign him & no spin will be necessary. They’ll say “he’s a talented player that DESERVES another chance.” “He paid his debt to society; we are just giving him an opportunity to continue his career”. Mike Vick is sadistic psychopath at the bottom of the totem pole. Vick is lower than a parasite that leaches onto another parasite. Would you want to give the willing participant of something that was callous & heinous a 2nd chance? He had T-Shirts printed up, SPONSORED & had a NAME FOR THIS OPERATION. He named it, like most of us would name our very own pets.

I don’t know about you, but I certainly don’t want to be like THIS Mike. Arthur Blank & the Atlanta Falcons have long forgotten about Mike Vick, maybe the rest the of NFL should too. So you tell me. Does he deserve a 2nd chances? Leave your comments & thoughts.

Kobe Doin Self Work

2009-05-17T16:49:00.000-04:00

Saw a commercial the other day on “Kobe Doin Work”…a Spike Lee Joint. Someone should tell Spike that’s so 88. Not sure what it’s about, but it made me think about Bryant’s brilliant career thus far & the impact it has had on the Lakers & the NBA.

For all intents and purposes, the NBA has had very few players that can drive the casual fan to the arena since Jordan left. Bryant happens to be one of those guys. Compared to other stars in sports, Bryant is the most visible star and likely as big as a name as say Alex Rodriguez. I think Bryant's persona is what I'd like to see out of Alex Rodriguez truthfully, more confident, just not as obnoxious. Bryant knows he's the best there is in Basketball, he acts like it, he talks like it, but most importantly he plays like it. You can argue about James or Wade or Paul, but is there any other player that strikes fear into the hearts of opponents more than Bryant at the end of games? Those players may be more complete as basketball players, but Bryant is no doubt the best offensive player in the NBA. Kobe can be in a team full of stars, but at the end of the game if it’s close, he will get the shot over any other star with very few exceptions. Kobe doesn't just want to be the main guy though, he wants to be the only guy you go to for a win. More than a center piece, he wants to be the only piece. He has that with the Lakers, he’s the best player the Lakers have, the rest of the Lakers are role players. One thing Shaq & Phil Jackson were right about though, Bryant doesn't make his teammates better. Never has, likely never will.

Lebron James on the other hand does. In my book, that will forever keep Bryant as the solo act he is, where ever he goes. The Lakers have a classic 1+11 team, sure Gasol is a very good player. So is Bynum. Bryant has the type of skill that can make these very good players into great players, these 2 in particular. So why aren’t they better? Bynum did not get drastically better from year 3 to year 4. Same with Gasol, his numbers look just like they did in Memphis. Anyone remember Scottie Pippen’s career after he left Chicago? Let’s not forget, Scottie Pippen was part of the best 50 players in history (when the list was made in 1996-1997). That was the affect Michael Jordan had on a player that was good, Michael turned him to great.

Like all players with great talent, Bryant has an ego. Maybe a little to self absorbed. For all the complaining Bryant did a few years ago when he asked to be traded, this is what he really wants. He wants to be the reason a team wins, THE ONLY REASON THEY WIN. A classic you can’t do it without me guy, which is why Shaq isn't there anymore. Bryant hated to be overshadowed & thought of as a “complimentary piece” to a player he saw himself better than (Shaq). And that's where my real displeasure with Bryant is. Again, he doesn’t just want to be the center piece, he wants to be the ONLY PIECE. He’s so talented, yet so off centered when it comes to the concept of “team”. He really believes he's talented enough to win a title, with 11 other nobodies. He’s more interested in winning for HIM, than winning for the team. And that type of mentality will be what never wins him another title. My Co-host Joe Sarno predicted Denver to go to the NBA Finals weeks ago, and now I'm on that banwagon. What Kobe doesn’t understand is that while great you can never do it alone. You can not out think players, coaches, & schemes all by yourself. Even Jesus had 12 disciples.