Greetings. To get down to business, David Ortiz made the grand proclamation that all players who test positive for steroids should be suspended for a year. That was nice of him. Perhaps he's willing to be tested as frequently as he suggested, in the OFF season. Don't forget, Steroids are legal in the Dominican Republic. I wouldn't want to be David Ortiz when he first steps into the batter box against Joba.
As for Mr. Rodriguez - expect a mental collapse when Mark Texiera has a better season, and as more details of his steroid usage surface. A-Rod was never one to handle pressure that well (um, the post season). Still though, it was not right for only his name to be leaked. There were 103 players out there who took steroids around the same time he did. And A-Rod might bring a lot of his criticism on himself - his disastrous contract negotiation, or rather, allowing Boras to execute that plan; dating Madonna, getting photographed partying with coeds the day before the story broke - but he doesn't deserve to be the only player from that list to have his name exposed. And whoever leaked this test - picked a fairly convenient time to do so.
With A-Rod's exposure - will Bud Selig finally overturn the tainted Home Run records, and restore them to Aaron and Marris? Not likely. The Players Union would never allow that, unfortunately. And if you overturn those records, what about Roger Clemens's win totals and Cy Young awards. So the MLB, which prides itself on setting a positive example for the youth of this country, instead allows these records - set while the players were taking Performance Enhancing Drugs (PEDs) - to stand. And how did Bud Selig reward himself in 2008, after the disaster of Bonds, and looming recession? By paying himself $17 million dollars. Not bad for a guy who used to sell used cars.
Moving on to another saga: David Beckham. Not surprisingly, he doesn't want to leave AC Milan. Who wouldn't? AC Milan is a contender for the Serie A title, and also in the hunt for the Champions League. Moreover, he's playing at the top of his form again. Why? To be blunt, the level of play in the MLS is a joke, when compared to Europe. I could write a separate post on the many reasons why nobody takes the MLS seriously. The best players in the world don't take the MLS seriously. However, I don't feel sorry for David Beckham, as he signed a record-setting contract, and is making A-Rod-like money. Perhaps he should have considered that when he signed the contract with LA. Do I believe he will stay there permanently? No, something will be worked out, as the MLS has suffered a black eye over this, and the prospect of David Beckham being forced to play against his will would be a PR nightmare for the already-fragile league.
Speaking of soccer, Manchester United continued their amazing unbeaten streak with a thorough thrashing of Derby this weekend, to move on in the FA - keeping alive the hope of 5 trophies this year. Somehow, Real Madrid obtained a 64 million Euro loan from the Spanish banking giant Grupo Santander. Mind you, this is the same bank that lost billions for its clients after having invested with Madoff. Now they are asking those clients to sign settlements to be repaid between 50 to 85% of their losses. That's nice of them. Apparently Real Madrid signing Christiano Ronoldo is more important to Santadder, than making their clients whole, after they failed to conduct proper due-diligence.
Now that the NBA all star game is over, the only thing left before the season resumes, is to see how many arrests are reported from Phoenix before the weekend ends.
And by the way, the Suns fired their coach, Terry Porter, only 4 months into his new contract. I guess their losing record, combined with Steve Nash and Shaq, was too much for Steve Kerr and the owner to take, who after all, gave Porter his shot in the first place.
UCONN, of whom I'm rabid fan of, continues to sit at the top of the country. If they can advance against #4 Pitt tonight, they virtually assure themself a top seed in the NCAA tourney.
More to come soon, especially since A-Roid is giving a press conference tomorrow.
Monday, February 16, 2009
Thursday, December 25, 2008
Merry Xmas
Merry Christmas to everyone.
Obviously the Yankees had a great holiday. Mark Teixeira is a Yankee. AJ Burnett, CC – and the Yankees are still lower than their payroll last year. And they are not done. I’m not going to say they are an automatic lock to win the World Series. Far from it. Not only do they play in the toughest division in the Majors (only Baltimore is a sub-par team), there are many questions that remain. There’s no guarantee Posada will be the same, coming off of shoulder surgery. Will Johnny Damon be a good leadoff man? What about Matsui? Will Cano pull his head out of his ass and not be premadona again? The Yankees may get Manny and Derek Lowe or Ben Sheets. One final question: What in the world is Andy Pettite smoking? Another team will pay him $10 million.
Questions aside, the Yankees are moving in the right direction, finally. Should there be a salary cap, as the owner of the Brewers asked? It’s a non-issue, given that the Players Union will never allow it. But the answer is no. Look at what Tampa Bay accomplished last year, with the lowest payroll in the league.
If I was a Red Sox fan, I would be livid. Did this not happen with the A-Rod saga nearly 4 years ago? Make an offer and stick to it, or don’t bother sending the press mixed messages.
As for the Mets, where to begin? Apparently Omar can’t sell the ownership on a Manny deal? Did Wilpon invest with Manny too? He’s the best hitter in the game, and wants to play in New York. The Mets clearly need another bat, and the fact they are not going after Manny is baffling.
The Jets have dug themselves a hole, and have nobody to blame but themselves. Mangini called the worst plays I’ve seen in years. The Jets march down the field, and look like a Super Bowl contender, only to have a drive stall on them. If the Jets win somehow (and let’s remember Pennington knows the Jets’ defensive schemes), and Baltimore or the Patriots lose, look Mangini to be fired, along with defensive and offensive coordinators. And the off season will be even more painful, with continued rumors about Favre’s never ending retirement.
Meanwhile, the Giants rebounded in a big way, and won the best game of the season in overtime. Truly amazing to watch, and now the question is whether or not the Giants will win the second game with the Panthers, as the NFC Championship will very likely be a repeat of last Sunday’s game.
Plaxico Burress apparently forgot he had a small arsenal of weapons in his home. Isn’t his wife a lawyer in New York?
Obviously the Yankees had a great holiday. Mark Teixeira is a Yankee. AJ Burnett, CC – and the Yankees are still lower than their payroll last year. And they are not done. I’m not going to say they are an automatic lock to win the World Series. Far from it. Not only do they play in the toughest division in the Majors (only Baltimore is a sub-par team), there are many questions that remain. There’s no guarantee Posada will be the same, coming off of shoulder surgery. Will Johnny Damon be a good leadoff man? What about Matsui? Will Cano pull his head out of his ass and not be premadona again? The Yankees may get Manny and Derek Lowe or Ben Sheets. One final question: What in the world is Andy Pettite smoking? Another team will pay him $10 million.
Questions aside, the Yankees are moving in the right direction, finally. Should there be a salary cap, as the owner of the Brewers asked? It’s a non-issue, given that the Players Union will never allow it. But the answer is no. Look at what Tampa Bay accomplished last year, with the lowest payroll in the league.
If I was a Red Sox fan, I would be livid. Did this not happen with the A-Rod saga nearly 4 years ago? Make an offer and stick to it, or don’t bother sending the press mixed messages.
As for the Mets, where to begin? Apparently Omar can’t sell the ownership on a Manny deal? Did Wilpon invest with Manny too? He’s the best hitter in the game, and wants to play in New York. The Mets clearly need another bat, and the fact they are not going after Manny is baffling.
The Jets have dug themselves a hole, and have nobody to blame but themselves. Mangini called the worst plays I’ve seen in years. The Jets march down the field, and look like a Super Bowl contender, only to have a drive stall on them. If the Jets win somehow (and let’s remember Pennington knows the Jets’ defensive schemes), and Baltimore or the Patriots lose, look Mangini to be fired, along with defensive and offensive coordinators. And the off season will be even more painful, with continued rumors about Favre’s never ending retirement.
Meanwhile, the Giants rebounded in a big way, and won the best game of the season in overtime. Truly amazing to watch, and now the question is whether or not the Giants will win the second game with the Panthers, as the NFC Championship will very likely be a repeat of last Sunday’s game.
Plaxico Burress apparently forgot he had a small arsenal of weapons in his home. Isn’t his wife a lawyer in New York?
Sunday, December 21, 2008
Have You Been Drinking? Tony Romo should be
Greetings yet again. Let's get right into the holiday season, as Christmas is literally right around the corner.
UCONN takes out Gonzaga in OT, in a dramatick come-from-behind victory, which featured a buzzard beater from A.J. Price. Question though - UCONN is/was number 2 going into this game, Gonzaga was # 7, correct? UCONN barely beat Gonzaga, and had to rely on a 3 pointer to tie it in regulation as the clock expired, correct? But isn't Duke # 5, and Xavier is # 8, correct? And didn't Duke when 82-64? Either UCONN is seriously over ranked or Xavier didn't belong in the top 10. UCONN had to win the game against Gonzaga, a highly ranked, non conference opponent in late December, but they struggled, and showed the same inconsistency that plagued them all last year. Look for a readjustment of the top 10 in the near future, with UNC remaining in the top slot.
On to the Giants, who are in the middle of a slump likely to extend into the final week of the season. The Giants (11-3) face the Panthers (also 11-3), after two dismal losses to the Eagles and Cowboys. Jacobs is scheduled to start, but look for the Giants to pull him early, and then become the one-dimensional team they appeared to be against Philly and Dallas - Eli trying to force the ball to average receivers. What's going on here? Well, for starters, the Giants Defense is tired coming into the 15th week of the season. Instead of rushing 3 or or 4 men to the ball, against the Cowboys the Giants only brought 2 to the ball carrier, with the rest of the linebackers and secondary hanging back to prevent the big play. Burress is gone, of course, and that takes away the double teams he drew, leaving average receivers like Toomer open to good, one-on-one coverage. And Ward and Bradshaw are not Jacobs, no way. If the Giants can't get the run game established against Carolina, it will be a long, cold night in East Rutherford, and the Giants will be set up to enter the post season with the dreaded "not hot" status.
As for the other New York team? They have an easy opponent in Seattle this weekend. But keep in mind that Gang Green has yet to win on the West Coast this year, and has looked downright awful on the road, with the notable exception in Tennessee earlier this year. Thanks to Dallas again choking in a must win game against the Ravens last night, the Jets now have to win the final two games of the season to make it into the playoffs. A tall order for a team with the history of the New York Jets. Of course, it all depends which Brett shows up - 1 INT or 4 INTs.
Fortunately though, Tony Homo and the Cowboys will likely not be around for the post season. So what happens now in the Big D? Wade Phillips is done if the Cowboys can't make it into the post season, Phillips will not be on the next HBO's "Training Camp." Then you have to start to ask questions about Romo, who is consistently presented as a star of the NFL, which I find baffling. Why? Has he won a playoff game? Does anyone remember the botched hold two years ago. And of course his latest meltdown last night, and recently against the Steelers? Don't get me wrong, at times he has shown signs of brilliance. At other times, when it mattered of course, he has been downright awful. Why is nobody paying attention to the Ravens' amazing performance at the end of the game?
UCONN takes out Gonzaga in OT, in a dramatick come-from-behind victory, which featured a buzzard beater from A.J. Price. Question though - UCONN is/was number 2 going into this game, Gonzaga was # 7, correct? UCONN barely beat Gonzaga, and had to rely on a 3 pointer to tie it in regulation as the clock expired, correct? But isn't Duke # 5, and Xavier is # 8, correct? And didn't Duke when 82-64? Either UCONN is seriously over ranked or Xavier didn't belong in the top 10. UCONN had to win the game against Gonzaga, a highly ranked, non conference opponent in late December, but they struggled, and showed the same inconsistency that plagued them all last year. Look for a readjustment of the top 10 in the near future, with UNC remaining in the top slot.
On to the Giants, who are in the middle of a slump likely to extend into the final week of the season. The Giants (11-3) face the Panthers (also 11-3), after two dismal losses to the Eagles and Cowboys. Jacobs is scheduled to start, but look for the Giants to pull him early, and then become the one-dimensional team they appeared to be against Philly and Dallas - Eli trying to force the ball to average receivers. What's going on here? Well, for starters, the Giants Defense is tired coming into the 15th week of the season. Instead of rushing 3 or or 4 men to the ball, against the Cowboys the Giants only brought 2 to the ball carrier, with the rest of the linebackers and secondary hanging back to prevent the big play. Burress is gone, of course, and that takes away the double teams he drew, leaving average receivers like Toomer open to good, one-on-one coverage. And Ward and Bradshaw are not Jacobs, no way. If the Giants can't get the run game established against Carolina, it will be a long, cold night in East Rutherford, and the Giants will be set up to enter the post season with the dreaded "not hot" status.
As for the other New York team? They have an easy opponent in Seattle this weekend. But keep in mind that Gang Green has yet to win on the West Coast this year, and has looked downright awful on the road, with the notable exception in Tennessee earlier this year. Thanks to Dallas again choking in a must win game against the Ravens last night, the Jets now have to win the final two games of the season to make it into the playoffs. A tall order for a team with the history of the New York Jets. Of course, it all depends which Brett shows up - 1 INT or 4 INTs.
Fortunately though, Tony Homo and the Cowboys will likely not be around for the post season. So what happens now in the Big D? Wade Phillips is done if the Cowboys can't make it into the post season, Phillips will not be on the next HBO's "Training Camp." Then you have to start to ask questions about Romo, who is consistently presented as a star of the NFL, which I find baffling. Why? Has he won a playoff game? Does anyone remember the botched hold two years ago. And of course his latest meltdown last night, and recently against the Steelers? Don't get me wrong, at times he has shown signs of brilliance. At other times, when it mattered of course, he has been downright awful. Why is nobody paying attention to the Ravens' amazing performance at the end of the game?
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
Season's Greetings
I'll apologize now for the long hiatus in posting. There's been a lot of change in my personal life, most of it good (thankfully), and the markets have made work interesting, to say the least. But I'll promise now to post more frequently.
Let's start with the current day, rather then work our way back through the months. As much as I would love to, its already in the past, so to to speak. Plaxico Burress = Giant Idiot. The whole situation is very unfortunate. Not only does a talented and rich athlete very probably lose his livelihood, an 11-1, defending super-bowl championship team gets dragged through the mud. Nobody seems to be talking about the fact the Giants are playing the Eagles for the NFC East title this week. Here's another interesting thought: Suppose when his gun went off, the bullet hit someone else. There would be no debate whatsoever about Plaxico and his future, and not questions about why athletes carry guns. How lucky is he really. And another question: a member of Packman Jones's posy shoots a security guard and paralyzes him, in addition to 11 incidents with the police, and he's still playing?? The whole situation is ridiculous, and athletes clearly haven't learned from Michael Vick that they can lose everything they have. Will he go to jail? I'd say not likely, until the Mayor of New York came out and said he should. Now you'll have overly ambitious Assistant District Attorneys lining up for the case to make a name for themselves. How I love the town I live in.
Let's talk about the other team in town - Gang Green. People were calling for a subway Super Bowl. Are you serious? Don't get me wrong, the Jets are clearly the most improved team in football, but they are not going deep into the playoffs. They simply don't have the depth the Giants or Steelers or Cowboys do. I give credit to Brett Favre for staying the course, and I do think he will return next season to an improved team. I'm not writing them off after the disaster against Denver in monsoon-like conditions, I just don't they had the depth to last in the playoffs.
Unfortunately Jerry Jones and the Cowboys have returned. If they can survive in Pittsburgh this week, which they should be able to, look out Giants. With Romo healthy, and a solid running game (provided they have 2 out of 3 of their backs), the cowboys can upset anyone. The one obstacle to the Giants repeating may in fact be the Cowboys in the playoffs. Look for Dallas to win in Pittsburgh this week, given Pittsburgh's weak offensive line and Big Ben's tendency to hang back in the pocket too long. Nothing would please the control freak owner, who tries to portray himself as a hip, savy guy on HBO's Training Camp, then upsetting the G-men. Come to think of it, why haven't HBO or Showtime or ESPN done a piece on the Giants, who beat a team of destiny (sorry Bob Kraft)?? Oh yeah, that's right, the Giants are from New York, I forgot.
The BCS system got it wrong, yet again, with the debacle of the Big 12 championship game. Missouri against Oklahoma? Didn't Texas beat Oklahoma on a neutral field? Texas Tech beat Texas in a truly dramatic game for the ages, but can you honestly make the case Oklahoma is the best team to face Missouri - who would lose to any three of the teams that were up for the slot? At least the SEC got it right, and the winner of the SEC will face the winner of the Big 12. Will Florida prevail? Its the age old question of speed against physicality, of which Alabama has an abundance. I think it will be a close game, but Florida will win by 7. The real question will be if Alabama will still get the nod to face the winner of the Big 12 (presumably Oklahoma). Keep in mind that if Alabama loses, as Vegas is calling for, then they will have the same record as the Gators. Didn't the Gators play for and win a national championship recently? Doesn't Alabama have a large following, and highly touted corporate (the "most powerful man in college sports," according to Forbes) coach in Nick Saban?? It's a question of how much the BCS will dare to screw Florida out of its rightful shot at the title, provided they take care of business. But I can already see the BCS pointing to how many weeks Florida languished in the 4th or 5th ranked spot, while Alabama sat at #1. I hope the national championship game won't be marred by more of the same, of which we've already had a taste of.
Charlie Weis gets to keep his job. Now a lot of people feel he should leave, and a lot of people feel he should stay. I am in the latter camp. Do I agree with his arrogance, which continued up until the nightmare game against USC last week? No. But he has had 2 top 10 recruiting classes, and is on track, reportedly, to have another one this this year. I believe Notre Dame will have good, plus-8 win season next year. And let's not forget the fact that Notre Dame signed him to a 10 year contract, which means they expected him to build a dynasty. With the recruiting classes he has put together, there's no reason why he can't do that. If he doesn't win 8 games next year, then he is out for sure. But I say, stick to the 10 year plan and see if year 5 - the measuring point year - yields results.
Let's turn our attention to the Hot Stove of December: Baseball. I'll be honest, I am a Yankees fan. However, I think the Yankees should forget about CC immediately. He clearly wants another West Coast team (where he's from) to put together an attractive offer. If I were the Yankees, I'd set a deadline, and then go on a buying spree once the fat, arrogant pitcher declines (think I'm wrong? Watch MTV's the cribs about CC Sabathia, and see what I'm talking about). Still, acquiring arms won't solve the problem the Yankees have with holes at Catcher (Posada won't be the same), 1st Base (Nick Swisher???) and the entire outfield. This is sadly a team in decline, only capable of putting together a wild card run next season at best. Time to rebuild. And you better believe if I was an opposing catcher, I'd say something about A-Rod's disgusting Madonna-humping.
To be continued, soon...
Let's start with the current day, rather then work our way back through the months. As much as I would love to, its already in the past, so to to speak. Plaxico Burress = Giant Idiot. The whole situation is very unfortunate. Not only does a talented and rich athlete very probably lose his livelihood, an 11-1, defending super-bowl championship team gets dragged through the mud. Nobody seems to be talking about the fact the Giants are playing the Eagles for the NFC East title this week. Here's another interesting thought: Suppose when his gun went off, the bullet hit someone else. There would be no debate whatsoever about Plaxico and his future, and not questions about why athletes carry guns. How lucky is he really. And another question: a member of Packman Jones's posy shoots a security guard and paralyzes him, in addition to 11 incidents with the police, and he's still playing?? The whole situation is ridiculous, and athletes clearly haven't learned from Michael Vick that they can lose everything they have. Will he go to jail? I'd say not likely, until the Mayor of New York came out and said he should. Now you'll have overly ambitious Assistant District Attorneys lining up for the case to make a name for themselves. How I love the town I live in.
Let's talk about the other team in town - Gang Green. People were calling for a subway Super Bowl. Are you serious? Don't get me wrong, the Jets are clearly the most improved team in football, but they are not going deep into the playoffs. They simply don't have the depth the Giants or Steelers or Cowboys do. I give credit to Brett Favre for staying the course, and I do think he will return next season to an improved team. I'm not writing them off after the disaster against Denver in monsoon-like conditions, I just don't they had the depth to last in the playoffs.
Unfortunately Jerry Jones and the Cowboys have returned. If they can survive in Pittsburgh this week, which they should be able to, look out Giants. With Romo healthy, and a solid running game (provided they have 2 out of 3 of their backs), the cowboys can upset anyone. The one obstacle to the Giants repeating may in fact be the Cowboys in the playoffs. Look for Dallas to win in Pittsburgh this week, given Pittsburgh's weak offensive line and Big Ben's tendency to hang back in the pocket too long. Nothing would please the control freak owner, who tries to portray himself as a hip, savy guy on HBO's Training Camp, then upsetting the G-men. Come to think of it, why haven't HBO or Showtime or ESPN done a piece on the Giants, who beat a team of destiny (sorry Bob Kraft)?? Oh yeah, that's right, the Giants are from New York, I forgot.
The BCS system got it wrong, yet again, with the debacle of the Big 12 championship game. Missouri against Oklahoma? Didn't Texas beat Oklahoma on a neutral field? Texas Tech beat Texas in a truly dramatic game for the ages, but can you honestly make the case Oklahoma is the best team to face Missouri - who would lose to any three of the teams that were up for the slot? At least the SEC got it right, and the winner of the SEC will face the winner of the Big 12. Will Florida prevail? Its the age old question of speed against physicality, of which Alabama has an abundance. I think it will be a close game, but Florida will win by 7. The real question will be if Alabama will still get the nod to face the winner of the Big 12 (presumably Oklahoma). Keep in mind that if Alabama loses, as Vegas is calling for, then they will have the same record as the Gators. Didn't the Gators play for and win a national championship recently? Doesn't Alabama have a large following, and highly touted corporate (the "most powerful man in college sports," according to Forbes) coach in Nick Saban?? It's a question of how much the BCS will dare to screw Florida out of its rightful shot at the title, provided they take care of business. But I can already see the BCS pointing to how many weeks Florida languished in the 4th or 5th ranked spot, while Alabama sat at #1. I hope the national championship game won't be marred by more of the same, of which we've already had a taste of.
Charlie Weis gets to keep his job. Now a lot of people feel he should leave, and a lot of people feel he should stay. I am in the latter camp. Do I agree with his arrogance, which continued up until the nightmare game against USC last week? No. But he has had 2 top 10 recruiting classes, and is on track, reportedly, to have another one this this year. I believe Notre Dame will have good, plus-8 win season next year. And let's not forget the fact that Notre Dame signed him to a 10 year contract, which means they expected him to build a dynasty. With the recruiting classes he has put together, there's no reason why he can't do that. If he doesn't win 8 games next year, then he is out for sure. But I say, stick to the 10 year plan and see if year 5 - the measuring point year - yields results.
Let's turn our attention to the Hot Stove of December: Baseball. I'll be honest, I am a Yankees fan. However, I think the Yankees should forget about CC immediately. He clearly wants another West Coast team (where he's from) to put together an attractive offer. If I were the Yankees, I'd set a deadline, and then go on a buying spree once the fat, arrogant pitcher declines (think I'm wrong? Watch MTV's the cribs about CC Sabathia, and see what I'm talking about). Still, acquiring arms won't solve the problem the Yankees have with holes at Catcher (Posada won't be the same), 1st Base (Nick Swisher???) and the entire outfield. This is sadly a team in decline, only capable of putting together a wild card run next season at best. Time to rebuild. And you better believe if I was an opposing catcher, I'd say something about A-Rod's disgusting Madonna-humping.
To be continued, soon...
Monday, September 1, 2008
The More Things Change, The More...
Greetings from Blogger Land. Apologies for the delay in my posts - things have been rather busy lately for me personally. A new job, and a move. However I think I have enough time to right on the latest state of things.
To begin, college football is upon us again, a not a moment too soon - more about that in a minute. For the immediate future, the Yankees are finished. Everyone wants to find a reason for why this happened, for why a $200 million payroll will fail to even make the playoffs. Simply put - inconsistency. The offense never produced on a consistent basis. For example, Nady, Damon, Jeter, and Abreau all had excellent batting averages with runners in scoring position (RISP). However, the middle of the line up had two glaring, no rather, cavernous, holes in the line up. Alex Rodriguez and Jason Giambi. A-Rod (aka Mr. Madona) hit intl 11, yes 11, Double Plays for the month of August. 11. Giambi is batting his ususal .250, following A-Rod. Nothing spells rally-killer, and season-killer, like these two back-to-back in the line up.
And what did Girardi do about this? Nothing, absolutely nothing. One would have to believe that Joe Torre would have at least tried shuffling the line up by now, remember, A-Rod was batting 8th at one point last year. Of course, this isn't all Girardi's fault. He's been an OK, but not great, or even good manager. He has made some freshman managerial mistakes. The base-running has been dreadful this year, and for reasons unexplained, he has continued to rely on Rasner, who rarely makes it beyond the 5th inning.
Yes, the Yankees have had serious injuries. Posada is gone for the season, and Matsui has been missing for much of the season. Nobody foresaw Wong being injured in a freak base-running issue either. Still, the Red Sox have had injuries too - Schilling, Ortiz, Beckett, and Manny is gone (in one of the worst-managed personnel decisions ever). The Rays (not the Devil Rays anymore), lost Crawford and Longoria for almost all of August. Both teams managed to keep winning games. Someone should remind Hank Steinbrinner of that.
Of course, there are the what-ifs? Suppose the Yankees had given up Melkey Cabrera and Phil Hughes for Santana, or Cano for Sabathia. Try getting anything for them now, after the league has seen Hughes sit out the season in the minors, Cabrera be demoted to the minors, and Cano not crack .270 all season. I believe at the time Hank said the Twins and Indians wanted too much. Really??
Bottom line, too many variables have combined to render an all-star line-up to be totally ineffective. Blame can and should be pointed at the front office, the manager, and especially the players. Players who make $250 million in 10 years, and can't score with RISP because they are too busy hooking up with Madona (I think he could do a lot better on and off the field).
Its September, and New York belongs to the Mets. Great. Of course the Mets didn't factor on losing John Maine and Billy Wagner within two weeks of each other. Big Problems.
I'll root for the Cubs, as I used to live in Chicago, and also because the Mets screwed Willie Randolph. The Cubs haven't won in 100 years, and unlike the Red Sox, they have not blamed another team for their problems.
As for College Football, well the more things change, the more they stay the same. Michigan continued their winning tradition, by losing what ultimately became a close game, to Utah. Their problem? No QB. Perhaps they should have done a little more to keep Mallet.
Alabama looked more than dominant against Clemson, and could be a serious force to be reckoned with by Florida and Georgia in the SEC.
Virginia Tech is clearly in a rebuilding "phase" this year, Like Michigan, they don't have a QB.
The next big game? OSU against USC. Bet on USC to hang over 40 on the buckeyes, as a west coast offense that works will always beat a running attack, any time. Without Beanie Wells, OSU will have to start their star freshman recruit, and look for USC to key up on him.
The Olympics were fun, if you like watching Phelpls win over and over again. I actually got more enjoyment out of watching the Men's and Women's beach volleyball finals, than Phelps swimming. The one thing that bothered me about it, was that the media made as though he deserved it, and him winning 8 golds was a foregone conclusion. I'd like to point out that finish against the Serbian swimmer by half a stroke was questionable at best. It's possible that a bubble in the water could make the difference between 1/100th of a second and second place. None-the-less, it still was an amazing achievement, even Phelps may be a deuchebag:
http://www.bestweekever.tv/2008/08/19/just-asking-is-michael-phelps-a-douche/
To begin, college football is upon us again, a not a moment too soon - more about that in a minute. For the immediate future, the Yankees are finished. Everyone wants to find a reason for why this happened, for why a $200 million payroll will fail to even make the playoffs. Simply put - inconsistency. The offense never produced on a consistent basis. For example, Nady, Damon, Jeter, and Abreau all had excellent batting averages with runners in scoring position (RISP). However, the middle of the line up had two glaring, no rather, cavernous, holes in the line up. Alex Rodriguez and Jason Giambi. A-Rod (aka Mr. Madona) hit intl 11, yes 11, Double Plays for the month of August. 11. Giambi is batting his ususal .250, following A-Rod. Nothing spells rally-killer, and season-killer, like these two back-to-back in the line up.
And what did Girardi do about this? Nothing, absolutely nothing. One would have to believe that Joe Torre would have at least tried shuffling the line up by now, remember, A-Rod was batting 8th at one point last year. Of course, this isn't all Girardi's fault. He's been an OK, but not great, or even good manager. He has made some freshman managerial mistakes. The base-running has been dreadful this year, and for reasons unexplained, he has continued to rely on Rasner, who rarely makes it beyond the 5th inning.
Yes, the Yankees have had serious injuries. Posada is gone for the season, and Matsui has been missing for much of the season. Nobody foresaw Wong being injured in a freak base-running issue either. Still, the Red Sox have had injuries too - Schilling, Ortiz, Beckett, and Manny is gone (in one of the worst-managed personnel decisions ever). The Rays (not the Devil Rays anymore), lost Crawford and Longoria for almost all of August. Both teams managed to keep winning games. Someone should remind Hank Steinbrinner of that.
Of course, there are the what-ifs? Suppose the Yankees had given up Melkey Cabrera and Phil Hughes for Santana, or Cano for Sabathia. Try getting anything for them now, after the league has seen Hughes sit out the season in the minors, Cabrera be demoted to the minors, and Cano not crack .270 all season. I believe at the time Hank said the Twins and Indians wanted too much. Really??
Bottom line, too many variables have combined to render an all-star line-up to be totally ineffective. Blame can and should be pointed at the front office, the manager, and especially the players. Players who make $250 million in 10 years, and can't score with RISP because they are too busy hooking up with Madona (I think he could do a lot better on and off the field).
Its September, and New York belongs to the Mets. Great. Of course the Mets didn't factor on losing John Maine and Billy Wagner within two weeks of each other. Big Problems.
I'll root for the Cubs, as I used to live in Chicago, and also because the Mets screwed Willie Randolph. The Cubs haven't won in 100 years, and unlike the Red Sox, they have not blamed another team for their problems.
As for College Football, well the more things change, the more they stay the same. Michigan continued their winning tradition, by losing what ultimately became a close game, to Utah. Their problem? No QB. Perhaps they should have done a little more to keep Mallet.
Alabama looked more than dominant against Clemson, and could be a serious force to be reckoned with by Florida and Georgia in the SEC.
Virginia Tech is clearly in a rebuilding "phase" this year, Like Michigan, they don't have a QB.
The next big game? OSU against USC. Bet on USC to hang over 40 on the buckeyes, as a west coast offense that works will always beat a running attack, any time. Without Beanie Wells, OSU will have to start their star freshman recruit, and look for USC to key up on him.
The Olympics were fun, if you like watching Phelpls win over and over again. I actually got more enjoyment out of watching the Men's and Women's beach volleyball finals, than Phelps swimming. The one thing that bothered me about it, was that the media made as though he deserved it, and him winning 8 golds was a foregone conclusion. I'd like to point out that finish against the Serbian swimmer by half a stroke was questionable at best. It's possible that a bubble in the water could make the difference between 1/100th of a second and second place. None-the-less, it still was an amazing achievement, even Phelps may be a deuchebag:
http://www.bestweekever.tv/2008/08/19/just-asking-is-michael-phelps-a-douche/
Monday, July 28, 2008
Footsteps anyone?
Greetings, and my how much a month can change things. For starters - the Yankees. No one, but no one, saw this one coming. And what explains their remarkable turnaround, which has placed them within 3 games of the Rays (not Devil Rays), and two behind Boston? Pitching. The strung-together starting line up of Mussina, Pettite, Joba, Ponson/Rasner has held together, and the bullpen has been lights out lately. Apparently Farnsworth remembered how to pitch. The only consistent pitching has been from Rivera, who has been perfect all season. It sure hasn't been their hitting, if you look at the box scores (the one exception during the recent 8 game winning streak being the 10-3 win over Boston). As for their loss last night - that's easily explained by Ponson being the perfect fast ball server to a fast ball hitting team.
The question - can they maintain this momentum? Tough to say, because the As and Twins are not division leaders, and while they did do well in Boston - the Red Sox are having issues (Manny anyone - more on that to follow). A true test will be this weekend, when the red hot Angels come to the Bronx. Although, it wouldn't be like the Yankees to blow an easy 3 game series against a struggling Baltimore squad. The answer is that if the pitching can hold up, with reinforcements coming in the form of Hughes and possibly Washburn, and their hitting comes around, then Yes, they can win the division and a lot more. However, the hitting is a big question, because Posada and Matsui are effectively done for the season. Still, the fact that they put together this win streak without Posada or Matsui is remarkable, and explains why George and Sons opened up the wallet to sign Nady and Martle, and possibly Washburn. This team can win it al, but they need to be firing on all cylinders consistently, which hasn't been the case so far.
And yes, the recent moves almost excuse Cashman from the Igawa and Pavano disasters.
Moving on to that other New York team - the lovable Mets. Suddenly, the team is hitting, and hustling under the, er, dynamic(?) leadership of Jerry Manuel. Big surprise. The Mets had the pieces all along on paper to go to the World Series. They simply stopped playing under Willie Randolph because of the collapse last year. Delgado and Beltran should be ashamed of themselves, because they were clearly dogging it under Willie. Of course they will never prove it, but it wouldn't be like Omar to have worked out a deal to have them play down until Willie was fired. OK - that might be a bit extreme. The simple fact is the Mets players are spoiled, and have always acted that way - going back to the Bobby Valentine days. Perfect example - Jose Reyes, who acts like he is on crack half the time while on the field, and blames it on his maturity. News Flash Jose - you've been in the majors for 5 seasons now, I think the maturity issues is now a non-factor.
Continuing on, the Red Sox have issues of their own, most notably Manny Ramirez, who is so desperate to leave Boston, he'll go play in Iraq. Manny never was the brightest. His problem - he wants more money, sure, but as he pointed out in an interview, there is a "strangle atmosphere" on the team now. The Red Sox are panicking, and with good reason. The Yankees closed a huge deficit in the standings, and went out and acquired Nady and Martle, and look on track to get Washburn. Those moves negate Posada and Matsui being done for the season, which made the Red Sox complacent in their play. Will Manny leave? Not likely. There are only three teams who can absorb his ridiculous contract - the Yankees (who the Red Sox will never consider for obvious reasons), the Dodgers, and the Mets. The Dodgers and Mets won't pay him $20 million he is owed, and negotiate a new deal, because of who he is - Manny. He clearly hasn't helped himself out.
And of course there is the leader - Veritek, who believes he is entitled to a Posada-like 4 year deal, but during the final year of his contract is hitting a fantastic .218. That might explain why Theo Epstein is dodging the questions about resigning him.
As for other news - well we happen to be in the middle of summer. The Giants releasing Shockey - not shocking, given his antics and the fact that Boss is just as good as Shockey, and younger.
Renoldo is still being a prick - and refusing to commit to Manchester United. He should accept the fact he isn't going anywhere, and he still has a lot to prove, as he only just came into form the last two seasons. Perhaps he should have weighed that before signing a 5 year contract last season. Ooops.
The Rangers completed their dismantling of the team that should have gone further in the playoffs. Not only did they let Jagr go, they watched Avery leave as well, in addition to Shenneham. The team wanted to go younger, so the replaced 36 year old Jagr with the 35 year old Naslund. Did anyone notice that Straka left too? Fantastic. The real reason - Dolan is rightfully fed up with having the highest payroll in hockey and not getting anywhere in the post season. Perhaps the Rangers can learn to win with less. The organization needs a complete overhaul, beginning with GM Glen Sather, and the entire front office.
How do you spell public relations nightmare? Brett Favre and the Green Bay Packers. The NFL must be panicking. The Packers should release Favre, because no team is going to trade talent for a 38 year old QB who could retire at any time. Of course if he comes to the Jets, I will be the first one wearing a Favre jersey.
The question - can they maintain this momentum? Tough to say, because the As and Twins are not division leaders, and while they did do well in Boston - the Red Sox are having issues (Manny anyone - more on that to follow). A true test will be this weekend, when the red hot Angels come to the Bronx. Although, it wouldn't be like the Yankees to blow an easy 3 game series against a struggling Baltimore squad. The answer is that if the pitching can hold up, with reinforcements coming in the form of Hughes and possibly Washburn, and their hitting comes around, then Yes, they can win the division and a lot more. However, the hitting is a big question, because Posada and Matsui are effectively done for the season. Still, the fact that they put together this win streak without Posada or Matsui is remarkable, and explains why George and Sons opened up the wallet to sign Nady and Martle, and possibly Washburn. This team can win it al, but they need to be firing on all cylinders consistently, which hasn't been the case so far.
And yes, the recent moves almost excuse Cashman from the Igawa and Pavano disasters.
Moving on to that other New York team - the lovable Mets. Suddenly, the team is hitting, and hustling under the, er, dynamic(?) leadership of Jerry Manuel. Big surprise. The Mets had the pieces all along on paper to go to the World Series. They simply stopped playing under Willie Randolph because of the collapse last year. Delgado and Beltran should be ashamed of themselves, because they were clearly dogging it under Willie. Of course they will never prove it, but it wouldn't be like Omar to have worked out a deal to have them play down until Willie was fired. OK - that might be a bit extreme. The simple fact is the Mets players are spoiled, and have always acted that way - going back to the Bobby Valentine days. Perfect example - Jose Reyes, who acts like he is on crack half the time while on the field, and blames it on his maturity. News Flash Jose - you've been in the majors for 5 seasons now, I think the maturity issues is now a non-factor.
Continuing on, the Red Sox have issues of their own, most notably Manny Ramirez, who is so desperate to leave Boston, he'll go play in Iraq. Manny never was the brightest. His problem - he wants more money, sure, but as he pointed out in an interview, there is a "strangle atmosphere" on the team now. The Red Sox are panicking, and with good reason. The Yankees closed a huge deficit in the standings, and went out and acquired Nady and Martle, and look on track to get Washburn. Those moves negate Posada and Matsui being done for the season, which made the Red Sox complacent in their play. Will Manny leave? Not likely. There are only three teams who can absorb his ridiculous contract - the Yankees (who the Red Sox will never consider for obvious reasons), the Dodgers, and the Mets. The Dodgers and Mets won't pay him $20 million he is owed, and negotiate a new deal, because of who he is - Manny. He clearly hasn't helped himself out.
And of course there is the leader - Veritek, who believes he is entitled to a Posada-like 4 year deal, but during the final year of his contract is hitting a fantastic .218. That might explain why Theo Epstein is dodging the questions about resigning him.
As for other news - well we happen to be in the middle of summer. The Giants releasing Shockey - not shocking, given his antics and the fact that Boss is just as good as Shockey, and younger.
Renoldo is still being a prick - and refusing to commit to Manchester United. He should accept the fact he isn't going anywhere, and he still has a lot to prove, as he only just came into form the last two seasons. Perhaps he should have weighed that before signing a 5 year contract last season. Ooops.
The Rangers completed their dismantling of the team that should have gone further in the playoffs. Not only did they let Jagr go, they watched Avery leave as well, in addition to Shenneham. The team wanted to go younger, so the replaced 36 year old Jagr with the 35 year old Naslund. Did anyone notice that Straka left too? Fantastic. The real reason - Dolan is rightfully fed up with having the highest payroll in hockey and not getting anywhere in the post season. Perhaps the Rangers can learn to win with less. The organization needs a complete overhaul, beginning with GM Glen Sather, and the entire front office.
How do you spell public relations nightmare? Brett Favre and the Green Bay Packers. The NFL must be panicking. The Packers should release Favre, because no team is going to trade talent for a 38 year old QB who could retire at any time. Of course if he comes to the Jets, I will be the first one wearing a Favre jersey.
Sunday, June 22, 2008
The French Suck and Ronaldo is a Prick
Continuing on with soccer-related (football for all you non-Americans) news, the Euro 2008 tournament is once again upon us. Ahh, its been 4 years since the Greeks last shocked the world, can an unknown team do it again?
Perhaps with the Turks upsetting the Cech Republic and then Croatia, in dramatic, double Overtime fashion. Sure, they have Germany in the Semi-finals next week, but don't count them out. Germany has a history of blowing it in the semi-finals, and their Goalie, Lehman, is as moody a German as they come, single handily costing himself the starting job at Arsenal this season, complaining about not being used properly. Wait, I thought Goalies were supposed to stand in the net, and make saves, unless I'm mistaken.
The Dutch were eliminated yesterday, because they came out flat against a supremely underrated Russian side. They thought they would rely on lobs into Van Nistlerooy, which usually works, but the Russians picked up on one thing: the Dutch have no defense. From whistle to whistle, they kept attacking, keeping Holland's attack isolated. When they scored the go-ahead goal in the second overtime, the Dutch clearly gave up, and simply stood there as Russia scored a third goal not one minute later.
Today is Italy v. Spain. Everyone has the Spaniards as heavy favorites, but don't be surprised if the defending World Cup champions come out and thoroughly beat the Spanish, who always choke in the semi-final round (more so than Germany). Of course, only France looked worse than Italy during the early stages of the tournament. Le Blu failed to win a single game, despite high hopes, according to the French media. That's OK, at least they were there, as England failed to qualify for the first time since...let's not go there.
Moving on to Club news. Ronaldo insists he wants to go to Real Madrid. This would be fine, since star Man U players Beckham and Van Nistlerooy both went there after their prime days at Old Trattford, except for one thing - Ronaldo signed a five year contract last year. Just because he comes out and scores 42 goals this season, he believes he can overlook that simple fact, and force a transfer. It doesn't help that he arrogantly states that he doesn't care about upsetting people, after Sir Alex comes out saying he's insulted.
This of course prompted Man U to not only report Real Madrid to Fifa, but also to declare that Ronaldo is not for sale, and that he will sit out his four years in the Reserves rather than be sold before his contract is up. Will this happen? Unlikely, which is why Ronaldo is pressing the issue. However Ronohldino sat out 1 year at Barca after complaining he wanted to leave (he was Finlay granted the green light this month to go). Expect not to see Ronaldo playing next year. Man U had previously said they would sell him for GBP 75 million, but Real Madrid has publicly said they will only give GBP 45 million, despite their claims they aren't pursuing the contracted out player.
Do I agree with Ronaldo? Well, he has been at Man U for five years, but has only had two great years. He did sign a 5 year contract, which is the one major issue. Sure, players, most recently Ronolhdino, have effected their release from long-term contracts by not playing, but that doesn't make it right. Ronaldo has consistently complained about the English style of play, which includes far more tackles and injuries than anywhere else, and he is the most fouled player in the EPL. In his eyes, after a season for the ages, and after luckily not being injured yet, now is the time to move. It is unlikely he can repeat such a season more than twice, and he will be injured eventually. No team will allow him to move down the field without tackling him. Its now or never. It's a tough call, but I don't think he's going anywhere soon.
Meanwhile, the Yankees continue to have injury problems. Someone should teach pitchers, especially pitchers like Wang, who never ran bases in their life, before inter-league games. Then maybe they won't step ON the base and tear their ankle tendons. Perhaps the annoying Baby Boss Hank should point some of the blame at his coaching staff before blaming the league.
Only the Red Sox are unluckier. Schilling is done for the year, and possibly his career, and now Timilin joins Ortiz on the DL. Dice K returned from the DL though, only to be shelled in his comeback. The only reason the Yankees haven't shut down for the season, is that the Red Sox keep losing key players.
As for the Mets, one word: Isaiah. Way to go Omar, you fired someone "eye to eye," as you said. At 3:00 in the morning, on the West Coast.
Perhaps with the Turks upsetting the Cech Republic and then Croatia, in dramatic, double Overtime fashion. Sure, they have Germany in the Semi-finals next week, but don't count them out. Germany has a history of blowing it in the semi-finals, and their Goalie, Lehman, is as moody a German as they come, single handily costing himself the starting job at Arsenal this season, complaining about not being used properly. Wait, I thought Goalies were supposed to stand in the net, and make saves, unless I'm mistaken.
The Dutch were eliminated yesterday, because they came out flat against a supremely underrated Russian side. They thought they would rely on lobs into Van Nistlerooy, which usually works, but the Russians picked up on one thing: the Dutch have no defense. From whistle to whistle, they kept attacking, keeping Holland's attack isolated. When they scored the go-ahead goal in the second overtime, the Dutch clearly gave up, and simply stood there as Russia scored a third goal not one minute later.
Today is Italy v. Spain. Everyone has the Spaniards as heavy favorites, but don't be surprised if the defending World Cup champions come out and thoroughly beat the Spanish, who always choke in the semi-final round (more so than Germany). Of course, only France looked worse than Italy during the early stages of the tournament. Le Blu failed to win a single game, despite high hopes, according to the French media. That's OK, at least they were there, as England failed to qualify for the first time since...let's not go there.
Moving on to Club news. Ronaldo insists he wants to go to Real Madrid. This would be fine, since star Man U players Beckham and Van Nistlerooy both went there after their prime days at Old Trattford, except for one thing - Ronaldo signed a five year contract last year. Just because he comes out and scores 42 goals this season, he believes he can overlook that simple fact, and force a transfer. It doesn't help that he arrogantly states that he doesn't care about upsetting people, after Sir Alex comes out saying he's insulted.
This of course prompted Man U to not only report Real Madrid to Fifa, but also to declare that Ronaldo is not for sale, and that he will sit out his four years in the Reserves rather than be sold before his contract is up. Will this happen? Unlikely, which is why Ronaldo is pressing the issue. However Ronohldino sat out 1 year at Barca after complaining he wanted to leave (he was Finlay granted the green light this month to go). Expect not to see Ronaldo playing next year. Man U had previously said they would sell him for GBP 75 million, but Real Madrid has publicly said they will only give GBP 45 million, despite their claims they aren't pursuing the contracted out player.
Do I agree with Ronaldo? Well, he has been at Man U for five years, but has only had two great years. He did sign a 5 year contract, which is the one major issue. Sure, players, most recently Ronolhdino, have effected their release from long-term contracts by not playing, but that doesn't make it right. Ronaldo has consistently complained about the English style of play, which includes far more tackles and injuries than anywhere else, and he is the most fouled player in the EPL. In his eyes, after a season for the ages, and after luckily not being injured yet, now is the time to move. It is unlikely he can repeat such a season more than twice, and he will be injured eventually. No team will allow him to move down the field without tackling him. Its now or never. It's a tough call, but I don't think he's going anywhere soon.
Meanwhile, the Yankees continue to have injury problems. Someone should teach pitchers, especially pitchers like Wang, who never ran bases in their life, before inter-league games. Then maybe they won't step ON the base and tear their ankle tendons. Perhaps the annoying Baby Boss Hank should point some of the blame at his coaching staff before blaming the league.
Only the Red Sox are unluckier. Schilling is done for the year, and possibly his career, and now Timilin joins Ortiz on the DL. Dice K returned from the DL though, only to be shelled in his comeback. The only reason the Yankees haven't shut down for the season, is that the Red Sox keep losing key players.
As for the Mets, one word: Isaiah. Way to go Omar, you fired someone "eye to eye," as you said. At 3:00 in the morning, on the West Coast.
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