We are less than 24 hours away from tipping off the greatest four weeks in the sports year and more specifically the greatest four days. Opening weekend of March Madness is unbelievably fantastic and here are some reasons why.
No. 1: Gus Johnson. He is a sportscaster for CBS who has the ability to change the course of a team's season just by the tone in his voice. Regardless of what is happening in the game he is covering, sometime in the second half, Johnson starts screaming, which causes a run by the losing team. The underdog could be down by 40 with three minutes left. If Johnson gets excited (and he will) look out.
Gus Johnson is so important to March Madness that I will not fill out any portion of my bracket until I find out which games he will be covering. This year, he will start out in the Midwest Region. He will be in Minneapolis, Minn. so expect Kansas or Michigan State to be upset by the second round.
I have West Virginia going to the Elite Eight where it will face Louisville. Louisville will beat Morehead State and then Ohio State to get to the Sweet 16 and that gets us to my second reason for loving March Madness.
No. 2: Bracketology or the study of brackets or in my case, the ever-changing formula I makeup in the process of filling out my brackets each year. For me, bracketology starts with Gus Johnson. Then I look at records. I dismiss teams with less than 22 wins and teams going into the tournament with any kind of a losing streak. I use anything from where the games will be played, what state a team is from, program history, and so on and so forth. I even look to music for bracket help.
I once heard a country song that claimed there is no Arizona. I have never been to Arizona so I believe it's true, which means all Arizona teams are out and no team playing in the West Region (played in Glendale, Ariz.) will win the championship.
I come up with new and useful methods every year. For instance, I had a very welcoming layover flight in Utah last summer while coming home from a wedding in Idaho where I met a girl who goes to school in Oregon, which means I have advanced all teams from Utah and Oregon to the second round and it also means Gonzaga should have the upper hand against North Carolina in the Sweet 16 since Gonzaga starts its tournament in Portland.
I have Portland State beating Xavier, Utah beating Arizona, Utah State beating Marquette and I fully expect BYU to clobber Texas A&M. Furthermore, I have BYU knocking off Connecticut in the second round and then I have the Cougars advancing (past Purdue) to the Elite Eight where it will meet Memphis or Missouri. I have to decide on that game but I'm leaning toward Missouri for two reasons. The first is because I have a good friend who went to graduate school at Missouri and the second reason is because Missouri has a nice abbreviation that makes writing on the small lines easier (MIZZU). Other examples include Zaga (Gonzaga), PITT (Pittsburgh) and Nova (Villanova).
And if you have ever had Novrosky's Nova Chips, you'll understand why I have Villanova advancing past UCLA. However, I think Duke is due and is coming on strong, so Nova's run will end at the Sweet 16. That said, PITT will breeze through Duke to the Final Four. The Panthers should have no trouble with Tennessee, Wisconsin or the Blue Devils.
In the South Region, I wanted to go with Syracuse but the Orange has burned me before so I have Oklahoma beating Morgan State then Michigan and then Syracuse on the way to the Elite Eight where the Sooners will square off with Gonzaga. I have Zaga moving onto the Final Four because I don't like teams with two letter abbreviations (OU).
To recap, I have MIZZU playing Louisville and PITT playing Zaga in the Final Four. Despite my abbreviations rule, I have Louisville topping the Tigers based on my appreciation for Louisville Sluggers when I was kid. On the other side, I have PITT knocking off Gonzaga because its program has never been to a Final Four and if it is to make it that far, the Bulldogs would likely crumble just as Adam Morrison did against UCLA in 2006. I don't believe in crying and because he did, I will never give my full support to the Zags.
That leaves PITT and Louisville in the championship game. I chose Pittsburgh for two reasons. The first reason is because the Pittsburgh Steelers beat the Cardinals, which is the mascot of Louisville, in the Super Bowl. The second reason is because I reenforced the abbreviations rule (Louisville does not have one I like) and then decided to insert the "teams with the No. 1 overall ranking rarely wins the championship" rule.
Now that school is out, we can move on to my third reason for loving March Madness.
No. 3: Reasons No. 1 and No. 2 are so great that I don't have to continue writing this blog.
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Releasing TO was a big mistake
Alright, here is the deal about releasing Terrell Owens — it was a horrible idea. I've pondered the issue for more than a week. I've meditated and have sought guidance from several sources, but I cannot justify his release.
He made up more than 50 percent of Dallas' passing game. On the math I'm making up for the purpose of this blog, TO was responsible for almost as much of the passing game as Tony Romo.
Basically, the team had 160 percent of the passing. When broken down, TO caught 50 percent while Romo threw for just 80 percent. That's just a difference of 30 percent, which is what Brad Johnson and the maggot receivers not named TO (also not counting Roy Williams) came up with.
If you are not confused yet, read those last few sentences again.
If you are confused, what all those numbers mean is that Tony Romo should have got the walking papers instead of TO.
I know you naysayers are ready to set your computers on fire for the blasphemy I am preaching right now, but I'm sorry, you're all just wrong on this issue.
TO is not that big of a monster. He is just confused on how to annunciate post game thoughts. Yes, he is ridiculous and outlandish most of the time. But more than often, I think he is simply misunderstood.
I mean, you never hear the guy gripe when the team wins. I recall one game this past season when he caught four passes. The Cowboys won. He was happy. On one Dallas score, TO was busting his hump down the field to throw blocks. He is a team-player who just wants to win.
I also recall a Cowboys loss where Owens had 17 passes thrown his direction. In the post game interview, he said the team lost because he didn't get the ball enough. Obviously that was not the reason Dallas loss that game and as teammates that is frustrating to hear.
But these teammates are grown men and know how TO is. Just let it go already. Who cares if he says something stupid? In my opinion, half of what TO says is inspiring. His meltdown in San Francisco ended with calling Jeff Garcia gay. Have you seen the model Garcia has since married?
Inspiring, I tell you.
Plus, I really think TO means well and I am being serious about that. He knows he can make a difference, so when his team loses, he feels he could have done more if he would have been given the opportunity.
Sure, he is not good at expressing his concerns, but is that enough a reason to cut him? Did he really cause that much damage last year?
I say he didn't. I say the problem lies with two people and those people are offensive coordinator Jason Garrett and the quarterback. Both Garrett and Romo are considerably overrated. Romo can't win big games. Garrett calls too many passing plays and both Romo and Garrett try too hard to cater to Owens' ego because they are afraid of him or something.
All Romo or Garrett needed to do was tell TO to pipe down and get him the ball when the time was right. You don't build an offense around receivers. You build offenses around an entire game plan. Quality receivers just make executing that game plan more favorable. And that's what TO gives a team: more than favorable opportunities to succeed.
Once the Cowboys got Roy Williams, they didn't need all the plays with four receivers. They didn't need a spread attack. They didn't need to sling the rock around 50 times a game because for one, Romo is not good enough to do that. Troy Aikman, a much better quarterback for Dallas, never threw the ball that much. The biggest problem with Romo is that he turns the ball over like four times a game. I think I even saw him fumble and throw an interception on the same play last year. That can't be easy.
Before letting TO go, all the Cowboys were going to need to do this season was run a double-tightend, two wideout, singleback set with Marcellus Bennett and Jason Whitten at tightend, Roy Williams and TO at receiver and a platoon of Marion Barber III, Felix Jones and Tashard Choice at running back. I could have called the plays.
It would have looked something like this: run, run, run, run, draw run, run, play-action bootleg for a touchdown. Really simple stuff when you have great personal.
I mean, I used this very plan on XBox 360 and the Cowboys won five straight championships. And I don't just credit my offensive strategy. I think the real difference between the Cowboys on John Madden Football and the Cowboys in real life is that I am better at being Tony Romo than Romo is at being himself.
The only reason my above mentioned offensive plan would not have worked for the Cowboys this upcoming season has nothing to do with TO's personality. The Cowboy's missing link is a quarterback.
If there was too much damage between Romo and TO, Dallas should have traded Romo for a couple draft picks, shored up the offensive line and picked up a quarterback late in the draft.
Romo is a joke. He's got a good eye for attractive women and quality handle on life but has a terrible eye for open receivers and an even worse handle for the football. I have a gagging reflux that flares up when I see players fumble. And with Romo on the field, I usually never hold down my Sunday lunch.
Anyway, Dallas played the he said, she said game and sided with the younger, pretty boy in Romo and now TO is in Buffalo. The Bills will probably make the playoffs and I doubt seriously the Cowboys will do better than 8-8 this season.
Romo is about as useful as a blind and lame racing horse with arthritis and a fear for going too fast. The offensive line is aging and are usually flagged before the Boys' defense even gets off the field. Garrett's decisions are comparable to that of the government's. Roy Williams' supporting cast of receivers is now less than terrible. Dallas needs another corner, a defensive lineman and a safety. Oh, and the Cowboys do not have a first or third round pick. And and and and and, they just burned $9 million releasing one of the best receivers to ever play the game because he whines a little when the team loses?
I'm already looking forward to the Astros 2010 season.
He made up more than 50 percent of Dallas' passing game. On the math I'm making up for the purpose of this blog, TO was responsible for almost as much of the passing game as Tony Romo.
Basically, the team had 160 percent of the passing. When broken down, TO caught 50 percent while Romo threw for just 80 percent. That's just a difference of 30 percent, which is what Brad Johnson and the maggot receivers not named TO (also not counting Roy Williams) came up with.
If you are not confused yet, read those last few sentences again.
If you are confused, what all those numbers mean is that Tony Romo should have got the walking papers instead of TO.
I know you naysayers are ready to set your computers on fire for the blasphemy I am preaching right now, but I'm sorry, you're all just wrong on this issue.
TO is not that big of a monster. He is just confused on how to annunciate post game thoughts. Yes, he is ridiculous and outlandish most of the time. But more than often, I think he is simply misunderstood.
I mean, you never hear the guy gripe when the team wins. I recall one game this past season when he caught four passes. The Cowboys won. He was happy. On one Dallas score, TO was busting his hump down the field to throw blocks. He is a team-player who just wants to win.
I also recall a Cowboys loss where Owens had 17 passes thrown his direction. In the post game interview, he said the team lost because he didn't get the ball enough. Obviously that was not the reason Dallas loss that game and as teammates that is frustrating to hear.
But these teammates are grown men and know how TO is. Just let it go already. Who cares if he says something stupid? In my opinion, half of what TO says is inspiring. His meltdown in San Francisco ended with calling Jeff Garcia gay. Have you seen the model Garcia has since married?
Inspiring, I tell you.
Plus, I really think TO means well and I am being serious about that. He knows he can make a difference, so when his team loses, he feels he could have done more if he would have been given the opportunity.
Sure, he is not good at expressing his concerns, but is that enough a reason to cut him? Did he really cause that much damage last year?
I say he didn't. I say the problem lies with two people and those people are offensive coordinator Jason Garrett and the quarterback. Both Garrett and Romo are considerably overrated. Romo can't win big games. Garrett calls too many passing plays and both Romo and Garrett try too hard to cater to Owens' ego because they are afraid of him or something.
All Romo or Garrett needed to do was tell TO to pipe down and get him the ball when the time was right. You don't build an offense around receivers. You build offenses around an entire game plan. Quality receivers just make executing that game plan more favorable. And that's what TO gives a team: more than favorable opportunities to succeed.
Once the Cowboys got Roy Williams, they didn't need all the plays with four receivers. They didn't need a spread attack. They didn't need to sling the rock around 50 times a game because for one, Romo is not good enough to do that. Troy Aikman, a much better quarterback for Dallas, never threw the ball that much. The biggest problem with Romo is that he turns the ball over like four times a game. I think I even saw him fumble and throw an interception on the same play last year. That can't be easy.
Before letting TO go, all the Cowboys were going to need to do this season was run a double-tightend, two wideout, singleback set with Marcellus Bennett and Jason Whitten at tightend, Roy Williams and TO at receiver and a platoon of Marion Barber III, Felix Jones and Tashard Choice at running back. I could have called the plays.
It would have looked something like this: run, run, run, run, draw run, run, play-action bootleg for a touchdown. Really simple stuff when you have great personal.
I mean, I used this very plan on XBox 360 and the Cowboys won five straight championships. And I don't just credit my offensive strategy. I think the real difference between the Cowboys on John Madden Football and the Cowboys in real life is that I am better at being Tony Romo than Romo is at being himself.
The only reason my above mentioned offensive plan would not have worked for the Cowboys this upcoming season has nothing to do with TO's personality. The Cowboy's missing link is a quarterback.
If there was too much damage between Romo and TO, Dallas should have traded Romo for a couple draft picks, shored up the offensive line and picked up a quarterback late in the draft.
Romo is a joke. He's got a good eye for attractive women and quality handle on life but has a terrible eye for open receivers and an even worse handle for the football. I have a gagging reflux that flares up when I see players fumble. And with Romo on the field, I usually never hold down my Sunday lunch.
Anyway, Dallas played the he said, she said game and sided with the younger, pretty boy in Romo and now TO is in Buffalo. The Bills will probably make the playoffs and I doubt seriously the Cowboys will do better than 8-8 this season.
Romo is about as useful as a blind and lame racing horse with arthritis and a fear for going too fast. The offensive line is aging and are usually flagged before the Boys' defense even gets off the field. Garrett's decisions are comparable to that of the government's. Roy Williams' supporting cast of receivers is now less than terrible. Dallas needs another corner, a defensive lineman and a safety. Oh, and the Cowboys do not have a first or third round pick. And and and and and, they just burned $9 million releasing one of the best receivers to ever play the game because he whines a little when the team loses?
I'm already looking forward to the Astros 2010 season.
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Sports agent Scott Boras is friends with the Devil
I just read the first two sentences of sports agent Scott Boras' wikipedia page. He obviously wrote it himself because it did not say anything about his friendship with Satan. No doubt he is good at what he does. I mean, he always shows his clients the money. Well at least he used to. His own pathetic ego has burned so many bridges that teams don't even want to deal with him anymore. And another one of Satan's friends, Alex Rodriguez, fired Boras last year and gladly took a deal worth $100 million less than what Boras wanted to get A-Rod, who was already the highest paid player in the league.
In the recent Boras' saga, which is the issue I am blogging about today, has finally been put to rest. Manny Ramirez has finally signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers for basically the same terms he was offered four weeks ago. In recap for Ramirez, Boras instructed Manny to feel sorry for himself about the way the Red Sox were treating him last year. In doing so, Ramirez became increasingly unhappy. Then Boras instructs Manny to stop trying, forcing Boston to deal Ramirez to LA.
Basically, Boston saves money. Ramirez loses money by not finishing out his final two years with Boston, and he is now on a team less likely to win a championship. Then Boras tells Manny he will get him a four-year deal with a fifth-year option that was going to be worth around $120 million, but instead Ramirez has a two-year deal worth $45 million. Obviously we are splitting hairs and regardless of how things shaped up, Ramirez was and still is very rich. I just hope that Ramirez will do like A-Rod and dump Boras. I hope owners, just like LA's Frank McCourt, will continue busting Boras' chops, so that he is ultimately ran out of the league because he is the Don King of baseball. I also hope Boras is kicked by a clydesdale before he dies.
In football news, I would like to thank the Texans for getting rid of Sage Rosenfels. One of my buddies had a nervous breakdown after what he calls the Rosencopter took place against Indianapolis this past season. Rosenfels had a sure victory over the Colts, a victory that very well may have surged the Texans into the playoffs but instead Rosenfels engineered the most single greatest meltdown that sport has ever seen. Since Rosenfels was traded to Minnesota, my buddy has started eating three meals a day and no longer needs a bib. That being said, I have to sarcastically thank both Texas football franchises for signing quarterbacks from the 2008 Detroit Lions, which produced the first 0-16 season in NFL history. If you didn't know, the Cowboys signed Jon Kitna to backup Romo. Now we have two quarterbacks who can't win a playoff game. Good call. Meanwhile, the Texans signed Dan Orvloskinbauchensaucer, who couldn't hack it for a team that went 0-16! Excellent call.
In the recent Boras' saga, which is the issue I am blogging about today, has finally been put to rest. Manny Ramirez has finally signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers for basically the same terms he was offered four weeks ago. In recap for Ramirez, Boras instructed Manny to feel sorry for himself about the way the Red Sox were treating him last year. In doing so, Ramirez became increasingly unhappy. Then Boras instructs Manny to stop trying, forcing Boston to deal Ramirez to LA.
Basically, Boston saves money. Ramirez loses money by not finishing out his final two years with Boston, and he is now on a team less likely to win a championship. Then Boras tells Manny he will get him a four-year deal with a fifth-year option that was going to be worth around $120 million, but instead Ramirez has a two-year deal worth $45 million. Obviously we are splitting hairs and regardless of how things shaped up, Ramirez was and still is very rich. I just hope that Ramirez will do like A-Rod and dump Boras. I hope owners, just like LA's Frank McCourt, will continue busting Boras' chops, so that he is ultimately ran out of the league because he is the Don King of baseball. I also hope Boras is kicked by a clydesdale before he dies.
In football news, I would like to thank the Texans for getting rid of Sage Rosenfels. One of my buddies had a nervous breakdown after what he calls the Rosencopter took place against Indianapolis this past season. Rosenfels had a sure victory over the Colts, a victory that very well may have surged the Texans into the playoffs but instead Rosenfels engineered the most single greatest meltdown that sport has ever seen. Since Rosenfels was traded to Minnesota, my buddy has started eating three meals a day and no longer needs a bib. That being said, I have to sarcastically thank both Texas football franchises for signing quarterbacks from the 2008 Detroit Lions, which produced the first 0-16 season in NFL history. If you didn't know, the Cowboys signed Jon Kitna to backup Romo. Now we have two quarterbacks who can't win a playoff game. Good call. Meanwhile, the Texans signed Dan Orvloskinbauchensaucer, who couldn't hack it for a team that went 0-16! Excellent call.
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
ESPN's Interactive Tuesday has to go away!
Over the last few years, there have been a few things about ESPN that has really annoyed me to the point that I developed a twitch in my right eye.
In fact, when ESPN first took over Monday Night Football and Joe Theismann was the color commentator (he is the worst ever), my overall health took a turn for the worst and I eventually had to go see a shrink, who decided to erase a selective part of my memory so I could once again enjoy all things ESPN.
Unfortunately that twitch came back last night during ESPN's broadcast of the Nebraska, Texas A&M basketball game.
I only caught the tail end of that matchup but saw enough of it to know that the game was awful and I say that knowing the Aggies came-from-behind and eventually hit a buzzer-beater to steal the game with an undeserved 57-55 victory.
And don't get me wrong, typically buzzer-beaters are exciting.
The come-from-behind method of winning is exciting.
But the Aggies did not win, Nebraska just choked so much that A&M was practically forced to take the lead, and then thankfully time ran out.
The game was not what caused my eye to start twitching, however.
See, the problem was what was happening at the top of my screen. Courtesy of ESPN, morons of both schools were able to chime in their worthless homage.
Basically, there was an interactive thing streaming for fans to log onto ESPN's website and put their comments on national television. I think ESPN is calling it Interactive Tuesday.
I was enraged with rage.
They were taking up a portion of my screen with a streaming message from some bozo named Roughneckman24 who just wanted to say "Goooooo Aggs!!!!!!"
Are you kidding me?
I don't know how long this has been going on but it needs to stop.
Is ESPN hurting that bad?
No!
No, it's not.
It's the world wide leader in sports and 19 out of 11 people I know watch ESPN at least nine times (only counting once per day) a week.
People pour into the networks by the masses.
I don't understand why they have to add all the extra garbage?
I realize the word Entertainment is what the E stands for in ESPN but to me, 90 percent of the entertainment portion is the actual sport.
The funny commercials are the entertainment.
Pardon the Interruption and other programs like PTI are what I consider to be entertaining.
Live message streaming is not entertainment!
After I stuck my finger in the wall socket four times, I was able to calm down again and start taking notes on the last 1:30 of the game.
There were comments from the following people: CMaster, GoBigRed, MidnightClubLA, MandoHusker, and Cody Pastorella, which was my name. I said, "hi mom."
(That last part was a lie.)
Anyway, my two favorite comments were from Gatorbait who said, "this is one of the best games ever."
Around the same time CYMBlue said, "this is frustrating."
Gatorbait was obviously an Aggie fan because I've never seen an episode of the Steve Irwin show that took place in Nebraska. And the only person who could have possibly thought last night's game was the best basketball game ever, would have had to be rooting for the team that needed the other team to turn the ball over 11 times in about five minutes to get back into the contest.
CYMBlue was obviously a Nebraska fan because after the "buzzer beeterr" as one fan called it, CYMBlue logged on for one last message that said his life was over and that he was not going to bother planting any corn this season.
(That last part was another lie.)
Interactive Tuesday is completely unnecessary and otherwise annoying.
I hate it. It's in the way and it doesn't make any sense how they do it.
They leave it up during live action but take it down during replays and timeouts.
If ESPN is going to continue with Interactive Tuesdays, however, I think they should leave the streamer up all day, even during regular programming, especially during the live editions of SportsCenter so I can tell Josh Elliot to stop using the word "aplenty" 3,600 times an hour, every hour.
In fact, when ESPN first took over Monday Night Football and Joe Theismann was the color commentator (he is the worst ever), my overall health took a turn for the worst and I eventually had to go see a shrink, who decided to erase a selective part of my memory so I could once again enjoy all things ESPN.
Unfortunately that twitch came back last night during ESPN's broadcast of the Nebraska, Texas A&M basketball game.
I only caught the tail end of that matchup but saw enough of it to know that the game was awful and I say that knowing the Aggies came-from-behind and eventually hit a buzzer-beater to steal the game with an undeserved 57-55 victory.
And don't get me wrong, typically buzzer-beaters are exciting.
The come-from-behind method of winning is exciting.
But the Aggies did not win, Nebraska just choked so much that A&M was practically forced to take the lead, and then thankfully time ran out.
The game was not what caused my eye to start twitching, however.
See, the problem was what was happening at the top of my screen. Courtesy of ESPN, morons of both schools were able to chime in their worthless homage.
Basically, there was an interactive thing streaming for fans to log onto ESPN's website and put their comments on national television. I think ESPN is calling it Interactive Tuesday.
I was enraged with rage.
They were taking up a portion of my screen with a streaming message from some bozo named Roughneckman24 who just wanted to say "Goooooo Aggs!!!!!!"
Are you kidding me?
I don't know how long this has been going on but it needs to stop.
Is ESPN hurting that bad?
No!
No, it's not.
It's the world wide leader in sports and 19 out of 11 people I know watch ESPN at least nine times (only counting once per day) a week.
People pour into the networks by the masses.
I don't understand why they have to add all the extra garbage?
I realize the word Entertainment is what the E stands for in ESPN but to me, 90 percent of the entertainment portion is the actual sport.
The funny commercials are the entertainment.
Pardon the Interruption and other programs like PTI are what I consider to be entertaining.
Live message streaming is not entertainment!
After I stuck my finger in the wall socket four times, I was able to calm down again and start taking notes on the last 1:30 of the game.
There were comments from the following people: CMaster, GoBigRed, MidnightClubLA, MandoHusker, and Cody Pastorella, which was my name. I said, "hi mom."
(That last part was a lie.)
Anyway, my two favorite comments were from Gatorbait who said, "this is one of the best games ever."
Around the same time CYMBlue said, "this is frustrating."
Gatorbait was obviously an Aggie fan because I've never seen an episode of the Steve Irwin show that took place in Nebraska. And the only person who could have possibly thought last night's game was the best basketball game ever, would have had to be rooting for the team that needed the other team to turn the ball over 11 times in about five minutes to get back into the contest.
CYMBlue was obviously a Nebraska fan because after the "buzzer beeterr" as one fan called it, CYMBlue logged on for one last message that said his life was over and that he was not going to bother planting any corn this season.
(That last part was another lie.)
Interactive Tuesday is completely unnecessary and otherwise annoying.
I hate it. It's in the way and it doesn't make any sense how they do it.
They leave it up during live action but take it down during replays and timeouts.
If ESPN is going to continue with Interactive Tuesdays, however, I think they should leave the streamer up all day, even during regular programming, especially during the live editions of SportsCenter so I can tell Josh Elliot to stop using the word "aplenty" 3,600 times an hour, every hour.
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Was A-Rod genuine? No!
I want to come clean about my first three years of college (2001-2003). I had a very distant cousin from Sicily, the homeland I've never been too, inject me, twice a month, with a supplement of oatmeal and fish oil to enhance my wittiness. It was stupid. We didn't know what we were doing. One time, we stuck my psychology book in a blender, mixed it with orange juice and then injected me with that too. Unfortunately, there was an open-book test in psychology later that day. We did not consult anyone about our idea but it was our understanding that it was harmless. It was just a book we found in a store off the streets called Psychology or I think the locals might call it Psychologe (smirk here).
Anyway, I hope this sounds as ridiculous as A-Rod's interview did yesterday. I must admit that I missed 14 seconds of it because I left to pay my water bill while A-Rod took that awkward and unnecessary pause in which he attempted to be emotional. That was the most pathetic and funny thing I think I have ever seen in my entire life.
Before yesterday's interview, I was ready to move on. I didn't really care that A-Rod did steroids. It was not shocking news to me because steroids have been such a huge part of baseball the last 10-15 years. Whatever A-Rod admitted to yesterday, I don't think it would have mattered in the grand scheme of things, so long as he confessed it all, I mean. And I really think the general public would have forgiven him had he been honest. I also think if he would have come completely clean, his chances with Hall of Fame voters would have gone a lot better down the road.
Instead, he took a typcial A-Rod road and dug himself a bigger hole.
I've never taken A-Rod seriously and yesterday was no different. He's a joke and my disdain for him increased by 146 percent. Having said that, I would still love for him to be an Astro.
In basketball news, Tracy McGrady is out for the season (knee) but I don't think that is the end of the Rockets this season. This just makes Houston less of a contender unless they can make a deal for another scorer before the trade deadline is over. I do think T-Mac is done in Houston, as he has basically called it quits without the teams knowledge. I suspect this will get messy in the coming days.
Speaking of basketball and the Rockets, there is an absolutely wonderful article on the NY Times website (nytimes.com). It's about Shane Battier and how analyzing stats that don't show up in the box score is becoming a big deal for front offices. Reviewing these overlooked stats and how management uses the stats to evaluate a players skill level is basically a phenomenon in all sports right now, and this story breaks it all down. It's really long but interesting and I suggest checking it out. The story is called The No Stats All-Star.
Anyway, I hope this sounds as ridiculous as A-Rod's interview did yesterday. I must admit that I missed 14 seconds of it because I left to pay my water bill while A-Rod took that awkward and unnecessary pause in which he attempted to be emotional. That was the most pathetic and funny thing I think I have ever seen in my entire life.
Before yesterday's interview, I was ready to move on. I didn't really care that A-Rod did steroids. It was not shocking news to me because steroids have been such a huge part of baseball the last 10-15 years. Whatever A-Rod admitted to yesterday, I don't think it would have mattered in the grand scheme of things, so long as he confessed it all, I mean. And I really think the general public would have forgiven him had he been honest. I also think if he would have come completely clean, his chances with Hall of Fame voters would have gone a lot better down the road.
Instead, he took a typcial A-Rod road and dug himself a bigger hole.
I've never taken A-Rod seriously and yesterday was no different. He's a joke and my disdain for him increased by 146 percent. Having said that, I would still love for him to be an Astro.
In basketball news, Tracy McGrady is out for the season (knee) but I don't think that is the end of the Rockets this season. This just makes Houston less of a contender unless they can make a deal for another scorer before the trade deadline is over. I do think T-Mac is done in Houston, as he has basically called it quits without the teams knowledge. I suspect this will get messy in the coming days.
Speaking of basketball and the Rockets, there is an absolutely wonderful article on the NY Times website (nytimes.com). It's about Shane Battier and how analyzing stats that don't show up in the box score is becoming a big deal for front offices. Reviewing these overlooked stats and how management uses the stats to evaluate a players skill level is basically a phenomenon in all sports right now, and this story breaks it all down. It's really long but interesting and I suggest checking it out. The story is called The No Stats All-Star.
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
A-Rod ruins lives
I just want to start by saying I have the flu and am also behind with my regular responsibilities, so excuse this week's blog. I never really think things out before I start writing, this week is no exception, but with the flu — things could get messy. I will press on, however, just as Joe Montana did when he led the Irish to a come-from-behind victory over the Houston Cougars while suffering from hypothermia.
I will press on just as Michael Jordan did when he was battling the flu during Game 5 of the 1997 NBA Finals with the Utah Jazz. The series was tied at 2-2 and Jordan was a physical wreck, if you recall, but scored 38 points to lead the Bulls to an 88-85 victory.
I will press on as Pete Sampras did in the 1996 US Open when he was sick to his stomach in every sense of the phrase but still won the match, which went all the way to a tiebreaker.
I will rise to the occasion just as Tiger Woods did with a torn ACL in the US Open last year.
Alright. That's enough rambling.
Alex Rodriguez is a jerk, a bum, a steroid user, a liar, I don't like him but he is still the best baseball player in the MLB right now and I would welcome him with open arms to Houston if for some reason he was to be fired by the Yankees.
The fact that he has done steroids does not surprise me at all. I don't know why others are shocked. His ego is as big or bigger than Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens put together.
Plus, the way things were in the late 90s and early 2000s, if you were a clean baseball player, you were cheating yourself and your team.
Their were umpires who were probably even doing steroids in the early 2000s. I know the guys behind the plate always have a massive, terminator type physique in the shoulder and chest area.
I don't think that is a coincidence at all.
Anyway, I wish that steroids would have never been involved in the sport I love so much because it has left a bad taste in my mouth and it has put an asterisks on any records that have been broken — basically — in my lifetime — so far.
I mean, I can picture sitting around the house with my grandchildren one day, talking about the good ole days and all the records and the children's responses will be, 'but grandpa, they all did steroids.'
Then they will make fun of the fact that I am an Astros fan, which will lead me to putting them up for adoption for being disrespectful.
The road ahead is looking dark for baseball and even worse for me.
Three of the best baseball players in my lifetime did steroids and are already having a negative effect on the grandchildren I may not even have.
The nerve.
I will press on just as Michael Jordan did when he was battling the flu during Game 5 of the 1997 NBA Finals with the Utah Jazz. The series was tied at 2-2 and Jordan was a physical wreck, if you recall, but scored 38 points to lead the Bulls to an 88-85 victory.
I will press on as Pete Sampras did in the 1996 US Open when he was sick to his stomach in every sense of the phrase but still won the match, which went all the way to a tiebreaker.
I will rise to the occasion just as Tiger Woods did with a torn ACL in the US Open last year.
Alright. That's enough rambling.
Alex Rodriguez is a jerk, a bum, a steroid user, a liar, I don't like him but he is still the best baseball player in the MLB right now and I would welcome him with open arms to Houston if for some reason he was to be fired by the Yankees.
The fact that he has done steroids does not surprise me at all. I don't know why others are shocked. His ego is as big or bigger than Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens put together.
Plus, the way things were in the late 90s and early 2000s, if you were a clean baseball player, you were cheating yourself and your team.
Their were umpires who were probably even doing steroids in the early 2000s. I know the guys behind the plate always have a massive, terminator type physique in the shoulder and chest area.
I don't think that is a coincidence at all.
Anyway, I wish that steroids would have never been involved in the sport I love so much because it has left a bad taste in my mouth and it has put an asterisks on any records that have been broken — basically — in my lifetime — so far.
I mean, I can picture sitting around the house with my grandchildren one day, talking about the good ole days and all the records and the children's responses will be, 'but grandpa, they all did steroids.'
Then they will make fun of the fact that I am an Astros fan, which will lead me to putting them up for adoption for being disrespectful.
The road ahead is looking dark for baseball and even worse for me.
Three of the best baseball players in my lifetime did steroids and are already having a negative effect on the grandchildren I may not even have.
The nerve.
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Football season is over: Lets move on.
Football season is over. Pittsburgh won the Super Bowl and there is nothing left to talk about despite what ESPN may think. There is no reason to further discuss Arizona's great season. No need to discuss the final play or whether Kurt Warner fumbled or not or why the play was not reviewed. There is no reason to talk about how great Super Bowl XLIII was or how wonderful a catch Santonio Holmes made for the Steelers, a catch that won the game and one that will be shown in highlight reels for a long long time.
Honestly, football season is over.
You're not going to find anything in this blog about my thoughts on Warner and whether he is a future Hall of Famer. Besides, there is not much room for debate anyway.
If you lead a cellar dweller like the Arizona Cardinals to the Super Bowl, throwing for 4,588 yards and 30 touchdowns along the way and then almost upset the favored opponent, you should already be in the Hall of Fame discussion.
Then when you consider his 28,591 career passing yards and 182 career touchdowns and his two MVP seasons with the St. Louis Rams where he won a Super Bowl, this should be a no-brainer.
And Warner has done all this as a hobby. If you've forgotten, his real job is bagging groceries. I know he has Larry Fitzgerald and before Fitzgerald there was Tory Holt, but who is not going to vote for a guy whose just passing the time in between shifts at the grocery store.
If Warner leads Arizona back to the playoffs next year and has similar numbers, I say he is a lock for the HOF.
Anyway, it's time to start thinking about March Madness, the start of baseball, Tiger's return to golf and if he will be ready for the Masters. That's what we should be thinking about — not football.
I don't want to waste your time talking about the NFL draft or even hint at the idea that if the Cowboys could trade up to the first round or get a franchise offensive tackle to sure up the left side of the line that they could bounce back from the disappointments of 2008 and become a real contender next year.
That discussion is for another day.
There is no reason to talk about next year, at least not until April when the draft comes around.
Then we can hash out what else Dallas needs before next season, if the Steelers are good enough to repeat or if Ben Roethlisberger deserves to be mentioned among the other great Super Bowl winning quarterbacks in the league right now.
However, if I did talk about Big Ben, I'd have to say he is a second tier guy for the moment because his defense is so good. But I will give the guy props for throwing for more than 3,000 yards in three of his first five seasons as a starter.
But I'm just not ready to call him elite or put him in the same class as Peyton Manning or Tom Brady.
Moving on to something else, something more news worthy than football — well first — I would like to just briefly mention that I'd like to see Dallas and Pittsburgh in Miami for Super Bowl XLIV.
It would be a treat of historical and traditional value.
And if the Cowboys could get that offensive lineman I refused to talk about earlier and maybe even a strong safety and a solid backup quarterback, who could end up replacing a highly overrated Tony Romo, then I think the Cowboys are very much in place for a run to Miami next year.
But again, the NFL regular season doesn't start for another 240 something days. I couldn't care less about football right now. It's the offseason. Nothing to talk about. Lets move on.
Unless of course, you guys (readers) want to then maybe I could warm up to the idea.
Honestly, football season is over.
You're not going to find anything in this blog about my thoughts on Warner and whether he is a future Hall of Famer. Besides, there is not much room for debate anyway.
If you lead a cellar dweller like the Arizona Cardinals to the Super Bowl, throwing for 4,588 yards and 30 touchdowns along the way and then almost upset the favored opponent, you should already be in the Hall of Fame discussion.
Then when you consider his 28,591 career passing yards and 182 career touchdowns and his two MVP seasons with the St. Louis Rams where he won a Super Bowl, this should be a no-brainer.
And Warner has done all this as a hobby. If you've forgotten, his real job is bagging groceries. I know he has Larry Fitzgerald and before Fitzgerald there was Tory Holt, but who is not going to vote for a guy whose just passing the time in between shifts at the grocery store.
If Warner leads Arizona back to the playoffs next year and has similar numbers, I say he is a lock for the HOF.
Anyway, it's time to start thinking about March Madness, the start of baseball, Tiger's return to golf and if he will be ready for the Masters. That's what we should be thinking about — not football.
I don't want to waste your time talking about the NFL draft or even hint at the idea that if the Cowboys could trade up to the first round or get a franchise offensive tackle to sure up the left side of the line that they could bounce back from the disappointments of 2008 and become a real contender next year.
That discussion is for another day.
There is no reason to talk about next year, at least not until April when the draft comes around.
Then we can hash out what else Dallas needs before next season, if the Steelers are good enough to repeat or if Ben Roethlisberger deserves to be mentioned among the other great Super Bowl winning quarterbacks in the league right now.
However, if I did talk about Big Ben, I'd have to say he is a second tier guy for the moment because his defense is so good. But I will give the guy props for throwing for more than 3,000 yards in three of his first five seasons as a starter.
But I'm just not ready to call him elite or put him in the same class as Peyton Manning or Tom Brady.
Moving on to something else, something more news worthy than football — well first — I would like to just briefly mention that I'd like to see Dallas and Pittsburgh in Miami for Super Bowl XLIV.
It would be a treat of historical and traditional value.
And if the Cowboys could get that offensive lineman I refused to talk about earlier and maybe even a strong safety and a solid backup quarterback, who could end up replacing a highly overrated Tony Romo, then I think the Cowboys are very much in place for a run to Miami next year.
But again, the NFL regular season doesn't start for another 240 something days. I couldn't care less about football right now. It's the offseason. Nothing to talk about. Lets move on.
Unless of course, you guys (readers) want to then maybe I could warm up to the idea.
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