Liar, Liar Vest on Fire

Has Obama declared the state of Ohio under a state of emergency? In the past year they lost LeBron in the Decision and now the holy grail of the state has lost its savior and his disciples in what seems to be a never ending story of lies and betrayal.

Ohio State fans are really going to be singing Hang On Sloopy to get through this debacle of an embarrassment to the BCS and the NCAA. Ohio State fans have had a spell cast on them through the choirboy image of Jim Tressel and his sweater vest.

First, Coach Knight is the only coach in sports who should be allowed to wear a sweater vest in public.

Buckeyes across the world felt a cold, cold day in hell as they learned the sweater vest of Jim Tressel was simply a cover up to hide the lack of integrity for Ohio State and college football. I wonder how many tattoos Tressel’s hiding under his sweater vest….

I can’t be the only one who saw through the vest. I knew during the Sugar Bowl when Jim Tressel claimed he knew nothing about the improper gifts that six of his star players received, including QB, Terrelle Pryor. Tressel allowed them to play in the Sugar Bowl and then with the help of the NCAA were the players suspended for the first five meaningless games for the 2011 season. Tressel showed a complete lack of integrity, respect for the game and failing as a leader to make a stand based on honesty and principle. I knew then, and we all know now that Tressel is a fraud and that he couldn’t hide behind the vest forever.

On May 30th, Tressel resigned as head football coach of Ohio Sate University. Sports Illustrated featured an investigation about the depth of Tressel’s ignorance in their June 6th issue and the story keeps adding new chapters. “The Fall of Jim Tressel” dates back to 1988 at Youngtown State, turning his head on the character of Maurice Clarett and Troy Smith and his partnerships with Robert Baker and other boosters who were play makers in his game plan to foster his NCAA violations.

How dumb and ignorant can Jim Tressel be to think he could violate the NCAA bylaw 10.1 -Unethical Conduct three times and still have a throne for millions of pompous fans reminding us they can spell a four letter word and bow down to worship him? He is one dumb nut!

I’m not picking on Tressel for allowing his players to accept improper gifts, but for his ignorance in one of the greatest sports ever played. Honestly, I think it’s an out-dated rule, but it’s still a rule violation and playing dumb is clearly the best move in Jim Tressel’s play book. In my opinion, as long as the tuition for non-athletes doesn’t increase, I don’t have a problem with players pimping out their talents for “gifts”.

My hero, Coach Bob Knight, is an Ohio State Alumni and I couldn’t agree more with his statement on the issue: “I understand what's happened and there was a rule that was violated. But it was an idiotic rule. I think this NCAA that we're currently involved with is so far out of touch with the integrity of the sport that it's just amazing," Knight said.

The issue of “improper” gifts will never be fully regulated, EVER! It’s a lot like steroids in MLB; every one’s doing it, but not every ones getting caught and Ohio State just got BUSTED! Tim Tebow might be the only college athlete who said no to “improper” gifts from fans, nightclubs, tattoo parlors, and groupies.

So here we are, weeks after witnessing the fall of Ohio State and still the story continues to add new headlines about what an embarrassment they are to college football. And the NCAA thought the University of Tennessee had issues… HA!

Well Ohioans, you still have something to be proud of- the 1989 movie; Major League.

Jake Taylor: I play for the Indians.
Chaire Holloway: Here in Cleveland? I didn't know they still had a team!
Jake Taylor: Yup, we've got uniforms and everything, it's really great!

MVP- Man Vs. Prosecution

On April 13, 2011, Barry Bonds was convicted of obstruction of justice for his testimony in front of a grand jury during the 2003 BALCO steroid scandal.

Bill Clinton was also accused of obstruction of justice for the famous Monica Lewinsky scandal and then later he was acquitted by the Senate. The difference between Bill and Barry is that Bill finally admitted to sexual relations while Barry has never changed his statement of ever knowingly using performance enhancer drugs.

Bond’s isn’t on trial for using steroids but for allegedly lying to a grand jury about ever knowingly using illegal steroids. Bonds said that he used a clear substance and a cream that he received from his personal trainer, Greg Anderson, who told him they were the nutritional supplement flaxseed oil and a rubbing balm for arthritis. Have you ever questioned the ingredients in your daily hygiene products?

I use Banana Boat Aloe lotion daily. I have no idea what it’s made of. All I know is that I hate scented lotions and it passes the smell test while keeping my skins nourished. However, I did look at the ingredients and words like Glyceryl and Triethanolamine still leave me saying I have no idea what it is made of.

I grew up playing ball with the boys, but when you’re the smallest kid on the field, you draw a lot of walks. The only time I really had a chance to “hit” was in T-ball. But even if I was allowed to swing at the high ones (or at any of them) I know that hitting is a skill. Hitting is a God given talent and there is no amount of “magic cream” that could ever enhance my hand-eye coordination to take a round ball, with a round bat and hit it square while moving 90-some miles an hour with enough power to send it 400 feet in the stands. I don’t even think there are drugs that could help me hit homeruns on Wii baseball- and I’m athletic.

I understand that Bonds was paid millions for his talents and he knew that there was a list of drugs that are banned from MLB. Ultimately- blame Greg Anderson and then let it go. Anderson served his time and he might be one of the most loyal friends you could ever have. But there is nothing that Anderson gave or could ever give to Bonds that could compare with his God-given ability to hit 762 homeruns.

Blame Bud Selig for turning his head during an era where baseball made millions off the long ball. Call it a strike or call it a ball, but the “Steriod Era” saved baseball. And at the end of the era, Bud isn’t your buddy.

Ozzie Guillen said on an episode of E:60 that “Sammy Sosa and Mark McGwire saved this game (baseball) with the homeruns. A lot of people made money. It made baseball fun.” Jeremy Schaap asked Ozzie if he would have used performance enhancing drugs when he played in the 1980 and 90’s. Ozzie answered “YES, because you have to compete against guys who are using them.”

But can steroids really help you in baseball? The Mitchell report made baseball players look like pharmacists. So if everyone was juicing, why wasn’t everyone hitting bombs in left field?

Bobby Bonds- was a triple threat in the 70’s with his power, hitting and speed. He was the first player to have more than two seasons of 30 homeruns and 30 stolen bases- a record he set five times and has only been matched by his son, Barry. Bobby and Barry are the most accomplished father-son combination in MLB history. They hold the record for combined homeruns, RBIs and stolen bases.

Bobby hit 332 bombs and stole 461 bases during his thirteen year career. Like father, like son. Barry grew up on the diamond -where the tools of a future Hall of Famer were mastered. Power, hitting and speed were in Barry’s genes, but his combination of throwing and fielding earned him 514 career stolen bases, eight golden gloves, a fourteen time All-Star and seven MVP awards (no one has more than three). And the accomplishments continue. Barry was a Hall of Fame player before he was crowned the Homerun King and long before the steroid allegations.

U.S. District Judge Susan Richard Illston declared a mistrial. Illston set a hearing for May 20, where she's expected to rule on the defense's request that the guilty verdict be thrown out and to set a sentencing date. Two things I have learned from the Fed’s $100 million dollar obsession to prosecute Barry Bonds is that no one should ever date Kimberly Bell and that there’s no truth that steroids help you hit homeruns- the only truth to steroids in MLB is that testing positive to for them is illegal.

PS. If a “cream” can really enhance your size, I could think of a lot of other places both males and females would be applying “the cream”… just saying.

Fantasy League

An estimated 27 million people play in fantasy leagues. There are leagues for just about every sport. Fantasy is fun because the fans get to act like the owner and the GM. I’m dedicated to playing in fantasy leagues year round. I even left the bar at an all-inclusive resort in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic for a draft two years ago.

I enjoy playing, its fun and it’s not THAT serious. The draft is important to me because when you play in more than one league and have a job where fantasy stalking is frowned upon, remembering to make changes to my team isn’t on my daily to-do list. I’m going to be honest, I’m just happy when I can remember my log-in password.

A League of Their Own is one of the leagues I currently play in. It’s the most dysfunctional fantasy league! Full of egos, trash talkers, haterade drinking, beer belly, drunk texting- funny son of a Bush’s!

The league manager, Team Time to Repeat is the cockiest player. He is OBSESSED with winning (you’d think this Butch Sowers prodigy would say he’s won enough in his career as a little leaguer, but he just can’t let it go). Jones is known for pulling a shady move whenever he feels a threat of losing, but still we play in his leagues.

Last week there was a trade offer between Team Queef Hernandez and Team Hamel Toe and after reading the message board posts, the world of fantasy turned into a nightmare!

Allegedly, Big Bush- who is known for drinking a beer or two sent Byron a text with the following trade offer:

ROD traded Buster Posey, SF C to Hernandez
ROD traded Starlin Castro, ChC SS to Hernandez
ROD traded B.J. Upton, TB OF to Hernandez
ROD traded Ben Zobrist, TB 2B to Hernandez
ROD traded Ryan Howard, Phi 1B to Hernandez
ROD traded Chase Headley, SD 3B to Hernandez
ROD traded Roy Oswalt, Phi SP to Hernandez
ROD traded Huston Street, Col RP to Hernandez

BUSH traded Geovany Soto, ChC C to Toe
BUSH traded Gaby Sanchez, Fla 1B to Toe
BUSH traded Jimmy Rollins, Phi SS to Toe
BUSH traded Carl Crawford, Bos OF to Toe
BUSH traded Matt Kemp, LAD OF to Toe
BUSH traded Casey McGehee, Mil 3B to Toe
BUSH traded John Axford, Mil RP to Toe
BUSH traded Mat Latos, SD SP to Toe


Jones had the league vote and yes, I voted for it because it’s not even May. There’s so much baseball to be played and injuries are going to happen. But I guess I’m the only one who wasn’t scared because it was vetoed quicker than Terrell’s fastball.

The problem: Team Hamel Toe is loved and hated for the same reason; he wins- a lot! He’s also my twin brother so I’ll always be his biggest fan, but I may be the only one who doesn’t mind losing to him because I know he spends hours daily on his fantasy teams. He follows his players on twitter, stalks their facebook pages and there’s a good chance he has their autograph- with the time he invests, he should win! He’s a great fantasy player because he knows everything that is going on in the game at any given time and uses it to his advantage.

At 11:32am the first message board post was made about the conspiracy theory against Byron so he doesn’t win, again. At 10:43am the following day and 86 posts later, the board was full of curve ball comments, the Goose was loose, Jones pooped his pants- all while Big Bush played power hour for every shady comment Jones made about how cool he is.

It’s not everyday that I side with Jared, who has the worst taste in ACC basketball, but I agree with his post “This sh**s f***in hilarious! Ya'll are crackin me up!” What he said next, is completely inappropriate.

But seriously, if you have time to post on the message board ALLL day- you are living a fantasy life. The rest of us (except Jones- who drinks his own Kool-aid) are just jealous that we can’t spend as much time with our teams like Byron.

*Jones- this is all in good fun. Thanks for being a fan of my blog!

April- the Best Month in Sports

Pat Riley was once quoted for saying “I feel like a mosquito in a nudist colony: I know what to do; I just don’t know where to start” -classic Mr. Riley. I feel the same way about sports in the month of April. There’s so much excitement as seasons start and other seasons end; it can be as overwhelming as walking into a casino sports book for the first time.

April starts with Opening Day at major league ball parks across the country. Overall attendance for the MLB was up .3 percent from Opening Day in 2010. The Texas Rangers, the defending AL Champs, have started strong. Two weeks into the season and AL MVP, Josh Hamilton who is cursed with injuries, is already out for six to eight weeks after sustaining a fracture in his upper arm while diving into home plate. Prince Fielder remains the chubbiest vegetarian in baseball, Elvis Andrus is still one of the most exciting young players to watch and Boston might be in for a long season.

Then we had the final four match ups to lead into the NCAA Championship game. Brackets were busted and dogs looked more like puppies, but it’s always fun to see Cinderella’s in the dance.

A few days later, we witnessed a tradition like no other: The Masters! For 75 years the Masters is still one of the most prestigious golf tournaments. Rich in tradition and a course where history lives through the greenery- history was made again in Augusta when the first South African, Charl Schwartzel, won the Masters by two strokes.

The NHL conference quarterfinals are being played over the next two weeks for a best of seven series. The defending Stanley Cup Champs, the Chicago Blackhawks, ar down 0-3 to the Vancouver Canucks. The pressure is on for the Capitals. Washington has the talent, a Russian Spy and a fan base that needs to see their team reach the conference finals and bring home the Stanley Cup in June!

The NBA Playoffs, like the NHL playoffs, are going on at the same time and begin with the sweet 16 and play a best of seven series to see who will cut down the nets and hold up the Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy. Kobe Bryant and Derek Fisher both have played in the NBA for 14 years; both have five championship rings- all with Phil Jackson and the Los Angeles Lakers. It’s hard to bet against what Bryant, Fisher and Jackson are capable of when they’re all on the same team. Chicago and Michael Jordan have already started the Derrick Rose MVP chant, but Rose better sink a three-pointer if he wants to get the Bulls to the Eastern Conference Finals. I’ve put the circus in American Airlines Arena behind me, now it’s time for LeBron, Wade and Bosh to take there talents to the NBA Championship game.

NASCAR and Major League Soccer are also in season. Jimmie Johnson beat Clint Bowyer by 0.002 seconds with a push from teammate Dale Earnhardt Jr. to win in Talladega. Soccer is the most popular sport in the world, but it’s not as popular in the States. Over all there was a 4 percent increase in attendance from 2009 to 2010. The MLS season just kicked off so there is hope for fan growth in MLS.

To end April’s shower of sporting events, April 28th is the first round of the NFL draft. Despite the NFL lockout, there will still be a draft and we the fans, have our fingers crossed that there will still be a 2011 season.

And for more entertainment- E:60 returns on Tuesday nights with the best stories in sports! In sports, there’s no off-season and April is the best month to be in the game. It’s easy to be overwhelmed, but just like in any sports book- sit back and enjoy the games.

Dog Fight to Puppy Chow

The Butler Bulldogs got a second chance to bring home a National Championship banner, but only if they could tame the UCONN Huskies.

Butler started the season ranked 18th in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches' Preseason Poll. The University of Connecticut did not receive a single vote. No one expected the NCAA Championship game end like this!

The first half of the Championship game ended with a 3-point buzzer beater by Butlers Shelvin Mack to give the Bulldogs a 22-19 lead. This is a National Championship game and the halftime score is 22-19?? My favorite Tennessee VOLS radio Co-host, Alex, tweeted: AAESPN1180 I thought the women’s game was tomorrow night?

This dog fight looked more like puppy chow. With only 41 combined points at the half ranks as the lowest scoring fist half of any NCAA title game during the shot clock ear.

You could call it great defense, great guard play or as Charles Barkley would say “turrrible” shooting. Butler was 1/19 for 2-point field goals, 6/22 on 3-point field goals and 0 points in the paint with thirteen minutes to go in the second half. This isn’t the Butler team I expected to see…

Most dogs will eat anything, but Kemba and the Huskies gave Butler a taste of Big East physical basketball and all Butler could eat was brick after brick. The last time a team was held under 50 points in a title game was in 1949- Jim Calhoun was 6 years old.

I’m pretty sure this was the worst shooting game EVER in college basketball. It was almost painful at times. I feel bad for these kids, I feel bad for Brad Stevens and I feel bad for anyone who believes in Cinderella. Butler is the 4th team in history to lose back-to-back National Championship Games… AHH the Fab-Five Curse strikes this year’s bracket again!

There was no Disney ending for the Butler Bulldogs, but in Indianapolis and at mid-major schools across the country the Bulldogs story is one most could only dream of. The basketball gods may not be a fan of Cinderella’s, but if the future of college basketball is in the hands of coaches like Brad Stevens- college basketball is in good hands.

The Bracket

It’s been the year of the quarterback in football, the year of the pitcher in baseball and in college basketball it might be the year of the Bracket.

Most college basketball fans only watch key games throughout the season. But once the calendar hits Selection Sunday, fans come back to college basketball and the madness of the Bracket begins.

As a fan of college basketball, I couldn’t imagine only watching Duke and UNC and still be as excited about the NCAA tournament. Then again, if you were going to take a season off of college basketball, this was the year to be on the bench. Overall, there isn’t a team that is consistently a great team.

This season there were a lot of turnovers, a lot of sloppy plays, too many unnecessary fouls, more dunks, more want-a-be ESPN highlight moves and shorts that could be used as sleeping bags.

College basketball is about playing smart, using the fundamentals to win as a team and respecting the game. There’s a trend to why it wasn’t a great season for college basketball and call me crazy, but it starts with the size of the players shorts. They looked more like pants on the players and the players didn’t get any bigger from last season. It only makes sense that if your ‘shorts’ are too big and with most guards thinking that dribbling has to be in between your legs then of course the turnovers will sore!

The NBA has never been more represented in past seasons as it has this year. Most of these kids come into college with a one and done attitude and the focus isn’t on winning as a team, but on winning for the next level.

The next level should be the NCAA Tournament Bracket. Ahh, let the Madness begin! The NCAA Tournament expanded from 64 to 68 teams this year. If you can’t get in this year, you’ll never get in!

It’s no secret that I love to pick on Virginia Tech and seeing Hokie fans going crazy about not being invited to the dance for the fourth straight year is more entertaining than an episode of Jersey Shore. Virginia Tech barely had one meaningful win over Duke in Cassell Coliseum. The Hokies lost to Virginia and Georgia Tech twice and finishing 9-7 in a weak ACC conference are not resume highlights. Tech failed to show they had quality road wins, they won’t play CAA teams and when it really mattered, the Blue Devils embarrassed the Hokies in the ACC tournament.

An irate Seth Greenberg believes there is a conspiracy theory among the NCAA tournament selection committee. We all know that only Tech fans are shocked when they learn that not everyone on planet earth is a Hokie fan. I think at orientation they tell the students that being a Hokie means they are entitled to success. I guess the selection committee missed orientation… Mr. Greenberg, they don’t give you points for having Hokie pride.

The tournament field expanded to 64 in 1985 and Tech is the sixth team to beat a number one seeded team, have a winning record in the conference and still not be asked to dance. It’s not a conspiracy; it’s just asking the BEST teams in college basketball to go to the dance.

Since 1985, no number one seed has lost in the first round, 8 have lost in the National Championship game and 14 have won the National Championship. Seeds 1-4 are usually pretty safe picks through the sweet 16. Seeds 5-8 have one National Championship (Villanova as an 8 seed in 1985). Seeds 9-16 have never won a National Championship and we all remember the Cinderella in 2006 as the number 11 seed George Mason made it to the final four. Every year a 12 seed upsets a 5th seeded team.

BYU, a number 3 seed has a healthy Jimmer Fredette- who leads the nation in scoring at 28.5 points per game. He can Jimmer-Jammer on the road too. ODU, a number 9 seed is one of the best defensive teams in the bracket. Big East teams are accustom to playing rough and tend to get into foul trouble in the tournament. Tennessee could be the sleeper and St. John’s has proven they can play with anyone.

Despite the history of the tournament statistics I just have a feeling that if Duke doesn’t win back-to-back Championships, then we might be in for another Cinderella story, only this time the slipper will dance them all the way to an NCAA Championship.

One statistic that is always true: The bracket is madness, but it’s magical.

Choose wisely.

S-E-C!

Championships. Traditions. Rivalries. Respect. Welcome to SEC Football.

With five National Championships by four different schools in the past five years, it’s easy to crown the SEC as the most dominant football conference in the NCAA. The SEC has the most BCS bowl game appearances and has won the most bowl games out of any other football conference. It’s a conference where every player, every coach and every fan expects their team to win.

The SEC has some of the best known traditions in college sports. Tailgating is a tradition where generations of alumni and fans gather in southern style. Traditions are past down and memories are made. Game days unite communities with their hero’s by an entrance that is a tradition every fan wants to experience. Each parade is different, but the tradition is the same. Old Miss and Alabama have The Walk of Champions, Tennessee- the VOL Walk, LSU- the March Down the Hill, Vanderbilt’s Star Walk, Kentucky’s Cat Walk, Florida’s Gator Walk, Mississippi State and Georgia’s Dawg Walk, Aubrun’s Tiger Walk and Arkansas- A Walk are all sacred steps to every home game.

Some traditions are unique, some we don’t always understand but these traditions are part of SEC pride. LSU is one of the few schools that use an “H” style goal post so players can run through it from the endzone and they mark the yard lines by the five yard-line, not just by the ten yard-line. Alabama’s Rammer Jammer Cheer, the Gator Chomp, the Grove at Old Miss, Auburn’s Toomer’s Corner, Georgia’s Uga, Mississippi State’s cow bell, South Carolina’s Cockaboose Railroad and Tennessee’s Rock, the forming for the “T” and playing of Rocky Top are all iconic traditions in college football.

Rivalries in the SEC are unlike any other in college football. There are games that have been played for centuries, games that can change your season and games that can end a coaching contract. When you play in the SEC you’re not just playing to win, you’re playing for pride.
The Iron Bowl: Alabama- Auburn
The Halloween Game: Tennessee- South Carolina
The Egg Bowl: Mississippi State- Arkansas
The Magnolia Bowl: LSU – Ole Miss
The Largest Cocktail Party: Florida-Georgia
The Third Saturday in October: Alabama- Tennessee
The Deep South’s Oldest Rivalry: Auburn-Georgia


The state of Alabama is divided. At an early age you have to choose; Roll Tide or War Eagle. There’s no in between, you have to choose and that’s what makes the Iron Bowl match up one of the best rivalries in college football. But what happens when the rivalry goes too far?

Alabama fans were not the only college football fans that didn’t drink the Cammy Cam juice. I don’t have to explain why Cam Newton should not have been eligible or why this championship may be in the history books with asterisk. But soon, he’ll have to give back his Heisman Trophy. We all know that the Newton case isn’t closed. So I can’t help but wonder the timeline of the poisoning of Toomer’s Corner along with the NCAA investigations… Wednesday afternoon NCAA investigators had interviewed four individuals about Auburn football recruiting tactics, but the main story for Auburn was about an Alabama fan; Harvey Updyke Jr., a 62 years old man who poisoned the oak trees with herbicide known as Spike 80DF after Auburn beat Alabama in the Iron Bowl.

On January 27th Updyke called the Paul Finebaum radio show and announced that he had applied the herbicide to the soil of the 130-year old oak trees.

Soil samples were collected January 27th after the show and quickly processed by the Mississippi State Chemical Laboratory.

On February 7th Auburn Police launched a police investigation and without delay located Updyke.

On February 16th, the same day as the NCAA investigator had interviewed four individuals about Auburns recruiting tactics, Auburn announced on their website and to the media without having Updyke in custody, the news of the Oaks being poisoned.

On February 17th Updyk was arrested with a $50,000 bond facing a felony and ten years in prison.



If Auburn knew about the herbicide for more than a week and then released the information about Updyke before the police had his mug shot… maybe this was a coincidence to distract any NCAA findings in the soil of Jordan-Hare Stadium or maybe it was planned…

Auburn quickly took the pride from Alabama’s glory by beating them in the Iron Bowl and then winning the National Championship a year after Alabama. Even with all the
NCAA investigations, Alabama fans showed their respect for playing in the SEC. Alabama established Tide for Toomer’s, a fund for Crimson Tide fans to contribute money to Auburn University’s efforts to rehabilitate or replace the poisoned trees. In only a few days, over 35 thousand dollars had been raised by Alabama fans.

Paul Finebaum said the rivalry between Alabama and Auburn would only get worse and Alabama would retaliate- taking the rivalry to a whole new level… well Mr. Finebaum, the rivalry is strong, but the respect is stronger. Welcome to the SEC!

Going Green

Here we go.-again. This will be the eighth Super Bowl appearance for the Pittsburgh Steelers and the most among any other team in the NFL. We should just call them the Lord of the Rings with their six Super Bowl rings. Steeler Nation is everywhere and that “Here, we go…” song gets stuck in your head longer than “I whip my hair back and forth”. And just as one song ends you have to hear “Black and Yellow- Black and Yellow”. Music from Pittsburgh should be banned.

It’s this time of year when fans start to jump on the Steeler bandwagon and pretend that they’ve been a singing fan all season long. PLEASE STOP SINGING THAT DAMN SONG! It’s been stuck in my head for days and I would never cheer for Ben Roethlisberger.

The Rooney family is one of the most well known families in sports and they expect their players to win on and off the field. They are good people and give back to the city. However, one player who continues to lose off the field is a 6’5, wildebeest looking quarter back; Ben Roethlisberger. We all know if Ben sees a hole, he’ll make sure he gets it in- there’s not always a camera around but there’s a lot of people who would love to see Haloti Ngata break his nose again!

Don’t get me wrong, it’s hard to bet against the Steelers when Roethlisberger is in the pocket. He’s one of the toughest players in the league to sack, but he took his biggest hit when for the second time in less than a year he was accused of rape. He was never charged in either incident (cough.. money talks) but then Goodell sentenced him to four games on the bench. I hate to say it, but since the suspension he’s been on a straight path in his road to redemption and so far he’s leading his team the Super Bowl. (I just threw up in my mouth.)

So what happened to the J-E-T-S JETS? I was really hoping that Sexy Sanchez would show BigBen who the real leader on the field is, and then… he wiped a booger on backup QB Mark Brunell… really? So much for being sexy… And where did the real Rex go?

Rex Ryan changed his game plan the week before the AFC Championship match up with the Steelers. What? Rex has made the “it’s personal” comment and continued to stand by his team as the team that is going to win the Super Bowl. Talking tough throughout the entire season is part of the Jets game plan that was loaded with F-bombs and comedy that the media and viewers loved! Then, the week of the AFC Championship game we get a soft, over complementing and full of Pittsburgh praise Rex. Wes Welker must have really stumped his little toe with all those foot-bombs…

Here’s a bomb: You have to play four quarters to win in the NFL and to beat the Steelers, you better play your best four quarters. The Jets were a little too late in their 19 point run and shutting down BigBen in the second half.

I hope someone gave Sanchez a terrible towel to blow his nose… oh, wait. Don’t do that! Its bad luck and the AFC Championship game fell on the same as Myron Cope’s, the creator behind the terrible towel and best known for being the voice of the Pittsburgh Steelers, Birthday.

The Jets may have lost their chance to play for a Lombardi Trophy, but I will still be wearing green on Super Bowl Sunday.

This will be the Packers fifth trip to the Super Bowl, but for 51 of the players this will be their first Super Bowl appearance. And for the Cheese-Heads everywhere, they want the Championship belt to make an appearance in the end zone. Aaron Rodgers might be wearing an invisible Championship belt, but he is wearing the biggest cleats in the league. His entire career he has been in the shadow of Brett Favre. No player wants the pressure of replacing a legend, but with four more quarters- Rodgers could be Legendary.

Green Bay is a 2.5 point favor over Pittsburgh. Rodger That!

Stanford 3, NCAA 0

There’s no question that the University of Connecticut is a power house in the world of women’s basketball. The Lady Vols are one of the biggest rivalries for the Lady Huskies and that rivalry extends to the tension between Tennessee Coach Pat Summitt and UConn Coach Geno Auriemma. Stanford started a new rival when they lost to the Lady Huskies 53-47 in the 2010 NCAA Championship game and with UConn on a 90 game winning streak the two met again on December 30th. Stanford beat UConn 71-59 and also ranked as the most watched regular-season women's basketball game in ESPN history. Point Stanford.


Stanford scored again when they embarrassed Virginia Tech 40-12 in the 2011 Discover Orange Bowl and proving again that the Hokies are consistently the most overrated team in college football. The loss to Stanford makes Virginia Tech 1-19 against top five ranked teams under head Coach Frank Beamer. While Virginia Tech continues to be exposed to their team’s ability to fail in the spotlight, Stanford knows how to shine.


Andrew Luck is a winner on and off the football field. This season of college football seems to of had more focus on quarterbacks who received improper gifts and money in an exchange for their talents (Cough… Auburn…Cough…Ohio State) and having more attention on individual player violations and he said, she said of the investigations. The hero of the year goes to the kid that understands why it’s called COLLEGE football- Andrew Luck.

College Gameday is always entertaining with Kirk Herbstreit, Lee Corso, Chris Flower and Desmond Howard and you never know what clever signs you will see from fans in the background. But somehow the violations and investigations continued to be a segment on the show. Andrew Luck is a red shirt sophomore QB, the runner up for the Heisman Trophy and considered to be the overall number one draft pick in the 2011 NFL draft. Luck has decided that he will pass up being the number one pick and millions of dollars because he is committed to earning his degree in architectural design at Stanford University.

While this decision is some what shocking, I find it refreshing. Here’s a kid who see’s the value in college football. It’s not about the NFL money; it’s about the experience and the value of a college education. The NCAA can take away the Heisman Trophy, but they can not take away your diploma. Point Stanford.


Arkansas and Ohio State played in the Allstate Sugar Bowl for what sounded like a great SEC-Big Ten match up until the reports that five Ohio State players; Quarterback Terrelle Pryor, leading rusher Dan Herron, wide receiver DeVier Posey, All-Big Ten offensive tackle Mike Adams and a backup defensive end Solomon Thomas will be suspended after the Sugar Bowl for five games for accepting improper gifts and for selling team memorabilia.

Suspending them AFTER the Bowl game? Are you kidding me? The NCAA should be embarrassed that they altered their out of date rules to please a bully, Sugar Bowl CEO-Paul Hoolahan, to ensure the sponsors would see Ohio State’s most talented players on the field. I understand that when the best players are playing- the number of viewers will increase AKA: the more people that are exposed to the marketing campaign of the sponsors. But where is the respect for the integrity of the game, the Arkansas players who witnessed cheaters win and how can the NCAA hold any coach, player and team accountable for their actions when the NCAA can not follow their own rules?

I’ve always said that if Coach Knight (my hero) wasn’t an Ohio State Alumni, I wouldn’t have a reason to like them. Jim Tressel and Ohio State had the opportunity to stand for something and they blew it! Instead of choosing to stand for rules, honesty and the value of the game, they chose money. And we wonder why their players chose money too… Coach Knight remains the only man in a sweater from Ohio State who can say they stand for something.

The NCAA did not suspend the players for the Sugar Bowl because they "did not receive adequate rules education during the time period the violations occurred." SERIOUSLY? I hope Allstate makes idiot insurance, because I know a football team that will need full coverage. Have you ever told a cop the reason you were speeding was because you “didn’t know the speed limit”? As a driver, it’s your responsibility to know the speed limit. As a NCAA player, it’s part of the game to know the rules on and off the field.

The worst part is that NFL agents will have as many of these players in the 2011 draft and they will never see a punishment for violating NCAA rules. There’s more than one person to blame for this loss, but the NCAA is the biggest loser.

A Winter Classic

The wait is almost over!

I can honestly say that I have never made plans to watch an All-Star game. When I know it’s on I’ll watch it, but I have never made the game an event on my calendar or set my DVR to record any All-Star game. But on New Years Day, I have made plans to watch the National Hockey League’s biggest All-Star game.

I have been counting down the days to watch the Washington Capitals and the Pittsburg Penguins- who are arguably the biggest NHL rivals- take center ice for the 2011 Bridgestone Winter Classic on New Years Day. Heinz Field will transcend into an outdoor ice rink with over 65,000 hockey fans in attendance for a game that ultimately means nothing to the NHL standings, but for the Capitals and the Penguins this game means everything.

The past three Wednesday’s HBO’s 24/7 Penguins/Capitals: Road to the NHL Winter Classic has been recorded to my DVR. (I added HBO to my cable bill just so I could watch the NHL’s version of the NFL’s series Hard Knocks.) Two things I have learned about hockey from the show is that all hockey players are bilingual when it comes to dropping the F-bomb and Sidney Crosby’s mustache should be on Dateline NBC’s to catch a predator’s list- it’s so creeeeeepy!

Capitals Coach Bruce Boudreau dropped the F-bomb 15 times in one minute making Rex Ryan look like a little school girl. I can handle looking at the side of Penguin’s defensemen -Ben Lovejoy’s face after he took a puck to his face and still be able to stomach the visual of what looks like a puck growing out of his face caused by the air pressure on a flight. But what really scares me is the sight of Crosby’s mustache. It’s so awful and disturbing- if Sid-the-Kid trying to be a man…it’s not working.

The Capitals fell into an eight game losing streak while Crosby scored in 25 consecutive games leading the Penguins on a twelve game winning streak. Injuries affect both teams but the uncertainty of who will defend the goal between Semyon Varlamov or Michael Neuvirth for the Capitals remains a game by game decision by Boudrea. Marc-Andre Fleury remains a confident choice for Dan Bylsma.

In this inside look, there is no denying that the Capitals and Penguins can’t stand each other and when the two teams faceoff, it’s a game sports fans are going to watch. This might have been the best marketing between the NHL and HBO to showcase the best two hockey players in the world; Alex Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby.

The National Football League may own Thanksgiving Day but the National Hockey League now owns New Years Day. January 1, 2011 will be a Winter Classic!

A Little BANKS: A Big Return

Dear Santa, all I want for Christmas is a Brandon Banks jersey.

If you have to ask who is Brandon Banks, you are getting coal in your stocking.

While most fans have been too absorbed in the inconsistency of McNabb or Albert Haynseworth’s salary, I have kept my eyes on the undrafted wide receiver from Kansas State. A 5’7, 150 pound (his hair could account for 10 lbs) speedster rookie; Brandon Banks! There’s just something about him that is electrifying and brings a hope to the Washington Redskins and to the NFL. Every time he comes on to the field I feel his energy, I see his passion and I want him to win!

I can’t help but jump out of my seat and yell for him. At Sunday’s game I was yelling “COME ON LIL MAN” and the Vikings fan that sat in front of me told me I like Banks because he is little- like me (I’m only 5’0 and like Banks I’ve never felt as short as people say I am). I responded that I like Banks because he is The Man! He continued to cover his ears every time Banks was on the filed.

When Banks had a 77-yard punt return for a touchdown during the fourth quarter that was called back for an illegal block in the back from rookie linebacker Perry Riley, my heart broke. Not just because it could have been the game winning TD, but because this was the second time in the past four games a touchdown has been taken away from Banks.

In the NFL there is about a 1 in 165 odds of converting a punt return into a touchdown and a 1 and 269 odds that a kickoff return will result into a touchdown. The average NFL player is over six feet tall and averages 248 pounds. Brandon Banks’ size may not have attracted a lot of NFL scouts, but he is certainly getting a double take from special team’s coordinators as they prepare for the Redskins.

Among the NFL’s punt return yards leaders, Banks ranks 4th and he ranks 9th in returning yards. Against the Lions, Banks set a franchise record by earning 271 return yards. But in the fourth quarter his 96-yard kickoff return was his first career touchdown and the first for the Redskins in last seventy games.

Brandon Banks is definitely a weapon for the Redskins. If he has the ball and sees an opening, put your money on Banks- he is fearless and his speed gives a little Brandon Banks the Washington Redskin’s the best chance for a big return.

It’s Always Chilly in Minnesota

There isn’t a meteorologist who could have predicted this cold front in Minnesota.

The 2009 season for the Minnesota Vikings ended with a Favre interception and an NFC Championship loss to the New Orleans Saints. The Vikings season was over and we all knew Favre wasn’t going to end his career on pick. Despite the rumors that Favre would not return to the Vikings for the 2010 season, we just had to wait until after training camp to see Favre in the huddle and return to the second highest scoring offense in the NFL.


With Jared Allen- who lead the NFL in sacks and Pat and Kevin Williams all back on defense; the Vikings roster looked more like a heat wave in Minnesota.
The 2010 regular season started with Favre in the pocket and a 14-9 loss to the New Orleans Saints and then a loss to the Miami Dolphins in week two. The first win didn’t come until week three. But a 24-20 win over the Detroit Lions was a cold win that questioned the temperature of team that was forecasted to win the AFC Championship.

In October, the arrival of star wide receiver- Randy Moss in an exchange for a third-round draft pick in 2011, gave Vikings fans the hope of seeing a meteor shower in week five against the Jets. However, this turned into a media shower as allegations of Brett Favre and sexting with a former Jets employee and a 29-20 loss. The season high came after a 24-21 win over the Dallas Cowboys but after a 28-24 loss to the Green Bay Packers the temperature in Minnesota dropped to a season low.

The media shower continued after a 28-18 loss to the New England Patriots followed by the Randy Moss post game interview that ended with a salute to his former head coach- Bill Belichick. The following Monday, Childress announced that Moss was no longer with them. Teammates, Vikings owner-Zygi Wilf and Vikings fans were all frozen and wanted answers from Childress. Childress remained silent. This was the calm before the storm…

The Chicago Sun Times asked Vikings players what they thought of Childress. While the comments were made anonymously, players didn’t hide their feelings for their coach.

“We know that Childress doesn’t have our backs, so why should we have his?”

“We’re playing for us, and we’re winning despite him.”

“He has absolutely no people skills” referring to the way Childress bashes players publically.

One player even said “As much as I hate Childress, I will keep playing.”

In week nine, the Vikings played the Arizona Cardinals at home and won 27-24 in overtime. Childress still tried to make Favre jokes. It was a chilly move for a head coach with a future Hall of Fame QB who just threw for a career high 446 yards.

Then on Friday, Childress again proved he has ice water in his veins as he attacked the NFL’s rising star wide receiver- Percy Harvin. It was reported the argument started from Childress questioning Harvin's effort during practice after recovering from anther migraine attack.

Will someone please give Brad Childress a hug or fill the Gatorade cooler with hot water and pour it on him- Vikings fans, get your snuggies ready… as long as Brad Childress is the head coach in Minnesota, it’s going be a chilly season.

Hard Knocks on Defense

Watching the Redskins each week is part of my cardio exercise for the week. I can run for miles on the treadmill but all that running doesn’t get my heart rate as high and low as watching the Redskins; the defense causing a high heart rate and the offense bringing my heart rate to a low.

Obviously, the NFL stat guy isn’t watching the Redskins on Sunday. Washington is ranked last in the league in yards allowed- it’s a good thing games are won by how many points a team scores and not by how many yards are given up. Shanahan’s new 3-4 defense may look disappointing on paper but have you looked at the damage the defense is causing to opposing teams offense? In the past four matchups the Washington defense has not only impacted the game but also the active roster of the opposing team’s next game.

Eagles QB, Michael Vick hasn’t played a down since he was sandwiched by DeAngelo Hall and Kareem Moore and he is still suffering from a rib cartilage injury. It was later reported that running back LeSean McCoy played through a broken rib and both Riley Cooper and Asante Samuel experienced mild concussions.

Packers tight end, Jermichael Finley was carted off in the fist quarter with knee injury and he is out for the season. Aaron Rodgers suffered a concussion.

The Colts and the leagues top receiving tight end, Dallas Clark, has been placed on injured reserve and he will undergo surgery on his wrist this week. A bye week doesn’t look like enough time for running back Joseph Addai’s shoulder injury to recover from hard hit by London Fletcher.

The Ego of Chicago’s QB Jay Cutler may have taken the worst beating of all as he threw four picks to DeAngelo Hall and the Bears were 0-0 on 4th downs at Soldier Field.

Talk about Hard Knocks…. Have you seen the size of LaRon Landry’s biceps? With 158 consecutive starts, London Fletcher hasn’t missed a game start since 1998. Both Landry and Fletcher are in the leagues top five for most tackles. DeAngelo Hall leads the league with five interceptions and Brian Orakpo is fifth in sacks.

When you consider a team with a 4-3 start, ranks eighth in the league for toughest schedule, a new coaching staff and basically a brand new team playing in the NFC east, I say-Hail Yeah!

So to the NFL stat guy: yards given up affect your fantasy points. Points scored affect the outcome of the game.

Racy Move

On Tuesday, CNBC published The Q Scores Co-a general polling company, which ranked LeBron James as the sixth most-disliked athlete in American sports. According to the report, James is considered a positive public figure by only 14 percent; a 77 percent decline from when he was with Cleveland. CNN correspondent Soledad O'Brien asked if race played a role in the decline of the LeBron James brand. James responded with “I think so at times. It's always, you know, a race factor." Maverick Cater, the 28 year-old who is the CEO of the LBJ brand said race "definitely played a role in some of the stuff coming out of the media, things that were written for sure."

Sounds like these kids have a lot to learn. LeBron and his camp blame race for his decline while the rest of us on planet Earth blame “The Decision” for his popularity decline. Most blame him for how he made the decision and not really the outcome of his decision.

LBJ: Stop playing the race card and start learning how to dribble.

The whole idea of The Decision- LeBron’s free agency announcement plus the circus in American Airline Arena- was it expected; yes. Was it ridiculous; Yes! Did we all watch; YES! We allowed the brand of LBJ to be created and now with this race card comment…. did we create a monster; Yes!

I’ve always been a LeBron fan even with his decision, but the race card. C’OME ON MAN! At this point we all know LeBron is one of the most dominate athletes in the NBA, but with this whole media debacle and hype in Miami the Heat is on and a Championship ring might be his only shot to save his throne as KingJames.

Incase you want to know who the other disliked athletes are:

When I saw the other top five disliked athletes, I laughed at all but one. I completely agree with Michael Vick being on the list and I can see why Tiger Woods is on the list for now, but he won’t retire from golf on and still be on the list. Terrell Owens, Chad Ocho Cinco and Kobe Bryant are all on the list because they are hated for being great athletes with a comedian personality or for delivering a great one liner to the media-"These young guys are playing checkers. I'm out there playing chess."

Week One: Rival Week!

The Washington Redskins against the Dallas Cowboys for the first Sunday night game: OhMy! The emotions of fans who just want a winning team back in Washington, DC, the excitement for the start of football season and most hated rivals in the NFL faceoff. Tailgating started at noon, eight hours before kickoff and for the most part, fans of both teams behaved. As you entered the stadium, the chants started and the tension grew and no one in Vegas placed bets on that feeling that was in FedEx that gave Skins fans goose bumps before the game.

Flash backs from RFK stadium and highlights from those whose names are now in the Washington Ring of Fame brought back memories of the good ole days and for others they were images that made you flash-forward to when you can take your children to a game and say “I was at that game” or “I remember that moment”. I couldn’t help but wonder if I would ever witness those moments where years from now they will be played back and those moments will be remembered forever.

The very next image on the big screen was bundled up older man named Charlie White. Talk about a moment… After a moving tribute for his 72 years of ushering for the Washington Redskins- he has seen virtually every Washington home game- the 86 year old is a piece of Washington Redskins history. (Read Dan Steinberg’s story on White)
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/dcsportsbog/2008/12/meet_charlie_white_the_redskin.html

Maybe it was the tension building from tailgating to the stadium. Maybe it was an 86 year old fan and usher that made every Redskin fan in FedEx glossy-eyed as he was living proof that a true fan is a fan for life. Maybe it was all the disappointing seasons and years of never knowing what Snyder is going to do next that was building the emotions in FedEx. You could just feel it… And then, the stadium erupted when the big screens zoomed in on Chief Zee wearing the headdress as he chanted: WE Want Dallas! WE WANT Dallas! WE WANT DALLAS! FedEx has never been that loud and the intensity for a win has never been more clear.

The fans never left the game and with each down there was restored hope that we can win. I'm pretty sure this game took a year off my life and I woke up on Monday with no voice. As a Skins fan; a W is a W, no matter what the stats show

If I was Coach Shanahan I would have given the Redskins defense off from practice on Monday, Special teams half a day practice, the offense would have two-a-days all week. The yellow pants that matched the flags on the field would be worn every game in hopes that the calls go for the Redskins! But even if the Skins lose every other game this season, the emotion, loyalty and a restored hope that started from the image of a 86 year old man on the big screen and ended with 13-7 HAIL TO THE REDSKINS is a moment that will last my life time.

Rivals: Come Together!

It’s the first NFL game of the 2010 season and the New Orleans Saints are taking on the Minnesota Vikings- its just one of those games where every football fan was watching.

Before the game, both teams walked towards each other on the field, in a row and held up their right index finger as way to make a statement to the NFL and the owners. The statement the Satins and the Vikings made went beyond the rivalry of an NFC Championship game but as way to unite the National Football League players union.

The National Football League player’s union was formed in 1956 when football players on the Green Bay Packers and Cleveland Browns together demanded that the organizations provide players with a minimum league-wide salary and per diem pay, uniforms and equipment paid for and maintained at the clubs' expense and continued payment of their salaries while they were injured and unable to play. Don Shula of the Baltimore Colts, John Gordy of the Detroit Lions, Frank Gifford and Sam Huff of the New York Giants, and Norm Van Brocklin of the Los Angeles Rams led the organizing drive. (Thank you Wikipedia)

So.. what’s the big deal? Basically, the owners and the players can not agree on the percent of leagues revenue that is shared between team owners and the players, the rookie salaries and contracts, the length of the season (will they extend to 18 games), health coverage for family and retirement and the use of drug testing. Will the owners of the most watched sport in the United States lock out players for 2011 season because they are negotiating a new collective bargaining agreement for the league’s 1,700 players?

Honestly, let the individual teams deal with the issues of salaries and contracts and besides the extension of a regular season schedule, the rest should be the leagues responsibility to provide health care and instill drug testing. Take away professional football from millions of die hard, crazy fans and the NFL will not only be called the No Football League but the rivalry will no longer be between the owners and the players, but between the fans and the NFL.

FIGURE IT OUT GOODELL!

I just want to know that in 2011 I will still have a holy day of football and my excuse to my boss for why I am unable to work on Sunday’s. This is a rivalry that needs to end before March 2011 and it is the one rivalry that the owners and players do not want the fans to be against them.

The Wait Continues in Washington…

Tommy John surgery- ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction surgery on the elbow named after former Dodger pitcher, Tommy John who was the first to have the surgery in 1974.

The word ‘surgery’ is just a scary word and then on Friday we heard surgery and Strasburg in the same sentence. National fans had to take a deep breath and accept that maybe those three words are no longer a death sentence for pitchers or teams.

Stephen Strasburg was a gift to the Washington Nationals from the baseball gods with efforts to replace the mascot/president’s race -that’s announced as the ‘main event’ to highlight the baseball game as the main reason for dealing with DC traffic to attend a Nationals game.

On Thursday, the Nationals first pick in the 2010 draft, Bryce Harper- at 17 year-old who has the talent and hype of Strasburg, showed off his Nationals jersey for the first time at Nationals Park. The Nationals also beat the Cardinals after 13 innings 11-10. But most of the public didn’t hear about these highlights as the shock of Strasburg claimed the headlines.

The Nationals are in 5th place in their division for the 5th time in the past six years. At this point not even Strasburg’s nasty curve could give the Nationals a chance to contend for a 2010 wildcard.

So how did this happen? Strasburg was carefully monitored and we haven’t heard any stories about rookie hazing. The Nationals did everything by the book to protect their $15.1 million dollar investment. But we continue to learn that innings pitched and pitch counts are not highly related to this injury, just ask Nolan Ryan who pushes his pitchers to pitch more than most teams. There’s the argument that pitchers come back a better pitcher post-surgery which could only mean that pitching injuries come down to pitching mechanics. Have you ever watched a pitcher in slow motion or viewed pictures of a pitcher pitching? The range of motion isn’t what most of us consider a normal movement and the facial expressions give a whole new meaning to the “Scheyer face”.

But maybe there’s some good to come out of this situation… We all witnessed LeBron talk about how he couldn’t win a championship alone, maybe this is a sign from the baseball gods letting us know that even Strasburg can’t win alone. With Bryce Harper on track to make a 2012 appearance in the show, giving Strasburg time to recover and Harper a year in minors- get your popcorn ready; we could be in for some real fireworks in the Nations Capital in 2012.

Bunker Bummer!

Dustin Johnson; Penalized two strokes on the 18th hole of the PGA Championship for grounding in the bunker at Whistling Straits.

I’m rooting for my friend and former classmate from college who is battling for his first major and you can just see the determination on his face that he’s going to win! Then, I heard the ruling.

Why is the gallery in the bunker? Why is there trash in the bunker? And where’s the rake? Talk about a hazard… Maybe it was a bunker at the beginning of the week, but it wasn’t a bunker on Sunday evening. Yes, I understand that there were memos all around the club house, but how do you determine a bunker when the gallery is standing over it? Does the rules official have to tell Johnson that he’s in a bunker, no. But could he have told him, YES! Given the circumstances and the unidentifiable lines of the bunker, why didn’t he tell Johnson he was in a bunker? Why wouldn’t Price have asked the crowed to move back?

The rules official for the final group on Sunday was David Price, who is also the head golf professional at Bent Tree Country Club in Dallas. He had to break the news to Johnson. Price said "I'm going to let him play out the hole so that it doesn't change the way he plays a shot or anything like that in case there wasn't a violation. As he's putting I'm thinking, 'I could be going up to the PGA champion to tell him he's not really the champion.' He missed the putt, which didn't make it any better, but I immediately went up to talk to him." Price had to tell Johnson immediately so Johnson would not sign the score card. If Johnson would have signed the score card he would have been disqualified and that would have cost Johnson thousands of dollars in prize money.

Some argued that the other players didn’t break the rule all week, well… at least not that we know of. Each golfer didn’t have a personal camera man following them all week and still no one is able to tell how many bunkers are on the course. Mr. Dye, there’s a reason spectators are not standing in the bunkers at Augusta National and there’s a reason grown men break down in tears looking down Magnolia Lane, but there’s no reason for an over designed course where players can not break down the bunkers from the dirt.

Dustin was a class act in how he handled the situation. He remained calm and once he was told the area of sand was a bunker he admitted that he had grounded in the bunker. Even with a Major title on the line Dustin never blamed anyone for the mistake. You have to admire that the future of golf is going to remain as classy as those who have pioneered the game. He took the high road and made Coastal Carolina Alumni proud to be a Chanticleer and he won the hearts of popularity in the gallery. Dustin, we are all rooting for you!

Dustin Johnson just became the Armando Galarraga of golf and the player we will remember from the 2010 PGA Championship.

Favre From Over....

When I heard that Brett Favre was retiring for the third time, I laughed.

I honestly think Brett was practicing with the high school kids in Mississippi and one of the kids said something about the Bengal’s or all these ridiculous rookie contracts which lead to, no one is talking about Brett Favre… So anther kid says oh, watch this, we can get Brett back in the spot light. This can only mean that one of the high school kids must have sent the text message to someone in Brett’s contact list and just like that, the word was out. The news and sports reporters went crazy trying to break the real story. (Again, I have no idea how the word got out but it’s more comical to think of it this way.)

The Vikings have offered Brett Favre $16 million guaranteed plus $4 million in incentives to play the 2010 season. We all know Brett isn’t the athlete who has dreams of making it rain in a rap video but really… How many pairs of Wranglers can he have? It’s obvious that Brett hates camp and while he might be the NFL’s only grandfather, he still plays football on pure adrenalin with a passion for the game and with the innocence of a child that continues to prove that having fun will always be the heart of his the game.

I was in Milwaukee when Brett announced his first retirement in 2008. Talk about a somber state… The whole state of Wisconsin fell into a deep depression. Every where I went, Packer fans were begging their hero not to go. Just about every business that had an outside sign had a message for Favre. Everything from, Thanks for memories Brett, You will be missed, Favre for President, Favre: We Need You and Brett Favre is our religion. Once Brett announced he would be playing the 2008 season with the Jets, a church sign read, God will never leave you for the Jets.

Then in 2009 we heard it again… and Favre fans everywhere didn’t want to believe he was walking away. A few days later, Childress was picking Favre up from the airport and for the first time in 18 years, Favre wasn’t wearing a green jersey. Favre fans learned a new color that day and football fans everywhere realized how much football needed Brett Favre.

At the age of 40, he had one of his best seasons and proving to Ted Thomas why Brett Favre has earned the right to call the plays on and off the field.

I’m no medical doctor, but I used to have my ankle taped in cheerleading and it made it almost impossible to point my toes or even move my ankle at all. It might as well have been a cast made out of pre-wrap and athletic tape. Brett, you still have your arm and your heart. Tape your ankle, get a brace, take some Advil and just be on the field September 9th (and November 28th because I’ll there when you play in Washington)! Brett, your career is Favre from over!

NCAA Investigations: the Real Violations

NCAA vs Sports Agents and paying college athletes, what's the real violation?

NCAA rules prohibit players from accepting gifts or improper benefits from agents or their representatives. What if the college athlete doesn’t have an agent or a representative? Does that mean college athletes can not accept friends request from Sports Agents on facebook? What if a fraternity is throwing the best party on campus and everyone who attends, including the college athletes, are not charged to drink the Jungle Juice (or Tim Tebow for the fruit punch) is that considered an improper gift?

A South Beach party at Club Liv in the Fontainebleau hotel in May has been the subject of an investigation by the NCAA and several high profile schools, including defending National Champion Alabama, North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia. These investigations will only lead to punishment for the schools and the current players. But in the USC investigations, the punishment for violating NCAA agent rules affected the current players who were not even students at USC when the violations took place.

The only punishment that is consistent is that the agent is never the victim and agents are never punished for going after top prospects. According to the NCAA, only 39 states have a law that can punish the misbehavior of agents. However, these laws are rarely applied. So who is really violated? College students meet with future employers about future jobs. Future employers can fly out future employees to interviews or any company function that might persuade the future employee. How is a student interview different from student athletes interviewing future Sport Agents?

What is different is paying current student athletes with a paycheck to play the sport. They are paid: it’s called a college education without student loans. I hate to say it, but I disagree with one my favorite sports reporters, John Saunders and the rest of the sports reporters on this issue. On Sunday’s edition of the show the lead story was about the NCAA and agents and if players should be paid to play. Saunders ended the segment by saying; “room, board, books and tuition; there should be a little more money going around I think..” I’m guessing that he and Mike Lupica, Mitch Albom, and Pedro Gomez didn’t have student loans when they graduated from college.

There are brain surgeons who will graduate medical school over a hundred thousand in debt. Reggie Bush left college with zero debt, maybe a Range Rover and the skills on the field to make millions. Yes, Reggie Bush made USC millions from his jersey sales and the hype of watching him play, but USC gave Reggie Bush the opportunity and the branding that lead to Reggie Bush signing a NFL contract and earning millions. He was paid, just not in paper presidents and so were all the athletes who proved themselves in professional sports.

Any college student is going to be tempted to anything that’s “free”. In my opinion, if the University isn’t writing the check for any legal, “free” gifts or trips I don’t see the big violation. Paying student athletes to play is a violation to all students. When non-athletes are paying thousands of dollars in tuition and will graduate with 30 years of debt so that the student athletes can leave college without ever owing the University a penny, is enough. Paying athletes would only lead to an increase in student’s tuition and that should be considered a real NCAA violation.

Witness the Biggest BreakUp

LeBron James didn’t choose to grow up in Ohio. He never had a national signing day and he’s never be able to choose where he would play. Cleveland crowned him the Chosen One to build a seven year relationship that was based on hope he could save a city. LeBron James didn’t choose to save Cleveland.

The idea of a national TV special to announce his decision of free agency is not shocking. I can’t be the only one who expected this type to attention on a day that we all saw coming.

LeBron James is more than an athlete, he’s an international brand! Of course the world wanted to ‘witness’ HIS decision. The problem is that the city of Cleveland took it as a public breakup and a slap in the face of un-loyalty. I would argue that the city of Cleveland is the crazy ex-girlfriend in this breakup. Burning LBJ’s jersey, riots, and the deepest burn came from the nasty words of Cavaliers owner, Dan Gilbert. This isn’t Lane Kiffin, this is a six time all-star and a two time MVP. He played his heart out in a Cavalier jersey! If he wanted to “rub it in” he would have sat behind a table lined with team hats, smiled and cheered while yelling “South Beach baby”. Instead, he made it a charity opportunity, had a conversation -not a press conference and held back tears as he announced he would be heading down south.

The pressure of his decision was written on his tired face and shown in his glossy eyes. He carried the weight of not only a franchise, but the weight of an entire city. No one would choose that pressure and no one could succeed alone. It takes a team to win a championship and a team to save a city.

Even when LeBron showed signs that he had an interest in other cities, Cleveland fans sill worshiped him. Remember when he wore a Yankees hat to an Indians game? He has openly stated that yes, he grew up in Ohio, but he also grew up a Yankees fan, a Dallas Cowboy fan and a Chicago Bulls fan-why else would he wear “23”?

He didn’t breakup with Cleveland for more money. He’s said all along that he plays to win. Seven years of sell-out games and ESPN highlights without a championship in a Cavaliers jersey can only leave LeBron the one with a broken heart. So yes, breaking up is hard to do.

I respect LeBron more for admitting that it’s not about the money and that he can’t do it alone. By joining Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh- the Miami Heat just got hotter. Professional sports are fueled by ego’s and dollar signs. To see a team that chooses to ban together to build a team fueled by passion and teamwork is almost an unheard of relationship. A team that has chosen to give up their individual net worth to build the teams net worth is so rare and inspiring –and quite possibly the best illustration of teamwork in the NBA. Now, we can only count down the days until we witness a championship team.

The Donovan Affect

I’m not going to lie, watching ninety minutes of running made me tired. I even called my cable provider because there was an annoying buzzing sound coming form my TV. When the customer service representative told me that my cable connection was fine I started to believe a fly was stuck in my ear.

I’m a huge sports fan, but when it comes to the most popular sport in the world, something is missing in American soccer. I think American fans are too ADD (attention deficit disorder) to watch a ninety minute game with such low scoring. Fans need more instant gratification to keep their eye on the ball and their debit cards in the stadiums. Sports fans have so many choices when it comes to which sports to watch and support. Teams that already have championship banners to confirm success have captured fans for their life time. Besides, Americans are too competitive to invest in a sport that can end in a tie. Seriously, all that running for a tie!!!??

The United States has Americanized the sport football by naming it soccer. Why did we stop there? Maybe we should have Americanized the game more towards corporate entertainment to drive a fan base of consumer spending. A large TV audience and a strong, supporting fan base are the fundamentals for a successful team/league. In a sport with no time outs, there’s no time for commercials- only a fifteen minute break at halftime. Don’t get me wrong; I have satellite radio in my car because I can’t stand commercials so watching a game without interruption is great. The down side is that the sports that have altered rules of their game to become more TV friendly have created a billion dollar industry that is a house hold brand-except soccer.

Deep down, I’m a dork and there are not enough stats for me to tell who on the field is a star and who is a superstar. I know of Clint Dempsey because of story Jeremy Schapp showed on E:60. Until an ESPN commercial with Landon Donovan and a copy machine, I was unaware that he is the all-time leader in scoring and assists for the United States national team. In 2007 the Beckham Effect was Major League Soccer’s plan to be in the same league as the NFL, MLB, NBA and the NHL. Temporally, it created hype and when Beckham actually played, the plan worked. However, the Beckham Effect didn’t pack a local bar at 8:00AM for an afternoon soccer game like a United States World Cup game.

The best moment for the United States during the World Cup was seeing the excitement that the team created among Americans. Maybe it was just the red, white and blue that united sports fans on a field where no one, including the World Cup referees wanted the United States to be successful. But, I have hope that Landon Donovan’s game winning goal against Algeria was the play that years from now we will look back and say that was the goal that created the Donovan Affect on American soccer.

P.S. Vuvuzelas should be banned in the United States.

A Perfect Ending

There have been only 20 official perfect games over the past 135 years of Major League Baseball. Last year, White Sox pitcher-Mark Buehrle became the only pitcher to throw a perfect game in the past five years. This year, both Dallas Braden and Roy Holladay have pitched perfect games. With one out to go last Wednesday, Cooperstown was clearing room to add Armando Galarraga to the perfect game hall of fame.

In only a crowd of 17,738 in Detroit with one out to go, Tigers first baseman Miguel Cabrera moved to field the grounder by Jason Donald and fired to Galarraga covering first-base for out 27. The crowd was cheering for the first perfect game in Tigers history the announcers called Donald out and then umpire Jim Joyce yelled “safe”. The cheers quickly became boo’s, a franchise record quickly became a nightmare and a pitcher just smiled.

As a fan of the game you find yourself rooting for Galarraga even if you’re not a Tigers fan. The caliber and prestige of a perfect game makes you a fan of baseball and everyone watching wanted to pass down the memory of the night they witnessed a perfect game. But what I will remember from the game is the reaction of Galarraga. He just smiled while the world of baseball called Joyce every name in the book. He didn’t go for an ejection, he didn’t throw his hat/glove; he just smiled and finished his game.

Joyce tearfully spoke to the media after he watched the re-play and he admitted that he made a mistake that cost Garlarraga a perfect game. It was the biggest call of his career and he blew it. He spoke to Garlarraga and apologized in person. "You don't see an umpire after the game come out and say, `Hey, let me tell you I'm sorry,'" Galarraga said.

Baseball fans needed more than a night to walk off the fury for the blown call. As Jim Joyce walked on the field for Thursday’s game, his emotions were shown in the bags under his eyes. Death threats didn’t stop him from being a man and facing a crowd of boo’s and the player whose dream he took away. Tigers manager Jim Leyland had Galarraga present the lineup up card as a way to defuse the uproar of the pervious night

When Jim Joyce and Armando Galarraga shook hands, Jim Joyce wasn’t the only one with tears. When most fans wanted to punch Joyce, Galarraga shook his hand and kept a smile on his face. It might be one the classiest moment in sports. I give Joyce, Galarraga and Leyland all a standing ovation for handling the situation with such character and class. In the game of sportsmanship- baseball won.

King of What?

Have you checked the LeBron Tracker on ESPN.com? It’s a full page dedicated to what the two time MVP, LeBron James will do with free agency. The opinions and polls are endless and vary from one reference to the next. For the next 44 days the LaBron Tracker will continue to update with any news about if the King will stay in Cleveland or build his castle in a bigger city.

KINGJAMES23 is the name of the fantasy basketball league I play in. I couldn’t help but ask the league manager (my twin brother) what is KingJames King of? His response was that in the world of baseketball, LeBron is the King. Yes, I remember him on the cover of Sports Illustrated when he was a sophomore in high school and I know that he skipped the experience of playing at the college level to be the number one draft pick in 2003. The state of Ohio and SI appointed LeBron as the Chosen 1. As a three-time “Mr. Basketball” recipient of Ohio high school basketball, they nicked named him “King James”. So what will we call him if he actually wins a ring…? KingGodJames..? KingHasARingJames..?

Don’t get me wrong, I love LBJ and I’m pretty sure he would beat me in a game of horse. But, Charles Barkley and Steve Nash are some of the past league’s MVP’s and they never held a Championship trophy. They were (are) superstars but we didn’t call them King, maybe Sir, but they played the in the league and earned their Super-Star status. LeBron was the King of the NBA before he graduated high school.

With six more weeks of speculation, I just want to know that LeBron isn’t going to pull a Ricky Williams and that he will be playing in the NBA next season. All this New York, New Jersey, Chicago, Cleveland; it’s more like Jay Z vs Obama vs Ohio. If President Obama thinks “LeBron will look great in a Bulls uniform” and when anything is “speculated” from John Calipari’s reps it’s a pretty good sign that the Chicago Bulls are turning into Looking at Lucky in this race.

I just hope that one day my twin brother and I can WITNESS King James with Ring.


PS: Phil Jackson: Nash didn’t carry the ball.

Is Washington, DC on the ineligible list for a Championship?

Dear Sports Gods:
Please remove Washington, DC from the list of teams banned from winning a Championship. Thanks, -Alison

The Washington Capitals won the Presidents Cup, Strasburg should make his major league début this month and Dan Snyder still has more money than God. Sounds like championship city, but the Capitals haven’t held the Stanley Cup, the Nationals haven’t celebrated a World Series win and Dan Snyder still can’t buy a Super Bowl ring.

The city is still morning the loss of the NHL conference quarterfinals. The Capitals lost to the Canadians and some say it was the biggest sports upset in Washington. There was no Obama bailout for the Caps and the number seven doesn’t seem so lucky in Washington, DC. How dose the best team in the league lose in the first round? Is Halak on HGH? Can Ovechkin win in the post season? Some questions may remain unanswered, but all the talent of: Ovechkin, Green, Backstorm, and Semin will return next year and the feelings from game seven will skate the Capitals back to the playoffs.

I always laugh when I hear “And now for the main event…The President’s race” at the Washington National’s games. Is that the main reason to spend $8.00 on a bottle of domestic beer? For the first time in five years the Nat’s have a winning percentage above 500 and a $15.1 million dollar draft pick who has a fastball clocking 100 miles per hour.. maybe there’s a prospect for a winning future…

Mr. Snyder Sir, money buys championships for the Yankees. However, it’s not paying off for the Redskins. Jason Taylor and McNabb are just a few of the over paid superstars whose careers have already peaked and are full of disappointment. I wouldn’t say you are the worst owner in the NFL, but I can’t say you’re the smartest either.

I’ve met Mr. Snyder before and I will admit he wasn’t the jerk he’s made out to be. I enjoyed the conversation and I know he’s better than a 80-90 record. Honestly, I think he’s just as frustrated with the team and at least he is trying to buy wins. Just invest in draft picks, not the leftovers.

Washington, DC has talented athletes, an investment in a fastball, the money to win championships and still the Capitals and the Nationals remain on the banned list and the Redskins have been put on the ineligible list for the past 18 years.

If you believe in Sports, pray. If you believe in God, pray. Sports in Washington, DC need a lot of prayer for a Championship team.

Do you believe in Magic?

An NHL hat trick is the term for a player that scores three goals in a single game. To honor the player the fans litter the ice with hats -“hat trick”. This tradition dates back to the 1950’s.

But what happens when the player scores four goals in a single game? Personally, I think the hats should be replaced with toy rabbits- (watch me pull a rabbit out of my hat). Who doesn’t love a magic trick?

Now, for some real magic… The Capitals dream of Stanley.

Alex Ovechkin said Saturday’s win was because Montreal’s Halak was suffering from some playoff jitters… I hope Ovechkin’s hockey stick becomes a magic wand for the playoffs.

The Washington Capitals have Alex Ovechkin- arguably the best player in the NHL, the best fans in hockey and consecutive sellouts for all their home games, but they haven’t tasted champagne from the top bowl of the Stanley Cup trophy. Will this be the year that for the first time in team history “Washington Capitals” is engraved on the Stanly Cup? If you believe in magic; Rock the Red or Rock the Hawk- and just believe in the C-A-P-S CAPS! CAPS! CAPS!

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year

Brackets are busted, the azalea’s are in bloom and hot dogs just taste better this time of year: It’s the most wonderful time of year in sports.

Tomorrow is the NCAA men’s Championship game between number one seed Duke and number five seed Butler. While Duke is the number one seed, no one was talking about taking the Blue Devils to the Championship game. And I wouldn’t call Butler the underdog if center- Matt Howard stays out of foul trouble. The name Duke has a ring to it. To say “91’, 92’, 2001 and 2010 NCAA National Champions” is a phrase that just sounds right.

I’ve always said that college is where the heart is. The words team and coach have a different meaning and every game played is about building a stronger team. No one is worried about a paycheck; they just worry about each other. The heart of the game was apparent as everyone who watched WVU’s coach Huggins fall to his knees to console an in-pain Da’Sean Butler. It didn’t matter who you were rooting for, we all felt their emotions. The reaction by Huggins to Butler was like a father and his only son. Their interaction broke the hearts of everyone watching. Referees are always trying to speed up the game, but for those moments on the court no one was worried about the clock, just the broken hearts that embraced on the floor.

In sports, there’s no off season. When one season ends, another one begins.

The Masters begins tomorrow and the tournament goes beyond golf and becomes The Master of tradition. Not much has changed since Bobby Jones and Clifford Roberts dreamed of having the most prestigious tournament in golf. It’s one of the few sporting events that is rich in the tradition of the game and not rich in the media. There’s meaning on every inch of the grounds. The walk through Magnolia Lane that leads to Founders Circle and then meets at the clubhouse is beginning of the sincerity for the next eighteen holes. Amen Corner is landmark for being able to lift an embedded ball and drop it without penalty. President Eisenhower suggested the perfect place for a pond and Roberts named it Ike’s Pond.

Tiger will return and with limited media coverage, it’s just how the Masters should be: Only about The Maters.

The sounds of summer are back. There are no other sounds that are more associated with sports than the crack of the wooden bat and a 90 mile an hour fastball going deep into left field. The sound of a change-up hitting the catcher’s mitt while the batter swings and miss. The deep voice of an umpire calling a strike and hot dogs taste better when you hear “HotttttDogs! Get your HOTDogs!” It’s a long season, but once you hear the sounds of summer, you’ll know it’s the most wonderful time of year.