MLB First Half Review

Being that today's Home Run Derby marks the beginning of this year's All-Star break, I thought it would be fitting to review the first half of the season.

Divisional Leaders

AL East- Boston Red Sox by 0.5 games
AL Central- Chicago White Sox by 1.5 games

AL West- L.A. Angels by 6 games

NL East- Philadelphia Phillies by 0.5 games
NL Central- Chicago Cubs by 4.5 games

NL West- Arizona Diamondbacks by 1 game

It looks like very division is wide open for 2-4 teams. In the AL East, you have to take the Tampa Bay Rays seriously. All of that young talent is finally translating into wins. And you can never count out the Yankees in that division.

In the AL Central, the White Sox and Twins could battle to the end for the division, but I wouldn't be surprised if the Tigers made a surge in the second half and stole the division.

In the AL West, the Angels will be tough to beat, especially since their pitching has been top-notch. The Athletics and Rangers are still in this race though, but their offense is all they have going for them.

In the NL East, Philadelphia is the best team right now, but look out for the Mets. Since Willie Randolph left, the Mets have a winning record and I wouldn't be surprised to see them run away with this division. The Marlins are another young team like the Rays, but I don't think they have the pitching to make the playoffs.

In the Central, the Cubs have been the best all year, so far. St. Louis and Milwaukee have a chance to make a run for the division, but if the Cubs continue to do what they are doing, I don't know if any NL team can beat them.

The NL West is the worst division in the league right now, with the Diamondbacks in 1st place- with a record of 47-48... The Dodgers aren't far behind and San Diego is last in that division, 10 games back. Your guess is as good as mine as to who will win this division.

The Angels and the Cubs have the best records at the break, but the Red Sox have the same amount of wins as the Angels, just two more losses in two more games played.

Top Hitters

Chipper Jones leads the league in batting average with an average of .376

Ryan Howard leads the league in home runs with 28

Josh Hamilton leads the league in RBI with 95

Top Pitchers

Brandon Webb leads the league in wins with 13

Tim Lincecum leads the league in strikeouts with 135

Justin Duchscherer leads the league in ERA with an ERA of 1.82

Players to Watch Out For

In the AL, you have to keep an eye on A-Rod. He missed a few weeks with an injury at the beginning of the season, but is quietly having another great season. He's batting .312 with 19 homers and 53 RBI. If Josh Hamilton continues to hit the way he has, he has to get the MVP. Another big surprise for that Texas team is Milton Bradley, who is having the best season of his career with 19 homers and 57 RBI. Rookie Evan Longoria of the Rays is having an amazing season and will probably win Rookie of the Year with his 16 home runs and 53 RBI. Ian Kinsler is another Ranger who is having a career year. He's leading the AL in average with an average of .337 and he's hit 14 homers and doubled 34 times. Roy Halladay and Cliff Lee are probably the two front runners for Cy Young honors.

In the NL, it's all about pitching. Rookie Edinson Volquez is having a phenomenal year with 12 wins and a 2.29 ERA. The Cy Young can go to about 8 pitchers in the NL. Guys like Volquez, Tim Lincecum, Dan Haren, Ben Sheets, Carlos Zambrano, Brandon Webb, Cole Hamels, and Chad Billingsley are all having career years. And now that C.C. Sabathia is a Brewer, you could add him to that list because moving him to the NL could be scary for NL teams. Albert Pujols, Lance Berkman, Chase Utley and Chipper Jones are all having amazing seasons at the plate. There are two players that I think are the most underrated players in the whole league...

1. Florida Marlins SS- Hanley Ramirez- In his third season, Ramirez is batting .311 with 23 home runs and 45 RBI. Not to mention, 23 stolen bases and a great glove and arm at shortstop.

2. Milwaukee Brewers OF- Ryan Braun- Last year was Braun's first year. He only had 451 at-bats, but he made the most of them with a whopping 34 home runs and 97 RBI. This year, he already has 377 at-bats with 23 homers and 66 RBI. This guy is going to be the next A-Rod, if not, better.

Predictions

AL Winner- N.Y. Yankees (You watch and see)

NL Winner- Chicago Cubs (The curse is over)

AL MVP- Alex Rodriguez

NL MVP- Ryan Braun

AL Cy Young- Roy Halladay

NL Cy Young- Tim Lincecum

AL Rookie of the Year- Evan Longoria

NL Rookie of the Year- Edinson Volquez

2008 World Series Champs- New York Yankees

The End of an Era? I Hope Not

Have you ever seen the statistics of an athlete, but never saw that athlete perform? For instance, you can find anywhere that Alex Rodriguez hit 52 home runs last year. But, what does this do for you if you didn't see him hit the home runs? A-Rod's homers could have been balls that just made it over the wall, or inside-the-park home runs that weren't really monster shots. That was just an example. To clarify that, A-Rod earns every home run he hits.

What I was trying to accomplish by that example was to illustrate what it's like to hear or read about an athlete, but not actually see the real thing. Just like the game telephone- there is an original message, but the story changes after it's been told by a few people. This leads me to my main topic- Tiger Woods. Since 1996, I've heard how this kid Tiger Woods was the most amazing golfer you will ever see. I was never really into golf. I don't know why, but it just never interested me. As twelve years passed, I never watched a single golf tournament, but keep in mind, I knew of a few golf pros. Tiger, Mickelson, Ernie Els, Vijay Singh, Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, and Gary Player were just about the only golfers I knew of. Until, this past U.S. Open. For the last year I watched a little bit of golf here and there, but I never really understood all the rules. I decided to watch the 2008 U.S. Open out of curiosity. Let me tell you, the 2008 Open made me a golf fan for life.

We all know how Tiger and Rocco Mediate went to a sudden-death playoff, in which Tiger won. I've always admired Tiger Woods...I've admired him for his accomplishments. I knew of his accomplishments, but I never lived through them. I never saw him accomplish these feats. I've seen the Yankees win 4 World Series from 1996-2000, which made me appreciate the wins more. It would be different if I read in the papers about the Yankees winning, but didn't witness it. If you're wondering where I am going with this, here's your answer. Tiger Woods won the 2008 U.S. Open in one of the best golf tournaments in history. (The announcers in the event and media have confirmed this!) I witnessed this event! I can honestly say that the only golf event I watched from beginning to end was Tiger Woods' last Major win...

Yes, I said last Major win. Just yesterday, Tiger addressed the issues on his knee injury. He said his left knee has been sore for the last 10-12 years. This would mean that his knee was sore for almost his whole professional career. Now, we aren't going to take this into account to his playing, because anyone could have health problems that contribute to their play. Tiger played how he played in his career, regardless of his injuries. He played through them. I don't think he was making an excuse, he was just being honest. Mickey Mantle was hurt for most of his career and the guy is one of the best baseball players we've ever seen. Not that I've seen the Mick play live...

So, Tiger just had the ACL in his left knee completely rebuilt and the doctors said he should have the leg healthier than it's been in 12 years. But, the million-dollar question is, when will Tiger be back? Tiger said it could be 6 months it could be 2 years... Some are saying that Tiger will retire after his knee recovers because he will have been out of the game so long that he won't want to return. There's no financial reason for tiger to return...he's the highest money-making athlete of all-time. Tiger has a wife and a child. He could enjoy his family if he wanted to. The question I ask is does Tiger have enough love for the game to come back after this injury? Tiger's biggest inspiration is his late father...we all know the story...Tiger was coached by his dad all of his life. And Tiger gets all of his inspiration after his dad's passing in 2006. I think Tiger will be back. After seeing him play for the first time in my life, I would be deeply saddened if Tiger was gone forever. I want to see him win a few more championships and pass Jack Nicklaus' record of 18 Major Championships. Tiger made it 14 Major wins with this past U.S. Open. Some people look at Tiger as the chosen one, or the golden boy of golf. But, I don't look at him that way. You know why? Because Tiger earned everything he has. He plays his heart out every time he steps on the golf course and that is what I respect and love most about him. I give everything my all and so does Tiger. Most of all, I know Tiger isn't playing for fame or money...Tiger is playing for you...and me...and his dad...

Anything is Possible

I've never seen a player with as much emotion as Kevin Garnett in a long time. After the Celtics beat the Lakers in blowout fashion in Game 6 to win the NBA Championship, Garnett just exploded. After the game, Michelle Tafoya interviewed him and it was like Garnett didn't know what to say. He was speechless, before saying that he was so hyped. But the best part was when Garnett said, "Anything is possible." Then he repeated it by screaming at the top of his lungs, "ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE!" It's awesome to see a guy with that much passion for winning because it's rare to find that in a player these days. The Celtics definitely deserved to win the Championship. A true team is made up of unselfish players who play well together, and that was exactly what the Celtics were this year. They had to be the funnest team to watch all year because they just play so well together.

You had to feel bad for Kobe after the game...or at least, I did. He has no help at all. Pau Gasol looked good when he came to the Lakers, but his play was absolutely disgusting in the Finals. Whether it was dropping every pinpoint pass from Kobe, or not playing defense and letting anyone score on him, Gasol had a horrible series. Derek Fisher has been amazing all playoffs, but he didn't have the same stuff in the Finals. Kobe is going to need a lot of help next year if he wants to get back to this point. But, Kobe already said that he isn't going to play General Manager, which is what he tried doing last year. It will be interesting to see how this unfolds. Could Kobe be traded? Will he stay in L.A. and get another star to play with?

The Celtics made the biggest turnaround of any team in NBA history from last year to this year. What I mean is last year the Celtics were 24-58. But this year the Celtics went 66-16 and won the Championship. No other team has ever done this before, proving that anything is possible.

It's Been a While

It's been a while since I've posted, and what better time to post than now? After last night's thrilling NBA Finals Game 4, I had to write a little something about it. The Celtics made the greatest comeback in NBA Finals history. They trailed by 21 after the 1st quarter, which was the most a team trailed after the 1st quarter in history. Then, during halftime, the Celtics were down by 18. The Lakers led by as many as 24, before the Celtics exploded. Horrible shooting and no defense by the Celtics in the first half were the differences. The Lakers made their shots and capitalized on Celtics mistakes. But, the second half saw a complete change of momentum. It was like the Celtics flipped a switch and decided that they wanted to win the game. Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett came alive in the 3rd quarter. I have to say, Ray Allen was the most consistent guy for the Celtics all series. Every game he has done what he had to do.

Being down 3-1, it's going to be very difficult for the Lakers to come back in this series. I mean, it's certainly possible, but it wont be easy. I will say this though...If Kobe leads the Lakers to a Finals win, after being down 3-1, he will cement his name as the best player ever...other than Jordan, of course. If anyone has the ability to come back from 3-1, it's Kobe.

What better way to cover the NBA's problems than with a great series? The problem is the NBA won't be able to cover themselves after this series. There will be a lot of questions during this off season concerning former referee Tim Donaghy's allegations. Personally, I don't know what to think. Donaghy is going to jail either way, so why would he claim that the NBA fixed games in 2002 and 2005 playoff series? I would believe it because NBA officiating has been horrendous the last ten years or so. I think I would rather believe that the officiating just sucks in general...not that the games were fixed, by David Stern himself. There's something about Stern I don't trust. I don't see why Donaghy would make up stuff like this, but I guess he could be making it up. It seems like every sport has its own troubles- baseball with the steroids and football with the Patriots cheating. It's been a while since we could consider a sport to be genuine and trustworthy.

I Told You to Keep an Eye on Kimbo

A while back I told you about Internet sensation Kimbo Slice. Kimbo faced his toughest match yet when he battled James Thompson earlier tonight. Thompson had three inches and about twenty pounds on Kimbo. While the fighters were on their feet, the show belonged to Kimbo. Kimbo landed big punches every time they squared off. But, the problem for Kimbo was Thompson kept getting him on the floor through the first two rounds. For about a minute at the end of the second round, things weren't looking good for Kimbo. He was on his back while Thompson kept elbowing him in the head. Kimbo just took the hits and lied there until the bell rang, ending the second round. Kimbo was slow to get up and he looked more than tired.

In the third round, Kimbo came out swinging. Shot after shot to Thompson's face showed that Kimbo was himself. Now what would a Kimbo Slice fight be without some controversy? First, let me tell you about Thompson's absolutely disgusting left ear. To say he was hit a few too many times in the past is an understatement. It looked like Thompson had a marble in his ear and it was ready to burst. In the third round, Kimbo did just that. A couple shots into Thompson's ear caused blood and pus to burst out of the ear. Kimbo hit Thompson about four more times in the face. Although Thompson didn't go down, he was standing there with his eyes rolling around. Thompson looked like he was going to blackout with one more hit, but the referee stopped it before Kimbo could do any more damage.

Kimbo won by TKO, but for some strange reason, no one liked this. Thompson didn't like it when he pushed the referee after the fight was ended. Fans booed Kimbo as he became the victor. But why? Everyone loves this guy, but because Thompson wasn't on the ground, people are upset? What did you want Kimbo to do, literally kill the guy? I don't understand why Kimbo was being booed. He was the only reason people were at the event tonight. Thompson couldn't stand any more and it looked like he didn't know where the hell he was. I have read about 10 blog posts in the last hour that have said tonight's event was a disgrace to MMA. Give me a break. The fight had to be stopped because if it went for another 10 seconds Kimbo would have knocked Thompson down for the count. When a guy is dazed and doesn't know where he is, I think that's when it's time to stop the fight. Oh man, you had to see Thompson's cauliflower ear...it was just hanging there all gross and bloodied up.

It was clear that when the event became a boxing match, Thompson didn't have a chance. But, there was a good amount of panic when Kimbo was on his back. It was the first time Kimbo got out of the first round in his professional career. If you saw what it was like when Kimbo was on the floor getting hit for a minute straight, you would understand what I'm talking about. He wouldn't give up and he just took the hits like they were nothing. Although it was the first time Kimbo had trouble, he still came out victorious. I don't care what anyone else says. Kimbo Slice is the real deal and I can't wait until his next fight. I guess Kimbo is just going to have to prove himself yet again. I just hope he gets the respect he deserves when it's all said and done.

Oh yeah and by the way...for everyone who believes tonight's fight was fixed and meant for Kimbo to win...and for everyone who believes the fight was stopped prematurely...James Thompson was taken to the hospital after the match because he was having difficulty breathing. But, you know, the fight should have kept going.

Reviewing Instant Replay

It's ironic that after Carlos Delgado was robbed of a home run, Alex Rodriguez was robbed of one a few nights later. When I say robbed of a home run, you would think that an outfielder made a leaping catch over the wall to steal the home run. But, that isn't the case because the outfielders didn't rob the home runs...the umpires robbed the home runs! Delgado's home run hit the foul pole and bounced into the stands, in foul territory. If you didn't see it clearly, it would look like a foul ball. But, with the replay, you can clearly see the ball hit the foul pole, making it a home run.

A-Rod's homer was even clearer than Delgado's. I have no clue how they botched this call two nights ago. In right field, there is a yellow stairway about 15 feet from the ground, leading to the bleachers. Alex hit a line drive home run to that stairway, and when it hit the stairway, the ball bounced back into the field. Orioles outfielder Nick Markakis played it and threw to second. Great acting job by Markakis. Everyone in the park knew it was a home run, except for the umpires. A-Rod and Girardi argued to no avail as Alex was stuck with a double.

Other than these two calls, there were two other home run controversies during this week involving the Cubs' Geovany Soto and the Cardinals Ryan Ludwick. The debate has started and heated up about whether to include instant replay in baseball. Some say it should be for home runs and others say it should be for any controversial call. It could get ridiculous with red flags, like they have in football. I wouldn't expect to see two challenges a game for each team, especially because the people opposing instant replay say it will slow down the game. Ah, c'mon. An extra couple of minutes for umpires to review a call and get it right...that sounds good to me.

If replay comes about, where do we stop with it? Should it just be for home runs? Well, there was a call in last night's Yankee game that suggests maybe the replay should be for other plays too. Jason Giambi had two strikes on him in the bottom of the 9th when he was thrown a ball...but wait, Oriole catcher Ramon Hernandez said that the ball hit Giambi's bat. And yes, the umpire then said that Giambi tipped the ball into Hernandez's glove, after Hernandez told him to make the call. Joe Girardi was as fired up as I have ever seen him, while he kicked his hat and screamed at the umpire. Yeah, he got thrown out, but it was evident that he fired up his team when Robbie Cano hit a walk-off single, scoring Hideki Matsui. The problem with the call on Giambi was that the umpire said nothing after the pitch, until about 4 seconds later after Hernandez told him what to call. First of all, the ball wasn't even close to hitting Giambi's bat. Secondly, you know there is something wrong when the umpire doesn't make a call until a player tells him what to say.

Baseball definitely needs instant replay, but I'm not sure how they should limit it. The game is 3 hours and 10 minutes long, and the umpires got all the calls right with instant replay. Or, the game is 3 hours long and the umpires blew a call to cost a team the game. Which scenario would you rather?

Big Brown Goes for Triple Crown & Celtics Cavs Game 7

Horse Racing...Is it one of my top priorities to watch? Not at all. But, this guy Big Brown is making a run for it. Big Brown is the horse who won the Kentucky Derby two weeks ago. In the race, he was behind by a good amount almost midway through the race. Then, all of a sudden, it's like he turned on a switch and he exploded to the finish line with a large margin of victory. Yesterday, Big Brown was the only horse from the Derby to run in the Preakness Stakes. Sure enough, Big Brown did it again, winning by 5 1/4 lengths. For those of you who don't know, a length is about 8 feet and it refers to the length of a horse.

You don't have to be a horse racing fanatic to see what's going on here. All you have to do is watch Big Brown run, and you can see why he won these two races so easily. He's a big horse with a lot of heart. He was the favorite to win both races, understandably. Big Brown has the chance to be the first Triple Crown winner since Affirmed in 1978. Big Brown will try to become the 12th horse to win the Triple Crown at the Belmont Stakes in a couple of weeks.

On another note, we have a big game 7 in a few hours! No other than the Boston Celtics and the Cleveland Cavaliers. Not that there should even be a game 7...because in game 6, there were a few controversial calls that the referees made, in favor of Lebron James. WOW! What a surprise! Paul Pierce was called for a charge when the Celtics were down by a few, I think it was 3 points. Lebron was still in motion and never made an attempt to stop and he hit right into pierce, as they both went to the ground. Pierce was called for the charge, and I am not the only one saying this called favored Lebron. After the game, every sportswriter or reporter has said that the call was wrong. Also, there was a play when Ray Allen shot the ball, as it was blocked pretty late by Delonte West. In the replay, you could see the ball wasn't going in, because it hit the side of the backboard. But, after it hit the backboard, West swatted the ball. Now, I have heard two different takes and I don't know which one is right. There's a rule that states if the ball hits anywhere on the backboard, and then is hit by a defender, it is goal tending. But then I've heard that if the shot has no chance of going in, it doesn't count as goal tending. That's just typical NBA for you, they don't know how to interpret their own rules.

I just hope that the game is fair today. If Lebron is going to win it for the Cavs, let him win it himself. Don't give all the calls in his favor like usual. Don't make up fouls and new rules to help Lebron, like I've seen many times before. Just let them play. If Boston is on top of their game, the Cavs don't have a chance. But, if Boston makes one mistake, Lebron can capitalize on it. The winner advances to play the dangerous postseason Pistons. Lebron single-handedly beat them to go to the NBA Finals last year, so that would be an interesting series. But, I don't think we will be seeing it. I think that Kevin Garnett can take over a game just as well as Lebron can. So, we will just have to see who wants it more.

Give Me a Break

I wasn't even going to comment on this, but it seems like every sports reporter has to add their two cents on this. So I'll add mine. Joba Chamberlain is a very emotional kid. His father, who battles with epilepsy, tries to come to most Yankee games. Joba gets a lot of his energy and emotion from his dad. Joba also has the most explosive stuff I've seen from a pitcher in a long time. He is just loaded with talent and he hasn't even played a full season yet. After Joba gets a strike out to end an inning, he usually has a couple of big fist pumps. While pumping his fist, Joba also yells with triumph. Now, the question is: Is it alright to do this all the time? Is it alright for Joba to go nuts when he strikes out David Delucci in the 8th inning of a game where his Yankees are winning 6-3? In the beginning of May, I might add.

Everyone is criticizing Joba for this, and I just don't understand. Are we blind? It's like you can't be right with these people. The same people who are saying it is bush league for Joba to get excited after a strike out are the people who said Eli Manning shows no emotion when he plays. Okay, so let me get this straight. Before Eli Manning won a Super Bowl, the media criticized him for showing no emotion while he played. They made fun of him for shrugging after throwing an interception and having a dumb look on his face when the Giants won a game or scored a touchdown. Joba Chamberlain strikes someone out with a 98-mph fastball and throws his fist in the air with triumph. But that's wrong? Make up your mind! You want emotion, you don't want emotion.

Joba gave up a three-run homer to David Delucci a couple of nights ago. Then, yesterday Joba struck out Delucci in the 8th inning of the game I mentioned. That's when Joba got excited. So, Joba was showing him up, right? That's how Delucci felt. He made some comments basically stating that Joba's actions are bush league. Well, Joba does this all the time. No matter who the hitter is, Joba shows his emotion when getting an out. But now the media says it wasn't a big game. It's only May, it means nothing. Okay, now there are games that mean nothing? Just because it is a game early in the season, Joba can't be excited about getting an out to end the inning?

This just doesn't make sense and I am sick over it. I don't know if these media guys have nothing to talk about, so they have to concern themselves with this. I don't know what it is. I think it's amazing what Joba does. It gets the crowd into it, when a player shows emotion like that. Fans want to see that. Then someone will say, "Oh no, it takes away from the game. Players aren't supposed to show-up batters like that." It's one thing for a pitcher to look at the batter and make a gesture towards him. Or for the pitcher to tease the batter in some way. But Joba isn't doing that at all!

I also might mention that Jonathan Papelbon of the Red Sox does the same thing Joba does, maybe even worse. Papelbon goes absolutely crazy when he gets a strikeout in the middle of an inning. Not even to end the inning! But, you know, Papelbon is on the World Champion Red Sox, he's allowed to do that.

This kid Joba is loaded with talent and he's excited to be pitching with the New York Yankees. He can't be happy for himself? Of course not, the media doesn't want him to be happy. You have to feel bad for these guys sometimes, even though they are making the big bucks. There isn't a guy I feel worse for than Alex Rodriguez, with this new story of him being a whimp because he passed out when his wife gave birth to their first child. Give me a break. That's a whole other story, don't get me started on it.

Who Can You Trust?

The NFL's list of off the field incidents just keeps on growing. In the last few days, there have been three negative incidents involving NFL players. Let's start with the most recent incident. This morning, Steelers 1st round draft pick Rashard Mendenhall was robbed. Mendenhall was an excellent runner at Illinois last year and I am really looking foward to seeing him play in the NFL, but that's beside the point. He was walking along Pittsburgh's lakefront when two men, dressed in black hoodies and ski masks, approached Mendenhall and took his wallet and phone. The poor guy is looking at his new home city with an unspecified companion, and he gets robbed. In your new home, who can you trust?

Chicago Bears running back Cedric Benson was arrested for resisting arrest, after being charged with boating while intoxicated. Haha. Boating while intoxicated, that's a new one. Isn't that one of the best parts about going out on a boat? To have a few drinks? Well, whatever. Benson had to be sprayed with mace, after he refused to go back onto land with the police. Benson told his account of the story. He said that he passed all the sobriety tests that the police gave to him, but they insisted he still go back to land with them. He resisted, and was sprayed. Benson also said he wasn't drunk, although there was alcohol on the boat. Benson has a lot to prove in the NFL, so this isn't the best way to do it. Between Benson and the cops, who can you trust?

Marvin Harrison...Wow. Marvin is one of the best receivers ever. He is known for being quiet all the time, unlike other showboating receivers in the league. Marvin just goes out and plays his game every Sunday. So why is Marvin involved in a shooting outside of his bar, called Playmakers? There was a dispute with Harrison and someone in the bar. The story is still not clear, but it seems that Harrison followed the man outside. The man was later shot and wounded in the hand. Tests show that the bullets shot were from a custom Belgian weapon, a weapon that Harrison owns.

The weird thing is that Harrison's camp claims that Marvin isn't even involved in the shooting. The cops don't have any suspects yet. If it happens to be Marvin who shot the gun...I don't know... I really do not know. Marvin Harrison is one of the most respected players in sports. Period. He is the textbook definition of a football player. He puts his body on the line every Sunday and doesn't have to be a loud mouth. So how can Marvin be involved in such a horrible situation? I would think you could trust Marvin Harrison, of all people. But, who can you trust?

It's Only the First Round!

What a first round of basketball! Tonight, we face three game 6 series. First at 7 o'clock, the dramatic series of Wizards and Cavs. I can't wait to see Lebron lose this game for one big reason. He doesn't deserve it! All this guy does is cry and complain and cry and complain. But yet, he gets free throws everytime he drives to the basket. I'm not going to continue bashing Lebron cause I already did enough of it. But, just to bring it to your attention, Darius Songaila was suspended a game for fouling Lebron. Yes, Songaila hit Lebron in the face. But, it sucks that the referees didn't see the 2-4 times a game when Lebron elbows someone as he is driving to the basket. Or when Lebron gets up to fight when he gets fouled cleanly. He's Lebron James though, he's allowed to do that.

Celtics and Hawks play a game 6 tonight also. I said the Celtics would win easily, but I have to think again. The Hawks were down 2-0, and then won 2 in a row. The series is currently at 3-2, in favor of the Celtics. The Hawks would be a great underdog story for anyone, but you have to think the Celtics will still put it out, right? It should be a great game 6 tonight.

The last game 6 tonight is Jazz and Rockets. Jazz were up 3-0 in this series, but the Rockets hung tough and won two in a row. You have to feel bad for Tracy McGrady. He is one of those guys who goes out and plays hard everyday, probably one of the reasons he is always getting hurt. Yet, T-Mac has never been out of the first round in the playoffs. He had a couple of chances with the Magic, but he was the whole team with them. Now, with the Rockets, he's got a great team. But, in the middle of the season, they lost Yao Ming, causing concern. But after Ming's injury, the Rockets won 22 games in a row, the 2nd longest streak in NBA history.

I want to see the Wizards beat Lebron. Lebron may be the greatest talent ever, as everyone seems to label him. But, I can't stand this guy. Maybe if he showed some passion for the game and actually played hard, I would respect him. But how can you respect a guy who can't deal with being hit and not called for a foul? A guy who wants a foul called everytime, and he almost gets it. A guy who people want to label as the next 'Jordan.' Lebron James isn't even close to Michael Jordan, nor will he ever be. Michael Jordan put his life on the line every single game he played. He won 6 NBA Championships and even if you hated the Bulls, you couldn't help but respect Jordan for his greatness.

I have to say the Celtics will win this series, although I'd like to see the Hawks win. The Hawks have two great young talents in Josh Smith and Joe Johnson. They both looked clutch at times in the series and I can see the Hawks as a serious threat in the East next year. Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, and Ray Allen. How can you go wrong? The Celtics have to win this series, or else they can't be taken seriously next season. As for the Jazz and Rockets...I don't know... I'd like to see T-Mac win, along with his skip to my lou sidekick, Rafer Alston. For those of you who don't know, Alston was a great streetball player who was referred to as Skip to My Lou, because he is an amazing ball-handler. But that's neither here nor there. The Rockets offense can probably pull through, but the trouble lies with stopping Deron Williams and Carlos Boozer.

The Wizards may be a better team without Gilbert Arenas. The Celtics may be overrated. And the Tracy McGrady may have been cursed a long time ago. I think we will get some answers tonight, but hey, IT'S ONLY THE FIRST ROUND!

Sticking with the Young Guns

Phil Hughes and Ian Kennedy were talked about all off-season, regarding a trade for Johan Santana. The Yankees decided to stick with their young guns and they have paid the price for it, so far. I say so far because we are only a month into the season. But, how much time do you give these guys before you give up?

Not only did the Yankees lose Jorge Posada to a shoulder injury, which could sideline him for quite a while, but their young guns cannot pitch a quality game. Let's start with Ian Kennedy. He is 0-4 this season, allowing 22 runs in 23.7 innings. Kennedy just hasn't looked like the top prospect the Yankees said he was. He loses the strike zone easily and when he finds the strike zone, his pitches are flat and very hittable. Phil Hughes has also allowed 22 runs like Kennedy, ironically, but he was pitched 22 innings. Hughes has a great curve and a great fastball, giving him the tools to be a top starter. But, like Kennedy, Hughes hasn't found the strike zone, with 20 walks in 22 innings. Hughes is currently on the DL with a strained right oblique. The Yankees have said he will be shut down for 4 weeks, and then he will be re-evaluated.

So what do the Yankees do? I'll tell you what they do. They do what they should have done in the off-season. Trade! The Yanks could have gotten Johan Santana for these young "phenoms." But as of now, these guys are worth just about as much as Vito Ingrassia. If you're wondering who Vito Ingrassia is, you aren't alone. He is a friend of mine who can throw a fastball, but can't throw a strike. Right now, Kennedy and Hughes are worthless! But who am I to say this? I'm only an 18 year old sports fan. It's not like I'm Hank Steinbrenner or anything...

Draft Preview

(2007 Texans #1 pick Mario Williams)

It seems like football just ended, right? It was only about two and a half months ago when the New York Giants defeated the New England Patriots in one of the greatest Super Bowls ever. But, the first part of next season starts today with the 2008 NFL Draft. If your a football fan, you usually watched the first round or two, like myself, because it's impossible to sit there for eleven hours watching the draft. Last year's draft had a first round which stretched six hours and eight minutes. That's why the NFL changed a few things to shorten the draft.

The time a team had for their first pick used to be fifteen minutes, but this year they will have ten minutes. The second round went from ten minutes to seven minutes. The time of the draft was also changed from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday will only be the first two rounds of the draft, giving Sunday to the third-seventh rounds. This was a great move by the NFL because the draft was definitely way too long...I don't think you could find something more boring to do on a Saturday afternoon. The first round is usually very good, with all the big name players going to their new teams. But, after that, it just gets plain exhausting. Now let's get into the top players in the draft.

The Miami Dolphins already made their first overall pick, by signing Jake Long to a five-year, $57.75 million deal. Long was the top offensive lineman in college, where he played at Michigan. Nice safe pick. They say the safest first round pick is a lineman, but I just don't get that. With a play-maker like Darren McFadden, or a future star quarterback in Matt Ryan, why would you waste your first pick on a lineman? But I guess you need to build a team safely, by choosing a guy who you know can protect your quarterback and block for your runner.

I think Darren McFadden of Arkansas is going to be the best player out of this draft, a 6'2 runner with speed and power. It looks like the Raiders might take him, although the Jets have been trying to trade up or land McFadden at the sixth overall pick. Other than the top few picks, there are a few guys to look out for. Felix Jones was the back-up behind McFadden at Arkansas, and I can see him going late in the first round to the Cowboys. But, there's a quarterback who I would look out for. Joe Flacco. Quarterback from Delaware. At an incredible 6'7, Flacco is one of the most talented quarterbacks I've seen in a while. I wouldn't be surprised to see him slip to the early to middle of the second round.

3 p.m. today, NFL Draft. Whether your an NFL fan wanting to see who your team gets, or a college football fan wanting to see where these players go, the draft can be interesting for a little bit. But don't watch it for too long, you might waste your day.

Not So Fast, Hank

As you have probably heard, Hank Steinbrenner made some comments this week that suggested making Joba Chamberlain a starter, rather than keeping him in his setup role. Joba is such a dominant pitcher, with his 100-mph fastball. And as Hank put it, you would be "an idiot" to keep him as a one-inning pitcher. Joba appeared in 19 games last year and didn't lose once. His ERA was an amazing 0.38 and he had 10 more strikeouts than innings pitched.

Joba is off to a good start this year, appearing in 7 games and striking out 9 batters in 8 innings. Tonight, Joba pitched the 8th and 9th innings against the White Sox. With the score tied 6-6 in the bottom of the 9th, Joba hung a curveball to Joe Crede. Crede laced a base hit to centerfield, scoring Carlos Quentin from second base. Okay, rewind. There was one out in the inning and a runner on second base. Joe Crede has been as hot as anyone on the White Sox, with 6 hits and 2 homers in his last 5 games. If I could ask Joe Girardi one question, I would ask...WHY WOULD YOU PITCH TO CREDE?!?

I understand Joba is dominant and all, which he is. But, when you could walk Crede to put yourself in a position for an inning ending double-play, why would you pitch to him? Joba hung a curve against Crede and Crede did what he has been doing- went with the pitch and hammered a liner to centerfield.

Joba is an awesome pitcher and he will be for years to come. But, I think this was a good thing for the Yankees. It shows that Joba is human. Joba suffered his first career loss as a professional. If and when Joba becomes a starter, he isn't going to win every game and dominate every game the way he does as a setup man. People need to understand this. If Joba starts a game and goes 6+ innings, he isn't going to have the same 100-mph fastball and the same 86-mph ankle-breaking slider. Not so fast, Hank. Let things unfold as they should. If Joba is needed as a starter in the near future, it will happen.

First Time for Everything

I believe someone once said, "There is a first time for everything." I don't know who said it, but it is true. In Danica Patrick's case, there is definitely a first time for everything.

From 2005-2008, Danica has been in 50 IndyCar races. I don't know much about NASCAR, but the IndyCar Series is a popular American racing league. On April 20 of this year, Patrick won her first race...ever. She won at the Twin Rig Motegi in the Indy Japan 300. She is now the first woman to ever win an IndyCar race, after finishing 5.8594 seconds ahead of Brazilian driver Helio Castroneves.

In Danica's first year in the league, she won the 2005 IndyCar Rookie of the Year. From 2005-2007, she won the IndyCar Most Popular Driver. That's unbelievable! She didn't win a race until 4 days ago, but she has been the most popular driver for the last three years. You would think that Danica's attractiveness made her popular, and it did. Just like Anna Kournikova, Danica became famous for her good looks. But, Danica has the potential to be more than a good looking driver. It's a man's game, indeed, but if Danica can race the way she has been racing, I think we may be witnessing the start of a great career.

While we are on the subject, I'll let you know about another female who is dominating the sports world- Lorena Ochoa. Lorena left college in her sophomore year to become a professional golfer. She won 3 of 10 events at the 2002 Futures Tour, and topped the money list which launched her into the LPGA Tour the following year. Five years later, Ochoa beat out Annika Sorenstam as the number one woman golfer in the world. So far this year, Ochoa has won 5 of 6 events, including The Kraft Nabisco Championship and the Corona Championship...in back-to-back weeks! She is already qualified for the World Golf Hall of Fame, but can't be inducted until 2012. Ochoa will be hosting her own event called the Lorena Ochoa Invitational in November of this year.

Danica and Lorena are just about the 2 most popular women in sports right now. Heck, they might be 2 of the most famous athletes, man or woman, at the moment. I'm not usually interested in women's sports, but Lorena Ochoa's domination and Danica Patrick's first win have intrigued me and caught the eye of a lot of people. I never thought I would be so intrigued by a female racecar driver, and I never thought I would be captivated by a dominant female golfer. But hey, I guess there's a first time for everything, right?

A Truly Devine Player

I don't know how many of you have heard of West Virginia football sensation Noel Devine, but pretty soon everyone will have heard of him. Noel Devine will be a sophomore in this upcoming college season at 20 years old. Devine was a back-up runner, behind Steve Slaton, last year when he averaged 8.6 yards a carry. Devine is listed as 5'8 and 170 pounds, and that is really pushing it. He has a few videos on YouTube which show his amazing runs as a senior in Fort Myers High School in Florida. His incredible blend of speed and breaking tackles can only be comparable to Barry Sanders.

The story behind Noel Devine is more complex than a little guy with skills that could make him an amazing NFL runner. Devine was 3 months old when his father died of AIDS, and just 11 years old when his mother died of AIDS. Devine lived with his aunt to his grandmother to other relatives from time to time, along with his eight brothers and one sister. Noel had been living with the Harlow family before college, but was involved in a custody battle. This battles was between the Harlow family and Deion Sanders. Yep, Prime Time. Deion wanted to adopt Devine, after taking him under his wing. This never happened, but Noel and Deion remain good friends. Devine brings a lot of emotion to his story, so what better way to translate this emotion than to bring it to the football field?

Off the field trouble is another troublesome issue with Noel Devine. In high school, Devine was suspended five games for cursing out his coach after a loss. Some can look at this as wanting to win and being a team player, but it isn't necessary to yell at a coach. Devine has also been the father of two children, since he was 18. He went a while before getting in trouble again. During this off-season, Devine learned that Steve Slaton was going into the NFL Draft and skipping his senior season. This would mean that Devine would be the starting running back for West Virginia (even though, I think, Devine would have won the starting job over Slaton if Slaton had stayed at school). On February 16, Devine was involved with an altercation at a bar in Morgantown, WV, along with teammate Jock Sanders. There was a fight and both Devine and Sanders were arrested for assault. However, they both pleaded no contest and were sentenced to 24 hours in jail. They can serve 24 hours community service to avoid the jail time.

Noel Devine made it out of the fire and can now concentrate on football. I hope that's what he does because he has the talent that could make him the most exciting player to walk on a football field. You have to see his videos on YouTube to believe me. The kid is just unbelievable. Anytime he gets the ball, he is a threat to run down the whole field for a touchdown. The West Virginia Mountaineers had their first scrimmage game this year last Sunday. The Gold-Blue spring game (the team is seperated into gold and blue jerseys) held the second-largest crowd in West Virginia spring game history. Noel Devine only got the ball 6 times, but he gained 39 yards out of it. Oh yeah, Devine had a 21 yard run where he displayed his tremendous speed by jetting past the defense. NCAA Football should be interesting in the upcoming season, especially with the next Barry Sanders running for West Virginia.

Lebron's League

A couple days ago, I wrote about Lebron James' individual destruction of the Washington Wizards. Game 2 is in the 3rd quarter right now and the Cavs are up by 24 points. But that's not the problem. I am rooting for the Wizards but I can care less if they win now because I see what a joke the NBA is.

I have no respect at all for Lebron James. I don't know the exact amount, but Lebron is getting paid millions and millions of dollars to play basketball. If he barely gets hit, he will play the part just like every other player and pretend he got fouled. In tonight's game, it was just taken way too far. Lebron has been getting fouled all game because when he drives to the basket (and should be called for a charging foul 50% of the time) there is no way of stopping him. There were a few hard fouls in the game, but everyone kept on playing. The minute Lebron got hit hard, he went down to the floor and then got up and wanted to fight. But, because Brendan Haywood fouled Lebron, Haywood got ejected from the game.

Lebron then preceeded to keep grimacing and touching his elbow, where you could see a little cut. OH NO!!!!!! Lebron got a little bruise on his elbow, just keep crying about it you baby. The referees have no control in basketball anymore. They call random fouls and there is no justification to any fouls that are called. The NBA is currently at an all-time low in their ratings, and I can see why. The NBA lost Michael Jordan, so how else could they gain fans back? By getting another Michael Jordan...how do we do this? Let's draft an excellent player from high school and make him into the best player ever! He hasn't played a game in the NBA yet, but let's call him King James.

Five years later, NBA people are calling Lebron one of the best players ever. Why is it that someone can be a best player 5 years into a career? Only in the NBA because the NBA is an absolute JOKE. This year was my last year watching the nonsense that we call basketball and I won't give another penny to this farce. I love basketball, so college basketball will have to do it for me.

There's an interesting promo they have been using for Lebron for years. The slogan is "We Are All Witnessess." This is supposed to mean that we are witnesses of the greatest of King James. The only thing I'm a witness of is a player who was chosen to be the next Jordan. No one will ever be Michael Jordan. I think you can take any talented ball player and make them into Lebron James, just by handing him everything the way they did for Lebron. We are all witnesses alright. We are all witnesses of the end of the NBA, because anyone who knows the game can see that it isn't a game anymore. It shouldn't even be called the NBA anymore. It should be called the LBA. Lebron's Basketball Association.

I sound harsh on Lebron, but the truth is Lebron James is an amazing player. Other than Kobe Bryant, I think Lebron is the best player in the league. But, that doesn't justify catering to this guy like he is God. Or maybe I'm just crazy. Maybe Lebron is the second coming of Christ and my last 5 ranting paragraphs are absolutely pointless.

The KING

Is it just me, or does Lebron James get ever single call of every single game he plays? It seems like everytime Lebron drives to the basket, the referees immediately call a foul on any player who is surrounding him. The Cavs defeated the Wizards in a thrilling game 1 of first round NBA playoff action.

The Cavs won by a final score of 93-86. The final score is deceiving because the game experienced 6 lead changes and at one point, the Wizards were up by 11. The game had so many storylines coming in, and the overall story started to unveil itself. There was a scuffle at the end of the first half with Lebron, Brendan Haywood, and Antawn Jamison. This probably had something to do with all of the trash talk that has been going back and forth between Lebron, Deshawn Stevenson, and Gilbert Arenas. Arenas came off the bench in the first half and was on fire. Gilbert was hitting long range 3 pointers left and right. Lebron started off cold, but elevated his game during crunch time.

Now, don't get me wrong. Lebron James is an amazing talent. He can drive to the basket as well as anyone in the league and he can make a long range shot from time to time. But, everytime I see Lebron go to the basket, a foul is called. EVERY SINGLE TIME! I want to say most of these fouls are legit, but I don't think they are. Lebron James was named King James before he played a game in the league. Drafted right out of high school, the NBA crowned him before he touched a basketball in the NBA. That being said, I guess it would make sense that he gets a lot of games given to him and the Cavs.

The Cavs beat the Wizards fair and square. The Wiz couldn't hit a shot in the 4th quarter and the 4th quarter is when the Cavs play their best ball. I don't mind seeing Lebron take over a game single-handedly, but at least let it be fair. Ever since this guy has been in the league, he gets everything handed to him. But, I have to give credit when credit is due. Lebron James single-handedly defeated the Wizards.

The Best Goalie Ever

I just finished watching the Rangers-Devils playoff series. The Rangers defeated the Devils in game 5 with a score of 4-3. The Rangers will advance to the next round, after sending the Devils home. Every game in the series was close and equally intense.

Throughout the series, Sean Avery and Martin Brodeur were getting into fights and making the games interesting. But, the great thing about hockey is that when the game is over, the players shake their opponents' hands. You don't see enough of this in sports. Once the game is over, the winning team usually celebrates and the losing team walks off the playing area without saying a word to the opponents. In hockey, teams can be engaged in fights the whole game. Fists flying, teeth flying, blood gushing. It is all part of the game and the players know this.

It was about thirty minutes ago when the Rangers won the series. After the game, the Rangers celebrated with each other for a couple of minutes, and then they went over to their opponents to show what the sport is all about. The sport was built on sportsmanship. As Sean Avery saw Martin Brodeur next in line, Avery put his hand out and looked at Brodeur. Brodeur looked the other way and kept going foward as if Avery wasn't even there. Brodeur is considered one of the greatest goalies in hockey history, but he can't shake the WINNING opponent's hand? C'mon Brodeur, what are you doing?

The guy has a chance to show what the sport is all about, especially in this case, and he made a bad name for himself. He sounds like a sore loser to me.

NBA Playoffs Preview

A couple of months ago I said that it was the worst time of the year for sports. Two months later, it's just about the best time of the year in sports. We have the NHL playoffs heating up, with teams almost ready to advance to the second round. Last week, we saw underdog Trevor Immelman win the Masters. Baseball is a couple of weeks into the season and teams are just about back into the groove. And, of course, the NBA playoffs kick off tomorrow at 12:30 p.m.

There are some great first round matchups this year. In the West, we have the number 1 seeded Lakers playing the last seeded Nuggets. This should be a decent series, considering its a top seeded team versus the last seeded team. But, the Lakers should pull away in 5 or 6 games. The next best team in the West, the Hornets, will play the Mavericks. This is another good matchup, but I am taking the Hornets in 6 games. The Jazz and Rockets will face off in a series that could go to either team, but I like the Rockets. The most intriguing first round matchup in the West is probably the Suns and Spurs. The Suns revamped their team with the addition of Shaquille O'Neil during the season. O'Neil has won four NBA championships and is one of the best big men basketball has ever seen. It will be fun to see him match up against three time NBA champion, Spurs' Tim Duncan.

In the East, there isn't much competition in the first two matchups. The Celtics will defeat the Hawks and the Pistons should destroy the 76ers. The other two matchups should be better games with better overall competition. The Magic will face off against the Raptors in what should be a great matchup seeing Chris Bosh take on Dwight Howard. The first round series that I am most interested in is the Cavs and Wizards. This will be the third year in a row that these two teams will meet in the first round of the playoffs. The Cavs won the first time, in the controversial game 6 when Lebron James told Gilbert Arenas not to miss his free throws. Arenas missed both free throws late in the fourth quarter and the Cavs won the series. The next year, Arenas and Caron Butler were hurt and didn't play a game. The Cavs swept the Wizards in 4 games. This year, Gilbert has already started his usual sweet talk, saying that he is happy they are playing the Cavs because the Cavs can't beat them for a third time. Deshawn Stevenson, of the Wizards, added that Lebron James is overrated. Lebron said that he doesn't need his opponents to motivate him. This should be a great first round of playoffs, starting with Wizards Cavs 12:30 p.m. tomorrow afternoon.

Curse Avoided?

Earlier this week it was reported that a construction worker who was working on the new Yankee Stadium buried a Red Sox jersey in the concrete foundation of the new stadium. The worker was a Red Sox fan and hoped that burying the jersey would jinx the Yankees and create a new curse on the team.

The Red Sox were blessed with the Curse of the Bambino from 1918 to 2004, when they finally won a World Series after 86 years. The Sox fan was hoping that a curse like this would be created by burying a David Ortiz jersey under the new stadium. Two workers figured out where the jersey was and dug a two-foot by three-foot hole. The workers even had to use jackhammers to break the concrete and find the jersey. Yankees co-chairperson Hal Steinbrenner had something nice to say about the Sox fan. He said, "I hope his co-workers kick the [expletive] out of him." The Yankees may pursue a lawsuit on this construction worker.

I think pursuing a lawsuit is a little harsh. The Red Sox fan was trying to be funny and gain popularity by burying the jersey under the stadium. Besides, why would the Yankees need to win money from this guy? I would much rather see the worker's face and name be made available to the public. That would be a good punishment for him. I wonder how fans in Boston would feel if a Yankee fan buried a Yankee jersey under Fenway Park, or if they were building a new stadium. Boston is crazy about their Sox, so I think they would make a bigger deal over an incident like this if it happened to them. It just goes to show you what type of people Red Sox fans really are.

The Number One Sports Golden Ticket of 2008

There are six golden tickets each year in sports. These are the events that are the toughest to get to. Ticket prices for these events are astronomical and even if you get a ticket, odds are you won't have the best seats. Now what do you think the number one golden ticket of 2008 is? I would say the Super Bowl, or maybe even a World Series game 7. I was wrong when I found out that the golden ticket of sports in 2008 is the Masters Tournament. What the hell? The Masters Tournament? Who watches golf?

Tickets for the Masters are almost impossible to come by. There are only 25,000 people allowed into the tournament. To get in to the tournament, you must have a badge. Most families who have badges pass them down from generation to generation. To get to the Masters practice rounds, you must apply at least a year in advance and even then, only a select few are chosen. It is also tough to get the tickets when the people of Augusta, Georgia (the location of the Masters every year) discriminate against non-Southerners. There was also a patrons waiting list, which was opened in 1972, but then closed in 1978. They brought the list back in 2000, but saw it didn't work and it closed again soon after. The only way to get to the Masters is if your newspaper is covering it and you were able to get there as a journalist. Or, of course, you could play your way into the Masters.

When I first heard that the Masters was the number one golden ticket, I was stunned. Golf isn't the most popular sport watched on television and I don't know many, if any, people who have attended a golf tournament. There's got to be a reason why the Masters is such an amazing ticket. I don't know about previous years, but I know why this year is one of the biggest Masters ever. Two words, one name. Tiger Woods. Tiger is just unbelievable. With every tournament that he enters, he finishes 1st or 2nd almost automatically. The guy just isn't human when it comes to his golf game.

I was never a big golf fan, but after watching Tiger recently I am intrigued by the Masters. I will probably watch some of it on television. The practice rounds started April 7th, but the actual tournament starts Thursday April 10th. Tiger tees off at 10:45 a.m.

How Many Lives Left for Pacman?

(In this photo: Pacman Jones)

I don't understand some of these athletes...These guys are being paid millions of dollars to do their job and play a game, whether it's football, baseball, or basketball. But, they don't just do their job, they can't stay out of trouble. From shootings to arrests, it seems like some athletes just can't control themselves. But where does the problem lie? Is it the team and the coaches who should be controlling their players? Or is every player responsible for his own actions?

The first example I'll give is basketball player Stephen Jackson on the Golden State Warriors. In the past three years, Jackson has been charged with felony criminal recklessness, as well as other misdemeanors including assault, disorderly conduct, and two counts of battery. Jackson was on the Indiana Pacers during all these problems and he was also involved with the famous brawl in Detroit in 2004 when Jackson and other Pacers went into the crowd and fought with spectators. How does a team allow so many things like this to happen with one of their players? If I had control over a team, I would make sure every single player stays out of trouble. No matter how good the player is, you need to be clean, especially for the millions of dollars you are being payed to play.

Another example of this behavior is Adam "Pacman" Jones. Pacman is just plain hilarious in his antics. On July 13, 2005, Pacman was arrested for assault and felony vandalism stemming from a nightclub incident. A little over a month later, Pacman was arrested for disorderly conduct and public intoxication. Both clubs that Pacman visited were strip clubs. There were about 5 other incidents between 2005 and 2007 when Pacman received fines and such for minor violations. He did enough bad, he couldn't do anything else right? We are talking about Pacman Jones here! In 2007, the NBA All-Star Game was in Las Vegas, the party capital of the country. You bet your bottom dollar Pacman was there. He got in an altercation with a stripper named Minxx at a local strip club in Vegas. This escalated as a fight between Jones' entourage and the strip club bodyguards. There was a shooting involved later that night, but that's besides the point. This guy just doesn't know when to quit. The NFL suspended him for the entire 2007 season, due to all his legal troubles. He repeatedly asked the NFL to be reinstated, but that is just proposterous. It was great to see the NFL took a stand against this kind of behavior. Oh yeah, on January 15, 2008, Pacman was accused of hitting a woman at a strip club in Atlanta, Georgia. The woman claimed that on January 3, 2008, Pacman assaulted her in the club. The woman later dropped charges for unknown reasons.

You have to respect Commissioner Roger Goodell of the NFL for laying down the law with Pacman. The sad part about this whole story is, Pacman is a very good football player. He is a 5'10 cornerback with speed and great athletic ability, even though he's only played in the NFL for 2 seasons. Same goes for Stephen Jackson. Jackson is a very good basketball player, but his problems side-tracked him at times. Jackson seems to have cleaned up his act, but Jones continues with these problems. It is sad to say, but the only way these players learn is when something bad happens. NFL star Sean Taylor was recently shot and killed in his home. It is still unclear as to why he was shot, but there have been reports of his close friends saying he was doing things he shouldn't have been doing and it was only a matter of time before something like this happened.

A Playful Bet to Start the Season

I recently read about a story in the newspaper and then saw it on ESPN. At the beginning of spring training, Derek Jeter and Bobby Abreu made a bet between each other as to who would marry first. The loser has to pay the newlywed $1000. Jeter and Abreu started this as a joke but shook on it. Left-fielder Hideki Matsui heard about the bet and asked his teammates if he could join in and they agreed.

Last Wednesday, Matsui asked manager Joe Girardi for the day off. He told Girardi why he wanted the day off and Girardi kept it a secret for him. Matsui went off to be married with an unknown 25 year old woman from Japan. Jeter couldn't believe the news when he heard it, but soon learned that it was true. It was funny when Matsui didn't have a picture of his new wife, rather he had a sketch of her. Do you think Matsui really got married? Well, he did and did a good job of tricking Jeter and Abreu.

Its good to see these guys having fun with each other, in light of all the recent steroid problems in baseball. I don't see many things like this among teams because it seems like players today aren't as personable with each other as they used to be. I mean, of course the players get close with each other in any sport because they are always together and they work as a team. But, I really don't think teammates are as close as they could be. Since Jeter said he doesn't have a girlfriend, he has 1 year to marry to win the bet. Abreu, on the other hand, has a girlfriend so he only has 6 months to marry her.

This is the type of thing that makes a team and a player likable. There are definitely many other players in sports who are likable, but its always fun to see that the players joke around every now and then. I've always believed that when you are going through difficult times or facing problems, having a good sense of humor is always the best medicine.

Opening Day in Japan

The 2008 MLB season started with a bang this morning when the Red Sox defeated the Athletics 6-5 in 10 innings. Why this morning? The opening 2 game series is being played in Japan as the MLB continues to grow and become popular all over the world. I didn't watch the game, but the highlights showed a pretty nice opening game. The defending World Series Champion Red Sox look to be the favorite in the American League, yet again.

Of course, there are 162 games in the season and this is just the 1st of many. But, it is nice to see the first game was exciting and should be a sign of things to come this season. There have been many players changing teams in the off-season and a few things have changed since last season. For example, this is the first season after the infamous Mitchell Report was released. There have also been a couple of minor changes, such as Tampa Bay becoming the Rays, instead of the Devil Rays, who they were for the past 10 years.

Yeah, this season should be a good one. Its always nice when its the first couple weeks of spring and you know baseball is starting. As I mentioned earlier, the MLB expanded to Japan for the opening of the season, but it wasn't the first time they did this. I can remember the Yankees played the Tampa Bay whatever-Rays, and I woke up at 6 a.m. for three mornings in a row to watch the games. I would love to watch this Boston-Oakland Japan game in the morning, but then again I can wait another week for Yankees opening day. And besides, I think I would much rather get a good night's rest than watch the 2nd game of 162.

Upset Friday

The 1st round of the NCAA Tournament is completed after 32 games were played in the last 2 days. There were only one or two upsets on Thursday, but yesterday held many upsets, including two games that were instant classics. Number 12 seed Western Kentucky defeated number 5 seed Drake 101-99 with a 3 point shot at the buzzer in overtime. Another great game was the overtime battle between number 13 San Diego and number 4 Connecticut. San Diego hit the game winning shot with 1 second left in overtime to win 70-69.

Out of Friday's 16 games, 6 of them were upsets. Upset, meaning that a lower seeded team defeated a team with a higher seed. This is the reason why March Madness is so great. Everyone can root for the underdog, especially in a tight game that goes right down to the wire. The 2nd round of the tournament kicks off today with number 7 West Virginia and number 2 Duke. The game has a minute left and West Virginia is up by 12, so this is a huge upset for the tournament.

Basketball is not one of my favorite spectator sports, so college basketball is not for everyone. But, it is difficult to not enjoy this tournament because of the great competitiveness between the teams. And although you may think all the number 1 seeds from each region will make the Final Four, it almost never happens. In my Final Four picks, I chose #2 Tennessee, #1 Kansas, # 4 Pittsburgh, and #1 UCLA. In the championship, I chose Tennessee to beat UCLA by a score of 71-67. Enjoy the rest of the tournament!

Crazy Ticket Prices

The New York Yankees are the most popular franchise in sports. But, does this mean that the ticket prices for games should be beyond belief? During last year's 2007 season, the average ticket price for a Yankee game was $47. The average price for a ticket in the new Yankee Stadium, opening in 2009, is believed to be around $100. Also, box seats for a Yankee game went for around $150 last year, but that price has increased to $250 for this final season in Yankee Stadium.

The new Yankee Stadium will cost 1.3 billion dollars. With the average ticket costing $100 in 2009, the Yankees would pull in $5.3 million a game. At the end of the season, this would translate to $429 million. I can understand why ticket prices are so much. For one thing, this year is the last year in historic Yankee Stadium. In the new stadium, there will be a couple thousand less seats, with around 53,000.

The business of sports is complicated in that a stadium change can cause ticket prices to go through the roof and beyond. I usually go to a couple of Yankee games each year, but it will be almost impossible to go this year, due to it being the last year in the stadium. Perhaps I will go to games in the new stadium, even with the ridiculous price of tickets. I guess that's what you get when you are a fan of the greatest team in sports history.

A Comedian Lives a Dream

It was reported that today's spring training game between the Yankees and Pirates would include an appearance from Billy Crystal. The actor/comedian would be at the game, not as a spectator, but as a player. Yeah, that's right. Long-time Yanks fan Crystal would get to live out his dream and play as a Yankee.

The idea started between Crystal and Derek Jeter a few months ago on a beach in Costa Rica when they joked about Crystal signing a one day contract to play a spring training game. Jeter made things happen for Crystal when he suggested the idea to the Yankees and they figured that it could be fun.

Yesterday, Crystal took batting and fielding practice with the team. He connected with the ball in every one of his 47 swings during batting practice. The team said they would list Crystal in the starting lineup on Thursday afternoon as the designated hitter. Crystal got up to the plate at today's 1:15 game and received a standing ovation. Crystal fouled off a 1-0 pitch from pitcher Paul Maholm and was applauded for that. He later struck out and came out of the game. Even though Crystal struck out in his only big league at-bat, he made it a fun game. He joked in the dugout with all the players and they had a good time. Crystal has been known as a Yankee fan all his life, especially when he directed one of my favorite movies, 61*. 61* is about the 1961 season when Roger Maris broke Babe Ruth's home run record.

NBA Playoff Controversy

(2007 NBA Playoff Bracket)

In the NBA, the top 8 teams from both conferences make the playoffs. For some strange reason, the Western Conference is more competitive than the Eastern Conference. By more competitive, I mean that if you were to pick the top 16 teams in the league, 13 would be from the West and 3 would be from the East. The last playoff spot in the West is currently held by the Golden State Warriors who have a record of 38 wins and 23 losses. This is an excellent record, especially for the 8th seed. In the East, the last playoff spot is held by the New Jersey Nets who are 26-36.

As you can see from the last two playoff spots alone, the East is a joke compared to the West. However, the top 2 teams in the East have better records than ANY team in the West. The Celtics (48-12) and the Pistons (45-17) are better than the number one team in the West, the Lakers (44-18). The records just do not make any sense. Why should a team like the Denver Nuggets (37-24) or the Portland Trail Blazers (32-30) not make the playoffs? They have better records than the last 2 playoff teams in the East, the 76ers (29-33) and the Nets (26-36). The answer is they are in different conferences, seperating the competitive West from the dreadful East.

There has to be some solution that allows the NBA to have the best 16 teams in the playoffs. Why would they want mediocre and below mediocre teams competing in the playoffs? This is why basketball ratings have been down for years. The playoffs are for elite teams to compete for the world championship. Perhaps the league could lower the number of teams who get into the playoffs. Instead of 16 teams, why not make it 12 teams, or even 8 teams like in baseball. Or, if basketball wants to keep the playoffs at 16 teams, why not select the TOP 16 teams. You can still have the East and the West conferences, but why not discard the conferences when it comes to playoff teams? The 16 teams with the best records make the playoffs. That is a brilliant idea. If you pick the 16 teams with the best records, you will have the most competitive games possible. It is untraditional to have a team play another team from the other conference in the playoffs, but hey, doesn't the NBA want good games? I think this would work better than having the 48-12 Celtics play the 26-36 Nets in the first round of the playoffs. ESPN is doing a vote on their website that asks if the NBA should re-format the playoff system and choose the top 16 teams. Right now, the vote is 66 percent in favor of changing the system to the one i mentioned. The NBA would be a lot more entertaining if they best teams played each other, but who am I to say this? They are the professionals. As I mentioned earlier, NBA ratings are way down to what they used to be. I'm sure NBA Comissioner David Stern has it all figured out.

A Legend Retires

After 17 seasons in the NFL, Brett Favre retired. Favre announced his retirement on March 4th, 2008. Favre was known as a great person and was loved by everyone related to football, whether you were a Packer fan or not. But, most of all, Favre was a tremendous quarterback.

Favre was on the Falcons during his rookie year, before being traded to the Packers in 1992. Favre became the starting quarterback in the fourth game of that year, and never looked back. His record of most consecutive starts by a quarterback will most likely never be broken. Favre started 253 games in a row, and 275 if you include playoff games. Favre also holds most of the big records as a quarterback, passing Dan Marino in a couple of categories. Favre has 442 touchdown passes, an all-time record, and 61,655 passing yards, also an all-time record.

Many have speculated whether Favre was the best quarterback ever, since he has retired. I don't think you can label anyone as the best ever. The game has been played for about 100 years and it has changed throughout. Someone may say Johnny Unitas was the best quarterback ever. Unitas played from the 1950s to the 1970s. Or, someone may say Joe Montana was the best ever when he played in the 1980s. Favre played in 2 Super Bowls, and won 1 of them. He holds many quarterback records.

You can go on for days arguing statistics of quarterbacks, but there is one thing that Favre had when he played that could make him the best quarterback ever...heart. Favre played the game like no one else. He gave it 100 percent on every single play. Favre has played with a broken thumb and numerous other injuries. I can rememer watching a game Favre played in on a Monday night in 2003. His dad had just died the day before in a car accident and Favre said he would still play. Favre had the game of his life and threw for 399 yards and 4 touchdowns leading his team to a 41-7 victory over the Raiders. From 2004-2006, Favre experienced the death of a brother-in-law, his wife being diagnosed with breast cancer, and his own house being blown away by Hurricane Katrina. He never missed a game in his 16 years as a Green Bay Packer. No other quarterback has went this long and played as hard as Favre has. When Favre held a press conference for his retirement yesterday, he was crying throughout the whole thing and showed the same emotion that he played with. I don't know if Brett Favre is the best quarterback ever, but he has to be considered one of the best football players ever and he will be remembered as a legend.

The Danger of Metal Bats

Since the 1970s, little league, high school, and college baseball have used metal bats. The bats have made significant advances over the years and are as powerful as ever, presently. Metal bats have a bigger sweet spot than wood bats and they are easier to hit a baseball with. Metal bats also have a lot more power than wood bats. A baseball bounces off a metal bat incredibly harder and faster than wood. The metal bats are hollow, so they cause a type of "bounce-back" effect that wooden bats don't have. Since the metal bats are so powerful, the game of baseball is a lot more dangerous when it is played with metal bats than when it is played with wood bats.

Last summer, a 16-year-old boy in Illinois suffered major brain trauma after being hit in the head with a line drive off of a metal bat. The boy's father wondered if his son would have been able to get out of the way if the ball was hit with a wood bat. That extra second could have saved him. There have been numerous incidents with kids getting hurt from metal bats. It's not that wooden bats don't cause problems, because they do. But, metal bats pose a greater risk than wood bats do.

I have played baseball since I was 4 years old and for the majority of my career, I always used a metal bat. Metal bats are lighter than wood bats and help you hit the baseball better. Metal bats also last longer than wood bats. I could use the same metal bat for a few years, as opposed to buying a new wood bat and it breaking the first game I use it. Wood bats are much cheaper to manufacture than metal bats.

Some organizations around the country have banned metal bats in their youth leagues. New York City banned metal bats from high school games last year. I think metal bats should be banned for two reasons. Obviously, one is the safety issue. The second reason is Major League Baseball players use wood bats, why not let everyone use wood bats? Yeah, you can hit the ball harder and better with a metal bat, but the real players use wood bats. Wood bats could be promoted to young players using their favorite Major Leaguers. There will always be safety issue with baseball and every sport. Converting from metal bats to wood bats in youth leagues will make the sport a little bit safer.

Jose Reyes Better than Derek Jeter?

I have been bothered by the fact that a number of people claim that Jose Reyes is a better baseball player than Derek Jeter. Let's look at both players. Jose Reyes is 24 years old and has played 3 full seasons in the MLB. Reyes batted .273, .300, and .280 in his first three seasons. Jeter, who is now entering his 13th full season, batted .314, .291, and .324 during his first 3 seasons. In Jeter's next 9 seasons, he batted over .300 7 times. Jeter has 2,356 hits all time, compared to Reyes' 715 hits. The main argument for a Met fan is that Reyes is more talented than Jeter. This is the only thing they can say because the stats speak for themselves. Jeter has played 9 more seasons than Reyes, so I don't understand the comparisions.

Reyes is an excellent base-stealer, stealing 60,64, and 78 bases in his 3 seasons. Jeter is an above average runner, stealing an average 22 bases a season. The main thing that I have been hearing is that Jeter is the WORST fielding shortstop in the league. This is simply blasphemous because Jeter has made some amazing plays throughout his career: The famous "flip" to home plate against the Oakland A's in the 2001 playoffs and the diving catch into the stands against the Boston Red Sox. Reyes is a great fielder, but it is mostly because of his pure talent. Reyes is still only 24 years old, so he has the potential to be as good as Jeter, but to say that he is better now is ridiculous

The main reason Derek Jeter is not the worst shortstop in the league can be described with one word: clutch. Jeter is known as Captain Clutch for his heroics at the plate in tough situations. Jeter can also secure a game with his defense and even make a game changing play at any moment. Jose Reyes has played his worst at the end of seasons and most importantly, in the playoffs. Jeter is going to be 34 years old this June, making him 9 years older than Reyes. It would be fair to say Reyes has more talent right now than Jeter because of the age difference. There is no one that can say Jeter is not a winner. With 4 World Series rings, Jeter puts Reyes' 0 to shame.

It is true that Jeter has lost a step or two over his 12 seasons, which is saying a lot about his durability. It is tough to be as consistent as Jeter over such a long period of time in the MLB. Jeter has a great chance at 3,000 hits in his career. It is just unfair to say that Reyes is better than Jeter at this point. Most of the people saying this are, in fact, Met fans. I don't care what kind of fan someone is. When a player has done what Jeter has done in 12 seasons, it is ridiculous to say a 3 year player is that much better than him.

Keep an Eye on Kimbo

(This image shows Kimbo Slice (left) defeating Bo Cantrell (right) 19 seconds into the match)

What a name. Kimbo Slice. Born as Kevin Ferguson, Kimbo Slice is a 34-year-old former street fighter. They call him the "internet sensation" because the street fights he performed in were taped and put onto YouTube. Kimbo is 6'2 and 250 lbs. Slice is simply a ridiculous fighter. He combines unbelievable strength with amazingly quick hands. I've watched the videos and the way Slice fights is incredible. He retired from street fighting and started training to become a professional fighter.

Kimbo was trained by former MMA (Mixed Martial Arts) fighter Bas Rutten. Kimbo's first professional fight in MMA took place last November. The event was promoted by EliteXC. In the main event, Kimbo fought Bo Cantrell. I wouldn't call it much of a fight because Kimbo defeated Cantrell with a TKO 19 seconds into the match. I watched this fight last November and it was the greatest form of entertainment in the category of professional sports fighting.

Last night, I saw a commercial for a fight between Kimbo Slice and Tank Abbott. The event was on Showtime and Kimbo didn't fight until around 11:30 p.m. It was a very short fight because Kimbo knocked out Abbott 43 seconds into the match. Both of Kimbo's professional fights in MMA have been knockouts 19 seconds and 43 seconds in the 1st round. I don't think there has been a fighter as dominant as Kimbo Slice since Mike Tyson. I am interested to see if Slice continues to fight in MMA, or if he becomes a professional boxer. The matches are very exciting to watch if you are a fan of ultimate fighting or boxing. You can find Kimbo's fights on YouTube.