Posts About ‘MLB’

Digital Dads NFL Pre-Game: Pro Bowl = Lame

Thursday, January 26th, 2012

The pro bowl, who cares?

I always have trouble filling this space in the week before the Superbowl. Recently though, the NFL moved the Pro Bowl from the week after the Superbowl (where no one gave a shit about it) to the week before the Superbowl (where no one gives a shit about it). First off, the Pro Bowl selections are made before the season is even over. What the fuck is up with that? The best players haven’t even had a full season to shine? That just proves that it’s nothing more than a bullshit popularity contest. Then, consider that many players that deserve to be in the Pro Bowl aren’t, because they are playing the Superbowl. Which is where they’d rather be anyway.

So of course I have no picks this week, because the Pro Bowl is a waste of time and I don’t think I’ve watched it in about 10 years. Instead, I’m going to repost some text from the middle of the offseason where I ranked the All-Star games among all major sports. I think that Hockey has gone back to the regular format for All-Stars, rather than team captains, but the ranking hasn’t changed. Actually, I have no idea. First though, I’ll run down my pre-season playoff picks and see if I got any right.

Preseason Playoff Picks

NFC

Cowboys (division win)
Packers (division win, Superbowl)
Lions (wild-card)
Bucs (wild-card)
Falcons (division win)
Rams, Cardinals, Seahawks, Niners (division win – couldn’t decide)

AFC

Steelers (division win)
Ravens (wild-card)
Colts (division win – assuming Peyton was playing)
Texans (wild-card)
Patriots (division win, Superbowl)
Chiefs (division win)

So let’s see, I was right about the Lions, Falcons, Packers, Ravens, Steelers, Texans and Patriots making the playoffs. However, only the Patriots have been my most reliable pre-season pick, yet I picked against them last week like an idiot. Whatever.

Ranking the All-Star Shenanigans

Originally posted July 2011 and I was too lazy to change the specific detail pertaining to last years dates, so deal.

#5 The NFL Pro-Bowl

This game went from being a joke, to an absolute joke. Not only do most of the players complain about going, but it’s like watching a game of touch football. Understandably, no one wants to get hurt in the last game of the season, and most of them just want to get their short vacations started. Even though now we’re seeing them experience an extended vacation. The NFL thought they solved this issue by moving the Pro-Bowl from the week after the Superbowl to the week before the Superbowl in Miami. This was a terrible idea, as now the best players in the league (you know, the ones in the Superbowl) can’t even be recognized as all-stars because they can’t play in the game. For those two reasons, the quality of play and the lack of players, this is my worst rated All-Star game. Add on the fact that the television coverage is basically second rate, the Pro-Bowl blows ass.

#4 MLB All-Star Game

Now, don’t get me wrong – I love the build-up to this game. Specifically the homerun derby, especially since they started letting players pick their hitters. This is a fun time and seems like the players truly enjoy hanging out and slamming free homeruns. Plus, a lot of charity is involved in the derby, so that’s a good thing too. It’s also a lot more entertaining to watch than the game the next day. Now, not everyone agrees with me that the MLB All-Star game is one of the worst, and that’s all well and good but I think for me it’s more the coverage that ruins it for me than the game itself. First off, Fox’s coverage of the game is way too much pomp and circumstance. This year, it was even worse when they led in with ridiculous previews for the X-Factor show. No one watching the game gives a shit. Not to mention, is anyone else just plain tired of Joe Buck?

The game itself isn’t too bad. The teams actually appear like they are trying to win the game. They are a little held back, and usually it comes down to who hits the homeruns. The pitchers are certainly holding back, as an injury on the mound is always in their minds. But what makes it real shit is that it “means something.” You can blame Bud Selig for that, in response to an All-Star game that went 11 innings with no winner, Selig decided that it would be a good idea that the winner of the All-Star game determines home field advantage in the World Series. Are you fucking kidding me? No where does home advantage mean more than in the World Series and it was determined by a meaningless game played by the most popular (because it is a popularity contest, that was assured by letting the fans vote) players and not by record as it should, and is throughout the playoffs. This is a ridiculous end result of the game, and is just plain stupid. I hope, whatever National League team (as the NL All-Stars won this year off a Cecil Fielder homerun) send a thank you note to Fielder for that win. Of course, they could also send fuck you notes to the American League pitchers, who spoon fed him that homerun. Weak.

#3 MLS All-Star Game

I’ve actually never watched a MLS All-Star game. I know that they do it a little different, the best of the U.S. teams vs. a world team like Manchester United. That’s a pretty kick-ass game, because in between dives, they actually play a hard game because it’s based on pride. Sadly, I think the American team loses a lot, but that really doesn’t matter much in the scheme of things. I’ll watch it this year, I promise.

#2 NBA All-Star Game

Like the MLB game, the best part of the NBA All-Star break is the pre-game stuff the day before. The dunk contest highlights everything that is wrong with the NBA, as far as the individualism and so on, but it’s a fucking blast to watch. They jump over cars, shoot 3-pointers and have a blast. The game itself is highly competitive for a game that doesn’t mean anything, this is the general mindset in the NBA though, so that makes sense. It’s probably the only NBA game I watch all year besides the playoffs, as it’s a true All-Star game, with a lot of who-dat players based on stats rather than pure popularity, though there is some of that. In the end though, it’s still the NBA and doesn’t have half as much energy as my number one.

#1 NHL All-Star Game

The NHL game wasn’t always my favorite. For a long while it was East vs. West, which was okay but a bit bland to watch. Then it was USA vs. Canada (or was it World, I can’t remember) but this year they blew me away with their handling of the All-Star game. They went all playground rules on us. First they picked team captains, then they staged a mock draft where the captains picked their teams. The coverage of this took itself a bit too seriously, but it was great that there was no telling who was going to be on which team. This added a level of enjoyment to it because you knew that heated rivals could end up on the same team, and they did. I don’t remember what team won, but I know the score was in the double digits on both sides.

Adding another fun dimension to the game was having the goalies miked up during the game. In between blocking shots, they were bullshitting with the announcers, just having a fun time and performing for the fans. Because in the end, that’s what this game highlighted – the fans. Before the game there was tons of fan interaction, the referees didn’t even call offsides until the 3rd period and were just letting the players play, and the fans enjoy a high scoring exhibition game. Which is what all the All-Star games should be, exhibition games for the fans, to see the best players in the league let loose a little bit so we can look at them as people like us, rather than rich superstars.

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Digital Dads Week In Sports: Ranking the All-Star Shenanigans

Thursday, July 14th, 2011

If you were living under a rock this week (as you very well may be) you might have missed the MLB All-Star game, the annual festival of meaningless competition among the most popular players in the sport. If you know me, you know my opinions about this annual event are pretty strong in one direction, which I’ll get to in a second. But it got me thinking, of all the five major sports (yes, I’m counting Soccer) which ones have the best All-Star festivities? So, I decided to rank them and of course, tell you why. On a side note, the U.S. Women’s Soccer team is kicking ass in the World Cup, as they beat Brazil, then France and are heading to the final. One thing I have noticed when watching the women play is that they don’t dive and fake injury nearly as much as the men.

#5 The NFL Pro-Bowl

This game went from being a joke, to an absolute joke. Not only do most of the players complain about going, but it’s like watching a game of touch football. Understandably, no one wants to get hurt in the last game of the season, and most of them just want to get their short vacations started. Even though now we’re seeing them experience an extended vacation. The NFL thought they solved this issue by moving the Pro-Bowl from the week after the Superbowl to the week before the Superbowl in Miami. This was a terrible idea, as now the best players in the league (you know, the ones in the Superbowl) can’t even be recognized as all-stars because they can’t play in the game. For those two reasons, the quality of play and the lack of players, this is my worst rated All-Star game. Add on the fact that the television coverage is basically second rate, the Pro-Bowl blows ass.

#4 MLB All-Star Game

Now, don’t get me wrong – I love the build-up to this game. Specifically the homerun derby, especially since they started letting players pick their hitters. This is a fun time and seems like the players truly enjoy hanging out and slamming free homeruns. Plus, a lot of charity is involved in the derby, so that’s a good thing too. It’s also a lot more entertaining to watch than the game the next day. Now, not everyone agrees with me that the MLB All-Star game is one of the worst, and that’s all well and good but I think for me it’s more the coverage that ruins it for me than the game itself. First off, Fox’s coverage of the game is way too much pomp and circumstance. This year, it was even worse when they led in with ridiculous previews for the X-Factor show. No one watching the game gives a shit. Not to mention, is anyone else just plain tired of Joe Buck?

The game itself isn’t too bad. The teams actually appear like they are trying to win the game. They are a little held back, and usually it comes down to who hits the homeruns. The pitchers are certainly holding back, as an injury on the mound is always in their minds. But what makes it real shit is that it “means something.” You can blame Bud Selig for that, in response to an All-Star game that went 11 innings with no winner, Selig decided that it would be a good idea that the winner of the All-Star game determines home field advantage in the World Series. Are you fucking kidding me? No where does home advantage mean more than in the World Series and it was determined by a meaningless game played by the most popular (because it is a popularity contest, that was assured by letting the fans vote) players and not by record as it should, and is throughout the playoffs. This is a ridiculous end result of the game, and is just plain stupid. I hope, whatever National League team (as the NL All-Stars won this year off a Cecil Fielder homerun) send a thank you note to Fielder for that win. Of course, they could also send fuck you notes to the American League pitchers, who spoon fed him that homerun. Weak.

#3 MLS All-Star Game

I’ve actually never watched a MLS All-Star game. I know that they do it a little different, the best of the U.S. teams vs. a world team like Manchester United. That’s a pretty kick-ass game, because in between dives, they actually play a hard game because it’s based on pride. Sadly, I think the American team loses a lot, but that really doesn’t matter much in the scheme of things. I’ll watch it this year, I promise.

#2 NBA All-Star Game

Like the MLB game, the best part of the NBA All-Star break is the pre-game stuff the day before. The dunk contest highlights everything that is wrong with the NBA, as far as the individualism and so on, but it’s a fucking blast to watch. They jump over cars, shoot 3-pointers and have a blast. The game itself is highly competitive for a game that doesn’t mean anything, this is the general mindset in the NBA though, so that makes sense. It’s probably the only NBA game I watch all year besides the playoffs, as it’s a true All-Star game, with a lot of who-dat players based on stats rather than pure popularity, though there is some of that. In the end though, it’s still the NBA and doesn’t have half as much energy as my number one.

#1 NHL All-Star Game

The NHL game wasn’t always my favorite. For a long while it was East vs. West, which was okay but a bit bland to watch. Then it was USA vs. Canada (or was it World, I can’t remember) but this year they blew me away with their handling of the All-Star game. They went all playground rules on us. First they picked team captains, then they staged a mock draft where the captains picked their teams. The coverage of this took itself a bit too seriously, but it was great that there was no telling who was going to be on which team. This added a level of enjoyment to it because you knew that heated rivals could end up on the same team, and they did. I don’t remember what team won, but I know the score was in the double digits on both sides.

Adding another fun dimension to the game was having the goalies miked up during the game. In between blocking shots, they were bullshitting with the announcers, just having a fun time and performing for the fans. Because in the end, that’s what this game highlighted – the fans. Before the game there was tons of fan interaction, the referees didn’t even call offsides until the 3rd period and were just letting the players play, and the fans enjoy a high scoring exhibition game. Which is what all the All-Star games should be, exhibition games for the fans, to see the best players in the league let loose a little bit so we can look at them as people like us, rather than rich superstars.

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Digital Dads Week in Sports: Dismantling the Team

Friday, July 8th, 2011

Way back in 1997 I patiently watched the Cleveland Indians lose to the Florida Marlins in seven games in the World Series. After the series was over, the Marlins had a complete fire-sale, starting a distressing trend in professional sports. Free agency already existed, and team loyalty was hard to come by. The days of Cal Ripken Jr. were coming to close quickly. Players no longer stuck with the same team throughout their career. Sports had become money oriented, more of a business than a true team sport. It’s always been my contention that a team like the Yankees, now built of superstars, has trouble competing down the stretch because they are missing that team element. Back to the Marlins. The Marlins quickly sold off Moisés Alou, who was traded to the Houston Astros, and Al Leiter who went to the Mets, as well as several other players. This led to quick speculation that the team had simply constructed (and put itself in debt) the 1997 team just to make the World Series. Now, all teams do that of course, but this was more intentional. Thus, the 1998 Marlins went a dismal 54–108 in 1998, the worst performance ever by a defending World Series champion. Then later that same year, owner H. Wayne Huizenga sold the team.

Within time, it was not only championship teams that seemed to fall apart after winning or participating in a playoff series, it soon was just playoff teams. After the 2007 Cleveland Indians lost to the Boston Red Sox in the ALCS, they dropped both CC Sabathia and Cliff Lee, two pitchers who have gone on to become two of the best in the game. Think of what the 2008 Indians could have accomplished had they kept those two aces on the staff. And it’s not just baseball. Many sports teams started having fire-sales, even starting them midseason when the playoffs were a clear miss. It’s one thing to let a player go due to free agency, it’s another to trade them away like baseball cards after all their contributions to the previous season. This kind of behavior in sports might be good for jersey sales, but not good for player and fan loyalty.

The reason I bring all this up is because of the recent moves by the Tampa Bay Lightning, who lost to the Boston Bruins during their now historic run. The Lightning have been unable to keep the team that brought them to the playoffs. Now, this is due to many factors including the salary cap that exists within the NHL, and not in the MLB. The cap prevents teams from spending too much money and going into debt and also helps control outrageous player salaries (even though Brad Richards just signed a huge deal with the Rangers to become the highest paid NHL player, taking 20% of the salary cap for next year.) The Lightning have lost Mike Smith to the Coyotes, where he was promised a starting job. They lost Sean Bergenheim to the Panthers, even though he was the one who kept them in the playoffs. They also lost Simon Gagne to the Kings. The reason they didn’t try harder to keep these pivotal players is two-fold. First, there is a great young draft class coming up through the minor leagues. Second, Steven Stamkos.

Stamkos is still not resigned. Like Vinny Lecavalier and Martin St. Louis, the Lightning want to make Stamkos a career Lightning forward, something that is rare is any sport and they fact they already have two players that will play their whole careers with the team is amazing. Stamkos wants more money, and justifiably so. But the Lightning hold all the cards. You see, there is only so much a team can offer for Stamkos before enacting a particular rule in the NHL. That rule states that if a team offers a single player over a certain amount, they have to also forfeit 4 first round draft picks to the other team. So the Lightning have offered Stamkos an amount right below that target amount, which would force any team to then have to hand over 4 first round picks. Because of that, there is currently very little interest in Stamkos from any other team. This guy is a future hall of famer, and no one is interested. It’s a risky play by the Lightning to keep Stamkos because at some point he’ll have no choice, and that’s when the offer that’s on the table now goes down.

So what’s my point in all this? My point is that professional sports seem to have lost the point of competition. There is a lot of money out there, I understand that, but to make it all about the money doesn’t help keep us fans in the game. At some point during every season it hits me, these people are getting paid millions to play a sport for my entertainment. I want to be a fan of a team and the whole team. I don’t want to have to buy nameless jerseys because the players don’t stay there year after year. I have two Carl Crawford jerseys that need to be burned, now that he plays for the fucking Red Sox. So do you feel the same way? That there should be more player loyalty regardless of the minute details of contracts? One last example, in 2006 longtime Indian Jim Thome left the team for $1mm more than what he was making because he wanted to play with a team who was going to compete. He went to the Phillies, who did not make the playoffs in 2007, yet the Indians went to the ALCS. Perhaps had he stayed (and he hasn’t seen success since) the Indians may have fared better against the Red Sox.

Maybe I’m being idealistic thinking that team loyalty will exist again, but I’d like to think that even with all the money out there, sports teams will return to the nature of the game – playing the game to win and entertain, rather than just for a payday.

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Digital Dads Week In Sports: Behaving Badly

Thursday, March 31st, 2011

Bad Roger! No Hall for you! (Image: AP | DAVID J. PHILLIP)

After March Madness (which isn’t quite over) it’s been a bit of a slow week. This weekend should be crazy awesome, what with the Final Four & NCAA Men’s Championship (as well as the women’s) and MLB opening day. I’m really looking forward to opening day, and for the first time since 1998, I won’t be at the Rays home opener. Kind of suck, but thems the breaks right? There were some stories this past week that caught my attention, all of them having something to do with bad behavior in sports. Hell, there are enough of these stories every week that I could almost just change the column to highlighting bad behavior.

Clemens Looking Forward to Trial

While Barry Bonds is hanging out in federal court defending himself against perjury, Roger Clemens, the 7 time Cy Young award winner, is looking forward to defending himself in federal court this summer. Clemens is also facing a perjury trial, accused of lying to the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform in February 2008. Prosecutors say that Clemens, at some point over his 23 year career, was using steroids then lied to them about it.

“You almost hate to say you’re looking forward to it, but we’re looking forward to it,” Clemens said. “We’re going to have our say in a fair setting. I’ve been great about not talking about it, and we’re going to handle it the right way.”

As a fan of baseball my whole life and following Clemens (among many other players) throughout his career I have to say – he used steroids. A ton of players used steroids. For a while, in the mid 90′s, it was the norm. There is no doubt in my mind, and in Jose Canseco’s mind, that many popular players were getting jacked so they could jack the longball. It could be said, that after the strike in ’94, steroid use saved baseball and got the fans back in the seats. Fans want to see homeruns, and with players having more power – that was more likely. More evidence to this is the season after Bonds, McGwire and Sosa went crazy with the homeruns, the steroid use was revealed and the homeruns drastically dropped.

Look, I’m a baseball purist and think that if steroids are necessary to rehabilitation, then so be it. However, using them to get jacked is another story. Of course, there is another argument to the steroid use – it doesn’t make you a better hitter. There is still a ton of skill involved in hitting the freaking baseball. Really though, at this point I just want the truth. Andy Pettite told the truth, and did anyone give a shit after that? Nope. Pettite used steroids, he told the truth and all is well. Giambi told the truth, no one cared after that. His legacy isn’t ruined (tainted perhaps, but not ruined.) Bonds and Clemens are further tainting their legacies by lying. If there is anything a purist baseball fan hates more than steroid use – it’s lying. Which I suppose is why Rose is still not in the hall of fame.

BCS is A-Ok With Booting Fiesta Bowl

Amid allegations of corruption, the chief executive, John Junker, of the Fiesta Bowl has been ousted. The BCS is nonplussed about this, and has no objections to just simply kicking the Fiesta Bowl out of the BCS Bowl Series. The Fiesta Bowl group (or whatever) is now fighting an uphill battle to continue to be included in the BCS Bowl games.

“The entire Fiesta Bowl family is angered and disappointed by what we’ve seen in the report and by the actions of Mr. Junker,” board chairman Duane Woods told reporters at the event’s headquarters in downtown Scottsdale.

I’m pretty sure that if the BCS decided to look into the whole college bowl system, they’d see a lot of fuck-ups, not just by the ones in Scottsdale. There is so much dirty money being passed around, it could fill ten freaking landfills. Of course, I’m just guessing at that – but you know that it’s true. It’s interesting that the BCS doesn’t really give a flying shit about the Fiesta Bowl, you’d think as much heat as they have put up with over the years, they’d work harder to help the Fiesta Bowl clear its name as an organization. Or, they could do what they are doing now – not give a shit – and give another non BCS bowl the chance to join the BCS in the shitty ass system that it is.

Tampa Bay Bucs Are the New Bengals

Cornerback Aqib Talib turned his dumb ass into police after – get this – “Police said they believe Talib and his mother, Okolo Talib, shot at the man March 21.” That’s right, Aqib and his freaking mother were popping shots at some dude. Doesn’t matter the reason, the fact that yet another NFL player has turned himself into a felon is just astonishing. What is wrong with these people? I don’t say that as a “black people” thing, but as a fucking NFL player thing. The worst part is, this is just the beginning. Now that there is a strike looming, and a season in jeopardy, this type of thing is going to happen more often than not.

Think about it, once the players disbanded the union in order to file a lawsuit, all the rules about drug use and guns and what not went with it. It’s like suddenly telling a bunch of third graders on the playground that they are on their own. What are they going to do? Not drugs and guns (well, some of them) but fight and get unruly. That is exactly what is happening and going to happen in the NFL unless they get some deal in place soon. For every good boy like Peyton, there are a bunch of lower lever assholes making NFL players look bad. Dealing drugs, getting caught with truck-fulls of weed, guns and going to the “script” club.

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Digital Dads Week in Sports: I Didn’t Pick Her Up at No Playground

Thursday, March 24th, 2011

Ochocinco met Real Madrid and got the soccer bug. (Image: MLS)

So after being lazy last week with only posting my NCAA picks, you are probably wonder how I did? Well, in a poll with a bunch of school teachers and my 10 year old, I’m dead last. He’s in sixth place. Really though we’re not too far apart, but my final four is already busted. Ah, such is life. Thankfully the ten year old didn’t get them all correct, because I told him that I’d give him $100 if he got every single one correct. I don’t have $100. C.C. only pays me in week old corned beef sandwiches.

Whose Jersey are you Wearing?

According to sales of MLB jerseys, Derek Jeter and Joe Mauer have the most bought and worn jerseys. This is easy to believe due to the popularity and consistency of both players. It’s no mystery that the Yankees would find themselves at the top of jersey sales. Even down here in South Florida, there are generally more Yankees fans at Rays games than Rays fans. Kind of sucks, but that’s the way it is. The best part of this list is that the next three best selling players are all Phillies. Roy Halladay, Chase Utley and Cliff Lee round out the top five. As for Lee, his Rangers jersey accounted for a portion of his total.

Here’s my theory on jersey’s and why I only have three. I have one Indians jersey with no name on the back, which is the best kind of jersey. Aside from that I have two Carl Crawford jerseys. One classic Devil Rays jersey, and one new one. Hopefully I’ll be burning those soon as he is now playing for the Boston Red Sox. The point is, with free agency it’s hard to buy a jersey and keep it for more than a year. Which is probably why most of the best selling jerseys are from players who have been with their team for a while. There is nothing worse than buying a jersey (say a Brady Quinn Browns jersey) then seeing that player leave the next year. These things aren’t cheap, not by a long shot. Even the cheap ones aren’t cheap. Which is why I suggest just buying a no-name one for your team.

Aside from the jerseys, officially licensed MLB merchandise reached an all-time high in 2010, up over six percent the year before. This is good news for MLB as a whole, who is still regaining fans that were turned off within the steroid era – as it’s now referred to. However, I’m still not spending hundreds of dollars on an article of clothing anytime soon, especially for the Rays who dumped half their staff last year. Sure, I could go out and buy a David Price jersey, but will he even be with the Rays next year? Who knows?

Speaking About Steroids…

This just won’t go away. A much thinner looking Barry Bonds is currently dealing with his perjury trial, you know, for the lying. Well, a star witness has testified that he saw Barry Bonds and Greg Anderson (trainer) coming out of Bond’s bedroom carrying a syringe. Witness Steve Hoskins, a childhood friend of Bonds, claims that his testimony and the recording of conversations was only to help Bonds, who he was truly worried about, even at one point contacting Bobby Bonds about Barry’s steroid abuse. As a baseball fan who followed Barry’s career from his skinny years with the Pirates to his shoulders on shoulders years with Giants, the dude was using steroids.

Proving it is going to be the problem, proving he lied about it is going to be even more difficult. Sure, Anderson walked out of the bedroom holding a syringe, but perhaps they were just doing heroin. Or maybe Anderson was feeling a bit diabetic. Plus, rich people do weird things. If I was rich, I could totally see injecting pure caffeine right into my bloodstream instead of drinking coffee. Actually, I’d probably shoot for straight up opium. The point is, well, I sure hope that this testimony helps convict Bonds. He was a steroid abuser for sure, and should serve as a prime example as to why steroids are bad. As if the testicle shrinkage isn’t enough proof.

Ochocinco Plans to Actually Play Futbol

This week Ochocinco has been hanging out with Sporting Kansas City, the Major League Soccer team based in Kansas City. Obviously. With about ten times the normal press expected at a MLS tryout, Ocho was a bit winded after practice. Chances are, he’s not going to make the team as he’s not in the right kind of shape for futbol. He’s a sprint runner, running fades and sprints in short intervals, not the whole game. 45 minutes with no rest might be a bit much for the NFL veteran. However, if he does make the team, he said he’ll play for free. Here’s the thing, whether he makes the team or not, they should bring him on anyway. Sure, it’ll keep some young kid from making the team but can you imagine what it will do for attendance? Merchandise sales? It would be a freaking boon for the team. Plus, it’s MLS and as it is, this is the most anyone has cared about MLS in quite a long time.

Upsets Abound in NCAA Tournament

Let’s talk upsets in the NCAA tournament. Really, it wouldn’t be March Madness without the madness part. While my brackets weren’t busted, they certainly were bruised because I picked very few upsets. It started over in the Southwest bracket with Richmond upsetting Vanderbilt in dramatic fashion, and Morehead State tossing Louisville aside. Then, USC beat Georgetown and went on to beat #3 seeded Purdue to work their way into the Sweet Sixteen. How about them apples? Over in the West, Arizona beat Texas to advance to the sixteen. While not a major upset, it still was surprising to a lot of folks, especially those who had Texas winning it all.

My final game is Ohio State vs. Pittsburgh. So when Pitt got bushwhacked by Butler, I nearly crumpled my brackets up and aimed for the trash can. Notre Dame losing to Florida State was also a bit of surprise, but it wasn’t completely unexpected. It’s something I can deal with. So now we come to the Sweet Sixteen, where teams like Richmond are in for a rude awakening. Sure, they could keep rolling, but they are going up against Kansas. Do you really think Kansas is going to roll over for Richmond? I don’t think so. However, it’s March Madness. Anything could happen.

LT Now a Sexual Predator

Lawrence Taylor, one of the greatest players to ever grace the NFL, has managed to completely tarnish his legacy. You think Brett Favre’s dick pictures were bad? LT is a sexual predator. You all know the story, but what does LT think about all this?

“I didn’t pick her up at no playground. She wasn’t hiding behind the school bus or getting off a school bus. … That’s not my M.O. I’ve been around kids and people all my life. I’m not the cause of prostitution. And sometimes I make mistakes and I may go out there . . . This is a working girl that came to my room. And I don’t know what her age was. I asked her age. She told me she was 19. It is what it is.”

So the hooker you picked up was underage. Yes LT, that makes it 100% better. All this bad behavior by ex-stars of the NFL, NBA, MLB and so on, and yet Pete Rose is still not in the hall of fame. What the hell?

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Digital Dads Week in Sports: Mel Kiper’s Hair Boner

Thursday, March 3rd, 2011

The NFL Combine is under way. (Image: NFL)

Spring Training Baseball Begins

I don’t attend Spring Training games. I just can’t stomach the prices. If we see the superstar players for more than an inning we’re lucky, yet we’re still asked to pay eight bucks for a soda. It’s bullshit and I refuse to submit to it. If I’m going to spend that kind of money then it’s going to be during the regular season when the players actually want to win the game and aren’t just lollygagging around signing baseballs and spitting all over the place. That being said, the good thing about Spring Training is that it means the regular season is right around the corner. Not to mention that the minor league season will be starting soon. I happen to live within two miles of the Orioles Spring Training home, and down the street from the Pirates and many others here in Central Florida. So baseball is in the air here.

So what’s the big news out of Spring Training? Well, the focus seems to be on Manny and Damon down in Port Charlotte playing for the Rays. They came out swinging and went deep in their debut in their new colors. Other than that, the Colorado Rockies seem to be a big story with their young aces and line-up. They are certainly a team to watch out for in the National League. I’ll get more into that when I do my annual MLB predictions. For now, enjoy the sunshine and know that the season is just around the corner.

Carson Palmer Has $80mm and Would Rather Retire Than Play for the Bengals

Carson Palmer recently told a friend (who then told media outlets – some friend) that, “I have $80 million in the bank. I don’t have to play football for money. I’ll play it for the love of the game, but that would have to be elsewhere. I’m prepared to live my life.” The bottom line is Carson Palmer is tired of playing in Cincinnati. He’s tired of playing for a losing team full of criminals and a coach who is caring less and less about winning then he does about babysitting a bunch of misfits. Really, you can’t blame the guy.

The problem is, Carson Palmer is still under contract with the Bengals. So no matter what he wants to do, he has a legal obligation to show up to training camp later this year and play for the team. Yes, he’s reached a position of financial security that he can just quit if he wants, but there is still plenty of game left in this guy. The best option for the Bengals is to simply trade him. If they force him to play and he shows up to honor his contract, his heart won’t be in it. He’s made that much clear. The Bengals can probably get a pretty penny for Palmer. Plus, they have third pick in the draft, or fifth – can’t remember. Either way, they should let Palmer go, I’m pretty sure he’ll find himself a place to play, like Carolina perhaps. Or San Francisco. Or Arizona.

NFL Combine Begins

I think this years combine (at least according to Sportscenter) can be summed up as such: Cam Newton, Mel Kiper. Done. The truth is that Cam Newton is the big deal at the combine this year, while the rest of the field are testing their 40 yard dash speed and lifting weights in some sort of weird dog and pony show, the cameras have rested solely on the back of Newton. With the whole Carson Palmer thing, what do you think the odds are that Newton will be heading to the Bengals? He’ll fit right in with the rest of the criminal element there for sure.

While the combine churns on, the NFL Owners and the NFLPA have yet to reach an agreement. The owners hold all the cards, as many younger players still live paycheck to paycheck and have everything to lose. If the NFLPA ends up on the bad end of a lockout, it doesn’t hurt the owners at all. They still get the television money and so on. There are contracts in place for that. By the time you read this though, there very well may be a deal in place, or there won’t.

Duke Slashes North Carolina or is it the Other Way Around?

On Saturday night, two NCAA Basketball powerhouses will met up. Even though Ohio State is holding the number one spot, you know damn well that these two teams are going to be rolling to the Elite Eight in the tournament. This is a huge rivalry and will be a damn exciting game to watch. To wit: Duke has won three straight against North Carolina. Duke won a national title last season. They held the #1 spot for a good part of the year. North Carolina is 22-6 overall, 12-2 in the ACC while Duke is 26-3 overall, 12-2 in the ACC so that means for the moment that they are tied for the lead. As of this writing, the Tar Heels will be playing FSU, while Duke is hosting Clemson. Frankly, and for the sake of Saturday’s game – I’m rooting for both of them to win. No matter if you are a Tar Heel fan or a Blue Devil fan, you want the other team to win. This is what college basketball is all about, the rivalry. This game is going to be awesome and if you are a college basketball fan you will be watching it. If you aren’t, I think there is some Nascar on or something Saturday night.

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