OSU Bowl Ban

So OSU found out their fate this week with the lose of 9 scholarships, 2012 bowl ban and an added year of probation. I found it funny that Gene Smith was shocked about the 2012 bowl ban, Gene what did you think would happen? A slap on the wrist? While what happen at Ohio State is no where near Penn State or Miami alleged behavior, they did have some major infractions and with multiple players.

I am not against players selling or trading personal merchandise for cash, but is against the rules. The players, coaches and university knew this yet did nothing. So in my eyes, OSU got off easy and I am a OSU fan, I view it as one lost season at the beginning of a coaching transition. It will be Urban Meyers first season and he will be playing with JT recruits. So far this has had zero affect on Meyer's recruiting because his first class won't be attending until 2013 anyways.

Gene Smith count your holiday blessings the penalty was not worse, because not only could you have received a multiple year bowl ban, but you could have lost Urban Meyer and the OSU fan base for years and not to mention possibly your job... Merry Christmas -NCAA-

Tebow Does It Again...

All right I am convinced there is a higher power at work, I am not much of a religous person but some how Tebow continues to do it. How else can you explain Marion Barber not only running out of bounds when he could have ended the game, but coughing up the ball in overtime when the Bears are in field goal range.

Something is going on here, I am still not convinced Tebow can be a pocket passer because boy did he throw some ducks..but in crunch time he gets the job done. Dare I say what would happen if Tebow made it to the Super Bowl, it could happen... Dilfer,Grossman, both qbs who made it to the Super Bowl on the strength of their defense and special teams. As quarterbacks all they had to do was manage the game...As we are learning Tebow can do that  pretty good.

Tebow and the Broncos beat a good defense in the Chicago Bears and this week I expect the Patriots to throw some new looks at Tebow.. Yes the Patriots secondary is terrible, but that said the Patriots will bring the pressure to Tebow. If this game becomes a shoot out, we will see what Tebow can really do with the ball..

Baseball,Steroids and Awards

With Ryan Braun allegedly failing a drug test, we are once again faced with the question..Should baseball writers have a re-vote on major awards? I personally think they should for one reason, if baseball writers are going to hold it against a player in hall of fame voting (Bonds, Clemens,Etc) then why not hold it against current players who win awards?

Writers should not be allowed to look the other way for one voting and not the other. If the hall of fame of going to be treated like some sacred ground for only the best players "clean" players then the awards should be treated the same. Either that or allow all players in the hall of fame that deserve it. The hall of fame is a museum for the history of baseball good or bad...

The Commish has spoken... Blocks Paul to Lakers

The NBA is back in the PR cross hairs this morning, after the Lakers ,Hornets and Rockets worked out a blockbuster trade for Chris Paul, Lamar Odom and Pau Gasol being the main components, Stern apparently killed the trade after other owners complained.

I didn't really follow much of the recent lock-out but I know one subject was competitive balance. So for this trade to be proposed or approved in the first place was a mistake. Never mind the fact the Hornets are a league owned team makes the fact that much worse. Throw in the fact that Stern had to step in and block the trade created a public relations mess for the NBA.

Players are pissed as you can see from this article on Pro Basketball Talk. Laker fans are pissed, because most feel this trade some how was going to lead the way for the Lakers to land Dwight Howard, but really this might be a blessing for the Lakers. The odds of them landing Howard for Bynum straight up was unlikely and I did not hear much about a third team involved to get another mega deal done. Even with Paul the Lakers would be down to Bynum as their one big man and let's be honest Bynum is not dependable. So the commish has laid down the law and it might end up the best for the Lakers...

Take the money and run Albert !!

Should have Pujols stayed in St.Louis for less money? That's pretty debatable..Judging by this article on HBT.com, the fans and media in St.Louis are quite bitter. I don't think I could ever fault someone for taking the money and running, but at what point do dollars become cents? St.Louis where Pujols could do no wrong to a new market where the expectations will be off the charts.

We are talking $200 million St.Louis offered to the $250 he is getting from the Angels. After what amount of money is $50 million dollars not that much...I don't know about you but I could never spend $200 million in my lifetime, my child's lifetime or her kids lifetime... Invested properly it would be pretty tough to burn through..So back to my point is it worth it to give up everything you know and a place where you can do no wrong for $50 million? Yeah I'd probably take the extra $50 and run.....

Packers Undefeated Season.....

Does anyone see a NFC team knocking off the Packers? Probably not, not that it can't happen, but it is unlikely to happen. Look at the NFC so-called powerhouses and who installs fear in the Pack...NFC East, Dallas or Giants.. No...NFC West, San Fran.. Probably not.. NFC South, Atlanta or New Orleans.. Maybe New Orleans but Atlanta no.

The Packers SHOULD have a easy trip to the Super Bowl, looking at the NFC landscape there is not a team with a strong enough secondary to hold up against Rodgers. The Giants came close in a shoot-out with them, but their cornerbacks failed at stopping the big play... It took Rodgers about 15 seconds and 3 plays to go from his 20 to field goal range for Crosby.. That's efficent !!

To beat the Packers you need an above average offense along with a top defensive pass rush and an above average dime package. Keep Rodgers off the field with your offense and slow him down with your D. Let's face it you probably won't shut them down totally.So who fit's that bill...I got nothing.. The closesest I could come would be Baltimore or Pittsburgh, but I would need a hybrid.. Balitmore's defense with Pittsburgh's offense. Baltmore alone might have a chance with decent play from Flacco. So there you have it...Move over Mercury Morris, you are going to get some company...

The NBA is back....Whooo Hoooo... I think

So the NBA is back… Do you care? I don’t and frankly I didn’t even notice it was gone. To me the season is too long and too many teams make the playoffs, so if your team misses the playoffs they really suck. Last year was interesting with the whole Lebron to south beach, but this season I just don’t see many story lines. The biggest story coming out of the lockout was all the trades and big free agent signings that were going to take place. So far the biggest talk is Chris Paul to the Celtics, but I would be shocked it that happened.  That said are you happy the NBA is back or could care less?

Time to fire Frazier

The season is not over yet and the Vikings are faced with the question "Is Frazier the right man to lead this team?" If you judge a team by their record and performance than no he should have been fired weeks ago, but let's look at the bigger picture.

The Vikings secondary has been terrible all season and but at least when Winfield and Cook were in there they were somewhat respectable outside of the safety position. The lose of Winfield and Cook has caused a total collapse of the secondary, proof this weekend when Tebow looked like Rodgers in the pocket passing. The Vikes are starting a DB who was on his couch watching 3 weeks ago and one with two bad knees from ACL surgery. These DB's shouldn't start in the UFL never mind starting for the Vikings.

People are complaining about Frazier bringing in McNabb and starting him over Ponder. There was zero chance Ponder could have played on day one, the lockout took any chance of that happening and threw it out the window. Frazier went after McNabb as a bridge to Ponder and was someone he was comfortable with from their time in Philly. Yes the move backfired with McNabb being benched and now waived, but the thought behind it was a good one. You do not throw your rookie quarterback into the fire and risk not only injury but his confidence.

Frazier is a great person as anyone who has met him will tell you, but I am not sold he is coaching material. I would like to see how he does with a normal off season and not inheriting over rated defense. Frazier has proven he can keep a steady ship, but I would like to see him grow as a coach. This year he has failed to make adjustments throughout the year not only with personnel but his coaching. Too many times we see Harvin or even Peterson on the bench in critical situations. You want to see the coach learn from mistakes like a player, but Frazier has often repeated the same mistakes. Truth is Frazier is safe this year, but if this team doesn't take big leaps next year Frazier might not make it to week 13.

The Tebow Trap Has Been Set...

Let me make this clear I like Tim Tebow as a person, from what I heard about him from his time down in Florida he does and say's everything right. While teamates were out partying he was inside studying and basically staying out of harms way. I'm sure a lot of student athlete's are like this, but usually we only hear the negative.

The trap was set in Denver the day Tebow was drafted, the trap has been sprung now that he is winning. The truth is Tebow is not a throwing quaterback. He is a fullback playing the quaterback position and we are now seeing that. His so called mechanic change has gone out the window and he misses more passes than he completes. I know big guys can play quaterback one just needs to look at Culpepper, but Tebow does not have the mechanics Culpepper did.

Everytime he completes a good pass or one that 95% of the quaterbacks complete with their eyes closed, we hear how great of a arm he has and he just needs time.  He does complete passes in clutch situations and get's the job done, but is that enough to complete with the big time teams? The only competitive teams he beat are the Oakland Raiders and San Diego Chargers and most people will agree those teams are worse than their records indicate. Denvers defense is more vital than Tim Tebow and probably has kept them in more games than Tebow has won them. I believe that is getting lost in Tebowmania.

The Denver fans love Tebow, they were chanting his name from day one and this put's John Fox and John Elway in a bear trap set by Tebow and the public. Elway has been careful with his comments to the media and through Twitter with regards to Tebow. Though he won't commit to Tebow 100% he has not gone away from suppoting him, but Fox in his first year as Denvers coach did not draft Tebow and Elway wants a passing qb. Behind closed doors one has to think they were hoping Tebow would make it easy to draft a qb in April.

He hasn't done so and tightened his trap by winning games in the final quarter, better yet final minutes and overtime. Tebow plays terrible for 3 quarters, but comes up in the 4th and the public only sees it as "He's so clutch" and "Tebows a winner" So the trap has been sprung, do Elway and Fox hitch their wagon to Tebow for the next couple seasons or do they risk public push back and draft a qb?

Chris Kluwe A Breath Of Fresh Air

It’s a breath of fresh air to read this article on Yahoo from Les Carpenter about Vikings punter Chris Kluwe. Most athletes especially football players get lumped in the jock role of not being very bright, a meathead and in this modern NFL all about the money. Chris comes across of the complete opposite of all those and if I wasn’t a Vikings fan I’d would probably have had no idea who he was from his Twitter accounthttp://twitter.com/#!/ChrisWarcraft). Most people I following on Twitter talk about upcoming teams, other players, working out or pitching some product. This is not the case with Chris, usually he is complaining about a video game or mocking the NFL. To all 3 of my readers if you get the time give the article above a read and you’ll appreciate the breath of fresh air Chris has given the NFL

About that Chris Johnson Hold Out...

As Chris Johnson continues to hold out in hopes of a new contract we can again ponder "Is it a good idea?" I am very much on the fence on this one, being a Vikings fan I think Adrian Peterson is more deserving then Johnson of a new contract and handling it the proper way, by showing up and not becoming a distraction to his team. Peterson has been more consistent and a more complete back than Johnson, but this post isn't about that it's about should a player hold out for a new contract?

A NFL running back has one of the shortest playing careers of any position and while great running backs are rare, serviceable good running backs are a dime a dozen.Plus what about the fact that teams can basically cut a player at any time, should we expect a player to honor his contract when the team doesn't have to? I don't think Johnson deserves what he is requesting to be paid as one of the highest impact players not just at his position but the overall. The days of a running back dictating that type of money are gone and qbs are higher impact players than running backs. I think Johnson should be paid as a top tier running back and while I don't think holding out is a great idea for other positions, I feel it is almost justified as a running back. They are one injury away from calling it a career, might as well get as much as possible when you have the leverage.

After Stone Accident Stadiums Need To Revisit Safety

Was it only a matter of time before something tragic happened? Did a human being, a father to a 6 year old son have to die in order to open our eyes? If you are not aware of the terrible Shannon Stone story please vist Hard Ball Talk here to read it. This horrific event could have been avoided if we looked at the signs.

As people sometimes we need to be protected from ourselves and this is an example of what happens when our host fail to watch over us. Baseball is by far on of the most dangerous sports to watch along with hockey. I can remember watching the Lansing Lugnuts from the first base line at sunset, I could barely see the batter. Then a foul ball would rip right past my head  and a couple rows behind me, but these are the risk you take as a fan to sit close to the field. Hockey is the same way if you are just above glass level and someone misses on a slapshot it's coming up. My point is there will always be risk at games.

With Mr.Stone it was different, there was no foul ball or slap shot, just Josh Hamilton tossing up a ball at the end of the inning. Looking at pictures of  where the accident happened it is clear the MLB needs to mandate a higher railing system around the league or keep fans further back. Even if they installed some type of landing on the other side of the rails, this could have been avoided. We have seen this happen before at ground level when people reach for foul balls and go over the wall. Maybe now is the time to start elminating fans from the game and take a row or two out. Something must be done so nobody has to lose their life for us to learn a lesson.

The Magic Of The 4th Of July.. What Happen???

So I am taking a break from sports to write about the 4th of July and the magic it carried as a good. I don't know it was because I was young or because I had the entire Summer off from school but the 4th always carried special magic. It's was family bbqs,cookouts and fireworks.. Where does the magic go?

Some of my fondest childhood memories happened on the 4th of July. It could be the one summer when I was 6 or 7 and my uncle had a cardboard tube and would launch bottle rockets underneath a bridge where crowds of people's were walking to watch fireworks at the river. Probably not the best idea, but it was the 80's and it was pretty funny. I remember that was the Summer I was introduced to the movie "It's a mad mad world" and lawn Jarts (the dangerous ones).

Or in 95 when Chris Isaak was performing at The Hartford Riverfest. I was 15 at the time and rode my bike everywhere. So myself and a couple friends rode our bikes about 10 miles to Riverfest, along the way taped a couple m80's to a Isaak CD and launch it under a bridge. I remember wondering around Riverfest grabbing food and going down the water slide along with seeing ton's of friends from around town. Picking up a couple boxes of stink bombs from the dollar store and watching a crowd clear.

Life seemed so much simpler and slower back then, even though things were a little more tough. It was tough to get money for things and a lot more work to ride a bike then drive a car. Maybe that is what made it better, the adventure that led to the moment. I have been to numerous cookouts over the years now and have memories from all of them, but none of them seem to capture that same magic. Maybe now that I have a little baby girl I can recapture some of the moments from my childhood. Just looking for that spark to re-create the magic...

Owens ACL Injury Has Me Thinking.. What Would You Do?

With the news of T.O possibly having ACL surgery for a still unknown disclosed injury, it got me thinking “What is worth it?” First let’s set the stage, T.O is already a multi millionaire so missing a season or two worth of paychecks is not a big deal, but what about the young guys?

As you are coming out of college not only are you surrounded with fellow teammates and athletes, you also have your friends back home. All these people around you are into sports and I am sure play on the weekends and your teammates train. This past spring you were drafted in the early rounds of the NFL during a lock-out.  You have no contract and have made no money, so what do you do?

Do you train, play horse, play softball or even mini golf? One injury and you lose millions of dollars. I have not had the privilege of ever playing sports on a major level, but last year I tore my ACL playing flag football. I am still recovering from surgery and have to watch my friends play football and it eats at me. I am not a huge softball player, but watching my buddies play that and I want to get out there and run around.

I know my chain of thought would be different with millions of dollars on the line, but how much different? I bet people who played competitive sports growing up can relate. It’s the competitiveness in us that takes over and get’s us back on the field. For better or worse we convince ourselves nothing will happen or I am healthy enough to return no problem. So what would you do or not do?

Lebron gives the Heat what they deserve... Nothing....

I've been writing a lot about Lebron latley, mostly because everyday he say's or does something stupid. Last night was no different, after the Heat's loss to the Mavs Lebron had this to say

“All the people that were rooting for me to fail… at the end of the day, tomorrow they have to wake up and have the same life that (they had) before they woke up today,” James said. “They got the same personal problems they had today. And I’m going to continue to live the way I want to live and continue to do the things I want to do.”

I've tried to like Lebron and give him the benefit of the doubt, but boy does he make it tough. Those people with the personal problems are the ones who lined your arrogant pockets with cash. I had no problem with Lebron going to South Beach to try and win a championship. People were up in arms about him going Wade and Bosh, but that stuff happens all the time just look at MLB , the Red Sox and Yankees buy the best talent. It is part of the game and I see nothing wrong with it.

People were rooting for Lebron to fail because of quotes like above, the decision television special and videos like Lebron and Wade mocking Dirk. Lebron is constantly putting himself in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons and his arrogance will continue to do so. Lebron did what he does best, he is great all season and then dissapears when it counts...

Why Lebron will never be on the same level as Jordan

 I was hoping during these finals we would see Lebron develop into the leader we all thought he could be. Judging by this video he has a ways to go and I am surprised to Wade start it because Wade has a habit of dragging out injuries. On the flip side after if the Mavs win the finals I would love to see Dirk mock Wade and Lebron, but I doubt he will since he usually shows class. Please put to rest any comparison's to Jordan.

http://youtu.be/V7sNgIaXEhw

Top 5 Sports Personalities I follow on Twitter

I don't follow a lot of people on Twitter around 200 and in the past I have touched on Athletes using Twitter and Chad Ocho Cinco . Here I am going to give you the top 5 people I follow on Twitter, this includes people I believe are the most informative,do not constantly promote products and usually respond to tweets. A lot of athletes and sports personalities either disappear or delete their accounts when the going gets tough as Terrelle Pryor has been pretty quiet lately.Some just post from time to time.  These 5 are constantly posting and offer good insight...

5 - Chad Ocho Cinco - You know he had to make the list but surprisingly Chad is the only athlete that made my top 5. Chad can relate to his followers and does not disappear down the stretch. He has discussed his contract with the Bengals, Marvin Lewis and Carson Palmer on Twitter to his followers. It is probably not the best approach but you have to respect him for it.

4 - Adam Schefter -  Schefter is one of many ESPN personalities you can find on Twitter. He is also one of the most accurate. I found that a lot of times that reporters are so quick to try and break a story they post any piece of info they get and a lot of it never happens or is flat out wrong. Adam takes his time with his stories to make sure they are accurate, he also takes a lot of time to re-tweet for charities and good causes.

3 - Darren Rovell - Darren is a sports business reporter and always comes up with some amazing stats and numbers for all sports, but he is also funny with his comments on the days big stories not just sports.

2 - Jason Whitlock - Jason writes some of the best material out there. He constantly goes against the grain and not afraid to call out big names. He was one the first people to jump on SI for claiming to break the Ohio State news and take credit for Tressel losing his job. I don't always agree with his columns but I respect them and they make you think, that is the sign of a good writer.

1 - Jay Glazer - Jay is in a class of his own with NFL inside info and breaking NFL news. I can't recall a time when he missed on any report, though I am sure he has it is very rare. He does not report fluff and only reports real news. Some writers are stretching the NFL lockout info every day and Jay only writes about it if there is something of real substance. Be warned that Jay does pimp "Perfect Punch" and "Subway" from time to time but he does not shove it down your throat and from what I read "Perfect Punch" is a great product. Jay has one of best relationships with NFL personnel and it allows him to info others are late or never get to break, for this Jay Glazer is at the top of my list.

BCS Strips USC and Reggie Bush Of "04" Title

So the BCS finally came down and stripped USC of it's "04" championship. I think the BCS is a load of bull and a money grab anyways, but rules were broken by Bush and usually the school pays the price. A lot of people on Twitter are outraged by this and basically say "what happens off the field shouldn't effect what happens on the field". I understand where they are coming from but can't agree.

In my eyes it is a little simpler than that, a player who violates league and school policies, should be ineligible to play and Bush should not have been playing. It hurts me to say this, but the same should happen to Ohio State if the NCAA and BCS find they also broke policies and rules. Players need to learn that their personal actions not only affect them but their schools. I also think the NCAA and BCS need to step up efforts to monitor players and not put all the weight on the schools and coaches. Coaches are paid to be coaches and not baby sitters, they have no way to monitor their players 100% of the time.  In the last month we have seen players cost schools a championship and a coaches job. The NCAA needs to stop turning a blind eye to some violations and really crack down all around. Maybe paying these student athletes would get rid of some the violations..or would it?

Lebron James And That Chest Bump...

As you know I picked Lebron and The Heat to win the championship and after game 2 the outlook is a little cloudy. It's time for Lebron to silence his critics me included, Lebron is a great player and nobody can deny that. But people are up in arms about the Heat blowing the lead and for some reason it circles back to Lebron and his chest bump with Wade.

One player chest bumping another doesn't lose games, it's a lack of defense and focus. Yes it might help light a fire under the other team, but if your a professional athlete playing for a championship you shouldn't need it.With Lebron everything is under a microscope, even something as simple as a chest bump. If it's anybody besides Lebron this is a non-story. Cut Lebron a little slack and focus on the real problem at hand, the Miami Heat need to play defense to close out games and if Lebron wants to silence his critics he needs to step up that D.

Shouldn't we compare Kobe to Jordan and not Lebron?

Enough is enough with the Lebron to Jordan comparisons. Thank-you Scottie Pippen for bringing it up again. If you want to compare someone to Jordan then use Kobe. It is not a knock on Lebron, but he is still young and needs to win a couple championships before we can proclaim him better than Jordan. Kobe has proven clutch and able to win multiple championships with a different cast around him. Kobe elevates the players around him to make them better. Lebron has Wade and Bosh while Kobe has Odom and Gasol. I think Lebron has the better supporting cast and by the time he is done should have multiple championships in Miami. In the end Lebron could be better then M.J, but how about we let Lebron be Lebron.

Take Fan Voting AWAY!

If you want a good laugh today, check out the all-star voting for baseball’s mid-season classic.  I know all star games in pro sports have become nothing but popularity contests but this year’s baseball voting is downright comical and sad at the same time.  Generally every year there are players that get left off the roster that should have been on it and sometimes players will sneak on because of popularity but this year, so far anyway, the fans have got it very, very wrong.

First let’s talk about the leader at 1^st base, Mark Teixeira.  He’s having a pretty good year so far (16 HR’s, 38 RBI, .901 OPS) but is he really the best 1^st baseman in the American League?  Adrian Gonzalez is having a monster year (.918 OPS, AL high 46 RBI, .329 avg.), Miguel Cabrera is having another MVP type season (1.001 OPS, 40 RBI, .311 avg.).  Heck even DH David Ortiz, who if you had to put at a position would be 1B, is having a monster year (.964 OPS, 13 HR’s, 28 RBI).  So is Tex the best option at 1B?

Now let’s take it to the National League at the same position.  Albert Pujols currently leads the voting and is so far having one of his worst statistical years ever.  His batting line of .265/.335/.412/.746 and 9 HR’s, 31 RBI looks putrid next to Joey Votto (1.001 OPS, 7 HR, 32 RBI, .338 avg.) and Prince Fielder (.924 OPS, 11 HR, 42 RBI, .291 avg.) who are putting together fantastic starts to the year.  Why does Pujols belong this year?  Is it because of his past MVP seasons or maybe his hardcore St. Louis fan base flooding the ballots?

The rest of the National League however is pretty good.  The voting seems logical and all the leaders in other categories I could reasonably say deserve to go to the All-Star game.  The biggest travesty comes from the American League.  Your leading vote getter so far at the position of short-stop is….Derek Jeter.  What the…?  Derek Jeter?  Really?  He of the following stat line - .264/.328/.332/.660 with 2 HR’s and 16 RBI?  Wow.  Let’s see there are probably 7 other SS that should be ahead of him, but I’ll narrow it down for you to 3.  Asdrubal Cabrera of the Indians is having a beast of a year so far (.875 OPS, 10 HR, 39 RBI, .299 avg.) and should be the leading vote getter.  But there’s also Erick Aybar (.315 avg., .800 OPS, 3 HR, 20 RBI, 14 SB) and Jed Lowrie (.305 avg., .803 OPS, 3HR, 22 RBI) tearing it up right now.

I get it.  Jeter is iconic and legendary but the All-Star game is for what players are doing THIS YEAR!  It’s not what about you’ve done in your career.  I could see if this was Jeter’s last season in the league and we all knew he was retiring, then great, vote him in one last time and give him his curtain call, but we all know he’s going to continue to play mediocre baseball for the rest of his contract, so why is he the leading SS vote getter?

Maybe it’s me but I think it’s time to revoke the fan voting system MLB has in place.  If Major League Baseball is trying to push this game as “meaning something” and it does by giving the winning league home field advantage in the World Series it’s time to get the best players on the teams.  If it wants to continue with the fan voting popularity contest, then it’s time to remove the meaning of the game and let it be just an exhibition game.

With the game determining home field advantage for the World Series, then it’s in the best interest to have the best players at each position for each league.  Jeter should not be at shortstop and I’m sorry but Pujols shouldn’t be at first base this year.  Take away the fan voting and come up with a new system.  I’m sick of fan bases flooding the ballots to get their favorite players on the field when sometimes they just don’t deserve it.

Lastly, I’d like to point out that although I’m a Red Sox fan, I’m a baseball fan first and a baseball purist at that.  I don’t care that there are six Yankees leading the voting so far.  In fact I believe that 4 of those Yankees deserve to be in the game (A-Rod, Granderson, Russell and Cano) but let’s get rid of the ones that don’t deserve…

Athletes and Twitter

Yes it’s rare that I post two blogs in one day but what the hell. A friend of mine whose blog can be found here touched on Twitter and its purpose. It got me thinking a little about athletes and how Twitter has given them a voice. Athlete’s always had a voice in the media, but the press could spin it however they would like. Twitter has allowed us to see a side of athletes we do not normally get to see. On my post about Chad OchoCinco I talked about how he does trips with his fans and gives stuff away. I follow a ton of athletes and sports personalities on Twitter and it is interesting to see how they interact among each other. They clown each other and usually exchange in friendly banter. I find myself rooting against players because they are Duke or Michigan fan. Last year I was discussing back and forth with Bernard Berrrian about the NBA playoffs and I have talked with Sean May about student athletes and if they should be paid or not. This is where Twitter is at its best allowing athletes to connect to their fans. I think sports leagues should embrace Twitter and use it to there advantage instead of fighting.

Top 3 Sports or Not Sports

Here are my top 3 sports that people do not consider sports and I am not talking about curling. If it is in the Olympics then it is a sport, these are just less mainstream sports or not sports…

3. Fishing – The top fishermen in the world make million’s of dollars and lure makers pocket big dollars off of this sport or not sport. Now anyone can take a reel and a rod throw it in a puddle and consider it fishing, but to make a living off of fishing requires a little bit mental work. I like to fish but apparently am terrible at it, but I hear things like “you need to read the water” and “look to see where the fish are hiding”,  I didn’t know the lake, pond or river was a book cause I don’t  see any words, I look see water and throw my bait. Catching fish is easier said then done.

2. Bowling – Fat guys sitting around smoking and drinking beers while throwing a plastic ball as hard as they can. Yeah I thought the same thing until I joined a league and seen how competitive bowlers can be. The key to bowling is repeating the same approach, delivery and release time after time. Then you have people talking to you about “staying behind the ball” along with “axis rotation and revolutions”..Umm can’t I just throw the ball? Come to find out bowling is one of America’s fastest growing sports or not sports. Bowling is just starting to reach big time with a tv deal on ESPN which broadcast tournaments throughout the year.

1. NASCAR – I’m gonna go straight and then I’m gonna turn left (Cartman voice). Nascar is the ultimate redneck/tailgating sport or not sport. I mean people park their rv’s in the middle of the track and some tracks allow you to bring in your own beer. Sign me up!! But is it a sport? Drive in a circle at high speeds while trying to avoid 30+ other cars with no A/C yeah you get my “sport” vote. I don’t think you need to be a finely tuned athlete to be a race car driver, but I do believe there is a great deal of driving skill required and at the end of the day if you don’t include it as a sport, you should at least respect the drivers for the risk they take.

More Free Fights...

At what point will the UFC start offering more free fights? The UFC currently host one, but sometimes two PPV events a month and for the average fan that is $120 added to their cable bill. I am a huge fan of MMA and slowly have developed from a person who just wants to watch someone get knocked out to a more knowledgeable fan who understands the skills that it takes to compete. On the flip side we have seen some terrible fights over the years where fighters fail to engage and just dance around the ring for 3 rounds or the judges declare a “draw”. Sometimes we just don't feel like we get our monies worth from the events. With the acquisition of WEC and Strike Force the UFC should offer more free fights with larger names on the card. Their stable of fighters has grown so much over the years that in actuality they could charge for every fight and people would pay it. Maybe create a UFC channel and people could pay a monthly subscription for it like MLB and NFL network. I do appreciate that they do give 4 to 6 free fights throughout the year, but they could easily do more. Maybe scrap TUF and offer a weekly tournament “Bellator” style. There is a untapped market that the UFC is missing by charging for the major fights and not being aggressive after the casual fan.

Bron Bron and the gang..

Who is everyone picking to become NBA champs? I know I buried them throughout the season but I'm riding with the Heat and Lebron James. I just dont think Dallas can play enough D to stop the most hated trio in all of sports. Was it just me or did a lot of people really work Bosh over this year? I thought he had a great year and was consistant from begining to end. I will probably watch pieces here and there, but much rather have watched Kobe in the finals. I cant stand the Lakers but dont think anyone is more clutch than Kobe..Either way enjoy the games...

And just like he's gone...

As quickly as I posted defending Jim Tressel he goes and steps down...Ouch..I still stand by my post defending him, but understand a move had to be made.My guess is the university pushed this behind closed doors. No university especially one with prestige of Ohio State wants to be a negative light all season long. In the end this is probaby the best move and next year the team will hire a major name. Some names already being  mention Urban Meyer (shocking) and a actually shocking name John Gruden..Stay tuned more to follow..

Dot that i....

So as details emerge from Ohio State regarding Jim Tressel and the suspended Buckeye players I wondered what is the big deal…Rules are rules and both parties should be punished for lying to the NCAA, but as I think about it a little more I think some of the items are pretty small. I’ve heard stories from Charles Barkley about magically finding money in magazines while on a recruiting trip and we all know the Cam Newton story by now. First I will address Tressel’s part in this. What is wrong with a coach trying to protect his players? Think about it for a moment, what did Tressel stand to gain from lying to the NCAA? Nothing, this is Ohio State we are talking about it, if the players were suspended they would have just replaced them with equally talented if not more talented players. Yes they may have lost a game here and there, but in the end it would not have been much different. It was coach trying to protect his players from getting in trouble, I mean the guy reached out to Pryor and tried to steer him on the correct path. This is a man who was willing to put all the weight of this on his shoulders and carry on with it. Tressel knew at some point it would come out, how could it not. Tressel is known for his character and how he handles him stuff and the fact that he hired one of the best lawyers to represent him says even more. Usually when the going get’s tough the college coaches get going (see Pete Carrol), but Tressel is standing his ground and will rough it out no matter what the NCAA hands down.

As for the players this one will be much shorter, they all know the rules in regards to accepting gifts, discounts, etc, but where does it say you can not pawn school giving awards for money? I think it is a joke that a player would sell rings or gifts from the school that was awarded to them, but that is another topic.  I mean once you are handed an award isn’t it technically yours? What is the difference with someone selling back their text books?  Taking discounts for items for autographs is a big no-no, but I doubt any major student athlete from any major college sports program has paid for a meal at a local restaurants. The NCAA needs to stop picking and choosing what they go after, either go all in or continue to look the other way…

I'm a Goon ...

Ok not really, but I do enjoy fights in hockey. The NHL commissioner has been talking about making hockey safer for the players, but I enjoy hard clean hard hits and random fights. I know that is the goon in me, but I find it exciting and fun to watch two guys throw the gloves off and go at it especially if the goalies decide to get involved. Hockey fights are part of the game and can never be taken fully taking out. Now I am not saying going all “Slap Shot” and start fights on purpose, but I miss the days off seeing more enforcers on the ice. You Tube search PJ.Stock and you will know what I mean. I would go to Hartford Wolfpack games just to watch him play and he would be involved in some classic battles. Hockey is a demanding sport that is played at high pace, let’s guys play and keep the checks along with fights part of the game. As long as nobody is head hunting…Once the puck hits the ice  Game ON !!

Less Equals More

I read a couple weeks ago that MLB was thinking of adding another playoff team.Why? I think that MLB and the NFL have it right spot on with limited teams making the playoffs. The NBA and NHL water it down with some many teams in the playoffs.Yes more people watch but to say your team made the playoffs holds no value,it means nothing. In the NFL and MLB if your team makes the playoffs it has some value except for the Seattle Seahwaks. Im a Rockies fan so when they make the playoffs I am excited and on the flip side I am a Suns fan but could careless if they make the playoffs because almost every NBA team  does...

Just Make It Happen...

Every day I check out Twitter for the latest and greatest regarding the current NFL lockout and leave more confused. Anyone who personally knows me knows I follow football very close and for the current situation to confuse me is a issue. If I can't understand the problem then the average fan probably doesn't and will turn to other sports for enjoyment. Here is my question for the owners and players, If both parties are so concerned with getting a deal done how come you are not meeting everyday to make it happen? I don't want to listen to players like AP claim they are "modern day slaves" and I sure as hell don't want to listen billionaire owners complain about losing money. Nobody is losing money, it's about two greedy parties wanting more money. Nobody feels bad for the players or the owners, we just want our football...

Smell of Summer....

I've been away for awhile,but now I have returned. I was inspired on my way home  today by a fresh cut lawn that reminded me of baseball. Going to a live game is something everyone should experience atleast once. My first choice would be Fenway but even a minor league game would do. I'm a die hard football fan but there is something about walking up those stairs as you enter a baseball stadium and seeing that freshly cut grass, the aroma of the ballpark food and the official start of summer.