a warm up blog before i start blogging again

I haven't blogged since June and so much has happened in the world of sports.  The Dodgers went from last to first.  The Pirates have thrown down the challenge to its pursuers in the N.L.Central. Andy Murray won Wimbledon. Anderson Silva lost a fight. NFL training camp opened. Great news for some. Bad news for others. A-rod is back and the Yankees have a pulse. Jeter comes back today.  Usain Bolt is still the man. Ryan Braun is pathetic. Why do they lie? Johnny Football hates signing autographs... For free.  NCAA better handle this right. A.J. Green and Dez Bryant are watching.  Scary stories about Lamar Odom, Chamique Holdsclaw, Dick Trickle, Aaron Hernandez to name a few.   Dwight Howard bailing out on the Lakers. Houston Hello..
A lot of stories I will be talking about over the next few months and hopefully gives an unique spin to them.  Should college athletes be paid or is this a story about only a select few athletes?  Why does no one complain about p.e.D's in football or boxing but go crazy about in baseball? Do Americans have a right to say something since the majority of the prescription drug population make up is mostly us and our kids? The Jets should fire everyone after Saturdays fiasco. Tiger didn't win a major this year. Serena is 60-4 this season.  Are they still must see t.v.? Does anyone really care about the upcoming Alvarez/Mayweather fight? Miguel Cabrera is the greatest right handed hitter since Willie Mays? Who is better? Frank Robinson? Edgar Martinez? Robin Yount? Adrian Peterson want 2500 yards this year? Rg3 and the Redskins are the most over hyped team in football. Super Bowl or bust they say.
A ton of topics I will dissect over the next few days. Plus news and weather..  Let's get ready and I could have my radio show back in a week..

Why does everyone hate A-rod

When Alex Rodriguez finally got a World Series ring a few years ago, I honestly thought that the world put him their rear view mirror and leave him alone. How wrong I have been. He is the most hated, scrutinized, polarizing athlete in the entire world. Tim Tebow nor Lebron James has nothing on A-rod. A-rod could find this spy guy in Russia right now and be arrested because somehow someway someone would say that he has aided in some way. A-rod could take a bullet for the President right now and he would be blamed for the assassination attempt. I have heard every pundit on every show talk about how hated he is.  How A-rod is not a Yankee.  How the Yankees want to get rid of him. How he has personally destroyed the game of baseball. A-rod is the only P.E.D user who admitted to taking the drugs because he was trying hard to live up to the richest contract in baseball history. Bonds denies not knowingly taking them. Clemens went to court and was acquitted during his trial for taking them. Mark McGwire took years to admit what he did. Only A-rod is getting the abuse he gets. His name is linked to the latest scandal and deservedly so he should be persecuted as a repeat offender but he is not the only one on the list. Lance Armstrong lied to us for years and years, yet every person in the world would still buy Lance a beer if they saw him in a bar. All of the things he did for Cancer patients will never be forgotten and in most people's eyes his evil was used for good.
Does anyone remember Reggie Jackson?  When Reggie became a Yankee the locker room was divided from day one. He told the press that he was the "straw that stirred the drink" on that ball club the made Thurman Munson nuts. Reggie openly fought with Billy Martin in the dugout because Billy thought he wasn't playing hard enough in a game in Fenway Park. of all places. No one would ever accuse Reggie of being precocious or shy. Even George would get on Reggie for his strikeouts and lackluster efforts at times, people associate Reggie's career only with a the Yankees. He was a stud with the A's in the early 70's. His home run in Tiger Stadium at the 1971 All Star game is still traveling.  He is often credited as being a Yankee even though so many disliked him. I know about the World Series performance in 1977. I know about 1978 as well. The Yankees immediately two rings in Reggie's tenure. When he left the Yankees it took 12 years before they went back to the post season.  Maybe if A-Rod had better success in the Post season people would leave him alone. Maybe if he had not signed the richest sports contract that the Yankees can't get out of people would leave him alone. Maybe if he didn't date Hollywood actresses or beautiful models people would leave him alone. Maybe he should be giving out autographed baseballs like Jeter after he dates you and dumps you. The man tweeted that he was getting back on the field.  Brian Cashman went psycho on him. The Yankees lost tonight.  They may lose Texirera for the rest of the season. What would happen if A-rod hit a walk off home run in game 7 of the world series and won the championship for the Yankees this season? Would you think he is a true Yankee then?  Probably not....

Boston Fans are the toughest fans in the world..

I wish I was Boston Strong.. I dont mean to trivialize the entire Boston Strong movement. I am extremely sensitive to what happened on Boston Marathon day. I am only using the phrase to try and understand  what you guys have been through. Heartbreak after heartbreak. 86 Mets. Aaron Freaking Boone. Bucky Freaking Dent. The New york Giants David Tyree. Eli Manning in both Super Bowls when you clearly have had better teams. The Stanley Cup against Edmonton with the messed up ice and fog in the arena. And of course the the other night. 1 minute from forcing a game a 7. Yes you have redemptive moments. Beating the Lakers and giving Garnett and Pierce their one and only title. Beating heavily  favored Vancouver in 7 games in Vancouver ( which caused a riot) was awesome. The Red Sox down 3-0 to the Yankees and sweeping the next 4 games and then sweeping the Cardinals in the World series was the stuff of legend. How do you keep sane? When I went to the University of Massachusetts I used to argue/debate with my fellow classmates about what city had better sports or better teams. At that time the Celtics were supreme. The Giants and Mets were filled with super players so the debates was quite heated. i was at UMASS when the riot happened after the Mets defeated the Red Sox in '86. The wave of passion even went racial. The combatants were on Donahue of all shows in the 80's.
What I love about Boston fans is no matter how good or bad their teams are their fans show up and support their players. I am sure Celtic fans are mad at Doc rivers for bolting to the Clippers in Los Angeles of all places but I am sure they will applaud him for what he accomplished while the Celtics coach. They never booed Larry Bird when he coached the Pacers so I don't expect Doc to get a bad reception as the Celtics re-build. The Bruin loss was tough to see because i felt they had the better team and had the proper strategy to beat the upstart Blackhawks. The Bruins had several opportunities to score in the first period and exuberance caused them to miss out. Bergeron is a super hero. He has my respect forever. The Red sox are currently in first place in baseball. No one expects to finish there. The Blue Jays have just won 11 straight and are preparing for a huge run in the second half.  The Yankees have not had their team all season. Jeter and A-Rod have yet to play this season. Chris Davis is "crushing" the ball everywhere and Baltimore is here to stay. I don't want to jinx the Sox but things could get tough for them in the second half. The fans will still be there.  That is why Boston Strong is more than just a slogan, it is a way of life. You have my respect...

Micheal Jordan is a "better" player but Lebron Means More...

A friend of mine responded to a facebook discussion by say this this quote," Micheal Jordan is a "better" player , But Lebron means more", and he could not be more correct. Micheal Jordan came a long to this world when we were still getting over Muhammad Ali's retirement. Reggie Jackson and his Yankee Days. Magic and Larry were must see t.v. The Doctor J show. Lawrence Taylor and Joe Montana legends growing. In other words the sports world was okay. Hell it was better than okay. It was thriving. We met a man named BO. We had Sugar Ray Leonard and Marvin Hagler. The Mets were big in baseball. John McEnroe and Ivan Lendl were fierce rivals. Chrissie and Martina were opening the door for Steffi. Carl Lewis was God. Excess was the word and everyone was having fun. Jack Nicklaus won the Masters at age 46 and Hale Irwin had a magical run at it too. SPORTS was as Good as it gets...
This generation needs Lebron. Tiger does not connect to all people like people want him too. No matter how many golfing academies he opens or what he does for main stream America, people will always want more from him.  Baseball is treated like pro wrestling.  No one believes in any number put up or no one fully understands the P.E.D rage in the game. Football wants so badly for a new face to emerge because it is tired of re-tread coaches and old quarterbacks winning titles thus making all of the old boy network proud that their style of football still wins over this new age of football. Plus football players are wimps and are incapable of taking care of themselves. All of the new rules implemented to keep players safe or on the field have diminished the game to the point that fans would rather the players play flag football than to watch penalties called for hits that made players millions of dollars in previous year. Even Hockey is pushing harder for a more open ice/European style game. The story lines are more about concussions and players who fail than giving credit to the ones that have succeeded.
The NBA has been ridiculed over the past 15 years because they seemed to be more interested in just putting bodies on the floor instead of proven talent. Inviting 18 and 19 year old kids to play has hurt the game so much that teams have been moving at a feverish pace because of no fan support. Think about this, what other sport was given a mandate to dress up or improve your attire for press conferences before and after games? This couldn't be more insulting than any mandate that anyone could think of. Lebron is pure. Lebron is the savior of this generation.  He is Derek Jeter, Micheal Jordan, Joe Montana wrapped up in one enormous figure. He represents everyone. He is Tupac to most people because he is just like all of them. Raised by a single mom. Educated but has a street edge. He is the voice of this generation because no one is. RG3 could become that in football if he stays healthy. Tiger Woods showed that no one is perfect or teflon. Lebron has to keep quieting main stream America who resents him for making a choice. When he wins an entire generation wins because he took the short cut that so many want to take and is thriving. He is like Jay-z selling records out of his car and creating his own brand and company.  Jordan did it too, but he had Nike, gatorade, and other large corporations blow him up. (plus he was winning dunk contests, and doing the unimaginable at the same time). Lebron had one commercial run during the entire playoffs!!! Jordan had McDonalds, Gatorade, Nike, Wheaties, Hanes all going while he was at his highest peak. If that does not tell you why he must continue to grow and win, nothing else will....
Jordan is a much better player. He would average 45 points a game in this era. There are no obstructions to the rim in this era. No Bol.  No Shaq. No Olajawon. No Robinson. They hand checked back in those days. There was no flagrant fouls called in this series. Lerbon this new generation of fans needs you to keep being you. I hope you do...

swallowing the whistle is nothig new in all sports..

 I wrote a blog two months ago about whistle swallowing and I deleted last night because I could n't finish it. I know that it has been a part of sports for years. Remember the 2001 NBA playoffs. Dikembe Mutumbo never had any fouls called on him in the Eastern Conference playoff run. When he met up with Shaquille Oneal in the finals, if he sneezed it was a foul. This past football season, the Atlanta Falcon were denied a pass interference call the allowed the Niners to win the NFC championship game. Only the Niners lost the Super Bowl on a similar play when Crabtree was held in the endzone. This season in baseball has been marred by several blown calls by umpires. Baylor's womens basketball team had its championship dream ended on a no call to end that game. Coach Melky was so angry that she was willing to pay any amount of money for making comments about the officiating. We understand that Refs are people too.  They miss calls, they have bad judgement on some calls that is blatantly obvious to you and me. The homerun in the Oakland A's and Cleveland indians game is an example. We all saw it as a homerun. 4 umpires who watched the same replay did not. Armando Galarraga retired 26 straight batters in a game and when it appeared to the entire planet that number 27 was out too, the umpire screamed out safe. What do we do?
Clearly everyone is going to complain that the Spurs should have had a few free throws to eliminate the Heat tonight. Spur fans forget that Bruce Bowen grabbed Lebron James on a potential game winning shot where Lebron should have at least had free throws. He got nothing but swept aside. All pro sports put out its best officials for championship games or series. they try not to let the refs or umps be the story and want the players to determine the outcome. Did Jordan push off? Of course he did. But it wasn't called. Remember the 1985 World Series when the Cardinals thought they had won but the first base umpire called the runner safe at first? Making a tough call is why they have the guys there in the first place. If you can'tdo it or the moment is too big or bright for you then get out of the way. Game 6 will be remembered for the shot by Allen, the Missed free throws by Ginobli and Leonard, and of course the no calls in overtime. its a damn shame..

Dr.J... The forgotten star

When I was a lad, I had a few sport heroes. I loved Reggie Jackson. He was bold, cocky, intimidating. He believed he could do no wrong. Even though he struck out a lot, I watched just to see if he could hit a home run. Before he became the most notorious criminal since Al  Capone, I loved the "juice". He was poetry in motion on the field. His teams stunk, but I would still watch to see if he could break a long one or make someone look foolish. Sports in the 70's was about to erupt with these individual talents that no one had ever seen before. Pele was still a stud. Yes I know teams were still the talk of all sports. The "big red machine" in Cincinnati was awesome. The dynasties of UCLA, Boston Celtics, New York Islanders were outstanding. But they were all dying out. Gretzsky was about to emerge. Magic and Bird were about to take over the NBA. Joe Montana was creating a legacy at Notre Dame. And then there was Doc.
Julius Erving was a playground legend. He is went to the University of Massachusetts and I could imagine what kind of playground games were being played at the shoe. He was must see television no matter what level of basketball he played. You did not care if he won or lost. You just had to see the Dr. The NBA should have gotten the doctor out of college but they had rules against players going hardship. So he went to ABA and blessed them with his playground antics. The ABA was ridiculed for its individuality on the court. It would be no surprise if games were in the 150's or 160's in regulation. Defense was an option but seldom played.  When both leagues merged, many old school NBA people thought that the way Doc played would not succeed in the league. Yes he did not win several titles but he was extraordinarily successful.
The Philadelphia 76ers were the lucky team to get Doc. He led them to the NBA finals four times. His first season in the NBA, Doc led the Sixers against Portland. They won the first two games but couldn't overcome Bill Walton. Doc was awesome in the series. He quieted most of his critics with his dazzling dunks and outstanding play. He has several posterising plays in that series that are still legendary. He next faced Magic Johnson and Kareem a couple times in the finals. Losing one and winning one in 1983. The final defeats keep him out of the best player conversation. Which is unfair because he could play against anyone and dominated them. His ABA career was ridiculous. He was a three time M.V.P., two time champion, and three time scoring champ in 5 years. As a rookie he averaged 29 points a game. His playoff numbers were better than his regular season numbers. He averaged over 30 points in each of his playoff seasons in the ABA.  He was the show. He did not play defense like Micheal or Lebron, but no one ever gave it to the Doctor. If he had won NBA titles like Bird or Magic, there would be no argument. He even did a movie . The Fish that Saved Pittsburgh was a must see for any Dr. J fan. He opened the door for all of the creative players that followed him. Connie Hawkins and David Thompson were spectacular as well but did not do it like the Doctor.
You all know how much I love Jordan. Dr.J is on that same mount Rushmore. The Milwaukee Bucks had a chance to have Oscar, Kareem and Doc. Can you imagine what kind of dynasty that would have been?  Doctor J should never be over looked in these best ever discussions. For my money Dr.J is still in the top 5 conversation. What do you think?

Floyd Mayweather.. Living legend?

As I watched Floyd Mayweather pick apart Senor Guerrero last night, the first thought in my head was is he that good or was Guerrero just not the right fighter for him. I thought about Mike Tyson. When Tyson was blasting all of his opponents, his conquests became verbs. His actions were all adjectives and his victories became a new vernacular. When Tyson lost to Evander Holy field, every accomplishment became belittled. Every victory was criticized because he "didn't really fight" anyone. The heavyweight division was filled with tomato cans and one sledge hammer. In fact if you hear sports radio today, the hosts frequently taunt the Tyson era as a soft one. Larry Holmes is another champ who gets no love even though he is the only fighter in 50 plus years to come close to tying Rocky Marciano for most wins in a career without a loss. (49-0). Holmes destroyed Ali and was a hated champion like Mayweather. He was cocky. He had a sick jab and could beat anyone in his prime with that one punch.  Mayweather is beyond cocky. Mayweather can box with speed,precision, and defend like no one ever has. He has made people look absolutely foolish. The destruction of Gatti, Rickey Hatton, Marquez, De La hoya, Shane Mosely have shown his prowess and extraordinary ability. Yet he is vilified and abhorred for his lifestyle.
He is mostly criticized these day because he had not fought Manny. Pac man was robbed in the Bradley fight and got the snot knocked out of him in the Marquez fight. Mayweather feels that he can destroy Pac man. He calls him the little guy because of Pac mans weight rise over the the past 15 years. It would be an interesting fight only to see if there is a strategy to defeat May weather. 44 fighters have had a plan and they have all left with a defeat and a sore face. Will we scrutinize Mayweather's wins forever like Tyson and Holmes if there is no Fight with Pac man? They are both approaching 40. Both f their careers are winding down. Neither have nothing to prove. I read somewhere that there is a cry for Mayweather to lose which could help his public appeal. As if Mayweather really cares about his public appeal.
He is a living legend no matter how it ends. I realize that we over analyze everything in sports, but some things need not be so difficult to see. Next we will criticize Tiger or Lebron for their dominance. We don't have to love our heroes. Ali lost. Babe Ruth didn't always get the game winning hit. Jordan didn't win a title every year. Tiger lost to Y.E. Yang at the pga's. If Floyd never loses, I will still put my pants on one leg at a time right. Admire what he has done. If you do, you will see that he truly is a legend...