Is the NFL too full of itself?

I am as big a sports fan as they come in this great land that we live in and I have to tell you that I am concerned about the entity that we call the NFL.  Over the past four years we have had a commissioner who acts like he is God, we have owners who don't want share money with people who make them the money, players who spend about as much time in the police blotter as they do in the training room, former players suing the league for not being given enough information about concussions and head injuries, and now the integrity of the game is being questioned because of non professional referees.  What I just written down is about 30 talk shows worth of topics in five sentences.  We all concede that the most popular sport in America is Pro Football. Baseball is no longer America's past time, (over reaction Monday is) Football has replaced it.  The NHL and NBA are only relevant in the post season.  Golf is only great when Tiger is succeeding and playing.  Boxing is often angry water cooler conversation, tennis is non existent and no one will openly admit that they sat and watched 42 cars go around an oval 500 times for three hours. I blogged weeks ago that no one messes with the NFL because everyone has an opinion and knowledge of the sport.  People will argue with you till they are blue in the face about their teams and everything about their teams. We have made the NFL what it is and now it has gone way too far.
The NFL is full of itself because we have allowed this nonsense to go this far.  As a consumer, we have a choice.  We can watch what is on television, go to the game or not get involved at all.  Because we buy the Directv packages, the merchandise, the product advertised durning the game, the NFL will act like a dictator in our lives.  Everyone who follows football know that not paying the referees a raise is moronic and controlling.  32 teams are dividing a television contract that earned them 9 billion dollars.  The players are getting paid more, the price of tickets are not getting cheaper,  food at the concessions stands, jerseys, hats, mecrhandise in general are not getting cheaper. Rookies are being paid less money so that veteran players who have earned the money can actually get paid somewhere if not from that team that he is fighting for a contract from.s every where in the NFL!!!  So with the price everything rising, why shouldn't referees get a raise as well?  The NFL knows that you, me, the martian on venus will watch their product no matter who is calling the game, reffing the game or playing the game.  There have been tons of complaints lobbed at the league for missed calls, the length of games, and the misuse of rules in the games. What does integrity mean to the league?  Absolutely nothing.  The league knows that you are going to watch no matter what.  Buffalo plays Cleveland this weekend.  The game will sell out in Cleveland and the game will be on televisions everywhere.
Another example of the NFL is too full of itself is this bounty scandal involving the Saints.  The fact the league produced a face saving affadavit this weekend as to why Jonathan Vilma was suspended for a season is evidence that the commissioner probably glared at Greg Williams and said how badly do you want to coach again in this league. Now i am not acusing the commissioner of coercion but they said that they had evidence way back months ago to convict Vilma of putting up 10,000 to anyone who knocked out Brett Favre.  So why do they use a letter signed three days ago to further implicate Vilma?  Vilma says he has 9 letters that will prove that he didn't say that. Who are we to believe?  Drew Brees was outspoken months ago that they saw no proof of the involvement by the players.  Dont you think that if that information about Vilma's involvement was available last month or three months ago or five months ago that that would been the nail in the coffin for Vilma and everyone else involved?  The fans like that Goodell is trying to clean up the negative image of football players.  The fans don't like someone bieing accused or scandal to explain a scandal.  We want things to be crystal clear.  The Commissioner will probably re-suspend the players because the players foolishly did not in the latest collective bargining agreement address the power of the commissioners office. The biggest mistake they could have ever made.
We will still watch because we are fans of the games... Maybe we are all addicts and need our fix of the NFL drug. Shame on us for that, shame on them for playing to our weakness..

Saying goodbye to Jim Calhoun

We should have said goodbye to Jim Calhoun in 2011.  He was immersed in scandal that season because of too many phone calls to a recruit and there were articles written about him criticizing how much much he was making. He had a health scare that year and when Kimba Walker led Connecticut to 11 straight victories including the title over Butler, Calhoun should have said "screw you" to the NCAA, the local Connecticut media,and all of his critics.  He has done it hs way. Period.  He is a no nonsense tough guy from Boston and never cheated his players, coaches, fans, or university.  There several coaches in this country who make more money than their mayors, governors, senators, teachers, policemen, firemen, in their cities.  No one complains until the coach has a few losing seasons or until the press sees that person as someone who thinks he or she is bigger than the university.  The press does not talk about money's these coaches donate to fund necessary projects for the schools. The press does not talk about the fundraising efforts done by coaches to raise money for schools. That apparently is not news. The press also does not talk about because of the success of a particular team the amount of revenue generated because of what they did on the field or court.  Notre Dame football makes so much money as an independent team that it refuses to join conferences for football. Bob Stoops, Nick Saban, Coach K., John Calipari, Les Miles, Pat Summit, makes more money than their local and state goverment officials and no one complains abut them.  Joe Paterno did as well and the scandal that rocked his school is blamed on the fact that football has too much power and clout. 
Coach Calhoun built Connecticut into a nationally respected and destination oriented university.  No one ever heard of Connecticut basketball before he arrived.  He brought in players fromall over the world and country to play basketball at Uconn. Remember Nadav Henefield? He came from Israel to play for him.  He has had Ray Allen, Richard Hamilton, Tate George, Chris Smith, Emeka Okafor, Kimba Walker, Donnie and Donyell Marshall.  He has won 3 titles. He has 4 final four appearances.  He beat Duke in an epic title tilt. His critics will say that he leaves Connecticut in scandal because of the fact that Uconn will not be allowed to compete in this years tournament.  The apr requirement is going to hurt many schools because kids stop going to class after the season especially if they are going pro. His critics say that he was a difficult interview, often surly, and became bigger than the program. I find that notion hilarious because it seems that all the media wants to talk to or about are the coaching stars.  We know more about the coaches in college than we do the players unless the players are troublesome. Jim Calhoun's success allowed for Gino Auriema to succeed in the women's game.  The amount of money given to the athletic programs because of the success of the men's team open doors for all sports to grow and become division 1 quality.  The school is building a cardiac center in his and his wife Pat's honor.
Big east basketball is dying. In the next few years the Big east is going to lose Syracuse, Pittsburgh, Notre Dame and West Virginia. Losing a coaching giant like Calhoun is going to affect the quality of basketball from this conference too. Will recruits want to play in Storrs, Ct? Kevin Ollie is getting rave reviews as a person and as an assisstant coach. Can he be the one to lead UConn into the next decade and beyond? I hope so. Coach Calhoun has left a huge void but the Nutmeg State will move on. Coach Calhoun deserves a court or statue at the school. His achievements and contributions to the University of Connecticut will never be replicated..

Here comes the Phillies.. a quick baseball update

Remember about three weeks ago, everyone was talking about how the Phillies ought to think about salary dumping and next year?  The Phillies got rid of Shane Victorino and Ricky Blanton to the Dodgers. They traded Hunter Pence to the San Fransisco Giants.  They almost traded away Cliff Lee. There are about 20 games left in the season and they Phillies have awaken and no one wants to face them now.  Cliff Lee and Roy Halliday have started to be who we thought they were.  Jonatan Papelbon is back to being filthy.  Jimmy Rollins is playing like an all star.  Ryan Howard is hitting homeruns again. They are getting solid games from Kendrick.  They are 4 games out of the second wild card position and everyone is taking notice. These veteran players are showing the class and dignity that veterans should when you play professional sports.  They are getting paid a ton of money and they are playing like they actually care about the game and their fans. As much as i hate the Phillies, I have to admit that I am impressed.  They could have easily thrown in the towel and with all of the injuries and uncertainty that this team has had all season, no one would have criticized them for quitting. They have several significant series left to play in the N.L. east. They could easily supplant the Cardinals who are losing players instead of peaking at this time. Plus the Cardinals have to contend with the fast charging Brewers and red hot Reds.  The Pirates have collapsed again.  They need to learn from these collapses and bring in players who understand that baseball is a marathon not a sprint or 10k race. I would love the last day of the baseball season to replicate last year when the final two playoff spots were determined on that day.  I want to see even extra play in games thus forcing an extra day for the regular season to end.  How crazy would that be? An extra playoff game to get into the playoff to one game then play a series against the top seed at home. With Halliday and Lee, the advantage would favor the Phillies.  I hope it happens..
The American League is also getting crazy too.  The Yankees need one healthy week and they will distance themselves from the Orioles and Rays. Andy Petitte could be back in a week and he gives them toughness that they are going to need.  Mark Teixiera in that lineup makes a difference.  The Orioles are holding it together with tape and glue. Losing Hammel last night and Markakis recently are huge losses.  They can hit homeruns.  We know that Mark Reynolds is Dave Kingman.  He can have a week where he can hit 9 homeruns but also strike out 30 times. He has been hot lately and with Adam Jones and Matt Wieters this team is scary.  The Rays have the best team on paper to complete their comeback attempt like last year. The only problem is that they cannot afford to give away games with poor defensive decisions.  They can out pitch anyone. They will have a say in this.  The Oakland A's have the second best record in the American League.  How they have done it I couldn't tell you.  Watching them the last few nights have shown me that they can win ugly, with pitching, or the long ball if necessary. They have buried the Angels with wins the last two nights.  Last night was tough to swallow. 1st and 3rd with no one out and not being able to score the tying run is difficult to stomach.  Jered Weaver needs to get back on the field. Where was Trumbo last night?  Detroit appears to own the White Sox.  They have won 5 straight against them and Cabrera's homerun last night might be the blow that gives him the M.V.P. The White Sox must split these next two games or they will be tied for the lead.  i guess the only saving grace would be that the White Sox won't have to play the Tigers again.  Colud be a wild next two weeks...

What a weekend of sports..

Hello sports fans my name is Richard Harris and boy did we have a huge weekend of outstanding sports.   Upsets in Tennis, college football, boxing, NFL, and the Nascar sprint cup has its eligible driversfor the cup.  When Roger Federer loses before the semi finals of a grand slam tournament something must be in the air.  Tomas Berdych can really hit the ball hard and he over powered Federer.  Andy Murray had an out of body experience in winning tournament.  He outlasted Novak Djokovic in five grinding sets.  Serena went from dominating to survival mode in oreder to steal the title from Azarenka. Azarenka had a 5-3 lead in the third set and could not put Serena away. Serena is still the gold standard no matter if she is not ranked number 1 or not. 
Some more stories.. Arkansas showed that as great as the SEC conference is, you still need your quarterback to win games.  Louisiana Monroe pulled off the first shocker of the season by physically beating up Arkansas' offensive line and then knocking out Tyler Wilson. UCLA, a home underdog, showed Nebraska that the Pac 12 can play physical football as well. The Pac 12 had two other impressive wins.  Oregon St. shut down Wisconsin 10-7 and the Arizona schools had good out of conference wins as well. The Pac 12 may have the best conference before the season is over. USC and Stanford Saturday. Savannah St. beat the spread because game was called due to weather. 55-0 would have been 110-0 if they played it out.
The NFL continues to show why they are the kings of sports.  A few shocking results as Washington stunned the Saints. Rg3 played like a seasoned pro and guided the Redskin offense to a 40-32 win.  He had no turnovers and managed the game like he had done it before.  Andrew Luck had to play the Bears defense and found his debut a bit more challenging.  All of the rookie qbs except Griffin lost and threw some bad picks. Weeden, Tanneyhill and Luck threw multiple picks that really hurt their team.  It is only week one so there will be greater days ahead for all of them. 
Peyton Manning looked sharp in his return to the NFL. He few hits but when the Broncos went to a hurry up offense they changed the complexion of the game.  Manning got into a groove and they handled the vaunted Steeler defense.  The Jets shocked the world by scoring 48 points and looked like a completely different team than we saw in pre-season.  Baltimore look stellar getting points from defense and Joe Flacco continuing to show why he is an elite qb. Ugly wins from Philadelphia and Detroit. A win is a win right? The Niners have that look in their eye that they have a special season brewing if they stay healthy.  They play amazing defense and have balance on offense.  Randy Moss scored a touchdown and they just don't miss field goals. A 63 yard field goal from 85 year old Fred Akers is still jaw dropping.  They confused the Packers who have no running game.  The game of the year could be New England and San Fransisco later on this year. My super bowl pick the Houston Texans looked sharp in destroying Miami.   Cannot wait for week 2..
Chad dawson went down in weight to fight Ward and got slapped around. He was knocked down 3 times and looked sluggish. He is a champion?  Not impressed at all by him.
Rory Mcilroy won for the fourth time this year.  He held off Tiger, Phil, and Lee Westwood.  He is peaking at the right time.  The Tour championship and Ryder cup are upon us over the next few weeks. The only reason why I am not gushing about this is that Vijay Singh did the same thing a few years ago and Tiger the next year regained his throne and place in the game. I expect next year he will do the same thing.
Congrats to Jeff Gordon for qualifying for the Sprint cup. Go get em boys..

Romo or Roddick? who gets it worse

I watched the Cowboys defeat the Giants last night with some Cowboy fans and you would not know that the Cowboys were winning.  The one thing I love about having so much useless sports knowledge is that once in a while it becomes useful.  They both were ranting after Romo threw his customary interception that led to the Giants first score.  I quickly told them that Romo over the last 3 starts against the Giants has thrown for over 900 yards, 9 touchdowns, and only 1 interception in those games prior to last night.  He has averaged 30 plus points a game in the losses and has gone toe to toe with Eli Manning.  Yes he threw that horrible pass to Austin that may have led the Cowboys on a run to the Super Bowl and not Eli but,he is not the reason they have failed in recent years.  Maybe this is his year for redemption. They shrugged off the knowledge and continued to complain about his performance.  They even missed his first two touchdown passes afterwards.
Andy Roddick has been killed over the last decade because of the dominance of Federer.  He is Patrick Ewing of the tennis world. Yes he has won one major title. Ewing has a college title.  (could easily had 3 titles). Patrick Ewings nemesis was of course Micheal Jordan. Ewing was criticized quite heavily for not winning when Jordan retired and was criticized for several playoff failures.  Even though no one critcized Ewing's heart or hunger or effort, He just never won.  Andy Roddick played with heart, passion, fire, hunger, but no matter what he did, he could beat Federer when it mattered.  He played the greatest match I have ever seen in Wimbeldon a couple of years ago against Federer.  He did everything anyone imagined that he could do in a match.  He played harder than I have ever seen him play. Both he and Ewing were heavily critcized in the media because of the way they answered the same tired questions about why they could not overcome Jordan or Federer.  3 of Roddicks losses in the finals of grand slams were to Federer. He just came out at the wrong time.  Hell even the day he loses his final match, Roddick is upstaged when Federer loses to Berdych. 
The reason he and Romo are easy to compare is both men come across as men who dont take their professions seriuosly.  Micheal Jordan is an adequate golfer but you knew that basketball was his profession.  He practiced hard. He played hard. You never questioned his desire or motivation on the court.  Yes they tried to when he went to the casino after a playoff game. What they dont tell you is the game after the casino, he scored 37 points. He was still Micheal Jordan.  Romo and Roddick are not known for on the field pursuits.  People talk about who they are dating more than their performance on the field. Roddick has had his fair share of Hollywood starlets. Romo too.  Most people feel that Roddick is more interested in being a showman than a winner.  Even though Roddick has 62 titles.  Only Federer has more in his era.  Even though he has won the second most matches in his era.  He was once the Number 1 player in the world.  He cannot do enough to please anyone.  When lead America to the Davis title, most people thought he was on the verge of something special in his career.  His critics will say that he got satisfied and never did enough to be a great like Agassi or Sampras.  What people don't talk enough about is he tried everything to beat Federer and maintain top status.  He lost weight, served and volleyed, tried to hit his serve harder and softer. Even superman has kryptonite right?  Romo gets the same rips because he has no rings and Eli has two.  Romo is blamed for collapses in the regular season and the fact that Dallas has only one playoff win since he became starter.  Romo has been beaten up in football toughest division for years and no one cares what the excuses are.  He didn't play defensive back last year when they collapsed in the fourth quarter 3 times or messed up the Arizona game when the Cowboys made a field goal and iced their own kicker.  I believe Romo's arm was in a sling at that time.  I remember the botched field goal in Seattle.  He dropped the ball.  Cowboy fans seem to have this doom is impending attitude when he has the ball in his hands.  Last year he and Drew Brees were the only quarterbacks to carve up the vaunted 49er defense.  When the Saints were unbeaten in 2009 he proclaimed that they were going to go to New Orleans and beat the Saints ending their unbeaten season. He did.  He has more games of brilliance than most but he has not won.  Lebron James did not win either till this year. Lebron and Tony Romo were probably in the same boat until this year. 
So who is the correct answer?  Roddick had people in tears when he retired. If Romo retired today most Cowboy fans would rejoice.  The answer clearly is Romo.  No Cowboy fan today is proclaiming the Cowboys are the team to beat.  They are all saying the same thing. They are saying we will see what happens in Seattle. Can you imagine if Tebow had gone to the Cowboys? That would be must see tv.  America will miss Andy Roddick.  He carried our flag well for a decade. He has had a good career.  He did not win like Agassi, Courier or Sampras, but he had the same burdens that they had.  The only difference is that they had each other to lean on.  Roddick had no one.  Romo is quarterbacking the Dallas Cowboys who had Troy Aikman and the large shadow of Roger Staubach looming over his every performance.  A super ring quiets eveyone.  Ask Trent Dilfer.....

Who has the best opening day?

Who has the best opening day in sports?  NFL? MLB? NBA? NHL? What about Golf? Nascar opens its season with its biggest race. The Daytona 500 is the Super Bowl of NASCAR.  Fox begins promoting that race in December to remind people of how important the race is. In fact the race is a career definer.  Dale Earnhardt raced there over 20 times before he got his one and only win and of course that is the place he lost his life.  Golf starts the year with a tournament honoring all of the winners of the events from the previous year in Hawaii.  There are 35 events or so and the only people invited to play are the winners from last year.  There have been some epic battles over there.  Tiger and Ernie is still etched in my mind when Tiger was at his best and so was Ernie.  Tennis has some warm up tournaments before the Australian Open kicks of their season.  Can't beat being in a warm climate to start a season.
College football and College basketball have unique ways of starting their seasons too.  In College football some teams play a winner take all game that could either vault them into national prominence or play a cupcake that helps them work on their offense and defense.  For example Michigan playing Alabama was a launch pad game for both.  Alabama is now the number 1 team in the land because of its dominance.  Oklahoma State defeated Savannah St. 84-0.  What could they truly learn ina game like that.  Savannah St. took the money and ran. They next play Florida St. for another payday.  They need the money because money makes the world go round in all sports  right?  In College basketball some teams play exhibitions to figure out starting lineups but then play in tournaments to get ready for their conference season.  Some tournaments are springboards to a great season and some dont have an affect on a season at all.  UCONN won the Maui in 2011 and that launched Kimba Walker as a star and eventual national champion later that season.  Duke won the Maui last season and even beat national runner up Kansas in the final, but it meant very little for their regular season. Still just hear Dick Vitale getting excited or hearing Brent Musberger say " You are Looking Live" gets the hair standing on my neck. 
The Big Four sports try to turn their opening nights into an event.  They invite the hottest and most popular acts to perform before the games or after.  They have fireworks and make the entire game an event. The NFL and NBA try to put out marquee matchups that will make people want to watch because of the importance of the games.  Tonight for example, the Giants and Cowboys game is extremely important for both teams.  They are in the same division and any edge to the victor is immense.  Baseball and Hockey have long seasons and the opening night matchup is more about seeing who is fresh and new than setting a tone for a season.  Baseball has the full pageantry of parades and bunting around the stadium.  John Madden used to go nuts over how jealous he was that baseball makes opening day a celebration of the sport.  Football has caught on because of the times we live in.  They honor true heroes in the military or law enforcement and celebrate America's freedom in being able to play these sports because of the sacrifice made by these men and women.  Hockey is Canada's game so i appreciate what they do in the Canadien cities. 
So what is the answer?  The answer for me is Football.  Because baseball, basketball and hockey have so many more games the first game is not as significant as the first game in the NFL.  The NFL has lately spared no expense in putting on a show three hours before games to make the fan experience amazing.  The games may be so great but it is probably the only time all season a bad team has an actual chance of stealing a game because of pre season football rust.  The ring ceremony in the defending champions stadium inspires performance.  The ring ceremonies in the other sports are long and tedious.  We are know the affect of seeing the trophy being brought on the field.  I know the season is 17 weeks long in the NFL but every loss is magnified. Teams are jockeying for playoff positions from the beginning of the year.  Think about how last year finished in the AFC.  There were 6 teams still vying for a playoff spot on the last day of the season because of random losses that teams suffered to teams with similar records.  Three teams from the AFC North made the playoffs last year because they beat up on teams outside of their conference. The NFL is King for a reason!!!

My favorite month of the year is September..

September 1st is New Years day to me.  I feel like the fall months of the calendar year is a time for rejuvenation and rebirth.  Enough of that nonsense, the reason why I love September is that College football and pro football commence, MLB pennant races heat up, U.S. Open tennis, and usually there is a great fight to watch.  The Nascar season winds down as the NHL gets started.  I cannot get enough of sports as you all know and if I had multiple televisons where i stay I would have a game on every channel. This September is no exception.  The college football season got off to a crazy start with blowouts, shocking results and Alabama showing us what a defending champ is supposed to do ona neutral field.  USC won as well and they really need to get to the title game and save college football.  We cannot have a seventh year in a row with a champion coming from the same conference..  It hurts college football because there is no growth in the game.  USC plays a completely different style of football than most of the SEC teams and their style of football translates better at the professional level.  Every year we keep hearing about pro teams wanting quarterbacks who can run and throw but at the end of each season, the Super bowl champ has quarterback that is pocket passer who can read coverages and pick defenses apart.  In fact only Steve Young and Aaron Rodgers who could also pocket pass well, have won super bowls.  Both of those qb's run well and could move out of the pocket.  Big Ben moves well in the pocket but he is not considered a running quarterback.  If you look at SEC football most of the teams run a a form of the Florida Gator offense from the shotgun and depend on their quarterbacks to either run or pass.  Geogia and Alabama this year have gone back to a little more traditional offense so they may be the exception.  Most of the nation runs that Florida offense.  The big difference between the SEC and the rest of the nation is the physical play on the defensive line.  When you dont have a fullback to help you block because you are in the shotgun single back set, your plays get blown up in the backfield.  Michigan could not get out of the backfield. Alabama and LSU make you play physical football and most schools do not have the schemes to handle these behemoths one on one.  So I am rooting harder than i ever to try to get a USC vs. SEC champ title game. Oklahoma showed me nothing on Saturday against UTEP.
The NFL starts with the Cowboys and Giants on Wedsnesday and the Cowboys are banged up and really don't know what to expect.  This season will either be a coming out party for new eleite teams or the same stuff different day.  I like Houston alot.  They have a soft schedule and a team that has a lot build on.  Foster, Johnson, Schaub,Daniels have to stay healthy on offense.  Wade Phillips has a fast defense who are hungry for a title.  The Patriots have the easiest schedule and would crave another shot at the Giants to give Brady his 4th ring.  The NFC is loaded.  At least 6 teams have the ability to win the title.  Packers, Giants, Niners, Saints, Eagles, Falcons, Bears, Lions, Cowboys can win in anyone's stadiums at any time if healthy. Should a wacky season.
The pennant chase in baseball has just gotten interesting. The Yankees are bailing water off of their ship.  They are so beat up and hope that returning star players like Arod and Andy Pettite will give them the boost to rejuvenate their season.  The Orioles are for real and the Rays have the best pitching. The Angels spent alot of money to get to the post season and succeed.  This series with Oakland will is important because they must take care of head to head games in order to gain ground.  The Tigers and White Sox just played an epic series where the Tigers earned a sweep.  Detroit has the veteran players to get this done based on pitching.  The White sox can hit homeruns but can they play to outscore their opponents or out pitch them?  The National League the intrigue is just as high.  The Dodgers created a Yankee style payroll  to win now.  They lose to too many bad teams though and I dont think they can get it done.  Billingsley was their hottest pitcher and he may be shelved for the season if shot in the arm does not work. Kemp needs to find April's magic and lead this team to the promise land.  Nationals are shutting down Strasburg and seemed poised to stay at top of N.L. east.  Chipper Jones final month as a Brave will make it interesting as the Braves don't want him to go out a loser.  After what happened last year, the Braves are going to make every team earn 27 outs.  The Reds are the real deal and if the game goes to bullpen, the game is over. Chapman is a beast.  Can you imagine facing a guy who throws 105 miles an hour in cold weather? Ouch babe..
U.S. open tennis is in its final week and Serena and Maria are on a collision course. So are Federer and Djokovic. Andy Roddicks surprise retirement announcement has buoyed ratings but tonight could be his demise.  DelPotro hits a big ball and can overpower most opponents.  Andy must serve well and steal a few concentration lapse games from Del Potro in order to advance.  I will blog about Roddick later this week.  Tennis lost Kim Clijsters last week as the young Brit robson showed some flashes of brilliance.  Robson also defeated Li Na.  Also there are two italian women playing in the quarters for the first time at the U.S. open.  Serena is lurking in their quarter if she beat Ivanovic and after winnin 6-0 6-0, in her last match she is driven to reclaim America's prize.
Chad Dawson wants to be a star in boxing, but his fights leave you not wanting to see him fight anymore.  He beat Hopkins in an unspired performance but Hopkins is like 50.  Sergio Martinez and Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. are about to get it on soon as well and we shall see who is the pound for pound best middleweight is.  Martinez is the gold standard but Chavez, Jr. is unbeaten and has grown up right in front of out eyes.  Also Jones and Machida will be explosive in MMA. I know everyone wanted Jones to fight Sonnen but this fight will have some great moments.
Denny Hamlins win last week gave him four for the season and he wants this title real bad.  The story is whether or not Jeff Gordon or Kyle Busch qualify for the playoffs.  This weekend in Texas will be exciting.  Gordon had the car last week to win but could not catch Hamlin on the last lap after the restart. Busch has had a quiet season. Normally right now he has had a few wins and has ticked off some other drivers.
Did I mention Golf?  The Ryder Cup is in America this time around and Hunter Nahan wants revenge.  Mcilroy is number 1 in the world but Tiger is starting to re discover his form on the weekends.  Yesterdays perfomance on the final will give him a ton to build on as the season ends.  Both are now vying for player of the year honors.  Two events left for the Fedex cup.
I COULD TALK ABOUT MORE..
HOCKEY WILL DIE if THEY LOCKOUT THE PLAYERS...
NOW YOU KNOW WHY I lOVE September?