I'm still not convinced about Cam Newton.
Cincinnati taking AJ Green = bye bye Chad Ochocinco Johnson
The Atlanta Falcons gave up too much to trade up to the sixth pick. This draft was deep enough with wide receivers, if they had waited, Jon Baldwin would have been available. The Kansas City Chiefs took him with the 26th pick.
Detroit got a great player in NIck Fairley, who at one time was in the top three of every mock draft. When he lines up next to Ndomukong Suh, it will be fun to watch.
Christian Ponder at 12? What were you thinking Minnesota? Trade down. Take him in the late twenties.
Tennessee, the Jake Locker pick at 8 was ballsy. I hope it turns out to be a brilliant move. But why did you pass on Gabbert?
The Cleveland Browns have many holes to fill. They can do that now with the picks they have over the next two years.
To my Pittsburgh Steelers: Cameron Heyward is perfect for the team. Aaron Smith is getting old and injury prone. Heyward has football pedigree and is a big, intimidating man. A very good pick at number 31.
Friday, April 29, 2011
Thursday, April 28, 2011
NHL Round 2
Vancouver vs. Nashville
This is an intertesting matchup. Chicago showed the world the weaknesses of Roberto Luongo. Nashville is a fast, young team flying high of their first playoff series win. Vancouver is a high-octane offense and was the NHL's best regular season team. This one comes down to who gets the best bounces.
Vancouver in six
San Jose vs. Detroit
The time off seems to favor the older Detroit team. San Jose, however, is coming off a series win over a division rival and their goalie won a Stanly Cup last year with Chicago. These two are playoff rivals and there will be no love lost. This should be the best second round series.
San Jose in seven
Washington vs. Tampa Bay
The Capitals put a butt-whippin on the New York Rangers, winning four games to one. They have so many weapons on offense, which is something Tampa didn't see in their seven-game series win against Pittsburgh. Tampa's big four would have to step up even more to pull off this upset, which isn't out of the question, but... the Caps have weapons too.
Washington in six
Philadelphia vs. Boston
Both teams had very tough seven game series wins in the first round. And Boston is lucky to have made it out of the first round. Philadelphia is tougher than Boston and when their heads are straight can stomp anyone. But the Bruins have an edge in goaltending...
Philadelphia in six
This is an intertesting matchup. Chicago showed the world the weaknesses of Roberto Luongo. Nashville is a fast, young team flying high of their first playoff series win. Vancouver is a high-octane offense and was the NHL's best regular season team. This one comes down to who gets the best bounces.
Vancouver in six
San Jose vs. Detroit
The time off seems to favor the older Detroit team. San Jose, however, is coming off a series win over a division rival and their goalie won a Stanly Cup last year with Chicago. These two are playoff rivals and there will be no love lost. This should be the best second round series.
San Jose in seven
Washington vs. Tampa Bay
The Capitals put a butt-whippin on the New York Rangers, winning four games to one. They have so many weapons on offense, which is something Tampa didn't see in their seven-game series win against Pittsburgh. Tampa's big four would have to step up even more to pull off this upset, which isn't out of the question, but... the Caps have weapons too.
Washington in six
Philadelphia vs. Boston
Both teams had very tough seven game series wins in the first round. And Boston is lucky to have made it out of the first round. Philadelphia is tougher than Boston and when their heads are straight can stomp anyone. But the Bruins have an edge in goaltending...
Philadelphia in six
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Steroids in Baseball: Only the Sports Writers Give a Damn
Remember the summer when Sammy Sosa and Mark McGwire had that thrilling home run chase? I do. I also remember who everyone knew they were juicing on something, fans and writers alike. But all of us were hooked. So now when it is time for Hall of Fame voting, the writers who were cheering right along sid of us, suddenly become holier-than-thou and refuse to vote for McGwire or Sosa. (And I assume the same will be true of Rafael Palmero, Barry Bonds, Manny Rameriez and Roger Clemens and maybe even A-Rod.) Let me make this clear: the Baseball Hall of Fame without those men is incomplete.
I haven't yet spoken to one baseball fans who cares about steroids. Yes, juicing will make you stronger butit will not make you more talented. So yes, Barry Bonds on roids makes a difference. But Ronnie Cedeno could take all the steroids in the world and it wouldn't do a damn bit of good. We were all watching when Bonds set the single season and career home run records. The writers were there for every at bat when Barry was sitting on 755. Now their sanctimonious attitudes will keep him from his rightful and deserved place in the HOF. (Keep in mind some of the writers refuse to vote for any player during his first year of eligibility, which is why no player has ever been a unanimous selection. So you see what we are up against.)
The same will happen to Roger Clemens who, like Barry, has nothing but allegations of steroid use following him. Roger Clemens is one of baseball's all-time greatest pitchers. I defy any of you to make a list of longer than five pitchers better than Roger. But the arrogance of people like Buster Olney and Peter Gammons will keep him out of the Hall.
When it comes to Rafael Palmero and Manny Rameriez, both of whom tested positive for steroids, again I ask: does anyone other than some aging, fat sports writers give a crap? No. The Hall of Fame is for the fans. We want to see ManRam and Palmero enshrined. We want busts of Clemens and Barry and McGwire and Sammy on display.
The writers are not the baseball police. They have no right to deny the game's greatest exclusion from the Hall of Fame. We as baseball fans must let our voices be heard and encourage the enshrimenet of all these players who are now eligible and the others when their time comes. Put an end to the hypocrisy and sanctimony and give the fans what they want: a Hall of Fame with all the right players.
I haven't yet spoken to one baseball fans who cares about steroids. Yes, juicing will make you stronger butit will not make you more talented. So yes, Barry Bonds on roids makes a difference. But Ronnie Cedeno could take all the steroids in the world and it wouldn't do a damn bit of good. We were all watching when Bonds set the single season and career home run records. The writers were there for every at bat when Barry was sitting on 755. Now their sanctimonious attitudes will keep him from his rightful and deserved place in the HOF. (Keep in mind some of the writers refuse to vote for any player during his first year of eligibility, which is why no player has ever been a unanimous selection. So you see what we are up against.)
The same will happen to Roger Clemens who, like Barry, has nothing but allegations of steroid use following him. Roger Clemens is one of baseball's all-time greatest pitchers. I defy any of you to make a list of longer than five pitchers better than Roger. But the arrogance of people like Buster Olney and Peter Gammons will keep him out of the Hall.
When it comes to Rafael Palmero and Manny Rameriez, both of whom tested positive for steroids, again I ask: does anyone other than some aging, fat sports writers give a crap? No. The Hall of Fame is for the fans. We want to see ManRam and Palmero enshrined. We want busts of Clemens and Barry and McGwire and Sammy on display.
The writers are not the baseball police. They have no right to deny the game's greatest exclusion from the Hall of Fame. We as baseball fans must let our voices be heard and encourage the enshrimenet of all these players who are now eligible and the others when their time comes. Put an end to the hypocrisy and sanctimony and give the fans what they want: a Hall of Fame with all the right players.
Saturday, April 16, 2011
Fake and scripted are not the same thing
On April 11, one of WWE's most decorated stars, Edge, was abruptly forced to retire. It's not a "work" or part of a script, this is reality. Edge is suffering from symtpoms of neuropraxia, most notably numbness and uncontrollable shaking in his arms and hands. These symptoms are likely a result of stenosis of the spine after Edge returned to WWE after a two-level spinal fusion in 2003. The procedure centered on his C5, C6 and C7 vertebrae. Dr. Joseph Maroon, a top neurosurgeon and professor of neurosurgery at the University of Pittsburgh, studied Edge's MRI taken on April 4 and informed WWE Edge would never again gain medical clearance to perform in the ring and if Edge were to ignore doctors and perform anyway, he could be paralyzed or die as a result.
Haters of WWE continue to call this form of Sports Entertainment "fake". Edge's sudden and surprising retirement is all the proof anyone needs to know it isn't. If Bret Favre (football's ultimate ironman) had suffered in 2003 the same injury as Edge, we never would have seen him in a uniform other than Green Bay because his career would have eneded then. NFL tough guys Ray Lewis and Hines Wards wouldn't make it in WWE. They don't want to play 18 NFL games a year, how could they possibly do 200 live dates a year with WWE?
Thank you Edge for the many years of entertainment and laughs and shocking moments. Your contributions to WWE will never be forgotten. And to all the WWE haters, it's time you begin showing these men and women some respect. What they do isn't easy and it's dangerous. The NFL doesn't have a disclaimer telling kids not to play backyard football. WWE does have a disclaimer stating "Don't try this at home". Injuries like Edge's are the reason why. Even with years of practice and training, broken necks, ruptured achilles and torn quadracepts happen in WWE. It's their dedication and the support of the fans that keep bringing them back. They deserve the same respect as Charles Woodson or LaDanian Tomlinson. Start giving to them!
Haters of WWE continue to call this form of Sports Entertainment "fake". Edge's sudden and surprising retirement is all the proof anyone needs to know it isn't. If Bret Favre (football's ultimate ironman) had suffered in 2003 the same injury as Edge, we never would have seen him in a uniform other than Green Bay because his career would have eneded then. NFL tough guys Ray Lewis and Hines Wards wouldn't make it in WWE. They don't want to play 18 NFL games a year, how could they possibly do 200 live dates a year with WWE?
Thank you Edge for the many years of entertainment and laughs and shocking moments. Your contributions to WWE will never be forgotten. And to all the WWE haters, it's time you begin showing these men and women some respect. What they do isn't easy and it's dangerous. The NFL doesn't have a disclaimer telling kids not to play backyard football. WWE does have a disclaimer stating "Don't try this at home". Injuries like Edge's are the reason why. Even with years of practice and training, broken necks, ruptured achilles and torn quadracepts happen in WWE. It's their dedication and the support of the fans that keep bringing them back. They deserve the same respect as Charles Woodson or LaDanian Tomlinson. Start giving to them!
Monday, April 11, 2011
Let's drop the puck, it's playoff hockey!
Vancouver Canucks v. Chicago Blackhawks
The defending Stanley Cup champs barely squeezed into the playoffs and have no realistic chance of knocking off the President's Cup winning Canucks. This should be a short series.
Vancouver in five
San Jose Sharks v. Los Angeles Kings
The Kings blew an opportunity to avoid the Sharks in the first round and instead face the Detroit Red Wings, (a matchup I would have liked to see) and it will hurt them. I know it is a divisional rivalry but the Sharks just havew too many weapons.
San Jose in six
Detroit Red Wings v. Phoenix Coyotes
Phoenix is a gritty team who will make things tough on Detroit. However, Detroit has more overall talent and should find a way to win this series (but don't be surprised if this is the first round upset either). Expect every game to be close, however.
Detroit in six
Anaheim Ducks v. Nashville Predators
This will the the Western Conference's most entertaining series. So if you have the NHL package on your cable subscription, watch these games.
Nashville in seven
Washington Capitals v. New York Rangers
Washington has the best record in the east and the Rangers are just happy to be in the playoffs. Sounds like a ass-kicking, right? Don't be so sure. Rangers' goalie Henrik Lundqvist could steal this series if he gets hot at the right time. But it's unlikely with all of Washington's weapons.
Washington in five
Philadelphia Flyers v. Buffalo Sabres
Again, like the Washington/New York series, this seems like a mismatch on paper. And well... it is.
Philadelphia in four
Boston Bruins v. Montreal Canadiens
If Anaheim/Nashville is the most entertaining first round series, this is the most intense. These teams were rivals before the Chara incident and now they loathe each other. Tim Thomas was the league's dominant goalie this year, but in this series it's not going to matter. This is the upset special.
Montreal in seven
Pittsburgh Penguins v. Tampa Bay Lightning
The Penguins played a total of two games with their top three stars in the lineup and they still somehow fell just one win shy of a division title. Tampa Bay plays very good hockey against the Pens and has an explosive offense so Fleury must be ready.
Pittsburgh in seven
The defending Stanley Cup champs barely squeezed into the playoffs and have no realistic chance of knocking off the President's Cup winning Canucks. This should be a short series.
Vancouver in five
San Jose Sharks v. Los Angeles Kings
The Kings blew an opportunity to avoid the Sharks in the first round and instead face the Detroit Red Wings, (a matchup I would have liked to see) and it will hurt them. I know it is a divisional rivalry but the Sharks just havew too many weapons.
San Jose in six
Detroit Red Wings v. Phoenix Coyotes
Phoenix is a gritty team who will make things tough on Detroit. However, Detroit has more overall talent and should find a way to win this series (but don't be surprised if this is the first round upset either). Expect every game to be close, however.
Detroit in six
Anaheim Ducks v. Nashville Predators
This will the the Western Conference's most entertaining series. So if you have the NHL package on your cable subscription, watch these games.
Nashville in seven
Washington Capitals v. New York Rangers
Washington has the best record in the east and the Rangers are just happy to be in the playoffs. Sounds like a ass-kicking, right? Don't be so sure. Rangers' goalie Henrik Lundqvist could steal this series if he gets hot at the right time. But it's unlikely with all of Washington's weapons.
Washington in five
Philadelphia Flyers v. Buffalo Sabres
Again, like the Washington/New York series, this seems like a mismatch on paper. And well... it is.
Philadelphia in four
Boston Bruins v. Montreal Canadiens
If Anaheim/Nashville is the most entertaining first round series, this is the most intense. These teams were rivals before the Chara incident and now they loathe each other. Tim Thomas was the league's dominant goalie this year, but in this series it's not going to matter. This is the upset special.
Montreal in seven
Pittsburgh Penguins v. Tampa Bay Lightning
The Penguins played a total of two games with their top three stars in the lineup and they still somehow fell just one win shy of a division title. Tampa Bay plays very good hockey against the Pens and has an explosive offense so Fleury must be ready.
Pittsburgh in seven
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