HAPPY NEW YEAR !

From the NY Yankees to Scott Boras,
the Bill Cowher to Mike Shanahan, I hope
everyone enjoys a Happy and Healthy New
Year. Thanks For Listening !

Major League Baseball Goes Bankrupt !

I hope that caught your attention, and that you
had a great Holiday. The signing of Mark Texeira
is NOT bad for baseball, but the contract is.
It doesn't matter who he signed with, the money
is an absolute joke to the rest of society during
a time when we are all hurting. Wanna hear more???

Tune in to the next edition of MAD Stork Sports,
and LISTEN to it ALL !

Smack Talk Where There Should Be Smacking

Is Scott Boras an ass again this year?
Are the NY Giants Super Again?
Will the Jets falter to the Pats anyway?
Who stepped up, or fell down. Listen in !

Disappointment Abounds

Rooting for YOUR team this weekend wasn't
easy, especially if you were favored.

Stone COLD "Snowy" Locks

Sorry could help myself, what with
a blanket of snow coast to coast.
3-0 Last week, record is 26-13
I need to finish strong just to
be embarrassed by this years record.

New England

Giants

Jets

Picking the Northeast Ice Cold Flava!

Mark Texeira, Mats Sundin, And All That Money For Paterno

Applause to Red Sox owner John Henry,
New Address for Rafel Furcal Again!,
and the wonderment that is Urban Meyer.

Lots Of Catching Up To Do

CC Sabathia, AJ Burnett, Johan Santana,
Fred Wilpon and Bernie Madoff just to name
a few. Also College Football coaching
changes, and throwing money around like
drunken sailors, our money !

Just Stone Cold

With a record of 23-13 I don't think the
term "locks" should be applied here.
So here are my picks for week 15.

Indianapolis

Atlanta

Carolina

C.C. Sabathia, Mark Texeira And Money Money Money

Walk like a man, that's what
Rock Cartwright says!

Part 2 of Ray Ratto on Mad Stork Sports

Ray Ratto Joins Mad Stork Sports Part 1

Quick hit on this weekends football and
more capped by an interview with a
national sports columnist. Enjoy !

Stone Cold Flops Is More Like It

***PROGRAM ALERT***PROGRAM ALERT***
VERY SPECIAL GUEST INTERVIEW THIS WEEK
***********STAY TUNED**********

Last week was perfection in reverse,
what a disaster. The season total now
stands at 21-12..........OUCH !

Looking for a reversal of fortune while I
still have time.
Green Bay, Indianapolis, Denver

***PROGRAM ALERT***PROGRAM ALERT***
VERY SPECIAL GUEST INTERVIEW THIS WEEK
***********STAY TUNED**********

Quick Hits

From someone who knows, without you I'm nothing!
Enjoy

Sloppy Seconds????

Lawyers, Guns, and Money

It Never Ends

I Love This Job !

NFL Stone Cold Locks

The year is heading into the home stretch and
my picks have been quite the disappointment.
Last week I was 1-2, but certainly happy to be
wrong on the Raiders-Broncos pick, having chosen
the Broncos. Season total is 21-9 a 70% clip.

Let's see if week can finish strong, I believe
we can.

Green Bay...........NY Jets.........Oakland

Coming up Next Time: "Big Shot" Plaxico,
Hockey in China?, and the College Football Mele

HAPPY THANKSGIVING !

Is Your Team Making A Splash?

If it isn't that may be a good thing,
but it may also be a bad thing.
Listen and hear what I mean.

Stone COLD Locks

3-0 Last week, 20-7 overall. This week
the roll continues.

Denver-----------This one really pains me !

Cleveland

Atlanta

Cheers !

Football And Foot Ball Too

Let's travel the globe together shall we?
Well at least for part of this segment anyway.

All Hail The Stupid Stuff

I'm so glad I don't have to embellish.
ENJOY !

Always A Controversy

Albert Pujols???? 11-10????
Who makes these decisions?

Stone Cold Locks

No fluff, just picks

Green Bay

Indianapolis

Carolina

More winners to come !

Jets Rockets Red Glare

It was explosive in Boston, err Foxboro
Thursday night, and MLB will try to make
some noise too..................Tune In

Like A Sports Nor(th)easter

Yes, yes, yes, with all that's going on in
Boston, and New York it's like a storm of
sports news and notes. Tune In !

Giants & Titans, Different Words For HUGE

So so much to talk about and disect,
all right here just for you.

Stone COLD Locks Restart

After falling to a 1-2 record last week for
trying to be daring, I'll go back to what
this is "supposed" to be, a guarantee.
I'm 14-7, hardly a guarantee, but here goes.
This weeks winners aaaaaaaaaare:
Miami

San Diego

Atlanta

Let The Good Times Roll

Why make stuff up when you have such comical
geniuses as Joey Porter, Bud Selig and the
rest of the cast.

Decisions Decisions

Some good, some not so good, but none the
less they keep us coming back for more.

Wrapping It Up For You

Stone COLD Locks

This week we go a little on the edge
with the predictions and thank you
for your support.

Ahhhh Pro Sports

The Good, The Bad and The Ugly.
Not too bad a movie, huh?

Sports, Drugs, And Heads Will Roll

Some of things things shouldn't
even surprise you, but they may.

Legends & Losers

Welcome to the 7 day weekend, where
the roundup never ends. Enjoy!

NFL Stone Cold Locks

At least this time the title might
actually mean something. The season
record is only 10-5 but at least last
week I was a perfect 3-0 in a season
where I'm finding out that nothing
is for sure. Looking for 3-0 again.

NY Jets

Washington Redskins

Carolina Panthers

This week is tougher than you think,
I can easily go 0-3, but let's see.

N F L? Or What

Troubles plague NFL, and the hitting
is about to begin in Philly, but will
it be enough? That and more.

Tieing Up Loose Ends

Fail to the Chiefs........Tom Patriot on
the mend......and a Star is born!

MLB, NFL, Soccer......It Never Ends !

Kickers off the street, teams that act
like their picked up from off the street,
and the World Series that the advertisers
will hate!

NFL Picks

Record so far 7-5..........Sucks

Last Week 2-1..........So What, it's
called STONE COLD LOCKS, NOT Stone
Cold Probablies......Here I go again.

Tennessee

Houston

Washington (That's the hard one!)

So Much To Ponder

Back with the NFL Picks next time !

She's A Beauty

I will probably always be know to many to
many as a Raider apologist, however that
being said, I mentioned something about
the personal great of one of their CB's
Nnamdi Asomougha. Well here's a great
piece about someone doing something good
for a change on ESPN.com by Anna Katherine
Clemmons from ESPN the MAgazine. Enjoy

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story
?page=clemmons/081014&sportCat=nfl&lpos=
spotlight&lid=tab7pos2

Lots To Talk About

Keyboard Special.....And Locks

Yes, I know you miss the sound of my voice,
but just think back to the days when there
was no internet, and heaven forbid they used
typewriters. Well this post is a combo of
thoughts and my so called Stone Cold Locks.
Matsuzaka last night was brilliant, it kinda
justifies his regular season success, and the
money it costs the Red Sox to have him.
The Pacman Jones scenario is only overshadowed
by the sheer stupidity of Travis Henry.
It was nice to hear that they might have the
thug piece of garbage that shot Darrent Williams.
And admit it, you truly are surprised by the
Dolphins and Falcons, and so am I.

Last week 2-1 and again and my season total thus
far is much too woeful to mention. So here we
go again. Minnesota, Jets, Washington.
Yes they seem easy, but look at the surprises so
far this season, I don't think anything is easy
anymore

Oh What A Wonderful Weekend

If you like the Giants and hate the
Yankees that is. Still want Lou
Piniella to manage the Yanks?

Stone Cold Lox

They go real well with cream cheese and a bagel.
Tune in and enjoy the picks !

MLB Losers & NFL Whiners

Is is that time of year already?
Tune in and listen !

Ripped From The Headlines

Stuff I don't need to make up and more !

Madness & Mayhem.....................

For your listening pleasure !

STONE COLDS LOCKS? ? ?

Actually, last week my Pick were more like
Stone Cold DUDS. I went 1-2 and Joey Porter
actually followed through om a guarantee.
I'm 3-3 on the season and I'm starting to
feel like I lost my own Tom Brady.
OK, a shot at redemption, here goes.

Jacksonville

Denver

Tennessee

Sheer Sports Heaven

MLB, NFL, NBA, and so much more

!

Wide Wurld Of Spurts

I'm sure I missed a few things but here it is.

NFL Week 3 Stone Cold Locks

It's time to add up some easy wins
and after a week where I was 2-1
I want a shot at perfection this
week, so tune in.

Take It By The Throat Will Ya

Champions????? Then act like it!

Around The NFL

Oh Nooooooooooooooooooo!

Can you say Deja Vu?
A different way to say thanks
to your country.

Panic, Wimpers, & Bombs

Whether is MLB or NFL, looks like it's
GO TIME, in more ways than one !

Pitching & Pigskin

The arms have flexed their muscles, and
it's football season once again.

Full Plate

Dedicated to all of those souls we lost seven
years ago today who's families wish they were
here to listen to this crummy blog. PEACE

Lots of issues, 2 part blog that goes from
NL MVP's to Women's Olympic Hockey !

Back To Basics

So in this edition we go back to the keyboard,
but fear not friends, you haven't HEARD the
last of the Mad Stork.
Last year "bad" teams like the Nationals and
Marlins gave the Mets such a hard time, the
Mets made history in futility. The Nationals
are at it again, to finish August and start
September the Nationals, the worst team in
baseball swept the playoff chasing Dodgers
and took two of three from Philly who is still
chasing the Mets, all the while winning 8 of 9.

No sooner did I mention that the Indians had
won 10 in a row to attempt to make the season
respectable last week, than they go out and
get swept by another huge disappointment this
year the Seattle Mariners. Sheeesh

Last year on on September first the Rockies
were six games out of first, this year they
are too, and closing fast.

If Chad "Ocho Cinco" Johnson needs the
attention this bad that he changes his name,
then the talk with Ray Lewis is exactly what
I expected it to be.

The NY Times had some mention of Usain Bolt
receiving undetectable performance enhancing
drugs prior to the Olympics. Hope I'm wrong.

Farewell Old Friends

Bosox Say Goodbye
Giambi, A-Rod, & Moose
NL Werst

Wasted Time & Wasted Money

Delgado, A-Rod, Pelfrey & More

And The Beat Goes On

OLYMPICS, OLYMPICS, OLYMPICS
Wasteful Spending, and More !

Surprise !

NOW Listen to "Mad Stork Sports" !
Questions? Comments ! Do so below.
Today: Olympics: Bolt & Redeem Team
MLB: Pelfrey & The Mets Bullpen
NFL: Farewell Dear Friend

Treasure Chest

Whether you follow the Olympics or not
you'd be a fool not to recognize what
Michael Phelps has accomplished.

Taking nothing away from anyone, if the
Bolt character from Jamaica is for real,
and by for real I mean clean, then he
is one outstanding sprinter.

Gold Chunks in this treasure chest also
include: C.C. Sabathia and Roy Halladay,
not only do they win games, but they
finish what they start more often than not.
Honorable mentions should got to Cliff Lee,
Mike Mussina, and Brandon Webb
Great Seasons for all these guys.

Smash And Grab

Consider this, a little tongue in cheek, but
none the less, consider it.
Carlos Delgado 25HR 76RBI's 65 Runs
A-Rod 27HR 71RBI's 75 Runs
Delgado has 59 more at bats, so what !
A-Rod has a higher average .312 to .260
again, so what! A-Rod also makes $12 M
more than Delgado this year, so under
that criteria, who do you think is getting
more BANG for the buck?

Just after Prince Fielder was caught on
camera shoving a teammate in the dugout
the Brewers went on an 8 game winning
streak. Who says you don't need fiery
toughness, and attitude?

Hank Steinbrenner called it a season in
the NY papers yesterday. Did Hank see
the Phillies Mets race last year?

Adam "Don't call me Pacman" Jones applied
for full reinstatement yesterday. Man he
must be dying to get into a strip bar.

Holy Sabathia

Consider this, since joining the Brewers
C.C. Sabathia is 6-0 with a 1.58 ERA and
4 complete games in 7 starts! The Brewers
are 6-1 in those starts and the only blemish
is the fact that they lost to the division
leading Cubs in a start where he got a no
decision, but didn't pitch great. If the bar
is set with Johan Santana last year, salary
wise that is, then what is this guy gonna be
worth when it's all said and done?

More Boos Than Applause

Applause to Mike Mussina for a stellar
season. In the American League records
can be deceptive, but Mike has 3.27 ERA
which is very good in either league and is
tied for most wins in the AL with a 15-7
record, and has only 20 walks in 140
innings pitched with 96 K's. Nice Job !

Boooo to Yankee announcer John Sterling
who followed up his praise of much
troubled Texas Rangers outfielder Josh
Hamilton by telling everyone on the
Yankees broadcast what a druggie Josh is.

Applause to the Jets for picking up Brett
Favre. Hey at least he gives them a chance,
they would have had little else otherwise.

Booooooo to loser forever Brian Giles for
blocking a trade that would have sent
him to the Boston Red Sox today.
What an idiot, does that dude ever want a
chance to win a ring? It ain't gonna happen
in San Diego, ask Trevor Hoffman.

Booooo to the Mets bullpen, they've blown
more saves than their are lies in the
Chinese Olympic media guide. If not for
them, Johan Santana might be 15-7
right now and with a 2.95 ERA, that's
not such a stretch.

Boooo to Bill Self for signing a ten year deal
with Kansas as their basketball coach.
Those deals aren't worth the paper their
written on. The minute the coach changes
his mind the kids are left out in the cold.

Boooooooooooo to David Wright and Jose
Reyes. Enough hype ! Can you field a friggin
ground ball already, without making an
adventure out of it?

On a side note: The Dolphins signed Chad
Pennington today, but don't you think that
the Bears would have been wise to go after
him hard? I mean all they need is a
quarterback with a brain, and they might
stumble into the Superbowl one more time
with an actual chance to win it, no?

Web Gems

Don't look now but Brandon Webb is going
to win his second Cy Young in three years.
He's 16-4 with a 2.93 ERA, and 3 complete
games, a rarity these days.

It's August 5th and the Rays are still in 1st.

Orioles are in last but only 4 games under .500

The Twins traded Johan Santana, Francisco
Liriano is 1-3, and mostly injured and they are
11 games over .500 only one game out of first.

The Florida Marlins are only 1 1/2 games out of
first, and turned an $18 million dollar profit
before leaving spring training.

The state of Texas is 5-0 in the last week against
NY teams (Astros 3-0 / Rangers 2-0)

Last years NL rep in the World Series are 11 games
under .500 and still in contention, eight games out.

Manny Ramirez in his first week in LA is hitting
.645 and it's costing the Dodgers $0.

Ken Griffey Jr is Hitting .308 with the White Sox
and is playing a bit like a kid again.

Mike Hampton won his first game since 2005.
Now that's a return on your investment !

The Skinny

Short and sweet here is our society, and
sports fandom in a nutshell. The Florida
Marlins who are clearly in contention,
didn't get Manny Ramirez because the
Red Sox offered them Ramirez and the
$7 million dollars that would have
covered his salary for the rest of the year.
They wanted $9 million, in other words
they wanted Manny AND wanted to turn
a profit as well as having someone that
would help them win a championship.
Why is this more annoying than usual you
might ask. Well, their payroll is $22
million, and they receive $40 million in
revenue sharing from MLB, so they are
already turning a profit to put a team out
on the field. I guess winning a title isn't
important to their money hungry first
owner Jeffrey Luria.
Making this story happen to begin with is
Manny Ramirez, who was so unhappy that
the Red Sox might pay him $20 million
dollars next year, that he got the team so
annoyed at him, that they traded him.
Another Scott Boras Production !
Here is another doozie. The Packers are
offering Brett Favre $20-25 million dollars
not to play, but to stay away. You know why?
Because it's your money not theirs, so why
should it matter if they throw money away.

Angels In Outerspace

Well, not exactly, but I thought that "Angels
in the outfiled" was a bit plated out. Anyway,
the last few years the only thing standing in the
way of the California/Anaheim/Los Angeles/
West Coast Angels has been the Boston Red Sox,
but the last two series have been decisive wins
by those heavenly, all world Angels. Let's throw
in that one the day traded for Mark Texeira, they
were two outs from no hitting those very same
Red Sox, and they also have the best record in
baseball with the 22nd worst slugging percentage
in the league. Hmmm, should make for an interesting
post season with any hitting at all huh?

By the way, what does it say for Scott Boras that his
clients are avoided like the plague during the trade
deadline?, i.e. Mark Texeira two years running.
What else does it say after the A-Rod fiasco, and
his Many being Manny client acting like a child
during a very important series against the Yankees?
Oh sorry, my bad, the Sox option on Manny is
only worth $20 million next year. What an insult
to Manny !

Take this into account if you're an Oakland A's
fan. They had the Big three Zito, Mulder, &
Hudson, and won nothing. He gets criticized
when he makes trades like he did to the Phillies
and Diamondbacks lately for throwing in the
towel, though he says he hasn't, but he must
know something. Zito is awful since leaving
the A's, A's got two picks for losing a top flight
free agent of his caliber. Mulder has been good
when pitching but has been injured more often
than not, and Hudson has also pitched well, but
he too is about to miss the next year and a half.
Most importantly. even thought he A's have still
not hit the promised land without them, they
have not hit the promised land with out the A's,
and don't look to anytime soon. That being said,
I don't expect any miracles out of any Blanton,
or Haren teams either, though I will admit
they presently have better chances.

Head Scratcher

Ever wonder if Willie Randolph would
have gotten fired as Mets manager if
Carlos Delgado hit .400 during any
month this season while he was still
here, like he is NOW, and if Jose Reyes
would have hustled, like he is NOW?

THE PITCH COUNT MUST GO !
I'm all for cloning Rollie Fingers and
Sparky Lyle. If CC Sabathia can do it
(Three in a row), and Roy Halliday
can do it ( has more himself this season
than 75% of ML teams), then I'm sure
they are no anomalies. I mean they
were doing this thing called a complete
game in the days of black and white TV.
What happened we regressed? Get these
pansies off their pretty little overpaid
A$$$$es and push em a little harder, OR
make em closers ! What a joke !
Tom Seaver and Bob Gibson musta been
superheroes huh?

Thinking Out Loud

When Greg Norman entered Sunday's
British open with the lead, it was the
eighth time in his career, and when
it was over he sill had only one victory
to show for it. This time however he
had plenty to be proud of, at 53 he
made many a young man look bad.

This Bret Farve thing is starting to wear
out it's welcome, but let's be fair, after the
season he had last year, I still think he
gets to call his shot, that is unless the
Packers have such short memories that
they don't remember the days of Don
Majkoowski.

Jason Taylor to the Redskins, no way that
surprises me, no way!

The Mets are making their fans feel like
Al Pacino in the Godafther III, especially
after blowing what is really noting short
of a solid well pitched game by Johan
Santana. Mumbling under their breathe
they must all be saying " Just when I think
I'm out, they pull me back in"

By the way, love him or hate him Derek Jeter
would have never mised 2nd base the way
Jose Reyes did tonight. Jose has alot to learn.

Uggla, Uglier, Ugliest

Uggla- Dan Uggla that is, for the two errors in
in one inning and three for the All Star game on
Tuesday, and let's not forget his 0-4 at the plate.
Look everyone makes mistakes, but All Stars are
All Stars, let's stop the "we need everyone
represented" garbage and let's let the real Stars
play, and play longer. Want to represent everyone?
Get the coaches and managers there, maybe a
mascot or two, and let's play BASEBALL !

Uglier- The Kirk Rodamski revelation that he
suddenly found receipts for packages of HGH
being sent to Roger Clemens House. OUCH

Ugliest- Brett Favre and the Packers love
affair, nuff said !

For good measure- This goes out to all you
dumb Mets and Yankees fans who think that
it's worth taking a shot on Barry Bonds. Don't
be stupid, you are the same people that cried
bloody murder when he was getting away with
murder by playing and receiving huge ovations
in SF. Don't embarrass yourselves. NO, he's
not worth taking a shot on !

All Star Streaks?

Mike Pelfrey has an ERA of 1.38 in his
last 5 starts and is 5-0 during that stretch,
without giving up a single HR

In a smaller sample, Oliver Perez has an
ERA of 0.90 in his last three starts and
is 1-0 giving up a respectable 2 HR's
during that stretch.

So How do you justify that Josh Hamilton
hit 35 HR's during the HR derby and lost
to Justin Morneau who hit 22? There's
something wrong with the the setup if it
can be that big a disparity.

It's A Crime

It's a crime that the cheapest seat to a
Mets game is a $25 nosebleed seat, and
that's a seat that prohibits you from
purchasing alcohol too.

It's a crime that part of the reason for
things like this are guys like Barry Zito,
who get paid huge bucks and continue
to grossly under perform.

It's a crime that when talking about
Yankee baseball these days I have to
include such names as Madonna.

It's a crime that Barry Bonds might still
get a job this season.

It's a crime that it took so long to write
this post.

Brotherly Love

That's what the Phillies are showing the
NY Mets right now. Last year the Mets
played crappy enough to let the Phillies
hang around long enough to steal the
division, thus far it seems the Phillies
are returning the favor.

Brotherly love is not what the media is
going to show us, as it will continue to
beat to death the A-Rod splitsville
rumours, the A-Rod/Madonna rumours,
and of course, how the heck is Tiger's
knee doing?

And just for the record, bravo to Roger
Goodell for addressing the fact that these
kids that haven't proven a damn thing,
are getting paid a kings ransom while
guys that do it year in and year out have
to worry about being cut or restructuring
contracts. This in turn screws the fans who
have to see some of their favorite players
play for someone else after having established
a sort of relationship with them. The vets
should be rewarded accordingly, and the
rookies should earn their way to the higher
salaries, just like the rest of us usually do.
Don't cut money, just spread it around better.

Happy Birthday Al Davis !
H A P P Y 4th E V E R Y O N E ! ! ! ! ! !

By The Way

I see the union is filing a grievance on behalf
of Shawn Chacon, and I wonder, you know
he may be totally in the right about Ed Wade,
but he totally lost any case he had when he
got up, grabbed him by the neck, and pushed
him to the ground. What was he thinking?
This grievance should have been filed just
before the neck grabbing if everything he says
about Wade cussing him out in public is true,
especially in a room full of players, and coaches.
I'm sure that at the very least the union rep on
his team could have verified his story.


I like that the NY Rangers biggest bucks in free
agency so far were spent on defense, but as great
a reputation as Wade Redden has as a passer,
and his being a two time All Star, I wonder if
all that money being spent on a guy who's been
in the league 11 years is wise when you consider
how violent and brutal a sport hockey can be.
How long before this guy wears out?


The Twins sure responded to the Detroit Tigers
bean balls in a big way on Wednesday. That is
by beating them in the last two games of the
series, taking that series, and punctuating it
by tossing a shutout in the finale.

Speaking of the Tigers, they are 42-33 since
their 0-9 start, very nice. It would be even
nicer if Dontrelle Willis had anything to do
with it. I wonder how the minor leagues are
treating him.

Last but not least, Get this, The Tampa Rays
HAVE THE BEST RECORD IN BASEBALL,
and that's coming off two straight wins over
the Boston Red Sox. Impressive.

Thoughts

Not sure why but I've been keeping my eye
on the Texas Rangers all year and the one
thing I noticed ever since it looked like Ron
Washington was gonna get axed was that
once they hit .500, they stalled. One game
over one game under, over and over, for
about 30 of so games. Now they're three
games over, but how long will that last?

The NY Mets are pathetic. Want to know
what the problem is with that team?
No emotion whatsoever, NONE !

Joba went four tonight, and even though
his starts have been solid, I still say he
would be more valuable in the bullpen.
Especially when you get can beer league
guys like Sidney Ponson to beat the Mets
for you. Oh wait, They're horrible !

I'm not sure what's worse, Tiger beating
everyone and their mother during the
PGA season, or constantly analyzing
his recent knee surgery over and over
for the next 8 months.

LeBron to the Nets, or Knicks? How long
are we gonna beat that one to death?

SPAIN Euro 2008 Champs, Congrats!

Dribs And Drabs

Who do you think had the most influence
in the Knicks picking an Italian player in
the NBA Draft, Walsh? or D'ANTONI?
One Guess. No knock on the pick, but
let's be real, with recent history and all,
it would look much better if the Knicks
were a soccer team.

Speaking of NBA Draft the Knicks and
Nets sure brought an immediate intl.
flavor to the NYc metro area by bringing
in an Italian player and a Chinese player
on the same day.

Much kudos to the Spanish soccer club
for making their first soccer final of any
kind since 1964. I'm rooting for them,
but then again, you knew that.

Did you know that the KC Royals are 12-3
in inter league play? I didn't !

Maybe

Maybe the problem with the Mets wasn't
the Manager, but instead the General
Manager. Opening a homestand against
the worst team in baseball 0-2, by a
combined score of 16-2 says very much
about the makeup of the team, not the driver.

Maybe Italy losing to Spain isn't as bad as
losing to France for the Italians, but it sure
did hurt I'm sure. Sunday Spain was the
better team. Good Luck to them.

Maybe the Celtics assembly of their team
wasn't quite the Lakers signing Gary Payton
and Karl Malone, but it sure seemed like it.
I just don't understand the three road losses
to the Hawks, but it sure helped Mike Brown
get that extension with Atlanta.

Maybe Sports talk stations still give WNBA
scores, but does anyone listen to them?

Maybe you're anxiously awaiting the NBA
draft, but does anyone care after the first
six picks, except the fan of the remaining
teams, if that?

Maybe Shaq needs to stick to basketball,
now that the Sheriff has asked for his badge.

Maybe Javon Walker needs to show better
judgement........................just maybe.

My Apologies

To Hank Steinbrenner and while I'm at it
James Dolan, it's now clearly obvious that
when it comes to little or no class you two
fine gentleman are out of your league and
even sport. King(s) and Champion(s) in
a unanimous decision, Omar Minaya and
The Wilpons. I know it doesn't sound
anything like Tony Orlando and Dawn,
but give it time, it's got a catchy ring to it.
Be ashamed men, be very ashamed.

Rotten Apple Doesn't Fall Far From Tree

Hank Steinbrenner is showing a real penchant
for being a chip off the old block. He said
Monday that the NL ought to grow up, move
into the 21st century, and implement the DH
rule. I'm paraphrasing but this was in response
to Chien-Ming Wang's injury while running the
bases in Houston over the weekend. Hey HANK,
play the game the way it was meant to be played,
and GROW up yourself !

Briefly

I'm not a fan of Willie Randolph, and was for
the hiring of Omar Minaya, but if anyone
deserves to lose their job over the Mets lack
of success, it's Omar. FIRE the GM, who has
really done next to nothing since coming here.
Reyes and Wright? Inherited. Brian Bannister?
Given away for a bag of baseballs. Luis Castillo?
Grossly overpaid, and contract signing is way
too long. Johan Santana? Only here after the
Yankees, and Red Sox dropped out of the race
for him. John Maine? Well one out of five ain't
bad. Some guys are only good with small payrolls,
Omar Minaya is a good example of that.
His genius crown is getting a little tarnished,
either let Willie finish the season, or step down.

In response to the anonymous comment on my last
post. Thanks for the condolences, but we now see
how truly in sync the Netherlands are, and yes
I guess it is harder getting out of the early rounds
in these Euro Cups especially since the fields are
smaller and you're not very likely to meet up
against a team like a Trinidad & Tobago, no
offense meant towards that squad.

All Hail..........

Ken Griffey Jr. for hitting HR number
600. An accomplishment that should
have been more celebrated when you
realize that he was one of the very few
that had no hand in steroids nor was he
even suspected of it. Keep in mind that
had he not gotten injured his HR total
should be more like this: He averaged
50 Hr's per year for 5 years before he got
hurt, and averaged just under 20 for 5
years after that. If he averaged 40, which
would still be less than his earlier average,
he would have more than 700, and break
Ruth's mark this year. No guarantees, but
just a thought, and the way he was going,
not very far fetched either.

Holland or Netherlands to some others, for
beating World Cup champs Italy's head in
on Monday in the Euro 2008 soccer tourny.
They definitely caught a couple of breaks,
but their no fluke, and it took them 30 years
to do it again, last time was in the 1978
World Cup Argentina

Sweden for beating up on Euro 2004 champ
Greece, though I didn't see that match.
two nil is two nil.

Ole Ole Ole Ole Ooooooole Ole

This edition is going to focus a couple of
sports whose concept is the same, but
couldn't be more different most times.


Euro 2008 begins this weekend, a tourny
that though not filled with the same passion
as the World Cup, it still is a great, great way
for the international soccer junkie to get his fix.
Now it's time to see if World Cup Champ Italy
is good enough to be European Champ.

This week also saw the end to the NHL playoffs
and another Stanley Cup victory for the Detroit
Red Wings. The Montreal Canadiens of old their
not,m but it has been an impressive dozen years
or so for the franchise, racking up Stanley Cup
after Stanley Cup.

I really have to give props to Mike Milbury for
his latest barb. Like him or hate him, agree with
him or not, you have to admit this one was a classic.
This quote is directed at Tiger Woods for saying
that "nobody watches hockey anymore" when
asked if he was rooting for the Red Wings or
Penguins in the Stanley Cup Finals.
Mike Milbury: "You know what? I'm gonna
change the name now. It's gonna be Tiger Wuss.
Here's a guy that took about three months to get
over a simple arthroscopic surgery. You look at
[Pens forward] Ryan Malone. His face exploded
with a slap shot last night - he's back out in 10
minutes!"Keep your yap shut, Tiger, or I'll send
a couple of wingers down there - [Pens forward]
Gary Roberts - to tidy you up a little bit, meat head."

HILARIOUS !

New York, New York

So nice they named it twice, and tonight that's
what you get from the NY baseball teams, double
the pleasure. As luck would have it, you can
see and enjoy them both if you like. What I'm
talking about is the season debut as a starter of
Joba Chamberlain, and what could be the season
debut period of Pedro Martinez after only going
3 1/3 innings on the second day of the 2008
season before hurt against Florida. Hopefully
neither will turn out to be a dud, but if there
is a candidate to be a dud it has to be the Joba
one. Pedro at this stage in his career has nothing
to prove, but this Joba experiment has all the
makings of a bomb. At least in my opinion.
I think the Yankees are making a huge mistake
making this kid a starter. You have a guy who
can easily have a positive effect on about 70-90
games per season for you, but instead you decide
that you would rather see him start. Maybe it's
me but I'm not sure I get it. Yes Pedro too
started his career as a reliever, but I don't
remember him having the sort of success in
the bullpen as Joba is having. For what it's
worth, I think this is a big mistake, only time
will tell.

Don't Look Now, But

The Tampa Bay Rays are 12 games over .500
and the Yankees aren't.

The 1st place White Sox went int Tampa and got
swept. Was a name change all they needed?

Mark Prior is having season ending surgery, WOW.

Mike Vanderjagt's only shot at a kicking job was in
the CFL. Are you kidding me?????????

Ron Washington still has a job, and the Texas Rangers
are only five games out of 1st.

The Seattle Mariners still have the same manager they
started this miserable season with.

The Cubs have the best record in baseball, and the
Rays have the second best.

Last years National League representative in the
World Series is 17 games under .500

By the way does anyone realize that if Ken Griffey Jr.
had not lost so much time to injury he would have
over 700 HR's by now? and at the pace he was on
that would truly be a modest estimate

Eat It And Think

It will be interesting to see, now that the
Celtics are one game away from the NBA
finals if they will eventually accomplish
what the Lakers couldn't a few years back
when the assembled a win right now team
with the likes of Gary Payton, Karl Malone,
and a host of other guns for hire.

Will the game winning hit by Fernando Tatis
in the series finale against the Marlins be just
the catalyst the Mets need to get on a roll, or
is this going to be another stutter step?

Now that the Penguins have finally found the
net against the Detroit Red Wings, how long
do they need to wait before booking their
first tee time?

Looks like the Tampa Rays are gonna hang a bit,
the Orioles are having fun, and the Texas Rangers
are winning different almost every night, their
actually pitching well at times too.

Oh Woe Is Me

In case your starting to get frustrated at your
baseball teams early season struggles, your not
the only one. There are alot of teams under
performing, and many of them had very high
expectations, but their seem to be just as many
that are doing better than expected, so maybe
this isn't just a coincidence and more likely a
direct effect. Here are some examples.
New York Yankees 23-25
Still think it's Joe Torre's fault?
Cleveland Indians 22-26
They were my pick for WS Champs.
Detroit Tigers 20-28
Where they just over rated?
Seattle Mariners 18-31
Their manager won't make the All Star break.
New York Mets 22-24
Changes need to be made, and changing the
manager may not be the answer you think.
Milwaukee Brewers 22-26
Another hot seat manager, word has it.
Colorado Rockies 19-29
The NL WS rep, but are playing no where like it.
San Diego Padres 18-32
Expectations where certainly better than this.
Tampa Bay Rays 28-20
Did you ever think you'd see the day, Lou Piniella?
Baltimore Orioles 24-23
Traded their ace, but their the ones winning.
Minnesota Twins 24-24
They lost major pieces, but still manage to play hard.
Texas Rangers 25-25
Little known fact: 2 weeks ago the Rangers hierarchy
decided to fire their manager, they never wound up
pulling the trigger, and since then have been on fire.
Florida Marlins 27-20
Unreal !, and since 1984 they have as many WS rings
as the Mets and Tigers combined.
Say what you will, but these numbers are no accident.

Let's See Take Two

I guess the posts here have been a little less
frequent than some would like so I'll do my best
to try and catch up again, Sorry.
Why don't they just fire Willie Randolph and get
it over already? This is getting just a little too
overdone, but I warn you, you tried to get rid of
Tom Coughlin too, and aren't you glad you didn't?
Game 7 in New Orleans and after getting blown
out three times in that building the Spurs won.
That's why the Spurs are the Spurs, unflappable.
The Knicks got the number six pick in the draft,
GOOD, at least they can't screw up the number
one pick. It's alot easier to do than it looks.
Jason Taylor wants to act after his football career
is over. I think he might get an early start if he
messes with the Tuna. Quick tip, Dancing isn't
the same as acting Jason.
Lance Berkman is hitting an insane .388 with
16 Hr's and 44 Rbi's, that's sick and he's no fluke.

Let's See................

OK, it's been too long so there'll be a quick recap here.

Do I really give a rats behind that Joba Chamberlain
is celebrating way too much? Can he freaking try to
accomplish something first?

Have you looked at the standings lately? The Red Sox
trail the Tampa Bay (Remove the DEVIL) Rays, and the
Mets, Braves, and Phillies trail the $22 million payroll
of the Florida Marlins, who by the way to add insult to
injury have more WS Titles than those three teams
combined since 1986 which is when NY won it's last
title, and is before the Marlins even came to be.

Can anyone beat the Detroit Red Wings? Well it
sure doesn't look like it. I can't to see how their
inevitable series vs the Penguins shapes up.

The Celtics are really embarrassing themselves with
their performances on the road. Champs???????

Much deserved notable mention goes to CLIFF LEE
Cleveland Indians Starter 6-0 0.67 ERA 44K 4 BB
All I have to say is WOW

The "All Black Hole" Team

I Just fugured that since we have an All Star
team, why not recognize those BIG names that
drag a team down and still cost major $$$$$$.


Jason Giambi AB 80 HR 5 RBI 14 AVG .150
Robinson Canó AB 117 HR 3 RBI 8 AVG .154
Frank Thomas AB 104 HR 3 RBI 16 AVG .211
David Eckstein AB 117 H 28 HR1 RBI 11 AVG 239
Eckstein was never really a HR guy but his avg
is certainly not what Toronto bargained for
Nick Swisher AB 108 HR 3 RBI 8 AVG .204
Maybe Billy Beane knows more than we think.
Gary Sheffield AB 82 HR 2 RBI 5 AVG .183
Good thing his mouth still works.
José Guillén AB 121 HR 3 RBI 15 AVG.165
KC gave this guy alot of money.
Kenji Johjima AB95 HR 0 RBI 5 AVG.189
Last years Japanese flavor of the year.
Carlos Delgado AB116 HR 4 RBI 16 AVG .216
Carlos Beltrán AB105 HR 2 RBI 13 AVG .219
Good thing it's buy one Carlos get one free.
Ryan Howard AB119 HR 6 RBI 16 AVG .168
MVP Jinx?
Alfonso Soriano AB84 HR 3 RBI 10 AVG .190
Ken Griffey Jr. AB122 HR 4 RBI 15 AVG.238
His name warrants much more, he healthy.
Adam LaRoche AB102 HR 3 RBI 10 AVG.206
AND he bats cleanup !
Andruw Jones AB105 HR 1 RBI 4 AVG.162
1 for 25 with runners in scoring postion
Khalil Greene AB122 HR 1 RBI 11 AVG.213
Former Phenom, Current Black Hole Member
Trevor Hoffman 0-2 5 Save 2 Blown ERA 6.52
Francisco Liriano 0-3 ERA 11.32
Not the answer to Johan Santana this year.
Barry Zito 0-6 28.2 15BB ERA 7.53
How much did they guive this guy?
Phil Hughes 0-4 IP 22.0 ERA 9.00
Too Early, but Too little
Ian Kennedy 0-2 IP 23.2 ERA 8.37
Ditto
Octavio Dotel 1-1 IP 9.2 SV O ERA 4.66
Joe Borowski 0-2 IP 4.0 SV 2 ERA 18.00
Topping out at 82mph lately, Ugh !
C.C. Sabathia 1-5 IP 38.1 ERA 7.51
Certainly not good in a contract year
Dontrelle Willis 0-0 IP 5.0 ERA 7.20
Welcome to the AL
Nate Robertson 1-3 ERA 6.82
Justin Verlander W 1-5 ERA 6.28
Rounds out the dismall Tigers trio.
Ted Lilly 2-4 ERA 5.97
They're counting on him though.
Bronson Arroyo 1-4 ERA 8.63
At least he won't pine for a WS Ring
Matt Morris 0-4 ERA 9.67
2008 Salary is $10,037,283, UNREAL

I Apologize.......................

You fill in the blank. Well I guess it's as
good as the Roger Clemens apology, no?
I mean, I'm sure I've wronged, so why not?
Roger released a statement apologizing for
past indiscretions, but what, you fill in the
blank. I guess that's as good a cop out as
any, I mean Jason Giambi got away with it
so why not Clemens. I'm sure Debbie
Clemens is going to demand a little more
than that back handed attempt at I'm sorry.

Too Many Coincidences?

Like the fact that Pat Riley is resigning, and
Stan Van Gundy is about to move forward to
the next round of the playoffs. This coming
just a few short years after concocting that lame
excuse a few years back and taking over as coach.
in order to stroke his own ego a go for another
championship.

Or Carlos Delgado getting lambasted by the fans
and the media, all the wile Robinson Cano is 15
for 95 to start the season. That's .158 for those
of you counting at home.

And last but not least my Al Davis Rant of the week
if you will. I found the coincidence a little funny
this week after realizing this. A brief summary for
you. When Jerry Jones purchased the Dallas
Cowboys one of the very first phone calls he made
was to then LA Raiders owner Al Davis. The purpose
was to gain some insight on how to run an NFL
franchise successfully, apparently he paid attention,
the Cowboys have won many titles since then.
Well I found this trio of moves humorous.
One, not too long after Al Davis went after a risky
WR in Randy Moss, Jerry Jones went out and took a
risk of his own with WR Terrell Owens. Just recently
Al made another chancy move and acquired a very
talented but baggage laden Corner in D'Angelo Hall,
not very long after that the infamous yet talented
Adam"Pacman" Jones was slated to play corner and
in the fold for the Cowboys as well. Now just this past
weekend in the NFL draft the Raiders and Mr. Davis
went after an explosive and talented Arkansas RB by
the name of Darren McFadden aka Run DMC, and of
course just a short time later in that first round the
Dallas Cowboys and Jones chose an Arkansas RB
that was an All American before the new Raiders
back and split carries with him in that same backfield
at Arkansas. Yes it's a stretch, but it is fun to ponder
how much of a coincidence it really is, or not.

News And Notes

It was interesting to see Larry Brown sign
on with the 76'ers as an advisor a couple of
years back. Iverson got traded and the team
was a disaster, so the writing seemed to be
on the wall that his return to the bench was
inevitable. What I don't think he expected
was a great job by Maurice Cheeks, a very
good season overall by the team , and a first
round game one road win in Detroit.
So of course, yesterday he resigned to pursue
another coaching job...... Surprise, Surprise

If Tracy McGrady and the Houston Rockets
don't make it out of the first round again this
year, I don't think trading him is such a bad
idea. Problem is his trade value should skydive,
unless your a team who just wants to win some
more regular season games for a change.

The Washington Wizards response to being blown
out by the Cavaliers in game two 116-86 was a good
one. They blew them out in game three 108-72.
Nice Job ! Game four ought to be interesting.

WAIT! Did Joba just lose a game????????

Someone ought to tell the NY Post that Jake Long
isn't Chris Long and vice versa, as the captioning
in their paper on Friday would have you believe.

Three 1st baseman that once struck fear into the
hearts of every pitcher alive have taken huge falls
from grace. Carlos Delgado is now below the
.200 mark with 1 HR, Frank Thomas was released
this weak after a huge slump, and Jason Giambi's
only extra base hits this year have come against
Mike Timlim. I guess it's time for a new crop.

Danica Patrick & The NHL Playoffs

So I got this comment on my last blog post
that I've chosen to answer here, and it referred
to the fact that I gave no mention to Danica
Patrick's first ever victory, or the NHL Playoffs.
Well here goes. Danica Patrick is a good looking
woman, married by the way, who happens to be
good at what she does. She also happens to be the
first woman to ever win a race in her league, that's
GREAT, except this is no Jackie Robinson feat,
nor is it a Rosa Parks event, and though she does
deserve props for her accomplishment, let's not
make more out of this than it is. A victory by an
average driver, who happens to be a female too.
As for the NHL playoffs, I did mention them not
too long ago. I believe it was a reference to the
NY Rangers possibly facing there old coach Mike
Keenan in the Finals and how interesting it would
make it for the two, but first he and the Flames have
to beat San Jose tonight in a deciding game seven.
That's all I have for now, except if your an NHL
fan I suggest you tune in tonight, it may be one
of their more recent finer moments, two game
sevens with teams that can bring it. Enjoy

Be Careful What You Wish For

Sometimes the best trades are the ones you don't
make, and in this case for teams that were
interested Jorge Posada in the off season as a
free agent it may be for the free agent they didn't
sign and they are now breathing a sigh of relief
over losing out in that free agent sweepstakes.
It looks like his four year deal has a strong possibility
of being four years too long, especially if Posada turns
into a part time catcher/DH at best. The Yankees
better hope his health improves, and improves for
the long term, because this dead arm possibility
has got to be scaring them to death.

Early Returns, Not Good

For the Mets and Yankees, and even that team in
Minnesota the Twins the early returns are in, and
the Yankees are the ones with the BAD early returns.
Yes it true that in three or seven years from now this
can change dramatically, but in our win now society,
and especially NY, the latest numbers are like this.
The Mets got Johan Santana, who is by no means
an early Cy Young candidate, but isn't a bust at
2-2 with a 3.25 ERA 28 Strikeouts, and a mere four
walks, but more importantly a huge presence for
The Mets. The Twins on the other hand may be
thankful for the trade they didn't make. The one
they did however got them this. Carlos Gomez
is hitting a light .260 with a horrendous 20 strikeouts
to his name, but has nine stolen bases, and will most
likely round into shape. The pitchers they received
are looking good where they are, and where they are
for now is the Minors. The main guy Phillip Umber
is a disappointing 0-2 with a 5.16 ERA, and though
he was the main guy in the deal the other two added
into the deal might just make up for his numbers.
Deolis Guerra is 1-0 with an impressive 0.60 ERA in
15 innings with 12 strikeouts, Kevin Mulvey is 2-1 with
'a very impressive 1.05 ERA and 20 strikeouts and a
mere 3 walks in 17 2/3 innings. I did however save
the best for last, and that is the guys the Twins didn't
get. Ian Kennedy has failed to get out of the third
inning at least twice this season, he is 0-2 with a 9.64
ERA with 13 walks in 14 innings. The other guy they
wanted Phillip Hughes is not fairing better at all
eitherm, with a 0-3 record and and ERA of 8.82 and 10
walks in 16 1/3 innings. These numbers will most
likely change, but with the high exposure of these
trade talks last off season, people are looking at
right now, and right now the Yankees are 9-10,
and the Mets are 10-6, and though the Twins are
8-10, no one expected anything from them right
NOW anyway, this trade for them was for their
future,and right now the present has the Yankees
as the biggest losers, but let's be fair,................
That Can Change.

Questions

Would the Knicks still have been this bad
this season if the sexual harassment scandal
had not taken place?

What team did Kobe Bryant get traded to?

Does anyone besides Indians fans realize that
their record is as bad as Detroit's, or is it all
the hype and bad blowouts that has highlighted
the Tigers miserable start so far?

Can you smell the end for Martin Brodeur?

Why don't they have pools for NFL mock drafts,
like they do for the NCAA Tournament?
Your chances are about as good if not better.

How interesting would it be if the NY Rangers
faced the coach that broke the Stanley Cup Hex
for them in the finals, with Mike Keenan and the
Calgary Flames? Hmmmmmmmmm

It's Never Too Early

Here a few early season contenders for
being in trouble with their managerial
jobs:
Willie Randolph: A strong contender,
and NY is no place to hide, a slow start
won't help, and even if it isn't his fault, it is,
that Johan Santana is 1-2 and the bullpen
is horrible.
Jim Leyland: If he wasn't such a God in
Detroit he actually might have been fired by
now, because they are grossly under achieving
and the embarrassing losses are already piling
up,. Right now they Stink
Joe Girardi: If this was 2009 he'd be a true
contender, BUT, there are no other real
contenders, and NY always gets my vote,
and apparently that of the national media as
well. He's safe, but I'm not so sure Cashman
will survive if this continues.

Food For Thought

Do the Phillies own the Mets?
Is the Tigers blockbuster off season
trade looking more and more overrated?
Can the Royals and Orioles keep this up?
Are the SF Giants that bad?, and more
importantly why is Barry Zito topping out at
83MPH in the second year of a seven year deal?


Mets fans if you think things are bad, consider
this; two pitchers the Mets threw money at and
didn't get, Barry Zito, and Mike Hampton are
a combined 64-63 and a quarter of a Billion dollars
richer, all the while missing major time and stinking
up the joint for their respective teams ever since
they chose other teams beside the Mets.
Hey, it could be worse, more gut wrenchingly worse.

Elvis Has Left The Building

The Memphis Tigers did not end the end the
way they would have liked, but their critics
have nothing to crow about. They were labeled
soft all year, and then went on to lose only two
games despite being the third worst free throw
team in the country. They also dismantled a
tournament favorite in UCLA, and had the
Championship within their reach, but they
have nothing to be ashamed of, and everything
to be proud of. As we know the best team does
not always win, and though Kansas is certainly a
worthy champion, Memphis is no loser.
Let me end this without mentioning that this
would not have been possible without the
never say die fight in the Jay Hawks.
Bravo, Bravo to both of these champions.

Surpised Yet?

Baltimore Orioles 4-1
Kansas City Royals 4-2
Detroit Tigers 0-6
St. Louis Cardinals 5-1
Colorado Rockies 1-5
Don't be, it's way too early.
But hey, this is what sparks those water
cooler conversations, doesn't it?

The Year Ahead In Baseball

So depending on your team, you are either two
or three games into the season, and either really
pleased, or hugely disappointed, but more likely
in the middle, and taking a wait and see attitude.
Well I will take the suspense out of it for you and
give you the results now. Here goes, and jot them
down so you won't accuse me of cheating later.
NL East NY Mets
NL Central Chicago Cubs
NL West LA Dodgers Wildcard Cincinnati Reds
AL East Boston Red`Sox
AL Central Detroit Tigers
AL West Seattle Mariners Wildcard Cleveland
Indians
Surprises Kansas City Royals and Cincinnati Reds
Disappointments NY Yankees and Philadelphia
Phillies
World Series Match up Mets vs. Indians

Champs Cleveland Indians

Braves 1 Mets 0

The first pitch of the season hasn't been made yet,
but the first point has been, by the Braves.
The Mets boneheaded decision to place Ruben
Gotay on waivers was quickly capitalized upon by
the Atlanta Braves. Who do you think made the
recommendation on that? Well Tom Glavine, that's
who. You think maybe he knew something?
Well, apparently he he knew more than the Mets
did. I was going to pick the Mets to run away with
this division, 103 wins actually, but after the
weakening of their bench like this, and the many
question marks with Carlos Delgado, I'm going to
have to rethink this. Predictions to come.

This Is Personal

I have no choice but to comment. Many sports
pundits and sports talk radio callers for that
matter are constantly saying that Al Davis, the
Grand High Exulted Mystic Ruler of the Oakland
Raiders himself, has been passed by, by the game
he once dominated. Well I strongly disagree,
and though I will be the first to admit that though
some of his moves both on and off the field will
leave you to scratch you head, I will also add that
at least he has the BALLS to gamble where others
climb into their shells. This off season the NY
Jets, and Oakland Raiders have opened their
wallets in a very big way, but the Raiders more
obviously have been the big chance takers here,
and I for one love the moves. The addition of
D'Angelo Hall opposite Nnamdi Asomugha, and
the the additional signing of safety Gibril Wilson
is sure to make their secondary, not so secondary.
Resigning Tommy Kelly, and adding William
Joseph who has thus far been an NFL disappointment
as a first rounder is definitely a gamble worth taking.
And though I think they grossly over paid for Javon
Walker at wide receiver, I don't disagree with the
signing in and of itself. I could definitely go on and
on here, but the point here is quite simply this, their
is only one way to go about this, and that is by grabbing
the bull by the horns, and Al Davis has chosen to do just
that rather than go quietly into the night. This new
secondary tandem has Lester Hayes, and Mike Haynes
written all over it. Davis has been an assistant on both
the college and pro levels, he been a head coach, and
Coach of the Year, a GM and AFL Commisioner, he also
has three Super Bowl Rings, and unless your the 49er's,
Steelers, Patriots, or Cowboys their really isn't much
you can say. You may have have won more recently, but
not more often. It also now looks that Davis disciple
and friend Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones may now
take a similar route and go after Pacman Jones with a
gamble of his own. It will be a good season for the
Raiders, better than many think, and then they'll
have to pick on his outfit or something

No Trash Talking Today

Just quick props to the NY Yankees and
the Boston Red Sox. The Yankees as an
organization for being generous and
kind to those who had to suffer through
the tragedy that was the Virginia Tech
Massacre. Nice job by the players too.
http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news;_ylt=Ar0z6qFvQvq1HCE4hOuABCQRvLYF?slug=ap-yankees-virginiatech&prov=ap&type=lgns

To the Red Sox players who had the decency
to stand up for those people who aren't
six figure salary people, i.e. coaches,
trainers, support staff. The players
threatened to boycott their Japan trip
unless the promises made to those members
of the staff were kept. When only a day or two
ago they were informed that they would not
receive the stipends and compensation they
were originally promised, the players acted.
Nice Job, very nice job!
http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news;_ylt=Avt2hnL6SOomMzhL2Bc1YFcRvLYF?slug=ap-redsox-boycott&prov=ap&type=lgns

Quick Hits

With all due respect to Billy Crystal and
the NY Yankees, it's a cute story, but
fantasy camps were invented for a reason,
use them.

The NY Rangers 13 game undefeated streak
was nice, as is the Houston Rockets still
on going 21 game winning streak, problem
is no one considers either to be a strong,
strong contender for their leagues titles.

NASCAR drivers berating tires company's
like they did Friday, clearly shows that
they don't know who butters their bread.

Brett Favre's departure will most certainly
leave a void in the NFL's current hierarchy
and class, however he was a clear example
of how the legend is larger than the reality.

Just ONE Thought

It's been a fairly quiet sports week, hence the
lack of postings, but I did find something I
thought was worth mentioning again.
You see Marion Jones started her six month
sentence in Federal prison this weekend, and
this is for using performance enhancing drugs
and lying about it, as well as her role in a check
fraud scheme. She was also stripped of her
medals. These things are worth noting
because we still don't have closure with Bonds
and Clemens, and if they are not punished in
some way. and stripped of MVP's and Cy Young's
IF found guilty, it would be an even larger crime
to both the public, and Ms. Jones for being treated
like second class citizens.

Anyway JUST A THOUGHT.

Happy 70th Dad!

Oy Vey (NY'er For Sheeeeeesh)

You know we are taking our sports way too
seriously when such haloed institutions as
Harvard can be seduced into cheating.
http://sports.yahoo.com/ncaab/news;_ylt=Ahq9sd7UOsDLV.VlMZ._aA45nYcB?slug=dw-harvardscandal030208&prov=yhoo&type=lgns

Last off season the New England Patriots
added Randy Moss, Jabar Gaffney, Donte
Stallworth, and Wes Walker. Unless they
sign Randy Moss they might lose 3/4 of
that cast. Stallworth is gone, Gaffeny is
about to sign elsewhere, and Bret Favre
is making a big push to have the Packers
right a wrong and have Moss signed as
a free agent this off season. I wonder how
much of an effect that will have on their
16-0 regular season record, it certainly
can't hurt last seasons championship tally.

Women's College Basketball is not very
glamorous, and doesn't always make the
highlight reels, so in case you missed it
here is a clip of a coach that doesn't take
very kindly to losing a 17 point lead.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/03/01/michigan-basketball-coach_n_89365.html

Mad Mad World

NHL The Ottawa Senators NHL hockey is
in first place in their division and only two
points behind NJ for overall lead in the
East. Good, right? Apparently not,
because they just fired their coach on
Wednesday. Well it's worked for the
NJ Devils and Lou Lamoriello before.
MLB Removing the word "Devil" from their
name would not have been enough for the
Tampa Bay Rays had they gone through with
offering Barry Bonds a contract. They would
have needed complete exorcism after that.
NBA The only trade that seems to have paid
dividends so far seems to be the one for Pau
Gasol to the Lakers. Kidd, Shaq, and Wallace
apparently still need time to mesh with their
new teams, and just wait til' Eddy Curry and
the Knicks get rolling. You'll see.
NFL Is this whole Belichick thing starting to
look alot like what Roger Clemens was going
through? I mean the fact that they deny, deny,
deny, and then more and more things start to
come out of the woodwork.

The Irony Of It All

They did drugs, won illegally, and cheated
their teammates, and opponents. So how
ironic is it that the likes of Marion Jones,
Barry Bonds, and Roger Clemens, amongst
others will wind up be punished not for that,
but rather for lying. I guess there's something
to that "thou shalt not lie" commandment
after all.

Like Dominos They Begin To Fall

More evidence surfaces against Roger Clemens.
More evidence surfaces against Bill Belicheck.
More evidence surfaces against Kelvin Sampson.

I guess these guys live by the motto of many Texas
high school football followers, "If you ain't cheatin,
you ain't tryin"

Makes You Go Hmmmmm

It may not bother the NON sports fan, but
it must at least raise an eyebrow, that a
retired player can be included in a trade
for the sole purpose of making it work.
I'm sure Keith Van Horn has over two million
reasons why he agreed to it though. Hmmm....
How can any professional team can take a 5-0
past the midway point of a game and then
lose? Ask the NY Rangers. Hmmmm.................
There's something wrong when there are just
as many names on the police blotter with sports
personalities, as there are on Mel Kiper's pre
draft board. Hmmmmm ......................................
Now that the LA Lakers are one game behind
the best record in the NBA's western conference
I can clearly see why Kobe bryant wanted to be
traded earlier in the off season. Hmmmmmm...
Has anyone in any of the spring training camps
had a news conference yet that is only about
baseball? Hmmmmmmm.....................................
In his first press conference as Dallas Maverick
yesterday, Jason Kidd mentioned how in his
second tour with the team he realizes more now
that this is a team game, and you can't win it on
your own. I'm sure it warmed Byron Scott's heart.
Hmmmmmmmmm...............................................

St. Louis Rams 17 New England Patriots ** Final (Revised)

I will admit that though the lawsuit vs the Patriots
by ex Rams player Willie Gary will set a bad
precedent if he wins, I am kinda rooting for him
to win. If the Patriots did cheat and get caught,
they then deserve what they get, and I see no
problem with that other than it might open up
a can of worms that we wont want to see.

T R A S H D A Y

Having watched just the majority of the first
part of the hearings today on Capitol Hill
dealing with Roger Clemens and ex trainer
Brian McNamee today, one thing is crystal
clear. Each and every Congressman has an
agenda, pro or against Clemens, pro or
against McNamee, it's disgusting and quite
frankly embarassing.

The representative from Indiana should be
ashamed of himself for grandstanding the
way he did and taking sides as blatantly as
he did. He asked McNamee, if you lied so
many times, why should we believe you?
I say this to him then, " let he who has not
sined cast the first stone", and for you non
biblical types I'll go with "Don't throw stones
in glass houses". It's really too bad that no
one was able to ask him if he'd ever lied,
but I'm sure his response would have been
that he isn't the one being questioned here.
WFAN in New York carried the hearings and
Eddie Erickson producer of the "Mike and
the Mad Dog" was interested enough in the
Rep.'s comments that during the first break
he decided to check the Rep.'s record, and
though I can't confirm his findings, he pulled
up his record, and it was apparently quite
sketchy. Why am I NOT surprised.
What a LOSER., and that goes for most of
the rest of them, but Mr Burton gets 1st place.

Long Range Bricks

ESPN Radio in NY reported today that Jason
Kidd's agent told the Nets that if Kidd wasn't
traded to a contender he would steer future
clients away from the Nets. Who the F&%K
is this guy?! ! !
________________________________

Didn't Kobe Bryant say he wanted to be traded?
________________________________

I'm with Shaq, I wouldn't count him out just yet.

You Can't Make This Stuff Up!

Debbie Clemens gets injected with HGH
to pose with her husband for the Sports
Illustrated swimsuit issue?


Daniel Snyder hires his offensive coordinator,
Jim Zorn to be his next head coach, even
though he interviewed at least a dozen other
people, and Jim Zorn wasn't offensive coordinator
for the Redskins long enough to call a single play.


Brian McNamee saved those blood stained swabs
and needles for SEVEN YEARS?


Pedro Martinez was seen at a cock fight in the
Dominican Republic. So what now, we start
chasing around every athlete with two city
blocks of animals that happen to be battling
each other?


If the NBA season ended today, the NJ Nets
would make the playoffs in the East, and the
Houston Rockets wouldn't in the West.
Why such a big deal? The Nets are 21-29,
and the Rockets are 29-20.

Dumb And Dumberer Part Duex

I will let you decide. Is it Bill Belichick, if he
happens to get caught for illegaly taping the
Rams prior to the 2002 Super Bowl, or is it
Roger Clemens for saying how glad he was to
finally tell his side of the story yesterday, and
then hearing today that Brian McNamee has
syringes with Streroids, HGH, and his blood
on them. It's tough but my vote goes to
Clemens. I guess it's just another piece of
hardware for his trophy case.

Quick Hits

MLB If the trade for Eric Bedard goes through,
this will be just one more example of why the
Orioles can't keep up with the Red Sox, Yankees,
and Blue Jays, and they should be grateful for
'the fact that the Rays are still as inept as ever.
MLB II The Mets got better in a hurry with the
Santana trade, but the games economics didn't.
NFL You may already be tired of all the attention
Eli Manning is getting, but at least you don't have
to worry about him showing up in the Hollywood
gossip columns. Unless he hooks up with Britney!
NFL II Rumor has it that if Bill Belichick taped
the Rams prior to their Super Bowl, he could be
suspended for a year. Admit it, you hoping he
did. Admit it!
NCAAF Rivals.com is reporting that Charlie Weiss
and Notre Dame have secured themselves a great
recruiting class. It will be interesting to see how
this translates to the field. Many experts thought
the same of their recruiting class last year.
NBA If the Suns get Shaq it will officially make the
Heat the worst team in the NBA, and his presence
on the Suns very odd looking. Can you say hired gun?

The Final NFL STONE COLD LOCK

Let's make this quick and simple, I am
36-14 on the year and laying all on the
line here. All that matters is the pick,
I'll add the rest for entertainment value.


G I A N T S


Score (Who Knows) 34-37


MVP (Beats Me) Eli Manning or Kevin Boss


Goat (LOL) Rodney Harrison

Sacked For A Loss

MLB The NY Mets signed Johan Santana to what
works out to be a seven year $150 million dollar
contract. Am I of the few that thinks that that is
insane? That works out to $21,428,571.43 per
season, and since I was quick to critize the
Yankees on the Clemens deal I hafta do the same
here. That works out to $649,350.69 per start.
That is $6,493.51 per pitch based on a 100 pitch
count. ARE YOU FRIGGIN KIDDING ME???
NFL The Pro Football Hall Of Fame took 22
years to elect Fred Dean, 14 for Andre Tippett,
12 for Art Monk, 10 for Gary Zimmerman, and
19 for Emmitt Thomas, so my questions is what
the heck were they waiting for if these guys are
Hall Of Famers? Did they become more HOF'ers
after they were rejected they first few times?
I mean they didn't play another down, and they
had already waited the mandatory five year
period after they retired, so why now?
I will tell you why, because they are a bunch of
fairies thats why. It's political and it's a huge
popularity contest, which is why the HOF is such
a sham, and the way you get elected should be
drastically changed. The people who vote should
be ashamed that they sometimes wait until
someone dies before they elect them in.
Take into account that the punter on the NFL
75th anniversary team was Ray Guy, and he nor
any other punter is in the HOF, and this year
was his final year of eligibility. Now it's up to
the veterans committee. So apparently after
Not punting for about 20 years he will be more
of a HOF'er than he was yesterday. WHAT A JOKE

Suoer Bowl Media Day-----What I Learned

Here are just a few observations I took away
from media day, or "What I learned"
>Eli Manning will always remind many of us
of Gomer Pyle USMC (real old reference there)
>Terrel Owens should not have more to say or
more air time than Plaxico Burress. His team
lost, remember?
>Plaxico Burress has really matured, and that
is showing both on and off the field right now.
>A "prediction" is NOT a "guarantee"
>Amani Toomer looks much better and younger
with hair.
>Michael Starhan is having too much fun, he
needs to get serious about this.
>Tom Brady is one heck of a media savvy charmer.
>Robert Kraft needs to get help from Zone Chefs.
>This game will be closer than people think.
>Deion Sanders makes for a lousy interviewer.
>Steve Mariuicci does too.

Sportspage Rejects

Super Bowl Tom Brady does his best impression
of Claude Rains (The Invisible Man), and Giselle
actually gets attention with her clothes on.
What does this have to do with X's and O's?
NFL It breaks my heart, but I can't even begin
to explain what's going on in Oakland Raiders
camp, other than to say that Al Davis has everything
under control. Hence the expression "There's a
method to his madness". I say that respectfully
of course, I'm a fan. Just a confused one right now.
NBA The NY Knicks have won five of their last
seven games. I wonder how much of that has to do
with the absence of Stephon Marbury, or how much
of it has to do with the fact that the Miami Heat and
Minnesota Timberwolves are so bad that they now
realize they have no shot at the first overall draft pick.
Golf It seems odd to me that such a big deal was made
over the "lynching" comment towards Tiger Woods and
the "Noose" on the cover of Golf Magazine, but very
little was made outside of the Golf world.
NHL Is Sidney Crosby that much a better player than
Alexander Ovechkin or is it that the reason he seems
more popular is because has more teeth than him?

Super Bowl Hits

If the Giants can avoid at least these couple of
things, they can certainly give themselves an
opportunity to win vs the Patriots in SuperBowl
XLII. One thing that's always prudent is to make
sure that Eli Manning doesn't get sacked via the
illegal "leg wip" sack the Pats got away with vs
the Chargers on Sunday, I guess if the ref doesn't
call it a penalty, the it's OK to break a guys leg,
or in this case further rip his ACL. Second thing
they may want to avoid is the forearm of Rodney
Harrison, which Rodney believes is the best way
to sack the QB during crunch time. I'm sure
Phillip Rivers is glad he missed with a clear hit,
otherwise his ACL might not be his biggest worry
on Monday morning, and again, if the ref doesn't
call it then I guess it's not dirty. Right Rodney?
Thirdly, but certainly not lastly is to make sure
that they don't repeat the same mistake of allowing
Randy Moss to beat them deep on back to back
plays like their first meeting, even if he does only
catch one of those passes.................More to come.

Stone C O L D Lock

35-14 is nice but I wanna get one wrong this
week after a 1-1 week last week. There will
be only one pick this week

Patriots (Hope I'm wrong)

Bye the way the Giants have an excellent chance
of beating the Packers this week, but I'm afraid
I can't make that one a lock. Just a hunch

Wide World Of Spurts

NFL The Cowboys must certainly be breathing a
sigh if relief now that Jason garret has decided to
stay in Big D, especially since their lost their pseudo
Mafia connection Tony Sparano to the Dolphins.

NBA Now that the Knicks have won three in a row
for the first time this season without Stephon Marbury
to boot, do you think that Isiah Thomas regrets not
sitting him in Phoenix after the players voted the he
be sat for his insubordination?

NHL FYI: Willie O'Ree became the first black player
in the NHL fifty years ago, and if that doesn't impress
you consider this. When he played, the NHL only had
six teams, and he was also invited to tryout for the
second base position with the Milwaukee Braves.

Spurts
Dumb - Randy Moss- for even knowing the woman
that made the accusation. He might be the least
guilty of the bunch.
Dumber - Billy Donovan for brushing off Joakim
Noah's insubordinate behavior towards his coach by
saying, "he just wants to win"
Dumberer - TIE - OJ Simpson & Adam "Pacman"
Jones I won't even get into it, but the way they behave
you would think they have the same Daddy.
What a bunch of dolts.

Man(ning) Handled

If you live in the NY area and /or get to listen to
sports talk radio in NY, it's clear that Eli Manning
will never, ever be Peyton Manning. You don't really
need to be a rocket scientist to see that either, however
it really kind of goes beyond that. To Giants fans the
expectations they have can never truly be met, and
that's unfair. To any of us who have had a sibling or
such that we felt we weren't as good as or were made
to feel that way, this is a jagged pill to swallow.
I don't necessarily know that Eli feels this way, but
Giants fans certainly behave as though he should.
Eli Manning has had two very good playoff games,
back to back, and that is no small feat, unless your
Tom Brady that it, but to the rest of the humans, it
is a nice little accomplishment. The truth however
here is that Giants fans are just waiting for the other
shoe to drop. As soon as the Giants lose, if they lose,
the critics will begin to crow at how he must go, and
how overrated he is. The next two opponents for the
G men, should they win their next game are virtual
no win games. Going to Green Bay in January is not
a place you should expect to win if you're a fan, if you're
a player, yes, you need to exude that confidence, but
as a fan, cross your fingers and hope for the best.
After that you are most certainly looking at a Pats
team that is breaking records that haven't even been
set yet.

Earlier this year before the season started during a
radio show I was co-hosting I took a call from a Giants
fan that expected the worst. I said two things, and I am
by far no Nostradamus. First the Giants would win
more than 8 games, and that would be more than the
Mangenius led Jets, and second, that Eli would have
a good year. I guess I got lucky, but I'll take it.
The point? This is more than you expected, ease up,
don't look a gift horse in the mouth. Think of how great
a season Eli would be having if the Giants didn't lead the
NFL in dropped passes. Peyton Manning is watching
on TV, Eli is still on the field, and he deserves you
allegiance if your a Giants fan. The pessimists out there
will likely hide if they win it all this year (Unlikely), and
make sure to trounce if they Giants follow that up with
a 7-9 season next year. HEY, GET A LIFE, WILL YA ! ! !

NFL Divisional Locks

Now that the record has hit 34-13 and a very
healthy 21 games over .500, I want to finish
up with a bang. Two more picks this week
and then we'll go one pick at a time for the
final two, so here are this weeks "locks".

Indianapolis

Green Bay

FYI If you're a betting man, Jacksonville looks
good at +13, but I'm not sure that they overcome
the pile of doggie doo doo the Pats have stepped in.

Tough Guys

Now that the Federal government has chosen
to sentence Marion Jones to 6 months in
Federal prison for lying about doping under
oath and check fraud it will be interesting
to see if they have the guts to do the same
to Bonds, McGwire, and Clemens among
others. If they do I suggest many of you
loosen up your pitching arms, as the number
of no name being caught continues to grow
at a very steady pace.

Bangers & Mash

NFL So how long do you think it will be before
the "bada bing" jokes, and references to Jimmy
Hoffa start if the Miami Dolphins name Cowboys
Assistant Tony Sparano as their head coach.


NFL/NCAA You would think that after the
failed experiment with Steve Spurrier and the
failure of Nick Saban, coupled with the Bobby
Petrino fiasco, that would be enough to discourage
owners from going after college coaches hot and
heavy, but apparently this hasn't diswayed the
man the suffered the worst of these shames.
Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank of the
aforementioned Bobby Petrino embarrassment
is now going after Pete Carrol, and offering to
give him everything but the team itself.
Though I'll be the first to say that I respect
Carroll a heck of alot more than the other three,
his record in the NFL (33-31) and recent history
still would lead you to believe that you might wanna
go in a different direction. Will they ever learn???


NFL If Tony Romo going to Mexico with Jessica
Simpson is the biggest headline a sportswriter
can come up with this week, it's time to look
for a new profession.

NBA As dismal as the Knicks look this season, may

I remind you that there are three teams with worse

records than them. Miami Heat (Shaq, Wade, Pat Riley),

the Seattle SuperSonics (#2 Pick Kevin Durant, Kurt

Thomas, Wally Szczerbiak), and the Minnesota

Timberwolves who have every excuse in the book to

be this bad (5-29)

NCAA Football After the job June Jones did for

Hawai'i's football program it's no wonder he had the

Governor begging him to stay, and even less wonder

that he left and the Athletic Director got canned for

taking him for granted. At SMU, Eric Dickerson's

Alma Mater, he gets a better budget, better facilities,

and probably a better shot to compete for a national

championship if his team goes 12-0. I just wonder

how the Rainbows are going to handle opening the

2008 season against Florida now that they lost

both Jones, and their Heisman Trophy candidate

Quarterback Colt Brennan, and the schools all

time reception leader Davone Bess, who leaves a

year early to head for the NFL Draft.

What Did They Say?

If you made the mistake of listening to the
fiasco that Roger Clemens and his bone headed
reps put together to supposedly clear his name
yesterday, then you can't be too impressed.
Should we believe a man who pretended to be
someones friend in order to clear his own
name and secretly record him? Did you hear
his trainer once admit to lying about Clemens
being involved, or did you hear a man ready
to lie in the opposite direction in order to
save Clemens when he asked "what do you want
me to do?", and "I will go to jail for you if I have
to". Should we NOW believe a man who only
seven short years ago threw a jagged edged bat
at a fellow major leaguer, and explain it away
by saying it was the ball? By the way, that
explanation would have held much more weight
had they been playing Dodge ball instead.

Not once did his ex trainer clear Clemens' name
in that phone call, not ONCE. What a joke!
Clemens is clearly grasping at straws. He asked
if he should have to defend himself after all he's
done for baseball. I would beg to differ, because
if it not for baseball, he would be just another
working class citizen were he not arrested sooner
rather than later for some boneheaded crime
instead. WHAT HAS HE DONE FOR BASEBALL?
WHAT? Should he be found guilty of perjury
along with the likes of Bonds, and McGwire,
they should all be made examples of and suffer
the same fate as Shoeless Joe Jackson, who by
now should certainly have been reinstated.
I will add however that if they are not guilty,
then I hope that their names are cleared.
I just highly doubt this will be the case however.