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