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by: CTSoxFan46

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Young and Immature
Apr 27, 2006 | 8:15PM | report this

When considering what a just punishment for Delmon Young would be, it would be a good idea to think outside the realm of sports. Imagine if Young was an ordinary 20 years old, working at, say a restaurant as a busboy. What if his manager got angry at him for not cleaning a table right, but Young thought that he had done no wrong. What if the manager fired him and Young decided to fling a plate at the manager's chest. What would happen to Young then? He would be arrested and charged with assault and with a history of violent outbursts, as Young has, he would probably do some sort of jail time or at least get a good amount of probation. So what makes it okay for Young to take a bat, which can easily be considered a dangerous weapon, and throw it at a defenseless umpire? What if the bat had hit him in the face? Then what would have happened? This could have been a much bigger problem for Young than it already is.

Delmon Young is obviously a troubled young man. With all of his talent, it is sad to see that he is not able to control himself. It happens way to much in the world of sports, a young kid with a bad attitude gets a ton of money before his mature enough to handle it and the words of praise go straight to his head, giving him an even worse attitude, which leads to incidents such as this, where a player feels that he is larger than the game. It has happened so often, Milton Bradley, Jose Guillen, Ron Artest, Carl Everett, Frank Francisco (who threw a chair at a fan), the list goes on and on. Young has already shown signs of an emotional imbalance. He was suspended for three games by the Southern League for bumping an umpire.

There have been incidents with umpires like this in the past. Carl Everett was suspended for 10 games by the MLB for bumping an umpire while with the Red Sox, Roberto Alomar was suspended for five games for spitting on an umpire, Milton Bradley was suspended for seven games for spitting gum at an umpire while in the Eastern League, and Young's past incident, where he was suspended for three games. This offense is much worse than the other incidents. Young put the health of the umpire at risk, as he could have seriously injured the umpire with the bat. While the other incidents were disrespectful, none were as dangerous as Young's bat toss. While it may have been flipped at the umpire, it still could have injured the umpire badly. It is a thick wooden bat that could have done major damage to the umpire's mouth or other part of his face if it had gone just a little higher.

An incident that is better to compare this to is the Frank Francisco incident. The Texas Rangers middle reliever threw a chair into the crowd at a woman who was heckling him while in Oakland back in 2004. Francisco was suspended for 15 games, which was the amount of games remaining in the season. This incident compares to that incident, but also involves an umpire. The International League must make a stance, but the Tampa Bay Devil Rays must take an even stronger stance against Young. While the IL may only suspend Young for 15-20 games, which would be a suitable suspension for the offense, the Devil Rays should step up and end Young's season, suspending him for behavior detrimental to the organization. The Devil Rays cannot tolerate behavior like this. Young needs to grow up and he needs a kick in the rear from the Devil Rays organization to help him grow up. Young is a kid still and will miss baseball. Young still has a bright future in the MLB, but he needs to learn to control himself or his bright future will be over before anything ever came out of it. Young needs to get past the fact that he wants to be in the major leagues right now and learn to control his anger and respect the game he plays.

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categories: Delmon Young, Tampa Bay Devil Rays, Baseball, MLB

Tom's Top 10
Apr 26, 2006 | 8:32PM | report this

10. Delmon Young Throws Bat at Minor League Ump.

While relatively insignificant in the major sports world, this one event has a major impact on the Tampa Bay Devil Ray's future. Young is supposed to be a star who will be a great player for the Devil Rays for many years, but he is already showing signs of anger issues. Young was struck out looking and began arguing the call with the umpire, whose name is not being released because replacement umpires are currently being used while minor league umpires are on strike. Young was ejected for arguing and this angered him so much that he threw his bat at the chest of the umpire.

Tom's Take: Delmon Young has shown signs of having a bad attitude in the past and this is not good news for the Devil Rays. Young is a prized prospect for the Devil Rays, but needs to grow up. We have seen many times players with immense talent who have short tempers and cannot succeed because of it, Jose Guillen and Milton Bradley immediately come to mind. You cannot throw your bat at an umpire, whether he is a replacement umpire or a major league umpire. This action makes Young seem like a spoiled child and he needs to grow up or he will have a hard time making it in the major leagues.

9. Hurricanes Beat Canadians In Overtime, Rangers Lose Again.

Eric Staal had the game winning goal for the Hurricanes in overtime to defeat the Canadians and cut the Montreal series lead to 2-1. New Jersey dominated the New York Rangers once again to take a dominating 3-0 series lead.

Tom's Take: The Hurricanes are a very good team and should be able to get past the Canadians if they play up to their talent. Staal is a great young star and Martin Gerber is a solid goaltender. The Canadians are a good team, but the Hurricanes seem to be a favorite to reach the Eastern Conference Championship, if they can play up to their talent. The Hurricanes have played well all season, but underachieved in Games 1 and 2, and could easily be bounced in the first round. The Rangers were a great story all season, a team in the biggest media market in the country that has been starcrossed since Messier led them to the Stanley Cup. The Rangers are a different team than in the past, with more young and team players than ever before. The Rangers may lose this series, but they will be back next season, led by the resurgent Jaromir Jagr and a cast of good, young players.

8. Mench Homers in 6th Straight Game.

Texas Rangers' outfielder Kevin Mench homered in his sixth straight game in a loss against the Oakland Athletics today. Mench is two games with home runs away from tying the MLB record of 8, shared by Ken Griffey Jr., Don Mattingly, and Dale Long. Mench is the third player in Rangers' history to homer in five straight games, along with Carl Everett, Alex Rodriguez, and Mark Teixera. The home run was a grand slam, his second of the streak and he now has 20 RBI, all of which he has driven in during the past six games. Mench is on a career best 11 game hitting streak as well.

Tom's Take: What makes this an even better story is that Mench's hot streak began after his feet were measured more carefully than they had been in the past and it was discovered that Mench was truly a size 12 and a half, instead of a size 12, which he has been wearing since he was 15. The small shoes caused turf toe and he was sent to a specialist, who discovered the sizing problem. Mench got hot immediately after receiving his new shoes and has not slowed down since. Mench is known by most as the man with the biggest head in baseball.

7. Pujols Drives In Game Winning Run.

Albert Pujols saved his closer Jason Isringhausen by driving in the game winning run on a single that scored David Eckstein, after Isringhausen had blown another save, his third of the season. Isringhausen earned the win instead. Pujols now has 29 RBI on the season.

Tom's Take: I do not understand how you pitch to Albert Pujols, the hottest player in baseball right now. Pujols is an amazing hitter, who comes through in the clutch. He is batting .600 with 2 home runs and 6 RBI in close and late situations this season and .324 with 20 home runs and 55 RBI in close and late situations over the past three seasons. Pujols should have been walked. No matter how good Scott Rolen may be, it makes much more sense to pitch to Rolen than Pujols.

6. Martin Suspended for Next Two Nuggets Games.

Denver Nuggets forward Kenyon Martin was suspended for the team's next two playoff games because of an argument with coach George Karl about playing time. The Nuggets are 29-9 in games played without Martin since he signed his big contract with the team and are 19-6 this season without Martin.

Tom's Take: This should signal the end of the Martin era in Denver. Martin should never have left the side of Jason Kidd, who made him a much better player than he truly is. The Nuggets have proved that they can win without Martin on the floor and it makes sense for them to get him out of the way. It would not be a shock if Martin does not play with the Nuggets in the rest of the postseason, if ever again. Carmelo Anthony, Marcus Camby, Eduardo Najera, and Reggie Evans will need to step up their games to deal with the inside presence of Clippers' center Chris Kaman and forwards Elton Brand and Corey Maggette.

5. Pistons Beat Bucks 109-98 To Go Up 2-0.

The Pistons took a commanding 2-0 series lead with the 109-98 win over the Milwaukee Bucks. Michael Redd's 29 points were not enough to lead the Bucks past the Pistons, who were led by 22 from Tayshaun Prince and 20 from Chauncey Billups, who also added 6 assists. The Pistons appear to be the much more talented team and it will be nearly impossible for the Bucks to fight back and win this series. A sweep would not be a surprise.

Tom's Take: The Detroit Pistons are the best team in the NBA. While there may be better players, such as Kobe Bryant or LeBron James, the Pistons are the most talented overall team, which is what is needed in today's NBA to win. As far as James and Bryant carried their teams this season, they cannot do what the Pistons do as a team in the playoffs. When one player is down another steps up, James and Bryant do not have that luxury, as their second best players, Lamar Odom and Larry Hughes, have struggled to be consistent all season. The Pistons are the favorite to win the NBA Championship, with great defensive players in Rasheed and Ben Wallace, great offensive players in Richard "Rip" Hamilton and Prince and a terrific leader in Billups.

4. Charles Woodson Signs With Packers.

A day after veteran quarterback Brett Favre announced that he would be returning to the Packers in 2006, the Packers went out and signed defensive help in former Heisman Trophy winning corner back Charles Woodson, formerly of the Oakland Raiders. Woodson is a 4 time Pro Bowl player, who has 17 career interceptions.

Tom's Take: Woodson will greatly improve the Packers' secondary and the signing fills a hole that the Packers would have needed to draft a player to fill, allowing the Packers to address holes on the offensive line and at linebacker at Saturday's draft. Woodson will be a fabulous compliment to Al Harris, one of the most underrated cover backs in the league and will take pressure off of Ahmed Carroll, who has not lived up to his first round hype and can play nickel back.

3. Nevada Baseball Player Dies in "Unfortunate Accident."

18 year old pitcher Steve Maston died in what the school reported as an "unfortunate accident." The university did not release what happened, but just recently it was released by the Washoe County Sheriff's Department that Maston died of a self-inflicted gun shot wound.

Tom's Take: This is a very sad story, I feel for the family and the team who must be going through such a hard time right now dealing with the death of a son, relative, and friend. Maston was very talented and had a great future in front of him, just a very sad story all around.

2. Bonds Hits Home Run 711.

Barry Bonds pinch hit in the 9th inning and blasted a home run off of Mets' closer Billy Wagner, but the home run was not enough, as the Mets went on to win the game. Bonds is now just 4 home runs away from tying Babe Ruth's second all time mark of 715.

Tom's Take: I stick by what I said yesterday, Barry Bonds will break Ruth's record but will call it quits after that. Bonds is breaking down and he could be seen huffing and puffing as he rounded the bases. How can Bonds play in the outfield when he cannot even run around the bases after a home run? It can not be comforting for a pitcher to know that there is a fielder behind him that cannot move. Bonds is breaking down and is about done. He could probably play another full season in the American League as a Designated Hitter, but that seems unlikely as Bonds seems to be in constant pain, as his knee is now bone on bone. I expect Bonds to retire before the season ends, he is a liability in the field and is in constant pain.

1. Steve Nash Rumored To Have Won Second Straight NBA MVP Award.

Steve Nash is suspected to have won the 2006 NBA MVP Award, which would be back to back wins. Nash is said to have won by a large margin, over Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Dirk Nowitzki and Chauncey Billups. Nash averaged 18 points per game and was the league leader in assists with 10.5 per game.

Tom's Take: While Steve Nash is a great player, he is not the 2006 NBA MVP. Nash did not do anything as nearly as amazing as Kobe Bryant or LeBron James did. It is my opinion that James is this year's MVP. LeBron James had 6 triple doubles and 21 double doubles this season, carrying the Cavaliers team that did not have Larry Hughes. James' best teammates were Zydrunas Ilgauskas and Donyell Marshell. Nash had Shawn Marion, who is one of the top players in the league on his side. If not James, who averaged 31.4 points, 7 rebounds and 6.6 assists per game (the first player to do that since Michael Jordan), than Bryant should have been MVP. Bryant single handedly carried the Los Angeles Lakers, with teammates like Chris Mihm, Smush Parker, and the inconsistent Lamar Odom playing pivotal roles on the team. Bryant averaged 35.4 points per game, which led the league. James was the best all around player this season, leading his team with scoring, rebounds, and assists. James was more valuable to the Cavaliers, who could not have won without him. Bryant is the same with the Lakers. The Suns could have done nearly as well with a point guard other than Steve Nash. While they would not have played as well as they did this season, Marion, Rajah Bell, and Boris Diaw have enough talent to lead a team without a point guard of the caliber of Steve Nash. The Cavaliers could not have won with just Larry Hughes, Zydrunas Ilgauskas, and Donyell Marshall, and the Lakers could not have won without Bryant, led by Mihm, Odom, and Parker. It is absurd that Steve Nash now has more MVPs than Shaquille O'Neal. It is even more absurd that Jason Kidd and John Stockton, both far better point guards than Nash while in their prime have zero MVPs, while Nash has two. In the past it was not enough for a good point guard to win a MVP just because the team is good, but how come it is now? Nash is a nice story and a good player, but he should not be a back to back MVP. Maybe racism really does play a factor in MVP voting...

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categories: Steve Nash, NBA, Sports

Tom's Top Ten at Ten
Apr 25, 2006 | 8:32PM | report this

The top ten stories in sports every night at ten (a little late tonight due to technical difficulties.)

10. Vancouver Canucks fire head coach Marc Crawford.

Marc Crawford missed the playoffs for the first time in five seasons with the Canucks and was fired because of it. "We need some new energy, some new juice," general manager Dave Nonis said. "We felt our team needs a kick-start, that we haven't played with the fire we had been known for in the past. A change behind the bench was the first place to start." (from AP).

Tom's Take: This is the wrong move for the Canucks. Crawford is a great coach and had one bad season in a strange new NHL. It will take time for some teams to adjust to the new style of play and it is obvious that the Canucks were one of those teams. Crawford will find a good job in the NHL very soon and he will continue to be successful. The Canucks are not going to find a coach that is much better than Crawford. It is not his fault that the Canucks do not have the right personnel to make the playoffs in the new fast paced NHL, they will need to make many changes this off-season, and without a solid coach like Crawford behind the bench, they may not make the playoffs again next season.

9. Gibson and Williams Declare For NBA Draft.

Point guards Daniel Gibson (of the Texas Longhorns) and Marcus Williams (of the UCONN Huskies) both declared for the NBA Draft. Gibson has said that he will not hire an agent, while Williams has not said if he is going to hire an agent or not. Gibson averaged 13.4 points per game last season. Williams averaged 9 points and 7.3 assists per game last season. Williams was involved in a scandal at UCONN, where he was caught trying to sell a stolen laptop and was suspended by UCONN for the entire non-conference schedule of the 05-06 season.

Tom's Take: Gibson is projected to be a late first round pick and could be a good point guard in the NBA. He needs a little bit of development, but in a few years he could end up being a starter. Marcus Williams is a possible lottery pick, it just depends on whether or not teams pass over him because of his criminal issues. Williams has also had academic issues at UCONN, but is very talented and is the best point guard in the draft. He can drive and score, drive and dish, and hit threes when needed. He will be a Chris Paul type player, who can make an immediate impact in the NBA. Teams would be foolish to pass over a player of his talent because of one mistake. Williams owned up to it and apologized and seems to have learned his lesson. He is too talented to be passed over.

8. Avery Johnson named Coach of the Year

Dallas Mavericks head coach Avery Johnson, in just his first full season as a NBA head coach, won the prestigious award. Johnson was expected to make a smooth transition from floor general to commander in chief. Johnson led the Mavs to 60 wins this season.

Tom's Take: Johnson is a great coach and is deserving of this award. The Mavericks have a great chance to go far in the playoffs this year, it is time for Dirk Nowitzki and the Mavs to have success deep in the playoffs.

7. Dale Jr. To Honor Father's Birthday with Black Car

NASCAR drive Dale Earnhardt Jr. will honor his father Dale Earnhardt on his father's birthday by driving a black car that looks eerily similar to the intimidating number 3 that Junior's father drove.

Tom's Take: This is a very special way to honor Dale Earnhardt. It would be a good idea for Dale Jr. to take the number 3, it is about time for the legacy to be passed down, seeing the 3 on the racetrack again would be a great thing for NASCAR, especially with Dale Jr. driving.

6. Wizards Defeat Cavs 89-84 to Tie Series at 1

The Wizards played excellent defense holding LeBron to just 26 points. LeBron had the ball down three and he tried to pass it down to Anderson Varejao, setting him up for a two. The ball was stripped and Washington went on to win. Gilbert Arenas led the Wizards with 30 points and 6 assists.

Tom's Take: LeBron James should have taken the final shot. He is the best player on the Cavs and is the best man to take the final shot. There was no reason to pass it into the paint with time running down and the Cavs down three, it was a bad move by LeBron and it showed his age and inexperience, something that was overlooked after his amazing playoff debut. James and the Cavs will bounce back and win the series. In the end this loss could be a good thing for James and his team, as he needs to develop a killer instinct and want to take that last shot. Crushing losses like tonight's will eventually cause that instinct to develop.

5. Senator's Destroy Lightening 8-4 to Take 2-1 Series Lead

Martin Havlat of the Sens had two goals and added an assist to help Ottawa defeat Tampa Bay. The game was filled with fights and featured five fighting majors and seven misconducts.

Tom's Take: Hockey is back. The Senators were very impressive and seem to be an early favorite to win the Stanley Cup, as long as the team's goaltending can hold up, outscoring teams will not always work. The fights in this game made it even better, this has been one physical series and the Sens will need to escape this with as little damage as possible. In the end the Lightening will be eliminated and its shot at a Stanley Cup repeat two years later will be over. The Senators will win the Stanley Cup.

4. Duke Lacrosse Player Finnerty to Stand Trial in Washington DC

Collin Finnerty, one of two Duke players accused of raping a stripper at an off campus party, will stand trial in Washington DC for assault. Finnerty's arrest for the alleged rape violated a diversion program he had entered to avoid prosecution on the assault charges.

Tom's Take: This is a sad story. Finnerty deserves to be punished if he truly did rape the woman at the party, but if he did not the story is even more sad, because his life could be ruined. If Finnerty is convicted for the assault, his time at Duke will most likely be over and he will still have to deal with proving his innocence in the rape case. As an 18 year old, it is nearly impossible to imagine going through something like this at the young age of 19. But, Finnerty has made not one, but two mistakes and must pay for his actions.

3. Barry Bonds Hits Home Run 710

Barry Bonds blasted the ball over the wall at his home park in San Francisco against the New York Mets for his second home run of the season and the 710th of his career, putting him five home runs behind Babe Ruth for second all time. Bonds' limped around the bases, grimacing in pain after hitting the home run.

Tom' s Take: Bonds is a guy that has a lot on his back right now and it seems to be taking a toll on him. Bonds will break the Babe's record by seasons end, but it seems unlikely that he will return next season, which means he will not break Hank Aaron's record. This is a good thing for the MLB, seeing as it will not have to deal with the scandal of a steroid infested freak breaking one of the greatest records in sports. Although it was not cheating, because there was no rule in the MLB that said steroids are not allowed, it is still immoral and illegal in the United States and it is a good thing that Bonds is breaking down without his precious steroids and will now not break the best record in sports.

2. Ricky Williams Suspended For Season

Williams' appeal of a violation of the NFL drug policy was denied earlier today. Williams has been suspended by the NFL for the 2006 season. He can apply for reinstatement next season. The drug that Williams has tested positive for has been reported as not marijuana, but it has not been revealed what the violating substance was.

Tom's Take: Another sad story. Williams was always a player who seemed to be a little different, and a little out there, but he has so much talent. Williams could have been one of the best all time, but his legacy now will be a pot-head who could never stick in the league after a lot of good seasons. Williams has issues, but still has talent, and will probably be back in the NFL in 2007, unless he chooses to quit again.

1. BREAKING NEWS: ESPN Reports Brett Favre Will Return in 06

ESPN's Chris Mortenson has reported tonight that Brett Favre has notified the team that he will return to the field in 2006. Favre, who is 36, has said that if he does return it will be his final season in the NFL. It now appears that Favre will be back in Green Bay for one final time.

Tom's Take: It is about time. Favre has made the fans and front office of Green Bay wait for way too long. Favre still has a little left and one more year of development for Aaron Rodgers will be a very good thing for the Packers. This will now allow the Packers to make a final decision on what it needs to address in the NFL draft this weekend and in the final days of the off-season. It also ends the erosion occurring on Favre's legacy, as even the most loyal of Packer fans were beginning to get frustrated with him and his inability to make a decision. This is good news for the Packers, Packers' fans, and the NFL.

The Red Sox Report:
The Boston Red Sox moved to 13-7 with a 8-6 victory over the Cleveland Indians. Manny Ramirez blasted a game winning, 3 run home run in the eighth and David Ortiz hit his team record 9th home run of April in the victory. Curt Schilling had 8 strikeouts, but received a no-decision and stays at 4-0. Jon Papelbon picked up his 9th save of the season and continues to be dominate, striking out one Indian batter.

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category: sports

Bushwhacker
Apr 25, 2006 | 12:56PM | report this

The dictionary defines a bushwhacker as a person who attacks suddenly from concealment. Former USC running back Reggie Bush has become the victim of a bushwhacker. Bush has been on top of the world since the 2005 college football season began. Bush entered the season as one of two stars on USC Trojans, one of the most popular teams in the country. Bush led the Trojans to the Rose Bowl and a shot at the National Championship. Bush had an amazing season, wowing football fans and experts with his amazing athleticism and jaw dropping moves. Bush had 2,218 total yards and 18 total touchdowns this season for the Trojans. Bush decided to leave USC after his junior season and declared himself eligible for the NFL draft, where he was expected to be taken with the number one pick of the draft by the Houston Texans. Now Bush's castle seems to be crumbling around him.

Michael Michaels, a San Diego businessman, has come out and said that he owned a 750,000 dollar home that Reggie Bush's parents have lived in for the past year. Michaels has said that he had an agreement with the Bush family to represent Bush once he turned pro. This is a violation of NCAA regulations, which state that no player may sign a deal with an agent or accept any gifts from an agent while that player is still playing at a NCAA school. Michaels has attacked Bush out of nowhere, springing an ambush on him that damages Bush's reputation and possibly his draft status. The accusations of Michaels could mean punishment for not only Bush, but also his former school USC.

The PAC-10 and the NCAA are both investigating the accusations and could strip USC of its PAC-10 Championship that it won last season and also take away all of USC's 2005 wins. If this does occur, that could also mean that Bush will lose the Heisman Trophy which he won last season, because he will have not played in any games during 2005, making it impossible for him to have won the award. Texas Longhorns fans have already called and wrote, to the Heisman Trust, asking them to strip the award from Bush and give the Trophy to the runner-up, quarterback Vince Young. "We're doing some soul-searching ourselves right now," Rob Whalen, the director of the Heisman Trust said to ESPN's Joe Schad. "To the best of my knowledge no one has ever had a Heisman Trophy revoked."

The Heisman ballot states, "In order that there will be no misunderstanding regarding the eligibility of a candidate, the recipient of the award MUST be a bona fide student of an accredited university. The recipient must be in compliance with the bylaws defining an NCAA student." If these accusations are in fact true, that means that Bush was not in compliance with NCAA bylaws and should be stripped of the Heisman Trophy.

While it is true that Bush should be stripped of the Heisman, because it was an award won during college, when he was allegedly violating NCAA bylaws, this scandal should not and most likely will not affect Bush's draft status. Houston Texans’ owner Bob McNair, whose team holds the first pick in this weekend's NFL draft, told the Houston Chronicle, "If that's all there is, if it's still a minor thing, then I doubt it would have any effect on what we do." In the NFL something of this nature should not affect him. There have been players picked very high in the draft with worse offenses in there past, such as Randy Moss who dropped down to the back end of the first round. Moss had spent time in prison for battery and had tested positive for marijuana after being released. This is a much more minor offense and it should not affect Bush. Moss was a convicted felon and was still drafted in the first round. In comparison this is a small offense and is not truly a sign of bigger character flaws. Bush has the talent to be the first round pick and this scandal should not cause him to be passed over. The Texans could pass over Bush or trade down, in order to pick defensive end Mario Williams, a freak of nature who could become one of the league's elite defensive linemen, but Bush will be a top draft pick no matter what, his athleticism is just too great to pass over.

Reggie Bush and his spokespersons have said that Bush had absolutely no knowledge of any agreement between his parents and Michaels, and that Bush and his family. It is hard to understand how this is possible. Bush must have known that his family was living in a very expensive house and if what Michaels is saying is true, had talked to Michaels who was trying to recruit players to join his new sports representation agency. Bush is trying to cover up his mistake, but it may be too late. While Bush may still be the first pick of the draft this Saturday, this will undoubtably affect his legacy, especially if he is the first player to be stripped of the Heisman Trophy.

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categories: Reggie Bush, NFL Draft, Michael Michaels, USC

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