As we prepare for another Major Championship tomorrow, let's look at what we have presently...
- Greg Norman leading a major tournament is almost unheard of at his age and at this time period. He has managed to stay atop the leaderboard despite the playing conditions and the fact that he will not out-drive people in this tournament. Not in this day in age. But let's remember who we are dealing with; a guy who's had a knack for urinating a championship on a Sunday. How many major titles SHOULD Norman have? The answer is more than what he already has. I don't expect him to hold up tomorrow, but this does not mean he won't win. He could shoot 75 tomorrow and still win the title because there is no Tiger Woods to test his mettle. Nonetheless, tomorrow's tourney will be interesting.
Speaking of Woods, he must think he can win this Major without arms or legs.
- Are the Golden State Warriors and Los Angeles Clippers going to change their names to Golden State Clippers and Los Angeles Warriors? Seems like these two teams are swapping players left, right and center. What's the deal with that? And how strong does Utah look with Denver getting weaker?
- Maybe Michelle Wie should have paid more attention in math class if she is making errors on her scorecard. That is just brutal.
- The Tampa Bay Rays have gotten back on track thanks to the scheduling of the Toronto Blue Jays. I should have bet on this series. Stupid me...
- The Los Angeles Angels are handling the Boston Red Sox and now I've heard a couple people talk about whether or not they are the team to beat in the American League.
Look, I like the Angels. I will always remember them for being the FIRST team to bully the New York Yankees over the last 15 years. Arizona may have beaten them in 2001, but the Angels bullied them in 2002. The Yankees would beat down teams the way the Angels beat them down in the ALDS that year. The Angels have had a knack for beating the Yankees consistently over the year. The problem is, Boston has owned them in the playoffs.
So looking at a couple of victories in July is nice, but that does not say that much. Let's factor David Ortiz since he has punished Los Angeles over the years. The Angels may own New York, but the Red Sox own Los Angeles until we are proven otherwise. I will say, however, that the Angels may be the best team to beat Boston in a best of 7 series. Let's hope they avoid eachother in round 1.
- As of right now, I bet Green Bay is wondering if they should have let Brett Favre walk a couple years ago just so that Aaron Rodgers would be absolutely ready to take the 2008 Packers team to the promise land. Maybe, maybe not. But right now this team has received so much publicity over this that I would not be surprised if Green Bay lays an egg this year. Favre has always craved attention and he's gotten that much. But not all of this is his fault. Although if he had stayed retired there would be no gun to the head of the Packers organization.
- Whenever I watch Ken Rosenthal on Saturday Fox baseball games, I think of how much better he is over Keith Olbertool. WAY better. Sideline reporting can be pretty lame at times but Rosenthal's good. The only memorable thing the previous #### bag ever had was when Chuck Knoblauch hit his mother with a throw.
I know I know, you guys are going to come in and talk about how great "The Big Show" was. We'll see how bad it is when NBC tries to revive it for Sunday Night Football. They will be nothing more than just half-wits and you can book that.
...Are you guys sure you don't want any hockey news? Never mind. Have a super Sunday.
Boston Red Sox pitcher Curt Schilling announced he will be having a second shoulder surgery that will end his season and possibly his career.
This, if you can recall, is the same man who has pitched through considerable pain more than once during his career. I was reminded of this when watching Tiger Woods fight through the pain in his knee to win the U.S. Open - only to have season-ending surgery after the tournament. Like Schilling, certain people felt Woods' injury was fake or some bogus story. Perhaps these people have never played through pain, or perhaps these people cannot stand these two athletes so much that they will say anything to tick them off.
Regardless, these 'people' don't have a clue nor should they be taken seriously.
In fact, a lot of these people are here on this site on Foxsports blogging about it. The same people who can't get an All-Star vote right. The same people who recently crapped on Ken Rosenthal for questioning the New York Mets decision to fire Willie Randolph in the middle of the night on the west coast. The same people who hailed Kobe Bryant as the most clutch player in the NBA - who proved once again that he's no more clutch than the next superstar. The same people that call Chad Johnson selfish for celebrating a touchdown but applaud Brett Favre for throwing snowballs at teammates on the field.
So when I read about your comments regarding Curt Schilling as a (bleep) or a (bleep), my head shakes as I wonder how people can be angry at a man who's played the game the right way, kept his integrity off the field intact and has come through in some of the most pressure-packed games of our time. We are a culture that supposedly embraces athletes with guts, yet people seem so eager to cut Schilling's guts out whenever they get the chance. In case you haven't noticed, he is the anti-Jose Canseco, the anti-Barry Bonds, the anti-Rafael Palmiero and the anti-Roger Clemens.
He may go into the Hall of Fame. He may not. He may wear his heart on his sleeve. Is there a problem with that? No.
And I would not call pitching with 1 leg in the 2004 World Series selfish either. I doubt Schilling cares about the self-glory more than he cares about beating New York and winning championships. The guy is a true winner, a true bulldog, and a type of human we may not see from the new crop of pitchers coming up.
Appreciate what he has done for this game and the memories he has brought on the field. Although I am a fan of most of the things he says off the field, people seem to complain about it more than people complain about Ozzie Guillen.
In a world where athletes get arrested, cheat the game, cheat on their wives, we've actually been able to put a guy like Curt Schilling in that category of an athlete that fans can hate so much. Goes to show why organizations, sports talk shows and paid-writers on this particular site do not take you seriously.
- ...The Super Bowl, as New England and New York square off on Sunday. What I'm not sure about is whether Bill Parcells or Dave Meggett will be cheering for the Giants or Patriots. Perhaps Tiki Barber will put on a throwback Drew Bledsoe jersey and pray New York doesn't win. If he says he's happy for his ex-teammates he's lying - he's wanted a ring so badly and it stings that the team has come together without him or his ego in that locker room.
Speaking of Bledsoe, it would have been interesting if Robert Kraft were to have called him for this game in case Tom Brady's foot fell off during a drive. Kid you not, I was thinking about it.
What I do know is this is New England's game to win and to lose. The New York Giants have fought hard to get here and should be credited for coming together and growing as a team through the pains they have shared together. Nobody expected the week 17 matchup of these two teams to be the Super Bowl preview. We'd be in for a great game if this was the case. But instead of the game being played in New York we watch this in Arizona, a neutral site game.
That said, Arizona's warm weather plays into New England's passing attack and if their O-line stays one step ahead of the Giants defensive front it will be a long game for that Giant defense that has a very suspect secondary as is.
My call is New England will win and cap off one of the greatest seasons in sports history.
-...Jason Kidd sweepstakes have begun as the disgruntled point guard wants out of New Jersey. The backboard and basketball rims inside the area breathe a sigh of relief.
Let's remember how he showed up; he left a deep West Conference and a checkered past with Phoenix to a depleted East with virtually no dominant point guard left (A.I. had moved to the 2 spot by then). Though he couldn't shake off the rusty jump shot or his wife's makeup from his knuckles he gave New Jersey a lift into the NBA finals twice and quickly helped himself to becoming the best point guard on the planet - facing nobody in the East to get there.
Since then he helped Byron Scott get fired and he still dents rims with regularity. He also went through a messy divorce and hasn't been that leader New Jersey can depend on. Perhaps he will head back West to help a decent team get better, but he will quickly find out that there are point guards - LOTS OF THEM - that will shread him to pieces every night. If he goes to the West he isn't a top 4 point guard in that conference. Good luck with that trade.
-...Johan Santana is looking to get PAID by the New York Mets. Is it just me or are these prospects not what they seem? If I'm giving up potentially the best pitcher in baseball why would I want a mid-20's pitcher with a losing record and a 22 year old who makes Richie Sexson a batting champ? I suppose the Mets needed this one as they held onto Lastings Milledge so long that they got, well, nothing in return. Unless this 22 year old becomes legit overnight and learns to hit at least .260 in the major leagues this trade will be a success for the Mets - unless Santana goes Francisco Liriano in two months. God forbid.
-...Tiger Woods attempt at the Grand Slam. We say this every year and we see him fall short. No slight on the guy - it's not like he sucks or anything.
But Tiger is entering his golf prime, or at least according to history as guys in their early 30's find their best success on the golf course, Seve Ballasteros excluded. So if there was a shot at it we could see the best attempts over the next couple of years. After that, we may not see another male golfer bring the kind of game or intensity or desire to win like Tiger Woods.
It's sad, but wait and see when Tiger hits 45; we'll watch Tiger past his prime and obviously not the golfer he once was KILLING himself on the golf course for another major championship and he'll be playing with a young stud who just doesn't have the same will, focus or guts Tiger brings to the golf course. It's great now that we see the guy who wants it the most winning the most - but how will we react when we see that same man unable to beat random Joe's who luck out a major victory?
We'll probably be cheering for the fallen hero to return to glory one last time the way we rooted for Jack Nicklaus in 1986 and, for me, 1998.
A nice 4-week hiatus is exactly what The Dan ordered. I kept tabs on what was going on here (with the exception of hotblondemilf, I missed that one). Needless to say I walked away for a brief period and did it exactly the way I came into this small fraternity - quietly.
One of the lessons I revisted during my time off was the one fact of life that people take for granted: no matter what happens or where you go, everything will continue as it should. Bloggers will continue blogging, the world will continue turning and life will continue whether or not you are around. And while I'm still here I may as well do what I can with the time I have. Speaking of which, I might as well take off my age since I had my birthday last week. However, starting next year I will be going backward in age. So next year I will be 24 again, and then 23, 22, 21....
If only we could do that to athletes - on second thought some athletes already do...
MLB Pennant Races
- We all love a photo finish at the end of the season to decide who gets to play in October and who gets to play with themselves while watching it. Unfortunately, what we will be left with are a few good teams and not much to show in the National League. Let's be straight; the Detroit Tigers have shot themselves in the pants badly over the last two months when they were riding high after a big sweep of the Boston Red Sox prior to the All-Star break. They have played themselves out of a playoff spot in the American League. But can you tell me the teams out of the NL Central and NL West are better than Detroit? Not a chance in hell. There are some weak teams in the Central and the stronger teams in that division cannot take advantage of that. They have been putrid all year and they could STILL make the World Series. Why? Because the hottest team in October prevails. Ask the previous 5 World Series winners. I'd consider Detroit the 5th best team in baseball, just ahead of the Mets, and they won't touch the playoffs.
Why I love Toronto?
I read several blogs pertaining to the team they love. Nobody wrote about the Toronto Blue Jays so I will and I will keep this brief.
I don't have a clue why I love the Blue Jays except for one reason: The Underdog. They aren't just an underdog against Boston and New York, they are an underdog in their own city. The fans turned their back on the franchise who desperately wanted no part of the strike or replacement players at any time. They are in love with a franchise that steals their money and has no incentive or motivation to win, and that is their joke of a hockey team - The Toronto Maple Leafs. The hypocrisy of my city that use to draw 50 000 people a night to baseball games and now they draw half that blame the strike of 1994. They lost fans in 1994 so that is a total lie. Yet hockey shuts down for a year and not a single season-ticket holder budges. Not one fan gave up their tickets despite the way the sport and the franchise has treated them. Hence, the Jays are underdogs. I root for the underdog. I loved them when I was younger and when they were winning titles. But I support them because I am loyal to the team who may not have a great GM but they know their backs are against the wall every single year. I'll support a franchise who is hungry than a franchise who will throw their food away.
Federer v. Wood
There is no discussion - the most dominant player out of the two is Roger Federer. His run over the last 2+ years is something Tiger has never touched - and may never will.
People want to talk about Tiger's competition being better than Federer's and that isn't true. Take Roger out of the sport and you have Rafael Nadal who would be well on his way to being ahead of the pace to run down Pete Sampras's majors record. At 21 Nadal would be looked at as one of the all-time greats. Don't believe me? Well if he had 5 titles at this age he'd be way ahead of Federer at that age with no Federer to track him down.
Without Tiger, Phil Mickelson would not even be close to being regarded as one of the best ever.
Nothing taken away from Tiger because he has jacked his sport to a whole new level, but Federer simply won't be thought of as the better athlete. The reason: he isn't American. Sorry folks, but it does have an effect. Being American would give him more exposure in North America and exposure would be huge for him, his sport, and his legacy.
NFL is back
- Thank god.
I have to cut this short because dinner is calling my name. Don't be a stranger - listen to me tomorrow at www.chevradioam.com. I still leave Thursdays to you. I hope to hear from you all.
You ever find yourself walking through a cloud? Where your mind needs to be somewhere and it's somewhere else? Well that is what an athlete cannot do. An athlete is trained physically to be the best possible, only to have their mind be as focused as it can be. Guess what sport you can find this example to ring true? Any guesses??
Golf.
The PGA Championship was another Tiger Woods butt-whipping thanks to his mental game being as sharp as ever and his physical game being in peak form. What did you see this weekend? A guy who took the lead and allowed everyone else around him to collapse at his feet. Scott Verplank. Stephen Ames. Just a couple guys who seemed to unravel while being paired with Woods. This, of course, was following Rory Sabbatini who completely tanked under pressure and handled himself poorly when a fan pulled Rory's punk card from under him.
It's hard to comeback to win a tournament when the guy in front isn't making many mistakes. Ask Tiger, he knows that his comeback victories in majors sits at zero. But one thing we do know is he's been close to taking a major that wasn't his only to see the eventual winner find a way to shut the door. He has simply sent a message to everyone in the PGA and they haven't got a clue how to answer it.
Just like nobody has a clue as to how the Pittsburgh Pirate fans can cheer for Barry Bonds this past weekend. I am not saying it was the wrong thing to do but let me put you into the same setting I was in back in 2001...
I was 18 years old on a road trip with my father and brother as we visited the brand-new PNC Park. What a beautiful park it was - simply incredible. We walked around for a bit and noticed banners dedicated to some of the great Pirate players of the past. We get to the 80's and 90's banners and we see guys like Doug Drabek, John Smiley, Andy Van Slyke, Bobby Bonilla...where's Barry? Where is the 2-time MVP? Why isn't he on here? Does Pittsburgh hate him that much? That is what I thought back in 2001.
Apparently, Pittsburgh changed their tune this weekend. But here is a tip: Give him his due when he's earned it - like being part of those banners that commemorated the best Pirate players of each decade. If you don't, that sends a message that you hate everything about the guy. That said, cheering for him in what could be his final season in the big leagues is pretty lame.
What is also lame is stalking a former girlfriend when you are already "happily" married. You are an ####. You are a coach of an NCAA basketball program that has improved as of late. You should show your young men a better example than to be some cheating husband who can't stand being away from that piece that you only appreciated for those moments you weren't with your wife. Great work coach, way to mess up your entire life by eliminating moral standards in your own life.
Speaking of coaches, I'd be very impressed to see Pat Riley try to coach through one season without missing a game. I'd like to see if he can stay on the sidelines for 82 games plus playoffs for one season, let alone 3 seasons. What's going to be the difference? More grease in the hair means more energy on the floor? This will be interesting to see and I like Riley. But if he thinks he can go 3 years it's time to show us. Showtime.
And stop showing me hockey coverage in Canada. It's August 14th - I don't care about hockey right now. The only concern in the NHL right now is why nobody has signed Peter Forsberg. Yes he is injury-prone, but he still scores a point-per-game. The man is still dangerous and can be a huge threat for any team. If you have any cap space left and you have a great team, sign him. Let him play 50 games, he'll score 55-60 points and have him fresh in the playoffs. Otherwise, I don't need to see the Toronto Maple Losers play in pre-pre-season. Show me the damn baseball highlights and get on with it.
The Dan is back. Good to be back. Felt like a dead man walking for over a week.
The events that occurred at the British Open yesterday gives us even more respect for Tiger Woods. Yes he did not win the British Open but what you saw yesterday was something he would not have done that both men did yesterday. We aren't talking about club selection or what shot to play, but talking about being able to finish. He goes for the throat and that is why we respect his game a lot.
Yesterday we watched Sergio Garcia lose a tournament that was all but wrapped up for him. He was finally going to take the #### off his back, so to speak. But Padraig Harrington, down 6 shots to start on Sunday, comes back to take the lead heading into the 18th green where he finally realized for a second that he was Padraig Harrington. He didn't stuff the golf ball in the drink once, but TWICE! AFTER THE DROP NO LESS!!! How? Is that even possible?
I see golfers on the course but do we have any competitors left in the field?
Yes it created TV drama for anyone who cared to watch golf yesterday, but it exploited what they and several other golfers would have done if they were put in the same situation or one similar to it. But we know that we cannot put Tiger Woods in that same boat because when he has a tournament within his grasp, meaning he's in the lead, he finishes. That is what the great ones do, and we saw two guys who aren't great. Harrington after the tournament admitted that he didn't feel he had a chance at winning. Do guys just show up to these tournaments just to have fun, party and potentially grab a paycheck? Don't answer that. I know golfers play for the money more than winning. That is unfortunate but that is the reality.
- It has to suck if you are Arthur Blank right now. The owner of the Atlanta Falcons had a decision to make with Michael Vick and despite his bad feeling about Mr. Mexico, he stuck with his "Top-Dog" money-player and decided to choose him over Matt Shaub and to a lesser extent, Jim Mora Jr. Blank takes a lot of pride in a player having integrity and is all about being a class-act and with everything that has unfolded since the Shaub trade he probably feels that if he went the other way with the decision he would be looking very good right now. But when you give a player a big contract you tend to lean in the direction of keeping him. You want to see your investment blossom before quitting on it.
- Who wants this win, Team A, Team B or Tim Donaghy? Good question, harder answer. Two of the three is right and only Donaghy would know the proper answer. This whole situation has been such a nightmare for David Stern and the NBA that you may as well hear this during post-game sideline interviews:
CHERYL MILLER: Kobe your Milwaukee Bucks came through in the end, tell us what went down during the last two minutes of the game.
BRYANT: Well the official came up to me and said he had a dime down on us for this game so he said if I cut to the basket and charged into KG that he'd call a foul on Garnett so that he'd foul out. We know he's a crucial part of the Memphis Grizzlies. It's always comforting to know the ref has your back when he's betting on our games.
MILLER: Don't you think it takes the integrity away from the game Kobe?
BRYANT: Yeah but a win is a win for us. Watch out for the Milwaukee Bucks BABY!!!!! (crowd cheers).
This was the best news Mike Vick heard all week because this took some of the attention away from him. With the exception of P.E.T.A.
- If the New York Yankees are going to make their run, it happens now. Not because this is the best time to do it but because they have the weaker part of their schedule happening right now. Kansas City could not come at a better time for them, along with Baltimore and the White Sox who have played in a cloud at times this year. If they dont rip through their schedule over the next few weeks then they are done. But don't be surprised if they really begin to turn it up. At the same time, try not to get too impressed with them because they would have just beaten up all the bums and that does not prove anything to anyone.
- Last year I said that if I started a franchise today and I could have any baseball player in the major leagues it would be Albert Pujols. Why not? He's still young (27) and he will continue to mash the ball for a long time, and hopefully for a longer period than some of the other established superstars. The guy who may be second on that list is Albert Pujols Jr, otherwise known as Miguel Cabrera. He's only 24 and the kid is a mashing machine. Hopefully he does not go Bobby Bonilla and eat his way out of the major leagues. Some say he has an attitude problem but he's not the first stud to have one of those.
Either way, those two guys would help my franchise win. Eventually.
Every once in a while Blog Nation will go back and pat other bloggers on the back for a job well done. And they truly deserve it, believe me. This tends to happen when people decide to either write very positively or negatively towards certain bloggers or the blog site in general. Truth is, very few people here will go on to become writers as we use this as a hobby. All the power to you if you make a career out of this but odds are you will be a lifetime blogger and that is it.
Before I start talking about random sports (where again I'll make you remember to never forget The Dan's name), Sam Moffie came on my program today to discuss his new book "SWAP". It's a novel based loosely on the story of the two New York Yankee players who swapped wives back in 1972-73. Sam has delivered a copy of the book my way so I hope to have it very soon and he was telling me that this book has a very good shot at becoming a Hollywood movie. Here is a link to Sam's website, and a link to the live interview.
Now let's rock the house...
- Michael Vick has jumped on top of the "leaderboard" with his indictment today. Obviously with what has already been reported a lot of you will believe he is guilty as is. You are entitled to your opinion and I won't talk you out of it. However, was his image really pretty prior to this fiasco? Apparently it was, but lets remember a few things here: he is the same guy who used the alias "Ron Mexico" so people wouldn't realize the connection he has with an STD. he is also the same guy who has flipped off fans who happen to be fans of his team. There are other little things you can add to this as well (the small donation to V-Tech school, possibly being a 'coach killer', his whack brother etc.). So his image wasn't exactly air-tight prior to this - even if his billboards sported a big Nike swoosh.
- Gary Sheffield's latest racism-related statements have been talked about over the last couple of days which means this is a story that has "legs". People have attempted to break this whole thing down and when it comes to race issues you just don't know where the finish line is. So I came up with my own analogy to make sense of this entire thing. Whether or not you agree or disagree is your choice but here's how I see it:
Sheff was raised in a tough neighborhood where color barriers had finally been brought down after years of struggle. Obviously change takes a long time as people were use to see things such as "no colors allowed" in a public washroom or public restaurant. Lifted were the rules that forced black people sit on the back of the bus. But since Sheffield was born in 1968 there was probably more work to do during his early years of life. I doubt everyone complied to the new changes in society and racism was very much prevalent when he was growing up. So if Gary acted out at school or perhaps bullied another kid who happened to be white a teacher would be all over him for it and the life lesson he got out of it going home could have been (keyword: could) "They pick on you because you are black". Whoever fed him this info could have been right, or flat-out wrong. Regardless, when you are very young and are being taught that a certain way is the right way of thinking then you will go on for years believing that this is the way things are, no matter how wrong you could be. You and I go to bed with thoughts of things that we have been led to believe is right when we, too, could be wrong. So when Gary Sheffield had a attitude problem in Milwaukee or San Diego or didn't hustle and coaches were all over him, he could have made the assumption that it was due to the color of his skin and nothing else. Did any of that make any sense to you? I hope it did.
- I promised myself I would post the numbers of these 4 great hitters of this decade: Albert Pujols, Vladimir Guerrero, Alex Rodriguez and Barry Bonds. Obviously there are several other great hitters (ManRam), but I posted these 4 MVP's just to see how they compare. I included the 2007 stats so the average statistics will go up once this year is completed:
- Only Bonds and Guerrero have missed significant playing time due to injury, Bonds especially.
- Guerrero and Bonds have probably less talent around them, thus less RBI chances and Bonds gets walked a lot.
- Only Pujols and Guerrero have great doubles totals.
- Despite being known as a guy who can't hit in the clutch, Rodriguez has enough talent to get his opportunities and drives in a ton of runs.
- Barry has a massive head.
All great hitters. You can decide which one you like the best.
- A lot of people have linked Chris Benoit's death to his use of steroids and perhaps having a "roid rage", but I have one question for you: how many athletes in our sports have killed their families because of roid rage? Then again, with the way sports is today if there was ever a murder (family or not), entourages will be there to clean up any mess or take the fall. That's why they are there, right? If you don't have competent people in your entourage then you will get into trouble (See: Jones, Pacman).
- College Football could potentially have a final four by 2011 with the top 4 ranked teams playing for the National Championship in an actual tournament-style. While that would be better than the current format, we still run into the same problems only this time we'll have the 5th ranked team griping about their position and that they are better than at least one team involved in the tourney, and people will agree. The other problem is, it won't happen until 2011. This format would be preferable, say, NOW!
- With the success of the Utah Jazz this year, don't you think that any shooting guard would love to have the opportunity to play alongside Deron Williams and play for a team that is a contender for the West title? I'm not sure why guys who can play the two-guard position isn't volunteering to play for the Jazz because they have a chance to start AND win. With Derek Fisher now out of the picture this gives them a shot at that position, plus they could out-perform Fisher and make that team better.
- I don't know what to say right now about the NHL because there seems to be this inevitability that they will run into problems financially and they will have to rollback payroll. The only thing I can really say is I cannot wait for the Toronto Maple Leafs rude-awakening when they find out they still suck. Then again, I can wait because the Leafs are not a team that deserves to be covered as extensively as they do so we'll be bombarded with hockey #### rather than sports that really matter like the NBA or NFL. Sorry, had to tell it how it is.
- Tiger vs. The Field? I go with the house, despite how great Tiger is and has been at the British Open. I never thought his game was suited for the British after his first title there and then he turned around busted off a few more majors. However, I like the odds of taking a million other players over just one guy, no matter how money he is. Doubt last week helped Phil Mickelson much. That meltdown won't help the psyche. Then again, we've seen a lot of crazy things happen in the world of golf, even at Carnoustie (Van de Velde, anyone?). Speaking of which, he may have melted down back in 1999 but Van de Velde's putt to get into the playoff was actually clutch. But the damage was done.
...What's The Deeley-O is back on for this Thursday. Direct all e-mails to the e-mail address provided in the box to the right of this blog entry. It doesn't matter what you all write to me, just know that Thursdays are devoted to YOU, the fine bloggers of this site. By the way, check out Frank's All Star Blogger show tomorrow night and if you don't know what it is just ask someone. They will direct you to the right people.
In sports there is always a stopper somewhere. A stopper can be considered a closer in baseball. A stopper can be a basketball player who stops the opponent's top scorer. Or a stopper can be the guy who stops the other from winning an event. My first paragraph will explain that...
- Roger Federer's quest for his first French Open title was 'stopped' by the man who's clay court play is second to none in Rafael Nadal. Not only was this victory significant for Nadal's legacy on clay, it prevented Federer once again from completing the career and season grand slam. Pretty difficult to win a match when you break your opponents serve only once. But anyone that watched today's final saw two great players at the top of their game go at eachother, and it was one of the best matches I've seen in a long time. This was not a match where one guy completely melted down, this was one man beating the other despite some of the incredible shots both men had today.
Questions: How good would Federer's career look if Nadal had either become a soccer player or did not improve on his mental game the way he has over the last few years...and how many titles could Nadal have won if Federer did not take up Tennis, and how many could he win if Roger were to retire today? This shows the fierce rivalry of both competitors and the absolute dominance these guys have had in major championships. The last 2 years has been dominated by both men, which calls for another Nadal v. Federer final come Wimbledon in a month.
- Is there any way to be thrown out of a vehicle other than not having your seatbelt on?
- Roberto Duran makes the Boxing Hall of Fame. They should have put him in while he was still boxing. Perhaps the greatest Lightweight Champion in boxing history.
- Did someone say to bench Larry Hughes in favour of Daniel Gibson? The question is why wasn't that decision made during the New Jersey series? Hughes has been worse than horrible.
- You know things are bad for the NHL when some rich skank going to jail overshadows your sport. Now you bloggers can understand why the whole 'how do you fix hockey' question is one of the hardest questions to answer. Even calculus says its tough to answer.
- There is less certainty about who's winning the US Open in Golf. This is a wide-open tournament without the Tiger charge winning any tournament in weeks and Lefty's wrist problem. Everyone else's chances just went up.
- The New York Yankees just smoked the Pittsburgh Pirates. Does this mean they are turning the corner? No, but this may be the confidence-builder they need right now. Even so, no team should be considered serious until they go above .500. They still aren't above .500 and at June 10 that is horrible.
- Zab Judah's recent loss may mean his career is over. Then again, there are enough titles to go around so he may have another lifeline. With everything that surrounds boxing and how ridiculous things are, there should be no surprise that Mixed Martial Arts has begun to take off.
Listen to BTN with The Dan weekdays from 9AM-Noon EST on www.chevradioam.com. Phone lines are wide open for you to check in. Tune in for more details.
From Toronto, CANADA. On hiatus from sports talk show. Also the starting shortstop for the Lizzards. Honorary member of "The Clique" because I am a made guy. If I ever got to work for Fox Sports I'd put into my contract that I must put in no less than 60 hours of work per week.
Just shows that sports is my life.
And check out the Samsung T10. Excellent MP3 device. For more info: http://www.an ythingbutipod .com/archives /2007/10/sams ung-ypt10-rev iew.php
