Lately, I don't have enough time to put into writing full blown topics on sports news so here are a few of my thoughts on varioius topics. I tend to do this on Sundays, hence the title, Sunday Socal Rants:
A-Rod: Why is his "hah" thing such a big deal? Yeah I know its Bush league, but did that really cause the third baseman to miss the catch? When I see an NBA game and all the fans behind the basket waving things to distract a player at the charity stripe, this seems so trivial. If you ever attend an NCAA game and hear fans yelling and screaming at opposing players then you will see how meaningless this really is. It sounds like some of you should go root for Gonzaga or some other Catholic school where taunting is outlawed.
Dale Earnhardt: Is he really that good of a driver that people are making all this fuss over landing him on their team? Hendricks Motor Sports doesn't want him and that should tell you something. Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, and Tony Stewart are all better drivers and even guys like Mark Martin have performed better over the last few years. I think it's mostly name recognition because wins certainly are not a factor in wanting this guy or you would choose 10 other drivers for your team.
LeBron: I would not bet against the Cavs when they play the Spurs this week. Of course, I still think the Pistons are cursed by having Flip Saunders as a coach and then bringing on one of the most unlucky players ever in Chris Webber. The Pistons never stood a chance and will never win another NBA title as long as Flip is at the helm. LeBron is the real deal and belongs with the big boys. Hopefully this is just one year of many to come and in the future the East will be a battle ground between the Cavs and Heat for supremacy.
NHL: Does anyone really care that the Ducks and Senators are playing for the Stanley Cup? I have seen zero on the major networks and I don't even know who is carrying the games on the TV. It should be a big deal, but it isn't. Of course the US is owning Canada again in what is essentially a Canadian sport. Sorry Dan!
Roger Clemens: He is now scratched from his first start because of some tightness in his groin. Geez, I get tightness in my groin every time I see Sharapova serve a tennis ball. I think it is all a ploy so that Roger can get his first start against the cellar dweller Pirates. He is sure to get a win against them, but oh how sweet it would be if the Buccaneers could somehow steel that game away from the Rocket. I have a feeling this is the deal that will eventually cost Brian Cashman his job.
French Open: Almost as bad as hockey but we do still have one lone American contending. Serena Williams advanced to the quarterfinals, but then again does anyone really care. Since Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi left center court, I just can't get into tennis. As much as I like Andy Roddick, the Americans don't have anyone that can stand toe to toe with Roger Federer. Of course we do have the Williams sisters, but tennis is only 25% of their life, and you just can't win forever when you are not dedicated to your sport. No matter how dominate you once were, the Williams sisters are finding out they can be beaten.
Floyd Landis: He doesn't stand a prayer in his arbitration meeting. With a manager trying to black mail Greg Lemond, any appeals chance he had is now shot. The guy cheated and we are about to see the first Tour de France title ever stripped, stripped from an American. Somewhere, I think Lance Armstrong is smiling because he is just so lucky it wasn't him. Armstrong is the Barry Bonds of cycling. He never tested positive, but was he really clean?
Hank Aaron: No one wants to say it, so I will. Aaron is a very bitter old man. The guy is a legend and an ambassador for the game of baseball. He went through hell breaking Ruth's record and he should know better than anyone what Barry is going through. He should attend the game or at least make an effort to attend. Also, he should publicly support Bonds as he approaches his record. Aaron probably used "greenies" which are not only illegal but are also on MLB's banned list of substances. If they are not performance enhancers then why are they banned? They do allow players to get up for games and perform and if Aaron used them then his record is just as tainted as Bonds. Get real Aaron and become a stand up guy. Bonds will break your record and you can look classy or petty. Which one is it going to be?
That's all I got for now, but I am sure I will start fuming over something else this weekend. I have graduation ceremonies this week as well as baccalaureate services today so I might not respond to any comments that quickly, but feel free to leave your opinions below.
