Many thoughts and prayers go out to the people of Haiti.

I read a post from Steelcities blog last month asking for the real Jesus Shuttlesworth to please step forward. This was on my mind for most of the game as I watched my Boston Celtics being pressed into submission by the younger quicker and according to Sir Charles Barkley; "the more talented" Orlando Magic.

This was another one of those games where I knew in my gut that the Celts had the ability, the talent and the will to win this game that's for sure. But the frustration was in watching all of the missed opportunities as the Celtics would cut the lead down to 6 or 7 only to have an Orlando  player like Hedo Turkoglu make one of his patented awkward three pointers. Then Orlando would light it up for another 6-0  run and again make the game seem out of reach. The game seemed to have a life of it's own and my feeling was that maybe this one just wasn't meant to be.
With 8:49 left to play in the 4th. quarter the score is 77-63. The Celtics had just had another let down and Magic were on a 10-4 run since the start of the quarter. Then the next great story to come from the Boston Celtics post season run came to light. Stephon Marbury....................Who? That's right "Stephon Marbury" he played, he shot the ball and he scored! He scored all of his 12 points in the 4th. quarter.

But that still wasn't going to be enough. To win this one, the Celtics were going to need consistency and the "Real Jesus Shuttlesworth to please step forward." After 7 plus minutes of catch-up play the Celtics were poised to take the lead for the first time since the early 1st. quarter. Then it happened...................Ray Allen cutting from the baseline to the perimeter catches a pass from Rondo, turns and completes a perfect "Ray Allen 3 pointer." That proved to be the catalyst that the Boston Celtics had been looking for the whole game. It put them ahead 86-85 with 1:20 to play. From then on the Celtics played outstanding clock management (not like in the Chicago series) winning the game by the final score of 92-88.

The importance of this game was huge. After winning game 4 in Orlando to steal home court back from the Magic. Loosing it back again tonight would have been devastating. I hope that the Celtics have turned the corner, much like they did last year around this time.

I guess we will find out on Thursday!.........................Enjoy the game.


http://www.faniq.com/blog/They-call-him-Jesus-Shuttlesworth--Blog-23814

For years now we have listened to the ole heads ramble on about the pureness and goodness of baseball. You know the narrated story of the boy playing sandlot baseball and going to the ballpark with his dad. With the hot dogs, peanuts, the organ playing and the stadium announcer calling the plays. We as fans "sometimes" have this Norman Rockwell image of just what baseball should be.............Instead of what it really is.

Baseball has been around a long time. There have been many changes in the world that have had an affect on this sport. Two "World Wars, The Great Depression, Gambling Scandals and Players strikes. Also the good things like, Racial integration, Players Unions (Retirement plans) United Way and other charities that include community involvement.

Now we have this question of Steroids and HGH's and what to do about them. We also have this other matter of ethics to deal with........................Is it a mortal (baseball) sin to use performance enhancing drugs? If these drugs were available to ball players in 1925. Do you think baseball would have had a problem with fans calling out their heroes for cheating? The real problem is the fact that someone invented this stuff and it was available....................I hope it's not a shock to some but steroids were available in my high school in the mid 1970's. So they had to be  available at the professional level of sports before then even.

    There have always been performance enhancing drugs in sports......................They might not have been Steroids but cocaine, barbiturates and Amphetamines (known as greenies among baseball players)

I think that some of those who have used these drugs may have started out thinking that it was a new innovation that would give them an edge. But by the time the 1990's came around involvement had to be deliberate. So there is no sympathy for anyone currently playing the game to be using performance enhancing  drugs.

So let me get this straight. Now we find out about A-Rod, testing positive for steroids, 6yrs after the fact..............And there was no disciplinary standards set in place for them at that time.

Right?  

This was supposed to be survey test that took place in 2003 and was intended to be nondisciplinary and anonymous.

Right?

SI should be sued for defamation of character .....................................Not that I am an A-Rod fan. I could care less about the fall-out gossip from the Steroid era..............It's become more like the McCarthy era with ballplayers being blacklisted for getting close to some sacred record. As it brings out the bias and hate that is cloaked behind what some ole heads image of baseball should be.


The biggest question is going to be..........Not where it stopped. But where it started. Who was the first baseball player to use Steroids? This is where we must draw that line in the sand and say: The Steroid era began here and from this point forward, until a full ban is in place, all baseball records will be marked with an asterisk.

 Bud Selig should step up to the microphone and show the baseball world that he does have a back-bone and Ban all performance enhancing drugs. If he can't do that then he should do the decent thing and step down as baseball commissioner.

That's pretty much my opinion on the topic of Steroids.....................What's yours?