Fan Free Agent

The MLB All-Star Game Equation

2011-07-12T15:59:00.000-04:00

The MLB All-Star Game counts. It counts by giving the wining league home field advantage in the World Series. Does one National League team and its fans care if another National League team has home field advantage in the World Series? Chances are, the team and its fans from one National League team, will have more reasons to root against whatever other National League team is playing in the World Series.

Put me on board with those who think having baseball’s All-Star Game meaning anything is just outright stupid. MLB has put into place rules and caveats that try make the game more legitimate, but in the end, 28 out of the 30 MLB teams do not care who has home field advantage. And unless my team is playing the World Series, I do not care.

If you take a look at the MLB standings at the All-Star break, about 15 teams have a legitimate or a little better then long-shot chance shot at making the playoffs. Only half. Yet, the half who have no-to-little shot at even making the playoffs all have at least one representative at the game. If those teams, with three months left of the season to be played, have at least one player selected to the All-Star team, why should they be playing for home field advantage? It doesn’t matter if they’re one of the best players in baseball, they should have no business in determining the fate of two teams in the World Series - who by the way will not be known for another four months.

Baseball columnists and fans all across the country have made arguments against the All-Star Game counting for anything. How many arguments of support have we seen?

Having the MLB All-Star Game count will never make me watch it any more then if it did not mean anything at all and was a plain old exhibition game like every other sport on the planet. If there’s nothing else on TV, my DVR, or whatever I have from Netflix, then maybe I’ll tune in and watch. At best, the All-Star Game is fourth on TV watching my list tonight.

Making it count, actually makes me less interested.

Soccer Minus Players = MLS?

2011-06-27T15:48:00.001-04:00

The United States soccer team hasn’t even played yet and I’m already excited about the 2011 Woman’s World Cup. Part of has to do that it’s an international competition that the U.S. has a shot at scoring a medal. But the more important and simpler piece of the pie is that we get to the best athletes in the world at this sport compete against each other in every match.

The best vs. the best, every game, every day is something that’s missing for soccer in the United States. It’s why Major League Soccer is stuck in the grassroots stage of development with little light at the end of the tunnel.

As Americans, we’re use to seeing teams comprised of the best talent in the world compete against each other on a regular basis. The NBA has the best basketball players in the world. The NFL has the best football players in the world. America’s soccer league does not. The MLS has some very good players and some players who used to be among the best in the world recently, but are now past their prime.

This is why I believe soccer in the United States has to find its niche with important international competitions. Americans will not accept the MLS on a national scale when its All Star Game showcases the best in the league versus a regular European squad. It also doesn’t help when their All Star team doesn’t win. Can you imagine a team comprised of MLB All Stars losing to Japan’s Chiba Lotte Marines?

The MLS is a niche sport on a local level and that’s OK. Some MLS teams pack their stadiums and have great success. But the MLS on a national level? Not yet, not now.

On a national level, soccer in the United States is at its best during international competitions. It will not be until we see the best soccer players in the world playing in the United States that soccer will become more then just an occasional sport here.

The Jose Reyes Equation

2011-06-21T13:06:00.000-04:00

I am a New York Mets fan. For better or worse, I’m always a Mets fan.

I am also a Jose Reyes fan. Call me fair-weathered, but I’m only a Jose Reyes fan when he’s not injured. When Jose Reyes is injured, he’s the most frustrating player to be a fan of.

But despite his injury-prone history, I believe the New York Mets should re-sign Jose Reyes at almost any cost. Hands down, Jose Reyes is the most exciting player since … Mike Piazza when he was a consistent home run threat at every at bat? I might have only been watching the Mets for the last 20 years or so, but I’m pretty sure Jose Reyes is having one of the most exciting seasons the Mets have ever seen.

The Mets are a franchise whose payroll will be questioned, doubted, and have restraints for the next few years. So tying up $20+ million per season on one player might not make sense economically. But when he’s healthy, Jose Reyes is simply one of the most exciting players in Major League Baseball to watch every single game. And not just because he hits home runs – because he doesn’t pop them out on a consistent basis. Singles and stolen bases, doubles and stolen bases, triples and daring the pitcher to balk. He brings excitement to small ball baseball.

Jose Reyes might turn in an injury-riddled season every few years – that’s just how he plays. So if the Mets sign him to five, six or seven seasons and he’s healthy for two-thirds of those, that’s what you have to expect. For those healthy seasons, he’ll be great.

Now I understand Reyes is having a career season and the greatness we’re currently seeing might be his best and where his career tops off. But even 75% of this makes him worth the investment and he’ll be able to produce that. He’s a homegrown player with a million dollar personality. His talents are worth “Carl Crawford money” and maybe more so.

I understand a team will not want Jose Reyes at the end of his career because his game is predicated on speed and health. But at 28 years of age, Reyes has plenty left in the tank. And I want to see him in a Mets uniform next season.

The Rory McIlroy Postulation

2011-06-20T13:45:00.004-04:00

I watched golf’s U.S. Open this weekend and rooted for Rory McIlroy -- even though I hardly knew who he was. But here’s why I, a sports fan who only watches golf during the Major’s that have a good storyline, paid attention this weekend:

1) Rory McIlroy imploded at the previous big tournament and was completely outpacing the entire field and

2) His wasn’t named Tiger Woods.

McIlroy had a redemption/feel-good vibe about him and it was intriguing. Along side of the “will he crack again in the final round” plotline, I wanted McIlroy to win. I wanted him to win because he was demolishing U.S. Open records, a lot that Tiger Woods held.

I didn’t like Woods long before he drove a car into a tree. I did not, do not and will never like Tiger Woods because he’s too good and too big of an asshole on and off the gold course. What’s the fun in rooting for him?

Now, Rory McIlroy could be as big of a jerk as Tiger Woods, but I do not know that yet. All I knew this weekend was that he was breaking records and putting Woods and his records in the rearview mirror. In twelve months times I could hate Rory McIlroy for the same reasons I detest Tiger Woods. But that did not matter this weekend.

For this weekend, Rory McIlroy made golf matter to me. Will he be able to do it again?

Diminishing Returns of Fan Riots

2011-06-16T17:38:00.001-04:00

When fans riot, it gives a black eye to not only an entire fan base, but also an entire city. That’s unfair, but a fact.

As in the case with Vancouver and Canucks fans after a disappointing and devastating Game 7 loss in the Stanley Cup Finals.

Vancouver is a beautiful city, one of the best in North America. And I know first hand that the people of Vancouver are generally very nice and accommodating. And what was represented in the aftermath of the Game 7 loss should not reflect the city and Canucks fans in general.

But the truth of the mater is that it does and it will continue to.

Controlled rioting (if there is such a thing) can be a good thing. For freedom; against oppression; to stand up for civil rights and liberties. Not for losing a sports championship. (Not for winning one either.)

What does rioting after a sports event even prove? Nothing. But it does show something: stupidity and public intoxication never leads to good decisions.

Being in New York, I do not have any firsthand knowledge, but I bet the intoxication level of the rioters were pretty high. How many examples do we need that excessive alcohol and sports events do not mix? How many fights at games are a product of a little liquid courage? While I would not mind seeing the elimination of alcohol at sports events altogether, I know that will never happen because that is a multi-billion dollar revenue stream for the industry. Something needs to be done to help fight this problem because it’s only going to get worse over time.

But alcohol is only one reason behind the pointless riots in Vancouver. A big part of it is stupidity mixed with emotional attachment to the team.

As fans, having an emotional attachment to your team is the whole point of being a fan. But as human beings - as healthy human beings - fans need to know when to draw the line before your elation or disappointment in your team wining or losing leads to lighting fires, flipping cars onto their roofs and throwing bricks through glass windows.

What are fans trying to prove by rioting like this? Nothing. They just look stupid.

I feel bad for the over 99% of Canucks fans that did not riot last night and that are trying to help law enforcement catch the idiots who did. But the truth of the matter, sports will now relate Vancouver Canucks fans to punk rioters.

Correction: It’s just not a black eye for Vancouver Canucks fans, the City of Vancouver, but sports fans in general.

An Epidemic? "I Saw Him Safe"

2010-10-08T12:19:00.002-04:00

Steroids are no longer baseball's biggest enemy. It's umpires.

When a referee or umpire is being questioned by reporters about a call they made on the playing field, they should never answer a question with the phrase "I saw...".

Following a blown call in the opening game of the San Francisco/Atlanta Braves series where second base umpire Paul Emmel incorrectly called Busty Posey safe on a steal attempt. Posey went on to score the only run of the game for a Giants victory and a 1-0 series lead.

Following the game, Emmel told reporters "I saw him safe, that's what I called."

This isn't a direct call for expanded instant replay in baseball (although I personally full support that notion). Rather, I'm just trying to understand Emmel's comments and how it effects the game in a larger way.

Emmel told the baseball world that he saw the play unfold incorrectly. Worse yet, he didn't even try to admit that he could have been word let alone admitting he was in error (hello, paging Mr. Jim Joyce).

Is this arrogance with Emmel defiantly saying that he wasn't wrong? Or is this a form of peer pressure from the umpire fraternity of not admitting mistakes because its a sign of weakness?

If Emmel would have continued his statement by saying he was wrong, not all would have been forgiven, but it would have made it easier to move on. We could have even done without an apology for getting it wrong. Admitting one was wrong is an apologetic gesture.

Instead, two days into the post-season and several wrong or missed calls by umpires later, baseball's officiating epidemic continues to get worse. Bad calls are effecting the results of our (supposed) nation's past time.

Like performing enhancing drugs, maybe we should start putting asterisk's next to results with blown calls.

Of course, so much of this could be fixed with expanded instant replay*.

Link: H.S. Football Player Runs into Goalpost

2010-09-15T09:30:00.000-04:00

In the Canadian Football League, the goalposts (the big yellow things that field goal kickers are attempt to kick the ball through) are on the goal line. In America, supposedly they are placed in a better/safer location in the back of the endzone. But not for this high school kick returner.

Baseball Heroes: Of Fathers & Sons

2010-08-26T09:56:00.002-04:00

Associated Press writer Mike Fitzpatrick wrote what is probably the off-the-field baseball story of the summer. It's a about a rookie outfielder for the Florida Marlins who is playing in a MLB game in front of his father for the first time. Unfortunately, the father has inoperable lung cancer.

The emotion of the story between the player, Logan Morrison, and his father, Tom, is what makes this a special read. It reminds us how inconsequential and important sports can be at the same time. It reminds us who the real sports heroes are for many of us -- our fathers.

According to a Google search, the Associated Press story was picked up by over 150 news outlet. Stories like this will never lead SportsCenter, but are just as important to follow as Brett Favre's yearly retirement saga.

If reading a short synopsis of this story doesn't reach on an emotional level, the quotes from Morrison's surely will.

"Anytime he's in the stands I kick it up a little bit. He's the reason I'm here. And with him being sick, there might not be too many more opportunities where he can see me play."

It's stories like this that make us remember why sports really matter. Not the big money contracts or glorified stats, but the emotional connections it allows us to make with those who are closest to us.

Here's to a miracle for Tom Morrison and his family.

Re: Revis, NY Jets and Holdouts

2010-08-23T12:31:00.000-04:00

Hours after Dallas Morning News columnist Tim Cowlishaw Tweeted the New York Jets and holdout All-Pro CB Darrelle Revis will announce the two sides have come to a contract agreement this week (of course not confirmed by the team, Revis’ camp or the Jets beat writers), news leaked out from multiple sources that the team is close to signing another young All-Pro to a contract extension: center Nick Mangold.

Despite playing on different sides of the ball, Revis and Mangold are very similar. Both first round draft picks by the Jets. Both are unhappy with their current contracts that they are currently signed to. Both are All-Pro’s and pretty damn good at their positions. Both talked about holding out of training camp if a new deal was not signed.

But that’s where the similarities end.

Mangold honored the contract he signed and reported to camp on time. Revis, who previously held out for the contract he is currently signed to, which also has three more seasons left on the term, has held out.

Now it seems like Mangold is being rewarded for reporting to camp by receiving the contract extension that he deserves. The contract is rumored to make him the highest paid center in the NFL.

Are the Jets sending a message to Revis and his agents? Are they saying, “Look at Nick Mangold: he’s a team player and we rewarded him as such”?

The only leverage Revis has is that he was the best player for the NFL’s best defense in 2009. That’s pretty good ground to stand on. But last year the Jets’ defense only had one legit cornerback: Revis. In the off-season, they traded for another All-Pro cornerback in Antonio Cromartie and used their first round pick on Kyle Wilson.

2010 of Cromartie + Wilson > 2009 of Revis and the leftovers.

The Jets trumped Revis’ leverage. Of course the Jets would be a whole lot better with Revis, but as is right now their 2010 cornerbacks are more balanced then the 2009 version.

So here we are the beginning again. Will Revis holdout for the entire season? And what about the potential work stoppage in 2011 players face when the League’s Collective Bargaining Agreement ends. With so much about the 2011 NFL season unknown, is Revis willing to risk sitting out two full seasons?

Revis wants to be paid as the highest earning cornerback in the NFL. Fair enough and deservingly so. The Oakland Raiders' Nnamdi Asomugha currently holds the honor Revis is seeking at a whopping $16 million per year on a short-term deal. Revis wants that kind of money over a long term, but he should settle for having the largest total compensation for a cornerback under contract.

The Jets aren’t going where Revis wants. They didn’t in the offseason. They haven’t this summer or in training camp. I doubt they will go there if Cowlishaw is wrong and the holdout continues into the season.

And here’s another thing to remember: No one wins during holdouts. The fans don’t because their team isn’t as good without the player. Same goes for the team, who also runs the risk of looking cheap (although I don’t think the Jets do in this case). The player might win in terms of money, but fans will never look at him the same way. For the player, even a small mistake on the playing field gets blown-up ten fold because in the fans’ view post-holdout the player’s performance has to be perfect. All the time. Anything less is unacceptable.

Luckily for Revis, he’s reputation is still repairable if he signs soon. If Cowlishaw is correct and Revis and the Jets come to terms this week, everything will be OK in Jetsland.

If not, Revis is in for a tougher time then the Jets.

Mets Need to Send a Message

2010-08-13T11:55:00.001-04:00

In the aftermath of the Francisco Rodriguez domestic violence incident at Citi Field on Wednesday night, the New York Mets suspended their closer for two games, which docks him $125,683 of his $11.5 million 2010 salary. More seriously, K-Rod was charged with third-degree assault and second-degree harassment for beating up his “wife’s” father, the grandfather of his two children.

The Mets also released a token one-sentence quote from COO Jeff Wilpon, that as a former sports PR executive I would be embarrassed to have as the only statement from upper-management.

So with that said, in my opinion it’s time for the Mets to step-up because it seems like the team suffers one embarrassment after another. On the field or off it, the Mets can’t seem to get out of the way of humiliating situations (see: K-Rod, Oliver Perez, et al…).

The Mets need to make a statement with K-Rod: The embarrassment stops now.

The Mets need to release the former All-Star and World Series winning closer.

They need to get ride of him even with the Mets bullpen currently being a complete disaster and with K-Rod pitching his best as a member of the Mets. Even though it would be throwing in the towel on the 2010 season. It’s the right and only move the Mets have – that is if they care how their team is perceived by their fans and the rest of the baseball world.

If K-Rod was in management or a salesperson with the Mets and he was charged with an assault crime, he most likely would be fired. And if it happened in the Mets offices, there’s no doubt he would be filing for unemployment insurance by now.

Just because he’s a multi-million dollar athlete shouldn’t create a double standard. The Mets have to fire K-Rod for cause. Surely there’s a clause in his contract that he violated when he committed a violent crime. Although with the Mets, we can't be sure of that.

By releasing K-Rod the Mets would be sending a message to everyone that they want to field a respectable team both on and off the baseball diamond. The move would say the team will not tolerate being embarrassed.

And why stop there? They should wave goodbye to Ollie Perez while they are at it. If he’s not willing to take a demotion to the minor leagues to work on becoming an actual pitcher and not the homerun tossing thrower that he is, then he doesn’t deserve to wear a Mets uniform.

But in order for someone to be deserving of wearing a Mets uniform, the team has to rid themselves of the players who are not. It starts with releasing K-Rod.

Retracting K-Rod

2010-08-12T18:12:00.000-04:00

Of course K-Rod had to get into a physical altercation with “family members” right as he turned his season and Mets career around. And of course, this all had to happen 24 hours after I predicted the Mets closer would hit the 40-save plateau this season.

But unless the Mets try release K-Rod without paying him the balance of his contract (not that there have been any reports of that happening), I still think he’ll still rack up a bunch of saves by seasons end.

New estimate: 37

Now This is Baseball…

2010-08-11T09:52:00.000-04:00

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/photos?
gameId=300810117&photoId=772052

Despite what the announcers from FS Ohio said during the highlights, the bench-clearing brawl between the Cincinnati Reds and St. Louis Cardinals is exactly what baseball needs.

[Click here for the video]

Well maybe not the man-hugs that 75% of the players involved gave each other, but rather the heated divisional rivalry between the two teams.

It started on Monday night when Reds second baseman Brandon Phillips said he “hate[s] the Cardinals” and that they are “little bitches, all of ‘em”.

It escaladed when Phillips entered the batter’s box to lead off the bottom of the first inning and he and Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina began to argue. Then the rivalry between the two teams, which to that point had already been simmering, really started to boil.

So why is this Midwest rivalry a good thing? Because baseball has recently been missing a good ‘ole fashion rivalry where two teams really have a hatred for each other. The New York Yankees/Boston Red Sox really had something going in the early-to-mid 2000s, but for the last few seasons their games have been nothing but long, drawn out baseball. (Cue: Joe West)

We’ll have to wait to see whether or not this rivalry will get major national attention outside of ESPN’s Baseball Tonight. The Reds and Cardinals will probably have to meet in the National League Championship Series to really take it to the next level.

But from a fan who really doesn’t have too much interest for baseball outside of the AL and NL East, well, NL Central… You’ve got my attention.

K-Rod the (Dominate?) Closer

2010-08-10T22:27:00.002-04:00

New York Mets closer Francisco Rodriguez got his 25th save of the 2010 season tonight versus the Colorado Rockies. In contrast, his five blown saves this season has led to much angst among Mets fans this year, with some wanting the team to do whatever it takes to unload him and his big contract.

But in his last 9.2 innings pitches (since his blowup in San Fransisco), K-Rod has actually been the dominate closer the Mets and their fans thought they were getting. Over this span, he has yielded only one hit with no runs and 11 strikeouts. His 25 saves this season place him tied for 11th in the Majors.

So with 50 games left in the Mets regular season, it is very possible for K-Rod to hit the 40-save plateau. In 2009, 40 saves would been good for fifth in the MLB. Last year, K-Rod finished with 35 saves and tied for 13th in the Majors.

So Mets fans, how would you feel about that...

Mets Fan Ignoring CyHan Santana?

2010-07-24T11:40:00.000-04:00

As a New York Mets fans, it feels like it’s been a while since we’ve seen Johan Santana consistently pitch to his Cy Young Award capabilities and be the ace of the Mets pitching staff.

After struggling mightily in June, Santana has turned his season around in July going 3-0 in five starts so far in the month while pitching a to a tune of a 0.71 ERA. He could have easily gone 5-0 in this stretch if he had a little run support and a closer who could shut the door in the ninth inning.

But just as Santana turned his 2010 struggles around, the Mets have seen their worst stretch on this season. While the team is 4-1 in his five July starts, the Mets have gone 6-13 since Santana’s reemergence as the ace of their staff. It’s my belief that it is the Mets’ July struggles that has overshadowed Santana’s second-half brilliance and he is not receiving enough credit.

Mets fans are quick to jump on Santana when he struggles. And granted, over the past two seasons the Mets have not seen Santana anywhere close to the top of his game on a consistent basis.

But when Santana is pitching with a 0.71 ERA, he deserves credit. Unfortunately for Santana, when he’s at his best in his Mets career, the team around him goes into a nosedive.

Regardless, when Johan Santana is pitching like he has recently, Mets fans need to and should embrace his Cy Young-like performances.

What’s On TV: Thursday at 9PM EST

2010-07-07T10:23:00.000-04:00

In light of LeBron James scheduling his “press conference” to announce which team he will sign with as a free agent, here’s a list of other programming available to watch on Thursday night at 9 PM EST in case you rather wait paint dry. (via TVGuide.com)

ABC – Rookie Blue
CBS – CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (repeat)
FOX – So You Think You Can Dance
NBC – Community (repeat)
Animal Planet – Wild Russia (not related to the Ilya Kovalchuck free agency)
Comedy Central – Futurama (repeat)
E! – Kourtney and Khloe take Miami
ESPN 2 – MLL (Lacrosse) All-Star Game
ESPN Classic – 2003 NBA Finals: Houston at LA
Food Network – Iron Chef America
FX – The Waterboy
Game Show Network – Newlywed Game
HGTV – Selling New York
MTV – Jersey Shore (repeat)
Nickelodeon – Everybody Hates ~~LeBron~~ Chris
QVC – Inversion Whole Body Wellness
Soap Network – One Life to Live
TLC – Police Women of Memphis
Univision – Soy Tu Duena
Versus – Tour de France: Stage 5
WE – Raising Sextuplets

FIFA Likes Bad PR

2010-06-28T10:46:00.000-04:00

As a sports fan and a public relation professional, I understand that sports governing bodies cannot always make the popular decision favored by the public because they are the ones who are responsible for maintaining the integrity of the sport and the game. And not just for today and tomorrow but for years to come.

That's why I was OK with MLB Commissioner Bud Selig not overturning Armando Galarraga "perfect game" that umpire Jim Joyce admitted that he made a mistake on the play which should have been the last out of the game.

But over the last two weeks, sports fans have been dealt a huge injustice over the way soccer's international governing body FIFA (Fédération Internationale de Football Association) has handled the poor on-field officiating by its referees.

American soccer fans were introduced to how bad soccer officials can be on the sports biggest stage on multiple occasions. And if the officiating mistakes stopped there during the 2010 World Cup, the argument against FIFA would end with the Americans just have bad luck.

But poor officiating through the majority of matches has ruined the World Cup this year and FIFA has done nothing but make matters worse.

In every American sport, there is some form of instant replay -- all of which, but in some cases not limited to, can be used to determine if a score has been made or not.

Soccer (or football in the rest of the world) is the most popular sport on the planet. Yet FIFA exacerbates that problem that has marred the world's biggest sports tournament that comes around only every four years.

Soccer fans have begged for instant replay or the use of technology to assist referees on the field of play for many years. But despite bad call after bad call by referees, FIFA holdfasts with not implementing a new caveat to the game that would clearly make it better.

What FIFA doesn’t understand is that an increasing number of fans want some type of technology used to review plays that effect the outcome of the game. Goals are so few and far between in soccer that one play really does make a huge difference.

What FIFA doesn’t understand is that its arrogance (or ignorance) on this issue turns new fans away. And despite soccer being the most popular sport in the world, international soccer needs American interest and dollars. Sometimes the popular vote doesn’t win the election. But just when American Soccer fans started to fall in love with the sport, FIFA’s inactions at the 2010 World Cup turned out to be more like a slap across the face.

Maybe FIFA doesn’t think they are in a public relations battle. But they are taking a heavy soccer ball kick right to the mouth in the media over the last two weeks. Someone should tell FIFA that even though they clearly do not have any interest in being in this PR nightmare of a battle, they are in fact in it and losing badly.

If FIFA had implemented instant replay years ago when calls first came for it, we would all be talking about what a great tournament the 2010 World Cup has been. Even if FIFA had said in the last two weeks that they will explore instant replay following the competition of the World Cup, it would have been better then nothing. Instead FIFA issues statements that say instant relay will not be discussed.

Instead, we’re talking about why referees changed the outcome of a game instead of the players.

FIFA’s stubbornness not only hurts them, it hurts soccer fans. And without the fans, would there be a World Cup to generate the billions of dollars in revenue?

It's Stories Like This...

2010-06-21T15:28:00.000-04:00

It's stories like this that takes being a sports fan to another level...

Being a sports fan is more about emotion then anything else. As a fan, we make an emotional investment in the teams and players we root for. When they disappoint us -- on the field or off -- it hurts us. Bad plays, poor transactions, losses... there are many ways to be emotionally let down.

But the reason why we are fans is because we get rewarded more often then not. Even if you're a Pittsburgh Pirates fan (on their way to a 20th consecutive losing season). There's something about being a Pirates fan that people enjoy.

It could be as simple as rooting for a team is special to a person because their father rooted for that team as they serve as a happy reminder even when the team is at its worst.

Actually that's not as simple as it sounds.

Parental relationships play the biggest role in being a sports fan. I can go on and on explaining it, but I'm sure you know what I'm talking about. I'm a New York Jets and New York Mets fan because my father is one. This isn't an arbitrary decision. It's an emotional one.

So when I read the story on Yahoo! of Toronto Blue Jays utility player John McDonald hitting a home run on Father's Day in honor of his father who passed away not even a week earlier, it really touched me. The Toronto Star has a more complete story on the special relationship between John and his father Jack.

I don't know if it's possible to be a sports fan without understanding the significance of this story. Even if you didn't receive your fan preferences through your father or family, the emotional connection between the two McDonald's helps illustrate the emotional investment that is tied into sports. For many, they extends to being a fan of a sport and/or team.

Being a sports fan can be special. Just make sure you make the right emotional investments.

Yahoo!: Refs must face the music for bad calls

2010-06-20T19:33:00.000-04:00

Martin Rogers: Refs must face the music for bad calls

Thank you Mr. Rogers, my thoughts exactly. In the age of digital and social media, if FIFA doesn't catch-up with the standards of the rest of the sports world, it will become the laughing stock of international tournaments and lose specialness of the World Cup.

LINK: Soccer's Potential American Fanbase Setback

2010-06-18T17:21:00.003-04:00

Sports Illustrated’s Joe Posnanski opined an excellent column on his blog where he discusses his thoughts on the very controversial disallowed goal in the United States-Slovenia match that ended in a 2-2 draw:

This was Nolan Ryan’s seventh no-hitter. This was Jerry West’s 60-foot shot. This was Montana to Clark in the end zone. This was Bobby Orr’s flying goal ... This was all those things multiplied several times, because this was happening on the giant stage, in the world’s biggest sporting event. A team does not come back from a 2-0 halftime deficit to win in the World Cup. It doesn’t happen ... Only the winning goal was disallowed by Koman Coulibaly. And nobody knew why. Nobody. They showed the replay on television again and again… there was clearly no offside on the play. There was no foul — and if there was any foul it had to be on Slovenia. There was nothing to call. There was nothing but a brilliant goal. But the brilliant goal was disallowed anyway. Donovan would say after the game that the players asked Coulibaly for the simplest thing: Just tell them the call. Just tell them WHY he had disallowed the goal. Donovan would say that Coulibaly refused ...

In the end, the draw gives the United States an excellent chance of advancing to the knockout round. If the U.S. beats Algeria, it probably will move on. But a victory would have given the U.S. an excellent chance to win the group. And a victory would have given a lot of people all across the country a moment to remember… and a story to tell when people asked, “So, when did you become a soccer fan?”

Instead, it will baffle a lot of people who wanted something to remember. And it will give a lot of people who didn’t like soccer in the first place a chance to say: “What the heck was that?”

My Take:
Basically, soccer in the United States will always face an uphill battle in its attempts to grow the American fan base. And every four years, the World Cup presents a golden opportunity to attain those fans. So when such a bad call in made against the United States by officials and no explanation is given, it sets the sport back.

A U.S. Soccer fan at
the 2010 FIFA World
Cup in South Africa.

Despite not being widely appreciated by Americans, soccer is still the biggest sport in the world. But imagine how much bigger soccer would be if the world’s leader in the sports (United States, not ESPN) really got into it, actually watched it and started to understand its intricacies. Every four years United States sports fans flirt with soccer during the World Cup and a good argument could be made that even if the country won the tournament, soccer still wouldn’t crack the top-five in sports fan’s minds. Nonetheless, a setback for soccer.

The major disconnect between soccer and United States sports fans is that the game is low-scoring, has a deliberate pace and different from most other sports. American fans do not like the diving/faking injuries. They do not like how rulings on the field are not defined or announced. Red and yellow cards. The game clock moves continuously upward with no stopping. And stoppage time? The list can go on…

Despite all this, I truly feel that Americans want to like soccer. It brings us back to when we were five or six and our parents signed us up to play before giving it up for little league baseball. But it’s the sport that prevents the connection from being made as much as anything else.

If today’s referee in the United States-Slovenia match just explained why he disallowed the goal, American fans might have a chance to get over the controversy and move on. Maybe. But FIFA (the worlds soccer’s officiating body) doesn’t allow for explanations because they like the controversy it creates. For an American, this is just something else about soccer that doesn’t make sense.

So today, soccer in the United States and its fanbase wasn’t given a yellow card, it was handed a red card and a punch to the face.

But thank you to a draw between England and Algeria, soccer will get another opportunity next Wednesday when the United States controls its World Cup destiny in a match with Nigeria. Win and their into the next round. Lose and soccer is widely forgotten in the United States for another four years.

The A.M. Read [3.26.10]

2010-03-26T08:49:00.000-04:00

The Lead: The first set of Sweet 16 games were played last night and Cornell’s Cinderella story came to end with a 62-45 loss to Kentucky. But the story/game of the night came on the court of the Kansas State/Xavier battle, which went into double overtime. In the end second-seeded Kansas State beat No. 6 seed Xavier 101-96 in a game that many college basketball analysts say was probably the game of the tournament. Gus Johnson’s vocal chords would agree.

In the other two games from last night, Syracuse was upset by Butler 63-59 and West Virginia defeated Washington 69-56…

More News to Know: The NHL’s new “headshot” rule was implemented last night, making blindside hits illegal… Lawmakers in California have introduced a bill that would ban the use of metal bats in high school sports in the state for three years to review safety… Florida International University RB Kendall Berry was stabbed to death in an incident on the school's main Miami campus last night… Washington Wizards star Gilbert Arenas will be sentenced today for pleading guilty on weapon charges. Prosecutors have recommended three months in jail plus probation and community service for the basketball player… The Philadelphia Eagles would consider trading franchise QB Donovan McNabb if they received a top-42 pick in this year’s NFL Draft… Former head of the MLB Players Association Don Fehr is being courted for the same position for the NHL Players Association… The New York Yankees’ fifth starter is Phil Hughes, relegating Joba Chamberlain to the team’s bullpen…

Not Too Late to Start Rooting For Cornell

2010-03-25T12:33:00.000-04:00

Last week I blogged about the Men’s NCAA Tournament and that I decided I’m rooting for Cornell as my big underdog pick for March Madness 2010. So far, my new favorite college basketball team has done extremely well with upset victories over Temple and Wisconsin.

Now they are in the Sweet 16 and tipoff against No. 1 Kentucky is tonight It’s exciting times for Cornell Big Red fans, even for rookies like myself.

But it’s not too late for you to jump on the Cornell bandwagon. Yes it might be a short ride as the Kentucky is a 10.0 point favorite in the game, but it’s always fun rooting for the underdog -- if only for one night.

So even if you have Kentucky winning the whole darn thing in your bracket – like myself – embrace the underdog tonight.

Root for Cornell.

If they somehow pull off another miracle, you’ll feel extremely satisfied and happy. And that’s what being a fan should really be about.

The A.M. Read [3.25.10]

2010-03-25T08:55:00.001-04:00

Morning News to Know: Syracuse will be without starting center Arinze Onuaku for their Sweet 16 game versus Butler. He has missed the entire tournament so far with an injured right quadriceps… Along with the Syracuse/Butler game, three other Sweet 16 games will tipoff tonight: Cornell/Kentucky, Washington/West Virginia and Xavier/Kansas State… A day after expanding overtime rules for the playoffs, the NFL is now looking to adopt those changes for the regular season. Some NFL head coaches are not fans of the new rule in the first place… The first live 3-D broadcast of a sporting event took place last night with the New York Rangers shutting out the New York Islanders 5-0 at Madison Square Garden… The New Jersey Nets won their eighth game of the season beating the Sacramento Kings 93-79. They are now one victory short of tying the NBA’s all-time worst regular season record… The New York Jets will be the featured team on this season’s HBO series “Hard Knocks”, which shows the behind-the-scenes lives of players on an NFL team as they go through training camp… The NCAA has delayed the start of the Division I men's swimming and diving championships after 18 athletes and one coach from three schools became sick with a gastrointestinal illness… The Philadelphia Eagles are exploring trade options for QB Donovan McNabb...

The A.M. Read [3.24.10]

2010-03-24T08:57:00.000-04:00

Morning News to Know: The NFL adopted a new overtime rule for the playoffs that would give the losing team of the coin-flip an offensive possession if the winning team of the coin-flip scored a field goal… The NHL is also busy tweaking their rules with the Board of Governors unanimously approving a change on blindside hits to the head… Washington, D.C. prosecutors has asked a judge to sentence Washington Wizards star Gilbert Arenas to three months in jail plus probation and community service for his well publicized gun-related incident in the team’s locker room December… In a rarity, the New York Mets received positive medical news as SS Jose Reyes has returned to the team’s spring training complex to resume baseball activities… Major League Soccer players received a modest salary increase in the new CBA that was agreed upon last weekend… Georgia investigators have withdrawn their request for a sample of DNA from Pittsburgh Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger, who is accused of sexually assault… The UConn Lady Huskies extended their winning streak to 74 games as they advanced to the NCAA Woman’s Sweet 16… New Jersey Devils goaltender Martin Brodeur reached the 40-win mark for the eighth time in his career and is now only three victories away from his 600th of his illustrious career…

The A.M. Read [3.23.10]

2010-03-23T09:01:00.000-04:00

Morning News to Know: The San Francisco 49ers have officially parted ways with GM Scot McCloughan due to “private personnel matters”… St. Louis Cardinals slugger Albert Pujols was given a MRI on Monday and received a shot to ease pain in his lower back. He is listed day-to-day with lower back pain… NHL Hall-of-Fame announcer Mike “Doc” Emrick announced his 3,000 professional hockey game last night… The Golden State Warriors are for sale and Oracle Corp. CEO Larry Ellison is on the short list of buyers… Los Angeles Dodgers manager Joe Torre has decided to hold off contract extension talks until after the season to avoid distraction… Oklahoma State star and Big 10’ basketball Player of the Year James Anderson has verbally declared for the NBA draft… NBA Center Zydrunas Ilgauskas is expected to re-sign with the Cleveland Cavaliers today, a month after being traded from the Cavs to the Washington Wizards and then being released…

Inglorious Brackets: "Hitler" On Kansas' Loss

2010-03-22T16:55:00.003-04:00

I'm not sure which World Ware II/Adolf Hitler themed movie the video clip was pulled from, but that doesn't matter. By just adding subtitles, the movie clip shows how upset the Hitler character got when the Kansas loss to Northern Iowa in the NCAA Tournament busted his bracket. It's 3:49 of comic genius if you take the humor for what it is. But what is slightly more amusing int he Kansas fans getting up-in-arms in the comments section of the lack of hustle that "Hitler" brought up in the clip.

Weekend Assessment [3/20-3/21]

2010-03-22T09:04:00.002-04:00

Catching up on the sports news from the weekend

The NCAA’s Men's Basketball Tournament has been exciting with upsets: Ivy League champion and No. 12 seed Cornell beating No. 4 seed Wisconsin; No. 9 seed Northern Iowa knocking off No. 1 seed Kansas; No. 10 seed St. Mary’s beat No. 2 seed Villanova…

The Minnesota Twins had an up-and-down weekend with the good news being that they finally signed star catcher Joe Mauer to an eight-year, $184 million contract extension. On the downside, the team announced closer Joe Nathan will miss the 2010 season due to an injury to his right elbow that will require surgery…

ESPN scored the first interview with Tiger Woods after CBS turned him down due to restrictions imposed by the golfer. In shocking news, Woods admitted: "I've done some pretty bad things in my life"…

Miami Dolphins running back Ronnie Brown was arrested for suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol in his hometown outside of Atlanta this weekend…

In the NCAA Woman’s Basketball Tournament, top-ranked and undefeated UConn Lady Huskies got off to a strong start defeating Southern by 56 points, 95-39…

Jimmy Johnson won his third NASCAR Sprint Cup race of the season, winning for the first time in his career at Bristol Motor Speedway…

Anaheim Ducks winger Teemu Selanne scored his 600th career NHL goal and is 18th on the League’s all-time career goals list…

The Arizona Cardinals signed boisterous LB Joey Porter to a three-year contract…

Los Angeles Lakers center Andrew Bynum will miss about six games over two weeks with an Achilles’ tendon strain…

The Jets & Their 15-Year Mess

2010-03-19T09:30:00.003-04:00

Last week the New York Jets lost a coin flip conducted by NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell that gave the New York Giants the opportunity to host the first NFL regular season game at their new, joint-venture stadium. The result was the Jets shelled out over $800 million to get sloppy-seconds in their new “home”. This is just the first sign that the Jets made a mistake in sharing a new and another stadium with the Giants. And it’s a mistake that the team and its fans will have to live with for at least the next 15 years.

Back in 2005, the Giants and Jets announced the joint venture to co-build a new stadium to replace the aging Giants Stadium. Back then the estimated cost was about a total of $800 million, but construction costs doubled in the last five years.

The Jets kind-of backed into this agreement after their first plan of building a stadium on Manhattan’s West Side was debunked by New York cable operator Cablevision and some local politicians. At the same time, the Giants were exploring a new stadium for themselves and never planned on leaving New Jersey. The Jets originally wanted to get away from the Giants and their stadium to escape from their overcastting shadow in the Tri-State area. But at the first sign of trouble, the Jets turtled and went back into the shadow of their big brother.

The Jets never publically looked at other areas in New York City/Long Island/Southern New York to build a new stadium all to themselves. Instead, they completely moved out of New York. They said goodbye to their Long Island training camp and practice facility on Long Island’s Hofstra University. Because of a few “influential” and rich New Yorkers, the Jets spurned their New York fans.

Losing out in opening the new Stadium might not be the worst thing in the world for the Jets and their fans. But it feels like a slap in the face with the Giants getting the upper hand yet again.

And as much as it pains me as a Jets fan to say this, the Jets deserve this.

They are locked into a 25-year lease at the new stadium with an out-clause after 15 years. Maybe the original plan was the leave after 15 years and try to build another new stadium for themselves. But that was probably when the Jest thought they were only going to be on the hook for $400 million and not $800 million.

For $800 million, the Jets could have built their own stadium in a better place then East Rutherford, NJ.

It’s situations like this that make being a Jets fan so hard and sometimes depressing.

But hey, lets hope this stadium opening is just an aberration and it will be smooth sailing for the Jets at the New Meadowland Stadium. Win a Super Bowl before the Giants and the new place will be painted in Gang Green.

Lets also hope that an $800 million mistake made five years ago doesn’t haunt the Jets for the next two decades.

In the meantime, I’ll still wait for the day for the Jets to return to New York.

The A.M. Read [3/19/10]

2010-03-19T09:11:00.000-04:00

The Lead: The Big East had a rough opening day to the NCAA Tournament with the third seeded Georgetown Hoyas falling to the 14th seeded Ohio Bobcats 97-83. Notre Dame lost to Old Dominion 51-50 and Marquette lost to Washington 80-78. In other upsets, No. 13 defeated No. 4 Vanderbilt 66-65 and No. 11 Washington defeated No. 6 Marquette 80-78…

More Knows to Know: NHL veteran Paul Kariya scored his 400th career goal to lift the St. Louis Blues to a 4-3 victory over the New York Rangers… The San Francisco 49ers will relieve general manager Scot McCloughan of his responsibilities due to personal, non-football reasons… Syracuse star center Arinze Onuaku will miss the school’s first game of the NCAA Tournament while still felling the affects of his injured right quadriceps… Anaheim Ducks defenseman James Wisniewski was suspended for eight games by the NHL for his hit to the head of Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Brent Seabrook on Wednesday… Former Arena Football League kicker Clay Rush has filed a lawsuit in Colorado that alleges a team doctor mistreated multiple concussions two years ago, which has resulted in permanent injury… For the first time in school history, the Michigan Wolverines football team will play a home nighttime game at the Big House when they host Notre Dame on Saturday, September 10, 2011… Philadelphia Flyers goaltender Michael Leighton will miss 8-10 weeks with a severe left high ankle sprain…

Tournament Time

2010-03-18T10:03:00.002-04:00

One of the first signs that Spring is upon us is college basketball’s March Madness. The time when the large majority of sports fans that usually do not pay attention to college basketball start to care. And one of the earliest initiations to adult sports fandom is filling out your first NCAA Tournament bracket along with a $5, $10 or $20 bill. Hundreds of hours and millions of dollars in office production will be lost (mostly during the earlier rounds) as college basketball will dominate sports conversations.

I fall into the sports fan category that doesn’t pay much attention to college basketball during its regular season. I only start to care when the tournament begins. I also have two rooting interests: whomever I picked in my bracket and the underdog in any particular match-up if the game doesn’t mean anything to my bracket.

I don’t go crazy when I fill out my bracket; I usually go with the higher seeds since I don’t pretend to know the strengths and weaknesses of one team versus another. I do know that a No. 12 seed always beats a No. 5 seed at least once per tournament and that a No. 1 seed never beats a No. 16 seed. No. 2 seeds are nearly as perfect. This year I decided to participate in the New York Times online challenge with zero expectations of finishing anywhere near the top 10 percent. As much as some experts claim there’s a science and skill in filling out a bracket, I think it’s a bunch of hogwash. If the so-called expert actually gets it right, it’s luck, just like when the housewife from Rockland County, NY fills out the perfect bracket on ESPN.com.

This year I’m picking Kentucky to win it all… Me and 10 million other people.

Unfortunately there is little room for an underdog to find so much success to win the tournament. There are no Gov. David Paterson-esque champions in NCAA basketball who find accidental success. Eventually, the clock reaches midnight for any Cinderella team.

But there is always at least one upset in the Tournament and if we’re lucky, there will be a team that advances to the Sweet 16. Even better would be the Elite 8.

So with no allegiances to any of the schools in the tournament, I’m picking an underdog as my favorite team to root for.

Enter the Cornell Big Red.

Cornell is the No. 12 seed from the East bracket and I have them defeating Temple in the first round. While I have them losing to Wisconsin in the second round, I wouldn’t mind getting two points knocked off my score to see them advance.

If you’re not a college basketball fan, this is the perfect time to pick an underdog to root for. Look at it as a free reason to root for a team with little lose, but so much to gain. What do you have to lose? You might jump on bandwagon of this decade’s version of the 1998 Gonzaga Elite 8 team before anyone else and that’s a huge thrill for any sports fan.

The A.M. Read [3/18/10]

2010-03-18T09:17:00.002-04:00

The Lead: Responding to an earlier questionable/un-penalized hit on his teammate, Anaheim Ducks defenseman James Wisniewski charged at and delivered a hit to the head of Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Brent Seabrook. Wisniewski was penalized on the play for charging but not ejected from the game. About 15-20 seconds before the Wisniewski hit, Seabrook delivered a hit to the head of Ducks forward Corey Perry. Wisniewski could face supplemental discipline from the NHL. A full video of the incident can be found here (the first 25 seconds are the most important)…

More News to Know: Seton Hall fired head men’s basketball coach Bobby Gonzalez, who recruited a player who was charged with armed robbery and another player who punched an opponent in the groin during a nationally televised NIT postseason game. Seaton Hall also failed to qualify for the NCAA Tournament for the last four seasons… Urban Meyer returned as the head coach of the Florida Gators as the football began its spring practices… The Washington Nationals released projected starting right fielder Elijah Dukes… The New Jersey Devils swept their season series with the Pittsburgh Penguins with a 5-2 defeat on Wednesday night wearing their red, green and black retro jersey (pictured right, sans green hat)… New Seattle Mariners ace Cliff Lee (and projected opening day starter) was suspended for the first five games of the season for intentionally throwing in the area of the head of a batter. Lee is expected to appeal… The Arizona Cardinals signed quarterback Derek Anderson to a two-year contract with incentives if he wins the starting job… Texas Rangers manager Ron Washington has admitted to cocaine use last season… The Minnesota Timberwolves were defeated by the Utah Jazz 122-110. The ‘Wolves allowed 274 points in losses to the Phoenix Suns and Jazz in a 24-hour period…

Could Tebow Wait 3 Days at the Draft?

2010-03-17T16:59:00.001-04:00

Former Heisman-winning quarterback Tim Tebow worked out for NFL teams today. Some scouts in attendance raved about this workout and said it could propel him into the first round. The led to ESPN’s Chris Mortensen to speculate that the League could/would invite Tebow to attend the Draft.

The problem is that it could propel him into the first round. What happens if he’s invited to attend the and he’s not taken in the Thursday night first round? With the NFL’s new three-day draft format, Tebow would have to wait until Friday for the second round and face embarrassment on a national and very public level.

But that wouldn’t be the worse thing that could happen to him. He could get passed by in the Friday night second round and be forced to wait until Saturday for the rest of the draft.

That’s beyond the Aaron Rogers and Brady Quinn level of awkwardness and humiliation.

Chances are that if Tebow receives an invite to the draft and accepts, its because he received indications from a few teams that if he’s available for them when their turn comes up in the first or second round, they’ll grab him.

But there are never guarantees.

The A-hole in me wouldn’t mind seeing Tebow wait in the draftee waiting room with cameras fixed on him and getting passed over until the third day. Just think of the media coverage.

But the PR professional in me would advise Tebow to stay home for the draft with his family, closest friends and hot girlfriend. The potential cons outweigh the benefits for him.

Despite what some Florida Gators fans would tell you, it’s not like we’re waiting for the next JaMarcus Russell to enter the NFL.

The A.M. Read [3/17/10]

2010-03-17T09:01:00.001-04:00

News to Know This Morning: Arkansas-Pine Bluff defeated Winthrop 61-44 in the NCAA Tournament play-in game and will face Duke in the opening round… Former MLB second baseman Chuck Knoblauch has pleaded guilty to misdemeanor assault on his common-law wife in exchange for one year of probation… Chelsea was defeated by Inter Milan by a 3-1 aggregate score in soccer’s European Champions League… The Phoenix Suns scored 152 points in a rout of the Minnesota Timberwolves… Boston Red Sox prospect Ryan Westmoreland underwent successful brain surgery, but his full prognosis is not fully known… UConn defeated Northeastern 59-57 in the NIT opening round… Sans Alex Ovechkin, the Washington Capitals defeated the Florida Panthers 7-3… The Chicago Bulls lost their eighth consecutive game by falling to the Memphis Grizzlies 104-97…

The A.M. Read [3/16/10]

2010-03-16T09:13:00.000-04:00

The Lead: The New York Giants will play the first regular season NFL game at the New Meadowlands Stadiums that was co-founded by the Giants and the New York Jets. The Giants will play on Sunday afternoon in Week 1 with the Jets playing host in the new stadium on Monday night. Jets owner Woody Johnson is not pleased how the coin flip that determined which team would have the first honors was conducted as no team representatives were present…

More News to Know: UConn is the top-seeded team in the Woman’s NCAA Tournament with Stanford, Nebraska and Tennessee rounding out the other No. 1 seeds… The NHL suspended Washington Capitals star Alex Ovechkin for two games for his season-ending hit on Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Brian Campbell… Erin Andrews’ peephole stalker was sentenced to 30 months in jail for video taping the ESPN reporter… The Los Angeles Lakers extended their winning streak to nine games with narrow defeat of the Golden State Warriors 124-121… Five-time All-Pro safety Roy Williams signed a five-year contract with the Cincinnati Bengals… The Washington Nationals have lost all 11 spring training games that they have played so far… Dallas Stars center Mike Modano will miss about two weeks after undergoing an appendectomy…

Classy Move by Jets: Farewell to TJ

2010-03-15T10:11:00.006-04:00

In a classy move, the New York Jets took out an advertisement in the Kansas City Star thanking Thomas Jones for his service with the team. Jones was who was released by the Jets a week ago and signed with the Kansas City Chiefs.

Under a picture of Jones rushing for the Jets and a Jets logo, the ad read:

A person who embodies TOUGHNESS DEDICATION and LEADERSHIP.

Thanks TJ for three great seasons.

Woody Johnson, Coach Rex Ryan, Mike Tannenbaum and the New York Jets.

Well done by the Jets.

Weekend Assessment [3/13-3/14]

2010-03-15T09:06:00.006-04:00

International soccer star David Beckham will miss the World Cup after tearing his left Achilles' tendon while playing for AC Milan in an Italian League match. He was on loan from the Los Angeles Galaxy of the MLS and could miss anywhere from five to eight months…

The 65-team field was announced for the NCAA tournament with Kansas earning the No. 1 overall seed. Duke, Kentucky and Syracuse are the other No. 1 seeded teams. The play-in game between the 64th and 65th seeded team will take place on Tuesday with Arkansas-Pine Bluff and Winthrop. The rest of the tournament tips off on Thursday…

The New York Jets signed All-Pro RB LaDainian Tomlinson to a two-year contract worth $5.1 million. Tomlinson, who will turn 31 in June, will back-up and share the carries with Shonn Green. He also ranks eighth on the NFL's career rushing list with 12,490 yards…

Alex Ovechkin was ejected from the Washington Capitals’ 4-3 overtime victory over the Chicago Blackhawks after boarding Brian Campbell early in the game. Campbell will reportedly miss the rest of the season with broken clavicle and ribs. It was also Ovechkin’s third game misconduct/ejection of the season…

The Denver Broncos acquired QB Brady Quinn from the Cleveland Browns for FB Peyton Hill and two draft picks. Quinn was originally drafted by the Browns in the first round of the 2007 NFL draft…

In a PPV boxing match, Manny Pacquiao (51-3-2, 38 KOs) unanimously defeated Joshua Clottey (35-4, 21 KOs) at Cowboys Stadium on Saturday night. Pacquiao reportedly will earn in excess of $12 million, while Clottey will take home $1.25 million-plus…

The NIT Tournament field was also set with the NCAA defending champions North Carolina Tar Heels headlining the B-tournament. UConn also accepted a NIT invitation…

The Cleveland Browns signed QB Jake Delhomme, who will earn $7 million this season. He is now slated to be the Browns’ starting quarterback this upcoming season…

Season Tix at Your Sports Bar?

2010-03-12T10:06:00.015-05:00

CNBC Sports Business Reporter Darren Rovell posted a story on his blog Sports Biz on Thursday afternoon about a new sports restaurant/bar opening near Fenway Park in Boston that is selling season tickets to guarantee seats or a table in their establishment during Red Sox, Patriots and Celtics games. Prices range from $500 to $350 and $250, respectively.

To read Rovell's entire story, click here (recommended).

It's a very interesting concept that comes with incentives that knock money off your bill and if used enough, would pay for the season tickets. It gives fans reasons to congregate together during games away from the arena/stadium and fill tables during a time period when food establishments might be empty.

As a fan, I'm not sure if I completely buy into this idea. If you resign yourself to the idea that you won't be attending many, if any, home games, do you want to invest money to reserve a seat at a restaurant to watch games. The baseball season is six months long and with a new restaurant, there is no guarantee that it will remain open and in business (especially in this economy).

But you have to give credit for Jerry Remy’s Sports Bar & Grill because any business needs to stand out from the rest to succeed and with Boston's passionate fan base, it might just work and catch on.

If this remotely works to the slightest degree, watch out for establishments in Chicago's Wrigleyville to follow suit because it will work there.

The A.M. Read [3/12/10]

2010-03-12T08:52:00.000-05:00

The Lead: There are conflicting reports, but sources close to Tiger Woods have leaked information that the wayward golfer will return to the course at The Masters. Woods has been practicing at Isleworth, FL which is near his Orlando home, the last two weeks with his swing coach Hank Haney. In addition to that, no comment has been made by Woods or Air Fleisher that the former White House press secretary has been hired as the golfer’s new spokesperson….

More News to Know: No. 7 West Virginia held on to beat Cincinnati 54-51 in the quarterfinals of the Big East Tournament with a buzzer-beater three pointer from Da'Sean Butler… Major League Soccer players voted to strike if a new labor contract isn't agreed to before the first season opener on March 25… With a lead so big that is it impossible to lose with one race remaining, skier Lindsey Vonn has won her third straight overall World Cup title… The Colorado Rockies and 1B Todd Helton have agreed to a two-year contact extension valued at $9.9 million while deferring $13.1 million owed to him… The Cleveland Browns have signed free agent tight end Ben Watson to a three-year, $12 million contract… UConn’s hall of fame coach Jim Calhoun has agreed to a four-year contract extension with the school and will return for a 25th season… Former All-Pro RB LaDainian Tomlinson will visit the New York Jets today. The Jets are eligible to sign Tomlinson because he was released by his former team… Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Brandon Webb will not be ready by opening day due to injury… Calvin Coolidge High School in Washington hired Natalie Randolph to be the head coach of their football team. She is believed to be the only current female football head coach at the high school level in the United States…

The A.M. Read [3/11/10]

2010-03-11T08:56:00.000-05:00

News to Know: The Dallas Mavericks defeated the New Jersey Nets 96-87 for their 13th consecutive victory, which is the longest winning streak in the NBA this season… The NHL will not suspend Pittsburgh Penguins forward Matt Cooke for his hit to the head that knocked out the Boston Bruins’ Marc Savard for the rest of the season… Meanwhile, the NHL general managers have developed a rule to ban “lateral, back pressure or blind-side hit[s] to an opponent where the head is targeted and/or is the principal point of contact…” The rule has to be approved by the NHL Board of Governors and the NHL Players Association… The Cincinnati Bengals signed WR Antonio Bryant to a four-year contract worth $28 million. The signing most likely eliminates Terrell Owens from their plans… Montana defeated Weber State 66-65 for the Big Sky Championship and an automatic NCAA Tournament birth… The Baltimore Ravens re-signed Derrick Mason to a two-year contract, reuniting Ravens QB Joe Flacco with his favorite receiver… Robert Morris defeated Quinnipiac 52-50 for the NEC Championship and an automatic NCAA Tournament birth… All-Pro RB LaDainian Tomlinson is visiting the Minnesota Vikings today for the back-up role to fellow All-Pro RB Adrian Peterson…

The A.M. Read [3/10/10]

2010-03-10T09:55:00.000-05:00

The Lead: Terrell Owens visited the Cincinnati Bengals on Tuesday. Take a second to digest that because if the galaxy aligns just right, the Bengals could have both Owens and Chad Ochocinco in their receiving corps. No it might have just been a token meeting for the Bengals to show they’re trying to improve their team. Having two egos like Owens and Ochocinco in the same position seems disastrous but so entertaining. I dare anyone to find anyone who wouldn’t be interested in hearing that duo play with each other for a whole season. Twitter might implode.

More News To Know: A month after firing him as the team’s head coach, Mike Dunleavy was let go as the Los Angeles Clippers general manager… NASCAR put Carl Edwards on a three-week probabtion for deliberately wrecking racer Brad Keselowski on Sunday at Atlanta Motor Speedway… The New York Mets announced SS Jose Reyes has an overactive thyroid and are awaiting further blood test results to determine a treatment for the very curable medical issue… The Kansas City Chiefs signed RB Thomas Jones, who has had five straight 1,000-plus-yard seasons, to a two-year contract… The Los Angeles Lakers snapped a three-game losing streak with a 109-107 victory over the Toronto Raptors… The Philadelphia Flyers defeated the New York Islanders 3-2 for their 15th consecutive victory over the Islanders… A skydiver fell 3,000 feet in South Africa and lived to tell about it…

Morning Wake-Up: Malia

2010-03-10T05:01:00.001-05:00

... Let's not kid ourselves. The women of our sports teams are important. From cheerleaders to ice girls, the cheer sections of teams are sometimes more notable then the players on the field/court/ice. Every morning we take a look at one.

Wednesday, March 10, 2010

Malia of the Dallas Cowboys

Big Blow for Twins Fans

2010-03-09T09:54:00.003-05:00

The Minnesota Twins most likely be without their closer Joe Nathan for the 2010 season as the pitcher has been diagnosed with "significant tear" in his right ulnar collateral ligament. It's the same ligament that was replaced in a previous "Tommy John" surgery, which would be the same course of action that Nathan would have to take if rehab does not work in the next few weeks.

This is potentially devastating news to the Twins and their fans as Nathan has been one of the best regular season closers in the Major League Baseball over the last few years. The Twins have no replacement remotely close to his ability and a team without a solid closer at the end of their bullpen has little chance at major success.

Unless Nathan makes a miraculous recovery over the next two weeks with rehab, the Twins 2010 season has been given a huge blow.

The Twins best option if they can't find a trading partner is signing one of the few remaining free agent relievers and hoping to strike gold with success. Maybe they can convince John Smoltz to return to the bullpen to be a closer instead of a fifth starter.

Either way, closer options for Twins, much like their new chances for the 2010 season, are limited.

The A.M. Read [3/9/10]

2010-03-09T08:53:00.000-05:00

The Lead: The UConn women’s basketball team extended their winning streak to a NCAA record 71 games last night by defeating Notre Dame 59-44. The bested their own previous record of 70 games, which the school set in 2003. The all-time record for consecutive victories is held by the UCLA men’s basketball team with 89, set in the early 1970s.

More News to Know: Georgia investigators have asked for a DNA sample from Pittsburgh Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger, who is cooperating with police after a female from Georgia College & State University filed a complaint that he sexually assaulted her… The Dallas Mavericks won their 12th consecutive game, defeating the Minnesota Timberwolves 125-112… University of Michigan's newly appointed Athletic Director Dave Brandon told reporters that football head coach Rich Rodriguez’s job is currently safe despite embarrassments on and off the field in the last year… The Cleveland Browns traded a 2011 late-round draft selection to the Seattle Seahawks for QB Seneca Wallace… Saint Mary’s upset No. 18 Gonzaga 81-62 to win the WCC Championship and earn an automatic bid into the NCAA tournament… The Washington Capitals 13-game home winning streak was snapped by the Dallas Stars 4-3 shootout victory. Stars goalie Marty Turco made a career 49 saves and stopped four of five Capitals in the shootout… The Miami Dolphins officially re-signed QB Chad Pennington, who is expected to backup Chad Henne...

Weekend Assessment [3/6-3/7]

2010-03-08T08:37:00.000-05:00

Football: The NFL suspended free agent nose tackle Jason Ferguson for eight games for testing positive for performance enhancing substances… The New York Jets traded safety Kerry Rhodes to the Arizona Cardinals for a pair of draft picks… The Cleveland Browns signed linebacker Scott Fujita and offensive lineman Tony Pashos... Pro Bowl defensive end Aaron Kampman signed with the Jacksonville Jaguars...

Basketball: In their first week as the No. 1 ranked college basketball team in the nation, Syracuse lost to unranked Louisville 78-68… San Antonio Spurs PG Tony Parker could miss six weeks with a broken hand… Michigan State won at least a share of the Big-10 men’s basketball championship… The Miami Heat suspended PG Rafer Alston for missing a game…

Hockey: The Boston Bruins Marc Savard was carried off the ice after receiving a blindside hit from Matt Cooke of the Pittsburgh Penguins… Reebok Canada is offering a $10,000 reward for the return of the stick and glove Sidney Crosby used to score his Olympic gold medal winning goal… Jerome Iginla scored his 10th career hat trick in a 5-2 Calgary Flames win over Minnesota…

Baseball: Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Russell Martin will miss four-to-six weeks with a pulled groin… New York Mets SS Jose Reyes has returned to New York after doctors discovered a thyroid imbalance, which they do not consider serious…

Other: Kurt Busch won NASCAR’s Kobalt Tools 500 in Atlanta… Skier Lindsey Vonn won her third straight World Cup downhill title… Swimmer Michael Phelps unofficially broke his own U.S. short course record in the 200-yard butterfly race by 0.05 seconds…

The A.M. Read [3/5/10]

2010-03-05T08:47:00.000-05:00

The Lead: NFL free agency began at 12:01 AM Friday morning, but the New York Jets made the biggest splash of the night trading for CB Antonio Cromartie to start opposite of All-Pro CB Darrelle Revis. The Jets sent a third round pick to San Diego to complete the trade. Since the Jets played in one of the two conference championships, they are not allowed to sign an unrestricted free agent until one of theirs signs with another team. The trade was most likely made because of their inability to target a cornerback from the outset.

More News To Know: In other NFL news, the Carolina Panthers released QB Jake Delhomme… The Detroit Lions have signed WR Nate Burleson to a five-year contract worth $25 million… The San Diego Chargers changed their minds and tenured RB Darren Sproles with a contract that would cost other teams a first and a third round draft pick to sign him. However, the team will then likely try to trade him instead of re-signing him… Baylor basketball player Brittney Griner has been suspended two games for punching a Texas Tech opponent and breaking her nose during Wednesday night game… The Canadian Football League is also changing their overtime format with the league's rules committee recommending that teams that scores a touchdown in overtime be required to attempt a two-point conversion, as opposed to kicking an extra point. Both teams receive at least one offensive possession in the CFL's overtime format… After being traded from the Cleveland Cavaliers last month and then being released by the Washington Wizards, Zydrunas Ilgauskas has decided to return to the Cavaleirs. Due to NBA rules, he and the team must wait a month after the trade before they can officially reunite… The Washington Capitals defeated the Tampa Bay Lightning 5-4 behind two goals from Scott Walker in his first game with the Caps. The last Capitals player to score two goals in his team debut was Alex Ovechkin… Georgetown basketball player and leading scorer Austin Freeman has been diagnosed with diabetes and his status for upcoming games is uncertain…

The A.M. Read [3/4/10]

2010-03-04T09:07:00.000-05:00

The Lead: If the NFL and the NFL Players Association do not reach an agreement on a new CBA today – and there’s nothing to lead us to thinking that’s even a remote possibility – then today will be the last day of the NFL’s salary cap. Tomorrow, March 5, will start an un-capped season that will let teams set their own budgets. There will be a few rule changes on roster construction, for example, the final four teams cannot sign an unrestricted free agent without losing one first. This will be an interesting time for football in America…

More Stories You Should Know: No. 3 Kentucky clinched at least a share of the SEC Regular Season Championship for men’s basketball last night by defeating Georgia 80-68… Reigning NFL MVP Peyton Manning had neck surgery to alleviate pain from a pinched nerve. The procedure is not expected to inhibit Manning’s workouts for availability for training camp… The Phoenix Coyotes were the busiest NHL team at the trading deadline, acquiring seven players. The Coyotes, who have not made the playoffs since 2002, are currently in fifth place in the Western Conference, one point behind fourth-place Los Angeles… Yao Ming’s child might be born in the United States, making it eligible to become a U.S. citizen, which is upsetting some in the People’s Republic… United States hockey hero Ryan Miller returned to the ice for his first NFL action since the Olympics last night, but the Washington Capitals defeated the Buffalo Sabres 3-1… With an upset over No. 4 Duke, No. 22 Maryland moved into a tie for first place in the ACC with a 79-72 defeat in men’s basketball. Both teams have one more game remaining in their regular season… The Denver Broncos tendered a contract offer to 209 NFL sack leader Elvis Dumervil, which would cost teams a first and third round draft selection to sign him. The Broncos also tendered a contract to much-maligned wide receiver Brandon Marshall and quarterback Kyle Orton… The sale of the Tampa Bay Lightning to minority Boston Red Sox owner Jeff Vinick was completed after the NHL’s board of governors unanimously approved the deal…

The A.M. Read [3/3/10]

2010-03-03T08:51:00.000-05:00

The Lead: Sidney Crosby (Canada, Gold Medal) and the Pittsburgh Penguins hosted Ryan Miller (United States, Silver Medal) and the Buffalo Sabres last night and the Penguins greeted returning Olympians from both teams with acknowledgments through their public address system. Miller received an enthusiastic stand ovation from the Pittsburgh crowd, while hometown hero Crosby also received hearty reaction from the crowd, but not as loud or endearing as Miller’s. Crosby also received a few boos from the Pitssburgh crowd, maybe for the first time in his career with the team. Maybe one’s countries blood runs thicker then for a team

More From Last Night: The NHL’s annual trade deadline is today… Some of Sidney Crosby’s Olympic hockey gear has gone missing following his flight from Vancouver back to Pittsburgh. Among the items are the stick and gloves he scored the gold medal winning goal with… The FBI has interviewed New York Mets CF Carlos Beltran about his connection to controversial Canadian doctor Tony Galea. The feds spoke to Mets SS Jose Reyes over the weekend. Both players have stated they sought opinions from Galea, but deny any wrongdoing… The NFL’s Pro Bowl is moving back to Honolulu next season, but will be played the week before the Super Bowl again. Next years Super Bowl is at the new Cowboys Stadium… The Arizona Diamondbacks have signed 22-year-old All Star RF Justin Upton to a six-year contract extension worth upwards of $50 million… The Syracuse men’s basketball team won its first outright Big East championship since 1991 after defeating St. John’s 85-66… The Pittsburgh Penguins acquired forward Alexei Ponikarovsky in a trade with the Toronto Maple Leafs for prospect Luca Caputi and defenseman Martin Skoula…

The A.M. Read [3/2/10]

2010-03-02T09:28:00.000-05:00

The Lead: Before LeBron James lead his Cleveland Cavaliers in 124-93 route of the New York Knicks, King James made news by filing paperwork with the NBA to change his jersey number next year from No. 23 to No. 6. James feels No. 23 should only belong to Michael Jordan, and is doing his part from distancing himself from that number. The jersey number move could be an early sign that James, who is scheduled to become a free agent this summer, wants to stay in Cleveland. A player must file paperwork with the NBA if they want to switch their jersey number for the next season, but if a player goes to a new team, they player would have more free freedom to make a number switch. So this could be good news for Cleveland and Cavs fans, or this could be James covering all of his bases for next season.

More From Last Night: The celebrity cast of Dancing with the Stars’ tenth season was announced last night and it will have an intriguing sports background. Among the sports starts competing for the mirrorball trophy are: NFL All-Pro receiver Chad Ochocinco, Olympic gold medal figure skating Evan Lysacek, ESPN reporter Erin Andrews… The NHL returned to action following a two-week hiatus for the Olympics with Detroit Red Wings defeating the Colorado Avalanche 3-2… For the first time in 20 years, Syracuse is No. 1 in the poll for men’s college basketball. Syracuse started the season unranked in the pre-season poll… The Chicago Bears have released All-Pro offensive lineman Orlando Pace, who is also contemplating retirement… Major League Baseball has banned several types maple bats in the minor leagues for the upcoming season due to safety concerns. However, the rule only to minor leaguers not currently on 40-man rosters and those without any major league experience… The Atlanta Thrashers acquired forward Evgeny Artyukhin from Anaheim in a trade for minor-league defenseman Nathan Oystrick and a conditional draft pick in 2011… The Philadelphia 76ers are expected to announce that Allen Iverson will miss the rest of the season. He has recently been absent from the team to attend to his ailing daughter and has only played 25 games this season…

Weekend Assessment [2/27-2/28]

2010-03-01T08:06:00.000-05:00

Canada capped off the Vancouver Winter Olympics beating the United States in the hockey gold medal game 3-2 in overtime. Sidney Crosby scored the game-winning goal for the host nation. United States goaltender Ryan Miller was named the tournament’s MVP…

As a nation, the United States set a new Winter Olympic record finishing with 37 medals. Canada topped the gold medal platform with 14, which was also a Winter Olympic record…

For the first time in 62 years, the United States won gold in the four-man bobsled event with the "Night Train" sled team of Steve Holcomb, Justin Olsen, Steve Mesler and Curt Tomasevicz winning the event on Saturday…

Cleveland Cavaliers center Shaquille O'Neal will have surgery on his sprained right thumb this morning and will most likely miss the remainder of the NBA’s regular season. The Cavs traded back-up center Zydrunas Ilgauskas last week. Ilgauskas was bought-out by the Washington Wizrads last week and has been rumored to return to Cleveland, but due to league rules, cannot for three more weeks…

The NFL will vote on changing the format of overtime for the playoffs. The new format would give the loser of the coin flip a possession if the winning team only scores a field goal...

Jimmie Johnson won the NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Las Vegas. It’s his second victory in three races this season. Jeff Gordon led 219 of the 267 laps, but finished third…

New York Mets shortstop Jose Reyes confirmed that he met with federal investigators regarding his association with a Canadian doctor accused of selling an unapproved drug. Reyes denied any wrongdoing…

The Minnesota Timberwolves suspended center Al Jefferson following his arrest on suspicion of DWI…

The San Diego Chargers will have a different look in the backfield. After releasing Pro Bowl running back LaDainian Tomlinson last week, the Chargers have decided not to tender Darren Sproles a contract and will let him become an unrestricted free agent. The Buffalo Bills also announced they will not offer Terrell Owens a new contract as he is slated to become an unrestricted free agent on March 5th.

Hockey’s Olympic Solution: The Summer

2010-02-28T12:15:00.012-05:00

There has been a lot of debate recently about the NHL’s participation in future Olympic games. The NHL has not guaranteed the availability of their players beyond the Vancouver games and the issue is already looming over the 2014 Sochi games. The League doesn’t necessarily enjoy interrupting its season, but the players want to the opportunity to represent their country.

There’s an easy solution to this potentially big problem: Move hockey to the summer games starting in 2016, following the NHL’s participation in 2014.

The NHL has a fair point not wanting to send their players to the winter games because it disrupts their schedule by forcing a two-week hiatus in a month where competition from other sports leagues is at a minimum. The schedule disruption might not be felt in stronghold markets in Canada, but American teams get hurt with the momentum of the hockey season coming to a halt for 14-plus days.

But at the same time, the players have every right to represent their countries at the Olympics and some feel very strongly about it. So much so, that NHL and Russian superstar Alex Ovechkin has already stated he would leave the NHL if the league prohibited him for representing his country in its home Olympics in 2014.

So moving hockey to the summer games makes perfect sense… if you think about. Placing hockey in the summer Olympics would allow free participation of the players without disruption to the NHL’s season. Simple enough, right?

But then you might say hockey is a winter sport and its season is played in the winter. Fair point… but professional basketball is competed in the winter just as much as hockey, so why is that sport competed in the summer Olympics? Sure, basketball is also generally played in the summer on outdoor courts and its tank top and shorts uniform scream for the warm temperatures of the summer games. But at the same time, the NHL holds the Stanley Cup in June (a summer month) and youth hockey camps fill ice rinks in July and August. Both sports are played in the summer.

So if we can all get past the weather issues, we would also see that placing hockey in the summer Olympics would be better for competition. As it stands now, most Olympic hockey teams only have a week in August or early September to hold an orientation camp when rosters aren’t close to being set. They also hold a practice or two in the host city before the competition begins. In the summer scenario, Olympic teams would have weeks of uninterrupted training and practice in July to prepare for the Olympics in August.

In addition to practice, players would have fewer injuries heading into the Olympics with the grind of a professional season months in the rearview mirror. It would allow more of the top athletes, who might otherwise be injured, to compete.

Now what about ice conditions? As temperatures gets warmer, ice conditions become worse. How many NHL rinks have good ice conditions? The conditions in Vancouver haven’t been the best during the Olympics. And how many times have we heard concerns about poor ice conditions in the Stanley Cup Finals? More then we would like. Ice condition might not be the best during the summer, but it wouldn’t be anything new to the competitors.

For a recap, here are the pros and cons:

Pros: No disruption of professional seasons, more practice equals better competition, fewer injuries leading up to the Olympics

Cons: A sport played on ice being competed in the summer

I’m sure the International Olympic Committee could find a summer sport to move to the winter games. Indoor volleyball comes to mind.

For me it’s an easy choice. Move hockey to the summer Olympics.

[Found On: Yahoo!] Figure Skating Not a Sport

2010-02-27T21:06:00.002-05:00

In his column on Yahoo! Sports, Dan Wetzel explains why he believes figure skating is not a sport. It might not be a popular opinion, but Wetzel lays out his case and to me, it makes perfect sense.

Wetzel says the fact that most of us (including him and me) enjoy the athleticism and competition of the activity, it does not qualify as sport because the difference of a winner and lose is subjective based on judging.

Regardless on your position weather or not figure skating is a sport, Wetzel's column is a must read. I never gave this subject much of a thought, but after reading it, I can't argue with Wetzel.

The A.M. Read [2/25/10]

2010-02-26T08:42:00.000-05:00

The Lead: The ladies’ figure skating long program didn’t fail to put on a show last night once again. South Korea’s Kim Yu-na won he gold medal with a record setting performance, finishing with a combined score of 228.56, a world record. Despite setting a new standard for women’s figure skating with three combined triple axels, Japan’s Mao Asada finished second with the silver medal. Canada’s Joannie Rochette, skating less then a week after her mother suddenly died in Vancouver due to a heart attack, inspired the host nation and won the bronze medal.

For the first time since 1964, an American was not represented the medal podium in ladies’ figure skating. United State’s champion Rachael Flatt entered the long program in fifth place and in position to medal, but finished seventh after judges ruled she failed to complete a few of her jump rotations. The other American in the competition, Mirai Nagasu, finished in fourth place but missed the podium by more then 12 points. Nagasu was in sixth place after he short program, but scored the fifth best long program.

More From Last Night: Canada’s women’s hockey team defeated the United States 2-0 to win the country’s third consecutive Olympic gold medal. Both Canadian goals were scored by 18-year old Marie-Philip Poulin and Shannon Szabados recorded the shutout in goal… Jeret "Speedy" Peterson won the silver medal in men’s freestyle skiing. Peterson successfully completed his signature "Hurricane" jump and earned a second-day high score of 128.62… In a first for the country, the United States won a gold medal in the men’s Nordic combined with Bill Demong earning Olympic champion standing. Follow American Johnny Spillane won his third silver of the Vancouver Olympics in the event as well… American Skier Lindsey Vonn will attempt one last race at the Olympics, despite a broken pinky. Vonn will race in the women’s slalom event with a brace on her right pinky and will wear a mitten instead of glove… Former baseball slugger and current St. Louis Cardinals hitting coach Mark McGwire does not plan on ever speaking to his younger brother Jay following claims the younger McGwire made about the elder McGwire’s extensive steroid use. Mark McGwire has previously admitted to steroid use, but claims only for recovering for injuries… The Memphis Grizzlies sent their 2009 first round draft pick Hasheem Thabee to the NBA D-League for further development. Memphis drafted Thabee with the second overall draft selection last June… The Arizona Cardinals extended the contract of their head Ken Whisenhunt for four years. The new contract runs through the 2013 NFL season with a team option for 2014. The Cardinals also extended the contact of their general manager Rod Graves through 2013...

The A.M. Read [2/25/10]

2010-02-25T07:06:00.000-05:00

The Lead: The United States men’s hockey team defeated Switzerland 2-0 to advance to the semifinals and will play Finland on Friday afternoon. Zach Parise scored both goals for the Americans and goaltender Ryan Miller made all 18 saves. In the other highly touted quarterfinal match-up, Canada routed Russia 7-3 to advance to the semifinals. The Canadians scored their first six goals on 23 shots in the first 24 minutes of the game. Canada will play Finland in the other semifinal on Friday night.

More From Last Night: Following a controversial disqualification of South Korea, the United States won the bronze medal in the woman’s 3,000m short track relay. The Americans originally finished fourth in the event… American skier Lindsey Vonn broke her right pinky after a fall in her first run in the woman’s giant slalom, but her coach has said she will participate in the final woman’s race of the Olympics… Dutch long track speed skater Sven Kramer has decided to keep his coach despite a mistake that led to his disqualification on Tuesday night… Canada won the gold and silver medals in the woman’s pairs bobsledding event with the United States finishing third… American short track speed skaters Apolo Ohno and Simon Cho qualified for the quarterfinals in the men’s 500m event on Friday… The NFL announced the Oakland Raiders head coach Tom Cable will not be disciplined by the league for his alleged actions against then-assistant coach Randy Hanson and allegations of domestic violence against women… The UConn woman’s basketball team defeated Syracuse 87-66 for its 67th consecutive victory. The victory also leaves the school three wins short of the NCAA record for most consecutive wins… The NFL Players Association “expressed a willingness” to discuss adding human growth hormone (HGH) to the NFL’s drug testing program…

Fan Suggestions: Indy Colts & St. Louis Cardinals

2010-02-24T13:22:00.002-05:00

Last week, I received an e-mail from Derek of Indianapolis suggesting I become a fan of the Indianapolis Colts and St. Louis Cardinals. If you have any suggestions on which teams are worth our time rooting for, send me an e-mail at fanfreeagent@gmail.com. Thank you Derek for your suggestions.

From Derek:

You should totally root for my two favorite teams in the world: the Indianapolis Colts and the St. Louis Cardinals.

The Colts in my opinion, and probably a lot of others' opinions, are the best team in the NFL. They also have #18 [Peyton Manning].

I root for the Cardinals because I live in Indy and the closest teams are the Cubs, Reds, and White Sox and they all suck. The Cards have ten World Series titles (second to the Yankees) and arguably the best player in baseball in Albert Pujols.

I hope you consider jumping on the Cardinals and Colts bandwagons.

Derek has some good points. Both teams have been very successful recently, but that would also make us a frontrunner for jumping on their bandwagon. There’s something to say about rooting for a team from the ground up, but that’s not a necessary starting point in this search. I’m not going to rush to any judgments, but I will take Derek’s suggestions of becoming a Colts and Cardinals under serious consideration.

The A.M. Read [2/24/10]

2010-02-24T09:01:00.001-05:00

The Lead: Woman’s Figure Skating – one of the Olympics' biggest events – began last night with the ladies’ short program. South Korea’s Kim Yu-Na had a record-setting performance that earned a score of 78.5, which put her five points ahead of Japan’s Mao Asada, who finished in second place. American Rachael Flatt will enter Thursday’s free skate in fourth place after earning a score of 64.64. Mirai Nagasu, the second American in the competition, sits in sixth place after earning a score of 63.76 and finishing her routine with a bloody nose. Canada’s Joannie Rochette, whose mother passed away from a sudden heart attack in Vancouver over the weekend, skated an inspired performance that earned her a fourth place score of 71.36, which was a career high. The competition concludes on Thursday with the free skate.

More From Last Night: The United States will face Switzerland in the men’s hockey quarterfinals today. The Swiss defeated Belarus in the shootout on Tuesday evening… Also in men’s hockey, Canada will face Russia in the quarterfinals today, a match-up that was originally thought could be a gold-medal game. Losers in the quarterfinals are eliminated from the Olympic tournament… The United States won the silver medal in the men’s Nordic Combined. It was the United States second-only medal in the Nordic Combined, both silver medals being won in Vancouver… Dutch speed skater Sven Kramer was disqualified from the 10,000m event after making an illegal lane change on the advice of his coach. Kramer was in the last pair to skate and was favored to win the event… Kobe Bryant returned to the Los Angeles Lakers line-up last night in the team’s 99-98 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies. Bryant sank a game-winning three point shot with 4.3 seconds remaining in the game… ESPN has suspended Tony Kornheiser, the popular "Pardon The Interruption" co-host, for two weeks for comments he made last week on his radio show about Sports Center anchor Hannah Storm’s outfit… The NCAA is accusing the University of Michigan of five major rules violations that all came under current head coach Rich Rodriguez. The violations focus on rules that limit the time spent on practice and football-related activities... The Boston Celtics will be without Paul Pierce for an indefinite amount of time due to a right thumb injury… The Oakland Raiders and head coach Tom Cable are being sued in civil court by former assistant coach Randy Hanson for the alleged 2009 training camp altercation that left Hanson with a fractured jaw…

The AM Read [2/23/10]

2010-02-23T09:02:00.001-05:00

The Lead: In preparation the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics, Canada has reportedly spent over $117 million in a program to groom their athletes to “Own the Podium”. Their goal was to win the most medals of any other countries since the Games were on their won soil. That plan has backfired in major way for Canada as they sit in fifth place with 10 medals, just 15 behind the United States, which leads all countries with 25. Germany is in a close second with 21. The chief executive of the Canadian Olympic Committee, Chris Rudge, has conceded defeat in their goal to Own the Podium, which was funded by mixed government and private money.

More From Last Night: Canada’s duo of Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir won the countries first Ice Dancing gold medal last night. The United States pair of Meryl Davis and Charlie White won the silver medal. It was the first time that two pairs from North America medaled in the same Olympics… The United States and Canada will meet in the Woman’s Hockey final on Thursday night. Canada defeated Finland 5-0 and the United States defeated Sweden 9-1 in Monday’s semifinals… Hockey Canada has benched goaltender Martin Brodeur in favor of Roberto Luongo. Canada plays Germany on tonight in the qualifying round… Following a five-game, 18-day layoff, Kobe Bryant will return to the Los Angeles Lakers’ lineup tonight. Bryant was out with an ankle injury, which also kept him out of the NBA All-Star Game… Eight years after the incident, former New Jersey Nets star Jayson Williams will face sentencing for shooting of his limo driver in 2002. Williams could face between 18 months to 5 years in jail for pleading guilty… The Philadelphia 76ers announced Allen Iverson has left to team due to a serious family emergency involving his daughter. The 76ers could decide to sever ties with Iverson after resigning him in December… American figure skating gold medalist Evan Lysacek and American 2008 gold-medal gymnast Nastia Liukin have confirmed they are dating since last summer…

So What Is Ice Dancing?

2010-02-22T23:20:00.003-05:00

Despite the unfamiliarity of the Ice Dancing among North Americans, the sport has been around for over a century and is taken as seriously as figure skating in many European countries. I have a feeling that over the next two-three Winter Olympics, Ice Dancing will catch on in the United States and Canada and become a highly watched sport. Here’s a brief 411 on Ice Dancing:

What is Ice Dancing?

Ice Dancing is ballroom dancing meets figure skating. It was created in the United Kingdom in the early 1900s.

Is Ice Dancing a newer Olympic sport?

No. It became a medal sport at the Olympics in 1976 after being competed at the World Figure Skating Championships since 1952.

How is Ice Dancing different then Figure Skating?

For one, Ice Dancing is almost always done in pairs. The other major differences are requirements for lifts, spins and distance between each performer. There are no throws or jumps in Ice Dancing.

Is there really a required element called a “Twizzle”?

Yes. A twizzle is “a multi-rotational one-foot turn”. It is a required element in the original dance and free dance portion of competitions so judges can evaluate both performers technique at the same time. Twizzles can also be found in synchronized skating.

Is Ice Dancing always done in pairs or are there singles competitions?

There are only rare instances where there is an Ice Dancing competition for single individuals. The great majority of Ice Dancing competitions are done in pairs.

Which countries have done well in Ice Dancing?

European countries have won 24 medals in ice Dancing since it became an Olympic sport. Russia/USSR has won 16. The United Kingdom dominated competitions early before countries could catch up to their level of performance. Only three North American pairs have won an Olympic medal in the sport prior to this year.

Do you know any Ice Dancers?

If you've heard of Tanith Belbin, then yes. She's an American who won the Ice Dancing silver medal with her partner Ben Agosto at the 2006 Winter Olympics. Unfortunately for the sport, she might be better know for her good looks then as a performing Ice Dancer.

Weekend Assessment [2/20-2/21]

2010-02-22T08:32:00.000-05:00

In Olympic Men’s Hockey action, the United States upset Canada 5-3 on Sunday night and has earned a bye into the quarterfinals with a 3-0 record. Gold medal favorite Canada must now face Germany on Tuesday in a qualification-round game, while the United States will play the winner of the Switzerland-Belarus match-up in the quarterfinals. Brian Rafalski scored two goals and added an assist on the game-winning goal for the Americans…

Canada’s Ice Dancing team of Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir lead the competition after the first two performances. They lead the American couple of Meryl Davis and Charlie White by 2.60 points going into Monday night's free dance…

American skier Bode Miller earned his first Olympic gold medal by winning the Super-Combined. The win also gave Miller his third medal in as many events at the Vancouver games…

Apolo Ohno won his seventh Winter Olympic medal to make him the most decorated American Winter Olympic athlete of all-time. Ohno won the bronze medal in the men’s 1,000m short track racing event…

The United States Ski and Snowboard Association ~~sent~~ encouraged halfpipe bronze medalist Scotty Lego home from Vancouver after risqué photos were published with him, his medal around his waist and a female bar/club patron kissing the medal were leaked on the Internet…

Defending champion Jimmie Johnson won his first Sprint Cup race of the season. The victory came at California’s Auto Club 500…

Tennis star Roger Federer has withdrawn from next week's Dubai Tennis Championships due to a lung infection…

The Detroit Tigers signed OF Johnny Damon to a one-year, $8 million contract that includes a no-trade clause…

The Russian Federation will not challenge the gold medal won by American Evan Lysacek on Thursday night, despite the displeasure by silver medalist Yevgeny Plushenko of Russia. Plushenko has stated that he does not believe Lysacek deserves the gold medal because he did not land a quadruple jump in either of his programs…

A woman, who was struck in the stands by a piece of flying car debris from a NHRA race crash, died on Sunday from those injuries in Arizona. The Funny Car race was postpone until today due to rain…

USA/UK Woman’s Curling Match Offers Some Childish Humor & Raises Eyebrows

2010-02-20T18:52:00.002-05:00

I'm not one to go for, easy and immature pictures on jokes just to get a couple of website hits. (The Monday through Friday Morning Wake-Up pictures of Cheerleaders holds important value on deciding teams to root for.) That said, I have made two observations about woman's curling during the United States-Great Britain match on Saturday evening.

First is this diagram (pictured right), telestrated by NBC curling analyst Colleen Jones. I'll leave it up to your imagination to what it could look like.

Second, my wife wanted to know what I was watching when she heard a woman's voice screaming: "Harder ladies, hard."

Conclusion: Woman's curling is best watched in the privacy of your own home and alone.

The AM Read [2/19/10]

2010-02-19T10:19:00.000-05:00

The Lead: Figure skater Evan Lysacek became the first American man to win the Olympic gold medal in 22 years with a performance that earned him a career-best score of 257.67. He edged out reigning Olympic champion Yevgeny Plushenko by 1.31. Americans Johnny Weir finished sixth and U.S. champion Jeremy Abbott finished ninth.

More From Last Night: Lindsey Vonn lost a ski and fell in the slalom portion Woman’s Super Combined. Germany’s Maria Riesch won the gold medal with American Julia Mancuso finishing second and winning her second silver medal in as many days… The New York Knicks finally landed Tracy McGrady along with a few other players, but more importantly, they have cleared enough cap space to make two max-contract offers this off-season. The team traded away Nate Robinson, Jared Jeffries, Larry Hughes, Jordan Hill, the team’s 2012 first round draft selection and gave the Houston Rockets the right to swap first round picks in 2011… Australia’s Torah Bright upset the Americans to win the Woman’s Halfpipe. American Hannah Teter won the silver… Canada’s superstar hockey team needed the shootout to the defeat the Swiss and escaped with a 3-2 victory… Washington Wizards team president Ernie Grunfeld expects Gilbert Arenas to return to the team following his NBA suspension that runs through the end of this season, if he is not sentenced to jail time following his guilty plea to a felony gun charge… A 16-year old high school basketball player collapsed and died during his team’s practice at Bowie High School in Maryland. No information in available yet on the cause of death… The Los Angeles Lakers finally lost a game where they didn’t have Kobe Bryant. The Boston Celtics defeated them 87-86. The Lakers were 5-0 since they lost Bryant to an ankle injury before the All-Star break…

NBC’s Olympic Coverage: A Successful Failure

2010-02-18T16:44:00.007-05:00

For the first time in six years, American Idol lost in the TV ratings battle. Maybe more surprising is that NBC was the network that beat them. That’s what comes with the $2 billion rights fee NBC paid to air the Olympics. But aside from overpaying by a few pennies, what could possibly be going wrong for NBC right now?

Well, a lot because of a poor broadcasting philosophy and schedule. And enter NBC’s methodology of thinking: Don’t care about the viewers; just worry about the bottom line and money, not the people (viewers) they are hurting. (For reference: See O’Brien, Conan + Tonight Show)

NBC’s plan of action for broadcasting the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics has created a lot of press for the Peacock and 98 percent has been bad. Noteworthy events that have taken place during the day – like anything Lindsey Vonn related – has not been shown live on the NBC family of networks or online and has instead been pushed back and saved for primetime viewing at night where the advertising dollars carry much more green.

But here’s the problem: Anyone who is interested in an event that falls into this category will find out the results hours before the footage airs on NBC. Every other media outlet reporting on the Olympics has made the decision to report the results of events as they happen and not wait for the American audience to have the opportunity to watch it first on NBC’s delay. (click here to read the New York Times philosophy of reporting.) By the way, that includes NBC’s own Olympic website. So unless you stayed away from the Internet, television or radio all together between the hours of 3:00 PM to 9:30 PM on Wednesday, you would have heard or read of Vonn’s victory in the Woman’s Downhill long before you had the opportunity to see it. Imagine if you tried to DVR it.

Yet, the Olympics are still bringing in record ratings for NBC. And in television, ratings are the gold medal standard. But are ratings enough for NBC to have a successful Olympic broadcast? Without being critically acclaimed by the media, NBC’s broadcast of the Olympics will never come close to being successful.

And if you haven’t noticed, there has been an outcry by the media on this topic. Sports writers have blasted NBC in the last 24-36 hours over their coverage of the Olympics. Ron Judd of the Seattle Times contacted the Network about their TV delays and NBC VP of Communications Chris McCloskey did a good job at making the network look as stupid as possible. Any PR professional would tell you that you messed up when your gaffe made Deadspin.com… just as McCloskey’s did.

The Newark Star-Ledger’s Steve Politi summed up the issue at hand and NBC’s problems succinctly in a well-done column that’s worth checking out. He looks more closely at NBC’s methodology of thinking and how out of date it is. Just like the rest of the network.

But the media aren’t the only ones voicing their displeasure of NBC. Hockey mega-agent Allan Walsh tweeted: “The more I dwell on NBC's mindboggling and unprecedented kick in the balls to hockey the angrier I get. The fans deserve so much better.” For the record, NBC holds the network broadcasting rights for NHL hockey. They’ve done a poor job cross-promoting the NHL and hockey during the Olympics so far.

Then in an only on NBC-type move, American skier Jake Zamansky tweeted an anti-NBC message stating: “Can’t wait to see how bad NBC covers ski racing today”. That Tweet landed on NBCOlympics.com and Deadspin picked it up.

And leave it to NBC for not delaying the one thing they had to. After Shawn White clinched Olympic gold before his second run down the halfpipe, NBC went live to his celebration with his coach without a seven-second delay. The American audience on the East Coast could hear his coach Bud Keene voice some explicit language in celebration, which of course contained a few F-bombs. To which former Washington Times sports scribe Tim Lemke tweeted: “NBC shows just about everything on tape delay...but uttered expletives are live. Way to go.”

Can NBC get anything right? Could their ratings be even higher with some common sense broadcasting?

In the end, NBC is doing what will give the network the highest ratings and make the most money. Not necessarily what is right for Olympic fans and viewers. How close or far that is to the current “Olympic spirit” method of thinking is up to you to decide. But either way, it’s bad.

The A.M. Read [2/18/10]

2010-02-18T09:11:00.000-05:00

The Lead: In a historic day at the Winter Olympics on Wednesday as the United States tied a record with winning six medals. In the Woman’s Downhill skiing event, Lindsey Vonn overcame her shin injury to win the gold medal. She edged out fellow countrywoman Julia Mancuso, who won the silver medal, by .56 seconds. In Speed Skating, American Shani Davis became the first man to repeat as Olympic champion in the 1000m race with his teammate Chad Hedrick winning the bronze medal. And in the Men’ Halfpipe, Shaun White defended his gold medal by dominating his competition with a win by 3.4 points. American Scotty Lago took home the bronze medal in the event that saw the United States finish with three athletes in the top five. Overall, the United States retook the overall medal lead with 14 total medals and the gold medal lead with five.

More From Last Night: The NBA’s trade deadline is at 3:00 PM this afternoon and the New York Knicks could be one of the busiest teams. Yesterday, the Knicks traded never used center Darko Milicic to the Minnesota Timberwolves for Brian Cardina, who is not likely to stay on the team for very long. The trade saves the Knicks $1.5 million in luxury tax. Three-time Slam Dunk champion Nate Robinson could be headed to the Boston Celtics and the Tracy McGrady acquisition could be finalized today as well… Fresh off a year-long NFL suspension, the Baltimore Ravens signed WR Donte' Stallworth to a one-year contract. Stallworth pled guilty to manslaughter while driving drunk in Miami Beach in March 2009… Tiger Woods will finally break his “silence” as he will speak to “invited media” at a “press briefing” on Friday. Woods will only make a statement and there will be not be a question-and-answer session… To bolster another run to the NBA Finals, the Cleveland Cavaliers acquired forward Antawn Jamison and guard Sebastian Telfair in a three-team trade with the Washington Wizards and Los Angeles Clippers. Washington received Zydrunas Ilgauskas from Cleveland along with their 2010 first round draft selection… Reports surfaced that Edmonton Oilers goalie Nikolai Khabibulin was charged with drunk driving earlier in the month in Arizona, where he is resting after having season-ending surgery for a herniated disc… In more Olympic news, Americans Apolo Ohno and J.R. Celski qualified for the Men’s 1,000m quarterfinal race on Saturday. The United States also qualified for the semifinals of the Men’s Team Pursuit, which will race on February 26...

The A.M. Read [2/17/10]

2010-02-17T08:49:00.000-05:00

The Lead: The United States Men’s and Women’s Curling teams did not get off to the start they wanted yesterday. The Men’s team dropped their first two games of the Olympics, losing to 7-5 to Germany in the afternoon and 6-5 to Norway in the 11th End (overtime). The Men’s team losses make it very difficult for a medal. The Woman’s team lost their opening tournament match to Japan 9-7, despite having two three-point leads during the match.

More From Last Night: Reigning Men’s Figure Skating Olympic champion Yevgeny Plushenko posted the top score of 90.85 in the short program. American Evan Lysacek is just .55 points behind him with the competition continuing Thursday night… The United States advanced to the semi-finals of the Olympics Women's Hockey tournament with a 13-0 shutout of Russia. Finland has also advanced to the next round… South Korea is taking exception to American Apolo Ohno’s silver medal in the Men’s 1,500m Short Track. South Korea was poised to sweep the podium, but two of their racers crashed into one another, letting Ohno take the Silver… Denver Nuggets head coach George Karl announced he is battling cancer once again and he will miss some games and practices during the next six weeks to undergo intense radiation treatment… The Oakland Raiders have gave Sebastian Janikowski the richest contract in NFL history for a kicker, extending his deal for four years, sixteen million… Following the success of the NBA’s All-Star game at Cowboys Stadium, Dallas Mavericks’ owner Mark Cuban is considering moving occasional Mavs' home games for his team to the football palace… The Portland Trail Blazers acquired center Marcus Camby in a trade with the Los Angeles Clippers, who receive cash, point guard Steve Blake and small forward Travis Outlaw… New York Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez will have surgery today to repair the patella ligament in his left knee. Sanchez injured that knee in college, while his knee that he injured this season does not required surgery at this time…

Addicted to Curling Yet?

2010-02-16T17:56:00.000-05:00

Every four years when the Winter Olympics comes around, die-hard American sports fans become addicted to a sport that goes completely unnoticed in the States once the games are over. That sport is Curling.

In case you don't know what curling is, it's basically the northern version of shuffleboard or the Canadian version of bowling. Maybe chess meets shuffleboard meets bowling is another away to put it. If you want to learn more about this sport, which has competed for medal in the Olympics since 1998, click here.

If you're already familiar with Curling, then you know how addicting watching it on TV is (see: NBC's Olympic Curling page). Even though the addiction lasts less then two weeks, when was the last time Americans became enamored with a sport that a huge majority has never played?

If you can't find a local Curling rink to get your Curling fix, you can play a rudimentary, but just as addictive, online version of the sport here.

Have fun. And don't forget to eat dinner.

The A.M. Read [2/16/10]

2010-02-16T08:56:00.001-05:00

The Lead: Men’s Hockey begins play in the Olympics today and there is already an off-the-ice controversy with the United State’s team. Goaltender Jonathan Quick has been ordered to remove the slogan 'Support Our Troops' from his helmet because of Olympic rules that ban “political propaganda” on equipment, according to the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF). Starting goaltender Ryan Miller must remove the slogan “Miller Time” from his helmet because the same rule bans advertisements. The United States Olympic Committee (USOC) can petition the IOC if they feel, for example, Quick’s helmet is meant to show support to the troops instead of offering up propaganda…

More From Last Night: United States Snowboarder Seth Wescott repeated his gold medal victory in Snowboard Cross… China’s Shen Xue and Zhao Hongbo won the country’s first gold medal in Olympic Couples Figure Skating, edging out countrymen Pang Qing and Tong Jian by over three points…
United States skier Bode Miller won the Bronze Medal in the Men’s Downhill, redeeming himself after a medal-less 2006 Olympics… South Korea’s Mo Tae-bum won the gold medal in the Men’s 500m Short Track race. United States skater Shani Davis dropped out of the race to focus on the 1,000m race on Wednesday… During the Men’s 500m Short Track competition, the Richmond Olympic Oval had problems with their ice resurfacing machines (and in all places, in Canada). Both resurfacers broke down and a third back-up resurfacer was unsuccessful. The Olympics use Olympia resurfacers instead of the Canadian staple, Zamboni… According to Charlotte Bobcats Larry Brown, Michael Jordan can soon become the owner of the NBA franchise… The New York Knicks and Houston Rockets are close to finalizing a trade that would send former All-Star Tracy McGrady to the Knicks for Jared Jeffries, rookie Jordan Hill, Al Harrington or Larry Hughes and a future first and second round draft selections… The UConn Huskies upset No. 3 Villanova 84-75 in Men’s College Basketball and gave the school a boost to their NCAA Tournament hopes. UConn has a 15-11 record and has also defeated Texas when they were ranked 1st in the country…

[Found On] The Big Lead: Ryan Howard Dating Eagles Cheerleader

2010-02-15T12:03:00.001-05:00

Via The Big Lead, the Philadelphia Daily News and the blog The Fightins, former MLB MVP and Philadelphia Phillies 1B Ryan Howard is dating Krystle Campbell, a Philadelphia Eagles cheerleader.

Ms. Campbell is a teacher, who also dated Philadelphia Flyers young star Jeff Carter.

I think the only thing left for Ms. Campbell to do is participate in a reality TV show. Kind of like current The Bachelor contestant Gia Alleman, who was previously engaged to MLB pitcher Carl Pavano and dated current Ottawa Senators defenseman Chris Campoli.

Weekend Assessment [2/12-2/14]

2010-02-15T09:29:00.002-05:00

It doesn’t seem like an Olympics can go by without one major controversy and the 2012 Winter Olympics have been no different. Unfortunately, the latest Olympic controversy has to do with the tragic death of Georgian luger Nodar Kumaritashvili, who died during a practice run on Friday afternoon. The buzz that is surrounding these games is that the luge course was built to fast for the athletes participating in the event. Unfortunately for the Games, this story will not go away, no should it…

Hannah Kearney won the United States’ first gold medal of this Winter Olympics, edging out Canadian Jennifer Heil in Women’s Freestyle Skiing…

Apolo Ohno took silver in the Men’s 1500M Short Track to tie Bonnie Blair for the most medals won by an American in a Winter Olympic career. Ohno and fellow American J.R. Celski took advantage when two Koreans who were running second and third into the final turn of the race crashed. Ohno has four more scheduled events this Olympics…

Alexandre Bilodeau brought home Canada’s first gold medal in an Olympics hosted by the country, winning in the Men’s Freestyle Skiing…

Figure Skating competitions got underway on Sunday with the couples taking the ice first for their short programs. The Chinese couple of Shen Xue and Zhao Hongbo are currently in the lead after their record-breaking performance in which they scored a 76.66…

The NBA hosted an intimate crowd of 108,713 at Cowboys Stadium for their All-Star Game, which saw the East defeated the West 141-139. With 28 points, Dwyane Wade was the game’s MVP…

The NBA hosted their Skills Competition on Saturday night and the New York Knicks’ Nate Robinson won his record third Dunk Contest. The Boston Celtics’ Paul Pierce won the 3-Point Shootout and the Phoenix Suns’ Steve Nash won the Skills Challenge…

Danica Patrick made her NASCAR debut this weekend in the Nationwide Series, but was among the drivers in a 12-car wreck at Daytona. She finished 35th…

NASCAR also opened up the Sprint Cup season yesterday with the Daytona 500 and Jamie McMurray took the checkered flag in victory…

Jim Calhoun returned to UConn bench on Saturday, but the Huskies fell to Cincinnati 60-48…

The Dallas Mavericks and Washington Wizards pulled off a seven-player blockbuster trade, which sees the Mavericks acquiring F Caron Butler, C Brendan Haywood, G DeShawn Stevenson and cash considerations. The Wizards receive F Josh Howard, F/C Drew Gooden, F James Singleton and G/F Quinton Ross…

Next on ESPN 2: Barehanded Fishing

2010-02-12T09:05:00.004-05:00

I'm pretty sure that what this man is doing in the embedded video below would be a huge rating hit on at least one of the 100 ESPN channels. It could be the next poker or open-wheeled racing. At the very least, it's a new Summer X Games competition. (via Break.com)

The A.M. Read [2/12/10]

2010-02-12T08:44:00.001-05:00

The Lead: The man who was credited with creating the Frisbee, Walter Fredrick Morrison, died this week. He was 90. Morrison’s original name for the device that has become a staple on college campuses and beaches across to the United States was “Pluto Platter”. It was changed to Frisbee once Morrison sold its manufacturing and production rights to Wham-O Manufacturing in 1857. There have been well over 200 million Frisbees sold.

More From Last Night: From baseball slugger Frank Thomas will officially announce his retirement today at a press conference. The Chicago White Sox will also announce his No. 35 will be retired this upcoming season… Kobe Bryant is officially out of the NBA’s All-Star Game and he’ll be replaced by Jason Kidd… The Binghamton Bearcats men’s basketball team, who made the school first appearance in the NCAA basketball tournament last year, is being accused of several major recruiting and playing infractions that could decimate the schools program… The Detroit Tigers have reportedly made an offer to OF Johnny Damon that would trump the Atlanta Braves current proposal… Just hours before talks for extending their labor agreement, Major League Soccer and its players have agreed to extend labor talks through February 25 in an effort to avoid a work stoppage… The St. Louis Rams have found a local buyer to keep the team where they are now… Alexander Semin scored the Washington Capitals third hat trick in as many games, but the team lost it’s second straight, falling to the Ottawa Senators 6-5.

The A.M. Read [2/11/10]

2010-02-11T09:20:00.000-05:00

The Lead: A big trade in the NBA might be taking place soon as the league heads into their All-Star Weekend. Rumors have the New York Knicks acquiring Tracy McGrady from the Houston Rockets in a three-team trade that would also include the Washington Wizards. The Wizards would send Caron Butler and Brendan Haywood to Houston, while the Knicks would ship disgruntled veteran Al Harrington to Washington. McGrady has not been with Houston since the team sent him home in December and the trade would clear cap space for the Knicks heading into the off-season. The Dallas Mavericks are also reportedly interested in making a trade for Butler…

More From Last Night: Injured American skiing sensations Lindsey Vonn will test her bruised shin in Vancouver today and will evaluate her Olympic status pending her run… The Washington Capitals had their 14-game winning streak come to end with a 6-5 overtime loss to the Montreal Canadiens. The Caps trailed 5-2 late in the second period and rallied to tie the game with 17 seconds left in regulation… The Los Angeles Lakers were without Kobe Bryant for the third straight game, but defeated the Utah Jazz 96-81. The Lakers have gone 3-0 in Bryant’s absence and there has been no official determination on Bryant’s status for the NBA’s All-Star Game… Racing star Danica Patrick had a productive Wednesday as she guest stared (and was innocent) in an episode of CSI: NY and had a successful round in her first NASCAR Nationwide series practice at Daytona International Speedway… Reigning Sprint Cup Champion Jimmie Johnson will be starting his season in a back-up car after crashing in a practice round at Daytona. NASCAR’s major series will kickoff it’s season with the Daytona 500 this Sunday… Oft-injured Peter Forsberg is healthy enough to travel with Sweden’s hockey team for the upcoming Winter Olympics in Vancouver…

Lindsey Vonn Has A Bruised Right Shin

2010-02-10T09:40:00.000-05:00

United States Skiing sensation Lindsey Vonn revealed that she bruised her right shin while training last week in preparation for the Winter Olympics. She might skip some practice sessions, but plans on racing in all of her Olympic events.

No doubt that if she decided not to model for Sports Illustrated so much, especially last summer when the SI Swimsuit Edition photo spread she participated in was shot, none of this would have happened [sarcasm]. But this did give me an excuse to post another one of her Swimsuit photos from the magazine [serious].

Vonn's first race in Vancouver is Sunday.

The A.M. Read [2/10/10]

2010-02-10T08:52:00.000-05:00

The Lead: The month of February is usually the slowest in the sports with only basketball and hockey going on. This year we get a break with the Winter Olympics, which start in just a few days. So what that in mind, what’s the biggest sports new this morning?

Allen Iverson will miss the Philadelphia 76ers’ next two games with an illness, which also might force him to pullout of this weekend’s all-star game. Iverson was “voted” into the game by the fans and is clearly not an all-star in any sense of the imagination. He is playing well, but nowhere close to all-star standards. So far, no decision has been made on his all-star game status.

More From Last Night: Prosecutors in Los Angeles say that ESPN analyst Erin Andrews was not the only woman to be stalked by Michael Barrett, the man who video taped Andrews through a peephole on her hotel room door. Other female sports reporters and TV personalities were targeted and possibly videotaped… Hall of Fame Rutgers women’s basketball coach C. Vivian Stringer has been suspended by the university for its game tonight versus Seton Hall due to a violation of athletic department policy regarding the eligibility of male practice players… The Cleveland Cavaliers won their 12th straight game, defeating the New Jersey Nets 104-97 last night… Atlanta Thrashers traded G Kari Lehtonen to the Dallas Stars for prospect D Ivan Vishnevskiy and a 2010 4th round draft pick. The Thrashers drafted Lehtonen with the second overall pick in the NHL’s 2002 draft… Johnny Damon could be headed to the Atlanta Braves, but the Detroit Tigers and Tampa Bay Rays are also interested in the aging outfielder… The Pac-10 could be expanding to 12 teams to secure a more lucrative television contract in 2012 for football and basketball… Swedish golfer Jesper Parnevik might be forced to retire due to surgery required to repair broken vertebrae in his lower back…

Why the Fuse About Athletes Posing for Photo Spreads?

2010-02-09T15:50:00.004-05:00

There seems to be some discrepancies when male and female athletes pose for photo spreads. Different standards and different feelings about when the different sexes market themselves off the playing strata – but what's new? Maybe most of us can accept the jealousy we have for our athletes that they are way better in a sport then we will ever be. But if they try modeling, THEN they’re stepping over the line.

Last week, the Internet was abuzz with controversy over American alpine skier Lindsey Vonn’s Sports Illustrated cover. Vonn was in a slightly exaggerated skiing pose, one that she has been in a million times and will once again be in during the Winter Olympics in Vancouver that start this week. Protesters said it was sexy or sexist or too provocative for a serious female athlete. Pictures like that “objectifies woman”, right?

Flash back a couple of months ago when freshly drafted New York Jets QB Mark Sanchez flashes his bare chest and abs for a GQ spread. Sanchez wasn’t “objectified” in the ads, but was chastised for not taking his new professional football career seriously. Apparently, he’s required to spend 24 hours a day, seven days a week preparing for football.

Two different athletes of two different sexes being criticized in two different ways for doing basically the same thing -- And in both cases, the criticizers are wrong.

Vonn, along with fellow Winter Olympians Clair Bidez, Lacey Schnoor and Hannah Teeter also posed for Sports Illustrated 2010 Swimsuit Magazine, which hit newsstands today. Now these athletes, who are showing some very provocative skin, are receiving the same flack that Vonn did a week ago and more.

Now I’m asking, where is there a rule or a law that female athletes cannot enhance their public awareness or imagine and visibility (maybe bad choice of words) by modeling? In Vonn’s case, she’s a great athlete, who is also attractive. And that the rock solid body she’s showing off… She probably got that from training and performing in her sport as well as she does. And with Sanchez, why can’t he model on the side if he so chooses? Even the best athletes do not train 24/7/365.

Is Brooklyn Decker (the cover model of this year’s Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition) getting flack for modeling? Or what about male model Tyson Beckford?

Or is it just athletes who are trying out a second career?

These athletes have worked hard enough to get their body in shape and probably in a more healthy way then other "traditional" models. If anything, they're good ~~role models~~ examples to aspiring models.

So again, maybe most of us can accept the inherent jealousy we have for our athletes that are way better in a sport then we will ever be… But if they try modeling on the side, then they’re stepping over the line.

Seems like double standards are all over the place.

The A.M. Read [2/9/10]

2010-02-09T08:54:00.005-05:00

The Lead: Supermodel Brooklyn Decker is the 2010 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit cover model, which hits newsstands today. Decker, 22, is married to tennis star Andy Roddick and is a five-year veteran of the SI Swimsuit Magazine. The cover was unveiled last night on "The Late Show With David Letterman”. Winter Olympic athletes Clair Bidez, Lacey Schnoor, Lindsey Vonn and Hannah Teeter have swimsuit picture features, along with four previous couples of Dancing with the Stars. Sports Illustrated has a dedicated website to the Swimsuit edition…

More From Last Night: New Orleans will continue to celebrate the Saints’ Super Bowl victory with a parade this evening. The parade starts at 5:00 PM and area schools and businesses are closing early for the celebration… There’s a fear that a lack of snow and warm weather will affect the Vancouver Winter Olympics, which officially starts in three days. About 780 tons of snow is being airlifted and dumped onto Cypress Mountain per day to get ready for the snowboarding events… Citing concerns over swine flu, the Cleveland Cavaliers have removed all drinking water fountains from Quicken Loans Arena. Fans can ask for and receive a 9-ounce cup for free at the concession stand or pay $4 for bottled water… According to the television ratings guru Nielsen Company, Super Bowl 44 was the most watched TV program in United States history with 106 million viewers or an estimated 68 percent of American households. It surpassed the 1983 finale of "M*A*S*H", which was seen by 105.97 million viewers or an estimated 77 percent of American households… Citing his sore ankle, Kobe Bryant says he is considering not playing in this weekend’s NBA All-Star Game… After being suspended for the 2009 NFL season for killing a pedestrian while driving drunk, Donte' Stallworth was reinstated by the NFL yesterday. The Cleveland Browns receiver was then released by the team and is now a free agent…

Weekend Assessment [2/5-2/7 or the Weekend the Saints Won the Super Bowl]

2010-02-08T06:01:00.003-05:00

The New Orleans Saints won Super Bowl 44, beating the Indianapolis Colts 31-17. Drew Brees was the MVP of the game. The entire city and state of Louisiana are winners…

The 2010 Pro Football Hall of Fame class will be: Jerry Rice, Emmitt Smith, John Randle, Rickey Jackson, Russ Grimm, Dick LeBeau and Floyd Little…

Brendan Burke, the son of Toronto Maple Leafs and United States Men’s Olympic Hockey Team General Manager Brian Burke, died in a car accident on Friday. Brendan recently made international headlines by revealing he was an openly gay hockey player…

LeBron James scored 24 straight points for the Cleveland Cavaliers when they defeated the New York Knicks 113-106 on Saturday night. James finished with 47 as the Cavs held off a fourth-quarter comeback attempt by the Knicks…

Danica Patrick made her stock car debut and finished sixth in the Lucas Oil Slick Mist 200. She will make her Nationwide Series debut this coming Saturday at Daytona…

Speaking of Daytona, Mark Martin won the pole and Dale Earnhardt Jr. will also start on the first row in next Sunday’s Daytona 500…

Former NFL star and Dancing with the Stars contestant Warren Sapp was arrested Saturday following an alleged domestic violence incident at a Miami Beach hotel. He was pulled off the air as an analyst on the NFL Network, pending further investigation…

The Washington Capitals defeated the Pittsburgh Penguins 5-4 in overtime to increase their win streak to 14 games, third longest in NHL history. Alex Ovechkin scored a hat trick and four total points…

Super Bowl Prediction

2010-02-06T19:38:00.012-05:00

A true Fan Free Agent would always go with the underdog and staying true to that, I'm rooting for the New Orleans Saints in Super Bowl 44. I don't know if the Saints' defense can hold Peyton Manning, but it should be one heck of a game.

The A.M. Read [2/5/10]

2010-02-05T08:50:00.000-05:00

The Lead: It’s rare to see a team have a winning streak of over 10 games in the NHL, let alone two at the same time. But last night, the Washington Capitals extended theirs to 12 games with a 6-5 win over the New York Rangers while the Ottawa Senators defeated the Vancouver Canucks 3-1 to extend their winning streak to 11 games. Both streaks are team records. In the Capitals game, Alex Ovechkin scored his 500th career point...

More From Last Night: The Executive Director of the NFL Players Association, DeMaurice Smith, says he believes there will be a work stoppage in the NFL in 2011. Union President Kevin Mawae is slightly more hopeful that a new CBA can be reached without a work stoppage… A major trade was completed last night in the NHL with All-Star winger Ilya Kovalchuk being dealt from the Atlanta Thrashers to the New Jersey Devils in exchange for defenseman John Oduya, forwards Niclas Bergfors and Patrice Cormier and the Devils’ 2010 first round pick… The Los Angeles Clippers’ Mike Dunleavy has resigned as the team’s head coach, but will remain the general manager of the club… All-Pro RB LaDainian Tomlinson says he strongly believes his days as a member of the San Diego Chargers are over and that he’s “accepted that”… The demolition of Giants Stadium began yesterday. New York football fans will always remember that the New York Jets had the final victory at the stadium… Tampa Bay Lightning owners Len Barrie and Oren Koules have agreed to sell the team to Jeff Vinik for $150 million that includes debt coverage. In all, Barrie and Koules could receive less then $50 million each from the sale, making it one of the worst franchise transactions in NHL history… A woman in Broward Circuit Court in Fort Lauderdale, FL has filed a civil suit against NFL Hall of Famer Michael Irvin that claims he rapped her. No criminal charges have been filed yet, and Irvin denies her actuations… Various Internet reports have a 13-year old quarterback from Delaware verbally committing to the play for USC. The recruit, David Sills, will not be able to sign a letter on intent until 2015...

The A.M. Read [2/4/10]

2010-02-04T08:49:00.000-05:00

The Lead: This bobsled team was not made for the movies… The Jamaican Olympic Committee confirmed yesterday that their nation’s bobsled team, which was made famous by the 1993 movie Cool Runnings, has not qualified for the 2010 Winter Olympics. There is still a small chance that the Jamaicans can still compete in the event, but another at least one nation would have to withdraw from the competition…

More From Last Night: Win or lose in the Super Bowl this weekend, New Orleans Saints QB Drew Brees will receive a re-worked contracted. His current contract, which is for six years and $60 million, makes him just the 17th highest paid starting quarterback in the NFL… The Florida Gators have recruited the top class for 2010, signing four of the top-10 recruits in the nation to scholarships… The trade market for Ilya Kovalchuk is open as the Atlanta Thrashers have told the star winger to expect a trade after the two sides cannot agree on a contract extension… The Detroit Tigers avoided arbitration and signed SP Justin Verlander to a five-year, $80 million contract extension. Verlander is coming off a career-high 19-win season… Phil Mickelson will no longer use a controversial wedge in his bag which produces increased spin on a golf ball. The wedge, which is now illegal to use, was grandfathered into Michelson’s bad as well as four others, because it was made prior to 1990… The Columbus Blue Jackets fired head coach Ken Hitchcock and replaced him with assistant coach Claude Noel on an interim basis… Welterweight champion Shane Mosley will face Floyd Mayweather Jr. on May 1st in Las Vegas… Los Angeles Lakers head coach Phil Jackson passed Pat Riley for most coaching victories in franchise history with 534. Jackson is currently fifth on the NBA all-time coaching victory list…

The A.M. Read [2/3/10]

2010-02-03T08:49:00.000-05:00

The Lead: The United States Olympic Committee announced that a total of 216 American Athletes will compete in the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics. There will be 123 men and 93 women and thee are three five-time Olympians (Luge athlete Mark Grimmette, Nordic combined skier Todd Lodwick and Alpine Skier Casey Puckett). Controversial Skier Bode Miller will compete in all five Alpine Skiing events. At this point, changes can only be made to the Olympics teams due to injury. The Olympics begin on February 12…

More From Last Night: Today is National Signing Day for College Football, when high school athletes officially decided what colleges they will attend on scholarship. It’s also the day when many coaches earn their salaries by convincing recruits to sign with their schools… The Washington Capitals set franchise record with their 11th consecutive victory last night, defeating the Boston Bruins 4-1. The Bruins are now winless in their last eight games, which is their franchise’s longest streak since the 1950s (which was before overtime and the shootout)… Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay says his team will re-sign and extend QB Peyton Manning to the highest contract in NFL history for a quarterback in the off-season. Manning has one more season left on a $97 million contract… College Basketball's No. 2 Villanova extended its wining streak to 11 games, defeating Seaton Hall 81-71 and Syracuse improved their record to 21-1, which is the school’s best start… Four people were injured when a stage collapsed outside of Sun Life Stadium in Miami (where the Super Bowl is being played this weekend)… Boston Celtics F Paul Peirce a left midfoot sprain and could return to the court as early as tonight. Peirce was injured during the Celtics’ game on Monday night and the team feared a more sufferer injury...

The CFL Gets Their Fans Involved

2010-02-02T11:44:00.001-05:00

The Canadian Footbal League [CFL] takes a pro-active stance in getting their fans involved in the development of their 100-year old sport. The NFL still stands for the “No Fun League”.

When the WWF-owned and operated XFL came onto the football scene in 2000-01, it made the statement that it was going to be the “Extreme Fun League” compared to the NFL’s “No Fun League”. Since then, the XFL withered away just as quickly as it came bustling in, but they were right about one thing: The NFL is “no fun” and it cares more about making as much money as they can and if they piss off fans in the process so be it. Example 1: The “Who Dat” controversy in New Orleans.

Last week, CFL Commissioner Mark Cohon asked fans for their input on the League’s overtime rules and what changes, if any, should be made. CFL fans have until February 15th to e-mail their opinions and thoughts. This is the second time in a year that the CFL has asked their fans for input on rule changes. Last May, the CFL announced four rule changes that were suggested by fans that were in place for their last season.

Can anyone honestly believe that the NFL would ever do this? Regardless, you have to give the CFL credit for not only trying to make their league better, but letting their fans have a say. The fan-suggested rules they implemented last year were rules the NFL already had in place and put the CFL more on par with traditional North American football fans. But regardless of the type of fan-suggested rules that were accepted, you can’t fault the CFL for trying to connect with their fans.

The CFL isn’t even the most popular football league in Canada, but it does have a strong fan base. It will also never challenge the NFL is popularity in Canada or anywhere else, but that doesn’t stop the League from trying to better itself and making connections with its fans. Sports leagues, specifically the NFL, can take their fans for granted. It’s good to the see the CFL trying to connect with their fans in a very unique and important way.

The A.M. Read [2/2/10]

2010-02-02T08:45:00.003-05:00

The Lead: The NCAA Men’s D-1 Basketball Tournament is close to expanding to 96 teams and according to reports could happen by as early as next season. Currently, 65 teams make the tournament to crown the NCAA Men’s Basketball National Champion. The expanded tournament would eliminate the NIT Tournament by taking all but one of those teams and including them into the expanded 96-team field. Just imagine the 97th team being upset they didn’t get a bid to the tournament. Also, I doubt this is necessary due to the fact that a 16th seed has never advanced to the second round. But at least the basketball division of the NCAA wants to make their National Championship open to everyone…

More From Last Night: Within two-to-three weeks, New York Jets QB Mark Sanchez will undergo surgery to his left knee to repair and strengthen a “patella-stabilizing ligament”. Recovery time for the surgery is about two months, making the Sanchez ready in time for training camp… Kobe Bryant scored 44 points to become the Los Angles Lakers all-time scorer in the team’s loss to the Memphis Grizzlies. Bryant passed Jerry West for the franchise’s all-time lead with 25,208 points. He’s still over 13,000 points away from Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's all-time NBA record of 38,387 points… The hockey trade between the New York Rangers and Calgary Flames was finally completed last night, sending Olli Jokinen and Brandon Prust to New York in exchange for Chris Higgins and Ales Kotalik. The deal was first reported by multiple sources on Sunday night, but was not completed until after the Flames game on Monday… IndyCar and future NASCAR racer Danica Patrick will guest star on a February episode of CSI: NY, which is about “a racing star who dies under suspicious circumstances”. Patrick is not the racer who dies in the episode, which probably means that she’ll be the lead suspect… Rumors in Minnesota have Joe Mauer and the Minnesota Twins agreeing to a 10-year contract extension. Mauer, who would be entering his final year of his current contract, is the reigning AL MVP… After striking out on their first five candidates, the Chicago Bears have hired Mike Martz as their offensive coordinator… Roy Jones Jr. and Bernard Hopkins will meet in a rematch in Las Vegas on April 3rd. They last met 17 years ago when Jones won in a unanimous decision…

Weekend Assessment [1/29-1/31]

2010-02-01T07:01:00.016-05:00

In the ~~most anticipated~~ Pro Bowl, the AFC defeated the NFC 41-34...

Serena Williams won her fifth Australian Open Grand Slam, defeating Justine Henin in three sets -- 6-2, 3-6, 6-2 – on Saturday. Roger Federer won on the men’s side, knocking off Andy Murray in straight sets -- 6-3, 6-4, 7-6 (11) – on Sunday for his fourth Australian Open title and extended his Grand Slam title record to 16…

Florida and NFL bound QB Tim Tebow had what scouts are calling a weak performance in the college football’s Senior Bowl on Saturday. He completed 8-of-12 for 50 yards, ran four times for four yards and fumbled twice…

The Calgary Flames and the Toronto Maple Leafs were the busiest teams in the NHL this weekend, pulling off a trade between each other and possible three in total. The first sent All-Star D Dion Phaneuf, a highly rated prospect and another player to the Toronto Maple Leafs for a quartet of players. The Maple Leafs also acquired G Jean-Sebastien Giguere from the Anaheim Ducks in exchange for G Vesa Toskala and F Jason Blake. Later Sunday night, reports surfaced that the Flames would C Olli Jokinen and F Brandon Prust to the New York Rangers in exchange for F Ales Kotalik and F Christopher Higgins. The Calgary-New York trade, which was all but done last night has not been confirmed as of this morning and is now rumored to have fallen apart...

New Orleans Hornets All-Star PG Chris Paul will miss one-to-two months with a cartilage tear in his left knee, which requires surgery that he will undergo today. Paul was injured on Friday…

Former NFL star Hershel Walker was victorious in his mixed martial arts debut, registering a TKO to opponent Greg Nagy in the third round of the Strikeforce event…

Former Washington Redskins head coach Jim Zorn has joined the Baltimore Ravens as their quarterbacks coach…

A report surfaced that Pittsburgh Pirates owner Bob Nutting declined to listen to an un-solicitied offer to buy the ballclub from Pittsburgh Penguins co-owner Mario Lemieux…

The A.M. Read [1/29/10]

2010-01-29T08:26:00.000-05:00

The Lead: Kurt Warner will announce whether or not he will retire from the NFL today and the buzz is that he will in fact hang up his cleats. Warner would be leaving an $11.5 base salary on the table by walking away, some of which contains bonus money and it is unclear if he would receive it if he were to retire. After a 12-year NFL career that had more ups then it did downs, there will most likely be debates on whether or not he is a Hall of Famer. I’ve previously blogged that I believe Warner does deserve to be enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, but only time will tell. Warner will announce his decision at a 3:00 PM EST press conference in Arizona.

More From Last Night: LeBron James was fined $25,000 by the NBA for kicking a water bottle during the Cleveland/Minnesota game on Wednesday night… New York Jets QB Mark Sanchez is contemplating knee surgery to “stabilize the patella ligament in his left knee” which is an injury stemming from his college football career and is unrelated to his right knee injury he sustained this season. Reports indicate he will not need surgery to repair his right knee… According to The Hockey News, the Tampa Bay Lightning could have another ownership change as the NHL is negotiating with Boston-based financier Jeffrey Vinik for an “estimated price of $170 million”. Owners Len Barrie and Oren Koules purchased the team in 2008 but have since had financial difficulties and almost missed payroll to players and staff on multiple occasions… CBS rejected this GoDaddy.com commercial for the Super Bowl, which was one of five submitted by the company… GoDaddy spokesperson and IndyCar superstar Danica Patrick will race in at least 12 NASCAR races in the Nationwide Series in 2010... The NBA announced the reserves for their All-Star Game, which will be played on February 14 at the new Cowboys Stadium. Seven first-time players were selected… Roger Federer was victorious in his Australian Open Semi-Final match and will meet Andy Murray for the first Grand Slam title of the 2010 tennis season…

There’s Little Justice in Blanket Suspensions

2010-01-28T13:44:00.000-05:00

News came down last night that NBA Commissioner David Stern suspended Washington Wizards players Gilbert Arenas and Javaris Crittenton for the remainder of the 2009-10 season for their gun-related incident where firearms were brought into the team’s locker room and threats were made. Arenas, who was already indefinitely suspended, will miss 50 total games and Crittenton will 38 games. The suspensions are the third and fourth longest in NBA history, respectively.

There’s no doubt that both players deserved to be harshly suspended by the League for their actions, but a blanket suspension for the remainder of the season for both players does not deliver as much justice as it might first appear. Arenas and Crittenton had two very different roles in the incident and Washington, D.C. officials have determined as much by letting Crittenton plead to unsupervised probation for a misdemeanor gun charge and Arenas pleading guilty to a felony weapons possession charge. Obviously two different crimes were committed with two different sentences from the Justice System, but the NBA handed down two very similar suspensions to the players.

This blog post is not an argument or debate whether or not the two players deserved to be suspended for a long time. In my opinion, they do. Rather, I believe suspending players for the remainder of a season is not as effective as a suspension then one that is set to a determined amount of games or period of time.

Suspending an athlete for the remainder of a season is a copout because it does not determine an exact amount of time someone will not be able to compete for committing an indiscretion. If the Arenas/Cittenton incident happened in March with the Wizards out of the playoffs, what would the suspension been then? Or if two other players on another team had the same exact incident in April, what type of suspension would the NBA hand down then? Is the NBA telling us a felony weapons charge is worth being docked 50 NBA games and it just so happens that’s how many games were left in Arenas’ season?

Now it’s very possible Arenas will face jail time for his crime, but that should not have effected the NBA’s decision because they do not how the justice system will handle him.

I believe both players do not deserve to play in the NBA for the rest of this season, but is that all? I think the NBA took the easy way out by delivering a blanket suspension and did not give this ugly incident complete justice.

The A.M. Read [1/28/10]

2010-01-28T08:43:00.000-05:00

The Lead: NBA Commissioner David Stern suspended Washington Wizards players Gilbert Arenas and Javaris Crittenton for the remainder of the season for their gun incident in the team’s locker room in December. ESPN.com is reporting the Arenas will not appeal the suspension, but it remains unclear whether Crittenton, who has yet to play for Washington this season, will accept the punishment or will appeal. Unlike Crittenton, Arenas is facing possible jail time for his connection to the incident.

More From Last Night: Justine Henin and Serena Williams will meet in the Australian Open final this weekend for tennis’ first Grand Slam title of 2010. Andy Murray also advance to the Men’s final and awaits the winner of tonight’s Roger Federer/Jo-Wilfried Tsonga semi-final match… New England Patroits WR Wes Welker will have surgery to repair a torn ACL in his left knee next Tuesday and could miss anywhere between six to twelve months… The Dallas Stars’ F Mark Fistric hit Calgary Flames F Eric Nystrom over the head with his own helmet during a fight. Fristic was ejected from the game for intent to injure and could/should face supplementary discipline (video of the incident here)… According to a memo obtained by the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal, the family of Texas Tech WR Adam James threatened to sue the University if they did not investigate former coach Mike Leach and their allegations that he abused the player… For the first time in school history, Villanova has started a college basketball season 19-0. They are currently ranked third in the nation… The Washington Capitals are currently on an eight-game winning streak. They have also won 11 of their last 12 games when they named Alex Ovechkin the team’s captain on January 5…

The A.M. Read [1/27/10]

2010-01-27T08:55:00.003-05:00

The Lead: NBA player Greg Oden has acknowledged that leaked nude photographs of him on the Internet are in fact real and had apologized to his team and family for any embarrassment or distraction this might have caused. After missing his rookie season due to microfracture on his right knee, Oden is missing this season due to a broken left kneecap. The No. 1 overall pick of the Portland Trail Blazers in the NBA’s 2007 draft has had more success for Playgirl then he has earning his $12.5 million contract. I believe it was The Big Lead who first reported on the photos yesterday.

More From Last Night: Minnesota Vikings head coach Brad Childress will give Brett Favre has much time as he needs to make a decision on his return for next season. Maybe this will make Favre seek out attention and actually make his decision sooner rather then later, but then again, we can only hope… Venus Williams was upset by China’s Li Na in three sets in the Australian Open’s quarterfinal round… The United States Olympic Ski Team has been set and Lindsey Vonn and Bode Miller lead the group of 22 skiers. Vonn could contend for five medals… New York Islanders D Jack Hillen was taken to the hospital after receiving a slapshot to the face from Washington Capitals sniper Alexander Ovechkin… The Federal Government will temporarily restrict flights around Miami’s Sun Life Stadium (the place the Miami Dolphins and Florida Marlins play) during the Pro Bowl on this Sunday and the Super Bowl on February 7 for safety concerns… The Chicago Cubs signed OF Xavier Nady, while the Oakland Athletic signed rehabing P Ben Sheets. The New York Mets actually received positive news when P Johan Santana threw off a mound for the first time since having elbow surgery last September. Santana said he “felt pretty good”... Quebec Major Junior Hockey League player Patrice Cormier’s team, Rouyn-Noranda Huskies, will appeal his suspension due to what they claim "excessiveness". Cormier was suspended by the league for the remainder of this season and the playoffs after elbowing an opponent to the head which required him to be stretchered off to a hospital...

Meet Paulina Gretzky, Wayne's Daughter

2010-01-26T15:18:00.000-05:00

Who is Paulina Gretzky? She's a recording artist and the daughter of Wayne Gretzky and Janet Jones Gretzky. Her big claim to fame is that her single "Collecting Dust" was used on MTV's Laguna Beach and appeared in the movie Alpha Dog.

Following a post on the hockey blog Mother Pucker, I got a feeling her name and her pictures will be coming up today in more conversations and on more computer screens then they did yesterday. Just a hunch.

Pro Bowl: The 1 Thing The NFL Can’t Get Right

2010-01-26T14:54:00.001-05:00

All-Star games in sports have not received the support or interest this decade as they had in the somewhat distant past. And it seems like the NFL’s equivalent, the Pro Bowl, is no exception. The fact that not even the NFL can get this right means All-Star games in general are a tough sell in the United States. Why is this the case? It’s because fans do not have a reason to care about the game.

Major League Baseball tried to make their All-Star Game count by awarding the winning league home field advantage in the World Series, which is becoming a yearly controversy. It also hasn’t helped in any major way.

The NFL used to host their game in Hawaii on a yearly basis. The game wouldn’t be well attended by the locals and the League even had trouble getting the players to make the trip to the most beautiful state in the nation. This year the game will be held in Miami and before the Super Bowl, which will help boost attendance, but there is still no buzz about the game.

Maybe that’s because as of Tuesday morning 17 of the 86 selected players (or almost 20 percent of the chosen participants) have opted out of the game due to injury, the fact they are playing in the Super Bowl the following week or some other reason. The two quarterbacks in the Super Bowl (Drew Brees and Peyton Manning) would most likely have been the starting quarterbacks in the Pro Bowl.

The NFL’s Pro Bowl will have a better fate this season then it’s predecessors, but it still is not expected to have the level of success sought after. It’s the one thing the NFL can’t make successful. Despite the plans to incorporate the game into the Super Bowl build-up, the NFL’s Championship Game will overshadow the League’s All-Star Game too much to make it successful.

Maybe it’s time to drop it all together. How many people would really miss it?

The A.M. Read [1/26/10]

2010-01-26T08:59:00.000-05:00

The Lead: The annual Brett Favre off-season saga of will he or won’t he retire began yesterday. After the Minnesota Viking’s lost on Sunday night, Favre said it was too soon to tell whether or not he’ll return for the 2010 season. On the record, his teammates aren’t saying what they think of his future plans, but off-the-record reports have those same teammates saying that they believe he will finally hang up his cleats. So let the most annoying storyline of the NFL off-season begin… And that’s two weeks before the Super Bowl is even played.

More From Last Night: Paraguay football star Salvador Cabanas is listed in critical but stable condition after unsuccessful undergoing surgery to remove a bullet logged in his skull. He was attacked in a popular bar in Mexico City, where he plays professional football. Doctors do not know if Cabanas is out of life-threatening danger… CBS is getting the heat turned up on the Tim Tebow anti-abortion Super Bowl commercial as pro-life groups are urging the Network to remove it from its line-up. CBS has previously approved the script for the 30-second commercial… Washington ~~Bullets~~ Wizards guard Javaris Crittenton was sentenced to a year of unsupervised probation after pleading guilty to misdemeanor gun possession. Crittenton was the other party involved in Gilbert Arenas’ locker room dispute back on December 21, 2009… Following the suspicious death of her father over the weekend, Nancy Kerrigan’s brother was arrested yesterday for suspicion that a confrontation he had is connected to his father's the death. Mark Kerrigan pleaded not guilty to assault and battery charges and the autopsy planned for the father will provide information whether charges will continue to be pressed, dropped or upgraded… In the Australian Open’s quarterfinals, Rafael Nadal retired due to a knee injury and Andy Roddick was upset and knocked out. Roddick, who played all five sets of his match, is claiming an injury that made part of his hand numb… Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim overtook UConn’s idle coach Jim Calhoun for sixth place on the all-time NCAA Men’s D-1 Basketball victory list with his team’s 73-56 win over Georgetown. It was Boeheim’s 819th career victory…

NFL Needs to Change Overtime

2010-01-25T20:32:00.001-05:00

Sunday’s NFC Championship game went into overtime and the New Orleans Saints scored on their first possession to win the game. The Minnesota Vikings were never given the opportunity to have their offense take the field. This fate was determined by a coin flip and a little bit of luck for the Saints.

I say that it’s time for the NFL to change their antiquated overtime rules and allow each team to have at least one offensive possession.

Purists will disagree saying the Vikings did have a chance to stop the Saint’s offense and failed. But anyone watching the game could see the Vikings got a few bad officiating breaks in overtime between missed or mishandled penalties and questionable spots which led to crucial first downs. Questionable officiating isn’t why the Vikings lost, but it does raise additional doubts whether they got a fair shake at winning the game.

Imagine if extra innings in baseball were decided like in a similar manner: A coin flip determined which team would bat first and the first team who scored first won even if the losing team of the coin flip never got an opportunity to enter the batter’s box.

Clearly no sports fan would tolerate that, but why do we in football?

The NFL should just add the element that both teams must have an offensive possession in overtime and this controversy would be resolved. While I find college football’s overtime system exciting, I don’t believe it would work in the NFL for multiple reasons.

The NFL has come so far with instant replay in the last decade to correct mistakes. I can’t believe that the overtime injustice is accepted by so many.

Weekend Assessment [1/23-1/24]

2010-01-25T07:01:00.005-05:00

Super Bowl Match-Up: Indianapolis Colts versus New Orleans Saints in Miami, FL on February 7….

The New Orleans Saints did not let the Minnesota Vikings have the ball in overtime, beating them with a 40-yard field goal by a score of 31-28…

The clock finally struck midnight on the New York Jets season as they fell to the Indianapolis Colts 30-17. The Jets had a 17-14 lead going in to halftime, but their secondary was exposed in the third and fourth quarters...

Florida Gators head coach Urban Meyer says he plans on coaching during spring practice. He is currently no traveling for recruiting…

Rachael Flatt and Mirai Nagasu (pictured left) will be the two female United States Olympic figure skaters in Vancouver next month. Get ready to heart those names -- a lot -- in the next four weeks. Former Olympic silver medalist Sasha Cohen finished fourth after failing in his long program…

The video of the weekend is ESPN college basketball analyst Digger Phelps dancing with a Clemson University cheerleader. It’s hot all the way around... [Found On: The Big Lead]

Texas Rangers owner Tom Hicks will sell the baseball team to a group that included Hall of Fame pitcher Nolan Ryan. Hicks says he will retain ownership of the NHL’s Dallas Stars…

Andy Roddick is off to the quarterfinals in the Australian Open defeating former Open finalist Fernando Gonzalez in five-sets on Sunday. Roddick will next play No. 14 Marin Cilic…

Kelly Kulick became the first woman to win a PBA (Professional Bowling Association) Tour title, winning the 45th Tournament of Champions. The take-home purse was $40,000 and a two-year tour exemption…

Citing uncertainty in the world economy and its own collective bargaining agreement, the NFL has decided against hosting a game in London next season. It was previously reported the San Francisco 49ers and Denver Broncos were to play a game there next season…

Fans Don’t Get It All-Star Voting

2010-01-22T15:50:00.000-05:00

All-Star Games are supposed to feature the best and brightest players in a particular sports league. That said, they’re basically exhibitions games where the all-world talent goes half speed in fear of injury and interest wanes. So to build up more interest, most sports leagues have its fans vote for the starting players. Unfortunately this doesn’t mean the best players in the league that season will be selected.

Case-in-point, the NBA announced their 2010 All-Star starters last night and Allen Iverson was voted-in as one of two guards for the Eastern Conference team with 1,269,568 votes.

Iverson has only played in 19 games this season because of a holdout that forced his release from the Memphis Grizzlies in November before he was picked up by the Philadelphia 76ers. Iverson ranks 76th in the NBA with an average of 14.4 points per game and tied for 37th with 4.4 assists per game. Those numbers aren’t even good enough for a reserve, let alone a starter on the All-Star Team.

When fans vote for the All-Star Game, they vote on reputation and history more so then the players performance in the current season. I’m all for All-Star competitions, but the fan voting aspect has to go. There are always problems and I can’t see how having Iverson in the game will boost interest.

I don’t know if selection should be left to the players, coaches, a combination of those two or some other way. But letting fans pick the players doesn’t work.

If you want to make an argument that Iverson is a future Hall of Famer, fine, I won’t argue against that. But you can’t tell me he’s an All-Star in 2010. If that were true, he would have found more takers after he whined his way out of Memphis in November.

Texas Tech,Leach Ordered to Mediation

2010-01-22T10:29:00.000-05:00

A Texas state judge has ordered former head coach Mike Leach, Texas Tech and their respective attorneys to complete mediation by February 5 and has also placed gag order on the talks. Leach was fired over allegations that he mistreated Tech player Adam James.

What this means is that fans will not be able to hear the juicy details of the alleged incident. Too bad, I was looking forward to it.

The A.M. Read [1/21/10]

2010-01-22T08:20:00.000-05:00

The Lead: Rivalries… In the NHL, Alex Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals defeated Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins 6-3 in the team’s first of four meetings this season. Ovechkin scored twice and added an assist, while Crosby scored once…

In the NBA, LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers defeated Kobe Bryant and the LA Lakers 93-87. James scored 38 points, including 12 in the fourth quarter, to Bryant’s 31. Bryant only scored eight points in the second half of the game, but did surpass the 25,000 career point plateau in the first half of the game.

More From Last Night: The Minnesota Vikings are banged up for their NFC Championship Game as starters DE Ray Edwards, WR Percy Harvin and DT Kevin Williams all missed practice on Wednesday… The LA Dodgers re-signed SP Vicente Padilla to a one-year contract… The New York Red Bulls will open, get this, Red Bull Arena on March 20 versus Brazilian soccer club Santos… The Ontario Hockey League (a junior hockey league in Canada) suspended Windsor Spitfires forward Zack Kassian for 20 games for delivering a blow to the head of an opponent in a game a week ago… The NY Jets will have former RB Curtis Martin serve as an honorary team captain for the AFC Championship Game this Sunday, while the Indianapolis Colts counter with former RB Edgerrin James… Detroit Tigers All-Star Miguel Cabrera spent three months of his off-season in an outpatient treatment program for alcoholism following a drinking-binge at the end of the 2009 MLB season… The NBA announced the starters for their annual All-Star Game, which were picked by the fans. LeBron James was the leading vote getter with 2,549,693 votes…

Another Reason to Love Rex

2010-01-21T21:09:00.001-05:00

It's clear that Rex Ryan doesn't come from the Bill Belichick school of coaching. He's fun-loving and thoughtfull.

Ryan sent a game ball from the NY Jets playoff upset over San Diego on last Sunday to Chargers' former head coach Marty Schottenheimer, who's son Brian is the Jets' offensive coordinator. For the full story, click here.

All season long, Ryan has been putting the human being factor back into being a head coach. The week before he gave a game ball to team owner Woody Johnson after the loss of his daughter. Ryan always wears his heart and emotions on his sleeve. Everyone knows what they get with Rex Ryan.

The bottom line is that Ryan is a type of coach the NFL hasn't seen in a long time and it's acts like these that make him a lovable head coach. Another plus to be a Jets fan right now.

Become a Fan on Facebook

2010-01-21T10:25:00.004-05:00

The Fan Free Agent is now on Facebook.

Click here to add us as a Fan.

The A.M. Read [1/21/10]

2010-01-21T08:45:00.000-05:00

The Lead: N.C. State upset No. 7 Duke 88-74 for the school’s first victory over the Blue Devils since 2007. Duke’s record now drops to 15-3, while the unranked N.C. State improves to 13-6. In other NCAA Basketball action, No. 24 North Carolina lost its third straight game, falling to Wake Forrest 82-69. The thirteen-point loss ties for the fifth worst lost for the Tar Heels under head coach Roy Williams.
More From Last Night: The Oakland Raiders deny interviewing new head coaching candidates, despite reports indicating that they reached out to Stanford head coach Jim Harbaugh, who he declined their advances… SP Joel Pineiro has agreed to a two-year, $16 million contract with the LA Angeles of Anaheim. Regarded as the best starting pitcher remaining on the free agent market, Pineiro has a 87-79 career record with a 4.39 ERA in ten MLB seasons… The Detroit Pistons might be fore sale as owner Karen Davidson said “options are being explored” during a game last night. Karen was the wife of the late Bill Davidson, who also once owned the Tampa Bay Lighting. In a report last month, Forbes valued the Pistons at $479 million… Venus and Serena Williams will head into the third round of the Australian Open as they both won on Thursday. No. 1 Serena defeated Petra Kvitova 6-2, 6-1, while No. 6 Venus defeated Sybille Bammer 6-2, 7-5…