MR X.

Let me tell you a story about an over zealous bigot who played cop got his ass kicked and then shot the kid in self defense. The whole situation could have been avoided if MR X would have listened to the police and done what most law abiding citizens do. Mr X stays in his car doesnt go off on a wild goose chase and goes about his life with noone being harmed.Maybe the police check out the situation diffuse any possible trouble and the kid is alive today. Moral of the story let the police do their job while you stop being a GIGANTIC ASSHOLE.

Yankee great.

The ALL-Star game has come and gone and soon one of the games all time greats will come and go for the last time. Mo Rivera is without a doubt the best closer the game has ever seen. I hope all the fans who despise the THE EVIL EMPIRE have noticed The Sandman in all his glory. He did it with class and a cut fastball that nobody has ever seen or will ever see again. Mo was a class act and in typical yankee fashion he did his talking on the field and nowhere else. Rivera has done something that almost nobody in baseball has ever done.  He has quieted his critics both on and off the field and he did it without crying being arrested or CHEATING. Congrats to #42.

Baldwin brother.

Alec Baldwin is now bitching about his acting career and multi million dollar lifestyle. Dont you just love it when a dude who is living a dream life starts complaining about it?  He is talented handsome and intelligent but man he is a  walking jackhole. He acts as though he is condemned to continue acting because thats all he knows how to do. Listen up Alec buddy speaking for those of us who scrape out a living and are greatful for it why dont you take your richboy additude and stick it. Poor baby has to live filthy rich and put up with all the phony bullshit in Hollywood. How about trying a bit of humility and graditude for a change you might learn what is truely important in this life

Walk of faith.

Nick Wallendas walk across the Grand Canyon was truely an amazing feat. Without a safety net or anything keeping this dude from falling 1500 feet he calmly walked across the wire and did it while exercising big time faith in God. Its hard to express exactly what this fella does or says but to me he inspires me to face my deepest fear and believe that I can do the impossible. He doesnt parade around with demands and tell you how great he is he simply goes out and does what he thinks God wants him to do in this life and that definately defines courage.

PUIG an ALL-Star?

Yaseil Puig an all star? Baseball traditionalist and jealous washed up relievers might scream NO but I say MLB is stupid if they deny this kid the chance to play in baseballs biggest exibition.The game is fading in popularity in the US and Puig is bringing people back into a sport that needs a boost in popularity especially among young people. All star games are not about fairness and rewarding players for a good seasons they are about the fans seeing the players they want to see play. Derek Jeter is currently second among shortstops in the american league in voting and he hasnt played a single inning this year. The most important thing MLB can do with Puig is promote his talent not hide him because of some old school nonsense about him not deserving the opportunity. Puig might fall on his face the second half of the season but he is definately deserving of an ALL- STAR appearence.

Double standard.

Well .....The Miami Heat repeat as champs and the James haters are busy making excuses about how he does not deserve to be in the same discussion as LORD MIKE and the invincible Chicago Bulls. After all Mikes legions of fans believe he made every shot he ever took and the Bulls swept every series they were in. I hate to burst everyones SWOOSH bubble but I remember when the basketball GOD J missed some shots and LOSTseveral   playoff series. Does anybody remember when Larry Bird and the Boston Celtics beat Mike and the Bulls in 5 games? NO?? Maybe the 3 straight playoff losses to the BAD BOY Pistons? Now eventually after all the excellent teams in the mid eighties got old and faded into basketball obscurity the Bulls won several titles beating lesser opponents .....The Lakers the trail blazers the sonics and the suns so they deserve some credit for being a dominant team in an era of lesser teams. Somehow James is being hammered with criticism but mike never got any. Everyone loved Jordan and kissed his ass for an entire decade despite the fact that i never heard Jordan ever give any credit to any of his teammates. He lit the same cigars and loved the spotlight with his phony ass spacejam movie and countless commercials but let Lebron do anything remotely like that and he is considered an arrogant ass. I dont mind if anybody believes that Jordan was the best player ever that is anyones opinion but i dont get what the difference is when it comes to basking in celebration. Why does Jordon get his ass kissed for an entire decade while Lebron gets hammered for being JUST LIKE MIKE?

Trending bad.

Game 6 tonight in Miami and regardless of who wins this series all of the commentary about this Final series has been total garbage. Not one of these so called media "experts" has said or done anything worthy of a plug nickel. From game to game everyone switches their opinions depending solely on the winner that nights game.How about some insight into position play or what possible approach might be successful if you want more involvement from secondary players? What makes somebody different and why they provide commentary is supposed to be because they have a better understanding of the game. Barkley bad. Magic bad. Do we need a roundtable of 4 people telling me that Tony Parker is a great point guard or that Lebron James is the best player in the game?? Barkley gets an award for being funny but goes from saying that the series is going to go 6 games at the start of the finals and after Game 1 says the spurs might sweep  What is missing from sports media today is that noone is held accountable for what is being said. Anyone can say anything as long as its funny or definate and it doesnt seem to matter if a reason is given for making a statement.  People want predictions now about winners and losers but they dont seem to care about the reasons behind the predictions. The credabillity of the sports media is lower now than at any time in sports history. Nobody wants to name sources behind breaking news and certain networks even create sports stories on a slow sports days, Gone are the days of accountabillity and credabillity in the media and here to stay is entertainment journalism.

Golf nerdism.

The  United States championship of Golf started today and im mildly interested. All of the golf fanatics are predicting the winner and are hoping that all the putt putt Gods will keep the course dry so Eldrick can make a mad dash and get a step closer to golf immortality. There seem to be a group of psedo players and fans that i call GOLF NERDS. You might be a Golf nerd if : You know certain golf holes on courses that arent considered one of the 4 major tournaments. You might be a GN if you follow an entire season on the PGA tour and remember the winners of each tournament in order. You might be a GN if you know personal information regarding the family or relatives of your favorite golf pro. You might be a GN if you race home from your job to watch the Golf channel to get golf tips from some club Pro whos name sounds vaguely fimiliar. Theres only one cure for Golf nerdism: Do not tell me about your ambition to shoot 80 on the local muni or that golf is a sport because ill be too busy watching NBA basketball and the Stanley Cup finals.

Forgive and forget.

I remember when the Miami Heat signed their version of the big three Bosh Wade and James. They boldly came out and said they planned on winning 7 titles and fans were instantly polarized. James came out with THE DECISION on ESPN and everyone including me was astounded by his cocky arrogant additude. Lebron had no titles and I did not give a crap who he was going to play for. James now understands why people responded the way they did and he has been humbled both by the Dallas Mavericks and his awareness of how hard winning a championship actually is. The hatred that still exists for James is really over the top. He is a terrific player and the haters out there need to ease up and appreciate just how good he is. As for me im going to be rooting for Duncan and the Spurs but ill be appreciating one the NBAs greatest players Lebron James.

A trophy and a free tee shirt.

I was talking to a good friend of mine who is a high school golf coach and he reminded me of just how different high school sports are these days. He told me about the season and how they managed to win a second consective state title. He was smiling and quite happy about the teams accomplishments. I ask him if the second title was any more difficult than the first one and he said no but that every season has its set of challenges. He said that all his varsity golfers were consistant club players and that he was really fortunate to have an extremely committed group of players. He also told me about some of the parents he has had to deal with in his tenure as coach for almost a decade. Alot of parents believe that their precious child is the second coming of Tiger Woods. They send their children off to expensive sports camps and expect their investment to pay off.  Children no longer play sports in season to stay in shape and learn the value of competition they now start playing organized sports around 7 years of age and hope someday to earn a college schlorship. If your parents cannot afford the football camp that almost all the 8th grade football team will attend over the summer your child will spend his freshman year of high school on the bench. The coaches that brave the new world of competitive sports had better be ready for obnoxious unrealistic parents and family members who believe that every coach is an idiot if their child is not the star of the team. Every child at the expensive football camp hosted by superstar X will get a trophy and a free tee shirt. That in most parents minds tyranslates into varsity letters and future college schlorships. No measly high school coach is going to tell the parent expert with a certificate of authenticity that his kid is not good enough to play varsity baseball because he was a star at baseball camp last year. The expectations and priorities set down for athletics are so out of wack these days that anybody thinking of coaching should have his or her head examined.

Dodger baseball.

My definition of Dodger baseball?? They do not hit ....they pitch when  Kershaw is on the bump they occasionally fight and then they LOSE. Everyone loves the newest sensation Yasiel Puig who cracked 4 homers and batted close to .500 this month but theres still that nagging thought that is still bugging me they are STILL LOSING. Now that might not bother the Hollywood types and fans that stay 6 innings before scrambling for the parking lot to beat the stampede they call LA traffic but im still wondering when the Dodgers will make that mid summer run toward .500. Tonight the blue had a fight and managed to beat the Dbacks 5-3 but im still concerned that maybe the fight in the parking lot is tougher than the baseball team on the field.

NFL London a bad idea.

The NFL commissioner is talking about moving an existing franchise to London. He wants the NFL to have the same world wide appeal.that the NBA has from a marketing and business perspective. The problem is that American football has very limited appeal in Europe and the extensive travel would have an adverse effect on any team that would have to travel there. Appearently the commish has forgotten that the city of Los Angeles is available for american football whenever Jacksonville or some other lame fan base doesnt want to support its NFL team. Rodger and his phony player safety crusade is annoying enough but moving an NFL team to have tea and crumpets is an eually stupid idea.

Buckeye down.

Ohio State President Gordon Gee is resigning from his position on July 1. While im never unhappy with anything bad happening in Columbus im a bit puzzled and alot confused by the events which led to his firing. What he said was definately inappropriate and not something that a person should say in his position but the timing and circumstances behind his firing definately bother me. He made the remarks in December and the University said and did nothing about it for 6 months untill a member of the media made his remarks public. The strong arm of political correctness and the social media is now watching all our words and actions like a hawk. More importantly enemies of public figures are lurking in wait to ruin the careers of people they do not like. Media members will tell you that they are simply bringing to light the truth of what is said and done but i think that old Gordo  made some enemies in Columbus and somebody was waiting for just the right moment to slam the door on his career. The more disturbing thought that comes to my mind is that with the increased awareness in social media there will be a hidden suppression of speech that will take away peoples freedom to speak freely and create legitimate and facinating sports stories that I actually might want to read in the newspaper.

Here come the Hawks!!

The NHL has some great action this playoff season. The Hawks and Wings  hammer it out in a seventh game that was almost more than I could take. The Kings win in 7 over the sharks and the Bruins hammer the Rangers in 5. For the first time since 1945 the participants in the semi finals have each one the Stanley Cup each of the last 4 years. The Kings are looking to repeat their feat this year while the Penguins Hawks and Bruins are looking to repeat their recent success. Anyone of these teams could win the the Stanley Cup so ill make an uninformed prediction Pens in 6 and the Hawks in 7. The action should be fast and furious and i will be watching closely. Lets GO HAWKS!!

Flash and Dash meet the old school Spurs.

I must confess that a match up between the Spurs and Heat is a good one. The Spurs with their version of the big 3 playing solid fundumental basketball facing the flash and dash of the James Gang. Miami is trying to establish itself as the dominant team in the current NBA while the Spurs are trying to reclaim past glory winning 5 titles in a 14 year period. I think Miami has more pressure on them to defeat the Spurs because they are expected by most fans and media to repeat as champs. The Spurs with their veteran team have a chance to debunk the Heats claim of being a great team and reestblish themselves as a dominant force in pro basketball. The Grizzlies found out that the Spurs old school defense designed to callapse inside on both Zach Randolph and Mark Gasol did the job. The Spurs on offense run the pick and roll very well and they shoot the basketball effectively. The Heat are smaller and better at the fast tempo game and they play very good defense. James is fantastic and if Wade and the others contribute the Heat are a difficult match up for any opponent. Miami will win the series in 6 games unless the Spurs can effectively make James more of a passer and assist guy and Duncan and the rest of the Spurs can rebound and score effectively throughout the series.

Silence is golden.

A friend of mine commented to me that he wasnt going to renew his season football tickets this next season. He is a big fan like me so i ask my buddy why he made his decision.. I figured it might be the high ticket prices which are unreasonably high for college football games or just that the time committment on Saturday was too much for him and he wanted to spend the fall doing other things. Nah he said its not that its the unbelievable noise at the stadium. He wasnt talking about crowds being excited or the marching band being where his seats were he was talking about all the artificial noise being pumped in around the stadium. The speakers being blasted so that the stadium announcer and all the video commercials on the giant message board could be heard for 20 miles. Noise is constant at the major sporting events now so that even if you wanted a quiet moment to think about the game it is almost impossible. Every baseball player is now introduced for his time at bat with a rock balad or foot stompin diddy.What has happened to those golden moments of silence during a game when you could actually think about the game?  It seems like promotors in sports these days try to make everything an epic event complete with every kind of distraction you could possibly create. You cant even hear applause at the football venue anymore because the STATE FARM Auto ads are blaring at every timeout. The speakers are so loud at the ends of the field that the cracking of the pads and the roar of the crowd can no longer be heard because the rock music between plays has started up and you cant hear yourself think. I know that kids now become bored if they arent entertained every possible second but could we at least turn the noise down long enough for my ears to stop ringing and my eyes time to see the game?

GO GRIZ!!!

Koby and Shaq ruined the Lakers for me in the 90s and since then ive been searching for a new team to root for in the NBA. The Memphis Grizzlies hard nosed style and excellent defense are convincing me they are the team im looking for. Hollins is a good coach and Randolph Gasol and Conley are good players who play hard and exciting basketball. I considered the Bulls but the memory of jordan made me forget that possibillity. The knicks are chokers and full of drama plus spike Lee is annoying so they are out. The Celtics are the kings of the NBA but i confess im not a hard core Celtic fan which all boston fans are so the celts are not my choice. The Spurs are good and should be respected with Duncan and pops but they are about as exciting as watching paint dry.  The choice is obvious lets break out the BBQ listen to some excellent blues music and root for the GRIZ!!!  GO GRIZZLES!!

Second Triple Crown?

Orb may have fallen short in his effort to win the Triple Crown but Miguel Cabrera may be on his way to his second straight Triple Crown in major league baseball. He is hitting a sensational .387 and has 47 runs batted in. He crushed three homers Sunday night in Texas and despite the Tigers losing the game Cabrera doesnt seem to be slowing down anytime soon. Miguel is a big time talent and despite his troubles off the field i think he deserves credit for being the GREAT hitter that he is.

Dodgers talk. Giants win.

The Dodgers are probably going to fire Mattingly but the blame for getting their asses kicked all season long should be shared by ALL the players and management. .We heard all the hype about the new management and new players that is exactly what it has been so far lots of hype and no results. Either stinks. Crawford? Gonzales? Handley? All either injured or no factor. I saw the closer #31 with a 5+ ERA and wondered who the hell is this guy? After he pitched i said ....WHY the HELL is he the closer? There was alot of noise at seasons beginning by MAGIC and the new ownership about winning a championship but that is exactly what it is TALK.The Dodgers TALK a big game the Giants PLAY a big game. 2 world Series titles and virtually no hype at all while doing it. The Dodgers have 2 legitimate ball players #22 and #27 and the rest of the bums better grow a set and earn some of that 200 million dollar payroll.

Pitcher protection.

Major League Baseball is investigating the possibillity of pitchers wearing protective gear. While i feel bad for any pitcher who suffers from a line drive injury i think the possibillity of pitchers wearing masks and helmets is a silly idea.The better idea is for coaches and instructors to teach pitchers how to field their positions better. I am also suspicious that MLB is not all that concerned about player safety but instead concerned about being sued by a pitcher for not protecting them from the hazards of baseball. The fact is that all sports have an inherent risk of injury when played at a highly competive level. Athletes assume the risk when they take part in competition. Having medical staff at the athletic sight is sufficient protection for the athletes in competition. MLB doesnt need to comprise the performance of its players because of the fear of injury lawsuits or anything else over protective men in suits can think of.

Sports pain.

Everyone has exprienced the pain of watching their favorite sports teams lose a big game. Names like Bobby Olive Mark Wade and Greg Frey may not mean anything to the average sports fan but to me the mention of these names causes me ESP ......Extreme Sports Pain.  Greg Frey and Bobby Olive teamed up to beat Iowa on a last second touchdown pass.Mark Wade lead the UNLV Runnin Rebels back from a 21 point deficit in a final eight showdown during the 1987-88 season. The pain from these loses was so painful that I can still remember key plays and situations during the losses.I couldnt eat for at least a day and i didnt watch any sports television for at least a week. I was actually in Kinnick Stadium for Frye to Olive and I sat their untill every person left the stadium.I can remember Wade grinning as he dribbled out the clock and crushed my dreaam of seeing Iowa in the final four for the second time in my life. Perhaps those disappointments have tempered my feelings when the Hawks struggle during a bad season. Was the pain worth the chance at a big victory for my team? Absolutely it certainly was.

Notre Dame wimpy IRISH.

Before im convinced that Notre Dame football is back for good let me call BULL on the irish backing out of their series with Michigan. I realize that the games with Navy and Purdue are vitally important but i think thats not a good move for college football.Their linebacker has a fake girlfriend and almost wins the Heisman because of it. Bama clobbers their cocky asses in the title game and now no more Michigan?  Notre Dame football wasnt really a factor in college football for 25 years and if they keep on making really stupid decisions thats exactly where they will end up again.

Dodger hero.

LA Dodger Matt Kemp is one of my favorite baseball players. After what he did in San Fransisco after a 4-3 Loss to the Giants he has also become one of my favorite people. A young man who is battling cancer was at the game and Matt came over to sign a baseball and meet him. The young man can no longer speak so Kemp said hello and gave the young man his #27 uniform his cap and shoes. The expression on the young mans face was priceless. Kemp made the statement that he believes that some things are more important than baseball and that he tries to use baseball as an opportunity to make others happy. Matt Kemp is not only an outstanding baseball player but someone who puts sports in its proper perspective. Im glad he represents my team. Go Dodgers and GO #27.

MOM......

 Mom : I love you.  Im sure you are fine and that you have made heaven a home and the children there very welcome and happy. All your children both natural and babysitted are doing fine. Jenny is yanno being Jenny she is loving your grandsons and fighting with terry as usuall. Dad is fine still working Gambling and living life happier than ever. He misses you so but remembers you often. Clyde misses you the most but she has kept her promise to you. I worry that her sadness may sometimes give her the blues but i know her family loves and keeps her going. Mom i miss you but im sure your excited about anna. She is a wonderful woman and we are happy together. I love her alot and she loves me too. Thanks Mom for all you did for me and all you continue to do for everyone here.  The joy you must feel now has got to be amazing and all the heavens must give you plenty to keep you busy. Please know that you are thought of and loved with all my heart.  Please pray for all of us and i look forward to seeeing you again when the Lord calls me home. rick

Nascar leadership questionable.

For about a three year period I became a Nascar fan and enjoyed and appreciated all the sport had to offer. Im no longer interested in the sport on a serious level because the officials at the head of Nascar are ridiculous both in terms of disapline for team infractions and also determining a season champion. They have no problem finishing a race in darkness and rain endangering the safety of the drivers but if one of your car parts is centimeters too big your in big trouble!! The priorities of the governing arm of the sport are confusing and just plain STUPID. After crushing Matt Kenseth for a car part infraction they arbitrarily reduce the penalties and give no reason for any of their actions. Their idea to make the 12 races at the end of the season carry more weight than the previous 26 is great for fans but takes away from the value of a championship. If you place 12th through two thirds of the season in a 42 car field are you really deserving of the chance at a title?  Nascar is terrific at marketing their sport and the drivers and crews are generally the nicest people in all of sports but the govering body within NASCAR is AWFUL.

The say hey kid.

Happy Birthday to baseball great Willie Mays. The say hey kid is 82 years old today and I consider him to be the best all around baseball player to ever step between the lines. More than just a stat stuffer Mays performed on the field and carried himself with class throughout his baseball career. Mays cracked 660 homers accumulated 12 gold gloves and was an excellent base runner. Being a Dodger fan it is hard to root for the Giants but Willie Mays deserves to be remembered as an all time GREAT player. He unlike some of todays so called star players didnt need to grab headlines with his mouth he earned the headlines with his hustle and passion for the game. Mr. Harper you are a good ball player WILLIE MAYS was A GREAT PLAYER I suggest you live a little longer play a little harder and show some respect.

Wheres Derrick?

The Chicago Bulls have my respect and admiration.  The flu virus and various injuries have not dampened their toughness and grit during their playoff  battle against the Brookyn Nets. Derrick Rose needs to step it up and show the same courage his teammates showed during their game 6 loss on Thursday night in Chicago.Noone expects Rose to play 40 minutes at full speed his first time back but he needs to be the leader that the Bulls believe he is. Derrick made the statement that he wants to come back when he is able to move on instinct again and not think about his movements. The problem with that is he cannot get that automatic movement untill he is able to mentally overcome his fear. Overcoming fear only happens when physical movement begins. Doctors have cleared Rose to play and his pressence in game 7 against the Nets might just be the emotional lift the Bulls need to win and advance to the second round against the Miami Heat.

Courage defined.

Our culture has accepted two huge lies. The first lie is that if you disagree with someones lifestyle you must fear or hate them. The second huge lie is that to love someone is to agree with everything a person says or does. I dont hate anyone or fear anything accept God and I love many people who do and say things that i completely disagree with. I cannot profess to love God and hate my brother or sister but I believe i would do them both a great disservice if I fein support for something I do no believe is right. Moral courage is not defined by accepting or tolerating something you disagree with it is instead defined by standing up for something you wholeheartedly believe is true when everyone else disagrees.

Is Tebo mainia dead?

Its official Tim Tebo is no longer a New York Jet. Let the endless speculation on ESPN begin. Never has so much speculation happened about a backup quarterback. Im a fan of Tebo though i believe he is being alot naive if he believes he has proven himself as a starter in the NFL. Yes i saw the ten games in Denver and I believe he has a skill set that could be beneficial to somebody in the NFL. But his experience in New York also proves that he needs to improve his craft. I have heard from all the Tebo apologists that the Jets somehow ripped him off or treated him unfairly. Tebo should have played more in New York but he is hardly the answer for any team in the NFL at this stage of his career. The Bears would be a decent fit for Tebo considering the backup QBs in Chicago are horrid.  One truth has certainly revealed itself about the current New York football Jets they are TERRIBLE.

Boxing comeback.

The sport of boxing needs to make a big comeback. Im thinking that if the sports entertainment world has room for WWE Wrestling and MMA fights the sweet science can find a place somewhere on the sports landscape. A National Boxing Commission and a push to clean up the wide spread corruption in the sport would be some good intiall steps towards reviving the sport that i believe has a huge following.This Saturday im going to watch Floyd mayweather fight and im not sure if i should feel excited or slightly guilty for paying to see him. Im appauled by the fact that he punched his girlfriend but im so starved for the chance to see a good fight card that im probably going to pay the money. Boxing was such a big part of my sports life that I want to revisit  the experience despite the fact that the sport i love is full of despicable people and ripoff artists Shame on all those people who have ruined a terrific sports experience but shame on me for being so weak that I cannot resist a good ole fashioned fist fight.

Open mouth insert foot.

Mark Jackson Golden State Basketball coach happily quipped that his two guard tandom might be the best shooting guard tandom in NBA history. Maybe Mark forgot about Steph Currys shooting performance during the previous game or maybe he is completely OUT OF HIS MIND. He says hes seen all the great shooting guards and his two guards are the best. Mark did you forget about Gail Goodrich and Jerry West??  Or maybe Clyde frazier and Earl Monroe? Im not sure if he was just talking about great shooting or all around play but Jackson is like alot of his contemporaries who attribute GREATNESS to just about anything that he is directly involved with. There is little doubt that Curry is an excellent long range shooter but can we at least wait to see if  these guys can maintain their excellence over a period of time? Mark when Curry plays ten years and still is shooting a high percentage against the best guards the NBA has to offer then maybe you can brag but untill then shut your loud and overated piehole.

NFL draft.

Its NFL draft day and i cannot decide how to be more excited about it.I could buy a 12 pack of Coors and drink everytime one of the talking heads says that a player has a motor that never quits. Im always tempted to ask the overpaid jughead what that actually means but before i can Mel Kyper JR is babbling on about the next prospect. Im sad that Raiders owner Al Davis wont be there to draft a prospect that nobody expects and have everyone say hes insane. Im looking forward to the Jets fans at the draft who obnoxiously cheer the whole time before their team selects and then BOO the pick no matter who it is. The Bears have plenty of needs and only 5 picks in this draft so i am assuming that they may trade down and grab a few more prospects but who knows what the new coaching staff has in mind. I think ill watch the draft coverage on the NFL network for a change and hope someone CRUSHES Rodger Gedell with an overbearing bearhug. The possibillity is a longshot but if it happens it will definately be must see TV.

Peace for America.

American society has become far too violent. The solution to the problem is far too complex for a guy like me to figure out.The donkey party and elephant politicians keep arguing about social issues but people are still dying on their way to finishing marathons. People get patriotic and emotional for a week or maybe a month but still people continue to die in our schools and in the city streets. Everytime someone mentions the possibillity of closer regulation of television or the internet people scream bloody murder about their first amendment rights, Our churches have become social institutions that very seldom speak out about the bad behavior that is prevelent in our society. The family has become fractured and is in the process of becoming redefined. Marrige is failing half the time and is in the process of becoming whatever two people say it is. Americans are calling for tolerance and unity in these violent times hoping that the education and the appreciation of diversity will stem the tide. The truth is that the elimination of violence can only start when we become more tolerant of spiritual expression and less tolerant of those people who wish too supress it in the interest of protecting everybodies so called religious liberty. Americans need MORE freedom to spread their spiritual wings not less. Prayers in all locations to any higher power are better then telling people they can only pray in a stone building or temple on a certain day of the week. The separation of church and state is a good idea untill its taken to an extreme and begins to supress natural spiritual behavior and values that promote peaceful non violent action.

A real professional.

Pat Summerall was that announcer that added enjoyment to your football Sunday. His voice was both welcoming and soothing to the ears and he made watching football games better. He did not need a catch phrase or a gimick to be remembered he was simply a fan like everyone else. The greatness in Summerall was that he had the humility to realize that he was not the reason people watched the NFL. The games themselves were enough for the fans of my generation and Pat was  an understated part of those games. The reality show mentality that has overtaken almost all of sports television these days could learn alot from a professional like Summerall. RIP Pat I know the heavenly airwaves will be blessed to have you.

Boston will win!!

The good people of Boston will win this battle. We all salute you in your suffering and pray for your well being. To those who have lost loved ones we pray for Gods comfort in this your time of need. To the coward or cowards who carried out this act of random cruelty you may be reveling in your fame and self righteous hatred for now but we will eventually forget you. You will be remembered only by your creator and dealt with in good time. A murderer shrinks hides and sleeps with his murdering friends but that is ALL He or they will EVER be.The people who are suffering now will either become new citizens of heaven or productive humans who will learn to love and run Boston Marathons again if that is what they choose to do. There will be sadness and grief for a time in this great city but for the great people of Boston they will do what all great patriots do they will  rise above the tyranny and fight the oppressor untill the battle is won.

Alford update.

The new and improved basketball coach at UCLA Steve Alford has now seen the light and has apologized for his actions at the University of Iowa eleven years ago. Well Mr Alford  i believe the time for an apology has long since passed.  I believe you were ordered to apologize by your new athletic director and you really have no remorse for anything you did eleven years ago regarding the sexual assault of that young woman. Pierre Pierce has also spoken about his behavior and has said basically that anyone can say anything they want about what happened eleven years ago. He said he has moved passed everyone and everything involved in the young womans sexual assault. He has also said that he will not say anything bad about his beloved Coach Alford. The new and apologetic version of Mr Alford might be beliveable if he actually took tangible steps to prove he actually was sorry. Shallow words in a press release a decade later probably wont mean anything to a woman who has endured sexual assault. How about forgetting about basketball and your selfish ambition and dealing directly with the people you actually hurt?. Pierce probably still denies he did anything but at least he paid a slight price for his actions.You Mr Alford harassed the woman humilated and brow beat her with the help of your Christian pals and allientated and embarassed a whole community of people who simply wanted you to follow up on the morals and ethics that you said you believed in. You have now landed your dream job at UCLA and the memories of Iowa and that young woman have faded out of memory or have they? The people of California want answers  for your behavior MR ALFORD  and unlike the press and people of Iowa the bright lights and big stage of Westwood will dig up your past and force you to address the reasons for your horrible behavior. You said when you bailed on your job at New Mexico that the phone call from UCLA was unlike any other call you ever received but i think something or someone else might have been behind that call. The truth is calling MR ALFORD and this time if you ignore her the consequences may be alot different.

One and done.

The one and done rule in college basketball is a complete joke. The NCAA allows this to happen but frowns upon college coaches making too many phonecalls to recruit these same athletes? What kind of message are they sending about the value of a college education? What insentive does a Trey Burke have to go to class if hes only going to Michigan for 1 season of basketball? Making a mockery out of an instution of higher learning and not caring about academic standards is just as bad a violation of the rules as receiving extra material benefits from some wild eyed booster with deep pockets. Why not set up an independent league for college aged players apart from our nations colleges and universities that would allow for them to play basketball or football and bypass the phony college experience crapola the NCAA tries to promote? The answer is the NCAA wants to further promote this phony crapola because of the big money these high school sports stars create. The NCAA does not mind capitalizing on young high school talent but let a college coach take a kid out to lunch like Rick Majeris did at Utah after he lost his father and BAM its a recruting violation. A bunch of sickening political hypocrites!! A brood of vipers and opportunists!! Stop the nonsense and bring the value of a college education back to where it belongs above and beyond that of the curruption and greed of big money college athletics.

Good tiger bad.Bad tiger good.

On the eve of the Masters golf tournament you hear all these golf nerds all a twitter about Eldrick and wheather he will win another major. He was alot more exciting when he was crashing his SUV into trees trying to get away from his absolutely gorgeous wife. The guy has more money then god and he decides to slum it at dennys with a waitress. Always alot guarded and always in control "good" Eldrick is about as exciting as laundry spinning. I could care less if Eldrick wins 1 or 20 more majors but if  he decided to turn back into Slummin Tiger on the prowl id be more than interested. Im so tired of the moronic debate about wheather Tiger is back or not. Its fricken golf people if you can smoke drink and play it when your 85 im not sure great athletes play golf. I know all the golf nerds get all testy when you say that but its true. "bad tiger" needs to resurface so that golf will interest me again.

Easy on the zebras.

Maybe ive just noticed it more because of all the social media and opinion that is out there but could we please stop blaming losses on the referees??? Im as guilty as the next person about this subject but i have decided to except as part of the sports fan experience that officials are prone to making mistakes. The officials are not part of a conspiracy designed to defeat a particular team they are there to restore order and let the athletes determine the winners and losers of competition. The officials are very seldom the  only reason a team loses a game. The reasons can probably be traced back to a pattern of mistakes usually related to execution or the lack of fundemetals during the game. Buzz peterson marquette basketball coach said it best when asked why his team lost to syracuse during the tourney. He didnt blame referees or say something lame like we gave them the game or we are the better team but just not today. He said we lost because they were better. Imagine that some stark truth in the middle of whining whimpering and excuse making so many fans like to do. Thanks Buzz.

Husker love.

A big round of applause goes out to the University of Nebraska for allowing a little boy to live out a fantastic memory. Seven year old Jack Hoffman who is battling brain cancer is on the field during the spring football game. He suddenly finds himself  carrying the football and breaking free on his way to a sxty seven yard touchdown. When Jack enters the endzone he is greeted with hugs of celebration and love. I can only imagine how much joy his parents must have felt seeing their little boy run his heart out surrounded by so much love. I will be praying for Jack and his family and thanking God for a bunch of warm hearted Huskers who showed love to a little boy.

Rutgers rats.

Eric Murdoch former Rutgers assistant basketball Coach waits months before releasing the video of his coach abusing his players. Files a wrongful termination suit and wants to be paid.I dont really see any deep concern for his players. Coach Rice is abusive and a bad basketball coach but he also is getting paid 1.2 million dollars a cell phone and a car. No deep concern for his players just a lame apology and a quick trip to the bank to cash a BIG check. The shrimpy assistant to coach Rice that isnt suing Rutgers is probably already stuck his nose into another assistant position somewhere having collected plenty of salary from the school for his classy coaching. The athletic director says that he wanted to fire Rice but the powerful university board of trustees made him suspend the coach. The President who still has his job says he never saw the video untill just before all the turmoil. Murdoch is an extortionist who wants his money. Rice is a bully a bad basketball coach and a rich thief who needs anger management classes. The AD is a liar with a good reputation and a wimpass who passes the buck. The President is a liar with his head in the sand who is really lucky he has a job. The general rule when dealing with university employees in high profile positions is that the more money and power you give them the more likely bad things will happen. The real losers here are the athletes and students who have to deal with this all too fimilar behavior. The solution is too pay everyone less and put sports in its proper perspective out of big money and back into being an inexpensive part of someones college education.

Cards fly past Michigan.

Michigan vs Louisville in the title game is a basketball tornado ready to happen.Open court dunks and fast breaks should be the norm but the team that rebounds and plays better defense will win the championship. Hearing cheers for Michigan in an Iowa City bar is like nails on a chalkboard and Iowa fans should be ashamed of themselves. Big Ten loyalty is a concept i really never completely understood. Cheering for a school that has completely dominated  Iowa for a century in both football and basketball is absolute nonsense. Louisville is annoying but they are a better defensive basketball team that is more experienced and slightly better at playing 94 feet. This will be a great game full of excitement and an excellent way to end  the college basketball season Louisville 77-69.

Why Alford?

Steve Alford coaching at UCLA might be the worst hire in the history of modern day college basketball. The Bruin program just fired a coach that won a conference title and made an appearence in the NCAA tournament this year. The bruins pride themselves in not settling for less than national championships so WHY would they hire Steve Alford??  Resume stops include SW Missouri state Iowa and new mexico decent programs but not schools that realistically have a shot at a national title. STRIKE 1. Since Alford is leaving behind an excellent coach in craig neil who is responsible for most of his recruiting success his chances of  dominating recriting in southern California are not as good as the Bruin AD might think. STRIKE 2. Alfords post season track record is nothing short of a disaster STRIKE 3. Being a fan of the University of  Iowa i saw first hand Alford and his dispicable actions covering up a sexual asssault. He was horrible to media and business people here in Iowa City and he left the program in far worse shape than it was when he arrived.  His actions crushed a program that many Iowans hold near and dear to their hearts and for that i hope UCLA and its haughty ridiculous program and fan base kick his ass to the curb.

Mark Cuban crazy?

Mark Cuban dallas mavs owner says Baylor star player Brit Griner would be worth drafting in the upcoming NBA draft?? Of course Mark likes to stir the pot and create buzz when his basketball team is terrible so im not going to rant and rave about his comments. She would be killed in the NBA. The college womens game needs someone like a Griner to make it relevent again. The idea of women having the same opportunities as men in basketball is something I support but am afraid is a dying proposition. Griner was great for womens college basketball but i think Mark Cuban following through on his promise to draft Griner would definately encourage more girls and young women to persue their basketball dreams.That is a wonderful idea.

CENA vs THE ROCK.

I am becoming a big fan of WWE wrestling. The athleticism and story lines behind the characters are very entertaining. My favorites are Dwane johnson and John Cena. The two combatants will square off in a week at wrestlemainia and it should be hilarious. The winners and losers really are not important to me but the story line behind WWE wrestling is worth a watch.  I CAN SEE John Cena and I CAN smell what the ROCK is cookin!!! My prediction is Cena will defeat the Rock at wrestlemainia and set up a third match between the two mega stars sometime this summer.

Sports hangover

The transition between college basketball to pro baseball is always the most difficult for me. The steroid infested slow moving sleep walk that is MLB will become ok as the weather warms up and I return to the outdoors. The opening night game between the Houston Astros and Texas Rangers had about as much appeal as a warm glass of water on a 90 degree day so i decided to skip it. Eventually i will start to watch baseball simply because there really isnt anything else. Baseball im really not happy your here but as soon as basketball is over i suppose your better than nothing. College basketball is one big dance party full of excitement and now that the party is ending baseball will ease the hangover untill football next fall.

Bracket busted.

Final 4 time and this year and there are plenty of surprises. Louisvile the hard charging #1 seed looks like the favorite with lightning speed and precision. Syracuse the long tall athletic team that frustrates opponents with defense and rebounding are a definate threat.  The Shockers definately are shocking and rugged and will pound the boards with a vengence.The Wolverines are there too with a young and talented group that can compete with anyone if they bring their A game. My bracket is officially dead but i really have enjoyed the tourney this year.To all the people who fill out 87 brackets and now say hey i told you so.....To you I say your a genious. For the rest of us who are now humbled and humiliated by all that has happened I say wasnt it a blast?!!!

March badness.

March madness has been exciting and troubling at the same time.The games have been exciting and my tournament brackets are an absolute mess. What ive noticed from a negative point of view is that the shooting in the tourney has been absolutely horrid. The statistics do speak to the truth of the bad shooting not only in the tourney but throughout the season. Only a handfull of teams even shoot 50% from the field and good free throw shooting teams shoot slightly over 70% from the line. The athletes are bigger stronger and faster but the basketball is definately not better. The mid range shot is not practiced enough and free throws are obviously secondary in a players skill level. The blame should be directed at the advent of the 3 point shot and the glamourization of the slam dunk. The basketball would again become better if there were no 3 point shot and the goal of offenses was to get to the rim. The inside out offense that is common now would revert back to attacking the rim and higher percentage shots. Bigger stonger faster athletes would not only be more entertaining but also better basketball players.

Big Ten overated.

All the college basketball experts have said the Big Ten is the premier conference in the nation this year.Call me crazy but lets wait and see if  its true before we crown a national champion. Indiana is very good at the transition game but when a team slows them down their half court offense is average. Michigan is really athletic and very good as well when the tempo of the game is fast but their defense is bad. Ohio State is solid with Craft at the point and a solid frontcourt but last years squad with Jared Sellinger was better.Minnesota has athletes but there lack of scoring and deplorable defense is really NIT worthy. Wisconsin is solid defensively but they lack the star power to make a deep run in the post season.Michigan state is really physical and they have terrific experience and atheticism but they have trouble scoring at times. Everyone seems to love Indiana and Ohio State and coach Izzo is always a threat at this time of year but i dont share everyones optimistic outlook. The Big Ten is certainly good this year but  I believe a bit overated. My picks for the Final Four this year are Florida Duke Gonzaga and Miami. My national champion is Miami.GO Caines!!!  Everyone enjoy the roundball its in my opinion the best time of year.

Bear Down #54

The Chicago Bears announced today that Brian Urlacker will no longer be a Bear.Let me say i really loved watching Brian play football for the Bears. He always gave 100% and was the face of the franchise for many years.I know alot of bears fans will be upset he didnt end his career in Chicago but i dont have any bad feelings about the decision. As a fan i cant help but feel a sense of graditude and appreciation toward both the Bears and Urlacker for 13 years of fantastic football. Like #51 before him Urlacker will always be a favorite of mine and as long as he doesnt end his career with OMG i cant even say it!!!  Anyway GO BEARS!!

Kentucky blues.....

I know nobody cares about the NIT but seeing Kentucky lose in the first round is really awesome. Pretty boy coach slinks to the microphone and has to admit his team is uh BAD. Seeing Louisville go into Rupp Arena has got to make BIG BLUE NATION cringe. Robert Morris? Last year the K had the magic formula to form a dynasty this year they STINK. Big blue gets to watch their hated rival blow through town and use their beloved arena to advance. After last years nightmare of seeing a bluegrass revival I can now grin and think of all the sadness that is CRUSHING Kentucky fans everywhere.

My rules.

A couple of basic rule changes would seem to make sense when choosing the field of 68 for the NCAA mens basketball tournament. We shall call them rules to avoid being a complete moron when rewarding basketball teams for successful seasons.Rule #1 If a team does not maintain a .500 record within its conference they do not get an invite to the tournament.Rule#2 games later in the season carry more weight when determining wheather a team is deserving of a birth to the tournament. Im sick to death of seeing teams play crappy basketball down the strech and still be rewarded for early season success. Beating 2 ranked opponents in november shouldnt be ignored but  it shouldnt be rewarded past its merit either. I propose the selection committee choose the top 60 teams in college basketball and then choose 36 other teams via automatic tournament births or successful record throughout the season. There should also be tighter control over who plays who by the NCAA.  There has to be a fairer method by which teams with lesser schueduling opportunities can play an occasional ranked opponent  Untill then the strength of schuedule freaks can stop hammering teams for not playing better opponents during the season.The womens game is also tremendously limited because of both a lack of parity and popularity within their sport. There are possibly   7 schools within womens hoops that that have a legitimate shot a championship. Why should I support womens basketball at Iowa if i know they cant ever beat a connecticut or Baylor? There doesnt really need to be an answer to these criticisms as long as the basketball is exciting and Rick wins his tournament pool.

Go Big Red.

Championship week is here and everyone is popping bubbles looking for buzzer beaters and sweating out the selection show on Sunday. The brackets come out and BOOM somebody gets screwed. All the ESPN experts pick all the favorites and I LOVE IT.Searching the tourney for that team that nobody will pick in their bracket is something I look forward to every year. It wont be Liberty or Havard but wouldnt it be great if The BIG RED everyone expected to win March Madness was Harvard instead of IU?

Bear down.

Its good to see the Bears being active in free agency signing a pass catching TE and a quality offensive lineman. The new GM Phil Emory and Coach Trestman are showing Bears fans they are serious about winning a Championship. The final step will be resigning Jay Cutler to a long term deal. I realize Jay isnt perfect but he is a quarterback that is skilled and talented enough to lead the Bears to a title provided the talent around him is in place. What appears to be good about the situation is that Cutler realizes this season is crucial for his career and future in Chicago. Im not suggesting that its either Superbowl or bust for Cutlers future in Chicago but i believe the time is now for a talented roster to contend and take the next step toward a title.The offense with a fresh perspective and a solid defense full of experience should give the Bears a shot at the Superbowl in 2014.

Indiana weirdness.

Indiana loses a chance at an outright conference championship on Senior night and before i can wildly celebrate they act very strangely and kill my happy buzz. Coach Creen and his players cut the nets down and celebrate sharing a title with another Big Ten opponent. That kind of celebration doesnt happen at Indiana.Coach Knight would have screamed to high hell about a loss and especially one that cost his team a conference title. A kinder gentler Indiana is not what i expect because it doesnt compute in my basketball world  Indiana expects nothing less than championships in basketball and if they dont get it i wanna feel GREAT not weirded out by a fake celebration full of sappy sentiment and good feelings.

You cant handle the truth!

The grand old mothership of everything sports has reached a new level of silliness. The Chicago Black Hawks are on a historically significant winning streak of 23 games without a regulation loss and the great sports authority spent more time talking about  a dance video featuring the Miami heat. The NCAA basketball season is winding down with conference tournaments just around the corner and what do i hear about from the national sports media? The fact that magic johnson has offered a million bucks to lebron James to participate in next years slam dunk contest. Totally manufactured stories about NOTHING thats what sports journalism has become in this the enlightened age of communication and social media. How did a Heisman Candidate get away with fabricating a ficticious girlfriend and fooling a bunch of psedo journalistic idiots? He just told the story and NOBODY followed up on the truth of the story. When all else fails on a slow sports day we dont investigate and dig into possible sports and news stories anymore the media just starts a rumor and spreads it through connected media outlets.We dont need 24 hour news cycles and more social connection what we need is people commited to finding the truth about what happens in this world.We dont need every jackhole in the world telling us his or her opinion about everything what we need is a revival of  real investigative journalism and people who respect the truth in sports reporting. Real stories about the games people play thats what I want.

Gonzaga #1

Good for the Gonzaga Bulldogs!!! #1 in the nation. All the college basketball bluebloods ....Jay Bilas and some other jackhole named Jason Williams are whining as usuall about how THE ZAGS dont play anybody. The U lost to Duke this weekend so all the cameron idiots can go ahead and keep dreaming about coach K and the possibillity of another title. This weekend Duke/Carolina will battle it out to see who will get second in the ACC oh man DUKEY V will be so excited!!! You can already hear all the experts whining 2 weeks from now about how Gonzaga doesnt deserve a #1 seed in the tournament. The Zags not only deserve their ranking but come March they will prove to Duke and all the other frontrunners that they really do belong.

Stay off the floor!!

Please can we stop the fake drama in college basketball? Storming the floor after winning a conference game at home is lame.I dont care if its Duke Indiana or another #1 students need to act like they expected to win a big game.What did Virginia actually accomplish by beating Duke earlier this week? NOTHING. I understand if a team wins a championship or a big game is decided by a last second shot but storming the floor after a game that means next to nothing is ridiculous

A class act.

Seeking to become the 4th womens Division 1 womens basketball coach to win 900 games Rutgers basketball Coach Vivian Stringer is one of the best coaches in the country. Everyone remembers the comments made by radio talk shock jock Don Imus about the Rutgers basketball team but Stringers contribution to womens basketball is tremendous. A terrific coach and recruiter Stringer built the University of Iowa program into a solid Big Ten contender. She led the Hawkeyes to a final four appearance and did it the right way. She is a class act and has influnced so many people in such a positive way she deserves not only recognition but congrats from everyone involved in college basketball.

Bring on the madness.

I watched some of the NFL combine this weekend and thought about the fact it wasnt real football. Daytona managed to miss my television the sport is one left turn away from obscurity in my world. My college hoops team is faultering not because of lack of talent but because they really are afraid to lose. I should be depressed but im fine with it because SPRING is just around the corner. March madness and tournament brackets are in the not too distant future. Gonzaga North Carlina State and Miami are on my college basketball watch list and i cant wait for March 17 and the unveiling of the matchups. Basketball and springtime is a combination that always makes life better. Bring on the warm and bring the madness!

NCAA needs a change.

It would be easy for me to start ranting and raving about the flu or cold weather but that is just too easy. I have been a college sports fan all of my life and i still do not understand the NCAA and its ridiculously vauge and stupid rules. There have been scandalls throughout NCAA history but never any reasonable explanations for any of its actions. Random slaps on the wrist for certain schools and heavy handed punishments for others make no sense to anyone.. Vauge terms such as lack of institutional control are spoken of by the NCAA without any real explanation as to what the terms actually mean. I believe its time for an independent investigation of the NCAA and its governing bodies. The current NCAA is hiding behind the complexity and corruption that happens when there is no institutional accountabillity anywhere within the organization. The future of college athletics may be in doubt if something doesnt happen in the not too distant future,

Spartan tough.

Do the names Adreian Payne Keith Appling or Derrick Nix ring any bells? They may not be fimiliar names to most sports fans but they do tell me a college basketball fan something about a great college coach.There are more famous coaches who get more publicity or their pick of all the elite high school basketball players but nobody is a better coach. Michigan state has a record of 22-4 this season and I think this might be Coach Izzos best coaching job. His teams are tough and physical and play excellent defense. He has had his share of stars in East Lansing but no matter the star quality of the Spartan squad they usually contend for a conference title.  My vote for 2013 Coach of the year in college Basketball is Tom Izzo.

Show me Cinderella.

Channel surfing through a Thursday night i need a college basketball fix. March madness is around the corner and i need information about some obscure teams that might surprise in the tourney.Of course you can count on the ESPN network to give you lots of information about all things basketball right? No not really. The two teams that i run into are PUKE i mean Duke and U Conn.Man im tired of Duke being on 12 times a year and the love affair with all things HUSKY is annoying. This is a year where no dominant team is surfacing can we please see somebody different? We all know coach wonderful is the greatest thing since John Wooden but ive seen his team enough, The East coast bias in the media will never go away but im hoping the balance in college basketball will allow me to see a  real Cinderella win a championship.

Who are these guys?

Im feeling my age i was watching the NBA all star game and i realized that i dont even know half the all stars in the game. There are in fact whole teams that i have no idea about and that is very depressing. BJ Augustine ....George Hill .....Paul George ......Roy hibbert.... Danny Granger. Who the heck are these no names? The same can be said about alot of MLB players. I know the teams i see on the cable in the summer but as far as anybody on the Seattle mariners I know 1 player Felix Hernandez. The years are now blending together into a haze and players that i followed back in the day now have sons playing in the majors.The list of names I mentioned earlier are all members of the Indiana Pacers a team that could challenge for an NBA title. Its time to read up and meet a whole new NBA before Seattle goes sonic the Nets move back to jersey and the Lakers get good again.

Good television.

I was watching friday night fights this week and realized that Teddy Atlas is absolutely terrific. He doesnt talk about himself and he doesnt care about anything on camera except the fight he is watching. He has an educated opinion about something he actually knows about......boxing. It is a treat to hear somebody with some actuall knowlodge about their sport talk directly to the television viewer about the sport he loves.No gimmick no speaking louder than the other guy to get his point across just a conversation about a fight. Two hours well spent on a network that usually rots my brain in less than 15 minutes.

Kareem the dream.

Today was Jordans 50th birthday and let the asss kissing begin. Could Mikey still play?? His fans just automatically assume that im going to bow down and admit that the gambler and failed baseball player was the second coming of superman. I still say NBA officials told mike to go away for awhile untill his gambling was swept under the rug. We dont need mikey the degenerate gambler tarnishing the NBA and its rebuilt image. The national sports media jumped on the opportunity to compare Mikey and Lebron. Whos bettter?? Neither one of the two would get my vote for best player. And i know all the Jordan worshippers will gasp and question my sanity. But Jabbar was better. In a league where defense and physical play were emphysized Jabbar scored 38000 points grabbed more rebounds and was an unstoppable player. Kareem had 6 MVP awards and was a part of six NBA championships.He also won  3 consecutive NCAA titles at UCLA. Kareem scored 5000 more points than mikey in a defensive minded league that allowed hand checking and NO free trips down the lane without paying a serious price. Clyde Frazier was another great clutch player that i believe was the best point guard to ever play in the NBA. Bird is my choice for best clutch shooter and Bill Russell gets my vote for toughest and best defender in the post . This is a generation that doesnt like defense and loves stats and offense. I say to all you Jordan ass kissers if your going to consider all time greats try and get past your space jam hero worship and take a look at true greatness.

February not my favorite.

February has got to be the worst month of the sports year. College hoops are in full swing but home teams win 80% of the games and who really cares about basketball polls?? Pitchers and catchers are reporting to spring training WOW!!! just in time to start a painfully long and BORING spring training. The NBA and NHL are grinding on without resolution and football is a distant memory. Wrestling golf and soccer dont ever matter and tennis is in the offseason. What should i expect from a month that celebrates a rodent seeing or not seeing a shadow and a made up holiday that punishes men randomly for not buying women something they will complain about in March. Hang in there sports fans March madness is around the corner and opening day in baseball will bring some relief.

Wrestling out of the Olympics?

The IOC has decided to consider dropping Wrestling from its list of events. I  live in a state where wrestling is important and people are completely shocked!!! Im not one of those people. I participated in wrestling in jr high and have attended the iowa state wrestling tourney. This is a wake up call for the sport of wrestling.The additude that some fans and coaches have about people outside of the sport is less than welcoming. Their additude is that if you dont like our sport you can leave it. Well now that the olympics has decided to leave it maybe that additude will change. Instead of  acting exclusive and snobby about promoting the sport guys like Gable and Brands will promote the sport with more of a positive upbeat feeling. Im not losing any sleep over this decision but maybe this decision will ultimately help the sport.

Hawkeye football.

Tomarrow is national signing day in college football and my favorite team the Iowa Hawkeyes are in a very fimiliar place in the recruiting wars.They find themselves right in the middle of the pack. The Hawks recruiting class according to Rivals.com is rated 52nd out of 125 division 1 schools. Looking at the current roster Iowa has a solid  returning core of players and the future seems to be not without at least a glimmer of hope. Coming off a 4-8 season the doom and gloom faction of Hawkeye rooters will sound the alarm and scream to replace coach Ferentz. They may be calling for a change but i might remind them that  the program has rebounded on two other occasions and their is no reason to believe it cannot happen again. There are 3 types of Iowa football fans within the fan base. The first type i will call the old school hawk fans who remember the period of non winning between roughly 1962 and 1980 when Iowa did not have a winning season. They appreciate winning and have lots of patience when dealing with losing seasons.The second type of fan believes that whatever the program does is NEVER good enough. When Coach Ferentz led the Hawkeyes to 3 consective seasons of a top 10 national ranking they glibly responded with the statement he makes enough money he ought to do that every year. The third type of fan is the bandwagon fan who quickly jumps on and off the bandwagon and calls a season a failure if the team doesnt win at least 8 games. They believed that after Iowas success under Ferentz that iowa had turned the corner and had become Ohio state. That is ridiculous. The program realistically can compete and become a solid top 20 team in the nation again if we stay the course with kirk and his new staff.  Iowa is not an elite school in terms of recruiting but it can return to its former level of success because Ferentz is the best coach in the country at developing talent and coaching a style of football that is a proven success.

Show the game!!!

Attention: To all people who are  covering the video portion of a basketball game. Please learn how to cover a basketball game. When the ball is in play DO NOT show me the crowd. DO NOT show me the cheerleaders. DO NOT feel you have to show me a coach unless he is screaming throwing a chair or punching a referee. DO NOT feel you have to show the back down the floor shot of every player who scores in the game. I just saw him score. DO NOT feel the need to pan the person you are talking about during the telecast i do not need to see him or her. The philosophy of todays camera people is to try and put the audience at the venu. This a moronic idea. IF i wanted to be at the game i would have purchased a ticket. I am in my livingroom watching the basketball game.  What i want to see when i am watching the game on my 32 inch television is ................THE FRICKEN BALL.....THE BALL being dribbled the BALL being passed .....The ball being thrown off the coaches Head and most importantly THE BALL going through or not at the basket. I do not need to see any angle other than the angle that allows me to see the BALL. what i care about is  the winner or loser of the basketball game. I DO NOT care about mothers fathers aunts uncles horses dogs frogs or any other member of the animal kingdom. Please if you can keep the future programming promotions off the telecast untill a timeout or at halftime it would be deeply appreciated. And one last thing could we please keep the conversations about the game and not the social lives of the broadcasters  thank you!!!

Good not great.

All season long all I heard from the media and fans was how GREAT the 49er defense was. They were NEVER great. Great is a word I hear alot from alot of people around the sports world but i seldom see it. The Niner defense is solid up front and is tough but their secondary is BAD. Richard Dent walked the trophy out toward a ravens team that was determined and tough but was NEVER great. I know greatness and dominance when i see it and there has not been a great football team in the NFL since the steelers teams of the 1970s. The Bears defense of 1985 was a great defense. The word great is thrown around by journalists who try and build drama during times when greatness is rarely seen. The word great is thrown around by fans who cannot except the parity that defines todays NFL.

The football gods have spoken!!

The Super Bowl was terrific! However for journalists like Jim Nance and little Bob Costas the Ravens have now written themselves into sports history as this years team of destiny!!!!! The ravens were unstoppable and fate has determined  that Ray Lewis a hero of legendary status will now ride off into the night sky with his just reward.  The gods of football have spoken!!! Good Lord the football game was not determined by fate. Ray Lewis and his teammates were not star crossed and their destiny was not determined by some cosmic romantic notion anymore than Jesus intercepted a 49ers pass. Can we please just attribute what happens on a football field with what happens in a football game?? I watch football because i love football not because i wanna see if God turned the lights off at the Superdome. The Ravens won the the game because they scored more points than the 49ers and i am ok with that.

Randy being Randy.

Its superbowl week and the media is all over the coaches being brothers.Wow how exciting!!  Mommy and daddy are proud. All i can say is a harbaugh is a harbough is a harbough. Lewis appearently used a reindeer spritzer to heal his quad OMG ....The humanity!!!  As if that wasnt enough Randy Moss opened his piehole and called himself the greatest receiver in football history. He said we shouldnt look at the stats but instead measure the impact of his pressence on the field. Well randy i saw your impact on the field and here is what i saw. You taking plays off and whining when the quarterback didnt get you the ball. You dissappearing at key times during ball games. You mooning fans and leaving the field early while your teammates were busting their asses and staying ON the field. What i will remember about your career is that you had more athletic talent than any receiver ive ever seen but you were a notch below the greatest. Jerry Rice had over 7000 more yards receiving and 35 more touchdowns and more importantly Jerry Rice NEVER EVER took plays off. Rice didnt have all your physical talent but he had more heart and was more of a team player.  Rice not Moss for best receiver of all time.

Fear the mascot!

The sports world is full of boring uninspired and wimpy mascots. There are lions and tigers and bears of all kinds that dont really scare anybody.  There are devils saints and angels looking to attack but not doing any damage to anybody. Some mascots seem odd and if you see them you hope that thereis a pest control van in the parking lot. Some schools nicknames dont really allow them to trot out a mascot because how do you dress up as a cyclone? Being a Big Ten rooter id have to say Bucky and Sparty are among my favorites. The best three mascots in the college game are the Cal Santa Cruz banana slugs The Arkansas Pine Bluff boevils and my personal favorite the Delta State Fighting OKRA. The vegetable you must fear or die!!

Winter X games

I have to say i had a look at the winter X games yesterday and for an off sports weekend that was a real treat. Those athletes are for real and their courage is not to be questioned. Some of the terminolgy i wasnt fimilar with but i figure if you fly off a 75 foot snow covered ramp you can call your jump what you want too. The athletes seemed to be really supportive of each other and that is really refreshing in this the age of drug addicted win at all cost sports.

Looking for an underdog.

What do you do when everything in your sports world is crappy?? I might look for an underdog to root for maybe a team like North carolina state or Butler in college basketball  but really there isnt an underdog to root for. Alabama is king in college football Kentucky won college roundball last year and last i looked PUKE i mean Duke is #1 in the nation in basketball again. Im a Dodger fan in baseball and it appears that magic and the rich ownership is trying to buy a title. What happened to the underdogs in sports?? Wheres the team that makes a remarkable run at a title? From this point on im gonna become a Gonzaga basketball fan and maybe this spring i will find a Cubbie hat and root like hell for a miracle to happen.Wait? Did i just type that? Rooting for an underdog is one thing but rooting for the Cubs is like well.....yanno rooting for the Cubs.

Tennis slam

The Aussie open is going on and im watching for a couple of reasons. Never have i been a Willams fan of either the flytrap or the big haired micheal jackson loving SERENA. The flytrap isnt a threat anymore but the other willams needs to lose. They did lose in the doubles when Venus could not even get a serve on net.That was very cool. Even if the blonde russian who grunts like a stuck pig every serve could send Serena home a loser id be happy. The mens side im rooting for rodger Federer dude is humble and he is steady and solid even in the twilight of his career. Eighteen slams for rodger and a loss for a willams sister is worth a watch.

Clipper town.

It warms my heart to see the Lakers stink. Kobe is still a stone cold killer but Howard is not sure he wants to be in Hollywood and Nash is a heck of a player 2 seasons ago.The constant analysis of why they are bad is annoying and the fact that a bad team is on 18 times during the season is absolutely ridiculous.  Phil jackson was the obvious choice after mike brown was fired but Buss cant admit he doesnt have a fricken clue so my message to those in LA is you better dump those crappy tics and go see the Clipps because the the Lakers are crap.

Superbowl prediction.

My take on the superbowl is that this will be a close game. The dominate niner defense that i hear about is good but not great. The ravens may not be as talented if you compare every spot on the roster but their toughnesss and experience is important. The ravens came out against the pats and were much too conservative if they do that against frisco it will cost them. I like ravens tough offensive line and i think kappernick could present problems with his mobility. The key to this game is the raven offense against the niner defense. The falcons got out 17-0 but quit their advantage on the outside. If the ravens protect flacco and survive the niner tough front seven they should move the ball effectively. If the niners use all their weapons they should also move the football. My prediction 27-24 ravens.

Talkin sports.

My name is Rick and im real. The livestrong band that i wore symbolizing the fight against cancer is real and is bigger than a selfish power hungry man named Lance. The sports media is again guilty of practicing shoddy journalism and not investigating claims made by a  lying linebacker.Now can we please get back to talking about sports?  The Bears have hired Mark Trestman and im excited about that. Brady is going for a fourth superbowl win and i hope he doesnt get it. Matt Ryan and the falcons are going to battle the forty niners in the NFC title game i hope they win. Sports for me is about passion and the thrill of victory and not about personal stories and athletes personal habits. I want to see the falcons win a superbowl because Saints fans would hate it. I really love sports and especially the passion that it generates in my life.That to me is as real as life gets.

Sleep aide.

Flipping through the channels late at night i find the dreaded English premier soccer league. Usually if i see soccer my temper gets short and i wonder why anyone would ever watch such a thing. Today for some reason i decide to try and give the sport a legitimate try. Some team named the park rangers were facing the spurs so for the next half hour i watched and listened as two English commentators described the action. What I discovered was that soccer has two many limitations in it.The sport would be better if  you were allowed to use both your hands and feet to advance the ball. Speed in sports is vital and if you limit it without good reason people become frustrated and bored. There has to be a short term benefit for the time spent watching the sport or the action becomes repitive and meaningless. Fake flopping and psedo action away from an opportnity to score only delay an already boring pursuit. I also noticed chanting and jeering during certain parts of the time but i wasnt sure if that was meant to ward off the boredom or create a distraction before the real action started. I became psedo hypnotized watching the ball kicked and or booted around the field and only came out of it when a substitution stopped the action.There were a few minor opportunities to score the ball but the 45 minute half and extra time came to an end with the score being knotted at zero. The bottom line for me about soccer is that the game is an aquired taste and it must be aquired at an early age because this particular sport STINKS. The game i watched ended up in a scoreless tie and if i had watched it all the way through I would have fallen asleep or died of boredom.

Im sorry.

ESPN officially apologized on behalf of brent musburger for his remarks during the title game Monday night. On Wendesday the girl he supposedly offended was seen smiling on NBC on the today show.Grabbing her fifteen minutes of fame and telling the world she was fine and dandy with his remarks. I think ESPN should apologize to ALL sports fans for just being a gigantic pain in the ass. Since when has ESPN given a rats ass about anything inappropriate?How about the network make an apology for creating news stories out of nothing. I still to this day havent figured out what the hell was newsworthy about a point guard named Lin for the knicks. He now plays for the Rockets and he must have regained his sanity. Flipping through the cable channels trying to find something i always trip on channel 24 and hear a mothership stooge tell me about the connection between Sundays playoff game and a totally unrelated game in 2007. I always take the bait and start screaming WHAT THE FLOCK does that have to do with anything?? I really loved the network back in the day because what made it cool was not rumors or announcers pithy little sayings but the games themselves. The games are what all true sports fans love and we dont need to apologize for that.

No candidates

No hall of fame candidates this year. The common phrase that i hear from most modern day fans is look at his numbers. His numbers deserve the hall. If a guy plays 15 plus years and he is a good offensive player hes gonna pile up some big numbers. Im gonna state the case that simply having big numbers doesnt automatically make you a sure fire hall of famer. Craig biggio has 3000 hits and is among the leaders in extra base knocks. But as a defender he was below average at three different positions. Craig was a defensive liability in the field. A definate all star because of his bat but i vote no as far as cooperstown is concerned Jeff Bagwell a solid power hitter and an average defender but not good enough for the hall. I understand that some young fans were not afforded the chance to see some of the candidates up for election but simply looking at stats and ignoring the players all around ability to play the game is a narrow outlook when considering them for the hall of fame. 

NO EXCUSE

There is no excuse for dumbass mike shanahans decision to play RG3 as long as he did in Sundays playoff game against Seattle. He could barely jog and the grimace during his last run from scrimmage was awful to watch. Shannahan cared more about winning a playoff game than protecting RG3and that is absolutely deplorable!!! The spineless commentators jimmy johnson on fox and tom jackson on ESPN couldnt stand up and call this asshole out because jackson is a former bronco player and wouldnt dare call out his former bronco buddy. Johnson came up with the  lame ass excuse it was griffins decision???? What jimmy would you have allowed troy aikmans career to be threatened for 1 playoff game?? What if RG3 had been hurt more seriously and had his career ended?? Redskin fans should scream bloody murder about this jackass move and i might ask mike what hes actually done since the Superbowl win in Denver?.The answer to that would be NADA .....NOTHING......ZERO.. Maybe that rich boy owner snyder will wake up and run your silly ass out of Washington just like they finally did in Denver.When you retire mike you can use some of that bankroll to get some new dental work.

Bears football.

Im a little surprised the Bears fired Lovey Smith. Rod marinelli is a terrific defensive coordinator so i was relunctant to start over with a whole new coaching staff. The offense certainly needs tweeking and the offfensive line is not good. Let me suggest five good candidates and five bad ones for the job. Tony Dungy good. Dirk Cuttter bad. Norv turner bad. Russ Grimm bad. Andy Reid good.Any coordinator looking for a first time head coaching position ...BAD.Ken wisenhunt ......Good. Ron  Rivera ...Good. Lane kiffin ....I would probably travel to Chicago and find the GM and kill him. Bill Cower good. Jimmy johnson very good. Im not sure if the Bears are close to winning a title or not but i dont believe this team is ready to go into rebuilding mode yet. The decision is tricky because the defense is getting older and the offensive line needs improvement. The coaching decision and the philosophy of Bears management regarding the upcoming draft will be crucial to the teams success in 2013.