Sports Views

Well, remember this story, which mirror's today's WaPo headline about how the Washington Nationals could benefit from the Supreme Courts property redistribution ruling? In the late 1980s, before he became governor of Texas, George W. Bush's profession wasn't politics (or oil, since he couldn't exactly find any in Texas), it was baseball. His father helped him snag a sweetheart deal to own a piece of the Texas Rangers, and before he screwed it up by OKing the trade of Sammy Sosa, Bush scored one big success: he and his partners built the Rangers a brand new ballpark. How'd they do it? Through the miracle of eminent domain. From the Texas Observer in 1998:

OK, it is official. Sammy Sosa is just flat out horrible. I’ve joked before that the best thing that came out of the Sammy Sosa deal was the Orioles got rid of Jerry Hairston and made Brian Roberts an everyday player. In retrospect, I don’t think it can be consdiered much of a joke anymore. Brian Roberts was the best thing that came out of the Sammy Sosa deal and his game-winning homerun last night finally broke the season-long six-game losing streak. Sammy Sosa, meanwhile, was 0-4 and his average dropped to 0.235.

A post on Baseball Musings updates us on Barry Bonds' knee situation and asks how long will he play and/or will he break Hank Aaron's HR record?

Many people forget that Toronto did not draft Vince Carter but instead, traded for him on draft night with Golden State who selected him with the 5th overall pick. This was a great pick for Toronto because in essence, it helped them land Vince Carter plus some additional cash for the team. Dirk Nowitzki (drafted 9th overall by Milwaukee) and Paul Pierce (drafted 10th overall by Boston) were the only notables after Carter that have become superstars from that draft year.

Yogi Berra, the Hall of Fame Yankee catcher known as much today for his famous wit as for his on the field accomplishments once said that ‘It gets late early around here’. For the New York Yankees of 2005, this Yogiism is beginning to ring true. Owner George Steinbrenner is accustomed to routinely winning American League East division titles on the way to greater glory in October (i.e. World Series championships). Putting aside the fact that the team had an historic collapse last year against the Boston Red Sox after having taken a three games to none lead in the ALCS (perhaps Steinbrenner can attribute the Yankees collapse to fate as the Red Sox finally won the World Series again), this year’s team is not even on track to make the playoffs if their present standing does not improve.

I also use ESPN’s video service, called “ESPN Motion” almost daily. Upon launch, the red and grey window offers you a variety of “sections” to head to, including “Top Video”, “Sports Highlights & News”, “Dot Comedy” and more. Selecting a video launches it to the left side of the window, and a 30 second commercial always comes first… the advertising to real content ratio on this site is very high, but generally the ads are ones you’d be seeing on ESPN’s TV stations anyways. Windows Media Player is also used here, and ESPN seems to be pretty proud of the fact. Often, your navigation area will become a Microsoft ad. If you survive the commercials, you’ll find fast loading, high quality video… it often looks like it is simply spliced from SportsCenter, but that is hardly reason to complain. Updates are not as frequent as you might hope in the “highlights” area, and you can’t expect to find video of, say, a typical MLB game. You will, of course, see lots of content centered around the big name teams / players (think NY Yankees, Cubs, ATL Braves, Lakers, Shaq, Lebron James, Detroit Red Wi… oh wait… never mind). You’ll also find plenty of clips grabbed from ESPN shows like Baseball Tonight, OTL, PTI and the like. Obviously, because I use it daily, I love ESPN’s Motion, although I’d take CNN’s banner ad over the 30 second commercials before every clip any day.

Yes that WAS former NFL coaching legend Tom Landry getting his head sawed in half in George A. Romero's triumphic return to the zombie epic, "Land of The Dead"...

Well, no professional football players have come from MIT. However, in 1998, Brad Gray was named one of two GTE Academic All-America Team Members of the Year in football. The other? A quarterback from Tennessee named Peyton Manning. On the baseball side, however, my classmate Jason Szuminski made it to the majors last year, appearing in 7 games for the San Diego Padres.

Off topic, but fun. The Washington Post reports Shaq graduates from the University of Phoenix with his first Masters (he plans to continue for a second Masters).

Er...well, not Houston but we'll get there! As I have all faith in Yao Ming. [nervous smile]

As a fellow Texan I'd like to say a big Congrats to the San Antonio Spurs. Even though San Antone sent Houston packing - I appreciate that at least one Texas team did win it all. I haven't really watched the NBA finals like I used to but I did watch those last couple of a minutes and whatta game. I had some suprises as well as I had no idea that Robert Horry was now playing for San Antone and now he has six rings. He should have been MVP instead of Tim Duncan? Whatcha think?

The Cubs head to the Bronx tonight for the first time since the 1938 World Series, which the Cubs lost in 4 games. This weekend should be an interesting matchup; the Yankees’ struggles have been well documented this season, but they are coming off a series sweep of the Pirates. The good news for the Cubs is that they won’t have to face Randy Johnson. The bad news is that the Yankees lineup contains Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez, Gary Sheffield, Jorge Posada and Hideki Matsui.

Dahlberg claims the LPGA "exists deep in the shadow" of the men's tour, but I would argue that women's golf is exciting fans more than, say, the WNBA compared to the NBA. And though "casual fans" might not recognize the names Juli Inkster or Cristie Kerr or Natalie Gulbis or many other terrific and promising players on the women's side, we're all certainly hearing a lot about Sorenstam, Michelle Wie and Paula Creamer this season.

It is certain that you will see amendments from the Democrats that will kick in another $400 million for education, that will raise the state minimum wage, that will lift the caps on teacher salaries, that will declare Brett Favre the King of Wisconsin, and promote dressing bunnies up in cute little Mr. Peanut costumes. Republicans will vote against all of them, because the agreement between houses can’t be broken. Thus, you will see an ad during campaign season that says “Representative Debi Towns voted against cutening bunnies,” when in fact Representative Towns may be squarely pro-cute bunny. She herself might actually have a bunny at home fitted with a top hat, cane, and monacle. In fact, the elections board has reported that Towns has received $8 from bunny-related interests this biennium.

Life is pretty good when an April game gets rained out and there’s a make-up on a beautiful Thursday afternoon in June and you don’t have a job, so you don’t have to worry about skipping work, and you go to the park and you sneak in a bag of nachos and salsa, then later, grab a dog and find a condiment table that actually has pickle spears (fucking FREE-ass pickle spears at Fenway), then get to watch David Ortiz hit a walk-off three-run homer to win it with two outs in the bottom of the ninth. Yeah.

Ed Montague, a 30-year veteran, acknowledged that first-base umpire Tony Randazzo incorrectly called the New York Yankees’ Gary Sheffield safe on what would have been a game-ending double play in the ninth inning. The Yankees went on to tie the score that inning, then win, 7-5, in the 10th on Jason Giambi’s home run.

Let me preface this by saying that I think Shaquille O’Neal is the greatest big man of our era — and that includes someone I’m heavily biased towards, Houston’s own Hakeem Olajuwon. But Shaq’s body of work speaks for itself. You honestly could give him the MVP trophy just about every season, and nobody really could argue against it convincingly. But a lot of it depends on how you define your MVP. If you define it by how a team would do without their player, I think Nash gets the edge. Miami was a playoff team last year (albeit in a weaker Eastern Conference) without Shaq, the Suns were awful without Nash.

As of today, golfer Vijay Singh is still in the running to win the U.S. Open. In case you were thinking of trying this yourself, here is a look at Singh’s training schedule as reported in the New York Times this past week.

Redman stifled and confused Yankee hitters over and over, but the end result was the Yankees rallying to tie the game. The game was won by the Yankees because of one blown call on the double play attempt that would have ended the game. The call later triggered an apology by the umpires as they admitted to the missed call. The missed call prevented Mark Redman from sustaining a great win, and Jose Mesa from getting another save preserving a 5-4 win. Instead the blown call helped the Yankees tie the game and later win it on Jason Giambi’s two run homer in the bottom of the 10th, Mazeroski style.

Chien-Ming Wang pitched 8 shutout innings, carried by television in his native Taiwan, as the Yanks won their fifth straight, beating the Chicago Cubs, 8-1. Derek Jeter, who had been to the plate 155 times with the bases loaded in his career, managed his first career grand slam in the bottom of the 6th.

Now I know there has been a lot of talk about Terrell Owens recent contract dispute with the Eagles. We have heard many opinions on the situation, most of them coming from sports writers across America. I want to know what the fans think. I was reading a recent article on ESPN.com by Sal Paolantonio when I stumbled upon something that angered me quite frankly. Here is the excerpt from the end of his article. Just picture TO, relaxing by a pool, at his mansion saying this.

One of the PGA Tour’s faster players, Rory Sabbatini got paired with Ben Crane, known for his deliberate manner on the golf course, for yesterday’s final round of the Booz Allen Classic, and the combination proved volatile.

The New York Yankees, my favorite baseball team since I was a kid, will be announcing plans for a new stadium across the street from the present stadium today. It would look like the original Yankee Stadium from when Babe Ruth played, including the facade around the inside of the building, but have the present field dimensions of the current stadium. Since they are staying in the Bronx, they can keep the name Yankee Stadium, which I hope they do, instead of having some company name attached to it.

My starting swingman would be either Marion or LeBron James, who is amazing to watch and can play the point if need be. He can drive and he can shoot, so he’s well suited for international play. We’d have seen a lot more of him last Olympics if Larry Brown wouldn’t have been coaching, so there will be a lot of anticipation as to how he plays, much like there was a lot of theorizing on how Michael Jordan would do against the international teams in 1992 – would he simply be Jordan, or would he explode and become something even greater.

So, one day my friend Toby offered a trade. He was much more into D&D than I was and I was much more into comic books than he was. A stack of second-rate comics for the old 3-volume D&D set. The deal was done, and I was happy with my trade. For the time being. Never did I ever think that I was making a decision that I might regret 18 years later, and probably ’till I die. It ranks up there with me trading my collection of 1984 Fleer baseball cards for a small 3″ lock blade knife and trading my Darryl Strawberry rookie card for a handful of Boston Red Sox All-Star cards. Well, life goes on and it’s all a part of it. But, I can still be reminded from time to time of those seemingly stupid things I did. The Red Sox won the World Series and Strawberry was in rehab.

The day a woman plays on the PGA Tour, from the same tees, and makes the cut, that’ll be the day a new barrier is broken. Robby Gordon and Vijay Singh will throw themselves a pity party, and the media will have a new darling.

One thing you can say about Steinbrenner is he leaves no doubt about his desire to win. He is a ruthless business man, unafraid to make tough, unpopular decisions. He wouldn’t hesitate to get rid of Derek Jeter if it served his purposes, regardless of fan backlash. He knows he’s got a revenue advantage over every other team in baseball and doesn’t apologize for exploiting that advantage. Steinbrenner is an opportunist. When he sees an opportunity, he jumps on it while his opponents are contemplating the risks, rewards, and ROI. As a sports fan, I can’t help but admire that attitude, but George’s solution to every problem in recent years has been to throw a bunch of money at it. The big question, is could that “strategy” work in the Seattle market?

By the end of February, Jason finally got some much-needed help. By acquiring Baron Davis, J-Rich finally had the opportunity to get some open looks. Teams had begun to double team and hound the Warriors’ shooting guard, and Davis was a perfect fit. When the Warriors went 18-10 with Davis, Richardson was just as important to the streak. The end of the year signalled a big jump for Richardson, who averaged career highs in points (21.7) and field goal percentage (44.6%). Jason scored 10 points in 70 of 73 games, scored 30 points 10 times, and led the Warriors in points in over 50% of the games he played (37 of 73).

Another thing that comes in to play is that sports fans and media people are reluctant to label a team as “great” until they have success over a number of years. People were hesitant to use the “dynasty” label with the Patriots until they won their third Super Bowl in four years. People were hesitant to call the Shaq-Kobe Lakers “great” until they three-peated.

The first day of June marked a new beginning for one of the oldest faces in the National Football League. Yesterday, the 42 year old Jerry Rice participated in his first practice as a member of the Denver Broncos, and he has a new look that may take football fans more than a little while to get used to. Instead of the #80 jersey that is sure to be hanging in the halls of Canton in the not so distant future, Rice was sporting an unfamiliar #19 jersey. “I thought with Rod Smith’s situation there was no way I was going to come in here and try to take that jersey off his back because I have so much respect for him” Rice said. That statement is at least a sign that his cognitive abilities are still intact. “We talked about it, and, my daughter and I came up 19; it looks pretty good, huh?” Rice continued. Well…

“I don’t sign for white people.”

A quote attributed to Barry Bonds in a new book by former baseball player Ron Kittle.

The game was a pretty good one, with Joel and I and the Magic taking on Jesse and Casey and the New Orleans Hornets. Joel struggled in this game, as the only shots he could hit were 3-pointers, and his game is usually best when he’s getting to the rim. McGrady played hard, but seemed to always miss important shots. Casey was unstoppable, shooting something like 77% from the field and hitting all of his threes, and i had my hands full trying to keep Baron Davis from scoring off the dribble. Even with all of that, we had the ball and a chance to tie after i came up with a steal on an inbounds pass with less than 10 seconds left (an obvious sign that you’re playing a video game). But my plan for tying the game was not a good one; i put the ball in my own hands and tried to hit a jump shot, which i should have known was a poor decision. Since i bought this game, i haven’t been able to hit any shots that aren’t layups with myself, leading to several similar situations like this, and yet i still seem to go to myself with the game on the line. You’d think i’d learn.

Alex Rodriguez hit his 400th home run last night. He is the youngest player ever to do that and truly a phenomenal baseball player.

The last thing I ate was some caramel snack called, I believe, “Crunch & Munch.” I ate this while watching the Cardinals beat the Boston Red Sox on television. I like the Red Sox, so the game depressed me slightly. The Crunch & Munch cheered me a bit, until the sugar crash, which has left me feeling hopeless.

Of course this is no absolute. Some players will underperform their huge contracts while others will out perform their smaller contracts. That’s why a team like Arizona can win only 51 games, 3 more than replacement level, and spend 22 million for each of those three wins. Also if you look at Barry Bonds $18 million salary in 2004 he’s worth it because he contributed 18 wins above the marginal level by himself (according to win shares).

Because we found the videos so harmless, we’ve transcribed them here for your reading pleasure. In transcript form, they are also easier to study, for purposes of evaluating the merit of the criticisms. We’ve included our comments.

I'm bummed to admit I didn't actually see live coverage of David Toms flipping off a member of the gallery Sunday at the Memorial Tournament in Dublin, Ohio. I'm not losing any sleep over his salute, but I do think it was pretty lame of him to then basically deny it. "What kind of question is that?" Toms responded to a reporter who asked about the incident. "Do I look like someone who'd flip someone off in the crowd? I mean, I can't believe I'm even talking to you." Dave, it's on camera!

It will be a surprise if Justin Upton does not hit 35 or more homers per season. He’s simply the ideal prospect – the same thing at 18 that Ken Griffey Jr. and Alex Rodriguez were at 18.

Terrell Owens says: "They believe what they want to believe. In my heart, I know I'm doing the right thing."

Terrell Owens says: "I don't have to play football. I don't have to play for the Eagles. I don't care what my teammates say."

There’s nothing scientific about a gut feeling, but the Chiefs’ fourth quarter offense seems to play every play out of desperation. They seem to throw every ball downfield with a sense of urgency. Contrast this approach to the Patriots. Is it true that Brady has that much cooler of a head than Trent Green? Or is it just possible that Brady’s confidence in the Patriots’ defense allows him to take less risks, be more conservative and, in the end, make less mistakes? Is it just possible that Brady’s mistakes are covered up by a defense that can make stops when it needs to? Trent Green feels like he needs to score a touchdown on every play late in the game; Brady does not. Just as importantly, it almost seems like the Chiefs are afraid to use Priest Holmes when the game is on the line. Whereas earlier in the game, the Chiefs are not afraid to pound the defense with a heavy dosage of runs, they seem almost skittish to try that late in the game. When Priest gets shut down on first down, they shy away from the run. Once again, this applies to the sense of urgency.

The most dominant golfer in the current era won another tournament. Gee what a surprise. At the ShopRite LPGA Classic she had a 1 shot lead going into the last hole. She eagled it just to remind the field that she was in control. Will someone on the LPGA Tour please step up and challenge Annika? Ochoa tried to challenger her but it was only a verbal challenge which she couldn’t back up.

Randy Johnson lost $100 on a bet with the Derek Jeter. Johnson, a fervent Phoenix Suns’ fan and season ticket holder, was so confident the Suns would win the NBA title, he gave Jeter every other team. Unfortunately, the Suns were eliminated by the Spurs this weeking costing RJ some mula.

As Jose’s friend Karl once pointed out upon hearing a fan yell “Hey, ump if you had one more eye, you’d be a cyclops,” a good sense of humor (note: and by extension good fandom) is clearly rooted in a classical education. If we do not invest in our young people now, who will be the fans of the future? Who will compare Derek Jeter to Narcissus, or Ellis Burks to Spiderman villain the Lizard? Jose weeps for the future.

I know I know, Rasheed Wallace is a nut. There is no conspiracy. I want a Game 7. There is going to be nothing more fun to watch, than these two teams battling with each other to the end. Its now the end of the 1st Quarter of Game 6 and its a 1 point game, of course. It does look like Shaq has his legs under him. I think the series will come down to how Ben Wallace can perform. He was such a presence last year and its suprising how he’s been a total wallflower the entire playoffs. Don’t just pad the stats Ben. You need to put...

The problem is that this dramatic win in a way glosses over the continuing Foulke engima. He wasn’t knocked around as in other late inning situations, but he let on the lead off hitter, which is something you never want to happen with the score so close. David Newhan (who I have grudgingly grown to respect) steals second and is bunted over to third by Melvin Mora. Miguel Tejada is intentionally walked and Sammy Sosa is semi-intentionally walked. Rafael Palmeiro’s groundball gets Sosa at second but scores Newhan, tying the game.

Yes Jerry Rice has signed on with the Denver Broncos after seemingly no other team wanted to help him extend his Hall of Fame career.

This all brings us to Terry Glenn. Terry had (by far) his three best years with Bledsoe throwing to him in New England, so these two know how to hook it up for big yards downfield. I’m sorry I can’t find the direct quote, but I’ve heard it said by Montana and Favre that the guys they threw to always had a connection with them that never left. I remember Brett Favre in a Sports Illustrated in the 90’s talking about how he and Robert Brooks wouldn’t practice before training camp, and when he threw that first pass it was...

I never thought I'd say it, but god bless Shaq. Even though the family has yet to formally accept the offer, it was an overwhelmingly touching thing for an NBA player to do.

Now that I’ve gotten that out of the way, let’s talk about modern baseball, or more specifically, the New York Yankees. They got swept by the Kansas City Royals last night if you didn’t see. Yes, the Royals. The team that hasn’t swept a series in something like 76 series. I love it. This just proves that money can’t buy a championship. I’ll leave you with this: