Time to start writing again

I know that it has been quite some time, but I figure it was time for me to start writing again. Saying that life has gotten in the way is no excuse for not doing what you love to do. So, I am giving this gift to myself, and that is the time and joy of writing. I owe it to all the loyal fans of Dave's Sports Review, all three of them. This week would be the perfect time to pick up where I left off. NFL playoffs are fast approaching, college bowl games have started and the B.S., I mean BCS games are just around the corner. College and NBA basketball are in full swing, the NHL is rolling along, and the Winter Games coming. This is a great time of year. So much going on, and everyone needs a fresh perspective, and I am just the man to give it to you. Stay tuned for some sports blogging from the viewpoint of the average Joe sports fan. Nothing is off limits and no one is safe. If it needs to be said, I will say it. What do you say folks? Well I say "Rock and Roll Sports Fans".

MLB All Star Game

Looking forward to the all-star game tonight. Can't wait to see what the game has to offer. Will write an article about it tonight. See you then.

So after listening to the game and not watching it(yes I know that sucks), but you have to do what you have to do, what a pitchers duel it was. The American League pitching staff retired 18 straight batters, starting with the final out in the second inning, after surrendering the lead to the National League, and this fantastic pitching allowed the AL to finally take the lead. Then with arguably the games three greatest closers, the AL shut the door on the NL with Mariano Rivera pitching a perfect ninth to preserve the win.

The city of St. Louis was an amazing and gracious host for the 80th All-Star game. It was amazing to see how all the players were absolutely raving about the city, the stadium, and maybe most of all the fans. St. Louis may be the greatest baseball town in America, and I believe the fans throughout the weekend and into Monday and Tuesday showed everyone why. The fans here are so knowledgeable of the game, and no matter what team it was for, if there was a play of note, they cheered out of sheer appreciation. Then there was Albert Pujols. While he did not have a great game, going 0-3, and making an error, the fans gave him an arousing, standing ovation during the introductions, for every plate appearance, and then when he was taken out of the game, shows not only the knowledge, but the loyalty that these fans in St. Louis have.

The games MVP was Carl Crawford, and while choosing one was very difficult, as several players did a little here and a little there, it was Crawford's single in the fifth that set up the tying run, and his catch in the bottom of the eighth robbing Brad Hawpe of a home run, certainly were the biggest single difference makers in the game. While the pitching of the AL down the stretch was ultimately what secured the victory, Crawford did what was needed to allow the pitching to shut it down.

Rock and Roll Sports Fans!!!!!

Why Sensationalize?

Does anyone else in this world believe that we sensationalize professional athletes and entertainers entirely too much. We have created, in our society, a bunch of little g-o-d-s. Just look at the media attention that Michael Jackson and Steve Mcnair have gotten over the last two weeks. Why do we waste so much time mourning over people that we do not even know. I am not stupid, and i realize that in some way or another these athletes and entertainers impact our lives, be it by a song that they have written, or the plays they make on a field or court. However, they are not our friends or family(in most cases), and in the grand scheme of things they have had no impact on our personal everyday lives. Is it such a big deal that they have written that song or played on that field or court? Probably not. I do want it to be known that I am not a hater, and I do believe that MJ and SM were extremely talented, and did what they did in their respective fields very, very well, but they are now deceased, and it is time to move on, and while reminiscing is good, obsessing is not, and that is the world we live in now. Taking nothing away from the wonderful things they did, but there are just as many people that do just as much, if not more, with what they have, and yet those people we do not care about at all(unless we know them) because they did not make millions of dollars and get hoisted on a pedestal by the media for all to see. Do they deserve the limelight? Society says so, and that is fine, but they are human just like the rest of us. I think that is what we forget most about these people. They are not God, and they never will be, so let lying dogs lie, and lets move on. There are far too many good and positive things in this world to focus on, and they deserve our attention now.

Not much about sports in this one, but just wanted to share my thoughts.

Until next time, Rock and Roll Sports Fans!!

USA Soccer Wins in Major Upset!

The United States has long turned out world class athletes that have dominated their respective sports on the international scene. However, in the Sport of Soccer/Football/Futbol, or whatever you call it, the USA has long been lacking in putting together a team that can compete with the best in the world. I believe the problem lies with the lack of quality coaching, coupled with the lack of development teams that, in Europe and dominant Latin American countries, accompany every major team. While players are recognized for their talent at a young age here just as in other countries, often times the elite athlete is lured away to play American Football(which makes no sense because you do not even use your feet, but that is a whole other argument), or basketball, or even baseball. Why would they do this if they have the talent to play elite soccer for their country? It all comes down to Benjamins. The professional soccer league in the United States does not have the capital to lure young athletes into sport of soccer because they do not have the ability to pay the athletes the way the other major sports do, this even includes hockey. So why is the sport that is the most popular among children 12 an under in the United States so lacking among the rest of the world? There is no way of truly knowing, but I do believe that at some point the children are hearing whispers that if they want to make any sort of living playing sports in this country, they need to forget about soccer and move into one of the other four major sports. What they are not being told however, is that they can make just as much if not more playing for teams in Europe, especially England, Spain and Italy. This will be the only chance the United States will ever have to compete for a World Cup title, unless our country can finally embrace soccer, and give it the financial backing that it needs to keep elite athletes in the game.

Yesterday, the United States soccer team did something that they had only done once before in its history ; they beat the number one ranked team in the world. In a Confederations Cup semi-final match, the USA beat Spain 2-0 to advance to the final of the Cup to face the winner of the semi-final match between Brazil and host country South Africa. The United States showed flashes of brilliance in the match, but it was a couple of fortuitous bounces that enables the USA to score those two goals. The match was clearly dominated by the Spaniards, as they controlled the midfield, and created far more scoring chances, and the more dangerous ones. It was the stellar goal keeping of Tim Howard and the strong central defense of Oguchi Onyewu and Jay DeMerit that kept Spain of the scoring sheet. While this is not the World Cup, and if the two teams were to play again, I do not know that the result would be the same, but in a knock-out round, the better team does not always win, just the more opportunistic one. The United States showed that they have the athletes to compete, but they also showed that they lack the experience some other squads have, but the result remains the same, USA 2-Spain 0.

Have a great day, and Rock and Roll Sports Fans!!

Pujols the Greatest?

There has been a lot of people debating whether Albert Pujols is the greatest baseball player to ever play the game. Well, after seeing some of his stats, and the fact that he has been the most consistent player the last eight years(he has only been in the league for eight), I do not think that there is anything to debate. While I did not get to see players like Ted Williams, and Joe DiMaggio play the game, I can only wager that the amount of talented players playing today, outnumber those from back then. That does not mean that the talent was any less, but the sheer number with talent is different. While Pujols is having a "down" year this year, this is what he is doing right now. Heading into today's game, he is 12th in the N.L. in average, first in home runs, second in RBI's, first in OBP, first in slugging, and first in OPS. While these are all gaudy numbers for one player, he is having a "down" year batting only .319. What? Are you kidding me? Yes, .319 is a bad year for a career .332 hitter. Today he went 4-5 and boosted his average to .329, hit two home runs and drove in six runs, and scored three. I find myself taking what he does for granted because I am fortunate enough to watch or listen to games everyday, and as a result lose perspective on the magnitude of what he is doing. I will one day get to tell my grandchildren that I got to see what may end up being the greatest player ever in the history of the game. What a privilege I have. I hope for anyone who has not had the chance to watch him play, that when the Cardinals visit your city, you need to go see a game and witness history in the making. You will witness a man playing the game the way it was intended to be played. He is playing the game in the steroid are, and he did it clean. He loves the game, he loves his team, he loves his teammates, he loves his family, and most of all, he loves God. I will certainly be watching him more closely, and do it with more reverence, as to not take for granted again what this man is doing on the baseball field. Albert Pujols deserves and commands the respect of everyone that calls themselves a baseball fan, no matter what team you root for.



Rock and Roll Sports Fans!!

Hello out There

Hello, is there anyone out there. Does anyone read this thing. Love to hear what you think if you do. Thank you in advance.

Rock and Roll Sports Fans.

Cardinals Come from behind

The St. Louis Cardinals finally got a huge monkey off their backs last night, and for the first time this year (1-21), the Cardinals came from behind while trailing after seven innings to win a game. Lets hope the Redbirds can keep up the winning ways this weekend in Cleveland. After all the poor offensive outings and many losses, The Cards are only .5 game back of Milwaukee.

In the NBA, the L.A. Lakers are on the verge of winning another championship, after taking a commanding 3-1 series lead with a win last night in Orlando. In the finals, the team with a 3-1 series lead wins has won almost 96 percent of the time, so the Orlando Magic are facing seemingly insurmountable odds. It has been done before, but with a player like Kobe on the opposing team, the fate may have already been sealed.

The NHL Stanley Cup Finals finish up tonight with game seven between the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Detroit Red Wings in Detroit. The home team has won every game in the series so far, and I don't know that Pittsburgh can beat Detroit at The Joe, but they did dismantle the Capitals on the road in the Eastern Conference Finals, so tune in for what should be some incredible hockey action.

Great to see Phil Mickelson back in action this weekend in the St. Jude Classic. Hope to see him do well and play strong in a tune up for next weekends U.S. Open.

Have a great weekend, and Rock and Roll Sports Fans.

NBA Finals Get Started

The NBA Finals get started tonight in L.A., with the Orlando Magic facing off against the L.A. Lakers. While many are asking the question of whether Kobe needs to win this to validate his career, citing that he only won the other three because of Shaq, I believe it is a silly question. I am not a huge fan of Kobe, personally, but I do know that he is one of the best players to ever put on a basketball uniform, and the last time I checked, you do not win any team championship by yourself. You have to have the right pieces in place to make it work. Shaq was just one of those pieces. Now, when people are talking about how he can't win it on his own, they just need to shut up. I look at it this way, could Michael win without Pippin and the rest of his team, or Magic win without Kareem and the star studded Lakers of the '80's, maybe, maybe not, but it is unfair to put that weight on Kobe's shoulders, and make declarations that his career was not exceptional because he did not win "the big one" without Shaq. He is one of five players on the court, and no matter what he does, if the rest of the team does not step up and do their job, then the Lakers do not win, with or without Shaq.

In baseball news, the Cardinals offense is still struggling, and other than Pujols, there just does not seem to be another bat in the lineup that is going to really help them right now. Nick Stavinoha has done a remarkable job off the bench in getting clutch hits, whether he starts or not, but can he keep that up as an everyday player. Who knows? While I do know that it is still the first half of the season, we are only one month from the All Star break, and the Cardinals need a right handed bat badly. I think that Rick Ankiel is a wonderful, feel good story, and I am certainly a fan, and want to see him succeed, but right now, he is not getting the job done. Ankiel is hitting only .223, and that number is sinking daily. I would love to see him do well, but right now he is a liability and a sure out. I don't know what the answer is as far as what to do with him, but playing him everyday is not one of them. The bats need a pick up and Ankiel is not going to be the one to do it.

Those are my thoughts for now. Rock and Roll Sports Fans!!

Sports on My Mind

I'm back sports fans. Been gone for a while, but I'm ready to get rolling again. Last I left you the NCAA lacrosse championship game was about to take place. Most of you may already know, but Syracuse beat Cornell in overtime in an incredible thriller. Syracuse was down two goals with three minutes to play, and scored two, with the second coming with four seconds left in regulation to force the overtime. Then in overtime, Syracuse scored just a couple minutes in to win the game.

In the NBA, the Las Angeles Lakers will be squaring off against the Cleveland, oh wait, the referees in that series must not have gotten the memo. "LeBron gets all the calls his way so that he and the Cavaliers could face off against Kobe and the Lakers." Whoops!!!! Someone screwed up. Someone got the correct memo for game five, but must have accidentally deleted it for game six. Dwight Howard and the Orlando Magic destroyed the Cavaliers and will face the Lakers in the finals starting on Thursday.

In baseball news, the fans in Baltimore got their first look at the catcher sensation Matt Wieters. To a standing ovation, Wieters went 0-4 for the day, but certainly showed some poise and promise at the plate, and showed that he could call a good game in a 7-2 victory over the Detroit Tigers. He then went 2-4 on Saturday and then 0-3 today as the designated hitter. Although he is only hitting .203, from the looks of things, he is going to be a force in this league for a long time. In other baseball news, how do two teams among the leaders in MLB in team batting average, and runs scored have two of the worse records in baseball, pitching, that's how. The Baltimore Orioles are 8th in team B.A. and 11th in runs scored, while the Washington Nationals are 14th in average and 12th in runs scored. While there are 30 teams, this puts both teams in the top half in both categories for the entire league. So how does a team like St. Louis, which is 20th in team B.A., and 17th in runs scored, both in the bottom half of the league, have a winning record (29-21) and find themselves in second place, only a game back. One word, Pitching! The Cardinals lead the league with a 3.56 E.R.A., while the Orioles are 28th, and the Nationals are 30th. Just a thought for the two clubs, did anyone tell them that pitching wins championships. While I do not know what the Nationals have in their farm system, I do know that the Orioles have some wonderful prospects in the Minor Leagues, and with a strong nucleus of young talent already producing offensively, they have a promising future, but one never knows until they are promoted and get into the real action of the major leagues.

Thanks again for reading, and have a great Monday. Rock and Roll Sports Fans.

lack of blogs

I have not had the chance to write anything, as life has gotten in the way, but things get back to normal today, and I should have a chance to start writing again this weekend. Sorry for the faithful few that have been reading. Look for some new content this Saturday evening, as there is much to report. I will talk briefly about the NCAA lacrosse finals, The UEFA Champions League Final, and of course some MLB action. I will also talk about the NBA. That will not be pretty, I assure you. See you tomorrow.

Rock and Roll Sports Fans.

The Weekend in Sports: MLB, NBA, NCAA Men's Lacrosse

The St. Louis Cardinals once again put together several more outstanding pitching performances, and won games on Friday and Saturday against the Kansas City Royals, both by the score of 5-0, and even with a strong performance Sunday, they ended up losing by a score of 3-2. While the pitching has been excellent the last six games, the offense has been lacking just a bit. I would certainly hope that things will change as Rick Ankiel and Ryan Ludwick are returning to the lineup and should add some much needed offense to the Cardinal offense. The pitching staff certainly seemed to receive a boost when Chris Carpenter was activated from the D.L., maybe the same will happen to the offense with the return of those two players.

In the NBA, the Lakers took back home court advantage be beating the Denver Nuggets in the third game of the Western Conference final in Denver, and taking a 2-1 series lead. Denver will try to keep pace by winning game four on Monday. In the Eastern Conference finals, the Orlando Magic took a 2-1 series lead over the Cleveland Cavaliers, holding onto the home court advantage that they were able to steal from Cleveland in game one. Time will tell if they will be able to hold on to it.

The biggest event of the weekend, however, is the NCAA Men's Lacrosse Championships being held at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, MA. In the division I semifinals, number two Syracuse defeated number three Duke 17-7, and number five Cornell upset number one Virginia 15-6. The Finals are set for Monday in Foxborough at 1:00 P.M. Eastern time. The game will be televised live on ESPN. As I have mentioned before, if you have not watched lacrosse, this would be a great time to check it out. It is one of the most exciting sports to ever be played. The game is fast, high scoring and hard hitting. What more could any sports fan want. For all of my friends back in Maryland, you know what I am talking about, but for the rest, you just need to check it out. Here are some basics to get you through the game. A game is played with four, 15 minute quarters. The game starts with a face-off in the center of the field, and subsequently after each goal, and at the start of each quarter. When a team has the ball in the offensive half of the field, they can have six of the eleven players in that half of the field, while the defense has six defenders and the goalie. If and extra player crossed the center line, offsides is called and the other team gets the ball. Around each goal is a circle, called a crease, and no offense player can enter that circle at any time, or they lose possession of the ball. Now for the most exciting part of the game, other than scoring of course, are the ground balls. When the ball is on the ground, anyone can pick up the ball(with their stick of course), however, while the ball is on the ground, anyone in a five yard radius around the ball is fair game to hit, as long as it is not from behind, or with a cross check. There are other rules that are more technical of course, but this is a very, and I mean vary basic idea of what to watch for. If you do tune in, you will hear other explanations of the rules, which will make much more sense, and make the game even more exciting. I know for some of you, this is elementary, but I am just trying to do my part to promote what I think may be one of, if not the greatest games ever invented.(In case the name did not give it away, it was derived from a game played by the Native American Tribes) Hope you will give it a chance, and tune in to ESPN, Monday at 1:00 Eastern.



Have a great day. Rock and Roll Sports Fans!!!!

The Mighty Have Fallen, and Other News of the Day

After watching the Cleveland Cavaliers walk there way into the Eastern Conference finals, they appeared to be a team on a mission with the goal of an NBA championship the end result. Well, not so fast. Last night, they ran into a little road block called, the Orlando Magic, and came crashing down to earth as quickly as they arose. The way they played the first two rounds of the playoffs, not dropping one game, and only losing two games at home all year, I thought for sure they would take care of business at home at the Q. Orlando had other plans, and snatched game one and home court advantage away from the Cavaliers, with a 107-106 victory. With LeBron James struggling in the first quarter, the rest of the Cavaliers were on fire and sprinted out to a 14 point lead. At seeing this, I thought Orlando was done, as LeBron was not contributing to the offense, then he caught fire. After starting the game 0-4 shooting, LeBron finished the game shooting 20-26 and scoring 49 points. Who would have thought with that kind of production, Orlando would have a chance. Behind the three point shooting of Rafer Alston and Rashard Lewis, and the 30 points and 13 rebounds of Dwight Howard, Orlando came storming back and made just enough big shots down the stretch to steal a victory in Cleveland.

With the Chicago Cubs coming to town, and the pitching staff reeling, the St. Louis Cardinals were looking at a potentially brutal home stand this week. After getting swept by the Brewers, where the pitching was, less than stellar, back comes Chris Carpenter from the D.L. and the team suddenly seems rejuvenated. With the complete game shutout on Tuesday by Joel Piniero, Carpenter was getting the start Wednesday night. Chris threw five strong innings giving up just two hits, walking two and striking out four batters. Then the bullpen took over, and continued the mastery that Carpenter started to preserve the victory and take the first two games of the three game series. The Cardinals once again did not get much offensive help, but did just enough, manufacturing two runs to win the game 2-1. Tonight Adam Wainwright(3-2) will pitch for the Cardinals against Sean Marshall(2-2) and the Cubs. The Cardinals will be looking for their first sweep of the Cubs since 2006.

In NHL action tonight, Carolina visits Pittsburgh for game two of the Eastern Conference finals. The Penguins have a 1-0 series lead.

Rock and Roll Sports Fans.

Cardinals Win, Lakers Win, and Grandma the Fan

The Cardinals finally got some much needed help from there starting pitching staff, and this time got just enough offense from a struggling unit to preserve a win for Joel Piniero. Piniero gave up three hits, striking out 5, in pitching a complete game 3-0 victory for the Red Birds. This is just what the Cardinals needed as the offense is still struggling a bit. The Cards only managed 5 hits, but with the help of a home run by Colby Rasmus, and of course the pitching from Piniero, that is all the offense the Cardinals would need. Maybe that is just what the team needs to turn things back around. I do want to make things very clear, despite the lean times right now, the team is still 5 games above .500, so it is not time to start panicking. There is a long season still ahead, and with Rick Ankiel and Chris Carpenter likely being activated for the game tonight, this may help add fuel to the fire, to feed off the spark that Piniero started.

In the NBA, the Lakers jumped out to a 1-0 series lead in the Western Conference final with the help of a 40 point effort from Kobe Bryant, and a strong presence from the bench. It was an exciting game with the Lakers and the Nuggets battling back and forth until the final horn blew. Down the stretch, however it was just too much Kobe, who scored 18 of his 40 points in the fourth quarter. If game one is any indication, this could be one of the more entertaining series of the playoffs(though nothing can conceivably compare with the Celtics-Bulls series). I look forward to seeing what Kobe and Carmelo Anthony have to offer for the rest of the series. Anthony scored 39 on a smoking 14 for 20 night. Let the fireworks begin. I hope that we have not seen the grand finale, and that this was just the start of something amazing.

Tonight the Eastern Conference finals start with the Cleveland Cavaliers facing the Orlando Magic.

In a final note, I just wanted to say that this world is now missing one of its greatest baseball fans that I have ever known. It did not matter who was playing, if there was a game available to watch, she was watching it. She just truly loved the game, and she will truly be missed. I am referring to Nieves Underhill, my Grandmother, who passed away Monday after 100 long years on this earth. I love you Grandma, and will surely miss watching games with you. You were one of the greatest reasons an inspirations into why I started to play the game myself. For that I am forever grateful. I will miss you, and baseball will miss you.

Have a great and wonderful day. Rock and Roll Sports Fans.

Cardinals Blow a Gem

The St. Louis Cardinals entered the series with the Milwaukee Brewers with the teams heading in opposite directions. The Brewers are a team that is absolutely on fire, and the Cardinals are in a complete tail spin. Milwaukee has been hitting the cover off the ball, and getting decent pitching from their starters, and St. Louis' bats have gone brutally cold, and the starting pitching has been suspect at best.

After last nights rain out, the two teams were back at it this afternoon, with Jeff Suppan squaring off against Adam Wainwright. Wainwright brought his A game today, pitching eight innings, giving up just two hits, two walks, one run, while striking out seven. The Cards finally got a great outing from a starter, and they can't do a thing with it. Unfortunately for Wainwright, he made one mistake to Corey Hart, and that was the difference, with the Brewers taking the game 1-0.

I sit here sometimes, wondering to myself what is wrong with Pujols, but the guy is still batting .320. While that is below his normal standard, it is still a very respectable average. I believe that we have gotten absolutely spoiled with being able to watch who is arguably the greatest player in the game today. I have seen Pujols struggle like this before, and he has always bounced back, and there is no reason the same wont happen this year as well. Albert is simply too good, and he will make whatever adjustments he needs, to get back into form.

Tomorrow, two huge game sevens in the NBA. Lakers host the Rockets, and the Celtics host the Magic. In the East, I do not think it will matter who wins, Cleveland looks like they are just going to demolish anyone they face. In the West, which team will show up. Will the Lakers that won by 40, or the Lakers that lost by 15. Maybe both dominant personalities will show up, which should provide an exciting finale to the series. Happy watching.

In other news, Syracuse beat Maryland 11-6, and Cornell beat Princeton 6-4 in the NCAA Lacrosse quarterfinals. Syracuse, the number two seed, will face the winner of the Duke-North Carolina quarterfinal tomorrow. And Cornell, the number five seed, will face the winner of the Virginia-Johns Hopkins quarterfinal. Next week be sure to check out the semi-finals on Saturday starting at 12 Eastern on ESPN2, and then the finals take place Memorial Day at One Eastern on ESPN.

Rock and Roll Sports Fans!!!

NHL Playoffs, and Ryan Zimmerman: One of the Greats Today

So much for living up to the hype. This was supposed to be the crowning jewel for the NHL. Well the only crown on this night was for the Pittsburgh Penguins. They absolutely demolished the Washington Capitals tonight in Washington to win the game, 6-2 and the series, 4-3, to move on to face the winner of the Carolina-Boston series. Crosby and the Penguins certainly got the best of Ovechkin and the Capitals. The Pens dominated in every facet of the game tonight, and never let the Caps into it at all.

Congratulations to Ryan Zimmerman of the Washington Nationals for his 30 game hitting streak. I thought about writing about it before tonight, but did not want to, because it seems that every time I do something like that, I jinx the guy. Well, tonight the streak ended, so I feel the need to respond. Ryan Zimmerman is one of the best hitters, and possibly one of the best overall players in the game today. Being from the Washington-Baltimore area, I am glad a player like that plays for one of the local teams, but it saddens me a little that he has to play for such a horrible team. However, I do praise him for sticking with them and not trying to bail and go to a better team. He shows a great deal of character, and that is certainly not very prevalent in the world of sports today where athletes care about only themselves and little else it seem, worshiping the almighty dollar. Thank you Ryan, and here's hoping that you get started on another 30 game streak right away. You should be proud, and know that you are setting a great example for young kids today.

See you next time. Rock and roll sports fans.

Tiger Has Trouble Closing the Deal

Although there have been a few exceptions in his illustrious career, Tiger Woods has struggled on the final day when he does not have the lead going in. Not that finishing at five under is a bad score, but he just struggles trying to make up ground on Sundays, especially in majors. I know that the PGA is not a major, but it is the closest thing to it.

Oh the Capitals!!!! Break my heart on Saturday, only to redeem themselves tonight with a 5-4 overtime victory in Pittsburgh. This was the third overtime game out of the six they have played so far. That makes for exciting hockey. Game seven is set for Wednesday night in Washington. Will the home team prevail? I would like to think so. This series has certainly lived up to the hype that it received, pitting the games two best players against each other. In so many playoff series that get lots of hype, often time they do not deliver the goods. Caps-Pens delivers.

Can anyone in the East give the Cavs a run for their money. Eight games with eight wins. No other team has done that in the history of the NBA. In the West, Lets go Rockets! I am one to root for the underdog, especially since everyone has said that the finals are the Lakers'. Well, Houston may have something to say about that. Heading back to L.A. tied 2-2.

Manny has not even apologized to his team for his stupid mistake. Really? Are you kidding me. This guy needs to get a grip on the reality of life. I know that the owner pays your salary, and letting him know you are sorry is great and should be done, but your teammates are the ones you are doing battle with, and they are the ones you let down the most. figure it out and get it fixed and be a man.

Rock and Roll Sports Fans

sports photos from saturday

Tiger at TPC Sawgrass

Alex Ovechkin celebrates a goal against the Penguins in their 4-3 overtime loss Saturday

Luongo contemplating his teams losing effort.

Canucks and Blackhawks mix it up in game 5.

LeBron taking a shot over a Hawks defender en route to a game high 47 points.

Joe Smith(Maryland) dunking on two Atlanta players.

Carmelo Anthony dunking against the Mavericks.

The hustler, Chris Anderson in the Nuggets game against the Mavericks.

Aubrey Huff celebrates with his teammates after hitting a three run shot in the second against the Yankees.

some pictures from the day in sports on Saturday, 09, May, 2009.

Drugs in Major League Baseball

Yet another bonehead athlete in the world of professional sports. In a league that has the most strict drug testing policy, MLB players just can't seem to get it right. Manny Ramirez of the Las Angeles Dodgers was suspended 50 games by major league baseball by testing positive for a banned substance. While Manny does contend that it was not steroids, but a doctor prescribed medication for a personal medical ailment, there are no excuses. Just because the doctor says that it should be ok for you to take, and that it should not contain a banned substance, you have to do your own homework while playing today's game. Manny relied on someone else's judgement, and we have seen where that has gotten several players in recent years. One thing I will say is that Manny did say, albeit through the players union, that the responsibility is his alone. It seems that every other athlete has played dumb, or puts the blame on someone else, always saying that a teammate or trainer gave it to them, and they did not know what they were taking, a la Barry Bonds, Miguel Tejada, etc..... When are these guys going to wise up? Do your homework and know what you are putting in your body, and have banned substance list at the ready at all times.

Playoffs abound!

The NHL and NBA playoffs are in full swing, with both leagues firmly in second round match ups.

In the NHL, there are a couple of big game threes tonight. Boston and Carolina clash tonight at Carolina with the Hurricane looking to take control and keep the home ice advantage it won in Boston by taking a 2-1 series lead. In the other match up, Washington will try to extend its series lead to 3-0 with the series heading to Pittsburgh. One side note about this, I do not like that the Penguins are talking about the curve in Ovie's stick. You lost. A sign of a team that is being outplayed is that they start making excuses. In my experience, those are teams that will lose, or already think they have no chance in winning. Just shut up and play the game.

In the NBA, there are a couple of big game twos tonight. One series in the East and on in the West which saw the home team lose the first game in each. These games become much more important for the Lakers and the Celtics as they have already lost the home court advantage, and risk going down 0-2. The Rockets surprised the Lakers and took it right to them in game one, and the Rockets look really tough right now. Ron Artest is playing incredible ball right now, and Yao Ming just dominated the low post.

Cardinals need to get back on the winning track. Three losses in a row, with the pitching looking very suspect. The hitting is continuing, but the starting pitching recently has started to look a little exposed. Lets hope that they can get things back on track tonight.

Baseball Attendance

Is it just me or are the Yankees drawing less fans than Most MLS teams. Not too long ago, I heard one of the men in upper management for the Yankees brag about how they alone draw more fans than all MLS teams combined. Well, as I watched the Yankees-Red Sox game tonight, and with the Yankees only down 2 late in the game, there were only about 15,000 fans(if even that) in the stands. This just makes me laugh. First, the Yankees built this grand new ball park, which in itself, usually draws fans, whether the team is doing well or not. Then they jack up there ticket prices so much, that unless you are upper-middle class to upper class, you have no chance in going to see a game. The average ticket price for a family of four (excluding the ridiculously priced premier seats) is over $450. Are you kidding me. Who wants to pay that much for a mediocre team. No wonder the seats are empty. Maybe if they were a little more prudent with their money in regards to player personnel, they would not have to charge so much for fans to come and watch a bunch of overpriced losers. The Yankees are trying to by a championship, and other than the Red Sox, name me one team that has one a World Series in recent years that has had a payroll in the top 25 percent of the league. When are they going to realize that money does not always make things work. Just ask the Devil Rays and Phillies.

In hockey news, The Washington Capitals defeated the Pittsburgh Penguins 4-3 to take a 2-0 series lead, and what a game it was. It is certainly living up to the expectations of the Ovechkin vs. Crosby match up. Both players scored three goals, and the play from both teams was outstanding. There was action at both ends of the ice, but the real difference maker in the game was once again Capitals goalie Simeon Varlemov. Not bad for a rookie goalie, who has now won six of his first eight playoff games. If he continues to play like this, the Capitals could make things tough for everyone the rest of the way. The Capitals have been to one Stanley Cup Finals, but with the way the team is playing now, number two may not be far away.

Just want to put in a prayer for Rick Ankiel of the St. Louis Cardinals, who fell head first into the outfield wall in a game today against the Phillies. We are praying that he is doing well and that nothing serious will come of it.

Everyone have a great Tuesday.

The Weekend in Review

Have you ever wished you made a bet when your gut tells you to, and you don't do it because you think that it is not the wisest thing to do. For those of you who watched the Kentucky Derby yesterday, and thought about picking Mine That Bird, are kicking yourselves today for not following your gut. A two dollar bet yielded just over $103, and the superfecta (picking the first four finishers) yielded a payout of over $555,000 for that same two dollars. There are times I wish I were a betting man. I am happy to report that there were no major injuries or complications as a result of the race this year. It looks like the sport of horse racing is truly trying to clean up the sport and make things safer for the horses. This may be too little too late. There have been far too many injuries and casualties in recent years, which has of course raised many questions and ire from activists that think that the sport inflicts cruel and unusual punishment on the horses. I believe that those that are the strongest opponents think animals deserve more rights than humans do. This is absurd. I have heard some people say that Mike Vick should face the same punishment (death) as some of his dogs did in his illegal dog fighting ring in Virginia. I know that this is old news, but with the recent release date given, it has certainly brought the case back to the thoughts and minds of those that would like to see him taken out. They would even be tempted to carry out the justice, as they would call it, themselves, stating that what he did was absolutely despicable. While I agree that it is despicable, and he certainly got what he deserved, would the vigilant act be any less so. You would only be stooping to the same level as Vick, and that is not a level that I want to be on.

Congratulations to the Boston Celtics and Atlanta Hawks for winning there first round series in the NBA Playoffs. Both teams were able to take their series finales on there home courts this weekend. The Hawks were pretty impressive in there win today, winning be 13 points, and will face the Cleveland Cavaliers in round two. The Celtics pulled out a 10 point win in what may be considered the greatest playoff series ever. The victory was almost anti-climactic, as four of the first six games were overtime contest. I was a little disappointed that game seven did not require overtime, but none the less, the teams certainly put on a show. Thank you Boston and Chicago for such an entertaining two weeks. Boston will take on the Orlando Magic in the second round.

A quick note about the NHL Playoffs. The Anaheim Ducks defeated the Detroit Red Wings in their second game 4-3 in the third overtime period to even the series 1-1. Saturday saw my Washington Capitals and Alexander the Great defeat Sid the Kid and the Pittsburgh Penguins 3-2. Although Alex scored a goal, he was not much of a factor in the game. Simeon Varlamov was the difference for the Capitals saving 34 of 36 shots. Not bad for a rookie goalie, who took over for Jose Theodore in the Capitals dramatic first round series with the Rangers. Varlamov only gave up 7 goals in the six games he tended the net for in the first round. Jose gave of four in one game.

Here's looking forward to another great week in the world of sports. See you soon.

Caps Win

The Washington Capitals overcome a 3-1 deficit and defeat the Rangers in seven games. The Rangers dominated the first two periods, but the third belonged to the Caps as they held the Rangers to just one shot, and Sergi Federov made the game winner late in the third. Federov became the oldest player to score the game winner in the 7th game of a playoff series. With the win the Caps move on to the Eastern conference semi-finals and will face the Pittsburgh Penguins and Sidney Crosby.

Although he was pushed, Kyle Lohse did his part in trying to give the Cardinals there 15th win on the year, but three walks given up by Kyle McClellan in the 8th, came back to haunt the team as they dropped a 2-1 decision at the hands of the Atlanta Braves.

Just two questions. Will the Nationals win 50 games this year? Current pace says no. What do they need to do to turn things around? Better pitching.

Have a great Wednesday.

The 2009 NFL Draft

So I figured that the title would get your attention, but I figure that at least 1,000,000 people would be writing about the draft this year, so what good is one more from me. There just was not a lot of drama in this years draft that really should be talked about. The only thing that I will say about it "with the 7th pick in the 2009 NFL draft, the Oakland Raiders select Michael Crabtree, Texas Tech." Oh wait, that was too obvious. Al Davis is an idiot. That man has already died, he just has not had the good grace to lie down yet. Darius Hayward-Bay over Crabtree? What were they thinking?

I wanted to congratulate the Blues on the season that they had. Even though they got swept in the playoffs, most said that it would be two more years before they even got to the playoffs, so getting there was a huge success, and set up a great launching pad for next year and beyond with the young team that they have. Let's go Blues!!!

The Cardinals have been a pleasant surprise this year. I don't know that anyone could have predicted such a fantastic start to the season. Joel Piniero is 4-0 and Kyle Lohse 3-0, going for win number four tomorrow. Currently, the Cardinals have the best record in baseball. I know that there is a long way to go, but the excitement around this team is becoming infectious. I would like to see the team cut down on the errors, and fortunately it has not cost them. However, if they continue, they will get burned, because it is only a matter of time before one occurs at a crucial time. On the offensive side, they lead the league in team batting average. Yadi is hitting, Ryan Ludwick has picked right up where he left off last year, Albert is....well, Albert, and Brian Barden and Joe Thurston platooning at third are hitting the ball all over the park. Skip Schumaker, Chris Duncan, and Colby Rasmus are also contributing nicely in the Cards offense. Can they keep it up? We will have to see, but they are making a believer out of me so far. That last statement might sound like I am only excited because they are doing well, and nothing could be further from the truth. I am only trying to say that they are performing better than I thought, and I think that they will continue playing well throughout the season.

Here is a question to ponder. Why hasn't lacrosse just exploded in this country. I know that it is the fastest growing sport among today's youth, but why does it not continue? Lacrosse has everything that sports fans enjoy in this country. It's the fastest sport on turf. It has lots of offense, lots of hard hitting, and fighting. What more do you need. I would encourage everyone to watch the NCAA championship semifinals and finals Memorial day weekend on ESPN, and tell me that the lacrosse is not one of the most exciting sports you have seen.

Thanks for reading, and its good to be back. Vacation was great, but I missed this. Everyone have a great day.

finally home

Just wanted to let you know that I am glad to be home and should be continuing the blog tonight or tomorrow.

One thing of note, it looks like Pujols has snapped out of his funk. Amazing what two strong days at the plate will do for your average, from .298 to .345 in two days.

See you soon.

vacation

sorry for all of you that are trying to read some blogs, but i am on vacation and have not had much time to write anything. i will be back soon, and will start actively writing again next thursday or friday.

one thing that i do want to say is that the cardinals will not be successful with the bullpen that they have. every game but one has been blown by the bullpen.

see you soon.

The Masters: And Other Sunday Sports Action

Congratulations to Angel Cabrera for winning one of the more exciting Masters Golf Tournaments in recent history. On a day when Tiger and Phil made an early charge with blistering front nines, they did not have the staying power to make the final push to challenge Cabrera, Kenny Perry and Chad Campbell. Campbell was eliminated after the first playoff hole, and Perry bogied the second to allow Cabrera to win by shooting par on the second. This was only the second career win for Cabrera on the PGA Tour, with both being majors. He won the U.S. Open in 2007. Kenny Perry, had he won, would have been the oldest player to not only win the Maters, but the oldest to win a major. Not bad for a guy that is now ranked number six in the world and who just two years ago was ranked 173rd.

In other news, the Blues continued there hot streak, winning Sunday 1-0 against Colorodo, and in doing so moved up to the sixth spot in the Western Conference, and will face the Vancouver Canucks on Wednesday to open there Stanley Cup Playoff race.

Also on Sunday the Cardinals completed a sweep of the Houston Astros to push there record to 6-2. The Cardinal pitching through the first seven games has been absolutely stellar. Knowing that every pitcher has a bad day, however, if they continue to pitch remotely close to how they are now throughout the year, the Cards will be a tough team to beat. To add some late news, the Cardinals just defeated the Arizona Diamondbacks 2-1. Todd Wellemeyer pitched 7 innings, allowing just one run on 7 hits. As for the Cards offense, they ended up with 8 hits, two of which were home runs, which is all the scoring they would get, and need to earn the victory. The home runs were hit by Albert Pujols(4) and Brian Barden(1).

Is this not a great time to be a sports fan in St. Louis. Hope everyone had a great Easter. See you next time.

St. Louis Blues Make the Stanley Cup Playoffs

For the first time in three years, the St. Louis Blues hockey team will be going to the Stanley Cup Playoffs. If you were to ask me three months ago if the Blues had any chance of being a playoff team, and I would have said there was not a chance. However, since January 15th, the blues have accumulated more points than any other team in hockey, and as a result find themselves in the 8th and final spot, with a chance to move to 6th with a win on Sunday and a little help from some other teams. St. Louis is a big hockey town and the Savvis Center was rockin' tonight. You could sense the energy of the fans in the arena, and the players certainly fed off of that, and then just took it to the Columbus Blue Jackets for a 3-1 victory. This city has waited too long for a playoff hockey team and the wait is now over. Maybe the most exciting thing is that this is a fairly young team, and the future is looking very bright. I don't know that anyone in the organization thought that this was the year that the Blues would end the playoff drought, but this team showed some moxie, and they came through down the stretch when you see a lot of young teams falter. In fact, it seemed like the "kid" line was the group that really helped spark the winning ways, and lit a fire under the veterans. I don't expect the team to do much in the playoffs, but with the way that they are playing now, they will be a tough team to beat if they can continue the momentum. I can't wait to see what unfolds in the post season.

Nick Adenhart: LA Angels Pitcher Tragically Killled

I just wanted to send my condolences to the family of Nick Adenhart, who was tragically killed last night after the rookie pitcher made his first start of the year for the Los Angelas Angels of Anaheim. Early this morning on his way home, a suspected drunk driver ran a red light, killing Adenhart and the two others in the car with him. Adenhart was from Silver Spring, MD, survived by his father Jim, and his mother Janet. Last night was just his fourth start in the major League Baseball, and he pitched 6 scoreless innings. Our prayers certainly go out to Nick's parents and to his teammates and the entire Angels organization. May you be in a better place Nick.

Chris Carpenter Returns

It has been just over a year since Chris Carpenter last pitched a game for the St. Louis Cardinals, and today, he certainly made a statement as to whether he was having any ill affects from his surgery last year. Carpenter pitched 7 innings of one hit ball, giving up one unearned run. If anyone had reservations as to his arm strength and concern for his health, he has quieted the nay-sayers for now. Carpenter took a no-hitter into the 7th inning, and that hit just scooted under the glove of second baseman Skip Shoemaker. The season is just beginning, and a lot remains to be seen if the elbow will hold up for an entire season, but Carpenter looked awful strong today. If he pitches the rest of the year like he did today, he could be the comeback player of the year for a second year. He is such an amazing talent, and I really look forward to seeing what he can do the rest of the way. Congratulations to Chris on his successful return, pitching 7 innings, giving up 2 BB, and striking out 7.

Uconn Women Rule the Court

A few of you may not have noticed, but the women's NCAA basketball championship was held in St. Louis yesterday. I debated as to whether I should write about the event, and I can honestly say that I did not even get a chance to watch the game. However, despite these facts, and others that I will not mention, there is certainly one thing that I wanted to mention. While the feat is far more common in the women's game,(it has not happened since 1976 for the men) the UConn Huskies women's basketball team finished a perfect 39-0, there third undefeated season since 1995. I normally would not make such a big deal about it since it seems to happen every couple of years on the women's side, but it is the way it happened that made me think so highly of it. In all there games, including the championship, these amazing athletes won every single game by double digits. They were never challenged, ever. They were so dominant, they only trailed once in the second half of a game all year, and that was for one single possession. Some would argue that this was or wasn't the greatest womens team ever in college basketball history, and not being an expert on womens sports in general, I do not see how you could argue against it. They are the only team to win all games by 10 points or more. To me there is not much to argue against. One might say that overall this was a "weaker" overall season for the women, but that is purely subjective. The fact remains, the UConn women won them all and did it in absolute dominating fashion.

NCAA Men's Basketball Championship

17 is better than 35 last time I checked, but it still means the same thing, Michigan State gets blown out by North Carolina. I thought for sure that the Spartans would make it a close one, but any team that has more turnovers than field goals late in the second half does not stand a chance with a team like North Carolina, or anyone for that matter. With just under 10 minutes to play, MSU had more turnovers 18 than field goals 16. That is just a recipe for destruction, and the Tarheels did just that, brought complete destruction to Ford Field. I know that is was not the 35 point blowout on the same court back in December, but the Spartans were missing some key players then, and with there best back, they could not hang with the mighty Tarheels. Several Tarheel players came back for there senior year, or to pass up a chance to go to the NBA, to win a national title. A gamble you might ask, maybe, but it certainly paid off. They came back and they took care of there business. There seemed to be nothing that was going to stop this team of destiny. Congratulations to a focused and driven team on winning the national title.

Major League Baseball: The Season Begins

The long winter wait is finally over, spring has arrived, and the '09 MLB season is ready to officially kick off tonight with a match up of the Philadelphia Phillies and the Atlanta Braves. The season certainly promises to be an interesting one as several teams made many moves trying to improve their fortunes for the coming year, while other teams are still clinging to their dismal payrolls, hoping that youth and enthusiasm will pave the way for success, much like the Tampa Bay Rays did last year. Other teams, like the Yankees, spent more in this off season than several countries combined Gross National Product. Trying to be objective about the season, there is something inside of me that wants the New York Yankees to completely bomb and eat the money that they spent, trying to buy a championship instead of develop it. The other reason is that I grew up an avid Baltimore Orioles fan, but I will try to be nice. The Phillies are the defending World Series champions, and they will certainly have there hands full even winning there own division, which from top to bottom is certainly the strongest in the National League. The Mets look outstanding, and the Braves and Marlins will also push them to the limit. It is definitely a division that is up for grabs. What will the rest of the league bring forth, we will have to wait and see. The N.L. Central looks on paper like the Cubs will run away and hide, leaving everyone to fight over the leftovers. However, with the return of a seemingly healthy Chris Carpenter, and Adam Wainwright a very strong number 2, dare I say 1A starter, the Cardinals could very well give the Cubs a run for their money. In the N.L. West, the Dodgers appear poised to repeat as division champs with their re-acquisition of the one and only, Manny Ramirez. He was certainly the spark that they needed to turn the corner, to make the playoff run they did. How good can they be having him for the whole year. Could really be scary for the rest of the West. The competition that they might get, will come from the San Francisco Giants. They have added some key players, and with there returning Cy Young award winner, Tim Lincecum, and a couple other capable starters, they could be a surprise. Moving to the American League, it seems like a three horse race, among the Yankees, Red Sox and the Rays. It is a pick-em division with those three. The Blue Jays and the Orioles do not appear to stand a chance with their lack of depth at pitching. In the Central anyone could emerge. There is even talk about the much improved Royals, but the Twins always seem to be vying for the division title, and last years winner, the White Sox should be in the picture as well. In the West, it is the Angels division to lose, but the Athletics could possibly give them a little scare. The angels just seem to have too much pitching and power for anyone else to knock them off their perch. Only time will tell in the long 162 game season, but this could be one of the most competitive seasons in recent history. I am very excited to watch and see, and offer my two cents as we go along. will there be a surprise like the Rays? I hope so, as it is great for the game. I can't wait to see.

The Mens NCAA Final Four

With just a few minutes left in the second game of the Final Four in Detroit, Michigan State looks to be facing North Carolina in the championship game on Monday. MSU advanced by outlasting UCONN, while North Carolina just dominated Villanova to advance.

The championship game will be a rematch of a game in early December won by North Carolina in convincing fashion. Michigan State was embarrassed in that game, and should have plenty of motivation as a result, to avoid the same fate. Will that be enough however, to take down the virtually unbeatable Tarheels. The Spartans will have to control the tempo and not let the Tarheels dictate the action. North Carolina has some motivation of there own as they lost in the Final Four last year, and will look to complete the task they started last year. The Tarheels have several players that gave up big dollars to go pro, to return for another year and a chance to win another national championship. The Tarheels will most likely look to speed things up to run Michigan State out of Ford Field.

Will it be dejavu for Michigan State or will disappointment once again rear its ugly head for the Tarheels. We will find out Monday night.

NIT

Congratulations to Penn State and winning the N.I.T. For a team that I feel should have made the NCAA tournament, they just proved me right. There has to be a better way to decide who goes to the Bid Dance. I think the conference champ that has a losing record does not deserve to go, when teams like Penn State have a very good record and, they are not able to because there are now only a few spots left. I don't know what the answer is, but I do know that change needs to happen. I just don't think that a team that loses by 50 points deserves the chance to play in the biggest tournament in college basketball. That's all for tonight, but I will continue this discussion next time.

Until then, enjoy your Friday in sports.

Continuing with the thought from last night, I really feel that the NCAA needs to reconsider how they select teams. I know that the change will not happen, so something else needs to be done. Maybe the answer is expansion. I just want teams that deserve to play in the tournament, be given the chance to play in the tournament. Why are they going to be punished just because the NCAA wants to be fair. How is letting a .500 team the chance to play, fair, when teams that have a winning record in really tough conferences have to sit at home, or play in another post season tournament. I am certainly digressing. just wanted to share my thought.

be back tomorrow.

Athletes in Trouble

So I'm driving home listening to the radio and I hear the words "plead guilty to drunk driving". I'm thinking what overpaid athlete got stupid this time. I really think that they believe that the money they make helps keep them sober. Like "man I'm wasted, let me pull out my wallet and sniff my money so I wont be drunk anymore". I know that sounds absurd, and it really does not work that way, but the incidents are ever increasing. Now I'm not stupid(some might think so), and I realize that regular people go out and drive drunk like idiots everyday, but these athletes have to realize sometime, that they are under a microscope. They also have to understand, whether they want to accept it or not, that they are role models for children. All this crap that they are doing is affecting young people. You hear guys say all the time, "I am not a role model", well I have news for you, you are so GET OVER IT. I can understand the need to go out and let off some steam every once in a while, but you have to be smarter than that. Call a cab, we all know that you can afford it, or hire a transport service for the night. They should know that alcohol makes you stupid, so they need to think before they start. I'm not going to beat a dead horse, but I just got so mad because of the incident of the athlete in Florida killing a pedestrian. Did no one learn from that guys mistake. The thing that really gets me boiled is how they talk about how they made a mistake, and how they are going to learn from it, and hope that others will learn from there mistake as well. Are you kidding me. If they are going to preach about learning from there mistake, maybe they should have taken a closer look at the previous idiot athlete and learned from them, so that they did not make the same mistake. There are no excuses. There is nothing to learn from what they have done. That lesson has already been taught, and if they don't start paying attention to the class called life, they will be killing someone literally, or that little child who just had his whole world crushed because there favorite star is behind bars.

The Coaching Carousel

Now that we are at the end of another sports season, the coaching carousel begins once again. Up to this point there were just a few positions that were available, and those came and went, being filled by up and comers trying to make a name for themselves. Then the bomb drops, and Kentucky, the Mecca of college basketball, announces the dismissal of their coach, there winning coach.

I often wonder what goes through the minds of athletic directors and school presidents, that make these seemingly knee-jerk decisions. Is 22 and 14 a bad season? Maybe in Kentucky it is, but with a team rebuilding, that seems pretty reasonable to me. I know that I am not from there, nor have I ever lived there, but letting someone go with that record seems awfully harsh to me. The next question I have is, what is the new time line for rebuilding a program. I find it hard to believe that two years is enough, but I guess if you coach in Kentucky, you better make miracles happen in just one.

I do want to congratulate John Calipari on his hiring with Kentucky. As much as I do not agree with them firing there coach so quickly, they certainly hired one of the best college coaches to ever coach the game. The schools reputation combined with his recruiting ability, certainly will give Kentucky a decided edge in the future of the SEC. For a basketball coach to be paid that much in a "football" conference is a testament to coach Calipari's ability. He will certainly be under fire, and under the close watchful eyes of the Kentucky faithful, but he is a man that can do it and do his job well. I did wonder if he went for the money, but, it's Kentucky, so it really doesn't matter. Anyone would be crazy to turn down a position like that, even if he did not make as much as they are paying him.

Another hot coach right now is Missouri's Mike Anderson. Here is a man who took a team picked to finish 7th in their conference, and all he did was lead them to third place in the regular season, and conference tournament champions. As a result of this success, and his impeccable character, he was being wooed by other schools for considerably more money than Missouri could offer him. However, true to his character, and to the students that he recruited, he made the decision to stay and be a part of the Missouri program for the next 7 years. In a "give me what I deserve or else society", coach Anderson chose the road less traveled, and one can only hope that he will be rewarded for his faithfulness to the school, to the players and to the community. He is truly a man of integrity.

As we watch the carousel go round and round, it will certainly be fascinating to see where coaches go or stay, and what the coaches' motivations might be in there decisions. I am all for making money, but that should not be the sole motivation for making a profession change. The better job may not be the highest paying job.

See you all next time.

College Basketball Tournament Officiating

As I sat and watched the games unfold this weekend in the Elite 8, one of the biggest things that jumped out at me was the ridiculous officiating. I wondered if the referees were getting paid by the foul. There was no continuity to the games, and the number of ticky-tack fouls called was absurd. It also makes me think that the tournament committee is trying to dictate who wins and who doesn't. The game that really caught my attention, was the UConn - Mizzou game. The disparity in the fouls called was absolutely alarming, and when I saw Mizzou players ending up on the floor and no fouls called, and Uconn players who were barely brushed get fouls, I was beside myself. When one team more than doubles (actually almost triples) the number of fouls called against, it certainly makes me wonder about the integrity of the officiating crew, its governing body and the tournament committee.

In the Pitt - 'Nova match up, it seemed like there was a foul called on every other possession, and in the second half, there were nine straight trips down the court in which a foul was called. How does this lend to the flow of a game. All it seemed to do was dictate what took place at the end, with a player moving out of the way and giving up a game winning layup instead of trying to take a charge, or at least contesting the shot. This all happened because the officials dictated the flow of the game, instead of letting the players play there game. I believe that this time of year, the players should be given the chance to play there game and not have there dreams dashed by officials, or the powers that be.

What is the ultimate purpose for calling every little touch foul there is? It could be the money. More fouls can certainly lead to more commercials, which of course leads to more advertising money for the NCAA. Maybe it's that the officials actually have bigger egos than the athletes do, and they have something to prove. That may seem far-fetched, but I have certainly witnessed it in my own playing days. Some referees just want you to know that they are the boss, and you are at there mercy. Whatever the reason is, I think that the rules committee really needs to examine the over zealousness of the officiating and try to come to a compromise in how they want to see the games played. I am certainly not implying that there should be the playground rule of "no blood, no foul", but a little less could mean a whole lot more for the athletes.

Hope everyone enjoys the rest of the tournament, and good luck to the four schools still remaining and there loyal fans. I know that I can't wait to see what will unfold.

Just a friendly reminder, baseball season is just six days away.

See you all next time. Look forward to hearing from you

An Intro to Dave: The Average Joe Fanatic

Hello to everyone out there! I thought I would take the time to introduce myself, tell you a little of my background and what this blog will ultimately be about.

My name is Dave Underhill, and I live in what many consider to be one of the greatest sports cities in the country, if not the greatest, St. Louis, MO. I know this is debatable, but having been here for 10 years now, I would have to agree. I am married to a wonderful, beautiful woman, have two incredible children, three step-children, and a dog.

I am a sports nut, much to the dismay of my wife, but I eat, sleep and breathe sports(not necessarily in that order). I love to watch, play, and read about almost any sport there is out there. Whether it is basketball, football, baseball, soccer, golf, tennis, hockey, or anything in between, I will watch it. This all started at the very young age of two , when my late Great Aunt would ask me what I wanted to do when I grew up, and I responded with; "play center field for the Baltimore Orioles". Pretty ambitious for a two year old, but that is where it all started. My mother soon picked up the slack, and she may be as big, if not an even bigger fan than I am, so my passion comes as no surprise. As I got older, I wanted to try just about every sport there was available, but unfortunately, had to be choosy as too many of them shared the same season. I settled on soccer, basketball, baseball and swimming. I was an all around good athlete, which also helped ignite the sports fire in me. I could not watch enough, or go to enough games to satisfy that desire.

That passion and desire are still around today, and as a result, I thought that I would share my own unique, "average Joe" perspective into what is happening in the world of sports today. That is going to be the basis of my articles, so sit back, relax, and enjoy, and I look forward to hearing from you.