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.