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.