The Wonderful World of Sports

Matt Millen - The Picture of Incompetence

2007-01-02T19:45:00.000-05:00

Yesterday was rough enough for Michigan fans, but the Lions announced today they will be keeping Millen for next season. At 24-72 since taking over his position, the Lions are the worst team in the league during that same stretch. Millen still has 4 years on his contract since, by some stretch of the imagination nobody can explain, the Lions gave him an extension last season when he was only 21-59. Apparently 5-11 was reason enough to keep him longer.

Honestly, I don't know how Ford Motors isn't bankrupt if it's being run the same as the Lions. Usually guys that are businessmen (ie every owner in pro sports) treat the team like a business. No business would keep their CEO after having 6 straight years in the red. Especially if 3 of those years were near record losses (2-14, 3-13 twice). Does there come a time when you can legitimately abandon your team without being a bad sports fan?

The NBA Referee Draft

2006-07-03T14:23:00.000-04:00

Before I get started, let me clarify that I am not over the atrocities committed by NBA officiating in this year's playoffs. If Big Ben signs with the Bulls, it is likely that I will be taking at least a one-year break from the NBA, simply for the sake of my own sanity. Yes, it's sad that sports affect my life so much. But they do, get over it. And because they do, I need some time apart from the league. Consider that the "it's not you, it's me" speech.

However, an idea popped into my head and I just couldn't resist writing about it. If this could ever be implemented correctly (and no I'm not delusional enough to think of it as anything other than a joke/fantasy), it would immediately become my favorite sporting event of the year. In the spirit of this past week's NBA Draft, allow me to unveil my big idea (if the title didn't give it away already)...

The NBA Playoff Referee Draft!

Here's the initial concept - teams get to draft which referees will officiate their playoff games. Since everyone knows there are specific referees who clearly affect games, this draft could actually have more bearing on who wins the title than the actual NBA draft. Granted you have to draft good players just to get into the playoffs, but stick with me on this. That was the light bulb that went off in my head as I was thinking about the NBA draft and venting to myself that it doesn't even matter now that Vince McMahon has taken over the NBA. Now there are obviously a few kinks that would have to be worked out, so let's get this all figured out.

1) Draft Order: I've thought a bit about this one and could probably go either way, but do you reward the top teams from the regular season with the picks or do you try to even out home court by letting the seeds select? I'd prefer to let the team with the best regular season record pick first. It's already bad enough that half the league makes the playoffs. (Despite this year's entertaining first round, I've always been a fan of baseball, which requires you to actually be good to make the playoffs. In basketball the better teams still usually win, this year aside, so it's not as bad as hockey where a 7 or 8 seed could easily win if their goalie steps up. But this is a whole different topic.) I think you could balance it out by letting every team select (starting with best team) their refs and the pick is valid for your home games only. So the better teams get to select who will help them out the most on their home court. That's how I'd do it.

2) Length of Contract: How long should a pick be worth? It would be most exciting if there were only one draft for the entire playoffs, and the team was stuck with whomever they drafted throughout. But if it were done that way and a top team went out in the first round, why not have a new draft for the second round so that referee could be picked up instead of letting your best referees sit at home and not officiate. I'd say you have a big event to kick off the playoffs. As the playoffs go along, teams could swap out for officials whose teams have lost. Again, draft order would dictate who gets first choice.

3) Crews vs. Individuals: The next decision is to run the picks. I think this is a no-brainer. A team drafts one official per round and then the next round is drafted in reverse order. First-round selections are automatically the chief ref for their crew. This would really make things interesting, but the NBA would likely want to mandate that certain guys be required first-rounders (like Bavetta).

There you have it, the NBA Referee Draft. I'm telling you, the ratings would be through the roof. You don't think teams would push for a couple extra victories just to get to pick who is officiating their games. Now if you have guys the NBA clearly want to promote, like Wade or LeBron, your choice is clear: Bennett Salvatore or Dick Bavetta. But if you get unlucky enough to be stuck with that last pick, say hello to Steve Javie. At least the NBA would be a little less like the WWE if this were done. Sending out Bavetta these days to do a game is like Vince wrestling and naming his son guest referee. So, David Stern, let's go ahead and get this done and we'll no longer have to be taking a break. But until then, I need my space. Let's call it an "open relationship."

I hate my life

2006-06-21T00:01:00.000-04:00

Well, it's happened. My least two favorite teams have won titles in the same year (Gators and Heat). I'm announcing right now that this is the end of the NBA for me. I give up on it. In the years to come, if God blesses me with a son, I will always tell him about the season the NBA was rigged. I told myself I wasn't going to watch these finals, but I wanted to know if it was as bad as I thought. And after listening to the ESPN's The Sports Reporters, PTI, Around The Horn, and Mike and Mike, there's no doubt that every single non-Heat fan believes this series was completely affected by officials. Game 3, the Mavs went up by 13 in the 4th quarter, then every call went against them. Game 5, the Heat shot 24 more FT's than the Mavs. Dwyane Wade alone shot 25, the same number as the Mavs. And Game 6, with the game very close, Wade dribbled by Nowitzki, extended his arm for no reason, and they called a foul on Nowitzki. That's the first bad call that comes to mind. I don't have the energy to write the other 198 bad calls in this game alone. I don't care how good the Pistons look next year. I will not watch the NBA. If only the World Cup were played more often.

Read what the Sports Guy says about the Heat winning the title

Random Thoughts

2006-06-19T22:59:00.000-04:00

Well, it's been quite some time since I've posted. To be honest, it first took me some time to get over Detroit losing to the Heat. I couldn't think about anything else in sports, but I couldn't bring myself to write about it rationally. After that time, my life turned a bit crazy. I got engaged on a Friday, which was very exciting. Then, just to balance my life out, I went through the worst pain I can imagine on Monday - I passed a kidney stone. Let's suffice it to say that I don't recommend it to anyone. Then I had a job interview later that week two hours away. But during these past two weeks, I have watched an unbelievable amount of fantastic sports. Allow me to ramble for a while on the highlights.

NBA Finals
Ok, I really don't want to write about this series because it's the only negative in the group, so let's get it out of the way. I can't begin to explain how much faith I've lost in the NBA. I used to joke that the NBA was fixed, but at this time I am willing to say that I'm 100% confident that the NBA is no different at all than the WWE. Wait - there's one difference: the NBA players don't know the outcome like the wrestlers, only the refs do. I thought the 2005 Pistons-Heat matchup (not this year's) was the worst possible officiating in a series, but the Mavs have gotten screwed in every way imaginable. I'm just going to go through them in awkward paragraph form, since bullets would take up too much space. Posey and Haslem are making contact with Dirk 98% of the game, but Dirk never ever gets a call. A large part of that is due to the fact that he doesn't flop or whine like Wade. I guess being a man will get you nowhere in the NBA. Wade shot 25 free throws, including two to win the game on a phantom foul. I actually got called for 3 personal fouls just for cheering against the Heat. Additionally, he clearly committed a backcourt foul on the inbounds for the last play. He jumped from the front court, caught the ball in the air, and landed in the backcourt. Now, you don't have to play basketball beyond 6th grade to learn that it's where you take off from that counts. It's the same reason you can't jump from out of bounds and catch the ball in the air. Also, Stackhouse should never have been suspended. It was a hard foul, but no worse than Shaq almost breaking Stackhouse's nose. Clearly the NBA has chosen favorites. Clearly I haven't been able to sleep because of it. And clearly this is one Heat win away from turning into my worst nightmare: Gators championship (in the same year I find out I'm moving to Gainesville, no less) and Heat championship. As I wrote before, that's sports armageddon. Alright, I'm getting upset, I need to move on.

French Open
Alright, this will be short. I only watched one Nadal match and then a bunch of the championship, but allow me to say that watching Nadal on clay is a thing of beauty. I know most Americans don't appreciate hockey, tennis, or soccer as much as I do, and let me say they're missing out. Nadal was masterful, winning his 60th consecutive clay court match and 2nd consecutive French Open title.

Tigers
Unfortunately, living in Orlando doesn't allow me to watch the Tigers much. But their success in general has been a very enjoyable time for me. This all culminated in an impressive Father's Day showing against the Cubs, which I was lucky enough to catch on WGN. I was worried about Mark Prior's return, considering his significant success in previous first starts back from injury. The Tigers jumped all over Prior, scoring six runs in the first. The pounding continued for the Tigers, ending in an eight home run day. I just love watching them. Their pitchers are amazing. Their hitters are so lovable. Go Tigers! Just a wonderful surprise this season.

Stanley Cup Finals
This year sucked because NHL was on OLN, and I don't get OLN. I had actually gotten to the point where I thought I'd pick NBA playoffs over NHL playoffs. Then the Stanley Cup Finals came on NBC, and they were unbelievable. I can't put into words how exciting they were. I forgot how much I had always preferred hockey over basketball. The new rules really opened up the game. It was action back and forth all game. Scoring chances every 30 seconds. Hard hits coming from both teams. Great saves and plenty of scoring. All that was missing were the fights. I really wanted Edmonton to win, both because they beat Detroit and because I can't stand having the Cup in places like Carolina and Tampa Bay (and I'm a Florida boy). Unfortunately, Edmonton's ridiculously good goalie got injured in Game 1, putting them at a great disadvantaged. They fought hard and forced a Game 7 after being down 3-1, but lost a thrilling final game.

World Cup
Hands down the highlight of my sports year so far. I think I've watched more soccer this month than the rest of my life combined. I've enjoyed soccer since I played in junior high, but it's pretty tough to follow the international leagues while in America, and MLS isn't that exciting. I keep up with some of the popular names and watched the USA's games in the 2002 World Cup. But this year I've just loved every minute of it. I've soaked up every second of soccer possible. Saturday I woke up at 8:30 and couldn't sleep, so I watched 3 different games, including USA's impressive showing against Italy. I've enjoyed watching England struggle, even though they picked up victories in both matches thus far. I loved watching Brazil against Australia, even if I had to cheer for the Aussies to prevent a possible Round of 16 matchup between USA and Brazil. I witnessed Australia score three goals after the 80th minute to come back and beat Japan. For about a half hour, my neighbors may have thought I was from Trinidad and Tobago as I watched the heavily overmatched team fight off the Swedes even playing a man down through much of the second half. I suffered through the USA's lackluster efforts against Czech. No really, I suffered. That was the day I was passing a kidney stone. Only the thought that I might be dying prevented me from throwing things at the TV. Then I watched the USA get annihilated by a shady official against Italy. I saw a dirty elbow get an Italian player ejected, followed by two questionable ejections for the USA. I watched our team dominate Italy even playing a man down. It was so frustrating knowing we should have picked up a victory. If I didn't realize the NBA was more poorly officiated, I'd have been madder. And the best thing is there are about 20 more days of soccer left. I really wish this event was every two years. It honestly is the greatest sporting event in the world.

That ends my sports rants. I hope my (make believe) readers enjoyed it. I know it was a great way for me to vent it out. Until next time, Go Mavs! Go Tigers! Go USA!

All things must come to an end

2006-06-04T23:19:00.000-04:00

Alright, I've spent the past couple days trying to force myself to write about the Pistons. I wanted to analyze every angle of why they may have failed. All the chemistry issues, coaching problems, ego dramas, 'Sheed's ankle, lack of inspiration. I wanted to do a little report card on the Pistons for the season. But I can't. I'm incapable of doing so. Maybe I will in the near future, but it's too soon. To be honest, I didn't even watch Game 6. I was at the movies with my girlfriend and her family seeing The Break-Up. Call me a bad fan. Call me a sellout. Call me whatever you want. But I just had a bad feeling about the game and I can only take so much punishment. I would've spent the game pacing, yelling, throwing things, etc. No good can come of that.

So until I can come to grips with this ridiculous postseason, all I can do is write about the Tigers (or other random sports topics) and pray fervently for the Mavs to dispatch of the Heat. I swear, if the Heat and Gators win championships in the same season, I'm going to pray for death. That's the sports equivalent of Armageddon. Those are two of my least favorite teams (potentially the top 2), and for both to win in the same year would be hell.

So go Mavs! Go Tigers! And as always, spread the word about my blog if it entertains you :-)

Pistons - Heat Pregame

2006-06-02T12:16:00.000-04:00

Alright, I don't want to say much about tonight's game because I'm really, REALLY nervous. I know they've been on the brink many times before, but tonight just gives me bad vibes. And I hate that it's on a Friday because I'm planning on taking my girlfriend out to see that new Vince Vaughn movie. It's probably better because if I was sitting at home watching the game there's about an 85% chance that I'd either break multiple things or severely injure my knuckles punching the wall.

Anyhow, I think we all know the keys for the Pistons. Tonight isn't any different. Intensity, good defense, protect the ball. Blah, blah, blah. So I won't bore you with that. But I do have a good little story for my pregame.

To set this up a little bit, let me start by saying that I grew up in south Florida, Ft. Lauderdale to be exact. For those less familiar, that's about a half hour from Miami. While I have cheered for the Marlins at times (a topic that will be left for its own post during the dog days of summer), I have NEVER been a Heat fan of any kind. I liked Glen Rice when he was there, but only for his Michigan connections. Moving along, my mom has worked for the same boss for as long as I've been alive. He's an avid Miami sports fan, and I respect him because he's one of 8 people who have cheered for the Heat their entire existence. He's had great season tickets for as long as I can remember, a fact I've been fortunate enough to take advantage of a good number of times.

With that said, he has two daughters, one that lives in Miami. I was just informed that she was at Cheesecake Factory last night and just happened to run into Tayshaun and Rip. (There was mention of 'Sheed being around, but it didn't sound like he was as involved in the story. I hope that's not a chemistry issue.) Apparently she talked with them for a few minutes before informing them that she hoped they lost tonight. At that point, their guards told her it was time for her to leave. I know that's not exactly an action-packed story, but I get goosebumps at the thought of running into Tay and Rip. I fear I would've turned into one of those guys who can't form a coherent thought due to sheer awe. But I would love to have a chance to just sit down and talk to them - tell them their faithful still believe and talk basketball with them. How awesome would that be?

As always, Go Pistons! I've felt this was a 7-game series all along, so let's go out and get it done!

Pistons-Heat Game 5

2006-06-01T15:11:00.000-04:00

How about them Pistons? That's really all I should have to say after Game 5, but I like to pretend that Tiff enjoys my thoughts on the game. (And if you have any ideas on how I can expand my reader base, I'd appreciate them.) So let's sum it up with some awards:

Game MVP: Mr. Consistency himself, Tayshaun Prince. The guy just goes out and gets it done. How's this for a line: 29 points (11-17 shooting, 5-5 FT), 7 rebounds, 3 assists, and ZERO turnovers. Throw in a block, a steal, and only one personal foul, and the guy is a machine. He had it going all night. Flip stopped forcing the isolation plays and Tayshaun was able to play his game. I'm not going to even disrespect him with a runner-up.

Play of the Game: I know a lot of people are going to disagree with me, and it definitely wasn't the most hyped play, but Tayshaun's 3-pointer after the blocked shot was the most important play. Miami had most of the momentum. The lead had been cut to only 3. Hamilton drove the lane and put up a shot that was thrown back by Shaq, and Pistons fans everywhere held their breath for a moment, fearing the runout and dunk by Wade. Then Prince picked it up and calmly drained a 3, expanding the lead to 6 and deflating the Heat. It was the dagger.
Runner-up: Obviously, Ben's block on Shaq was the most exciting play of the game. I don't think I've ever seen Shaq get manhandled like that in his entire career. Ben didn't swat his shot, he never let it leave his hand. And the sheer force of the block sent Shaq sprawling. I don't care if Shaq thought it was a foul, there was all ball on that play.

Stat of the Game: Miami shooting 6-20 from the FT line. That's 30%. Just an abysmal performance from the "charity" stripe. If they'd made even 5 more of those, it may have given Wade a chance to shine at the end of a close game. Combine this with Ben hitting 2 of 4 at the line and it has to be my favorite stat.
Runner-up: Chauncey's 10 assists to 1 turnover is a crucial ratio. Also, McDyess hitting all 5 of his shots and both FT's for 12 points was a huge force off the bench.

Still not Pulling Their Weight: Flip Saunders. When Miami went to the zone defense, the Pistons looked lost. They had absolutely no clue what was going on out there. I like Flip. I think he's a classy guy. But he struggles to make good adjustments through a 7-game series, and especially in the middle of a game. Fortunately Detroit played with enough defensive intensity to take the game.
Runner-up: Rasheed. He's not winning this category only because he looked a little better and I think his ankle is still the cause. But 7 points (3-11) is certainly not going to cut it. He played better defense, which was a good sight to see.

Pansy of the Game: This is close, but I'm giving it to Dwy-ane Wade. I'm sick of hearing people complain about the Pistons whining to the refs. First off, every player in the league whines to the refs. Second, Wade does so as much as anyone and actually misses defensive plays because of it. There were at least 4 times last night that he drove and ended up on the ground (because he's always out of control), then took his time complaining only to allow Detroit a 5 on 4 advantage. The worst thing about it is the fact that he often gets rewarded for it by scoring on his cherry picking because he wasn't on the defensive end of the court.
Runner-up: Shaq. That block by Ben was completely clean. I cannot believe Shaq complained about it in his interview after the game. Absolutely remarkable. He gets away with so many shoves, elbows, and 3-second violations that he should never be allowed to complain about a call.

Those are my thoughts on the game. I think if Detroit comes out with the same passion in Game 6 they'll force a Game 7. I'm hoping the NBA flexes its muscle and shows through officiating just how much David Stern wants a Game 7 as well. It would be about time that Detroit got a few beneficial calls. I went to the game in Orlando when the Magic went up 3-1 on Detroit. I remember McGrady's interview where he said, "It sure feels good to finally get to the second." I also remember Tayshaun shutting him down the next 3 games to the point where Tracy actually gave up on his team. I hope to see the same thing in the next 2 games. I expect the team to come out fired up. The Heat have made it far too personal at this point. It's time for Detroit to lay claim to what belongs to them. Go Pistons!

Pistons Rants

2006-05-30T15:47:00.000-04:00

Sorry I haven't posted in about a week. I was at my best friend's wedding festivities all weekend. Probably cost me the 2 readers I had at this point. So much for building a good reader base. I could probably sit here typing about the Pistons for the next 2 days, but I'm trying to control myself. The following are some of the random thoughts I've had or am having about Detroit right now.

- First and foremost, it's only fair that I preface anything else that I say by giving credit to the Miami Heat. Do I think they're the better team in the series? Not even close. But are they playing like the better team? Without question. Their effort has surpassed Detroit's by far, and they deserve the results they have gotten. Doesn't mean I can't complain about other things though.

- Such as the officiating. I think based on my few posts on this site, it is clear what I think of the NBA's officiating. The league has made it clear that they have no place for teams like the Spurs and Pistons, teams that don't have a flashy star. The star treatment once reserved almost solely for Michael Jordan has been passed on to a handful of the games best-known faces. With the exception of Game 1 in this series, the Pistons have been getting blasted by the referees. Both LeBron and Wade use their offhand to clear space every single time they drive, but if even an eyelash is batted at them, there is a foul. Key example was in Game 3. The Pistons pull within 1 and McDyess drives in for the dunk. Wade "blocks" the shot with an obscene amount of contact (none of which was on the ball), then takes the ball downcourt, gets bumped a little for the foul and the bucket. I'd feel a little worse about my complaining if it weren't for the fact that Hubie Brown spends a good portion of the game pointing out calls that went against Detroit. I know in Game 2 the calls against Detroit versus unfavorable calls against the Heat were 7-0 if you were listening to Hubie. I'm not saying that Miami never has a bad call against them, but it seems that about 95% of them go against Detroit, and almost always in crunch time situations. I honestly could go on about the officials for far too long, but suffice it to say that something needs to be done. Rip Hamilton should be getting the exact same calls as Wade, but the fact is that he's not. Most of Wade's drawn fouls are due to him being out of control, so it just looks like he was hit. Ok, I'm sorry. I'm taking a deep breath and moving along.

- With that out of the way, my next scapegoat is Flip Saunders. I know the team won 64 games, but Flip is very well-known for the discrepancy between his regular and postseason coaching. The fact of the matter is he can't make adjustments. He just looks confused out there. He failed to promote any sort of effort or enthusiasm throughout the season, which was written off because Detroit won almost all of their games by playing, at most, 3 quarters of inspired basketball. Further, his offense that us Detroit fans were supposed to be so impressed by after Larry Brown looks far tighter and more boring than Brown's sets. There's almost no movement on offense, relying instead on isolation plays. Worst of all, he calls for Hack-a-Shaq, but leaves Ben in the game. Ben is a far worse FT shooter than Shaq, so if you're going to attempt that routine, at least be intelligent enough to get Ben off of the court. It's become so bad that the group of guys who would never throw anyone else on the bus have collectively blamed Flip for the recent struggles. That should say something, but....

- The players need to accept some of the blame as well. I generally hate hearing players blame coaches, but it has looked like coaching mistakes so very often in the past two series. Is this a cop out by the team? Possibly so. To be honest, there's been a real lack of intensity. If they're fed up with Flip and not having any fun, as multiple guys have said, I can understand some of the letup. But it would have been nice (and still could be, if they could pull of the miracle comeback) if they had stepped up and played with the same heart that got them where they are. Chauncey looks scared to take the shots that earned him his Mr. Big Shot nickname (that could be Flip's influence). Ben refuses to play any role in the offense at all (that is almost certainly Flip's doing). He used to occasionally spot up for those 10-12 footers and at least make an effort in the paint, but it looks like he's playing hot potato with the ball these days. Rip and Tay seem alright, although inconsistent at best. They both seem to be playing with the same amount of heart, but it's hard to say. And then we have...

- Rasheed. He warrants his own point. I fear we will be losing Rasheed this summer. As much as a headcase and temper as he is, he's the MVP of the team. Basically, since they've gotten him, they've won big games when he plays well and lost big games when he doesn't play well. I don't think that can be as directly proved with anyone else on the court. 'Sheed has been a real attitude lately, refusing to go over to the huddle during timeouts and calling out Flip in the press. And let's not forget his guarantee, which is looking more and more like the start of this whole pathetic streak. He promised a win, the team failed to back him up, and things have been downhill ever since. Sure, they beat Cleveland, but barely. I'd like to believe 'Sheed's ankle is still bothering him, but he won't use it as an excuse (another reason he's 8 times the man Dwyane Wade is). Regardless of his health, Rasheed has been awful on the court. I really think he's pissed at Flip and that's factoring into it. Whatever it is, he's absolutely killing Detroit.

- I'd like to say more, but I just keep getting madder and madder as I type. This team is by far the best in the NBA, yet they're on the verge of losing to the team I hate so unbelievably much. Dwyane Wade makes me want to punch him in the face every time they show him. He gets every call and still whines. I know the Pistons have been whiners this series, but they've also been on the very short end of the calls. At least they have reason to complain. I honestly feel that Detroit has it in them to come back and take the series. I also think the NBA will do everything in its power to push this to a 7th game, a fact that favors Detroit significantly. But there has to be a huge turnaround in team attitude and effort, and I just think they're tired at this point. They stopped having fun and winning went out the window. In years to come, I know every Pistons fan will look back and think of what could, no what SHOULD have been. I only hope the boys in blue can prove my doubts wrong and storm back in this series.

Go Pistons!

How 'Bout Them Tigers?

2006-05-23T00:16:00.000-04:00

I know that the focus of the sports world is currently on the NBA playoffs. I also know that baseball is a very long season which has not even begun to hit its stride this year. But if I'm going to call myself a Detroit sports fan, I'd have trouble sleeping at night if I didn't at least give the Tigers a little credit for their hot start.

I was born in 1983, so the '84 title by the Tigers isn't something I recall even a little bit. What I do recall, however, are years and years of cellar dwelling. If I researched this, it may show otherwise, but in my head I can't recall more than one or two years where anyone even mentioned the Tigers in the preseason as a potential dark horse. So allow me a moment of basking in their current success.

At 30-14, the Tigers are the best team in the majors right now. Living in Orlando, I don't get many (or any) chances to watch them play. I'm relegated to ESPN or MLB.com gamecasts while I sit at work or in my apartment. Without seeing the games, it's tough to get a good feel for the team. I wanted to look into where the success is coming from. I know they've won a lot of close, low-scoring games, so pitching has obviously been good. I also have heard on Baseball Tonight that they own the league's lowest team ERA. So here is a look at some of the statistical specifics.

Not including tonight's game (an 8-0 shutout over KC), Detroit has a 3.26 team ERA. St. Louis is next at 3.44, and there are only 4 total teams under 4.00. It's pretty remarkable (and pretty tough to lose) when you give up less than 3 1/2 per game. On the road, their ERA is an astonishing 3.10. Even the worst teams will win a share of games at home, so every road victory is crucial. They also own the lowest WHIP (walks plus hits divided by innings pitched) at 1.20, which measures runners on base per inning. Another league-leading stat: 8 shutouts. My favorite stat is their 19 saves with only 3 blown chances. Anyone who followed the Tigers last season can tell you how many games their middle relievers and closers lost for them. Solid late inning pitching can easily bring you an additional 15-20 wins in a season.

While it's safe to say pitching has been their staple, their hitters deserve credit as well. They have the 7th highest team batting average at .276. It's pretty convenient to have the best pitching and 7th best hitters. Six of their nine starters tonight were at .300 or better. Many believe that OPS (on-base plus slugging) is a better indicator of hitting, and Detroit is 8th in that category. The value of OPS is another story for another time. For now, suffice it to say that I highly recommend the following book for some great insight into baseball and statistics: Moneyball by Michael Lewis

Individually, their pitchers' numbers are fantastic. Kenny Rogers is 7-2 with a 2.91 ERA. Verlander is 6-3 with a 2.70 ERA. Maroth (a fellow UCFer, might I add) is 5-2 with an unbelievable 2.45 ERA. Nate Robertson is 4-2 with a 3.02 ERA. And last among starters is their "star" Bonderman at 4-3 with a 4.66 ERA. The star is not to say he isn't good, just that their other 4 are so hot he's currently their 5th starter. Todd Jones has been fantastic with 13 saves. Just all around a great effort.

I won't sit here and predict anything about the rest of their season. I do feel they are good enough to make the playoffs and make a run. In baseball, once you make the playoffs, anything can happen. Regardless of what happens, I love these new Tigers. I can't wait to see how their season pans out. I'm so happy they are finally putting money into the team. Go Tigers!

Pistons - Cavs Game 7

2006-05-22T00:16:00.000-04:00

3:45 Alright, I can't resist. It's Game 7, I'm really nervous, so it's running diary time. We'll pick up with 4:20 left in the 1st Quarter and 16-6 Pistons. Detroit has looked good shooting. Cleveland looks tight. That's to be expected. Refs have already sucked, but not in anyone's favor.

3:47 In other news, I'm always happy to turn on a game and hear Hubie Brown's voice. I'm sure not everyone loves him, but he's the only announcer I enjoy listening to. He always explains the game so well - shows the plays that are being run and all of that from a coach's perspective. Much better than Reggie Miller and Dick Stockton fumbling around trying to figure out if it's Rip Hamilton or Ben Wallace on a play (and no, they look nothing alike).

3:48 LeBron throws up an ugly shot that banks in. The announcers proceed to praise him on such a tough shot. This coming after Ben Wallace hit's a layup that they call "lucky." I know he's LeBron, but an ugly shot is an ugly shot.

3:50 On a side note, I'm setting the over-under at 12 for number of times the announcers compliment LeBron on a play that he didn't factor into. For example, if LeBron passes to Flip Murray on the wing, who proceeds to drive and make a great dish to Ilgauskas for a dunk, you can expect the announcers to praise King James' great vision. What a joke. And I'm taking the over. Oh yeah, Pistons by 9 with 2:29 in the 1st.

3:52 Pistons are up by 9 but we just saw a montage of 3 baskets by LeBron. I hate the NBA.

3:54 Larry Hughes dribbles up court, picks up his dribble then decides he wants to dribble again. No call, followed by a lob and finish from LeBron. And I wasn't listening but did Larry Huges get tear drops tattooed on his face in honor of his brother? Just curious because I can't really tell what they are.

3:57 Ok, I used to think nobody flopped more than Manu Ginobili, but Anderson Varejao is just as bad. In Game 5 he reached in on Rasheed then flailed like he'd been punched. He got the call and the subsequent technical on 'Sheed. Just now he drives into the lane and acts like little Lindsey Hunter almost killed him. These foreigners should stick to soccer - taking dives has no place in a man's sport. (Don't get me wrong, I love soccer. Just not in basketball.)

4:00 These commercial breaks keep getting longer. Why don't they just rename the 20-second timeout the 3-minute timeout that it is? Between that and the obscene number of nights off, in 2 years you can expect games that last 4 hours in an NBA playoffs that last from May until middle of July.

4:01 Start of 2nd Quarter - Pistons lead 21-15. This is trouble time for the Pistons since their bench hasn't played well as of late.

4:02 Can't something be done about Ben's FT shooting? He doesn't shoot flat like Shaq, which makes me think it's entirely mental. And another foul on Lindsey Hunter for blinking at LeBron. Anyone else think the NBA might want to see a Wade - James showdown?

4:03 LeBron throws Lindsey Hunter to the ground, then takes the lob. Hubie Brown calls it a flop after saying the Varejao call earlier was good. Hubie's making me regret my praise for him.

4:05 LeBron leans into Hunter and the whistle is blown. James looks to complain assuming it's on him but they call the third on Hunter. Unbelievable. Lebron could punch Hunter in the face and they'd eject Lindsey.

4:10 25-21 Detroit with 8:31 in the half. Rasheed knocks down a ridiculous shot to make it a 6-point lead.

4:11 Finally a foul on LeBron followed by mock cheers from the crowd. Earlier he bowled someone over and they called a travel to avoid calling him for the foul. By the way, the mock cheer is one of my favorites in sports. It's right up there with the "Overrated" chant.

4:13 Rasheed gets hacked with no call, but McDyess cleans up. 29-25 Pistons. Anderson Varejao fouls constantly but he's covering 'Sheed who will never get a call. Then a clear offensive goaltend by Cleveland with no call. After this, a Detroit miss and LeBron shoves Prince aside to get the alley-oop. Even Hubie Brown is calling out the officials on these. The Pistons are just bending over for the NBA right now.

4:18 A great (sarcastic) interview with David Stern (aka Vince McMahon of the NBA). He's asked about having 3 Game 7's and forced to lie rather than admit that the NBA is rigged.

4:19 All tied at 31. Pistons bench really screwed them over after a big early lead. Flip Saunders has shown just how awful a coach he is during the playoffs. It's actually difficult to lose 3 in a row when you're by far the superior team. I used to feel bad for him in Minnesota. Sure Kevin Garnett is unbelievable, but they just didn't have the full cast. And I think Garnett sometimes lacks the win-at-all-costs instinct that guys like LeBron and Kobe have (excluding Kobe's mail-in Game 7 versus the Suns). Some guys just aren't winners. I hate to say that because I really like KG. But after these playoffs, I'm beginning to see why Timberwolve fans always complained about Flip.

4:20 Pistons 1-6 from the FT line. I said it at the beginning of the playoffs: if the Pistons lose, FT shooting will be the reason.

4:22 A nice block by Rasheed leads to a runout and open layup by Hamilton. Finally the Pistons playing their game. If they don't let Flip screw this up, they should be fine.

4:28 Another exciting possession in this series where LeBron gets the ball with 22 seconds left on the shot clock and just dribbles before taking a shot with 2 seconds left.

4:30 Rasheed gets called for a legitimate foul and goes nuts. This is probably not the time where a technical would be beneficial. Maybe it will pump him up though. I'm waiting for him to go on his 4 3-pointers in 4 minutes run.

4:33 Just an update: 5-12 from FT line. Just no excuse for that. Especially when Rip has missed at least 3 that I can recall.

4:36 Rasheed hits 1 of 2 from the line, followed by a foul on the rebound and Ben missing 2 free throws. Then a foul on Ben and now Cleveland gets a chance at 2 FT's. That's 6 FT's with about 2 seconds going off of the clock. This is the NBA I've come to hate so much. In my dream world, sports are determined by the players who play them instead of power-hungry refs who are upset that they can't be players. I mean, I know it's exciting to watch a 5'6, bald, 65-year-old man blow a whistle, but it just isnt' why I tune in. Maybe I'm crazy.

4:40 LeBron drives in and uses his forearm to push off Prince and gets the foul. I wish the NBA would at least hide the fact that the games are fixed. I'm just still debating whether it's fixed to keep games close or fixed to allow LeBron to win and move on so they can kiss his butt some more next round.

4:42 Halftime. I think it's 40-38 Detroit, but they won't show the score for about another 20 minutes now while Mark Jackson and the other studio guys try to see who can praise LeBron more while forgetting that two teams are playing in the game and LeBron's is losing. Anyways, I don't want to look the score up.

5:00 Time to start the 2nd half. Halftime highlight reel actually had about 2 Pistons highlights. I'm impressed. I mean, you'd expect more since they're winning but it's the NBA.

5:01 Rasheed quickly misses a wide open layup. He really needs to start heating up.

5:02 I'm going to nickname Tayshaun Mr. Consistency. He comes out, knocks down 15'ish points each game and shuts down the opponents best scorer. And nobody mentions it. Oh, and he just made 2 FT's. You have to love a guy that just gets the job done day in and day out. Somebody has to give him credit.

5:05 Are Eric Snow and Raja Bell the same person? Both not great scorers, scrappy defenders who play dirty more often than not.

5:08 Pistons miss 3 consecutive 3-pointers. Man, it would have been nice to get one of those. The Pistons feel like they're on the verge of pulling away, but they just can't do it. Like some force is holding them back. Oh wait, that's the officiating. I'm also frustrated that the 19,000+ people in the stands sound about as loud as 200.

5:13 Coming back from commercial, we see LeBron sitting on the bench chewing his finger nails. For some strange reason, this amuses me. It's some weird reminder that he's only 21 years old.

5:14 Rip hits a jumper: 48-45 Detroit. I hate Cleveland hanging around. Meanwhile LeBron absolutely trucks Rip Hamilton, but blocking is called. This was like running over the catcher at home plate. Even Hubie Brown thinks it was a bad call. 3:43 in the 3rd. These teams will barely make 50 after 3 quarters.

5:17 Eric Snow drives and is blocked cleanly according to replay and announcers, but of course a foul on Rasheed. I'm not sure why they even play these games. Couldn't David Stern just hold a press conference and announce the winner rather than pissing so many people off by blatantly fixing games?

5:19 HIT FREE THROWS! AHH! I can't stand this.

5:20 Snow attempts to drive against Prince, who throws his shot back and shakes his head in disgust. I love when guys do this. I hate guys going crazy after a bucket, but demeaning looks after shutting a player down with defense are great. It's not even like they're trying to rub it in. It's actually almost a mix of pity for the other player and disbelief that it actually happened. Why would a 6-2 guard with minimal offensive skills try to take on one of the top 5 defenders in the NBA?

5:24 Finally the bench comes through. Back-to-back buckets by Lindsey Hunter. I love that guy! Such a great defender. Not a tremendous shooter at this point in his career, but percentage isn't that low. He just doesn't take anything away from the table. Then a quick feed to Ben for a layup and it's Detroit by 9!

5:26 Varejao sets an illegal screen and Rip gets called for his 4th foul. This better not affect the game later on. Rip has now committed 1 foul and been called for 4.

5:27 Hubie refers to a Varejao foul as a "semi-mugging." That's good stuff. One for two from the line, followed by a offensive board, a missed three, another offensive board, and a ridiculous layup by Prince. The spin on that ball was almost against the laws of nature. End of 3 and Detroit is up 10. Hopefully this run will continue into the next quarter.

5:33 Pistons give up a quick 3 and turnover, but Mr. Consistency draws a charge to slow a potential Cleveland run. Camera shows Rasheed wincing on the bench. That's real bad news for Detroit.

5:35 "They called the foul on Hunter, but there wasn't much contact there." Exactly. Did I mention I hate the NBA? I just want to clarify that the announcers have not once claimed a call went in Detroit's favor, but at least 4 questionable calls have gone against them. And that's just according to the announcers, who are paid to not question officials.

5:37 Three by Hunter and a Prince tip after his own miss open up a 12-point lead for Detroit. Timeout Cleveland.

5:39 The commercials are boring, so I want to let everyone know that since I've opened this beer, Detroit has increased it's lead by 9. This could be an unhealthy superstition in the future.

5:42 I loathe Damon Jones, so I delight to tell you that he just tried to cherry pick which led to an offensive rebound by Detroit. I don't care if it ended in an airball by 'Sheed.

5:46 65-52 Detroit with 6:15 left. I think Cleveland has 14 points in 18 minutes this half. Not real good.

5:47 LeBron gets a bit of a runout and Rasheed makes an awful foul, allowing James to still finish. Looked like it shouldn't have been a continuation, but still a bad decision. Rasheed has been killing Detroit this half. He's 3-14 in the game.

5:53 Varejao again plays dirty on Rasheed, but they call a double foul. If Rasheed is involved in anything, you can guarantee Detroit won't get the call. Rasheed has answered my call on his manhood by scoring 4 points.

5:55 Beer is running out. I don't want to open another one, but I don't want to drink warm beer either. These 1-minute time outs that last 5 minutes are really killing my superstition.

6:00 The game has really slowed down. I swear nothing has happened in the past few minutes of game time. Just more fouls called to make sure the game lasts over 2 1/2 hours. Pistons up 73-59. 2:45 remaining.

6:03 I think the game is wrapped up, but I'm not positive it will ever end.

6:04 And after all of the drama, all the doubting, all of the blatant poor officiating, Detroit will start fresh against the Miami Heat. The Cavs are pulling LeBron (who gets booed by the crowd), so the towel has been thrown.

6:08 There it is: 79-61 Detroit. Cavs score 23 points in the 2nd half. Real hard to win that way.

Suns vs Clippers

2006-05-08T23:06:00.000-04:00

Honestly, I don't care at all about this series. I don't know why. My Pistons won, the Heat lost, and life is grand right now. But I promised a prediction, and I might as well get it in since the game is just under way.

Basically, I think there are a couple keys. The Suns have a lot of momentum and have to keep playing their game - high tempo, high scoring - to win. The Clippers have an advantage in Elton Brand. Phoenix lacks a legitimate inside threat with Amare out, so Brand could be the key. But I think Phoenix is just too good for the Clippers right now. Nash will exploit weaknesses. I pick the Suns in 6.

Enjoy the playoffs and go Pistons!

NBA Round 2 Predictions

2006-05-06T13:55:00.000-04:00

Now that I'm done with school, I have some more free time to vent my thoughts about sports. Since the NHL playoffs are a crap shoot at best, here are my predictions for round 2 of the NBA playoffs.

Eastern Conference

Pistons - Cavs
Season Series: Pistons won 3-1. The Cavs' only win came in the earliest meeting, and the most recent game was a Pistons' blowout win.

Detroit's Keys: Basically, just keep doing what they do. Spread the ball around, don't turn it over often, and play tight defense. That sounds like the obvious keys to victory for any team in every game, but it's how the Pistons have succeeded all year long.

Cleveland's Keys: The biggest key to victory for the Cavs is everyone not named LeBron. James will get his points, but they won't be enough by themselves. They must have at least one other guy step up big each game if they want to at least retain their dignity. LeBron's late-game heroics have been impressive (and often illegal according to the rules of basketball), but he's going to need a whole lot of help if the Cavs hope to be close enough at the end of games for him to take a game winner.
The second key to victory is the officials. That's right, I said it. Officials make mistake in every sport, but the NBA is by far the worst. It's to the point where many (including myself) have started believing the league has an agenda, and the refs help carry that out. Now, I don't think that the NBA champion has been predetermined. However, I do think that David Stern knows what sells tickets: stars. And LeBron is his biggest poster boy. Just ask the Wizards how much they think LeBron is favored by officials. Stern also knows what keeps fans tuned in on television: close games. Why do teams seem to make such remarkable comebacks in the playoffs? Because as soon as a team pulls away, the officials start trying to keep it close (see last year's Heat-Pistons and this year's Cavs-Wizards). Nothing's better for the league than a series that goes 6 or 7 games with 4 or 5 of them coming down to the wire.

Prediction: Pistons in 5. As I said, LeBron will score his points (although not as many as he's used to), but his supporting cast won't help him out much. And Detroit will hopefully get better officiating than the Wizards received. Defensively, Cleveland doesn't match up well with Chauncey, Rip, or Rasheed. I think the Pistons will win convincingly in 3 of the games, going 1-1 in 2 other close contests.

Heat - Nets
Season Series: The Nets beat the Heat 3-1 during the regular season. Remarkably, their only loss came when Shaq was out at the beginning of the year.

Miami's Keys: Shaq. Plain and simple. For the first time in his career, Shaq hasn't been getting his usual favorable calls. If he can stay out of foul trouble, he should put up big numbers this series and dominate the paint. If he struggles, the Heat are in trouble. Much like the Cavs, Wade will get his points, but he'd better dish it out to the Big Aristotle.

New Jersey's Keys: Vince Carter absolutely LOVES playing against the Heat. During the 4-game season series, he averaged 38.5 points a game. Right now, he's foaming at the mouth just thinking about the complete lack of defense played by the Miami Heat. Further, the Nets as a whole are just a more athletic team. If Kidd can protect the ball and dish it out, Jefferson and Carter will kill the heat.

Prediction: To be honest, this series confuses me. I think either team could win in 5. Or, it could go the full 7 games, with the combined margin of victory being about 28 points (or 4 a game). It really has the potential of being a classic matchup. Wade and Carter battling could be more entertaining than Arenas and LeBron. When all is said and done, I'm thinking it will be Heat in 6 games. That's kind of a cop out for me. I loathe the Heat, so I'll either be happy about making the right pick or happy about the Heat losing.

Western Conference

Spurs - Mavs
Season Series: The two teams played to a 2-2 tie in the regular season.

San Antonio's Keys: Health. The Spurs are the antithesis of the Miami Heat. Whereas the Heat like to broadcast every little bump or bruise as an excuse for a loss, the Spurs are very tight-lipped about injuries that clearly affect their performance. If the Spurs are healthy, they're the better team. They are tougher defensively and able to slow the game down to their pace. If Duncan plays like a shell of himself because of his foot, they'll struggle. Team dynamic is similar to Pistons - they have to spread the ball around.

Dallas' Keys: Honestly, I'm not impressed with their sweep of Memphis. Memphis just isn't that good. Dirk will have to have an MVP-like series if they have a chance of winning this. Balance is the real key. The Mavs must score efficiently and play the improved defense they showed all season long.

Prediction: The Spurs struggled a bit against the Kings. Are they weaker/injured or was it just because the Kings were that good after the Artest addition? My guess is a combination of the above. I think they're a little banged up, they're a little unmotivated, and Sacramento's not bad. When it comes down to it, injuries slow the Spurs down, but they prevail. Spurs in 7.

Clippers - Suns/Lakers
I don't feel like analyzing both potential matchups, so I'm going to wait until tomorrow to make my prediction. As much as I hate cheering for Kobe, a Clippers - Lakers matchup would be amazing.

March Madness Thoughts

2006-03-23T18:12:00.000-05:00

With the first weekend of the tournament behind us and the Sweet 16 set to begin tonight, I figured I'd put in my two cents about the action so far. Why not hand out some awards for the first two rounds of play.

The "Here's Your 'Go Directly to the Final Four' Ticket" Award

This one goes to Duke, who's Atlanta region is the biggest joke I've ever seen. The #2 seed goes to Texas, a team which has been overrated all year long and which Duke took behind the woodshed earlier this season. Then you have Iowa, clearly the worst #3 seed in the tournament. I would've thoroughly enjoyed seeing a team that would actually give Duke a good game (like Florida) in this bracket, but the NCAA is set on having their poster boy go as deep as possible. Rounding out the top 4, LSU had a good year in an SEC conference that looked pathetic. So, congrats Duke, on your reputation getting you a free bid into the Final Four. And if Duke loses to LSU tonight, it wouldn't be the first time I've been way wrong in sports.

The Award for the Best Shot/Finish to a Game

I'll be honest, there were a ton of great, close games. And I definitely didn't see every game this weekend. But, Northwestern State's three to win was just remarkable. They also break the tie because they were the lowest seed to win a game. Tennessee had a great finish as well, but beating Winthrop doesn't impress me.

One point to make here. Although it wasn't in the tournament, the Michigan vs. Notre Dame NIT game was far better than any NCAA game. Yes, I'm a Wolverine fan and truly biased, but if you watched this game you'd have a hard time arguing it. The teams battled to a tie at the end of regulation, again at the end of OT, and then an absolutely ridiculous shot at the end of double OT won the game for Michigan. Seriously, the clock is running out, there's a guy dead on him, and Dion Harris fades away for the three. The game was just intense - and again, yes I'm biased.

The Most Obvious Upset Award

This has to go to the Texas A&M victory over Syracuse. To begin with, you know at least one 12 seed is going to beat a 5. On top of that, you have essentially a bubble team in Syracuse. They enter the Big East tournament looking like an NIT team, make an impressive run, and somehow end up going from the NIT to a #5. Up against them is a Texas A&M team that recently knocked off (an overrated, yet good) Texas squad. So you sit Syracuse down for a week, let them cool off, and you get exactly what you expect: an NIT-caliber team getting beat in the NCAA tournament.

The Thank Your Lucky Stars Award

To Florida, who is playing extremely well, but looked to have matchups against Oklahoma and Ohio State looming. Both of them get upset, and now you have UF (who hasn't played a legitimate top 10 team all year long according to my Gator friend) cruising into the Sweet 16 against a 7 seed. Yes, Georgetown beat Duke. Yes, they could beat Florida. But the Gators have truly gotten lucky. And the result: Joakim Noah goes from a pretty good sophomore to a potential top-5 pick in this year's draft. Maybe the Gators won't be so lucky after all.

And the big award of the evening...

This year's Cinderella Award goes to:

George Mason. I want to give it to Bradley, I really do. For some reason, Bradley seems to feel more like a fun Cinderella than George Mason. But beating Michigan State and UNC is truly impressive, even if both teams aren't as good this year. If they lose to the Shockers and Bradley beats Memphis, this could easily turn around in a heartbeat. But for now, GO PATRIOTS!

There could be more later, but I have a 15-20 page industry analysis on the sporting goods industry to work on. Enjoy the Sweet 16!

Morrison or Redick?

2006-02-27T15:40:00.001-05:00

Recently, every time Duke or Gonzaga have played, SportsCenter has shown the updated comparison of JJ Redick and Adam Morrison. So the question is, who deserves to be named the top player in the nation?

Taking a look at the stats, you see the following:
JJ Redick: 28.0 Pts, 2.0 Reb, 2.7 Asst, 2.5 TO, 1.5 Steals, 0.1 Blocks, .497 FG, .880 FT, and .434 3pt

Morrison: 28.6 Pts, 5.6 Reb, 1.6 Asst, 2.3 TO, 1.0 Steal, 0.4 Blocks, .512 FG, .780 FT, and .446 3pt

Stats are remarkably close. They contribute a similar percentage of their team's points. Even if you use the point-per-shot stat, Redick only has a .07 edge. If you want to give the award to Morrison, can you justify that based on less than a point/game more, just under 4 more rebounds (the only significant difference in the stats), .015 higher shooting percentage, or .012 higher 3-pt percentage? Or for Redick, does the extra 1.1 assist, or .100 higher FT percentage warrant him beating out Morrison? Pretty tough to make a legitimate case for either one.

So you move on to their value to the team. Each team has a second scorer averaging a similar number of points. Like I said, both contribute a similar percentage of the team's total points. So again, I see a draw. It's a position I'm glad I don't have to vote for.

But since I see it as a cop out to write this and not make a choice, I'm going for Morrison. I just think he's a more complete player. I don't think either one of the two is a great defensive player, but suffice it to say that Redick might as well just stand at his team's 3-point line and never leave. That's the only place he contributes. Yeah, I know he's gotten better at driving to the hole or creating for himself, but let's face it - he gets his points off of 3 pointers. I also think Gonzaga is a worse team than Duke if you take the 2 away. Plus, you know what, I just don't like Redick, but that doesn't factor into the decision. When it comes down to it, I think Morrison does more on the court in all facets combined and has more value to his team.

The Sports Guy

2006-02-26T02:05:00.000-05:00

I recently told a friend that I hadn't read as many good Sports Guy columns recently. It could be that I wasn't keeping up as often as I used to, but it just seemed like he was off his game. I speculated whether he had gone past his prime or maybe just signed a nice, long-term contract. Don't get me wrong - his stuff was still good. But it was like a basketball player who consistently averaged 30 points and 10 rebounds over a number of years and then started averaging like 18 and 8. Still good numbers, but not the hall of fame material I was used to. Well, apparently Bill Simmons is tapping my conversations because he fired back. I bring you one of the greatest Sports Guy columns I've ever read: First-Annual Atrocious GM Summit

Enjoy!

Barry Bonds

2006-02-25T14:41:00.001-05:00

When Bonds came out earlier this week and said he would definitely be done after this season, I wanted to write about my happiness to finally see him go. Then he responded to himself a day later, saying he would be done "unless he's not," and I wanted to bash him for wasting our time. But I did nothing initially and began thinking about Bonds. The guy astonishes me. If you are going to talk about Bonds, there are so many angles to approach it from: his undeniable skill (and subsequent jaw-dropping stats), the steroids he never "knowingly used," his apparent lack of respect for the game of baseball, and the overwhelming distaste for him by seemingly every person on the planet (including his teammates), to name a few.

For example, we all know of Bonds' ability to hit the long ball. If you've been even a casual sports fan in the past few years, you've had Barry's 73 home-run season, his chase for Hank Aaron's career record, and his astounding batting average for a power hitter shoved down your throat at least twice as many times as you'd ever thought possible. So I looked up his career stats, and the sheer volume of every category is unbelievable. Over his career, Bonds has played in 2,730 games with 9,140 at-bats. He's hit .300 over his career, amassing 2,742 hits, 2,078 runs, 1,853 RBI's, 708 HR's, 506 SB's, 564 doubles, and 77 triples. Just amazing, but you'd have quite a tough time finding a handful of people who want him to break Aaron's record.
In the world of sports, being really good can often be reason enough for people to hate you. Take Duke's JJ Redick as an example - the guy has been one of the best the NCAA has ever seen in 3-point and free throw shooting. Yet, mostly because he plays for Duke, the guy has few friends. But it isn't Bonds' talent that has alienated him. Other good athletes go well out of their way to make people mad, such as T.O. or, going further back, Ty Cobb. But again, I think Bonds is different.

This column is more of a cathartic thing for me, so much of this may not be news or a novel opinion, but I just had to say it. Bonds has just about everything going against him, and all of it is his own fault. Barry shot himself in the foot long ago by pushing the media away and making him a favorite target of theirs. But that is generally not sufficient to lose every fan in the world. Michael Jordan was sometimes criticized for failing to give his input on significant world issues, but I don't have to tell you how popular Mike still is. So Barry still had a shot - he could've captivated people worldwide and drawn people to cheer for him as he pursued the most famous career stat in all of sports. But every time Barry was given a chance, and even times when people were ignoring him, he chose to come out and do something to piss people off. He's time and again been shown to be an awful teammate. No big deal - would've taken some extra charm, but he still could've wooed people. Then again, recently, he's decided people don't dislike him enough. He says he's going to skip the World Baseball Classic because of his knee. People seemed to accept that, so he comes out again to ensure people will dislike him by basically saying the WBC is a pointless event. Whether it's true or not, it's just something you don't say. Bonds isn't stupid either - he knows what he's doing.

Bonds is saying, as he has in the past, that he's sick of baseball and can't wait to get out. Well let me be the first, ok more like the millionth, person to give him a good push to help him out. If Bonds is so sick of the game, why doesn't he take his $22 million contract and leave now? Why come back for another season? Because, as always, it has to be about Barry. People weren't talking about him as much as he likes, so he gave them something to talk about. All this, "woe is me, I just want to be left alone," bullcrap is a nice facade, but I'm not buying it. The truth is, Barry loves the spotlight. And we're all sick of it. So here's to hoping that this is Barry's last season. In fact, here's to hoping he comes nowhere near Aaron's record and we never have to hear about him again. Here's to hoping we can end this season saying, "Farewell, Barry, and good riddance!"

The start of something beautiful

2006-02-20T15:27:00.000-05:00

Recently I've decided that I need some outlet for my thoughts on sports. In the past, I had gotten my fix rambling to my dad or my roommate Dan. Dan graduated and moved on, and it's hard to fully rant about the minute-by-minute breaking sports news to someone by phone (and my girlfriend only appreciates it to a point), so this blog will have to suffice. Currently, I obviously have no visitors to interact with, but hopefully that will change. If it doesn't, I'll continue to write and pretend people care about what I say.

With that said, I was raised in south Florida as a Detroit fan in the 4 major sports and a U. of Michigan fan among college sports. Growing up playing baseball in that area also created a love for the Florida Marlins, making me one of their 13 fans worldwide. Currently I attend the University of Central Florida in Orlando, Florida. You can expect entries covering almost anything in sports, but my daily rants will probably revolve around one of the above teams which dominate my life. This may be anything from a paragraph-long rant to an article-like write-up on my thoughts to a poll for your input to the occasional running diary of a major sports event (expect this during March Madness).

Finally, when it comes to writing about sports, 99% of my inspirational credit must go to the Sports Guy, Bill Simmons. His writings have long inspired me to write about sports. I don't think I have the talent to do so professionally, but hopefully it will still entertain someone.