Shaq: Shut up and play

Wow. Shaq is mad about the calls in the first playoff game vs. Chicago. Actually to quote him ”My intention was to come out and be myself, until Eddie Rush derailed me,” what does that mean? Did the refs finally call him for traveling? He does 90% of the time. Or the way he just knocks people over,  then stands there with the look on his face like how can you call that foul on me? Call me crazy, but maybe, just maybe the Bulls are better than the Heat. They sure look hungrier then the Heat.  They remember losing to this Heat team last year and do not want this year to bring the same results. Last year I believe the Heat got some generous calls vs. the Pistons in the Eastern Conference Finals and even got more home cookin vs. Dallas in the Finals. What goes around comes around. I’m hopin the Bulls can win the series and play my hometown Pistons. That would be awesome,  and I could remember the good ol days of a good rivalry. Pistons vs. Bulls. Awesome!

Holy Cow! Settle Down Lou!

Well it only took 1 week for Lou Pinella to realize what kind of season this could be for him and the cubbie faithful. After what I thought was a harmless question about “what could be the problem” from a beat writer, Pinella had to go into a typical Pinella rant mode and do his best Bob Knight and try to make the reporter fell like an ass. Don’t worry Lou, things will get better. NOT! Not with this Cubs team. First off, they have no pitching. Zambrano and…….yeah that’s where it begins and ends.  Being a Bill Murray fan, the Cubbie fans must feel like the Chicago native is living in “Groundhog Day” over and over with this Kerry Wood and Mark Prior soap opera. They need to part ways with these 2. It’s aweful about the injuries, but it’s time to part ways. Soon no other team will have any interest in either of these guys because of there track records. Well keep the faith Cubs fans, being in what I think is one of the weaker divisions, a .500 team could win it!  Unfortunately, I think 65 to 70 wins is all you will get this season. I think Vegas Oddsmakers were a little tipsey when they made the Cubbies a 3-1 favorite in the National League to win the Pennant. Holy Cow! One thing is for sure, I miss Harry Caray!

This could be an all to familiar look for Zambrano and the Cubs if they don’t get some pitching help from the pen.

Heat Stink Up Home Court

Do teams just “take days off?” Are they to spoiled now a days? To much money? To many shoe deals? Look , I know athletes are just humans like all of us, sometimes we all don’t feel like working, it’s just natural. But whats with the Miami Heat? Did any one see that sorry ass team yesterday attempt to beat the all might Bobcats at home last night?  Maybe some games are fixed. Or maybe, just maybe, these teams just don’t give a sh#t! Look, The Larry Bird lead Celtics, The Pat Riley coached LAKERS, (not heat),  The Dr. J lead 76ers, Isiah and the Pistons, and of course the Jordan lead Bulls.  These teams NEVER WANTED TO LOSE A HOME GAME!! Going 35-6 at home was the norm back then.  Then to add insult to injury after the game James Posey is arreseted for a DUI.  Incredible! Maybe he started throwin ‘em back in OT!

Look I’m just an average guy, who loves sports,  and not to take away the effort the Bobcats put out last night, but the Heat tanked that game. They should refund the fans money! (Especially since they played even worse yesterday than they did when they let the Orlando Magic come in a few weeks ago and blow them out!) Fight back fans! Boo when your team tanks it! Sports is entertainment, and if your team loses, it’s not the end of the world, but when a hard workin man pays $500.00 for a family of 4 to buy tickets, pay for parking, food and the $50.00 souvenir for your 5 year old, and you glance at the bench and see the home team with big smiles on their faces after an OT loss, it can be very frustrating.

Tiger Fans Hold On

After 3 games of what is a very long baseball season, why am I worried about my Detroit Tigers? I’ll tell you in 2 words. Relief Pitching. Well Middle Relief to be politically correct. Last night the Tigers looked like they were sleep walking in K.C. and handed the Royals a victory. Justin Verlander was good, even though he walked a few.  The day before they almost blew a 9 run lead to Toronto and held on 10-9. Last night my all-time favorite pitcher (I’m being very sarcastic) Jose Mesa came in and did what he’s best at, blowing games. Verlander gives up only 2 hits in 6 innings, but Mesa gives up hits  to the first 3 hitters he sees, and a 1-1 tie is a 3-1 loss. It’s early in the season, but this is a bad sign. I’ve watched Mesa blow many games for the Giants and Indians and I don’t want him doing that here! I wish the Tigers would try to package Jason Grilli and Jose Mesa for……….someone! Maybe Jamie Walker??? Oh yeah, it’s to late for that!

Ohio State is Gator Bait…..Again

It’s deja-vu for Ohio State. And the result will be the same. The Gators smell blood and I believe the chop will be in full motion tonight. Back to Back championships are hard to come by in the NCAA, and Billy Donovan and the Florida Gators knows this. This team is focused. Just ask UCLA. Many experts predicted the Bruins could upset Florida, but this team seems even more hungry than last year. Many of these Gators will be playing in the NBA, but one to watch tonight is Corey Brewer. When he’s on this team is all-most un-stoppable.  Personally I would love a Florida Romp. It was great to watch the arrogant Buckeyes get smashed by a stronger and more talented Florida team, but best was watching Jim Tressel look like a 7 year old who lost his puppy! It was priceless! Just in case OSU forgot heres the box score. Good luck tonight!

                          1      2       3        4      Final

Florida            14    20      0        7        41

OSU                  7       7      0         0       14                                                    

 

They Don’t Make’m Like Hank Anymore

I know I’m old school, and at times all I can do  is shake my head at what some ball players make, or what they do off the field, getting away with things the average man couldn’t, with seemingly no consequences.  Charles Barkley once said he’s not a role model. Well I think athletes and movie stars are role models whether they like it or not. To many young kids are influnenced by them.  Good or bad they want to be like them. Well on the eve of a new baseball season, I wanted to pay tribute to one of the games best ever, and a man who put up with alot of social  steriotypes, constant heckiling from fans and hardships. Being Jewish was hard enough, but being a Jewish ball player in 1930s America made him even more open for criticism. Especially when he had a 0-4 day at the plate.

I’m talking about Hank Greenberg. One of the best ball players ever, during an era of many greats.  Not only was Greenberg one of the best hitters in baseball history, he missed 3 full seasons and most of 2 others to military service during World War II, and missed most of another season with a broken wrist. Think about that….he missed 3 baseball seasons to go to WAR! Came back and still put up monster numbers.

A first baseman primarily for the Detroit Tigers, Greenberg was one of the premier power hitters of his generation. He hit 58 home runs in 1938, the most in one season by any player between 1927,when Babe Ruth set a record of 60, and 1961when Roger Maris surpassed it. The five time all-star was twice named the MVP of the American League, and was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1956. The anti-Semitism Greenberg faced ranged from players staring at him because they had never before seen a Jew, to coarse racial epithets hurled at him. Particularly abusive were the St. Louis Cardinals during the  1934 World Series. Examples of this were: “Hey Mo,” referring to Moses and “Throw a pork chop he can’t hit that,” referring to laws of Kashrut. Greenberg always seemed to keep a cool head. He was a mans man. A real Pro. And Baseball was more than his “job”, it seemed to be his passion. In my opinion he was a great role model for kids in the 1930s and 40s, and even today.  The culture of sports and even living in general is much different today than it was then, this I know, but somethings are timeless. Hank Greenberg is one of them.

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Toronto Raptors -5, New York Mets to spoil the home opener of St. Louis.