Allan's World

Sport Chit Chat and Allan's World of Music

noreply@blogger.com (Allan) — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 09:35:00 +0000

I should probably leave this post up top in case anyone decides to look for my website through my name:

Sport Chit Chat

Allan's World of Music

Online Casino Gambling Guide

noreply@blogger.com (Allan) — Sat, 25 Oct 2008 19:04:00 +0000

Online-Casinos.com is a a gambling guide that includes various tips and their own reviews of other casinos and various resources to help the aspiring gambler.

They have some really awesome features on the website. One of them is an non-downloading-required program (you can if you want) that card counts a single deck game for you. Card counting itself isn't illegal and this enables you to keep track and do well in blackjack. The application is called Card Keeper.

There are also the traditional applications that are useful such as the odds calculator in poker.

They also have this application called Blackjack Better. The ultimate goal is to recognize what is the right move, e.g. to hit, stand and double up. It cues in when you make a wrong decision. Actually pretty helpful when it says I should double up or I should hit when I have a 15 or 16. Pretty interesting stuff. This is one I'd check out if you have no experience playing black jack.

They have some various programs here and there such as roulette but it's less fun.

They also have introductory videos if you're interested in learning how to play the other types of poker such as 7 Card Stud or Omaha. My favorite to watch is the Roulette instruction.

This website is very good for beginners as well as there are some information for the more experience gambler/player to use such as the Card Keeper as well as an interactive way of teaching people. The videos are effective but flawed as they can't be played back in certain area and it plays automatically (generally considered a no-no).

It's still very effective and informative and the best thing is that it's all free information. Definitely check it out.

This was brought to you by Online-Casinos.com

What should the Leafs do?

noreply@blogger.com (Allan) — Sat, 10 May 2008 19:37:00 +0000

The Leafs need a new GM and a coach. Starting from scratch from up top. People who are dumb say the Leafs should just throw everything away and get Tavares and rebuild. I will point out that doesn't work that well and teams don't have to be out of the playoffs to make it. You only have to rebuild when your team makes a cup run and ultimately fails. Toronto hasn't done that inawhile, it's more about making smart decisions and drafting well. Philadelphia didn't need to rebuild, they brought in Briere, Timonen, Biron, Lupul, Hartnell while making some smart moves to refill their team. Those acquisitions cost a ton of money and they even missed the services of Simone Gagne. The real story is that their moves WORKED.

The fact is you need star players and people who give you equal value to what you're paying them or more.

The first strategy of "playing" for Tavares would require the trade of first and foremost goaltender Vesa Toskala. I think it's a fact he's here to stay and he can be good enough to take a shitty team to stay out of the basement.

Buy out:
Andrew Raycroft (salary = 2.2 M, cap hit = 2M, buy out amount = $1.47M, split over 2 years = 0.733M/ year) equates to 1.2 M savings this year with a 733K cap hit next season.
-Not a bad move to save 1.2 M, can get a decent player to sign for cheap, the 733K is no different from having Ed Belfour's contract on our payroll like the past 2 seasons

Think about buying out Mark Bell:
I wouldn't do it but if you do buy him out that would be 1.6 M saved with 800K carrying over to next season.

Don't buy out Darcy Tucker or Jason Blake. Tucker would have a 6M buyout spread over 6 years which would equate to 1M per year. Toronto would only save 2M for those 3 years and paying for it for the next 3. He adds more to this team then 2M and shouldn't be considered a sunk cost.

Jason Blake: 10M buy out over 8 years with a 1.25M cap hit each year. Would actually save $3.25M the first two years and then only $1.75M the next two years (or 2.75M in cap space). I'd rather wait this one out. The cap hits may be different. Don't have a complete understanding of the rules.

How about McCabe: Buy out = 9.63M which would be spread out over 6 years. This one I would consider as you can probably get a better player for that 5 million in extra space. Otherwise try to trade him

Bye:
John Pohl -non existant
Andy Wozniewski - no room for you

Keep Sundin...if he gives an appropriate discount. Nothing more then $5 million. Makes no sense for him to take up cap space when he claims he would like to win. The Leafs need cap space badly.

I would not trade Kubina. Toronto needs him and if we trade Kubina it would mean we would be stuck with McCabe (shudders).

Toronto needs to bring in some top of the line players as our high priced guys have sucked but for the most part one big name needs to be outed and some prude and cheap moves COULD shore up this team.

I would consider trading either Ponikarovsky or Antropov. Usually one seems to be one while the other struggles. These guys are horses and teams are looking for these kinds of guys. Antropov looks like he wants to stay but at what cost? He's a free agent and may be worth while to trade before the free agent deadline.

I'll look at the possible takers for McCabe but they probably won't take him.

Leafs FINALLY fire Paul Maurice

noreply@blogger.com (Allan) — Wed, 07 May 2008 22:12:00 +0000

The Leafs finally fired media savvy Paul Maurice as the head coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs. About fucking time eh?

I've been calling for his head for some time and he is arguably the reason JFJ got fired. Maurice has been erratic and inconsistent with the Leaf team and as a coach is your job to get the team to play their best night in and night out and that didn't happen. Only when there were rumbling in the media did the Leafs win and the Leafs played well down the stretch as they always do further proof that Maurice had a problem motivating the team.

This move is also great for the new GM as he won't have any blood on his hands and Cliff is one of the best guys to work with the media. Toronto NEEDS a top notch coach and top notch GM now.

Kalib Starnes Is Still A Wuss

noreply@blogger.com (Allan) — Sun, 04 May 2008 02:39:00 +0000

Kalib Starnes made a statement of his horrible UFC 83 performance. He basically admitted to being afraid of being knocked out.

Here's his writeup:

I was never on any Montreal radio show. If anyone knows what radio show that I allegedly appeared on, or has any recording of it or any evidence of it whatsoever I would love to know about it. So far I've only heard rumors and allegations. I did not throw the fight, the fight was not a protest against the UFC.

I will say again what I've said before; I had the game plan of circling and moving to stay out of exchanges and to work off of my jab because he hits so hard, to avoid the clinch because he was very strong and I'd taken knees and elbows there in my previous fight, and to throw some kicks as the fight wore on.

I threw 35 punches in the first round and I would have thrown a lot more had I landed any of them, but I found him very difficult to hit and he was counter punching whenever I would step in, with one of those counter punches almost dropping me early. Most of my takedowns come out of the clinch and when I tried to switch it up and get position in the clinch to take him down I couldn't do it because he seemed much stronger than me.

In the second round it was more of the same except that he almost knocked me out again early which made me more hesitant to throw punches so I decided to throw some kicks and at about 2 minutes into round two I threw a low right roundhouse kick that hit his shin awkwardly and I broke my foot, which stopped me from throwing anymore kicks, other than a few tentative kicks with my left leg. **That is not an excuse for losing it is simply something that happened and for me to mention it I think is quite reasonable.

I found myself in a fight where I couldn't stand with the guy, he was awkward and he hit hard having almost knocked me out three times in the fight, I couldn't take him down and work my ground game (I got him down only once and just managed to land a few shots because he got up so fast), and so I felt like I could either keep moving or get knocked out. Then late in the third he started to mock me out of frustration, but really at that point, I was just a solidly beaten fighter who was trying not to get knocked out, and had fallen into a pattern that I couldn't get out of. It was the worst athletic performance of my life.

Afterword his cornerman was swearing at me and calling me names, I responded to him by calling him names and telling him that he should get in there and fight then, meaning fight in the UFC, not fight me. He apologized to me afterword I suppose realizing that he was out of line, and so did Nate and I know that they were both acting out of frustration and so I forgave them and apologized in return for losing my temper. I think it's rediculous that he be made into some kind of hero for mocking a guy that he just beat the crap out of, and I felt forced into retreating because he had such a good offense. I didn't choose to do it as some kind of protest. I did try to win that fight and I did show up to fight, I don't care what Dana White says, I just wasn't good enough on that day to do it. I have no excuses for losing the fight.

If you want a copy of my medical records the guys at Sherdog can contact me, or Primo at ATT and you'll be provided with that. I can't speak for anyone else, but I have never said that the UFC does not cover a fighters medical expenses, I'm dealing with their medical claims department right now regarding my broken foot and other injuries sustained at UFC 83, and up until this point they have honored their obligations.

I have as much right to discuss what fighters are paid as anyone else and I know a lot about the subject having fought for the organization in some capacity seven times. Believe me, you're paid if you win and tossed aside like garbage if you lose. Until these guys learn to market themselves the payouts are going to remain pathetic compared to boxing and the UFC's little traveling circus will roam from town to town with the billionaires raking in the cash while the fighters split up about five percent of the take between them.

What prompted me to discuss it were comments about it being wise to get knocked out as opposed to moving out of the way, apparently from brain injury advocates who've taken their own advice. I'm not retiring and I've already been offered more than I ever made at the UFC, which was $5,000 and $5000, plus $30000 fight of the night (which they gave me because I had no heart), plus an additional $25000 (because I don't belong in the UFC presumably). That's $65,000 you clever little monkeys, but remember that if I'd lost I would have walked away with a sweet $5000 and a kick in the ass, because they only pay the winners. The only problem with that is, somebody loses every time.

He doesn't care about running like a pussy but I'd rather get knocked out then run. It's like me saying I don't want to make tackles in rugby because I'll get a head injury or I won't body check a guy because I'll get hurt in hockey. He's a UFC fighter who didn't have a fighter's mentality.

If given the choice, I'd step in the ring to get knocked out in 5 seconds.

National Finals Rodeo

noreply@blogger.com (Allan) — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 23:31:00 +0000

Rodeo may not be my favorite sport and while I have very little knowledge about actually riders, it is a very fun sport to watch on TV. It almost amazes me at the people daring to ride a bull, it's as crazy as those Matadors.

Why would I like to attend the National Finals Rodeo. Just to understand a bit more about the culture of rodeo-ing. It isn't a mainstream sport per se but still a sport and respect all those involved.

You can get Wrangler National Finals Rodeo tickets here. It is held on the campus of UNLV in the gambling capital of the world Las Vegas.

I definitely would like to visit Calgary for the famed Calgary Stampede and while many Torontonians would not admit to liking rodeo, I think it would be very cool.

Also my favorite sport out of rodeo is the bull riding. Watching them get bucked off is obviously the most fun part of it and it usually makes it on television on other shows such as Spiked. The television shows for the most part are entertaining and you really don't need to know the riders names to be impressed.

I also would like to go to Las Vegas for the gambling but going to the rodeo is another good reason!

ReviewMe Loves The Male Chicken

noreply@blogger.com (Allan) — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 18:14:00 +0000

I like writing about when I get fucked over. Even for $5 or $10 (in case $10). ReviewMe fucked me over when I accepted their campaign when I started writing about poker codes for Absolute Poker. The post has now been deleted but I was fucked over and they are citing that it's my fault.

Anyway I accepted a campaign but when I looked at, the campaign didn't allow me to fill out the "post url" section. Basically prohibiting me from sending the post for review. While the campaign was still up, I sent a message of the problem. I didn't get a response and time ran out on the campaign (the campaign was oddly short, like 12 hours?).

Anyway now they claim that the box url disappears when the deadline was over and that it was cancelled and they didn't get my message yesterday. Go Fuck yourself ReviewMe!

Waste of my time and I fucking did message them but whatever they don't want to give me the dough even though I showed them that the post was done.

NFL Picks

noreply@blogger.com (Allan) — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 17:38:00 +0000

I like making my own NFL picks. Well not this year but generally I like making choices. Lots of people are always searching for NFL Picks why? because it's good to have a sense of knowledge and it always helps with making money. Like taking the money line or spread. You can find nfl picks here for free. They also have paid services for serious gamblers. Check it out.

What Should Ottawa Do?

noreply@blogger.com (Allan) — Sun, 27 Apr 2008 23:19:00 +0000

From my initial impressions, Ottawa's team and core group is fucked and it needs to be blown up (for the most part).

One strength is that they've got an elite set of forwards...even if they didn't perform in the playoffs. They will eventually but Spezza and Heatley can't be blamed for their troubles in general.

Over the course of the season the problem was first and foremost defense. It sucked and the goalies got the blame. I think the problem with the media is that perceive Emery as a top 5-10 goalie but from the start his stats just show a league average goaltender.

First here's what I'll do with the free agents:

Bye bye bye:
Wade Redden 6.5 M - you're overrated and they need your cap space. Face it, you need a guy like Chara since you're not tough enough. Sure you drop the gloves to show your "man" enough but your play isn't there.
Martin Lapointe
Cory Stillman - doesn't fit onto this team. Too much talent upfront. Giving up Eaves was such a bad trade. They may sign him just to look good to be honest.

Keep:
Chris Kelly - I love this guy. Hopefully they can get him for around 1.5 M otherwise he may end up being pricey for a 3rd line guy. I see him winning a cup somewhere down the road.
Mike Commodore - was iffy but toughness is needed by the back end.
Sean Donovan/Randy Robitaille - you need a 4th line and these guys make up one of the best 4th lines in the league.

Who do they need to sign?
A #1 and #2 defensemen. I would not be surprised if San Jose got Redden and Ottawa got Brian Campbell. If Ottawa does not go after Campbell they are not trying.

John-Michael Liles would be a great addition to Ottawa if the price was right but I don't see him leaving Colorado. Brad Stuart might not be a bad choice but he's a little on the overrated side to me.

Two potential goalies if they release Emery:
Jose Theodore and Christobal Huet. Theodore would be dumb as it would be signing a guy like Emery. Huet WILL have more then one suitor but will be probably end up like Gerber. I'd choose Huet but to be honest I wouldn't do it. I'd rather save the money and the much needed cap space. You could always send Emery to the minors or on assignment to Europe (lol). The problem here is that he had a ton of value before people started pointing fingers. GMs are just saying "no one" will take him but in reality he will be picked up easily once he's released.

I wouldn't release Emery. The fact is this team isn't suited to the win the cup. It may never be but it's not like most teams are. Unless you are trading away Heatley or Spezza...Ottawa is probably going to be a good team but not win the cup.

Is your bracket busted?

noreply@blogger.com (Allan) — Sat, 22 Mar 2008 05:21:00 +0000

Mine sure is! Well I chose the wrong upsets and the ones I had a feeling about (and didn't end up choosing) ended working out. It's not entirely busted BUT the Clemson loss hurts the most. It's surprising to see Two 12 vs 13 matches.

I actually had Clemson beating Kansas so that really sucks. In other news no one on Yahoo has the perfect bracket and therefore no one will lay claim to the $5 million dollar prize pool. In fact everyone already has TWO incorrect picks on their bracket.

As for me I'm doing horrible so I guess it's time to study and not worry about it.

Do The Leafs Stand A Chance?

noreply@blogger.com (Allan) — Sat, 15 Mar 2008 23:49:00 +0000

Probably not.

I think what pisses me off the most is that this team was capable of doing well but they just sucked during most of the season in typical Leaf or Maurice fashion.

Speaking of Maurice can we please fire this media-friendly coach already? Sure fans like him and JFJ took the brunt of the allegations but it's clear Maurice can't get the team to fire on all cylinders unless facing certain death.

The Leafs are down 3-1 right now in a must win game against Buffalo. If they somehow manage to come back 4 teams stand in the way of them winning with just 10 games to go. They have to win at least 8 but I think they'll ended up missing once again. Stupid Leafs.. had them finishing 4th, thanks for making me look like a homer even with 5 or so readers.

March Madness with Doc Sports

noreply@blogger.com (Allan) — Sat, 15 Mar 2008 23:24:00 +0000

The regular season for Men's NCAA basketball is rounding to a close and it's time for the yearly historic tournament that everyone seems to watch because of the all gamblings and fun surrounding the tournament. Pickings upsets and filling out your brackets is just as fun as watching the dramatic games whether you're a fan or not.

Anyway Doc Sports a great website surrounding the area of sports gambling. They have everything from sports lines for all the major North American sports, to handicapping their own picks. Some useful information if you're into the gambling thing (which a lot of people are as it's very popular and I find myself involved sometimes). Theyre website is complete with scores and schedules and their layout is easy to navigate through so I recommend this website. Advertisements don't get in the way of important information (ads are present but if you're looking for something you'll find it).

Docsports is preparing for the upcoming NCAA tournament by providing NCAA tournament sports spreads (right now it has spreads for current games but it'll update once the bracket is announced). Their other two popular pages for the NCAA season are of course the bracket and simply the schedule.

A pretty good website worth checking out if you're looking for some help and extra information when filing out your bracket.

This was a paid advertisement.

Athletes Shouldn't Be The Ones To Blame

noreply@blogger.com (Allan) — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 23:14:00 +0000

Roids, roids, and more roids. Why does athletes always get the blame? In our lives everything is about enhancement from face-lifts to boob jobs. I'm sick of all of it in general. That's why sports media itself sucks, selling out their own for the "hot" story.

Ya I do think it's unfair for athletes who choose the integrity side of sports but everywhere there's inequality. Even in the music industry where it's about being hot shhit and not about actual talent. We've lived with 10 years of Britney Spears and even Paris "I'm a slut and proud of it" Hilton can get a hit song is despicable. I'm not against these artists but I'm more disappointed into the buyers of this shit.

We want actual talent it's true, which is why sport athletes are chastised but look around. I don't think roids are that big of a deal, society wise I don't see it as a problem. Yes, some cultures do revolve around success in sports but it's usually few and far between with those who are absolutely serious. We're not worried about recreational drugs which celebrities casually seem to be using these days.

Here's an article that I liked. You can't say it's wrestlers fault for using steroids or other drugs. They are giving their lives to impress us. If it's anybody's fault it's us for demanding so much out of these people. Using PED's is much more of a competitive thing as if you can make it into the majors you're probably well off financially anyway. I see the use of some of these drugs as something good to use for injuries though by law it is illegal, the banning of mj is still stupid and it's probably more of an economical move rather then a "safety" move.

Bah I'm rambling but reading sports news just fucking sucks.

Favre Calls It Quits

noreply@blogger.com (Allan) — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 07:26:00 +0000

Brett Favre just seems to do the opposite of what people want him to do. He chose a great time to retire. I recall everyone wanting him to retire and that includes myself.

I may not be a Packers fan but this man has been good for so long will be remembered as one of the greats.

UFC 82 Predictions: Silva vs. Henderson

noreply@blogger.com (Allan) — Sat, 01 Mar 2008 20:02:00 +0000

Just a quick post.

Dan Henderson vs. Anderson Silva

Winner: Henderson
I'm rooting for Spyder though. Henderson is such a great all-round fighter, Silva may be screwed.

Cheick Kongo vs Heath Herring
Winner: Herring.
Not a fan of Kongo, his defeat over Cro-cop was lackluster.

Yushin Okami vs. Evan Tanner
Winner: Okami
Okami is too good, he should see himself get the next title shot.

Jon Fitch vs Chris Wilson
Winner: Fitch
I see Fitch getting a title shot soon as well.

Diego Sanchez vs. David Bielkheden
Winner: Sanchez
He needs this.

Andrei Arlovski vs. Jake O'Brien
Winner: Pitbull

Koscheck will win, don't know about the two other fights.

Stracka.com Review

noreply@blogger.com (Allan) — Sat, 01 Mar 2008 19:33:00 +0000

Golf is a wonderful sport to play. I'm not too keen on watching it like other sports but I definitely have my greatest respects to the players. Stracka is a a social network for golfers with a fitting slogan of "for people who love golf".

On Stracka they have a variety of features such as golf course searches, yardage maps of golf courses presented by Google Earth.

The forum is currently kind of small in size but it has a very nice layout with some pretty good information that goes beyond my scope of sports knowledge.

They have guides to certain golf courses which seem like a great with their 3d scans of greens. They have every golf course in the U.S. and they cover golf courses worldwide.

One criticism I definitely would have, which would increase popularity is the coverage of PGA, LPGA and other golf tournaments around their world. There are definitely people who watch and play golf at the same time and it would increase their audience that way. It is a nice looking website with some great information on there but I think they can capitalize more on other golf aspects such as recommended gold equipment and possibly offering out special deals on golf resorts. There is a lot more then can do to improve the interactivity of this website.

Did I Make A Mistake With This Blog?

noreply@blogger.com (Allan) — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 02:43:00 +0000

I fucked up this blog with all the sponsored posts. For whatever reason they're still offers to make money on this blog but I have no passion for it unless it's covering fees on the other website.

It's pretty depressing that I no longer even care about sports as I once did. Possible death of a sports nerd?

I've slowly become a music nerd learning many genres and ultimately improving my musical experiences beyond my wildest dreams.

I still have that passion for sports but media in general has really left me pissed off. From the Michael Vick case to steroids in baseball, could sports news be any more boring? I hated the dry days where there seemed to be nothing else, my life would ultimately feel empty because sports is my life!!

Anyway, I don't know what my future is with sports but it'll definitely fall on deaf ears if I do it with this blog. I think I've got some great ideas to do a "Business of Sports Blog" or covering MMA possibly (I'm trying to take on wrestling and maybe jujitsu in the future).

I still plan to cover sports eventually but things have really sucked in Leaf land and being a sports nerd isn't as cool as a music nerd I must say. I'll still cover the Jays with Bluebird Banter as those guys are great but I still can't get myself to write about it just of yet.

Dazadi.com Basketball Equipment

noreply@blogger.com (Allan) — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 20:54:00 +0000

Dazadi.com has a variety of things on his website for sale including equipment for baseball and basketball, furniture and much much more.

Concentrating only on his basketball site, there are a vast amount products for sale that can help you play some basketball at home such as buying a net or even building a basketball court. Generally with basketball, all you need is a ball and a hoop is play which is why it's a great game to play.

You can get various basketball equipment like portable nets or in ground nets. One great accesory involving
basketball court dimensions are kits that help you in marking lines such a free throw lines, making a key and 3-point dimensions. Those are useful and it gives a better feel when doing such things. I am not sure about a inground basketball system as it would take some construction but it's more permanent and probably more fun to have. I have a friend who had his basketball net stolen while he wasn't at home (who does that?).

The layout is pretty good as navigation is pretty easy and there's no difficulties trying to order something so if there's something you like and from the equipment I talked to you about, feel free to check it out.

It's a great site that is appealing on the eyes and the prices seem good/reasonable (I'm actually not sure but they seem alright).

This has been sponsored by Dazadi.

This blog is dead

noreply@blogger.com (Allan) — Sun, 25 Nov 2007 10:32:00 +0000

Yep. Lost my passion for writing about sports. I'll leave it to the other bloggers.

I may start a Leafs blog in the future but for now this site is done.

UFC 78: Validation Predictions

noreply@blogger.com (Allan) — Sat, 17 Nov 2007 23:13:00 +0000

I have run into a sports blogging hiatus...mainly to work on the music site that actually gets readers.

Rashad Evans vs. Michael Bisping
Winner: Rashad Evans. Mainly because I hate Bisping. I think Evans is too well-rounded anyway for Bisping.

Karo Parisyan vs Ryo Chonan
Winner: Parisyan, don't know enough about Chonan to honestly say. Parisyan needs this to get back into the thick of things.

Houston Alexander vs. Thiago Silva
Winner: Houston Alexander. I haen't seen Silva enough but this one could go either way. Alexander is an aged veteran though and he needs this.

Spencer Fisher vs. Frank Edgar
Winner: Edgar.

Ed Herman vs. Joe Doerksen
Winner: Doerksen.

Is Eric Lindros A Hall of Famer?

noreply@blogger.com (Allan) — Fri, 09 Nov 2007 00:36:00 +0000

Eric Lindros officially retired today and the big question, is he a hall of famer or not?

He should be a HoFer. The statistics are there. 865 points in 760 games are hall of fame worthy statistics. Sure you can argue that he didn't have any longevity and he didn't put up with expectations at time. He had a very solid career considering the hype despite not putting up Gretzky like numbers.

The longevity factor is a legit argument in the MLB HoF which has a lot harder restrictions to be honest. If Lindros doesn't get in, Neely doesn't either. Lindros doesn't lower the standard at all.

Philadelphia Phillies Acquire Lidge For Who??

noreply@blogger.com (Allan) — Thu, 08 Nov 2007 06:12:00 +0000

Brad Lidge has not recovered from that big home run that Pujols hit off him. His stock has dropped to astronomically low levels but I still believed he would fetch more then he did already.

Lidge was traded with Eric Bruntlett for Michael Bourn, Geoff Geary, and Mike Costanzo.

Let's look at what Philadelphia gets. Lidge is coming off a season where he had a 3.36 ERA with a K rate of 11.8. His WHIP of 1.25 is a lot higher then desired but he seemed to be on track. He has one year at 5.35 million this season and will likely see a pay raise if he has a successful season. Either way he once was one the league's best closers and still probably can provide for Philly. Bruntlett looks like a utility player at best. He's already 29 so I doubt he is worth much.

The Astros get a CFer, a decent prospect and a bullpen arm. Bourn is arguably the key to the deal. He is has speed and will probably feature as a leadoff type guy, like Taveras who they traded away. He did hit .277 and he will likely improve on that but I can't be too excited about Bourn. Geary is a righty-reliever who does not strike out much and had a terrible whip of 1.44. Being 29 I don't think he is worth much. Costanzo is a decent prospect with a TON of power. Hitting .270 but also striking out 157 times going forward, there are some question marks but will likely at least be a left-handed bat off the bench if not a starter.

I believe the Phillies won this trade easily. They didn't give up much to improve their ball club. I certainly expected a bigger haul to trade Lidge. I would've expected at least a better prospect or another prospect... We'll see how this one pans out since Lidge is a risk. Trading Wheeler looks even more stupid.

Is Instant Replay Finally Here in Baseball?

noreply@blogger.com (Allan) — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 21:13:00 +0000

I have always personally asked, what was so special about baseball that they did not want instant replay and technology as part of their game?

Some argued that if they add one small thing, why not have a computer dictate the strike zone?

In the end it's about getting the calls right regardless of what sport you're in. I have experience in refereeing (albeit on a volunteer level) as does a friend in umpiring. We know that some calls are just impossible and some of the calls are just so close if you blink you missed it.

Instant Replay has not been officially added to MLB but generally managers did resounding approve it 25-5 for home run calls. This is a GREAT step forward to getting the call right. I think we may still have controversy as sports always do but that's unavoidable.

I probably would institute the challenge option for plays at 1st base, it would reduce the amount of possible hostility between players and managers. It seems like home run balls most of the umpires seem to get it right anyway (to my surprise).

Either way, I've always been a fan of getting the call right. It's a shame for a team to lose on a botched call.

Mpora - Extreme Sports

noreply@blogger.com (Allan) — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 21:03:00 +0000

Mpora is a website geared toward extreme sports providing some cool videos, news and a community of people who share the same interests. The sports they cover include skateboarding, snowboarding, surfing, motocross, bmxing, mountain biking and more.

They have over 23,000 community members so it is a very developed community so if you like these sports, you can really enjoy yourself talking to people with similar interests, and news surrounding you sport of interest.

The have some cool skateboarding videos and snowboarding videos for you to check out. I know some of my friends who are addicted to this stuff. In case you don't like all these sports, this website does a great job of categorizing this website based on forums posts and they even have their own list of blogs for you to check out.

This is a pretty cool site, check it out.

Who Will Win Patriots or Colts?

noreply@blogger.com (Allan) — Sat, 03 Nov 2007 00:07:00 +0000

In an epic match up that occurs yearly, the New England Patriots are battling the Indianapolis Colts as undefeated teams.

Most would argue this is the real superbowl as NFC is thought of as inferior.

It should be a great match up but who wins?

One of my 3 favorite NFL teams is the Colts so I am definitely rooting for them. But I have a belief that the Patriot's team is suited for the regular season match up but not the playoffs. The Colts have methodically beaten teams with games going down to the wire, all hard fought while the Patriots are out right beating up teams. Does anybody remember when this was reversed?

If they face in the playoffs I'd pick the Colts but due to this being the regular season and it's not that big of a deal since it's not for all the chips, I see the Pats taking it.