Unsportsmanlike Comments

Manny Retires From Baseball His Own Way

2011-04-15T15:51:00.000-04:00

(Originally published 4/15/11 in "The Montclarion")

Manny Ramirez, who struggled through one week with the Tampa Bay Rays before retiring after a second failed drug test, will likely see his reputation of being one of the best hitters of the last 20 years tarnished by controversy.

Manny Ramirez always wanted to do his own thing in his own way. Whether it was climbing the left field wall and high-fiving a fan in the crowd after making the last out in an inning, or his sudden need to use the bathroom through a door in the Green Monster, Manny Ramirez was just being himself. “Manny being Manny,” as the popular saying goes. He may have topped all his other antics with the sudden news that he is going to retire from Major League Baseball at age 38.

The thought that maybe he left the game because he couldn’t keep up any more, his bat speed had slowed down or because he wasn’t the same player without steroids are all reasonable, but the real reason for his retirement was due to a likely 100-game suspension for performance-enhancing drugs. This is the second time Ramirez has been caught illegally using them and the third time he’s been caught since the steroids issue became public in 2002. Rather than face the inevitable 100-game suspension and lose out on most of his $2 million contract with the Rays, Ramirez decided to call it a career.

Assuming he hasn’t blown all of his money, Ramirez has enough to live a happy retirement doing whatever he chooses. His decision to use steroids again may be arrogant, ignorant, conceited, stupid, or a little of each, but he had nothing to lose. His career was virtually over. He could have tried and padded some of his stats to appease the Hall of Fame voters, but the numbers aren’t going to be the reason he gets in or out. His numbers are amazing, but they’re tainted.

If Ramirez wants to get into the Hall of Fame he, along with all the other cheaters, have to hope that Barry Bonds gets elected. Mark McGwire, Alex Rodriguez and Ramirez have no chance of getting in if the homerun leader doesn’t get the nod. The League wouldn’t be able to leave Ramirez out while letting the others in, but at the rate the voters are leaning, none of these players are going to make it.

It’s comical that Ramirez thought he could get away with using steroids again. After his last failed drug test and 50-game suspension in 2009, he was bound to get tested more frequently and be under a more watchful eye. Everyone saw the effects and how poorly he played when he was off steroids, but suddenly he was able to find his stroke?

The “Mannywood” that once lived in Los Angeles faded into the desolate stadium that the Rays currently play in known as Tropicana Field. You never know what to expect from Ramirez. I picked him in the last round of my fantasy baseball draft just to see if he could do anything this year and surprise everyone like he routinely does. Instead, he did something we all really shouldn’t have been too surprised about.

Bad Economy Equals Empty Seats For Mets & Yankees

2011-04-14T16:40:00.000-04:00

(Originally published 4/8/11 in "The Montclarion")

The Yankees have been plagued by their lowest attendance marks in the new Yankee Stadium the first week of the season. Attendance at the Mets’ opening home series this weekend is expected to be low as well.

A new reality is setting in for our New York baseball teams – primarily the New York Mets. The team is looking to pay off the new stadium they just built as well as the Bernie Madoff scandal. Now they are struggling to sell tickets. Their 2011 home opener, which is normally packed, is nowhere near being sold out. Thousands of tickets were being sold on third-party websites such as StubHub and eBay.

The Yankees may be fine financially, but their ticket sales aren’t going as well as in years past. Their opening day game at Yankee stadium netted them a sold-out crowd, according to ticket sales, but there were plenty of empty seats on the field level behind home plate. Games against the Red Sox, the Subway Series and other important games will bring a full house to the stadium, but the other three-quarters of the season are going to have the Yankees losing out with their best available seats.

Their full-house opening day may be overreacting, but the reality is ticket prices aren’t worth the money the teams are asking for.

Fans of the game will always enjoy the atmosphere and experience of being at the game, but the better value for their money is watching the game in crystal clear picture with first-rate sound close to the detailed action. For no additional fee they’re able to see the left fielder catch the ball against the wall or the homerun as it just makes it past the foul pole. The only seats that seem reasonably affordable obstruct views that they can see from the comfort of their living rooms. They can get 12 times more beer for the same price you pay for two at the game. They can make a quick three-course meal in your kitchen for the same price of a hotdog and a soda, and they’re also allowed to keep the cap for their water bottle at their own house.

The Mets’ cheapest seat available from the Mets themselves is $36 for a premium game. The Yankees, have their bleacher seats priced at $15 and their grandstand tickets for $20. That doesn’t include a parking fee and the money spent on gas.

The Mets are going to see themselves affected to the point where they close down the upper level of seats, concession stands and vendors, especially when they play meaningless games against second-rate teams. The Yankees will draw enough fans to get by since they’ll be playing exciting baseball for the whole season. It doesn’t seem worth it to attend a baseball game anymore; the stadiums are beautiful and the atmosphere is amazing, but in a time where gas prices are rising and jobs are becoming scarce, the cost of attending one three-hour night of entertainment just doesn’t seem worth it.

Final Four Ready to Dominate Houston

2011-04-01T08:43:00.000-04:00

(Originally published 4/1/11 in "The Montclarion")

Without including Butler, UConn (University of Connecticut) or Kentucky, if you picked VCU (Virginia Commonwealth University) to be in your Final Four you are either a genius or have some close connection to that school. The 11th-seeded Rams defeated number-one ranked Kansas to advance to their first Final Four in school history. Cinderella once again crashed the “Big Dance” and ruined the hearts of schools, fans and bracketologists everywhere.

VCU will face 8th-seeded Butler for a chance to head to the finals. Butler was last year’s Cinderella story – an 8th-seed reaching the finals, only to lose a close game 61-59 to Duke on a miraculous final shot. Even if Butler was playing a good team, like Kansas, you couldn’t consider them a fairytale story; everyone is already aware of what they’re capable of. Butler has a very good chance of reaching the finals again. The spark, urgency and passion the VCU Rams play with aren’t going to be enough to get them into the final game. Their playing style revolves around a pressure up-the-middle, kick-out and take a three-point shot mentality. It can only get them so far. The Butler Bulldogs are more physical and play better in the paint than the Rams do. Experience can’t be discounted either; VCU may be caught off-guard being in such a spotlight while the Bulldogs experienced this aura just last year.

Fourth-seeded Kentucky is matched up against the third-seeded UConn Huskies. This game is sure to excite college basketball and sports fans alike. Two well-coached programs to go along with good basketball pasts make this the premiere game in the Final Four. Neither team is jaw-dropping with talent, but each team plays solid, fundamental basketball. Both of these teams have hall of fame-caliber coaches on board as well. This game will turn into a chess match more than a battle on the court and really could go either way.
The biggest variable that will decide either team’s fate is UConn point guard Kemba Walker. He is a monster on the court, and if there is any doubt just take a look at his film. He is a very smart and gifted player, and he is most likely headed to the pros after one year in Connecticut.

If the Kentucky Wildcats can get Walker into foul trouble early, or to foul out of the game, their chances to win will skyrocket. If Walker is having a bad game, the Wildcats will win. If Kentucky Coach John Calipari conjures up a defensive scheme to stop Walker, the Wildcats will win. The focus of this entire game will be on Walker and his play; he will be the reason UConn wins or loses. Apart from Walker, Kentucky has the better basketball team.

Kentucky versus UConn would make a much better final match than a Final Four game. VCU and Butler are very good stories; if either of these teams win the tournament it would be amazing and would prove that any team can win once they’re in the playoffs (hint hint, college football), but that’s going to be a big “if.” Sure, they’ve gotten this far and whichever team advances only needs one more victory to win, but it’s still unlikely. I’d much rather see a close, nail biting, intense final match than risk a blowout. Butler, again, scored only two points less than the number one-seeded Duke Blue Devils did a year ago in the tournament final. I just hope they can make it interesting again this year.

If Only We Could Yell At Them

2011-03-27T15:43:00.001-04:00

The Chicago Cubs are paying Carlos Silva $11.5 million dollars to stay away from the team this year. Silva was released by the Cubs early Sunday morning with one year remaining on his contract. He left the Cubs kicking and screaming, starting fights with Aramis Ramirez during the team's first Spring Training game, and ending his tenure with a loud tirade against Cubs pitching coach Mark Riggins when he learned that he was going to get demoted to Triple-A.

Carlos Silva's contract was more disastrous than the contract ex-Mets general manager Omar Minaya gave lefty Oliver Perez. Silva signed a 4 year $48 million dollar contract with the Mariners in 2008; Perez signed a 3 year $36 million dollar contract with the Mets in 2009. Each earned $12 million dollars annually, but which $12 million was more poorly spent?

Since signing his contract (between 2009-2010), the always erratic Oliver Perez had a combined 6.81 ERA and had more walks (100) than strikeouts (99) and refused a demotion early in 2010 because he felt he was better than the minors. During those two years Perez posted a total of 3 wins to go alongside 9 losses while averaging a 1.995 WHIP (2 base-runners an inning is horrific!).

Silva didn't fare much better than Perez. His two years with Seattle netted him a total of 5 wins, two more than Perez, but also tagged him with 18 losses, twice as much as Perez. Silva's ERA matched Perez at 6.81, but he posted less strikeouts (79) to go along with almost half as many walks (43). His WHIP was more efficient (1.62), but an efficient 1.62 WHIP is like jumbo shrimp, an obvious oxymoron.

Between the two, who was worse?

Oliver Perez and Carlos Silva were absolutely atrocious for the Mets & Mariners/Cubs respectively, earning $12 million dollars annually to produce Single-A numbers.

If I had my choice I would take Perez on my team. Now, certainly I wouldn't want either of them, but for arguments sake I would choose Perez. He at least struck fear in the opposing batters; they never knew when they would be hit by a pitch. His different arm angles were laughable, and his pitch location could have been more pathetic than a drunk guy trying to walk a straight line. But when all is said and done Perez showed up when it mattered most (sometimes). Without having the stats in front of me, Perez pitched very well when he played against great teams like the Philadelphia Phillies and the New York Yankees. He was able to hold them down at times, but at other times he could barely record an out against the Washington Nationals. He amazingly pitched 7 stellar innings against the Cardinals in game 7 of the 2006 NLCS, the same game that Carlos Beltran left the bat on his shoulder as Adam Wainwright threw a full-count curve ball for a strike to end the game and to send the Cardinals to the World Series. If Perez would have gotten that win he may have been New York's newest hero.

Carlos Silva was a disaster from the start. He is a perfect example why you shouldn't base a contract off of one season (especially when it's a contract year). Just look at Gary Matthews Jr., or Milton Bradly, who's hot tenure with the Cubs got him traded to the Mariners in exchange for Silva before the 2010 season. Silva was awful, yet posted decent stats for the Cubs (10-6, 4.22 ERA, 1.27 WHIP). But with one more year than Perez (and thus another $12 million), Silva loses this debate. Never did he show promise or poise past the first 4 games he pitched with the Mariners (he went 3-0 with a sub 2.75 ERA). Perez left with class, I guess. He didn't bad mouth anyone, and never complained that he didn't receive a fair shot (the Luis Castillo treatment). Silva did the opposite. He was a terrible player to have on your team, a terrible fantasy pickup for anyone stupid enough to draft him, and a cancer to your rotation.

Both of these players are going to go down as two of the WORST contract signings in the history of the game. Neither of them deserve the contracts they received, and if this were like the NFL, where contracts aren't guaranteed, neither player would have lasted longer than their first season. In the end, Perez was the lesser of two evils. But when you look at it from a broader perspective, they were both laughable players from hell.

NFL Players and Owners Playing With Fire in Dispute

2011-03-25T12:15:00.000-04:00

(Originally published 3/23/11 in "The Montclarion")

By now we’re all aware that there is currently no 2011 football season – though you can still buy Madden 2012 when it comes out, allowing us to fantasize about what we should be watching on TV. The players claim they’re the victims, the owners say they’ve been victimized, but the fans – the ones really losing out – couldn’t care about either of them. Many of the fans work five days a week for minimum wage so they can watch their favorite football team in HD once a week.

NFL Players’ Association head DeMaurice Smith helped the union decertify after the NFL locked out the players following the expiration of the collective bargaining agreement.

The fans spend half a week’s worth of pay so they can buy their favorite player’s jersey. The fans throw away 17 Sundays a year that they could be spending with their families to tailgate and enjoy a three-hour football game. The fans are the ones who have to suffer and regardless of which side complains that they‘re losing out. The fans are the ones who supply the NFL their $9 billion in revenue that the owners and players are fighting over.

Because of the lockout (and thus the absence of game-by-game checks) players are on edge about their financial situations. New York Jets offensive lineman Matt Slauson, who made $395,000 last season, recently said he had to pick up his family and move back in with his parents until he was sure the lockout was over. His kid’s college tuition could be paid in full with less than half of that paycheck, and he still has roughly $1.4 million remaining on his contract. Oh, how tough times have become for NFL athletes!

The NFL is at its peak. It’s making monstrous amounts of money and skyrocketing in popularity. The past two Super Bowls have been the two most-watched television programs of all time. But the owners don’t care about that; they’re already set for life with a few houses and a couple of yachts with a vacation home on the other side of the globe. Not to mention they’ve still collected the profits made from television broadcasts, even if the games aren’t shown on TV.

Former and current NFL players like Mike Vrabel and Tedy Bruschi are now asking NFL-bound college players to boycott the draft – the moment that any future NFL player looks up to, the chance to get their picture snapped with the commissioner and the smile that comes when they hold up that jersey is now in jeopardy because a few old timers want to make an idiotic point to the owners. Since we may not have football this year, I thought I might get some enjoyment out of attending the NFL draft in April. How awesome it must feel to listen to complete and utter silence as each name is called. The one positive thing fans had going for them this year is now just another void.

The only thing I see is greed. In a time when people are struggling to find a job, or to maintain a mortgage they’re already losing out on, the rich do what they’ve always done: care less. They’re displaying greed at its finest. Perhaps they should try thinking about someone other than themselves. Prove to me that you do care about the fans; don’t just say it, act on it. I’ll believe that the NFL cares when I see an agreement reached.

Davies' Confession at BYU Shows Courage

2011-03-25T12:13:00.000-04:00

(Originally published 3/9/11 in "The Montclarion")

A few grown men cry and it’s plastered all over ESPN, sports websites and sports radio. Why is it that when Miami Heat players cry after a loss to the Chicago Bulls it’s such a big deal? Why is this a headline?

Brigham Young basketball player Brandon Davies was kicked off the team last week after he admitted to having consensual sex with his girlfriend, a violation of the school’s honor code.

Then I scrolled down ESPN’s site even more to find that Rachel Alexandra was pregnant. She is not a famous LPGA golfer or woman’s tennis player. No, this article was about 2009 Horse of the Year winner Rachel Alexandra, the famous “Filly” (girl) horse who won the Preakness that year. She is pregnant by two-time Horse of the Year winner Curlin’ in an attempt to create the fastest horse ever. Their foals are due February 1, 2012 (I also learned horses are pregnant for 11 months rather than a human’s cycle of nine months).

I then tried to revert to any TV or radio station that doesn’t have Chris Bosh crying or the never-ending financial downfall of the New York Mets. I came across people’s reaction to BYU basketball star Brandon Davies and, needless to say, their reactions were quite surprising. About half the people were mentioning how honorable and mature he was for informing the school he had sex with his girlfriend, thus getting him indefinitely suspended from the basketball team and, more importantly, suspended for the March Madness tournament in which BYU was likely to enter as a Number 1 seeded team.

The other half was asking “Why would he tell?” “Why didn’t he keep it a secret” “Why would he do such a thing?” Is this what our ethics and morals have come to? I’m sure we were all taught better than to lie, but it seems only half the people received this message.

This player should be commended for what he did, not ridiculed.

Certainly most of us can agree that BYU’s chastity rule may be a little harsh, if it should even be implemented at all, but they’re allowed to have whatever rules they’d like. Davies signed a wavier to follow their rules and to avoid having sex with his girlfriend (unless they’re married), and if he didn’t know that was a rule then he should have read the fine print. His suspension is his own fault.

He did the one thing our parents would have wanted us to do in his situation: tell the truth. BYU fouled up the game after Davie’s suspension terribly, losing 82-64 to New Mexico. BYU stuck by their decision and kept him off the team, and rightfully so. They would have faced tremendous criticism from their religious powers, alumni and donors alike. It would have been a story about a basketball player getting the star treatment and being exempt from punishment all over again. I’m glad we’re debating a story about someone doing the right thing rather than how long Donte Stallworth should get for killing a pedestrian while driving drunk.

From our college perspective this move is outrageous, hilarious and puzzling but it’s a strict Mormon school for a reason.

New York Teams Sleep Through Trade Deadline

2011-03-25T12:07:00.000-04:00

(Originally published 3/2/11 in "The Montclarion")

The NHL trade deadline came and went, and if you weren’t paying attention, you would have no idea the deadline had even passed. The three local hockey teams spent a few extra hours sleeping, finding nothing worthwhile, and no one to help their club.

The New York Rangers didn’t gain a ton of help by the trade deadline, with their only acquisition being Bryan McCabe from the Florida Panthers.

There was one trade apiece by the New Jersey Devils and the New York Rangers, with the Rangers having the only significant trade: acquiring veteran defenseman Bryan McCabe from the Florida Panthers for Tim Kennedy and a third-round draft pick. The New York Islanders sat on their hands and kept the same team they had entering the final weeks of the deadline. They couldn’t have gotten much worse and ought to have taken a stab at somebody, but their desire to improve is as high as their place in the standings, and that’s never too high.

The Devils could still make the playoffs, needing only nine points to tie the eighth-seeded Carolina Hurricanes, but their chances are slim. Four teams sit between them and the Hurricanes and a lot needs to go right for New Jersey to grab a spot in the postseason.

The Rangers, on the other hand, are currently the seventh-seed in the Eastern Conference, but are five points from slipping out of the race. By acquiring McCabe, the Rangers fortified their defense and solidified their team. They aren’t much improved overall, but they don’t seem to be going down anytime soon. New York can easily topple sixth-seeded Montreal and even surpass fifth-seeded Washington, with only six points separating them.

Playoffs aren’t going to be too exciting for local hockey fans. Any team can win, but the Rangers are going to have a tough time squaring off against the top few teams in the conference, depending on which seed each team gets at the end of the year. The Rangers are only 1-7 against the current top three seeds: Philadelphia, Tampa Bay and Boston, with their one win coming against the lowest of the three, Boston.

This leaves the Devils and the Islanders to duel for which team is worse. The Devils should easily win this game, meaning they will not be the worst team. But each time you feel like the Devils are ready to turn it around or put together a winning streak, or at least provide some decent hockey, they fail to come through.

At the rate they’re going they just may have a worse 2010-2011 hockey season than the New York Islanders, something no one would have predicted at the beginning of the year. Their $100 million free-agent signing along with fan favorite Patrik Elias and the always reliable Martin Brodeur should have done much better than the basement. Brodeur has been outplayed by Johan Hedberg, who has as many wins as Brodeur, but eight less losses. Hedberg’s goals against average is four-tenths less than Brodeur an he also has a .015 percent better save percentage (small decimals, but a big difference).

Of the 32 players on the Islanders that posted stats this season, only five have a plus-minus better than 0 and two of those five have a plus-minus of one. For the Islanders it seems like we’re looking ahead to next year. Then again, we’re always looking ahead to next year.

If this is how a Devils team will look with Kovalchuk as their star, fans better hold on tightly – you’re stuck with him for the next 15 years. By then the Islanders may have avoided looking like NHL’s version of the Pittsburgh Pirates. The Rangers are on even ground; they can improve with some smart moves or join their NY/NJ friends with some poor ones. They have the postseason to look forward to for now and bragging rights when the season is over.

Destination: New York

2011-03-25T12:04:00.000-04:00

(Originally published 2/23/11 in "The Montclarion")

The New York Knicks have swapped teams with the Denver Nuggets after what seemed like an eternity, allowing them to obtain prized superstar Carmelo Anthony.

Guard Carmelo Anthony once battled with the Knicks, but now will swap uniforms after the Dennver Nuggets traded him away to the New York Knicks on Monday night.

The New York Knicks, Denver Nuggets and Minnesota Timberwolves completed a three-team trade late Monday night, and the blockbuster deal that has been mere speculation up until this point became official Tuesday morning.

The Knicks obtained Chauncey Billips, Sheldon Williams, Anthony Carter and former first round pick (2006; 20) Renaldo Balkman from the Denver Nuggets. The Knicks sent over starters Raymond Felton, Danilo Gallinari and Timofey Mozgov along with Wilson Chandler to the Nuggets as well as a 2014 first-round pick.
Along with the first-round pick the Nuggets will also receive (at press time) a second-round and a third-round pick from the Minnesota Timberwolves, plus $3 million in cash. The Knicks also sent Eddy Curry and Anthony Randolph to Minnesota in exchange for Corey Brewer.

Even though the Knicks had to strip the depth of their roster to obtain Anthony the positives certainly outweigh the negatives. The only key losses in this deal (other than the draft picks) are Raymond Felton, because of his versatility this season; former first-round pick (2008; 6) Danilo Gallinari; and the 7’1 “rookie” (yet he’s been playing since 2004 in Russia) Timofey Mozgov. If Gallinari and Mozgov stay at the skill level they are currently playing at, the Knicks will have no trouble forgetting their departure. But these players still have tremendous potential, while Carmelo Anthony has reached a plateau with his skill.

By obtaining Carmelo Anthony, however, the Knicks have gained an advantage greater than the players they traded away. New York looks much more attractive with two superstars compared to one (Amare Stoudemire). And even though the Knicks have their stars, they’re still looking at finishing in the same position now that they were going to finish in before the trade was made. It’s certainly not what Knick fans want to hear, but when you strip an entire team to make a trade, you’re bound to have some negative backlash.

This trade was made for the future of the organization. The Knicks need to finish this year to clear them of any expiring contracts and to gather themselves in the offseason and plan their next moves. Next year they need to obtain a reliable, yet cheap, supporting cast.

With a new Collective Bargaining Agreement taking place there is no certainty in how much the Knicks can spend and how much room they’ll have to work with, but they’re pushing to obtain a third superstar in the next star-studded free agency offseason (following the 2012-2013 season). They may have their eyes on only one person, too – Chris Paul.

But for now the Knicks aren’t worrying about getting Paul, or about who will add to the depth of their roster, who will come in the future or how much money they’re restricted to spend.

For now, the Knicks are celebrating a trade that could have and should have been made months ago. Half the basketball season was spent talking about where Carmelo Anthony would end up. Finally, we have an answer: it’s where he always wanted to be and where everyone figured he would end up, in New York. It just took three months longer than necessary.

Spring Training Calls for Another Chapter of Yankees-Red Sox

2011-03-25T12:01:00.000-04:00

(Originally published 2/16/11 in "The Montclarion" -- online only)

The Yankees' weakness may be at the back of the rotation, where they are banking on arms like Freddy Garcia to come through.

The biggest free-agent signing the New York Yankees made this 2010-2011 off-season was the $35 million setup-man Rafael Soriano, a move made to tighten up their bullpen as well as give the team an outlet to a future closer if he holds up in the New York spotlight and follows up with the great year he had last season. But other than Soriano, and other than having to retain their own (Jeter, Rivera), the Yankees’ only big move was the signing of catcher Russell Martin to a one-year contract, and bringing in Pedro Feliciano on a two-year deal to be their lefty specialist.

Their rivals, on the other hand, have taken a more aggressive approach and have recruited a couple of superstars. The Boston Red Sox traded a few prospects for first baseman Adrian Gonzalez, a lefty that’s bound to take advantage of Fenway Park. Boston also signed Carl Crawford, the most coveted position player in the free-agent market with a tremendous amount of speed, agility, and power. Boston was also more conventional than the Yankees with their signing of ex-White Sox closer, Bobby Jenks, to a $12 million contract over two years – half the price, per-season, than Rafael Soriano.

So did the Boston Red Sox surpass the Yankees and Tampa Bay this season as the top team in the American League East?

Games aren’t decided on paper, but if they were, the Red Sox would have the early edge. Sure, they lost stars Adrian Beltre and Victor Martinez, but Beltre only produced during his contract year (again) and is invisible every other season, and Martinez’s future is either as a first baseman or a designated hitter, something Boston has covered.

The Yankees’ only significant loss was the retirement of Andy Pettitte, but with that came the revelation that the Yankees’ starting rotation is only a notch above the New York Mets and probably of equal caliber if Johan Santana was healthy – not a good thing for Yankee fans.

C.C. Sabathia, Phil Hughes, AJ Burnett and two unidentified yet unnerving back-end rotation pitchers is being compared to Boston’s rotation that consists of Josh Beckett, Clay Buchholz, John Lackey, Daisuke Matsuzaka and Jon Lester, a rotation that has a few aces and number two-caliber pitchers. Sabathia can only pitch so much, and the Yankees are hoping recently-acquired Bartolo Calon and Freddy Garcia can pitch like it was 2005.

Boston’s first six lineup spots tops the Yankees’ lineup through the same order, but tails off with the bottom three projected lineup spots, which is where the Yankees’ lineup remains solid and reliable. But which heart of the order would you rather face?

Boston is projected to have Carl Crawford, Adrian Gonzalez and Kevin Youkilis batting 3-4-5 while the Yankees are projected to have Mark Teixeira, Alex Rodriguez and Robinson Cano as their 3-4-5 hitters. I’d give it a push, at this point, before the season begins; either lineup could produce just as well as the other, though Teixeira is known to not show up until one month of the baseball season has passed.

The first two projected lineup spots are what give Boston the lead. The Yankees have Derek Jeter and Nick Swisher as the 1-2 hitters while Boston has a much younger and leaner top two hitters with Jacoby Ellsbury and Dustin Pedroia. If Derek Jeter were a few years younger I would give it to the Yankees, but he isn’t as quick as Ellsbury is in center field, and loses some flare when it comes to attempting to steal a base. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Granderson batting leadoff with Jeter hitting two if Jeter doesn’t get off to a fast start; at this point in his career he‘s more of a contact hitter than a speed threat.*

When the season ends Boston may be the division champion, but there’s no disputing that the Yankees will be close behind and should definitely secure a wild card spot. From there the Evil Empire can topple Red Sox Nation in the playoffs, because regardless of the year, importance of the game or timing of the series, the Yankees and Red Sox always play each other well, and if it comes down a New York/Boston series – as it seems like it does every season – it can go either way.

*Projected lineups were referenced from rotochamp.com as of Feb. 13, 2011; lineups this early are never permanent and are based off of pure speculation.

Madoff Scandal Puts Mets in Hole

2011-03-25T11:57:00.000-04:00

(Originally published 2/9/11 in "The Montclarion")

The Wilpons (New York Mets owners Fred and Jeff) and team president Saul Katz have dug the Mets organization into a hole Met fans thought couldn’t get any deeper. The Bernie Madoff scandal is still haunting the Metropolitans to this day, more than two years after his arrest. The initial thought that the New York Mets lost money through this scandal turned 180 degrees earlier this year. A deficit that people once thought the Mets encountered (though, through other variables, is still highly probable) turned into a huge financial gain.

With the New York Mets’ finances and future in doubt, large free agent signing like Jason Bay last season could be limited for the team in the near future.

The Mets are being sued by the trustee trying to recover some of the money from Madoff’s scandal. With all the legal ramifications in place, it’s nearly impossible and quite confusing to decipher how much money is being tossed around and exactly what the Mets are being sued for, so to keep it simple: the Mets are being sued by everyone else that lost money on this scandal. Since the Mets, in essence, gained roughly $300 million (by pulling their investments out early, before the scam) the trustee wants to take that money back and distribute at least a little bit to each person who made an investment.

Representatives for the Mets and the Wilpons claimed the money is theirs and they shouldn’t have to give it up. What took place shortly after left the Mets in further disarray.

Court documents that were unsealed recently revealed that the trustee is demanding over $1 billion from the Mets and Sterling Equities (Saul Katz company). The argument now is that the Wilpons “knew” about the scandal and chose to turn “a blind eye” from the situation. Not only are the Wilpons losing a ridiculous amount of money, they’re now being investigated for being “in” on the scandal. Bring proven guilty of such an allegation would spell doom for the Mets and send them on a downward spiral much greater than the one the LA Dodgers organization went through last season following divorce proceedings from the owners Frank and Jaime McCourt.

While the Wilpons are hanging around, the Mets are left staring at an empty future. The payroll that is already over $150 million for the 2011 season could drop below $100 million in the coming years. The Mets certainly aren’t the Yankees, but for one of baseball’s biggest teams in a market as huge as New York, the Mets cannot become a “small-market” team. They already can’t win with their payroll as large as it is, how are they going to do it with less?

Twenty-five percent of the Mets is up for sale, a clear indication the Wilpons are hurting for money. At this rate they’re going to need to sell at least half the team, if not all of it. And even if they wish to maintain ownership of the team, how is the fan base going to maintain the trust that they’re acting in the team’s best interest and not that of their legal problems?

Unless Commissioner Bud Selig forces the Wilpons to sell the team (which is highly unlikely), the Mets aren’t heading anywhere anytime soon. At this point, Met fans have to hope their team can compete with other markets for high free agents. Their lackluster farm system isn’t going to support them this tough economic time. The only solution rests with the owners. The sooner they’re gone, the sooner the Mets’ fortune turns around.

Super Bowl A Grand Experience For All

2011-03-25T11:54:00.000-04:00

(Originally published 2/2/11 in "The Montclarion")

The Super Bowl is one of the craziest events in professional sports, from two-week media frenzy, to a celebrity entourage that can only make the players even more nervous than they already are. Being on that field means that you have millions of people watching every move. An embarrassing play becomes devastating for a player’s emotion, and an electrifying play can only make that player feel like a hero. The stage has been set for another spectacular game with two of the National Football League’s most historic franchises fighting to be on top once again.

A group of Green Bay Packer players hang around the field at the Super Bowl XLV Media Day at Cowboys Stadium on Tuesday afternoon.

The Pittsburgh Steelers are competing to win their seventh Super Bowl in eight appearances, while Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers look to win their first Super Bowl since the “Brett Favre” era and to solidify his spot as one of the games most elite quarterbacks. Led by legendary Defensive Coordinator Dick Lebeau, the Steelers display a vintage “Steel Curtain” defense. Offenses can barely figure their coverage schemes out, and they hide their runners so well, quarterbacks can only guess where the blitz is coming from.
Steelers safety and hair icon Troy Polamalu was voted the Defensive Player of the Year, beating out fellow hair competitor, Green Bay Packer’s linebacker, Clay Matthews by two inches (votes). The Packers have a solid defense of their own, and can easily take advantage of a Roethlisberger mistake. Their well-played defense is met by an offense of equivalent ability, similar to when the teams switch sides of the ball. The Packers offense is great, matching up against that Steeler defense. Rodgers will have to exploit any weakness he can find to help his team win. It’s a good thing Green Bay doesn’t have a running game. Teams averaged only three yards a carry against them in the regular season.

Experience is certainly going to play a huge factor as well. As all alumni of a Super Bowl game will say: ‘enjoy it while it lasts’. The Packers are surely soaking in all the glory, the positive energy, the hype, it must have been a really fun two weeks. The Steelers have been around the block a few times already, 13 of their players have been around since the team that won the Super Bowl in 2005 and 25 total with Super Bowl experience, most of these core players. Trying to scare the Steelers this week is like asking Bill Belichick to smile, it’s not going to happen. The biggest obstacle that the Green Bay Packers will have to overcome in this game are their nerves. Otherwise, these teams stack up almost perfectly.

Jerry’s World (the 1.2 billion dollar Cowboys Stadium) is going to be packed with Cheese Heads and Terrible Towels from all around. The fans are passionate about their teams, and they are passionate about claiming themselves as the best in the league. If the Packers win the Super Bowl they will be two wins away from the Steelers for most Super Bowl championships all time as well as solidifying themselves as having the third most of every team. If the Steelers win, they will have an eye dropping seven Super Bowl rings, which would put them two ahead of Jerry Jones’ Cowboys and the undefeated San Francisco 49ers (in the Super Bowl).

These players have earned the enjoyment they’re receiving this week, and the champions deserve to bask in the glory for the entire offseason. Because it’s so difficult to reach the Super Bowl, most players won’t return for another chance. The hunger and desire to claim the ring and win this game is greater than any other game they will have played before. Sixty minutes of blitzkrieg, warlike, physical game play will make the reward the victorious players a birth in history, and allow one lucky player to start their victory honeymoon in Disney World.

Drama Surrounding Carmelo Anthony Continues

2011-03-25T11:50:00.000-04:00

(Originally published 1/26/11 in "The Montclarion")

When will all this Carmelo Anthony drama (or Melo’drama for short) end? Anthony has made it more than obvious that he wishes to play in his hometown, New York City. The Knicks have made it more than obvious that they want Carmelo on their team. So why hasn’t the deal been made already?

Carmelo Anthony has been waiting for a trade to the New York Knicks or New Jersey Nets, but high trade demands from the Nuggets have delayed the process.

The only thing preventing this trade from being accomplished is the Denver Nuggets’ asking price. They’re looking to take the entire Knicks roster, other than Amare Stoudemire and possibly even a draft pick, a pick that the Knicks don’t have. The Knicks are doing the smart thing for themselves by waiting it out. Anthony is going to be a free agent at the end of the season and can sign wherever he chooses. New York would be offering him the money anyway, but by waiting they’re saving all the players they would be giving up in the trade.

Understandably, they’re taking the more reasonable, approach and waiting for the Nuggets’ asking price to go down, or until the end of the season. But sometimes waiting doesn’t always pay off. There have been a few times this year in which Anthony was “almost” sent to the Knicks, then “almost” went to the Nets, resulting in chaos and confusion surrounding the entire situation.

The New York Knicks, with the team they currently have, aren’t going to be near an NBA Championship. Stoudemire is a huge plus, and Raymond Felton has been a nice surprise, but they’re still one large chip away from being able to overtake the Miami Heat, Orlando Magic, and/or the Boston Celtics. Sure the Knicks may have a few lucky bounces and reach the finals, but the odds are against them.

If they don’t want to make 2010-2011 a lost season they need to add a star-caliber player, similar to the Stoudemire signing this past offseason. They’re almost laying down this year, anticipating Carmelo will end up with them, but once he becomes a free agent any team can sway him to go their way. He might go to the Chicago Bulls and instantly make them a top team alongside Derrick Rose, or even worse for the Knicks, he may end up in New Jersey.

Anthony wants the spotlight, and his hometown, but he knows the New Jersey Nets share the same media as the Knicks and they’re moving their home stadium into the city shortly. They may not have the world famous “Madison Square Garden,” but they do have Jay-Z; then again Jay-Z couldn’t lure Lebron to the financial capital of the world. The only thing helping the Knicks keep Anthony away from the Nets is the chance to compete for a title. Even with Carmelo, the Nets wouldn’t be too much of a playoff threat and are still a few pieces away from getting there. The Knicks, on the other hand, are there already, and if they can add a solid supporting player (remember the Chris Paul rumors) they can be as dangerous as the upper tier teams.

If the Knicks want to lay down and wait until next season they may come to the unfortunate realization that Carmelo has decided to go elsewhere. And if he decides to do just that, Knick fans may want to point the finger at the Denver Nuggets. Reasonably they want something in return for a player who doesn’t want to be there anymore, nor do they care where Anthony goes. The only way to confidently obtain him is to be aggressive and trade for him, and if the Knicks were really serious this season about making a push, they would leave all but Stoudemire expendable. This may only be a one-year mirage we’re seeing from Felton, and Danilo Gallinari hasn’t blossomed into the player the Knicks thought he could be. Besides, would you rather have Carmelo Anthony or Eddy Curry and Wilson Chandler?

Ryan Leads Jets into AFC Title Game

2011-03-25T11:46:00.000-04:00

(Originally published 1/19/2011 in "The Montclarion")

New York Jets Head Coach Rex Ryan has been the catalyst for the franchise’s newfound confidence and winning attitude.

The New York Jets are talking themselves up to be huge, and have proved it against two of the league’s best quarterbacks. The Jets took back-to-back wins on the road in the playoffs to advance to the AFC championship game for the second straight season, but the first ended in a loss to the Indianapolis Colts. Rex Ryan and the Jets thought they were the better of the two teams and should have gone to the Super Bowl, and maybe he was right. The Colts lost to the Saints in an embarrassing move to lose the Super Bowl. He took a personal vendetta to the AFC wild card playoff game against Manning and the Colts this season and shut down the hall-of-fame quarterback for a decisive win.

This only led to an even better AFC Division playoff game — round three of what was thought to be a brawl. A few weeks earlier the New England Patriots embarrassed the New York Jets 45-3, making the gap between the two seem wider than it really was. Rex Ryan took another personal vendetta to this game with Tom Brady and the Patriots team as a whole. His players latched on and unleashed a whirlwind of trash talk towards New England. Everyone thought this swagger would only fuel Bill Belichick and Tom Brady’s animosity towards the Jets and have them scheme up another precise game plan that would lead to another humiliating defeat for the Jets. Everyone couldn’t have been more wrong.

Rex Ryan gives the Jets such bravado that they feel they can beat any team they face. Some see this as arrogant and brash, but it’s really turning out to be superb. Ryan lets his team boast, taunt, brag, celebrate and do almost anything they please because he has a team of players that shine under the New York spotlight. And when the Jets win like they have been, against who they have been beating, it makes them that much harder to beat, because their “we’re better than you and we know it” attitude is that much harder to break.

Ryan has brought a wide range of attention that was never on the Jets before. This attention has the Jets stealing the city away from the New York Giants, and has Empire State Building shining green in support of the Jets rather than the blue that looked to be there earlier in the season. Confidence beat discipline. The Jets topped uptight Giants’ Head Coach Tom Coughlin for the city, and beat apathetic New England’s Head Coach Bill Belichick to reiterate it.

But what goes up must come down. The Jets need to ride the wave Ryan has them on for as long as they can. Reaching the AFC Championship Game — on the road — with a rookie head coach and a rookie quarterback is amazing, but if the Jets catch an unlucky break and miss the playoffs a few times, there is going to be heavy scrutiny. If the swagger breaks, so does the team. And with the string of negative media attention Ryan has been getting over the course of his two years, he needs to win. Another big slip and a coach with a losing record would have been gone if they supplied the same amount of negative attention that Ryan has brought towards team owner Woody Johnson and the New York Jets.

The Jets are one win away from the Super Bowl and could have the city in an uproar if they were to win. Rex Ryan plays his game and he plays it well; many might not like it, but he accomplishes what he says he’s going to do, no matter how rough it may be

Big Names in Sports Make Big News in 2010

2011-03-25T11:42:00.000-04:00

(Originally published 12/8/10 in "The Montclarion")

2010 has brought us another exciting, drama-filled year in sports. Locally, the Jets are running their mouths as the best team in sports and hold a 9-3 record, yet they have only beaten one team with a record above .500.

The Giants were outmatched by a quarterback who hasn’t started since 2006 and has served jail time in between.

Oakland pitcher Dallas Braden and his catcher, Landon Powell, share a hug after Braden’s perfect game in April. It was the first of two perfect games during the 2010 baseball season.

The Yankees just ended the circus free agency signing with Derek Jeter that was about as exciting as Ben Stein’s voice.

The Mets have added a Terry and a Sandy to their front office; and I don’t mean the ladies that appeared in Grease.

The Islanders and the Nets seem a little lost, which isn’t a surprise.

The Devils sit just above the Islanders, which is a surprise.

The only team that hasn’t given us anything to talk about are the New York Rangers … and that’s probably a good thing.

This year brought us a lot of positive things as well. The New Orleans ‘Aints helped a city stand on its feet with an unlikely victory over the Indianapolis Colts in the Super Bowl. The San Francisco Giants won their first World Series since they departed New York. The LA Lakers defeated the Boston Celtics in a rematch similar to the days of Larry Bird and Magic Johnson. The Red Bulls came close to winning the MLS championship, but fell in the semi-finals to the San Jose Earthquakes. In an attempt to bring some excitement to the MLS the Red Bulls signed international French star Thierry Henry, a contract that cost less and provided a better turnout than the David Beckham signing that happened a few years back. Beckham’s career to Americans can be compared to Carmen San Diego or Waldo; where has it gone?

Baseball saw three perfect games in a season. Well, technically, there were only two: Dallas Braden of the Oakland Athletics and Roy Halladay of the Philadelphia Phillies. Armando Galarraga came close to being the third, but was denied a chance at history by umpire Jim Joyce. It was a game that’s sure to live in infamy with not only the players involved, but fans of the sport as well. It was a game that’s sure to lead to further use of instant replay in baseball, another thing that will be remembered by sports fans for years to come.

USC seemed on top of the college football world, but their coach bolted to the NFL and joined the Seattle Seahawks, and their starting player during that era was revoked of his Heisman Trophy. This led to the likes of Auburn, Oregon and TCU rounding out the top three teams respectively. The only classic powerhouse college team in the top ten is Ohio State.

What we didn’t see this year was the implementation of a playoff system for college football. But when every college football team plays in a bowl game there probably isn’t a need for a playoff system.

2010 also saw the rise of MMA, a fiercer form of boxing that lets fighters use every part of their body that isn’t just below the belt. Boxing’s biggest headline is their loss of fans and funds — the people that decided MMA was more exciting to watch. Maybe it’s because the most exciting thing to happen in boxing this year was the Manny Pacquiao/Floyd Mayweather fight that never happened.

2011 is sure to be as exciting as 2010 and the drama that will ensue will surpass that of all the MTV “reality” shows. Maybe Jimmie Johnson will win his sixth straight NASCAR title, or Tiger Woods will regain his number one ranking. Maybe Roger Federer will retake the number one tennis ranking from Rafael Nadal. At this point, everything is just speculation. There is always uncertainty heading into a new year. Something new and exciting is bound to happen soon after the ball drops. Until then, we still have the rest of 2010.

Spoelstra Under Fire In Miami

2011-02-23T12:43:00.000-05:00

(Originally published 12/1/10 in "The Montclarion")

The Miami Heat are showing everyone the perfect way to reflect negative attention; just blame your coach. A grand entrance, fireworks show, an hour-long primetime free agency signing and millions of dollars result in a pathetic record and an angry city.

Lebron James (left), Dwayne Wade (middle), and Chris Bosh (right) are finding that things aren’t so sunny in Miami with the Heat off to a 10-8 start under head coach Erik Spoelstra.

Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra is facing heavy scrutiny from the players within the organization and is about to experience a mutiny if things don’t improve rapidly. Oh, how quickly things can change from an offseason fiesta to an opening season riot.

Certainly injuries have played a factor, and “the big three” are being hurt by the lack of production from the center and point guard positions, but these are just excuses. 328 million dollars should not result in a near-even record, and especially when that money belongs to the kind of talent that Miami has. How quickly the king has become the court jester.

A dynasty was already in place before anything meaningful occurred. The team came together from their 2008 gold medal Olympic squad and promised to show the prominence everyone thought they had. It wasn’t a question if the Heat would win a championship with this team, but how many championships this team would win.

Before they can come close to matching the Boston Celtic’s eight straight championships, or make a run similar to Jimmie Johnson’s current streak of five straight NASCAR championships, they’re going to need to win one. And before they can win a championship they’re going to need to improve right now.

It wouldn’t be surprising to see Spoelstra out as the head coach by the time you’re reading this. LeBron James can get coaches kicked off the team, but he can’t win championships, something he gets paid to do. Spoelstra has unfortunately become the scapegoat in this situation. Because his players don’t know how to execute, he has to face the penalty. On any other team that would be the case, but James, Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh don’t need a lesson in execution, they’re beyond being coached. So how could this be the coaches fault?

Removing the head coach will only turn the attention away for a short amount of time. If their record doesn’t improve fans are going to start blaming the real culprits. Everyone expected greatness, even perfection. The Heat were supposed to make a run at the most wins in the regular season, now they’re just trying to maintain a decent playoff spot. It’s still early in the season, and letting the coach go could ignite the Heat and their stars to play better, but that shouldn’t be the case. After Spoelstra and James’ chest bump and “good talk,” everything from a public relations standpoint appears fine, but the truth is far from that.

The Boston Celtics and the Orlando Magic still sit atop the Eastern Conference, something that neither team was worried about losing when they learned Bosh and James signed with the Heat. Boston defeated them opening night to spoil their opening act, then traveled to Miami and beat them again. The Heat are 1-6 against teams with better records than them at the moment, their lone win against the Orlando Magic.

The Heat need a spark to light their fire and letting Spoelstra go may be it. They can’t continue at this rate for much longer before the better teams start pulling away, but a mediocre record isn’t his fault. Let’s see some of these star athletes step up for their lackluster performance; isn’t a king supposed to be noble?

It's Time for Jeter and Rivera to Get Their Money

2011-02-23T12:41:00.000-05:00

(Originally published 11/17/10 in "The Montclarion")

Just how much are the Yankees willing to give away to keep notorious icons Derek Jeter and Mariano Rivera on their team, and to make these life-long legends a staple in the Yankee pinstripes for their entire careers?

Even at the age of 41, the Yankees owe it to Mariano Rivera to pay him the money that he wants.

Since mid-1995, when both players climbed up from the minor league and joined the major leagues roster, they’ve won five World Series titles and seven American Leagues Pennants. They’ve grown up and adopted the demeanor Joe Torre presented them: calm, collect, professional and gracious. When was the last time you heard either of these players in the middle of a controversy?

Jeter and Rivera have reached the end of their contracts and face free agency. Not the first time for either of them, but this time it’s different. The conscious choice around the Yankee organization, its players and its fans is to keep the future hall-of-famers on for another go-around with the team. Opposing teams understand they aren’t going to land either of them and probably aren’t even trying to. Their baseball stories will stay here in New York City. People assumed the same last time their contracts ran out, but they were younger then and in the prime of their careers and their championship runs. Now, each is creeping a little bit closer towards retirement, and in terms of baseball years, they’re eligible to collect social security in the next year or two.

Jeter is coming off a below-average year (according to his standards) and Rivera is no longer automatic. Reasonably, they should be getting contracts that range from seven to 10 million dollars a year, at most. But they know their value to this organization as well as everyone else. It would be a perfect end and a great feel-good story to have the two most influential players of this Yankee era arise from their farm system and end their tenure as a Yankee. The Yankee organization recognizes the importance of retaining these players and has publicly announced that they are willing to give a little extra to make sure they’re happy.

But do they deserve it?

Their skills show otherwise, and even the great Babe Ruth was left off the Yankees during his final years as a player, and no one is more influential to the game than the Great Bambino. Jeter is a model most shortstops wish to be like, and most closers wish they could be as lights-out as Rivera. It would be stupid not to pay up for their talents. Paying them the extra money is like giving them a tip thanking them for the dynasty they helped build from the mid-1990’s, a dynasty that hasn’t fallen.

If the Yankees didn’t have so many numbers retired already, they might have added number two to the list. They still might, and probably should. And if Jackie Robinson hadn’t worn number 42, Rivera would have been following in Jeter’s footsteps. They both deserve a monument in Yankee stadium, monuments bigger than George Steinbrener’s when all is said and done. Their names will remain in infamy when spoken in New York City. Pay them their dues. They might not match the money they’ll earn for the future, but for all the money they helped bring to the Yankee organization, I’m sure they deserve a little reward.

No Lebron, No Problem for Knicks and Nets

2011-02-23T12:38:00.000-05:00

(Originally published 11/10/10 in "The Montclarion")

Amare Stoudemire may not be LeBron James, but his addition to the New York Knicks has certainly boosted the team to playoff contender status.

As Spring began, many New Jersey Nets and New York Knick fans were hopeful their team could lure LeBron James into the New York area and usher in a new era of basketball for either team. The hope turned to anger and disappointment when James choose Miami over the metropolitan area. The Knicks made the only big splash, landing Amare Stoudemire, soon after they learned that “The King” wasn’t heading to their court. The Nets’ most exciting move was the first round pick of power-forward Derrick Favors. An embarrassing season last year couldn’t land them either of the first two picks, forcing them to miss out on big-time players John Wall and Evan Turner.

The season started off well for both teams; the Nets beat the Pistons to start the year, and the Knicks won up in Toronto with the help of a Stoudemire double-double. Though neither team will catch up to the Boston Celtics in the Atlantic Division, positive strides have been made. The Knicks have a legitimate shot at making the playoffs as the seventh or eighth seed. The Eastern Conference is dominated by Boston, Orlando, Atlanta and the ruckus that is Miami, but the bottom half of the playoff spots are open to anyone, the Knicks can pull off an even .500 record or maybe a little less and still make the playoffs.

It took 18 less games than last season for the Nets to win their first game, so there is definitely immediate improvement. They even stood atop the Eastern Conference with 2-0 mark before slipping and falling below the Knicks to (currently) third, though third shouldn’t get fans thinking playoffs just yet. They have twice as many losses as wins and can fall into fourth at any point. If they want any shot at making the playoffs the Nets are going to need a lot of stellar performances and better luck than they had in the draft lottery.
Stoudemire automatically makes the Knicks better. Not only with his own athleticism, but by taking the concentration off his teammates. He allows them more space and draws more defenders than David Lee did before he was traded, then overpaid, by the Golden State Warriors.

Though the Knicks and Nets couldn’t land James, there was plenty of talk and rumors that Carmelo Anthony would land on either of the teams. The chances of this happening were similar to the chances the teams had to sign James; that may be why neither team got him. The reason the trade wasn’t made was because, allegedly, the Denver Nuggets were asking too much in return for Anthony. Frankly, both these teams need a makeover, and if that meant dumping the entire team and their contracts then it should have been done in the blink of an eye.

The Knicks could have had Stoudemire and Anthony on the court at the same time, assuming both stay healthy or aren’t suspended. Instantly that makes them a playoff lock. The Nets would probably have had to give up Favors, but if I were given the third pick in the draft to select either Carmelo Anthony in his prime or an unproven Derrick Favors, I would have made the most financially, commercially and overall best choice in Anthony.

If the Nets owner, trillionaire Mikhail Prokhorov, continues to provide the endless cash flow he’s willing to give up for free agents, and if the Knicks don’t bring back Isiah Thomas, these teams should be close to being strong contenders, the Knicks closer than the Nets by a year. With only a few pieces missing from the Knicks puzzle, in another year they could pose as a threat, the Nets may need more time to develop and will most likely take an extra year to do so, but at least there’s a sense that things are going in the right direction.

Woods' Career Entering Final Chapter

2011-02-23T12:35:00.000-05:00

(Originally published 11/3/10 in "The Montclarion")

November brings an end to all of the candy and the annoying political campaigns, an extra hour of sleep, and the never-ending Christmas songs we’ll hear until our New Year’s parties begin. November also brought the end of Tiger Woods’ reign as the number one ranked golfer in the world, a rank he held for 281 straight weeks and for 623 weeks cumulatively throughout his career.

Since his car accident in November 2009, Tiger Woods has lost his number one spot in the World Golf Rankings and has yet to win a tournament.

It took a little less than a year, but the climax to Tiger Woods’ career has been reached. He’s descending back down to Earth. The immortal being is showing his flaws. While we were sleeping from all the turkey last year, Tiger Woods was running — well, driving really — away from a golf club aimed for his head. He’s gone downhill ever since. He has the money to allow him to live comfortably for the rest of his life, but he’s no longer living cloud nine.

Mike Tyson was always a vibrant character who ruined his stardom and run at overtaking Muhammad Ali as the greatest boxer of all time when he was charged with raping then 18 year-old Desiree Washington. Biting Evander Holyfield’s ear put him back in the spotlight, but his desire to be as high as his voice ruined his professional career and forced him to declare bankruptcy in 2003. Millions of dollars and boxing fame have been lost for an icon once on top of the world.

Steroids have shrunk Barry Bonds, Sammy Sosa, Shawn Merriman, Marion Jones and many others’ professional integrity. No one believes a word Roger Clemens says anymore, and Jose Canseco looks like a hero. Homeruns in baseball have declined; done are the years in which multiple players hit 50 home runs. Lance Armstrong did the smart thing and quit cycling early. His teammate, Floyd Landis, wasn’t as smart and had his Tour De France title stripped away from him testing positive for a drug that produces an excess amount of testosterone. Each player listed above was a top-notch athlete in their respective sport. Since problems with steroids have risen, they’ve fallen from grace. Jones lost her Olympic medals. Merriman is now a joke rather than a threat and Bonds is self-explanatory.

Other illegal drugs have caused the downfall of some of our best athletes. Dwight Gooden was bound to be one of the greatest pitchers of his era. In just his second year in the major leagues he posted a 24-4 record with a 1.53 earned-run-average. Numbers like that are unheard of nowadays. Ricky Williams went from being a Heisman Trophy winner in 1998 to a drug bust in 2004 and again in 2006; now he’s the second running back for the Miami Dolphins and making nowhere near as much money as he would have originally made. Let’s see if Michael Phelps has a drop off after his 2009 marijuana run-in; since then he has lost his endorsement deal with Kellogg’s, but won five gold medals at the 2010 Pan Pacific Championships.

There are countless fall-from-grace stories in each sport from countless different athletes. We never hear about the guy who invested his money into the stock market, or a woman who donated her winnings to breast cancer research. Instead they decide to blow it on steroids, drugs and underage prostitutes. So far it doesn’t seem to be working for any of them. Just ask Tiger Woods, he thought he could get away with having a woman in each state, now he has no one.

An Inside Look at the MLB Postseason

2011-02-23T12:32:00.000-05:00

(Originally published 10/6/10 in "The Montclarion"; this isn't a column but a special for that week's specific issue on the MLB postseason)

The 2010 MLB season is over and the playoffs are about to begin. The Pittsburgh Pirates sit at their rightful place at the bottom of the league, next to the Washington Nationals and Seattle Mariners. But at the other end of the spectrum we have the Philadelphia Phillies posting the best record in the major leagues, the New York Yankees returning (yet again) to the playoffs and the 20-year-old Bobby Cox bringing his Atlanta Braves to a familiar place, squeezing in with a Wild Card birth on the last day of the season.

: Yankee’s third baseman Alex Rodriguez hopes to lead his team back to the World Series in the 2010 playoffs.

Since removing the ‘devil’ from their name, the Tampa Bay Rays have been impressing everyone. They’ve been a team for only a dozen years, but find themselves atop the monstrous AL East with the best record in the American League.

They’re hosting the Texas Rangers in the American League Division Series, opening with Cliff Lee for the Rangers and David Price for the Rays. Lee is a more established pitcher and will demand millions this off season for his services, but he’s been struggling mightily since joining the Rangers, while David Price has been stellar for the Rays.

The jovial Rays have been limping recently, but should pose a huge threat for the Rangers. The Rays pitching outmatches the Rangers, and although Texas has Josh Hamilton and Nelson Cruz in their lineup, the Rays have Carl Crawford, BJ Upton and Evan Longoria to name a few. The edge in every aspect points towards the Rays. If the series reaches four games, it’s a disappointment for them. They should take this series easily.

The Minnesota Twins are back in the postseason, and they find themselves in an unfortunate yet familiar situation as well, playing the Yankees. They haven’t fared well in the past, and that trend doesn’t seem to be changing anytime soon.

Yankee castoff Carl Pavano will be pitching the first game of the series; that alone should highlight the way this series will go, but Pavano hasn’t been having too bad of a year. That being said, the Yankees have CC Sabathia, Alex Rodriguez, Mark Teixeira and many more. The Twins have Joe Mauer but are playing without Justin Morneau who’s out of the series recovering from a concussion. The Yankees are most likely going to be meeting the Rays in the American League Championship Series, winning this series against the Twins as easily as the Rays are going to beat the Rangers.

From there it becomes a dog fight. If the Championship series does end up being the Rays versus the Yankees, it’ll be a showdown to the final game. The Rays outdid the Yankees in the regular season, winning 10 out of 18 games, but the Yankees are a more established team. When it comes down to the wire there is a much greater chance for the Yankees to be clutch than the Rays, but anything is possible. Neither the Twins nor the Braves will be able to beat both powerhouses in the American League. Getting to the World Series for them is going to be a huge uphill climb.

The Braves reach the playoffs for Bobby Cox’s last year before retiring as manager. They face a tough task against the San Francisco Giants, and sit as a weak team coming into the playoffs. Their lineup is average and their pitching is good, but the Giants are throwing Tim Lincicum and Matt Cain on the hill for the first two games. Derick Lowe and Tim Hudson have to be just as good as the Giants rotation to keep the Braves in the series. Splitting one of the first two games would be an advantage to the Braves, who would then bring it back to Atlanta to possibly close out. But being as the Divisional Series is a best-of-five format, they don’t have much breathing room if they can’t win one against the Giants pitching staff. This series will feature a lot of low scoring games. If it does go to five games, expect one of the premiere pitchers for both clubs to return, possibly for game four as well.

The feel-good story of this season belongs to the Cinncinatti Reds. Led by Joey Votto, the Reds surprised almost everyone by taking the National League Central Division that most figured would easily belong to the St. Louis Cardinals. But they open on the road against the powerhouse Phillies. This series is going to run pretty similar to the Rays/Rangers series. The Phillies have Ryan Howard, Chase Utley and a rotation that can feature three aces. Regardless of which game it is, the Phillies are going to have either Roy Halladay, Roy Oswalt or Cole Hamels on the mound. It may not be luck that got the Reds to the playoffs, but they’ll need some to get past Philadelphia.

The winner of the Braves/Giants series will most likely go against the Phillies, which is a scary thought. The Phillies shouldn’t waste much energy and should be more refreshed than either of the other teams. Though the National League Championship series will be more competitive, they will still be the overwhelming favorite to reach the World Series for the third straight year. If the Reds manage to win against the Phillies, the Championship Series will be an even match. The Giants or Braves will be favored over the Reds, and will probably beat them if they get through, but any of those three teams will be less than likely to take down the team representing the American League in the World Series. The National League may have home field advantage (courtesy of winning the All-Star Game for the first time in 13 years) but the National League’s best shot at winning lies with the Phillies, and even they will have a close match with what will be the Yankees or the Rays.

The playoffs bring high adrenaline and a nostalgia for teams that’s unlike anything during the regular season. Though certain teams should win easily, it’s anybody’s game.

Punish Bush, Don't Punish His Teammates

2011-02-23T12:28:00.000-05:00

(Originally published 9/22/10 in "The Montclarion")

College football great, Reggie Bush, graciously, civilly and voluntarily gave up his 2005 Heisman Trophy Tuesday, Sept. 14 after years of heavy scrutiny for receiving benefits to aid him through college. The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) forbids athletes to receive help outside the immediate family, arguing that it gives an unfair advantage to the player. And while that may be true, it doesn’t mean that Reggie Bush had to give up his Heisman Trophy, does it?

: Former USC running back Reggie Bush returned his Heismann Trophy last week for NCAA violations that accured during his career at the school.

Reggie Bush was receiving money to stay in hotel rooms, dine out, purchase new clothes and other items. By law, in this case the NCAA rules, he indeed has to relinquish the title. He broke a rule known by the athletes and tried to cheat the system. Bush had to give up his title one way or another. The Heisman Trust (the “board” of the Heisman Trophy) and Reggie Bush were both being badgered to reach a decision on what to do with the trophy. He faced a one way road; he was likely going to lose the trophy, so to take the pressure off of himself he made a solid public relations move and voluntarily gave the prestigious trophy back to the Heisman Trust.

But underneath all of the legal documentation we see teams proudly playing a sport they enjoy. The Heisman Trophy is awarded for the most outstanding player in the sport that year, an honor judged by how well they played on the football field, not how they got there.

The sports world witnessed a player like we’ve never seen before. Bush was earning money from the time he was in high school. Some people work retail, Reggie Bush was preparing to make millions in the NFL. Any business, franchise, enterprise or career needs some kind of financial assistance along the way, Bush was taking out his loans early and is cashing them in now. That should not affect what happens on the field.

It’s not his fault his talent is so great,.LeBron James did pretty well for his high school basketball team and he was able to sign with a professional sports team after he graduated. Let’s just say all his benefits were early birthday gifts and call it a day. His rewards were for a successful early football career, he should reap the benefits rather than deny himself the luxury he earned himself.

By getting into the University of Southern California he propelled himself to a million dollar professional career, a Super Bowl title, commercial success and a little time with celebrity Kim Kardashian. He’s somewhat of a celebrity himself. He and his fellow Trojans earned a national championship in 2005, but they are now forced to relinquish that title, some wins, scholarships and more because of an ineligible player they had on the team. Every other player on the team during that time has to give up the thrill of winning the title, some “officially” lost their entire college career because of this rule. Not only is Reggie Bush losing something he earned, his football program is in a monstrous hole that may take years to get out of. Even the players on the teams have lost something to gloat about to their kids or to the girl at the bar.

In all technicality, yes, Reggie Bush did have to give up the trophy. Rules are rules, and no one can get around them. Bush is the perfect example to stop future violators, and if the NCAA didn’t do anything they would have been not only scrutinized, but every athlete and agent would use this scenario as an excuse to get around it. But somewhere within the legal ramifications, it must be alright to punish at least the player and not the entire team. Fining the school would have been a much more reasonable idea too. I’m sure there are some extra pennies from tuitions lying around.

Giants and Jets Battle for Stadium Supremacy

2011-02-23T12:25:00.000-05:00

(Originally published 9/5/210 in "The Montclarion")

The unveiling of the 2010 season for the New York Giants and New York Jets caused noticeable electricity amongst all the fans. The wait that seems eternal from every year’s Super Bowl to opening kickoff is finally over.

The New York Giants and New York Jets are in a race to make their mark on New Meadowlands Stadium first in its inaugural 2010 season.

With aspirations of reaching the Super Bowl, each team took the field for their home opener in a new, state-of-the-art, 1.6 billion dollar stadium. The New Meadowlands opens its doors to both the Jets and the Giants, but just whose house will this be?

First and foremost, the Giants have a richer and longer history than the Jets do. The Giants have three Super Bowl titles, the Jets have one. The Giants have 20 Hall of Fame members, while the Jets only have three. The Giants have 11 retired jersey numbers, the Jets have four. It’s impossible to argue which team has a bigger influence on the history of the city of New York, but the stadium is a sign of new life, change and outlook towards the future, not a place to dwell in the past.

Talk may be cheap, but the Jets are backing up each and every word so far. As far as the free agent market, they’ve brought in future hall-of-famers with Jason Taylor and Ladainian Tomlinson, household names in Antonio Cromartie and Santonio Holmes and return with all the swagger they left-off with last season. Their coach has everyone believing they’re a Super Bowl contending team, and with good reason.

They were 30 minutes away from a Super Bowl berth last season, while the Giants lost by 32 points to close out an embarrassing 2009 season and final game at Giants Stadium. They did atone, however, winning the first official game of the new stadium against the Carolina Panthers. The Jets, on the other hand, lost their first official game at the new stadium 10-9, committing almost twice as many penalties as points scored.
The face of the Jets franchise, Rex Ryan, can barely be squeezed into a driver’s license photo, yet is still known throughout all of football with help from his mouth and ego. The face of the Giants franchise is a shy quarterback in Eli Manning who was a few bad games away from being exiled from New York. At least the Giants have a player representing them.

Then again you could pick Mark Sanchez as the Jets representative; a quarterback that barely completed over 50 percent of his passes and had a horrific touchdown-to-interception ratio in his rookie campaign, nearly matching Joe Namath’s career numbers. Maybe that’s why Jet fans love him so much.

Neither team sold out their first game of the season. The Giants had a waiting list to purchase season tickets up until last year and the Jets, along with a lot of “experts” and all their fans, believe they’re going to the Super Bowl this year. Yet neither of them were able to sell the extra 2,000 seat difference from Giants stadium to the new stadium. The Jets did, however, sell more seats than the Giants, even with the memory of the Giants remarkable upset in Super Bowl XLII against the New England Patriots only three years removed. The Patriots were heavily favored to win that game, but it just proves that nothing is as sure-fire as a “Broadway Joe” prediction.

No longer can the Giants use the excuse that they came around first. The cost of this stadium was split evenly between the Giants and the Jets, so neither team gains the upper hand financially over the stadium. The New Meadowlands Stadium won’t stick for long, and to avoid controversy they won’t call it Giants Stadium or Jets Stadium.

Which team will rise and take the stadium for their own? One of these teams will have bragging rights to call this stadium their home, but with that victory comes the cost of claiming that ugly Xanadu thing next door as a neighbor.

MLB Awards Should Be About Individuals, Not Teams

2011-02-23T12:19:00.000-05:00

(Originally published 9/29/2010 in "The Montclarion")

The two most desired awards in Major League Baseball, the Cy Young and Most Valuable Player, are going to be announced at the end of the regular season. Baseball players compete and play to receive the honor. It’s an individual award meant to be given to the most valuable ‘‘player’’ for that season, not for the most valuable ‘‘team’’ player. That part is left out. The Cy Young award is no different, it’s given to the most dominant pitcher for the season, not the ace that gets his team to the playoffs.

: Tigers’ first baseman Miguel Cabrera put up MVP-type numbers in 2010, but may miss on an MVP award by playing on a non-playoff team.

In fact, the worse the team does, the more that individual player has to do. It’s easier to pitch around one good player than to deal with a line-up full of good athletes. And if the player’s team can’t hit, the pitcher is going to have to step up his game to another level just to give their team a chance to win.

I give the media credit. They do take votes away from players that are on good teams or have a good cast of players around them in the batting order, but essentially those players are taking votes away from their fellow teammates if they are that good.

This year, Miguel Cabrera, aside from Jose Bautista’s home run count, which I’ll mention later, is putting up nearly triple-crown numbers (to win the triple-crown a player has to lead the league in batting average, homeruns and runs-batted-in), but is stumbling, in expert’s opinions, out of first place to win the MVP because his team is in third place and eliminated from playoff contention. Jose Bautista, however, is regrettably stuck on the Toronto Blue Jays, they’re in fourth place in their division and have no chance of making the playoffs, but he still hit 52 home runs this season. The next closest player, in either league, has 42 home runs; yet Bautista isn’t even being considered for the Most Valuable Player award. Felix Hernandez has as many wins as loses (12) but is first in the American League in earned-run-average and second in strikeouts, but his team, the Seattle Mariners, has the second worse record in all of baseball. These players have been more than dominant, but will most likely lose out because of their teams.

The MVP and CY Young are about dominance, about being feared, about solidifying yourself as a force for an entire year and proving that you are the best player in your league. A person’s team doesn’t directly affect how good or bad a player is. It’s not their fault their team is bad, and to restrict them from an award is absurd.

The teams that make the post season, or at least show a valiant run towards the post season, get the benefit of the doubt. They’ve taken their team somewhere and show that their worth is not only on the field from a personal standpoint but with their entire team as well. But, again, this award isn’t handed out for having the best teamwork, it’s to admire and reward an individual’s accomplishments. The World Series is the reward for good teamwork and for the overall best team, keep these rewards and arguments separate.