Saturday, April 18, 2015

Q: Homework or Playoff Hockey? A: Playoff Hockey.

I have to write a final paper for my Capstone class that's due on Monday, and trust me, I'm working on it... Oh yeah, and there's a movie that I need to have completed by Wednesday, but believe me, I'm thinking about it. There are even more finals to mention but right now I can hardly focus on a single thing. All of this work that must be done, and you know what, readers of Blake's Bellyaching? There's something more important than doing homework on a Saturday: playoff hockey.
 
Now I'm going to work my tail off for the next two hours so that this afternoon at 3:00 PM, I can get comfortable at the bar in Ruben James, enjoy a few cool 22 oz. Budweisers and watch some St. Louis Blues hockey on a screen wider than a city street:


Putting off the only work standing between me and a bachelor's degree: because it's the cup.


Alex Rodriguez, Alex Rodriguez, Alex Rodriguez

The man hit two home runs. That's right, count 'em, two.


Alex Rodriguez has quickly re-emerged as a fan favorite and an essential cog in the New York Yankees' lineup just two weeks into the baseball season. In last night's 5-4 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays in the first game of a three game series, Rodriguez hit two home runs and drove in four of the Yankees' five runs in the game.

The maligned slugger has been ridiculed and has had his reputation dragged through the mud over the course of 2014, but as this season begins to pick up pace, it seems that every night I'm finding it easier and easier to FORG1V3 A-Rod. After all, he's the only batter on the roster right now who can claim that he is earning his bloated salary... cough cough, Carlos Beltran...

Wednesday, April 15, 2015

The Irony of Jackie Robinson Day

Look, I love baseball, and I am a proponent of just about everything that the sport does to promote itself, but I'm going to take a soapbox here and spout off about one of baseball's silliest practices: Jackie Robinson Day.


Of course I believe that integration in baseball was a good thing, and people of every race and ethnicity should be able to play our national past time without question. I am not speaking against civil rights, but I am speaking against the primitive way that Major League Baseball chooses to honor Jackie Robinson's legacy every year. During today's games, all players across baseball will wear the #42 on their jersey, and somehow this is special because that particular uniform number has been retired from use throughout the sport.

Major League Baseball may have the best intentions, however the actual practice of everyone wearing #42 is confusing and foolish. In my opinion, Jackie Robinson Day is transparent pandering to a society fixated on race relations. I am aware that some people may interpret my sentiments as closeted racism, however I am merely stating the fact that Jackie Robinson Day is overkill. Robinson's number has already been retired across the league forever - isn't that a grand enough gesture to honor his legacy?!

If the Los Angeles Dodgers wanted to wear a patch and hold a ceremony, that would be amazing and I would hope to see them do that every year. However to have every player on every team wear identical uniforms, it kind of smacks in the face of the whole notion of integration - as a matter of fact it feels something like nouveau fascism. Woah, that's ironic.

Puck Drop at The Stanley Cup Playoffs



To follow up on a post I made just yesterday: The Stanley Cup Playoffs start tonight! There are eight games slated for today and tomorrow listed below as well as where you can look to find them on television. If you plan on watching any or all of these playoff match ups, please tell me, because otherwise I'm going to have to go watch at a bar, and I'm honestly getting very sick of that.

Wednesday April 15
Ottawa Senators at Montreal Canadiens 7:00 PM (NHL Network)
New York Islanders at Washington Capitals 7:00 PM (USA Network)
Chicago Blackhawks at Nashville Predators 8:30 PM (NBCSN)
Calgary Flames at Vancouver Canucks 10:00 PM (USA Network)

Thursday April 16
Pittsburgh Penguins at New York Rangers 7:00 PM (NBCSN)
Detroit Red Wings at Tampa Bay Lightning 7:30 PM (CNBC)
Minnesota Wild at St. Louis Blues 9:30 PM (NBCSN)
Winnepeg Jets at Anaheim Ducks 10:30 PM (CNBC)

Catch all the action this week to see who advances to the next round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs! 

Let's Go Blues!

Blake Points and Laughs at Red Sox Fans

Oh, baseball is back. The crushed red brick of the infield, the rolling green grass of the outfield, and the little white chalk line that divides the man from the little boy... or in this case, the man and some middle-aged buffoon who manages to break a cell phone and spill a beer in less than five seconds.


THE ENTIRE .GIF: 
>>> http://i.imgur.com/SZ61xzQ.webm <<<

One of the great things that baseball seems to embrace unlike any other sport is its relationship with the fans. Crowd shots are a necessary break away from the monotony of the "action" on the field at baseball games. The candid antics of the fans in the stands offer viewers a lighthearted distraction and water cooler fodder all at once. At last night's Red Sox game, some bumbling Bostonian helped create one of the most hysterical .gifs I've seen in a while.

The guy is so excited by the sensation of touching Shane Victorino that he blindly and wildly flails his arms, thereby knocking the phone out from a woman's hands. After Victorino graciously returns the cell phone to the young lady, the moron responsible for the gaffe begins flailing his arms again, only to punch the underside of a $10 beer into a different woman's face.

This goon made my morning, and while it may have been a colossal clusterfuck for those involved, it made for a great ten-second comedy short.

Tuesday, April 14, 2015

Top-Selling NBA Jerseys


The NBA announced their top-selling player jerseys from the 2014-2015 season and I was both disappointed and surprised to learn that Denver Nuggets center Jusuf Nurkić was not among the top five...

Not really though, because the Nuggets are terrible - the day that Nurkić is the person who people think of when they think #23 is the same day that the Nuggets actually win a title, and that's never gonna happen, my friends.

The actual list of top five jerseys looked like this:

5. Derrick Rose, Chicago Bulls
4. Kevin Durant, Oklahoma City Thunder
3. Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers
2. Stephanie Curry, Golden State Warriors
1. LeBron James, Cleveland Cavaliers

I suppose the story to be told here is that a lot of silly people felt the need to get new LeBron James jerseys after he left Miami. People root for that guy for no reason, and I guess it makes sense; people like watching giants who take four steps to dunk. Not me, though.

As for the other guys, Steph Curry is an exceptional shooter and I'm not surprised to see his name up there, and the same can be said about Durant for that matter. Beyond that, however, I don't know, because Kobe Bryant is about to retire and Derrick Rose is never healthy. "People spend their money on the stupidest things..." says the guy who owns an array of questionable jerseys including Blues defenceman Jay Bouwmeester to former Panthers defensive back Captain Munnerlyn.

Topps Tries To Pass Off the "First Pitch" as a Baseball Card

Times are clearly tough in the trading card industry, and Topps, one of America's most recognized baseball card producers is trying out a new gimmick to sell a few extra packs: Celebrity endorsements!


Consumers now have an added "incentive" in collecting this season's series of cards, because aside from the players on the 32 professional clubs, children and grown nerds alike will have the chance to collect a set of fifteen celebrity first pitch trading cards.

Look, while I understand that it is becoming more challenging for trading card producers Topps to come up with new and innovative concepts, I don't believe that this latest effort is worth the paper it's printed on. There is absolutely no intrinsic value to owning a Biz Markie Oakland Athletics card or a Tom Morello Chicago Cubs card, even for the sake of novelty. This idea is trash and it makes me wary of buying Topps cards because I don't want to spend my money only to find out that three of the twelve cards out of my pack are celebrities making awkward throwing motions.


My message to Topps is simple: Thanks for trying, but don't cheat your customers out of real cards.

Me, My Dad, and the St. Louis Blues

Every now and again, I like to watch hockey, and when I watch hockey, I like to watch the St. Louis Blues. I could try and talk about hockey as if I knew anything about the sport, but I don't, so I'll just say this:

When my father was a boy he lived in a suburb of St. Louis, Missouri. He's 53 now and been a fan of the Blues since their inception in 1967. He has fond memories of seeing Blues games at the St. Louis Arena when the team was first founded, and the franchise means more to him than just any other team because of the association that it has with such a formative and happy time in his life.

The St. Louis Blues are one of the most consistent NHL franchises in terms of making the playoffs, earning playoff berths for 25 consecutive years between 1980 and 2004. The Blues have made the playoffs almost every year in their existence, but despite all this regular season success, the team has never won a Stanley Cup.


People have weird reasons to root for particular teams, and for me, the reason I root for the St. Louis Blues is so that someday I can watch my Dad celebrate his favorite hockey team win their first championship. In a sense I live vicariously through him; his love for the Blues mimics mine with the Panthers, and just as much as I want to see Carolina win their first title, I want to see my Dad celebrate his St. Louis Blues winning theirs.

This week the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs begin, and the Blues will face off against the division rival Minnesota Wild in the first round. When the puck drops on Thursday night, I will be watching and rooting for Blues, and rooting for my Dad.

This Just In: "Dave Gettleman is Amazing"


This time I'm not the only one saying it. Rotoworld released an article this week ranking Panthers General Manager Dave Gettleman as the ninth-best GM in the National Football League. Gettleman jumps up from a #14 ranking last offseason after the Panthers made the playoffs for a second consecutive season in his tenure. The entire article can be seen here, but these are the top ten according to Rotoworld:

10. Mickey Loomis, New Orleans Saints
9. Dave Gettleman, Carolina Panthers
8. Jerry Reese, New Jersey Giants
7. Steve Keim, Arizona Cardinals
6. Mike Brown and Marvin Lewis, Cincinnati Bengals
5. John Elway, Denver Broncos
4. Ted Thompson, Green Bay Packers
3. John Schneider, Seattle Seahawks
2. Ozzie Newsome, Baltimore Ravens
1. Bill Belichick, New England Patriots

Six of the top ten listed have won Super Bowls as General Manager - it's just a matter of time until Dave bumps that number to seven.


"Oh, you're gonna make me blush..."

The Yankees "Forgot" About Alex Rodriguez


There's a stipulation in Alex Rodriguez's contract with the New York Yankees that the slugger is to be paid bonuses for achieving specific "milestone" statistics, namely home runs. Apparently the Yankees believe that if they make no mention of Rodriguez's chase of Willie Mays' historic 660 mark, then they can avoid paying the troubled behemoth athlete.

Rodriguez has hit 655 career home runs, however in a release that the Yankees PR office distributes to the press box before every game, the team made no mention of A-Rod nearing the historic home run tally, while citing other upcoming "milestones" like Didi Gregorius' 200th career game... Hmm...

The Yankees are not nearly as clever as they think that they are and when Rodriguez inevitably hits that 660th home run, they are going to have to own up to their contract and pay the man. As someone who was in attendance for Alex Rodriguez' 600th career home run, it would be disgraceful for the team to make no mention of an even greater milestone. For God's sake, he hit 600 in the bottom of the first and they had the T-Shirts printed before the Yankees went to play defense!
The Yankees can afford to pay Alex Rodriguez, they will pay Alex Rodriguez, and they're not going to avoid anything by not mentioning it.

The Panthers Sign Charles "Peanut" Tillman

The Carolina Panthers have signed free agent defensive back Charles "Peanut" Tillman to a one year contract. Tillman had spent the first twelve years of his career playing for the Chicago Bears where he earned two trips to the Pro Bowl and a Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award for his charitable efforts off the field.

When he is healthy, Tillman can be one of the most explosive turnover generators in the National Football League. With 42 forced fumbles and 36 interceptions to his credit in his career, Tillman also recorded over 75 tackles each season in which he played nine or more games for Chicago.

Tillman injured his right triceps in 2013 and the injury kept him sidelined for the remainder of the season. In 2014 "Peanut" re-injured his triceps, ultimately resulting in his departure from the Windy City. Tillman now comes to Charlotte hoping to revitalize his career under the guidance of head coach Ron Rivera, who served as the Bears' defensive coordinator in their appearance in Super Bowl XLI.

Credit GM Dave Gettleman with another amazing low-risk signing with potential for an outstanding return on his investment. Speaking strictly as a Carolina Panthers fan, he's going to be amazing, and I can't wait for that first chance to see "Peanut" punch the ball out while wearing black and blue.

R.I.P. March Madness

Well I clearly have no idea what I am talking about. If you wagered any money at all based upon the predictions that I gave when the NCAA March Madness tournament began a few weeks ago, well then you're an idiot, because I am not a professional sports journalist and I don't think I watched a single game of college basketball last season until the tournament began (with the exception of one or two Syracuse games).
For those who forgot or are too lazy to scroll back through the archives, here was my Final Four prediction from March 16, 2015:
 
Final Four
Midwest Champion 1 Kentucky def. West Champion 1 Wisconsin
East Champion 5 University of Northern Iowa def. South Champion 2 Gonzaga
 
National Championship Game
1 Kentucky def. 5 University of Northern Iowa
 
None of this was right. I had the correct match-up in one game, but I did not pick a single winner here. Wisconsin shocked the nation and handed Kentucky their first loss of the year, which knocked off my champion. Gonzaga was defeated by the eventual tournament winner, Duke University, who I did not predict would make it to the Final Four. University of Northern Iowa was a foolish choice, but I like their uniforms and I figured that there was going to be some strange Cinderella story, however, that team was Michigan State, and UNI was bounced from the tournament in the Round of 32, so my bracket was essentially decimated after only two days of play.

All in all, I had no idea what I was doing with my bracket, and it shows...

Planned Obsolesence is a Dirty Trick

As I write this sentence, I can hear my computer struggling to churn out the words that I prompt to it. My HP Pavilion dv6 laptop is old, and it’s very clearly on its last legs. Certain programs are now unusable for reasons that go beyond my comprehension, and streaming video causes the system to freeze, giving me no recourse other than to force shut down this beast.
Aside from the inconvenience of having my computer throw in the towel mere weeks before I am able to cross the finish line of my undergraduate collegiate career, there are other things that I miss out on, like sports, for instance. Sports are an integral component to generating content here at Blake’s Bellyaching, and now unless I go watch ESPN at a bar with the sound off, I’m out of the loop.

I don’t know quite what I’m reaching for here, but I miss being able to watch sports on my computer. These days I’m spending entirely too much money at restaurants when I could be watching baseball on my couch, and it’s all because HP designed this computer with the planned obsolescence so that an incoming college freshman would be buying a new system in three and a half years. I have a Slingbox connected at home that has gone unused for three weeks now and that is unacceptable! I WANT TO WATCH BASEBALL!


The New York Enigmas

It’s simply astonishing – the Yankees lose every time I watch them play.

For anyone who has read a few of the posts I’ve made in this blog it should have at least been hinted at by this point that I am a pretty big fan of the New York Yankees.

Last Monday, I went to ESOX, a bar in downtown Burlington, where I watched the Yankees lose on opening day to the Toronto Blue Jays by a count of 6-1. The following night, I missed my chance to see any of the action, and the Yankees notched their first win of the season in a 4-3 victory over the Jays at Yankee Stadium. When I saw the highlights, I felt elated that they had won, but also felt cheated because I had just watched the Yankees shit the bed the day before.

This past weekend when the Boston Red Sox came to New York for their first series of the season, I was able to see two of the three games played. The Red Sox first won a 19-inning marathon on Friday and then slaughtered the Yankees 8-4 on Saturday. Later that night when I was asked about the team I simply replied, “it’s okay, it’s early in the year,” behind a wry and bitter smile, but on Sunday night, when I had work to catch up on, the Yankees won 14-4!

This is the narrative that has plagued my Yankee baseball viewing for all of a week now, and it’s getting real tired real quick. Whenever I see a game, the Yankees lose, and if I forget to even check, they likely win on some freak play. I’m convinced that somewhere in the world there is a sadist with the power to manipulate baseball scores, and they clearly have beef with me. I love watching baseball again and I wouldn’t trade this game for anything, but Jesus – can I watch the Yankees win a fucking game? Please?

Monday, March 30, 2015

The Carolina Panthers Free Agency Frenzy




Earlier this offseason at the team’s season-ending press conference, Carolina Panthers General Manager Dave Gettleman boasted to reporters that the club will no longer need to shop at the “dollar store” for roster depth, making it known that the veteran competition coming to Charlotte this offseason would be a step up from acquisitions made in past offseason signing periods.

One of the greatest obstacles Dave Gettleman has had to weasel around in his tenure with the Panthers has been working with limited salary cap space – one of the holdovers from years of poorly devised contracts by former GM Marty Hurney. Now two full seasons removed from having assumed his position, the team appears to be mere steps away from financial solvency and the latest slew of signings are clearly indicative of the team’s ability to corral legitimate talent.

Entering the 2014 offseason, the team had to make decisions regarding 22 unrestricted free agents on their roster. After having applied the franchise tag to DE Greg Hardy, the team’s available budget had been sliced in half, and Carolina was forced to turn away a number of players who had out-performed the team’s price range. Financial restrictions forced the franchise to pay the veteran minimum for the following six free agents:

WR Jerricho Cotchery
WR Tiquan Underwood
WR Jason Avant
CB Antoine Cason
S Roman Harper
S Thomas DeCoud

In 2014 both Cotchery and Harper were able to find starting roles and made real contributions on what turned out to be a division-winning team. However the other players listed failed to live up to their expectations; Underwood was one of the first preseason cuts, Cason and Avant were released mid-season, and DeCoud struggled all year long.

Now in the midst of the 2015 offseason, and a full three weeks into free agency, it is clear that Dave Gettleman was not simply blowing smoke with his early offseason comments, because the Panthers have now signed the following seven free agents this offseason to address specific needs on the roster:

RB Jordan Todman
WR Jarrett Boykin
WR Ted Ginn, Jr.
OT Jonathan Martin
OT Michael Oher
CB Teddy Williams
S Kurt Coleman

Time will only tell how much better these players can be than those who were signed in 2014; for all we know, they could be terrible (I doubt that). But one thing I can say for certain is that I much prefer the team being able to spend reasonably rather than having to scrounge for aging receivers or settle on slow safeties.

Good work, Gettlemagic. I can't wait to see the latest crop of cardiac cats in action!


Sunday, March 22, 2015

The Beginning of the 2015 Arena Football League Season



Are you ready for some football?!

 
The Arena Football League season will kick off this Friday, March 27, when the Cleveland Gladiators square off against the Tampa Bay Storm at the Amalie Arena in Tampa, Florida at 7:30 PM EST. The opening action will be followed up by the highly-anticipated matchup of the Los Angeles Kiss against the Portland Thunder at 10:00 PM EST in the Moda Center in Portland, Oregon.


Cleveland had the best record in all of the AFL last season, going 17-1 on their way to an appearance in ArenaBowl XXVII. In that championship game, the Gladiators were steamrolled by the 15-3 Arizona Rattlers, who enter play in 2015 having won the last three ArenaBowl titles. Their first game will be on Saturday, March 28, when they host the Spokane Shock at the Talking Stick Resort Arena in Phoenix, Arizona at 9:00 PM EST.

This is placeholder football at its finest, and if you are feeling as football-deprived as I do on Sunday afternoons, then hopefully you will enjoy the full slate of six games jam-packed into four days for the AFL kickoff weekend. However, you will also probably need to get some sort of exclusive (likely non-existent) cable package in order to view the games…

Monday, March 16, 2015

Predicting the 2015 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament

 
Although College Basketball ordinarily does little to hold my attention, this brief window in the year often serves as the lone exception. The drawn-out hype of the March Madness tournament can provide the perfect placeholder to distract me from the agonizing tease that is spring training baseball...
 
This afternoon I printed out my bracket and chose my winners largely at random, because I have next to no knowledge of the teams in the tournament outside of the University of Kentucky. With all of the recent recruiting violations that have marred the image of Syracuse head coach Jim Boeheim, I've found myself particularly disillusioned from the NCAA, and I seem to know even less about the state of the college game than ever before.
 
One thing I do know about College Basketball is that the University of Kentucky has an undefeated team, and in essence the program is just a one-year stopping ground for a number of NBA prospects. The school has won previous tournament championships with a similar approach, most recently in 2012, when I had also picked them to win the Championship. It didn't take a genius then and I'm guessing that it won't take one now...
 
Here are my selections for the Final Four and the Championship Game:
 
Final Four
Midwest Champion 1 Kentucky def. West Champion 1 Wisconsin
East Champion 5 University of Northern Iowa def. South Champion 2 Gonzaga
 
National Championship Game
1 Kentucky def. 5 University of Northern Iowa
 
 
That's right, everyone, the University of Kentucky is Blake's pick to win the NCAA March Madness tournament. Alternatively, if you're looking for another fun way to spend the next three weeks and basketball isn't your thing, you could always give the "Best Seinfeld Episode Tournament" a try...
 

The Dreaded Tommy John Surgery

 
 
Every spring it seems as though Major League Baseball experiences a wave of Tommy John surgeries.
 
Last week, fans learned of a number of big-name pitchers who will be moved to the disabled list for the entire 2015 season due to ligament damage in their throwing arms. Among those injured are Texas Rangers' Japanese ace Yu Darvish and the young New York Mets' starter Zack Wheeler, as well as two left-handed relief specialists, Kansas City Royals' reliever Tim Collins and New York Mets' southpaw Josh Edgin.
 
For those not in the know, "Tommy John surgery" is the colloquial name in baseball for a type of medical procedure in which the damaged ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) in a player's elbow is surgically repaired. The procedure has saved the careers of countless ballplayers since its groundbreaking first attempt on Los Angeles Dodgers' pitcher Tommy John in 1974, and there are already almost a dozen players slated to undergo the surgery this spring training.
 
In total, 31 players saw their seasons end due to Tommy John surgery in 2014, and that number seems as though it could easily be trounced in 2015 given the current pace at which these injuries are occurring. However it is promising to know that many players have recovered before; of the 53 Major Leaguers who have undergone the surgery since the start of 2012, 32 have made a full recovery and are currently back in the MLB.
 

Thursday, March 12, 2015

The Will Ferrell 2015 Baseball Marathon

This ought to be pretty amusing...


Thursday afternoon, actor and comedian Will Ferrell is going to travel via helicopter to five separate MLB spring training games across the Cactus League in Arizona. During his tour, Ferrell intends to play for all ten teams on the bill, and to play all nine positions on the field throughout the day. It's a premise that only someone as courageous and funny as Will Ferrell could think up, and his baseball marathon will be documented for a special to be released by HBO, partnered with his website, Funny or Die.

Playing all nine positions is a baseball feat seldom attempted since Kansas City Athletics shortstop Bert Campaneris first pulled it off on September 8, 1965. In the game, Campaneris played all eight fielding positions and pitched ambidextrously, throwing with his left arm against left-handed batters, and vice verse. It waits to be seen whether Ferrell tries throwing with his non-dominant arm, but I have a feeling he will; it'd just be too funny.


Here is the schedule for Ferrell and where to find him on the field this afternoon:

Seattle Mariners at Oakland Athletics, 12:05 PM, PDT (2B and SS)
Chicago Cubs at Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, 1:10 PM (CF and 1B)
Cincinnati Reds at Arizona Diamondbacks, 2:10 PM (3B and LF)
San Francisco Giants at Chicago White Sox, 4:05 PM (C and DH)
Los Angeles Dodgers at San Diego Padres, 6:15 PM (RF, P and Umpire)

Perhaps one of these clubs will find a place for Ferrell on their roster; he's hungry if nothing else...


Wednesday, March 11, 2015

Farewell: DeAngelo Williams


The Carolina Panthers announced the release of running back DeAngelo Williams this week. Williams, who will turn 32 this April, is the franchise-leader in nearly every rushing category, including career rushing yards (6,699) and rushing touchdowns (46), just to name a couple.

Selected 27th overall in the 2007 NFL Draft, Williams has consistently been recognized as one of the standout franchise players in Carolina, earning a Pro Bowl selection in 2009 and contributing to three division-winning teams during his tenure with the Panthers, while splitting his carries with running backs Jonathan Stewart and Mike Tolbert.

Even with back-to-back 1,000-yard rushing seasons to his record, Williams' greatest legacy to the National Football League might actually be his contributions to the spread of breast cancer awareness. Williams was one of the original NFL players to spearhead the "pink" campaign which runs through the month of October. Some fans may also remember Williams going so far as to dye his dreadlocks pink in honor his late mother in 2014.


While it is difficult to say goodbye to the players we love so dearly, this is the time of year when players and spectators alike are reminded that this sport is a business, and a cruel one.

Fans of the Carolina Panthers will miss DeAngelo Williams for a number of reasons. For his enthusiasm, for his work ethic, and for his transparent relationship with those fans who loved him so much. Williams' active social media presence and unwavering positive attitude helped the franchise survive a three-year sub-.500 lull, and those same attributes have made the team's recent successes even more enjoyable. I will always cherish the memories I have of his sideline celebrations with Jonathan Stewart, and I will wait for a day when there is another player who shares a similar child-like adoration of the game.

I can think of no more fitting way to close than with a quote:

"Of the seven days of the week, I'd choose game day every day." - DeAngelo Williams, running back, Carolina Panthers. 

We'll miss you, 34.


Alex Rodriguez Hits a Home Run in a Spring Training Game!


Being a New York Yankees fan, I am somewhat familiar with the sensation of having to cheer for multi-multi-multi-millionaires and admitted steroid-abusers. For instance, the journeyman power hitting first baseman Jason Giambi (who just retired this offseason) still remains one of my favorite players in the history of Major League Baseball, despite his admitted use of performance-enhancing drugs.

What got me to writing just now is this: Alex Rodriguez just hit a home run in what was an ostensibly meaningless spring training game, and I couldn't be happier.

For the last 12-16 months, I have been one of many baseball fans to revel in the downfall of A-Fraud. As recently as two weeks ago, I found myself checking Rotowold with the inquiry, "How much longer do I have to watch this aging bum steal the Yankees' money?" (The answer is ~$21 million a year for the next three seasons, in case you're still waiting.)

But as I relax here on this lovely Wednesday afternoon, watching spring training baseball, and dreaming of the dog days of summer, I can honestly say that I am looking forward to watching these closing years of the Alex Rodriguez Saga.

Rodriguez may be a self-absorbed jerk and he definitely tried to fool every sports writer in the nation with his lies concerning the extent of his steroid use. But knowing that every one of his future successes will send Yankee-haters into a fit of rage, it makes rooting for him so much easier.

Watching A-Rod belt a homer to left-center this afternoon on a 3-1 pitch from Boston reliever Brandon Workman felt as rewarding as any home run I have seen in his entire career (and I was in attendance for his 600th). This may just be the deprivation from real baseball talking, but I can't wait to watch Alex Rodriguez get back to hitting the occasional home run for the Yankees this summer. Can't wait.


Tuesday, March 10, 2015

The Return of the Returner, Ted Ginn, Jr.


Fans of the Carolina Panthers are rejoicing this afternoon with the announcement that the speedy wide receiver and return specialist, Ted Ginn, Jr., is coming back to Charlotte for the upcoming 2015 campaign.

Ginn, the perennial deep threat and fleet-footed return man had a career-year with quarterback Cam Newton and the Panthers during their 2013 season, one in which the franchise won 12 games and their divisional title. In that season, Ginn recorded 36 receptions for 556 yards and a career-high 5 touchdowns, along with over 900 net-returning yards.

Despite the sizable multi-year contract he signed with the Arizona Cardinals in last year's free agency period, Ginn's numbers saw a sharp decline as he failed to find his place in the Cardinals' passing game in 2014.

Carolina's coaching staff is hopeful that they will see more of what they came to know Ted Ginn for in 2013 when he returns to play for them in 2015. One thing that will help the Panthers' management and fans rest easy this evening is knowing that the era of Brenton Bersin returning kicks is mercifully over...


The Denver Nuggets Defeat the New York Knickerbockers, 106-78



As the 2014-2015 NBA regular season listlessly draws to its conclusion, some teams are gearing up for a playoff run while others are quite literally counting the days until they can collect their checks and begin the offseason. No, seriously, as recently as two weeks ago, Denver Nuggets players were heard breaking the team huddle with the chant of “1, 2, 3… Six weeks!”

Last night, on Monday, March 9, the Denver Nuggets and New York Knicks, two of the absolute worst teams in the NBA, squared off at the Pepsi Center in the mile-high city for a performance that was nearly unwatchable. From the perspective provided to me by the MSG Network, the arena never looked more than half-full in a game where not a single player managed to score twenty points. The contest got out of hand by the start of the fourth quarter and Denver prevailed with their most convincing win of the season by a score of 106-78.

Now, for reasons that are beyond even my own comprehension, I am a Denver Nuggets fan; a difficult truth to admit in a season when the franchise has sunk to its current punchline status. When I made my emotional investment in this team almost ten years ago, they were consistent 50-game winners with a renowned head coach and star power to boot, but tragically, a lot has changed since my first Nuggets game…

The new-look Denver Nuggets have played to the tune of 10-22 since the beginning of 2015, with an overall record of 23-41 on the season. Since firing head coach Brian Shaw on March 3, the team has gone 3-2 under interim head coach Melvin Hunt, including last night’s matchup with New York.


Ordinarily, I would be jumping for joy and antagonizing Knicks fans everywhere after watching the Nuggets win in such a convincing fashion. Tragically, however, after all of the adversity that this season has delivered to fans in Denver, I even found myself wishing the game away... Well, 1, 2, 3... Four weeks!

Monday, March 2, 2015

What to watch: New York Yankees and Philadelphia Phillies (3/3/15, 1:05 PM)














The New York Yankees will begin their slate of spring training games in 2015 this week with a Tuesday afternoon match-up against the Philadelphia Phillies in Clearwater, FL.

The Yankees will be playing their first game of the year while the Phillies look to rebound following their loss to the University of Tampa baseball team; a game in which a Divison-II college squad defeated millionaire professional athletes and the rookies trying to take their jobs by a score of 6-2.

Now five full seasons removed from their meeting in the 2009 World Series, the Yankees and Phillies are two of the least-intimidating teams in all of professional baseball. For two franchises that have both won championships in the last decade, it's a little surprising to find myself speaking about them in this tone.

Philadelphia sportswriters are calling for manager Ryne Sandberg's job only days into the 2015 campaign, and with the organization already shopping players like P Cole Hamels and OF Domonic Brown, all signs appear to point to a long summer in the City of Brotherly Love.

As for New York, well, the Yankees have little much more to look forward to in 2015. No one would be surprised to see this team hover around .500 for most of the year, and realistically, that might even prove to be a challenge. Most Yankees fans will spend the year bemoaning the absence of Derek Jeter while cursing Alex Rodriguez's name and exorbitant salary, all the while praying that some no name farm prospect will assume the role and persona of Derek Jeter II.

It's going to be a long summer for fans who have actual expectations, but I will simply take solace in the return of baseball rather than waste time wishing the Yankees were competitive.