Let me first start by sending my apologies for the lack of updates and new posts this week. Crazy busy week at work and the last thing I wanted to do when I got home was hop on a computer and post. Next week I will renew my NCAA Football Realignment with the Big 12, Pac-10, Mountain West and WAC.
This was a pretty busy week in the world of sports. There are two championship series going on and I want to touch on the Magic vs Lakers to start. If you keep up with the blog you would know I went with my gut instead of my heart and took the Magic. It will be the last time I make a gut decision. The Lakers, behind Black Mamba, Kobe Bryant, are just too good. They have had some others step up and knock down shots and are up 3 games to 1. The Magic are a blown layup at the buzzer and a complete collapse in last nights game away from having the 3 to 1 advantage, but utlimately didn't make the plays down the stretch to pull those games out. Van Gundy killed his team by playing Jameer Nelson over Rafer Alston which broke team chemistry and rhythm they had after playing the last several months with Alston starting at the PG spot with Nelson sitting on the pine after shoulder surgery. Nelson was to blame last night for both of Fisher's big 3's. He seemed to be defending a drive in the final seconds giving up a wide open 3 to send the game to OT. In OT he went to double Kobe whose back was to the rim and was about to throw up a wild fade away 20 footer and left Fisher open again. SWISH!! Game! Lakers win in 5.
The Penguins and Red Wings will do battle this evening for hockey supremacy. I wish I had more confidence in the Pens, but so far they have lost their games in Detroit 3-1, 3-1, and 5-0. Fluery is a whole different goaltender at home vs on the road, so considering this game is in "The Joe", the Pens have little to no chance. It will take a "i'm the best player in the world" effort from Crosby (2 goals and an assist) for the Pens to have a chance. The only positive the Pens have going for them is that they played a game 7 in Washington to advance and if you ask me most the pressure is on Detroit after blowing a 2 game advantage in the series. First team to 4 goals wins tonights game. Go Pens!
Alabama football will be on probation for 3 years and will be forced to vacate something like 21 victories between 2005-2007. Rumor has it several players were receiving additional free textbooks that were then given to friends or were turned around and sold back for cash. What is the point of taking victories away from a team? Do you think the 2006 Florida International team that got beat 38-3 by 'Bama is celebrating today? Give me a break. So, 3 years of probation, that will show them! They have now been on probation 3 seperate times in the same decade!!! At what point and time do you start taking scholarships or taking away the opportunity for bowl games? I think in this case, they need to take the qty of players that were found to be guilty of doing "Textbook-gate" and over that same 3-year probation period, they lose that many scholarships. Does that make sense to anyone? Sure it makes sense to you and I, but considering we live in a time when a computer ranking which factors in the amount of mustaches are on a coaching staff is telling us who plays for a National Title, I know my concept would be too much.
Gillette is loving Tiger and Roger Federer right now. The "shaving brothers" from other mothers are at the top of their sports. Federer won his 14th Grand Slam Title tying him for Pete Sampras for all time Grand Slams when he won his 1st French Open and Tiger won the Memorial and is revving up for the US Open. Both players make two sports that are otherwise not too TV friendly enjoyable to watch and make you actually get into the sport. It is fun to watch the two people that are the greatest at their kraft serving aces and dropping 30 foot birdies. I thank both of them for keeping both of those sports relevant and congratulate them for their achievements.
The College World Series in Omaha kicks off tomorrow. 8 teams, 11 days and enough PINGS! to make your ears ring for a few days. As you know, my money is on LSU beating Arizona St for the Series Title. Once again, a great site to keep up with all the action is
http://www.d1baseball.com/.
In NFL news the only real news that is getting attention is the saga I have dubbed "As the Grey Beard Turns". First the Vikings set a deadline, then they didn't, then they say they would suspend talk about him, then Viking coach Brad Childress is talking about him at the OTA's. In the meantime, Gunslinger Grey Beard (Indian Name) is considering shoulder surgery, then he all of a sudden had surgery a month ago, then he is throwing footballs to high school kids leading them into puddles, the next minute he hasn't thrown a ball in weeks and has been busy handweaving Wranglers jeans. WTF! Does anyone care? This should prove to you how boring Major League Baseball is. It is the heart of their season and this crap is getting headline news over anything they can possibly do.
The talk in baseball should be the Minnesota Twins and Joe Mauer. First off, if you are gambling person, bet on the Twins to do whatever they did the night before (win or lose). They seem to NEVER win, lose, win. Everything they do is in streaks. W, W, W, L, L, L, L, W, W, W. For instance, they lost 3, then beat the A's twice, then lost yesterday. Start fresh and wait for a victory and then ride it out with a follow up win, then wait til a loss. Follow that loss up with another loss. You can't lose! Aside from that tendancy, there is nothing else I understand about the Twins season so far. They have 3 guys who are hitting above .325 and are bombs away knocking the ball out of the park (Mauer, Morneau and Kubel) along with some pitchers that seem to have great performances, but are still 3 games below .500! How are they so terrible on the road but great at home? I brought up Joe Mauer and I can't believe this guy is not getting more publicity. He is hitting above .400 (in games from May to June, not over a 10 game streak) and has already posted a career high in homeruns. Pitchers cannot get him out. Anytime a guy who in a month beats his career best homers for a season there is speculation of steroids, but in Mauers case that simply ISN'T THE CASE. If anyone has watched the Twins over the last few years, they know that he always hits the ball hard. This year he is getting a little bit more trajectory and it is carrying out of the yard. Hit homers are always the ugly linedrive homers that take 2 seconds to leave the ballpark, never the towering upperdeck shots. Did I mention he is 6'5, 230?? It was a matter of time before he became more than a great hitter and turned into a power hitter.
That is all I have for this week. Stay tuned for the NCAA Football realignment to come to fruition next week. Good Day and Good Weekend!
The first conference I want to touch on will be the Big East. Currently the Big East has 8 teams: Cincinnati, Connecticut, Louisville, Pittsburgh, Rutgers, South Florida, Syracuse and West Virginia.
