Non-sports thoughts

One song you will not be hearing at any NFL games this year is Gary Glitter’s "Rock and Roll Part 2".....the NFL has banned the song from being played at NFL games after Glitter was convicted of molesting underage girls in Vietnam....

My favorite song for NFL games is Zombie Nation.....

Will people back off the Boulder, Colorado district attorney already....the D.A. is getting grilled because of how she handled John Mark Karr....critics are complaining about the money it cost to extradite Karr back to Colorado and for the DNA testing....what was the D.A. to do?.....the man came right out and said he killed JonBenet.... if she didn’t pursue the case, she would have been grilled for that....

All I know, Karr is a creep who should be in prison....

Did you see the city of Cleveland is rated the poorest big city in the country with a poverty rate of 32.4%....

Say what you want, but I love Paris Hilton.....

Is it just me or is anyone else ticked that Pluto got booted from the solar system as a "major" planet.....when I had to learn the planets back in grade school, Pluto always fascinated me....it was this tiny unknown planet with a cool name.....why don’t these egghead astronomers pick on someone their own size instead of flexing their brain muscles on Pluto....

Grapefruit or orange juice?......

Tuesday is Katie Couric’s big debut on the CBS Evening News....I heard on the radio that Walter Cronkite is going to make an appearance to introduce the new "queen".....

Whatever happened to Roger Mudd?.....

Most white people won’t admit it, but race did play a role in the debacle last year after Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans....I remember having a sick feeling in my stomach while watching the evening news of all those poor stranded black people.....that is not what America should be about....

By the way, do black people want to be called "black" or "African-American".....I get confused......sometimes it’s difficult being a white man....

Why is black-on-black crime such a problem?......

I don’t care what you say, in her prime, Elizabeth Taylor was absolutely stunning....

A simple black dress and white pearls will make any woman look incredible....

People who don’t have a dog are missing out.....

Football Chatter

It’s been a while, but I’m back for like the 7th time.....

The main dish is football, football, football with a side of baseball and tennis....

Will someone explain to me how Ohio State could be number 1 after losing 9, yes NINE, defensive starters last year....and these were not just your run-of-the-mill players....they lost Hawk, Carpenter, and Whitner – all first round draft picks....I don’t care how good your offense is, you win with defense....

Which brings us to Notre Dame....until the Irish defense proves it can stop a quality team, I don’t see them as the 2nd best team in the nation.....they can take a big step to proving they are worthy on defense if they can shut down Georgia Tech all-world receiver Calvin Johnson....

Big game down in Rocky Top this weekend as the highly ranked Cal Golden Bears visit Tennessee.....this is a must win game for Vol head coach Phil Fulmer.....an 0-1 start could be the beginning of the end for Hambone Phil....Whatever happened to Tee Martin?......

Another biggie this weekend takes place on Monday night.....Larry Coker’s Miami Hurricanes cannot afford to start off with a loss to Florida State for the second straight year....Coker has underachieved with the talent that he has had at “The U”.....

Southern Cal will be going into a hostile area when they head down to Pig Soooey Country to take on Arkansas....the Hogs are expected to be without All-SEC tailback Darren McFadden....if McFadden is able to play, the Trojans, who will be without Matt, Reggie, and Lendale, may have to be on upset alert....

The receiving corps in college football goes deep this year with quality....the top three receivers are Jeff Samardzija, Notre Dame, Calvin Johnson, Ga. Tech and the best of the bunch, Dwayne Jarrett, Southern Cal.....but don’t forget about Sidney Rice, South Carolina, Billy Pittman and Limas Sweed Texas, Teddy Ginn, Ohio State, and Derrick Williams, Penn State....

Carson Palmer looked solid last night versus Green Bay.....

I still think Brett Favre should have retired.....sure he is going to have good games, but it will not be on a consistent basis like he was able to do in his prime....

The Boston Red Sox took a serious blow to their playoff chances when it was revealed that David Ortiz aka Big Papi is out indefinitely with an irregular heart beat....

I would love to see the Oakland A’s, Cincinnati Reds and Detroit Tigers make the playoffs.....it would be good for baseball and provide hope to the so-called “small market” teams who complain about the New York Yankees......think about it, who would have thought the Red and Tigers would make the playoffs this year?.....

Believe it or not, but the Florida Marlins.....yeh, those Florida Marlins, the ones who gutted the team during the off-season are only 2 games out in the National League wildcard race....

The best off-season move the Cleveland Indians could make is to fire manager Eric Wedge....his mishandling of Fausto Carmona is only more proof that he is not qualified to be a manager in the majors.....there are only 30 managing positions in the majors and you mean he is one of the 30 best men for one of those jobs?......

Here is an interesting idea....if wunderkid Jeremy Sowers is all that he is being hyped about, then do the Indians consider trading Chi Chi Sabathia next year for more proven offensive veterans?.....just an idea....

Was watching a bit of the Emmy Red Carpet preview on Sunday....I don’t know who she is, but Nancy O’Dell looked good in that red gown.....

It would be nice for Andre Agassi to go out by winning the U.S. Open.....but not as long as a guy named Federer is there....

Quick hits - World Cup Fever

Times have changed.....international competition does not mean as much to American athletes as it does to the rest of the world.....and this year’s World Cup is more proof to support that claim....

Professional soccer players like Beckham, Ronaldo and others have put aside their professional career just to play for their country in the World Cup.....from what I read, it wasn’t even a hard decision for these men....that cannot be said about the U.S.....the NBA has to lobby and cajole its NBA stars to represent the U.S. in the World Championships and Olympics.....

The thrill on winning an international competition is meaningless for American professional athletes.....there is no longer that Cold War bear of the Soviet Union lurking across the way.....and the pros are more concerned about getting injured than winning for their country....

Times do change.....

By the way, why isn’t Freddy Adu on the U.S. team in the World Cup?.....I thought that he became an American citizen so he can play on the U.S. World Cup team?.....

Take Edmonton tonight in game six of the Stanley Cup Finals....

I’m sorry North Carolina, but winning the Stanley Cup means a lot more to Edmonton that it does Charlotte.....
For breakfast – bacon or sausage?.....

College sports is better than pro sports....the excitement that I watched last weekend during the Super Regionals of the NCAA College Baseball World Series cannot be found on the professional level.....these kids flat out care about winning and representing their university....

By the way, take Rice in the College World Series....

Whatever happened to Brooks Kieschnick?....

Get ready for game seven in the NBA Finals.....

Okay Cleveland fans, lets be objective and honest....who would you pick if you had your choice - Lebron James, Kobe Bryant, Dirk Nowitzki, or Dwayne Wade?.....

Is it just me or is the clocking ticking on Eric Wedge’s days as manager of the Tribe?.....

The month of June has been a nightmare for Alex Rodriguez.....Arod is struggling at the plate and also in the field.....the Yankees deserve a bit more from Arod for $25 million they are dishing out...

Just received my authentic Mariano Rivera Yankees pinstripe jersey this week....

Sweet Baby Ray’s is some good barbeque sauce in a jar....

Almost all the football preview magazines are on the newsstand.....can’t wait for football season.....

It would be nice if Ben Roethlisberger would do a national public service announcement stressing the importance of wearing your helmet when riding your motorcycle....

Even though Katie Couric will be heading up the CBS Evening News come this September, I’m still a Brian Williams fan.....

It’s Saturday at a major and no Tiger......hopefully he spends a peaceful Father’s Day.....

Top 5 things I like about the Indians

Okay, as most of you know, I am not a big fan of the Cleveland Indians...I usually write about things that 90 percent of the Indians fans don’t want to hear, but know are true.....anyway, today I am going to write about the five things I like about the Cleveland Indians.....in a following blog, I will write about the five things I hate about the Tribe.....well, here it goes....

5. Sizemore and Hafner
Of the current Indians players, I believe that Grady Sizemore and Travis Hafner are 2 legitimate studs.....a few weeks ago I was surprised to find out that Hafner is already 29-years old....he is a solid number three or four hitter....Sizemore reminds me a bit of Carlos Beltran – a guy who can do a little of everything.....

4. When Rocco Scotti would sing the national anthem
What ever happened to Rocco Scotti????.....at old Municipal Stadium, he would always sing the national anthem on opening day, the Fourth, or when the Yankees came to town...I question if Scotti ever performed the national anthem at Jacobs Field.....Scotti had a great voice....please leave a comment whoever knows what happened to Scotti.....hopefully the guy is not dead....

3. The 1970s players
Growing up I remember the names of Kuiper, Gamble, Bell, Spikes, Dilone, Garland, Manning, Perry, Monge, etc.....even though the team sucked, for some reason I always liked those players.....remember when the Tribe used to wear all read uniforms....Boog Powell looked like a huge red blood clot out there....and those hats with the crooked letter "C" were sweet....

2. Albert Belle
The name Albert Belle is hated as much as the word "New York Yankees"....I still stand by this -- the Indians organization should retire Belle’s number 8.....as much as the fans hate to hear this, Albert Belle was the one who helped put the Indians name back on the map during the 1990s.....Belle was the Indians first true superstar since Rocky Colavito.....in his prime he was the most feared hitter in the game.....sure he was a nutball who had issues with his anger among other things.....but the guy could flat out hit....sorry Tribe fans, but face it, Belle was the greatest hitter in the franchise’s history....

1. The Chief
I like Chief Wahoo....I still remember seeing the huge Chief Wahoo sign, in his batting stance, outside ole Municipal Stadium (left)....you don’t see the body shot of the Chief anymore....its always just his headshot.....I know all these politically correct nutjobs say that the Chief is derogatory toward Native Americans.....but come on people, go listen to some 1960s Grateful Dead and eat your sushi....this is the Chief!!! – lighten up already....

George on Bonds

A few people have asked my opinion concerning Barry Bonds and all the turmoil and accusations surrounding him.....I look at Bonds in various aspects.....

Pittsburgh days
I’ve written this before that once Bonds retires, the Pittsburgh Pirates should retire his number 25.....while playing for the Pirates, Bonds won two MVP awards and help lead Pittsburgh to three straight division titles.....since he left, Pittsburgh baseball has been nothing but a vast wasteland of promises....sure, Pirate fans will remember that feeble throw in the bottom of the ninth in the NLCS against Atlanta when he could not throw out Sid Bream at the plate....but the fact is that he did win the Gold Glove his last three years in Pittsburgh....

I think it is safe to say that Bonds did not use perforance enhancing substances during his days in Pittsburgh....in his last three years there, he averaged 31 homers and only 75 strikeouts per year.....but the most amazing feat is that he averaged 47 stolen bases per year....

My take is that Bonds deserves to have his number retired by the Pirates and acknowledged for his All-Star effort.....the Pirate fans need to get over their bitterness toward Bonds....he helped make the Pittsburgh a winner while he wore the Pirate uniform.....

San Francisco days (pre-2000)
In his first seven years by the Bay, Bonds won one MVP (1993), five Gold Gloves and averaged 39 homers per season....slowly the Gold Gloves and stolen base production started to fade away, which is expected because of age....at the end of the 1999 season, Bonds stood at 445 homers, 2,010 hits, 460 stolen bases, and a lifetime average of .288....clearly those are Hall of Fame numbers.....

San Francisco days (2000-04)
According to reports, Bonds allegedly began taking performance enhancing substances during this stretch.....things began to change in 2000 when Bonds popped a career high 49 homers.....things changed even more in 2001 when he smashed 73 homers and began an unprecedented streak of four straight MVP awards....during that five year stretch he was a dominant offensive force at the plate....he hit 258 homers and never finished with a batting average under .300.....in 2000 he hit .306 and he peaked at .370 in 2002....amazingly, during that five year stretch he hit into only 26 doubleplays.....

During those five years, he began a relentless assault on every homerun record, whether it be for a single season or lifetime....it also brought about a storm cloud of controversy that has continued to build each year....which brings us to . . .

Bonds 2006
Last Sunday Bonds passed Babe Ruth for second all-time on the homerun list....no matter what happens the rest of his career, his name is cemented in baseball history both positively and negatively.....accusations continue to fly and it doesn’t seem like there is a day when you can turn on "Sports Center" without hearing something about Bonds....

A few years back Bonds commented that the media is making a fuss because he is African-American....well just this week Bonds admitted that maybe that was not the case and he, himself, was the reason for all the brouhaha....

To me it seems like Bonds is nothing but an angry player....a few weeks back Sports Illustrated reported that Bonds was recently taken out of a game for defensive purposes....well, as it goes, the Giants came back and won the game in the ninth inning when Omar Vizquel got a base hit to bring in the winning run....as all the Giant players emptied out of the dugout to celebrate, Bonds was no where to be found.....he was not even in the locker room.....has it gotten that bad for Bonds that he could not even be happy that his team won the game?....it seems like it is not about the team anymore....its all about him.....

The Bud Factor
I have heard friends say that Bonds should not take the brunt of this controversy because numerous other players were doing the same thing and that commissioner Bud Selig never did a thing to investigate the sudden spike in homeruns....

Selig did turn a blind eye to this spike in numbers because people "digged the long ball".....I agree that Selig should share some of the blame, but that does not exonerate Bonds.....just because other players were allegedly using "enhancing drugs" that did not give him the freedom to follow along....I think it is safe to say that players like Manny Ramirez, Ken Griffey Jr, and Alex Rodriguez were not "juicing up".....but they continued to have stellar seasons and avoid all this scandal......

It comes down to this –
Q. Should an asterisk be placed next to Bonds records?
A. No....at this time there is no solid proof that Bonds did take steroids/performance enhancing substances...and even if there is proof someday, an asterisk should not be placed because the fact remains that Bonds did have to actually hit the ball over the fence....if baseball is going to start placing asterisks next to a player's name, then they need to start right now by placing an asterisk next to Jason Giambi’s name on the list of MVPs......Giambi admitted during grand jury testimony that he "juiced"....

Q. Should Bonds be in the Hall of Fame?
A. Yes.....as I proved earlier, Bonds had Hall of Fame credentials prior to his alleged use of performance enhancing substances....however, I would not make him a first nor second ballot Hall of Famer....

Q. Did Bonds knowingly take performance enhancing substances?
A. Bonds denied ever knowingly take steroids or any other enhancers.....personally, I don’t believe him.....what I have read about Bonds, he is a workout phenom....and I just do not believe that he would unknowingly take anything.....flaxseed oil???.....well, who knows, the 70 something year-old Bible toting nut Pat Robertson claims that he just bench pressed 1 ton after drinking flaxseed oil.....and if anyone believes that, then they will also believe that Bonds did not know that he was taking the "clear and cream" instead of flaxseed oil....

Q. Bonds vs. the Babe?
A. Bonds passed Babe Ruth last Sunday on the all-time homerun list.....but to me that does not mean anything.....Babe Ruth was flat out the best baseball player ever.....and until the day when a player can not only hit, but also pitch the way Babe did, there is nothing to question about who was the best ever.....plain and simple – Babe Ruth was a freak of nature.....he was the best ever, period!....

Q. What about Bonds being a jerk?
A. Everyone knows how Bonds is.....he has always been a jerk.....however, that never bothered me because "what you saw is what you got".....there are tons of jerks throughout sports.....at least Bonds did not put on a fake smile like Mark McGwire and try to be someone else....just because someone is a jerk, it does not take away from his accomplishments especially prior to 2000.....

Q. What should Bonds do now?
A. Bonds needs to lighten up and enjoy his last year or two left in the game....what is done, is done and he cannot go back and change anything.....but he needs to stop brooding and being pissed off at everyone....he needs to enjoy the game....if he cannot enjoy the game anymore, then it is time for him to retire....

I am tired of hearing Bonds name....baseball is more than Barry Bonds....there are many great players, both veterans and youngsters who are playing this game....personally, I wish Bonds would just go away because in my mind Hank Aaron and Babe Ruth are still numbers 1 and 2 in homeruns....but that is just my opinion....

The "best fans in the world" - yeh right!!

Before beginning, the NFL lost one of the "good guys" this past weekend when former running back Craig "Ironhead" Heyward died after a long battle with a benign brain tumor....Heyward played for the Pitt Panthers before moving onto the NFL where he played for the Saints, Falcons, Bears, Rams and Colts.....Ironhead was a hard-nosed runner on the field but a gentle bear off it.....

Credit to The Plain Dealer’s Paul Hoynes for his blurb in Sunday’s Plain Dealer about the Cleveland fans booing Jim Thome when he appeared last month for the first time at Jacobs Field since leaving Cleveland.....the "classy" Cleveland fans gave Thome a resounding negative reception with a chorus of boos.....this is the same man who won many many games for the Indians and was active in the Cleveland community.....

In contrast, this past week, Frank Thomas returned to Comiskey Park for the first time since leaving the White Sox during the off-season.....the Chicago fans gave Thomas a standing ovation and the organization paid tribute to him with a video highlight of his days in Chi-town....

Like Hoynes said, the Cleveland fans should have acknowledged Thome is a positive way.....it was not his fault he left Cleveland....the person who should have been booed was owner Larry Doland for offering Thome a contract worth $40 million while the Phillies offered him a contract worth $70 million......after all that Thome did for Cleveland, that was a slap in his face.....

Overall, I shouldn’t expect anything less from the "world's greatest fans" on Ohio's northshore.....

I’m reading Leigh Montville’s biography of Babe Ruth.....Montville wrote that Ruth did everything in excess – from hitting the baseball, to eating, to having sex.....he wrote that a Red Sox teammate of Ruth’s walked in on the Babe with a prostitute....the teammate said that Ruth was lying on the floor smoking a cigar and eating peanuts while the woman was on top of him.....

Babe Ruth was a freak of nature and 20 years ahead of his time....

By the way, whatever happened to these former Milwaukee Brewers: Stormin’ Gormon Thomas and Big Ben Oglivie??....both were part of Harvey’s Wallbangers during the 1982 season....

Also reading a book about the 1971 Pittsburgh Pirates....that team was the first major league ball club that had an equal mix of white, African-American, and Hispanic players.....one of the most underrated managers of all-time is the Pirates’ Danny Murtaugh (right) who managed the Pirates to two World Series titles.....the author wrote that Murtaugh had a knack of relating to all the players no matter what race....

If anyone cares, the Michigan softball and baseball teams won the Big Ten conference title this year.....maybe the football team needs to learn something from the diamondheads....

Is it just me, or are Eric Wedge’s days numbered in Cleveland?.....remember, this Indians team was supposed to win the division this year and battle for the World Series.....

I see Sports Illustrated’s Peter King released his Super Bowl predictions....he has Dallas beating New England in the big game....

I’m going to try my hardest to pay attention to the World Cup this year....I think I’m going to drop some money on a couple of teams to win it this year.....my early favorite was England, but I just read they may be without their second best player.....so right now I am leaning toward Italy and probably Brazil....

Is Pele still aound?.....

I read that rapper/actor Ice Cube is ticked at Oprah because she hardly ever has rappers on her show.....Cube needs to wake up and figure out once rappers stop mutherf***ing everything and talking about every known male and female sexual organ, maybe she will have some on as guests....

Tennis, Tressel, and School Teachers

It’s Memorial Day weekend and I have taken a few days of vacation....so I might as well knock out a few columns.....

The French Open tennis championship opens on Sunday on the red clay courts of Roland Garros....don’t look for any American (male or female) to win....

On the men’s side, Rafael Nadal is the hottest player on clay right now, but I will still take the best overall player in Roger Federer.....Federer is determined to win the French being that it is the only major title he has now won....

On the women’s side I am going with a wildcard in Martina Hingis.....the Swiss Miss is back and playing solid tennis....about five years ago, Hingis could not fend off the Williams sisters onslaught.....but things have changed....Venus has lost a step but at least she is ranked 11th in the world.....her sister, Serena, has dropped to 108th and will not play the French because of injuries....

Serena’s best days are behind her because of not only injuries, but also the lack of desire on her part.....despite this, I do think Serena has one more major championship left in her.....but who knows when that will happen....

It’s great to see the Edmonton Oilers only one game from making the Stanley Cup finals....it would be nice to see a Canadian team with the Cup this year....

Will someone please explain the difference between Miracle Whip Dressing and Heilman’s Mayonnaise??.......to me they seem the same.....

I was watching "Inside Edition" the other night and saw a report about another female high school teacher in trouble.....this time, the blond hottie was not sleeping with her students, but instead posing in swimsuit magazines.....I have one question to ask, where were all these blond hot teachers who wanted to have sex with their students at when I was in the 9th or 10th grade????.....
The headshot is the teacher who was "doing" one of her students.....the bikini babe is the teacher who posed for swimsuit magazines....

The best name in baseball right now – Boof Bonser.....

The Sporting News and Lindy’s annual football magazines are already on the shelves......both magazines have Notre Dame number 1 and Ohio State number 2....

Speaking of Ohio State.....I ran into my friend Jim Tressel last week when I was in C-bus.....yeh, that Jim Tressel.....I’ll have to say, coaching a big time program hasn’t changed him....he came up to me, shook my hand, and chatted for a few minutes....

Like I said to him, I wish him luck this year except with "The Team From Up North" comes to town.....

I’m sorry but the Cleveland Cavaliers blew it last week in their series against Detroit.....I’m reading how the Cavs fans are proud that their team made it this far and forced the defending Eastern Conference champs to a seventh game....WHAT!?!?....

The Cavs were up in the series 3-2, at home, and with the lead in the 4th quarter.....they had the Pistons on the ropes for goodness sakes.....but they choked.....

I hate when the media and fans keep saying "wait til next year".....the Cavs had the golden opportunity to dump Detroit and they couldn’t do it....and who knows what will happen next year.....the opportunity was there for the taking, but they couldn’t do it....

I’ll admit when I am wrong....and I have to say I have been wrong this year about Chi Chi Sabathia.....they big guy may finally be pitching to his potential.....he’s been dominating of late, but I still say he needs to stop ordering those double Whoppers....

Finally, sometimes the criminal justice system works as was the case with Kennie Boy Lay and Jeff Slippery Skilling.....it was great to see these cheats and crooks get found guilty for the Enron disaster......

Tigers and Reds are back

It has been a while but here we go...

Isn’t it great to see the Detroit Tigers and Cincinnati Reds playing great baseball....maybe one day soon the Pittsburgh Pirates will have a change of fortune....

Chill out Cavs fans....you are still down 2-1.....

One of the worst columnists has to be The Beacon Journal’s Terry Pluto....don’t get me wrong, Pluto is an excellent features writer.....but I am getting tired of his "homer" columns about all Cleveland teams....

Alex Rodriguez is 100% class....after making two errors the other night, The Boss ripped A-Rod for his lackluster play....instead of pouting and whining, A-Rod said that because of the money he makes and talent he has, he deserves the criticism.....then he went out and homer three straight days in a row...

Lebron James needed to chill out after the Washington series.....The Chosen One was all bent out of shape throughout the series because The Plain Dealer beat writer, Branson Wright, picked the Wizards to win the series....who cares if Wright picked Washington....it was only a reporter’s opinion....we need more journalists like Wright who have the "onions" to pick against the home team instead of Terry Pluto who thinks every Indians minor league player is the next coming of Jim Thome....

Speaking of Thome – nice class Cleveland fans....when Thome returned to Jacobs Field for the first time since leaving the Indians, the great and wonderful Cleveland fans greeted him to boos.....this is the same guy who won how many games for the Indians with his late inning homeruns and clutch hitting???.....

By the way, whatever happened to Sixto Lezcano???....

Look for Barbaro to be a heavy favorite in the Preakness.....I’m still trying to figure out why my two horses were not even in contention during the Kentucky Derby....

One of my favorite names of a horse is Thunder Gulch....

The more I watch Grady Sizemore, the more I know he is going to be a stud for years to come....

Outside of Cleveland, I think most of the nation wants to see a Pistons-Heat rematch for the Eastern Conference Finals.....

I still say the Dallas Mavericks will win it all.....

Dirk Nowitzki has been dominating the playoffs....the only difference between him and Lebron is that the Mavs have more talent as a team....

Finally, Happy Mother’s Day to all the moms out there....give your mother a hug because you never know when she may be gone....

Time for Favre to decide

It is late April.....the NFL season ended almost four months ago for the Green Bay Packers, yet Brett Favre has not made a decision if he is going to play next season.....

Over the last week or so I have heard some NFL analysts defend Favre’s hesitation to make a decision.....they said he earned the right to take his time....personally though, I think these analysts are dead wrong....

Football is a TEAM sport....not an individual sport.....and with Favre holding the Packers hostage while he calls press conferences just to say he hasn't made up his mind, free agent players are being signed by other teams....the NFL draft is less than two weeks away.....

If Favre cares about the Packers and their fans, he would have made a decision by now....instead, the entire world of the Green Bay Packers is revolving around the guy from Kiln, Mississippi.....

Yul Brenner was classic as Ramses in the movie The Ten Commandments.....

There is talk that Texas’ Vince Young could drop as far as 12th or 13th in the draft.....I don’t believe it....he will not get past the Oakland Raiders....

You can write this one down in ink, A.J. Hawk is a tremendous linebacker....

I have yet to receive my Mel Kiper draft book.....

After this disastrous season in New York, don’t be surprised if Knicks head coach Larry Brown bows out.....especially after his health scare this week....

Watch out for Lawyer Ron and Bob and John for the Kentucky Derby....

The best unknown player in the NBA is Orlando’s Dwight Howard....this kid scored 28 points and grabbed 26 rebounds on Saturday night....

I’m not a Cleveland Indians fan, but I do like Travis Hafner and Grady Sizemore – a lot!!!...

Whatever happened to former San Francisco Giant and National League MVP Kevin Mitchell??.....

This year must be a bad year for seasonal allergies....I must have taken at least six Allegra pills over the last two days.....I am a five tool allergy person: sniffling, sneezing, itchy ears, runny nose, and scratchy throat.....

Personally, I believe that most of the people who live in Iran don’t want nuclear power or this showdown with Europe and the United States.....it’s just unfortunate that some nut job is the country’s president....

Stop the Witch Hunt

Someway or another, Barry Bonds is going to go down....CNN reported that a federal grand jury has been hearing evidence for more than a month about whether Bonds perjured himself during his Dec. 4, 2003, testimony....that is on top of Major League Baseball’s investigation concerning steroid use in the league.....

I believe baseball should investigate Bonds....and if there is clear proof that he knowingly took ‘roids, then he must pay the price....

However, I do not believe the federal government should pursue a case against Bonds involving perjury.....even if Bonds lied under oath, so what!!!.....how quickly we forget that a sitting President of the United States lied while under oath when being asked about a personal incident in his life....

The freakin President of the United States lied while under oath!!!!....

So what is the difference between Bill Clinton lying under oath and Barry Bonds???.....

Bonds, did not commit a capital crime....he did not lie to protect himself or someone else involving a crime such as murder, rape, robbery, etc......he lied to protect himself, just as Clinton did when he said, "I did not have sexual relations with that woman!".....think about it, the only person Bonds hurt was himself.....

So why are some of the people who defended Clinton for lying under oath now wanting to see Bonds go down?.....we all know Bonds is an arrogant ass, but please, tell me what is the difference between what he is accused of and what Clinton flat out did???.....is it the color of Bonds skin?.....

Let’s get this straight, I am not a Barry Bonds fan....but, I think the time has come to stop this Barry Bonds witch hunt outside the realm of baseball.....let Major League Baseball continue its investigation and finally put an end to this ongoing Barry Bonds drama.....ultimately, Bonds will be judged by his peers and the fans of the game....

Quick Hits

I think the Today Show made a good choice by hiring Meredith Viera....instead of going for some young tart, they selected a mature veteran who has already made a name for herself....in the short-term, I think Viera will be more successful, but overall, Ms. Katie should do fine at CBS....

The Wood Memorial runs today.....this is a big prep race before the Kentucky Derby.....

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have to be steamed at the NFL schedule makers....the Bucs have to come north 3 times in the month of December – to Cleveland, Chicago, and Pittsburgh....

Early line for the NFL opener....Pittsburgh - 5 against Miami....

Surprise – the Milwaukee Brewers and Detroit Tigers are the only unbeaten teams left in Major League Baseball.....

I’ll stay take Tiger Woods to win the Masters....

Whatever happened to Raymond Floyd??......

Will Randy Johnson go into the Hall of Fame as either a Seattle Mariner or Arizona Diamondback???.....

The Chicago Sun-Times sports columnist Jay Mariotti is a rare breed....Mariotti cranks out a column almost everyday....

Yesterday, the Indians traded Brandon Phillips to Cincinnati....for the last three years the Cleveland media bragged that Phillips was a five-tool stud and the next coming of Robbie Alomar....and the Cleveland media also wrote that Russ Branyan was going to be the next Mark McGwire?.....makes you wonder about Andy Marte....

Quick Hits

As a New York Yankees fan, I miss Pedro Martinez in a Red Sox uniform.....

Joakim Noah should stay for his junior year at Florida.....I bet Vince Young wished he would have stayed for his senior year at Texas.....

Why hasn’t any college coach taken the time to teach the "skyhook" to any of their centers?.....that was Kareem Abdul Jabbar’s bread and butter shot in the NBA.....

I think Katie Couric should have stayed at NBC.....she had a nice gig going....

Did you see NBC’s Campbell Brown got married on Sunday.....who was the lucky guy?.....

I joined a fantasy baseball league this year for the first time....already having fun by building toward next season....

This Saturday marks four weeks until the Kentucky Derby.....

You have to go to Applebee’s for their Happy Hour – half priced drinks and appetizers....

I can’t believe "The King of Queens" may be on the chopping block with CBS.....

I’m tired of hearing about Barry Bonds and this steroid flap.....let’s just play some ball....

I don’t care if Jimmy Rollins does get a hit in 57 straight games.....Joe DiMaggio stills owns the record because his hitting streak occurred in one season not over the course of two seasons....

By the way, the next time anyone bitches about Alex Rodriguez’s salary, they should also include the lovely Katie Couric.....Ms. Katie was making $15 million a year at NBC, and sources report that she will be making more than that at CBS.....just something to think about....

Senior Circuit Scenario

N.L. East
1. Mets - the streak finally comes to an end for the Braves....the Mets went out and got some key parts to go along with Pedro and Beltran the year before....I love David Wright at third base...he is a future MVP.....
2. Braves - Bobby Cox will not go down without a fight....the Braves are the Braves and will end up in the playoffs as a wildcard....
3. Phillies - Jimmy Rollins is the best shortstop no one has heard of.....Ryan Howard is a STUD at first base.....but remember, Charlie Manuel is the manager – so that is worth at least 5 loses right there....
4. Nationals - look for the Nats to move Alfonso Soriano during the year in order to add more pieces to the puzzle....Ryan Zimmerman is supposed to be a good one at third base....
5. Marlins - I ain’t even wasting my time on this team.....

N.L. Central
1. Cardinals - a new stadium, but the same result – a Central Division title...
2. Brewers - this is my surprise team of the year....I love their young talent in Rickie Weeks, J.J. Hardy, and Prince Fielder....this team will win the division in 2007....
3. Astros - Houston made their run the last two years.....Roy Oswalt will nail down a Cy Young this year....
4. Pirates - I would love to see the Pirates have a winning season....I give them credit, they spent a few dollars to show the fans they are at least trying....Jason Bay is a stud....
5. Cubs - with Prior and Wood injured again, this team has no hope....when will the Chicago brass get tired of the injury bug with these two and trade one of them?....besides Lee and Ramirez, who else is in the lineup?....
6. Reds - this once proud franchise deserves better.....Junior was solid during the WBC....they do have nice uniforms....

N.L. West
1. Dodgers - why not?.....who else is going to stop them, the Padres???....this may be Nomar’s last shot at resurrecting his career....
2. Padres - last year’s divisional champs post the same record – just barely above .500
3. Giants - yeh Bonds is back.....but it takes more than just Barry to win....
4. Diamondbacks - this team has some young talent coming up....they will dominate the division in two years....
5. Rockies - this team needs to move elsewhere....better yet -- one word -- contraction...

Divisional Playoffs
Cardinals over Braves
Mets over Dodgers

NLCS
Cardinals over Mets

World Series
Cardinals over White Sox

American League Crystal Ball

March Madness may be over, but it only serves as a prelude to baseball season....and more specifically, baseball predictions.....below are my guesses, hunches, and wishes for this year’s baseball season.....

A.L. East
1. Yankees - New York should be steady as usual and make the playoffs.....look for the Rat, Randy Johnson, to improve after a sub-par first year in the Bronx.....
2. Red Sox - this doesn’t even resemble the same Red Sox team that won the title 2 years ago.....but they still have Ortiz and Manny....the key to their success lays with Keith Foulke and his ability to close games....
3. Blue Jays - give this team credit, they have spent some money in the off-season and are trying to win – unlike other teams....if they want to get back to their winning ways, they should start by going back to the old Blue Jay uniforms from their glory days....
4. Orioles - this team is just stuck in slow motion....they dropped a ton of money on the steroid induced stats of Miguel Tejada....Nicky Markakis, a Greek, may be the next Gus Triandos....
5. Devil Rays - this team is just oozing with young talent – BJ Upton, Delmon Young, Carl Crawford, Seth McClung, etc.....if they improve this year, look for the new owner to spend some money during the offseason....

A.L. Central
1. White Sox - this team is loaded on offense and starting pitching.....but their Achilles heel is going to be at closer....I just have a feeling that Bobby Jenks is just another one season wonder such as Mark Wohlers and John Rocker.....the Sox will need to get another closer....look for Jim Thome to win Comeback Player of the Year....
2. Indians - don’t get your panties stuck in your rear Indian fans!!!....Cleveland will have a very good team, but they will not make the playoffs....think about it, they lost Millwood, Elarton, Crisp, and Howry.....Wickman is a year older as the closer and they never spent the money to get that big right handed bat they needed.....
3. Tigers - what the heck, let’s go out on the limb and take Detroit for third.....they have a good pitching staff with Bonderman, Maroth, and the new youngster Verlander....Granderson is going to be good in centerfield and Rodney will be solid as the closer....
4. Twins - this team is in transition....gone are the heart and soul of the teams from the early 2000s.....they are banking on Johan Santana and Joe Nathan....they need to hit on Francisco Liriano in order to move back up in the standings.....
5. Royals - the crown heads have a stud coming up in third baseman Alex Gordon.....

A.L. West
1. Athletics - Huston Street is sweet as the closer....and their rotation is once again formidable after losing former aces Hudson and Mulder....
2. Angels - the Angels will always be solid as long as Mike Scioscia is the manager....he is highly underrated....it also helps to have a healthy Vlad in your lineup too....
3. Rangers - the Rangers and Orioles are like twins.....both teams seem stuck in slow motion....I love Mark Teixeira....he wins the MVP this season....
4. Mariners - how many days until the Seahawks open training camp???...

Divisional Playoffs
Yankees over Angels
White Sox over Athletics

ALCS
White Sox over Yankees

National League predictions will follow in another blog

March Madness Time!!

The Coach of the Year has to be, hands down, Roy Williams of North Carolina....this guy lost all five starters and his two top bench players from last year’s national title team....and somehow, Williams’ Tar Heels are 21-6 after beating Duke in Cameron Indoor last night....

The runner-up for Coach of the Year should be Thad Matta of Ohio State....in three seasons, Matta has this team in the top 10 in the country.....and if the Buckeyes win the Big Ten tournament, look for them to get a number one seed....

I wrote a few weeks back that the Buckeyes would be dangerous come tournament time....they have a big man who can score and rebound down low in Terrance Dials....and Ohio State can stroke the 3 ball at anytime....

Look for Duke to get knocked out in the second or third round....they have been flat...

Another team that has been flat is Texas....the Longhorns have lost its last three road games....

Michigan does not deserve to be in the Big Dance....since becoming head coach at Michigan, Tommy Amaker has been nothing but an 18-10, NIT coach.....the Wolverines have justification to get rid of him right now if they want.....

Cincinnati in – Stanford out....

Watch out for Nevada.....they have a kid Nicky Fazekis.....

My Player of the Year vote goes to Gonzaga’s Adam Morrison over Duke’s J.J. Redick.....both are superb players, but Morrison gets the edge for me....

Did you know that Morrison suffers from diabetes and has to monitor his blood level throughout the game?.....

Tubby Smith would be making a big mistake if he left Kentucky for an NBA job.....

Louisville in – Maryland out.....

Michigan State is limping to the finish line....

I would love to see color analysts Billy Packer and Dick Vitale work together on broadcasting a game.....

I miss Al McGuire.....

It’s been 30 years since Indiana finished the season undefeated....

Whatever happened to Kent Benson?.....

Top four seeds: Connecticut, Villanova, Ohio State, Duke....

Does UNLV still have a basketball program?.......

A trip to Louisville

Haven’t done a column in a few days because I was attending a conference in Louisville, Kentucky.....very underrated city.....clean city with friendly people....I high recommend it as a nice three-day weekend vacation spot....

While in Louisville I visited the holy ground of horse racing – Churchill Downs.....I took the $8.00 tour and was in total awe of the place.....also dropped some money in the gift shop....

Other interesting sites I saw was the Louisville Slugger Museum, Science Center, and the newly opened Muhammad Ali Center......also went to legendary Freedom Hall and saw the Louisville-DePaul basketball game.....the people down there love their Cardinals....despite an average season, 19,000 people packed the old place to watch Rick Pitino’s team....

Read in the paper that the city of Louisville is working on a plan to construct a new 22,000 seat arena....however the major sticking point is where the arena will be built....some want it on the Riverfront while another faction wants it in the downtown area....

Detroit took it to the Cavs on Sunday.....they play again on Monday night at The Q......Cavs need to win this game....

I bought a 2006 NASCAR preview book.....I’m really trying to learn the sport.....the Auto Club 500 is on right now.....

The Winter Olympic Games in Torino are over.....here are a few thoughts:
- For some reason, down deep, I think Bode Miller purposely lost all five of his events....he’s flat out a drunken jerk.... by the way, guess who got interviewed by Tom Brokaw on the Sunday night news -- yep, Bode....the spotlight is still on him which is what he wants....
- If the U.S. hockey team is going to play like crap and win only 1 stinking game, I say send a team of college all-stars who train together for at least six months.....that performance by the NHL players was pathetic....
- Sasha, Sasha, Sasha.....you had the gold medal on a platter and once again you chose silver....
- Jerk 1a goes to Shani Davis.....
- Despite a poor showing by the so-called "studs" of the U.S. team, the United States did finish second in total medals....
- That’s about all -- see you in four years in Vancouver.....

Finally, I could not conclude this blog without noting the death of Don Knotts.....Knotts, who played the character Mr. Furley on Three’s Company, was a classic comedic actor....the role he will be most remembered for though is the bumbling, but lovable Deputy Barney Fife on The Andy Griffith Show.....Barney Fife made people laugh....unlike today’s actors, Knotts never had to cuss or make any sexual comments in order to get a laugh......there was only one Don Knotts – and he will be missed.....long live Barney Fife.....

Quick Hits

I’m tired of hearing about Roger Clemens and Barry Bonds and if they are going to retire....Clemens is obviously waiting to see how he pitches in the World Baseball Classic this way he could drain some team’s money.....and Bonds keeps waffling about this being his last season.....I just say to both of them, "retire already!!".....

Looks like the New York Knicks are close to trading for Orlando’s Steve Francis.....is this the trade that helps the Knicks upswing or is it just another big name who flops in the Big Apple?....

Whatever happened to Bernard King?......

I think George Bush and his administration made the wrong choice by having a country from the Middle East work on key U.S. ports....

Is it just me or does W. look like he lost a few pounds?....

A few years back it looked like tennis player Martina Hingis was never going to win another major....but after a brief retirement stint, Hingis has come back with a new fire....she will win either the French, Wimbledon, or U.S. Open this year....

Russian figure skater Irina Slutskaya is highly underrated.....she’s been skating for as long as Michelle Kwan and has been very successful but she does not get the recognition from the American media...

Bode Miller better go back to skiing loaded because he has not squat while skiing sober.....

Fact - Ricky Williams is a dumbass......

I bought a NASCAR magazine today because I am hoping to better understand the sport.....

I wonder if Drew Brees’ shoulder injury in the last game of the season is more serious than originally diagnosed.....today the San Diego Chargers are going to let Brees test the free agent market....you just don’t let a good 27-year old quarterback walk unless there is a reason....

Finally, most of the young folks don’t know the name Curt Gowdy....however, as a young boy, I was fortunate enough to hear Gowdy broadcast sporting events in his later years.....the 86-year old Gowdy died on Monday from leukemia.....his legacy in the sports broadcasting business has been cemented for years.....those who never heard him sure missed out.....

NBA All-Star Thoughts

The NBA Hall of Fame released the finalist for this year’s class.....they are: Charles Barkley, Dominique Wilkins, Joe Dumars, Geno Auriemma, Dick Vitale, Adrian Dantley, Ralph Sampson, Dave Gavitt, Gene Keady, Chet Walker, Don Nelson and Van Chancellor.....

Barkley is a lock for induction, as should be Dumars.....the three other people who should get inducted this year are Dantley, Sampson, and Vitale...unlike the Pro Football Hall of Fame, the NBA Hall takes into consideration a person’s college and international experience which is why Sampson should make it....

In the early 1980s while at Virginia, Sampson was the first dominant big man in the college game since Bill Walton....Dantley was an All-American for Notre Dame and an NBA All-Star with Detroit and Utah....

Finally, Vitale is absolutely the good will ambassador for the game of basketball.....yeh, his detractors will say some of his antics are shtick.....however Vitale is truly passionate about basketball and is always promoting the sport.....he deserves to be in the Hall of Fame....

Of the 24 players in today’s NBA All-Star game, only Tim Duncan and Steve Nash completed four years of college....the other players stayed three years or less at college or did not attend college at all....

Is it just me or does it seem like Allen Iverson has been in the league forever.....but in reality, the 76ers All-Star guard is only 30-years old and has been in the NBA for 10 years....

With a third of the season left, my predictions for the NBA championship will be Detroit against Dallas.....

The best story in the league this year is the play of the Los Angeles....the Clippers that is....at the break the Clippers are 30-21 and have a 4½ game edge over their counterparts, the Lakers....

Remember in his Portland days when Rasheed Wallace used to get T’ed up every other game.....

I wonder if Larry Brown is sorry he left the Detroit Pistons to go and coach the New York Knicks....

Whatever happened to former All-Star Game MVP Randy Smith of the Buffalo Braves?.....

Olympic Quick Hits

It’s only February 18th, but the idiot move of the year so far goes to Olympian Lindsey Jacobellis.....with the gold medal in her back pocket, Jacobellis decided to "hot dog it" and ended up falling down.....she finished with the silver medal....

By the way, how many gold medals has Cody.....I mean Bode won yet???.....he has been the most annoying person in this Olympics.....he is all hype.....

My money is on Sasha Cohen of the United States to win the gold medal in women’s figure skating.....

Does anyone really care who wins the gold medal in ice hockey now that the NHL players are involved???....

Will the media and people stop picking on the Olympic games.....the media keeps showing how ratings are down for these games and that people don't care about Winter Olympic sports.....chill out people.....the Olympic games are once every four years.....let these athletes have their two weeks in the spotlight without ripping their sport.....the same people who rip on curling, are probably the same ones who sit down at their local beer garden and are in a dart league...

The babe of these games easily goes to U.S. ice dancer Tanith Belbin.....she will be getting many endorsements after these games....and imagine if she ends up with a gold medal....

What is up with Mike Golic from ESPN radio’s Mike and Mike......Golic said ESPN made a mistake by hiring Tony Kornheiser as a color analyst for Monday Night Football because Kornheiser is not a former player....I have two words for Golic – Howard Cosell....

By the way, whatever happened to the Fabulous Sports Blob.....I mean the Fabulous Sports Babe??.....

The marquee basketball game of the day is Connecticut at West Virginia.....UConn is going into a hornet’s nest and may end up getting pittsnogled.....

Indiana head coach Mike Davis made the right move by resigning at the end of the season.....Davis has been whining about the pressures of being the head coach of the Hoosiers....people have to realize that whenever you accept a job at a big name university who is a traditional sports power in a certain sport, there is going to be pressure to win – and rightfully so.....over the last three seasons, the Hoosiers have not made the NCAA tournament and have lost out on some big time recruits from the state of Indiana.....

Of course, former Indiana star and current Iowa head coach Steve Alford is the favorite to land the Indiana job.....but there has been talk in the newspapers and on the internet that Ohio State head coach Thad Matta may have the inside track.....

Why are some baseball players concerned about playing in the first ever World Baseball Classic....these same players who will be representing their country would still be playing in exhibition games as part of spring training....an injury could easily occur whether they are playing in a spring training game or in the Classic....

Doesn’t Hillary Clinton have something better to do than to stir up the pot concerning Dick Cheney’s accidental shooting of his friend last week?.......there was no conspiracy Hillary!!!....

By the way, did I mention that Tanith Belbin is hot!!!.....

Quick Hits

- Michelle Kwan's dream of a gold medal in figure skating ended today after withdrawing from the Olympics because of an injury.....Kwan will go down as one of America's greatest skaters ever, but she will always be missing that Olympic gold medal from her resume....

- What is up with the Cleveland Cavaliers?.....just when it looked like they were making their move by winning seven straight games, they have lost to the Sixers, Wizards, and Warriors in the last week.....the Cavs will make the playoffs this year, but I could see them getting bounced in the first round....they are still not one of the elite teams.....

- Did you know that Lebron James’ favorite breakfast food is Trix cereal and honey-oat granola....

- The Oakland Raiders have sunk to a new low....who would have thought that Louisville’s Bobby Petrino would turn down Oakland’s offer to coach the team.....that just shows what coaches think about that franchise....

- Despite getting the cold shoulder from a number of coaches, I do think Oakland made a safe choice by selecting Art Shell.....this will be Shell’s second stint as head coach of the Raiders....in his previous tenure Shell had the Raiders in the playoffs almost every year.....

- Does anyone care about today’s Pro Bowl???.....

- Just when it looked like the Michigan basketball team was going to be a contender for the Big Ten title, the Maize and Blue came up with three straight clunkers.....last Saturday they got smoked by 30 points to Iowa.....then on Thursday night, Ohio State stuck 12 3-pointers in the first half on their way to another win in Ann Arbor.....then the low point of the season came yesterday when Michigan got beat by 15 points to lowly Purdue....Tommy Amaker’s days in Ann Arbor may be numbered....

- The days are definetly numbered for Indiana's Mike Davis.....

- All I know, Duke’s J.J. Redick has to be on the U.S. Olympic team.....like him or not, this kid could flat out shoot the three ball, which is needed in the Olympics....

- Whatever happened to Cherokee Parks?.....

- It is very possible that both Kentucky and Louisville may not make the Big Dance this year.....both teams are struggling.....

- Right now my Final Four teams are: West Virginia, Duke, Texas, and U.Conn.....Ohio State could be a sleeper....

- Why did Mike Piazza sign with San Diego?....it looks like he is going to try and prove that he can still catch....

- Finally, will the Cleveland Browns fans stop whining about the officiating in the Super Bowl....all week I have heard Browns fans saying the officials gave the Steelers the Super Bowl.....hmmmm, funny the Browns fans are saying that being that their beloved Ohio State Buckeyes won the national title in 2002 over Miami (Fla.) because of an official throwing a flag for pass interference on a fourth down play.....