Light after the Darkness in Sports...

With the Mitchell report mere hours from release, a lot of fans are sweating out how many of their beloved superstars will be named (or unnamed).

Sadly, this will likely be one of the darker days in recent sporting history. At least as far as Major League Baseball is concerned.

Yet, even if the Mitchell Investigation only names names – and lacks true punishment outside of public contempt – it’s going to be just another sounding boom against sports.













Things haven’t been so peachy lately for more than just Dolphins fans.
Credit: ViewImages

Shaun Taylor’s death, the Phins chasing 0-16, the ‘Spygate scandal, overhyped boxing pay-per-view showdowns, STEROIDS in baseball, the New York Knicks, inflated payrolls and paychecks, Bryant Gumble on the NFL Network, the nauseating pro-Brady love of Phil Simms, the sickening love John Madden has for his boo (Brett Favre), Chris Berman in general, weekly talk of cheap-shots in the NFL (Terrance Newman the latest), Greg Oden’s pre-season injury, hockey being relegated to the VS. network, the writer’s strike (repeats of primetime shows during commercials of games is NOT good), and on and on.

Point is: sports is taking more than a few shots to the body.

The knockout isn’t looming, but it’s only a few rounds away.

However, I’m taking a stand. In fact, you might say I’m protecting sports with a stiff left jab. Maybe even a right cross. Why? Because there’s still hope. Somewhere, somehow.

Let’s tackle 4 sports, at least endearing to my heart, that could be saved…

National Football League:
Divisional-Round Playoffs Imagine this lineup two weeks into the playoffs…
Seattle @ Green Bay (Let’s just hope Hasselbeck and the Hawks get it into OT again.)
Minnesota @ Dallas [The 6th seed rolls into Big D for a re-match with a healthy A-Pete/Taylor combo at RB.)
San Diego @ New England (Take 2 for LT, Merriman, and Norv in Foxboro against a 16-0 team.)
Pittsburgh @ Indianapolis (Take 2 for the Colts at home in the playoffs against Big Ben and Polamalu.)

Major League Baseball: Johan Santana to the Yankees, Dan Haren to the Red Sox
While the constant Yanks/Sox talk is completely overblown and overdone, if you’re going to do it…do it right. The Yanks ship Hughes/Cabrera/prospects to the Twins for the 2-time Cy Young winner. Ditto for the Sox sending Lester/Crisp/prospects to the A’s for Haren. Jacoby stays in CF at Fenway.

Here are your new rotations… Red Sox: Josh Beckett, Curt Schilling, Dan Haren, Daisuke Matsuzake, Tim Wakefield
Yankees: Johan Santana, Chien Ming-Wang, Andy Pettite, Joba Chamberlain, Ian Kennedy

National Basketball Association: The Heat make a playoff PUSH
Anybody else intrigued by this potential playoff matchup?
Eastern Conference: #1. Boston vs. #8. Miami

Oh yeah, dismantle the Knicks and rebuild from scratch. Ban both owner James Dolan and Coach Thomas from MSG, too. FOREVER!

Boxing: Free fights...sort of.
While Mayweather/Hatton proved to be more hype than hope, at least HBO’s 24/7 program is worth every penny. In fact, it’s the only reason since the Sopranos left to check out HBO (outside of The Wire, of course).

Long story short, HBO Boxing (not PPV) needs five fights:
1) Bernard Hopkins vs. Joe Calzaghe.
2) Kenny Pavlik vs. Jermaine Taylor
3) Floyd Mayweather vs. Miguel Cotto
4) Oscar De La Hoya vs. Ricky Hatton
5) Heavyweight unification: Whatever it takes.

It’s not an end-all solution, but it’s a start.

Until next time…

10 Vexing Thoughts...

It's official, folks. No, not Tim Donaghy again. Well, not yet.

It's official that we've hit the dog days of summer. Many of our loyal readers have either checked into hotels/motels on their summer vacations or mentally checked out of the majority of the sporting landscape.

I can't say I blame them. Most of the news out there is ridiculously negative, baseball is in the doldrum months, and football (whether college or professional) seems a little too far away.

The British Open (gasp! I mentioned golf) was fun for most to view on Sunday; yet, that is not nearly enough to get any sporting fan back in their traditional groove.

While I may be pinning for the times of the NFL Playoff-chase, bowl season beginning, and the in-conference schedule heating up throughout college basketball (ahhh, my favorite part of the holiday season)...I suppose there's more than enough going on in the sporting world to talk about.

Even if it's only to complain...

1) Why does it seem that David Stern is so willing to label Tim Donaghy's actions as an isolated incident, as if they were completely separate from the NBA itself? While it's true that the NBA has never seen such a scandal before (although, remember Game 6 between LA and Sac-Town a few years back), Stern has become all too adept at pushing any sort of negative press or blame away from himself and his association. In fact, most league officials and media personalities were less than surprised that something of this nature, that is an NBA official potentially fixing the outcomes, not just spreads, of games, could occur. Just as he did during the Robert Horry/Steve Nash debacle (Nash only listed as he was the victim), Stern has become as slimy and greasy as a junior Don King at pushing fault and culpability towards anyone than himself. And if you believe comparing his speeches to King's (remember, I'm not saying his similar in his actions) is ludicrous, fork over the cash to ESPN Radio Insider and listen to the 'lecture' he gave on the Dan Patrick Show following the suspensions of Amare Stoudamire and Boris Diaw.

2) Why is it that most media personalities, specifically those who host a morning show on the 4-letter network, are so quick to call for the head of Barry Bonds (as the Mitchell Investigation continues) and yet remain more than willing to wait it out for a certain dogfighting-related Falcons QB? They want Bonds burned at the stake, but we need to be responsible and wait for definitive evidence on Vick. Is it just me, or is the fact that a record may be broken nowhere near as serious as the vicious, brutal, and calculating murders of dozens of innocent animals? I'm not saying Bonds is innocent or Vick is guilty, but there's clearly a double standard here. Although, it has NOTHING TO DO WITH RACE.

3) Why is it we can't hear anything positive about the Cubs resurgence, other than the Lou Pinella threw a Hall of Fame Hissy Fit? There are so many more reasons for the Cubbies making a push in the NL Central. Some don't even have to do directly with them, in fact. Forgotten to most 'experts' is the complete inability of St. Louis to stay healthy, the fact that Milwaukee hasn't been in this situation in nearly two decades, and Houston's putrid performance near the bottom of the NL Standings. Instead of praising Lou for kicking and screaming like a four year old, talk about his ability to gel this roster, after all it is his first season with the team, and talk more about the standout play of guys other than Zambrano (including Ryan Theroit, Carlos Marmol, and Ted Lilly).

4) Seriously, could there be more Fantasy Football Magazines out there? Check out your local Barnes & Noble or Borders bookstores. I've seen Stephen Jackson and LT on more covers than Paris Hilton and Lindsay Lohan lately. Seriously, I have.

5) Why wasn't more press given to the entertaining bout between Bernard Hopkins and Winky Wright? Especially considering both fighters, particularly Wright, are defensive-minded and often don't come out of their shell. The two put on a solid show (much more impressive than the rather snoring fight between De La Hoya and Mayweather) and controversy (in the form of Hopkins and his questionable headbutting) should have peeople talking for weeks. Oh yeah, boxing doesn't matter anymore. Even when it's this good.

6) Looks like I may be eating crow come this October. While many doubt him as a second-half pitcher, it appears that Brad Penny [12-1, 2.42 ERA] is the clear-cut frontrunner for the NL Cy Young Award. While everyone seems to be jocking Padre Jake Peavy (who is much more media-friendly than Penny) or the aforementioned Zambrano (who, if he rallies the Cubs, may merit serious consideration in the next two months)...Penny has been the man for the National League's most consistent team. Yep, those Dodgers.

7) I think UFC 5,467 is coming up this week. It's time for ESPN, Yahoo, Fox Sports, and Sports Illustrated to calm down a bit on the impact of this sport. While it is clearly growing, there's no need to feature it on covers just yet. Especially when Chuck Lidell gets knocked out quicker than Peter McNeely (flashback anyone?).

8) How exactly is the 'tax shelter' set up for Ichiro by the Mariners legal? The Associated Press reports the contract extension Seattle Mariners OF Ichiro Suzuki signed last week will defer $25 million of the $90 million and the team will not have to fully pay him until at least 2032. The deal will pay Ichiro $12 million salary each year and will defer $5.5 million per season at 5.5 percent. The deferred money will be paid to Ichiro in annual installments, every Jan. 30, beginning the year after he retires. Because of the deferred money, Ichiro's contract will be discounted to $16.1 million. Other provisions in Ichiro's contract include a $32,000 yearly housing allowance that will rise by $1,000 each year and four first-class round trip tickets to Japan each year for his family. He will also be provided with either a new jeep or Mercedes SUV by the team, as well as a personal trainer and interpreter. Does this really sound legit to you?

9) Can someone get Charles Barkley a couple cough drops inbetween press junkets, radio spots, and television shows? Seriously, the guy loses his voice eight minutes into his time on TV. It's a shame too. Especially when we're forced to hear far too much from one of my favorite basketball players of all-time (and one of the world television personalities imaginable), Magic Johnson.

10) Any other sports fans just dreading reading the headlines in either your local or national sport's page or on your favorite online website (or blog even???)? Between Barry & roids, the NBA officiating fiasco, Mike Vick & dogfighting, countless arrests/suspensions/traffic violations, and ESPN's nauseating Who's Now segments...is there any reprieve for us in already brutal summer? I doubt it. Not until the NFL returns, at least.

Hopefully you have some comments/reactions or perhaps a few gripes (or maybe even some praising words) of your own to share. Feel free to via comments.

As for me, I'm still waiting out the announcement of my fantasy football drafts.

Now where's that magazine???

Until next time...

The Wait is Nearly Over

As we draw closer and closer to the penultimate boxing match of the last dozen years, give-or-take, the world’s wait is almost over. Junior Middleweight Champion “Golden Boy” Oscar De La Hoya [38-4, 30 KOs] is all set to take on (insert your favorite nickname, mine is “Pretty Boy”) Floyd Mayweather, Jr. [37-0, 24 KOs].

Credit: HBO

The tagline reads like a stoic novel: the people’s champ versus the top pound-for-pound fighter in the world. Or maybe, you prefer: the baby-faced, quiet, stoic Olympic champion against the brash, arrogant, cash-wielding undefeated, self-perceived mega-superstar.

You could trade nicknames, monikers, and praise for each of the fighters for days on end. You could drool over the money too ($25-million for Oscar & $10-million for Floyd Jr.). It’s an insane amount of dough, especially for a non-heavyweight bout.

Some are already predicting this fight will be the highest-grossing non-Heavyweight Pay Per View (PPV) fight. The record was set at 1.4 million when De La Hoya lost to Tito Trinidad and the heavyweight record, probably not in serious jeopardy tonight, was at 1.99 million [Holyfield v. Tyson II: The Ear Biting]. Some say the fight may garner over $125-million, another record.

More importantly, sometime after midnight tonight, courtesy of HBO PPV, we will have a champion…for the belt and perhaps for the people.

More than any other fight in recent memory, this bout really does seem to have the world talking. Even non-boxing fans have had their interest sparked. Whether its through cover pages on ESPN, HBO’s incredibly in-depth insider series on the fight, or the barrage of commercials through various forms of media…this fight will be the major storyline from an otherwise crowded sporting weekend.

The undercard seems a promising, especially with Pilipino Rey “Boom Boom” Bautista stepping into the national spotlight with an unblemished career thus far. [You may know his fellow countryman Manny Pacquiao, perhaps #2 in the unofficial pound-for-pound rankings to Floyd Jr.]

As for the experts, they’re a little more skeptical than most boxing promoters and supporters like to admit. In fact, it’s almost impossible to spot a prediction for De La Hoya that isn’t coming from his camp, a sympathetic sportswriter just rooting for him/hating on Floyd, or those who aren’t willing to put any cash on the fight and want to take Oscar just to call it (on the small percentage he upsets Pretty Boy). Most boxing experts, or even novices, seem to plug Mayweather as the easy pick, even if the fight isn’t a breeze for Mayweather.

Whether it’s as a result of Mayweather’s bruising speed, brutal tactician-fighting style, or simply his I-can’t-lose-attitude, most experts concur Mayweather should have no real troubles in this fight. Yet, even Floyd admits he’s never had a fight quite like the six-division world champion.

What would be agreed upon by everyone from the Mayweather camp is that Floyd has awaited a fight – and a payday – like this his entire career. There’s nothing really waiting for him after this fight either (Miguel Cotto needs to take down Judah in June emphatically to have a prayer to see Floyd early next year). It wouldn’t come as a surprise, at least for a year or two, if this was Floyd’s last victory in the ring. He’d sprint into the boxing Hall of Fame with this victory and go down as one of the better fighters the sport had ever seen.

Oscar is good at retiring, just not for longer than 18-24 months. However, a re-match with Floyd (especially if he wins or its controversial, which is never absent from big-time boxing these days) may net him an indescribable amount of cash. I believe that De La Hoya would certainly retire on a hands-down victory. As for in the case of a loss, empathic or not, there are always one or two more fights left for the 33-year old superstar (especially since he is trying desperately, and succeeding more often than not, to promote his Golden Boy Promotions company).

Not since a potential Lewis/Tyson-fight (pre-incarceration) has the boxing world salivated this much for a fight to happen. If only we could’ve had it with Oscar at 26 and Floyd at 29 years old, could this have been better. Perhaps the lighting and brilliant commentary seen in Rocky Balboa might help as well.

Fortunately, the studio team [James Brown, Max Kellerman, and Lennox Lewis] is only outclassed for HBO by their in-ring trio [Jim Lampley, Larry “I HATE Mayweather” Merchant, and Emmanuel Lewis.]

I forked over the cash, amidst some other people who are at my parent’s basement enjoying the big-screen, to watch this fight. The first I’ve paid for to see Oscar since Bernard Hopkins knocked him stone-cold in the 9^th-round in 2004 and the first for Floyd since the massacre he put Arturo Gatti through in 2005 (aka 6 Rounds in Hell). Don’t feel too bad for the Golden Boy though; he netted a cool $30-million for the fight. [Hopkins saw $10-million, much more than he usual $1-2.5 million per fight draw at that point.]

As for my thoughts? While I’ll root like crazy for Oscar, I know Floyd is the man to beat. I detect Oscar may even be ahead on a few score-cards early-on in the fight; yet, Floyd is too quick and too determined to lose this fight. The perceived advantages De La Hoya has with size, familiarity with the weight-class and experiences are, in fact, perceived.

Unfortunately, the fight could honestly end up being quite-lopsided if it does in fact go all 12 rounds. Although I have to admit, seeing Floyd knocked out may be a potential top 2 or 3 boxing moment in my lifetime.

Fortunately, nothing still gets me up like a big-time fight.

I’ll have brief reactions after the bout. Yet, I wonder that – as if the case in countless sporting events – the hype may end up being more fun than the moment, in this case the fight, itself. Will the hope of a modern-classic (ala this generation’s Hagler-Hearns) live up to the dreams when faced with stark reality?

Whether the question is yes, no, or maybe, it will have to wait to be answered completely.

All I want are fair scorecards and plenty of drama. Only then does boxing win.

Until next time…