MLB: The First Half in Review

Despite it being roughly 6 games past the technical 81 game halfway point for most teams, we'll just say it's close enough and take a look at some of the highs and lows of both the NL and AL thus far.

First let's look at the better league, the one where the pitchers actually man-up and hit:

Most Surprising Team:


With all due respect to my beloved Mets, and them not being utterly terrible as many expected (and some hoped), the most surprising first half NL team has got to be the Pittsburgh Pirates, led by the young and talented Andrew McCutchen, who is an absolute stud and five-tool player.  Pittsburgh is currently sitting in second place in the wide-open NL Central at 45-41, a mere 1.5 games back of the leader, the St. Louis Cardinals, who had a pretty good first half themselves despite being without their ace, Adam Wainwright, whom they lost in spring training to Tommy John surgery.  But Pittsburgh just won't quit.  The Pirates, who before the season were 200 to 1 underdogs to win the World Series (the worst odds in all of baseball, even worse than the Royals), according to Bodog.com, are performing so well despite a miniscule $46 million payroll, the 4th lowest in the league and 22.8% of the Yankees'.

Good for you, Pirates, good for you.

Most Disappointing Team:


Part of me wants to say the Marlins, who currently sit 10 games under .500 after the way they started and began to look like contenders in the NL East, but it has got to be the Colorado Rockies.  Colorado, who some, including myself, picked to represent the NL in the World Series, currently sits at 41-45, good for third in the NL West, 6.5 games behind the leading San Francisco Giants and 5 behind the surprise second-place team, the Arizona Diamondbacks.  Colorado has got to step up their pitching behind the suddenly bad, was-last-year-a-fluke Ubaldo Jimenez, who has quite simply just not cut it, especially for a supposed ace.  Jimenez is a paltry 3-8 with a 4.39 ERA in 96.1 innings.  After a Cy Young caliber 2010, Ubaldo, man, step it up.

Tsk tsk tsk.

First Half MVP:

Despite the obvious bias, there is no arguing this one.  The first-half NL MVP is Jose Reyes.  The guy has been downright filthy.  I don't want to begin to imagine where the Mets would be without him at this point, but probably beginning a fire sale of the team, I would presume.  Reyes currently leads the NL in batting average (.354), hits (124), triples (15), runs (65), at-bats-per-strikeout (13.5), and multi-hit games (41), while standing second in total bases (185) and stolen bases (30).  The numbers speak for themselves, and nobody means more to their team right now than Jose Reyes, and the Mets need him now more than ever.

The man, the myth, the legend.

NL Cy Young:

With all due respect to Hamels and Halladay over in Philly, the first half Cy Young goes to another NL East pitcher, and one you would expect.  That would be Jair Jurrjens of Atlanta.  The man has been an animal, despite his short stint on the disabled list.  Jurrjens currently sits at 11-3 with a 1.89 ERA, the lone pitcher with an ERA under 2.40.  He is tied for the lead in wins with Halladay but his ERA is .55 lower.  His strikeout numbers aren't as high as the Philadelphia duo, he only has 63 in 104.2 innings, but his stuff has been electric and other teams just simply can't score off him right now. Jurrjens has kept the Braves in the lead for the Wild Card, and in contention in the NL East, and he is my first-half NL Cy Young.

How awesome of a name is Jair Jurrjens?

Now over to the American League:

Most Surprising Team:

A few weeks ago it seemed as though this team was going to pull a Marlins and start tanking, but the Cleveland Indians still maintain a 1 game lead over the Tigers in the AL Central at 45-39.  Before the season began, the Indians had the 2nd-worst odds to win the World Series behind our NL surprise Pirates.  Cleveland was going off at 120 to 1, also according to bodog.com, and now sits atop the division, who woulda thunken?  Cleveland ranks just ahead of Pittsburgh as far as payroll goes at $49.2 million, the fifth-lowest in the majors.  Much of their success can be attributed to breakout years from shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera, another awesome name, and pitcher Justin Masterson.  Gotta love the small market teams succeeding!

Look at him, you can tell he knows his name is awesome.  He's like yeah you know you wish your name was Asdrubal.

Most Disappointing Team:

About fifteen games into the season it looked as though this title would belong to the Red Sox, but after they woke up and caught fire they are more than okay.  But the biggest disappointment through the first half has been the Minnesota Twins.  The team most picked to win the Central, including myself, currently sits at 38-47, 7.5 games behind the leading Indians.  Joe Mauer, their all-star catcher has been a hige disappointment when he's managed to be on the field batting only .223 in his 94 at-bats, which I know is a relatively small sample size, but is horrendous for a career .324 hitter.  The Twins can only hope the Indians are a fluke and the Tigers don't run away with the division otherwise, come September, they'll be playing for nothing but bragging rights, which isn't exactly the greatest motivation.

AL MVP:

The one that I actually have right so far from my preseason picks (for complete list see first blog: 'Opening Day').  A guy who many worried would take a while adjusting to the American League and getting back in the swing of baseball activities in general after offseason shoulder surgery is Adrian Gonzalez.  Gonzalez is absolutely raking for Boston hitting .348 (1st) with 16 HR, 59 runs scored (4th), 203 total bases (1st), 28 doubles (1st), 121 hits (1st),  75 RBIs (1st) a .405 On-Base % (3rd) and .583 Slugging % (3rd).  He's basically doing to the AL what Jose Reyes is doing to the NL, obliterating it and  each pitcher who stands in his way.  If this is an adjustment to the AL, I don't want to see him at the top of his game, nor do Yankee fans.

Maybe Buddy the Elf was on to something with this smiling nonsense.  See: Reyes, Jose.

AL Cy Young:

Now, this is where the hardest decision lies.  If you go with Verlander, I won't fault you at all, but I think you have to go Jered Weaver right now.  Weaver stands at 10-4 with a 1.92 ERA and 114 strikeouts in 131.1 innings.  Verlander is 11-4 with a 2.24 ERA and 138 strikeouts in 143.1 innings.  Opponents hit only .194 against Weaver, and .187 against Verlander.  The tiebreaker for me right now is ERA, considering Jered's is .32 lower, but by the end of the year these guys will probably be even closer, as they both have demonstrated how dominate they really are so far in the first half.  So give me Weaver... for now.

While trying to find a picture that had both Weaver and Verlander in it, this came up as a result.  You're welcome.

So, in a nutshell those are our first-half superlatives.  It's been a interesting first half of baseball and I'm anxious to see the second, with whatever developing story-lines emerge.  And while baseball is great and all, PLEASE end this freakin lockout, NFL, you're killing me.  Don't plan on seeing much of me if there is no football (which I know seems unlikely but I won't be comfortable until a deal is signed and in black and white), and if nobody hears from me after 2 weeks from when the season was supposed to start, please notify the police, just make sure it doesn't take 31 days, Casey Anthony (too soon?).

-TA

Top 5 Father/Child Combos in Sports History

(First allow me to begin with a shout out to fellow blogger Donny Woods for the Father's Day edition Top 5 blog idea... see Donny's tasteful pop-culture style blog at firstsignsoftrouble.blogspot.com)

In honor of Father's Day, I would like to reflect back on our deep, rich sports history to find the Top 5 Father/Child pairings in professional sports.  First for some honorable mention...

The Alomar's

Father, Sandy, played 15 MLB seasons and amassed over 1,000 career hits.  Known mostly for his defense, Sandy, Sr. was an All-Star selection in 1970.  Sandy had two sons play in the Big Leagues as well, Roberto and Sandy, Jr.  Roberto Alomar also played 15 MLB seasons and was a career .300 hitter whose career accolades included 4 Silver Slugger awards, an astonishing 10 Gold Gloves, 12 All-Star selections, and 2 World Series rings.  Roberto will be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame this year alongside Bert Blyleven.  His brother, Sandy, was selected to 6 All-Star games and was the 1990 AL Rookie of the Year.  He ended his 9 year MLB career in 2007 as a member of the New York Mets.

From left to right: Roberto, Sandy Sr. and Sandy Jr.

The Alou's


Father, Felipe, spent his 17-year MLB career as a member of six different teams, amassing 206 career home runs.  Although a 3-time All Star, Felipe is most recently known as a manager for the Montreal Expos and San Franscisco Giants.  He was the 1994 NL Manager of the Year as manager of the Expos. His son, Moises, ended his career as a member of the New York Mets in 2008, during which he was a lifetime .303 hitter with over 2,100 hits, 330 home runs, and 1,200 runs batted in.  Moises was a 6-time All Star, 2x Silver Slugger award winner, and a World Series champion in 1997 with the Florida Marlins.

The Boone's


Father, Bob, was a 4-time All Star, 6-time Gold Glove winner, and World Series champion in 1980 as a member of the Philadelphia Phillies.  He played his 19 MLB seasons as a member of the Phillies, Angels, and Royals and managed for 6 seasons, 3 with the Royals in the mid 90s and 3 with the Reds in the early 2000s.  Son, Bret, played for 5 MLB teams, including 2 stints with the Seattle Mariners.  Bret was a 3-time All Star, 4-time Gold Glove winner, and 2-time Silver Slugger.  Brother, Aaron, is most remembered for his walk-off, 2003 ALCS-clinching home run in the 11th inning off Boston Red Sox pitcher Tim Wakefield.  Aaron was an All Star selection in 2003 as well. (Grandfather, Ray, was also an MLB player from 1948-1960)

From left to right: Aaron, Ray, Bret, and Bob.

Now for the Top 5:

5.  The Griffeys


Ken Griffey, Sr. was a career .296 hitter in his 19 MLB seasons, many during his 2 stints with the Cincinnati Reds.  He hit 152 home runs and was selected to 3 All Star games, while winning 2 World Series rings.  Son, Ken Jr., is widely regarded as the player with the sweetest pure swing in baseball history.  Griffey, Jr. may have ended his career as the all-time leader in home runs had he not been worn down by injuries.  He finished with 630 home runs (6th all time), 2,781 hits, and 1,836 RBIs (15th all time).  "Junior" was a 13-time All Star, 10-time Gold Glove winner, 7-time Silver Slugger, 1997 AL MVP, 3-time Home Run Derby champ, and a member of the MLB All-Century team for the 1900s.  I guess you could say he was a pretty good ball player.

Junior and Senior

4. The Bonds'

Father, Bobby, played 14 MLB seasons, most with the San Francisco Giants.  He was the first player to hit 30 home runs and steal 30 bases in the same season twice.  He finished his career with 332 home runs and 461 stolen bases (47th all time).  He was a 3-time All Star and won 3 Gold Gloves throughout his career as well.  Like the Griffeys, the son was the much better player. Barry Lamar Bonds, albeit one of the more polarizing figures in baseball history, is arguably the greatest hitter of all time, despite steroid allegations.  Bonds is the all-time leader in home runs with 762, stole 514 bases (33rd all time), batted in 1,996 runs (4th all time), and collected 2,935 hits.  Barry was also a 14-time All Star, 8-time Gold Glove winner, 12-time Silver Slugger, and 7-time NL MVP.

3. The Ali's

Unlike the Griffey's and the Bonds', in the case of the Ali's the patriarch was the more famous.  Father, Muhammad Ali, formerly known as Cassius Clay, is often known as "The Greatest", was a professional boxer and 3-time heavyweight champion of the world.  Considered by most to be the greatest heavyweight boxer of all time, Ali also won a gold medal at the 1960 Olympics as a light heavyweight.  Daughter, Laila, was a IBA, WIBA, and IWBF champion during her career and finished an undefeated 24-0.  Despite criticism that she never fought top competition, she was still an undefeated champion.

2. The Manning's

Father, Archie, played 16 NFL seasons, 12 of which with the New Orleans Saints.  Archie threw for over 23,000 yards, was a 2-time Pro Bowler, and the 1978 NFC Offensive Player of the Year.  He played for the New Orleans Saints, who at the time were one of the worst teams in NFL history, and for whom he was often the lone bright spots.  Son, Peyton, is widely considered the best player in the NFL right now.  Having already won a Super Bowl and AFC MVP honors 4 times, Peyton has already been voted to 11 Pro Bowls and is the fastest to ever reach 50,000 passing yards.  He is well on his way to Canton, Ohio and the NFL Hall of Fame, but still has a ways left to go.  Brother Eli is the current quarterback for the New York Giants and has already won a Super Bowl himself.  He has also been voted to a Pro Bowl in 2008 and is a top quarterback in the league today.

Archie will always have a special place in my heart as a Saint.

1. The Hull's

Perhaps overshadowed by the others in the Top 5, and overlooked due to the sport they play, but Bobby and Brett Hull are the best Father/Child combo in sports history in my eyes.  The great Bobby Hull, one of the greatest hockey players of all-time, played 24 seasons in the NHL.  He was inducted into the NHL Hall of Fame in 1983, 3 years after he ended his career.  He won a Stanley Cup in 1961 as a member of the Chicago Blackhawks, and at the time of his retirement he was the 2nd leading goal-scorer of all-time and the 9th-leading point-scorer.  He now ranks 12th and 43rd in those categories, respectively.  In 1998 he was listed as the 8th best hockey player ever according to The Hockey News' Top 100, and the top left-winger ever.  His son, Brett, is currently 3rd all time in goals scored and 21st in points, surpassing his father in both categories.  He scored 70 goals in a season 3 times, which has only been done more often by "The Great One" Wayne Gretzky (4 times).  He won 2 Stanley Cups, one with Dallas in 1999 and once with Detroit in 2002.  Bobby and Brett may not be the first father/son combo that comes to mind, but boy were they the best.

Number 1.

Happy Father's Day to all.

-TA

Why Fred WIlpon May Soon Be The Most Hated Man in New York

(Allow me to begin with a special thank you to LeBron James, who, after his post-game comments following his team's Game 6 and series loss to Dallas, has affirmed the image I had of him, which I talked about in my last blog post, that he thinks he's better than everyone else.  Thanks for proving me right, buddy.)

At a time where many, including fans, think that things can't get any worse for the New York Mets franchise, it soon could.

As Fred Wilpon, the majority owner of the Mets, sat down with a reporter from the New Yorker late last month, it is hard to imagine what he could have been thinking.  He was asked about a few of the team's key players and answered those questions quite honestly.  Now what is wrong with an honest answer you may ask, but as an owner of a professional sports team, especially in New York, there is a lot wrong with it.

Wilpon and his Mets.  Courtesy of Jeffrey Toobin's article in The New Yorker, 5/30/11.

When the subject of David Wright came up, his elite starting third baseman often considered the face of the franchise, he said flat-out that he is a really good player and a great kid, but he is not a superstar.  Now, true as it may be, considering it takes years of stellar productivity and marketing to reach superstar status, I'm not sure how wise it is to knock the face of the franchise down a few pegs, if for nothing else than to keep things the same in the clubhouse, as he is widely considered the team's leader.  Honest, yes, but possibly very dubious.

The conversation soon geared toward starting right fielder Carlos Beltran.  Beltran signed a 7 year, $119 million contract with the Mets following a ridiculous performance in the 2004 playoffs as a new member of the Houston Astros.  In that postseason he tied Barry Bonds' record of 8 home runs, and seemed to be an emerging elite talent in the MLB.  His Met career since, although very good by normal standards, has been riddled by injuries and fallen a bit shy of the expectations that accompany such a high-profile contract.  That happens, what are you going to do?  Now everyone knows that Beltran hasn't been spectacular, albeit a very good player, for the Mets, it is all but common knowledge.  But for the owner to say that he dramatically overpaid for Beltran, and should never have based a contract off one postseason is a little unnecessary, especially in the midst of a resurgent season when he was considered done.  But that, like the comments about Wright, were not what could have ruined Fred Wilpon, aside from his financial woes after being involved with Bernie Madoff's Ponzi Scheme.

The thing Wilpon said, though, that really may have done him in was what he said when discussing his leadoff hitter and star shortstop, Jose Reyes.  So far in his MLB career, all of which has come in a Mets uniform, Reyes has been viewed as one of the most explosive players in the league, often atop the league leaders in triples and stolen bases, with blazing speed, but one who cannot seem to avoid the injury bug. However, Wilpon's comments have come during a season in which Reyes has not only been healthy, but has put himself in the early conversation for the National League MVP.  Thus far, Reyes has compiled a .346 average (good for 1st in the NL), 47 runs (tied for 3rd in the NL, one behind the leader), 11 triples (not only 1st in all of baseball, but nearly double the next spot of 6), and 33 multi-hit games (which also leads the majors).  Now, what did Wilpon say?  He told the magazine that Jose Reyes thinks he's going to get Carl Crawford-like money (Crawford signed a 7-yr $142 million contract with the Boston Red Sox in the offseason), and with all the injuries he's had, he's just not going to get it.

Reyes, who has been rumored to be on the trade block, in an attempt to get something for him as the Mets may not be able to afford his salary in a new contract, will undoubtedly attract many suitors.  But, what I cannot understand is why Fred Wilpon would downplay Reyes' abilities and value at a time where he may be shopping the newly-turned 28 year-old.  And more importantly, if they cannot trade him at the right price, would Reyes even want to stay in New York anymore for such an owner, even though he has repeatedly stated that he wants to remain in the Big Apple?  Why would you risk upsetting your star shortstop at a time when he is emerging as the team's best player?

Let's say Reyes does leave, either by trade or by choice in free agency.  How will the Mets even begin to try to replace him atop the batting order, or defensively? I'm not sure prospect Wilmer Flores or young middle infielder Ruben Tejada can even begin to fill his shoes.  And if he leaves and continues his successes elsewhere, Mets fans, myself included, may never be able to forgive Fred Wilpon.  In a city where the Mets always have been, and more than likely always will be, second fiddle to the Yankees, Fred Wilpon could soon be the most hated man in New York, surpassing the likes of John Rocker and, well, anyone in a Boston uniform.  Whether he was trying to be the new polarizing owner in New York baseball, following the late, great George Steinbrenner, or not, his comments may soon prove costly, with potentially grave consequences.

If there's a will there's a way, and the Mets need to keep Jose Reyes.  If not for his productivity alone, then for the fanfare, the ticket sales, and what he means to this team inside the clubhouse.  If he keeps up this level of play this year, then yes, Fred Wilpon, you're right, Reyes won't get Carl Crawford money, he'll get more.

-TA

Guest Blog: Hidden Talent Locked Away

Guest Blog by Michael Krewina


“I want to play a game. For years now you have lived vicariously through the talent you have been blessed with. You have broken laws, betrayed the ones closest to you, and carelessly put the lives of yourself and others in danger because you felt you could not be stopped. You are a superstar athlete, one who lives above the rest, but not anymore. Today, we change that.”  This would best describe the fate of recently released Plaxico Burress had his life resembled one of the classic “Saw” movies, in which, for those of you unfamiliar, a serial killer known as Jigsaw kidnaps people who are wasting their lives and squandering their opportunities to pit them in a life or death scenario in hopes of changing their outlook on the lives they live. Plaxico had it all. He was a God-gifted athlete, a hero in New York and the recipient of a Super Bowl Championship ring in which he caught the winning touchdown. 


How then, did he take his life for granted? Like many other professional athletes, it was off the field. He thought he could live above the law and at the expense of his thigh, he realized he could not. Plaxico was released this past week after serving a 22 month sentence on gun possession and upon exit, vowed he was ready to resume and revitalize his career as a professional football player. Now many people will frown on this and think that in his mid-30’s, after being away from the sport for two years, a comeback would be impossible. But I implore you my friends, look deeper than the surface. There is a very good chance Plaxico can return to his Pro-Bowl self, but don’t believe me just yet, let me tell you why.
In professional sports, there are two kinds of athletes: The ones who are supremely talented and used their pure talent to get to the highest level, and the less talented, hardest working athletes you will ever meet in your life. Rarely you find a highly gifted hard working athlete (now this is not saying these athletes do not work hard, as it does take a great deal of hard work for ANYONE to get to that level, I am merely saying that they do not work to their fullest potential because in all honestly, they never needed to.). What does this have to do with Plaxico you might ask? He was a purely gifted athlete who always made it on talent more than hard work, but talent at this point in his life will not lead him to the Promised Land anymore. There are certain criteria he needs to meet to create a Michael Vick-like comeback:

1. He needs to be a changed man coming out of prison, and early indications tell me that he is.
2. He needs to be devoted to making a comeback, which he has been vowing since the day he went into prison.
3. He needs to erase the part of himself that could do no wrong prior to the incarceration, which if he can do that half as well as Vick, he will be alright. 


Now let’s put this intervention into some light; what went into prison was a phenomenal wide receiver that was immensely talented and knew it. He thought he made it, and no matter his actions, no one could ever knock him off his throne. He never worked to his full potential because of his success, and eventually his downfall was the product of a botched, cocky attitude.


Now the man coming out of prison very possibly, is the same figure who is immensely talented that can succeed in the NFL. But subtract the attitude and replace it with a feeling of redemption. This feeling of redemption, with the promise of a return to the NFL has the potential to bring a less talented persons work ethic to an immensely talented person who has never had one before. The result? Plaxico finally working to uncover his true potential, which even with half his 30’s in the rear view mirror, still is enough to be a great wide receiver at least for the next handful of years..
I expect big things from Plax, and I hope the people who don’t can handle being wrong. As the famous serial killer Jigsaw would say, “Play your heart out or shrink into the shadows forever, the choice is yours.” 
…….Or something like that….. you get the point.

Why Dirk Nowitzki is the Anti-LeBron

(Note to Readers: Sorry for the delay I know you've all been waiting with baited breath for a new post during my month hiatus adjusting back to life at the Jersey shore (notice the uncapitalized 'S' in shore)... Joke. But either way again I appreciate all of you guys who take a minute to read whatever nonsense I'm weighing in on.  Which leads me to my next point, if any of you are interested in writing a guest blog or even becoming a regular contributor don't hesitate to let me know.  Send me a message on Facebook: Teddy Accardi, and send me the post and let me know what the deal is. I'll give you due credit on here and promote your article on my Facebook and Twitter pages.  Just try to keep it PG-13 as we here (and by "we" I really mean "I") here at Sports With a Spin like to stay relatively fan-friendly. Thanks haha)

...As tonight marks Game 5 of the NBA Finals, which I'm sure many of you probably may know due to the insane amount of coverage the Finals have gotten this year.  I can't turn on ESPN Radio on my way to work or flip on ESPN without some sort of analysis of LeBron James' performance, whether good or bad, or something of the sort.  And let me preface my article by letting you know that I do not particularly like the Heat, or LeBron James for the matter.  I find LeBron passive aggressive and his remarks rub me the wrong way.  I think he secretly thinks he's the best who's ever laced up a pair of Nikes and stepped onto the court.  And although I give him credit for never explicitly coming out and saying it, since many athletes today can't keep their mouths shut, that is neither here nor there.  Just wanted to put that out there so my column has an element of transparency, which I like to have.

Now, I can say that I do partially blame ESPN for their part in why I don't like Miami, from airing "The Decision", which don't give me the whole spiel that it was for a good cause and all because that is the cop out and the only they could get away with giving one athlete so much airtime and attention, to that "Heat Index" poppycock (yes, I just used poppycock in a sentence) they put online to follow the Heat's progress, as if they were God's gift to professional basketball.  Although I do like Dwyane Wade, I think he plays his heart out on every play, and if he hadn't already won a title, I would be partially pulling for him too.  But now that I got my little rant out of the way, back to the topic at hand.

Dirk Nowitzki, for all intents and purposes, is what LeBron could have been had he stayed in Cleveland.  Now I can imagine anyone in Cleveland who could possibly read this getting a chill up their spine because they have to relive this whole saga again, but other than a friend at school from originally from Cleveland, I can't imagine anyone from Cleveland actually getting to read this.  Anywho, the obvious similarity between the LeBron in Cleveland and the current Dirk is that they have both been to the finals once before, as the star player and face of the franchise, and lost. Now here they both are again, Dirk STILL in Dallas blue and LeBron this time in Heat red (did I mention Dirk is still in Dallas?).

Now, until Game 4, what I was all ready to praise James for was his defense.  He all but made Jason Terry disappear in Games 1 and 3 especially, and he was supposed to be Dallas' X-factor coming off the bench.  We all knew LeBron could score and his athleticism and body type, at 6'8" 250 lbs and 4% body fat, is something I'm not sure we've ever seen in the NBA and may never be paralleled ever again.  Let's face it, he's a genetic freak, and yes, I'm sure he's put in his fair share of hard work to get where he is, sure.  But I'm not too sure anyone, even those who followed LeBron the closest really knew how good his defense was until this year's Eastern Conference Finals against Chicago or, at the latest, the beginning of these NBA Finals.  It appears as though he can shut down any team's best player at will, something I'm not even sure the great Michael Jordan could do (and don't let that give you the inclination that I think LeBron is better than MJ, because I think at this point in his career I think it is dubious to even put James at the same level as Jordan, no matter how good his game may be in all facets right now).

The reason I say that I was ready to praise LeBron before Game 4 is because aside from the stat sheet saying he had 8 pts, 9 rbs and 7 assists, I'm not convinced he was even on the court.  In a normal game that LeBron plays, you know where he is on every play, and some people may even be watching him away from the ball, but in Game 4, it was almost as if he stepped aside and let Dwayne Wade carry the team to victory, something he nearly did although I'm sure his back hurt after the game from carrying LeBron on his back for the 39 minutes he was on the floor.  But after his remarks in the Game 3's post-game interview, which for all of you unfamiliar with the comment went a little something like a CBS Sports reporter basically telling LeBron he shrinks in crunch-time and asking what is up with that, which led to James responding with a smart little comment (passive aggressively!!!) telling him to go back and watch him play both ends of the court and ask him a better question after Game 4, I was expecting him to put on a defensive showcase, especially at the end of the game, to send a message, and what we got was jack squat.  He didn't make a notable play on defense all game, as Wade was springing up to block shots I didn't know were possible for him to block given his 6'4" frame and basically showing LeBron up on both ends of the court, and Jason Terry came back to life.

But on the other hand, we have Dirk Nowitzki, the lovable German who didn't bolt his team to play with other stars and coast to a championship.  Dirk stayed in Dallas, trusted the organization (and I'm going to credit Mark Cuban because seeing him, the owner, shooting around with the team before a game in warm-up sweats and how passionate he is on the sidelines makes me all warm and fuzzy and gung-ho about the Mavs, just for his sake because I think he is great for the sport) and his teammates and stuck it out because he was confident in himself and the pieces around him, regardless of who they were, that they would eventually be able to piece it together and get to the promised land.  And you know what? They are two wins away from doing just that.  And side note: you didn't see MJ bolting the Bulls or demanding they sign others because he didn't want to have to do it himself.  Granted he had Pippen and Rodman, but they traded for Pippen before he was Scottie Pippen and they went out and got Rodman, Jordan didn't go align himself with other stars just to make it easier on himself.

Now Dirk himself is a type of player we have never seen before.  When before have we seen a seven-footer shoot as well as he can from all spots on the floor and take it to the rim with such ease and dexterity?  Hint: never.  I mean Larry Bird was only 6'9" and Rasheed Wallace couldn't post up or take it to the rim even half as well as Dirk.  And who's to say we'll ever see it again?  I mean Dirk is averaging 28 points per game in the playoffs this year and is the one with the ball in his hands every single time with the game on the line, a la the Game 2 win, the end of Game 3, and the basket to put them up 3 with 14 seconds left in Game 4.  Dirk is even proving to everyone that he as well is more than everyone originally thought, showing true grit and desire that not too many knew he had in him (the knock on Dirk has always been that he's soft).

But all in all, what we have is the guy who is trying to take the easy road to a championship, who is being overshadowed by a guy in Wade, who, surprisingly, looks like he wants it more than James does, while Dirk is stealing the show for Big D.  The result: 64% of those who voted in today's ESPN SportsNation Poll as of 4:30 PM ET on 6/9/11 (that including myself) want to see Nowitzki win his first championship over the 36% who would rather see LeBron James win his first title.  What is most personally gratifying for me though, is that Dirk, the guy who stayed loyal to his team, and his Mavs are all notched up at 2 games apiece, with the team heavily favored with "The Big 3", and have a chance tonight, at home, to put the "self-proclaimed 'King'", as Cleveland Cavaliers' owner Dan Gilbert vehemently called his former star player after he bolted Cleveland for Miami, in a position with his back against the wall to win the last two games at home in order to win his first title.  I know one thing for sure though, it will be very, very interesting.

Enjoy game 5 and the rest of the series, everyone, I'll be watching with my imaginary Dirk jersey on, that's for sure.  And don't forget the NHL Stanley Cup Finals! It's been a great series too between Boston and Vancouver as those of you who have been watching already know.  Turn it on and watch, it's great hockey! And as always, thanks for reading guys.

For those of you who sat and read through and were left disappointed by the lack of pretty pictures throughout.

**Special shout out to Mike Krewina, the first known "fan" of the blog.  Thanks for reading Mike, and all your kind words of encouragement, they mean a lot.

The Art of a Warrior

Anyone who watched Saturday's Game 3 matchup between the Miami Heat and the Boston Celtics witnessed something truly remarkable, they witnessed one of the gutsiest performances in recent memory, they witnessed a warrior.  But before I get to what happened Saturday, I'd like to, as I often do, take a look back at some moments or players in sports history that exhibited tremendous courage or determination while refusing to give up or take off.

Let's start with a man known throughout the baseball world as the "Iron Man", none other than Mr. Cal Ripken, Jr.  Looking back at Cal's illustrious career it's no wonder why he was dubbed "The Iron Man".  Ripken amassed a ridiculous 2,632 consecutive games played, a streak that spanned over the course of seventeen seasons and that shattered Lou Gehrig's previous mark of 2,130, a number widely considered  untouchable.  Ripken, a 19-time all-star and member of the exclusive 3,000 hit club, is widely considered one of the greatest shortstops AND third basemen of all-time, paving the way for the likes of Alex Rodriguez to switch from short to third.  While Cal was blessed with relative good health over the course or his career, he never took time off or stopped grinding along.

You never saw Cal Ripken, Jr. dogging it.

Backtracking a few years, and switching over to the gridiron, our next example comes from the San Francisco 49ers and one Mr. Ronnie Lott.  The Hall of Fame safety did something that most people people would never have done.  In a 1985 season finale against the Dallas Cowboys, Lott's left hand collided with the helmet of Cowboys' RB Tim Newsome, which resulted in his pinky finger being shattered in multiple places.  When trainers told him he would most likely miss the rest of the season, meaning the playoffs, Lott had other plans.  In the opening round of the playoffs, the following week, out comes Ronnie Lott, in full uniform, with his fingers heavily wrapped and in excruciating pain.  Lott played through the playoffs, and to clarify just how bad the injury was, he had to choose between a complicated surgery involving skin graphing and bone reconstruction, and amputation, of which he chose the latter.  Now THAT is dedication.

Ronnie Lott is one of the hardest-hitting defenders of all time, but also one of the toughest.  Just look at his eyes.

That brings us to one of the most polarizing figures in the history of sports, Tiger Woods.  In the 2008 US Open, Tiger Woods put in one of the most memorable performances in golf, and sports, history.  Gimping along Torrey Pines, in what was latter diagnosed as a torn ACL and two stress fractures in his tibia, Tiger Woods put on a show.  He defeated Rocco Mediate, who in any other situation would have been the feel-good story of the tournament, not only in a playoff, but on the 19th hole of a playoff.  Woods was tied with Mediate after Sunday's 4th round, but also hung in there to remain tied after another 18 holes played the next day.  And on the first sudden-death hole following the playoff, Woods bested Mediate to win his 14th major tournament, which currently stands as his last major victory.  Woods, who could be seen wincing after every swing and limping around the course, not only managed to play through 91 holes of golf with such an injury, but won the tournament, an astonishing feat not soon to be forgotten.  Say what you want about the man as a person, but on the golf course, the man is as fierce a competitor as you'll ever find.

Woods, clearly in pain, put in an astonishing effort, solidifying his reputation as a true competitor.

Now to Saturday.  In the third quarter against the Heat, Celtics' point guard Rajon Rondo got tangled up with Heat star Dwyane Wade, which led to Rondo's left arm hyperextending against the court and dislocating in a manner that was hard to watch.  Rondo would leave the game only to come back in the fourth quarter after team doctors managed to pop his elbow back into place.  Now, for any who saw the play unfold, I am willing to bet that nobody thought that he would return for the next game, let alone the next quarter.  He went on to finish out the game with his left arm hanging limp against his side, clearly only playing with his right arm.  In order to fully appreciate the courage and tenacity that Rondo displayed, one would need to see the play, which is to follow:

Note: Viewer discretion is advised due to graphic imagery.

Rondo went on to downplay the injury in a postgame interview saying that it's still stiff, but it shouldn't prevent him from playing in Monday's Game 4 in Boston.  However, the injury was clearly still bothering him as he hung his left arm, motionless, by his side.  Having just re-watched the play as I write this, I am still astounded as to how the 25-year-old University of Kentucky product came back in to play.  

Now when anyone talks about the great acts of determination and effort displayed by professional athletes, in any sport, that list better include Rajon Rondo.  Like Ripken, Lott, and Woods before him, the kid is flat-out a competitor, a warrior.

PS: Mom, if you're reading this, Happy Mother's Day.  I love you so much.  And a Happy Mother's Day to all moms out there, hope you enjoyed your day, you deserve it.

Why We Should Applaud Philadelphia Fans (For Once)

Last night, at Citizens Bank Park, which featured a Sunday Night Baseball affair between the New York Mets and the Philadelphia Phillies, something happened which made me, the biggest critic of the behavior of the fans from the City of Brotherly Love (ironically enough), and many others tip our proverbial caps in honor of the patriotism exhibited throughout the stadium.  But first may we take a look back at why this commendable act is something to applaud...

As long ago as 1968, the Phillies organization asked then-20-year-old Frank Olivo, who would dress up as Santa for the final game of every season, to go onto the field and dance with the cheerleaders in honor of the Christmas season.  What ensued was less than respectable.  One snowball was pelted onto the field at Olivo, followed by hundreds more, and before long the entire stadium was participating.  Christmas Spirit at its finest.

Then, we move onto 1972, where in a matchup against the St. Louis Blues, a Flyers' fan decided it would be a great idea to pour beer on the Blues' Head Coach's head and bombard him with a slew of garbage.  (Oh, and this was after a handful of Blues' fans had gotten jumped earlier in the game.)  This led to a couple of Blues jumping the glass to go after the classy fan and multiple fights breaking out.  Hey, I'm all for heckling opposing players and coaches, but to throw things at a coach and christen him with beer is a little uncalled for, just saying.

Moving forward a couple of decades, we start at the 1997 MLB draft, where the Philadelphia Phillies had selected J.D. Drew, a current member of the Boston Red Sox, with the second-overall selection.  Drew got a little greedy and demanded $10 million from the ball club in order to sign a contract.  The Phillies, who were not too keen on the idea of paying an unproven player such a large sum of money, refused to offer him that much.  Drew then decided that he would not sign with the team.  Fast forward to August 1999.  The St. Louis Cardinals came to Philadephia to start a series with the hometown Phillies, and who do they have on their roster but J.D. Drew.  In the bottom half of the first inning, the game had to be delayed upwards of ten minutes for center field to be cleaned after fans launched an army of "D" batteries at Drew.  Now may I remind you that "D" batteries are not the cute little ones you put in your remote or your Game Boy, but large batteries that are used to power more heavy duty items.  Now was Drew deserving of ridicule for his actions? Absolutely! He was greedy and any fan should have been upset.  However, putting the man in harm's way is not an appropriate response for shunning your favorite baseball team.

Now, this is an acceptable way to make your feelings known, accompanied by a fair amount of yelling so he actually hears you.

This... not so much.

Our next example is not too far away, as it occurred a mere two months later.  The Dallas Cowboys traveled to Philadelphia to take on the Eagles.  After attempting to catch a pass by fellow Hall of Famer Troy Aikman, Michael Irvin was hit and did not get up.  He did not move. Now as a side note, Irvin was a cocky player and thought he was the greatest player to ever walk the field and played for the rival Dallas Cowboys, but even this was no excuse for what was to follow.  Instead of the usual ooooooohh you hear when a player lay motionless on the field, followed by silence out of concern for a fellow human's safety, Eagles fans throughout the stadiums began to cheer.  Yes, that is correct, they began to cheer.  And what is worse is that when the medical staff ran onto the field to assist the injured receiver, the cheers grew even louder.  Now, I don't care how much you hate a player (and this coming from a person who wished that the Buffalo Sabres would slash Flyers' defenseman, Chris Pronger's, broken hand due to my displeasure with his attitude and play on the ice), there is no time where it is appropriate to cheer when a human being's life is hanging in the balance. None. Michael Irvin never played another game after the neck injury he suffered in this game.

Inexcusable.

Finally. we come to May 2010 as a fan at a Philadelphia Phillies' game, intoxicated, was behaving in a rather unruly fashion.  The man sitting next to him (an off-duty police officer), with only his 11-year-old daughter in between them, asked the man to stop using vulgar language in front of his daughter.  Then, the man, identified as 21-year-old Michael Clemmens, in response to his neighbor's request, induced vomiting onto the young girl.  Now, this wouldn't have been so bad if it was onto the cop or something because it would at least have been somewhat humorous, but when the act is done onto a child, a little girl at that, then it becomes heartless and sickening (no pun intended).  The cop, doing the smart thing, let others around him take action and jump Clemmens, because, as he reported in an interview after the game, did not want to be escorted out of the game and leave his daughter all alone.  (Also when the police got down to where the incident took place, Clemmens struck the officers repeatedly in an attempt to avoid arrest, another admirable response).

Looks like Clemmens got what he had coming.  It's a real shame they had to defile such a beautiful face though.

Oh, and did I mention the city of Philadelphia installed a jail, complete with judge and courtroom, in Veterans Stadium (home to the Phillies and Eagles) in 1998 due to the excessive levels of illegal behavior? Yeah, that happened too.

Ok, back to last night.  During the ninth inning, and a little after 11 o' clock, with the game tied at 1 apiece, news broke that US Navy SEALs had killed al-Qaeda leader, and Public Enemy number 1, Osama bin Laden.  Americans all over the country and college campuses alike rejoiced in honor of a victory for Americans all over.  As the news trickled in to fans across the stadium, and right around the time I was driving by en route to Philadelphia's 30th Street Station to catch a bus back to Boston, a chant erupted through the ballpark, and for once, it wasn't derogatory.  Instead it was a chant of "U-S-A! U-S-A! U-S-A!"  

Get the full effect of it here.  I got chills.

Now, while my initial reaction was filled with splendor and glee after hearing about the chant, it hit me that these are the same fans that cheered while Irvin lay motionless and vomited on a young girl.  For the first time in my life, and maybe the last, I wasn't disgusted, disheartened, or disappointed with the actions of Philly fans, but I was actually proud of them, and really, really impressed.

I guess I, and I hope many others, have learned from this is that no matter which team we support, which part of the country we come from, or what race, religion, or socioeconomic class we belong to, we are all first, and certainly foremost, Americans.  Not since 9/11 have I witnessed such unity and collective joy as a country.  It certainly puts it all in perspective, and should make us all thankful for the freedoms and privileges we have as citizens of this great nation.  I truly am proud to be an American, and to our troops overseas, as well as the fans of the city of Philadelphia... thank you.