Ok, I despise hockey. Cannot stand it, cringe anytime I see a network devote any time to this sport. I truly believe NHL teams make trades not to make their teams better, or even for financial reasons, but simply to keep the NHL in the news. Made a trade, ESPN has to eport it. Otherwise, the NHL would slip deeper and deeper into oblivion.
Just a theory.
I have to admit I was a little surprised to hear ARod was a steroid abuser. He is such a great athlete, and he makes it look so effortless. And I have to admit I was a little surprised for him to go on TV, admit what he did, and try to move forward.
But, with Arod, you know he is being coached and told what to say. And all he said yesterday was from a Yankees perspective. Basically, the person I was with the Rangers was a steroid abuser, but ARod the Yankee does nothing but play baseball and, as Newman would say, head up to Westchester every Tuesday to "do charity for the blind in my spare time for the Lighthouse."
He wants us to believe that Arod the Ranger did steroids between 2001-2003, but when he want to the Yankees, coming off an MVP season he decided to stop using steroids because he got hurt in spring training? Don't guys turn to performance enhancing drugs because of injuries? And I am sure he did feel pressure trying to justify the $250 million he was making in Texas, but I think everyone would agree that is nothing compared to the pressure he must feel playing for the Yankees.
Look, I am not here to bury Arod. He did steroids, which makes him one of a million baseball players who did it, including players on my favorite team, your favorite team, and every team. I get the feeling that like Barry Bonds, he would have been a damn good player with or without the steroids. I hate the Yankees as much, if not more than anyone on this planet. But this is not about that. But when someone gets caught doing something, the oldest trick in the book is to say, OK, I may have done X, but I did not do Y and Z. He is trying to distance Arod the Ranger from ARod the Yankee, and I am sorry, I do not buy it. In my humble opinion, there is no way someone who experienced the kind of success, wealth, and fame Arod did from 2001-2003 decides to stop what he was doing because he wanted to do the right thing. People seem to forgive when the guilty party is willing to come forward and accept the blame. I give Arod credit for doing that here (although his slandering of reporter Selena Roberts is appalling). However, it is more PR-101 from the David Acevada of the sports world. People are willing to give guys like Pettite and Arod the benefit of the doubt because they came forward (not on their own, mind you) and because, unlike Barry Bonds, their entire body did not morph right before our Topps cards.
From Today's Globe:
Celtics coach Doc Rivers was impressed with San Antonio backup guard George Hill (7 points in 16-plus minutes) during a predraft workout last year. "He's a high character guy," Rivers said. "It would have been interesting if he would have been there. We were very, very high on him because of the way he played. He's tough. He made shots. He would have been a good fit for both teams. He was one of my favorites [in the predraft workout]."
Hey Doc, why don't you go make fun of JR Giddens' mother while you are saying you would rather have someone else insted of him?
It is pathetic and appaling that Al Jefferson will be home for All Star Weekend. Let's compare Pau Gasol to Al Jefferson. Big Al puts in 22.7 PPG, Gasol 17.3. Big Al gets 10.5 boards per game, Gasol 9.0. Gasol beats him 3.4 to 1.5 in assists, while Jefferson almost doubles Gasol up in blocks (1.6 to .9). And I do not want to hear about who plays on the better team. Jefferson's Twolves have been as good as anyone since the start of 2009. And this is not a team reward, this is about trying to get the 12 best players from each confrence onto one roster. Al Jefferson deserves to be one of those 12 players. He probably deserved it last year too.
Just as bad is Shaquille O'Neal's inclusion to the All Star Game. Shaq is getting 18 and 9, while Jefferson gets 22.7 and 10.5. Blocks and assists are roughly equal. One guy plays with Steve Nash; the other plays with Randy Foye and Sebastian Telfair.
It is bad enough that the fans on the NBA (and other sports) have made the All Star voting a joke. It is pathetic that the NBA now allows one guy onto the team because he happens to play on arguably the most visible franchise in the game, and another guy because he is extremely recognizable himself. Pau Gasol, despite being an excellent player, was not widely known to casual fans. Since his trade to the Lakers last season, he is now the #6 jersey seller in the NBA. Apparently, that is more important to the powers that be than who is actually the better player.
The Patriots scored 410 points this year. The Dolphins, and their stupid gimmicky offense scored 345 points.
The Patriots allowed 309 points, the Dolphins allowed 317 points.
The Pats were +101 points, the Dolphins were plus 28.
Syndication