The Curious Case of Ben Roethlisberger

I'm a die hard Pittsburgh Steelers fan. Always have been, always will be. I love the team unequivocally, I love what the franchise stands for, and I love the history of the franchise. Typically when you have the type of love that I have a for sports team, that means you also love all of their players, 100%, no questions asked. Unfortunately, for me, that's not the case. Ben Roethlisberger is the quarterback for the Steelers, and there is no questioning his supreme talent on the field. The problem with Ben is, he's an A-1 idiot (riding his motorcycle without a helmet), notorious asshole (SI ran an article last year from multiple sources in Pittsburgh about being a bad teammate and person) and more than anything a douchebag (repeated accusations from women of at best being horribly disrespected, at worst, sexually assaulted). All in all, it's not like this is some giant moral dilemma, I have the ability to separate the on field from the off field, and although I root for Ben to perform well on Sundays and lead the Steelers to victory, I don't wear his jersey, and you will never hear me tell my son and daughter how great he is. That type of praise is reserved for Troy Polamalu, who is a tremendous player AND person.

But then, something like last night happened. For those who didn't see the game against Cleveland last night, Rothelisberger suffered a gruesome leg injury in the first half. His lower leg was bent an angle that the human leg is never supposed to achieve, and on the broadcast there was speculation it could be a broken leg. He left the game, on a golf cart, and was shown limping very, very badly into the locker room. It was extremely safe to assume that he was done for the night, and worse yet, maybe multiple games. When the second half started though, there was Roethlisberger warming up, and gutting it out. He played the second half, in what was obvious pain, played admirably and led the team to a win. I don't harbor any illusions that playing in extreme pain all of a sudden makes Ben an angel, but I have to admit, on a personal level last night was the first time I was rooting not only for the Steelers, but I was rooting for Ben. I wanted to see him succeed, I wanted to see him be glorious, I wanted to LIKE him. I just don't understand how a guy who when not in uniform has demonstrated such tremendous acts of selfishness, continues to act so selflessly on the field. Plenty of athletes across all sports play through pain and adversity, Roethlisberger does it 90% of the time.* His on field play and demeanor is in direct opposition to his off field persona. None of this means that I ordered a number 7 jersey today, but I have to admit his on field performances are starting to influence my feelings towards him, something I vowed I would never let happen. I will never condone his past actions and behaviors, they are deplorable and despicable, but I do hope that now off the field he starts to transform his personal character and reach the same heights that he has on the field.

*Quick Note on players playing hurt. All you commentators, writers, bloggers, pundits, whatever, stop referring to athletes, any athlete as 'warrior' or 'soldier', or even really 'hero' These adjectives should be reserved for the men and women of this country who serve in our military branches. Those people only. No matter how impressive it is for someone to play on a severely injured leg, it pales in comparison to the man or woman who leaves their family, friends and homes behind to sacrifice for this country, and risk their lives doing it. Athletes should be applauded and celebrated for their efforts and achievements, but please keep them in perspective.

Bring on the Rock Doc

A couple of nights ago I was watching one of my favorite channels, VH1 Classic and happened upon a documentary on the Foo Fighters, Back and Forth and was immediately swept up. I would consider myself a casual fan of the Foo, I own one of their albums, their Greatest Hits but they are a band when I hear them on the radio I never turn the station. Having said that, I would consider my knowledge of their band history somewhat limited. This documentary was fascinating though, and that's not a word I use often. I was really impressed with how deeply it covered the band's problems, Dave Grohl spending time doing other projects, the band almost breaking up, and Taylor Hawkin's drug problems. It was not done in the sensationalistic 'Behind the Music' style though, it was more honest. The documentary definitely solidified my opinion that Dave Grohl has to be one of the nicest guys in music, and the band is one of the hardest working, most creative bands in rock music. I really, really enjoyed it, and encourage anyone who has the chance to see it to check it out.

After watching  the Foo Fighters documentary, it got me thinking about what bands I would like to see similar documentaries about. Below are the five bands that I want to see covered in depth, and the reasons I want to see them.

5. Limp Bizkit- Now this pick is definitely an odd one, but not only do I want to see it, it's been made. Right around the time that Limp hit the peak of their popularity it was announced that they were going to release a documentary style DVD, titled 'Poop'. At the time it was reported that despite the band's involvement it was a pretty scathing look at the band. It revealed all of the band's faults and in-fighting with one another, along with their crazy, debauchery. Look, I was a big fan in the 90's, but the Limp ship has sailed (despite having just recently released their first album in seven years) but I would still love to see the 'Poop' doc.

4. Slipknot- I have absolutely no affection for Slipknot, personally I dislike their music. I really enjoy Corey Taylor's side project, Stone Sour, but Slipknot is not my style. Having said that, there are two big reasons I would like to see this band covered. First, they are from Iowa and as far as I know the only 'major' rock band to ever come out of Iowa, at least with the type of success they've had. Second, with the exception of Kiss, they are the only major band that have pulled off the 'costume' rock to the degree they have. They've had a ton of commercial success, and often highly regarded by critics which is pretty rare for a band that is most often known of the mask gimmick.

3. Pink Floyd- This is the crazy, I hate this band pick, because really I hate Pink Floyd. Why do I hate Pink Floyd? Honestly, I don't really know, I think it's a bad misconception that they are only a band that drug users like (which I readily admit is crazy) and that their music can only be enjoyed if you are high as a kite. I want to see this documentary, because I want to either inform my dislike, or change my opinion. If I'm going to dislike a band, I better know what I'm talking about, and with Pink Floyd, I don't.

2. The Beastie Boys- I feel like more than any other band in the last 30 years, the Beastie Boys have more successfully ridden the line of being critically applauded, and commercially successful without ever being overexposed. They started their careers as young punk, party rappers, evolved into rappers AND musicians, and now approaching their 50's they just released another album of stellar music. Also, for a group made up of three people you've never heard of any band fighting, no one member has ever stood out any more than the other, and despite some backlash for their charitable causes, they are pretty controversy free. I would like to be taken inside their creative process on how they craft an album, and hear their thoughts on the music industry.

1. Van Halen- Similar to Foo Fighters, I like Van Halen, I don't love them. As a matter of fact, I'm probably one of about six people in the whole world that prefers Sammy Hagar era Van Halen to David Lee Roth Van Halen. You can't discredit what they've done as a band though, what other band has bounced back and forth between lead singers (who are still living) and still been so popular, and even more dysfunctional. I mean with this documentary I just want to see the scene where Eddie Van Halen tells the other band members that they are going to get rid of Michael Anthony and replace him with Eddie's teenage son. I mean, that's gold right?

Can Ricky Rubio save the Timberwolves?

The NBA Draft is this week, and it might be one of the worst drafts in recent memory. It's an even bigger week for the Minnesota Timberwolves because not only do they hold the #2 pick in the draft, but they finally just signed their 2009 first round pick, Ricky Rubio. Ricky has been hanging out in his native Spain for the last two years 'refining' his game, while waiting to decide if he wanted to play for the Wolves. His FC Barcelona team just won their league championship, and shortly after he decided to finally bring his talents to the NBA.

He's being widely touted, especially by the Timberwolves brass, as the savior of the team. He was drafted fifth in 2009, and when you take a player that high, he better be the savior. The problem is, there a lot of questions around Ricky's game, and his two year absence from the NBA did nothing to answer those questions. In Spain, he didn't start for his team, he only played 21 minutes a game, and averaged less than 5 points a game. Not exactly savior like numbers. He was drafted so high in 2009 largely on the hype of the 2008 Olympics where he played very well, including in the game against the United States. Kobe Bryant offered a lot of praise for Rubio, and by all accounts everyone felt his game was tailor made for the NBA.

Here's the issue with Rubio, he's all style and no substance. There is no doubt he's an unbelievable passer and loves to drop the flashy assist, and has great court vision. Unfortunately, from my perspective, that is where the positives stop with Rubio. Outside of being able to throw these amazing passes, what does he bring to the table? He's a 30% shooter, with no range, and awful shooting mechanics. He was drafted on potential at 19, but now it's two years later and he's actually regressed as a player. Rubio supporters will tell you that the European game is very restrictive and it's not well suited for his skill set, and he'll thrive in the wide open NBA. Umm, in theory that sounds fantastic. In reality it's a load of crap. The NBA is more wide open than Europe, but even the best teams in the NBA are only getting 20 fast break points a game. The fact of the matter is, he's going to have to be able to play in a half-court offense to be effective. Now, I keep hearing he's a beast in pick and rolls because of his ability to get to the rim, and find open cutters. Now, I'm no coaching genius, but if I'm coaching against a point guard who only shoots 30%, wouldn't I just come under every single pick and roll and make Rubio shoot outside shots? Doesn't seem like it is too complicated to me. So then, if he is able to actually get to the rim, can he actually finish? The kid has arms like pipe cleaners, and one of the biggest knocks on him is he isn't tough. So I can only imagine what happens the first time he comes down the lane and gets clotheslined by Kenyon Martin.

The place where I'm really concerned about Rubio is defense. The Timberwolves already have a defensive issue, mostly the fact that they don't play any, and they are adding a very poor defender to a league filled with fantastic point guards. I keep hearing about how quick Rubio is, but I've seen the highlights, he ain't quick. He's got long arms and good size, but he definitely lacks quickness and strength. He's going to get lit up like the 4th of July on defense.

I think Rubio has a place in the league, I really do. His place is that of a backup point guard on a team full of scorers that he can distribute too without issue. Instead, he's being asked to lead the worst team in the league with skill set that can't get it done. I hope, I truly do hope he can come in and bring some excitement to the Target Center, but I think he's going to be a colossal bust. He would be perfect for the Miami Heat, but he's going to be awful for the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Welcome to the Rory era!?

 Rory McIlroy just won the US Open in the most impressive fashion in the history of the tournament. There is no doubt he kicked Congressional's ass in a way that nobody imagined. Most of the players said that the setup was much easier than most US Opens, but -16 is the type of score you expect to see during normal PGA tour stops, definitely not what is generally considered the hardest tournament to win.

Back in April after McIlroy had squandered a chance to win the Masters by shooting an 80 in the final round, I speculated that I thought he would still win multiple major championships, or become Sergio Garcia. Well, it only took him one more try to rocket pass Sergio, and all other up and comers on tour. There's not doubt he's supremely talented, and by all accounts his putting is now under control, so physically he has all the tools to win multiple championships. The question becomes with this kid, is the fact that he is still a kid and does he have the mental makeup to continue to dominate. I think he absolutely can, golf is a sport where it is pretty easy to stay grounded and by all accounts McIlroy is fairly focused. He's not laser focused like Tiger, he's much more good natured,  but he does clearly have a competitive streak. It's hard not to root for him either, because right now the game absolutely needs him. There are some very serious questions about whether Tiger can ever come back, and in the last 12 months the number one ranked player has been a revolving door of guys that nobody really cares about. McIlroy can change all that, and that's a lot of pressure for a kid in his early twenties, but he seems like he has the right kind of makeup to take over the throne. The thing I really like about him; despite being from Europe, he doesn't dress like a color blind idiot. I'm looking at you Luke Donald and Ian Poulter. Here are a few other random observations from the US Open:

• Jason Day finished second and he is right on the cusp of becoming really, really good. I don't watch a ton of golf anymore like I used to, but every time I catch a tournament he is always in contention. His game is all about consistency, he doesn't do anything really outstanding, but he's just very good from tee to green. Unfortunately, he chose to shoot -8, in a tournament where McIlroy went so low.
• There was a lot of talk about the wet weather making the course so much easier than normal US Opens, and that is true for sure. However, I watched a lot of the tournament and the course just didn't seem to be setup all that tough. Fairways seemed wide, rough wasn't that long, and pin positions were pretty favorable. The USGA will tell you that is all a bunch of junk, but I can't help but think that they knew without Tiger in the field, they may need to do something to spark the casual fan to tune in on Sunday, and what better way to do that than to have some low numbers on the board.
• American golf is in trouble. The two best American golfers right now are Steve Stricker...and...and...Davis Love III? Nothing against either one of those guys, but they aren't exactly world beaters are they?

Sweet, Sweet, Redemption

What a tremendous NBA Finals that just concluded. Every single game was filled with drama, great storylines, great play, and in the end the good guys winning. Ultimately I was wrong about Dallas, I thought they would lose in the first round of the playoffs, and partially wrong about Miami. Although I predicted that Miami would not win the NBA title, I must admit, they played better than I thought they would. Ultimately though, Miami's main flaws were exposed, and Dallas was able to bring home their first ever NBA Championship. Here were the highlights:

• Dirk Nowitzki- The German Moses was the best player in the NBA playoffs, and despite a little adversity in the Finals, he threw the Mavs on his back and refused to let them lose. I absolutely love Dirk because of his tireless work ethic, humble nature, and absolute dizzying array of offensive moves. He played through a torn finger tendon, illness, a missed game winner, and through it all kept his composure and it paid off. He's now done something that Charles Barkley and Karl Malone never pulled off.
• The three J's- Jason Kidd, Jason Terry, and J.J. Barrea. These three guards, all with there very pronounced weaknesses, played out of this world. Kidd pushed all the right buttons, and at his age he should absolutely be a defensive liability, but instead, he was a defensive strength. Jason Terry struggled early, but turned it on in games 4, 5, and 6, and in 5 and 6 he was arguably the Mavs best player. J.J. Barrea is a pace changer for the Mavs, and shot way better than anyone could have ever expected. He's an upcoming free agent, and I fully expect the Mavs to keep him.
• Rick Carlisle- He flies under the radar because of his quiet demeanor, but the dude is definitely one of the best coaches in the league. He pushed all the right buttons, pulled all the right strings, and managed his team perfectly. 
• All of the problems with the Miami Heat have been covered to death, and will continue to be covered to death between now and tip-off next season. I'm not going to beat that dead horse to hard, but here are a few observations.
• LeBron James- He definitely took his talents to South Beach, I'm just not sure his talents are everything they thought they were getting. He's the ultimate front runner, plain and simple. His physical talent and skill is undeniable, but if he ever wants to be as good as he thinks he is, he better get his mind right, and develop a low post game. The fact of the matter is, every proven superstar winner in the history of the NBA has a F.U. mode, and LeBron doesn't even have an I'm pissed mode. He lets the game come to him, he never dictates the action, and he sure as hell isn't going to take over a game. Most experts questioned how the Heat would determine who the Alpha Dog would be on the team, and with his performance in the NBA Finals, LeBron just placed the crown on D-Wade's head, and then bent over and kissed his ass. You keep hearing with LeBron, "if, if, if, if he does this, if he does that". He's been in the league eight years, he's been in the Finals twice, and he's now playing with the most talented team in the NBA. If isn't happening people, LeBron is what he is, a supremely talented player, and a mental midget.
• I've heard some experts claim that the Heat need to trade Chris Bosh, but really, what will that accomplish? Did Chris Bosh not give the Heat exactly what was needed out of him? He's their THIRD best player for chrissakes, isn't he the third best player in the NBA? I mean what would they possibly get in return that would be worth the value?
• The Heat can win a NBA title, there is no doubt about that, but how are they going to get any better? They can add pieces, but the right pieces are extremely hard to find, especially to mesh with the big three. Ultimately, they are going to have to improve internally, and honestly I don't know if that can happen. One thing is for sure, they are going to get their asses kicked in the media every single day, and their every move will be scrutinized. Mentally, I don't know if they can accept that challenge, time will tell.

NBA Finals Preview and season wrap up

NBA Finals Preview:
First off let me admit that I was wrong about the Miami Heat. I did not believe they would be in the NBA finals and they have clearly proven me wrong. They have found a way to absolutely control the ends of ball games, and they have dominated when they need to.  I still can't stand their need to pose, and strut, and flaunt after every big play, but I don't know that is necessarily an indictment on them uniquely, but more the modern athlete, especially in the NBA. Okay, apologies out of the way, here are the things I think need to be watched in these finals. Heat vs. Mavericks, starts Tuesday night.

• Dwayne Wade's injury(ies): D-Wade is clearly banged up, but wisely no one is letting on to how badly. His health will be the major factor in this series for the Heat. They are going need him to be either the #1, or #1A option in every single game, and they have a huge advantage at the shooting guard position against the Mavs. If his shoulder is really messed up and it affects his shooting I honestly don't think he'll be able to adjust and get to the rim more, and he can't dominate games outside of scoring like LeBron can.
• Can LeBron take the step to the next level. Scottie Pippen comments aside (we'll get to that later, and in-depth) LeBron really has been unbelievable in these playoffs. What has impressed me most is his defense. He absolutely physically intimidated and outplayed Derrick Rose in the last four games of that series, and honestly I didn't think that was an effort he had in him. He's not going to have to work nearly that hard on defense in the Finals, so will we see him be even more dominant on offense? 40 point, 50 point games? They are certainly possible.
• Who will guard my favorite player, Dirk Nowitzki? Udonis Haslem messed with Dirk in the 2006 finals, and he's back from injury and has sparked the Heat. This is a different Dirk though, he's got a different attitude now. He's got a F.U. mode he didn't have a couple of years ago. Haslem can't play more than probably 32-35 minutes a game, and Dirk will play 40+, so for 10+ minutes a game, somebody else is going to have step up. I expect Dirk to average 30/10 for the finals.
• Can Jason Kidd continue play like he's 25? To me, J-Kidd is the single biggest factor in the entire finals for both teams. If he can score 10+ points, dish 10+ assists, and pull down 5 rebounds a game, all while holding whoever he guards in relative check, the Mavs win this series easy. In the previous two series he's done a good job guarding both Kobe Bryant, and Russell Westbrook/James Harden/other Thunder guards. I think the Heat are going after him in this series though. He's going to match up against Mario Chalmers or Mike Miller when they are in the game, and really, both of those guys should be easy covers for Kidd. If he can save energy on defense, the Heat are in big trouble.
• The Mavs have a superior bench to the Heat, and it's not even close. J.J. Barrea, Jason Terry, Haywood, these are all guys who have played tremendous in the playoffs. I fully expect the Mavs' bench to win at least one game in the series, maybe two. If they can actually swing two games in their favor, the Heat don't stand a chance.
• The Heat will win the series if they can out rebound, and cover the perimeter at the same time against the Mavs. The Mavs shooters are playing with so much confidence right now and Miami is going to have to show aggressively on the perimeter, which will leave the lanes pretty open for Dallas to crash the boards. I think if the Heat stay within 7 rebounds every game of the Mavs, they'll win the series.
• The Mavs will win the series if they dictate the pace, and don't rely on those aforementioned shooters. The Mavs don't have a lot of guys outside of J.J. Barrea who are going to break down a defense and get to the rim, but in this series they have to do more of that for two reasons. Number one, the Heat's bigs are awful, especially on the bench. The Mavs are great free throw shooting team, so if they are attacking the basket and getting to the line that's free points every time. Continually attacking the rim, will open up those shooting lanes just that much more. Dallas can play up tempo or half court, and they can win the Finals doing either one, but they have to be the ones to decide how the game will be played. They can't try and match Miami, they have to dictate to Miami.
• I predict the Mavs will avenge 2006, and beat the Heat in seven games.

Season Wrap-Up: 
These are just a very few of my thoughts on what I think are the biggest story lines going into the next regular season.

• The coaching carousel: All pro sports drive me up a damn wall with how they recycle coaches, even coaches who suck, over and over. The NBA by far is the absolute worst offender though. I've already covered in a previous post my thoughts on Mike Brown being hired as the Lakers head coach, and now the Houston Rockets have hired Kevin McHale. The Rockets are in my opinion one of the few teams that generally make very good personnel moves, but this one is idiotic. When McHale was the T-Wolves coach, he DIDN'T EVEN WANT TO BE THE COACH! He moved to the bench because he had screwed up the team so bad as general manager, he felt obligated to become the coach. He had a decent amount of success in a very short amount of time, but I guarantee he will fail miserably in Houston. That team has no proven floor leader or strong personalities to help keep a locker room in check, and McHale sure as hell can't do it. I believe he would make an outstanding assistant coach because he can teach fundamentals well, but he cannot run a team. Why can't guys like Brian Shaw, Mark Jackson, or Patrick Ewing get a chance? Mark Jackson in particular confounds me why he can't get a job. The guy is on the record for wanting to be a coach, he knows the game, and he understands players. There will be at least two more coaches probably lose their jobs between now and the beginning of the season, and look for two more retread coaches get jobs.
• The Lockout next year is almost a stone cold, lead pipe lock. I look for it to be very similar to '98, and for at least half the season to be lost. It's a shame, because this past year has been probably one of the best regular seasons in a long time. If  a lockout happens though, it will severely hurt the NBA. The NFL can sustain a lockout because they the nation is crazed for the sport, and because fans only get to see their hometown team in person 8-9 times a year, on the weekend. The NBA has 41 homes games, most during the week, and ticket prices are outrageous. Fans won't come back to watch half a season, it will kill teams like Memphis who had built so much momentum this year. From a player perspective, think of what it does for guys like Kobe Bryant, Kevin Garnett, and Tim Duncan. Some will argue that it helps those guys because they won't have the grind of a full season, but those guys at their advanced age need to get into rhythm, and they won't be able to establish that in 50 games.
• If the OKC Thunder can get the Russell Westbrook puzzle figured out, they will be the team to beat next year, hands down. They are still so young, at every single position, and now they have two years of solid playoff experience under their belt. The thing with Westbrook is, he's a tremendous talent, but I'm not sure he's every really been coached on what the team needs from him. I don't think he's a true point guard, but I do think he would be willing to average 16 points a game, instead of 23 if that was clearly stated to him.
• The Bulls were really, really close this year...but I think it might be a closing window already. Derrick Rose couldn't do it all in the playoffs, and he made some mistakes against the Heat, but I look for him to be even better next year. Having said that, they've got some areas of concern, mostly power forward and shooting guard. I was a huge fan of the Carlos Boozer signing at the time, but he certainly proved unreliable this year, and injury prone. At shooting guard, the pieces they have are okay, but they need a proven second scorer to be able to lead the team in scoring 20-25 games a year. I'm not sure what the plan is for them in the off season, but I have a feeling they'll try and flip a guy like Luol Deng for a bigger name scorer. It's a risky move, because that team is built largely on defense and chemistry, and you don't want to mess with that.
• Dwight Howard and Chris Paul, will not be on their respective teams to start the 2012-2013 season, and I think at least one of them moves in season next year. The Hornets, despite pushing the Lakers in the playoffs are a sinking ship, and Paul absolutely wants out whether he says it publicly or not. Howard needs to look inward at what is causing some of his teams' problems, but I don't think he can win a championship in Orlando. I predict Paul becomes a Knick, and Howard, following Wilt, Kareem, and Shaq, becomes a Laker.

Oh Scottie:
On Friday, my man, one of my all-time favorites, Scottie Pippen said in an interview that LeBron James may be better than Michael Jordan. I will say, I think Pippen misspoke, actually using the wrong words for what he wanted to convey. The fact the matter is, skill wise, in terms of actual physical skills, LeBron James SHOULD be better than Michael Jordan. Michael was 6'6", LeBron is 6'8". Michael, at his heaviest clocked in about 215, some reports say LeBron weighs close to 275, but he's 260 no doubt. Baseline to baseline, LeBron is absolutely faster than Michael. Strength advantage = LeBron, passing = LeBron; rebounding = LeBron. So, if Scottie was trying to say that LeBron could be better because of his physical gifts, then I can't really fault him for that. However, that's not how the statement came across, he just said better. Here's why LeBron will not ever be better than Michael...he doesn't want to be. I have no doubt that LeBron wants to win championships, Michael was consumed by it. I think LeBron wants to be known as the best player in the league, Michael was obsessed with it. LeBron has improved slightly since entering the league, Michael improved nearly every single year until the time he retired the second time with the Bulls. Michael would kick your ass on the court, telling you all about it while he did it, but he rarely ever pounded his chest, or winked at his bench, or anything in the "hey look at me" vein of LeBron. LeBron will do that crap in the first quarter of a meaningless game in December to get people to notice him. Michael never did that crap because he already KNEW you were watching him.

I'm not sure what Pip's motivation was. I'm not sure if he actually believes what he said, or if he was trying to get his name out there and stir controversy. At the end of the day I can't condemn him too much because what he said is just so patently ridiculous. I can tell you, for a guy who played 10+ seasons with Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen must'a forgot. I don't even think it should be a question of loyalty, I don't think Pippen owes Jordan anything, but for a guy who witnessed every single day the competitive fire that burned with MJ, I have absolutely no idea what he must be thinking to utter something so absurd. As a former Pip lover, I'm going to choose to believe he was talking about pure physical gifts, and the potential that exists within LeBron. This much I can promise you though, if tomorrow both Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen showed up at some random YMCA in Chicago for a game of pick-up hoops, Jordan would make sure that he and Pip got put on different teams. Then, he would proceed to crucify Pip and his team in a way that would make bystanders beg for mercy for Pippen. I'm not one of those guys that says there will never be anyone as good as or better than Michael, I mean Jordan happened, so why can't someone better happen at some point in history? However, I can tell you, there is nobody currently in college or pro basketball that is even close to ascending to those heights, and personally I don't think I'll see it in my lifetime. Hopefully my kids will though.

Summer Movie Preview and Movie of the Year Review

You can go to any number of a thousand sources for a Summer Movie Preview, so I'm going to keep this short and sweet. What follows are the five movies I'm most looking forward to seeing and the reasons why, and the couple of movies I'll be skipping. After the list, my review of Fast Five can be found, and I won't bury the lead, I LOVED the movie.

5. Green Lantern- I really dug the comic book as a kid, and I think Ryan Reynolds is great. Outside of the Batman franchise DC comic movies have not lived up to their Marvel counterparts, but I'm hopeful this one will deliver.

4. Friends with Benefits- As the title suggests a movie about friends who decide to explore a little more in their relationship, but not too much. Stars Justin Timberlake and Mila Kunis, two stars who I really like, and the previews make it look pretty funny. I did just see 'No Strings Attached' with Ashton Kutcher and Natalie Portman, and that movie has the exact same theme. I enjoyed that film, but I anticipate this one will be better.

3. Captain America- Similar to 'Green Lantern', but I'm anticipating it to be much better. I think Chris Evans is very good, and from what I've seen with footage and previews, it appears the filmmakers have decided to approach the material fairly seriously, and not too campy.

2. Kung Fu Panda 2- I really like the first one, my 4 year old loves it, and this one looks as good. Good characters, good cast, and a proven franchise...I'm in. Ironically, this is the only movie on the entire list that it is a virtual lock that I'll probably see, because of my son. The others, I may or may not get to, but this one is almost guaranteed.

1. The Hangover Part II- I hold no illusions that there is any way that this thing will be nearly as good as the first one, but I still think it will be entertaining. For me the Thailand angle is intriguing, because other than that the entire movie looks rehashed.

Honorable Mentions:
*Bridesmaids- Already in release, and frankly I'm sure I'll see it in my living room. For the record I think Kristen Wiig is the funniest thing in film or television right now.

*X-Men; Transformers; Thor- All intriguing action films, but in all honesty none of them make me want to buy an overpriced ticket to the movies. Hopefully I'll catch up with each one of them, just not on the big screen.

*30 Seconds or Less- This is a comedy that stars, Danny McBride, Nick Swardson, and Jesse Eisenberg. The plot sounds funny, and I like all three of those guys, but like Bridesmaids, I'm sure I won't see it in the theater.

*Warrior- A MMA themed movie that looks WAY better than all the other crap that's been released about the sport. Would have definitely been in my top five, but it comes out September 9th, so I don't consider it a 'summer' movie.

Skipping for sure:
If you have Harry Potter, or Pirate in your title, I'll pass. I've seen multiple movies from both franchises, and neither one really entertained me. Nothing against those people who do like them, I get the appeal, they just aren't the films for me.

Movie Review: FAST FIVE

Look, I love the 'Fast' franchise, and I'm not afraid to admit it. In my opinion all five of the movies have delivered on everything they promise. (the second one is a little shaky, but still redeemable) These movies, unlike a lot of action movies these days, doesn't try and be anything but tremendously fun summer action. The acting is bad, the writing is a little thin, and you won't learn a damn thing, but if you want to melt into your seat and have a great time for two hours, this is your film.
Pros:
*Vin Diesel- This man is tremendous. His character's last name is Toretta, and I'm assuming that's Italian, but I dare anyway to identify his accent, especially in this movie. It literally changes from scene to scene. Having said all of that, he plays the role of Dom perfectly.

*The Rock- I love the Rock. I loved him WWE, I loved him in 'The Scorpion King' and pretty much anything. Outside of the tons of kids movies he's done, he's always fun to watch. In this movie he plays a federal agent with vigor and grit, and at one point even drops a 'F' bomb. Take that Tooth Fairy.

*The Fight Scenes- The 'Fast' franchise is all about the cars, but this one has some pretty damn good fight scenes. Paul Walker is a big MMA fan, and the fight scenes in this one are heavily MMA inspired.

*The writing- This thing is so full of cliches, bad jokes, and re-treaded action film standards, I would have to see it a dozen times just to catch them all. That seems like a bad thing, but I think it's awesome. It's like the writers just threw up two middle fingers and said, "Hey, we're ripping everything off, deal with it". I appreciate that extreme laziness, and at the same time, extreme awesomeness.

*The Setting- Brazil = Beautiful. Brazil = Dirty. This movies captures both very well, great setting that I would not have expected for a film of this ilk.

The Cons: there are very few, but a couple that bugged me.
*Jordana Brewster- Look up her IMDB sometime, with the list of absolute gigantic bad actors in these films (I'm looking at you Paul Walker) she takes the cake. She added absolutely nothing to this movie, and the scenes in where she tries to be dramatic, she's actually funny. They could have put any actress in the film, called her Mia Toretto and I would have been fine with it.

*Tyrese Gibson- Who in the blue hell does Tyrese have pictures of to get as featured as he did in this thing? I know he was Vin's replacement in the second film so they had to bring him back, but come on, he didn't need this many scenes.

*The ending- The one before the credits (hint, hint). It wasn't awful, but was a little blah. Normally that would ruin a movie for me, but the previous 108 minutes of this film were so damn good, I didn't mind that much.

I honestly love this movie so much, and it's been in release for a month now, so when making you're Memorial Day movie choices, don't fight the lines at Hangover II, or Kung Fu Panda II. Go see the best movie of the year, and still on the big screen.

Weekly Short Hops and Air Balls

Yet another sporadic Short Hops and Air Balls segment, and expect some bonus content in the next day or two.

Short Hops:

• Derrick Rose was the MVP of the regular season, but without question the big German, Dirk Nowitzki is the best player in the NBA right now. His skill set is as unique as potentially anyone ever in the NBA. He gets a lot of comparisons to Larry Bird, but Bird did not have Dirk's post skills. Obviously Dirk doesn't pass anywhere near as good as Bird ever did, but in terms of pure scoring ability Dirk might be better. He's got that absolutely unblockable fadeaway jumper that nobody can defend.
• The LA Lakers hiring Mike Brown is....curious. Brown was let go from the Cleveland Cavaliers a year ago because it was virtually guaranteed that if he came back, LeBron James would bolt no questions asked. As it turns out, it didn't matter anyway because LeBron left, but it can't be a good sign when your superstar wants the coach gone. Guess what, Kobe Bryant is about 1000 times more demanding than LeBron James ever has, or ever will be. Not too mention, Kobe is much more involved in the basketball aspect of his team, he literally is a coach on the floor. Most reports have Kobe wanting assistant coach Brian Shaw to be hired, and in my opinion that would have been the right move. Why wouldn't you hire the guy who knows the entire offensive/defensive scheme, has the trust of the players, used to PLAY for the organization, and is the superstar's choice? What would have been the downside? Instead they hire a guy who has a reputation for being somewhat incompetent, a ball buster, and boring. Should be a great fit.
• If you get a chance, check out the NCAA College Lacrosse Championships on ESPN this weekend. Lacrosse is a sport that is growing in popularity all across the nation, and I love it. I love and appreciate soccer, but there are a lot of aspects of that game I don't really like (lack of scoring, the flopping, etc) but lacrosse has all the best elements of soccer without some of the drawbacks. It's a supremely physical sport with tons of action, and these college kids play HARD. It's extremely entertaining to watch and overall a lot of fun. I believe the semis are on Saturday, and the championship is Monday, but please, check your local listings.

Air Balls:

• Seriously, does anybody still care about Lance Armstrong? Yet again this week it comes out that a former teammate, and also a known doper, Tyler Hamilton is accusing Armstrong of being a cheater. How is this news? How many people have accused him at this point, and better yet, does it even matter? The entire sport is corrupt, proven by the fact that a majority of the former champions have been popped for being dirty. I think, absolutely, positively, Lance Armstrong took PEDs, I just think he was better than everyone else at it. Honestly, I don't even care. I mean in reality almost every single rider in that sport was doping, so at the end of the day that makes the playing field even again right? If everybody is on the juice, then the guy who does it best becomes the best guy, and I think that guy is Armstrong.
• Congratulations Scotty McCreery you just become the latest American Irrelevant, oops, I mean American Idol. There's no doubt the kids has chops, but he won't make a dent in music. He's the definition of one trick pony, in the country genre. Let me be clear it's not his fault, the kid is 17 for goodness sake, but what does he bring to music? He's not an engaging performer, he doesn't offer any variety, and he's a niche artist. He just won the show on the strength of the teeny bopper teenage girl, and middle aged cougar mom vote, two demographics that absolutely will not follow him into the mainstream. The teenage girls will gravitate towards and spend their money on the Biebers of the world, who actually perform, and the cougar moms aren't going to go out and spend their money on CD's and posters of a teenage boy. I wish him the best of luck, but he would have been better off developing his talent a little further and making it in the industry in a few years.
• On a more somber, serious note, I'm done with severe weather. I've never been in, and I hope I'm never in a tornado, but my heart goes out to all of those affected in Alabama, Missouri, and here in Minneapolis. The amount of devastation that these storms cause is epic, but generally because they affect smaller areas than say earthquakes or tsunamis, the people affected don't usually get the same amount of help. It's tragic, and I hope it's over for this year.

Stay tuned for my take on the summer movie season, and on the fact that I've already seen the best movie of the year.

My Kobe Bryant Conumdrum

One week ago today the Los Angeles Lakers were eliminated from the 2011 playoffs after being swept by the Dallas Mavericks. Swept. Out in four. Demolished and humiliated in game four, losing by 30+ points. I purposely waited a week to write this blog so I could properly reflect and assess my thought and feelings on the Lakers star player, Kobe Bryant.

Kobe is no doubt uber-talented, driven, focused and a tremendous competitor. But, what is his legacy? When it's all said and done, what will be his legacy, how will he be portrayed in the conversations of the all time greats? Will he really be mentioned in the same breath as Michael Jordan, who he is so often compared to? My answer is no, and here's why.

I'm an unabashed Michael Jordan fan, anybody who knows me knows that, but I don't hate Kobe Bryant. I really appreciate the fact that since he's been in the league Kobe has worked harder than anyone in the NBA to improve his skills every single year. Having said that, you can't ignore the fact that he still leaves a lot to be desired as a player, especially as a teammate.

To really deconstruct why Kobe never has been, nor never will be on the same level as Jordan, you first have to note the comparisons. Both played shooting guard, close to the same height, same weight, evolved their games throughout their careers, similar stats, and similar number of championships. On paper, the case can absolutely be made that they are very close to one another as players. However, for those who have actually really ever watched them play, the differences are glaring.

Kobe Bryant has won five NBA championships, Michael Jordan has won six. However, Jordan has never had the lapses that Kobe has throughout his career. In being swept by the Dallas Mavericks, Kobe scored 36 points in game 1, and then in games 2-4, he scored, 23, 17, and 17, all while being guarded mostly by an aging Jason Kidd. Does anyone on the planet think that with a season on the line and his team playing horribly that Michael Jordan would have not scored less than 40+ points in each of those games. It's absolute single most defining difference between Jordan and Bryant. Both are clearly fierce competitors, but Kobe will quit. Jordan never quit, ever. Kobe will accept losing and pout, and blame his teammates, all while hiding under the premise that his teammates let him down. Both are notorious assholes, Jordan had no problem literally punching teammates for not performing, but Jordan never quit on a basketball court. If his teammates weren't performing Jordan would get upset, but he would simply try and win a game by himself. His competitive spirit would not allow him to even consider doing anything but short of killing someone to win a game. I will never forget in 2007, in a game seven against the Phoenix Suns, Bryant literally pouted on the court in the second half. Down by fifteen at halftime, Kobe proceeded to take three shots in the second half, and was passing up wide open opportunities every time they came his way. In the deciding game of that season, he shoved it in the faces of his teammates that weren't good enough to win without him. In the same situation, Jordan would have come out and taken 30 shots, and if the Bulls lost he would have chewed every single teammates rear end in the locker room, but he would have never publicly quit.

There's still a chance that Kobe can equal, if not pass the number of championships that Jordan has won. I still say his five are not nearly as impressive as Jordan's six. Three of Kobe's championships were won when he was the second best player on the team behind Shaquille O' Neal. Jordan always had Scottie Pippen for his six, but there's one major difference. Jordan made Scottie better, he elevated his game. Bryant never made Shaq better, he's never made any teammate better. He finds ways to co-exist with them, all while expecting them to be able to adjust to however he's playing. There were absolutely times when Jordan was lifted by his teammates (the sixth game of the '92 Finals is a perfect example) but there was never time when Jordan just expected his teammates to win a game while he sulked. Jordan burned with desire to win championships, Kobe burns with the desire to win championships and being recognized as the reason why.

For me, Kobe is a fantastic player and when he retires I think he'll legitimately be considered one of the ten greatest players. The comparisons with Jordan have to stop though, Kobe is clearly not wired the same way as Jordan, and that's the major difference between the two of them. In any given situation Jordan would try and win a game one vs. five if he had to. In the same situation, Kobe would force his teammates to win a game four vs. five, because he would quit and let them take the blame. I honestly don't know what to make of Kobe Bryant, but I can't help but the shake the feeling that despite all of his achievements, and talent, and accolades, he may actually underachieved. We'll never actually know how many games Kobe may have decided to teach his teammates a lesson in, but I do know in at least a couple of the most high profile situations he has decided to not be as good as he could, and that's what keeps me from loving Kobe Bryant as a player.

UFC 129 Review

I haven't covered Mixed Martial Arts yet in this blog, but I'm a huge fan. I grew up as a boxing fan, and have transitioned that love to MMA. Thanks to the generosity of my father ( I was in Iowa this weekend) I was able to watch UFC 129, and it was a great card. I know I'm a couple of days late, but sue me, I've been busy. Here are my highlights and lowlights:

Undercard:
Just a couple of things to hit on;

• Ivan Menjivar putting his elbow through Charlie Valencia's nose was sweet, and a perfect example of why more elbows need to be thrown at close distance. Doesn't seem like enough fighters utilize the technique.
• Pablo Garza and Yves Jabouin was an awesome fight! Jabouin is one of the most exciting fighters in the sport on his feet, and he was demonstrating that again Saturday night. Then, Garza pulls a flying triangle out of his rear end, and finishes the fight with probably the most exciting submission of the year so far.
• Nate Diaz losing to Rory MacDonald really surprised me. I've always thought that Diaz, because of his size and awkward, classic Diaz style would be a tough contender for the belt at either 155 or 170, but this loss sets him back quite a bit.

Main Card

• I thought Ben Henderson was the most impressive fighter of the night. His opponent Mark Bocek is an extremely tough dude, and with Henderson coming off a very tough loss in his last fight in the WEC, I thought he might be in trouble. However, his game looked more well rounded, and he was fighting HARD. My only criticism is, he still continues to find himself in serious trouble in almost every single fight, something he will have to avoid and he faces tougher UFC competition.
• Not much to say on Vladmir Matyushenko vs. Jason Brilz. It was a very impressive finish for Matyushenko, which is saying something because that dude never finishes fights. All in all though, doesn't mean much for the light heavyweight division.
• Lyoto Machida kicking Randy Couture's tooth down his throat was the highlight of the night. Ultimately though, it was a much needed win for Machida, against an opponent who I don't think had much interest in being in there. I think Randy had decided awhile ago to hang them up, and although he looked game, I'm not sure his heart was in it. What a fantastic ambassador for the sport and a great career, despite the odd record of 19-11. I've always felt Machida was maybe the most impressive fighter in the UFC when he plays his game. In two fights with Shogun, and then Rampage he decided not to dictate the fights. If he is able to harness that ability, I think he wins the belt again.
• Jose Aldo retained his belt, but Mark Hominick was more impressive. There's no doubt that Aldo won the fight, but how can you not come out of that fight loving Hominick. He's absolutely busted up, and just continued to stand and fire, take more punishment and just keep coming. Aldo is supremely skilled, but whether he was sick (as his camp says) or had too tough of a weight cut, his gas tank let him down. That is an area he'll have to correct against Chad Mendes, his next fight. I think he'll beat him, but Mendes has cardio for days, so Aldo better be ready.
• The Main Event, Georges St. Pierre vs. Jake Shields. What can I say, I've long been a big supporter of GSP even though he didn't finish fights, and a huge critic of Jake Shields because he's so one dimensional. Coming out of this fight, my opinion of Shields doesn't change much, although his standup looked better, but his gameplan was dumb. He had no chance on the feet, but after two stuffed takedowns, he decided to stop trying, which is ridiculous. St. Pierre however, I don't think I can really defend him anymore. Yes, he had an eye injury, but honestly I do question how serious it was. I feel his vision was compromised, but it wasn't gone. He was so much better than Shields on the feet, and Shields chose to stay there, and GSP showed absolutely no desire to try and finish. GSP threw jabs, looping telegraphed overhand rights, spinning back kicks, and superman jabs. None of which had any chance to finish the fight. No leg kicks, only one high kick, no three punch combinations, none of that. I feel he's mentally weak, I really do. He got hurt, and instead of getting mad, or getting urgent, he got scared and it showed. There's been a lot of speculation what his next fight is, if he moves to fight Anderson Silva, I think he loses badly. If he stays at 170, and Nick Diaz is the guy, I think he can win that fight, but Diaz will kick his ass a lot more than Shields did in the process. GSP has to bring his mental game to the level of his clearly superior physical ability.

One more combat sports note, Manny Pacquaio fight Shane Mosely this weekend, which is a good fight, but not a great fight. Pacquaio is so much better than Mosely at this point, that I think it will be a completely lopsided fight. If after this fight Pacquaio and Floyd Mayweather Jr. can't get together, boxing is ruined for me. 

And so it begins....

Tomorrow I become a 'soccer dad', as my 4 year old son starts his first organized team sport. For the last 10 years, I've always been on the opposite side of the whistle as I've coached girls youth basketball. In that time, I've run the gamut of experiences with parents both good and bad. Everyone has probably heard or seen some horror story about an overbearing, out of control, or just plain crazy parent shouting, cussing, and generally acting a fool at some youth sporting event. I've certainly seen it, and had to talk to some of those parents in my time as a coach. I would say that I think the majority of the time the parents lose control because they really just have so much passion for their kid, and the desire to want them to do well. That certainly doesn't excuse the boorish behavior, but most of the time I think the intention is pure, but the action is misguided.

Now, I certainly don't think at 4 year old soccer I'll be chasing referees or spitting on little kids, but it has got me to thinking about what the future holds. This will be the first time in my life that I will be so closely involved with a sport, without being a player or coach. I have the internal debate occasionally on whether or not I'll ever coach either my son or my daughter, and if I do, how will I approach that? I was extremely fortunate that growing up my dad was one of my little league coaches and it was the perfect experience. He was neither too hard, or too easy on me, and it was great learning the game from him, exactly the type of experience I would want to provide to my kids if I'm fortunate to coach them. For now though, I get to sit back and watch my little boy starting his journey into athletics. We went out and bought the soccer ball, and the shin guards, and I already drive a mini-van, so I say let's get this soccer party started.

Weekly Air Balls

The hope was to make the Weekly Short Hops and Air Balls a regular weekly segment, but as it turns out I'm not that prolific. So here's the second installment, and there are no Short Hops, just Air Balls.

• It's an old item, but too good to pass up. Everybody, give it up for Lebron James, but not just the King, but his MOMMMA! That's right the illustrious Ms. Gloria James was in the news recently, for slapping the shit out of a valet at a Miami hotel. Apparently the kind valet pulled King MOMMMA's car up to the curb, and she wasn't ready to leave so she proceeded to stand and chit chat with her gal pal. After 30 minutes the kind valet asked someone else to keep an eye on the car. Gloria takes exception to said valet, proceeds to cuss him out and then give him the open hand upside his dome piece. Ladies and gentlemen, I would like to introduce you to the richest valet in the world. I'm guessing Lebron is wishing right about now instead of just sleeping with his mom, Delonte West would have married her, so she became his problem.
• Speaking of the good behavior club, how about them Lakers! Finish the season losing 5 of their last 7, and then just to prove how good they are Kobe decided to gay slur a ref the other night, and then Phil Jackson decided that when asked whether or not he was coming back next year answered with "there's going to be a lockout". Between those two angels, that cost them a cool $175,000 and now the Lakers organization have promised to work with the GLAAD organization. The Lakers just aren't the lovable champions when things aren't going their way are they?
• During the opening week of the baseball season, a fan was beat up at a Giants/Dodgers baseball game and is now in a coma. That is obviously extremely awful, and needs no further elaboration. Except, this week, this d-bag columnist decided it would be a wonderful idea to write how it may actually be the man's fault for wearing the jersey of the opposing team to the stadium. I can't really express what a complete assclown this guy is, but this is the absolute epitome of a journalist just writing an article for attention right? I mean he can't honestly believe that angle he's portraying.
• Coming off a splendid Masters tournament, the golf story of the week, professional golfer Kevin Na, taking a 16 on a par four at the Texas Valero open. A 16? I saw the highlights and they were fantastic. I was actually on the treadmill when I looked up and saw Na in the woods. I thought he was taking a leak. He wasn't, turns out he was swinging and missing at his ball on several occasions. The beauty of the whole thing was after he actually got out of the timber, he hit his approach a little long, played a really nice up and down, and then sunk a knee knocker of a putt to finish with a glorious 16. Thank you Kevin Na, because when I inevitably take a 10 this summer on any number of holes, I will remember you. I'm sure he will be also be thinking of me when he cashes in his millions of dollars this summer.

NBA Playoffs start tomorrow and honestly the first round matchups aren't that compelling. The only upset will be the Mavs losing to the Blazers. Fast forward to the middle of June (the playoffs are grotesquely long) when the upstart OKC Thunder knock off the equally upstart Chicago Bulls. Should be a fun playoffs, buckle up. The good news is they only play every three days, so don't worry, plenty of time to get involved.

The New Master

Something called Charl Schwartzel (or as I affectionately refer to him, Charles Schwab)  is the 2011 Masters Champion, winning what quite possibly might be the most exciting golf tournament ever played. Coming down the home stretch on Sunday afternoon, at one point there were 9 golfers within two shots of the lead, on the back nine. That's unprecedented, and quite frankly, nuts. Here are some of the highlights, and lowlights according to me from what truly was a masterful tournament.

• I don't know who the hell Schwartzel is, or where he came from, but the dude has some giant stones. Birdieing the last four holes at Augusta National with a packed leaderboard was insane. Apparently he's a protege of Ernie Els, and I have no idea what that exactly means, but the Big Smooth taught him well. 2010 was a nuts year for guys winning majors who have never even been relevant prior to their win (Mickelson was the exception of course) and it looks like with 'ol Charlie Schwab winning the first major of 2011 that trend will continue.

• I can only feel so bad for Rory McIlroy. The kid is uber talented and I fully expect him to win a few majors in his career, unless he turns into Sergio Garcia. He's only 21 with a ton of talent, but man, when he gacked he definitely did it in style. That was not the wheels coming off, that was the car blowing up. At about 1:00 this afternoon he was probably thinking about all the red headed Irish babes he was going to be pulling with his new green jacket , and 3 hours later he had to be thinking how many of those babes would have shot better than 80 in the final round of the Masters.

• There is going to be a lot of talk about how Tiger is back, he's not. He had a great round today and made an exciting charge, but remember, he finished 4th in this same tournament last year, and went on to do squat since. Augusta National, more than any other course I've ever seen is crazy for how the past champions always play well there. I mean Fred Couples, who can barely even walk four rounds was in contention as late as Saturday. Angel Cabrera who looks like a garbage man, and has been playing like one for almost 2 years damn near won the tournament today. So, Tiger contending was not surprising at all, but believe me, he's a long way from being back for one reason and one reason only, he can't putt. Plain and simple. He had 33 putts on Saturday! Turn that number into the normal 26-28 putts, and you throw in the missed eagle on Sunday at 15, and Tiger should have won the tournament by 4 strokes easy. Until he figures out the flat stick he'll continue to finish in the top ten on pure ball striking, but until that point I don't see him winning. The only major where he'll be able to pull off such shoddy putting is the British Open, he'll be lucky to make the cut at the U.S. Open putting that way.

• The announcers mentioned it a couple of times, but I do think it's true, nobody is scared of Tiger anymore, and they shouldn't be. I think Charlie Schwab aside, this tournament was huge for several players. Adam Scott, Jason Day, Luke Donald, these guys are coming away from the weekend knowing they can win a major now.

• Speaking of Donald, I'm no fashionista, but what in the blue hell was he wearing Saturday? It might be the only time I was actually grateful I didn't own a hi-def television. On the top half he looked like Pepto Bismol, and the bottom half he looked like what happens if you don't take Pepto Bismol. I know these European guys like to be eccentric, but give me a break.

All in all it was a fantastic tournament, and I enjoyed the heck out of it.

Finally, this has nothing to do with this Masters, but I do feel the need to write about it. This past week a friend of mine from high school and college, Chad Wells, was killed tragically in a car accident. Chad and I had not talked in years, but it was still a devastating blow, and my thoughts and prayers go out to all of those who were blessed enough to get to know Chad. I can't pinpoint exactly when Chad and I became friends, or when we lost touch, but I can tell you in the time in between he was a fantastic friend. The best compliment I can give anyone is they are genuine, and that was Chad perfectly. He never tried to be anything he wasn't, and he was always true to himself and his spirit. For me, he was also a musical guru who turned me on to so many bands that I still listen to even today. We spent a ton of time in both high school and college just talking about music, and he was constantly giving me something new to listen to. More than anything else though, I'll remember how incredibly funny he was. He wasn't cracking jokes all the time, but when he did, his timing for the best jokes was just incredible. I'll fondly remember all the times when we were up to no good, but really not doing any harm and just having so much fun doing it. He was always incredibly loyal, and would do anything for you, he was a true friend and I'll miss him.

Ncaa championship recap

Not much to say, it was an ugly game, but I don't know why people are acting like it's such a travesty. Awful basketball games happen every night during the college basketball season, last night just happened on the biggest stage. Just because it was the championship game doesn't mean that the basketball is going to be the best game of the year. I mean nobody can honestly claim that Butler or UConn were the two best teams in the country, they were just the hottest over the last three weeks. They were great games throughout the tournament, but ultimately the 2011 tourney will not go down in the annals as one of history's best.

Also, I put the odds at 5-1 that UConn will have to abandon the title in five years anyway when it's discovered what an absolute cheat Jim Calhoun is.

The Ultimate Sports Sin

Sports are full of rules, baseball in particular has so many written and unwritten rules they are are impossible to keep track of. In fact, just this week in a Spring Training game, an Orioles batter, who was struggling to make the team swung at a 3-0 pitch in a game where his team was clearly in control. Because this is one of baseball's idiosyncratic rules, it not only infuriated the opposing manager, HIS own manager was ticked off about it. So, just like every other aspect of sports, fans have rules too, and I just broke the cardinal rule, and committed the ultimate sports sin.

I'm from Iowa, so considering that we don't have any major professional sports franchises you are able to select whichever teams you choose. For me, I have always been loyal to the following in this order: everything Iowa Hawkeyes, Pittsburgh Steelers, North Carolina basketball, Kansas City Royals, and the Chicago Bulls. For most of my pre-teen years baseball was my favorite sport, and I loved the Kansas City Royals, especially George Brett. My parents took me to a Monday Night  Baseball game of the Royals vs. Yankees back when ABC was still broadcasting prime time baseball in the summer. As I grew older my love for baseball started to wane and basketball became my favorite sport, but when I paid attention to baseball, it was still always the Royals first. However, as of the opening pitch of the 2011 season, my allegiances no longer lie with the Royals. As of right now, when asked what my favorite baseball team is, the answer is, the Minnesota Twins.

I came to this decision for a few different reasons:

• The Royals have not had a playoff appearance since 1985, the year I attended Monday Night Baseball, and they won the World Series. Now, that's the most egregious of all of my reasons, because that's just straight hopping off the bandwagon. Part of being a sports fan, is being a fan regardless of the number that shows up in the wins column. That's not the most important of my reasons though.
• The Royals have not demonstrated a commitment to baseball in 15 years. This season the payroll is $36 million for the entire team. Alex Rodriguez will make $32 million this season all by himself. I'm not looking for the Royals to spend $100 million a year, but would it kill them to spend $65 million?
• The Twins are an easy team to root for. Joe Mauer, Justin Morneau, Michael Cuddyer, Jason Kubel, Joe Nathan, these are all good guys, who seem to really respect and enjoy the game. Most of the entire squad is pretty blue collar and play the game hard.
• The biggest reason of all is, I've lived in Minnesota now for 12 years, and with two small children, I would like them to be able to connect to a local team. Because of that, it HAS to be the Twins. I'll never compromise on my love for the Iowa Hawkeyes and Pittsburgh Steelers, and I hate, hate, hate the Minnesota Vikings and Minnesota Golder Gophers. The Timberwolves are kind of the Royals of the NBA, so the Twins it is. Now, with the new stadium I want to be able to take the family down to the 'ol ballpark, and have a genuine rooting interest in the local 9. Because of that, I'm now a full on Minnesota Twins fan.

Now, I did not come to this decision lightly, and quite frankly I feel a little sleazy abandoning my once favorite team. If nothing else I have almost always remained very loyal to my favorite teams (I did have a weird flirtation with Florida State football in 1993, but I think that was a college thing, you know experimenting and all) but now I must face the realization that I'm a sports traitor, and that is the biggest sports sin a fan can commit. Like all sinners, I must accept my shortcomings, and seek redemption in the arms of Twins fans. I suppose I will always a little nostalgic place in my heart for my first baseball love, but it's now time to move on.

And don't think I don't realize as I've made this change the Kansas City Royals are 2-1, and the Twins are 0-2. I can only hope I haven't cursed my new favorite baseball team.

Twins Preview by Brian Felegy

I'm not as hip to the Twins as I should be (more to come on that later this week or next) so I turned to my friend Brian Felegy to provide a Minnesota Twins preview.

2011 Twins Preview (sort of)

I am a huge Twins fan.  I spend a lot of time and money at the games (last year I went to 13, this year will probably be the same).  The most games I’ve been to in a season was 21 in 2002.  Also, I watch almost every game on TV.  Baseball is by far my favorite sport to watch and play, and every year I can’t wait for the season to start.  This year though, I feel a little different.  Don’t get me wrong, I am still really excited, but after the pathetic performance they put up in the ALDS last year against the Yankees, I felt so frustrated.  I know it’s just a game, but I’m getting tired of watching them every year have an amazing season and then lay a goose egg in the playoffs.   I don’t understand how they can have all these great comebacks in August and September, and then play like crap in October.  They haven’t won a playoff game since 2004, even though they were in the playoffs three times since then.  They also haven’t won a playoff series since 2002, but what is even sorrier is they also haven’t won a home playoff game since 2002! (I was at that one).  I will never forget that game - it was game 1 of the ALCS.  We were literally 3 wins away from a World Series appearance.  Needless to say, their playoff performances in the last decade (outside of 2002) has been embarrassing.   Last year’s showing was the worst, though.   They couldn’t hit sand if they fell off a camel.   They showed no life, no guts, no will to win.   So during this offseason, I really haven’t paid that much attention, which is weird for me.   This year though, I’m hoping they get over the hump.  I think Gardy and the players are also frustrated, and really want to prove to people they are more than just a one and done team.  So I don’t have a bunch of stats or numbers or anything, but here are some talking points:

• Justin Morneau’s health:  This is getting scary.   He should be good to go (although as of 3/30 he had not been officially cleared), but it seems like any strike to the head could end his career.   When he got hurt last year, it didn’t look too bad (easy for me to say).  If  you would have told me that after that collision he would have been done for the season, I would have called you crazy.  Thankfully, a strike to the head is not a common occurrence in baseball, but it can  happen.  And if it does to him, well, that could be the end of his career.  Bottom line, it will be like walking on egg shells every time I watch him involved in a play (hopefully that will fade away eventually).
• Joe Mauer as catcher:   I think Mauer gets a bad rap for  the days off he takes (usually on Sundays).  It seems that people think that the more money you make, the stronger it makes your body.  “He is making $23 million a year, he better catch every game”.   Sorry, it’s not that easy.  While I don’t fault Mauer for taking the time off when his body needs it, I do think that the Twins (and him) should consider switching positions in the next few years.  He is a great defensive catcher, but that’s not why we signed him for all that money.  If he keeps catching, he could have major knee issues, at which point he wouldn’t even make a viable outfielder (insert Delmon Young joke here).   I’m no doctor, so I could be wrong, but it’s probably due to the fact that he is pretty tall for a catcher.    
• Starting rotation:  I was a little pissed when the Twins didn’t really do anything about their starting rotation, outside of re-signing Pavano (which I liked).  Do we even have one dominant pitcher?  I’m hoping Liriano finally takes that role this year.   Speaking of, what was up with the Twins shopping him around during the offseason?   We were in need of starting pitching, so why get rid of one of our best?  It’ s not like we are in rebuilding mode.   On top of that, Liriano is a head case, so do they really think it would help his confidence by saying “hey, we might want to trade you”?  The rest of our rotation is solid, but up and down.  The rotation will look like this:  Pavano, Liriano, Duensing, Blackburn, Baker.   It is weird to see Baker at #5, considering he used to be our #1.   I’m hoping he bounces back this year – it seems like he was troubled with some  elbow issues that he got taken care of during the offseason.  Duensing and Blackburn should have solid (but not dominant) years, so we will see.  I am still iffy on this rotation, though.
• Bullpen:   Keeping with the topic of pitching, we lost the following key bullpen pitchers:   Jessie Crain, Matt Gurrier, Jon Rauch and Brian Fuentes.  Ouch.  However, the bullpen may not be as bad as you think.   Mirajes (another head case) can be really good at times, so hopefully another year under his belt (if you can find it – zing!) will be beneficial.   The thing I’m most interested about is the closer role.   Gardenhire has stated that to start the season, he will most likely switch between returning Joe Nathan and Matt Capps, due to Nathan still getting back into pitching shape.  Hopefully, if all goes well, Nathan will return to being a dominant closer, while Capps and Mijares can provide the setup work.  Going back to Jessie Crain (aka “Crain Wreck”), I did not like to see him go.  I know a lot of fans didn’t like him, but he was really good the second half of last year and has one of the nastiest sliders.   It also sucks that he went to the Bitch Sox.   Apparently though the Twins didn’t even show interested in re-signing him. 
• Playoffs:   If the Twins make the playoffs this year (see my predictions below), not only will there be a lot of pressure on them to win the first round, there will also be pressure to win a single game (how sad is that?)  What will happen if they are swept in the first round again?  Would Gardenhire actually get fired?  I don’t think he would, but something would have to be done.   I’m not in the clubhouse so I don’t know who the ‘leader’ is, but naturally you would think Joe Mauer should take on that role.   Or maybe Morneau, or Cuddyer.  I don’t care if it’s Matt Tolbert, somebody needs to step up and convince the rest of the team that they can beat whoever they want.  Hell, they do it during the season, now just do it during the playoffs (for once!)
• Target Field upgrades:  The Twins have added an additional scoreboard in the right field area, so the folks sitting in left field have something to look at.  I really like this addition, it was well needed.   They also added Twins Tower, which I don’t really know what purpose it serves.   I mean, I’m sure it looks nice, but what’s the point?  Especially since the stadium has only been open for one season.  The Twins also are making Target Field wi-fi compatible, which is really nice (and kind of odd that this wasn’t done originally).  More heating and food were added too, and I can’t find a reason to complain about that.  Speaking of complaining about the stadium, they removed the trees beyond the center field wall because it was distracting to batters (and apparently umpires).  I’m sorry, shouldn’t they be watching the ball?  It’s not like the trees have blinking Christmas lights on them.  There are other MLB ballparks with trees behind the fence (like PNC Park), so why is it not an issue there?   On top of that, how does a dark green tree with a dark green background make it hard to see a white ball?   Okay I’m done complaining.

Here are my (half-assed) predictions:

American League

East:  Red Sox

Central:  Twins

West:  Angels

Wild card:  White Sox

ALDS

Twins over Angels

Red Sox over White Sox

LCS

Red Sox over Twins

National League

East:  Phillies

Central:  Reds

West:  Giants

Wild card:  Brewers

NLDS

Giants over Reds

Phillies over Brewers

LCS

Phillies over Giants

World Series:   Phillies over Red Sox