If you are going to watch only one regular season game this entire baseball season, I would recommend you get the tape of yesterday's Giants-Rockies game. It was one of the most unique and exciting baseball games I have ever see and I have seen my share of extra inning games over the years. Extra inning games are always fun because a single swing can end a game. It's baseball's version of sudden death. But this particular game had a lot more drama and excitement. I don't even watch that many baseball games these days and somehow I tuned into this one. Boy am I glad I did. It was riveting to say the least. First off, the game was tied 1-1 at Coors. Hows that even possible? Both Jason Marquis and Barry Zito pitched a beauty. Zito is really pitching well these days. I am not sure what got into him. He was the laughing stock of the Bay Area for a couple of years and a local scribe even recommended the Giants should release him earlier this season. But he has been pitching like a Cy Young candidate the last month or so. But both teams failed to capitalize on a bunch of opportunities and the game was tied as the bullpen started to get into the game. This is when the game got even more interesting.
The Rockies left a bunch of guys on the bases in the extras and a couple of times they stranded guys at second and third bases. Once Troy Tulowitzki committed a huge base running blunder and the Rockies lost a golden opportunity to end the game. The Giants were hanging in there through all this and pitching their way in and out of trouble. Finally in the top of the 14-Th, Eugenio Velez got them the big hit and the Giants ended up taking the lead. They added one more run and went into the bottom of the 9-Th leading 4-1. It should have been a comfortable lead anywhere else, but this is Coors and even the Giants announcers were not entirely comfortable. To make matters worse for the Rockies, the first batter hits one of his leg and was in pain and looked to be injured. He finally got up and earned a walk. They eventually loaded the bases, but they had to send the pitcher Adam Eaton to the plate. You would think this was just bad luck and timing for the Rockies. But the Giants pitcher lost his strike zone and walked the pitcher Eaton and Rockies scored a run. Then Ryan Spilborghs hits a walk-off Coors grand slam to wrap up the game. Unbelievable drama! Soul crushing defeat for the Giants and they fell 4 games behind the Rockies.
The Rockies came back today and won against the Dodgers and it was again in extras - 10 innings. I have no idea how their bullpen handled a 14 inning game followed by a 10 inning game. Despite all the concerns, the Giants also recovered well to beat the DBacks. But then again who doesn't beat the DBacks these days. The Giants almost lost it in the 9-Th as the DBacks got back 2 of the 3 runs they gave up in the 8-Th, but fell short by a run. I have to say, it would have been fun if the Giants had lost this one too in a heart-breaking fashion. Ironically, both the Rockies and the Giants won the game 5-4. The Rockies still stay 4 games ahead of the Giants, but they are only 2 games behind the Dodgers. They are on a roll right now but strange couple of days for both these teams.
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Vikings get their man
Amazing turn of events today. Brett Favre came out of nowhere and signed with the Vikings. We heard some Brett Favre chatter yesterday after a couple of weeks break. Fox news was reporting how some Vikings players were assuring them that Favre will play for them this season. I knew right away something was cooking. It turns out these players had some inside information. I was getting ready for another tiring bout of Favre talk, but this time it was swift. Before you knew it, Favre was in a private jet flying in to the twin cities. He was signed, sealed and delivered within hours today and was even at practice by late afternoon. I give him credit for at least saving us from more speculation and chatter. He is now a Viking whether you like it or not. The Packer fans are obviously pissed and they are calling him a "selfish hillbilly". Awesome! What's not to like about this? Especially if you are like me and are not emotionally invested in either the Packers, Vikings or Favre. Looks like he did all this flip-flop just to avoid being in a training camp. He is some piece of work! Apparently Coach Childress called him yesterday and he decided to show up today - now that the training camp is over.
I think the Super Bowl is the second most important game of the upcoming season. The most important game right now is Vikings at the Packers on Nov 1-St. I can't wait for that game. Neither can the Packer fans. The fact that Aaron Rodgers is good makes this a lot more interesting. That allows the Packer fans to look forward rather than backwards and they are not longing for Favre anymore. They have moved on and away from the "hillbilly". Of course all of us are tired of his act, but I like the NFL with him rather than without him. Good QBs make these games fun and he is still a decent one. He is now part of a great team and I think the Vikings can go places. I do believe in karma and it's hard to think Favre can go far this season with the Vikings behaving like this, but the talent is definitely there on both sides of the ball. I was really pissed with the Vikings last season for wasting away Adrian Peterson's talent. They desperately needed a good QB and they have got a decent one finally. I feel sorry for Sage Rosenfels though. The last few months has been the worst roller-coaster ride of his life. He even played well in their first pre-season game. Now he is Favre's backup stating with this Friday's pre-season game. On the other hand, it should be great being Brett Favre. Do what you want, when you want and still get whatever you want in life and be treated like a king. I wish I can be that guy.
I think the Super Bowl is the second most important game of the upcoming season. The most important game right now is Vikings at the Packers on Nov 1-St. I can't wait for that game. Neither can the Packer fans. The fact that Aaron Rodgers is good makes this a lot more interesting. That allows the Packer fans to look forward rather than backwards and they are not longing for Favre anymore. They have moved on and away from the "hillbilly". Of course all of us are tired of his act, but I like the NFL with him rather than without him. Good QBs make these games fun and he is still a decent one. He is now part of a great team and I think the Vikings can go places. I do believe in karma and it's hard to think Favre can go far this season with the Vikings behaving like this, but the talent is definitely there on both sides of the ball. I was really pissed with the Vikings last season for wasting away Adrian Peterson's talent. They desperately needed a good QB and they have got a decent one finally. I feel sorry for Sage Rosenfels though. The last few months has been the worst roller-coaster ride of his life. He even played well in their first pre-season game. Now he is Favre's backup stating with this Friday's pre-season game. On the other hand, it should be great being Brett Favre. Do what you want, when you want and still get whatever you want in life and be treated like a king. I wish I can be that guy.
Sunday, August 16, 2009
Game over for Pitino
We won't look at Rick Pitino the same way anymore. The media has a habit of deifying successful coaches, especially college coaches. They are portrayed as the classy, disciplinarian, fatherly figures who supposedly mould the "kids" playing for them. This story-line takes center-stage especially during the NCAA tournament day in and day out. Of course this is America and we are talking baout Sports. So obviously winning is the most important thing and the winning coaches walk away with all these honors and credits. That part never made sense to me. I am sure there are great coaches who really mould these guys in to great men and serve as a great role-model. But winning has very little to do with that. It's totally orthogonal to the kind of people and mentor these coaches are. You could be a scum-bug human being and still win bowl games and NCAA championships because you are a great coach. You know your X's and O's and you know how to push the right buttons. Doesn't make you the next Mahatma Gandhi, but you sure can win the Fiesta Bowl. But the media always mixed these two things up.
Honestly, there's a racial angle to this like anything else in our culture. The media consciously or sub-consciously likes to tell you this story that middle-aged white men mould, coach and mentor young black men and make them in to something worthwhile! The coaches are reason these kids succeed and win. They would like you to believe or may be they themselves believe that without a Pitino or a Bowden or a Knight or a Paterno these black kids would have no direction and would end up being streets thugs. Thats racist and unfair to a loft of these athletes, but thats how America thinks when it comes to race. I am not saying none of these coaches deserve any credit. If I paint all these guys with the same broad brush, I would be making the same mistake as the media, only in reverse. For instance I like Michigan State's Tom Izzo. I don't know him, but he seems like a decent, classy dude. All I am saying is that, don't make them saints just because they win basketball games. Always remember that the NCAA football and basketball are running some of the most corrupt systems in the World. It'll put third world political systems to shame when it comes to corruption and lack of integrity. And of course these "legendary" coaches are neck-deep in that system.
That brings me to Rick Pitino. He cheated on his wife, impregnated a woman and paid for her abortion. A neat trifecta if there ever was one, This started off as an extortion case against the woman, but last week all the other details exploded on us. Finally, Pitino had to admit to the affair and the fact that he paid her 3000 dollars. When I heard the news, the abortion was part of the story in my eyes, but it was a footnote to the fact that he cheated on his wife and slept with a random woman and impregnated her. But apparently, the sticking point in this whole thing is the abortion. The fact that he paid for the abortion and possibly encouraged it is what is going to get him fired - this according to a guy on ESPN radio. I heard him say this and it made sense considering he is coaching in Kentucky and this is definitely how conservative America thinks on this issue. America in my opinion is shockingly conservative and even stupid in some sense. I guess everybody understands sex and cheating on their wives, but they can't accept abortion!
The next day Pitino spoke to the media and he claimed that he gave her 3000 dollars for buying insurance. He is basically trying to tell you that he had nothing to do with the abortion. It was her decision and she exercised her "right to choose" if you will. All he did was get her the health insurance. This is all probably a lie, but it proves the point that it's the abortion thats the sticking point here. I find that fascinating. In any case, another celebrity bites the dust. He will survive this and will be fine at the end of the day - the millions will still be in the bank. But the loss of face and the fall from grace will be difficult to deal with. I always feel for the family, especially the kids in such situations. But it is what it is and the Pitinos have to deal with it. I wish them Good luck. As for the basketball, I know he will still be coaching somewhere in the future. I don't care whether it is at Louisville or somewhere else. It's all the same to me.
Honestly, there's a racial angle to this like anything else in our culture. The media consciously or sub-consciously likes to tell you this story that middle-aged white men mould, coach and mentor young black men and make them in to something worthwhile! The coaches are reason these kids succeed and win. They would like you to believe or may be they themselves believe that without a Pitino or a Bowden or a Knight or a Paterno these black kids would have no direction and would end up being streets thugs. Thats racist and unfair to a loft of these athletes, but thats how America thinks when it comes to race. I am not saying none of these coaches deserve any credit. If I paint all these guys with the same broad brush, I would be making the same mistake as the media, only in reverse. For instance I like Michigan State's Tom Izzo. I don't know him, but he seems like a decent, classy dude. All I am saying is that, don't make them saints just because they win basketball games. Always remember that the NCAA football and basketball are running some of the most corrupt systems in the World. It'll put third world political systems to shame when it comes to corruption and lack of integrity. And of course these "legendary" coaches are neck-deep in that system.
That brings me to Rick Pitino. He cheated on his wife, impregnated a woman and paid for her abortion. A neat trifecta if there ever was one, This started off as an extortion case against the woman, but last week all the other details exploded on us. Finally, Pitino had to admit to the affair and the fact that he paid her 3000 dollars. When I heard the news, the abortion was part of the story in my eyes, but it was a footnote to the fact that he cheated on his wife and slept with a random woman and impregnated her. But apparently, the sticking point in this whole thing is the abortion. The fact that he paid for the abortion and possibly encouraged it is what is going to get him fired - this according to a guy on ESPN radio. I heard him say this and it made sense considering he is coaching in Kentucky and this is definitely how conservative America thinks on this issue. America in my opinion is shockingly conservative and even stupid in some sense. I guess everybody understands sex and cheating on their wives, but they can't accept abortion!
The next day Pitino spoke to the media and he claimed that he gave her 3000 dollars for buying insurance. He is basically trying to tell you that he had nothing to do with the abortion. It was her decision and she exercised her "right to choose" if you will. All he did was get her the health insurance. This is all probably a lie, but it proves the point that it's the abortion thats the sticking point here. I find that fascinating. In any case, another celebrity bites the dust. He will survive this and will be fine at the end of the day - the millions will still be in the bank. But the loss of face and the fall from grace will be difficult to deal with. I always feel for the family, especially the kids in such situations. But it is what it is and the Pitinos have to deal with it. I wish them Good luck. As for the basketball, I know he will still be coaching somewhere in the future. I don't care whether it is at Louisville or somewhere else. It's all the same to me.
Saturday, August 08, 2009
Hall of Fame
Bob Hayes, Randall McDaniel, Bruce Smith, Derrick Thomas, Ralph Wilson and Rod Woodson were enshrined in to the pro football hall of fame today. It was great to see Bruce Smith in there. He has always been a very classy and eloquent athlete and his speech today was great as usual. He spoke about how it almost feels like yesterday that he came into the league and how time flies. I couldn't agree with him more. I remember seeing him play and now he is a hall of famer already - a deserving one at that. The HOF ceremony also means that the games are here to start. While I don't watch the pre-season dance in any sport, it is good to know the first football game of the season will be played tomorrow - Buffalo versus Tennessee. I guess T.O makes this game interesting - kinda, sorta.
There was a mini-scandal in the NBA last week as Rashard Lewis was busted for steroids. NBA has always been assumed to be clean though there has been isolated suspensions over the years of players like Matt Geiger. But Lewis is the biggest name so far and it raises some serious questions. While it's fair to assume that steroids are probably not as rampant in basketball as it in baseball because of how directly they can help a baseball player, it is still naive to assume it in non-existent in the NBA. The NBA tests the players, but apparently the policy is pretty slack in the off-season when the athletes actually are prone to take these PEDs. Enough bankers, clerks and fireman walking on our streets are on steroids just because it makes them look good or helps them pickup chicks or whatever. So why wouldn't the NBA players, who do live off of their body and strength and speed, not be tempted to use them?
It is true that steroids don't help the NBA players with the primary objective of the sport, which is to put the ball in the hoop. But all the peripheral benefits of steroids that we have heard of in baseball like recuperation, quick recovery from injuries etc. are all applicable to the NBA too. As a matter of fact, NBA is a lot more grueling and some of those benefits are probably even more relevant for the NBA than MLB. But of course the culture of an environment and a given ecosystem is always a major factor in what people do and how they behave. I think this is one of the major reason that I believe that NBA is relatively free of steroids. Why do a lot of baseball players chew tobacco and why do 80% of NBA players have tattoos? It's just the culture they live in. I do hope and think the steroid culture is not pervasive in the NBA, but I hope commissioner Stern tightens the policy and tests these guys more aggressively. I have always been joking LeBron is on steroids. Guys like him and Dwight Howard and Corey Maggette are sure built like they are on something. Now these jokes feel a lot more real and I hope these guys are clean.
In baseball today, C.C.Sabathia shutdown the Redsox today. This guy is 12-7 now and is doing exactly what he was brought in for. The game of the week was yesterday when the Yankees won 2-0 after 15 innings. It's amazing to even imagine nobody scoring for 14 long innings at the new Yankees stadium. The ex-Florida boys Josh Beckett and A.J.Burnett pitched great for their respective teams and A-Rod won the game in the 15-Th with a homer. Apparently that made him a true Yankee - whatever that means. As for the Redsox, they have not scored in 24 straight innings. Thats almost 3 straight games. In the NL, I can't believe the San Francisco Giants are still going strong. They are 61-49 and even Barry Zito is pitching better now. He has not given up more than 2 runs in 5 straight starts. Thats Cy Young stuff right there. Not sure what's in the water out there in the Bay. This team is over-achieving out of their minds.
There was a mini-scandal in the NBA last week as Rashard Lewis was busted for steroids. NBA has always been assumed to be clean though there has been isolated suspensions over the years of players like Matt Geiger. But Lewis is the biggest name so far and it raises some serious questions. While it's fair to assume that steroids are probably not as rampant in basketball as it in baseball because of how directly they can help a baseball player, it is still naive to assume it in non-existent in the NBA. The NBA tests the players, but apparently the policy is pretty slack in the off-season when the athletes actually are prone to take these PEDs. Enough bankers, clerks and fireman walking on our streets are on steroids just because it makes them look good or helps them pickup chicks or whatever. So why wouldn't the NBA players, who do live off of their body and strength and speed, not be tempted to use them?
It is true that steroids don't help the NBA players with the primary objective of the sport, which is to put the ball in the hoop. But all the peripheral benefits of steroids that we have heard of in baseball like recuperation, quick recovery from injuries etc. are all applicable to the NBA too. As a matter of fact, NBA is a lot more grueling and some of those benefits are probably even more relevant for the NBA than MLB. But of course the culture of an environment and a given ecosystem is always a major factor in what people do and how they behave. I think this is one of the major reason that I believe that NBA is relatively free of steroids. Why do a lot of baseball players chew tobacco and why do 80% of NBA players have tattoos? It's just the culture they live in. I do hope and think the steroid culture is not pervasive in the NBA, but I hope commissioner Stern tightens the policy and tests these guys more aggressively. I have always been joking LeBron is on steroids. Guys like him and Dwight Howard and Corey Maggette are sure built like they are on something. Now these jokes feel a lot more real and I hope these guys are clean.
In baseball today, C.C.Sabathia shutdown the Redsox today. This guy is 12-7 now and is doing exactly what he was brought in for. The game of the week was yesterday when the Yankees won 2-0 after 15 innings. It's amazing to even imagine nobody scoring for 14 long innings at the new Yankees stadium. The ex-Florida boys Josh Beckett and A.J.Burnett pitched great for their respective teams and A-Rod won the game in the 15-Th with a homer. Apparently that made him a true Yankee - whatever that means. As for the Redsox, they have not scored in 24 straight innings. Thats almost 3 straight games. In the NL, I can't believe the San Francisco Giants are still going strong. They are 61-49 and even Barry Zito is pitching better now. He has not given up more than 2 runs in 5 straight starts. Thats Cy Young stuff right there. Not sure what's in the water out there in the Bay. This team is over-achieving out of their minds.
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