December 9th update

Los Angeles Angels Strike Gold

• The Los Angeles Angels (of Anaheim) spent more than $325 million in a few hours on Thursday morning. In doing so they scored the two biggest prizes of the free agency class in what some people are calling questionable contracts.
• The first (and biggest) signing was Albert Pujols to a 10-year contract. The size of the contract is $250 million, which is greater than what any other team was offering. Additionally, Pujols was given a “no-trade clause” which gives him the ability to reject any attempt the Angels would make to trade him to another team (although he would be able to waive that clause if a future trade was to his agreement). Pujols, who will be 41 years old by the end of the contract, was looking for a 10-year deal. Some teams were reticent to give it to him, but it looks like the Angels are going to start spending the considerable money their owner, Artie Moreno, has.
• The second big signing was that of former Texas Rangers starting pitcher CJ Wilson. Wilson was the best pitcher on the market and the Angels were able to get him for a 5-year deal worth $77.5 million. The signing is especially meaningful for the Angels because the Rangers are the two time defending champions not only of the division the Angels play in (the AL West) but have represented the A.L. in the last 2 World Series.


Paul deal to Lakers nixed in NBA flurry

• Kobe Bryant almost had a dream backcourt mate as superstar Olympian PG Chris Paul seemed to be on his way to the city of Angels to join the Lake show in a 3 team deal that would have sent Pau Gasol to the Houston Rockets and multiple lesser pieces to the New Orleans Hornets.
• However, the NBA technically owns the Hornets, whose former owner was broke and had the team repossessed so to speak a few years ago. Because of this unusual arrangement, the other NBA owners felt that it was unfair to have Paul go to an already dominant team like the Lakers although this makes it very tough for ANY team to get Paul as it seems that the precedent has been set and any team who does not acquire Paul could just complain and keep him from going anywhere else.
• In other deals, Caron Butler signed a 3 year, $24 million deal with the L.A. Clippers (who look like a team on the rise), another former Maverick, Tyson Chandler, looks to be on his way to New York to join Amare Stoudemire and Carmelo Anthony, and Greg Oden looks like he will rejoin the Portland Trail Blazers where he hopes to avoid the debilitating injuries that have derailed his career so far.


Weekend NFL Preview

• Two teams going in opposite directions: Philadelphia Eagles at Miami Dolphins – The Philadelphia Eagles came into this season with expectations a mile high, and have fallen completely flat. The Dolphins started the season with 7 straight losses, but have won 4 of the last 5 games and actually look like a good team despite their mediocre record. This game is a textbook example of two teams with different expectations going in vastly different directions.
• Can the Lions Recover?: Minnesota Vikings at Detroit Lions – The Detroit Lions started the season strong winning 5 straight games. But they have since lost 5 of their next 7, including the last two which were on national TV against the Green Bay Packers and New Orleans Saints, the two best teams in the NFC. They now get to take on one of the weakest teams in the league and restart their push toward the playoffs where they have not been since 1999.
• NFL Game of the Week: New York Giants at Dallas Cowboys – The two top teams in the NFC East clash in Dallas. The Cowboys, coming off an embarrassing loss to the Arizona Cardinals last week, look to extend their division lead over the Giants. Eli Manning and the Giants are looking to tie the Cowboys atop the division but no matter who loses, they'll have a rematch just a few weeks later when the teams play again, this time in New York (well, technically New Jersey).

December 7th update

Don't like it? Well Suh me!

• Ndamukong Suh (pronounced 'sue' in case the cheesy header to this piece didn't make it clear) is an animal. Some people use this term to denote a player who is fierce competitor, improving his team through incredible plays made by that player's unique set of skills. Other use it to mean someone who a questionable human being, unable to act as a decent human being, instead choosing to act otherwise (or animalistic). I use this word because I submit that Suh fits both descriptions.
• Suh, a dominant Defensive Tackle who is extremely athletic for someone his size, probably should have won the Heisman Trophy award, which is supposed to go to the nation's best player, after the 2009 season (It might as well be called the QB or RB award because only 3 non-quarterbacks/running backs have won it since 1970) but lost to Mark Ingram and had to settle for being taken #2 in the NFL draft the following year by the Detroit Lions where he was expected to lead a resurgence for the team's awful defense.
• However, while he has put up incredible stats and the team has improved on the field, he's also come under fire for being a dirty player. In a preseason game his rookie year, he nearly ripped the head off of QB Jake Delhomme and he has been fined multiple times for his over-the-top hits.
• Then in the past couple weeks he was in a wreck and may have told women in the car with him to lie about their injuries and also repeatedly rammed an opponent's head into the turf and then stomped on the player's arm with his spikes (on Thanksgiving no less). He was suspended for two games for the stomp despite an explanation that seemed like something you'd see from a five year old who had been caught stealing cookies from the kitchen. If Suh can focus his anger and play aggressively while not behaving unacceptably, he stands a chance at becoming one of the greatest Defensive Tackles in NFL history. However, to this point, The Detroit Lion seems to think that wearing a helmet with an animal on it gives him the right to act like one.


Miami Marlins on spending spree

• The Baseball winter meetings kicked off in Dallas this week. This annual event generally signals the beginning off the offseason players moves, both in free agency and with trades. This year’s free agent class is headed by two of baseball's best players, Albert Pujols and Jose Reyes.
• The team who seems to be making the biggest splash so far is the newly minted Miami Marlins (formerly titled the Florida Marlins). The Marlins made the first free agent move of the offseason signing closer Heath Bell on a 3-year $27 million deal. They quickly trumped this deal by signing the aforementioned, Jose Reyes, a shortstop formerly of the New York Mets. Reyes, one of the jewels of the free agent market, signed a 6-year $106 million deal. The Reyes signing is interesting for the Marlins as their best player currently is Hanley Ramirez, who also plays shortstop
• Albert Pujols has also been made a long term offer by the Marlins. The 31-year old who has put up career numbers that put him in league with names such as Babe Ruth, Willie Mays and Ted Williams has been looking for a 10-year deal from his current team (The St Louis Cardinals) but they are reticent to give it to him. Such a deal would be risky as even a player of Pujols's caliber would be likely to deteriorate greatly from his current production by the time he reaches 41 years old (and even before then). However, the Marlins are rumored to have made a 10-year offer for Pujols and are expecting a response from him sometime soon.


Rookie Quarterbacks Leading the NFL

• This year’s crop of rookie quarterbacks has been remarkable in leading their teams to strong seasons, which is unusual because apart from Matt Ryan and Joe Flacco a couple years ago, rookie quarterbacks have almost categorically struggled in the NFL over the past handful of seasons.
• The Carolina Panthers' signal-caller Cam Newton has been a dual threat throwing for 13 touchdowns and running for a baker’s dozen as well. Through 12 games, the Panthers have already doubled their win total from last year, and are looking like they are on the upswing. This past weekend, Newton rushed for 3 touchdowns to break the NFL record for quarterbacks in a single season, and he’s' only played 75% of the season. Newton is on pace to shatter many other rookie quarterback records, but he may need to be more judicious with what he does with the footballs afterwards.
• Andy Dalton, the second round pick of the Cincinnati Bengals, is Newton’s biggest competition for Offensive Rookie of the Year. The Bengals are 7-5 and have a chance at making the playoffs under the leadership of Dalton. Dalton's statistics are not quite as impressive as Newton, but his team has won more and has a chance at the playoffs.
• The rest of the Rookie quarterbacks have simply enough, shown growing pains. Christian Ponder of the Minnesota Vikings has shown a lot of promise with the young Vikings but the team has only won two games. Blaine Gabbert, of the Jacksonville Jaguars has been very spotty and Jake Locker seems to be a bigger hit on YouTube (this is really funny if you have a couple minutes) than he is with the Titans.

Halloween update

Cardinals Capture Their 11th World Series

• On Friday night, the St. Louis Cardinals won their second World Series in 6 years defeating the Texas Rangers in game 7. The 11th championship in the franchise’s history; putting them second on the list of franchises championships. This game may be the last played by Albert Pujols as a Cardinal, as he is a free agent this offseason and will be looking for a big contract. Cardinals Hall of Fame Manager Tony LaRussa won the third World Series of his storied managerial career.
• The Cardinals sent their ace Chris Carpenter out, thanks to a rain day last Wednesday that pushed the game out a day which allowed Carpenter to get enough rest after pitching in game 5. The Texas Rangers tagged Carpenter early with 2-runs in the first inning as all 4 of the first 4 Texas hitters reached base. Things were not looking good for the Cardinals and the Rangers were looking good after a devastating loss the night before.
• However, the Cardinals tied the score in their half of the inning and went onto score another 4 runs. After the slow start Carpenter settled in and pitched through the 6th inning without giving up another run. David Freese, the hero of game 6, was named the MVP of the World Series. He is the 6th player in the history of baseball to be named the MVP of both the World Series and the League Championship series (the semifinals).
• While the Series win was a treat for the Cardinals, it was definitely a cruel trick for the Rangers who would have won the Series if, among other things, Nelson Cruz had simply caught David Freese's deep fly ball. It may or may not be the most debilitating collapse in American sports history and for a franchise that's never won a World Series, it will certainly be tough to swallow.

Major upsets in NFL, college football


• The last weekend in October was a big one for a number of teams, and many failed to answer the call. A week after #3 Oklahoma suffered their first loss, they played undefeated #8 Kansas State and after K-State took a 17-14 lead, they forgot to continue playing and let Oklahoma steamroll them, 58-17.
• The Clemson Tigers were also undefeated and looking for a BCS Title game possibility but they got beaten soundly, 31-17, by Georgia Tech whose well run triple option offense gives defenses firs because it is so rare and unconventional in today's game.
• Stanford nearly suffered a similar fate as it's fellow top 8 contemporaries but barely escaped with a 56-48 win in triple overtime against Southern Cal. Andrew Luck's Cardinal are now the 4th ranked team in the BCS standings and with #1 LSU and #2 Alabama playing each other next week, will likely move up to #3 after that game. Oklahoma State sits at #3 currently.
• In the NFL, the woeful Arizona Cardinals jumped out to a 24-3 lead over the Baltimore Ravens but former Cardinals star WR Anquan Boldin (7 catches for 145 yards) and his new team, the Ravens, avoided a second straight bad loss by beating the Cardinals 30-27 with a late rally.
• The New York Giants fell behind the winless Miami Dolphins 14-3 early but ended up rallying for a 20-17 win. The St. Louis Rams, however, did manage to get their first win after jumping off to a huge lead against the Saints and holding on for a 31-21 win. The fact that the St. Louis Cardinals won the World Series in baseball can't be completely written off as a reason for this win as that victory gave the entire city a morale boost.
• In what could only be called a mild upset, the Pittsburgh Steelers defeated the New England Patriots 25-17 after leading nearly the entire game. The Patriots were 5-1, considered by many to be the best team in the NFL and Tom Brady sported a 6-1 career record against the Steelers but all those stats meant nothing today as Pittsburgh and QB Ben Roethlisberger dominated the game that really didn't seem as close as the score indicated.

October 12th update

Wednesday Spotlight: Tim Tebow

• Tim Tebow. The name alone induces a wide range of emotion. There's fanatical love, undying loathing, and in some cases confusion as to why such a big fuss is being made of a guy who hasn't shown that he can throw the ball at the NFL level. Generally though, there is a widespread feeling of respect for the Denver Broncos new starting quarterback. Tebow made his name at the University of Florida leading the Gators to two national championships and two conference championships.
• Tebow is known for his unorthodox style of playing and his very orthodox style of living. As a quarterback he is wildly inaccurate and known more for his ability to run past (and over) his opponents than his ability to throw over them. As a person raised by Christian Missionaries, Tebow spent summers in the Philippines building houses and schools, and helping people gain access to clean water supplies.
• Tebow’s excellence on the field lead Florida to unparalleled heights during his four years there, winning a National Championship his first year there (although he didnt play much) and his Junior year, at which point he was already a household name. He also led Florida to two Southeastern Conference (SEC) Championships. Tebow also won a number of individual awards including becoming the first Sophomore to win the Heisman Trophy, given to the best college football player each year.
• In the NFL, Tebow was drafted in the first round amid much controversy, as most draft pundits thought his mechanics were too unorthodox for success at the NFL level where defenders are smarter, bigger and faster than in college. Through his first season and a quarter, Tebow's success has been mixed. He has started 3 of the 10 games he has appeared in and the team has won two of those three starts. That number will go up as he has officially been named the starter and while his ultimate football success remains to be seen, there is no doubt that he will leave blood, sweat and tears on the field and lead by example week after week.



Cardinals, Tigers tighten respective series

• On Tuesday night, the Detroit Tigers needed to win to avoid going down 3-0 to the Texas Rangers and a lot of their hopes rested on the arm of young pitcher Doug Fister, acquired midseason from the Seattle Mariners. Just as he did against the Yankees in the deciding game of the previous series, Fister came through in a big way and has continued to pay dividends far beyond what the team could have reasonably expected of him. Fister calmed down after giving up 3 singles to start the game and allowed only 1 more run as the Tigers won 5-2 to bring the series to 2-1 Texas.
• Both teams are dealing with a rash of injuries as Adrian Beltre of the Rangers got banged up and Victor Martinez of the Tigers actually hurt himself while hitting a home run Tuesday night. Both are expected to tough it out and play but neither will be at 100%. Others are hurt as well and Texas's longest tenured player and mainstay in the lineup Michael Young, is now only 2-24 for the playoffs giving him a miserable .083 batting average.
• On the other side, the Cardinals crushed the Brewers 12-3 on Monday night as David Freese homered and Albert Pujols hit 4 extra base hits (anything other than a single) including a home run of his own. That series is tied 1-1 as the teams head back to St. Louis for game 3.
• Both series will have games on Wednesday and Thursday as baseball moves closer to the World Series.

June 6th update

Na, Nadal victorious in French Open
- The French Open concluded over the weekend with Rafael Nadal defeating Roger Federer 7-5, 7-6, 5-7, 6-1 and Li Na (pictured) beating Francesca Schiavone 6-4, 7-6.

- Na is the first Chinese athlete, male or female, to win one of the four tennis majors (The Australian Open, Wimbledon, The French Open and the U.S. Open).

- According to a CBS news story, she received over 300'000 messages on her website within 4 minutes of her victory.

- With his victory, Nadal became the 7th man to win 10 majors, including 4 of the past 5. Federer has the most all-time with 16.

- Novak Djokovic lost in the semifinals to Federer ending his 43 match win streak. He had not lost since November of last year, also to Federer.


Heat beat Mavs behind Bosh's late shot
- The Miami Heat barely survived another late rally by the Dallas Mavericks to win game 3 of the NBA Finals, 88-86. They now have a 2-1 lead in the best of seven series.

- Chris Bosh made the game-winning shot with 39.6 seconds left and Dirk Nowitzki had 2 chances to tie it, but threw a bad pass out of bounds the first time and missed a jump shot the second time as time expired.

- Dirk Nowitzki finished with 34 points and Dwayne Wade had 29, but Lebron James had an off night, only scoring 17 points.

- Under the current scheduling format, the team that wins game 3 when the NBA Finals are tied 1-1 has gone on to win the championship 11 out of 11 times.


Pujols rounding into form
Albert Pujols hit a game winning home run for the second straight game as the Cardinals beat the Cubs 3-2 on Sunday. Pujols now has 4 home runs in his last 3 games and looks to be getting back into form after a shaky first 2 months of the season.

- After his game on May 29th, the exact 1/3 point of the season, Pujols had only 8 home runs, 28 RBI's and a .257 batting average. All would be career lows by a significant amount.

- Rebounding is even more important than usual as Pujols is in his contract year, meaning that his contract expires after this season and he can become a free agent if he does not sign an extension before then. He has reportedly been asking for a new 10 year-$300 million dollar contract, but the Cardinals have balked and some have theorized that his poor start is due to distractions caused by the contract issues.