Let’s Talk Sports!

What’s up with these rookie idiots for the NBA?  Miami Heat rookie,
Michael Beasley was fined $50 grand for breaking a rule.  And, that
rule is no women in your hotel room during the rookie symposium.  Also
fined $20 grand were rookies Mario Chalmers and Memphis’ Darrell
Arthur.  Oh yeah, they were doing the same thing.  Come on, guys,
what’s your problem?  Are your needs that bad?  Again, I think it’s too
much money too soon.  What’s a $20 grand fine to chumps making millions
right from the start.  They forget which head to think with.
Suspending them with no pay is what is needed to help other young
millionaire athletes have a chance to mature - let their brains catch
up with their bank accounts.

Great news that boxer Oscar Diaz has awakened from his coma.  He was
carried from the ring over two months ago after being knocked out by
Delvin Rodriguez.  Even better news is that the doctors are optimistic
there will be a full recovery.  Oscar may have been carried from the
ring, but after two months, he has apparently won his biggest battle.

Well, the Raiders finally found a team they can beat - the Chiefs.  I
don’t know which team to root for since I played several years for
both.  Okay, the Raiders suck, the Chiefs are just bad.  But think
about it - how can the Raider players play well when they know20there
could be a coaching change in the middle of the game.  Al Davis has the
potential to do things like that - and believe me, it’s only a matter
of time.  That young coach had better keep his bags packed.

Did you see that call the ref made in the Denver game?  Dude, that was
really bad.  Even your girlfriend who doesn’t understand football could
have made a better call.  It was a fumble.  Forget about it, no
discussion needed, it was a fumble.  The ref later apologized to the
Charger coach, saying he blew it.  Okay, kool, blow this you chump (and
I’m talking about Coach Norv Turner’s finger).  And with this gift of
new life, the Broncos went on to win the game by two points.

Now, I say if you have an injury that doesn’t allow you to function
properly, it’s okay to say you can’t play.  L.T., the prize halfback
for the Chargers, has a hurt big toe.  Big toe? What’s with that?  So
far he’s missed the exhibition season and two season games. Now he may
not play this Sunday against the Jets.  Wrap the dang thing up.  Stick
a needle in it full of no-hurt juice and get out there, the Chargers
need you, Dude.

And finally, what about O.J…. is he still part of the sports world?
Well, just in case he is, it’s time for O.J. news, once again.  As most
of you know, he’s back in court, in
Las Vegas, trying to stay out of
jail.  He has a slew of charges that could get him a lot of jail time
if convicted. My bet?  He will walk.  This time the witnesses against
him have even less smarts than him.  It’s happening as you read this,
so let’s see how it plays out.

Okay, I’ll stop here, but you can bet there’s more coming.

Okay, I like basketball as much as the next guy, but enough already.   They played 100 games to get down to the last four teams.   True, some major stars have come from this competition - Michael Jordan, Dean Smith, wilt Chamberlain, James Worthy, Roy Williams and Larry Brown to mention a few.   Still, March Madness now goes on past March and it can make you “mad” (as in crazy).

An aside about Coach Roy Williams, can you believe the KU fans have turned against him?   He left five years ago and the KU fans are still on his back, they call him a traitor. There were some comments that he had to lose to KU for the fans to forgive him. That’s harsh.All the press was about North Carolina and Kansas, but there were two other teams that showed up, UCLA and Memphis.  

Okay, here is an idiot college move.   KU lost a guard because he was a dumb kid trying to show off. Rodrick Stewart fractured his knee cap trying to make a showcase slam dunk while at practice Friday.  This is after the coach had already told the players he didn’t want any seniors trying to dunk during practice. Freshman, okay, but no seniors.   His career may be over before it ever got started.   It’s a wait and see proposition.

It’s like I said earlier, the high profile teams (i.e. NC and UCLA) never show up to the big dance.   For some reason they just can’t close the deal.   UCLA had all the fancy dribblers, but no scorers.   Their rebounding was horrible, didn’t exist on the offensive side.   They never had a second shot at the basket.   Memphis had the rebounds and was pressing down the floor.   Memphis controlled the boards on both sides.   UCLA was out-gunned, out-manned, out-classed and out-coached.  

Also, as I said, the Jay Hawks are going all the way.   They looked really strong in the first half, but got sloppy in the second.   Instead of continuing to push the ball down the floor, they decided to be fancy and try miracle passes, and take fancy shots.   It almost cost them, but the coach pulled them aside, did his “Knute Rockne” thing, and they shaped up.   By the way, I saw the T-shirts after the game - the big sellers said “Ruck Roy”.   Wonder why.

Finally, the “final four” was down to two and we had Memphis and Kansas to finish it off.   I said it would be Kansas - so I’m a sports guru, what did you expect?   Memphis looked good in the first quarter, then it was the Jay Hawks all the way.   Still, they kept it close and any championship game that goes into OT is exciting.   The Jay Hawks pulled it off - not totally as I expected, but a win is a win.   Memphis could have pulled off the upset, but when their last free throws missed their mark it cost them the game.  

This sports season we have seen two game-winning “Hail Mary’s”.   The first in the Super Bowl when Manning thru that long pass to the receiver who caught it on his helmet and literally changed the course of the entire game, and last night when the Jay Hawks threw up a successful 3-point Hail Mary with two seconds left.   Now, what’s next?   Oh yeah, the pros!

Baseball:    San Francisco just built a huge memorabilia facility which is great for players and fans alike.   What makes it so interesting is that there is no sign that Barry Bonds ever played baseball for the Giants.    With all the memorabilia on display, there are no Bonds jerseys, shoes, hats, bats…nothing.   Up till now the question was whether or not to have an asterisk after Bonds’ name - it appears that San Francisco’s answer is to just delete his name.   What’s up with that?

 Basketball:The Phoenix Suns are on a roll, but my Shack has disappeared.   He seems to have run out of steam, but I hope he’ll be getting fired up again soon because the Suns will surely need him if they have any hope of holding off the Lakers for the western championship.  

Now we’re down to the Final Four - this is real college basketball.   My take, the Jay Hawks.   The high profile teams in most sports don’t usually show up for the big game (i.e. New York, Chicago, L.A.).   New York just broke the jinx in football, but that’s the exception not the rule.   I figure Villa will fold and Kansas will win it all.

The Shaq is Back

It was good to see Shaq back on the court. For a moment he looked a little strange in a Suns uniform, but it grew on me quickly. What added to the excitement of his first game with the Suns was that he was playing his former team - and controversial ex-teammate Koby Bryant.

Even tho’ the Suns lost, it was a good day for Shaq as he scored 15 points, and his new teammate Amare Staudemire scored 37 points. Still, it was no match for Koby who scored 41 points, and the Lakers newly acquired giant, Gasol, hit 24. But just wait ‘til Shaq has a little time to settle in and get into his groove with the Suns.

It was a fun game to watch as we truly were watching professionals at their best. In the end, someone that night had to win, and this time it was the Lakers 130 to 124.

Tiger Did What???

Okay, we’ve all heard the expression “Number One Golf Guru”, when describing Tiger Woods. Example? Take the time he hit a 2 iron out of the rough, over the trees, over the water, and landed 250 yards away on the green. What to do, what to do. Ho hum. How about three birdies and an eagle to literally steal the win. In an interview after the match, Tiger’s opponent, Holmes, said, “What can you do?”. That says it all.

This tournament is the Accenture Match Play Championship. The top 64 players are matched against each other - match play means you lose, you go home and watch tv with us. Those of you who play golf know that golf is a strange game (meaning your game is here today and gone tomorrow!). Sometimes you can’t miss a putt no matter how far away it is. Other days the 3 footers can’t be willed in no matter how hard you stare at the ball.
For Tiger to be as consistent as he is is a feat that can’t be explained. Other players work as hard as he does I’m sure. But if they want to compete with him, they have to work harder and longer - and even then Tiger finds a way to come back and beat them.

For some reason Tiger’s magic is different. I believe a lot of the credit goes to his father who taught him the right way to think, to concentrate, to focus, and to let go of the occasional bad shot. I used to see Tiger with his dad at Alameda Golf Course when I was with the Raiders. Tiger was about 3 years old. His dad would say that Tiger was going to be the best golfer ever. I guess when someone is telling you your entire life that you are going to be the best, your mind set is conditioned to know you are the best. Tiger’s dad was righ