T.J. Houshmandzadeh's Madden boycott

Story from FOXSports.com

Among certain circles, the annual release of the new version of John Madden's video game is treated as a national holiday.

Does Housh have a beef?
T.J. Houshmandzadeh thinks he should be ranked higher in the new Madden video game. Here's a look at last year's stats of the game's six highest-rated pass catchers in the NFC:
Player, Team	REC	YDS	TDS
Larry Fitzgerald, ARI	96	1,431	12
Steve Smith, CAR	78	1,421	6
Anquan Boldin, ARI	89	1,038	11
Roddy White, ATL	88	1,302	7
Calvin Johnson, DET	78	1,331	12
Houshmandzadeh	92	904	4

But Seahawks wide receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh won't be celebrating when Madden '10 comes out next month, telling a national radio host he'll be boycotting the game in protest over his player rating.

"Man, they don't get my rating right," Houshmandzadeh said while appearing on Colin Cowherd's ESPN Radio show Monday. "I just looked at the game and they have this wrong and that wrong. And I understand I averaged 10 yards a catch (in 2008), but it's the offense, man, not me."

For the record, Houshmandzadeh has a rating of 91, making him the sixth-highest ranked wide receiver in the NFC, behind only Larry Fitzgerald (99), Steve Smith (97), Anquan Boldin (94), Roddy White (93) and Calvin Johnson (92). Also for the record, Houshmandzadeh had 904 receiving yards and four touchdowns in 2008. Just for comparison purposes, all five NFC wideouts ranked ahead of him put up better numbers; each had at least 1,038 receiving yards and scored at least six TDs.

But according to Houshmandzadeh, those numbers are lying. And he'll be giving the PlayStation a rest until the truth is told.

"I'm not playing Madden no more, until they get my rating right," Houshmandzadeh said. "It might be a little pouting, too. It might be. But, you know, I used to be the best in the world at Madden, so I'm going to miss not playing it. But until they do me right, I'm not playing it no more."

__________

Of all the stories that get published during the NFL off-season, this one was pretty unnecessary, but nonetheless, entertaining.

What does Houshmandzadeh think his boycott will result in? A decrease in sales? Not likely. He probably only helped the franchise even more by affirming the fact that they got his rating right.

Larry Fitzgerald is the head of the class. No argument there, the man can play. Steve Smith and Anquan Boldin both did more (TDs, YDs) in less games, 14 and 12 respectively. His argument for saying "but it's the offense, man, not me" is unacceptable, I mean, who's above him? Calvin Johnson and the (0-16) Detroit Lions' offense. He managed to do more with a lot less. Johnson made his own stats, racked up his YACs, and found his way to the end zone on less receptions as well.

Roddy White also manages to best Houshmandzadeh with a rookie QB in Matt Ryan, getting 400 more yards and 3 more TD. I know Matt Ryan is better than Ryan Fitzpatrick, but even with Carson Palmer, Houshmandzadeh's best receiving yards in a season is 1,143.

And I didn't mention that T.J. Houshmandzadeh is the oldest of the 6 and has the lowest career average yards per catch and has never had a season where he's averaged more than 13.4, Steve Smith averages 14.4 for his career, Larry Fitzgerald averages 14.0, Roddy White averages 15.4, Calvin Johnson in two seasons average a monstrous 16.6, Anquan Boldin is the low man at 12.9, which beats Houshmandzadeh's second best average of 12.3.

So maybe it's not the defense, it's you T.J. To show how ridiculous T.J regards himself beyond reality, you only need to read his quote saying "I used to be the best in the world at Madden." Best in the world? I've never seen on the Madden Challenge on ESPN...

Houshmandzadeh should be thanking Madden for overrating the receiver. Either way, the boycott will not last very soon because Madden is too addicting.

"Shaq Vs." Good Ratings

Yahoo! Blog

"Shaq Vs." will feature Shaq challenging some of the best athletes at their sport head-to-head. Right off the bat, this is an idea gone wrong already.

Shaq has never been known to be a physical specimen. Sure, he's tall, huge, and strong - but generally lacks athleticism. Maybe if he did this 10 years ago, it would be a bit more feasible, but not in the twilight of his career.

And something that Cleveland fans should be worried about is that Shaq's full-time gig is to actually help Lebron and the Cavs make it out of the East and challenge the Lakers, not go around failing to throw a football as far as Ben Roethlisberger, struggle to hit against Albert Pujols, or let Michael Phelps swim laps around him.

The show is not a good idea, Shaq is not athletic enough to keep up with any of these athletes, let alone have the skills to compete. He is also suppose to fight Oscar De La Hoya, play tennis pro Serena Williams and beach volleyball Olympians Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh. The only event I see Shaq possibly having a shot at winning is boxing with Oscar De La Hoya simply because he is much bigger than De La Hoya. However, if Shaq needs to come down to his weight class (this might be the best part of the show) - I guarantee it's a lost already.

Now a reality show that I will actually watch will be "The T.O. Show," Terell Owens will be observed in his natural space and has always been an entertainer. He takes on himself in the show (a role he has mastered) and not other athletes and ratings like Shaq will do.

In the match-up between "Shaq Vs." Ratings, Ratings will win by K.O. after 3 episodes.

Backups breaking the bank

On Tuesday, July 14, two career back-up who seem to have always been in the shadow of the best player at their respective position got paid big-time and by big-time, I mean overpaid.

These two guys, Matt Cassel and Marcin Gortat seemed to be in the worst position possible, backing up arguably the best in their league at their position, Tom Brady(QB) and Dwight Howard (C). But one season ending injury and playoff game suspension later, both have fat contracts in hand for the summer.

Cassel, who until this year has not started since high school (7 years) took over center for Tom Brady after he suffered a season-ending injury against the Kansas City Chiefs during the first week of the season. After putting together a respectable (11-5) record with slightly above average numbers, Cassel was traded to the Chiefs in the offseason after being franchised by the Patriots. This past week, he signed a contract similar to 2007 first-pick JaMarcus Russell. Cassel's contract is for six years at $63 million, with $28 million guaranteed for the first two years and more than $40 million through the third year. Russell's contract was for six years, $68 million, with over $31 million guaranteed and more than $44 million over the first four years of the contract.

Given the market, both for quarterback and the economic market, the Chiefs definitely overpaid for the 21 touchdowns the Quarterback threw in 2008, 7 of which came in the last 3 games of the season against Oakland, Arizona (likely their worst game of the season), and Buffalo. Cassel did put up good numbers, but this was in a Patriots system that featured Randy Moss, Wes Welker, Benjamin Watson, a stable of effective running backs, and a great offensive line. Cassel came to the Chiefs upon Tony Gonzalez's departure, Larry Johnson's decline, and a terrible offensive line. The only bright spot on the offense is wideout Dwayne Bowe. Cassel's number were slightly better than average last year, but look for those numbers to decline with a weakened supporting cast.

Derek Anderson threw for 29 touchdowns and 19 interceptions with a 82.5 QB rating (Cassel was 21 TD/11 INTs/89.4 QB Rating) during his lone full season in 2007 with the Browns and signed a 3 yr./$24 million contract extension in 2008. The two quarterbacks had similar numbers, Cassel's $10.5 million/yr., when compared with Anderson's $8 million/yr. renders him overpaid. But the Chiefs, unlike the Browns are putting their franchise's future over the next 5 years on Cassel's shoulders and rewarded him with an unusually high-priced contract for the career back-up. Like Cassel's career, his contract has been anything but the norm.

After Cassel's contract, Jim Sorgi must be praying for Peyton Manning to go down. He has 6 TDs, 1 INT, and a 89.9 QB rating for his career. Before 2008, in 3 seasons Cassel's career numbers were 2 TDs, 2 INTs, and a 71.8 QB rating. Sorgi was also a one-year starter for the Wisconsin Badgers and started 17 games during his collegiate career, already beating Cassel in that department. Sorgi's numbers are better than Cassel's and he's had more career starts (college and NFL) since 2001, so he might just need an opportunity before getting the next big contract for a career backup.


Marcin Gortat was a relative unknown in the basketball world until the NBA Playoffs this past year but had a 5 yr./$34 million deal matched by the Magics on Tuesday. Right off the bat I would have to say the magics overpaid purely because the price for Gortat got bid up by the Mavericks who attempted to make a splash in the 2009 free agent market simply because others were holding out for 2010. They had money to spend and like usual, overpaid everyone (Kidd, Marion) when they really didn't need to. The Magics know they overpaid because they were competing with the Mavs, but they also overpaid because although Vince Carter is an upgrade over Hedo Turkoglu, losing Gortat would have been a step back based on what other Eastern conference contenders did to improve themselves.

Gortat logged only 5,4, and 9 minutes in his last 3 games against the Lakers, proving ineffective. His season averages of 3.8 points and 4.5 rebounds per game is not impressive for someone set to make $7 million a year.

Channing Frye who averaged 4.2 points and 2.2 rebounds signed a 2 year contract worth $2 million a season with the second year being at his option the following day with the Phoenix Suns. Frye, who I believe has greater potential averaged 12.3 points and 5.8 rebounds per game as a rookie. Orlando should have pursued the free agent who would have come considerably cheaper than Gortat and has greater potential to blossom backing up Howard while gracefully accepting the role as oppose to Gortat's desire to start and prove his potential.

Todd Lamar Doxey

Today marks the one year death of Oregon defensive back Todd Doxey. Doxey died last summer after a swimming accident on the McKenzie River next to the University of Oregon campus.

Doxey's impact is noted by the fact that Rivals.com featured a story about Todd 8 weeks after his death, it was also the featured story for a week on the Yahoo! homepage. Last year, a different Oregon player wore his "29" jersey each week until the Ducks ended the season with a win at the Holiday Bowl in San Diego, Doxey's hometown.

Doxey was an amazing athlete, student, and person. He ranked No.2 in the San Diego Section for receiving yards at 2,669 and as a Safety always seemed to get a pick whenever he desired. Although it was Doxey's abilities at Safety that caught the attention of many Division I programs, in basketball Todd helped the Hoover Cardinals to their first section basketball title in 44 years during the 2006 season. He meant a lot to the school, reviving a basketball program as well as earning respectability for a football program that went (0-10) and (0-9-1) prior to Todd's enrollment.

More so than being the talent that the Cardinals needed, Doxey brought character, humility, and respect to the team and school. A team that saw receivers with T.O. like personalities ruin team chemistry and that also ran themselves out of college football. Hoover's most touted player before Doxey was Ellis Jones, a two-way player who went on to play cornerback for San Jose State. After two seasons, Jones was arrested on armed robbery charges for his Craigslist robberies.

Doxey was filled with talent and had a bright future. This past year, Oregon Safety Patrick Chung was selected 34th overall in the draft by the New England Patriots. Cornerback Jairus Byrd followed at 42nd overall to the Buffalo Bills. Doxey was suppose to back-up Chung last season and start this upcoming season. Under the tutelage of Chung, coupled with playing alongside Byrd and a talented secondary, Doxey had the talent, opportunity, and potential to be a first or second rounder during the 2011 NFL Draft (he of course would stay to complete his degree).

In comparison to the recent passing of NFL Quarterback Steve McNair, Doxey as a 19 year-old, with one season of college football had 3,000 people attend his memorial, exceeding capacity. McNair played 13 NFL seasons as well as 4 seasons at Alcorn State University and had 8,000 people attend his memorial. The comparisons not only show how beloved Doxey was in the San Diego community as well as on campus with the Ducks, but also that his reach had as much impact as McNair's did in only 19 years.

On a wall inside the Hoover gym is Todd Doxey’s retired No. 9 football jersey, the only football jersey ever retired in the school's history, a history that recently included second round NFL Quarterback Tony Banks. It serves as a constant reminder of how much he meant to the Cardinals’ athletics program and how high in esteem he is held at the school which also serves as Ted Williams' alma mater.

R.I.P T.D.

Albert Pujols robbed...in 2002

For anyone looking at this year's all-star roster, no one should be shocked that there are four first basemen going to St. Louis for the all-star game; Albert Pujols, Adrian Gonzalez, Prince Fielder, and Ryan Howard. All of them are having great seasons and to defend Gonzalez' selection - he does this without any protection and was killing it the first 6 weeks of the season, Howard's selection is because he won a ring last year on top of solid power numbers.

*Player	AVG	HR	RBI
Albert Pujols	.337	30	77
Adrian Gonzalez	.268	24	48
Price Fielder	.306	20	74
Ryan Howard	.256	20	60

However, if you go back and look at the 2002 season, there were only 2 first baseman chosen for the game in Milwaukee; Todd Helton and Richie Sexson. Where was Albert Pujols? Although this was only his second season, Pujols made the all-star team the year before as a rookie and ended the season batting .329 with 37 home runs and 130 RBI, helped St. Louis tie for the National League Central Division title, and was unanimously voted the NL Rookie of the Year. So although his name was not as big then as it is now, he was still known for an extremely impressive first season that is not often seen.

So there are a few possible reasons why Albert Pujols did not get selected; a) he did not have a great start, b) Bob Brenly chose to select his players, and c) Richie Sexson was a Brewers. I'll have to strongly make the case for Bob Brenly, followed by Richie Sexson as reasons why Albert Pujols was robbed by Bob Brenly.

*Player	AVG	HR	RBI
Todd Helton	.344	16	60
Richie Sexson	.280	18	57
Albert Pujols	.286	17	56

The all-star game was held in Milwaukee and managers tend to select players from the host team if they are borderline all-stars to appease the fans. Well, Sexson was coming off a season in which in blasted 47 dingers and when comparing his numbers with Albert Pujols, they were identical. So Sexson was definitely deserving of his selection.

This brings me to my next point. If this year's manager, Charlie Manuel, can and did pick 4 first basemen, why didn't Bob Brenly do the same back in 2002? It was because Brenly chose to do a classless thing and instead choose his players for Albert Pujol's spot. Just looking at the 2002 All-star roster, I can already notice two positional players that maybe should not have been on there; Junior Spivey and Damian Miller, both Diamondbacks. The 2002 all-star team carried 3 catchers; Mike Piazza, Benito Santiago, and Damian Miller. That's a bit odd, Piazza and Santiago were having good years and should have been on there, Miller on the other hand played the same position his manager did and made it onto the team. And Junior Spivey is Junior Spivey, a player who's no longer in the major leagues. Clearly, Bob Brenly favored his guys as opposed to opposing AL all-star manager Joe Torre who selected only two Yankees as reserves; Derek Jeter and Robin Ventura.

So there was definitely a theft that occurred as a 3rd first baseman should have been added to the team that year. This is important because Albert Pujols has made the all-star squad every year from 2001-2009, except for 2002, a blemish on an otherwise perfect Cooperstown resume.

And if you are wondering where Brenly's managerial decisions have brought him, currently, he's a broadcaster for the Chicago Cubs, while Torre is still coaching and Pujols is still an all-star for the 7th straight year (this would have been 9th if not for Brenly).


*All numbers are as of July 1st of that same year in an effort to evaluate how the candidates were doing at the time when the all-star selections are usually finalize.

A.J. Burnett is burning..

A.J. Burnett is currently on fire. In his last five games, he is sporting a (4-1) record with a 1.36 ERA and the last win in this stretch came against the Minnesota Twins, a team that features Joe Mauer, Justin Morneau, and co. For the season, he's 8-4 with a 3.77 ERA. At the end of May, Burnett was (3-2) with a 4.78 ERA and certainly did not look like the $16.5 MM/yr. pitcher that the Yankees paid for. So with Burnett gaining momentum, what does this mean for the Yankees?

It means they now have the No.2 starter they paid for behind CC (no, I didn't spell this wrong, he dropped the .,. after getting traded to the Brewers) Sabathia. Although they are currently only 1 GB of the Red Sox and leading the AL Wild Card standings, this gives them more than a playoff appearance, they now have a chance to win the World Series.

Over the past 20 years, the majority of teams that have gone on to win it all have had a few things in common; good pitching and great/timely hitting. Good pitching means having solid No.1 and No.2 starters (Hamels/Myers, Beckett/Schilling, Schilling/Martinez, Johnson/Schilling, Beckett/Penny) with a shut-down closer (Lidge, Papelbon,). Hitting is less consistent, so either great hitters continue to be great hitters when it really counts (not A-Rod) or timely hitting is provided by the not so expected (Mike Lowell in 2007, David Eckstein in 2006, Jermaine Dye in 2005, etc.). The Yankees had a solid line-up, legitimate No.1 starter in Sabathia, and closer in Mariano Rivera. Now they have the last piece, a No.2 starter in Burnett. So look for the Yankees to continue challenging the Red Sox, Rays, Tigers, Rangers, and Angels in the AL for a spot in the World Series and potentially to win it all.

Of course, my prediction is still Boston winning it all in 2009.

Rooting for Roddick

Andy Roddick was supposed to lose to Roger Federer on Sunday. After all, going into the match his career mark against the Great One was a staggering 2-18. In Grand Slams, the Swiss Sensation had bested the American in all seven of their matchups, with only one contest reaching a fourth set. Tennis legends Rod Laver, Bjorn Borg, and Pete Sampras joined thousands of fans at the All England Club expecting to see Federer cruise to his record 15^th Grand Slam victory. To everyone there, Andy Roddick was supposed to play the role of Brett Favre laying down for Michael Strahan to record the single season sack record. Only one problem: someone forgot to tell Andy.

What transpired over the four hour and fifteen minute contest goes beyond the numbers that describe it: 77 aces, 181 winners, 77 total games, 436 total points. The final set lasted thirty games – more than most expected the entire match would take. What made this Wimbledon so different for Andy? How did David manage to hang with Goliath – no, challenge Goliath – for so long... Other than a 135 mile per hour serve of course? Like many underdogs, Andy relied on the most innate competitive instinct: heart.

To say the past three years were difficult for the American would be an understatement. His last Grand Slam final came in 2006, and since then he suffered a number of injuries, went through a highly-publicized coaching change, and saw his ranking slip as low as #12 in the world. After defeating hometown favorite Andy Murray in the semi finals, Roddick discussed the turbulent years, saying “Brook (his wife) and I had a lot of talks on… if I still thought I could play…. I definitely openly questioned it at that point.” Later, cameras caught him in a rare emotional moment as he broke down in the conference lobby, revealing how much the opportunity to compete in the finals meant to him.

After the epic five-set saga against Federer, one could not help but feel bad for Andy. He choked up numerous times in the on-court interview following the match, and his passion for the game of tennis felt genuine. He expressed his desire to join the all-time greats among the list of Wimbledon champions. After the match, many analysts called the finals a “moral victory” for Roddick, but like a true competitor the American saw no silver lining. Asked to describe what he did that day, Andy replied; “I lost.”

It was refreshing to see a professional athlete display so much genuine passion and respect for the sport he plays. Though Federer is certainly a legendary champion and deserves all the accolades, when asked if he was “the happiest person (after winning)”, he answered “I don’t know. I mean, I’m very happy. I don’t know if I’m the happiest person in the world. I don’t think so.” One can only imagine how Andy would have replied.

I, for one, am hoping he gets that opportunity at Flushing Meadows.

Scotty Doesn't Know..

Scott Hairston was traded from the San Diego Padres to the Oakland Athletics for two Minor League pitchers, right-handers Ryan Webb and Craig Italiano, as well as a player to be named, also a pitcher, on Sunday. Hairston had no clue, after learning about the trade, he said "It was out of the blue." And it was, Hairston just came off the 15-day disabled list last week, a stretch in which the Padres went (5-11) in 16 games without his service and protection for Adrian Gonzalez. The Padres were (5-8) with Hairston back in the line-up and were so far only (5-7) with Hairston before General Manager Kevin Towers decided to throw in the towel during the 8th inning of Sunday's game against the Dodgers, a game in which the Padres scored 5 runs in the 9th inning to force extra innings before losing in 13 innings.

The point is, the Padres are terrible without Hairston and bad with Hairston and the Padres are sticking with the former, choosing to be terrible without him. The Padres have not only thrown out this year and next, but maybe a few extra years as well. On top of that, it doesn't seem like they want fans coming to the ballpark any longer. Sure the Padres were bad, but all-star Adrian Gonzalez and Heath Bell are still worth watching. Without Hairston, Gonzo saw his league lead in home runs disappear and Bell rarely got called on to come into the game in save situations. So if not for the season, the Padres should have kept Hairston to at least fill the seats because fans come to see Gonzalez hit and without Hairston, he can count on seeings ball after ball on top of the occasional base on balls.

Hairston also was a fan favorite (he was a 2009 WBC representative for Mexico) and enjoyed his time in San Diego as evident by the descriptions that reporters gave saying he choked up when talking to them, especially when asked about his time in San Diego. Although as a Padres fan I am not happy with the move, based on how the Padres chose to play this chess game, they had to do it. Hairston was inked for 1 year at $1.25 million and although that pays him more than half of the player on the 25-man roster, it was well within their budget. What they should have done was signed him to a longer term contract for about the same salary per year but did not want to take the gamble during a season in which there was an ownership change and attempted payroll sell-off. He is not eligible to become a free agent until 2011, but through arbitration will likely command a larger salary than the Padres would like to pay.

So Kevin Towers did what he could with the restrictions that he was given and instead opted for 3 unproven youngsters with potential and cheaper contracts in the range of $500,000 for the next 6 years. Padres fan might hate the deal now, but to see the light at the end of the tunnel, we will only have to go back as far as 2005. After a career year from Adam Eaton and a productive year from set-up man Akinori Otsuka, both were shipped off to the Texas Rangers for Chris Young, Adrian Gonzalez, and Termel Sledge. At the time, fans were outraged at this move, but currently this has to be looked at as one of the best trades in recent memory and the best that Kevin Towers has made. Gonzalez quickly became the cornerstone of the franchise while Young has proven to be an effective, elite pitcher and No. 2 starter when healthy. So although fans might not be showing up to the ballpark as often as before, let's hope Adrian Gonzalez sticks around and these 3 arms from Oakland turn out to be gem, even if it's just one and this trade can be declared a winner.

Also, fans should see that after this past month, pitching depth is what the Padres need, they have outright lost games early on due to poor pitching.

So goodbye Scotty, goodbye 2009, 2010, hello 2011?

Overpaid Kidd

Jason Kidd signed a 3 yr./$25 million deal with the Dallas Mavericks as we all expected. There were no heavy favorite NBA Finals team in which he could have signed with and he opted instead for the money as oppose to spending a season in New York before the Lebron sweepstakes started. So knowing that Kidd would likely be offered mid-level exceptions and shorter contracts from teams like the Knicks or Blazers,Mark Cuban overpays for Kidd and signs him to a longer contract than he needed too. Kidd is clearly on the decline of his career, in addition to far being removed from his peak in the 2002-2003 season. And if you're incline to bring up his performance in the 2008 Olympics, Chris Paul (CP3) and Deron Williams were more productive although Kidd did provide the leadership that the group needed.

Instead, I think Mark Cuban would have been wise to try and pursue another New Jersey Nets pointguard, no, not the guy that they shouldn't have traded away for Kidd (Devin Harris), but Rafer Alston. Alston had a very productive year for the Rockets and Magics and was a key contributer to the Magics' run before Jameer Nelson's return. Alston would have come cheaper, younger (4 years), and with shorter terms. He would have nicely filled the role of mentor to JJ Barea in that Barea is a career back-up and borderline starter, a role that Alston knows far too well. This would have nicely filled the one-year gap before the 2010 free agents sweepstakes for the Mavs. But as the Kidd signing signals, Cuban is more interested in spending money, making poor decisions, and compiling a potential 50-game winner that will never contend for the NBA Championship in a crowded Western conference than to build a solid young core to potentially contend. Dallas fans are probably wishing Cuban could have bought the Cubs last year and spent this summer worrying about their underperformance as oppose to the Mavericks..

Manny reactions mixed

It seems that with the Padres current 4th place standing in the NL West, the fans have also lost their desire to give steroid users an absolutely harsh reception. Several years ago when the Padres were contending for the NL West (during the Bruce Bochy era) every time Barry Bonds came to town, there were clearly more boos than the mix of boos and cheers that greeted Marry Roid-mirez. I remember seeing games where Bonds was greeted with asterisks made of syringes, signs saying "Ruth did it with hot dogs and beers," and even an inflated syringe thrown onto left field at PETCO Park while being manned by Bonds.

But after two games of hosting Manny and the Dodgers, Padres fan have yet to do anything of the sort. Maybe its because half of the 45,000 capacity PETCO Park is filled with Dodgers fans who made the 2-hour drive down or "Manny being Manny" is accepted as an explanation of the 50-game suspension. I'll chose to go with the former and say that the Dodgers fan filled stadium have continued to embrace the man that declares himself “one of the best players to put on a uniform.” A statement which I will disagree with, as great as he is statistically, he has never and will never be a great outfielder, on top of having never won the MVP award, oh and who could forget, the 'roids.

I hope the Padres fan will step it up and give the fans in attendance during Sunday's game a better idea of what they think of Manny and his cheating. Either that or Dodgers fan will stop cheering for Manny because he's one of their own. Because almost all baseball fans know that they did not treat Barry Bonds with the same kind of love everytime he came to Dodger Stadium. As soon as Manny chooses to bolt for Cleveland or another city for a bigger contract, I'm sure Dodger fans will change the way they praise him, just as his welcome has worn out in Boston, a true baseball town. Dodger fans should be ashame of themselves for cheering their own cheater while booing every other cheater not in a Dodgers uniform. In my opinon, every cheater should be treated the same way. I guess we'll see how baseball fans actually view players who choose to use a little something extra once Manny and the Dodgers go to New York.

Ron Artests' Barber

(check out the masterpiece that Artest is sportin')

Since I'm in Los Angeles and am a die-hard Lakers fan, I've been keeping track of the "Ron Artest signing" since it was gaining steam and announced early afternoon Thursday. After the signing, there were stories from places like Y! Blogs that bashed the Artest signing and articles like ESPN's that declared Kobe the present, Lebron the future, and pushed Shaq to the past a la Kazaam. But none of these stories, poor analysis by Y! Blog's KD or a creative gem like J.A. Adande declaring that "now's the time for Artest," captured the most important detail of the signing.

Will Ron Artest and his barber reach a contract agreement to continue their dominating performance of "cutting-edge" looks and designs displayed on his dome? Or will he sign with Trevor Ariza instead? Rumor has it Ariza might end up overpaying in order to regain the leverage he lost due to Artests' signing with the Lakers. This bid war could be headed deep into the summer.

About this blog..

I am a huge sports fan, high school, professional, and collegiate. So I've come to the conclusion that I simply can't cover every story, nor can I cover them with the depth and analysis offered by professional bloggers (Yahoo! Sports Blog). Instead, I will try to give some insight not given elsewhere, not thought of elsewhere, and not reportable anywhere else - such as being highlight articles on ESPN or Yahoo! Sports.