What the Kid did for this kid

In the wake of the retirement of Ken Griffey Jr this week, you'll read numerous articles on the matters of his career numbers, from his 630 HRs to his 10 Gold Gloves, maybe even him being #2 all time in CF assists (maybe the most underrated stat he carries).
You'll read how a kid born in the same hometown as HOFer Stan Musial, who's All-Star Dad played for arguably the greatest lineup in National League history and once hit 8 HRs in 8 ABs in the Ohio HS playoffs was destined to become what he did and this should be remembered and talked about for years to come.
What I would like elonorate on is what George Kenneth Griffey Jr did or didn't do directly or indirectly to me.
I grew up in the late 80's early 90's, incase you were living under a rock at that time, you'll have to know that baseball was still king, albeit losing ground to the NFL. It had been 25 plus years since a player had won a triple crown, the Pirates were still relavant and field turf was a futuristic fantasy. Not to take anything away from the players of the late 80's but baseball had been somewhat converted from the power stroking, homerun hitting game it was to more of a hit and run Japanese style of ball. It wasn't uncommon to lead the league with 35 HRs.
Then in 1989, the Seattle Mariners made Cincinnati Arch Bishop Moeller grad and son of one of "The Big Red Machine's" best players, thei number 1 pick in the amatuer draft. The excitement caused by this kid was like nothing I had ever seen. Ad many of you recall, we did everything we could, cut grass, wash cars, sell your bike to buy as many Ken Griffey Jr Upper Deck rookies as possible. They were the best thing since sliced bread and on the front a 19 yr old kid, wearing a gold chain, a hat 2 sizes too big and a sincere smile. On the back...NO professional stats. Even with his pedigree and skill set, how did we know he was going to be this good?
As his career progressed and we saw what he could do, he became kind of a folk hero, even in opponents cities. I recall being overcome with excitement when I found out my Dad was taking us to a Cleveland Indians game to see him. I didn't really care for the Indians...or the Mariners for that matter, but I sure did care a out Griffey. He didn't hit a HR that day...instead he awed me with 2 doubles and OF play gave him the appearance he was cheating. I recall my Dad talking the whole drive home about his first step. How it was always right on.
I noticed more his swing. The Swing. Before I saw Griffey, I had always thought Will Clark 1B for San Fran had the sweetest swing ever...that was before my trip to Cleveland.
Upon return, all I wanted was a pair of "Griffeys". I'm not sure the real name of these shoes, but Nike put his face on em...and that's what I wanted.
My associated partner (the other Fat guy) mentioned he had Griffey's "Next Generation" poster...as did I...and 3 out of 4 of my buddies on my block. None of us were Mariners fans. Griff took this stage gracefully. Never a harsh word toward an ump, a fan or the media. I'm going to make a comparison (hold off on the "how many rings he got?" comments), but Griff was to baseball as Michael Jordan was to the NBA. Everybody in my age group who gave one iota about baseball followed him. Everybody.
Through my High School years, I watched Griffey go from the Kid...to The Man. His numbers and level of play were out of control during that generation of baseball. I mean 48+ HRs, 130+ RBIs, and .290 avg 5 out of 6 years(the 6th was injury plagued) Who does that? Mantle came close, DiMaggio not even close, Hammerin Hank? Nope. Only Babe Ruth can claim those numbers...and we all know who the better fielder was.
...and as I've blogged about before...my team,the Cincinnati Reds went out and traded for this Ruthian figure, in a High School seniors body for Mike Cameron, Brett Tomko and some others. This...just may have been the most excitement I've experianced in my life up to that point. The chance to watch this guy play for MY team? To break Aaron's record wearing a Reds uniform?
Well people, I'm not going to dwell on what couldve happened. We all know what did. The greatest player of my generation kept getting hurt. It affected his cards values, it affected his shoe contracts and poster deals, but it didn't affect how I felt about him. He was the best, CF I've ever seen play. Even in Cincy, often injured I saw him do wonderous things. If you're bored one day, look at Griffs Cincinnati stats and put them in a 162 game a season context...the man didn't really miss a beat.
So with this Ken Griffey Jr, a superstar that at times was standoffish and invredibly senstitive to media criticism; to a man who during the "steroid era" never had his name linked to performance enhancing drugs, which was a rarity among his contemporaries such as Barry, Sammy and Big Mac; to a man who while warming up in the batters circle would shoot a smile to kid wearing his jersey without a second thought; I want to say thank you. Thank you for playing the way you did, thank you for carrying yourself the way you did, thank you for that 1995 ALCS, thank you for playing baseball...but most of all...thank you for that 1989 Upper Deck.

UFC 114 Predictions

Saturday May 29, 2010 the grudge match many MMA fans have been waiting for is taking place in Las Vegas, NV when Quinton "Rampage" Jackson takes on "Suga" Rashad Evans. The hatred that these two men share has been brewing since Rashad entered the cage to challenge Rampage following Rampages's win over Rashad's friend and training partner Keith Jardine. It grew during their stint as opposing coaches on The Ultimate Fighter. This fight was supposed to happen at the end of theat season but was postponed due to Rampage's role as BA Baracus in the upcoming A Team movie. The winner gets the first shot at newly crowned UFC Light Heavyweight Champions Mauricio "Shogun" Rua. Unfortunately a match up between Forrest Griffin and Antonio Rogerio Nogueira was supposed to be the co main event but a shoulder injury requiring surgery sidelined Griffin so Little Nog will be taking on Jason Brilz and the match up between Michael Bisping and Dan Miller has been bumped up to co main event status. Also on the card Diego Sanchez makes his return to welterweight against undefeated John Hathaway. Here are my predictions for the upcoming event.

Main Event:
Quinton "Rampage Jackson (30-7) vs. "Suga" Rashad Evans (19-1-1)
Prediction: Rampage by 2nd Round TKO

Co Main Event:
Michael "The Count" Bisping (19-3) vs. Dan Miller (11-3, 1 NC)
Prediction: Dan Miller by 1st Round Submission

Undercard:
Todd Duffee (6-0) vs. Mike Russow (12-1, 1 NC)
Prediction: Russow by 1st Round Submission

Antonio Rogerio Nogueira (18-3) vs. Jason "Hitman: Brilz (18-2-1)
Prediction: Nogueira by 1st Round TKO

Diego "Nightmare" Sanchez (23-3) vs. John "The Hitman" Hathaway (13-0)
Prediction: Sanchez by 2nd Round Submission

Spike TV Prelims:

Amir Sadollah (4-1) vs. Dong "Stun Gun" Hyun Kim (12-0-1, 1 NC)
Prediction: Kim by 2nd Round TKO

Efrain "Hecho En Mexico" Escudero (13-1) vs. Dan "The Upgrade" Lauzon (12-3)
Prediction: Escudero by 1st Round Submission

Melvin "The Young Assassin" Guillard (42-9-3, 1 NC) vs. Waylon Lowe (8-2)
Prediction: Guillard by 2nd Round TKO

Luiz "Banha" Cane (11-2-1) vs. Cyrille "The Snake" Diabate (16-6-3)
Prediction: Cane by 1st Round TKO

Aaron Riley (28-12-1) vs. Joe "The South Side Strangler" Brammer (7-1-1)
Prediction: Riley by 2nd Round Submission

Jesse Forbes (13-5) vs. Ryan Jensen (15-5)
Prediction: Forbes by 3rd ROund Submission

Super Bowl F-f-f-f-f-forty eight

Would you rather spend a February evening in New Jersey or Miami? Well apparently the NFL would rather spend their time in Jersey. Make no mistake, they’ll sell this like it’s a huge deal that New York City is getting the game. And why not, it has the bright lights and the big buildings and there’s no shortage of things to do. The only hitch is that the game is in New Jersey. So let’s not BS ourselves by calling the site of this Superbowl New York/New Jersey. It’s in Jersey.


But the real story, at least to me, is the NFL’s message that without adding a retractable roof the South Florida market won’t see regular Superbowls anymore. This is where I call bullshit. And I’m calling out the NFL for being a bunch of hypocrites. First of all the facts, the consensus around the meetings, according to Omar Kelly and Fins writer Andy Kent, was the South Florida Group’s presentation was by and far the best, even going so far as to contribute a million dollars towards operating expenses at the owner’s meeting as an act of good faith.

The NFL accepted that good faith, then proceeded to make South Florida the first candidate to be eliminated. Now let’s ignore for a second the fact that Sun Life Stadium just saw a 250 million dollar face-lift in 2007. Forget the continual work that Stephen Ross has done in improving the experience of fans at the stadiums (improvements like personal televisions at seats, which other stadiums are now considering). The NFL has the balls to tell the Dolphins and the South Florida area that despite the trying economic times and the recent multi-million dollar renovations that they need to put more taxpayer money into the stadium in order to continue to get the chance to host the Superbowl, and they do so while accepting a million dollar gift?

What stews you even more though is the fact that Tampa got no such treatment. Tampa, whose Raymond James stadium is newer than Sun Life, also has no retractable roof. Now I visited Tampa probably 30 times in 30 years and I can tell you with a great degree of authority that the odds of getting rained on in Tampa are just as high as they are in Miami. New Jersey has no retractable roof. Not to mention, on the date the Superbowl has been played over the last five years the weather in Jersey has been on average mid-40’s with snow last year and rain in 2007. What’s better than dropping a few grand to go to the Superbowl and getting to sit through 40 degree rain in New Jersey? Dysentery. I would honestly rather crap myself to death than pay two grand to sit in cold rain for three hours in Jersey.


I wish Miami would call the NFL on its bullshit. The NFL profits more off of new stadiums with its business model (revenue sharing, hence Jerry Jones’ campaign to end it before his Cowboys opened their billion dollar palace last year). Now the owners are telling the citizens of South Florida that if they want to continue to host the Superbowl and enjoy the 350-400 million dollars of stimulus that it brings they area, they have to pay a few hundred million to put an ugly roof on top of what is in reality already a very nice stadium. And they do so knowing damn well they stand to pocket about 4-5 billion dollars in TV revenues despite locking the players out next year, which will deny all of the South Florida football fans they’re already trying to fleece a year of football.

Having a Superbowl venue with a roof isn’t even always a positive thing. The Superdome has a roof and it’s a complete dump.  And why, seemingly every time the NFL plays the Superbowl in a dome they inexplicably shoot off ten minutes of fireworks and pyrotechnics, I do not know. But I do know that it must be nice to inhale smoke and enjoy decreased visibility through most of the third quarter while they try haplessly to suck the smoke out.

My point is this, if Miami wanted to play the game in the rickety old Orange Bowl (RIP) it would sell out. The fact the NFL is trying to leverage the Dolphins to dump more into their stadium (and by virtue of that they’ll make more money collectively) is downright criminal. Miami is a destination attraction. Does it rain? Yes, it actually is more of a shower pattern that tends to move on in a few hours. That’s nit-picking though. But it’s also going to be in the mid 70’s, hell maybe even the 80’s. But this isn’t about rain or a retractable roof. It’s about money. And they don’t think Miami’s spent enough lately. So let’s not pretend it’s anything else.

There is no way in hell you can tell me that in February an outdoor stadium in New Jersey is a better destination than Miami, Tampa and Arizona. Hell, ever. I wouldn’t want to go to Jersey over Miami, EVER. I don’t care if the new Meadowlands could make the Palace of Versailles blush with golden toilet seats and Ushers in tuxedos, it’s still Jersey in February. And the reason you give for eliminating South Florida is a retractable roof? Bullshit. Just be honest next time, “we want you to spend more money.”

In a related story, Barrow Alaska municipal stadium has undergone a $800 million dollar facelift. The new outdoor "fan miserable" stadium will host the 2020 BCS Championship game. Festivities will be underground in an old nuclear warhead storage facility. This event will replace the old, lack of fun and bad weather Orange Bowl in Miami. Because the game is being played 30 miles from the city in which the NCAA claims it to be in, fans will be allowed to ride the DSTA (dog sled transit authority) or the "TA" free of charge for the weekend. The DSTA promises that no vagrants, homeless or chemically dependant nuciences will be riding at those times. 

The last paragraph was untrue. 

The Ballad of a Tortured Sports Fan

In the day after my beloved Cincinnati Reds imploded, giving up 7 runs in the bottom of the 9th inning to fall out of first place, I see what is in store for me this season...

I'm sure alot of you can relate to things of this nature, unless you're the classic team flopper.

Over the past 2 decades (with the exception of my Florida Gators and Puttsburgh Penquins) I have been maybe the most tortured sports fan in this great country. In a way, I guess it serves me right. As a young boy, when I was figuring out the sports world, rooting for certain teams, etc,
the teams I became fans of were all winners. I wasn't the only young lad to root for the likes of Dan Marino, Pete Rose, and John Stockton, but now eras pass, ownerships change, and the entire landscape of sports is adjusted, including the futures of storied franchises.

I would imagine it was about 1982, around the age of 5, relatives of mine from South Florida would speak of Don Shula and the Miami Dolphins at family gatherings. I'll be honest, their bright colors and my lifelong pattern of going against the norm (Steelers fans where I come from) were my biggest reasons for following them. In the years to come, I followed my Dolphins and the uber exciting Dan Marino though years of playoff failures. Even making trips to Buffalo in back to back years with my Old Man, only to see shootout losses at the expense of the K-Gun. I've seen regime change after regime change. Coach after coach (Nick Saban can catch the clap and his hands can contract arthritis so he can't relieve himself for all I care). QB after QB failed me. In 2001 we went 11-5, had the number 1 defense in football...the next year we trade for RB Ricky Williams who rushed for 1800+ yds and 16 TDs, we have the #3 defense in the NFL...and we go 9-7? How does this happen Coach Wannstadt? Seriously?
Then you have the trading of a "washed up" Wes Welker, the decision to sign Duante Culpepper over Drew Brees, the Run Ricky Run saga, and so on and so forth.
I have yet to see my team win an NFL Chamionship. This year could be different. We have a big big big Defense (Parcells philosophy), a good young QB, 2 great backs and a game changing WR...I won't be getting my hopes up though.

1984...while playing Little League in the small community of Mingo Jct ,which I excelled at as a youngster, I played for the Reds. Now as many kids of that era, I wore my Reds cap everywhere. To school, to the pool (yes I swam on gamedays...sorry Coach Frieling), and so on and so forth. They were my team. As luck would have it, my Mom was a big Reds fan. I guess living in the 70's and if you were from Ohio it was easy. So I listened the stories of Pete Rose (a HALL of FAMER!!!!! Get over it commish), Joe Morgan and Dave Conception. Not to take anything away from my Dad's Yankees stories, I still say Mickey Mantle was the most talented player to ever put on spikes, but our rival in Little League was the Yankees. I couldn't be a Yankees fan. It just wasn't an option. We actually followed Pete Rose to a few stadiums looking to get #4192 (it happens after we had to return home of course). Later on I witnessed some success, my beloved Charlie Hustle banned from the sport I loved, a few 2nd place finishes...then The 1990 World Series.
Ahhhh yes, a four game sweep of the heavily favored Oakland Athletics. The Bash Brothers and Tony LaRussa were swept by a bunch average players and a very injured, although courageous, Eric Davis. It was awesome. Just awesome...and the fact we beat the local favorite Pirates made it sweeter. I wore my Reds hat to school all year.
Following that the Reds had some success. An NLCS appearance, a couple division titles etc. In 1999, we lost a one game playoff with the eventual NL Champs the NY Mets. We had a good season, 90+ wins...and that off season we signed Cincinnati Arch Bishop Moeller HS grad, AL MVP Ken Griffey Jr. Wow, the excitment. I honestly didn't think we would lose a game....

We've had one winning season since. 1
This year could be different. We have a young, talented and hungry ball club off to a good start (last night was tough though). I won't be getting my hopes up though.

Basketball. It took me a little while to really get into hoops. My family and friends rooted for either the Celtics, Bulls or Cavs. I watched all of them. Larry was outstanding, Michael was, well Michael, but when I saw an undersized John Stockton, a hulking figure in Karl Malone and a mountain city embracing and supporting them like no other, and when I saw them take the Lakeshow or Showtime 7 games in the Western Conference finals...I was hooked.
After that...9 years of 50+ wins and early playoff exits. Then Jordan retires. Opening the door for everybody else. Well, the Rockets beat us in the Conference Finals in back-to-back seasons on their way to NBA Chamionships. Then...we beat em. A 3 pointer as time expires to get us to the NBA Finals. To play...the Bulls and Michael. Dammit.
We get back the following year with the best record in the league and home court. Again, we play the Bulls and Michael. Same results.
Since then we have had limited success. Playoff runs here and there with a young team, but nothing really gets me too excited.
Now I will say, we have the best PG in the league, a solid core and a lottery pick (thanks Isaiah), and an outstanding coach...but again I have yet to see my team win an NBA Championship.
Maybe next year will be different?

This ramble was brought about by my Reds totally collapsing yesterday, but has been brewing for quite some time. I'm sure that most all of you can relate in some way, shape or form to what I'm speaking of and we are forced to ask ourselves...what makes us follow this thing they call sport?
It's because the hope of raising that trophy on National TV will be a part of our life and something we can share with our kids, nieces, nephews and friends that will make that moment live forever.

By Fabz

Fred's Strikeforce: Heavy Artillery Predictions

Tomorrow night Strikeforce will present Heavy Artillery on Showtime. The headliner of this card is a "Heavyweight Championship" fight between Allistair "Demolition Man" Overeem and Brett "The Grim" Rogers. I won't get into the fact that it's a joke to call this a title fight considering Overeem, "the champion", hasn't defended his title since he won it via submission over Paul Buentello in 2007 and the challenger Rogers lost his last fight in order to obtain his "title" shot. I am iterested to hear if Overeem's urine glows in the dark during drug testing considering the suspicions people have about his PED use. He hasn't fought in the US since the Buentello fight (his fights have all been overseas) and this is a man that 3 years ago was a 205 lb fighter that suddenly is tipping the scales at a solid 253 lbs. This alone doesn't make him guilty but it does make one suspicious. Anyway, here are my predictions for the main card fights taking place in St. Louis, MO.

Allistair "Demolition Man" Overeem (32-11-1) vs. Brett "The Grimm" Rogers (11-1)
Prediction: Overeem by 1st Rd TKO

Andrei "Pittbull" Arlovski (15-7) vs. Antonio "Bigfoot" Silva (13-2)
Prediction: Arlovski by Unanimous Decision

Ronald "Jacare" De Souza (11-2-1) vs. "Smokin" Joey Villasenor (27-6)
Prediction: "Jacare" by 1st Rd Submission

Roger Gracie (2-0) vs. Kevin "The Monster" Randleman (17-14)
Prediction: Gracie by 1st Rd Submission

Antwain "The Juggernaut" Britt vs. Rafael "Feijao" Cavalcante
Prediction "Feijao" by 1st Rd TKO

Can the Present Erase the Past? by Fred

"For me, crazy as it seems, there is a real relationship between wild, reckless abandon off the field and being that way on the field." -LT

Has everyone seen the Blindside? Well if you have there is a sequence at the beginning where a New York Giant outside linebacker sacks Joe Theismann and breaks his leg. Sandra Bullock's character discusses how this outside linebacker changed the way the game of football was played and made it necessary to start paying left tackles big money in order to protect the QBs blindside. That linebacker, the one that changed the game, was Lawrence Taylor.

For the rest of my post I will call him LT. With all do respect to LaDanian Tomlinson the real LT is Lawrence Taylor. If they played at the same time this wouldn't have been a discussion because after LT hit Tomlinson the debate would have ended. If you haven't noticed I am an LT fan. In fact, watching him play is a huge reason why I love football as much as I do. I have some early memories of the Cowboys and the 49ers and when I was about 9 the Bears doing the SuperBowl Shuffle. that was all cool and entertaining but what I remember loving was wearing my Big Blue Wrecking Crew t-shirt and watching LT along with guys like Harry Carson, Carl Banks, Pepper Johnson, Leonard Marshall, Jim Burt, and company punish teams. LT was the NFL MVP during the 86 Super Bowl season! Not defensive player of the year. He was the MVP of the league y'all!

But I digress. The reason I bring LT up is that he has gotten in trouble for the umteenth time since his playing days ended. Not that he was a choir boy while he played. Lt's transgressions include being arrested twice since he retired for buying crack from an undercover FBI agent, he's gotten in trouble for not paying child support, and last year he left the scene of an accident. All of that's bad enough but I've always been able to look past this off field behavior and focus on his greatness on it. I have made several mistakes in my life and I've sampled an illegal substance or two in my day. Not condoning the behavior, just saying I am not the man to throw the stones from my glass house. This time though he is being acused of 3rd degree statutory rape as well as third-degree patronization for paying the 16 year old girl to have sex with him.

This is a crime I would have a hard time overlooking as just a mistake if it the accusations are true. What should I, as a fan, do though? I know that isn't the most important question I could ask here. Heck it's even a pretty selfish thing to ask in the grand scheme of things but I've been asking it myself none the less. LT is the biggest reason I am not only a Giant fan but also a football fan in general. It can be traced back to him when people ask why I, along with my fellow fat guy, would go to two Ohio High School State Football Title games in the same day, in the snow, when I had absolutely no stake in either game except the desire to watch some good football. Should his behavior off the field affect my memories of the enjoyment I received watching him play on it or is his behavior off the field linked directly to how he played football?

If LT is convicted and goes on to do the 5 years in jail that he is facing I have to admit that while I will no doubt condemn the behavior it will in no way change my admiration for what he did on the field and the fond memories I have of watching him as a child. What he has done and allegedly done can not erase the affect he had on me growing up. It can even be said he played a role in the creation of this blog which many may believe is the biggest crime of all.

Lay off LeBron by Fabz

Alright, I am in no way what so ever applauding King James' performance last night. It was to be frank, atrocious.

BUT...

Let's be honest, Cleveland has the worst coach (and continuously adding separation) left in the playoffs. Coach Brown is no Phil Jackson let's be honest.
Now given basketball can be dominated by one player due to the small number of players playing at a given time, unlike football when one player can make a difference or even dominate, but without help can be shut down. Even Albert Pujouls can be pitched around making him obsolete. During most of the season LeBron did dominate. He dominated everybody he faced, with or without a healthy O'Neal.
Chicago was totally outmatched (but don't be surprised if they make some noise in the next few years), but Boston is 2 years removed from an NBA Championship. They're an outstanding team, aging yes, but outstanding none the less.
Does anybody remember Jordan's first years in Chicago? Dominating the regular season, maybe even a first round playoff series? Does anybody remember Del Harris' stint in LA? I believe the cover of Sports Illustrated read "the happening Lakers swept by the unhip Jazz". Seriously? Shaq, Kobe, Glenn Rice swept by an aging Stockton and Malone...and Jeff Hornecek?
When it comes to playoff hoops, coaching is just as important as having the best player(s). Even if it is just good enough to cancel out the other coach.
All in all when you look at the Cavs, can you really say they have a better team than Boston? They wouldn't even make the playoffs without him (like the pre Pippen, Grant, Rodman...and PHIL JACKSON etc Bulls).
It's a team game. The team has to win Championships...LeBron can win games, awards and even a playoff series or two, but winning a championship without a supporting cast and a premier coach, he probably won't get his ring (kinda sounds like Michael doesn't it?).

Paul Daley and Kimbo Slice Cut from the UFC

English mma fighter Paul Daley was cut from the UFC by president Dana White after a cheap shot to opponent Josh Koscheck after their UFC 113 co main event fight was over.  Daley showed frustration at the end of his one-sided loss to Koscheck.  During an interview with ESPN's MMA Live Koscheck admitted to talking to Daley a lot during the last minute of the fight in response to all the nasty things Daley had said about Kos leading up to the fight.  Even with Koscheck's talking at the end of the fight and the controversy over Koscheck's possible overselling of an illegal knee to the head by Daley during the fight, general consensus is that Daley needs to act more like a professional and that the punishment fits the crime.  Here is a link showing the cheap shot as long as it hasn't been removed from Youtube yet.
Paul Daley cheap shot on Josh Koscheck
White stated that Daley will never again fight in the UFC due to this incident. 
During the same post fight press conference White stated that Kimbo Slice has been cut from the UFC following his loss to Matt Mitrione.

Fred's Quick UFC 113 Predictions

Saturday night, May 8, 2010 in Montreal the highly anticipated rematch between Lyoto "The Dragon" Machida and Mauricio "Shogun" Rua will take place. Many people felt that Shogun won the first fight though the decision went to the champion Machida. The Co headliner on the card is a heated battle between Josh "Kos" Koscheck and Paul "Semtex" Daley with the winner earning a coaching slot against Georges St. Pierre on The Ultimate Fighter and more importantly a Welterweight title shot at the end of the season. Here are, quickly, my predictions for all the fights on this tremendous card.

Preliminaries:

Jason "The Athlete" McDonald (22-12) vs. John Salter (4-1)
Prediction: McDonald by 1st Round Submission

Yoshiyuki"Zenko" Yoshida (11-4) vs. Mike "The Joker" Guymon (12-3-1)
Prediction: Yoshida by Unanimous Decision

Tim "The Thrashing Machine" Hague (10-3) vs. Joey "The Mexicutioner" Beltran (11-3)
Prediction: Hague by 2nd Round TKO

TJ Grant (15-3) vs. Johnny Hendricks (7-0)
Prediction: Grant by Unanimous Decision

Marcus "The Irish Hand Grenade" Davis (21-7) vs. Jonathan "The Road Warrior" Goulet (22-10, 1 NC)
Prediction: Davis by 3rd Round KO

Joe "El Dirte" Doerkson (44-12) vs. Tom "Filthy" Lawlor (6-2, 1 NC)
Prediction: Lawlor by Unanimous Decision

Undercard:

Patrick "The Predator" Cote (14-5) vs. Alan "The Talent" Belcher (14-5)
Prediction: Cote by 1st Round TKO

Kevin "Kimbo Slice" Ferguson (4-1) vs. Matt Mitrione (1-0)
Prediction: Mitrione by 1st Round KO

Sam "Hands of Stone" Stout (16-5-1) vs. Jeremy "Lil' Heathen" Stephens (17-5)
Prediction: Stout by 2nd Round TKO

Co Headliner:

Josh "Kos" Koscheck (16-4) vs. Paul "Semtex" Daley (23-8-2)
Prediction: Koscheck by Unanimous Decision

Main Event: Light Heavyweight Championship Fight

Lyoto "The Dragon" Machida (16-0) vs. Mauricio "Shogun" Rua (18-4)
Prediction: Machida by 4th Round TKO

The Most Important 2010 NBA Free Agent: Chris Bosh by: Fred

With players like LeBron James and Dwayne Wade entering free agency at seasons end the offseason is shaping up to be very wild. The 2 aforementioned players are the best on a long list of great players but the player I feel has the most potential to affect the NBA landscape is a gentleman that has be lingering in Toronto the past 7 years: Mr. Chris Bosh.

You may ask why I feel Bosh would be more important to shaping next season's landscape than any other player. Well wherever Bosh signs will instantly have an affect on who gets Wade and James and solidifies the lucky team as a contender.

Let's look at how Bosh can affect Wade's decision to stay or leave Miami. Wade has made statements that he wants to stay in Miami for his entire career but he has also made it clear that he doesn't intend to stay with a team where he feels he has no help. With his hometown of Chicago waiting in the wings with Derek Rose, Joakim Noah and potentially Coach John Calipari Miami has to show Wade they are dedicated to helping him win now. Enter Chris Bosh. If Miami pursues and ultimately lands Bosh this will instantly give Wade the partner in crime he so desperately needs to help put the Heat over the top and that he has been missing since the title year with Shaq. Also there is a slightly lesser potential that Wade would want to end up in New York or New Jersey. The way these teams make this a possibility is by bringing in a player like Bosh. Imagine a Knicks' line up featuring Wade, Bosh, and an emerging David Lee. That's pretty formidable.

Bosh affects 2 time reigning MVP James similarly to the way he affects Wade. The major difference is that James currently sits on a title contender as the Cavs are currently the #1 seed in the east though at the time of this post they are coming off an 18 point loss to Boston and find themselves having lost home court advantage. There has been major speculation about whether James would leave for New York or New Jersey or stay in Cleveland. He hasn't tipped his hand though he has petitioned the league to change his number from 23 to 6, a petition he would not have had to file if he ends up on any team other than Cleveland. If New York or New Jersey were to sign Bosh they would instantly have a better chance of luring James from Cleveland. I can't foresee that King James will want to leave a contender to go be by himself in New York, no matter how attractive playing at MSG would be to him. But imagine the Knicks trio I mentioned above only replacing Wade with James. Not bad, huh Knicks fans? Also should the Cavs find a way to bring in Bosh it would almost guarantee a re-signing of James giving him the legitimate #2 option he has gone without to this point.

Another way Bosh could affect the NBA balance of power is by signing with the Lakers. He was spotted courtside at the Lake show’s game 2 win over the Jazz and went into the locker room to meet with Kobe. Could you imagine adding Chris Bosh to what is already probably the NBA's most formidable front court. That would also make Bynum or Odom expendable allowing them to cast them out as bait to attempt to get an upgrade at point . That's a scary proposition to any team in the West.

An option for Bosh that I haven't heard mentioned but that I would find quite interesting is if he were to sign with the Oklahoma City Thunder. I say this because anyone who watched their first round series with the Lakers saw that they were quite undermanned in the frontcourt while Durant and Westbrook gave the Lakers fits. Bosh would provide them with that instant upgrade in the frontcourt that would make them if not an instant contender at the very least a scary matchup for any team in the league. I don't see this one happening but it's the option I would most like to see occur.

Now there is a potential that he could endup with teams I have not mentioned but the point is that Chris Bosh has the rare ability to not only improve the team that he signs with but greatly affect where possibly the two best players in the league end up. I'd say that's a pretty strong bargaining chip in offseason negotiations.

5 MMA Fights Fred Wants to See Happen

One of the things that Dana White of the UFC and all proponenets of MMA have trumpeted about their sport as it has grown is its desire to put together the fights the people want to see. They state that, unlike boxing where these super fights are only ever discussed or are put together when fighters are well past their prime, MMA gives the fans what they want. Well then here are 5 fights that I think would be good for MMA and it's fans.

1. Fedor Emelianenko vs. Brock Lesnar or Shane Carwin or Cain Velasquez...
Ok so that's 3 fights but basically what I want to see is Fedor fighting one of the new generation of heavyweights. People have been screaming that they want to see Fedor fight one of these guys, especially Lesnar, for some time.

Fedor's career resume is undeniable. He beat the best that the Pride heavyweight division had for years including Big Nog, Cro Cop, Mark Coleman, etc. But now there is a new generation that is bigger, faster, stronger, and just more athletic. Fedor will always be known as one of the all time greats but if he wants to still be known as the current best he has to fight these young bucks of the division because in the court of public opinion, which is what pays the bills, they are the top of the division. Unfortunately for the fans it seems that his representation with M-1 isn't worried with that at this time and it doesn't even look like we'll get him against Alistair Overeem in Strikeforce which isn't a huge deal but would have been something I guess.

2. Georges St. Pierre vs. Anderson Silva
Anderson Silva is so bored with the 185 division that once he has control of a fight he turns the cage into dancing with the stars. His next fight against Chael Sonnen promises to be the type of snooze fest that will make you wonder if you ever want to buy a PPV headlined by the one-time human hightlight knockout reel Silva anytime soon.

Georges St. Pierre has cleaned out the 170 lb. division so thouroughly that we as fans have to look forward to his next defense of the title being against the winner of the Paul Daley-Josh Koscheck fight AFTER the next season of The Ultimate Fighter. At least let's hope Daley wins so we aren't looking forward to a less than riveting St. Pierre-Koscheck rematch.

So why is this fight not happening? Both fighters are in the UFC so we don't have the issues that exist with any of the Fedor fights. Both fighters have said they'd be intersted in taking the fight. Heck, Anderson Silva even agreed to cut to 170 lbs. to take the fight which makes St. Pierre happy because he didn't like the idea of moving up in weight. Let's not forget also that this is a business and let's face it, if this fight didn't break a UFC record for PPV buys it would definitely get close. Everyone wins. The UFC makes money. The fans get a dream fight while both fighters are in their primes. The fighter's make money and are provided with a challenge that both have seemed to be lacking for some time. Dana White and Joe Silva please don't keep us waiting.

3. Chael Sonnen vs. Jake Shields
This one probably doesn't end in an exciting 1st round finish and many are probably disagreeing with me about this fight but sometimes I just love watching fights where two evenly matched guys with similar skill sets go at it to see who is better. This would most likely end up being a 3 round war. Both fighters have excellent ground control, just ask Nate Marquardt and Dan Henderson. If Sonnen loses as expected to Anderson Silva he'll be looking for a big bounce back fight. If Shields ends up in the UFC as expected he'll want to make a name for himself coming in as the Strikeforce champion and what better way to do it than by taking out the previous number 1 contender in 185 lb division.

4. Jose Aldo vs. Manny Gamburyen
The reason I put this fight on here is because Manny deserves a title shot after his impressive first round KO over former 145 lb. champion Mike Brown. While I don't hold a lot of hope that he can beat Aldo, Manny is not a fighter to be taken lightly and his toughness and strength make him a threat to anyone in the division.

On Aldo's side a win over Manny would help in expanding himself as a household name in MMA. Gamburyen has name recognition due to his stint on the Ultimate Fighter which would also help in the promotion of the fight. Building Aldo's name also helps the WEC who was successful with their first foray into PPV. In fact they should go ahead and make this the headliner for their next PPV with a Joseph Benavidez-Dominick Cruz rematch on the card as well.

5. Urijah Faber vs. Miguel Torres at 135
There was a time in the not so distant past that this was a dream fight between the 145 lb and 135 lb champions that were a combined 58-2. Cut to the present and Faber is 2-3 in his last 5 having lost the title to Mike Brown, a rematch to Brown, and then most recently losing to Brown's conqueror Jose Aldo. Torres finds himself in the midst of a two fight losing streak which is twice as many losses as he had ih his first 38 fights.

What makes this fight so intriguing to me is that I believe Faber would thrive with a drop to 135 lbs. and Torres needs a win over a good fighter to begin his climb back to the top of the division. Also I think this could be the most thrilling fight for the fans on the list as both are unorthodox, exciting fighters. I think this would be a great headliner for a free WEC card on VS.

Honorable mention fights include a Frankie Edgar vs. Gray Maynard rematch, Randy Couture vs. Fedor Emilanenko, a Nick Diaz vs. KJ Noons rematch, Cain Velasquez vs. Brock Lesnar/Shane Carwin winner, and Rampage Jackson/Rashad Evans winner vs. Lyoto Machida/Shogun winner (In fact go ahead and have the two losers fight each other as well).

Baseball Realignment

Since 1995 Baseball has been divided in 6 divisions, 3 in each league. Each division consists of 5 teams, with the exception of the NL Central and AL West. They have 6 and 4 respectably.
How is this fair at all?
You play teams within your division more often than teams outside your division. In time you see the same pitchers more offer, you find batters weaknesses more often, realize a first basemans tendancies on pickoff plays etc. What I am saying is the teams in the NL Central have to dedicate more time and effort in disquising these things (signals, pitch calls etc). In contrast the teams in the AL West have the luxury of playing all but 3 teams fairly infrequently. Tendancies, signals, weaknesses are less obvious.
Now I'm not at all saying that having one less team in the NL Central will make the Reds, Brewers, Pirates and Astros more competitive, but it would make Tony LaRussa's job a little harder. He is by far and away the best coach in that division and has 4 extra games per team to see that Brandon Phillips has trouble with high heat or that Prince Fielder can hit a inside curve. This is a huge advantage.
I played Little League in a small community known as Mingo Junction, OH. There were 4 teams and the Orioles had a Coach by the name of Mike Melko. He was the best coach that league had. He would pitch around people, throw shifts on for every batter...because he saw them so regularly. Now I'm not saying that Mr.Melko wasn't a good coach. He was. I didn't even play for his team and still learned alot from him but would he had been that successful in a 10 team league with the same number of games? It's hard to say, but if I were a gambling man (haha) I'd probably say no. It's a numbers game. A game of percentages and scouting. If you even the playing field in that aspect, it would make the whole division more competitive.
During this blog I did single out the Cardinals. Now I have no disrespect for St.Louis, their baseball team or the people of (I think Sam Bradford is soft but that is next week). In fact it may be the best baseball city in America. I'm a big Reds fan and love playing St.Louis (big series this weekend!!) win or lose it's always great. Two of baseballs storied franchises playing on a bright spring day. You can't beat it.
The point of this incoherant rant is that it would just be a little more on the level if the division only had 5 teams. Four other teams you are most concerned with beating, 4 other teams you prepare for all winter, 4 other teams that you spend most of your effort scouting.
My cry to Major League Baseball is move the Astros to the NL West and ship The Colorado Rockies to the AL west. Geographically it makes perfect sense. It's been done before or realignment with the Brewers and how they didn't see this as a problem I don't know.
Take my thoughts for what it's worth, a disgruntled Reds fan looking for an edge...and fairness in an uncapped league.

Fabz' Take on Big Ben

What Big Ben did was not act accordingly with league policy on behavioral matters. He may have committed a crime, he certainly made a bad decision and to be perfectly honest I believe he'll do it again...

But...

I am growing increasingly annoyed at the whole "he is tarnishing the Steelers good name" talk.

The Steelers are undeniably one of the most storied franchises in sports history. From their 4 Super Bowl wins in the 70's, to their long list of Hall of Famers, to their 2 most recent championships, and so on and so on. This is fact, but what is also fact is the rampant steroid abuse by the players of the first dynasty, the close relationships The Chief had with underworld figures of his era, and the constant involvement of Coach LeBeau's hessians of head on head collisions.

Mr. Rooney, the Chief, was very close friends with William G. "Big Bill" Lias of Wheeling. Big Bill was a rather interesting character. He is the reason for the slogan "Wide Open Wheeling". He owned a piece of the action on every bookmaking joint from Charleston, WV to Youngstown, OH. He was a close associate of Detroit's infamous Purple Gang, he had connections with Al Capone's gang in Chicago, and operated every brothel in the Ohio Valley. Sure, people in this era associated with gangsters. You almost had to in order to keep the peace, but Mr. Rooney spent personal time with Mr. Lias and his wife. He loved Wheeling Downs racetrack and vacationed with Big Bill to his home in South Florida. Again, I would like to emphasize the fact that I personally am in no way condemning this sort of company (I'm Italian, from Steubenville and my Dad worked at Wheeling Downs for many years), but the simple fact of the matter is that this is viewed by society as "guilt by association". Big Bill had many people killed, that is no secret. In a botched assassination attempt of his only enemy, Paul "No Legs" Hankish's legs were blown off (I'll get to him later). This sort of thing was known. No convictions and charges are something totally different. It was just known. You didn't mess with Big Bill...The Chief's self proclaimed "best of friends".

History: In 1970, Big Bill Lias died of a heart attack, so Paul "No Legs" Hankish took over the city. Gambling, prostitution and by this time drug trafficking. Now I can't honestly say one way or the other if Hankish and Rooney were close in anyway, but at his trial in Federal Court (1990), Mr. Rooney's name came up more than once. He was described as a "good customer, one of my best".

One of the best customers of a man found guilty of racketeering, hijacking, prostitution, cocaine trafficking and long list of other convictions. Which brings me to my next point...where did the steroids come from?

In the 70's the Steelers had an outstanding team. Fast D, powerful offense, good coaching etc. But they were always bigger, faster and stronger than everybody else...except the Raiders (who are a "non-classy" franchise according to most). On numerous occasions, players of that era talked of the rampant steroid abuse occurring and it usually happens when one of them is clinging to life from long term steroid abuse side effects. It was worse than baseball. Baseball is a finesse game. You still have hit the ball. You still have to throw and catch the ball. Football is a game speed and strength. Steroids help a whole lot more. It's fact. Now I played high school football and I'll be the first to admit, that I was a bad kid. Well not bad, mischievous I guess. My coach knew everything I did. In and out of school. Noll knew. He had to know. As the vein in your head is throbbing I have to say the Coach Noll was a good coach. He was a good coach plain and simple. Even with the best of players I couldn't have done what he did, BUT he turned his head in order to gain achievement...or was he ordered to by his boss? The Rooneys knew too.

Head on head collsions.

Am I the only one who lives within an hour of Pittsburgh that has noticed every time you watch one of these hits on Sports Center it involves the Steelers? Ok, maybe not every time, but a lot. Now I understand it is not illegal, but it is frowned upon? What is that? Fine them...every time. In 5th grade you were taught to tackle head up. Put your face in the numbers. See what you hit. Not put your head down so your 185 lb body can hurt the other person (Hines Ward). But of course, until somebody of prominence (Brady, Manning) gets hurt by it nothing will be done. I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but this is the coaches’ fault...which trickles up to the owners. The Rooneys.

So, saying that, how can you say Big Ben is tarnishing the Steelers good name? Seriously? Take your hard hat off and wake up people. In my opinion Big Ben is a jag off and a rapist. But my opinion doesn't convict anybody and neither does public opinion. Unless of course it's spread across the board.