It’s Christmas Day. You are 31 years old, with a wife of five years and a two year old daughter. Santa Claus has come and gone, presents have been opened, kisses have been exchanged, and you now sit on your couch looking for something to do. It’s too cold to be outside and Christmas Dinner at your mother’s house doesn’t begin for a few more hours. So you do what most people do when they are bored; turn on the television. Flipping by the stations you notice nothing else but the Heat/Lakers game is on. You turn off the TV because let’s just admit it; Kobe vs. Shaq isn’t as fun as it used to be and the Heat and Lakers have been disappointments this season thus far. But hold on a minute and don’t turn off that TV yet. Here’s a look at the menu for the Lakers vs. Heat, Kobe vs. Shaq, Jackson vs. Riley…. well, you get the picture don’t you?
Though every GM tries to improve the state of their team each off-season, whether by stockpiling young talent, or paying for free-agent studs, few can do enough in one off-season to bring a team from being a non-contender to a team with realistic Championship aspirations. In 2005, the San Francisco Giants finished third in their division winning only 75 games. GM Brian Sabean, has done as good a job as any GM this winter in picking the right pieces to get his team back over the top the NL West. Many exterior activities are working for him: the poor over-all talent in the division, and the return from injury of the greatest player in the last 25 years–Barry Bonds. That withstanding, Sabean has done a terrific job in improving his team for 2006.
It has been a long time since the Temple Owls have graced the NCAA tournament with their pressence. Now four years after there last NCAA berth the Temple Owls look to get passed last years events which darkened their reputation and get back to the glory days of going deep into the tournament.
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Fishing for Sympathy
When asked how he chose his franchise name, former Florida Marlins owner Wayne Huizenga, an avid deep-sea fisher, explained, “I choose Marlin because the fish is a fierce fighter and an adversary that tests your mettle.” After gutting $41 million out of a $60 million payroll, current Marlins ownership announced a 30.7 percent price hike on tickets. Originally, Huizenga’s chosen metaphor may have been aimed at player performance, but with Florida fans moaning, the mettle being tested is in the stands, not on the field.
Does anyone remember it was about a year ago to the day? You heard it around your office, at school, at your local grocery store, or the sports bar you frequent. Last year, just about every college football fan KNEW the unbeaten Big 12 Champion Oklahoma Sooners were going to fly down to Miami and “open a can” on USC. They had Jason White, Adrian Peterson, Michael Clayton, and that defense, man that defense would blitz Leinart and force turnover after turnover. Hey, what was the outcome of that game? Below, I give my 5 reasons why I believe this year’s BCS Championship game will end much the same way as last year’s.
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NFL Offers No Guarantee of Tomorrow
The National Football League, despite all of its excitement and popularity, is often cruel to its fans. This cruelty is extremely harsh to the league’s most optimistic fans. Fans of the Baltimore Ravens, New York Jets, and Philadelphia Eagles know all about this brutality.
With proponents and opponents continuing to argue back and forth, the NBA dress code debate refuses to go away. Recently more gas was poured on the firestorm as news of the NBA players’ union filing a grievance objecting to 13 players being fined for wearing their shorts too long went public. Enough is enough. It is time for honesty to reign. David Stern is a smart man. Being a smart man, he surely knows the only way to fix the NBA’s “image” crisis is to give the fans he seeks what they want. Everything else is akin to placing a band-aid over a broken bone.
By Sean Quinn
Mike Mularkey’s plan backfired. Actually, it was more of a back draft. Rusted-out Ford Pintos backfire, but the second-year head coach’s unwarranted suspension of veteran Eric Moulds did something far worse – it didn’t fire up his team, instead, it engulfed and burned the soon-to-be former Buffalo Bills head coach.
And rightfully so.
Prince made it famous.
The Vikings made it infamous.
But it eventually became a Godsend.
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All Doubts About Duke Answered
For all of you that doubted Duke in the last article published, if today wasn’t enough of a showcase for your doubts to be answered, nothing will be.