Categories
General Sports

It’s a Boston Sports World- and Everyone Else is Just Paying Rent

By Ryan McGowan

Vin has been heckling me for the lack of quantity of my writing lately.

And by “lack of quantity,” I mean I haven’t posted a column since February 2007 when I wrote some diatribe about how NASCAR, and by extension the South in general, sucks.

Even though I’ve been a loyal and regular contributor to Poor Man’s PTI, my absence from the printed word has been somewhat unexplained.   So I think I owe it to the readers and especially to my colleagues Vin, Trevor, R.J., Billy, Kris, et al, to explain my writing void.

Categories
NFL General

2008 NFL Power Rankings: Season Preview

With the recent mumblings of Favre considering coming out of retirement, things are getting shaken up in Green Bay, and quite honestly, all around football.

If you’re a fantasy drafter holding an early draft, now you’re not sure whether to steal Rodgers or some of his teammates, and you’re also speculating on whether or not to nab Favre, as well.

Each year we have to look at each player and each team under a microscope. Which player is past his prime, just entering it, and who is going to carry his team to the next level.

If Brett Favre does in fact come back, then it will change the current look of the NFl completely. Well, at least it will change the fortunes of the Green Bay Packers.

Regardless, whatever he decides to do will no doubt have a domino affect in the NFC North, kicking the Vikings or Bears out of playoff contention, or if he stays retired, maybe ensuring them a wild card.

One thing is for sure, Favre and his rumor mill antics will keep us all (unless you’re a Lions fan) on the edge of our seats, awaiting his final verdict. And you thought we had it all figured out back in March…

The pre-season Power Rankings:

Categories
General Sports

When Shaq Attacks!

“Kobe, tell me how my a** tastes?” This is something you think you’d hear from a Boston fan during game 6 of the NBA Finals. Alas, it was our old, over-sized, over-hyped, under-skilled friend Shaquille O’Neal.

Categories
General Sports

Why We Watch Tennis

How many people can honestly say there isn’t something about tennis that intrigues them? Whether it’s the endless rallies or the power serving, tennis has a little bit of everything for everyone. The British Championship at Wimbledon has also proved that it provides the drama that every sports fan enjoys. With the big guns falling, this years Wimbledon has provided the sports world with one of the greatest opportunities in recent tennis history; a reason to watch.

Categories
Tennis

Safin and Federer: A Three-and-a-Half Year letdown

Now I know what three and a half years feel like. Of course, I’d rather not have this feeling, not yet, but there’s no denying it.

In 2005 at the Australian Open, Roger Federer and Marat Safin played one of the greatest tennis matches of all time with Safin upsetting the world’s number one ranked player 9-7 in the fifth set. For four hours and 28 minutes, two of the best players in the world dueled, playing some remarkable tennis for a spot in the Australian Open final. Safin’s victory of Aussie Lleyton Hewitt in the finals was almost a letdown after the semifinal.

And so too was today’s semifinal.

Categories
Green Bay Packers

Favre’s Comeback Good For Green Bay In Long Run? I Don’t Believe So.

    
     “He has the itch…,” mentioned Al Harris, a guest host on ESPN’s NFL Live this Wednesday, when asked about Brett Favre’s potential comeback. He went on to say about Aaron Rodgers, “We embrace Aaron. We support Aaron. Aaron is our quarterback. Brett is retired, but if he wants to come back, there will be some guys that wouldn’t mind it.” Chris Mortensen of ESPN also reported that Favre had made Head Coach McCarthy aware of his “itch” to play. “Mort” also reported that a source in Green Bay made him aware that Favre’s family is pushing him to return. Personally, I don’t think he’s going to return, but I’d be lying if I told you it wouldn’t make me happy to see him back. I just don’t believe it benefits Green Bay in the long run.

Categories
MLB General

A Legend Lives On

There’s a place where major league players go when their careers go downhill.  It’s called the Independent League.  Home to Rich “El Guapo” Garces and some other fine characters.

Categories
NBA General

2008 NBA Draft Grades: The Nerds- The Dropouts- And Everyone In Between

By David J. Cohen

Last night the draft proved to be as interesting as advertised. The mega deals didn’t go down during the draft but a mega move did take place afterwards. Now on to the report cards:

Categories
College Basketball

Brandon Jennings Poised to Destroy NBA-College One Year Rule

A few years ago NBA Commissioner David Stern and NCAA President Myles Brand came together and established the one year rule, which states that an incoming NBA player must be out of high school for at least one year prior to the draft. The rule was stated as a move to lead high school players into college to help them mature and get an education. In reality it was a financially driven move by both sides. NBA owners could see these anointed high school prodigies for at least a year in college to help weed out the busts. Meanwhile big conference college programs could essentially rent these players out for at least a season and reap huge profits and program notoriety. It was a win-win situation and there has been talk of expanding the rule to two years out of college.

Categories
NBA General

The Guru’s 2008 NBA Draft Review

Team By Team Breakdown of Draft Picks

After year two of the NBA’s “one-and-done” experiment, a new crop of kids will be collecting millions of dollars, having their name plastered across ugly overpriced shoes and either joining the list of draft busts or draft steals.  Though this draft wasn’t as deep as drafts past, it still had a lot of quality players available.  But, as they always do, NBA GM’s and big wigs will find a way to screw up the future of their franchise.

Here’s a report card of the winners and losers from Thursday night.