Home Field Advantage With All Star Game

Hey All,

Everyone has been speculating about home field advantage with the All Star Game in the MLB. And Twitter and Facebook have been blowing up about it. Here's what's been going on


Hashtag: #Enough.

I'm changing dugouts, switching sides, calling a failed experiment for what it is.

I renounce my support for World Series home-field advantage being attached to the All-Star Game.

Twitter did it.

Not that I don't see value in Twitter. I do. Especially when Ozzie Guillen is at the control. For some reason, I love knowing that he loves shopping at Bed, Bath & Beyond. I was so sad when Guillen de-Twitter-ed. (Is that a word? It should be a word.)

Not that I'm anti social media. I'm on Facebook. I see its value. It allows us to learn things about our kids we'd never learn in a million years during dinner-table conversations ("So what about this party Friday night?" "I dunno." "Will Hannah's parents be home?" "I dunno." "Does Hannah even have parents, or did she hatch from a giant Slurpee cup?" "I dunno."). But, Twitter and Facebook as a part of the All-Star Game?

This is where I part ways with its attachment to the World Series.

At this point, why not just have the home-plate umpire text ball and strike calls after each pitch a week from Tuesday in Kansas City? Just add barbecue sauce and unicycles and the circus will be complete.

In case you missed the memo, here it is: Major league baseball is setting up computer stations near the dugouts and is encouraging players to Tweet and Facebook upon exiting the game.

The idea came from Arizona last summer, when players were allowed to tweet during the Home Run Derby, and baseball deemed it a smash hit.

Too much time in the desert without enough water, and now look what happens.

"At its core, baseball is a social activity, so it's natural that social media has become such a huge part of how fans enjoy the game today," Tim Brosnan, an MLB executive vice-president, said in a statement several days ago. "This initiative will bring fans closer than ever to their favorite players, resulting in what will no doubt be the most 'social' event in baseball history."

The whole "This Time It Counts" thing?

The effort to make the All-Star Game serious and meaningful?

Sorry, but you can't have it both ways. If you're going to tie this game to the ultimate competition, the World Series, then you absolutely can't treat this game as a 140-character mid-summer dip in the pool.

Here's the thing: A whole lot of people have hated the idea of attaching the World Series home-field prize to the All-Star Game ever since Commissioner Bud Selig introduced it within hours after the waterlogged fiasco that was the All-Star Game tie in Milwaukee in 2002.

Not me. Maybe I was in the minority, but I never saw a good reason why the All-Star Game had to be a meaningless exhibition in the first place.

It's always been, by far, the best All-Star game of any sport.

There is absolutely no reason why it shouldn't continue to be the best, if handled properly.

Which is why I was with Selig from the beginning on this. The All-Star Game does not have to be a meaningless exhibition. But that's what it was on its way toward becoming by the time of the Milwaukee disaster.

Because Orioles fans at the 1993 game in Camden Yards boxed Cito Gaston's ears with boos when he left Baltimore's Mike Mussina warming in the bullpen and never used him, subsequent managers turned the game into an adult version of one of the worst aspects of today's youth sports: Everybody plays.

Time was, Ted Williams and Joe DiMaggio played all nine innings at the All-Star Game (Williams did so in 1941, the year he hit .406).

In today's touchy-feely world, Williams would get his prerequisite two All-Star at-bats and then Skip would send Mario Mendoza up to bat for him in the fifth.

That's what I thought we'd be getting away from when Selig unilaterally attempted to re-inject the All-Star Game with meaning by decreeing that the winning league would get World Series home-field advantage. Good for him, I thought. People often criticize Selig for being too wishy-washy, or too slow to move. Well, he wasn't in this case, and I've always applauded him for it.

It absolutely was worth the effort to make -- or keep -- the All-Star Game relevant.

Now, this.

Cincinnati's Brandon Phillips is an All-Star player and, for my money, an All-Star Tweeter (@DatDudeBP). Dat Dude is drop-dead hilarious. But he leaves the game in, say, the sixth inning, and now maybe instead of picking up a subtle infielder shift and passing it on to an NL teammate, he's not even watching the game. He's locked in at some computer screen.

Extreme example, yes. Guys often aren't watching the game once they depart, anyway. They're socializing, or leaving the park early to catch a flight.

But at least there was a movement to return the All-Star Game to a serious competition.

This completely undermines that.

Bottom line is, if you're going to link something to a championship event, then it's all got to be treated -- not tweeted -- as a championship event. And not as simply another link to click.

Put this on Facebook: Baseball, at this point, should just return to each league getting World Series home-field advantage in alternate years and be done with the myth of "This Time It Counts." I'd tweet that, but it's too many characters.

Until next time,
You keep doing what you do, and I'll keep you up to date with everything sports.

Phelps Wins 200 Freestyle Final

Hey All,

 It's time for a spot that I know very well, Swimming, with a man who I have wanted to be like until my injury that sent me packing with that dream. Michael Phelps had yet another one of his finals for another event that he will be racing in London. The 200 Freestyle, which Ryan Lochte was also in, was raced today. Phelps was able to inch out Lochte in a thrilling race.


Now I know these two are teammates on the the USA Olympic team, but they are rivals when they are not on the same team and swimming against one another. But in a way these two can work on making one another better, while still pushing each other and competing at a high level. If they, Phelps and Lochte, stay rivals and try as hard as they did in this last race to beat one another, well then that can only make them push themselves that much more in training so that they can beat each other.


Round 2 goes to Michael Phelps. Lochte won the 400 individual medley on the opening night of the games, his third straight major victory over the winningest Olympian ever. But Phelps isn't going down that easily.

He got off to a stronger start that usual, leading at the first turn and holding the advantage through all four laps. Both swimmers got a big boost off the final turn, cutting through the water like missiles, and Lochte went stroke for stroke down the stretch. But Phelps stretched out his right arm at the wall, touching just ahead of Lochte. The winning time was 1 minute, 45.70 seconds — five-hundredths of a second ahead of Lochte.

''Obviously it's been a while, so it felt better'' to beat Lochte, Phelps said. ''But there's still some things I can improve on.''

Phelps' victory was even more impressive given his busy night. He didn't even have time to celebrate, hustling back to the warm-down pool to get ready for the semifinals of the 200 butterfly. He came back 40 minutes later to post the third-fastest qualifying time, moving on to Thursday night's final looking to lock up a chance to defend the gold he won at the last two Olympics.

''I feel old,'' the 26-year-old Phelps quipped. ''Just getting in the water to race is what motivates me.''

Speaking of busy, Missy Franklin left no doubt that she is swimming's next big star with a stunning performance in the 100 backstroke, signaling a changing of the guard in an event Natalie Coughlin captured at the last two Olympics.

''I have dreamed of this moment, but I never thought it would come true at 17 years old,'' Franklin said. ''Dreams do come true.''

Coughlin got off to a typically strong start and was under world-record pace at the turn. But the 29-year-old couldn't hold off two teenagers. Eighteen-year-old Rachel Bootsma got past the 11-time Olympic medalist, as well, claiming the second Olympic spot in 59.49.

Coughlin was third in 1:00.06 and has only one more chance to make her third Olympic team: the 100 freestyle. She swam over to congratulate Franklin in the middle of the pool, but her chances of making a third straight Olympic team are hanging in the balance.

She hopes to have a shot at winning at least one medal in London, which would pull her even with Jenny Thompson and Dara Torres as the most decorated U.S. female Olympians.

''I did exactly what I needed to do tonight and gave it my best. That's really all you can ask for,'' Coughlin said. ''I have won two golds in that. I am very proud of what I've done in the 100 backstroke and it's time for Missy and Bootsma.''

Thompson and Torres each have 12 medals, and the 45-year-old Torres is back trying to make one more Olympic team. She has entered only one event in Omaha and has yet to swim.

''It's not exactly what I was hoping for coming into this,'' she said. ''I'm a little bummed, but not nearly as much as everyone is expecting me to be. You're walking around the pool deck and people are acting like you're dying or something. I have another shot to make the team in the 100 free, and I'm looking forward to that. For the rest of this season, I'm a freestyler.''

In another final Wednesday, Breeja Larson pulled off a huge upset in the 100 breaststroke, beating Rebecca Soni and world-record holder Jessica Hardy. Soni rallied to get the second spot on the team, but Hardy finished third — about a half-second too slow to earn a spot in London. She was eager for redemption after missing out on the 2008 Olympics because of a failed doping test, which resulted in a one-year suspension.

Also, Matt Grevers captured the men's 100 backstroke with the second-fastest time ever, 52.08. Nick Thoman finished second in 52.86 to claim the second spot on the Olympic team.

Lochte said he went out too slow in the beginning of the 200 free, a mistake he intends to correct when he gets to London. Phelps' winning time was nearly 3 seconds slower than his gold-medal effort in Beijing, though that was aided by high-tech bodysuits, which have since been banned by the world governing body.

''We didn't really try to pick it up until, like, the last 75, so I'll save that for the Olympics,'' Lochte said. ''I was just really relaxed for the first 125, and then the last 75, I was like, `All right, now we've got to put it in gear.' So I kind of waited a little late, but I'll take it.''

Lochte is standing in the way this time. ''I love racing against him,'' the Floridian said. ''It was really fun.''

I can't wait to see these two go at it in London, and they way that they make each other better. It can only help team USA to another swimming victory and make the two individuals better.

Until next time,
You keep doing what you do, and I'll keep you up to date with everything sports

College Football Playoff System

Hey All,

 Finally, the moment everyone has been waiting for, a playoff system for NCAA Football. In the 2014 season, there will be a four team playoff system.


Playoffs and tournaments long have determined champions of every college sport from baseball to bowling.That ended Tuesday. Come 2014, the BCS is dead.

A committee of university presidents approved a plan for a four-team playoff put forward by commissioners of the top football conferences.

For years, the decision-makers had balked at any type of playoff because they said it would diminish the importance of the regular season. If only two teams had a chance to win a championship in the postseason, even one loss could be too many. That made for some very high stakes regular-season games. As recently as 2008, Southeastern Conference Commissioner Mike Slive proposed the type of plan adopted Tuesday, and it was quickly shot down.

Four years later, minds changed. The 12 university presidents stood shoulder to shoulder on a stage at a news conference in a posh hotel in the nation's capital and delivered the news.

''It's a great day for college football,'' BCS Executive Director Bill Hancock said. ''As soon as the commissioners realized they could do this and protect the regular season, the light went on for everybody.''

The move completes a six-month process for the commissioners, who have been working on a new way to determine a major college football champion after years of griping from fans. The latest configuration is certain to make even more money for the schools than the old system,  and not satisfy everyone.

''There were differences of views,'' said Virginia Tech President Charles Steger, who headed the BCS presidential oversight committee. ''I think it would be a serious mistake to assume it was a rubber stamp.''

''This is the package that was put forth and we will strongly support it,'' he said.

Instead of simply matching the nation's No. 1 and No. 2 teams in a title game after the regular season, the way the BCS has done since 1998, the new format will create a pair of national semifinals.

Many college football fans have been clamoring for a playoff for years, and the BCS has been a constant target for criticism. Lawmakers have railed against it. A political action committee was formed, dedicated to its destruction. The Justice Department looked into whether it broke antitrust laws. Even President Obama said he wanted a playoff.

Now it's a reality.

No. 1 will play No. 4, and No. 2 will play No. 3 on Dec. 31 and/or Jan. 1. The sites of those games will rotate among the four current BCS bowls — Rose, Orange, Fiesta and Sugar — and two more to be determined. One of the new sites likely will be wherever the newly formed bowl created by the SEC and Big 12 is played, Slive said.

The Cotton Bowl, played at the $1.1 billion Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas, has long wanted to be part of the BCS and is expected to make a strong push to be in the semifinal rotation.


The winners of the semis will advance to the championship on the first Monday in January that is six or more days after the last semifinal. The first ''Championship Monday,'' as it was called in the BCS release, is set for Jan. 12, 2015.

The site of the title game will move around the way the Super Bowl does, with cities bidding for the right to host.

The teams will be selected by a committee, similar to the way the NCAA basketball tournament field is set. The men's tournament has 68 teams, and 37 at-large bids.

The football committee will have a much tougher task, trying to whittle the field down to four. This season, 125 schools will play at the highest level of college football.

Among the factors the committee will consider are won-loss record, strength of schedule, head-to-head results and whether a team is a conference champion. The selection committee will also play a part in creating matchups for the games at the four sites that do not hold a semifinal in a given year.

''I think it's tremendous progress,'' Washington State coach Mike Leach, a playoff proponent. ''Five years ago there wasn't even dialogue about a playoff. Instead of diving in the water, they dipped their toes in. I think it's going to be ridiculously exciting and it's going to generate a bunch of money. I wish they dived in.''

The BCS had given automatic qualifying status to six conferences, the SEC, Big Ten, Big 12, Atlantic Coast Conference, Pac-12 and Big East. That allowed those leagues better access to the big, high-payout games than the other five conferences, such as the Mountain West and Conference USA.

Automatically qualified status is gone and the commissioners believe the new system will create more interesting games beyond the ones that determine the national title.

''What the system now is, several semifinals, championship game and some access bowls. By creating a couple of access bowls, people will be able to play high-quality opponents in big venues with big brands,'' Big Ten Commissioner Jim Delany said.


Get the latest news, features, stats and more from one of greatest sources of college football information.

No one has put a hard number on it yet, but this new format figures to more than double the TV revenue of the current BCS and Rose Bowl contracts. Those pay out about $155 million annually.

The commissioners want to lock in this format for 12 years with a television partner. The current four-year BCS deal with ESPN runs through the 2013 season. The new format will be presented to potential TV partners in the fall, starting with ESPN.

''I think we have found what we think is the right place and it stabilizes the postseason for a length of time that I think is healthy for the game,'' said Slive, whose members have won the last six BCS championships.

There are still some details to work out,  such as who will be on the committee and what new bowls will be involved in the semifinal rotation, but all the decision-makers are on board.

Lower divisions of college football already have a playoff, but the highest level has always used bowls and polls to determine its champion. Those days are coming to an end.

''We believe this new format will be good for student-athletes, for the alumni and for our institutions,'' Steger said. ''It's a best of both worlds result. It captures the excitement of the playoff while protecting the regular season.''

Phelps Going For 10

Hey All,

It's getting to that time, Olympic time. The trials for the 2012 London Olympics is coming up soon. And Michael Phelps will be going for 10 gold medals in his last Olympics ever.

At his final Olympics, Michael Phelps could be going all out, shooting for 10 medals in seven kinds of races. The Baltimore Sun and Yahoo Sports' Pat Forde reported Monday morning that Phelps will swim in seven events at the U.S. Olympic trials, which will be held June 25-July 2 in Omaha, Neb. If Phelps finishes in the good within each race (first or second is required to make the Olympics for each race), he'll have an unprecedented opportunity to bring home a double-digit medal inventory from London.

Phelps will attempt to qualify for Olympic races in the 200- and 400-meter individual medley, the 100- and 200-meter butterfly, the 200-meter backstroke, and the 100- and 200-meter freestyle. He'll also be part of three U.S. men's swimming relay teams.

The 200 backstroke is an event Phelps did not swim in at the 2008 Olympics. The same goes for the 100 freestyle. In total, Phelps swam flawlessly in eight events in Beijing, winning eight golds (three from team relays), setting an Olympic record.

Forde qualifies the reporting by stating there is a chance Phelps could be a late scratch from a race or two. Most recently, at the 2011 World Championships, Phelps swam well but wasn't completely dominant. He won gold in the 100- and 200-meter butterfly. He picked up two more golds, but those were in team relays (the 4x200 freestyle and 4x100 medley). Phelps took Silver in the 200 freestyle and the 200 individual medley.

The news is pretty big in the swimming world, considering Phelps, at one point, seriously deliberated on not competing in London entirely. Now he's potentially taking on a more-daunting race load than what he burdened himself with four years ago.

Until next time,
You keep doing what you do, and I'll keep you up to date with everything sports.

Winless Streak Ends

Hey All,

 I know yesterday was fathers day, but that didn't stop the NASCAR Sprint Cup from running at Michigan. This race had a bit of talk well before the race even got started. This was the race were 4 years ago Dale JR. won his last race. It also wasn't just about the drivers, but the track had some issues with the tires that were being run there, and let's not forget about the record breaking speeds.

Michigan International Speedway (MIS) had been re-paved over the off-season, and the drivers would know first hand how it changed that cars. Since the track was redone the speeds the drivers were hitting was out of this world. Tony Stewart, the raining cup champion, hit a top speed of 215 MPH. No that is not a typo, that's an actual stat that was given from yesterdays race. But since the drivers were able to hit such high speeds, that caused a little bit of tire issues along the way.

The speeds were so high and the track so hot, that it blistered the tires on the cars on long runs.Some teams even tried using scuffed tires to try and counter act the blistering problem. There was one team that didn't have that type of problem in yesterdays race, and that was Hendrix Motorsports. Hendrix's had 3 of it's 4 drivers finish in the top, with one of those drivers taking home the win. That driver was non other than Dale Earnhardt Jr.

Jr was able to pull ahead in the race, and never look back, leading the most laps in the race as well as the most important one, the last lap. Dale Jr. has been winless for over 120 races, which equals out to 4 years worth of losses. We all know that Jr has been looking for that all important win, get to the monkey off of his back and back into the winning side of things.

With the win yesterday, Jr was able to move into the top of the points race, and he couldn't be happier. This means nothing but good things to come for him, and the rest of his team, who have been running well this season, with Jr having one of his best season since joining Hendrix. I think he has one of the best chances of contending for the championship this season, if he can keep up what he has been doing from the start of the season, run up near the front.

 With everything that happened yesterday, the rain, the new surface causing record breaking speeds, the tires being blistered on long run, and all the wrecks that happened, this was a great win for Dale Earnhardt Jr. I look for him to continue this winning trend and make a strong run for the Sprint Cup Championship.

Until next time,
You keep doing what you do, and I'll keep you up to date with everything sports.

Crosby's New Contract

Hey All,

I know hockey ended this month, but that doesn't mean there isn't any news going on in the world of the NHL. Some players becoming free agents as of the summer of 2013, and one player in particular I want to talk about is the great Sidney Crosby. He has been with the Pens since joining the league and will look to stay in the burgh.

Crosby becomes an unrestricted free agent in Summer 2013, but one imagines he'll finalize a new contract with the Pittsburgh Penguins before the rules change for player compensation and contract duration under the next CBA.

The question is how large the Penguins and Crosby want to go in keeping the captain in the Steel City.

Elliotte Friedman of CBC Sports revealed some details on the Crosby contract picture during the Hot Stove report on Saturday night.

He's coming into the last year of a five-year, $8.7 million a year contract. When they made that deal, his agent Pat Brisson and the Penguins discussed a longer term but decided not to do it. Now there's an appetite for it. I think we're going to have a pretty good idea by July 1, which is the earliest they can even sign him to a deal, if it's going to get done. It might even be done by then.

His new contact won't cover concussions, but it's Sidney Crosby, wouldn't you do it? I know I would. But it's not up to me, it's up to the Pittsburgh Penguins. I'm sure they will make a deal and it would be a long one to keep Crosby a Penguin. I will keep you up to date as soon as I know anything.

Until next time,
You keep doing what you do, and I'll keep you up to date with everything sports.

Lebron Has To Do It All

Hey All,

Last night was game 1 of the NBA finals, with the Heat playing the OKC Thunder. It was a back and forth game from the start of this game, but once again the burden of the game fell again on the shoulders of Lebron James.


LeBron James found himself doing all of the work again in Game 1 of the 2012 NBA Finals.

When you only play six guys real minutes, they need to be able to play. That's the dilemma facing the Miami Heat as they assess a 105-94 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 1 of the 2012 NBA Finals at Chesapeake Energy Arena.

As advertised, Oklahoma City showed on Tuesday night that it is a deep, talented and versatile team, one capable of going big or small, capable of getting good looks in transition or in the halfcourt, capable of playing steadily from behind or with a lead.

"That's what they do," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. "They keep coming. They're relentless. They beat us at their game."

In NBA Finals history, the winner of Game 1 has gone on to win the series 47 times and lose the series 18 times. For a half, Miami was well-positioned to steal a crucial road win. The key was Heat forward Shane Battier, who scored 14 of his postseason high 17 points in the first half, including three first quarter 3-pointers.
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"We moved the ball and Shane was the recipient," Heat forward LeBron James, who finished with a team-high 30 points, said. "He knocked down a lot of shots and he helped us to spread the floor. He's a big part of our unit and when he knocks down shots we're a very, very good team."

It wasn't just Battier. The Heat passed the ball around the perimeter with great pace and purpose, finding open shooters and hitting six of their 10 three point attempts. In the first half, the Heat registered 14 assists on 22 field goals and got 34 of their 54 points from players not named LeBron James and Dwyane Wade.

That all added up to a solid 7-point halftime lead. Unfortunately, hopes were dashed as quickly as they were raised. In the second half, just six of Miami's 14 field goals were assisted and the James/Wade duo combined for 29 of Miami's 40 points. The previously precise ball movement disappeared and the hot perimeter shooting disappeared in turn, as the Heat shot just 2-for-9 from deep in the second half.

"We didn't attack as much in the second half," Spoelstra admitted.

The Thunder simply dominated the game's late stretches, with All-Star forward Kevin Durant scoring 17 fourth quarter points by himself (on 10 shots) as the Heat managed just 21 as a team (on 17 shots). Durant finished with a game-high 36 points and easily carried the day with the game on the line.

One major factor late: Oklahoma City went eight players deep in its rotation while Miami played just six players for more than 10 minutes. Thunder center Nick Collison was big, making energy plays but also finishing offensive possesions at the rim on his way to eight points and 10 rebounds. Derek Fisher and James Harden were bit players but both were competent, more than can be said for their little-used Miami counterparts. Their combined presence and energy made it that much easier for Durant to find his open looks and to dissect Miami's weary defense at will.

Spoelstra and James both agreed after the game that perhaps the Heat would need to use more of its reserves if it was going to be able to keep up with the Thunder.

"We know we have to have more [bench] production for sure," he said. "We're going to have to have more guys in there to give me and [Dwyane] Wade a rest. And Shane [Battier]. Shane played a lot of minutes. But [coach Erik Spoelstra] will figure that out. We'll be more conscious about it, just trying to get a minute or two here or there so we can finish strong."

Spoelstra, in turn, was oblique regarding his rotation, insinuating that perhaps someone was not available to him, either due to injury or some other explanation.

"Because of the circumstances, I had to shorten the rotation, but I'll probably make that change and find out who will be available in the next game," he said.

Later, when pressed on what "circumstances" meant, Spoelstra dodged: "The next game I'll be able to go a little deeper. Again, in this first game we were trying to keep [the rotation] tight. But I think we'll have a day of rest, guys will be ready to go on Thursday."

Whether they have mysterious reinforcements available or not doesn't matter all that much. The Heat can talk about increasing their bench production all they want but it's never been there for them on a consistent basis during the playoffs. Cracks started to show when Chris Bosh went down with an injury against the Indiana Pacers and they nearly proved fatal against the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference finals. The Heat simply lack talented big bodies that would be useful in match-up situations and their perimeter reserves don't defend all that well and haven't shot the ball reliably enough to make up for those deficiencies.

In the two previous series, Miami's stars emerged to carry the day. That will be their burden again in this one. The role players can do more but they can't do enough here. James plays A+ basketball, Wade (who finished with just 19 points) gets back to playing like a real superstar and Bosh becomes a major X-factor like he was against the Celtics in Game 7, or the tight-knit, focused and confident Thunder goes home as champions.

"Well, this one is behind us now," Spoelstra said in opening his post-game comments.

Sure, one loss is now in the past. But the depth and consistency questions remain firmly in the present and short-term future. It's not too much to say even after just one game that they loom as Miami's potential downfall.

Until next time,
You keep doing what you do, and I'll keep you up to date with everything sports.

Kings Win First Stanley Cup

Hey All,

 Last night the LA Kings won their first ever Stanley Cup. They did so by knocking off the New Jersey Devils, at home in 6 games. The Kings took a commanding 3-0 lead in the series, only to let the Devils try and mount a comeback after winning the next two games. Now the series would move back to LA where the Kings had another chance to win the Cup on their home ice, in front of family and friends. And every hockey player will tell you, there is no better filling then winning in front of family and friends.


For the next 10-plus years they spend countless hours in cars and buses, riding from town to town and to game to game, their parents and friends always there when they need them. So when that moment finally comes for the lucky few out there, those players are quick to revel in the joy with their families.

The emotion is incredible. Want proof? Trevor Lewis, who had two goals in the Kings' 6-1 win to clinch their first Stanley Cup in team history, with his guests on the ice after the game.


Just in case you are wondering, Lewis informed me exactly who the hugs were coming from. "It's my mom, my dad and my two buddies. It's unbelievable, they are such a huge part of this. It's awesome to share it with them." And pretty awesome to watch, too. What a moment. "He's the best son a mother could have!" his mom gushed.

Next for Lewis will come a day with the Cup down the line. It's the best title celebrating tradition in sports, so everybody wants to know what the plans for it are.

"Bring it back to Salt Lake City, I don't think it's ever been there before," Lewis said. That surely will be an emotional day too.

Now I may have been rooting for the Devils to pull out an amazing comeback in this series and bring it to a game 7, but I am happy for the Kings to win their first every Title. It's great when a team who shouldn't have even made the playoffs, can pull off something no one thought they could do. It's a real inspiration for kids out there who play the sports. The Kings showed the world that no matter what the case is, don't ever give up, give it your all, and leave everything on the playing surface and you can come out on top.

Until next time,
You keep doing what you do, and I'll keep you up to date with everything sports.

Pirates In First

Hey All,

The Pittsburgh Pirates are unstoppable right now as they just had a sweep of the Kansas City Royals. The Buccos have done nothing but win since they hit the .500 mark, and haven't looked back since.

Ever since the Bucs have won the series against the Reds with a 2-1 victory in that series, the Buccos have moved themselves into a tie for first place in the Central Division with the Reds. This is the hardest part of the Buccos season, and they have gone on a rampage through this part of their schedule.

No one counted the Pirates in this season, like they do every season, but the Bucs are proving everyone wrong. With their new motto "finish" they have seemed to have new life. Now I know they had a good season last year around this time, but they were never in the first place spot. I've said it before and I'll say it again, the Pirates don't need to make any trades. Their team is where they want it to be, and the bats are coming alive. The pitching along with the defense are outstanding this season.

All the Pirates need to do is keep this momentum up well past the All Star break. I feel if they don't make any changes, they keep playing like they are, and "finish" the games like they are they will be in solo ownership of first place and making a run for the postseason.

Until next time,
You keep doing what you do, and I'll keep you up to date with everything sports.

Phelps splits last 2 races before London

Hey All,

Michael Phelps, though not swimming in as many events in this years summer Olympic Games, is still ready to compete and looking strong. In his last two races before the Olympic Phelps swam like well and split the last two events.

Michael Phelps split two races in his final meet before the U.S. Olympic trials.

The 14-time Olympic gold medalist finished second to Jimmy Feigen in the 100-meter freestyle Friday night with a time of 49.05 seconds to Feigen's 48.63. Another Olympian, Garrett Weber-Gale, who won two relay gold medals in the 2008 Beijing Games, finished sixth.

Phelps used his poor showing in that race as motivation in the 100 butterfly, roaring to an easy win in 52.02 that included a final 50-meter split of 27.25.

"I didn't swim smart or very well in the 100, and I got beat because of it," Phelps said. "I was angry with myself for that, and I turned it around a little in the 100 butterfly."

The meet, conducted by the University of Texas aquatic program as an alternative to the season's final Grand Prix event in Santa Clara, Calif., is Phelps' last competition before the Olympic trials in Omaha, which begin June 25.

"Without a doubt, the clock is ticking for the upcoming Olympics, and I have to keep working hard to be where I want to be by July 27," Phelps said.

Michael Phelps, pictured here in May 2012, splits his final races before trials prior to the London 2012 Summer Olympics. (AP Photo)
Phelps set his first world record at the pool used for this meet as a 15-year-old in March 2001 when he clocked 1:54.92 in the 200-meter butterfly. The mark stood just a few months before he broke it himself, but that swim remains a pool record after more than 11 years.

Four-time Olympic medalist Brendan Hansen won the 200-meter breaststroke in 2:13.54, almost 3 seconds slower than his winning time in the 2011 U.S. nationals.

Phelps, 2008 Olympic bronze medal winner Allison Schmitt, and Missy Franklin entered this weekend's meet as the top three point scorers in USA Swimming's Grand Prix series.

Franklin, the world record holder in the 200-meter backstroke (on a short course) and the American record holder in the 200-meter backstroke (long course), warmed up for her best events with a third-place finish in the 100-meter freestyle in 54.73, behind Schmitt's 53.94 and Megan Romano's 54.16.

Franklin failed to earn a spot in the championship heat of the 400-meter freestyle, finishing far behind winner Sarah Henry's time of 4:09.16.

Kathleen Hersey, the eighth-place finisher in the 200-meter butterfly at Beijing, easily won the 100-meter butterfly Friday in 58.76, more than a second and a half ahead of her nearest competitor.

In an NBC interview Phelps explained that this will be the last time he swims for Olympic gold. It will be sad to see him go, and let's hope he goes out victorious and with more gold medals.

Until next time,
You keep doing what you do, and I'll keep you up to date with everything sports.

Kids Encouraging Words

Hey All,

When a young man elected to give his favorite team some encouraging words after they lost a demoralizing needed win at home in the Eastern Conference Finals, anyone who saw it, let's face it, laughed. Laughed hard. They just lost the most important game of their lives (or at least since last June), are faced with the reality that all their pomp and circumstance are nothing but cheap tricks, and that they are not the super-team they or anyone made them out to be. How can you applaud "good effort" when a bunch of old guys and Rondo smoke you at home?

This is what I think about the media blowing this way outta context, this was a kid who was lucky enough to see a Eastern Conference Finals game where his favorite team playing in a critical game. He was simply doing what he was taught in, whatever little league sport that he plays, to do. That is congratulating a team, even if they lost, on trying hard and giving it their all. He simply said "good job, good effort" and the media ate it up. People and the media are making this kid out to be the bad guy in this situation, when clearly he was just trying to be nice.

Now I'm sure the Heat didn't take it that way either, with what's at stake with this game. The Heat needed to win this game, no one can say that they didn't. The states show that the Heat are not very good when playing in Boston. I've said it and every analysis has said it also, "the Miami Heat can not and will not beat the Celtics in Boston". It looks like the Celtics will be the ones playing OKC in the NBA Finals after a critical game 6 in Boston.

Let's hope, for rating sake, that the Heat can do what no one says they can do, and win in Boston to force a game 7 in Miami. I would like to see what team wants it more, when both teams have the play or go home mentality.

All in all with the media blowing this kid out of whack and putting that into the Heats head makes this the Celtics game to lose. I can't wait to see what happens tonight in game 6 and if there will be a game 7 or not.

Until next time,
You keep doing what you do, and I'll keep you up to date with everything sports.

Bosh A Game Time Decision

Hey All,

 The Miami Heat head into a critical game 5 tonight in Miami. They are tied in the series with the Boston Celtics, and can't afford to lose a game at home. They Heat have made it this far against the Celtics without the help of one of the big three, Chris Bosh. Bosh has been out with an abdominal strain, and is probably eager to get back on the court and help his team make the finals yet again.

 “We’re not putting on Chris coming to save the day,’’ Heat star Dwyane Wade said after Tuesday morning’s shootaround on the strong possibility Bosh will return for the evening playoff game against Boston. “We’re a unit. We’ve been together, so it’s got to be all of us.’’


If Bosh returns, it should be a big boost for the Heat, who are weak in the post. But his teammates realize it might not be immediate that Bosh is back in the groove.

“It will be great to have him back, but you never know what type of rhythm he’s going to be in,’’ said LeBron James, Miami’s other top star.

Still, James would consider it a huge positive if Bosh is back for Game 5. He said Bosh would help the Heat with his rebounding, his ability to spread the floor on offense, and by being able to cover a lot of ground on defense.“If he comes back tonight, he can get the crowd (going) as well,’’ James said. “They’ll be excited to see him back.’’


Bosh has missed nine games due to his injury, with the Heat going 5-4. He was involved in private workouts last week and in team sessions while Miami was in Boston last weekend for Games 3 and 4. Bosh went through shootaround Tuesday morning.

“There will continue to be constant communication,’’ said Miami coach Erik Spoelstra, who said Bosh, Heat officials and medical personnel all will have talks Tuesday afternoon to determine whether Bosh will play. “It was encouraging this past week (how Bosh has looked in workouts).’’

Still, the Heat know it sometimes takes time for a player to blend in after he’s missed more than three weeks.

“He looks comfortable in what we’ve been able to do,’’ James said of the work Bosh has done lately with the team. “But I think we all know that a shootaround or a walk-through practice is totally different from what we’ve been doing out on the floor as far as game time.’’

Either way, if Bosh is there or not, the Heat need a win tonight. They cannot afford to go down 3-2 in the series with the next game being in Boston. I don't think that they can win in Boston, and if they do lose tonight I consider their season to be over.

To read more on this topic go to http://www.foxsportsflorida.com/06/05/12/Bosh-a-game-time-decision-for-Game-5/msn_landing.html?blockID=741254&feedID=3722

Until next time,
You keep doing what you do, and I'll keep you up to date with everything sports

MLB Update

Hey All,

 As we enter the third month of the season, here are some notes on the current Major-League Baseball standings that struck me as interesting.

There are 19 teams that are .500 or better right now. That sounds impressive, but it's not as impressive as it sounds. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, the last time 19 teams were .500 or better at this point in the season was after games were finished on July 31, 2010.

There are 8 teams with 30 or 31 wins, but only two (Texas Rangers and the Los Angeles Dodgers) with more than 31 wins. There are 14 teams either in the Wild Card lead or within 3 1/2 games of a Wild Card spot, not including 6 division leaders.

There are 3 teams on pace to lose at least 100 games this season. They are: Minnesota Twins, Chicago Cubs, and the San Diego Padres. The Twins have a current record of 20-33 and if they keep this pace up they will end with a record of 61-101. The Cubs have a current record of 18-35 and are on pace to finish with a record of 55-107, and the Padres are only a few games behind them at 18-37 and will finish with a record of 53-109, if they keep this pace up.

The only time in the last 25 seasons that 3 or more teams finished with at least 100 losses in a season was 2002, with a record  4 teams had 100 + losses.

At this point in the season all of the teams in the AL and NL East are .500 or better. This is the latest into the season that every team in those division are .500 or better. But as every baseball fan knows, it's not how you start the season, it's how you finish. Would you like some proof? The Detroit Tigers started at 9-3, they have since gone 16-26. The Kansas City Royals started at 3-14, they have since gone 20-15. Finally the Boston Red Sox had a start of 12-19 and have since gone 16-7. Each of these teams have picked it up since they had a terrible start to the season, and have got their seasons back on track.

Now to talk about a team that is probably surprising every in the Marlins. The Miami Marlins have more wins in the month of May, then the Cubs, Twins and Padres have all season. They also have as many wins as the Royals, A's, Astros and Rockies do all season with 23. They are playing some hot baseball and if they can keep this pace up, they will be a tough team to beat come playoff time.

One of my favorite teams the Pittsburgh Pirates are over .500 with a record of 27-26. The Pirates haven't had a winning season since 1992, and last season they were over .500 as late as August  1st with a record of 54-53. The Pirates have been on a good run as of late and had this same type of run last season. If they can keep up this winning thing past the All Star break, and they might be able to make a run to the playoffs and have a winning season. The Pirates, Indians and Mets are above .500 but are being outscored on the season. Last year, the only team to finish with a winning record and a negative run differential was the San Francisco Giants (86-76, -8). Let's hope it doesn't come to this for the Pirates, Indians and Mets.

The last couple of teams we will talk about are the Orioles, Yankees and Rangers. They are the only AL teams over .500 at home and on the road. Last year 6 AL teams had winning records both at home and on the road. This can only mean good things for these teams. With the bats coming alive for the Rangers and Yankees and the Orioles just playing good ball all around, these three teams are going to be the teams to beat for a long time this season.

Until next time,
You keep doing what you do, and I'll keep you up to date with everything sports.

Durant Flops?

Hey All,

NBA players have been faking calls and "flopping" for years now. No one really seems to care a whole lot about it. The only time people will care, is if a player says he doesn't do that sort of thing, and then gets caught doing it in a big game. Kevin Durant flops, but says he doesn't.

Despite Durant's plea for a call in Game 3, officials declined to whistle a foul on the Spurs. (Getty Images)
SAN ANTONIO -- When Kevin Durant is doing it, you know there's a problem. And Durant is definitely doing it, flopping like a fish out of water, craving the oxygen that is a bogus call from a fooled referee.

Durant is doing it because that's what NBA players do nowadays. They flop. It's like soccer in sneakers -- and don't you sit there, NBA fans, and act like this is OK. It's not, and you know it's not, and the excuse that "everyone does it" only works in places where people are too lazy to think for themselves. So think for yourself and answer the question:

Is flopping an acceptable form of competition? When a Duke basketball player flops, do you like it? No way. It's embarrassing, beneath the sport, any sport, but in particular it's beneath a sport as testosterone-driven as the NBA, where players stare each other down at the slightest provocation, as if this sport here, this game of basketball we're playing? It's no game, cuz. This is life, and if you look at me the wrong way, it's on.

Acting hard and tough, and then flopping or flailing for a phantom foul call from a referee, is ludicrous when done by the same person. Either you're one or the other. Be hard like Rambo, or be a pretty boy like Robert Pattinson. But don't be both.

But that's where Kevin Durant has gone -- to the same place where Dwyane Wade and LeBron James and Kobe Bryant and the best NBA players today have gone. They've gone to places reserved for pretty-boy actors and ridiculous soccer players. They've gone floppy.

These aren't charging fouls, either. I'm not talking about standing still as an enormous human being barrels down on you, and then falling as that enormous human being draws close, hoping (yes) to draw a foul but also hoping to get out of the way before getting crushed. Those look bad, but those make a little bit of sense. The assumption is, you're about to get crushed. Better to start falling early so as to not get hurt too badly.

But the flopping that NBA players do today? Flailing their arms, kicking out their legs, diving to the floor? Guys aren't doing that as they play defense. They're doing it on offense, after shots, sometimes during a shot.

Durant did it Thursday night in Game 3, dribbling on the baseline before pulling up from 14 feet for a jumper. Spurs defender Stephen Jackson was contesting the shot, as he's allowed to do. He was close, as he's allowed to be. Durant didn't like it, or was scared by it, or something, because he kicked his feet in Jackson's direction, as if to draw contact, and then after releasing the shot he threw both arms out wide as if he were a puppet and someone (Jackson?) was pulling the strings. And then for good measure he slid to the floor as the shot slipped through the net.

The referees weren't fooled, but Thunder fans were. They screamed and they booed, and they filed it away -- Remember that time KD was crushed, and no call was made? -- for future reference as proof the officials, maybe even the NBA as a whole, was out to get them.

Flopping is dangerous, see. It plays to the weakest part of the population, the largest part, the part that wants so desperately to believe there's a conspiracy against our side, whoever our side is. The NBA is rife with conspiracy theorists, with media members like Bill Simmons taking to Twitter to rile up Celtics fans with theories that the NBA ignored Dwyane Wade's foul on Rajon Rondo late in Game 2, just like the NBA didn't call nearly enough fouls on Wade and LeBron during the game, because the NBA wants the Miami Heat in the NBA Finals. That's the sort of nonsense that has people honestly believing the NBA doctored the recent draft lottery to give New Orleans the No. 1 pick. People believe this stuff because they're told to believe it. And people do as they're told.

NBA referees? They do as they're told more than anyone I've ever seen. They didn't fall for Durant's theatrics, which was shocking given that an NBA star who wants a foul called will usually get the foul called. Kobe Bryant has padded his scoring total for years with phantom fouls that become real free throws, by dribbling into traffic for impossible shots and then, as he recognizes the impossibility of the shot, flailing his arms and groaning loudly as if he were hit by a 2-by-4. Referees are human, and they see Kobe acting distressed, and they assume there's something to it. And there is.

Kobe's a faker.

But they're all fakers. Dwyane Wade is the worst flopper I've seen this side of a South American soccer match. Watch him rise for a contested shot. If the defender reaches for the ball, Wade parachutes on the shot -- doesn't even try to make it -- and instead throws out both arms and both legs, as if he's Mr. Potato Head and he's falling to pieces. It's hilarious until the whistle blows, and then it's pathetic. But somehow Wade goes to the foul line with his head held high, as if he's earned it.

NBA commissioner David Stern was right a few weeks back when he said flopping was a major problem in the NBA, noting "it's only designed to fool the referee" and then lamenting that the league "should give out Oscars rather than MVP trophies."

He's right, and you know he's right. Everyone does it? That doesn't mean everyone's right. It means everyone's wrong.

Until next time,
You keep doing what you do, and I'll keep you up to date with everything sports.