Saturday, June 25, 2011

Good effort in Omaha Hoos!!

I am disappointed with the University of Virginia's baseball team not winning the National Championship this year but I couldn't be more proud to be their fan. The young men played their asses off and battled the defending National Champions for 13 innings before meeting defeat.

The post-game emotion poured out; tears of dreams now lost forever. During the press briefing afterward, one reporter who drinks at the throne of the cow college in Blacksburg asked the losing pitcher how he would ever cope with this loss. The young man gave a very polite and honest answer as he fought back the tears.

Watching him stand tall in this unenviable spot, watching as this jack-ass tried to hit him with questions to sell his rag copy to fans of an institution that will never sniff the College World Series, let alone an ACC Championship, I couldn't help but be proud of how he handled himself and represented the team on his jersey.

He could have pulled a Vick, said a few obscenities, and stuck up his middle finger, or maybe stomped on the reporters foot...but instead he gave him a well-thought out and articulate answer. Yes, Virginia, there is life after football for Cavaliers...not so much for castrated turkeys.

Tuesday, June 14, 2011

Hoos are OMAHA Bound!!!

How about those Cardiac Cavs!!! Two outs, two strikes, bases loaded, down one run, and things were looking bleak...until the Cardiac Cavs rip a base-hit up the middle that scores 2 and sends the Hoos back to Omaha for the College World Series!! Coach O'Connor is outstanding, poised, and has such belief in his team!

On Sunday the Cavs closer was roughed up a bit and hung his head after the game. With everything on the line on Monday, Coach O'Connor put the ball right back in the closer's hand and told him he had FAITH in his ability to get it done. This act of loyalty and confidence is exactly why these kids play so hard for this coaching staff. They BELIEVE!!

It was almost as if the Cavs heard my now famous expression, "in lieu of gifts, send gifts!" and boy, did they give me a gift I'll never forget. I was able to share this moment with baby boy Sydney and we both clapped and jumped and celebrated the dramatic win...I'm hoping a National Championship is the encore!!

Wednesday, June 8, 2011

Rafa wins...Again...What's wrong with LeBron?...

Rafa won the French Open for the sixth time in seven years on Sunday and his victim was once again Roger Federer. I am a very strong advocate for Roger Federer; he is classy and extremely pleasant to his fans. His game is effortless and his artistry unmatched! It's truly a shame that he just doesn't match up well with Nadal. Nadal is all effort and hustle, which I do appreciate, but it isn't the type of style that I enjoy watching on the tennis court. And now it seems he is getting a bit cocky, which works just fine if you have a rival who will engage in this behavior. McEnroe vs. Connors anyone??

LeBron James had a woeful game 4 in the NBA Finals. He didn't shoot well, had several turnovers, and seemed to shy away from the ball at crunch time. I personally like LeBron James, but in order to erase all the doubt about how good he actually is he must STEP UP!! He had a few moments in the Eastern Conference Finals but so far in THE FINALS he has been little better than a role player.

As I saw in a recent movie trailer, the debate about Kobe vs. LeBron is heating up at water coolers everywhere. But right now, the argument is, in fact, one-sided...Kobe has 5 Championships...LeBron has a nice endorsement deal and a the moniker "King James"...better shun the shrinking violet routine, LeBron, lest the haters bury you!

Saturday, June 4, 2011

Jim Tressell...The University of Michigan's favorite head coach!

The man wore a sweater vest...A SWEATER VEST...he had to to be guilty of something! He promised to beat the Wolverines and he delivered 9 of 10 times. He promised to win a National Championship, which he did once. He promised that Ohio State fans would be proud of their team and it's effort, and for the most part they were. He won National Championships at Youngstown State, he was the classic intellectual head coach. But look deeper...

Fast forward to the present...Mr. Sweater Vest is on the front page of Sports Illustrated, looking oh so professorial! There is only one problem, the sweater vest was as filthy as an SEC recruiter or booster!! This man suckered in the Ohio State fan base, delivered on his promises, but only under the most false pretenses!

Players selling rings, gear, tickets, whatever they could sell! Accepting cars, accepting cash, accepting who knows what else...and ole Sweater Vest turned a blind eye to everything!! As this investigation goes deeper and deeper it will reveal that the same behavior was taking place at Youngstown State, it just wasn't being investigated by Sports Illustrated and Michigan's irritated fan base!!

The NCAA needs to SMU the Ohio State Football program for the good of all College Athletics! The message needs to be sent clear and hard, this garbage and win-at-all-costs attitude needs to be checked immediately...but will they have the guts to do what needs to be done??