Archive for October, 2010

WATERCOOLER CHAT: SF LOOKING HOT, MAGIC CONTENDERS, PHOENIX JELLING

BASEBALL

It was Game 2 of the World Series between the Texas Rangers and San Francisco Giants.  The Giants easily took Game 1 and looked to sweep on its home field before heading back to Texas.  The game was pretty tight the whole way, tied at 0-0, until Edgar Renteria hit a homerun in the 5th inning to give the Giants a 1-0 lead.  Then they extended the  gap to 2-0 off a solid hit by Juan Uribe.  So it was 2-0 at the end of the 7th, and the Rangers still thought one good offensive inning would get them right back in this thing.  That’s true, except they weren’t the ones who had the batting explosion, that was San Fran in the 8th inning. This team is so hot right now, they strung together 7 more runs in the 8th inning to take a commanding and condescending lead over the Rangers.  The shut-out wins gives them a 2-0 advantage headed back to Texas.  Wow, this is a high-scoring World Series.  San Francisco 9, Texas 0.

BASKETBALL

In the NBA, it was time for this year’s #1 draft pick, John Wall, to make his NBA debut.  Wall has had a terrific pre-season, and the Washington Wizards are hoping Wall can lead them to the playoffs.  The Wizards made a number of key off-season acquisitions, including Kirk Hinrich (for point-guard help) and Yi Jianlian (for help down low), and they think they can play spoiler in the East.  Their opponent, the Orlando Magic, happens to be one of the best teams in the league, and they certainly proved it last night.  John Wall had a decent night, finishing with 14 points and 9 assists, but the Magic cruised behind outstanding all-around play from Dwight Howard (23 points) and Vince Carter (18 points).  The Magic look to be contenders, and showed that Miami isn’t the only Florida team to watch out for.  Orland 112, Washington 83.

And in the second game of the night, the Phoenix Suns traveled to Utah to take on the Jazz.  The Jazz looked horrible against the Nuggets on opening night.  Heading into the season, the Jazz were predicted to finish second in the West, primarily because they have a great all-around team, and just added underrated big man Al Jefferson.  They don’t seem to have too much energy out there, and just couldn’t get it going against the Suns.  Phoenix, on the other hand, jelled quite well.  They look like they’re picking up where they left off last season, except with more experience, chemistry, and added newcomers Hedo Turkoglu and Josh Childress — two guys who will definitely produce for them this season.  Phoenix 110, Utah 94.

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WATERCOOLER CHAT: GIANTS BATS READY, CAVS ROLLING, GRIFFIN DEBUT

BASEBALL

In baseball, it was Game 1 of the World Series between the Texas Rangers and San Francisco Giants.  The National League won the All-Star game, which awarded the Giants home-field advantage in this series.  The Rangers put their Ace pitcher Cliff Lee on the mound.  He has been absolutely dominate this post-season, making the Yankees look like a Little League Team.  And the Giants put in their ace Tim Lincecum.  It was expected to be a pitcher’s duel.  Well, that didn’t happen at all.  The Giants bats were ready for Lee and basically shellacked him.  In the 5th inning, the Giants had Lee figured out (just when Lee had thought he’d settled in) and went on a hitting streak to make the score 5-2.  After that, there was no looking back as the Giants looked determined and ready to take this series.  San Francisco 11, Texas 7.

BASKETBALL

And it was the second night in the official  NBA season.  One of the most interesting games of the night was the Boston Celtics vs. the Cleveland Cavaliers.  The Celtics hammered LeBron and his new team the Heat last night, so how would LeBron’s old team fair against the Celtics… without LeBron.  The answer:  Pretty well.  The Cavs were jelling last night, looked like they were having fun out there, and the crowd was into it.  J.J. Hickson is a developing star for the Cavs and finished the night with 21 points.  The Cavs are unofficially becoming America’s team — everybody is rooting for them to win.  They are the ultimate underdog with a depressed fan base.  Let’s see if they can keep things rolling.  Cleveland 95, Boston 87.

Elsewhere in the NBA, it was the debut of 2009’s #1 pick Blake Griffin.  The Clippers selected Griffin to be the savior of the franchise.  Unfortunately, in last year’s pre-season, Griffin got hurt, and the Clipper organization decided to rest him the whole year just to be safe.  Last night, we got to see what he could do — and he was AWESOME!  His first 2 points of his career came off a monster offensive dunk put-back.  This guy is arguably one of the top 5 athletes in the NBA, and he finished with 20 points and 14 rebounds.  Plus, the Clippers have a nice supporting cast around him which includes Baron Davis, Chris Kaman, and a now Olympic gold medalist Eric Gordon.  The Clippers actually might get taken seriously this year.  Then again, they didn’t win last night, as the Portland Trailblazers showed why THEY should be a team to be reckoned with in the West.  Portland 98, LA Clippers 88.

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WATERCOOLER CHAT: HEAT NEEDS PRACTICE, LAKERS EDGE ROCKETS, BOISE STATE NEEDS HARDER OPPONENTS

BASKETBALL

It was opening night in the NBA, and who better to open up the season than the biggest story of the off-season:  The Miami Heat.  Finally, we got to see what it would be like when three superstars (LeBron James, Dwayne Wade, and Chris Bosh) united on one NBA team.  This team was expected to be a powerhouse.  How can you stop 2 of the best 3 players in the NBA, when they’re on the same team?  We were finally going to find out.

Unfortunately, it wasn’t pretty.  And the team that left us in awe was actually the Boston Celtics.  They look tight, determined, energized, and reloaded with Shaq in the paint.  When Shaq doesn’t have to carry the load, and really can just cause havoc for 10 minutes a game — THAT’S when he’s at his best.  The Heat, on the other hand, weren’t jelling whatsoever.  There were no crazy alley-oops that everyone had been dreaming of, just a lot of bad shooting and miscommunication.  Eventually, LeBron James took over and got the Heat within 5 points, but it simply wasn’t enough.  The Celtics rolled, and the Heat have a lot of practicing to do if they expect to win 3 straight titles (what they’ve alluded to all off-season).  Boston 88, Miami 80.

And in the second game of the night, Kobe Bryant was back in action against a rejuvenated Houston Rockets team.  The Rockets played last season without their star center Yao Ming.  With him back, plus the addition of a Kevin Martin, Brad Miller, and Courtney Lee, this team looks poised to finally do some damage in the West.  They got off to a hot start, behind a big scoring evening from point-guard Aaron Brooks and Kevin Martin.  But, in the end, the Lakeshow came back to life behind, guess who, Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol.  They had 27 and 29 points respectively, as the Lakers barely edged a Staples Center victory against the Rockets.  LA Lakers 112, Houston 110.

FOOTBALL

And in a special Tuesday Night college football game, the super-power Boise State took on Louisiana Tech.  Boise needs to crush all of its opponents if they even want to be in the National Championship discussion.  Louisiana Tech would give them a bit of a headache.  Not a serious one whatsoever, but they did put up 20 points on the Broncos.  Boise did some of their classic trickery plays, one that saw their wide-receiver throw a touchdown pass to their quarterback, Kellen Moore, but that’s just what Boise State does when they KNOW they’re not going to lose.  These guys need to start playing a harder schedule, and then they might be taken more seriously.  Then again, Boise State has said they would be happy to play anybody — people are just afraid to lose.  Boise State 49, Louisiana Tech 20.

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WATERCOOLER CHAT: ROMO DOWN, WORLD SERIES MATCHUP

In the NFL, it was Monday Night Football between the Dallas Cowboys and New York Giants.  The Giants have been surging lately behind a high-powered, yet balanced offense, and a defense that seems to be clicking.  Dallas, on the other hand, is 1-4, and desperately needed a win if they wanted to avoid going 1-5.  Their home venue in front of screaming fans was the perfect opportunity to make that happen.  They got two key turnovers early, to jump out to an early 10-0 lead.  Then, another field goal put them up 13-0.  The Giants got on the board with a touchdown pass to Hakeem Nicks, but then the Cowboys’ Dez Bryant ran back a punt for a touchdown.  It was 20-7 Dallas, and it looked like the Cowboys of old.

Unfortunately, it was all downhill from there.  First, the Giants came storming back with some impeccable play by Eli Manning and Ahmad Bradshaw.  Soon, the Giants found themselves up 24-20, and the then it happened, a moment that left every Cowboys fan with their heart in their hands.  Tony Romo went down… and it looked bad.  The halftime report said he had a broken clavicle, and, typically, that takes 8 weeks to heel.  That would be Week 15, and most likely with Romo out, the Cowboys won’t be in playoff contention.  Jon Kitna stepped in for Romo, and no Cowboys fan was excited about that.  Eli continued to pour on the points in the second half and the Giants cruised to a victory.  Dallas is in some serious trouble.  NY Giants 41, Dallas 35.

In some additional football news, there were no serious injuries in Week 7.  Week 6 saw a variety of different severe injuries that sidelined players and got everyone talking about “how the game should be played”.  The Steelers James Harrison even made headlines for saying he was considering retirement because he didn’t know how to play the game any other way.  Well, this week, it appeared as though everyone played by the rules and nobody was hurt.  The NFL applauded its players and hope this safe trend continues.

Finally, the Game 1 pitching match-ups are set for the World Series.  It will be two aces taking the mound for a fabulous opening game.  Tim Lincecum (aka “The Freak”) for the Giants, and Cliff Lee (the imported superstar) for the Rangers.  This World Series is anybody’s guess.  “Both teams have the pitching and the bats to get the job done.  With that said, the Rangers have been rolling offensively, putting up some major run totals, whereas the Giants are a methodical, slower-paced team that never goes away and wins it in the end.  A World Series victory would be HUGE for either franchise.

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WATERCOOLER CHAT:AUBURN #1, WORLD SERIES MATCHUP, FAVRE FLOUNDERS

In college football, for the third week in a row, the #1 team in the nation faced a very tough challenge.  First, Alabama took on South Carolina IN South Carolina… and lost.  Then, Ohio State took on Wisconsin IN Wisconsin… and lost.  This week, newly appointed #1 Oklahoma had to travel to an undefeated Missouri team, in Missouri.  Missouri hasn’t had the toughest schedule this year, but they came to the game with all the confidence in the world that they could upset Oklahoma.  On the first play of the game, Missouri ran it back for a touchdown and that set the tone for the game.  Missouri would answer all of Oklahoma’s scores, and then finally pull away in the 4th quarter to topple the mighty Sooners.  That’s 3 in a row for #1 upsets.  Now, Auburn assumes the #1 spot, and has a huge X on their back.  But, they also have leading Heisman candidate Cam Newton, and certainly don’t intend to drop the ball when it counts.  Missouri 36, Oklahoma 27.

In baseball, the Texas Rangers earned their ticket to the World Series by knocking off the Goliath Yankees.  They were awaiting the winner of the San Francisco/Philadelphia series to begin this year’s World Series on Wednesday night.  The Giants led the series 3-2, but they had to win a game in Philadelphia against a very tough pitching staff.  The game was close all the way until the 8th inning when Juan Uribe smacked a homerun to give the Giants a 1-run lead.  Then, the Giants pulled out all the stops hoping to avoid a game 7, and went to their ace Tim Lincecum to relief pitch — only his second appearance as a relief pitcher ever.  However, Lincecum gave up two key hits, so the Giants had to go to Brian Wilson, an intimidating fellow with a long, dark beard.  And Wilson got the job done, securing the Giants trip back to the World Series.  Giants/Rangers, and both teams want it BAD.  Should be fantastic!  San Francisco 3, Philadelphia 2.

And in the NFL, the New Orleans Saints have been seriously struggling this year.  Two weeks ago they lost to a hapless Arizona team with a rookie starting quarterback.  This week, they would host a banged up Cleveland team.  Most assumed this was their chance to get back on track, and really exploit their high-powered offense.  Well, that didn’t happen whatsoever.  Drew Brees was horrible throwing 4 Interceptions., and just couldn’t get their offense going.  However, Browns rookie quarterback, Colt McCoy, the phenom from Texas, looks like he’s a great game manager, leading the Browns to an upset victory.

Finally, it was time for, most likely, Brett Favre’s last trip to Green Bay.  The Packers lost both of their games to the Vikings last year, and really wanted to get the best of Favre before he retired.  Well, this time they need.  The Packers defense contained Favre, and forced him into playing like ‘Bad-Favre’, the Favre that throws wild balls that are intercepted for touchdowns.  Favre’s replacement, Aaron Rodgers, played pretty well, throwing for 295 yards and 2 touchdowns.  The Vikings appear to be spiraling out of control, and then, after the game, Vikings coach Brad Childress essentially threw Favre under the bus for the loss.  This team is in disarray, and a tough road lies ahead.  Green Bay 28, Minnesota 24.

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WATERCOOLER CHAT: YANKEES STILL IN IT, GIANTS LEAD, HARRISON LEARNED TO MAKE HITS

BASEBALL

It was Game 5 of the American League Championship Series between the Texas Rangers and New York Yankees. The Rangers were hoping to finish this up and head to the World Series, but that’s not exactly the easiest thing against the Yanks.  The Rangers have been crushing it in this series, but in Game 5, the Yankees bats finally came alive.  The Yankees got up 3-0 pretty quick, and then in the 3rd inning Nick Swisher and Robinson Cano both homered to give the Yankees a 5-0 lead.  And there was no looking back from there.   Even in the 8th inning, Curtis Granderson hit another homerun to make it 7-2 (you can never have enough runs against a dangerous Texas team).  With the win, the series heads back to Arilington, TX.  NY Yankees 7, Texas 2.

And in the National League Championship Series, the San Francisco Giants were hoping to stay hot against the mighty Philadelphia Phillies.  This was an up and down game, but the Giants strategy is to keep it close, giving them the best chance in the end to pull an upset.  Well that’s exactly what they did this time around.  First they were up, then they were down, and then, with the game tied at 5 in the ninth, Juan Uribe stepped to the plate and hit a beautiful sacrifice fly to left field to bring in Aubrey Huff to score and give the Giants a win.  Now the Giants are have a commanding lead in the series.  They were definitely the underdog in this match-up, and now they fully believe they can win the World Series.  They’re just one win away from getting there.  But, they’ll have to get past one of the best pitchers in baseball in Game 5 — Roy Halladay.  San Francisco 6, Philadelphia 5.

FOOTBALL

Finally, some interesting news out of the NFL, Pittsburgh linebacker James Harrison was fined $75,000 for making a vicious hit on Cleveland Browns receiver Mohammad Massaquoi.  Now, Harrison said he is contemplating retirement.  Why?  Well, James Harrison said that he has learned a certain way to play football ever since he was a little kid.  For the past 20 years, he has played football one way, and if the league is going to fine him for playing that way, then he doesn’t know if he can be an effective player.  Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin excused Harrison from practice yesterday so he could take some time to rest and think it over.  There is uncertainty as to the genuine nature of Harrison’s retirement claim, but right now, the Steelers organization is taking him seriously.

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WATERCOOLER CHAT: GIANTS & RANGERS TAKE LEAD, CARMELO ANTHONY TALKS HEATING UP

BASEBALL

It was Game three of the National League Championship series between the San Francisco Giants and Philadelphia Phillies.  And it was a hot pitchers duel between the Giants Matt Cain and the typically amazing Cole Hamels. This game, Cain got the best of Hamels and didn’t give up one run to a very strong Phillies offense.  As for the Giants bats, Cody Ross has had the blazing bat, scoring the Giants first run and getting a number of clutch hits.  With the win, the Giants take the lead in the series, and hope to maintain their hot streak.  San Francisco 3, Philadelphia 0.

And in prime time, it was Game four of the American League Championship series between the Texas Rangers and the New York Yankees.  In Game 3, Cliff Lee’s dominance and an unbelievable offensive 9th inning gave the Rangers an 8-0 win.  Could they continue their dominance IN New York?  The game started off with a controversial home run reminiscent of another Yankee controversial home run back in the 1996 ALCS when a boy in the stands interfered with a player’s ability to make a catch.  It happened again, and because baseball has some instant replay rights, they were able to review the play and ruled it a home run.  Rather uncanny that this same freak occurrence would happen twice to the Yankees in a Championship Series.  Then, the Texas bats caught fire, namely Bengie Molina’s. In the 6th inning, with the Rangers down 1, Molina hit a 3 run blast to put the Rangers up 5-3.  And there was no looking back, just more and more runs, as the Rangers routed the Yankees AGAIN.  They lead 3-1 in the series, and hope to put this thing to bed in Game 5.  Texas 10, NY Yankees 3.

BASKETBALL

Finally, in the NBA, the Carmelo Anthony talks are heating up again.  Apparently, Carmelo really wants to be traded, contrary to public political reports, and now… the Knicks are the frontrunner.   It will be tough to swing a deal, but both parties want it to happen.  If the Nuggets don’t get something for Carmelo now, they most likely won’t get anything for him when he leaves as a free agent.  Might as well start the rebuilding process as soon as possible.  A new major trade chip for the Knicks is back-up point guard Toney Douglas, who had 24 points in a recent exhibition game.  Either way, Carmelo is from New York, and would love to join Amare there to start a separate powerhouse to compete with Miami.

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WATERCOOLER CHAT: TITANS DOMINATE IN MNF, NEBRASKA SECOND GUESSING, CLIFF LEE UNHITTABLE,

FOOTBALL

In the NFL, it was Monday Night Football between the Tennessee Titans and the Jacksonville Jaguars.  Tennessee has been an up-and-down team this year.  Some weeks they show up, and pulverize teams, and some weeks they completely implode and easily lose.  The Jaguars are an enigma in the same way — they can fool you into thinking they’re a team on the rise, and then remind you that they’re one of the bottom dwellers of the league.  Well, last night, both teams proved which identity they wanted.

The game started out on a high-note for the Titans with a 23-yard strike from Vince Young to Kenny Britt for a touchdown.  Then, the Titans lost Vince Young to a sprained knee and replaced him with the aging veteran Kerry Collins.  But Collins got in on the action too, hitting Bo Scaife for a touchdown.  A couple Rob Bironas field goals put the Titans up 20-0 and they never looked back.  Jacksonville on the other hand just couldn’t get their offense going whatsoever.  Even their star running back Maurice Jones-Drew only had 57 yards on the night.  The Titans defense showed up, and they will be ready for any offense in subsequent weeks.  This Titans team may be for real.  The Jaguars… not so much.  Tennessee 30, Jacksonville 3.

In college football, after Nebraska fell to Texas this past weekend, and pretty much saw their hopes of a National Championship disappear, Nebraska head coach Bo Pelini is second-guessing an important decision.  Pelini pulled Heisman candidate QB Taylor Martinez in the 3rd quarter in favor of back-up Zac Lee.  Pelini said that he regrets the decision because Nebraska’s woes went beyond the QB position.  Their offensive line was outplayed and their defense didn’t show up.  Pelini was hoping for a spark off the bench, but it never came and he may have rattled his star QB in the process.  We’ll see how Nebraska recovers from this tough loss.

BASEBALL

The American League Championship Series went back to New York, a deadly place to be playing in October.  The series was tied 1-1, and, fortunately, the Rangers had Cliff Lee to throw on the mound.  Lee is definitely one of the top 3 pitchers in the league, and is near perfect in post-season play.  Batters just can’t hit off this guy, but could the super offense of the Yankees?  The answer:  NO.  Lee was dominate yet again, throwing 8 innings, striking out 13 guys, and allowing just 2 hits.  It was a marvelous performance.  Then, in the 9th inning, up by only 2 runs, the Rangers crushed the Yankees by putting up an incredible 6 more runs.  So, in the bottom of the ninth, instead of just being down 2, the Yanks were down 8.  And that’s how it would stay.  Texas 8, NY Yankees 0.

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WATERCOOLER CHAT: OHIO STATE’S REIGN OVER, BCS STANDINGS, VIKINGS

FOOTBALL

In college football, Ohio State was hoping to defend their new #1 in the nation status.  Unfortunately, they would have a serious battle immediately in a very tough Wisconsin team… IN WISCONSIN.  Ohio State is historically very good when playing on the road as a #1 team, but many thought the Wisconsin Badgers would defend their turf.  Those experts were right.  Wisconsin didn’t waste any time, and immediately got up to a 21-3 lead in the first half.   Ohio State’s offense couldn’t do anything.  Then, in the second half, the Buckeyes made a run, but Wisconsin was simply too strong, and the Badgers upset the Buckeyes.  Well, Ohio State’s reign as the top team sure didn’t last long.  Wisconsin 31, Ohio State 18.

Plus, the first BCS Standings were released.  This is a calculated and complicated formula determining who should play in the National Championship Game.  Their first #1… Oklahoma, who appears to be the most balanced team in the nation.  Good offense, good defense, good special teams, and that’s what you need to win it all.  Oregon checks in at #2 with their high-powered offense, the underdog Boise State is #3, and a suddenly vicious Auburn is #4.  Auburn is atop the SEC and looks like a very tough team to beat, primarily because of their extremely versatile quarterback, Cam Newton. He can run, pass, everything.  However, these rankings change quickly and dramatically.   They will most likely look very different next week.

In the NFL, the Dallas Cowboys took on the Minnesota Vikings.  These teams were both favored in the Top 4 teams in the NFC at the beginning of the season.  Going into this game, they were both 1-3, and both desperately needed a win to avoid going into ‘panic mode’.  Well, it was a back-and-forth shootout.  Roy Williams and Felix Jones did most of the damage for the Cowboys, with Williams hauling in 2 touchdowns and Felix Jones finally showing what he could do. But, at the end of the day, Brett Favre was the victor, although not in a pretty way, but still the champion at the end of the day.  Now, the Cowboys are 1-4 and will face an uphill struggle to make the playoffs.  The Vikings aren’t much better off, facing their own offensive woes.  Minnesota 24, Dallas 21.

BASEBALL

Finally, in baseball, the San Francisco Giants took a surprising 1-0 lead against Philadelphia on Saturday in Philadelphia.  The Phillies needed a win on Sunday to avoid going to San Francisco down 2-0.  Well, their newly acquired pitcher, Roy Oswalt, pitched a beautiful game against the Giants.  Through 8 inning, he only gave up 1 run and 3 hits.  Fortunately for Oswalt, the Philly bats showed up.  The game was close until the 7th inning when Jimmy Rollins hit a clutch double to deep right to score 3 runs.  That was 6-1 Phillies, and that’s where the score would stay.  The series heads back to San Fran, and it’s all tied up.  Best of 5 now.  Philadelphia 6, San Francisco 1.

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WATERCOOLER CHAT: QB WOES FOR BROWNS,WVU STILL HAS CHANCE, AMBASSADOR TYSON

FOOTBALL

In the NFL, the Cleveland Browns have had some serious woes at quarterback.  They brought in experienced veteran Jake Delhomme to try and help the offense click, but Delhomme has been injury plagued since the season started.  Then, Browns GM Mike Holmgren brought in former back-up Seattle quarterback Seneca Wallace hoping he could right the ship.  That didn’t work either, as Wallace has fallen to injury.  Now, it’s time for the Browns to turn to their rookie quarterback — former sensation at the University of Texas and all-around good-guy Colt McCoy. McCoy was amazing at Texas, and also captured the nation’s heart when he got injured in the first quarter of the National Championship Game against Alabama and was unable to play.  He almost cried in his post-game interview.  This Sunday we get to see him on the field again.  Unfortunately, his debut will come against the Pittsburgh Steelers — the best defense in the league.

In college football, #25 West Virginia was in action against Big East rival University of South Florida.  WVU was poised to be a BCS team at the beginning of the season, especially since they had pre-season Heisman candidate Noel Devine as their running-back.  Unfortunately, WVU got off to a rocky start, and has been trying to get back on track lately.  Well, they certainly didn’t slow down last night, stifiling USF’s offense and even running a few trick plays for Devine for strong yardage and a touchdown.  West Virginia still has a chance to win the Big East and possibly play in a BCS bowl, but they also might fall on their face next week against the Big East leading Syracuse.  West Virginia 20, USF 6.

BOXING

Mike Tyson, former Heavyweight Boxing Champ, has a new job.  Tyson was once feared by every boxer in the sport.  Stepping into the ring with him in the late 80s/early 90s meant almost certain destruction.  Today, Tyson is a changed man.  Much calmer and seemingly more friendly.  And he will take his new demeanor to his new gig:  Boxing Ambassador to China.  That’s right, Mike Tyson has been taped by a Chinese company to explain the sport of boxing to the Chinese.  Boxing isn’t really popular in China, but this company thinks it could be, and is using Tyson to voice that message.  Tyson will need to behave over there, however.  He has already stated publicly in response to the gig that he likes Thai food better than Chinese food.  Might not be the best start, Tyson.

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