BASEBALL

In baseball, it was a battle between a possible first round playoff match-up between the dominant Philadelphia Phillies and a young hot Arizona Diamondbacks squad.  This was a good chance for Arizona to see if they could hit off, arguably, the best pitcher in the league in Roy Halladay. Halladay was remarkable Tuesday night, fanning 14 Diamondbacks.  He even got run support in the 5th inning when Shane Victorino hit a 2-run homer to right field.  The Phillies thought they had it locked up, but they didn’t account for Arizona’s never-say-die pride.  In the bottom of the 9th, Lyle Overbay doubled to deep right to bring in 2 runs and give the D-Backs a win!  Many baseball experts think Arizona’s success is due to their veteran leadership from manager Kirk Gibson (the former Dodger you see pumping his fist in that famous 1998 World Series).  This year, the Diamondbacks could go all the way.  Arizona 3, Philadelphia 2. FOOTBALL In the NFL, the Cleveland Browns go into every season hoping for a miracle.  Last year, they made the transition to rookie quarterback Colt McCoy — the former University of Texas standout.  McCoy played well, but not great.  So, looking for an immediate solution, the Browns hired a certain coach they thought could bring McCoy to the next level:  None other than old man Brett Favre.  Cleveland intends to run a form of the West Coast offense this season, a scheme that revolves around shorter passes to receivers, hitting them in their stride, and providing them with the best situation to gain big yardage.  Favre spent the past 20 years of his life mastering that offense, and the Browns thought McCoy could seriously benefit from his tutelage.  We’ll see if the experiment works. Finally, the NFL usually holds what’s called a supplemental draft after the regular draft.  This is for players who did not ‘officially’ enter the regular NFL draft.  Obviously many players aren’t drafted in the regular draft, but they can still get picked up for training camp and get a chance to make the team.  But the supplemental draft is for players like star Ohio State quarterback Terrelle Pryor.  As you may remember, Ohio State got into trouble during the NFL lockout for gift benefits, which led to the end of Pryor’s time with the Buckeyes.  So he was hoping for a chance to get picked up and signed in the supplemental draft.  But the draft was scheduled for yesterday, and was canceled — with no new date set.  Pryor may have to wait a year before he gets a chance to step on an NFL field.

BASEBALL

The major story of the night was in the baseball world, as Jim Thome was aiming for the record books.  Only 7 men in baseball history have hit 600 home runs, and Jim Thome was hoping to join that club.  He was just two shy of 600 homers, but nobody expected to see what he did last night.  In front of an excited Detroit Tigers stadium, Minnesota Twins slugger Thome blasted not 1, but 2 HOME RUNS IN THE SAME GAME to join the elite ranks of 600 home runs.  Make that 8 guys to achieve that mark.  And to top it all off, the Twins won the game too.  Minnesota 9, Detroit 6.

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And in the NFL, Tennessee Titans running-back Chris Johnson is winning his hold-out battle.  He knows that he’s the centerpiece of the Titans offense, and that they better pay him what he wants.  The Titans stated publicly that if Johnson came to camp, they would make him the highest paid running-back in the league.   That usually assuages the ego of these player, but not Johnson — he wants even MORE than the highest-paid running back.  And again, this makes sense.  He’s arguably the best running-back in the league, and is in a supreme position of leverage with the Titans.  The larger problem is that running-back salaries aren’t on par with some of the other positions in the league, and Johnson is much more concerned with being one of the highest paid players in the NFL, not just highest paid running-backs.

Finally, from the NFL, a nice little gossip story.  Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez is both the darling and scapegoat of New York.  If the Jets play well, they love him, but if he has a bad game, they want him… removed.  Last year, Jets head coach Rex Ryan almost benched Sanchez for two consecutive poor performances in important games.  And for those that don’t know, Ryan has a reputation for being supremely difficult.  He’s definitely the type of guy who doesn’t watch what he says.  That’s probably why Sanchez told GQ Magazine that he felt like punching Rex Ryan during that time.  Clearly, that would have been the end of Sanchez in New York, but for a quarterback to come out and say that about his coach, if even in a euphemistic fashion, is rather bold.  Either way, the Jets are in serious position to win a Super Bowl this year.

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In the NFL, we all know that Randy Moss retired recently after 13 NFL seasons.  The media recently interviewed former Vikings head coach Brad Childress, who brought Randy Moss back to Minnesota hoping to give Brett Favre a deep threat and maybe salvage their 3-6 season, why Moss’ time in Minnesota was so short.   After just 4 games, Childress cut Randy Moss.  Why?  Childress claims that Randy Moss became a locker room nuisance and completely ruined the chemistry of the team.  But, many experts feel that the problem all along was Coach Childress — they practically quit on him early in the season.  Supposedly, he’s not a very nice guy.  Either way, even though he’s retired, Randy Moss is still receiving phone calls from teams to come out and play.

Elsewhere in the NFL, the Jets recently let go of their former #1 receiver Jerricho Cotchery.  Cotchery used to be their go to guy a few years ago, but the recent influx of talent in New York (i.e. Santonio Holmes and Plaxico Burress) made Cotchery disposable.  Another Super Bowl contender thought they might have some use for Cotchery:  The Pittsburgh Steelers.  The Steelers recently let go of Antwaan Randle El, and had a roster spot.  With their star receiver Mike Wallace recently suffering an injury, and their all-star veteran Hines Ward getting VERY old, they needed another guy to help their offense.  Cotchery will get a new beginning in Pittsburgh, and possibly help them get back to the Super Bowl.

Finally, Thursday… football was BACK.  It was only pre-season action, but it was great to see the guys out there playing hard on the field.  Some notable highlights — the Seattle Seahawks did not look good with Tavarias Jackson as their QB.  Plus, their star offensive tackle, Russell Okung, was carted off the field with an ankle injury.  Needless to say, their offensive line might be dreadful this season.  But, over in New England, the Patriots were simply ON FIRE!!  They put up over 40 points, and got a marvelous performance from their 4th round draft pick QB Ryan Mallett from Arkansas.  Everybody passed on Mallett during the draft, but he was a spectacular college player, and it looks like Bellichick’s drafting skills are seriously paying off.  And remember, these are the Patriots’ BACK-UPS.  Brady didn’t take a single snap, OchoCinco wasn’t on the field, and Haynesworth didn’t dress.  When these guys come together, they will be very very dangerous.  Seattle 24, San Diego 17.  New England 47, Jacksonville 12.

It was a slow day in the sports world, but still some items of note.

FOOTBALL

In the NFL, superstar running back Chris Johnson is still holding out of Tennessee Titans camp.  Hold outs are normal in the pre-season (as we remember Darrelle Revis’ long holdout from Jets camp), but this is a little different.  In the NFL, players can sign multi-year contracts.  What that means is that they have to play official seasons until they become free agents.  In order to get get credited for a “full season”, the NFL insists that the players report to camp by the deadline.  That was Tuesday.  If you don’t show up, you don’t get credit for the season on your contract.  This deadline didn’t scare Chris Johnson.  He had 2 years left on his contract, but he wants to get paid now.   If he gets hurt or declines over the next two years, he won’t get big free agent money.  He knows that the Titans need him and is holding out for a major deal.

BASKETBALL

In the NBA, typically a player must wait 5 years post-retirement before they become eligible for the Hall of Fame.  But, recently retired Yao Ming may be inducted in 2012.  How?  Well, not as a player, but for a contributor.  Yao was one of the most influential players to ever be on an NBA floor.  Why?  He single-handedly made China focus not only on the NBA, but on the sport of basketball in general.  If Yao hadn’t been a #1 draft pick in the early part of the decade, we most likely wouldn’t have seen such anticipation of the basketball event, practically the main event, at the 2008 Summer Olympics.  Plus, when Kobe or any other major NBA star visits China, they are ambushed.  The game is huge over there now, and it’s all thanks to Yao.

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Finally, in some amusing news, Chad Ochocinco is trying to adjust to his new surroundings in New England.  Ochocinco has been a Cincinnati resident for his entire career — that’s where his home is, so he doesn’t exactly have a place to stay in Boston.  He has announced, that he will be living with… ‘a fan’.  When asked if he was joking, Ochocinco said, “Have I ever lied before?”.  Plus, Ochocinco said all he needs is a good Internet connection and XBOX — gotta have XBOX.  Sure, the arrangement won’t be long-term, but it will be fun to see some media coverage of the experiment.

FOOTBALL

In the NFL, the Baltimore Ravens have added a significant name to their backfield signing longtime Miami Dolphin Ricky Williams.  Williams is definitely in the tail end of his career, but when they needed him to produce in Miami, he did.  He’s perfect when you need some clutch yardage on 2nd or 3rd down.   Remember, Williams was once a superstar in this league.  The Ravens recently let go of Willis McGahee, who acted as a backup to Ray Rice.  But having a bigger body like Ricky Williams to back him up will make the Ravens a significant threat when trying to punch it in during goal line situations.  Baltimore is on a mission this year to finally get back to the Super Bowl, and Ricky Williams will play a major role in that quest.

BASKETBALL

In some rare news during an NBA Lockout, we got to hear from an old friend:  LeBron James.  Yesterday, LeBron went back to his hometown of Akron to participate in a bike ride for education.  He has taken an active role in the community with a stress on education, helping institute what he calls ambassadors (i.e. older kids to help the younger kids get through school).  Also, it has become apparent that LeBron is working out with former Houston Rockets great Hakeem Olajuwon.  Olajuwon, thought by many as the best center in the past 25 years — even more than Shaq, is showing LeBron his myriad arsenal of low-post moves.  If LeBron can develop a low-post game, that could be the final piece of the puzzle that could get him that ring.  LeBron then finished up by saying he’s optimistic there will be an NBA Season, and he will NOT be pursuing opportunities in Europe.

SOCCER

Finally, in some odd news from the soccer world, superpower soccer club Real Madrid has signed a very interesting phenom.  But unlike the signing of then 15 year old Freddy Adu to a million dollar contract, Real Madrid has decided to seek the talent at an even earlier age.  That’s why they have signed 7-year-old (yes 7) soccer phenom Leonel Angel Coira to a contract.  The young boy dubs himself ‘Leo’ as a nickname, very similar to that of his hero Lionel Messi.  It will be a while before ‘Leo’ plays in La Liga, but this contract enables him to go to school in Spain, and get him out of an impoverished situation in Argentina.  It’s  a pretty nice story.

GOLF

BASEBALL

The New York Yankees are red hot.  Thursday night they took on the Chicago White Sox looking for 7 straight wins.  Fortunately, Yankees pitcher Ivan Nova has found his groove.  He struck out a career-high 10 batters to help the Yankees easily get the win.  The Yankees bats are scorching right now, all the way from the first batter to the last.  However, there’s one team the Yanks haven’t been able to crack:  The Boston Red Sox.  And that’s exactly who they’ll face in a vicious weekend series.  Prior to the season, many believed these two teams would be juggernauts facing off in the second half of the season, and that’s exactly what happened.  Except the Yanks have lost 8 of 9 games to the Red Sox and absolutely must turn this streak in their favor if they expect to win the AL East division.  NY Yankees 7, Chicago White Sox 2.

FOOTBALL

And in the NFL, the Jets decided they had no more use for the services of Braylon Edwards, who was once a high draft pick and an elite receiver.  The Browns picked up Edwards early in the season last year, but with Plax coming to town, Edwards became expendable.  However, other teams didn’t pounce on Braylon right away.  Apparently, he’s got a reputation for dropping balls.  One team was willing to take the risk:  The San Francisco 49ers.  Their receiving corps is quite light, save for Michael Crabtree (who has yet to prove he’s worth anything).  Having Edwards in town will give starting QB Alex Smith another valuable target.  The deal is only for one year, so Edwards has all the incentive in the world to play well.  Solid numbers would probably net him a substantial multi-year contract. This might be a very smart move from the Niners front office.

Finally, in college football, the first coaches poll was released.  They unanimously named Oklahoma the clear-cut #1 seed.  Why?  Because the Sooners are bringing back top players that would probably have been 1st round picks.  They’re a well rounded team in a weak Big 12 conference.  At #2, Alabama, who is looking for a comeback season, and will come out fierce given their motivation to win for the tornado-ridden town of Tuscaloosa.  At #3 and #4, Oregon and LSU respectively, will open the season against each other. And that’s what is so great about college football, every week there is a game that feels like a championship.  Watching Oregon and LSU go at each other in the mutual Dallas Cowboys stadium will be fascinating.  Both know that a loss pretty much means the end of their season.  And, at #5, Florida State, a team that plans to surprise a lot of people this season.  However, Florida State hosts an early season game against Oklahoma.  It’s going to be a great college football season.

FOOTBALL

In college football, it’s always exciting to see where the #1 quarterback prospect in the nation will decide to play.  These guys typically become household names over the course of their career, and colleges know that having these guys equates to big money.  Wednesday, the top High School QB in the nation, Jameis Winston went on TV to make a choice.  Jameis’ choices were:  LSU, Alabama, and Florida State.  He’s from Alabama, and many expected him to play for his hometown Crimson Tide.  But, on air, Jameis… donned a Florida State Seminoles hat.  On what he thought Alabama’s reaction might be, Winston said, “Alabama fans are probably gonna hate me”.  Either way, Winston is just another major piece in the Seminoles rebuilding effort to become a national powerhouse again.

In the NFL, New York Giants defensive end Osi Umenyiora has been looking to get out of New York.  Why?  Basically, he’s unhappy with his role with the Giants, but more specifically — his contract.  Umenyiora feels he’s underpaid compared to some other contracts that have been recently doled out for defensive ends.  The Giants said they were allowing him to seek a trade and find a better spot for himself, but just yesterday, the Giants reneged on their offer and said he could NOT seek a trade.  So basically he’s trapped in New York.  This begs the questions — will Umenyiora play hard for the Giants this season.  Typically, when a player is unhappy, he  tends to mail in his effort.  Can the Giants expect Osi to give 100%?  They desperately need it, but after withdrawing their offer to let him seek a trade, Osi is certainly going to have a bad taste in his mouth about the organization.

Finally, in some sad news, former NFL and college football great Bubba Smith was found dead in his California home.  Smith was one of the finest college football players ever.  At Michigan State, fans used to chant “Kill Bubba, Kill”.  Smith went on to be the #1 pick in the 1967, and spent five seasons with the Baltimore Colts.  For non-football fans, Bubba is more likely remembered as Hightower in the Police Academy series.  He also was in a memorable Married With Children episode where he and Al Bundy had a one-on-one goal line stance rematch in the High School hallway.  He was a presence both on and off the field, and will be missed by the sports community.