Stan “Stan The Man” Musial was laid to rest today. After his funeral, his family laid a wreath outside of Busch Stadium in St. Louis while the band played “Amazing Grace.” After, fans who had gathered, broke out into a touching tribute to Stan The Man by singing “Take Me Out to the Ball Game.”
Video: TRIBUTE TO STAN THE MAN
Every now and then, sports gives us a story worth paying close attention too. I am of course speaking of the up coming Super Bowl but I’m not talking about the Harbaugh brothers. Don’t get me wrong, a brother on brother Super Bowl is very interesting especially when the brothers are both head coaches. However, I’m talking about a story that started back in 1996 when a 21 year old kid was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens and went on to lead the team in tackles with 110 that year.
Ray Lewis needs no description of how impressive his 13x Pro Bowl career has been. He has been the heart and soul of the the Ravens since the late 90’s and here he is, once again at the center of an amazing playoff run. The difference between this year and years passed is this playoff run will be his last. Just after the season ended with a loss to the Bengals, Lewis announced that he would retire at the end of the teams playoff run bringing a legendary career to an end. It seems his teammates wanted to make sure they could put off his retirement as long as possible. The Ravens have gone on an unlikely Super Bowl run in true underdog fashion.
The team has beat the Colts, Broncos and Patriots to earn a trip to the big game against the 49ers. They haven’t been the favorites so far and the Super Bowl is no different. They’ll go into the final game of the season with one single goal and its the same goal the Giants had last year; FINISH.
So my pick for you’re Super Bowl champions is none other than the Baltimore Ravens, and before you call me crazy, I’ll remind you all that I did successfully pick the Super Bowl teams. So my guess is that come February 3rd, Ray Lewis will hoist his second and final Lombardi trophy bringing a story book ending to an incredible career spent entirely with one team. That’s something that has become extremely rare.
I tuned in last night like many others, to see if I could forgive a man who used to command much of my respect. Lance Armstrong had a great chance last night to own it all. Oprah gave him the platform to take the bull by the horns and fess up to everything he was guilty of. That’s what I expected of him last night and I think that’s what Oprah expected. Sadly, Armstrong let us all down.
He admitted to using banned substances for every single Tour De France victory and for the first 15 minutes of the interview it seemed like this was going well. Then Armstrong took a weird turn, telling Oprah he never pressured a single teammate to do the things he was doing because he “never outright told them to use PEDs.” Oprah tried to make a point that Armstrong was the leader of his team and since he was so open about his steroid use, when he told a teammate that he wanted them to step up and do better, this pressure to take PEDs was implied. Oprah’s point was met by an argument over semantics. Armstrong conceded that he was supposed to lead by example but then pushed the fact that he never said the words “do steroids” so he was not guilty of pressuring anyone.
That was not the only time Armstrong claimed innocence based on semantics. Oprah asked him while he was doping, if he realized he was cheating. He answered with a clear and firm “no.” Oprah was blown away so she pushed the topic. “How could you not realize you we’re cheating?” Oprah asked. Armstrong then explained that he had looked up the definition of cheating and that it was defined as gaining an unfair advantage over an opponent or foe. He said that he never did that. Armstrong’s argument is that everyone else was on performance enhancing drugs so he never gained an unfair advantage.
Lance Armstrong struck me as a cheating spouse who was only owning up to what they were caught doing instead of owning the whole situation. I didn’t see his confession as genuine. Maybe it was just a sad attempt to stay relevant but he has attacked so many people for accusing him of things he really did that if he is not going to own everything and apologize to every person he sued, this whole interview is moot.
The topic of his ex teammate’s wife came up. Betsy Andreu had told people that she heard Armstrong tell a doctor that he had done a whole list of banned substances. Armstrong not only sued her for this but he called her a “crazy whore.” Andreu was under the impression Armstrong called her a “crazy fat whore.” Armstrong made a point of saying that he did call her a crazy whore but that he never called her fat. So I guess that makes it all better.
Armstrong didn’t lose all my respect by doing all the things he did. He lost my respect last night when he somehow confessed but still took almost no responsibility for what he did. He claimed it was all on him but everything he said last night leads me to believe that he still doesn’t see anything wrong with what he did.
Before I end this post, I’ll leave you with this final point. Mark McGwire used steroids to prolong a career of high production. A career where his home run and RBI totals were always high as long as he was healthy. Roger Clemens is without a doubt, one of the best pitchers to ever grace the mound. He used steroids when he saw his career starting to decline. He used them to keep an already very successful career going. Lance Armstrong would have been a nobody if he didn’t take PED’s. That’s the difference between him and every other great athlete that cheated. He built his career on lies.
Today at 10am, Joe Torre released a provisional 27 man roster for the World Baseball Classic. Above is a break down of that roster. The team has some powerful bats in Ryan Braun, Mark Teixiera, Giancarlo Stanton and David Wright. I like the team that was put together but I don’t love it. This is why Baseball was eliminated as an Olympic sport. Countries continuously brought their top talent and the U.S. shows up with a B team.
You have to love the strong outfield on Team USA but where is Josh Hamilton, Mike Trout and Bryce Harper? The infield looks pretty strong but where is Troy Tulowitzki? He was rumored to be on the roster but then come 10am and his name was left off. Another person who was oddly left off the roster is Andy Pettitte. He was confirmed to be on the team but was left off the roster due to his contract being uninsured. Pettitte is 40 years old and was injured for 3 months last season. So his contract was too risky to insure should he get injured.
Pettitte would have been a nice addition to what I think is a drab rotation behind Cy-Young winner R.A. Dickey but, where is David Price, Clayton Kershaw and Justin Verlander? That would have been a great group of guys to see on the mound along with Dickey. Nothing against Torre’s team, he obviously did his best but I’m wondering why all these guys said no to representing the United States.
The World Baseball Classic is very popular throughout the world but as long as MLB players keep turning down the opportunity to put on the red white and blue, it’s never going to be very popular in the U.S.
Team USA will begin there quest to dethrone Japan on March 8th at 9pm ET.
Lance Armstrong is expected to finally admit to Oprah what everyone has known for years, that he used performance enhancement drugs throughout his cycling career.
But the Daily Caller is taking us back to 2001, a time when we all thought Armstrong was on something. In the Nike ad, Armstrong answers his critics, telling them that the only thing he was on, was his bike.
”Everybody wants to know what I’m on. What am I on? I’m on my bike busting my ass six hours a day. What are you on?”
No one knew at the time that “Bike” was just another name for PEDs.
The Yankees have a very rich history with the Military Academy at West Point. Often, West Point cadets are invited to Yankee Stadium for countless reasons ranging from unfurling large American flags, playing the Star Spangled Banner, fund raisers and College Football games. The history goes back to the days of Gehrig and Ruth. It was not uncommon to see the Yankees play Army in an exhibition game in those days.
Recently though, no such games have been played. In fact, the most recent visit the Yankees have made to West Point was in 1982 when at the request of George Steinbrenner, the Yankees conducted preseason workouts in front of cadets due to snowy conditions at Yankee Stadium. Steinbrenner’s admiration and respect for the school was very well known but for some reason he either never tried to or never succeeded in setting up an exhibition game between his Yankees and the Army Black Knights.
However, this year the Yankee organization was able to do just that. After the Yankees leave Florida, they will make a stop in Washington D.C. to play an exhibition game against the Nationals in their home park. After that, on March 30th, the Yankees will make the trip north of Yankee Stadium to play an exhibition game against the Black Knights in historic West Point. I’m sure many fans will take this opportunity to see a great afternoon of Baseball. I know I will.
The NFL playoffs have been incredible so far and now we enter Championship Weekend with two great games set to be played. First, the Falcons will see if Matt Ryan can seal the deal against Colin Kaepernick and the 49ers in Atlanta. Then it’s up to Foxboro to see if the Ravens can help Ray Lewis end his career hoisting the Lombardi Trophy or if the Patriots are going to setup their second straight trip to the Super Bowl.
At this point, my hopes of a Washington vs Indianapolis matchup are dead. So at this point, I’m pulling for a Ravens vs 49ers big game. I think Kaepernick is going to outshine Ryan and despite my hatred for the 49ers, I believe they are going to win the NFC Championship game they couldn’t win last year, and book a trip to New Orleans on February 3rd.
I also think that the Patriots will not return to the Super Bowl this year. I think the Ravens are a good team that got hot at the right time and will ride this wave straight to New Orleans. I don’t think either game will be a laugher but I expect the Ravens, Pats games to be especially nerve racking.
Sunday will come soon and we shall see if I’m correct.
Oprah has wrapped her interview with alleged performance enhancing drug user, Lance Armstrong. In the interview that will air on Thursday, Armstrong admits to using PEDs throughout his career. The interview was two and a half hours long and Armstrong reportedly gets into details about when exactly he used PEDs and why but as of right now, there aren’t many details from the interview because their is a non-disclosure agreement in place since the interview will air on Thursday.
What’s the next step? Do we forgive what Armstrong has done? Or maybe we just forget about him forever. Well, I don’t think either of those answers are right. This man is not stupid. He was risking being charged for perjury but the statute of limitations has run out on that charge. We are not talking about a man who is desperately looking for forgiveness and will take whatever punishment he deserves. We’re talking about a man who is cunningly making his way through the apology tour to rehabilitate his shattered public image. The excuse that he did it because everyone else was too, that doesn’t make it ok. That just makes everyone else wrong also.
So his seven Tour De France wins were a lie. Actually, it’s unclear at this point if they were all tainted but even if they all are, does that mean that everything he’s ever done is tainted? Even Livestrong? No, of course not. Lance Armstrong cheated. He made a huge career altering and defining mistake. However, Armstrong created and helped lead an organization that has raised over $470 million for cancer research. That’s still pretty damn incredible.
So before you rip off your Livestrong bracelet and throw it in the trash, think about what that yellow bracelet means. Do you wear it because its going to help you win the Tour De France? No. You bought it because the money went to help someone with cancer.
I’m disappointed that Armstrong did PEDs but I would be much more disappointed if all that money didn’t go to an amazing cause. But it did. Don’t forget that.
None of theses options are what you would call “sexy.” But I have always loved Cervelli’s intensity and heart. He plays with a fire that most guys don’t have. Romine is young and calls a very good game. His hitting is not where the organization hoped it would be. He was improving a great deal until he hurt his back and missed most of the 2012 season. Chris Stewart isn’t a bad option but he is definitely not your starting catcher if I had any say. Come Opening Day, my two catchers would be Cervelli and Romine. Spring training will tell who gets the start on Opening Day.
As long as the Yankees stick to their plans of getting a righty outfielder/DH and don’t go get a catcher, the job is Cervelli’s to win. He has something to prove to himself and to this team. He’s looking to show everyone that he can help the big league club and not just as a back up. He told Bryan Hoch of Yankees.com that this is his dream opportunity and he’s not about to settle. It will be interesting to watch him in spring training. He’s a great team guy and he’s a fan favorite. I’m pulling for him.
The message that Kobe Bryant and his wife Vanessa were back together came via Social Media. Vanessa used her Instagram to send out the following message:
The Lakers Basketball star was accused of a sexually assaulting a 19-year-old woman in a Colorado hotel back in 2003. He maintained his innocence and claimed that the sexual act was consensual. The charges were later dismissed when the victim decided not to go through with the case.
Vanessa Bryant however filed for divorce in 2011 citing ““irreconcilable differences.” Apparently those differences have been reconciled.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m a huge Knicks fan. I became a fan in the days of Patrick Ewing, John Starks, Charles Oakley and Grand ma, or Larry Johnson as the fans at the Garden affectionately called him. I was never one to miss a game and I followed the team through their ups and downs – and there were a lot of downs.
Yes, I am a huge fan. Now, I even get updates on my cellphone everytime they play.
This season, the Knicks finally found their nitch. They have been on a roll winning more games than they’ve won in recent memory and finally, they have began defending their home court just like the old days. They are once again a winning team and I feel personally responsible for their winning ways.
Why am I responsible for the Knicks winning again? Well it’s simple… I don’t watch them play ball anymore.
Call me superstitious, but I feel that anytime I watch the Knicks play basketball, especially this season, they loose. Take tonight for example. I knew they were playing The Orlando Magic and I wanted to see the game. But because of my luck or lack of, I followed the game on my ScoreMobile app. At some point in the third quarter, the Knicks were up by 8 points. I figured this was a good sign and assumed that they will win. So I decided to watch the rest of the game.
I began watching and immediately, the Magic went on an 11-2 run and led the game. The score when I started watching was Knicks – 69, Magic – 61 with 9 minutes remaining in the third quarter. Three minutes later, the Magic was leading by one point, Knicks 71, Magic 72.
At that point I changed the channel and went back to ScoreMobile on my cellphone.
According to ScoreMobile, the Knicks quickly gained their composure and went on to win the game with a score of 114 to 106. This of course only happened after I stopped watching.
So to all the Knicks fans out there… you’re welcome.
We’re not implying anything here, but since losing the presidential election in November, Mitt Romney has been popping up all over the place trying to appear human, trying to appear normal. The multi-millionaire Republican who tried to convince Americans that he was “just like us” was recently seen pumping his own gas and pushing a shopping-cart at COSTCO. And more recently, Romney was seen attending a Pacquiao fight.
Manny Pacquiao – an unbelievably skilled boxer who has won world titles in eight weight divisions – went through his normal preparation for last night’s match against Juan Manuel Marquez, except last night before his match started, Pacquiao had a visitor – Mitt The Loser Romney.
”Hello Manny. I ran for president. I lost,” Romney told the fighter, according to Pacquiao publicist Fred Sternburg. “I wish you good luck tonight,” Romney said, displaying his usual strange smile. “Have a great night. Good to see you.”
Romney and his wife then took their ringside seat and watched as Paquiao got laid out in the sixth round, like wet clothes being laid out to dry.
“I threw a perfect punch,” Marquez later said. “I knew Manny could knock me out at any time.”
Yes, that was true and it was definitely expected that Pacquiao would win last night’s match without breaking a sweat. But something was different last night and even Pacquiao felt it.
“I thought I was getting him in the last couple of rounds,” Pacquiao said. “But I got hit by a strong punch. I never expected that punch.”
My two cents: Pacquiao just felt the effect of the punch in the sixth round. The punch was actually thrown before the match when he agreed to meet with the Republican loser.
