DOWNRIGHT PATHETIC by ST

This Jim Tressell situation which has led to his resignation is completely pathetic. And I'm not talking about the coach, the players, the AD or the school president. My focus is the fans. I've spent about an hour scanning the stories on various sites from ESPN to CBS to CNN and the level of apologist, mindless lemming attitudes among Buckeye fans is nauseating. The excuses from "everyone does it" to saying the media had it in for the coach is rampant. Does anyone even remotely care about facts or the truth or actually judging individual cases based on merit or evidence. I thought the yo yo's who remain in the corner's of Vick or Bonds had problems, but this is severe. I think at the core this is why defense lawyers create such venom. The misdirection, the twisting or challenging of facts. It's just sad!
I'd like to think if a story broke about say Jeter using PED's or an Oregon coach committing a serious violation I'd be objective and not start pointing fingers in every direction but the right one.
In an odd way, the Duck baseball team sweeping Oregon State to wrap the regular season is frustrating in a way. They end with a nice final record at 33-26-1 and pull off the first program sweep since the sport returned in 2009. The hitting and bullpen work was inconsistent but showed flashes. Tyler Anderson will hear his name called pretty early in the amateur draft next week. Just seems like the foundation for success has been put down well by Coach Horton and his staff. I'm thinking another 3 Pac 10 wins could have pushed them back to the post season. 36 & 23 overall and a game above .500 in league. Maybe.

THAT VISCIOUS CYCLE by ST

I've often said that our 24/7 sports cycle doesn't always lead to the time filling up with quality. So Scottie Pippen was on the ESPN morning show today and made a very idiotic comment. First and foremost, what's Pippen up to these days? Is he a coach? Broadcaster? Scout? Is he even involved in basketball at any level? So what warrants caring about his opinion? Then he says Michael Jordan was probably a better scorer, but perhaps Lebron James is a better all around player. What? So he takes a backhanded jab at MJ who pretty much put him on the basketball map. Think about it, if Seattle never traded him on draft day for Olden Polynice do we view him in the same manner? Early in his career he was viewed as the cowardly lion who could barely take the court against the Pistons. Then when Jordan was trying baseball, he had the moment of infamy in the 94 playoffs against the Knicks when he pouted like a child when Phil Jackson didn't call his number at a key end of game moment and refused to enter the game. I guess what I'm saying is screw Scottie Pippen. Great defender, but also from my chair among the most overrated players in league history.
Seems like we update the car wreck in Columbus on a daily basis. The owner of the tatoo parlor, Ed Rife, who doled out improper bennies to players has now been charged with drug trafficking and money laundering. Rather than go into the details, I'll just stick to my original thought. I can't imagine Jim Tressel ever coaches the Buckeyes again.
In the 5 o'clock hour today I'll replay my chat with Oregon coach Chip Kelly from yesterday. Talked some football, but more importantly the focus was the big bowling benefit coming up to help out the widow and daughters of Officer Chris Kilcullen. Get the details at www.goducks.com or contact me here at the station via email or text 653 3098.

JUST SHAKE HANDS by ST

Really like this Oklahoma City team and what they're capable of in the immediate future. Really disappointed in Russell Westbrook walking off the court after the season ending loss to Dallas last night without offering his congrats to the Mavs. I know he's a young guy and it was a frustrating defeat, but it showed the immaturity some pointed out during these playoffs. Everyone else including superstud Kevin Durant hung around after the final gun to go through the sportsman like motions. That team has learned a difficult lesson. At crunch time they struggled to get quality looks. They were solid in this area in round one against the Nuggets and in the West Semi's versus Memphis, but that's the deal. As you work your way through the post season you have to continue to upgrade because the opponent gets better and better. Great for Dirk and the Mavericks, in particular Shawn Marion. This 11 year vet is a 4 time all star who as recently as 2009 earned just over 17 million a season. His willingness to accept a lesser role and focus on defense shows the ultimate professional. What a high character guy. Then last night with Nowitzki scoring a very human 26 and Jason Kidd way off, Marion exploded for 26 to go with 8 boards and 3 blocks. Sweet!
Lot to cover on today's programs. More trouble in Columbus for soon to be ex-Buckeye coach Jim Tressel, a damaging injury to deal with for the reigning World Series champs, and at 4:30 a talk with Chip Kelley. He's heading up a big time benefit for the widow and daughters of Officer Chris Kilcullen. We'll have the details and talk some Duck football. Visit www.goducks.com for details on the football page. The Bowling Event is set for Emerald Lanes on Saturday, June 4th at 11am.

AND ON THE 8TH DAY THEY TWEETED by ST

So the NFL is cracking down on dangerous hits. Some are referring to the new focus as the "Steeler" rule. When word hit, a couple of semi-notorious Pitt defenders Lamar Woodley and James Harrison grabbed the 4G and unloaded on their twitter accounts. Harrison took the certain path to get officials off his case by calling those who favor this rule "idiots". That definitely removes the target from his chest. The issue here is simple. We now have more information about the long term negative impact of playing that suicidal game than ever. Football players live shorter lives. Their brains get hammered. It's a classic case of paying the price and it's a high one. No one puts a gun to the heads of these guys who keep us riveted on autumn Saturdays & Sundays to play but jeez it's beginning to look more and more like you have to be a bit nuts to participate.
I'm hearing the typical whining about officials after Game 4 of the East Finals. Derrick Rose is not getting proper MVP treatment when taking the ball to the rack. Some have cited all the trips to the free throw stripe Dirk Novitzki is enjoying. Duh! When an unstoppable 7 footer with his repertoire makes a move, sometimes the only defense is to hack. Rose is terrific but he's 6'3. When defended properly by say Lebron James, you can just stay on him and deny easy buckets. I'm just sick and tired of folks using the refs as an excuse when things fail to go their way. Wah, Wah, Wah!
Seems like a lifetime ago the Red Sox were 0 & 7 and fans were poised to leap off the top of the Green Monster. They've won 67% of their games since and as I'm writing this have a 13 run lead on Cleveland in a matinee. I'm thinking that looks safe. Said it in March and I'll say it again now. I should also point out the bitter pain it brings me to admit they have the best 25 man roster in the bigs. If they miss the post season it's a freaking shocker. Here's hoping.
Lot to cover today including the chat Colin Cowherd had with Pac 10 commish Larry Scott. The potential for college football on Sunday if the NFL morons can't cut a deal. Catch ya later.

WHEN MONEY WAS REAL by ST

I just read a story about the New York Mets perhaps losing as much as 70-million dollars this year. What? How the heck can you operate in the top market in America, with that fan base and bleed cash like that? Is it me or have things gone so askew financially that the figures in these stories seem made up? When George Steinbrenner bought the Yankees from CBS back in 1973 the price tag was only 32 million for the most recognizable, successful American pro sports franchise. Now a team is losing twice that in one year. Sorry, that's just plain nuts and a bad indicator of where we've headed as a society.
Really bad loss last night for the Thunder. It also revealed what can happen when you lean on inexperience at critical junctures in the post season. No question Kevin Durant, James Hardin and Russell Westbrook are terrific talents, but they're 22, 21 and 22 years old. Obviously it was a killer when Hardin fouled out but the youth played a factor. Let's face it, history says a price must be paid and as a rule, guys don't come to the pros and take over. Even when a rookie named Magic led LA to the title he had guys like Kareem in his prime, Jamaal Wilkes and Spencer Haywood to lean on. And that's Magic Johnson. Harsh lessons, but they'll likely bode well in the coming years as this team continues to make deep playoff runs.
No shows today as we have Oregon at Portland in baseball with a first pitch of 3pm. Enjoy!

I GET IT CIRCA 1973 by ST

Ever see the movie "The Sandlot"? The local gang the story centers around get a visit from the kids from the richer side of the tracks. The snide remarks begin. It ends with the hefty catcher saying "YOU PLAY BASEBALL LIKE A GIRL"! Oh the horror. It's the ultimate insult when you're 12. Seeing Kobe last month and Joakim Noah last night use homophobic terms is disturbing. Not because of the distasteful nature, but from my chair, just the immaturity and ignorance. Really? Guys in their late 20's and early 30's still have fag or faggot as their go-to put down? Weak. Exceptionally weak.
Defense with authority has Miami 2 wins from the NBA Final. I've enjoyed Derrick Rose from his 1 year in college and 3 in the NBA. Not sure I've seen him post such ineffective numbers. At 1st sight those 20 points, 5 boards and 5 assists look okay. They were rendered meaningless. He was on the bench for the 1st couple minutes of the 4th , then after about 2 1/2 minutes hit a nice layup on the drive. That was his positive contribution in the last quarter. The Heat just refused to allow him any room. It was a super sweet game plan executed to perfection.
I follow baseball pretty closely. The team with the best record as we speak remains a bit of a mystery. I view their depth chart and have to do lot's of clicking because I'm not all that familiar with Jack Hannahan, Carlos Santana(not that one) or Chris Perez. That would be their 3b, catcher and closer. They have a 7 game lead over a very mediocre AL Central. They're also the only MLB team I've seen on the ESPN site that doesn't even list a 5th starter. Interesting story.

THANKS JOSE by ST

Not sure if my title is sarcastic or accurrate. When Jose Canseco released his tell all book back in 2005 I recall the consensus that he had an axe to grind, was kind of an a-hole and had no credibility. Turns out the freaking publication was dead on the screws, blew the lid off the steroid mess and we actually owe the guy a debt of gratitude. That said, for years he was a liar and a cheater. Those facts don't change. What's different is we now have to deal with these kinds of people in a new manner. If you ever watch "Law & Order", it's commonplace for the defense to call out a prosecution witness with either a criminal history or a past filled with lies. Now we see it doesn't mean they're not telling the truth now. That brings us to cycling's Tyler Hamilton who has handed in his 2004 Olympic Gold medal on the heels of a revealing interview with 60 Minutes. He's called out Lance Armstrong for doping. It's the ultimate dilemma. Do we believe a confessed liar and cheat? Do we see Lance as pretty much the only clean successful rider of his generation? Have the athletes lost the benefit of the doubt? Pretty tough questions. Heck, Pete Rose lied for nearly 2 decades about betting on baseball until it was time to sell a book. In 2028 will Armstrong make a confession prior to the release of "Lie-Strong": How Juicing Helped Me Raise Money and Awareness about Cancer"?
On yesterday's(Thur) show I talked about the difference between the stud young point guards, Derrick Rose of the Bulls and the Thunder's Russell Westbrook. I felt Rose had that calm and maturity about him while Westbrook seems to have a lot of growing up to do. He seemed to be adamant about remaining in attack mode despite the potential damage. Call it an element of cement headedness. It exploded last night and coach Scotty Brooks sat him for the entire 4th quarter. His jawing at Brooks is completely unaccpetable and immature. Right now, though the same age(22), Rose seems miles ahead as far as leadership, poise and demeanor.
We're off early due to Oregon Baseball. Have a nice weekend.

PLEASE LOVE ME by ST

I can't help but laugh over this story about Kareem Jabbar whining about not having a statue of himself outside the Laker home at Staples Center. He feels disrespected. For openers, I think he might be the most underrated all timer in any sport. The credentials are astounding. That said, he was a complete and total jack ass, self righteous jerk his entire career and for many years after. We went through this when he was basically ignored as he pursued coaching opportunities. He burned every bridge he crossed, treated people like garbage, then can't understand why folks won't go the extra yard for him. This might sound odd, but eliminate the cheating and he's Barry Bonds. Dumps all over people, operates on a mega system of entitlement, then is confused he's not being overwhelmed with adoration. I have a couple of personal stories about this guy I'll share later on our shows.
This will get some play, but I wanted to acknowledge the retirement of Dick Ebersol. His work in the field of sports is legendary, but from my chair it's what he and Lorne Michaels did in the late summer/early autumn of 1975 that made it's impact. Three words. Saturday Night Live. In 1995 and 96 NBC was the home of World Series, NBA Finals, Super Bowl and the Summer Olympics. That was and is unparalleled in network broadcast history. After getting SNL off the ground, he returned to the program as executive producer and stayed from 1981 thru 1985 and bridged the era from Eddie Murphy to Billy Crystal. A couple of years ago he received the Lifetime Achievement Award from NATAS, the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. On hand were the 6 most important commissioners in the biz, David Stern, Bud Selig, Roger Goodell, Gary Bettman(NHL), Tim Finchem(PGA) and NASCAR'S Brian France. The award was handed to him by Muhammad Ali. Quite an accomplished guy!

DEFINITIVE INSANITY by ST

Some say it was Einstein, but Wikipedia just informed me Benny Franklin deserves the credit. The quote: "doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result". Ladies and germs I give you the Thunder defense. I must have screamed "REALLY" a dozen times last night. Unfortunately I was in West Eugene and the guys were in Dallas so despite my big mouth, the pleas fell on deaf ears. Between free throws and shots from the field Dirk Nowitzki attempted 39 shots at the rim. He missed 3. You telling me OKC coach Scotty Brooks isn't criminally insane for not double teaming the big fella? One of my core life philosophies centers around a willingness to change or while not necessarily always making the correct choice, knowing what's wrong. At a certain juncture last night I'd have rather seen the Mavs score dunks with 5 guys on Dirk. DO SOMETHING ELSE! Kendrick Perkins and James Hardin were pretty much useless last night. Hardin got to the point last night where he mistakenly thought he was in a European Soccer match. With about 2 minutes left, he was guarding Jason Terry. Terry blew past him from the top of the key and with his non-dribbling hand, barely caught a piece of Hardin's chin. You would have thought a Navy seal sniper from the rafters shot him the way he went down. It was a perfect representation of a miserable defensive performance for that team. On the bright side, the Mavs played exceptionally well yet despite the home court edge, could not put that young Thunder team away until the final minute and a half. Looking forward to game 2.
A few topics we must address in the coming days depending on how long today's Oregon Baseball game goes. The NCAA response to the request by the Department of Justice on the legitimacy of the B.C.S. President Mark Emmert said the BCS was the organization to provide answers as his group merely provides licensing and plays no role in the BCS system. Real helpful.
Another knee slapper came with the Athletic Director at Ohio State claiming he still backs Jim Tressell. This guy would have to upgrade to have even one, rather than the usual pair of stones. Gotta love those nutbars who blatantly disregard facts. Tressell is a liar. End of story. Still be shocked if he ever coaches that team again.
You can't see me but I'm applauding. The slimeball Alabama fan who poisoned those trees at Auburn has formally been indicted. 62 year old Harvey Updike Jr. 4 felony charges and 2 misdemeanors. 62 years old and nothing better to do with his time. What a loser!
Was interested to see that latest Forbes poll about celebrities heaven help me. Despite the missteps and lack of his typical on course success, Tiger Woods remains the top athlete. Overall he's 6th on that list of the most powerful folks in the field of entertainment. The top 5 are Lady Gaga, Oprah, Justin Bieber(really!), U2 and Sir Elton John. I'll crank out the rest of the sports people later.

Who's Next in the Drivers seat by Aubrey Wieber

In the early 90’s Magic and Bird tossed the keys to NBA dominance to Michael Jordan. About ten years later, Jordan tossed them to Kobe and Duncan. Today, in the 2011 post season, we are again seeing the keys be handed down. The 2000’s were dominated by the Lakers and Spurs, with the Celtics having a nice run toward the end, but if this post season has taught us anything, it’s that we are on the verge of change.

With the loss of the Lakers and Spurs, Denver, and Utah, the West is wide open for the next ten years. Many thought that OKC would quickly step into the contender roll, but they have some glaring alpha dog issues and have yet to prove their playoff pedigree. As much as Westbrook helped them in the regular season, he is doing his best to bring them down in the post season with his refusal to pass the ball. Even worse, Scott Brooks and Durant seemed too sheepish to step in, and have let their post season turn into a Russell Westbrook brickfest. He finally had an efficient triple double in game seven (weird how you can rack up the assists when you pass to Durant), but I have a feeling that we will again see robin masquerading as Batman in the Western Conference Finals.

Aside from the Thunder, there aren’t any teams that even come close to looking like future contenders in the west. Dallas is playing fantastic ball, but they are very old and nearing a rebuilding process. Portland has some great pieces, but seriously lacks future depth at the center and point guard positions. A healthy Oden could be a huge factor, but the chances of that seem pretty slim. Memphis looks composed and tough, but most of that is due to Randolph, who decided to get serious toward the tail end of his career. I know there is a lot of speculation of the Lakers netting Dwight Howard next year, but I don’t see that happening. Signing him as a free agent in 2012 is impossible due to their lack of cap flexibility, and a trade seems unlikely. They have far less to offer Orlando than other teams on Howard’s short list and most likely any possible trade would involve the Lakers taking on Gilbert Arenas’ contract. I don’t see how that is feasible for a team with a 92 million dollar salary next year. Even if Kobe could get used to playing second fiddle (a stretch), Arenas would be an enormous chemistry killer.

One team that could be on the verge is the Clippers. I know that sounds like ridiculous and Blake Griffin will probably blow out his knee and they will become lottery bound for the next ten years, but if he can stay healthy and doesn’t bolt to a more sane team they have a good shot at contending in the coming years. They have a fantastic young scoring guard in Eric Gordon and some good role players. They are a big free agent away from being a top team in the west, and are already the sexiest team in LA. If they could get Howard, Chris Paul, or Deron Williams through trade or free agency, their future will be extremely bright.

The East seems a bit more set in stone. Boston is too old and Orlando was a failed experiment. That leaves two realistic contenders in Chicago and Miami, who both have several years of dominance ahead of them. I know Atlanta has been surprising in these playoffs, but they are going to get rid of Josh Smith and I can’t see a move that will keep them in the top 3 Eastern Conference teams. I think Philly will move up to that 3^rd spot within the next two years once their young players get more experience.

Chicago right now can do the things defensibly that made Boston the champs. They stop transition defense, they get offensive boards, and they will foul hard. Offensively, Rose will prevent you from ever getting off your heels. If he doesn’t have to take 30+ shots that team is unbeatable, all this was obvious in game one.

What wasn’t as apparent is that Miami is also a great defensive team and is 3^rd in rebounding. They will make adjustments, most likely running James at point for long stretches. This is great for fans because we get to watch as an undoubtedly strong future rivalry forms. These teams will be trying to figure out how to beat each other for the next 8 years, most likely with each winning multiple titles.

These playoffs are very special. We are now in the conference finals without LA, San Antonio, or Boston. Dallas is the most experienced, but they are also the most experienced at playoff chokes. The title is up for grabs, and whoever wants it most can take it and stake their claim as the team that the NBA championship will go through for the next decade.

RIP KILLER by ST

We all have our favorite players. Might be someone who jumped onto the scene when you were in your 20's or from your boyhood. I have a special place for those guys who were stars the 1st days I recall following these game we love so much. Harmon Killebrew was front and center. I really began my baseball fanaticism in 1968. I have recollections of the 67 series between the Red Sox and Cardinals, but by the time the Cards & Tigers squared off in the 68 Fall Classic I was hooked. Even remember Hey Jude by the Beatles all over the station that carried the series, WABC 770 radio in New York. At the time, Killer was the best power hitter in the American League. In whiffle ball our impersonation of him was to try to demolish the ball with the hardest swing possible. I don't recall a negative word about this guy from his playing days through his retirement. Never played on a series winner but did get to the Fall Classic with Minny in 1965 losing in 7 games. His Twins lost the 1st two ALCS in 69 & 1970 to the Orioles, getting swept both times. He hit a bomb in games 1 & 2 of the 70 set but the Twinks were just overmatched. If I had to make up a team of studs from my 1st year on the baseball bandwagon, he'd be the 1st baseman. I'd have Rod Carew at 2nd, Louis Aparicio at short, Brooks at 3rd with Johnny Bench behind the plate. The outfield is nuts. I'd have to pick among Mays, Frank Robinson, Aaron, Rose, Clemente, Yaz, Lou Brock and Billy Williams. Heck, even Roger Maris was still playing right at a high level for the NL champion Cardinals. My pitchers would be Bob Gibson, Tom Seaver, Fergie Jenkins, Juan Marichal and my 5th would come down to Luis Tiant, Don Drysdale, Gaylord Perry, or Dave McNally. This trip down memory lane is my tribute to Harmon Killebrew.

IN SHOW BLOG!

I've decided in certain cases that if I don't consider someone credible, it's best to ignore and hope they go away. This is a personal retraction for making a knee jerk reaction and not seeing the big picture.

ONGOING CLARIFICATION by ST

I was hesitant a couple years back about starting a blog. I always had this view of the twit in mommy's basement who figured out how to get one up and running so they could have their say on whatever topic popped into their head. Let's face it, it's not like most of these clowns went through a hiring process. Because I'd had a legit job in media I figured it would be worth it as it was a coming means of communication. I thought the piece posted May 12th on a pro-Oregon site was about as moronic as I've heard. The guy called out the media for coming to OSU announcer Mike Parker's side after a pretty embarassing video was posted online showing the ace play by play man drunk at an LA Area Denny's. For openers Matt Daddy, at least have the balls to use your real name in case Mike or another member of the media want to contact you beyond the cowardly annonymity of a blog!! Could you be more transparent? If this were a Duck broadcaster would you have the same stance? No freaking way! A homer and a hypocrite. Really lends itself towards credibility. And FYI....my direct line is 541 284 8542, plus you know where to find me 3 hours a day, 5 days a week. Another question. How many people did you beat out who applied for this gig you have on this blog? I know there is value in the world of bloggers, but there are many, many, many, many more cases of just another schmuck with a computer spewing idiocy. I would like to throw my unyielding support for a good guy like Mike who did not violate the law, kill dogs, mess up on the air, get into an altercation with a fan or do anything beyond hoist a few too many then get caught on camera. The idiot blogger tried to draw a parallel with Kiko Alonso who terrorized a woman on the heels of being suspended for an entire season after getting popped for a DUI. How can you even compare the two??

PRETTY SMART "DECISION" by ST

After burying the Celtics to reach the East Conference Finals, Lebron James of the Heat expressed his respect for the opposition, was humble in victory and focused on the task at hand which is obviously winning the NBA title. What a jerk! A guy who all but single handedly carried one of the biggest failure franchises in the history of North American team sports to relevancy decided to leave via free agency, and was villified for it. I'm wondering how many of the same people who now claim to hate James for his shaky 45 minutes, completely overlooking 7 years of incredible production with the embarassing Cavs, support Michael Vick. I'd love to hear that ridiculous rationalization! Drown, strangle, electrocute, hang, shoot or bash innocent animals against cement until death? Kidnap peoples pets to use as practice for fighting dogs? No biggie. He deserves a 2nd chance. Have the audacity to honor a contract, then become a free agent like just about every pro athlete and leave for a better situation. Bastard! Never to be forgiven. I officially climb aboard the Miami bandwagon and hope they win multiple titles, thus rubbing it in the face of Cleveland owner Dan Gilbert and the goofballs who villified this guy.
How about Tiger having to withdraw from The Players Championship with an injury? Shot a 42 but is suffering from a serious knee injury as well as an achillies ailment. What happens if this requires surgery? That would put a wrap on 2011, meaning he resumes his pursuit of Jack's 18 majors when he will be 36. For the record, the Golden Bear won 4 majors after the age of 36, ironically one each, the 78 British Open, both the US Open and PGA in 1980 at age 40 and of course the legendary performance at Augusta in 1986. In that other chase, Nicklaus has 73 career PGA Tour wins which is 2nd all time while Tiger is just 2 behind in 3rd. The leader is Sam Snead up ahead at 82.
Lot to talk about as we return to a full slate of programs beginning with Crunch Time at 3pm.

OUT OF SIGHT by ST

When you follow sports the athletes are front and center and in a strange way, a huge part of our lives. Then they either retire or in some cases simply no longer play in the major leagues we follow. That doesn't mean they aren't living their lives or pursuing their craft. Then every once in a while we get slapped in the face with a harsh reality like today. Not sure why, but the death of Robert Traylor really made me stop in my tracks. It's a cruel world. When he retired the viscious jokes about his eating himself out of the NBA came in droves. Guy was the #6 overall selection in the 1998 draft and would be traded for a fella still playing at a pretty high level, Dirk Nowitzki. After 7 seasons he was gone. Turns out he was just 34 years old and playing professionally in Puerto Rico. Seems the poor guy had a heart attack and dropped dead.
I read that boxer Bernard Hopkins, a Philly area guy, tore into Donavan McNabb. Said some really nasty things and actually implied he wasn't "black" enough. Said McNabb wasn't that tough. Sounds like Hopkins is desperate to remain relevant. He's 45 years old and still fighting for a paycheck. He's fighting a week from Sunday for the WBC Light Heavyweight Title against Jean Pascal. The whole rant came off pretty pathetic. He also insinuated Michael Vick was tougher than McNab. Right, need to be a real macho guy to drown or shoot or strangle an innocent dog. Hopkins has now risen a tad higher on my official "douche" list!
Not sure when we'll join you today because we have Oregon baseball starting at 12:30. Enjoy!

THE FUNNY WORLD OF SPORTS by ST

I heard an interview with the Tiger ace Justin Verlander who informed us that during his no hitter over the weekend, his catcher Alex Avilia refused to use the john for fear of jinxing his pitcher. How do you not love that story.
The Pirates are over .500 this late in the season for the 1st time in 7 years. The fact remains that's embarassing! This is one of the most historic NL Franchises in the history of our national pasttime. Now it's a big deal because they're 18 & 17 the 2nd week of May. Still have not had a winning season since Barry the Baloonhead left for Frisco after the 1992 season. With that rotation, it's not gonna last, even in the weak NL Central.
I'm hearing a ton of negativity about the "dynamic" between Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant of the Thunder. Okay?? They just won a huge game to re-take home court edge in their West Semi set against Memphis. These guys are both incredibly young and are still finding their way but doing it while moving on in the playoffs. Get a grip people because as Herm Edwards once emphasized, "the goal is to win the game"!
I don't even care about the details as long as the Celtics lose playoff games in Boston. The end of regulation was a car wreck with Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen losing their mind and failing to set a screen to give Paul Pierce a better look or room to roam.
I read that Tiger Woods dropped to 8th in the World Rankings. I think there was a time, let's say after winning the 2008 US Open at Torrey Pines when we were 100% sure he'd surpass the magical 18 that Jack Nicklaus posted for Grand Slam victories. After the personal implosion I'm thinking the number dipped a bit to maybe 75% sure? Then seeing him look like just another really good golfer another drop in the percentage of certainty. He's 35 and don't forget, he still has to WIN FIVE MORE! To put that into pure numbers, in the past 50 years, only 9 players have won that many. Just that accomplishment alone would put him past Phil Mickelson, Ray Floyd and even with Seve Ballesteros and Byron Nelson. It would only leave him one shy of hall of famers like nick Faldo and Lee Trevino. I no longer think it's a done deal. Until proven otherwise, Jack remains king!

CLASSLESS CRASH AND BURN by ST

I recall Phil Jackson as a player. As you might recall or even figure, he was very insightful, intelligent and pretty solid in the fundamentals. He was far from spectacular but productive. He was a part of those incredibly unique Knicks teams that regularly played for titles in the early 1970's. Like or hate the Bulls or Lakers, they carried themselves pretty well and obviously won like 8-thousand championships. That leads to my question. What the hell happened at the end of their season killing loss at Dallas? We're talking about a level of classless unprofessionalism rarely seen since the Malace at the Palace, or most days with Terrell Owens. In a recent article that appeared in Sports Illustrated LA's Andrew Bynam was portrayed as a very soft spoke, intelligent, cool kind of guy. That's flushed. He came off as a total punk ass. I hope they suspend him for half of next year. Lamar Odom is now viewed as the most whipped pro athlete since Doug Christie. More on that later. Odom has always been Dirk Light. A talented big man who is a match up problem. While Nowitzky brings it on a nightly basis, Lamar is hit or miss and in this series the numbers weren't bad but he just looked disinterested at times. I commend the Mavs and Tyson Chandler for not responding to the Laker crap and not running into suspensions. They're now poised to emerge as the favorite to win the West versus the Thunder/Griz victor.
Gotta send a shout out to my guy, Derek Jeter. 1st two homers of the year as part of a 4 hit day in the romp against the Rangers. Raised the batting average 26 points in the series to a semi respectable .276 though well below his career number of .313. He's 40 hits shy of becoming the first pinstriper to reach 3K.
Awful weekend for the Oregon Baseball team. They mustered just 2 runs off a very good UCLA pitching staff. The bottom line is they can forget the post season. It's also critical to remember they're 3 and playing in one of the most cut throat conferences in America. The foundation is strong under George Horton but they've clearly been given a jolt of reality this year, especially at the bat. Tough week with games at Seattle tomorrow and Wednesday before hosting Stanford this weekend.

THAT DARN LEOPARD by ST

It's considered an Olde English Proverb that "A leopard cannot change it's spots". Apparently neither can Ron Artest and Phil Jackson should know better. After another brick from downtown late in the game 2 victory by Dallas at LA, the ball headed for the corner. Shawn Marion and Ron Artest both gave chase. Artest shoved Marion into the bench. :33 seconds left and the outcome was no longer in doubt. Why in the world Laker coach Phillup didn't yank this punk right then and there is beyond me. A mere 9 seconds of game time later, kind of going for a steal, Artest committed a blatantly stupid act by forearming the Mav's Jose Barea getting a technical foul and an ejection. Down 2-zip the champs needed the time off to re-design their game plan before the must win battle in Big D . They also would have preferred to have their full compliment of players which obviously includes Ron Ron. It's 10:22 am on the West Coast. I'm assuming Artest is suspended for Friday's game. We all know about the irony of Artest recently being awarded the NBA Citizen of the Year award. That's off court. On court he remains nothing more than a talented punk who can barely contain his emotions. He's just another spoiled brat in a man's body. The knucklehead is 31 years old for crying all night. Grow the hell up! We'll get into the specifics of what the Mavericks are doing to torment the LA defense, but this is nuts.
In the East I was really impressed with the game plan designed by Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau who made his bones as the defensive master under Doc Rivers with the Celtics. In a game they had to have, the opponent(Hawks), managed just 73 points. Atlanta did not make a bucket the final 4:15 of the game, managing just 2 Jamal Crawford free throws as Chicago locked them up air tight. They rendered the perimeter impenetrable. Needing points, Atlanta managed the following down the stretch. Misses from 17, 28, 20, and 19 feet while the Bull offense put the game on ice. Well done and that thing is all square heading for Dixie.
Major question of the day for Crunchtime and Sportstalk gets us back to Artest. Who are some of the athletes we view as "troubled" who just never changed and a few who actually matured and put their pain in the butt past behind them. Curious as to who you come up with.

ALWAYS OUT OF NO-NO WHERE by ST

As a season moves along and certain records appear on the horizon, a team or player can tweak their approach and make a move towards history. That is never the case with a no hitter. Not a coincidence Hall of Famer's Nolan Ryan and Sanford Koufax are tops in history, but the list of no-no's includes many, many pitchers who are not so memorable. In the past 25 years alone we've seen Joe Cowley, Juan Nieves, Tommy Greene, Wilson Alvarez, Eric Milton and Kevin Millwood. Now we add the Twins Francisco Liriano. This guy is high on the list of out of no-where. He entered the game with a 1 & 3 record and an era over 9!!! He walked 6 batters, but gutted it out over his 123 pitches. F.L also benefitted from facing an anemic White Sox lineup who has not scored more than 4 runs over their last 12 games. It's the 4th time over that stretch they've failed to put anything on the board.
So what happens if the Miami Heat win the NBA title. In the best shape of anyone right now up 2 games to zip against the Celtics. Does goofball Cleveland Cav owner Dan Gilbert take out a retraction ad in the Plain Dealer? Remember he pretty much guaranteed they'd win a title before Miami after Lebron's infamous "Decision". How about all the pickle headed media and fans who hammered this guy for a one hour indiscretion after carrying a franchise on his back and busting his butt 24/7 over his 7 seasons with that miserable, loser franchise? It's far from etched in stone, but even making the league finals would be quite the accomplishment considering it's only happened once before with the Heat.
More than 24 hours after his idiotic tweet about the Bin Laden killing, I'm still astouned at what a complete and total moron Rashard Mendenhall is. As we discussed yesterday and a sentiment that has been echoed by those with a clue, his freedom of speech is locked and loaded. But his bosses can also exercise their rights by telling him to find employment elsewhere. We in the public can also tear him a new one and mock him publicly. Not as emphatic, but a hell of a lot of fun!

MANY THINGS, FOOLS AND KINGS by ST

Once again I've peaked. I've joked for years that my all time record is one in a row. When the announcement came down in late March of 2009 that Larry Scott would become the new Pac 10 commissioner, I was ecstatic and claimed it would be magificent for fans and the league. Considering Autzen has sold out each home game since 1998, many(self included), have expressed serious disappointment when the Ducks go on the road in football and the game is not televise or there is an issue and we're kept in a holding pattern. Let's celebrate. New 12 year TV deal with ESPN and Fox more than triples current media rights fees and is now the most valuable of any college conference. It takes effect for the 2012-2013 season. This is a beautiful thing.
The Steelers Rashard Mendenhall went on a tweeting binge. Interesting take. We should not be hating on Osama Bin Laden because we've never heard him speak and only heard one side. So if we took the time to hear him give a speech, we'd be okay with the murdering of innocent kids, women and people for the past 2 decades? He also backed Adrian Peterson comparing the NFL to modern day slavery.
The NCAA has cited Boise State for a major violation. Lack of institutional control. In women's tennis. They also hit the Broncos with some secondary issues in four other sports that included football. We all know that at a school like BSU, beyond football, women's tennis really drives the athletic department wagon. Odd.
Stupid me. I'm all geeked out pouring over the NFL draft when it turns out I missed the pro poker league choosing 200 people to compete in it's 1st tournaments. If this is one of those deals where it's only hold 'em, I vote no. Who started this trend? It's not even real poker. You have 8 year olds playing on line. Give me some old school hi/low, stud or other games where you actually have to read cards and players. Hold em sucks!

TIED FOR BEST RESULT EVER by ST

I give you the same brilliant analysis of this Spring Game as I have under similar circumstances in the past. No one got hurt. It was magnficent. We did our pre-game. I met up with a couple folks, watched a series and went home. Recorded the game. Still have not watched it. It's May. I'll know what went down and who is playing were by the time summer rolls around.
I don't want to hear the apologists regarding Kiko Alonso. Remember the Reggie Bush mess at USC? Their excuse was you can't keep an eye on all 100 players 100 percent of the time. They complained about a short staffed compliance department. Bull-hooey! When it's the best player in the program, the level of focus and crossing those T's and dotting those I's must be unyielding. Coming off a season long suspension like Alonso, he had to be a choir boy. At the first sign of trouble, and that includes who he hangs around with, he's gotta get out of Dodge. It's a simple formula at this point. Smoke = Fire. He's been indefinitely suspended. With Casey Matthews NFL bound and the departures of Spence Paysinger & Bryson Littlejohn, the linebacking spot had already taken a substantial hit. Now this. Brutal!
I know some are uneasy over the level of celebration regarding the death of the face of evil when it comes to international terrorism. Here's my read. It's wrong to take joy in the death of a fellow human being. Cats like Bin Laden ain't human in my book. Hip Hip Hoo-FREAKING ray!
Did you hear the NBA is mandating metal detectors for the rest of the playoffs in the wake of our Special Ops people taking out the garbage in Pakistan? Smart. Never let your temporary joy allow you to take your eyes off reality. Look forward to your thoughts this afternoon. Enjoy it!