Man City Beats Man U for Edge in EPL

Today was a huge match in the EPL as it was the Manchester Derby: Manchester United vs. Manchester City. It was in City's place at Etihad Stadium and it was packed to see who could win. Not only were bragging rights on the line in this one, but quite possibly the EPL title. United entered the day with a three point lead and with City needing a win to climb to the top of the table. Needing a win, City came out attacking and tried to score an early goal. United's defense was preventing any attack from City. It was not until the last moments of the first half did City succeed. Vincent Kompany managed to score the only goal of the game off a header. United tried to score an equalizer in the second half but couldn't. Man City wins the derby, 1-0.

This huge win puts City on top of the table by a slim margin thanks to a better goal differential. If City wins out, they will become EPL champions. They however have a slightly tougher road to go down as they have to face Newcastle United who is in 5th and then Queens Park Rangers who, while they are near the bottom of the table, will play like hell to keep from being relegated. Meanwhile, Man U will take on middle of the table opponents of Swansea City and then Sunderland. Man City should be able to finish the season off but they have slipped up in the past. Any falter by City, even a tie, could doom them to losing the EPL title as Man U will not likely let them off the hook.

NBA Playoffs are Here and Heat Already in the Finals

It was the first day of the NBA Postseason and one conference winner has just been decided. While the Bulls were beating the 76ers in game 1 of their series, Derrick Rose tore his ACL. He apparently suffered the injury with 1:22 left in the game. The worst possible news now hits the city of Chicago: Rose out for the Postseason. Now questions arise for the Tom Thibodeau on keeping Rose in at that point in the game and on how far the Bulls can go into the postseason. Sure they won the game, 103-91, and will likely get by the 76ers but the next round could be a real problem for them. As for the repeat Eastern Conference Champions, they easily beat the Knicks, 100-67, as they found out they had just gotten to the NBA Finals (HA HA HA).

As for the Western Conference, that's still up for grabs one day in. The Mavericks and the Thunder played a great game 1 of their Western Conference Finals rematch of a year ago. It came down to the wire and, while he wasn't shooting well in the 2nd half, Kevin Durant got the ball as the clock was winding down and managed to get a shot from the foul line off. It bounced a bit but miraculously went in. The Mavs couldn't react fast enough for a shot and the Thunder won it, 99-98. Durant's clutch, lucky, "call it what you want" shot gives the Thunder a huge morale boost to start of the postseason.

NBA postseason has past and we already have a winner in the Eastern Conference. The West still seems up for grabs and it could be anybody's. Pretty exciting.

P.S. It's really funny when this can played off as both joke and fact at the same time.

2012 NFL Draft Over: Luck, RG3, LaMichael James and More

The 2012 NFL Draft has come and gone and let's get the obvious out of the way: Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin III were picked #1 and #2 overall in the draft and went to the Colts and Redskins respectively. It's official: RG3 is a bust. Anyone who goes to the Redskins is a bust. Sorry about that. As for the third overall pick, it was the Trent Richardson of Alabama going to the Browns when they traded up (for some reason) to get him. The Vikings then got Matt Kalil, the OT from USC, at #4 like they would've taken at #3. The #5 pick was the WR Justin Blackmon from Oklahoma State who got picked by the Jaguars. A target for Blaine Gabbert, obviously.

What about the 49ers? Their big picks were in the first couple of rounds. Their first pick (30th overall) was AJ Jenkins out of Illinois. AJ seems pretty good. Not Blackmon but good. He also seemed to be one of the best WR's in the Big Ten Conference. Though he's short at 6'0, he is very fast running a 4.39.The 2nd pick for the 49ers was RB LaMichael James from Oregon. He does seem smaller than Gore but very fast and agile. With Gore getting older, perhaps the team is considering James as a possible replacement.

The draft for QB's was alright. 4 QB's were taken in the first round with the other two being Ryan Tannehill to the Dolphins at 8th and Brandon Weedon to the Browns at 22nd. There were 11 QB's taken in the draft overall with none of them being Kellen Moore of Boise State. Moore, however, apparently did agree to terms with the Lions as an undrafted rookie. At least he got something. Also, Brock Osweiler of Arizona State went to the Denver Broncos. Looks like Peyton Manning's team drafted a QB to replace him after all. It just wasn't the Colts.

So this year's draft is over with Luck and RG3 headlining it. How big this night truly was will, like every draft, be determined over time. Good luck to all the rookies out there.

P.S. Extra good luck to RG3. Not only are you on the Redskins but they also selected another QB in the 4th round. I feel sorry for him.

P.S. HOW DID THE GIANTS LOSE TO THEM TWICE LAST YEAR?!?!?!

Bayern Munich Ousts Real Madrid and gets into UCL Final

Chelsea waited and watched to see who they would face in the UCL final. For that, they simply had to watch another game in Spain but in Madrid. Real Madrid and Bayern Munich went into the Bernabeu looking to see who would go on in the UCL. Munich was in front, 2-1, going into the 2nd leg. It started with 2 goals for Madrid, both caused by Cristiano Ronaldo. Then a penalty was awarded to Munich and Arjen Robben hit it for a tying goal on aggregate. That was the 1st half. The 2nd half was filled with missed chances for both sides. With it being tied by the end of regulation (at least on aggregate), it went into extra time where there was still no more goal scoring to find a winner.

Penalties came with both sides being exhausted and just wanting to this match to be over. Bayern would go first and made the first shot. Then Madrid went and Ronaldo's sure foot would surely put it into the... HE MISSED!!! MANUEL NEUER STOPPED HIS SHOT!!! The 2nd shots came and the same result: Munich made theirs, Madrid stopped by Neuer. 3rd was different as Iker Casillas stopped one for Madrid while his striker made his. The 4th needed a stop as well and Casillas managed to do that. Now Sergio Ramos stepped up to tie and... HE MISSED, SHOOTING OVER THE GOAL!!! Bastian Schweinsteiger stepped up for Munich for the win and made the shot. Bayern Munich wins in penalties, 3-1, and clinch a spot in the Champions League Final.

An amazing game to watch and, despite the fact that I was rooting for Madrid, I was entertained and somewhat glad that Bayern Munich won. How many shots do you get to play for the European Cup on your own home pitch? The yellow cards handed out here, however, will prevent many of Munich's players from actually playing in the final. The same actually goes for there opponent, Chelsea, to a degree. Who will win the European Cup in May? My edge goes to Munich. How can you not be favored in a practical home game?

P.S. Cheer up, Real Madrid. You went pretty far in the UCL this year. Also, you practically have La Liga wrapped up, anyway, and Jose Mourinho returning for another year. Loud, annoying Jose Mourinho.

CHELSEA UPSETS BARCA IN UCL SEMIFINAL!!!

This year hasn't been a particularly great one for Chelsea in the EPL. They are currently outside of the top 4, they are not even in the 5th spot for the Europa league and are right now 6th on the table. Outside of the EPL, however, has been pretty sweet for the Blues. They recently clinched a spot in the FA Cup final vs. Liverpool and were doing well in the Champions League or the UCL. They got to the Semifinal round and did what they needed to do in the first leg which was get a lead over Barca, 1-0. Now they had to survive the second leg in Barcelona in front of a 90 thousand plus crowd at Camp Nou.

The match play seemed to not go Chelsea's way. They went a man down when John Terry, their Captain, got red carded in the 37'. Barca had 23 shots, 6 of which were on goal. They had a 83% possession time over Chelsea and they had 10 corners as opposed to Chelsea's 1. It seemed like all odds and stats were against them. However, Chelsea won the match. Despite going down 2-0, Ramires managed to score a goal just before the half which gave Chelsea the lead back on aggregate technically with that away goal. Then, in the early second half, Lionel Messi of Barca, the Best Player in the world, missed a penalty kick. Near the end of the match, Fernando Torres sealed the deal with a goal in the 90' despite all the struggles he's had in the last couple of years. Chelsea manages to get a 2-2 draw in Camp Nou and win the Semifinal on aggregate, 3-2.

Without a doubt one of the biggest upsets in the history of Club Football. Any true Football analyst or fan knew that Barcelona was the better team and that they were going to wipe the pitch with Chelsea. This upset over the Cup Holders, however, shocks the Football world and humanizes Barca quite a bit. And to do it with ten men for most of the match and all the chances that Barca had just makes this win even sweeter for the blues.

Now Chelsea waits to see who their opponents will be: Barca's sworn rival, Real Madrid; or Bayern Munich, who's playing for a chance to play for the European Cup on their own home pitch? Well find out tomorrow as Bayern Munich currently leads 2-1 from the first leg.

World Peace Suspended for Elbow to Harden

The last couple of days in the NBA have been centered around World Peace. Not the idea of World Peace though that needs attention. Metta World Peace, formerly Ron Artest. It seems that Metta is in trouble with the league once more. On Sunday during the win vs. the Thunder, Metta made a dunk and then, during his celebration, elbowed James Harden of the Thunder directly on the side of his head. There has been some debate whether or not Harden was trying to deliberately get in the way of Metta but it's clear that Metta's elbow was uncalled for and has no place in the game. Earlier today, the NBA officially suspended Metta World Peace for 7 games, 6 of those would be applicable in the postseason provided that the Lakers are not eliminated in less than 5 games.

I am very surprised... that it took Metta this long to get into serious trouble again. He was doing so well for the most part. Wasn't getting into brawls, spats, or taking fights into the stands. Then this elbow comes along and ruins World Peace. Right now I'm thinking that his name is more of an ironic statement. I get it now. Anyway, I also think it would be appropriate for him to change his name. I know why he changed it in the first place but it seems like he's ruined his new name's resolution so why not start anew.

This story, of course, comes with questions surrounding the Lakers and whether or not they can get past the first round without World Peace. The earth has seemingly lived without it for so long, I'm sure the Lakers can too.

P.S. Get well soon, Harden.

Spygate II: The Reckoning

The Saints just can't get out of hot water, can they? It has been known by to the U.S. Attorney's Office in the Eastern District of Louisiana that the Saints were involved in wire tapping. Apparently from 2002-2004, Saints GM, Mickey Loomis, had wired visiting coaches so he could eavesdrop on their conversations in his own suite. Loomis has denied these accusations saying "This is 1,000 percent false. This is 1,000 percent inaccurate." If they are proven true, however, Loomis and the Saints won't just have to fear more NFL punishment but possible federal punishment as well under the Electronic Communications Privacy Act of 1986.

How dirty is the Saints franchise? First Bounty Gate, now this? This, if true, is so much worse. Not only were you literally trying to cheat, but you did it through questionable methods that might have the feds crawling all over you. You now have to deal with the most powerful organization on the earth and the feds (bazing). If Loomis is found to be guilty, I'm sure the NFL will actually consider banning him from the league for life and not just the 8 games he has been suspended for now.

It's sad that there is actually more crap to dig through in the Saints franchise. Makes me wonder how much is left.

Canucks and Pens Eliminated from Playoffs

The first round of the Playoffs in the NHL have been eventful, today especially. Two of the top teams expected to go far into the playoffs were eliminated. First, the Penguins were trying to stave off elimination from their in state rivals again. The Flyers were able to grab a 3-0 lead in the series but the Pens were able to win the last 2 and trying to mount "The Comeback." They fell short, however, as they lost in game 6, 5-1, and the series, 4-2. It seemed like a rough series and even a series out for character for the Pens but they now take an early exit.

As for the President Trophy winners, they seemed to be right behind the Pens in the exit lane. The Canucks were taking the same route the Pens were taking except they fell behind the Kings, 0-3. They managed to grab a win in game 4 but Game 5 was their doom. After a 1-1 draw in regulation, the game went into OT and, thanks to a turnover, Jarret Stoll took the puck and managed to score the Series Clinching goal hitting the top left hole. Kings win, 2-1, and the series, 4-1.

Possibly the two biggest draws of the playoffs are out. Sure, the Rangers are still in it but they will be fighting for their playoff lives tonight trying to force a game 7 between them and the Senators and they have to do it in Ottawa. Right now the most exciting series seems to be between the Bruins and the Capitals. The series is tied at 3 and the decisive Game 7 will be Wednesday.

I'm enjoying the action so far. Let's keep it up, even if it means more suspensions.

P.S. I barely noticed that the Sharks were eliminated. I just found out a few minutes ago. To me, the Sharks being eliminated is just cyclical like the changing of the seasons or head coaches for the Raiders.

Happy 100th Birthday, Fenway (Damn Party Crashers)

Yesterday was a big day for the Red Sox nation. It was the 100th Birthday of Fenway Park, the oldest MLB ballpark. Exactly 100 years ago, Fenway Park opened for the Red Sox as they won their first game there, 7-6. As it celebrated today, there were players of the Red Sox from the past like Fisk, Yastrzemski, and Millar? There were nice flashback uniforms that seemed classy and spot on. There was even those damnable Yankees to spoil the fun. It was the same match up 100 years ago with the Yankees (then the Highlanders) vs. the Red Sox and, unlike that first Fenway game, the Yankees would win this one. 5 Home Runs propel the Bronx Crashers as the Yanks win, 6-2.

Would I have liked a win for the Red Sox on this day? Of course I would have. However, no matter what happened, it couldn't take away from all the great memories that Fenway had seen: Fisk's Home Run in Game 6 of the 1975 World Series, the 1999 All Star Game with Ted Williams, the start of "The Comeback" in the 2004 ALCS that led to the end of the Curse. Fenway has seen so many great moments in baseball history and it's still the classic All American Ballpark. Great stadiums have come and gone but Fenway lives on.

Happy Birthday, Fenway Park. Here's to another 100 years.

Pat Summitt Steps Down as Coach of the Lady Vols

If there was a face of women's College Basketball and even a face of women's athletics, it was Pat Summitt. Her being the head coach of the Tennessee Lady Volunteers Basketball team has made her an iconic figure in college athletics and very well respected. Yesterday, however, was the end of an era for the sport and one of the greatest coaches of all time. After 38 seasons of coaching the Lady Vols, Pat Summitt stepped aside as head coach and took the title "head coach emeritus." The team will now be coached by her long time assistant, Holly Warlick.

The sports world knew this day was coming and regrettably sooner than it wanted it to be. Summitt last year revealed that she was struggling with early symptoms of dementia and ever since people around the organization knew it was just a matter of time before she would step down. She started coaching the team back in 1974 when she was just 22 years old. Over the next 38 years, she and the Lady Vols built a winning tradition that set a bar for all to see: 1098 victories, 8 national titles, 16 SEC titles along with 16 SEC Tournament titles.

Her time as head coach of the Lady Volunteers will always be remembered as one of the greatest coaching tenures in history. Pat Summitt will be remembered for running of the winningest programs ever, being one hell of a head coach, and being a pioneer of women's sports.

49 and Still Winning

The Colorado Rockies pitching rotation is nothing really to write home about. This unique feat might be the only thing worth mentioning about their rotation all season. Jamie Moyer came back this season after sitting out last season due to injury and actually managed to make a spot on the Rockies rotation. This was his third start this season and the first two didn't go the way he had hoped. This one, however, put him in the record books. The Rockies would win the game over the Padres, 5-3, and Jamie Moyer got the win pitching 7 innings, allowing two unearned runs, 6 hits, 2 walks, and getting 1 K. This makes him the oldest player ever to record a win in baseball history at 49 years and 150 days old.

I must say congrats to Moyer on the accomplishment. It's not everyday that you can manage to record a Major League win after getting the Early Bird Special. His feat sets a milestone and holds the time honored saying that lefties can pitch in the Majors forever. I'm not sure where Moyer goes from here, though. I'm sure he loves playing the game but I wonder how much longer he can really keep going with him approaching 50. His body has got to be tearing down and it's got to be tougher for him to bounce back from anything.

I can only say right now that Moyer is doing something near 50 that only most of us can only dream of doing and that is pitching in the Majors. Keep going, Moyer.

Another Bad Start for Lincecum

This season so far has been one to forget for Tim Lincecum. He has started in three games and none of them have gone well. The first game he was banged up by the D'Backs, the next by the Rockies, and now by the Phillies. Timmy went out and allowed 4 earned runs in the first inning alone. He would only one more run while he was out there but 5 ER in 6 innings is not a good outing. The Phillies would win this game, 5-2, as Roy Halladay was on the mound for them. Lincecum gets his second loss of the season.

I'm sure that this is just a bad stretch of games for Timmy. He has been through these rough patches before and has gotten out of them. This start to the season, however, worries me a little. I wonder what's wrong with his mechanics. Dave Righetti better help Timmy solve this problem and quickly. We need all he pitching we can get right now.

Reds vs. Blues for the FA Cup Final

A very good match up has been made across the pond in England for the FA Cup Final. First, Liverpool beat their crosstown rivals, Everton, 2-1. Liverpool was down 1-0 for a long time until the 62' when Luis Suarez scored an equalizer and then Andy Caroll scored the go ahead goal in the 87'. As for the other Semifinal, it featured two other clubs that were crosstown rivals but of London: Chelsea v. Tottenham Hotspur. The final here would be 5-1 in favor of Chelsea but there was some controversy over the 2nd goal that Chelsea scored as it appeared it didn't cross the goal line but was called a goal anyway. "Is goal line technology here yet?" Tottenham asks.

So the FA Cup Final is set between the Reds vs. the Blues. Someone call Master Chief and ask him which side he will be playing for. I have to give the edge to Chelsea mainly because they are slightly doing better when it comes to them on the table and goal differentials, and they are playing well in international play getting to the Semifinal of the UCL as well. I do fear exhaustion for Chelsea but they should beat the Reds.

I can't wait to see this match. Also can't wait to see Chelsea play in the UCL Semifinal this week. I hope the opponent is easy.

P.S. It's Barcelona? NO!!!!

The Beard Gone for the Year?

As the Giants were finishing their series with the Pirates, the Giants had a major loss of the field big time. Their closer, Brian Wilson, looks like he won't pitch again this year. He will now have reconstructive elbow surgery. His last game was against the Rockies, right before the team headed home for their home openers. Wilson now leaves the team scrambling for a closer for the rest of the season. As for his spirit, Wilson doesn't seemed affected by it at least publicly.

Looks like A problem for the Red Sox is now a problem for the Giants. Both teams are without closers. The Red Sox, however, seem like they will get Andrew Bailey back sometime mid-season. The Giants seem in worse condition as Wilson is not likely to return to finish games this year. Sure, they have a solid bullpen but this loss takes away from the group as a whole. As to who it will be, the Giants will have to determine that as the season passes by.

This loss doesn't take the Giants off the list of playoff perspective teams but it's certainly not a good way to start the year.

Red Sox and Giants Win Respective Home Openers

Yesterday were the home openers for my favorite teams in MLB. To kick off the 101st season at Fenway Park, the Red Sox went home to face the Rays needing to win in order to get out of their early season funk. Despite the Rays getting out to an early lead, the Red Sox would dominate. After fairly productive 3rd and 4th innings, the Red Sox put the game away in the 8th with 8 runs. Meanwhile, Josh Beckett pitched well allowing only one run in 8 innings. Red Sox win it, 12-2. The only downside was Jacoby Ellsbury getting his shoulder injured when sliding into second base in the 4th inning. Hope he won't be out too long.

As for the Giants, their home opener at AT&T Park went seemingly as well as the Red Sox's game. They played the Pittsburgh Pirates under some fine weather. Matt Cain was on fire tonight with 11 K's in a complete game shutout. He allowed only one hit as the sole hit for the Pirates came from James McDonald, their pitcher. As for the offense, they did fine as two runs scored in the 1st, another in the 6th, and, then to cap it off, Aubrey Huff hit a two-run home run to RF in which the ball bounced it's way into the cove. Giants win it, 5-0.

A couple of fine openers for these two ball clubs. Hope wins like this can keep the momentum going.

Neymar Better Than Messi?

As the football (soccer) season is coming to an end in Europe, there has been no player that was more dominant across the continent (or the world for that matter) than Lionel Messi. While the best player on my favorite La Liga team, Real Madrid, seemingly has one more goal in La Liga play, Messi seems like the better player (barely). However, one of the all time greats seems to think that someone else is better than Messi. The Great Pele thinks that Brazilian Striker, Neymar who plays for Santos FC in Brazil, is better than Messi. To also hit Messi where it hurts some more, Pele also said that Messi doesn't belong in the discussion of the greatest of all time.

Seems like the ultimate diss, eh? I can understand why Pele doesn't think Messi deserves to be talked about as the greatest of all time yet. While several analysts will determine Messi's greatness by how many club cups he will win, Pele and several others will judge him by how many World Cups he will have won and that is still Zero at the moment compared to Pele's three. Also, his career still has several years left to shape his legacy.

But saying Neymar is better might be taking this one step too far. While I have heard that Neymar is one of the next big players in the world, it still seems like Lionel Messi is better. Neymar might become better as he is a few years younger than Messi but he isn't better right now. The only way that I an understand this support is the fact that Neymar is Brazilian AND he plays for Santos FC which was Pele's old club when he was playing. As a former player for Brazil and Santos FC, you've got to back your guys.

Yes, as a Real Madrid fan, I am hoping that Neymar becomes infinitely better than Messi. But right now, Messi is the best.

Arkanas Fires Bobby Petrino: "An Affair to Remember"

What a surprise? Another scandal hits the college football world. It can't be. (HA HA HA)

Bobby Petrino is the next guy to come on down to the scandal seat in College Football. This, however, did not revolve around a recruiting scandal but was more of a moral issue. Petrino, who is 51, was apparently having an affair with a 25 year old woman named Jessica Dorrell. He had apparently given her money as well and even recently a job with the football program. This seemingly all came to light when the two were in a motorcycle accident and Petrino claimed that he was alone and tried to sweep the whole thing under the rug. Arkansas looked into it and decided to fire Bobby Petrino as a result.

I usually say that moral issues and indiscretions should not be held against someone in a professional setting. There is no doubt that they do to some degree. But this situation is different. Petrino involved the university by having an affair with an ex-student who used be on the volleyball team and worked for the Razorbacks Foundation before she was hired by Petrino as part of the football program beating out 159 other applicants. This is taking a personal moral dilemma and making it a professional scandal. To modify a classic, he's dipping his pen in the university's ink.

Arkansas' recent success might be over as soon as it began because of this scandal. It's what you get when you hire Bobby Petrino.

P.S. Usually the success goes away when he sees a better offer in the horizon but you knew what I meant.

Ozzie Guillen In Trouble for Comments... FINALLY!!!

Ozzie has said a lot of s**t over the years and for the most part he has gotten away with it. A lot of his talk as the Chicago White Sox manager has just gotten a lot of people to shake their heads and say "It's just Ozzie being Ozzie." Not this time.

Last week in an interview with Time magazine, Ozzie Guillen said that he loves and respect Fidel Castro for being to stay in power for so long. Bad move, Ozzie. A large portion of fans that the Marlins are trying to put into their new stadium are Cuban-Americans. Fidel Castro is a ruthless dictator to them and many older Cuban-Americans that actually were in Cuba during Castro's regime and saw his atricities first hand.

As a result, a group of Cuban-Americans are threatening to boycott the games until Ozzie steps down. Ozzie has since apologized twice with the most recent one being done earlier today. Along with it, the Marlins have suspended Ozzie for 5 games with MLB agreeing that the suspension was appropriate.

From what others are suggesting, this sounds like the absolute worst thing Guillen could've said being the Marlins Manager. What was interesting was the fact that he seemed to say similiar comments to this effect years ago when he was still the White Sox manager. In this scenario, I don't know why you bring it up. It seems that Ozzie will survive this but his reputation has taken a serious hit. Next time Guillen will think before he talks considering the fan base is already uneasy about him to say the least.

NFL Denies Appeals of Bounty Gate Suspensions

WHAT DID YOU THINK WAS GOING TO HAPPEN WHEN THE SAME GUY HANDING OUT THE SENTENCE RUNS THE APPEALS PROCESS AS WELL?!?!?!

Baseball So far: Giants and Red Sox Finally Win a Game and More

Baseball is under way and Giants and Red Sox fans have seen better starts. To start off their seasons, these two teams lost not just their openers but got swept in the process. The Giants were swept by the D'backs and the Red Sox were swept by the Tigers. Thankfully these were done on the road and both teams are out of those hostile environments. They are still on the road, however. The Giants went to Denver to face the Rockies and the Red Sox went to Toronto to play the Blue Jays. Both teams would win the first game in these series and pick up their first wins of the year. Giants won 7-0 with Barry Zito getting the complete game shutout. Who knew? The Red Sox won their game, 4-2, with a big three run rally in the 9th inning. Thank goodness they have a win under their belts.

As for the rest of the league, the Angels are 2-2 so far as they just beat the Twins, 5-1. Albert Pujols hasn't done much with a slow start but CJ Wilson did fine getting the win today with 7 innings pitched, 1 ER allowed, 5 K's, and 4 BB. Yu Darvish made his MLB debut as he started earlier today for the Rangers. It became more about the hitting of the Rangers than Darvish as he struggled on the mound allowing 4 runs in the first inning. He and the Rangers would get the win, however, 11-5. Those damn Yanks got their first win but had to go through a 0-3 start like the Giants and the Red Sox to do it. They beat the Orioles, 6-2. As for their Big Apple rivals, the Mets are still undefeated as they just beat the Nats thanks to Daniel Murphy's walk off single RBI, 4-3. They are 4-0, go figure.

The start of the year could be better but the season is a marathon, not a sprint. I'll panic when we are at least one month into the season.

Bubba Watson Wins 2012 Masters

The Masters was this last weekend and anyone who reads this blog often knows that I'm not the biggest golf fan. But here it goes. It seemed like a long weekend of play came down to two players who had to play a playoff that lasted two holes. It was Bubba Watson and Louis Oothuizen fighting for the win in extras. Bubba had apparently squandered two chances to put it away and it seemed like it was all lost on the second playoff hole until Watson was able to hit a beauty of a shot out of the forest and onto the green setting him up for the win. The 33 year old Bubba Watson wins his first Major in golf and his first Green Jacket.

I must say congratulations to the newest member of the "He-Man Woman Haters Club." Bubba played splendidly and earned the win. A bit disappointing for Oothuizen considering he had made only the 4th double Eagle in the history of the Masters earlier in the final day. Perhaps next time for him. As for everyone else, I heard Tiger didn't play well or acted well for that matter. I guess he was no gentleman over the weekend. Phil Mickelson was close but ended up being tied with a bunch of others for third place.

To sum up, enjoy the Green Jacket, Bubba. No woman will ever enjoy it.

P.S. Besides the fact that it's a very boring "sport," I can't respect the Masters for being an all male club. You have the new IBM CEO, a position that is usually offered a membership to the club because they are a sponsor, not being welcomed into the club because she is a woman. They say they don't have an official stance on the matter of gender and membership but their silence coupled with no apparent invite to Virginia “Ginni” Rometty clearly state their bigotry.

Van Gundy: Howard Wants Me Gone

For once I can now think of a time where Neil Sedaka's "Breaking Up is Hard to Do" can't help. Before last night's game against the Knicks, there were rumors apparently that Stan Van Gundy, head coach of the Magic, was told by management that Dwight Howard wanted him fired. Reporters asked him while the team was practicing whether or not that was true and he actually confirmed it was true. He went on to say that he...

Wait, wait, What? He actually confirmed he heard that from management? What kind of move is this? Did Van Gundy think it was "be an open book" day? Everyone in the sports world is shocked that he actually spilled the beans on this topic. I myself still can't believe he did it.

The funny thing is that a few moments later, Dwight Howard came by, himself, and basically asked what they were talking about. Stan left while reporters asked Dwight about the comments that Stan made. Dwight shakes it off probably thinking this is a trap. The Magic would lose a stinker to the Knicks, by the way, 96-80. After the game, Dwight refused to answer questions about the incident and Van Gundy tried to move on from it.

What the hell is happening in Orlando? They manage to keep Dwight Howard for another year with him thinking they can make a playoff run and now they are tearing apart at the seams with these kinds of remarks and a 5 game losing streak. Maybe Stan Van Gundy honestly wants out of Orlando. That's the way I see this. You don't help any team by saying these kinds of comments and creating more separation in the locker room. It leads to your team being unable to simple things like beating the Knicks (OOOOHHH).

Gregg Williams' Words for the 49ers

I'm sure that anyone following this Bounty Gate story has heard the pregame speech given by Gregg Williams to his Saints defensive players the night before their NFC Playoff game vs. the 49ers. In it, he uses rough language basically trying to whip his players into a violent frenzy for the game. He has even used specifics talking about specific players and targeting body parts like the ACL. This timing couldn't be worse for the Bounty Gate appeals as this comes out while the appeals are going on.

I'm shocked... that people are shocked. These are grown men that have been trained since their youths to play a violent sport. You don't think that this kind of language gets used? Now I have heard from several analysts that some parts of this audio go too far with the suggestions of targeting body parts but several have also confirmed that a lot of it is commonplace. With a violent game comes people literally calling for violence. To be a fan of football and be shocked about it is a little hypocritical.

Football is a brutal sport: FACE IT OR GET RID OF IT!!!

P.S. Or change it to a degree.

P.P.S. I wonder what the 49ers Defensive Coordinator said before that same game?

Kyle Lohse and Cardinals Ruin Miami's Opening Day

The first regular season game of the year (played in America) was played yesterday in sunny Miami, Florida. The Miami Marlins opened their new ballpark to a sellout crowd and a national TV audience. The stadium looked nice, their uniforms new, and the fans were a plenty and excited. Then the world champion Cardinals came in and ruined it all. They got out to an early 3-0 lead and managed to keep the Marlins from doing anything. That was quite literal for a while because Kyle Lohse kept them out of the hit column until the 8th inning. The Cardinals win the game, 4-1.

Practically day one and there was almost another no hitter. Lohse does a great job for the Cardinals filling in for Carpenter and Wainwright. Somewhat of an off way to open a new home but wait a while to see how the team will do. We will also have to wait a while to see how well they can sell that place out over the this whole season.

But baseball is officially back... again. Can't wait to see the Giants and the Red Sox in action.

Baylors Wins Women's Title: 40-0 BABY!!!

While the men's game didn't necessarily have a player that dominated the headlines (though yesterday's performance now gives Anthony Davis an edge there), the women's NCAA Tournament was seemingly only focused on Brittney Griner of Baylor. This perhaps is due to the fact that Griner has been mentioned for a few years now, she very talented, very tall, and also managed to dunk in the tournament. It seemed throughout the Women's Tournament, Griner and her Baylor teammates dominated the bracket. Tonight was no different. Baylor faced Notre Dame for the title in Women's Basketball and Baylor won quite handidly, 80-61. This was Baylor's 2nd title in Women's Basketball but Griner's first.

A huge win for the Lady Bears. Not only do they win a National Title, but they do it while going 40-0, an unprecedented achievement. Griner dominated this game seemingly more so than Anthony Davis did for Kentucky vs. Kansas. She had 26 points, 13 rebounds, and 5 blocks in the game. While this was a fine moment for an individual athlete, this was also a team title through and through. Congrats to Baylor on their victory.

Dancing in the UK: Wildcats Win National Title

The big dance came to an end last night when it featured the final two teams left in the NCAA Tournament: Kansas vs. Kentucky. Kentucky was the odds on favorite and they certainly showed why. The first half was all Kentucky as they just disrupted the Jayhawks' offense while the Wildcats were able to score big and take a 14 point lead at the half. The second half was a bit different as Kansas fought to come back. However, Kentucky managed to hold back Kansas' comeback efforts long enough that when they started to get hot, they didn't have enough time left. Kentucky holds back Kansas, 67-59, and wins the National Championship.

Congrats to the Wildcats as this is their 8th National Title in Basketball and the first one for their coach, John Calipari. Let's just hope this isn't their first vacated one over the course of time. As for the player of the game, Anthony Davis didn't score a lot of points but he was dominant on defense. He had 16 rebounds and 6 block shots. He and his teammates shut down the low post game of Kansas for most of the game and that's why they won. He also had 6 points and 5 assists.

Well the dance is over and Kentucky is this year's Lord of the Dance. All that's left is to find out who the Lady of the Dance.

P.S. Lexington, let's just keep it "Dancing" in the UK, understood?

Matt Cain Signs Extension with Giants

The one question that would've lingered this whole season for the Giants was could they re-sign Matt Cain for the foreseeable future? Matt Cain is an important part of the rotation and key member of the team that needed to stay for the Giants to contend for the future. The Giants knew it and acted on it. They and Matt Cain came to an agreement that will keep him in San Francisco for quite some time. Cain gets a 6 year, $127 million extension with the team. He also has a player option for 2018.

A big move for the Giants to keep one of their stars. I was worried that Cain wasn't going to come back and be tempted to test free agency. The Giants, however, made him the highest paid right handed pitcher in history. Now if only we could get rid of the biggest lefty bust in history. This huge amount of money will definitely affect their future dealings with Tim Lincecum when they start talking about re-signing him sometime next year. Of course Timmy doesn't become a free agent until the end of the 2013 season.

Good luck to the Giants. Season starts Friday for them and they seem off to a good start.

2012 Final Four: Kentucky to Face Kansas for Title

It's the last weekend of the big dance and we are down to the Final Four. Well, actually the last two. The semifinal games were played last night in the Superdome with the first featuring two teams from Kentucky. University of Kentucky faced Louisville in an epic semifinal rivalry game. It seemed to be all Kentucky with Louisville fighting to keep it close. Kentucky's Anthony Davis was great in this game with 18 points and 14 rebounds. Kentucky would win this one, 69-61.

As to who they will face? It was a battle between two #2 seeds with Ohio State and Kansas fighting a spot for Monday Night. It seemed like Ohio State had the edge early getting out to double digit lead late in the first half. Kansas, however, fought back and made it a game. The Jayhawks managed to take the lead with under 2 left and held on for the win, 64-62. Sort of a heart breaker, yes, for the Buckeyes but they just couldn't hold back Kansas.

The national title game is set for Monday Night: Kentucky Wildcats vs. the Kansas Jayhawks. It's going to be a good one.