Where is Congress now?

Have you ever wondered what the people who make up the United States Congress actually do everyday? Are they actually working to make this country a better place or are they just trying to get re-elected? I remember when Congress called Major League Baseball to Washington to discuss the issue of steroids in baseball I was sceptical. I was of the belief that there were better things for Congress to worry about than why has Barry Bonds' head become the size of a Volkswagen Beetle. After the dog and pony show that was the Congressional Hearings and when every major professional sports league went through that same show, I changed my tune because I felt like that if the threat of congressional intervention would clean up professional sports then so be it. The problem was that they missed the boat completely. They talked to MLB, NFL, NBA, NHL, and Olympic leaders whose athletes are amazing but for the most part normal looking human beings and looked right past the WWE and the freakish humans that they call sports entertainers. Now with the murder/suicide of Chris Benoit we are faced with yet another example of just how steroids can destroy a human being. The WWE would have you believe that the horrific incident with Chris Benoit was not a result of steroid use because under their testing system he had tested negative on April 10 yet the investigators found prescription steroids all throughout Benoit's home. The leaders of WWE have gone on the defensive just days after a three hour tribute to Benoit which ironically ended with Benoit and deceased WWE superstar Eddie Guerrerro embracing in the ring. Guerrerro death has been linked to steroid and other drug use and just this year his name was one of many WWE entertainers on a list of a pharmaceutical company busted for steroids. We can talk and speculate about all wrestlers and whether or not they are juiced but why is Congress not doing the same thing. They were big and tough against Bud Selig and Don Fehr but have stayed away from Vince McMahon and the WWE. It is time for Congress to step in and lay the smack down on the overflowing "juice bar" that is the steroid filled WWE.

12-0 but 0-29 still makes you the greatest

I am amazed at how we view successful athletes today. It seems that no matter how great they are it just never seems to be enough. Everywhere you look athletes that will no doubt go down as some of the best to ever play are scrutinized and criticized for their failure to meet the expectations of armchair QB's and fantasy geeks across the country. Now I understand that with alot of these athletes that the scrutiny comes from the lack of a championship(Alex Rodriguez, Lebron James, and up until this year Peyton Manning) but how then does that explain the unbelievable bashing that Tiger Woods has received following his 2nd place finish at the US Open. We are watching the greatest golfer in the history of mankind and when he fails to meet those overwhelming expectations we feed him to the wolves. Jack Nicklaus, with 18 majors and 19 seconds in those majors, never faced such scrutiny. Tiger Woods now for his career has 12 major championship wins and 4 second place finishes. In his last four majors he has 2 wins and 2 seconds. Sergio Garcia would waggle all the Denmark for those numbers in a year. Over the last couple of weeks talking heads like Skip Bayless of First Take on ESPN2 have bellowed at their loudest about how Tiger is 0-29 when attempting to come from behind in a major championship and that because of those numbers that Tiger is less than what we thought he could be and should be. In the midst of those ridiculous arguments the number that is lost is that Tiger is 12-0 when going into the final round of a major with a lead. To me that is what counts because it says that Tiger is a finisher and not a choker, that on the final round of a major when he holds the lead with two holes to play that he won't put his ball in a trash can or on top of the clubhouse like Phil Mickelson, and that he strikes fear in every golfer when he has the lead because nobody has ever risen to the challenge to catch him. Would it be nice to see Tiger come from behind and win on the final day? Absolutely but it does not diminish his legacy or greatness. Michael Jordan didn't win every championship or hit every game winning shot, Joe Montana didn't deliver on every last second drive, and Tiger Woods has never come from behind to win a major championship but they are all the greatest that their sports have to offer. Tiger Woods is going for one number and that is 19 and that is not 19 second place finishes which is what Jack Nicklaus has but rather 19 majors which would give Tiger more wins in a major than Jack. Tiger Woods is about winning and not seconds. It is unfortunate that those who criticize fail to see the same thing.

"D" is for.....Dynasty or Dull?

The San Antonio Spurs won their fourth NBA Championship in nine years and the conversation took the predictable turn to discussing if they were a dynasty. The thing that I find most interesting is that the conversation even had to take place. Could you imagine if this had been the Lakers or Knicks who had won four out of the last nine championships? We would be holding sacred vigils in honor of them and proclaiming them to be the most impressive sports dynasties of our lifetime. The fact is plain and simple....we think the Spurs are boring. It is easy to take San Antonio to task and question their legacy because they do not have someone whether it be a player in the mold of a Michael Jordan and Shaquille O'Neal or a coach like Phil Jackson and Pat Riley that captures our attention and makes us take notice. The best part about the Spurs is Eva Longoria sitting at courtside. No matter what your opinion is though the Spurs have to be considered a dynasty and I would go one step further and say that they are the best team in the NBA since Jordan's shot over Byron Russell in the 1998 NBA Finals. They have been consistent in all facets of the game as they have been lead by an underappreciated Tim Duncan who when it is all said and done will be the best power foward of all time and a coach in Greg Popovich who has demanded nothing less than perfection and his message has never gone cold. Sure they are dull but as we have attempted to raise up another team or another talent in the league the Spurs have looked at the challenge taken it head on and been victorious.

Bud Selig: Commissioner of the Incompetent

USA Today is reporting that Bud Selig is leaning toward suspending Yankees DH Jason Giambi if he refuses to cooperate with the George Mitchell investigation. On the outside it would appear that Bud Selig has finally made a statement and that he is beginning to take a firm stand on the issue of steroids but that is far from the truth. The reality is that this is probably the weakest thing that Selig has done in dealing with the issues of steroids in baseball. This is once again another incompetent step from the Commissioner to slide under the rug the reality of the era of steroids. You see if Selig goes through with this dog and pony show of suspending Giambi it will take the union two seconds to appeal the suspension and arbitrator even less time to throw it out but Commissioner Selig will have given the impression that he has tried to do something and couldn't get the players to cooperate with him and he then can end the investigation and move on. This whole investigation has been a joke from the start because as much as Selig and others may have disliked what Giambi said he was telling the truth and making an excellent point. We all could have been saved this sham of an investigation if MLB had come out and said we were all guilty but we have taken the steps necessary to clean up the game and we are moving forward but of course that didn't happen because MLB management with Selig at the top were unwilling to accept blame for their part in the steroids era. It is this incompetence that has defined Selig's reign over MLB. For all the good that has happened, the Wildcard, interleague play, etc., it has been far outweighed by Selig's blunders in dealing with the players that make up the game he is responsible for governing. So as we evaluate this latest attempt for Commissioner Selig to feign concern for the game by him going after Jason Giambi, we will continue to see the broom that rests in Selig's hand as he continues to sweep his own role in the steroids era under the rug.

Little E living up to the Name

Dale Earnhardt Jr. has been called "Little E" since he began racing. I didn't know until today just how much he would live up to that name. Amidst all of the pomp and circumstance that was Little E announcing today that he would drive for Hendrick Motorsports next season, the real story was lost. Earnhardt for years has been praised as the most popular driver in Nascar but has fallen short when it comes to measuring up against soon to be new teammates Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson. The thing that I find most interesting is that Dale Jr. , the face of Nascar, has chosen in the prime of his career to take a backseat on his new team. He will be the third wheel at Hendricks and seems completely content in that place. This is why I question the star power of Little E. Now I am not a major Nascar fan and I know that those who spend their Sunday afternoons glued to the TV following the nuances of the sport will tell you that Earnhardt has simply moved to a better, if not the best, team that can get him to a championship. Shouldn't a guy who is supposed to carry the superstar status though of Little E be able to take whatever situation he is in and compete for championships. I do not know the ends and outs of all that went on between DEI, Earnhardt and his stepmother but I do know that we have not seen an athlete with the star power of Earnhardt choose to back away from leadership, spotlight, and pressure that goes with being the man. In the NBA, Kevin Garnett has chosen to remain a Timberwolve even though there have been many opportunities for him to leave. Dan Marino went through the good and the bad that the NFL has to offer never tasting a championship and yet still never wanted to leave. Yet Dale Earnhardt Jr has chosen to step out of the number one spot to become number three at best and with that truly live up to the nickname of "Little E".

Welcome

I can not believe that I have actually gone down this road but I now have a blog. I am not the most computer savy guy but I felt like in today's growing sports media market that I should have another venue to share my thoughts on the world of sports and entertainment other than just on my radio program. I will be sharing my thoughts daily and I hope that each of you will feel free to share you agreements and disagreements freely. I look forward to hearing from you.