Wisdom of Wes

MY MOUND!

2010-04-23T06:17:00.000-07:00

Braden vs Rodriguez
So this Dallas Braden kid nearly replaced Milton Bradley as the Major League Baseball Player I like the least. He probably came closer to replacing Bradley than I would like to admit. Bradley is a jerk and will eventually cause trouble for whichever poor team decides to sign or trade for him.

But Dallas Braden accused Alex Rodriguez of breaking an unwritten rule.

Following a Robinson Cano foul ball, Rodriguez cut across the diamond to return to first base (where he was prior to foul ball by Cano). As Rodriguez was jogging back to first he ran across the mound and Braden went nuts.

"The long and short of it is it's pretty much baseball etiquette. He should probably take a note from his captain over there," Braden said, referring to Yankees leader Derek Jeter, "because you don't run across the pitcher's mound in between an inning or during the game. I was just dumbfounded that he would let that slip his mind."

Personally, I think Rodriguez had no idea that he was running across the mound. It's true that A-Rod has a history of breaking unwritten rules - yelling at a Toronto Blue Jays player Howie Clark as he ran by while Clark was trying to catch a pop fly, knocking the ball out of Bronson Arroyo's glove during a playoff game against the Red Sox, and (prior to the Drug Abuse Policy) A-Rod took steroids.

Braden had every right to say something to A-Rod. But Braden took it to far.

"I was just trying to convey to him that I was still out there, that ball's in my hand and that's my pitcher's mound. If he wants to run across the pitcher's mound, tell him to go do laps in the bullpen," Braden said.

In an interview with Baseball Tonight, Braden said that he would have yelled at his own Grandmother had she went across his mound.

Braden is a goober.

I hope Rodriguez crushes the next pitch he sees from Braden.

Yankees Triple Play
Consider this: before yesterday, the last time the Yankees turned a triple play was in 1968. The highest paid player on the 1968 Yankees was Mickey Mantle. That year Mantle made $100,000. This year Alex Rodriguez is the highest paid player on the Yankee Roster, and he's making $33,000,000 this year!

Coming into this year, A-Rod averaged 519 at bats a season. Say he gets 519 at bats this season - that's over $63,000 an at bat!

Tebow - 25th Pick
The Denver Broncos made the right choice last night and grabbed Tim Tebow. I realize that Tebow will not start this year, but he should get some playing time. The Broncos have two established quarterbacks in Kyle Orton and Brady Quinn. Those two will probably battle it out for the starting job. Tebow will probably be the short yard QB and if Denver elects to run the Wildcat, Tebow will be under center.

The Broncos will not be disappointed.

NFL Draft
Biggest Surprise - Jimmy Clausen was not taken in the first round
Clausen was hyped as the most Pro-Ready QB in the draft. Worst case scenario, I thought Clausen was going to be a taken in the late teens. But everyone passed on him. Clausen has top five talent and he'll be a great pick for a lucky team in the second round.

Best Pick - Tim Tebow
I've already made my point

Worst Pick - Rolando McClain
Oakland needed a QB and they passed on Jimmy Clausen. Once again, the Raiders failed on Draft Night. If I was a Raiders fan, I would be looking for another team.

Best Fit - Dez Bryant
Bryant is perfect for the Cowboys. He has a bad history, character issues, and actually could be better than Roy Williams. When the Cowboys won three Super Bowls in the 90s, they had plenty of guys with character issues. They are just a few more bad characters away from being on their way to another Super Bowl victory.

Tim Tebow - First Round Pick

2010-04-22T11:21:00.000-07:00

Is Tim Tebow good enough to be selected in the first round in tonight's NFL Draft?

Yes.

Tebow is a proven winner. He has the heart and determination to be the best quarterback in the NFL. Will he ever become the best QB in the league? That remains the be seen - but the kid has the desire to be the best. Most of the players who will be drafted tonight and over the weekend just want a massive paycheck.

I'm not buying into the whole - Tebow is not ready to help a team now - talk. He's the best short yard running QB I've ever seen. Fourth and one? He'll get it 75% of the time.

I'm afraid that Tebow is getting the Tyler Hansbrough treatment. He's a dominate white athlete is a predominately black man's arena.

I've never been a big fan of Derek Jeter's but the guy knows how to win and the majority of baseball fans (Yankee fans or not) recognize that Jeter knows how to help his team win. The same principle applies to Tim Tebow.

Tebow finished his college career as the greatest college football player in NCAA history. And while he may not reach the greatest professional football player rank, my money is on that when Tebow retires from the NFL, he is in the top ten greatest players of all time.

Personally, I would love to see my Colts take in at pick 31. He would be a great addition to the offense and he could learn from the best QB in the league.

Go ahead and pass on Tebow now - every team that does will regret that decision.

Fantasy Baseball Team

2010-04-21T15:44:00.001-07:00

A couple of weeks prior to the 2010 MLB Season, the members of Human Growth Hangover drafted our teams. In our ten team league, I drafted seventh in odd numbered rounds and fourth in even numbered rounds - the basic serpentine draft.

I've already made 16 roster moves since the start of the season and we've only been playing for two and a half weeks.

My team is listed below:

Hitters
C - Brian McCann
1B - Prince Fielder
2B - Robinson Cano
3B - Evan Longoria
SS - Jason Bartlett
OF - Vernon Wells
OF - Jeff Francoeur
OF - Scott Podsednik
DH - Ben Zobrist

Disabled List - Carlos Beltran

Pitchers
SP - Johan Santana
SP - Adam Wainwright
SP - Josh Johnson
SP - Ricky Romero
SP - Jair Jurrjens
SP - Brian Matusz
SP - Jonathan Sanchez
SP - Tim Hudson
SP/RP - Francisco Liriano
RP - Rafael Soriano
RP - Francisco Rodriguez

Strikefarce

2010-04-19T13:50:00.000-07:00

I noticed this weekend during the Lakers/Thunder game that "Playoffs" does not include a hyphen.

Moving on.

Strikeforce
This past Saturday night, Strikeforce set up in Nashville, Tennessee and once again gave CBS viewers a free, pay-per-view worthy fight card for free - Saturday's card had three title fights.

This was Strikeforce's chance to surpass the UFC in the minds of the casual MMA fan. Diehard UFC fans will never admit that Strikeforce is a threat but the casual fan could have been swayed by Saturday's event.

Unfortunately, the event was complete trash. All three title fights had that thirty second period of action but the fights lacked in overall fireworks.

Light-Heavyweight Title Match
Gegard Mousasi had stretches, during his match with King Mo, where he looked unbeatable. However, these stretches were few and far between. He seemed to be bored at times. Other times, he seemed not to care about the outcome of the match. When Mousasi wanted to fight, he lit King Mo up like a Christmas tree. Just one look at each fighter's face after the match would have fooled anyone about the winner of the match. Maybe the Mousasi wanted out of the limelight.

Regardless of what was wrong with Mousasi, King Mo stuck to his game plan and won the title. Even though Mo couldn't see out of his left eye, he outscored Mousasi and took home the title.

Middleweight Title Match
Other than the first minute of the match, Jake Shields completely dominated MMA legend Dan Henderson.

Following at massive right hook from Henderson, Shields regrouped and grounded and pounded Henderson to a win. Henderson should have finished the fight after he laid Shields out early in the match but he seemed reluctant to go in for the kill. I got the sense that Henderson was out to prove he could outlast a younger Shields.

While Shields won in a dominate fashion, it was not pleasing to the eye. Most MMA fans want to see brutal knockouts, bone crunching submissions, or stand-up, back and forth boxing matches. And while ground and pound is high on the list, ground and pound that lasts the entire round is not exciting.

Lightweight Title Match
I feel like this was one of the worst MMA fights I have ever seen. I grew tired of Shinya Aoki dragging his butt across the cage - literally, he drug his butt along the cage floor. Gilbert Melendez should have knocked Aoki out within the first minute but he, like everyone else who was in a dominate position on Saturday night, laid back and allowed Aoki to regain his composure and drag his but along the floor.

The biggest news of from Nashville on Saturday night was the brawl between Jason "Mayhem" Miller and members of Jake Shields' entourage. I missed the brawl live but after watching the Miller get his head kicked in on YouTube, I am ready to declare that it was the best fight of the night.

Way to go Strikeforce - you fail.
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Jackie Robinson Day
I have no problem with Major League Baseball honoring one of the all time greats of the sport. Robinson was a great hitter, was better than average on the base paths and in the field, and all-round great athlete.

Just about everyone is aware that Robinson broke the color barrier in Major League Baseball. Doing this required more than hitting above .300 and playing in the field. I cannot image the day to day struggles Robinson had to endure just to be able to play the game he loved.

This brings me to my point - having everyone, on every team wear number 42 cheapens the significance of what Jackie Robinson did. Every major leaguer will say that he respects Robinson and they'll use words like courage and determination when speaking about him. However, Jackie Robinson is not important to everyone in the majors. So why make all players wear 42?

Jackie Robinson Day should be a day where those who want to honor Jackie Robinson - not everyone.

Baseball Season and Baskeball Play-off Predictions

2010-04-16T07:27:00.000-07:00

After a Jason Dowdell sized layoff (inside joke), I have returned to Wisdom of Wes and have very intention of actually contributing to this blog at least once a week.

MLB
Major League Baseball's 2010 season is now in full swing. By now, most teams have played seven or eight games. No one should be surprised that the Yankees and Phillies are both still good - they are probably the two best teams in baseball.

My Prediction for the Play-offs and Awards
AL East - Yankees
AL Central - Twins
AL West - Rangers
AL Wild Card - Rays

The only prediction I'm not comfortable with is the West. All four teams still have a legit shot at the Division Title because none of the four are dominate. If Cliff Lee is out pass May, you can scratch the Mariners. I think the Rangers offense will continue to score runs and the pitching staff will do just enough to hold on.

AL MVP - Joe Mauer
AL Cy Young - CC Sabathia

These two are safe picks. If I had to go out on a limb and pick a couple of dark horses, I'll go with Nelson Cruz for MVP and John Lackey for the Cy Young.

NL East - Phillies
NL Central - Cardinals
NL West - Giants
NL Wild Card - Braves

I'm settle on all the division winners - I'm hoping the Braves grab the Wild Card. Thus far, the Braves' starting pitching has been iffy at best. If the starters do not improve, the bullpen will be used up at June and the team will crumble.

NL MVP - Albert Pujols
NL Cy Young - Roy Halladay

Again, I went with safe picks. I think someone like a Hanley Ramirez or Ryan Braun could make a run at the MVP. Dark horse MVP winner could be Jason Heyward (I'm a Braves fan, sorry). Tim Lincecum will always be a candidate for the Cy Young. The Cy Young dark horses: Adam Wainwright or (very dark horse) Jonathan Sanchez.

Every baseball fan should be happy for the Kansas City Royals; they've played one week in and they are not mathematically eliminated from the play-offs.
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NBA
The Play-offs are starting this weekend. Many of the opening round series are (on paper) look to be promising.

East First Round Series
Cavaliers vs Bulls - Cavaliers in 4
Celtics vs Heat - Celtics in 7
Hawks vs Bucks - Hawks in 5
Magic vs Bobcats - Magic in 5

The Cavs, Hawks, and Magic should all roll into the second round without much trouble. The Celtics and Heat matchup could go either way but I think the Celtics experience will get them pass a very determined Dwyane Wade (who will average between 35 and 40 points a game during the series) and his Heat teammates.

West First Round Series
Lakers vs Thunder - Lakers in 6
Nuggets vs Jazz - Nuggets in 7
Suns vs Blazers - Suns in 4
Mavericks vs Spurs - Mavericks in 6

The West series should mostly be epic. With Brandon Roy out for the series, the Suns will run away from the Blazers. The rest of the series will be great TV. I'm looking forward to the Kobe Bryant vs Kevin Durant matchup the most. It wouldn't surprise me if both Bryant and Durant averaged 30+ points during the series.

MLB Playoffs

2009-10-09T17:33:00.000-07:00

It's been entirely too long since I last posted here. I want to first of all apologize to all of my subscribers and devoted readers (all nine of you). Second, I thought about going back and picking up where I left off but seeing that I do not feel like going that far back I'll just pick up with what is happening now.

MLB Playoffs
So the Braves missed the playoffs - BOO! Much to my surprise they did surge during the final weeks. There's always next year.

Yankees / Twins
The Yankees will win this series easily. They are much more talented than the Twins. Joe Mauer is by far the best player in the series but the Yankees have the better overall team. The Yankees may drop a game (they always seem to in the opening round), but the Twins' season ends soon.
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Angels / Red Sox
As much as I like to see the Yankees and Red Sox play during the playoffs, this year it's not happening. The Halos' lineup is stacked with great hitters and pitching staff is one of the best. Add in the fact that the Angels are on a mission following the tragic loss of Nick Adenhart earlier in the season and they won't be stopped unless BoSox Manager Terry Francona realizes that Mike Lowell is better off as a pinch hitter than the every inning third baseman. Victor Martinez should be at first, while Kevin Youkilis is at third. This allows Boston to have their best infielders and hitters in the lineup at all times.
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Phillies / Rockies
The Phillies did get shafted with scheduling again this year - they are the defending World Series Champs - but that's the problem when your team is not a national team such as the Yankees, Red Sox, Dodgers, and (to a lesser degree) the Cardinals. Getting to the series, this is a tough one to call. Neither team strikes me as the superior one. My gut tells me that the Phillies will find a way to win in five. The homer friendly Coor's Field will be very good to Ryan Howard, Chase Utley, and crew.
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Dodgers / Cardinals
The Cardinals were my pick going into the playoffs to win the World Series - not going to happen. The Holiday error last night was the nail in the coffin. The Dodgers are too good to lose three in a row to the same team. With their veterans playing like they have recently, the Dodgers will move past the Cardinals in Game 4 - Pujols will not let the Cardinals get swept.
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MLB Award Winners coming soon (Hopefully)

The Wisdom Has Returned

2009-07-09T07:16:00.000-07:00

Following my long hiatus, I have decided to return following the breaking news of Are the Pacers too White?

Just out of curiosity, why hasn't anyone asked if the Bulls are too black? Or the Lakers, Celtics, Bobcats, Thunder, Kings, Knicks, caught my drift?

On the Pacers' current roster, seven white players are on the roster. Six of them are American-born white (future hall of famer Rasho Nesterovic is the only European-born white).

With the signing of Dahanty Jones, the Pacers currently have eleven black players bringing the total number of players to eighteen.

Granted they'll have to cut three or four players from that roster by the start of the next season. This brings me to my point - if this is really an issue, let's worry about it when the season starts.

If the Pacers keep all seven whites and stumble out of the gate, many will point the finger at the lack of black (which would make a good slogan for the Pacers this year).

I've always thought you pick / sign / trade for the best players available that fit your system. Give the Pacers a break, they'll only trying to do what every other team in the NBA is trying to do - WIN, their way.

Breaking News?

2009-06-16T21:23:00.000-07:00

As I was walking by the living room this afternoon, I noticed on the bottomline ticker on ESPNEWS read "BREAKING NEWS - Sammy Sosa tested positive for steroids in 2003"

Question: How is something "BREAKING NEWS" when it happened six years ago?

This is the perfect example of why I do not care about MLB Steroid Testing anymore. Not only is this test six years old, but look at who failed it. If Sammy Sosa testing positive is breaking news to ESPN, why did they not make a bigger deal out of CC Sabathia and Mark Teixeira going to the Yankees?

Because is was a DUH moment.

Sabathia and Teixeira followed the money. Of course Sammy Sosa failed a drug test - LOOK AT PHOTOS! He was a rail when he started out in Texas (like someone else who started in Pittsburgh), then all of the sudden he is making runs at Roger Maris.

All in all, I am not surprised by much anymore. I would have been more shocked had the ESPNEWS ticker read - "BREAKING NEWS - Sammy Sosa passed his drug test during the 2003 season."

Period.

US Open

2009-06-16T05:59:00.000-07:00

With the US Open returning to Bethpage Black, it is time for me to predict the winner. I got my last prediction right (a record streak for me), so I am feeling rather smart today.

As much as I want Phil Mickelson to win, he will not. Lefty will play well for a stretch and then blow up right before our eyes. Whether you like Mickelson or not, watching someone who has done so much for the game of golf and charity constantly fall apart is not must see tv.

PREDICTION - I'm taking three, you can have the field
Tiger Woods, Geoff Ogilvy, Henrik Stenson (darkhorse)

Moving On From the Finals

2009-06-15T09:18:00.000-07:00

The Finals are over following the Lakers domination of the Magic last night. Kobe Bryant proved last night he could win a championship without Shaquille O'Neal.

However, a new question arises - can Kobe win a championship without Derek Fisher?

Manny Ramirez is due back in a couple of weeks. Will his return have a positive or negative impact? The Dodgers have played alright without him and Juan Pierre has returned to his Florida Marlins (or Martins to some) days.

The truth of the matter is this: You never regret a bat like Manny's returning to your line-up. Will he get booed out of the stadium? Yes, probably at Dodger Stadium too. Will he be a distraction and cause his teammates to answer the same eight questions after each game? Yes.

But when they are winning at a seventy percent clip, I think they will put up with it.

Bret Favre - GO AWAY!

It's Over

2009-06-14T12:08:00.001-07:00

I am officially the worst Sport Prediction Specialist ever. The Magic are a mere 48 minutes away from losing the NBA Finals in only five games.

The worst part - other than Game 1, they've been in every game. Each game has come down to the final minute. Bad breaks, plays, and coaching have cost them a chance at the championship.

I have decided to finally get a prediction right. Here goes - the Lakers will win tonight and Kobe will have his "Shaqless" ring.

If I miss this one, I promise to give this whole thing up.

A Pulse is Still There

2009-06-09T23:08:00.000-07:00

The Magic finally played a full 48 minutes tonight. With their win tonight, the Magic trail in the series two games to one.

They played better defense on Kobe Bryant in the second half and the team as a whole played with ENERGY! That was something I noticed that was missing in Games 1 and 2.

I'm holding on to my Magic in 7 pick.

NBA Finals Pick

2009-06-04T07:06:00.000-07:00

I am not a Lakers fan.

They are in the OKAY category. I'm not in love with nor do I absolutely hate them. The same goes for the Magic. They are OKAY.

Which makes picking the Finals easy this year - no bias to a team I favor.

The Lakers cruised have struggled at times in each round. The Denver series was the first in which they didn't take an entire game off. Despite the fact that they can get into a lull and play poorly, they have managed to pull out a 30th Finals appearance.

I've picked against the Magic in each round. I thought the Sixers quick perimeter players would be too much. I thought the home court advantage the Celtics held would be the difference. I thought LeBron had a supporting cast (it wasn't his fault and I don't blame him for walking off the court in the manner he did after being eliminated). The Magic have continued to prove me wrong.

PREDICTION
Magic in seven. They are a determined group that isn't going to let this opportunity pass them by.

How sure am I? Not very. But the things I am sure of: 1)this series will go at least four games and no more than seven. 2)the team that has won Game 7 in every seven game series has gone on to win that series.

Magic - 2009 NBA Champs.

Votes Are In

2009-06-02T21:42:00.000-07:00

Continuing my expert coverage of the NBA Finals narrowly won the vote (by one). Therefore, until the end of the Finals, this blog will remain devoted to the NBA. I'll mention other sports here and there.

I just wanted everyone to know the voting is closed.

Moving on, I really don't know what to think about George Karl and Rashard Lewis' comments revolving around whether or not Jesus could guard Kobe Bryant or LeBron James.

I don't recall ever reading any scripture that talked about Jesus' skill, but I'm going to go out on a limb and say IF the Savior decided to play basketball against Kobe or LeBron, He would win.

Everytime.

No quesiton.

Moving On

2009-06-01T09:42:00.000-07:00

So I was wrong about the NBA Finals match-up. I was fooled into thinking that LeBron had a team surrounding him and got on the Nuggets band-wagon a year early.

Where do I go from here? Do I follow the NBA Finals? Do I pretend the Cavs and Nuggets moved on? Or do I drop the NBA and pick up another sport?

I'll let those who follow this blog decide - all three of you.

Vote!

Finished

2009-05-27T08:03:00.000-07:00

The Cavs are finished. Done, baked, cooked, lifeless, (fill in your own word).

They might (and should) win Game 5 in Cleveland, but they won't win Game 6 when the series goes back to Orlando. The Magic proved that after LeBron, this Cavs team has nothing. They are letting LeBron get his 40 points a night and daring the rest of the Cavs to do anything.

LeBron is a great player, but he can't team the team on his shoulders. He is not at fault for this. The man is averaging close to 40 points a game. During the post game interviews, (while wearing a shirt he stole from one of Orlando's homeless) you could tell LeBron was tired of having to do it all.

Think about it - if his shot at the buzzer at the end of Game 2 doesn't fall, the Magic would be planning a trip to Los Angeles or Denver today. The Magic have outplayed the Cavs game after game.

All of this brings up an interesting point - will LeBron leave Cleveland after next year? If the Cavs do not win a championship before the end of next season, LeBron will be playing in either New York, New Jersey (because of his pal Jay Z), Chicago, or Los Angeles. I believe his desire to win a championship is far greater than his love of money. I think LeBron would sign for less to ensure that he wins a title.

Imagine LeBron and Kobe on the same team or Amar'e and LeBron in New York or New Jersey. What if LeBron and Dwyane Wade decide to take discounts and meet up in Chicago?

This season is over for Cleveland. They had better prove to LeBron that they want to pursue a title or he'll walk out to greener pastures.

Thank You TO

2009-05-24T11:51:00.000-07:00

So it seems like I can't get a prediction correct for anything.

Both teams that I picked for the Finals are down 2 - 1. The Nuggets are the ones who are not showing up. The Magic have everything it takes to go to the Finals.

I'm not going to turn back now. I'm sticking to what I predicted: Nuggets and Cavs in the Finals! (I hope)

I can confidently pick this - Terrel Owens will destroy the Buffalo Bills. He has blamed future Hall of Famers Tony Romo (ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha) and Jason Garrett (ha ha ha) for his release of the Cowboys. *Side note: I think Tony Romo is the greatest QB is NFL History - if you only take stats from Weeks 1 - 12*

TO thinks that everyone is out to make him look bad. As a kid, if you didn't pick him first in pick-up ball, he would tell the teacher. Pass him in line, he would pass a note around the class explaining why his life had derailed since said passing happened.

Owens doesn't understand that he is the only one who actually cares about each second of his life. If he is out of the news for longer than a week, he'll do something to get noticed. The other week, he was on a local Buffalo news cast.

It doesn't matter what team he goes to, Owens finds a way to be a distraction and destroy. We'll find out this year if there is anything left in Buffalo to destroy.
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UFC President Dana White stated the other week that MMA should be an Olympic sport and I agree 100%.

People all over the world love this sport. It is (mostly) action packed and the best part - upsets can happen at anytime. It only takes one punch to end the fight.

It would be simple to pull this off - each country field a ten man team (two fighters for each division: Heavyweight, the oxy-moronic Light-Heavyweight, Middleweight, Welterweight, and Lightweight). I suggest two fighters for each division in case of an injury.

This got me to thinking: which other sports should be in the Olympics? I have two.

Baseball - Duh! (no explanation needed)

Golf - It is played around the world. This could be done two different ways: 1) each four man team plays four rounds of Captain's Choice at four different golf courses in/near the host city - lowest score wins. A tie? Sudden death. 2) each three man team plays four rounds at four different courses and take the two best scores from each hole. A tie? Again, sudden death.
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Time for me to predict the MLB division winners since the season is nearly a quarter finished.

AL East - Red Sox
AL Central - Tigers
AL West - Rangers
AL WildCard - Yankees

NL East - Mets
NL Central - Cubs
NL West - Dodgers
NL WildCard - Braves (I can, and WILL, dream)

For Joe

2009-05-20T10:53:00.000-07:00

The NHL playoffs are going on. Some teams are winning while others are losing. There have probably been a couple of good games. Also, Barry Melrose's suits have been toned down this year - very disappointing. His wardrobe was the only reason I paid attention to hockey highlights on SportsCenter in the past.

NASCAR's drivers are going round and round in circles. Is this still the real NASCAR? I have yet to hear about a fight. Can two guys at least start a media war of words?

I have no idea where David Beckham is going to be playing this upcoming soccer season. There has not been a more over-hyped sports figure in American history. I used to play soccer as a kid (I was somewhat decent too) and enjoy watching the World Cup every four years, but the MLS needs to realize that a Texas Hold'em Tourney will out draw them everytime.

Despite all of the lack of entertainment in these "sports," I've come to this conclusion - It'll be alright.

I'm Back

2009-05-18T10:57:00.000-07:00

The Final Four for the NBA is now set.

The Magic and Lakers both moved on yesterday in Game 7s. (Fact: In every Best of Seven series in NBA History, the team that has won Game 7 has went on to win the series 100% of the time)

Now we move on to the Conference Finals
Eastern Finals -- Magic / Cavs
The Cavs have been the best team in the East all year long even though the Magic won the season series two games to one. However, both Magic wins were at home. The Cavs won the game played in Cleveland, where they have been almost unbeatable.

The Magic do have a chance in this series. They have the necessary parts to pull off an upset. Dwight Howard is a beast, while Rashard Lewis and Hedo Turkoglu add to a front line that features three guys who are 6'10". Lewis and Turkoglu can pull other bigs out from under the basket to allow Howard to have more than enough space.

But the Magic do not have anyone that can guard LeBron James. He'll be the best player on the court at all times. He will have his way with Lewis or Turkoglu.

Unlike the Magic, the Cavs have yet to take a game off in the playoffs. They have showed up, beat the other team half to death, and planned for the next game. This focus will lead to the Cavs moving on to the Finals, but the Magic will steal one or two.

Prediction -- Cavs move on in five.

Western Finals -- Nuggets / Lakers
The Lakers won this season series three games to one. They won both games in Los Angeles and one in Denver. The game the Nuggets lost in Denver was before they had traded Allen Iverson for Chauncey Billups (greatest in-season rip-off ever).

Kobe Bryant will get his points. He'll average between 30 and 35 points a game - throw in a 40 point outburst somewhere in the duration of the series. Aside from Kobe, the Lakers do not have a sure bet number two scorer. Some nights Pau Gasol steps up, Lamar Odom takes his turn, and other times Andruw Bynum realizes he's got the talent to be a number two. The problem is, either they all three show up or not a one of them arrives at the arena.

Kobe is a great player, greatest of his generation, but he can't beat the Nuggets by himself. He needs at least two of the others to step up and play. Otherwise, the Lakers' season is over.

There lies another problem with the Lakers. Many times, a team will take a possession, quarter, or maybe even a half off. The Lakers have taken entire games off. Leading to some lop-sided games they've lost.

The Nuggets are built to win a championship. They always show up and play hard. They play great defense and work the ball around. Chauncey Billups has brought the Detroit Pistons style to Denver. It was a Chauncey Billups lead Pistons team that defeated the Lakers in the Finals in 2004.

Chauncey Billlups will lead this Nuggets team past the Lakers. The Nuggets are a more complete team than the Lakers.

Prediction -- Nuggets in six.

My Batting Average

2009-05-12T06:07:00.000-07:00

Considering Cleveland did close out Atlanta last night and the Nuggets lost to the McCains, my current batting average is five hundred (.500). That's Baseball Hall of Fame worthy.

Ty Cobb hit three sixty-six (.366) for his career.

Point made.

Weekend Review

2009-05-11T09:46:00.000-07:00

A lot happened this past weekend.

NBA Playoffs
---Cleveland / Nobody (3 - 0)
The Cleveland LeBrons once again beat the crap of out the Hawks. James scored 47 points - in one game! I have scored over 47 points over the course a season only twice. Most guys who crack the 40-point barrier post one or two assists.

But LeBron managed to hand out eight assists. Think about it, LeBron scored 47, and assisted eight more buckets (16 points at least, 24 at the most). He was responsible for somewhere in the neighborhood of 63 to 71 of the 97 points that Cleveland scored Saturday night. MVP indeed.

The Hawks are overmatched. They might steal tonight's game if Cleveland is already planning on making trips to Boston or Orlando later.

---Nuggets / Mavericks (3 - 0)
The refs missed a clear foul in the final seconds of Game 3. What would have changed had they not missed it? This series would go five games instead of only four.

The Nuggets have the best One-Two Punch left in the playoffs: Carmelo Anthony and Chauncey Billups. They also have JR Smith, the best player coming off the remaining team's benches, in the mix as well. The more I see of this team, the more I believe that they will in the Finals.

They have Melo, Billups, Smith, and supporting cast that knows their role and doesn't mind being overlooked. This team is built to win a championship - they have all the right pieces.

Plus, I want them to go deep into the playoffs - I can't get enough of the "Bird Man" Chris Andersen.

---Lakers / Rockets (2 - 2)
Yao Ming breaks his foot, is out for the rest of the playoffs, and the Rockets of course WIN?

What?

The biggest man on the floor at all times is absent and the Rockets beat the Los Angeles Lakers? Wow.

Did Kobe play? Yeah. So he was in foul trouble and only played 20 minutes or so. No, he played 35 minutes - around his season average. He was held to 15 points though. Ron Artest probably scared him half to death.

Personally, I thought the Lakers would roll in Games 4 & 5 to take the series and move on to the Western Finals with Denver (yes, that series is over tonight). But nobody told the Rockets about what I thought. They played well and inspired.

Can they hold on? I don't think so. I've always felt Yao was overrated and the Rockets played better with him out but Kobe won't have two bad games in a row. Even if Artest is threatening to kill him.

---Celtics / Magic (2 -2)
When teams miss opportunities like the Magic missed last night, you have to scratch your head and question the players and/or coaches.

Why the questioning? 1) Paul Pierce was in foul trouble most of the second half and no one went at him on the Magic's offensive end. 2) Kevin Garnett is still in street clothes and the Magic front court is allowing Glen "Big Baby" Davis to look like a Hall of Famer. 3) The real Ray Allen is yet to show up in either Boston or Orlando. He must still be in Chicago after his 51 point explosion in the first round of the playoffs.

The series is tied at two games now. With the way Boston won the game at the buzzer, I believe the Magic have to win the next game in Boston - otherwise the Celtics are moving on.

Predictions
Cleveland sweeps Atlanta tonight.
Boston wins in 7 against Orlando.
Denver moves on tonight.
It will take 7 games, but the Lakers will advance.

Cleveland vs Boston -- Cleveland in four or five
Denver vs Lakers -- Denver in seven

PGA
Tiger Woods and Alex Cejka provided the worst final pairing in NBC Golf Broadcasting history. Cejka ended his day with a 79, while Tiger posted a 73.

Cejka's scored doesn't surprised me. Most of the time, whoever is playing with Tiger on Sundays (especially someone that most of the world couldn't pick out of a police line-up) usually plays awful. When Cejka started backing up, I thought that Tiger would pounce all over that and take the Player's Championship without any trouble.

I was wrong. Tiger let me down and I have nothing more to say about that.

NBA Fight Night

2009-05-08T11:42:00.000-07:00

I'm making my first BOLD prediction tonight.

Either in the Celtics/Magic or Lakers/Rockets game tonight, there will be at least another altercation. Maybe even a fight.

Which begs the question: Why?

Why?
Personally, I think the NBA has become a more physical game since the Pistons/Pacers Brawl in 2004. No one wants to be pushed around or bullied. You can't blame a player for standing up to someone who is trying to shoved them around.

In Game 2 of the Celtics/Magic series, Eddie House was smacked in the back of his head by Rafer Alston the other night (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QCBLKrEQ278). Eddie had every right to clock Alston and keep going. House wouldn't have missed Rafer - he hit everything he threw at the basket.

Alston was probably ticked off that someone from the Celtics bench was torching him (House scored 31 points and was perfect from behind the arc - four for four). I've watched many of the Celtics' games the past two years and seen Eddie House talk trash almost constantly; it never mattered if he was on fire or ice cold - Eddie was talking. Even if Eddie was trashing Alston, Rafer had no reason to hit House as he was going down the court to the defensive end to guard no one.

In the second game of the Lakers/Rockets series, Kobe Bryant and Ron Artest got into a scuffle. While getting into position for a rebound, Kobe elbowed Artest. From the replays I've seen, if Kobe meant to elbow Artest, he did a good job of making it look accidental.

Each game, especially in the playoffs, has multiple elbows while players are in the paint. They are as common as Oakland Raiders first round draft pick busts. Dikembe Mutombo, known for his sharp elbows and their ability to find the nearest player to him, rearranged more faces than the Nip/Tuck doctors (sorry for all the metaphors - they are flowing quite well right now).

I can't find Kobe's elbow to Artest, but here is the following events - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2aMyyLdRixI. After watching the video, you see what will cause the fight in this series - the throat slash gesture. Artest was immediately tossed from the game and STILL tried to get back in Kobe's face.

Artest has a history of making stupid decisions on and off the court. We all know about the Brawl in Detriot, asking for time off the promote his record label, honoring legendary Chicago Bulls players while playing for their rival Indiana Pacers, etc. But this one takes the cake.

The throat slash is one of the most disrespecting gestures a person can make towards another. I remember watching WCW and seeing Chris Benoit do it all the time but that's scripted - it told a story that he was finishing his opponent. Artest probably really wants to kill Kobe Bryant.

Now, My Fight Prediction - Celtics/Magic or Lakers/Rockets?
Tonight during when the Lakers visit the Rockets for Game 3, there will be a fight. It'll start after a hard foul, someone will say something about someone else momma, and BAM - punches are thrown.

If I'm wrong, I'll get over it and watch one of the UFC PPVs I've ordered in the past.

Thank You Card

2009-05-07T10:19:00.000-07:00

Brett Favre should send Manny Ramirez a "Thank You" card.

Personally, I'm tired of watching, hearing about, and listening to Brett. When I see Brett's face on TV, here is what I hear: I'm retiring BLAH BLAH BLAH Wrangler BLAH BLAH BLAH New York Jets BLAH BLAH BLAH Mississippi High School Football Practices BLAH BLAH BLAH Lawn Mowers BLAH BLAH BLAH Minnesota Vikings BLAH BLAH BLAH Hall of Fame BLAH BLAH BLAH Deanna Favre BLAH BLAH BLAH Brad Childers BLAH BLAH BLAH Real Comfortable Jeans BLAH BLAH BLAH Lorenzo BLAH BLAH BLAH

There was a time when Favre was one of my favorite athletes, regardless of the sport. But he has, once again, hijacked ESPN with his Do I stay retired saga. I'm amazed by how little there is to report, but this "story" still has gotten out of hand, again.

However, Manny Ramirez's news today has saved Favre from my wrath (because I have more for Brett and yes, my wrath is something you want to avoid).

Manny proved to me today that my belief that 90% of baseball players are still juicing is indeed correct. I was initially surprised when I saw that Manny had been suspended scrolling across the bottom line on ESPNEWS. Then I realized something, this isn't a surprise at all anymore.

Manny is known for his antics (Manny Being Manny). Aside from all of those episodes, he quit on the Red Sox last year. When a team contending for a title votes out their best player, which is what the Sox did last year, you begin to realize how bad this guy can be to a team.

Sure, he helps the team win - but at what cost? Is he worth all of the internal stress? Now with his 50 game suspension, is he worth the contract he signed (two years for 45 million)? The Dodgers should make an example out of him. Ship him out, at any cost; either by trade or releasing him. At the very least, send him down to Single A and promote someone else.

I don't buy the I didn't know what was in what I was taking excuse. These guys have more trainers than I have Duke basketball players that I actually sort of like (there are three by the way). They know exactly what goes in.

All in all, the main stream media will forget all about this is a couple of months - no one talks about Rafael Palmeiro anymore (PERIOD) Even Barry Bonds has been removed from the everyday headlines, so this will pass. But until that time passes, Manny is on the hook unless some other nit wit gets caught that "shocks" the sports world.

I don't think he's a Hall of Famer anymore. Most writers/voters will never forgive Manny for this. Just like they will never forgive Rafael Betancourt, Alex Sanchez, and Ryan Franklin either.

Starting Out

2009-05-06T11:38:00.000-07:00

Hello,

My name is Wesley Shell and I had an epiphany today - start a blog about sports.

About Me:
I was born on April 29, 1987. I was saved on August 17, 2003 and announced my call to preach on March 22, 2009. I have a wonderful family and group of friends. I am thankful that God has blessed me like He has. I am a member of a great church with a great pastor.

For the past seven months, I have been dating the most beautiful girl in the world - Carrie Campbell. She has been very supportive in everything I have done. I love her very much ♥.

Favorite Sports Teams:
College Sports - North Carolina Tar Heels
NBA - Boston Celtics (only because of Kevin Garnett)
MLB - Atlanta Braves
NFL - Indianapolis Colts

I'll be using this space to make predictions, give opinions, and blab about pretty much anything. I hope you enjoy.

God Bless
(Isaiah 41:10)