Notable MLB Players Linked to PED's

With David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez reportedly testing positive for steroids in 2003, here is a list of players linked to performance-enhancing drugs. This list is straight from ESPNEWS, meaning no made up names. Use it as a reference, it's in alphabetical order.

Barry Bonds- Implicated

Bret Boone- Implicated

Kevin Brown- Mitchell Report

Ken Caminiti- Admitted

Jose Canseco- Admitted

Roger Clemens- Implicated

Lenny Dykstra- Implicated

Chuck Finley- Implicated

Eric Gagne- Mitchell Report

Jason Giambi- Admitted

Troy Glaus- Implicated

Juan Gonzalez- Implicated

Wally Joyner- Admitted

David Justice- Mitchell Report

Chuck Knoblauch- Mitchell Report

Mark McGwire- Implicated

Magglio Ordonez- Implicated

David Ortiz- Reportedly tested positive

Rafeal Palmeiro- Tested positive

Andy Pettitte- Admitted

Manny Ramirez- Suspended

Brain Roberts- Admitted

Alex Rodriguez- Admitted

Ivan Rodriguez- Implicated

Benito Santiago- Admitted

Gary Sheffield- Admitted

Sammy Sosa- Implicated

Miguel Tejada- Mitchell Report

Mo Vaughn- Mitchell Report

Matt Williams- Implicated

That's a pretty heavy list of very successful players. And remember, there is that last of 98 names that are still not revealed.

Release the Names Please!

Another month, another bombshell in the world of baseball and PED use. According to the New York Times, David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs in 2003. This is the first time that David Ortiz's name is directly related to steroid use. The infamous list of 102 players that tested positive in 2003 was supposed to remain anonymous, however, the leaks have given us 4 of those players. Monthly, we have to go through the same steroid discussions with different players. If baseball continues to let the list remain secret, and having these leaks come out, it will be impossible to move past the steroid era. That is why baseball needs to just release all the names on the list at once, so we can finally move on.

Think about it, this week the baseball headlines should have been trade rumors and deals, who is the World Series favorite after the trades, and other positive stories. Now once again, we are dragged trough this steroid discussion cycle. The same cycle that we went through with Alex Rodriguez, Manny Ramirez, and Sammy Sosa, the other names released on from that list. Sportscenter will be dominated by analysts saying they are not shocked, but a little surprised. Frankly, I'm tired of it, but the ends seems no where near. There is still 98 names on that list that still haven't come out. Instead of having monthly leaks, we need to get this all out, right now.

I find it funny that when someone tests positive for steroids, the public demands that the player tells the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. We need to demand that same standard from baseball. Give us the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, starting with the list of names. Therefore, we'll spend a week yelling and screaming about how negligent baseball was for the span of 10-15 years, and we can debate whether the people on the list deserve to ever make the Hall of Fame. Then after that week, it's over. No more secrets, no more shock, no more outrage.

"Oh, but it's not fair to the other 98 names, they want this list to stay a secret." While it would be unfortunate for those players, I'm convinced that their names would eventually come out anyway, by the leaking process we are currently experiencing. It may not be next month, or the month after that, but one of these days, their name will come out. Then we'll start the round of Sportscenter discussions again. I'm more concerned about the dwindling majority of players that didn't take steroids, but might be concerned that people think their name is on this list. It is also unfair for Alex Rodriguez, David Ortiz, and Manny Ramirez to take all the heat for a group of people who's names are not in the public.

This steroid era has pained baseball for long enough, there needs to be a stop to it. For baseball to completely move on, everything needs to come forth to the public. That all starts with this "anonymous" list of players keeping baseball hostage from moving forward. Baseball needs to take control, and release these names and maybe we can finally put this disturbing era behind us.

Brett Favre Stays Retired

After a prolonged Hamlet-like inner debate, Brett Favre has finally made up his mind, for now. Favre has told the Minnesota Vikings that he plans to remain retired and not join the Vikings for the 2009 season. So, it looks like we have a resolution to one of the biggest annual off-season stories in the NFL. Hopefully, the decision satisfies Favre, someone who gave many priceless moments to NFL fans. Although many fans are elated that they no longer have to hear of Brett Favre, I'm disappointed that we will not see the future Hall of Famer for the 19th season.

Brett Favre to the Minnesota Vikings would have been great for this NFL season. As a neutral fan of the NFL, the more great storylines, the better the league. Seeing Brett Favre in the "enemy purple" after spending 17 years on the Packers would have been great drama. Whether you like Favre or not, most NFL fans would want to see the Vikings fans come to adore the man they hated for over a decade. The same reversal would come from Packers fans, as they would curse the greatest legend the city has ever seen. Then, the fateful day would come, October 5th. That would be the date that the Vikings and the Packers squared off for the first time in 2009. It would be in the Metrodome, imagine the storylines. It's Aaron Rodgers, the up and comer against the man who is the face of the Packers. It would be Brett Favre's chance at a direct shot to Ted Thompson, the GM who kicked him out of Green Bay. Not only would the game have all the angels, but it would also be on Monday Night Football. It's Favre vs. the Packers on center stage, isn't this the reason we like sports?

I also think that, if Favre was willing to grind it out for the entire season, this would be a win-win for the Vikings and Favre. The Vikings have a Super Bowl caliber team at every position on the field, except the most important one. Quarterback play has held this team back ever since Daunte Culpepper was lost for the season against the Panthers in 2005. QB's like Brad Johnson, Gus Frerotte, and Tavaris Jackson have not gotten the job done for a team as talented as Minnesota. Think about it, a team with the best running back in the league, the best run defense in the league, and weapons like Jared Allen rushing the passer, the Vikings should have won a playoff game in the post Culpepper-to-Moss era. It's not like the QB's don't have weapons to throw to, Bernard Berrian is a big-money deep threat that was signed before the 2008 season, and Sidney Rice was a 1st round pick in 2007 with a lot of potential. Clearly, QB is the problem here, and Brett Favre would have been a major upgrade. With him, the Vikings are a legitimate NFC title contender; without him, they will likely struggle to win their division.

For Favre, this could be a better way to end his career. Honestly, Favre was unfairly blamed for the Jets season, when in fact, he made them way better than expected. The Jets were coming off of an abysmal season, where they were not only bad, but also boring. Along came Brett Favre, with a lot of other free agents, and the team had a great start to 2008. At one point, the Jets were at 8-3, and at the top of many expert's power rankings after knocking off the previously unbeaten Titans. Favre was leading the league in completion percentage, and making big plays when he needed to. The Jets faded down the stretch, and Favre was partially to blame for it, but to act like the Favre experiment was a failure for the Jets is ludicrous. Favre did not have an awful season, he had a solid season and struggled at the end. A good final year with Minnesota could have left a better taste in the public's mouth.

Although I wanted to see Favre to the Vikings happen, if Brett wasn't fully committed and had doubts, then it's smart for him to retire. You never want to go into any situation half-hearted, especially with a complete resume' like Favre. It looks like the consecutive start streak record for a QB is set at 269. I just think that the next 16 games with Minnesota could have made the 2009 NFL season better.

Calling for the Doc

By winning the World Series the Philadelphia Phillies revamped the landscape of sports fandom in Philadelphia. Everyone's a little more optimistic when it comes to sports matters now. I'm not going to go so far as to say that Philadelphia fans have become happy-go-lucky optimists (we'll save that for fans in fairweather cities like LA and San Diego.) However, things aren't as miserable as they used to be. The best example being: when football season comes now, it's more a pleasant surprise than a welcome respite from abysmal performances on the diamond. Winning this title means the Phillies now have to do everything in their power to maintain the title of "World Series Champions." If that means going out and sending a blue chip special to Toronto-- do it. Prospects are purely hype, because when they get to the majors it's always a crapshoot. If the Blue Jays want prospects (and they should), then scratch that itch for them. If parting with some guys that could end up being superstars means acquiring arguably the best pitcher in baseball, well...that's just a sacrifice I think that everyone rooting for the Phillies would be willing to make.

Why does dumping Halladay make sense for the Blue Jays? If you're unfamiliar with the situation you might not know that Roy Halladay is due to become a free agent after the 2010 season. Odds are when that day comes, it'll be the end for Halladay and the Blue Jays, since it seems unlikely that they will be able to pay Halladay what he will demand in the open market. This seems especially true when they play in a league where teams are allowed to throw money around like nobody's business (except Pac Man Jones, maybe.) So instead of letting Halladay go and receiving a few compensational draft picks for him, they should trade for prospects who have at least shown some promise. They're not sure-fire winners (no prospect is), but it beats extra draft picks. In this case they have direct control over who they are acquiring, where there is a lot more guesswork to be done in a draft. J.A. Happ is throwing well at the MLB level, and seems ike he could be a solid middle rotation guy for years to come. It makes sense that the Blue Jays would want him to help bolster what is, beyond Halladay and Ricky Romero, a pretty poor rotation. In the current offer the Phillies have on the table, they would also be sending the Jays prospects Michael Taylor, Jason Donald, and Carlos Carrasco. While Toronto isn't exactly thrilled by the assortment of prospects Philly offered here, it's better than ending up like the Twins and trading a Cy Young winner for 35 cents on the Dollar. The Jays have it bad for Phillies pitching prospect Kyle Drabek, who is widely regarded as the best prospect in the game, as well they should. Teams in the Blue Jays' position should have a strong affection towards prospects, because the future is more important than their dreary present-day situation.

That was a long paragraph.

Why would the Phillies want to part with all of these prospects? This is tricky. You want to do everything you can to defend your title without absolutely crippling your team for the future. Some teams like the Yankees never have to worry about this, because they have bottomless wallets. However, if you are not the Yankees, Red Sox, or Mets, you have to be a little more prudent with your green. Yeah, the Phillies are absolutely printing money right now with all of the sell-outs and World Series merchandise sales on top of the run-of-the-mill Phillies merchandise sales. However, they're still not in the same league economically as the aforementioned financial behemoths. The Phillies need to do this deal now. If it means giving up guys that appear to be future stars-- do it. They're in a perfect situation right now, none of the prospects they're offering in the deal are guys with MLB experience, therefore we don't know how they'll react to the Show. It affects everyone differently. Though JP Ricciardi, GM of the Toronto Blue Jays doesn't want to end up pulling an awful Minnesota/New York Johan deal, it doesn't mean that he has to make the deal by this year's deadline. He's got Halladay under contract for all of next season too. He's got the entire off-season to trade him, and he can make a deal at next year's deadline with a team looking to make a push for the title. (See: Sabathia to Brewers, Beltran to Astros.) What matters for the Phillies is to worry about winning right now. Nobody on the block gives you a better chance of doing that than Roy Halladay.

People might ask (though I'd wholeheartedly disagree with them): Why not wait until the off-season to trade for him, or wait until next year's deadline when the Blue Jays are more susceptible to make a bad deal. They don't know what's going to happen next year, it adds an element of the unknown to the deal for the Phillies, which they don't have if they make the deal by this year's deadline. They know how Halladay is pitching this year, and are getting an absolute tangible asset in this deal, whereas everything Toronto is getting is largely unproven. They know how he's pitching right now, and know that getting him means making themselves the odds-on favorites to win the NL pennant for the second year in a row. Making the deal right now makes sense for both teams. It doesn't make sense for Ricciardi to wait when he may never get a package this big, and it doesn't make sense for the Phillies to wait and let added variables enter into the equation. So I say make the deal now, and ride Halladay into the depths of October and increase your odds, vastly, of repeating as World Series Champions.

Gambling vs. PED Use: The Hall of Fame Debate

The New York Daily News reported on Tuesday that MLB commissioner Bud Selig was considering lifting the ban on Pete Rose, the sport's all-time hit leader. Doing this would make him eligible to be voted into the Hall of Fame. ESPN is reporting that Rose's status remains the same, and that this report isn't true. Anyway, with Pete Rose's Hall of Fame chances are up for debate once again, I think we have a larger issue to discuss in baseball. With more, and more players from the "steroid era" on the ballot each year, and the thought of Rose gaining Hall of Fame eligibility, it is time to think about what is the more sinful act within baseball. Is it gambling on the sport of baseball, or using performance-enhancing drugs? We might find out within the next 5 years.

I say within the next 5 years, because in that timeframe we will have the ultimate showdown between performance-enhancing drugs and the Hall of Fame committee, which in essence is the governing body of legacy. Barry Bonds will be up for judgment. The parallels between Bonds and Rose are strikingly similar. One is the all-time home-run leader, while the other is the all-time hit leader. Both are locks for the Hall of Fame if it were solely based on on-field performance. However, both are the face of the infraction that they may, or may not have committed. Bonds has the steroid cloud, while Rose bet on baseball as a manager. I will be extremely interested to see who gets in the Hall of Fame first. I think the answer to the question of which is the bigger baseball infraction will be answered by who gets in first.

With this in mind, I would let Bonds in the Hall of Fame before Pete Rose, because I think PED use is a lesser sin than gambling. Both infractions do ruin the integrity of the game, and lessen the purity of the sport. However, while Bonds was cheating, he was making himself better, therefore the team better. What Pete Rose did was shameful, and was nothing more the disrespectful to the game of baseball. Rose thought he was bigger than the game by gambling on his team, whether he was betting for or against his team is irrelevant. That is why the worst scandals in sports are point shaving scandals. If fans believe that what they are watching is pre-determined, it can cause the downfall of the sport. People in position to determine the outcome of games cannot gamble on the results, period. For this reason, David Stern called the Tim Donaghy betting probe, "the worst situation that I have ever experienced."

Baseball is about to approach a sort of judgement day, where one after another Hall of Fame ballot will be debated and scrutinized, not for their on-field worthiness, but the methods they used to become Hall-of-Fame worthy. Meanwhile, the Pete Rose issue will not go away. Decisions will likely come down to declaring what is the lesser of the baseball evils. If it was up to you, who would you let in first, Bonds or Rose?

3 Up 3 Down: Week of 7/20-7/26

Every week (probably on Sunday nights or Monday mornings), we will have a 3 up and 3 down post. 3 up and 3 down is designed to highlight the people, teams, and other aspects of sports that had good weeks, or bad weeks.

3 UP

• Mark Buehrle- The rule of R2S: If you throw a no-hitter, you make it on this list. First, Jonathan Sanchez, and now Mark Buehrle. Buehrle not only threw a no-hitter, he pitched a perfect game. He is one of only 18 pitchers to throw a perfect game. Also, his perfect game was his second career no-hitter. He joins the elite company of Randy Johnson, Sandy Kofax, Jim Bunning, Joseph Aldie, and Cy Young as the only pitchers to throw 2 no-hitters with one perfect game.
• DeWayne Wise- A Wise man once told me how to preserve a perfect game. Alright, that was cheesy, but the fact remains that DeWayne Wise was the hero of the perfect game with that home-run saving catch in the top of the 9th. He was so good that President Obama mispronounced his name at the Chicago rally after the game (he said it like Weiss). Well, you know you're doing something right if the President tries to say your name.
• Leif Olsen- For this:

3 Down

• Baltimore Ravens Receivers- I thought that Derrick Mason's retirement was shocking and would be tough to overcome. Obviously, the Ravens thought the same way, and signed Drew Bennett to help replace that void. Then a couple days later, Drew Bennett also retired. Maybe one, or both of them will change their mind, but as of now Joe Flacco has limited weapons.
• Michael Vick- If you thought being in jail for over a year and not playing in the NFL for two seasons was enough, you were wrong. ESPN is reporting that Roger Goodell will likely suspend Vick anywhere between 2 and 6 games, but likely 4. Vick is free o sign with a team and attend training camp, but he will not play in a meaningful NFL game until at least week 5.
• Steve Spurrier- How many of you believe that it was a "mistake" that he voted Tim Tebow 2nd among SEC QB's. Spurrier is way too smart to let something like that happen. There is a reason he didn't vote Tebow All-SEC 1st team, and it's not that an assistant coach filled out the ballot. However, The Ol' Ball Coach did not back up his reason, and has taken a hit for it.

T.J. Houshmandzadeh vs. Madden 10

As silly as it sounds, an NFL player's Madden video game rating is extremely important to them. It is the ultimate showcase of how the public views your on field performance. That is why players are so obsessed with it, because many people will believe that the slowest player in Madden is the slowest player in the NFL. Also, players are usually built to believe that they are the best, it is just part of the make up of a professional athlete. Therefore, when they see themselves in Madden, they are usually disappointed when they are not a 99 in every single category. The latest player to voice their displeasure is new Seahawks receiver T.J, Houshmandzadeh.

Houshmandzadeh was on ESPN Radio's "The Herd" earlier this week where he said he was boycotting Madden until they "fix" his rating. After hearing this, ESPN First Take set up a meeting between two designers of Madden (Ian Cummings and Donny Moore), and T.J. Houshmandzadeh for them to air out their differences. Here is the interview.

Great Job Donny Moore for not backing down to Houshmandzadeh complaining about his speed rating. Athletes are always speaking about being disrespected in the game, but in this case, Houshmandzadeh is speaking without knowing the facts of Madden 10. He is obviously upset that his speed rating has sunk to an 82, and he feels that is extremely slow for a WR. In Madden 10, the ratings are "scaled back" this year, meaning that they are using the entire rating scale this year, making the difference between the average and elite greater. Moore had a perfect example of this new rating system, when he said in previous Madden games, CB's were never slower than an 87. This year, a Pro Bowl CB Ronde Barber has the speed of 82. Therefore, think of 82 as the new 87.

While Houshmandzadeh might be upset about how slow he is in Madden, he will be pleased that he will not be any slower than any of the players he was faster than last year. Madden will just play slower than it has in previous games. It is not a situation of Madden hating Houshmandzadeh, in fact, a 91 is a solid rating for a Madden player this season. Consider this, the best QB on the Vikings roster is a 68. In past years, a 68 would be a rating for a 3rd string QB. Heck, 2008 cover boy Vince Young is a 68. A 68 used to be saved for the awful players, and now some fringe starters have that rating.

In related news, the Madden 10 Gamestop Exclusive Demo was released this week. The game is Super Bowl XLIII between the Cardinals and Steelers, and features both of the cover athletes. My first observation from playing the demo is how much slower this game plays than previous versions. It will take some time to get used to it, but I think it makes the game run much smoother. The presentation is the biggest improvement, although there is no commentary in the demo. However, the cut scenes and information graphics are the best since ESPN NFL 2k5. It is really adds to the experience when you have a TV-style presentation to the game. The countdown continues until August 14th, the release of Madden 10.

Today, Perfection is Spelled "B-U-E-H-R-L-E"

I'm a sports fan. Above being a Colts and Senators fan, I am a sports fan. So when something truly transcendant happens, it is especially moving. After all, the greatest moments in sports are all about transcendence. Fans of every team in the NFL (other than the Patriots) celebrated when David Tyree made "The Catch." Why? Eli Manning overcame immense pressure in the pocket, threw an absolute prayer, and David Tyree, a fringe receiver who found himself in the right place at the right time secured the ball between his glove and his helmet, and kept the New York Giants' Super Bowl dreams alive. When Jonathan Sanchez was throwing his No-Hitter a couple weeks ago, everyone was rooting for this pitcher who had recently been demoted to the bullpen suddenly finding himself, throwing what should have been a perfect game, if not for an error in the 8th inning. Great moments in sports captivate you, but they are even better when they involve the likes of Tyree or Sanchez, because they aren't superstars. They're the Everymen in the sports world of Ubermen. What I saw from Mark Buehrle today cemented him in my sports memory for the rest of time. I was not fortunate enough to see his no-hitter, but I did get to see the unforgettable 9th inning, and trust me, I will never forget it.

What does it all mean? Mark Buehrle is the kind of guy we'd like all professional athletes to be. He's not a showboater, he doesn't get his name in the paper for indiscretions off the field. He plays the game, and above all, he is more than simply a baseball player. He has recently stated that he wants to be a father above being a baseball player. He's perfectly content with finishing out his current contract, and leaving the game of baseball to be a significant part of his kids' lives. When was the last time you heard Terrell Owens say that? I truly wish there were more Mark Buehrles in the world of sports, because it would mean for more great moments like this.

Sidenote: Mark Buehrle, Randy Johnson, Sandy Koufax, Jim Bunning, Cy Young, Nolan Ryan, only modern Major League Baseball players with 2 or more no hitters. That's some pretty impressive company to be in. To just give you some perspective, Mark Bueherle was considered a throw-in in a recent trade in my fantasy baseball league, because the numbers he puts up aren't incredible, on a day-to-day basis. However, he has moments where he rises above the conditions, and becomes something bigger than baseball, like he did today, in throwing a perfect game, and like he did a few seasons ago in throwing a no-hitter.

People have described Buehrle's game as one that isn't overpowering. He's not going to blow you away with 98 mph heat. Instead, he plays "Baseball Lite" and gets everyone through the game in about 2 hours, dusts himself off, and prepares himself for the next start. All of this is coming from a guy who isn't even playing his best (or so we thought) baseball at this stage of his career. He doesn't walk a ton of batters, being in the top 10 pitchers in walks per nine innings 5 times over the last 10 years. Buehrle's numbers over his career are above average, but they are nothing that really grabs your attention until you look at the list of players he's in the company of in throwing multiple no hitters. Mark Buehrle just seems to have "It," in that some times he just can't be touched when he takes the hill, and July 23rd was one of those times.

All of that transcendence is great, it makes a great backdrop for the story. The 9th inning is what people are going to remember about that game. A full count strike out, a running-into-the-wall snowcone catch, dropped, and then caught again by Dwayne Wise , and finally a groundout to Alexei Ramirez that allowed everyone to be able to breathe again, and celebrate what truly was a great achievement. This game helped me realize that rooting for a pitcher in the 9th inning of a perfect game is possibly the most captivating moment on the field of play in any sport. You are living and dying with every pitch. Every ball he throws is one step closer to imperfection, and every strike he throws inches him closer to immortality. This is never more magnified than, obviously, in the 9th inning. I think there may have been some Rays fans that were actually, deep down, rooting for Buehrle to do this when it came to the 9th inning. It's an incredible moment that everyone wants to celebrate and be a part of. It's a moment I consider myself lucky to have been a part of.

You know what's great about all of this? I watched the 9th inning of the game, and it was captivating. It was a moment of greatness. I got right on my laptop and started writing this post. I needed to give my brother a ride to baseball practice, so I had to take a break from writing this. I put my shoes on, walked out to the car, turned it on, and the radio came on, as it always did. As I pulled out of my driveway, I realized "Perfect Situation," by Weezer was playing. You just can't make moments like that up. It's days like these, in the dead of July, when baseball hasn't quite reached the heat of the pennant race, and when none of the other sports are in action, I remember how great it really is to be a sports fan. Thank you, Mark Buehrle.

ESPN Ignoring the Ben Roethlisberger Story

If ESPN is your sole source for sports information, then this story may seem like a shock, although it has been reported on some other media outlets over the past week. Andrea McNulty, a Harrah's employee at Lake Tahoe, alleges that Ben Roethlisberger sexually assaulted her in July of 2008. However, no criminal charges have been filed, only a civil suit was filed over the weekend. The details of the compliant filed by McNulty are pretty disturbing, if you want to read them (and to have a better understanding of my post), visit this post on profootballtalk.com. My post is not going to be about whether you believe McNulty, or whether you believe Roethlisberger is guilty. This post is about ESPN's decision to try to, for lack of a better word, cover this up.

Word that a civil suit was filed broke on Monday, and as I am writing this (Wednesday 9:30pm), not a single mention of this story on NFL Live, Sportscenter, Around the Horn, PTI, or anything. ESPN has buried this story from any of their television program. But, this story is out there, and news networks like Fox News, MSNBC have been reporting it. The Associated Press, Yahoo, and CBS sports have had updates on this story. This story is so big that TMZ has been involved in some of the updating of this story. But nothing from ESPN, not even a mention.

Wednesday's Philadelphia Inquirer had an article by John Gonzalez about ESPN's lack of involvement with this story. In that article, an ESPN spokesperson said, "At this point, we are not reporting the allegations against Ben Roethlisberger because no criminal complaint has been filed. As far as we know, this is a civil lawsuit that Roethlisberger has yet to address publicly."

However, John Gonzalez correctly points out that since when has an athlete's silence, or lack of cooperation stopped ESPN from covering a story? And as for Roethlisberger not addressing this issue publicly, his lawyer said (on Ben's behalf) that "Ben has never sexually assaulted anyone; especially Andrea McNulty,". Also, Steelers spokesman Dave Lockett acknowledged the situation to a TV station on Monday by saying, "We are aware of the allegations but cannot comment on the specifics of the case." This sounds like addressing this civil suit publicly.

Pro Football Talk correctly reminded its viewers that ESPN once swayed from its supposed policy of no reporting on civil cases without a criminal complaint in the case of the shooting that allegedly involved former Colts receiver Marvin Harrison. ESPN was all over this story from the start, with Sal Palantonio reporting. Why isn't the Roethlisberger story being treated like the Harrison story? There might be internal debate as to "why" at ESPN.

According to John Gonzalez's article, an ESPN source told him, "People were going insane. Fox News was doing the story. The AP had it. And they wouldn't even let us mention it. You can't ignore the story. It needs to be on SportsCenter. It makes us look bad. It's not a topic for discussion, but you have to acknowledge that it's being reported, that the story exists."

I 100% agree with the statement. You may not have to debate this on ATH, or PTI, but as "The Worldwide Leader in Sports", you have a responsibility to your audience to report the facts of the case. It makes it seem like ESPN has an agenda beyond giving sports fans the latest news and information in sports. There are some reasons why ESPN may not want Ben Roethlisberger to take a PR hit. First of all, last weekend ESPN ran an exclusive interview with Ben Roethlisberger. Maybe they didn't want to damage the credibility of that. Also, ABC (also owned by Disney, which owns ESPN) will air a reality show that features Shaq taking on athletes at their own sport. One of the episodes includes Shaq taking on Big Ben in a passing competition.

I do not know what ESPN is trying to accomplish by burying this issue. They seem to be the only sports and news media outlet ignoring this issue. Plenty of people on ESPN chastised Nike for covering up the video of Lebron James getting dunked on. Now, it looks like ESPN is guilty of something similar, except no one really seems to know why.

Update: ESPN.com has posted a news blurb about the Ben Roethlisberger on their NFL page headlined "No criminal look at Roethlisberger allegations". Also, ESPN TV has an item on the bottom line mentioning the same thing. Still, I haven't heard anything from the ESPN reporters.

Update #2: On Thursday morning, ESPN has acknowledged the story, and are carrying the Ben Roethlisberger press conference. Also, they have mentioned this story on their shows like OTL and Sportsnation.

The Michael Vick Redemption Tour

I think dogfighting is absolutely, indefensibly, reprehensibly awful, therefore, Michael Vick got what he deserved. I think it's wrong of people to say that after serving his prison sentence, Mike needs to serve an additional suspension handed down from Commissioner Roger Goodell. Mike spent two years away from the game while doing time in a federal prison. Now people feel that he needs to be suspended another year or more while he's not doing time.

You may say that I'm comparing apples and oranges here, but I'd like to bring a couple other controversial issues to the table, in which athletes received no additional punishment other than that which had been handed down to them by courts of law in the United States of America. You know, the people whose job it is to determine what punishments fit the crimes that athletes commit off the field of play. I understand that yes, the commissioner's job entails him to make disciplinary decisions, but I don't think that they should be able to upstage a court of law.

In September of 2003 the Ferrari Dany Heatley was driving crashed into a wall, killing his teammate Dan Snyder. It was later discovered that Dany was driving his car under the influence of alcohol, though not above the legal limit. Be that as it may, Dany Heatley pleaded guilty to second degree vehicular homicide, and was handed down 3 years' probation, and wasn't allowed to drive a car that exceeded 70 miles per hour. Due to the injuries Heatley received in the accident he didn't play until January of 2004 (that same season), and appeared in 31 games for the Atlanta Thrashers. Let me repeat: Dany Heatley was responsible for the death of a teammate, and continued playing hockey that same season. Mike Vick-dogfighting ring (not condoning it, just putting it there for comparison's sake)- 2.5 years in prison. And people want Goodell to add onto that suspension?

In February of 2004, it was discovered that Jamal Lewis was involved in trafficking cocaine. Lewis was sentenced to four months in prison, which fell during the NFL off-season, and he was ordered to serve an additional 4 game sentence. Now, Michael Vick has missed 2 seasons of NFL football due to the prison sentence. Lewis would have missed no NFL action, and essentially wouldn't have seen any punishment from his league, so it was kind of necessary for the punishment to be handed down. If Lewis would have served his sentence during the NFL season, he would have probably been allowed to come back whenever his sentence ended.

What would the NFL have to gain by suspending Michael Vick additionally? People say that this is an image issue with the NFL. Well, if that's the case, what was the NBA thinking while allowing Kobe Bryant to play basketball during his rape trial? Yes, he ended up being innocent, but it's still not a situation that is going to do wonders for their image. Mike Vick has paid his debt to society, I don't see what the NFL has to gain by adding on to Mike Vick's suspension. Have we really gone that far as a society that we're not willing to grant people second chances? Let Michael Vick come back and re-gain all of our respect as an athlete. Let him prove himself as a man, too. I just know that I don't want to consider myself part of a society where we are so cold-hearted that we are not willing to grant a human being a second chance after making a mistake. I know that we, if we found ourselves in his position, would ask the same of society. I surely hope that Roger Goodell thinks the same way, and allows Michael Vick a chance to redeem himself, both on and off the field.

Update: A source tells ESPN that Roger Goodell will grant Michael Vick "conditional reinstatement" that will allow him to attend training camp with an NFL team, but he will be suspended for the first 4 games.

PS: My last 3 entries have been pretty negative, you can be sure that the next one will be much more upbeat and lighthearted. I mean, I feel like I'm turning into Bob Ley and Roger Cossack roled into one.

3 Up and 3 Down; Week of 7/13-7/19

Every week (probably on Sunday nights or Monday mornings), we will have a 3 up and 3 down post. 3 up and 3 down is designed to highlight the people, teams, and other aspects of sports that had good weeks, or bad weeks.


3 UP

• Prince Fielder- One of the premier power hitters in the NL, Prince Fielder defeated two local players en route to winning the 2009 State Farm Home Run Derby. There really wasn't any monster round during the derby, but it seemed to take forever. Prince Fielder defeated the little-known Nelson Cruz in the finals
• Tom Watson- Watson's story is well documented in the previous post. One thing that I had to disagree with that an announcer of the British Open said was that Tom Watson's legacy wouldn't change because of this tournament, and Stewart Cink's (the Open Champion) would. I think that in the eyes of my generation, Tom Watson became more of a legend than he previously was. Many more people are aware of his accomplishments today than they were last week.
• Richard Gasquet- A bizarre story in the tennis world happened this week as Richard Gasquet had his suspension taken away for testing positive for cocaine. His excuse? He kissed a girl in a nightclub that used cocaine, and he must have ingested it. Again, this story worked, and he avoided the suspension. Hopefully, the person in charge of this reversal will be my english professor next year. Dang, the dog ate my paper again.

3 Down

• Jeremy Mayfield- Another drug related story, this time, a bad one. Jeremy Mayfield, after declaring he was innocent, tested positive again for methamphetamine. Now, Mayfield is insisting that NASCAR is out to get him, and he is being set up. The situation became more ugly when Mayfield's mother-in-law became involved and mentioned that she has seen Mayfield use methamphetamine many times. Mayfield then said to reports that his stepmother is a "whore" and a "gold digger". Ugly situation here.
• Tiger Woods- For the first time in 3 years, and only the second time as a member of the PGA Tour, Tiger Woods missed the cut at a major tournament. The hole that was symbolic of Tiger's tournament was hole 10 on Friday, where he doubled bogeyed after hitting his tee shot into the heavy rough. A five minute search yielded no results, and he had to take an out of bounds. Three majors since the injury, and no victories, yet, we have seen 3 great tournaments. Maybe golf is bigger than Tiger Woods after all.
• The NL- This is an embarrassment, how can you call yourselves all-stars, or even professionals and not beat one team in 13 tries. The team has had different players, players haves switched leagues, yet no wins for the National League over the American League. Now that "this one counts" this game has had more meaning, and the NL has had poor records in the World Series, maybe based on this.

Still Hasn't Cinked In

AP Photo (John Super)

British Open 2009 had everything a golf fan could want, well, except Tiger Woods for the weekend. Although much was made on Friday as Tiger missed the cut, that will only be a mere footnote when we look back at this tremendous Open Championship. The other "TW" will be the player remembered, Tom Watson finished in 2nd place after having a huge chance to give us one of the best sports stories of all time.

Golf is a sport that gives you the drama of the most tense situations of any sport on a routine basis, especially in majors. That is why I think the back 9 of a major is the best thing that happens on the sports calendar, All three of the majors this year has been the equivalent of a player on the free-throw line with his team down by one in basketball, or a two minute drive for the win in football, or a shootout in hockey, or a closer trying to get the final out in baseball. I think you get the point, all of these situations are tense, and this is the reason we watch. In golf, we have had three championship level tense moments this year, and once again someone couldn't come through.

First on the list, The Masters, where Kenny Perry, at 48 years old, emerged to be a crowd favorite, amongst the Woods-Mickelson pairing when he held a lead going into the back 9, and a 2 shot lead with 2 holes to play. But, a bogey-bogey finish after 22 straight holes without a bogey forced him into a playoff with Angel Cabrera and Chad Campbell. In the playoff, Angel Cabrera won the hole and got to wear the green jacket. In the U.S. Open, Ricky Barnes at one point had a score of -12, and a 5 stroke lead. In the final day, Barnes fell apart, shooting a 76 and falling out of contention, giving Lucas Glover the U.S. Open title. And finally, the Britsih Open, probably the most disappointing of all, Tom Watson missed a par putt on the 18th hole for the win, and eventually lost in a 4-hole playoff to Stewart Cink.

This was heartbreaking, because this could have been the best, Tiger-less golf story that my generation has ever seen. Watson was playing the best, using his craftiness to make up for his lack of strength off the tee. He knew how to play the course, I guess 59 years and 5 British Open titles helps with that aspect. After birding 17 , it hit him on 18. Can I really win this tournament? All I need to do is sink this 10 foot putt and I would be the most incredible story in golf history. This isn't a layup, but it is a putt that he has made many times during this Open. As soon as he struck the ball, Watson knew it was off target. Watching it on replay, you could tell he rushed the putt, and it never really had a chance. After that, maybe it was his age, maybe it was his confidence, but he never had his rhythm in the 4 playoff holes. Stewart Cink took didn't make mistakes and won.

Watson said after the tournament that, "It will tear at my gut... it would have been a hell of a story". Maybe it won't win an ESPY next year, but many great things have come from Watson's amazing run. First of all, many more people will have an appreciation for the history of golf. It is refreshing to have a reminder that Tiger Woods did not invent golf. We had many great golfers, and tournaments before him. Even before the tournament, ESPN ran a story on the 1977 British Open at Turnberry, where Tom Watson upstaged Jack Nicholas in one of the best golf tournaments of all time. Each day after Watson remained in contention, they played that story. I think that is great for the sport of golf, people need to appreciate the history of the game to completely understand the context of what they are watching. Another positive outcome from this tournament was that this in inspiration for other older golfers. I guarantee you that plenty of older people were watching this tournament and decided that they were going to go into the attic, dust of the old clubs, and start golfing again. Look out at your local country club.

Rick Riley and Mike Tirico (Syracuse Class of '88) of ABC/ESPN over the air said something that sums it up best. "Thank You Tom Watson". As he put in his final put on the 4th playoff hole, everyone knew what he meant. Thank you for giving us a story in a Tiger-less weekend. Thank you for giving us a flashback of what golf used to be. Thank you for being another example of the reason we watch sports. However, we are all left wondering what would have been.

NL East, Meet J.A. Happ

(Image courtesy AP/Tom Mihalek)

Is his name J.A., Jay, or something else? No matter what his name is, J.A. Happ, the Phillies' 26-year old lefty, just continues to win.

Sound exaggerated?

Not really. He is 6-0 so far this season, and just moments ago left the Phillies/Marlins game with a 4-0 lead behind seven shutout innings. As Phillies' broadcaster Tom McCarthy so astutely pointed out, this was the fifth straight start for Happ where he went seven innings or further. And to think that at the beginning of this season, he lost the battle for the fifth starting pitcher slot to Chan Ho Park (and I think we all know how that ended up.)

Ever since Happ took over, he has been nothing short of masterful in his 10 outings. His WHIP prior to Sunday's outing (walks/hits per inning) is a remarkable 1.17, and with the exception of his first outing, where his pitch count was being watched closely, he has gone at least 5 1/3 innings in every start. He has given up no more than 5 earned runs in any of said starts, either.

What is his formula, anyway? There is no way a pitcher with a 90 MPH fastball at its best and a changeup and a curveball should have this much success, the average fan probably thinks. He also only has 61 strikeouts in 87 innings prior to Sunday. What on earth could he be doing to have so much success?

Many within the Phillies organization have attributed J.A's success to his ability to hide the baseball so well in his glove that batters can't pick up on the ball until it's halfway to them, at times. He also has a "poker face" on the mound, as manager Charlie Manuel stated in an analogy, citing Happ's great mindset and quiet confidence.

So let's review. 16 career starts. 1 career loss. One loss in sixteen outings is sensational for ANY starting pitcher, let alone a rookie. Would it really be worth potentially packaging Happ in a deal for Roy Halladay? The jury is out on that decision, but with his success, Happ must be a piece the Phillies would be reluctant to lose.

So, NL East batters, if you haven't met him yet, this is J.A. Happ, the pitcher who just doesn't lose.

Tom Watson Steals the Show

(Getty Images)

I woke up this morning, and immediately turned on the TV to TNT. I knew that I would probably miss Tiger's entire round, so I wanted to look at how the course was playing, and the leaderboard. At first, I thought I must have had the wrong channel, beautiful sunny day, barely any wind, doesn't seem like the British Open I know. Then I look at the leaderboard. At the top, it says "T. Watson -5 65". No, you can't be serious, not that T. Watson, he has to be like 60 years old. It has to be some other T. Watson, not the 5 time Open champ. It can't be the guy who went head-to-head against Jack Nicholas at the British Open in 1977 at Turnberry, in which Nicholas later called "the best tournament I played and lost." Then TNT flashes the reel that recaps the action from earlier, and indeed it was Tom Watson who had the stellar first round.

In favorable conditions, many older players had solid rounds, but no story is greater than Tom Watson who is in 2nd place after the first round of play, at the age of 59. This comes one year after the tremendous story of Greg Norman, at the age of 53, leading the Open Championship after 54 holes. We all know that being at the top of the leaderboard on Thursday does not mean you will be even in the hunt on Sunday, but what a tremendous start for Watson.

Let's think hypothetically, what if Watson can ascend and win this tournament, and capture his 6th British Open title. That would be one of the greatest stories in sports history. You rarely get a chance in sports to have a huge name like this, and someone this accomplished be an underdog. This is sort of like Magic Johnson coming back to the NBA and leading the Lakers to a title, or Pete Sampras coming out of retirement to beat Roger Federer in the Wimbledon Final. Maybe golf is a slightly different game, and older players have more of a chance to compete, but the fact that he had this kind of round against Tiger and the rest of the field (that beats Tiger 71% of the time) is something special.

After the round, Watson admitted that he wasn't sure if he could handle the pressure later in the tournament. One could imagine that it would be hard for a man at 59 years old to play 3 more strong rounds of golf, especially if the winds pick up and the rain starts to fall as expected. Although Tiger had a bad first round (again), look for him to make a charge as the weekend starts. However, count me in as one of the people who would like to see this tremendous story come true.

Frozen Fenway Fireworks in the Future

After three weeks of waiting out the inevitable, it was finally announced Wednesday afternoon, by NHL commissioner Gary Bettman, that the 2010 Winter Classic would match the Boston Bruins and the Philadelphia Flyers from historic Fenway Park in downtown Boston.

Speculation early last month indicated that the game potentially could have pitted the Bruins against Alexander Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals, but NBC reportedly informed NHL officials that ratings would be higher if the Flyers were included in the game. Whether or not this is the reason the Flyers were chosen is up for argument, but the decision is final nonetheless.

The NHL kept the baseball park theme for the location, after witnessing the wonderful success of the 2009 game between the Detroit Red Wings and Chicago Blackhawks at Wrigley Field in the Windy City.

This game rekindles an old rivalry from the 1970s. The Bruins and Flyers had many great battles in that decade, including the memorable 1974 Stanley Cup Finals, where Flyers netminder Bernie Parent stole the show and helped the Flyers reach their goal of winning their first Stanley Cup.

Even in recent years, the Philly/New England rivalry has been furious on the ice. In 2007, an innocent looking hit by Randy Jones on Patrice Bergeron placed the Bruins forward on injured reserve for the remainder of that season, and his poor reaction to Jones' apologies only fueled the fire between the two clubs.

Talent wise, this game will feature many of the most underrated players in the game. The Flyers' young corps of Mike Richards, Jeff Carter, Claude Giroux and company, coupled with big bruising defenseman Chris Pronger, will go up against Boston and the likes of Marc Savard, David Krejci, Bergeron, and their own bruising d-man Zdeno Chara, the reigning Norris Trophy winner for best defenseman in the league.

The Bruins took home the NHL Eastern Conference's regular season title a year ago, and the Flyers are still left with a bitter taste in their mouth from their first round playoff defeat at the hands of the Pittsburgh Penguins.

For two cities with such storied histories in all sports, a Winter Classic pitting the two against one another is bound to be a lifetime memory for all those associated with the clubs, from management and players, to just merely the 40,000 or so who will be on hand to see the game.

Ticket information will be announced in the weeks to come, but for Boston and Philadelphia, the countdown is already on to New Years, and an extra special celebration to ring in a new decade.

Much more on this as the date draws closer. This blogger will even have thoughts from Boston that memorable day.

Photo courtesy flyers.nhl.com

British Open Preview: Tiger vs. The Field

On Thursday, the third major of the golf season will be underway by the time we wake up. Most of the best golfers in the world will be at Turnberry for the prestigious British Open, the birthplace of golf. One major golfer will be absent from the tournament, Phil Mickelson had decided to skip the British Open to be with his wife and mother who both have breast cancer. Without Mickelson in the tournament, and with Tiger Woods coming off of a win at the AT&T National, cue the Tiger Woods or the field argument. While this type of debate might be interesting to watch on Around The Horn or PTI, realistically, this is not a smart argument.

Don't get me wrong, I do not think Tiger is overrated. In fact, if you forced me to pick my favorite athlete, Tiger Woods would be the choice. Also, if you were to get $100 for picking the winner of any golf tournament, you would be crazy not to pick Tiger. But, to make it like it is a 50-50 chance that Tiger Woods will win any tournament, especially the British Open is just as crazy. Looking back at the history of Tiger, it has never been that way in major tournaments.

I think people underestimate how hard it is to win a major golf tournament, and how rare Tiger Woods, the best golfer ever, actually wins majors. He wins majors at a tremendously higher rate than any other golfer, but what exactly is the rate that Tiger Woods wins majors? Well, he has competed in 48 majors as a member of the PGA Tour, and has won exactly 14. That is only a 29% win percentage, which is exceptional and so much better than anyone else, but not the 50% win percentage that you would assume if you watched the sports talk shows before majors.

So, entering the British Open, I would give Tiger at least a 29% chance to win, maybe even a little more. With no Mickelson, Tiger's odds slightly increase. Also, the fact that the British Open is at Turnberry this year also helps his chances. Although he has never seen this course, the Turnberry has had a great history for someone like Tiger. The previous 3 times that the Open was held at Turnberry, the #1 ranked player in the world has won. These facts may increase Tiger's odds to somewhere around 35%, which is again phenomenal, but not really close to 50-50.

The British Open is known for having the undiscovered players compete near the top of the leader board, which opens the playing field. I would give Tiger Woods triple the chance to win than I would give any other golfer this weekend. But when this Tiger vs the field debate is going on, think of you at a casino, with $1,000 on the line. Are you taking the 35% chance, or the 65% chance? That's what I thought.

Bettman & Selig's Salaries a Disgrace

Given: We are in a borderline-catastrophic economic downturn right now.

It seems kind of disgusting to split hairs over who has it worst in the world of multi-million dollar ballplayers. However, we still continue to pay their salaries by watching their ballgames on television, going to the games in person, and buying their merchandise. So I don't think anyone really has any room to complain as long as they keep supporting their team. After all, where do they want the teams to pour all that money those players are bringing in? Professional sports teams are oftentimes involved in community service projects, where they actually use some of the money they make to help the communities around them. It's only fair that the players you pay to watch get paid with the money you spend to watch them.

That being said, I've discovered a pretty big problem in the salaries of commissioners Gary Bettman and Bud Selig, who made $7.1 million and $18 million respectively. Let me put this in perspective for you. Here are the salaries of the four major sports commissioners in America:

1.) Bud Selig (MLB): $18.35 million
2.) Roger Goodell (NFL): $8.25 million
3.) David Stern(NBA): $8 million
4.) Gary Bettman(NHL): $7.1 million

Here's how much revenue each league brought in last year:

1.) MLB: $6.2 Billion
2.) NFL: $6.0 Billion
3.) NBA: $3.2 Billion
4.) NHL: $2.5 Billion

Therefore, the following reflects how much each commish is paid in relation to the revenue of his respective league (this is not necessarily the amount of revenue spent on each commissioner, simply how their salary number stacks up in comparison to the amount of money their league takes in, I'll call it their Commissioner's Cost Efficiency Rating: CCER):

CCER: (Note: This is a stat you want to have low numbers in, like golf score or ERA, so these are listed in reverse order of efficiency)

1.) Gary Bettman(NHL): 35.2%
2.) Bud Selig(MLB): 33.7%
3.) Roger Goodell(NFL): 7.5%
4.) David Stern(NBA): 4%

I'm not trying to diminish the role of the commissioner in a major sport, there is a lot of responsibility that goes with the territory. Every grievance filed with the league, every single issue their respective league has, is in one way or another dealt with by them, so they deserve to get paid. They keep things organized, they do a good job of maintaining order in leagues that would be crushed in the face of anarchy. However, they should not be among their league's highest paid PLAYERS. Keep in mind: people aren't paying to see a commissioner file paperwork. That's why I find Bettman and Selig's salaries particularly disconcerting, and commend Goodell and Stern on being cost effective commissioners. For, they aren't getting paid money that's going to make their league's highest paid players insulted, and, plausibly, in turn demand more money. How would you feel if you were among your league's elite players, and you were getting paid less than the Commissioner? I'd imagine you wouldn't be thrilled.

Gary Bettman and Bud Selig's salaries would put them among the salaries of the elite players in the league. Bettman would be the 12th highest-paid player in the NHL, and Selig would be the 10th highest-paid player in Major League Baseball. I don't know about you, but that just doesn't seem right to me. Neither Goodell nor Stern would even rank in their league's top 25 highest-paid players, and that's the way that it should be.

Just to give you an idea, here's a brief list of players getting paid less than Selig and Bettman:

Bud Selig(MLB): $18.35 million

Quality Players Paid Less than Bud Selig:

Alfonso Soriano, Torii Hunter, Aramis Ramirez, Todd Helton, AJ Burnett (in his Blue Jays contract), Tim Hudson, CC Sabathia (in his Indians Contract), Vlad Guerrero, Ryan Howard, Derek Lowe, Mariano Rivera, Miguel Tejada, Lance Berkman, and a list that goes on down the list of players constituting Major League Baseball

Gary Bettman: $7.1 million

Quality Players Paid Less than Gary Bettman

Chris Drury, Jarome Iginla, Jason Spezza, Mats Sundin, Vincent Lecavalier, Henrik Lundqvist, Nikolai Khabibulin, Roberto Luongo, Scott Niedermeyer, Pavel Datsyuk, Dan Boyle, Daniel Briere, Ed Jovanovsky, and a list that goes on down the list of players constituting the National Hockey League.

You could argue that commissioners deserve to be paid among the league's best, because after all, these commissioners are the best at what they do. They spent years at law or business school studying the trade, becoming the best in their field, and these leagues saw that, which led to their being elected or placed into their positions. However, if these commissioners are woefully unsuccessful in their endeavors, then I'm a little less inclined to condone their compensation. Guess what: the two leagues facing the biggest controversies of the four right now? NHL and MLB.

The NHL is three seasons removed from a catastrophic lockout, in which players' compensation was the big hangup in developing a collective bargaining agreement. (Well, I wonder why they were so upset!) Major League Baseball is having all of its home run records scrutinized because a commissioner (Bud Selig) and his administration turned a blind eye to ballooning statistics (and biceps for that matter,) and instead, I suppose found comfort in their rather desirable income. I wouldn't be surprised if, when their contracts come due, these two step down, willingly accept the money (the money you pay to go see their players play) they've been paid, and ride off into the sunset, knowing they've gotten away with robbery. And trust me, they'd know, they went to law school.

Campus CSI, Coming Soon to R2S

We here at R2S are constantly coming up with ideas that would take advantage of our abilities as writers, while informing and entertaining the auidience. Fellow R2S contributer Steve Sabato came up with a perfect way to utilize our unique and fortunate situations to provide the reader with insight of the college sports scene. With all 3 contributers to this site covering Division 1 college sports teams as part of the student media, we have the opportunity to give you the sort of on-campus insight that most blogs simply don't have the resources to do. We have Ryan D. Smith on Penn State's campus, Steve Sabato on Marist's campus, and I will be on Syracuse's campus.

We will call this CSI (College Sports Insiders). Every so often, starting this fall, we will post updates about the college sports scene on our campuses. We will talk about issues surrounding those certain schools. We will give you first-hand hand reaction and knowledge about situations surrounding Marist, Syracuse, and Penn State, while giving you our thoughts of what is going on around the conference. That is one thing to look forward to as we continue make R2S bigger and better. We welcome all of the feedback about this new installment.

Troubling Pujols Discussion on ESPN First Take

I was watching ESPN First Take this morning, and I was taken aback by what they were saying in their first issue of the day. Skip Bayless was talking about a ridiculous topic, is it fair to suspect Albert Pujols of using performance enhancing drugs. Didn't we have an issue like this about a month ago that fueled a war between the blogosphere and mainstream media? Every person in the main stream media that had an outlet found a way to destroy JRod of Mid West Sports Blog for such an "Irresponsible Article". Not only did I find the topic on First Take ridiculous, I found their answers to the question shocking. Take a listen.

This is one of the biggest contradictions I have ever seen by people who are supposed to be "journalists" of the mainstream media. We spent the better part of two weeks talking about how responsible journalists can't throw around performance-enhancing drug speculation unless they have any proof. People like Ken Rosenthal were angry that people could publish speculation without backing it up. Now, we have people of the mainstream media (ESPN, major newspapers, Fox Sports, etc.) doing the exact same thing. If a blogger said or wrote the same exact thing, they would be shunned by every reporter on television, or in print. Now that people like Skip Bayless basically said, on ESPN, that he will not rule out the possibility of Pujols using PED's, you expect the people who write blogs to just not discuss this issue at all?

This is the exact reason why JRod of Mid West Sports Blog wrote the blog post that he did, because people were discussing Raul Ibanez, just like Skip Bayless and the 2 Live Stews were talking about Pujols. In his article, he never said he thought Ibanez took steroids, in fact, he stated that he hoped Ibanez wasn't taking performance-enhancing drugs. However, he acknowledged that Raul's numbers raised his suspicion, just like Pujols raises Skip Bayless's suspicion. They both stated the fact that so many players before them have been thought to be clean, and then turn out otherwise. Therefore, if you were one of the people who chastised JRod, you need to be just as upset with Skip.

However, this won't generate the buzz that JRod's article got, because this isn't a media vs blog issue. I feel that the media vs blog was the heart of the discussion about a month back, even more than the steroids issue itself. Face it, bloggers and people of the mainstream media have resentment toward each other. Maybe it's rooted in jealousy; bloggers are people who want to be people of the mainstream media, and people of the mainstream media don't want fans to read blogs instead of their articles in the paper. Whatever the divisive factor is, I feel that it is completely unnecessary. The sports world is better when you have blogs that can entertain the fans, but not be taken as seriously as a legitimate mainstream media reporter. But now, we have one of those legitimate reporters doing the exact same thing that mainstream media thought was unacceptable for a blogger. That is definitely a troubling contradiction.

3 Up and 3 Down; Week of 7/6-7/12

Every week (probably on Sunday nights or Monday mornings), we will have a 3 up and 3 down post. 3 up and 3 down is designed to highlight the people, teams, and other aspects of sports that had good weeks, or bad weeks.

3 UP

• Shane Victorino: It's always good to know that the fans appreciate the way you play, and fans voted in record numbers to send Shane Victorino to the All-Star Game. After becoming a well-known player in the World Series last year, Shane has batted over .300 this season and he is currently 2nd in the NL in runs scored. Also, he is the a reigning Gold Glove outfielder, and that defense has not dropped off.

• Lance Armstrong: This story fascinates me, because it is amazing to me that this guy, at the age of 37 years old can take a couple years off, and be competitive against a bunch of people in their mid 20's who have spent the past year getting ready for this event. Anyway, Lance Armstrong is currently in 3rd place at the Tour De France, a position that he likes to be in during the beginning of the mountain stage. Plus, he has said that he thinks that this will "probably not" be his last Tour De France

• Jonathan Sanchez: Ryan D. Smith has his blog post about this. Jonathan Sanchez went from a bullpen pitcher on the trade block to the pitcher who threw the 13th no hitter in Giants history. Not bad for a pitcher who was no supposed to start throwing to a catcher that wasn't supposed to play.

3 Down

• Active Home Run Hitters: When I heard this stat, I was so amazed that I had to look it up and make sure it was true. After confirming the stat, I can share it with you. Of the 12 active career home run leaders, guess how many of them made the All-Star game this season? ZERO! That is really a surprising fact.

• Lebron James: This video-gate story has gained so much momentum that it has spun out of control. Nike allegedly took Ryan Miller's video of Xavier's Jordan Crawford dunking on Lebron James. Ryan Miller, a Syracuse University Student Class of '09 (yes, I had to fit it in there), told many media outlets that Lebron James told the Nike reps to take the video. I personally don't have a problem with Lebron James in this situation, but many people do think Lebron was wrong in this case. The image hit has been pretty substantial. 

• Toronto Blue Jays Players: How does it feel to play the second-half of the year knowing that your GM doesn't think your team can compete for another 2 years? Unfortunately, that message was sent when the Blue Jays announced that they were listening to offers for ace Roy Halladay. This is far too common in baseball where you have a season with so many games, and no salary cap, or anything to even the way teams spend. We are at the All-Star break, and pretty much a third of the league can just pack their season in. This point is magnified in the AL East, where the Yankees and Red Sox dominate the spending, thus dominate the standings. It makes you appreciate what the Rays have done to be competitive with those teams for two years.
  

Steve's Introduction and the Tragedy of Steve McNair

(Courtesy Google Images)

Since this is the first time I'm posting, it'd probably be a good idea to let you know a little bit about myself. I'm Steve Sabato, I love sports, I love to read, and I love to write. My favorite sports teams are the Indianapolis Colts, Ottawa Senators, Philadelphia Phillies, Eagles, and Flyers. I'm going to Marist College in Poughkeepsie, New York this fall, and look forward to studying Communications with concentrations in Sports Communications and TV/Radio/Film. I look forward to interacting with any readers that have questions or comments about my posts, and ask that you're respectful in all of our interaction.

"So shall you hear

Of carnal, bloody, and unnatural acts,

Of accidental judgments, casual slaughters,

Of deaths put on by cunning and forced cause,

And, in this upshot, purposes mistook

Fall'n on the inventors heads."

-Hamlet (Act V, scene 2)

I think that the word "tragic" gets bandied about without any real type of significance or understanding, to the point where it is watered down and loses its true meaning. In the case of Steve McNair we have a true tragedy, one of Shakespearean magnitude (hence the quote.) For it is in this sad state of affairs that we have found a hero, someone who had represented so much to so many, struck down by a fatal flaw in his character. It is for that reason that I believe Steve McNair has attained the status of "Tragic Hero," in this great play that we call life. Dan Schwarzman of ESPN Radio 950 in Philadelphia put it best: "You couldn't write a play this depressing."

There seem to be two Steve McNairs that came to be known by all of us in the general public. The first one we came to know was the Steve McNair who was known for his incredible toughness on the football field. He was known for his ability to play through injury, because really, it was the only way he knew how to play. He wasn't necessarily the best passer statistically or technique-wise, but he was a good enough player to split an MVP with Peyton Manning for the 2003 NFL season. He was also known for his charitable involvement off the field. He was a man who involved himself in charities off the field, and made his most notable contribution to the community when he carried his own tools to help tornado victims in Nashville. Steve McNair was the person and player you wanted every NFL player to be like.

Yet, in death, a dark-side to Steve McNair has been unearthed. We find out now that he had been unfaithful to his wife of over a decade, Mechelle. It is this very infidelity that ultimately led to his demise. It really doesn't make sense that the man we saw carry himself the way that all professional athletes should, the player who showed himself to be so tough physically, turn out to be so very weak when it came to resisiting temptation. We can sit around and wonder forever what might have become of Steve McNair, had he just avoided the 20 year old Dave and Buster's waitress who is now forever attached to him in history. It has been said that Sahel Kazemi ended McNair's life, because he believed him to be involved with yet another woman, and in an "if I can't have you, no one can," act, she killed McNair and herself. I suppose that can serve as a lesson to all those who committed, commit, or even considered committing adultery. It never ends well.

This clashing of personalities has left the legacy of Steve McNair in limbo. Is it possible that in putting Steve McNair on the pedestal that we did, we raised him above human status? I think so. I believe we do it with all of our idols in sports, whether we mean to or not. We see only a glimmer of these people in the grand scheme of things, and yet we think so much of them, from such concentrated examples. Obviously, adultery is an act that I don't think anyone should condone, or be a part of. However, Steve McNair was a human being, and he had very human flaws. The super-human we saw transcend the game of football on the field, was compensated for by the man with the very human flaws we came to know of off the field. I think this is a lesson in idolatry for all of us. Praise Steve McNair for the player he was on the field, for the charity work he did off it, and understand that he acted on his temptations. Don't judge him, don't condemn him, because it is impossible to understand the life he led without walking in his proverbial shoes. I don't want the great achievements of Steve McNair to be forgotten because of the transgressions in his personal life. Respect him less as a husband and a father, if you wish, but as an athlete and a philanthropist, he still remains among the best.

Home Run Derby: A Spectacle Made by Steroids

"Crack... Back, back, back...Gone!" That is a sound you hear multiple times when watching the home run derby. Partly because Chris Berman doesn't have much variety in his calls, but the concept is entertaining. It is fun to watch the biggest and the best crush the ball as far as they can, as many times as they can. Who doesn't want to see the most exciting play in baseball over and over, and over again? While the derby is a fun showcase of the stars of baseball, it is a reminder of the era that baseball wants to forget.

Steroids made the Home Run Derby the spectacle that it is today. At first, people may not be willing to accept that statement, but when you look back at the past competitions, that seems to be the case. The Home Run Derby started in 1985, at the Metrodome. The winner? Dave Parker, with only 6 home runs. In fact, after Parker and up until 1991, the winner of the derby never hit more than 4 home runs. After 1991, many people believe that steroids started to become a part of baseball. The "steroid era" is not a defined period of time, but I would go as far as to say that it covers some time between 1991 and 2002.

The winner of the 1991 Home Run Derby was Cal Ripken Jr., one of the players who is known throughout baseball as being clean. He set the trend that has continued today of the dramatic home run displays. He won the derby with 12 home runs, which was more than the winners of the previous 3 years combined. However, after he set the bar, many winners on the list have been known to taken steroids, or have had to fight off steroid rumors.

The hey-day of the derby might have been the battles in the years between 1992-2000. I am talking about the battles between Slammin' Sammy Sosa and Mark "Big-Mac" Mcgwire. Didn't we all enjoy watching those two slug it out? The power displays that we witnessed were compelling television. These two players are linked to steroids, and now it looks like they will not make the Hall of Fame. However, these two players helped make this Home Run Derby as popular as it is. Some other winners that have thrived in this competition that are linked to steroids are; Juan Gonzalez, Barry Bonds, Miguel Tejada, and Jason Giambi.

Sure, over the years, we have had clean players do well, and win this competition. Ken Griffey Jr. won it 3 times, and I mentioned Cal Ripkin Jr. earlier. I am also not saying that I believe everyone in the Home Run Derby is on steroids. However, the image that is built when I think of the Home Run Derby is steroid-inflated, superman bodies blasting the ball out of the park. That image was set by those winners that are linked to steroids that I mentioned in the article, and plenty other competitors that we do, or do not know took steroids. However, I do enjoy watching the Home Run Derby. Maybe steroids did help baseball in some aspects. Maybe steroids in baseball was not the worst thing that's ever happened to the game.

Who I Am, and Jonathan Sanchez, Bravo.

Hello fellow sports fans. I am Ryan D. Smith (yes my name is so general that I do need to specify my middle initial). I reside in Doylestown, PA, an hour north of Philly, so naturally, I live and bleed red, orange, and green, depending on the season. I will be attending Penn State University this fall, majoring in broadcast journalism. My dream is to be the play by play announcer for the Philadelphia Flyers. I know everything possible about the NHL, and let's just say I'm not a fan of some aspects of it.

I do have a bit of an edge to some of my opinions. I certainly don't shy away from speaking my mind. My only request of everyone is that, love or hate my opinion, be respectful to me, personally.



So, details about me aside, I'd like to take a moment to acknowledge young San Francisco Giants lefthander Jonathan Sanchez, who tonight threw a no hitter, retiring 27 of 28 San Diego Padres, with the lone blemish being an error committed by Giant third baseman Juan Uribe in the 8th inning.

It was the Giants' first no hitter since 1976, and the first thrown by a Giant in AT&T Park. The entire game, Sanchez worked a nasty 11 to 5 curveball that had even the best San Diego hitters baffled.

Perhaps the best part of this story, though, is the fact that, first of all, Sanchez was given a spot start in this game, replacing an injured Randy Johnson! He had been 2-8 on the season, and had just recently been sent to the bullpen. Boy, did he ever make the most of his second chance in the rotation! And secondly, his father was in the crowd, witnessing his son pitch for the FIRST time in Jonathan's big league career. Their embrace after the game was a chilling moment; your trademark "I'm proud of you son", "Thanks Dad", moment. That's always a great thing to see.

So this no hitter from a guy who was 2-8 on the season got me thinking just how elusive the no hitter has been in big league history. ALL of the following pitchers (Legends, in some cases) never threw one: Roger Clemens, Greg Maddux, John Smoltz, Tom Glavine, Steve Carlton. Those are five of the most renowned names in pitching history, and yet it is the Jonathan Sanchezes, Clay Buchholzs, and Bud Smiths of the world who have thrown them.

It is quite an elusive feat, indeed. 22 pitchers this year have taken no-nos into the 7th. Sanchez is the first to complete the job. Heck, the New York Mets, in over 45 years of baseball, have had ZERO. And it still haunts them, just like the Tampa Bay Buccaneers never having a kick return touchdown (would someone tell me if that is still accurate, by the way?).

In short, enjoy this one, Jonathan, and you have something many hall of fame pitchers can never claim to have experienced in their storied careers.


UPDATE: The Bucs do, in fact, have a kick return TD. It happened in 2007. Michael Spurlock. Thanks to Chris for this detail.


Image courtesy Associated Press, July 10, 2009

What Madden 10 Better Not Have

The Madden Franchise has many dedicated gamers, me being one of them. Just a little info about how far back I go; I played Madden 96 for the Sega Genesis. I feel that the Madden brand struggled to adjust to the "next-gen" consoles, until last year. That is why I was disappointed that they bought the exclusive rights to the NFL, leaving 2k Sports in the cold. ESPN NFL 2k5 was the best football game ever made for its time, given that it was made in 2005, and for the PS2 and Xbox. That game had aspects to it that I wish Madden had in their game today. The halftime shows were tremendous, the weekly NFL Primetime show in Franchise mode was unmatched, and the inclusion of ESPN personalities were awesome. Madden, in 2009 with stronger consoles, has not yet reached that level.

However, I do not think Madden is a terrible game, in fact, I think it is a very solid game with a lot of room to grow. I thought Madden 09 was a huge step in the right direction. The gameplay was terrific (until I get to my later point), the presentation had improved, and some of the details of the NFL started to appear in the games (field goal nets).  I throughly enjoyed this game, until I found out about the most unexplainable, unbelievable, glitch that absolutely ruins the game of football. This glitch is known throughout the Madden community as the QB Walk.

The QB Walk is a terrible glitch that you will certainly find if you play Madden 09 online. That is because online, you will find someone who is willing to cheat to win a game of Madden, and move up the rankings. It is not too complicated to do, all you have to do is set your audibles a certain way, and press specific buttons at the line of scrimmage when your play is a QB kneel. If done correctly, your QB will start walking across the line of scrimmage without being stopped, or called for offsides. You can wait until your QB reaches the end zone, hike it, and your QB will kneel for a TD. Here is an example.

I was not the one who made this video, nor have I ever gone to such a low level to use that glitch. A glitch like this can not be in a finished product, end of story. Madden 10 better find a way to fix glitches like this, because it makes the game unplayable.

The Dilemma of Allen Iverson

Allen Iverson was, at one time, my favorite athlete in all of sports. In fact, I would go as far as to say that he is the reason why I am a huge sports fans. It was incredible watching him play on a daily basis as a member of the Philadelphia 76ers. He would go all out, and he lived up to his cliche of, "playing every game like it's his last." He gave 76ers fans a great ride when he lifted the team to the Finals, and he always put on a show trying to score as many points as he could. There was a time where everything he did was cool, from the hand on the ear, to the stepover of Tyrone Lue. That is why Reebok at one time was the more popular shoe than Nike, because Reebok was an AI product. Through the lows (practice?) and the highs (game 1 finals upset), I was an Allen Iverson fan. However, right now, it is sad to see how much he has fallen.

Nobody really wants him to help their team. Even I have to admit, as a GM of any type of team, I don't know how he could make my team better. For a team with Allen Iverson to be successful, a team would need to be built around him. I don't know a GM in their right mind would build their team around a 34 year old, 6'0" shooting guard. It wouldn't make any sense.

But there isn't any other way to use Allen Iverson. He was never made to fit into a team structure. As we saw in Detroit, you can't add him to an established team and expect him to fit right in and make them better. Teams like that will be forever searching for the balance between Iverson adjusting to the system, and the system adjusting to AI. Maybe he could be instant offense off the bench, right? Well, Iverson killed that when he made the comments that he would rather "retire" than come off then bench. Well Iverson, retiring might be your best option at this point.

Going to Memphis would be embarrassing for AI, just as embarrassing as it was to say you are interested in playing for Memphis.  The Grizzlies have the worst front office reputation in all of basketball. That is why no one wants to be drafted by the Grizzlies. They are known for being cheap, and not dedicated to putting a winning product on the court. All they are looking to do is put butts in the seats. It sounds like the Grizzlies are running a circus; and if Allen Iverson signs with them, he becomes a clown.