Monthly Archives: April 2015

2015 NBA First-Round Playoff Preview

2015NBAbracket1stround

By Matt Stevenson

April 18, 2015

Although I say this every year, I AM BEYOND EXCITED FOR THE 2015 NBA PLAYOFFS! The amount of legitimate contenders this year has separated this year’s playoffs from the rest, and significantly so.

The Eastern Conference finally has several power houses that can make the first two-rounds somewhat interesting for the first time since Boston’s Big Three left. Then, of course, we have the usual for the Western Conference. This conference is once again more loaded than your Aunt Ruth’s potatoes! A Clippers-Spurs first round match as well as Mavericks-Rockets is awesome.

I think three questions are critical to answer for the Eastern Conference: Can LeBron and the Cavaliers continue their dominance? Can Derrick Rose and Jimmy Butler coincide for a deep playoff run? Will the Atlanta Hawks prove to be a real threat to the future of the Eastern Conference?

In the first round I think the two-seeded Cavaliers win every single positional battle and will breeze through Boston, although I think Boston will take one game, Cavs in 5. The Atlanta Hawks earned the first seed with an incredible display of teamwork in the regular season, also breaking the franchise record with over 60 wins. The obliterated the Brooklyn Nets in the season series 4-0 and I expect nothing less. Although I’m a huge Joe Johnson fan, and Brook Lopez is playing the best basketball he has since he got paid, Atlanta has everything going for them. Hawks 4-0. Boy, what if we would’ve seen a Pacers-Hawks first-round matchup though? Last year’s 1 vs 8 seed went to 7 games between the two and was great basketball.

Raptors against the Wizards is an interesting matchup, as both have more of the “complete team” philosophy. However, the Wizards just haven’t been able to click the way thought they could while the Raptors are playing tough basketball. Kyle Lowry is proving his max contract worth this season when healthy. I thought them nabbing Paul Pierce really could make them threats to any team in the East. Raptors in 6. The last first round matchup in the East is the Bulls vs Bucks. This series is simple for me, Jason Kidd has proved to be a good coach willing to get to players. But without significant depth like the Bulls have (not to mention they have experience as well) the Bucks won’t last. Derrick Rose will get the go to be himself again I think and create a spotlight on the Bulls as reporters will start to get nutty with the idea of a Cavs-Bulls second round matchup. Bulls in 4.

So in the Eastern Conference we have a second round matchup between Chicago and Cleveland and Toronto and Atlanta as most expected. I predict the Cavaliers will prevail in this conference as LeBron, Kyrie and K-Love will prove to be too much to handle for the rest of the field.

Now the fun part, attempting to dissect the Western Conference. This is much like March Madness as it might be easier to decipher my picks by flipping a coin, but I will indeed choose off my knowledge of the game. I see only one matchup that will be done in 4 and that is the Warriors vs Pelicans. I love love LOVE Anthony Davis, but he’s going up against the most dangerous shooting team in NBA history. But this shooting team can also beat them in every other way because they can stick David Lee, Draymond Green or Andrew Bogut on Davis. Warriors in 4. Grizzlies vs LaMarcus Aldridge’s Blazers can be a great series, however I think it will be done quickly. No Wesley Matthews or Batum for the Blazers therefor relying on who? Alonzo Gee… LaMarcus Aldridge is one of my favorite players in the league but him and Lillard can’t get it done by themselves against an experienced Grizzlies team. Memphis in 5.

Now my two favorite matchups in the first round of the NBA Playoffs. The Houston Rockets taking on rival Dallas Mavericks is an exceptionally great first rounder to watch. The Rockets won the season series 3-1, but I have a bad feeling about this. There is one key factor in this series, Rajon Rondo. If Rondo can finally mesh with the Mavs (which he hasn’t so far) they have the best starting line up top to bottom. But of course, what about James Harden? He is my pick for MVP and with Dwight Howard they are a scary team. But they don’t have the guards to defend Dallas’. Scoring won’t be a problem for Harden, as it never is. But I think Dirk Nowitzki has a favorable matchup, as does Rondo. Oh yes, Chandler Parsons who darted Houston for Dallas last summer is going to show his previous franchise why they should have paid him. With two great guards in Monte Ellis and Rondo and the absence of lock down defender Patrick Beverly, I’ll take the Mavs in 7.

Perhaps the most exciting first round matchup in NBA history in my opinion, the young and freakishly athletic Clippers host the defending Champion Spurs. Chris Paul said last week, the window is closing for the Clippers to figure it out and he is salivating for that trophy. I think he gives the Spurs problems and will make Tony Parker go to work. Griffin and Jordan pose threats to the Spurs as well and I think they will do a surprisingly good job defending Duncan. But the X Factor is Kawhi Leonard will come through. JJ Reddick and Jamal Crawford aren’t going to stop him, and Matt Barnes is too old to play significant minutes against Leonard. He’s in a contract year, and the Spurs know Duncan and Ginobili may very well retire this season. Pop and the Spurs get it done, in miserable fashion,  by a series at 4-2.

So in the Western Conference we look forward to a Warriors vs Grizzlies and Spurs vs Mavericks. Talk about great basketball. However, in this conference I pick the Warriors to head to the NBA Finals. Although I am a firm believer in the philosophy that just shooting doesn’t win championships, the Warriors are young, fresh and healthy. In which is the Spurs’ weak point because I don’t see the Spurs having the guards to defend the Splash Brothers along with the athletic Livingston off the bench.

So Cavs and Warriors in the NBA Finals and as a Cleveland fan I’m going Cavs. The time has come and it’ll be a great year for Cleveland. The NBA playoffs are finally among us, and they are going to generate much excitement across the sports world. The first round has incredible potential regarding match ups and it will spark the greatness to follow.

Go back

Your message has been sent

Russell Wilson: Two Sport Possibilities

Leave a reply

By Kaleb Page

April 15, 2015

It hasn’t happened since the 80’s and 90’s.

Back when Deion Sanders and Bo Jackson did it, the feat was amazing because it was a top flight corner in the NFL also playing outfield in the MLB and an electric MLB talent running over grown men in the NFL.

Today another athlete presents a possibility of doing the same, and if he succeeded it would be just as impressive or even more so than the predecessors.

Russell Wilson as we all know is the starting quarterback of the Seattle Seahawks and a Super Bowl champion.  As one of the rising stars in the NFL and playing essentially the most important position in all of sports, you would think that his time would be consumed entirely on the position.

However, you would be wrong.

Wilson also has interest in playing the game of baseball, and not just as a little exploit like you see when he shows up to Texas Ranger spring training. Instead he might make the plunge head first into the game.

“You never want to kill the dream of playing two sports,” Wilson said.”I would honestly play two sports.” (Interview with HBO’s Bryant Gumbel)

The NBC Sports article went through the nearly impossible task Wilson would embark on if he decided to do both sports. The article pointed out the fact that times have changed and for certain the Seahawks organization would not want to see their franchise quarterback out there risking injury.

Another key point the article made was that Wilson isn’t nearly the baseball player that Sanders and Jackson were. Which I guess I’ll take that opinion since I can’t say I’ve watched Wilson enough on the diamond.

Would if be interesting to see Wilson go for playing two professional sports?…absolutely.

Only two players have done it that have left any impact to still be remembered, and Wilson could do something similar. It could be a huge opportunity for himself to build his brand and become a bigger sports icon.

At the same time let’s be real.

The sports world of the 80’s and 90’s is a complete 180 from what we have today. With the constant scrutiny of how players play and what preparation they put in; does Wilson have the room for error?

I highly doubt it, especially if he would play baseball and then have to turn around and begin playing in the NFL at the biggest position. A turn around that would not allow for much of a grace period or a smoothing out process.

In the end, go for your dream Russell and do what you want.

Just be ready to be taking a lot of heat if it backfires.

The video below is from last year when this debate heated up again with baseball picking up and Wilson joining a team.

Underdog Receives First National Title: Providence Friars

Leave a reply

April 14, 2015

By Ellen Chlumecky

The Providence Friars 2014-2015 hockey team was the key definition of “the underdogs.” The Friars were the 15th seed going into the 2015 NCAA men’s hockey national tournament. The Providence Friars squeezed into the NCAA Tournament by the skin of their teeth. The last time the Friars had even made an appearance at the NCAA Frozen Four was in 1985, which was thirty years ago. Now the Providence Friars can finally claim the national title as their own.

While I would never try to rob the Friars of what they earned and the hard work they committed to in each game, they owe a great deal of their fortune to Boston University’s goalie’s unbelievably fluky goal. This is what gave Providence the chance to come back. The game had 8:36 left in regulation when Providence junior defenseman Tom Parisi lofted a high dump in from center ice that headed towards Boston University’s junior goaltender Matt O’Connor. O’Connor followed the puck and it struck the heel of his catching glove. It seemed like he had made a routine save. However, his glove dropped toward the ice and so did the puck, which rolled between his legs. While O’Connor tried to grab it, he knocked the puck into his own net which turned a 3-2 Terriers’ lead into a 3-3 tie.

The Friars scored another goal within a 2:19 span in the third period to tie and eventually secure a 4 to 3 win over Boston University at TD Garden. Providence College’s head coach Nate Leaman said, “I thought it’s kind of a little bit like our season: we started a little bit slow, but we got better and better. And we played a pretty good third period and obviously got a big bounce that I think got our bench alive a little bit.” Providence came in as underdogs and showed everyone they were worthy of the national title by humiliating every team that had held the title years before.

Boston University’s storybook ending was quickly denied in those last few minutes of regulation. This would have been Boston University’s sixth national championship. While I’m sure Providence upset a massive amount of hockey fans’ brackets, they raised the hopes of Providence students and fans. Providence earned their way to the Frozen Four with a wild 7 to 5 win over Miami, a 4 to 1 win over Denver, then massacred Nebraska-Omaha in a 4 to 1 in the semifinal. Providence has become the third-straight first time champion in the NCAA Frozen Four.

Go back

Your message has been sent

 

A Decline in College Basketball?

Leave a reply

By Kaleb Page

April 14, 2015

As this edition of the college basketball season comes to a close, it is time to reflect back on what we all saw.

I guess we should start off by giving a round of applause to the Duke Blue Devils for taking down a tough Wisconsin squad; a squad that just came off a thrilling win over the nearly untouchable Kentucky Wildcats. At the same time it is important to look at the collective product of college basketball.

To be honest it was a sore sight to watch this season. Between free throw shooting, offensive production and fluidity; this season was rough.

For awhile now Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban has been all over this subject and a proponent of changing a lot of aspects to rules involving college basketball. He even went as far to say the D-League should be an introductory step before the NBA (possibly eliminating the one and done rules).

Now would I go that route; not necessarily. I think the rule of just one year is bad for college basketball. It should be similar to how it once was with if you are good enough to go you go, but this time players should have an evaluation period so they don’t make the mistake of coming out of high school when they shouldn’t. This one and done culture is not good for the collegiate game.

It cheapens the product because not only is it just delaying the inevitable but it is possibly taking away spots from kids that have the talent to go to a Kentucky or Kansas; kids that need to be and want to be there for multiple years. It will only help the college game and NBA game by letting those talented guys in right away, and then allowing guys who want to build in college the chance to do so.

In Cuban’s interview on Bleacher Report, he went on to list his new list of changes to the game. His first order of business was bringing down the shot clock closer to what the NBA has.

“If they want to keep kids in school and keep them from being pro players, they’re doing it the exact right way by having the 35-second shot clock and having the game look and officiated the way it is.” -Mark Cuban

With the scoring of college basketball being the lowest its been since the pre-shot clock era (Grantland Sports), Cuban’s quotes above and below make a lot of sense. Cuban’s take on tempo with games and how offense is in college, is something I look at when watching college basketball (not as extreme as him though).

“It’s horrible. It’s ridiculous. It’s worse than high school. You’ve got 20 to 25 seconds of passing on the perimeter and then somebody goes and tries to make a play and do something stupid, and scoring’s gone down.” -Mark Cuban

Will the NCAA partner with the NBA to make these changes and bring basketball standards to a better level? Only time will tell.

Why should the NCAA feel rushed when they have a 35 second shot clock to work with.

Go back

Your message has been sent

Out of the Woods: Tiger at the Masters

Leave a reply

By Kaleb Page

April 8, 2015

If you happened to be tuned in to the sports world over the weekend an announcement was dropped in the golfing community.

Stop the presses!

Tiger Woods is back for the Masters.

Over the Easter weekend Woods announced he officially would be in play for the green jacket, but his ranking of 111 in the world doesn’t speak the volumes an announcement did when he was still in the top 10 in the world.

Now that is my opinion, but if you look elsewhere like on SportsCenter or Fox Sports the announcement brought a halt to anything going on and a breaking news notice. Now granted it is Tiger. Tiger will always draw a crowd no matter what the situation and its understandable because he once was the unstoppable force of golf.

However, I think the major outlets could be going down the wrong path with this Masters. If things are going to be focused on Tiger and his chase for another green jacket, aren’t we losing evolving the game of golf?

Especially in the fact of new fans and excitement toward what stars are on the horizon.  It will be interesting to see how the likes of Rory McCIlroy, Dustin Johnson, Dexter Fowler and Jordan Speith do when the event starts on Thursday.

Those are the young guns to look for at the event along with guys like Bubba Watson, Phil Mickelson and Sergio Garcia who have been around awhile and will make their push for the jacket later in the weekend.

Is it weird that I’m essentially saying leave Tiger be and instead focus on someone else? I’d like to think I’m not the only one. Do I want Tiger to find his stride again…for sure, but is it the time to be all eyes on him…no.

At this rate we will never see the Tiger of old and like most things in life we hype up, the hype is too much and then we become underwhelmed by what we ultimately get. Instead we should be hyping up the field (all the other golfers I mentioned above). It not only will create a better story line to follow but it would also set up for something even more special.

Now the scenario is hypothetical but say with the focus on others and their success, it creates huge buzz for new fans and makes an interesting dynamic if another story arises. A story of epic proportions that was built the right way by actual substance rather than hype. One involving an epic final day at the Masters.

Listen closely through the woods. The legend is coming for the jacket.

Do you hear it?

It’s that unmistakable roar of the Tiger.

Go back

Your message has been sent

 

“No Wusses Play Hockey”

Leave a reply

By Ellen Chlumecky

April 6, 2015

Football, rugby, lacrosse, wrestling, boxing, field hockey, and of course hockey are all very rough, high contact sports. There is always debate on what the roughest sport is and most importantly what sport has the toughest athletes. I’m sure there’s cases for all the above but most recently hockey has proven it’s worthiness for the toughest sport overall. This recent prestigious honor is due to Drew Miller of the Detroit Red Wings.

Drew Miller is the most recent example of the toughness that is demonstrated daily by hockey players. This incident was so fatal that Miller and his teammates feared he’d lose his right eye. On Tuesday, March 31st, the Red Wings played against Ottawa. Miller was standing behind Mark Stone and took a skate to the face, because Miller wears a visor it cut up the majority of his face pretty bad. Miller needed 50 to 60 stitches to close up the gash on his face. While Miller initially thought that he had lost his eye, the doctors cleared him and mentioned that his vision is fine. Miller wanted to go back in for the third period against the Senators but the doctors and his wife advised against the decision because of the fear of ripping the stitches.

Miller is now sporting a deep scar from his right eyebrow across his cheekbone. The whole cut was very deep especially in the cheek area. The eye itself is fine. Doctors have enforced him to wear a protective cage for a while, but he is convinced that he can still perform his duties on the ice.

If that wasn’t enough, Drew Miller suited up to play for the Red Wings in Thursday’s 3-2 loss to Boston at Joe Louis Arena. The day he decided to suit up for the game was only just two days after a skate to his face. While this may seem absurd to most, it would be more painful for most hockey players not to play than to sit out with an injury. That’s how badly they want to play and help their teammates.

Hockey players push the boundaries beyond belief. Their passion to their craft is unmatched by any other sport. While I’m sure other athletes have shown just as much dedication, there is a unique aspect to hockey players’ dedication. Coach of the Red Wings, Mike Babcock, called the incident the definition of team building. While fellow teammate of Miller, Brendan Smith, stated, “I’m not sure how to say this, but no wusses play. It’s a tough sport and I think that’s why it’s ingrained at a young age. If you don’t want to play a tough game, you go play tennis or golf.”

Go back

Your message has been sent

 

NBA MVP Race During the Final Stretch

image

By Matt Stevenson

April 6, 2015

The NBA MVP race is coming down to the wire with a 5-star cast. LeBron James, James Harden, Russell Westbrook and Steph Curry are all playing at a phenomenal rate as the season winds down.

Harden and Westbrook both have led their teams despite losing valuable teammates such as Dwight Howard for Harden, and Kevin Durant for Westbrook. LeBron James showed his worth during his 2 week break as the Cavs went 1-7 during that stretch and have looked damn near flawless since. Then, of course, there is Steph Curry who seems as if he’s making memes out of everyone he faces up against. All 4 are having incredible seasons and it is difficult to pick and choose only one player in such a competitive season.

For Steph Curry, his Golden State Warriors currently possess the 1st seed in the Western Conference and also hold the NBA’s best record at 62-13, 6 games ahead of the next best record held by the Atlanta Hawks. Shooting nearly 44% from 3 point range and 59% from the field, Curry is in the top 5 for each respective category.

The super splash brothers have been a force to be reckoned with, but that’s what many are holding against Steph Curry.

Curry has an unbelievable amount of talent around him, arguably the best surrounding crew in the whole NBA. Kay Thompson and Draymond Green are both deserving of max contracts while David Lee, Harrison Barnes, Andre Iguodala and Andrew Bogut are no scrubs either. This team has big time players with experience and is a dangerous team to face down the stretch.

So Curry might have easily had the best season with team success as well as individual success, but the talent around him may end up hurting him in the end.

Next lets talk about the king himself, LeBron James. As mentioned earlier we noticed how awful the Cavaliers played when LeBron was out for his two-week break and how good they were when he returned. Arguably the most dangerous team in the league, the Cleveland Cavaliers have successfully defied the laws of throwing together a new team and staff while actually winning.

It doesn’t happen often. Steve Kerr of the Warriors is a rookie coach as well, however he went into a system under previous Golden State Coach Mark Jackson that had the same players with great team chemistry. This Cavs team has a rookie Head Coach in David Blatt, except he doesn’t know the NBA like Kerr does. Oh, and only 3 players from last years team are even on the current roster.

However, there are some scratches on the surface to LeBron’s MVP case. Similar to Curry, LeBron has a gifted roster full of talent and potential. Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love obviously are two of the top players in the league, despite the disappointing season of Love. JR Smith, Iman Shumpert, Timofey Mozgov and Tristan Thompson are also worthy of mentioning as the great talent this Cavs team holds. Finally buying into David Blatt’s system, this Cavs team truly is a Championship contender and may even be the favorite.

In Houston all I hear is “Fear the Beard” from the Rockets fans. This man has really put the pressure on Oklahoma City to win soon as they traded possibly the best scorer in the league. His versatility is hard to compare as he is not afraid to take a shot on any part of the court. It seems like he has a 40-point game each week and his team currently holds the 2 seed in the brutal Western Conference.

Oh yeah, by the way this is without All-Star Center Dwight Howard and starting Point Guard Patrick Beverly. An injury plagued roster and losing the 3rd counterpart in Chandler Parsons from last season would assembly doom this Houston Rockets team, similar to how the Thunder currently hurt. Except Hardens Rockets are winning. Consistently winning despite the injuries are something all other MVP candidates can’t compete with.

But wait, Russell Westbrook is on a more injury prone team with last years NBA MVP, Kevin Durant, out for the season along with injuries to pretty much half of the roster. Although true, there is one big difference between Harden and Westbrook… Harden is sitting in the 2 spot in the West while Westbrook and the Thunder and fighting for their playoff lives. 11 triple-doubles by Westbrook is as incredible as it gets on an individual standpoint, however they aren’t always getting his team wins.

There have been point guards, recently and in past-time that have put up similar numbers yet still won. Jason Kidd did it in New Jersey in the early 2000’s while the big “O” Oscar Robinson did it as well back in the old days. If Westbrook and his Thunder don’t make the playoffs, it’s hard to even mention him in the discussion.

After this long post, I think it’s safe for me now to make a decision on my MVP for this season and I’m going to have to go with James Harden. As a biased Cavaliers fan, it hurts to give it to someone else aside LeBron, but Harden hasn’t had the talent LeBron and Curry have all year while still putting up incredible numbers as well as winning. This is no landslide this year and as a matter of fact, this is the tightest MVP race the league has seen in recent time.

This exhilarating MVP race is just the beginning of a post-season in which has me extremely excited due to the amount of legitimate contenders. Of course, the MVP is announced during the playoffs so as this exciting season winds down we look forward to the NBA playoffs. James Harden gets my vote, but it will definitely be a close one.

Go back

Your message has been sent

I Got 99 Problems but a Fight Ain’t One

Leave a reply

By Kaleb Page

April 3, 2015

For years and years the talk of Mayweather-Pacquiao seemed like a far-fetched idea that would never materialize into what we all want to see.

Then the gift was given via social media on February 20, 2015. It was time, time to see what so many still debate over. Mayweather or Pacquiao, Pacquiao or Mayweather?

Set for May 2, 2015 the fight of the century will take place in Las Vegas at the MGM Grand. For Mayweather the fight holds a lot at stake. Not only does his unbeaten record of 47-0 hang in the balance, but also does the thought that Mayweather is the best fighter in the world and nearly untouchable.

As for the ‘Pac Man’ an equal amount hangs in the balance as well. There were the grumblings in the past that Mayweather was running from Pacquiao, and if Pacquiao defeats Mayweather the legend of Manny Pacquiao will grow substantially since he will be the first person to defeat Floyd.

As the hype continues to build and the days dwindle until May 2, a new release may cause some to take a second opinion on how bad they actually want to see the fight.

Reports from Deadspin.com have this fight as on of the most expensive pay-per-view buys in the history of boxing. The negotiations are on going but a standard definition Mayweather-Pacquiao pay-per-view will be sold for the modest price of $89. Now if you are feeling the urge to splurge, the fight will also be offered at the high-definition price of $99.

Is that price too much? The article poised the same question and did say it was a hefty price but when the fight of the century comes along doesn’t it warrant a big price?

It is harder to do like you could if say a UFC event was taking place and you wanted to watch it without shelling out a lot of money. With UFC events you can watch pay-per-views, Fox Sports One fights, etc. at your local Buffalo Wild Wings.

Unless this pay-per-view does it that way as well, which I haven’t seen any boxing fights that way in recent memory, it looks like the only way to watch is paying the price.

The price is reasonable given the demand. It’s smart business on the part of not only the promoters but the fighters as well; since they will see a cut (primarily Mayweather) of the buys along with the gate towards their purse.

The price is also reasonable if you have a group of friends over and split the cost, and if you are going to spend the money you might as well get the high-definition (smart move to just make it $10 more). So get some friends, some food, and enjoy boxing at its highest level.

I got 99 problem but the price ain’t one. (well, sorta)

As for my analysis and prediction on the fight you can read below. It will be interesting to watch this fight unfold and as always in a fight; anything can happen.

  • If Pacquiao can find a way to cut off Mayweather almost like Miguel Cotto did when he fought Mayweather, he can naturalize the speed with which Floyd moves around the ring. From there Manny needs to find a way to open up Floyd, since ‘Pac Man’ is a southpaw he can look to use his own movement to get Mayweather out of position setting up a straight left or a solid hook. Ultimately, Pacquiao has to find a way to touch a man with great defense and with the power Manny possess he can find a shot to drop Floyd. That is a big if as it is hard to touch Floyd as the last person to really give Floyd was Cotto. If Manny wants is to win it will be by KO.
  • For Mayweather its simple use the speed, length and defense to your advantage. Take the counters that you can from the southpaw and exit, stuff that Floyd is exceptional at doing. Not sure if with this fight Floyd will go for that KO in later rounds, but it is unlikely as the amount of power is not as high as Manny’s. Floyd has to put on a show with his feet and not walk his way into a powerful Pacquiao hook or uppercut. However, Mayweather has more ways of taking the fight and just has too much speed.

Final Decision: Mayweather wins by decision. 

Hard to not pick a guy who is that good and undefeated.

Go back

Your message has been sent

A Rod Trying to Fly Under the Radar

Leave a reply

By Ellen Chlumecky

April 3, 2015

The day has come back where Alex Rodriguez of the New York Yankees returns to the grand stage during spring training to debut what he’s been doing during his suspension. Many Yankees fans and baseball fans recall the trial regarding Alex Rodriguez. For almost two whole years, Alex Rodriguez denied he ever used banned substances from a Coral Gables anti-aging clinic. In 2013, he finally admitted getting testosterone creams, lozenges laced with testosterone and human growth hormone injections from the fake doctor Anthony Bosch. Anthony Bosch not only lied to him about what the drugs would do, but he also gave him tips on how to beat the MLB’s drug testing.

In 2013, Alex Rodriguez was reduced from a 211 game suspension to a 162 game suspension. He received the longest suspension of all the MLB players. Rodriguez’s statement fortified the criminal steroid case against Bosch and indicated his cousin as the middleman. He also admitted that he had used performance-enhancing substances as a member of the Texas Rangers in 2001-03. Recently he wrote a handwritten apology letter to his fans. He’s trying to cover all his basics before coming back this season. I am not sure that he has everyone convinced though.

Media constantly question Yankee manager Joe Girardi about Rodriguez’s return to spring training. Their main question is if Alex Rodriguez has been a distraction during spring training. Girardi is of the opinion that no one is bothered by the media. He said none of the players are bothered or distracted either. Girardi thinks things will be fine and will return back to normal quickly. Sounds plausible, right?

As far as we know, Girardi’s intuition was correct. Rodriguez has settled comfortably back onto the Yankees. While the media has been hounding them, it’s nothing that they’re not accustomed to already. Girardi believes that the media doesn’t believe Rodriguez is high up on their radar right now.

However, it almost seems scripted on how Rodriguez has been responding to the media. He has recited general thankfulness and obedience to the Yankee staff every day he’s been interviewed. He expressed a want to just play baseball and to perform well for the team. He said, “I’ll tell you that I’m a lot more happy, fortunate, and grateful than I was twelve months ago.” He is acting in a professional manner as I’m sure his superiors told him to act.

It’s odd to see his transition. He went from suing the league to sticking the “mistakes were made” defense now to the loyal, devoted player. So far so good for A Rod, but we have the whole season to see what unfolds.

Go back

Your message has been sent

 

OHSAA Title Game Brews the Controversy

Leave a reply

By Kaleb Page

April 1, 2015

In the Division II state basketball championship in Ohio there was an ending that you might not see again (at least for a long time). An ending involving a dunk…how is that anything newsworthy?

What happened at the end of that dunk is what really caught the attention of not only people in the state, but people nationally as well.

The game was between Cleveland Central Catholic and Defiance High School. The game was closely contested coming down the stretch. With under a minute in the fourth quarter the score line was 37-35 in favor of Central Catholic. At roughly 45 seconds on the clock, Central Catholic star player Antwon Lillard drove the lane and took off.

Moving fast down the lane Lillard’s momentum springs him to the hole for a big slam. The slam gives his team a huge four point lead to essentially cement the championship. If you remember from earlier I said it wasn’t the dunk that got the reaction it was the after that initiated the debate.

As Lillard dunked he hung on the rim and swung his legs up until he finally landed on the floor. After that action one of the referees gave Lillard a technical foul for hanging on the rim. If you watch the video below you can draw your conclusion on if it should have been called or not (starts at 34 seconds).

This call resulted in two free throws for Defiance and the ball. The bulldogs made both free throws and went on to score on that possession; forcing overtime. Once in overtime the tough nature of the game picked back up, but Defiance walked away the DII Ohio state champion with the final score of 49-45.

“A player can hang from the rim if he is protecting himself from injury if a player or players are underneath him. There were not any players underneath him, and he pulled himself up and swung excessively.” – Denny Morris, OHSAA excutive explaining the ruling (via Cleveland.com)

The national media from USA Today Sports, ESPN, Sporting News, etc. took the story and looked to spread this interesting ending to a big game. Controversy on whether or not the call was right has raged on in any of the comment section you find within an article on this topic.

With that said, I think it is important the national media shows this big ending to a state championship but, it’s important to be fair and not make the referee this huge villain.

Even with the call Defiance had to go to the line and knock down two high pressure free throws. Then when they got that possession they had to work for that basket to tie it and take it into overtime. Yes the call was huge, and yes the call set up for the end result but it still takes capitalizing on. If Defiance misses those free throws are we even sitting here today debating this call as much as we are?

I doubt it.

It is rough to lose that way and you have to feel for those Central Catholic players. At the same time, credit is due for Defiance finishing the job. Circumstances out of your control come up in any sport but it is key to really get past it and focus on what you can control.

Maybe that is the true story line here to realize.

Worry about the things you can control because things will happen you can’t control and when the things you can’t control do happen it is important to keep carrying on.

Go back

Your message has been sent