A First-Class Patriot Retires

Photo courtesy of everyjoe.com blog "Squib Kick".

Tedy Bruschi, linebacker of the New England Patriots, has decided to retire after 14 seasons, all with the Patriots. It was partly because of Bruschi that I became a Patriots fan. He embodied a strong work ethic and overcame multiple challenges to be a role model for fans and fellow players alike. If I owned a Patriots jersey, I'd own Bruschi's before any other player's, including superstar quarterback Tom Brady.

Bruschi was drafted by the Patriots out of the University of Arizona in the mid 1990's. While a defensive end in college, the Patriots converted him to linebacker, a considerable challenge. He won 3 Super Bowls with the Patriots (2002, 2004, 2005), but suffered a mild stroke shortly after the 2005 Pro Bowl. Later that year, he made a full recovery and won the NFL Comeback Player of the Year Award.

For more on this story, visit Mike Reiss' blog at the Boston Globe.

My Fantasy Football Draft

Last Saturday, a yearly tradition continued in the Clark house. Our fantasy football league draft was a success, though R.H. unfortunately couldn't make it, so we drafted on his behalf. The screen on the left was for Dad's team, the middle was for R.H., and the lower laptop was mine. Quite the craziness in the draft war room! This year was more intense since there was a change in position (the 3rd WR slot was changed to a RB/WR flex slot) and everyone used their full 2 minutes per pick.

My starters as of today:
QB Philip Rivers, San Diego Chargers
RB Adrian Peterson, Minnesota Vikings
RB Clinton Portis, Washington Redskins
RB/WR Kevin Walter, Houston Texans
WR Roddy White, Atlanta Falcons
WR Vincent Jackson, San Diego Chargers
TE Kevin Boss, New York Giants
K Ryan Longwell, Minnesota Vikings
DEF New England Patriots
LB DeMarcus Ware, Dallas Cowboys
DL Jared Allen, Minnesota Vikings
DB Erik Coleman, Atlanta Falcons


Photo of Adrian Peterson courtesy of nola.com.

Overall, I'm pretty pleased with my squad this year. I had Adrian Peterson his rookie year and did a blog post on him, in a segment dubbed "Player Spotlight", a column that will be returning this fall, which can be viewed here. My bench/depth is a concern, but that's something that can be adjusted as the season goes on. Considering I picked 1st overall in a twelve team league, I made out pretty well. The key disadvantage to picking 1st is that I don't get to pick again until the 24th pick.

A thing I like to do with my fantasy roster is get players from cities I have family or friends in, in addition to my favorite team. While I only take them if it makes sense for my team, It does make for interesting conversation with people during the season when you mention you have a local player on your team. A few years ago, I had a Seahawk on my team, which led to an interesting chat with an old friend who is originally from Seattle. So to start off this year, I have 3 Vikings (C.B.), 2 Patriots (favorite team), 2 Redskins (L.M. and L.M.), 1 Cowboy (R.H. and W.H.), 1 Raven (L.M. and L.M.), and 1 Cardinal (lots of family in AZ). Unfortunately, no Packers, Bears, or Seahawks this year (heck, I usually have more Cardinals too.)

Fantasy football makes football season so much better. There's the friendly rivalry amongst friends, the thrill of victory and the bragging rights attached, and the pain of losing in the championship game. Draft day is one of the best days, like baseball's spring training, where everyone starts at 0-0. There's also lots of banter on draft day between players that makes the experience all the more better.



Everyone in the family was getting into fantasy football in our house. Even Eli, though, judging by the torn pages, he wasn't impressed by the wide receiver crop this year.

TV Review: Shaq Vs.

Photo courtesy of RealityWanted.com

ABC has been airing a summer reality series called "Shaq Vs." for two episodes now. Last week, Shaq took on Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and last night, he took on beach volleyball superstars Kerri Walsh and Misty May-Treanor. I watched the volleyball episode last night. If for nothing else, "Shaq Vs." is hilarious comedy. In a sense, the whole show is a mockumentary of sports, including the broadcasters and sideline reporter. The trash talking between Walsh, May-Treanor, and Shaq was funny.


Photo courtesy Cleveland.com/Nachofoto.com

Shaq had Todd Rogers as his teammate on the court, but came up short in the match. So, he had to walk along Hermosa Beach wearing a pink speedo three sizes too small. Next week, he takes on St. Louis Cardinals slugger Albert Pujols. The show is just a funny, late summer comedy fluff that anybody can enjoy. "Shaq Vs." airs Tuesdays at 9/8c on ABC.

Fenway South - Camden Yards Part 2

More pics from my June trip to Camden Yards in Baltimore...




Jonathan Papelbon's about to throw a heater to close the game for the Sox...


The scoreboard at the end of the game. The board had really good presentation, especially after the sun went down. When an Oriole player produces a hit, the "H" in THE SUN flashes. Likewise, the E flashes when an error is committed.


Game MVP J.D. Drew is down on the field talking to Heidi Watney, clubhouse reporter for NESN. As you can see, mostly Sox fans nearby.

The surprising thing about Camden was the level of hard-core Orioles fans. The Orioles haven't been competitive for a very long time, and yet, their fans showed up to root for them, even when the Sox were up 4-0. In LA, people would leave early. On the East Coast, that's apparently a foreign concept. When Red Sox fans would say "Let's go Red Sox, let's go!", Orioles fans would immediately counter with an Orioles cheer.

For that atmosphere, and the amenities, Camden Yards is easily my number 2 park in the majors. So what stops it from #1? Fenway has the history that Camden tries to emulate. Also, the Orioles' history since Camden opened has been anything but illustrious. Here is the updated list:

1) Fenway Park, Boston MA
2) Camden Yards, Baltimore MD
3) Petco Park, San Diego CA
4) Chase Field, Phoenix AZ
5) Safeco Field, Seattle WA
6) Angels Stadium, Anaheim CA
7) Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles CA
8) Old Yankee Stadium, New York NY

Showdown Weekend...Sort Of

Photo courtesy of fellow Blogger blog "Blithe & Blonde."

What looked like a great weekend of baseball turned out to be a so-so one. In the American League, the Yankees took 2 out of 3 from the Red Sox, who are still barely on top of the AL Wild Card standings. Tampa Bay has climbed back into the AL Wild Card race by nearly sweeping the Rangers.

As for the National League, the Chicago Cubs have just about kissed their playoff hopes goodbye, after nearly getting swept by the LA Dodgers. A seven game deficit is hard to make up when you have four other teams ahead of you. Another lost year for Cubs fans.

Elsewhere in the NL, the Atlanta Braves and Florida Marlins were at a stalemate heading into the weekend, and things are still pretty much knotted up. As for the San Francisco Giants-Colorado Rockies series, the Rockies have given themselves more cushion and may very well start to pull away with the NL Wild Card (the series finale is tonight). They're also 3.5 games back of the Dodgers for the NL West division race and are 7-3 in their last 10 games. After the Giants finale tonight, the Rox host the Dodgers for 3 games, then travel to San Fran for another weekend series against the Giants. In other words, the NL West division and/or NL Wild Card could be close to decided by next Monday.

The six division leaders are pretty much set, except for two. The AL Central is a two-horse race between the Detroit Tigers and Chicago White Sox, with Chicago 2.5 games back as of this morning. The other is the aforementioned NL West race between LA, Colorado, and San Francisco.

Showdown Weekend

The Colorado Rockies' Yorvit Torrealba and the San Francisco Giants' Travis Ishikawa face-off again in a 3-game series starting tonight. Photo courtesy of NachoPhoto.com

It's going to be a huge weekend in baseball...

Texas Rangers @ Tampa Bay Rays
San Francisco Giants @ Colorado Rockies
Florida Marlins @ Atlanta Braves
Chicago Cubs @ Los Angeles Dodgers
New York Yankees @ Boston Red Sox

Prior to tonight's games, the AL wild card standings are very tight. The Red Sox lead, but the Rangers are a game back. Tampa is 4 games back of Boston. The Texas-Tampa series this weekend could make a huge impact on the wild card race. If Tampa sweeps, then, it'll be an even tighter race. If Texas sweeps, Tampa's season is pretty close to done.

Going into tonight's series, there was a 4-team race for the NL wild card. Colorado is in front and two games up on next-place San Francisco. They face off this weekend in a series that is crucial for San Fran. Both Atlanta and Florida are tied, 4 games back of Colorado, 2 behind Frisco. They play a three game series in Florida starting tonight. If that series is a sweep for either Atlanta or Florida, the loser's season is pretty much finished. Also, the Chicago Cubs are 6 games back, but they play the Dodgers in LA this weekend. It's not looking good for the fans in Wrigleyville.

Oh yeah, and the Red Sox and Yankees play this weekend. Sunday night will be a great duel (Sabathia vs. Beckett) and it's on Sunday Night Baseball (ESPN, 8ET/5PT).

Enjoy a great baseball weekend!

Fenway South - Camden Yards Part 1

When I went to the Washington DC area to visit family earlier this summer, I took a daytrip to Baltimore, primarily to visit Camden Yards. The Red Sox were in town (Jon Lester started) and while my seats were in the upper deck (after all, my view is from the reserved seats), they were easily some of the best seats in the house. Here are photos of the park:


This is the main entry plaza, just beyond the scoreboard in center. The Orioles' retired numbers are here, most notably, Cal Ripken's #8.


The Eutaw Street concourse along right field. This is where the fans hang out inside Camden. The building on the right used to be the B&O Railroad's main office, but now serves as the team office building. There's a pretty good pub on the bottom floor. Also on this concourse is Boog's Barbeque, considered some of the best non-hot dog ballpark food in baseball.


This area is between the Eutaw concourse and the right field wall (it acts as an overlook of sorts.) There are a ton of flagpoles here, corresponding to the current baseball standings. Many a home run ball lands in this spot.


Pickles Pub, just across the street from Camden. Pickles is the Orioles equivalent to Boston's Cask n' Flagon. One of the great things with the East Coast clubs is that they are better meshed with the community. In LA, the ballparks are surrounded by parking lots and the game is like an event. You pay your ticket, you go, you see the game, you leave. On the East Coast, it's an experience. You might stop by the neighborhood bar for Happy Hour before the game and most fans take public transit to the ballpark, so many fans end up talking about the game with each other on the ride home. Some Western cities like Phoenix, Denver, and San Diego are making attempts at recreating the neighborhood vibe of the East Coast parks, but it still isn't as prevalent.


The front entrance to Camden.


The view from my seats. I think it was Section 332, but I forget. Seats went for $35-40 on StubHub (thanks M.H. for the tip)

Part 2 of my Camden photos will come next week.

Collinsworth Moves to the Booth

Photo courtesy of the NY Daily News.

When the next season of NBC's Sunday Night Football debuts September 13, one household name will be missing. John Madden, famous for his "Boom!", telestrator drawing, and larger-than-life personality, retired earlier this year. Replacing him in the booth will be Cris Collinsworth, shown above. Of the NFL color analysts available, Collinsworth was one of the better choices. Some might say he's too plain for broadcast, but he just gives you straight-up commentary, a welcome relief from some other NFL broadcasting teams. For those that have played Madden NFL 09, you've already heard Collinsworth as the color commentator. Paired with Al Michaels, Collinsworth and SNF should be fine when the Bears and Packers square off on the 13th. Now, if only they could get rid of sideline reporter Andrea Kremer and her stupid, "no duh" questions, then SNF would be the absolute best NFL broadcasting team out there (them and FOX's team of Joe Buck, Troy Aikman, and Pam Oliver are my faves).

Here's how Collinsworth sounds in Madden 09 (his voice is the first heard):

Just When You Thought He Would Retire...

Photo courtesy of FanIQ.com

...Brett Favre comes back. Favre signed a two-year deal, the second year is an option year, worth $10-12 million. Brett left his hometown of Hattiesburg, Mississippi this morning via private jet and arrived in the Twin Cities area a few hours later. He started practicing with the Vikings this afternoon, wearing his familiar No. 4. According to ESPN's Ed Werder, Favre has a slight rotator cuff tear in his right rotator cuff. Despite that huge risk factor, Favre has decided to return to the NFL.

I used to like Brett Favre in his Packer days. He is a gunslinger of a quarterback, taking chances that would work more often than not. Then, he waffled about retirement, again and again. His stats declined, his chances working less and less. Then he forced the trade to the NY Jets. After that one-year experiment, he waffled again in regards to retirement, even after his worst season. Now, we're back on the Favre carousel, with wall-to-wall media coverage to boot. Best of luck, Brett, but I can't say I'm rooting for you.

For more Brett Favre coverage, check out the videos at WCCO in Minneapolis. WCCO was one of two TV stations (the other in Hattiesburg) to initially report the story. Also, former Vikings receiver and current ESPN analyst Chris Carter had this to say on ESPN's "First Take" this morning:

Vick is an Eagle

Photo courtesy of the New York Daily News.

On Friday, Michael Vick was officially introduced as the newest member of the Philadelphia Eagles. His contract is a two-year deal. The first year, Vick will be paid $1.6 million and the second year is worth $5.4 million. Also, his contract has $3 million in incentives. All told, he could receive as much as $10 million.

Does Michael Vick deserve to be in the NFL? It ultimately depends on your view of forgiveness. One can say, "He doesn't deserve the privilege of playing in the NFL for the awful things he did." True, he did some despicable acts of murder, but how long can one hold that against him? It's the same question posed against kids in juvenile hall, the unfaithful wife or husband, or any other case where someone or something is wronged. My family owns two cats and has owned dogs. I despise what Michael Vick did to the dogs he had, but I also know that I can forgive a man for his deeds. To quote Ephesians 4:32, "And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you."


Photo courtesy of OregonLive.com/Associated Press.

In terms of football, this is a peculiar move by the Eagles. Why take on the risk of having Vick on your team? It certainly took guts to sign him in spite of the public outrage over his past deeds. Why sign him when you have a franchise quarterback in Donovan McNabb? When I first heard of the signing, I thought, "Poor McNabb." When Philly drafted him in 1999, he was booed by Eagles fans for not being Ricky Williams, a star running back from Texas that eventually turned out to be a bust. There have been moments where the fan base loves Donovan, than weeks later, calls for him to be traded. Philadelphia sports fans in general tend to be among the most mercurial in the country, especially regarding Eagles football. How will they react to Vick? I sense that this may be the last season McNabb wears an Eagles uniform, or Vick will be traded next year. No way will those two be on the same team with the other offensive playmakers they have.


Photo courtesy of NJ.com

I'm glad Michael Vick has Tony Dungy, in the above photo, far right, as a mentor. Dungy was known as a coach that commanded his players respect in a far nicer way than other famous coaches like Bill Parcells or the New York Giants' Tom Coughlin. Dungy invested time into not only his players' skills on the field, but also their lives as a whole. Were it not for Dungy, I'd have serious doubts about Vick returning and succeeding in starting a new chapter of his life.

Ultimate Frisbee...Yes, It's a Sport

There are some who say Ultimate Frisbee, sometimes known as just "Ultimate", is not a sport. Clearly, they've never played with my church group. Every Wednesday night during the summer, we play Ultimate until either the lights go out or we're to tired to continue playing. For those who have never played Ultimate, it's pretty much football, without as much contact.



There are two end zones, and the teams start off in their own zones. One team throws the frisbee to the other, like football's kickoff, then the receiving team passes the frisbee team member to team member until they get into the opposing teams' end zone. If they drop the pass, it's the opposing team's frisbee. The opposing team can also intercept the pass.



Playing at night is brutal, since the lights at the local park are sometimes not on, meaning you can't see anything, like the photo below:



We use a light-up frisbee, but that still doesn't solve the problem of being able to see people. There are many college teams playing Ultimate, though many of the best teams are in the West and Midwest. Colorado, Stanford, and Oregon were in the top 5 this past season while little Carleton College in Northfield, Minnesota, a small agricultural town south of Minneapolis, was the national champion.

Ultimate is a really good game for cardiovascular exercise, since you're often on the run, especially on turnovers. And considering the game is so informal, anybody can play. Everybody comes off the field sweating a ton. And that's the essence of sport. A group of people getting together enjoying a recreational activity, getting exercise and enjoying "the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat."



For more information on Ultimate, visit upa.org. All the pictures in this post were of our church group playing Ultimate.

Housekeeping Roundup

Photo courtesy of ChristianityToday.com

Today's post is a roundup of stories I'm working on or need to wrap up...

1) I updated my NetworkedBlogs application on Facebook Wednesday night, so my posts will also appear on my Facebook page. My Twitter account should be linked soon as well.

2) I just started reading Michael Lewis' book, The Blind Side. I just finished chapter 3 and am looking forward to posting a review soon. My previous book review, Buster Olney's The Last Night of the Yankee Dynasty, can be read here. Other books I have on my list are Lewis' other noteworthy book, Moneyball, and Buzz Bissinger's Friday Night Lights.

3) I promised I'd wrap up the Ortiz steroid story in that post. Truth is, I don't know if he did or didn't take the 'roids. His stats suggest he took them, but his character, and previous public statements say no. He is 34, so his power numbers will drop, which they have. His batting average the past two years (last year's .264 was not stellar, this year, it's currently at .220). I do think the list of players' names does need to be released at this point, so we don't have this same scenario play out with each newly leaked name.

4) As I post content more frequently, I'm looking to really expand the reach of FTRS. So, if you have any sports fan friends/family, send them a link to FTRS. Thanks!

Coming up on Monday...Michael Vick signed with the Philadelphia Eagles late yesterday. How does that affect the Eagles and the NFL?

A Week of Beaning

Image courtesy of Masslive.com. Kevin Youkilis, left, of the Boston Red Sox is about to throw Detroit Tigers pitcher Rick Porcello to the ground after getting beaned by a pitch Tuesday night.

Last week, Milwaukee Brewers first baseman Prince Fielder was hit, or "beaned", by Los Angeles Dodgers relief pitcher Guillermo Mota. Fielder didn't take exception at the time of the hit, but tried to enter the Dodgers locker room after the game and let off a profanity-laced tirade (video below along with a follow-up interview with LA sports anchor Jim Hill):





Both videos courtesy of KCAL 9 / KCBS 2 via YouTube.

What Fielder did was stupid on multiple levels. No one tries to enter the opposing teams' locker room to pick a fight. That would be the baseball equivalent to a schoolyard bully saying, "Meet me at 3:00 on the playground." Nothing good can come of it. In the second video, Fielder totally dodges Hill's questioning and makes it sound like it was no big deal and nothing happened. He also used canned answers that didn't seem very relevant to the interview. This doesn't help Fielder's image and if he does another interview like this, he'll need a better PR agent. As I wrote in a post last year, retaliatory and brushback pitches are part of baseball. Last year, a manager admitted he orders pitchers to hit opposing batters as a form of retaliation.

Fast forward to Tuesday night, Fenway Park. After a game on Monday that had lots of players getting beaned, the Boston Red Sox Kevin Youkilis finally had enough after another beaning.

I generally like Youkilis, he's a well rounded baseball player with lots of talent. For whatever reason, he is the batter that opposing pitchers usually choose to hit in regards to retaliatory pitches (he has more hit by pitches than any other Red Sox batter this year.) On one hand, had Porcello not tried to hit Victor Martinez, the batter before Youkilis, the brawl may have been avoided. On the other hand, I do not condone charging the mound, much less throwing your helmet. Youkilis will surely be suspended multiple games, which does not help the Red Sox in their current state of affairs.

What's most disturbing is hearing the fans at Fenway cheer on the brawl. I don't go to baseball games to see a brawl. For that, there's wrestling, boxing, and hockey. Beaning is becoming a problem in baseball, especially if managers are ordering hits. While the "eye for an eye" principle is understandable, it doesn't justify drilling someone with a 90+ mph fastball.

UPDATE (8/13/09): MLB.com claimed a copyright violation to the YouTube video of Youkilis charging the mound I linked to. The best place to view the footage at this point is here. Also, MLB announced that both Youk and Porcello received 5-game suspensions for the brawl.

East Coast Bias in Sports Media

Image courtesy of Photobucket.

Last week on The Scott Van Pelt Show on ESPN Radio, Scott, shown above on the right, was reading through lots of viewer email regarding the well-known "east coast bias" at ESPN, and to a lesser extent, LA bias. Many fans in recent years have complained about sports media's near-exclusion of smaller market teams in the Midwest and West Coast. For example, during the baseball season, you may not see Seattle Mariners or Kansas City Royals highlights during the 11:00 Eastern SportsCenter, but you'll certainly see Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees highlights. ESPN's chief NFL analyst Chris Mortensen is currently traveling around the country to select training camps, none of which are west of Dallas.


Photo courtesy of Flickr.

To address this issue, and expand their broadcasting presence, ESPN just opened a studio at L.A. Live, shown above, across from the Staples Center in downtown Los Angeles. This move hasn't quelled people's dissatisfaction with ESPN's coverage. Now, various sports fans claim there's an L.A. bias at ESPN. This is the West Coast version of the same complaint ESPN has faced for years, because of where they broadcast from. ESPN broadcasts from Bristol, Conn., near the New York and Boston markets, and the aforementioned LA studio.

The number one rule in TV is ratings. New York is the number one TV market, LA is number two, Boston is number five. By covering these teams, ESPN is likely to get the highest possible ratings, which in turn means more revenue flowing into ESPN. When the Yankees and Red Sox play each other, they easily are the top draw in all of baseball, which means higher ratings. Likewise, the Los Angeles Lakers and Dallas Cowboys draw top ratings in their respective sports. Part of this is because of the franchise history. The Lakers and Boston Celtics have won more NBA titles than any other team and have a historic rivalry. The Cowboys once had the mantle of "America's Team." The Yankees have won 26 titles and have the famous rivalry with Boston. People are drawn to the success and history of these franchises. The rule of ratings also applies to the order of highlights, known as "the rundown". The top story for any given SportsCenter will always feature a big sports star or a big-market team, unless something totally out of the ordinary happens (i.e. a Kansas City pitcher throws a perfect game).

Another factor to consider is that, generally, people in the U.S. have moved from east to west. If you go to an Angels-Yankees game in Anaheim, there will be many people wearing Yankee pinstripes. If you go to a Diamondbacks-Cubs game in Arizona, half the crowd will be wearing Cubbie blue (on one trip, I even saw a fan fly a giant Cubs flag inside the Diamondbacks' stadium.)

Also, in my own personal experience, the East Coast cities are better sports fans than their West Coast counterparts. I went to a Baltimore Orioles-Boston Red Sox game in June in Baltimore. The Orioles haven't had a winning season in years, and yet, the stadium was packed with O's fans cheering on their team (and giving us Sox fans a hard time.) When I went to Fenway in 2005, it was even more intense with 40,000 people singing "Dirty Water" and "Sweet Caroline" and chanting "Yankees Suck!", even though they were playing the Angels that day. Everybody arrived early in both Baltimore and Boston, whereas here in Los Angeles, the joke goes "they arrive in the 5th and leave in the 7th." LA fans do tend to arrive late and leave early, mostly because the traffic can be horrendous. During the season, East Coast cities really invest in their sports teams in terms of fan awareness of the team's current state. In LA, many fans are "bandwagon fans", they jump on at playoff time, then go about their business after the season. In short, it seems like there isn't an offseason for East Coast teams and their fans.

Big Papi Fallout

Photo courtesy of ESPN.

On Thursday, the New York Times reported that both Manny Ramirez, currently with the Los Angeles Dodgers, and David Ortiz, currently with the Boston Red Sox, tested positive for steroids in a 2003 test, when both players were members of the Red Sox. To put it mildly, the news has caused shockwaves throughout New England and the baseball world at large.

This story has so many angles. First, it's not a surprise that Manny Ramirez's name showed up on the list. He served a 50-game suspension earlier this season for failing a steroid test. His name was already tarnished in the eyes of many baseball fans. His Hall of Fame career will have the taint of steroid use that may have lasted his whole career from his start in Cleveland in the 1990's to Boston to LA.

The main angle, and the one that's the shocker, is David Ortiz. Ortiz is one of the most outspoken players in regards to banning steroid use in baseball. Prior to spring training this year, Ortiz said:


"You test positive, you gonna be out. Serious and period. I would suggest that everybody get tests, not random, everybody. You go team-by-team, you test everybody 3-4 times a year, and that's about it...bang 'em for a whole year. I know that if I test positive by using any kind of, um, substance, I know that I'm going to disrespect my family, the game, the fans, and everybody. And I don't want to be facing that situation."

To see the video of these comments, click here.


Photo courtesy of Soxblog.mlblogs.com.

For someone to be so outspoken on steroids, then to be on a list of players that tested positive, something doesn't seem right. David Ortiz, known to Red Sox fans as "Big Papi", is known to be a fun, outgoing member of the Sox clubhouse and a standout member of the community. The two things that don't fit are the steroid use and his stat line from 2000-2009. If he were to be subject to his own recommendation for steroid users, he'd be banned from the game for a year.

There's other conflicting information floating around. Nomar Garciaparra, a former Red Sox player currently playing with the Oakland Athletics, said Thursday that players that wanted testing would ask that they be counted as "positive" in order that a drug testing program would be put in place. Shortly after these comments, many baseball sources denied this. Another thing that hasn't been sorted out is that if players were on the list, the player's association was to contact the player and give them the bad news. Ortiz claims he found out through the NY Times article released today.

The third angle, and perhaps the most mysterious, is how the information came out. The initial news story, broken by the NY Times' Michael Schmidt and David Waldstein, has the headline, "Ortiz and Ramirez Are Said to Be on 2003 Doping List". The main sources for the report are lawyers involved with litigation regarding the list. The lawyers spoke anonymously because the actual list of players is under a court seal. Problem is, divulging information that is under federal court seal is a crime.

There's a host of journalism questions here. First, why did the lawyers willingly break the law by leaking names to the Times? Surely, they would have known the ramifications beforehand. Second, should the Times have taken the sources' information, knowing the law would be broken? Third, will the Times be facing legal issues for publishing the details? On a related note, I find it interesting that the NY Times, through its ownership of the Boston Globe newspaper, has a minorty ownership stake in the Red Sox.

For more on this story, you can read the NY Times article here. For ESPN's take on the story, including a great video with investigative reporter T.J. Quinn, go here. For Curt Schilling's opinion, click here.

I'll be adding my own personal thoughts as a Red Sox fan in the coming days. There's lots of debate going on and it'll require a second post to gather my thoughts together and write them up. It's been a sad day to be a resident of Red Sox Nation.

A Reminder of a Giant Mistake

Picture courtesy of StlToday.com/Associated Press.

Randy Johnson won his 300th career game Thursday as the San Francisco Giants beat the Washington Nationals 5-1. I've always liked Randy, especially after his performance in the 2001 World Series, but seeing him in a Giants uniform reminds me of all the junk after the Series. Randy is a reminder of what happens when team ownership gets stingy...at a bad time.

Randy came up through the Montreal Expos (now Washington Nationals) farm system, then was traded to the Seattle Mariners where he made a reputation for being a nasty pitcher to face. He was traded again, this time to Houston, then signed with the Arizona Diamondbacks prior to the 1999 season. He won the Series MVP in 2001, multiple NL Cy Young Awards, and was at his most dominant in this period. After the D-Backs' disastrous 2004 season, Randy was traded to the New York Yankees, where his two seasons were deemed a flop. He returned to Arizona for the 2007 season, and helped stabilize the rotation. When he became a free agent after the '08 season, the Diamondbacks ownership had decided on not bringing many players back. They let second baseman/defensive whiz Orlando Hudson go to the Dodgers, outfielder/power hitter Adam Dunn go to the Nationals, and after a lot of back and forth, Randy signed with San Francisco.

When Randy first signed with Arizona in 1999, the owner was Jerry Colangelo, who was bent on assembling a championship roster as fast as possible. After the world championship in 2001, the D-Backs were loaded with aging players and lots of deferred money on contracts. These contracts helped lead to the ousting of Colangelo as majority owner in 2004. He was replaced by Ken Kendrick, who has since made a reputation of being one of the worst owners in regards to penny-pinching.

The fans in Arizona still like Randy, even though he left for a division rival, but a growing number of fans are getting irritated by the management. The D-Backs went from the NLCS in 2007 to a current 4th place standing in their division (looking up at both San Fran and the LA Dodgers). While some of the decline involves injuries to key players, the losses of Hudson, Dunn, and Johnson are just too big to overcome. It was unlikely for all three to come back, especially given the economic climate, but for none to return was a terrible mistake. Now, as Randy Johnson has won his 300th game, it only serves as a reminder that if it weren't for a stingy ownership, Arizona fans could have seen him achieve the accomplishment in a Diamondbacks uniform.


On a separate note, if you'd like to see the news broadcasts from the class I took this past semester, just go to CougarNews.com. Among other things, I did the sports anchoring for the March 18th and May 6th shows. It was a challenging but very rewarding class.

Curt Schilling and Asperger's

Photo courtesy of the Red Sox Times.

I was perusing Curt Schilling's 38 Pitches blog a few weeks back when I saw the following post:

At the most recent event for a program called YouthCare my wife and I spoke publicly about our son’s battle with Asperger’s Syndrome, for the first time. Here is the text of my wife’s speech the other night.

I have given many speeches over the years. This is one is by far the hardest. It is one thing to speak from the heart about your own experiences and another to speak from the heart about one of your children.

When our third child was diagnosed with Aspergers Syndrome almost two years ago all I can say is that my heart was aching. A child that I had raised to that point like his siblings, I couldn’t understand how he could be so different. I was in the doctors office when I heard the words ” On the spectrum of Autism” Aspergers.

For one brief second the puzzles pieces made sense and there was relief. What followed was such a sense of loss, pain and guilt it’s hard to describe.

I remember for days thinking to myself “just write down” what I was feeling. The emotions were so strong that I became numb. I struggled so hard as a parent to reach Grant and I was now sure that I would never know how to communicate with him.

The school year was just beginning and I went in for his IUP meeting. I was so overwhelmed I cried the entire time. I didn’t know how to handle Grant and I was looking for anyone to tell me “Hey, no need to worry, we can help”.

I starting sitting up nights, scouring the internet, downloading anything I could find on Aspbergers. Digesting in small bits as it was all so overwhelming.

Some people read everything they can get their hands on, all I wanted was the comic book version. Which by the way I have never found.

That fall of 2004 we went on to win the World Series and I just tried to keep distracted. I really wanted help but honestly I just wasn’t ready for it. I tried to watch Grant and see what I could do . I listened to the teachers and administrators give me tips and techniques to help Grant at school.

It wasn’t till after Christmas that year when I decided to take the schools advice and reach out for help. I was ready to accept this different life and the new adventures it would bring to us. I spoke to other parents who were always eager to share problem solving that worked for them.

One name that kept coming up in conversations was this wonderful camp called Youth Care.

We tried summer camp before his diagnosis and every day I would have a full report from my daughter on what Grant had done to make the councilors mad. I was mortified and humiliated that he just couldn’t follow there rules. I knew that I couldn’t go through another summer like that. So I made the call to YOUTH CARE. Grant and I went to the interview meeting.

I have to tell you that I was so nervous that he would act normal and they wouldn’t accept him. Needless to say it took 30 seconds for them to agreed he was a fit. As he walked in he touched every single object in the room, never looked her in the eye, and couldn’t answer any questions due to being so distracted in a new room with so many new shiny things to look at, and touch! Hooray we were in.

I really had no idea what YOUTH CARE had to offer as I had heard that kids and parents learn so many coping and life skills and this camp was second to none for kids like Grant.

I felt relief and empowered that I was making the first good decision for him.

The day of camp orientation arrived. I listened as he met his councilors and watched as he interacted with the other kids in his group. They explained to him the great things that he would be doing that summer and he was excited. He counted down the “Sleeps” until camp would start.

The first day arrived. He was up early and checking to make sure he had everything he needed. I pulled into the line and watched as each kid was greeted by his councilor.

When our turn came Grant jumped out of the car almost forgetting to give me a kiss, which he never forgets. The camp councilors were so warm and affectionate in greeting each child that morning, this was truly going to be a place Grant would be accepted, and welcomed.

He walked away and I started home. I drove out of the campground and without warning tears were flowing down my face. For the first time since this journey began I was crying tears of joy. Grant was safe and most of all wanted. He would be surrounded by people who would watch out for him, understand him and be patient with him.

As a mother that is all I wanted. I learned strategies that would help both Grant and our family. I was open to suggestions and eager to try the new things that we learned would work so well for Grant. Grant had a wonderful summer. A super summer camp experience.

Curt and I are so grateful that Youth Care exists and for all the wonderful people that work so hard to help our children. What we hope to do by sharing our family story is to help even more families who do not have funds to this amazing opportunity to have that chance.

Take it from two parents who are walking this journey with our son. If you have the means to give a child and his family a chance it is the biggest return on your investment that you will ever make.

Thank you and God Bless

Shonda and I are truly grateful to Scott McLeod the camp director and want anyone affected by this to reach out to the camp and any of the other services provided to see if there is help for you or your children. This is a daily battle that will never end. Much like most everything else I look at this in only one way.

Life often times gives us ‘choices’ when it really doesn’t. Our son has Aspergers, there is nothing we can do about that other than turn over every leaf, in trying to make sure we as parents provide every possible outlet and resource to him, and to us as parents, to make the world a place Grant can thrive and succeed in. Our son is brilliantly smart (as many children with Aspergers are) and way ahead of many of his peers in certain academic areas, but there are social issues and to many people those have far more potential to be harmful than anything else in a young childs life.

This is the opposite of a ‘why us’ or ‘poor us’ story, this is the first chapter of a story that will see us take on a charitable cause, and ask each and every one of you for help (whether that is time or money, I don’t care, both are needed) as we move down this path in our lives.

This city has never shied from helping Shonda and I in every charitable endeavor we’ve taken on and we are forever grateful to all of you for everything you’ve done.

Please don’t hesitate to contact me through this blog if you are looking for help, or offering it.

Thanks

Curt and Shonda Schilling


As someone with Asperger's Syndrome, it's great to see the emotions conveyed as eloquently as Curt & Shonda have written them. I feel for their son Grant as he goes through school and the social issues that accompany it, but the support of parents is invaluable. For the blog and its links to multiple charitable organizations, just click on the 38 Pitches link on the right-hand column or click here.

New AZ Columnist & Video

In an effort to continue to provide a wide network of sports opinion, I have added Arizona Republic columnist Dan Bickley to the list, which includes the likes of Bill Plaschke, Mitch Albom, Michael Wilbon, and Terry Pluto, among others. Also, I have inserted below a YouTube video of the Cardinals/Eagles NFC Championship Game highlights...in case you missed it. The clip includes the beautiful flea flicker from Kurt Warner to Larry Fitzgerald (one of the best passes I've seen) and the 4th quarter drive that determined the game. All the commentary is provided by the local sports radio station (Arizona's 620 KTAR in Phoenix).

Cardinals Win!

Photo courtesy of Darryl Webb/East Valley Tribune.

The Arizona Cardinals, an NFL franchise that hasn't won a championship since 1947 (when they were the Chicago Cardinals) is one step closer to a Super Bowl title. Of the 12 teams that entered the playoffs, the Cardinals were one of the most unlikely and the most overlooked. Hardly anyone expected them to beat Atlanta, who had a potent offense and a fairly good defense. No one expected them to beat Carolina, who had one of the best defenses in the league. Few expected them to beat the Philadelphia Eagles, who were going to their 5th NFC Championship Game this decade. And yet, the Cardinals are going to Super Bowl XLIII (43) in Tampa to face the Pittsburgh Steelers, one of the toughest teams to beat in football.

In a year where many NFL teams fit the role of Cinderella (Arizona, Atlanta, Baltimore, Miami, and Tennessee all went to the playoffs after losing seasons in 2007), it seems fitting that a NFL franchise known for seasons of failure is the one still dancing. Cardinals quarterback Kurt Warner said immediately after the game that he was most thankful to his wife, kids, and faith, who had supported him from the beginning. Safety Adrian Wilson had tears of joy streaming down his face after the game. Wilson had offers from other teams (some perennial playoff contenders), but he chose to stay in Arizona where he has played his entire 8-year career through 7 losing seasons. Wilson is the epitome of most of the Arizona Cardinals team - players drafted by the team that haven't seen any form of playoffs in years. Some players like Wilson and receiver Larry Fitzgerald (shown below) have had individual accomplishments, but no playoffs or Super Bowl.


Photo courtesy of the East Valley Tribune.

The Arizona Cardinals are going to the Super Bowl (man, it just seems so cool and bizarre at the same time to write that phrase) as the underdog of underdogs. They'll face the Pittsburgh Steelers, a franchise steeped in tradition (only the Dallas Cowboys have won more Super Bowls). When I would go to Arizona in the summers growing up, the local media would pessimistically cover the Cardinals training camps. Though I detest bandwagoners, the Cardinals' season has been quite the roller-coaster ride to watch. When the playoffs started, I had picked Philadelphia and Baltimore to go all the way, but my dad was one of the few who said the Cardinals would go to the Super Bowl. That was his best call all year and after the Arizona/Carolina game, I had switched it to Cards/Baltimore. Many of the Arizona players mentioned having faith in the postgame press conferences, and now, their faith has been rewarded. "Shock the world" has become a rallying cry for the Cardinals. The phrase was heard on Phoenix radio station KTAR at the game'sw conclusion and the same phrase was on uber-fan Jack Corson's banner (shown in top photo) hanging over one of the upper concourses in the stadium yesterday. Here's to hoping they continue to shock the world, because that's why we watch the game. Sports figures like racing horse Seabiscuit, the Boston Red Sox in 2004, the New England Patriots in 2001, and the New York Giants last year were all heavy underdogs that tasted the sweetness of victory.

Cinderellas Keep Dancing

Photo of Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kurt Warner courtesy of CNN/Sports Illustrated.

The Arizona Cardinals and the San Diego Chargers stunned their opponents this past Wild-Card Weekend. The Atlanta Falcons were heavily favored over the Cardinals while the Indianapolis Colts were favored over the Chargers. Both the Cardinals and Chargers had home-field advantage and it definitely helped as their opposing teams had communication problems and false-start penalties. Meanwhile, the Miami Dolphins were deflated by the Baltimore Ravens. That's four teams (Cardinals, Falcons, Dolphins, and Ravens) that weren't in playoff contention last season. The Philadelphia Eagles, who were almost eliminated from the playoffs weeks ago, have rallied and are on a roll.


Photo of Philadelphia running back courtesy of Brian Westbrook courtesy of the New York Times.

So this week's playoff games are (playoff seed in parentheses):

NFC Conference
(6) Baltimore Ravens at (1) Tennessee Titans
(4) San Diego Chargers at (2) Pittsburgh Steelers

AFC Conference
(6) Philadelphia Eagles at (1) New York Giants
(4) Arizona Cardinals at (2) Carolina Panthers

I think the Ravens and Steelers will win out in the AFC while the Eagles and Panthers will win in the NFC. It's going to be a great playoff weekend. The phrase "every given Sunday" has been especially true this season.

A Class Act

Just a quick article link for today. University of Florida quarterback Tim Tebow is the subject of a Pat Forde article posted here. Tebow, a devout Christian, is involved with prison ministries, comes from a missionary family, and is arguably one of the most decorated college football players in history. And he hasn't even graduated from UF yet.

Many fans of the game don't like him (mostly because of UF's recent national title wins and their general dominance during Tebow's time at UF), but you can't fault a young person for making an effort to change people's lives for the better at such an early age.

Cinderella Teams in Playoffs

Image courtesy of NFL.com / Getty Images.

This season has been a topsy-turvy one in the NFL. Several teams that were in shambles last season are now poised to make the playoffs. Two of those teams are the Baltimore Ravens and the Miami Dolphins, both shown above. The Dolphins were 1-15 last season, a then-NFL record for losses. They switched their front office management, their coach, and some players, and are currently 10-5 and on the cusp of a playoff berth if they beat the New York Jets next Sunday (at NY). The Ravens were 5-11 last season, then switched their coach, drafted a new starting quarterback, and are going to playoffs if they beat Jacksonville next week (at home). Even more intriguing is that Baltimore's head coach and the quarterback, Joe Flacco of Delaware, are both rookies at this level.


Image courtesy of emqb.com / Newscom.

The Atlanta Falcons were predicted to have a terrible season this year with a new coach with no previous NFL head coach experience and a rookie quarterback, but they are a win away from playoffs (they need to beat St. Louis on Sunday). The Falcons quarterback, Matt Ryan, shown above, is a Rookie of the Year candidate (along with Baltimore's Flacco). Meanwhile, the Arizona Cardinals are going to the playoffs for the first time in 10 years and their first division title in 33 years (1975). However, the Cardinals, led by quarterback Kurt Warner, were demolished by the New England Patriots yesterday 47-7 in snowy Foxboro. The Patriots are going to need help if they want to go to playoffs (they need to beat Buffalo next week and hope Miami or Baltimore loses). Considering the Patriots are without star quarterback Tom Brady, linebacker Tedy Bruschi, safety Rodney Harrison, linebacker Adalius Thomas, and running back Laurence Maroney, they are on a remarkable run to a potential playoff berth, led by backup QB Matt Cassel.


Image courtesy of the BBC.

The Dallas Cowboys are on the verge of getting knocked out of playoffs if they lose to division rival Philadelphia on Sunday. If the Cowboys lose, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will take the final spot. So, the playoffs currently look like this:

NFC Playoffs
6) Dallas Cowboys or Tampa Bay Buccaneers at 3) Chicago Bears or Minnesota Vikings
5) Atlanta Falcons or Dallas Cowboys at 4) Arizona Cardinals
First round byes: 1) NY GIants and 2) Carolina Panthers

AFC Playoffs
6) Baltimore Ravens or New England Patriots at 3) Miami Dolphins or New England Patriots
5) Indianapolis Colts at Denver Broncos or San Diego Chargers
First round byes: 1) Tennessee Titans and 2) Pittsburgh Steelers

Slimy Agents?

Image courtesy of the BBC.

A controversy reached boiling point this week when the agents for Los Angeles Dodger shortstop Rafael Furcal, shown above, were presented with a contract offer by the Atlanta Braves for Furcal, but he resigned with the Dodgers a day later at terms nearly identical to the Braves' offer. The Braves front office is furious about it and making their displeasure known in the press. They have advised Arn Tellem and Paul Kinzer, the agents involved, to remove the Braves from their clients' wish list of teams, effectively ending any business dealings between Tellem, Kinzer, and the Braves.


Image courtesy of daylife.com/The Associated Press/Lenny Ignelzi.

Supposedly, the Braves agreed to a contract offer with Furcal via Kinzer, shown above, and Tellem for a three-year deal and an option for a fourth. The Braves were told Furcal would sleep on it, but Kinzer reportedly took the offer to the Dodgers and negotiated a similar deal. The Braves contend that they had a deal and that once Furcal would sleep on it, he'd sign with Atlanta (he played there from 2000-2005.) The agents argue that a deal was never in place and that what they did was above board. If Atlanta follows through on their threat to not sign any players from Tellem and Kinzer's agency, there could be potential problems regarding baseball's collective bargaining agreement (or CBA).


Image courtesy of New York Magazine/Getty Images.

Kinzer and Tellem aren't the first agents to anger baseball teams. Scott Boras, shown above, is the biggest agent in baseball and has a colorful reputation in the sport. Some have called him a variety of names including "The Prince of Darkness" and he is known for getting his players top dollar, even if they aren't worth the amount. For example, when Johnny Damon went from the Boston Red Sox to their archrival New York Yankees a few years ago, he received a contract in the $50 million range, which most observers at the time said Damon was being overvalued. In other words, it's believed by most baseball observers that whoever offers the most money to a Boras client automatically wins the bidding. And while Boras has gotten teams into bidding wars, he's never done anything quite like what Kinzer and Tellem have done to Atlanta. The fact that Boras gets his players top dollar is good for him, that's what he's hired to do. What Kinzer and Tellem did only reinforces the stereotype that agents can be schmucks (if you haven't seen the animated film Bolt, the stereotypical agent makes multiple appearances, each time getting worse) only interested in money, book deals, etc. that the get a cut in.

Which Way Phoenix?

Image courtesy The Arizona Republic/Getty Images.

This summer, Phoenix let its coach at the time, Mike D'Antoni, leave to coach the New York Knicks after D'Antoni and Suns GM Steve Kerr disagreed over the direction of the team. Kerr wanted more defense from the club, but D'Antoni ushered in the Suns' trademark "run-n-gun" style. D'Antoni built a system known as "7 Seconds or Less", an offense designed to take a shot at the basket within 7 seconds. This season, with new coach Terry Porter, shown above, and an emphasis on defense, the Suns aren't the same team and aren't nearly as fun to watch. This isn't to say I don't like to watch them, but rather defense-minded clubs are less fun to watch than offensive powers like Boston and, to an extent, the Lakers.


Image courtesy of the East Valley Tribune.

Recently, the Suns traded Raja Bell, a good defender and three-point shooter shown above, along with Boris Diaw to Charlotte for Jason Richardson and Jared Dudley. Will this move make the team better? Perhaps, but this season is a transition year for the Suns and it's making a lot of fans in Planet Orange (the Suns' equivalent to Red Sox Nation) upset. With all the talent the Suns have (Steve Nash, Amare Stoudemire, Shaq, and now Richardson), one wonders why they're only 15-10.

On a side note, I added a few links to the blog page recently. First up, I replaced Sean McAdam with Tony Massarotti (aka Mazz) of the Boston Globe. McAdam has since moved from Providence to the Boston Herald, but the Herald's website isn't the greatest to track columnists. Tony's a great baseball writer, a winner of multiple sports journalism awards and offers insight, especially with the Boston Red Sox. His columns are listed here. Next up is Ken Rosenthal, senior baseball writer for FOX Sports. Rosenthal is like Mazz, but on a wider, national scale. Ken's columns are here. Two other columnists were added as well: Rick Morrissey of the Chicago Tribune and Art Thiel of the Seattle Post-Intelligencer. Both have received awards for their columns, especially Thiel, and are respected within their respective cities. Thiel's columns are here while Morrissey's are here. In addition to these, links to columns in Detroit, Dallas, Los Angeles, Cleveland, and Washington D.C. are available on the main blog page.

Hot Stove Getting Warmer

Even in the current economy, you can always count on baseball teams to spend like crazed Christmas shoppers this time of year. Despite the fact that baseball is in its offseason, this is when the free agency period and player movement begin. Some of the major trades and deals so far:


Image courtesy of Sports Illustrated/CNN.

Slugger Matt Holliday, pictured above, was traded to Oakland from Colorado for relief pitcher Huston Street, outfielder Carlos Gonzalez, and pitcher Greg Smith. While Holliday is now the main hitter in the A's offense, I don't think he'll be the 35-homer guy that he was with the Rockies. Due to the thin air in Colorado, the balls go higher and farther, whereas Oakland is right next to San Francisco Bay, where the dense marine air takes the flight out of balls. Conversely, the pitchers sent to the Rockies have to hope that they don't get lit up every night. In other words, this deal was a good one for the clubs, but a bad one for the players' individual careers.


Image courtesy of Sports Illustrated/CNN.

Pitcher C.C. Sabathia, who previously played for the Cleveland Indians and the Milwaukee Brewers, signed with the New York Yankees for seven years, $161 million. Sabathia is a good starting pitcher, but he's not $161 million good. His yearly salary will be $23 million, the second highest on the team, even more than sure Hall-of-Famer and Yankee icon Derek Jeter ($21 million). Sabathia has a playoff ERA over 5.00 but a 21-8 record against AL East teams excluding the Yankees (Boston, Toronto, Baltimore, and Tampa Bay). Also, C.C. had reservations about playing in New York and, to paraphrase ESPN.com columnist Buster Olney, only greatness will be expected of him from the New York fans. Even if he fails though, he has an opt-out clause in his contract after the 2011 season.


Image courtesy of the CBC.

The Yankees also signed Toronto pitcher A.J. Burnett to a five-year $82.5 million deal. That's $16.5 million a year for a pitcher who's career average is 3.81, not great but not terrible. He has an injury history, but he was dominant against the Red Sox last year, going 5-0. Getting Burnett from a division rival was a bonus for the Yankees, but he's a high risk-high payoff player.