Thoughts on Sports Today

Well I don't have one particular topic I want to talk about today so I will talk about a few different things going on in sports today. A lot to talk about.

First what the heck is Jeremy Mayfield thinking? I think this might be a first. A NASCAR driver testing positive for drugs. Way to make your mark in history. Since when would a NASCAR driver need drugs, steroids or anything other junk like that. I just think that it is ridiculous. He will probably never race again.

In basketball, Lamar Odom would not accept the Lakers 3 year offer of 9 million a year. He was making 14 million last year and I don't think he would play hard if he had to take that big a pay cut. Also, Allen Iverson sounds close to signing a deal with the Clippers. Not sure how that one would work out but you never know. There are still a few free agents out there that have not been signed.

Pedro is back!!! Yes Pedro Martinez signed with the Phillies yesterday and should be pitching within two weeks hopefully. Hopefully he can pitch like he use to. Also the Phillies have been in talks about getting Roy Halladay from the Blue Jays. That would be hard to stop them.

And then you have Brett Favre...the guy who can't make up his mind if he wants to retire or not. He said he will give his answer on the Vikings July 30th. Keep us in suspense why don't you? I am not sure how I feel about him anymore because he is ruining his legacy.

Well those are my ramblings for the day. Not much else on my brain. I am sure I'll have more this weekend. Have a great day and enjoy the weather wherever you are at.

Kimbo Slice on the Ultmate Fighter

Well the unthinkable has happened, and that is Kimbo Slice getting a shot at the UFC. He will a participant on the 10th Ultimate Fighter in the heavyweight division. Kimbo is well known for his street fighting past but he isn't a disciplined fighter. At least not yet he is. He is going to be very dangerous on this show and I will be curious to see how he handles living in the house and training with others.

To make the show even more interesting the two coaches are Rashad Evans and Quinton Jackson. You know what that means? They will eventually fight each other when the show is over. I love it because they can't stand each other and there is a lot of personal animosity there. Rampage even declined a title shot against Machida to fight Evans. Usually the best fights are when the two guys across from each other can't stand each other. I am looking forward to this season of the Ultimate Fighter because it might be the most out of control and chaotic that there has ever been. What the hell is Dana White going to do when he sees the destruction that Kimbo Slice probably does to all of his opponents? I cannot wait to find out.

All Star Festivities Recap

So the last two days have been fun to watch. I always love the MLB All Star Game because to me it means something. It's way better then any of the other All Star Games in sports. Monday was the Home Run Derby and this year it wasn't as great but it was nice to see Prince Fielder pound a ball 503 feet. He's got his dad looks, his dads demeanor and his dad's power. It was great to see him win but what wasn't so great was seeing Brandon Inge hit no home runs. Oh well he was nice enough to represent the Tigers and enjoy his time as a first time All Star.

Then last night was the 80th All Star game in St. Louis. President Obama threw out the first pitch wearing a White Sox jacket. Nice job buddy, way to play to the St. Louis crowd. Anyways they had some nice tributes to local programs around the country from each state. I like how they highlight real life heroes as well as the baseball players who go out and serve their communities.

The game was very defensive and there really wasn't a lot of big hits. The two biggest hits of the night in my opinion was Prince Fielders double and Curtis Granderson's triple which led to him scoring the game winning run for the American League. It was nice to see Inge at bat, and Jackson pitched a nice inning. I will say this Carl Crawford's catch was amazing and it probably saved the game for the American League. The funniest sight I saw at the All Star Game was when they showed Mariano Rivera sitting with Tim Wakefield in the bullpen. I was always like talking about the Red Sox-Yankees rivalry because it's one of the best in sports.

The American League now has home field advantage in the World Series and hopefully it will be Detroit representing the American League in the World Series and we will see more triples from Curtis Granderson. It was a really fun game to watch and for the 13th year in a row the National League fails to win. That's a bad losing streak for sure. Well on to the second half of the season which who knows what will happen. I am saying right now that the Dodgers will be in the World Series. As far as the American League goes, I am not so sure. I hope it will be Detroit. Only time will tell.

Hollywood's Rejects Players of the Week

Another week, another loss but I've grown use to that in Fantasy Baseball.

Hollywood's Rejects (HWOO)(2-12) 193.5
GR Mannys (GRM) (6-8) 234

Troy Tulowitzki and Russell Martin were my best two hitters and Edwin Jackson and Joe Blanton were my best two pitchers. No one is playing until Friday due to the All Star Festivities so it should be an interesting Friday through Sunday. On that note, I am not going to talk about fantasy baseball until next week.

UFC Ultimate Top 100 Fights

Over the course of last week, the UFC had a five day marathon of the top 100 UFC fights of all time leading up to UFC 100. The matches were voted on by the fans. All the ones that are bolded are my personal favorites. Here is the list in case you missed it

100. UFC 80: Paul Kelly vs. Paul Taylor
99. UFC 31: Carlos Newton vs. Pat Miletich
98. UFC 13: Kenny Florian vs. Joe Lauzon
97. UFC 8: Rashad Evans vs. Sean Salmon
96. UFC 60: Matt Hughes vs. Royce Gracie
95. UFC 90: Sean Sherk vs. Tyson Griffin
94. UFC 32: B.J. Penn vs. Din Thomas
93. UFC 78: Thiago Alves vs. Chris Lytle
92. UFC 92: B.J. Penn vs. Matt Serra
91. TUF 1 Finale: Rich Franklin vs. Ken Shamrock
90. UFC 41: B.J. Penn vs. Caol Uno
89. UFC 66: Forrest Griffin vs. Keith Jardine
88. UFC 67: Frankie Edgar vs. Tyson Griffin
87. UFC 54: Chuck Liddell vs. Jeremy Horn
86. UFC 45: Evan Tannar vs. Phil Baroni
85. UFC 49: Karo Parisyan vs. Nick Diaz
84. UFC 30: Pedro Rizzo vs. Josh Barnett
83. UFC 49: Chuck Liddell vs. Vernon White
82. UFC 54: Georges St. Pierre vs. Frank Trigg
81. TUF Finale 6: John Koppenhaver vs. Jared Rollins
80. UFC 42: Rick Franklin vs. Evan Tannar
79. UFC 69: Matt Serra vs. Georges St. Pierre
78. UFC 76: Keith Jardine vs. Chuck Liddell
77. Silva vs. Irvin: Anderson Silva vs. James Irvin
76. UFC 42: Matt Hughes vs. Sean Sherk
75. UFC 1: Royce Gracie vs. Gerard Gordeau
74. UFC 58: Rich Franklin vs. David Loiseau
73. UFC 52: George St. Pierre vs. Jason Miller
72. UFC 92: Frank Mir vs. Antonio Nogueria
71. Ulimate 96: Don Frye vs. Tank Abbot
70. UFC 17: Pete Williams vs. Mark Coleman
69. UFC 34: B.J. Penn vs. Caol Uno
68. UFC 84: Lyoto Machida vs. Tito Ortiz
67. UFC 31: Shonie Carter vs. Matt Serra
66. UFC 94: Georges St. Pierre vs. B.J. Penn
65. UFN 10: Spencer Fisher vs. Sam Stout
64. UFC 62: Chuck Liddell vs. Renato Sobral
63. UFC 50: Matt Hughes vs. Georges St. Pierre
62. UFC 72: Tyson Griffin vs. Clay Guida
61. UFC 80: B.J. Penn vs. Joe Stevenson
60. UFC 46: Georges St. Pierre vs. Karo Parisyan
59. UFC 91: Brock Lesnar vs. Randy Couture
58. UFC 38: Matt Hughes vs. Carlos Newton
57. UFC 69: Roger Huerta vs. Leonard Garcia
56. UFC 42: Rich Franklin vs. Evan Tanner
55. UFC 92: Rashad Evans vs. Forrest Griffin
54. UFC: Anderson Silva vs. Chris Leben
53. UFC 64: Sean Sherk vs. Kenny Florian
52. UFC 40: Chuck Liddell vs. Renato Sobral
51: UFC 88: Rashad Evans vs. Chuck Liddell
50. UFC 92: Quinton Jackson vs. Wanderlei Silva
49. UFC 71: Houston Alexander vs. Keith Jardine
48. UFC 35: Jens Pulver vs. B.J. Penn
47. UFC 31: Chuck Liddell vs. Kevin Randleman
46. UFC 71: Quinton Jackson vs. Chuck Liddell
45. TUF 4 Finale: Scott Smith vs. Pete Sell
44. UFC 83: Georges St. Pierre vs. Matt Serra
43. UFC 45: Matt Hughes vs. Frank Trigg
42. UFC 56: Georges St. Pierre vs. Sean Sherk
41. UFC 81: Antonio Nogueria vs. Tim Sylvia
40. UFC 15: Randy Couture vs. Vitor Belfort
39. UFC 84: Wanderlei Silva vs. Keith Jardine
38. UFC 31: Randy Couture vs. Pedro Rizzo
37. UFC 3: Royce Gracie vs. Kimo Leopoldo
36. UFC 52: Chuck Liddell vs. Randy Couture
35. UFC 48: Frank Mir vs. Tim Sylvia
34. UFC 84: B.J. Penn vs. Sean Sherk
33. UFC 63: Matt Hughes vs. B.J. Penn
32. UFC 74: Randy Couture vs. Gabriel Gonzaga
31. UFC 75: Quinton Jackson vs. Dan Henderson
30. UFC 46: BJ Penn vs. Matt Hughes
29. UFC 98: Lyoto Machida vs. Rashad Evans
28. UFC 66: Chuck Liddell vs. Tito Ortiz
27. UFC 44 Randy Couture vs. Tito Ortiz
26. UFC 87: Georges St-Pierre vs. Jon Fitch
25. UFC 57: Chuck Liddell VS. Randy Couture
24. UFC 1: Royce Gracie vs. Ken Shamrock
23. UFC 65: Georges St-Pierre vs. Matt Hughes
22. TUF 6 Finale: Roger Huerta VS. Clay Guida
21. UFC 43: Randy Couture vs. Chuck Liddell
20. UFC 79: Georges St-Pierre vs. Matt Hughes
19. UFC 82: Anderson Silva vs. Dan Henderson
18. UFC 47: Chuck Liddell vs. Tito Ortiz
17. UFC 68: Tim Sylvia vs. Randy Couture
16. UFC 58: Sam Stout vs. Spencer Fisher
15. UFC 85: Thiago Alves vs. Matt Hughes
14. UFC 34: Matt Hughes vs. Carlos Newton
13. TUF 9 Finale: Diego Sanchez vs. Clay Guida
12. TUF 2 Finale: Diego Sanchez vs. Nick Diaz
11. UFC 86: Forrest Griffin vs. Quinton Jackson
10. UFC 76: Forrest Griffin vs. Mauricio Rua
9. UFC 70: Gabriel Gonzaga vs. Mirko Cro Cop
8. UFC Fight Night 6: Diego Sanchez vs. Karo Parisyan
7. UFC 77: Anderson Silva vs. Rich Franklin
6. UFC 64: Anderson Silva vs. Rich Franklin
5. UFC 87: Frank Mir vs. Brock Lesnar
4. UFC 58: Georges St-Pierre vs. BJ Penn
3. UFC 52: Matt Hughes vs. Frank Trigg
2. UFC 79: Chuck Liddell vs. Wanderlei Silva
1. TUF 1 Finale: Forrest Griffin vs. Stephan Bonnar

The number one fight is very well deserving. It was the fight that really got me fully interested in the UFC. If you have never seen this fight, you need to watch it because it was just totally awesome. Both guys put their heart and souls on the line for everyone and put the UFC on the map once again. So here is Ultimate 100 Greatest UFC Fights...at least for now

Brock Lesnar dominattes at UFC 100, and more

For every one person who likes him, their are 100 people that probably hate him. The fact of the matter is that Brock Lesnar proved that his first UFC fight which was a loss to Frank Mir was a fluke. A lot of people accuse me of not being a UFC fan until Lesnar arrived. That could not be further from the truth. The very first UFC fight I ever watched was between Dan Severn and Ken Shamrock from the mid 90's. I really didn't know much about it. I began hearing about fighters like Chuck Liddell, Randy Couture, Tim Sylvia and others. It wasn't until the first Ultimate Fighter that I got interested. Forrest Griffin and Stephen Bonner got me interested with the incredible fight they had.

Now back to UFC 100 and how Lesnar acted. I thought his actions were very unprofessional but it got the UFC some attention. Any press is good press and I think Dana White realizes that. That heel mentality of Brock when he was in WWE is still in him and people want to see Brock Lesnar get beat. Will it happen? I don't know. Frank Mir did talk a lot of trash over the last year so I guess what Brock did to him only seemed fair.

In other fights, GSP dominated Thiago Alves, and Dan Henderson killed Michael Bisping. The biggest shock of the night for me was preliminary fight. UFC Hall of Famer Mark Coleman defeated Stephen Bonner by decision. That's crazy.

I would also like to congratulate Chuck Liddell and the late Charles "Mask" Lewis for being inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame. Both are very well deserving.

There are still some great fights to be had in in 2009. UFC 101 will feature BJ Penn vs. Kenny Florian and Anderson Silva vs. Forrest Griffin. At UFC 102 it will be Randy Couture vs. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira and Keith Jardine vs. Thiago Silva. Much more to come from the UFC this year. Finally I end the question on everyone's mind. Who is going to stop "The Next Big Thing" Brock Lesnar?

Lebron James is no King

You know I am so sick of hearing about Lebron James. This last week has been a busy week in sports like the NBA free agency, the MLB All Star Game festivities, the death of Steve McNair and all I keep hearing about is how Lebron James got dunked on by some college kid name Jordan Crawford from Xavier. Apparently their is a video from this dunk and Lebron and Nike have this video and won't release. Apparently Crawford was wearing James' Nike brand shoes when this dunk happen. By hiding this video it makes Crawford look amazing and James a schmuck.

This is not the first time Lebron James has been a poor sport about something. He refused to shake hands with the Orlando Magic after the Cavs lost in the Eastern Conference finals. He also refused to talk to the press afterward. He is suppose to be the leader and the face of basketball? I don't think so. Face it Lebron, you will always be in the shadow of MJ and Kobe. I've never like Lebron and these actions further my disliking for him. He's a poor sport who doesn't know how to lose graciously.

Finally, I will say this. Lebron and Nike better release this video before the NBA season begins because I can guarantee this. It will plague and haunt him wherever he goes. That's the only thing that will be on the media's mind. And Jordan Crawford I cannot wait to see you in the NBA so you can dunk on him again. Until then we will have to wait and see if this video emerges. Only time will tell.

Brandon Inge is an All Star

I never thought I'd say the words that Brandon Inge is now an All Star. Over 11 million votes came in for him for the final spot in the All Star Game. Brandon is longest tenured Tiger and is somewhat the mainstay in Detroit. There are a lot of Tigers but when it's said and done Inge will go down as one of the better players that the city of Detroit has seen. If Brandon Inge stays a Tiger for the rest of his career then he will mean as much to the city as Stevie Y did to the Red Wings. You don't see athletes stay with one team anymore but I have a gut feeling that Inge will. He's turning into one of the premier players in the league. His offensive numbers could be better but as a defender he is the best in baseball. That's right I said it, the best. Not A-Rod, not Michael Young but Brandon Inge.

So on July 14th four Tigers will take the field. Verlander, Jackson, Granderson and now Inge will represent the Motor City. I for one will be watching intently to see what happens. Congratulations to Brandon and everyone else who made the All Star team this year.

Hollywood's Rejects Players of the Week

Annihilated, that's the word you could use to describe the beating I got in baseball again this week. Heres the score.

Hollywood's Rejects (HWOO)(2-11) 236.5
Busky's Bombers (BUSK)(12-1) 449

My best two pitchers were Jason Marquis and Joe Blanton. My best two hitters were Cody Ross and Mike Cameron. I lost to the first place guy so there is no shame in that. I am hoping I can win this week, but I never get my hopes up.

Another crazy NASCAR finish

A lot happening sports this weekend but the craziest thing that's happened is watching the finish of the Daytona night race last night. That was crazy. This is the second time this year a restrictor plate race has finished in crazy fashion. Here is the video that saw Tony Stewart win the race.



It's been an interesting years in NASCAR. I look forward to the fall race in Talladega. Daytona, Talladega and Bristol are really the only three races that interest me to any extent. However what I saw last night makes NASCAR exciting. They should have more races like this more often. Hopefully they will.

MLB All Star Rosters Announced

On July 14th the All Star Game will be played in St. Louis and this year both teams have a great squads. I love the baseball All Star game because it's the best All Star Game out of any sport because they have something to play for and it's actually taken seriously. So here are the rosters for the 2009 All Star Game

American League

Starters

C Joe Mauer, MIN L/R
1B Mark Teixeira, NYY
2B Dustin Pedroia, BOS
SS Derek Jeter, NYY
3B Evan Longoria, TB
OF Jason Bay, BOS R/R
OF Ichiro Suzuki, SEA
OF Josh Hamilton, TEX

Pitchers

P Andrew Bailey, OAK
P Josh Beckett, BOS
P Mark Buehrle, CWS
P Brian Fuentes, LAA
P Zack Greinke, KC
P Roy Halladay, TOR
P Felix Hernandez, SEA
P Edwin Jackson, DET
P Joe Nathan, MIN
P Jonathan Papelbon, BOS
P Mariano Rivera, NYY
P Justin Verlander, DET
P Tim Wakefield, BOS

Reserves

C Victor Martinez, CLE
1B Justin Morneau, MIN
1B Kevin Youkilis, BOS
2B Aaron Hill, TOR
SS Jason Bartlett, TB
3B Michael Young, TEX
OF Carl Crawford, TB
OF Curtis Granderson, DET
OF Torii Hunter, LAA
OF Adam Jones, BAL
OF Ben Zobrist, TB


National League National League

Starters

C Yadier Molina, STL
1B Albert Pujols, STL
2B Chase Utley, PHI
SS Hanley Ramirez, FLA
3B David Wright, NYM
OF Carlos Beltran, NYM
OF Ryan Braun, MIL
OF Raul Ibanez, PHI

Pitchers

P Heath Bell, SD
P Chad Billingsley, LAD
P Jonathan Broxton, LAD
P Matt Cain, SF
P Francisco Cordero, CIN
P Ryan Franklin, STL
P Dan Haren, ARI R/R
P Josh Johnson, FLA
P Ted Lilly, CHC L/L
P Tim Lincecum, SF
P Jason Marquis, COL
P Francisco Rodriguez, NYM
P Johan Santana, NYM

Reserves

C Brian McCann, ATL
1B Prince Fielder, MIL
1B Adrian Gonzalez, SD
1B Ryan Howard, PHI
2B Orlando Hudson, LAD
2B Freddy Sanchez, PIT
SS Miguel Tejada, HOU
3B Ryan Zimmerman, WSH
OF Brad Hawpe, COL
OF Hunter Pence, HOU
OF Justin Upton, ARI

I love both rosters however Brandon Inge should be on the All Star Team. He is having a really great year so if you'd like to see Brandon Inge on the All Star Team go to MLB.COM and vote for him for the final spot on the American League Squad. Voting ends Thursday.

RIP Steve McNair

It is with great sadness that I have to write about the passing of former NFL Quarterback Steve McNair. McNair was found dead this morning after a fatal gunshot wound claimed his life. McNair was drafted in 1995 by the Houston Oilers who eventually became the Tennessee Titans. He was a Pro Bowl selection (2000, 2003, 2005), All-Pro selection (2003), 2003 Co-AP NFL MVP, and1994 Walter Payton Award. His career stats were:

TD-INT 174-119
Yards 31,304
QB Rating 82.8

Steve McNair is one of best Quarterbacks to never win a Super Bowl. However he did lead the Titans to the Super Bowl in 2000 for the 1999 season. They only lost by seven and it was one of the best Super Bowl games in recent memory. Steve McNair is regarded as one of the toughest Quarterbacks to play the game. He was loved and respected by anyone who played the game. This is truly a horrible loss for football and I am sure that the affect of his death will be felt throughout the NFL and the sports world. Steve McNair, God Bless and Rest in Peace.