Well it feels like it's been more then two weeks since I last posted on the transactions in baseball. There has still been wheeling and dealing going on. With Spring Training right around the corner teams are going to looking to pick up whoever they can for the least amount of money. With that being said here is whats gone down the last couple of weeks.
-Washington Nationals agreed to terms with RHP Rafael Soriano on a two-year contract. -Toronto Bluejays agreed to terms with LHP J.A. Happ and INF/OF Emilio Bonifacio on one-year contracts. Also agreed to terms with INF Mark DeRosa on a one-year contract.
-Pittsburgh Pirates agreed to terms with 1B Garrett Jones and 1B Gaby Sanchez on one-year contracts.
-Los Angeles Angels agreed to terms with LHP Jason Vargas and RHP Tommy Hanson on one-year contracts.
-Philadelphia Phillies agreed to terms with OF Delmon Young on a one-year contract.
-Boston Red Sox agreed to terms with 1B Mike Napoli on a one-year contract.
-Arizona Diamondbacks traded OF Justin Upton and 3B Chris Johnson to Atlanta for INF Martin Prado, RHP Randy Delgado, RHP Zeke Spruill, SS Nick Ahmed and 1B Brandon Drury.
With Spring Training coming up this will be my last post because the deals are dying down. However I'd like to say that with all the moves that have been made there is one team that is a serious threat this year and that is the Toronto Bluejays. Here is how their team looks this coming year.
First Base: Edwin Encarnacion Second Base: Emilio Bonifacio Third Base: Brett Lawrie Shortstop: Jose Reyes Left Field: Melky Cabrera Center Field: Colby Rasmus
Right Field: Jose Bautista Designated Hitter: Adam Lind
On the Bench: Maicer Izturis, Mark DeRosa, Rajai Davis
To be honest with you, I could see this team winning the whole thing. They have a balance of young guys and veterans, and the combination of speed and power. I am looking forward to seeing how this does in 2013
I was talking to a friend the other day and asked him what he was doing for the Super Bowl, and asked if he had any special plans. His reply to me was, "I am just staying home. If the Super Bowl was on a Saturday Night I'd go sit at a sports bar or throw a party." It got me to thinking why aren't sporting events held on Saturday Night. I know during the NFL regular season they are not allowed to play games on Saturday Night because of College Football but by the time the Super Bowl is here College Football is over. The can be said for NCAA National Title games in basketball and football. They are both held on a Monday Night. People usually don't travel outside their homes on the first day back to work. You may ask where I am going with this?
It is quite simple if the NCAA, NFL, WWE, TNA and any other big sporting event held their championship, All Star Game, or Pay-Per-View on a Saturday night it would do so much more for the national economy. The UFC and various boxing promoters do it right. They hold all of their big pay-per-views on a Saturday Night and that is why their buys on PPV are so high. Viewers are more willing to stay up on a Saturday night as opposed to Sunday night. Whenever UFC or boxing is shown at a sports bar on Saturday it is usually a packed house.
Here is a list of all the events held on a Sunday or Monday Night.
-MLB All Star Game
-NHL All Star Game
-NFL Pro Bowl
-NBA All Star Game
-March Madness National Title Game
-BCS National Title Game
-WWE PPV's
-TNA PPV's
I think these events would be more viewed outside the home if they were on a Saturday. I remember when WWE PPV's were on a Saturday. They were a huge thing with wrestling fans and people were more willing to order it and pay for it. These days viewers stream from the internet and watch it at home. I also think if the NHL, NBA, and MLB were smart they would set it up to where if there is any games that go to 7 in the finals they should be held on a Saturday night. Same thing with the entire NFL playoffs. They should all be on Saturday Night. I really think if these organizations made the move to Saturdays you'd see the national economy rise in terms of going out to sports bars and restaurants or more people willing to spend more money on hosting a party.
Saturday Nights are the one night that people go out on a regular basis so why not cater to that crowd? Saturday Nights need to be for prime time sports, and Sundays need to be prime time television series.
When you think of women in wrestling over the last twenty years the one name that comes to the top of that list is Trish Stratus. She made her debut on March 19, 2000. She came on to the scene after being trained Ron Hutchinson and Dave Finlay and she began to manage. Some of the people she managed were Test, Albert and Val Venis. By 2001, she was wrestling full time. She was a 7 time WWE Women's Champion defeating Lita, Jacqueline, Ivory, Molly Holly, and Jazz in a 6 way match for her first ever title reign. She has also beaten Victoria in the past as well. While she was in her prime she managed and wrestled taking on all comers like Mickie James, Melina and others. She also managed Christian, Tyson Tomko, Chris Jericho among others. Trish also held the Hardcore Title for a minute when it was under the 24/7 rules. Trish retired from being a full time performer in 2006 but has made brief appearances and was a trainer on the last edition of Tough Enough.
Trish is well know all over Canada. She has hosted Canada's Walk of Fame, was a spokesperson for World Natural Sports Association and was apart of the CBS reality show Armed & Famous. Trish has also contributed to many charities including Ronald McDonald House, Dreams Take Flight and the Special Olympics. Now a days Trish has a studio in Canada dedicated to Yoga and her studio is known as "Canada's largest eco-friendly yoga studio." She is also very dedicated to the environment.
Trish was a marketable Diva who has the beauty, the class and the talent. So many Diva's of today got a chance to be in the spotlight because of her. She has competed in a couple of matches since her retirement match and still brings a thrill to crowd. She is one of a kind and deserves to be in the WWE Hall of Fame.
Congratulations to Trish Stratus for bringing some Stratusfaction to the WWE Hall of Fame.
Tonight was the annual start to the Road to Wrestlemania and all I got to say is there is nothing like a good old fashion Royal Rumble. The Rumble is full of shockers, surprises and suspense. This year's Rumble was no different. On the pre-show Antonio Cesaro retained the United States Championship and beat The Miz. The first match of the evening was the Last Man Standing Match between Alberto Del Rio defending the World Title against the Big Show. Before Del Rio came to the ring Bret Hart greeted him and wished him luck. During the match Big Show chokeslammed Del Rio off of a rail that lit up at the entrance. Both men did some creative stuff especially with the ending when Ricardo duct taped Big Show legs to the rope allowing Del Rio to retain the World Heavyweight Title.
Then they had an old school series of promos from superstars that are in the Rumble. I really like that they did that because that's how they did it back in the early 90's. I like the old school thought behind the new technology and set of superstars.
The second match was Team Hell defending the Tag Team titles against Team Rhodes Scholars. This was a good typical tag team match and the outcome was Team Hell No retaining the titles after Daniel Bryan made Damien Sandow tap out. It was a good match and solid tag team work. Good to see Team Hell No reigning over the tag division.
Next up was the Royal Rumble and obviously as well know Dolph Ziggler was number 1. Chris Jericho was the surprise number 2 entry. I was totally shocked. Another shocker was the return of Goldust and he confronted his brother Cody right away. There wasn't a lot of eliminations right away and that's good because there was a lot of star power in this match. Kofi Kingston is a genius when it comes to saving himself from elimination once again using a chair as a pogo stick. Then Godfather came out with the hoes and quickly was eliminated by Ziggler in a matter of 3 seconds. John Cena entered number 19 and then things started changing. Later on in the match Kane was eliminated by Daniel Bryan. That was a really funny spot. Number 30 ended up being Ryback and he was one of the final three with Sheamus and Cena. Then Ryback eliminated Sheamus to be the final 2 entries. John Cena eliminated Ryback to win the Royal Rumble.
I absolutely hate this move of Cena winning. I can tell you that instead of having the jobbers in the match they should have had the rumored names of Shelton Benjamin, Carlito, Chris Masters, Hurricane Helms, John Morrison and Mark Henry in the match instead of 3MB, David Otunga and Santino Marella. The Royal Rumble match as a whole was a great full of some great performances by the likes of Jericho and Ziggler who lasted until the last man came. Dolph Ziggler impressed the hell out of me. John Cena is going to the Main Event but who will he face? Stay tuned on the Road to Wrestlemania.
In the Main Event, it was The Rock chasing the WWE Championship by taking on the champion CM Punk. This was a physically intense match This match had great pyschology in it and even had a major spill that caused the announce table to break under them. The Rock and Punk brought something special tonight and this is a match both men will be remembered for. The Rock was attacked by The Shield in the dark and the referee didn't see them. CM Punk then dragged The Rock back into the ring for the win and continuing his reign. As Punk was celebrating 434 days as champion Vince McMahon came out and was going to strip CM Punk of the title. Before he could strip Punk of the title, The Rock got on the mic and said restart the match. The match was restarted and Punk tried mount an offense but in the end The Rock his signature spine-buster followed up with a People's Elbow. The Rock won his first title and is now an 8 time WWE Champion. With this win and championship gold The Rock will now headline Wrestlemania 29, at Metlife Stadium on April 7th.
The Royal Rumble was better then most pay-per-views WWE has put on as of late. I would have to give it 8 out of 10 for solid matches. Punk's title reign has come to an end and it was a great one. I have mixed emotions about The Rock being WWE Champion but I will get into that on a later day. Royal Rumble was great and now it's time for Road to Wrestlemania to play itself out. The next time WWE is on PPV is February 17 which will be the Elimination Chamber. That night will shake a lot of things up for Mania. Three weeks tune into the Elimination Chamber and we shall see how the Road to Wrestlemania unfolds.
This Sunday is the Royal Rumble which means the Road to Wrestlemania begins. This Sunday is going to be off the charts and the card looks really solid and stacked to the top. The Royal Rumble is my favorite pay-per-view of the year and has been since I've watched wrestling as a kid. There have been a lot of great moments in the Rumble and with that being said I am going to predict some more.
United States Championship Match: Antonio Cesaro (c) vs. The Miz
First off, I am pretty mad that match is not a pay-per-view match because it should be. Fortunately for fans of both men you will be seeing them in the Royal Rumble match. The Miz is becoming a huge face and I think it's his time to hold a title again. Cesaro has had a good run as US Champ but I believe The Miz will get back to being in the spotlight.
WWE Tag Team Championship Match: Team Hell No (c) vs. Team Rhodes Scholars
I can honestly say that Team Hell No has been the one great thing that WWE has done in the last 6 months. They are very entertaining and fun to watch. They have held the titles for quite some time now but as much as I love this team I have a feeling Damien Sandow and Cody Rhodes will become the new tag team champions. Even if this does happen I hope Team Hell No remains intact.
World Heavyweight Championship Match: Alberto Del Rio (c) vs. Big Show
Del Rio won the title in a Last Man Standing match and now has to defend it in the same type of match. I really enjoyed the fact that Show got a legit title run and not some run that lasted less then a month. I honestly think they are trying to get Del Rio to the level they couldn't get Mysterio or Guerrero even though I think both men were so much better then ADR. It is well known that WWE caters to the Hispanic viewers so I look for ADR to retain the title. Once this match is over, keep in mind their is still a briefcase that needs cashing so you never know how that could effect things.
WWE Championship Match: CM Punk (c) vs. The Rock
It started at Raw 1000 and it ends at the Royal Rumble. I am glad that The Rock is starting to show a serious side to himself and really hope that this match is better then The Rock and John Cena. CM Punk has held that WWE Title for over 400 days and I honestly will be sad when it comes to an end at the hands of The Rock. That's right, I truly believe 100 percent that The Rock will become the new WWE Champion and hold onto it until Wrestlemania 29.
Royal Rumble Match
It seems like every year the first three men who announce their entry into the Rumble end up winning it. Sheamus, John Cena and Randy Orton are those three. I'd really like to see a swerve and have someone totally unexpected to win it all. I don't think that will happen. I believe the last man standing will be John Cena and he will go on to compete for the WWE Championship against The Rock at Wrestlemania 29. The official Royal Rumble Participants are:
John Cena
Sheamus
Randy Orton
Dolph Ziggler (has to choose between No. 1 or No. 2)
3MB (Heath Slater, Jinder Mahal and Drew McIntyre)
United States Champion Antonio Cesaro
Intercontinental Champion Wade Barrett
The Miz
Ryback
Tag Team Champions Team Hell No
The Great Khali
Kofi Kingston
The Prime Time Players
Also the night before the Rumble, WWE's developmental will hold an eight man tournament with the winner getting an entry into the Royal Rumble Match.
The Participants of this tournament are Corey Graves, Oliver Grey, Luke Harper, Xavier Woods (Consequences Creed from TNA), Conor O'Brian, Adrian Neville, Bo Dallas, Leo Kruger
So officially 18 men are entered into the Royal Rumble Match. I will be curious to see who wins the NXT tournament and if they are any surprise entrants into the Rumble. It's going to be a good show, and solid lineup of matches. Tune on Sunday at 8pm to find out how the Road to Wrestlemania 29 will begin. It's time to Rumble! It's time for the Royal Rumble!
It's official, the full rosters for the 2013 NBA All Star. Both rosters look stacked solid as always and I have a feeling this game is going to be close. With that being said here are the rosters for the 2013 NBA All Star Game
Eastern Conference
Starter LeBron James, F, MIA Carmelo Anthony, F, NYK Dwyane Wade, G, MIA Rajon Rondo, G, BOS Kevin Garnett, F, BOS
Reserve AppearanceKyrie Irving, G, CLE Jrue Holiday, G, PHI Tyson Chandler, C, NYK Joakim Noah, C, CHI Luol Deng, F, CHI Paul George, F, IND Chris Bosh, F, MIA
Western Conference Starter
Kobe Bryant, G, LAL Kevin Durant, F, OKC Chris Paul, G, LAC Dwight Howard, C, LAL Blake Griffin, F, LAC
Reserve R. Westbrook, G, OKC James Harden, G, HOU Tim Duncan, C, SAS Tony Parker, G, SAS L. Aldridge, F, POR David Lee, F, GS Zach Randolph, F, MEM
There will also be a new format for All Star Saturday Night will which make for jam packed, high octane, full of action night where the stars are going to shine. The night will consist of the normal events that include Shooting Stars, Taco Bell Skills Challenge, Foot Locker Three Point contest, and the Sprite Slam Dunk Contest. This year will be different because each conference will an All Star Captain and winners of these events will go towards points for their conference. The conference that has the most points will have be the All Star Saturday Night Champion. I really like this idea as I think it will bring out a more competitive side to the festivities.This was also put into effect to help raise more money for charity. There is a joint partnership between NBA Cares and State Farm and it is estimated that these events will bring in over $500,000. Tune in on February 16th and 17 for all the NBA All Star festivities.
Since 1997 THQ has been producing video games for pro wrestling starting with WCW and then eventually becoming a partner of WWE. It was announced that they will dissolving all their assets and they be divided up and sold. The good news for pro wrestling fans, is that they will produce one final WWE game which will be WWE 14. With THQ being shut down here is a list of all the sports and pro wrestling games they have created.
Baseball Advance
MX 2002
MX Superfly
MX Unleashed
MX vs. ATV Unleashed
MX vs. ATV: Untamed
MX vs. ATV: Reflex
MX vs. ATV: Alive
MotoGP '06
MotoGP '07
MotoGP 3: Ultimate Racing Technology
NHRA Championship Drag Racing
NHRA Drag Racing: Countdown to the Championship
Table Tennis Star
UFC Undisputed 2009
UFC Undisputed 2010
UFC Undisputed Fight Nation
WCW Nitro
WCW/nWo Revenge
WCW Thunder
WCW vs. nWo: World Tour
WCW vs. the World
WWE '12
WWE '13
WWE All Stars
WWE Crush Hour
WWE Day of Reckoning
WWE Day of Reckoning 2
WWE Legends of WrestleMania
WWE Raw
WWE Raw 2 2003 (Xbox)
WWE SmackDown! Shut Your Mouth
WWE SmackDown! Here Comes the Pain
WWE SmackDown! vs. Raw
WWE SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006
WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2007
WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2008
WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2009
WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2010
WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2011
WWE SmackDown vs. Raw Online
WWE WrestleMania X8
WWE WrestleMania XIX
WWE WrestleMania 21
WWF No Mercy
WWF SmackDown!
WWF SmackDown! 2: Know Your Role
WWF SmackDown! Just Bring It
WWF WrestleMania 2000
I would say that's a pretty good run for only being around since 1989. I am sure I am missing games from sports and wrestling but you get picture. I really have not read into what happen other than the fact that they owe WWE a lot of money as well as a few other companies. Now this is just a list of sports and wrestling games they have made. They have made some really other great games but now that has all come to an end. THQ Rest in Peace. You were a great company while you were around.
When thinking about the WWE Hall of Fame and who is in it, the first thing you think reading this headline, is it's about time. Bob Backlund was the face of WWE long before Hulkamania started. He was trained about the late great Eddie Sharkey. Before his arrival in the WWE he was an amateur wrestler at North Dakota State University. He was very successful in both high school and college. He made his pro wrestling debut in 1973 and arrived in WWE in 1977. He competed with the likes of Superstar Billy Graham, Antonio Inoki, Greg Valentine, Harley Race, Peter Miavia and many others. His reign as WWE Champion started on February 20, 1978 and ended on December 26, 1983. Shortly there after he disappeared from WWE for about 10 years.
He returned at the Royal Rumble in 1993 and lasted 61 minutes a record that stood for over 11 years. He lost to Razor Ramon at Wrestlemania 9 but he began another rise to prominance in mid 1994 when became a heel and started snapping on such superstars as Bret Hart, 123 Kid, and even his former manger Arnold Skaaland. At Survivor Series in 1994 he defeated Bret Hart for his 2nd WWE Championship in a Towel Match.
Even though his 2nd reign ended in three days at the hands of Kevin Nash, it was great to see him be handed the torch and pass the torch on in a wonderful manner. Backlund was also a tag team champion with Pedro Morales in his time WWE. After his loss he then made brief appearances on WWE programming with the latest being at Raw 1000 when he joined forces with other legends to beat up on Heath Slater.
Mr. Backlund was known as a volatile, crazy man with a love for his country. He even ran for congress at one point as well as being MTV's Singled Out. Bob Backlund brought a unique amateur wrestling style to the world of pro wrestling. He had a different kind of toughness that really can't be described because when you see him he isn't big or muscular. The one thing he had was outsmarting, and out thinking his opponents with his style.
I am happy to see that Mr. Bob Backlund, master of the Crossface Chickenwing is now a member of the WWE Hall of Fame. It is long overdue and well deserved. Congratulations to one of the greatest wrestlers in the history of the squared circle.
When people talk about Super Bowl 47 they won't just be talking about the Ray Lewis final game, they will be talking about John Harbaugh vs. Jim Harbaugh and how the for the first time in history two brothers will be coaching against each in the Super Bowl. Let's take a look at the list of the most notable set of brothers who have competed or coached in the in same sports.
NFL
Manning Brothers- Peyton and Eli
Barber Brother- Tiki and Ronde
Davis Brothers- Vernon and and Vonte
Dyson Brothers- Kevin and Andre
Pouncey Brothrs- Mike and Maurkice
Sharpe Brothers- Shannon and Sterling
NBA
Barry Brothers- Jon, Brent, and Drew
Van Arsdale- Brothers Tom and Dick Wilkins Brothers- Dominique and Gerald
Grant Brothers- Horace and Harvey
Gasol Brothers- Pau and Marc
Lopez Brothers- Brook and Robin
MLB
Alomar Brothers- Roberto and Sandy Jr.
Duncan Brothers- Chris and Shelly
Boone Brothers- Aaron and Brett
Maddux Brothers- Greg and Mike
Molina Brothers- Bengie, Jose and Yadier
Upton Brothers- B.J. and Justin
Those are just to name a few in each of the big three sports. There are thousands of brothers who have played in the same sports. Even in NASCAR you have the Busch brother, Wallace Brothers, Sadler Brothers, and Burton Brothers. In pro wrestling and MMA you have a lot of brothers who compete in the same line of work. Super Bowl 47 brings all these brothers into the spotlight. I think this will carry into other sports when brother coach against each other and play against each other. Sometimes the media only focuses on family member but now this will force the sports media to focus on all family members.
Jim and John may love each, care about each other and all that but on February 3rd each man is competing to see whose team is the best. It was and is that way with all the sets of brothers I listed above. Super Bowl 47 won't be about brotherly love, it will be about bragging rights within the family. Tune in to find out which Harbaugh can say they have the better team.
I was recently looking over WWE's pay-per-view schedule for this year and I noticed on June 16th they do not have a name for their pay-per-view. From 1993 to 2002, the King of the Ring was held in June as an annual pay-per-view.
I think this would be a great way to get future talent or talent that's ready for main event status some spotlight. Look at how the tournament helped others in the past. Past tournament winners include Bret Hart, Owen Hart, Mabel, Steve Austin, Triple H, Ken Shamrock, Billy Gunn, Kurt Angle, Edge, and Brock Lesnar When it was a non pay-per-view event it winners the likes of Booker T, Sheamus, William Regal, Don Muraco, Harley Race, Tito Santana, Ted Dibiase and Macho Man Randy Savage. If I was going to set this tournament I would set up in two different ways.
The first way I would set it up is have eight NXT Superstars be in the tournament with the winner receiving a WWE contract and the runner up receiving an NXT Championship match. Right now here are the eight NXT Superstars I would pick for this tournament.
Bo Dallas
Jake Carter
Kassius Ohno
Richie Steamboat
Xavier Woods
CJ Parker
Leo Kruger
Corey Graves
I also think it would be cool if the 2nd and 3rd generation stars in this tournament had their fathers come out to the ring with them to have a little bit more start power to show. The second way that I thought of doing this have eight superstars who have never held the WWE or World title and the winner of the tournament receives at title shot of his choosing at Summerslam like it was back then. Here are the eight superstars I would put in the tournament if it were held this year.
Wade Barrett
Antonio Cesaro
Cody Rhodes
Damien Sandow
Kofi Kingston
Michael McGillicutty
Ted Dibiase
Tyson Kidd
I think this would be a great way to show off the talent that is starting to already get pushed in then at the same time push some new talent and get them in the spotlight. Bring back the King of the Ring tournament to pay-per-view would be a great idea. It was a great concept and still could be used to propel the next breakout star. The other idea I had would be to be to combine the two ideas I had into one have a 16-man tournament. Have four qualifying matches on Raw, four on Smackdown and then have the pay-per-view on Sunday.
I think anyway that it was presented it would be a great idea. King of the Ring is synonymous with WWE and I think they should bring back the tradition of it all. Don't forget that some of the best moments at King of the Ring were not even tournament matches. Whether WWE does bring it back or not, they have to realize the tournament showed off a lot of different styles, a dynamic to each talent and helped all of it's winner in the past get into the spotlight. Bring back the King of the Ring so we can crown a new breakout star worthy of being in the main event spotlight.
As we all know by now the tragedy of Manti Te'o having his girlfriend die on the same day as his Grandmother did turns out to be hoax. There are many that believe he Te'o had everything to do with this hoax and others think he was part of a vicious prank. It doesn't matter whether he was apart of this or not. Te'o should have had common sense. I am going to give you some advice from my own life for Te'o and for others that might be in the same position in the future.
I have been with a very wonderful woman since August 2011. We started talking in the early part of 2010 and did not meet until April 2011 at Buffalo Wild Wings for Wrestlemania 27. I met her on a dating website called Plenty of Fish. Even after I met her I made sure she was legit and it was a great from there. I knew I liked her so I continued talking to her for four more months until we made our relationship official and public. The point I am trying to make here is that if you're going to go public about a relationship you should probably meet the person and go on a few dates first. If Te'o is a part of this hoax then it's probably one of the lowest things to get attention that I've ever seen. If he is the victim of a horrible prank then I think it's a crappy thing to do to someone just because they are superstar and has the potential to become a major player in the NFL.
For anyone who reads this who is looking to date or into online do some research, go out and meet the person before you go public and get attached. Finally, to Manti Te'o if you were going to have a make believe girlfriend and had her die in an accident you probably should have followed this:
Let this be a lesson learned for anyone who wants a relationship or anyone that has an online relationship.
Earlier this morning I was listening to the Dan Patrick show. I usually never write about anything I hear about from sports talk radio but there was something interesting he was talking about today. He was talking about how Rafael Soriano signing with the Washington Nationals. He reported that Soriano was looking for a 5 year, 80 million dollar contract but he signed for 2 years, 28 million dollar contract. Patrick made the comment, "Another Scott Boras client signed with the Nationals." That comment made me think if there is a possibility of GM's colluding with agents like Scott Boras to get the best possible player for the most reasonable price? Also how do we know these teams aren't paying extra dollars to the agents for getting them the best talent? I am going to list all 32 teams by highest payroll and for this article I will list how many of Scott Boras' clients play for each each team.
1 New York Yankees $195,998,004- 1 2 Philadelphia Phillies $173,458,939- 2 3 Los Angeles Angels $154,940,524- 4 4 Boston Red Sox $146,371,619- 2 5 Texas Rangers $120,510,975- 2 6 Detroit Tigers $119,276,000- 3 7 San Francisco Giants $117,936,667- 1 8 Miami Marlins $111,598,000- 29 St. Louis Cardinals $110,297,862 10 Milwaukee Brewers $98,049,444- 211 Chicago White Sox $97,919,500 12 Minnesota Twins $94,085,000- 2 13 Los Angeles Dodgers $93,686,077- 114 New York Mets $93,357,465 15 Chicago Cubs $87,229,033 16 Atlanta Braves $82,409,942- 1 17 Seattle Mariners $81,978,100- 3 18 Baltimore Orioles $80,804,000- 3 19 Washington Nationals $80,584,145- 5 20 Colorado Rockies $78,069,571- 1 21 Cincinnati Reds $76,305,878- 222 Toronto Blue Jays $75,009,200 23 Arizona Diamondbacks $74,284,833- 224 Cleveland Indians $66,430,300 25 Tampa Bay Rays $65,008,071- 1 26 Pittsburgh Pirates $62,466,000- 1
27 Kansas City Royals $61,391,300- 3 28 Houston Astros $60,651,000- 329 San Diego Padres $55,871,900 30 Oakland Athletics $49,137,500
There are 8 teams that do not have a Scott Boras client on their team, and the most noticeable thing is that two of the teams are the A's and Padres who have the two lowest payrolls in the league. If there is collusion in baseball it wouldn't be the first time. In the 1980's there was a major an attempt by MLB owners to restrict players' salaries. If you think about it anytime there is a lockout in sports it's techically collusion on the owners part and players part to try and get more more money or make less money.
Scott Boras has come under fire before for being shady and negotiationating questionable contracts for his clients. I think this is something Major League Baseball should investigate and look into and possible even the federal government should get involved because if collusion is going on between agents and GM's then they should be barred and banned from the game. Collusion isn't any better then betting on your own team, or taking PED's. You're still helping other teams get ahead by abusing the position you're in of dealing with contracts. Cheating is cheating and there is more then one way to cheat the game and this very well could be one of them.
Over the last 24 hours since Lance Armstrong admitted to his use of PEDs I have seen a lot of bashing, and harsh things said about him. The one question that maybe should start being asked is are the doctors of these athletes guiding them towards the use of steroids. There are three examples that I can think of that really make me ponder this question.
The first person I would like to mention is Brian McNamee who was the trainer of Roger Clemens, Andy Pettitte and other. McNamee admitted to injecting Clemens and Pettitte with steroids which led to a monumental government wasting money trial of Roger Clemens. Both men went back and forth at each other but in the end Clemens was not found guilty of anything. In the process, it ruined Clemens chances at the baseball hall of fame, ruined his friendship with Pettitte and proved that there was a huge problem in baseball for a long time. McNamee was not the only trainer helping baseball players get their hands on steroids. Greg Anderson, the trainer for Barry Bonds has spent multiple stints in jail for taking the fall for Bonds. Bond also had an expensive trial that didn't end up anywhere. He received an obstruction of justice charge and a slap on the wrist while Anderson still serves a jail sentence.
Before I make my final suggestion here is a list of notable athletes who have been caught or highly suspected of using steroids or PEDs.
MMA
Stephan Bonner
Vitor Belfort
Royce Gracie
Tim Sylvia
Josh Barnett
MLB
Barry Bonds'
Mark McGwire
Sammy Sosa
Jose Canseco
Roger Clemens
WWE
Hulk Hogan
Dave Batista
Edge
John Morrison
Rey Mysterio
The last part of those lists bring me to my last point. Dr. Phil Astin was the doctor of WWE star Chris Benoit who in 2007 killed himself and his family due to multiple concussions and reports of steroid use. Benoits home was searched and authorities found steroids. The same can be said of Dr. Astin's office. They found record showing that he was prescribing steroids to Benoit. A lot of people also believe that Eddie Guerrero's death in 2005 was steroid related along with his past issues with drugs and alcohol.
These examples lead me to believe that these doctors must get paid by the supplier and the athlete for the steroids. They probably figure they will make a lot of money and never get caught. Before we go around bashing Lance Armstrong and other athletes maybe we should be asking what these doctors are telling these athletes when they are giving them the steroids. An even bigger question why the United States Government is not going after the suppliers of these steroids.
I know these athletes are grown adults and can make their own decisions but how do we know that the doctors or trainers they see are giving them the wrong advice? You have to know by now how bad steroids can be for a person. Look at how bad of shape some of these past steroid users are in. Guys like McGwire, Hogan and others look horrible and some of them have so many problems with their bodies now. It shouldn't be the athletes the justice system goes after, it should be the doctors and suppliers as well.
The question will continue to remain, do doctors guide athletes towards taking steroids and if so why are they doing so? And what's the incentive for these doctors doing so?
Well it feels like it's been longer then two weeks since I've last reported on any baseball movement. Usually this time of year it gets a little bit quieter but nonetheless it's time to get down to business of the first two weeks of the year.
-Kansas City Royals agreed to terms with OF Endy Chavez and INF Miguel Tejada on minor league contracts.
-Chicago Cubs agreed to terms with RHP Edwin Jackson on a four-year contract.
-Cleveland Indians agreed to terms with OF Nick Swisher on a four-year contract. Also agreed to terms with RHP Brett Myers on a one-year contract.
-Toronto Blue Jays agreed to terms with C Henry Blanco on a one-year contract. Also Agreed to terms with OF Colby Rasmus on a one-year contract.
-Baltimore Orioles agreed to terms with RHP Tommy Hunter on a one-year contract.
-Arizona Diamondbacks agreed to terms with RHP J.J. Putz on a two-year contract.
So like I was saying the off-season moves are starting to slow down.They are still some decent free agents out there who I am sure will be picked up in Spring Training. Remember when reading these that I only post the deals that have been made official and that I only post every two weeks and the deals that have went down in that two week period. I just wanted to clarify that so people aren't confused. Keep checking back for more baseball moves.
TNA officially kicked off the new year with their first pay-per-view. The first match of the pay-per-view was for the tag team championships. It was Hernandez and Chavo Guerrero taking on Joey Ryan and Matt Morgan. The champs retained the titles but the more important issue at hand is why in the hell is Matt Morgan teaming with this wanna be Joey Ryan? Matt Morgan is great on his own and doesn't need to be in a tag team.
Samoa Joe and Mr. Anderson was added late in the day and it was pretty predictable. Anderson is looking more and more to be a member of Aces N Eights as Mike Knox came out to help Anderson win the match.
Kenny King and Christian York have very unique styles that made for a fun match to take on RVD. This match was quick and did not go as long as I would have like to seen. York won the match and immediately had to RVD for the X Division Championship. RVD retained the title but both men showed off their very unique traits and I have to say if anyone reminds me of RVD it's Christian York. He has that carefree attitude about him and leaves it all in the ring like RVD. I honestly would love to see a triple threat match between York, King and RVD in a ladder match. I think that would have a profound impact on the TNA Impact's X Division.
Devon and Joseph Park was pretty fun to watch. I think it's cool that there showing another side Chris Parks but he needs to go back to being Abyss. The character Abyss needs to be the one who takes out Aces N Eights, not a lawyer that loses to Devon on a regular basis
Gail Kim almost swept the gauntlet by taking out Mickie James, ODB and Miss Tessmacher. However she met her match in Velvet Sky who won a title shot in a little bit of controversial fashion. It's good to see Velvet back and getting fully thrown into the Knockouts Division.
James Storm and Christopher Daniels are two totally different people with two different styles. They have been mainstays in TNA which made this match even more fun to watch. Kazarian was out at ringside the entire time being a pest but it was a pretty evenly matched fight. I thought James Storm had the match won but Daniels pulled out another stunning victory to gain a shot at the TNA World Heavyweight Title. I only wonder what AJ Styles is thinking right about now.
Sting got his revenge against D.O.C. tonight and thanks to Bully Ray was not ambushed by the gang. Sting is one of those guys that is still kicking ass when the others who are his age can't. He is truly an icon and a legend. I don't know many years Sting has left in him but he still getting people over in the process and helping the young guys out.
Jeff Hardy vs. Austin Aries vs. Robert Roode for the TNA World Heavyweight title was a great match with a ton of great chemistry. I honestly thought that Roode and Aries were going to get pinned at the same time but nonetheless Jeff Hardy retains the title and keeps his momentum going from 2012 to 2013. Jeff Hardy is a mainstay in TNA right now and I think it would be great to take on some newer guys like Magnus, Kenny King, and Christian York. Sometimes TNA is like WWE in the fact that they don't push new talent. New stars better rise soon otherwise the wrestling business is going under.
The show was good and they did give it a good effort. I would give 7 out of 10 to this PPV for hard working individuals and a solid main event. I hope TNA can continue to their momentum in 2013. Good show and good matches by everyone. TNA is alive and doing well. Let's see if in 2013 they make an impact.
It has been a great season thus far with upsets, shockers and phenomenal games that have been played. Two teams from each conference remain. All four teams have unique things about their style of play that makes the m great. I think both games are going to be fun to watch next week. The road to the Super Bowl gets a little bit closer with the two conference title games. With that being said, here are my bold predictions
NFC Championship San Francisco 49ers vs. Atlanta Falcons- Georgia Dome, 3 p.m. ET, FOX
Well you can throw home-field advantage out the window because the Falcons played a very questionable game against the Seahawks. The Seahawks should not have come close against the Falcons but they did and if it weren't for a stupid call by Pete Carroll we'd be talking about the Seahawks against the 49ers. On the other side of things, the 49ers absolutely manhandled the Packers. Up until this year I had no idea where Colin Kaepernick came from or his background but I've done some research and one has to ask the question...how in the hell did he not get picked up sooner and by a team who needed a QB. There is no doubt about this prediction, the 49ers are better on both sides of the ball and they will be headed to New Orleans for the Super Bowl.
AFC Championship
Baltimore Ravens vs. New England Patriots- Gillette Stadium, 6:30 p.m. ET, CBS
I don't want to say that New England isn't fighting for anything because they are fighting to prove that they can still hang in the AFC and not lose every time they go to the Super Bowl now. However the Ravens have one inspiration that's keeping them going and that is Ray Lewis. The Ravens are fighting their hearts out to get Ray Lewis one more Super Bowl. I am having a hard time with this game because You have so many great players from each team. Brady is a legend for the Patriots, and Lewis is a legend for the Ravens. I think that will be a fun matchup to watch. My mind is telling me to go with the Patriots but my heart is going with the Ravens. I am going with my heart and going with the Ravens who will also be making a trip to New Orleans.
I guess with that being said and if my predictions are right the Super XLVII will be the San Francisco vs. Baltimore Ravens. The Super Bowl will take place on February 3rd and will be held at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in. New Orleans(CBS, 6:30 p.m. ET)
In the bigger picture of things if this game does happen it will be the first time that two brothers will be coaching each other in the biggest football game of the year. It would be Jim Harbaugh vs. John Harbaugh. Two completely different coaches and human beings but have led their respective teams to greatness.
It's that time of year again where WWE announces their Hall of Fame class in which the ceremony will take place the night before Wrestlemania. People love that I cover the WWE Hall of Fame and others don't but how can you not like this guy? Mick Foley was trained by Dominic DeNucci and made his debut on June 24th, 1986. His character was Cactus Jack and early on he had amazing matches with Eddie Gilbert, Mil Mascaras, and the British Bulldogs.
He made his full time debut with WCW in the fall of 1991 as a heel when he attacked Sting. During his time in WCW he feuded with Sting, Paul Orndorff, and Vader. He won the WCW Tag Team Championship once in his time there with partner Kevin Sullivan. In 1994, Foley was let go by WCW due to a promo he cut in ECW where he spat on the WCW tag title belt and thew it down.
Over the next two years he would spend time in ECW, Smokey Mountain Wrestling and in Japan. In his early days with ECW he won the tag titles with Mikey Whipwreck on two separate occassions. When he competed in singles action he feuded with Sabu, Sandman, Tommy Dreamer and Terry Funk. His feud with Terry Funk also occurred across the globe in IWA Japan where took part in the King of the Death Match. In that tournament he defeated Terry Gordy, Shoji Nakamaki, and Terry Funk. He also appeared for FMW on multiple occassions.
It was in 1996 that he finally made it to the big show as people call it as he Mick Foley debuted on WWE Raw the night after Wrestlemania 12. Foley was under a new character with a mask called Mankind. His first big two feuds in WWE were with Shawn Michaels and The Undertaker. He had The Undertaker's number throughout most of 1996 even managing to get Paul Bearer as his manager. By mid 1997, Mankind started to have a lighter side to him and the Foley debuted as Dude Love and made a return as Cactus Jack. Most of 1997 was spent feuding with Triple H and The Hart Foundation.
At Royal Rumble 1998, he competed in the match three times with all three Faces of Foley. He then began teaming with Chainsaw Charlie(Terry Funk) regularly and they won the WWE Team Titles at Wrestlemania 14 but was short lived to a rule in the match. Shortly their after he returned as Dude Love for two months as a heel and feuded with Steve Austin for the WWE Championship. Once the feud with Austin ended he had his most famous moment in his career and possibly pro wrestling history.
In June of 1998, he fought The Undertaker inside Hell in a Cell. The match started on top of the cell where Foley was thrown off the cell first, and then thrown threw the top of it when he climbed back up. The match went another 10 minutes after both falls and people really began to get behind Mick Foley. For the rest of 1998 Foley slowly began to show his soft side to the fans while remaining dangerous in the ring. The last two months of 1998 he feuded with The Rock, Vince McMahon and the rest of the corporation. It was on January 4th, 1999 where he captured his first WWE Championship by defeating The Rock. Throughout the rest of 1999 he would be in the title picture and eventually teaming with The Rock to win multiple tag team championships. This team would forever be known as the Rock N Sock Connection.
By 2000, Mick Foley realized his body was starting to wear out so he competed in three final big matches. Royal Rumble he competed against Triple H in a street fight. At No Way Out he competed in his "career ending" match against Triple H inside Hell in a Cell. Then at Wrestlemania 16, he competed in a fatal fourway match for the WWE Championship. Once his in ring career was supposedly done he was commissioner of WWE for parts of 2000 and 2001.
Then after 2001 from 2008 he still made sporadic appearances in WWE feuding with guys like Randy Orton, Edge, Tommy Dreamer, Terry Funk and Ric Flair. He also spent sometime on the independent scene and also helping children around the world. He has done a lot charitable work in different countries trying to help children who don't have the health needs to other countries do. From 2008 to 2011 he spent significant time in TNA Wrestling where he feuded with Kevin Nash, Abyss, Kurt Angle and even rekindled his feud with Sting. In his time with TNA he won the TNA World Championship and Legends Championship (now known as the the TV Championship)
Since 2011 he has made multiple on WWE again and he had verbal feuds with CM Punk and Dolph Ziggler. Aside from his wrestling career, Mick Foley is an established author and has been on the New York's Best Selling list. Here is a list of his publications
(1999) Have a Nice Day: A Tale of Blood and Sweatsocks. (2001) Foley Is Good: And the Real World Is Faker than Wrestling. . (2007) The Hardcore Diaries. (2010) Countdown to Lockdown: A Hardcore Journal. (2000) Mick Foley's Christmas Chaos. (2001) Mick Foley's Halloween Hijinx. (2004) Tales From Wrescal Lane. (2012) A Most Mizerable Christmas. (2003) Tietam Brown. (2005) Scooter.
Mick Foley has also appeared in TV shows and movies including Beyond the Mat, Boy Meets World, Celebrity Death Match, and many others. Mick Foley is known all over the world and he deserves this honor very much. Here are my top 5 favorite Mick Foley matches.
5. Mick Foley vs. Randy Orton- Backlash 2004
4. Mick Foley vs. Ric Flair- Summerslam 2006
3. Mick Foley vs. Edge- Wrestlemania 22
2. Mick Foley vs. The Rock- Raw, January 4th 1999
1. Mick Foley vs. The Undertaker- King of the Ring 1998
Whether he was from Truth or Consequences, New Mexico, The Boiler Room or Long Island, New York Mick Foley is remembered where ever he goes. Congratulations to Mrs. Foley's Baby Boy, The Hardcore Legend Mick Foley on being the first member of the WWE Hall of Fame in 2013.
Earlier this week I reported on special tapings that would be taking place the day before Genesis this coming weekend. It turns out now that TNA Wrestling will now only have four Pay-Per-Views a year and then on every first Friday of each month that doesn't have a PPV there will be a 3 hour special event that will be like a PPV and have special themes to some of them. As we know the first One Night Only shows will be Joker’s Wild Tag Team Tournament” and “X-travaganza” There is no word on when these specific shows will air but it should be something to look forward to.
I think this is a great idea because it's going to make the four big PPV's have more impact and make it so they have much more meaning. The market for wrestling on pay-per-view was killed a long time ago when WWE, WCW, and ECW ran. There was three PPV's a month and it just was complete overkill. For awhile I think WWE had like 15 or 16 PPV's a year. I like the old school way of thinking here of like when you just had Royal Rumble, Wrestlemania, Summerslam, Survivor Series and then for TV specials you had Saturday Nights Main Event. In my opinion, that's when WWE is what at it's peak so maybe this could be the trick that gets TNA to the next level. Here is tentative schedule for 2013
January 13th-Genesis
March 10th- Lockdown
April 5th- One Night Only show (Also Wrestlemania weekend)
May 3rd- One Night Only show
June 9th- Slammiversary
July 5th- One Night Only show
August 2nd- One Night Only show
September 6th- One Night Only show
October 13th- Bound For Glory
November 1st- One Night Only show
December 6th- One Night Only show
I personally like the direction TNA is going with this. I think it will add more depth to their brand and start giving people a chance to realize there is more then one wrestling company around. I will be curious to see how this all turns out and make sure to keep checking back for more news on the new strategy for TNA.
Last night on WWE Monday Night Raw, The Rock returned to WWE for the first time since Raw 1000 in the summer. The last time we saw The Rock he was laid out by CM Punk which is now the setup for their WWE Championship match at the Royal Rumble. I honestly have not seen that much intensity, tension and no pun intended, electricity in the ring in a long time. The last time I remember getting goosebumps watching Raw was two years ago when The Undertaker and Triple H were in the ring setting up for their match at Wrestlemania 27. They said nothing to each other and was one of the best moments in Raw history.
Last year The Rock worked with John Cena and I was very disappointed with their match after a year long buildup. Just because he didn't have the chemistry Cena doesn't mean he cant have chemistry with anyone. Last night he had great chemistry with CM Punk on the mic and I think Punk's real life character and wrestling style will bring the chemistry to the forefront during their match at the Royal Rumble. I started to think to myself, what it The Rock came back to WWE permanently? There are a lot of young and hungry guys out there that would benefit from work with The Rock.
Some of the guys that I would like to see The Rock go against are guys like Dolph Ziggler, The Miz, Wade Barrett, Sheamus, Randy Orton, Antonio Cesaro, members of the Shield, and many others. The stars of today just don't have the star power that guys like Austin, The Rock or even Triple H did back in the Attitude Era. In order to create stars, the stars of the past need to put the young guys over. The reason guys like Randy Orton and Sheamus are successful is because they worked with someone like Triple H and they went over on Hunter. Triple H was smart in the aspect that he knew that new stars needed to be created. Unfortunately for the stars of today there is no Stone Cold, The Rock or The Undertaker on a fill time basis.
If The Rock came back full time the whole landscape of WWE would change for the good. People love The Rock, even the wrestling fans who get pissed that he left the way he did. WWE needs someone like The Rock, or a Stone Cold. I think that's why people can't get into WWE like they use to. There is no star power in the modern era like there was in the Attitude Era.
So what if The Rock came back full time? Who would he face? More importantly, what kind of legacy would he leave on the WWE?
The playoffs have started and it did not go the way I expected. The Seahawks defeated the Redskins, Packers defeated Vikings, Texans defeated Bengals, and Ravens defeated Colts. The games just got more interesting and it's going to be interesting. With that being said here are my predictions for the 2nd rounds of the playoffs.
Baltimore Ravens at Denver Broncos- Saturday January 12th 4:30 p.m. ET, CBS
The Ravens man handled a young Colts team but what will they do against an experienced Peyton Manning? I think the Broncos have the advantage because of the Mile High atmosphere. This is Manning's year of redemption and unfortunately the Ravens will be in the way and Ray Lewis' career will come to an end at the hands of the greatest Quarterback of this generation. The Broncos over the Ravens in a highly competitive game.
Houston Texans at New England Patriots- Sunday January 13th 4:30 p.m. ET, CBS
The Texans barely got through a mediocre Bengals team in the first round. They are taking on an experienced Tom Brady and a hungry Patriots team. Houston is a lot like the Atlanta Falcons team. Both teams do excellent in the regular season but they completely choke in the playoffs. I am going with the experienced New England Patriots over the over achieving Houston Texans.
Seattle Seahawks at Atlanta Falcons- Sunday Janury 13th 1 p.m. ET, FOX
The Falcons always choke in the playoffs but I don't see them choking in this game. If they do I won't be surprised but this Seattle team got a lot of favorable calls this year and is in a very weak division outside of the 49ers. I truly believe the Falcons will get over the bump in the road and advance to the NFC Championship game for the first time in a very long time. Am I counting Seattle out? No but I think overall the Falcons are a better team with more stability and consistency.
Green Bay Packers atSan Francisco 49ers- Saturday January 12th 8 p.m. ET, FOX
I am torn with this game. The Packers looked impressive against the Vikings but they were without a lot of key players. The 49ers are healthy and are ready to go. I have this feeling that not being in Lambeau Field is going to hurt the Packers. I think the Packers have a lot of consistency issues at defense and you never know what Packers team is going to show up. I am going with my gut feeling and going with the 49ers in this game.
The AFC and NFC Championship Games will both be played on Sunday January 20th. The AFC Title game will be played at 6:30pm on CBS and the NFC Title game will be at 3pm on Fox. Check back next week for my AFC and NFC Championship Predictions. Hopefully I will have better luck this week.
Earlier this week it was announced that TNA Impact Wrestling would be holding two special tapings on January 12th which is the night before Genesis. Each taping will be three hours long and will focus on two different subjects. When I read about these I got super excited because it's going to feature stars from the past, present and the future. I was particularly excited about the first show I heard about.
The first show they will be taping will be called “TNA Wrestling: X-Travaganza.” This show will feature an Ultimate X Match, and an X-Scape Cage Match. One match has been announced and it will be Rob Van Dam vs. Jerry Lynn as part of Lynn's farewell tour. If you're an old school TNA fan from when it first started you will be happy to know that Petey Williams, Amazing Red, Matt Bentley and Jimmy Rave will be making their returns on the show. Whether or not they stay is remains in question but I am excited to see some old faces. I hope that management realizes that heart of TNA was and still could be the X-Division. I still think the greatest match in TNA history was the X-Division Title match between Samoa Joe, AJ Styles and Christopher Daniels. It really put TNA on the map as having caliber matches and delivering results. It's time for the X-Division to shine again and this could be the perfect opportunity for it to start letting it shine again.
The second show will be the “TNA Wrestling: Jokers Wild Tag Team Tournament” This show will be a tag team show featuring random tag teams. There will be 12 teams competing with the winning teams advancing to a 12-man gauntlet match to fight for an ultimate prize of $100,000. The wrestlers that have been confirmed so far include Bobby Roode, Christopher Daniels, Rob Van Dam, James Storm, Samoa Joe, Joey Ryan, Jessie Godderz, Matt Morgan, Robbie E, Mr. Anderson, Robbie T, Chavo Guerrero Jr, Hernandez, Zema Ion and Doug Williams. There are nine spots left for this tournament and I will be curious to see who else will be in it.
There is no word on when these two shows will air but when they do I for sure will be watching it and discussing it TNA is making strides in becoming a better wrestling show. I don't think people give TNA enough credit because it's not WWE but I believe these two special shows will show what TNA Impact Wrestling is all about. Keep staying tune for more info on these two special shows that are being taped.
I recently had a conversation with a friend the other day about how no one really ever gets busted for steroids in football. The more and more I think about it my friend is right. The United States Government has went after Major League Baseball, World Wrestling Entertainment and even the world of Mixed Martial Arts. Never once has anyone brought up that their might be a steroid problem. If there is a problem, then the U.S. government might be looking the other way. In 2007, the last year I could find the NFL was the highest grossing sport in the world raking in $6.3 Billion that year. Think about the obvious. We always see the lists of every baseball player that's violated the steroid policy but why don't we see a list of football players that have violated the NFL's steroid policy? It's quite simple. The U.S. government, especially the right wing receives a lot of political donations from the NFL that they may be using to fund campaigns or other political interests. Lets think about this as well. Anytime baseball, basketball or hockey have been on strike the government sits back and lets it play out. However the last time the NFL was in danger of not having a season the government rushed right in and made sure there was federal mediator to listen to both sides.
To my knowledge the NFL has never suspended or banned anyone for steroid use but here is a list of people who have been alleged steroid users. The list includes Bill Romanowski, Brian Cushing, Shawne Merriman, Lyle Alzado, Steve Courson, Dana Stubblefield, and Todd Sauerbrun. If this doesn't mean anything remember Super Bowl 38 between the Patriots and Panthers? A couple of years following that game, many Panthers admitted to taking steroids or PED's a week before the game to get an advantage over New England. Were any of those players punished? No they were not.
Speaking of punishment, look the crime rates in the NFL. Right now they have to be highest out of any sport in America. Take a look at Michael Vick, Plaxico Burress and even the latest incident with Josh Brent. If an average citizen would have committed those crimes they would have faced 10 to 15 years in prison, if not more. Look at Dante Stallworth. He killed a pedestrian while driving drunk and all got was 30 days in the county jail, plus 1,000 hours of community service, 2 years of community control, and 8 years probation. You call that justice?
Even retired Hall of Fame players have gotten off easy and I am talking about O.J. Simpson. Everyone knows he killed his wife and his wife's friend. All the evidence was there and it got turned into a racial issue. Simpson was found innocent but lost in the civil suits to both the Brown and Goldman families. You can credit Simpsons attorney or the stupidity of the judge but if anyone it else it would have been a clear cut case and the person would have been sentenced to life in the prison.
Lastly, how can you forget the New Orleans Saints Bounty Scandal. There was evidence of wiretapping which illegal by federal law and nothing was done. Gregg Williams is scapegoat for all of this as all the players suspensions were overturned by an appeals committee. Then there is Sean Payton who was suspended for this entire season. How was he rewarded? He received a five-year contract extension. The Saints can continue to miss the playoffs and I would be happy. They need to suffer for a long time after the crap they pulled but it's karma that's doing it, not the government or league officials.
Given all these examples, if you can't see it then you probably never will. The NFL is full of crooks, criminals, thugs and steroid junkies. There are a select few in the game that are great people and make the sport look good but you hardly ever see those names get recognition. The United States government protects the NFL because it's a huge moneymaker and it employs a lot of people and donates a lot to political funds. They also realize if there was a scandal in the NFL that uncovered it would be disastrous.
It goes back to the 2007 list of top grossing sports and look who was at the top
1- The National Football League - $6.3 Billion 2- Major League Baseball - $6.0 Billion 3- The National Basketball Association - $4.0 Billion 4- The Premier League - $3.05 Billion 5- National Hockey League - $2.56 Billion
It is only a matter of time before the NFL will get caught in some major scandal and there will be no more turning away from it. The sport has been supposedly "clean" since it's existence and hasn't faced a scandal or major blow like all the others. So does the United States Government protect the National Football League? I think yes but I will let you be the judge.
Hollywood Joe’s motto is, “Controversy doesn’t come without
criticism.”Well unfortunately for me,
neither does my favorite football team.I’m a “True Blue” Dallas Cowboy fan, have been since Troy Aikman’s draft
day.It’s been a long, tried and true relationship
with this team.I saw the misery, I saw
the glory…and recently I don’t know what I’ve seen.
Drew Bledsoe was a great quarterback, and when he threw an
interception, it truly wasn’t his fault, the man was color blind.Even the mighty fall, and one fateful day in
2006 Drew fell and in came Antonio Ramiro Romo, better known as Tony Romo.Us Dallas fans have been cheering and crying
ever since.
“Tony’s got great fantasy stats!” I hear a lot of people
tell me.Well, I don’t play fantasy
football so that has always been meaningless to me.Fantasy stats don’t put rings on fingers,
wins do.Interceptions don’t put rings
on fingers either, neither to botched holds…the list goes on.
The rise and fall of my boys isn’t completely on Tony’s
shoulders; I know that.It’s sad that I
can recite false start penalties because they’re damn near on the same player
EVERY TIME.DeMarcus Ware is only one
man on the defense and let us not forget the circus that was Pac-man
Jones.
The Monday Morning Quarterbacks have blamed Tony, blamed the
coaches, blamed Jerry, and anyone else they can think of in the state of Texas
as to the demise of America’s Team…but really it’s a true team effort to board
the Fail Boat, and then they’ve all proceeded to sink that Fail Boat in record
fashion.
Tony Romo has the ability to be a great quarterback; BUT he
lacks consistency.Not even Hard Hittin’
Jason Witten could save his ass in Washington last Sunday.I’m shocked my TV survived the third
interception.Miles Austin is a great
receiver who can catch balls while standing on his head; but put it in the
numbers…he couldn’t catch a cold if it saved his life this year.Dez Bryant didn’t do too awful bad, same
problem as Miles Austin though.
Another heartbreaking season, no more like vomit inducing
season by my boys, 8-8 is so awesome to brag about at work when I’m surrounded
by a Packer fans and a Lions fan.This
season also required several overtimes; something I don’t really remember
happening with Dallas in the past.Not
nearly as frequent as what it was this season by far.Of course most of the games that went into
overtime weren’t necessary if everyone on the team didn’t play with their heads
firmly planted up their asses.Jerry
Jones is now vowing for change, well I’ll go on record to say Jason Garret will
remain coach, Tony Romo will remain under center, DeMarcus Ware now has to have
surgery and Jason Witten will still be a tank on two legs.Time will tell what the ole’ man means with
“Changes Will Happen.”
In closing, Hollywood Joe took it upon himself to post a
picture last night with the caption reading, “How do you say Tony Romo in
Spanish?Mark Sanchez.”Well Joe, at least Romo wasn’t benched this
season.
.jpg)
