The Sports Rumors

NCAA Preseason Rankings

In case you were wondering, because I know I was, here are the USA Today College Football Preseason Rankings.

If This Doesn’t Annoy You…

I was reading about Beckham’s game against D.C. United today and I came across this paragraph, which pretty much sums up why I’m so completely, indescribably annoyed with Beckham and the hoopla that surrounds him. This is, word for word, a paragraph describing the game from Si.com:

“The sellout crowd of 46,686 cheered when Beckham stripped off his warmup jacket and T-shirt, displaying his bare chest in a steady rain as he prepared to enter the game in the second half. The three-time World Cup veteran, his hair closely cropped and stubble on his face, then put on his No. 23 jersey and replaced Quavas Kirk in the 72nd minute.”

That sounds more like a description of a Beckham sextape than it does a Beckham soccer game. I’m so irritated right now that I am not going to write anymore, and I’m going to watch preseason football. Here’s the link if you want to read more about his dripping wet body instead of soccer.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/soccer/08/09/bc.soc.mls.galaxy.beckham.ap/index.html

Response to Comment

A frequent reader posted a very good and valid comment to which I have responded below:

“It may be a little premature to call an end to the era, since we’ve only stopped the use of the doping agents that we can currently detect.

But I’ll still feel better when Alex Rodriguez gets to home run 800.”

I see your point. However, the steroid era will be remembered for targeting the big three players who were setting records: Sosa, McGwire, and Barry Bonds. Sosa’s doesn’t hold any significant major league record. McGwire doesn’t anymore either. Barry Bonds does. The goal was to stop an alleged rampant steroid user from having the greatest record in sports. The goal was not reached and was unsuccessful. Bonds breaking the record ends the era because now there is nothing left to lose, nothing left to save.

Though the steroid era is over, there is no question that players will continue to use and get around the testing. However, this is true and will occur in ANY sport. Football, basketball, baseball, soccer, etc, etc, etc. Players wont be as obvious with their using anymore however. You won’t see people having major spikes in their hitting averages or homeruns. Those days are over. That was the era of steroids.

The steroid era was known for the big three. Of those three, one is retired, one is a has-been who has limited games left, and the last one is the homerun king who’s probably in the last of two seasons. From here on out, it will pretty much be what aftershocks are to an earthquake; small potatoes.

The Steroids Era: 1998-August 7th, 2007

The steroids era has officially come to an end. Last night, as Barry Bonds’ 756^th homerun sailed into right centerfield shattering Hank Aaron’s record, it brought along the conclusion of the most damaging time in MLB history. We don’t know the exact figure of how many MLB players were juiced up from the end of the 90’s through 2004. We know how many were caught, but not how many were really using. The fact of the matter is, we never will. Pitchers and hitters both used steroids to better themselves and for the most part, the MLB turned a blind eye and allowed it.

However, it is clear that the poster boy of the entire steroids era was Barry Bonds. He was tagged with the villain figure. The MLB and Bud Selig have done everything, and continue to do everything to isolate Barry Bonds from the game of baseball and make him the scapegoat. Fans and media have also taken a liking to putting the tag on Bonds. Whether it was fair or not, he was given that role because he was the one chasing down the greatest, most hallowed record in sports. The goal of the entire steroid investigation wasn’t to catch every player who had used during the given time period. Stiffer testing policies were put in place to prevent players from using in the future. The goal wasn’t to go after those who used in the past because the MLB knew that if they tried to do that, and even if they were successful in doing so, they would have to suspend over half the league.

Most of players who were juiced up during the past decade simply stopped when the testing got tough, they went back down to their average numbers, and essentially got a free pass. Players like Luis Gonzalez, who out of no where blasted 57 homeruns in 2001 at age 33 (when his previous career high was 31) are back down to their 20 homerun average and free and clear of any trouble. The media doesn’t go after these players though. They go after the big fish. The big fish were Sosa, McGwire, and most importantly, Barry Bonds.

The whole reason MLB went after Bonds so hard was because they knew that if he broke 755, there would be nothing they could do about it. They knew that once that record fell, they could suspend him for life if they wanted, but he would still be the king of homeruns forever. They knew that the all time leader of homeruns would have come from the steroids era. That’s not good for baseball. Having a villain and an accused cheater as the king of all records important is not something baseball could stomach. Well karma is a hell of a craze isn’t it?

Bud Selig and baseball rode Barry Bonds’ curtails to the high ratings, the increased sales, the sold out stadiums, the television contracts. They turned a cheek to all that was going on, all that was wrong with baseball. Well they got what they deserved. Baseball got exactly what it deserved. The record is forever broken and until Arod breaks it down the road, Barry Bonds is king.

Hank Aaron appeared on the video screen with a congratulatory message for Bonds after he broke the record last night. It was unexpected and very surprising to me. I was disappointed at first that Aaron wasn’t going to be a part of the celebration because it’s awkward to break someone’s record, without having them there to pass the crown onto you so to speak. However, Aaron came through with immense class and showed a lot by delivering the congratulations to Bonds. The approval of Aaron meant a ton to Bonds despite what he had said before and I’m sure it changes the views of the public, at least some of them. Hank Aaron’s endorsement means a lot in this equation. It was indeed a great moment.

Bug Selig delivered a message saying that what Bonds accomplished was great, but hinted quite bluntly that there was still an investigation going on. Well guess what? It’s too late. The fans have recognized Bonds as the homerun champion, the media for the most part has, and now it’s time for baseball to drop it and let history be what history is. No matter what happens from here on forward, whether they find something on him and suspend him, whatever happens, Barry Bonds hit 756. No one can take that from him or from history.

As number 756 dropped into the stands of AT&T Park last night shortly before midnight, I came to a realization. I realized that I just saw a huge part of sports history. I also just saw the last big homerun that Barry Bonds, the best player of this generation and one of the best of all time, will ever hit. His final homerun won’t have the excitement and anticipation as 756 did. I’m never going to stay up like a little kid, glued to the TV to see if Barry breaks the next record in line because he is now at the top. He climbed the mountain that a lot of us didn’t think he could conquer at various times during the past five years. Despite everything, all the hate, the negativity, the investigations, the 24/7 media coverage, Bonds overcame it all and now stands alone at the peak. I respect that.

I turned off the TV, got into bed and went to sleep last night knowing that the steroids era was finally over. I went to sleep knowing that I got to witness history; that’s a good feeling.

(It’s all over now. 756 is in the books.)

Retirement Drama

Remember the days when athletes would announce their retirement at the right time? Remember when an athlete said, “This is my last season” and actually meant it? The farewell tours were so much better and more meaningful then. Now, a player retiring doesn’t mean much because people feel he’ll be back in a season, sometimes even less. When a star player used to retire, it was news. Now when a star player talks about retiring, it’s a soap opera.

Take Michael Strahan for example. He couldn’t make up his mind about whether he had enough “passion” to come back for another season at the conclusion of last season. The Giants organization respected him enough to give him the entire summer to think about it. Now we’re into training camp and he still hasn’t decided whether he wants to play or not. The Giants went out and got Simeon Rice to replace him, in the event Strahan retires. What were they supposed to do? Leave a gap at defensive end? I don’t think so. Consequently, Strahan goes on this baby act, whining about how he feels betrayed by the Giants. Meanwhile, reports came out that his agent was guaging teams around the league to see what kind of interest they showed. Apparently, no one was really interested because of his salary. But my point is, he’s checking out other teams while keeping the Giants on hold, and then complains about being betrayed? Give me a break.

I realize that Strahan has been a great defensive end for the Giants and I’m sure he gave them his all when he played. But I can’t stand when old, over the hill athletes feel its their right to take as long as they want to decide what they want to do or whether they have enough “passion” or “love for the game” to come back another season. Brett Favre has tarnished his legacy in my eyes by holding the Packers hostage with his soap opera the past two seasons. Brett has hurt the Packers and stunted their growth and development the past two years more than anything. 20 touchdowns and 29 interceptions followed by 18 touchdowns and 18 interceptions the past two years. That’s not helping your team. You have to learn to let the game go when the game has let you go. I got so sick of turning on the tv or radio and hearing about whether Favre is coming back or retiring. Who the hell really cares at this point? He’s washed up. He’s an average quarterback. That’s it. It’s pretty much the same for Strahan, although he still has a bit more left to give than Favre does.

When an organization gives you an entire summer or offseason to decide what you want to do, be respectful and make a decision in a timely manner. The fact that they gave you that period of time to decide is them showing you the respect you deserve for loyalty. However, when you drag a team into training camp without making a decision, you’ve gone overboard. Doesn’t matter who you are.

(You have to know when to say when)

Response to Comment

“just as competitive as jordan and tiger. keep dreaming man. when you compare kobe to jordan you lose all credibility. being a whiner and being a competitor are two different things. he should make do with what he has” - Fawad

I’m not comparing Kobe’s legend to that of Jordan’s or Tiger’s. Those two are the best ever at their respective sports, and Kobe is not. I was comparing their competitive spirit. There is a difference. Kobe hates to lose and when he is on the court, he leaves it all out there. Even his rivals like Raja Bell have said so. Kobe may be a prick off the court, a bad teammate overall, whatever you want to label him. That’s fine. That’s his fault. But you can’t sit here and tell me with a straight face that with the game on the line, 4^th quarter, there is ANYONE you’d rather have with the ball other than Bryant. Just like you wanted Jordan with the ball in that situation in his heyday, and Tiger on the 18th these days.

Realize, I didn’t say Kobe doesn’t whine. Of course he does. He always has, probably always will. I didn’t say Kobe is a great teammate. All I said was, when it comes to being competitive and wanting to win, Kobe is up there with the other two.

The Eye of the Storm

Future hall of famer Kevin Garnett finally got traded to the Celtics. The years of discussion about where Garnett should go or how he should demand to be traded are forever in the past. It’s done and over with. No longer can we imagine Kobe lobbing oops to Garnett or Nash and K.G. winning a title together. Two of the most popular superstars in the NBA have been subject of trade rumors all summer. One was quiet about his discontent; the other was loud and forceful about his. The quiet one got moved, the loud one didn’t.

Kobe Bryant has been silent now for the past month. He’s not answering questions about his anger with the Lakers. He’s not posting it on his website. He’s not doing exclusive interviews with Ric Bucher or Stephen A. Right now, Kobe is focused only on USA Basketball, or so it appears.

Obviously, the noise that he made earlier didn’t have the effect that he had hoped. He didn’t get moved and the Lakers didn’t bring anyone else in via a trade. It’s clear now that Garnett was still available to be moved, and the Lakers didn’t go out and get him. Ron Artest was on the block and the Lakers turned that one away. Jermaine O’neal was within reach, the Lakers didn’t want to pull the trigger on that trade either. Instead, they signed Coby Karl and Derrick Fisher. Oh, and of course, most importantly, the Lakers kept Andrew Bynum.

So the Lakers have done nothing of consequence and Kobe Bryant has not made another comment about his situation in the past month, month and a half. Now what? Are we going to go into the start of the season like nothing happened? Is Kobe going to suit up the same way he has for over a decade? Will bygones be bygones and Kobe busts his hump to get a 7^th or 8^th seed in the west, followed by a first round exit due to lack of help? Not a chance.

I don’t think, even for a minute, that Kobe is going to just let this go. You can hate him all you want but you have to give credit where credit is due and when it comes to competitiveness, there is no one more so than Kobe. Jordan and Tiger are on the same level as him, but not higher. This dilemma he is in with the Lakers organization right now isn’t something that he’s going to lose. He’s not going to put up with them not bringing in significant improvements. He’s just not. Kobe is waiting for the summer to conclude. He got a lot of bad press early on and now a lot of that has simmered down. As Ric Bucher pointed out in his column, the Lakers and their lack of action are making Kobe’s case for him without him having to say a word.

Okay they didn’t go out and get K.G. because maybe that would have crippled their future completely. Well, it’s not like they’ve gone out and gotten solid players to help improve the team though. They drafted a point guard last year, drafted one this year, and then signed one as a free agent. I don’t understand what the management in LA is doing but I can understand the frustration that Kobe feels when he sees players like Artest, O’neal, Kidd, Baron Davis, and Gerald Wallace come and go without the Lakers making a move. The Staples Center is going to fill up no matter what as long as #24 is there. He gives them a chance to win any game just like Tom Brady or Peyton Manning due with their respective teams. But in order to advance in the playoffs, Kobe is going to need a lot more than what he’s got. What are the Lakers waiting for?

I still can’t see this feud ending quietly. I don’t see it that way. I am giving this until the second week of September, a little over a month, before we hear from Kobe again, louder than ever. And don’t be surprised if this time, a lot of the same media members who bashed him in May have come around and see his viewpoint. He will have a lot more support this time around and remember, what Kobe wants, Kobe gets.

I wanted to name this article “The Quiet Before the Storm” but then I thought about it and realized that this isn’t the quiet before the storm. The storm started a few weeks after the Finals when Kobe initially came out about all this. Now, we’re in the eye of the storm. The beginning of the summer brought the initial impact, put us all on edge. Now everything is quiet and calm, but it has that feel that there is more to come. It feels like this is just a brief pause in the action, a time for us to gather our thoughts, take a breath, and prepare for part two. It is said that the tail end of a hurricane is often the one that lashes out the most fury, brings about the most destruction. Enjoy the few weeks left in the eye but make no mistake about it: This storm is packed with rage, rage that we will see soon enough.

(”After biting their prey, black mambas leave it to die. “)

Some Thoughts…

Wow. David Beckham. He’s definitely living up to all the expectations and what an impact he’s already had on major league soccer. (That’s me being very sarcastic). I’m not going to start gloating yet and say “I told you so” but, well, I told you so. O-V-E-R-H-Y-P-E-D. Even Pele was knocking him. There is no one in the world more respected in the sport than Pele. Way to go Beckham, you’re awesome, you media whore.

Alex Rodriguez finally hit homerun number 500 after taking eight games and 29 at bats since homerun #499. At least it’s done with and we don’t have to worry about annoying New York media and fans making this into a megastory. I don’t think there is any doubt that Arod will go on to break whatever number Bonds sets, which is good for the game. I heard something about Canseco saying he has some dirt on Arod and will be putting that out there when he releases his book. I doubt it’s anything about steroids or legitimate. Just a publicity stunt by Canseco to fill his pockets with more cash.

The Bonds-Costas feud is funny. Bonds made one remark about Costas, who has called him out for years, and it gave Costas the go ahead to publically trash Bonds. I thought it was stop after his one comment that was reported on ESPN, but then I turn on CNN and see him being interviewed by Wolf Blitzer! (By the way, what a name. Wolf Blitzer. Who the hell names their kid Wolf? Think about that. His name, is WOLF!)

Neifi Perez got suspended 80 games for being caught a third time, violating the MLB’s league steroid policy. I don’t really care. This story doesn’t interest me.

Nascar has done a hell of a job the past ten years in getting their sport out there on the map. I am a person who had ZERO interest in Nascar growing up. Absolutely none. Now, I find myself reading stories about Tony Stewart and Dale Jr. among others. Great managing job by Nascar officials.

(Love him or hate him, but you can’t deny greatness)

Puerto Rico Trip

Whats up people. Sorry for the lack of posts but I’m still in Puerto Rico for my business trip. I’ll be back in D.C. tomorrow and I have some articles going that I will be posting soon including my thoughts on this weeks stories, when Kobe will explode, and more NFL previews. Check back soon, I’ll have stuff up soon..