Hump Day Sports Week-in-Review
No one reads the paper on Friday, or so I’ve heard. I’m guessing that refrain has been updated recently to simply say “no one reads the paper.” Lately, I’ve been wondering if the former is also true for blogs. So, in my ongoing effort to increase hits to the blog – and ultimately expand exposure of the website in my blatant attempt to increase commissions – I’ve decided to move my sports Week-in-Review from Fridays to Wednesdays, a.k.a. “Hump Day.”
As your work-weary eyes flash that glimmer of hope knowing that you have made it through another week of, let’s face it, dealing with your jackass of a boss, please remember to check out my Hump Day Week-in-Review of sports. As you try to kill just a few more moments of the endless hours that you’re stuck in the office, take heart that you’re at least halfway to Friday and check out my quick-shot look at the stories from the Philadelphia and national sports world. Only half a week to review this time around since I did the last one on Friday, but there’s still plenty to comment on, mock, point out as stupid, or worth repeating even though millions on the internet have already said the same damn thing.
Week-in-Review:
JRoll leading Shortstops for NL All-Star appearance. Yesterday, I heard Jimmy Rollins was leading shortstops in the National League to start in the All-Star Game. Rollins is essentially having a bad, if not terrible, season. Aside from the fact that starters generally do not factor in the critical part of the game, this is the type of thing that is ruining what was once the clear-cut best All-Star game in sports. Rollins doesn’t deserve to be anywhere near the mid-summer classic this July.
McNabb “only” guaranteed $3mil for 2010. I understand how absurd it is to use a word like only when referring to $3 million, but the fact is that it’s not a ton of money for a starting quarterback in the salary capped world of the NFL. Despite the inexplicable raise the Eagles gave Donovan McNabb for the final two years of his contract without an extension, he’s apparently not a lock to be in Philadelphia in 2010. According to reports, even with his restructured deal McNabb is only guarded $3 million prior to a May roster bonus that year.
As critical as I’ve been of McNabb, I would have preferred to see the Eagles extend his contract or do absolutely nothing with it. The best explanation I’ve heard continues to be that the Eagles needed to reach the floor of the salary cap. With the caveat that McNabb really isn’t guaranteed much after this season, the team hasn’t even bought itself a year without questions about McNabb’s future. Aside from possible cap considerations, the raise does little but point out McNabb’s sensitive nature, coming just after a season in which he was benched.
Lakers win. The Lakers took the NBA title in what was a decent Finals against the Magic despite a 4-1 series result. Two overtime games could have gone either way, obviously, but it never really felt like the Lakers were in trouble. Of course, if the Magic steal Game 2, who knows?
I missed on my guess that the series would go 6 games, but got the champ right for the second straight year from the beginning of the playoffs. I finished a decent 11-4 in series predictions.
NHL Game 7 gets huge ratings. Reports are that Game 7 of the Stanley Cup was the most watched game of hockey since 1973. Was it really that tough to figure out that having their games not go against the NBA Finals might improve ratings?
ESPN shocked Sosa used steroids. The New York Times reported that Sammy Sosa was one of 104 players found to use steroids in baseball’s anonymous 2003 survey. This is equivalent to announcing that grass is green, yet ESPN teased it’s Tuesday evening SportsCenter using the phrase the “baseball world rocked again.”
No one has offered any evidence that baseball’s popularity has suffered because of the steroid era. Sosa isn’t even in the league any more. Baseball and the union should just name the 102 players remaining on the list and get it over with. Alex Rodriguez was the first guy named, and anyone that can point to a negative affect that the revelation has had on him or baseball, feel free.
The alternative appears to be having ESPN be shocked every few months.
Stallworth sentence does not compute. Cleveland Browns wide receiver Donte' Stallworth was sentenced to 30 days in jail after pleading guilty in Florida to a DUI manslaughter charge. I understand there are other conditions like 10 years probation and 1,000 community service hours, but this makes no sense at all. He was driving drunk and killed a man, yet he has essentially received the equivalent of a good talking to compared to Michael Vick’s punishment for bankrolling a dog fighting ring. Rumors are already flying . . . and in case the Bastion of Credibility - John Gonzalez - is reading, the rumors are on a real outlet like radio not just blogs . . . that Stallworth paid off the family of his victim so they wouldn’t push for Stallworth to be put on trial. Justice is blind, but apparently her scales can be swayed by a few bucks so long as animal rights activists don’t mind.
As your work-weary eyes flash that glimmer of hope knowing that you have made it through another week of, let’s face it, dealing with your jackass of a boss, please remember to check out my Hump Day Week-in-Review of sports. As you try to kill just a few more moments of the endless hours that you’re stuck in the office, take heart that you’re at least halfway to Friday and check out my quick-shot look at the stories from the Philadelphia and national sports world. Only half a week to review this time around since I did the last one on Friday, but there’s still plenty to comment on, mock, point out as stupid, or worth repeating even though millions on the internet have already said the same damn thing.
Week-in-Review:
JRoll leading Shortstops for NL All-Star appearance. Yesterday, I heard Jimmy Rollins was leading shortstops in the National League to start in the All-Star Game. Rollins is essentially having a bad, if not terrible, season. Aside from the fact that starters generally do not factor in the critical part of the game, this is the type of thing that is ruining what was once the clear-cut best All-Star game in sports. Rollins doesn’t deserve to be anywhere near the mid-summer classic this July.
McNabb “only” guaranteed $3mil for 2010. I understand how absurd it is to use a word like only when referring to $3 million, but the fact is that it’s not a ton of money for a starting quarterback in the salary capped world of the NFL. Despite the inexplicable raise the Eagles gave Donovan McNabb for the final two years of his contract without an extension, he’s apparently not a lock to be in Philadelphia in 2010. According to reports, even with his restructured deal McNabb is only guarded $3 million prior to a May roster bonus that year.
As critical as I’ve been of McNabb, I would have preferred to see the Eagles extend his contract or do absolutely nothing with it. The best explanation I’ve heard continues to be that the Eagles needed to reach the floor of the salary cap. With the caveat that McNabb really isn’t guaranteed much after this season, the team hasn’t even bought itself a year without questions about McNabb’s future. Aside from possible cap considerations, the raise does little but point out McNabb’s sensitive nature, coming just after a season in which he was benched.
Lakers win. The Lakers took the NBA title in what was a decent Finals against the Magic despite a 4-1 series result. Two overtime games could have gone either way, obviously, but it never really felt like the Lakers were in trouble. Of course, if the Magic steal Game 2, who knows?
I missed on my guess that the series would go 6 games, but got the champ right for the second straight year from the beginning of the playoffs. I finished a decent 11-4 in series predictions.
NHL Game 7 gets huge ratings. Reports are that Game 7 of the Stanley Cup was the most watched game of hockey since 1973. Was it really that tough to figure out that having their games not go against the NBA Finals might improve ratings?
ESPN shocked Sosa used steroids. The New York Times reported that Sammy Sosa was one of 104 players found to use steroids in baseball’s anonymous 2003 survey. This is equivalent to announcing that grass is green, yet ESPN teased it’s Tuesday evening SportsCenter using the phrase the “baseball world rocked again.”
No one has offered any evidence that baseball’s popularity has suffered because of the steroid era. Sosa isn’t even in the league any more. Baseball and the union should just name the 102 players remaining on the list and get it over with. Alex Rodriguez was the first guy named, and anyone that can point to a negative affect that the revelation has had on him or baseball, feel free.
The alternative appears to be having ESPN be shocked every few months.
Stallworth sentence does not compute. Cleveland Browns wide receiver Donte' Stallworth was sentenced to 30 days in jail after pleading guilty in Florida to a DUI manslaughter charge. I understand there are other conditions like 10 years probation and 1,000 community service hours, but this makes no sense at all. He was driving drunk and killed a man, yet he has essentially received the equivalent of a good talking to compared to Michael Vick’s punishment for bankrolling a dog fighting ring. Rumors are already flying . . . and in case the Bastion of Credibility - John Gonzalez - is reading, the rumors are on a real outlet like radio not just blogs . . . that Stallworth paid off the family of his victim so they wouldn’t push for Stallworth to be put on trial. Justice is blind, but apparently her scales can be swayed by a few bucks so long as animal rights activists don’t mind.
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