The Ecstacy of Gold

     Yesterday, Jim Tressel resigned from his position as head coach at (the) Ohio State University. To me, it was inevitable that he would resign. Why wouldn't he? He seemed like he had at least some of a brain and knew that was the best thing he could do for himself and the school. The damage is done, the faster he leaves, the faster they can move on.

      For this story, I wanted to do something a little different. Instead of speaking from my high horse, I asked some of my friends with varying interests in sports to get a better picture on how people feel about this situation, winning, and cheating in general. I also took a look at ESPN's Sportsnation to get a national picture about this.

     My first question, on a scale of 1-10, how important is winning? 50% of those asked said 10, and not one person said anything less than an 8. Why have a rooting interest in a team if you don't want them to win? "I think in a bcs school coaches kinda have to turn their head if they want to keep a job becuase in the schools eye winning is everything." - Mike

     The second question, on a scale of 1-10 how important is the football program being clean? Only 30% of those asked gave this a 9 or above. One responder said that they "expect them to be dirty" and that if they were cheating like the other schools, they weren't trying hard enough.

     The third question was if you could get away with it, would you break the rules? It was 50/50 on this subject. The irony was that some of the applicants that said they would cheat also wanted a very clean program image.

     The final question was between the Boosters, Players, and Coaches, where should most of the blame go? The Boosters were a favorite bad guy with this question, with all responders but one putting at least a majority of the blame on them. Only one person put most of the blame on the players. "How can you expect (coaches) to babysit 105 kids 24/7/365? All they can do is preach the rules and consequences and hope it sticks with the kids."

     Thoughts from ESPN.com:

• "Bottom line Tressel was more worried about winning than doing the right thing." -- SN commenter txbornsooner 

     I found this comment to interesting. More worried about winning than doing the right thing. From a Texas born Sooner fan. I wonder if they remember the 2006 scandal involving a car dealer? The fact is, this didn't just happen at (the) Ohio State. Or Oklahoma. In fact it happens so much that there is a Top 50 list of college football scandals.

     And from what I have found, that's just part of the game. The ecstasy of gold, the importance of winning, is more important than being clean. And even though the NCAA cracks down on this behavior, they turn a blind eye to graduation rates of programs. In the end, nobody is going to remember the 8-4 with a 100% graduation rate and no NCAA infractions. But people will always remember that magical feeling of the 13-0 National Title run. Even if in the back of their mind, they know it may have come at a high cost.

Debating the Debate

     Debates are a big part of sports. Without them, I wouldn't have much to write about. As the summer wears on, I'll be sure to attack some of the age old controversies and debates, but today I want to stop a debate. I guess I am debating on whether there is a debate to debate about. LeBron vs Michael Jordan.

     Scottie Pippen has been the butt of some jokes on Twitter (#ScottiePippenTweets) by a ton of people including myself. In fairness to Scottie, he said LeBron COULD be better than Michael Jordan. Fair enough. It's blown up however, that Scotte thinks LeBron is better than his former running mate. ESPN, sports radio, and even lowly bloggers are throwing in their two cents.

     I'm not going to debate that MJ is better than LBJ. That's not a debate. It's way too early. MJ has 6 Titles, LeBron 0. MJ has the highest career PPG average and was first team defense every full season he played from 1988 to 1998. MJ was also a 5 time MVP and a 6 time Finals MVP. So yea, that's a beefy list of awesomeness.

     LeBron needs to be compared with his peers right now. Once his career is nearing its end THEN we should talk all-time stuff. Remember Ken Griffey, Jr? He could have gone down as the greatest player that ever played. Injuries happened. Age happened. Years on the road happened. As much as I didn't like LeBron for his "Decision", but I want to see where his career can go. How high can he reach? And when the dust settles, where will he rank beside Jordan, Bird, and the Big O.

     But before we get to them, he needs to show he's better than Kobe, Kevin Durant, and the rest of  his contemporaries.

Let Players Play

     Buster Posey is a catcher for the San Francisco Giants and in 2010 he won the National League Rookie of the Year. He was the 5th overall pick in the 2008 MLB Draft. Then, on May 25th Buster broke his fibula on a game deciding play in the 12th inning against the Florida Marlins. A brutal hit from the Marlins' Scott Cousins possibly ended his season.

     This play and injury has caused an uproar about the safety of catchers. Should they block the plate? Should players be allowed to run over the catcher? Well, if you ask a lot of sports writers, this heinous act should be outlawed and the offender should be thrown in jail. How dare a catcher try to ensure victory for his team by protecting home plate? And what is a base runner thinking when he hustles to the plate? Is winning that important? Yes.

     Look, it was a game in May, maybe not the most important game of the year. But anytime you step on the field, you risk injury. Maybe Scott Cousins didn't need to run over Buster, but what if he didn't hustle to first? Everyone would call him lazy and demand he goes hard all the time. Competitiveness isn't a switch. These guys work so hard to get where they are. We can't praise Michael Jordan for being a hyper-competitive doucher and complain when other people do it. We can't buy Pete Rose pictures of him crushing Ray Fosse in an All-Star game and act so appalled when a no name guy does it to a future All-Star.

     I'm not saying that player safety doesn't matter. What I am saying is that a knee jerk reaction isn't the way to go. Let players play. Let the compete. And if the Giants want, let them bean Scott Cousins right in the back... twice.

What to Expect When You're Expecting (Football)

     Remember when Major League Baseball had a strike in 1994? Really hurt the league. The NBA and NHL also have had labor disputes over the last 12 years. But the NFL? This is AMERICA'S game! The most popular and profitable sport there is. There is no way there can be a problem, why mess up something that's good?

     If you really think about it, we all should have seen this coming. Something like this happens every year. Let's say a running back runs for 2000 yards, awesome. He's only (only?) making 1.25 million per year, not awesome. What does he do? Hold out for a new contract. The NFL has been raking in tons of money off of these players and they want a bigger cut. After all, they are the ones putting their bodies on the line.

      Now I hear all the time, players signed a CONTRACT, they shouldn't gripe over what they get paid. They shouldn't have signed that deal if they didn't like it. Fair enough, but if the owners can cut that same player and not have to pay him his contract, how is that any better? I believe the players have every right to look to get a better deal. We feel like we should be able to go to our bosses if we think we deserve a raise. They should too.

      The big sticking point is that the players want the owners to open their books. The owners claim that profits are down. Other leagues are claiming the same issue, so that is plausible. But why not let the players and fans know how dire the situation is? The owners want to get 2 billion of the 9 billion dollar pie before sharing it with the players. That's 62,500,000 per team before splitting the last 7 billion with the players.

     I would love to see these books. I'm curious how owners of publicly funded stadiums that currently get 31,250,000 million for operations yearly are not making money. I did a little research to compare attendance numbers of NFL teams with a league that is struggling, NBA. Six out of thirty-two NFL average less than 90% attendance at home in 2010. Fifteen of thirty NBA teams claim the same thing. That's half of the NBA. They have 41 home games, compared to 8 in the NFL. That's five times as many games to pay for event staff and other game day operations. Am I missing something?

     This problem is a lot bigger than just for owners and players. NFL teams are cutting salaries and laying off staff. Cities build business around their franchises, with no season, those business could close down. Not only that, but schools, police, and other services are being cut because cities and counties are paying for stadiums that may or may not be in operation this fall.

     Do I think that they will get past their differences and have a 2011 season? Yes. The players will go broke before the owners will. Let's just hope that it's a deal that lasts a while, and we aren't doing this again in 4 or 5 years.

Why Do We Constantly Look For That Asterisk

     Someone is accusing Lance Armstrong of doping. Stop me if you have heard that one before. Tyler Hamilton, a teammate and Olympic Gold Medalist, is then next in a long line of people accusing Lance Armstrong of cheating. Lance has said in the past that he has taken over 500 tests, no positives. How can he be a cheater? Let's discuss.

     First of all, let's look at Tyler Hamilton. He didn't want to testify against Lance but was subpoenaed. I guess he felt like opening up because now he's on 60 Minutes. Tyler won a Gold Medal in the 2004 Olympics, which he later returned due to a second positive test.

     What would Tyler Hamilton gain from accusing Lance Armstrong? Well, every other cyclist I've ever heard of has been busted for drugs. It's like when you're a kid and everyone gets in trouble but one kid. He was in on it too, he needs to get in trouble. But if that IS the case, why wait until now? Why didn't everyone come out at once? Why didn't any test that caught everyone else catch Lance? If you watch the ( interviewhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/05/22/lance-armstrong-doping-60-minutes_n_865331.html ), Tyler is constantly looking around and just seems, off. If you've played LA Noire, (in stores now!) those are signs that maybe someone isn't telling the truth.

     Why lie? Is this Tyler Hamilton writing a book? According to Lance Armstrong's attorney (you can trust attorneys) he is in need of money and looking for a book deal. If that's the case, Tyler fits in the long line of people looking to tarnish someone to make some money.

     Lance is in a bad spot. More and more people are accusing him. It seems like everyone around him is a doper, and it IS a little fishy (flounder, perhaps) that he is the only one that didn't dope. If it turns out he did do drugs, his aggressive stance against all these allegations will make him look extremely bad and really worse than all these other guys.

     One last thing. Tyler Hamilton had an interesting quote, "Lance was just like everyone else." That's not true. On drugs or not, he won 7 Tour de France's. And if everyone (including Lance) was doing drugs, he still beat all them. He's a cancer survivor and an inspiration to millions of people (ever heard of "LiveStrong"?). Why are we as a society so eager to tear everyone down?

     I wasn't really planning on writing this. I didn't know what to write today, but thanks to my cousin Mike's request, I wrote this today. I would like to believe that Lance was clean. 500 tests that say he's clean are great, but one positive test and it's over. Will people wearing yellow bands burn them? Will Dick's Sporting Goods tear down their Lance Armstrong displays? This story isn't as much about cheating as it is why do we constantly look for that asterisk. Believe what you want. And if you are burning bridges for cash, I hope it's worth it.

Now This is Where the Fun Begins

     The Reds have lost 5 straight. The pitching needs work. The hitting needs work. Dusty is an idiot. That's all common themes with this team (or really, ANY team when they lose). A big thing people always come back to is, "If we didn't trade Josh Hamilton for stupid Edinson Volquez, we'd be in GREAT shape!"

     So let's take a look at that, what if the Reds really had both the National League AND the American League MVP's at the same time? We would have been unstoppable! Right? Let's take a look (Disclaimer: Like all sports arguments this is totally hypothetical and NO WAY able to be proven one way or another.)

     Before we get to the what if lets look at the why this trade happened. In 2007, the Reds picked up former number one pick Josh Hamilton in the Rule 5 draft. Tampa had given up on the troubled player after drug problems. In 92 games for the Reds, Josh Hamilton hit .292, 19 HRs, 47 RBI, with a .368 OBP. not bad for his first MLB season. The Reds finished 72-90 that year, good for 5th place in the division.

     In 2008, the Reds bring in Dusty Baker, and they are ready to contend. They want a winner, but they need arms. The 2007 Reds gave up over 850 runs, and only had two pitchers reach over 200 IP and two more going over 100 IP. Not good. Who to trade to get a good arm? How about the guy that has only one half of a year of MLB experience that may or may not have shaken his demons? The Reds and Rangers make the trade and Volquez (only Reds player) and Hamilton both make the ASG.

     Now lets look at the what if. Say the Reds don't trade Hamilton. They still need arms, so who do they move? A 38 year old Griffey? Adam Dunn? Jay Bruce? If they make no trade. Their rotation has Arroyo 15-11, Harang (6-17),  Johnny Cueto (9-14), and Homer Bailey (0-6)? Matt Belisle (1-4)? Really need a 5th starter.

     2009 the Reds didn't score many runs, and Hamilton instead of Lance Nix is a no brainer. But he only played 89 games that year. 2010? Hamilton and Votto have great years, but who is around them? Did the Reds give up Jay Bruce or Brandon Philips for an arm or two?

     Now this is where the fun begins. 2011. The Reds resign NL MVP Joey Votto to a three year extension 5.5MM in 2011, 9.5MM in '12, and 17MM in '13. Plus a 6 Mil signing bonus. Also, Mr. Hamilton needs a contract. He got 10MM for 2011 and 14MM for 2012. Which brings up the question, why are you paying Votto half of what you pay Hamilton? What effect will that have in the clubhouse?

     And that's not all of it, Bronson got a 3 year 35MM deal, and Jay Bruce got a 6 year 51MM deal. Plus you have Brandon Philips needing a contract at the end of the season. And this is being paid buy a team that currently sits 13 out of 16th in attendance in the NL. Where is this money coming from? One if not more of these players isn't going to be here. We would more than likely need to trade a big money guy to keep most of the team intact.

     The key to this story is that hitting is great, but pitching wins. The Reds needed arms, just like EVERY team needs arms. Having Hamilton and Votto would have been great, but to think it would have lasted this long would be a long shot. I guarantee that had the Reds not traded Hamilton, another valuable cog would be gone. In a parallel universe, Reds fans are complaining that Brandon Philips is playing Gold Glove second base for someone else while the Reds are in a tough pennant race.

Armageddon Survival Secrets

     I read on the Internet (the most trusted source of information) that world will end at 6pm today. I assume Eastern Standard Time, because the world revolves around EST. So I thought it was my duty to give you some tips on what to do in case the world ends today.

• Hit the gym. Most people in the post apocalyptic world will be wearing little clothing, and usually they are in good shape. If TV has taught us anything, fat people are rich, or dead.
• Get into leather. Cotton fabric tatters way too easy, if you want good clothing, you need leather. As much as possible.
• Get sunglasses. Somehow everything turns to dust and sand, and you'll need shades to protect your eyes. You don't want to be squinting when the machines, zombies, or bandits are coming to kill you.
• Save gasoline. Much like today, gas is huge in the post apocalyptic world. Just don't let people know you have it, other wise you'll have to build a big town and people like Lord Humongous will try to kill you.
• Don't worry about bullets. Just guns. It seems as if nobody will run out of ammo. But carrying a large amount across your chest is a good fashion statement.
• Try to find out if the government has large boats that can sustain life, but only have a limited amount of people that can stay on them. And if they do, make sure that one person in your party is an excellent driver and can fly a plane.
• Don't trust corporations. Whether they are making machines or zombies, they are probably bad news.
• You will get double crossed. So get it out of the way early. And the more beautiful the woman, the more likely she will do it. 
• Don't be a picky eater. Apparently, people hide food in the trash during the apocalypse. So don't be too proud to eat out of there. It also seems like dog and cat food never go bad.

     I hope that my list of tips will help you tonight. If it doesn't happen, take these ideas and save them for the next time the world is supposed to end. 

Hero

     What is a hero? Is it someone that saves a life? Someone that takes you under their wing and looks out for you? Someone that inspires you? A hero can mean a lot of different things. Randy Savage was my hero.

     Did I know Randy personally? No. It would have been cool to meet him, maybe share a few words, and talk about how everyone named Randy thinks everyone else named Randy is awesome (which is true, by the way). Randy was one of my heroes because there was something different about him. He didn't act like the other wrestlers, he really didn't look like them either. Most 1980's wrestlers were huge jacked up guys, but he was smaller, he jumped off the top rope, he hit people with objects, and he had this look in his eye that just looked a little bit off. He was a Savage.

     A lot of people will remember him differently that I will. Maybe it's the Slim Jims. "Jealous Eyes". The horrible rap album. OOOOOO YEAH! Whatever then reason, anyone born in or before the 80's probably knows who he is.

     I'll remember Randy Savage as a guy that entertained people. Someone who wanted to make sure everything went the way it was supposed to. In his book, Ric Flair mentioned how Savage wanted to meticulously go over everything to make sure their match was awesome. I've seen a video on-line where he missed his famous elbow drop and instead of finishing the match, he went back to the top and made sure he did it right for the fans. There is a another video where another work breaks character and starts laughing during a backstage event. So Randy slaps her in the face to get her back in character, on live TV. Don't mess with Savage.

     When I was a kid, I wanted to be a wrestler. I wanted to climb to the top rope extend my arms to the sky and land the flying elbow. Just like my hero. I'll never get to do that but I will follow in Randy's footsteps and be an entertainer. Follow my dreams and demand perfection from myself and those around me. Thank you Randy for the memories. Thank you for being awesome. Thank you for being my hero.

Rest In Peace

Always a Side Mission

     I love video games. I love using them as something to release tension, get away from it all, and exercise my mind. I play music games, sports games, first person shooters, pretty much anything (No RPGs, Sorry). There is a little bit of a problem, as much as I love to play them, I barely finish them.

     It has to be special. It has to make me want to come back for more. Like a good book, a good video game won't allow you to turn it off. For me, I need one of two things a good story, or the ability to do things the way I want to do them. I don't want to be babied, I have a brain. Let me figure it out, no matter how much I struggle.

     And that's why I LOVE L.A. Noire. Sure, you can't really fail. Eventually, you will solve the case. That kind of sucks, but I'll take it. LA Noire is a lot of fun to play. I put about 10 hours in within the first 24 hours of owning it. That's nerdy, but it's true. Solving cases, the facial expressions, the stories, the dialouge. Great stuff.

     There is a problem, not just with this game, but with every game. You're always reminded you're playing a game. Fetch this car, do this side quest, there is always a side mission. The games can't let you enjoy the story to it's fullest. If you try to just play the main mission, follow the narritive, and beat the story, you feel great... for a minute. Then you realize that you only beat 60% of the game. Now you have to go find cars, search for landmarks, and other useless tasks. I don't want to play a game just to play it, (Herm Edwards) I want to enjoy it.

     So what was the point of this article? To tell you that if you like stories, give L.A. Noire a shot (no pun intended). And also I wanted to voice my opinion on how game developers can't just let a story be good, but sell you a game. And that sucks.

I'm Not a Fan, But...

     Look, I'm not thrilled the Bengals drafted Andy Dalton. All I know is that he's a ginger QB with a mild arm out of a spread system. Did I want Mallet? Yes. You can't always get what you want, especially out of Cincinnati professional football teams.

     So now what? I've moved on from Carson Palmer. Look, if he doesn't want to be here, let him leave. As far as I'm concerned, Andy Dalton, Dan LeFevour, and Jordan Palmer are the Bengals QBs. There is a lot of talk about getting a veteran QB once the lockout ends. Let Dalton sit behind a Jake Del Homme type and learn the system for a year. That way, he's more comfortable once he gets in and is ready to compete.

     That's a great option if you have a good veteran QB to not only tutor the rookie, but help the team compete. Let's look at the these situations (Veteran QB first)

• Drew Bledsoe (Tom Brady)
• Doug Flutie (Drew Brees)
• Mike Vick (Matt Schaub)
• Tom Brady (Matt Cassel)
• Jon Kitna (Carson Palmer)
• Tommy Maddox (Ben Rothlisberger)
• Drew Brees (Philip Rivers)
• Brett Favre (Aaron Rogers)
• Brett Favre (Matt Hasselbeck)
• Tom Brady (Ryan Mallet)

  
     Ok, so the last one hasn't happened yet. And calling Tommy Maddox good is a reach, but there is a common theme here. All of those situations had a solid, if not really good, veteran QB ahead of them. The Bengals don't have such luxury. Why bring in a guy who is a career backup just to struggle and cause fan unrest just to teach a rookie. Is it worth basically tanking the season just so Andy Dalton can learn on the job?

     I'm not a fan, but Andy Dalton needs to start. If they want to bring in a veteran to mentor that's fine, but to just hand over the reigns to a guy we KNOW will suck seems silly. Let Dalton learn on the job like Mark Sanchez, Joe Flaaco, and Sam Bradford. Think about it this way, would you rather the Bengals go 6-10 and not know if Andy Dalton is worth anything or go 4-12 or 5-11 and know that Dalton could be a viable long term QB?

     I just don't want to be writing this same post again a year from now with Andrew Luck.