It's Open Week

Its June 17 and 6 out of 10 sports fans have forgotten who won both the NBA finals and the Stanley Cup. I keep telling myself, only 79 days until Western Michigan makes the trip to Ann Arbor. This week there's a few stories running around sports media in every way I meet it, Internet, TV, and Radio...enough to make quite the summary post heading into the weekend. So lets get to some headlines.

Support Your Local Laker Troop #593

After winning the NBA Championship against Superman (who has the low post game of Graham Brown) the city of L.A. told the Lakers to hit the streets. So like you're local Girl Scout Troop the Lakers had to look to fundraising to get their own parade funded in the city of Angels. But without the deadly weapon that is Somoas the Lakers ended up paying for half the bill. The total cost of the parade was estimated at $2 Million....what the hell are they paying rent a cops in California??

Slammin Sammy Sosa

When I got in the car this morning Mike and Mike were talking about a majority of their show being dedicated to the Sammy Sosa fiasco. Why? Was anyone really surprised at this one? The only there's five guys to hit 60 HRs in a season in the last century and a half, and this guy did it 3 times in a row. I mean really, the guy forgot how to speak English in front of Congress.

Big Daddy Diesel of Cleveland

You know you want to see it. We all do. Everybody loves the REAL Superman. We all want to see Kobe, LeBron, and Shaq all on the court at the Q. Like Kobe haters, LeBron haters have to recognize that the guy is just plain great. Can the King resurrect Superman to the dominant post player he needs to win the title? While Big Z is a feel good story for sticking with the Cavs, you have to wonder if he's a starter anywhere else in the league. And the novelty of Anderson Verajao has quickly worn away. Bring the Diesel to the shores of Lake Erie and we'll be reading about a Parade Fund in Cleveland next year.

The Only Person Not Rooting For Phil?

This is the one that got me fired up to write. For as long as I can remember I've been one of the few to despise Phil Mickelson. I think he's a pompous narcissistic whiner. I love to see him lose his mind on Sunday. With the recent news of his wife's breast cancer battle everyone has hurried over to Phil's side even more than normal. But I hate him even more. He has somehow me this tragedy about him. YOU PLAY GOLF FOR A LIVING!!! I don't care if you're taking time off to be with your wife, its great that you're talents afford you the ability to do something like that. Well in true "Don't forget about me" fashion Phil has nursed himself back to be able to play in the U.S. Open this weekend at Bethpage. The journalists are having a field day with this; winning the Open would be the greatest thing in sports history. Bullshit. The man who gets up to work the night shift at the steel mill only to get home to take his wife to her cancer treatments is the greatest thing a man could do. We all wish Amy Mickelson a full recovery as with all Cancer patients. But Phil is not doing anything special here, he's just playing golf.

Stanley Cup Recap

In a previous comment section I contended that the Stanley Cup is the best trophy in sports today. There's nothing like having your name etched into time itself, as the winner can see his name on the same piece with the likes of Gretzky, Howe, and Yzerman. Even if you feel otherwise about the trophy you still have to get a bit of a chill when the commish says "______ Come Get The Cup"

I'm not saying that the Red Wings didn't royally piss on this game, but Bill McCreary and his team of hacks made sure their names will be remembered in Joe Louis as much as Stevie Y and Nicklas Lidstrom. Clearly I don't follow hockey nearly as much as the fans in attendance tonight, so I'll say that after taking out the homer in them, they would be right on half the calls that were missed. Watching Crosby climb up a Red Wings back only to injure his vagina was the most blatant. So the argument will continue, should officials hold their whistles more in Game 7s? As you can probably tell I feel like its a crock of shit, I got jobbed, this wasn't a proffesional hockey game it was street hockey in the back of the church with Tom Watson and Trey Wismond*.

This game ultimately falls on the Red Wings, it appeared that they were ready to go from the start but overall seemed like they were going through the motions. The timing to their finesse style seemed a bit off. And when Gordon Bombay, I mean Niklas Kronwall, clanked the tying slapshot off the crossbar with 2 minutes to go, the city of Detroit became just that much more deflated.

Ultimately the guy to blame for this entire situation is Gary Bettman. This guy just looks like a weasel, he has no idea what he's doing and he's making a killing even after destroying a competitive product. When Bettman altered the phrase to "Sidney Crosby, you will be the youngest captain to hoist the cup...." he slipped again. This is what Bettman wants, he wants Crosby jersey's to sell out, Zetterberg and Datsyuk just don't fly off the shelves anywhere but Hockeytown. Crosby is the prize bull, and this makes him all the more noticeable. I hate the conspiracy theorists that live on the NBA playoffs, but I've gotta play devils advocate here in the NHL where they'd kill for the problems the NBA has. Why were the whistles so quiet tonight? While I know "Sid The Kid" is the Lebron James of hockey, this writer thinks that like Lebron the kid should have had to wait another year of puppet commercials out.

*Only a select group of readers will get this reference but they'll remember the days of rollerblades, taping the goals up, and chasing pucks.



Let the Gate resume Swinging

Prospectin'

Every year, the end of May/beginning of June is a pretty special time in baseball.  Contenders begin to separate themselves from the pretenders; batting averages rise and fall to level out with career numbers; the Indians resign themselves to another year of rebuilding.  

One thing that sticks out in my mind about this time of year is the call up of many of the top minor league prospects to their major league clubs.  In the past, guys like Ryan Braun, Andruw Jones, and Robinson Cano have come out of the minors in May to have enormous years in the big leagues.  

This year's crop of talent is truly something special.  For starters, LHP David Price of the Tampa Rays has dazzled in his early starts, striking out hitters like Danny Almonte in the Little League World Series.  3B/1B Matt Gamel of Milwaukee has shown flashes of the power that has many scouts thinking Prince Fielder may be expendable.  SP Tommy Hanson (pictured above) has over 90 strikeouts in 67 innings in AAA ball this year, and he will get his first start on Sunday.  C Matt Wieters of the Baltimore Orioles has many people thinking Joe Mauer with more power.  The list of these prospects can go on and on, spanning from White Sox SS Gordan Beckham to Mets OF Fernando Martinez.

The point is that if you are looking for a reason to get interested in baseball, it is to watch the next generation of young stars take a step toward greatness (or futility, if your name is Andy Marte).  

The arrival of these stars-of-the-future has given me a little idea for one of those famous "lists".  In the sports world, we are always looking for that next great player, and we like to scout them out and know who they are before they even reach the big leagues.  Scouting has gotten so complex that some people are reaching in the middle schools to find the next great athlete.  With this in mind, I give you ...

The Top Five Prospects in Sports Movie History

5. Darnell Jefferson - RB - ESU Timberwolves - The Program

Darnell was Reggie Bush before Reggie had ever even thought of taking illegal benefits at USC.  He could catch the ball out of the backfield, ran with toughness between the tackles, and had breakaway speed that would make Devin Hester blush.  His upside on the field is hindered a bit by his checkered past off the field.  However,  if he can prove that his 3.0 GPA to end the Fall semester at ESU was no fluke, than he could climb up this prospect list and cement himself as one of the elite talents in all of football.  Sidenote: How did his grade card stay dry in his helmet?  Wouldn't it be all sweaty and wrinkled after one game?  

4. Ricky Vaughn - SP/CP - Cleveland Indians - Major League

Just 18 years old, "Wild Thing" Ricky Vaughn has the arm to be one of the all-time best pitchers ever to straddle the mound.  Vaughn's fastball can reach upwards of 102 mph, and word is that he is developing a nice curveball to go with his fastball.  With his intimidating demeanor, Vaughn may be best suited for a closer's role, as he previewed in the Divisional Tie-Breaker against the Yankees.  Like Jefferson, the real concern with Vaughn is his off-the-diamond problems.  He is known to have been in trouble with the law as a juvenile, may not get along well with teammates, and may have problems adjusting to life on his own.  His diet is said to consist of chili dogs and Pepsi, so he may need to consult with a nutritionist if he wants his body in peak physical condition to withstand the 162 game grinder that is the MLB season.

3. Lance Harbor - QB - West Canaan High School - Varsity Blues

The kid that has got it all, many are calling Lance Harbor the next Tom Brady.  He has the hot girlfriend that everybody wants (Gisele/Ali Larter), he has the offense that relies on him to direct everything, and he has the respect of everybody in the huddle.  His teammates respect him so much that they don't care that he has the big sign in his yard for the "most important player".  If Harbor can stay healthy (a big if), than he will without a doubt win a few rings and set a few records along his path.

2. Spike Hammersmith - RB/LB - Little Cowboys - Little Giants

Spike is a freak of nature.  He runs the 40 in 5.6 seconds, bench presses twice his own weight, and was doing push-ups out of the womb.  He prefers to run in the Power I, but demands that his lead blocker be without a vagina.  Spike runs with great power that would make Christian Okoye blush.  On defense, he is a sideline to sideline defender that is looking to rip someones head off.  The only downfall with Spike may be the suspected use of performance enhancing drugs.  Many point to Spike's father as the likely target of an FBI investigation into alleged steroid use.  If Spike can overcome these allegations and let his work on the field do the talking, than he could redefine football as a two-way player.  

1. Benny Rodriguez - CF - Sandlot Team - The Sandlot

There has never been a prospect like Benny "The Jet" Rodriguez.  At best, scouts are thinking Willy Mays with more speed.  At worst, he is Juan Pierre with more power.  The ease with which he runs the bases has never been seen before in baseball history.  Legend has it that he has never been thrown out trying to steal.  Rodriguez is seemingly without faults; he is a great teammate, plays the game the right way, has outstanding character off the field, and is not injury prone.  Growing up a Dodger fan, Rodriguez would prefer to play with his hometown team.  One thing is for certain, there has never been a more complete prospect than Benny "The Jet" Rodriguez.  He is a true 5-tool player.

So there ya' have it.  If you have your own prospects that deserve their place on this list, spit em' out.  

NRTTS

Coach Deuce