About these ads

Tag Archives: Tiger Woods

Random Sports Thoughts By L.A. Pride

27 Wednesday Mar 2013

Posted by in Uncategorized

≈ Leave a Comment

Tags

, , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

L.A. Pride is a true sports enthusiast.  A former youth, and division II assistant basketball coach, who studied the martial arts, he enjoys and follows all sports, even hockey.  His quick wit and insight brings a fresh view to the world of sports. You may not always agree with him, but you will enjoy his highly opinionated thoughts.

Is it me…

Or does the NFL put too much emphasis on the combine and pro days?  It would seem to me that four years of college football would carry more weight than a one or two day scripted workout.  It seems silly to downgrade a player if he has a poor showing at the combine or pro day.  Or for that matter really boost a player because of a good showing.  The body of work over four years would appear to be more revealing.  But hey, if teams want to blow big bucks on a one shot audition…why not!  After all they can always raise ticket prices and have the fans pay for their mistake(s).

NFL teams continue to adjust and shape their rosters;

A list of current NFL transactions can be found at

http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/transactions/

Is it me…

Or is it sad that the winning streak in the NBA is over?  Yes the consecutive game streak ended Monday night—-no, not that one – Denver’s.  The Denver Nuggets who had won 15 straight games lost to the Hornets.

The other streak, is at 27 games and counting, The Miami Heat are bearing down on the record of 33 games set by the 71-72 Lakers.  The Lakers were led by Jerry West, Gail Goodrich, who ironically was the leading scorer during the streak, not West as is commonly thought, and Wilt Chamberlain, who led the team in rebounds.  The other two starters were Jim McMillan and Happy Hairston, at the forwards. The great Elgin Baylor started the year with the team, but retired during the season, allowing the team to start McMillan.   Baylor’s sacrifice helped the team set the record and win a championship, but cost him a ring.  Pat Riley the president of the Heat was on the Laker’s in 71-72 and will be a part of the record regardless of what happens with the Heat over the next six games.

Please follow this link for the latest information on your team:

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/basketball/nba/teams/?eref=sinav

Is it me…

Or is Tiger Back?    I know, a couple of weeks ago we said it was too early to proclaim Tiger Woods back.  But you gotta admit he is hot and was impressive winning the Arnold Palmer Invitational, at Bay Hill.  In addition to winning for the eighth time at Bay Hill, he recaptured the number one ranking on the circuit.

Way to go Tiger!

The next time we see Woods will be in three weekends at Augusta National where he’ll be chasing major No. 15. This is the fourth time Woods has won three tournaments in the same season before the Masters.

Is it me…

Or did you really have FGCU in the sweet sixteen?  Florida Gulf Coast University is the Cinderella story, so far, in the NCAA tournament.  A no. 15 seed had never made it to the sweet sixteen; A division one program for approximately 600 days, the Eagle has landed.  There are three teams from Florida in the sweet sixteen (Miami and Florida are the other two) which speaks highly of the quality of ball being played in the state.

Ironically FGCU tried to get a scrimmage with Florida before the start of the season.  But the Gators refused, thinking they had nothing to gain.  Little did they know they would be playing them in the tournament, with so much at stake.  Other underdogs still hanging in there are LaSalle, a 13th seed, and Wichita State (they play one another) and Oregon.   You have to love March Madness.

The tournament was rough on two high profile coaches; Howland at UCLA and Smith at Minnesota were both let go after poor performances by their respective teams in the tournament.  Howland was victim of an injury to a key player and Smith was expected to perform miracles with an under achieving program. You are only as good as your last win.

http://www.cbssports.com/collegebasketball/rankings

Is it me…

Or do you need a program to recognize the Yankees?  The New York Yankees will begin the season next week without the following players in the starting lineup:

Mark Teixeira;

Curtis Granderson;

Alex Rodriguez;

Derek Jeter;

They are being replaced by: Juan Rivera, Vernon Wells, Kevin Youkillis, and Eduardo Nunez.  The Yankees better make sure the names are spelled correctly on the uniforms or we won’t know ‘who’s on first.’

Edited by D. Pride.

About these ads

Random Sports Thoughts By L.A. Pride

13 Wednesday Mar 2013

Posted by in Uncategorized

≈ Leave a Comment

Tags

, , , , , , , , , , ,

L.A. Pride is a true sports enthusiast.  A former youth, and division II assistant basketball coach, who studied the martial arts, he enjoys and follows all sports, even hockey.  His quick wit and insight brings a fresh view to the world of sports. You may not always agree with him, but you will enjoy his highly opinionated thoughts.

Is it me…

Or are things about to get busy in the NFL?  The free agent period began Tuesday at 4 p.m. eastern.  Given the hard salary cap and the non-guaranteed salaries players are constantly on the move.  Teams must make business decisions that are not always in the best interest of team they wish to put on the field.  It is the old story of it is a business versus it is a game.  Unfortunately when the players try to negotiate, the owners tell them it is a game, when the players try to talk about the game , the owners say it is a business.  The owners stay ahead of the game/business by talking out of both sides of their mouths.  Only in sports, no I mean the business of sports!

NFL teams continue to adjust and shape their rosters;

A list of current NFL transactions can be found at

http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/transactions/

Is it me…

Or is Amar’e Stoudemire , New York Knicks,  having a season full of bad breaks? Amar’e who missed the first part of the season due to knee surgery, is scheduled to have knee surgery on his ‘good’ knee.  This new surgery will keep him out of the lineup  6-8 weeks.  He should be back in time for the playoffs,  assuming the Knicks can keep the ship afloat till then.  They are currently on a west coast swing and need to win a game or two.  They lost the first game of the trip to Golden State, with Carmelo in the lineup, and J.R. Smith out, due to a mid-game ejection.

Miami continues on a roll and the Lakers refuse to fold,  are back in the playoff  hunt.

The team to watch, is the San Antonio Spurs as they quietly continue to win and are playing well without Parker.  Tim Duncan still has some life left in those legs and Popovich has done a wonderful job coaching this year.

 

2012-13 Standings

Eastern Conference

 

W

L

Pct

GB

Conf

Div

Home

Road

Streak

x-

 Heat

47

14

.770

0.0

24-9

9-1

29-3

18-11

Won 18

Knicks

38

23

.623

9.0

24-13

6-6

22-10

16-13

Lost 1

Pacers

39

24

.619

9.0

26-14

10-2

25-7

14-17

Lost 1

Nets

37

27

.578

11.5

28-13

9-4

21-13

16-14

Lost 1

Bulls

35

28

.556

13.0

26-13

7-6

18-14

17-14

Lost 1

Celtics

34

28

.548

13.5

20-16

6-5

22-9

12-19

Lost 1

Hawks

34

28

.548

13.5

21-16

10-4

19-11

15-17

Lost 2

Bucks

32

29

.525

15.0

21-17

7-8

16-14

16-15

Won 2

Raptors

25

39

.391

23.5

14-21

3-8

16-16

9-23

Won 1

76ers

24

39

.381

24.0

14-24

7-8

18-16

6-23

Won 1

Pistons

23

43

.348

26.5

19-21

6-7

15-20

8-23

Lost 6

Cavaliers

21

42

.333

27.0

15-22

3-10

12-19

9-23

Lost 2

Wizards

20

41

.328

27.0

11-27

5-8

15-17

5-24

Won 1

Magic

18

46

.281

30.5

8-31

2-9

10-24

8-22

Won 1

Bobcats

13

50

.206

35.0

10-24

4-8

7-24

6-26

Lost 10

Western Conference

 

W

L

Pct

GB

Conf

Div

Home

Road

Streak

Spurs

49

15

.766

0.0

27-11

11-2

26-4

23-11

Won 1

Thunder

47

17

.734

2.0

31-10

6-4

28-4

19-13

Lost 1

Clippers

45

20

.692

4.5

27-12

8-4

25-7

20-13

Won 1

Grizzlies

42

19

.689

5.5

22-13

6-5

25-8

17-11

Won 4

Nuggets

43

22

.662

6.5

29-11

8-5

28-3

15-19

Won 9

Warriors

36

29

.554

13.5

19-19

7-5

21-9

15-20

Won 1

Rockets

34

30

.531

15.0

15-22

5-8

20-9

14-21

Lost 1

Lakers

33

31

.516

16.0

18-21

5-5

22-11

11-20

Won 3

Jazz

33

31

.516

16.0

18-19

5-4

23-8

10-23

Won 1

Mavericks

29

33

.468

19.0

17-22

5-7

17-12

12-21

Won 3

Trail Blazers

29

33

.468

19.0

18-21

6-5

20-10

9-23

Lost 1

Timberwolves

21

39

.350

26.0

11-26

3-10

14-16

7-23

Lost 2

Suns

22

42

.344

27.0

14-25

4-8

15-17

7-25

Lost 1

Hornets

22

42

.344

27.0

12-27

4-9

12-20

10-22

Won 1

Kings

22

43

.338

27.5

9-28

4-6

16-15

6-28

Lost 1

NBA teams are adjusting their rosters.  Please follow this link for the latest information on your team:

 

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/basketball/nba/teams/?eref=sinav

Is it me…

Or is 48 the new 28?  Bernard Hopkins broke his own record as the oldest fighter to win a championship at age 48.  Hopkins won a unanimous 12 round decision over Tavoris Cloud for the IBF light heavyweight title.  He, Hopkins, also ‘knocked out’ Boxing promoter Don King.  Cloud was the last champion under contract with Don King, thus ending King’s ability to exclusively promote title fights.  Maybe King can make up with Tyson and…

Is it me…

Or is Tiger Woods Back?   Haven’t we heard this before?  It seems that every time Tiger has a decent round of golf we declare he is back.   Tiger was impressive over the weekend, leading wire to wire, winning the Cadillac Championship at Doral Florida.

The win is Woods’ 17th at a World Golf Championship event, seventh at the Cadillac Championship and fourth overall at the TPC Blue Monster course.

It’s also the fourth PGA Tour tournament he’s won seven times. The other three are the Arnold Palmer Invitational, the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational and the Farmers Insurance Open — which he won for a seventh time earlier this season.

Great job Tiger, but you still need to recapture a couple of the big ones before we are saying there’s a tiger in your tank.

(Tiger was literally given a putting lesson last week by the second place finisher,  Steve Stricter.  Stricter noticed Wood’s poor posture while putting and worked with him for an hour.  Talk about ‘putting’ friendship first… )

Is it me…

Or has March Madness officially begun?  Championship week has started and conference titles will be determined over the next couple of days.

The only drawback to championship week and conference champions being determined by a conference tournament is that a team with a losing record could get hot and end up winning the title and get the automatic bid to the ‘Big Dance’.  But then again, is this really bad or exactly what March Madness is about?  Let the games begin.

 

http://www.cbssports.com/collegebasketball/rankings

 

Edited by D. Pride.

Random Sports Thoughts By L.A. Pride

30 Wednesday Jan 2013

Posted by in Uncategorized

≈ Leave a Comment

Tags

, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

L.A. Pride is a true sports enthusiast.  A former youth, and division II assistant basketball coach, who studied the martial arts, he enjoys and follows all sports, even hockey.  His quick wit and insight brings a fresh view to the world of sports. You may not always agree with him, but you will enjoy his highly opinionated thoughts.

Is it me…

Or is Joe Flacco, quarterback, Baltimore Ravens, an idiot?  Instead of worrying about where they are playing NEXT years Super Bowl he should be concentrating on this year’s game.  The one he is playing in.  Flacco criticized the fact that next years Super Bowl will be played in NY in the cold (no dome).  Joe you’re going to have enough to worry about versus the 49’ers this year.  Worry about next year when and if you make it.

Our prediction for Super Bowl XLVII is the Baltimore Ravens over the San Francisco 49’ers  (in spite of Flacco).  The Ravens are on a roll and are playing inspired football.  (They would love nothing better than to send their inspirational leader, Ray Lewis, linebacker, into retirement on a high note.) The pressure of the game may finally get to the 49’ers rookie quarterback, Colin Kaepernick.  It is after all only the biggest game of the year and the biggest game of his short career.

Speaking of Ray Lewis, he has been accused of using a banned substance during his recent recovery period.  Ray has denied the claim and points to his test results as proof of his innocence.

President Obama questioned whether or not he would let his son, if he had one, play football.  What is there to question, football is a violent collision sport, where people are routinely injured, short and long term.  Kudos to the President for speaking out and being honest.

I guess Randy Moss never heard of Jerry Rice, if he thinks he (Moss) is the best receiver of all times.  Randy must have been hit in the head one  too many times to  think he’s  as good as Jerry Rice.  PLEASE!

NFL teams continue to adjust and shape their rosters;

A list of current NFL transactions can be found at

http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/transactions/

Is it me…

Or do numbers lie?  Rajon Rondo, point guard, Boston Celtics has torn the ACL in his knee and is finished for the season.  (According to the smart money so are the Celtics.)  But wait, recent stats show that the Celtics actually have a slightly better record playing without Rondo.  It doesn’t make sense, unless Ray Allen was right when he left Boston quietly complaining about Rondo ‘hogging’ the ball.  Could it be the Celtics are a better team without Rondo? Hmm.

I never saw anyone as happy as LeBron James to give away $75,000.  A fan hit a half-court shot and won $75,000.  James ran onto the floor and tackled the lucky winner in an emotional display of joy.  It was very touching.  LeBron, if you really want to be happy, you can give me $100,00 and I’ll make a lay up.

After recent Lakers games Kobe and Nash have been hanging around analyzing the game trying to determine what they (the team) need to do better.  Guys, at your age you need to go home and rest.  That’s what you  need to do better!!!!!!!

NBA teams are adjusting their rosters.  Please follow this link for the latest information on your team:

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/basketball/nba/teams/?eref=sinav

Is it me…

Or is it TOO early to proclaim Tiger is back?  Tiger Woods won the Farmers Insurance  Open tournament at the Torrey Pines golf Club for his 75th win overall and his 8th win at Torrey Pines.

This is an example of a ‘horse for a course’ .  Tiger ‘owns’ this course and does very well on it.  He’s comfortable playing the Pines and  it shows.  Before we declare him back he needs to win a major tournament and be contending in others.  Tiger still has a way to go.

Is it me…

Or is it sad that A-Rod has been linked to another incident of performance enhancing drugs? The Miami New Times, a popular alternative weekly, said in a story Tuesday that it had obtained files through an employee at a recently closed clinic in south Florida that show Rodriguez purchased HGH and other substances.  A-Rod, the New York Yankees third baseman, who is recovering from hip surgery, has denied the report.  Live by the needle …

Alex talk to Lance Armstrong before you deny too often and too loudly, it can come back to bite you on the butt.

Is it me…

Or is Indiana a lock to beat Michigan this weekend?  Michigan is the number 1 team in college basketball.  But as you know , if you have been following this column,  the number 1 team has been upset the past four weekends.

Michigan plays the number 3 team Indiana, this weekend in Bloomington, Indiana.  I smell upset city.  Indiana is playing well and they are at home.  Michigan is in big trouble.  There’s a rumor that the fab five (Michigan) might attend the game.  Unless they are suiting up, it won’t make a difference.  There is  the possibility that former pro basketball players, Tim Hardaway and Glen Robinson, will also be there cheering for Michigan.  Their sons play for Michigan, but it’s not a father and son game.  So the ‘juniors’ have to play Indiana without their dads.

http://www.cbssports.com/collegebasketball/rankings

 

Edited by D. Pride.

Random Sports Thoughts By L.A. Pride

15 Wednesday Aug 2012

Posted by in Uncategorized

≈ Leave a Comment

Tags

, , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

L.A. Pride is a true sports enthusiast.  A former youth, and division II assistant basketball coach, who studied the martial arts, he enjoys and follows all sports, even hockey.  His quick wit and insight brings a fresh view to the world of sports. You may not always agree with him, but you will enjoy his highly opinionated thoughts.

Is it me…

Or is it weird how certain Olympic Athletes fare after the games?  Michael Phelps will make about 7 million dollars in endorsements, Gabby Douglas will earn 2.5 million, and Usain Bolt over 10 million.  The Redeem Team , men’s basketball was millionaires before they came to London.  Yet, the Tae Kwon Do participants, the Judo players, along with most of the athletes will go home and back to work.  Yes work, not all the Olympic gold medal winners get an opportunity to cash in.  Many are just thrilled to have participated.  And winning was the cherry on top.  I know , I am being naïve, but that has a nice feel to it.

A test for you, can you name the swimmer who won several gold medals, but refuses to cash in on her success, because she wants to swim in high school and college and therefore must remain an amateur?  I hope you didn’t miss her story.  That’s truly Olympic gold.

If you must know, you may follow this link to the Final Medal count by country:

http://www.cbssports.com/olympics/story/19784217/us-dominates-medal-count-sets-new-gold-standard-at-london-olympics

Is it me…

Or did Chad Johnson miss Ocho Cinco this weekend?  Chad Ocho Cinco changed his name back to Chad Johnson and married Evelyn Lozado (Basketball Wives).  He did so at her request.  She also requested that the police arrest her new husband on a domestic violence charge stemming from a head-butting incident between them.

Chad was released on bail, and immediately dropped by the Miami Dolphins.  Additionally, his new reality show, Ev and Ocho was cancelled before it  was aired.  Evelyn has reportedly filed for a  divorce after one month of marriage.

Coach Philbin, Miami Dolphins, claims it was the body of work that resulted in Chad being dropped.  According to the Coach, Johnson was warned about his behavior early in the process, and he chose not to live up to his end of the deal.  You have to ask yourself, if this were “The Ocho Cinco” of five years ago would the Dolphins have been so quick to  drop him?  Probably not!  You are only as good as your last catch.

The Oakland Raiders lost an exhibition game to the Cowboys by the score of 3-0.  It is a sad commentary when two former great teams can only score 3 points between them.  How far have the mighty fallen!  The Cowboys are a .500 team over their last 240 or so games.  Hard to believe, unless you are a Cowboy’s fan.

(Chad’s an offensive player and he’s available.  What do you think Jerry Jones?)

Do the Jets really think it is necessary to clear the field when they practice the wildcat offense?  The wildcat has been around for a while and I am sure other teams have seen it.  So all this secrecy is a bit much.

The players and the coaches in the NFL have finally agreed upon something…The replacement referees are horrible.  The new refs are lost and don’t have a clue how to control an NFL game.  The players are too fast and big for these amateurs.  Someone is gong to be hurt due to their incompetence.

What is really scary is that they might actually referee games that count.  The owners have once again demonstrated that they are more interested in saving money than the safety of the players.

The rookie quarterbacks, Luck and RG III looked good in their respective preseason games.  We’ll keep our eye on them.

NFL teams continue to adjust and shape their rosters;

A list of current NFL transactions can be found at

http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/transactions/

Is it me…

Or was Dwight Howard ending up a Laker a forgone conclusion?   It was pretty well known that Howard was not going to play for Orlando this upcoming season.  The question was, how do you get him on a contender-gotta keep it interesting.  Well it took four teams to do it but they found a contender – the Lakers, who always had the edge over Broolkyn.  (Dwight had his surgery where and was recovering where?)  Oh well the rich get richer.  And Kobe Bryant still has some pull.  He said Gasol was going to be a Laker as long as he (Kobe) was a Laker.  Guess who wasn’t included in any of the trades, Gasol.

NBA teams are adjusting their rosters.  Please follow this link for the latest information on your team:

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/basketball/nba/teams/?eref=sinav

Is it me…

Or is Tiger Woods beginning to sound like a broken record (okay a broken CD).  He has an excuse and reason each time he blows an opportunity to win a major tournament.   Tiger was tied for the lead at the PGA, and looked to be in great shape to win his 15th major, but his third round never got going, posting a 2-over 74 to fall out of the lead.

Woods told reporters  “Yesterday I think I came out with the wrong attitude, I was too relaxed, just trying to enjoy it, and that’s not how I play.”

It’s rare to hear Tiger be critical to the public, but at least he admitted that his approach wasn’t right for the final 36 holes.

But enough with the excuses, just play and win one.

Edited by D. Pride.

Random Sports Thoughts By L.A. Pride

04 Wednesday Jul 2012

Posted by in Uncategorized

≈ Leave a Comment

Tags

, , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

L.A. Pride is a true sports enthusiast.  A former youth, and division II assistant basketball coach, who studied the martial arts, he enjoys and follows all sports, even hockey.  His quick wit and insight brings a fresh view to the world of sports. You may not always agree with him, but you will enjoy his highly opinionated thoughts.

Is it me…

Or is Tiger playing with us? One day after spectators were barred from the golf course because of debris from a violent storm.  They were treated to a real whirlwind named Tiger Woods.

Woods spent 2010 and 2011 trying to rebound from personal upheaval, injury and a major swing change. He looked like a very old 36 as this season began, but over the last four months he’s won tournaments hosted by Arnold Palmer (Bay Hill) and Nicklaus (Memorial), and now Woods has again won the AT&T, the tournament that he hosts and brought to D.C. He’s healthy; he’s practicing; he’s winning.

Woods, who at one point, went 41 holes without a bogey to win the Congressional Golf Tournament in Maryland.  It was  isthird win of the season and 74th. overall, moving pass Jack Nickaluus into 2nd place , 8 behind San Snead for  overall PGA wins.

Is this the REAL tiger or  the FAKE Tiger?  We won’t know until his next tournament.   He sure knows how to make golf exciting, one way or the other.  Granted none of his wins this season have been majors, but who else has won three tournaments?

Tiger is ___________________!  (you fill in the word(s).

Is it me …

Or is the NFL a bit quiet this week?

NFL teams continue to adjust and shape their rosters;

A list of current NFL transactions can be found at

http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/transactions/

The NFL has decided to relax the blackout rule, which is good news for the average fan in an NFL town.  According to the league, teams now have the option to sell 85 percent in order to avoid a blackout, as opposed to needing a full-blown sellout in order to avoid the blackout.  In other words a team, which has sold 85% of its tickets, may show the game on local TV.  Good news for the fan that can’t afford tickets.   (Please note that this is optional and the team has the right to show or not show the game.)

The arbitrator has ruled in favor of Drew Brees in his grievance with the Saints over franchise-tag designation.  Show Drew the money!

Is it me…

Or is Dwight Howard’s house up for sale?  Dwight Howard has reportedly told the Orlando Magic that he will only sign a long-term extension with one team- The Brooklyn Nets.

Howard who said he was ‘blackmailed’ into signing last year with the Magic, was quite firm in his decision to be traded to the Nets, in spite of being linked to trade talks with the Lakers or Mavericks.  Additionally, the Nets have reportedly made a deal with the Atlanta Hawks for Joe Johnson, which would severely limit the Nets ability to pay Howard, unless they gut their remaining roster.

Howard still has a year left on his commitment to the Magic.  However, if the Magic do not trade him this upcoming season, they risk losing him for nothing to free agency.  (We all remember how well that worked for the Magic when they let Shaq walk away.)

Did I miss something in Orlando, It seemed like a nice place to live?

The Boston Celtics have signed Kevin Garnett to an extension, 3 years.  Garnett played extremely well during the playoffs and at times carried Boston.

Ray Allen, a free agent formerly with Celtics,  and the Heat are in discussions regarding Allen opting to bring his talent to South Beach.  Boston has not given up on re-signing Ray and appears ready to bring everyone back for one more run at another title.

Jeremy Lin back to the Knicks may not be the lock it appears to be.  Another team may offer Lin a back loaded contract offering a huge amount of money in the last years of the contract.  If the Knicks were to match such a contract they would have several players (Chandler, Anthony, Stoudemire, and Lin) with big pay days in the final year(s) of their contracts coming up, this would easily push them above the salary cap.   Note, that the new collective bargaining agreement is extremely harsh on those teams above the cap.

The Knicks have to think about what is best for the franchise now and in the future.  These poison-pill contracts can  jam up the salary cap of a team for years and years.  It took the Knicks a long  time to get out from under the salary cap curse.

Toronto Raptors have offered Steve Nash, a Canadian, the keys to the northern kingdom if he so desires.  He won’t win a championship, but he’ll have plenty of Canadian dollars to spend in the underground mall.  Steve, please wait a day or two, a contender will call!

UH-oh department: New Orleans power forward Anthony Davis, the No. 1 pick in last week’s NBA draft, suffered a sprained ankle in a Hornets workout Saturday that may eliminate him from consideration for the Summer Olympics in London. The Hornets confirmed Davis’ injury in a statement, saying he was day to day.  Please don’t catch the Greg Odon injury disease.

Speaking of Odom, Lamar is thrilled at being able to return to L.A., albeit the Clippers. The Mavericks were able to arrange a deal which allowed the ‘Candy-Man’ to return to LA LA land.

NBA teams are moving into the free agency period and are adjusting their rosters.  Please follow this link for the latest information on your team:

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/basketball/nba/teams/?eref=sinav

Is it me…

Or did Major League Baseball make a mistake letting a retired manager, La Russa manage the 2012 All-Star game?    Apparently La Russa still harbors grudges against certain players and teams and is exacting revenge by snubbing players who deserve to be all-stars.  In the other major sports this would not be so damaging, as the all-star game is  a ‘meaningless’ exhibition game.  However, in baseball, the game determines who has home field in the World Series.

What were they thinking?

Is it me…

Or did U.S.A. Track and Field get slapped in the face?   Tarmoh and Felix were ruled to have finished in a tie for third place in the women’s 100 meters final.  A runoff was scheduled between them to secure the final spot for the100 meters team.

Jeneba Tarmoh conceded the final Olympic spot in the 100 meters rather than race against training partner Allyson Felix.

Tarmoh notified USA Track and Field on Monday of her decision. Her agent, Kimberly Holland, already made it known that Tarmoh would not participate in a runoff Monday night to settle a third-place tie at the U.S. track trials.

In an email sent through her agent to USATF, Tarmoh said: “I understand that with this decision I am no longer running the 100m dash in the Olympic Games and will be an alternate for the event.”

Tarmoh, who felt all along she had won the race on June 23, did not specify in her statement why she was giving up a chance to possibly run the 100 in London.

USATF president Stephanie Hightower said the organization was “disappointed” Tarmoh had a change of heart.

Usain Bolt, ’the world’s fastest human ‘, was defeated twice by his training partner, Yohan Blake, in the 100 and 200 meters sprints in the Jamaican Olympics trials.

Edited by D. Pride.

Random Sports Thoughts By L.A. Pride

20 Wednesday Jun 2012

Posted by in Uncategorized

≈ Leave a Comment

Tags

, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

L.A. Pride is a true sports enthusiast.  A former youth, and division II assistant basketball coach, who studied the martial arts, he enjoys and follows all sports, even hockey.  His quick wit and insight brings a fresh view to the world of sports. You may not always agree with him, but you will enjoy his highly opinionated thoughts.

Is it me…

Or is Tiger Woods still pawing with us?  After two fairly good rounds at the U.S. Open and within striking distance of the lead, Tiger lost his edge.  Starting five strokes back Sunday, Woods played the first six holes, in 6 over par, and shot a 73 for the day and was never a factor as he finished six strokes back, tied for 21st.

 

 Congrats to Webb Simpson, who shot a +1 (68) to win his first career major tournament.  Yes, a +1 over par won the tournament.  The course was cruel, ask Tiger.  Stay positive Tiger.  (It amazes me that Tiger is always the story at any tournament he is competing in.  It doesn’t matter how he is doing. If he is playing, he is the story.)

Is it me …

Or should we look in on the NBA Playoffs?

Finals

Miami Heat vs. Oklahoma City Thunder*

The Heat lead 2-1, as they continue to ride LeBron’s back during the finals.  LeBron has decided HE will not lose to the Thunder in this year’s finals and has single-handedly carried the Heat, offensively and defensively.

 Kobe Bryant holds the record for the most 30 plus point games in the playoffs.  LeBron is one game behind him, with at least two games to play.  It will be interesting to see if LeBron ties or takes the record.

LeBron has an excellent shot at winning the playoff’s MVP.

Courtside seat for last night’s  game went for +  $14,000 and it doesn’t include popcorn!

* Played Tuesday night after we went to press.

The NBA Playoff picture; Follow this link to the match-ups and most current stats:

http://www.nba.com/playoffs/2012/index.html

Is it me…

Or does Michael Jordan know something we don’t? The Charlotte Bobcats reportedly have a new coach, and he wasn’t even one of their three finalists.

The Charlotte Observer reports that the Bobcats have hired St. John’s assistant coach Mike Dunlap to replace former coach Paul Silas, who was let go by the Bobcats back in April.

Dunlap a former assistant coach with the Denver Nuggets is thought of very highly around the NBA and coaching community.

Ohio State basketball forward Jared Sullinger has become the first big name of the Class of 2012 to find himself dropping down in the draft.

Sullinger, who is projected to be a lottery pick in the 2012 NBA draft, underwent a series of medical tests at the NBA draft combine a week ago. According to sources, the doctors who looked at Sullinger were concerned with his back.

A number of NBA team doctors have reviewed the information from the NBA and have told their front office staff that Sullinger’s back issues could shorten his NBA career and some have advised their teams not to draft him in the first round.

Jared has already dropped down to #20 on several mock drafts and may fall further as the draft approaches.

 Is it me…

Or is Ladanian Tomlison doing the right thing retiring as a Charger?  LT signed  a contract with the Chargers and announced his retirement.  Therefore, when elected into the Hall of Fame, and he will be, he will go in as a Charger ( sorry Jets).

Tomlinson was drafted fifth overall by the Chargers in the 2001 NFL Draft and instantly became one of the highest-impact players in the NFL. He rushed for 1,236 yards in his rookie season and that was his lowest total until he rushed for 1,110 yards in 2008. He’s currently fifth all-time in rushing yards, behind only Curtis Martin, Barry Sanders, Walter Payton and Emmitt Smith.

LT will always be thought of as a Charger.  He had a couple of good years with the Jets, but had some GREAT years with the  San Diego Chargers.

NFL teams continue to adjust and shape their rosters;

A list of current NFL transactions can be found at

http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/transactions/

Is it me…

Or is Spike Lee  ‘biting ‘ off more than Mike Tyson can chew?

Spike lee is reportedly working with Mike Tyson on a one-man play starring Tyson as himself.  I am sure it will be an earful.

Is it me…

Or did Bradley still lose the fight on the replay to Jacquie?  The boxing community is so ‘outraged’ at this decision that one of the many sanctioning organizations (WBO) is reviewing the fight film to make a recommendation.   Well, unless they figure out a way to get rid of subjective judging, we will continue to have strange decisions.

Angles, and attitude create different opinions .  And unless boxing can see to it that judges see the same thing at the same time, we will have varying opinions.  At least it is keeping boxing in the headlines.

Is it me…

Or is Floyd Mayweather reconsidering his decision to cop a plea and accept jail time?  Floyd Mayweather Jr.’s request that he be released from jail because the low-quality food and water have threatened his health was denied by a Las Vegas judge who says he should eat and drink what is being given to him behind bars.

Justice of the Peace Melissa Saragosa wrote in her late Wednesday decision that water has been made available to Mayweather around the clock and the only reason he isn’t eating properly is because he refuses to eat the provided meals. Saragosa said Mayweather’s complaints that he is unable to exercise in jail are also unfounded.

“While the physical training areas and times provided  (to Mayweather) may not be consistent with his prior regimen, he is indeed provided sufficient space and time for physical activity if he so chooses,” Saragosa wrote.

Ten days after Mayweather turned himself in to begin his three-month sentence, his legal team filed an emergency motion asking the court to put him under house arrest or move him into the general jail population – something that jail officials had avoided to protect Floyd. The motion claimed the undefeated champion might never fight again because he was getting out of shape in solitary confinement.  (a subtle threat to the city of Las Vegas.  Mayweather fills the City’s coffers whenever he fights there.)

Mayweather lawyer said earlier this week that he was not seeking special treatment for the 35-year-old fighter.   He just wants a better training facility and food while serving his time.

By the way, Floyd ‘Money’ Mayweather was the highest paid athlete last year (Pacquiao, was second) and where is  “Money” ,  in the county jail.   You gotta love boxing and boxers.

Is it me…

Or did Roger Clemens close the door on the steroid error?  Roger Clemens was acquitted of all six charges against him.  Roger, who was on trial for perjury, handed federal prosecutors a stunning defeat and may have ended any further involvement by the government in the use of  performance enhancing drugs.

Ultimately, it is the fan who will vindicate or condemn Clemens, Bonds, and the host of other players who have been suspected of ‘juicing’.  But for now it seems to be a dead issue with little interest in who cheated and who didn’t.  As always, if it is your guy, he’s innocent.

The Yankees had a 10 game winning streak going into last night, all against National League teams.  I am sure if George was alive, he would be campaigning for the Yankees to switch leagues under the guise of competitive balance.

R.A. Dickey, of the N,Y. Mets, is the first pitcher since 1988 to pitch consecutive one-hitters.  (In the strange world of baseball the Mets are trying to have the hit charged against Dickey changed into an error, thus giving him a no-hitter.)   Dickey, who has amazing control of a knuckleball, is probably the most dominant pitcher in baseball today.

Edited by D. Pride.

Random Sports Thoughts By L.A. Pride

06 Wednesday Jun 2012

Posted by in Uncategorized

≈ Leave a Comment

Tags

, , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

L.A. Pride is a true sports enthusiast.  A former youth, and division II assistant basketball coach, who studied the martial arts, he enjoys and follows all sports, even hockey.  His quick wit and insight brings a fresh view to the world of sports. You may not always agree with him, but you will enjoy his highly opinionated thoughts.

Is it me…

Or did the old Tiger Woods reappear over the weekend?  Tiger Woods won the Memorial golf tournament Sunday, his 73rd, professional win, tying him with Jack Nicklaus.  The timing was ironic because Nicklaus is intimately involved in the Memorial.

Tiger wearing his lucky color red was competitive, but not great throughout most of the tournament.  However, he rose to the occasion on the par-3 16th hole, where he hit a 50-foot shot out of the rough to birdie the hole.  Nicklaus and Woods agreed that it was one of the best shots ever made in tournament play and help propel Tiger to his 5th win at the Memorial.

Tiger must now be considered a favorite for the U.S. Open, which is less than two weeks away.  The ‘Tiger’ has sharpened his claws.

Is it me…

Or did Floyd Mayweather make a bad real estate deal?  Mayweather traded in his Las Vegas mansion for a cell in county jail.  Floyd turned himself in as part of a domestic violence  plea agreement.  He is scheduled to serve ninety days.

Floyd, the king of pay-per-view, will not have a television in his cell and won’t be able to watch the Pacquiao / Bradley fight.  Hopefully, he will place a part of the  $32, 000, 000 he earned for the Cotto fight  “on his book” and have enough for commissary, to buy snacks and eat away his troubles.

Sometimes getting hit in the head can be a good thing; Multi-Champion boxers Shane Mosley and Winky Wright have announced their retirements.  Both fighters are coming off losses and realized they just can’t compete at the elite level anymore.

We wish them well in their retirements and pray that they are not tempted back into the ring.  No amount of money is worth the damage one too many fights can cause.

Is it me…

Or is the Bradley versus Pacquiao fight getting very little publicity?  With less than a week to go before the fight , the boxing world is amazed at how good Bradley has looked training.  Bradley , who had to sign a rematch clause, should he win, has been focused  and training hard.  (Bradley who has a win over highly regarded Lamont Peterson,  is generally thought of as a dangerous competitor in the boxing community).

Bob Arum, Pacquiao’s promoter, has made several comments regarding how good Bradley looks.  Although this may be seen as a ploy to sell more pay-per-views, it is raising eyebrows and causing interest , in what has otherwise been a quiet pre-fight period.

Let’s hope the fight is competitive and does well financially.

We are going out on a limb, and predicting a close decision for Pacquiao (who is a prohibitive favorite, -450,,i.e. , you would have to bet $450 to win $100 on Manny).

Is it me…

Or is there a young lady of color, not named Williams, playing professional tennis?

Sloane Stephens was born in Fort Lauderdale, Florida to Sybil Smith (who, in 1988 as a swimmer at Boston University, became the first African-American female to be named First Team All-American in Division I history) and John Stephens, a professional football player.   Stephens had no connection with her father until she was 13, when she began a close over-the-phone friendship with him. John Stephens was killed in a car accident on September 1, 2009,  Stephens attended her father’s funeral in Louisiana.

Sloane, who is currently ranked in the low seventies, competed in the 2012 French Open , but lost over the weekend.

She has cited Venus Williams, Serena Williams, and Kim Clijsters as her inspirations in tennis.

Sloan appears to have the personality and stroke to do well  on the tennis tour.  We wish her continued success.

Is it me…

Or should we look in on the NBA Playoffs?

Western Conference

Oklahoma City Thunder vs. San Antonio Spurs

The Thunder lead the series 3 games to two, winning a crucial game 5 Monday in San Antonio.

Only time will tell if the “old” Spurs can keep up or outpace the youngsters.

Eastern Conference

 Boston Celtics vs. Miami Heat*

Boston and Miami are tied at two prior to last night’s game. *

 Does Doc Rivers, Coach of the Boston Celtics, have a fountain of youth hidden in the Gatorade bucket?  The Celtics are defying their age, and ignoring their bumps and bruises to keep pace with the Heat.

During the season injured players are always asked, if they would play if this were the playoffs?   Note to Chris Bosh-IT IS THE PLAYOFFS!!!!!!!!!

* Played Tuesday night after we went to press.

The NBA Playoff picture; Follow this link to the match-ups and most current stats:

http://www.nba.com/playoffs/2012/index.html

Is it me…

Or does the NFL need to move pass the New Orleans ‘bountygate ‘ case and settle, in to its regular routine?  The NFL reportedly has in its possession the  ‘bounty ledger’, listing payoffs for violent hits.   The NFL’s player association denies there is a link between the ledger and an organized reward system for hurting opponents.  At this point the league has suspended all the players and coaches with knowledge of ‘bountygate’.    Additionally, an arbitrator has upheld NFL Commissioner, Roger Goodell’s authority to punish Saint players for their role in  ‘bountygate’.   What else is there to do?

The OTA ‘s (Organized Training Activities) are going well with a few notable holdouts, e.g. Drew Brees, Saints.  And mandatory mini-camps are starting to pop up.

It amazes me that D. Revis of the Jets hinted that he might miss training camp over another contract dispute. It seems like he just signed a new contract.

It looks like the Dolphins may be the featured team on HBO’s Hard Knocks series;  An inside look at an NFL’s  team training camp.

 

Andrew Luck and RG, III have not yet signed contracts , so other top ten selections are limbo.  Once Luck, the number one pick, signs with the Colts, everyone will know approximately what they are worth and the rookies can sign deals.

Aaron Rodgers, quarterback Green Bay Packers, is close to negotiating a deal that will keep him a Packer for life.

‘Just Great’ – The NFL plans on hiring and training replacement officials if they can’t come to terms with the bargaining unit for the officials.  Can you imagine the chaos in an NFL game this season due to a replacement ref working the game?  Talk about violent hits.  Players will go berserk on a blown call by a replacement.

 NFL teams continue to adjust and shape their rosters;

A list of current NFL transactions can be found at:

http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/transactions/

Is it me …

Or is it with deep regret we note the passing of Orlando Woolridge? A fiirst-round draft pick of the Chicago Bulls in 1981 he played in the NBA for 13 years, died at his parents’ home in Mansfield, La.

He was 52.

He had been under hospice care for a chronic heart condition.

Woolridge was a star at Mansfield High School before going on to play for Notre Dame.

He played for the Bulls, Los Angeles Lakers, New Jersey, Philadelphia and Detroit, and also coached the Los Angeles Sparks of the WNBA.

Our thoughts and prayers are with the family.

Edited by D. Pride.

Random Sports Thoughts By L.A. Pride

04 Wednesday Apr 2012

Posted by in Uncategorized

≈ Leave a Comment

Tags

, , , , , , , , , , ,

L.A. Pride is a true sports enthusiast.  A former youth, and division II assistant basketball coach, who studied the martial arts, he enjoys and follows all sports, even hockey.  His quick wit and insight brings a fresh view to the world of sports. You may not always agree with him, but you will enjoy his highly opinionated thoughts.

Is it me …

Or did the Knicks pull a fast one regarding Lin’s knee?  The Knicks waited until the deadline for buying playoff tickets passed before announcing that Jeremy Lin was going to be out for six weeks due to a knee injury.  Lin, the Knicks’ most popular player, had sat out several games and was listed as day to day right up until the deadline.  The Knicks, who denied any hanky-panky, could not explain why Lin’s injury was so hard to diagnose, but Stoudemire, who is also out, was immediately diagnosed and sat down.  Let’s see who sells more souvenirs and puts fans in the seat?   Are we “Lining” toward a con job by MSG and Cablevision?

Speaking of the Knicks, they have done well under new coach Mike Woodson.  He has them playing both ends of the floor, as they drive for a payoff spot.  What may hurt Coach Woodson is an early exit from the playoffs and a big name coach who is not working, like a Phil Jackson.

 

Who’s hot?

 

Boston

New York

San Antonio

Oklahoma City

L.A. Clippers

 

Who’s not?

 

Cleveland

Charlotte

New Orleans

Minnesota

Golden State

 

NBA teams continue to adjust and shape their rosters;

A list of current NBA transactions can be found at:

 

http://www.nba.com/news/transactions/2011_12/

 

Is it me…

Or are the Jets completely out of their minds?  The Jets have put the word out that they would consider appearing on HBO’s reality football show “Hard Knocks” again.  Let’s see, they just traded for Tim Tebow, gave existing quarterback Sanchez a huge raise, have no idea what offense they plan to run, the locker room is a mess, with players out of control, and lastly they would let Coach Ryan appear in front of an open microphone.  Is this a formula for disaster, or do they just want to sell seats and appear in the newspaper?  Granted the Jets were a big hit on the show the last time they appeared but this would be a bit over the top.  Not only would the show their dirty laundry, they would be highlighting the stains.

 The New Orleans Saints are honestly appealing the penalties they were given for putting bounties out on players.  Their defense appears to be we knew it was bad, that’s why we lied about it.  Please!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I don’t believe the Saints should be allowed to bring in any new coaches.  Some penalty if your replacement coach is a hall of fame coach.  They should make do with whoever is not suspended.  They shouldn’t gain from this mess.  Yeah, I said it,  NO Parcells as coach.

NFL draft –number one pick versus the best player.  Is Luck of Stanford the best player or the preordained number one pick?

Check out the NFL’s new uniforms.

NFL teams continue to adjust and shape their rosters;

A list of current NFL transactions can be found at:

 

http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/transactions/

 

 

 

Is it me…

Or did the Baylor Women’s Basketball team send a message  this past weekend?    Britteny Griner led Baylor to an impressive win over Stanford.  Baylor had an opportunity to set a record last night by beating Notre Dame and getting 40 wins in a  single season.  (We went to press before the game ended).

Congrats to the men’s champion,  Kentucky with an impressive win over Kansas.  Coach Calipari, Kentucky,  proved you can win the whole thing with a bunch of freshmen. One and dones, who leave after one year for the pros.  It makes recruiting very interesting, do you look to get the very best for one year and go for it, or do you look to build a foundation with kids who are going to be around for  a couple of years?  The talented player who stays in school is viewed as flawed. or why didn’t he leave.  We, force the kids to take the money and run.

In fairness, to basketball, many other sports let the kids turn pro early also, for example golf and tennis.  No one is asking about Tiger’s degree.

Is it me …

Or does golf need Tiger?  I found myself watching Tiger win a tournament a couple of weeks ago.  I can’t remember the last time I watched a golf tournament.  But Tiger was in the lead and I wanted to see him win Palmer’s tournament, which he did.  I am not saying he will win the Master’s in Georgia, but Tiger looked good and appeared confident, a winning combination.  Good Luck Tiger.

 

Is it me…

Or is baseball about to start?  Wake me up in time for the World Series-BORING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

 

Edited by D. Pride.

Random Sports Thoughts By L.A. Pride

01 Wednesday Feb 2012

Posted by in Uncategorized

≈ Leave a Comment

Tags

, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

L.A. Pride is a true sports enthusiast.  A former youth, and division II assistant basketball coach, who studied the martial arts, he enjoys and follows all sports, even hockey.  His quick wit and insight brings a fresh view to the world of sports. You may not always agree with him, but you will enjoy his highly opinionated thoughts.

Is it me …

Or was LeBron sending a message to the rest of the league Sunday?  In a hard fought match, on national television, the Miami Heat defeated the Chicago Bulls, 97-93.  James, of the Heat, scored 35 points and watched reigning MVP Derrick Rose, Chicago Bulls, miss two  critical free throws and a jump shot in the closing seconds of the game.  It was a game Miami led throughout, but they could never relax as the Bulls were always there.

James was nothing short of spectacular hitting big shot after big shot, including an alley oop in which he literally jumped over 5’11” John Lucas for a dunk.

 

This game had a playoff atmosphere and feel to it.  I can only hope that they meet in the playoffs and show the same intensity.

 Carlos Boozer, of the Bulls, lives in Miami during the offseason.  Apparently, his son really likes Miami and was caught cheering for the Heat during the game.

Dwight Howard, the Orlando Magic, has added Chicago, as an acceptable place for his trade demand.  It appears as things get worse in ‘Magic Land” Dwight is opening up the net and looking to catch any willing fish in his desire to leave.

 Someone please call the state department.  J.R. Smith’s (formerly of the Denver Nuggets) sister got into another fight in China as her brother was playing basketball.  She has single handedly set back U.S – China relationship twenty years.  Please bring her home before the Chinese role out the tanks.

It appears that Blake Griffin, of the L.A. Clippers, has posterized Kendrick Perkins, of the Oklahoma City Thunder, with a tremendous dunk.

http://eye-on-basketball.blogs.cbssports.com/mcc/blogs/entry/22748484/34636482

That’s one way to make the top ten plays Kendrick.

 Who’s streakin’

Philadelphia

Chicago

Miami

Atlanta

Oklahoma City

Denver

Clippers

Dallas

Houston

Who’s creakin’

New York

Detroit

Washington

Charlotte

Phoenix

Sacramento

New Orleans

New Jersey

Latest NBA power ratings:

http://www.nba.com/powerrankings/

NBA teams continue to adjust and shape their rosters;

A list of current NBA transactions can be found at:

http://www.nba.com/news/transactions/2011_12/

Is it me…

Or is there no good reason to play the Pro Bowl?  NO ONE watches the NFL’s all-star game.  NO ONE cares who wins or who participated.  It is a non factor!!!!  How many people knew that it was played this past weekend?  I rest my case.  Let’s just get on with the Super Bowl, you know the game with the cute multi-million dollar commercials.

We’re picking the Giants in the Super Bowl.  You just have to choose Cruz, and the boys from New Jersey.  They are healthy, playing well and are too strong defensively for New England.  Giants 24-Patriots 17.

Because the Super Bowl is in Indianapolis, and Eli Manning is playing, the press feels it is fair game to bring up Peyton Manning as often as they like.  Not!!!!!!!!! Peyton is not the story this week and should be left off the back page.  Let the people who earned their 15 minutes of fame have it.

NFL teams continue to adjust and shape their rosters;

A list of current NFL transactions can be found at:

 http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/transactions/

Is it me…

Or is Murray State still a pretender in Men’s college basketball? The undefeated Murray State Racers don’t have a win over a currently ranked team, but their victories over Southern Miss (neutral) and Memphis (away) have grown more impressive over the past couple of weeks considering USM and Memphis are now tied atop the C-USA standings.

Kentucky is ranked number one and has been most impressive.  Coach Calipari has reluctantly admitted that his Kentucky Wildcats are playing well and are capable of beating anyone right now, after a 24 point whipping of LSU.  We’ll see!!!!!!!!!!

The latest rankings are as follows:

http://www.cbssports.com/collegebasketball/rankings/top25

 Is it me…

Or was Phil Davis simply outclassed by Evans?

 Rashad Evans out-slugged Phil Davis for 25 minutes to win a unanimous decision in the main event of Saturday night’s MMA bout.

With the win, Evans will earn a UFC light heavyweight title shot against Jon Jones, and Evans said afterward that he is uninjured and will be ready for that fight in April.

The fight wasn’t the kind of barn-burner that the UFC was hoping for, and many in the crowd at the United Center booed the very slow pace tactical bout, as it ended. But it was the win Evans needed to get another crack at the title. All three judges gave the bout unanimously to Evans.

 UFC is beginning to look more and more like bad boxing with some rolling around allowed.  They are going to have to find a way to encourage more martial arts in these bouts or they will see more of these types of fights, great for the really informed, but boring to the masses.  However, as long as there is a chance for blood to spill, there’s an audience. Fans can be very primitive at times.

 Is it me…

Or would I be remiss if I did not mention the honor bestowed on (Paterson ) Eastside’s boys’ basketball team for the county tournament?  The Eastside Ghosts coming off a win against arch rival, Kennedy, were seeded number one in the upcoming Passaic county tournament.  Go Ghosts!  We wish you well.

Is it me…

Or did Tiger put it best, “it’s about winning?”  Tiger Woods finished tied for third in Abu Dhabi this past weekend.  Many have proclaimed this a  giant step in the right direction, with noted improvement;  he didn’t win.  And Tiger is about winning, and winning only.  So, until he wins a prestigious tournament, he is slumping.  No flowers for third place..

 

Edited by D. Pride.

Random Sports Thoughts By L.A. Pride

07 Wednesday Dec 2011

Posted by in Uncategorized

≈ Leave a Comment

Tags

, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

L.A. Pride is a true sports enthusiast.  A former youth, and division II assistant basketball coach, who studied the martial arts, he enjoys and follows all sports, even hockey.  His quick wit and insight brings a fresh view to the world of sports. You may not always agree with him, but you will enjoy his highly opinionated thoughts.

Is it me …

Or can we all breathe a sigh of relief?  Tiger Woods won his first tournament in two years.   Life as we know it can now move on and all is right in the world .  Tiger who was one stroke behind with two holds left to play made  a “Tigeresque” comeback and captured his 83rd title worldwide, the Chevron World Challenge.  Yes, we know, it was against a small select field, but he did win.

 

The win moved him from No. 52 to No. 21 in the world ranking, and likely will send expectations soaring for 2012. Woods will not play again until starting his year in Abu Dhabi at the end of January.

Asked if the emotion was joyous, satisfying or simply relief, Woods smiled and said, “It just feels awesome whatever it is.”

 Congrats to Tiger.  We wish him continued success and hope his troubles are behind him.

Is it me…

Or did the NY Giants make a 180 degree turn this week?  The Giants were blown out by the Saints last week and appeared to quit during the game.   It was a devastating lost, with the undefeated Green Bay Packers coming to town.  The Packers left NY undefeated, but the Giants played the champions to a standstill right up to the last minute of the game.  The Packers drove the length of the field and kicked the game winning field goal.  If ever there is an opportunity to gain something from a loss the Giants will do so.  They showed the world they have some pride and were willing to go down fighting.

 The Giants are still in the hunt because the Dallas Cowboys* lost to the Arizona Cardinals.  The Giants and Cowboys have yet to play this season.  Therefore, all things being equal, the Giants could sweep the Cowboys and win the NFC east.

 * Bonehead play of the SEASON; Cowboy Coach Garrett “iced” his own kicker in a 13-13 game with 7 seconds left.  The Cowboys thought they had won the game on a 49 yard field goal only to learn that their coached had called time out prior to the kick..  Needless to say the  Cowboys missed the second attempt and the Cardinals went on to win the game.  Garrett deserves the Medal of Honor if he got on the team plane with Cowboy’s owner Jerry Jones, who had the look of death in his eyes after the missed field goal.

The Packers and 49ers have clinched playoff spots, which make for an interesting dilemma.  Do you continue to keep pushing  and play hard or do you take your foot off the gas and cruise?

Tebow and the Denver Broncos won again.  Tebow still has the worst mechanics in the NFL, but he knows how to win, 6-1 since starting this year.  You are what your numbers say you are and Tebow is a winner.

 Cam Newton insists his success isn’t coming easily. All he’s doing is whatever he can to help the Carolina Panthers win.  On Sunday against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, that was just about everything.

Newton, a rookie, ran for three more touchdowns to set the NFL single-season record for TDs rushing by a quarterback, pacing a 38-19 rout of the struggling Buccaneers with a dominating performance that revealed something else he’s capable of doing: catching passes.

The 2010 Heisman Trophy winner scored the 11th, 12th and 13th TDs of his career on a trio of 1-yard runs. He also had his first reception as a pro to set up a first-quarter TD, then threw a 19-yard TD pass to finish one of Carolina’s three scoring drives.

 NFL teams continue to adjust and shape their rosters;

A list of current NFL transactions can be found at:

 http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/transactions/

Is it me…

Or has the NBA decided to come out “shooting”?  The NBA has put together a great opening day package.  The Christmas games are:

 Boston Celtics versus  New York Knicks   (traditional rivals, who hate each other.)

Chicago Bulls versus L.A. Lakers (new rivalry, the young upstart team versus the old established team, could be the passing of the torch from Kobe Bryant to Derrick Rose.)

Miami Heat versus Dallas Mavericks  ( The Mavericks will probably receive their championship rings before the game;  one more dig at LeBron and the Heat, the team they beat to win the championship.)

A great lineup of games, with story lines that run throughout.  It won’t make up for the cancelled games or late start, but it does start the season with some heavyweight matchups.

Chris Paul has been mentioned in a trade with every team in the NBA.  The New Orleans franchise, which  is owned by the league, needs to come to closure on Paul, if  they are to attract new ownership.

The problem with free agency for superstars is that a player in the final year of a contract becomes a distraction.  The team wants to sign him to an extension, but the player wants to test the market.   This makes the team nervous because it may lose the player and get nothing in return at the end of  the season, forcing the team to try and trade the player now in order to obtain something . This is where we are with Chris Paul ( and Dwight Howard).

 

Is it me …

 Or is it obvious that  Antonio Margarito can only win with loaded hand wraps?

  Miguel Cotto won a 10th round  TKO victory over Antonio Margarito in their much anticipated rematch.  Margarito who won the first fight but was accused of using doctored hand wraps in that fight was unable to hurt or stop Cotto this time.  It was a very lopsided fight with Cotto dominating and landing the better shots.  Margarito’s eye was badly bruised in the fight, and for several rounds he fought with vision in only one eye.  The medical personnel at Madison Square Garden saw enough after nine rounds and ordered the referee to halt the fight.

Margarito who was defiant till the end claimed he was never hurt and could have continued, his eye and face begged to differ.  Margarito has not beaten a serious opponent since his hand wraps were exposed in the Mosely fight.  Maybe the first Cotto/Margarito fight should be reviewed and declared a no contest?  In fairness to Miguel Cotto, he does not deserve a loss if doctored wraps were used.

Is it me…

Or is the BCS worst nightmare going to happen?  A rematch of a regular season game for the college football championship.  LSU and Alabama will play AGAIN, this time for all the marbles.  LSU won the first game 9-6, a defensive struggle that put the country to sleep, why will it be any different this time?  Do I hear Playoff????????  BCS people take a look at the way college Basketball runs their tournament; you can do the same thing with the top eight teams.  And if there is a rematch, at least both teams played the best teams to get there at the end of the season.  Oklahoma State and Boise State have a right to be upset.

 Is it me…

 Or is that an Ivy League school listed in the top 25 men’s college basketball poll?   Harvard is the first Ivy League school to be ranked since Princeton cracked the top 10 late in the 1997-98 season. The only other Ivy League school to be ranked since 1970 was Penn, which was last in the poll in January 1995. Brown is now the only Ivy League school not to make the poll.

Harvard’s stay among the basketball elite might not last long — they play at No. 9 Connecticut on Thursday.

Edited by D. Pride.

Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.

Join 4,532 other followers