Sports Are Too Much Fun

Sports may be one of the most confusing businesses to understand. Is it a business operation, is it a game, questions we constantly struggle with. It’s a delicate process to balance the two. From trades we can never agree with, contract talks that seem to go no where and where is the line drawn between a professional and a jock? Many aspects of the sports world are tough to grasp. From Albert Pujols betraying his fans and his own words to seek out the highest bidder. To Sean Payton being suspended for an entire season for bounty allegations. This day in age sports organizations such as the MLB, NFL, NBA, NHL are far too superior. Do they think of themselves as a form of government? Are they above the law because they make their own? These sports organizations require money to broadcast games, pay players coaches and staff and to develop further. Athletes are paid so much based on the revenue their sport brings in. all star athletes are like all star employees they move up in pay roll. I have no idea where this blog is going… I just know these organizations act like they are the government sentencing unfair punishments and athletes get paid too much, but they don’t. I’m over this. That is all.

DA BLUES!

Keeping up with the St. Louis in the playoffs theme lets move quickly onto the one and only St. Louis Blues.

 After taking a 2-1 lead in the best of seven series the blues play tonight. San Jose who struggled to getinto the playoffs for the eighth straight season has been hard-pressed to match up against the Blues all season. Losing all four matchups during regular season play the Sharks could never find the right answers to stun the Blues until the first game of the playoffs when the Sharks one in two overtimes.

The Blues will attempt to take a two game lead tonight after being absent from the playoffs since the 08-09 season. The Blues who are rich with talent are mostly young but the roster is speckled with veteran talent such as Jamie Langenbrunner and Andy McDonald. When young speed meets old wisdom a deadly combination occurs, resulting in a number two seed for the St. Louis Blues who lead the league in several stat categories. The Blues will play one more in San Jose before returning to St. Louis for game 5. 

World Series Serves Up More than Rings

It’s one thing to stand up to critics, another thing to stand up to Naysayers. 

But when a team defies laws of physics and shatters expectations like the Cardinals did last October it’s life changing. As a Cardinal fan, a baseball fan, even just a fan of sports in general you can agree the World Series winners blew the minds of everyone. A team that wasn’t even supposed to make the playoffs, squeaked in on the last day possible and history started from there.

Sure it’s easy to root for your team all season but in the playoffs something happens. Something changes about the way you see the games, living and dying with every pitch, every swing. Crack! Pure elation, over joy when the batter ties it up with one swing. Whiff! Ready to condemn the entire team when one batter misses a nasty breaking ball. Last year’s world series, other than being an emotional roller coaster, taught me faith. When one thing goes wrong and hope seems so far away, there is always light at the end of the tunnel. Having faith is part of being an adult. You need it in relationships, have to have it in people, teams and everyday life.

When I watched the World Series many times I said, “that’s it, they’re done, no way”. What I found out, there is always a way, always hope. I imagine it goes along with being optimistic, you have to have faith things will turn around that they will end up better.  The Cardinals got a World Series and I got a cool T- shirt. I also learned faith and not in the religious sense, my religious views are best left to a different blog. But I learned to believe in people, be optimistic and just have faith.

Opening Week Leaves Questions

Opening week has come and gone and as the dust settles from the fresh fields, baseball has left us with some questions to ponder. Without hesitation the Cardinals have jumped right back into their potent offense mode, even under the new reign of Mike Matheny. The only question the Cardinals are left asking is Albert Whojols?

Speaking of, the debut in his new Angels gear was a little lack luster, with only one RBI in his first three games its clear Albert may be forcing the issue a little bit trying to earn the respect back, which he lost when leaving St. Louis.  After recording his first hit with the Angels he was soon thrown out at home plate. He isn’t the only one struggling to make it to home plate though.

The New York Yankees have scored just 12 runs in their first three games. Only one run more than the west coast favored Angels. Yanks have not won a game yet and unless they get their offense motivated, they’ll be chalking April up to the experimental column.

Questions for your homework are as follows: How long will it take the Cubs to get on the right track with their new system? How long will Detroit stay at the top? And last but not least, are the Angels a contender?

Power Ranked Sweet 16

Well its official , the Sweet 16 is set and ready to get bitter. There are some surprises and some easy picks. I decided to rank these teams from worst to best in a would be finalist power ranking. If only we could have all seen some upsets coming... perhaps our brackets wouldn't be somewhere in limbo anxiously awaiting the round of 16 to start Thursday night. With only a matter of games remaining its not long now that we find how are choices up to this point have elevated you to March master or to the perpetual madness we all have experienced before. Without further adieu I give you my top 16:

16: OHIO- Hardly making a noise this team shoved their way into the sweet 16 with wins over Michigan and Lehigh. This team, the lowest seed in the tournament, is just happy to be in the sweet 16. It was proven to us last night that Lehigh was a one and done Cinderella story, congratulations to them but OHIO will be a Two and done Cinderella team, their madness stops against UNC.

15: XAVIER- Have you heard anything about this team all season?? Please, fill me in, this team almost without even realizing they were in the tournament are one of the last 16 remaining. Xavier had success in the early rounds against Temple but lack the skills and depth to keep up with the athleticism of Baylor on Friday night. Its sweet, but as sweet as its going to get for the Musketeers.

14: LOUISVILLE- This team has lacked an identity since the beginning of the season they have struggled to put all the pieces together until late. Fortunately for them a sweet 16 birth is the kind of shot of respect they needed to take into next season, this young team will be a sweet 16 power house... next year.

13: NC STATE- They are only this high because of the mountain of momentum they have been hanging on. NC state has ridden momentum all the way to the final 16. Unfortunately for them they lack the talent and the skills to continue on into the elite eight. Pulling for them, but Kansas is too well coached and too hard nosed to be denied entry to the most Elite Eight.

12: CINCINNATI- Always a tough team no matter what sport, it appears that Ohio has paid some sacrifice to the march madness gods to have such a full repertoire for the final 16. Cinci although a very tough fighting team they just do not compare to other talents in the group.

11: WISCONSIN- Is in need of a key piece, this team lacks a back bone it can fall on in when the offense has just gone stagnant. Wisconsin, one of the better defensive teams in the country  has made it their business to stall other teams offenses, in doing so they have found a way to dull down their own. Well coached and proud tradition, but players will take you to the elite eight and beyond.

10: MARQUETTE- Another team that surprises no one to be in the sweet, but yet one that no one has heard much about all season. They lack big wins to give them any prominence and they wont get one this weekend.

9: FLORIDA- Did damage in the tournament last year and have continued to grow and develop a solid basketball foundation. I have Florida picked to advance to the elite eight, this is a very potent offense and they run fast keeping up most other teams in the 16, however I don't give them much of a chance for the final four.

8: INDIANA- As a born again Big Ten fan, I want to see the upset of all upsets again, Indiana handing Kentucky  two of their three losses this season. However this team is YOUNG and very talented with a deep bench and more youth than seniority, Indiana will fall short in their bid to the Elite Eight.

7: BAYLOR- Has the potential to be the biggest Cinderella story of the tournament but also has the chance to be upset. This team is very athletic, one of the more athletic teams in the country in the sense of speed, offense and shooting ability I have Baylor in my final four... As for a championship, not sure if they are ready to take that next step.

6: KANSAS- With Bill Self at the helm anything can happy for this Jay hawks team, they can be best in the country at times and not quite themselves other times. I think they edge out Baylor in more consistent level of play but fall just short in the defensive side of the ball.

5: UNC- A tournament favorite... until the broken wrist. although it does not seem like it will prevent Marshall from playing, how can it not affect him? He is such a key component to this team and now the media is focusing on them.. for our brackets sake lets hope they play on to the final four but for now they fall short in the top spot.

4: SYRACUSE- What can I say about these guys? The overall no. 1 seed and then they forget to bring their best player. Its like Home Alone all over again, except this time Fab Melo is crying in his room knowing he lost his team a National Championship.

3: MICHIGAN ST- This is the surprise, they may have shared a title for the Big Ten regular season with two others and won the Tournament out right, however they will falter before winning a national championship, they are playing on fumes and would lose in another match up against my no. 2 team.

2: OHIO ST- The buckeyes are playing frustrating basketball, frustrating if you are their opponent. The defense is stifling and the offense is just too consistent. This team has the right mixture of young and experienced and they are pulling it all together at the right time of the season for a successful championship run.

1: KENTUCKY- We've heard it all season long, they are the best, its starting to look true. If anyone can beat this team left in the 16 its OSU and we all know we are hoping for it. Kentucky is the only one seed without drama this NCAA Tournament, nothing has changed for them and they are riding in the shadows left from the spot light focused on UNC and Syracuse and they could ride the shadows all the way to the National Title.

This is my first post and blog!! A sports analysis and break down of what is hot right now on the big stations without all the BS in between. As I build this blog from scratch expect stories to be posted weekly, coverage of big events and in depth look into sports. I hope you enjoy the onslaught of sports to come and continue coming back!