Tuesday, June 21, 2011

Jeter's Milestone Put On Hold

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In pursuit of hit no. 3,000 in the illustrious career of New York Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter, the Bronx Bombers and their fans will have to wait as a trip to the Disabled List halts the timing of the All-Star shortstop making history. In his first at-bat during last Monday's game against the visiting Cleveland Indians, Jeter notched the 2,994th hit of his career by lacing a single to left field. There wouldn't be much else to cheer for though as Jeter would have to leave the game just four innings later in what was eventually a 1-0 loss.

After hitting a fly ball to right field, Jeter suffered a strained right calf when he began running to first base. After receiving medical attention at a nearby hospital, an MRI revealed a Grade 1 strain. Though Grade 1 is the lowest level strain possible, the injury forced Yankees skipper Joe Girardi to place his future Hall of Fame shortstop on the DL for the first time since 2003. However, with six hits remaining until he reaches the big milestone and only two games at home before an eight game road trip when Jeter is eligible to return to the lineup, the chances of him reaching the feat at home in front of the New York faithful are slim. That's unless he misses a few starts on purpose. But with the team first mentality Jeter has been known for having, that's unlikely.
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The injury also comes at a pivotal time as the archrival Boston Red Sox who were slow out of the gates at 2-10 to start the season, have suddenly caught fire winning 14 of their last 17 games and now own sole possession of first place in the powerhouse AL East. But like almost every season for the past 10 years, the final week or so will decide who comes out on top. And just because the Yankees are without the one they call the captain, doesn't mean they're not going to treat every game like it's their last. Since being placed on the DL, New York has done just fine, winning 6 of their 7 games without Jeter in the lineup.

Given the Yankees franchise is by far the richest in history highlighted by the success of some of the most elite hitters of all-time with the likes of Babe Ruth, Mickey Mantle and Lou Gehrig just to name a few, it's hard to believe no Yankee player has ever reached the highly coveted 3,000 career hit plateau. Taking that into consideration, I think the smart thing for both Jeter and the Yankees organization to do would be to have him reach the milestone while at Yankee Stadium. Though all milestones are better suited in front of a home crowd, it would be disappointing to see Jeter record his 3,000th career hit anywhere other than New York, granted how rare the feat has occurred.
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Jeter who turns 37 later this week, is yet to hit his stride and is so far having an off year after experiencing free agency for the first time in his career this past offseason. Currently hitting .260 with 2 home runs and 20 RBI's, Jeter will try to become only the 28th player in Major League history to join the 3,000-hit club. The question that remains is where it'll take place, whether it's on the road or at home whenever he returns to the Yankees lineup.

Monday, June 20, 2011

LeBron James, The King Without A Crown

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With a new team now crowned as NBA Champions, the talk of the offseason will be how LeBron James failed once again to add a Larry O'Brien Trophy to his track record and the turmoil that has followed. And what better way to kick that off than by providing an in-depth look into LeBron's troubled Finals performance.

Despite averaging 27 points per game during the regular season, LeBron only managed to average a minuscule 18 points per game in the Finals, making it the largest differential for any player in NBA history. To his credit, LeBron did end up winning two more games than he did in the 2007 NBA Finals when his Cleveland Cavaliers were swept by the San Antonio Spurs. However, another failed attempt regardless of how close, doesn't quite live up to the king-sized expectations the one they call "King James" brought upon himself and his team which started last offseason, eight days after the highly criticized -- 'Decision'. Instead of the usual press conference to announce his decision, James made it a worldwide spectacle where he made the infamous, "I'm taking my talents to South Beach" quote.
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If his hour long special didn't get under everyone's skin, what followed next most likely did the trick. With the return of Dwayne Wade and the arrival of James and fellow free agent Chris Bosh, Miami Heat president Pat Riley orchestrated an introduction similar to that of a Kiss concert, showcasing Miami's big three. Though the pyrotechnical event was more of a rally to amp up the Miami area and its fan base, many took it as an act of arrogance and thought the team had over did it. Proving just that, LeBron would then make one of the most criticized statements in the history of sports when he proclaimed the team would win, "Not 5...Not 6...Not 7...," implying that they would win 8 NBA titles during their tenure. Whether or not he was in the heat of the moment and just joking around, after his first failed attempt I think the smart thing to do would be to rephrase his prediction considering he was virtually a non-factor in the series as the team was (-) from the floor in games 3-6 when LeBron was on the court.

Prior to Game 4 in Dallas, Wade and LeBron were caught on camera mocking and poking fun at Dirk Nowitzki's 101 degree fever. Finishing the night 3-for-11 from the floor with a whopping total of 8 points, LeBron seemed to be the one who was ill. After eventually losing the game which tied the series at 2-games apiece, LeBron told reporters that Game 5 was the most important game of his career. He then answered by shooting 8-for-19 from the floor with only 17 points to show for in route to a 112-103 loss. With a chance to redeem himself two days later, LeBron would improve from his disappointing Game 5 effort by scoring 21 in a 105-95 loss at home.
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As if his poor Finals performance didn't warrant enough criticism, his post-game presser did when he opened up another can of worms by saying:

"All the people that were rooting on me to fail, at the end of the day they have to wake up tomorrow and have the same life that they had before they woke up today. They have the same personal problems they had today. I'm going to continue to live the way I want to live and continue to do the things that I want to do with me and my family and be happy with that. So they can get a few days or a few months or whatever the case may be on being happy about not only myself, but the Miami Heat not accomplishing their goal. But they got to get back to the real world at some point."

While I'm sure he meant something entirely different than what he said and the way he said it, the media along with the fans took it as an easier way to say, I'm better than you. And anytime you have to personally clarify what you meant like LeBron did the following day via Twitter, it probably should have been left unsaid. Many believe the whole world against LeBron thing has been blown out of proportion, but the truth is all the negativity aimed towards him has only been brought upon himself. He also just happens to be the biggest name in sports today which comes equipped with having your every move being observed under a microscope.
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Though I'm not from Cleveland, Ohio nor have I ever been there for that matter, I feel for the fans considering LeBron was looked at as somewhat of an icon and a savior to be the one that finally leads the city to a championship. The fact that he's an Akron, Ohio native and would not only turn on his hometown, but in the way that he did it, just baffles me. Without their superstar, the Cavs join the city-wide mediocrity led by the Cleveland Browns who haven't won a Championship since 1962 and their baseball counterparts -- the Cleveland Indians who currently own the second longest World Series drought in Major League Baseball (62 years), only behind the Chicago Cubs (102 years).
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Also joining the criticism attack on LeBron was Cavs owner Dan Gilbert who has had a history of bashing his former All-Star. After their Finals collapse which saw the Dallas Mavericks reign victoriously on Miami's home-court, Gilbert tweeted: "Congrats to Mark C.&entire Mavs org. Mavs NEVER stopped & now entire franchise gets rings. Old Lesson for all: There are NO SHORTCUTS. NONE!" James' former Cavs teammate Mo Williams who was among those heartbroken about LeBron's decision to join the Heat also chimed in through his Twitter account by saying, "Dallas just healed my HEART." And though LeBron is hoping he'll wake up one day with the whole world forgiving him for all he's said and done, that's a bit of a far cry considering he barely finished the first year of his six-year, $110 Million contract.
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If the NBA encounters a lockout, it'll just give the rest of the basketball world a longer time to spew hatred on the one they call the 'King'. But since his team isn't the one being dubbed as Champions, it looks like instead he'll be referred to as Prince James for yet another year.

Tuesday, June 14, 2011

Mavs Capture long-awaited NBA title

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It pays to be silent - After a rather surprisingly quiet Postseason from one of the most outspoken personalities in the game of basketball, Mavs owner Mark Cuban can finally break his silence as his team brought home the highly coveted Larry O'Brien trophy for the first time in franchise history on Sunday. While Cuban has spent 11 years at the thrown of the Mavericks waiting for this much anticipated achievement, the Dallas faithful that have been around since day one have waited a patient 31 years since the franchise was founded in 1980. Ironically, they did it against the same team that overcame an 0-2 deficit in the '06 NBA Finals to end their chances of hanging a banner in the rafters just four years ago when Dallas made their first ever Finals appearance.

With a title to finally add to their trophy case, it was only appropriate that the greatest player in team history received the hardware as Dirk Nowitzki was named Finals MVP, scoring 21 points in route to a 105-95 victory in the clincher. The former league MVP in 2007 stuck it to those who questioned and poked fun at his illness of a 101 degree fever in Game 4 and a torn tendon in his left middle finger in Game 2 by averaging 26 points in the series to overcome both hardships. In spite of becoming only the fourth player in NBA history to be named Finals MVP that was born outside of the U.S., Dirk's production would come much later as he was cold to start the game. With a poor 1-for-12 shooting performance in the first half, the 10-time All-Star picked it up down the stretch in the 4th quarter like he's done all series long, putting up a 10 spot when it mattered most.
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A staggering stat to prove just how dominant Dirk was throughout the series in the final quarter; while Miami's dynamic duo of Dwayne Wade and LeBron James combined for a total of 62 4th Quarter points, Dirk logged 62 4th Quarter points on his own. Though Nowitzki's late-game efforts were among some of the most significant shots of the night, it would be an absolute mockery if I failed to mention Jason Terry.
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Prior to the season, Terry, the recipient of the Sixth Man Award in '09 made the gutsy decision to get the Larry O'Brien Trophy tattooed on his right bicep as a reminder to what exactly he was playing for. When asked by the media about the tat before the Finals begun, Terry said he'd have it removed if they were to lose. Luckily for him, both his skin and wallet will be saved as that's no longer the case thanks in large part to Terry's game-high 27 points.


Having played not only the entire series, but the entire postseason without their second best player in Caron Butler, players like Terry, Jason Kidd, Shawn Marion, DeShawn Stevenson and J.J. Barea all stepped up big to help ease the workload of Nowitzki when needed. Mavs head coach Rick Carlisle who was somewhat of a rookie coaching in this Finals atmosphere, made decisions that would make one think otherwise. While there are many to choose from, none were bigger than his choice to start backup point-guard J.J. Barea over Jason Kidd in games 3 through 6 which proved to be a key adjustment. Carlisle also did a fine job orchestrating a defensive scheme to crowd Miami's LeBron James and force the ball out of his hands which practically made him a non-factor in the latter part of the series.
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Throughout these playoffs, the Miami Heat were virtually unstoppable at home, posting an undefeated mark of 8-0. Unfortunately for them, their dominant streak at home would be put to the test against a Dallas team that's been nothing short of stellar when playing on the road away from Dallas' American Airlines Arena. Dallas would eventually win two of their four games while on the road in Miami as they finished the postseason 8-3 on the road.

Next on the agenda for the World Champion Mavs: the parade. And with a billionaire owner, who better to pay the tab than Mr. Cuban himself. After their Game 6 celebration, Cuban said he's doing just that. One thing he isn't paying for however, are rings. In a post-game interview with the Larry O'Brien Trophy in his lap, Cuban told reporters that rings are too passe and that he's got something else in mind. Considering it's Dallas' first ever NBA title, I find it odd that Cuban plans to reward his players with something other than a ring. But with as much money as he has, the possibilities are endless.

While I'm curious as to find out just what Cuban has up his sleeve, I can only imagine what two the team's more seasoned veterans in Dirk (14 years in the league) and Kidd (17 years in the league) think of the whole idea given they've been on a hunt for a ring their entire careers. Regardless, they'll now have an NBA title under their resume when they're enshrined into the Hall of Fame.


After a long night of celebrating his team finally bringing a Championship to Dallas, Cuban tweeted: "This will sound weird. Im laying in bed with the trophy next to me. #dreamscometrue." It appears that sleeping wasn't all the two did together...
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Monday, June 6, 2011

Plaxico Burress, Free at last!

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With the NFL lockout inconveniencing many players and their teams, one who can take advantage of the current labor dispute is Plaxico Burress. The former New York Giants wide-receiver was released from prison today after serving 21 months behind bars for carrying a loaded weapon to a New York city night club. But now that he's served his time, I think it's safe to say there's only one thing on his mind other than his family and that's returning to the game of football. Burress' departure from the New York penitentiary proved just that as his agent Drew Rosenhaus was among the first to greet him.

Despite missing the last two and a half full seasons of the game he's played since his childhood, the NFL's work stoppage could be somewhat beneficial to Burress as it'll allow him extra time to get back on track and into shape depending on how long it lasts. However, if the lockout were to continue on throughout the year, canceling the 2011 season entirely, it would be just another wasted year for the soon-to-be 34 year old Burress who was arrested during the prime of his career. As memorable as Burress' game-winning touchdown catch was with 35 seconds remaining in Super Bowl XLII to defeat the New England Patriots, 17-14, ending their bid at an undefeated season, the one incident that could very well define Plaxico's career is the shooting that took place on November 28, 2008.
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With a Glock pistol tucked in the waistband of his pants, Burress inadvertently pulled the trigger when the firearm slowly began to slip down his leg, shooting himself in the process. Luckily for him, the injury was not life-threatening which meant for a possible return to the football field after his sentence. With Burress vying for a comeback, the story of Mike Vick's return to fame comes to mind and many even have the two linking up for the upcoming season. And Burress' choice of head wear only added to the discussion as he was interviewed shortly after his release while donning a Phillies ball cap. However, the only real reason for one to think Burress has a shot at becoming an Eagle is that they took a chance on signing Vick when not a lot of teams had the guts to. But with a solid core of young talent already in tact at the wide-receiver position, all signs have him going elsewhere.

According to Cadillac Harris, a high school coach and friend of Burress', there's at least eight teams showing interest in signing the former first round pick once the lockout ends. While half of those teams remain unknown, the few we do know about are the Washington Redskins and the Giants cross-town rivals -- the New York Jets. With the Skins in desperate need of a wide-out assuming they lose veteran Santana Moss to free agency, I think they'll be the frontrunners to dish out a lucrative contract and land Burress when it's all said and done. But who knows as a lot can change between now and then.
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