Make a believer out of me
The NBA off-season has been filled with blood , sweat and tears , as teams have gone about bolstering their rosters with a plethora of high and low-profiled free agents . Said to be the biggest acquisition of the off-season, Dwight Howard`s none too surprising departure from Los Angeles to Houston, drew a few jeers, snickers and some laughter . I believe it further proves that Howard simply cannot function in the glare of the spotlight or lead to a team to any measure of success. Now, it must be said that this was indeed a bold move on the part of the Houston Rockets ` GM Daryl Morey . A move approved by team owner, Leslie Alexander and head coach Kevin McHale . The beleaguered center joins a talented team , led by James Harden and point guard Jeremy Lin . It will be interesting to see how the newly revamped Rockets will fare against many of the top ranked teams within the Western Conference as well the rest of the NBA this upcoming season.
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Sideshow for your perusal.
If you are going to play by the rules, then do so and not act under the pretense of not fully understanding the cap responsibilities or that a team cannot add incentives to a player`s tat circumvent cap restrictions . The Brooklyn Nets, in a deal to acquire unrestricted free agent Andrei Kirilenko , sought to add incentives by way of a back-door method , clearly in violation of NBA rules . However , when this all came to light, it would appear that Nets GM Billy King and team owner , Russian investment tycoon Mikhail Prokhorov backed off the original elements of that deal.
The signing of Kirilenko to a one-year mid-level $3.1 million contract seems all the more baffling when you consider that Kirilekno earned $10 million in 2012. It has to be said, that mid-level deals are prevalent within the NBA and are part of its inner workings . Yet, one has to consider also the signing of the player will push the Nets` payroll for the upcoming season to in excess of $103 million, far in excess of the current league soft salary cap of $58 million . By that measure, were the cap to remain at its current level , the Nets would have to pay a luxury tax of $45 million for the 2013-14 seasons. Given the vast resources at Prokhorov’s disposal, and his estimated wealth of $13 billion , making him by far in a way the league`s richest owner . Beyond wanting success , it would appear that the mantra for the billionaire , is by any means necessary , no matter what the cost .
The Brooklyn Nets having also acquired aging veterans Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce , are a team being built to contend and quite possibly win this upcoming season. The stars were brought in to bolster what appears to be very good roster on paper , but somehow, during the post-season they failed to live up to expectations. I simply believe that beyond Deron Williams , Brook Lopez and an enigmatic Joe Johnson , there does not seem to be a great deal to this team.
The Nets` newly installed head coach Jason Kidd and his coaching staff will be hard pressed to get this team playing at a level , consistent enough to place them on par with the likes of the Miami Heat , New York Knicks , Chicago Bulls and Indiana Pacers … within the Eastern Conference . Kidd , with a wealth of experience as a player , now has to corral the talents of a team , that at best, can be described as having under-achieved in 2012 . Yet, the new additions to the roster can either create false hope or become a cohesive unit good enough to take on all-comers . Next season should provide us all with the answers we seek . The rookies drafted by the franchise will learn a great deal from their head coach , a former player still revered by his peers and fans alike , for his work ethic and brilliance on a basketball court .
With the pre-season to the NFL opening , less than three weeks away , so much of the news that as encompassed the league has been about the arrests of not only a number of players but also senior executives from an NFL franchise . It would appear that the NFL is now also becoming associated , not only with the athletic feats of the players on the field , but what they now seem to be capable doing off the field , as it relates to breaking the law . From misdemeanors to capital murder , no stone seems to have been left unturned , in terms of the crimes committed. In the midst of it all , NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and is union counterpart DeMaurice Smith remain as quiet as docile church mice. It is now pretty much safe to say, all of the piety and pomposity from bot of these executives have begun to alienate the fans , just as much as the narcissistic and deviant behavior of the players . I mean , how else can you explain their silence and their being no sense of outrage ? In reality , the less said by both, perhaps the better off we all are, because at this juncture , neither Roger Goodell or DeMaurice Smith can be taken seriously in terms of their respective roles within the NFL !
We are all aware as to the off-the field issues faced by the New England Patriots with the arraignment and indictment of Aaron Hernandez on a charge of felony first degree murder, as well as , possibly being a complicit accomplice in two unsolved homicides . A second Patriots` player, corner-back , Alfonzo Dennard was arrested on a DUI charge , but the defensive stalwart of the team`s secondary now knows that if he is charged with this particular criminal act , he faces a double whammy , because as a two-time offender , with another sentence due to be served for assaulting a law enforcement officer. Alfonzo Dennard`s fate may not only rests in the hands of the justice system , but also at the behest of team owner Robert Kraft, who has now witnessed the franchise`s name and reputation being dragged through the mud.
Often thought to be one of the better ran organizations around the NFL . In the past two-and a half weeks the New England Patriots` franchise has gone from being the pride of the NFL , to an organization now more known to harbor deviants and miscreants . Are the Patriots in need of a makeover at this juncture ? And here am I thinking, the biggest drama to be had for the franchise, was the signing of Tim Tebow and the speculation , as to where he stood on the team`s depth chart behind Tom Brady. Less about that, and now more about , what the hell can the organization now do to regain its composure and raise its profile back to an acceptable status ?
With Hernandez now being held without bond , the likelihood of his trial not taking place until late into the season or quite possibly in early November or late December . One could attest to the fact that head coach Bill Belichick now faces a real dilemma . The team`s other tight-end tandem of Aaron Hernandez and Rob Gronkowski, of which the latter , is still recuperating, having undergone back and arm surgery . Those challenges asides, the likes of Julian Edelman , Danny Amendola , Stevan Ridley will be asked to step up to the plate in order for the offense to remain formidable and potent . While we are all aware as to the troubles on defense for the Patriots . I do believe that this season the team in its present guise will be able to make some giant strides It is unclear whether or not he can be a willing participant in the Patriots` preseason schedule as well as the regular season opener for the team. As things now stand, with all of the trials and tribulations now surrounding the Patriots at present . It now brings the franchise a great deal closer back to the pack within the AFC East . Yet, by no means should we entirely count out New England , who have made the division their own personal domain over the past decade .
One year wiser and with an influx of talent by way of the draft as well their free agency acquisitions , we should be able to see New England raise their standing as a defensive presence . Last season`s woes , during the regular and post-season were a nightmare , most notably so, were the team`s failings in the AFC championship game against the Baltimore Ravens . Joe Flacco was instrumental in dissecting the defense and making it look extremely mediocre . Then again, during the post-season , which teams did the Ravens` quarterback not make look ordinary from a defensive standpoint , as he and the Ravens marched on the Superbowl ?
Personally , I have never placed much faith in the NFL pre-season as those games are primarily staged for the purpose of assessing draft picks and veteran acquisitions seeking to make mark for their respective teams. If anything , what I am looking forward to seeing, is how the New England Patriots will fare through the first four games of their regular season schedule . As I believe that will be a true indicator and test as to how the team will fare over the course of their season . Those games will be against in week one , the Buffalo Bills , week two , the New York Jets , week three , Tampa Bay Buccaneers and finally in week four , the Atlanta Falcons . If they can come out of those four games with a 3-1 mark , then it is my belief that the team can win the division as well as having a winning record , with no more than twelve games being good enough to win the AFC East outright.
Baseball has begun its mid-season showcase with their All Star Game festivities . Meanwhile, a giant cloud has been cast over the game that is likely to cause a major upheaval within baseball and for the remainder of the season . Bud Selig`s lax stewardship of the game has seen its image deteriorate , alienating the fans and in many cases a mass withdrawal in attendance for a number of teams, with a decline for a number of games. . The fact that the names of several major stars have been linked to the scandal plagued South Florida firm Biogenesis and its now indictment of owner , Anthony Bosch .
The landscape of the divisional and wildcard races will be severely altered should MLB carry out their measures of suspending these players for as many as one hundred games . The commissioner has simply been living in a delusional vacuum over the past decade . And even with adopting what he believes to be the strictest testing policy in all of professional team sports , baseball still remains plagued by steroid cheats, and there has not been a damn thing done by the league hierarchy to abate the problem. The rescinding of Ryan Braun`s suspension in 2012 , simply was proof of that , with Bud Selig being overly critical of the arbitrator who presided over the case . Selig would have been better off level is criticism at the testing facility who mishandled the player`s test samples . Yet, this was something ignored by this buffoon , who continues to make a complete ass of himself as baseball`s highest ranking executive .
As great a spectacle as the event is meant to be , it will mean nothing in the end, whichever of the two leagues prevails in the game on Tuesday night at Citi-Field in Flushing , New York . Baseball placed itself in this predicament , simply because they are afraid of and to deal with the power of the MLBPA (union) . And the very fact that many the game`s high-profiled stars have seen fit to stand idly by , as the game is besmirched by fellow players , who simply have no wish to abide by the rules of the game or its tenets of a sport with a now tainted image.
Baseball was privileged to have its second no-hitter of the season , as Tim Lincecum pitched a complete game in the San Francisco Giants` victory over the San Diego Padres in a lopsided 9-0 win on Saturday afternoon . The fact that the Padres would rebound from that loss to defeat the Giants the following day with an astounding 10-1 victory , tells you how diabolical the NL West division just happens to be this season . There is a scarcity of great baseball being played within the division in spite of the recent run by what appears to a resurgent Los Angeles Dodgers . Much of that has come down to the heroics of their rookie phenom Yasiel Puig . Tim Lincecum can now add a no-hitter to his already impressive resume` as being a two-time Cy Young winner with the Giants as well as a two-time World Series champion with the ball-club.
At 43-51 , the defending World Series champions now find themselves 9 ½ games out of the wild-card play and some 6 ½ games out first place within the division . One could point to the fact that injuries have played their part in the woes of the Giants , but a great deal of the team`s dilemma has come from inconsistent pitching and a woefully inept offense . Bruce Bochy and his staff will now have to muster all of their guile if the team is to have any chance of playing themselves into contention and the possibility of winning their third World Series title in four years.
As the praise is now being heaped upon the shoulders of Chris Davis and his play this season for the Baltimore Orioles . I can`t help but wonder how the purists can overlook the achievements of Raul Ibanez . As a forty-one year old, the Seattle Mariners` slugger has recorded his tenth consecutive season of fifteen or more home runs alongside at least fifty runs batted in . All but a select few players at that age,have achieved that feat , and a number of those in question were destined for the Hall of Fame .
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By clicking on an individual frame you can view tat picture in its original formatted size .
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Picture gallery.
While no one questions the fortitude of Ibanez , doubts have come into question concerning Chris Davis` record breaking season in terms of his home runs tally , which leads the Majors with at thirty-seven home runs . Personally , I have long-held the contention that ever since Barry Bonds … obliterated the single season home runs` mark , nothing is out the realms of being possible, as it relates to such feats ! possibility . Davis may well continue to deny any wrongdoing on his part , but I have yet to hear the player himself, be even remotely critical of his peers associated with the era of steroids and cheating. So make of it , what you will .Your thoughts on this, and anything else you believe pertinent to the subject matter ?
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tophatal ……. 07/15/2013
Picture and slide show details below .
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(1)Dwight Howard, center, poses for a group photo with, from left, Yao Ming , Ralph Sampson , Hakeem Olajuwon and Elvin Hayes after he was introduced as the newest member of the Houston Rockets during ceremonies at Toyota Center on Saturday, July 13, 2013, in Houston. The free agent officially joined the Rockets with a news conference and public rally. AP Photo/ Houston Chronicle, Smiley N. Pool …
(2) Dwight Howard smiles as he addresses a press conference where he was introduced as the newest member of the Houston Rockets during ceremonies at Toyota Center on Saturday, July 13, 2013, in Houston. The free agent officially joined the Rockets with a news conference and public rally. AP Photo/ Houston Chronicle, Smiley N. Pool ….
(3) In this Jan. 11, 2013, photo, Minnesota Timberwolves forward Andrei Kirilenko (47) drives past New Orleans Hornets forward Al-Farouq Aminu during a basketball game in New Orleans. A person with knowledge of the deal says the Brooklyn Nets have agreed to a contract with Kirilenko. The person, speaking Thursday, July 11, 2013, on condition of anonymity because the deal has not been announced, says Kirilenko has accepted the taxpayer’s mid-level exception worth about $3.2 million. The contract includes a player option for the second year. AP Photo/Bill Haber ….
(4) Alfonzo Dennard leaves a Lincoln Nebraska Courthouse, with his attorney , having been found guilty of assaulting a law enforcement officer in Lincoln, Nebraska . YNETH ROBERTS/THE JOURNAL-STAR/AP
(5) San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Tim Lincecum is bent over as water hits the crowd of Giant players celebrating Lincecum’s no-hitter over the San Diego Padres in a baseball game in San Diego, Saturday, July 13, 2013. Tim Lincecum has thrown his first career no-hitter and the second in the majors in 11 days, a gem saved by a spectacular diving catch by right fielder Hunter Pence in the San Francisco Giants’ 9-0 win against the last-place San Diego Padres on Saturday night. AP Photo/Lenny Ignelzi …
(6)Baltimore Orioles’ Chris Davis follows through on a two-run home run against the Toronto Blue Jays in the third inning of a baseball game, Sunday, July 14, 2013, in Baltimore. It was Davis’ 37th this season. AP Photo/Gail Burton …
(7) Seattle Mariners’ Raul Ibanez (28) doubles in a run as Los Angeles Angels catcher Chris Iannetta looks on in the fifth inning of a baseball game on Sunday, July 14, 2013, in Seattle. AP Photo/Elaine Thompson …
(8) Raul Ibanez (28) of the Seattle Mariners hits his second home run of the game against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim in the seventh inning at Safeco Field on July 12, 2013 in Seattle, Washington. Otto Gruele Jr/Getty Images ….
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Brooklyn Nets 2013 Draft Class
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Tophatal's Blog 
Chris Davis has never it more than 30 home runs in a season , until last year and now again this season . Much like an Orioles` predecessor , Brady Anderson , questions will arise as to Davis , much as they did with Anderson , who 1996 (50 home runs) never hit that pinnacle of more than 25 again in a season . Steroid user ? Well let`s just say , Brady Anderson never answered that question . As for Chris Davis , he still proclaims his innocence.
Ibanez has simply been amazing over the course of his career .
The Nets are looking break all of the “Cardinals rules“ with regard to the game from an economic standpoint and David Stern doesn`t even have the balls to punish the franchise with impunity .
As a die-hard Pats` fan I would like the Hernandez and Dennard stories to disappear , but I know that they won`t , because these two athletes are too ###king dumb for their own good .
As to the NFL stepping up and being proactive as to its image and the behavioral issues of the players. There is a better than even chance that we will see Lindsay Lohan win an Oscar or Paris Hilton win a Grammy (with her, having been signed to Lil` Wayne`s YMCMB record label) .
It`s called acting folks ! LOL,LOL ,LOL !!!
Paris Hilton , a rapper ? Should Nikki Minaj feel threatened ?
Courtesy of Huffington Post
Best rapper alive ? Lil` Wayne , in his own mind , maybe ! Most definitely te best businessman in spite of is wealth and the fact he can write off this bone-headed and dumb @ss idea of signing Paris Hilton .
Rap music has now become, all too banal and dull .
tophatal ………
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If Lil’ Wayne is the best rapper alive, then it’s sad state for rap music right now.
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Maurice
Wayne`s music and the way he portrays himself , is an act with a great deal of posturing . He is about as tough as a bottle of baby formula . As to his music , it is about as refreshing as suffering a bout of diarrhea .
If misogyny is the only thing that he can aspire to in terms of his music , then it shows that he really as nothing inspirational at all to say .
tophatal ………….
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I’ve never been a fan of Lil’ Wayne, but if it’s not him, then who is the best rapper alive these days? Jay-Z’s latest offering Magna Carta the Holy Grail didn’t sound too strong to me.
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Maurice
Rap has evolved over the years and the genre to my mind has become banal . Far too many of the artists would rather posture , rather than actually show real creativity and ingenuity in terms of their art form .
Two of my favorites are Talib Kweli , Mos Def and along wit many of te early stuff from Common ! I really like content that is socially and politically aware while truly making a statement . One of the reasons wy I find Kanye to be something of an imbecile at times . Brings out a terrific piece as Diamonds , talking about conflict diamonds. Then the next minute is dumb @ss is talking about wearing $150,000 gold chain and all of the jewellery he as amass as well as his wealth . Both he and Kim Kardashian deserve each other , because their combined IQ`s might not even be the equivalent of a gnat`s .
tophatal …
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Jay z with is estimated $500 million fortune and Beyonce` on his arm doesn`t care, now . Look , he already one of te biggest selling artists over the last decade , and if nothing else , he is one ell of a shrewd businessman . If I am not mistaken , everyone of his CD`s has gone platinum . So that in of-itself should tell you something about him as an artist .
tophatal …………..
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There is only so much misogyny the listener can tolerate before they get turned off by a male or female rap artist .
tophatal ………
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Chris Davis of the Orioles now leads the Majors with 37 home runs , but were he to break the single season home run record . Would you as a fan , see it as being valid ? Chime in with your thoughts on that .
All time career home run record , single season progressive and progressive home run record by top ten and by leagues (AL & NL)
tophatal …..
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If I were Davis I would be be volunteering to be tested right now, to confirm to the world he’s clean.
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Maurice
Let`s be real if Chris Davis really wants profess his innocence , then let him do so by revealing the days , weeks and months that he has been tested over the past two years , along with the factual evidence , rather than pleading his case orally . Most players really seem to think that the vast majority of fans should simply take them at their word . Idiots bought into the bulls#it that Ryan Braun and Alex Rodriguez were selling . Now look were it has gotten them .
tophatal ……..
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The sooner MLB confirms he’s clean the better. They don’t need another home run record chase ending up with another cheater.
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Maurice
If Chris Davis is found not to be clean , will he use the excuse used by US track star Tyson Gay ? Oh, he trusted people with his dietary and supplemental needs ? What sort of a bull$#it excuse is that ?
Gay , along with several Jamaican track and field stars are now said to be under investigation by the IAAF , after it was revealed that banned substances were found in a hotel room where these athletes were said to have resided during a track meet , recently .
Courtesy of USA Today
Athletes in today`s modern sports` world are simply not mature enough or intelligent to own up , much less be responsible for their own actions . And many of today`s journalists actually lack the damn integrity to call them out on tat fact . Instead those idiots make the excuse about age ? These are not children , but adults . OK , so we can send eighteen and twenty-one year old girls and boys off to war , but we cannot consider them mature enough to be held accountable ? That is why I find Christine Brennan of USA Today such a pious and sanctimonious b#tc$ ! What she knows about sports and sports` journalism could be written on te back of match-book or a first class stamp .
tophatal …………….
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Even if what Gay is saying is true, that he was sabotaged, he’s still responsible for what goes into his body, and so would Chris Davis be.
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Maurice
These athletes are not as stupid as they at times try to make themselves out to be . A-Rod`s lack of contrition and his excuse of using his cousin , Yuri Sucart , is another example of what is wrong in sports today . Never mind the fact that the Yankees were gullible enough to believe his diatribe . And so too were the MLB hierarchy led by tat @ss, Bud Selig .
tophatal ………….
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Only reason Padres won yesterday was because I was in the stadium! Otherwise this motley crew would have lost again. 2nd and final game of the year for me…ownership isn’t getting anymore of my $ until they start spending on some quality players.
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drew
The Padres this season seem to be an impenetrable lost cause . They alongside the Astros and Marlins might be the three worst performing teams in all of baseball beyond their respective divisional and wildcard standings .
It`s sad to see teams really make no attempt at being even remotely competitive , but yet idiot fans are trying to maintain that there is a balanced playing field in baseball , because of the invariable number of ball-clubs to have won the World Series over the past few years . That is not a true indication of anything . What is a true reflection are the teams who make it to postseason , by way of the divisional series and then move on .
Also, it seems the individuals trying to sell us on that balanced playing field premise , seem to forget the imbalances created because of team salaries . The Yankees and Dodgers combined have a joint payroll in excess of four hundred and forty-five million dollars ($445,000,000) for just this season alone . They`re (fans) obviously not intelligent enough to figure that out for themselves as it is ! And I can see the reason why ! It is easy to talk a lot of bull and make it sound believable and sensible , if you believe to be true to begin with .
tophatal ……….
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I always look forward to the all-star game. I might even stay up past my bedtime to catch a few innings.
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aero
I love everything that the All Star festivities represents because of the four major professional team sports . This might be the only one that is truly fan-friendly .
Last night , the A`s … Yoenis Cespedes ran away with the Home Run Derby , and he was never really challenged at any point during the event .
tophatal ………………..
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So Ron Artest will sign with the Knicks, Al. Just when we thought that team couldn’t get any more dysfunctional.
I think the Rockets will be solid this year. Dwight needed a fresh start. Again, we’ll see how long that lasts. I think they’ll do well in the regular season, maybe even win a playoffs series. After that, I’m a little skeptical but as with anything, I guess time will tell.
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Chris Humpherys
When it comes to Artest (Metta World Peace) there is simply only one thing left to say .. misery loves company .
At this stage of his career , I mean, what does he have left to offer the Knicks ? Surely not his play , or personality ? So you tell me how will the team profit from having him on their roster ? This was a signing not out of necessity , but one of sheer stupidity . And as we know , the franchise is known more for their stupidity in recent years , rather than for their ingenuity .
The Rockets will be good this upcoming season but do you honestly believe that they are as good or will be better than the Thunder , Spurs or perhaps the Clippers , after all of the recent moves made by those teams ?
tophatal ……….
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the thing that’s floats my boat is the Brasileiros Serie A. The upcoming EPL season, Baseball I don’t seven jkow what’s going except what I read in your blog-Tambem with NBA/NFL. I am tired of watching and caring about rapists murderer’s drug addicts/ Alcholics DWI and the thugs in the NFL and the race baiters in the NFL- The entire pro sports culture is evil.
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bobby gee
It is as I have repeatedly said , the NFL , NBA and MLB simply does not show the earnest to clean up its image, much less deal with the behavioral issue of their players . Bud Selig says he wants to render his judgment and verdict over the Biogenesis scandal as soon as possible , but in reality , we know how this will all play out . The union will get involved and this will play out , either in the courts or under arbitration . All posturing , and as usual no real action coming from Selig under his mediocre leadership .
It is not only the sports culture that is bad, but society in general . Simply look at the behavior of our elected officials within the House and Senate , as proof of evidence . They do not always show proper etiquette at all , and that is within both parties , and also amongst the elected male and female legislators .
tophatal ………………
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they think we are the subjects not the sovereign. Read some Doctor Thomas Sowell and Walter E Williams These two men are some of my heroes and men I respect.
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bobby gee
The athletes have been placed upon a pedestal by the press who have created a facade and perception that we ought to believe many of the stories about these stars as to their integrity and principles . In reality the media are just clueless and as insipidly stupid as the athletes they cover , who are extremely flawed .
Consider the fact that USA Today`s Christine Brennan was questioning the fact that US track star Tyson Gay tested positive for a banned substance . Has her head been buried in the sand over the past decade ? Where the hell has she been during tat span , as it relates to not only track and & field , cycling , but also baseball and football as as relates to te athletes` behavioral issues as well as their use of banned stimulants ?
Courtesy of USA Today by Christine Brennan
As to baseball itself , Bud Selig is once again proving what a complete ass , he just happens to be , by stating that he will not render a decision to any possible multi-game suspension until after the 2013 postseason. The game`s credibility and integrity is already in complete disarray and this decision only further emboldens the players to carry on cheating .
This season as already been devalued with regard to the Biogenesis scandal and now we have this rather asinine decision simply being made to appease the owners and union (MLBPA-players` union) , merely because of the possible monetary impact . Selig no longer has any integrity or the complete respect of te fans .
tophatal ……………
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