Not so newsworthy moments in the world of sports and then there are some that are worth contemplating
Well, after a rather lackluster display by the Miami Heat , the consensus favorites for this season’s NBA title , were summarily given a lesson in humility , and Heat power forward Chris Bosh had to eat crow. As to the whining by fans who felt that the title was the Miami Heat’s by divine right, begs the question, are they really as dumb as they tend to sound and look ? During the off-season, Heat Team President Pat Riley and team owner , Micky Arison will be left to ponder whether not paying out the ” big bucks” actually amounts to anything, when the organization was counting on making history this past postseason. Four consecutive NBA Finals , two victories and two rather embarrassing losses in which the Heat were favored both times , now leaves the league deciding, what can they do next to sell the fans by way of an image. David Stern and his successor , Adam Silver, have never been the ones to champion the less glamorous teams within the NBA and most certainly it would seem, that the only people favoring the San Antonio Spurs to win the title, were the Spurs fans themselves and perhaps the uninitiated and first time observer of the NBA.
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Slideshow .
A 4-1 series’ win and in many ways reminiscent of the Detroit Pistons annihilation of the 2004 Los Angeles Lakers , in that season’s NBA Finals . This series provided the fans of the NBA another lopsided contest , during which the game’s best player LeBron James , could not single handedly defy the odds stacked against him, while seeking pull his team out of a hole that they dug for themselves during the NBA Finals. Where the Miami Heat now goes from here is rather dependent upon the mindset of the front office led by team owner , Micky Arison and Team President Pat Riley . There is no doubt that the roster will have to be rebuilt from the ground up , with several of the players being jettisoned. One , if not two members from the Heat’s core of their Big Three are likely to be shed and the likelihood that Dwyane Wade could very well be the player seen as superfluous to the team’s needs.
The astonishing achievement of the San Antonio Spurs cannot be praised enough, with a fifth title to the franchise’s already impressive history, beyond the Spurs making the postseason for the sixteenth consecutive season. Something that has not been accomplished by another NBA franchise since Bill Russell was a member of those memorable Boston Celtics’ teams that won nine championships during an eleven-year span.
The NBA has never been truly appreciative of their teams, but the t hierarchy is now inclined to sell their superstars to the public along with the persona built up by a litany of agents, lawyers, advisers and image consultants. Unfortunately, what should be seen as a team sport has now become all about individualistic achievement , with the fans buying into the garbage being sold by the league. The San Antonio Spurs’ win of the title might not necessarily change the face of that premise but it might somehow change the landscape if only momentarily , with some fans actually getting to know what the meaning of team achievement is all about.
As the NFL off-season is summarily about the chance for the rookies acclimatizing themselves with the rigors of playing football at the professional level. The league suffered a heart rendering loss with the passing of four-time winning Superbowl coach , with the death of Pittsburgh Steelers’ legend Chuck Noll . The eighty-two year old former head coach died this past weekend and will be sorely missed by the Steelers’ fans as well as the rest of the NFL. There might not have been a more revered coach in NFL history than Noll, perhaps with the exception of Vince Lombardi , whose name adorns the Superbowl Trophy. I am sure the league as well as the Pittsburgh Steelers will find a way to commemorate Noll during this upcoming season . Pittsburgh has always been appreciative of their heroes and Chuck Noll was certainly a great deal more than that, within the steel town. He lived and breathed the game and the success attained was symbolic of what the franchise was said to be about, during his reign as the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Last season would prove to be disappointing for the Pittsburgh Steelers, within Mike Tomlin’s players failing to make the postseason with the team performing poorly within the AFC North, AFC and the league .
The Steelers’ failure was more to don with GM Kevin Colbert not seeking to bolster the team’s roster after some significant departures of several seasoned veterans. Cost-cutting by the front office might well have seemed prudent , but it severely hampered the chances of the team to be competitive last season. This off-season proved to significant for the coaching staff , front office , with Tomlin and Colbert seeking to make what they feel were the necessary adjustments needed by way of the draft and free agent acquisitions. . I truly believe that the Steelers will only go as far as Ben Roethlisberger is capable of carrying the team and in recent years the Steelers’ quarterback knows that he has failed to do at the level leading many to believe that the two Superbowl victories were not a simple aberration. Troy Polamalu, a teammate of Roethlisberger over the past few years and member of the rosters in the franchise’s most recent victories in the Superbowl, is essentially in the twilight of his career. Injuries , have begun to plague the defensive player and this could very well be his last season with the team.
It will be interesting to see how the Pittsburgh Steelers fare during the regular season ,with their preseason merely being viewed as a dress rehearsal for the team’s sojourn in 2014. Pittsburgh will being their season with a week one divisional contest against the Cleveland Browns . Cleveland for their part will want to start a new chapter afresh, even with the advent of the hyperbole surrounding their drafting of Johnny Manziel . Whether or not Manziel can beat out the presumptive starting quarterback, Brian Hoyer , remains to be seen. Browns’ heads coach Mike Pettine believes Hoyer to have the edge over his rookie teammate. Yet, with the Cleveland fans likely to be clamoring to see the 2012 Heisman Trophy winner, it will see interesting to see how this duel will pan out over the course of the Browns’ schedule.
I am not one to always start shouting, ” buyers beware” ,but with the career of Josh Freeman now in complete tailspin , it is hard to imagine how Jon Gruden will z be of any real aid to the former Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ starting quarterback . While the winning of a Superbowl can add some legitimacy to a coach’s resume’, in the case of Gruden after that victory, his career simply spiraled downwards, while his ego took on gigantic proportions. Now an NFL analyst for ESPN , the former head coach spends a great deal of his time now assessing the quarterbacks recently drafted in the NFL. As to his thoughts on Freeman, well those are not publicly known. I can only surmise, Jon Gruden still believes that Josh Freeman is capable of being a starting quarterback in the NFL or quite possibly a capable backup in the league. Having been let go by the Buccaneers in late 2013 ,Freeman was picked up by the Minnesota Vikings whose passing game was definitely challenged with Christian Ponder holding down theposition as the team’s starting quarterback. Ponders’ lack of leadership and with their being very little faith in his abilities , along with a the preponderance to be injury prone, has led to not only his likely demotion, but his career possibly coming to an end with the franchise.
Josh Freeman regaining any type of form , is unlikely to see his career resumption as a starter in the NFL. He was unable to command the respect of teammates while with the Buccaneers and his later playing time with the Vikings can be best described as being mediocre.
The passing of a legend in any sport has to be met with a moment of solitude and solemnity. Hall of Fame baseball player Tony Gwynn’s death at the age of fifty-four comes not only as complete shock, but as a complete surprise to those who knew him best. He might well be viewed as one of the greatest players in San Diego Padres’ history and to my mind the greatest pure hitter of his generation and one of the top-ten in baseball history. Gwynn’s accomplishment as a seven-time NL batting champion and the player who has come closest to hitting the .400 plateau in the modern era. A feat last matched by another Hall of Fame player who was as much beloved as Tony Gwynn by his peers and his successors. Ted Williams remains among the pantheon of baseball greats as does Tony Gwynn and it seems sacrosanct to think that a game where we once applauded the achievements of Gwynn and Williams are now overshadowed by the failings and deceit by players such as Ryan Braun and Alex Rodriguez .
Baseball’s failure under the leadership of Bud Selig , remains a microcosm of what only bedevils the sport, but sports in general and one simply has to look at the ongoing idiocy within the NBA., NFL and the lack of leadership being shown by Adam Silver and Roger Goodell . Gwynn’s passing and the difficulties now facing the San Diego Padres is another painstaking reminder of what can happen with the continued failings of a once proud baseball franchise . There is little to suggest that the Padres can be competitive within the NL West this season and while the San Francisco Giants now seem to be running away with the division. Two months into the MLB season and the Giants are not only the best team in the NL but they are by far in a way the best ball-club in baseball , based not just on their record, but also in terms of their all-round play. Bruce Bochy’s players are playing with a great deal of intensity and with their pitching staff being remarkably consistent along with an offense that seems to be getting some timely hitting when least expected.
Coming into today’s game against the Seattle Mariners at Safeco Field in Seattle , Washington , the Padres are the losers of eight of their last ten games, while on a two-game losing streak . For manager Bud Black , his coaching staff , and the team in particular , these are some trying times for ball club now sitting in third place within the NL West just above the Arizona Diamondbacks (30-43) who have a better overall record , but from a percentage standpoint they sit at the bottom of the divisional standings. On the mound for the Padres will be Eric Stults facing off against Roenis Elias of the Mariners in an inter-league game between the two ball-clubs.
How baseball now chooses to honor Tony Gwynn’s passing will say a great deal as to how much they revere their heroes . Certainly, the Padres’ player was one of the most beloved players of his era and most definitely his induction into the Hall of Fame was justified and a worthy bestowing upon Gwynn. There have been few players who carried themselves with such grace and poise on and off the field ,while being appreciated by the fans and his fellow peers alike.
Far be it for me to suggest, but witnessing the falling apart of the Tampa Bay Rays’ season from their own self- inflicted wounds , has been very much like a child who has been repeatedly told not to place their hands upon a hot stove. Coming into the this year , there were those lauding the Rays as the best team in the AL East and the favorites to in that highly competitive division outright. Instead, we have witnessed a team playing with little consistency , lacking leadership among the playing and coaching staff . As to the rather asinine rhetoric coming from manager Joe Maddon . You simply have to ask yourself is the best he can come up with, in spite of the claims he is one of the best managers in the game of baseball. Maddon may well have been able to achieve miracles over the years , with the organization paring down salary to compete with the very best, but there comes a point where you have to ask , how much longer can this go on and how much tolerant will the fans be? It should be noted also, the Rays play at Tropicana Field , where their fan-base is marginally above 15,000 in attendance , but there remains the constant cry that they are in need of a new venue. Clearly, the front office , their fans and baseball’s hierarchy are not in a position to understand the lack of feasibility of a ball club that is far from being self-sustaining from a business standpoint . Whenever I have posed the question to a die-hard Rays’ fan about the ball-club moving to a new venue. The response has often bordered on being absolutely idiotic and nonsensical , with their giving an answer , the money is there to make this all happen.
If the owners of the Tampa Bay Rays, can barely afford to have a payroll in excess of $65 million , while remaining uncompetitive. Then what would lead them to believe that fans or should I say, the city of St Petersburg, Pinellas or Hillsborough County would be willing to make that sort of financial outlay for a baseball stadium, that would be barely filled for an eighty-one game schedule? If the MLB hierarchy are unwilling to assist the Tampa Bay Rays , then clearly the issue at hand is not simply about baseball , but it does seem to have more to do with Bud Selig playing favorites , while looking down upon some teams and their owners. Anyone care to offer up another viewpoint on that particular issue, given the fact , Selig came to the aid of New York Mets , New York Yankees and Miami Marlins in the building of new stadiums for the three organizations in question ?
The world’s biggest sporting spectacle is now under way and with due respect to the Superbowl , that specific sporting event, cannot in any way measure up to the Summer Olympics or the FIFA World Cup now being staged in Brazil. The host country , in the opening game of the tournament came away with a lackluster 3-1 victory over Croatia and England’s chances may well have been severely hampered with a 2-1 defeat suffered at the hands of Italy , in their opening game. Jurgen Klinsmann , head coach of Team USA saw his players come through unscathed with a very good win over African powerhouse Ghana . Though Klinsmann , might now feel extremely worried with the injuries suffered by Jozy Altidore and Clint Dempsey during what was a very physical contest. Reigning champions, Spain , may well have seen their hopes go up in flames when they fell to the Netherlands in a 5-1 thrashing , that was the largest margin of defeat suffered by a world champion during the World Cup tournament.
As this tournament proceeds , we are likely to see the boisterous passion of the fans be exhibited. Behind this all, lies a country where there exists a great deal of distrust of the government and where the allegations of bribery and corruption have been revealed with the Interior Ministry and FIFA making claims that the allegations are unfounded. Unfortunately, there exists a pattern of behavior by soccer’s governing body that has become endemic within the world of sports. Joseph ‘Sepp’ Blatter, FIFA’s President has been the subject of close scrutiny in recent years and his tenure as that body’s highest ranking executive has left him untouched by the scandals, even some of his closest allies and subordinates have been embroiled in a variety of misdeeds. Falling on the sword for your superior is one thing, but for him to also point the finger while also swinging the blade above your head , might be something different altogether . Explain that to me, if you can ?
Now Blatter has sunk the level of those, whom he believes have begun to make sport of soccer so vile , by suggesting that those who have been critical of the officiating during the tournament , are nothing more than avowed racists. That is now all we need to bring the game down to the gutter level now witnessed within the NFL and NBA. Thanks, but, no thanks !
The second golf major of the PGA season came and went without a great deal of excitement and with no home-grown player, from the US, being able to mount a credible challenge to Martin Kaymer of Germany, as he completely dominated the US Open at Pinehurst Resort in Pinehurst , North Carolina. Kaymer’s margin of victory had more to do with his exceptional play over four rounds of golf as his fellow competitors simply struggled . It was the German’s second major of his professional career , having won the 2010 PGA Championship , pushes Kaymer back up the world golf rankings , where , having moved seventeen places to sit in the eleventh spot of the rankings. Current world number one Adam Scott is followed by Henrik Stenson , Bubba Watson , Tiger Woods , Matt Kuchar and Rory McIlroy , rounding out the top five.
With Tiger Woods having missed the US Open , there remains mounting speculation as to whether or not he can or will make a successful return to the PGA Tour this season. Woods may well be saying the right things, while trying to remain positive ,but the issues with the player, have become his physical health and the state of his overall game .His performances this season have been lackluster and under-achieving by even his own lofty goals. With official tour prize money winnings in excess of $100 million , off-course earnings exceeding $65 million annually and estimated fortune of $600 million . I am beginning to wonder if Tiger Woods has now become tired of the drudgery of being full-time professional on PGA Tour! At the same time, his pursuit of Jack Nicklaus’ eighteen Grand Slam major victories , once seen as a certainty , now seems all the more distant with each passing misstep by the player, as he seeks to pass his idol.
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Picture gallery .
At this point of his career Tiger Woods has proven himself to be the best player of his generation , but he will continue to be adjudged against the accomplishments of Jack Nicklaus. Unless Woods is able to surpass Nicklaus’ mark of Majors’ wins , then he will be always be thought as second best and not much else beyond that. Your thoughts on the points raised and what other sports’ stories have been of interest to you over the past ten days ?
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Picture and slideshow details below .
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(1) Members of the San Antonio Spurs celebrate their winning of the 2014 NBA Finals after their lopsided game five victory over the Miami Heat. Kawhi Leonard of the Spurs was named the Finals’ MVP , after an astonishing Finals’ series by the player. AP Photo / Garry Heard …
(2) Peter Holt , CEO & owner of the San Antonio Spurs is seen here taking receipt of the Larry O’Brien Trophy from NBA Commissioner Adam Silver , signifying the franchise being crowned the 2014 NBA champions . This was the Spurs’ fifth win of the title in their history with all five championships victories having been coached by Gregg Popovich . AP Photo / Amy Jones …..
(3) “The big three” of Manu Ginobili , Tony Parker and Tim Duncan have won four NBA championships together. Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE/Getty Images …
(4) Chuck Noll , a legendary coach who died at the age of eighty-two, having led the Pittsburgh Steelers to four of their six Superbowl victories. An inductee in the Hall of Fame , Knoll joins a hallowed group of individuals associated with the franchise. Courtesy of ESPN
(5) ESPN analyst and commentator Jon Gruden is seen here with Josh Freeman . Gruden has agreed to take the player under his wing while seeking to assist Freeman in resurrecting his game. The player a first round draft pick in the 2009 NFL Draft by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers , with an uneven group of performances littering an otherwise understated career in the league . AP Photo / Rick Fowler ….
(6) .Hall of Fame player Tony Gwynn whose death from cancer has come as a shock to the baseball world . For the past few years he was rarely seen in public , with his health deteriorating from this particular form of oral cancer (parotid cancer of the salivary gland). A career .308 hitter , Gwynn’s career was littered with accolades , and his legacy with the San Diego Padres are well chronicled as are his noted feats of achievements . Getty Images North America / Ron Smith …
(7) Clint Dempsey (8) celebrates his goal after eleven seconds into the first half of Team USA’s game against group opponents Ghana . The win places the US team in a favorable position to advance to the next round , but their next two games will prove to be extremely difficult . REUTERS/UPI / Tony Harris …
(8) Jun 15, 2014; Pinehurst, NC, USA; Martin Kaymer poses with the trophy in front of the leader board during the final round of the 2014 U.S. Open golf tournament at Pinehurst Resort Country Club #2 Course. Kaymer won the event with considerable ease and was never seriously challenged < leading wire to wire throughout the tournament. Kevin Liles/ USA TODAY Sports ……..
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Tophatal's Blog 
It’s now time . for the bitching and whining to stop and for the not too intelligent sports’ fans to wake up and smell the coffee . Not all that glitters is gold . The Miami Heat are a good team , but they are not a great team and they are nowhere near being accorded the accolade of being deemed a dynasty . Leave such feats of greatness to those that worthy . The franchise is now 2-2 in four consecutive Finals’ appearance , Now weigh that up against sixteen straight playoff appearances and five NBA titles . I rest my case ! Now if they are still any proponents of the Heat and their greatness , let them step forward and explain their case succinctly .
Baller , shot-caller or none of the above ? Bosh of the Miami Heat Always prepared to fly via Air LeBron and on his coat-tails
The Heat’s Big Three should be literally called the Big One and Something . By comparison the Spurs do have a Big Three , but anal retentive fans don’t deem them glamorous enough , with as all three having won at a minimum , four titles apiece .
Chris Bosh in spite of his presumed in intelligence needs to shut the $$ck up , with his rhetoric of ” why not us “ ? Why the @@ck . when you yourself barely showed up in this series never mind the postseason for your team ?
The death of Chuck Noll should remind us , but the NFL in particular that is not just the veteran players that they ought to show some compassion for but also the older former head coaches .
Is there anything left that needs to be said concerning the legacy of Tony Gwynn ?
Josh Freeman taking lessons from Jon Gruden in the art of being an NFL quarterback has to be seen as a frigging joke . What player has Gruden ever truly developed at the position during his professional career ? Rich Gannon ? I suppose the quarterbacks who played under him while he coached the Buccaneers also should be given a worthy mention ? LOL,LOL,LOL !!!
The Rays are a flawed team , where the pitching is and has been inconsistent this season . As for the offense , well let’s just say the moment that they can hit above their body weight , the better off they might actually be. .
Tiger Woods won’t be winning a Major anytime soon .
“We have no problem when it comes to the officiating during the World Cup , it’s these ###gers and other pieces of $hit who are belittling my sport ” Sepp Blatter , FIFA President
FIFA has the same damn issues that the NBA has , and which David Stern professed was unfounded , when it came to level of the officiating during the NBA postseason. While Stern and Joseph ‘Sepp’ Blatter now openly either try to ignore blatant racism or use it to further their own ends . It simply shows how fu#ked up the world of sports just happens to be . Meanwhile the apathy of the fans still remains .
tophatal ……………….
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The NBA a bore. Tony Gwynn was a class act. So was Chick Noll. I hope they knew and accept the Yeshua as their savior. Both of these men were good men. Sepp Blatter a freakin fool who is ruining the greatest game on earth. Noll took over a Steelers who were in total mess who had not a winnings season in God knows how long. Steelers and the Raiders and the immaculate reception for the Steelers first playoff win. This got the ball rolling. Gwynn was the greatest pure hitter since Ted Williams These men will be sorely missed. Sports is covered with total butt heads. ESPN is okay on the World Cup but everyone is saying the same thing. They are all on the same template This goes for the World press as well. Go Brasil
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bobby gee
I was so glad to see the Miami Heat upended in the NBA Finals ! I was simply sick and tired of these anal retentive fans wanting to see their asinine theory of history being created . Let me pose this question, the San Antonio Spurs over the past sixteen seasons have made the postseason without failure , but yet , fans and the NBA analysts alike , have been kissing the Heat’s a$s as if the team is dynasty led by a trio of basketball deities . Last I looked winning two NBA titles in four a Finals’ appearances was not the making of a dynasty or the true measure of a team being called great . That is the biggest crock of $hit by a bunch of anal retentive a$sholes with little or no common sense whatsoever .
The passing of Chuck Noll as well as Tony Gwynn was a real sad day for the world of sports and hopefully both will be treated with the reverence that they truly deserve .
I have to admit that ESPN’S coverage of the World Cup has been well above par . It has actually been made better by having guys such Gilberto , Ruud Van Nielstroy , Michael Ballack providing the analysis, rather than listening to airheads such as Taylor Twellman , Landon Donovan and Alexi Lalas .
tophatal ……….
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Me too. The Spurs hay days go back to the George Ice Man Gervin. San Antonio has a very good history. David Robinson but the media can’t see past New York LA, or any other city.
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The Spurs have been a class organization and one of the best ran franchises in the entire NBA . Team owner , Peter Holt , the coaching staff and team have simply been exemplary . Yet , as you say , the NBA are not necessarily concerned with teams, but merely the presence of their stars and the league’s image . That has been the way the NBA has always been ran in spite of this fu#king idiocy of David Stern , having been good for this league . If that were the case then why didn’t his f$cking dumb as do something about Donald Sterling when his antics first came to light several years ago ? No one has given a succinct answer concerning that , but instead they have chosen to show their frigging apathy and stupidity concerning the issue of his behavior .
tophatal ………….
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actually it was longer than that. the NBA has had hard on blacks since its inception.
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bobby
The NBA remains in denial on a wide number of issues that the hierarchy , owners and union would rather not address .
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me too
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bobby
There are some really dumb sports’ fans here in America who are also apathetic and fu##ing clueless on sports, that they claim they presumably know something about .
tophatal …………….
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Especially those on ESPN
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bobby
ESPN allegedly stands for ‘ Entertainment Sports Programming Network ‘ . But there has been nothing entertaining , when it comes to the network’s home grown talent providing analysis and coverage of the World Cup tournament, . Thankfully , the powers that be, , have seen fit to hire individuals with distinct knowledge of the game as on air commentators, as well as providing forthright analysis and insight on the games .
Landon Donovan is a monosyllabic buffoon with Taylor Twellman and Alexi Lalas not all that far behind .
” Taylor I have to admit that there was a time when we were players , I looked at you admiringly when we shared a stall in the showers . I simply loved the length of your manhood ” . Alexi Lalas (left) and Taylor Twellman
tophatal …………….
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Carmelo Anthony may well be seen as the biggest free agent during this off-season , but the most enticing is likely to be Kevin Love should he make the decision to out opt of his contract with the Timberwolves .
The Heat’s ‘ Big Three ‘ will have until the 27th June to make the decision as to whether or not each will opt out of their respective contracts . Team President and part-owner , Pat Riley has suggested that he would like to have Bosh , James and Wade return for next season , to fulfill what he says is unfinished business .
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tophatal ………….
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The passing of Gwynn should be a wakeup call for those who chew…but prolly won’t. Noll was a real class act, changed the Burgh which suffered throughout many years of no champs. Course the Rooneys are respected for what they have done by way o Chas Noll. Noll had a long and enjoyable life….he did handpick his replacement (Cowher), but I believe there would have been another Bowl game had Noll stayed one or two more years. By and large people only knew him as a coach, but he was much more than that.
2014 should be a good year for the Steelers, given some of their signings and the desire these bring, plus Pouncey is back…he is a lynchpin for the Offense t Center…..would like to see Moye play more, has much potential…….
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Al Clements
Chuck Noll’s passing is a sad day for football as it is for the NFL and in particular the Steelers’ organization in general. Sadly , there are those who are now making more out of his death by digging up issues (link inset & below) that should not be part of this most solemn of moments . I agree with the fact that had he remained as coach for another two or three seasons , quite possibly a fifth or sixth Superbowl victory could have been added to his list of astonishing achievements over the course of his illustrious career which I believe ranks up there alongside that of Vince Lombardi’s !
Courtesy of CBS Pittsburgh
As much as I like Terry Bradshaw , at times, he does come across as bit of a putz ! This is one of those times, because were it not for Noll , his career might not have been one which brought him enshrinement into the Hall of Fame as one of several Steelers players now inducted in Canton , Ohio .
Herein , lies the idiocy of Major League Baseball and its hierarchy and the fact they remain so damn clueless . They are for the backing of the illicit use of PED’S and other anabolic steroids but yet they ignore the known issue and harmful effects that comes from the use of chewing tobacco and cancer . Now , while both the issue of steroids and cheating , are important , shouldn’t the fact that chewing tobacco and the known side effect that have been proven in medical research by oncologists . Should that not be viewed as being a matter that ought to be addressed and also the impression that it tends to create among young kids who probably view it as being fashionable ? Tony Gwynn’s death is a clear indication of that , but whoever said that the union (MLBPA) , owners much less the league hierarchy were that intelligent to begin with ?
They’re simply no different from the dumb assholes who run the NBA and NFL for that matter in spite of the ongoing apathy of anal retentive assholes who view David Stern , Adam Silver and Roger Goodell as having a modicum of f%%king intelligence .
tophatal …………….
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Impressive run by the Spurs, Al. I’ll be the first to admit I underestimated them, not that they weren’t good but that I didn’t think they could actually win it all.
It’s good to still see that experience and solid team play will win over hype in the NBA every time.
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Chris Humpherys (SportsChump)
Explain to me how fans sought to overlook the San Antonio Spurs , while seemingly leaning towards more glamorized teams such as the Clippers , Thunder , Heat , Bull and Warriors ? And you suggested that there are allegedly knowledgeable fans in the Tampa Bay area much less across the US at large ? Obviously it is more about apathy and wanting to see history materializing in front of everyone’s eyes . Last I looked the Spurs’ run of making the postseason for sixteen consecutive seasons was beyond the achievement of the legendary Celtice’ teams that contained Bill Russell that won nine titles during an eleven year span. Yet , not once have I heard yourself or even Bleed acknowledge what the Spurs have achieved, but you suggest that the Miami Heat were ready to simply make this postseason a real cakewalk. They’re a good team but in no way are they are a truly great team . Four consecutive Finals’ appearances but only two NBA titles . A poor return on such a vast investment made by the Heat front office .
Are the Heat a consensus favorite for next season in your mind, given the makeup of the roster in terms of their bench beyond Chris Bosh , LeBron James and Dwyane Wade ? Wade performed miserably this postseason , but he wasn’t the sole issue behind the loss , because as I have said the team can’t rebound and they are not that good defensively in spite of the stats during the regular and postseason .
tophatal …………………
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With . ‘melo now opting out of his contract with the Knicks the already obnoxious fans in New York are already laying waste to the player’s legacy with the franchise . If anyone is to blame , then it belongs to the ongoing stupidity of the front office and now with Phil Jackson whose first move of note was the signing of Lamar Odom . How is that meant to influence the thinking of the player never mind having not yet acquired a high caliber coach , in the run-up to the NBA Draft ? Can no one actually see that fact at all ? The dumb asses of ESPN and anal retentive fans are fawning over Phil Jackson as if he were a centerfold from a Playboy expose’ .
The Knicks’ hiring of a rookie in Derek Fisher . Is this meant to be a good or a bad thing ? Merely basing this on Jason Kidd’s hiring with the Brooklyn Nets and their season having made the playoffs , it might be considered great . But then look beyond that and the makeup of the rosters of the Knicks and Nets . You can then see the mountain that Fisher will have to climb .
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Morgan Fox
Phil Jackson is no Morgan Fox or Megan Fox , for that matter . So what gives ?
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Megan Fox
tophatal …………………..
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For the second time in five years LeBron James wants the spotlight focused on him and thereby making this off-season all about a . narcissistic overbearing @sshole .
Opting out of . his contract , thereby leaving the Heat organization in a quandary along with the future of teammates , Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade .
Courtesy of the NBA
This was the Monster created by Pat Riley , who like George W Bush and Donald Rumsfeld , in manufacturing the pretext for war in Iraq , had no exit strategy . The same thing now applies with Riley , Micky Arison and the Miami Heat.
People need to realize , that what is best for LBJ , does not always serve the best interests of a team , no matter how slighted the player may well feel. First it was Dan Gilbert’s firing of Mike Brown and now it’s because his teammates let him down and failed so miserably in the most recent NBA Finals.
tophatal ……
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tophatal ……………………
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MLB standings (overall)
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I’m not saying that the Cubs , Astros and Rays are playing badly , but if they were clubbed over their collective heads by this chick’s breasts , would it be such a bad thing ?
tophatal
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With the NBA Draft now upon us, it would appear that a number of players thought to highly thought of prospects are likely to fall down the draft ladder . Most notably, is that of Joel Embiid , considering the player’s newly revealed health issues and his having to undergo an operation for plantar fasciitis , the similar sought of injury that brought about the abrupt end to the career of former Houston Rockets’ center and Chinese star Yao Ming .
:>
Embiid of the Jayhawks .
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A lot of information in this piece, but the biggest standout topic for me is Tony Gwynn…. a few things, for one, what a classy guy and one of the better hitters in history. He was truly a joy to watch play and it’s sad to see him die so young. I also liked seeing stories after his death, of players quitting tobacco and really trying to right that ship, so they don’t end up leaving this earth early, too. The tributes by many teams were also great.
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KP
Never mind the tributes consider the ongoing hypocrisy within baseball and their knowing the dangers of chewing tobacco and not once has Bud Selig sought to address that topic but yet his dumb ass and that of the league hierarchy went about chasing down steroid cheats and now comes the news they gave Alex Rodriguez a waiver to use a banned substance in 2007 .
Courtesy of USA Today
Tony Gwynn knew the dangers of the use of chewing tobacco, but idiot players , will continue with their dumb ass behavior no matter what . So there is not much left to be said .
tophatal ……………
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Not just Gwynn, everyone out there knows the dangers, yet people continue to do it… smoking, too. It is the addiction. But then again, why do people even start? So much has been done to get rid of it, with all the taxing of and high prices, yet people still do it. Stupid.
Interesting with A-Rod, did you see the headline about Tiger spending thousands on the same doctor that A-Rod had?
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KP (thewifehatessports.com)
Baseball and specifically the league hierarchy and union (MLBPA) are aware of the dangers of tobacco , but they have shown as much concern on that issue , as they have in truly trying to address the issue of steroid cheats . Bud Selig remains complete ass , along with union President Tony Clark .
Tim Finchem Chairman of the PGA Tour remains a frigging joke , as do their policy on use of banned substances by members (players) of the PGA Tour .
It was long known what Anthony Galea was up to and not a damn thing was done by MLB , Galea (an Orlando based doctor) in now incarcerated in a federal penal facility , serving twelve years .
The US remains a conundrum , filled with anal retentive sports’ fans who are so fu##ing clueless .
tophatal …………
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