Clemens No Hits DOJ

Roger Clemens was found innocent of all charges he lied to Congress yesterday and I have just a few opinions about the whole stupid trial. I will say upfront, I'm no big fan of Roger Clemens despite his time in Yankee Pinstripes. I think he was an abuser pure and simple but what evidence do I have other than a gut feeling.

First, what in the name of God is the Department of Justice doing bringing charges against anyone who lies before Congress? The litmus test being Bill Clinton never spending a moment in jail for telling one of the most famous lies of all time to Congress. Doesn't the government have better things to do with our hard earned tax dollars? What a joke of a Justice Department chasing suspected baseball players using steroids. Thank you Barrack Hussein Obama for your leadership.

Secondly, baseball at its roots has to take on some of the blame. So thank you Bud Selig for ignoring and not ridding the game of players using PED's that go back into the mid 1980's. You shuffled your job off to ex-Senator Mitchell to do the hack job that named names that were kept hermetically sealed (oh a few were leaked) without a hint of evidence. Baseball when all is said and done basically condoned the steroid era by its silence.

Lastly, I could care less who did and who didn't use and how it effects their entry into Cooperstown. It is what it is and the game of baseball and what it went through to get to where it is today is better for it.

Warning...Face"book"plant is Dangerous to your Wallet 

The greatest hype job in Wall Street history should have come fully equipped with a warning label. What was hoped for being the hottest IPO ever, has turned into one of the greatest flop or frauds of all-time. Blame can be passed around, from technical troubles on launch day to increasing the size and price of the offering but the main flaw in Facebook is, this company will have a most difficult time delivering consistent profits for its shareholders. It's a fad, nothing more and it's free. And on Wall Street, nothings free. So next time when Wall Street through the likes of Morgan Stanley or Goldman Sachs, comes touting its next best greatest most sure thing, you now have a reference point as to what can and will go wrong..."Faceplant"

Adios Califonia

California posts a whopping $9.1 Billion deficit.

California Dreaming is so over. I remember when California was the cutting edge of American culture. California was cool and all American's aspired to live a life of surf and sun. Hollywood was John Wayne and the Beach Boys sang about California Girls. Natural beauty was everywhere. Business's thrived, impart through a highly respected education system providing an abundant skilled workforce. California all by itself ranked as one of the leading economies in the world. It was a perfect merger of work and pleasure.
So what derailed the dream? What turned California into one giant welfare state? Government gone wild is my reason. Raising taxes and driving the population to more friendly confines sure got the ball rolling. Because when you over tax businesses and people, they find ways to reduce those added costs and that means relocation and that is what California is experiencing right now. A flight of their highly skilled workforce to places like Nevada, Arizona, Oregon or anyplace other that California. The people footing the bill are backing up their moving vans, leaving the state to those who choose to do nothing but remain on the governments dime. Until, there is change away from government is all things to all people, California is doomed. It's broke and it's not fixable. It's time for personal responsibility.

Monday's Shortstops

1. Boo, boo, boo to the NBA players and owners. When it came right down to it, TV executives must have pointed out the obvious, either get a deal done so games could be broadcast on Christmas Day or find some other "pot of gold". Billions to divide wins every time, right NFL?
2. LSU vs Alabama...again? Looks like the current BCS standings will give me an excuse to be anywhere but in front of my TV when the "big game" gets played. I probably won't waste time on those other worthless Bowl games too. I want a playoff, NOW.
3. How did Andrew Luck all of sudden go to being the underdog for the Heisman? He's the best player in college football and likely the first player drafted in the upcoming NFL draft. I'm so tired of SEC schools (Alabama) running up stats against poor quality opponents. In fact I'm sick of the SEC period.
4. Notre Dame Football stinks. And so does their coach. Nothing like a foul-mouthed coach screaming at players while patrolling the sidelines for the preeminent Catholic University in the World. He needs a confessional with a priest with a baseball bat waiting for him.
   
5. Tebow could be the mightiest running back in the NFL. Just look how defensive backs get out of his way. It's a whole other discussion about his passing accuracy though.
   
6. Urban Meyer + Ohio State = National Championships
7. March Madness gets an early start as both #1 North Carolina and UConn both lose. I can't wait until March. Now you know why I hate the NBA. Give me college hoops anyday.
   
8. Lastly, 18 holes, taking in a college B-Ball game, a dog and a beer. What's another working day for the President of the United States?
   

Random Monday Rants

1. Manny Ramirez - two failed drug tests and it's adios for Manny ever hearing his name called for Cooperstown. The ever growing steroid wing now has one of the greatest but flawed right handed hitters of all-time. Manny was only cared about the money he could earn and who can blame him, given what owners were willing to shell out to a guy they knew had no character. Oh, he was a character and in the end it was his downfall. So if you happen to be a Red Sox, Dodger or Rays fan, the ultimate memory of Manny is cheater and quitter.
2. The Masters and Augusta National - I know I'll take some heat on this but I don't buy into all the hype about the Masters and Augusta. What I believe it has turned into is a Par Five and Putting contest. It rewards those ultra long hitters who can tame their short 5-pars and those who can putt bikini waxed greens.
3. Yankees/Red Sox - I'm a Yankee fan, so I hate the Red Sox. But what I am really getting tired of is that every time these teams meet and it's 18 games per season it's the most meaningful game of the year. It's time to treat these early season games as just one of 162 and move on. Besides, MLB is running a huge risk of overexposure and even more so of understating the rest of MBL. I don't mind seeing Albert Pujols. Anyone watch the 60 Minutes segment last night? I want more Albert.
   
4. Obama Man - Now and only now that he's lost his grip on budgetary matters, he's willing to put in a few man hours and come up with what he says are new proposals. Like increasing taxes on the wealth is his new mantra.
5. NFL Draft - please raise your hand if this isn't the most tiring sports story year after year. Get on with it already. And please no season next year.
6. Lakers lose 5th straight - there is a God.

See you next week

March Madness?????

The only "Madness" in March Madness is the lack of talent, game after game. I can't believe the sum of money CBS and its partners are shelling out for such an inferior product. I love college basketball but remember I was raised in the time of John Wooden and UCLA. Back in the day teams like North Carolina, Indiana, Kentucky and Kansas scrubs could mop the floor with what's playing today. Oh, the games can be entertaining and thrilling, laced with buzzer beaters and upset galore but just look at who's doing it. Your local high schools can provide the same thrills at a fraction of the cost.

The college game is being literally destroyed by the one and done player. There is no continuity for teams who are forced to reload on a yearly basis. At programs like Kentucky, you need a program from game to game to figure out who's playing. And the money. My god the money is out of control. Coaches are now the highest paid state employees in states that can't come close to balancing thier fiscal budgets. And the NBA can't wait to take in these basketball skill lacking players and throw millions at them.

I say the only thing left for March Madness is the braket itself. Filling it out with the bravado that you actually know something no one else does and throwing a few bucks in the office pool. That's all what we care about anymore. I hope though someday, the games reclaim their importance and players like Robertson, West, Kareem, Walton, Ewing and Jordan create madness memories that will never be forgotten.

WHAT A JOKE

Boy oh boy is David Stern finally getting what he deserves. The self proclaimed crowned king of major sports commissioners has a serious problem on his hands and here's a bet he does nothing about it, as usual when an NBA star is talking his talk. Carmelo Anthony, who is under contract with the Denver Nuggets is saying publicly, he will only sign an extension, which Denver has had on the table for months, with the New York Knicks or New Jersey Nets. What a great guy. I'm taking my ball and going home and I'll only play where I want. The trouble is, the owner in Denver is already paying a boatload of cash for him to play at a "superstar" level for his team. The league should take Carmelo's comments serious and hit him exactly where it hurts the most. Fine his "backside", fine the Knicks and Nets for tampering and remove them as destinations sites for his upcoming free agency.

Stern, for years has tended to side with players over ownership. The NBA could quickly in the future be looking at a league concentrated in the larger media type cities such as New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Miami etc. And if you're an owner in places like Sacramento, Minneapolis, Cleveland and Charlotte you're out of luck but please keep writing those checks.

Bottom line...Carmelo is a spoiled brat bum of a player that shows no willingness to ascend to greatness on his own. And just like his compatriot, LeBron James, will hopefully never earn a ring to legitimize his self importance.

NFL Quick Hits

1. In an attempt to hopefully avoid further violent "helmet to helmet" type hits, the NFL announced today they will immediately suspend any player who uses their helmet as a weapon. It's about time. Where has Roger Goodall and the rest of the NFL been the last years seeing their assets being wheeled repeatedly off the field, week after week. Concussions are now "THE" injury du jour.

A few thoughts how to solve this mess.

First, take away all the pads these guys wear, starting with face masks. Unless he's already ugly, what man alive would be willing to lead with his face.

Second, instruct game officials to throw players out. Fine them and suspend them until the player they injured returns to action. No silly 15 yard penalty flags.

Third, repeat offenders play without a helmet. That should cure the "human missile" type tackle.

Enough for now, but I reserve the right to add a few more ingenious ideas if these fail to control an out of control league. And these guys want to play an 18 game schedule?

Strike Two

You officially have to feel a little snake bit if you're a fan of the NBA Portland Trailblazers.

Strike One - Back in 1984, the Trailblazers bypassed a certain North Carolina Tar Heel hoopster named Michael Jordan to draft 7'1 Sam Bowie out of Kentucky. Bowie had serious leg issues and never had much of an NBA career. Micheal Jordan had a legendary career, winning 6 NBA titles and is regarded as the greatest player of all time.

Strike Two - The 2007 NBA Draft came down to either Greg Oden or Kevin Durant as the #1 pick held by the Trailblazers. They chose Oden and he's been sidelined most of his NBA career with, leg issues. Sound familiar? Kevin Durant just led the USA to its first World Championship since 1994 and appears ready to take his place among the greats of the game.

Better luck next time Portland. Only one strike left.

What a Joke

Roger Clemens has arrived in the nation's capital to face charges of allegedly lying to Congress about whether he used steroids or human growth hormone.

LYING BEFORE CONGRESS!!! Are you kidding me. You look up the definition of "Lying" in the dictionary and there is a picture of Congress. They damn well invented the word. They do it daily and even in their sleep.

I don't care a bit about Roger Clemens and if he's guilty or not. What a waste of time and money for our elected representatives to inquire if an ex-baseball player used a PED. How about fixing the country first? That's why we send you to Washington.

You have to be freaking kidding me...the President of the United States of America is going to be on "The View"!!!

Will someone take this guy out to the woodshed and beat some sense into him. Will someone remind him that by taking the oath of office to lead the most powerful country in the free world eliminates him from this type of specter. He has to have better things to do, like work maybe. Our country is facing unparalleled crisis's. There's an oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico that needs his daily attention. The national debt is out of control. And we have a war raging in Afghanistan. How does he find the time. Ever since he's taken the controls, Barrack Hussein Obama has shown a disdain in putting in a full day at the office. Air Force One seems to be going somewhere daily so our President can give his teleprompter a workout. This man hates work. And now he's willing to sit around and waste our nations time with these mostly left wing wacko Hollywood types. So let me count the days until our latest presidential failure is sent packing back to his beloved South Side of Chicago. I only wish it could be sooner.

NBA Free Agency - Winners and Losers

I am so tired of the NBA. Not sure if I'll put any time or effort into watching next season. This whole free agency farce has taken any love I've had for the game and flushed it. At least my wife will be happy not to hear me scream at the TV.

Losers

1. LeBron James - that's right, LeBum is at the top of my list. He sold out pure and simple. Gave up. Quit. Admitted he isn't the anointed one. Needs his hand held to be successful. Talent he has, grits and guts are lacking. I can't for a moment think that the likes of Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson or Larry Bird pulling this move. It's about competing, beating the other guy that drove these true legends of the game. Rings happened because they were great. Surely, LeBum will be bowed down to by all media sorts but his troubles have just begun and he hasn't a hint about it.
2. New York Knicks - How would you like to be a Knick season ticket holder right now. For two years you have been told that the gutting of the roster and the pitiful excuse of a basketball team was all about signing LeBum in his free agency year. Well, you lose again because LeBum is not coming and now your team is likely worse than ever and you'll be still be paying through the teeth for the right to boo your bums. Carmelo is only another 360 or so days away from his free agency. Good luck with Amar'e as your centerpiece.
   
3. ESPN - A used to think ESPN was the Messiah of sport networks. They did things better than the major networks. Not anymore. That masquerade of a show last night flashed their true colors. Do anything to STAGE an event. Nothing is real anymore. Innovation is a thing of the past.
4. David Stern - Nice league!! The inmates are running the show. But then again you have repeatedly promoted individuals over your teams. Owners get no bang for their buck with you in control. You only have to look what teams have dominated winning championships to realize the fix is in.
5. Miami Heat - I'll make this bet right now. They will never win a NBA Championship with James, Wade and Bosh. The Lakers of the late 60's with West, Baylor and Chamberlain tried and they failed. You need a 8-10 man rotation and you're out of cap space. Besides, how long will it take before one of those primadonnas gets their feeling hurt. It's my team.
   

Winners

1. Dan Gilbert - No longer held hostage by LeBron. Nice to hear honest true emotions of an owner not having to kiss the ass of his should be superstar. Plenty of cap room. Can now build a Team.
   

New York Post Headline Captures Nation's Grief

... although we may be taking it a bit better than the English...

France Faces World Cup Dilemma: Are We Cheaters or Are We Quitters

The French have taken decisive action. The labor unions have called for a nationwide strike while the four people who still work for private industry have gone on a summer-long break.

In other news, the French sports federation has accused Lance Armstrong of doping.

Soccer Primer

If you need a primer on soccer- and you just know that you do -  it doesn't get any better than going to the world wide leader, the Onion Sports Network.