This and That
Each week I'll give my thoughts on the world of sports:
• The Alex Rodriguez saga is not just going to go away because of one interview. It is now the Yankees traveling circus, even more than ever. What an amazing story, that A-Rod admitted to using performance enhancing drugs from 2001-03. It is another sad story in the world of baseball. It is a sport where a number of Hall of Fame candidates have put themselves into the Hall of Shame. Think about the list: Bonds, Clemens, McGwire, Sosa, Rose, A-Rod. I will say that Rodriguez has a chance to redeem himself over the next nine years, the remaining length of his contract with the Yankees. We will see if he can turn this negative into a positive, by reaching out to young people, making amends for what he has done. Hopefully he will never touch that stuff again.
• Congratulations to Matt Kenseth on winning the rain-shortened Daytona 500. It is a shame that the race could not be completed. It is certainly a big deal, like starting the NFL season with the Super Bowl. Daytona is something special. Kenseth did not win a Sprint Cup race a year ago, but he came through big-time at Daytona. Even shortened by 48 laps, it is a great victory.
• I was sorry to see Brett Favre decide to call it a day and retire. I believe that this time it is the real deal, that his shoulder problems frustrated him, and that it was time to hang up his cleats. He set record for touchdown passes, games won, and also interceptions. I am only sorry that he did not get to finish his career with the Packers.
• What about the monster performances in college basketball recently. Hasheem Thabeet of Connecticut scored 25 points, grabbed 20 rebounds and blocked nine shots in a win over Seton Hall. Blake Griffin probably sang, "anything you could do, I could do better." All he did was score 40 points while grabbing 20 boards against Texas Tech. I feel Griffin is the top choice for national Player of the Year. Griffin has 22 double-doubles. Jodie Meeks had his third 40+ point game of the season, putting up 45 big ones against Arkansas. Meeks gets to face Tennessee at the end of this week; he set a school-record with 54 in the first meeting. West Virginia's DeSean Butler scored 43 in a win over Villanova.
• This is the time of the year that teams need wins to bolster that resume. Teams like Notre Dame and Georgetown appeared to be locks for the tournament around mid-season. After 15 games both had impressive records. Georgetown handed Connecticut its lone win. Now these teams are fighting to survive. The Irish turned around a seven-game losing streaks with a blowout of Louisville and a win over South Florida.
• The sportsworld is really about what have you done for me lately. The Pittsburgh Penguins played in the Stanley Cup finals a season ago, and this year's team would miss the playoffs if the season ended today. Someone had to be a scapegoat and that was the coach. The team fired coach Michel Therrien on Sunday, less than a year after he led the team to the Stanley Cup finals. You hear the term "different direction" when a coach is let go. Well my friends, did this guy forget everything overnight? Are you serious?
• You have to feel for Michelle Wie. She came oh so close to winning a tournament again, in her first event with a Tour card. If she can stay healthy, she will break through sometime later this year.
