Give it a long kiss Roberto, your team tried to give that title away

Greetings from the Hoodwood, where handshakes are the norm before and after the games.

Its rare when I lead the column off with a musing about soccer and even rarer when the soccer match has nothing to do with a US team, but I had to give some thoughts on the Manchester City match yesterday in which they clinched their first Premier League title in over 40 years.  Now the Premier league has only been in existence since 1992, but there has been some sort of top division of English Football (Soccer) title up for grabs for over a hundred years and Man City has not been at the top of the standings (or table as the English call it) since the 1967-68 season. Your humble scribe wasn’t even an afterthought, his mother still in high school! Nevertherless, Man City was in in the drivers seat against its hated wealthier rival Manchester United the defending Premier League Champs , needing only a win or to match whatever  Man U did, Man City would hoist the cup and Playing Queens Park Rangers that had just made it to the premier league and was in danger of being relegated (kicked out, more on that later) it looked like a walk in the park. Win the game at home and win the title.

As ESPN’s Chris Berman has said about so many sporting events. That’s why they play the games. QPR played tenaciously Man City took the lead late in the first half only to see the Rangers tie it up early on in the second half. Man City looked like they would be able to toy with QPR after Joey Barton got a red card for a nasty elbow to the head of a Man City player. Playing with a man advantage for the duration, it looked to be a matter of time before a goal was scored. It was but it was by QPR as Armand Traore made a slick move on his defender and launched a smooth crossing pass which Jamie Mackie buried in to the back on the net on a sweet diving header . Man City fans were apoplectic and some looked to be on the verge of tears. Keep in mind that while all this was going on ManU, the hated crosstown rival was sitting on a 1-0, if the scores stayed as they were. ManU would defend its title and send Man City to the cruelest of defeats. Later and later into the match it got and you could feel the tension in City of Manchester Stadium get thicker and thicker. The camera kept cutting to fans of the Sky Blues getting more and more frantic as the clock counted toward 90 minutes and as it crossed from regulation into stoppage. But the after having at least three shot hit the post or go tantalizingly wide City cashed a chance in and tied the game but there was no leaping or celebration or hugs for Edin Dezko. Just an urge to hurry, the ManU game had went final and the Man City fans knew that their squad needed to get the go-ahead goal, a draw was as bad as a loss. QPR seemed quite content on laying back and playing defense, knowing that they weren’t going to be relegated, that they were still shorthanded and that the draw would deny Man City their coveted title. But 3 minutes into stoppage time, after repeated shots at the goal, Sergio Aguero stepped around two different defenders and beat the QPR goalie shortside to give Man City the lead. I literally fell out when the winning goal was scored. It was an unbelievable turn of events leading the great soccer announcer Ian Darke (fast becoming one of my favorite announcers) to ask rheotorically. “Who is writing this?” To be honest it did seem like something out of movie, perpetual underdog team finally gets its shot to win its title but has to claw back out of impossible circumstances.  Man United fans watching at Old Trafford could only look on in stoic stony silence as Man City celebrated at the double whistle of full time. Like Ive said before, Im no big soccer fan but I can appreciate the game and actually enjoyed that match. 

NBA: LA Story

Well Hollywood didnt burn again. Both the Lakers and surpringly the Clippers both won do or die 7th games and move on the Western Conference Semis. Seemingly bouyed by the return of the basketball player formerly known as Ron Artest (After what he did to James Harden, Im sure as shittin not calling him World Peace) the Lakers routed the Nuggets Saturday Night to advance, had the Lakers lost Im sure for sure that Mike Brown would have been looking for work. Having had blown a 3-1 series lead. You could have excused their Staples Center cohabitant the Clippers had they lost. I mean they are the Clippers and have only won 2 other playoff series in their team history. But lead by the irrepressible Chris Paul the Clips rallied smartly in the 4th quarter to beat the Grizzlies in the Fed Ex Forum in Memphis 82-72 to win. The schedule maker of Staples Center has got to be worried as all three inhabitants of the Staples Center keep on getting deeper in the postseason as the Kings are in the NHL Western Conference final and with a 2-0 lead are guaranteed at least 3 more games at home at least. Thats the good kind of logistical nightmare to have.

LA Story 2: Does Bynum get it?

I don’t know why, but there has always been something that has always annoyed me about Andrew Bynum. Maybe it was because he was one of these uber cocky high schoolers that was jumped directly to the NBA(the last of his breed). Maybe it was the fact that the game comes so easily to him. Rare is the find of a big man who runs the floor as fluid, has a soft hands and can be a terror to contain on the boards. The Lakers have always seemed to snag world class big men, from Mikan to Chamberlain to Jabbar to Shaq and Bynum has the tools and talent to be in their class. Note that the first three are in the hall of fame and Shaq will be joining that list in a couple years. But Bynum more often than not seems to let his mind wander or plays this “I got mine, I don’t care.” Mentality. His intensity wavers to and fro and in the most maddening ways. Witness is inane 3 pointer he jacked up in the middle of a game this season. I don’t think that anyone would have cared had it been late in a meaningless game, like he had taken and made a game earlier. But suddenly Bynum decided he was a three point shooter. He missed, got benched and had this “Oh well, it is what it is” look on his face. I have no problem with a player being a happy go lucky type. I think Kobe’s ultra serious demeanor is a bit off putting and kinda fake but no one ever questions his commitment and desire to win. Bynum? Meh…you can never be too sure. The point Im making is that Bynum aint a rookie, he isn’t even a 3^rd or 4^th year player who you could excuse a mental lapse here and there and chalk it up to youth, hes a 7^th year vet whom this team will soon become increasingly dependent on as Kobe ages (Hard to believe but Bryant is a 16 year vet.) With Pau Gasol looking more and more like he wants to be a complementary player along the lines of Scottie Pippen, this team will be Bynum’s soon. His antics, like pouting outside a huddle because he wasn’t playing and his petulant outbursts like giving the Nuggets plenty of bulletin board material in saying that close out games are easy make you forget how immensely talented Bynum is and makes you wonder is he worth building a team around.

NHL: Could a Dream Stanley Cup be in the making?

With no Canadian team anywhere close to the Stanley Cup the NHL is quietly hoping that a pair of super huge markets in the Stanley Cup Final will draw the big numbers. The New perpetually star crossed New York Rangers teeter ever so close to another disappointing elimination but manage to survive a thrilling 7 game series with the Washington Capitals (another star crossed team, whose radio announcer John Walton is a friend and Hoodwood hero) but careen to an Eastern Conference title tilt with their regional rival New Jersey Devils. The Rangers like to think of the Devils as a little brother that they can kick around, but the Devils have won 3 Stanley Cups since Gary Bettman summoned Mark Messier of the fabled 1994 Rangers to get the Cup. I remember the epic series in 94 when in the game 7 double overtime,  Stephane Matteau stuffed a shot past Martin Brodeur (who incidentially is still the Devils Goalie today) and sent the Rangers to the Cup final and Howie Rose’s now legendary call of “Matteau! Matteau! Matteau!” as MSG shook to its pillars. Will this be another epic series? The Rangers need not another 7 game death match.

Meanwhile out west the LA Kings are enjoying a deep playoff run not seen since the halcyon days of Gretzky and Barry Melrose in 1993. As the ragged 8 seed they looked to be a playoff afterthought but after shocking the Canucks and Blues in 5 and 4 games, they have jumped on the Phoenix Coyotes (a team that has never been this deep in the Stanley Cup Playoffs in franchise  history) and lead 2-0, as mentioned earlier they are guaranteed at least 3 more home playoff games. You know that NBC is salivating at the thought of a New York-LA Stanley Cup to garner huge ad revenue. Boston-Vancouver last year  was bi-coastal and international but it wouldn’t have the same flavor. The thought of the two largest markets in the US playing for the oldest trophy in team sports may in turn be stomach turning to Canadians who think any team that still isn’t digging out from snow at this time of the year shouldn’t be in Cup contention.

Phat Dap/Head Slap

Phat Dap

To Josh Hamilton and Joey Votto of the Texas Rangers and Cincinnati Reds respectively. Hamilton matched a major league record with 4 homers in one game and had 8 RBI’s against the Anaheim Angels. Votto had three dingers on Sunday including a game winning walk Grand Slam against the Washington Nationals. Chicks dig the long ball, always have and always will.

Head Slap

To the basketball player formerly known as Ron Artest (im not calling him anything with Peace in it, after the way he acts) Who dismissed any notion of a apologetic handshake to Oklahoma City’s James Harden who he leveled with a elbow late in the regular season which netted him a 7 game suspension. When asked if he would make some sort of conciltory gesture to Harden. The former Artest scoffed and said “I don’t shake hands with subs.” This guy has to be from another planet, cause he just has not an ounce of sense.  

Thats the view from the Hoodwood...until next post fellow sports fans!

Heres to one of Hoodwood's favorite players! Eric LeGrand!!! 

Greetings from the hoodwood, where the locals are enjoying the full sports calendars these days.

NBA: Bye Bye Bulls, while the Knicks hang on

The Bulls is dead… I know that is a grammatically incorrect way of putting it. But after going down 3-1 to the Sixers in their first round playoff series that is just what the Bulls are. After losing Derrick Rose to a knee injury and Joakim Noah hampered by a bad ankle sprain, the Bulls are losing players fast and no one seems to be able to pick up the considerable slack. The Sixers who are an otherwise nondescript team have taken full advantage and have not only stolen home court advantage but have won the last three games. The Bulls dominated the first game but are a shell of themselves since the Rose and Noah injuries. The team that is the most happiest about this is the Heat who are now leading the Knicks 3-1 as the Knicks staved off elimination with a rollicking win at MSG. The more I watch games the more I become convinced that LeBron James is scared to take the big shot to win games. Oh he will dominate for the better part of games but did you see that last sequence in Sundays game. With the Heat down 2 and still with a chance to eliminate the Knicks. DWade frantically dribbled and dribbled and dribbled. No one was getting open and Wade had no chance at driving to the cup. LeBron was hiding in the corner so far away from the play he could have been hiding behind Spike Lee. Wade was forced to take an ungainly turnaround three that was way off the mark. The foghorn like buzzer at MSG sounded and the Knicks celebrated a win that broke a losing streak dating back 11 years and 13 playoff games. Will the Knick faithful see their beloved team at MSG again? Not this season, Im expecting the Heat to whomp the Knicks in South Beach come Wednesday. Meanwhile one of my colleagues continues to opine that with his 41 point barrage that staved off elimination Carmelo Anthony has done just enough to keep the boo-birds off his back. He will just shrug with palms after the Knicks take that expected beating tomorrow and in the old children's song will sing “I did what I could” The Knicks will continue to be the most potential laden team in the NBA, and are there rumors that a Zen Master might be interested in coaching them?

MLB: Albert breaks out, welcome to the Big Bryce

After 111 at bats and ESPN looking like they were going to have a collective coronary, it finally happened. Albert Pujols finally went yard, up until he went deep Sunday. I had more homers than he did. It seems like the erstwhile best hitter of the last decade or so was starting to hear the boo birds as he chopped one weak ground out after another. But finally he went deep, but after doing so added some more pressure to himself saying that it wasn’t about starting strong it was about finishing strong. At this pace, Pujols will have 6 homers and 45 RBI’s at seasons end and the Angel faithful will be ready to run him out of Anaheim. Pujols supposedly is still trying to get adjusted to life under the Hollywood microscope and life away from his family in St. Louis. (Question: why didn’t he bring them out west with him?) I think Angel fans will be satisfied to see  Albert match his totals from last year .299 37 dingers and 99 RBI which were career lows in average and RBI. I don’t know what to make of why hes not playing good, but ill tell you this much if he has a bad year you can bet that the steroids talk will ramp right back up. That’s not a good thing at all.

Meanwhile Bryce Harper of the Nats is making quite the splash in his first weeks in the bigs. Hitting the ball good and making a stunning steal of home Sunday night was the first by a teenager since 1964…I like the question posed by Buster Olney…what were you doing at 19? I was trying to keep from flunking out of UC and obsessing over a girl who couldn’t decide if she wanted to be with me…but that’s another rant…Harper is playing like a never scared rookie and drawing the ire of Cole Hamels who drilled Harper with a pitch as a “welcome” to the big leagues. I never was big on Hamels and thought the media’s overhyping of him in 2008 was just too much.  I think he reflecting what a lot of pitchers are thinking, “Uh oh…and he’s only 19???

NFL: Another tragic loss…Junior Seau (1969-2012)

I was at work on Thursday when I heard and I refused to believe it. Junior Seau who was for so long the linchpin of San Diego Chargers defense in the 90s committed suicide. Seau who was the vibrant high speed player that was respected and feared hitter, took his own life with a gunshot to the chest. To see his former teammates speak so highly of him and the ebullient Marcellus Wiley repeatedly choking back tears when reflecting on his teammate and friend. I wondered what kind of pain and struggle was he going through to feel that suicide was the only option. There is a real question on the lasting effect of concussions and how it affects pro players. Football is a violent sport and the NFL is its highest caliber. You start to wonder how much of a toll the hits take and how many players were affected before a serious look was even taken. Think of all the players that were playing with lots less protection and the hits that they took. You think the NFL doesn’t consider that? I used to own an old VHS tape called “Crunch Course” which had all sorts of bone jarring hits. How many of those players were feeling the effects of those hits? Dave Duerson was a big time hitter for the Bears in their 80s heyday and he took his own life. It was found that he had a form of brain damage. His teammate Jim McMahon who took some frightening shots as the Bears flamboyant QB suffers from some serious memory loss and worries that he might be headed down the same road as Duerson.  I hope and pray that this isn’t something that we are seeing more and more of

Fowler: The New Phenom?

Well, it seems that golf has found its weekly phenom. The colorful (literally, have you seen this cats outfits?) Rickie Fowler won his first PGA tout event, outdueling fellow phenom Rory McIlroy and D.A. Points to win the Wells Fargo Championship on the first playoff hole. Now you will see the pundits and honks opine on how Fowler and McIlroy will be the new big rivalry in golf especially with Tiger Woods missing the cut and to them becoming so much an afterthought. Fowler is ummm quite the colorful player with his bright outfits and swagger. He makes quite the contrast to the modest McIlroy and I could see him as a foil for Masters champ Bubba Watson. But the media has been way way too quick to try to jump on possible rivalries. Rivalries don’t really get developed until the combatants go head a few times, I mean look at Rafa Nadal and Roger Federer their rivalry has developed over years but you really didn’t take note until they were playing for major titles. Ill reserve judgement on Fowler and any other name player for a while, especially while Tiger is still on tour.

PHAT DAP/HEAD SLAP

Phat Dap

Greg Schiano is the new coach of the Tampa Bay Bucs and coming from Rutgers he wasn’t really obliged to give one of his former players a contract to the 90 man roster of the Bucs. But this one was special. Eric LeGrand was a defensive tackle who suffered a traumatic injury after colliding with a kick returner from Army that injured two of his vertebrae and damaged his spinal cord. LeGrand was told that he would like never regain use of any his limbs. Through intense rehab has been breathing on his own since five weeks after the injury and hopes to walk again. He told Sports Illustrated that he hopes to go to the spot that he was injured, lie down get back up and walk away.  Schiano presented LeGrand with a custom jersey and though the gesture is symbolic it was a nice gesture to a person who is battling back after a devastating injury. Phat Dap to Schiano and LeGrand.

Head Slap

To Savannah McMillian-Christmas a deranged fan who wandered onto the court during Sunday Nights Lakers-Nuggets game.

She was allegedly shouting “Where’s Kenyon?” In reference to Kenyon Martin, the problem beyond her obvious breaking of law by trespassing on the court is that Kenyon Martin doesn’t play for the Nuggets anymore. He hasn’t in over a year. He plays for Los Angeles…but not the team that the Nuggets were playing. He plays for the Clippers. McMillan-Christmas had some stalker issues with the former Cincinnati Bearcat legend. McMillan-Christmas was arrested and taken from the Pepsi Center where she was later released to the custody of her mother. My question is how did a 20 year old get dope ass seats that close to the court?

That all from the Hoodwood this week, until next post fellow sports fans!

Greetings from the hoodwood where your humble scribe, is now on the 15 day DL from the Hoodwood Bandits softball team because he can’t catch a throw from his 2^nd baseman…resulting in the above dislocation of the thumb his throwing hand.

NBA: They’re dropping like flies

The 1^st round of the NBA playoffs has begun in earnest and the players that are dropping out are startling. Derrick Rose of the Bulls and Iman Shumpert of the Knicks both out with ACL tears. Rose’s loss to the Bulls may be the most devastating. The Bulls have played and played well without Rose who missed 39 of his teams 66 games this season. But it’s quite clear that the Bulls will need Rose’s dynamic leadership to get to their first Finals post Jordan. NBA head Mafioso David Stern poo-poohs it off but Im of the thinking that the truncated schedule that was jammed with multiple back to backs and some triples combined with a super short training camp may combine for more injuries than one would think. Look at Dwight Howard, he had missed only 7 games total since high school because of injury but suffered a back injury that effectively crippled the Magic’s chances for a deep postseason run. I mean really if you are basing your playoff chances on “Big Baby” Davis…you are in a world of shit.

Now I’m a realist, and I know that the Knicks have little or no chance of beating the Heat and the way that they have played in the first two games, they might not even win one in the series. They are now tied with the Memphis Grizzlies for the longest playoff losing streak at 12 games after losing game 2 to the Heat last night. This offense is way too predictable going through the mercurial Carmelo Anthony and the frustration has manifested itself in a devastating fashion. Amare Stoudamire slammed his hand into a glass fire extinguisher case shortly after last nights loss, cutting his hand and making not only his return for game 3 but the rest of the series in serious doubt. Now, I am one that can’t claim to be above punching inanimate objects in frustration…Not satisfied with my hitting in my softball teams first game, I slammed my hand against the dugout fence. I get that, but Im damn sure to watch where I let my frustrations out at. Hitting breakable items or things that can hurt you if you hit them is selfish and stupid. Stoudamire, tweeted early this morning that he was “mad at himself.” He should be, it was a senseless act and just a microcosm of the series in which the Heat seem to be toying with the lesser talented Knicks.

The NBA playoff first rounders to watch will be the Thunder-Mavs and the Clippers-Grizzlies. Now in the former series, both these teams have a healthy dislike for one another and the Thunder seem eager to avenge the 5 game Western Conference final dismissal the Mavs handed them last year. I think that Kevin Durant and his team are ready to make that next step. I know, I know it’s only the first round, but beating the defending champs is a statement. The first two games have been tight taut thrillers that have gone down to the last shot, the Thunder holding serve in Oklahoma City. The series now shifts to Dallas where the aging defending champs look to make a last stand. I wouldn’t be surprised to see this series go the full 7. Meanwhile the Clippers and Grizzlies, longtime playoff also-rans look to be playing a thriller of a series themselves. The dynamic Blake Griffin and Chris Paul led a furious comeback by the Clippers who faded the Grizzlies late roaring back from 20 down in the 4^th to steal game one in Memphis and home court advantage. This series will likely be the best series that few will see and fewer will talk about. You have the dynamics of two young hungry teams, the Grizzlies actually have the experience after shocking the Spurs last year and taking the Thunder to 7 games in the West Semis last year. The Clippers are youthful but Chris Paul’s leadership gives them a swagger that they have heretofore never exhibited. This is another series that will go 7 but given the medias fasinication with the anointed Heat, sorry Knicks, the hurting Bulls and the ancient Celtics many casual hoops fans will only think of the Spurs and Lakers out west and ignore these two great first round series.

NHL: Kings playing the Darkhorse?

Few outside of Staples Center gave the Kings much chance in the playoffs having needed a late rush just to get into the postseason. But when the Kings stunned the Canucks in 5 games, many had to take a serious look at the Hollywood ice squad, but the so-called experts gave them little chance against a St. Louis team that was second seeded in the West. But suddenly the Kings are again up 2-0 after a pair of shocking routs of the Blues in St. Louis. A sullen crowd in Scottrade Center watched the Kings jump out to a lead 30 seconds into the game and roll to a 5-2 win. The game was more interesting for the fights than anything else. The Kings are seriously thinking of their first West Finals since 1993. That was when some guy named Gretzky was wearing their sweater. Since my beloved Wings are out, Ive taken a shine to these scrappy underdogs. No, you wont see me in their gear but Ive always liked to root for the unlikely teams. And these Kings are running with their dark horse role.

NFL: Draft Mania

I like the NFL draft, ESPN has been doing the analysis of it for over 30 years but I think that it has made pundits like Mel “Helmet Head” Kiper and Todd McShay too big for their britches. It seems like either one or both of their speculation can make or break a player. These guys just love to hear themselves talk.  A prime example is Ryan Tannehill who I think got drafted way too high at 10 by the Miami Dolphins out of Texas A&M. Tannehill a converted WR played decently at A&M last year but McShay was so high on him you had to wonder was he banging someone in their family. Kiper was so hard against him you have to also wonder what Tannehill did to offend him. I knew that a QB desperate team like the Chiefs, Seahawks or Dolphins would grab him and the Dolphins took the plunge. Tannehill becomes the first QB the Dolphins have drafted in the 1s round in nearly 30 years when they took a flier on some cat out of Pitt named Marino. The Browns did seem to be tired of the Colt McCoy era pretty quick as they drafted Oklahoma State QB Brandon Weeden with the 22^nd pick and named him the starter. Weeden is 27 and seems to have more polish coming out of college than McCoy has with a couple years experience The Redskins are the ones that made the most puzzling move though, after rightly drafting Heisman winner Robert Griffin III the Skins then drafted Michigan State QB Kirk Cousins. The Skins have had 21 starters in the past 19 seasons and Im praying that Griffin starts off fast because you know with Cousins in wait the boo-birds will be calling for him at the first Griffin mistake or bad game. Redskins head coach Mike Shanahan says that he couldn’t help himself when he selected Cousins. All he did was create a QB controversy in waiting.

Phat Dap Head Slap

Phat Dap

This goes to a phat dap…literally. Regular readers of this column know of my distaste for NFL commish Roger Goddell the self styled sheriff of pro football. But I have to give Goodell credit for his greeting of South Carolina LB Marvin Ingram after he was drafted by the Chargers. This was the only footage I could find, my apologies for the ads and other text...

I had to do a double take and my phone blew up with “Did you see that?” Cynical me wonders how many times Goodell practiced that before he did it live.

Head Slap

I wanted to give it to Stoudamire for the punch but instead I give it to Nike shoe designer Jason Petrie who tweeted mockingly about Derrick Rose’s ACL injury. Rose who wears adidas was the subject of Petrie’s tweet saying “You got one guy only getting stronger, and one guy breaking down before our very eyes. You chose poorly Pooh…#shouldasignedwithNIKE” Petrie’s tasteless tweet instantly got the flame treatment but where he was first contrite and apologetic saying "Y'all take sh#t too serious! Never want to see anyone get hurt- I hope DRose comes back stronger than ever, he's too good..." but then went back to the flaming retorts saying to those who were rightly critical "Just to set the record straight- if you ain't with me you against me, and if that's the case I don't give a F about you!" After more harsh rebukes, Petrie then claimed his comments were tongue in cheek. Im sorry, that was a weak denial to trying to taunt someone for being hurt. Had someone made a comment like that had LeBron James suffered a similar injury, they would have faced countless death threats (except in Cleveland) for making those comments. Petrie should stick to shoe design, not that hes very good at it…

My apologies for the short column, but bad internet service combined with the bum thumb makes things a bit hard to pound out a long column. Hopefully, Ill be better next week. Until next post fellow sports fans!

Oh I was just celebratin' Harden ran into my elbow! 

Greetings from the Hoodwood, where it suddenly got colder and the natives don’t like it a bit

This is kind of a lull period where baseball is just getting warmed up. College basketball is on no one’s mind, pro basketball is lurching toward its playoffs and hockey is still weeding out the suckas and pretenders, one of which are my beloved Detroit Red Wings who were shooed aside by the Nashville Predators for their earliest playoff exit since 2006, it’s a bitter pill to swallow for that veteran laden team and one has to wonder if the magic is fading. The Wings have the longest playoff run of any of the four major sports. The last time that they missed the playoffs was my senior year in high school,  1990. But you wonder with grizzled captain Nick Lidstrom hinting at retirement if the Wings will continue to make splashes in the free agent market to keep their run going and try to  get back to the Cup final…

Leading Off: More problems in the Big Easy?

Damn when it rains it pours. The Saints embattled GM Mickey Loomis, already under fire for his role in Bountygate is now weathering allegations that he rigged listening devices on opposing coaches. The device which had been used by Loomis’ predecessor Randy Mueller to monitor his own coaches, was allegedly rewired to spy on opposing coaches. Loomis, who is set to serve an eight game suspension  for his role in Bountygate is being accused of having the apparatus at his access from 2002-2004. Now keep in mind that the Saints were so-so during that period going 8-8, 8-8 and 9-7 and were 12-12 at home during that period. No one knows how long this would have continued, remember the Superdome was a makeshift homeless shelter during the Hurricane Katrina. But Loomis is facing not only trouble from the NFL who have the Saints high on their master shit list to start but a possible investigation from the FBI. Oh yeah, the feds are not too keen on eavesdropping. They liken that to wiretapping which is a big no-no to them.  Loomis might get over on that though because of statute of limitations on that particular crime. Loomis, of course denies the allegations calling them “1000 percent false”.  Loomis is playing Russian Roulette with his career and freedom and that gun has more bullets than blanks.

Canucks and Pens get the gate

As  chronicled in this blog last week, the defending Western Conference champ Vancouver Canucks fell into a 0-3 hole to the heretofore unremarkable LA Kings, a team that hadn’t won a playoff series in 11 years. But after averting a sweep by winning game 4 and leading game 5 at home the Canucks lost in OT and were eliminated. Sully was predicting a riot in BC but Canuck fans just packed it up and went home too stunned to be angry. The ever present curse of the Presidents Cup has reared its head once again. While not a regular occurrence the Presidents Trophy Winner in the NHL has been jinxed as the last four winners of this trophy have not put a Stanley Cup next to it. The Canucks won last year as well but were defeated by the Bruins. The last team to win the Presidents Trophy and Stanley Cup? The Detroit Red Wings in 2008. Since its inception in 1985-86, only 6 times has a Presidents Trophy winner won the Stanley Cup.

Meanwhile in Pennsylvania , The Penguins looked as if they too would get swept out of the playoffs by their hated in-state rival Philadelphia Flyers, but they staved off elimination not one but two times, thrashing the Flyers in Philly in game 4 and finally beating the Flyers at home in game 5. The whispers were getting louder if the Flyers couldn’t eliminate the Pens at home a winner take all game 7 in Pittsburgh was looming. But the Flyers played loose and relaxed and throttled the Pens before a raucous Philly crowd. The Pens with all their promise and talk of wanting the Bruins or Rangers are going home.

Oh Damn it’s them again!

 I make no bones about the fact that I loath the Spurs. Their yawn inducing offense, Manu Ginobili’s fullback charges to the basket, Pop’s no necktie whines on the sideline and the uber boring yet masterly efficient Tim Duncan who just seems to be more and more vanilla  yet peaks at the right time. The Spurs have been clicking off wins like a metronome and are in position to take the top seed the West with with late stumbles by the Thunder but possibly the NBA’s overall #1 seed with the poor play as of late by the Bulls in the East. I will give grudging credit to the Spurs and for their fine play down the stretch all the while secretly hoping that a plucky team like Memphis or Utah will rise up again and send the Spurs home way early. I really couldn’t stomach a full spring with ESPN fawning over the Spurs and their “team oriented basketball” I know it sounds like mindless hatred, but Ive never been a fan of Pop, Parker or Ginobili and the  Spurs snooty fans.  With the possible injury to the Thunder’s James Harden (See head slap) the Thunder may be in trouble trying to get out of the West. I would dread seeing the Spurs in the Finals.

Phat Dap/Head Slap

Phat Dap

To Tennessee’s Pat Summitt who retired as not only the Tennessee’s and Women’s all time winningest coach but in all of college basketball. Summitt is battling early onset dementia and will move into the largely ceremonial role of Head Coach Emeritus but her shadow will loom large over  Knoxville and womens college basketball. Her 1098 wins are 172 ahead of the Coach K at Duke who started as a head coach only a year later than Summitt. Hoodwood wishes nothing but the best for Summitt as she battles this memory sapping disease

Head Slap

I saved the best for last. Did you think that Ron Artest (I think that stupid moniker of Metta World Peace is insulting and inane) would escape without mention? Oh, that fool and his “celebration” which somehow landed an elbow behind the ear of Thunder forward James Hardin was just as stupid as his given name. I don’t know which is stupider, his name  that so-called celebration or his excuse for what he did.  Artest is going to get socked by the NBA for this one. Its hard to believe that he was last years receipient of the NBA citizenship award.

I know this one was short, but Daddy duty in Hoodwood calls... Until Next Post Fellow Sports Fans!

Here's to you, Mr. Robinson...the sporting world owes you one and then some!

Greetings from the Hoodwood, where the baseball and softball teams have not retired the #42, instead each year bestowing the honor of wearing the number to the players that best exemplify the legacy of Jackie Robinson.

If you saw any baseball highlights on Sunday, you saw that every player was wearing the number #42, the number that has been retired by every team in the major leagues since 1997. The Dodgers of course were the first team to have retired his number doing so in 1972. I have long maintained that America as a whole owes so much more to Jackie Robinson that they really know. Jackie Robinson broke the supposed color line in 1947 something that would not have happened under the first baseball commissioner the virulently racist Kennesaw Mountain Landis. Bill Veeck wanted to buy the Philadelphia Phillies in 1943 and stock it with Negro League players. Landis got wind of the plan and made sure that the sale didn’t go through. Instead it went to lumberman Bill Cox who was soon banished from baseball himself for betting on games.  In any case, with Landis’ death in late 1944 the new commissioner Happy Chandler allowed the Brooklyn Dodgers to sign Robinson to their minor league farm team in Montreal in late 1945. Robinson was no greenhorn, a highly accomplished athlete in the three sports  football track and baseball he had fought and won a court-martial trial while in the Army for refusing to move to the back of the bus when ordered by a civilian bus driver. (Keep that factoid in mind) Robinson was signed by Branch Rickey and asked him did he want someone who would fight back  when lashed with the slurs that both knew would happen “No,” Rickey replied “I want someone brave and smart enough not to.” Robinson endured in spite of spineless taunts by then Phillies manager Ben Chapman a team that still was horrid four years after nearly being an all black team themselves. And endured a threatened walkout by a number of St. Louis Cardinals. Robinson endured and won the 1947 Rookie of the Year and the 1949 MVP. He and Larry Doby who was signed by the Cleveland Indians (owned by Bill Veeck) paved the way for players of color both of American and Latin heritage to play the game of baseball. I was born less than a month before Jackie Robinson died at the age of 53, blinded by diabetes and soul aged prematurely by the stress that being a trailblazer had put on his body, I could not have fully appreciated what Robinson meant to the game as well as society at large. I could only reap the benefits and roll down the highway that he had help lay out. 

But the path blazed by Robinson and Doby did so much more. Without them paving the way in such a high profile sport, you don’t have Marion Motley who signed with the Cleveland Browns in the AAFC (under considerably less fanfare)  be as widely accepted when the Browns moved to the NFL in 1950. Robinson made his debut in 1947 when a young man in Georgia was just about to head to Morehouse College, his name? Martin Luther King Jr. Robinson's trailblazing was the foundation on which King would lay trailblazing of his own. People cite King rightly as the father of the 20th Century Civil Rights movement, but in his later years he did cite Robinson's play as the foundation for what he would achieve and work towards. Robinson’s path made it possible for the test cases of Brown vs Board of Education the landmark desegregation cases to be created and won. Rosa Parks may have just been tired and not wanted to give up her seat in 1955 but Robinson’s precedent was cited in her case.  Players like Chuck Cooper might not have had an avenue to the NBA where Bill Russell would eventually be the first person of color to be the coach of a major American Sporting team. You can draw the line from Jackie Robinson to every pioneering accomplishment made by people of color all the way to the man in the White House. America is better for what Jackie did, period and though the numbers of people of color are significantly lower (A topic for another Hoodwood column) they owe everything to this man. This is not something that only Blacks should celebrate and lionize all sporting fans owe a debt to Jackie Robinson.

Bobby V: The stupidest manager in baseball

I chronicled my intense dislike for Ozzie Guillen last week, I still think of him a jibber-jabbering fool but less so as he is now the manager of the Florida Marlins, a team that unless they get to the World Series against my beloved Twins I could care less about. The manager I have re-elevated to the title of Stupidest Manager in baseball is one that has had in my mind for years. Bobby Valentine, the grinning preening manager of the Boston Red Sox who has been an abrupt departure from the laid back style of Terry Francona who was run from Boston after 8 memorable seasons following a stunning fall from playoff contention after a disastrous September which saw the Sox give away a sizeable wild card lead to the Tampa Bay Rays. Francona has been determined to be too lax in his managerial style and the uber intense Valentine was brought in to rouse some esprit de corps to the Sox. Instead, all Valentine has done is ruffle feathers and make things even more uncomfortable in Beantown. His latest mindless ploy calling out innocuous veteran Kevin Youkilis for what he determined as “passionless play”. Valentine questioned the Sox 3^rd baseman’s physical and emotional commitment to the game during an interview Saturday. Many pundits, your humble scribe included wondered what planet Valentine was coming from. Youkilis is off to a less than stellar .200 start to the season. Many have say that Youk may have been too passionate at times. Valentine hasn’t gotten off to the best of starts with his team and their fan base and calling out a fan favorite is not the smartest things for him to do. Not like Ive ever thought anything that Valentine has done managerially has ever been smart.  Now some might think that Im being biased since Youkilis is a former Cincinnati Bearcat. Combined with my dislike of Valentine, many may see this as a bit of a jaded criticism. But I think the Valentine is going after a less than vocal player to try to make an example. Would he do something like that David Ortiz? If Curt Schilling or Manny Ramirez were still in that clubhouse would he call them out. Youkilis could always pull out either or both of his World Series rings and ask pointedly how many of them that he has. The answer being zero. Valentine did get the Mets to the 2000 Fall Classic where they were easy roadkill for the Yankee Dynasty in progress. Ive always been annoyed with Valentine’s style, his supposed superior baseball intellect that makes him allegedly one of the better managers in MLB. Ive always thought of him as overrated. Oh wow he won a couple Japanese Central League titles. Put that team against the Cards, Angels, or Yankees or at least a third of the MLB teams and they would get their clock cleaned. Winning Japan aint the same as winning in MLB. After winning the 2005 Japanese title with the Chiba Lotte Marines he challenged the 2005 World Series Champ Chicago White Sox to a best of 7 series. The Pale Hose ignored the challenge. Valentines record of 1112-1077 is barely above .500 why do people think he is such a great manager?

NHL: Penguins/Canucks on the brink?

Its sad, so sad to see such a quality team like the Pens reduce themselves to brawling and cheap shots. Their Eastern conference quarterfinal matchup against hated instate rival Philadelphia has made them into a one trick pony, a trick that they cant even do that well. The Pens had home ice advantage in the 4-5 matchup but the series is looking more like a 1-8 matchup with the Flyers making the Pens look like goony birds on the ice. Witness the fall from ahead game 1 in Pittsburgh where a rockin’ Consol Energy Arena saw the Penguins race to a 3-0 first period lead only to see the Flyers rally for 3 goals of their own and an overtime winner to snatch home ice advantage from the Pens with a 4-3 game one lead. The fortunes of the 108 point team got darker as the Flyers pounded Marc-Andre Fluery for 7 goals after falling behind again in the first by the count of 3-1. The 8-5 win put the Flyers up 2-0 heading home. Game 3 Sunday was a joke, on the Pens that is. The Pens seemed out of sync, confused and disjointed content more to avenge fights and supposed wrongs inflicted upon them by the Flyers who are enjoying the role as bully. Superstar Sidney Crosby seemed to be looking for fights instead of looking to bury the biscuit in the basket and had more penalty minutes than shots on goal. The 8-4 game 3 Flyers win was fight filled and entertaining but the Flyers were doing more than talking shit, they were lighting the lamp and sending their fans home happy. The Pens have led in every game and someone needs to put out an APB for Evgeni Malkin, the 109 point regular season scorers has zero goals and four assist in the 3 losses. The Pens are on the brink and word is here that they are already done.

Out west the Canucks are looking even worse. The 2012 Presidents trophy winner and defending Western Conference champ are on the brink of a humiliating sweep by the Los Angeles Kings. The Kings??? Are they still in this league? They barely made the playoffs in the West needing late  flameouts by Calgary and Dallas to back into the #8 slot. They were supposed to be road kill for the Canucks whose balanced scoring attack led by the Sedin brothers and the heretofore flawless goaltending of Roberto Luongo was an overmatch, a sweep was expected but not by the Kings who have been riding the goaltending of the unassuming Jonathan Quick who seems to keep turning away shot after shot the Canucks pepper him with and with a 1-0 game 3 win Sunday evening has the Kings on the verge of one of the more shocking upsets in recent Stanley Cup playoff history.  Home ice has meant little as all but one of the home ice advantage teams have lost their edge, the Predators got theirs back Sunday with a tight 3-2 win over the Wings in Detroit to gain their home ice edge back. It will be interesting indeed to see if the home teams can get their mojo back. I think in the cases of the Canucks and Pens they will have good tee times to look forward to.

NBA:  Have they gotten soft?

I was watching with some amusement the reporting of Bulls superstar Derrick Rose complaining about hard fouls as he drives to the hole. I grew up in an era where you didn’t drive to the hole with impunity and if you did you would get hammered. Hell, if you drove to the cup strong you still might get hammered. Witness this hard foul on Kurt Rambis by Kevin McHale in the 1984 NBA Finals…them shorts are way too small

Neither player was ejected and the only call was the hard foul on McHale. The foul did send a message though. The Celtics seemed to be the tougher team and outslugged the Lakers in a classic 7 game series. If something like that happened today, McHale would have likely been ejected and half the teams would have been facing suspensions for leaving the bench.  Now Im not saying that fouls like this should be commonplace, but I think that hard fouling sends a message and Im all about non calling of flopping fouls. Touching a guy and he flies back like he was shot. There is no need for that…none . The refs should either call a foul on the flopper but that might slow the game down even more or ignore the obvious act and keep playing. The message might take a while to catch on but it would catch on. Stop flopping like a fish! I know, I know the NBA wants to increase scoring, they like seeing players take the ball to the cup. But I like the argument presented by Rob Parker of the Detroit Free Press on ESPN’s first Take  that it forces players to develop an all around game. I don’t think scoring would be hurt and a few hard fouls is good for the game. If the player makes the shot it does act as a deterrent.

NFL: Bountygate, will it ever end?

With the pointless appeals by Saints coach Sean Payton and assistant Joe Vitt being denied by Sheriff Goodell (Did you really think he was going to reduce his own penalty?) The focus now turns to the players. The NFLPA has said that the players should not bear any punishment for doing what their coaches told them to do, but there are some that feel that the players contributed their own money to the bounties and must be punished themselves. Me myself, Im of the thought that the players while bearing some culpability for the program didn’t level any “kill or injure” shots at the targeted players. Had their been players injured, I think you would have a case for fines and/or suspensions but with no one hurt. It would be hard to prove beyond talk what players were trying to hurt others since there were no major injuries. I think that this whole sordid affair should be let alone once and for all. But if you disagree…

Phat Dap/Head Slap

Phat Dap

You know im all about the sick slams. This one from Kevin Durant to Russell Westbrook this past weekend could be on the health commission list for ill-inducing.

The people geeking in the background is what I loved here. Im just like how the hell did he do that???

Head Slap

One of my coworkers played for Bama in the early 2000’s and I know that this one will pain him greatly. One of the crystal football trophies that Bama won as BCS champions was shattered by a father a player who tripped on a rug that was beneath it. The Waterford Crystal trophy is valued at better than $30,000. The other crystal trophy is on display at the Paul Bryant museum in Tuscaloosa. The broken trophy was on display at the athletic hall that houses coach Nick Saban. The university said it will replace the trophy but one has to wonder why it was not secured and in a place to be broken… What were ya’lls thinkin???

 That’s the view from the Hoodwood: Until next post fellow sports fans!