Well, I am writing this just minutes after the Cubs tied the Brewers for first place in the NL Central. What can you say about these guys? 8.5 games in about 5 weeks is pretty solid, seems like we're finally avenging that dreadful summer of '69.
In other news... three players are on the verge of big milestones. Tom Glavine is searching for his 300th win, Barry Bonds looking for home run number 755, and Alex Rodriguez is attempting to be the youngest player to hit 500 home runs.
If you're like me, you're probably thinking that someone or something is playing with Bonds and Rodriguez. It seems like whatever powers that be are laughing at Rodriguez and Bonds. The last two days, the White Sox gave up a combined 13 home runs to the Yankees. Problem is, none were hit by the superstar Rodriguez. It is comical to me. How can the entire Yankee line-up go yard (most of them twice) and exclude A-Rod? What a joke.
Now there's the issue of Bonds. He had a chance to tie/break the most hallowed record in sports during a series in Milwaukee. He didn't. Perhaps he wanted to break it at home to avoid the likely "boos" he will hear on the road. Enter a two series stretch in San Francisco. Zero home runs. Now he is being forced to try and break it in the worst place of all... Los Angeles. I guess he's just gonna take another pass until he's back at home since from what I hear, no Dodger fan is going to applaud a Giant breaking any record... much less one suspected of steroid use.
Am I the only one seeing the irony here? I feel like someone or something (perhaps the baseball gods) is trying to make a point about the state of the game. Two big problems are correlated with these two stars - overpayment and steroids. Rodriguez has a $200 million+ contract, and Bonds is a (alleged... yeah O.K.) steroid user. Perhaps something is trying to prevent these two from achieving these amazing milestones because they hurt the integrity of baseball. I'm not a believer in the supernatural, but this stuff just has to make one wonder...
As for Glavine, this guy has been a quiet, solid, consistent starter his entire career, yet his 300th win will be on the backburner, especially if it comes on the same day as Bonds' or A-Rod's milestone. It's a shame, too, because, of the three, he's by far the most respectable.
And just for the record, whenever Bonds ties and breaks the record, you can be rest assured I'll be burying my head in the sand.
Until next time...
Wednesday, August 1, 2007
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
Is Poker a Sport? Absolutely not.
It appears as though there are just 9 players left at this year's World Series of Poker. If you hadn't noticed, it's probably because ESPN is the only network interested in calling this a sport. Now, I will admit that at one time I was guilty of falling into the hype of poker because of ESPN showing it on TV, and for a while wanted to learn everything about the game. But then after a solid 6-12 months of taking the game seriously I came to a vicious realization: skill plays a very small role in the outcome of a poker tournament. Don't believe me? Just ask all the so-called "pros" of poker who haven't won a WSOP since Chris "Jesus" Ferguson in 2000, and Scotty Nguyen in 1998. A new no-name player wins seemingly every year.
I'm not naive enough to think that these guys aren't doing well in the tournament consistently because they have skill. They are doing well, they just can't win. They are good, and better poker players than the other fish at the tournament. But the question remains: is poker a true sport, a game where the skill of an individual (or team, but not in this case) is the sole deciding factor in the outcome of an event? I say absolutely not. Some may argue that luck is involved in some other widely accepted sports on the way to a championship, such as the Florida Marlins getting a little help from a dork with headphones who shall remain nameless. But is that really why the Marlins won? After all it was just a foul ball, and gold glove shortstop Alex Gonzalez did boot the following routine double play ball. Would you tell me that guys like Roger Federer (this guy will get his own article in the near future... wow is he good) or Tiger Woods are lucky enough to win consistently?
Poker is a game where the cards dealt must be played. And the irony of it is that you can't even win by playing the best hands! A pair of aces in the hole is the best starting hand in Texas Hold-em, yet only wins a showdown about a third of the time.
Poker players can develop an almost God-like ego when they learn the "right way" to play the game. If someone stays in a hand with nothing but a draw, or hope that a certain card will fall, then they hit that card, the "good" poker player will gripe all night about how he was robbed. Tough luck buddy, you got beat. Poker is not a game of skill, its a game of luck. If everyone played the same way, or by the book, it wouldn't be a very interesting game, would it?
I can't think of a better example to convey my point than making you aware of the newly hyped "sport" on ESPN: The Rock, Scissor, Paper Tournament.
Until next time...
I'm not naive enough to think that these guys aren't doing well in the tournament consistently because they have skill. They are doing well, they just can't win. They are good, and better poker players than the other fish at the tournament. But the question remains: is poker a true sport, a game where the skill of an individual (or team, but not in this case) is the sole deciding factor in the outcome of an event? I say absolutely not. Some may argue that luck is involved in some other widely accepted sports on the way to a championship, such as the Florida Marlins getting a little help from a dork with headphones who shall remain nameless. But is that really why the Marlins won? After all it was just a foul ball, and gold glove shortstop Alex Gonzalez did boot the following routine double play ball. Would you tell me that guys like Roger Federer (this guy will get his own article in the near future... wow is he good) or Tiger Woods are lucky enough to win consistently?
Poker is a game where the cards dealt must be played. And the irony of it is that you can't even win by playing the best hands! A pair of aces in the hole is the best starting hand in Texas Hold-em, yet only wins a showdown about a third of the time.
Poker players can develop an almost God-like ego when they learn the "right way" to play the game. If someone stays in a hand with nothing but a draw, or hope that a certain card will fall, then they hit that card, the "good" poker player will gripe all night about how he was robbed. Tough luck buddy, you got beat. Poker is not a game of skill, its a game of luck. If everyone played the same way, or by the book, it wouldn't be a very interesting game, would it?
I can't think of a better example to convey my point than making you aware of the newly hyped "sport" on ESPN: The Rock, Scissor, Paper Tournament.
Until next time...
Sunday, July 15, 2007
Cubs sweep Astros for first time since '84
Wow. Jason Marquis looked absolutely abysmal, and it appeared the Cubs would have to settle for two out of three against the Astros. But a series of timely hits, a home run from Angel Pagan, and another from Derrek Lee put the Cubs back on top 6-5 after two innings and they held on to win 7-6.
What can you say about a win like this except that the hottest team in baseball is for real. That's right folks, especially you Milwaukeans (is that right?), the Chicago Cubs are making a run, and they haven't missed a beat since the break. I remember going to a game up at Miller Park earlier this year (the only one they lost during Sweet Lou's suspension) and hearing the talk from all the Milwaukee fans on the way out. They apparently don't care about their 5-7 record against the Cubs, the lack of veteran leadership on the team, or the fact that the Cubs have won more World Series' than the Milwaukee Brewers (for some reason every Brewer fan seemed to think I was wrong, but maybe they had a few too many Brew(er)s).
This isn't a trash talking post here, but rather a simple acknowledgment that the Cubs are looking like a serious contender in the National League now. They appear to be gelling, and I think youngsters Theriot, Fontenot, and Soto are a great balance to the veterans Lee, Soriano, and Ramirez. Middle of the road guys like DeRosa, Floyd, and Jacque Jones have stepped up in big situations and DeRosa can play wherever he's told. This team has speed, power, and the ability to score without the home run, as shown by their 6-4 record during a 10-game homerless drought. The only need I see for this team moving closer to the trading deadline is pitching. The bullpen struggles at times and another consistent arm to complement Carlos Marmol in the late innings would be helpful.
Hopefully they will continue to play good baseball, and the title of this blog will need to be changed next year.
Until next time...
What can you say about a win like this except that the hottest team in baseball is for real. That's right folks, especially you Milwaukeans (is that right?), the Chicago Cubs are making a run, and they haven't missed a beat since the break. I remember going to a game up at Miller Park earlier this year (the only one they lost during Sweet Lou's suspension) and hearing the talk from all the Milwaukee fans on the way out. They apparently don't care about their 5-7 record against the Cubs, the lack of veteran leadership on the team, or the fact that the Cubs have won more World Series' than the Milwaukee Brewers (for some reason every Brewer fan seemed to think I was wrong, but maybe they had a few too many Brew(er)s).
This isn't a trash talking post here, but rather a simple acknowledgment that the Cubs are looking like a serious contender in the National League now. They appear to be gelling, and I think youngsters Theriot, Fontenot, and Soto are a great balance to the veterans Lee, Soriano, and Ramirez. Middle of the road guys like DeRosa, Floyd, and Jacque Jones have stepped up in big situations and DeRosa can play wherever he's told. This team has speed, power, and the ability to score without the home run, as shown by their 6-4 record during a 10-game homerless drought. The only need I see for this team moving closer to the trading deadline is pitching. The bullpen struggles at times and another consistent arm to complement Carlos Marmol in the late innings would be helpful.
Hopefully they will continue to play good baseball, and the title of this blog will need to be changed next year.
Until next time...
Mark Cuban - New Owner of Cubs?
As many are already aware, Mark Cuban has filed an application to purchase the Chicago Cubs organization. If you aren't, well... you've just been informed. I must say that this is some great news for Cubs fans. For those who do not know who Mark Cuban is, he currently owns the Dallas Mavericks NBA franchise, and is probably by far the most involved owner in professional sports. He is a sports fan first, and understands that a winning team will take care of the business bottom line.
For the Cubs, this would be a considerable change of pace. Ownership hasn't cared about fielding a championship team in a long time, evidenced by the 99 year drought. The Tribune Co. has never cared much about the Cubs winning, until recently, now that they are selling the team (probably the reason Jim Hendry was able to spend so much this offseason on the likes of Alfonso Soriano) and want to increase the teams value. Wrigley always manages to sell out despite the team's performance, which means Tribune is getting their money either way, so they might as well increase their margin by cutting player salaries.
If Cuban takes over the Cubs, I can almost guarantee that they will become the National League version of the Yankees. Spending will be rampant. After 99+ years without a World Series, the Cubs could break the streak with multiple titles even. I'm not a believer in the "curse" BS that everyone likes to mention. It's a cute story for the Cubs, but the reality is that they've never had the front office to put together a solid team. This year they look to have busted out of that mold, and if Cuban takes over, it could be permanent. Hey, the guy even has "C-U-B" in his name...
Now the probability of Cuban actually buying the Cubs is fairly remote. Another potential bidder is John Canning, who heads a private equity firm that owns part of the Milwaukee Brewers. For those that don't know, Bud Selig has strong ties to the Brewers, and apparently he is friends with Canning. Selig, as the commissioner of baseball, has been known to favor his friends. Since he can pretty much tell Cuban "no," it seems pretty unlikely that Cuban will actually buy the team.
I've been hoping for a World Series for 22 years (well maybe more like 17 or so when I was old enough to understand baseball), so I will hold out hope for Cuban taking over, despite knowing it probably won't happen.
Hopefully I get to use the broom today as the Cubs go for the sweep over the Astros today. 3.5 back in the Central!
Until next time...
For the Cubs, this would be a considerable change of pace. Ownership hasn't cared about fielding a championship team in a long time, evidenced by the 99 year drought. The Tribune Co. has never cared much about the Cubs winning, until recently, now that they are selling the team (probably the reason Jim Hendry was able to spend so much this offseason on the likes of Alfonso Soriano) and want to increase the teams value. Wrigley always manages to sell out despite the team's performance, which means Tribune is getting their money either way, so they might as well increase their margin by cutting player salaries.
If Cuban takes over the Cubs, I can almost guarantee that they will become the National League version of the Yankees. Spending will be rampant. After 99+ years without a World Series, the Cubs could break the streak with multiple titles even. I'm not a believer in the "curse" BS that everyone likes to mention. It's a cute story for the Cubs, but the reality is that they've never had the front office to put together a solid team. This year they look to have busted out of that mold, and if Cuban takes over, it could be permanent. Hey, the guy even has "C-U-B" in his name...
Now the probability of Cuban actually buying the Cubs is fairly remote. Another potential bidder is John Canning, who heads a private equity firm that owns part of the Milwaukee Brewers. For those that don't know, Bud Selig has strong ties to the Brewers, and apparently he is friends with Canning. Selig, as the commissioner of baseball, has been known to favor his friends. Since he can pretty much tell Cuban "no," it seems pretty unlikely that Cuban will actually buy the team.
I've been hoping for a World Series for 22 years (well maybe more like 17 or so when I was old enough to understand baseball), so I will hold out hope for Cuban taking over, despite knowing it probably won't happen.
Hopefully I get to use the broom today as the Cubs go for the sweep over the Astros today. 3.5 back in the Central!
Until next time...
Introduction
Well, I have to say I'm not really sure why I decided to start a blog... I guess I've always wanted to be a sportswriter, but never wanted to risk being stuck working for a local newspaper covering "boonies" high school sports.
I expect this to pretty much just contain random thoughts on plenty of things such as movies, music, etc... However sports will likely be the majority of the posts here.
As for me, I'm a 22 year old college student with a BS in Accountancy, and am working toward a Master's in May 2008. I will take the CPA exam next summer and hopefully be working for a mid-sized CPA firm next fall. I've played baseball my whole life, and have had stints with golf and basketball in high school. I follow the Cubs about as closely as anyone I've met, as well as the Bears and Fighting Illini - guess where I go to school... :).
If you happen to be reading this, hopefully you will enjoy what you see!
Until next time...
I expect this to pretty much just contain random thoughts on plenty of things such as movies, music, etc... However sports will likely be the majority of the posts here.
As for me, I'm a 22 year old college student with a BS in Accountancy, and am working toward a Master's in May 2008. I will take the CPA exam next summer and hopefully be working for a mid-sized CPA firm next fall. I've played baseball my whole life, and have had stints with golf and basketball in high school. I follow the Cubs about as closely as anyone I've met, as well as the Bears and Fighting Illini - guess where I go to school... :).
If you happen to be reading this, hopefully you will enjoy what you see!
Until next time...
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
