The Blame Game

New York Yankees pitching coach,well former pitching coach Dave Eiland was given the ax. General manager Brian Cashman didn't give any reason except that it was private. What,did Eiland screw his wife or something? He insists that it had nothing to do with the performance in the ALCS against the Texas Rangers. Sure B, and an alcoholic doesn't go to the store for liquor. Any pitcher they trotted out was bombed and if it weren't for some moments of ineptitude they would've had an embarassing sweep on their hands. Cashman was the one who signed A.J. Burnett or Javier Vasquez, but someone has to take the blame right?   

Steve Nash Throws Up The White Flag

Phoenix Suns point man Steve Nash seems to be setting up his fans for a letdown this year. Before the season even begins he's picking the Suns not to make the playoffs. Come on Steve, your supposed to be optimistic. Even Rodney Stuckey and Michael Beasley say things like "on paper we're the best". And you come out with this statement: "To be honest, if I was outside this picture and a betting man, I would probably pick us to be outside of the playoffs considering all the changes and the new guys."

"Maybe we need to take a step back, regroup, be a little bit more patient, build a really good team and see how good we can be later in the year instead of jumping out of the gate and be like, 'Oh, we've got to finish top two or three in the West and give ourselves a chance to win the West and go to the Finals.' That stuff can come if we really improve, but we can't put that type of pressure on ourselves right away because we are a new team."

He's basically telling the fans, even though we made the Western Conference finals last year, we lost one key guy (Amare Stoudemire), we have some new guys and some young ones. We might not be that good, so please support us. It could be a cry for help or a backhanded way to force a trade. Nash isn't getting any younger and I suppose he would like to compete for a title. But don't sell your team short before the season begins.

For Rondo It's About Dollars And Sense

Rajon Rondo is doing what a lot of NBA players didn't seem to do during the last lockout. He's saving his money. After Big Daddy Stern said he wants to cut player salaries by a third, Rondo is doing the smart thing by preparing as if there will be a lockout next season. Even though he makes 9 mill this year, it can go fast when you're not getting paid. Undoubtedly a smart move that some other players might want to take heed to.

Then there won't be anymore comments like this.

  

It's The Giants vs.Rangers. But Will Anyone Watch?

I'm glad to see some new blood in the World Series this year. It'll be the San Francisco Giants and the Texas Rangers in the Fall Classic. Even though I thought the Phillies and Yankees would've made it and I did want the Phillies to win it all, I'm not opposed to seeing a first timer and a franchise going after their first world championship since they relocated. The only thing is, will anyone watch?

Baseball  purists and the casual fan probably won't like this matchup. You know what they'll say. No name recognition, they don't know much about the teams, they play outside the glamour markets (Boston, Philadelphia, New York, Los Angeles) so they don't really care. That's what happens when you shove Red Sox vs. Yankees down our throat every year.

That's why the NFL has better viewership. You know you'll have your perennial contenders, but some team will rise up to surprise from year to year. I don't mind parity in sports. I think it makes it better, it keeps the product as a whole from getting stale. I don't like seeing the same teams year after year, even though the networks (ESPN, Fox,etc.) would love to have the same teams every year to improve their ratings. I'm all form just watching a good ballgame. That's how I came up and that's how I like it. I hate seeing teams like the Kansas City Royals and Pittsburgh Pirates on hard times. They were actually good when I was growing up, even though it's hard to believe now.

I"m glad it's the Giants vs. Rangers. It's refreshing to see two teams that are normally second or even not thought of this time of year. Hopefully baseball can get a clue and do something about the large disparity about some of the teams that just flat out suck right now and the one's that continue to stay on top. I don't think it's about what market you play in. If you find committed ownership and the right scouts and management it can be done. I never considered Boston a big market. San Diego has a larger population but is considered small market. I never got that and probably never will.   

Hopefully this will be an entertaining World Series. It probably won't work for the casual fan. They will turn their attention to the NBA season.

Suspension Until Further Notice

Even after having a protective order dismissed, Oklahoma State coach Travis Ford suspended forward Matt Pilgrim. Ford gave no reason for the suspension or no timetable. Now this sounds like something out of the real world. Ford said it has nothing to do with the protective order that was issued against Pilgrim over the summer that was dismissed. Makes me wonder.    

That Answers My Question About His Whereabouts

Carter in his glory days 

Every once in a while when me and some friends are talking, the question of what happened to Quincy Carter gets asked. Not that we're genuinely concerned about him. It's that he was once the starting quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys and then fell off the map.

Well, the questions about his whereabouts have been answered. He has been arrested on a battery charge recently. Gwinnett County Police say a woman who identified herself as Carter's girlfriend told officers Oct. 6 that the 33-year-old Decatur native was drunk when he choked and hit her because she wanted to end their relationship. Officers said 35-year-old Egan Jacobs had bumps and bruises. Carter was stopped nine days later for driving with an expired tag and a suspended license. He was arrested on the outstanding warrant for battery. Police said he was freed from jail the same day. 

Not what anyone had in mind when he was dumped by Dallas. He wasn't the second coming of Dan Fouts. Hell, he wasn't Vince Evans. But you would think he had some more NFL years in him, even though he had one drug suspension under his belt. He was cut by the Abilene Ruff Riders of the Indoor Football League in 2009 after being charged with drunken driving. He obviously has problems that need to be worked out.

After his drunk driving arrest

Memphis Goes A Different Route

The Memphis Tigers have a new way to recruit their hometown stars. They made a promotional video starring honetown legend Penny Hardaway. The point of it was making a difference by staying home and taking the program to another level. The video was a recruiting pitch to top 2011 prospect Adonis Thomas from Melrose High in Memphis. If Thomas ends up a Tiger I suspect more teams will use the hometown star made good angle for recruiting.


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