The B.S. Report Podcast
This podcast is hosted by ESPN's Bill Simmons, A.K.A. The Sports Guy. Its free on iTunes and downloads automatically with a subscription. The most recent podcast is about the Real World, you've got to check it out.
Also, check this out: http://theondeckcircle.net/2008/04/derek-jeters-other-game-a-photo-essay/
We wish we had come up with this article. We wish even more that we were Derek Jeter.
Thursday, July 30, 2009
USSSA World Series
Two weeks ago, we spent the entire week in Lenexa, KS watching the 12Under USSSA World Series. We spent the week over there not for recruiting purposes, but to watch our little brother play. The boys spent the week playing baseball, hanging out at the hotel and swimming in the pool with the team. Can you think of a better way for a 12 year old boy to spend a week of his summer? Joseph had the time of his life. His team, the Joplin Miners, enjoyed immense success throughout the week going 9-1 and winning the World Series title. Ya, you heard that right, they won the WORLD SERIES!!! Now, we understand that USSSA has a couple World Series events throughout the country, but it was still very cool. The event had over 50 teams that played a very high level of baseball. The defense was flawless, the pitching was well above average and home runs were rare and special, unlike the Little League World Series. The boys got to enjoy an entire night of official home run derby contests, fielding contests and fraternization with fellow competitors. It truly was a great event. Yet nothing could compare to getting the chance to enjoy the championship with the boys. They played for the love of the game. They played hard, they played extremely well and were lucky enough to get the title. After winning the final game on Sunday, the Miners dogpiled on the mound in absolute rapture after the victory. It was an unbelievable experience and we feel extremely lucky to have been a part of it. Also, we are proud to report that Steroid Era younger brother Joseph was name the tournament's Most Outstanding Offensive Player. It was a great week and tournament and we are very proud of the Miners and Joseph.
Monday, July 27, 2009
PERFECT GAME!!!!!!!!!!!
"Hawk" Harrelson, in all his terrifying White Sox glory, threw himself a little party the other day in the broadcast booth. He had good reason, Mark Buehrle threw a perfect game. It is really cool. Its only the 18th perfect game all time and the first since Randy Johnson's in 2005. Buehrle now has a world series ring, a no hitter and a perfect game. All by 30. President Obama even called Buehrle after the game proclaiming that all of America was a White Sox fan for the day. Mr. President, I beg to differ. Anyways, it doesn't take Einstein to see the magnitude of throwing a perfect game. What's more important to figure out, especially to Mark Buehrle, is how exactly he is going to repay DeWayne Wise. If you didn't catch the game, here's the scenario: manager Ozzie Guillen inserted Wise into centerfield in the ninth for defensive purposes. That's right, Wise came in off the bench cold after sitting for 8 innings to make this catch: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E5xmGvlnJhM
Wise obviously saved the perfect game, a no-no and even a shutout with that one play. Our question is what does he get in return? Pitchers are traditionally known to splurge for some sort of gift after this type of effort. After Buehrle's first no-no he bought the entire team watches. He even knows that won't cut it here:
"This one will probably be a lot more expensive."
So what can Mr. Wise expect from Mr. Buehrle?
The answer is nothing. Good ol' boy DeWayne doesn't expect a thing, unless you count the big bear hug he got after the game.
"All I wanted was a hug and a thank you, and that's what he did yesterday in the game."
We don't buy that. Wise makes $550,000 this year. Buehrle makes $14,000,000 big ones. DeWayne has to be salivating over the possibilities. Visions of PS3's and big screen tv's had to be dancing in his head.
Watches have to be a no go. Mark's already done it once, so no matter how expensive he goes a watch just won't cut it.
Golf clubs? Harley? A car? Vacation? Oh what to do, what to do?
Steroid Era Choice: the hog.
Nothin says "thank you" in a manlier fashion than a big, fat, American made bike. Does DeWayne Wise even golf? He's left handed so he would have to get the clubs fitted and that automatically takes the surprise element out of the equation. Its cooler than a watch and way cooler than the cameras Lebron got his teammates. I think a car may be a little over the top here. Not financially, just philosophically. Its excess, unless its a Kia. The Harley is perfect.
So there it is folks, the perfect "thank-you card" for Mark Buehrle. Longfellow Deeds couldn't write it any better. Its big, its manly, and its not overboard. There's no way Wise doesn't totally love the bike. It works, now Buehrle just needs to get it done.
Oh, and congratulations on the perfect game.
Wise obviously saved the perfect game, a no-no and even a shutout with that one play. Our question is what does he get in return? Pitchers are traditionally known to splurge for some sort of gift after this type of effort. After Buehrle's first no-no he bought the entire team watches. He even knows that won't cut it here:
"This one will probably be a lot more expensive."
So what can Mr. Wise expect from Mr. Buehrle?
The answer is nothing. Good ol' boy DeWayne doesn't expect a thing, unless you count the big bear hug he got after the game.
"All I wanted was a hug and a thank you, and that's what he did yesterday in the game."
We don't buy that. Wise makes $550,000 this year. Buehrle makes $14,000,000 big ones. DeWayne has to be salivating over the possibilities. Visions of PS3's and big screen tv's had to be dancing in his head.
Watches have to be a no go. Mark's already done it once, so no matter how expensive he goes a watch just won't cut it.
Golf clubs? Harley? A car? Vacation? Oh what to do, what to do?
Steroid Era Choice: the hog.
Nothin says "thank you" in a manlier fashion than a big, fat, American made bike. Does DeWayne Wise even golf? He's left handed so he would have to get the clubs fitted and that automatically takes the surprise element out of the equation. Its cooler than a watch and way cooler than the cameras Lebron got his teammates. I think a car may be a little over the top here. Not financially, just philosophically. Its excess, unless its a Kia. The Harley is perfect.
So there it is folks, the perfect "thank-you card" for Mark Buehrle. Longfellow Deeds couldn't write it any better. Its big, its manly, and its not overboard. There's no way Wise doesn't totally love the bike. It works, now Buehrle just needs to get it done.
Oh, and congratulations on the perfect game.
Friday, July 17, 2009
A New Day Rising
Another year, another missed playoff appearance. Well, not quite. Its just the All-Star Break, its just the middle of July and the Royals are not mathematically eliminated from the playoffs. Hell, the Royals are not even in last place. However, I think its safe to say that an 11.5 game deficit and the complete inability to score runs, among other things, that the Royals are safely out of contention. In fact, a mediocre .500 second half from the Tigers still leaves the Royals on the outside looking in, barring anything fantastic from Kansas City's anemic offense. That being said, the season is not lost. There are things for every fan out there to take solace in. Tonight's home game against the Rays represents the start of the second half. It represents a fresh start for these Royals. Can the Royals improve upon a very pedestrian 37-51 record? More importantly, can Alex Gordon and Yuni Betancourt contribute? Can Dayton Moore make some moves to shore up a weak minor league program? Will Zack Greinke reach 20 wins? Will the offense, with added help pick up at least a little bit? Can Trey Hillman get Mitch Maier off the field? We're still waiting to see, but we think this all looks plausible.
Former NCAA Golden Spkies Award winner Alex Gordon hasn't busted out of the gates like lots of fans. You can't really argue his .250 career average is impressive. What is impressive is that from year one to year two he improved noticeably in nearly every offensive category. Batting average, On-Base Percentage, Slugging Percentage, and OPS all improved greatly from Gordon's first year to the second. His home runs and RBI totals were about the same because he played 17 fewer games in 2008. Here inlies the big problem for Gordon. Will he be durable enough to have a long, productive major league career? The third year at the big league level seems to be pivotal for major league prospects so his return should have a big impact on the ball club. If this goes poorly, Dayton Moore begin to think of Gordon as tradeable in 2010.
The Royals debut of Yuni Betancourt could also turn out to be huge for the Royals in the 2nd half and in the coming years. After a breakout rookie season last year, after which he was named Royals player of the year, injured shortstop Mike Aviles was hitting a horrifying .183 before his season ending injury. Willie Bloomquist has been serviceable at shortstop at best but nothing to Betancourt's capabilities at the position. Just a few years ago Betancourt was regarded as one of the best young shortstops in the game. He had one of the slickest gloves in the game and could hit alright. One knock on Betancourt is his poor On-Base Percentage, career .302, but don't you think most Royals fans will take a great defensive shortstop that has a career batting average of .280? Word is Betancourt somehow has been at odds with Seattle management for a few years. As a result, his offense and defense have suffered immensely. Here's to hoping the fresh start will bring Yuni back to his position in the top ranks of AL shortstops.
Mitch Maier might possibly be one of the worst centerfielders in the game. He has half Coco Crisp's range in center. Even worse, he seemingly has Crisp's power: 0 HR, 18 RBI in 103 career games. The return of Alex Gordon is huge. Teahen can move back to a corner outfield spot, Guillen can stay in a corner and David Dejesus can move to center. Utility man extraordinaire Willy Bloomquist cann bounce around as needed. Also, Betancourt and Gordon bring some pop back to the lineup that the Royals have been missing. They should give Jose Guillen and Billy Butler more of the lineup protection that they enjoyed last year.
As far as Dayton Moore making moves, we as fans really have no idea. The Royals hold all the cards when it comes to trade talks surrounding Joakim Soria. Soria would bring big time prospects. Gil Meche would bring prospects and unload alot of cash off the Royal's payroll. Other trade options like Mark Teahan won't really bring a whole lot back to the Royals. Nobody wants Jose Guillen's poisonous demeanor and his $12 mil a year contract. We here at the Steroid Era expect Moore and the Royals to stay relatively quiet, although a decent left arm might be nice.
As far as Zack winning 20 games, he should. The offense should improve enough to up his run support considerably. A few of his first half losses will become wins in the second half. Also, look for Brian Bannister to improve even more in the second half. His 6-7 record is deceptive because he currently owns a team second best 3.66 ERA. Look for a bit more run support to help his record out some too.
I guess we may be looking at the glass as half full. Or even 3/4 full. But the point is that there are tools in place for the Royals to have a successful second half. They have the tools to start to build something special for 2010. Either way, we'll be listening/watching every game whether the Royals even win another game or not.
Former NCAA Golden Spkies Award winner Alex Gordon hasn't busted out of the gates like lots of fans. You can't really argue his .250 career average is impressive. What is impressive is that from year one to year two he improved noticeably in nearly every offensive category. Batting average, On-Base Percentage, Slugging Percentage, and OPS all improved greatly from Gordon's first year to the second. His home runs and RBI totals were about the same because he played 17 fewer games in 2008. Here inlies the big problem for Gordon. Will he be durable enough to have a long, productive major league career? The third year at the big league level seems to be pivotal for major league prospects so his return should have a big impact on the ball club. If this goes poorly, Dayton Moore begin to think of Gordon as tradeable in 2010.
The Royals debut of Yuni Betancourt could also turn out to be huge for the Royals in the 2nd half and in the coming years. After a breakout rookie season last year, after which he was named Royals player of the year, injured shortstop Mike Aviles was hitting a horrifying .183 before his season ending injury. Willie Bloomquist has been serviceable at shortstop at best but nothing to Betancourt's capabilities at the position. Just a few years ago Betancourt was regarded as one of the best young shortstops in the game. He had one of the slickest gloves in the game and could hit alright. One knock on Betancourt is his poor On-Base Percentage, career .302, but don't you think most Royals fans will take a great defensive shortstop that has a career batting average of .280? Word is Betancourt somehow has been at odds with Seattle management for a few years. As a result, his offense and defense have suffered immensely. Here's to hoping the fresh start will bring Yuni back to his position in the top ranks of AL shortstops.
Mitch Maier might possibly be one of the worst centerfielders in the game. He has half Coco Crisp's range in center. Even worse, he seemingly has Crisp's power: 0 HR, 18 RBI in 103 career games. The return of Alex Gordon is huge. Teahen can move back to a corner outfield spot, Guillen can stay in a corner and David Dejesus can move to center. Utility man extraordinaire Willy Bloomquist cann bounce around as needed. Also, Betancourt and Gordon bring some pop back to the lineup that the Royals have been missing. They should give Jose Guillen and Billy Butler more of the lineup protection that they enjoyed last year.
As far as Dayton Moore making moves, we as fans really have no idea. The Royals hold all the cards when it comes to trade talks surrounding Joakim Soria. Soria would bring big time prospects. Gil Meche would bring prospects and unload alot of cash off the Royal's payroll. Other trade options like Mark Teahan won't really bring a whole lot back to the Royals. Nobody wants Jose Guillen's poisonous demeanor and his $12 mil a year contract. We here at the Steroid Era expect Moore and the Royals to stay relatively quiet, although a decent left arm might be nice.
As far as Zack winning 20 games, he should. The offense should improve enough to up his run support considerably. A few of his first half losses will become wins in the second half. Also, look for Brian Bannister to improve even more in the second half. His 6-7 record is deceptive because he currently owns a team second best 3.66 ERA. Look for a bit more run support to help his record out some too.
I guess we may be looking at the glass as half full. Or even 3/4 full. But the point is that there are tools in place for the Royals to have a successful second half. They have the tools to start to build something special for 2010. Either way, we'll be listening/watching every game whether the Royals even win another game or not.
Thursday, July 2, 2009
Kansas Recruiting 2010
The recruiting class for 2010 will be very key for the Jayhawks as they attempt to retool after losing two All-America candidates and 2 potential NBA lottery picks. Sherron Collins and Mario Little will graduate, Cole Aldrich and Xavier Henry should be lottery picks and several NBA draft sites have Tyshawn Taylor going in the first class. That is a lot to lose, so who exactly is Bill Self aiming for in 2010? Who will come to Kansas and step in to help fill the shoes of 3 or even 4 Jayhawks?
Harrison Barnes: 6'6 206; Ames, Iowa; Rivals 150 Ranking: 5 Star, #2
Long and lanky, Barnes is capable of playing both the 2 and 3 guard position at the high-major Division 1 level. Can shoot, slash to the basket, and even rebound well for his size. Also, Barnes is a winner helping Ames Senior High to an Iowa state title. Barnes played well in the 2009 Jayhawk Invitational and really enjoyed his summer visit to Lawrence. Played in the Invitational with 2010 Jayhawk commit Royce Woolridge. Barnes also seems to have a good head on his shoulders, which is very important to have as the Rivals #2 ranked player for his class. (see: Lance Stephenson) Getting a good education is also paramount for Barnes, who is also high on Duke. Coach Self really has his sights set on Barnes as he would be the quintessential replacement for Mario Little and Xavier Henry who, by all accounts, doesn't plan on staying in Lawrence for more than a year. This would be an incredibly important get for the Jayhawks: great player, great kid, fills a huge hole.
Ray McCallum: 6'1 175: Detroit; Rivals 150: 4 star, #36
The departure of Sherron Collins and possible departure of Tyshawn Taylor could leave a big hole at the point guard spot in 2010 for the Hawks. While Elijah Johnson and Royce Woolridge capable of playing the point very well, it sure would be nice to lock in an elite point guard to help fill the void. McCallum is probably Kansas's best bet for a Top 10 point guard in the class of 2010. A coach's son, dad Ray is head coach at Detroit University, Ray is a team first point guard that really knows how to distribute the basketball. He can finish above the rim in transition and finishes strong in traffic for his slight frame. Kansas sights seem to be set on McCallum as the next Kansas bound elite point guard.
Royce Woolridge: 6'3 175; Phoenix; Rivals 150: 4 star, #65
Woolridge comes from great bloodlines, dad Orlando played several years in the NBA. The younger Woolridge can absolutely fill it up. He really knows how to put the ball in the basket, even scoring 30+ in the Arizona state championship game. Royce has already committed to Kansas and has been committed for a while now. Royce stands 6'3 now but his father is 6'9 and both his parents expect Royce to end up around 6'5. His Rivals ranking may be a bit low for his skillset, even though he jumped up about 20 spots in the most recent Rivals rankings update. Woolridge lit up the '09 Jayhawk Invitational, scoring 30+ multiple times. Woolridge is an athletic scorer that is accurate from very deep range. Look for Royce to gain a couple inches and probably gain several spots on the Rivals ranking by the end of his senior season. Its great to already have him in the bag.
One of the glaring absences from this list would seem to be a big man or some sort of a post player. Well, the Jayhawks don't seem to be too heartset on adding a big man. The Morris twins should be around 3 more years, Thomas Robinson looks to be a solid 4 year player and Jeff Withey will be nice and bulked up by the 2010-2011 season so the Jayhawks should be set down low for the time being and a post player is not necessary for the 2010 class. These are just 3 guys we have highlighted here. They all seem to be very high on Kansas and vice versa. They all also fill different needs for the Jayhawks and have been highlighted for that reason. But, as always is the case with recruiting, things will change and new names will pop up. Doron Lamb, Roscoe Smith and a slew of other 4 and 5 star recruits have offers on the table from Kansas and have Kansas on their list. The 3 listed here though are the early favorites to commit to Kansas sometime this upcoming year. Either way, Kansas fans should not worry, Coach Self and staff are some of the best recruiters in the country and will undoubtedly lock up another elite class for 2010.
Harrison Barnes: 6'6 206; Ames, Iowa; Rivals 150 Ranking: 5 Star, #2
Long and lanky, Barnes is capable of playing both the 2 and 3 guard position at the high-major Division 1 level. Can shoot, slash to the basket, and even rebound well for his size. Also, Barnes is a winner helping Ames Senior High to an Iowa state title. Barnes played well in the 2009 Jayhawk Invitational and really enjoyed his summer visit to Lawrence. Played in the Invitational with 2010 Jayhawk commit Royce Woolridge. Barnes also seems to have a good head on his shoulders, which is very important to have as the Rivals #2 ranked player for his class. (see: Lance Stephenson) Getting a good education is also paramount for Barnes, who is also high on Duke. Coach Self really has his sights set on Barnes as he would be the quintessential replacement for Mario Little and Xavier Henry who, by all accounts, doesn't plan on staying in Lawrence for more than a year. This would be an incredibly important get for the Jayhawks: great player, great kid, fills a huge hole.
Ray McCallum: 6'1 175: Detroit; Rivals 150: 4 star, #36
The departure of Sherron Collins and possible departure of Tyshawn Taylor could leave a big hole at the point guard spot in 2010 for the Hawks. While Elijah Johnson and Royce Woolridge capable of playing the point very well, it sure would be nice to lock in an elite point guard to help fill the void. McCallum is probably Kansas's best bet for a Top 10 point guard in the class of 2010. A coach's son, dad Ray is head coach at Detroit University, Ray is a team first point guard that really knows how to distribute the basketball. He can finish above the rim in transition and finishes strong in traffic for his slight frame. Kansas sights seem to be set on McCallum as the next Kansas bound elite point guard.
Royce Woolridge: 6'3 175; Phoenix; Rivals 150: 4 star, #65
Woolridge comes from great bloodlines, dad Orlando played several years in the NBA. The younger Woolridge can absolutely fill it up. He really knows how to put the ball in the basket, even scoring 30+ in the Arizona state championship game. Royce has already committed to Kansas and has been committed for a while now. Royce stands 6'3 now but his father is 6'9 and both his parents expect Royce to end up around 6'5. His Rivals ranking may be a bit low for his skillset, even though he jumped up about 20 spots in the most recent Rivals rankings update. Woolridge lit up the '09 Jayhawk Invitational, scoring 30+ multiple times. Woolridge is an athletic scorer that is accurate from very deep range. Look for Royce to gain a couple inches and probably gain several spots on the Rivals ranking by the end of his senior season. Its great to already have him in the bag.
One of the glaring absences from this list would seem to be a big man or some sort of a post player. Well, the Jayhawks don't seem to be too heartset on adding a big man. The Morris twins should be around 3 more years, Thomas Robinson looks to be a solid 4 year player and Jeff Withey will be nice and bulked up by the 2010-2011 season so the Jayhawks should be set down low for the time being and a post player is not necessary for the 2010 class. These are just 3 guys we have highlighted here. They all seem to be very high on Kansas and vice versa. They all also fill different needs for the Jayhawks and have been highlighted for that reason. But, as always is the case with recruiting, things will change and new names will pop up. Doron Lamb, Roscoe Smith and a slew of other 4 and 5 star recruits have offers on the table from Kansas and have Kansas on their list. The 3 listed here though are the early favorites to commit to Kansas sometime this upcoming year. Either way, Kansas fans should not worry, Coach Self and staff are some of the best recruiters in the country and will undoubtedly lock up another elite class for 2010.
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Henry Brothers Staying Put
For the time being the Henry brothers have decided to remain Kansas Jayhawks. The 6'6 Xavier sent a text message late last night to Jeff Goodman of FoxSports and to 610 AM radio in Kansas City, among others, informing them of his decision to stay with the University of Kansas. So, for now, the ordeal seems to be resolved. There will be more to come from The Steroid Era about the Henry brothers and the 2009-2010 Kansas team shortly.
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
THe Henry Saga
By now you all have probably read every latest piece of news on the Henry recruiting trail. Since a recent Kansas City Star article has surfaced, both Xavier and C.J. Henry are now re-thinking their commitment to play basketball for the University of Kansas. We should all know for sure what will happen by the end of the night or at some point tomorrow. Word is Coach Self and Danny Manning will be making the trek down to Oklahoma City for the night to see what's up. We'll see where this goes, but let's take a look at the whole process.
Due to an NCAA rule, Xavier could not sign a letter of intent with the University of Kansas because he had already previously signed one with Memphis. Was it not incredibly ominous that the brothers Henry were not in Lawrence for the start of summer school? We have not seen this kind of freshman drama since the Brandon Rush ordeal. That worked out great for Kansas. Also, Kentucky has 12 players on scholarship for the 2009-2010 season. The NCAA allows 13. Xavier is friends with Daniel Orton and John Wall, both of whom are actively trying to persuade Xavier to become a Wildcat. And finally, Mr. J Brady McCullough's article and the subsequent reaction from Kansas fans has scared the family a bit. But how does Carl expect his boys to play in the NBA when they can't even seem to handle some criticism? The point is, the boys will be revered in Lawrence the minute they step on campus. The article seems to have portrayed Carl and the boys unfairly in a very poor light. Its an unfortunate situation, we will see what happens with the family. But, for now, it seems as if the family will have yet another meeting to make up their minds on the matter. Kansas fans are hoping desperately the boys honor their commitment to the Hawks after Lance Stephenson signed a financial agreement today with the Cincinnati Bearcats. Its touch and go at the moment, but by no means should Kansas fans be scared. The Hawks return absolutely every piece of last year's team and bring in two wonderfully talented freshmen in Thomas Robinson and Elijah Johnson.
The matter will soon be cleared up, look us up at the Steroid Era for the first word on Xavier and C.J. Henry's futures.
Due to an NCAA rule, Xavier could not sign a letter of intent with the University of Kansas because he had already previously signed one with Memphis. Was it not incredibly ominous that the brothers Henry were not in Lawrence for the start of summer school? We have not seen this kind of freshman drama since the Brandon Rush ordeal. That worked out great for Kansas. Also, Kentucky has 12 players on scholarship for the 2009-2010 season. The NCAA allows 13. Xavier is friends with Daniel Orton and John Wall, both of whom are actively trying to persuade Xavier to become a Wildcat. And finally, Mr. J Brady McCullough's article and the subsequent reaction from Kansas fans has scared the family a bit. But how does Carl expect his boys to play in the NBA when they can't even seem to handle some criticism? The point is, the boys will be revered in Lawrence the minute they step on campus. The article seems to have portrayed Carl and the boys unfairly in a very poor light. Its an unfortunate situation, we will see what happens with the family. But, for now, it seems as if the family will have yet another meeting to make up their minds on the matter. Kansas fans are hoping desperately the boys honor their commitment to the Hawks after Lance Stephenson signed a financial agreement today with the Cincinnati Bearcats. Its touch and go at the moment, but by no means should Kansas fans be scared. The Hawks return absolutely every piece of last year's team and bring in two wonderfully talented freshmen in Thomas Robinson and Elijah Johnson.
The matter will soon be cleared up, look us up at the Steroid Era for the first word on Xavier and C.J. Henry's futures.
Monday, June 29, 2009
Has Hochevar Turned The Corner?
Former 39th round pick and twice a first round pick (2005, 2006) Luke Hochevar came to the Royals organization with very high expectations. After some shady contract deliberations through his lawyer, Scott Boras, Hochevar ended up turning down every Dodger offer and spent the 2005 season pitching in the Independent League. However, the two sides never came to a deal. Therefore, the University of Tennessee grad fell into Kansas City's lap with the first overall pick in the 2006 draft. The ballyhooed pick signed for $5.3 million in guaranteed money that could reach as much as $7 million throughout the life of the contract. His previous contract troubles, being the #1 overall pick and such a big contract all combined to put very high expectations on Hochevar. Would he come through for the struggling Kansas City franchise?
Whether or not the Hochevar investment pays off in the long run remains to be seen. What we have seen is a dominant minor league pitcher. Through the 2008 season, the 25 year old righty has a career 1.13 ERA. That is flat out getting the job done. The problem is, these results have not fully transferred to the majors. In fact, Hochevar's results are rather pedestrian and have disappointed many a KC fan so far. For his career in the bigs, Luke is a paltry 9-16 with a 5.15 ERA. Not exactly the type of returns the Royals hoped to get. Then, to top it all off, Luke starts of the 2009 campaign just about as bad as fellow AL righty Chien Min-Wang. Luke starts off 0-3 with a 18.00 ERA and the boo birds followed him right off the field during his early game exits. Kansas City fans clamored that Hochevar had to go. He can not get it done they said, and who could blame them? Former Rays first round pick David Price is pitching in the 2008 World Series and former Royals first round pick Luke Hochevar can't get out of the 4th inning in May. Is he just a AAAA player? Too good for the minors, but can't cut it in the majors? What was the problem?
While it was rough sailing early in the year, Luke seems to have things turned around. Tonight, Hochevar threw 7 scoreless innings of 2 hit baseball against the Twins. And if you don't know how well the Twins hit check out the most recent Sports Illustrated. Joe Mauer, Justin Morneau and company can flat out rake. More importantly, Hochevar battled through early control problems and overcame them to pitch a gem of a game. He controlled the game. He did not let the walks turn into big innings and crooked numbers and led the Royals to their second straight win. The win Monday evening marks Hochevar's 4th "quality start" in his 5 appearances since being recalled from Triple-A Omaha.
The win brings Hochevar's ERA to the lowest its been in his MLB career. It gives him something to build on. It gives him confidence in his stuff and tells him he can get the job done even with out his best stuff. By no means is the turn around complete. The control problems remain: 17 walks vs. 18 strikeouts. But Hochevar's recent successes at least alleviate the bad taste left in Royals fans' mouths after his horrendous start to the '09 campaign. Here's to Luke turning it around and taking his spot in the #3 spot in the Royals rotation. Meche, Greinke, and a strong Hochevar is a pretty formidable group of righties filling out the front end of the rotation. The pitching has been the strong point for the Royals, look for it to steadily improve with Hochevar's improvement.
Whether or not the Hochevar investment pays off in the long run remains to be seen. What we have seen is a dominant minor league pitcher. Through the 2008 season, the 25 year old righty has a career 1.13 ERA. That is flat out getting the job done. The problem is, these results have not fully transferred to the majors. In fact, Hochevar's results are rather pedestrian and have disappointed many a KC fan so far. For his career in the bigs, Luke is a paltry 9-16 with a 5.15 ERA. Not exactly the type of returns the Royals hoped to get. Then, to top it all off, Luke starts of the 2009 campaign just about as bad as fellow AL righty Chien Min-Wang. Luke starts off 0-3 with a 18.00 ERA and the boo birds followed him right off the field during his early game exits. Kansas City fans clamored that Hochevar had to go. He can not get it done they said, and who could blame them? Former Rays first round pick David Price is pitching in the 2008 World Series and former Royals first round pick Luke Hochevar can't get out of the 4th inning in May. Is he just a AAAA player? Too good for the minors, but can't cut it in the majors? What was the problem?
While it was rough sailing early in the year, Luke seems to have things turned around. Tonight, Hochevar threw 7 scoreless innings of 2 hit baseball against the Twins. And if you don't know how well the Twins hit check out the most recent Sports Illustrated. Joe Mauer, Justin Morneau and company can flat out rake. More importantly, Hochevar battled through early control problems and overcame them to pitch a gem of a game. He controlled the game. He did not let the walks turn into big innings and crooked numbers and led the Royals to their second straight win. The win Monday evening marks Hochevar's 4th "quality start" in his 5 appearances since being recalled from Triple-A Omaha.
The win brings Hochevar's ERA to the lowest its been in his MLB career. It gives him something to build on. It gives him confidence in his stuff and tells him he can get the job done even with out his best stuff. By no means is the turn around complete. The control problems remain: 17 walks vs. 18 strikeouts. But Hochevar's recent successes at least alleviate the bad taste left in Royals fans' mouths after his horrendous start to the '09 campaign. Here's to Luke turning it around and taking his spot in the #3 spot in the Royals rotation. Meche, Greinke, and a strong Hochevar is a pretty formidable group of righties filling out the front end of the rotation. The pitching has been the strong point for the Royals, look for it to steadily improve with Hochevar's improvement.
Thursday, June 25, 2009
2009 NBA Draft Thoughts and Analysis
Considered one of the weaker drafts in recent memory, there sure did seem to be alot of unknowns coming into tonight's draft. Lots of foreign players, lots of point guards, a trailblazer, a set of brothers and 3 first round Tar Heels all helped make this an interesting draft. Granted, there was no debate on the number 1 pick as there has been in years past, but Blake Griffin is just a once in a lifetime athlete. Sidenote, the Steroid Era has got to make it to NYC to witness the draft in person and check out the drunk, desperate Knicks fans.
Gotta start with the first pick. Blake Griffin is a stud. He's going to be a stud in the league for many years. The jump shot will come with time, but Blake can rebound with the best of them, jump out of the gym and has a bigger heart than most. And before you write him off since he's with the Clippers, check out the Clips roster. If their health can last, look out for the Staples Center's other home team. Starting 5 of Baron Davis, Eric Gordon, Mardy Collins/Ricky Davis, Blake Griffin, Marcus Camby. Come off the bench with Kaman, Al Thornton, and several good young guards and this should be a formidable team. But, then again Donald Sterling hates winning, Mike Dunleavy is just dumb, and after all, this is the Clippers we're talking about.
Hasheem Thabeet: see, Dikembe Mutombo. He may block alot of shots and alter a few more. But he's going to be a career 8ppg 7rbg. I wouldn't spend a #2 pick on 3 blocks a game. That said, the Grizzlies have a slew of young talent and several guys that can fill it up. Maybe a big man like Thabeet could turn out to be in integral piece of the puzzle. Center is probably the least deep position for the Grizzlies. Scoring challenged Marc Gasol, Hamed Haddadi (who) and Chris Mihm don't exactly strike fear into the hearts of charging posterizers, so Thabeet should fit well.
James Harden was part of a Tempe resurgence at Arizona State in his 2 years on campus, the OKC Thunder hope he will be a part of a midwest resurgence in Oklahoma. The consummate teammate who has his head sitting squarely on his shoulders. He can fill it up from inside and find his own shot. Will get into the lane and finish with strength. Most importantly, Harden is very unselfish and a great passer from the off-guard position. He will have no problem with Kevin Durant gets his shots. We love James Harden and fully expect him to be a success.
Tyreke Evans will be a great NBA point guard and already has an NBA ready body. Also, check out that suit he wore. Fly.
Hey Minnesota, how exactly are you going to play Ricky Rubio, Johnny Flynn and Nick Calathes. More specifically how you going to play Rubio and Flynn. Flynn is a favorite here at the Steroid Era and we personally wanted Johnny to fall to his hometown Knicks. So it goes. The Wolves picked 6 times, and kept 5 of those picks. Of the 5, 4 were guards and the 5th is a European guy who won't see an NBA floor for 3 years. We love every guard, well maybe not Calathes, and especially love Ellington. We just don't see how Flynn, Rubio, and Bassy Telfair all get the minutes they crave. Is Telfair going to bring a gun to practice now to get his way? But seriously, all 3 are pure point guards with shooting deficiencies. But hey, we love the frontcourt in the XL Center so we will see how this point guard experiment works out.
Stephen Curry will be a stud and will have a 24/7 365 greenlight up in Oakland under the tuttleage of Don Nelson. As Dickie V yelled oh so eloquently, look out for a Rookie of the Year from Davidson's finest.
DeMar DeRozan first dunked in 6th grade. That's not fair. He's also the third straight USC player to be taken in the first round and as far as the Steroid Era can tell none of his "mentors" were handed $1000 envelopes by Coach of the Year candidate Tim Floyd.
We love the Louisville athletes. And by athlete, here we mean incredibly versatile physical freaks. The first of which, Terrance Williams goes off the board at 11 to the Nets. He will absolutely fill up the box score. But it's not always sunny in New Jersey. The Vince Carter trade makes the Nets a much younger team. Check out the roster, its brutal. Looks like Jay-Z is making room for his CuddyBuddy Bron Bron in 2010. Freak #2 goes 14 to the Suns. If Earl Clark can get his head on straight he could be a force inside, outside and on the defensive end for the Suns.
Carolinian Larry Brown takes Dukie Gerald Henderson in the lottery. Late in the 2nd round, Dukie Danny Ferry takes Carolinian Danny Green. Semi-interesting, completely meaningless, Stu Scott had a heart attack.
In a collision of great sports nicknames, Larry Legend takes Psycho T. Interestingly enough, the Pacers have taken the best player from the best collegiate team 2 consecutive years. Both with the 13th pick. Brandon Rush had a successful rookie season and should compete for a starting spot this year. Hansbrough should be successful too, even if its just because he wants it more than anyone else. The Pacers are weak inside, Psycho T will bring strength, tenacity, and hustle to the frontcourt which Coach O'Brien hopes is contagious.
The Pistons aren't exactly a fan favorite here, so we thanked Wilt Chamberlain and the other basketball Gods for sending Mr. Dumars Tayshawn Prince's twin Austin Daye. The Grinch plays with more heart than Daye. Reportedly, his mother did the 185 benchpress for Daye at the pre-draft workouts. His dad played 5 years in the league. He probably lacked heart too. This pick sucks, look for Daye to be a non-factor in 5 years, just like Poppa Daye.
What can you say about Jrue Holiday? Noone knows whether he can play or not. 100% potential pick. Similar situation to Russell Westbrook's lottery position, let's see if it works out. He's got a good mentor in Andre Miller.
Love Jeff Teague, dude can fill it up. Does this pick, combined with the Jamal Crawford trade mean Bibby won't be resigned?
We love Eric Maynor, he will love learning from Deron Williams. Could he be the next Mr. Big Shot? We think he's got a great shot.
Not sold on Darren Collison. A bit undersized and not incredibly athletic. Then again, New Orleans drafts him to be a back up.
Please, please, please Vinny tell me either Taj Gibson and James Johnson get to use Joakim Noah as a punching bag in summer workouts. Noah sucks, plain and simple. Both Johnson are very quality picks and can both play the position about 1095487395398437293458 times better than Noah, and they probably make free throws every now and then too. Also, James Johnson is a black belt karate buff, don't look for him to back down when Lebron comes barreling down the United Center lanes next year.
Demarre Carroll? Really? Picks like this are the reason the Grizzlies are the Grizzlies. And we're really trying our hardest here not to be biased towards Carroll a.k.a. "Style and Grace." Grizz GM Rod Thorn claimed they took Carroll for his tenacious defensive presence. He hasn't played an NBA style man-to-man for 3 years. Dajuan Summers, Sam Young, and Derrick Brown all are similar body types and play similar positions. They all play better defense and immensely better offense than Demarre. More importantly, all 3 guys were on the board when Carroll was taken. No way this works out.
Toney Douglas can fill it up, we love his game. Look for him to absolutely thrive in the Garden in D'Antoni's super high paced offense. Also, check out his brother, Harry, on Sundays catching TD passes from Matty Ice for the Atlanta Falcons.
Jermaine Taylor: freak athlete that knows how to put the ball in the basket. But will he get minutes in the perimeter laden Wizards gameplan. Especially with the return of a healthy Agent 0 Gilbert and the additions of sharp shooter Mike Miller and Randy Foye. We hope he makes it. Don't you also have a soft spot for mid-major guys?
Huge Steal: Dajuan Blair. He's going to get every rebound down there in San Antonio so all Timmy Duncan has to do is keep stroking those 16 foot bank shots. Also, the Richard Jefferson trade shores up the perimiter and gets rid of Bruce Bowen.
Another huge steal: Derrick Brown. The Bobcats had a good draft, maybe Coach Brown can get things turned around in Charlotte.
Can you imagine having Michael Redd and Jodie Meeks filling it up every night. Get out to the games Milwaukeeans, its going to be one hell of a shooting display. Brandon Jennings will lead the league with about a billion assists. A healthy Andrew Bogut should be capable of rebounding the shots these guys actually miss.
Marcus Thornton is another guy that can absolutely fill it up. He also knows how to win after leading LSU to an SEC West title last year. Look for him to be a good fit in Miami.
Watch out Steve Blake, Patty Millys can ball. Did you catch him in the '08 Olympics? Get your game tight Steve cause Patty is a big-time competitor and one hell of a point guard and he will be gunning for the starting spot.
Lester Hudson: fill it up.
Thank God there's no NBA entrance exam, Robert Dozier would have a tough time getting in.
RANDOM
We wish we had Fran Fraschilla's mind and knew everything about every unknown foreign player. We don't. We did notice one common thread amongst these foreign guys: 99% of them won't see an NBA floor for 3 years.
The 2nd round was full of great athletes, guys who can straight fill it up, and steals.
There were 2 guys taken from Bosnia and Herzegovina. We didn't really even know that was a country. Is that ignorance on our part or irrelevance on theirs? Also, Vladimir Radmonovich hails from BIH.
Jay Bilas didn't have a bad thing to say about any draftee. According to him every guy drafted will be a good solid NBA player.
WINNERS
Orlando, San Antonio, Chicago.
LOSERS
Definitely Cleveland. They need impact guys that can help immediately. Danny Green may be serviceable, but the first round pick won't be playing in Cleveland until Lebron is gone and the Cavs are back to bottom feeder status. LA Lakers, but then again, what exactly did they need? Minnesota, just because I don't see Rubio and Flynn as a miximization of utility provided by holding the 5 and 6 picks.
We know this may be a bit lugubrious but we think you will enjoy. RIP Jacko.
Gotta start with the first pick. Blake Griffin is a stud. He's going to be a stud in the league for many years. The jump shot will come with time, but Blake can rebound with the best of them, jump out of the gym and has a bigger heart than most. And before you write him off since he's with the Clippers, check out the Clips roster. If their health can last, look out for the Staples Center's other home team. Starting 5 of Baron Davis, Eric Gordon, Mardy Collins/Ricky Davis, Blake Griffin, Marcus Camby. Come off the bench with Kaman, Al Thornton, and several good young guards and this should be a formidable team. But, then again Donald Sterling hates winning, Mike Dunleavy is just dumb, and after all, this is the Clippers we're talking about.
Hasheem Thabeet: see, Dikembe Mutombo. He may block alot of shots and alter a few more. But he's going to be a career 8ppg 7rbg. I wouldn't spend a #2 pick on 3 blocks a game. That said, the Grizzlies have a slew of young talent and several guys that can fill it up. Maybe a big man like Thabeet could turn out to be in integral piece of the puzzle. Center is probably the least deep position for the Grizzlies. Scoring challenged Marc Gasol, Hamed Haddadi (who) and Chris Mihm don't exactly strike fear into the hearts of charging posterizers, so Thabeet should fit well.
James Harden was part of a Tempe resurgence at Arizona State in his 2 years on campus, the OKC Thunder hope he will be a part of a midwest resurgence in Oklahoma. The consummate teammate who has his head sitting squarely on his shoulders. He can fill it up from inside and find his own shot. Will get into the lane and finish with strength. Most importantly, Harden is very unselfish and a great passer from the off-guard position. He will have no problem with Kevin Durant gets his shots. We love James Harden and fully expect him to be a success.
Tyreke Evans will be a great NBA point guard and already has an NBA ready body. Also, check out that suit he wore. Fly.
Hey Minnesota, how exactly are you going to play Ricky Rubio, Johnny Flynn and Nick Calathes. More specifically how you going to play Rubio and Flynn. Flynn is a favorite here at the Steroid Era and we personally wanted Johnny to fall to his hometown Knicks. So it goes. The Wolves picked 6 times, and kept 5 of those picks. Of the 5, 4 were guards and the 5th is a European guy who won't see an NBA floor for 3 years. We love every guard, well maybe not Calathes, and especially love Ellington. We just don't see how Flynn, Rubio, and Bassy Telfair all get the minutes they crave. Is Telfair going to bring a gun to practice now to get his way? But seriously, all 3 are pure point guards with shooting deficiencies. But hey, we love the frontcourt in the XL Center so we will see how this point guard experiment works out.
Stephen Curry will be a stud and will have a 24/7 365 greenlight up in Oakland under the tuttleage of Don Nelson. As Dickie V yelled oh so eloquently, look out for a Rookie of the Year from Davidson's finest.
DeMar DeRozan first dunked in 6th grade. That's not fair. He's also the third straight USC player to be taken in the first round and as far as the Steroid Era can tell none of his "mentors" were handed $1000 envelopes by Coach of the Year candidate Tim Floyd.
We love the Louisville athletes. And by athlete, here we mean incredibly versatile physical freaks. The first of which, Terrance Williams goes off the board at 11 to the Nets. He will absolutely fill up the box score. But it's not always sunny in New Jersey. The Vince Carter trade makes the Nets a much younger team. Check out the roster, its brutal. Looks like Jay-Z is making room for his CuddyBuddy Bron Bron in 2010. Freak #2 goes 14 to the Suns. If Earl Clark can get his head on straight he could be a force inside, outside and on the defensive end for the Suns.
Carolinian Larry Brown takes Dukie Gerald Henderson in the lottery. Late in the 2nd round, Dukie Danny Ferry takes Carolinian Danny Green. Semi-interesting, completely meaningless, Stu Scott had a heart attack.
In a collision of great sports nicknames, Larry Legend takes Psycho T. Interestingly enough, the Pacers have taken the best player from the best collegiate team 2 consecutive years. Both with the 13th pick. Brandon Rush had a successful rookie season and should compete for a starting spot this year. Hansbrough should be successful too, even if its just because he wants it more than anyone else. The Pacers are weak inside, Psycho T will bring strength, tenacity, and hustle to the frontcourt which Coach O'Brien hopes is contagious.
The Pistons aren't exactly a fan favorite here, so we thanked Wilt Chamberlain and the other basketball Gods for sending Mr. Dumars Tayshawn Prince's twin Austin Daye. The Grinch plays with more heart than Daye. Reportedly, his mother did the 185 benchpress for Daye at the pre-draft workouts. His dad played 5 years in the league. He probably lacked heart too. This pick sucks, look for Daye to be a non-factor in 5 years, just like Poppa Daye.
What can you say about Jrue Holiday? Noone knows whether he can play or not. 100% potential pick. Similar situation to Russell Westbrook's lottery position, let's see if it works out. He's got a good mentor in Andre Miller.
Love Jeff Teague, dude can fill it up. Does this pick, combined with the Jamal Crawford trade mean Bibby won't be resigned?
We love Eric Maynor, he will love learning from Deron Williams. Could he be the next Mr. Big Shot? We think he's got a great shot.
Not sold on Darren Collison. A bit undersized and not incredibly athletic. Then again, New Orleans drafts him to be a back up.
Please, please, please Vinny tell me either Taj Gibson and James Johnson get to use Joakim Noah as a punching bag in summer workouts. Noah sucks, plain and simple. Both Johnson are very quality picks and can both play the position about 1095487395398437293458 times better than Noah, and they probably make free throws every now and then too. Also, James Johnson is a black belt karate buff, don't look for him to back down when Lebron comes barreling down the United Center lanes next year.
Demarre Carroll? Really? Picks like this are the reason the Grizzlies are the Grizzlies. And we're really trying our hardest here not to be biased towards Carroll a.k.a. "Style and Grace." Grizz GM Rod Thorn claimed they took Carroll for his tenacious defensive presence. He hasn't played an NBA style man-to-man for 3 years. Dajuan Summers, Sam Young, and Derrick Brown all are similar body types and play similar positions. They all play better defense and immensely better offense than Demarre. More importantly, all 3 guys were on the board when Carroll was taken. No way this works out.
Toney Douglas can fill it up, we love his game. Look for him to absolutely thrive in the Garden in D'Antoni's super high paced offense. Also, check out his brother, Harry, on Sundays catching TD passes from Matty Ice for the Atlanta Falcons.
Jermaine Taylor: freak athlete that knows how to put the ball in the basket. But will he get minutes in the perimeter laden Wizards gameplan. Especially with the return of a healthy Agent 0 Gilbert and the additions of sharp shooter Mike Miller and Randy Foye. We hope he makes it. Don't you also have a soft spot for mid-major guys?
Huge Steal: Dajuan Blair. He's going to get every rebound down there in San Antonio so all Timmy Duncan has to do is keep stroking those 16 foot bank shots. Also, the Richard Jefferson trade shores up the perimiter and gets rid of Bruce Bowen.
Another huge steal: Derrick Brown. The Bobcats had a good draft, maybe Coach Brown can get things turned around in Charlotte.
Can you imagine having Michael Redd and Jodie Meeks filling it up every night. Get out to the games Milwaukeeans, its going to be one hell of a shooting display. Brandon Jennings will lead the league with about a billion assists. A healthy Andrew Bogut should be capable of rebounding the shots these guys actually miss.
Marcus Thornton is another guy that can absolutely fill it up. He also knows how to win after leading LSU to an SEC West title last year. Look for him to be a good fit in Miami.
Watch out Steve Blake, Patty Millys can ball. Did you catch him in the '08 Olympics? Get your game tight Steve cause Patty is a big-time competitor and one hell of a point guard and he will be gunning for the starting spot.
Lester Hudson: fill it up.
Thank God there's no NBA entrance exam, Robert Dozier would have a tough time getting in.
RANDOM
We wish we had Fran Fraschilla's mind and knew everything about every unknown foreign player. We don't. We did notice one common thread amongst these foreign guys: 99% of them won't see an NBA floor for 3 years.
The 2nd round was full of great athletes, guys who can straight fill it up, and steals.
There were 2 guys taken from Bosnia and Herzegovina. We didn't really even know that was a country. Is that ignorance on our part or irrelevance on theirs? Also, Vladimir Radmonovich hails from BIH.
Jay Bilas didn't have a bad thing to say about any draftee. According to him every guy drafted will be a good solid NBA player.
WINNERS
Orlando, San Antonio, Chicago.
LOSERS
Definitely Cleveland. They need impact guys that can help immediately. Danny Green may be serviceable, but the first round pick won't be playing in Cleveland until Lebron is gone and the Cavs are back to bottom feeder status. LA Lakers, but then again, what exactly did they need? Minnesota, just because I don't see Rubio and Flynn as a miximization of utility provided by holding the 5 and 6 picks.
We know this may be a bit lugubrious but we think you will enjoy. RIP Jacko.
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
The Top 10 Nicknames in Sports History
Haven't most of you out there always wanted some kind of sports nickname? You know, something that sets you apart from the other 100 players in the local little league. But God forbid you get stuck with some terrible nickname like Daniel "Boobie" Gibson. Boobie? Is that the reason he cuts those dumbass designs in his hair, to make up for his dumbass nickname? Even worse than a bad nickname is trying to make up your own nickname. Doesn't work. Take George "T-Bone" Costanza from Seinfeld. That idea went down faster than Al Roker's weight. But nothing beats a great, original nickname and these have got to be the Top 10 of all time.
Bryant "Big Country" Reeves- Center, Oklahoma State
Recruited to OSU by the great Bill Self, Reeves was given the fitting nicknamed after being awestruck by his first airplane ride as a college freshman. He's from the country and he's a really big fuckin dude. The nickname seems to work. Plus he was a pretty badass collegiate player, averaging 21.5 a game his senior year and leading OSU to the '95 Final Four. The Grizzlies made him their first ever No. 1 pick and Big Country rode a few years of succes into a $61 million dollar deal. Not bad for a kid from Podunk, Arkansas.
Larry "Granmama" Johnson
I still haven't figured out how L.J. got this nickname, but I bet there's an awesome reason. Maybe he'd beat someone's grandma tto get good rebounding position? The high-flying Runnin Rebel enforcer parlayed an impressive career at UNLV into a nice long NBA career. Always a favorite on NBA Jam, L.J. was consistently one of the biggest badasses in the NBA, before retiring and achieving his undergrad degree at UNLV. Possible career pinnacle: Playing his alter-ego "Granmama on an episode of Family Matters.
Earvin "Magic" Johnson
Dubbed in 2007 by ESPN as the greatest point guard of all time, Magic really needs no introduciton by The Steroid Era and his accomplishments, awards and accolades are too many to name here, so let's get to the important stuff: the nickname. Believe it or not, Magic garnered the name in HIGH SCHOOL, as a SOPHOMORE when he recorded a triple double 36, 18 and 16. The local sports writer gave the East Lansing standout the moniker that year. It takes most guys til college to get such a great nickname. Magic did it when he was 15, isn't that way cooler than an NBA MVP award?
Jim Catfish Hunter
Ol' Catfish ended up winning 5 titles with the A's and Yanks, won a Cy Young, went to several all-star games, threw a perfect game and had an awesome mustache. But all that pales in comparison to his nickname. This gem was produced by A's owner Charlie Finley but is actually all a SHAM. Finley told the young pitcher he needed a nickname, then proceeded to create a fictitious story about a young Hunter catching a large catfish. Ol' Catfish repeated the story and the name stuck. Does the sham reduce the "cool" factor of the nickname? Not in the least, hell was Larry Johnson a Granmama?
Ernie "Mr. Cub" Banks
We here at the Steroid Era love the Cubs. Could we be a bit biased? Sure. But in an age where good players will play for the local softball team for the right amount of money (see: Adam Dunn) and whore themselves out with total disregard for team loyalty and pride, there should be some value in Ernie's nickname. Mr. Banks spent his entire Hall of Fame career with the Cubs, generally embodying the utmost loyalty for Chicago's Northsiders. The nickname speaks for itself and is greatly deserved and should be ultimately respected. No jokes here, we love Mr. Cub
Darrell "Dr. Dunkenstein" Griffith
This is just too damn sweet. Dr. Dunkenstein? High flyers around the country would kill for a name like this. I mean, you hear Dr. Dunkenstein and images of 48" verticals dance in your head. Besides incredible aerial exploits, Darrell had one hell of a career. Won an NCAA title in 1980 with Denny Crum and the Louisville Cardinals, NBA rookie of the year, Wooden Award. But he spent his entire career with the Jazz. If not for Dr. Dunkenstein would you remember him? Doubtful. This is definitely one of the most creative nicknames ever, definitely way cooler than fellow high flyer Darrell "Chocolate Thunder" Dawkins's candy bar nickname.
"Never Nervous" Pervis Ellison
Inside the last few minutes/innings of ANY semi important sporting event the topic of performance under pressure gets beaten to death by the likes of Joe Buck, Marv Albert, and Billy Packer. But is there anything more respectable in sports than the ability to perform under pressure? Maybe because one was never nervous? Boom!! (sparking my inner John Madden) There it is, the meaning to Mr. Ellison's well earned nickname. How you might ask, did ol' Pervis garner such a distinguished name? Maybe by becoming the first freshman since 1944 to win the Final 4 Most Outstanding Player award while leading the Louisville Cardinals to their second title in the 80's. I'd venture a guess that Never Nervous has some pretty grandes cajones since he won such an award as a FRESHMAN.
Mickey "The Commerce Comet" Mantle
You know folks, I feel like we here at the Steroid Era may be using a little too much bias. Fuck it. We gotta go with the hometown hero. Growing up in the Columbus, KS ballpark we could not get enough Mickey stories about his heroics right there in Columbus. Well, hometown bias or not, we couldn't leave the Mick off the list. The name, simply enough, comes from his hometown of Commerce, Oklahoma. The nickname was made famous by the switch-hitting, base stealing, slick fielding outfielder that spent a career breaking records, breaking hearts, and probably several laws along the way. The Mick was the consummate party animal, definitely the Jason Giambi of the 60's (and we all know how much the Steroid Era loves Giambi) who was once known as saying "if I knew I was going to live this long, I'd have taken better care of myself." Don't sweat it Mick, you made the Hall, and had one hell of a time doing it.
Michael "Air" Jordan
Pretty damn easy to see why His Airnees got this name. He jumped really high, won a few games, made a few bucks, had a hot mistress, and won a dunk contest or two. What else can you say? A multi, multi, multi million dollar brand named AIR Jordan, the greatest player of all time. The only reason MJ didn't make top billing on this list is lack of creativity. Ok, I know, Air is perfect. But And1 high flyer "The Air Up There" has a better nickname and couldn't carry Air's jockstrap. Plus it sounds awkward just calling him "Air."
The Say Hey Kid
Every sports fan should know immediately Willie Mays. The original purveyor of the famous over the shoulder basket catch in the cavernous Polo Grounds, original home of the New York baseball Giants. One of the most important things about The Say Hey Kid: he shares the same birthday as me, the founder of The Steroid Era. Anyways, his numbers speak for themselves: 660 homers (4th all-time), MLB all-century team, Sporting News #2 player ever, one of four players ever to record 8 straight 100 RBI seasons. Now, on to our purposes. It seems our boy Willie came across the name simply because he couldn't remember people's names right when he came up to the bigs. He simply said "Say Hey" when addressing someone unknown. Alas, Willie's kind heart and generally congenial demeanor didn't transfer down to his Godson Barry Bonds. Oh well Willie, we still love you.
Now, we acknowledge we maybe missed a few. Say for instance, Wayne Gretzky. Nothing against Wayne, but "The Great One" is just too damn unoriginal. Did a 3 year old come up with it? Hell, Sidney Crosby's got a better nickname and he's been in the league for like 4 years. But i digress, we apologize for leaving off your favorite nickname, but to tell you the truth the Steroid Era is the Alpha and Omega and through that omniscience we determined these to be the top nicknames ever. Ever.
Bryant "Big Country" Reeves- Center, Oklahoma State
Recruited to OSU by the great Bill Self, Reeves was given the fitting nicknamed after being awestruck by his first airplane ride as a college freshman. He's from the country and he's a really big fuckin dude. The nickname seems to work. Plus he was a pretty badass collegiate player, averaging 21.5 a game his senior year and leading OSU to the '95 Final Four. The Grizzlies made him their first ever No. 1 pick and Big Country rode a few years of succes into a $61 million dollar deal. Not bad for a kid from Podunk, Arkansas.
Larry "Granmama" Johnson
I still haven't figured out how L.J. got this nickname, but I bet there's an awesome reason. Maybe he'd beat someone's grandma tto get good rebounding position? The high-flying Runnin Rebel enforcer parlayed an impressive career at UNLV into a nice long NBA career. Always a favorite on NBA Jam, L.J. was consistently one of the biggest badasses in the NBA, before retiring and achieving his undergrad degree at UNLV. Possible career pinnacle: Playing his alter-ego "Granmama on an episode of Family Matters.
Earvin "Magic" Johnson
Dubbed in 2007 by ESPN as the greatest point guard of all time, Magic really needs no introduciton by The Steroid Era and his accomplishments, awards and accolades are too many to name here, so let's get to the important stuff: the nickname. Believe it or not, Magic garnered the name in HIGH SCHOOL, as a SOPHOMORE when he recorded a triple double 36, 18 and 16. The local sports writer gave the East Lansing standout the moniker that year. It takes most guys til college to get such a great nickname. Magic did it when he was 15, isn't that way cooler than an NBA MVP award?
Jim Catfish Hunter
Ol' Catfish ended up winning 5 titles with the A's and Yanks, won a Cy Young, went to several all-star games, threw a perfect game and had an awesome mustache. But all that pales in comparison to his nickname. This gem was produced by A's owner Charlie Finley but is actually all a SHAM. Finley told the young pitcher he needed a nickname, then proceeded to create a fictitious story about a young Hunter catching a large catfish. Ol' Catfish repeated the story and the name stuck. Does the sham reduce the "cool" factor of the nickname? Not in the least, hell was Larry Johnson a Granmama?
Ernie "Mr. Cub" Banks
We here at the Steroid Era love the Cubs. Could we be a bit biased? Sure. But in an age where good players will play for the local softball team for the right amount of money (see: Adam Dunn) and whore themselves out with total disregard for team loyalty and pride, there should be some value in Ernie's nickname. Mr. Banks spent his entire Hall of Fame career with the Cubs, generally embodying the utmost loyalty for Chicago's Northsiders. The nickname speaks for itself and is greatly deserved and should be ultimately respected. No jokes here, we love Mr. Cub
Darrell "Dr. Dunkenstein" Griffith
This is just too damn sweet. Dr. Dunkenstein? High flyers around the country would kill for a name like this. I mean, you hear Dr. Dunkenstein and images of 48" verticals dance in your head. Besides incredible aerial exploits, Darrell had one hell of a career. Won an NCAA title in 1980 with Denny Crum and the Louisville Cardinals, NBA rookie of the year, Wooden Award. But he spent his entire career with the Jazz. If not for Dr. Dunkenstein would you remember him? Doubtful. This is definitely one of the most creative nicknames ever, definitely way cooler than fellow high flyer Darrell "Chocolate Thunder" Dawkins's candy bar nickname.
"Never Nervous" Pervis Ellison
Inside the last few minutes/innings of ANY semi important sporting event the topic of performance under pressure gets beaten to death by the likes of Joe Buck, Marv Albert, and Billy Packer. But is there anything more respectable in sports than the ability to perform under pressure? Maybe because one was never nervous? Boom!! (sparking my inner John Madden) There it is, the meaning to Mr. Ellison's well earned nickname. How you might ask, did ol' Pervis garner such a distinguished name? Maybe by becoming the first freshman since 1944 to win the Final 4 Most Outstanding Player award while leading the Louisville Cardinals to their second title in the 80's. I'd venture a guess that Never Nervous has some pretty grandes cajones since he won such an award as a FRESHMAN.
Mickey "The Commerce Comet" Mantle
You know folks, I feel like we here at the Steroid Era may be using a little too much bias. Fuck it. We gotta go with the hometown hero. Growing up in the Columbus, KS ballpark we could not get enough Mickey stories about his heroics right there in Columbus. Well, hometown bias or not, we couldn't leave the Mick off the list. The name, simply enough, comes from his hometown of Commerce, Oklahoma. The nickname was made famous by the switch-hitting, base stealing, slick fielding outfielder that spent a career breaking records, breaking hearts, and probably several laws along the way. The Mick was the consummate party animal, definitely the Jason Giambi of the 60's (and we all know how much the Steroid Era loves Giambi) who was once known as saying "if I knew I was going to live this long, I'd have taken better care of myself." Don't sweat it Mick, you made the Hall, and had one hell of a time doing it.
Michael "Air" Jordan
Pretty damn easy to see why His Airnees got this name. He jumped really high, won a few games, made a few bucks, had a hot mistress, and won a dunk contest or two. What else can you say? A multi, multi, multi million dollar brand named AIR Jordan, the greatest player of all time. The only reason MJ didn't make top billing on this list is lack of creativity. Ok, I know, Air is perfect. But And1 high flyer "The Air Up There" has a better nickname and couldn't carry Air's jockstrap. Plus it sounds awkward just calling him "Air."
The Say Hey Kid
Every sports fan should know immediately Willie Mays. The original purveyor of the famous over the shoulder basket catch in the cavernous Polo Grounds, original home of the New York baseball Giants. One of the most important things about The Say Hey Kid: he shares the same birthday as me, the founder of The Steroid Era. Anyways, his numbers speak for themselves: 660 homers (4th all-time), MLB all-century team, Sporting News #2 player ever, one of four players ever to record 8 straight 100 RBI seasons. Now, on to our purposes. It seems our boy Willie came across the name simply because he couldn't remember people's names right when he came up to the bigs. He simply said "Say Hey" when addressing someone unknown. Alas, Willie's kind heart and generally congenial demeanor didn't transfer down to his Godson Barry Bonds. Oh well Willie, we still love you.
Now, we acknowledge we maybe missed a few. Say for instance, Wayne Gretzky. Nothing against Wayne, but "The Great One" is just too damn unoriginal. Did a 3 year old come up with it? Hell, Sidney Crosby's got a better nickname and he's been in the league for like 4 years. But i digress, we apologize for leaving off your favorite nickname, but to tell you the truth the Steroid Era is the Alpha and Omega and through that omniscience we determined these to be the top nicknames ever. Ever.
Monday, June 22, 2009
The Coolest Baseball Player in the Game
"Party like a rockstar, fuck like a pornstar, and rake like an all-star"
-Jason Giambi
He may never win a batting title or set the career homerun record. Hell, we all know there is no chance he ever wins a Gold Glove. But you know what, he will go 3-4 with a double and 3 ribbies then go out and buy the bar that night. Guys like Giambi rock the porn-stache every now and then to lighten things up. How many professional athlets do you know that would publicly acknowledge that they wear a gold thong to break out of a slump? One. On a more serious note, Giambi is actually a pretty good guy. While he did do steroids at one point in his career (is that a prerequisite for playing for the A's?) he has acknowledged that fact and apologized for it. The apology is the reason his reputation didn't go down faster than a cheap Thai hooker. Being a 5 time all star, winning an AL MVP, 2 silver slugger awards and hitting 400 home runs in his career is why Giambi has made over $124 million in his career. Being an overall badass and completely owning the game of life is why Giambi married this dime:
-Jason Giambi
He may never win a batting title or set the career homerun record. Hell, we all know there is no chance he ever wins a Gold Glove. But you know what, he will go 3-4 with a double and 3 ribbies then go out and buy the bar that night. Guys like Giambi rock the porn-stache every now and then to lighten things up. How many professional athlets do you know that would publicly acknowledge that they wear a gold thong to break out of a slump? One. On a more serious note, Giambi is actually a pretty good guy. While he did do steroids at one point in his career (is that a prerequisite for playing for the A's?) he has acknowledged that fact and apologized for it. The apology is the reason his reputation didn't go down faster than a cheap Thai hooker. Being a 5 time all star, winning an AL MVP, 2 silver slugger awards and hitting 400 home runs in his career is why Giambi has made over $124 million in his career. Being an overall badass and completely owning the game of life is why Giambi married this dime:
Another Retread Coach, Big Surprise
So USC hired a new basketball coach the other day. Did they go with some young, energetic, recruiting wiz that eats, drinks, and sleeps basketball? Someone like Josh Pastner? No, and its not exactly a reach to suggest USC SHOULD hire someone like a Josh Pastner. The situations are similar. Big name coach leaves (under different circumstances), school facing big time NCAA allegations, boatload of top flight recruits immediately jump ship. So how about taking the Memphis approach and hiring one of the best recruiting minds in the game, a la Josh Pasnter. Hell, its already worked for Memphis: Latavious Williams, the Barton brothers in 2010 and possibly even Lance Stephenson, jsut to name a few of Pastner's latest signings as head coach. But that's enough of the Josh Pastner show, let's take a look at Kevin O'Neill's pristine coaching record. 86-62 at Marquette. Decent, but this wasn't a Big East Marquette team. Losing records at Tennesse, Toronto Raptors, and Northwestern. Add in some mild success as the interim head coach at Arizona and O'Neill has a whopping 171-180 career record with 2 NCAA appearances. But look how his last gig at Arizona ended. O'Neill was tapped as the coach to be when Lute Olson retired. Well, Olson kept coaching and O'Neill got angry. He wanted the job. Guess what, Lute Olson is a LEGEND, he can do what he wants. Do you ever see Jimbo Fischer crying at FSU because Bobby Bowden won't retire? Well, poor Kevin ended up losing his spot at ARizona due to his incessant bitching. Not exactly a stellar career.
Now, before you start screaming that USC really had no options at this point in June considering their circumstances just go to Memphis and compare the situations. We already know that both programs are probably about to get raped by the NCAA. But USC is in the PAC 10, Memphis in the lowly Conference USA. USC is in LA, Memphis sucks. I don't know if you've ever been to USC before, but any athlete there is swimming in co-eds withink the first week of school. Its not a bad place to be for coaches or players. A young coach like Pastner could thrive in an environment like this. Recruit to a beautiful campus, great facilities and the fact that the young coach gets to build the program the way he wants it built. There are no Hall of Fame shoes to fill, only new legacies to be created. But hey, I'm not AD Mike Garrett. I didn't oversee the interviewing process, nor did I oversee the O.J. Mayo fiasco.
You ever hear the saying "You can't bullshit a bullshitter?" Stop trying Mike Garrett: "We're thrilled to have Kevin O'Neill as our men's basketball coach...His 30 years of experience at the college and professional levels has prepared him well for this opportunity." Bullshit. You are not excited at all. The program is in disarray and Kevin O'Neill won't change a thing. Recruits Lamont Jones and Renardo Sidney, the replacements for veterans Daniel Hackett and Taj Gibson, have bolted along with Noel Johnson and 6 other recruits. Also, DeMar Derozan and Marcus Johnson declared for the draft. In no way shape or form am I saying the program is dead. Far from it. I'm saying that Kevin O'Neill is not the right fit, not even close. Following in the Josh Pastner prototype would have been the smart move here. So, even in a very weak Pac 10, don't look for USC to make any kind of noise anytime soon.
Now, before you start screaming that USC really had no options at this point in June considering their circumstances just go to Memphis and compare the situations. We already know that both programs are probably about to get raped by the NCAA. But USC is in the PAC 10, Memphis in the lowly Conference USA. USC is in LA, Memphis sucks. I don't know if you've ever been to USC before, but any athlete there is swimming in co-eds withink the first week of school. Its not a bad place to be for coaches or players. A young coach like Pastner could thrive in an environment like this. Recruit to a beautiful campus, great facilities and the fact that the young coach gets to build the program the way he wants it built. There are no Hall of Fame shoes to fill, only new legacies to be created. But hey, I'm not AD Mike Garrett. I didn't oversee the interviewing process, nor did I oversee the O.J. Mayo fiasco.
You ever hear the saying "You can't bullshit a bullshitter?" Stop trying Mike Garrett: "We're thrilled to have Kevin O'Neill as our men's basketball coach...His 30 years of experience at the college and professional levels has prepared him well for this opportunity." Bullshit. You are not excited at all. The program is in disarray and Kevin O'Neill won't change a thing. Recruits Lamont Jones and Renardo Sidney, the replacements for veterans Daniel Hackett and Taj Gibson, have bolted along with Noel Johnson and 6 other recruits. Also, DeMar Derozan and Marcus Johnson declared for the draft. In no way shape or form am I saying the program is dead. Far from it. I'm saying that Kevin O'Neill is not the right fit, not even close. Following in the Josh Pastner prototype would have been the smart move here. So, even in a very weak Pac 10, don't look for USC to make any kind of noise anytime soon.
The 5 Ugliest Players in the NBA
This list is my opinion only. Throughout my in-depth research on the subject, I ran across ALOTTT of ugly bastards out there in the NBA and had to narrow my list to 5. Hell, I may even do the 5 Ugliest Players in the 2009 NBA Draft, that would be fun too. Enjoy and comment with your favorite ugly player!
Chris Kaman: 7'0, 265, LA Clippers
Besides making millions of dollars, this dude has nothing going for him. He looks like a serial rapist and unfortunately resembles Phil Spector's most recent mug shot. Kaman makes millions of dollars, lives in LA and is a bona fide big man in the NBA, but probably never gets ass. Teammate Steve Novak is the group's ladies man when they go out and party. Hell, Kaman didn't even go to a cool college. How good do the girls look in their parkas up at Central Michigan Chris?
Andrei Kirilenko: 6'9, 225, Utah Jazz
Affectionately known as "AK47" our boy Andrei looks like he should be an AK-47 wielding member of the Russian Mob. He doesn't look like a basketball player, recently he hasn't played like an NBA basketball player. Yet he's got a hot wife and an NBA salary. Hell, his hot wife even gives him the option of banging one other girl per year. Surprisingly enough he hasn't taken up good ol' Masha's offer yet. Why you ask? Well the answer isn't fidelity as some may think. Its because he's so goddamn ugly and creepy looking that no chick worth banging will touch him. Not even when they find out he plays for the Jazz.
Charlie Villanueva:
6'11, 230, Milwaukee Bucks
Ouch Charlie, that picture really hurts Charlie!! I highly doubt its politically correct to mock someone for being ugly when they have a disease that makes them ugly. Oh well. There's really not much to say about dear old Charlie. He has zero hair, looks like the black Lex Luthor and plays for the Bucks. Sounds like the Triple Crown of bad fuckin luck to me. Who knows, maybe he went to UConn because Jim Calhoun makes him look like a Calvin Klein model. But keep truckin Charlie, and never let Scott Skiles bring down your twittering! Never!!
Shelden Williams: 6'9, 250
There's a couple things that really suck about Shelden Williams. He played at Duke. He's played for the T-Wolves and Kings. He's from Oklahoma. HE KNOCKED UP CANDACE PARKER. That means the beautiful, charismatic, and talented Candace Parker had sex with this Oklahoman ogre. He's not even good at basketball. Hell she probably stacks more paper than this fool. What gives? I don't think I'll ever have a satisfying answer to that question. I'll just get my revenge by placing him on my distinguished list of ugly players, that'll show him.
Delonte West: 6'3, 180
I have to say I've never really liked Delonte West. I didn't like him at St. Joe's. That was Jameer Nelson's team. Plus every player in the NBA has cooler tattoos than West, including Brad Miller. Seriously, google Brad Miller's tattoos. From the gigantic cross on his fucking neck to the red hair and cornrows he is just one ugly dude. But what's worse: his looks or his play in the Eastern Conference Finals. WARNING to lyrical genius Steph Curry (http://davidson.fandome.com/video/111974/Davidsons-I-Love-College-Remix-ft-Stephen-Curry/): Never get "tatted up" or you may end up looking even more like this douchebag.
Chris Kaman: 7'0, 265, LA ClippersBesides making millions of dollars, this dude has nothing going for him. He looks like a serial rapist and unfortunately resembles Phil Spector's most recent mug shot. Kaman makes millions of dollars, lives in LA and is a bona fide big man in the NBA, but probably never gets ass. Teammate Steve Novak is the group's ladies man when they go out and party. Hell, Kaman didn't even go to a cool college. How good do the girls look in their parkas up at Central Michigan Chris?
Andrei Kirilenko: 6'9, 225, Utah JazzAffectionately known as "AK47" our boy Andrei looks like he should be an AK-47 wielding member of the Russian Mob. He doesn't look like a basketball player, recently he hasn't played like an NBA basketball player. Yet he's got a hot wife and an NBA salary. Hell, his hot wife even gives him the option of banging one other girl per year. Surprisingly enough he hasn't taken up good ol' Masha's offer yet. Why you ask? Well the answer isn't fidelity as some may think. Its because he's so goddamn ugly and creepy looking that no chick worth banging will touch him. Not even when they find out he plays for the Jazz.
Charlie Villanueva:
6'11, 230, Milwaukee BucksOuch Charlie, that picture really hurts Charlie!! I highly doubt its politically correct to mock someone for being ugly when they have a disease that makes them ugly. Oh well. There's really not much to say about dear old Charlie. He has zero hair, looks like the black Lex Luthor and plays for the Bucks. Sounds like the Triple Crown of bad fuckin luck to me. Who knows, maybe he went to UConn because Jim Calhoun makes him look like a Calvin Klein model. But keep truckin Charlie, and never let Scott Skiles bring down your twittering! Never!!
Shelden Williams: 6'9, 250
There's a couple things that really suck about Shelden Williams. He played at Duke. He's played for the T-Wolves and Kings. He's from Oklahoma. HE KNOCKED UP CANDACE PARKER. That means the beautiful, charismatic, and talented Candace Parker had sex with this Oklahoman ogre. He's not even good at basketball. Hell she probably stacks more paper than this fool. What gives? I don't think I'll ever have a satisfying answer to that question. I'll just get my revenge by placing him on my distinguished list of ugly players, that'll show him.Delonte West: 6'3, 180
I have to say I've never really liked Delonte West. I didn't like him at St. Joe's. That was Jameer Nelson's team. Plus every player in the NBA has cooler tattoos than West, including Brad Miller. Seriously, google Brad Miller's tattoos. From the gigantic cross on his fucking neck to the red hair and cornrows he is just one ugly dude. But what's worse: his looks or his play in the Eastern Conference Finals. WARNING to lyrical genius Steph Curry (http://davidson.fandome.com/video/111974/Davidsons-I-Love-College-Remix-ft-Stephen-Curry/): Never get "tatted up" or you may end up looking even more like this douchebag.
Has it Really Been That Bad?
So the latest victim is Sammy Sosa. The “breaking news” broke last week that former MLB slugger Sammy Sosa tested positive for steroids back in ’03. No shit. Really, no shit. Its been everyone, Barry, Roger, A-Rod, even Manny. And who can honestly say they saw that one coming? A-Rod was supposed to set the career home-run record after a nice long and clean career. That will not happen, and his clean image is going down faster than Madonna’s marriage. One thing about the steroid era is the guys that cop to it and admit succumbing to the power of the ‘roid are forgiven and their transgressions forgotten. Take the coolest player in baseball, Jason Giambi, and Andy Pettitte for example. The assholes who fight it are just made out to be bigger assholes. E.g.: Barry, Roger, A-Rod and now even Manny. But the point here is not to categorize the douchebags and the so-called “good guys.” I don’t even see it necessary to name every goddamned player who did roids at some point. Come on, that would take weeks, months, hell it would take us back to the Dead Ball Era. The point is, we spend so much damn time talking about steroids, complaining steroids and declaring those that will make the Hall and those that won’t. Why can’t we remember the good times? (and there were many) Was the summer of ’98 not awesome? Seriously, Sammy and McGwire duking it out for the single season home run record great? I know I remember exactly where I was when McGwire hit 62. Every kid, in every ball park, in every town and city across the country pretended to be one of the two men that summer. Were the Bash Brothers not the only cool thing, other than Catfish Hunter’s mustache, to come out of Oakland ever? Has it not been fun to make fun of A-Roid or watch the Viagra man Rafael Palmero wag his finger at congress, only to be named later as a former user. Really, there have been good times, there have been bad times and there have been funny times. But let’s just take the last 20 years for what they were. It was the steroid era folks, just like the 60’s when everybody did drugs. It will pass, just like the spit-ball, but let’s not forget the players, the numbers, and the records. Cause, even though Barry Bonds might be the biggest asshole in sports, he did bring relevance to one of the most historic baseball teams ever for about 10 years, and did provide us with another summer full of home runs and walk records. In reality, it wasn’t that bad, it was fun, we had a few good laughs. Mark McGwire cried and Sammy Sosa regressed linguistically, but I sure as hell enjoyed it.
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