Dez Bryant

Over the past few months Dez Bryant has been getting killed by the media. The former Oklahoma State wide receiver and uber-talented draft prospect seems to be on the bad end of a story every week. Has he really done anything wrong? Is anything he has done criminal?

Things that have been written about him range from sleeping late for class, having a bad attitude in team meetings and possibly showing up late for games. His integrity has been questioned after he lied about meeting with Deion Sanders while he was in college.

Meeting with Sanders should be a non-issue. It's a dumb rule created by the NCAA to create the illusion that the players are amateur. The other things that have been written about him are not important. He's in college. He is a young man having fun in college. Didn't you? So what if he is late for class or a meeting? It isn't like he can't grow up, or won't take the professional game seriously.

Bryant's draft stock is falling and it isn't fair. So he ran between a 4.5 and 4.6 at his pro day. Whatever. You know who else ran a 4.6? Jerry Rice. 40 times are overrated because of know nothing sports journalists.

Look, Bryant dominated when he played in college. He's physical and fast. I believe he is one of these once in a decade players. He's the kind of guy who will dominate the league for at least 10 years. Randy Moss slipped in the draft because of dumb character concerns. Sure there were some hiccups but he was a difference maker.

I can only hope Bryant falls into the late teens or early twenties. I would love to see Mike Tannenbaum grab him up.

NFL's New Overtime Rules

It finally happened. After years of complaining from the fans and the media, the NFL changed its overtime rules. Granted it's only for the playoffs right now, but that may be amended for the regular season in May.

It makes sense, the teams play for 60 minutes of relatively even football. Yet when they enter overtime, a coin toss redetermines possession of the football. Roughly half the time the team that wins the toss, wins the game. More often than not the win is determined by a field goal. On the kickoff the team will probably return the ball between their own 20 or 30 yard line. To get a winning field goal, they only need to drive the ball about 40 to 50 yards.

The first team to score wins. Not quite fair to the opposing team's offense if they never get to touch the ball. A coin toss and possibly poor defensive play prevent a team from making a legitimate matching effort.

So the new rules can be called a first to six rule. If a team kicks a field goal, the other team gets an opportunity to match or beat it. If the first team scores a touchdown the game is over. If both teams match field goals, then the next score wins. There are more technicalities such as safeties and defensive touchdowns, but those weren't really points of contention.

Yes, some are unhappy with the new rules, but the only way that may solve this issue is to play a full quarter. This likely won't happen, so this is the best alternative given.

Tiger Woods and the Hypocrisy of it All.

Webster's dictionary defines a hypocrite as a person who acts in contradiction to his or her stated beliefs or feelings. That is how I feel about Tiger Woods and Augusta National.

By now we all know what happened with Tiger and his compulsions. Well about a week ago he made it known that he will return to golf for the Masters.

Last week he gave a half-assed interview with ESPN and the Golf channel. Essentially he takes none of the blame. He cites his "addiction" to lack of meditation and abandoning the principles of Buddhism. What a load of crap. Own up to your problem. You knew what you were doing. No, he had to go and make himself look like a victim, to try to repair his image. Tiger you have no right to be a victim after all the people you screwed over. Your wife and some of your girlfriends must be so thrilled now. Go die.

Anyway what really has me pissed, is that Augusta, an institution that has discriminated in the past, will now protect Tiger from the media when he plays there. Their discrimination ranges from accusations of racism to blatant male only policies. Now they will protect a man who may never have been allowed to the course only so many years ago.

Why?

Money.

The amount of money they will generate from attendance and ratings will be phenomenal. It is probable that 40 to 60 million people will watch the Masters. Maybe more if Tiger is in contention. That estimate alone will mean higher ad revenue for CBS and ESPN. (It's no wonder ESPN did a kiss ass interview with Tiger)

I'm just tired of the hypocrisy. I just wish people could do the smart thing. Not watch.

What can you do? Money rules all.

Will the NHL Benefit From the Olympics?

Since the 04-05 lockout, hockey has really suffered. The NHL lost its ESPN contract, many fans, and credibility within the United States. To that effect hockey isn't even a joke in this country but more of an afterthought.

The Vancouver Olympics may have rejuvenated some interest in the sport. People you wouldn't think of as fans of hockey were riveted to their seats, watching the United States take on Canada. There was a passion, and people were wearing team USA jerseys. They wanted to know where some of the players were from. Such as Ryan Miller playing in Buffalo and Zach Parise in New Jersey. Now these guys are recognizable. More importantly marketable.

However if anyone can screw it up, the NHL can. The league that has no real major television contract (NBC barely counts) and struggles to fill seats, has teams in second tier cities. People don't care about hockey in Florida, Dallas, and Atlanta. The arenas are empty, and really how many people buy hockey jerseys. Like one person out of 50,000?

This is a golden opportunity to rejuvenate interest in NHL hockey. The face of their league (Sidney Crosby) scored the winning goal in the Olympics, and the U.S. team had players that people could care about. In the end the NHL will mess it up.

Sad, because there is nothing like playoff hockey. Nothing.

Baseball Season Preview

Baseball is upon us and there is only one thing on my mind. WOOOOOOOHOOOOOO. The first spring training games begin tomorrow. So who do you like?

I'm going to run down my teams that I think will own the headlines this season. (Other than the Yankees, Red Sox and Phillies)


Minnesota Twins.
The Twins have a new stadium and a new look. For the first time in a long time, they will play at home on grass. Some of the batting averages will go down, but the defense will benefit from not playing on the pool table in the Metrodome. The Twins have been one of the most active teams this winter, adding players like J.J. Hardy, Jim Thome, and Orlando "The O Dawg" Hudson. These moves add versatility to a team that needed some key pieces to compete with the Yankees. Hardy is a bit of a risk. Last year, he was sent down to the minors, but if he bounces back, he's a guy who can hit about 25 home runs and around .280. Thome, while past his prime, adds some power from the bench. Hudson, known for being a wonder with the glove, should be reliable all season at second. Add these guys to a lineup that already includes Joe Mauer, Justin Morneau and Jason Kubel, and they will have some power. The rotation is the wild card for the Twins. If Fransisco Liriano returns to his '06 form and Carl Pavano and Scott Baker have similar seasons as last year, the Twins will go further in the playoffs.

Colorado Rockies

The Rockies started last year as a joke, until they fired Clint Hurdle and made Jim Tracy manager. Then the Rockies got hot. So hot that they won the NL wild card. Last year they lost Jeff Francis, one of their best pitchers, to surgery on his left arm. This year, he should be back. Francis stands to make a rotation that includes the electric Ubaldo Jimenez better. Add to that Jorge De La Rosa who had his best season last year and the Rockies should have the best rotation in the NL West. The lineup is solid. Troy Tulowitzki, Ryan Spilborghs, Todd Helton, Brad Hawpe, and Clint Barmes all return. The lineup hits for power and average, and as always plays in the hitter friendly Coors Field. The Rockies will do well again in 2010.

Tampa Bay Rays

They slumped last season following their 2008 World Series appearance. They traded away Scott Kazmir, a good, but sometimes inconsistent lefty. That being said, the Rays are going to bounce back in a strong way. Their starting pitching last year was a bit of a letdown. Seemingly all the starters struggled and they had no official closer. They've addressed that issue this year. They acquired Rafael Soriano from the Braves, and he will be their closer from day one. The starting pitchers should rebound, because the hunger to win should return. The lineup remains solid. They have speed everywhere and can hit for average. Evan Longoria could be entering his prime and may be a leading candidate for MVP. Now if only they could get some fans.

Finally,

Seattle Mariners

The Mariners are a real wild card this year. They could fall flat or dominate the AL West. They acquired Cliff Lee from the Phillies. Pairing him with "King" Felix Hernandez, the Mariners have arguably the best 1-2 starting rotation in baseball. David Aardsma had his best year ever as the closer last season. The lineup will have speed and some quality on-base guys. Leading off will be Ichiro Suzuki and Chone Figgins. Power may be an issue, but Safeco Field has never been known as a home run hitters park. That won't be a problem though if their young hitters really develop this season. They added Eric Byrnes and Milton Bradley this offseason. Bradley will be the key to the lineup for the Mariners. If he plays like he did in Texas two years ago, then the lineup is that much stronger. If he plays like he did for the Cubs, they will have a big hole in the lineup. We'll see if Ken Griffey Jr. can get him to calm down and play with his teammates, similar to how he got Ichiro out of his shell last season. If things fall right for Seattle, they could be a very dangerous team.

World Series prediction.

Mariners vs Rockies