Another?

This is the first time since March Madness that I have posted two new entries in consecutive days. There are two reasons why I am doing this: one reason is now that I don't have school to worry about, I can devote more time to the blog (granted, near the end of the school year the blog took precedence over my school work anyways, but that's not the point). The other reason is that I was talking to one of my buddies last night, and he told me that another fellow blogger (http://whetstonestudios.blogspot.com/) was apparently griping that I only post about once a week. Needless to say, I feel that it is time that I step up my game a little. Hopefully posting more frequently will also prompt someone I have been badgering for the last three months to finally give me a shout-out on their YouTube channel. With all that being said, I hope that any of my readers that have not already subscribed to my blog will do so, as to give me some motivation to continue to post more frequently. Not only do I appreciate it, but I appreciate it as well.

I think it's time that I begin writing about sports. Currently the Celtics vs. Magic game is on my TV, which means that the tally is now: Number of French Open matches watched: 1; Number of NBA Playoff games watched: 1. The Celtics are killing them, so I'm not exactly sure why I haven't changed the channel yet (standup on Comedy Central is pretty tempting right now), but I guess I want to see how they react when the game is over. This is a team who has definitely been through some adversity, but they have proved that good defense and experience will prevail more often that not. Unfortunately, Boston clinching the series means that I won't be able to write about the epic collapse of two Boston teams in one season, which would have been interesting, but I believe that another Lakers vs. Celtics NBA Finals will be pretty interesting in its own right. Yes, I have already put Los Angeles in as well, because I think last night's game took a lot out of Phoenix.

The biggest story today in sports is that the University of Connecticut's men's basketball team has been found guilty of 8 recruiting violations, stemming from an investigation that began in 2009. The charges include UConn coaches exceeding the number of phone calls that can be made to recruits, as well as giving meals, transportation, and lodging to a former recruit. With John Calipari, Kelvin Sampson, and Tim Floyd before him, I'm not all that surprised that Jim Calhoun has fallen victim to one of these cases. It seems that in order to be successful in college basketball, you have to cheat. It's sad really, when you think about it, because all that happens to these coaches is that they flee their school and are hired before the summer is over at another school. Look at Sampson; he's been accused of violations at the last two schools he's been at, and now he's the newest name to be thrown in as a possible candidate for the Cleveland Cavaliers head coaching job. Of course, Calhoun won't be leaving UConn, but if the NCAA really wants to put an end to these kinds of things, they should impose sanctions on the Calhoun, not the team, that won't be lifted until Calhoun retires. If the NCAA banned any team that Calhoun (or any other coach who commits recruiting violations) coaches from participating in postseason play for three years, then it would set a precedent for future violators. No team would want to hire a coach who is ineligible to take his team to postseason play, which would likely curb the number of coaches trying to cheat. The University of Connecticut isn't the violator; Calhoun and his staff are. Punish those who commit the crime, and you'll put an end to the act.

An article was put out today with a list of the 12 most-losing franchises in all of pro sports. The list was made by taking teams' winning percentages in the regular season since they became a franchise. Let me clarify this, since this is often a misconception; most-losing franchises is not synonymous with worst franchises. For example, the Tampa Bay Rays are far from being one of the worst franchises in sports. They were in the World Series two years ago, and are in first place in their division this year. Considering that they have only been a franchise for twelve years, that's not too bad a resume. That brings up another flaw in this list: many of the teams (Columbus Blue Jackets, Charlotte Bobcats, Houston Texans, Tampa Bay Rays) were the last franchises to form in their respective leagues. Of course those teams are going to have some of the lower winning percentages. I'll admit, this list isn't all that important, but if we're going to invoke a discussion about the worst teams in pro sports, the Cleveland Browns and Pittsburgh Pirates cannot go unmentioned. Now that they're mentioned, I'll put this subject to rest.

I'm not going to give my opinion on what I think about MMA-style fighting in high school because the survey is still being conducted. However, I will put up a new poll for you guys. Check it out in the left corner, and if you haven't subscribed yet, I think it's about time! On the left hand side, press "Follow", and it will come up with some options on how you would like to follow the blog. Thanks everyone.



- K. Becks

I Can See The Light!

So can the rest of the fans at Roland Garros, where the match between thirteenth seeded Frenchman Gael Monfils and Italy's Fabio Fognini was just completed. This match was actually scheduled yesterday, however, due to darkness, the game had to be postponed until today. It was so bad that the Shot Spot technology wasn't working correctly (it uses shadows to determine where the ball landed, and since there were no shadows...). I just finished watching the match, in which Fognini upset the Frenchman. After watching this match, the score stands: Number of French Open matches watched: 1, Number of NBA Playoff games watched: 0. I can only assume that the gap will widen as the French Open continues, unless by some miracle the Celtics recruit Maria Sharapova to play for them.

Speaking of the NBA playoffs, it seems that we actually have something to pay attention to now. After the Suns figured out that the Lakers don't want to move on offense and are content with just throwing up three pointers all day, they have used a zone defense to crawl back into the series. As for the series in the East, it seems like the Magic do want to play basketball after all. Although I don't see either the Suns or the Magic making it to the Finals, it's nice to see that they are at least putting on somewhat of a show for the viewers. I don't happen to be one of those viewers, but I'm sure that whoever is watching...wait, what? No one outside of Boston, Orlando, Los Angeles, and Phoenix cares? No, that can't be right, can it?

I'm not sure how many of you watched the United States' international friendly against the Czech Republic on Tuesday night, but just in case you did and were concerned with the outcome of the game (the Czech Republic won 4-2), I have good news: this means very little. Very few of the players that you'll see on the pitch for the U.S. in the upcoming World Cup actually played in this game. Rather, it was really a way for the coaches to get a last look at some of the guys before they made final cuts for the World Cup roster. I don't want to give away too much (since I'll be breaking down all the Groups for the World Cup soon), but I still like the U.S.'s chances to move on. While we're on the subject of the World Cup, check out this commercial by Nike. If this doesn't get you pumped for the World Cup, then I don't know what will.

It seems like the majority of my readers agreed with me about Floyd Landis, as most people voted "no, I do not believe what Floyd Landis says about Lance Armstrong" in the last poll. The latest poll really has nothing to do with anything that I talked about in this post; rather, it is a discussion that I heard on the radio a few days ago. My local sports radio station was discussing whether or not MMA style fighting would be a good idea to offer as a sport or club in high school. I want to hear your opinions on this, so vote on the poll, and if you'd like to comment on the issue, leave one in the comment section or email me at aroundthecornsportsblog@gmail.com. Thanks guys.



- K. Becks

Floyd the New Jose?

The biggest story in sports right now is U.S. cyclist Floyd Landis admitting that he did in fact take performance enhancing drugs. Well, thanks Floyd; after four years of denial, a downward spiral of your entire life since the accusations were made, and being wanted by French police for hacking into a French laboratory that had evidence that you doped, you have finally come clean. Of course, that wasn't enough for you, was it? Trying to bring down Lance Armstrong was in your plan all along. Here's the thing, though: not only is your word viewed with suspicion after lying for four years, but even if you do happen to be correct, Lance Armstrong will still be loved by the public. Forget the seven consecutive Tour de France titles; Lance has become a symbol of resilience and determination, an idol that people struggling in their own lives can look up to and realize that they are capable of overcoming whatever odds have been stacked up against them. In the years since his incredible cycling run, his legacy has morphed into more than just being a champion on the bike. He is a champion in life, and for that he cannot be brought down. Especially by someone like you, Floyd; you caused Americans to be ashamed and embarrassed, and they haven't forgotten that. You say you don't want to be part of the problem anymore; if that is true, then why are you creating a whole new one in accusing Lance of taking PEDs? Just like all the events that occurred after your tainted 2006 Tour de France victory, it's sad.

In addition to that story, the NBA Conference Finals are well underway, and I said that this was the time when I was going to finally start watching some of the games. However, I lied. I have yet to watch an NBA playoff game this season, and barring unforeseen circumstances, I probably won't until the Finals start. However, I am going to predict that a rematch of the 2008 Finals will occur. Los Angeles has been handling Phoenix pretty well so far, and Boston's defense is again coming through for Doc River's aging team. However, the NBA is probably cursing Boston, because with the Celtics' victory over the Cavs last round, the NBA lost their selling point to casual fans. Also, the Lebron free agency saga has attracted so much more media attention than the actual games in the NBA that it's not even funny. Speaking of which, if Lebron knows what's best for him, then he'll stay in Cleveland. Besides Chicago, two types of teams are lusting after Lebron: 1. A team that already has a superstar, and bringing in Lebron would force them to clear house of just about every individual in the organization who can dribble a ball due to payroll limitations (ex. Miami Heat) or 2. A team that isn't very good right now, and even with Lebron wouldn't be a championship contender for another seven years (Ex. Los Angeles Clippers, New York Knicks). Since Lebron wants to create his own legacy, and Chicago already has one, returning to Cleveland make the most sense for him from a strictly basketball standpoint. However, as we know in pro sports, money talks, and if the greens in another city are music to Lebron's ears, then we may see him in a different uniform next season.

Last post I asked my readers which teams the Big Ten will expand with if they decide to expand their conference. The opinions varied, but when the poll closed, current Big East schools Pittsburgh and Rutgers received the most votes. I agree for with my readers for the most part, but I also think that the Big Ten wants to expand West as well as East. With that being said, I would also include Missouri in the conversation of who the Big Ten may possibly take. It makes sense from a geographical standpoint, and Missouri already has a longstanding football rivalry with Illinois that would be able to continue in the Big Ten. The talk of expansion has since died down, but it will resurface, and next time some changes may actually be made. I'm not a fan of expansion, but once again, money talks. Especially to someone like Jim Delany.

A few days ago, my promotional manager decided to put the sugar from those sour Skittles up his nose, and ended up walking around school the rest of the day with extremely red eyes. I told him that in my next post, I would give him a shout out by finding an injury that an athlete suffered while doing something boneheaded or head-scratching. Thanks to the Yankees' Marcus Thames, I didn't have to go back very far to find one. On Wednesday night, Thames was running to first base after a hit when oops!...he stepped on his own bat. He ended up being diagnosed with a sprained ankle, which is unfortunate for him considering the only reason he was playing was because he was filling in for the injured Nick Swisher. So there you go, Zach. There's your shout out.

Since school is coming to an end, I will have more free time to devote to the blog. With this being said, expect more frequent posting. The end of May and early June is a busy time in sports, so here's a lineup of some of the things I will be covering in the next month or so: the NBA Finals, the French Open, a complete World Cup preview, and a special article about a juggernaut fencing team from the East Coast. Also, remember that every time I post, there will be a new poll up for my readers to vote on. Thanks everyone and I appreciate the continued support.



- K. Becks

"Stick it, A-Rod"

Those were the words of Dallas Braden's grandmother, Peggy Lindsey, moments after her grandson pitched the 19th perfect game in Major League Baseball history. Sure, she retracted her statement a day later, saying she didn't mean to say that, but don't tell me that those words weren't exactly what Braden and Lindsey were thinking after Braden's pitching gem on Sunday afternoon. In fact, I don't think they were the only ones thinking it either. Braden may come off as mouthy, or even a little bit of a punk, but it's still great, not only for him but for baseball as a whole when something like this occurs. Also, contrary to A-Rod's statement made a couple of weeks ago, Braden is receiving much more than "15 minutes of fame". This guy has come a long way, evident in the tough times he went through before making it to the MLB. Regardless of how the rest of his career plays out, it is likely that the first thing that will come to people's mind when talking about Dallas Braden will be "the guy pitched a perfect game". As for A-Rod, no matter how great his career ends up, it will always be marred by the fact that he took steroids. Quite frankly, I'd rather be a guy who took his 15 minutes of fame and ran with it than a guy who cheated the game.

The possible expansion of the Big Ten has been a hot topic lately, and since my readers are primarily from the Midwest, it is even more prevalent and interesting. It is anyone's guess as to which teams will join which conferences in the next few months (or years), but here is one thing that I am confident in saying: the Notre Dame Fighting Irish will not join the Big Ten. There are a couple of reasons for this. One reason is that their contract with NBC to broadcast their football games is much better than anything that Jim Delaney and the Big Ten Network can offer. Also, rather than having to share the revenue with ten other teams, Notre Dame pulls in all the money with their current contract. Another reason that Notre Dame will stay independent in football is because, at least as of now, it looks as if the Big East will stay relatively intact. With that being said, Notre Dame is part of arguably the best basketball conference in the nation in the Big East. Unless the Big East were to be decimated by the Big Ten and the ACC, Notre Dame would have no reason to switch conferences from purely a basketball standpoint. It looks as if the Big Ten is looking at expanding West (by possibly taking some Big 12 teams) rather than East, which means that the Big East will likely survive as a conference. The last reason that Notre Dame will keep its football independence is, simply put, history. Much of Notre Dame's rich history in college football (which we all know they love to bring up) is due to the fact that they played quality teams week in and week out because they were not limited to the confines of a conference. Although as of late their schedule has been significantly watered down, independence is still something that the Irish hold near and dear. Notre Dame losing its football independence would be as tragic to some Irish faithful as Touchdown Jesus being sold for advertising space. The bottom line is it's not going to happen.

Last week I put up a poll asking readers "who would you rather have on your team" in which the choices were Milton Bradley and Pacman Jones. Pacman received twice as many votes as Bradley, but I am going to have to disagree with my readers on this one. Although Pacman is arguably a more productive player than Bradley (and believe me, that is arguable), Bradley has never had an altercation with the law. Pacman's problems are external, while Bradley's are internal issues that the team can handle on their own. If I were management of a team, I'd much rather deal with a guy on my own than have to cooperate with the police. Also, from a media standpoint, who causes more trouble? Pacman's issues with the law are conversation on Sportscenter for weeks, while Bradley's issues usually only stay relevant in the news for a day or two.

For the next poll, I want to hear your thoughts on which team(s) the Big Ten will take when they expand. I realize that they may take more than one team, which is why this poll allows you to vote for more than one choice. I'm sure this will generate conversation, so leave me a comment in the comments section, or send me an email at aroundthecornsportsblog@gmail.com with your thoughts. Thanks guys.



- K. Becks

"Don't Tase Me, Bro!"

It has effectively been two and a half weeks since my last blog post. I swear, every day during these past two and a half weeks, I have said to myself "I am going to post a new blog entry today", only to fall asleep for two hours and not have time to do so. I don't know why the end of April and May are so busy, but other than the nice weather, this time of year sucks. Anyway, hopefully this is a good entry, because I kind of owe my subscribers (who, at this point, I know every one of personally and who really don't care whether or not I post a new entry) for my absence. So, here you go guys; here's something for you to read instead of paying attention in class.

Most people have probably heard of Steve Consalvi by now, or at least are aware of his famous stunt performed on Monday, when he ran onto the field at a Philadelphia Phillies game and was tased by police. I thought that it was hilarious, and since no one died, I have no problem with saying that. However, on Tuesday night, another man decided that pulling essentially the same stunt would be just as funny. First off, nothing is as funny the second time. Secondly, this guy (who is known as DJ Thoroughbred in Philadelphia) had illegal narcotics in his pocket when he was taken off the field. Not only did the novelty of his action wear off the night before when Steve Consalvi was walked off the field, but when you throw in that Tom Betz (okay, he should have to legally change his name to DJ Thoroughbred for this) had illegal drugs in his pocket, it's just plain stupid. Steve Consalvi is famous for being funny. Tom Betz is infamous for being dumb, and will likely be forgotten in a week. Remind me again which one of these guys is seventeen...

Since we've covered sports where fans go onto the field, we should probably cover a sport where players have been known to go into the stands (okay, I know that was 2004, but I needed a lead into this topic). The Phoenix Suns have decided to voice their political views by altering their jerseys for Game 2 of their playoff series against the San Antonio Spurs. The "Los Suns" will be honoring "our Latino community and the diversity of our league, the state of Arizona, and our nation," according to Suns owner Robert Sarver. I've heard some people say that politics has no place in sports, but I actually like this idea. Sure, I find it hard to rattle off names of current NBA players with Hispanic backgrounds, but this is good publicity for the league. Hell, even Obama is getting into it. If anything, it's probably going to increase ratings for the game tonight, since people will want to see the jerseys.

The Bengals must like trouble. Well, that's a given; we know they like trouble. Cincinnati is at it again, as it looks like they will sign cornerback Adam "Pacman" Jones to a deal, after he was out of the league for the entire season in 2009. However, he wasn't out last season because of any suspensions or arrests. No, he just isn't that good. It seems that the Bengals have a knack for picking up players that are troublemakers and not that good, as they also signed wide receiver Matt Jones to a deal. My question is what was their rationale in signing Pacman? They already have a solid cornerback core, and they just drafted Wake Forest cornerback Brandon Ghee in the third round.

This last topic is somewhat dated, but was the biggest event of the last weekend in sports. The Kentucky Derby was won by Super Saver, who was ridden by jockey Calvin Borel. I think it goes to show how important an experienced jockey can be, as this is Borel's third Derby win in four years. However, I think that we're going to have to wait another year to see a Triple Crown winner. The muddy conditions made it hard to determine who the overall best horse could be, and it's likely that both the second and third place horses at the Kentucky Derby will be racing at the Preakness as well.

I've already talked about Pacman Jones today, but I'm bringing him up again for the sake of the newest poll. Jones is a troublemaker, but is he as hard for teams to handle as Milton Bradley? Bradley is in the news today for reportedly asking the Mariners' organization for help with stress. It's kind of ironic that a player who throughout his career has been such a headache for management is now asking for help with his own stress. There's an article about him, and it actually makes me feel a little bad for him. So, what do you think? Vote on the newest blog poll, and I'll give you my thoughts on what I think when the poll expires. As for my opinions on the last poll, "Will the Browns ruin Colt McCoy", I feel that they will. Although Mike Holmgren is running the show in Cleveland now, they still have major issues concerning the offense, ones that will take more than the mind of Holmgren to fix. Assuming that McCoy will be thrown into the action sometime during the upcoming season, he will be subject to learning on the job, just as Tim Couch was. How did that work out for Couch, anyway?


As I said, I'm extremely busy right now, but I'll try to update more frequently than every two and a half weeks. Thanks for staying with me, guys.



- K. Becks