Baseball's Hall of Fame

Voting is a privilege not a right. 

A few voters in baseball need to remember or be reminded of that.

When the Hall of Fame ballots are finally all counted up and announced on Wednesday we should hear the names of Greg Maddux and Tom Glavine announced.  Both of these former Braves pitchers should be locks to make it on their first go around.  In the case of Maddux he should be a unanimous choice... He should be the first unanimous choice ever... however he won't be.  It has already been reported that at least one writer has left him off their ballot. 

Voting for awards, and not unlike speculating who will make a certain country's national hockey team can and will be very subjective.  One's person's list likely differs from the next, but only moderately. Can you imagine a Team Canada roster that does not include Sidney Crosby on it?  Probably not. Why? Common sense, he's the best player in the world how could he not be included? The same thing applies to Maddux? The greatest pitcher in his generation, over 300 wins, no suggestions of steroid abuse, just a great pitcher with great numbers, gold gloves, All-Star selections a World Series title and a professor like mentality every time he takes the ball on the mound. Sounds pretty much like Hall of Fame credentials doesn't it?  And yet he would not be unanimous decision because some fool decided he wanted to be the story he wanted the limelight.  In actuality he has brought shame and disrespect to the Hall of Fame the American Baseball Writers Association and himself.  For that he should have his vote taken away and anyone else who decide to use their position to make a silly statement and clearly not take this more seriously should lose their vote too.

This is not an open vote, this is a particular honor given because of his job title. You would like to see a media member, a journalist show some integrity when given an opportunity such as this. When they teach sports journalism one would think that the first lessons would be let the story be the story, don't you be the story. Be objective, be critical if it is warranted but be fair, be honest do not show a bias. 

Now as it relates to the Hall of Fame voting, if this is going to continue to happen reform needs to be made to either the voting process or the members who vote or the criteria required.  If some idiot who covers the Dodgers can make a mockery of the system he should lose his vote, Vin Scully does not even get a vote and I think most will admit he has probably forgot more about baseball that a lot of people know. Dan Shulman, the leading broadcaster on ESPN's Sunday Night Baseball, does not have a vote. You're giving guys way too much power who probably do not deserve it.  Ever seen or been in a newsroom before? There are usually a lot of people who are severely under qualified to be given this much responsibility. 

Each ballot should be reviewed upon completion by some sort of 'quality control' group or committee and any questionable ballots should be set aside and those who sent it in should be called in and ask to rationalize and defend their decisions, explain why they made the choice they made and if they can't do so that either revoke their right to vote and have the vote completely discounted and then lose their right to vote in the future or perhaps give them the opportunity, a second chance, as it were to make it right going forward.

The other issue in the Hall of Fame voting as to whether or not to allow players from the steroid era to be inducted.  This is an interesting dilemma because it also takes in not just numbers or even perception but also more only issues.  Does Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Sammy Sosa or Rafael Palmero deserve to be in the Hall of Fame?  Based on what they do on the field the answer's yes. What they did off the field to make themselves better, that is a different question. There were no rules of the time or testing that prevented them from taking any questionable substances nor did they test positive.  It is naive to think that they were clean, but whose responsibility was it to ensure that they were.  Major League Baseball clearly turned a blind eye to the rampant drug use among their players.  The players association fought tooth and nail to keep drug testing it out of the game.  The baseball writers, the same ones that have the final vote of who is hall worthy did not do anything about it either.  If they are so ethical now and they suspected there was wrong doing at the time either should have done some investigatory journalism and exposed the players or the culture at that time.  They were writers during the steroid era, so by extension shouldn't be subjected to the same standards that they're holding the players to.  Because they were writers during the steroid era all their Hall of Fame votes should be discarded under the same cloud of suspicion and speculation, maybe 87% of the writers were `juicing too`.
Clearly a new system used to be put in place where there is a committee made up of baseball professionals former players and managers and executives something needs to be done.  It is sad when politics and greed and indeed for attention enter into sports and corrupts it. Leave politics to the politicians.


As a side note it is probably about time to open up the doors for Pete Rose.  Sure he is probably not a great guy but the hall is filled with probably not great guys.  But what he was able to do between the white lines is clearly Hall of Fame worthy.  You want him out of baseball, not be able to work in baseball that's fine keep him banned from the game, but a Hall of Fame without the all time hits leader just does not make sense. Not from a game that holds numbers in such high regards. You can have it both ways. 

Projected Team Canada Olympic Roster

On Tuesday, Steve Yzerman is set to announce the roster for Team Canada at the 2014 Olympics in Sochi, Russia.  Hopefully there will be no blow back like USA Hockey had after the ESPN article by Scott Burnside, when comments made by Brian Burke about U SA forward Bobby Ryan were made public. I'm sure that the executives from Hockey Canada will be a lot more respectful of the players that were not selected, at least to the public . USA hockey and Team Canada both had very difficult decisions to make in regards to their final roster.  No matter what, good players will be left off.  In fact great players could be left off. The fact of the matter is Canada could probably field at least two full rosters capable of winning a gold medal.  The depth in Canada cannot be matched by any other country in the world. This makes it very difficult to limit the Olympic team roster and a mere 25 players.  Just by the numbers alone, great players are going to be left off.

One important factor is to remember that this is not a list of the top 25 players in Canada.  This has to be our roster made up of players who can come together in a short term setting and put their egos aside and do what's best for the team.  Not all hockey players are able to do that and it is the special ones that are at the elite level.  Another factor is you need a variety of role players.  It is very improbable that you're going to be able to use a top six forward as your fourth line winger.  That's what makes the debate for the roster so varied from person to person.  Depending on each individual's criteria the roster can take on the variety of looks.  Sure there are some locks of the team but there are just as many other players who would be good selections that may not get the chance.

On February 7th 2013 I made a post with V1 of my pre-Olympic team. Looking back I am a little surprised at how little has changed between then and now but there have been a few additions and a few subtractions.

Here's the roster that not only what I like to see but believe has a pretty good chance of being close to what we see unveiled on Tuesday morning at the Hockey Canada press conference.

Forwards (14)

Steven Stamkos: Provided that he is able to come back from his broken leg in timin time he is a lock on the top line.

Sydney Crosby: Also a lock and will likely be the captain for Team Canada.

Patrick Sharp: He has had a great season, skates well it can finish with the best of them.

Ryan Getzlaf: Probably the most dominant center playing in the league today

Corey Perry: I am not a big Perry fan but you can't overlook the number city puts up and the chemistry he has with Getzlaf.

John Tavares: He is one of the bright young stars in the NHL a natural goal scorer and should be able to make the transition to play the wing.

Jonathan Towes: A two time Stanley Cup winner, captain of the Blackhawks and a guy who just knows how to win.

Eric Staal: The ability to move to the wing and be productive and has proven in various international competitions that he is more than capable of accepting any role given to him by the coach.

Joe Thornton: What was said about Staal also applies to Joe.  He is a tremendous play-maker with the ability of playing whatever role is required of him.

Patrice Bergeron: Could be the X-factor to this entire team.  A lot of people will overlook him because of his numbers (which are not that bad offensively) but there is no one on the team you would want more to take a critical face-off or kill a penalty then him.

Jamie Benn: Has had a good season and so far, can be both the play-maker or a scorer and is a decent skater capable of playing on the big international Ice.

Mike Richards: What was said about Bergeron and Towes applies to Richards's as well.  He is not a sniper but is a good two way player, a leader, can kill a penalty, will play any role.  He just  wins.

Healthy Scratches:

Claude Giroux: Started off the season slow recovering from an off-season injury but has heated up of late and has the ability to play a variety of roles.

Matt Duchane: has great offensive upside, is a good skater, and could be a good special teams asset.

Brent Seabrook: Played it well in Vancouver and seems to work well with Keith in Chicago.  A solid defenseman who can play both the physical game and also as an offensive upside.

Defense: (8)

Duncan Keith: Leads the NHL and points for defenseman, can quarterback the first power play unit.

Drew Doughty: Proved his worth four years ago in Vancouver as a youngster.  So all defensemen top to bottom  

Alex Pietrangelo: Smooth skating, has a big shot, solid defensively and has good hockey sense.

Jay Bowmeester: Plays with Pietrangelo in St. Louis, an exceptional skater and is an efficient puck moving defenseman

P.K. Subban: Defending Norris Trophy winner as top NHL defensemen.  He may not be the most defensively responsible player but in a short tournament where goals could be at a premium having someone with his skating ability and creativity may outweigh any defense of liabilities.  Even if he is only a power play specialist.

Shea Weber: A solid all around defenseman.  He has a booming shot, is a physical player, and also strong skater.

Marc -Edward Vlasic: I've not seen him play hardly at all this year and to be honest the only reason I have him on this list is because he appears on just about everybody else's projection list.  I know that he is a good player that did not realize that he should be considered good enough for team Canada.

Goal: (3)

Roberto Luongo: Will likely going into the Olympics as the number one goalie.  It is very possible that he will not and the Olympics in that role.

Carey Price: Will see action at some point and could very well end up being the goaltender of record at the end of the tournament.

Mike Smith: It is unlikely as the third goalie that he will see any time on the ice barring an injury.  He seems like the type of player who can handle this will roll.  Smith also has the ability to be a great puck handler and can act as and other defensemen to start offensive rushes.

Like I said before can it could easily field two teams and good players will be left off such as a case for my list.  The guys I have on the bubble include.  Martin St. Louis, Chris Kunitz (only because everybody else has him on their list), Logan Couture, and Jeff Carter and Kris Letang.

One name that keeps coming up on a variety of people's lists is Rick Nash.  I am not a Nash fan and never have been.  He seems to be a decent player that I've never trusted him and do not understand why he gets the height that he does from so many people in the hockey world.  I did not think he was that great in Columbus, nor has he proved much in New York since being traded.  I certainly do not believe he is getting anything close to warrant a spot on Team Canada and was never on my radar.  With that said he probably will make the team when did is announced on Tuesday and being one that I will debate against.

All in all it is fun to speculate who will don the Maple Leaf on their chest at the Olympics and represent our country.  Where can doubt will finish is anyone's guess. The Americans will have a strong team, the it hometown Russians will have a lot of pressure to win a gold medal in front of their home crowd.  Sweden always seems to get overlooked but may possess one of the most dangerous rosters top to bottom and has to be considered a gold medal favorite.  There will be a lot of land mines along the way for every team.  There will be no clear path in gold this year.

As a side note, the team that gets named likely will not be the team you see as there are a lot of games between now and then and the way players are falling due to injuries...expect at least a few tweaks.

Let The Debate Begin!

Thank You Chipper

Today, pitchers and catchers report to spring training along with some position players that are eager to get a jump on the season and put them in a position to come out of the gate as strong as possible. For the first time since the mid 90's there will be no Chipper Jones in the dugout. It is clearly the end of an era. The Braves have done a good job at re-tooling the roster in the absence of their recently departed future Hall of Fame third baseman. In honor of Spring Training opening it seems appropriate to thank Chipper for what he has done for the Braves and all the fans of the Braves over his career. Three Cheers! 

In five years time there will be a ceremony held for Major League Baseball and that of course is the Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony. At that time, baring something outlandish and crazy, will be when the great Chipper Jones' road to greatness should be complete. Chipper should be a first ballot Hall of Fame inductee and there should be no question about that. At least there will not be any controversy on what hat he is going to be wearing when he is enshrined in Cooperstown  As a player who was drafted by Atlanta, moved up through the organization, World Series Champion in 1995, won an MVP in 1999, 8 times All-Star, 2008 batting champion and stayed there right to the end- 19 consecutive seasons, 14 of which resulted in consecutive division titles.

The Braves have seemingly known when to cut bait with players just as they have peaked and then parted ways to get younger or restructure...that didn't happen with Chipper. The Braves knew he was the face of the franchise and his production never warranted them to think otherwise. The only reason for any decline in production was from injury and no one could disagree that when Chipper was on the field that he was going to make the team better, more feared and had a leader out there with them.

Maybe at some point Chipper will make his way back into the game. Maybe in the Braves front office or maybe in some sort of player development role like a hitting coach (sorry Greg Walker). Imagine having Chipper Jones as a batting coach, it would be like talking hitting with Ted Williams. How could a player not get better?

The stats clearly support that honour. A .303 batting average, 468 Home Runs, 1623 RBI, and 2726 hits...as a switch hitter. If that isn't impressive enough he did it all with one team. It pains one to think what kind of numbers he would have had he been able to stay healthy towards the end of his career. Had he been able to play in 1994 as well would have added to his overall stats. The Braves were the team that drafted him, the team he played his entire career with, he is and was the face of the franchise. Jones was an unselfish player in a time that was and is know for players being selfish. He never came that close to becoming a free agent and test the market, remarkable in this day and age. After being an All-Star 3rd baseman whom had already won a World Series a batting title and an MVP made the move to left field so the Braves could add Vinny Castilla. He also unselfishly re-did his contract so that the Braves could free up some $15 million to be able to go after and sign other players that would be able to help the Braves win. Again, not something that you will see from very many athletes is just about any sport.

Many people will compare him to other great switch hitters throughout history, Eddie Murray and Micky Mantle. That is a little unfair as he truly is his own man. He holds his own and can stand alone. He has earned that.

On June 13, 2008 Chipper was hitting .419 

and there was talk that maybe he could be 

the first player since Ted Williams to 

end the season over .400

From 1995 on there was a consistency Braves fans from the US and Canada could expect and enjoy. The Braves continuing to tack on division titles, Chipper Jones evolving to become the face of "America's Team" everyday, and on TBS (except during rain delays when we could be re-acquainted with The Andy Griffith Show). In addition, to get the feeling of a family and friendly atmosphere with the announcing team, led by Skip Carry, with Pete Van Wiren, Joe Simpson and Don Sutton. That was the perfect storm and a great time to be not only a Braves fan but also a baseball fan.

Not since Cal Ripken Jr. has a player announced his final year of play and enjoyed a farewell tour to the extent that Chipper enjoyed. Just about every team he visited, his last time into town, honored him and his career and more often then not passed along a nice thoughtful gift on behalf of the opposing franchise. Teams would not do that for a ballplayer that was just a good player, or a great player...but they sure would, and did, for a Hall of Fame player.

There will be a lot missed by Braves fans with a loss of the magnitude that is the loss of the face of your franchise both on the field and off. From a strictly on field view, the loss of a corner infielder. One who, for the majority of his 19 year MLB career, put up good solid defense and contributed offensively as not only the 3rd bat in the lineup but the backbone to the lineup but also the spark plug. Off the field, I am sure that he will still be the community minded guy who is involved in various charities. From a more indirect view, not getting to see Chipper and follow him and being inspired by him and his play will be a loss for the young kids. The average fan can see what impact Chipper has had on the growth of baseball in Georgia and the players that are being produced from those youth systems. Jeff Francoeur and Brian McCann are just 2 examples already.
Fans will remember seeing that switch hitter with his Blond Bat from the left side and the Black Bat from the right side, that smooth swing that reminds you of Ted Williams and the bull dog look on the field and in the dugout.

It is an old joke but as many Braves fans have said and will continue to say: Thank You Todd Van Poppel! Van Poppel appeared as a tough player to sign and made it a no brainer for the Braves to take Chipper as the first overall pick in the Free Agent Draft. The rest is history!

There are probably rules that need to be adhered to, but would it not be fitting after whom-ever is selected to provide the introduction speach at the Hall of Fame (maybe his father, maybe Bobby Cox) in 5 years time to announce: "Please welcome this years inductee, Larry Wayne 'Chipper' Jones" and then hear it---

`All aboard! Ha ha ha ha ha ha haaaa! ( dum-dum...dum-dum, dum-dum, dum-dum)

Ay, Ay, Ay, Ay, Ay, Ay, Ay` -  Crazy Train by Ozzie Osbourn

Would that not just be amazing? Just imagine the goose bumps and chills!!

Thank you Chipper for all that you have meant to The Braves, The Fans, and to Baseball. 
All the best in retirement and a hope to see you back in the game in one way or another.

2014 Canadian Men's Olympic Hockey Roster - V1

The National Hockey League in the National Hockey League Players Association are going to be talking to the International Olympic Committee in regards to their participation in the upcoming Olympics.  Right now they're looking to get a better deal from the IOC. They're looking for them better access to the players and the rights to display images from the games.  In essence they're looking to get the same access as if they were one of the official sponsors.  If the NHL and the NHLPA decide to go it will be a commitment for only the 2014 games in Sochi, Russia.  Because of the time difference it will be like a test drive to see if it will work and then decide later about the logistics for the games in South Korea.  If the NHL does go over to Russia it will likely shut the league down for at least two weeks and most likely up to 18 days.

Now the news only a year away the two major networks are going to be giving their preliminary rosters and lease for the Canadian team. TSN posted thier list last night from Ray Ferraro and Sportsnet's Mark Spector has his . As it is undecided how many players they plan on taking or have available to be named on the team right now I am including an extra " taxi squad" of players to take a long because of the extensive travel andhide different.  The NHL is looking to have rosters expand 25 cent depending on the final decision will dictate how many extra forwards and defencemen they take with them.

I'm going to presume the team Canada will opt to go with a much younger roster of them they have in the past.  So with that in mind here is my first draft of their roster and pulls a line combinations for the

Canadian National Team

Forwards:

LW-Steven Stamkos         C- Sidney Crosby          RW-Jeff Skinner

LW-Eric Staal                     C- Jonathan Toews        RW-Rick Nash

LW-Jamie Benn                 C- Claude Giroux           RW-Jordan Eberle 

LW-Patrice Bergeron        C- John Tavares             RW- Mike Richards

Defence:
Shea Weber        Alex Pietrangelo
Drew Doughty      Kris Letang
Marc Staal           Duncan Keith

Goalie:
Carey Price
Roberto Luongo
Marc-Andre Fleury

Taxi Squad:
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins
Jason Spezza
Jordan Staal
Taylor Hall
Brent Seabrook
Tyler Seguin
Justin Schultz

It could be Crosby-Staal's and Nash again. There is a chance all 3 Staal's could make the team.

Because they will be playing on leave or dry surface they will be needed team moves fast and mobile.  If this were being played in North America on NHL size rinks there would likely be more "grit" in the player selected.  The Olympic team can not necessarily be an All-Star team and must also have a role players. Players that are willing to buy into a specific system or player ruled that they're not accustomed to is key to success.  Players like Mike Richards and Jordan Staal may not be your prototypical scorers but could provide a defensive conscience that is needed on a third or fourth line.  That is why is so difficult to come up with the team that has such high and talent available to them.  Excellent players will be left off, sometimes is just a numbers game.  As far as the goalies are concerned it will probably depend on who is playing the best during the first part of next season to determining who will be the starter and who'll be backups.  There are probably five goalies from Canada that are worthy of one of the three available spots their play of the beginning of the season may be the determining factor of who makes the team.

A lot can happen within a year and this is just the first draft some time will tell what additions or subtractions will be made that I am interested in seeing how my list will stack up against those of the list put forth by TSN and Sportsnet respectively.

Feel free to include your roster in the comments section to compare to my list and the other lists put out by the networks.

NHL Is Back, But My Passion Is Not

It is a sad state of affairs when one realizes that the NHL is back and I am actually a little upset about it. In the beginning it was all about when are they coming back to drop the puck. Now, it is more 'I wish they would have scrapped the season'. The damage has been done to a whole lot of life long NHL fans. I was hoping that the season would be lost to punish both the owners and the players. The only plus that is coming from this is that the fringe and peripheral people are able to get their jobs back and start working games. The workers at the arena's, the concessions the parking people and all of the local establishments that have taken a hit on game days where fans become patrons and come in for the games. The last lockout I understand, there were things that needed to be fixed...i just wish they would have fixed it right the first time 6 years ago so we could have avoided all this mess.

I am at the point right now that I am more interested in Woman's Soccer then I am in the NHL. To anyone who knows anything about anything that is an alarming statement!

Maybe when the games actually begin I will slowly come around again. Maybe it will be sooner then even I may think. But then again maybe not. I know for one thing, I will not be rushing out to buy tickets to any games. There has not been any mention to this point that the teams will be offering deals but even so, it seems like it is a hollow gesture.

I am more concerned about baseball at this point then hockey. That does not bode well for any hockey pools. My interest level, knowledge of players and what they have been doing, who is playing where and in general what is going on. Once I think about it a little, I am unsure about a lot the late movement and signings as well there are players with teams that I completely forgot about being moved. A sad thing too is that there are a lot of off ice transactions of players that need to be signed and likely trades to be made and at any other time would be super exciting but it has been tarnished by this lockout.
They have ruined a lot of fun for the fans from not just watching the games to just following the roster moves and hot stove talk that come from the league being up and running. The game might be back but it may be a long road back. I wish that people would make it hard on the teams and league before just forgiving and forgetting.

Sadly, in Canada I suspect that fans will fold like a cheap suit and come back like sheep but it would be nice to have them hurt a bit and show that they have done some real damage to a game that was just starting to gain some traction. With the Kings winning the Stanley Cup last year in a major US market could have been huge but the league has robbed the US and the Kings fans of celebrating that championship.

It should be interesting to see what the reaction is the first few weeks of the season.

RA of Hope?

 Over the last three seasons, the Mets are 53-39 on the days that 

R.A. Dickey pitched, and 177-217 on the days he didn't.

Not saying this as an endorsement but maybe a reasoning for Alex Anthopoulos`s position. Perhaps he just feels the need for a Dickey extension. Ok that was a weak low brow joke but still funny.

There are just 2 worries for the Jays to pull off a deal of this nature – one or both of Travis d'Arnaud and Syndergaard prove to be real stars not just from a Jays perspective but also as a fan of a team in the NL East. 

The other is that RA, rightly or wrongly reminds me of Tom Candiotti in terms of him being an old pitcher that chucks the Knuks. That worries me giving up top baseball prospects, not just Jays prospects but like top 10 in all of baseball.

Just recall one deal from a team just a bit to the south in the late 80’s – Det. Doyle Alexander for John Smoltz. Doyle went 9-0 for the Tigers during his time and help win the Division but flamed out in the ALCS and went 14-11 the next year and retired the year after that...Smoltz went on to be Smoltz and a Hall of Fame career.

The flip side is there have not been a sniff of the playoffs since the early 90`s in Toronto and with the possibility of a vulnerable Yankee`s and Red Sox teams maybe you have no choice but to use the farm system to help your team by moving unproven parts for a better chance to win now.

People have been very critical that the Jays never do anything and they just muddle in mediocrity. The fact that they are even in a position to make a deal like this to put them in an even stronger position must be a welcome change. 

With the line-up the Jays have right now, which I am convinced is not where it will be by the start of the season, a rotation as it stands now is a huge bonus. If you can exchange Dickey for JA Happ in the rotation and roll out. Josh Johnson, Mark Buehrle, Dickey, Brendan Morrow and Ricky Romero and have Happ your guy out of the bullpen you are doing ok. Especially when you have to face a lineup like what the LA Angels are going to be able to throw out there in a series.

Cost/benefit analysis is tough to do. 

Should be interesting to see if this deal happens and what happens between now and seasons beginning.

Exciting times in Toronto regardless. Maybe the best time for all this with no NHL an no Maple Leafs. A great opportunity to take over the headlines and help grow the fan base and team loyalty.

The Shoe Revolution- From Air Jordan's to Air Penny's

Recently the new Air Jordan's shoe was released. An interesting design to be sure but as they have been in the past they are more about fashion then as a 'Basketball Shoe". The picture (shown) makes the shoes look a little out there but actually look better when you see them in action on the court.

There is little doubt that the basketball shoe revolution began with Michael Jordan and his custom personalized shoe. Shoes were shoes before the Nike Air Jordans hit the market. Michael was such a powerful marketing and advertising force that he not only helped make Nike the powerhouse that they have become but also with the popularity that his 'Jumpman' brand has become managed to break away from its own maker to form its own brand, logo, marketing and style. From that grew the 'shoe deal'. This was primarily made for the basketball players and the sport of basketball. That has now spread to other sports and was what has lead to the Mega Deal that Tiger Woods got when he broke into the PGA.

The sport lends its self well for this as 1 superstar player can make a huge difference on what happens on the court and you can see the players up close and can recognize them, form a bond with them. Football and hockey players wear helmets that hide their faces and de-humanizes them a bit. Baseball is more methodical and cerebral. Basketball, Basketball is high paced, played with flow and just the sounds of the game...the squeaking of shoes on the hardwood just fits with footwear. After the success of the Air Jordan line Nike and other companies have been in competition to sign these high profile players of various sports for their celebrity endorsement and marketing needs. The real marketable ones get their own line. Some are more successful then others. 'Kemps' were big back in the day, Shaq had his own brand. Kobe for one reason or another was great at marketing but never had that specific shoe that set him apart. Odd for probably the best player post Jordan. But make no mistake Air Jordan's were the true Pioneer success story. This was the the evolution of the new shoe culture, and this is where my shoe story begins.

In 1994 I entered High School and thus began my 'sporting career'. I was very competitive when I played any sport, I wanted to win, I wanted to be a leader, I wanted the ball in my hands. I knew that if I had the ball good things were going to happen. I like to be the facilitator in whatever sport it was at the time. I was the point guard in basketball, the setter in volleyball, the shortstop in baseball and fastball...positions that were the captain/general of the game. Sure I was cocky, I was full of confidence I made no apologies for that. I was probably more confident then I should have been because I know I was not always the best player on the court at any given time but I never let that affect my mindset. Off the court, I was insecure and did not have near the same level of confidence. (The difference was like the kid Archie "Moonlight' Graham transforming into something completely different when crossing over the foul line in Field of Dreams and turning into old Archibald 'Doc' Graham). It is strange looking back at that now on how much different I was when I stepped across  the lines in either direction. The difference was night and day. With all that said my choice of shoe needed to reflect that mentality so I always wanted to have the kicks that were flashy, that said...'yep, I am better then you', shoes that would talk the talk as well as walk the walk.

 Each summer when kids set out with their parents for back to school clothes, my trips would include getting a new pair of kicks for a year of a variety of sports and gym classes. I was lucky and my parents felt that having a good pair of footwear was important and were willing to let me get quality shoes. At the time, even back then shoes were not cheap, especially the ones that I wanted, needed and required. If nothing else I wanted the nice new shoe on the market...not last years model. I can't stress this enough, I was very lucky and had the freedom to procure these each year.


Year 1 Grade 9 - I started with a aumage to the shoes from back in the day. Everyone back in the 80's were wearing Con's! You always hear about people who were wearing the Chuck Taylors from the All-Star of American Footwear. So, with that in mind I opted for the Cons React. They had a little bit of flash a Velcro strap over conventional laces. In the sole were round gel pads that were visible in the heal of the shoe. They had a tight look, a good fit, decent weight and squeaked on the hardwood! Not a bad beginning to a high school athletic career that was somewhat successful. Nothing that earned any athletic scholarships but moderate team success, moderate individual success and a whole lot of fun at whatever sport was played at the time.

Year 2 Grade 10 - This is where the 'Streak' began and there will be a pattern from here-on out in terms of the choice of footwear that seemed to follow me throughout high school. Lets call it comfort with the product, the quality and the brand loyalty that I had during that time period. Next up were the Nike Zoom Rookie. These were the debut of the Air Penny. Anfernee 'Penny' Hardaway was a at the time one of the bright spots of the NBA and was a new hybrid guard that was taking hold of the league. While in Orlando he was paired with a young Shaquille O'Neal and was the floor general on teams that went to the finals only to lose to the Houston Rockets in the time that Michael Jordan had 'decided' to go try his hand at baseball. Penny was a 6'8'' point guard that had great court vision, was a great passer a high flyer and shot maker. He was one of those special players that was a real team leader. It is too bad that his knees caught up to him but a great player in his own right for the time that he was at his peak. He was one of my favorite players during that time period and as a result was one of my first jerseys as well. In addition to that Nike created a huge marketing campaign with Penny and his little buddy L'il Penny! This was a joint venture with Nike and Weiden & Amp; Kennedy on their unforgettable Lil' Penny commercial series. L'il Penny was voiced by Chris Rock and that just added credibility and comedy to each spot and to the character in general.

Year 3 Grade 11 - This was phase II in the progression to the growing line of me wearing the Penny brand shoes. This time around I opted for the Olympic version of the Air Zoom Flight Custom from Nike.  These were released for the 1996 Atlanta Olympics and Penny's participation as a member of the Dream Team 2. Penny had to wear the number 6 on that team so the shoes. It had had the number 6 on the back heal. These shoes were awesome. They were the first shoe I had that sported the in-sewn sock as well. They were flashy white an blue and the solid reflective blue on the sides shimmered. A sweet follow-up to the Original Zoom Air's I stared with.

Year 4 Grade 12 - Phase III of the line of Penny's that I rode in on. These bad boys were the BEST and probably my favorite of them all and that was the Nike Air Penny 2 (Atlantic blue / black / white / metallic silver) . Loved these shoes. They were probably the best combination of flash and comfort I have ever had the pleasure of wearing on my feet. These are so good that if I come across them again I will likely pick up a pair. If nothing else but for the nostalgic and sentimental value. These were some of the most resilient and well made shoes I ever owned, they were flashy to the end and durable for years! Just thinking bout them makes me happy.

Year 5 Grade 13 (OAC) - The final leg for my High School Athletic Career. Of course, true to form I had to stay brand loyal and finished up with the Nike Air Penny 3 White Eggplant Black. These too had the in-sewn sock and a 'wall of bright blue material up the side that drew the eye and attention to theses bad boys. These shoes had a style that was un-presidented, there was no precedent for them. They were just as sweet on the eyes and a piece of shoe engineering greatness. Even after High School I cared for these and never wore them outside and kept them in as good a condition as I could for as long as I could. I was no longer playing a lot of court sports but for special event tournaments I would have these on stand-by read to strap them up when need be. Sadly they did die a rough death. When they went they went quick and hard. 1 day the one heal air pocket finally burst and from then on it was all down hill and they quickly deteriorated with the glue giving out and the heal pulling away. It was tough to see but they treated me well for a long time and it was a good run.

Like my favorite team, The Braves, the Penny line was on a championship run for me. I was loyal to them and they treated me well. I hear there are talks of Penny and Chris Rock bringing back L'il Penny in a retro Penny V shoe and series of commercials. If this happens I may be forced to nab a pair for old time sake! L'il Penny was, at the time a hugely successful marketing character and starred in many commercials. Like this one with Tyra Banks L'il Penny also was reported to have gone to high school with Kevin Garnett (just tell him L'il Penny from Science Club says hallo)

Head of the Class- 2013

The 2013 Hall of Fame class for baseball should prove to be a very interesting one. As in all Hall of Fame ballots and voting there are always questions and great debate on who is deserving, why this guy and not that guy and then a lot of stats to prove or disprove whatever argument you feel is correct. This next ballet is no different and is actually more controversial then ever before. This is the first year that the wave  from the  'steroid era'. Today, Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens and Sammy Sosa are set to show up on the Hall of Fame ballot for the first time. Craig Biggio, Mike Piazza and Curt Schilling are certain to be among the other first-time eligible  Jack Morris, Jeff Bagwell and Tim Raines are the top holdover candidates.

There are a lot of the writers/voters that are going to be hardliners and not vote for some or all of the big 3 on 'principal'. Writers tend not to like jerks and that will be 1 strike against the top 3 guys. That should not way into the discussion but it does. Just ask Jack Morris. He is a prime example of old school baseball guys holding a bad attitude over the head of a potential candidate. Because of the new names going on the ballot this year might just open the door for Morris and Tim Raines to slip in. That is one thing I do not understand is how guys that have done nothing in the last year to increase the chances of getting into the hall but because of who they are up against this time around make them more deserving. Their stats have not changed and they did not win a championship but NOW they are worth of Hall of Fame Status? That is just the way that it is under the current system and is that way in most leagues.
 
It is notable to know that Mark McGwire is 10th on the career home run list with 583, but has never received even 24 per cent in his six tries. Big Mac has admitted using steroids and human growth hormone and recently was on the Dan Patrick Show and stated that he himself did not deserve to be in the Hall of Fame.

I can see  Craig Biggio and Mike Piazza being worth to get in. Piazza was one of the most feared offensive catcher of all time and when you have power numbers that are in the same range as Johnny Bench it is hard to ignore. He was the best at his position when he played and there is not a lot more that you can ask for. As for Biggio he was productive at the top of the order, he got his 3000 hits and was a leader on Astro teams that were very good for the many years he was there. His versatility also is impressive to move positions the number of times he did to not only help his career length but showed he was a team guy and would do whatever was best for the team. To go from a catcher to second base and then to center field. Teams always like to be strong defensively up the middle and he ended up moving to 3 of the positions up the pipe.

When it comes to Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens and Sammy Sosa the debate is there on should they or shouldn't be put in the Hall. Bonds and Clemens are known for not being the most congenial of characters and Sosa has been known to forget how to speak English when asked questions on performance enhancing drugs (PEDs). What people have to remember is that despite the fact that there is all kinds of evidence and seems to be the consensus that all have done some kind of PED's over some time during their career, they were never proven to have done anything wrong. They did not violate any rules that Baseball had in place, did not fail any test while playing and even if they did do something they were, for the most part, facing opponents that themselves were on something at that very same time. That is the thing, the number of guys that were playing were on something probably outweighed those that were playing clean.

Worst case, lets say that these guys were juicing.  They still outplayed the competition and were arguably the best players of all time. One might suggest that it was more ego enhancing drugs rather then performance enhancing  Sure the numbers may be skued but these were still some of the best talents of all time. In the case of Bonds and Clemens, the body of work they had with their original teams, Pirates and Red Sox respectively  a case could be made that both players are deserving based on that time alone. It was then, when both were skinny and ``appeared`` that they were...more clean.  Bonds landed in San Francisco and Clemens landed in Toronto those are the times that most believe that they, at least ramped up whatever they may be on and both got bigger and better.

I do not condone the use of drugs to play better or get stronger but if baseball did little to do anything about PEDs until forced to by the government (granted the players union did everything they could to allow players to get away with it), had no method to test or prevent or rules against PEDs then you should not be able to penalize player for something the may or may not have (but almost guaranteed did) done during their career. Drugs or no drugs it still talks a lot of skill to take a round ball a round bat and hit it square. These drugs seem to be more beneficial for recovery so when guys work out they can rebound better and quicker and can then train harder and more often. But they are still training  still working out. All these legal supplements like Whey, Protein  Creatine, Flax Seed whatever you want to add to your morning shake are OK? Where is the line? Even a shot of cortizone is performance enhancing  how many guys get a shoulder or knee shot up to be able to play? How is that not performance enhancing? What is the difference between medicine and dope? All are valid questions with a lot of Grey in terms of answers.

All in all, writers will hid behind the well 'we voted their conscious  excuse and say they are doing it for the integrity of the game and to honor the Hall but their excuse, when you look at it seems awfully thin. Let the players in, drugs or no drugs they were the best when they played, possibly the best of all time and were never convicted.

While You are Sleeping - NFL Network Pre-Game Show

There are very few reasons to be up early on a Sunday morning. One big reason, if you are an NFL fan, is to watch NFL Networks early morning show First on the Field. The show airs from 7am-9am on the NFL Networks and features Former running back LaDanian Tomlinson, and co-hosts Sterling Sharpe (former Wide Receiver) and Melissa Stark (Monday Night Football and Today Show). The show has a good mix of entertainment and information for the days games each week. Fresh off the field Thomlinson gives a good feel from a players perspective and Sharpe has been doing these pre-game shows since his retirement and has earned a role as a host/co-host while still bringing the ability to break down plays and games. Just about every network has their own version of a pre-game preview show and this one ranks right there with the best of them. What sets it apart is the ability of Melissa Stark as the host and helps guide the ship. Knowledgeable, skilled and attractive...a deadly combination. 

No other Pro football show features a female host which sets First on the Field apart from any of the competing shows. Erin Andrews (Dancing with the Stars and formerly ESPN) is the host for FOX's NCAA Football show on Saturday Nights and also does a good job on that program. 

Stark, who worked on Monday Night Football in the early 2000's left that gig to focus on family. Since then she has done some work on the Today Show. Stark brings a nice balance of classic journalism and can control the show in her role as co-host, but also offers great football knowledge to the show. Her ability to deliver either insight or statistics while keeping it entertaining is a remarkable and it proves to be in that role. Now it must be noted that she also possesses the other skills that helps one on the television excel as well. There is a reason that some people are just better in other mediums. There is a reason for that old saying "a face for radio". The television is a visual medium and like it or not looks count. There is no denying that she is stunningly beautiful and probably possesses the most stunning pair of legs since Mary Hart from Entertainment Tonight (and she reportedly had each insured for $1 Million each, so $2 Million total). If that doesn't keep you tuned in and willing to get up to watch who knows what is.