The perfect ball? or not??!!!

The 2010 World Cup is around the corner with it kicking off June 11th with South Africa taking on Mexico. Fans around the world wait for this event which is widely anticipated every 4 years. This is the biggest tournament in sports around the world, 32 teams taking part in history. There are two things these 32 teams have in common, one being there to win the world cup representing their countries and second is they all will play with the same ball. Players around the world typically play with soccer balls made by Nike. Every four years a new ball is introduced for the world cup, the maker is Adidas. A lot of players complain about the transition from a Nike ball to an Adidas. Adidas has come out with the 2010 world cup ball, the "Jubalani" which means "to celebrate" in isiZulu. The problem is the most players aren't doing much celebrating, instead you're hearing a lot of complaining. The most common complaint is that the ball is very difficult to control, like having a mind of it's own. It suddenly changes trajectory, when the ball is in the air and the player goes to head it, it's no longer there. The technology that goes into making the balls gets more advance each year like everything else, they typically get speedier but this ball is livelier than ever before. Complaints are always heard but usually from goal keepers, this time even position players are complaining. Another concern is the altitude in Johannesburg and other cities hosting the world cup. Studies have shown the speed can have in impact of up to 5%, meaning a 20 yard kick will reach the goal line 5% faster than it would at sea level. Adidas claims it has surpassed its own Teamgeist from 2006 in constructing the roundest and most accurate ball ever played… Teamgeist achieved its improvements by reducing the number of panels from 32 to just 12, by thermally bonding the panels and eliminating inaccurate stitching and by forming the outer panels in 3-D versus making them flat and bending them into shape. Jabulani takes another step towards perfection with eight EVA and TPU panels that provide a 70% larger striking surface due to fewer seams… Jabulani attempts to stabilize the flight pattern of the ball through what Adidas is calling ‘aero grooves’, essentially long indentations along the panels. The grooves divide the ball up into additional pseudo-panels. This ball is supposed to be the roundest ball ever made, not only that but it's also waterproof. Adidas claims it to be their "best of the best", the players claim it's one of the worse balls they've ever handled. I know that come June 11th, all 32 teams are going to have to play with the same ball whether they like it or not. They're gonna suck it up, strap their cleats on and go out there and represent their countries. The 2010 World Cup is around the corner, are you ready for it?

In Ted We Trust

The caps have wrapped their season up with a disappointing finish. Going into the season, the caps had a their minds made up that they were going to be in the stanley cup finals, anything else would just be a disappointment. They led the league in the regular season in points, finished first overall, won their first president trophy and had home ice advantage throughout the playoffs starting with the #8 seeded canadians. I don't need to share with you on what happened next, I think we're all still trying to forget. I tell you this, the last thing anyone expected was us losing in the first round, from the front office to the players. Lots of question marks were raised after the loss like, are the caps going to keep all their stars? Someone's gotta go, they have three all star players in Ovie, Backy, and Semin. Are the caps going to have a sit down with Green? Two years in a row and Green doesn't show up in the playoffs. Maybe they'll just focus on the defense altogether, Corvo was another Green minus the production which Green didn't have in the playoffs to begin with. All teams have big question marks hanging over their head during the off season. Caps fans should have a peace of mind knowing Ted, George, and Bruce will be putting the best team together. This is what makes Ted, Ted. Ted has set us up for success, as disappointing as this past season was, we know that we have what it takes to make another run for the cup for the next several years. It's so nice knowing that an owner was willing to undergo initial criticism when he announced he was going to draft instead of going for the big name players through free agency. He told the fans it was going to take a couple of years but that it was going to work out, and it did. We needed to trust Ted then, and we need to maintain it now more than ever. I know he's proven himself to me, his staff has showed great leadership and have also done everything to set us up for success. Ted is the owner every fan wants, the owner I wish the redskins had. The signing of Nick Backstrom has proven to be another example of the amazing chemistry this team has. Backy could've gotten $100+ million dollar contract but he chose to re-sign with the caps a few days ago taking a little less money ensuring helping the signing of future teammates. Class A acts all around from the capitals team, from the top to the bottom. That's an organization a fan like myself is proud to be a part of. Good things happen to good people.....congrats to Ted for the acquisition of the wizards and landing the #1 draft pick. I'm excited for next year, it'll be a good one. In Ted I trust, you should too.

Backy signs to come back with the Caps

Caps fans all over are jumping and cheering over the resigning of Nicholas Backstrom, the caps center. Backstrom was 4th in the league in points scoring 101 points, 4th in plus/minus, 3rd in assists, and 13th in the the league in goals(career high). Those are very impressive stats, stats that would describe a star in the NHL....stats that would represent a #1 player on a team. Backstrom isn't our #1 player, Ovie is, so for us to have two of the best offensive weapons in the league on the same team for the next 10+ years is something we can all have a good time wrapping our arms around. Backy could've easily gotten a $100 million plus contract with many teams in the league making him the #1 player on their squad, but it seems that money doesn't drive Backy....winning does. Backy's maturity level really shows, he chose to stay with a team that he's established chemistry with...well, more like lightning and fireworks. He knows that winning a cup is around the corner and the caps have the surrounding cast to do it. As a team leader, he also knows that to maintain the other players on his team, he probably needed to take a little less money, something that most people wouldn't do. Backy didn't seem to hesitate, he's now ours for the next 10 years improving himself each season. You can't really ask more of a player than to show up, play his heart out and grow. Backy does all of these things, hence leading the NHL in several categories. A peace of mind in this deal is knowing that Backy will back his contract up by performing. The caps front office have a good idea of the kind of character Backy is, they wouldn't of invested on a 10 year 67 million dollar contract if he was a shaky fellow. Other teams in other sports mightj do the opposite but I think it's safe to say the caps take on a very picky approach when making decisions involving big money. They know they're going to get their money's worth, Backy is a classy guy with big talent. Because of him players like Brooks Laich and other players that will be free agents this off season can re-sign with the caps helping them continue their push for the cup. Welcome home...again Backy!

Are the Cowboys the best team in the NFC East?

The Dallas Cowboys are yet again the talk about being the best team in theNFC East. It seems as though this has been the case for a couple of seasons now. Yet when they get to the playoffs, they choke. For the a while there Romo was the one known for choking but after this past season, he turned it around a little. They released trouble proned Adams this off season, I know this guy can be trouble but he was a big body that protected Romo when he wasn't tripping himself, others or throwing himself in the air. The cowboys drafted Sam Young from Notre Dame in the 6th round, 179th overall. They say this kid has a lot to prove, he didn't start playing football until the 7th grade and was heavily recruited from that point on. I doubt the cowboys expect this kid to come in and start over other veterans that are in line to take over that positions but will the cowboys really have that strong offensive front? They're quite proud of their new acquisition at the TE position but isn't Witten their go to guy? Didn't they get Bennett, a TE last season? More power to them if that's where they want to put all their marbles in. Their defense ended the season playing well but we all know Newman isn't going to have a repeat pro bowl year. As long as Wade has his hands on the defense they'll be competitive but so were the redskins, giants and eagles. In fact, the NFC east has all four teams ranked between #9-15, that's pretty good considering the whole division is in and all teams are following one another in rank. The cowboys are staying put with their RB's, the eagles have done the same other than releasing Westbrook. The giants will return their same backs and the redskins will have two new faces, as of now it's Larry Johnson and Willie Parker but with all the Westbrook talk of coming here, who knows! I don't know the answer to who the best team in the division is, maybe it's the cowboys but I do know that we're still the most competitive division in football, and the redskins who were last year's worst team will certainly surprise people. Well, they should at least, there's no where to go but up so we'll see what kind of roller coaster the skins will take us on. We'll also find out who the best quarterback in the division is as well as enjoying the renewed philly vs skins rivalry. I can't wait for football season, in about two months time, the grass will be greener, the air sweeter all because training camp will be here and that means we're that much closer to opening kickoff!

Hey T.O., don't cry, dry your eye

I wish I knew what it was like to be recruited out of high school and play ball for a
Division I school. Then playing four years leading to the NFL draft and get drafted by a team. I would then go on to lead my team to a super bowl appearance, 6 pro bowls and am ranked #3 in all time receptions and touchdown passes caught behind Randy Moss and Jerry Rice. I wish I could continue sharing these impressive stats and I could probably share a few more but eventually I'd have to start sharing about all the drama T.O. brought to a franchise or should i say franchiseS. T.O. the player in my opinion can be a force to reckon with. There are many sides to T.O., there's T.O. the outstanding player that can leap in the air, make the amazing grab and take it to the end zone. Theres the T.O. that when he doesn't get the ball gets very defensive, usually doesn't have much to say and at times cries defending his quarterback only to criticize him couple weeks later. As much talent as T.O. has it seems like it's started to be overlooked by 32 teams in the NFL. T.O. has played for 3 different teams in the past 6 years and as of March 5, 2010 he was released by his fourth team, the Bills. A few months have passed, the draft in which a lot of teams make roster moves has also passed and T.O. is still sitting on his couch watching SportsCenter hoping to hear his name mentioned by another player around the league giving him the opportunity to nationally state how he and that QB could bring a Superbowl to that town. I would think he's getting more and more nervous everyday wondering if a team is going to come knocking on his door. Will T.O. get signed by a team, is there an organization out there willing to take a player like him in knowing what he could do to their team? I mean, he was the quietest last year compared to other years...is he starting to realize that he scares teams away? Or maybe, just maybe T.O. is out there having the biggest gut check he's had his entire life and thought's of his career coming to and end are now starting to flash in front of him. Maybe T.O. is washed up but is just trying to hold on to something he should just let go of. He's having the battle of his life but this time it's not with his QB or another teammate, it's with himself. There are many great athletes that play one or two more years than they should, I'm sure it's that competitiveness they have inside them that got them far in the first place they can't let go of. Jordan coming back to the wizards was a disaster, Emmit Smith joining the Cardinals was also iffy. Ken Griffey Jr. joining the Marlins and falling asleep in the locker room doesn't seem like much of a comeback either. These were all great names that retired from their game respected and on top to later come back to possibly regret their decision. T.O. needs to think about whether it's his time to hang his cleats, and go out in a somewhat good way. He's not going to be picked up by a superbowl caliber team to have the chance for a championship run, so he might as well just stay on his couch. It'd be better for him to do that than to come back and hurt himself on a play to be carted off the field and have his career end that way like Rodney Harrison, Joe Theisman and others. I don't know what the future holds for T.O. but I do know that he's shaking in his cheese with his cell phone by his side hoping for a riiiiiiing riiiing.

Lebron no more

The old guys ended up getting the job done. It seems as though they were fueled along the way and they weren't about to let the king take his throne. Perhaps the series changing game was game 4 when Rondo lit it up leaving the cavs speechless. After that game, Lebron was quoted for saying he needed to concentrate on Rondo the next game identifying him as their weapon to stop. What about Allen, Pierce, Garnett??? Aren't these all stars also offensive weapons that demand the same respect? They seemed to think so coming out in game 5 and showing Lebron and the world that Rondo wasn't the only player to be concerned with. Pierce had his best game in the playoffs in game 5 leaving Lebron and the cavs in a must win situation going into game 6. Lebron and the cavs kept it close much of the game but just couldn't keep up with the Celtics crisp passing and three point shooting. It seems as though the Celtics played a complete team game, whereas the cavs started falling apart leaning completely on Lebron. We all know that he's human and he showed us just that in game 5 and 6 with his shaky performance. He was quoted after the game saying he left his "options" open aka Lebron will probably be no more in cleveland. New york seems to be the place where he might end up but no one really knows. I just hope Lebron isn't the next Patrick Ewing, Karl Malone, Shawn Kemp, Dominique Wilkins etc.... Great players but just never won a ship. Good luck King, we all know you don't need luck with sick skills like that.

And the Canadians win it

I turned to the game at the beginning of the second period and to my surprise the score was 2-0. My jaw dropped, I couldn't believe this. I knew there was still a lot of hockey to be played but my mind started thinking of the possibility of the canadians winning this game. That thought came to and end quickly knowing who their opponent was, the defending stanley cup champs. The canadians kept to their game as they had done the entire playoffs and continued playing their physical game capitalizing on the penguins mistakes. The final score was 5-2, Montreal advancing to the Eastern Finals to face the winner of the Bruins/ Flyers series. So many thoughts going on like, am I happy that the penguins lost? Does this mean that I should feel better about my caps losing in the first round to the 8th seeded team? I don't know, well, maybe I do know....I cheered tonight which hasn't happened since we beat the canadians, I even looked for a high five on one of the canadian goals. I've been pretty down in the gutter since the loss to the canadians. I've even been hesitant to tune into the rest of the games due to my bitterness. Tonight's canadians win makes me think that even though they were the 8th seeded team, they were tough guys that came to play. They knocked off two of the best teams in hockey, one of them being the #1 team in the league most of the year and entering the playoffs. The canadians are legit and they've come to play. I don't have a preference on who wins this year since my team's out, i'm just glad the penguins are also eliminated. Thank you montreal for helping me smile though you're the reason for my bitterness....

Farewell Jason Campbell

November 26, 2006 was Jason Campbell's first NFL start against the Panthers, what many fans hoped to be Doug Williams part II. Jason struggled that game, but we all had a good feeling about this guy. Jason came, and jason went on April 25, 2010 to the Raiders. Some say Jason didn't really get a real chance in the league, other's might say he got more than a chance but just didn't do anything with it. The 2009 season should be deleted from his career stats, the guy didn't have a lick of protection... it was a surprise he didn't get killed out there. JC was put in a bad situation from the start, he never had consistency. He went through a different offensive coordinator every year from college, no wonder the guy seemed confused out there when the pressure was on. In my opinion, that was JC's biggest downfall. When the pressure was put on he didn't perform well under the lights. He couldn't take the offense down the field with 40 seconds left in the game. JC couldn't deliver the game winning touchdown pass, he and his surrounding cast choked. JC got treated badly by the Redskins during the past two off seasons until they got what they wanted in trading him. JC now wears #8 in the silver and black, just doesn't look right to me but I sure do wish him luck. JC wasn't the most outspoken QB but he was tough. He was a classy, respectful, hardworking guy that deserves the chance to be a QB of a franchise who will value him more than the Redskins did. Who knows if that will happen with crazy Al in charge but I wish JC all the luck. I will now retire my "In Jason we trust" sign.

The Best Of The Best: Alex The Great vs Sid The Kid

Who is the best player in hockey? The debate has been heating up for quite some time now. Both players wear the "C", both are leading the league in goals....both have similar hardware. The big difference between the two is that Sid has a Stanley Cup, but does this make him the better player? Alex The Great (ATG) is the most electrifying player with the puck, his goals are phenomenal and his never quit attitude inspires others. The two faced each other last year in the second round of the playoffs. Sid came out on top last year leading the Penguins to victory and eventually winning the Cup. There are a lot of people out there that aren't very fond of Sid, whether it's his soft style of play or they just decided they don't like the guy for whatever reason (I think there are a lot of these people out there). One thing you can say about him is that when he's needed, he's always there. He shot the game winning goal in the olympics in overtime because he never stopped skating and shooting. The guy never gives up! Not to say that ATG is a slacker because again, we all know he skates like a mad man on a mission, but he just doesn't come through the way Sid does. Now don't get me wrong, I've been on the ATG boat this whole time. I've been drinking the RED kool-aid, I've even contributed with more cowbell. I've just come to the realization after the series against Montreal that maybe, just maybe Sid has got the whole "team" concept down better than ATG. He doesn't go out on the town and celebrate wins by taking shots. He doesn't drive his car at crazy, reckless speeds. He's just a guy that seems to have his eye on one thing at all times, winning another stanley cup. He always seems to come through whether by scoring the winning goal or dishing the biscuit off to one of his teammates. It's hard to get over seeing ATG and the Caps do so well in the regular season, winning the presidents trophy, got into the playoffs as the #1 team in the league and lost in the first round to Montreal who barely made it in. ATG just ran out of gas towards the end while Sid continues to lead his team. Many people believed this was going to be the year for ATG and the Caps but it looks like we're going to have to wait for another year or two. Gretzky and Messier played the New York Islanders in the 1983 stanley cup finals and got swept in the 5 game series. After the game they both walked by the Islander's locker expecting cheers and yells but instead were surprised by silence. They looked to see why the silence and noticed all the Islanders completely worn down, just exhausted after leaving everything they had on the ice. They weren't yelling, they were just appreciating the hard work they put in to get there. Gretzky and Messier took notice of how winners celebrated and came back the next year leading the Oilers to their first stanley cup victory. I hope ATG and the Caps realize how bad it feels to lose and come back next year hungrier than ever searching for the winning feeling. So ask me again in a year or two who the best player in hockey is and might answer might change, but for now it's Sid The Kid.

Hey Plaxico, let your old ways go man!

"Hey Plaxico, Let your old ways go man!"


I guess the saying is true, some people just don't learn their lesson. Plaxico Burress is in jail serving a two year sentence for carrying a gun and accidentally shooting himself in the leg. This all taking place not even a year after the murder of Sean Taylor. It's as if these players don't take into consideration the things that are taking place around them. The latest on Plaxico is that he got his "fun" time taken away for lying about a cell phone call he made while in jail. Is there something wrong with this picture? Why does this guy have a cell phone to begin with? His other punishment was getting the phone taken away for a week. Again, why does this guy have a cell phone in jail??? What's going on in the world? All in all Plaxico doesn't get it, the judicial system is whacky and they're both jokes. Come on man!

Leaving the hood in the hood

What does Clinton Portis mean to you? A couple of seasons ago he was a top 5 RB, Pro Bowl, in shape player that played his heart out every snap. He even made you laugh with his many characters like South East Jerome. Things have changed a bit since then. The present day Clinton Portis is out of shape, you won't see him run to the end zone with a defender on him because he gets tackled before making it to the end zone . He doesn't make you laugh anymore, just makes you scratch your head and wonder what the heck is this guy thinking. When he does say something it's usually about himself or criticizes his teammates about lack of leadership when he doesn't show any himself. Portis has turned into a dramatic, out of shape back that hasn't produced lately to be talking the way he does. 106.7 The Fan's Chris Russell had a three part interview with Clinton. When asked what Clinton thought about Lavar Arrington's speech at Sean Taylor's funeral, this is what he said:

"LaVar ain’t know Sean like that. For the people who did seeing how LaVar was going to portray — I remember me and Sean was going to jump LaVar, you know, for throwing pie at Sean’s face his rookie year, and trying to haze Sean, and be the tough guy. He felt like it was a joke. We didn’t like that S***."


What is that all about? What is Portis trying to do here? How low can Portis go? He doesn't know what Sean Taylor meant to Lavar. Portis making something out of the kind words spoken by Lavar is just plain ignorant. Leave the hood in the hood man! Who "jumps" people?! Cowards that's who! We know Sean Taylor wasn't one, I'm sure it's all talk and Clinton wouldn't "jump" anyone but still, who talks like that! All of that because in Clinton's mind Lavar wasn't as "cool" with Sean as he made it out to be. Was Clinton always with Sean to know that he and Lavar never hung out or talked? Doubt it. Clinton is delivering another character to us again only this time he's not a funny South East Jerome. He's a lazy, ignorant player that doesn't see his wrong but is the first to throw everyone around him under the bus. Grow up Clinton Portis! Show up to training camp, get in shape, run the ball and score us some touchdowns....oh, and stop talking already. Just play ball!

Game 3: King's elbow vs Celtics

If you're a Cavs fan, are you panicking right about now? Yes, the series is tied 1-1 but the Cavs barely escaped game 1 due to Boston's small mistakes sending the Cavs to the free throw line leading to points. Game 2 was different, Boston had their number from the beginning. Lebron's lack of offensive moves stuck out like a sore thumb. For the first 3 quarters, the King was no where to be found. He just wasn't playing his game and it showed despite his 24 points. He's still Lebron so the points are going to come but not the way they usually do. He's supposed to be undergoing a third MRI later this week. When teammates are asked of his health, they say he's fine. But is The King really fine? He wasn't playing like his usual self in game 2, is this elbow injury the reason for his mild play? I do know that the Cavs barely won the first game and with Lebron not 100%, this series could get out of hand rather quickly.

Marko...Polo????

Marko Mitchell came and Marko Mitchell went. After Marko being drafted in the seventh round in the 2009 draft, his stint with the Redskins didn't last very long at all. He won many of us over last year in the pre-season leaping in the air like a mad man stretching himself out to make the grab in mid air and coming down with it. This is what we Redskins fans wanted to see happen in the regular season but to our disappointment, he only went out on the field a few times in blocking formations totaling only 4 catches which he made in pre-season. The season ended and the Shanahan/Allen era began giving us all hope that change was coming. As of Monday, May 4th, Marko Mitchell is no more. The 6'4 wide receiver was waived by the Redskins and was quiclkly picked up by the Lions on Tuesday. Several questions filled the fan's mind like: Why would we get rid of this guy? Who will replace him? Galloway, Wade? Aren't they old? Devin Thomas?....When was the last time he caught a ball? Malcolm Kelly?....Yeah, if he actually did something with his size. Santana Moss?? I think it's time we stopped viewing Santana as our savior...he's just a guy, if anything, he's lost a step, has too much pressure on him and is just not a #1 receiver in the league. Not enough emphasis was put on our receiving corps this off season and quite frankly, I'm scared. The Redskins have been horrible in the red zone for several seasons and yet we don't do anything about it. Brandon Marshall is a stud and he's now in Miami! I'm down with campbell soup, in Donovan I trust but even he needs someone to catch the ball. As I wrap this up I just hope one thing....I really hope that we don't experience a Stafford to Mitchell TD pass this season!