MySportsSanctuary

I am one that wasn’t the biggest of Kobe fans. Not hating on his talent because that would be a waste of my time. He is a gifted scorer with a drive to win that parallels Jordan on so many levels. He now has four rings in six championship appearances. This kid straight out of Lower Marion is perhaps one of the greatest to play in the NBA. At one point in his career, it wasn’t looking so bright.

Everyone knows about the feud him and then fellow teammate Shaquille O’Neal had in the early decade. Shaq proclaimed Kobe as his ‘little brother’ but it was the younger of the two who won out in the end. Management thought Shaq was on the decline and decided to get rid of the big man and go with youth. It looked like a failed gamble as Kobe’s immaturity ruled the court, offending Lakers brass, teammates, and fans all over the globe. His scandal in Colorado in 2003 set the ball rolling as his star which was white hot fell into an ice cooler. Endorsements, his image, and most importantly the respect he had garnered were all gone. And to add insult to injury, Shaq won his fourth title with D. Wade on his new team.

Kobe was going through a tumultuous time in the years post-Shaq. He publicly demanded a trade and openly criticized Andrew Bynum before the 2008 season. Phil Jackson called him uncoachable and it seemed like Kobe would never reach the mountaintop again with all the skills in the world.

He finally realized what his idol Jordan had to go through to win. Jordan’s early years were all about him, winning scoring titles and trying to do it all on his own. Kobe demeanor is just like Jordan’s, and when Mike started to become a team player, six championships flowed through the city of Chicago. Kobe is now trusting his teammates, not scoring eighty one points with two assists. Even though he scored 61 at the Garden, it wasn’t achieved with the type of selfishness often displayed in years past.

So after his latest trek to the top without Shaq and proving he can win on his own, is it time to include Bryant as one of the greatest? His stats stack up with the best of them, and with the chance to win two or three more before his career ends, he certainly will have a shot. That is a long way from where he was in the summer of 2003.

No one had seen this coming. The beauty of sports was on display Saturday as the Pittsburgh Penguins exercised one of the hardest feats in sports by beating the Detroit Red Wings for the Stanley Cup. In Game Seven. On the road.

Yes on the road where all the stats and history stood in front of them like the Green Wall. In 1971 the Montreal Canadiens were the last NHL franchise to win a game seven on the road for the title. The Pittsburgh Pirates, ironically, was the last major sports team to accomplish the feat. And to add to the moment, their best player wasn’t even on the ice when the pulled off the miracle. Yes, it is sweet. The Red Wings was arguably the best team in hockey, but if you weren’t into historical revelations of game sevens, you can go back in this postseason and see that these same Penguins beat the Washington Capitals in Game Seven. On the road.

So how does this hiccup in history translate into maybe an omen to the NBA’s Orlando Magic? Down three games to one, they know the only way to win the series and bring home the trophy is to not only beat the clutch Los Angeles Lakers three straight times, but the last game, Game Seven, will be on the road.

You watch this series, and you can see that the Magic has what it takes to win those games. In fact, you could argue that they literally threw two of these games and could be up three to one. However, the Lakers took advantage and now sit one win away from the crown.

No one gave the Pens a shot and now the Magic chances are looking pessimistic. One thing Saturday showed us is that is why they play the game.

No player in the NFL has been through more turmoil with his team recently than Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Chad Johnson…err ah Ocho Cinco, or Ochocinco. Once one of the best and brightest, Chad’s star has fallen faster than the stock market.

Chad has been one of the most productive and exciting pass catchers this league has seen this decade. He’s always been up there in catches, yards, and touchdown celebrations. Now his portfolio includes a horrible attempt at getting traded, a lost season due to injuries and no desire, and now misspelled last name. He wanted Ocho Cinco and the NFL noted he didn’t put a space between the two words on his app in Florida. Tough break.

It doesn’t stop there. He’s seen as arrogant, selfish, and a TO wannabe. He is labeled as the poster boy for everything that is wrong with the league and the Bengals, which I can hardly believe. The Bengals didn’t have nine players arrested in their team’s history, they had it in ONE SEASON (2006). I am sure it wasn’t him putting peer pressure on those grown men. His quarterback was recently critical of him, and many see him on his way out eventually.

All is not lost for Eight Five. He took the team concept and went solo. He didn’t participate in OTA’s (which I want the first word changed from Organized to Optional). He’s been training hard out in Hollywood and seems to be humbled by last year. I know he will come out with guns blazing. With T.J. gone, they will need him, and maybe, just maybe, his star can rise again.

Jose Canseco, who used to wow baseball crowds with his power and flare as one of the most feared hitters in the late 80’s and early 90’s has, to put it lightly, fell off a cliff. He tried valiantly but it was over before it started!

Hong Man Choi Jose Canseco Fight Video