MySportsSanctuary

In a town where cheese steaks rule and Rocky is King, the Eagles adding former crown jewel turned convicted felon Michael Vick to their team is the type of story Philadelphians may come to love or hate. Vick, the legendary Virginia Tech star who was the number one overall pick in NFL’s 2001 draft, had it all. The skill set unseen at the quarterback spot in the NFL’s 80 year history with blazing speed and a cannon for an arm. The Atlanta Falcon gave him a $130 million contract, the largest ever and enough for Vick to buy all the Georgia peaches he wanted. He also bought trouble and it wasn’t the kind that good girls fall for.

Vick was convicted of running a heinous dogfighting outfit in VA where dogs were forced to fight to the death, and if they refused the dogs, injured or not, would die at the hands of him and his ‘associates.’ Electrocuting and drowning helpless dogs is enough to turn anyone’s stomach. And with the scope of dog and animal lovers placed squarely on him and the legal system, the judge hammered him with a two year sentence. No football, no money, and no freedom. The Michael Vick Experience went from a dream to a nightmare faster than his forty time.

Some in society would want nothing more than to bury this man and never let him see the light of day. PETA and the protesters vowed to make the life of Vick and the businesses of the National Football League and any team who signed him miserable. Granted they have every right to be upset with him, and they don’t have to be his friend, much less like him. However, he did his time that was handed to him and now he should be given a chance to become a productive member of society, and it so happens that the Eagles felt he could be an asset to their team.

This story hinges on one singular factor more than him speaking out on dogfighting and doing charity work. Everything from the fans dislike of the move to the protesters backing away stands on one monumental aspect. Can Michael Vick still play? If he dazzles the crowd like he did in Atlanta for 6 years, then they may start to forgive him. The Eagles made it to the NFC championship game and since T.O left, it seemed all McNabb needed throughout his career is one more person who can be a playmaker. If he can’t play, it won’t matter if he turns into a saint. He won’t last long. Even though the Eagles have a great coach, a strong organization and a fabulous starting QB, the biggest threat may come from their fans. This town turned on Iverson and Barkley and they even booed Santa Claus once. Despite all of the negative aspect of this story, if the Eagles have signed the old Michael Vick (on the field), we may see them playing football in February.

Michael Crabtree, a rookie wide receiver for the San Francisco 49ers, is contemplating a move for the ages. He is threatening to hold out…no that would be too nice to the niners. Mr. Crabtree is threatening to sit out the entire year (preseason, season, playoffs, you get the picture) and no that isn’t the best part. It seems Mister ‘Texas Longhorn Dream killer’ is thinking about a do-over with the class of 2010. Yup, he is considering going through the draft again because he likes it? No, he wants to be the highest paid receiver among rookies. Can someone please point out the logic in that move to me?

Personally I think Michael Crabtree, the standout from Texas Tech, was the best receiver in the draft. Many others thought so too, but one person thought different. Al Davis. He took Maryland’s WR Darrius Heyward-Bey with the seventh pick in last April’s draft, the first ball catcher off the board. Crabtree slid to tenth. He, talking about Crabtree, feels that he is the better wideout of the two, and he should be paid more than Heyward-Bey. Talk about having a pair!

Not only is he saying he is a superior wideout than Heyward-Bey, but now he is telling the Niners to fork over more than the $23.5 million that Al Davis guaranteed to his No. 1 pick. To Heyward-Bey’s defense, he did have the fastest time among wide receivers at the combine (Crabtree was hurt) at 4.30, tied with K-State’s Yamon Figurs. He didn’t benefit from a pass-happy offense like the aerial juggernaut at Texas Tech. I would have to say ANY receiver in that offense would put up monster numbers. However, Crabtree is different.

The two-time Biletnikoff winner provided one of the most spectacular moments in college football history by catching the game winning touchdown with seconds left, stunning Texas and handing the Longhorns their only defeat last season. He is widely regarded as having the best hands among the receivers however his foot injury scared some people off.

This goes beyond stats and forty times. Crabtree’s a rookie. He is going to get paid tens of millions of dollars before playing a single NFL snap. There are ten year veterans probably making the minimum. Oh, and if he decided to go back into the draft…oops, the 49ers owns his rights. He can’t tryout with another team unless they release him. I wonder if his adviser remembered that before he spoke to the media.

Besides, the adviser is his cousin! Not saying his relative isn’t worthy, but usually family members have your personal feelings as their best interest, and rarely the business side. If he did, he would know this would ruin his career. Let’s just the Earth would stop rotating just for Crabtree to get his wish, what GM would want to take on a personality like that? In San Fran, he is already making a name for himself, and Beyonce made a song about it! Diva!

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.

The finals in the NHL and NBA are set, one is already underway, and the Williams sisters are at it again at the French Open. Sort of.

Its déjà vu all over again. The Pittsburgh Penguins and the Detroit Red Wings part deux. Sidney Crosby and his teammates didn’t learn their lesson last year so they returned again to master it. The Red Wings recent domination is well documented. This is their six appearance in the Finals since the ’94-95 season, winning four championships. They beat down the Pens last time, and figure to do so again. However, Sid is a little more seasoned, he has help, and the Pens are coming off a shellacking of the ‘Canes. This year might be the year for the Kid, but I wouldn’t bet on it. They are already down a game.

Back to the soap opera known as the NBA Playoffs starring Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, and a special appearance by…Superman himself Dwight Howard! The show’s headliners for the next couple of episodes were changed at the last minute. See Superman was only supposed to push Mr. James to the limit. He was to help create drama, action and excitement but was to fall in the end. When Mr. Howard gave an Oscar-winning performance in Game 6, propelling the Magic past the Cavs to advance to the NBA Finals, the script was shredded and for great reason. As I was watching the series, you know a team isn’t going to win if you are hoping they make a shot or stop the other team, and when you pray the other team misses. The Magic dismantled the Cavs in every phase of the game. As the NBA does a retake, I wonder if Superman will get a puppet too. Probably not.

Why are the Williams sisters making headlines? Well one is out which isn’t breaking news. Venus Williams hasn’t played well at Roland Garros in her career. Her straight set loss in the 3rd Round is a microcosm of her struggles. She hasn’t advanced past the 3rd in a couple of years, no titles, and only one final’s appearance back in 2002. You can’t really called it an upset with her play here and the growing talent pool, but it does make you scratch your head. Serena Williams is still charging for the title, with a little flair for the dramatic. Her three set victory against Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez was marred by a play in which Serena argued the ball struck Ms. Sanchez on the arm. According to tennis rules, if a ball strikes you, you lose a point. Maria disagreed, said it hit her racket. The network showed the replay, Serena called Maria a ‘cheat’, Maria declined comment and after all of that the Earth still spins on its axis. Thanks for playing.

Well, well, well, it’s time to put the puppets away. I guess more players than LeBron James and Kobe Bryant drunk their Vitamin Water. In a playoff season so stellar with twists and turns in every round, lurking in the back was almost a surefire thing. Almost.

After the Magic dispatched the Cavs in six games, one could only wonder how good are the Magic or how bad the Cavs played. I will not take credit away from the Magic, they played terrific. However, the Cavs had won 66 games and only lost two home games all year, and lost half that much in the playoffs, losing the opening game of this past series. The team from Cleveland steamrolled through the first two rounds, winning by double digits game in and game out, not even tested while on the road. The Magic stumbled through the Sixers and although they dethroned the Celtics as NBA champs, the jury was out on them to even make a dent in the Cleveland juggernaut.

That’s why they play the game. Someone famous said that and I have listened for all of my sporting life. Never was it more prominent when the Giants defeated the Pats last year, but that is another story. No one gave the Magic a chance. LeBron and Kobe were permanently penned in, not penciled, to the Finals. It was only two games left in the second round series and Dwight Howards was about to put Van Gundy in a headlock. Things like that overshadowed the Magic’s potential of crashing the superstar party.

What’s ironic is that the Magic may have been the best team of the final four, let alone the Eastern Conference. First off the Magic swept the Lakers, took two of three from the Cavs and split with the Nuggets. That 5-2 record is the best mark with the Lakers second at 5-3. Cavs, one of the best road teams this year, didn’t notch a single victory under their belt at Amway, losing all five games including all three this series. And even more frightening, the Magic was one miracle shot away from sweeping the series! Ouch! Talk about domination.

As all superheroes go, it seems like Superman still reigns supreme, and he proved it again in Game 6.

Last night, I was in a conversation with a bunch of people, some Cavs fans, many not, during the Magic-Cavs game. It became increasingly clear as the Magic was chomping away at the lead that many were decreasingly in favor of Mike Brown’s coaching ability.

Some say he is a decoy coach, that LeBron really runs the show. The choking of several big leads during this series was his fault. Yada yada yada. It’s funny how a player gets the most credit for turning around a team, and the coach gets blamed for the opposite. All the analysts that don’t analyze for a paycheck needs to see that it is more to it than the player(s) that wins and loses games and championships.

If coaching was everything, then they would be paid like the athletes, but they aren’t because sports are predicated on star power. No matter how good Pat Riley was, he didn’t fill stadiums to watch him coach. Doc Rivers was part of one of the worst teams in the NBA three seasons ago as the Celtics won only twenty four games. Danny Ainge, who was taking heat, traded what seemed like the whole team and whoever participated in the Tea Party for Kevin Garnett. Ray Allen signed on and voila, instant championship. Two 60-wiin seasons in a row, two division titles, but was it all about Rivers or the Big Three? The same scheme was used with the team from the 24 win club as well as the championship squad. Was it the players making the scheme work, or did the X’s and O’s bring a championship to three players who had never won one? Doc looks like a genius, Ainge a master, and the city of Boston is drunk with power.

Phil Jackson is considered a great coach. However, he had His Airness for six rings, and Shaq and Kobe for three. All three are surefire Hall of Famers, so was Phil’s Triangle offense the reason why they were so successful, or was the players he inherited the sole reason.

What I am trying to say is Mike Brown is a good coach and all great teams have either one or two superstars. The only team in recent memory that won a championship in the three power leagues without a significant superstar was the 2001 New England Patriots. Most teams that win it all have great teams and they are made up of superstar players. The coach should get credit for making it work, but in Brown’s case, it seems like it is up for debate. For what reason is beyond me.

These next three months will be a joyous occasion for many students, from kindergarten to seniors graduating from college (unless you are looking for a full time job). Along with the economy downturn which forced the Yanks to sell first class seats at coach prices, the sports appetite wanes as the months of June, July, and August roll through.

At June 1, we will have the NHL and NBA playoffs almost reaching its climax, and MLB is in its early stages of weeding out it pretenders. Once July hits, baseball will be king, champions are crowned in basketball and hockey, but two behemoth sports leagues are revving up for their shot at glory and ooh will they ever succeed.

August is when the NFL and College Football begin to really prep for their upcoming season. You hear of OTA’s, spring games, involuntary (did I say that) workouts, and scrimmages as early as spring. The pads start cracking in the summer heat and just in time for school to start (sorry 6th graders).

The college football season will start with the usual suspects of Florida, USC, Texas, Oklahoma, and some lucky team from the SEC rounding out the top five. Not in that order, but don’t be surprised. Until we have a playoff…I said I wouldn’t go there just yet. Moving on, the NFL is wide open as it has been since ’91. Only the Cowboys, Broncos, and Patriots have repeated as champions, and many of the SB losers this decade haven’t even made the playoffs the next year. And that even happened to the Patriots after their attempt at moving Mercury Morris down the street fell short and going 11-5 the next year. Arizona already looking like one with coordinators leaving, Anquan wanting out, and the Edge already shipped out.

So why not enjoy the summer’s heartbeat known as the MLB season. I will, sort of, with one eye on Tom Brady’s comeback, Dolphins season after the miracle, and some guy making a comeback after two years. Not all is lost in baseball once the leaves starts turning. They’ll have the spotlight again in October. It may be the temps in these next few months that are scorching, but it’s in the fall when things really heat up.

It’s the middle of the night and David Stern is sitting on the side of his monstrous bed sweating. Tissues are being tossed on his floor and he staring at the moon in horror. He can’t believe his dream is turning into a nightmare. Could it really be happening: An NBA Finals without LeBron and Kobe?

He is too rich to ‘get away’ on Southwest Airlines, but he definitely wants to vamoose from this unlikely scenario unfolding. Sure he’s gonna say all the right things. He is a commissioner, and can’t be seen as biased. Everyone saw two trains steamrolling to the game’s ultimate stage. Two stars headline the two best teams in the league. Two stars who won the last two MVP awards. Too good to be true. Too bad that they must ‘play the game.’ Stan Van is not the Master of Panic in this series just yet, but it would have been sweet if Herm Edwards was the coach in this instance(Hellooo….you play to win the game!).

It is totally agreeable that the Nuggets and Magic feel disrespected before and during these conference finals. Commercials, analysts, and the media anointed the Cavs and the Lakers to battle for the title before they even stepped into these series, let alone the playoffs.

With the high flying Cavs grounded to one loss away from elimination, and the Nuggets squaring up the Lakers, that dream matchup isn’t looking like a sure shot anymore. LeBron is capable of creating a miracle, and Kobe is known to elevate his game just in time so these series are not over by a long shot. David Stern, the NBA, and fans for both squads hope the dream stays alive. The way things are going, he may need to stock up on some Kleenex.