Random Thoughts

I thought I'd go with a change of pace from the recent entries and give my random thoughts on the current sports world and other stuff in the news.

-- This NBA playoffs year has been lackluster at best. I know that I'm sounding like homer because after my team gets bounced I start complaining about the teams still playing. But this entire NBA playoffs year has been rather boring to me. While I do think TNT does a pretty good job covering the games, ESPN has really reached the point of being so bad it's pathetic. Everything has been going basically how the experts predicted (with the exception of maybe Phoenix getting this far), and that has probably been some of the problem. Maybe a spurs-Heat finals will save it, but I have my doubts. Shaq vs. Duncan should be fun at least.

-- Yankees vs. Red Sox was about as entertaining as you can make a series it only being the end of May. When it just about looked like the Yankees may be starting to assert themselves as the class of the AL East again after their 6-3 win on Friday, the red sox responded most emphatically on Saturday with a 17-1 drubbing of the bombers in Yankee stadium. And to really make sure the Yankees knew who still owned this feud until proven otherwise, the red sox beat up on Mussina 7-2 Sunday night with Wells pitching really well after a very shaky first. The two bombs Ortiz hit in Yankees stadium Sunday night were incredible. Especially the 2nd one into "the black hole" in center. That ball was CRUSHED.

To confuse things even greater, the Red Sox riding their momentum from the Yanks series, laid an egg in the series opener against the 1st place orioles losing 8-1. Arroyo looked really bad in the process. While the Orioles are definitely going through some adversity currently ( Bedard, Matos, and Lopez on DL), I anticipate them at least hanging around for awhile since the Yanks and Sox have their own issues to deal with.

-- Congrats to UT grad, Justin Leonard, getting his 2nd win of the year at the St. Jude classic. Granted, he almost blew the biggest sunday lead in tour history, but he was able to salvage bogey on the 18th to win by 1. It took a herculean effort by DAvid Toms shooting a 63 to make it that close. Call me crazy, but I think Leonard has a chance to make some noise at one of the remaining majors.

-- I know this Danica Stewart story is a good puff piece for trail-blazing women in the sports world, which I am always in favor of. But really, jesus christ could be racing in Formula One and no one in the US would watch. Much like I will never understand how NASCAR does so well in the US, I am equally as shocked by the fact that Michael Schmacher is one of the richest athletes in the entire world because of his Formula One racing.

-- UT Baseball ended a somewhat lackluster regular season and big 12 tournament this weekend losing to baylor. I think we were understandably seeded outside of the top 8, and thust not guaranteed to host a super regional unless Ole Miss loses on their side. Regardless, college baseball just got a hell of a lot more intriguing with the added coverage provided by ESPN and its sister stations. At least they are doing something right at the sports leader. THANK YOU hockey.

-- For anyone that doesn't get a chance to catch Rangers broadcasts, you are really missing out on the unintentional comedy provided by our announcers, Tom Grieve and Josh Lewin. I laugh out loud at least 5 times a broadcast when these two do a game. It's quite funny. And don't forget everyone's favorite sideline reporter, Jim Knox. While I get very tired of his schtick during football season, his stories during the baseball season are usually quite funny.

-- No one in baseball should be worrying about finding the next great pitchers after the current greats (Clemens, Maddux, Pedro, RJ) retire. There are plenty of young arms ready and willing to take the torch when these other guys do finally ride off into the sunset. Most notably:

-Jake Peavy
-D-Train -- no more fun guy to root for in the majors right now
-Josh Beckett
-Brett Myers
-Johan Santana
-Roy Halladay

That's all I got for now....................


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