Probably not, because as bad as he is he still beat out Tavaris Jackson on talent last season. I remember watching him play Dallas in 2007 and thinking to myself that this guy is worse than Dave Brown or Kent Graham on their worst day.
I don't know why scouts are so enamored of "arm strength," as if that means anything. It's like these dopes who keep putting so much emphasis on the combine.
Yeah, I'm sure that means a lot. Vernon*cough*Gholsten.
Ugh and you know I'm a Jets fan so Vernon Gholston (aka "The Invisible Man") is the perfect example of all hype and no football skill. But, at least we signed Bart Scott today apparently. Now that's a linebacker. Makes me rethink the draft where I wanted to go LB with pick #17. Now thinking another CB to complement Derell Revis who has, in two years, made a lot of strides and sees the ball thrown less and less to his side of the field.
It was a good fight, all 5 minutes of it.
LAUGH OUT LOUD.
Pacquiao is in his prime right now, it's going to take a lot to bring him down. I really want to see a Pacquaio vs Mayweather fight.
Manny Just Being a Cheater
Shock and surprise abounds as yet another superstar baseball player tests positive for performance enhancing drugs. This time it is Manny Ramirez.
I have never been among Manny's supporters, particularly after he physically assaulted Red Sox traveling secretary Jack McCormick. Still, I did always give him credit where it was due as he is more than just a slugger having the fourth highest batting average in history among guys that have hit 500+ home runs (behind only Ted Williams, Babe Ruth and Jimmy Foxx).
Now I am not sure how much credit he should get for his "accomplishments." He's just another cheater.
http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-...,6324894.story
Manny Ramirez will be suspended 50 games for positive drug test
By Bill Shaikin and Dylan Hernandez Times Staff Writers
8:35 AM PDT, May 7, 2009
Manny Ramirez has tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs and will be suspended 50 games starting today, The Times has learned.
The test result and suspension is expected to be announced later today. The Dodgers informed triple-A outfielder Xavier Paul this morning that he was being promoted to Los Angeles.
Ramirez is expected to attribute the test results to medication received from a doctor for a personal medical issue, according to a source familiar with matter but not authorized to speak publicly.
With the suspension taking effect with tonight's game at Dodger Stadium, Ramirez will not be eligible to return to the team until July 3.
Ramirez would become the biggest star suspended under an oft-criticized major league testing program that started in 2003. He had been a model citizen since arriving in Los Angeles last August, following a stormy tenure with the Boston Red Sox.
This is the second drug scandal to rock baseball within four months. In a year in which baseball officials hoped their greatest concern would be the slumping economy, the two highest-paid players in the game have been revealed to have failed a drug test.
Alex Rodriguez, the game's highest-paid player, acknowledged during a February news conference that he used steroids from 2001 to 2003. The admission followed a Sports Illustrated report that he failed a drug test in 2003, when players were not subject to suspension.
Ramirez did not appear in the clubhouse after the Dodgers' 10-3 victory over the Washington Nationals Wednesday night. After the game, Dodgers General Manager Ned Colletti and Manager Joe Torre said they were unaware of any failed test or pending suspension.
As unconfirmed reports circulated around Dodger Stadium on Wednesday night, Scott Boras, the agent for Ramirez, declined to comment.
Major League Baseball spokesman Pat Courtney said he could not comment, citing the limitations stipulated in baseball's drug policy.
Rob Manfred, baseball's top labor lawyer, and Michael Weiner, general counsel for the players' union, did not return multiple messages.
The loss of Ramirez would leave a gaping hole in the Dodgers' lineup. Juan Pierre, the likely replacement for Ramirez in left field, has batted ninth in two of his five starts this season.
Ramirez doubled and drove in two runs on Wednesday, as the Dodgers set a major league record with their 13th consecutive home victory at the start of the season. The Dodgers have the best record in the major leagues, at 21-8, and the biggest division lead in the majors, at 6 1/2 games in the National League West.
Ramirez leads the Dodgers in batting average [.348], on-base percentage [.492] and slugging percentage [.641], and he is tied for the team lead in home runs with six.
He signed a two-year, $45-million contract with the Dodgers in March, with the first year guaranteed at $25 million and the second year at his option at $20 million.
In an appearance at USC last month, Jose Canseco said Ramirez's name "is most likely, 90%" on a list of 104 players that failed a drug test in 2003. The players were promised anonymity for taking tests in 2003; Rodriguez is the only player that has been identified among that group.
Ramirez laughed when Times columnist Kurt Streeter relayed Canseco's allegation to him.
"I got no comment, nothing to say about that," Ramirez told Streeter. "What can I say? I don't even know the guy."
( so glad he's no longer a Red Sox player )
The Man In Black Fled Across The Desert...
...And The Gunslinger Followed.
“I’m always on the Batman rule, sir.” - Kate Kane / Detective Comics 857
"It is the story, not he who tells it." Except to us collectors who have to put limits somewhere. - jhanic
Remember, Remember, The Fifth of November, The Gunpowder, Treason, and Plot.
Everyone gave the Red Sox a lot of crap for getting rid of him, especially once he started getting hot for the Dodgers last year. I still think it was a good move regardless. His punching Kevin Youkilis in the dugout was one thing, Youkilis is a professional athlete and a big boy, he can defend himself. When Manny put his hands on the traveling secretary, that was something else altogether and completely unacceptable. That would have been enough for me even without the way he completely dogged it in left field. Jason Bay may never hit like Manny Ramirez (only three people in baseball history have ever hit like Manny) but Bay is a solid player and he will give it all he's got every game.
I am just thankful that the Mets resisted the urge to pick him up. The last thing they needed was Manny.
Honestly, I hated that the Red Sox got rid of him. He was my favorite player at the time. I loved watching him...
... this whole cheating stuff though - I'm sorry, I am a hardline about that stuff... forget about suspending, out of the league, that's what I'd do. He broke the rules and cheated. Cheating is cheating.
The Man In Black Fled Across The Desert...
...And The Gunslinger Followed.
“I’m always on the Batman rule, sir.” - Kate Kane / Detective Comics 857
"It is the story, not he who tells it." Except to us collectors who have to put limits somewhere. - jhanic
I couldn't agree more Pam. Considering the treatment baseball gave Joe Jackson and Pete Rose, I have zero tolerance for guys like Barry Bonds, Mark McGwire, Alex Reodriguez, and now Manny. They're a disgrace to the game. Not only did they sully their own reputations, they've cast a shadow over the whole game. It's impossible now for me to look at any player and not wonder when it's going to come out that they've cheated too.
Yes! Exactly the right word - disgrace.
No way any of those guys should be holding records.
That's exactly what I was thinking. Chicago Black Sox. Joe Jackson and Buck Weaver.
The Man In Black Fled Across The Desert...
...And The Gunslinger Followed.
“I’m always on the Batman rule, sir.” - Kate Kane / Detective Comics 857
"It is the story, not he who tells it." Except to us collectors who have to put limits somewhere. - jhanic
Especially considering there is no proof that Jackson and Weaver actually participated in the scam. If their stats are representative of two guys that threw games, I can't imagine what they'd accomplished if they played harder. For Jackson and Pete Rose to not be in the Hall of Fame is a travesty. As for the modern day cheaters, their so-called "records" are meaningless to me. Hank Aaron may have been extremely gracious last year when Bonds passed his mark but Aaron hit all of his fair and square. Until someone hits 756 without the aid of steroids, Aaron is the home run king in my book. I still consider Maris the single season HR king too since McGwire, Sosa and Bonds are all cheaters.
I agree about Jackson and Weaver.
I am kind of back and forth on Rose. He placed bets on baseball when it was forbidden and he knew it. Seemed to me at least he took some personal responsbility and admitted he'd broken the rules. ( even if the rules were stupid, they were still rules he had agreed to follow as a member of MLB )
Without a doubt - AARON is the record holder in my book. No one even comes close and the fact that he was around and what not, just shows what a gracious and stand-up guy he is... cause those other guys are the most self-centered players I've ever seen.
The Man In Black Fled Across The Desert...
...And The Gunslinger Followed.
“I’m always on the Batman rule, sir.” - Kate Kane / Detective Comics 857
"It is the story, not he who tells it." Except to us collectors who have to put limits somewhere. - jhanic
My problem is that the gambling took place while Rose was a manager. It shouldn't effect his Hall of Fame worthy accomplishments as a player.
I understand why baseball took punitive action to prevent him from ever being a manager again. He did break the rules and there should be consequences but I've never understood the logic of that action retroactively erasing his playing career. It seemed to me to be more the vengeful overreaction of a Commissioner which has now become a tradition for other commissioners to uphold.
Yeah, that's the only reason I go back and forth on it - because he was manager. But still, that's a very powerful position to be in, and still betting. So I go back again.
The Man In Black Fled Across The Desert...
...And The Gunslinger Followed.
“I’m always on the Batman rule, sir.” - Kate Kane / Detective Comics 857
"It is the story, not he who tells it." Except to us collectors who have to put limits somewhere. - jhanic
So how are we ever supposed to know who doped and who didn't - I have to believe that many "got away" with it, while "manny" did not :-). And they still aren't testing for HGH!!!!!
As far as Rose goes, I think he should be in the Hall as a Player and never considered as a Manager!
The game has changed over time; baseballs have changed; bats have changed; park dimensions have changed; people have changed (really the average human size 100 years ago was smaller than it is today!); technology has changed; training has changed;
There is no constant, so it becomes harder and harder to determine valid criteria for entrance into the Hall of Fame. I am not condonign any of the "behavior", just thinking out loud I guess.
There are pelnty of bad boys in the Hall right now - let's start with a few biggies like Ruth and Mantle - they were not saints for sure, but are revered in the Hall. I am not complaining - I am a big yankee fan after all - Mantle has always been my hero, though when I watched the movie 61 he came down in my respect a notch or two!
DT Spoiler - Enter at your own risk!
Spoiler:
Excellent points CR.
I agree that a player's character shouldn't keep him out of the Hall of Fame. From everything I've ever read, Ty Cobb was one of the most offensive jerks anyone could ever meet. Mantle was a raging alcoholic and he and Billy Martin got into more than their share of drunken bar fights. Still, they didn't cheat. My dad used to wonder all the time how many more home runs Mantle could have hit if he'd been sober the night before.
As far as the Hall is concerned, all that should matter is what a player does on the field, but if it can't be determined whether or not that player did it fairly, they don't belong there. It's a shame that the cloud of suspicion now falls over so many players because I'm sure some of them are on the level but it gets harder and harder to tell which ones.
The mood in Hattersley is not much fun. Sorrow.
I'm Pink, Therefore I'm Spam.
Russian Bears are happy to announce that they are, again, Ice Hockey Champions of the World!
Ask not what bears can do for you, but what you can do for bears. (razz)
When one is in agreement with bears one is always correct. (mae)
bears are back!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I was actually just reading an article on the finals.
Congrats to the Russian team.
There are some phenomenal talents on that team, though the best current Russian player (Alexander Ovechkin) is still playing in the NHL playoffs right now (for at least one more day unless Washington loses tonight).
I wish they would televise the World Hockey Championships here but they apparently have enough of a problem broadcasting the NHL. Too many people don't understand hockey and then the claim is that it doesn't translate to television so those of us that do understand it and have no problem whatsoever understanding it on tv get screwed.
doesn't translate to television! I've been watching ice hockey since I was a little cub, and our team was beating everybody in the 70s... absolutely great times (now, hopefully, coming back)... and we had a TV set with the screen the size of a big matchbox, we watched with a big lens filled with water and installed in front of the screen to make it bigger... goes without saying it was black and white... and I swear it was a great spectacle every time! Those who don't understand should realize it depends on who is winning - if it's your team, all of a sudden you realize that everything translates perfectly well and can be understood without a slightest difficulty
Ask not what bears can do for you, but what you can do for bears. (razz)
When one is in agreement with bears one is always correct. (mae)
bears are back!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Congratulations to the Russian Bears! I'm quite sad Finland didn't make it, but Russia was my second choice. I've always adored deeply the Russian legends, likes of Krutov-Larionov-Makarov. But especially Vladislav Tretjak. What a goalkeeper! *sighs*
(in fact, Sergei Fedorov was the very reason I began to support Detroit Red Wings since -92.)
"...neither the stupid jokes nor the easy surface emotions were the truth of Cuthbert Allgood."
You know - given the huge number to useless cable stations out there... I always felt there was a big hole in the International Sports category.
For one thing, during soccer's World Cup.... I would have loved to have watched some of those matches. As it was, my options for any of them was extremely limited.
A good friend of mine would love to get EuroSports coverage of Figure Skating, as well.
I think we need to start our own programming/cable network.
The Man In Black Fled Across The Desert...
...And The Gunslinger Followed.
“I’m always on the Batman rule, sir.” - Kate Kane / Detective Comics 857
"It is the story, not he who tells it." Except to us collectors who have to put limits somewhere. - jhanic
Tretiak was the greatest goaltender I'd ever seen, right up until the 1985-86 NHL season when this guy came along...Originally Posted by Lily-sai
I've seen many great goalies since, but never another one quite like Patrick Roy. His performance in the 1986/1987 Stanley Cup Playoffs is among the most spectacular accomplishments I've ever seen. Twenty-year-old goalies are not supposed to be that good. Roy was always one to put on a show between the pipes, like in the 1992/93 playoffs where he won 10 straight overtime games (11 straight games overall) to propel the Habs to another Stanley Cup victory. His two more championships in Colorado were a nice encore and he played amazing hockey in both of them, but nobody was surprised at that point. He'd been St. Patrick since he was 20 and by the time he was in his 30's, winning championships was what we all expected him to do.
Oh yes, oh yes! 'On the 8th day, God created Patrick Roy' - that's what I once saw on someone's sign among the audience at a Habs game. Goalies have always been my favourite. Roy, Hextall, Hasek, ohhhh. So many of them! Nowadays I'm pleased to see Miikka Kiprusoff is doing quite well. Finnish power!
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t1X7wIL7lWs"]YouTube - Miikka Kiprusoff AMAZING Save [Multi-Feed] {Slo-mo}[/ame]
"...neither the stupid jokes nor the easy surface emotions were the truth of Cuthbert Allgood."
Great Finnish goaltenders seem to be the trend for the NHL in recent years.
Kiprusoff, Vesa Toskala, and Niklas Backstrom all start for their teams. Antero Niittymaki, and Pekka Rinne contended strongly for starting spots on their teams.
*hoping that the Vezina Trophy will go to Bäckström*
Please, please, please.
"...neither the stupid jokes nor the easy surface emotions were the truth of Cuthbert Allgood."
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