One thing’s for sure, 2010 was not short on excitement! In Jamaica, the US and other areas of the globe, we had all kinds of events, beefs, indiscretions and political shenanigans making headlines.

Let’s check out some of the headlines:

The Gulf oil spill, Kathryn Bigelow’s historic Oscar win for Hurt Locker (L) the Haitian & Chilean earthquakes, Duke winning the NCAA title, Spain winning the World Cup, US qualifying for the knockout stage with a thrilling win over Algeria, The Dudus extradition fiasco and the resulting riots in Tivoli Gardens, Toyota recalling millions of vehicles and then losing the throne of top automobile seller to Ford, the meltdown of the Greek economy and then in December the Irish economy, bedbugs take over New York, Chilean miners trapped for months and eventually all freed alive; exhibiting bravery that many of us could only dream about, Air Jamaica is sold to and rebranded as part of Caribbean Airlines, the Manatt affair and the US midterm elections that served as a political bitch slap to President Obama’s policies….(rahtid a whole heap dat!)

Buju Banton’s drug trial, the Wikileaks fiasco, ‘The Decision’ of Lebron James, Nikki Minaj elbowing her way to the forefront of hip hop consciousness, Antoine Dodson becoming a viral sensation, all of these events made 2010 a remarkable and memorable year.

What does the future hold? Well, there are several things worth watching. Next year will mark the half-way point of Obama’s presidency. He is beset on all sides by opponents, Democrats and Republicans alike. While I think he will be able to bounce back popularity wise over the next 12 months, He will have to do a much better job of pushing domestic policy and delineating to the masses directly for it to be successful. He didn’t create the financial mess we are in now, but it’s now his mess, so he will need to do a better job of trying to fix it.

The recent student upheaval in England, opposition to the rising cost of a college education will be a major political issue next year. (Personally I found it refreshing to see the royals rattled!) It will be interesting to see if that government survives the fallout.

Also in Europe, a familiar name is flexing its muscles as the biggest economic engine in Europe. Germany is again a major part of the EU, but their government is not solidly behind the single currency. Considering the predicaments of the smaller European economies (Portugal, Ireland, and Greece) who will vie for position alongside Germany?

In Jamaica proper, what, if anything will be the continued fallout from the Manatt Levy fiasco? I have to admit, I am even more disappointed by the JLP’S performance since their election victory than Obama’s first two years. That situation if its drags through the upcoming year will be a political albatross for the party and with it an uncertain future for Jamaica.

The best that can be hoped for is that 2011 presents a lot more happy endings like the safe rescue of the miners and less sad news like the earthquakes. Someone famous once said “Its darkest before the dawn,” and while it’s pretty dark right now, there’s hope for a better tomorrow.

Or as we say in Jamaica ‘better mus come.’

Redemption, Lil Kim, Kanye and El Clasico 2010

I am a college football (and Florida State Seminoles) fan, have been for many years. That being said,  have always believed that the greatest single game ever played by a college football player in all the years i've watched the sport came in 2000 when Florida State played Virginia Tech.

Bear in mind that the FSU team of 1999-2000 had several players drafted into the NFL, including a number one overall pick Peter Warrick. That team also included Anquan Boldin, Chris Wienke, Cory Simon and Bradley Jennings; major talent on both sides of the football.

Michael Vick destroyed that team, singlehandedly bringing Virginia Tech back from 21 points down before ultimately losing. That performance was his introduction to the world, and prompted many to say he was the next level of NFL quarterback; the mash up of Tom Brady like passing ability and Barry Sanders like elusiveness on the run. The most electrifying player ever to lace up a pair of cleats.

Ten years, countless ups and downs and one jail stint later he showed on Monday Night Football a peek into what so many saw years ago when he was drafted number one after his sophomore year. And just like I was amazed at the plays he made in the 2000 Sugar Bowl, I can again say this: I have never seen a quarterback perform as well as he did against the Redskins. That was quarterback play in 4G. The evolution of the position. A game that will be talked about for years to come.

I am a Michael Vick fan, have been since that Sugar Bowl game. I was disappointed with his actions in the dog fighting mess and felt he deserved the punishment he got. He was the embodiment of the entitlement attitude run amok. That being said, its also over. He did his time and has moved on. The dog lovers need to do the same. And in the year when Josh Hamilton won baseball's AL MVP after years of battling drug addiction, I say well done to Mr. Vick and I hope that, like Hamilton, he has truly turned his life around.

Back in 2000, Lil Kim was still relevant. A good rapper in a field of several (Eve, Foxy Brown, MC Lyte, Lady of Rage, Heather B, Queen Latifah to name a few) she played up her image and talk of frank sexuality into millions of dollars and countless headlines. Fast forward to 2010 and the field has thinned. Jean Grae may be (in my opinion at least) the best female rapper out, but the only one selling and making headlines is Nikki Minaj.

Nikki Minaj has built a career on-guess what? an image and talk of frank sexuality. And this has led to bickering between the old school (Kim) and new school (Nikki.)

My word of advice to Lil Kim is this; if you think you have reason to have beef with Nikki Minaj, put out some good music. Otherwise, shut the hell up, you're starting to look like what you are: a has-been who is resentful of the new kid on the scene.

And oh yeah, Madonna should be asking why BOTH of those dummies aren't giving her props!

Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy (R) is another classic from K. West.

Barcelona played Real Madrid in the 2010 version of El Clasico and convincingly showed who the best team in Spain is with a resounding 5-0 thumping that was worse than the actual score. While Inter Milan struggles in Italy and Chelsea is floundering somewhat in England, Barcelona is steaming along, destroying all opposition.

They look like the class of Europe so far, but there's still a long way to go.

The Dirty Dozen (The 12 best rappers not from NY)

This one is a follow up to a post I did elsewhere on the best rappers ever from NY. You’d think since most people think rappers from outside NY-particularly ones from down south-aren’t lyrical, this would be an easy list, but…not so fast.

Lyricism is the key thing here though; you have some rappers who have catchy hooks/dances/verses, but can’t carry an album if you handed it to them. But lyricism is not the only criteria; rappers who have broken new ground also deserve consideration.

My list will have some people that may surprise, but I think true hip-hop heads know who’s who…let the debate begin:

The dirty dozen (in no particular order)

1. Eminem. That one’s easy! There aren’t too many rappers as good as he is. As a hip-hop head going back to the days of The Sugar Hill Gang, I do not think he’s the best ever (as a lot of Johnny come latelys’ will say,) but he is certainly in the conversation with all of the greats on the microphone.
2. Ludacris. Very, very underrated lyricist.
3. Too Short. A legend, some people like him, some don't, he one of the raunchuest to ever pick up a microphone, but his influence cannot be denied.
4. Scarface Another legend. With the Geto Boys and as a solo artist, Scarface was in a class of his own.
5. Andre 3000. Another underrated lyricist. Even Eminem said that Andre is one of the best rappers he’s ever heard. I happen to agree. Funky outfits aside, he is dope.
6. UGK; Underground Kings (I take them together. One of the best groups in the history of hip-hop.)
7. Lil Wayne. Like him or not, he is prolific. No one since Tupac has consistently created so much material.
8. Drake. He is Kanye West without the attitude.
9. Juvenile. Yeah Master P was the first big rapper from New Orleans, but Juvenile really showed us what that Southern slang was all about.
10. Kanye West. Prolific hit maker that made intelligent lyrics and the preppie look cool again
11. Young Jeezy. One of my personal favorites.
12. Snoop Dogg. Another legend. His first album was a classic, and he’s showed staying power to remain relevant as long as he has.

 Honorable Mentions-because I’ve always liked their music: Xzibit, Rass Kass, Eightball & MJG and TI.

BCS talk, Rooney plans his exit strategy and VCB for IAAF athlete of the year

 College football is upside down right now. Alabama, the number one team last year lost to South Carolina, who then lost to Kentucky. Ohio State was number one for a whole week before their bubble burst, and Texas, who already lost to Oklahoma and UCLA, beat number five Nebraska. What in the name of the BCS is going on? I think we need a Congressional investigation into this mess.

Meanwhile, speaking of the BS, er, BCS rankings, unbeaten Boise State (L) is ranked #3. I don’t know what factors went into the equation, but clearly its not any logical process or based on results on the field (like a playoff maybe?)

This is what I think is going to happen; Oklahoma is going to lose at least one game, because, well, quite frankly they are not the best team in the country. I say they will get beat by either Missouri or Oklahoma State. The present #2 Oregon has UCLA, USC and Washington in succession, and I do not see them emerging unscathed. Virginia Tech is going to win out their remaining games and also beat 25th ranked Miami. That puts Boise State, who will run the table, square in line for the #1 spot.

What will the BCS geniuses decide then?

Cliff Lee (R) is showing once again, as Curt Schilling, Jack Morris and Mike Scott did before him, that a dominating pitcher can turn a short series on its head. He’s going to look real good in pinstripes next year…

Wayne Rooney wants out of Old Trafford. I discussed this issue previously here, and I’ll reiterate in brief: Sir Alex Ferguson is old-school and has been for over two decades the biggest star in Manchester. His way of operating (trading your big name, egotistical star and reload with youth) has worked in the past, but it cannot continue, because circumstances have changed. They are not the biggest draw in the world any longer, they are not the biggest in England and they are not even the biggest in Manchester. Until Sir Alex changes his approach (unlikely) Manchester United will be on the slippery slope to mediocrity.

With Rooney (R) the latest superstar to be in SAF'S doghouse, the turmoil will cement the fact that it will be a two horse race for the PL title between Chelsea and Manchester City.

Veronica Campbell-Brown (below,) one of my favorite sprinters, is on the short list for the IAAF athlete of the year. She gets my vote, and hopefully she will get yours. You can vote here.

As a former student at Pace University, I was extremely saddened by the death of Danroy "D.J." Henry. Condolences to his family.

One of my favorite artistes is Spragga Benz. Shotta Culture is a good look. Great song, great video. Big tings a gwan inna 2010, Spragga!

The NFL, LiLo and why King Felix is not Cy Young worthy

The NFL season is proving once again to be a strange one. Kansas City Chiefs undefeated through September? Chicago Bears? Who the hell is Arian Foster? Even Darren McFadden (R) has started earning his paycheck!

All we need now is for a contender to sign JaMarcus Russell, have their starter get hurt and him take them to the playoffs for this to be the official beginning of Bizzaro Season 2010.

I’m beginning to think that Lindsey Lohan has to drive naked down the Pacific Coast Highway with a few kilos of Colombian white in her trunk, at least two (2) bodies on the backseat of her convertible while waving the murder weapon in the air to get arrested and really spend time in jail?

I’m just saying…..most other people would have been halfway through their sentences already, and she’s still tweeting!

Even Iron Man (L) went to jail, but she doesn’t?

I am very happy to see Michael Vick playing exceptionally well with The Philadelphia Eagles this season. He was involved in some heinous stuff, got caught, did his time and is making the best of his second chance at a career. I hope he stays out of trouble and I hope he continues to play well.

Manchester City showed last week that it has the fortitude to go toe to toe with the big boys and beat them too, but can they do it week in and week out? I think they can and i’ll say it again; the two best teams in England are Chelsea and Manchester City.

Manchester United is slipping, Arsenal needs help, Tottenham doesn’t have enough of everything and Liverpool is what they’ve been for the past few years-also rans.

In Italy, this may be the year, after 5 straight years as Serie A champions that Inter Milan is dethroned as kings of Italy. AC Milan added Robiniho to an already loaded squad, while Roma, who chased Inter all last season, is playing very well early on. I still believe that Inter Milan is the best team in Italy and should make it six in a row.

This is supposedly the year of the pitcher, no-hitters being thrown on average once a month, blah, blah blah….but some morons in the media want us to think that Felix Hernandez (R) a barely .500 pitcher deserves the Cy Young award? Seriously?

I don’t care what his ERA is or his run support isn't, in the year of the pitcher, he has won 13 games and lost 12. For a team that has not played a significant game since 1995. He should not even be in the conversation. Period.

CC Sabathia and David Price are the two best pitchers on the two best teams in the American League. They have pitched in pressure packed games all season long and their teams are deadlocked at the top of the standings.

The Cy Young award should be decided between them, not a marginal pitcher on a very bad team.

If this joke of so-called rhetoric isn’t evidence of the Yankee bias in a large part of the (cough-Bristol, CT cough-ESPN-cough) media, I don’t know what is.

Watching the season starting to change

Boise State is a great story, their quarterback is very good, but after watching Alabama, Ohio State, Texas and Oklahoma play, I can say in no uncertain terms-Boise State is not a top-5 team.

The NFL Red Zone network is television crack. It is sports television on steroids. It is, and I’m tearing up here, the best thing to happen to television. Where have you been my whole life?

Whose idea was it to put the VMA’S opposite the season finale of True Blood AND Entourage? Probably the same person that dressed Kanye West. It’s sad when everybody agrees that Lady Gaga dresses better than you.

I’m not that worried about the Yankees recent play. This team was built for the playoffs, and when Andy Pettitte returns to the rotation and they cut Phil Hughes loose from his innings restrictions, they will be primed for a playoff run.

If the Eagles are trying to win this season, they would have had an open competition for quarterback to begin the season. They didn’t; Kevin Kolb was named the starter immediately, signifying the beginning of the rebuilding phase. That means that no matter how Michael Vick, he of the 3 Pro-Bowls, will be not get the starting job full-time this season, no matter how well he plays.

The NY Jets are in trouble for allegedly sexually harassing a female reporter who was at practice to interview Mark Sanchez. I have a tremendous amount of mixed feelings on this issue. I think that this reporter, Ines Sainz (R,) has the right to do her job. She has the right, like any other woman, to dress however she wants whenever she wants. But, but, I also think personal responsibility absolutely comes into play and should.

Because you have the right to dress however you want, going to a NFL team practice dressing like you’re going to a nightclub is probably not a good idea, and considering most other female and male reporters get that concept is telling. There has been very little in the way of a surprise reaction from reporters and athletes alike when told of this story and who the reporter was. Ms. Sainz is a known entity and has been for quite some time; she doesn't seek a story, she seeks the limelight. Her network is the same that sent another reporter to a Superbowl press conference to propose to Tom Brady.

There is one truism in life: If you always try to bring attention to yourself, you will always get it, and it might not be the attention you want.

That being said, I am truly concerned about the ‘new culture’ of the NY Jets. Rex Ryan has a great football mind, and a very good coach. There is no filter between his brain and his mouth, and that trickles down to his team. Add to that mix, some players of questionable character and you have a volatile mix and more than halfway down the road to a wreck. Whether the situation with the reporter is correct as indicated or not, a warning flag needs to be raised to this team, its management and its owners.

Kevin Durant is poised to have a monster year. Move aside, Kobe and Lebron this kid deserved to be mentioned in the same breath as those two. He is an unbelievable talent and Oklahoma City will be in the upper echelon of NBA teams this season with him leading the way.

An English Premier League preview

The EPL has started, signaling the start of another year of incredible goals, plays and games across the continent. The best teams and players in the world will vie for what is arguably the most important club title in all of sports. In England, the country boasting the best domestic league, they are ushering in new talent, reloaded teams and renewed rivalries.

I‘ll start by separating the contenders from the pretenders to see who will be left standing come next summer.

Having watched several of the teams through the first two weeks, I think there is a clear three tier divide in the top flight in England. The handful of teams that can realistically contend are in one group, while there is another group of very good teams that with a few injury breaks can either threaten at the top of the standings or fall precariously into the chasm of the third group, which is to wit, the ones with no chance of winning.

The ‘real’ contenders (in no particular order) are as follows:

Chelsea, Manchester United, Manchester City & Liverpool.

The pretenders:

Everton, Newcastle, Tottenham Hotspur, Arsenal, Aston Villa, Bolton & Fulham.

No shot at the top 4:

Everyone else.

In looking at the contenders, I am hard pressed to find any team that can beat Chelsea this season. Consider this: Chelsea won the EPL last year without Michael Essien (R), who in my estimation is one of the top 10 midfielders in the world. Essien, who also missed the World Cup for Ghana because of injuries, is the motor of the Chelsea attack. His passes that picked apart Wigan last week will be crucial for Chelsea as they seek to repeat and win their first Champions League title this season.

The team has already proved that they can win without him, but with Essien orchestrating the attack and the plethora of goal scoring options (Anelka, Drogba, Kalou, Malouda, Lampard…) at his disposal I think they are easily the deepest team in Europe.

If there is any weakness in this squad, it’s John Terry in the middle of the defense. I think he has missed a step or two, and the last season and the World Cup exposed that in the most unflattering of terms. They do have enough depth and youth however that if Terry falters repeatedly or cannot handle the crunch of multiple games each week when the different tournaments heat up that they should be able to weather that. They also have Didier Drogba, who is one of the best forwards in the game, at the peak of his abilities and showing no signs of slowing down.

A disappointing World Cup aside, the strength, pace and smarts of Drogba has proven to be a perfect fit for this team. Pairing him with Anelka, a duo that a lot of skeptics said couldn’t work has created an unstoppable two headed monster for most teams not coached by Jose Mourinho. The failures in Europe have chafed at this team recently and no more so than last year as their former mentor/coach lifted the trophy with a solid but unspectacular Inter Milan team. He has now moved on to Madrid, a team that on paper should be one of the favorites to win that tournament, but Chelsea has already made it clear that their goal this season is the double; EPL and CL trophies.

I think they have the talent to do it in spectacular fashion. I certainly cannot see anyone beating Chelsea in their quest to repeat as Premier League champions this season.

In the Sir Alex Ferguson era at Manchester United the team was resurrected from a middle of the pack rag tag group to an international juggernaut. The team that had ushered in a teenage George Best on the world stage had fallen onto hard times in the early 80’s. That changed under Sir Alex. The names are now legendary; Eric Cantona, Gary Neville, Ryan Giggs, Beckham, Rooney, Ronaldo, Scholes & Ferdinand all have called Old Trafford home and all flourished and became stars under the guidance of Sir Alex. That is a testament to not only him, but the framework he put in place. The scouting, youth teams and also Man U’s willingness to spend money to obtain talent are hallmarks of his stewardship. But talent alone will not ensure success, and that’s where Sir Alex has been superior to any other coach in the game until recently. Talent keeps you competitive, coaching wins titles. So what has changed?

Well, the earnings of players are going up at an unprecedented pace. Great players have always made a lot of money, but now good to average players are breaking the bank, and the trickledown effect is creating a huge chasm in European football between the mega rich clubs and everyone else. In this era of “mo money mo problems,” a disciplinarian such as SAF is a relic. You could see this shift with the rise of Beckham’s popularity and the tension with the coach. It happened again with Cristiano Ronaldo. Guardiola at Barcelona and Mourinho at Chelsea/Milan and now Madrid understand this new dynamic, and their ability to harness the egos of multiple stars on a team has been key to their respective successes.

For over 20 years, the biggest star at Old Trafford has been Sir Alex, and unless that old dog learns a few new tricks, they will be quickly entering another period of dark, trophy less days. That being said, the young players that United have in their squad are very good and will keep them in the chase all season long.

There are a lot of players in the English Premier League who have something to prove after the World Cup. Wayne Rooney is at the top of that list. He was invisible in South Africa, and this past season was the first since his initial season at Man U that the team did not win a single title. Can he rebound? My answer would be yes, and Man U has helped him by reloading to go after Chelsea. Javier Hernandez, Valencia, Nani and Macheda are all expected to play major roles this season. Can they ascend to the throne of best team in England again this season? I do not see it happening, and they may be hard pressed to claim the mantle of best team in Manchester.

Man U will be top 4 again this season, but they don’t have enough top flight players to maintain a sustained challenge for the EPL and CL trophies.

Liverpool is a strange team. They have one of the best English players of the last decade in Steve Gerrard, one of the top 5 strikers in the world in Fernando Torres, and a solid defense anchored by Javier Mascherano. They won the Champions league title in the last decade in the same season where they floundered in the domestic league. In the offseason they made no major additions. Their defense with the aggressive Skrtel and Mascherano is solid, but they are not a team that can go toe to toe each week with the other big teams vying for the EPL title. The gap between them and the other contenders have widened. They will be no better than fourth this season.

Which leaves Manchester City. This team is deep, talented and explosive. Consider this; two years ago Emmanuel Adebayor was one of the best strikers in the EPL, challenging for the Golden Boot and now while healthy he cannot crack the starting lineup. David Silva, Mario Balotelli, Shaun Wright-Phillips, James Milner and Carlos Tevez (L) give Roberto Mancini a mouth watering array of options to work with. Besides Chelsea and the twin powers in Spain, this is the deepest team in Europe. Shay Givens is on the bench and it’s hardly worth an argument, because Joe Hart has proven that he is a very good keeper and deserves to not only start for City but a shot to be the England #1.

The only chink in this powder blue armor? Manchester City has a porous defense. Company, DeJong and Micah Richards need to get on the same page quickly, but if they do this team will be steamrolling the league and challenging Chelsea for the title. The addition of Yaya Toure to anchor the midfield was a great signing, but I think the key for them will be if they manage to consistently get productivity from Silva and Alex Johnson. Silva is going to be a very good player for City once they set on a position for him….Mancini, are you listening? If they can work these issues out, this team will score in bunches and clinch a top four finish this season. As stated before coaching wins titles, and Roberto Mancini will have his hands full keeping this team focused, especially the enigmatic Balotelli. This team was built to challenge for titles however and they will begin to do exactly that this year.

Dark horses in the EPL:

Fulham is an interesting team that will occasionally beat one of the big boys then alternately struggle to a draw with a bottom third squad. Clint Dempsey is a very good player, Damien Duff has an incredible motor-a poor man’s Dirk Kuyt- and they proved last year they could spring a surprise or two. They could stay in the race for a long stretch, but they don’t have the depth or stars to tangle with the big boys over the course of several months. They will be a fun team to watch however.

Arsene Wegner of Arsenal is one of my favorite coaches. He has kept Arsenal competitive despite repeatedly losing quality players. The defection of Thierry Henry to Barcelona however created a void that was never filled. Chelsea has the duo of Anelka and Drogba. Man U has Rooney. Liverpool has Torres. Man City has Tevez. Arsenal has _____?

I do believe that Marouane Chamakh (R) can eventually fill that blank. It will take him a little while to get used to the pace and physical play of English football, but I see him as a future star. Keeping Fabregas, Van Persie and adding Chamakh and Laurent Koscielny has created a very good and exciting group of young players.

The key word is young; this group will be too inexperienced to challenge Man U, Man City or Chelsea for the title this year.

I am also curious what the fallout from Fabregas’ flirtation with Barcelona will be on the field. His desire to move was obvious, and an unhappy captain does not make for good team chemistry. That will bear close watching.

In the end, Arsenal is what they were last year; a good young team with no big time goal scorer and a suspect goalkeeper. Good enough to keep them competitive but not good enough to win the EPL or challenge in Europe.

This is going to be an exciting season in English football. The continued rise of some new school teams is a beauty to behold, the return of Newcastle to the top flight is a good thing, and hopefully the group of contenders will continue to expand to include some of the other clubs with great histories but barren trophy cases. I cant wait to see what lies ahead.

Baseball's shame-The Rocket, McGwire & Bonds

It was announced today that Roger Clemens (R) is going to be indicted on federal perjury charges relative to his testimony before Congress about steroid use in baseball. It's not surprising to me and shouldnt be to anyone else who has followed this story.

I am against steroid use, but i'm also against ambigious rules. Baseball had no policy in place to govern steroid use. It was a problem of epidemic proportions and several people said so years before the Congressional hearings.

The hitters, pitchers, fielders were all juicing, so my only question is: where was the competitive advantage? The longer that MLB lets this linger and the government selectively persecutes ball players, the uglier it gets for them. 

My opinion on this hasn't changed too much, so i'll re-post an article I did in 2006 on the subject.

Previously published at Helium.com, December 2006:

The AP reported recently that Mark McGwire is named on the ballot for the Baseball Writers Hall of Fame. This is the opening of a proverbial Pandora’s box of issues about sports, race and the media. Does McGwire, dubbed by the media as ‘Big Mac,’ deserve to be inducted into the HOF? Based on numbers alone, absolutely.

McGwire finished his career with 583 home runs, seventh in baseball history. Numbers, though, doesn’t begin to tell the entire story of this most devilish of dilemmas and why a debate with some ugly racial undertones is about to reach boiling point.

What makes this decision interesting is the dual specters of race and steroids. In a nutshell, as McGwire goes, so does, or should, one Barry Lamar Bonds. I will note a caveat here: I am and have always been a fan of Barry Bonds. He is surly, petulant, unfriendly and without a doubt the best baseball player my generation has seen. It is debatable if he is the best of all time, but in my opinion, a ranking or list of the players who could be the GOAT starts with him.

What about Babe Ruth you ask? Well, i’ll answer in one word-segregation. If Blacks were allowed to play when Ruth played, everyone would be looking up in the record books to Josh Gibson’s home run total, Ruth included. Do the research if you don’t believe. And Bonds has erased Babe Ruth’s name from the record books over the past few years, passing him in every statistical category-further adding to the ire of so-called ‘baseball purists.’


But back to McGwire. He is the ultimate one-dimensional player-a limited fielder who struck out a lot but with a big home run bat. That bat hit over 500 home runs, a phenomenal amount. Anyone who thinks his achievements are tainted is right, but when healthy, throughout his career going back to his rookie season, he put up consistently good power numbers. His first year with Oakland, he broke the AL rookie record of 31 home runs that had stood for over a decade by hitting 49. Was he on steroids then? Doubtful, but no one knows. He carried a lot less weight and bulk then in 1987 than he did when he hit 70 in 1998. But for that matter, so did I, and most likely, the same goes for a lot of people, athletes and regular joes alike.


Mark McGwire, unlike Bonds, is very likeable, and while he is considered ‘a private person’ (media speak for someone who politely declines interviews,) he is viewed favorably by the media. The same media has never, not for one second, liked Barry Bonds. And it’s a mutual hatred. Yes, they are the ones that vote for MVP, and yes, Bonds has won the award more times than anyone in the history of baseball, but that’s more of a testament to his incredible talent that yearly separated him from his contemporaries than an urge on the part of voters to reward him. The years where it was a close choice, the media voted for others (Terry freakin’ Pendleton? c’mon.)


And now Mark McGwire is on the Hall of Fame ballot. His numbers says he is a lock. But if McGwire is elected, how do you not elect Bonds when his turn comes up? Or Sammy Sosa? How about the other ‘Great White Knight’ that amazingly no one is talking about, Roger Clemens? His name was brought up as a frequent steroid user by an indicted ballplayer/supplier this year-what about him? Where do you draw the line?


The reason there is no public uproar is that this is not about them. It’s not even about steroids, since nothing has been proven, can be proven and at the end of the day, it wasn’t against the rules of baseball to use steroids.

Even if they all used steroids, the use of steroids was not banned by Major League Baseball until 2005. Yes it was banned throughout most of the country, but the organization that employed him, Major League Baseball, banned other substances but not steroids. They had no rule in place for it and that analomy makes it, or should make it, a non-issue. What Bonds did, if anything, was make a leap from being the greatest player of his generation to the greatest player of all time. McGwire on the other hand, went from a good slugger with decent but not mind boggling numbers to a hall-of-famer.


The other fact that needs to be considered is that steroids never helped anyone hit a baseball. Did it make these players stronger? Yes. Recover from injuries faster? Yes. Improve hand/eye coordination? Unlikely. Most of the players who were busted under the drug testing program had middling careers, proof enough that taking performance enhancing drugs in and of itself s not going to make anyone turn into Superman overnight.

As someone who used to participate in sports and specifically the sport most tainted by steroid use over the last twenty years, track & field, I am against steroid use and all in favor of banning it. It’s cheating, plain and simple. You cheat, you’re out. Forever. But I also believe in a clear set of rules. Major League Baseball had no rules about steroids, even after a former MVP turned crackhead, Ken Camminetti, stated ten years ago that ‘most’ baseball players were on steroids. Nothing was done when an even more famous player, Jose Canseco, blew the lid off the problem, detailing how it was done, why, and who did it. Nothing was done until the federal government stepped in and threatened to put rules in place for them. Even then it was a halfhearted attempt that was more mockery than punishment in comparison to other sports rules and punishment for steroid use. This would lead me to believe that MLB knew full well what was going on and chose to ignore it. Considering how the sport was losing fans to other sports, especially after the strike/lockout in the early nineties, its not a stretch.


Remember this; the entire BALCO/MLB investigation was started by an IRS agent Jeff Novitzky, who was a baseball fan and disliked Bonds and his pursuit of the homerun record. According to the very first interview/story about BALCO that was published three years ago (in Playboy magazine,) Novitsky “thought Bonds was an asshole and a steroid user and wanted to bust him.”

People like Novitsky are very basic and very transparent. They don’t like black people, especially don’t like black men, and absolutely do not like arrogant black men making millions of dollars. Give them a bully pulpit and sit back and listen to the vitriol.

So here we are, the greatest baseball player of the last 50 years and most likely ever, about to break the single most respected of American sports records. The reporters cannot stop his quest, although they have tried; railing daily about Bonds alleged grand jury testimony and standing on soapbox about how the Commissioner of baseball ‘must stop him.’ But these same writers, the ones are the ones dismissed and shunned by Bonds for his entire career, they are the ones that hold the key to the kingdom; they decide who goes into the HOF. This is their chance to exact some measure of revenge on Bonds for what would have been openly called ‘uppity’ behavior not so long ago.

As a fan, I would like to see McGwire in the HOF. He deserves it based on what he has accomplished. But make no mistake, Bonds is even more deserving when he retires and his moment of truth comes. I may be in the minority here, but when he does break the career home run record, which will most likely be sometime next year, I will stand and applaud. He may have taken steroids, but his greatness was evident a long time ago, years before BALCO, and he deserves the accolades he receives.

Keeping McGwire, Bonds, and their contemporaries out of the Hall of Fame is not so much celebrating cheaters as much as acknowledging what they accomplished. They deserve to be elected to the HOF and MLB should learn from this.

It's all a very bad dream...

Circle December 2nd on your calendar, folks. That will be the first time Lebron James steps on the court in Cleveland as a professional wearing a jersey other than the Cavaliers. The over/under on people greeting him with cheers is 10, and that number includes his family members.

Wyclef Jean is running for President of Haiti. I’m not quite sure how I feel about this. Initially I thought it was amusing, then I was skeptical, and then suspicious. Pras, the third Fugee (which is kinda like being the fifth Beatle) has already come out in opposition of Jean and in support of his rival. In the words of Pras as quoted from Foreign Policy magazine “I love Wyclef to death, but he is not suited to be President of a new Haiti.” I could tell you twenty reasons why Wyclef running, whether he wins or not, is a terrible idea. The first reason is quite simply that Haiti needs more than he can bring-it needs steady, qualified, committed leadership. I won’t go into all the reasons however, but follow this link to an excellent OpEd about this issue.

I get two things from Pras’ statement though; one is that if the people that know you best won’t support you, why should anyone else? Second, I guess that Fugees reunion is off, huh?

So UAE and Saudi Arabia wants to ban-or in the alternative, be allowed to monitor-Blackberry messages/texts etc. Research in Motion is fundamentally opposed to the idea and Secy of State Hillary Clinton has said that while there are “legitimate security concerns,” there's also “a legitimate right of free use and access,” Hmm. Is that like the free use and access the US government allows us? I seem to recall something from a few years ago called the Patriot Act that allowed them to listen in and check the same info that the Saudis and Emirates are asking for. So I guess what’s good for the goose is not good for the gander?

I was dreaming the other day that I heard a radio report that Isaiah Thomas (L) was rejoining the Knicks as a ‘consultant.’

Boy, i’m glad that was only a bad dream…

The NFL season starts in one month. College football starts in three weeks. I’m ready!

Down goes Bolt

Sooo....instead of down goes Tyson, down goes Bolt.  The Diamond League meet today in Stockholm was the venue, initially billed as a clash of the three fastest sprinters ever turned into the 10 second massacre as Tyson Gay convincingly beat Usain Bolt in the 100 meter finals.

The worst thing a top flight athlete can ever do is think they can just show up and win; meaning turn on and off their intensity/focus to beat the competition. Before today, Gay may have said he could beat Bolt, but he hadn't, and had lost badly every time. Bolt came in unprepared to run his best and got beat. Its the equivalent of an out of shape, ill prepared Mike Tyson-the baddest man on the planet and the unbeaten heavyweight champion of the world, showing up to fight a no-name Buster Douglas in Tokyo so many years ago and being stunningly and convincingly beaten.

Now that the *aura* of invincibility around Bolt is gone, lets see how they both do going forward. Will Bolt go the route of Mike Tyson or the route of Mike Jordan-the other Mike that decided the challenges of basketball weren't enough, decided to try playing baseball and was an embarrassing failure?

Jordan came back to his senses and basketball to win the second of his three in a row championships and securing his place in the pantheon of greatest ever athletes. Tyson....not so much.

Goodbye (again) to Brett? Ozzie being Ozzie & Independence Day

Brett Favre is one of all time favorite NFL players. He’s clearly a diva, he can be reckless in his style and his waffling has (once again) proven harmful to his team as they get ready for a new season. But to watch him play is to understand why the NFL is the biggest sport in this country. His style of play, his enthusiasm and the fact that he gives his team a chance to win every single time out is unlike anyone else.

There are some players who when they perform in their sport, the energy, joy and abandon with which they play transcends the game and cannot be scripted. Ken Griffey Jr., before injuries derailed his career trajectory as the greatest of all time, Magic Johnson, Leonel Messi (below,) Kevin Garnett, Usain Bolt, Derek Jeter (R.) Players who you would never question their drive, their desire or their 100% commitment. As the old timers say, the ones who play the right way. Brett Favre goes in that category.

NFL football is possibly the most violent organized sporting contest on the planet. Some may say rugby, but I guarantee that if the average rugby player put on pads and steps on the field in an NFL game he would be destroyed-the speed and size of the NFL players, the abusively violent physical contact in every game is not matched by any other sport. Nineteen years after he first started playing professionally, Brett Favre says again that he is retiring. And in nineteen years he has never missed a game. That to me is the most remarkable record in all of sports.

He plays a position where he is hit all game, by 200 pound + guys coming at full speed. Lesser guys have had shoulders, knees, arms, legs give out over time. Lesser people have had one play end it all for them. Favre played in every game. And won a lot of them. If I were to explain to someone who has never watched the game what makes it so interesting, I’d invite them to watch Favre play. If this is indeed the end of the road, he will be missed.

I like Ozzie Guillen. I liked him as a player and I like him as a manager. He often says some things that on the surface may appear to be inflammatory, but usually have some nugget of truth in them. His most recent comments regarding Latin players, Asian players and PED education seems a little off base. The situation he described with Latin players in baseball is exaggerated, because the numbers of Latin American players in the game now shows that overwhelming support is being provided to these players, often at the expense of many others, including American players. Asian players come to the US usually as polished professionals, not 16 year old kids learning the game. There are no more than a dozen total Asian born players in MLB. There are probably a dozen Latin players on every baseball team. Not to mention coaches, managers and trainers. I think an interpreter may be needed for the ones speaking English. Sorry, but Ozzie is very wrong on this topic.

Other players in baseball-mostly black players have complained about the treatment of minorities in the game, and personally it is disgusting to me that baseball teams are building academies in the Dominican Republic, Venezuela and other countries and not doing the same here in the US. The stated reasons for that and the obvious reasons should provide outrage, but it doesn’t.

It should come as no surprise that the percentage of black athletes playing baseball is now under 10%. I wonder how Jackie Robinson would feel about that?

I’m posting this video because its been generating a lot of buzz recently. I may be in a decided minority here, but I actually have very little issue with what transpired. A little back story to this whole affair:

The man on the ground in this video was apprehended by the police. He apparently-in front of witnesses-stabbed his wife to death and then attacked and stabbed others who came to her aid. He was also laying on the ground throwing stones at the ’arresting’ officer, as seen on the video. And according to news reports, he had recently been released from prison after serving time for other violent crimes. In other words he is not a law abiding member of any society by any definition you choose to use. He is, was, and to the end remained a criminal.

While I do not think that the police should be judge, jury and executioner, if we are going to be distraught at the loss of life and barbarism of this situation, let it be centered on his dead wife. He acted like an animal and was put down like one.

The police officer was arrogant in his approach, considering the incident was being watched by a crowd and as we now know being videotaped. He should be punished for what he did, which was murder an unarmed man in cold blood and he and the other officers abused their power. But the lowlife in question stabbed a woman to death, and stabbed those who came to her defense. I cannot feel a second of sympathy for him, as far as I’m concerned, he got his just due.

Two criminals met up that fateful day last week. One didn’t make it and the other will most likely get his just desserts soon, but the only victim here is Loveta Wilson. Save the sympathy for her.

And oh, yeah, this video is one of the funniest things i've seen recently. Some people do some really dumb ish dont they?

 

This week its all about Jamaica...Happy 48th birthday!  The first 47 years of independence may have been rocky, but our people, our spirit and our identity remains stronger than ever......in the words of Sizzla, solid as a rock.

College athletes should (not) get paid?

For years I have been on the side of those who believe college athletes need to be paid. I have gone as far as comparing college sports to indentured servitude; the schools, coaches, administrations etc are all getting paid but the ones doing the work for which others benefit are allowed nothing.

Several recent issues have brought this to the forefront of national sports; Reggie Bush and OJ Mayo being fingered as receiving extra benefits and consorting with shady characters led to USC being dropkicked by the NCAA. Probation. Loss of scholarships. Returning of money received and talks of Bush losing his Heisman trophy.

Maurkice Pouncey formerly of Florida allegedly accepted $100,000 from an agent/agents representative prior to a bowl game.

The other notable incident is still unfolding. Several college players from UNC, South Carolina and Alabama allegedly attended a party held by a sports agent in Miami. This on its face is clearly a violation of the NCAA rules, but since one player has already said he “has never even been to Miami” the story is far from over. Besides, how many of us can say we never went to a party with no idea who’s party it was or why it was being held? I went to my fair share, and that has to be factored in to the analysis.

College sports are a morass of fractious agendas, old boy cronyism, exploitation and nepotism wrapped around multi-billion dollar enterprises loosely collected in one pot called the NCAA. Football and basketball rule this kingdom in that order, and the money and exposure pouring in from TV networks has made many schools near deities across the land (Notre Dame, Texas, U of Miami and USC.) The only ones not allowed to benefit from this machine called amateur collegiate sport are the ones doing the heavy lifting, the cogs of this machine, the student-athlete.

Follow this logic: Reggie Bush decides to join the biggest LA story of the past decade, the USC Trojans football team coming out of high school. He won one trophy as the best player in the country and probably, arguably, should have won two. He made the Trojan brand bigger and more relevant than any other player in recent memory. He became a first round NFL draft pick.

While in school Bush drove a nice car. An investigation said no problem. His family lived in a really nice house. No problem. So after he is off making millions in salary and advertising revenue (deservedly) the NCAA starts to ask questions again. Rumors start about payoffs to family members, houses obtained for others and payments to Bush. His former coach senses the gig is up and decides before the hammer comes down to go coach in the NFL. So Bush is long gone from college sports, the coach has moved on and the new coach-no paragon of virtue himself, but that’s another story-and the new players suffer the consequences of Bush’s alleged misdeeds.

The University of Southern California made millions from Bush’s exploits on the field in his time there. They sold jerseys, sold out games, earned TV revenue, attracted student-athletes and students they normally may not have gotten because of their new buzz. The coach got paid bonuses and renewed contracts based on wins, losses and glitz. Millions of dollars in the pockets of everyone involved, but when the NCAA comes asking questions they treat Bush, his name and achievements like a common thief. Would they have done the same to an alumni convicted of high crimes? Very, very doubtful.

Are you kidding me? A scholarship versus millions of dollars is not an even exchange. Not even with my fuzzy math. Add into that mix, the numerous sordid tales of athletes ill prepared for college or life after college. Dexter Manley. Lloyd Daniels (R.) Countless others who are students in name only, there solely to make the money for the school, temporary fodder for the machine called major college sports.

Here is what I propose. Pay student-athletes a stipend akin to their sport, rating on their team (a standard determined by outsiders; NFL/NBA scouts maybe?) and revenue generated for the school. Any athlete who violates the rules of the NCAA loses a scholarship and has to repay the stipend. Any coach who is in charge of a school that has demonstrated a lack of institutional control cannot coach on the collegiate level for ten years. Any agent who compromises a student-athlete loses his license for five years. Any agent who employs, directs or otherwise associates with runners and street agents loses his license for five years.

Its about time that the real villains, the ones who profit from the machine, pay the price.