Back with lots of thoughts

By Jeff

Once again, I've become lazy with the blog. I've been freelancing, looking for jobs, looking for apartments and going on vacation, so I've been busy. But none of those are good excuses considering how many stories have been going on that demand my attention and commentary.

So here is another thoughts post.

• As someone who dislikes Ohio State, it's fun to watch their football program squirm under all the problems being brought to light. Terrelle Pryor and Jim Tressel are out and there seem to be new allegations every day. This may be the cynic in me, but I'm starting to think that every big program, coach and athlete in NCAA football is in somehow violating rules. It's just a matter of catching them. SI has a great article on Tressel here.

• USC was stripped of its 2004 National Championship by the BCS because the NCAA determined Reggie Bush was ineligible that year because he received extra benefits. We all knew it was coming. What's interesting to talk about is that it's not as if Bush or any other Trojans player did something to enhance their football skills. Bush took money from a sports marketer. So while the team was stripped of it's title, we all know that the 2004 Trojans were the best team in college football that year. 

• The Pittsburgh Pirates are playing good baseball. They recently took two of three games from the Philadelphia Phillies, are one game below .500 and are +1 in run differential. The run differential stat I think is the most important one to take away from that last sentence when you consider how bad this Pirates teams was beat on a consistent basis last season.

• Let's play a game popularized by ESPN's Matthew Berry. Here are the stat lines for two NL pitchers.
  Pitcher A: 2.56 ERA, 1.07 WHIP, eight wins and four complete games
  Pitcher B: 2.52 ERA, 1.35 WHIP, six wins and two complete games
  Pitcher A is two-time Cy Young winner Roy Halladay. Pitcher B is... Charlie Morton?

• They also have identical throwing motions.

• Even though the majority of the crowds were Phillies fans, it was nice to see PNC Park packed this past weekend.

• I don't know anything about baseball prospects and the draft. I'm told by my Baseball America friend that Gerrit Cole could be really good for the Pirates. Cool.

• Maybe it wasn't all Colin Campbell's fault after all. Well, he still sucked at his job, but clearly the NHL as a whole has no consistency with their punishments. First, they didn't discipline Vancouver's Alex Burrows when he intentionally bit Patrice Bergeron's finger. How they could rule that there was no evidence of Burrows' intent is beyond me. Burrows clearly tilted his head back so he could fit Bergeron's finger in his mouth and then bit down. Then the NHL only gave Canucks' forward Aaron Rome four games for his late, blindside hit to Nathan Horton's head. Rome had plenty of time to pull up. He started his check after Horton passed the puck, so the common "I was just finishing my check" defense is crap. Rome then left his feet and planted his shoulder into Horton's head. Contrary to what the Canucks' head coach thinks, this is exactly the type of hit the league is trying to eliminate. Rome is a scrub who recorded five points in the regular season. Horton is a vital piece of the Boston Bruins, with 17 points in this year's playoffs, including three game-winning goals. Rome should have got at least 10 games and the Canucks should be fined.

• I'd like the NHL to know that I am available for employment in case they want someone with common sense in their offices. I know that's not the type of people they hire, but maybe someday that will change.

• Speaking of common sense, why is it that Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert are the only ones in the media that seem to have it? They are comedians, yet they provide more accurate commentary than CNN, MSNBC and FOX.

• I know I'm really late on this, but "The Macho Man" Randy Savage died last month. He was one of my favorites growing up. I dressed as him for Halloween in second grade and probably annoyed my parents to death with countless impressions as I was growing up. While Savage was great in the 80's and early 90's he also turned into the kind of wrestler you get annoyed with. He was the old guy that wouldn't go away and insist on being a main eventer, even though he clearly didn't have it anymore. But that's not what I'll remember him for. I'll remember the seven flying elbow drops he put on the Ultimate Warrior in a retirement match, and yet the Warrior still kicked out. What bullshit. The Warrior sucked.

• Rafael Nadal is the greatest clay court tennis player of all time. This is not a new development, but was reinforced with his sixth French Open title Sunday against Roger Federer. I never thought I'd say this, but Nadal has the potential to become the greatest player of all time.

• Remember when Americans dominated the top 10 in tennis. Now we don't have a single top 10 player. Sad.

• NASCAR is silly. 

• I just recently discovered the greatness that is FOX's "Raising Hope". The show is hilarious. The main character, Jimmy, has a one-night stand with a serial killer, who then has a baby because she thinks it will prevent them from executing her. Well, that doesn't work and Jimmy is forced ti raise the child, Hope, with his dumb parents and crazy great grandmother. It's awesome.

Erasure - Little Respect