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Who likes Stan Van Gundy? I'll be the first to say, I do. I liked him with the Heat and in just his two plus seasons he did very well before the he stepped down as Heat coach in his third season. After sitting out a couple of years in which the Heat won the NBA Championship back in 2006, Van Gundy sat and watched and raised his kids and wondered where it went all wrong.
Van Gundy wasn't even the first choice for the Magic when they first hired him. The Magic went after and got Gators coach Billy Donovan, for at least three days. Then Donovan did an about face and promptly went back to Gainesville to coach where is heart was at the college level.
Afterwards the Magic went after Van Gundy, who had been enjoying his time away from the NBA scene and hanging with his family, was hired by the Magic as an afterthought. However Van Gundy has been anything but an afterthought about his coaching the past two years with Orlando. He may be round not look like an well dressed coach and sport a mustasche only Ron Jeremy could be proud of. However, he gets the most of his players and after getting to the 2nd round of the post-season last year and this year, the Magic are in a prime position to eliminate the Cavaliers and make the NBA Finals for the first time since 1995 when a guy named Shaq was patrolling the middle for Orlando.
Van Gundy may never get the respect he derserves, but he's honest with the media, a great sound bite and he's the everyman coach. Van Gundy looks like a guy who would be sitting at a bar watching a game with a beer at the table and you could just chat with him like any other joe six pack at the place. I think that's what people like the most about Stan, and it's what's endearing about him the most too.
Stan is the man, and could finally be on top if he's able to lead the Magic the a place they've never been before and even with Shaquille O'Neal. Capturing an NBA title.
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Michael Vick was released from prison, and on Thursday returned to his home in Hampton, Virginia to begin his two month home confinement before he re-applies to the NFL to play again. So the question begins with this....should Roger Goodell allow Michael Vick to play in the NFL again?
The answer is....yes. Michael Vick committed a disgusting crime and he did pay his debt to society. Now he has a right just like anyone else to make a living doing what he does best, playing in the NFL. Now wait, Vick isn't ever going to be playing for the Falcons ever again, nor will he make the kind of money that he made when he entered the league. Vick will be at best a back-up quarterback the first few years in the league. Making the league minimum and holding a clipboard.
One team that could be in the market for a back-up QB and could handle a project like Vick....how about the New England Patriots? Randy Moss has been a model citizen since he came to Foxborough, and now that Matt Cassel has been traded to Kansas City and Tom Brady is coming off an injury, would it not make perfect sense for Vick to be sent to the Pats so Bill Belichick can watch over him and make sure he doesn't get into anymore trouble?
In America we love to tear down people that have been successful and have done wrong. However we love nothing more than a true underdog who overcame a major obstacle in their life only to come back stronger and become even more successful.
Now time will only tell how the Vick situation plays out. He deserves a right to show he's a better person and to stay out of trouble. We all deserve that chance.
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Trinity Christian High School had 16 of its 17 players suspended for their state semifinal contest against Cambridge. Trinity had this happen following a brawl that occurred in their last game. The team wouldn't be able to field anyone from their roster and they would have to forfeit their contest today.
However because of a loophole and some very smart attorney's who's son's play on the Trinity Christian team, the school filed an injunction in the city of St. Lucie and it was allowed they play today in their semifinal contest.
All this was interesting up until the point the team got smacked around today by Cambridge 12-6. Now the FHSAA is mad and plans to try and overturn the ruling and will fine the school 2,500 dollars for each player that was ineligible plus court costs and fines for what the school did.
Was it worth it? It could cost over $40,000 dollars for them to play in Wednesday's loss. Ouch.
At what point do you put the excitement of a game ahead of financial gain or in this case loss? All in the name of sport and education.
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Blake Griffin is the top prize in this year's NBA Draft. Tonight, the Clippers, yes the lowly L.A. Clippers got the ping-pong balls bouncing their way as they were awarded the top pick in this year's NBA Draft.
Ah yes the Clippers once again have a chance to screw up the organization they run even more. Ugh, this is the franchise that has had count it one winning season since 1992. Now they'll get a great player who'll probably be there for the length of his three year rookie deal before the he becomes to expensive for the Clippers and Donald Sterling to keep.
This year the Clippers had high hopes after signing Baron Davis. However they didn't expect Elton Brand to bolt for Philly and then falter to a 19-63 record.
The Clippers have typically been in the lottery every year, and drafting good talent only see them wasted and never amounting to anything.
Oklahoma City had a shot which would of been great considering Griffin went to Oklahoma. Heck, Memphis would of even been a great destination, but once agian, Griffin is going to L.A. except for the wrong team in L.A.
Everyone loves L.A., just ask Randy Newman, it's just hard to love the Clippers.
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Now the real NBA Playoffs begin. Starting this week the Lakers and Nuggets do battle in the "City of Angels" as the Cavs and Magic face off in the "Mistake by the Lake".
Sure ABC and the NBA would love nothing more than to see the Cavaliers vs Lakers as LeBron and Kobe go head to head. So call me crazy when I say I want nothing more than to see the Nuggets vs Magic.
Yes, I said it, and why not? When will we ever see something like this ever again? I mean two small market cities who aren't even the biggest teams in their own cities. In Denver, it's the Broncos that steal the headlines. In O-Town, it's still all about the Florida Gators which are up the road in Gainesville. Heck you can even make the case the Bucs are bigger than the Magic.
But how great would it be to see two cities that generally don't get much ink. A former ABA franchise that has never been to the NBA Finals. The last time the Magic were in the Finals a guy named Shaq was dunking on people and getting passes from a guard named Penny. Yes it's been years and it would breathe new life into the league showing that there's more to the association than just LeBron and Kobe.
The Nuggets have Carmelo Anthony who was in the same draft as James and of course Howard who now has the moniker of best center in the league. This match-up isn't short of star power and great players too. Chauncey Billups has played in this before, as has Kenyon Martin.
So here's hoping the Nuggets take the Lakers in six. As for O-Town they cause more misery for the city of Cleveland as they win in six as well.
Magic vs Nuggets. Anything can heppen and this may be the year the city of Denver finds its gold! Welcome to the NBA Playoffs.
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Why is Cal Ripken, Jr. who is largely considered one of the greatest baseball players of all time, so afraid of a local television reporter in West Palm Beach, Florida? Yes, believe it or not, Ripken who is scheduled to speak this Thursday at the Jewish Federation event in West Palm, refuses to talk to me this evening for whatever reason when he comes to speak to the masses at tonight's Men's Night Out.
Ripken is looked upon as a good guy in baseball, the true iron man of the sport. A boy who grew up in Maryland and made good on his promise to play for his hometown team and won a World Series there too. He has played in the most consecutive games of any player in baseball and was a first ballot Hall of Famer.
But tonight Ripken apparently has no time to deal with local media and that local media being me. It's a joke, he doesn't have 5 minutes to talk to me and to give me a question or two to talk about his visit here and what it means for him to be here. Nope, not a second. I really take issue with athletes who are retired or even doing events that are for a charity can't give a couple of minutes to talk to someone from the media.
I'm not speaking to him after a game, he didn't give up a game winning home run, deal with it. Ripken may be a Hall of Famer, but in my book he's a real shame, and a fraud. If you claim to be a stand up guy like you pretend to be, then be one. Don't blow me off and pretend to be something you're not.
Sorry Cal, but glad I'm a Cubs fan, because you don't hold a candle to Ryne Sandberg anyway. Ha!
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Dolfans rejoice, because Jason Taylor is back with the Miami Dolphins. Less than a year ago, Taylor was traded to the Washington Redskins after ten seasons with the Dolphins most of them where Taylor was named a Pro-Bowler but the Dolphins failed to make the playoffs.
However a year after Taylor left the Fins to go off to D.C., the Dolphins finally made the post-season. Now Taylor returns to the place he always wanted to be and never really wanted to leave. Mis-communication with Bill Parcells while he was on Dancing With The Stars is how this all started to begin with.
On Wednesday, Taylor came back to his first team signing a one year deal worth over a million a season. This has nothing but good written all over it. Good P.R, good deal, and good work by the Dolphins to bring back a fan favorite, future Hall of Famer and one of the best Dolphins of all time.
If Taylor comes back and is one of the best in the league, then the Dolphins got an amazing discount for what he'll bring to the table. If he doesn't, and it's not a good fit, then the team can cut him and the two parties just move on.
It's good that Taylor is back because he never should of been traded or left in the first place. This was all a big misunderstanding and now the understanding is Taylor will play out his career in what could be his final season with a chance to make a run for a Super Bowl.
That's all he wants and this is his last chance. Dolfans get excited because a true Dolphin is back where he belongs.
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Tiger Woods once again did not win a tournament this week. Everyone is saying what's wrong with Tiger? Woods finished in the top 10 again of a tournament in 2009 but every time he comes up short in winning, the whispers come up and start with is Tiger ever going to win again or for that matter he is going to win a Major tournament this year?
Woods had a chance to win the Masters this year but faltered on the final three holes to lose.
Tiger had a prime chance to win the Players Championship on Sunday after starting the day tied for second place. But after shooting a 73 on Sunday Woods let it slip away from him and now takes a break from the tour and be with his family.
The knee is not 100 percent and Woods openly admits that he still has ways to go before he gets back to the golfer that he once was.
Can Tiger be that guy again? I say yes, but it will take time. He's still finishing in the top 10 of tournaments and has a win already in Arnold's tournament but he's not the player that we're used to right now. But this is Tiger and he's always got another act up his sleeve.
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Manny Ramirez, is in a whole lot of trouble right now. Wow! Arguably the best hitter in all of baseball will be sitting out the next 50 games for the Los Angeles Dodgers after he tested positive for steroids. Ramirez says he took a drug that was prescribed to him by a doctor but that it was on the banned substance list by Major League Baseball.
However there is a report suggesting Ramirez took a drug called HCG which is a fertility drug women take and some steroid users take when they fnish a cycle to regulate their testosterone. Manny will be docked about eight million dollars because of this and the Dodgers will feel the pinch of losing their best player after getting off to a 20-8 start with the best record in baseball.
So it's really come to this. The sad part is, I can't say I'm surprised. Are we under the assumption that every player is cheating in baseball these days? I do. I don't think we can say any player is clean today and I am not shocked when I see a player of this magnitude do something like this or found guilty. It's terrible to say but now we're seeing some of the very best athletes as cheaters and their reputations are now ruined because of this.
Trust me there will be more and the names will be just as big. We've already seen Alex Rodriguez this year, and in the past, players like Bonds, Clemens, Pettitte, Giambi, and McGwire already in trouble for suspected or known use, it continues to tear apart the game.
When will it end. Who know's but that's just baseball being baseball.
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Give Pat Riley credit for this. He's never met a deal he didn't like and he's not afraid to pull the trigger on a trade that could help his basketball team win an NBA title. I mean come on that's what Riley's specialty is. 4 championships with the Lakers and then one with the Heat back in 2006 finished up his already impressive resume and hall of fame coaching career.
Now Riley has a choice to make as the Heat were bounced out of the post-season last Sunday by the Atlanta Hawks. Now the Heat face an off-season with lots of questions and the biggest one being who will help Dwyane Wade as the number two scorer off the bench? Michael Beasley had a fine rookie year but is Beasley ultimately the guy who's going to allow the Heat to move forward and be successful to make another run for an NBA title?
That's what Riley needs to figure out as he heads into the off-season. Staring at Riley is power forward Chris Bosh who could be available if the price is right and if the Heat can package enough of an attractive offer at the Toronto Raptors which would include Beasley and maybe a couple of other players.
Bosh would look great in a Heat uniform and would definitely compliment Wade as their number two scorer. The question is, does Riley want to give up on Beasley who could turn into a great player?
Riley has been right and has made big deals before. Can he do it again? Stay tuned.
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Dwyane Wade is the engine that runs the Miami Heat. Without him at full strength there's no way the Heat can beat any opponent. Their current showdown is with the Atlanta Hawks and the way they've been looking after last night's ten point loss isn't good. Wade is now suffering from back spasms and only scored 22 points as the Hawks knotted up the series at 2 games apiece going into game 5 on Wednesday night.
Before this series started, I said the Hawks would win in 5 games. I give the Heat this, they've actually made a series of this and I do think the this is going to the distance but I still think in the end the Hawks will pull this out. The Heat just don't have enough and you never which player is going to step up at which time other than Wade. James Jones had 19 points and Jermaine O'Neal poured in 20 but you can't count on those two every game.
Look for the Hawks to win game 5 on Wednesday and the Heat to win game 6 with the Hawks wrapping it up in game 7 and call it a season for the Heat.
Yes, everyone would love to see LeBron vs Wade but it give it another year before that actually happens.
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Did you see the NASCAR race over this past weekend? Carl Edwards nearly became a take home souvenir for some fans and it wouldn't of been pretty at all. Edwards was driving into the home stretch before getting rear ended by Brad Keselowski who ended up winning the Talladega 499.
The winner wasn't really significant, more so than Edwards crashing into the gate and 8 fans having debris hitting them in the stands injuring them but nothing was life threatning.
Afterwards Edwards said that it would take someone to die in the stands before NASCAR would do anything about the way the drivers race.
Fans love to see drivers crash only to walk away from the crash and be okay, but fans don't need to be a part of the race, and then have to be rushed to a hosiptal for injuries.
NASCAR needs to be smarter about how they handle the safety of both the drivers and fans, because without them none of this exsists.
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Is it just me, or is the NFL Draft the biggest waste of time in my opinion? I know there are so many people that love the draft. That sit on their couch and watch every pick and selection that comes there way.
Me, I would rather go outside and hang out at the beach and then listen to Roger Goodell call out names of people that I've never heard of in my life aside from maybe ten players. Certain players have their stock raised during the combine and prior to that you've never heard anything about them.
People will ask me, how do you think the Dolphins did? How can I even answer that? I have no freakin' idea how they did. Who knows how these guys are going to pan out or if they're even going to crack the starting line-up?
The bottom line is you're drafting on a hunch which is fine, but why are we interested in what these guys could be when they've never put on an NFL uniform in their lives?
It's the exact same thing on signing day. Nobody has a clue how good these kids will be when they enter college. If they'll make grades or even make their bed. That's why I can't stand the NFL Draft. Yes, a sportscaster who doesn't like the draft. Shoot me.
A waste of time for me, but then again, I would rather waste my time napping at the beach.
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Relationships are hard I get that. Very hard, why do people even bother in relationships? When it doesn't work out it can be a grueling process of healing and trying to avoid the bad blood between two people.
Ugh, what a drag. Recently, I just got out of a relationship. I tried to be nice, tried to make it as easy as possible. Not the case. This girl has become bitter, angry and now she and her family are saying nasty things about me that are flat out lies along with her friends picking fights with me at bars.
Manipulative behavior, trying to get a rise out of me, all things she is doing to make her feel better and try to hurt me. Here's the best part, it doesn't work. Just shows me more than anything how wrong she was for me. How she just can't walk away like an adult, and how she now needs her family to do her dirty work and say things about me to their neighbors in their country club. I told her a couple of days ago that I didn't want her contacting me anymore, that I wanted her to leave me alone. Now the reason she says the things that she does is so I might just call her and talk to her which is exactly what she wants me to do.
Really? Does it really have to be resorted to that sort of behavior? Thought about calling her again and asking her to stop this, but what good would it do? Nothing, the best thing to do is just walk away. Just leave it be. She has to live with herself everyday, not me. She's the tortured soul who just wants to be mean and revengeful. I'm just glad she's no longer living with me and now lives in another state.
I never have to see her again, or talk to her again. One day I will be in a better place, and she'll still be thinking about talking trash with her family about another ex-boyfriend she has. You see I'm just a long line of formers that she has and will have over the course of her life. Me, I'm moving on, and better for it.
Relationships, can't live with them, but can you live without them?
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As I am writing this posting, I just saw the Florida Marlins lose to the Pittsburgh Pirates tonight 8-0. The seven game winning streak is over, and the Marlins fall to 11-2 on the year. After dominating the Nationals, Braves and Mets so far this season, the Fish finally stunk up the joint getting shut out by one of the worst teams in baseball.
So I ask this question? Are the Marlins really a great baseball team? Or have they just gotten off to a great start? Will they eventually come down to earth as the season progresses? Or will they continue to play ball and take two of three from the Pirates?
I can't answer that question right now. I have always said offensively this team wouldn't skip a beat even after they traded Mike Jacobs, and Josh Willingham. The team is still hitting home runs and driving in plenty at a healthy clip. The bullpen has been amazing, however this was what we saw last year with the pen and in the second half of the year the pen got spent and overused and was stumbling down the stretch.
Don't get me wrong I would love to see the Marlins make the playoffs and get back to the NLCS, and even play the Cubs, only this time I want a different result after what I saw the last time in 2003. But first let's see if both teams can even make the post-season.
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