Spoelstra Under Fire In Miami

(Originally published 12/1/10 in "The Montclarion")

The Miami Heat are showing everyone the perfect way to reflect negative attention; just blame your coach. A grand entrance, fireworks show, an hour-long primetime free agency signing and millions of dollars result in a pathetic record and an angry city.

Lebron James (left), Dwayne Wade (middle), and Chris Bosh (right) are finding that things aren’t so sunny in Miami with the Heat off to a 10-8 start under head coach Erik Spoelstra.

Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra is facing heavy scrutiny from the players within the organization and is about to experience a mutiny if things don’t improve rapidly. Oh, how quickly things can change from an offseason fiesta to an opening season riot.


Certainly injuries have played a factor, and “the big three” are being hurt by the lack of production from the center and point guard positions, but these are just excuses. 328 million dollars should not result in a near-even record, and especially when that money belongs to the kind of talent that Miami has. How quickly the king has become the court jester.

A dynasty was already in place before anything meaningful occurred. The team came together from their 2008 gold medal Olympic squad and promised to show the prominence everyone thought they had. It wasn’t a question if the Heat would win a championship with this team, but how many championships this team would win.

Before they can come close to matching the Boston Celtic’s eight straight championships, or make a run similar to Jimmie Johnson’s current streak of five straight NASCAR championships, they’re going to need to win one. And before they can win a championship they’re going to need to improve right now.

It wouldn’t be surprising to see Spoelstra out as the head coach by the time you’re reading this. LeBron James can get coaches kicked off the team, but he can’t win championships, something he gets paid to do. Spoelstra has unfortunately become the scapegoat in this situation. Because his players don’t know how to execute, he has to face the penalty. On any other team that would be the case, but James, Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh don’t need a lesson in execution, they’re beyond being coached. So how could this be the coaches fault?

Removing the head coach will only turn the attention away for a short amount of time. If their record doesn’t improve fans are going to start blaming the real culprits. Everyone expected greatness, even perfection. The Heat were supposed to make a run at the most wins in the regular season, now they’re just trying to maintain a decent playoff spot. It’s still early in the season, and letting the coach go could ignite the Heat and their stars to play better, but that shouldn’t be the case. After Spoelstra and James’ chest bump and “good talk,” everything from a public relations standpoint appears fine, but the truth is far from that.

The Boston Celtics and the Orlando Magic still sit atop the Eastern Conference, something that neither team was worried about losing when they learned Bosh and James signed with the Heat. Boston defeated them opening night to spoil their opening act, then traveled to Miami and beat them again. The Heat are 1-6 against teams with better records than them at the moment, their lone win against the Orlando Magic.

The Heat need a spark to light their fire and letting Spoelstra go may be it. They can’t continue at this rate for much longer before the better teams start pulling away, but a mediocre record isn’t his fault. Let’s see some of these star athletes step up for their lackluster performance; isn’t a king supposed to be noble?

It's Time for Jeter and Rivera to Get Their Money

(Originally published 11/17/10 in "The Montclarion")

Just how much are the Yankees willing to give away to keep notorious icons Derek Jeter and Mariano Rivera on their team, and to make these life-long legends a staple in the Yankee pinstripes for their entire careers?

Even at the age of 41, the Yankees owe it to Mariano Rivera to pay him the money that he wants.

Since mid-1995, when both players climbed up from the minor league and joined the major leagues roster, they’ve won five World Series titles and seven American Leagues Pennants. They’ve grown up and adopted the demeanor Joe Torre presented them: calm, collect, professional and gracious. When was the last time you heard either of these players in the middle of a controversy?


Jeter and Rivera have reached the end of their contracts and face free agency. Not the first time for either of them, but this time it’s different. The conscious choice around the Yankee organization, its players and its fans is to keep the future hall-of-famers on for another go-around with the team. Opposing teams understand they aren’t going to land either of them and probably aren’t even trying to. Their baseball stories will stay here in New York City. People assumed the same last time their contracts ran out, but they were younger then and in the prime of their careers and their championship runs. Now, each is creeping a little bit closer towards retirement, and in terms of baseball years, they’re eligible to collect social security in the next year or two.

Jeter is coming off a below-average year (according to his standards) and Rivera is no longer automatic. Reasonably, they should be getting contracts that range from seven to 10 million dollars a year, at most. But they know their value to this organization as well as everyone else. It would be a perfect end and a great feel-good story to have the two most influential players of this Yankee era arise from their farm system and end their tenure as a Yankee. The Yankee organization recognizes the importance of retaining these players and has publicly announced that they are willing to give a little extra to make sure they’re happy.

But do they deserve it?

Their skills show otherwise, and even the great Babe Ruth was left off the Yankees during his final years as a player, and no one is more influential to the game than the Great Bambino. Jeter is a model most shortstops wish to be like, and most closers wish they could be as lights-out as Rivera. It would be stupid not to pay up for their talents. Paying them the extra money is like giving them a tip thanking them for the dynasty they helped build from the mid-1990’s, a dynasty that hasn’t fallen.

If the Yankees didn’t have so many numbers retired already, they might have added number two to the list. They still might, and probably should. And if Jackie Robinson hadn’t worn number 42, Rivera would have been following in Jeter’s footsteps. They both deserve a monument in Yankee stadium, monuments bigger than George Steinbrener’s when all is said and done. Their names will remain in infamy when spoken in New York City. Pay them their dues. They might not match the money they’ll earn for the future, but for all the money they helped bring to the Yankee organization, I’m sure they deserve a little reward.

No Lebron, No Problem for Knicks and Nets

(Originally published 11/10/10 in "The Montclarion")

Amare Stoudemire may not be LeBron James, but his addition to the New York Knicks has certainly boosted the team to playoff contender status.

As Spring began, many New Jersey Nets and New York Knick fans were hopeful their team could lure LeBron James into the New York area and usher in a new era of basketball for either team. The hope turned to anger and disappointment when James choose Miami over the metropolitan area. The Knicks made the only big splash, landing Amare Stoudemire, soon after they learned that “The King” wasn’t heading to their court. The Nets’ most exciting move was the first round pick of power-forward Derrick Favors. An embarrassing season last year couldn’t land them either of the first two picks, forcing them to miss out on big-time players John Wall and Evan Turner.


The season started off well for both teams; the Nets beat the Pistons to start the year, and the Knicks won up in Toronto with the help of a Stoudemire double-double. Though neither team will catch up to the Boston Celtics in the Atlantic Division, positive strides have been made. The Knicks have a legitimate shot at making the playoffs as the seventh or eighth seed. The Eastern Conference is dominated by Boston, Orlando, Atlanta and the ruckus that is Miami, but the bottom half of the playoff spots are open to anyone, the Knicks can pull off an even .500 record or maybe a little less and still make the playoffs.

It took 18 less games than last season for the Nets to win their first game, so there is definitely immediate improvement. They even stood atop the Eastern Conference with 2-0 mark before slipping and falling below the Knicks to (currently) third, though third shouldn’t get fans thinking playoffs just yet. They have twice as many losses as wins and can fall into fourth at any point. If they want any shot at making the playoffs the Nets are going to need a lot of stellar performances and better luck than they had in the draft lottery.
Stoudemire automatically makes the Knicks better. Not only with his own athleticism, but by taking the concentration off his teammates. He allows them more space and draws more defenders than David Lee did before he was traded, then overpaid, by the Golden State Warriors.

Though the Knicks and Nets couldn’t land James, there was plenty of talk and rumors that Carmelo Anthony would land on either of the teams. The chances of this happening were similar to the chances the teams had to sign James; that may be why neither team got him. The reason the trade wasn’t made was because, allegedly, the Denver Nuggets were asking too much in return for Anthony. Frankly, both these teams need a makeover, and if that meant dumping the entire team and their contracts then it should have been done in the blink of an eye.

The Knicks could have had Stoudemire and Anthony on the court at the same time, assuming both stay healthy or aren’t suspended. Instantly that makes them a playoff lock. The Nets would probably have had to give up Favors, but if I were given the third pick in the draft to select either Carmelo Anthony in his prime or an unproven Derrick Favors, I would have made the most financially, commercially and overall best choice in Anthony.

If the Nets owner, trillionaire Mikhail Prokhorov, continues to provide the endless cash flow he’s willing to give up for free agents, and if the Knicks don’t bring back Isiah Thomas, these teams should be close to being strong contenders, the Knicks closer than the Nets by a year. With only a few pieces missing from the Knicks puzzle, in another year they could pose as a threat, the Nets may need more time to develop and will most likely take an extra year to do so, but at least there’s a sense that things are going in the right direction.

Woods' Career Entering Final Chapter

(Originally published 11/3/10 in "The Montclarion")

November brings an end to all of the candy and the annoying political campaigns, an extra hour of sleep, and the never-ending Christmas songs we’ll hear until our New Year’s parties begin. November also brought the end of Tiger Woods’ reign as the number one ranked golfer in the world, a rank he held for 281 straight weeks and for 623 weeks cumulatively throughout his career.

Since his car accident in November 2009, Tiger Woods has lost his number one spot in the World Golf Rankings and has yet to win a tournament.

It took a little less than a year, but the climax to Tiger Woods’ career has been reached. He’s descending back down to Earth. The immortal being is showing his flaws. While we were sleeping from all the turkey last year, Tiger Woods was running — well, driving really — away from a golf club aimed for his head. He’s gone downhill ever since. He has the money to allow him to live comfortably for the rest of his life, but he’s no longer living cloud nine.


Mike Tyson was always a vibrant character who ruined his stardom and run at overtaking Muhammad Ali as the greatest boxer of all time when he was charged with raping then 18 year-old Desiree Washington. Biting Evander Holyfield’s ear put him back in the spotlight, but his desire to be as high as his voice ruined his professional career and forced him to declare bankruptcy in 2003. Millions of dollars and boxing fame have been lost for an icon once on top of the world.

Steroids have shrunk Barry Bonds, Sammy Sosa, Shawn Merriman, Marion Jones and many others’ professional integrity. No one believes a word Roger Clemens says anymore, and Jose Canseco looks like a hero. Homeruns in baseball have declined; done are the years in which multiple players hit 50 home runs. Lance Armstrong did the smart thing and quit cycling early. His teammate, Floyd Landis, wasn’t as smart and had his Tour De France title stripped away from him testing positive for a drug that produces an excess amount of testosterone. Each player listed above was a top-notch athlete in their respective sport. Since problems with steroids have risen, they’ve fallen from grace. Jones lost her Olympic medals. Merriman is now a joke rather than a threat and Bonds is self-explanatory.

Other illegal drugs have caused the downfall of some of our best athletes. Dwight Gooden was bound to be one of the greatest pitchers of his era. In just his second year in the major leagues he posted a 24-4 record with a 1.53 earned-run-average. Numbers like that are unheard of nowadays. Ricky Williams went from being a Heisman Trophy winner in 1998 to a drug bust in 2004 and again in 2006; now he’s the second running back for the Miami Dolphins and making nowhere near as much money as he would have originally made. Let’s see if Michael Phelps has a drop off after his 2009 marijuana run-in; since then he has lost his endorsement deal with Kellogg’s, but won five gold medals at the 2010 Pan Pacific Championships.

There are countless fall-from-grace stories in each sport from countless different athletes. We never hear about the guy who invested his money into the stock market, or a woman who donated her winnings to breast cancer research. Instead they decide to blow it on steroids, drugs and underage prostitutes. So far it doesn’t seem to be working for any of them. Just ask Tiger Woods, he thought he could get away with having a woman in each state, now he has no one.

An Inside Look at the MLB Postseason

(Originally published 10/6/10 in "The Montclarion"; this isn't a column but a special for that week's specific issue on the MLB postseason)

The 2010 MLB season is over and the playoffs are about to begin. The Pittsburgh Pirates sit at their rightful place at the bottom of the league, next to the Washington Nationals and Seattle Mariners. But at the other end of the spectrum we have the Philadelphia Phillies posting the best record in the major leagues, the New York Yankees returning (yet again) to the playoffs and the 20-year-old Bobby Cox bringing his Atlanta Braves to a familiar place, squeezing in with a Wild Card birth on the last day of the season.

Yankee’s third baseman Alex Rodriguez hopes to lead his team back to the World Series in the 2010 playoffs.

Since removing the ‘devil’ from their name, the Tampa Bay Rays have been impressing everyone. They’ve been a team for only a dozen years, but find themselves atop the monstrous AL East with the best record in the American League.

They’re hosting the Texas Rangers in the American League Division Series, opening with Cliff Lee for the Rangers and David Price for the Rays. Lee is a more established pitcher and will demand millions this off season for his services, but he’s been struggling mightily since joining the Rangers, while David Price has been stellar for the Rays.

The jovial Rays have been limping recently, but should pose a huge threat for the Rangers. The Rays pitching outmatches the Rangers, and although Texas has Josh Hamilton and Nelson Cruz in their lineup, the Rays have Carl Crawford, BJ Upton and Evan Longoria to name a few. The edge in every aspect points towards the Rays. If the series reaches four games, it’s a disappointment for them. They should take this series easily.

The Minnesota Twins are back in the postseason, and they find themselves in an unfortunate yet familiar situation as well, playing the Yankees. They haven’t fared well in the past, and that trend doesn’t seem to be changing anytime soon.

Yankee castoff Carl Pavano will be pitching the first game of the series; that alone should highlight the way this series will go, but Pavano hasn’t been having too bad of a year. That being said, the Yankees have CC Sabathia, Alex Rodriguez, Mark Teixeira and many more. The Twins have Joe Mauer but are playing without Justin Morneau who’s out of the series recovering from a concussion. The Yankees are most likely going to be meeting the Rays in the American League Championship Series, winning this series against the Twins as easily as the Rays are going to beat the Rangers.

From there it becomes a dog fight. If the Championship series does end up being the Rays versus the Yankees, it’ll be a showdown to the final game. The Rays outdid the Yankees in the regular season, winning 10 out of 18 games, but the Yankees are a more established team. When it comes down to the wire there is a much greater chance for the Yankees to be clutch than the Rays, but anything is possible. Neither the Twins nor the Braves will be able to beat both powerhouses in the American League. Getting to the World Series for them is going to be a huge uphill climb.

The Braves reach the playoffs for Bobby Cox’s last year before retiring as manager. They face a tough task against the San Francisco Giants, and sit as a weak team coming into the playoffs. Their lineup is average and their pitching is good, but the Giants are throwing Tim Lincicum and Matt Cain on the hill for the first two games. Derick Lowe and Tim Hudson have to be just as good as the Giants rotation to keep the Braves in the series. Splitting one of the first two games would be an advantage to the Braves, who would then bring it back to Atlanta to possibly close out. But being as the Divisional Series is a best-of-five format, they don’t have much breathing room if they can’t win one against the Giants pitching staff. This series will feature a lot of low scoring games. If it does go to five games, expect one of the premiere pitchers for both clubs to return, possibly for game four as well.

The feel-good story of this season belongs to the Cinncinatti Reds. Led by Joey Votto, the Reds surprised almost everyone by taking the National League Central Division that most figured would easily belong to the St. Louis Cardinals. But they open on the road against the powerhouse Phillies. This series is going to run pretty similar to the Rays/Rangers series. The Phillies have Ryan Howard, Chase Utley and a rotation that can feature three aces. Regardless of which game it is, the Phillies are going to have either Roy Halladay, Roy Oswalt or Cole Hamels on the mound. It may not be luck that got the Reds to the playoffs, but they’ll need some to get past Philadelphia.

The winner of the Braves/Giants series will most likely go against the Phillies, which is a scary thought. The Phillies shouldn’t waste much energy and should be more refreshed than either of the other teams. Though the National League Championship series will be more competitive, they will still be the overwhelming favorite to reach the World Series for the third straight year. If the Reds manage to win against the Phillies, the Championship Series will be an even match. The Giants or Braves will be favored over the Reds, and will probably beat them if they get through, but any of those three teams will be less than likely to take down the team representing the American League in the World Series. The National League may have home field advantage (courtesy of winning the All-Star Game for the first time in 13 years) but the National League’s best shot at winning lies with the Phillies, and even they will have a close match with what will be the Yankees or the Rays.

The playoffs bring high adrenaline and a nostalgia for teams that’s unlike anything during the regular season. Though certain teams should win easily, it’s anybody’s game.

Punish Bush, Don't Punish His Teammates

(Originally published 9/22/10 in "The Montclarion")

College football great, Reggie Bush, graciously, civilly and voluntarily gave up his 2005 Heisman Trophy Tuesday, Sept. 14 after years of heavy scrutiny for receiving benefits to aid him through college. The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) forbids athletes to receive help outside the immediate family, arguing that it gives an unfair advantage to the player. And while that may be true, it doesn’t mean that Reggie Bush had to give up his Heisman Trophy, does it?

Former USC running back Reggie Bush returned his Heismann Trophy last week for NCAA violations that accured during his career at the school.

Reggie Bush was receiving money to stay in hotel rooms, dine out, purchase new clothes and other items. By law, in this case the NCAA rules, he indeed has to relinquish the title. He broke a rule known by the athletes and tried to cheat the system. Bush had to give up his title one way or another. The Heisman Trust (the “board” of the Heisman Trophy) and Reggie Bush were both being badgered to reach a decision on what to do with the trophy. He faced a one way road; he was likely going to lose the trophy, so to take the pressure off of himself he made a solid public relations move and voluntarily gave the prestigious trophy back to the Heisman Trust.

But underneath all of the legal documentation we see teams proudly playing a sport they enjoy. The Heisman Trophy is awarded for the most outstanding player in the sport that year, an honor judged by how well they played on the football field, not how they got there.

The sports world witnessed a player like we’ve never seen before. Bush was earning money from the time he was in high school. Some people work retail, Reggie Bush was preparing to make millions in the NFL. Any business, franchise, enterprise or career needs some kind of financial assistance along the way, Bush was taking out his loans early and is cashing them in now. That should not affect what happens on the field.

It’s not his fault his talent is so great,.LeBron James did pretty well for his high school basketball team and he was able to sign with a professional sports team after he graduated. Let’s just say all his benefits were early birthday gifts and call it a day. His rewards were for a successful early football career, he should reap the benefits rather than deny himself the luxury he earned himself.

By getting into the University of Southern California he propelled himself to a million dollar professional career, a Super Bowl title, commercial success and a little time with celebrity Kim Kardashian. He’s somewhat of a celebrity himself. He and his fellow Trojans earned a national championship in 2005, but they are now forced to relinquish that title, some wins, scholarships and more because of an ineligible player they had on the team. Every other player on the team during that time has to give up the thrill of winning the title, some “officially” lost their entire college career because of this rule. Not only is Reggie Bush losing something he earned, his football program is in a monstrous hole that may take years to get out of. Even the players on the teams have lost something to gloat about to their kids or to the girl at the bar.

In all technicality, yes, Reggie Bush did have to give up the trophy. Rules are rules, and no one can get around them. Bush is the perfect example to stop future violators, and if the NCAA didn’t do anything they would have been not only scrutinized, but every athlete and agent would use this scenario as an excuse to get around it. But somewhere within the legal ramifications, it must be alright to punish at least the player and not the entire team. Fining the school would have been a much more reasonable idea too. I’m sure there are some extra pennies from tuitions lying around.

Giants and Jets Battle for Stadium Supremacy

(Originally published 9/5/210 in "The Montclarion")

The unveiling of the 2010 season for the New York Giants and New York Jets caused noticeable electricity amongst all the fans. The wait that seems eternal from every year’s Super Bowl to opening kickoff is finally over.

The New York Giants and New York Jets are in a race to make their mark on New Meadowlands Stadium first in its inaugural 2010 season.

With aspirations of reaching the Super Bowl, each team took the field for their home opener in a new, state-of-the-art, 1.6 billion dollar stadium. The New Meadowlands opens its doors to both the Jets and the Giants, but just whose house will this be?


First and foremost, the Giants have a richer and longer history than the Jets do. The Giants have three Super Bowl titles, the Jets have one. The Giants have 20 Hall of Fame members, while the Jets only have three. The Giants have 11 retired jersey numbers, the Jets have four. It’s impossible to argue which team has a bigger influence on the history of the city of New York, but the stadium is a sign of new life, change and outlook towards the future, not a place to dwell in the past.

Talk may be cheap, but the Jets are backing up each and every word so far. As far as the free agent market, they’ve brought in future hall-of-famers with Jason Taylor and Ladainian Tomlinson, household names in Antonio Cromartie and Santonio Holmes and return with all the swagger they left-off with last season. Their coach has everyone believing they’re a Super Bowl contending team, and with good reason.

They were 30 minutes away from a Super Bowl berth last season, while the Giants lost by 32 points to close out an embarrassing 2009 season and final game at Giants Stadium. They did atone, however, winning the first official game of the new stadium against the Carolina Panthers. The Jets, on the other hand, lost their first official game at the new stadium 10-9, committing almost twice as many penalties as points scored.
The face of the Jets franchise, Rex Ryan, can barely be squeezed into a driver’s license photo, yet is still known throughout all of football with help from his mouth and ego. The face of the Giants franchise is a shy quarterback in Eli Manning who was a few bad games away from being exiled from New York. At least the Giants have a player representing them.

Then again you could pick Mark Sanchez as the Jets representative; a quarterback that barely completed over 50 percent of his passes and had a horrific touchdown-to-interception ratio in his rookie campaign, nearly matching Joe Namath’s career numbers. Maybe that’s why Jet fans love him so much.

Neither team sold out their first game of the season. The Giants had a waiting list to purchase season tickets up until last year and the Jets, along with a lot of “experts” and all their fans, believe they’re going to the Super Bowl this year. Yet neither of them were able to sell the extra 2,000 seat difference from Giants stadium to the new stadium. The Jets did, however, sell more seats than the Giants, even with the memory of the Giants remarkable upset in Super Bowl XLII against the New England Patriots only three years removed. The Patriots were heavily favored to win that game, but it just proves that nothing is as sure-fire as a “Broadway Joe” prediction.

No longer can the Giants use the excuse that they came around first. The cost of this stadium was split evenly between the Giants and the Jets, so neither team gains the upper hand financially over the stadium. The New Meadowlands Stadium won’t stick for long, and to avoid controversy they won’t call it Giants Stadium or Jets Stadium.

Which team will rise and take the stadium for their own? One of these teams will have bragging rights to call this stadium their home, but with that victory comes the cost of claiming that ugly Xanadu thing next door as a neighbor.

MLB Awards Should Be About Individuals, Not Teams

(Originally published 9/29/2010 in "The Montclarion")

The two most desired awards in Major League Baseball, the Cy Young and Most Valuable Player, are going to be announced at the end of the regular season. Baseball players compete and play to receive the honor. It’s an individual award meant to be given to the most valuable ‘‘player’’ for that season, not for the most valuable ‘‘team’’ player. That part is left out. The Cy Young award is no different, it’s given to the most dominant pitcher for the season, not the ace that gets his team to the playoffs.

Tigers’ first baseman Miguel Cabrera put up MVP-type numbers in 2010, but may miss on an MVP award by playing on a non-playoff team.

In fact, the worse the team does, the more that individual player has to do. It’s easier to pitch around one good player than to deal with a line-up full of good athletes. And if the player’s team can’t hit, the pitcher is going to have to step up his game to another level just to give their team a chance to win.

I give the media credit. They do take votes away from players that are on good teams or have a good cast of players around them in the batting order, but essentially those players are taking votes away from their fellow teammates if they are that good.

This year, Miguel Cabrera, aside from Jose Bautista’s home run count, which I’ll mention later, is putting up nearly triple-crown numbers (to win the triple-crown a player has to lead the league in batting average, homeruns and runs-batted-in), but is stumbling, in expert’s opinions, out of first place to win the MVP because his team is in third place and eliminated from playoff contention. Jose Bautista, however, is regrettably stuck on the Toronto Blue Jays, they’re in fourth place in their division and have no chance of making the playoffs, but he still hit 52 home runs this season. The next closest player, in either league, has 42 home runs; yet Bautista isn’t even being considered for the Most Valuable Player award. Felix Hernandez has as many wins as loses (12) but is first in the American League in earned-run-average and second in strikeouts, but his team, the Seattle Mariners, has the second worse record in all of baseball. These players have been more than dominant, but will most likely lose out because of their teams.

The MVP and CY Young are about dominance, about being feared, about solidifying yourself as a force for an entire year and proving that you are the best player in your league. A person’s team doesn’t directly affect how good or bad a player is. It’s not their fault their team is bad, and to restrict them from an award is absurd.

The teams that make the post season, or at least show a valiant run towards the post season, get the benefit of the doubt. They’ve taken their team somewhere and show that their worth is not only on the field from a personal standpoint but with their entire team as well. But, again, this award isn’t handed out for having the best teamwork, it’s to admire and reward an individual’s accomplishments. The World Series is the reward for good teamwork and for the overall best team, keep these rewards and arguments separate.