Greetings! Hope the few of you reading this had a fantastic Christmas and are looking forward to a fantastic new year! Since I have yet to "find my groove" when it comes to posting consistently to this blog, we'll do another topical carousel of sporting events I feel need to be talked about. And away!
Iowa State Men's Basketball: The team is 11-0, after claiming a Hawaii tourney victory and still on a high after beating Iowa (11-2) a few weeks back in Ames. As someone who stood in line for a couple hours outside in the cold to see the Cy-Hawk matchup, I couldn't feel more happy after being rejected. There's probably some relationship advice there or something, but I digress. This Cyclones team is near the top IN THE NATION in points (fifth), rebounds (tenth) and assists (SECOND!). If there was a more well rounded team in recent memory, I can't think of it. Everyone on this team can shoot, everyone can pass and everyone can rebound. Which is amazing, since Dustin Hogue (10.3 RPG) and Melvin Ejim (8.8 RBG) both stand only six-and-a-half feet tall. I love undersized players with freaky motors and athleticism, and this ISU team has them stockpiled. In an NCAA field enamored with Marcus Smart, Andrew Wiggins and Jabari Parker, I'd just as soon trust anybody on coach Fred Hoiberg's team.
Drake Men's Basketball: Because I can. 8-3 headed into a showdown with IUPUI (pronounced "Ew-ee-poo-ee"), first year coach Ray Giacoletti has played with the hand he's been dealt: And winning while doing so. Blake Danielak: mono. Gary Ricks Jr.: season-ending foot surgery. Those injuries, mixed with Boston College transfer Jordan Daniels and a slew of other underclassmen have the Bulldogs...in contention for an MVC title? Ok, so I'm getting ahead of myself, but as is the atmosphere on campus, the Bulldogs are finally playing ball that is exciting and is easy to get behind.
New York Yankees (See also "Confusing", "Puzzling"): So I'm a Yankees fan. If you didn't know that, you should frequent this blog more often. "But Mario, you rarely post"...touche.
Anyway, the Yankees decided to go full-on clearance sale and let Robinson Cano, Joba Chamberlain, Curtis Granderson, Boone Logan and Phil Hughes leave. Sure, "let" is a strong word, but if the Yankees front office can't make pinstripes more desirable than Seattle or THE METS(!!!), there's something wrong. Oh, and also, the one thing New York DID do well, which is throw money at people, DIDN'T WORK EITHER! Cano took a 10 year, $240 million deal with the Mariners. With Andy Pettite and Mariano Rivera both recently retired and Derek Jeter...broken, I'm going to make a rather bold prediction: This year's Yankees won't win more than 80 games. The last time the Yankees won less than 80 games was 1992. I was -2 years old. Remember, 1994-95 was the MLB strike, so every team's schedule was shortened. I don't understand the moves made by the front office to be ok with a bulk of the bullpen and the franchise player leave. Jeter isn't the franchise player, Cano is. For those of you wondering. Jacoby Ellsbury, Carlos Beltran and Brian McCann have been the big signings this offseason. I like the move for former Braves catcher Brian McCann, as that position has been mediocre since Posada retired and Jesus Montero was traded (against my will, AGAINST MY WILL!!!!). Ellsbury, while overpriced at seven years, $153, can be valuable to this team. Kinda wondering why he left Boston, but again, money sometimes players talks louder than rings. Then, enter Carlos Beltran. He was last seen breaking a rib or two trying to catch a fly ball in the playoffs. He's a great player no doubt, BUT WHERE DO YOU PLAY HIM!? The Yanks have Brett Gardner, Ellsbury, Beltran, Alfonso Soriano AND A GUY NAMED ICHIRO. Imagine the young arms that the millions of dollars wrapped up in Soriano and Ichiro could get. Yet here they all are, sitting in a crowder outfield with a short right-field porch.
Hiroku Kuroda is staying with the team though, hooray!....on a one year, $16 million deal, CRAP! As if we didn't have enough old dudes, Kuroda will turn 39 in February. Kuroda has been the Yankees best pitcher the past couple of years, compiling a 3.31 ERA in his two years in New York and anchoring the rotation this past year after C.C. Sabathia was destroyed every fifth day. All in all, a very disappointing offseason, as the bullpen walked out the door, a rotation got older (and thinner with Phil Hughes leaving for Minnesota) and Robinson Cano took his power and consistency to the Pacific Northwest. But hey, New York is in the running for Japanese pitcher Masahiro Tanaka! In other news, the sky is blue.
Tony Romo: This subject is beyond hilarious. But not for the reason you think. After becoming a Vikings fan this year (It was a process, but yes I am. Here's hoping for our top 10 draft pick!), I realized all too quickly how important a good quarterback is. Ponder. Then Cassel. Then Ponder. THEN JOSH FREEMAN!?!? Then Ponder again. And finally Cassel.
And so I ask: Why are there Tony Romo haters!??! Seriously, why do they exist? Romo literally carried the Cowboys on his back last Sunday to a win against the Redskins. The result: Season-ending back surgery. If there's a reason the Cowboys haven't been consistent or championship material, it's not because of Romo. Peyton this year has weapons GALORE. Tom Brady has a genius coach and a system that works around him. Brees has the Superdome. Russell Wilson has swagger and a secondary you don't mess with. Joe Flacco had Ray Lewis, Ed Reed and a host of other defensive players that are scary good. What does Romo get? A drama queen in Dez Bryant and a defense that gives up 400+ yards a week. The only reason Tony Romo throws late game interceptions is because the defense has give up too many points. The Cowboys' defense gives up just over 27 points a game. Twenty. Seven. It seems like Romo can't get through a month without having to mount a two minute quarterback. HE DID IT AGAINST MY VIKINGS! I think the criticism is unfair, and as someone whose own NFL team needs a quarterback, I'll finish this post with a simple elementary school proposition when it comes to previously mentioned gun-slingers: "I'll trade ya!"
Questions? Comments? Contact me by following me on Twitter (@super_mario64), friending me on Facebook(http://www.facebook.com/BallinItalian), or shooting me an email at thesupermario64@gmail.com
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