Eb loves Shaq Vs.

I'm not too fond of Shaq but he definitely knows how to put on a good show. The second season of Shaq vs. has been 20x better than the first season. In this week's episode Shaq tackles a sport that is near and dear to my heart. Track & Field against Rudy Gay. Wait til you see how skinny Shaq's legs are. He definitely lost some weight and did some training for this one because I've never seen him run up and down the court this fast LOL. Check it out

The Newest Met: Hisanori Takahashi

Ladies and gentlemen, I'd like to introduce you to an absolute welcomed addition to the Mets bullpen family, Mr. Hisanori Takahashi of Japan. The 35yr-old pitcher (#47) was signed to a minor league contract by the Mets in February, but his spring training performance quickly earned him a spot as a starter (especially since that knucklehead Oliver Perez got DEEE-moted!).

In his earlier career, Takahashi pitched in college and in Japan's Industrial League before landing a spot in the Nippon Professional League in 2000 for the Yomiuri Giants. He remained there until 2009 when he became an international free agent, scouted by teams like the Giants, Dodgers and Red Sox, but TOO BAD, SO SAD, we nabbed him!

So far, Takahashi has been doing the damn thing on the mound. In his 17 appearances (two starts), Takahashi has 4 wins and only one loss, a 2.13 ERA and 44 strikeouts.

This is pretty impressive considering he was not doing as well in Japan. Listen, whatever it is that's making him perform better *coughDRUGScough* I really don't care as long as he keeps those batters at bay. Is that wrong of me? Ask me if I care. WE NEED A CHAMPIONSHIP, DAMMIT!

Besides, it's nice to see some new talent on the mound; Santana can't do it all, and he's still recovering from his surgery. Takahashi- you have the Jaded Seal of Approval; BIENVENIDOS!!!

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MetsWatch '10: W25-L23-GB2
Next game: 5/28/10 VS. MIL @ Miller Park, Johan Santana (#57, 4-2 for the season) pitching

Ballers make good TV outside their sport

Are ballers on TV the new black? The time when we wondered what athletes did off the field (that doesn't include them on the news for a DUI or shooting themselves in the leg at a club) is over. We are now seeing our favorite athletes on the tube more than ever. From the T.O. Show to Shaq vs. to D'Hani Tackles the Globe to Pro's vs. Joe's you now get to see them in so many different elements and really get a close-up look at their personalities off the field. Even shows that take them out of their element with the many ballers that have participated in Dancing with the Stars. Ocho Cinco, who is on the season that is airing now even inked a deal to have his own dating show on VH1. I can't wait until The Tournament airs in July because he really has the energy and personality to make great TV. 

VH1 is really becoming the mecca for these athletes even when the show is about ballers indirectly. Prime example "Basketball Wives" which I prefer to call " I boned a baller" since only 1 of them is married to a baller and they look like they are headed for divorce. Even though these chicks are beyond a train wreck, there association still makes good TV.

The newest athlete to catch the bug is NBA All-Star Carmelo Anthony. Anthony and long time girlfriend Lala have signed on to let VH1 follow them as they prepare for their wedding. I hope the show ends up like the best possible episodes of Bridezilla imaginable. The show premieres September 13th.

Athletes have not only looked to television for entertainment purposes only, they have also looked to TV for redemption. I definitely feel The Michael Vick Project helped his career out immensely. People were able to really see his story, and the fact that he didn't make excuses, was remorseful, and ready to move on made me want everyone to let the man move on.

There are so many different athletes and so many different sports but I want the SistaSports readers to let me know what athlete you would like see get a show and what type of show would fit them best??? Hit me in the comments!

The Pressure in New Orleans

The New Orleans Saints have a colorful past, which only makes sense for one of the most eccentric cities in the country. New Orleans has great food, music, shopping and festivals second only to Chicago (but of course I'm biased). New Orleans is by far the strongest, one serious blow after another, the city continues to rebuild and transform. Being at the bottom of the map has exposed them to hurricanes, none more devastating than Hurricane Katrina. And now the city is back in the spotlight due to a severe oil spill that is paralyzing the seafood industries, wildlife and family-owned businesses. Through it all, the sports world keeps it ticking and even the beloved Superbowl champions have found themselves in an unfavorable light...again.

Over the last few days, reports of drug abuse have come seeping out of the doors of the Saints camp. Former Saints security director and ex-FBI agent, Geoffrey Santini, filed a lawsuit Friday stating he left his position with the Saints because he didn't want to get caught up in a drug scandal involving the team. Santini didn't specifically name individuals, only naming them as "Senior Staff Member A" and "Senior Staff Member B". However, his detailed description of a break into the Saints drug locker pointed towards assistant head coach Joe Vitt. The former security director also insinuated that head coach Sean Payton, who has always been Mr. Good Guy, abuses Vicodin.

For a team and a city still high, no pun intended, off of winning the Lombardi trophy, this scandal is certainly not welcome. Under normal circumstances the adrenaline rush before, during and shortly thereafter the Superbowl tends to wear off by mid February. However, when your team has a history of fans decked out on paper bags and having never been to the Superbowl, the bragging rights clearly last well into the warmer days of spring. Louisiana natives are still wearing championship paraphernalia, and watching highlights of the game. But it seems as though the needle on the record has been scratched, the nails have traced the chalkboard, and the party seems to be over.

These allegations are new to the general public, but the Saints organization has been dealing with this issue since last summer, and turned over all evidence to authorities in June of 2009. After the allegations leaked on Friday, Saints officials said the lawsuit had no merit. The organization also stated Santini shopped the lawsuit to them before filing, seeking $2 million to keep it to himself. Coach Payton came forward Saturday and said, "I have never abused or stolen Vicodin or any other medication."

There are many, many questions and statements have been more than vague. The 13-page lawsuit highlights the existence of videotape showing Vitt stealing Vicodin pills, a possible cover-up by team general manager Mickey Loomis, and coach Payton taking Vicodin without a prescription. Every prescription drug, in every NFL locker room is accounted for and requires a written prescription from a team doctor. Therefore, missing pills ending up in the hands of those not intended would ultimately result in federal charges. Every Saints fan, and really every football fan that has been charmed by the Cinderella team, that rose out of the Katrina waters with a discarded and presumably broken quarterback wants a happy ending. The Saints became America's team, the underdog that everyone found himself of herself rooting for. As a newly inducted passenger on the Saints bandwagon, I certainly hope the allegations turn out to be false.

We, yes I said we, already have to deal with quarterback Drew Brees being voted onto the cover of Madden 2011. Whether you believe in the curse or not, Madden 2010 did effect Troy Polamalu and just barely escaped Larry Fitzgerald. Maybe someone in New Orleans can whip up some voodoo magic and make all of this go away (call it a stereotype if you want, I'm just offering suggestions).

Is it just me?

Baseball is the boringest (yea, I made it up) damn sport to watch in the history of sports. It trumps baseball. It trumps soccer. Hell, it even trumps golf. I can't watch it. I can't. Whenever I decide that I'm gonna sit down and watch it, I get through the first inning and then I want to watch something else.
Don't get me wrong, baseball is very fun to play. And it's even fun to watch in person. But on TV, with commentators who sound like high school biology teachers, I can't watch it and stay awake. Baseball on TV is so boring, doctors should prescribe it as a sleep aid.
Got a problem sleeping? Stress keeping you up at night? Damn Ambien. To Hell with Lunesta. Fuhget Rozerum. A baseball game is what you want. You got nine dudes on the field with one from the opposing team trying to hit a little white ball, with a long wooden bat. Usually, the ball is hit to one player, so he is the only one moving. Other than that, the other eight are standing around watching the game.
Why in hell would I watch that on TV? Nobody's running routes. Ain't nobody gonna get hit. We're just waiting for one dude to throw the ball toward another one while the other guy tries to hit it. I'd rather watch paint dry. At least if I do that, there's a good chance I'll be high when it's over.
Watch baseball, I wish I would. I don't even like baseball movies. As far as I'm concerned, the best thing about baseball is A Rod and I ain't talking about his game. Look at him. Just look at him. I would have all his babies with NO epidural.
But watch him play? I can't do it. I can take three naps before one of those games is over, wake up and they'll still be in the ninth inning. Please, how soon until it's over? I swear, I don't think I can take anymore. I hear the Phillies have already made it to the World Series. Can the Stankees please speed up the inevitable and just beat the Angels already? Sheesh! I'm gonna lose my mind if my SportsCenter doesn't stop being inundated with these damn baseball "highlights."
It's football season dammit! Why can't you show me some random quarterback I don't like getting the brakes knocked off his ass on a sack? I'll even take a dunk from Shobe Cryant, but please, for the love of all things sporty, stop showing me baseball!

Pay to play

(re-post 2008)

The NCAA is a bunch of pimps.

Yeah, I said it. And I'll say it again.

They are pimps.

College football kicks off its season next week. The season runs from September through January. Then, we have the NCAA Basketball Tournament in March. Millions of people across the country gamble and participate in office pools. People try to come away with the earnings by being the person who can correctly guess the most teams that will be left standing at the end of the tournament. The NCAA doesn't "encourage" gambling. They probably don't encourage it because they can't pimp that.

The Division I Men's Basketball tournament is the only NCAA championship tournament (officially, the BCS Football Championship is not an NCAA event) where the NCAA does not keep the profits. Instead, the money from the multi-billion-dollar television contract is divided among the Division I basketball playing schools and conferences as follows:

1/6 of the money goes directly to the schools based on how many sports they play (one "share" for each sport starting with 14, which is the minimum needed for Division I membership).

1/3 of the money goes directly to the schools based on how many scholarships they give out (one share for each of the first 50, two for each of the next 50, ten for each of the next 50, and 20 for each scholarship above 150).

1/2 of the money goes to the conferences based on how well they did in the six previous men's basketball tournaments (counting each year separately, one share for each team getting in, and one share for each win except in the Play-in game and the Final Four). In 2007, based on the 2001 through 2006 tournaments, the Big East Conference received over $14.85 million, while the eight conferences that did not win a first-round game in those six years received slightly more than $1 million each.

As for football, schools can make $15 million to go to a BCS bowl game. There are nearly 115 Division 1 Schools. And nearly another 65 Division 1-AA schools. Every school, even the ones that don't play in bowl games have enough money to fund scholarships and facilities. That said...as you can see...there's a LOT of money in college athletics. Everybody is making money. The conferences, the schools, the coaches, etc. Everybody is making money...except the athletes. According to the NCAA (aka pimps), no "student-athlete" is to be compensated for playing in amateur collegiate athletics. So the student-athlete (more on that word later) is the one who gets the short end of the stick. Some say that student athletes are being compensated because their tuition is being paid for . That is their pay.

I say BS! Pay em! Athletes should be paid. How much? That would be determined on their sport. But they should be paid. The NCAA and everybody else is getting a piece of the pie except the athletes. That's like me going into the woods to find food. I find food, kill it, and bringing it back to be eaten by all but I don't get to eat.That word student athlete is one of the biggest misconceptions in the world. Especially when you consider that most athletes train year around. They can't work and be paid during their "off-season". You are an athletic student. Most coaches aren't worried about you getting your education...they are merely worried about you remaining eligible to compete in your sport. That's it. As long as the athlete is eligible to play and compete, the better the chances are that they'll team will be successful and playing for a championship. Its the pimp game at its finest. The athletes do most of the work but everybody else reaps the benefits.As some of you may know, I played college football for 4 yrs. I played at South Carolina State University...a historically black college in Orangeburg, SC. We won a black college national championship when I was playing. Even my school has benefited financially off the success that we had. I'm not some old washed up bitter athlete. I'm just calling it the way that I see it. I think that athletes SHOULD be paid to play. BOTTOM LINE! As you can see, there is a lotta money floating around but the kids should get some money. If you're gonna pimp me, the least that you can do would be to compensate me for a job well done.