tonytalkssports My Take on Sports, particularly the Yankees, Maple Leafs and Browns

Tuesday’s Thoughts

While wondering if anyone would even know who Hank Williams Jr. is if it wasn't for Monday Night Football, here is what's on my mind this morning:

* As a Yankee fan you couldn't have expected anything worse: being down 2-1 in a best of 5 series and AJ Burnett is the starter for Game 4. Burnett has been a mess since the Yankees signed him in 2009. Yes, the Yankees will point to the 2009 Game 2 start that Burnett made in the World Series. However, his body of work throughout his Yankee career clearly outweighs that one game which makes me feel that tonight can very well be the end of the Yankee season.

* The ineptness of the middle of the Yankee lineup continues to plague this team's chances to advance. ARod and Mark Teixiera are 1-23 in this series. Teixiera is hitting .161 in his Yankee playoff history and Nick Swisher is hitting .152 in his Yankee career. If the Yankees are going to win this series against the Tigers, the offense will need to step it up.

* It's pretty sad when your best hitters in a playoff series are an aging Jorge Posada and Brett Gardner. You also have to like the guttiness of Russell Martin. But the Yankees probably would be getting ready for the ALCS if the big hitters were doing their jobs to compliment the efforts of Posada, Gardner and Martin.

* There seems to be some rumblings that all is not well in Believeland. Browns fans are questioning Coach Pat Shurmur's 4th and 1 call that did not include handing the ball off to Peyton Hillis. Shurmur denied that there are any problems between him and the bruising running back. But one has to wonder if this was just the case of a rookie head coach being too cute by not giving the ball to Hillis in that situation.

* Tight end Evan Moore was not happy after Sunday's loss to Tennessee. In a post game interview it was clear that Moore felt he should have been targeted more in the Browns offense. I agree with Moore. During the preseason it was apparent that Moore and Colt McCoy had developed a relationship that could bode well this season. For whatever reason, that hasn't translated during the regular season. Here's hoping that with the bye week, Shurmur will figure out how to get Moore involved in the offense.

* The Maple Leafs made the right move by keeping Jake Gardiner on their NHL roster. This kid has been the highlight of the preseason and seems to have a special quality that the Leafs haven't seen since the days of Borje Salming. It's unfortunate that Keith Aulie was sent to the Marlies but I think we will see the big defesneman back up with the Leafs sooner rather than later.

* I was not happy with the Tim Connolly signing and his preseason injury has done nothing to change my mind. How can he develop any chemistry with his linemates when he is not on the ice. It looks like another year that Phil Kessel will be without a true #1 center man unless Matthew Lombardi can comeback strong.

* Ohio State continues to show how they are a football program totally out of control. Yesterday the bumbling Atheltic Director Gene Smith announced that 3 players will be suspended for being paid for work that they did not perform over the summer. Smith had the unmitigated gall to defend the University and lament that this is all on the players, a rogue coach (Tressel) and overzealous boosters. If Gene Smith had a slight bit of pride, he would resign and save himself the indignity of being fired.

* And finally, here's hoping that loud mouth Country Western singers like Hank Williams Jr. stick to singing and keep their over the top opinions to themselves. If it was up to me, his stupid song should be shut down for good.

Tuesday’s Thoughts

While wondering when did Monday Night Football become so irrelevant, here is what's on my mind this morning:

* The monumental collapse of the Boston Red Sox is making the end of the season so much more enjoyable for me. Josh Beckett, he of making a 100 win prediction back in March, gave up 6 runs last night against the lowly Orioles as the Red Sox lost 6-3. With Tampa winning, Boston is tied for the AL Wild Card spot with the Rays. If I told you I feel sorry for the Bostonians I'd be lying.

* Don't want to here about injuries being the reason for the collapse. The Yankees had several key injuries this year losing ARod, Jeter, Soriano and Hughes for periods of time this season. They also lost Joba Chamberlain and Pedro Feliciano for the year. The Yanks overcame all of that to win the AL East going away. All the Red Sox had to do was play .500 ball in September and they would have clinched a playoff spot. And by the way, Beckett and Jon Lester have a combined ERA of over 5 for the month of September.

* I'd love to see John Kruk and the rest of the Red Sox Nation affiliated with ESPN eat crow. Kruk was so emphatic that the Red Sox would win the division and that the Yankees would not make the playoffs. Well, Krukie now what???

* The NFL season approaches its 4th week and I have some observations: The Atlanta Falcons, a trendy pick to go to the Super Bowl, are going to struggle to make the playoffs. Their offense is totally out of sync. I have never been a Matt Ryan fan and he has shown nothing this season to make me change my opinion.

* The Pittsburgh Steelers may be in trouble. They took some hits on their O-line with some injuries Sunday night and it appears that they cannot run the ball. It will be interesting to see what adjustments Mike Tomlin makes.

* The New England Patriots ride to a Super Bowl hit a bump on Sunday. The Buffalo Bills exposed the Patriot defense big time. But when you think about it, New England's defense has been terrible for the last several years. I attribute that to the arrogance of genius Bill Belichick who thinks he can put people in and out of the roster no matter how good they are and still win.

* The Philadelphia Eagles may be the Boston Red Sox of the NFL. The proclaimed Dream Team was lit up by the NY Football Giants Sunday. So much for that vaunted defensive secondary. Maybe Andy Reid should have paid attention to his O-line.

* Living in WNY, the sports bandwagons are filled up to the brim as enthusiasm for the Bills and Sabres is unreal. Super Bowl and the Stanley Cup are Buffalo's to own. At least that's what the locals are saying. Too bad that both aren't won in September.

* And finally, the blown call on an extra point attempt by Syracuse in its game against Toledo was a total disgrace. Syracuse had scored a touchdown putting the Orange ahead 29-27. The extra point attempt was clearly wide to the left but the officials ruled the kick was good. The play was reviewed by the replay official and they concurred that the kick was good. Are you kidding me!!! If Syracuse was playing West Virginia or UConn what would the result have been??? Plain and simple: Toledo got screwed. The Big East should be ashamed of themselves.

Tuesday’s Thoughts

While wondering how many people will be on the bandwagon after the Bills-Patriots game, here is what's on my mind this morning:

* Yesterday Mariano Rivera cemented his position as the greatest closer of all-time by notching his 602nd save making him the all-time saves leader. As Derek Jeter said after the game what makes Rivera even more special is his post season work as he has the most saves in the post season with 42. The next closest is Brad Lidge with 18.

* While the focus was on Rivera yesterday, AJ Burnett's continued inability to pitch consistently throughout a game was evident once again. In an article in the NY Post, Burnett seemed perturbed over being pulled out of the game before completing the 5th inning. After being staked to a 5-0 lead, Burnett gave up 4 runs and once again the bullpen had to save the day. Joe Girardi made the right move getting him out of there. If Burnett is part of the Yankee post season rotation I will be be shocked and completely disgusted.

* Hate to keep repeating myself but the state of the Yankee pitching rotation is of major concern as we approach the playoffs. If CC Sabathia doesn't get on track, the Yankees are in even bigger trouble.

* It was great watching the Maple Leafs last night in their first preseason game against the Ottawa Senators. Jake Gardiner, the youngster acquired in the Francois Beauchemin trade, played very well notching two assists and looked extremely confident. The Leaf power play scored 2 goals on 6 opportunities and did not give up a shorthanded goal on 3 Ottawa power plays. Tyler Bozak had 2 goals for the Leafs. They are in action tonight against the Flyers which should be the Maple Leaf debut of Cody Franson and Tim Connolly.

* The Buffalo Bills are 2-0 and living here in WNY means that Bills Fever is running wild. Sunday should be a true test as the New England Patriots come to Orchard Park.

* The reported moving of teams out of the Big 12 and Pittsburgh & Syracuse moving out of the Big East signals the end of college football as we know it. As it is, some traditional rivalry games such as Pitt-Penn State and Penn State-Syracuse ended a long time ago. The long time Oklahoma-Nebraska game has also come to an end. Just another example of why the NCAA is a joke for allowing this type of money grabbing to continue.

* There was a report that the non-football schools of the Big East were looking at a basketball conference that would consist of Catholic universities. I wonder if the local Little 3 schools, St. Bonaventure, Niagara and Canisius, would consider making the jump. Back in the day, those 3 schools played St. John's, Villanova, Providence, Marquette, DePaul and Georgetown on a regular basis. Niagara and Canisius would need to upgrade their home court facilities. It probably won't happen but it doesn't hurt to dream.

My NFL picks this week will be posted on Friday morning.

Tuesday’s Thoughts

While wondering if there is enough room on the Buffalo Bills bandwagon, here's what is on my mind this morning:

* Unbelievably the New York Yankees find themselves in first place, 4 games over the Boston Red Sox. Last night, the Yankees beat up on a long-time Yankee-killer, Felix Hernandez. The 9-3 victory was the game in hand that the Yankees had with Boston. Phil Hughes had another solid outing and the Yankee offense showed up with home runs from Mark Teixiera and Chris Dickerson, not to mention another solid night by Robinson Cano. Cano has 109 RBI's good enough for second in the American League behind teammate Curtis Granderson.

* David Ortiz has indicated that it is panic time for the Red Sox and he may be right. The Tampa Bay Rays beat up on the Baltimore Orioles to reduce Boston's lead to 3 games for the AL Wild Card spot. Theo Epstein was whining about various injuries that his club has suffered but the Yankees have had their share of injuries also. The Red Sox problem is the same as New York's: pitching. John Lackey has been an unmitigated disaster since the Red Sox signed him in 2010 and Erik Bedard and Tim Wakefield are hardly imposing particularly in October. The Red Sox are not dead but the four game series coming up against the Rays in Fenway will determine a lot for the team that the talking heads predicted would run away with the American League East and be in the World Series.

* As pointed out in one of the New York daily's, with 16 games remaining the Red Sox will have to go 12-4 and the Yankees will have to go 8-8 in order for Boston to catch the Yanks for the AL East crown.

* I still say, be wary of the Detroit Tigers in October. We all know about Justin Verlander but deadline acquistion Doug Fister has been a great pickup for the Tigers. Fister is 5-1 since joining the Tigers with a 2.28 ERA. Kudos to Dave Dombrowski for bolstering his staff with a potential starting rotation for October that would consist of Verlander, Rick Porcello, Max Scherzer and Fister.

* After Week 1 of the NFL, I would still take college football over pro football any day.

* Tom Brady's brilliant performance last night certainly sent a message to the rest of the AFC that Brady & Company will be a force to reckon with. However, Bill Bellichek's boys will have to get better on defense if they are to ultimately land in the Super Bowl.

* NBC lucked out in week one as they had two of the most exciting games of the pro weekend with the Green Bay-New Orleans game and the NY Jets-Dallas game. They have another marquee matchup this Sunday with Philadelphia going into Atlanta.

* This week in college football there are some intriguing matchups as interconference play begins. Florida will host Tennessee, #2 LSU heads to #25 Mississippi State and the top game on Saturday is #1 Oklahoma heading to Tallahassee to take on #5 Florida State. And in the Violation Bowl, Ohio State will go down to Florida to take on the Hurricanes of Miami.

* Last night, Ron Jaworski was praising Brian Daboll, offensive coordinator for the Miami Dolphins. According to Jaworski, Daboll's philosophy is that of an aggressive, attacking offense. Are you kidding me??? Did Jaworski see the Browns offense for the time that Daboll was offensive coordinator??? The Browns were hardly aggressive and attacking with Daboll at the helm.

* Hard not to do this column without mentioning my favorite media whipping boy, Michael "Beavis" Kay. Last night, Beavis tried to stir up things by asking Kim Jones if there was any talk about who would catch Mariano Rivera when he tries for his 600th save. Beavis was specifically questioning about whether Jorge Posada will be brought in to catch his longtime teammate. Jones went on to say that Posada would like to be in the game and that it would be difficult for him to sit on the bench seeing Rivera hit the 600 mark. Interestingly enough, the fan poll indicated that the majority of fans thought that it would be Russell Martin or Austin Romine who would be the catcher when Rivera hits 600. What a ridiculous question and its another example of Beavis trying to stir up a controversy when in fact its all a bunch of crap and something that the fans really could careless about.

* And speaking of Yankee catchers, its just been reported that Francisco Cervelli will be out indefinitely with a concussion. The Yanks will now have to decide if both Montero and Romine will make the post season roster which would most certainly mean that Posada would not be on it.

* Finally, the talking heads were all a blaze about the new NFL rule for kickoffs, specifically that the ball be kicked off from the 35 yard line. What is the big deal?? Prior to 1974, they kicked off from the 40 and I believe that kickoffs were returned for touchdowns back then. Again, another controversy that is all BS.

Tuesday’s Thoughts

As I wonder how it could be 89 degrees on Friday and then 62 degrees on Labor Day, here's what is on my mind this morning:

*Throughout the summer I have called for the Yankees to bring up Jesus Montero. Well, yesterday the kid put on a power display which led the Yanks to an 11-10 win over the Orioles. Both homers were to the opposite field as Montero gave us a glimpse as to why Brian Cashman was reluctant to part with this kid. One game does not make a star but it certainly gives us hope for possibly an impact position player developed in the farm system.

* Joe Girardi's pronouncement yesterday that he was not ready to go back to a five man rotation is curious at best. The manager claimed that all of the pitchers have given him pause as to making a final decision. Phil Hughes goes this evening and AJ Burnett will go Wednesday afternoon. In the meantime, Girardi's inability to make a decision means that CC Sabathia will get another extra day's rest. Maybe that is what's driving this, even though CC has indicated that he wants to get back to his regular routine. It could mean that Girardi is trying to conserve the number of innings each pitcher logs because he may be looking at a 3 man rotation for October, particularly in the first round of the playoffs.

* With yesterday's victory coupled with Boston's loss, the Yankees find themselves 2 1/2 games ahead of the Red Sox with a game in hand. The Yanks would be on cruise control to an AL East title if they had gone 7-8 in their season series vs Boston to date as opposed to 4-11.

* The Detroit Tigers are looking like a team that could be extremely dangerous come playoff time, particularly in a 5 game series. We are all aware of the season Justin Verlander is having as he is no doubt the best pitcher in baseball. But the Tigers may have really solidified their pitching by acquiring Doug Fister at the trade deadline. Fister chalked up 13 strikeouts yesterday in a 4-2 win over the Cleveland Indians. He is 4-1 in his last seven starts with the Tigers and could be a nice part of a pitching rotation that will see Verlander go 2 of the 5 games in the opening round of the playoffs.

* Michael "Beavis" Kay was at it again yesterday in the YES broadcast booth. I am sick and tired of the gushing over Buck Showalter by Beavis particularly when the Yanks play the Orioles. While I understand that he may have developed a relationship with Showalter back when Beavis was on the radio only and Buck was Yankee manager that doesn't excuse Beavis treating Showalter like he is the greatest manager in baseball history. Showalter's teams have only qualified for the playoffs twice, once with the Yankees and once with the Diamondbacks. His career record as a manager is 971-939 with no championships yet Beavis seems to think that everything out of Showalter's mouth is gospel. It's disgusting particularly since Beavis had such disdain for Joe Torre, a guy who managed 4 World Series champions.

* If you watched the Yankee game yesterday did you pick up Beavis' ridiculous call on a routine fly ball hit by Mark Teixiera? "Deep the left" is how the call started but the Oriole left fielder was barely near the warning track. In fact, I'm not sure the ball traveled 300 feet.

* Kudos to the Indianapolis Colts for banning Jim Tressel for 7 games before he begins his stint as an in-game advisor. I'm not sure why Tressel deserves such a gig but I'm glad he is getting a similar prohibition as Terrell Pryor has received.

* College football began last weekend and it was great. The TCU-Baylor game was awesome and I'm not sure there is a more prolific offense than Boise State's. The weekend's action confirms in my mind that I will take the college game over the NFL any day of the week. It's too bad there isn't a playoff to determine a national champion.

* Word that Oklahoma and Texas Tech are looking to bolt the Big 12 for the Pac-12 is scary. We could be heading toward the mega-conferences sooner than we think. Unfortunately, this would be a disaster for mid-major schools and non-traditional football schools like Boise State. It could also eliminate traditional rivalries as has happened with games like Nebraska-Oklahoma.

* The new uniforms that were on display over the weekend by a few of the college teams were awful. Georgia should be ashamed of themselves for going away from their very traditional and classy unis for those "any given sunday" stuff they had on Saturday. Judging by their performance they may want to go back to tradition. The new Maryland uniforms were horrible. I guess this is another case where the hope is that fans will rush out and by the new uniform wear. Here's hoping all of this goes away in a hurry.

* With the untimely death of Wade Belak, there is a rush to call for an end of fighting in the NHL. To tie Belak's death to his role as an enforcer is a joke. Fighting has been a part of the game for years. The three deaths, Belak, Derek Boogard and Rick Rypien, had more to do with personal demons as opposed to fighting in hockey. If the NHL is really concerned about head injuries and making the game safer it should alter the equipment back to the way it was in the late 80's early 90's and they should ban stage fights when teams send out their two enforcers to go at it. They could also institute no-touch icing.

And finally, the Maple Leafs open up training camp on September 16th. Hockey starts, football beginning and the baseball post season is why I love this time of the year!!!!

Tuesday’s Thoughts

While counting down the days for NHL training camps to open, here's what's on my mind today:

* The Yankees managed to earn a split of their 4 game series with the Orioles last night with a 3-2 win as Freddy Garcia pitched very well in his first start since being on the disabled list. It's becoming clearer each day that the 5th spot in the rotation comes down to Burnett and Hughes and for my money I would go with Hughes.

* The Yankees hobble into the Valley of Doom known as Fenway Park for a key 3 game series against the first place Red Sox. The pitching matchups don't look good for the Yanks. Tonight its CC Sabathia against John Lackey. One would think that this would favor the Yanks but CC has been terrible against the Bosox. In fact these two faced each other the last time these two teams met and the Yanks got spanked. Then its Hughes vs Beckett on Wednesday and Burnett vs Lester on Thursday. Here's hoping that Hughes pitches well and that CC can get on track tonight. Thursday you can mark as a loss. The only question is what's the over/under on when Burnett blows up??

* Offensively, the Yankees go into the series with ARod extremely doubtful for all 3 games due to a thumb injury and Derek Jeter day-to-day due to a bruised knee. The loss of ARod is really a concern because I think it's crucial that he gets in a groove for the post season. This thumb injury seems to be lingering and could be a recurring problem. As far as the Captain goes, its really unfortunate that he has missed the last two games since he's been red hot at the plate.

* Being realistic, things are not looking good for the Yankees winning the AL East. They are 1 1/2 games behind Boston, only one game in the loss column with two games in hand. While its certainly conceivable for the Yanks to win the division, with the ARod injury and the up and down pitching, I just don't see it.

* Michael "Beavis" Kay has been terrible, more so than usual. You have almost become accustomed to the over the top self-promotion, but he can't even get his facts straight. In a game against Oakland last week, he indicated that Girardi was bringing in Boone Logan. However, it was evident that Girardi motioned for a right hander which happened to be Cory Wade. Beavis had to correct himself when they came back from a commercial break. In explaining the AL East standings, Beavis said that Boston had 4 games in hand on the Yankees. But the truth of the matter is that before Friday's games it was the Yankees who had 4 games in hand. The incompetence continued on Sunday in Game One of the split doubleheader when an Oriole runner was tagged out on a play at second base. Beavis asked Kenny Singleton whether it was Jeter who placed the tag on the runner. Singelton professionally indicated that Nunez was at short. You see Jeter was the DH. Nice going Beavis!

*If you have the opportunity pick up last week's Sports Illustrated. Great article on the University of Miami football mess.

*http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/college/2011/08/27/2011-08-27_as_ncaa_hones_in_on_miami_football_penn_states_joe_paterno_shows_you_can_win_wit.html Great article on Joe Paterno. Do you remember a couple of years back when the talking heads were chattering for JoePa's dismissal?? Paterno has run a successful major college football program with nary a problem. He's old school and whether you like the Nittany Lions or not, you have to respect the guy. Check out the Daily News article!!

* I wonder if Jeremy White and the boys at WGR 550 realize that the college football season begins this week. Probably not since I'm sure they are all fired up about the MTV Music Video Awards and the fact that Beyonce is pregnant.

* Buffalo Bills fans are probably one of the most loyal fans in all of sports. It's unfortunate that Ralph Wilson is one of the cheapest owners in all of sports. What makes it even more frustrating is the fact that he is making money hand over fist. You see, the NFL unlike the other 3 major sports, has a national television contract that is evenly divided among all of the NFL teams. His small market argument is a bunch of crap. On top of the fact that his Orchard Park hell hole is filled every Sunday in spite of the terrible football that has been played there since Doug Flutie left. But for the early 60's and the 4 Super Bowl teams of the 90's, Wilson has given Bills fans very little to cheer about. Yes, there were other times the team made the playoffs. But, Wilson would never do more to get those teams over the top. The dumping of Lee Evans is a classic example of his cheapness. What you have to remember is that teams have two years before they have to spend up to the salary cap floor which means that Wilson can really rake in the dough. If Wilson cared at all about this fan base, he would actively look to sell the team with the understanding that the team will stay in WNY.

* I am so glad that the Browns did not take Terrelle Pryor in the supplemental draft. Oakland is the perfect place for Pryor who I will predict will do nothing in the pros to warrant a 3rd round pick which is what the Raiders gave up to acquire Pryor. I believe the Raiders now are without a 1st, 2nd and 3rd round pick for the 2012 Draft. Nice move Al.

* The NFL's ridiculous protection of quarterbacks from legitimate hits was never more blatant than in the Browns-Eagles game last Thursday. DeQwell Jackson, middle linebacker for Cleveland, came in untouched and hit Michael Vick just as he released the football which resulted in an interception for the Browns. However, it was all for naught as Jackson was flagged for roughing the quarterback. Jackson did not lead with his head. He did not pick Vick up and slam him to the ground. He drove his shoulder into Vick and took him down. It was a good football tackle. This was a problem last year and I guess we will see more of this again. Why don't they just put a flag on the quarterback's belt and have the defender grab the flag in order to stop the play. What a joke!!!!

* How pathetic is it that the local media is falling all over the new dressing room for the Sabres. It will be interesting to see how long the love affair will continue once the first multiple game losing streak hits. By the way, do you know who the highest paid defenseman is in the NHL?? Answer: Christian Erhoff. Hmmmmmm...

* And finally, if the Sabres run into a losing streak in December or January, will they be allowed to stoke up the fireplace in their new locker room complex??? Moreover, how many of their blue collar fans have the luxury of having a fireplace in their homes??

Tuesday’s Thoughts

While wondering how long Kris Kardashian and Kris Humphries will remain married here's what else is on my mind this morning:

* I know its only preseason but I'm really excited about Colt McCoy. McCoy was banged around by the Lions on Friday but managed to throw 3 TDs and had is team up at halftime. It seems like McCoy and Head Coach Pat Shurmur have something going so far as they seem to be on the same page. And Shurmur is calling the plays. Maybe, just maybe, things are looking up in Believeland.

* Speaking of Shurmur, kudos for him in immediately addressing Greg Little's actions after he caught a touchdown pass in Friday's game. Little decided to drop kick the football into the end zone. I don't have a problem with TD celebrations, but that is over the top and Shurmur felt the same way and he let the rookie know it. Hopefully Little gets the message as he has plenty of talent and doesn't need to be Braylon Edwards Part II.

* The Yankees defense of AJ Burnett is getting roasted in the New York dailies. Check out Bill Madden's article in today's Daily News. Madden hits the nail on the head: Burnett needs to be the odd man out of the Yankee rotation.

* Isn't it amazing that despite being 2-10 against Boston, the Yankees are 1 game ahead of the Red Sox and 2 games up in the loss column. The Yankees could have a comfortable lead right now if they had split the season series. That's why next week's 3 game series at Fenway is a big one.

* Plenty of talk about Curtis Granderson's chances of being named AL MVP. I would love to see it happen as I don't think there's a better guy than Granderson in all of professional sports. That being said, I don't think he will get it because I believe there is an anti-Yankee bias as evidenced by Derek Jeter not getting the award several years ago.

* The local media is already fed up with the Buffalo Bills. In a column yesterday in the Buffalo News, Mike Harrington ripped the Bills for not addressing needs and being flat out sloppy. At the very end Harrington says that three words will soon take over the town: "drop the puck".

* Speaking of the local media, its really sad how sportscasters have denigrated themselves by buying into the Entercom philosophy that their "sports talk" station needs to be more than sports. Chris "the Bulldog" Parker used to do sports talk on week night evenings on WBEN. It was a pretty good show and The Bulldog talked all sports. He was quite knowledgeable. Howard Simon had moved all around local radio and was a quality sports guy. On WNSA, Simon was really good and when they simulcasted with the old Empire network I used to make it a point of catching a part of his show. Both of these guys are now a shadow of themselves. While they both have the ability to be all-around sports talkers, in order to keep getting the Entercom green they need to talk about how much pizza Simon ate the night before, be movie critics and do nonsense polls on things that have nothing to do with sports. Oh well, I guess they have to earn a living, too bad they had to sell out.

* Another member of the WGR lineup is Mike Schopp. Schopp also was a very knowledgeable sports guy when he was on WNSA. He was someone else who I made a point of listening too. He also had an audition with ESPN Radio. For awhile he was on the national ESPN Saturday afternoon radio broadcasts. But obviously that went nowhere. I wonder if that had anything to do with the fact that Schopp is now viewed as one of the most arrogant and obnoxious hosts on WGR. It's really too bad since the kid could have been a contender. Instead he decided to be a big fish in a small pond.

* Reports of the violence that took place at the 49ers-Raiders game the other night is truly a disgrace and a sad commentary on today's society. This is the second incident in California where there were serious injuries between fans of different teams at a sporting event. I'm all about rivalries. I think they are great. Being a Yankee fan I hate the Red Sox. Being a Browns fan I hate the Steelers. Being a Leafs fan I hate the Canadiens. But would I fight or shoot a fan of those teams: NO!!! In fact, as long as they don't get in my face I'm good with them sitting right next to me at a game. I know how it feels to be at a game and feel like you are goiing to get into a fight. That's why I don't go to Buffalo when the Browns or Leafs are in town.

* The hypocrisy of the adults surrounding the NCAA and specifically NCAA Football rivals that of members of the Republican Party. The guy who laid the hammer down on USC is Paul Dee. Dee was the former AD at Miami. He had harsh words for USC when the penalty was handed down all the while his own football program was a modern day Sodom and Gomorrah. The football players are not to blame here. The blame is with those in charge. There hypocrites!!!

Tuesday’s Thoughts

While wondering what's more disgusting deep fried butter or a hamburger in between a glazed donut here is what else is on my mind:

* Well, well, well, AJ Burnett finally got off his August losing streak as the Yankees came back and defeated the Royals 7-4. Burnett did his usual one inning melt down in the 5th inning, blowing a 2-0 lead by giving up 3 runs in the bottom of the 5th. In 5 1/3 innings, the Blonde Bomber gave up 10 hits and struck out 2. Hardly confidence inspiring but I'm sure Mr. Cashman is pleased.

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baseball/yankees/2011/08/16/2011-08-16_colon_in_pen_could_relieve_rotation_logjam.html Filip Bondy's article today in the Daily News is exactly what I have been thinking since Cashman told us all to smoke the reality pipe. Bondy is right on the money when he says that it would be a huge mistake for this season and the future if you play games with Ivan Nova and Phil Hughes. Since Burnett is not going to the bullpen by Cashman's edict, Bartolo Colon to the pen makes sense. Interesting Colon stats in the article.

* Yesterday in the NY Post, there was an article where Jorge Posada said he loves the Yankee fans but if he decides to play next year it could be with another team. Don't let the door hit you on the way out, Jorge.

* In direct contrast to Posada is Bernie Williams. Williams just walked away when he was not guaranteed a roster spot in 2007. I don't ever recall Bernie saying a bad thing about the Yankees since he has left. It's a disgrace that the high muckety-mucks in Yankeeland have not had a Bernie Williams Day. Williams was just as important as the Core Four and in case you forgot, was a homegrown product.

* There was a good article in the last edition of Sports Illustrated about Bears quarterback Jay Cutler. Cutler has taken all kinds of heat for coming out of last year's NFC title game in spite of the fact that he suffered a Grade II tear of the medial-collateral ligament in his left knee and as a result couldn't plant and throw. Players, such as the genius Maurice Jones-Drew, called Cutler out calling him gutless. Cutler was sacked 52 times last year, the most of any quarterback in the NFL in 2010. Do you remember the Giants game when he was sacked 9 times in the first half!!! This is also a guy who plays while being a Type 1 diabetic. Cutler is also a professional athlete who does quite a bit of work for various charities with the understanding that he doesn't think its necessary to broadcast it to everyone. And that's why Cutler isn't looked favorably by the media, he doesn't go out of his way to cater to them. I'd take Jay Cutler on my team any day, not only for his athletic ability but also because of his off the field endeavors.

* Read yesterday that during the lockout, Colt McCoy went down to Mississippi to meet with Brett Farve to talk about the West Coast offense. Farve of course played under Mike Holmgren so it would make sense for Colt to pick Farve's brain. McCoy's 2011 debut was certainly impressive against the Packers. I'm liking this kid more and more.

* Last week I touched on the sad state of sports radio here in Western New York. While all markets tend to focus on their own teams, the Buffalo Sports Station, WGR550 covers only the Bills and the Sabres 365 days a year. Pennant races, March Madness, World Series are all non-existent on GR. But that's what happens when there is no competition. About 10 years ago or so, Western New Yorkers had options with WWKB Radio and WNSA. It raised the level of the product. Now, with no competition, sports talk turns into talk about how much pizza one of the co-hosts ate and compiling lists of favorite foods and movies. Hard hitting sports talk?? Give me a break!! The smug morning co-host Jeremy White would say: why do you listen if you don't like it. My response: I don't listen but my local sources keep me posted on what's going on with the best sports radio station in Buffalo.

* Congrats to Jim Thome for hitting his 600th home run last night. In fact, he hit is 599th and 600th against the Tigers in their 9-6 win. Thome is a throwback to the sluggers from the 60's and 70's. You've never heard his name mentioned with any performance enhancing drugs.

More troubling news out of college football as it's being reported on CBS Sportsline that the University of Miami's football team is being investigated for special favors and money being given to players. This allegedly happened prior to the current coaching staff. Let's see: USC, North Carolina, Oregon, Ohio State and now Miami. Hmmmm....there's no problem in NCAA Football.

* We also see that Texas A&M is looking to bolt the Big 12 and go to the SEC. What's pushing this is the fact that the Big 12 has allowed Texas University to have its own television network called "The Longhorn Network". The Aggies are concerned because this would give the Longhorns an even greater advantage in recruiting the many talented Texas high school football players.

* And finally, do you think the WGR guys know where Texas A&M is???

Tuesday’s Thoughts

While wondering why I pay more taxes than General Electric here is what's on my mind this morning:

* http://espn.go.com/blog/sweetspot/post/_/id/14706/red-sox-yankees-rivalry-dead-how-to-fix Great article about the Yankee-Red Sox rivalry. While I don't like the idea of a one game playoff for 2 wild card teams, I do agree that the 19 games between the 2 teams is too much. The other problem with the rivalry is that the Yankees don't have anybody with any fire. Do you remember when Thurman Munson and Carleton Fisk hated each other's guts? When Graig Nettles fought Bill Lee?? When Don Zimmer charged Pedro Martinez??? When Karim Garcia charged the mound??? When the Yankee bullpen fought Red Sox fans?? When Tanyon Sturtze took on two Red Sox to come to Zimmer's defense??? Now its all hugging and grab ass B.S.

* The move to bench Jorge Posada is a long time coming. Unfortunately, you would have hoped that Posada would have gone to Girardi and recognized he was hurting the team and asked out. Look at Jason Varitek. Not sure I've ever heard that he was upset with his role with the Red Sox. He maybe plays once or twice a week. Posada should follow Varitek's lead and suck it up. While there are some who question whether AJ Burnett would be on the playoff roster, should Posada be on that roster??

* Is there a bigger dirt bag ingrate than golf caddie Steve Williams?? If it wasn't for Tiger Woods no one would have a clue as to who Williams is. Not to mention the money Williams has made as a result of Woods. Yet, Williams has taken it upon himself to take shots at Tiger. What a piece of garbage!!!

* http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/more_sports/true_yes_man_1nzhOwzFZC9i0l0k8GGzBM Great article by Phil Mushnick about the annoying and self-promoting Michael Kay. Mushnick really nails it. Take the time to check it out!

* Staying in the world of broadcasting, its amazing to look at what's going on in sports radio. Not sure you can find a better sports radio station than 660 WFAN out of New York. Chicago sports radio is good also. What makes these stations a pleasure to listen to is that they cover all sports, not just the local teams. The Toronto sports radio market is right up there as there is 590 The Fan and now TSN has a radio station at 1050 AM. Being in Western New York, I am fortunate to be able to listen to those stations because Buffalo sports radio is a flat out joke. WGR 550 only focuses on the Bills and Sabres. Basketball and baseball simply do not exist. In fact, if you want to listen to MLB playoff games you have to listen to Toronto sports radio. Despite having 4 mid-major college basketball teams, 550 never covers them, they don't even talk about them. In addition, Niagara and Canisius have fairly decent Division I hockey teams as Niagara has made the Frozen 4 tournament twice but as far as 550 goes it never happened. Not only do they simply focus on the Bills and Sabres, their on air hosts are the most obnoxious and condescending group that you will find anywhere. What makes it worse is that they really are ignorant as to what is going on outside of the Buffalo pro teams.

* Dave Dombrowski received a contract extension from the Detroit Tigers to be their General Manager through 2015. Not good news for those of us who would like to see Brian Cashman go off into the sunset as Dombrowski was considered a possible replacement.

* Here's hoping Joe Paterno is back on the sidelines at Penn State. Joe Pa was injured when a player ran into him causing multiple injuries and sending the college football icon to the hospital. It's reported that Paterno should be back before the start of the season.

* I'm not sure whether Colt McCoy is the answer at quarterback for the Browns but I certainly admire the kid's leadership abilities. The kid was a proven winner in college and I really hope he succeeds with the Browns. It's been almost 20 years since the Browns had a quarterback that fans could believe in. (Bernie Kosar)

* And finally, I saw a clip of a MMA fight that took place over the weekend with Niagara Falls native Rashard Evans. People could save themselves plenty of money and see the same amount of action by hanging out at any parking lot at an NFL stadium on game day. Nothing like a good old fashioned tailgate drunken stupor fight!!
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Tomorrow a look at what's going on in various NFL training camps.

Tuesday’s Thoughts

While wondering if we have had a better summer than this year's edition, here's what is on my mind this morning:

* CC Sabathia once again showed last night why he is the undisputed ace of the Yankees and a possible Cy Young Award candidate. Last night on the Yes broadcast they showed a stat which indicated that Sabathia's July numbers were the 3rd best in team history for one month behind David Cone in July 1998 and Whitey Ford in September 1963. Hopefully, Mr. Cashman won't play games and make sure that CC is back in Pinstripes next year.

* Kind of scratching my head this morning when I read an article in the NY Post which indicated that the Yankees had placed AJ Burnett, Rafael Soriano and Jorge Posada on waivers. Apparently, the Yankees can withdraw these players off of the list and the feeling is that because of their salaries its highly unlikely any team would claim them. It was also mentioned that it would smoke out teams that might be interested in the three players and possibly lead to a trade down the road. I wonder what these 3 guys are thinking about today.

* I saw something on Twitter this morning indicating that the 2009 World Series Champion Yankee team had a team ERA of 4.29 and that this year's team had an ERA of 3.47. I wonder what the American League batting average was in 2009 compared to this year? If I had to bet 2009 was higher.

* I'm happy with the Browns signing Brandon Jackson and Usama Young. Jackson should really provide the Browns with a nice change of pace back from Peyton Hillis and Montario Hardesty. Young will bolster the defensive backfield. It's too bad the Broderick Bunkley deal didn't go through.

* The Browns 1st round pick, Phil Taylor, tweeted last night that he looks forward to being in camp today which would seem to indicate that he has come to an agreement on a contract. Good news for the Brownies.

* It's going to take me a good couple of weeks to prepare for fantasy football this year with all the player moves. Not sure what to make of it all at this point.

* The voters in Nassau County turned down a bond issue that would have funded a new arena for the New York Islanders. The thinking is that once the current lease agreement ends in 2015 that the Isles will move out of Long Island. What a shame!! The Islanders were a wonderful team to watch back in the late 70's early 80's. They did not have a lot of superstars, in fact the only one was Mike Bossy with defenseman Denis Potvin being a close second. However, they had a great coach in Al Arbour, an outstanding center in Bryan Trottier and some great heart and soul guys like Bobby Nystrom, Garry Howatt and Butch Goring. Of course there was also the power forward Clark Gillies who could score and fight. It's too bad that this once proud franchise could be uprooted. It's also sad that they play in an arena which is no longer fit for an NHL team, let alone one in Greater NY City.

* When I saw last night that Michael Kay and John Flaherty were broadcasting the game, I knew it was going to be a long night. The mindless duo belabored the point that Jake Peavy seemed to struggle once he hit the 75 pitch mark. Kay almost was in countdown mode as he ridiculously was waiting for Peavy to lose it and Flaherty played along. Of course, Peavy went on to make 115 pitches and set down 10 out of 11 hitters after the 75th pitch. These guys are flat out brutal. What was also brutal was their defense of Brian Cashman for not making a trade. Let's see what the mindless duo has to say after the current road trip.

* This weekend we will get a preview of what lies ahead as the Yankees will go with Colon, Sabathia and Garcia against the Red Sox. In fact, after the Red Sox, the Yankees go home to play the Angels and the Rays. The next 2 weeks will give us a good indication of where this team is at and the performance of Brian Cashman.

* And finally, can an American League team go to the World Series with a DH and the catcher position batting under .230??