Well, it has been a while since I have written on NASC, and a lot has happened since then. I have become enthralled with soccer. It is odd, because I am an American, and according to tradition we are supposed to hate soccer. But that is not the case, in fact it seems that I am watching more and more soccer, slowly becoming addicted to the world's sport.

But enough about me. I am back, and feel glad to be back.

¶ 1:16 PM
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Now that the weekend is all but over (it always goes to fast) we must note all of the "highlights" in the world of sports:

• Coach K. of the Duke Blue Devils has now amassed 700 wins.

• Tiger Woods won the Target World Challenge by two strokes, with a score of -16. I guess the wife is keeping him in check now. It's been a while since Tiger has won, and it's about time!

• For the fourth straight week Eli Manning (New York Giants) has flopped. Here are the brilliant stats that Eli produced: 4/18 27 yds. 0 TD 2 INT. Those are close to pro-bowl stats! No wonder Eli was drafted over Ben Roethlisberger (who is now 11-0 as a rookie).

• After being fired from Notre Dame, Tyrone Willingham has been given a second chance from the Washington Huskies. I wonder who was more desperate?

That was short. All I know is the Lacrosse season is almost here!! Now the question is: Why am I getting so excited over one of the most boring sports? Heck, even bowling has more excitement than Lacrosse and that is saying something. Oh well. All I have to say is go out and buy the Toots and the Maytals new cd. True Love.

I'm going back to the Philadelphia v. Washington game. So good night.

¶ 7:35 PM
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Now that Matt Leinart has won the Heisman trophy, a share of the national title, and a bid for the 2004 National Title, what's next for Leinart?

The NFL. Period. Why would he waste another year in college, when he could go high in the first round of the draft (or number one)? Remember what is valued more in this country: fame and money, over intelligence and a college education. With ESPN leading the way, it is almost certain Leinart will go Pro.

Its great to know, that our values are in check!

¶ 2:38 PM
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As we all know, Friday night was a spectacle we all wish did not occur, except Commissioner David Stern. Since the day Ron Artest walked away from St. John's and made himself available for the draft, to the moment he threw the first punch (Friday), Stern had wanted to eliminate him. How could a kid from the slums make it to the NBA and be such a troublemaker? Well Artest did it, and Stern resented it. Sounds comparable to the battle between Howard Stern and Michael Powell (FCC Commissioner). However, in the battle between Artest and Stern, it seems Artest has lost. Now you must understand that I am all for the punishment, however, if there is punishment everyone should receive punishment that represents their actions (no one should be singled out: Artest). A few days have passed, and Stern Rules Out Drastic Remedies for NBA. Seems a bit odd, especially when the NBA has just witnessed a great act of stupidity. Oh well. I still have to deal with my Lakers and their growing problems.

¶ 5:27 PM
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For the past few months I have not written anything. It'€™s been quite hectic and I am sorry. However, I am back now.

All I have to say is: the sports world could not be any worse. For one, the debacle that occurred in Detroit was embarrassment of extreme proportions. Not only were the players out of hand, so too were the fans. Are we going to have to start putting fans in a cage like rabid dogs? I hope not. But then again, Friday night brought us close to that point. I understand that Ron Artest was deserving of his suspension, however, I believe Ben Wallace deserved more than just a six game suspension (especially when it was Wallace who started the fight). That is just my opinion, and for what it is worth. Furthermore, when looking at the suspensions that have been issued, (maybe its my paranoia) but it seems to me that Commissioner David Stern has a vendetta against the Pacers, and even more so with Artest.

"I respect David Stern, but I don't think that he has been fair with me in this situation," Artest said in a statement released by the players union in which he also expressed his regrets. (espn.com)

It was sick watching this, and let'€™s hope this does not happen again.

But it did! If you were watching the Clemson/South Carolina game on Saturday, you would have seen more fighting. What has the world come to? This is not hockey (and even hockey has found a way into the 21st century). Something has to be done, but at least, no other games were marred by acts of stupidity.

One more bit, then I have to leave. After watching the New York Giants/Atlanta Falcons game on Sunday was unimpressed by Eli Manning. Eli is slow, cannot make quick decisions, and has an arm that makes Drew Bledsoe's arm look like great. He has a lot to learn before he can reach Ben Roethlisberger's ability; everyone who had watched college football last year knew Eli was "weak." Oh well, at least it was not my money.

It's good to be back!!

¶ 9:58 AM
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Tiger Woods still has a chance to win, amazing isn't it? There have been numerous times today, that Woods looked like he was going to loose it. (missed fairways, bad putting etc.) However, he kept his cool and shot even par, to be -6 overall.

Vijay Singh is tied for 36 (-3). He has no one to blame, especially when Tiger is tied for second.

¶ 3:16 PM
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The San Diego Charges have outdone themselves. I thought the Philip Rivers fiasco was enough. But no, they fooled us, they did something even better. The Spanos Goofs made LeDainian Tomlinson the most paid running back. That's not all. San Diego has rubbed everyone's face in the fact that they are going to pay Tomlinson more than $50.5 million. "He's the best running back I've ever seen," [coach] Schottenheimer said. "He's a terrific, terrific player, and all the superlatives about him as a player I think are exceeded by the fact that he is a greater person." (nfl.com) He might be able to run, but I don't think he can carry this franchise on his back. There still is a huge possibility of injury and or off-field problems. When you look at the majority of the backs in the NFL, they start to decline in their 5th year (i.e. Priest Holmes-Leg Injury, Ricky Williams-Drugs, Jamal Lewis-Drugs, Duce Staley-Leg Injury) So as you can see, its a huge gamble to place your future in the hands of a running back.

Now here is the kicker. San Diego refused to pay their first round draft pick $50 million, even though Rivers was going to be instrumental in the turn around of this pathetic franchise. Just goes to show you where their goals are. They would rather have the most expensive running back instead of a successful program.

PGA update: Briny Baird is now the leader at Whistling Straits with a score of -8.

Darren Clarke (-7), Ernie Els (-6), Justin Leonard (-6) and Stephen Ames (-5) round off the top five. Notables: Vijay Singh (5th), Phil Mickelson (17th), Shigeki Maruyama (44th), Sergio Garcia (56th), Mike Weir (78th), Tiger Woods (100th) and John Daly (143rd).

¶ 11:26 AM
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Tiger Woods still has a chance to win Whistling Straits, especially now that he is tied for 116th place!! Darren Clarke still leads the tournament with a score of -7.

¶ 1:57 PM
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The way things are going right now, Tiger Woods is not even close to winning at Whistling Straits. In fact, there still is time for Woods to miss the cut. He is currently +2 (or tied for 43rd place) through 12 holes. The leader right now is Darren Clarke with a score of -7. However, more importantly, Ernie Els is in second place with a score of -6 and is making a strong statment that he is the number one player in the world. For more information, please visit the PGA leader board. ¶ 10:20 AM
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Kellen Winslow Jr. has finally signed a contract with the Cleveland Browns. With all of the incentives and bonuses, the contract is worth about $40 million. Both sides are now happy: Winslow is the most paid tight end, and Cleveland has one of the top rookies (and on top of that, Winslow is one of the only rookies, this year that can make an immediate impact).

San Diego is still stuck in its mess, with Philip Rivers looking to be a potential impact in the 2005 season, with another team (and that team could possibly be in the European League). Both sides lost this battle: Rivers will not play, and San Diego will continue to be a non in the NFL. At least the media will have fun trashing the Spanos Goofs. Because as things are going right now, San Diego looks worse off than the Los Angeles Lakers and the New Jersey Nets. And both of those teams have no clue what they are doing. The Lakers have placed their future with Kobe Bryant (an alleged rapist and a ball hog) and the New Jersey Nets have tried to place their future with Jason Kidd (even though he has made it clear that he wants a trade). There is not much any of these teams can do. The only difference is that San Diego does not have a player for the future. Yes I know LaDainian Tomlinson is one of the best running backs in the league, however, he is going to leave as soon as his contract is up (look at what Jake Plummer did when he had the chance to leave the pathetic Arizona Cardinals, he went to Denver).

Enough talk about what San Diego cannot do, lets move on to the PGA. The PGA is preparing for its next Major Championship at Whistling Straits, a grueling 7,514-yard course (longest in major championship history), with more bunkers than most people can handle, and water obstacles that can make strong men cry. It's a course that will put these "professionals" to the test, to really see what they are made of (and if they are deserving of all that money). Now here is what I don't understand. The PGA, the media and the players all complain when the course is too hard (i.e. Shinnecock). They all like a course where scoring is high, and the competition is not so tough. Like the tournament two weeks ago, when Vijay Singh (the man who refused to play against Michelle Wie because he was afraid he might loose to a girl) came in second at the Mercedes Championships with a score of -21. He came in second with a score of -21! That's not golf In fact, every tournament Singh played in after the U.S. Open (in which he came in 28th, with a score of +13) he averaged -8. And on top of that, Singh received $600,000 at the Mercedes Championship (even though he was not challenged.) As you can see the players on the PGA tour do not like to struggle.

So why the hell are they playing at Whistling Straits? A course considered to be the hardest in the history of the tour. All we are going to hear for the next 4 days is how unfair this tournament is. How everyone is against them, and that the course is no good. The media is not going to be happy, because the scoring is not going to be high. And in their mind, the only reason people watch golf is to see high scoring. I don't know about you, but I watch golf to see some competition!! It's boring when the score is high. I want to see these guys struggle, because that is when they are truly playing at their best. That is when these guys have to shine, and work their ass off for that prize. It is a treat for the viewer. Especially this weekend, when Tiger Woods is going to try and retain his top ranking at an impossible course. Because that is when heroes are made! When everything is on the line and it looks like you are about to loose. That is golf!

So, as you can see, I am looking forward to this weekend for some exciting play, lots of competition and the great backdrop that is Whistling Straits.

 

 

¶ 12:34 PM
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