THE LIST

This will just be a quick post as I need to vent my frustration about the list of 103 names from 2003 of baseball players who tested positive for steroids.

Today, news broke about Manny Ramirez and David Ortiz being on the list of 103 names. Earlier this year it was Alex Rodriguez.

I have this simple plea, instead of slowly having names leaked, the whole list should be made public. AND IMMEDIATELY. It is not fair to those who have their names coming out when there are just less than 100 more players who are still hiding in the dark.

A Prospect on the Rise

This summer I am in a position to watch some of the top talent coming up to the major leagues, as I am the media relations intern for the Binghamton Mets, a AA minor league team in the Eastern League.

I’ve seen the Yankees number six prospect, according to Baseball America, in RHP Zach McAllister. I’ve seen the Mets own righthanders  Brad Holt, their number four prospect and  Henrry Mejia their number seven prospect a number of times. None were as impressive as the young man I saw pitch on Wednesday, July 22.

Madison Bumgarner, a 19-year old lefty, the number one prospect in the San Francisco Giants organization and the sixth-best prospect in all of the minor leagues coming into the 2009 season according to MLB.com, is who I am talking about.

That’s It?!?

A few weeks ago a pick-up game at Lebron James’ Nike summer basketball camp (actual name: Lebron James Skills Acadamey) sparked widespread media attention.  During a pick up game, Xavier sophomore Jordan Crawford dunked on Lebron.  Or so they say.  From CBSSports.com:

It was a two-handed jam, the kind that would’ve circulated quickly on YouTube. But Nike officials eliminated that possibility shortly after the dunk happened by allegedly confiscating tapes from various cameramen.

Last night, video of the dunk was released.

Worth Watching

Last night as I watched the MLB All-Star Game on FOX, I actually enjoyed it. Since the MLB decided to make their game count by having the league that wins get home field for the World Series I have taken a much greater interest in the game.

The game itself last night felt like a playoff game. There was tension with every pitch and heroic plays made, i.e. Carl Crawford, who won the MVP for his leaping catch that brought back a home run off the bat of Brad Hawpe.

Yes, the American League won for the 12th time in 13 games, oh and the one they didn’t win was a tie, but the game was great. I think it is time that the NFL, NBA and NHL take a look and try to make their All-Star game more meaningful.

It’s Been Awhile

A Modern Day Nightmare

The day is upon us.  The one day that American sports fans dread.  The day after the MLB All-Star Game.  The only day on the calendar where none of the four major professional sports leagues (MLB, NBA, NHL, or NFL) have a game.

If you don’t believe me, just look for yourself.  The only “professional” sport in America playing on July 15th is the WNBA (hence the quotes).  And just for good measure, ESPN’s Wednesday Night lineup includes a replay of Monday’s Home Run Derby (Prince wins) and NFL’s Greatest Games: 1998 NFC Wild Card Game between the Packers and the Niners (Niners win in dramatic fashion).

Is it Enough?

The one thing that kept Penn State basketball from their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2001 last year was their non-conference schedule. Quite frankly it was dreadful and loses to Temple and Rhode Island were the nail in the coffin of those tournament chances.

Everything ended well in the 2008-2009 season though when the Nittany Lions stormed to the NIT Championship. Will the 2009-2010 season end in the big dance this time? That is the question Penn State basketball fans want to know.

The 2009 non-conference schedule has been released and at first glance it looks stronger than last year. Will it be strong enough in the eyes of the selection committee come March 2010 if the Lions have put themselves in the mix for a spot in the 65 team field?

The schedule kicks off with two home games in the Bryce Jordan Center against Penn on November 13 and Robert Morris the 16th. Penn who is usually an Ivy League power had a down year last season and hurt Penn State’s RPI. At 252 they are the lowest on the Nittany Lions schedule this season which bodes well. Robert Morris went 24-11 and made the NCAA Tournament last year.