I WAS JUST THINKING...

I was just thinking that the St. Louis Cardinals haven't missed Albert Pujols at all. They gone to
the World Series and two NLCS since God told him to take the money and be an Angel. So, I think
the Yankees can manage to succeed without Robinson Cano.

I was just thinking the Seattle Mariners how much they're going to regret giving a 30-year old
second-baseman a 10-year contract for $240 million. Name a player not on steroids who gets better from years 35-40?

I was just thinking how ridiculous the Dallas Cowboys look for firing defensive coordinator Rob
Ryan and replacing him with 70-something-year-old Monte Kiffin. Their defense would make
Ryan Leaf and JaMarcus Russell look like Hall of Famers.

I was just thinking that Bill Belichick is proving his coaching genius once again. He lost Wes
Welker, Danny Woodhead, and Aaron Hernandez before the season and Vince Wilfork and
Jarod Mayo during it. They are 10-3 and are in the thick of the race to the Super Bowl. Now,
they have to find a away to win without Rob Gronkowski, but with the Hoodie, I don't think
it will be a problem. He always adjusts and finds a way.

I was just thinking the NFL's idea of a Super Bowl in New Jersey during February is beyond
stupid. What was the reasoning again? Further proof that the smartest people in the room often
make the dumbest decisions.

I was just thinking that there is nobody like Mike Ditka and there never will be. He is a man's
man, superhero, and a guy who is so hard not to like.

I was just thinking Florida State really shouldn't let Jameis Winston do any interviews on-camera.

I was just thinking that Scott Boras must be the best negotiator in the history of the world. Getting
Jacoby Ellsbury, who has averaged 10 home runs a year for his career and sometimes misses more
games than he plays, a $153 million contract.  Man, THAT is good.

I was just thinking how absurd it was for all those experts in the media who were burying Peyton
Manning after he lost the Patriots three weeks ago. They said he can't play in the cold and was
showing his age. SHUT UP. The guy has 45 TD passes this season and has thrown for more than
4,500 yards with three games to play. He's the lock for record fifth MVP.

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JAMEIS WINSTON AND A MARKET CORRECTION

The state attorney investigating sexual charges against Jameis Winston will release his findings
at 2pm on Thursday which could be monumental for the Heisman Trophy front-runner, Florida
State, and college football. If the Florida State quarterback is charged, his season, Heisman
chances, and career could be over. If not, he will win college football's most prestigious
award and lead the Seminoles into the national championship game.

What is amazing to me, is the about-face the media and public made when the possible charges
against Winston came to light last month. Here was an elite quarterback who was a suspect in
a heinous crime and the court of public opinion didn't go into a frenzy calling for him to be
suspended or banned from playing college football again, kind of like they did with Texas
A & M quarterback Johnny Manziel.

Funny how things work out. Manziel was investigated for taking money for signing autographs,
yet was treated like he was the focus of a sexual assault investigation. Winston is being
investigated for sexual assault, but is being treated as if he just took a little money for singing autographs.

The hatred for Manziel was almost bizarre. The media, mostly ESPN and the experts like
Mark May and Lou Holtz, crucified the reigning Heisman Trophy winner. After he got flagged
for taunting in his first game this season against Rice, you'd have thought Manziel ate one of
their grandchildren and was the first player in the history of the game to get flagged for talking
a little smack.

When ESPN broke the story that Manziel may have taken money in exchange for autographs,
the rush to judgement broke the speed of sound barrier. Somebody, somewhere had a picture
of Manziel signing a ton of autographs in a hotel room, so by golly, he was GUILTY.

Winston's DNA shows up on the underpants of his accuser and nobody vilified the guy as
they did Manziel for using bad judgment. The investigators have actual DNA of Winston
showing that he was there and the accuser wasn't lying and nobody really says peep. Yet,
when somebody has a tape of Manziel talking to a sports memorabilia representitive, he was
all but tarred and feathered. INSANE!

Manziel reportedly overslept and missed a session of the Manning passing camp last
summer and he gets treated as if he's the worst person in the world. After all, nobody has
ever overslept and stood up the Manning's, who have been tagged as football royalty.

When news broke a few weeks ago that Winston was involved in an incident with BB guns
where windows were shot out on campus, nobody bats an eyelash.  When a police report
showed that Winston was accused of stealing sodas from a fast food joint, everybody turns
a blind eye.

Why was there such a market correction on the attitude toward Winston after all the flack
created with Manziel? Did people all of a sudden realize that a person is innocent until
proven guilty?

Did people just decide to chill out and let ALL the facts come out before they put a kid
on a stake and burn his reputation?

Or did they just think Winston "seemed" like a good guy whereas Manziel is considered
a punk, entitled, and a person who comes from money. Right, nobody in this country is
ever  jealous or wants to knock someone off their lofty perch. Sure, it never happens at school,
work, or in sports. Give me a break.

I am glad the court of public opinion didn't crucify Winston right away. Maybe they''ll
decide all future cases in this manner, but I doubt it, because in this country, it all depends
who it is and if they are likable or not.

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YANKEES, ELLSBURY, AND 'CIVILITY IN BASEBALL'

On Monday night at a library in Stamford, CT.,  Brian Cashman took part in a series called,
'Civility in baseball.' Cashman talked about winning 'the right way' during his time at the
podium.

I thought of this when news broke on Tuesday that the general manager of the New York
Yankees signed Jacoby Ellsbury to a mammoth, 7-year, $153 million contract. In less than
24 hours, Cashman went from 'civility' to insanity. It wasn't so much that Cashman had
snagged away a good player from the Yankees arch-rivals, but he shocked everybody by
making Ellsbry the fourth-highest paid outfielder in the HISTORY of Major League
Baseball.

It's so absurd that even Carl Crawford, who was lavished with a $142 million contract
despite never hitting more than 19 home runs, was laughing his ass off. So were many of
the so-called'experts' in the sport that employs them.

Yes, I realize that money is no object to the Yankees. They are still paying off Kei Igawa
and his $45 million contract, most of which he has earned playing in the minor-leagues.
I realize they have long been an organization that can erase previous mistakes by lavishing
more money on coveted free-agents. But this mega-deal with Ellsbury is ludricrous.

In his first seven years in the major leagues, Ellsbury's seasonal averages look more like
those of Juan Pierre than Josh Hamilton:

102 games 68 runs 9 HR's 44 RBI's 34 Stole bases .297 average  .350 OBP

Cashman needs to get his head examined after giving a contract out like that to Ellsbury.
Theo Esptein is off the hook for good after giving Crawford that colossal contract.

Through the ages of 24-30, Ellsbury proved to be brittle with the Red Sox, missing more
than 150 games and having his toughness and commitment questioned by his own teammates.
Does anybody really think that from the age of 30 to 37, the life of his Yankees contract,
Ellsbury is all of a sudden going to get more durable? The body doesn't work that way.

I've heard many of the talking heads on television say that Ellsbury has proven he can play
in a tough market like Boston.

But Ellsbury NEVER had to play under the pressure of a HUGE contract in the media
capital of the world. There is a big, big difference. How many players have we seen
flop under the pressure of trying to live up to a big contract? AJ Burnett? Josh Hamilton
anyone?

Ellsbury was never anything close to being 'the man' in Boston. With Big Papi, Dustin
Pedroia, Jon Lester, and many other 'bigger' players in Boston, Ellsbury had a big shadow
to play in, which was far from the sizzling microscope those other players were under.

That changes now because of the absurd contract. $153 million? Even David Ortiz
is breaking into a cold sweat.

And haven't the Yankees learned anything by now? Look at all the 'dead' money they
had last year with the injuries to Curtis Granderson, A-Rod, Mark Teixiera, and Derek
Jeter. It was more than the payroll of most teams. Now they added a player who is
more brittle than all of them.

Civility in baseball? This is absolutely insane. Good luck, Yankees. Good luck, Jacoby
Ellsbury.

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CYBER MONDAY: THE BEST THINGS I FOUND ON-LINE

I missed out on Black Friday because I didn't want to deal with the crowds and taser-wielding
freaks who wanted to beat the competition to save $50 bucks on the game of Twister. But I
did get up early for Cyber Monday. Man, did I get some great deals! Here are a few things
that I purchased with my best friends credit card.

STUN GUN. If I do camp out all night for Black Friday next year, I'm going to be prepared
to deal with all those crazy people in a hurry to get that Nutri-Bullet for half-price. Forget about
the tasers, I'm going with the Cadillac of stun guns. 300,000 volts should be enough to knock
out somebody the size of Vince Wilfork.  Amazon.com had one listed for only $24.99! Cyber Monday is awesome!

 

TATTOO KIT.  After losing out once again for People Magazine's "Sexiest Man Alive" honor,
I had a thorough self-examination. I surmised that I was just lacking some ink. Adam Levine
had tattoos all over the place and that gave him the nod over me in 2013. I went on-line and
found a home-kit for tattoos for $104. I can make the payment in three easy installments so
it was real deal.

THE WHIZZANATOR I got an early jump on shopping for some of my not-so-close
friends. I found the perfect gift for Ryan Braun, Von Miller, and the Jamaican track team.
The Whizzator allows anyone to beat a drug test without blaming it on a FedEx courier or
tainted meat. Great deal. It cost me just $99 for two kits. Cyber Monday is flat-
out awesome.

THE BOOK OF A-ROD Speaking of drug cheats, A-Rod has a wonderful book on his
life and times. "A-Rod: Major League Hero" could make for a great stocking stuffer.
Foreward by Anthony Bosch, and get this: There are  8 color photos inside. The one of 
A-Rod kissing himself in the mirror sold separately. I managed to get this sure-to-be New
York Times Best-Seller for $4.48! What a bargain!

LIE DETECTOR TEST.  It's amazing what was out in Cyber space on December 2nd.
I found a lie detector test that electrocutes a person telling true lies. This would be perfect
for Brad Steinke, who tells more tell tales than Lance Armstrong, Ryan Braun, Tiger Woods,
A-Rod, and Micheal Vick combined. Brad, I'll give you one question. If this device shows
that you're not lying, I will give you $10,000 on the spot. What? You suddenly got sick?
That's what I thought.

GOLF RULES ON THE SPOT What do you give the golfer who has everything? How
bout the rules of golf for your back pocket. This is the perfect gift for Tiger Woods who
will know longer have to "guess" on his penalty drops during his PGA tournaments.

BODY PIERCING KIT It's really amazing what you can find on-line these days. I was
debating whether or not to pierce my tongue, but it became a no-brainer after I bought the
home body piercing kit for $79.95. To be able to yell, scream, and bite down hard on my
tongue in the comforts of my own home was just too good to pass up.

RON BURGUNDY MAKE-UP KIT Who is hottest television anchor on television right
now? Brian Williams? Doubt it? Matt Lauer? Be real. Ron Burgundy is the most-talked
about TV personality on TV right now! With his movie set to debut this month, he is everywhere.

I found a Ron Burgundy anchorman kit on Amazon. It's complete with a wig and mustache.
I ordered it just in case I wanted to make a real comeback. It can be yours for $24.99. Guaranteed
to be a big hit next Halloween as well.

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ALABAMA, AUBURN, AND THE BEAUTY OF SPORTS

You can gauge the pulse of the sports nation by checking out the news feed of Facebook
during the weekend. Once you navigate through the pictures of food and the bare feet by the
ocean, there is usually a plethora of comments posted by sports "experts" across the nation.

It doesn't take a rocket-scientist to figure out the type of fans out there. There are the ones
who think their teams and players should win every game, championship, and post-season
award. (Boston fans).  The ones who think their teams should win everything, but never do.
(Jets, Mets, Rangers, and Knicks). Finally, there are experts who aren't happy unless they
are bitching about their teams. They can't do this, can't do that, and just plain suck. It
really is quite entertaining.

A lot of these folks talk about their favorite teams using "we" and "us" in the same sentence,
as if they have actually sweated through two-a-days together or took part of a champagne
celebration in the clubhouse. Wearing authentic laundry of your favorite team during a
two-hand touch football game on the weekend, doesn't actual make you a part of it. And
in all reality, we all are cheering for laundry with the name of the team stitched across the
front of it.

Saturday was a day not to root for a team, but rather to just admire and inhale the beauty of
sports. There was no script and nothing was routine. It was spectacular. Ohio State-Michigan,
which is quite possibly the best rivalry in college football, was a scintillating game not
decided until the Wolverines had the courage to go for the win, but came up short. I could've
used the word, "failed", but that doesn't quite fit for a team that played so valiantly and
played for a  monumental win, instead of a tie. Who can get on them for that? Who can
get on a bunch of kids and young men, which we often seem to forget.

That game was just a teaser for one that turned out to be one for the ages. Alabama-Auburn,
heated rivals, the Iron Bowl, a trip to the SEC championship on the line. There was Nick
Saban, the control freak who often preaches about "the process" matching wits with Gus
Malzahn, an offensive wizard who has resurrected a proud program in less than a year
in the toughest conference in the country.

The Tide are the like the New York Yankees of college football, a program steeped in
tradition where success is defined by the number of national championships, not division
titles, they've won. To Alabama, Auburn is the red-headed step child and the program that
has always taken a back seat to the Tide.

Saturday was different. You could just feel it from the opening kick-off. This game had
everything: big plays, bad calls, taking chances, and finally, a sequence that will go down
as one of the most important in the history of this great rivalry. Even if you were just a
casual fan, it was easy to get totally engrossed in this game. You didn't dare click away
or get up for food or to take a long bathroom break. This was just too good. This is what
sports is all about. This was a beautiful thing.

Good is not a word many used to describe Saban's decision to try a seemingly unmakeable
57-yard field goal. Of course, most of the experts used it after Auburn returned the miss
for a touchdown with no time left on the clock. Saban went for the win. What's the crime
in that? He had to at least try to win the game. Anything can happen in overtime, right?
The control freak that Saban is, he wanted to his team to decide it.

It's another great thing about sports: the debate.

However, there is no debating the beauty of this game, even if you didn't like the final
score. If you didn't really care who won or who lost, this game personified the beauty of
sports. In any given game, you can see something you've never seen before, even in
a world that's experienced millions of games over more than 100 years. Oh, sure, a failed
kick has been returned for a touchdown before, but it didn't end a game the magnitude of
the one played between Alabama and Auburn.

It's never happened to a coach like Saban who prides himself on being meticulously prepared
and teaches his players to be ready for any situation. He prepared him team for a return
on a failed field goal, and they still failed to stop it.

It can happen in sports and that's the beauty of it. We should always appreciate it.

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JASON KIDD & MIKE TOMLIN: COACHES GONE STUPID

Cheating has long been part of society, but it really seems to have gushed into the sports world
like a tsunami over the last decade. Armstrong, A-Rod, Braun, and 'Spygate'. Need I go on?
Heck, the friggin' Chines badminton team was tanking games in the Olympics in hopes of
getting a better seed in the tournament. Good, grief.

Now, there is more cheating, along with shamefully bad sportsmanship. Playing by the rules
and sportsmanship used to matter in sports and society, but they really seemed to go out of
the window just about the same time Gordon Gekko in "Wall Street"uttered the words,
 "Greed, for a lack of a better word, is good." Since then, the world seems to have been in
a free-for-all.

On Wednesday night, Jason Kidd, the head coach of the New Jersey Nets did something that
was, for a lack of a better word, asinine. Out of time-outs and trailing the Lakers by two points
in the waning seconds, Kidd grabbed a soda with ice (what coach does that?) and then instructed
one of his players to "hit me". Kidd then executed the worst acting job in Hollywood since Mariah
Carey's crash-and-burn in that hit movie, "Glitter." Kidd spilled his cup all over the floor, causing
a delay that allowed Kidd's assistant coaches to draw up a play, which failed worse that Kidd's
acting job.

During his Hall of Fame career, Kidd, as a savvy point-guard, was known as a "coach on the floor",
now that he's a coach on the floor, he's turned into a total idiot. His assistant coaches make all
the calls on offense and defense and a talent-laden team is as functional as the Charlotte Bobcats.
The NBA made their call, fining Kidd a whopping $50,000 for his stupidness.

Kidd responded by saying that it was "all about trying to win." Right. Try to win the right way.
Not like some coach in a youth league who will do anything to win a championship to get
his name in the paper. This was a bigger embarrassment to Kidd than his DUI he was arrested
for two years ago in the Hamptons. Great example set by a near 40-year old man. And people
were crucifying 20-year old Johnny Manziel for what again?

Just one night later, Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin, a highly-respected man throughout
the NFL, appeared to disrupt a kick return by Jacoby Jones of the Baltimore Ravens. Jones
sprinted up the sideline on his way to a 101-yard TD, but out of nowhere, Tomlin, was on
the field and jumped back to the sideline, distracting Jones just enough to be tracked down.
Tomlin said he was watching the play on the jumbotron as he often does for "a better
persepective." How lame.

NBC cameras caught Tomlin with a big smirk after the play, which is sure to be wiped off
as soon as that envelope arrives from the NFL telling him to pay up a big six-figure fine.

Tomlin's move was flat-out stupid. The NFL's has it's hands-full with the Miami Dolphins
harassment case, bad officiating, concussions, and now they have to worry about some
coach trying to cheat and give his team an edge. Wow.

I"m sure Tomlin will play to the Steelers fans by saying that he'd  doing anything to help
the team win. Ridiculous but those fans will fall for the act, which won't be quite as bad
as Jason Kidd's, but they'll buy into it hook, line, and sinker.

This type of behavior by Tomlin and Kidd is a huge eye sore for the league. It's also a
terrible example for coaches everywhere in the country. We see and read stories about
youth and high school coaches doing silly and really dumb things to motivate players
and get an edge to try to win.

Now, we have two coaches in the highest-level acting like this? Not good. What happened
to coaches who set an example with class, dignity, and honor?

Where have you gone John Wooden?

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BLACK FRIDAY: THE DUMBEST PROMOTION EVER

 

There are some things that just scream dumb.  Giving Anthony Weiner a cell phone is one
of them. Introducing Tiger Woods to a stripper is another. But few things are dumber than the
promotion that is Black Friday.

That's right. National retail chains open their stores to bargain-obsessed customers who camp
out overnight to be the first people to lead the stampede when the green flag goes down just to
save 50 bucks on an item. How stupid.

Sleep-deprived, financially-strapped, debt-drowned people running through the aisles and
sprinting to the electronic sections just to get the latest time-sapping addictive device
that'll they ignore the world with just so they can tweet, text, or take one of 792,000 photos
with just for 20 percent off! How absurd.

Yep, trip that the guy in front of you who has the inside track to get that new camera you so
desperately don't need.  Put your size 12 Kenneth Cole shoe, which you saved $30 on last
Thanksgiving, right in the middle of his back so he stays down a little while longer.

Last night in Las Vegas, a man returning from a Black Friday sale was shot and robbed of
a new TV. Man, I bet he still thinks it's worth the $75 he saved.

In California,  three people got into a brawl in the parking lot of a Wal-Mart because shoppers allegedly were cutting the line. Two were taken into custody, according to police.

At another Wal-Mart in West Virginia, a man was slashed to the bone with a knife after
threatening another man with a gun. The altercation was over a parking spot.

Woo-hoo! Retailers should be making commercials with desperate people screaming:
"Black Friday! I love this day!"

What an embarrassment to this country. What's it going to take before Black Friday goes
dark for good? A mass murder by some crazed gunman looking to go out in a blaze of
glory. Don't think some Adam Lanza loser-type isn't already thinking about it.

Black Friday is just idiotic. People cut into their Thanksgiving plans with their family,
a sacred day for many, just to prepare and camp out all night to save $50 bucks.

I'm not a smart man, but I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night. Black Friday is
an epic disaster waiting to happen. The retailers know a potential lawsuit is one gunshot
away.

 

But to them, just like the idiots who wait outside stores all night, it's all about the
money.

It always is.

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I AM THANKFUL

I am thankful for my health. The groin pulls and calf strains may occur more frequently now
and the grooves around my eyes are deeper, but I'm thankful that I'm still upright and strong
enough to run marathons, swim across lakes, and bike to Montauk.

I am thankful that I have a job that I love and work with people who share the same passion, commitment and interests that I do. Love what you do, do what you love, and not have to worry about co-workers stabbing you in the back and throwing you under the bus is a beautiful thing.

I'm thankful I still have a lot of hair and women between the ages of 75 and 98 on Christian.
Mingle.com find me cute as a button.

I am thankful to have an unbelievable circle of friends. From Rye, New York to Lake Forest, Ill.
to New Canaan, CT. to Chapel Hill, NC to Atlanta, Ga. to Boston, MA, I have met some
great people who are loyal and just flat-out incredible.

I am thankful that God has blessed me with six incredible nieces and nephews who I treat
as if they are my own children. Wow. They touch my heart every time I see them.

I am not wealthy, but I'm thankful I've been enriched with opportunities that have made this
a truly wonderful life. Baseball at UNC, with the Red Sox, "Bull Durham", a sportscaster
covering Super Bowls, World Series, Olympics, Final Fours---yeah, sorry, but I do sometimes
feel like Walter Mitty. Oh, sure, I've had some serious hard knocks a long the way- been
fired, laid off, and thrown under the bus, but it's all been part of a wild and exciting journey.

Most of all, I am thankful for an incredible family. Kara is one amazing sister. She is filled
with so much love, thoughtfulness, and one giant heart. Those who know her, know she
was blessed with not only great athletic talent, but humbleness and a terrific sense of humor, too

Brother Pat is a beautiful human being. Has never uttered a bad word about anybody and
has become a great father and husband. We may not always see eye-to-eye, but we've always
been on the same page and he would do anything for me without asking anything in
return.

My mom. Wow. I am so thankful to have her as my mother and great friend. So selfless,
giving, and understanding. After my father passed away, she became the rock of the family.
Simply amazing. She took care of my ailing dad for five years, 24/7 and did it with
strength, courage, and such amazing dignity. I love and admire her so much for that. I
was truly blessed to have such tremendous parents.

I am thankful, truly thankful during this holiday season.

I wish you all and your families all the best during this most special time of the year.

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NEWTOWN'S STRENGTH

No parent should ever have to experience what happened in a small town in the southwest
part of Connecticut last December. No community should have to be forever linked to one
of the worst events imaginable. No resident should ever have to hear the words, "Oh, I'm so
sorry," after identifying where they are from to outsiders.

The massacre of 20 innocent children and six adults in Sandy Hook Elementary School is
always going to be a part of Newtown, Ct, just as Dallas is forever woven into the JFK
assassination. The town is trying hard to move on from the tragedy that seared its soul and
punctured its heart. On December 14, the one-year anniversary of the event, there won't
be a moment of silence for the victims. Church bells won't ring and there won't be a
a gathering in the center of town for the people to come together. It's all part of a
coordinated and calculated effort to try to put the past in the past, as well the unimaginable
pain behind them.

Unfortunately, an insensitive and unscrupulous world is not helping them. In the days,
weeks, and months after innocent children were ambushed by a crazed gunman, despicable
behavior followed. A woman in New York falsely claimed to be a grieving family member
of one of the victims and set up a fake charity to defraud donors. She is currently serving eight
months in prisons.

The parents of a child who actually survived the shooting, attempted to sue the state for $100
million just two weeks after the event that shook this country at its core. They said their child
suffered irreparable damage for the shooting at the school. Irreparable damage? Your child
survived. Think about the 'irreparable damage' the parents of the children who died, have
to endure. The lawsuit was dropped after their attorney got death threats.

And less than a month before the anniversary of the event, a manufacturer produced a vile
video where a gunman walks into an elementary school and massacres children, then gives
the participant options of what to do next, which includes committing suicide as the police
entered the building. It doesn't get any more heinous than that.

Now, something more for the parents and community to deal with. The final report on the
shooting and events that occurred at Sandy Hook Elementary School is to be released to
the world, on-line, of course, at 3pm on Monday. There will be more pain, more sorrow,
and more questions as to why, which will never be answered because Adam Lanza and his
mother are dead.

In reality, Newtown will never be able to move on from this tragedy. It will always be
Newtown followed by, "yeah, that's the place where 20 little children were murdered."
That's tough for any resident of that small, quiet community to deal with, especially for
the parents who lost a child that day.

However, there is some joy in Newtown, thanks to its high school football team. Yes,
football is merely a game where one team wins and another team loses. In the grand scheme
of things, football, whether it be the NFL or a small-town conference, is really not all
that important. But it can help bring a community a little closer together and bring more
pride to.

The Newtown Nighthawks are undefeated (11-0) and are ranked first in the state in Class
LL. They are a fun and exciting team to watch with a Johnny Manziel-type quarterback
in Drew Tarantino. Their top running back, Cooper Gold, has a name straight out of
Hollywood. Their best player, Julian Dunn, is a junior and already being recruited by
several Division I schools.

The team proudly wears "Newtown" on the front of its jerseys. On the helmet is specially-
designed logo that pays tribute to the victims of Sandy Hook Elementary School. The school
colors of Newtown are blue and gold, but they added a touch of green this year. Green is
the school color of Sandy Hook Elementary School. There is a the number '26' that boldly
stands out on the logo for everyone to see. The players have been advised by the First
Selectman in town not to talk about the tragedy a year ago, but they have not forgotten
the 20 children and 6 teachers and administrators who were senselessly murdered that day.

There is a Hoosiers-type feel to this team. They are a small-knit group who are quite
capable of doing great things. The division they play in is quite stacked with teams that
are bigger and more talented than them, but the Nighthawks have a big heart and appear
to be on a mission.

If everything falls their way, the Newtown Nighthawks could play for the state championship
on December 14--the one-year anniversary of one of the worst tragedies on American soil.
If that happens, the word Newtown could be followed by 'state champions'. It won't erase the
bad memories of a terrible day, but it will bring more pride to the town and truly help them
move on.

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MLB'S WAR ON STEROIDS IS A JOKE

Bud Selig and Major League Baseball have put on the good face when saying they're trying

to rid the cheaters (PED's) from the game. It's a joke. They don't really care. They are not barring, blackballing, or preventing cheaters from the game they've been entrusted to protect.

Instead, Major League Baseball is rewarding them.

Jhonny Peralta, who was banned for 50-games for his role in the Biogenesis scandal, is reportedly

on the verge of signing a 4-year, $52 million deal with the St. Louis Cardinals. $52 million! Is this

a great game or what? This came on the heels of Marlon Byrd, another convicted steroid cheat,

signing a 2-year, $16 million contract with the Philadelphia Phillies.

Yep, Major League Baseball is sending a great message: cheaters win. Go ahead and pump your

body with cheat. Cheat your teammates, cheat your fans, and cheat yourself, but if you can pick 

or poke it, there is always a spot for you. If you can help a team win, they'll forget about your shady

past and possibly embarrassing them in the future. 

The Oakland A's didn't care that Bartolo Colo failed a drug test in 2012 and was forced to sit out 

50 games. When he served his time, they served him with a 1-year contract worth $3 million. That 

is what they call in the game, "great value."

When Nelson Cruz returned from his 50-game suspension, the fans of the Texas Rangers gave him
a standing ovation. Hilarious. What the heck does Ryan Braun have to worry about when he
comes back next season? Nothing. He still has more than $115 million in guaranteed money coming
to him and if fans in Milwaukee are anything like they are in Texas, he'll probably get a standing
ovation, too.

When other players see this type of reaction,  from forgiving fans to very giving and generous
general managers and owners, they'll continue to take the chance with PED's. There is so much
money to be made out there, it's certainly is worth the risk. Peralta is laughing all the way to the
bank. So is Byrd.

The $52 million payday for Peralta confirms something else: the only people that care about
steroid cheaters cash their paychecks working in the media. The fans don't care, neither do the
owners or general managers. If a player can help a team get to the World Series, they could
care less about what kind of needle they stick in their ass.

Selig, who looked the other way when everybody in baseball was cheating 20 years ago and
used them to line the pockets of the owners, is going big game hunting on his way out. He's
going after Alex Rodriguez just to make it appear that he is serious about cleaning up the game
as dozens of other players cheat, get caught, get suspended, then get even richer. Despite
never having failed a drug test under MLB's policy, he pinned an absurd 211-game suspension
on A-Rod. It'll never stick no matter how he, or anybody else hates A-Rod. He's turning out
to be a bigger fraud than A-Rod.

Even if the suspension sticks on A-Rod, nobody will really care. Oh, the Yankees might save themselves a big chunk of money, but there are more than 700 players in the league now who
see that the golden goose is far from dead. Peralta is living proof of that.

Players in the minor leagues will continue to try get that edge to get to the big leagues. The
money is absolutely insane and the penalties are far too light. So keep on cheating on.
Embarrassment? Does it really matter when you have $150 million in the bank.

There is a reason why Major League Baseball made those commercials with the players
scream, "I love this game!".

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A-ROD IS THE MOST DELUSIONAL MAN ON PLANET

I almost drove off the road while listening to the Alex Rodriquez interview with Mike
Francesa on WFAN Tuesday. It was so absurd, it was ridiculously funny. I haven't laughed
that hard since watching Chris Farley and Patrick Swayze dancing half-naked as Chippendales
on an episode of "SNL".

Earlier in the day, A-Rod had stormed out of his own grievance hearing after learning MLB
commissioner Bud Selig would not be coming into testify. He said he was tired of the "process"
and couldn't stand listening to liars and felons for the past 10 days. A-Rod seems to forget
that he got exposed to the world as a significant liar when he told Katie Couric in 2006
he never used PED's, only to be outed by Selena Roberts of Sports Illustrated a short
time later.

If there were a Lie-O-Meter with A-Rod, it would've been in the red zone. After Tuesday's
performance, it was off the charts.

A-Rod chose to go on WFAN, which was being simulcast on the YES Network, which
broadcasts all of the games A-Rod sometimes appears in with the Yankees.  Francesa, for
some unknown reason, has been A-Rod's biggest defender. You say something bad about
A-Rod and the Grand Pooba of Sports takes it personally. So, with one of his 87 lawyers
by his side, the Yankees third baseman who is appealing MLB's unprecedented 211-game
suspension for his role in the Biogenesis scandal, went one-on-one with Francesa.

Francesa: Have you ever used PED's since 2006?

A-Rod: No

Francesa: Did you ever threaten witnesses?

A-Rod: No

Francesa: Did you ever obstruct the investigation?

A-Rod: I don't even know what obstruction is. (See the Red Sox)

Francesa: Did you try to pay off Anthony Bosch?

A-Rod: No.

Francesa: Did you do anything wrong?

A-Rod.: No.

That's it! Major League Baseball just made this all up. They put their credibility on the
line just to smear A-Rod and get the biggest ratings draw in the game out of it.

A-Rod is just like Lance Armstrong, Ryan Braun, and just about everybody else out there
who has something to protect, preserve, or enhance: They lie. How many times did we
hear Armstrong deny and lie about using PED's? Thousands. How'd that turn out?

Braun, like Armstrong, denied his PED use, then, like Armstrong, went out of his way
to discredit and destroy people's reputations who were actually telling the truth. Absurd.
Haven't we learned anything by now?

A-Rod cried to Francesa that this was about his career and legacy and that he'd have to
face his daughters. A-Rod didn't think about his daughters too much when he appeared
on the cover of the New York Post with that stripper in Toronto. I wonder what he
lied to them about in that case. The woman not his wife and their mother was a masseuse?

When the Biogenesis scandal broke last year, A-Rod was quoted in the New York Times
as saying he had never met Anthony Bosch, heard of him, or dealt with him. On Tuesday's
show, A-Rod admitted he went to the voodoo doctor for supplements and about a weight-loss
plan. A weight loss plan? Are you kidding me? You're not Jon Kruk. You have nothing to
do all day but work out and kiss the mirror after it. Did you want to shed weight as fast
as Jessica Simpson after giving birth? Gimme a break.

The "interview" got even sillier when A-Rod and Francesa started stroking each other.

A-Rod: I watch you all the time, Mike. You don't need any help with the ratings."

Francesa: You don't need help with the girls. I've seen you with enough actresses.

Ooops, I just missed hitting that old lady walking her dog. My bad. Get back on the road.

A-Rod also stated that he has never felt so much love from people when he walks around
New York. Yeah, Aaron Hernandez must've been thinking the same thing when all those
"fans" showed up outside the courthouse in Massachusetts wearing his '81' jerseys. The
cousins of those hero worshippers  must have been the ones greeting A-Rod when he
stepped out of his van on the streets of NYC, flanked by his team of lawyers.

Is a 211-game suspension excessive, especially since A-Rod never failed a drug test?
Absolutely.

But to think MLB made all this stuff up is absurd.  It's obvious A-Rod lives in a world
unfamiliar to us and that he may have his own definition of lying just as Armstrong did
of cheating and just as Bill Clinton did of sex.

However, A-Rod has a track record of lying. And like Armstrong, Braun, and so many
other athletes, its deny, deny, deny, until you get caught in another lie. A-Rod got caught
in a few more on Tuesday.

But then again, according to him, A-Rod did nothing wrong. Absolutely nothing.

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