South Carolina: College World Series Champs

As great as the College World Series is, it unfortunately gets lost in the shuffle of other major sports in the United States. Sure, it gets pretty good publicity with ESPN covering the games, but much of the media's attention is focused on the NBA Draft, NBA free agency, Major League Baseball, and the major Golf and Tennis championships, Heck, even the OTA's (Organized Team Activities) for football seem to attract more attention than College Baseball. 

Regardless of whether the CWS deserves more media attention or not, the South Carolina Gamecocks played a near perfect final series en route to becoming National Champions. South Carolina's pitching and defense was truly remarkable in its two games against the Bruins from UCLA. In 20 innings (Game 2 was 11 innings long), the Gamecocks allowed two runs, 11 hits, and struck out 17 batters. 

While I followed the CWS relatively closely, it is quite hard to know who the stronger players are and what the weaknesses and strengths of a given team are. This is not College Basketball or Football where countless regular season games are televised over the major networks. Rather, College Baseball truly begins from the media perspective during the selection show where 64 teams are placed into a bracket.

There have been many memorable games at the historic Rosenblatt Stadium in Omaha, NB, but the stadium will close its doors as a new stadium is slated to open for next year's Championship. South Carolina, winning its first National Championship in any sport, can proudly say they were the last team to hoist the Championship trophy and plaque at Rosenblatt. 

LeBron Going to Miami...

Is this good for the NBA?

Much of the debate on ESPN has been of whether LeBron James going to the Miami Heat is a good thing for basketball. It would not just be James, however, that would be making his new home in South Beach, but Chris Bosh as well. Is stockpiling an NBA team bad for the game itself?

The answer is an emphatic, N-O . . . NO!

Did the Boston Celtics not do the same thing several years ago when they added KG and Ray Allen to the squad? One could argue that James and Bosh are better than Garnett and Allen, but it is the same principle. The NBA needs all the publicity it can get during the regular season; the playoffs are entertaining enough.

I could not even imagine another team drawing up a game plan to take on Wade, Bosh, and LBJ, that is downright scary.

Thank You, Evan Longoria

One of my biggest issues with watching professional athletes, especially baseball players, is their lack of hustle at times. These guys get paid to play the sport they love, you would think the least they could do is hustle, right? Well, for some players, they believe they are either too cool or do not need to hustle at all times. I was always taught to "run off the field and run on the field," yet BJ Upton deems it not necessary to run in the middle of an actual play.

If you missed the play of him traipsing after a ball in the outfield during yesterday's 2-1 loss against the Arizona Diamondbacks, here it is. The ball was hit into the left-center field gap, and instead of sprinting to the wall in an attempt to limit Gerardo Parra to a double, Upton "lollygagged" after the ball and casually tossed it into the cutoff man standing in shallow left field. (The preceding link is a hysterical scene from Bull Durham starring Tim Robbins and Kevin Costner that helps to explain the term "lollygagger.")

In the dugout between innings, Tampa Bay's young star Evan Longoria got in the face of Upton for not hustling after the ball. Longoria explained that Upton's decision not to fervently chase after the ball is a mere microcosm for how things have been going of late for the Rays: 

"It's a byproduct of a frustrated team. We're trying to win games and guys are going to have differences of opinion. I just wanted to know what was going through his head. The bottom line, we've talked about it and it goes no further than today." 

Longoria gets it, manager Joe Maddon gets it, and many of the other pissed off Tampa Bay Rays get it, too: you hustle and go 100% when on the field. For whatever reason, BJ Upton believes he is above that mentality.

I commend Evan Longoria for making a scene in the dugout for the rest of his team, Major League Baseball, and baseball fans around the country and world to see. Too many times ballplayers jog while running to first base, settle into their home run trot too early only to see the ball not clear the fence, and have a carefree attitude while going after a ball in the field. Thank you again, Evan Longoria, for instructing your teammate BJ Upton on how to play the game of baseball.

Fearless Prediction: Tim Hudson outduels Stephen Strasburg tonight in Atlanta.

United States vs. Ghana

We are just about an hour away from the Round of 16 World Cup Soccer match between the United States and Ghana. I have previously written how soccer is a sport that is very hard for me, like many other Americans, to get in to. Whether it is the lack of scoring, questionable tactics from the players (i.e. taking divings and faking penalties), or how the officials can take the game into their own hands, soccer is not an attractive sport for me. Today, however, it most certainly is.

This game will be like any other World Cup Soccer game. The players will be taking dives, faking injuries, and there will be many questionable calls, yet it is not the game itself that intrigues me. Rather, nationalism, patriotism, and the opportunity for the Red, White, and Blue to reign its dominance on the soccer world that is so appealing. Other countries throughout the world literally live and die with how their soccer team performs in the World Cup (I suggest watching the documentary "The Two Escobars"). How great would it be if the United States, a country where soccer is unquestionably a secondary sport to the likes of football, baseball, and basketball, wins the World Cup?

I live for drama, especially sports drama. Not knowing what is going to happen in just seconds is what makes sports so appealing. The American victory over Algeria in the 91st minute was drama at its finest.

As for the game itself, I will limit my commentary and analysis for the game itself. Simply because I do not know nearly enough about soccer or how the United States matches up against Ghana to share my insights. I will say this though, the United States will advance as far in this tournament as Tim Howard (pictured left) carries them. If he is on his game, I see no reason the US cannot advance deep in the tournament.

Fearless Prediction: Clemson defeats South Carolina in an elimination game tonight.

Where Have You Gone Jonathan Papelbon?

While not the biggest story in sports by any means, the ongoing struggles of Jonathan Papelbon have garnered my attention, especially considering I am a Red Sox fan. One would think that Pap should be in the prime of his career. He is 29 years old, been a dominant closer throughout the Major Leagues for the past four seasons, and pitches for one of the premiere teams in all of baseball. Why, then, have many Sox fans been calling for Papelbon to be demoted and fireballer Daniel Bard to be inserted into the closing role? There are many reasons, but here are just a few:

-Most recently, he blew two save opportunities against the Colorado Rockies. After the Sox came all the way back and were on the verge of beating arguably the best pitcher in baseball in Ubaldo Jimenez, Pap gave up a game-winning 2-run home run to Jason Giambi of all people. The following night, he allowed the Rockies to tie the game in the 9th inning, but Dustin Pedroia bailed him out in the 10th by hitting a 2-run home run to win the game. Laser show.

-His stats this year against the New York Yankees, and his career stats versus them are less than stellar. He is 0-2 with two saves against the Bombers this year with a 13.59 ERA, and for his career he is 0-5 with 12 saves with a 4.59 ERA. How can any Red Sox fan feel comfortable with Pap as a closer with these numbers against a team that Boston will most likely be duking it out for the Division title and the Pennant?

-The most disturbing thing is that Papelbon does not seemed overly concerned with his struggles. Pap is a cocky guy by nature (the picture to the right says it all), and that is probably a good mentality to have as a closer, but his cavalier attitude toward his performance is not a good sign. He claimed that: "I wasn't crisp in my delivery, that's basically it." The reason for your struggles lately and for the better part of this season is that you have not been crisp? I don't buy that for a second.

Who knows the true reasons for his struggles, but if he cannot find a remedy for them Daniel Bard is a more than capable pitcher for the closing role. I only hope Terry Francona has not put so much faith in Pap that he allows him to self-destruct and be responsible for more losses throughout the season.


Fearless Prediction: Roy Halladay throws a complete game against his former team.

The NBA Draft

As a New York Knicks fan, the NBA Draft is a night of questioning, dejection, and disbelief. The list of the following names will help highlight the gut wrenching decisions the Knicks have made over the years: Jordan Hill (has not done much yet, but it would be unfair to him to pass any serious judgment as he has spent just one year in the League), Renaldo Balkman, Mardy Collins, Dijon Thompson, Michael Sweetney, Maciej Lampe, Slavko Vranes, Milos, Vujanic, Michael Wright, Eric Chenowith, and Frederick Weis.

I realize the preceding is a long and excessive list, but I am sure your reaction is an overwhelming, "Who are these guys?!" I am instantly reminded of one of the funnier scenes from the movie "Major League" as I write this: "Mitchell Freedman? Who are these fuc*%$# guys?" (sorry for the poor quality of the clip).

Here are some of the highlights of the Knicks brilliant draft selections:

Balkman: He was projected to be a mid to late second round pick by many of the experts, yet the Knicks took him with the 20th overall pick. His career averages to date: 4.2 points and 3.7 rebounds.

Thompson: Has not STEPPED on the floor in the NBA. That's right, he has not played a single minute. He has played in Europe for the past four years and was most recently signed by Hapoel Jerusalem (I think my local YMCA Men's team recently scrimmaged these guys). Thompson apparently could not match up with my next door neighbor down low in the paint.

Sweetney (pictured right): Draft a guy with the 9th overall pick that is obese and struggles to simply run up and down the floor. Needless to say, he has not played in an NBA game since 2006. Here are some of the players the Knicks left on the table in favor of drafting the big man from Georgetown: David West, Kendrick Perkins, Leandro Barbosa, Josh Howard, and Mo Williams.

The Knicks then went on a foreign draft spree as they drafted four straight foreign players. It pains me to not only type, but think of these names, so I will leave it to you to figure it out from the preceding list.

Weis: And then of course there is my favorite, Frederick Weis. Freddy will be known for throughout his entire life when Vince Carter literally jumped over him during the 2000 Summer Olympic Games. Want to know about his career with the Knicks? Well, he never even came to the United States; I think that says enough.

Somehow, the Knicks made three solid draft selections out of four when they drafted Trevor Ariza, David Lee, and Channing Frye (Thompson was lodged in between these selections). Even a blind squirrel finds a nut once and a while.

So, my prognostications for the draft tonight. Well, I hope the Knicks play it safe and simply do not draft a player. There have been rumors over the past few days that the Knicks are throwing there hat in the ring to acquire Chris Paul. I am sure they would package their 39th pick among other things in order to obtain Paul.

Whatever happens tonight, just no more guys that have names like Slavko Vranes, or guys who have chronic weight issues.

Fearless Prediction: Adam Wainwright strikes out 10 against Toronto.

USA Survives and Advances

With their backs against the wall, and needing a goal to advance out of pool play, Jozy Altidore's brilliant run down the field and shot on goal put Landon Donovan in position for an easy tap in, and the United States escaped elimination by mere minutes. Golden opportunity after opportunity were missed by the US earlier in the match, but not this one as Donovan easily kicked the ball into the back of the net. The United States actually had scored a goal earlier in the match, but was called offsides (yet another disgraceful call by head official). Nothing, however, would deny the US this time. 

With the United States no doubt scoreboard watching throughout the game, and knowing that England held a 1-0 lead over Slovenia, a draw would do no good against Algeria; it was win or go home. 

Although the Red, White, and Blue survived a tremendous scare and moved on, the officiating must be called into question. The match against Slovenia was literally taken right from their hands, and the match today against Algeria was nearly taken from them as well if it were not for the heroics of Donovan. 

I only hope that FIFA finds competent officials for the tournament play. Seeing a country go home, and years of preparation and training go down the drain would be such a shame because of poor officiating.

Relish in the win America. After all, it is the first time since 1930 the United States has won their pool.

Phil Hughes Skipping Next Start...Is This Fair?

Phil Hughes has finally come into his own and established himself as one of the most dominant pitchers in the American League. The right handed flame thrower struggled in 2007 and 2008, most likely because he was brought up from the minor leagues too early, but last year as the Yankees set-up man he blossomed. Now, he is poised to make his first All-Star team and could feasibly be a 20 game winner in his first full season as a starter. Currently, he is 10-1 with a 3.17 ERA, and has arguably been New York's best pitcher thus far. Why, then, is manager Joe Girardi benching Hughes from his next scheduled start against the Dodgers this coming Thursday? In a word: innings.

Girardi fully understands how important the right arm of his young star is, and yearns to protect him for the balance of the season. Because Hughes has been dominant in many of his starts, he has pitched late into games and racked up many innings in the process (he is averaging about 6.5 innings a start). While Girardi is looking out for the best interest for Hughes and his ball club, is benching him this Thursday fair? Is it right? If the game was in Kansas City, Seattle, Tampa Bay, pretty much anywhere other than Los Angeles, Girardi may not be scrutinized for making this call. But, the game is in Los Angeles.

Why does location matter? Hughes is from Mission Viejo, CA which is just about an hour's drive outside of Los Angeles. Friends and family were planning on traveling out to Dodger Stadium to see Hughes pitch, something they rarely can do since he pitches the majority of his games across the country. Now, this trip will most likely not occur. Why drive out to the game if Hughes won't be on the hill?

Is Joe Girardi making the right call here? I think not. The 24-year old is having a stellar season, an All-Star caliber season, and he is benching him in front of his family and friends. If Girardi is so worried about his arm and stamina, then keep Hughes on a pitch count. Don't let him throw more than 5 innings, or keep him on a tight pitch count. Joe is failing to see the bigger picture here.

I only hope that Phil Hughes' family makes the trek to Anaheim for the All-Star game this year where Phil will undoubtedly be. Maybe they can see him pitch there. But, oh wait, Girardi is the coach of the American League All-Star team this year, hopefully he will allow Hughes to pitch an inning at the midsummer night's classic.

Fearless Prediction: AJ Burnett makes his next start with Triple A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, and not with the big club.

France Refuses to Train, Now Back At Work

This story got lust in the shuffle of a busy sports weekend with the US Open golf, interleague baseball, and, of course, the WNBA, but the France soccer team is back training after refusing to practice. The team protested the French soccer's federation to suspend Nicolas Anelka (pictured right) from the team and send him home packing.

This is quite embarrassing for French soccer, which is usually such a strong force at the World Cup, but has struggled this year going 0-1-1 thus far. Both sides, the Federation and the squad, handled the situation poorly. The reasoning for Anelka's dismissal was for his poor sportsmanship at halftime against Mexico where a sports publication in Europe caught him shouting vulgarities at a Mexico player. Anelka's words were subsequently published on the front page of L'Equipe, a French nationwide daily newspaper.

Naturally, the French squad was enraged by the decision to exile one of their best players from the World Cup and elected to not train for their coach. What they did not understand, however, was the embarrassment this brought to themselves, their sport, and their beloved nation of France.

Here is my major question: could this entire ordeal not have been handled in a more quiet and appropriate manner? Was it necessary to send Anelka back to France? Couldn't the Federation simply urge him to make a public apology saying that his actions and words were wrong? Secondly, the refusal to practice by the French team was over the top and rather immature. Issues like this are commonplace amongst sports teams. Many teams choose to handle a situation like this inside the locker room and privately. It is possible that the team felt they were mistreated by the French soccer federation, and needed to make a statement that the entire world could hear.

Needless to say, the entire issue was mishandled by both parties. It does not loook like the departure of Anelka will matter much anyways, as Mexico and Uruguay are likely to advance out of pool play and into the knockout stage of the tournament.

Fearless Prediction: The Yankees score more than double the runs the Diamondbacks score tonight.

Live Blog for the Back 9

I will have a live blog for the back 9 at Pebble Beach today starting with Tiger and Gregory Havret's group and following with Johnson and McDowell. Check in for commentary and analysis on Tiger's shot by shot as he looks to garner his 15th Major Championship and fourth US Open Championship.

Review of the Front:

You can't help but feel sorry for Dustin Johnson. Watching him implode in the first four holes as he went triple bogey on the second hole, a double on the third, and finished by bogeying the fourth was hard to watch. For a guy who has never been in this position in a Major Championship, it was not a huge surprise to see this happen. Yet, Johnson had played such solid golf over the previous three days, that you expected him to at least remain in the hunt. His body language, ball strikeage, and demeanor suggest he will continue to fade as he enters the Back 9.

While I was right about Johnson, Tiger has let me down thus far. You would think Tiger would capitalize on the miscues by Johnson, who was a three shot leader at the round's beginning. Tiger will need to catch fire on the back and maybe eagle either 14 or 18 (both par fives) in order to have a chance.

McDowell has been money thus far by playing bogey free golf.

Out of the top 7 golfers separated by six strokes, there are three relative "no-names" in Johnson, McDowell, and  the Frenchman Gregory Havret. The other four are household names: Woods, Ernie Els, Phil Mickelson, and Davis Love III who has come on real strong. While my heart is saying McDowell will remain steady and win the US Open for Ireland, my brain is telling me that it will be a golfer with experience who wins it.

Time will only tell, but I'm still sticking with McDowell in a playoff.

10th Hole:

Woods and Havret both hit their drives in the middle of the fairway and almost identical length, but Havret elects to play it safe and hit his second shot to the back of the green. Tiger is aggressive and goes after the pin, hard to fault him for this, but he fails to execute and puts his shot into the deep rough. It would be a big par save if he can drill his fourth shot.

Putting on these greens is like putting on a sheet of ice. Havret put his birdie bid about 10-12 feet past the hole which gives him an uphill putt to save par.

Tiger gives away another stroke and is now +3 for the Open (he currently trails McDowell by 6 strokes who is at -3 after bogeying the 9th hole).

Woods and Havret both begin their back 9 with bogeys. Meanwhile, Ernie has gone bogey, double bogey, and bogey over his last 3 holes. It would not surprise me to see the entire field with the exception of the winner, which looks to be McDowell at this point, to all be over par.

McDowell just hit his drive right in the middle of the fairway to begin his Back 9. If he plays consistent, like he has all round, and plays par golf, he should win the Open. His second shot he put just off the green. NBC has cut away from showing Dustin Johnson anymore...what a collapse.

McDowell chipped from about 50 feet away and put it from the back edge of the green, and off the front. These greens really are quick.

NBC just showed Johnson some love by showing his birdie attempt on 10. Remarkably, he is still in this as he is only 4 shots behind his partner McDowell.

After bogeying the 10th, McDowell is now at just 2 under par. It seems as if both he and Johnson (well, Johnson already has) want to create serious drama heading into the final holes as they have allowed the rest of the field to catch up to them.

11th Hole:

Tiger is on the green in regulation and will have a good attempt at a much needed birdie. Havret failed to reach the green in two as he is just short. His birdie bid from just off the green was a beautiful one as he put it to within inches. He will have a tap-in putt for his par.

Tiger had a very makeable birdie putt that he just missed; he needed that one badly.

McDowell drilled his drive down the middle on 11, let's see if he can hit a solid iron shot unlike he did on 10.

All of a sudden, Els is hanging around and is only 2 shots behind McDowell. There are six players within four shots of the lead.

McDowell just misses a birdie attempt which would have been huge.

Meanwhile, Johnson drops another stroke and is +2 for the tournament and an unbelievable +8 for his round.

12th Hole:

Tiger is beginning to run out of time and needs to string together some birdies with an eagle mixed in there. He chipped from the rough after a poor approach shot, and now will have a difficult shot to save par.

Havret was putting from about 45 feet away from the hole and gave a great run at a birdie, but will settle for par.

Tiger's all but done now as he bogeys yet another hole, this time the par 3 12th.

McDowell hit his tee shot into the front bunker and will now have a tough up-and-down to save par. He hits it tight to within just a foot of the cup; it should be an easy tap-in from there.

13th Hole:

Havret is playing with conviction. He is striking the ball well, especially after crushing his drive on 13. He has hit 11 out of 13 greens in regulation and will have a lengthy putt for birdie to get to -1. Havret, after missing a long birdie attempt, should have an easy par putt. That's three straight pars.

Tiger just cannot buy a putt. He had a birdie putt from about 12 feet and put it to the right of the cup. His inability to hit putts has been the story of Tiger's round thus far.

McDowell hits his tee shot down the left side of the fairway and should have a decent look at the green. Johnson, however, is in better position as his drive right down the right side.

Just a hole ahead on 14, Ernie Els had a golden opportunity to cash in on a birdie on the par 5, but his third shot rolled far off the green. Mickelson looks to be in a similar position as Els, as his shot from just 86 yards out was well shot of the hole too.

McDowell's second shot on 13 is a beauty as he knocks it within six feet. This putt may be the biggest shot of the Open for him because if he connects on it he will find himself with a three shot lead with just five to play. His birdie bid never had a chance, and he will have to settle for par.

14th Hole:

Els and Mickelson look as if they will both bogey, which is very disappointing. This hole has garnered some controversy during the Open. Ryan Ballengee from SB Nation's golf blog said:

"Missed shots that are too aggressive on the left will either be bunkered or in the chipping area.  In the chipping area, the player has no option to loft the chip shot for fear of hitting the tree.  A misjudged shot will lead to a player falling off the green back in front of the bunker.  With the pin hidden by the bunker, it is next to impossible to chip back at the pin.  The lone option is to chip to the top right tier and hope to two-putt."

Havret elects to lay up and will set up a nice approach. Although, as we have seen with Els and Lefty, the approach shot was no walk in the park.

Els does bogey and is now one over for the Open. Phil bogeys as well and is two over.

Tiger, needing to be aggressive, went after the green with his second shot and put it into the bunker. Birdie is still in the realm of possibility if he can get up-and-down. His bunker shot is within inches, and Tiger will have his easiest birdie of the Open.

Havret now is alone in second place and two shots behind McDowell after tapping in for par. That deficit may shrink as McDowell hit his drive on 14 into the fairway bunker.

He put his bunker shot back in the middle of the fairway, but his third shot is well off the back of the green. He will struggle to save par from there.

McDowell putted from behind the green, but put it 15 feet past the hole (he was in danger of going off the green) and will have a difficult time saving par. It looks as if he will drop to -1 and will be just a shot ahead of Havret. Havret, however, has run into some trouble on 15.

McDowell does indeed bogey and now has just a one shot advantage now.

15th Hole:

Ernie continues to apply pressure on the groups behind him as he sticks his second shot within feet. Assuming he can convert on his birdie attempt, he will move to Even par for the Open and two strokes behind McDowell. Els misses badly to the left of the cup and will now have a par putt that is further than his birdie putt.

To give you an idea of how challenging Pebble is playing today, the top seven golfers of the Open are a combined +15 for the final round.

Havret had an impressive bunker shot and will have an opportunity to save par. Just following Havret, Tiger was just shot on a birdie putt that would have brought him to +2.

Havret has crept within a shot of McDowell after drilling his par putt.

McDowell laces his drive down the middle of the fairway. He would like nothing more than to earn a birdie here to gain some separation between him and Havret.

His approach shot is within 15 feet. Although the way the greens have been rolling today, any putt outside of 10 feet seems like a long shot.

A matter of an inch, and McDowell has a two shot lead with three to play. But, his birdie putt was off the mark by the slimmest of margins. He thought that he drilled it too as he began to walk towards the cup as his ball was still en route.

16th Hole:

Phil took a chance in going after the pin, but misses right and is in the rough. Does anyone want to win the US Open? The amount of shots that are being given away is very uncharacteristic for the final round of a Major Championship.


Ernie gave a great run at a long birdie putt, but was just off the mark. He is still two shots off the pace.

Tiger's face after hitting his second shot short says it all. Pure dejection and disappointment. He realizes McDowell has left the door open, but he could not take advantage.

Havret is on the green in two, but will be happy to two putt from where he is.

After Tiger's chip from in front of the green is short of the hole, Havret follows with an impressive putt that would have put him atop the leaderboard with McDowell. He will have to settle for a tap-in par though.

Tiger finally hits a putt and saves par to remain at three over.

McDowell plays it safe, and will be putting from pretty much the exact same position that Havret was just in.

Similar to what Havret did, McDowell knocks his birdie shot to within a foot and will tap in for par. He goes into the difficult par 3 17th hole with a one shot edge over Havret.

Dustin Johnson continues his disastrous final round by bogeying. He is now four over for the Open and +10 for the round.

17th Hole:

Ernie's drive on the par 3, the second most difficult hole on the course this week, is in the front bunker. Mickelson's shot is even worse as he is FAR right.

It looks as if the Open has become a two man tournament with McDowell and Havret going at it; Ernie is on the outside looking in. One thing is for sure, the par 5 18th hole will provide a great deal of drama.

Phil plays the role of a magician yet again, like he has done so many times in his career, and hits his second shot within about six feet.

Ernie gives a shot away (he is five over on the 17th for the week) and is now at +2. He may need an eagle at 18 to have a chance. Phil taps in for par to remain at +3.

Tiger is just off the green after his drive, but that is an impressive shot considering the distance and how slick these greens are. Havret doesn't like his tee shot as he is in the front right bunker. He will have a lot of green to work with though for his second shot.

Havret has a decent shot out of the bunker, but leaves himself with arguably the most important putt of his life. If he can save par, he remains just a shot behind McDowell, but bogey and he is two back. And he leaves it short. How can you leave a putt like that short? Now, he will need McDowell to drop at least one stroke to have a chance.

Tiger pars and is in a tie for fourth.

Each shot from here on out for McDowell are the biggest shots of his life. He fails with his tee shot by putting it in the middle of the left bunker.

McDowell couldn't have hit a much better bunker shot as he did not have much green to work with. He will have a 10 foot putt to save par. Bogey, and the 18th hole becomes much more interesting. Bogey it is.

18th Hole:

Something to keep in mind: there have only been three eagles in the history of the US Open at Pebble Beach.

Tiger's tee shot is way left. He will need an eagle and then pray that McDowell collapses.

Havret's drive is a beauty. For the 18th hole, in order to reach the green in two, the tee shot needs to be laced down the right side of the fairway. Havret has done just that and will have a great look to reach the green in two as he is 230 yards out. If he birdies, or even eagles, that places much more pressure on McDowell.

Tiger's approach shot is about 50 yards short, and he will need to hole out from there to have a chance.

Havret, at the time of striking the ball, was one shot back, but he put his second shot into right greenside bunker. As we have seen with Els' sand shot just minutes ago, this is not a particularly challenging bunker shot as there is a plentiful amount of green to work with.

McDowell drives his ball into the rough on the right side, but has a decent lie. He will certainly lay up to give himself a manageable approach shot. Can this guy be any cooler or more collected? Talking to the camera while walking to his ball on the 18th hole he says, "This is fun, right?"

Havret gets out of the bunker and has an eight foot putt for birdie.

Story of the round for Tiger as he misses his birdie putt. He just was not rolling the ball well today while putting. He finishes at three over for the tournament.

Havret's putt never even had a chance. He knew it right away. The putt was pulled right. All McDowell needs to do now is make a 5 and he will win the 2010 US Open.

McDowell naturally plays it safe by hitting an eight iron, leaving himself a wedge into the green.

NBC now shows Johnson's shot into the green only because he is the only golfer on the course aside from McDowell. You have to feel for Johnson, after playing such great golf for the first three rounds, the pressure crushes him. He was out of contention after the first four holes. Kind of a fitting way to end his round as Johnson ends with a bogey. He cards an 82 for his final round.

McDowell has played this hole perfectly thus far, and can now two putt his way to victory. Neither putt will be easy.

He comes up short on his first putt, maybe a foot to a foot and a half. But he calmly, like he was for the entire final round, drains his final putt of the Open.

Congratulations Graeme McDowell! You are a United States Open Champion. And what a Father's Day present for his father, whose first trip to Pebble will absolutely be a memorable one.

Thanks for tuning into the live blog. Hopefully my commentary and analysis was insightful.

Don't Mess with Tiger on Sunday

His personal life and mistakes he has made aside, Tiger Woods is the greatest golfer to have ever played the game. Don't think that Dustin Johnson and Graeme McDowell don't know that either. The final pair, who will tee off at 5:15 pm ET, will certainly be looking to the group ahead of them to keep tabs on how Tiger is doing. With every roar from the gallery following a remarkable shot from Woods, like this one on 18 yesterday, the palms of both Johnson and McDowell become that much sweatier, and the clubs that much heavier. For this is completely new territory for the preceding two golfers. For Tiger, well this is another stroll in the park on a Sunday afternoon.

Some may say that a five shot deficit is simply too big of a margin for Tiger to overcome, as Dustin Johnson has played solid golf since Thursday. Johnson has carded lower rounds in each day of the tournament (71, 70, and 66). Yet, we all know, when Tiger drapes his signature red shirt on Sunday, anything can happen.

In order for Tiger to make a push and apply significant pressure to the leaders, he must make it through the first three holes unscathed. In the last two days, he has given up a total of four strokes on these holes, bogeying two and three on each day. If he repeats this, and Johnson is able to extend his lead to seven or eight strokes, Tiger can all but kiss the Open away.

One thing is for certain: if Tiger gets the fist pumping, it is game over for everyone.

Fearless Prediction: Johnson is +2 for the day, and the unknown golfer from Ireland, Graeme McDowell, comes out of nowhere to win the US Open defeating Tiger in a playoff.

Koman Coulibaly vs. Jim Joyce

I'm not sure which replay I have seen more: Jim Joyce's blown call at first base costing Armando Galarraga his perfect game, or the United States' would be game winning goal that was stolen from them at the hands of Koman Coulibaly.

Both were horrifically bad, but which one was worse?

Your thoughts?

Fearless Prediction: Tiger shoots a 68 or better today.

New York vs. New York

Sure, the Lakers victory over the Celtics last night to win their 16th NBA Championship is today's biggest story, but I cannot bear to think or write about Pau Gasol any longer than I have to. Thus, Today's Big Thing is the Subway Series: Yankees vs. Mets.

Just a short time ago, many Mets fans were calling for Jerry Manuel's and Omar Minaya's heads, saying that the team Minaya constructed was flawed and Manuel's best days of managing were behind him. While Minaya's signing of Oliver Perez absolutely was a disaster, the younger prospects have begun to develop into legitimate big league players; they have resurged the Mets into NL East contenders. Forget the injury prone Beltran and Reyes, guys like Angel Pagan, Ike Davis, Mike Pelfrey (pictured right), and Jonathan Niese have been the catalysts.

The Mets have won 11 of their last 12 games, and 18 out of 23. Many, however, have said that this all means nothing until they can beat somebody who is actually a quality team. Well, the Mets have that opportunity tonight as they face off against their cross-town rival in the Yankees.

Many questions still have to be answered for the Mets, but they can begin providing answers if they have an impressive showing this weekend against the Bombers.

Fearless Prediction: Adrian Gonzalez goes deep against Brian Matusz

Tiger's Chances at Pebble Beach

This is Tiger Wood's only fifth tournament that he has played in this year, but he returns to a course where ten years earlier he dominated the field by finishing 15 shots better than the second place golfer. There is, no doubt, still a very bitter taste in many American's mouths due to the saga that was the Tiger Woods scandal that dominated the media for the last two months of 2009 and into 2010.

Tiger is, hands down, the best golfer in the world, yet he has allowed his personal issues and lack of character to dominate how many perceive him. Much of the conversation amongst the commentators, analysts, and gallery at Pebble today and throughout the weekend will discuss the off the course issues Tiger has had, but his exceptional play will ultimately dominate the conversation. Here are three reasons why:

1)     He has played in just five tournaments in 2010, and not one since The Memorial Tournament from June 3-6. I'd imagine Tiger has been thinking about the US Open since he completed The Masters back in April. He has accomplished so much in his storied career that the Major Tournaments are really the only ones that truly matter for him.

2)     The last Major Tournament he won was all the way back in 2008 when he defeated Rocco Mediate on one leg at the US Open played at Torrey Pines. It was this remarkable putt on 18 that forced a playoff. I'd say he is overdue to make a run for another Major Championship.

3)     Tiger is paired with Ernie Els and Lee Westwood for the first two rounds. According to ESPN.com, Westwood is ranked as the 3rd ranked golfer in the world, and Els is 7th. Each golfer will certainly push one another throughout the 1st and 2nd round.

The Lakers vs. Celtics fight for the NBA Championship tonight is probably a bigger story in the world of sports today, but I felt compelled to give some notoriety to a story that will develop as the biggest one heading into the weekend.

Fearless Prediction: Brian Scalabrine touches the floor for the first time in the 2010 playoffs.

What to do about the Vuvuzela

If you have watched even a second of a World Cup soccer match, then you have no doubt heard the annoying and incessant sound of the many vuvuzelas played by fans. For those who are not aware (I was not at first), a vuvuzela is a horn that creates a loud buzzing sound; the instrument is roughly 3 feet in length. 

You know the annoying sound that a plane makes right before takeoff? Well, think of that sound constantly being made throughout the duration of an entire soccer game. By all accounts, from the coaches, players, officials, TV and radio commentators, and audiences tuning into the action, the vuvuzela sound greatly interrupts from the game; it is a distraction to all. 

I am not a particularly big soccer fan, and have only watched one game thus far (England vs. United States), and after watching the first 10 minutes of the game I have little desire to tune in again. I can live with the sport being relatively boring as I will pull for the United States against other countries regardless of what sport is being played, but the buzzing sounds literally gave me a throbbing headache. Rather than going to refill my chips and salsa bowls midway through the game, I found myself running to the medicine cabinet in search of Advil. 

It is no mystery that soccer is a sport that has struggled to gain the attention of much of the United States, and I can tell you for absolute certain that these ridiculous, devilish, and disturbing instruments will not help to garner the attention of many Americans. 

Mike and Mike in the Morning discuss their hatred for the vuvuzela during the Confederations Cup in 2009. Clearly, things have not changed since then.

Fearless Prediction: Tim Lincecum pitches at least 7 innings and allows one earned run or less against the lowly Baltimore Orioles.

Remember that time in 2008...?

Well, it won't be nearly that easy, but I fully expect the Celtics to put the Lakers away tonight. Kobe Bryant's support cast consisting of Artest, Odom, and Gasol simply have not showed up in the NBA Finals. And, as good as Kobe has been, he cannot beat the Celtics singlehandedly; no player can bring down KG, Pierce, Allen, and Rondo.

There has been some talk of Kobe even garnering the Finals' MVP Award, and it is hard to disagree. While Rondo has been superb, there is no denying that Kobe has been the best player on the floor in virtually every game. John Hollinger of ESPN.com says it well: "The fact is Bryant has been by far the most productive player, and the only reason the Celtics are ahead is because five of the next six best players (the four above and supersub Glen Davis) have been wearing green."


All the Kobe talk aside, however, and the Celtics have demonstrated throughout the playoffs how teams win championships, and not individual players. You think KG cares about how many points he drops tonight? Or how about Rondo? Do you think he's keeping track of how many assists he dishes out? No way! What makes the C's just a dangerous and fun team to watch is the unselfishness of each player. It is not as if the Lakers can hone in on Pierce and choose to stop him because then Ray or KG can go off. With the Fakers, you stop Kobe and you have stopped the Lakers. I don't care what Fisher did in Game 3, he's not doing that again. You may say that Odom is a threat, but he is averaging a meager 7.5 points this series. Ron Artest? Let the man shoot all day long; he's connecting on just 30% of his shots.


It really boils down to that the Celtics' balance and team chemistry is too much for the Lakers to overcome. Like  I said in yesterday's post, I like Boston by 6...let's say 96-90. Hopefully we can get another performance from KG that is reminiscent of two years ago.


Fearless Prediction: Rondo has a triple double tonight.

Celtics 1 Win Away From 18th Championship

In a relatively slow day in the world of sports, the Boston Celtics being just 48 minutes away from garnering their 18th NBA Championship is the top story. While discussing the World Cup, the destruction of the Big 12 Conference, or how the Seattle Storm are off to a hot 9-1 start to begin the WNBA season (this is a joke if you hadn't already picked up on it), the Celtics are Today's Big Thing.

Many critics, including myself, claimed that the Celtics were too old and worn down to contend for an NBA Title this year. After limping into the playoffs as a 4 seed, and depending on integral minutes from old men like Rasheed Wallace and even the injury prone KG, the C's seemed destined for a first round exit at the hands of the Miami Heat. But, after breezing through this first round series, and then dominating Lebron and his Cleveland Cavaliers, the surging Celtics found the fountain of youth. 'Sheed contributed an average of 6 points a game against Cleveland, and then 9 against Orlando as Boston won in 6 games again. Many of those who wrote the Celtics off promptly jumped back onto the bandwagon. (Does Rasheed Wallace not look like a 55 year old man who hasn't showered in about 2 months in this picture?)

After the stifling defense from the Celtics throughout the playoffs (opponents have exceeded the century mark just 5 times), it is hard to see Kobe Bryant alone beat the C's in back-to-back games. Because, let's be honest with each other, Ron Artest and Lamar Odom have contributed virtually nothing this series for the Hollywood Fakers and will do much of the same in Game 6.

I like the Scal and the C's to take this one by 6-10 points in Game 6. Who's making the trip to Beantown for the parade with me?

Fearless Prediction: Albert Pujols gets at least 2 hits off of Seattle Mariners starter Luke French tonight.

United States vs. England

Does a game of this magnitude even need a blog post that could potentially diminish what this game means? Rather than analyze the game with my limited soccer knowledge and probably not do the match justice, I will leave you with this clip...easily my favorite motivational speech of all time. Watching Al Pacino at hist best is pure magic.

Fearless prediction: Tim Howard shuts out England.

The 2010 World Cup

We are all soccer (football to everyone else in the world) for the next month. Much like the rest of America, I find soccer to be a relatively boring and uninteresting sport to watch and follow. But, like the Olympics, this event only comes once every four years and it is nearly impossible to ignore. Quite frankly, however, I become excited once the very first game begins (South Africa, the host country, squares off against Mexico in about an hour). This is not about one state versus another, but nation against nation. How can any true American not want to blow away France or Mexico? It is not so much the quality of play that I pay attention to, but whether we, as a nation, are victorious. To be quite honest, the games are full of such tension and drama, and the degree of passion that is exhibited on each player's face as they fight for their country is virtually impossible not to be attracted to. Thus, it is no wonder that the first day of the 2010 World Cup is "Today's Big Thing."

Now, what are the United States' chances you may ask? Well, we will find out at 2:30 P.M. ET on Saturday. If the Red, White, and Blue can perform well against the Brits, traditionally one of the stronger countries in the field, that certainly bodes well for the rest of pool play and the tournament. They will need good runs and goals from Landon Donovan, and Tim Howard needs to be on top of his game in net. The game truly comes and goes with Howard. He is regarded as one of the best keepers in the world, and if he plays well the US can hang with pretty much everybody.

In addition to "Today's Big Thing," I'd also like to introduce you to another aspect of my blog. It's what I call my "Fearless Prediction." Today's prediction is: Jamie Moyer does not last more than 4 innings against the Red Sox tonight. In my next post, I will comment on how the prediction went.

Today's Big Thing

My blog has been on life support for the past month or so. With no activity and no new posts it was reminiscent of the TD Bank North Garden following the Bruins loss to the Flyers: DEAD. The only difference between my blog and the Bruins is that the blog can be revived and brought back to life, while the Bruins are stuck shamefully in hibernation until October. With exams and schoolwork finally complete, and my summer job well underway, I hope to make a post daily entitled "Today's Big Thing." If you're looking for the most significant story in sports on a daily basis, look no further than here. So, without further adieu, here is the inaugural post.

Game 3 of the 2010 NBA Finals: Boston Celtics vs. Los Angeles Lakers

While there are numerous stories that could be discussed today (the Chicago Blackhawks first Stanley Cup since 1961, the University of Colorado officially moving to the PAC-10, or the eve of the 2010 World Cup), the C's vs. the Lake-Show is the biggest story today. It is pretty simple for Doc Rivers' squad: win and it is a brand new series knotted at 2 games apiece, or lose and the series is over. Let's be honest, there is zero chance the Celtics win 3 straight games, with 2 of the contests in L.A.

If the men in green and white stand a chance against Kobe and Co., Paul Pierce and Ray Allen better choose to show up tonight. The combined line for these two in Game 3 was a paltry 17 points, 6 rebounds, and 4 assists. There has yet to be a game this series where KG, Rondo, Pierce, and Ray-Ray have been hitting on all cylinders. If each can simply match their season averages, the Lakers do not stand a chance tonight or in Game 5. As long as a member of the three blind mice (the NBA officials) do not decide to whistle while they work and give KG two fouls in the game's first four minutes, I like the Celtics chances.

If the officials allow Doc to play as well, like they did at the end of Game 2, it is game over.