Tuesday, July 7, 2009

Lance Armstrong on the Bike Again


Just when we thought Lance Armstrong had retired, and given up the bicycle for a margarita and the Texas lifestyle, he's back again. He's hopped back on his bike and sprinted within one second of the lead in the biggest cycling event in the world. And for all I know, it could be the only cycling event in the world. The Tour de France is now back in the limelight with Armstrong back in the mix. He has once again made this event, a legitimate sports discussion. Many allegations and questions always surround Armstrong, wherever he goes. However, it's hard to bet against a man that's already beat cancer, and won 7 Tour de France titles. I'd love nothing more than to watch him come back and win an 8th, and hopefully put those doping allegations to bed. He has to be considered one of the great athletes of our generation, and if he had won this many championships in any other sport he already would be considered one of the greatest. Let's sit back and enjoy this ride with him, and see if he can't make history once again.

Monday, July 6, 2009

Revisiting the McNair Tragedy


As the investigation into the death of Steve McNair continues, more and more facts about the last few months of his life are being brought into the public light. His death, as tragic as it was, has become the talk of sports radio. Everyone has their own opinion about what was going on, and why this happened, and why that happened. Quite frankly, we may never know exactly why things ended the way that they did on that fateful July 4th night. However, it's looking more and more like the facts are pointing towards a homicide and suicide. Just today, police confirmed that Kazemi actually bought the gun on Thursday from a private seller. We have learned that McNair and Kazemi were "dating" for the last few months and had even spent time together on vacation. All information indicates that their short love affair somehow took a tragic twist. Somewhere, something, went horribly wrong. Many people have told stories about how McNair was a caring, loving husband, about how he was a great father, and a superb member of the Nashville community. They reminisce about his work in the community and his incredible play on the field. And from everything that I have read and seen on television, McNair was all of those things and much much more. However, the lives of our sports heroes are not ultimately lived through the television screen or through the newspaper. They are lived just like everyone else's. As much as we want these heroes to be perfect, they rarely are. Just when we think we understand the character of man's heart, we are let down again and again. Unfortunately, all of McNair's good deeds will now be supplanted the mysterious end of his life. People will question his ability as a husband, a father, and a role model, and perhaps rightly so. A person with his fortune, fame, and power, could have written a much better ending to his final story. Yet, he chose to put himself in a situation that cost him his life. So let his life be a reminder to us all, that none of us are perfect and that we are all human. We will make mistakes, and we will ultimately deal with our consequences. No matter how green the grass is on the other side of the road, no matter how pretty the rose is just out of our reach, there is always a price to be paid for the shortcomings of our lives. It is not my place, nor anyone else's, to judge the life of a man. His judgement will come, and so will ours, all in due time.

Sunday, July 5, 2009

Federer Now The Greatest Ever?


In a classic tennis match at the All England Club in London, Roger Federer once again proved why he is the greatest to ever play the sport. In a match dominated by Andy Roddick, Federer still found a way to win and that's what the great ones always do. Roddick came out of the gate quick and grabbed the first set 7-5. In the second set, Roddick was up 6-2 in the tiebreaker when Federer reeled off 6 straight points to take the set. Federer would go on and also win the 3rd set in a tiebreaker. Roddick would fight back and regain control of the match by winning the 4th set 6-3. Then in a classic ending to a brilliant match, Federer would break Roddick's serve for the first time all day and win the 5th set 16-14. Andy Roddick played the most complete match, I've ever seen him play today and yet it still wasn't good enough to beat Federer. With tennis royalty on hand, Federer pulled out the victory and received a thumbs-up from Pete Sampras. This was the first time Sampras had visited the All England Club since he last played there, and wanted to be there in person to pass the torch to Federer. Federer broke Sampras' record of 14 major title victories, by winning Wimbledon and capturing his 15th career slam win today.

Saturday, July 4, 2009

McNair Shot and Killed


At a time when most Americans are celebrating Independence Day, at least one sports family is grieving the tragic loss of a relative. Former NFL quarterback, Steve McNair, was found shot to death at a home in Nashville. McNair led the Tennessee Titans to their only Super Bowl appearance. Also found dead, was a woman who's name has yet to be released. The police have yet to determine the reasoning behind the shootings, and no real information regarding what happened has been released. The condominium where the bodies were found is one that McNair was seen at frequently in the upscale Rutledge Hill neighborhood.

Friday, July 3, 2009

NBA Trades and Wimbledon Finals


It's the middle of trading season in the NBA, and already there have been some blockbuster moves. It started with Shaq going to Cleveland to play alongside the King. Then Ben Gordon jumped ship and landed in Detroit. Now it appears that Ron Artest is going Hollywood to play next to Kobe Bryant. There are also reports swirling that Turkoglu will be joining Portland shortly, and Rasheed Wallace is in negotiations with the Celtics.

In tennis news, Andy Roddick won the battle of Andy's in England today. The home favorite, Andy Murray, just didn't have enough firepower to outlast the American. However, Roddick will now have his work cut-out for him as he advances to play Roger Federer. On the women's side, the Williams' sisters will face off tomorrow in the Grand Slam final to decide the best female tennis player in the world.

Have a Happy 4th of July!

Thursday, July 2, 2009

All Williams Wimbledon


Dinara Safina was supposed to be the number 1 player in the world, and then she met Venus Williams. Venus Williams barely broke a sweat and cruised to a 6-1, 6-0 win versus Safina. In a semi-final match at Wimbledon, you would think there might be a little drama on Centre Court, but it wasn't meant to be. Venus was far and away the better player, and it showed mightily. Venus has now advanced on to the Wimbledon final, and will meet her younger sister, Serena. Serena struggled today, but in the end she was able to outlast Elena Dementieva and win 6-7, 7-5, 8-6. Unlike the matchup between Venus and Safina, this match contained plenty of drama and great tennis. Dementieva and Serena battled like two well-trained gladiators in a Centre Court match-up that will be remembered for some time to come. However, with Serena's victory, now comes the match between arguably the best two female tennis players in the world. Not arguably, it is the best two female tennis players in the world. They have proved it time and time again. In a game, where time is never on your side. In a game, where most players have a short shelf-life, these two women have been able to sustain excellence for over a decade. It's a testament to their greatness, indeed. Hopefully, there will be some great American fireworks this 4th of July in England, when these two square-off in a classic match up for the Wimbledon Title. However, if history is any indicator of the type of match they will play, then it's liable to be a disaster. Finals between these two never seem to be great, and often time they end up being one-sided. Let's hope and pray it's different this time. Let's hope we see the best of both women, and they create a memorable final that will leave a legacy for a long time.

Wednesday, July 1, 2009

Pistons Grab Gordon


With free agency starting up today, the Detroit Pistons wasted no time in going after superstar Ben Gordon. Multiple sources are now reporting that Gordon has agreed on a deal to leave the Bulls and head north to Detroit. It's being reported that his deal is for 5 years and over $50 million. Gordon had a great year, and was almost able to single-handedly defeat the Celtics in the 1st round of playoffs. However, Gordon and the Bulls came up short and lost to the Celtics in Game 7. Gordon averaged over 24pts a game in the playoffs. It's also being reported that Detroit has agreed in terms to a deal with Charlie Villanueva. His deal is 5 years and $35 million.