‘The Return of The One’ (The Sequel)

Tiger wisely didn't take a page out of Michael's book. He chose the perfect time to return.

It’s been nearly 14 years since the sports world has honed in on the return of an individual to the sport he dominated in the past.

Any sports fan my age or older remembers the day that Michael Jordan returned to the hardwood, a day after his press release contained just two words that would reverberate through more than just the world of basketball.  He didn’t call a press conference to say the words, but everyone could imagine that multi-million dollar mug saying coyly, “I’m baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaack!” Hanging on to that final syllable as if to toy with the minds of guys like John Starks, Reggie Miller, and Karl Malone.

His first game?  A less-than-eventful 19-point effort in Indianapolis against the Pacers.  But the Nielsen ratings told the real story – they were the highest every for a regular season basketball game since the mid-70’s.

Tomorrow afternoon, MJ 2.0 (a.k.a El Tigre, a.k.a. Tiger Woods) will return to the course nearly nine months after his legendary departure when he chased down Rocco Mediate on one leg to win the U.S. Open in an 18-hole playoff.  His return hasn’t lacked an ounce of the fanfare that is predecessor endured; in fact, Tiger has gone through more.  I say endured, because when Jordan left basketball, he took up another profession, one that he royally sucked at.  Tiger was forced out by an injury, with golf gurus and sports fans alike salivating over the anticipation of his return.

If Tiger was like Jordan, he would’ve waited for the Masters – the most-watched golf event of the year.  He would’ve gone in cold, threw caution to the wind and pushed the accelerator to the floor.  Jordan could’ve waited until the start of the ‘95-’96 to make his return, but instead chose to shock the world and lead the Bulls to a fourth title in five years.  He failed.

Like I said – Tiger is MJ 2.0.  Tiger is more controlled.  He chose an event that he loves and a format he craves.  He has the potential of stuffing seven, full 18-hole rounds of golf into five days.  Each match is equivalent to the final round of a golf tournament.  You lose, you go home trophyless.  Tiger despises that.  Saturday and Sunday could potentially be the true test to his fully-healed knee.  Both the quarterfinal and semifinal matches are played on Saturday, followed by a 36-hole marathon match for the championship on Sunday.  If Tiger gets that far, is there any doubt he’ll close?

Not the 2.0.

If he reaches the weekend...you better believe he'll have this trophy again.

TOUTS Episode 14: Returning Tiger, Hidden Bet

He's Back...

It’s been a couple of weeks since we did a show so we decided to turn on the recorder and do a impromptu episode of the TOUTS Podcast.  This week we start off talking about the dud that was the NBA trade deadline, and how teams seem to be focusing more on the summer of 2010 then this year or next year.   Shifting from pro to college hoops, we play an audio clip (courtesy ESPN.com)  of Ken Kreyeske hammering UConn Head Coach Jim Calhoun on his salary.  This leads to discussion on the economics of college athletics and how Mr. Kreyeske is a poor journalist.   Finally we discuss the return of one Tiger Woods to the PGA Tour, and of course, we have to find a way to bet on how many majors Tiger will win in 2009.  

Thanks for listening and feel free to leave comments or subscribe to us on iTunes.

 

Click Here To Listen To The Episode

 

 

 

 

 

The Trade-a-Bulls

Despite the fact that football season is over and baseball season hasn’t begun yet, I’ve been pretty excited about the world of sports – especially this past week.  Three reasons why:

1. Friday was the third best day of the calendar year; pitchers and catchers reported for the Cubs.  Christmas is easily the best day because of the presents and gathering of family.  Opening day is the second best because of the massive amount of anticipation that can become overwhelming.  And third is the day the Cubs hurlers and receivers hit camp…triggering the thought of warm weather and longer days in my mind.

2. The NBA trade deadline is fast approaching and that means every team is looking to improve.  The NBA trade deadline is easily the best out of any professional league deadline day because of its potential for blockbusters and high percentage of action.  The NFL deadline day passes almost without notice, and baseball’s is so overplayed and inflated that less than 1% of the rumored trades are actually ever discussed by GMs.  In the NBA, however, if teams are determined to make a move, most wont hesitate.  In 2008, we saw trades involving big names such as Jason Kidd and Pau Gasol.  Usually, there is validity behind trade rumors involving big names.  The prize in 2009 was supposed to be Amare Stoudamire, but with the Suns making a coaching change, it seems less likely they’ll move the 26-year-old star.

3.  Fantasy baseball season is right around the corner…meaning it’s time to start putting together the game plan. I’m happy to announce that after a year off, I’ve convinced my buddy Lance to rejoin the league for the fifth edition of Terry’s Tire World.  The competition this year will be the toughest it has ever been, meaning I need to find a new edge.  After doing some searching to polish up my first basemen ranking sheets, I stumbled across a great website that provided me with just the edge I was looking for.  If I gave this information to one of our readers, there’s no doubt that Justin would pay big bucks to figure my ‘inside’ information.  I also don’t provide people bad information, so I’m going to test my data through the first half of the season to test my hypothesis.  My conclusions will be here in July.

The main purpose behind this post revolves around No. 2 because we’ll have all spring and summer to talk baseball.

Despite the fact that I played up how active the NBA trade deadline is, I highly doubt this year will provide us any blockbusters because nobody is willing to take on salary past 2010.  From now on, why don’t we refer to it as The Summer of James…better known as the first year that LeBron James could potentially become a free man.

Since I haven’t talked about the Bulls very much (or at all), it’s time to break down the team in the order of the most tradeable (definition: the order in which I would trade the guys if I had the chance), with 12 being the guy I’d ship out first.

Offer me a six-pack, and they’re yours:

14a. Vinny Del Negro – Wait…dammit…he coaches doesn’t he?  Well…that depends on your definition of coach, but that’s for another day.

14. Michael Ruffin – The long-awaited return of this waste of space is reportedly right around the corner, as he is nearly healed from achilles injury that has kept him out since last April.  He’s available in a flea market near you!

13. Cedric Simmons – He has youth on his side (23), but is just about as worthless as you can find on an NBA roster.  He’s 6′9″ and 235, I think he has a better shot at cutting two inches, gaining 90 pounds and taking over for John Tait playing left tackle for the Bears.

As long as you pay his retirement, he’s all yours:

12. Lindsey Hunter – Now that Kirk Hinrich is healthy, Hunter becomes relatively useless as the Bulls third string PG.  In other news, I’ve added Lindsey as a name I would NEVER give to my son.  It saves at minimum two punches to the face during childhood.

Well, at least he can play defense:

11. Thabo Sefolosha – The only reason he is this high is because there is some serious awful behind him.  When the Bulls drafted him a couple of years ago, he was praised for being a defensive force that if he developed offensively, could be a major steal.  That ‘if’ never happened.

The Tall and the Defenseless

10. Aaron Gray – For those Boers and Bernstein fans in the audience (A Chicago radio combo from 2-6pm on 670 The Score for those who don’t), the White Panther could easily be your favorite player. His offensive game improved greatly when he dropped weight over the summer, but he still sucks at defense.

9. Drew Gooden – Just a few weeks ago, 82games.com had him listed as the worst defensive player in the Association.  Not suprising – if you watch a Bulls game, you’ll scratch your head a minimum of three times, asking yourself, “What the hell was Gooden doing there?”  The sad thing is, HE doesn’t even know!

The Oddball

I'm not lying when I said he's ugly.

8. Joakim Noah – Plays very good defense, is an above average rebounder, and was mentally retarded as a child.  He’s the ugliest human being on the face of the earth and the hair doesn’t help that cause.  He sets illegal screens on every offensive possession, and has stone hands that are worse than, dare I say it, Tyson Chandler!

The Rich and the Foreign

7. Andres Nocioni – One of the most overpaid players in the NBA.  He’s getting more than $8 million per season for the next three years and he’s no better than the Bulls 7th man.  Yikes.

6. Luol Deng – If the Bulls can work out a trade to get rid of Deng, I can’t pull the trigger fast enough.  What’s really sad is that the Bulls were hell bent on not trading him for Kobe Bryant last year.  Can you say: mistake?

Positionless Wonders

5. Larry Hughes – He ranks this high because his contract expires in two years.  He’s capable of playing very good defense and can hit open shots.  But if there is a player in the NBA that can be labeled a ‘ball hog,’ he’d be it.

4. Kirk Hinrich – Not good enough to be a starting point guard or a starting shooting guard on a championship contender (though he’s paid like one), he’s sure found his nitch as the Bulls 6th man.  After an awful 2007-08 season, it’s nice to see him bounce back.

The Freak

3. Tyrus Thomas – After a few years, he’s finally figuring out what his role is on the basketball court.  Be active, block shots from the weakside, NEVER shoot from outside of five feet, and rebound the basketball on both ends.

The weight of Chicago is on his back. Can he handle it?

The Shooter

2. Ben Gordon – As much as I have wanted to trade this guy in the past – he has been one of the most consistent Bulls over that same time frame.  At least we know his talent max.  He will score, play mediocre at best defense, and he can be a go-to guy down the stretch.

The Star

1. Derrick Rose – At age 20, there is no doubt in anyone’s mind that he’s the face of the Chicago Bulls for the next seven years at least.  Let’s hope he can live up to the incredible hype that comes with being #1 in Chicago.

NBA trade season heats up

These two used to play together, now they are the biggest names in the trade market.

Well, we have our first blockbuster trade of the 2009 NBA season.  ESPN is reporting that the Miami Heat have sent Shawn Marion and Marcus Banks to the Toronto Raptors for Jermaine O’Neal and Jamario Moon.    

I was a bit surprised that the Heat dealt Marion’s expiring contract for O’Neal and Moon, but I suppose the higher ups in Miami took a good look at what the free-agent market would look like next year and decided to make a push for the playoffs this year.  What this trade does do for the Heat is clear almost five million in cap space for the mythic summer on 2010 when Kobe Bryant, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh and LeBron James will all become free agents.

Rest assured that this is only the first of what will be many moves made in the coming weeks as teams try to cut payroll, either because of the current economic climate or the 2010 free agency bidding war.  Amare Stoudemire remains the biggest name on a lost of teams shopping list, and  one of the teams that seems to remain in high level talks for him is the Chicago Bulls.  

There are multiple sources that are rumoring that Bulls GM John Paxon may be on the way out.   It’s become clear over the last couple of years that Paxon’s drafting strategy just hasn’t panned Chicago and now is probably as good a time as any to make a change.  It’ll be interesting to see how the flux in Bulls management will effect their trade strategy.  

I’m interested to see if any of the championship contenders will make a move to push their team over the top, like the Lakers move to get Pau Gasol last year.  I know that both Boston and Cleveland are looking to get a big man who can come off the bench, grab some rebounds, and make the mid-range jump shot.  I also wouldn’t be surprised to see the Celtics looks to nab a guy who can guard LeBron James in the playoffs; James Posey is the perfect guy for the job, but I don’t think the Hornets are going to want to part ways with Posey.

This is one of those years where a lot of big trades could be made as the economy continues to sink and small market teams look to cut pay-roll, and if a contender can find a way to exploit this market, it could bring a championship to that town.  As a Lakers fan, I can’t think of anyone who the Lakers really need to add to their squad, but then again I didn’t see the Gasol trade coming.   Get to work Kupchak! 

Sources: [ESPN] [New York Post]

Darryl Strawberry makes me want to read his book

When Darryl Strawberry writes, I read.

In news that has absolutely made my day, if not my whole year, Darryl Strawberry is prepping to release a tell-all book about his partying lifestyle with the Mets back in the 80’s.  Strawberry decided to bless us all with some fantastic quotes courtesy the New York Post.  

He starts us off with a some good stuff:

“We were the boys of summer. The drunk, speed-freak, sneaking-a-smoke boys of summer,” writes onetime home-run legend Darryl Strawberry in “Straw: Finding My Way,” out in April from Ecco. “[An] infamous rolling frat party . . . drinking, drugs, fights, gambling, groupies.”

Gives us all the formula to partying success:

Beer “was the foundation of our alcoholic lifestyle,” he writes. “We hauled around more Bud than the Clydesdales. The beer was just to get the party started and maybe take the edge off the speed and coke.”

Discusses the intricities of the road trip:

The team’s mantra on the road, he writes, was to “tear up your best bars and nightclubs and take your finest women . . . The only hard part for us was choosing which hottie to take back to your hotel room. Lots of times you . . . picked two or three.”

…and shows us all how to treat a lady:

Although he doesn’t name names, Strawberry relates how team members picked out girls from the stands for quickies. He once watched a pitcher march a frisky fan to a private room for oral sex: “I was jealous. When I saw her heading back to her seat, I gave her a sign. She smiled, turned right back around, and met me in that same little room . . . I had to be quick and run back out on the field.”

Another time, “I was in the clubhouse, having one last quickie with this cute little Florida girl. Charlie Samuels, the equipment manager, came in and caught us. He just stood there shaking his head while I finished up.”

Now it’s quite obvious that Strawberry is using this “tell-all book” to make a few bucks at the expense of his former players and coaches, but there is something in the depths of profanity and debauchery in these quotes that has me giddy like a ten year old at a Harry Potter release party.  After reading “Boys Will Be Boys” I can’t wait to read about how the boys of summer got down.  Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to find my Darryl Strawberry rookie card and get it on eBay as soon as possible!

Source: [NY Post]

Abreu signs one year deal with Angels

So long Abreu, I'll have mediocre memories of you.

I don’t think I can remember a busier news day than today in quite some time.  Now I see, courtesy SI.com,  that Bobby Abreu has signed a one year deal with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (is this right?) for $5 million and added incentives.  Five million is a far cry from the long term, 100 plus million dollar deal that Abreu was looking for.  It looks like right now is a great time to pick up some quality players for short term, low price contracts (See Adam Dunn signing).  The way the market has moved south, I’m really starting to wonder how much money Manny Ramirez is going to get.  Me thinks that he could end up with the Dodgers for less than that 1 year, 25 million dollar offer they sent his way a couple of weeks ago.  

Back to Abreu’s deal, I think five million is more than fair for a guy who had the following stats with the Yankees last year:

• .296 BA
• .371 OBP
• .903 OPS
• 100 R
• 20 HR
• 100 RBI
• 20 SB

This signing doesn’t make the Angels favorites to win the World Series, but it is a smart move by an organization that just lost their biggest bat.  The biggest story in all of this has to be how much the market has moved over the course of this off-season.  Is the economy really so bad that players are being forced to sign these low contracts, or are the owners using the current ecominic shit storm to make some bargain deals.  I think it’s only a matter of time before everyone’s favorite players union steps in – I can’t wait!

Source: [SI.com]

Roberto Alomar is a not a good human being

 

Today has been a really creepy day in news, and here is Deadspin with a report on Roberto Alomar that is not helping to lift my spirits:

Weird story out of Brooklyn, as Ilya Dall, the ex-girlfriend of Roberto Alomar, is suing him for $15 million for having sex with her while knowing that he might have AIDS.

Roberto Alomar has AIDS? That’s news to many, apparently.

His lawyer, Charles Bach, would not say whether Alomar is HIV-positive. “We believe this is a totally frivolous lawsuit. These allegations are baseless,” Bach said. “He’s healthy and would like to keep his health status private. We’ll do our talking in court.”

Alomar’s father, Mets bench coach Sandy Alomar, said the claims were news to him. “That’s the first time we ever heard of that,” he said from Puerto Rico.

But Ilya Dall tells a tale of how she watched Alomar suffer from deteriorating health until, in February of 2006, his “skin had turned purple, he was foaming at the mouth and a spinal tap showed he had full-blown AIDS,” the suit says. That was four years after he had begun dating her.

From the New York Post:

Her suit does not claim that he knew he had AIDS when they were having unprotected sex — but he had reason to think he might because his doctors kept advising him to be tested. He procrastinated and told her he was disease free, the suit says. In 2004, she said, she noticed he had cold sores. The following year he was diagnosed with a blood disorder that’s linked to AIDS, the suit says.

Dall goes on to detail in the lawsuit, first obtained by the Daily News, that In April 2005, Alomar told her that he had been raped by two Mexican men when he was 17.

Dall said that Alomar was suffering from erectile dysfunction and confided “he was raped by two Mexican men after playing a ballgame in New Mexico or a Southwestern state when he was 17,” the suit says. It goes on to say that around the same time Alomar developed a persistent cough and was bedridden with extreme fatigue.

He developed thrush, a yeast infection, and was told by a doctor to take an HIV test — but refused, Dall claims. “I don’t have HIV,” he told her repeatedly, the suit charges.

This is just a weird month for baseball. But anyway, you can hardly blame Bud Selig for this one.

$15M Lawsuit Claims Ex-Met Roberto Alomar Had Sex Knowing He Had AIDS [New York Daily News]

Alomar In AIDS Shock [New York Post]

via Roberto Alomar: Does Roberto Alomar Have AIDS? Girlfriend’s Lawsuit Says Yes.

Because in times like these, we all need something pretty to look at

God bless the SI Swimsuit Issue

I’m not going to ruin this already perfect post with too many words, but with all the bad news these days I thought I’d change things up with the cover to this year’s Swimsuit Issue.  Enjoy!

Reports: Washington Nationals, Adam Dunn agree to contract – ESPN

 

Much to the chagrin of teams all over baseball looking to pick up Adam Dunn on the cheap, it looks like DC has beaten everyone ot the punch.  I know Chad had talked about how Dunn, and his 40 HR’s per year, would be a good fit for the Cubbies, and I look forward to his reaction to this news.  Here’s the report via ESPN’s news service:

The Washington Nationals and Adam Dunn have agreed to a two-year contract, according to multiple reports.

The deal could be announced as early as Thursday, the Washington Post reported.

Dunn, 29, hit .236 with 40 home runs and 100 RBIs with the Arizona Diamondbacks and Cincinnati Reds last season.

Dunn has hit at least 40 home runs each of the past five seasons. In 1,131 games, Dunn has 278 home runs.

He has played in the outfield and first base during his eight-year career.

via Reports: Washington Nationals, Adam Dunn agree to contract – ESPN.

The man in green retires – again

Here we go again!

I have to say that as much as I usually get put off by these Brett Favre retirement announcements, now couldn’t have been a better time for number four to hang up his cleats.  I swear if I had to watch another “baseball reporter” sit there and throw pot shots at A-Rod I going to bash my HDTV in with a baseball bat, and that was really something I didn’t want to have to do.  Still, it’s pretty noticeable in the papers and on most of the big online sports site’s that this edition of the Favre retirement announcement isn’t packing of much as a wallop as his last one.  I’d rank it somewhere between Jordan’s retirement from the Wizards and The Rocks retirement for the WWE. 

I can understand why writers would be weary of writing another big “Favre retires” story, as I wrote one myself after Favre told the Packers that he was seriously contemplating hanging  it up last year.  Here were my last words on Favre’s first retirement announcement:

At the end of the day, the highest compliment I can give Favre is to say that he made me want to watch him on Sundays even though I despised the Packers. When I watched Favre I wasn’t just watching number four for Green Bay, I was watching an icon, in that I was watching someone who represented something about all of us. He represented the genuine spirit of the game. He played the game of football with no fear, and he played it damn well. Who knows, maybe Favre will change his mind in the months to come and decide to give it another run. I hope he does, and I think the child in all of us does.

Wow, I used a lot of superlatives in that farewell but, truth-be-told he, was worth all of the praise and still is.  A lot of people came down on Favre when he went to the Jets, but it was still a lot of fun to watch him sling the ball around one last time.  He gave New York everything he had, and almost led that team to the playoffs even though his throwing arm had basically fallen off.  If there was one thing you have to absolutely respect Favre for it’s his will to win.  

If Favre is truly deciding to quit the game this time, it’s going to be strange watching games on Sunday without him.  I really don’t know what John Madden is going to do, and I hope they people watching him at all time right now.  Favre leaves the game with almost every important passing record we have including most wins, starts, TD passes, completions and interceptions.  I think when we look back on the career of number four we will remember him for his gun slinging attitude and love for the game.   I truly believe that he’s the last quarterback we will ever see that played the game with complete lack of respect for doing things “the conventional way”.   These days quarterbacks are bread to play the game a certain way, and teams are investing so much money in quarterbacks in the draft that only the most technically sound QBs are drafted. 

Brett Favre was one of a kind.  He brought a Super Bowl to the smallest franchise in the NFL, made more “I can’t believe he did that” plays than any other player in the history of this league, and made us all appreciate the game a little bit more.  Sure his last year was one of controversy and disappointment, but getting to watch him play one more year was anything but disappointing.  I’m sure in the years ahead Brett will be someone I tell my grandchildren about, and their response will probably be, “well I just don’t understand how one guy could have met so much to his sport,” and I’ll probably respond, “You just had to be there.”

So once again, and probably for the final time, I say cheers Brett… and bravo!

Source:http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=3898942