The Free Agency Circus Sucks

When the whole concept of the 2010 free agency class first came about I was excited. The re-alignment of superstars and the shift of power in the NBA intrigued me. Now I'm just disgusted and irritated. The whole process has turned into a 3 ring circus. You have so called experts giving opinions on things they know absolutely nothing about. I've watched countless hours of Lebron highlights and speculation only to have this thing drawn out beyond belief. We now have to wait for an ESPN press conference tonight to find out where Lebron James will end up. This leads me to the conclusion that he's already made a decision, but wants the announcement to be as dramatic as possible. How corny. Have you ever heard of a player making free agency completely about themselves before? The team of me has gotten a little carried away with his self absorption. The other free agents weren't much better. D Wade, Chris Bosh, Joe Johnson, and Amare Stoudemire all played with peoples emotions and held NBA franchises hostage while everyone kissed their asses and told them how good they were. The spectacle went from the sublime to the ridiculous. At least we'll have closure after this evening. I'll break down the winners and losers of free agency tomorrow.

Hip-Hop Game Changer: The 2 Live Crew

Before there was Outkast, The Geto Boys, or Ludacris The 2 Live Crew put the South on the map. There would be no DJ Khaled, Pitbull, or Rick Ross without Luther Campbell. The 2 Live Crew spit their vulgar lyrics and traditional Miami base sound with no regard for the repercussions or ramifications of their actions. They went platinum on their own terms. Their career defining moment was when they took a scene from Full Metal Jacket and turned it into a national phenomenon. Me So Horny epitomizes what The 2 Live Crew is all about. Look no further than this group for evidence that sex sells. If you notice videos have become more risque since The 2 Live Crew has been on the scene. I'll admit I've been to a Luke Skywalker show and let me tell you it's pretty graphic. I can't tell you exactly what I saw there, but lets just say there was alot of audience participation. The images are burned into my memory. They will never get the credit they deserve for resurrecting the South but The 2 Live Crew are pioneers in the rap game. Whenever you hear that tick tick followed by that bump think of Luke and the crew. Move Somethin!

I Got Kobayashi's Back

Hot dog eating took it to the next level over the weekend. Who would've thought you would need to get the police involved at one of these events? I'll admit over the years I've watched the display of gluttony with idle curiosity wondering what the whole point was. Who's idea was it anyway to eat 60 hot dogs? Do you know how sick that is? Is hot dog eating even a sport? After this weekend hot dog eating crossed over from contest to sport for me. It has all the elements. You have the old school champ in Kobayashi, a man who established his name and his fame in this dirty game. He paved the way for future champs to get exposure and riches. Then you have the new king, Joey Chesnut. He's not as well known as Kobayashi but he has beaten him head up the last two Nathan Championships. Plus you have contract disputes. Kobayashi wasn't paid the proper appearance fee and was shut out of the competition this year. Of course you've got to have some bad blood. Joey and Kobayashi genuinely dislike one another. Each person thinks they are Mr. Hot Dog and controls the sport. The fight for power and supremacy wages on. Lastly you have the raw emotion and the heat of battle getting the best of someone. Kobayashi actually WENT TO JAIL over his competitive spirit. After jumping up on the platform Kobayashi was brought up on charges ranging from assault to trespassing. If that's not a sport I don't know what is! Will training camp start soon please. The offseason is killing me.

England Watered Down

I watched over the weekend as Rafael Nadal and Serena Williams cruised to the Wimbledon Championships. The both of them made it look incredibly easy. I couldn't help but feel cheated they both got to the finals without having to play their arch nemesis, their most worthy adversary, and their #1 rival. In the case of Serena it was the absence of Venus. No one else pushes Serena the way Venus does. Let us not forget Venus is the older sister and doesn't put up with Serena's sh*t. The psychological and emotional warfare makes for exciting TV. You wonder how many more grand slam titles the Williams sisters would have if they didn't have to play each other. In the case of Nadal it was the absence of Roger Federer. Some people consider Roger the greatest of all time yet Nadal has had his number recently. He's won two consecutive grand slams (on clay and grass) and has fared well in their head to head match ups. It's a rivalry that's starting to resemble Agassi/Sampras from a few years back. Tennis more so than other sports needs compelling rivalries. It needs two champions facing each other that bring out the best in their opponent. Without the epic rivalry the ending is often anti climatic. Nadal needs Roger. Serena needs Venus. Their battles are career defining and validate greatness. Roger and Venus need to get it together, the US Open is around the corner.

Cliff Lee Is A "G"

Cliff Lee is the consummate professional. Most athletes couldn't handle being traded from a World Series team to a last place cellar dweller. As a former Cy Young winner you know he had to feel insulted that the Philadelphia Phillies didn't consider him an important part of their winning equation. Instead of sulking and pointing fingers Cliff Lee has gone out on the mound and displayed his dominance. Complete games, shutouts, you name it Cliff Lee has done it. He's shown the rest of the league that he's a valuable piece in the baseball puzzle. The Seattle Mariners took a gamble on Cliff and lost. Their bats never warmed up and their bullpen stinks. They've fallen into a hole they can't get out of and this season is a wash. It's time for the Mariners to cut their losses and see what they can get for him on the open market. The Mariners can take solace in the fact that Cliff Lee has performed well enough to get several top prospects back in return. The future looks bright. Seattle fans appreciate that Cliff Lee went out there every start and gave it 100%. It's unfortunate they will have to see him go in a few weeks. The league has taken notice of Cliff Lee's talents and don't be surprised if he's pitching in the World Series again this year. Atlanta?

Elin Woods Is Not Worthy

Let me refresh your memory on the sequence of events. Elin Nordegren was a nanny for PGA golfer Jesper Paernevik. Tiger Woods, the face of golf and the athlete of the decade noticed her from afar at a golf tournament. He thought she was cute so he took her out on a date. The date went well, they started going out, and then they got married. During that marriage the two of them had two kids, Tiger Woods was unfaithful, everybody found out, and Elin filed for divorce. Now for the crazy part. Elin Woods is due 9 figures in the divorce settlement. 9 figures! She never picked up a club, never endorsed a product, and never carried a professional sport on her back. In addition to Tiger Woods losing a huge chunk of his wealth Elin will retain full custody of their children. Tiger Woods will have to ask permission to see his kids and invite them to the Masters. They may even be raised in Elin's home country of Sweden. Something is terribly wrong with this picture. What kind of country do we live in where a glorified babysitter can have sole control over the heirs of a future billionaire and pocket a couple hundred million to boot? This is the come up of the millennium. I'm not condoning Tiger Woods behavior, but the punishment far exceeds the crime. Tiger Woods was wrong for his infidelity, but INFIDELITY IS NOT A CRIME! INFIDELITY IS NOT AN EXCUSE FOR LOSING YOUR PARENTAL RIGHTS! INFIDELITY SHOULDN'T BE PUNISHABLE WITH A $200,000,000 FINE! Elin Woods feels a sense of entitlement because she was cheated on, but that doesn't give her the right to take a man's children and fortune. Her accomplishments and contributions in life don't warrant that kind of pay out. Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned! Tiger has found out in a painful way.

The Bust And The Brat: It's All About Attitude II

If you saw Terrell Owens on the street you would think he was a Greek god chiseled out of stone capable of amazing athletic feats. If you saw him streaking down the sideline with no name on the back of his Jersey you might think he was the best player on the field. So why is Terrell unemployed? Attitude. Terrell Owens is from a small town in Alabama and never got the recognition he felt he deserved in high school or college. When he got to the pros he started out as a Jerry Rice understudy. Years later he took the top receiver role and has never been quite the same. Mr. Exposure craves the spotlight and always wants to be the center of attention. It's not enough for him to be in a winning environment, he also needs to get the credit for the teams success and none of the blame for its failures. It goes back to his upbringing. The insecurities have never gone away. Consequently he's become a cancer that eats away at franchises from the inside out. He's thrown every single one of his quarterbacks under the bus and has left every team he's played for on bad terms. The money and the fame have not been enough to change his attitude. He will unceremoniously ride off into the sunset and into the hall of fame. He will be remembered as a tremendous talent that was emotionally unstable. A disappointing legacy, but one of his own creation. If only he felt loved and appreciated. What could have been.