Oscar De La Hoya: The Golden Boy Shows Some Tarnish

Oscar De La Hoya recently revealed that at his lowest point he contemplated suicide. He also revealed that he was unfaithful to his wife and abused cocaine and alcohol. These actions clearly don't reflect the "Golden Boy" image Oscar has projected over the years and raise serious questions about his character and authenticity. Should the public forgive Oscar De La Hoya for his past indiscretions?

If you are going to use the present standard for judging athletes then absolutely not. Oscar is no different than Tiger Woods, Alex Rodriguez, Michael Jordan, or Bret Favre. His persona has been a complete lie and he's let down millions of fans worldwide (especially kids) who looked up to him as a hero and a role model.

If you take the athlete/role model part out of the equation he certainly deserves a pass. Oscar De La Hoya is a man with charm and charisma, matinee idol looks, and hundreds of millions of dollars at his disposal. It is completely unrealistic for people to expect boy scout behavior from him all the time.

In addition he suffers from the same affliction many former athletes face, what to do when the crowd stops cheering. Oscar De La Hoya has been boxing since before he was a teenager and nothing in his life will ever fully replace that. When you're a 5 time world champion it's hard to go back to being a regular guy. Anxiety and depression set in and like a lot of people Oscar turned to women and drugs. He was man enough to admit he had a problem and is working on becoming a better person.

Star athletes are cursed by the outdated definition of what an athlete/role model should be. Until the public and media realize these guys are human and succumb to pressures and opportunities most of us can't imagine things will not change. In the case of Oscar De La Hoya it's just another example of an athlete that's had his dirty laundry aired out in the open for public scrutiny.

If you criticize Oscar you hold him to a higher standard than he's capable of. If you forgive Oscar you accept the fact that you won't agree with everything an athlete does or doesn't do. Which side are you on?

Are All Losses Created Equal?

Losing is a part of sports. In every athletic competition someone has to be defeated. Over the years we've seen dramatic comebacks and colossal meltdowns. There have been epic battles that make history and one sided affairs that make us wonder why the other team even bothered to show up.

In the middle of all these events are the sports finishes that make you say really? Did that person or team lose because of that bone headed play? If you're going to lose at least lose having given it your all I always say. At any rate here's my list of the 5 most ridiculous losses of the last 25 years.

5. Serena Williams 2009 US Open. I've been frustrated on a tennis court many times so I know how Serena Williams felt during the match. That's still no reason to tell a linesman you're going to shove a tennis ball down their fcuking throat leading to a disqualification at a grand slam. Serena, you're better than that.

4. Scott Norwood Super Bowl XXV. I can't imagine how painful it must be to go through life as the person who single handedly lost the Super Bowl. I hate kickers though so my sympathy only goes so far.

3. Chris Webber 1993 Final Four. After watching the ESPN documentary on the Fab 5 I have a little more compassion for Chris Webber calling a timeout he didn't have, but not much. He was young, but still old enough to have his head in the game.

2. Dale Earnhardt Jr. Coca-Cola 600 2011. We've all run out of gas before, just not in front of millions of people during a 3 year winless streak. How embarrassing must it be to miscalculate your fuel by 300 feet?

1. Usain Bolt 2011 World Championships. Does the world's fastest man really need that much of a head start? It's ludicrous to think that the world record holder couldn't hold his stance until he heard the sound of the starter pistol. When he looks back at his career this disqualification will haunt him forever.

My Fantasy Draft #2

I had the 2nd of my 3 fantasy drafts on Saturday and I am not impressed with the way things turned out. This particular draft is an auction format and last year I absolutely nailed it. I ended up with Peyton Manning, Adrian Peterson, DeSean Jackson, and Lesean McCoy. I got to the semis and lost a close match to the eventual runner-up of the league.

This year my strategy backfired on me. When Adrian Peterson came off the board for an obscene amount of money and Jamaal Charles got purchased for twice his value I started to panic. I went all in for Aaron Rodgers thinking that the elite quarterbacks would get snatched up early. To my surprise two MVP quarterbacks were nabbed (Tom Brady and Peyton Manning) for 50% less than I paid for Rodgers. Once that happened I lost focus and the bad strategy began to snowball on me.

My running backs are average at best. Ahmad Bradshaw, Mark Ingram, and Reggie Bush don't exactly strike fear in my opponents. Couple that with mediocre receivers (Wes Welker and Plaxico Burress) and suddenly I'm behind the 8 ball before the season even starts. I'm going to have to rely on my free agency wizardry if I want to have any chance of being a factor in this league.

The sad part is if I don't get my act together I hay have to be quiet this season. As you might expect I've been talking more trash than the law allows leading up to this season and without explosive weapons around me I may be forced to eat humble pie. Humble pie is an acquired taste I simply don't have. Anything can happen on any given Sunday and I'm not throwing in the towel, but I may be forced to bite my tongue until I can turn this thing around. How boring is that?

NFC West Champions: St. Louis Rams

Most experts refer to the NFC West as the weakest division in football. Last year the division winner (Seattle Seahawks) made the playoffs with a losing record and prompted discussions about whether or not the rules should be changed.

That talk went away when the Seahawks beat the defending Super Bowl champs at home. It cost them 17 spots in the draft, but it also let people know anything is possible once you get to the 2nd season. Even if the division is crappy someone has to win it. Here's how the NFC West will shake out.

Division winner: St. Louis Rams. Sam Bradford is by far the best quarterback in this division and if Stephen Jackson can stay healthy the Rams will have a balanced offense. Offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels is looking for redemption after an embarrassing stint in Denver and should have this team scoring a lot of points. The Rams will do just enough to sneak into the playoffs.

2nd place: Seattle Seahawks. The Pete Carroll experiment is still a work in progress. The quarterbacks are suspect, the running game is a huge question mark, and the franchise left tackle (Russell Okung) seems to be a little fra-gee-lay. The team is getting younger and more talented however. They'll play hard and stay competitive, but this is not their season.

3rd place: San Francisco 49ers. It will take rookie head coach Jim Harbaugh about 5 games to realize Alex Smith is not the answer at quarterback and then we'll see what adjustments they make. The defense will keep them in most games and kicker David Akers (a fantasy football tidbit) will probably leads the team in scoring. The 49ers will win 6 games.

Last place: Arizona Cardinal. The good news is the Cardinals recently re-signed all world receiver Larry Fitzgerald to a long term contract. The bad news is he can't throw the ball to himself. Kevin Kolb is incredibly overrated and with no running game to speak of defenses will have a field day against their anemic offense. 4-5 wins is all they're good for.

NFC East Champions: Philadelphia Eagles

Without question the NFC East is the most glamorous division in football. The division where America's team resides, Peyton's brother Eli leads the New York Giants, and Michael Vick has re-invented himself in Philadelphia gets lots of attention. All four teams carry a deep rooted history and a winning tradition. This year the NFC East will be a two team race however and one of those teams might even win the Super Bowl. Here is how the NFC East will shake out.

Division winner: Philadelphia Eagles. The Eagles are stacked with talent and built to win THIS SEASON. Anything less than a Lombardi trophy would be considered a disappointment and the league will suffer accordingly. Winning the division is a foregone conclusion.

2nd place: Dallas Cowboys. Tony Romo is back and that's a huge plus. With the departure of Marion Barber III Felix Jones will become the featured back. Dez Bryant and Miles Austin make a great receiving tandem and perennial all pro Jason Witten is in great shape. Look for the Cowboys to rebound and make the playoffs this season.

3rd place: New York Giants. The season hasn't even begun and already the New York Giants are decimated with injuries in the secondary. The NFL is a pass happy league and their weakness will be exploited to the fullest. I don't see the Giants making the playoffs.

Last place: Washington Redskins. The Washington Redskins will start the season with Rex Grossman or John Beck as their starting quarterback and that's not a good thing. To make matters worse head coach Mike Shanahan still hasn't figured out that players don't like him and the game has passed him by. The Redskins are a 5 win team.

Fantasy Draft #1

I had the first of my 3 fantasy drafts a few days ago and there's already some controversy. One of the guys in the league is complaining that we had the draft on the same day as his anniversary which put him at a distinct disadvantage. Obviously he had plenty of time to re-arrange those plans so I don't know what the big deal is. An anniversary celebration lasts a couple of minutes, fantasy football goes for 16 weeks. It's simple mathematics.

Anyways enough about him, let's talk about the future league champion Cleavie Wonder. The season is right around the corner and dare I say my team is explosive. As fate would have it I ended up with Michael Vick with the 4th selection and came back with Maurice Jones-Drew with the 19th pick. In the 3rd round I picked up Vick's favorite target DeSean Jackson followed by Dallas Clark and Ryan Grant. Johnny Knox rounds out my starters so as you can see my first string has no weaknesses.

My back ups aren't half bad either. Ryan Torain will get the bulk of the carries in Washington now that Clinton Portis is gone, Matt Stafford should have a bounce back year after shoulder surgery, Jimmy Graham will replace Jeremy Shockey in New Orleans, and Nate Burleson will take advantage of the double teams Calvin Johnson draws.

Injuries will ultimately dictate how successful my team will be, but if they stay healthy my team will roll. It will be difficult to curb my enthusiasm if the squad lives up to its potential. One draft down, two to go and I'm feeling real good about my chances to wind up with the chip. Stay tuned.

Are The Olympics More Important Than The NBA?

The 2011-2012 NBA season is in jeopardy, but never fear we will see basketball next year. Lebron James recently announced that irregardless of the labor situation he will be in London this summer to represent the USA in the summer Olympics. Will others follow suit?

If you look at the roster it's a no brainer. Lebron James, Kobe Bryant, and Dwyane Wade are all endorsed by Nike while Deron Williams, Chris Paul, and Carmelo Anthony represent the Jordan logo. Nike will not miss the chance to showcase their top earners.

Kevin Durant will undoubtedly take Tayshaun Prince's spot and Derrick Rose will replace the aging Jason Kidd. The two most promising young stars won't miss the opportunity to perform on the world's biggest stage.

Although the NBA controls USA basketball it's in their best interest to send our best players from a marketing standpoint. The league fancies itself a global phenomenon and with the whole world watching they can't afford to come up short.

In addition, the corporate entities that really control basketball won't allow it. At a time when everyone is claiming they are losing money the 2012 summer Olympics is a cash cow. With the USA almost guaranteed a spot in the gold medal game the exposure these companies can generate is huge. From the lighting of the torch to the closing ceremonies billions of people will be watching.

The Lebron James announcement is an indication of what's important to NBA players. Their priorities are with their employers. All of them. The NBA franchises that hold their rights are just one part of their revenue stream. They also have to answer to the makers of the products they endorse. That partnership is bigger than David Stern and his crybaby owners. See you in London this summer. Cheerio.