United States’ World Cup Elimination

          The United States has been knocked out the 2010 World Cup by the same team that eliminated them 4 years ago and by the same score, Ghana 2-1. Last World Cup the U.S. was eliminated in the Group Stage, this year they managed to put up a fight in the Round of 16.

Optimism

          Looking at the tournament as ‘the glass is half full,’ the U.S. won their group over powerful England. They went down early against England, Slovenia, and Ghana but managed to fight back in all three, tying England 1-1 and Slovenia 2-2 (after going down 2-0), and losing to Ghana after tying the game. They didn’t lose to Ghana without battling back, having the game sent into extra time before they were put away. Their ‘never say die’ attitude was inspiring as they continued to

2010 NBA Draft

Knicks

          Let’s start with my favorite team of all time, the New York Knicks. A team I have waited loyally for year after year to make any kind of splash. They may not have had a 1st round pick this year and may be living and dying on this year’s free agency, but that doesn’t mean they couldn’t have drafted decent players with their two consecutive 2nd round picks, but they blew it...BIG TIME. I waited 3.5 hours anticipating their pick, and they could not have let me down any more. There are 2 positions the Knicks desperately need, and it just so happens that those 2 positions are not available in free agency. They need a point guard and a center. Maybe Bosh and Amar’e can play center, but they are true power forwards, and the best point available is Raymond Felton, which isn’t much. Donnie could 

2010 NBA Playoffs Recap

What we learned from this year’s playoffs:

Kobe’s Not Done Yet

First of all, congratulations to the Los Angeles Lakers for not only winning back-to-back championships, but also beating the rival Celtics in the process. To all the people who said that Kobe was past his prime and that it wasn’t his league anymore, how do your word’s taste? Because Kobe just fed them to you. Kobe Bryant just proved to everyone out there that not only his is still in his prime, but that no injury too severe can stop him. Playing with almost every injury known to man: a broken finger, a spastic back, a bad ankle, and whatever else that we don’t about, Kobe still managed to win his 5th NBA Championship and 2nd NBA Finals MVP. He is now tied in the championship category with Magic Johnson and one, yes one, behind Michael Jordan. He may not have had his best shooting game 

2010 FIFA World Cup

The Best of the Best

With the World Cup in South Africa only one day away, it’s as good a time as ever to defend it as the greatest sporting event in the world. First of all, it’s one of very few tournaments where the champion can truly be named “world champion.” The term is thrown around in the NBA, MLB, and NFL, but are the teams that win the NBA Finals, World Series, and Super Bowl truly world champions? No, because they are competing nationally, not internationally, thus the title “world champion” is inappropriately used. Other than the World Cup, there are pretty much two schools of thought in terms of greatest sporting events. In my opinion, both NCAA March Madness and the Olympics can be compelling arguments, but in the end both fall short. Starting with March Madness, the single elimination tournament

Ken Griffey Jr. Retires

A Bright Light in a Dark Time

After 22 seasons mostly filled with injuries, the highly liked Ken Griffey Jr. retired from Major League Baseball as a member of the Seattle Mariners. In an era riddled with steroid allegations and shamed with records with asterisks, Griffey stood alone. Out of all the great players that he played with throughout the years; Barry Bonds, Sammy Sosa, and Mark McGwire just to name a few; Griffey was the only untainted player with similar numbers. With 630 career home runs, he ranks 5th all-time. He won an MVP award, was a 13-time All-Star, and 10-time Gold Glove winner and maybe most impressive, absolutely ZERO sign of him using steroids at any point of his career.

What If?

The biggest question to Griffey’s career will always be ‘What if?’ What if Ken Griffey Jr. never followed his dad to the Cincinnati Reds and instead