Sports Blog » 2009 » May

Mike Tyson has lived a very turbulent life. From spending time in a facility for juvenile delinquents to becoming the youngest heavyweight boxing champion ever, Tyson has seen more than his share of ups and downs.

Still, nothing could have prepared him for this.  Tyson’s four year old daughter, Exodus, died yesterday at a hospital after she reportedly was tangled up in the cord of a treadmill at her Phoenix home.  It is unclear how she became entangled, but she was found by her seven year old brother, who then told their mother, who called 911.

Paramedics were able to perform CPR when they arrived and managed to resuscitate her.  She had been on life support at the hospital since Monday but was pronounced dead just before noon on Tuesday according to police Sgt. Andy Hill.  Tyson was not home when the accident happened but flew back into town from Las Vegas as soon as he was made aware of the news.

It is extremely sad for a family to lose a child and adds another layer to Tyson’s much chronicled history.  Regardless of how you feel about Tyson and his sometime unlawful acts, your thoughts and condolences should go out to him and his family.

The following is a statement from the Tyson family regarding the tragedy:

“We are grateful for the tremendous outpouring of love and prayers from all over the world.  There are no words to describe the tragic loss of our beloved Exodus.  We ask you now to please respect our need at this very difficult time for privacy to grieve and try to help each other heal.”

Our deepest sympathies to the Tyson family.

Image Source: TheInsider.com

There is nothing like a 3-day holiday weekend to put on a few undesired pounds.  All of that sweet barbeque goodness and refreshing cold beverages taste good when you are consuming them, but one look in the mirror the following day will have you wishing you stuck to salad and diet soda.

And with summer knocking on the door the last thing you need is to feel insecure in your bathing suit while roaming the beach or a friend’s pool party.  Most people will tell you to join a gym if you want to tighten up around the mid-section, but who wants to work out with a bunch of strangers who are silently judging you?  Plus there is the problem of having to wait in line to get on the proper machine and, of course, that pesky little (or not so little) monthly bill.

Add in the time of driving to and from the gym, finding parking, generally feeling bad that you are never going to be in as good of shape as those annoying personal trainers, and you have one gigantic waste of money.

But don’t give up hope on getting an amazing body in time for summer.   It is possible to shed those pounds without the hassle of a gym membership and you don’t even have to leave your house to do it.  All you need to do is buy a treadmill and you will be able to work out any time you want from the comfort of your own home.  It may sound like an expensive endeavor, but there are plenty of affordable treadmills out there that can help you burn those extra calories.

So to help you get started on your path to a better body, today’s deal of the day is for a Stamina INMotion II manual treadmill. Normally $240.00, it is currently on sale for only $124.99 plus shipping.  Because the treadmill is manual there is very little noise made by it, making it perfect to use indoors while watching TV or music. It can also be adjusted to an incline for a more intense work out, and when you are done you can fold it up for easy storage.

It is easy to avoid going to the gym because you aren’t forced to look at it every day.  Put a treadmill at the foot of your bed — or better yet in front of the refrigerator –and suddenly you will find yourself willingly working up a sweat.

Image Source: Orlandosentinel.com 

Find at Smarter.com:  Shop for more discount treadmills.

The flurry of steroids related drama surrounding Major League Baseball has been pretty high this season.

First it was leaked that Alex Rodriguez tested positive for performance enhancing drugs while he played for the New York Rangers.  He was able to avoid a lengthy suspension because the test was given in anonymity before the current drug rules were instituted, but the hit to his character and the game of baseball were still large.

Adding to the already dark cloud of A-Rod’s failed test is the fact that over 100 other MLB players tested positive during the same time period.  The tests are sealed so people are naturally starting to question a lot of players from the last 10-20 years.  Anyone who starts to slump, like Boston’s David Ortiz, makes baseball fans wonder if their former greatness can be attributed largely to the juice.

Then there are cases like Manny Ramirez, where it has yet to be proven he took steroids but the circumstantial evidence is overwhelming.  All of these unpleasant stories make this weeks fantasy impact player even more impressive.  He has never been linked to any type of performance enhancing drug and is one of the brightest young stars in the game today.

This weeks fantasy impact player is New York Mets‘ third baseman David Wright, who started off the season a bit on the slow side but has turned it on in the past couple weeks.  Currently riding a respectable 11-game hit streak, Wright leads all third basemen in batting average with a monstrous .362, good for eighth overall among all players with at least 100 at bats.

For the past seven days he is the second highest rated player on ESPN’s fantasy player rater and is first for third basemen.  During that same time span he is 14 for 22 at the plate for a whopping .636 batting average.  He also has 10 walks to only three strike outs, which explains his high on-base percentage (.750) and OPS (1.568).  It is true his power numbers are down, but considering he has hit at least 25 home runs in each of the last four years it is only a matter of time before his power catches up to the rest of his impressive numbers.

Toss in the fact that he trails only Chone Figgins in steals among third basemen and you can see just how dominate Wright is in the world of fantasy.  It isn’t reasonable to expect him to continue hitting .362, but his final regular season stats could easily be a .315 batting average, 28 home runs, 115 RBI and 30 stolen bases.

And what fantasy owner wouldn’t be ecstatic for those numbers?

Image Source:Hawk Fantasy Sports

Since the order for the upcoming NBA draft was announced on Tuesday, there has been a lot of buzz about Blake Griffin and if the Los Angeles Clippers will take him with their first overall pick.

Clippers head coach and general manager Mike Dunleavy has put a lot of minds at ease by telling the Los Angeles Times they will, saying they are extremely excited to add the young talent.  Their marketing department is already taking advantage of the proclamation by using Griffin to sell season tickets, and for anyone who went to a Clippers game last season, it is obvious they really need to sell more tickets.

People are also starting to wonder when they can get their hands on a Griffin jersey, and though they aren’t on the NBA’s web site yet, it is safe to assume they should be on their no later than the moment Griffin officially gets drafted.

In the mean time there are plenty of discount NBA jerseys and NBA clothing available to fans.  If you are looking for a slick jersey to hit the courts with or something to rock while watching the rest of the NBA playoffs, there are a lot of different options and deals out there.  Getting quality apparel can be expensive, but there are some cheap gems out there if you look hard enough.

To help get you on your way, today’s deal of the day is the jersey of Superman, aka Dwight Howard.  His road replica jersey is on sale for only $44.99 at DicksSportingGoods.com and is available in sizes small through XX-large.  It is made up of a breathable mesh material, has the official NBA logo embroidered on it, and ships within 1-2 business days.

If you are curious what everyone else is buying, here is the list of the top selling jerseys of the past season according to NBA figures released last month.  Allen Iverson at number five is a bit of a surprise, but maybe a lot of kids want to emulate an aging star who got benched hurt this year.

1. Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers
2. LeBron James, Cleveland Cavaliers
3. Chris Paul, New Orleans Hornets
4. Kevin Garnett, Boston Celtics
5. Allen Iverson, Detroit Pistons
6. Dwyane Wade, Miami Heat
7. Paul Pierce, Boston Celtics
8. Nate Robinson, New York Knicks
9. Pau Gasol, Los Angeles Lakers
10. Dwight Howard, Orlando Magic
11. Derrick Rose, Chicago Bulls
12. Ray Allen, Boston Celtics
13. Steve Nash, Phoenix Suns
14. Shaquille O’Neal, Phoenix Suns
15. Carmelo Anthony, Denver Nuggets

Image Sources: The Situationist and Dick’s Sporting Goods

Find at Smarter.com:  Shop for more NBA jerseys and discount NBA clothing.

While the Los Angeles Lakers were busy beating the Denver Nuggets in game one of the Western Conference finals, the other Los Angeles basketball team was rewarded for yet another year of mediocrity.

The Los Angeles Clippers won the right to the first pick in the upcoming NBA draft despite the Sacramento Kings having the most ping pong balls and the best chance to win the lottery.  This will be the third time the Clippers have selected first overall, the most recent being in 1998 when they selected eventual bust Michael Olowokandi.

It was scary news for fans of Blake Griffin, the Oklahoma Sooners stud who has been widely considered the best player in the draft and the most likely number one pick.  Given the Clippers history of drafting — either selecting complete duds (Olowokandi) or letting solid picks get away (Lamar Odom) — one has to wonder what this does to the teams off-season strategy.

There have been rumblings that the Clips would love to unload Baron Davis back to the Golden State Warriors or shed salary by letting go either Marcus Camby, Zach Randolph or Chris Kaman.  However, with the injection of such a promising young star the Clippers may be able to reload instead of rebuild.  Owner Donald Sterling is notoriously cheap, though, so it is probably safe to assume he would like to shed salary and ride promising youngsters Al Thorton and Eric Gordon.

Of course any potential move may prove to be futile because Sterling refuses to give head coach Mike Dunleavy the pink slip even though his players did everything but submit letters of resignation last season.  The Clippers are one of the most disappointing and perpetually losing franchises in all of sports, so even the good fortune of leap frogging into a top pick leaves the basketball world waiting to see how they will mess this one up.

Sacramento, who dropped all the way to fifth, couldn’t have been too surprised by their bad luck as the team with the best chance to land the number one pick hasn’t actually walked away with the selection since the Orlando Magic took Dwight Howard in 2004.  The Washington Wizards also had a bit of bad luck, dropping from second to fifth.

With the NBA salary cap looking to go down for the first year since its inception, look for draft day (June 25) to be a busy day that could feature a swap of high picks and talented stars in their final years of their contracts.

And if you are a Clippers fan, well, it is never too late to become a Lakers fan.

Image Source: Sports Illustrated

It’s official:  Mark Cuban and Kenyon Martin are two enormous babies who are starting to look more like cast members of The Hills than members of the NBA.

Their childish behavior made me think for a second I was dealing with a couple of kids in high school.  Certainly this couldn’t be the behavior of two well to do adults.  Sadly, it is.  Right down to the reports of back and forth banter, insincere apologies and no actual face to face communication.

What should have ended with a simple apology has turned into a gigantic pissing contest and appears to have no end in sight.  In case you haven’t heard, after game three of the Denver/Dallas series, Cuban made some disparaging comments to Martin’s mother while exiting his seat in the arena.  He later apologized via his blog, which led Martin to call Cuban a coward, according to HoopsHype.com.

The entire ordeal is ridiculous and is only getting worse with each passing day.  With that in mind, here are five reasons why Cuban and Martin need to quit their bickering.

1] I hate to sound like a NBA spokesperson, but their online feud is distracting people from a really good NBA playoffs.  The Eastern and Western Conference finals should be electric and the more time they fight the less attention there will be on the actual games.

2] Cuban made a mistake and needs to own up to it appropriately.  It shouldn’t need to be said, but for Cuban apparently it does — when you heckle someones mom an apology in a blog isn’t enough.  People shouldn’t be yelling at mothers in the first place, but if you do say sorry in person and squash it.

3] Martin is only making the situation worse.  There was a lot of sympathy for him at first, but each word he utters takes some of that away.  Calling Cuban a coward is only adding fuel to the fire.  It is natural to stick up for your mom, yet the best course of action for Martin is to just shut up.

4] If there is one thing I know about the NBA it’s this — you don’t want David Stern to get involved.  Stern has been patient in letting the situation resolve itself but at some point he is going to start dishing out fines.  If Cuban and Martin don’t want to get hit in their pockets they need to end this.

5] Listening to the two of them is funny.  Cuban, who acts awfully tough, isn’t exactly an imposing figure.  And while I wouldn’t say it to his face, it is impossible to take anyone with a pair of lips tattooed on their neck seriously.

Image Source: BlogFinds.com

With the news that Manchester United just won their record-tying 18th English Premier League trophy, it is as good a time as any to grab some friends and hit the pitch to play some soccer.

Adding to the excitement is the upcoming UEFA Champions League finals and a summer of World Cup Qualifying (2010 is almost here!).  Between that and furious matches of FIFA 2009 on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, there are plenty of reasons to be pumped up about soccer right now.

One of the greatest parts about the sport, besides the obvious fact that it is amazing to watch, is that it is relatively inexpensive to play.  Many leagues require shin guards and uniforms, but for a quick pick up game among friends all you need is a ball.

And while there are some expensive balls out there, it is possible to find high quality, discount soccer balls that will suit your needs just fine.

To prove that you can play soccer for very little money, today’s deal of the day is on a soccer ball, courtesy of Amazon.com.  It is an Adidas TerraPass II Capitano soccer ball, and it is only $19.99.

According to its product description it is “crafted using a butyl bladder for maximum air retention and features a machine-stitched nylon/TPU construction for a soft touch and high durability.”

It comes in two different color combinations and three different sizes, so if you are playing in a competitive league make sure it is the right size for you.

Find at Smarter.com:  Shop for more discount soccer balls and soccer equipment.

When word got out that Manny Ramirez was going to be suspended for 50 games there were a lot of different reactions from different people. Dodgers owner Frank McCourt was pissed, teammates were disappointed, and fans were largely a mix of both.

Then there were fantasy owners who were not so much angry at his alleged misconduct but by the fact that one of their top draft picks (his average draft position was 23.7) was going to be useless until early July.  Just as it is going to be impossible for the Dodgers to straight up replace his production in their line up, you aren’t going to find a player on the waiver wire that will match or exceed his production.

However, there are a few quality steals out there that will help you ride the ship until Ramirez’s return.  So whether you lost Manny, are ready to drop a disappointing outfielder (B.J. Upton!), or are simply looking to add some depth, here are five fantasy impact outfielders that could help your team.  All five are currently in ESPN’s top 50 outfielders and are owned in less than 50 percent of leagues.

Michael Bourn, Houston Astros:  The 20th ranked outfielder and owned in only a third of leagues, the most tantalizing aspect of Bourn is his ability to swipe bags (tied for third among outfielders).  He isn’t going to give you any power, but his solid batting average (.317) and stolen bases (13) makes up for it.

Denard Span, Minnesota Twins:  Span’s production is similar to Bourn.  He isn’t going to hit many home runs, which is typically what you look for in your outfielders, but his average (.299) and steals (8) are only slightly lower than Bourn and he has almost twice as many RBI (18).

Jack Cust, Oakland Athletics:  Owned in just over a quarter of leagues, Cust is capable of giving you decent power numbers.  With five home runs and 21 RBI already, it isn’t out of the question for him to put up 25 and 80 by seasons end.

Jason Kubel, Minnesota Twins:  The second Twin on this list is the exact opposite of the first.  Kubel isn’t going to be swift on the bases, but runs and RBI are similar to Span and he hits for a higher average (.333).  Before you pick him up make sure he qualifies in your league as an outfielder because he spends a lot of time as the DH.

Elijah Dukes, Washington Nationals:  One of the few bright spots on the Nationals, Dukes is currently the 49th ranked outfielder and is proficient in almost every category.  His average (.280), runs (12), home runs (4), RBI (23) and stolen bases (2) are all very respectable and he probably has more upside than anyone else on this list.

We have talked a lot about hitting the water now that summer is almost here, but that certainly isn’t the only way to enjoy the beautiful weather.  For those surrounded by a concrete jungle, grabbing a skateboard is a great (and green) mode of transportation and a fun way to get some exercise.

If you have never skated before there is no reason to be scared to try it out.   You don’t have to be the next Tony Hawk to pick up a board and find your way down a street.  Chances are there aren’t any 30 foot half pipes on your way to work, and if there is you can just skate around them!

You also don’t have to be scared of the cost because while there are plenty of expensive boards out there, if you are just starting out or don’t plan on going to the X Games you can find quality, discount skateboards.

For example, over at Skate123.com you will find today’s deal of the day.  They currently have a plain black on board on sale for only $39.99!  Its product description says it has a 7 ply black maple deck, static X grip tape, lime wire black trucks, road kill bearings, and 54mm wheels.

Skate123 Complete Blank Skateboard Black: $49.99 Now: $39.99

Not the most eye catching board out there, but at less than the cost of a month of cell phone service you can trick it out better than the crew of Pimp My Ride.

Find at Smarter.com:  Shop for more affordable skateboards.

Image Source: tonyhawk-fans.com

It looks like the disappointment surrounding Memphis Grizzlies guard O.J. Mayo extends beyond his recent second place finish in this years NBA Rookie of the Year race.

According to a story on Yahoo! Sports, Mayo and his handler Rodney Guillory received cash and other incentives from USC coach Tim Floyd in an effort to land the high school basketball star at USC.  The story also alleges Guillory received money for influencing Mayo to sign with the Bill Duffy Associates (BDA) sports agency upon declaring for the NBA draft.

The source of the latest USC recruiting scandal is Louis Johnson, who according to Yahoo! is a “former member of Mayo’s inner circle.”  If this all sounds familiar it’s because this isn’t exactly the first time USC has been caught up in a recruiting scandal.

USC is already undergoing a three year investigation by the NCAA for alleged misconduct in both their basketball and football programs.  Some of the programs biggest stars, such as current New Orleans Saints running back Reggie Bush, have come under scrutiny for possibly accepting money in violation of NCAA recruiting rules.

And, of course, no one involved in the current situation has anything to say.  Not the federal authorities.  Not BDA.  Not USC. Not even O.J. Mayo.  When the story broke yesterday you would have expected Mayo to come out and deny any wrong doing by the 6 p.m. Sportscenter, but he didn’t and one has to wonder why.

Regardless of Mayo’s innocence, the situation leads us to one question: should college athletes be compensated for their work?  Many college sports purist say no, but the increasing lure of playing professionally elsewhere may soon change their minds.  Just last year high school basketball prodigy Brandon Jennings bypassed college and instead decided to play overseas in preparation for the NBA.

He took a lot heat from the media, a lot of which was undeserved.  For players whose only desire is to go to the NBA, why shouldn’t they be compensated for their time?  Why should coaches and universities earn millions of dollars while the players who provide the product get nothing but a pat on the back?

The answer used to be twofold; education and a chance to get to the NBA.  But for top players who plan on playing one year and declaring for the draft, the education is a largely useless form of payment.  And as for a chance to get to the big leagues, well, lets just say that NCAA basketball is no longer the only game in town.

If the NCAA is smart (which it isn’t) it will figure out a way to end penalties for compensating players.  People argue that if you do only the big schools will be able to compete, but the last time I checked that was already the case.

Image Source: news-herald.com