Who gets YOUR Final Vote???

Well, earlier today was MLB All-Star Selection show on TBS, which means that All-Star voting is offcially closed. Wait a second...There still is one more spot on both the AL, and NL rosters. The last spot will go to one of five players nominated, and you as fans can vote for that one last All-Star. So, I ask you; Who will YOU vote for???

If it helps any, here are the nominated Players, and who I will be voting for...

American League (stats as of yesterday):

Jermaine Dye, CWS OF- .308 BA, 19 HR's, 52 RBI's, 3 SB in 312 at bats

Jose Guillen, KC OF- .274 BA, 13 HR's, 64 RBI's, 1 SB in 343 at bats

Jason Giambi, NYY 1B- .259 BA, 18 HR's, 53 RBI's, 2 SB in 243 at bats

Brian Roberts, BAL 2B- .293 BA, 6 HR's, 31 RBI's, 22 SB in 334 at bats

Evan Longoria, TB 3B- .281 BA, 15 HR's, 50 RBI's, 6 SB in 278 at bats

My Pick: Evan Longoria

Longoria has had a monster first half, totally exceeding any, and all expectations the Rays had when they called him up. Evan is part of the reason the Rays have the best record in Baseball, at 55-32. (and an astonishing 36-13 home record). Evan certainly gets my vote, he is very deserving of his first ever Big League All-Star appearance.

National League (stats as of yesterday):

Pat Burrell, PHI OF- .278 BA, 21 HR's, 53 RBI's, 0 SB in 284 at bats

Corey Hart, MIL OF- .294 BA, 14 HR's, 53 RBI's, 12 SB in 330 at bats

Carlos Lee, HOU OF- .293 BA, 19 HR's, 66 RBI's, 4 SB in 328 at bats

Aaron Rowand, SF OF- .303 BA, 8 HR's, 47 RBI's, 1 SB in 304 at bats

David Wright, NYM 3B- .288 BA, 16 HR's, 66 RBI's, 9 SB in 333 at bats

My Pick: Pat "The Bat" Burrell

Pat's bat certainly has shut up his critics so far this season with his 21 round-trippers (sixth most in the NL). He has hit those 21 homers in just 284 at bats with Philadelphia in the first half this year. Pat's bat may have finally landed him an All-Star selection.

My only beef on this year's rosters is with the AL's...Why the hell is Derek Jeter still a starter on the AL roster. His All-Star days should be about over. His numbers are in no way up to par with Michael Young's. Young is hitting .292 in 356 at bats, while DJ is ten points lower in just 323 at bats. Young also has three more homers, and ten more RBI's than Jeter, while their baserunning skills are about even (just five stolen bases each).

I am glad Young made the team. But, I just feel he deserves the chance to experience the game as the starter, he certainly deserves it.

That's all I've got...

Nadal Dethrowns Federer at Wimbledon

After work today I was too lazy to go and do anything, so I sat on my lazy ass watching the numerous sporting events taking place today. These inlcuded the MLB All-Star Selection Show, the Arena Football Playoffs, the Cubs/Cardinals Baseball game, and of course the Men's Wimbledon Final. The Tennis match, surprisingly enough, took up most of my TV time. The best active Tennis player, Roger Federer, who is a five-time Wimbledon champ, was taking on the second seeded Rafael Nadal from Spain.

This matchup was already very intriguing, but this match was extraordinary, and very entertaining. The match lasted 4 hours and 48 minutes, and didn't end until around 9:15 at night, in England.I don't usually watch much tennis, but I found this one a nail-bitter, and the numerous rain delays only made it more of a classic. The favorite, Federer, the 26-year old from Switzerland, fought back several times, and even the casual tennis fan (like me) could tell this guy was the best out there. But, the 22-year old Nadal was able to keep up with the veteran. Eventually, Nadal broke through, and won the Championship in FIVE sets. Yes, that's right, it took five sets to decide a winner. And, it not only took all five sets, but in set five it took 16 matches. Nadal won the matchup with a 9-7 set five win.

It was simply amazing, and the guys broadcasting the game on NBC said they were honored just to be able to stand there and watch the match in person. It was quite a classic matchup, and the first ever Wimbledon Final to be played past 9 PM.

Question is...Is Nadal now the "man" to beat???

T.J.H.

I hereby nominate T.J.H. as T.J. Houshmanzadeh's new official nickname. It should save us all about forty hours a year from trying to type his name out and/or making sure it's spelled correctly. I mean, look at it -- it barely fits on an NFL jersey:


Your welcome.

A Case For DeAngelo Williams

Since the middle of last year, I’ve been telling anyone who will listen about how 2008 will be DeAngelo Williams’ breakout year. I sincerely believed it and still do. He has some things to work on, some fundamentals to clear up and a talented young rookie ready to take the starting job -- but if Williams can clear up the problems he has with blocking and picking up the blitz, he has the talent to not only keep the majority of carries, but keep the for a long time.

Word out of Panthers camp is that they’ve more or less given up on him as the starter due to his pass protection issues and if they don’t clear up soon he’ll remain a third down back for the rest of his time there. Never one to go back on a prediction unless there’s blatant evidence to the contrary staring me in the face, I decided to try and go into some of the reasons the Panthers shouldn’t give up on Williams just yet.

Williams has the skills to be a starter, but needs to work on his blocking.

Williams has seen some injuries both in college and the pros and many believe that at 5’9” and 217 pounds he doesn’t have what it takes to withstand the vigor’s that come with being a starting running back. Coming to this conclusion years from now would be okay, but Williams is going into his third NFL season. Players can train harder and get their body better acclimated to the NFL game even it takes them a few years to do so.

The perfect example? Brian Westbrook. Westbrook had a similar rep for getting injured from time to time and at 5’10” and 203 pounds he is almost anatomically identical to Williams. Early on in his career he too wasn’t considered a starting running back but over time he has proven to be fully capable and a dual threat weapon that gives defenses and fantasy owners alike fits.

Westbrook and Williams’ receiving stats from their first two years are nearly identical (418 and 488 yards respectably), with Williams rushing for around 400 more yards than Westbrook (1,218 compared to 806 yards).

Could Williams be a late bloomer like Brian Westbrook?

It’s hard to believe that Williams isn’t working as hard as he can on his blocking deficiencies if that’s the major reason the organization is weary of him becoming the starter. He’s only been in the league two years, playing the third down back/speedster with good hands role the entire time. Either he hasn’t had enough solid in game experience to become proficient at it or maybe he was trying to do too much and hit a home run.

The Panthers have gone 15-17 the past two years and for most of 2007 didn’t have a competent quarterback under center. With the QB not really a threat, defenses had no problems using different blitzing packages to counter-attack the run and rush the passer. Is it that much of a stretch to think that maybe the different combinations of blitzes the Panthers offense faced last year had a tad to do with Williams’ inability to pick them up?

Although Williams may have been partially to blame, shouldn’t the offensive line be taking some heat, considering Panthers QB’s were sacked once every 15.3 plays last season? Assuming Delhomme returns to a healthy form, some solid studying of blitz packages and a better understanding of who to block when under assignment in the backfield, Williams should be just fine.

Williams has more rushing yards than all but four of the running backs taken in the 2006 NFL Draft and he’s had 50-200 less carries than the top five. He also has the fourth highest receiving yards out of all of the 2006 rookie running backs and considering that everyone who has ahead of him in rushing and reception yards are starters, it’s safe to assume that Williams could be an feature back if he was just given more snaps.

With nearly every team drifting towards a running back by committee, the Panthers already have one set up for the future. If Williams can fix his affinity for blocking, picking up the blitz and getting the occasional injury, the Panthers organization would be crazy not to give him a chance to be the starter out of the committee.

UPDATE: "Darin Gantt, of The Herald, reporting for The Sporting News, reports Carolina Panthers RB DeAngelo Williams is expected to be used more this year. Williams has improved his pass protection this offseason, an area of his game that was once considered a liability." (From The Fantasy Players Network)

The LA Sports Blog: The Burns - Cynical Celeste

By: Nate Gordon

Cynical Celeste

I’m worn. I can’t think of a more appropriate way to articulate it. I’m just worn. July 1 st in my neighborhood means new leases, and move-ins to new (read: different but equally as shitty, but at least we bug bombed) apartments. So I’ve been moving in, and helping assorted friends move in, all while pulling a full work load without a vehicle because my breaks are shot. So I’ve been borrowing my roommates truck and praying that they gas gauge is broken as I barrel down US 101 South. The culmination of these things (oh did I mention my laptop is down?) have left me sitting in my office on this Sunday morning feeling exhausted and cynical. As always with being cynical, you can’t really keep it to yourself, you have to share your off color view of the situation, thusly bringing down someone else’s good mood. Anyway, let’s get to the Burns – old school style.

Packing up the Mayflowers’ and moving to OKC

Seattle, I’m Sorry – Now Shut The Fack Up!

You want a story about a city and an owner that really bent over fans? Look no further then the capitol of the west coast, Los Angeles. Back in Brooklyn after the ’55 series Ebbets Field was deemed unsuitable for Major League play and it was Dodgers owner Walter O’Malley’s new obsession to find a suitable place to play in Brooklyn. He wanted to finance it himself as to not place burden on the people of the borough who he knew were working class. All he asked for was a parcel of land to be re-zoned by New York City planning commish Walter Moses. Moses wouldn’t do it, opting to try and force O’Malley to build Dodgers Park on the site of the World’s Fair in freeway friendly Flushing Meadows (this opposed O’Malley’s desires to build in downtown Brooklyn at the corner of Flatbush Ave. and Atlantic Ave.

The impasses could not be navigated and O’Malley stuck it to New York double time by convincing the Giants to move out west with him. After O’Malley’s failed 2 year bid to change Moses’ mind, the Giants knew they could never get a park they truly wanted after the Polo Grounds were worn out. They could only move to Flushing Meadows and obey Moses’ desires. So both teams flipped the finger to the City of New York and guess who was punished? Giants and Dodgers fans.

Seattle doesn’t have it bad, they waved goodbye to their team. AGM Burns friend SSR has pointed out that space is more limited then ever in Seattle to build a new arena. That should have been thought of before the Mariners and Seahawks got new ballparks. Or the people of Seattle could of gone to the city and proposed their “own” tax increase to build a stadium for their “own” team. However they choose to be stubborn, “We deserve our team, they’re ours!” they proclaimed. Their false sense of entitlement worn as a badge of pride. And you know where it got them? Their stubbornness and entitlement got them to a point where basketball moved from Seattle. Good job guys, that’s a way to not appear like stuck up, arrogant, Starbucks drinking liberals who believe what is America is owed to them, not earned. Guess what, you have to earn your keep in this America and you just lost yours. Enjoy the D-League Stubborn Seattle.

The Dodgers are poised to take over a tight NL West

Speaking of the Dodgers

When your answer at shortstop for the injured Rafael Furcal is the Tin Man 4 years past his prime it may be time to start thinking about next season. However with the Dodgers (42-45) only a half game behind Arizona (43-45) nearing the all-star break you have to think two things are true about the NL West:

• 88-90 games will take this division hands down

• A move for Matt Hollidayor another power outfielder would push LA over the top.

The Dodgers need to start thinking about making that move for the power they need in the line up. At least point only Matt Kemp, Jeff Kent and Russell Martin have a real shot at topping 20 home runs this season – that’s bad. A trade of Andy LaRoche, a pitching prospect and Juan Pierre should be enough to get another bat in this line up. With Jason Schmidt coming off IR after the break, the Dodgers rotation starts to look really good with Brad Penny, Derek Lowe, Chad Billingsley and Clayton Kershaw rounding out a solid group of arms. Eric Stults can then return to the bullpen where he belongs.

The Off-Season is heating up

NBA Off-Season – Walker’s Rants Style

In a tribute to the great Walker’s Rants, I will do my Off-season bullets, in that format (or the best I can, I get a little extra ranty on each one.)

• Washington Wizards front office should of told Agent Zero Take the same contract Antwan is, or find another employer. A 28 year old shooting guard with bad knees isn’t worth 100 million…

• To my friend Elton Brand: If you re-sign, you change the whole culture and attitude of the NBA with one move…

• Corey Maggette is showing Latrell Sprewell how to “feed his children” – by going for the full mid-level…

• Atlanta Hawks ownership are at an intersection that has two choices: Move forward (re-sign your restricted free agents and continue to build around Joe Johnson) or Move Back (let Smith and Childress leave and Johnson will bounce after his contract…)

• Emeka Okafor – how you feel about turning down that extension now? I know Orlando is feeling really good about passing on you right about now…

• …Same goes for Ben Gordon and Luol Deng…

• To Mitch Kupcheck: Don’t make a major roster move until we near the trade deadline, let what you have put together play it out and see if it will all fit…

Wimbledon

That’s my budget for Tennis for 2008…

I had a section on C.C.’s trade situation but he ate it for Sunday Brunch (and the table cloth) so on to the quotes:

Cartoon Quotes

• Groundskeeper Willie : Ach Wendel. Tis a mighty puddle of puke.

Wendell : I'm sorry.

Groundskeeper Willie : That's all right lad. You reminded me of why I got into this work in the first place.

• Bart : As long as you're doing things for me, will you tie up your bathrobe when you walk around the house?

Homer : NEVER.

• Lisa : This is pretty far to go just to spite Moe, isn't it?

Homer : It's not about spite, it's about petty revenge, and getting back at that traitor Moe.

• Smithers : What's wrong with this country? Can't a man walk down the street without being offered a job?