Soriano...terrible

I remember the summer of '04. The Cubs, fresh off the memorable '03 season were struggling early in the year. There were a number of players on the trade block, many of which could help many teams including Carlos Beltran. Then I remember seeing the ESPN Bottomline...Cubs Acquire Nomar Garciaparra from Red Sox...
When I read that, it gave me an instant boost of energy and a happiness that I carried around all day. I remember watching Garciaparra's debut, ordering a Domino's pizza and drinking Michelob Light when I should have been at one of my summer classes at UT. Why do I remember this so vividly? It was the first time in my lifetime that the Chicago Cubs made a commitment to win. Sure, the year before we traded for Kenny Lofton and Aramis Rameriez (yes, I was at their Wrigley Field Debut) but never before had they gone after a potential MVP or a batting champion. Needless to say, that didn't get us anywhere.

This being said, you can imagine how I felt when the Cubs signed Alfonso Soriano. Soriano has been consistently one of the, if not the most productive player in the major leagues over the past 4-5 seasons, including a 40-40 year last year which put him in some elite company. With Soriano came Cliff Floyd, Ted Lilly, Mark DeRosa, Jason Marquis, and Lou Pinella. On the surface we all felt the commitment to winning from the Tribune Company. Let's think again.

I remember when Soriano signed...thinking that he would fit in perfectly in the 3 spot, D-Lee hitting fourth and ARAM 5. But now, Soriano feels the need to hit in the lead-off spot, which he has done for his entire career...because he's bitched about it. Soriano needs to get over himself. He's put up great numbers, to those who only look at home runs, but he is not a great baseball player.

To this date, Soriano is hitting a respectable .287. He has hit 4 homers and driven in 12 runs. He's scored a semi-respectable 29 runs. He has 8 steals. He has also walked only 13 times in a total of 190 at-bats. My favorite stat? He has struck out 44 times in those same number of AB's. Grady Sizemore, a fellow lead-off hitter, has more strikeouts than Soriano (53) but has also walked 21 more times than the Cubs centerfielder. Sizemore's OBP? .396. Soriano's? .341. Thanks for getting on base Fonz...way to set the table. Thanks for that 0-4, 2K's performance last night big guy. I'm trading you in my fantasy league for Carlos Beltran. He hits third. Give me Dwight Smith...at least I won't get my hopes up.

He's easily talking to a 19
year old in the first row

All of that may not mean anything to you. Maybe it does. Here is my point in plain English. Alfonso Soriano does not fit in for any team with what he wants to do. He wants to play for himself, his way. He doesn't want to hit lower in the order to utilize his power. So, he should learn to be a lead-off hitter. However...he doesn't want to learn how to work a count. He doesn't want to take pitches. He does not want to shorten his swing with 2 strikes to put the ball in play to utilize his speed and put pressure on the defense. If Soriano would sack up and hit 2-3-4-5 in the lineup, I wouldn't be so mad. But no, this year's $10 million investment doesn't feel comfortable back there. Well, he doesn't look comfortable hitting 1 either.

Soriano coming to the Cubs seemed like the final answer. But we blinded ourselves. He doesn't fit here, and he's not the right player to help us. The Cubs need a leader...and someone who doesn't adjust his style of play to win games is not that. Hey, Alfonso, I've got news for you...whatever you're doing, it's not working! This isn't Washington where people don't give a damn about losing. We don't have time for that. I'm 22 years old and I have, I'd say 78 good years left, give or take. I don't have time for some pre-Madonna jackass to come in at $10 mil a year and not make a difference. I don't like it. No one likes it, I hope you heard the booo's last night. They weren't at the team, they were at you.

Maybe if the Cubs were over .500, and Soriano had 12 homers, things would be different. But it's the Cubs...so they aren't. We'd have 3 more wins if Kenny Lofton was our centerfielder. Take that Fonz.



Help. Please.

Wake Up Denver

First, I apologize for the lack of posting. It was a long weekend, off Monday, and I was still grieving over my inability to sink a 10 footer when needed. But also, there was seriously nothing to write about yesterday. What...the Spurs won? No one saw that coming...

So today, we divulge into the mountains...or at least about 100 miles East of Vail to talk about the teams in Denver. Yeah, that's right DENVER. What you are probably thinking is what in God's name would provoke someone to write about DENVER concerning sports. Well, now you get to find out.

Last night, the Colorado Rockies (who play in DENVER) won their seventh game in a row beating the World Champion, and 20-29, St. Louis Cardinals 8-3 giving the Rockies a 25-27 record in the NL West. If you know anything about sports, the NL West is always up for grabs. I don't really care how good John Kruk says the Dodgers are, anyone can win that division if their record is a few games over .500. How they have put together this streak is fairly impressive.

The Rockies have a team ERA of 4.58. Now, I understand that is nothing really to be proud of but they do play in DENVER and the Rockies have never had decent pitching. This is decent. Next, they have scored 210 total runs in their 51 games this season. If those same 51 games, they've given up 251! They have been noticeably outscored by their opponents, but they are still almost a .500 team. What does this mean? The young team is finding a way to win.

In the past week, Todd Helton has gone 5-18 (.278) with an RBI and a run scored. PS, 4 of those hits came in one night. Garrett Atkins has gone 5-26 (.192) with 2 runs and 2 RBI. Two of their studs not really participating in a great run and yes Matt Holliday and Brad Hawpe have been hitting normally, but they are getting exceptional play out of their other players. Kaz Matsui is playing like he was supposed to when he came over the Pacific and rookie Troy Tulowitzki is playing his way into ROY consideration. For the first time, ever, the Rockies are playing like a team...picking up for those struggling and learning as the young team they are. Playing like a team...a page taken out of the Bronco's playbook.

The Rockies are coming around and are a very young team. They will ditch Helton's contract, all $16.6 million of it which will make Kaz Matsui their most financially obligated player. The Nuggets are going to be good while Melo and AI learn to play together. Everyone in Colorado loves the Avalanche and as long as the running game is still a legal form of offense in the NFL, the Broncos are going to be contenders. Don't look now America, but DENVER is becoming a legit sports town and a good one at that. As long as they continue to grow, their young teams will learn to produce...and the Broncos will run the football. But how can I possibly forget the final factor that makes DENVER a great sports town; their baseball field...Coors Field.


P.S. A friendly reminder...the French Open has begun.

Michelle Why?

I don't understand why women want to play in men's sporting events. Men don't want to play in women's events...so why the necessity?

I guess it's some women's movement thing, trying to play with the men, trying to prove something. Prove me wrong on this one...men are naturally bigger and stronger than women. No matter what happens, Martha Stewart can't do anything about it. Therefore, there is the division between men and women's sports...except in pairs figure skating. Rock on.

Michelle Wie has been known as some form of phenom. The 6'1, slenderly, un-Laurie Davies-built Wie cranks drives of 300 yards and is famous for shooting a 64 at the age of 11. Today, Wie, 17, has over $10 million in endorsements from Nike and Sony, two of the most recognizable names in the world and she can't even vote. In July, she's playing in the PGA Tour John Deere Classic.

Now, the John Deere is conveniently the week before the British Open...you know that tournament that DA Weibring wins because anyone who is any good at golf is already in Europe playing links courses? Regardless of the tournament's field, why is she playing in it? She may be the next great women's golfer, or golfer of any gender for that matter, but Wikipedia has the following text and I quote:

Wins

Professional
none to date

Zero professional wins. That means she's never won a tournament playing on her own tour. That'd be like saying, hey, Michelle Kwan, why don't you compete against the men in the upcoming Winter Olympics?

Yeah, she has talent, no one is doubting that. She needs to prove herself worthy to her own competition. Annika Sorenstam is a dominant force and arguably the greatest women's golfer in history. However, it was a big deal when she got to play in a men's tourney...Wie seemingly does it all the time. Lest we forget the above excerpt from Wikipedia...Sorenstam has 69 career wins and 10 major titles.

Michelle Wie seems like a very nice young lady and because she's never really done anything to offend anyone, I feel bad for reaming her. Wait, no I don't. She has her own tour. She's never won on it. Then, maybe, if she puts up some monster numbers on the LPGA, when she's 34, that's double her age now, we can try this again. Until then, she needs to focus on her tour and something she hasn't done as a pro: win.

Yikes.

The Biggest Sports Story of the Year...thus Far

Memorial Day Weekend is upon us. Just in case I get on a rampage tomorrow and forget...I hope you and yours have a great weekend. I'm going to have a great weekend. I'm going to play golf, drink beer, watch the Cubs, watch the Indy 500, and do the other normal things that Memorial Day brings to us.

However, this year, Memorial Day Weekend is bringing an event that for some reason, isn't getting the publicity it should. In every other year, I would talk about the Indy 500...as it goes completely under appreciated as the greatest American racing event. This year, the case (no pun intended) is different.

If this blog was created a year/year and a half ago or so, this topic wouldn't be covered given the disclaimer. This weekend, it's about sports, not courtrooms, allegations, or hookers...well, at least not yet.

Does anyone know who the number one seed in this weekends Collegiate Lacrosse Semi-Finals tournament is? Not Johns Hopkins, not Syracuse, not Virginia...it's DUKE. The Duke lacrosse scandal will be something that most of us will never forget. Unfortunately, because of us never forgetting, those players involved will never get out of the shadow of the incident, regardless if that hooker couldn't end up putting a case together or not. What is happening though is that Duke has been a dominant force in lacrosse this season and all things considered, they should be commended.

I don't know much about lacrosse. If I didn't play baseball in high school, I probably would have played lacrosse. That being said, I do know a lot about trust, teamwork, character and drive. Coming back from what this team went through last year to even compete is miracle in itself. All sports are emotional, and the Duke Lacrosse team doesn't have any of the three former defendants on its roster...but overcoming the adversity brought upon them and the team is what is making this year exciting.

After having last season wiped out, junior Zach Greer has posted 63 goals leading into the weekend for the number one Blue Devils. They face Cornell Saturday in a semi-final match.

Finally, coach John Danowski deserves something. Some sort of national recognition beyond Duke and beyond collegiate lacrosse. What his program had to go through, and where they are now, regardless of how much talent they have, would be like Phil Jackson coaching a team of 5 Don Imus' to a NCAA Women's Basketball National Championship, after overcoming ridiculous and unnecessary adversity to restore what the players are really there to do: play and win games.

Maybe Coach Danowski should be nominated for an ESPY. P. Diddy would probably present him the award if he won. Or maybe...(ok, putting someone else there would have been way to low of a blow...you can ask me about it though). Either way, tune in and watch for the Duke Blue Devils on Saturday. And root for them. Everyone in America should be rooting for these kids after what was taken from them last season.

When Gordon Bombay's Career Ended Thanks to Wolf Stansson, the NHL Really Went Up In Flames...Sorry Gary Roberts

Last night, the Anaheim Ducks defeated the Detroit Red Wings to advance to play the Ottawa Senators in the Stanley Cup Finals. Detroit, arguably the most historic franchise in NHL history was seemingly over-matched by a team with Teemu Selanne, Chris Pronger and the rest...mainly guys I've never heard of.

In 1992, Walt Disney Corporation, present owners of ESPN, put out a movie about a former great pee-wee hockey player turned lawyer, turned community service hour-needing hockey coach and the team he inspired to win a championship. Of course, we all know this movie as "The Mighty Ducks." The commercial success of the, if you grew up at the right time classic movie was universal launching the career of Dawson Creek's very own Joshua Jackson (what's he doing these days since "The Skulls") and bring Emilio Estevez back onto the scene which was dominated by his brother thanks to "Hot Shots." When D2: The Mighty Ducks came out, there were plans to bring a new NHL expansion team, the Might Ducks of Anaheim to play in the Arrowhead Pond which can be seen in D2. Since then, it's been all downhill for hockey.

In 1994 the New York Rangers won the Stanley Cup lead by Mark Messier, Adam Graves, Brian Leetch, and Mike Richter. These guys, we associate with the Rangers, one of the oldest teams in hockey, alongside the Bruins, Blackhawks, Canadians, etc. In the past few years, champions from Carolina, Tampa Bay, along with solid play from teams from Florida, and Nashville have hindered the classic teams from making their engravings on Lord Stanley's Cup. And this year we have the Anaheim Ducks playing for their second run at the title.

This leads me to believe that the Ducks have brought forth the downfall of the NHL. Hockey is a blue-collar game and anyone who plays it will be the first to tell you that. These non-hockey market teams who are trying to commercialize the sport onto people who really don't care if it isn't golf, are taking away from a game that is played more on passion than any other game. The other problem that I see is a lack of a franchise player. Those two Ducks I previously mentioned will always be players of the Winnipeg Jets and St. Louis Blues to me, and to most everyone else as well. This we can blame on Wayne Gretzky leaving Edmonton for...LA but we won't go there.

Unfortunately, it's going to be tough for hockey to be saved. It's really sad too...but there is nothing we can do about. The days of classic hockey between the Flyers and Bruins matter not by today's standards. And you want to talk about players changing teams and how it effects them? You think the Ducks would have beaten the Hawks without Adam Banks? I don't think so.

You don't want to faceoff against Jessie Hall

Let's Talk about...Golf

We've touched on baseball, football, basketball, hockey, even tennis...and we will get to college football I promise. But there has yet to be a time that we focus on the simple game of white ball...starting out 400 yards a way with a tiny white ball, 13 sticks, and with the goal of putting that white ball in a tiny hole every inch (and for most of us, sometimes more) than 400 yards away.

Ok, that was a nice easy, walk in the park, lead in...let's get down to something nasty.

The US Open is coming up faster than you think. On June 14th, Geoff Ogilvy, yes, that Geoff Ogilvy, will begin his defense of the US Open Championship, this year with a purse of almost $7 million. The US Open is one of my favorite sporting events to watch. Why you may ask?

I pretty much don't have any loyalty to any PGA Tour player. Jeff Sluman used to live down the street from me and still is neighbors with my parents and he used to give me sweet Polo stuff...but let's face it, I don't know if he's really going to be in contention this year. I'm just kind of sick of Tiger and his views..."I only want to win majors." Me too Tiger. Thanks for pointing that out. And the worst day of my sporting career was when Phil Mickelson won his first major. I know he's the crowd favorite...but I don't know why. He's a total sap. After blowing numerous leads and opportunities I can just hear him talking to Jim Nantz..."Well, you know Jim, I just tried to be aggressive out there today and the shots just didn't fall for me. I gave it my all, and Tiger just made the shots and I didn't. This is just such a great tournament and I am honored to have played here. My time will come." Shut, up.

Love it.
When Phil Mickelson won the Masters, he was no longer known to me as the greatest loser in sports history. What's up Michelle Kwan...how's that Olympic gold feeling? Didn't think so. The only reason I like watching Phil is for the chance to see Amy on screen...yeah, you probably still have that SI Swimsuit Issue...

The main reason I enjoy the US Open is that who I root for normally wins: the course. I root for the highest scores possible. I love bogeys, I love quads...they make me happy. Birdies? Get um outta here. I want thick rough, I want frustrated players, and I want the winner to play Even-Par golf. Why? That's the way the course was meant to be played! I want to see a winner scavenge for par after driving into thick rough, lay up short on a par four and have to make a 10 footer for par. That's what I'm talking about. And I want to see Phil putting it in the drink...with a drink in my hand.

I know it's early, but I'm taking Adam Scott to win it all. He played decent at the TPC Sawgrass, which isn't the 5th major, so stop calling it that. He's kind of that next big star waiting in the wings...and I think this is the year he will break into the big guys. Vijay has also been quietly playing well recently and never count out my favorite Europeans...just like Jose Maria Olazabal can always win at Augusta...Padraig Harrington and Retief Goosen can always win a US Open. Colin Montegomery cannot.

Just because I am picking Adam Scott to win doesn't mean I am going to root for him. I mean, if he does, there will be a nice post on the blog about how right I was, how smart I am, blah blah...but keep in mind I did pick Mike Weir to win the Masters in '03. I have proof if you want to see it. No, I won't be rooting for Scott, I will be rooting for Oakmont...its trees, its rough, its sand, and most of all its water. I hope Phil runs out of balls, since Callaway is the only one who provides him with them.

Lefty doesn't want anything

to do with Isuro "The Kamikaze" Tanaka.

Untitled.

I apologize for writing about the semi-same topics so close to each other...but this thing has to go away. As previously stated, I am a Packer fan. All this Favre talk by writers is getting absurd. Comparing him to Clemens is even worse. As unbiased as possible...let's examine this.

First of all, if you go to the sports.com websites, you will find some writer talking about Favre, defacing the team, killing the morale of a young team, and being selfish. Turn on the TV, and I am yet to see one of the writers come out and bash Favre visually. Why is this you ask? Personally, I think it's because the sports writers that are halfway worth a damn are put on TV and the struggling amateurs are thrown on the net because they couldn't make it (hi, my name is Phil Emmert and if anyone wants to hire my sports writing skills, you know where to find me). Therefore, they try to create a stir and get noticed. Well, they've gotten my attention.

Favre and Clemens have been compared recently. We know both of their stories from previous posts here at No Owens. So...let's quickly realize the following: Brett Favre has never started a football game for any other team besides the Green Bay Packers (other than the NFC Pro Bowl team). When Favre goes into the Hall of Fame, if the helmet they wore made a big deal, Favre would be wearing a Packer helmet, without question. He's a legend in Green Bay, he has brought championships and memories. He's a proven leader and he deserves one shot. Can he open his mouth too much? Yes. Lest we forget, he's from southern Mississippi. These things happen. Have you ever heard anyone talk about Nascar?

Clemens, a journeyman, mercenary if you will, has no loyalty to any one organization. Or at least, he likes to claim he has loyalties to many. When he is inducted to the Hall of Fame, will he go in wearing a Red Sox hat, or a Yankees hat? Or maybe, since he is so close to his family, he will go in wearing an Astros hat to commemorate his son who is in the Astros system, and will probably never be any good. But let us not dwell on Clemens without mentioning that two of the best years of his career were in TORONTO!

CANADA! And it wasn't with the MAPLE LEAFS! And KELLY GRUBER was no where to be FOUND! AND IF HE WAS, NO ONE KNEW ABOUT IT, SO IT DIDN'T MATTER ANYWAY!

Loyalty goes a long way with fans, and in this case, the owners of the Green Bay Packers. There is a respect for Favre, his image as the face of the organization, and the memories he has brought BESIDES a Super Bowl victory. Clemens' only purpose is to win for himself, and Favre's has been to win for Green Bay. Now, in the twilight, I think it's time to honor him with another shot.

Finally, as I mentioned in the previous post...just about everyone loves to watch Brett Favre play. Thanks to his attitude, ability to throw broken bats at Mike Piazza, and accessibility to the pitching mound, no one really cares about Clemens, especially against Class-A teams who are hitting in the .240's as a team. You want to compare these two guys? Let's start with loyalty and see how far the conversation goes.

Deepest Regrets

I deeply apologize that I was busy yesterday, and will be today. I know there are so many of you out there just dying to find out what's going to happen next. So I have made reference to this in previous posts...check out this link...

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/multimedia/photo_gallery/0705/gallery.beards.moustaches/content.1.html

My All 1/5 of the Season Awards

We are 1/5 of the way through the 2007 Major League Baseball Season. Therefore, after, 4 more 5ths, COLLEGE FOOTBALL WILL BE IN PROGRESS!!

Trust me, there is plenty of college football to come. Lot's of good topics like, the SEC dominating everyone, in everything, USC's chance to roll over everyone and who the best team out of the state of Texas will be this year.

Until then, we have baseball. The season thus far has been exciting. The Milwaukee Brewers are leading the NL Central, a couple of superstars are back to their true form, and the Devil Rays are already out of contention. Ok, that's not that big of a deal, but here is my first 1/5 of the season team.

1st Base - Todd Helton, Colorado Rockies.

This was probably the toughest call, between Helton and Derrek Lee of the Cubs, but I am going to go with Helton. He's hitting .383 with 4 HR, 25 RBI and 19 runs scored. Helton also has walked 30 times in comparison to his 11 strikeouts and his OBP% is a meager .497, second only to Barry Bonds. A-Rod has been given all of the credit for finding his swing in the off-season, but I don't see his average flirting with .400. Oh, and for the Coors Critics, he's hitting .359 on the road. Also, at No Owens, we respect great beards...are you seeing that?

2nd Base - B.J. Upton, Tampa Bay Devil Rays

Upton, one of the most sought after recruits in years, has finally been given a chance to play in the bigs, and is making the most of it. Criticized for his defense, the move from short to second has worked for all parties. He's hitting .345 with 7 HR, 23 RBI and 6 steals. Not bad for a kid getting his first real playing time.

3rd Base - Alex Rodriguez, New York Yankees

I hate A-Rod. I think he's a complete...not nice person, who probably smells bad. But he's hitting, hard, and often. Not even I can keep him off this list. I don't have to give him MVP though.

Shortstop - J.J. Hardy, Milwaukee Brewers

Where did this come from? No one knows, and no one drinking Miller products cares. One would think that this would be a tough case thanks to Jose Reyes' 23 steals 34 runs and .338 average. I don't. Hardy is leading the biggest story in the NL by hitting .327 with 12 HR and 37 RBI, hitting in the 2 spot. Not to mention the kid plays great defense.

Left Field - Matt Holliday, Colorado Rockies

Adam Dunn has good numbers, Bonds is there, but something about guys who hit .364 is incredibly valuable. Holliday has really come into his own the past two years adding power to his arsenal...this year he already has 8 HR and 31 RBI. He also has two nice things going for him: Manny hasn't started hitting yet, and he hits in front of a guy hitting .383.

Center Field - Carlos Beltran, New York Mets

This is a no-brainer. Why you ask? He's the best player on the best team, and that's good enough for me. .313, 8 HR, 29 RBI, 24 Runs, 5 steals, and 20 BB, plus he plays great defense. Torii Hunter's numbers might be better, but Beltran's leadership up the middle makes him a no brainer.

Right Field - Vladimir Guerrerro

Swings at anything. Hits everything hard. Doesn't wear batting gloves.

Catcher - Paul Lo Duca, New York Mets

Catchers don't need to hit. They need to catch. Lo Duca's catching a guy with 5 wins and 3 guys with 4. He's thrown out 7 of the 11 base-runners trying to steal on him. Brad Ausmus could never hit in the .280's either. Jason Varitek is catching a guy with 7 wins and one with 5...but he's not helping at the plate. I'll take Lo Duca.

Pitchers...There's too many to pick from and they all have different reasons, so I am taking a rotation:

Josh Beckett - Boston Red Sox

Roy Oswalt - Houston Astros

Gil Meche - Kansas City Royals

Jake Peavy - San Diego Padres

Felix Hernandez - Seattle Mariners

Closer - Fransisco Cordero, Milwaukee Brewers

MVP - Beltran. A-Rod's team, in case you haven't noticed, lacks leadership. Beltran hits third

and plays the most important position defensively. I'll go with Beltran.

So there it is boy and girls, my 1/5 of the season team. You probably disagree with a lot if it. I don't really care, but please, feel free to discuss it. Just rest assure that when this time comes again, probably to make something like a 5/7's of the year team, or some other obscure fraction, there will be changes. Until then, root for Helton to hit .400, something good has to happen to the NL West.

Disturbia, Wisconsin

If I was Brett Favre, I'd be mad too. In case you didn't hear, there's a rumor going around that Favre is demanding a trade from the Green Bay Packers. As we all know, given his inability to come up with a decision on the continuance of his career, this trade thing could all go away this week. But, that gives me one day to talk about it.

When Brett Favre decided that he was going to come back to play yet another season in Green Bay, there was a sigh of relief from many not only around Green Bay, but the country. Favre is probably the most beloved player in the NFL for the following reason: he plays the game like we did as kids in our backyards. Favre's gunslinger mentality worked a lot better with Antonio Freeman (pre-huge contract meaning that he would never go over the middle again), Robert Brooks (pre-career ending injury), and Sterling Sharpe (pre-dislocated vertebrae). Now, he still plays the same way, and still has more fun than anyone else in sports today. He loves to play football, and America, even Bears fans, love to watch him.

Lest we forget, thanks to, my friend, Ron Wolf, Favre came to the Packers, and after a Don Majikowski injury, the show was Favre's as we all remember the game winning touchdown pass to Kitrick Taylor against the Bengals after Favre came in sparing the Majik Man. Since then, the rest was history. Two Super Bowl Appearances, Three Consecutive MVP's and a Super Bowl ring later, Favre is on the verge of holding every major passing record known to man, and while putting up the numbers, he restored Green Bay to Titletown.

The Packers are a young team. Favre is the only remaining player from the Super Bowl XXXI Championship team. They have talent and at the end of the year last year, they almost made it to the playoffs after putting together a solid 2nd half of the season as the defense started to make some plays. After a promising second half, Favre couldn't let go of the game and decided he would come back for one more go at it. So what do the Packers do? Embarrass themselves.

With Brett Favre coming back, the Packers management had to put some pieces around him. They are one or two weapons away from being a contender in the NFC. So first...Tony Gonzalez becomes available...for about 3 hours before the Chiefs slapped a franchise tag on him. And then, it seemed that all prayers would be answered...

Randy Moss, the man who single-handedly destroyed the Packers when he was in Minnesota, became available via trade with the Oakland Raiders. Favre-Moss, one season, lots of points. Everyone's happy. Well, the deal never went through and now Moss plays for the Patriots...probably the only non-Gator in their receiving core. Favre came out this weekend and spoke of his dis-appreciation of the situation. He states the Packers could have gotten Moss for less than the Pats did, but the deal was shied away from by Packer Management. What else can Favre do with a bunch of kids around him? He could have had the best deep threat or this generation, if not ever, playing with him, and the Packers dropped the ball (no pun intended).

Draft day...the Packers get Favre ZERO help. They overpay for Justin Harrell with Robert Meachem, Dwayne Bowe, and Dwayne Jarrett still on the board. They don't make a move for Marshawn Lynch. They could have even traded down to get a receiver, or Harrell for that matter, and picked up some more picks. Embarrassing.

When a guy has put as much into an organization as Favre has, he deserves some respect from the management. Everyone knows that the second Aaron Rodgers becomes the starter, the Packers are automatically a 3-13 team. So the question is why? Denver finally loaded up Elway to give him a shot, and I think I know how that one turned out. Why not for Favre? What has he done not to deserve it?

I love the Packers and I love Brett Favre. But treating the face of your franchise with such disrespect is embarrassing. If he leaves, it will be heartbreaking, but I will understand. How can you play for a team whose management doesn't respect you, especially after the career Favre has had? Favre deserves better, and no matter who you are, who you root for, you know he does too.

I wouldn't want to watch either.

Little Big...Stat Line

There are some fantasy baseball owners who were very happy concerning the events of the last two days. It had nothing to do with Todd Helton raising his average (he got the day off yesterday), Joe Mauer coming back from the DL, or even Jose Reyes hitting for the cycle...wait, that could have happened. These owners are happy, and it doesn't have anything to do with offense.

Wednesday night, the Cubs' Jason Marquis threw a complete game shutout at the cost of the Pittsburgh Pirates. Yesterday, the White Sox Jose Contreras completed the same feat against the Minnesota Twins, as did Kelvim Escobar of the "Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim" against the Cleveland Indians. Shutouts are incredibly rare in baseball. Especially in this era of the game where such an emphasis is based on power and one swing, regardless if it was a good one or not, can put at least one run on the board. Shutouts have become a hot, yet rare commodity.

Aside from the offensive power of the game, there is another reason why shutouts, and complete games for that matter, are becoming more rare: the ever present pitch count. Teams have such an investment made in their pitchers that they conserve their arms for the long runs. Unless a team's bullpen has been heavily used that week, or a no-hitter is in tact, managers will pull a pitcher after 7 innings of 4-hit shutout baseball if the pitch count is over 100, regardless of how they feel just because the GM is breathing down the manager's neck. Marquis, Escobar, and Contreras threw 109, 103, and 98 pitches respectively in their shutout victories which aren't very high numbers for 9 innings. They also struck out 5,9,and 3 batters in their outings.

A few days ago I made reference to Pedro Martinez and his pitching transformation. In order for the three outings in the past two days to be possible, Marquis, Escobar, and Contreras had to have taken a page out of Pedro's book. To stay in the game for so long, you have to manage a great game. With help from your catcher of course, you have to rely heavily on the ground ball to get outs early in the count to preserve your pitch count. Escobar, who has always been known as a strikeout artist added 9 to his season total yesterday, higher than the other 2. However, I will say that in years past, if Escobar pitched 9 innings, he would probably have struck out 12-15 batters and also racking up a 120+ pitch count. Power pitchers challenging batters creates more foul balls, more deep counts, and in turn, a higher pitch count. As these pitchers learn to keep their pitch counts down, they not only are going to improve their stats and value, but their teams as well...taking valuable innings off of their bullpen going late into the game. This assuming that they can execute their plans of course. Jeff Weaver doesn't seem to know anything about execution these days. In fact, other than his playoff run last year, that he pulled out of his rear-end, I don't think Jeff Weaver has ever executed, anything. Neither have the Bulls. Against the Pistons, they couldn't execute a murderer in Texas. Who blows 19 point leads? Thanks Scott, for not playing Tyrus in the third quarter...we greatly appreciate it. See you next year. And don't bring Nick Anderson with you. Or Donald Royal.

Anyway, back to baseball...There are those that believe that baseball is a game of 20 year cycles meaning that the way the game is played changes every 20 years. For almost 20 years, we have been in a power surge. Are we seeing the makings of a change? Players and coaches are going to catch on to what Pedro Martinez has made famous...just as three guys did in the past two days. I'm not going to make any predictions...but it's possible that we are fazing out of the home run era as more and more players are getting pitched around and getting the McGwire-shift syndrome while pitchers learn to better use their pitches.

However you look at it, pitchers are adjusting...even if it was just for a few days. There have been a number of shutouts already this year...the first coming on the arm of Seattle's Felix Hernandez one-hitting the Red Sox in DICE-K's Fenway debut, and you can't get a shutout without great pitch/location selection and solid game management. Hitters have evolved over the past 10-15 years...it's time for the pitchers to do the same. And if Bob Gibson were playing today, tomorrow, or 40 years from now...he'd still hit you just cause he feels like it.

Stay Away from Ben Gordon

The Next Great Athlete, and The Best Rivalry In Sports Today

I put a very high value on watching great athletes in their prime. Growing up in Chicago, I got to see just about every game Michael Jordan played in. Though I'm not a White Sox fan, I always valued going to Six games...not for the Sox, but for who they were playing. I saw Ken Griffey Jr. play at least 10 times in person, and when interleague started, every chance I got to see the likes of a great National League player, I would take it. I always loved watching Mario Lemiuex play as I believe he was the smoothest athlete ever to play a sport. The past couple years, I spent a lot of time watching two guys from Texas: Vince Young and Kevin Durant. As a freshman, Kevin Durant dominated the NCAA and was simply the best college player I have seen in terms of a complete package of tools and leadership at a young age. And I think Vince Young's collegiate performances speak for themselves.

Can't Miss a chance to post this shot
I'm a skier and of the non-high profile sports, I always take the chance to watch Herman Maier. The great skier of our generation, Maier though getting older, still skis with the relentless Hermanator image that has never been rivaled.

All of these great athletes aforementioned, we are currently in the presence of another great one: Roger Federer. In 2006, Federer was 90-5. That's a winning percentange of 94.7% That's ridiculous.

Aside from his record, and ten majors, Federer plays the game in a manor no one has before him. Pete Sampras was known for his big serve and volley game. Andre Aggasi was a baseliner with the best backhand in tennis history. Federer can adjust his game to any startegy he chooses and as advertised, can play them at 94.7% level. The angles he creates with his shots are mind-blowing. His range can only be rivaled by Michael Chang. Check that...Michael Chang's calves.

The most impressive thing, to me, about Federer is the respect that he commands. No one roots for him for the most part at the matches he plays. Especially in the US Open final against Andy Roddick, the hostile New York environment cheered for the American contender. Leading up to the final, Roddick had been playing the best tennis of his life. Then Federer destroyed him. The crowd at Arthur Ashe Stadium however, showed no hostility to Roger, but more of an understanding, knowing the greatness they had just witnessed and the class and respect that comes along with the great Federer.

I got in an arugement a few months back with a client about this. I was speaking of what I thought of Federer and how he flies under the radar thanks to Tiger Woods. This client barked back at me claiming that Federer has no one to play. The level of opponent that Pete Sampras played was considerably higher than that of Federer's. The Patrick Rafters, the Boris Beckers, the Yefgeny Kafelnikovs, and even the Jim Couriers were no match for today's Marat Safins, James Blakes, Andy Roddicks, and Lleyton Hewitts.

Federer and Nadal
after Nadal's French Open Victory, 2006

This client of mine was stumped when I made reference to what really makes Federer so great: Rafael Nadal. Nadal, the world's #2 players, has a career record of 7-3 against Federer questioning many as to who the best player in the world really is. Federer seemingly dismantles just about anyone who faces him, except Nadal. Nadal, who's arguably the best clay court player ever, has dominated Federer on clay. He is even 2-1 against Roger on hard courts...with Roger winning their match on grass at Wimbeldon last year.

So the great Roger Federer has a kryptonite. To me, I think this even adds to his legacy. It adds a rivalry that has been unmatched in sports since Magic and Bird. Tennis isn't the sports phoenomenon that it once was...but to us in America, much of that can be attributed to a lack of American star power in the sport. As of right now, many consider Roger to be the greatest player of all time. But if he can't beat his best adversary, how long with that continue? Let's watch and see.

May 27th, the French Open commences. I think it would be interesting if they gave the #1 seed to Nadal, given his dominance on the surface and previous two titles. Either way, take the time in 27 days, to sit down and watch Roger Federer play. He brings a charisma to the court that has never been seen before. Not to mention, he's really good. He's going to go down as one of the all time greats, and with the chances to experience true greatness, you shouldn't pass it up.

$18.5 million To Play Once Every Five Games, And Hang Out With Your Kids

Jack Welch has to hate George Steinbrenner. Welch, to many the iconic business man, prides himself by working, hard. He demands that his co-workers work just as hard as he does, and those extra hours are what will get you ahead in this world. And Welch believes that those extra hours you put in are because you want to get ahead. The philosophy? Hard work, hard times, big bucks.

During the seventh-inning stretch of Sunday's Yankees game, Roger Clemens made a dramatic announcement, telling the fans that he will play for the Bronx Bombers this season. What he didn't mention was that he will be getting paid $18.5 million to do so. After taxes, the Yankees will have paid $26 million just to have Clemens around for another season.

Half season.

Last year, in one half season, Clemens went 7-6 with a 2.30 ERA. The 2.30 is impressive and many say the 7-6 was tarnished by a lack of run support by the injury plagued, Carlos Beltranless Astros.

Clemens is a great pitcher and has been for two decades. His stats speak for themselves. His pay is ridiculous, but that's not what gets to me. Clemens doesn't have to travel with the team if he isn't scheduled to pitch. In fact, he doesn't even have to come to the park. He has to show up on his day in the rotation, pitch, and go home until his next turn comes.

I suppose there could be worse deals

The 44 year old Clemens sites needing time so spend with his family. How many 44 year olds get to spend 8 of 10 days with their families for 2 1/2 months, and then as much time as they want for the rest of the year? The unemployed is all I can come up with. Then, throw that $18.5 million number along with it, and he is in a social, and economic class all to himself.

Baseball is a game of passion. Passionate leaders can drive a team of lowly status to what many would call overachieving. The 2005 White Sox, who beat Clemens in the World Series, were a team without a superstar. They won a World Series with Jermaine Dye as their three hitter. That's embarrassing. However, they were lead by a charismatic manager in Ozzie Guillen who made them believe in what they were capable of. Earlier this year, I was listening to an interview with a player, who shall remain anonymous, who was speaking of a team he came up with that at the Major League level, they went out and played for themselves everyday. They weren't really in the race and they knew it and they just went through the motions. That team, at the time, had the best hitter in the game and two hitters surrounding him putting up 30 homers and 100+ RBI.

My question is how do you play for someone who only shows up when it's his turn to pitch? As well as a game of passion, baseball is a psychological game. And in the back of the minds of the Alex Rodriguez's, Bobby Abreu's, and Johnny Damon's, big name stars who haven't played with Clemens yet, they will wonder why they should play hard for a guy who doesn't even support the team...and in the case of the three aforementioned players, MAKES MORE MONEY THAN THEY DO. Clemens record 7-6 record and lack of run support last year, call me crazy, is a direct representation to the lack of commitment he has to his job and his team.

Especially in a clubhouse where money matter most, Clemens is going to destroy the morale of a team that already has little. There is already talk about A-Rod opting out of his contract seeing as given his April numbers (0 homers in May) he can get $20-25 million a year in a new deal. Lest we forget, if Clemens played for an entire year, 18.5 x 2 is $37 million. Yankee management said they cleared the deal with the "veteran" players on the club. Let me tell you one thing...Paul O'Neil won championships with Clemens...but he wouldn't go for this deal one bit. O'Neil, that ultimate baseball leader, knows that a strong clubhouse wins championships, and Clemens, like Barry Bonds, can kill a clubhouse with his absence.

So the great leader of the Yankees, the Captain, Derek Jeter...where is he? Why doesn't he have the guts to stand up and say something? If he was the leader he is billed to be, he would ask Clemens' to be a real part of the team, face to face. Something tells me that's not going to happen. Jeter's to busy running head first into the stands after making a catch in foul ground, for no reason other than to make the highlight reels.

I'm glad Clemens is coming back. I love watching the Yankees struggle as does most of America, and as far as I'm concerned, for going along with the demands of Clemens, they deserve it. I suppose, the most important move the Yankees could make: sell the team to Jack Welch.

<--- The Real Rocket...Chet Steadman.

Let's Get This Out of the Way: Barry Bonds and the Home Run Record

For the next couple of months, the heat around Barry Bonds and his pursuit of home run number 756 is going to rise considerably. It is very difficult to talk about Bonds, or hear someone talk about him without mentioning his attitude, or usage of performance enhancing drugs.

I consider Barry Bonds' drug usage to be on the same page as anything involving the athlete who causes this blog's title. However, given the current situation of the sporting world, I will touch on a side of Barry Bonds that you may not have thought about. One time, and one time only.

Miss this guy? And the Elastic?

I don't want to dwell on the home runs Bonds has hit. That brings the juice back into play. I want to talk about his development, with or without drugs, as a hitter and a player. Bonds, like Ken Griffey, Jr, was once a lead-off hitter, believe it or not, when he came up with the Pittsburgh Pirates. After being pushed back in the order, in 1990 he hit .301 with 33 homers, 114 RBI and 52 steals. Very solid numbers as questions about his attitude emerged.

In 1996 with the Giants, Bonds hit 42 homers, with a steal to caught stealing ratio of 40:7. His ratios the next two years were 37:8 and 28:12. The following year was an injury plagued season where he only appeared in 102 games at the age of 34.

Starting in 2000, his steal attempts were noticeably lower than ever in his career but still with a very high efficiency rate. This also is when his home run number started to from the mid 40's to the high 40's and, if you will, the low 70's in 2001. He also won Gold Glove awards every year between 1990 and 1998. He hasn't won any awards for defensive excellence since...but lest we forget, 1999 was also his big injury season.

Pedro Martinez is arguably the greatest pitcher of the past 15 years. Between Martinez, Greg Maddux, Roger Clemens and Randy Johnson, we have seen sure-fire Hall of Famers, and all of which dominated the game in their respective ways. Pedro has been different. When he was with the Expos, he threw a high 90's fastball to compensate his off speed stuff. With the Red Sox, he had the same fastball and his pitches were considered to be the best four pitches in baseball. His fingers bend in a way that allow him to be in contact with the baseball for a longer period of time than just about any other pitcher out there creating more late movement than anyone we have ever seen in this generation.

As he has aged, so too has his velocity. Though we haven't seen him yet this year, Pedro has been credited to becoming more of a "pitcher" in his later years; working more with finesse and placement, working counts and pitch selection, and managing the game more than overpowering batters. The character that is Pedro, he has adapted his style to give longevity to his career given his previous style, age, and his plagues of injury given the amount of innings he worked previously in his career.

The only difference between Pedro and Bonds is simply the talk about steroids. If there wasn't the steroid cloud surrounding Bonds, the same talk about Pedro's style and adaptations would be used with Bonds. He got hurt in his mid-30's and it forced him to change his game. A bad knee isn't as easy to put up high steals on, or get around in the outfield. How does he make himself more valuable one might ask? Adapt his game to what his physical capabilities allow. Become a player who is more power minded than to the five tools of baseball and that's something that he has done. The use of performance enhancing drugs, unless I am missing something, doesn't improve your eye at the plate, your pitch selection, or your patience. In fact, from what I understand, and saw from "The Beast" during sophomore football, they can make you very impatient. Again, this is Bonds fine-tuning his game to play longer and be more effective.

I don't endorse the use of performance enhancing drugs in professional sports. I am not a BARRY BONDS FAN. However, it is important, as critics of just about everything, to look at all sides of a situation. Hank Aaron will always be the home run king to most, and to most Barry Bonds will be a giant asterisk around the game of baseball for the duration of time. He was once known as the best all around player in the game...and now he is known as the most feared hitter. Oddly as it sounds, numbers have gotten in the way of the recognition of Barry Bonds' great career.

Hey, did you hear Josh Hamilton homered twice yesterday?!

If Dirk Nowitski wins the NBA MVP, Baron Davis Should Shave Off his Beard and Send it to Dirk With a Note That Says - This Beard Owns You.

I don't know if anyone other than myself or those who hail from the "Golden State" area cared at all about the Warriors/Mavs series, but you should have. In case you missed it, the 8th seeded Warriors blew away the first seeded Dallas Mavericks 111-86 last night to win the first round NBA Playoff series four games to two staging the biggest upset in NBA playoff history.

Thanks to the TV networks, I had been forced to watch an extensive amount of NBA basketball for about a three week span. You know, those three weeks after college basketball ends, before baseball begins, and hockey isn't shown on TV anymore? Yeah, it's the worst part of the year. You have to watch the Suns, Mavs, LeBron and Kobe pretty much every night of the week. It's either this or Grey's Anatomy...and I choose the NBA which tells you what I think about McDreamy, McSteamy, McOtherGuy, and the character who gives the show its title, McUglyandILookLikeI'veBeenExposedToRadiation. She should have called it quits after "Old School."

Watching the NBA regular season quickly became very cumbersome. Aside from the Bulls and Pistons, none of the NBA teams play hard. The majority of the shots taken, especially by big name stars, are uncontested. No one plays defense. And Kobe just makes tries to make it look like everyone plays defense against him and then he: complains, spins way too much (see the Christian Laettner buzzer beater against UK in '91, why did he take that step to his right before he turned around...no one was there...thanks Christian, the Atlanta Hawks miss you, but we don't) puts up 50 points in however many consecutive games, and no one really cares. He also has sex with high schoolers; no one cares about that either.

The point is, the Golden State Warriors, again, not a club the media is all over, have been playing playoff basketball for the past month. They fought hard for their incredible record during the last month of the season just to get into the playoffs whereas their opponents who went 67-15 this season were coasting, resting up, and had not adjusted to the playoff atmosphere the Warriors had been accustomed to. The Warriors played physical, selfless, basketball. They play their game: fast, hard, and merciless which caused the Mighty Mavs a great deal of shell shock, much like how the Pistons ran over the Lakers in'04. Thanks Kobe, you got out played by a guy who wheres a mask who's name isn't Bill Lambeer.

In recent years, playoff hockey was usually known as the best sport to watch. As physically demanding of a sport that hockey is, the heart and determination of hockey players is put on display in the playoffs and the games played are played hard. No matter how the game ends up, during playoff hockey, at the end of the game, the players can barely walk. They are that tired from putting it all out there. That's entertaining. So are fights.

Sidney Crosby's Worst Nightmare.

Unfortunately, the Stanley Cup Playoffs aren't taken as seriously anymore on TV (thanks Walt Disney). The days of Lemieux, Jagr, Stevens and Messier, Graves, Gartner are over. But what is happening is that the NBA players are starting to take their playoffs more seriously and the Golden State Warriors, whether anyone likes it or not, are leading the charge. Watch Baron Davis, Stephen Jackson, Jason Richardson and the rest of the Warriors play and you will be entertained. Every shot is contested, they never let the 24 second clock run down and they rarely run plays out of the half court set. Even if they don't win, someones going to get ejected, and that's pretty awesome. And even if you don't care for basketball, watch it on Thursdays for the next few weeks...anything is better than Grey's Anatomy.

<--- Amazing Beard.

The Most Important Guy in Sports You've Never Heard Of

Carl Crawford has become, for the most part, a household name. Crawford is a star in the making playing for the lowly Tampa Bay Devil Rays. Since Crawford became a starter for the Devil Rays in 2003 he has been one of the most versatile players in all of baseball with a career batting average of .292 and between 2004-2006, Crawford has averaged 98 runs, 26 doubles, 17 triples, 15 home runs, 71 runs batted in, and 54 stolen bases a year.

Crawford's talents and skills speak for themselves. Anyone who gets a chance to watch him play understands how dynamic of a player he is and how he can electrify a game by pulling a ball down the right field line and sliding into third for a triple. But chances are you haven't seen him play.

Crawford's talent which is portrayed in games is hidden from the small market he plays in. He like the NBA's Shareef Abdur Rahim have had statistically strong careers, but because of their teams inability to win games, they go for the most part unnoticed. But to many, they are some of the most valuable players in sports.

In 1963, something happened that some 30 years later would revolutionize the sports industry. Strat-O-Matic began publishing a game containing customized baseball cards of Major League Baseball players with their stats from recent seasons. Participants could then re-create previous seasons using the game rules and the statistics, or compose teams consisting of players from different clubs from the cards and play against each other and thus, the first Fantasy Sport was born.

Sixteen years later, a journalist and avid baseball fan named Daniel Okrent was having dinner with some of his friends at a French restaurant in New York. He pitched an idea to his friends about a new way to look at the game of baseball. The game's innovation was that "owners" in a league would draft teams from the list of active Major League Baseball players and would follow their statistics during the ongoing season to compile their scores. In other words, rather than using statistics for seasons whose outcomes were already known, the owners would have to make similar predictions about players' playing time, health, and expected performance that real baseball managers must make. Today, we know one form of Fantasy Sports scoring to be called Rotisserie, named after the restaurant Okrent was meeting his friends at.

Today, Daniel Okrent's vision has become a billion dollar industry. Fantasy Sports encompasses all the major sports and even golf and Nascar. The original Rotisserie league remains one of the most popular games in Fantasy Sports but the industry has expanded its games in many directions including websites like protrade.com which, like the mid-nineties Wall Street Sports, emulates players and teams in a stock market setting.

In terms of the media, TV shows are aired specifically for fantasy sports predictions and box scores on Sportscenter have "Fantasy Impact" boxes showcasing an update on a player's performance and what it could mean for your team. Magazines are published showcasing stats and trends of players and how "Owners" should focus in their Fantasy Drafts. And of course, the Internet is full of anything imaginable about that Fantasy Sports may be able to offer or speculate about.

I play Fantasy Sports and am really into it. I love setting my teams, making trades, and finding that young player who's under the radar or just got called up and putting up big numbers (thanks Aaron Hill). But the question I have come across recently is as sports fans, do Fantasy Sports question our morals?

We find ourselves rooting for teams and players to perform well so that our fake team has a chance to win...but what happens if you're a die hard Patriots fan but Peyton Manning is the quarterback of your fantasy team and the Colts are playing the Patriots this Sunday? If the Colts win and Manning throws for 300+ and 3 touchdowns, are you satisfied because your fantasy team came out on top that week even though your beloved Pats got the loss?

I think it's an interesting question and one that everyone should ask themselves next time they draft. I know that with my teams being the Cubs, Packers, and Bulls, I never draft a Bears, Pistons, or White Sox player. Sadly I do have Jason Isringhausen as my closer right now, but I sit him whenever the Cubs and Cards are facing off.

Daniel Okrent has given us a different way of looking at sports. How do you look at it? Has Mr. Okrent's game caused you to change your morals and who you really root for now that the players determine your team's results? Ask yourself that question and find out what's really important to you. I bet deep down, there are a lot of fans who put their Fantasy Teams ahead of their favorite real teams, but guess what...Carl Crawford's not complaining.

The First Post: Disclaimer

I want to welcome, the probably very few, who are reading this blog for the first and possibly last time. There are a few reasons behind this blog:

1. I'm Bored
2. I'm Bored
3. The lack of entertaining sports writing on the Internet.

Whether or not you agree with any of the opinions expressed on this page is irrelevant. The way we see it is that this blog is a lot like Simon Cowell; you may not like what we have to say, but chances are, we're right. Either way, you will be entertained.

So much of the sports media market is dependant upon what goes on off the field, away from the ice, or outside the arena. Thanks to the Entertainment Sports Network, we have to put up with the constant bickering from players, coaches, agents and families, losing focus on what is really important and what drives us to buy new TV's just so we can see our favorite players that much more clearly. That being said, what you are most likely going to read on a day to day basis will have to do with specific events in a game, event, or draft involving the athletes that participated in said events, their athletic history, and their forecast for success or, well, not so much in the future. You will also probably read from time to time a ranking of some sort such as the greatest college football players of the past 20 years, or the top ten reasons why the Yankees aren't successful.

Finally, the blog's name; No Owens Sports. If there is one thing that is over hyped in sports media, it is Terrell Owens and his ridiculous antics. TO is a fantastic football player when he puts his mind to it and is one of the truly game changing players on the field in the NFL today. That doesn't make what he does off the field acceptable. I don't care about TO and neither should you. That's the last you will hear about him on this site.

Thanks for reading, and let the games begin!