TWTW: Sanchez Takes New York

One of the more interesting subplot of the week was the fact that rookie quarterback from USC who only played sixteen games in college got the starting job with the New York Jets this past week. I think this is a good idea but there are a couple things that have to happen.

1. The Joe Flacco Effect: I think the Jets have one of the most underrated defenses in the league with guys like Kris Jenkins, David Harris, Kerry Rhodes, and Derrelle Revis just to name a few. They can make things happen and if they force enough turnovers where Sanchez would then have a chance to become anywhere from a 7-9 to 9-7 team. Now if a couple of those guys go down then the Jets are going to be drafting in the top ten again without trading up for it this time.

2. Ignore the NYC Media There will be a time in the season where shit hits the complete fan with Sanchez and the New York Post with others are going to tear this guy apart. Granted, he is the perfect type of guy to lead a New York team giving them a sort of "swagger. I feel that comes from being coached by Pete Carroll and USC Football in general. I find hard to believe that Sanchez will wilt under pressure of the media. This also goes for Rex Ryan who may be the biggest hardass in the NFL right now. He has made his bed with Sanchez and now he has to live with it for the year. I am dead serious too because if one thing to screw up Sanchez would be to take away his starting job past the eight game of the year.

3. Running is #1 Option You cannot expect Sanchez to be the key to your offense. That will lead to bad things. Some might say that Thomas Jones only had a big year because of Brett Favre but I beg to differ. Jones is one of the most underrated running backs in the game today. In addition, they have Leon Washington whose an explosive threat and Shonn Greene who can give you the "tough yards".

-Charlie.

TWTW: Rockies Arent Rocky...

There are a couple things I have learned about baseball in the past couple of years... You never bet that the Brewers will do anything because you will end up losing that bet, the Florida Marlins/ Colorado Rockies are never out of it especially Colorado in the past couple of years. Not only are they closing in on a Wild Card but a chance for a National West title which no one would have believe in the early part of June.

I still remember when the Rockies were just starting their winning ways when they ventured to Miller Park with a five or six game winning streak. I remember telling my dad "I cant believe the Rockies swept the Cards, ready to sell off their team and now they start winning, cant wait to take it to them." My dad goes "Never count a team out whose hot." Well I shouldn't have because it was Colorado who went on a massive run and that sweep was the turn for the worse for the Crew.

Now I think the Rockies might be next to the St. Louis Cardinals because for some reasons, they found the craziest ways to win. The whole team has a "Never Say Die" attitude about them and it has worked so far with their crazy winning streak in September 2007 now their willingness to win any game they play.

They may have a rag-tag guys of starting pitchers with Ubaldo Jimenez and Jason Marquis heading the staff with Huston Street reviving his career to shut the door for the Rockies. Granted of course when I post something like this they on the verge of losing the Wild Card lead. Like I said before, Never Say Die.

-Charlie.

TWTW: The Miserable Mets?

I think we really have to consider that nickname for this year's New York Mets because I think no team could possibly have the worst luck in recent memory in baseball.

First goes down Carlos Delgado with a devastating hip injury which appears to be the end of his career if you want my opinion. Then goes down Jose Reyes for what has seemed like the entire year and it is only calf tendinitis listed on the Mets disabled list. Carlos Beltran their main hitter for the Mets goes down with a bone bruise in his knee in June hasnt been back since. David Wright, the final part of their big part of their order gets hit in the head with a fastball leading to post-concussion symptoms and you wonder if he will ever bee the same player again.

Now add the pitcher staff where three out of their five starters on Opening Day reside on the DL including Johan Santana, the 100 million dollar-plus ace. Its his elbow which also raises a big time rut-roh for weeks to come. Also add to the fact that JJ Putz, the guy you sold the farm system for goes down for the season in May. There you have the Miserable Mets. I honestly couldnt watch the Mets if I were a fan. I would drink myself into a depression focusing on the New York Jets/Giants which ever you prefer.

You really want to feel bad for them but to be honest, I cannot whatsoever. The reasons... well lets start out with the fact they are from New York which means way too much attention by the national media. Then add to the fact they spend as much money as the United States Government right now and show for nothing just like the US Govt. Everyone is saying General Manager Omar Minaya and Manager Jerry Manuel will keep their jobs. I really have to believe someone has to take the blame not just the strength and conditioning coach for New York. One will go, you can bet on that.

-Charlie.

TWTW: Ohhhhhhh Ken.

TWTW: The Week That Was basically a title for me in case I miss a week in sports. I wouldnt say that its a big week but you should have atleast six posts from me. If you see the acronym then you know thats whats going on.

The first post really needs to start with a Brewer rant. Despite the win tonight, I finally came to the realization that all hope was lost when we lost a depressing thirteen inning game on Tuesday night and then put the exclaimation point on it when we were swept by the Cincinati Reds whose team has more injuries than Vietnam 1971. Can we be honest and say that the whole blame falls on manager Ken Macha?

If you have been watching in the past month, the Brewers cannot manage the late innings to save their souls. The bullpen is clearly overworked which is leading to more runs being scored and that puts us at a severe disadvantage. These last two series have been the first time that I have seen Miller Park look like circa 2003. Which just proves my point on how fairweather the Southeastern part of Wisconsin is with their baseball. Now all eyes lie on the Pack Attack with good reason due to their preseason play.

Lets get back to Tuesday and Macha. I was at a friends house just drinking having a good time when I heard the Brewers made this monumental comeback and they were headed to extra innings after Ryan Braun was throwed out at home (reason #8424 why Brad Fischer will not have a job in the Brew City). I sprint to a local bar to watch the finish because I thought if we win thsi game then it might be something special. Thankfully, they had 1.75 Miller Lites or the night would have been a complete waste of time. It just seems in the first couple extras like I am going to be sitting at this bar to sun up watching the Crew and then Macha strikes with leaving Todd Coffey in for a third inning when Mike Burns/Carlos Villanueva could go. I mean cmon how easy to realize that we have two former starters in your pen who are fresh and you throw Coffey for a third inning.


Two homers later, I just decided to call it a season. I will watch the Brewers still but there is no hope for the playoffs. Just another late season collapse, damnit.

-Charlie.

Let Me Start With an Apology

I was hoping that the month of August would bring a great deal of posts with a college football preview which I might attempt to do tomorrow we shall see and just overall there would be a lot of news going on. I might try to churn out six posts from the week that was and that what I will title it because really some of this stuff happened mid-week. Although I am just getting to it now for the sole fact of that I am a lazy piece of shit.

I really believed that I would wax my car and get air in the spare tire before Sunday which didnt happen. All I have really done productive in the last week is work out other than its drinking and beating Seth's ass in video games.

Once again I am sorry for the lack of productivity and I assume that now school is starting up I would rather be doing this then school work.

Here we go...

-Charlie.

Michael Beasley=the Amy Winehouse of Sports

The Miami Heat has been put in an awful position in the past couple of weeks because their first round pick in the 2008 NBA Draft Michael Beasley has checked himself into rehab for substance abuse. There were rumors of marijauna when Beasley showed off his new tattoo when in the background their appeared to be two small plastic bags which people speculated was weed. Then Beasley said on his Twitter... "I just dont feel like living, its not worth it anymore!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Now if you were a fan of Michael Beasley which I would consider myself one, you had the idea that he might have like to hit the bong once in awhile. Which honestly in the NBA isnt that big of deal see Josh Howard and others in the past couple of years. Another sign could of been the video package called "Mike and the Adventures of his Ipod", you would totally understand. I remember talking to a guy who played alot of AAU ball around the area said "Beasely was stoned all the time during the tournaments, it was pretty well known in the basketball world." This also fits into the category of someone whose too young, immature to be on his own.

I hope Beasley is able to bounce back because he really does have a true talent yet this could be something that continues through on his career. The NBA drug testing policy is almost as bad as Major League Baseball therefore I doubt that he gets caught by the league. Good luck Michael I hope it goes well.

-Charlie.

Brandon Marshall Situation has Turned Ugly

First off, I would like to say "Live from Eau Claire, its the Corner!" No complaints so far, I almost took out the bathroom lights but figured it out as if my name was Doc Brown. Anyways on with the developing story on Denver Wide Receiver Brandon Marshall's unhappiness with the team and now it has took another turn. He didnt travel with the team to Seattle which is a big fat rut-roh.

The week began with Marshall getting demoted to scout team which for those who dont know, its what Rudy did throughout his career at the University of Notre Dame. In addition, that led Marshall to saying that "he hasnt even learned the playbook." Which for most Bronco fans probably had a complete heart attack when hearing this. I also would like to say that Marshall has been very arrogant throughout this whole process because in my opinion, one could argue that the now Chicago Bears Quarterback Jay Cutler made Marshall's career.

I think there is without a shout of a doubt that Marshall will be traded. I think a team like the Baltimore Ravens or Tennessee Titans could really value a guy like Marshall's play making ability. Marshall in my opinion is a bigger problem on a team than a guy like Terrell Owens or Chad Ocho Cinco. All you have to look at is his laundry list of crimes.

The Broncos should understand that they not only have a brutal schedule but their team isnt that strong. Why worry about a guy like Marshall who will be angry that he is on a bad team? It depends on how bad Denver will be but they can draft a guy like Texas' Colt McCoy or Oklahoma's Sam Bradford. I am sure this isnt the last we have heard about Marshall.

-Charlie.

Swiss Plax Heads to the Big House

I think its fair to say that every big headline story in 2009 is coming to close all this week which leaves me wondering what SportsCenter is going to talk about now in the upcoming weeks. Plaxico AKA "Swiss Plax" Burress has taken a guilty plea heading to jail for two years. Now there has been much outrage on this because Plax got two years for shooting himself and Cleveland Browns Wide Receiver Donte Stallworth only got thirty days in prison for killing a man while driving drunk.

You can be mad if you want but here's the deal since the state of New York especially New York City had big problems with gang violence in the 1990s therefore they put in these tough gun laws. Burress should have known what the punishment was if he were caught with this gun in the club if it isnt registered in New York.

Say what you will but Burress deserves to be in jail for two years. Honestly, I truly thought that Stallworth deserved to be jailed for a long time but sometimes when people have a shit ton of money to afford top-class lawyers; it leads to them getting off with an easy pass if you will. In addition, he is on house arrest for the next two years so I doubt he will play in the NFL in the next couple of years.

Burress is a pretty young guy and I believe he will have a job when he comes out of jail. I think he doesnt deserve an extra suspension by Commissioner Roger Goodell because this is seriously just a mistake in judgement which was a big one costing him jail time.

-Charlie.

Brett... This is War.

Man. I wrote this article on 7/29 acting like a little kid who has the cooler bike saying "Nah Nah Nah" and I really thought that Brett Favre would never come back. He was going to just enjoy being retired probably do some TV for Fox or his lovers on ESPN (not named Cris Carter or Mark Schelerth). Oh how wrong I was. Jay Glazer talked about rumblings yesterday of Favre coming back possibly and now he signed to a two year 25 million dollar deal with the Minnesota Vikings. Like I said in the title this is war and all respect is lost for you Brett.

I get the some of you who think that he is just a guy who wants to play football still but that doesnt excuse the fact that Brett decided to skip training camp acting like he was going to be retired. Once the games were started to be played then Brett Favre decides well I think I am going to come back. Forget that the Vikings said that Favre couldnt come to the Land of 844 Lakes if he didnt show up for mini camps or training camps. Forget that Brad Childress and others claim that they were moving on from Favre. Simply put, the Vikings are now owned by Favre. Brad Childress isnt the head decision maker, its Brett Favre. He is telling them what to do in every instance.

I saw this on Twitter from Bill Simmons but this video probably describes how all of us Packer fans feel right now. No one in the professional wrestling world would ever think that Hogan would be a "heel" or a bad guy then when he joined the N.W.O. leg dropping Randy Savage ended that opportunity. There were many fans who hated Hogan for years after that incident. Thats what Favre has become. Honestly, the New York Jet experience we could all put it behind us and say it was a mistake. Now that he is a Viking everything is out the door.

"If you are a true Packer fan, you would understand to keep playing football"-Brett Favre. Are you kidding me Brett? Everybody who you knew as a Packer fan would tell you how much they hated the Vikings and the Bears. How those were the games we need to win every year. Also remember all the hateful things the Vikings fans said to you? Cmon man we all know that is a bunch of bullshit. They now accept you because they know you are their only chance at a possible Super Bowl.

Moving on to that topic, people are now suddenly believers in Brett Favre and Vikings to be the favorite the NFC. Forget the fact that they are playing with a forty year old quarterback no matter who he is. Forty years old unless their name is Nolan Ryan usually dont cut it in sports. Also remember that Brett has choked in the playoffs since he has won the Super Bowl in 1996. He couldnt close out any games in the playoffs which not all can be put on Favre yet he didnt do the things for us to pull away. Looking back on the Fourth and 26th game, we had many opportunities to win that game although Favre couldnt get it done. That allowed for Ed Dontell to become the scapegoat.

The other thing about the Vikings is their run defense is probably the one of the most overrated things in football. All you have to do is looking at either of the Packer games from last year or the playoff game against Philadelphia where Brian Westbrook piercing through the Williams Fat Boys. The secondary has always been lackluster at best so I really dont have any faith in the Vikings defense. Also the big question remains will Adrian Peterson get the carries that he rightly deserved? Favre dictated this whole thing so far therefore who knows what will actually happen. We wont know until the first two weeks.

I dont wish injury on Brett Favre. Early today I said that to E that "I hope Atari goes high, and Desmond Bishop goes low breaking Brett like Marty from Not Another Teen Movie." I think that is a bit extreme to wish he gets hurt but do I hope that Favre has about 5 TAINTS in two games against the Pack? You bet your ass. I am not going to cheer on Favre in anything he does because simply put he is a Viking. The only time when the Vikes have my support is when they are on my fantasy football team which is still pretty tough to do.

I said way back in March of 2008 that 'losing Favre must be the way Chicago felt after MJ left both times, Larry Bird leaving Boston or the whole NHL for Wayne Gretzky.' Now its like Roger Clemens pitching in Fenway in the Yankee pinstripes when Favre heads into Lambeau on November 1st. I dont think even Red Sox's fans can understand the pain that alot of us are feelings. Anyone who is in the age range of 18-25 saw Brett Favre as their hero going through childhood. They dawn Favre jerseys seeing him as the closest thing to God. Now he wants to beat that team twice? Also take one of our rival to the Super Bowl? Damnit that hurts so bad.

Now I am going up to Eau Claire, Wisconsin on Saturday which in my opinion will be a war zone of Packer/Viking fans who will be at each other throats until the bitter end. I personally cannot wait for both Packer wins and a division title.

-Charlie.

Mitchy's Raiders Love to Brawl

Probably the craziest story of the week so far probably has been Oakland Raiders' Head Coach Tom Cable got into a brawl with with one of his assistant coaches Randy Hanson who hasnt been back to the training camp since that happened on August Fifth.

Honestly only the Raiders could do something this dumb. I mean this is absolutely hilarious to think that a head coach could just start a fight with their other coaches. Training camp usually brings some heat and fire from their players having a couple good rumbles going on. But never does it lead to police reports being filed. There also reports via multiple sources mine being Fanhouse... that people could hear players chanting "Cable Bumaye!" (Cable Kill Him) -- a reference to the chant made by boxing fans in Zaire when Muhammad Ali knocked out George Foreman in the Rumble in the Jungle fight. That is now why whenever I need to talk about Cable, he is now Cable Bumaye. That is just awesome.

I dont think Cable will get fired and the Raiders will probably fine him for sure for creating distraction. I doubt even if its found that he did hit Hanson that he will get suspended by the Raiders... the NFL might see it differently suspending for a game or two. I am sure this story is not over by a long shot and we will probably find out more as the week goes on.

-Charlie.

The Anchorman Lands in DC

The biggest story before today's madness (trust me much more on that in a little while) was the fact that the Washington Nationals had signed their first overall pick Stephen "the Anchorman" (credited to Bill Simmons and Jack-O) Strasburg which in my opinion was great for Major League Baseball.

The reason being is a team who is probably headed for another top pick in next year's draft and it appeared that there was no way the Nats were going to be able to sign Strasburg. The other thing is maybe the Suit known as Scott Boras is actually a human being. If they wouldnt have signed Strasburg, the emotional state of the fifty-five Nats fans would have lowered it to about five Nationals fans. Now you got the excitement for the upcoming years in Washington D.C. for the Strasburg Era should be awesome and bolt their tickets sales once Strasburg is in the bigs. In addition, I think you have got to make Strasburg a starter if ready at the beginning of the 2010 year.

The one big thing that you have to pray to Andy Benes is that Strasburg's new head coach knows how to manage young pitching and maybe they created Joba Chamberlain-like Rules. If they get a guy like Dusty Baker then all hope is lost for Strasburg's career. My suggestion which you probably will hate is Ned Yost. You can remind me if I am wrong but Yost never got any of our young pitching. Usually it was the minor leagues that were screwing with the pitching. The Nationals really are probably five years away from being a playoff contender and a guy like Yost wouldnt be bad for a young ball club.

-Charlie.

Carter/Pleasant Duo... Please Stop Crying.

Granted it is middle of August so you wouldnt think many people would be excited for football to start in the college and professional ranks furthermore even care about stories going on right now. But the Wisconsin Badgers are dealing with big time drama right now that really shouldnt even be going on.

A couple days ago, Head Football Coach Bret Bielema had suspended both senior safeties Shane Carter and Aubrey Pleasant for the rest of training camp for violating the UW-Madison Student Code. Given the Coach's excuse, you might scratch your head a bit but its his decision he can do what he wants really. The families of both Carter and Pleasant said no so fast demanding an explanation on why their baby boys are home for the rest of the summer.

Let me first begin with its Division I Football! I think Dan Hawkins says it best really because you can clearly see that Carter/Pleasant realize that they arent starting at safety. Tried of the same old bullshit after their fifth year of camp therefore leading to them probably being a problem down at Madison. Its clear to me that maybe Bielema just got fed up and lost his temper with Carter/Pleasant telling them to not return.

Trust me I have seen things like this happen at the high school and college levels. When seniors arent getting playing time in training camp, they become the biggest distractions due to the fact they no longer give a damn about all these kids below them. I can guarantee you that Carter and Pleasant both feel they have earned a starting spot which is false seeing as Carter hits like a fifth grader.

Whoops I have to be careful, I might get sued by big bad fifth year players. Suck it up man, respect your coach. I am with Bielema 100% until he proves me wrong on this one.

-Charlie.

Y.E. Yang... What the Hell?

Looking back on Sunday at Hazeltine for the PGA Championship, everyone on their Twitters and Facebooks who gave a damn about golf wrote stuff like Tiger is winning today no doubt, here a song for Tiger because he has this wrapped up already blah blah. The only thing is Tiger didnt win the tournament and I watched him play one of the worst rounds I think I have ever seen Tiger play. Before we get going on Tiger, lets talk about Yang.

He played a great round of golf and was one of the only people that outplayed Woods on the last round, last pairing in a major championship. Every time a new guy comes along, Tiger seems to mow him down and move on to win another title. That didnt happened today with Yang chipping in an awesome eagle on 14th then playing one of the best second shots I have seen on 18th. Yang deserves a lot of credit for what he did today. Also how predictable was the typical Jim Nantz winning call "Y-E-S!!!!!!" If you notice, Nantz always does that shit for whatever sport.

Now on to Mr. Woods. He had a day that you usually see out of Phil Mickelson or any guy who has Tiger breathing down his back. I dont understand how he can go bogey-free one day this week then the other barely miss every putt. He had one of those days that you would never expect to see out of Tiger. I was texting people how rattled he looked, think when was the last time you saw Woods shaken by his opponent? I will take it back to Little Giants, there is always that "one time" where you might see something you usually would. This was Tiger's one time which will probably be one of his most memorable majors. People dont let you forget this shit when you are in sports. I hope for Tiger that in Augusta next April, he will come back with a vengeance to dominate the field.

-Charlie.

Usian=Insane

As you can see, I did make it out of the weekend with much haziness as you could really ask for. I decided to write about a couple posts today because today was a significant day in sports that arent really considered a major three.

I was flipping through the channels on Saturday afternoon and I came across NBC's coverage of the Track and Field World Championships which hyped up Usian Bolt vs. Tyson Gay on Sunday. I already knew this was must watch TV and it stepped up to the plate.

Usian Bolt, the sprinter from Jamaica today in Berlin at the World Championships ran a world-record 9.5 100 meter dash today. Are you kidding me? Also I really would be hard-pressed to find another athlete that is more dominating at his sport. Yes its a just a short race but no one is even coming close to Bolt in these races. He is our best athlete today and no one gives this guy any recognition. The reason, its a four year sport. We only give a damn about track and field when the Summer Olympics are going on At this point, I am convinced that Bolt may be able to beat cheetah in a race.

The other thing I think we have to consider is finding a guy like Irv Blitzer and talking Bolt into creating his own Jamaican Bobsled team. Then every two years, he would be the man winning gold for Jamaica in two sports instead of one. He could also get third place finisher Asafa Powell to join as well. No one would be able to compete with that combo.

-Charlie.

Taking the Weekend Off

I really hope nothing big happens this weekend because it is my birthday so I am leaving the blog alone until Sunday or Monday depending on my hangover. It should be a blast being my 21st and if something epic happens like taking a shot with Ryan Braun. Or him coming to my party tomorrow then I will have something to blog about.

Take care and enjoy the weekend everyone.

-Charlie.

B.J. Raji in Camp, Rejoice.

The only big Packer Drama of the pre-season has finally come to an end with the Packers signing their first round pick defensive tackle B.J. Raji. I am pumped to see what the big fella can do in the next couple of years and I really hope that this means the end for Justin Harrell.

One of the Journal's Packer insider Greg Bedard said today on 1250 WSSP that having Raji holding out really isnt that big of a deal because it doesnt take that long for a defensive tackle to learn the 3-4. It was more important to have Clay Matthews in camp then it was to have Raji. The one thing that I would worry about him not being in the camp is the fact of the matter he is a big dude. Like Gilbert Brown big, therefore you have to make sure that Raji is conditioned and ready for the second preseason game.

The other thing I like is the fact that Raji deal is very incentive based. If he doesnt show up, then he is making all the money that he normally would get. That is a perfect type of contract for a young defensive tackle who has to worry about weight more so than any other position. If that doesnt motive the young guy, I really dont know what will.

I think that this does spell the end for Harrell. He keeps having problems with his back and really cannot put the wheels in motion like a first round draft pick should be. Harrell has been nothing better than fifth round pick and if he was a mid-round pick like he should have been, his ass would be looking for a job in the NFL. I think Harrell will be on the team until about October or if his back leads him to the Injury Reserve.

-Charlie.

Vick Lands in Philly

The Michael Vick saga is finally over and I feel like kneeling before Pete Rozelle's grave to thank for him for that. ESPN will have a couple more days of the Vick hype and then the first preseason game for the Eagles. A lot of people are wondering why Philadelphia would take Mike Vick but I think I have a couple logical explanations for why this is a great deal for Philly despite the backlash.

Most of you are probably think that the Eagles were in the same position as the Green Bay Packers who showed some interest in Vick a couple weeks ago. The reason being is both teams have quality quarterbacks who are more than capable to lead their team to the NFC Playoffs. The one factor with Philly is Donovan McNabb hasnt always been Mr. Relieble when it comes to injuries and the fans of Philadelphia seem to have hate for McNabb to the levels of former Milwaukee Brewer Bill Hall (I kid). Whenever shit hits the fans for the Eagles, its never head coach Andy Reid's fault: It's all on DNabb's shoulders. I think Philadelphia wants to have a quality back up for McNabb if he gets hurt or just falls apart during the year.

The other big reason any team would be lucky to have Mike Vick is the Wildcat formation. You gotta believe the Eagles' coaching staff was implementing this system in the last couple of weeks to get their lineman and others ready for the package. I mean just imagine Vick back there with Brian Westbrook or LeSean McCoy that is very hard to stop. Consequently, what if they put Vick and McNabb back there at the same time? Wow you wouldnt be able to stop that even if you planned for it.

My final big reason is the Eagles just got the #1 trade bait for the upcoming year. Even though McNabb isnt getting any younger, I highly doubt he will be dealt for Vick unless something happens in-season. If Vick keeps his head on straight and has a good year doing the situational quarterback stuff; teams without good quarterbacks will chop at the bit for Vick. I am talking about Philadelphia getting a couple good draft picks for him and honestly that is what I think the Eagles' plan train of thought.

-Charlie.

PGA Championship Picks

Well I didnt pick for the British Open due to a busy week but there is not a chance in hell I would have picked Stewart Cink. In addition, I would of probably took Tiger Woods like the other two tournaments but I have decided that I will refuse to pick Tiger even though I think he will win it this weekend. I just dont want to jinx Tiger at this point. My dad theory seems to be spot on about Tiger, he felt he didnt play in enough tournaments and that was the reason why he couldnt win the big ones. Now he has seemed to figure it out playing in his third straight tournament. Here are my picks not named Tiger...

1. Steve Stricker- It might be biased but I think that Stricker has one of the best shots of winning this title. He has been consistent with the putter this year and needs to have his iron play work for him if he wants to win. The other big thing is his third round because he seemed to struggle in the majors in "Moving Day" as they like to call it.

2. Padraig Harrington- You have to talk about Paddy for the sole fact that he played so well until the last three holes. Harrington was the least clutch I have seen him in the last three to five years when Tiger was breathing down his neck. If Tiger isnt around on Sunday and Harrington is, I think he could easily win this thing.

3. Sean O'Hair- Another guy I could file under "Dont want to see Tiger on Sunday afternoon" once again if Woods isnt around he could be contending for a title. He is an all-around good golfer who seems to do all the little things right. Look for him to sneak up on people this week.

4. Hunter Mahan- This is ESPN's favorite and for good reason because he has been on top of the leader boards all year. When he putts well, its right up there with Tiger-like so that immediately helps his cause. Mahan is another who is known to blow up from time to time therefore he needs to stay consistent.

5. Anthony Kim- This is probably my wild card for the Hazeltine weekend but you gotta give some love to Kim. He is probably one of the most exciting player in golf right now as hard as that might sound to you. Kim I think is too streaky to win a major but I really hope he does win one soon.

-Charlie.

Brewer Shake Up Wednesday

Well the Brewers once again got their asses kicked last night and the management decided that a shake up was needed. They made three big moves that I will all dissect for you today.

1. Bill Castro: "You're fired."- The Brewers decided to get rid of the long time bullpen coach and first year pitching coach Bill Castro today. The Crew have the highest E.R.A. in the starting pitching rotation and they rank in the bottom five in many categories. I wasnt a huge fan of Castro getting the job in the first place because to me and others he seemed like a lifetime bullpen coach. The Brewers at least admitted they screwed up and promoted AAA Nashville pitching coach Chris Bosio. It will be interesting to see if the Brewers make any progress with Bosio and if not, he will be gone likely then they will got outside the organization.

2. JJ Hardy Heads to the Minors: A fan favorite especially with the ladies, JJ Hardy is now going down to the minors only two years after being an All-Star. He has been not good all year unless he was in the second spot which even being at there he wasnt that good. Although I will give Hardy the benefit of he hit a lot of hard shots right at the outfield. We were all waiting for JJ to have a month tear like he did the last two years and it didnt happen. Now Alcedes Escobar is up and its his turn to show what he can do.

3. Bill Hall is Released: I wrote about my utter hatred for Bill Hall in early July which has somewhat changed with his new approach in the last couple of weeks but still it was a move needed to be done. Yes 10 million dollars is alot of contract to eat but it is much needed. Hall will not be missed by most fans and the crowds will still come because they believe the Brewers still have a small chance to get to the playoffs.

-Charlie.

Rut Roh Rick

For about the last five months there has been much talk over the woman who was trying to extort ten million dollars from Louisville Cardinal Basketball Coach Rick Pitno. When it was first being discussed, I like many others thought this was just a crazy women after a sports figure. Well I was completely wrong. According to Karen Cunagin Sypher (the woman) that her and Pitno had sex in 2003 which lead to her getting knocked up two weeks later. Pitno then paid her a cool $3000 to get the baby aborted. Not good Rick, not good Rick.

I think this will not hurt him recruiting wise at all because there are not going to be many people saying "You are the coach who asked that girl to get a baby aborted, no way am I signing with you." He will still bring in the same recruits that he did before all these allegations happened but the one thing I think this will do is stick with his legacy.

Pitno will probably never be able to coach at a private school with a Catholic backing and people have the opinion that Pitno is a great coach yet not the cleanest guy. This story drove that opinion home because its obvious that Pitno didnt want this to get out and he tried to cover it up as much as possible. Once she started asking for a ton of money, he drew his line in the sand knowing that she will probably leak out the information about the abortion.

I would be utterly shocked if the Cardinals decided to fire Pitno for his actions but it took like 500 recruiting violations for USC Head Coach Tim Floyd to get fired. Same with how Jim Calhoun has kept his job with all the things swirling about him.. Face it, college basketball when it comes to coaches is one of the dirtiest sports and it will not get better.

-Charlie.

Looks Whose Back

When you are growing up as a kid like a lot of things in life, you are sponge absorbing all sorts of things including sports. You pick your favorite teams and the ones you hate usually with some help from your dad guiding you in the right direction. I would like to think my dad did a pretty good job of that by making sure I hated the New York Yankees (including most NYC teams), Kentucky Basketball, and the Dallas Cowboys. When I was younger without my dad's help was bothered by the success of Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls. Looking back on that, I was probably an idiot for dissing Jordan but I rocked a Reggie Miller #31 jersey instead. I just wanted to be different.

Anyways moving on, the reason I bring all this up is because time has come again for me to hate the Yankees. They are the best team in baseball right now after sweeping a four game series from their hated rival Boston Red Sox. We thought that Yankee Stadium was new Coors but the New York pitching proved us wrong this weekend with some dominating pitching performances from AJ Burnett, and CC Sabathia. If Burnett/Sabathia are that good for the rest of the year, I really dont see anyone beating the Yankees when playoff time roll along.

I like when I have a team to root against for no matter what. When the Yankees sucked, it was kind of like my childhood hatred was falling out of flavor due to not really needing to hate the Yanks with that much passion. They were a third place team last year not some world beaters like they had been in the 90s.

The other big thing that helps me hate this New York team is the fact they really dont have any likable guys. Granted, I will always keep CC close to my heart for all his hard for the Milwaukee Brewers and will never forget that season. But other than CC, Mariano Rivera, and Derek Jeter, is there anyone really to like as an average fan of baseball? Sure you respect the likes of Alex Rodriguez and Mark Teixiera but they seem to have less of a personally than Biff from Back to the Future.

I hope the Yankees get all the way to the World Series with the media at full tilt and then like the last two times, they were there... New York loses. The Yanks then are just the AL Pennant winners like in 2002 and 2003.

-Charlie.

Once Again Kenny Williams Plays With Fire

You have to think that there are alot of Chicago White Sox fans scratching their heads right now after the two mid-season moves that General Manager Kenny Williams has made... First he brings in Jake Peavy who might not play this year and has the pitching version of Matt Holiday written all over him. Now he brings in Alex Rios from the Blue Jays who recently couldnt hit sand if he fell off a camel.

The other thing that is puzzling about the Rios waiver claim is the fact the White Sox have a loaded outfield as it is and they have Jim Thome arguably the league's best Designated Hitters. So you are meaning to tell me that Rios will be a twelve million dollar a year bench player for Manager Ozzie Guillien. I guess he could play center but that means the Sox lose their leadoff hitter in Scott Podsendik.

The one thing that is saving Williams' ass right now is that Rios is only twenty-eight years of age and that means he still hasnt hit his peak years. In addition, they have a spot in right field open next year likely with Jermaine Dye becoming a free agent. Which would lead to Williams pitching to the owners that he basically signed Rios to replace Dye two months early.

In some aspects, this deal really does make sense but to me maybe my Blue Jay fan Sepi could help me out here Alex Rios seems like a Bill Hall-type player where he had one amazing year and cannot get himself out of that deep black hole (Rios is way better than Hall by the way). Who knows maybe the taste of Chicago will revive his spiraling career.

-Charlie.

An Interview With My Buddy E

1. First off we probably have to discuss the bet we have going right now. At this point, you have to feel pretty good about the Brewers not winning more than 80 games bet you made with me at the beginning of the season. What needs to change for the Brewers to be better?

Well first off, thanks for havin me! And I’d like to start my first entry on The Corner with a big fat I TOLD YOU SO. As much as I would love to see the Crew make a run and find a way into the playoffs I don’t see it happening. I think the thing were missing is a true ace on the staff. Yovani has ace type material but has yet to show consistency and hasn’t really embraced the role of being the number one guy. Personally I’d like to see them bring up some young top pitching prospects and see what happens. I mean they can’t be much worse than the likes of Chris Smith and some of the other hacks we have trotted out this year.

2. What did you think about Prince Fielder's reaction to Guillerimo Mota hitting him on Tuesday night?

The only issue I have with the situation is why did Ken still have Prince in the game? We were down 13 runs and once Manny got plunked everyone knew it was coming. The whole thing could have been avoided if Prince would have just been sat down. As far as Prince’s reaction goes, it probably wasn’t the most mature response but I thought it was pretty entertaining, so I guess I can’t complain.

3. I have asked this question a couple times but what do you think about the PED list?

I really am waiting for a lawsuit. I hate the fact that these “confidential” test results got leaked by the MLB. Yes, these guys took PEDs but they were not in violation of the MLB drug testing policy at the time, and it is ridiculous that they are now getting in trouble for it.

4. Continuing on with the PED stuff, do you think all of this Big Papi stuff is killing the Red Sox 2009 season?

I think the fact that Big Papi is still in the line-up (steroids or no steroids) is killing the Red Sox season. That and the fact that the Yankees are more loaded than a frat boy on a Friday night.

5. Who do you think will win the National League Wild Card?

I know everyone is looking to the Giants to come out of the NL as the Wild Card, but I just don’t think they can score enough runs to make it down the stretch. One dimensional teams can only last for so long. That being said, I’m going to say that the Wild Card comes out of the central, with either Chicago or St. Louis winning the division and the other claiming the WC.

6. The other usual question here on the interview, who do you think is the World Series Matchup?

I’m looking for the Yankees to finally return to the Fall Classic, it has been a long drought by NY standards and I think this is the year A-Rod gets the playoff monkey off his back. Plus that rotation is just plain nasty. As far as the NL goes, I think the Phillies will make repeat and take the pennant again this year. With the additions of Cliff Lee, Pedro Martinez, and the development of J.A. Happ they have all the tools to make a run. I think the Yanks claim their first title of the 00’s (or the naughts for all of you Sports Guy readers) and I’m surprisingly ok with that. I think the Red Sox’s recent success and their all around attitude has contributed to their new role as the most hated team in the MLB and I find myself cheering for the guys in the pinstripes when they meet.

7. Lets move on to the NFL, how do you see the Green Bay Packers doing this year?

I can see them doing really well, but I have a few concerns.
a.) I think the obvious concern is how the D takes to Don Caper’s new 3-4 system. Everyone is worried about that, but in my mind an even bigger issue is how the 3-4 system will fare in a power running league like the NFC North. Will we be able to stop power rushers like Adrian Peterson and Matt Forte with just three down lineman?

b.) I really hope Aaron Rodgers stays away from the proverbial sophomore slump. He really came out of nowhere last year to be by many estimations a top QB in the league, but no one is taking him for granted this year. He needs to step up and continue to grow as a leader and more importantly a quarterback.

c.) And most importantly, can Mike McCarthy keep it together during big games. I firmly believe he was the sole reason we didn’t make it to the Super Bowl two years ago and is probably to blame for all of the Brett Favre drama (if we make it to that game Brett goes back to Mississippi on a high note and is content to stay retired). I hate how his play calling changes in big game situations, we need to stick to our game plan in all situations. As the say at the blackjack table, “Don’t play the money, play the cards”

I think if they play to their potential and avoid the injury bug that bit them last year they can get to 10 wins.

8. What concerns you more... the fact Clay Matthews didnt know what state Green Bay was in or B.J. Raji still not in training camp?

I’m not really sure Clay Matthews knows where Green Bay is yet…but if he crushes skulls like he did at USC I really don’t care. I think B.J. really needs to get in camp. He will be a huge factor as to whether or not we can stop those power rushing attacks. Unless, he learns the system now and plays preseason, it’s a lost year for him.

9. What are your own thoughts on the Michael Crabtree situation?

Just another example of why the NFL needs to adopt a rookie minimum salary. I hate these guys coming into the league thinking they deserve this and that. I will always hate Eli Manning (who by the way maybe deserves about ¼ of the money he got from the Giants) for refusing to play for the Chargers. Come play in the league and prove yourself before you start making demands.

10. One sleeper team in the NFL who could explode on to the scene this year?

I like the Bengals to make some noise this year. A refreshed and refocused Carson Palmer will put up big numbers. In addition, they added some depth with Lavernious Coles which should help out Chad Ocho Cinco They might have had one of the best drafts in recent years. Rey Malaluga was an absolute steal.

11. I feel honored that I have join your fantasy football league but do you really know what you are getting into with me now in the league to dominate?

I’m not sure this question even warrants a response. You know I’m gonna repeat as league champ.

12. Tell everyone why you love Tim Tebow as much as I do and also is Florida going to repeat?

Well there are many reasons why I love Tim Tebow. First of all he is just an awesome competitor. There is nothing like watching a person who exudes such passion and desire to win. I would much rather watch an average player who will go all out all game to win than the most talented player in the country who is going to take plays off. And the best thing about Tebow is that he’s the hustle and the effort guy trapped in the superstar’s body. Unlike many people I can see Tim succeeding in the NFL, all he needs is someone to give him a chance. I can see him becoming a Donovan McNaab type player. That’s the skill set that he has.

13. On to other things, John Hughes past away and I think we can all agree that he had some of the best young-teen movies in the 80s. What was your favorite Hughes movie?

John Hughes was an absolute genius when it came to making movies. He succeeded as a director, a producer, and a writer and played a huge part in the evolution of the big screen. As a director I think I have to go with Breakfast Club. It might be the only movie I’ve ever seen that successfully holds my attention without a single change in scenery. I mean the man directed one of the best movies ever and did almost all inside of a library with six characters.

But, I think that most of generation would agree that Hughes’ greatest gift to us movie lovers was the writing of the Home Alone series. Those movies appealed to such a wide base of people and were just so versatile. I mean what movie can you successfully quote in more situations? I say not many, Mr. Michael Fant managed to make it work in a strip club last night by telling the dancer to “Keep the change, ya filthy animal.” If that’s not just pure genius I’m not sure what is.

14. In your mind, what movie do you think is the most overrated movie in the last five years?

I might be jumped the next time I leave my house for saying this but I have to go with Superbad. Yea, it had me laughing at times but I really felt it got too long and it just reverted to the same humor over and over. A socially retarded kid being extremely awkward around the opposite sex is only funny for so long. Despite this, the movie was more popular than Barack Obama during black history month. Who incidentally may be the most overrated president since FDR. I mean common, has he told the truth one time yet? (wait is it still legal to disagree with the government? Or have we already converted to communism…. I might be in trouble.)

15. I asked Mike this last week but what was your favorite movie of 2009 so far?

Tough question, I thought The Hangover was amazing. Great story, great casting, great everything. The fact that I managed to get through the entire movie without thinking about killing Bradley Cooper (for those of you who don’t know, he played Zach in Wedding Crashers which is a top 3 movie of all time for me, and I’ve never really been able to see him as anything besides the arrogant ass hole he played Crashers) says a lot about the quality of that movie. Plus, who doesn’t relate to that, how fun is it when you wake up and have to piece together your night through conversations with everyone you saw along the way?

18. Last time I saw you, you were rocking a Mr. Feeny t-shirt so it leads me to this question, who would you like to have a beer with from Boy Meets World?

This question took a lot of thought. I could go with Cory, and I am obviously talking about grade school Cory because lets face it he got really weird after about the 9th grade, but he was the main character and thus I feel like I already know him so well. The bad asses out there might choose Shawn or Mr. Turner, but realistically I don’t think I would have much to discuss with them. For these reasons, I’m choosing Topanga, but I’m going with high school Topanga. Because she was a crazy little bitch in elementary school and once they got to college she and Cory both continually got weirder and weirder. But she was great in high school, she had it all! A great looking girl who is super intelligent. What more could I want?

19. Last two years you were too hung over to watch the Super Bowl and we have had great games both times. Is our goal to get you to that level again this year to guarantee another great game?

First of all, I watched most of the games, I’ll admit that I did have to sleep through some parts, but I think my status as an American citizen is still intact (although Brett might say different, but then again he’d rather watch the NBA than the NCAA Tournament and he’s the only person on the planet that hates seeing an upset, so does it really matter what he thinks?). Either way, if me getting it in the night before the Super Bowl and having a near death experience during the game can help provide a great game and entertainment for millions, I’m all for it.

20. When you are fighting with our friend Brett about God knows what, do you usually win? Also what is your favorite Eric-Brett argument?

Once again, do I really need to answer that? Seriously though, I feel that most of our fights really end with no clear winner and loser, the fight is really more just about yelling at the other person until we both realize we might be the two most stubborn people on the planet and we separate for awhile. But I wouldn’t have it any other way. As far as my favorite fight goes, I’m not sure I have one, but if I had to choose it would probably be the argument over the show 24. Purely because it was and is one of the most ridiculous things anyone has ever argued about.

21. And now Eric's rant on the WIAA

Well, thanks again for having me, it was a lot of fun. Hopefully we can do it again soon. But before I go I want to get in one more topic. What the fuck is the WIAA doing to its football season. Dismantling the Wisconsin Valley Conference is one the worst decisions ever made. Easily the best division one conference top to bottom, the Valley had a great run and I’m sad to see it go. I know it hasn’t been as good these last few years and Homestead will probably beat Everest this year, but that doesn’t change the fact that the WIAA just dismantled some of the best tradition Wisconsin high school football has ever seen.

Thanks Eric.

-Charlie.

Josh Hamilton Takes a Shot for Soberity

I understand that some of you may find me cruel for the title but to be honest I will explain why I am alright with Texas Rangers Josh Hamilton's "lapse in sobriety" because things could be alot worse.


If you have not seen the pictures of Josh Hamilton getting aggressive (via Deadspin) then you are truly missing out. Granted people have came out and said that he had no drink in hand at any of the pictures although just looking at the guy he looks completely hammered. He has been sober since 2005 and had committed his life to Jesus saying he would never do any of the things that drove him out of the league.

Well he screwed up thats for sure but I cant imagine how hard it must be for Hamilton with temptations throughout the year. He plays on a fairly young team who probably enjoys going out and Hamilton could be going out every night with these guys. Instead he heads home to his wife and kids enjoying his sober life.

Although here is my big time BUT. It isnt like he is doing lines off some hooker in Las Vegas or getting high on pain pills. If you read about his battles with drugs, he was doing ten times worse things to his body than alcohol. The bigger issue I have is the fact that he is doing shots off women that arent Mrs. Hamilton. I mean there are a lot of athletes in professional sports that cheat on their wives and you dont if Hamilton took any of those girls home although I think we could all make our own assumptions if she were to divorce him.

I have made the point many times that "athletes shouldn't be a role model for kids" and Hamilton shouldnt be looked at any differently unless he falls deeper.

-Charlie.

Rashard Lewis' Best Friends: Big Papi and A-Rod?

Once again, I am late but I really dont care. I was having a rather heated discussion at the Clubhouse with my friends Bailey, Mach, and Doz. I was discussing how I feel the NBA will surpassed MLB in ten years or so throwing out a bunch of reasons although the one that was a big kicker was its a clean sport. Wouldnt you know it not more than two days later, Rashard Lewis of the Orlando Magic is suspended for ten days for violating the league's drug-testing policy. In addition, Doz made sure I knew about it.

I do not really think that there are many people in the NBA who are taking steroids or things like that. I honestly have no idea what steroids would do to make yourself better in the NBA. I mean with baseball, we always know you can hit the ball harder and recover from injuries. Lewis might be doing it for injury-sake but like I said, its hard to comment on this when you have no idea what steroids could do for your NBA career.

Also this isnt going to kill the league and people may boo Lewis although he isnt a big time All Star. If this was LeBron James, Dwayne Wade, Kobe Bryant, or Dwight Howard violating an anti-drug policy then we may have an issue. People would wonder what league really is clean although none of the leagues really are maybe the NHL who knows. A couple people get caught in the NFL (Shawne Merriman) or NBA (Lewis) although the last fifteen years havent revolved around steroids.

-Charlie.

Michael Crabtree: The New Driver of the Whambulance

I know I am a couple days late with things but we will get you caught up very shortly. One of the biggest headlines this week was the San Francisco 49ers' first round draft pick Michael Crabtree might sit out for the entire 2009 season.

I dont think that this will happen but I really think Crabtree is doing a diservice to himself plus the other teams who drafted in the top ten picks (the Green Bay Packers would be one of them). First of all, Crabtree is doing a poor public relations job with the Niner fans because in the economy that we are in right now (hate using this statement, really do but you know it factors into it.) they should see Crabtree as completely selfish. There are people all around the country who would love to have the orginal offer that Crabtree got. The other thing about the whole situation is they are taking a look at what Darrius Heyward-Bey the seventh pick of the draft get thirty-eight million dollars from the Oakland Raiders. First of all, its the Raiders they always overspend and secondly Crabtree believes that he is better than Bey which I would agree with. He wants to get forty-million dollars plus and that for a tenth pick is ridicolus if you are not a quarterback. If the Niners have Crabtree, they are not going to be a playoff team

The other thing that harming the NFL is with Crabtree not signing that means that most of the top 10 picks are not with their teams in training camps. I believe Tyson Jackson just signed with the Chiefs but you still dont have BJ Raji, Eugene Monroe, Andre Smith, Aaron Curry, and Jason Smith signed. The ones who are higher up really dont matter compared to Crabtree but the lower top tens are seeing Crabtree as the standard.

I am assuming that the Niners will sign Crabtree at sometime but I dont believe he will be ready to play in the NFL until about third or fourth game. It takes so long to learn the playbook and with preseason coming up, it doesnt get any easier.

-Charlie.

Prince Will Destroy You Like 80's Mike Tyson

I am guessing that most of you assumed that I would be writing another rant after the 17-4 ass whooping that the Brewers suffered last night but like I said on Sunday, my expectations are lowered therefore there is no reason to get upset. What I am going to discuss is the fact that former Brewer fuck up Guillermo Mota hit Prince Fielder in the 9th and basically everyone is calling out Fielder for being a girl about it. I tend to disagree here and you can call it bias all you want.

I think that Fielder expected Mota to come back out to talk to him after the game was over. I also dont think he expected a guy who he played with last year and according to all sources, they were friends on the team. I personally could have Jason Schmidt tonight hitting Braun/Fielder in the first or second inning for retaliation. People are saying that Prince went about this immature way by trying to storm the Dodger clubhouse when I really think the media on the coasts have it completely twisted. He was trying to do the right thing and talk to Mota after the game then he felt disrespect leading to him going ape shit.

People who arent Brewer fans are saying that Prince is immature and really doesnt get the game baseball just like this jackass for CBSSports but we all know especially Badger Basketball fans that CBS hates Wisconsin. Prince knows that if he were to get suspended 5-10 games for a fight, the Brewers will likely lose almost all of those games. I feel like he gets that therefore you have your reason why he didnt just tackle Mota.

Any of you Dodger fans who really believe this Brewer team wouldnt kick your ass is foolish. I really hope there is a brawl tonight because for J Russell Martin (can someone inform me why there is a J., my buddy Doz's reasoning "He's fucking Canadian which seems right) who thought this is how the game is played is an idiot. Look you kicked our ass last night, there was no need to go after our best player despite bad ass extraordinaire Chris Smith hit your precious Manny Ramirez. He barely hit him in the arm; its not like he went for his head, knees, or hip like the asshole Mota did.

Also to any of people who say "Thats what he gets for looking at his homers." I will tell you to suck it because Albert Pujols looks at his homers as does A-Roid as does Manny. Every big power hitter looks at his home runs and I have no problem with it. Its been going on for years now get use to it already.

I hope for two things tonight to happen, either Prince hits one out of Dodger Stadium or Prince form tackles Jason Schmidt to the ground. Which ever happens I will be happy with it. Oh and win would be nice too.

-Charlie.

Vick In Lambeau? Much Ado About Nothing...

Of course this would happen. The Green Bay Packers have seemed to have a pretty good start to their training camp minus first round draft pick B.J. Raji hasnt signed with the ball club. Other than that people seem pretty pumped for next season and now we get word that General Manager Ted Thompson wouldnt rule out the idea of bringing Michael Vick to the Packers.

I think there is about a twenty percent chance of this happening for the simple reason of Aaron Rodgers. He is our starting quarterback without a question further he has a pretty reliable back up in Brian Brohm. The second one is the Packers didnt run the wildcat last year so I doubt they would try to learn a brand new package for Vick. Although you will have all the major media outlets including the sports radio talking about this all day tomorrow.

I follow Nick Barnett and Ryan Grant on Twitter who both seem to want Vick on the team because they feel that he could be a huge weapon for the offense. I am not disagreeing that point at all but do we really need another August like last year? The media would be once again breathing down the neck of Green Bay even if they like Vick to practice. Also you would have PETA and all things alike knocking down the doors of the Don Hutson Center.

My buddy Seth opinion on all of this... " best place for Vick is in Cleveland, the dog pound baby"

-Charlie.

Dusty Has Ruined Another Arm.

When are Major League Baseball teams going to learn? I mean first it was the San Francisco Giants, then the Chicago Cubs (thanks for that one), and now its the Cincinnati Reds. Manager Dusty Baker destroys young pitchers arms' like no other and now Edision Volquez needs Tommy John Surgery, rut roh.

People have been waiting for the Reds to be the next big thing with guys like Joey Votto, Jay Bruce, Volquez, Johnny Cueto, and others. Also you add a lights out closer like Francisco Cordero, you really believe that this team was ready to make the next step. Now they find themselves in last place in the National League Central worse than the Pittsburgh Firesale Pirates. How has Dusty Baker's ass hasnt been shown the door yet. You have to fire this guy because there is no reason this team is in last place.

I also feel bad for Volquez due to the fact he is probably out for a year in a half or so. In addition, he will probably never have the same velocity and the power he throws with. Furthermore this makes the Josh Hamilton trade two times worse. I think this proves some scouts reasons why to take position player instead of pitchers. They are just complete wild cards that could be the next Cy Young or the next Mark Prior (not traded for but you get the idea, also a Baker guy).

Do it for the Cincinnati fan base and make a statement by firing Dusty Baker.

-Charlie.

An Interview with Mike Votto (Way Better than Joey)

I know its early but thats because Ron tooks forever to get his interview in. Anyways this is my buddy Votto and we discuss movies, baseball, and little bit of football...

1. Now if you havent been paying attention to ESPN, Bill Simmons gave his "Movie of the decade" and I am curious whats your opinion on the movie of the decade?

It is always difficult to choose the movie of the decade. Any decade. So many factors go into it, so I could make three or four different lists. Do you do the what film best represents the 00's, or what is the single best cinematic achievement of the past ten years? Or could it be the film that has the highest repeat-viewing occurrence? Well, if I had to narrow it down, I would say the follow:

Best Cinematic Achievement: Dancer in the Dark (Lars von Trier, 2000, Denmark) - Great film with an interesting concoction of dramatics and musical qualities.
Best Film That Represents The 00's: There Will Be Blood (Paul Thomas Anderson, 2007, United States) - A larger-than-life ego thirsty for competition and industry. Ring any bells?

I can never give a straight answer on these types of questions, but those two are among the best films to be produced in the last ten years.

2. What has been your favorite movie in 2009 so far and why?

So far, the year has produced some gems that I never thought I would like (The Hangover and Star Trek, among them), but I have to give the front runner status to Pixar's UP. They have my best of 2008 with Wall-E, and this picture looks like a hard one to beat for the rest of the year. I've never been captivated and emotionally moved so quickly within the running-time of the picture as I was in UP. I haven't liked Pixar's banner pictures (The Incredibles, Finding Nemo, Cars) but the last three have been above excellent. They have proven that animation is not just for kids.

3. Staying on the 2009 theme, what is the one movie you are looking forward to seeing?

The film I'm most anticipating is a little-known action-mockumentary called District 9 by first-time feature director Neill Blomkamp. If you haven't heard of this movie, you will within a month, because this has sleeper hit written all over it. Produced by Peter Jackson, the film is a mockumentary about the persecution of an alien race living in a modern Johannesburg. The movie looks like a two-hundred million dollar production, but it was made for thirty - this guy is the real deal. He was slated early in his career to be at the helm of the Halo adaptation before the budget blew up and the studios got scared off. Hopefully, this movie will make Blomkamp the next Spielberg and that picture can get made. If you haven't seen his work, check out the trailer for District 9 and his commercials for Halo 3. Unbelievable.

4. Now I watched Back to the Future Part II tonight and in my opinion, it might be the most dated movie out there with flying cars by 2015 although still watchable. What movie to your memory is the most dated?

I would have to say that an older film like Death Race 2000 would be a great candidate. To think that someone in the mid-1970's would think that by the year 2000 we would have a cross-country racing circuit that rewarded drivers for plowing into pedestrians is kind of ridiculous. Awesome movie, nonetheless.

5. If you had to hang out with one Michael J. Fox character who would it be? Teen Wolf, Marty McFly, or Alex P. Keaton?

Wow. Never has such a question been posed to me. I think I would have to go with Marty McFly because he's got everything a guy his age could want. He's got access to a pretty sweet ride (just can't punch it to 88 all the time, but it is definitely a chick magnet), a friendship with probably the coolest old dude of all time, and he can time travel. That trumps the awesome basketball skills of Teen Wolf and the conservative-aspirations of Alex Keaton any day of the week.

6. What is your favorite genre of movies and why?

I would have to go with horror - no doubt about it. I like it because it has so many avenues and so many different results. You have zombie, vampire, werewolf, slasher, torture, and many more sub-genres to choose from that you don't have with something like dramas or war films. It is also one of the few genres where watching the worst pictures are sometimes the best viewing experiences. If you don't believe me, watch "Death Bed" and tell me you didn't have a blast watching that awful piece of junk.

7. We have discussed at lengths about Entourage and I will be honest I am concerned its headed downhill quick, do you agree?

I was concerned about Entourage at the end of last season, when I saw Martin Scorsese rear his head. I knew how the next season would open in that very instance. What is Martin Scorsese's worst film? Bringing Out The Dead? New York, New York? Those two movies are the worst he ever made, and they are totally above average cinematically. So of course Vince is going to be back on top, just like with Aquaman. So now where to go? Boys playing with toys is how they have gone, and frankly, I've seen that. I can show you when the show has jumped the shark: the Ferrari race in last week's episode.

8. Is there any chance we might see a screenplay by Mike Votto in the next couple of years or is that something you wont pursue?

I've written SEVERAL screenplays in the past, but none of them have honestly impressed even myself. I actually like working more within literature instead of films, so I've been working on a massive novel for the good part of five years now. You'll all see that soon.

9. Now lets go on to sports, we put a Sunday ban on the Brewers so we will not give them much mention except this.. how happy are you to see Bill Hall go to AAA?

Ecstatic. Obviously, by the end of July 31, we will see him dealt to another team in a multi-player deal for a prospect or maybe a middling pitcher. He's not a good player anymore, and for a team with raw talent working the infield, he's just holding players like Mat Gamel or Casey McGehee back. I have some affection for Bill Hall - if one can remember back far enough, he was the bee's knees in Milwaukee. I loved watching Hall swing the bat back in the middle part of the last decade, but like all things, over time it just wears away. Hopefully he'll ride off into the sunset of his career - I just hope he finds a team other than the Brewers to do that with.

10. Whats one team that you feel needs to make move before the trading deadline tomorrow?

Normally, I would say the Milwaukee Brewers, but we are sitting at four games back to a blistering hot Chicago Cubs and a newly-reworked St. Louis Cardinals, so I'm going to have say that a team like the Colorado Rockies or Atlanta Braves are going to have to do some work to make a run at the wild card. Both are in divisions with surefire champs sitting at the top, so they need to make like the Brewers of '08 and shell out some top prospects for the glory of a wild card entry.

11. How would you feel if you were a Pittsburgh Pirate fan and your team traded 8 out of the 9 guys on the opening day roster? Would just leave them or do you stick with them?

Honestly, the Pirates are the laughing stock of the NL Central, which has been dubbed in the past as one of the worst divisions in the MLB. And I think that the front office has gotten sick of it, and they are legitimately trying to make a change. If I was a fan, I would be apprehensively optimistic at the gung-ho response to restructuring a god-awful team. A team like Pittsburgh needs the city to be behind their team, just like Milwaukee. If we don't have faith, we don't show up - and the Pirates are showing their fans that they want to make a run eventually.

12. Whose the one team that has "won" the trading deadline?

The Philadelphia Phillies, without a doubt. They pick up a former powerhouse in free agency (Pedro) and trade for a surging Cliff Lee - they want the World Series more than any other team in the league. While the Dodgers sport a better record, I think the Phillies are still the best NL team, and they aren't sticking with the tried-and-true. This front office wants to crush in the post-season and with that roster, they are definitely on their way.

13. The PED List has struck again with David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez, do you care and does the list need to come out?

To an extent, I do care. Baseball is a hell of a sport, and one that has been a part of my life for a long time. I want it to be a level playing field with the few true stars shining brightly because the better the competition, the better the games. With this latest revelation, it does nothing more than confirm fears about these two players that I've had for the good part of a decade. It sucks to have that thought in the back of your head every time a superstar comes to the plate because that just signals the death of something innocent about the game. They should just release the list, ban every player who test positive from the Hall of Fame in hopes that they are forgotten by future generations. We shouldn't idolize the Manny Ramirezes of world while the Wille Stargells are being forgotten.

14. Tell everyone at Chucks Corner, why you hate Joey Votto who shares a last name with you..
.
I hate that he pronounces his own last name wrong. It is not "Vah-toe" but instead it is appropriately pronounced "Vote-o". Apparently, many of my northeastern relatives have pronounced it the way Joey does, but that doesn't make it correct. On top of that, I also loathe the questions about my relationship with him from pretty much every person I meet. No, I don't know him. Yeah, I know our name is pretty rare and unique. Yes, I'm sure that I don't know him. Not to mention I hate hearing Steve Phillips say my last name wrong in MLB2K9 for the Xbox 360.

14. The standard question on the interview... whose your world series matchup and why?

Phillies and Red Sox because I think that the two have the best pitching staffs to handle the post-season. Phillies are proven and the Red Sox, even though their success are only recent, are ready to go toe-to-toe with a great pitching team because of their season-long experience with the Yankees.

15. How happy were to see Brett Favre not become a Minnesota Viking?

I have been a Packer fan for as long as I can remember. For most of my life, Brett Favre was my sports god. He could do no wrong because he brought me the greatest sports joy of my life - a Super Bowl. But before I am a Brett Favre fan, I am a Packer fan. What he did last year was beyond betrayal for me. He had it all during that first retirement: the admiration of millions of Packer loyalists, the respect of the notoriously fickle media, and the legacy of a man who somehow grew bigger than a team that was already larger than life. Then he forced the hand of a coach and front office that wanted to build the Packers into a championship-caliber team without him - and then the New York Jets made him an offer he didn't want to refuse. He came back with one of his worst seasons, and subsequently re-retired, but this time it seems to be for good. I'm happy he won't be donning a Vikings jersey, but Brett Favre died a long time ago for me. There is still a part of me that wanted to see Favre get sacked by the Pack just to exact a little revenge on him.

16. Does the media make NFL a much bigger deal than it needs to be with all the training camp coverage?

I think that training camp coverage is a bit overblown as of late, and a lot of that has to do with the past couple of Brett Favre debacles. Unfortunately, the Favre situations in Green Bay, New York, and Minnesota held great sway over the architecture of each team, so knowing where he would end up was an important question that needed to be answered. But the one thing I hate most about the coverage is the quarterback duels - who cares and why do you insist on creating drama between teammates? Just wait until week one and find out who's your quarterback for the rest of the year.

17. Continuing on with that question, when do you care about football again, either college or NFL?

When it comes to College Football, I don't really care about it until the last two weeks or the division championship games. The structure is so out of wack that I don't tend to care much unless it is a big-time battle or there is a trip to the championship on the line. The NFL, on the other hand, is something I watch from two weeks prior to the first game because that's when you get a glimpse of the team that will be carrying your hopes for the next couple of months.

18. Plug anything you want to, the stage is yours

Chuck's Corner is a great daily stop for all my sports needs, so if this is the first post you read, stick around because Charlie is an absolutely insightful writer. If you are ever looking for a more alternative blog for movies/television/media/music, come over to my blog AmericanFerox (http://americanferox.blogspot.com). I've also launched a 24/7 video channel that specializes in exhibiting exploitation cinema called Cloudburst Releasing on LiveStream (http://www.livestream.com/cloudburstreleasing). We show film programs every Monday-Friday from 6PM-11PM CST. Stop by anytime and check out the unique content we have streaming.

Thanks Mike.

-Charlie.

Brewer Hiatus Over... Still the Same

Unfortunately for me, its back to talking about the Milwaukee Brewers and things havent got any better since we last talked about the Crew. I am done for awhile at least bitchin about the Brewers for the sole reason of I have finally lowered my expectations and just dont expect too much.

I realize with fifty-eight games left that the Brewers would probably have to go somewhere in the range of 37-21 to get a playoff spot if we are lucky and to me I just cannot see that happening. Therefore I am hoping that they get to eighty wins so E can pay me ten dollars which I will spend on Brett for the Chicago Cubs finishing ahead of us in the division.

In situations such as this one you really want to blame someone and at one point last week I wanted to throw General Manager under that bus yet now I realize that not every season will be like last year. As Brewer fans, I think we have to realize that we are not the Boston Red Sox or the New York Yankees where every year we are making push plus dealing at the end of July. You hope that every year you will be in the playoffs but when you have a team like the Crew does now, you have to understand that injuries happen destroying most teams.

Rickie Weeks getting injuried was easily the worst thing that happened to the Brewers. Weeks was on his way to an All-Star game and we finally had a lead off hitter who was setting the table for Ryan Braun/Prince Fielder like it was nobody business. If we dont lose Weeks, I think there would be a lot of the 10-8 games which the pitching staff we have. Still Weeks would have helped keep us in some ball games.

On to the pitching which again falls under the injury category. If Dave Bush doesnt get a vicious rocket shot off his arm who knows where the Crew might be. At that time, Manny Parra was struggling mightily but no one else was. Then as Bush pitching got worse, it appears the whole staff just slumped even more. His injury plus Jeff Suppan's injury is the death knelt for this team.

You can say that I quit on the Brewers but to be honest, I hope they got on some massive run pulling themselves into the race on September 1st. But I just cant wait for that to happen because I have been waiting since June.

-Charlie.

Good Luck White Sox...

I would like to start off saying that I warned White Sox's fans that this deal would be the thing people would remember about this team for the next five years and also spell the end for Kenny Williams as General Manager.

The fact that you might not even get to see Jake Peavy pitch this season should be disappointing to the fans of the team and because its an ankle injury, they have no worries about his arm. In addition, you have to be concerned that he is going to the National League to the American League where Matt Holiday did a great job of proving how bad that can be. I feel like the same could happen with Peavy. Holiday went from Coors Field (which I think I could hit a homer out of) to McAfee Coliseum (where they would better off using aluminum bats. Isnt this a complete replica with Peavy except the opposite?


I just think this has all the making of being a bad deal with the general idea of trading away four pitching prospects. Granted there are some that argue trading pitching is the way to go because more can happened to a pitcher instead of a powerful bat. Then again, they can turn out to be John Smoltz or the many others that have been dealt in prospect deals. Clayton Richard seems to have all the makings of being a stud pitcher for awhile and honestly I think San Diego is handling this the right way.

They realize that the Padres may not make it back to the playoffs in two years but they kept around the hometown kid Adrian Gonzalez and they have a couple young budding superstars on their team. With thirteen rookies on a twenty-five man roster, you cant expect much (minus against the Brewers) but the future sure looks bright.

-Charlie.

Man of the Week: Jeon Woo

As part of fan week, I have decided to make the biggest fan of Chucks Corner... the Man of the Week. Jeon Woo wrote in this email to me and ask me to post it... here we go.

deeper apologies to you for absence. my Internet has not work lately very well so instead i had to murder many snake. many sports are happening lately what do we talk about first. i do not know how you say so many stories so quickly. baek tell me many time that you are human magic organized. i am so very so happy to have friend week i can wait not anymore for chuck corner fans to read what i say. i hope you will put my letter online and show love for friend!

In tennis many good player from across the world but no match is bigger than baek against pyeyong on two day from now. pyeyong is champion many time but baek is young and strong like hose. i hope you and friends on site will cheer baek.

football is also popular and breaking news from jeon! Samuel Eto'o leaving Barcelona Spain! do not believe me http://v.youku.com/v_show/id_XMTA4NzQ5MTk2.html
this move will make him score more goal for milan in italy and milian in Italy will win more too. five best soccer players in world 1. ronaldo 2. park chu young 3. lion messi 4. torres 5. s

baseball season is excited also as well. favorite player is Ramirez. chuck corner has you touch the hair is it real? it look like ten thousand rope ? he hit the ball very far and we are sad his leg brake made him miss fifty games. glad he is better now.

now time for not sports.link for friend http://v.youku.com/v_playlist/f283371o1p4.html

JEON

Thank you for that awesome email Jeon, take care man. Also I would like to announce that our very own Coach P is working on an expose to find out the true answer to Bathroomgate. Should be a fun one.

-Charlie.

A Sitdown with Ron...

Probably the funniest thing I read all week and in typical Ron fashion this about a week late. I have another interview waiting which will probably go up on Monday. Anyways this is a great read and as you can see the questions are a bit dated, enjoy.

1. Alright Ronnie, I will give you a softball in the first question... How critical was this latest Brewer's home stand?

Well first of all Curtis, I must say that I am quite honored to even be considered for an interview on your site. I've been following you here at Curtis' Cranny for a couple months now and I must say this is truly sports knowledge I wished I had. You do solid work, Curt. (Is it cool if I call you Curt?). Really though, I'm sorry that my interview has taken me kind of long to complete but I've been real busy watching Starbury TV. If $15 sneakers made by asian slave kids wasn't enough to make him your favorite athlete, starbury tv should definitely do it. Anyways onto the questions...

It was extremely critical, and quite frankly, it could be remembered as the home stand that pretty much determined the Brewer's season. The pitching, especially starting, has been horrendous and it's become apparent that there are just way too many holes on this team to fix through trade. 2-4 so far and the best they can do is a split with the AAAA Natinals. To sum it all up, It makes me want to jump through a window.

2. In your opinion, do the Brewers make another move before the deadline? In addition, quick thoughts on Felipe Lopez?

It's tough to call, Clint. So much has changed with the direction of this team the past couple of weeks. We looked like certain buyers not long ago, even dating back to the Lopez trade a week ago and now our pitching is so bad that we may sell a little bit at the deadline. I doubt we will actually be sellers, but one player I wouldn't mind seeing go is JJ Hardy. Trade him for some pitching, then bring up Alcides and give him a go at SS and have Counsell fill in when needed. Plus, think of all the trashy/annoying/fat chicks who only like Hardy that may not come to games anymore. As Michael Scott would say, that's a win-win-win situation.
My quick thoughts on Lopez are that he's a solid all-around player who has done well so far in a Brewer's uniform. It's just too bad that much his work so far has been for naught mainly because of the pitching. Although he's not likely to stick around past this year cause of Weeks, I do think an extension is something the front office should, at the very least, look into.

3. With the recent Brew-ha-ha with the Pirates, I am convinced Milwaukee is one of the toughest teams in the MLB in terms of fighting, do you agree and who could be better than them?

I most certainly agree, Carl and the simple answer to the second part is no one. If the invention of my "Bench Clearing Brawls" video game ever comes to fruition, I definitely think the '09 Brewers will be one of my legendary teams. Just take a look at that lineup, there's at least three 99, if not 100 overalls, in there with Fielder, Kendall, and Cameron. Not to mention, guys like McGehee, McClung, Stan Kyles (coaches would be included), Dale Sveum, Weeks, and Cameron. I could go all day because just about everybody on that team is a certified ass-whooper However, I'd probably fire Macha in the first week, cause he's just non-confrontational and doesn't like to fight. There would be no room for that in "Bench Clearing Brawls" the video game.

4. How would you explain the Crew losing during the day games? Are they partying with you too often when they are at home or what?

Me and the Brewers know how to get down, Sammy. But I don't think that's the reason, I think it's a combination of bad luck and the shadows caused by the stadiums layout. The players have made it known that they hate the presence of the shadows. However, the Brewers did win their most recent day game and I would like to credit that to the presence of Hornswoggle. So my simple solution is just bring Hornswoggle in for every day game. Problem solved, Calvin, problem solved.

5. With Braun's big day on Wednesday are you expecting a big home stand from Braunie himself?

I answered yes when you initially sent me this and now a week later, it's looking good. Braunie really heated up during this home stand and he's just about the only player that played consistently well during it. It's so weird but that guy should never change his at bat song from "Go Getta." He gets rid of it and goes into a slump, then he brings it back and gets really hot. I don't know what the song does for him, but it's borderline-freaky. Maybe it's just me though, I'm not sure if anybody else has even noticed that. Anybody agree?

6. How big of a threat do you see the Houston Astros as in the NL Central

Not much of one, their pitching is not very good similar to the Brewers. I just don't see them keeping it up, too many holes in their rotation and especially bullpen. Last of all, I don't know if this fits here, but thank god we didn't sign Carlos Lee long term. The guy is good, just not worth what we were going to give him and we'd have no where to put people.

7. Keeping on with the Central, How big of a difference does Matt Holiday make for the Cardinals? I mean the protection behind Albert Pujols would be nuts.

He makes a difference and all, but I really don't think it's as big as some people are making it out to be. If you look at the numbers Holliday is really not having that spectacular of a year. He's had a pretty good past month or so and don't get me wrong, I think he's a good player. Its just that I believe Coors Field inflated his numbers a bit, as it has done for many in the past. I linked an article when you posted about the deal that you can use as reference as why it may not be that good of a trade. Anywho, I picture him turning out like Jeffrey Hammonds post-Rockie. I kid, I kid. But we can hope.

8. I am stealing this from ESPN but do you think the Los Angeles Dodger fans have been too welcoming to Manny Ramirez?

Stealing something from ESPN is never a good idea, Chris. That's like stealing jokes from Carlos Mencia, which either means somebody has already used it or it's a huge piece of shit. In this case, I think this question is a huge piece of shit. Too welcoming? What does that even mean? I see nothing wrong with fans getting very excited about a player like Manny, it happens all the time in just about every sport.. ESPN is trying to make much ado about nothing cause he ditched their beloved Red Sox. If this was the Yankees or the Red Sox that worshipped a player like Manny, which they have in the past, ESPN would be going just as crazy. Were any fans ever more annoying than Red Sox fans during their World Series run two years ago? I mean were talking about the same network that follows the every move of any Yankees player. "Too welcoming" is the hard-on Steve Berthiaume gets when Baseball Tonight has a phone-in with a member of the Yanks or "the nation" as he so ridiculously calls the Red Sox. Dodger fans have done nothing wrong, ESPN can go suck it.

9. I ask this question in the last interview but we will do it again... right now whose your world series matchup and do the Crew make the playoffs?

Even though the Phils just got Lee, I still see the Dodgers from the NL. And from the AL I'm going to pick the Yankees, as much as I hate to. In the case of the Brewers, it doesn't look good. But have I ever been one to quit on them? Hell no, I will never jump off that bandwagon. So with all that, you heard it here first Chuck---- the Brewers are going to rise from the dead and shock the world to take the NL Central this year! YES WE CAN! YES WE CAN! YES WE CAN!

10. Now move on the NFL, can you explain better than I can earlier this week, how can ESPN not cover the Big Ben stuff until so late? And do you think anything will come out of it?

Cause they suck, Cameron, cause they suck. ESPN is garbage all around, unfortunately it's just about all there is to watch for around-the-clock sports. As for the second part, it's a civil suit so he won't get jail time or anything and also the woman seems kind of crazy. Side note, she was pretty ugly too IMO. Probably like a 5. So even if it was consensual, still fairly embarrassing that a pro qb settled for that.

11. Since you have a ton of time sitting on your ass, I figure you are watching SportsCenter who are you more sick of hearing Michael Vick or Brett Favre?
They're both annoying, but how can you not say Favre? So repetitive and overplayed. At least he's staying retired though.

12. Moving on to the NBA, Lebron James getting dunked on was about as disappointing as your video game play, and now does Nike look like big idiots for taking this tape away?
Huge low-blow, you've gone too far. I refuse to answer this question, Lewis.

13. Tim Tebow: Do you love him, hate him, respect him but still dislike him, what are your thoughts on every body's golden boy?
Honestly, I don't really care about the guy. He seems nice though, we'd probably get along if we ever met.

14. When are you getting Twitter or a blog so you have some to plug?
I don't know exactly when or if, Ian. But I would like to garner some plug for my new movie coming out the next month. It's called Posse, and basically it's about this hip actor living big in Hollywood. But it's more than just that, it's an action-packed two hours that hinges on whether on not this hip actor will get the big role in the next huge movie. I can't tell you what happens next, you'll have to see it for yourself. You'll probably be surprised. Macaulay Culkin from those Home Alone flicks plays the agent, really funny guy. He'll bring lots of big laughs.

My final parting words though are this --- in the notorious tree house bathroomgate incident that took place in the late 20th century, Doz was the one that took the shit under the tree house. Although I was there at the time, I am fully innocent. I know now that my name with be cleared thanks to you, Derek! Keep up the good work!

-Charlie.

Rachel Phelps Owns the Indians

If you dont know where that reference is from that you havent watch enough Major League in your time therefore I am very disappointed in you. Anyways the reason I say that Phelps might own the real life Indians is they just like the Pittsburgh Pirates have traded away their cornerstones of the franchise in the past couple of days. First it was Cliff Lee and now its Victor Martinez who was dealt to the Red Sox.

For Cleveland, they did get pitching prospect Justin Masterston who should be pretty good for the Tribe. But this has to be the last deal made and try to rebuild the team back in Cleveland. That also means that General Manager Mark Sharpio and Manager Eric Wedge need to leave as well because to me they didnt nothing to help the situation. Remember that Cleveland was a game away from being in the World Series in 2007 and now they are one of the worst teams in baseball. That just doesnt happen overnight.

This was a huge deal for Boston because they have had no offense to save their soul in the past couple of weeks and it had appeared that the New York Yankees were ready to pull away with the division. As Lee Corso would say, "Not so fast my friend!" The Red Sox look poised to make another run at the American League East title and the American League Pennant. Martinez also brings a great clubhouse attitude to the team which I think is lacking with the BoSox who have the personality of brick wall. He is always smiling and gives every teammate a handshake after the game is over. To me that will help propel the Red Sox more than anything.

-Charlie.