The Sports Session!

2010-07-08T14:47:00.001-04:00

Live Show

2010-05-19T18:08:00.004-04:00

The show is live every Wednesday at 8pm ET and is available for replay after the show right HERE.

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Enjoy your stay, and remember the show is live right here every Wednesday at 8pm ET.

A few thoughts before tonights game...

2010-05-13T16:28:00.002-04:00

Tonights game is building up to be one of those defining moments in LeBrons career. Those type of moments that Magic had. Those type moments that MJ had. Those one in a decade type of moments. LeBron has never experienced this. After game 5, LeBron has had to deal with the biggest hate-fest he has ever experienced. Hes never been booed off his own court. He even admitted he deserved it. Its shaping up to be one of those nights.Tonight, you may see the animal come out. At the beginning of the playoffs, LeBron said he would unleash a new beast. Is tonight the night it comes out? Cleveland now has there backs against the wall. Your going to see more tanacity and more fight than ever. There not just playing for a title, they may be playing for the shape of there franchise for years to come. The Cavs can put up a fight. I'm going to go back to 06 when the Cavs trailed the Pistons 0-2. I remember the heat LeBron got. He was underperforming. Than, he turned up the intensity and won the next 4 games. Including his Jordan-esque performance in Game 5. That is the LeBron that needs to show up. Tonight, I'm expecting to see the greatest LeBron performance yet. People forget this guy is the best player in the NBA. He won 2 of 4 games at the garden this year. LeBron remembers that feeling last year. That nasty taste he had in his mouth when he skipped the post game presser, and walked off the court without shaking hands. I can guarantee you that will be on his mind in shootaround. He doesn't want that. He doesn't want to lose. He doesn't want to let an entire city down. Only Cleveland fans know how much is at stake. LeBron was proclaimed to be the one to change that. Tonight may be his last chance. Through the first three games of the 1993 Eastern Conference finals, Michael Jordan was shooting 32 percent. He was coming off a 3-for-18 shooting performance in Game 3, which the Bulls somehow managed to win anyway. But they still trailed 2-1 in the series. In Game 4, despite John Starks playing some of the best defense he had ever seen against him, Jordan went for 54 points, hitting 18 of 30 shots (including 6 of 9 3-pointers).Just a few thoughts on LeBrons legacy, and how tonight may shape up.

5/12/10 Show!

2010-05-13T13:22:00.001-04:00

Telling Dallas Braden to go fuck his grandmother and my take on Lebron's theatrics in the semi's.

Polls of the Week!

2010-05-12T17:46:00.000-04:00

Show at 8pm Eastern!

2010-05-12T17:02:00.000-04:00

We're talking about what happened to the Spurs, what's gone right with the Magic, the MLB Standings and who will sustain it. Lebron's injury and Keith Hernandez falling asleep in the booth at a Met game! He's a freaken commentator! All live tonight at 8pm ET http://www.thesportsshowlive.com/p/live-show.html

Has the Window Closed?

2010-05-10T12:26:00.001-04:00

Yesterday the celebrated San Antonio Spurs got bounced from the NBA Playoffs. Over the past few years we've seen a downward trend with the Spurs; they've gone from being a consistent top seed in the Western Conference to this year, a seventh seed. The Spurs won 4 titles in the last 11 years and are undefeated in all their series (not games). A large part of this success can be attributed to their team captain Tim Duncan. Duncan, the 3 time Finals MVP and two time league MVP is now 34 years old and while he has been such a fixture down low in the post for San Antonio he is slowing down considerably but still had a good '09-'10 campaign. He's been a rock and has remained rather healthy in recent memory unlike his long time battery mates Tony Parker and Manu Ginobli who have both struggled with injuries. Now, there's rumors that Tony Parker might be their best trade asset moving forward. If they trade him with a year left on his deal they without a doubt will take a huge step back and out of the top eight as Ginobli is 32 and is under contract through 2012-2013 and Duncan is 2 years older. We saw something similar happen to another power house team of the recent past, the Detroit Pistons. They had a solid starting 5 of the two Wallaces, Rip, Billups and Prince. They started to age, trades happened and players regressed. This is something that is quite sad to see happen before our eyes but you can say that the Spurs had a tremendous run and more power to them.

Hit 'em back!

2010-05-08T11:05:00.003-04:00

I'm sure it's happened to you numerous times...

You're in a crowded club. You get to the bar and have to wait upwards of 10 minutes for the bartender to even acknowledge your existence. When you finally get your drinks it's time for the real test...getting back to the table where your friends are at. You thought the Eliminator on the old American Gladiators show was tough? HA! Try holding 3 or more drinks without spilling a drop, while weaving through people that are standing shoulder to shoulder. Some of them even dancing...drunkenly. And every once in a while you bump into one of those people, which leads to this...

Stranger: "Hey! What the hell, man!"

You: "It was an accident, I didn't mean to run into you."

It usually ends at this point. You both go on with your nights and forget all about this incident. This is exactly what it's like when somebody is hit by a pitch in baseball. I like to call it the "Sh*t Happens Rule". When you're in a crowded club, trying to walk from one point to another, you're going to bump into people every once in a while. When you have a guy throwing a ball 90 miles per hour, trying to put it into an area only a couple of feet away from another guy, that other guy is going to get beaned every once in a while.

Is it frustrating when a stranger bumps into you at the club, especially when you're talking to or dancing with a cute girl? Absolutely. Just like it's frustrating to see the players on your favorite team get hit by a pitch and get hurt. But unless you have reason to believe there was intent behind being run into at the club, or being beaned with a pitched ball, then there's no reason to retaliate. Even so there's little reason, and not necessarily even good reason, to hit back. Doing so makes you the ass...not the other guy. And in the end it's the ass that's going to be punished.

This all stems from the Yankees/Red Sox game last night. Robinson Cano was hit by a Josh Beckett pitch in the side of his left knee, which is probably going to keep him out of the rest of the series. Derek Jeter also took a pitch in the middle of his back. Between those two things happening, Francisco Cervelli was walked on a pitch that was up and in (keep in mind there was an earlier problem of Cervelli calling time, and it seemed Beckett was upset with the timing). On the surface it sounds fishy, especially when you look at the fact that Josh was cruising before ARod hit a double to lead off the top of the 6th inning.

But if Beckett wanted to hit Cano, wouldn't he aim for the larger target? Say...Robbie's back? Who throws at a batter's legs when the intent is to hit the batter? I could understand hitting Cano if you're ticked off, especially with 1st base open and Cano hitting the cover off the ball so far this season. But again...in the knee? Doesn't make sense that it was on purpose.

And throwing at Cervelli? Not that Frankie hasn't been hitting pretty well, but...the bases were loaded. Why in the World would you take the chance on walking a run in? At that point the Yanks were only up 3-1, so it's not like the game was out of reach for Boston.

Finally there's Jeter. The score was 5-1 at that point, and with 3 and a half innings to play, there was still plenty of time for the Sox to get back into the game. So why intentionally hit Derek, forcing in another run?

After the game Joe Girardi, Derek Jeter, Robinson Cano, and CC Sabathia (today's starter, who was visibly upset at seeing his team mates getting hit by pitches during that 6th inning) all said they didn't believe Beckett was hitting batters on purpose. Mike Axisa at River Ave Blues, and Chad Jennings at the LoHud Yankees Blog also don't believe Josh Beckett was intentionally hitting Yankees hitters. So why are there Yankee fans that want Sabathia to retaliate today when the Yankees face the Red Sox in Game 2 of their series?

You see this type of stuff all over baseball. Whether it's in the pros, college, high school, Little League, etc. There's this idea that you have to retaliate in order to show people you won't be pushed around. It's such crap. We're not talking about professional wrestling. This is a sport. The point is to win. "Ooo, you're tough. You won't be pushed around." That's all well and good in WWE, but if you don't win the game then you're a loser. And being a loser in sports is much harder to take than being a pushover. As long as me or my team wins the game, or holds up the trophy at the end of the season, I don't care about HBPs and whether me or my team retaliated.

I don't want to see my players hurt...especially not when the other team hurts them on purpose. But more often than not a player is going to get hit when his team is winning by a lot, and at that point the team instigating things looks even worse. Or a player is going to get hit, and with a lineup like the one the Yankees have, that player is going to come around to score (or his pinch runner will, like Ramiro Pena did when he took Cano's place after the HBP).

I'll admit you're a big man. I'll admit you're a tougher man. But if I'm the guy holding the title in the end, who's getting the last laugh?

Wednesday 5/5/10's Show Archive

2010-05-07T14:12:00.001-04:00

Polls of the Week!

2010-05-05T15:45:00.000-04:00

We Are Back!

2010-05-05T12:42:00.000-04:00

So here's how it's gonna go. Tonight, 8pm Eastern Time me and Ezra are going to start taking over the sports world. Tonight, we're discussing the NBA playoffs, MLB potential mid-season trades, Floyd Mayweather destroying Sugar Shane Mosley and the updated state of boxing.
Then we're going to debate NBA personal accolade awards, Smoking cigarettes in baseball, and changes to the MLB All-Star game festivities. So tonight at 8pm ET check it out!

Very Early All Star Choices

2010-04-21T19:26:00.002-04:00

Honestly I think it's way too early to vote for MLB All Stars, but seeing as how they have already released the ballots I figured I'd chime in on who I'd vote for. Oh, and I'm pretty sure my all stars are going to change quite a bit before the game is played on July 13th in Anaheim.

Just a couple of things to kind of explain how I vote...

1. I give batting average the most weight among hitting categories. I believe if there were only one stat to measure the production of a batter...average would be it.

2. I'm not a fan of cumulative stats such as home runs and runs batted in, because a guy can have more of those simply because he has more at bats or more opportunities. For example somebody that bats 4th is going to get more RBI opportunities than somebody batting 7th, so in my mind it's hard to compare those players while giving a whole lot of weight to RBI. Not that I dismiss them...not at all. You'll just find that I like to give you the number of at bats a player has as well.

American League

1B - Miguel Cabrera: Highest BA among AL 1B, and most RBI. And although his 3 HRs are 2 away from the lead among his 1B brethren, it's still a pretty good total so far.

2B - Robinson Cano: While Dustin Pedroia does have more home runs and runs batted in, Robbie has a higher batting average. The kicker for me is that Dustin has 8 more at bats, and there's a good chance Cano could get another HR and 3 more RBI in that time.

SS - Derek Jeter: Highest BA among AL SS by far. And his 3 HRs are a pretty good total as well, since the only AL SS with more is Alex Gonzalez with 5. Unfortunately Alex is only batting .284 right now.

3B - Alex Rodriguez: I swear to you...it's not just because I'm a Yankee fan that I chose the 3rd straight Yankee. Alex has the highest BA among AL 3B, and is 2nd in HRs behind two guys with more ABs (Callaspo and Longoria have 3 a piece, to ARod's 2).

C - Jorge Posada: I'm sorry but how can you deny him, another Yankee, at this point? The highest BA among AL C, the most HRs while the 2nd place guy (Kurt Suzuki) has 7 more at bats, and 2nd in RBI (Joe Mauer has 2 more in 7 more at bats).

DH - Jose Guillen: This isn't close. The highest BA among AL DHs, the most HRs, and the most RBI. He has a lot of at bats so far, and Andruw Jones is looking really good so far with 30 less ABs (did I really say Andrew Jones is looking really good? Wow.), but Jose is the man right now.

OF - Vernon Wells, Nelson Cruz, Franklin Gutierrez: Wells and Cruz were locks, as they have 7 HRs a piece along with BAs of .339 and .333. Gutierrez wasn't as obvious since he has zero HRs, but a .421 BA through 57 at bats just can't be denied (Podsednik has the highest BA among AL OFs at .449, but in 8 less ABs than Franklin).

National League

1B - Albert Pujols: Is there any need to defend this decision? Really?

2B - Chase Utley: Martin Prado may have a higher BA, but Chase has 5 more HRs and 11 more RBI (in 2 less ABs).

SS - Hanley Ramirez: His BA is good enough for 3rd among NL SSs (.327), only 1 HR behind the NL SS leaders...which isn't saying much (Drew and Cabrera have 2 a piece), and 6 RBI.

3B - Casey McGahee: He's only 1 100th of a point behind Polanco for the highest BA among NL 3B (.396), is 2nd with 4 HRs (Reynolds is first with 5, but has a BA of only .220), and 3rd in RBI (Cantu is first with 18, but has a much lower BA of .304).

C - Ivan Rodriguez: He doesn't have any HRs, but he's 2nd in RBI and carries a very impressive .444 batting average while having the 2nd most at bats among NL catchers.

OF - Matt Kemp, Andre Ethier, Ryan Braun: Andre and Ryan are 2nd and 3rd among NL outfielders in batting average (.375 and .366 respectively) along with nice HR and RBI totals, while Matt's 6 HR and 18 RBI leads NL outfielders in both categories.

Here are my choices for the starting pitchers of both squads...

American League - Matt Garza: He has an ERA of .75 and a WHIP of .88, while having struck out 19 batters and walking only 7. And all this in 24 innings pitched, which is 3rd among AL pitchers.

National League - Tim Lincecum: After 20 innings of work (3 starts) he has an ERA of .90 and a WHIP of .80, with a K/BB ratio of 24/3.

Wow... Tonight's Show

2010-04-21T14:15:00.000-04:00

Tonight's going to be great.

-Big Ben 'Rapist' Roethlisberger
-NFL Draft
-The incredibly boring NBA Playoffs
-The Boston Red Sox and how they are screwed
-Top 5 Draft Busts of all time(all sports)
... and much much more!

Come to the Live Chat tonight at 8pm Eastern Standard Time and listen in!

Improving Baseball

2010-04-17T21:59:00.003-04:00

When something great happens in baseball I'm thrilled, and not just because I'm a fan of the game. One of the biggest reasons I'm so thrilled is because when things are slow in MLB, that's when some writers and fans will start bitching and moaning about the dumbest things.

Last week Joe West decided to whine about the length of Yankees and Red Sox games. Now I feel for a fan that can't stay up until midnight to watch a game that started at 8:05pm, since he or she must get up at 5:00am in order to get the kids ready for school and get ready to go to work. But Joe's talking about two of the best teams in MLB over the last 8 years, while also having a direct effect on how long a game goes. And out of all MLB umpires, Mr. West is in the top 10 for average length of games. Nobody likes a hypocrite.

I'm so tired of the instant replay argument, and after hearing MLB umpire Mark Wegner admit that he missed a call at 2B in a Dodgers/Giants game last week I'm bracing myself for more talk of it. I want to beat the crap out of somebody when I hear it too. It's mainly due to the fact that I'm a sports official myself, and I don't want to be replaced by robots. But I've got a radical idea...how about we try putting the best umpires/officials in the game first, and if they don't get the job done THEN we move to more instant replay?

I haven't heard anything about a Salary Cap recently either. Which tells me that we have about 3 days until somebody at SI or ESPN brings it up again. As sick as I am of hearing people say stupid things like "The Yankees just buy championships" (gee, I wonder why they only have 1 title in the last 9 years if they could just buy one), I get even more annoyed by the fact that people don't read the part about a salary floor being included with a salary cap. And unless the cap and floor are $90 million apart (in 2009 the NFL cap was set at $128 million, while the floor was around $112 million...only $14m apart), then teams like the Marlins are going to fold unless cheapskates like Jeff Loria start spending money instead of simply pocketing it.

So forget length of games. Screw the idea of instant replay. And for God's sake kill and bury the whole idea of a salary cap in MLB. I've come up with a list of things to really help what used to be America's pastime.

5 Ways to Help MLB

1. Any no-hitter in which a guy gives up more than 5 walks gets an asterisk. Ubaldo Jiminez gave up 6 BBs in his no hitter this evening against the Braves. He's on the Rockies though, so he'll get a free pass. But if AJ Burnett threw his no-hitter while with the Yankees, walking 9 hitters in the process, then you know damn well people would have said it shouldn't count. But it happened while he was in Florida, so it's okay.

2. Move to a points system, similar to the NHL. 2 points for a win over a team with a .500 or higher winning percentage, 1 point for all other wins except...no points for a win over a team in the NL West because they all suck anyway. Don't roll your eyes either, because after the Yankees dismantle the Astros on June 11th, I can guarantee that Yankee haters will go for something like this.

3. THE DRAFT! Now there's something that needs improvement. Am I right? Well here's the next great idea...The World Series champion the year before must pay for the draft picks of the team that finishes with the worst record, the WS runner-up will pay for the draft picks of the 2nd worst team, and so on. Because we all know the Yankees are the richest and most evil organization in baseball, and since they can just buy a World Series over and over again, they should help teams like the Nationals get better by paying for all their high draft picks. That way there's no more of that "Player A falls in the draft due to unsignability" stuff.

4. The Mets will choose one lucky fan at every game at CitiField this year to sit in the dugout. That fan will get to pick one player, and every time that player screws up the fan gets to kick the player in the groin. David Wright strikes out with RISP? Kick in the nuts. Johan Santana walks the first batter of an inning? Boot to the balls. Frank Catalanotto goes hitless? Well, it's not like anybody expected him to get a hit anyway...free pass. Unless he gets pissy about it, then it's time play hacky sack with Frank's testicles.

5. Every time Tim McCarver says something stupid while announcing a game, Joe Buck must slap him. It may not help the game in any manner, but it will be the most interesting thing done in the Fox announcing booth...ever.

Show at 8pm Eastern

2010-04-14T18:35:00.001-04:00

http://www.thesportsshowlive.com/p/live-show.html

Click that for the best sports show ever!

Red Sox Rotation

2010-04-11T12:00:00.001-04:00

With only one day passed in the early 2010 season the Boston Red Sox have sured up their rotation for the next 4 years when they signed RHP and Ace Josh Beckett to a 4 year $68MM deal. This ensure that their rotation over the next half decade will be Beckett/Lester/Lackey/Bucholz. Good right? Not exactly.

Josh Beckett in his first year in Bean Town struggled with an ERA north of 5 but since then has compiled 49 wins to the tune of a 3.71 ERA. Some years have been better than others and in my personal opinion he was robbed of a CY Young Award in 2007. However, the knock on Beckett isn't going to be his stuff or his focus but rather his durability. The Red Sox ace has struggled with back and shoulder issues that had the Sox wary about giving him a 5 year deal much like the one they dished out to John Lackey this off season.

Speaking of Lackey, the former Angel ace, he was inked to a 5 years $82.5MM pact in the off season. Lackey, who at the age of 23 won a deciding game in the World Series and hasn't looked back. He missed the early part of the 2009 campaign with arm issues but came on strong and again delivered in the post season. What made this signing such a risk is his history of arm injuries including ones to his elbow, triceps and other smaller lingering issues.

Jon Lester is probably the surest thing in the future for Boston as in his young career after overcoming cancer he has been stellar. He started off slow in 2009 but surely made a great comeback and had a solid post season. He in all likelihood is the future ace of the Boston staff. Clay Bucholz who is still young came up in 2009 and filled the void left by gambles John Smoltz and Brad Penny as well as injuries toDaisuke Matsuzaka and Tim Wakefield. Clay pitched well particularly in his first starts but faded toward the season's end.

Here's the problem. Injuries. Sure, every team struggles with those but Boston is relying heavily on health which most teams must but to a starting rotation that consists of two $140MM pitchers this could impact them greatly both financially and in terms of production. So here's the question I pose: Is the risk worth the potential reward? Are the Bean Town Bombers taking too big of a risk with their future? We shall tell.

Please be sure to check out the archive of the show in the side bar and check out the Sports Show Live every Wednesday at 8pm Eastern Standard Time!

Big & Small Starts

2010-04-10T12:42:00.002-04:00

Early starts I'm not buying into...

Toronto Blue Jays (3-1)
Didn't they do this same thing last year? Start off strong, even convincing some people that they could be in the division race all season long, only to falter after a month or so?

Boston Red Sox (1-3)
If you're going to say that a team whose rotation has Josh Beckett, Jon Lester, and John Lackey (not to mention a couple other decent/good pitchers) is going to finish with a winning percentage of .250 then do me a favor...keep your mouth shut and just walk away.

Detroit Tigers (3-1)
They've beaten the Royals twice, and the Orioles once. Wow...color me impressed. No...not really. Verlander is their only pitcher that scares me, and Cabrera is their only hitter that scares me.

Chicago White Sox (1-3)
Buerhle and Peavy is a really good 1-2, and a lineup with Rios, Konerko, Ramirez, and Beckham is nothing to scoff at either.

Seattle Mariners (1-4)
When Lee is healthy...look out. I'm not saying these guys will win 95 games, but don't expect a winning percentage under .500 either.

LA Angels (1-4)
The pitching doesn't make me knees shake much, but that offense should put up quite a few runs leading to another possible division title.

Washington Nationals (1-3)
Nah...just kidding. This start doesn't surprise me at all, and I don't expect the team to finish with a winning percentage much higher than .250 at all. But when Strasburg comes up to the big club they could be a real pest, and could battle for 3rd place in the division.

Pittsburgh Pirates (2-2)
Finishing the season at .500 would be a miracle. If MLB didn't make the rule that all teams must have a representative at the All Star game, I don't think a single Pirate would make it.

I don't see any other teams that make me think "get the hell out of here" so far. Of course, it's still very early in the season though.

What do you guys think?

New Commenting System

2010-04-09T22:36:00.002-04:00

You know we are all for improvements here at the Sports Show. So we have now implemented a new commenting system for the blog. Tell me what you think! You will be able to like, dislike and reply to comments. Let me know.

Did You Learn Anything?

2010-04-09T00:41:00.002-04:00

Someone please explain to me how a major company can create such controversy including a highly regarded dead man. Nike late Wednesday night released a commercial of Tiger Woods which was obviously endorsed by Woods and it shocked many. You can see the commercial for yourself below but my question is what was Tiger trying to accomplish?
We all know the drive that surrounds the talk about Woods isn't the drive off his 9-iron but rather his drive for sex. Why use Tiger's late father? It's quite despicable when you take into account how much he credits his father with his success and laser focus. Is he trying to capture the roots he once had as a wholesome family man with a strong up bringing? I honestly couldn't tell you but the commercial itself is flatly puzzling. But whatever it may mean, just let the man play some golf, because the time for fun is over and was clearly already seized.

The Bosh

2010-04-08T11:21:00.018-04:00

This season Chris Bosh has been very vocal about his teammates lack luster performances next to him this year. I actually find it to be pretty ridiculous. But let's face facts, the team surrounding him isn't all that good. Hedo Turkoglu has been an absolute bust this year. He got that long 5 year deal this past off season because he came off a spectacular playoff run with the Orlando Magic and has not carried that over up north. But back to Bosh. Now, in a game against the Cavs on Tuesday he was smashed in the face by Antawn Jamison and taken to the hospital immediately for a CAT scan. Not good news for the Raptors. The "straw that stirs the drink" might very well be out for the post season and it's frightening for Toronto as they have no true secondary scoring options and are a lock to get smashed by either the Cavs or the Celtics in the first round. Is Bosh's vocalism about his teammates negative? Is it his call for joining a legit team next year? Either way, it's degrading to his teammates and now, like they say, when you wont shut up, you get smashed in the face.

Please check out The Sports Show Live every Wednesday at 8pm ET and click the archive button to catch the latest shows!

Photo Credit

Wednesday, 4/7/2010's Show Archive

2010-04-07T22:16:00.000-04:00

Who is our douchebag of the week? And top 5 GAME ENDING Home Runs, Buzzer Beaters and drives in the NFL. Find out below....

Tonight's Show

2010-04-07T01:47:00.000-04:00

Sorry for lack of activity on the blog this week. It has just really flew by and all the holidays and what have you. But here's tonight's agenda.
-Headlines
-Douchebag of the week
- Seriously?
-Top 5 Best game winning moments
-ect what have you ect.
See you there at 8pm ET. Be sure to click the live show page above!

3/31/2010's Show Archive!

2010-04-01T00:02:00.001-04:00

Show at 8pm ET

2010-03-31T14:48:00.001-04:00

The usual agenda. This time revolving around Donovan McNabb. See you at 8pm Eastern. Click the "Live Show" page above

Yankees vs. Red Sox on SSL

2010-03-28T17:34:00.000-04:00

This Tuesday at 8pm Eastern there will be a special edition of The Sports Show Live. The episode will be a Yankees/Red Sox Debate. The Yankees will be represented by Mike Axisa of RiverAvenueBlues.com and the Red Sox will be represented by Randy from OverTheMonster.com. They'll debate all facets of the team and we'll let you all vote on who won the debate. So tune in at 8pm Eastern to see each blogger make the case for their respective team!

8 Year Deals

2010-03-27T11:18:00.000-04:00

It seems like when you have a young player who can and probably will be a face of a franchise, you give him an 8 year deal. Something just came across my computer this morning that made me have to put on my glasses, then go wash my face, then get a magnifying glass to see what I thought I was seeing. Turns out, I saw it. Ryan Braun signed an 8 year 48 million dollar deal with the Brewers in 2008. The 26 year old Braun is regarded as one of the best young players in the game and and with only 3 years of service time in the bigs he already has 103 career Home Runs and 317 RBI. According to Baseball-Reference.com, if he were to play the standard 162 games in a season he'd average .308/40/122. Insane for someone who is only getting paid a measly 6 million dollars a year right?

In the off season of 2009 the Yankees inked First Baseman Mark Teixeira to an 8 year 180 million dollar deal. Teixeria has been in the bigs longer but is still only roughly 3 years older than the Brewer outfielder. His 162 game average would be .290/37/122. Startling. Sure he's one of the best first basemen in the game and was a huge part of what won the Yankees the trophy in 2009 but still. AAV- 22.5MM

This off season the Twins locked up Joe Mauer for 8 years 184 million dollars. In 2009 Mauer hit a career high 27 homers after missing the first month of the season with back problems. The reigning AL MVP was surrounded by trade rumors as it was in question whether or not the Twinkies would be able to sign him long term as they move into their new ball park. In the course of 162 games Mauer would average .327/17/92 . Sure, he's a catcher but we're talking about offensive production here. AAV- 23MM

The point of this post is shock. Just to bring it to your attention. Is it a total mistake on behalf of Ryan who would still be in his arbitration years? Absolutely. And it's a steal by Milwaukee to have gotten this done. If he were lead by a smarter agent Braun would have taken the conventional 2-3 year contract to buy out his first arbitration years and then talk long term there after. Just insane to me that when we talk 8 year deals we're talking no less than 180 million dollars. What a steal.

Wednesday, 3/24/2010's Show Archive

2010-03-24T22:52:00.001-04:00

Show archive!
Top 5 Successful and Failing come backs!
Douche bags of the week
Seriously?!(Idiotic news)
NBA Review

Tonight's Show

2010-03-24T00:00:00.007-04:00

Great show for you tonight. Remember if everyone invites a friend the show's attendance will double! So please invite away! Anyway, here's tonight's agenda!
-Top news of the week
-Douchebag of the week
-Weekly Top 5 List.
-Seriously?!(Unbelievable news of the week)
-Rants and what have you.

Remember, we changed the show a lot in the last month. The changes are officially done! We'll be breaking out our new theme song tonight with plenty more to go with it! See you there! Click HERE at 8pm Eastern.

Looking Ahead...

2010-03-18T07:00:00.001-04:00

With the NBA season ever progressing, free agency this summer is only coming sooner. That means all the big name studs like LeBron, Wade, Bosh, Johnson, Gay and Stoudemire are free to leave there current teams to sign with whoever they please. Let me make this clear, I DO NOT think this summers free agency class is going to live up to the hype it is receiving. Why? All these big name studs are alreasy on great teams. And if your not on a great team, Wade, your in sunny south beach. That beiong said, Bosh, Gay and Stoudemire are likely to move. Lets look at a run down of the more significant free agents this summer.

- LeBron James; Right now he basically plays for his hometown. Cavs GM Danny Ferry has built this team to support him. They are built to win NOW. LeBron wants to win Cleveland a title, he has said it bnefore, and until that day, I dont think he goes anywhere. I'm expecting him to sign a short term deal this summer.

- Dwayne Wade; Dwayne is a grat recruiting tool for Pat Riley to bait someone like an Amare Stoudemire to Miami. If Riley can get Stoudemire, and Wade believes he can too, look for him to remain in South Beach.

- Chris Bosh; Bosh may be the only superstar to leave his team. Like all players, he wants to win, and if he is not winning, he at least wants to look good. Toronto doesnt appeal to any of the qualities. Toronto is a small market. Bosh is a big time player. Does anyone remember the Knicks just dumped mega salary, and traded Jordan Hill with it. Maybe a sign of things to come?

- Joe Johnson; This guy is the most underrated player in mens pro basketball. He has all the qualities of LeBron, except maybe a better jump shot. Although, there have already been talks between both sides of negotiating a contract this summer. Look for JJ to stay put.

- Amare Stoudemire; Are his bags already pakced? Amare expressed his negative feelings towards the suns organization weeks ago after the trade deadline. Amare will be pursued by many teams, but his #1 landing spot is Miami, who just may happen to have him as there #1 target. If Wade stays in Miami, I would pencil in Amare as a near lock.

- Rudy Gay; This guy is a little overrated in my opinion, but still a great player. Stuggling franchises like the Nets and Knicks could use a player of his caliber to build around. That being said, Memphis controls where Rudy goes, since he is only a restricted free agent. If for some reason Memphis does not match any contract offers, I see him landing either in New Jersey, or New York. If New Jersey managed to land him, talk about playoff contenders next year. Any GM would love to get John Wall and Rudy Gay in the same offseason.

- Yao Ming; Did everyone forget about this guy? I know he has been out now for nearly a year and almost had a career ending injury, but the man can still play ball. Houston obviously won''t resign him. 2 of their big 3 are already gone, T-Mac, Artest. Yao would be the final nail in the coffin. If Yao can over come his injuries and play a few season injury free, he could be a great player. Look for a team like the Clippers or Cavs to push hard to try and get this guy.

Wednesday, 3/17/2010's Show Archive

2010-03-17T21:50:00.001-04:00

Tonight's Show

2010-03-17T00:00:00.003-04:00

Tonight's show is good as always. New segment too! Here's the agenda and link!
-Headlines
-Douchebag of the week
-NFL Signings
-MLB Personal Award predictions
-Seriously?!(New Segment)
-Is Tiger Woods coming back too soon? Please vote on it! We'll reveal the results during the show!
-Much more!

Remember, we're going with a more free flowing format so call in during any part of the show!

Click HERE for the link to the Live Show at 8pm ET

Poll of the Week!

2010-03-16T16:31:00.002-04:00

This week's "Poll of the Week"

create free polls | comment on this

Dodgers in Middle of Taiwan Debacle

2010-03-13T00:14:00.000-05:00

When the Taiwanese baseball fans initially heard that the Dodgers were coming to town, euphoria was in the air. One of the most legendary franchises in MLB was returning after not having been to Taiwan since the ‘90’s when they sent most of the 25 man roster. Only James Loney and Ronnie Belliard of the 25 players were scheduled to go this time and Belliard is not guaranteed a starting job and may end up as a utiliy infielder. The Dodgers either decided to or were forced to sweeten the pot by adding Manny Ramirez. If they thought that would placate the Taiwanese they were sadly mistaken. The baseball savvy people of Taiwan knew they were being played for suckers and euphoria has been replaced by outrage. Refunds have been demanded via a FaceBook page created to emphasize their outrage. The organizer of the series has agreed to grant refunds to all who request them.

It’s unclear whether teams are told to or asked to do this by Selig. If they were asked, then the only way that Frank McCourt would accept is if attractive financial incentives are involved or he thought that the hype would generate enough enthusiasm to sell lots of Dodger merchandise. Or then again, maybe the Team President (Jamie McCourt), signed up for this and never told Frank, before The War of the McCouts broke out.
Now the only way they'd buy Dodger gear would be to pile it up and publicly burn it. It is early enough in Spring Training for players to make the trip and return and recover in plenty of time. If the Dodgers have to do this then it would be more fair to send players who are guaranteed a job than the ones who are fighting for a job. It sounds like the latter group are the ones who are going. And it would be good to know who decided the roster, and who signed off on it. Bud Selig?? One thing for sure is that anybody with back problems is going to be worse off after two 15 hour plane rides, and I don't see anybody riding in 1st class. I've made the shorter trip to Tokyo before and the seats in steerage are incredibly tight, even for a 6'2" guy like me. I had to get an epidural when I got back to settle down my sciatic nerve.

Like many things that Selig has been involved in, this has been handled miserably. I would suspect that he will now come down hard on the Dodgers and make them upgrade the roster to not bring shame to MLB, not exactly what is expected out of a goodwill trip.. With the trip scheduled for next week, there is certain to be many abrupt changes of plans taking place. It's time for damage control, big-time, but this will not be forgotten soon by the good people of Taiwan.

Guest post by Gary Beals of Daily Sports Pages

Where to Retire

2010-03-11T20:44:00.005-05:00

FORT MYERS, Fla. -- Longtime Boston Red Sox shortstop Nomar Garciaparra retired from baseball on Wednesday morning, signing a one-day contract with the Red Sox in order to retire as a member of the team.

"I've always had a recurring dream, to be able to retire in a Red Sox uniform," Garciaparra said at a press conference at City of Palms Park. "Thanks to [owners] Mr. [John] Henry, Mr. [Tom] Werner, Mr. [Larry] Lucchino and [general manager] Theo [Epstein], today I get to fulfill that dream and retire as a Red Sox.
-courtesy of ESPN.com

Being a Yankee fan I was never a Nomar Garciaparra lover. But I couldn't call myself a baseball fan if I didn't appreciate what he's done in his 14 year career.

Nomar's career triple-slash is .313/.361/.521, with an OPS+ of 124. In 32 postseason games his triple-slash was .321/.386/.589 with 24 RBI.

Although he was far from a bad player for the Dodgers, Cubs, and Athletics, he will most definitely be remembered for his 9 seasons in a Red Sox uniform. So I applaud Boston for doing this for Nomar, and putting a great cap on a great career. But don't expect me to applaud Boston much. This is a special case, and the chances of catching me doing so is more rare than somebody other than a redneck in the deep south being abducted by aliens.

All of this stuff concerning Garciaparra made me think about other players who should retire with certain teams. And by the way, I thought about players who are known for playing with a certain team, although recently they've played for others. Guys like Kenny Lofton and the Cleveland Indians, Hideki Matsui and the New York Yankees, and Manny Ramirez and the Boston Red Sox.

So here are 3 players that I believe should absolutely be allowed to retire for certain teams. Well, it's too late for one of them since he already retired, but it's such a lock for this list that I had to include it anyway.

1. Pedro Martinez - Boston Red Sox
He should retire as a Red Sox player. As a Yanks fan I'll always picture the bastard throwing Don Zimmer to the ground. But as much as I don't like the guy, I have to admit that what he did in Boston is awesome. And hopefully it doesn't go un-noticed by Boston.
-7 out of 18 seasons played for the Sox
-2x Cy Young Award winner (1999 & 2000), along with 4 other Top 5 finishes
-Received MVP votes in 5 out of those 7 seasons
-a .760 Winning Percentage
-a 2.52 ERA

2. John Smoltz - Atlanta Braves
The idea of having a trio of pitchers like Smoltz, Tom Glavine, and Greg Maddux...all in their primes, still makes me drool. A few years ago I hoped that Joba Chamberlain, Phil Hughes, and Ian Kennedy could someday become as formidable a trio as the Braves guys were. That never happened though. When I think John Smoltz, I'll always picture him in an Atlanta Braves uniform. As should everybody else. Check out why...
-20 out of 21 seasons in Atlanta
-8x All Star
-Cy Young Award winner in 1996 (3 other Top 10 finishes)
-3.26 ERA
-210 Wins
-15 Post-season victories (a .789 Winning Percentage)

3. Frank Thomas - Chicago White Sox
When it comes to players that have retired recently, or will probably retire in the near future, if any of them should retire with a certain team Frank Thomas may be it. If this guy had played in a larger market, like a Boston or New York, he would be considered one of the best hitters of all time. I'm sure those that have followed baseball closely, or are White Sox fans, would be happy to tell you about The Big Hurt's greatness. Well let me tell you what he did in his 16 seasons in Chicago...
-Back to Back MVP Awards in 1993 and 1994
-6 other Top 10 finishes in MVP voting
-5x All Star
-448 HRs (521 career total)
-Triple Slash of .307/.427/.568 (.301/.419/.555 Career totals)

Thanks for reading, and please share other players that you believe should retire with certain teams, like what Nomar did recently.

Wednesday, 3/10/2010's Show Archive

2010-03-10T21:52:00.000-05:00

Headline news, top 5 sports coaches/managers of recent memory, NFL free agency, MLB preview and a game! Oh and a tweaked theme song too. Check it out here !

Tonight's Show

2010-03-10T00:00:00.007-05:00

Tonight's show awesome. Here's the agenda.

-Headlines & Douchebag of the Week.
-MLB Divisional and Personal Award Previews
-NFL Free Agency
-Game: Athletes Nicknames
-Weekly Rant.

Click HERE for tonight's Live show at 8pm ET!

Poll of the Week!

2010-03-09T18:47:00.000-05:00

Greedy? Wait a second...

2010-03-04T15:39:00.007-05:00

The media has a tendency to jump all over negative news, while ignoring positive news. For example, when's the last time you saw a news outlet report on what players have passed a PED test? And when's the last time you saw a news outlet report on what players have failed their PED test?

Another thing that media outlets like to talk at length about is the amount of money an athlete is making. And every once in a while you'll hear those salaries compared to those of firemen, teachers, policemen, etc.

Okay, I don't want to get into who deserves more money. It's stupid. In a vacuum, meaning there are no other factors to consider besides the jobs that are done, then of course athletes shouldn't make as much as Mrs. Anderson that teaches math to 3rd graders. The men and women that run into burning buildings to save people that are stuck inside totally deserve more money than Alex Rodriguez. There's no denying that. But you can't deny that MLB has a tad more money to work with, and to pay the people involved, than our police forces do. I'll let our readers take it from there.

What I want to point out are the good things that many MLB players do for the community. Too often these things get overlooked by the media, when these are the things that should be focused on. It drives me crazy that we can hear hours upon hours of debate about the Yankees chances to repeat as World Series champions, or about how ARod has seemed to have turned things around and become a good player on and off the field. But do we know about the work Alex has done with the Boys and Girls Clubs of America? Do we know about the $200,000 ARod donated to Children's Aid Society in 2005? No. Today's media is centered around fear and loathing.

I took a look at some of the top players in MLB today and the charity work they do. After reading this I encourage everybody to take a closer look at your favorite players, or those player on your favorite teams, and see all the charity work they do. It may not make up for the fact they will see more money in one year than Mrs. Anderson the math teacher will see in her entire life, but at least we know that these guys are not the greedy jerks that they can be presented as.

Pujols Family Foundation:
-The Pujols Family Foundation exists to honor God and strengthen families through our works, deeds and examples. Since beginning this foundation in 2005, we have sought to help those living with Down syndrome here at home and to improve the lives of the impoverished in the Dominican Republic. Along the way, God has blessed us richly, and for those of you who have been a part of that journey we offer our gratitude.

Chase in the Community:
-I'm an animal lover, and as such I'm excited to see that Chase and his wife, Jen, along with many others helped raise $215,000 for the Pennsylvania Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (PSPCA.org). Chase has also been there for charities such as Philadelphia Futures (philadelphiafutures.org), which helps kids continue their education after high school.

The David Wright Foundation:
-The mission of the David Wright Foundation is to provide aid and assistance toward the health, emotional development, and education for children in need. Through programs and annual events, the DWF strives to enhance the quality of life for children of the New York, Tri-State, and Norfolk, VA metro areas.

Turn Two Foundation:
-Growing up in Kalamazoo, Michigan, New York Yankees Captain, shortstop, and four-time World Series Champion, Derek Jeter and his younger sister Sharlee, witnessed firsthand the value of community service. Their father Charles has a Ph.D. in sociology and spent several years counseling patients with alcohol and drug issues. Their mother, Dorothy, was a fixture at PTA meetings, school functions and sporting events. In addition, Derek's favorite ballplayer, former Bronx Bomber Dave Winfield, had his own foundation which promoted health, literacy and self-esteem among thousands of young people. "When I make it," Derek told his family, "that's what I'm going to do."

The Josh Beckett Foundation:
-Established in 2007, the Josh Beckett Foundation supports community based programs that strive to improve the health and well-being of children, especially those that are seriously ill, disable, poor or otherwise disadvantaged.

The Torii Hunter Project:
-The focus of this project is building kids with strong character and assisting them with a college education.

So the next time you hear about a player signing a huge contract, or you hear people complain about players making all this money, do an internet search on that players charity work.

3/3/2010's Show Archive!

2010-03-03T22:42:00.000-05:00

Favre on Leno, AI in strip clubs, LeBron's number switch and Top 5 most self-centered athletes and much more!

Tonight's Preview!

2010-03-03T00:00:00.006-05:00

Here's tonight's agenda:
-Headlines and News
-Top 5 most self-centered athletes
-Ben Nicholson-Smith of MLBTradeRumors.com to re-cap the off-season.
-Trivia Questions
Don't forget to click HERE for the live show starting at 8pm ET

New Show!

2010-02-27T15:31:00.000-05:00

Depending on how closes you follow the show you may or may have not noticed the strides that we are making in making the show as great as possible. As you may or may not know an incredible amount of work goes into the production of this show for just the measly 2 hours it's on every week.

But like I said, depending on how closely you follow the structure of the show you probably noticed that we incorporated a weekly "Top 5 list" This can be borderline funny and controversial. We'll present you with the topic and then give you names or events that correspond to that topic. We also changed our first segment of the show in that instead of running down a list of all the headlines and news we now will pick the best 4-8 headlines of the past week and me and Ezra will discuss them. We're also working on getting a guest every single week. From last week on, there will be some form of an interactive competition/game at the end of every show. So that should be enjoyed.

In short, the show is a work in progress. It always has been and always will be. I look forward to working on many different facets of the show and tweaking them for maximum enjoyment. Remember that the show is about the listeners and if they don't enjoy it, we don't have a show so I tell you very strictly and openly, PLEASE send me suggestions for new segments, game ideas, top 5 list suggestions and maybe a favorite blogger or writer you'd like to see on the show!

To contact me E-mail Webmaster@TheSportsShowLive.com

Glorified Practice

2010-02-25T11:46:00.003-05:00

It's really hard to see Spring Training for what it really is...glorified practice. The drills, scrimmages, throwing sessions, batting practice...it's all just a way to "get back into the swing of things". Baseball fans have been waiting since November for some real baseball. A lot of the casual baseball fans, or those that really only follow their own favorite teams, have been without the game since the first week of October.

So I don't really blame people for taking Spring Training too seriously. Especially since the media tends to make a big deal out of the most meaningless day...when pitchers and catchers report. You'll see countdowns and other things trying to make this day meaningful. But every year, when the day comes, you're left disappointed. Nothing happens. Well, they may play catch, but that's hardly news-worthy.

Then the exhibitions/scrimmages happen. They're nice. We get to see actual baseball, being played by our favorite MLB players. But is it really that big a deal? I mean, is it something to follow and keep track of? In my humble opinion...hardly. Batters are trying out different techniques, pitchers are trying out different mechanics and pitches, and coaches aren't using a lot of steals/hit and runs/etc.

The only thing fans should really take out of Spring Training is that their teams/players get a work out, and don't get hurt. That's it. Don't buy into the stuff about "so and so lost weight" or "so and so is in the best shape of his life". You hear those things every single year, and they're as close to meaningless as you can get (besides the day pitchers and catchers report).

To help prove this point I looked at the 2009 Spring Training statistics (I can't believe they even keep them, although it's baseball so I shouldn't be surprised at all) in order to make an All-Star team. Now don't get too worked up over the list of All-Stars I made, as I only took a look at a few categories, mainly concentrating on batter's triple-slash stats. And I only went with position players. I could have gone with pitchers, but decided that it wasn't necessary to make my point.

Anyway...here are the 2009 Spring Training All-Star teams, starting with the American League...

C - Jeff Mathis, LAA .340/.429/.717
1B - Kendry Morales, LAA .400/.429/.682
2B - Angel Berroa, NYY .371/.384/.597
3B - Josh Fields, CWS .391/.455/.638
SS - Erick Aybar, LAA .407/.476/.741
OF - Brett Gardner, NYY .379/.446/.621
OF - Josh Hamilton, TEX .370/.393/.728
OF - Travis Snider, TOR .381/.400/.698

Now for the 2009 Spring Training All-Star team for the National League...

C - Koyie Hill, CHC .385/.458/.558
1B - Chad Tracy, ARI .367/.424/.567
2B - Juan Castro, LAD .383/.397/.617
3B - Pablo Sandoval, SFG .457/.477/.691
SS - JJ Hardy, MIL .403/.488/.761
OF - Fred Lewis, SFG .365/.420/.608
OF - Cory Hart, MIL .351/.393/.757
OF - Daniel Murphy, NYM .348/.412/.506

Not an impressive list of players...is it? As a Yankee fan I couldn't believe that I added Angel Berroa to the team. I mean, he wasn't even on the team all season long. And only had 55 total PAs this season, which was split between the Yankees and Mets.

Tell you what...take a look at the actual 2009 All-Star teams (NOTE: These players were voted to start for their respective teams, although some of them didn't actually play/start). Starting again with the AL...

C - Joe Mauer
1B - Mark Teixeira
2B - Dustin Pedroia
3B - Evan Longoria
SS - Derek Jeter
OF - Jason Bay
OF - Josh Hamilton
OF - Ichiro Suzuki

And the NL...

C - Yadier Molina
1B - Albert Pujols
2B - Chase Utley
3B - David Wright
SS - Hanley Ramirez
OF - Carlos Beltran
OF - Ryan Braun
OF - Raul Ibanez

Out of 16 players only 1 of them was included in both the Spring Training and regular All-Star teams (for the unobservant among you, it was Josh Hamilton). What does that tell you?

Spring Training stats mean nothing.

Look at Albert Pujols. The guy hit .293/.413/.453 last year in Spring Training. His career numbers are .334/.427/.628.

Like I said...as long as a player gets in enough work, and does not get injured, then their Spring Training has been a success. So don't let a players stats in Spring Training dictate what you think they'll do in the regular season, whether that be simply as a fan or for drafting your fantasy baseball team.

Wednesday's 2/24 Show!

2010-02-24T22:55:00.000-05:00

Here is Wednesday the 24th's broadcast. The show included :
Headlines, Top 5 sports press conferences of all time, Mike from RiverAveBlues.com, TJ from FantasyBaseballGeeks.com, and TRIVIA!

The Sports Show Live

2010-02-24T20:00:00.001-05:00

For the LIVE SHOW click HERE

Tonight's Show...

2010-02-24T00:00:00.002-05:00

Tonight's show is going to be great. A week removed from the NBA trading deadline we'll talk a whole lot of "stuff." Here's tonight's agenda

-Headlines and news
-Top 5 list.
-Mike from RiverAveBlues.com to talk Yankees.
-T.J. from FantasyBaseballGeeks.com to give us a 2010 preview
-Game: Trivia.

We're going to invite baseball bloggers onto the program to preview the 2010 season and try to incorporate more games into the show for your enjoyment. Remember click HERE tonight at 8pm Eastern Time

Eastern Conference breakdown. The top 10

2010-02-22T22:02:00.002-05:00

Top of the Crop: Cleveland Cavaliers, Orlando Magic.

These 2 teams are the run-away favorites to represent the Eastern Conference in the NBA finals. Cleveland is on a 3 game losing skid, 1 coming from Orlando, but yet still the holding the best record in the NBA. Orlando is showing some real improvements over the past month and still have the talent of last years NBA finals team. Expect these 2 teams to duel it out come May.

Contenders or Pretenders: Boston Celtics, Atlanta Hawks, Toronto Raptors

Can Boston keep healthy through the playoffs. Can Atlanta compete for a title? Does Toronto belong in this category? All are viable questions as we enter the final stretch. Toronto has been red hot as of lately. Atlanta not so much. Boston is 6-4 in its last 10. Boston has a good veteran core while Atlanta and Toronto are both young.

Bottom Feeders: Chicago Bulls, Milwaukee Bucks, Miami Heat, Charlotte Bobcats, New York Knicks.

Does anyone expect these teams to make noise in the playoffs? Who will make the playoffs out of this bunch? Chicago is a dangerous team, as they proved last post season. Milwaukee is a very young, and surprising team this season. Miami is headed by Dwayne Wade, but lack a supporting cast. Charlotte was red hot in December and January, but have cooled off as of lately. The Knicks made some big deals on deadline day, and are hoping to have set themselves up to get in to the playoffs.

The New Knicks!

2010-02-20T22:17:00.003-05:00

Meet the Knicks, meet the Knicks, step right up... blah blah blah. The New York Knicks at the trading deadline added two good offensive pieces. T-Mac, Tracy McGrady and Eddie House. They did however subtract 6th man Nate Robinson, 2009 8th over all pick Jordan Hill, Larry Hughes, and the expiring contract of Jared Jeffries.

First of all, let me say what a genius trade Donnie Walsh was able to pull off for multiple reasons. He freed up cap room for the ever so popular 2010 free agent class and give themselves a shot at making the playoffs as they have added an impact player in Tracy McGrady, when healthy and Eddie House who seems to be more content with coming off the bench than Nate Robinson who lets face it was totally a novelty anyway. Sure, he was decent at scoring but was a very poor defensive player. He was quite energetic and good at winning dunk contests(as he had a separate set of rules applied to him) but was a total malcontent coming off the bench, which he's going to have to do anyway in Boston with the Celtics in probably less time as they have a far better team.

So what would make this trade a bad trade for the Knicks? Answer: Absolutely nothing. They got rid of Jeffries who was clogging up cap space and averaging only about 5 points a game and got rid of Jordan Hill who was averaging less than that and only getting about 10 minutes a game this season. As the Knicks have shown in recent history, they have no confidence in their drafting by giving up on Balkman, Fry, and Mardy Collins all within a year or so of being drafted so all they are obviously fixed on doing their damage not by drafting but by signing. Signing true superstars that is.

How can this trade go well? Real simple. It already has. Anything more from this point forward is simply a positive. Say they make the playoffs via 7th or 8th seed, lose to the Celtics or Cavs in the first round is it that bad? Hell no! All that means is that they are a step closer to what they've been having wet dreams about for the last 3 years and that's the free agent class of 2010.

All-in-all, it's a great deal. T-Mac and House should flourish under the patented Mike D'Antoni style of play: the 7 second offense without defense. They now have a set of hands to put the ball in late in games in McGrady and a great secondary scoring option off the bench in House to go along with David Lee who is again having another great season and now healthy and producing young forward Danilo Gallinari. Knick fans, be happy. Very very happy.

Step Back. Step Forward

2010-02-19T12:00:00.000-05:00

Spring Training officially started Thursday for pitchers and catchers and there have been many teams who have stepped it up and stepped it down both through free agent signings and losses And don't forget about those blockbuster trades! Some teams did a little tweaking to stimulate a strong nucleus in 2010 but everyone did something.

This year's free agent class wasn't nearly as strong as the one presented in 2009 but there were 3 marquee players looking for a home. John Lackey, Matt Holliday, & Jason Bay. With all due respect to Chone Figgins, Randy Wolf, & Rich Harden who weren't true impact names the cream of the crop stood with only three names.

John Lackey, former Angels' ace but by the standard of many a superb number 2 guy in a good rotation was hitting free agency for the first time and was looking for a deal similar to the one given to A.J. Burnett by the Yankees last year( 5 years, AAV: 15-16MM). He got almost exactly that from the now pitching-stacked Boston Red Sox who now have a rotation that features three top flight starting pitchers in Beckett, Lester & now Lackey. Lackey signed a 5 year 82.5 million dollar contract; identical to Burnett's pact with the rival Yanks'.

Jason Bay is an interesting case because he's a couple years older than outfield free-agent competition Matt Holliday who also possesses superior defensive abilities ('09 Card's fans are chucking). It seemed like the market for Bay just wasn't there. There were two obvious suitors in the New York Mets and the Boston Red Sox, who went on the add Mike Cameron to fill out their outfield for the year. Ultimately as we know he settled for a nice chunk of change with the Metropolitans, 4 years 66MM with a vesting option for a 5th year.

After many rumors about going to the Yankees or Red Sox the St. Louis Cardinals resigned Matt Holliday who after a poor first have with the Oakland A's found his swing after being traded mid-season to the Cardinals under then hitting coach Hal McRae. It really came down to dollars and cents for the two parties who obviously needed each other as Holliday had no other real suitor for his service and the Cards who are trying to make a commitment to winning to keep Albert Pujols in town.

Who really improved themselves? Obviously the Red Sox who brought in Adrian Beltre, Mike Cameron & Marco Scutaro all of whom will all impact the team's defense positively in addition to John Lackey. The Yankees made two big deals to bring in Curtis Granderson and Javier Vasquez. The Seattle Mariners added a Cliff Lee in a three team deal that sent Roy Halladay to Philadelphia in addition to adding Chone Figgins and Casey Kotchman via free agency and trade to sure up their defense.

Who didn't do enough? The New York Mets. They could have been prime players in the sweepstakes for John Lackey, Orlando Hudson & plenty of relief help as well as some second tier starters.

The Los Angeles Dodgers seriously screwed up this off season as they let go of Orlando Hudson and Randy Wolf who were both key off season acquisitions who played major roles in getting the Dodgers to 95 wins and a first place NL West finish.

The 2010 season will see many changes in every division that doesn't include the NL and AL East divisions. You are going to see the Dodgers fall to as low as third place in the NL West, the Angels drop to at least second place if not third behind the Texas Rangers and Mariners,But the both very win-able Central divisions be a toss up as usual. This should be very fun.

Rules are Rules

2010-02-18T11:31:00.007-05:00

This man should not be in the Hall of Fame.

On August 24th, 1989, Pete Rose voluntarily accepted a permanent place on baseball’s ineligible list. Rose accepted that there was a factual reason for the ban (The last two sentences were taken from Pete Rose's Wikipedia page). And Rose admitted to betting on baseball in his book My Prison Without Bars.

The point of saying that is that there was (and still is) a rule, in plain view in every locker room of every MLB team, stating that betting is against the rules. In fact, here is the exact wording of the rule from MLB (Rule 21, Section d)...

Any player, umpire, or club or league official or employee, who shall
bet any sum whatsoever upon any baseball game in connection with which
the bettor has a duty to perform shall be declared permanently ineligible.

There's another player whose statistics indicate he should be in the Hall of Fame, but he isn't. That would be "Shoeless" Joe Jackson. This is a guy that has a career triple-slash of .356/.423/.517. In comparison, Pete Rose's career triple-slash was .303/.375/.409. The only difference between what Rose did, and what Jackson did, is that the 1919 Chicago Black Sox bet against themselves in the World Series. Although John Dowd, one of the people that investigated Pete Rose in 1989, believes that Pete may have bet against the Reds while managing them. By the way...for the Pete Rose apologists...I'm not saying Joe Jackson should be in the Hall of Fame either. I'm just pointing out another case in which an obvious Hall of Fame player is being kept out of the Hall. So don't jump down my throat about Rose holding the hits record, while Jackson does not hold any major record in MLB. The two players mentioned above should not be in the Hall of Fame, because they broke a MLB rule while it was a rule in MLB. They didn't break a MLB rule before it was a MLB rule. Unlike Barry Bonds. Unlike Mark McGwire. Unlike Alex Rodriguez. And unlike Roger Clemens. The fact that those 4 men allegedly broke a United States law is beyond the point. We're talking about Major League Baseball. Hell, we're talking about the Baseball Hall of Fame, which actually has no real ties to MLB, and certainly has no ties to the United States of America (besides being in the USA). In order to get a plaque in Cooperstown you don't have to be an upstanding US citizen. There are drunks in the HOF, there are racists in the HOF, and there are guys that were simply jerks in the HOF. There are only two things you need to do in order to be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. 1) Be a really, really, good baseball player. 2) Don't break any MLB rules while a part of MLB. Pete Rose and Joe Jackson are not eligible due to requirement #2. Barry Bonds, Mark McGwire, Alex Rodriguez, and Roger Clemens are eligible because they meet both requirements.

Wednesday's 2/17 Show!

2010-02-17T22:35:00.002-05:00

Here is Wednesday 2/17/2010's Live show archive. Please check us out live every Wednesday at 8pm ET right here for the full experience!

Tonight's Show!

2010-02-17T11:28:00.001-05:00

Tonight we have a real packed line up for you. We begin as always at 8pm ET. Here's tonight's agenda

Headlines
Top 5 most boring sports programs
NBA Trading Deadline.
David from BaseballMusings.com
Some NFL talk.

Remember, 8pm ET just click HERE

The Trade Deadline Looms...

2010-02-15T20:25:00.003-05:00

All-Star weekend has come, and gone so that means the trade deadline is right around the corner. There have been many rumors speculating many NBA stars. These big name stars include Andre Iguadala, Antwan Jamison, Tracy McGrady, Chris Paul, Troy Murphy, Zydrunas Ilgauskas but perhaps the biggest name that hovers around trade rumors is Amare Stoudemire.

Sources close to the Cavaliers say that a deal has been put in place that would send J.J Hickson and Zydrunas Ilgauskas to Phoenix, and Amare to Cleveland. A report leaked out saying that Amare wanted no part of Cleveland, but according to sources close to Amare, those reports are false. This deal works for both teams for many reasons. Amare is a great player, and will only help the Cavs get better. Some speculate this will also cement LeBron James as a Cavalier past this season. For Phoenix, they get one of the better up and coming power forwards in J.J Hickson. They also acquire Zydrunas Ilgauskas who they can buy out, and waive back to the Cavs. Another trade scenario for Phoenix would be sending Amare to Philadalphia for Andre Iguadala. The 76'ers seem to be hesitant to trade Iguadala though, because Amare would almost certainly opt out of his contract, and become a Free Agent this summer. The Cavs have a backup plan in place that would send Hickson and Ilgauskas to Indiana for Troy Murphy.

Will Amare be wearing a Phoenix Suns Jersey past Thursday?

The New York Knicks have interest have interest in Tracy McGrady.A deal has been put in place that would send Jared Jeffries, Jordan Hill and either Al Harrington or Larry Hughes in exchange for Tracy McGrady, Joey Dorsey and Brian Cook. This deal makes sense for many reasons. The Rockets want to get rid of McGrady's contract, and don't want his services anymore. In return, they want young talent which Jordan Hill brings to the table. For the Knicks, they get a big name player, with some gas left in the tank that can only help there playoff odds. Philadalphia was also a candidate for McGrady until the heavy price tag was discovered, which means Iguodala would have to be included.

The Miami Heat have interest in Antwan Jamison. Details of a proposed trade haven't been released, but we do know that Michael Beasley wouldn't be apart of any deal after Miami Heat owner Micky Arison said "I know I've read about him being put out there. I can tell you this: We have not put him out there. The media has. We like Michael and see him as a part of our core going forward." Trading Jamison would help Washington get under the luxury tax threshold. Jamison will make over 28 million dollars in the next 2 seasons.

Will Antwan Jamison and Dwayne Wade team up in Miami?

Fantasy Baseball Note

2010-02-11T12:40:00.000-05:00

The Sports Show Live will be running our fantasy baseball league. It's going to be $10 a team. If we can manage to get together 14 teams, Top prize will be 80 dollars with second and third getting a smaller return. You will NOT have to attend the shows even though it's encouraged. Thee is no refund, so if you decide to drop out of the league, thanks for the ten bucks. We WILL be hosting our fantasy after hours conference call that will provide everyone with the opportunity to call in and talk trades and what have you. So please sign up. You must be 18 years old or sign up as 18 years old. The league will be on ESPN (VERY EASY) and will follow the Rotisserie Format. If you want more of the rules and specifics, E-mail me at SportsShowLive@yahoo.com

2/10/10 Show Archive

2010-02-10T22:34:00.000-05:00

Here's the archive for tonight, 2/10/10's live show. We are live every Wednesday at 8pm ET. Hope you can come around!

Tonight's Show Preview!

2010-02-10T11:50:00.003-05:00

First show post Super Bowl 44 and somewhat of a transition show as well. We'll be making the move from NFL to NBA and MLB in the coming weeks. But here's tonight agenda
-Headline News
-Super Bowl XLIV review
-Andrew from Canal Street Chronicles (Saint's blog)
-UFC 109
-NBA Trade Rumors
All live at 8pm ET. Be sure to click HERE for the show.

Champions of Football

2010-02-07T22:45:00.000-05:00

Congratulations to the New Orleans Saints on their first Super Bowl Championship as they defeated the Indianapolis Colts 31-17 in Miami. Drew Brees was named the MVP of the game. I'm sure Peyton will trade in his league MVP for a Super Bowl MVP and ring. The Saints over came an early 10-0 first quarter deficit , which ties them for the biggest comeback in the history of the event. The true turning point of the game came when Tracy Porter took Peyton Manning back for a 74 yard pick-6. However, the game certainly wasn't pretty for the Saints as it seemed that their pass rush attack didn't exist. Every time Manning dropped back it seemed like he could have smoked a cigarette, read the sports section of the Indianapolis Star and then throw the ball to a receiver of his choice.

Another crazy element to this game is the coaching of Sean Payton. Payton, third year head coach with the "Big Easy" stunned the world with an onside kick to start the second half. After the Colts' Hank Baskett touched it, Saints Safety Chris Reis recovered the football at the Saints' 42; the drive eventually ended in a New Orleans' score. Another eye popping move was to go for it on 4th and goal with a little less than 2 minutes remaining in the first half. However, the Colts would turn the ball over on downs quickly setting up a successful 44-yard field goal try for kicker Garret Hartley who was 3/3 with 147 total yards in the game.

A great team effort by the Saints who were lead by Drew Brees as he was able to spread out the field and maintain a quick tempo after things didn't look too encouraging early. The game didn't really swing in the overwhelming favor of the Saints until the pick-6 in the fourth quarter. So congratulations to the Saints and to their city as they now have something to celebrate.

Super Bowl 44 Picks

2010-02-06T21:43:00.002-05:00

Well it's the 44th anniversary of the Super Bowl and it's already been dubbed as the best one of all time. Why? Mostly due to having the top two MVP candidates in the game starting at Quarterback. The runner-up Drew Brees and the winner and Peyton Manning. Just an interesting bit of back-story to this whole game for you: Brees and Manning are very close. In fact, the first ladies of the Conference Champion Quarterbacks are quite close. They routinely attend exercise classes together as their hubby's are out throwing around the pig skin and watching tape. That's right, they are friends! Oh my! A very friendly atmosphere surrounds this game without a doubt. Even Archie Manning, Peyton's father a Saint for 14 years (played on some god awful teams but is legendary in personal respects) was a bit torn on who to root for but what it came down to was blood not where you own land.

As for the game itself, you are seeing two top 5 offenses colliding. Some will argue that the Saints don't even belong in the party of the year as the Vikings seemed to have beat themselves but that's sports for you. Any given Sunday. The superior Indianapolis Colts played in a tougher NFC Conference are 5 point favorites over the NFC Champion New Orleans Saints. What comes of this for Peyton Manning? A second Super Bowl ring. What comes of this for Drew Brees? A chance to prove himself among the elite in the league despite his small frame.

As for my pick for this game. I'll go with the Saints coming out on top 34-28 in a classic. I think the injury to Defensive End Dwight Freeny is too much for the Colts to over come. Sure he'll probably play but that means nothing as you can't name me ANYONE who will allow anything to hold them back from playing on the biggest stage in sports. It's one game, not 4, 5, 6, or 7. One game. A game that I have the "big easy" coming out on top of and giving the city that has pulled behind it with so much hope something to be proud of.

Please comment your picks, and check out our Live Show as we review Super Bowl 44 Wednesday at 8pm Eastern.

Wednesday, 2/3/10's Show

2010-02-03T22:09:00.000-05:00

Here's the archive of the show from 2/3/2010.

Tonight's Show!

2010-02-03T00:00:00.000-05:00

The "Tom Brady" Rule.

2010-01-30T23:05:00.003-05:00

The "Tom Brady" rule prevents a rushing defender from forcibly hitting the knee area or below of a quarterback who has one or both feet on the ground. Most defensive players in the NFL hate the rule. Some would argue that it takes "toughness" away from the game. The NFL thinks that this rule is a necessity to prevent another catastrophic injury like what happened to Brady 2 seasons ago.If you lose your starting quarterback in the NFL, basically your season is over. Now there are the special rarities, like Cassel, but it wont happen normally. These below the knee hits have affected many QB's in the NFL. Anyone remember the '05 playoffs and Carson Palmers nasty hit? How about the recent NFC Championship Game?

Let me clarify, you still are allowed to tackle a QB below the knees, but the ref will need to judge if it was a deliberate swipe, or a "normal tackle". This rule is all about protecting QB's who are arguably the most important athletes in all of sports. My question is, who is out there to protect the rest of NFL players? This rule limits what an NFL player can do, and takes away from a certain aspect of the game. There are many notable defensive players out there that are against this legislation. Ray Lewis famously called the rule "embarrassing" after a loss to the Patriots. Rodney Harrison told Tom Brady too "Take off his skirt".

I have a few problems with this rule. When are NFL refs going to start calling this rule consistently? Last Sunday, you would have thought this rule is inexistent. The NFL officiating crew messed up a call big time, that would have put the Minnesota Vikings in the redzone. Instead, Brett Favre threw an INT to Jonathan Vilma. Yes, the NFL has admitted irresponsibility, but in such a close game, you can argue that costed the Vikes the game. Refs don't seem to have an issue calling penalties when Brady is involved though.This rule needs honesty to work.

I'm not only taking shots at NFL refs though, there are some good's about this rule too. Going back to the Carson Palmer hit, which I thought was deliberate and downright dirty, this prevent's players from purposely going after a quarterback. The NFL hopes that your favorite team will have its starting QB all season long, and that maybe you'll go buy some tickets to see him play. I agree with this part. There is no way in hell I want to watch Tyler Thigpen throwing INT's for the Chiefs or Kyle Boller stink it up in St. Louis. The only true way to make this rule work is flag every hit below a QB's knees, but is way too radical and gives preferential treatment to quarterbacks.

Wednesday's Show!

2010-01-28T00:32:00.001-05:00

This Wednesday's GREAT A+ broadcast. Check us out live for the full experience!

Tonight's Show!

2010-01-27T00:02:00.002-05:00

Well the NFL season has come down to two, the NBA

season has just about reached it's half way point and

we've got about 20 days until pitchers and catchers

report to spring training. Sports are starting to hit it's

peak of the year so we'll have plenty to discuss. Here's

tonight's agenda:

-NFL Conference Championship games review.

-How all the teams have either stepped back or forward.

-NBA All-Stars

-Brett Favre's future...................

-Our favorite game: Name that Sports theme!

-Your calls.

We start at 8pm Eastern Stanard time. in the mean time

Please join the facebook group by clicking HERE!

Sports Show Attendance

2010-01-24T00:58:00.006-05:00

Just thought I'd let you know that the last two broadcasts
had a very impressive turn out. We reached roughly 200 unique
viewers and over 700 total hits. This is great. I can't urge
you enough to invite a friend out to the show. Look at it this
way, if everyone in the show invites at least one friend, the
attendance will be doubled! That's all I ask. So if you are
viewing the show on one of our affiliate sites or here on the
blog, just send along the link so we can spread the fun and
expand the SSL family. So thanks to all of you on behalf of
myself, Josh and Ez for lending us your ears every Wednesday.
Please continue your great support!

Please submit suggestions and topics for the next show in the comments!

Wednesday's Show!

2010-01-21T17:16:00.002-05:00

I'll post the show's on here during down time so you can catch up on the show! Here's the 1/20/10 broadcast! See you next Wednesday at 8pm ET!

Tonight's Agenda

2010-01-20T00:00:00.000-05:00

Call in's are back! And we're at it again. Full speed this time!

Tonight we got tons of good news to cover. Here it is:

-NFL Divisional round recap.

-NFL Conference Championship previews.

-NHL Standings and current playoff picture.

-NBA Injuries.

-The Jose Offerman situation.

-MLB Arbitration hearings.

All live at 8pm Eastern Time right here and on our affiliate

sites listed at the bottom of the blog! See you there!

Tidbits

2010-01-17T13:06:00.002-05:00

Here's some news just to keep the blog flowing.

-Gilbert Arenas agrees to a plea bargain. His contract may be

voidable due to a felony conviction.

-San Francisco Giant's ace and 2 time Cy Young award winner

Tim Lincecum is one of roughly 120 players to file for salary

arbitration. They better just sign him up. Idiots.

-Dwyane Wade has surpassed Tim Hardaway as

the Miami Heat's all-time leader in assists.

-Chicago Bear Gaines Adams died Sunday Morning unexpectedly.

The cause of death is not known. He was the 4th overall pick in 2007

Show Tonight at 8pm ET

2010-01-13T00:00:00.001-05:00

Tonight's show will contain the following topics:

-Mark McGwire and his revelations
-Where will the 'roid users stand in the MLB HOF.
-NFL Wild Card playoff review and second round preview.
-2010 NFL HOF Candidates.
-NBA Trading Deadline and it's trade candidates.

-MLB abolishing the DH rule? Playoff schedule changes.

(HOF is Hall of Fame)]

The show post will be up at 7pm ET, and the show will start
at 8pm ET. See you there!

Please join the offical Facebook group! Click HERE

Mac Sauce

2010-01-11T20:03:00.003-05:00

Today, slugger Mark McGwire came out of the proverbial

closet when he admitted his steroids use. He released a

statement through the Associated Press and later had a

sit-down interview with MLB Network's own Bob Costas.

A ton of his interview made sense including when he explained

why he said "he doesn't want to discuss the past in front of

Congress in 2005. Some won't be satisfied with his admissions

but for now, he did the right thing and I think it was genuine.

More on this Wednesday at 8pm ET on the show!

The "Revised" Sports Show

2010-01-06T00:00:00.000-05:00

Well. Yeah. New Sports Show Live. Me Josh, and Easy Ezra. We're gonna talk some sports, go on some rants and what have you. All live tonight at 8, EIGHT PM EST. Anyway, here's tonight's agenda:

NFL Playoff picture. Wild card weekend is next week. We'll weigh in on how that all stacks up.
Benching your best. Is it good for sports? Is it bad for sports? All in light of the Colt's decision to bench Peyton Manning and others.
Betting on basketball. We are all aware of the scandal that broke with the betting in the NBA so we'll evaluate Tim Donaghy's statements and their legitimacy.

All-Star games. How it's such a "fannish" selection system. How certain players should not be participating.

MLB Hot stove reports. The countdown to spring training begins. Some players remain unsigned

All live at 8pm Eastern Standard Time, 5 pacific. So drop on by right here. The show post will be up

at 7pm ET so you all can settle in and what have ya. See you then.

The Sports Show Return

2010-01-01T15:17:00.002-05:00

It's been a few days since the last update so I figured I'd let you guys know what's going on. After Rich D. was relieved of his hosting obligations, I saw a grand opportunity to take this show to the next level. How do you do that? Good question. I don't even know. So what I did was starting with the most important thing and that's the on-air personalities. By mixing the immense sports knowledge of Josh, a former co-host of the show and the entertaining attitude of Ezra and .. well me, the one who created this show I thought we'd have a great tandem on the air. Then, I got us a new re-vamped theme song, a new blog template, better calling-in features and whatever else I can muster before Tuesday.

1/5/10 is a very special date because it will mark the 1 year anniversary of the conception of the Sports Show Live. After many website changes and what have you there has been some what of an inconsistency in viewership and what not. Now that it's all settled down, I look at this as a fresh start and a great big step in the right direction for this program and it's listeners. Hopefully big things are to come of what I have assembled here and we do it all right this time around and that all starts with you, the listeners. There are plenty ways you can communicated your opinions to us. If you didn't like a certain bit or want to suggest something about how to improve the quality or flow of the show all you have to do is reach us by using the means provided to you at the contact tab above the logo. So see you all on Tuesday, I cannot wait.

Third Panelist Has Joined...

2009-12-29T21:21:00.000-05:00

This song just about sums it all.

And yes, It's a pleasure to be back. See you kids on the 5th.

More Great Breaking News!

2009-12-29T14:02:00.000-05:00

Breaking News VIA Facebook: The Sports Show Live agrees to terms with Josh Beall to join the panel beginning in January. Josh was a co-host on the program earlier in its history. It's great to have Josh back on board. Josh basically knows everything about every sport. Big time signing. We are one signing away from being done assembling the panel. Josh is joining a panel that already consists of Ezra, AKA Who ate my ice cream. There should be one more panelist coming aboard. Wait for details as of tonight.

Newest Addition

2009-12-29T01:49:00.000-05:00

It is my great pleasure to put the Sports Show Live jersey on the back of Mr. Ezra AKA 'Who Ate My Ice cream. Ezra is the host of the popular Talkshoe.com sports show 'Idiot Sports Talk' and will continue hosting that program. He agreed to come on board as part of a panel that is being assembled for the revamped version of the show that will debut Tuesday January the 5th 2010. I would like to officially welcome Ezra to our community and you all will love what be brings to the table. This, is hopefully one of many "free agent" signings to come. So make sure you follow the TWITTER and add my FACEBOOK page for more updates as they come!

BREAKING NEWS!

2009-12-27T23:29:00.001-05:00

As of January the 5th 2010 this lovely show will have a new host. Care to guess who? It's up to you. But a year after the franchise was born, the show will indeed have it's third host. You will not guess who it is in a million years.

Rich D was released from his duties at the program and the administration would like to wish Rich the best with all his future endeavors.

Update Monday: We are very close to signing two big ticket free agents in internet radio. Who? Lets just say they are familiar faces.

Update Tuesday: Via Facebook::: BREAKING NEWS: The Sports Show Live and Easy E AKA 'WHO ATE MY ICE CREAM' to a lucrative long contract to join the panel.

Happy Holidays

2009-12-24T17:50:00.000-05:00

For Rich and the rest of the staff, I would love to wish you and your families a blessed holiday season. The show will resume Monday the 28th! Stay safe and have a great time!

Show Agenda: 12/22

2009-12-22T18:17:00.000-05:00

LIVE AT 8 PM!

AGENDA:

-Giants Win (Finally)

-Jets collapse

-Updated standings

-Yankees trade

-Mets lack of trade

-Refs (gambling)

- Your calls

NFC Power Rankings

2009-12-17T17:58:00.000-05:00

Today has been a very emotional day for both the National Football League and football fans alike. The passing of Cincinnati Bengals wideout Chris Henry is a tragic loss. I personally saw him play with the Bengals and during his collegiate career with West Virginia University. I wish his family, friends, and the Cincinnati Bengals organization my condolences at this saddening time.
--- CHR15 ---

Rest in Peace - Chris Henry (1983-2009)

1) New Orleans Saints (13-0): Current Playoff Status - Clinched NFC South/First Round Bye. The Saints are the best team in the NFL. You can argue that the Colts are better, but if we see a Saints-Colts Super Bowl, I'm confident that New Orleans will go home with the Lombardi. The reason that I pick the Saints over the Colts is that their rushing offense is just as good as Drew Brees and the passing game! And lets not forget, that defense isn't too bad either.
2) Minnesota Vikings (11-2): Current Playoff Status - Clinched Playoff Spot/Leading NFC North by 2 games. I don't hear anyone questioning the signing of Brett Favre now. What a job he has done, leading this team to 11-2 and a playoff appearance. With a win this week and a Packers loss, Minnesota will clinch the division.
3) Philadelphia Eagles (9-4): Current Playoff Status - Leading NFC East by 1 game. This whole division will probably come down to the final game of the season. With Dallas 8-5 and New York (Giants) 7-6, anyone can win this division. And it looks as if whoever doesn't win this division will get one of the wild card spots.
4) Green Bay Packers (9-4): Current Playoff Status - NFC Wild Card Leader. You know you're in a good division if you're 9-4 and two games back from the division lead. Green Bay doesn't NEED a win this weekend against Pittsburgh, but they also can't forget the New York Giants, who are still in the hunt.
5) Arizona Cardinals (8-5): Current Playoff Status - Leading NFC West by 2 games. That loss on Monday could come back to haunt Arizona, but it probably won't matter. With three games left to go in the year and leading their division by 2 games, it's looking good for the Super Bowl runner-ups.
6) Dallas Cowboys (8-5): Current Playoff Status - NFC Wild Card Leader. If the season ended today, the 'Boys would be in the playoffs. However, they don't want the wild card. They want to win the NFC East. Down by one game, it's definitely possible for that to happen. And guess who they play in week 17? The NFC East leader, the Philadelphia Eagles. Oh, what a game that should be.
7) New York Giants (7-6): Current Playoff Status - In the Hunt. The Giants are definitely in the hunt. Down by 1 game in the wild card and by 2 in the division, the Giants can definitely still make the playoffs. They just need to win some games! 2-3 in their last 5, and that long losing streak last month really hurts this deep into the season.
8) San Fransisco 49ers (6-7): Current Playoff Status - In the Hunt. The 49ers kept their slim playoff hopes alive with that win on Monday night. To be honest, they probably won because of Arizona's inability to keep the ball off of the ground, but that's another story. All they can hope for at this point is that the teams ahead of them lose. In the NFL however, that's always possible.
9) Atlanta Falcons (6-7): Current Playoff Status - ELIMINATED. Sadly for Falcons fans, Atlanta will not be making another appearance in the playoffs this year. There's always next year.
10) Carolina Panthers (5-8): Current Playoff Status - ELIMINATED. Nobody really expected the Panthers to do much this season. Now that the Bill Cowher talks have ceased, I'm not sure if fans should expect much next season either. Surprisingly, they have a 6-5 division record. That's a fresh surprise.

Good luck tonight Rich, I'm sure the show will be great. - Brandon.

Show Agenda: 12/18

2009-12-16T23:01:00.000-05:00

The debut has arrive! The new Sport Show Live is here!!!

Agenda:

-Welcome/Introduction

-Up to date news

- Free agency: who is left?

-Mega Holliday trade- who is the winner?

-Jets football

-Giants football

- Tim Donaghy- his new book and the result for ALL refs

-Phone calls (surprise caller!!)

The show will GO LIVE at 8 PM EST! Tune in and give it a listen! Its going to be a blast.

AFC Power Rankings

2009-12-15T18:47:00.000-05:00

1) Indianapolis Colts (13-0): Current Playoff Status - Clinched AFC South and Homefield Advantage. Do you rest your starters? Do you play them? Although I doubt it will happen, I would play the final three games like the preseason, play my starters for a quarter or a half, and then hand over the keys to my second string.

2) San Diego Chargers (10-3): Current Playoff Status - Leading AFC West by 2 games. The Chargers hold a two game lead over Denver, and because they split the head-to-head games, the tiebreaker comes down to win % within the division, which they also hold. It's looking good for the Chargers. On a side note, the Bolts have won 16 straight in December.

3) Cincinnati Bengals (9-4): Current Playoff Status - Leading AFC North by 2 games. Lets not forget that the Bengals hold the tiebreaker over both the Steelers AND the Ravens, so the AFC North is there for the taking if the Bengals want it. And why wouldn't they?

4) New England Patriots (8-5): Current Playoff Status - Leading AFC East by 1 game. This division will most likely come down to the last game of the season. The Patriots lead the division by 1 game, but have split the head-to-head with both the Dolphins and the Jets. It is essential for the Patriots to win their final division game against Buffalo, who still wants revenge from their first encounter. If the Pats lose, then Miami will take control of the division.

5) Denver Broncos (8-5): Current Playoff Status - AFC Wild Card Leader. There is nothing wrong with their last loss to Indianapolis, and they should get a win this weekend against Oakland. A win this week will most likely send them to the playoffs.

6) Jacksonville Jaguars (8-5): Current Playoff Status - AFC Wild Card Leader. They do lead that WC race, but they still have to play Indianapolis, and the Ravens, Jets, Dolphins, and even the 6-7 teams are still in the race.

7) Baltimore Ravens (7-6): Current Playoff Status - In the Hunt. The Ravens are in the thick of things in the AFC playoff picture. At 7-6, they are one game back from the Jaguars, and with a win this week, they might be able to erase that deficit, as Jacksonville plays Indianapolis.

8) Miami Dolphins (7-6): Current Playoff Status - In the Hunt. Miami is still hanging by a limb in the playoff picture, but all of their remaining games are against teams who they are fighting against for the wild card (@Titans, vs. Texans, vs. Steelers), so that will be a big factor.

9) New York Jets (7-6): Current Playoff Status - In the Hunt. Although the New York Jets are still mathematically in contention for the AFC East, that 2-4 division record won't be good if it comes down to the tie-breaking procedures. It's a tough road ahead, as they play the Falcons, Colts, and Bengals. I doubt we will be seeing the Jets play more than 16 games this season.

10) Tennessee Titans (6-7): Current Playoff Status - In the Hunt. It's just a little too late for the Tennessee Titans. Vince Young has basically restarted his career and is back and better than ever. Maybe next year we can see what fans were expecting to see this year, in another playoff run.

-Brandon

The Week of Debuts

2009-12-10T21:29:00.000-05:00

Within the next 7 days you will see two new programs debuting. First, on Sunday, the Degenerate Playhouse radio program on LiveVideo debuts at 8pm Eastern. This is a new program that I am a part of. This show WILL have some strong content so if you are under the age of 17, I suggest you go watch Sesame Street. Then, (drumroll) Thursday will bring us the debut of The Sports Show Live with Rich Dobbins. Rich is going to bring plenty to this show and you guys will love it. The show will be featured on here and my new show can be found HERE.
Hope to see you all soon!

Update Sunday: My new show starts next week.

The New Host

2009-12-03T21:24:00.000-05:00

Welcome to the Sports Show Live. As you all know, Joey has left the show to go on to bigger and better things and has asked me to take over as host. With my knowledge of sports and passion for commentating, I could see no reason to turn the option down.

My name is Rich Dobbins (Rich D.). I am an avid sports fan. I am a diehard Yankees, Giants, NJ Devils, NJ Nets and Syracuse Orange Fan! I love watching PTI and Around the Horn as well as Loudmouths and The Wheelhouse. I have even called in to Loudmouths and been on TV.

I will be keeping the same style as Joey had the show (and dont worry, I am still in contact with him so he knows how the show is running). I will start the show with news/ scores for about 10 minutes. I will go on my opinion segment for approximately 25 minutes. For the remaining time in the show, I will open up the phone lines and let you, the listeners, call in!

I can't wait to start up the show. Our first show, under new management will be on Thursday, December 17 at 8 PM. Feel free to email me: thesportsshowlive@gmail.com. I look forward to speaking you guys soon!

The Farewell Address

2009-12-01T14:59:00.000-05:00

No point in putting it into words. Here is a clip of my farewell address to the fans and the show.

The New schedule

2009-11-30T23:00:00.000-05:00

After the final show with Joey (on Monday), the Sports Show Live will be taking a two week break. On Thursday December 17, the show will resume with your new host. From there on, I will work on trying to develop a schedule that fits every ones liking. Later this week, I will post a little bio about myself (my likes, my dislikes, my sports). It is unclear if there will be a Co-Host. The young man I have offered the job to is also extremely knowledgeable about all sports, especially college football. I should know if he is on board later this week.

Last note: this is my first "real" sport talk shows. I will do my best to follow in Joey's footsteps. If there is anything I can do, or any changes you would like to see in the show, please feel free to contact me. This is YOUR show. It is a place where you guys can chill, talk some sports, relax and leave the craziness of the outside out for an hour.

I can not wait to be the new host. I thank Joey very much for the opportunity. I look forward to speaking to you guys soon.

Rich D.

Last Show

2009-11-30T00:00:00.000-05:00

The time has come. My time as host of this lovely program has come and gone and here's tonight's agenda for my final show.

Bud Selig's planned retirement. Has he been good or bad? What does the next commish' need to accomplish?
Hall of famers. A lot has been made of this but lets talk about how steroids impact voting.
Flopping in the NBA. Rasheed Wallace and Stan Van Gundy hate it but Shaq thinks it's part of the game. What do I think? We'll see.

We start at 9pm Eastern Time. See ya there for the last show!

The Big Diesel Reaches Out

2009-11-27T10:42:00.000-05:00

A bit of touching news for you.... Cleveland Cavaliers Center Shaquille O'Neal made quite the gesture when he payed for the funeral of 5 year old North Carolina native Shaniya Davis who was inexplicably murdered. Her body was found on the side of the road on November 16th. Anyone who watches the news probably knows about this story including Shaq who admitted the story "brought a tear to his eye." Not like it matters but the funeral is estimated to have cost $4,500. It's really nice to see people with money reaching out.

Give Thanks

2009-11-26T16:30:00.000-05:00

Merry.... wait, wrong holiday. Happy thanksgiving to all of you in the community. Have a safe one and see you for the finale of The Sports Show Live w/ Joe Hayward on Monday at 9pm Eastern Time!

Just a shameless self-plug, I am going to be hosting the Degenerate Radio program over at LiveVideo.com starting Sunday, December 6th, 2009. See you Monday.

MLB Notebook!

2009-11-25T17:26:00.000-05:00

As agents and teams continue to throw wood in the hot stove here are some notes on what has gone down so far.

The Philadelpia Phillies sign OF DeWayne Wise and Shortstop Wilson Valdez to a pair of minor league contracts. Wise, 32 is probably best known for his heroic catch in Mark Buehrle's perfect game in the 9th inning in 2009. Valdez on the other hand is known for his ironic time with the Mets in 2009.

The Chicago White Sox sign OF/1B/DH Andruw Jones to a 1 year $500,000 contract. He is expected to compete for a bench role out of spring training in 2010. Jones had a decent year with the Texas Rangers last year showing some defensive capabilities and a few flashes of power.

The San Diego Padres claim Radhames Liz off waivers from the Baltimore Orioles. He didn't do much in 2009 as he gave up 10 runs in 1.1 innings of work.

Brandon Lyon, free agent reliever who was impressive with the Detroit Tigers last year is said to be seeking a multi-year contract.

Roy Halladay is rumored to be drawing strong interest from the Boston Red Sox. No surprise here. They are also interested in pitcher Justin Duschscherer.

What are your thoughts on the signings and rumors?

Tonight's Agenda

2009-11-23T00:00:00.000-05:00

One more show left before the big finale. Just a quick reminder, there will be no show on Thursday because, obviously it is Thanksgiving. Anyway tonight we have a lovely show and at this point, who cares if they are good or not (kidding) We'll center the show around some hot stove chatter and some NBA headlines as well as the updated week 11 NFL Standings. Oh and remind me to talk about how good the Brett Favre move was for Minnesota.

New Show Host!

2009-11-20T21:09:00.000-05:00

The host of the NEW Sports Show is going to be Rich Dobbins. Here's an interview!

Show Tonight at 9pm ET

2009-11-19T18:43:00.000-05:00

Tonight we talk Allen Iverson, Larry Johnson, Lebron James and MLB Free agency. All of those great things you love to hear about! Be here at 9pm Eastern.

Tonight's Line-up

2009-11-16T00:00:00.000-05:00

The show will be starting at 9pm Eastern time tonight. This will begin the countdown as I will only host 4 more shows including this one Anyway, here is tonight's agenda:

Weekly wrap-up of the NFL
Ben Nicholson-Smith of MLBTradeRumors.com
NBA All-Star Ballot
Pacquiao/Cotto reaction

Be here at 9. See you then!

A Long Journey

2009-11-13T21:48:00.000-05:00

The show that started as "The Joey H. Show" over at the now defunct NowLive.com then to "RBI Radio" and finally onto "The Sports Show Live" in January 2009 was an immediate hit. Over the course of the 11 great months that I have been doing the show I have met some great people that I consider to be my sports pals, been offered several opportunities, and got to talk to some really neat people. I have teamed up with multiple websites that helped produce my show that have been great and they know who they are. We've survived website crashes, controversy, and even a co-host. I'm sure you get the message by now. Effective December first 2009, I will be resigning as the host of this party. It's been a blast while it has lasted. I have been blessed as I mentioned already to talk to some awesome people and meet fans of sports from around the country and even the world on a few occasions. This is something that I have tossed and turned over for about a month now and with encouragement and support from many of you, it has been put off. You may ask what will happen to our community. And the answer to that would be absolutely nothing. In due time, hopefully by the new year we will have a new host. So mark the date down on the calender; 11/30/2009 will be the last time you hear some cheesy New York Anthem. Thank you to all of you who have made my show a pleasure to do.

The Age of Bargains

2009-11-13T00:00:00.000-05:00

I may not be the only one to have noticed but I find it quite interesting that many teams are looking for bargains. While it is not surprising it is apparent why. The country is in the midst of it's worst recession in over 20 years and the big dogs are targeting the big bones of the free agent market.

While there aren't as many big fish as there were last year the one name that stands out to all is former Anaheim ace John Lackey. Lackey who is among some of the elite pitchers in the game; a true number one pitcher. Lackey missed time early in his 2009 campaign with arm troubles but came on strong for the Halos down the stretch, bringing them within 2 wins of their first World Series berth since 2002. Despite injuries, he is said to be looking for a contract similar to that of what the Yankees paid AJ Burnett last year; 5 years $82.5 million.

Now onto the bargains of the 2010 class. As I mentioned earlier there are tons of pitchers on the market who can be described as 2.5-4 starters who should anticipate a nice payday. These names include: Jarrod Washburn, Joel Pinero, Randy Wolf, Jason Marquis, Jon Garland, Vincente Padilla, and Carl Pavano. From the names above, Washburn to Garland all had good years. Wolf emerged as the Dodger's most consistent pitcher, Pinero was a great complement behind Adam Wainwright and Chris Carpenter in St. Louis, Jason Marquis stepped up as a co-ace of the Colorado staff with Ubaldo Jiminez, and Garland, Pavano, and Padilla were all traded to teams that eventually went on to the playoffs do to their contributions.

How much will all these guys get paid you may ask? Good question. We do not know. Will it help or hurt them that there are so many pitches of their "breed" on the market? Did these arms have great years? One thing that can be expected is that these names will fly off the market and fly off the market while getting a nice pay day because pitching is the name of the game.

Live Tonight at 9pm Eastern Time!

2009-11-12T13:44:00.000-05:00

Tons of chatter at 9pm Eastern. Be here.

American League Gold Glove Winners

2009-11-10T18:00:00.000-05:00

Catcher- Joe Mauer
First Base- Mark Teixeira
Second Base- Placido Polanco
Third Base- Evan Longoria
Short Stop- Derek Jeter
Out Field- Torii Hunter
Out Field- Ichiro Suzuki
Out Field- Adam Jones
Pitcher- Mark Buehrle

No surprises here. Maybe you can consider Jeter a surprise but, c'mon who's a better short stop in the American League? He improved his defense from '08 and got one for the thumb in the process. Placido is an interesting selection with his minuscule two errors in 151 games.

Show Tonight at 9pm Eastern Time

2009-11-09T00:00:00.000-05:00

Tonight we finally move away from baseball, somewhat. Here's the agenda:

MLB Personal Awards; who deserves them and are they meaningful
NFL Standings and assessment of first half performances
NBA Standings and surprises as well as a look at the playoff picture
Anthony, a Vikings blogger from dailynorseman.com

All live at 9pm Eastern Standard Time. Be here!

Senseless Trades

2009-11-07T13:20:00.000-05:00

Some of these trades came before the Yankees won the World Series but were not official until it passed. Now we enter the Hot Stove part of the year, one of my favorite parts. There have been some head scratching trades that have gone through so far so lets take a look at them.

One of the first ones that went down was Akinori Iwamuram former American League Champion Tampa Bay Ray being traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates. On face value, Akinori is a great defender who can play second or third; played third with the Rays after E-Long came up but swiftly made the transition to second. There are two obvious questions to be asked. The first is why would the Rays trade a centerpiece of their infield and the second is why the hell would Pittsburgh take on his salary being that they aren't going to finish above last place next year. The first answer would be creating financial flexibility so the Rays can try to acquire some bullpen help and starting pitching. We saw them shop long time ace Scott Kazmir to the Angels in the summer. But what do the Pirates get out of this? They get a $4.85 Million dollar player. Akinori is not a seat-filler. So why why why?

Winner: The Tampa Bay Rays. Why: Financial Flexibility.

Another head scratcher is the trade between the Minnesota Twins and the Milwaukee Brewers. While it fills positional needs, it is a significant drop down in performance from the previous players manning the now filled positions. Orlando Cabrera can be held responsible for getting the Twins to the playoffs after being acquired from the A's to play short. JJ Hardy had a precipitous drop off from his previous career numbers and Mike Cameron and his 10 million dollar salary is heading for free agency so Carlos Gomez will fill that center field void. This trade seems like a low risk/high reward for both sides and they are playing for a change of scenery revival

Winner: Minnesota Twins. Why: Sheerly upside.

The final trade in this recent swing of moves that is worth talking about is Chris Getz and Josh Fiels of the Chicago White Sox going to Kansas City for Mark Teahen. This is a trade that didn't make much sense. As the White Sox try to get younger and more athletic they give up on a second base option who was 25/27 in stolen base in Getz. They do however get Mark Teahen in return who provides a seizable defensive upgrade over the departing Jermaine Dye. The Royals also sent $1 million dollars to Chicago as part of the deal.

Winner: Kansas City Royals. Why: They get two nice pieces who can make their team more versatile, in the end this might end up being Teahen for Getz.

Consider this Round 1 of the off season.

World Series Champions W/ Update

2009-11-05T14:36:00.000-05:00

After 114 wins, the New York Yankees are champions of baseball!

Update: 4:00pm: Show tonight at 9pm ET.

Show Tonight at 9pm ET

2009-11-03T14:19:00.000-05:00

Tons of NBA/NFL/World Series talk. Great show set up. Be sure to come by at 9pm Eastern!

Umpiring(AGAIN)
NBA Standings to start the first week
NFL Standings
Yankees/Phillies coverage before game 6 in New York
MLB non-tender candidates.

Chan Ho Cheater!

2009-11-02T14:32:00.000-05:00

If anyone needs to cheat, it's Chan Ho Park.

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