Bleacher Report - Articles by Angelo Solomita

Smile Barry Bonds, Alex Rodriguez aka A-Roids Has Taken You Off The Hook

Angelo Solomita — Sat, 07 Feb 2009 13:12:38 -0500

In the midst of a potentially damming perjury case that would surely ruin Barry Bonds, reputation, Bonds got some great news this morning —and it had nothing to do with his case.

SI.com is reporting that one of the anonymous sealed tests MLB undertook to survey the use of steroids in the sports has revealed a positive test for one Alex Rodriguez.

So much for those people who were waiting for him to break Barry Bonds' All-Time Home Run Record to "clean it up".

The irony of it is that it is these same tests the the government is trying to use to prove Bonds' perjured himself when he said he never knowingly took steroids. Potentially the same ones that were supposed to be destroyed.

If what has happened to Bonds and Mark McGwire in the past is any indication, the simple leak of this information is enough to eternally ruin Rodriguez. Whether it should have ever gotten out, or the validity of the tests as we will soon see in the Bonds case, while might not be legally conclusive, is all the public will ever need.

Rodriguez was the heir apparent to Bonds' Home Run Crown, but now it seems that record will forever remain clouded. In a way this is Major League Baseball's worst nightmare. Just as it seemed they were getting past the "steroid era" and ready to jail the problem child, A-Roids, their golden boy, has been revealed as a fraud.

So Barry if you're reading this, smile. Not only will you now take a backseat in the public eye, your sins may even be forced to be forgiven. I'd even be willing to wager your chances of walking on perjury are up and who knows...maybe we'll get to see you back in Giants black and orange in a few weeks.

The Real Super Bowl Debate: What Songs Will Bruce Springsteen Play?

Angelo Solomita — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 01:44:09 -0500

While we wait to see how things play out on the field, there will definitely be one sure-fire star on Super Bowl Sunday who will not disappoint: The Boss.

The Super Bowl will be the perfect exclamation point to what has been a busy year for Bruce Springsteen. There was the highly successful Magic Tour, a few Grammy's, a Golden Globe, a Guitar Hero appearance, and now a new album Working on a Dream.

Not to mention his campaigning with Barack Obama and powerful performance during inauguration weekend.

Here's a quick guide to what Bruce might have in store on Sunday.

"Born to Run"

Pros: Perhaps his most well-known song and one of the greatest songs of All-Time. I always thought Born to Run Live was one of the best five minutes you could ever ask for. "Tramps like us, Baby we were Born to Run" the perfect way to close out the performance.

Cons: None.

Chances: 99 percent: Has to be there and likely is the final song.

"10th Avenue Freeze Out"

Pros: Bruce used this song to open up his first show at Giants Stadium on the Magic Tour and the crowd ate it up. The introduction gets the crowd involved, and what better way to start off the set than the story of the E-Street Band.

Cons: Song may be relatively obscure for non-Springsteen Fans

Chances: 75 percent: Rumors are swirling that the horns will be brought down to Florida so that makes this the morning line favorite for opener.

"My Lucky Day"

Pros: If he wants to use the Super Bowl audience as a marketing tool for his new album, Working on a Dream, this will do the trick. Lyrics like, "to win darlin' we must play," and, "I've lost all the other bets I've made," make this song a nice fit for the Super Bowl.

Cons: It's a new song from new album that is still working to win over the hardcore Springsteen Fans

Chances: 70 percent: His inclusion of this song over the title "Working on a Dream" in his recent Guitar Hero release is likely a sign that if he goes with a new song, this will be it.

"The Rising"

Pros: Plays right into Obamamania. Inspirational song that is perfect for the times.

Cons: Musically, it's not the most upbeat song at times and might kill the mood in between two rockers.

Chances: 40 percent: Some of the same choir from the Inauguration Festivities are being reported down in Florida.

"Born in the USA"

Pros: The song is clearly an Anti-Vietnam song, but most of America still view it as a patriotic anthem. A great rocker that will have the crowd pumping their fists with pride.

Cons: Despite its popularity, this song was a rarity on the last Bruce Tour, and the full band version has been passed by, going instead for the acoustic as of late to bring out the lyrics.

Chances: 30 percent: If Bruce starts the crowd off with this you know we'll be in for a treat, but recent history says it misses the cut.

"Glory Days"/"Dancing in the Dark"/"Hungry Heart"

Pros: Three of the more well known songs and one with a sports reference (be it baseball).

Cons: This is the problem with having a song book of 400; you can't have them all.

Chances: 20 percent: I group these together because there is a chance Bruce sandwiches a medley in between to squeeze out more than three songs.

Other Longshots: "Thunder Road", "Badlands", "The Promised Land", "Rosalita"

If only he had more than 12 minutes.

Making Sense of the B-C-Mess

Angelo Solomita — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 12:37:00 -0500

So what does a 45-14 beatdown on the heels of an embarrassing loss to Stanford get you? Well, thanks to the wonderful BCS, it gets you a rematch. After dropping to 0-2, an upset over USC has put Oregon State in line for a rematch with Penn State in the Rose Bowl. I’ll pass.

Then there is the FedEx Orange Bowl: Cincinnati against whatever ACC team can manage to finish the season with ONLY three losses. I’ll pass.

Then there is Utah. I have to feel for the Utes (and so do the computers ranking them ahead of Florida and USC). Two quality wins over TCU and BYU, a win over potentially Rose Bowl-bound Oregon State, and how many teams can say they beat the storied Michigan program.

Still, tell me if you’ve heard this story before. Undefeated non-BCS team crushed by superior SEC powerhouse. Opening line Florida vs. Alabama loser giving two touchdowns to Utah in the Sugar Bowl. I’ll pass.

Now that we’ve covered the three bowl games that will make even the networks hate the BCS, we get to the real fun part.

The BCS has to be pulling hard for Alabama. If Alabama can beat Florida in the SEC title game, no one could challenge their spot in the BCS Championship Game. Unfortunately, that is the only win out and be in without a gripe scenario.

That leaves us with the rest of the one-loss BCS crowd hoping to get in: Texas (No. 2), Oklahoma (No. 3), Florida (No. 4), USC (No. 5) and Texas Tech (No. 7).

USC's hopes totally lie in the balance of other teams. If the Big 12 can decide a clear winner and Florida doesn’t end up losing to Florida St. and then beating Alabama, the most likely scenario will pit some form of Big 12 and SEC. Pete Carroll is the biggest Chase Daniel fan at this point.

While Texas Tech might be the lowest ranked team currently in the BCS, they are an Oklahoma St. win at home against Oklahoma from winning the Big 12 South via their win over Texas. Still, a win over Missouri would not guarantee them jumping over Texas in the BCS.

If Florida wins the SEC, they will likely lock up a berth in the big game, but maybe not rightfully so. Florida’s one loss is clearly the worst of the bunch, at home to Ole Miss. The Big 12 teams have only beaten up each other, and USC lost to Rose Bowl-bound Oregon State.

The problem is the human polls have a “what have you done lately mentality,” and with Florida’s loss coming early, they seemed to have been forgiven. The computers, on the other hand, have all three Big 12 South teams ranked above the Gators.

Now for the fun—Oklahoma and Texas. So long as the rest of the Big Three win out this weekend, the three-way tie by rule would be broken by the BCS Standings. A win over Oklahoma State will likely be enough to push Oklahoma over Texas, but again, the pollsters and the computers have left us baffled before.

For better or worse, the team who wins the BCS tiebreaker would likely lock in a BCS title berth with a win over Missouri.

If Missouri wins the Big 12, all bets are off. Could a one-loss Alabama hold on to the No. 2 spot and force a Florida-Alabama rematch? Would a team like USC, Utah, or Penn St sneak in? Would a Big 12 team who found themselves on the outside of a tiebreaker make it in despite not even playing in the conference title game?

Finally, one last BCS scenario to ponder. Say Florida loses to Florida State and beats Alabama, Oklahoma State loses to Oklahoma, and Texas Tech subsequently loses to Missouri.

Somehow Charlie Weis pulls it together and beats USC, and voters unwilling to put a non-champion Texas in the BCS championship game give us a glorious, drum roll please, Penn St. vs. Utah BCS Title Game.

I can see President-Elect Obama licking his chops now.

Making Sense of the B-C-Mess

Angelo Solomita — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 17:48:20 -0500

Then there is the FedEx Orange Bowl: Cincinnati against whatever ACC team can manage to finish the season with ONLY three losses. I’ll pass.

Still, tell me if you’ve heard this story before. Undefeated non-BCS team crushed by superior SEC powerhouse. Opening line Florida v. Alabama loser giving two touchdowns to Utah in the Sugar Bowl. I’ll pass.

Now that we’ve covered the three bowl games that will make even the networks hate the BCS, we get to the real fun part.

That leaves us with the rest of the one-loss BCS crowd hoping to get in: Texas (No. 2), Oklahoma (No. 3), Florida (No. 4), USC (No. 5) and Texas Tech (No. 7).

While Texas Tech might be the lowest ranked currently in the BCS, they are an Oklahoma St. win at home against Oklahoma from winning the Big 12 South via their win over Texas. Still, a win over Missouri would not guarantee them jumping over Texas in the BCS.

For better or worse, the team who wins the BCS tiebreaker would likely lock in a BCS title berth with a win over Missouri.

Finally, one last BCS scenario to ponder. Say Florida loses to Florida State and beats Alabama, Oklahoma State loses to Oklahoma, and Texas Tech subsequently loses to Missouri.

Somehow Charlie Weis pulls it together and beats USC, and voters unwilling to put a non-champion Texas in the BCS championship game give us a glorious, drum roll please, Penn St. v. Utah BCS Title Game.

I can see President-Elect Obama licking his chops now.

Giants Weighing Options to Fill Offensive Void

Angelo Solomita — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 16:58:52 -0500

It became clear in the last few days the Giants had a heightened interest in Former Tigers Shortstop Edgar Renteria.

It was confirmed that numbers had been exchanged and a deal appeared imminent. Monday morning WFAN reported what would have been a two-year, $18 million deal to bring Renteria to the city by the bay. While the question of the day is whether these reports are true, the real question is whether the deal makes sense.

Edgar Renteria is a solid shortstop (.270, 69 Runs, 10 HR, 55 RBI in 2008), but he’s not going to alone fill the void in the middle of the lineup. He’s 33 so he doesn’t quite fit in with the youth movement. His number last year are barely an improvement over Rich Aurilia (.283, 10 HR, 55 RBI) and at $3 million a year it’s not too much of a bargain.

Renteria is a solid shortstop, but he doesn’t fit in with the Giants needs. On the other hand, a shortstop like Rafael Furcal could be just what the Giants need at the top of the lineup to set the table.

While the Giants fourth straight losing season in 2008 was an overall failure, there were bright spots.

Tim Lincecum has been vindicated as one of the premiere pitchers in the league winning the National League Cy Young. The Giants other All-Star, Brian Wilson, racked up 41 saves and provided stability at the back of the bullpen.

Jonathan Sanchez and Matt Cain showed promise and with the pending return of Noah Lowry the starting rotation should be a positive. Now if only the $126 million man can remember how to pitch. The Giants also added Jeremy Affeldt in an attempt to refocus the rest of the bullpen.

2008 was also the first time in a long time the Giants showcased some home-grown hitting talent. The emergence of Pablo Sandoval was the highlight, and young emergers Emmanuel Burriss and Eugenio Velez showed potential to be everyday players. Add that to the hype that is Buster Posey and the 2009 lineup begins to fill out.

Molina is likely to be back behind the plate and Winn and Rowand are locks in the outfield. Fred Lewis and Nate Schierholtz will get a chance to fight it out for that third outfield spot.

The infield is anyone’s guess. Sandoval will likely be given every chance to win a job either at first or third. The same could be said about Burriss at second or shortstop, to a lesser extent. That leaves the Giants short one middle infielder and one corner infielder for the 2009 season. If the Giants decide on neither Furcal or Renteria they may also look to second baseman Orlando Hudson.

The bigger need for the Giants is a power bat at one of the corner positions. The Garrett Atkins rumor is intriguing, but just as the A’s will have to see with Matt Holiday, the reverse Coors Field effect would be in play for Atkins.

Mark Teixeira seems like more of a long shot for the Giants each day. Personally at the snap of a finger I’d swap Matt Cain for Prince Fielder, but after the decision to keep Lincecum paid major dividends for Brian Sabean, I don’t see him willing to roll the dice there.

Why Teams Should Be Lining Up For Barry Bonds

Angelo Solomita — Wed, 07 May 2008 05:58:47 -0400

I’ll Preface this by admitting my bias. As a life long Giants fan, I’m still bitter that he won’t be in black and orange this season. I’ve put my neck on the line for Bonds before, carrying a Bonds is my Hero sign while sitting in left field in Philly, by far the nastiest experience in my following of Bonds.

With Bonds still searching for work I’ll admit the collusion ideas are becoming more plausible. It has always been my dream job to represent Barry Bonds. Today I pretend to live that dream. Here is my pitch to teams on why they want the Home Run King.

Barry can play

I don’t think many would argue with the fact that Bonds would have a tremendous impact in any lineup. Consider his numbers last year, in what was limited action because of being in the National League, multiplied by the fact that he could DH every day in the American League. Even if Bonds doesn’t hit as many home runs, the sheer fear factor of Bonds in the lineup mixed with his incredible patience and eye at the plate would guarantee a .400+ OBP.

Butts in Seats

While people are quick to point to the media circus that follows Bonds, they rarely point to what those crowds really mean—Ticket Sales. People will come out to see Bonds play, whether to boo or cheer is irrelevant to the bottom line. Bonds also relieves the pressure from any other player on the team. Barry Zito was terrible last year, but was able to hide in the shadow as Barry 2. This year without Bonds the media has all but crucified him.

Bonds can be a Role Model … Hitter

While even I won’t argue Bonds being a role model citizen, he may be the most disciplined hitter of his time, if not ever. Recently, ESPN ran a piece explaining how Bonds had sat down with Albert Pujols and given him some great advice on handling being walked at least once a game and still keeping that discipline. Bonds has a mental notebook logging tendencies of every pitcher he’s faced, something younger players could learn from. If Bonds is given a chance (and wants to be) that veteran voice in a clubhouse I honestly think he can bring good to the rest of the team. Even the books that are written criticizing Barry do explain his knowledge for the game being far superior. Bonds will occasionally visit ASU (where he played college baseball) and give hitting tips to the players.

The Man Wants to Win

Barry has all the records, and while he still may be looking toward 3,000 hits or moving up the All-time runs and RBI list, Bonds’ reason for coming back is to win. It is the one thing that has eluded him until now. And Bonds will deliver. Just look back to his only World Series appearance. He hit .471 over 7 games with 4 HRs 8 R and 6 RBI … and he was walked 13 times for a whopping .700 OBP. I’d say he wants to win—bad.

Save your prospects

Its simple Business of Baseball. If you are forced to acquire a big bat midseason it is going to cost you prospects. For a guy who could potentially hit 3,4 or 5 in your lineup and slug 20 HRs in the second half of the season, say goodbye to your Baseball American #1 or #2. Bonds on the other hand would come for half a year’s salary (which you wouldn’t escape via trade anyway). It will be hard for a GM to explain mortgaging the farm with Barry there for the taking.

Kentucky Derby: Looking for Long Shots

Angelo Solomita — Fri, 02 May 2008 23:13:00 -0400

What exactly does a 20 horse field mean? Anything can happen. A favorite like Big Brown who draws the 20 post may never be able to recover if he gets a bad break. A horse on placed on the rail might push to the front of the pack and fail to pace themselves for the long run. A horse in the the middle of the pack can easily be boxed inside a few horse and regardless of their pace be unable to break free from the pack.

One thing is for sure though, a 20 horse field equals a great payout. With a favorite at morning line 3-1 and only 3 horses in the single digit odds, any trifecta combination is sure to make for a nice payout.

Here are some horses to consider for your exotics that all come in at double digit morning line odds.

14 Monba (15-1) : Coming off an impressive win at the Blue Grass, Monba is hitting stride at just the right time. After struggling in the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth, Monba responded to with a third win in five races. Monba also won his only other showing at Churchill. One concern would be that Edgar Prado, who was the jockey for Monba in the previous two races is riding Adriano for the derby. Still at 15-1 I'm able to look past the Fountain of Youth showing hoping at 15-1 Monba can at least show in the Derby. Never doubt Ramon Dominguez.

19 Gayego (15-1) If you are looking for consistency Gayego could be your choice. Finishing in the Top 2 in all of his 5 starts this year. Gayego proved in winning the Arkansas Derby that he can win off of the Synthetic Surface. Gayego has improved as the distance has improved pointed him well for the two turns. The Arkansas Derby was also a deeper field of 13 which should bode well as preparation for what will be a crowded derby field.

4 Court Vision (20-1) Despite two bad trips in the Wood Memorial and the Fountain of Youth, Court Vision found a way to make it into the money. The distance and the two turns should favor this closer, who could be benefit from a grueling pace up front. Another horse who is one for one at Churchill, look for the third time to be a charm for Garrett Go Go Gomez and Court Vision.

In Egypt, Women's Soccer Carries a Cultural Kick

Angelo Solomita — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 10:47:21 -0400

When you think of Egypt, what comes to mind? Probably not sports. The same can be said about NYU, where sports take a back seat compared to most colleges. So it made for an interesting experience when the Tisch Center for Sports Management, Hospitality and Tourism Scholars Program embarked on a journey to Egypt to study sports.

Of the three potential destinations for the juniors in the program, Egypt was like Davidson - a long shot at best. Switzerland was set to host the 2008 European Championships and was home to the headquarters of FIFA. Brazil had just earned a bid to the 2014 World Cup. The Egypt proposal was slightly more abstract: study the effect of football (soccer) on women in breaking down traditional barriers in a Muslim culture.

As a member of the Scholars Program, I was initially disappointed when Egypt was chosen. But after learning more about the situation there, I quickly warmed up to the idea.

On the plane ride, I read a book called "How Soccer Explains the World: An Unlikely Theory on Globalization," hoping it would give me some insight into our area of study. In it, author Franklin Foer explained the situation in another Muslim culture, Iran. Just 10 years ago, women in Iran were forbidden from attending football games. What's happened since then has been considered a football revolution, and in 2003 roughly 3,000 women were allowed to step inside the international stadium to celebrate a World Cup Qualifier win.

As soon as I met women's soccer pioneer Madame Sahar El Hawari, I realized that Egypt was no Iran. Dr. Hawari entered the room dressed in jeans and a jacket, a stark contrast from the more conservatively dressed women we had been exposed to in Cairo. Dr. Hawari's story was a truly amazing one that culminated with her becoming the first Arab woman named the International Olympic Committee's Woman of the Year in Sports in 2003.

Dr. Hawari was brought up on football. Her father was a famous FIFA referee and an integral part of the Egyptian Football Association. Still, he tried to explain to his daughter that women and football in Egypt just didn't go together. Sahar wouldn't have it.

She made it her life's work to foster a women's football league in Egypt and was undeterred by those who insisted it was purely "a man's game."

Her task was not an easy one. Simply due to the way women were expected to dress, football was fundamentally at odds with their culture. She started recruiting at a grassroots level, pursuing every lead from upper to lower Egypt. She told us a story about how she recruited one of her strongest players, a peasant from Lower Egypt who spent her days collecting crops and played football against the boys in her free time.

Dr. Hawari's proposal to the players was unique. She would take them into her home and support them with everything from food to clothes. The girls spent the next five years with Dr. Hawari and trained vigorously.

To increase awareness for the club, she took her players across the country as entertainment at various festivals. They played a looser style of five-on-five football as a way of introducing the country to the idea of women playing football.

And she didn't stop at Egypt.

"If I'm only building in my country, how will they play competitions?" Hawari said. "My mission started here and spread to the Middle East and then the rest of the African countries."

On our trip we got to see the fruits of Dr. Hawari's labor, as her youth team prepared for an international showdown in the Women's Youth World Cup Qualifier.

The entire trip was an eye-opening experience. Seeing how women's football was able to persevere through tremendous resistance makes you regret the struggles of women's soccer in this country, where it faces fewer inherent societal hurdles. Despite a successful national team, the last women's soccer league (WUSA) was forced to fold in 2003 after only three seasons. When it officially returns in the spring of 2009 under the name Women's Professional Soccer, I'll keep in mind the efforts of Dr. Hawari.

http://media.www.nyunews.com/media/storage/paper869/news/2008/03/27/Sports/In.Egypt.Womens.Soccer.Carries.A.Cultural.Kick-3286743.shtml