Bleacher Report - Articles by Todd Reilly

Camilo Villegas Captures Victory No. 1: A Majors Feel

Todd Reilly — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 02:27:43 -0400

Camilo Villegas took home the BMW Championship, leg three of the PGA's FedEx Cup Playoffs, but more importantly captured his first title of his career.

Villegas shot a 2-under 68 in the final round to secure a two-shot victory over second-place Dudley Hart.

Villegas led the tournament from start to finish, an impressive showing even more, so considering the field included the best 70 players on the tour.

As a result of the field being so jam-packed with the world's best, this dominating performance by the PGA's Spider-man gives the championship almost a major feeling.

Having not won before on tour, Villegas was able to hold off playing partners Jim Furyk and Anthony Kim to capture the trophy. The victory also crowned Vijay Singh as this year's FedEx Champion despite having one more tournament to go.

This win is substantial for the career of the Colombian but most importantly he beat the best, which means that victory No. 1 is legitimate. Aside from possibly capturing the four majors and the Players Championship, it may be the best of his career.

Terrell Owens: A Disgrace to the Game of Football

Todd Reilly — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 02:08:17 -0400

Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Terrell Owens has been nothing but a pain in the you know what since he came into the league with the San Francisco 49ers and Sunday was no different.

After catching a perfect long distance pass from quarterback Tony Romo in the early stages of their game against the Cleveland Browns, Owens, instead of congratulating Romo on the pass or the O-line on the blocking, he decided to go egocentric and disgrace himself, the league, and his team with unnecessary post touchdown antics.

Owens, after doing some strange leg gyration which I can only assume was a fake stretch, bent down into a starters' block position and acted as if he was an Olympic sprinter; however their is one difference, those amateur athletes actually respect their respective sports.

This homage to the Summer Games in Beijing was just another notch on the belt of Owens' stupidity. Incident one came in Dallas as a member of the 49ers when Owens celebrated in the infamous star at midfield. Then of course who can forget the Sharpie, the feuding with Jeff Garcia and Donovan McNabb, the silly Eagle arm flapping, and all of the other ridiculous things this guy does.

Just a note, Owens had the most drops of any receiver last season and has the tendency to have stone hands and a fear of being hit going across the middle so the last thing this guy should be doing is celebrating.

Wes Welker of the New England Patriots and receivers who may not be as fast or agile as Owens, but at least play with some dignity will get the nod before Owens everyday in my book.

I don't mind having a little fun out there, but spiking the football and jumping into your teammates is a perfectly satisfactory celebration. There is no room for this in football. It's a team game and all Owens is and will ever be is an individual.

What a disgrace!

Pirates: The Ship Has Sunk As Jason Bay Lights Up Beantown

Todd Reilly — Sun, 03 Aug 2008 11:24:38 -0400

The MLB trade deadline has passed, and so far the easy winner is the Boston Red Sox, making the ultimate loser on the day the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Not only did the Pirates trade away Xavier Nady, who went to the Yankees, but for some reason they compromised their immediate future in the Canadian kid Jason Bay.

What was the rationale of that deal? Did the Pirates need to get any younger?

Pittsburgh has been the epitome of mediocre in major league baseball, hovering around .500 level or below and never in the playoff hunt. However, the team had a tremendous upside with a bundle youth and a potential down the road MVP in Bay.

Now, the Pirates are in the rebuilding stage again, after dishing their franchise player to Boston for minor leaguers. That's right, I'll say it again, because it's hard to believe. Pittsburgh dealt the former Rookie of the Year and one-time All-Star for absolutely nothing.

Bay has relished in his new diggs, scoring the winning runs in both games as a Red Sox, including a game-winning home run last night which was belted over the Green Monster.

The Pirates should be kicking themselves or at least the GM because something went terribly wrong.

With the trading of the Pirates' core in Bay and Nady, Pittsburgh is primed to be the next Montreal Expos-like franchise: a team that at one point holds on to an abundance of talent but either loses them as free agents or stupidly trades them away before hand.

Need a short list? How about Larry Walker, Vladimir Guerrero, Jose Vidro, Pedro Martinez, and Orlando Cabrera? The worst part is that's just a short sample of the past 10 years before their move to Washington. The Expos even lost Andre Dawson to the Cubs and Gary Carter to the Mets back in the older days. I could go on all day as it became a Montreal trend; something that prevented the team from winning consistently.

If you take a look around the league, many of the contenders have a some sort of link to the now defunct Expos.

If the majority of teams have an ex-Expo, maybe the future of baseball lies in the Pittsburgh Pirates' organization. Or will they stop the bleeding with only losing Jason Bay?

Michelle Wie: Are You Kidding Me?

Todd Reilly — Sun, 03 Aug 2008 10:48:08 -0400

Pardon me if this offends anyone but what is Michelle Wie thinking playing with the men on the PGA Tour?

Wie has already tested her luck on several occasions, failing to make the cut every single time, but has she learnt anything yet? The answer is evidently no.

The youngster decided it would be best to skip the Women's British Open to play this week in the States.

Wie, or whoever is in charge of scheduling her tournaments, decided that a major championship was less of an importance than the Reno-Tahoe Open.

Is that a joke?

If it is, I don't get it, because once again the teenage golf star missed the cut... congratulations.

Wie, whose best finish in a major was second at the 2005 LPGA, has yet to develop into the golfer that everyone predicted her to be.

In fact, Wie has yet to win anything on the LPGA Tour or any tour for that matter, yet she think she can compete on the PGA Tour where the courses are longer and tougher.

I have nothing against the Wie or the LPGA Tour, I think its great showcase of golf but there is a reason the two associations exist.

Wie should focus on her women's game and stop worrying about playing with the men. She is still young and her career can be jump started but not on the PGA Tour.

However, if you want to allow crossovers onto the PGA Tour make sure the golfer has appropriate credentials. Isn't Michelle Wie a combined 0-33 with 13 missed cuts as a professional?

C'mon!

Rafael Nadal Poised to Be No. 1 in the World

Todd Reilly — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 05:50:59 -0400

Rafael Nadal appears to be the front-runner at the Rogers Cup in Toronto after top-ranked Roger Federer failed to defeat Frenchman Gilles Simon (2-6, 7-5, 6-4) in the second round.

The path to the championship seems even more likely following the implosion of American Andy Roddick, who lost his composure in his third round match. Roddick, doing his best McEnroe impression, slammed his racket on numerous occasions, yelled at the chair umpire, and eventually dropped a three set decision to Croatian Marin Cilic (6-4, 4-6, 6-4).

Nadal, coming off an epic final match against Federer at Wimbledon, is making a name for himself in the tennis world and finally emerging as a force outside of clay courts. Claiming the past two majors, and likely the tournament in Toronto, it might not be a stretch before Nadal claims No. 1 in the world.

Federer has been struggling all season to regain his masterful form, losing to opponents that would have been mopped up last season by the outstanding Swiss star.

Top American seed Roddick, who sits sixth in the world, has all but been eliminated from top seed consideration following a lengthy streak of major disappointments and temper tantrums. The rest of the field fights back and forth for supremacy but their efforts cannot be compared to the success and athleticism of Nadal.

Nadal, should he be victorious at the US Open in August, would hold three of the four major titles. Federer would have zero, perhaps opening the door for a new No. 1 in the world of tennis.

With a win on the hard courts in New York, Nadal should at least be considered the best on the ATP Tour even if he remains the second seeded player. Rafa has had a far more successful season than Federer, and despite his many years of domination, Nadal seems poised to take his ranking, dropping the seemingly indestructible Federer to No. 2.

Ottawa Senators Send "Razor Ray Emery Packing

Todd Reilly — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 06:58:20 -0400

The Ottawa Senators have taken the first and most crucial step in fixing a team that collapsed during the second half last season.

GM Brian Murray, as promised, has officially cut ties with troubled goaltender Ray Emery, placing him on waivers. If not picked up by another team, Emery will likely be bought out by the Senators, ending his tenure in the nation's capital.

After an outstanding run in the 2007 playoffs, when the team came up three wins short of a championship, Emery was rewarded with a three-year contract worth approximately $4 million a season.

High expectations followed, but Emery was unable to deliver. A poor work ethic and several off-ice incidents, including being late for practice on more than one occasion, caused major distractions for the club.

Then coach John Paddock was unable to properly discipline Emery for his behaviour, which resulted in a divided locker room. Ultimately, Paddock was fired as a result.

While Emery can not be blamed entirely for the debacle of the 2008 Senators, he was a major part of it, and deserved nothing less than a release from a club who aspirations are to win a Cup—not run a circus.

Emery had a tremendous upside. Unfortunately his lack of professionalism and maturity cost him his job.

The Senators will now be looking to compliment Martin Gerber, who should be back as the team's back-up goalie.

If Murray is unable to find somebody to fill the number-one role in Ottawa, than fans of the squad may be in for another long season of inconsistency.

Perhaps Washington Capitals netminder Olaf Kolzig would be a nice touch in Ottawa.

The Toronto Blue Jays Will Never Fly with John Gibbons

Todd Reilly — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 07:01:56 -0400

At 35-38, they currently sit three games below .500. They are riding the winds of a four-game losing streak in which they've looked more like a AAA ballclub than the last remaining Canadian team in the majors.

The Blue Jays are dead last in the American League East, and they show no signs of being a contender down the stretch. The lineup, top to bottom, is amongst the best in the majors, but the results aren't there.

It is desperation time in Toronto.

Offensively, the Blue Jays have been non-existent and are having a tough time converting runs when they have the opportunity. With Vernon Wells, Alex Rios, Scott Rolen, and Matt Stairs in the starting nine, home runs should not be an issue, but surprisingly it has become a major sore-spot for the team.

Going into last night's contest against the Brewers, the Jays were projected to finish the season with 102 home runs, the all-time third-lowest total for the franchise since the season length became 162 games.

The hammer is going to fall, but who should be taking a seat?

The answer is so-called manager John Gibbons, as GM J.P. Ricciardi has provided the coach with a team capable of making a run at the division title.

Littered with talent, this year's Jays have major preparation issues, as continual slow starts have put the team behind the eight ball. Over the past couple weeks, the bats haven't heated up until the seventh inning, when the game is already out of hand.

Pitching and defense have been a pleasant surprise, and perhaps with better guidance on the bench, the team can turn the tables. But as long as Gibbons is in charge, the Jays will find themselves without wings.