Bleacher Report - Articles by Shashwat Baxi

Yankees-Orioles: Veterans Shine, New Superstars Dim in Yankees Loss

Shashwat Baxi — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 20:05:02 -0400

Baltimore, MD—With the exception of a major injury, there aren't many worse ways that the New York Yankees could have started the season! With some questions about CC Sabathia's ribcage, the possibility of that injury is not out of the question.

The New York Yankees had extremely high hopes and expectations of Opening Day and how they wanted to start the 2009 season. With an extremely successful Spring Training, capped with the two-game sweep of the Cubs in their weekend exhibition, the Bombers looked to get out on the right foot.

This was not the performance that they were hoping for! The Yankees lost to the Baltimore Orioles 10-5!

CC Sabathia, touted as the best free agent pitcher, had no control of his fastball or breaking ball as he pitched 4.1 innings and gave up six runs on eight hits while allowing five walks. The biggest stat for Sabathia, however, was that he had no strikeouts but left the game with a robust ERA of 12.46!

The other major superstar addition, Mark Teixeira, followed suit with a lackluster and forgettable performance of his own. He was 0-4 with a walk and four men left on base. Teixeira, who was loudly booed every time he came to bat, could not produce at the plate today!

There were some bright spots for the Bombers, in the loss, however as some of the veterans showed promise in their return. Both Hideki Matsui and Jorge Posada had towering homeruns in their return from injuries. The Captain, Derek Jeter, had three hits and Johnny Damon added two of his own in defeat.

The Yankees got down early, rallied to make it interesting, but both Jeter and Teixeira grounded out with the tying runner on third base in the top of the eighth. The O's then broke it open with four runs in the bottom of the inning!

The biggest story was the pitching as the Yankees could not contain the O's! The top three batters for Baltimore; Brian Roberts, Adam Jones, and Nick Markakis combined to go 8-11 with four RBI and three walks.

The Yankees begin the season 0-1 and will look to get their first win of the season as they play at Baltimore again on Wednesday.

USA-Puerto Rico: Wright on Time to Send U.S. to Semis

Shashwat Baxi — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 23:13:49 -0400

It didn't look good. Team USA was down by two going into the bottom of the ninth inning. History, however, would not repeat itself for Team USA.

With the bases loaded and the U.S. squad down by one in the bottom of the ninth inning, Mets third baseman David Wright delivered a game-winning single into right field scoring Jimmy Rollins and Brian Roberts.

The victory for Team USA sends them into the semifinals of the World Baseball Classic and consequentially eliminates Team Puerto Rico.

It didn't look good for Team USA, but they came through in the clutch.

In the ninth, Shane Victorino and Brian Roberts hit back-to-back singles to lead off the inning. After Derek Jeter flew out to right field, Jimmy Rollins and Kevin Youkilis got back to back walks. Victorino scored on the Youkilis walk, setting up the game-winning hit for Wright.

Puerto Rico brought in Fernando Cabrera to pitch to Youkilis after the walk to Rollins, but then walked Youkilis and eventually gave up the hit to Wright.

Alex Rios and Wright's Mets teammate, Carlos Delgado, both had homers in the loss for Puerto Rico.

Basketball In New York City: What happened to it?

Shashwat Baxi — Sun, 15 Mar 2009 22:14:03 -0400

New York, New York—Director and Producer Spike Lee is the most devoted basketball fan the New York Knicks have ever had. Even though the Knickerbockers are 28-38 and 25.0 games out of first place in the Eastern Conference, Spike still loves his basketball team. Unfortunately for Lee and the Knicks, he is about the only one who still does!

Hip Hop Mogul and Legend Sean "Jay-Z" Carter don't have a much brighter circumstance as part owner of the 28-37 New Jersey Nets. Vince-anity, formerly Air Canada, has not been able to drive the Nets back to playoff contention after being swept by the Lakers in 2001.

With their NBA teams currently playing for their paychecks, basketball fans in the Tri-state area would then look to college teams for some hope. On Selection Sunday 2009, the NCAA committee only selected three teams from the greater New York/New Jersey region!

Cornell, Siena, and Syracuse are the only teams from either New York or New Jersey that were selected to the NCAA Tournament. Out of those three teams, only Syracuse is a legitimate threat to do damage in the games and they aren't from anywhere close the Big Apple!

St. Johns and Hofstra are really the main college teams that New Yorkers follow, but both of them had disappointing years. The Red Storm finished their Big East season at 16-17 and Hofstra was not good enough at 21-11 to be invited to the "Big Dance". What has happened to basketball in the Big Apple!?

In New York City, basketball has been a way of life for many young children. Boys and girls grow up in circumstances where they either pick up a gun or a basketball! With space being limited, city courts are the most popular places for people to be on a summer day. Basketball keeps kids off the street and gives them hope about a future that doesn't involve jail time!

The Big Apple is home to some of the most famous courts in the world. Many people may think of Boston Garden or the Forum as being the "Mecca" of basketball in the United States, but anyone who enjoys a good, hard game of street ball knows different. Gun Hill, in the Bronx, and Rucker Park in Harlem are two of the most famous basketball venues in the United States.

Rucker Park, especially, has become a tourist attraction for professional basketball players as well as amateurs trying to make a name for themselves. The And1 Basketball Tour and the Entertainers Basketball Classic started with a group of guys playing basketball at Rucker Park. Some people would have to debate whether to attend a game at Rucker Park or at Madison Square Garden!

With so much history of basketball greatness in New York City, how is it possible that The Big Apple doesn't boast a better basketball scene? The Knicks, Nets, and Red Storm have all forgot what it means to play basketball in the greatest city, in the greatest country on earth. Millions of young boys and girls would give their lives to have that opportunity, and yet they are denied.

If anyone is planning on going to see a basketball game in New York City, you may want to skip The Garden and stop off at the local city park! You'll get to see a much better show for a much better price!

A Fan's Perspective: What The New York Yankees Mean to Me

Shashwat Baxi — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 22:15:41 -0500

Most Americans view sports as a distraction from reality. They follow their favorite teams like an addicting soap opera, trying to see what new storyline will play out today.

For me, however, the New York Yankees are more than just my favorite sports team. They are the glue that has held my life together over the last 12 years. They are the arteries of my very being, bringing me new life everyday. The New York Yankees can be thanked for making my life what it is today.

Everyone remembers the emotional first pitch that President G.W. Bush threw out in the 2001 World Series at Yankee Stadium. Baseball fans can picture "America's Mayor" Rudy Giuliani sitting next the dugout with his NYPD/FDNY hat on, cheering on his favorite team through this time of crisis.

When New York City, and America as a whole, needed them, the New York Yankees were there to bring normalcy back to everyone's lives. The Yankees represented everything that was American and everything that this country stands for. It can be argued that the New York Yankees represented more than just the city of New York in the 2001 World Series. They represented America!

Having been a Yankees fan for over a decade, the Bombers have had a major impact on my life as well.

The Yankees are my favorite team and they play in my favorite city. No big deal. That can be said for millions of people across the nation. However, the Bronx Bombers have always been more than that for me.

I can fondly remember going to Yankee Stadium in 1997 to see the Yankees and the Mariners play. Sitting in the bleachers, with The Creatures, I thoroughly enjoyed watching my first ever major league baseball game. Even though the Yankees lost to Ken Griffey Jr. and the Mariners, that was the first real taste I had of Yankee baseball.

Since then, I've been to over a dozen games and each of them have been special for different reasons. Those Yankee games represent bonding experiences with my family and best friends. They represent landmark highlights of my life, including a number of birthdays. They represent happiness, summer, love, and the best times of my life.

Outside of just being at the games, the Yankees also are the biggest point of connection with most of my friends. My best friends are Yankees fans or Red Sox fans, giving me something to either agree or disagree on. It even gives me something to pick on my girl-friend about, who is a big Red Sox fan.

I get pissed at people when they talk about Yankee fans as being "band-wagoners". I yell at Boston fans for insulting Derek Jeter's abilities and clutch hitting. I turn off the WFAN 660 when the Yankees lose and the Mets win, because I don't want to listen to the comparisons.

When the Yankees win, I'm in a great mood the next day. If they happen to lose, I'm not fun to be around.

Through it all, the Yankees have been the rock in my life. I can always look forward to the summer months, listening to John Sterling's voice on the radio. I dream about the next time that I'll get to look out over The House that Ruth Built. I long for the next time that I can gloat about the Yankees wrapping up the World Series.

My life revolves around the New York Yankees and that's what they mean to me!

Why Does Everyone Hate on Derek Jeter?

Shashwat Baxi — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 12:14:18 -0500

Over the last few weeks, baseball headlines have continued to be highlighted by stories about Alex Rodriguez and his steroid debacle. Almost every single time, however, those stories are then followed by another article about Derek Jeter and his apparent decline from greatness.

Every major sports website, newspaper, and baseball blog has run a feature on how "The Captain" is getting older and on his way out of the game. From ESPN and SI to Billy's Baseball Blog, everyone seems to have an opinion about Jeter and how he's going to do this season!

This leads one to ask the question, why does everyone hate on Derek Jeter?

The shortstop hasn't done anything but play at the highest level since coming up with the Yankees back in 1995. Just take a look at the numbers that he has put up over his illustrious career in the Bronx.

Derek is a nine time All-Star with a career .316 batting average. His .316 career average through the 2008 season ranks him with the fifth highest lifetime batting average of all active players. He has collected 2535 Hits, 1467 Runs, 1002 RBIs, and 206 home runs during that 14 year span. DJ is also three time Gold Glove Award winner and a three time Silver Slugger.

Over his career, Jeter has also been named Rookie of the Year in 1996, All-Star Game MVP in 2000, World Series MVP in 2000, Babe Ruth Award Winner in 2000, and Hank Aaron Award Winner in 2006. He also led the Bombers to six World Series appearances while winning four Championships!

This season, Derek looks to become the all-time hits leader for the Yankees when he passes Lou Gehrig! He's well on his way to the MLB Hall of Fame, so everything else is only to lead the Bombers back to the World Series!

Of course "Mr. November" is getting old, but that doesn't mean that he's not still one of the best players in the game. Nobody expects him to put up gawdy numbers every single season of his life, so give the guy a break. He has set a standard that even Superman can't reach every season!

And Then There Was One: Only Griffey Jr. Remains from Pre-Steroid Era!

Shashwat Baxi — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 16:46:41 -0500

Over the last decade, it has been very easy to get caught up in the steroid scandals of professional baseball. With daily reports about new allegations, baseball fans around the United States have begun to suspect everyone of being on "the juice." However, there is still one true superstar that was able to rise above the steroid scandals and still rule the baseball world!

That man...is Ken Griffey, Jr.!

Almost nine years ago, Griffey Jr. left the Seattle Mariners and signed with the Cincinnati Reds. Since that day, nothing has been the same in the MLB. Now with Griffey Jr. and the Mariners in talks about Junior's possible return to Seattle, the entire baseball world hopes that some semblance of normalcy can be restored!

While playing with Seattle, Griffey was a 10-time American League Gold Glove winner, the 1992 All-Star Game MVP, 1997 AL MVP, 1998 ESPY co-winner for Male Athlete of the Year, and was named to the All-Century team in 1999.

Griffey established himself as one of the most prolific and exciting players of the era, racking up 1,752 hits, 398 home runs, 1,152 RBIs, and 167 stolen bases. He led the American League in home runs four seasons (1994, 1997, 1998, and 1999), was voted the AL MVP in 1997, and maintained a .297 batting average.

Teaming up with the likes of Alex Rodriguez and Randy Johnson, Griffey was well on his way to leading the Mariners to the promised land. Seattle consistently fell short, however, eventually leading to the departure of all three of these superstars. Griffey never really got his swagger back, being hampered by injury in both Cincinnati and Chicago.

While being sidelined, Junior watched the likes of Big Mac, Slammin' Sammy, Barry Bonds, Rafael Palmeiro, Miguel Tejada, Roger Clemens, and now his former teammate A-Rod rise and fall from the graces of elite stardom. The Steroid Era has destroyed the careers of numerous future and possible Hall of Famers.

There is even talk about Bud Selig erasing Bonds' name from the all-time home run record and reinstating Hammerin' Hank as the record holder.

Griffey Jr. is the last great slugger and all-around superstar left from the 1990s. He is the current active home run leader with 611 and will likely sign a one-year contract to finish his career in Seattle. Unless Junior's name is on the list of the 104, he will go down in history as "The Natural" who didn't need steroids to dominate the game.

Junior played the game the way it was supposed to be played. He dominated the game in an era where steroids weren't even an issue yet. As other superstars fall from greatness, Junior remains idolized as one of the best to ever play!

Every A-Rod Mistake Increases Jeter's Golden Boy Status!

Shashwat Baxi — Sun, 08 Feb 2009 15:37:25 -0500

Alex Rodriguez has been considered by many as possibly the greatest baseball player of all-time. However, A-Rod continues to shoot himself in the foot by appearing in a variety of stories that portray him in a very negative light.

Since 2004, Alex has been a media target, and he has not disappointed his critics. In four years, A-Rod has been on the cover of major New York and national publications for almost every non-baseball story possible. Baseball beat writers in New York have made a living just reporting gossip stories about Alex!

He has made headlines for the "Ha" play in Toronto, for frequenting strip clubs on road trips, for the entire fiasco with Madonna, for his ugly break-up and divorce from his wife, and for his criticism of his teammates and coaching staff.

He has made headlines for leaving the 2008 All-Star Game halfway, for his decision to play for the Dominican Republic in the 2009 World Baseball Classic and for the A-Fraud/Torre incidents.

And, of course, now, he is in the news for a steroid controversy surrounding his 2003 MVP season!

Ever since his total implosion in the 2004 playoffs, Alex has not really been a fan favorite in the Bronx, either. The fact that he has made headlines for stupid incidents doesn't help his popularity with the fans.

Yankee fans expect that soemone who makes over $25 million a year, would help lead the Yankees to the World Series. If anything, A-Rod has done the opposite by producing worse in during October than he does in June and July.

Because of his lack of production in key situations, Alex has had to deal with countless nights of being booed and jeered. It may have hurt his feelings, but A-Rod hasn't done anything to try to change that around.

Through all of this drama, Alex has continued to be an All-Star caliber player, has won 2 MVP awards, 3 Silver Slugger awards, the Hank Aaron award, and also hit his 500th career home run. Clearly, there have been some positive things that A-Rod has done in this four years as a Yankee, but those stats are not as important as winning another championship.

As Alex continues to lose popularity in the court of public opinion, Derek Jeter stands in the shadow and continues to win over the admiration of Yankee fans. Jeter has been the "Golden Boy" of New York since his rookie year, and his status only shines brighter when unfavorable stories are reported about his infield counterpart.

Critics of Derek Jeter insist that he is washed up and should no longer be the starting shortstop for the New York Yankees. They claim that his arm strength is depleting, his hitting ability is deteriorating, and he is just all-around getting old.

However, Jeter continues to infuriate his critics by putting up All-Star caliber numbers on his march to the Hall Of Fame. In the time that Alex has been on the team, Jeter has won the Hank Aaron Award, 3 Gold Gloves, and 3 Silver Slugger awards.

At this point, Alex Rodriguez and Derek Jeter are both on their way to the Major League Baseball Hall Of Fame. Decades from now, people will not remember the side stories that plagued Rodriquez's stay in the Bronx. However, they will remember that Derek Jeter was the captain of the Yankees and had four more World Series rings than Alex Rodriguez did!

Storrs, Connecticut: The College Basketball Capital of the United States

Shashwat Baxi — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 22:39:51 -0500

In case you haven't noticed, Connecticut is back on the map. With the men's teams' victory over Louisville on Monday night, and the women continuing to dominate their competition, the University of Connecticut has solidified it's place as the current NCAA Basketball Capital of the United States!

Sports fans in the state are usually overlooked, especially while being caught up between the major media markets of Boston and New York. The Boston/New England media market draws millions of fans towards the Red Sox, Patriots, Bruins, and Celtics. The New York/New Jersey media market draws those same fans towards the Yankees, Knicks, Devils, Rangers, Nets, Mets, Islanders, Jets, and Giants.

Connecticut has the Sun, from the WNBA, but they have not really gained a huge following in the state. Even though the Sun have continued to be competitive and have challenged for the WNBA title since their inception in the league, sports fans in Connecticut still don't really get too excited about their lone professional sports team.

Double-A baseball teams, for the Minnesota Twins and San Francisco Giants, easily have a stronger following in Connecticut than the Sun.

They may be divided about other teams, but all of the fans in Connecticut can agree that the UConn Huskies are their version of a professional team. There is no need for other sports teams in the state, when both the men's and women's teams are ranked No. 1 in the nation. Connecticut has moved back to being a major powerhouse in both leagues, and residents are very proud to have them represent the state.

The Men's team was ranked No. 2 in the preseason polls, as Hall of Fame Head Coach Jim Calhoun looks to win his third national championship this season.

After a bad loss to Georgetown, the Huskies have come storming back, running their record to 21-1. They have beaten the likes of Gonzaga, Notre Dame, Louisville, and Villanova on their way to being undefeated on the road at 11-0.

Some of the major contributors on the Huskies this season include Hasheem Thabeet, Jeff Adrien, Jerome Dyson, Kemba Walker, A.J. Price, and Stanley Robinson.

The men still have a tough schedule before March, including Syracuse, Pittsburgh, Marquette, and Notre Dame. At this rate, however, the Huskies are well on their way to winning the Big East and entering March as the overall No. 1 seed.

The women's team, on the other hand, has been ranked No. 1 in the nation since before the 2008-09 campaign began. Hall of Fame Head Coach Geno Auriemma looks to win his sixth national championship this season, and it doesn't appear that anyone will stop him from doing that. The Huskies are 22-0 and have handily defeated major opponents like Oklahoma, North Carolina, LSU, and Louisville.

Key members of the women's team this season have been: Maya Moore, Tina Charles, Ren Montgomery, Caroline Doty, Kalana Greene, Tiffany Hayes, and Kaili Mclaren.

On their way to being the No. 1 overall seed in the tournament, the women still have to face Pittsburgh, Notre Dame, Rutgers, and Marquette. They should have no problem winning the Big East and then marching through the NCAA bracket in March.

NCAA fever is alive and well in Connecticut as the UConn men and women have continued to dominate their opponents on their way to identical No. 1 rankings in the nation. This could very well be the year that the same university celebrates championships in both leagues.

Welcome to Connecticut, the home of the best college basketball teams in the United States!

Guilty As Charged: Derek Jeter Admits To Stealing Piece of "Old Yankee Stadium"

Shashwat Baxi — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 11:47:59 -0500

New York, NY~ If anyone could get away with stealing something from "The House that Ruth Built", it would be Derek Jeter.

With all of the controversy surrounding the change in ballparks and the demolition of the "Old Yankee Stadium", Jeter continued to keep silent on what he wanted to take. Even though hundreds of reporters badgered him about what he wanted as a memento of the stadium, Derek kept silent about it until today.

As reported in the New York Times, Derek Jeter admitted to stealing the sign that hung above the tunnel leading from the clubhouse the field. Mind you, this was not just any old sign. This was the blue banner that read "I want to thank the Good Lord for making me a Yankee" ~ Joe DiMaggio!

Of course that particular piece of Yankee Stadium memorabilia would have probably made the Yankees a good amount of money,but Yankee brass is reported to be fine with The Captain having stolen it!

Could there be anything more fitting for the Yankee Captain to have taken? As the most beloved Yankee of this generation, Derek Jeter fits right into the mold of the Yankee Clipper.

Derek Jeter, who now holds the record for most hits at Yankee Stadium 1.0, will have a piece of the stadium to remind him of the "House" that he made a home. If Jeter plays the same way in Yankee Stadium 2.0 as he did in the old place, the Yankees would let him take whatever he wants!

Report: St. Louis Rams Hire Steve Spagnuolo As Head Coach

Shashwat Baxi — Sat, 17 Jan 2009 15:19:01 -0500

The St. Louis Rams are going to move in a new defensive-oriented direction with the hiring of New York Giants Defensive Coordinator Steve Spagnuolo, as their Head Coach. The Rams have reportedly signed him to a contract for four years worth 11.5 million dollars.

Spagnuolo will be replacing interim coach Jim Haslett, who will not stay on with the coaching staff for the Rams. Dallas Cowboys Offensive Coordinator Jason Garrett was another possible candidate for filling this position.

The Rams were one of the worst teams, on both sides of the ball, last season and the addition of Spagnuolo will bring a much needed focus on defense.

Spagnuolo was thought to be on the short-list for a number of teams including the rival New York Jets, but he has accepted the job with the Rams.

Spags was thought to be one of the hottest assistants in the pool of possible coaches, after the work that he did with the New York Giants and bringing them the Super Bowl championship last season!

Memo To The WWE: Please Bring Back The Rock!

Shashwat Baxi — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 20:48:51 -0500

The World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) is a soap opera consisting of athletes. There is no question about whether "pro wrestling" is a scripted business that many people consider to be stupid and fake.

Even then, millions of people still tune in to the weekly RAW or Smackdown episodes to see these guys hit each other with chairs, bury them alive in caskets, or throw them off the top of the steel cage!

Over the last few years, pretty much since the end of WWF (due to the World Wildlife Foundation), the entire wrestling business has really lost it's appeal.

The story lines are starting to get repetitive, major stars are leaving the the WWE and joining TNA, and the generation of WWF Attitude fans are beginning to turn their backs on pro wrestling.

Nobody wants to see wrestling superstars like Sting, Kurt Angle, the New Age Outlaws, Kevin Nash, Jeff Jarrett, the Steiner Brothers, and many others... on TNA. These guys were champions on WWE and have left the WWE with Shawn Michaels, Stone Cold, John Cena, and the Undertaker.

With all of the issues that the WWE is having, there is one easy solution. Do whatever it takes to bring back the People's Champion! The Rock needs to be brought back to WWE and he needs to be brought back now!

It is well understood that The Rock would much rather focus on his acting career. He has been in numerous movies since his last match in the WWE and is continuing to work on other projects, but Vince McMahon really needs to lure him back to his fans in the WWE!

The "Most electrifying man in sports and entertainment" is exactly the type of spark that the company needs to get people back to tuning in. The Rock showed up in 2007, via sattellite, and the place went absolutly crazy.

There is no question that The Rock is the answer to all of the problems that the WWE is currently facing. Even though guys like Triple H, Batista, Cena, Taker, Michaels, and Y2J are still around... nobody brings the people to their feet like The Rock does.

The only other wrestling legend that would re-electrify the WWE like The Rock would, may be Hulk Hogan, but he is too busy dealing with his own drama.

Memo to NBA Players: Don't Drink and Drive...You Will Get Caught!

Shashwat Baxi — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 03:45:25 -0500

Anyone who watches television can see the commercials about police officers cracking down on people drinking and driving. The United States government is putting its foot down when it comes to DWIs and DUIs!

Just so there is no confusion, this applies to star athletes in the National Basketball Association as well as everyone else!

Over the last few days, THREE prominent names around the league have been reported as being charged or arrested for Driving Under the Influence.

Hall of Famer "Sir" Charles Barkley, guard Jason Richardson of the Phoenix Suns, and former All-Star Antoine Walker have all been reported as being busted for drinking and driving.

When will these guys learn that they are not above the law and that they can get arrested just like anyone else?

NBA superstars are some of the most recognizable people in the United States, which comes with a lot of responsibility to carry themselves as role models.

With all of the money that these guys make (or made in Walker's case), they could easily just hire a limo service to escort them to and from wherever they need to go. Either that, or just find someone to be the designated driver. These guys have to have enough friends, teammates, or fans that would willingly oblige to do so.

Drinking and driving is a serious issue and can be very dangerous to not only the drunk person and their passengers, but also for everyone else on the road.

Even Sir Charles might say that drinking and driving was a "turrible idea"!

Breaking News: Detroit Lions to Face Michigan Wolverines in GM/Ford Bowl Game!

Shashwat Baxi — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 13:20:49 -0500

Detroit, Michigan—The NFL and NCAA have agreed to join forces for the first ever General Motors/Ford Auto Bowl game that will put the Michigan Wolverines up against the Detroit Lions at Ford Field.

People in the city of Detroit can rejoice over what can only be seen as a late Christmas gift for football fans of the Lions and Wolverines!

The 3-9 Michigan Wolverines had a terrible season under first year Head Coach Rich Rodriguez. The only real bright spot for the Wolverines was their win against Minnesota in the Battle for the Little Brown Jug. Other than that, Michigan fans would be hard pressed to even remember the other two victories this season.

After a tumultuous off-season with the retirement of Lloyd Carr and the hiring of a controversial Rich Rodriguez, the Wolverines found themselves facing an uphill climb from week one.

The new offense could never get it going and the old school defense just could not stop anyone. After a huge win over Florida last bowl season, the Wolverines could only watch on television.

The 0-16 Detroit Lions made themselves the laughing stock of the National Football League this season, as they officially became the worst team ever in the history of professional football.

Even with players like RB Kevin Smith, WR Calvin Johnson, and QB Duante Culpepper, the Lions could never put it all together in any one game.

Football fans around the league could not help but question how 53 professional football players could go through a season and not win even one game!

The Lions have a rich history of football, even though they have never really been a powerhouse team. This year, however, football fans in Detroit really have nothing positive to say about their team.

Head Coach Rod Marinelli has already been fired, along with other members of the front office and coaching staff. This game allows Coach Marinelli one last chance to get that elusive win.

This bowl game is being sponsored by General Motors and Ford, which also enjoy the thought of getting back to work after their terrible 2008. The Motor City could use these companies to bring people back to the city and out to a football game. Nothing could help this dilapidated city more than its own bowl game, with it’s own teams.

The game is scheduled for January 8th, 2009 at Ford Field in Detroit. It will be played at the same time that the BCS National Championship game is being played, because probably nobody in Michigan will be watching the game with Florida facing Oklahoma.

With the Red Wings, Pistons, and Tigers all contending for their respective titles, the Lions and Wolverines could get some sense of pride out of winning this game. It is a win-win situation for everyone involved, unless of course the game ends in a tie!

The Top 10 Celebrity Sports Fans!

Shashwat Baxi — Thu, 25 Dec 2008 18:14:14 -0500

Superstars like Adam Sandler have been spotted all around the world of sports in the United States. Let's look at some of the most biggest sports fanatics, that just also happen to be celebrities in their own right! There are hundreds of superstars that love sports, the same way an average American does! Many have been left of the list, for one reason or another. Honorable mentions can be handed out to many different people from Justin Timberlake for the Memphis Tigers to Eva Longoria for the San Antonio Spurs. Many, including Adam Sandler, did not make the list! This slideshow counts down the top 10 Celebrity Sports Fans in the country!

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NFL Pro Bowl: Does Anyone Really Care?

Shashwat Baxi — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 16:44:58 -0500

The National Football League announced the rosters for the National Football Conference and the American Football Conference teams in the 2008 Pro Bowl.

Besides the players that earn a salary bonus for being selected to the team, does anyone really care about what happens after the Super bowl?

Does it matter that Peyton and Eli are the first quarterbacking brothers to be elected to the same pro bowl?

Does anyone care that the New York Jets and the New York Giants are sending 13 players between them?

Are Packers fans crying because Brett Favre is playing for the AFC team, representing the J-E-T-S in Hawaii?

If your favorite team doesn't make the playoffs, do you even care that one of the players makes the pro bowl?

Does anyone even know when the game is actually played?

Most fans probably channel-surf through other programming on a cold, Sunday afternoon and just happen upon the Pro Bowl.

Unlike the NBA, NHL, and MLB, the NFL decides to have it's "all-star" game be held at the end of the season.

There is no question that a mid-season pro bowl would disrupt the flow of the season and be a huge distraction in such a short season. In a 17 week regular season, every game is very important and the NFL cannot afford to take a week off to introduce a mid-season "all-star" break. However, it would at least get some people to tune in to the game.

The Super Bowl is the highest rated sporting event in the world, and brings in hundreds of millions of viewers. There is a reason so many people watch this game, though—it signals the end of the season.

Everyone knows that the Giants upset the Patriots in the Super Bowl, but nobody can tell you which side won the Pro Bowl.

Sports fans stop paying attention to football after the Super Bowl, as their attention shifts towards back to the other major sports.

Even with all of the attention that ESPN and other sports networks pay to the unveiling of the Pro Bowl rosters, fans do not get excited because their team is sending a couple guys to the game.

The Oakland Raiders and Kansas City Cheifs have a couple players who will be starting for the AFC side, but that doesn't mean their fans are now excited to continue paying attention to the end of the season.

The Raiders and Chiefs have had lackluster seasons and their fans could care less if one of their guys got selected to the Pro Bowl. They would quickly trade their Pro Bowl spots for a chance at making the playoffs again.

There is no drama. There are no situations. There is nothing on the line. It's not a game for the fans and the NFL needs to do something about it.

The best players in the league should definitely be honored, but there has to be a different way. Letting fans vote is the only real way that the NFL gets their fans to participate in the Pro Bowl experience. It's just not good enough anymore.

With all of the bad publicity that the NFL has been getting over the last few years, this is the best way for the Commissioner to fix the image.

He needs to make the Pro Bowl more of an event, where fans can come and interact with the players and the NFL in general. Either that, or make the game count for something and add some drama.

If these guys are so big and tough, let them play tackle football without pads. That would get people excited about the game. Let's see how that works out.

Top Five Ways to Improve the MLB Summer Classic!

Shashwat Baxi — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 07:26:16 -0500

Even the middle of December, MLB continues to make headlines. As the December meetings, free agent signings, and contract negotiations are all taking place, there is still plenty of baseball-related news to be made this offseason.

One such baseball-related item is the All-Star game. Arguably the best All-Star game out of the four major professional sports in the United States, there are still a few things that can be tweaked or added to All-Star weekend to improve it.

Commissioner Bud Selig wanted to increase viewership and add some drama to the All-Star Game, so he made the game count for home field advantage in the World Series. There are still other changes that can be made to the entire event that could heighten the excitement for the weekend and incorporate more players.

The home-run derby is one of the most anticipated events during the season, and players like Bobby Abreu and Josh Hamilton have not disappointed in recent years. However, it has not been good enough.

The other big event in the schedule of festivities is the celebrity softball game, which usually airs on ESPN "The OCHO" at around 2:00 AM ET.

Similar to the NBA and NHL All-Star game breaks, MLB needs to add some more events and tweak some of its current ones. Here are five changes that MLB can make to really help out the All-Star week!

5. End Mandatory Representation

Currently, every team has to send at least one player to the All-Star Game. It has been criticized for many years, and it is high time that MLB gets rid of this ridiculous rule.

The guy who goes to the Fall Classic representing the last place team usually knows that it wasn't because he deserves to be there. There have been many great players with all-star-like performances who have been left off the team because the space had to be given to someone else.

It is a nice thing that MLB is doing, especially for those few Royals fans that watch the introductions just to root for the one guy who went to say that someone from the Royals was there. However, it's time for the rule to be dumped.

It would just make the game better if the game was really played by the best of the best, and not by the best of the worst that had to be chosen.

4. Add Games With Fans

The All-Star game does currently include a fan-zone type event where fans get closer to the game. However, it would be a lot more interesting for fans to be more interactive with the game.

It would be interesting to see if fans could participate in an event where they had to do a "Pros vs. Joes" type competition. A contest would be held to let five to 10 fans win the chance to play in this event.

One of the games would have fans pitching to players to see if they could strike anyone out. Another game would let fans hit against an All-Star pitcher. A third game could have fans race a player down the first-base line or even try to steal on a left handed pitcher.

There are so many ways in which MLB could make money off of this and also incorporate more fans. It would also be the first league that would institute something like this and could really get people excited to see average people trying to compete with MLB All-Stars.

3. Keep Highlighting Hall of Famers

One of the most memorable baseball moments in the last decade has to be when the All-Stars gathered around Ted Williams in Fenway Park. Last season was no different, when MLB honored Hall of Famers at Yankee Stadium during the Midsummer Classic. Some would argue that the pre-game ceremony was more memorable than the actual game.

There are many Hall of Famers that did not have the chance to be honored at last year's game. For that very reason, MLB could make it more of a tradition to highlight different Hall of Famers every summer.

They could even make it so that the home city/team would be the one that would be highlighted. For example, if the All-Star game is being played in Oakland, then MLB would find former Athletics players in the Hall of Fame to honor and highlight.

It would help preserve the history of the game, show the younger generation some of the great players of the past, and make up for the lack of that mandatory representation rule.

2. Replace the Softball Game with a real Old Timers Game

Some fans may find this to be a little redundant, especially after the honoring of the Hall of Famers. However, it would bring some more excitement than the current softball game.

The New York Yankees have an Old Timers Day every season in which they honor dozens of former players. The MLB could bring this same concept to the All-Star festivities and let fans watch their favorite players of the past.

Currently, nobody really cares about the celebrity softball game. It is probably the least cared about event during the entire three-day span. The MLB would do well to get rid of it and replace it with an Old Timers game.

Old Timers/Legends could include anyone that used to play and no longer plays in the major leagues anymore. Some of the names could include Cal Ripken Jr., Tony Gwynn, Sammy Sosa, Bernie Williams, Mo Vaughn, and many more.

Obvious hall-of-famers would also be included, which would only make it more exciting to see Randy Johnson pitching to Reggie Jackson or Barry Bonds going up against Goose Gossage.

At any rate, it would be more exciting than seeing Jimmy Kimmel or Chris Rock running around the bases.

1. More Skills Competitions

There is no question that the home run derby draws a sizable television audience, and by now...everyone is now used to Chris Berman's voice yelling "Back, Back, Back." However, MLB would really help the entire event if they added other skills competition.

The NBA and NHL both have events that have players compete against each other to see who is the best at certain skills. With so many acclaimed five-tool players in the MLB, the All-Star game should institute a set of events which test to see who really is the best.

One of the events would match the fastest guys up against each other. Which player has the fastest time from third base to home plate? Which player can make it around the bases in the quickest time? Fans would be able to see who really is the fastest player in the MLB.

Another event would test arm strength of outfielders. The players would have to throw from different spots in the outfield and try to hit a target at home. They could test to see who can continuously and accurately hit the target on the fly. Move back to the warning track and hit them a sacrifice fly...can they throw out the runner at home plate?

A third such event would institute situational hitting. Can these players get the job done in the clutch? With two outs and a man on third, can they get a hit against a right-handed closer? Can the hitter get a sacrifice bunt or get down the suicide squeeze?

The last event could match the fastest pitchers against each other. What pitcher can consistently throw over 100 MPH? Which pitcher can get the most hits against another pitcher? Who has the best pick-off move?

One all-around competition would then pit the best against the best. Can the guy with the strongest and most accurate arm throw out the fastest player at the plate? Can the best clutch hitter drive in the fastest player from first base with two outs, down by one run, against the fastest pitcher?

There are many ways to involve all different aspects of being a professional player outside of just hitting home runs.

Baseball fans are going to watch the All-Star Game no matter what, but that doesn't mean that the MLB can't change a few things to make it better. It would incorporate many more players and give the league the advantage of making a lot more money!

Benedict A-Rod: Alex Rodriguez Joins Dominican Republic in WBC

Shashwat Baxi — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 14:31:49 -0500

Even in the middle of December, there is always plenty of news involving Alex Rodriguez.

The Yankees' Third baseman has been in Mexico over the last few weeks running a baseball camp for youngsters. Along with running the camp, A-Rod has been spotted meeting up with pop icon Madonna in his spare time.

None of that really matters to baseball fans in the United States; most of which are fully involved in football, basketball, or hockey season. However, A-Rod just can't seem to get out of the spotlight:

In a move that will only make more baseball fans turn on him, Alex will likely be leaving the USA team to play for the Dominican Republic!

Boston Red Sox DH/1B David "Big Papi" Ortiz reported on Thursday that Rodriguez will most likely be playing for the DR in the upcoming World Baseball Classic. Ortiz, being from the Dominican Republic, would love to see A-Rod on the Dominican Republic team with him. Big Papi and A-Rod in the 3 and 4 slots means nightmares for any opposing pitcher!

Alex had a hard time making this very decision during the first World Baseball Classic, eventually choosing the US team over the Dominican team. However, it seems that something changed his mind this time around.

Without Alex Rodriguez in the middle of their lineup, the United States team will have a hard time competing for the title during the next WBC. Clearly, because they had a hard enough time with him on the roster during the first World Baseball Classic.

Nobody knows what has been going on with Alex, ever since he got to the Bronx. Alex has gotten into more off the field controversy than almost anyone else in the MLB, but the $300 million dollar man just can't seem to get out of his own way.

As if Yankee fans and baseball fans in general didn't dislike him enough already, A-Rod just gave American baseball fans one more reason to hate him.

If Alex Rodriguez wants to feel love in the Bronx like Derek Jeter does, this is not the way to go about doing it. As was very evident in from his divorce, A-Rod is out looking for love in all the wrong places!

Even Professional Atheletes Have To "Protect Their Reps"!

Shashwat Baxi — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 07:13:40 -0500

The NBA and NFL are home to some of the best athletes in the entire world. There is no question that some of these basketball and football players have had hard lives and rough childhoods.

They took up sports to stay away from gangs and to distract them from their broken homes. These guys worked on their game long and hard and eventually became good enough to play in the NCAA and then the NFL or NBA.

Even through it all, they refuse to let anyone think that they became "soft." For whatever reason, even professional athletes have to protect their reputation as being from "the streets," and they must always "rep their hood."

There is no question that athletes are high profiled people who make lots of money. There have been numerous stories of athletes who have been involved in violent activities, especially in recent years. More and more athletes are being targeted, robbed, and killed.

It can be understandable to some that athletes have begun to carry weapons and bring back their "hardcore" image and reputation.

In the National Basketball Association, Commissioner Stern mandated that players would dress in certain types of clothes before and after games. David Stern was tired of players arriving to the game with their baggy jeans, wave caps, and extra-long, white t-shirts.

Even with this mandate, basketball players have the biggest "thug life" complex. From Gun Hill to Rucker Park, especially with the ever increasing popularity of And1 and the Entertainers Basketball Classic, there is a difference between being a baller and Baller.

Take a look at Allen Iverson. Nobody could argue that Iverson, the former All-Star, doesn't deserve to play in the NBA. Even though AI has made it to the NBA, been to the All-Star games numerous times, and even played in the NBA Finals...he still has a rep to protect.

AI does what any real "thug" would do, and that is worry about himself. He skipped practice whenever he wanted, played for himself, and makes sure that he gets paid. AI is only one of countless basketball players that have to show their fanbase that they didn't become "soft" or go "Hollywood".

He doesn't want to alienate his fans and show that he is still "Black." Even as a millionaire, AI shows the people that he is as much of a tough guy as he was before playing at G-Town.

Even if AI was to clean up his image, it would not change the fact that there are many others out there like this. Even though they have more money then they need, it's still about keeping true to who they are and where their from. These guys are all afraid that their boys in the hood will think less of them if they lessen their tough exterior and realize that they aren't out runnin' the streets anymore.

The same is true for the National Football League, especially in recent times. With more stories coming out every day, the latest being of Plaxico Burress and Antonio Pierce, the NFL is also getting an image of being a league of thugs.

Plaxico and Antonio, both well known in New York City, still thought it would be a better idea to carry a loaded gun and then lie about it. This fiasco just puts an exclamation point on the amount of legal issues that NFL players have been going through.

Burress and Pierce represent the same mentality as is already present in the National Basketball Association. Just look at other events that have conspired off the field with NFL players.

The Vikings cruise, Tank Johnson, Pacman Jones, and Michael Vick are some of the most highlighted stories in the past few years. Everyone wants to be a player, they want to "make it rain" and show everyone that they should not be messed with.

Nobody can explain what it was that Burress was doing with a loaded and unlocked gun in mid-town NYC last week. They cannot explain why Michael Vick would have dogs fight each other.

There is no excuse for any of Pacman Jones's or Tank Johnson's actions. The Vikings "cruise" was just a ridiculous event that should have been better hidden. It's all about protecting their reputation.

These are our professional athletes, role models, and celebrities. As sad as it is to say about the state of the NBA and the NFL, these are only the stories that we know about.

Something needs to get done before everyone in the NBA and NFL start walking around with three security guards and a couple of 9mms in their pocket. At least if these guys are going to start carrying guns for their protection, they should learn how to use one. Just ask Plaxico Burress...

The True Reflections As a Fan... and a Friend!

Shashwat Baxi — Sat, 29 Nov 2008 16:55:35 -0500

Hundreds of thousands of high school students play football for their respective schools. Out of this group of young men, a few thousand will be recruited and accept a scholarship at a top-tier 1A college program. An even smaller number of these college football players will have the opportunity to play professionally, in the either the NFL, CFL, or Europe. Some people are destined for greatness and there are a lucky few who are able to sit back and watch it along the way.

Ryan Glasper, recently signed safety for the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League, is the main focus and inspiration behind this article. Glasper played his high school football at Southington High School in Connecticut and then went on to play four years at Boston College.

He is best known for this performance in the 2005 MPC Computers Bowl as the BC Eagles defeated Boise State. Glasper had two interceptions, one in which he intercepted a pass in the end zone with 37 seconds to go and gave the Eagles the win. Recently, Glasper filed for Free Agency from the Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the CFL and signed with the aforementioned Argonauts.

Glasper grew up in New Britain, CT and came to play at Southington High School when he moved in with head football coach Jude Kelly. Since the first time that Glasper stepped on to Fontana Field in Southington, CT, people could see that he was something special.

In his illustrious high school career, Glasper was a running back, punt returner, kick returner, wide-receiver, quarterback, and strong safety. As they say, this guy did it all. He still holds high school records on longest return for touchdowns and longest play from scrimmage.

From the first time I saw him play, I knew that Ryan was going to be a star. I was in eighth grade and Friday nights in Autumn were all about going to see the high school football game. There were plenty of stars on the team, but nobody brought more excitement to the crowd than Glasper did. I can remember thinking, even in 8th grade, that I couldn't wait to get to high school and meet this guy.

During my freshman year of high school, I finally had that opportunity. I went right over and introduced myself to Ryan and told him that I was a huge fan. At first, he treated me like a nobody and just went on his way. However, as I got more involved with the school and the football team, Ryan began to notice me. There was no question that I was his biggest fan, knew his weekly statistics better than he did, and began to meet his family and closest friends.

Ryan also played on the high school basketball team, which I was the manager of, and the track team. Because I was the varsity manager, we spent basketball season together too. By the end of my freshman year of high school, we were friends.

During his senior year of high school, my sophomore year, Ryan was elected captain of our football team. I played as a sophomore tackle and he was the senior quarterback/wide receiver/safety. It could not have been a more different pair of friends, but I was now more than just a fan. I was his teammate! I could watch this stud from the sidelines now and see him make plays up close.

Ryan went on to win all-conference and all-state honors that year. Still, we would go out after the games and even show up at some parties together. I was the most excited person to find out that Ryan had signed a letter of intent to play for the Boston College Eagles.

Football season ended, but that meant basketball season began. I managed the varsity team again and Glasper played on it. We went through the same routine as we had the previous year, but this time it was different. It was more of a friend relationship, rather than a fan and player type of thing. I was proud to be able to tell people that he was my friend and I had his cell phone number (which I still have and use from time to time).

After high school, Ryan went on to Boston College and immediately made an impact as a starter in their defensive backfield. Even though he was bothered by injury, Glasper started for four years at BC and won all four bowl games that he appeared in.

After Boston College, he tried out for a few NFL teams but went un-drafted. Glasper went on to suit up for the Hamilton-Tiger Cats, but left them in October for Toronto. Even though people don't pay attention to the CFL here, it's still professional football.

This article was not written to highlight Ryan Glasper or to try to show that I know a professional athlete. The article is meant to show that these types of stories are found in every high school in the United States.

Every star player started as just another high school player and then went on to bigger and better things. Behind every star, there were guys who never got to play. There are guys who played alongside them, but never made it past high school. There are guys who sat next to them in classes and guys who tutored them to make sure they didn't become academically ineligible.

Ryan Glasper is one of my favorite professional athletes and he is someone that I'm honored to call a friend. Ryan represents thousands of athletes around the nation and it's an honor to have a small part in his success story. While there are millions of others who can tell a similar story, each one of them is just slightly different. These are the stories that make these athletes normal people. Southington is proud of Ryan Glasper and so am I.

The Top 5 Reasons Americans Don't Follow Cricket!

Shashwat Baxi — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 16:22:24 -0400

Millions of people around the world follow a sport that is basically played with a guy throwing a ball, another guy hitting the ball then running, and yet a third guy catching the ball.

As much as we would like to say that these people were baseball fans, they are actually following a sport that most Americans cannot readily identify with.

International fans are crazy about cricket, which is arguably the most popular sport in the world (compared with soccer.) With so many international fans, it's amazing to see how little attention cricket gets in the United States.

However, here are five reasons as to why Americans enjoy their baseball game and don't really care about cricket!

5) Cricket is too hard to understand for Americans

Even though cricket is just like any other sport, most Americans don't want to take the time to understand how to play cricket. They don't understand the concept that a "bowler" is the same as a pitcher or that a "wicket keeper" has the same basic function as a catcher. The idea of a 360 degree field is too foreign to Americans, as is the idea of two wickets on the "pitch" from which the batsmen just keep running back and forth.

How is it that someone can get up to six runs for hitting the ball over the boundary? What does it mean when the umpire does the "touchdown" sign with both of his hands in the air? These are just some of the many questions that Americans ask about cricket. It is just so much easier to stick to watching and participating in American sports such as baseball and football.

4) The United States doesn't have a major team

As Americans put a major emphasis on being the best athletes, cricket would just be another sport that the U.S. could not dominate on an international stage.

The United States has already been embarrassed in international basketball, baseball, soccer, and hockey. Why would Americans jump follow another sport that will never be prominent in the U.S? There will never be a team to make it on the international stage, which immediately takes away a lot of the reason why to watch.

It's hard for Americans to get excited about a sport that they cannot watch on television. When they do watch it online or on satellite, they have to support teams from other parts of the world.

Americans watch the Olympics and other such athletic events because they want to see the United States prove to the international community that they have the best athletes. This cannot and will never be done in cricket, so Americans shy away from even following the sport in general.

3) Cricket is just not considered to be American

On the list of the top 1,000 things that people would consider to be "American," cricket would show up on the list somewhere around 2,000.

Cricket, similar to soccer, is seen as an international sport that Americans just don't have any interest in. Even though cricket is in the top two on the list of most popular sports in the world, Americans just don't really care that much.

Cricket is associated with England and other countries, none of which the United States really cares too much about what they are doing. Some of the international powerhouses in cricket include South Africa, Sri Lanka, Australia, and Pakistan.

Americans are never going to wake up at 3:00 a.m. on a Tuesday to watch a cricket match being played in Bombay between Pakistan and South Africa—it just isn't going to happen.

2) Americans already have baseball

The United States already has baseball as the "American past-time." As many people try to compare the two sports as being similar, there isn't room to build support for another sport that involves a bat, a ball, and running. Related to reason number three, baseball is one of the top five most American things and will never be overtaken by a sport like cricket.

It's hard enough for people to follow baseball, with all of the games that are played in a season and playoffs. With two leagues and 30 teams, baseball fanatics have a hard enough time trying to pay attention to their fantasy roster. They can't spend time following another sport that they find to be very similar to their own.

Americans already argue enough about the difference between football and futbol enough, without the sports being anywhere similar to each other.

1) Americans don't have the patience to follow cricket!

An international cricket match is played for 100 overs, with a lunch break in between.

This usually equates to about six or seven hours devoted to watching cricket. Each team gets 10 outs and usually scores between 300 and 400 runs in their turn at bat.

Americans, while they may find it fascinating, just don't have the attention span to watch a cricket match for six hours. They get frustrated enough after a three hour football or baseball game.

Cricket can be very excited with lbws, spectacular fielding, centuries hit, and run outs. However, it is hard to explain to someone that they may need to sit around for four hours before they see any of these exciting things happen on the field.

Any die-hard cricket fan will say that every ball is exciting, but that can be said about any fan of any sport. Americans just don't have the time or the patience to sit around and really enjoy cricket for what its worth.

Hard to imagine that the hegemony of the world, the United States, has no interest in the most popular international sport. Maybe they would care...if girls played cricket in their bikinis!

New Yorkers Breathe Sigh of Relief as Rays Clinch ALCS on Sunday

Shashwat Baxi — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 13:27:40 -0400

Basketball Hall-of-Famer Dick Vitale looked on as the Tampa Bay Rays finished off the Boston Red Sox in game seven of the 2008 ALCS.

Around 11:30 p.m. ET, the final out was recorded as pinch hitter Jed Lowrie grounded into a force out at second base, giving the Rays their first ever American League Pennant.

A few months ago, the Rays could not even get people to fill 25 percent of their park, but they had a packed stadium and millions of television viewers cheering them them to victory on Sunday, and even though the Rays play in the same division as the New York Yankees, the Rays still had the support of every Yankee fan around the world.

Sunday was a good day for most Yankee fans, those who also root for the New York Giants, anyway. The G-Men took care of the San Fransisco 49ers to run their record to 5-1.

The Jets, on the other hand, suffered a heartbreaking, overtime loss the Oakland Raiders. Even then, most New Yorkers were still anxious about what was going to happen in game seven. Jets' fans could take solace in the fact that the Red Sox could still somehow be eliminated from the playoffs that day.

The hatred for the Red Sox and their "Nation" is unmatched in all of sports. There is no question that Yankee fans cheered out loud when the Rays, another divisional rival, recorded the final out in Sunday night's game.

Yankee fans began to call WFAN-660 AM in New York and gloat about how the Red Sox fell short and could not repeat history against the lowly Rays.

Even though the Yankees have not been playing baseball for almost three weeks, Yankee fans were still elated that the Red Sox lost. Once the Yankees had been eliminated, "Anyone but Boston '08" became the new rally cry.

As soon as Joe Torre, Donnie Baseball, and the Los Angeles Dodgers lost to the Philadelphia Phillies...everyone shifted their attention to the ALCS.

Just to be clear—the Yankee fans were not rooting for the Rays, they were rooting against the Red Sox!

The Yankee brass has begun to have their winter meetings and look for possible offseason deals and signings. New grass was laid on the ground at the Yankee Stadium 2.0 in the Bronx.

Starting Pitcher Joba Chamberlain was recently arrested for a DUI. Shortstop Derek Jeter was spotted on the sidelines at the Texas-Missouri college football game.

Still, Yankee fans were focused on the fact that the Red Sox lost the chance to repeat as World Series Champions. It just goes to show that even after a disppointing end to the final season at Yankee Stadium, baseball fans in the Tri-State area are still paying attention.

Even though they may have been watching to root against a team, it supports the idea that Yankee fans are fans all year around.

P.S. Now that the Rays won the ALCS, it's time for a new rally cry from the Bronx, "Go Phils." Let the Mets fans root for the Rays...they know what it's like to be the underdog!

From Coast to Coast: What are the Top Five Cities in Professional Sports?

Shashwat Baxi — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 11:05:55 -0400

From the Atlantic Seaboard to the Pacific Ocean, Americans live and breathe sports. Since there have been professional sports in America, there has always been a debate as to which city has it best.

The criteria for best cities are simply that they have a strong support for their professional teams, in all of the major sports. The teams also have to have had some success recently to be considered, along with being able to show a strong rivalry with another city or region. For example, a strong following for the Chiefs or Royals does not put Kansas City in consideration.

Honorable Mention—Dallas, San Fransisco, Miami, Washington D.C, and Atlanta

No. 5 Philadelphia—"The City of Brotherly Love" is home to the Eagles (NFL), Sixers (NBA), Phillies (MLB), and Flyers (NHL).

The Eagles are the talk of the town, especially with the resurgence of Donavon McNabb. McNabb led the Eagles to the Superbowl in 2005, when they lost to the Brady and his Patriots. Philly prides itself on their football team, especially when they are playing the Giants or Steelers.

AI (either Allen Iverson or Andre Iguodala) brought basketball back to Philly, where it had not really been since the days of Dr. J. The Sixers were in the NBA Finals in 2001, when they lost to the Shaq, Kobe, and the Lakers.

The Phillies did not have nearly as much support as their counterparts until this year when they are making a deep run in the MLB Playoffs. The Phils currently have a 2-1 lead in the NLCS and hope that they can make it to the 2008 World Series.

The Flyers also have a strong showing in Philly where many of it's people breathe Flyer hockey, especially when the Penguins or Devils are in town.

Philly is a great city for any sports fan, especially if you begin to include college sports.

Hated Rivals~ New York Giants and Rangers, Pittsburgh Penguins and Steelers, and the Dallas Cowboys,

No. 4 Los Angeles—Even though LA has the second biggest media market, it is not a city that rallies around it's teams. With most of the attention being paid to Hollywood, Los Angeles teams do not get the following that they deserve. Los Angeles is home to the Lakers (NBA), Clippers (NBA), Sparks (WNBA), Galaxy (MLS), Dodgers (MLB), Angels (MLB), and Kings (NHL).

Kobe led his Lakers to the NBA Finals in 2008, where they were defeated by KG and the Celtics. The Lakers are the main talk of L.A., especially with the lack of a professional football team being located in the "City of Angels". The Clippers, on the other hand, have not been good enough to really garner any discussion. Even though they have had players like Baron Davis and Marcus Camby, Los Angeles still belongs to the Lakers.

The Sparks have been dominant with Lisa Leslie running the show in women's basketball.

David Beckham is all of the talk in the MLS, especially now that he plays for a team like the Galaxy.

Both the Dodgers and Angels made the MLB Playoffs this year, with the Dodgers still being in contention down 2-1 in the NLCS.

The Kings are not really a main attraction LA, but they still draw enough fan support to keep LA as a strong city for professional sports.

With the lack of a professional football team, LA loses some spots on the list.

Hated Rivals~ New York Knicks, Boston Celtics, San Fransisco Giants, and the Oakland A's

No. 3 Boston—"Beantown" has arguably been the sports capitol of the United States in the last few years. Boston fans proudly represent the Red Sox (MLB), Celtics (NBA), Revolution (MLS), Patriots (NFL), and the Bruins (NHL).

The Red Sox have broken the "Curse of the Bambino" and won the 2004 and 2007 World Series, and are still in the 2008 ALCS tied at one game apiece.

The Celtics returned to greatness after handling the Lakers in the 2008 NBA Finals. With the trifecta of KG, Pierce, and Ray Ray, the Celtics will look to continue their dominance in the 2009 season as well.

The Patriots, led by Tom Brady and Randy Moss, went 18-1 last season before being beaten by the Giants in Superbowl XXXII. However, the Patriots have also dominated the last decade, winning three Super Bowl titles in that stretch. Even though the Patriots technically play in Foxborough, they are still a team that is support by Boston more than any other New England city.

The Bruins are the least followed team in Boston, but they still have a very strong following. The Bruins have been decent in the last few years and have only continued to grow in popularity in Boston.

Hated Rivals~ New York Yankees and Rangers and Jets, Los Angeles Lakers, and Indiannoplis Colts

No. 2 Chicago—Even though "The Windy City" suffered some heartbreaks in the last few weeks, Chi-Town is still an excellent sports city. Home to the Cubs (MLB), White Sox (MLB), Blackhawks (NHL), Bears (NFL), Sky (WBNA), Fire (MLS), and Bulls (NBA); Chicago proves to be a city that supports every team.

Both the White Sox and Cubs made the 2008 MLB Playoffs, but were unfortunately eliminated in the first rounds by their respective opponents. The White Sox did, however, recently win the World Series in 2005.

The Blackhawks, like most NHL teams, do not get the same support as other Chicago teams, but they get enough to keep them talked about.

The Bears are the main team for Chicago fans of today, as reached the Super Bowl in 2006, but lost to Indianapolis. The Bears had a heartbreaking loss the Atlanta Falcons yesterday, but people still proudly showed that they were Bears fans today.

The Bulls have fallen off the radar screen since "His Airness" last led them to the NBA Finals in 1998. Still, with a young team, the Bulls will look to contend in the Eastern Conference this year.

Even though the Chicago teams have continued to be inconsistent in the last few years, Chicago still loves them all the same.

Hated Rivals- Green Bay Packers, St. Louis Cardinals, and Minnesota Twins

No. 1 New York City—"The Big Apple" is the No. 1 media market in professional sports and still proves to be the best city for pro sports. With so many teams tied to and affiliated with New York City, a sports fan doesn't know what to do with himself when trying to set his allegiances.

NYC is home to the Yankees (MLB), Mets (MLB), Knicks (NBA), Liberty (WBNA), Giants (NFL), Jets (NFL), Rangers (NHL), Red Bulls (MLS), and Islanders (NHL). This doesn't include the Nets and Devils, who are from New Jersey.

The Yankees speak for themselves in terms of fan support and revenue, especially with the history of the success that the Yankees have been able to enjoy. The Mets made it to the World Series in 2000 where they lost the Subway Series to the cross-town Yankees. Since then, however, the Mets have continued to compete in the NL East.

The Knicks have become one of the NBA's laughing stock teams, but they continue to sell out Madison Square Garden.

The Giants and Jets, both play in East Rutherford, NJ, but they are considered to be New York teams. The Giants beat the then-undefeated Patriots in Superbowl XXXII and the Jets landed "Broadway" Brett Favre to play quarterback for them in 2008.

The Rangers and Islanders hold their own in NYC, which is a city that has split ties everywhere one looks.

From one borough to the next, fans are all around trying to show their loyalties to any of these teams. New York City has multiple teams in almost all of the major sports and continues to provide enough of a fan base for all of these teams to thrive. Without a doubt, New York City is the best city for a sports fan.

Hated Rivals~ Boston Red Sox, Dallas Cowboys, New Jersey Devils, New Jersey Nets, Los Angeles Lakers, Miami Heat, Atlanta Braves, New England Patriots, Philedelphia Eagles, and Philedelphia Flyers.

MLB Playoffs: Los Angeles and Chicago Are In and New York Is Out!!

Shashwat Baxi — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 07:23:35 -0400

For the first time in 14 years, there will be no October baseball played in New York City.

It has been a foregone conclusion for some time now that the Yankees were going to be eliminated from contention. However, the second straight September debacle by the New York Mets solidified New York City's absence from the Major League Baseball Playoffs.

What does this mean for the MLB and its ratings? Can Los Angeles and Chicago, each possibly having two teams each in the playoffs, make up for the lack of New York representation?

Los Angeles

The second biggest media market in the United States, home to the historic Dodgers and the Angels of Anaheim.

The Lakers are the main team in LA, so the Dodgers and Angels are both out to prove that they can be championship contenders and actually bring another title back to "The City of Angels."

The National League Dodgers made it into the NL Playoffs by being the best team in an extremely weak division. With Joe Torre at the helm and the addition of Manny Ramirez, the Dodgers were able to fend off the Arizona Diamondbacks to claim a spot in October. The Dodgers will face the Chicago Cubs in the first round of the playoffs, with Chicago having home field advantage.

The Angels, on the other hand, have been the best team in the American League throughout the season. They also played in a very weak AL West, but continued to dominate opponents outside of the division as they took the season series from both the Yankees and the Red Sox.

The Angels will face the Boston Red Sox in the first round, as the Angels have home field for this series. If the Angels and Dodgers both win their respective pennants, the MLB would have its first ever "Freeway" World Series.

Chicago

The third largest media market in the United States is very confident that their Cubs will finally make it back to and win the World Series after 100 years.

The White Sox, who recently won the Series in 2005, also call Chicago home.

The city is very mixed, with many who support the Bears and Bulls but then have their allegiances with the White Sox or Cubbies.

The North-Siders were dominant in 2008 and easily won home-field advantage throughout the NL portion of the playoffs. The Brewers and Cardinals chased the Cubbies all year in the NL Central, but the Cubs took care of business down the stretch.

Led by Aramis Ramirez and Carlos Zambrano, the Cubs look to be the class of the NL and are the favorites to win the 2008 pennant.

The White Sox, on the other hand, are still looking to win the AL Central over the Twins. They will take on the Twins in a one-game playoff at U.S. Cellular Field in Chicago. If the White Sox win tonight, they will be crowned AL Central champs and head to Tampa to face the AL East champion Rays.

The White Sox have not been at all dominant and could be considered lucky to win the AL Central. They played in a fairly open division with competition from the Twins and the Cleveland Indians.

The White Sox are led by Carlos Quentin and Jim Thome. Depending on tonight's showdown with Minnesota, MLB could be in for its first ever "Crosstown Showdown."

New York

By far the largest media market in the United States, the "Big Apple" is totally divided between teams among the city.

However, the Knicks, Yankees, Rangers, and Giants reign supreme in terms of fan base. With both the Yankees and Mets being out of the playoffs, MLB will lose an enormous amount of possible viewers.

The only way that New York fans will watch is when they are rooting against the hated Red Sox or Phillies.

MLB has gained a lot of viewership in LA and in Chicago, but has lost an almost equal amount in the Tri-State area (CT, NY, and NJ). Granted, in 2000 the Subway Series generated its highest ratings in this area alone. But the Yankees and Mets still generate a strong viewing audience outside of that area.

MLB can only hope that their divisional and league titles are played for in competitive fashion. They are praying for a strong match-up in the AL and NL Championship Series, in hopes that something will come up big in the World Series.

An Angels-Dodgers or White Sox-Cubs final would not generate the same ratings as the Yankees-Mets did.

What would be the worst possible match-up for ratings? Rays-Brewers? Red Sox-Phillies? This will all play out in the next few weeks.

For now, however, it is certain that the "City That Never Sleeps" will be dozing off during the first round of the MLB Playoffs!

10 Things Derek Jeter Could Do with His Free Time in October!

Shashwat Baxi — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 06:46:35 -0400

The New York Yankees will not be making the playoffs for the first time in Derek Jeter's career. The captain, along with closer Mariano Rivera and catcher Jorge Posada, have never had to experience what it was like for the offseason to begin in October.

What could Jeter do with his newfound free time? Here are the top 10 things he can do on his first October vacation!

10. Disguise himself as Nomar Garciaparra and play for Joe Torre and the L.A. Dodgers.

Derek loves "Mr. T" like a second father and would jump at the chance to play for him again, especially given the chance to win another ring. Garciaparra hasn't been himself since he left Boston, and it's pretty obvious that Mia Hamm-Garciaparra wouldn't mind the switch.

9. While in Hollywood, Derek should start acting more.

His resume already includes countless commercials, Saturday Night Live, Seinfeld, and Anger Management. With a little bit of work and his newfound free time, Jeter could rival Shaquille O'Neal as the next big superstar athlete to go into the movie business.

8. Work with a better IRS agent to help him get his taxes straight.

There is work to be done in New York and in Florida so that he doesn't have to go through another fiasco like he did last year.

7. Chain himself to Yankee Stadium.

Jeter just broke "the Iron Horse's" record for most hits at the "Old" Yankee Stadium, and nobody wants to see it go less than Derek does.

Seeing as how nobody will be playing there in October, Jeter should hold a peaceful sit-in as they continue work on the "New" Yankee Stadium across the street. Yogi Berra and Whitey Ford will come and join him, seeing as they also have nothing better to do.

6. Join Mike Francesa on his "Francesa on the FAN" radio show.

Mike and the Mad Dog was one of the most successful shows in sports radio history, but it has not been the same since Chris "Mad Dog" Russo left the show.

Mike needs some help, and who better to increase ratings than the "Golden Boy," Derek Jeter. New Yorkers would love to hear what Jeter's analysis of the Rangers or Knicks would be.

5. Become the interim US Ambassador for the United Nations.

Jeter already has a penthouse in Manhattan, so he wouldn't have to go very far. The United States needs to work on its relationship with the United Nations as it is, and who better to work on it than Jeter?

So what that he has never worked as a Foreign Service Officer before? He can't do much worse than any of the guys that the United States currently have.

4. Design his own clothing line.

Jeter already endorses his own "G2" drink and his own cologne, Driven, so why not get to work on his own clothing line.

If Tiger and His Airness can do it, there is no reason as to why the Turn2 or DJ clothing line cannot come out soon. Sean "Puffy" Combs makes millions on his Sean-John line, so Jeter should just talk to some of his people about it.

3. Enroll at NYU, Columbia, or Fordham University.

It's pretty hard for Jeter to tell kids that they should stay in school when he never went to college.

He could enroll for at least a semester's worth of classes at any area institution. This would not only come about as an enormous media stunt, but could set an unbelievable precedent for other athletes.

2. Get married!

Jeter continues to be the most available bachelor in New York, but he is getting up there in age. If he wants to settle down and have children of his own, he better get to it.

Granted, he will have 16-year-old girls swooning for him until he is 50...but that won't go over well in the marriage and family department.

1. Keep Alex Rodriguez out of trouble.

Now that A-Rod is going through his divorce, it gives him more opportunities to get negative attention from the media.

Jeter needs to keep an eye on A-Rod and keep him out of those strip clubs and away from Madonna. Maybe they should double date!

Derek probably won't do any of these things...But at least they would distract from the Red Sox game that will be on television.

Sunday Number 1 in the NFL: What was the Top Story?

Shashwat Baxi — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 04:15:50 -0400

Week one of the 2008 NFL Season started on Thursday night with the defending Super Bowl Champion Giants defeating the Redskins. The game was nothing too spectacular, besides Plaxico Burress and Brandon Jacobs running around the Redskins at will.

If football fans (outside of the Tri-State area) wanted something to talk about on Friday, the season opener wasn't what they were looking for. Who would have thought that Sunday would bring such drama back to the NFL? From Michael Turner to Tom Brady, Sunday was full of positive and negative stories all around the National Football League!

QB Tom Brady

Tom Brady of the New England Patriots had to leave Sunday's game against the Kansas City Chiefs after being hit by Chiefs' safety Bernard Pollard.

Brady fell to the ground clutching his left knee midway through the first quarter when Pollard rolled on him after he released a pass. Before he went down, Brady was 7-for-11 passing for 76 yards, completing a 26-yard pass to WR Randy Moss on the play in which he was injured.

He is scheduled for an MRI on Monday, but sources close to Brady have already stated that he may have torn his ACL in his left knee. This injury would keep Brady out for the rest of the season, and backup Matt Cassel or call-up Chris Simms would take his place leading the Patriots.

RB Michael Turner

Michael Turner of the Atlanta Falcons torched the Detroit Lions in his first professional game as a starter. Turner broke the Atlanta franchise record for rushing yards in a game, as he galloped for 220 yards and two touchdowns.

With new QB Matt Ryan taking the helm after the Michael Vick fiasco, Turner led the Falcons to an impressive 34-21 victory over the Lions. Turner was a backup running back in San Diego for four seasons, but cruised to this franchise record in his first game with the Falcons.

QB Donovon McNabb

Donovon McNabb of the Philadelphia Eagles single-handedly destroyed the St. Louis Rams, as he threw for 361 yards and three touchdowns. With the loss of starting wide receivers Kevin Curtis and Reggie Brown, McNabb infused RB Brian Westbrook and his new core of receivers into the offense.

Mcnabb easily had the best day of any quarterback in the NFL on Sunday, as he led the Eagles to a 38-3 drubbing of the depleted Rams.

QB Brett Favre

"Broadway" Brett Favre of the New York Jets got his first career start outside of Green Bay on Sunday. In what was easily the most hyped game of the week, Favre threw for 194 yards and two touchdowns.

With help from the Jets' defense Favre was able to win his debut, as New York beat the Miami Dolphins 20-14. Noteworthy in this particular story is the fact that former Jets starting QB Chad Pennington was the starter for Miami. He threw for 251 yards with two touchdowns and one interception.

Carolina Panthers

QB Jake Delhomme made the final play of the game with two seconds remaining and his Panthers down by five to the San Diego Chargers. Delhomme pump-faked and then threw the ball between two defenders to TE Dante Rosario, who jumped up in the back of the end zone to catch the winning touchdown pass.

The Panthers had been leading the Chargers until QB Phillip Rivers came alive in the fourth quarter and put up 14 points. On the final drive of the game for the Panthers, coach John Fox elected not to call a timeout as the clock ticked down to six seconds. Delhomme threw a short pass and then called the timeout with two seconds left in the game. On the final play, he threaded the needle to Rosario and shocked the Chargers in San Diego.

Chicago Bears

In a rematch of Super Bowl XLI, the Chicago Bears took on the Indianapolis Colts. With the spread at 9.5 points in favor of the Colts, the Bears went into Indy and dominated, winning 29-13.

With Peyton Manning still showing signs of the injury that sidelined him for the entire preseason, the Bears' defense only allowed 13 points to the Colts' high-flying offense.

Bears rookie RB Matt Forte led the offense as he ran for 123 yards and a touchdown. The Bears capitalized on a poor performance by the Colts in the victory, which was the biggest upset of the week.

Please comment with what you think was the biggest story, and there are any left off of this list. With so many stories already beginning to develop in the NFL, who knows what will happen tonight on Monday Night Football? Stay tuned to see this soap opera play out over the course of the next 16 weeks!

Is Chad Javon Ocho Cinco a Trend Setter or an Egomaniac?

Shashwat Baxi — Sun, 31 Aug 2008 15:22:30 -0400

The Cincinnati Bengals receiver has legally changed his name to Chad Javon Ocho Cinco in Broward County, FL, a switch that became official this week.

''It's something I don't think anyone has ever done before,'' he told the team's Web site. ''Have I ever had a reason for why I do what I do? I'm having fun.''

The question now, however, is whether or not Chad Johnson, or "Mr. Ocho Cinco", is really good enough to change his name or his jersey number. Chad, who will begin this season playing with a torn labrum, is already under plenty of pressure to perform up to superhuman like levels.

With all of the problems that the Bengals are already facing this season, Ocho Cinco is really going to need to step up and have an MVP like year. Even if he wins NFL MVP, does that give Chad credibility for changing his name?

If Chad Javon Ocho Cinco Johnson was the best WR in the league, that would be one thing. If he was the best wide receiver in the entire history of the game, that would be an entirely different explanation for the name change.

Some would even argue that he is not the best receiver on his own team, with T.J. Houshmandzadeh having better stats than Ocho Cinco does.

Even if he was the best ever, these kinds of antics do not bode well for Chad. Players that make millions of dollars to play a game should try and show some humility once in a while. Look at how T.O. fared by being the league's biggest ego and showboat? When was the last time Terrell Owens won a Super Bowl?

On the other hand, look at the trend that Chad can start around the world of professional sports. Michael "Veintitres" Jordan and Wayne "Noventa y Nueve" Gretzky can legally change their names in their respective Halls of Fame.

Jerry "Ochenta" Rice and Derek "Dos" Jeter can change their name right before they get inducted into each of their respective Halls of Fame. Pretty soon, even non-athletes will start choosing numbers in English, Spanish, French, German, Russian, and any other language to change their names to.

With Chad Johnson's most recent antics, it is sometimes a good thing that not all professional athletes are role models to our nation's youth! Luckily for Bengals' fans, Mr. Ocho Cinco, or whatever his name is, is not the biggest concern in Cincinnati at this point in time!

What Is The Most Exciting Play in American Sports!?

Shashwat Baxi — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 08:28:57 -0400

Americans love college and professional sports more than any other country in the world! They love sports because they are fun, distracting from reality, competitive, and most importantly exciting.

Nothing gets people as excited as March Madness, the Super Bowl, the World Series, the Indy 500, the Daytona 500, The World Cup, or the NBA Finals. There is no question that sports, in general, pumps people with lots of energy and adrenaline.

The main question here, however, is what in sports does that to people?

With the exceptions of a game winning play (homerun, touchdown, jumpshot, or goal), there are dozens of other "everyday" plays that cause fans to become ecstatic. The Derek Jeter "flip play" in Oakland, David Tyree's touchdown catch in Super Bowl 42, and Kevin Garnett's tip slam in the 2008 NBA Finals are all things that only come about once in decades.

Yet, every single day, there are millions of passionate sports fans cheering at the ballpark or yelling at their televisions. What play in American sports causes the most fans to jump out of their seats in overwhelming excitement?

"Everyday" plays only take into account those plays that happen more than at least once per week during the season of a given sport. This immediately disqualifies a grand slam in baseball, a "Pick Six" in football, and any baseball/basketball/football brawls or fights.

The baseball category includes: a home run, strike 'em out-throw 'em out, an outfield assist at home plate, a triple, or a home run robbing catch.

The football category includes: an interception, a safety, a blocked kick or punt, a defensive stop on 4th down, an offensive touchdown, kick/punt return for a touchdown.

The basketball category includes: a tip slam, a massive block, a 3-point play opportunity, or an alley-oop.

The hockey category includes: a fight, a breakaway goal, a kick-save, or a massive check.

The soccer category includes: a corner kick, a bicycle kick, a diving save, or a red card.

The "other category" includes: a car wreck in either Nascar or IRL racing, a horse race, or an ace in tennis.

It is almost impossible for one person to choose as to what the most exciting play is in all of American sports. Once votes have been submitted and tallied, there will be another article that discusses the submissions and the results.

Please comment with your pick for most exciting play and if there are any unlisted that should be mentioned.

Would Derek Jeter's HOF Status Be Solidified By 2,500 Hits?

Shashwat Baxi — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 19:51:48 -0400

Shortstop Derek Jeter has played for the New York Yankees since 1995 and has already amassed numbers that put him into a special category in the history of Major League Baseball. On Friday night, Derek Jeter will face the Baltimore Orioles in search of his 2,500th career hit.

Does getting his 2,500th hit ensure that Derek Jeter will make the MLB Hall of Fame? Do his intangibles, clutch play, and leadership make up for his low power and run-producing numbers? In essence, what does Derek Jeter need to do in the rest of his illustrious career that will earn him a spot in Cooperstown?

Derek Jeter is a four-time World Series Champion, nine-time AL All-Star, three-time Gold Glove winner, the 1996 Rookie of the Year, two-time Silver Slugger winner, the 2006 Hank Aaron Award winner, and the only man in the history of the MLB to win the All-Star Game MVP and World Series MVP in the same year (2000).

Jeter currently sits third on the all-time Yankees' hits list with 2,499 behind on Yankee legends Babe Ruth (2,518) and Lou Gehrig (2,721). No Yankee player has hit the magic 3,000 number while wearing only a Yankee uniform, and many believe that Derek could be the first.

He also has more postseason hits than anyone else in the history of baseball, with almost 100, along with batting just under .500 in all of the All-Star Games that he has appeared in.

Last Wednesday, Jeter made another mark on baseball's record books when he hit his 203rd career home run, moving past Hall of Famer Bill Dickey and into a tie with Roger Maris for 11th place on the Yankees' all-time home-run list.

Jeter is also nearing the record for the most hits in Yankee Stadium, as he has collected 1,252 hits in the Bronx, and is just 17 away from Lou Gehrig's mark.

Since he entered the league, Derek Jeter has played baseball the way it should be played. He does any and everything he can to win the game, no matter what his statistics are at the end of the game. Red Sox fans hate him because they wish he could have been drafted in Boston and not in New York.

"Mr. November," as Derek Jeter has been so nicknamed, seems to be well on his way towards the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame. After a few more years, he may even have his No. 2 jersey retired and get a plaque in Monument Park. If Derek Jeter does receive all of those wonderful accolades, it would be well worth it.

Who knows what would have happened to the Yankees if he did not arrive from Kalamazoo, MI to lead the Yankees back to greatness.

The New York Yankees Have One Person to Blame for The Poor Season: Each Other!

Shashwat Baxi — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 04:44:17 -0400

There is no question that the New York Yankees botched the situation with manager Joe Torre at the beginning of the 2008 season. Allowing the Hall of Fame manager to slip out of the Yankee pinstripes and put on the Dodger blue was a move that shocked many Yankee fans across the country.

Yankee brass assured "The Evil Empire" that they knew what they were doing in selecting former Yankee player and broadcaster Joe Girardi to replace Torre in the dugout. Torre's departure also meant the departure of other big-name Yankee coaches like Larry Bowa, Don Mattingly, and Ron Guidry.

The only big-named familiar face that remains from last year's coaching staff is first-base coach and catching instructor Tony Pena. Even with all of the changes in the dugout for the Yankees, they were confident that their $200 million payroll would produce positive results on the field.

Now, with a little over 40 games left in the 2008 regular season, the Yankees and their fans are not so sure about their chances of playing October baseball this year. WHY!?

Some of the critics would like to put the blame squarely on the shoulders of the Yankees' front office, mainly General Manager Brian Cashman. From the situation with former manager Joe Torre, not pursuing SP Johan Santana, not picking up SP Livan Hernandez from waivers (now with the Rockies), and keeping CF Melky Cabrera as the major piece from blockbuster trades.

Most of this blame, however, is misdirected and unfair. There is nothing more that the Yankee ownership and front office can do to put the best product on the field.

It is incredibly easy for fans to sit around and criticize moves that should or should not have been made, as if anyone could just pick up their cell phones and call GM Dave Littlefield of the Pirates or GM David Dombrowski of the Tigers.

General Manager Brian Cashman has been doing his best to continue the traditions of the Yankees by winning with a foundation of home-grown talent. He cannot just trade away every young player that we have in hopes of winning tomorrow's game. Yankee fans should appreciate the work that Cashman has done in his tenure with the Yankees and not think that he deserves to be blamed for the Yankees' performance this season.

As would usually be the case, most of the scrutiny falls in the direction of Manager Joe Girardi and his coaching staff. As a rookie manager, there are always going to be mistakes made and decisions that deserve to be questioned. It took Joe Torre, or Mr. T as captain Derek Jeter called him, many seasons before he was able to make it to the playoffs as a manager.

Girardi does not deserve all of the blame that he is receiving either, seeing as how there are many things he does differently, and maybe even better, than Torre did. One of Girardi's biggest strengths is working with the bullpen and not overusing his relief pitchers. He rarely goes out and puts in RP Edwar Ramirez or RP Jose Veras in on three or four consecutive days.

Last year, Yankee fans became tired of seeing RP Scott Proctor pitch every single day. Along with the bullpen, Girardi has also had to change his lineup on an almost daily basis.

With inconsistent play and injuries plaguing his team, Girardi has done his best to try and put together solid lineups every game. Joe Girardi has done a good job, but not a spectacular job, as the manager of the Yankees this season and should not be made into the "whipping boy" for their performance this season.

Even being a casual fan of the New York Yankees will give you some idea as to the excessive amount of injuries that the team has had to face this year. At this point in the season, the Bombers are without three of their original starting pitchers in their rotation (Wang, Hughes, Kennedy), their starting catcher (Posada), and starting left fielder (Matsui).

Along with those injuries, they also have Joba and Albaladejo on the disabled list. Looking at these injuries, however, some of them can be easily explained and cannot really be taken as too much of a surprise.

Still, the injuries hampered some of their key players and took a major toll on their offensive, defensive, and pitching production. C Jorge Posada is worn down and just needs the surgery to fully heal his body from catching for so many years. LF Hideki Matsui is in a very similar position as Posada, especially because nobody really seems to know how old Matsui really is.

SP Chien-Ming Wang had a freak foot injury while rounding the bases at a game in Houston. RP turned SP Joba Chamberlain seems to have overworked his entire arm and now has rotator cuff tendonitis. SP Phil Hughes and SP Carl Pavano are supposed to be making their way up from AA Trenton in the next few weeks. SP Ian Kennedy was able to make a start in L.A. versus the Angels, and he was pounded and sent back down to the minors.

With all of these injuries dealing major blows to the Yankees' starting roster, it is understandable to see why they have not been playing up to their standards over the course of the year. Even though these injuries played a major role in the Yankees' performance this year, only partial blame should be placed on the injuries that have plagued the Yankees.

So who should take the brunt of the blame for the lackluster performance by the Bronx Bombers in the 2008 MLB Season?

22 of the 25 players on the Yankees' active roster are to blame! Only 22 players are to blame because RF Bobby Abreu, LF/DH Johnny Damon, and SP Mike Mussina have played as well as they should and are earning their "pinstripe riches" this year.

Inconsistent play from everyone else has been the No. 1 reason as to why the Yankees cannot seem to pull closer to the AL-East-leading Tampa Bay Rays or the hated Boston Red Sox, who are the current wild-card leaders.

It starts at the top and trickles down to the bottom. Granted, too much blame cannot be put on C Ivan Rodriguez, OF Xavier Nady, or RP Damaso Marte, but even they have come to New York and fallen into a semi-pro type of mode.

There has not been consistent play on either side of the diamond, and that is where the problems have continued to arise for the Yankees.

The offensive issues are proving to be fatal for the New York Yankees, as they have not lived up to the "Bronx Bombers" title this particular season. The entire starting lineup, again with the exception of Damon and Abreu, has not played consistent baseball all season long.

"The Golden Boy Captain," SS Derek Jeter, has not played up to his own standards as he bats .281 with 60 strikeouts and only 126 hits. Superstar 3B Alex "A-Rod" Rodriguez has 26 home runs, but he has 80 strikeouts, only 70 RBI, and just went "0-THE SERIES" with two walks in the series against his former club, the Texas Rangers.

2B Robinson "Robby" Cano, 1B/DH Jason "The Mustache" Giambi, and CF Melky "The Melkman" Cabrera are all batting in the mid-.200s and none of them have produced the type of results that the Yankees expect from them.

Their biggest issue is that they can all play extremely well on one particular day, while scoring nine runs on 14 hits, but the next day, the entire lineup may produce only four hits and get shut out. The offensive production of the New York Yankees has been shaky at best.

On the other side of the diamond, things do not get much better for the Yankees. With SP Mike Mussina being out of the discussion, there has been no pitcher that the Yankees can really rely on to be effective and get opposing players out.

SP Andy Pettitte is 12-9, giving up 17 home runs and posting an ERA of 4.32. RP Edwar Ramirez, the new set-up man for the Yankees, has given up 18 earned runs with an ERA of 3.86 in 42 innings. The combination of SP Darrell Rasner, SP Joba Chamberlain, SP Sidney Ponson, and SP Dan Giese only have 13 wins amongst them.

Even "The Sandman," CP Mariano Rivera, has been inconsistent this year, as he has four losses, all in non-save opportunities. That type of play, from the starters to the closer, will not bode well for the Yankees down the stretch.

With all of the pressure and scrutiny that is in New York, especially in the Bronx, there is no wonder that many of the Yankees cannot produce every single day. With 56,000+ fans rocking Yankee Stadium, expecting every player to hit a home run and every pitcher to strike out their opposition; it makes sense that these players cannot perform every single day.

However, that is not acceptable for "The Boss" (George Steinbrenner) or any Yankee fan across the country. This is not the way that the Yankees should send off "The House that Ruth Built". With a little over 40 games left in the regular season, the Yankees need to start winning and they need to do it now.

A four-game losing streak is the worst thing that could happen at this point in the season! How they will overcome this adversity is anyone's guess at this point.

A word of advice for the Yankee hitters: They say that, "Life is all about how you deal with the curveballs that come your way." When it comes to the Yankees, they just have to sit on some and go the other way.