Outsider Report: A Look at What's Going on in Sports

Good news for my adoring fans (well, if I have any): I have returned from by two month long sabbatical from writing, and just in time for a summer's worth of articles. This will be the first of a hopefully successful series where I take a fans' view of what’s going on around sports, because I know just how much everyone wants to hear what I’m thinking.

·    I’ll start off with a rant about my beloved Mets, and you don’t have to be a genius to know it won’t be a happy one. Though I like the hire of Manuel and believe it was time for Randolph to go, I did not believe that the right time to do it was 3 a.m. 

     The Mets really showed how little class they had with this move. If they don’t make the playoffs (which I’m starting to believe is very likely right now) then the Mets could be called one of the most underachieving teams in history.

·    A couple of observations about the latest Don Imus comments. First of all, if this was anyone else, no one would be making as big a deal about this.

     Second of all, even though in an unselfish world, there is no way this guy should have a job outside of the drive through window operator at Dairy Queen, WABC must love every comment he makes like this. At this rate, the whole country will be tuning into his show to see what he’ll say next.

     Also, doesn’t The Pacman (sorry, Adam Jones) have better things to worry about than some old, white trash loser making a stupid comment about like getting his reputation back, contributing to the Cowboys, and making sure everybody calls him the football player formally known as Pacman?

·    Now on to the upcoming NBA draft. With my favorite team the Nets guaranteed to make their decision based on a player that will hopefully be a free agent in two years (King James, for those of you who didn’t know) instead of trying to make their team better, I’ve been directing my attention to some other things.

     For one, I think that Portland is the team of the future. They have several trade options available that could put them in the playoff race right away. One rumor I’ve heard is the 13th pick, Raef Lafrenz, and a couple of their young assets for the fifth pick, Mike Conley, and Brian Cardinal.

     It clears cap room for Memphis, while Portland not only gets another top talent with whoever they select at the fifth pick, and they get a point guard who can run the team and is a close friend of Greg Oden in Conley.

·    Another NBA Draft note, I think that there are only three elite talents in this draft (Rose, Beasley, and O.J Mayo) and if Miami really wants to trade the second pick and the rights to Beasley, they should make sure they get O.J. or they’ll be headed for another abysmal season.

·    Back to baseball. After watching the most immature showing of umpiring that I’ve ever seen by Brian Runge on Tuesday night, I am furious. Why he would want to egg on players to get ejected, I have no idea, but he should be suspended for his actions.

     If players and coaches get suspended for making physical contact with umps, shouldn’t it work in reverse as well?

Please, leave comments as it’s always great to get everyone’s opinions on these issues.