Chicago Cubs cut verteran pitcher in strange way..

http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/blog/big_league_stew/post/Cubs-blunder-even-in-cutting-48-million-bust-C?urn=mlb-wp1451

The above article gives the full details and opinions of the writer about the situation, but I just wanted to voice my opinion on the situation as well. First, allow me to point out the fact that I am not a Chicago Cubs fan, so this is written without and personal bias. It's not often that you see a veteran cut from a team during spring training but it is usually done because the player can no longer perform at the level required to be on a major league team, not bcecause he has "an attitude problem". Many organizations just deal with the player internally and try to fix the problems with the player's personal side. But, as the GM or manager of a professional team you have the responsibility of letting players know that they have either made the team or have been cut. Having an assistant coach take the emotional response from the player is not fair to him or the player. Because, after all, he did not make the final decision.

Super Surprises of the 2011 NCAA Men's Basketball Championships

1. ZERO number one (#1) or number two (#2) seeds have qualified for the Final Four for the first time ever.
2. A number eleven (#11) seed, Virginia Commonwealth University, has reached the Final Four for only the third time ever.
3. Either an eight seed (8) or an eleven seed (11) will reach the Championship Game. Only on one other occasion has this happened. The 1985 Villinova Wildcats won the National Championship as an eight seed.

The 2011 MLB Season is Upon Us!

Ok all you crazy diamond dogs! We are on the verge of yet another exciting season on Major League Baseball. We've been getting a little bit of a taste of baseball and summer for close to a month now since teams have reported to spring training and began playing again. Here is an experts projections for the upcoming season: http://www.cbssports.com/mcc/blogs/entry/12986252/27045267. I can't say I completely agree with him, but I would tend to agree on most selections.

Penn State Wrestling Wins NCAA Title!

Being an avid Ohio State Buckeye supporter this blog is very difficult for me to write. But as a wrestling enthusiast I was very excited to see a "new" team win the National Title.
Only 10 schools have won the Division 1 team trophy since 1950 and only 3 schools have split the championship trophies since 1989.
1.Penn State 2x's
2. Iowa 23x's
3. Minnesota 3x's
4. Oklahoma State 14x's
5. Arizona State 1x's
6. Iowa State 5x's
7. Oklahoma 6x's
8. Michigan State 1x's
9. Oklahoma A&M 3x's
10. Northern Iowa 1x's

Ethics in College Athletics

Some may laugh at this topic. But it's something that I want to discuss. With the many news reports and confessions coming out over the past year it makes me think people are taking collegiate athletics far too serious. I mean, these are young men and women who are, supposedly, playing because they love their respective sports. Now I can understand that we are all only human and we all make mistakes. But the lying and trying to hide those lies is what I do not accept. Recently, I was floored by the news that my favorite, most respected, college football coach and personal role model, Jim Tressel, was mentioned in a plot that I have previously mentioned. One thing that I think Coach did right was levy heavier sanctions upon himself because he does hold himself to much higher standards then many other coaches display regularly.

What's the probabolty that we won't have a 2011 NFL season?

As the title suggests, this post will be my take on the possibility of not playing NFL football in 2011. As an avid Cleveland Browns fan I continually think that "next year will be better" just like most of Cleveland. But a year with nothing going on would tear this city apart. I remember not having football to cheer for when the Browns were moved to Baltimore. With no end in site of the current labor disputes the season, though it is still months away, is in serious jeopardy. The league insists on conducting business as usual until any definitive decision has been made, but with the ending of the collective bargaining agreement and the players being placed in a "lockout" they are not allowed in team facilities. In my opinion, with the situation in such a dire position I would say the chances of NFL football being played this season is a 50% probability.

NFL Collective Barganing Agreement

As many of you who follow sports, specifically the NFL, know the current issues the league is facing with the expiration of the league's collective bargaining agreement. Players, owners, and the league as a whole entity are at a serious crossroad. Neither side of the table seems to be budging away from their respective positions any time soon. The fan's guide to the labor dispute can be found at the following link: http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news?slug=ms-laborquestions090810. This page poses many questions and answers to those questions that the fans can understand.

Media questioning of players after games

I feel that the players and coaches should be able to refuse media questioning sessions after games if they do not want to do it. Although this is not the case. Most players and coaches are required to meet with the media after games, win or lose. After a recent loss in the NCAA tournament this media session took place involving Kansas State University's standout player Jacob Pullen and his coach Frank Martin. http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=6239365

NCAA Basketball Tournament Selection

The process in which teams are selected for the field of 68 is a rather personal event. Humans, not computers, determine which teams are qualified for the field. The selection committee is made up of athletic directors and conference commisioners. The current selection committee can be found at the following link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NCAA_basketball_tournament_selection_process#Current_men.27s_committee_members

These 10 men create the field of 68 teams, their seedings, and the brackets.

NCAA All-Star Team Respreseting the USA in the Olympics?

This idea may not seem like a great idea to a lot of people. But in my opinion I think this would be very good for the Olympics in the future. You may say that we would never win anything! All I would have to do is remind you of the 1980 US Olympic hockey team. If you don't know anything about them check out the following links:
About the Team - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miracle_on_Ice
Video of final minutes against the Soviets - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8gfD134ED54&NR=1
A team of college all-stars beat the best team in the world after failing to do so in numerous attempts prior to that game. DO YOU BELIEVE IN MIRACLES!?!

NCAA "Student" Athletes

The topic of NCAA "student" athletes in something that has always bothered me personally. Even though I know many of the young men and women who compete in the NCAA are in fact wonderful students there are many that are not. Simply looking at the Division 1 level I am a bit concerned with the way star athletes are given preferential treatment when it comes to enrollment, grades, etc. In my own personal experiences, I was denied admittance into The Ohio State University-Main Campus Columbus. While a few athletes, who have since dropped out of college, were granted admission to the main campus. There seems to be a double standard for athletes at major college campuses all around the country.

NCAA Athletic Scholarships

The topic of NCAA scholarships and their availibility is a rather touchy subject to many aspiring athletes. The amount of scholarships granted by the NCAA to each sport varies based on the number of athletes in the sport and the number of teams each sport has across the country. Take a look at the discrepincy of scholarship availibility based on each sport for men and women at this link: http://www.hsbaseballweb.com/scholarships_by_sport.htm