All Sport Report

Why is it that anytime anyone in the public eye does something stupid, illegal, or just plain morally wrong they have a “disease”? You just have to look at Hollywood to see that. Mel Gibson goes off on an anti-semantic tirade it wasn’t really his fault. He had a disease called alcoholism. When Lindsay Lohan got arrested, and arrested, and arrested she went to rehab, and another rehab, and another rehab because she was “sick” with an addiction problem. Then there is my favorite, Isaiah Washington. He called T.R. Night a f#@ not once, but twice (including mentioning it on television at the Golden Globes), and when he was facing major heat for it, he suggested he go to “rehab” to get help for his “problem”. He calls discrimination a problem a.k.a. a disease, while I call it ignorance.

Rather than take responsibility for their actions and change, these celebrities found scapegoats including blaming the booze, screaming racism, and hiding in rehab until things blew over. Yet, you know their efforts were insincere considering the fact that Lindsay (for example) has been caught over and over doing the same thing time and again. She never seems to learn. Meanwhile, Isaiah, who wronged T.R., changed the focus by saying his network just hates him because he’s a black man (in so many words) and that’s why he was fired. Great move to get the heat off your actions, Isaiah. Everybody loves a well prepared sob story.

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After a few days break from my daily sports run down due to life really giving me a sharp kick, it’s back to the grind. So, what did we miss during my brief hiatus? Scandals abound like crazy in the sporting world. From Cycling to Basketball, Friday, July 20, 2007 was not a good day in the vast majority of the world’s top sporting organizations.

Baseball

Cleveland and Detroit Battle it Out for First Place – The Central Division of the American League has been heating up. With just a half game lead over the Cleveland Indians going into the second half of regular season, Detroit and Cleveland have been in a constant battle to see who will be number one. While Detroit remains just barely ahead of Cleveland, Detroit’s catastrophic 10-2 loss to Kansas City after a four game winning streak on Friday thrust Cleveland (who beat the Rangers 3-2) one step closer to taking over the top spot and kicking Detroit down to second place. My Tigers better hustle and win their next game if they want to remain in first place not only for the Central Division, but for the American League as a whole.

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This is a new feature I hope to write every day. Each evening, late at night, I plan to run through the top stories in the Sports World. In the Run Down, you’ll get a crash course through the hottest stories, latest scandals, and most exciting news on all of your favorite sports. If you want to know what is going on in Sports, then the Run Down will offer all of the information you need to keep you wanting more!

In this week’s Run Down:

Baseball

Bonds Bombs in Entire Dodgers Series, Losing Streak Continues Onward– Barry Bonds, just five home runs away from beating the home run record of Henry “Hank” Aaron (a true ball player who didn’t have to use steroids to hit 756 home runs – but don’t get me started on how unfair I think this is), is in a slump. Fellow Giants short-stop, Omar Vizquel, said the slugger just hasn’t been the same since he had an All Star Game party, playing host until the wee hours of the morning, a week and a half ago.

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One move has yet to be made, and the other one is all but official. The Baltimore Orioles have publicly stated that embattled Florida Marlins manager Joe Girardi is the front runner for its managerial job, just one day after firing Sam Perlozzo.

In Sacramento, the Kings will name former NBA guard and New Mexico State head coach Reggie Theus its new head coach in an afternoon press conference today. Theus was a part of the 1985 inaugural Kings roster, and turned around the Lobos program in just two years, leading them to a berth in last season’s NCAA tournament.

Girardi’s candidacy comes with baggage, as he was fired from the Marlins last season after a very public rift with owner Jeff Loria. Shortly thereafter, he was named the National League Manager of the Year despite finishing the season with a 78-84 record.

Having lived in Baltimore for the better part of eight years and having close ties to the Orioles for double that amount of time, I can tell you Girardi can possibly squeeze 10-15 more wins out of a team destined to lose under the dreadful ownership of Peter Angelos. In case you hadn’t heard, local Orioles fans staged a walk-out last season to protest his running the franchise into the ground.

As for Theus, he should be a steady leader for an underachieving Kings team. He’s regarded as a player friendly coach with great charisma and above average teaching ability. He should connect right away with Kings cornerstone Mike Bibby and other young guards like Francisco Garcia and Kevin Martin.

Kings ownership is a stark contrast to that of the Orioles. They are fan friendly and cognizant of the pulse of their following. Theus should have a successful run in Sacramento, and loyalty from fans and ownership from his previous ties to the city.

Just as advertised in the final score of Game 2, the San Antonio Spurs solidified their place in NBA history with their fourth NBA championship in nine years, with an 83-82 victory of the Cleveland Cavaliers last night in Cleveland.

The win capped a 4-0 sweep of the Cavs, who never looked offensively organized against a well prepared Spurs defense. It was a far cry from the Eastern Conference finals for the Cavs, as LeBron James averaged as many turnovers as assists in the Finals.

Spurs guard Tony Parker elevated his game to a new level, and looks to be the league’s next great play maker. His 24.7 scoring average, combined with 57 percent FG% and five rebounds per made him the runaway choice for Finals MVP, the first European born MVP in league history. His only flaw will be playing the majority of his career with Tim Duncan, but if Stockton and Malone could carve out individual hall-of-fame careers without a ring, it seems realistic that this tandem has a chance for greater legacy.

The most intriguing part of this Spurs team, which has the best winning percentage of all the major American sports in the last 10 years, is that they figure to be a steady lock for the Finals for the next several years. Duncan is 31, Ginobili will be 30 in July and Parker is 25. At the very least, three more years of great play will come out of the Alamo, and that’s not withstanding future moves Spurs GM R.C. Buford may make.

Intriguing may be one way to put it. Scary is another.