The New Sheriff in Town

It's kind of neat to be able to say the all time home run record was broken during my lifetime and I was able to see it on television. It's one of the most storied records in baseball (if not the most) besides the consecutive games played record held by Cal Ripken Jr. and the all time strike outs record held by Nolan Ryan. A lot of people out there do not like Barry Bonds or say he is on steroids. Mind you it has yet to be proven that he did you steroids...I feel Barry should be given his due because the record he broke was incredible and lasted for a long long time. Granted Alex Rodriguez might catch him enventually but for now enjoy the record Barry and congratulations.

Yet Again..

I am not a big golf fan. Never was. However I must say that whenever I watch Tiger Woods play I get entranced. Its so riveting to watch him play at times. Yesterday in the final round of the PGA Championship, Tiger basically played it safe through the entire round, just taking pars on each hole. He ended up winning his 13th Major. It's amazing how good he is and how much he has accomplished in his career. Golf is a sport where he could essentially be at the top of his game for another 10-15 years. With the shape that he is in and the way he takes care of himself combined with the drive he has to win who knows what he will accomplish in the coming years. I kinda believe that once he passes the record of 18 Major wins by Jack Nicklaus that he will hang them up soon thereafter. He is not someone who will stick around to just be there. He's more the type that has other dreams and goals and would rather be challenged to achieve them instead.

Mister Antonio

So its time to introduce everyone to the new addition to the Martin family. He goes by the name of Antonio. I have to say it's nice to have a nephew for the simple fact that I have never had one. I have three nieces which is also nice but I feel I like having a nephew is cool because I can teach him to play different sports and to make Diesel aware of his place in society.

I haven't spent too much time with Antonio yet but I did go to the beach with him and my sister in law for Memorial Day weekend. All he did was smile the whole time there. He seems to really be enjoying life and having a good time. It's going to be fun watching him grow and experience life. I kind of hope he learns to like basketball so I can teach him the ins and outs :)

Cheating??

Welcome to Tim Donaghy's world... Granted he did have a great job. Being a referee in the NBA and interacting with superstars on a daily basis during the season is a once in a lifetime job for most people. A key saying that I was told when I was younger is "To whom much is given, much is expected" Well Timmy was given a great job and a lot was expected of him as an NBA referee. First and foremost he was expected to call games fairly without any type of bias. That's the root of his job...But recently in the news its been stated that he is being investigated by the FBI for allegations that he bet on games that he officiated over the past two seasons and that he made calls affecting the point spread in games. There is nothing worse in sport than someone cheating the system. Whether as a track and field athlete who takes performance enhancers to run faster, or a baseball player who tries to get an edge over the competition with the use of steroids. Any records that are broken in competition now are scrutinized to the fullest extent as you just don't know who is using performance enhancers and who is not.

Deep down I hope Tim Donaghy isn't guilty of cheating the system. But in reality I believe he is because why would the FBI go through all of this and have it hit the newswire if there wasn't credible evidence. It's sad that people will do such things for greed. Personally I feel if you have a decent life and can live comfortably and enjoy what life is all about then why do you have to be soo greedy? It's not like you can take that extra money to your grave. And is it worth public embarassment as well as the ridicule and hurt your family will receive as a result of your actions? I don't think so...Anyways it should be interesting to see how this story unfolds over time. It definitely is reality TV drama.

Changes in the East

Well as you all know by now there have been a few trades this past summer that have reshaped basketball in the Eastern Conference. The Western Conference has been the powerhouse of the two conferences pretty much since Michael Jordan retired for the second time in 1998. My co-worker Dave made a good point the other day about how it seems like aging stars from the Western Conference seem to move to the Eastern Conference to finish out their respective careers. Two stars that fit this bill are Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett. Yes both are still great players but they are past their prime or right at the peak of their playing ability. However both of these players will help the Boston Celtics out of the basement in the Atlantic Conference. They will bring excitement and will help the "Truth" Paul Pierce win some games this year. This is great for Boston considering they did not win the NBA lottery this past year.

The Knicks also made a few good moves. First off they got rid of Steve Francis and his huge contract and were able to get Zach Randolph who will help with rebounding (Eddy Curry does not rebound) and will provide a consistent low post scorer. Also the Knicks drafted Wilson Chandler and Demetrius Nichols who looked good in the summer league along with Nate "The Great" Robinson, Vegas summer league MVP. So I think the Knicks will be fun to watch this year and should have a decent season as long as they avoid the injury bug. The Magic also signed Rashard Lewis. I still think they paid him too much money so you have to give his agent a lot of credit... He will give the Magic a more consistent scorer though.

Overall this summer has been filled with changes around the league. This upcoming season should be great and I look forward to seeing all the exciting action!