New Orleans

It was great getting to head down to New Orleans with The Associates for a work conference. First off I had never been there and had heard how much fun it is. The first benefit of going down Saturday morning was that the plane was only half full. Thus I had a whole exit row to myself. Was pretty sweet I must say. However I usually sleep all the time when I travel so I didn't notice it that much. When we got to New Orleans we headed off to Bourbon Street. Seeing Mardi Gras on TV and all the craziness associated with that street I was excited. I can't believe how narrow the street is. Is still hard for me to believe all those people are able to fit on it at one time during Mardis Gras. Anyways it was cool to see all the different stores/bars and restaurants. We had a great time and all in all New Orleans was a good time.

That Time of Year

As all sports fans know the best time of year is the fall. First off you have the baseball playoffs, so if you are a new york fan like me (I like the yankees more but if the mets are in the playoffs i'm rooting for them too)then you get to watch the games that actually count in an intense atmosphere. Next you have college football. Granted my team Notre Dame isn't doing soo hot this year lol but it's still fun to watch all the other great games every Saturday. Next you have the NFL. I have grown to really like the NFL over the years and its a great way to spend your lazy Sunday as well. And last but not least you have the NBA. The best of the best. This year should bring another exciting season. All in all you just gotta love the fall!!

Can I say Dream Team?

Well I have to say before the FIBA world championships I was a little worried. The U.S. men's senior basketball team had lost last summer and had to settle for the bronze. And last summer's team had Lebron, Melo and D Wade. But...joining the U.S. team this go around were a few main players. Kobe Bryant, Chauncey Billups, Tayshaun Prince, Michael Redd and Jason Kidd. The team this was summer was legit. Let's go through each player one by one real quick. Amare Stoudemire aka STAT(Standing Tall and Talented) was a man child this summer. He basically dominated each team the U.S. played on the inside. Dwight Howard. Man among boys and he still is a young boy. Enough said. Michael Redd. Great shooter who opens up the inside and keeps teams from playing zone. Tayshaun Prince. Jack of all trades. He continually scored clutch baskets and played great D. Chauncey Billups. Experienced point guard who played a great floor game and had the team running fast breaks all game along with Jason Kidd who played incredible. These two experienced point guards helped the U.S. team immensely. Lebron, Melo, Kobe were all INCREDIBLE. They dominated the game and whoever was guarding them.

It was great seeing this team play. They really seem to be getting used to playing together and they sort of looked like the original Dream Team from 1992. They blew out all of their opponents and made it look easy. And...this team didn't have Chris Paul, Chris Bosh or Dee Wade. Just imagine how much better they will make the team. Anways I'm looking foward to the Olympics next summer and seeing the U.S. bring home the GOLD!!

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.