Yes It's Sad, But It's Not Tony Stewart's Fault

I don't write much about NASCAR. I mean I'm not a big fan of the sport and I don't follow it so usually I have no opinion on anything going on in the sport. However, this past weekend an incident occurred that goes beyond sports. On Saturday night on a dirt track in upstate New York, a driver by the name of Kevin Ward Jr. lost his life after he was struck by Tony Stewart's car. It's extremely sad because a 20-year old guy lost his life. But ever since this happened, people have been speculating that because of his past with anger issues that Stewart hit the guy on purpose.

If you think that Tony Stewart hit Kevin Ward Jr. on purpose during that race, then 1) you haven't seen the video and 2) you are an idiot. I've seen the video. If anyone is at fault here, it's Ward Jr. I'm sorry he passed away, but he put himself in grave danger by leaving his car and looking to confront Stewart while a race was still going on. You don't leave your car and try to chase down a guy who is still driving in the race. That's just stupid. Also, if you watch the video then you'll see Ward was not where anyone could see him before he was hit. He was behind another car and then emerged a split second before Stewart hit him. I don't see when watching the video any time that Stewart had any time to try to miss hitting him. It was an accident that was caused by the stupidity of a 20-year old kid.


It's very similar to the Josh Brent and Jerry Brown Jr. case. Former Dallas Cowboy Jerry Brown was sober at the time of the crash that he died in. Josh Brent was plastered drunk, yet Jerry Brown still got into the car and allowed his friend to drive. It's sad that Brown died, but it was his own fault for getting into a car where the driver was as drunk as Brent was. It's very similar here. It's sad that Ward lost his life, but if he stays in his car and waits until after the race to confront Stewart then he'd still be alive.

I know many of you will think I'm not being sensitive over this, but it's hard to have sympathy when someone's death is caused by their own stupidity. With that said, my thoughts and prayers do go out to his family as well as Tony Stewart.

Who Actually Won The MLB Trade Deadline?

The Major League Baseball trade deadline came and went last week and whew!!! it was definitely a trade deadline to remember. So many big name guys were traded to different teams and for each other instead of trading a big name for prospects. Here's a rundown of some of the big trades before the trade deadline.

*The Boston Red Sox send ace left handed pitcher Jon Lester and outfielder Johnny Gomes to the Oakland A's in exchange for outfielder Yoenas Cespedes.

*The Boston Red Sox send pitcher John Lackey to the St. Louis Cardinals for outfielder Allen Craig and pitcher Joe Kelly.

*The Boston Red Sox send left handed reliever Andrew Miller to the Baltimore Orioles for pitching prospect Eduardo Rodriguez.

*The Boston Red Sox send shortstop Stephen Drew to the New York Yankees for infielder Kelly Johnson

*The Seattle Mariners, Detroit Tigers, and Tampa Bay Rays made a three way trade. Ace left handed pitcher David Price went from Tampa Bay to Detroit, outfielder Austin Jackson went to the Seattle Mariners, and pitcher Drew Smyly and infielder Nick Franklin went to Tampa Bay.

*The Arizona Diamondbacks send utility man Martin Prado to the New York Yankees in exchange for minor league player Peter O'Brien.

Now there were several other trades made last week, but these were the biggest named trades of the trading deadline. So you might be thinking "What team won the trading deadline?" I am here to argue with you that I believe the team that won the trading deadline is a team that did NOT make one...single...move and that'd be the Texas Rangers. How can the Rangers win at the trading deadline when they didn't make a single trade? Yes I understand they traded Joakim Soria to the Detroit Tigers, but the two guys they got back in return have major star potential. So how can the Rangers be the winners of the trade deadline? Well that's because they kept the main guys who were in trade rumors. The biggest names on this year's Rangers' squad mentioned in trade discussions were Alex Rios and Neal Cotts. Both guys have a team option for 2015 and both will be very important to next year's team. When guys like Derek Holland, Prince Fielder, and Mitch Moreland are 100% healthy the Rangers will compete again. They have some holes to fill in the off-season, but they will content next year. Roughned Odor has proven he is the second baseman of the future for this team. But he's only 20 years old. The Rangers need to go get a decent second baseman on a 2-year deal so Odor can properly develop at Triple A Round Rock. They also need to look at picking up another bat (Jon Daniels please swallow your pride and sign Nelson Cruz. Just sayin...), but they really need to make a HUGE investment in one of the big named pitching free agents. Jon Lester is a free agent after this year and I can't imagine he'll want to play at O.Co Coliseum for the next several years. Also Max Scherzer of the Detroit Tigers will also be a free agent. Ownership and Jon Daniels need to seriously go after one of those two major free agent pitchers. You add one of those two guys to our pitching rotation, sign Nelson Cruz, and get a decent second baseman, then this team will be a World Series contender. So for now, good job Jon Daniels on staying pat and not making a trade that didn't need to happen.

2014 Big 12 Football Preview

Today is the start of the Big 12 Media Days at the Omni Hotel in Dallas, Texas. Since this is the same day that the Dallas Cowboys begin Training Camp out in Oxnard, California this is the day that football is officially back. Now I love football. I really do. But if you've followed my blog at all, then you know I'm a baseball guy. But since the Texas Rangers haven't been good at all this season (come on number 1 overall pick in the Draft next year. Let's get healthy and re-stock our farm system. We'll be back in 2015), then I'm getting more and more excited for football season this season. I'm going to run down every team in the Big 12 and preview their season. Now the previews will not be my opinions. I don't know enough about every team to preview them all. But I will give you my prediction as to how the standings will round out at the end of the season.

1. Oklahoma State Cowboys: The Oklahoma State Cowboys finished the season with a 10-3 record and won 10 of their first 11 games. As usual, Oklahoma State had one of the best offenses in the country, averaging 39.1 points per game and a defense that ranked 19th in the country in points allowed. Mike Gundy continues to take Oklahoma State to new heights, as he’s led the program to double-digits wins in three of his last four seasons. Still, it always feels like Oklahoma State is a bounce or two away from playing for a national title. We’ll find out just how good Oklahoma State is going to be opening weekend against Florida State. But if you can’t wait that long, it’s tough to imagine OK State being as good as last season. The Cowboys lost way too much experience, have no true answer at quarterback and have an extremely young defense. Oklahoma State is still going to score its points and remain competitive but don’t expect a Big 12 title or anything crazy. (Read more at http://sportschatplace.com/cfb-picks/2014/07/20/college-football-preview-the-2014-oklahoma-state-cowboys#xJccWzgcTGFiMdbo.99)


2.Oklahoma Sooners: The Oklahoma Sooners won double-digit games for the fourth straight year under head coach Bob Stoops and capped their season off with a BCS bowl victory over the Alabama Crimson Tide. The Sooners finished second in the Big 12 and had wins over ranked opponents such as Notre Dame, Texas Tech and Oklahoma State. The Sooners have now won 10 or more games in seven of their last eight seasons, and you can bet the Oklahoma fan base is expecting to be one of the four teams making the playoffs this season. In a conference that isn’t loaded with great defensive teams, Oklahoma will have the chance to bully its way through the Big 12. The Sooners should have the best defense in this conference and that’s going to be good enough to win a lot of the games on their schedule. Oklahoma now just needs consistent production from its offense and for Knight to start scratching the surface of his potential. Oklahoma has more than enough to win the Big 12 and is worth a look to win the national championship with the odds we’re getting. (http://sportschatplace.com/cfb-picks/2014/07/20/college-football-preview-the-2014-oklahoma-sooners)


3. Baylor Bears: The Baylor Bears continue to take steps forward under head coach Art Briles, as they reached a BCS bowl for the first time in program history and won 11 games, which were the most in school history. Baylor had the best scoring offense in the country, averaging 52.4 points and improved its defense to where it ranked fourth in the Big 12. At one point the Bears looked to be a national championship contender as they started the season with nine straight victories. With now four straight bowl appearances and 37 wins in the last four seasons, Baylor has proven it is more than capable of being a powerhouse football team. It won’t be easy to repeat as Big 12 champs in a conference that continues to improve year by year. However, Baylor has a shot with a potential Heisman winning quarterback and an offense that can score at the drop of a hat. Baylor’s defense is going to have to mature before our very eyes and come up with the timely stops needed to secure games. There are question marks with this team and this version of Baylor may not be as talented as last years. But there’s still more than enough for Baylor to go bowling for the fifth straight season. (Read more at http://sportschatplace.com/cfb-picks/2014/07/20/college-football-preview-the-2014-baylor-bears#B0GoLYVD3zux8KZP.99)


4. Texas Longhorns: The Texas Longhorns experienced another mediocre season with an 8-5 record and a loss in a bowl game. It was the fourth straight season the Longhorns failed to win double-digit games, and it pretty much forced head coach Mack Brown to step down from a position he’s held since 1998. Former Louisville coach Charlie Strong has taken over the head coach position and will begin this new chapter with this historic program. Getting off on the right foot will be critical considering Texas is a program that’s tired of settling for second and third best.A new head coach and a mystery at quarterback don’t spell a championship season for Texas. It also doesn’t help that the Longhorns have a tough Big 12 schedule that also includes UCLA and BYU. Texas may very well experience another up and down season. However, if there’s any team capable of surprises, it’d be Texas. The talent is always on this team and it’s what gives Texas a chance to beat anybody any given week. However, while I just don’t expect much this season from the Longhorns, there will be plenty of chances to make money off this team. (http://sportschatplace.com/cfb-picks/2014/07/21/college-football-preview-the-2014-texas-longhorns)


5. Texas Tech Red Raiders: Overall, the Red Raider offense looks to be a better unit in 2014, as Webb looks much improved. The offensive line will likely be much better and deeper as well, which likely will result in improved numbers in the ground game. On defense, it’s still a bit of a mystery, as the Red Raider coaching staff will have to wait until fall camp to see the revamped defensive line — heavy with junior college transfers — in action. If these players do live up to their hype, things could be looking up on defense, and overall, for Texas Tech in 2014. - (See more at: http://athlonsports.com/college-football/top-25/2014-college-football-preview-and-predictions-no-41-texas-tech-red-raiders#sthash.xojvqt3X.dpuf)


6. Kansas State Wildcats: Kansas State started 2-4 last year, but there was no shame in losing to North Dakota State, Texas, Oklahoma State or Baylor. The Wildcats played better over the final seven contests, finishing with six victories in that span, with the only loss coming against Oklahoma. With 10 starters back, Kansas State has a chance to build off that total in 2014. K-State finished 2013 strong by winning six of seven. The Wildcats will need to take advantage of that momentum with an early trip to Iowa State and a home game with Auburn looming before October. If they do, it could be a special season in Manhattan. (See more at: http://athlonsports.com/college-football/top-25/2014-college-football-preview-and-predictions-no-20-kansas-state-wildcats#sthash.aq5IJQtQ.dpuf)


7. Iowa State Cyclones: Iowa State must improve significantly on both sides of the ball if it hopes to bounce back from last season’s disappointing three-win season. With Mangino on the staff, there is legitimate hope for better production on offense. There are some nice pieces at the skill positions for the former Kansas head coach to work with. Defensively, however, there are major issues. The staff will be relying on several junior college transfers — always a dangerous proposition. If the Cyclones want to reach a bowl game in 2014, they will have to do it by simply outscoring the opposition. (See more at: http://athlonsports.com/college-football/top-25/2014-college-football-rankings-66-iowa-state-cyclones#sthash.TJNIjEDv.dpuf)

8. TCU Horn Frogs: It became clear to coach Gary Patterson during the Horned Frogs’ second year in the Big 12 that major changes were in order on the offensive side of the ball. His defense, long a program hallmark, was maintaining its success in the new league. But the Frogs missed the postseason for the first time since 2004 largely because the offense — which had moved the ball with ease in the Frogs’ final years in the Mountain West — failed to produce. If the offense, under new leadership, can make modest gains, the Frogs could emerge as a surprise contender in the Big 12. TCU went 4–8 in 2013, but the Frogs lost four games by a combined 11 points, including one in overtime. In two other 10-point losses, TCU had a chance to win late in the game. With better play at quarterback and along the offensive line — two areas that underperformed in 2013 — TCU will be in position to win a few more of those close games and put itself back into postseason play. (See more at: http://athlonsports.com/college-football/top-25/2014-college-football-rankings-39-tcu-horned-frogs#sthash.Css2fh2v.dpuf)

9. West Virginia Mountaineers: It may be summer in Morgantown, but the heat has been on Holgorsen for a couple of seasons. In 2012, the Mountaineers went 2–6 after a 5–0 start that included a win at Texas. Last year, WVU finished 4–8 and out of the bowl picture. Athletic director Oliver Luck felt compelled to issue a statement after the latter “difficult and trying” season and backed the coach, if seemingly only for this season, adding he has “high expectations” for 2014. The problem for Holgorsen is that the Mountaineers might be better, but that might not translate into a sterling record. WVU opens with Alabama, visits Maryland and plays a full Big 12 schedule. (See more at: http://athlonsports.com/college-football/top-25/2014-college-football-rankings-67-west-virginia-mountaineers#sthash.Uef5eLab.dpuf)

10. Kansas Jayhawks: During his first two years at KU, Weis was careful to not set specific win total goals for his rebuilding football team. That’s changed this season, as he enters Year 3 with the most talent he’s had and a solid base of upperclassmen. “Before you can be a perennial winning program, the first thing you’ve got to do is get to .500,” Weis says. Though this probably isn’t a “bowl or bust” season for the Jayhawks, Weis likely will need to improve his win total to avoid the hot seat in the third year of a five-year contract. (See more at: http://athlonsports.com/college-football/top-25/2014-college-football-rankings-predictions-78-kansas-jayhawks#sthash.sP9YL8L3.dpuf)

Ok so there are other websites' previews of the Big 12 for the 2014 Football season. Now here is my prediction as to how I think the standings will shape up.

1. Oklahoma

2. Baylor

3. Oklahoma State

4. Kansas State

5. Texas

6. TCU

7. Texas Tech

8. West Virginia

9. Kansas

10. Iowa State

So here is my thinking on my standings prediction. Oklahoma is coming off a great end to the 2013 season and they lost very few players. Now I understand Baylor is coming off winning their first ever Big 12 Championship, however, they have lost a lot of players on their defense and a few key players on their offense. And on top of that, Baylor has to travel to Norman to play Oklahoma this season. It's going to be a very hard road for Baylor to repeat as the conference champions. Now I'm not saying that Baylor can't do it. They most certainly can, but it's going to be hard. Oklahoma State, I believe, will slip up against Baylor and someone else along the way while Texas, who I believe will be good again in the next few years, aren't ready to make the jump this year under new head coach Charlie Strong. On average, most first year coaches don't make the team a contender. We'll know more about what kind of coach Charlie Strong is in a few years when his recruits are the starters for the Longhorns. As for the rest of the conference, TCU will make the biggest jump in the standings. They will win a few games they aren't expected to win, including over the Texas Tech Red Raiders who won't be as good this season as people are thinking. And then after Tech, it falls off. West Virginia won't be very good, Kansas will be normally bad in football, and Iowa State will bring up the rear of the conference standings. All in all the Big 12 will send the top 4 teams to bowl games. Now I'm a big Longhorn fan. Hook 'Em Horns!!! But I believe they will miss a bowl game this season under Coach Strong. We get started on August 27th. College football is almost here folks. Let's get going!!!

2014 Dallas Cowboys Preview

We are two weeks away from NFL teams heading to their respective training camps and most people can't wait. Now I'm more of a baseball fan myself, but since my Texas Rangers have been hit with the injury bug so hard and are already out of any kind of playoffs running, then I too am getting excited about NFL training camp beginning and the season getting underway. So let's take a look at the 2014 Dallas Cowboys.

The last 3 years in a row, the Dallas Cowboys have finished a mediocre 8-8. They haven't improved...they haven't gotten worse. They have stayed dormant. But I believe their off-season has actually been very good to at least help them improve. Now how many games will they improve? I don't think much right now, but we'll take a look at their schedule and I'll predict each game later on. Right now let's take a look at who they've added and who they've lost this off-season.

OFFENSIVE ADDITIONS:
The Cowboys, in my opinion, had an excellent draft this year. They added a big man to the already improved offensive line when they took offensive lineman Zack Martin from Notre Dame with their 16th overall pick. Many people were upset they didn't take Johnny Manziel, but I believe for once Jerry Jones the General Manager took over instead of Jerry Jones the owner for the good of the team. The Cowboys needed to stay away from the 3-ring circus that Johnny Football has already become and they did just that. Zack Martin will be put on a line that already includes guys like Travis Fredrick and Tyrone Smith looks VERY good for the Cowboys for years to come.

All the reports that I'm hearing and reading are saying that Tony Romo will be 100% healthy come training camp. Romo has received a lot of flack for his play, including from me. But his supporters keep saying he is a top quarterback despite his inability to make big plays in big games. But with the improved offensive line, Romo will have no excuse if he doesn't play well. And waiting in the wings in case he doesn't play well or is hurt are 2 guys that have experience and want to prove they still belong in the NFL: Brandon Weeden and Caleb Hanie. Weeden ended up being a bust with the Cleveland Browns, but reports from OTAs are that Weeden has really stepped up his game and is playing better than he ever has. I hope that's the case. As for Hanie...I feel he is a good 3rd string. He has experience and he's won a couple big games when he was with the Chicago Bears. So the additions of Weeden and Hanie are ok as Romo's backups.

DEFENSIVE ADDITIONS:
Once again you can see just how good of a draft that Jerry Jones had when you look at the additions they added to the defense. Defensive End DeMarcus Lawrence was drafted in the 2nd round out of Boise State. From the reports I read about Lawrence, this guy has a lot of upside and potential. Now I know "potential" is a rough word to go on, but "potential" is better than no hope. Right? Also, the Cowboys took Iowa Linebacker Anthony Hitchens in the 4th round of the draft. Watching the video from OTAs, he is a big guy who is quick. His tackling will need to improve in order for him to actually make a difference on the defense but new Defensive Coordinator Rod Marinelli will make sure Hitchens' tackling ability will be better. Dallas also signed former Chicago Bear Henry Melton. Melton, when playing for Marinelli when he was the DC for the Bears, was a pro bowl defensive lineman. But his career began going downhill after Marinelli left Chicago. They've now been reunited and I believe that Melton feels he has a lot to prove. Watch Melton to have a monster year for Dallas. Now my wildcard pick to have a good year for the Cowboys is Rolando McClain. Dallas traded a 6th round pick to the Baltimore Ravens in exchange for McClain, who was reinstated from the retirement list in order to play for the Cowboys. He was a bust when he was drafted by the Oakland Raiders out of Alabama and then never really did much for the Ravens either. But he's in Dallas now and claims he wants to prove he isn't the player that you saw on the field in Oakland. I don't know if he'll be good or not, but for the Cowboys he is a low risk high reward player so why not take a shot on him?

OFFENSIVE SUBTRACTIONS:
The Cowboys really didn't lose much on the offensive side of the ball. They released offensive lineman Phil Costa, but Costa hasn't really been anything but a disappointment. So losing Costa actually helps to improve the offensive line. They also lost wide receiver Miles Austin. Now in 2009, Austin was a relevant part of the Cowboys offensive attack. But injuries over the last several years have slowed Austin down considerably. He isn't the player he was 5 years ago and he needed to go. The Cowboys officially released him at the first of June and he has since signed with the Cleveland Browns. Good for Miles to get on with another team, but he was more of a detriment to the Cowboys than he was an asset.

DEFENSIVE SUBTRACTIONS:
Dallas did lose a couple of guys on defense that I feel will make a bad impact on the team. First of all, they lost line backer Sean Lee to a torn ACL on the first day of OTAs. He will miss the entire 2014 season. That will hurt the Dallas defense. When healthy, Lee is one of the best players in the NFL. His problem has always been though that he can't stay healthy. Lee will be missed for sure, but in order to be competitive the Cowboys will need Hitchens and Lawrence to step up and become play makers. The other player the Cowboys will miss is DeMarcus Ware. Ware signed a 3-year deal with the Denver Broncos a couple days after the Cowboys released him. At the time, it was the right thing to do for the Cowboys to let him go. But with some of the additions the team has added to the defense, I think Ware would have had a massive comeback year if he was on the Dallas defensive line. Ware will definitely be missed in 2014.

So overall I believe the Cowboys have had a really good off-season. Probably one of the first off-seasons in a long time that I've felt good about what the team has done. Here is the 2014 schedule with my predictions for the season:

September 7th vs. San Francisco
My Prediction: Loss

September 14th at Tennessee
My Prediction: Win

September 21st at St. Louis
My Prediction: Win

September 28th vs. New Orleans
My Prediction: Loss

October 5th vs. Houston
My Prediction: Win

October 12th at Seattle
My Prediction: Loss

October 19th vs. New York Giants
My Prediction: Win

October 27th vs. Washington
My Prediction: Win

November 2nd vs. Arizona
My Prediction: Win

November 9th vs. Jacksonville (in London)
My Prediction: Win

November 23rd at New York Giants
My Prediction: Loss

November 27th vs. Philadelphia
My Prediction: Loss

December 4th at Chicago
My Prediction: Loss

December 14th at Philadelphia
My Prediction: Loss

December 21st vs. Indianapolis
My Prediction: Win

December 28th at Washington
My Prediction: Win








So there's my predictions game by game. If you tally it up, I've got the Cowboys going 9-7 on the season. As I said earlier, I believe the Cowboys will improve this season, but not by much. I think overall they are 1 game better than the last 3 seasons. But we will see when they take the field against the San Francisco 49ers on September 7th.

Real Ranger fans are hard to find these days!!!

I never thought I'd ever say this, but I believe that the Texas Rangers going to back to back World Series might be a bad thing for the organization. Don't get me wrong I loved every minute of those years. Well maybe not the Nelson Cruz miss in Game 6 in 2011, but you get my drift. I mean it was bad for the team in the kind of fan base that those World Series trips brought in: bandwagon fans. The new Ranger fans that began coming to Rangers games. The new Ranger fans aren't real baseball fans and aren't real Ranger fans. They fell in love with those particular teams as in the players on those teams. They didn't fall in love with the team.

It's no secret that I'm a big Josh Hamilton fan. I am and I always will be. But just because he's on the Los Angeles Angels now doesn't mean I want him to continue to play well against us. Last night (6-24-14) Ian Kinsler made his  return to Globe Life Park as a member of the Detroit Tigers. In his first at bat, he hit a home run to left field. As he was running down to first base, he waved to the Rangers dugout and then commenced to not hide his emotions as he strutted around the bases. If you don't remember his comments, Kinsler blasted the Rangers after the trade saying he hopes the Rangers go 0-162. This guy is the biggest tool I've ever seen. Yet Ranger fans cheered him. Let me correct myself. The fake Ranger fans cheered him. They were cheering their favorite player from a past team. Not only is he the enemy now, but he trashed the team after he was out. Why cheer him for that? Nelson Cruz came back and the fans cheered him too. Why? Because those were the fake Ranger fans. They care more about individual players than they do the team itself. Cruz was very selfish in 2013 by choosing to accept his 50-game suspension instead of fighting it and keep playing. He chose himself over his team. Yet when he returned as a member of the Baltimore Orioles people cheered. It doesn't make any sense to me.
The Rangers need more real fans that will cheer this team no matter who is on the team. I can't stand Alex Rodriguez. I've never liked him. But when he was a Texas Ranger, you bet I cheered him on. These bandwagon fans need to stop cheering their favorite player and start cheering for the Rangers. Again do I like Josh Hamilton? Yes I do. I'm a big fan and will always be a big fan. But the Rangers come first. When he comes back with the Angels, then yes I want him to go 0-for-4 with 4 strike outs. The fake Ranger fans need to wake up and become real Ranger fans.

Just on a side note: Ian Kinsler better be thanking the good Lord above that Colby Lewis didn't put the next pitch Kinsler saw in his ear. The taunting of the Rangers deserved to have a fastball hit off his knee or back. He better be thankful Nolan Ryan wasn't pitching because Ryan would have drilled Kinsler.

Donald Sterling's punishment...IS WRONG!!!

I want to start this blog off by saying that I don't condone anything that Donald Sterling said. What he said was not only racist, but disgusting as well. I whole heartedly agree with that. But when you listen objectively to the entire recording that TMZ obtained, you'll see that what Sterling was more upset about was his girlfriend posting her entire life on social media. Yes his comments about black people was wrong. If you truly love minorities as Mr. Sterling claims then you can't love them privately and act like you don't care about them publicly. But the recording that was obtained, illegally by his girlfriend mind you, should not have gotten Mr. Sterling a life time ban from the NBA. Adam Silver was completely wrong for a few reasons for banning Mr. Sterling from the NBA for life and trying to force him to sell the Los Angeles Clippers.

First off, I watched the entire press conference that NBA Commissioner Adam Silver gave where he announced the punishment for Donald Sterling. I don't believe for one second that Mr. Silver's punishment was truly based on his "disgust" about what Mr. Sterling said. If you watched Mr. Silver's body language during the press conference that he made his decision based on what the players wanted him to do. Players like LeBron James were calling for Mr. Sterling's head. Why would Adam Silver give in to what the players wanted when the Donald Sterling situation had nothing to do with them? It's just like when someone is accused of a crime and their trial has to be taken out of state in order for the defendant to receive a fair trial because they wouldn't get a fair trial in the town or state they live in. Mr. Sterling was sentenced by the players of the league before evidence was presented to the judge, in this case Adam Silver. It's the old saying of "the prisoners are running the asylum." Adam Silver allowed the players to decide for him what Donald Sterling's punishment should be and that's wrong.

Lastly, tell me about a private company where the owner had his business taken from them by the government based on a private conversation and I'll completely apologize for this blog. As wrong as Mr. Sterling's comments were, they were comments made in the privacy of his own home and were recorded by his girlfriend illegally. Based solely on the fact that the recording was an illegal act, the Clippers should not be taken away from Mr. Sterling and he shouldn't be banned from the NBA for it. The woman will be very lucky is Mr. Sterling doesn't sue her sorry behind off.

Once again I'm not saying that Donald Sterling was right in what he said. I think his beliefs and opinions of minorities are despicable and disgusting. But the fact is...it's his opinion. That's all. He didn't say anything wrong at a Clippers facility, at a player, at a game, or in a public setting. He made the comments in the privacy of his home. A place where you should feel safe to be open and honest. We've all said things in our homes that we would never want to be made public. So just because we don't like what Donald Sterling said and think he is completely wrong in his thinking, it doesn't justify banning him from the NBA for life nor does it justify trying to force him to sell his business.

So what should have been done? I'm glad you asked. I have a couple solutions.

1. Don't allow any advertisers to advertise during the Los Angeles Clippers games.
2. Don't allow the Clippers to play on national television.
3. Allow all players the option to void the rest of their contracts and become free agents.
4. Force the team to play in an empty gym for the first 10 games of next season.

When you hit Mr. Sterling where it hurts...his wallet...then he might actually rethink his opinions and views. Banning a billionaire for life and fining him $2.5 million and forcing him to sell his team (that's worth a whole lot more than he paid for the team in 1981) ain't going to really be much of a punishment. At the end of the day, racist should be done away with ON BOTH SIDES OF THE ARGUMENT. Just as racist towards blacks and hispanics shouldn't exist, racist towards whites from blacks and hispanics shouldn't exist. It's a two way street. Adam Silver should have been objective when it comes to Donald Sterling, but instead he choose to make a ruling that would appease certain players...the same players who are reverse racists towards white folks. It's not right and I don't care what anyone says, Donald Sterling doesn't deserve to be banned for life from the NBA.

Dallas Stars Season Comes To An End

So it's been 3 days now since the Dallas Stars' season came to an end at the hands of the Anaheim Ducks. It's been something that's been hard to stomach, but after a few days of processing exactly how they lost and allow my brain to process the fact that their season is over I'm finally able to write my thoughts on the season as a whole.

I'm very proud of the Stars. This season started with a lot of optimism but still a lot of uncertainty. First off, the team got a new General Manager in Jim Nill from the Detroit Red Wings. Nill was the Assistant GM with Detroit for 15 years. His first job as the new GM was to hire a coach and he brought in former Buffalo Sabres coach Lindy Ruff. Ruff was known for being able to communicate with young players and that's exactly what the Stars needed considering the average age on the team is 28 years old and 12 of the 25 players are 26 years old or younger. This team had the talent, but needed a coach to guide that talent and to help them to mature as players. Coach Ruff was perfect for the job. He got the best of the best out of this team this year, helping to snap a 5 year playoff drought. This team all season never gave up. Several times this year we saw the Stars come back from multi-goal deficits to win or at least force overtime to get a point. Case in point...Game 4 against the Ducks. They trailed 2-0 after the 1st period, but fought their way back to win 4-2. The grit and "never say die" attitude by this squad this year was amazing and fun to watch.

Sunday night's game was such a heartbreaker. It looked like the Stars were going to force Game 7 as they had a 4-2 lead with 2:10 left in the game. But a goal by Nick Bonine cut the lead to 4-3. Then with :23 left in regulation Devante Smith-Pelly put the puck in the back of the net after a massive flurry thanks to a 6 on 5 advantage with the goalie pulled for his 2nd goal of the game. The crowd that had been so loud throughout the entire game was all of a sudden eerily quiet. Dallas still had a chance in overtime to win, but at 2:57 into overtime by Nick Bonine not only broke the hearts of all Dallas Stars fans and players alike, but it also ended the season for the Stars and sent the team into the offseason much sooner than they were hoping.

As hard as Sunday night's game was to swallow, we have some awesome positives we can take from this playoff series and from this season. In a post game interview, Stars play-by-play broadcaster Ralph Strangis said "As much as this hurts, it feels good to hurt again." And he's exactly right. The reason this hurts is because we saw just what this team is capable of. And over the next couple of years, this team is capable of being very VERY good. I predicted earlier this year that you'd see this team in the playoffs at the end of the season and I was right. Now I'm predicting that you'll see this team in the Stanley Cup Finals sometime over the next 3-4 years. For the first time in a long time the Stars are going into the offseason with a core group of guys that they are building around. Guys like Jamie Benn, Tyler Seguin, Kari Lehtonen, Ryan Garbutt, Valeri Nichuskin, and Alex Chiasson. These are guys that will be around for a long time and that the team can build around. That's an awesome feeling.

You can also take pride in knowing that the Stars were the better team in their series against the Anaheim Ducks. There were 18 periods played in this series and the Stars dominated every aspect of 13 of those periods. They made some mistakes that young guys are going to make are what costs this team the series. However, they will mature and will get better. The next time the Stars are in the playoffs, I don't expect this team to make those same mistakes again.

We, as Dallas Stars fans, should be very proud of our guys. They came a long way from the beginning of the season. They made hockey relevant again in Dallas. They got people talking about Dallas Stars hockey again. It was a fun ride this season and I'm very excited to what the future holds for this club. So send out tweets to the players on the team. Let them know that we are proud of them and that we are here to support them for a very long time. Good job this season and for the last time until October...LET'S GO STARS!!!

The Dallas Stars Media Member Experience

The Dallas Stars played their first home playoff game since 2008 last night, a 3-0 shutout win over the Anaheim Ducks. While the Stars have dominated in almost every aspect of this series, they still trail the Ducks 2 games to 1. However, they definitely picked up the momentum last night with Kari Lehtonen's 37-save shutout. It was a big win for the goalie and a big win for the organization.

But today's blog isn't just about the Stars big win last night. It's also about my very first experience getting to be a member of the media covering a playoff hockey game. I got to tell you...it was absolutely awesome. After I got my media pass, I made my way to the elevator to go up to the press box only to realize that I'm riding up the elevator with the voice of the Dallas Stars, the legendary Ralph Strangis. That's when it really sank in that I was actually getting to cover a Dallas Stars playoff game from the press box. I get up to the press box and find my seat...which was on the front row of the press box. As you can see from the picture below that I had a great seat for the game.

I decided to go check out the media dining hall before the game got started. I mean...DUH...who wouldn't want to go find free food??? It was awesome. I did feel a little intimidated sitting there with other media guys who knew a lot more about hockey than I do. But then they began talking Big 12 College Football and I was right in the middle of the conversation for sure. It's almost time to drop the puck, so I made my way back to my seat. As a member of the media, you are not allowed to cheer for your team in the press box. It keeps arguments and fights from occurring. I get it. But when Jamie Benn scored at the 19:25 mark of the 1st period, my excitement got away from me for a minute and I raised my arm up celebrating. As my arm is halfway in the air, I caught myself and quickly grabbed my hat trying to make it look like I was just adjusting my hat. I'm pretty sure anyone that saw me didn't buy that I was just adjusting my hat. But after that I did very well. The next time that I had to really be very professional when I didn't want to was during the 2nd period. I got up from my seat to get a bottle water (yes it was free too). As I was walking to the mini fridge, I passed Dallas Stars' great Jere Lehtinen. As a fan, I nearly lost it. It was so cool to see him in the press box. But as a professional, I had to be cool, get my water, and go back to my seat. But it was cool to see a Stars legend like that in the press box.

After the game, I got to go into the locker room and interview some players about the game. It was just how I expected it to be. There was a crowd around Trevor Daley at his locker so...I joined the crowd. I noticed at his locker with only 1 or 2 other reporters was goalie Kari Lehtonen. I got to thinking "He just shut out the top team in the Western Conference for his first playoff win and playoff shutout. I should be talking to him." So I was able to interview the top star of the game for about 10 minutes. Then I was able to get an interview with defensemen and enforcer Antoine Roussel. All three guys were awesome and very nice to this first time reporter.

All in all, it was probably the best night I've ever had in my radio career. I've always wanted to cover a playoff game from the press box and interview players from the locker room. I got that chance last night. I will be doing it again this Wednesday night as the Dallas Stars will be looking to even the series at 2 games apiece. Follow me on Twitter @linedrivereport or find my Facebook page "The Line Drive Report." I will be live updating from the game.

Dallas Stars Are Back In The Playoffs

I told y'all. I told y'all. I told y'all. Early in the season, I kept saying that I believed that the Dallas Stars would be in the Stanley Cup Playoffs this year. And I was right. Yes I take great joy in knowing that I was right. The Dallas Stars have finished the regular season with a 40-31-11 record and 91 points. They will face off against the top seeded team in the Western Conference, the Anaheim Ducks. The Ducks finished with a 54-20-8 record and 116 points. I'm excited because I've been approved to receive media credentials for Games 3 and 4 at the American Airlines Center and I will be there. So I'm very excited about it.

Now looking around, not many people are giving the Stars much of a chance to win this series. But I am here to predict that the Dallas Stars will win this series in 6 games. Yes you heard me right. The 8th seed Dallas Stars will beat the #1 seed Anaheim Ducks in 6 games to advance in the Stanley Cup playoffs. How is this possible, you ask? Well I'm glad you did. Let's take a look at the 3 meetings between the 2 teams earlier in the year, in which the Stars took 2 of 3 games against the mighty Ducks.

Game 1 - October 20, 2013: Anaheim 6, Dallas 3
In this game, the Stars had Jack Campbell making his NHL debut in net. Thanks to goals by Brenden Dillon, Shawn Horcoff, and Ryan Garbutt, Dallas has a 3-1 lead after the first period. After that, it was down hill for Campbell. As a team, the Stars gave up 5 unanswered goals to lose 6-3. Campbell made 41 saves on 47 shots. You got to remember that when this game was played, both Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin had not really gotten going. They were struggling to start the season.

Game 2 - November 26, 2013: Dallas 6, Anaheim 3
In this game, Dan Ellis was in net for the Stars and this game was much closer than it looks. In the 2nd period, Antoine Roussel scored to tie the game 1-1. Dallas looked like they were going to go to the 3rd period in a tied game, but Ducks' Nick Bonine scored with :36 left in the period to take a 2-1 lead after 2. Then the Stars went off in the 3rd period. In a span of :53, Dallas went from down 2-1 to taking a 4-2 lead thanks to goals from Cody Eakin, Stephane Robidas, and Ryan Garbutt. In all the Stars scored 5 times in the 3rd period to win the game 6-3.

Game 3 - February 1, 2014: Dallas 2, Anaheim 0
In this game, Dan Ellis was in net yet again for Dallas and made 26 saves to shut out his former team. Anaheim's offense never really got in a rhythm while the Stars got goals from Trevor Daley and Jamie Benn. Dallas' defense was really good, only allowing 26 shots compared to 47 in the first meeting and 31 in the second meeting.

So we've looked at the three games between the two teams this season. Here are the reasons why I believe the Dallas Stars will win this series:

1. The Ducks never faced Kari Lehtonen this year.
2. The Stars are a younger team, therefore, will have more energy and stamina to last an entire series. Yes the Ducks were the best team in the Western Conference all season, but in a playoff series you are playing several games in a short time. The Stars are younger and can handle playing in a bunch of games in a short time while I don't believe the Ducks will be able to do that very well.
3. Tyler Seguin and Jamie Benn have found chemistry like no other teammates on any other team have.  They seem to know exactly where the other is going on the ice and what the other is going to do with the puck. The two of them this season has made the entire team extremely better. They will play a key role in this First Round playoff series against. Anaheim.

So there you have it. I am predicting the Dallas Stars will beat the Anaheim Ducks in 6 games to advance to the 2nd Round in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. With that being said...LET'S GO STARS!!!

2014 American League Central Division Preview

We are less than 2 weeks away from Opening Day. That is the greatest day all year. Everyone is equal and every team has a aspirations of a hopeful World Series championship. In the American League Central Division, however, only 1 team has actually contended for a World Series...the Detroit Tigers. This off-season the Central Division changed dramatically. With all these changes, will the Detroit Tigers win the AL Central for the 4th straight year? Here's my predictions team by team:



1. Detroit Tigers: Let's take a look first at the reigning division champs, the Detroit Tigers. They will not look like the Tigers of the past few years.For starters, Jim Leyland is no longer the manager. Former MLB catcher Brad Ausmus is at the helm this year. And he has more tools to work with than Leyland did. In the past few years, the Tigers were known for good starting pitching and power bats. They will still have both of those, but now Ausmus will have speed to mix in and a shut down bullpen. The Tigers started off the off-season by trading Prince Fielder to the Texas Rangers for second baseman Ian Kinsler. Now, besides my dislike for Kinsler after his recent comments about my beloved Rangers, the Tigers are getting an All-Star defender with speed. He is a veteran lead off hitter, which will allow the pressure to be taken off Austin Jackson. Comerica Park is good for Kinsler, who thrives at hitting balls to the gap. If Kinsler isn't worried about hitting home runs, he drives the ball better. They will still have the 2-time MVP Miguel Cabrera, but with the trade of Fielder he will be moving to first base. This will help Cabrera stay healthy and help his production to stay up. The starting pitching will be very good behind Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer, but it will miss right hander Doug Fister. Fister blossomed in Detroit, but the team traded him to the Washington Nationals to make room for Drew Smyly in the rotation. The bullpen will be source of strength for the Tigers for the first time in a while as they signed veteran closer Joe Nathan in the off-season as well. But as Miguel Cabrera goes, so goes the Tigers. If he stays healthy and in the line up, Detroit will be looking to get back to the World Series this season.

2. Kansas City Royals: The Royals are a team that are finally back in the playoff contention for the first time in over 20 years. They have a good mix of speed, power, youth, and starting pitching. The Royals brought in Narichika Aoki from Milwuakee in the off-season, they also signed infielder Omar Infante, infielder Danny Valencia, and starting pitching Jason Vargas. They did lose Ervin Santana, who signed with the Atlanta Braves, but Vargas will make up Santana's production. He will be behind staff ace James Shield as the starting rotation will look to be one of the best in the big leagues. The line-up will be good behind Eric Hosmer and Mike Moustakas to go along with the veteran presence of Infante. The bullpen will be good again this year, but they will need closer Greg Holland to step up even more than he did last year. The Royals will be in a close race for the playoffs at season's end.

3. Cleveland Indians: The Indians will go backwards this year. The Indians made the playoffs last year for the first time in a few years, but I don't see them making the playoffs again this year. They added outfielder David Murphy and pitchers John Axford, Aaron Harang, and Shaun Marcum. The Indians got big years last season from guys who normally don't put up those kind of numbers. Carlos Santana is the only consistent player in the line-up. The Indians will have good power and decent speed, but they will struggle to hit for average. Their pitching staff will be rough after Justin Masterson. Masterson should have another good year, but losing Ubaldo Jimenz to the Baltimore Orioles will hurt because there isn't much experience after Masterson. Yes the Indians signed Marcum, but he's been injury-proned the last couple of years. The bullpen will be shaky for Cleveland as well. John Axford was brought in to be the closer, but he struggled so much in Milwaukee last season that they traded him to St. Louis. Then the Cardinals didn't make an attempt to sign him this off-season. The Indians will go backwards this season and not contend for a playoff spot.

4. Chicago White Sox: The White Sox are the MLB version of the Dallas Cowboys. The Cowboys are a team who never gets better but never gets worse. They stay even-kill and find it hard to grow. The White Sox have found themselves in that same category. They brought in Adam Eaton via trade with the Arizona Diamondbacks and signed Cuban free agent Jose Abreu. They lost closer Addison Reed as part of that deal with the Diamondbacks. Abreu is a mystery to the club, but if he is the hitter the Sox hope he can be then the top of the line up will be decent with Abreu, Konerko, and De Aza. But the bottom of the line up will struggle all season. After Chris Sale, their starting pitching doesn't have any one with much experience. And their bullpen without Reed will suffer. It's going to be a long year on the south side of Chicago.

5. Minnesota Twins: The Twins are still in re-building mode. This team made big strides in the off-season, but don't look for it to help make them contenders this year. They added some big pieces to the starting rotation, one that was the worst rotation in baseball last season. The Twins added Ricky Nolasco, Phil Hughes, and Mike Pelfrey to the rotation. All 3 guys should be major upgrades from a year ago. The bullpen will be the question mark for this team, but if the bullpen can get a lead to the 9th inning Glen Perkins is a good closer that should get a lot of saves for Minnesota. The line up will look similar to last season except for the loss of Justin Morneau, who they traded to Pittsburgh last season and signed with the Colorado Rockies this season. The Twins got a veteran to run things on the field by signing catcher Kurt Suzuki. He should be able to lead an experienced pitching staff. The problem with this team will be the lack of production from the line up. Look for this team to lose many low scoring games.

My Standings Predictions:

1. Detroit Tigers             95-67     - GB
2. Kansas City Royals    90-72     5 GB
3. Cleveland Indians       81-81     14 GB
4. Chicago White Sox    75-87     20 GB
5. Minnesota Twins        67-95     28 GB

So this is my prediction for the 2014 American League Central Division. I do believe Detroit will win the division for a 4th straight year, however, I think it'll come down to the last 2 weeks between them and Kansas City. It's going to be fun to watch the young players for the Royals taking on the big bats of Detroit this season.