We really need the NFL and college football to start their real seasons. It has been another pretty drab week in the sports world, but there is always a few things that keep us interested. This week, while I usually like to keep this light hearted and a bit tongue and cheek, we need to start with tragedy.
Category Archives: NBA
The WACKY WEEK IN SPORTS
It certainly was another wacky week in sports. Many faces changed places (hey, I’m a poet and didn’t even know it) as baseball’s Trade Deadline passed. Training camps continue to roll on in football while they enshrined some legends into Canton. The NHL actually surpassed the WNBA in their fan base this past week as well. Nah, I’m just kidding, folks, it wasn’t that wacky of a week!
THE WACKY WEEK IN SPORTS: FOOTBAWWWWWWWL!!!
What a boring week in sports, folks. It seems that there are points of the year that sports news takes a lull. Take February after the Super Bowl for example. I mean sure, if you are one of the 16 Americans who tune in to the NHL, you’re having a blast, but for the rest of us, it’s excruciating. While this week crawled down the road like your boy who can’t handle his liquor, there was still some interesting tidbits that went down.
Onward to the wacky week that was!!!
The Wacky Week in Sports: The Open Closed Pretty Quickly
Well, folks, another week has come to a close. We had some tea and crumpets with a dominant performance at Royal Liverpool, we found a few morons with big mouths in the NFL, we enjoyed the MLB all star festivities, and of course we witnessed the amazing RE2PECT commercial. So here we go on yet another thrilling ride around the world of sports!
THE WACKY WEEK IN SPORTS: #LeBrontoClev #ComingHome Week
The reason I started Wayniac Nation, for those that are still unaware, was my complete and utter disdain for ESPN. I think a majority of their anchors are hacks and that their programming has become complete fluff. As I have said before, they are the TMZ/ Enquirer of sports. I get way more from my daily dose of Chuck and Chernoff than I do from ten minutes of SportsCenter. The coverage of the LeBron James Decision Part Deux has only justified my remorse.
That said, the biggest sports news of the week comes from the NBA. First overall pick Andrew Wiggins completely outplayed second overall pick Jabari Parker in their first meeting Friday in the NBA rookie summer league from Las Vegas. Elsewhere, LeBron James, aka The King, aka The Chosen One, also returned home to Cleveland, the place he left four years ago to rise to amazing heights in Miami while Cleveland sunk into obscurity. Fans burned Bron’s jerseys when he left for the Heat, Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert said some harsh words about his character, and people across the nation deemed The Decision as the biggest egotistical piece of horse manure they ever had to endure. And now he is back. The Cavaliers went from 60-1 underdogs for the NBA title to the 3-1 overall favorites to win the whole dang thing. Here’s the thing: if this whole sign and trade with the Lakers and Bulls falls through for Pau Gasol and the Spurs wind up with Gasol, none of this matters. Tim Duncan and Gregg Popovich will have one for the other hand.
This whole thing smells fishy to me. I feel like this was David Stern’s master plan, and if any league in the world would set something up simply for ratings, it is certainly the soap opera that the NBA is. No one cared when Bron was in Cleveland, so did the NBA ship him to Miami, a major market, to revive the fading NBA viewership? You can’t argue that it didn’t work. The NBA is back and now, LeBron can go home. Maybe I give to much credit to the Illuminati, but I feel like that this was all set up four years ago. And now poor Carmelo Anthony has resigned with New York. I guess this guy never wants to win a championship, but at least he got a chip with my boys up in ‘Cuse!
Moving on to futbol, today is the day we find out the kings of the world. The 2014 World Cup concludes today with Agrentina facing off against Germany. Germany decimated host country Brazil, scoring more times in six minutes than seniors do on prom night. It was unreal and seemed entirely too easy. Four goals in six minutes and a nation was left crying. CRYING!!! Could you imagine if Jimmy Dugan was the coach?
Lionel Messi gets the chance to add the final piece to his ultimate trophy collection and prove that he truly is the best player in the world. Argentina advanced to the finals after a grueling 120 minutes of nothing. Seriously, that game was why it is so hard to get Americans to completely convert to futbol. Then, when nothing was decided, they turned to penalty kicks. I like the concept of penalty kicks, but I do have a problem with such a big game being decided by them. They are largely luck, either the goalie chooses correctly and dives in the right direction, or you lose. Regular season games, sure. Quarter final games, why not? But once you are in the semi finals, I think you play until someone scores. And if players start collapsing then so be it! Could you imaging Game 7 of the World Series tied after 10 innings and they go to a home run derby to decide the world champion? Wait a second, that actually sounds amazing!
Speaking of the MLB, Clayton Kershaw and Tim Lincecum continue to do ridiculous things with the baseball. Kershaw’s scoreless innings streak was snapped at 41 yet he still hurled a complete game. His last seven starts are video game-esque: he has allowed a mere three runs while striking out 71 and walking six with a no hitter along the way. The Freak has been equally superb allowing just one run over his last four starts with a no hitter as well. Meanwhile, the Yankees have one, ONE, starting pitcher in their rotation that started the season with them. Looks like I picked the right year to start writing for my favorite team. Oooo, can I really line up that Jeff Francis interview now?
The NHL free agency period continued this week.
Lastly, the Andre Johnson soap opera continues out of Houston in the NFL. Andre wants out, but John McClain, who knows more about the Texans than Gary Kubiak ever did, says Johnson isn’t going anywhere. Due to his hefty contract, the Texans won’t trade Johnson and eat all of that money, so the question remains whether he will hold out or play. Across the state in Dallas, Kyle Orton still hasn’t reported either, leaving Brandon Weeden the backup for Tony Romo. That is the worst sentence ever typed in the history of the NFL.
Another week of sports is in the books. We have a lot on deck here at Wayniac Nation this coming week, including a look into why minor league baseball is so much fun. When you are finally Bron-ed out, come on back and check out some quality sports insights! Till next time.. MESSI MESSI MESSI!!!!
THE WACKY WEEK OF SPORTS: Eat Your Heart Out, Iron Mike
What a week, folks! Highlighted by yet another Suarez attack, there was a lot that went down around the sports world. So, fasten you seat belts, Wayniacs, as we go around the world of sports.
Here’s a little known fact: Did you know that the odds of getting bit by a shark are approximately 3.7 million to one? That means that based on the Vegas line and the course of his career, you are less likely to get bit by a shark than Uruguay’s vampire-esque superstar Luis Suarez. Suarez put the World Cup center stage with his antics, biting Italian defender Giorgio Chiellini in a game which would eventually decide who was the last team to advance from Group D. Coincidentally, Uruguay would win, but Suarez would pay the price being suspended from soccer for the next four months. The US lost to Germany in a decisive game that still allowed the USMNT to advance for a match against Belgium this coming Tuesday. So you win a game, you draw a game, and then you lose a game… but you ultimately come out of the Group of Death alive. This all proves that Americans are still too stubborn and stupid to comprehend soccer. Can I get an amen, Ann Coulter?
Turning to America’s other pastime, baseball had an eventful week. The hair is a little bit shorter and the mustache is a bit more porn starrish, but when Tim Lincecum is feeling it, he still has the ability to wow any baseball fan. The Freak no hit the San Diego Padres for the second time in a calendar year this past Wednesday, missing a perfect game by a mere one walk of Chase Headley. The Angels’ young superstar, center fielder Mike Trout also blasted his way into the the headlines. Trout slammed a home run 489 feet into the fountains at Royals’ Stadium, proving the old adage: chicks dig the long ball.
The NBA had a lot going this past week. Currently, everyone but Norris Cole has opted out of their contracts in Miami. Now, throughout the month of July, we all get to play the Where will Queen James go? game. Who cares? Where ever it is he goes, he will win a lot of games, score a tremendous amount of points, and then lose to Tim Duncan in the NBA Finals who said he will return for another year. The NBA Draft was also this week, and of all the picks and trades that went down, none was better than Baylor’s Isaiah Austin. Austin, a projected first round pick, had to end his career before it started due to Marfan syndrome, yet Commissioner Adam Silver still called his name Thursday making Austin an honorary NBA draft pick. Between tossing that bum Sterling out on his racist rear end, not rigging the NBA Finals to let Bron win, and now this move, Silver is certainly gaining a lot of friends and momentum heading into his first full season as Commish.
The NHL had their draft as well.
Hail to the Not So Politically Correct Native Americans! The big news in the NFL this week came off the field, as the Redskins name and logo lost several of its trademarks and copy rights. It is looking more and more like Daniel Snyder will have to change his team name from the Redskins. Rumored replacement names have been the Affordable Health Cares, the Socialists, and Daniel Snyder’s Big Pile of Wasted Money. In Texans news, there is hope on the horizon, fellow Texans’ fans. Third string quarterback Case Keenum plans on reaching out to Andre Johnson to throw with during his hold out. Yea, that’s exactly what Andre needs. Everyday, AJ must be one step closer to losing his mind.
And lastly, everyone’s favorite troubled golfer Tiger Woods returned to the limelight this weekend at the Quicken Loans International… well, kind of. Woods didn’t do terribly in his first two rounds of his return, but it wasn’t good enough to make the cut. No red shirt this Sunday, but the golf world is happier their favorite feline is back.
What does the week in sports have in store? That’s the beauty of sports: you can read the Vegas lines and people’s predictions all you want, but they are about as accurate as a meteorologist. Until next time, let’s hope the Yanks beat the Sox in the rubber match tonight and make sure you have your red, white, and blue on Tuesday at 4 PM. In the immortal words of Journey: Don’t stop believing! USA… USA… USA!!!
The Wacky Week in Sports
Welcome to the newest feature at Wayniac Nation. Every Sunday, I am going to take you the world of sports for the week that was. So sit back, grab some coffee, and let’s go around the world of sports!
The entire world has been engulfed by the World Cup this past week. Whether you love futbol or are one of those people who loves to bash it for being boring and soft (yet tune into baseball and LeBron James and his cramps), the numbers don’t lie: more people are watching than aren’t. Luis Suarez had two goals in his 2014 World Cup debut to send England packing before the knockout round for the first time in nearly 60 years. In just three short weeks, Suarez has to return to Liverpool for the start of The Barclays/ EPL season where I’m sure he will receive a very warm welcome. Spain, who has been ranked number one in the world since 2008 and are the reigning World Cup champs, were bounced by the Cinderella Chile national team. And then there is the good ol’ US of A. Our men’s national team pulled off a big win against Ghana in game one and later today, take on an injury-plagued, suspension-filled Portugal team. The US had two great goals against Ghana but played an otherwise uninspiring game, despite the fact that major sports sites gushed about their game one performance, proving what most of the world already knew: Americans know nothing about soccer. Jozy Altidore is out, our captain has a broken nose, and the man who put US Soccer on the map in Landon Donovan is sitting at home.
Speaking of boring sports, let’s turn to baseball. MLB’s biggest diva hadn’t been in the spot light for several months, so Alex Rodriguez returned to the headlines by dropping his lawsuit against the Yankees’ medical staff. Early reports indicate that A-Rod didn’t necessarily realize he was wrong, but ultimately discovered that no one gave a rat’s ass. On a serious note, the baseball world and San Diego mourned the passing of a great one. Tony Gwynn left us this week, but will always be remembered by his big hits and bigger smile. As a lifelong Gwynn fan, I paid tribute to him this past Tuesday. If you missed it, please check it out: The Loss of a Legend.
BONEHEAD OF THE WEEK AWARD: Hanley Ramirez, SS, Los Angeles Dodgers. The 30-year old, 10-year MLB veteran short stop made the biggest error of his career on Wednesday night. Ramirez threw away an easy out in the seventh inning an in doing so, he threw out Clayton Kershaw’s perfect game, which would have arguably been the best perfect game ever thrown. Kershaw was dealing Wednesday night, needing just 107 pitches en route to striking out 15 Rockies and walking none. Yet Hanley Ramirez couldn’t reach first base. Well done, dumb ass.
Big news in the world of golf: Lucy Li, an 11-year old prodigy, made big news appearing in the Women’s US Open becoming the youngest girl ever to do so. While she didn’t make the cut, she did extremely well with 78s on an extremely tough Pinehurt No. 2 course and finished 120th out of 154 contestants. I mean, really, how bad do those 34 women feel who lost to an 11-year old right now? Oh yea, Tiger Woods also returns this coming tournament. Waffle House waitress nation wide rejoice.
The NBA is done and the Spurs, as predicted here on Wayniac Nation, won their fifth championship. Which of course means all the talk has been about Pat Riley and his big three attention hounds in Miami. Will LeBron be back? Is Dywane Wade healthy enough? Is Chris Bosh really a dinosaur? No one seems to care that Tim Duncan, the greatest power forward of all time, is 38-years old and may retire. Everyone forgot that Tony Parker was banged up heading into the Finals and like Wade, his body seems to be wearing down. Oh yea, Gregg Popovich secured his fifth ring in 18 years. No one cares.
The NFL OTAs are still under way and Andre Johnson is still a no show. I’m sure that Bill O’Brien officially naming Ryan Fitzpatrick starting quarterback for my Houston Texans will change Johnson’s mind and have him running back to training camp.
And lastly, there is nothing to report from the NHL because, well quite frankly, who the hell cares about hockey anymore anyway? But seriously folks, the Rangers lost the Stanley Cup to the Los Angeles Kings. Hope you enjoyed it Rangers’ fans. If history has showed us anything, your team won’t be relevant for at least another 20 years.
There you have it, the world of sports in under 700 words. Now go get your red, white, and blue on because I BELIEVE…
Happy Father’s Day Sports Style
It’s that magical time of year. The time of year when the grills are afire and the Coors Light are acoolin’. What better way to celebrate dear old dad than with BBQ, beer, and baseball?
Throughout the course of sports history, there have been quite a few powerful gene pools across the major US sports. Every one knows about Bobby Bonds and Barry Bonds, and if you don’t, you really need to put down the Dungeons and Dragons and come outside for a little while. The Bonds’ father and son duo combined for 1094 drug induced home runs over their notorious careers and stand as one of the most famous combos of all time. The Griffey’s were so nice, they had to name them twice! Ken and Junior not only combined for 782 home runs themselves, they actual hit back-to-back bombs in the same game. When my dad and I bonded, he snuck me to get ice cream when my mom said I couldn’t have any. These two were bashing back to backers. Don’t get me wrong, I love my dad and I love ice cream, but the closest me and my dear old dad came to baseball immortally was when he coached my 3rd grade little league team (which Wayniac Nation’s own Sport Illuminati was a member of 31 years ago!).
Keep reading for the newest Father/Son Sports Combos!!!
Time to Spur this Heat Wave
The NBA Finals are set and I can’t wait. Despite Lance Stephenson‘s best efforts, the Pacers blew the series (see what I did there?) and the Heat rolled to their fourth straight title series. The Spurs and Thunder played a bizarre series out West in which the home team completely dominated the first five games until last night’s overtime thriller that sent the Spurs back to the Finals for a second consecutive season.
Do you have the Spurs or the Heat? Keep reading to see who I picked!
Memorial Day: Remembering the Greatest Athletes to Serve ‘Merica
Happy Memorial Day, America. It’s a time for barbecues, heading to the beach, and enjoying a long weekend with family and friends. There is usually a ton of booze involved and maybe you sneak in a two minute glance of one of the most famous non-stop left turns ever in the 98th running of the Indy 500. It is also a time to remember… hence the clever Memorial Day tag.
The sports world has long been filled with athletes who remember that, although sports are entertaining and indeed a job, they are also just a game. Endless amounts of athletes have put their careers on hold to serve this country. While some of us spend this weekend celebrating relatives or friends who have served, lets take a look at some of the more memorable athletes to put America above their stats and illustrious careers.
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