Random Sports Update

While baseball players prepare to play in the World Baseball Classic, or start to pack up for Spring Training in Florida or Arizona, many other sports are in full swing.

The Superbowl is next Sunday, wooh! Although my favorite team didn't make it (and should have) because of dumb rules, I'm going to watch the Steelers and Cardinals face off. Unlike most people outside the state of Pennsylvania, I'm going to be rooting for the Steelers. Being in Pittsburgh on a Sunday during football season, I've seen how dedicated the fans are to their team. It's a rarity to see someone who is not wearing some Steelers paraphenalia or black or yellow item of clothing on a Sunday. Plus, with some family members living in Pittsburgh, it's almost a sin not to root for their team, isn't it? ;)

The Australian Open is going into its 2nd week, with some of the quarterfinal match-ups being finalized. (7) Andy Roddick is playing (3) Novak Djokovic. (2) Federer is playing (8) Juan Del Potro, after winning 3 straight sets after being down by 2 sets to none. Ivanovic, Jankovic, and Venus all lost on the women's side early on. And anyone who thinks tennis is boring didn't see the article about the chair fight that broke out between Bosnian and Serbian tennis fans after the Delic/Djokovic match.

No men's college basketball team is going to be undefeated this season. Wake Forest fell to Virginia Tech last week to be the last team to not have a loss. A lot of people thought UNC would be undefeated this year, but they lost to BC. Last night UConn defeated Notre Dame to end their 45-game win streak at home (and most in the nation). UConn has lost once, to then-seeded #8 Georgetown on Dec. 29. Big East play sucks this year because almost everyone in the Big East is in the Top 25. So UConn and the other teams in the Big East are facing a ranked opponent almost every game! Of course it makes for interesting games since all of them are really good. As for the UConn women, they're still #1 at 19-0. They made their case for staying #1 when they faced #2UNC who was 17-0, same as UConn at the time. Then UConn went out and beat them 88-58. They faced Cincy last night and were up 39-7 at halftime, and eventually won 65-34.

So yep that's what's been going on outside of the baseball world recently.

81 days until Yankees Home Opener :)

Big Spending in the Offseason

You know what I'm sick of hearing about? How baseball should get a salary cap because the Yankees are spending way too much. There was an article in the Star Tribune today (Minnesota newspaper) talking about the salary cap and the Yankees spending $423.5 million on three players. Patrick Reusse, the author of the article says: "And for all this, it wouldn't be a shock if what the Yankees get is another third-place finish in the AL East behind Tampa Bay and Boston. We can all hope that -- and that's what makes baseball so grand:If our favorite club is an also-ran, we have a team to root for just as intently in whoever is playing the Yankees."

I also read a great blog entry talking about the salary cap: Gametime's Blog. Everything they say is true, and Yankee haters may deny the accusations, but they're true. Yes, the Yankees have A LOT of money and they spend A LOT of money. But you're honestly telling me the Tampa Bay Rays or the Minnesota Twins, as examples, would NOT spend any money on big free agents if they had just as much money as the Yankees? Come on! The Tampa Bay Rays have had to rely on their number 1 draft picks to create a team, as well as their farm system. It has certainly paid off for them (see: Last season's World Series), but they've had to have so much patience and many years of being last place in the AL East. That does NOT work for the Yankees (see: last year...Ian Kennedy and Phil Hughes). They tried it and it didn't work out for them which is why they went on a shopping spree in the market this season. Yankee fans and Yankee players WANT to win and NEED to win, just like every other team, but Yankee fans' expectations are MUCH greater. If the World Series is not won and the Yankees are not in the playoffs EVERY year, many fans are very upset. Losing is not acceptable for this team, especially when they have the potential to be a great team.

Last year disappointed many fans, but the off-season has brightened many fan's outlooks for next year. They're moving into a new stadium, have new players who look great in pinstripes, and fans know Captain Derek Jeter does not want another inconsistent season like last year. While every anti-Yankee fan is complaining this off-season, every Yankee fan is still in shock that they got three of the biggest free agents this off-season. I for one was shocked that we ended up getting Teixeria, I wasn't really expecting it, especially since we got Nick Swisher, but I'm not complaining. But this off-season, the Yankees organization showed that what they were focusing on was pitching. We lost Mike Mussina, a first time 20-game winner, and don't know if we're getting veteran southpaw Andy Pettite back. But if this team won 89 games last season and scored 789 runs with pitchers like Darrell Rasner and Sidney Ponson, imagine what they'll be like next year with C.C Sabathia, Chien-Ming Wang, AJ Burnett, Joba Chamberlain, and Andy Pettite/Aceves/Kennedy/Hughes. That's assuming they all stay healthy (a very big assumption, but the rotation sure looks a lot better than last year). The offense went to sleep last season, but they've scored 1,000 runs before and with Teixeria in the lineup, they'll definitely get more runs in. A-Rod also had an "off" season last year (35 hrs, 103 rbi). We had injuries to key players (Wang, Joba, Matsui, Posada, Kennedy, Hughes) as well that really ruined the season.

But the main point of this post is to show how irritated I am with this nonsense about a salary cap in baseball and the Yankees single-handedly ruining the economy. The only reason these things are being brought up is because people are jealous. It's as simple as that. Everyone's complaining about the Yankees spending so much, but laugh that they haven't won a world series since 2000. Why should you care then that they're spending so much on new players? Obviously they're just going to get 3rd place in the AL East again because clearly the Red Sox and the Rays are the superior teams in the division. It's not like the Yankees have been dominating every team the last 7 years. If they were, I'd get why people would be so upset with their spending. But the thing is, the Yankees haven't been winning world series year after year, so everyone who isn't a Yankee fan should stop caring about what players they get and how much they spend to get them. Personally I think the AL East will be a very tight 3-team race next year. Obviously spending tons of money isn't going to guarantee you a World Series win, but you have to start off somewhere. My final point: Everyone cares about the Yankees' offseason because they're scared that they just might get #27 next year.


(Note: I'd also like to say that while the Yankees spend so much money, it doesn't mean I approve. Of course I want my favorite team to get the best players out there (and the ones they need to win championships), but the money players make (in almost every sport, but mostly baseball and football) is absurd. However, I don't see how a salary cap will really do much.Like Gametime said in their blog, it will just force players to go to certain teams where they will get their market value, and it won't necessarily mean they enjoy playing for that team. But this is baseball, and I love the Yankees for their passion for the sport and their willingness to do anything it takes to win and make the fans happy. I also respect and appreciate the fans that follow them who truly know, love, and understand the sport.)