S_it Doesn’t Roll Downhill All That Often But When It Does Can It Stink Up The Joint ?

S_it Doesn’t Roll Downhill All That Often But When It Does Can It Stink Up The Joint ?

Well Groundhog Day came and went what else is left to be said concerning what we’ve yet to see with regard to the sporting landscape ? Novak Djokovic won the Australian Open in Melbourne , Australia and let me just say this win doesn’t make the Serbian the most dominant player in the men’s game. Having won just the second major of his career he’s still got a long way to go to prove himself in the eyes of the world and not the rather myopic observers of the game whose only idea and history of the game is what they’ve witnessed perhaps in the last five years.

Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal clearly the two most dominant men playing today aren’t going anywhere anytime soon. And until Djokovic is able to show consistency he’s still going to be the little engine that could , albeit that it won’t be just him breaking down the walls within the game completely.

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Slide show for your perusal .

Punxsutawney Phil must be wondering the hell is going in the world of sports and so am I , I might add ! Iowa’s — Kirk Ferentz has stated that he was completely unaware as the serious ramifications from not taking the necessary precautions after strenuous workouts leading to ill health and then when thirteen players on Iowa’s football team had a staph infection. Am I missing something here ? The football coach was unaware that players having a staph infection would be susceptible to other possible medical complications that in some cases if left untreated can lead to death ? What the hell and where were the school’s own in-house medical professionals at the time of this catastrophe ? Simply one more reason why collegiate athletics and those who are in control of it clearly don’t have the interests of the athletes at hand. Anyone who believe that’s not the case really knows not a damn thing about collegiate athletics to begin with ! The NCAA has been more concerned with the wherewithal as it relates the financial windfall that comes its way by way of corporate sponsors and the windfall from the broadcast rights garnered by collegiate athletics’ governing body . NCAA President Mark Emmert and the board’s hierarchy as well as the athletics departments across the nation need to have a mandated protocol across the board that’s followed in such cases.

I found it totally inconceivable that at the time of his death Declan Sullivan on the football field of Notre Dame all that was forthcoming from AD Jack Swarbrick ____ was this was an unforeseen and tragic accident . The student at the time was at the top of a tower during a thunderstorm filming practices that were about to be called off when the structure collapsed with him plummeting to his death. Notre Dame one of the most esteemed educational accorded institutions athletically, simply couldn’t afford to have this student film the proceedings at a safer logistically appropriate area ? Student dies and no one is held accountable when there’s someone clearly at fault , even when it was also clear that the student himself may well have showed poor judgment as well as the coaching staff .

What might be even more unfathomable after this tragedy is the very fact that the school has done little to remind the students of dangers such as this and the mere fact that neither Swarbrick or coach Brian Kelly has issued a public statement on the incident other than that initial statement forthcoming from the AD in the immediate aftermath of Declan Sullivan’s death.

Well from the sublime to the ridiculous the Cincinnati Bengals have hired Jay Gruden as the team’s offensive coordinator. Did I miss something here ? Jay Gruden being the older brother of Jon Gruden the former NFL coach of the Superbowl (SBXXXVII) winning Tampa Bay Buccaneers . If memory serves me correctly the Buccaneers under Gruden’s reign were never that much of an offensive threat and their forte was in fact the team’s defense. That has been and always will be the team’s persona. Although this past season that wasn’t the case as they struggled to show their consistency on the defensive side of the ball. Much of that can be attributed to Raheem Dominik and his coaching staff as they seek a completely new identity for this young team .

As to the impending future of the Bengals I’d like to think with the idiocy that’s now said to be going on within that particular organization that some good can actually come out of this ! But with the fact that quarterback Carson Palmer wants out and that the impediment known as Chad Ochocinco this past season was about as effective as using a band-aid to cover a gunshot wound to abdomen sums up how distastrous the season was for the Bengals. Gruden may well have assisted his brother while he was a member of the Buccaneers’ coaching staff at the time and having made his name first as a player then as a coach in the AFL . I for one can’t see him bringing any major contribution to a Bengals’ team that starved of success and one that played without any real leadership both on or off the field. I can only surmise that this was a last ditch attempt by Marvin Lewis and the Bengals’ front office for some semblance of credibility ?

Ah, the PGA Tour and already some of golf’s biggest names , analysts and the none to ever discerning are prognosticating as to when and where there’ll be a Tiger Woods’ sighting on Tour . Well let’s put it this way Woods hasn’t yet become a recluse nor has he decided to follow in the pursuit of Charlie Sheen and raising the level of his sexual libido and promiscuous lifestyle. But as of now Woods had made it his choice to return to the Tour and compete at the highest level possible. Well a rather disappointing 44th place finish at the Farmers Open Tournament at Torrey Pines , in La Jolla , California , did nothing to fortify the prospects of Woods this upcoming year. His game during the tournament can be best described as being erratic and undisciplined.

Having lost his world number one ranking to Englishman Lee Westwood —— the player now having fallen to number three behind Westwood and Germany’s Martin Kaymer . The fourteen time major winner now has not only to regain his form that made him the game’s most dominant player but he now has to deal with the likes of Kaymer , Westwood , Phil Mickelson , Rory McIlroy , Dustin Johnson , Anthony Kim , Louis Oosthuizen and a slew of young up and comers all looking to eke out a living on the Tour and at the same try to add some luster the PGA Tour. If anything what the Tour is actually in need of is some character and not the robotic and character less presence it now has ! Woods has provided us with the drama both and on off the course but other than that we’ve been starved of real competitive play on PGA Tour for a number of years.

The problem with the PGA Tour is that even with the talk of the young twenty somethings that are making a name for themselves none of them have really shown their measure or presence by seriously challenging for a Grand Slam major. US players having lost the Ryder Cup are merely there for glitz and money rather than showing that the real zeal for the game. Fans have their favorites alright but without Woods on the Tour the game would essentially be devoid of intrigue. Phil Mickelson may well have a loyal following but in reality I doubt that he’s that well liked by a number of his peers much less the vast majority of PGA Tour fans.

Woods will be judged over the course of this season not just on his performances alone in terms of wins on the Tour but also how well he does specifically in the Grand Slam tournaments ….. The Masters , US Open , British Open and the PGA Championship . Anything short of a win in any of those tournaments will be seen as a bona-fide disaster for the player. This much I do know he’s capable of returning to dominating form but it all comes down to Tiger Woods’ desire to win or simply just be seen as a player who returned to the Tour seeking redemption for his off the field activities .

So Andy Pettite will imminently announce his retirement from MLB and a career that has seen him 5 World Series titles with the New York Yankees . For the New York Yankees we’re on the cusp of seeing the ‘old guard’ from this current roster slowly make their exit stage left. It has to be said that for Derek Jeter , Mariano Rivera and Jorge Posada retirement for them now can’t be all that far off . The remaining trio are the last semblance of a team that has seen unprecedented success over the last decade and a half.

Hank and Hal Steinbrenner having assumed control of the organization on the death of their late father George Steinbrenner now seek to stamp their own identity on this team as well as the organization as a whole. Last season’s failure in the postseason essentially put an end to the notion that the Yankees were indeed ready to stay the course and remain a dominant presence in the game. They were anything but that and the team essentially showed that age and complacency had caught up with them. And this was borne out in more ways than one and it also showed that Joe Girardi and his coaching staff were ill prepared for what the postseason had to offer.

This upcoming season it remains to be seen whether not the New York Yankees will be a force to be reckoned with in the league . With Pettite’s departure I think as such we’re beginning to see the swansong of one of the mainstays of this organization over the last decade and a half. And as I alluded to earlier for the triumvirate of Jeter , Posada and Rivera their days can’t now be far behind where they too will consider to call it quits.

I firmly believe that even with the latitude given to GM Brian Cashman to spend at will hasn’t always brought about the desired dividends . And at the same time the once bespoke farm system that I’ve heard their ardent fans rave about has offered very little where one could say that the immediate future for the Yankees is now indeed bright . The Yankees’ mantra has been and will now be ……….”if we spend it they will come and we will win”. This upcoming season that may not be the case but somehow you simply know that come the time to delve into the market for a free agent ….. the sky will be the limit .

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What thoughts if any do you have concerning the topics raised within this piece and how do you as such view how some of the events were dealt with ? Simply chime in with a comment and as usual thanks for the continued support !

Picture and slide show details below .

(1) Serbia’s Novak Djokovic kisses the Australian Open tennis tournament championship trophy as he poses for photographers in Melbourne on January 31, 2011. Djokovic defeated Britain’s Andy Murray in the men’s singles final on January 30, 2011. This was the Serbian’s second win of the title and second Grand Slam major win of his career. He’s still ways to go to match Nadal’s 9 majors and Federer’s 14. AFP PHOTO / Nicolas ASFOURI ……….

(2) Serbia’s Novak Djokovic celebrates during his men’s singles final win over Andy Murray of Britain at the Australian Open tennis championships in Melbourne, Australia, Sunday, Jan. 30, 2011. AP Photo/Andrew Brownbill ………

(3) Novak Djokovic of Serbia serves during his mens singles match against Andy Murray of Britain on the final day of the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne on January 30, 2011. Djokovic won 6-4, 6-2, 6-3 in straight sets over his British opponent. It has now been almost 75 years since a British male player has triumphed in a Grand Slam singles’ final. The last man to do so was Fred Perry when he won the Wimbledon men’s Singles title in 1936. AFP/Getty Images/ Nicolas Asfouri ………..

(4) Britain’s Andy Murray holds his runner-up trophy after his men’s singles final loss to Novak Djokovic of Serbia at the Australian Open tennis championships in Melbourne, Australia, Sunday, Jan. 30, 2011. AP Photo/Shuji Kajiyama …….

(5)Andy Murray of Britain (right) and Novak Djokovic of Serbia wait for the trophy presentation after their men’s singles final match on the final day of the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne on January 30, 2011. Djokovic won 6-4, 6-2, 6-3 . AFP/Getty Images / Paul Crock ….

(6) Iowa Coach Kirk Ferentz addresses the news media during a press conference at the Iowa football complex in Iowa City, Iowa on Wednesday, Feb. 2, 2011. Ferentz said he remains puzzled about what caused 13 of his players to be hospitalized after intense workouts . AP Photo/ Richard Todd ……..

(7) University of Iowa Director of Football Operations Paul Federici speaks during a news conference at Carver Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City, Iowa, on Wednesday, Jan. 26, 2011. The university confirmed Wednesday that 13 football players were hospitalized this week with an unusual muscle disorder following grueling offseason workouts. The players have rhabdomyolysis, a stress-induced syndrome that can damage cells and cause kidney failure in severe cases, school spokesman Tom Moore said. At left is Biff Poggi, father of player Jim Poggi. A number of the players also have since come down with staph infections while in hospital . AP Photo/Ryan J. Foley …..

(8) Notre Dame atheletic director Jack Swarbrick (R) greets Brian Kelly as he is introduced as the new football head coach at Notre Dame University on December 11, 2009 in South Bend, Indiana. Kelly most recently led the University of Cincinnati to two consecutive Bowl Championship Series appearances including a perfect 12-0 record this past season. Getty Images North America / Frank Polich ………..

(9) Dallas , Tx,. Chad Ochocinco of the Cincinnati Bengals asks NFL commissioner Roger Goodell a question during a press conference at the Super Bowl XLV media center on February 4, 2011 in Dallas, Texas. The Green Bay Packers will play the Pittsburgh Steelers in Super Bowl XLV on February 6, 2011 at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas. Photo by Doug Pensinger/Getty Images ………

(10) Cincinnati Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis speaks during a news conference, Thursday, Feb. 3, 2011, in Cincinnati, where the NFL football team announced Jay Gruden will be their new offensive coordinator. AP Photo/Al Behrman ………

(11) Jay Gruden who has been recently hired by the Cincinnati Bengals as the team’s offensive coordinator. Gruden is a former player and coach in the Arena Football League as well as having coached in the UFL . As to the type of offensive strategy he’ll bring to the Bengals it remains to seen . The Bengals this last season ranked in the lower half of a number of defensive and offensive categories within the NFL . AP Photo / Paul Pruett ………

(12) Tiger Woods rehearses his swing while playing the South Course at Torrey Pines during the final round of the Farmers Insurance Open golf tournament in San Diego, Sunday, Jan. 30, 2011. AP Photo/Gregory Bull ……

(13) Torrey Pines Golf Course , South La Jolla , California ,. Tiger Woods walks the 1st fairway with caddie Steve Williams during the final round of the Farmers Insurance Open at the Torrey Pines South Course on January 30, 2011 in La Jolla, California. Photo by Donald Miralle/Getty Images …….

(14) Andy Pettitte of the New York Yankees and his wife Laura Pettitte attend a press conference to announce his retirement on February 4, 2011 at Yankees Stadium in the Bronx borough of New York City. Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images …..

(15) New York ,Ny,. Lft to right COO Lonn Trost , manager Joe Girardi , general manager Brian Cashman of the New York Yankees, and former player Bernie Williams (2nd row) attend the press conference to announce the retirement of Andy Pettitte (not pictured) on February 4, 2011 at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx borough of New York City. Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images ………..

😛
Alan aka tophatal ……………………

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Eye candy ……………. Mizz Dr comes courtesy of Smooth Magazine

Cuffs ? Just my type of girl ! A ho’ in bedroom with cuffs on .

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The Roots feat’g Erykah Badu ……… “You Got Me”
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