Fedor Emelianenko gets submitted shocking the MMA world

Posted: 28th June 2010 by Dr. Cufflinks in MMA
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Should Fedor call it quits?

Saturday night was insanity. The only sporting moment that I can remember coming close to the pure shock of Fedor Emelianenko’s loss to Fabricio Werdum was when Mike Tyson got knocked out by Buster Douglas. The supposed baddest man on the planet took on a respectable foe, but not one given a real chance by most fans and experts, and was knocked from his throne.

It feels like a slight to Werdum, but the real story in the wake of the fight is what happens next for Fedor. This is a man who ruled the heavyweight starting with his shocking destruction of Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira at PRIDE 25 (March 16, 2003) with no one making a legitimate run at his No. 1 spot.

And that is the difference between combat sports (boxing, MMA, kickboxing) and other sports, you expect losses in football, baseball or basketball. You don’t expect professional sports teams to go undefeated for a season let alone ten seasons, you don’t expect Nadal or Federer to go 10 years without a loss and you don’t expect Tiger Woods to win every tournament he enters in a decade.

This unbelievable run is what made Fedor special. It is also what made him a man who was able to get away with his management making outrageous demands or renegotiating contracts after only one fight. Being so clearly the unstoppable No. 1 in the world meant that he did not have to give in to the bully tactics of Dana White and the UFC. Fedor was a man making his own rules, and will likely be the last man that is able to do so while having an honest claim to being the best fighter in the world.

So now that he was forced to submit to a Fabricio Werdum triangle choke, where does this leave Fedor? Sure, a fight like Brock Lesnar vs. Fedor Emelianenko loses a little bit of steam with Fedor not being in that same top spot, but the chances of actually seeing it probably increased greatly with his loss. I think Fedor is done and to be completely honest about it he hasnt fought anyone lately and I think he should hang’em up. Fedor’s worst mistake of his life and career was to not come into the UFC.

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Steve Smith Breaks Arm While Hosting Football Camp

Posted: 22nd June 2010 by Dr. Cufflinks in NFL
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Should the Panthers take action and add insult to injury?

Carolina Panthers receiver Steve Smith will miss the start of training camp with a broken left forearm suffered while playing football. Well flag football to be exact. Smith was playing in a flag football game at a camp he hosts and was injured Sunday. It’s an activity that could violate the terms of his contract, although Smith is expected back before the start of the regular season and may avoid serious punishment by the team.

The four-time Pro Bowl selection will be sidelined for at least the first couple of weeks of camp, but is expected to be ready for the opener Sept. 12 at the New York Giants. “He put his arm out to brace himself. When he did he felt a sharp pain,” said Smith’s agent, Derrick Fox. “He went in (Sunday) afternoon to have an X-ray and it showed a break.”

Smith had surgery Sunday night to have a small plate and screws inserted in his arm. Fox said while it’s the same arm he broke at the end of last season, it’s in a different spot and not his wrist. Smith suffered no nerve damage, is expected to make a full recovery and could return as soon as midway through the preseason.

Smith annually hosts a youth football camp in Charlotte which began Thursday, the day after the Panthers concluded voluntary spring workouts. Fox initially said Smith was injured playing with children at his camp, but later said he was unsure if he was playing with children or adults.

The standard for contracts among NFL stars bans playing contact sports outside of your teams activities. In most cases football is mentioned specifically in the contract as a no go to play or participate in any way away from your team. I guess it is true what they say rules, laws and contract clauses are creating for good reason. It will be the decision of the Panthers front office to take action against SS if they feel like adding insult to injury. The guy is the best thing they have going in Carolina and will be ready to go by mid preseason. Accidents happen and it wasn’t like he was making money for an appetence at a celebrity game. He was putting on a camp for young athletes wanting the chance to get better and reach his level someday. Wishing you a quick recovery!

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United States Soccer Team Robbed of the Winning Goal vs. Slovenia

Posted: 21st June 2010 by Dr. Cufflinks in Soccer
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Can we use it as motivation to put away Algeria and reach the knockout round?

The United States were minutes away from leaving Ellis Park Friday loud and proud after battling back from a two-goal, second-half deficit to stage its greatest World Cup comeback in unbelievable fashion. Instead, the Americans departed fuming and bewildered as to why they did not emerge as winners after Edu’s goal was disallowed in the 85th minute for what can only be described as “rubbish”.

Edu thought he had tallied the winner, but referee Koman Coulibaly of Mali nullified the goal without an explanation as to what exactly he saw happen as he made the Cup’s most controversial decision. The closest thing to a guess I have seen or heard as of yet was that Clint Dempsey was being called for a foul on Slovenia’s Adnras Kirm in the penalty area of the box.

“I’m a little gutted, to be honest,” said Landon Donovan, who started the U.S. rally with his precision goal just 3 minutes into the second half of play. The winning goal was stolen right out from under the Americans with not as much as an apology from Coulibaly or FIFA. At first reaction the commentators calling the game even threw up their hands in disbelief with no explanation as to what had just happened.

Algeria is up next on Wednesday and at least on paper we hold our destiny in our own hands with the play on the field. With a win on Wednesday we can clinch a berth into the knock round of the 2010 World Cup. Maybe just maybe the American team can use the terrible call in the Slovenia match as motivational fuel. Sorry Algeria we are going to take all the frustration out on you on Wednesday, no hard feelings we hope.

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Colorado Rockies Ubaldo Jimenez running away with the Cy Young

Posted: 18th June 2010 by Dr. Cufflinks in MLB
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Can anyone hit this guy this season?

Ubaldo Jimenez allowed one run on eight hits in Colorado’s 5-1 victory over the Minnesota Twins, improving to 13-1 on the season, the best start by a pitcher since Roger Clemens went 14-0 in 1986. Jimenez struck out four and walked two, dropping his earned-run average to 1.15 and improving to 10-0 when he takes the mound after a Rockies loss this season.

“What a performance, again,” Rockies manager Jim Tracy said. “The mindset of this man and his awareness. This is not the first time that he faced a front-line guy from another ballclub and did exactly what he did today.” Ryan Spilborghs hit a two-run homer, and Troy Tulowitzki added an RBI-triple and two runs for the visiting Rockies.

The highly anticipated matchup against Minnesota’s Francisco Liriano (6-4) was practically over from the start. Liriano allowed three runs on five hits with three walks and six strikeouts in seven innings for the Twins. The Rockies jumped on Liriano early, who may have been a little too amped up to face his fellow countryman. Liriano allowed three runs on four hits, including an RBI-triple from Tulowitzki, hit two batters and walked another in a disastrous first inning.

Jimenez became just the second pitcher in almost 80 years to win at least 13 of his first 14 starts, according to STATS LLC. Clemens went 13-0 in ’86 and Lefty Gomez also went 13-1 for the Yankees in 1932. Jimenez wasn’t especially overpowering. The radar gun never hit 100 as it has so often for him. Instead, he was ruthlessly efficient, inducing double-play grounders to end the second, third and fourth innings. He never allowed a runner to reach third base and held the heart of the Twins lineup to one hit in nine at-bats against him.

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Who would have guessed? Game 7 Lakers and Celtics, The Moment of Truth

Posted: 16th June 2010 by Dr. Cufflinks in NBA
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Would the NBA have had it any other way?

Coming into the NBA Finals, we knew that the Celtics had to win one of the first two games in Los Angeles, and two of the three home games in Boston. They managed to do both. Against all odds, the Celtics have responded again and again. Midway through Game 4, Michael Wilbon said at halftime, “We’re dangerously close to that point where both teams know who the better team is.” And we were. By that point, the Lakers just looked superior.

Longer, more athletic, and with the best two players in the series, Pau Gasol and Kobe Bryant. The Celtics weren’t out of it by any means, but they were “dangerously close.” Since then? Not much has changed. The Lakers are longer, more athletic, and with Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol, they’ve still got arguably the two greatest talents in the series. But the Celtics just keep winning. Despite their shortcomings, Boston has kept the pressure on with absurdly good defense, and just enough offense to get themselves over the hump in each of their wins, bringing themselves within one win of an NBA Title against the more talented, more athletic favorites from the West Coast. It’s been unreal.

Every step of the way, we’ve expected L.A. to take control of the series. First in Game 2, two Sundays ago, and then in Game 4 this past Thursday, and even in Game 5, this past Sunday. Now it’s Tuesday, and it’s the Lakers who have to respond. For the first time all series, there’s real doubt about who the better team is.

Conclusion to all this is Pau Gasol is the softer than Charmin and Kobe seems frustrated by his team and the Celtics relentless “D”. If Kobe has another 81 point night in him the Lakers just may pull off what would be Kobe’s 5th ring. I say the Celtics control Kobe, beat on Pau and add to the legendary history of the Celtics and the players that define teamwork!

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The World Cup is Swarmed with The VuVuZela!

Posted: 15th June 2010 by Dr. Cufflinks in Soccer
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Should the traditional horn be banned for the World Cup?

The latest buzz around the World Cup is just that a buzz from the infamous vuvuzela. The issue of the vuvuzela is reaching fever pitch with a certain meaning for fans of soccer in South Africa and South America. My question is why everyone is talking about it so much and especially the nay-sayers that want it banned. The greatest description of the sound echoing from the horn I have heard yet is “It sounds like a platoon of ninja bumblebees.”

The complaints have ranged hearing loss to communications issues on the field. The plastic 3 foot long trumpet wannabes has been all the buzz literally but for the wrong reasons. This is traditional in the host nation for fans of all ages to toot the vuvuzelas to create a unique atmosphere. It would not be taken lightly if we were hosting the cup and they wanted to ban the waving of a rally towel.

At this point, the only thing keeping vuvuzelas from overwhelming the nation and causing full governmental collapse is the fact that they cannot procreate. I suggest instead of whining about them and trying to change or alter a countries tradition go buy you a set of earplugs and enjoy the game. Besides banning the ninja bumblebees will only make them mad.

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Conference Realignment in the NCAA hitting the Big 12 the hardest

Posted: 14th June 2010 by Dr. Cufflinks in NCAA
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Is there anyone to blame but the Big 12?

Several attempts to explain what is happening in college football right now in relation to expanding conferences have all failed miserably. None of what I read or hear seems to make any sense that is probably because none of it does make any sense. I am afraid it may be quite some time before the average fan will truly know who is going where why and when. This whole situation is shaping up to be the biggest realignment of the college football conferences since 1990 when the SEC expanded to 12 teams.

Driven by television revenues the shuffling of conferences has already seen expansion by addition for the PAC-10, Big Ten and Mountain West, all of this possibly disintegrating the Big 12. The domino effect is sure to spread all the way down the food chain cannibalizing the smaller fish unable to match the compelling financial and revenue-sharing agreements being offered. In my opinion the major changes that have already taken place were most directly tied to the bottom heavy Big 12. For years the conference has tilted unevenly toward the Lone Star state, consistently failing to make the proper changes to keep the Big 12 north financially competitive with the teams in the south.

At this point Texas should stop holding these programs in orbit and make a decision quickly on what their plans are for the future of the program. Admittedly I am a Texas fan as well as a fan of the Big 12 and it all just upsets me a little that Texas has tried to swing such a big stick and taking advantage of every situation just because they can. Bad move Texas, now you should do the right thing and hold a meeting with the powers that be in the remaining 10 programs in the Big 12. Make agreements to tweak revenues, share the wealth and roll with 10 teams stopping the bleeding. No more jumping to conclusions and jumping ship but a little more balance will go a long way in keeping programs happy. Didn’t we all get the lessons in sharing when we were like 5 years old?

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USC Trojans facing stiff penalties for NCAA infractions

Posted: 10th June 2010 by Dr. Cufflinks in NCAA
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Are these penalties justified or a little too harsh because all national programs do it?

On Wednesday the University of Southern California was notified by the NCAA that they are facing a 2 year postseason ban for infractions that have mounted in the past 6 years. Along with the postseason ban, USC’s football team will have the available scholarships reduced by 20 and all wins from the 2004 season will be forfeited. Forfeitures from other seasons may soon follow as the investigation continues to dig deeper. No BCS school has been handed a postseason ban in the past 7 years. However, the NCAA has openly admitted they plan all along to make an example of USC.

USC has already admitted their guilt in violating NCAA rules for recruiting into the basketball program. They self sanctioned themselves, vacating all basketball victories from 2007-2008. Seems to me the NCAA didn’t think that was quite enough. The full results of the lengthy probe in the USC athletic department in said to be released this Friday. The football program could face even stiffer penalties than those already handed down. If it is forced to forfeit victories, they could include USC’s triumph over Oklahoma in the Jan. 4, 2005, BCS title game. If Reggie Bush – the central figure in the NCAA’s probe — is ruled to have been ineligible, he also could lose the 2005 Heisman Trophy

Sanctions of that severity would represent a dark day for one of the nation’s most storied and respected athletic programs. USC is expected to appeal the ruling, which could impact future recruiting efforts and revenue streams. I would argue that most if not all schools break the NCAA’s rules and regulations when related to recruiting. The NCAA has been creating and changing the recruiting rules each and every year for the past decade. The programs that lean heavily on the success of their football and basketball teams to make the all mighty dollar will continue to do just as much as they believe they can get away with. Within the rules or not isn’t really considered at this point.

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