A few ramblings on the subject of sports…
1. Michael Vick is an idiot.
He just blew millions of dollars and his whole career in the NFL. He also hurts dogs. That makes him an idiot and a piece of shit. Nuff said.
2. Randy Couture is an inspiration.
When Randy Couture stepped up in weight class and took the UFC heavyweight belt from Tim Sylvia in 5 lopsided rounds, he was 43 friggin years old. When Gabriel Gonzaga knocked out Mirko Crocop with a devastating high kick, that was a shocker. But when the now 44 year old Randy Couture completely dominated Gonzaga and finished him with a classic ground and pound on Friday night, that was nothing short of heroic. “Gabe”, as Randy calls him, was 28 years old to Captain America’s age 44, and also held a massive weight advantage at 252 lbs. to 228 lbs. But the fight was all Randy from start to finish. Takedowns at will, big slams, great head movement and punching angles in the standup game and of course superior technique from within the clinch and up against the fence. Randy was just going about his business, thinking and executing while Gabe was flustered and helpless. Folks, that’s a 44 year old guy at the top of the heavyweight division of the most prestigious fight organization in the world. And he looks unbeatable. Impressive and inspirational.
3. Joba Chamberlain is the real deal.
If you haven’t seen Joba pitch yet, you simply have to. This kid is something special. A heater that hits triple digits on the radar gun and with control to boot. A slider clocking in at about 92mph and supposedly a change-up and a curve ball we have yet to see. But the most important thing is his mental makeup. Lots of talented players have shown they could not perform in the pressure cooker that is Yankee Stadium but Joba won’t be one of them. Need evidence? Take Tuesday night’s game against the Red Sox, the greatest rivalry in sports. With a 2-run lead and two outs, he was facing J.D. Drew with a runner on and a 3-2 count. What does this 21-yr old rookie do? He shakes off all-star catcher Jorge Posada’s sign, not once, but twice! And what does he throw? A vicious slider outside the zone causing J.D. Drew to helplessly jerk his bat out over the plate for strike three. Sometimes a catcher will by design, signal for the pitcher to pretend he’s shaking off a sign. But it’s never called for twice on one pitch, not in a crucial situation, for fear that the delay will make the batter call for time and disrupt the pitcher’s rythm. Yes, this kid was actually shaking off Posada’s sign in order to throw a 3-2 breaking pitch. That Posada let him do it is a sign of how much trust Joba has already earned from his teammates. I don’t know about you guys, but that’s affirmation enough for me; I’m getting myself a #62 jersey.