Tiger vs. Phil

I was watching ESPN's Around the Horn yesterday and they posed a question that I happened to find quite intriguing. With today beginning of the most adored golf tournament in America, The U.S. Open, at Bethpage Black, who are the cameras going to be aimed at more? Tiger Woods or Phil Mickelson?

Both have sincerely interesting stories leading into the tournament. Tiger, having had season-ending knee surgery not long after last year's U.S. Open, in which he won in dramatic fashion over Rocco Mediate, is trying to repeat as champion. Can he do it? Will he do it? Will his knee hold up? I'm pretty sure about the knee being as how just this past week he hit 59 of 65 fairways played...that's ridiculous and almost superhuman. He's definitely back on the mind of the PGA Tour. Tiger holds a psychological advantage over his competition. He is looking for his 14th major Championship in the PGA.

Mickelson, loved by many, is under a different kind of microscope this week. Usually, the typical Tiger vs. Phil storyline is about the course and how Mickelson has finished 2nd too many times at the Open (a couple of those to Tiger Woods). This year, it's different. His beloved wife, Amy, recently has been diagnosed with breast cancer is about to begin treatment for the disease. Needless to say, Phil's mind will be elsewhere, but hopefully at a course where he played well in his career will help him push back those thoughts and capture the 2009 U.S. Championship.

I'd say it's a push on who the cameras should be keeping their focus on. Mickelson doesn't need to be reminded of the obstacles he is already facing. Let the man play golf and put everything on the line on the course. My money is Mickelson to win it all. Something tells me that there are forces out there at work. You can't root against the man this weekend. Even tough many believe Tiger is back and roaring louder than he ever has before.

The Bryce Harper Debate

So, I'm sure many of you have heard of 16-year-old sophomore Bryce Harper from Nevada, right? This kid is pegged as being the "LeBron James" of baseball; the guy who is supposed to save the game and bring it to a whole new era. Even SportsIllustrated went as far as putting him on the cover of their latest issue.

I've seen videos of the kid. I'll admit...he's phenomenal, but the baseball's version of LeBron? That's seriously pushing it. I mean the kid is going against high school pitching who we all know isn't like facing Randy Johnson, Roy Halladay, or C.C. Sabathia. The majority of high school pitchers (unless you play in select leagues) have a fastball that's 80-82 mph and are not capable of hitting their spots consistently, so it's easy for a guy like Harper to take balls out of the ballpark. True, Harper has balls that have traveled 450+ and even 500 feet plus, but I want to see him face the game's elite in Turner Field or Yankee Stadium or in Fenway. See how he handles that kind of pressure? If he comes through in the clutch time and time again then well yeah he's the real deal by a long shot.

It's interesting that he's playing catcher too. I don't know of many teams in the market for catching help come 2011. We can all agree that the Nationals will probably have the privilege of picking #1 overall again, which every analyst this side of the globe is projecting Harper to go. Many teams have gone to young, powerful catchers that can swing the bat. The Twins have Mauer, the Braves have McCann, the Cubs Soto, etc. It's a new trend and I'm not sure if Harper's future will honestly be behind the dish.

Lastly, what his parents are doing is really insane. Now, I'm all for a guy who has played four years of high school ball to enter the draft and try his chances at the professional level if he so chooses. That's his right. But, trying to enter the draft early at 17 and before you finish high school? C'mon now. His parents are advocating it, too? I mean all they really are seeing is the dollar signs it seems like and honestly they won't even begin to see that for a few years down the road when the kid proves himself on the field (minus the signing bonus of course). Finish high school, man. Not only are you not physically and emotionally mature enough to handle the rigors of being on the road months at a time, but also what about your teammates in high school? I mean don't they deserve a shot at a Championship your senior year? I'm not quite sure how well Harper's high school has been doing but I'm willing to bet with him in the lineup they have a better chance of succeeding than without him. Basically, let's wait until 2011, or realistically 2013-14 to see how good this kid really is. Until then, I'm not going to compare him to anybody especially someone to the liking of LeBron James. That's just ludicrous.

Omaha is Callin' Baton Rouge

LSU is going to Omaha! I'm sure many of you already know that, but the roadblock they just had to go through seems harder than it looked. Going into the weekend, LSU has not defeated Rice ever in Regional or Super-Regional play. Going 0-6 all-time. But, finally, the Tigers overcame what seems to be their kryptonite this past weekend sweeping Rice. 

I don't want to downplay what LSU's Super-Regional win because I am more than ecstatic that we're headed back to Omaha, and Rosenblatt Stadium, that was seemingly built for LSU baseball. But, the 2009 Rice Owls aren't the best Rice team to take the field. Ryan Perry and Mike Ojala are two solid starters but not as good as 2005's ace Joe Savory. Diego Seastrunk and Andrew Rendon are solid hitters, but does Lance Berkman ring a bell?

With all that said, LSU's 2009 team is probably one of the best they've put on the field in a long time, so I'm sure they would've won regardless. Not since the 1997 LSU guerrilla ball team have I seen a lineup that hit's the ball so well. Match that along with the pitching of Louis Coleman and Anthony Ranaudo to match a bullpen led by freshman sensation Matty Ott and you've got the recipe for success. I like the Tigers' chances in Omaha. Finally, National Championship #6 can come to fruition and the first without legendary head coach Skip Bertman who should have the stadium named after him (sorry Alex Box).

Good luck Tigers! Geaux get us another National Championship.

Yay Johnson...Stupid Braves

So, yesterday was a very special day for baseball and man by the name of Randy Johnson. "The Big Unit" as he is called recorded his 300th career win. Johnson is only the 24th pitcher all-time to ever reach the 300-win plateau. He will probably be the last (for multiple reasons).

Pitchers these days do not go so deep into games. The basic strategies of the game are so different than from what they used to be. Guys like Sandy Koufax, Bob Gibson, and Steve Carlton are gone. It's the era of the relief pitcher. Seldom do pitchers consistently eclipse 200+ innings in a year. The only other possible pitcher to have a chance at 300 wins, C.C. Sabathia, of the New York Yankees, does but his win totals are not high enough annually. And, being in his late 20's, the odds are he won't win 200 or so more games before he hangs up his cleats.

What Randy Johnson has done is nothing less than extraordinary. At 43, he has endured a career that has lasted 20+ years starting in Montreal and now winding up in San Francisco. He is the second pitcher ever to win four consecutive Cy Young Awards and the first left-hander to do so. He currently is third in career wins for a left-hander. He will pass Tom Glavine before the season concludes. His strikeout numbers are incredible having eclipsed 300 strikeouts in a season 6 times. Known for his slider and electric fastball, Johnson has just punched his ticket to Cooperstown (if he hasn't already). You can view the rest of The Unit's number's here.

In other news, how stupid are the Atlanta Braves? Now, I'm a fan. A big fan. I've loved Atlanta for as long as I can remember watching the original Big 3 of Glavine, Smoltz, and Maddux pitch daily. How could they release a veteran lefty like Tom Glavine who has posted 305 career wins and only made his first trip to the Disabled List just this past season? GM Frank Wren said that Glavine isn't "good enough" to face to major league hitting. The guy is more than good enough. He's not Randy Johnson, Josh Beckett, or any other flame-throwing starter. He's known for hitting his spots and pounding the corners in-and-out to keep hitters off balance. He's made his name for doing that. He's more than deserved a chance to prove himself on the diamond. Jim Rome, of ESPN, is right in saying that Wren and the rest of the Braves front office have had a pre-determined opinion of Glavine when they sent him to the lowest level of the minor leagues for rehab only to release him after he just threw 11 shutout innings in his last two starts. Talk about unclassy! At least, they made a solid trade in getting All-Star outfielder Nate McLouth. But, that move alone will not take away the sting the fans are going to be feeling after losing Tom Glavine, to politics, for the second time in his storied career. God speed Glavs! Even though I'm a die hard Braves fan, I hope somebody picks you up and you spit out 25 starts and win 15 games.

Lacrosse...A New Favorite of Mine

Welcome to my new blog. I have been telling myself that I'm going to do this for quite some time, but never have got around to doing it. Really that's just a poor excuse for laziness. However, this blog will bring you my take on the latest topics in sports and other miscellanous things that I feel should be commented on. With that said, let's crack open the bottle to "The Tiger Den."

I was watching the NCAA Division I Lacrosse Championship a couple of weeks ago on ESPN and it gave me a thought. Lacrosse is big in the Northern U.S., but could it thrive in the South? I think it could. Lacrosse is action packed with lots of contact; two things we southerners love (we are obsessed with football, aren't we?). Currently, only 59 Division I schools house lacrosse programs and of those 59 only three are from major southern conferences (Duke, North Carolina, & Maryland of the ACC). In the north, lacrosse is a regional phenomenon. The National Championship game billing Syracuse and Johns Hopkins nearly sold out Gillette Stadium in Boston having an attendance of about 50,000 people. 

Lacrosse is also increasing in popularity and in merchandising sales. According to this blog, lacrosse is the fifth leading collegiate sports program in terms of merchandising. Add that on to the burgeoning National Lacrosse League, the sport is sweeping the nation. It could be this generation's softball with its ever growing popularity, sales, and overall appeal.