Pardon My Bias

The fight everyone is waiting for. Photo courtesy of iwatchpacquiao.com

Everyone who is a fan of boxing is waiting for one fight. It’s the one fight that can save a sport that is currently on its last life line. Boxing needs Mayweather – Pacquiao. It has been talked about for years, but one dispute has kept this dream matchup from happening – random blood and urine testing.

Random blood and urine testing is not a requirement in most states, but more of an Olympic style rule. Pacman refuses to take random blood and urine testing. He claims that Mayweather is accusing him of cheating and taking performance enhancing drugs.

“It’s not just Pacquiao, it’s sports, period,” Mayweather said. “If you look at sports in the Olympics, they’re cheating. Everyone is cheating. And I never once said Manny Pacquiao was cheating, only thing I said was this: Me and any other opponent I face must take the test.”

In the sports world today, doping and steroids have become more and more common. So why doesn’t Pacquiao just agree to the tests? What does he have to hide? If that will get us the fight of a lifetime, what is Pacquiao waiting for? I don’t think Pacquiao or Mayweather are afraid of each other, but why not take the step to prove that you are pound for pound the best fighter in the world? Instead we have Floyd Mayweather fighting Victor Ortiz.

Someone get this thing figured out, please.

Rory McIlroy is the future of golf. Photo courtesy of imageworldblog.blogspot.com

Ladies and Gentlemen, the future is here. Rory McIlroy is on the verge of being golf’s next superstar. No, he is not the richest athlete in the world. No he does not have more sponsorships than any other athlete. No, he does not wear red on Sundays. Rory McIlroy is not Tiger Woods, but he is golf’s shining star. After reading the post from my fellow writer Anand Patel, saying that golf is not the same without Tiger Woods, I had to write this to urge him and other casual watchers of golf to watch Rory McIlroy. Currently, Rory McIlroy has a 6 shot lead going into the 3^rd round of the US Open, and as of late he has played some exceptional golf. Let’s start from the beginning though.

McIlroy is only 22 years old. Let me repeat, Rory McIlroy is only 22 years old. He began his professional career in 2007. He played in a few European Tour tournaments, catching the eyes of a few, most notably Tiger Woods. Woods invited McIlroy to play in the 2007 Target World Challenge, but McIlroy declined due to conflicting interest of the European Open during the same dates. McIlroy finished 2008 in the top 100 rankings and 36^th on the European Tour Order of Merit.

In November 2008, Rory finished second in the UBS Hong Kong Open, which earned him his highest world ranking position of 50. He is the youngest player ever to make the top 50. He finished 2008 39^th in the world, earning him an invitation to the most coveted tournament – The Masters. He earned is first professional win when he won the Dubai Desert Classic in February 2009.

McIlroy first gained his true fame to the casual golf audience when he claimed the lead at the Masters this year. He carried the lead through the first three rounds with -12, and 4 shot lead. Unfortunately, Rory suffered a horrible collapse on the final day shooting an 80. It was a crushing blow to what had been a brilliant 3 rounds of golf. Many questioned if this would affect McIlroy the rest of the season. After all, he is so young, and to suffer an embarrassment that he had could be shattering.

McIlroy responded by again taking a big lead in the US Open. It is yet to be seen if he can maintain the lead this time, but I am definitely cheering for him. McIlroy has a humbling personality, a great golf game, and a spark of greatness. He may not have all the flare that Tiger does/did, but it’s time for us to move on. Tiger was great, the key word being great. Unfortunately, I would argue that his poor choices cost him his career. Add injury and age with his circumstance, and we will never see the same Tiger Woods again. Rory McIlroy is the future, lets embrace it.

The 2011 U.S. Open is up and going and after day 2, Rory McIlroy is 6 shots ahead of the pack. After his meltdown at the Masters, many wondered if he could strike back at full force…so far, so good. But this article has nothing to do with Rory McIlroy or any other U.S. Open player as a matter of fact. It has to do with the one man who isn’t even playing this weekend, Tiger Woods. I am not a huge follower of golf but I know the basics and occasionally hit the driving range and would consider myself a casual golf spectator. Or at least I used to be.

Golf Needs Tiger. Photo courtesy of www.nydailynews.com.

I have not watched one bit of this U.S. Open and I am not surprised. Ever since Tiger’s incident I have been following very carefully, hoping to see the tournament in which he finally comes back to life. I want to see him succeed and pay attention to golf because I am waiting for his big moment. I watch the tournaments or stay updated through online scoreboards just to see how well Tiger is doing. I am hooked, until it is obvious that Tiger has no chance. When I see Tiger in the top 10 I get that feeling…maybe this is the tournament. Maybe Tiger is finally ready to shut everybody up.

Due to injury Tiger Woods is not partaking in the 2011 U.S. Open and guess what, I am not watching or paying attention. Yes, the regular golf enthusiast will watch no matter what but I am no regular enthusiast. I am just a guy who enjoys golf and occasionally doesn’t mind watching it either. I am the guy who specifically tunes in just to watch Tiger Woods and to see how he is doing. I am the guy who is very similar to a large portion of the rest of the American people…the people who only watch golf for Tiger Woods.

On November 12, 2011, we will relive one of boxing’s greatest battles as Manny Pacquiao will face off for the third time against Juan Manuel Marquez. Although to most fans this is not the fight they wanted to see, this fight will be no less better than if Pacquiao were to fight Floyd Mayweather. The style of these two fighters promises what all boxing fans want to see, non stop action from the first round. There is no doubt that Pacquiao is the  favorite, he’s younger, faster and stronger and has a very impressive record of 53-3-2 and a current streak of 14 wins in a row.

A Fight to be Excited For! Photo courtesy of www.gamblerspalace.com.

The mobility and quickness of Pacquiaos punches will be a huge factor in the fight against the older Marquez. However, Pacquiao has a weakness called defense, which Juan Manuel Marquez will use to his advantage. The veteran Mexican fighter of 37,who also posses a enviable record of 52-5-1, may seem a little old to be fighting Pacquiao , but his experience and  his combinations make him one of Pacquiaos most dangerous opponents. The ability of Juan Manuel Marquez to throw combinations and to pick and chose the exact spots on where to land his punches is absolutely amazing. We can expect a real fight from these two great warriors and  future hall of famers as fists will fly on November 12 , 2011

Written by: Jose Virgen

Have you ever been in a heated sports discussion and all of a sudden someone drops a, “Yeah but how many rings do you guys have?” It is great that teams have won championships in the past but when the discussion is about the current team then all that matters is the present. It truly pisses me off when people do this and flaunt past rings to make up for their current struggles.

As a San Diego native, neither the Padres nor Chargers have won any rings and as much as it sucks, I have to live with that. But it is annoying when fans of teams that are currently near the bottom of the NFL try to come at you with “Oh well, how many banners do you have hanging in your stadium?” Simple….none! They act like that statement is going to falter my argument but guess what, IT’S NOT!

I originally started writing this article a few months ago and then I guess I was side tracked. It all rushed back to me yesterday, once the Los Angeles Lakers were sent home after being swept by the Dallas Mavericks. I understand that Laker fans need to defend themselves after a whole year of boasting about a 3-peat but pulling out the 16 rings card is a “Bynum” way of doing it. (Like how I made a current reference to Bynum’s hard foul and his Rodman-esque strip down while leaving the court?) Those 16 championships are an amazing feat and the two past back-to-back rings in 2009 and 2010 are just as impressive and even I, as a “Laker hater,” am not ashamed to admit that, but all new conversions and arguments refer to this season and this season only.

Banners represent the past not the present. Photo courtesy of sports.espn.go.com.

I am not just pointing out Laker fans with this topic, because there are fans of many teams from all types of sports that respond in the same way. My only point is that pulling out the Rings card is not a viable defense to why your team failed to win the championship this year. As a true fan, I understand that you want your team to win every year, but sometimes it is best to just admit defeat, take pride in the good season and congratulate the opponent.

So simply put, everybody already knows how many rings your team has so they are by no means doubting the historic accomplishments, they are just saying, “Na na, na na, boo boo you didn’t win this year…so suck it!” In other words, it is their way of rubbing it in your face after you spent all season boasting and bragging about how your team is about to win another ring. Nothing but simple and friendly competition!

One of the most recognizable faces in the soccer world today is ready to move on from the Old Trafford. Wayne Rooney has shocked his manager Sir Alex Ferguson and many of the Red Devils’ fans by refusing to sign an extension past 2012. The shock comes mainly because it was just 17 months ago that Rooney said he wanted to be with Manchester United for life. In May 2009 Rooney said, “I am happy here and I’d sign a new contract at any time. I want to stay at this club for the rest of my career. I will sign an extension any time the club wants me to.” So what’s changed in the last year and where will Rooney end up at the end of the day?

Sir Alex Ferguson and his Golden Boy, Wayne Rooney, may not be so golden. Picture courtesy of topnews.in

Rooney and Sir Alex haven’t been on the same page since Rooney’s personal life was put on full blast following reports of his infidelity to his pregnant wife. Rooney was reported to have had an affair with a hooker for several months while his childhood sweetheart turned wife was at home, pregnant with the couple’s child. And this coupled with the fact that Rooney’s injured ankle still hadn’t fully healed made Rooney the target for all of the British tabloids and soccer hecklers throughout the world. With all these negative things floating around Rooney, Sir Alex decided to let Rooney sit for a bit to avoid the hecklers and rest his ankle at the same time. However when Rooney was allowed to play in a Euro-qualifier he came out and made a subtle attack against his manager. Rooney claimed that his ankle was fine and that he isn’t sure why he was held out of several matches. This was the first sign of bad things to come.

So what’s going on in Rooney’s mind? Why does he want out of a club that has treated him so well over the years? Many believe it’s because Rooney wants to become the highest football player in the world (higher than current leader and former teammate Cristiano Ronaldo) and that he isn’t convinced Manchester United can field a championship contending primary squad anymore. And to his credit, he may be right. The Glazer family (owners of Man U) currently have a huge debt and have not made and splashes in the transfer market lately. Instead they have lost Cristiano Ronaldo and Carlos Tevez in the past couple of years and have yet to replace them. While Dimitar Berbatov is finally emerging as they player they expected when he was signed two years ago, the fact is that Manchester United is aging and do not have a truly marketable player outside of Rooney.

Where will Wayne Rooney take his talents next year? Picture courtesy of blog.galvintan.

So where will Rooney end up? Realistically, there are only about 6 teams that can even afford Wayne Rooney right now. Bayern Munich, Real Madrid, AC Milan, Barcelona, Chelsea, Tottenham, and Manchester City are the only European teams that can legitimately afford Rooney and be able to field a good team to Rooney’s liking.  While there are some speculations that this is a great opportunity for MLS teams to make a strong run at Rooney, the bottom line is that Rooney is a competitor and he will not play in a below average soccer league in the prime of his career. Rooney isn’t looking to win an MLS title, he wants to win a legitimate league title and contend for an UEFA championship as well. Whoever the suitor is, they can expect to pay a hefty sum for the world class striker. Rooney was bought from Everton in 2004 for 25.6 million pounds and his current market value if about 55.8 million pounds according to transfermarkt.co.uk. So Manchester United should have no trouble in investing that transfer fee into their own team, hopefully making a few acquisitions to bolster their primary roster.

While it’s been a great ride for Rooney and the Red Devils, the time has come to part ways and not turn back. Rooney has burned his last bridge with Sir Alex and expect Rooney to be playing for a different team following the winter transfer market.

****Update: Wayne Rooney has agreed to a 5 year contract extension that will keep him at Manchester United until 2015. This comes as a surprise to many and I wonder how Rooney is going to mend the bridge with his fans and more importantly, his teammates.  Rooney basically said his current teammates aren’t good enough to compete for championships and many of them to exception to his tirade. This story isn’t completely dead yet.

This is just an opinion…so please Pardon My Bias.

A lot of things happen in sports that really make me question stuff. A lot of things happen in sports that really piss me off as well. There’s just a lot of things, that make me say, “Man, are you serious?”

The NBA offseason just added a few more sparks to what have been fireworks all summer. Trade talk of Carmelo Anthony being traded to the New Jersey Nets have heated up and is pending on Melo signing an extension with New Jersey. We got another superstar moving to the East? “Man, are you serious?” I’m sure if the Nets are able to sign Melo, the next guy they would try to acquire is Chris Paul next summer to make another powerhouse.

Bynum will be out till November, photo courtesy of http://with-malice.com

News came out that Andrew Bynum will not be ready for training camp because he delayed his surgery by a month. A lot of Lakers fans are freaking out because Bynum won’t be ready. They are comparing him to Kobe, saying that Kobe would do anything to be ready for the season. “Man, are you serious?” Andrew Bynum is not Kobe Bryant. Newsflash: there is no one else in the league that is like Kobe Bryant. No one has the will and determination to win that Kobe does. He is the most competitive player in the league, and to compare Bynum to him is ridiculous. Bynum will be ready for when it matters like Phil Jackson said – in May and June. Calm down folks, the Lakers played without Bynum plenty of times and they will manage.

The NBA will roll out a tougher technical policy again this year like they did in 2005-06. If you thought the old one was bad, this one is completely ludicrous. Here are the guidelines for which the refs are to use to call technical fouls:

• Players making aggressive gestures, such as air punches, anywhere on the court.

• Demonstrative disagreement, such as when a player incredulously raises his hands, or smacks his own arm to demonstrate how he was fouled.

• Running directly at an official to complain about a call.

• Excessive inquiries about a call, even in a civilized tone.

“Man, are you serious?” Good thing Rasheed retired, because he wouldn’t even be able to step on the floor without getting T’d up. This is ridiculous; I hope the refs ditch this policy after like 5 games like they did in 05-06. You can’t take the emotion out of the game without ruining the game. I’d hate to see a close game decided by the officials calling T’s because the players are emotional. The system as is works, so don’t try to fix it.

The Jets got themselves into some more non-football related headlines when Braylon Edwards was pulled over early Tuesday morning and blew a 0.16 on the breathalyzer. Three other players were in the car with him. “Man, are you serious?” If the whole Azteca reporter controversy wasn’t enough, the Jets go and screw up again. Rex Ryan has himself one controversial team, which likes to eat Big Macs before they hit the field in a scrimmage. Looks like the Hard Knocks spotlight is getting to some these guys, and they need to get their act together.

A lot of things happen in sports that really make me question stuff. A lot of things happen in sports that really piss me off as well. There’s just a lot of things, that make me say, “Man, are you serious?”

The Detroit Lions almost pulled a huge upset victory with Calvin Johnson catching a game-winning touchdown. He put the ball down and got up to celebrate with his team. When reviewed, the play was overturned and called an incomplete pass because Johnson didn’t “complete the process.” What process? He caught the ball with two feet in bounds! If it looks like a touchdown, feels like a touchdown, even smells like a touchdown, IT’S A TOUCHDOWN! That rule needs to be changed immediately. When I saw that overturned, all I could say is, “man, are you serious?”

The Jets have found themselves in some trouble when a few players were giving cat calls and playfully throwing footballs at Azteca reporter Ines Sainz. I decided to google image Ines Sainz, and I found out that she is an attractive woman. If you enter a locker room, full of half naked (sometimes fully naked) men, who are rigged up with testosterone and you are dressed like that, please expect to get hit on. The locker room is not a media gathering, it has guys cursing, some in good moods, some in bad moods; you take the risk when you walk in. This is a locker room, not a board room. Now I’m not saying the Jets were right, but she’s not as innocent as she seems. This whole thing is being blown out of proportion in my opinion, and has me saying, “man, are you serious?”

Reggie gave up the Heisman this week, photo courtesy of http://newsone.com

With this whole Heisman scandal going on with Reggie Bush (who vacated it earlier this week), of all people Mack Brown has come out and opened his mouth. First thing that came to my mind was, ”man, are you serious?” Mack Brown is out stumping for former Texas QB Vince Young to be named the 2005 Heisman Trophy winner if Bush has to vacate it. First off, Reggie earned it. Without knowing all the allegations, there was no doubt that Reggie Bush had the best year. Sure Vince Young got the last laugh in the National Championship game, but that doesn’t count towards the Heisman. Let it go Mack, it’s time to move on and be happy with your chip.

Word came out that Shannon Sharpe will leave CBS’s NFL Today due to an assault allegation. While it’s the right move for Sharpe, it had me wondering, ”man, are you serious?” Shannon Sharpe is pure entertainment, he made the NFL Today what it is. I don’t understand one word that Sharpe says, but it sounds awesome when he says it. Watching the NFL on CBS will no longer be the same.

This is just an opinion, so please…Pardon My Bias.

In the Trojan’s 2nd game of the season, USC came away with a 17-14 victory against the Virginia Cavaliers. The game was more of a defensive game as both offenses struggled to put up points on the board. After the game, coach Kiffin was displeased for the second straight game with the way his team played.

The offense: The running game was terrible and was not able to gain any momentum. Some credit should be given to the hard nosed style defense that Virginia played, but the combo of Baxter/Tyler/Bradford were below average and were not able to put together a solid running game. Barkley played well but his receiving corps also were not able to get many chances. Ronald Johnson, USCS’s best receiver, was not able to replicate his performance against Hwaii last week. He had many opportunities for big yards but he dropped a lot of the passes that came his way.

The defense: The defense played pretty decent forcing an early interception when Virginia was in the USC red zone. They played hard nosed defense and it was obvious that the concentration was on defense in practice this past week. After giving up 36 points last week against Hawaii and having many missed tackles, the defense played much better this week.

Achilles Heel: PENALTIES! The Trojans had 11 penalties and over 100 yards lost in yesterdays game. The offensive line gave up a huge play that would have been a touchdown. It seemed like no one was really in sync and they were not disciplined. Coach Kiffin was irate when he was asked after the game about all the penalties.

Overall, the bottom line is that Trojans continued their winning ways on opening night at the coliseum. The game was ugly, but in the end, the Trojans pulled through with a gritty defensive effort in a ugly and dull game. They are 2-0 and are looking forward to a good overall game against Minnesota next week.

Go Trojans!

You know what’s got me grittin’ my teeth…

• Fantasy football drafts. Don’t get me wrong, I love fantasy football but damn, the drafts can get really intense and frustrating. You usually go into the draft knowing a few players that you want to target and work your way through the draft in order to obtain them. Finally you are just  few picks away and your candidate is still on the boards, it seems as if you will be able to draft the player of your choice. BOOM ROASTED! Just when things seems to be working out somebody decides to pick up the player you wanted. Great! Now you are left dazzled and scrambling to find another player to draft, none seeming anywhere near as appealing as your first choice. Finally you make the pick and have to sit there wondering, was that the correct choice? The frustrating part about this is that this whole process will most likely happen a few more times throughout the draft. If you’re lucky, you may just end up with a good looking team.
• Philip Rivers not being considered one of the best. I know most people put him in their top 10 QB list but I am very adamant on the idea of him being considered a top 5 quarterback. Let’s take a look at some of the players that tend to be placed ahead of Rivers: Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, Brett Favre, Drew Brees, Aaron Rodgers and sometimes even Matt Schaub, Tony Romo and Ben Roethlisberger. Out of that list there are only three quarterbacks that I would, at this point in time, put in front of Rivers and that is Manning, Brees and Rodgers. Manning is just Manning and he is just so good that you can never doubt him. Brees has been putting up huge numbers in New Orleans and just won a Super Bowl. Finally Rodgers looks like he could be the next elite quarterback, but I actually believe him and Rivers are on a similar level and stated that both will account for the next era of elite QBs in The Future of NFL Shot Calling. Now this is where the arguments begin. Most people would not place Rivers in the next two spots of the top 5 list and I have argued this point with many, including some of my fellow writers here at PMB. Favre and Brady are legends but I honestly believe they are somewhat irrelevant now. Okay maybe irrelevant is too strong of a word, I mean Favre did just have one of his best years and Brady has won 3 championships. Either way, Rivers led the league in QB rating in 2008 and was 3rd in 2009 and over the past years has thrown 62 touchdowns to only 20 interceptions. He has led his team into the playoffs and with a declining LaDainian Tomlinson had assumed the leadership role. It is true that Rivers has many weapons but LT was declining under Norv Turner’s scheme and Vincent Jackson didn’t break out until his 4th season and this was party due to Rivers. Antonio Gates was the only consistent weapon that Rivers had along his path to becoming the Charger leader. Everyone is entitled to their own QB opinions but I truly believe Rivers deserves more credit and this would be my opinion even if San Diego wasn’t my home team.

http://www.kcchiefsblog.com/

• The crappy San Diego Padres coverage. Yes, another San Diego topic but they come up a lot seeing that I reside there. The Padres have been having a fairytale season and nobody expected them to be in 1st place at this point in the season, actually I’m sure most people doubted that they would ever hold that 1st place in the NL West. Until a few weeks ago, they were the best team in the National League and were only trailing the New York Yankees and Tampa Bay Rays in all of baseball. Even with this great success, there was not much talk about the Padres. You would rarely see them in headlines on major sports websites or on ESPN. Then all of a sudden they hit a 10-game losing steak and the press couldn’t get enough of them. Whenever I’d browse through Yahoo Sports, ESPN.com and watch shows on ESPN, there would be headlines about the Padres’ skid. It is sad and frustrating that San Diego had to go on 10-game slump in order to get that much attention. Everyone knows they have a great pitching staff but how about the press start giving more props to the whole team and start creating some positive headlines about them.

This is just an opinion, so please…Pardon My Bias.