Written by: Jamie Lazaroff
Edited by: Bob Lazzari
*I have to agree with my fellow sports columnist Bob Lazzari that the NBA is unwatchable. The last four or five Celtics games have been awful. They have broken many of the basic rules on defense--especially ones involving good footwork.. Their rebounding has been awful, as well. The UCONN men are playing better than the Celtics right now, and that’s saying something. If you want to see good basketball, then the women’s game is for you--both college and pro. The women play the game below the rim, which shows their skill level, and are more technically sound.
*If you listened to the January 15th Congressional hearing featuring Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig and union leader Donald Fehr, you heard them say a number of things relating to the reliability of HGH testing, storing blood, etc. According to the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), a scientifically valid and effective test for HGH does exist. Also, according to WADA, storing blood is practical. I have heard in the past that the players do not want blood tests--for reasons I’m not really sure of. Geez, can it be that big, bad athletes don’t like needles? Aww, I feel for the "poor" guys; come on guys and suck it up! As far as Selig and Fehr are concerned, the job is done for them; all they have to do is sign the world anti-doping code as it is all spelled out for them. But no U.S. professional sports league has signed it. Why? Because we want to be independent from the rest of the world. A quote from WADA: “To not test for HGH, when you have the resources and opportunity, is to give players a free pass to HGH abuse.”
*I cannot wait for the next Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) on pay-per view on "Super Saturday" (Feb. 2). UFC-81 features the UFC debut of former World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) champion Brock Lesnar. Brock will face former UFC heavyweight champion Frank Mir, who has faced many big-time opponents. I know some of you will think I’m crazy for being a fan of the UFC, but since the first UFC match in 1993, no one has died in the octagon. In contrast, many people have died in the boxing ring during that same time. Two people have also died in mixed martial arts (MMA), but these were in unsanctioned fights. The UFC is sanctioned in Nevada, California and by other states' boxing commissions. I like it because it is as real as it gets; it's not like pro wrestling--which is scripted. Also, unlike boxing, you know who the champion is in each weight class. There are a lot of MMA promotions out there, but the UFC is truly the biggest and best.
*Two columns ago, I commented on UCONN men’s basketball coach Jim Calhoun being underrated. This time, I would like to comment on women’s coach Geno Auriemma. I think Geno is overrated; yes, he has won five national championships, but the team has not won anything in the past three seasons. Most of the championships they've won featured some of the best players of all-time on the team such as Sue Bird, Diana Taurasi and Rebecca Lobo-- to name just a few. He may be a great recruiter and motivator but sometimes he comes off as arrogant; an example was when he forgot the name of a big-time opponent at a press conference before the North Carolina game. Then there was the time this season he told one of his freshman reserve players not to screw up because they were #1 in the country and have a legitimate chance to win the national title. Sometimes, I think all of his success goes directly to his head.
*This week, I would like to spotlight the Winter X Games for televising a mono ski event last week. This is a major achievement in sports for people with disabilities. Last year was the first time mono skiing was part of the X Games but I don’t remember it being televised. I hope other networks take a chance on showing sports that include people with disabilities--like the Paralympics. It is time for the media to treat disabled athletes as TRUE athletes-- not just as "feel-good stories" for the morning newspaper.
That's my take, I'd like to hear yours.
Links:
Find the Winter X Games mono skiing event results here.
