Sports World Review

Ortiz and Ramirez

David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez were revealed today as having used banned substances in 2003. This story deals with that list of 104 players guys who were found to have used illegal substances. It has become even more of a weird situation because they keep releasing names one by one. For the players union and Major League Baseball, this could well be the worst way to have this information come out. It drags it out and allows newspapers to write articles about each of the players and how poorly much of this has been handled. Meanwhile, there are continuing lawsuits and this situation might end up in the Supreme Court at some point down the road. But it would be even better for the players’ names to be released, a comprehensive strategy put in place that protects players, owners and fans alike. We’ll have to see what’s going on with all of this along the way.

Like Cone

David Cone was the one before. After Mark Buehrle won his perfect game last week against the Tampa Bay Rays, many people started talking about David Cone’s perfect games and no hitters 10 years ago. Many people in New York started saying that Cone’s wins were more important, because he played for the Yankees and was therefore more important by definition. His pitching was some of the best in his time and won against the Montreal Expos with a perfect game. Buehrle is now in that very exclusive club and has won quite well during that time. You will enjoy watching the highlight reel from that game last week including great pitching and a fantastic Dewayne Wise catch back in Center Field. Get yourself ready.

2009 Dolphins

Training camp is about to begin all across the NFL. And of the teams in the AFC, perhaps there is none with such high expectations as the Miami Dolphins. Last year, out of nowhere, the Dolphins won the AFC East division in the last week of the season. It’s going to be a season that is very impressive for this team. Yes, they face some serious challenges in the East. But remember that they faced big challenges last year too and they were one of the most-improved in the league. This year, they have the added fun of Jimmy Buffett, Gloria Estevan and other entertainers who will be partly running the team and administration. If you’re a fan and a person who really wants to see this team in person, order Miami Dolphins tickets today and have a great time! They will be playing several of the best teams this year, so it’s going to be extra exciting!

Nash to Stay with Suns

Steve Nash has re-signed with the Phoenix Suns for a nice hefty paycheck. This contract will keep him in the desert for three years and keep the two-time MVP with the same team that drafted him a dozen years ago. He’s one of the best players in the country right now, but he hasn’t yet found a team to play with that will get him to the finals that he wants. He came close in 06 and has done similarly a couple more times. But he will have to get some more player backup in order for them to actually win it. Otherwise, Nash might actually have to lead the team by himself, although he’s not that kind of player like Kobe Bryant or MJ have been.

What is going on?

The discussion of Jeremy Mayfield’s situation with Nascar is not likely to end anytime soon. Mayfield has been a talented racer for many years. But now he’s in some kind of big trouble. Worse yet, he might have a serious addiction/health problem and be unable to admit it. A couple months ago, he tested positive for some kind of drug. Nascar suspended him, as per their rules. He asked for an injunction in court and got it. A few days later, he was tested positive again in a random check. It was revealed that the drug might have been meth. Meanwhile, his stepmom came out and said that she had seen him use meth as many as 10 years ago. He countered in a news conference saying that she had killed his father and the investigation is underway. He also said that the testing is bogus. He has a point that Nascar isn’t telling us what their policy is, including not telling us any list of the banned substances. But now that he’s been tested twice and gotten busted twice, he’s going to have a lot of trouble getting his message through. This story isn’t going to end yet, but it’s just beginning!

Nationals Coach

The Washington Nationals have a new manager when the All Star Break is over. Manny Acta has been with the team since the beginning of last season but he has struggled mightily with the difficulty of not having a baseball team that is right on top of things. The team is on track to make more than 100 losses yet again, possibly 110. Instead, they are going to bring back a less-than-impressive choice in Jim Riggleman, who has previously coached the Cubs, Padres and Mariners. At least he’s got a fair amount of experience and has had a certain amount of success over the years. Hopefully the team will be able to climb back up to make a respectable end-of-year showing. They have half a season left, so it’ll be fun.

AL East

I realize that I have written a lot about baseball lately. It’s summer though, so you can’t blame a writer for knowing what’s especially interesting this time of year…

The AL East is perhaps the premier division in the MLB. This year has been an odd one for them as well, with the Toronto Blue Jays sitting on top for the first couple of weeks before dropping off a little bit. The Jays have had a phenomenal year, with most of the players way up high in their personal performance. The Red Sox have had a very typical year, just dominating almost everyone, including the Yankees (they are 8-0 against the Yankees thusfar). The Yankees are right there in the hunt too, though they are struggling against their various division rivals. The Rays haven’t quite been able to match their performance last year, but they still have a lot of talent to bring to the table. We’re at the halfway point, but this division is still up for grabs!

Tough Day for the Reds

Yesterday, the Cincinnati Reds played against the Philadelphia Phillies. At least, that’s what was supposed to happen, but instead, they ended up hardly playing at all. The Phillies put together a 10-run first inning, and the Reds starting pitcher retired only two batters and got 6 earned runs. The Reds were never to catch up, despite a run in the second. The Phillies then added one in each of the 2nd and 3rd innings, 4 in the 4th and 6 in the 8th to win 22-1. This was the worst loss in team history for the Reds and one of the best performances for the Phillies. The Phillies remain in control of the NL East, having had a very good year so far. The Reds are struggling under the tutelage of Dusty Baker recently, having no big offensive power.

Williams vs Williams

Today, we saw the result of the Wimbledon Semifinals for the women. And it was a bad day for Russia. Venus Williams took out Dinara Safina very quickly, in under an hour, to reach the Finals. Safina is the world number 1, but this might put that into some kind of jeopardy. Meanwhile, Serena Williams needed a longer match to win over Elena Dementieva, but she did it to also reach the Final. Venus is looking to become the first woman since Steffi Graf to win Wimbledon 3 years in a row. The Williams sisters themselves have 17 Grand Slam titles between them, which gives you an idea how strong they are. They will definitely have another one after the finals are played. The two Russians put forward a great effort in the tournament but it wasn’t quite good enough.