Crix17′s Weblog

Michael Vick Gets 23 Months in Jail December 11, 2007

Yesterday, on December 10^th, 2007, all Falcons fans across the world gasped in shock, but also let out a sigh of relief that all of this dog-fighting business surrounding quarterback Michael Vick is over and done with. Vick has been sentenced to 23 months in jail, more than his co-conspirators because he lied in front of the Judge about the executions of the dogs. I fully agree that Vick deserves this sentence, we the football nation, do not need this type of un-professionalism in the league. Too many times has Vick made headlines with negative situations. From flipping off fans to being investigated for having marijuana in a bottle of water at an airport. Maybe jail time will do good for Vick.

Eric Gagne December 10, 2007

Although this article is for ESPN Insiders only, reports are showing that the Brewers have signed reliever Eric Gagne to a one year deal worth $10 million. Personally, being a Boston Red Sox fan and experiencing the let down that he was when we traded for him late last season, I don’t think Gagne is worth $1 million. After showing up in Boston and expecting to bolster an already stunning bullpen, he “Eric Gagne allowed almost two baserunners per inning in his two months with the Red Sox, his ERA for Boston closing at 6.75,” reports Buster Olney of ESPN. Gagne was once a premier closer, record 55 saves in one season with the Dodgers and becoming the first closer to reach 50+ saves in one season. A few years later he was plagued with injuries, but seemed to show signs of his old brilliance with the Rangers until he was traded to the Red Sox and then hit rock bottom with that 6.75 ERA. I guess it is a risky signing, and could turn out as a plus for the Brewers, but if precedent shines through Gagne will slip and fall next season.

Mayweather vs. Hatton Recap and TUF Finale December 9, 2007

Although I did not get to witness the fight myself, ESPN is reporting that Floyd “Pretty Boy” Mayweather defeated the Brit Ricky Hatton in the 10^th round. It was an exciting fight and definitely lived up to expectations, as opposed to the let down that was Mayweather vs. De La Hoya. Hatton was relentless, and Mayweather’s counterpunches were as crisp as they always are all night. But in the 10^th Hatton hit the canvas twice and his corner finally threw in the towel. Both sides were very humble as they accepted that both fighters had just been through a war. Even Mayweather was lighthearted after the fight, not being his usual cocky self. Although Hatton lost, and his record now has one blemish, he should not be looked down upon as this fight was definitely a close one, and Mayweather bested him this time but it could potentially go either way in a rematch.

I was not able to catch the Mayweather Hatton fight last night because you had to buy in on pay-per-view, but I was able to catch The Ultimate Fighter Finale on Spike TV last night, and what a finale it was. One of the most amazing UFC fights I have ever witnessed took place between Jon “War Machine” Koppenhaver and Jared Rollins. This was not even the headlining fight but definitely lived up to expectations. Back and forth through 3 rounds they fought, both with cuts and blood pouring out of them by the second. War Machine sustained a cut on the top of his head that kept bleeding down into his right eye, blurring his vision; while at the same time Jared Rollins’s cut was just above the right eye and was leaking blood into his face. Blood stained the octagon mat but both fighters kept coming. During the third, it seemed that Collins had the upper hand when he caught War Machine with a mean punch. War Machine Koppenhaver seemed to go limp and fell down, with Rollins still striking him. I was shocked that the fight was not stopped here, but after a few shots Koppenhaver clenched up and started protecting himself. With Koppenhaver on his back and Rollins on top of him in the guard, both fighters were tiring. It seemed this was the end of the line for Koppenhaver, with time in the last round winding down and Rollins pounding away. But he spotted one opportunity; Collins got lazy and put his arm on the mat above his left shoulder. Jon immediately grabs this arm and flips Rollins on his back, and goes into full guard with Collins on back and Jon on top. With a second wind, Koppenhaver starts raining bombs on Rollins, after a few seconds, Rollins seems to go limp and the ref calls the fight. Koppenhaver wins with a TKO by strikes. In a matter of seconds, Koppenhaver went from being SOL and looking like there was no chance of victory, to knocking out one of the best in UFC. This was one of the most un-technical, yet exciting brawls I have ever seen. Here is a recap of the TUF Finale.

Tim Tebow AKA Superman December 9, 2007

ESPN is reporting that Tim Tebow, the Florida Gators Quarterback, has just won the Heisman trophy. A few posts ago, I said that Tebow was the most deserving of the hardware, really coming into his own these last few games. Tim Tebow has rightfully earned the nickname of Superman, and proved it once again tonight adding a Heisman trophy to his accolades. How can his nickname not be Superman, the Florida coaching staff had to tell Tebow to stop lifting because his benchpress was pushing 400 pounds. That is unheard of among Quarterbacks, especially sophomore quarterbacks. Tebow is the first underclassman to be a Heisman winner, but he deserves every bit of it. With SC being in the same conference as Tebow, and him putting up 7 touchdowns against us, I despise him but also having nothing but respect for him. Congratulation Tebow.

Ohio State vs. LSU December 7, 2007

Another Big Ten-SEC matchup, and another opportunity for the SEC to prove yet again that it is the most dominant conference in college football. It seems like every year, there is always debate over which conference is the best and which conference is falling off, and every year the SEC’s namesake is put to the test by all other conferences. Ohio State fans swear that the SEC is more talk than show, and that they are overrated in every way. They also claim that the Big Ten can contend with the SEC’s every move. The same goes for Texas fans last year before Florida dismantled them. Once again, this year Ohio State fans are doing the talking saying that the SEC is much overrated and the Big Ten’s Ohio State will show the SEC who is boss. Not so, LSU will dismantle Ohio State and prove yet again that there is no other conference in the nation like the SEC.

BCS Madness December 6, 2007

It has become an annual spectacle, the uproar that the BCS causes. Once a year, in some form or another, little kids expect gifts under a tree from Santa Claus or a figure from some other tradition. Same concept goes for college football fans around the world, once a year they can expect the BCS to cause all sorts of turmoil in the championship picture. This year is no exception, with Hawaii going undefeated and getting snubbed in the championship game. Just like kids expecting gifts, college football fans everywhere are now calling for a playoff system rather than the corrupt BCS rankings. Although I don’t think Hawaii should be playing in the championship game, it isn’t because they don’t deserve it but that there are better teams that would make a more exciting game. I think we should definitely adopt a playoff system, as most college football fans would agree with me. There isn’t too much debate as to how corrupt the BCS currently is and how much we are in need of a playoff.

Wake Forest vs. Vanderbilt December 5, 2007

Tonight the Wake Forest Demon Deacons will face off against the Vanderbilt Commodores in one of two away games this week. This will be the first ranked team the ‘Deacs have had to face this year, and it will surely be a tough contest. After a devastating loss to UNC Charlotte last Thursday, the ‘Deacs really need to kick it into gear and pull of a victory against the 23^rd ranked Commodores. Granted, our skill and athletic level has dropped greatly ever since we saw the departure of Eric Williams and Chris Paul, but Dino Gaudio needs to rally his team and get some wins for recently deceased and best friend Skip Prosser. Last season he Deacons defeated the Commodores at home in the Joel, but this time around it’s a little bit different with this game away, plus Vanderbilt has added the big aussie freshman Andrew Oglivy. With a senior-less lineup, I look for a big game from L.D. Williams and star freshman James Johnson for the Demon Deacons, with Ishmael Smith distributing the ball. If we execute, and Ish Smith doesn’t get out of control with his ball handling, then I can definitely see us coming out with a victory.

Mayweather vs. Hatton December 5, 2007

On this Saturday night, in the MGM Grand in Vegas, two of the greatest pugilists to ever take the stage will face off against one another. Both fighters enter this match without a blemish on their records, Mayweather with a record of 38-0-0 and Hatton with a record of 43-0-0. Whenever Mayweather takes the stage, it is always a spectacle as his offensive flurries and precise counterpunches can amaze anybody. But Saturday night is a whole new monster, with both fighters being undefeated and the fight getting the hype it needs to be one of the greats. The world of boxing needs this fight to be successful and to be exciting, especially after the let down that was Mayweather vs. De La Hoya.

This fight comes down to whether or not Mayweather is going to come out with his counterpunching style out, or if he is going to be putting pressure on Hatton. Mayweather has won both ways, but when he gets aggressive is really when things get exciting. I think he will go with the latter, and attempt to be aggressive and put pressure on Hatton, which is the opposite of what he did to De La Hoya and part of the reason that fight was a bust. Every fighter that goes up against Mayweather wants to mimic what Jose Luis Castillo did to him, coming to closest anybody has to defeating Mayweather. According to this article, the best way to get after Mayweather is to push the fight to the ropes and keep the action away from the center of the ring, which is what I think Ricky Hatton will do. Mayweather is going to realize this, and put the same pressure back on to Hatton, and the fight is going to get electrifying.

I’ve never had an affinity for Mayweather and his big mouth. Always thought he was a little overrated since the quality of boxers today isn’t up to par with what it used to be. So, to predict the fight, I say Hatton by decision.

Johan Santana to the Red Sox December 4, 2007

As good as that sounds, I’m not so sure if I would like to see this. First of all, it could potentially mean losing one of the best prospects we, the Boston Red Sox, have had in awhile. The one thing I would not like to see happen would be to watch the Red Sox let outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury go. He has far too much talent to be traded away, even for the great Johan Santana. While Santana would be a great addition to our already stellar rotation, I think Ellsbury has potential to be one of the best. His speed is unmatched, and he showed that he has the composure of a veteran in the World Series this year. In his rookie season, he had a batting average of .353 which is unheard of amongst rookies. I say we stick with Ellsbury and watch him grow into a Red Sox star.

On the other hand, the Twins are also interested in pitcher Jon Lester. According to this article, the deal with Lester would include Coco Crisp and two other top prospects. I definitely think this is a steal for the Red Sox and should push for this deal. Unfortunately, we would lose a great person in Jon Lester, who fought cancer and came back this year with a vengeance, proving cancer hasn’t hampered his game. But with the opportunity to acquire Johan Santana, I would take this deal instead of the Ellsbury deal.

RIP Sean Taylor December 1, 2007

It is always sad when people die at such a young age. But even more so when that individual is such a talented athlete and had so much promise. Sean Taylor, the Washington Redskins safety, was pronounced dead early Tuesday after suffering a gunshot wound to the leg. The bullet severed the femoral artery and Taylor never regained consciousness after. This article is one which focuses less on the dramatic and violent death of Taylor, and more on the legacy he left behind. Known for his hard hits and vibrant smile, Taylor was well on his way to becoming one of the best safeties to ever play the game. He was just getting to know what life was all about, giving birth to his daughter only 18 months ago, and now he is not going to be able to watch his child grow. “What got cut short here was a career that was going to go to a lot of Pro Bowls and have a lot of fun,” Gibbs said. During a press conference Coach Joe Gibbs could barely contain himself, fighting back the tears, apparently remembering what an influence Taylor was to everybody. Taylor was just coming into his own, being elected by fellow teammates to the players’ committee which meets with Coach Gibbs weekly, and also emerging as a leader on the field for the ‘skins. Though I’m not a Redskins fan, this week I feel like one as Taylor will be missed greatly.