Sunday 30 March 2008

BASEBALL IS BACK!

The 2008 baseball season is...officially underway!

As I blog right now, the hopeful Atlanta Braves and the newly-addressed Washington Nationals are duking out the first game of the 2008 MLB Season.

You know, I think there are a whole lot of people on this continent and around this world who can't be happier baseball is back in their lives. For one, I am ecstatic and curious to watch my Jays challenge for a pennant. This is a turning year for the sport, the league and the fans. We march into this season without Bonds, Sosa or Clemens on any of the rosters. Instead, it will be the Howards, Hollidays, Peavys and Santanas of the world that will lead a field of young stars in pursuit of October glory.

There are high hopes for the Jays and other teams alike. It is so good hear Chris Berman and Joe Morgan back on the air, even though I've never been a fan of theirs. It is so good to see the patriotism in fans as they put their hand over their chest during the Star Spangled Banner, even though I am not an American. It is so good wear my baseball caps again without getting weird looks from bypassers even though the temperature is still around the freezing mark here in Toronto. This is what the baseball season brings and I'll be sure to enjoy it for the next 6 months!

It's still too darn chilly for baseball up here in Canada, but my itch to hold a bat will augment like crazy as the major leaguers begin play. I am anticipating another good summer (sometime spring and fall) of nostalgic memories on the sandlot and hey, you never know what could happen on the diamond (especially summer love). Even more, I plan on inquiring about a position to be scorekeeper for my high school's baseball team. Overall, life's much brighter with baseball back in the air!

It's been one quick offseason, I mean, it really didn't feel like a long, dragging winter at all. But the best thing is that baseball is back, alive and well!

Go Jays!

-D

Thursday 20 March 2008

Easter Weekend

Well...can't believe it's Easter already!!

Baseball is just around the corner! The A's and Red Sox have landed in Japan in preparation for their Opening Series in Tokyo beginning next Tuesday! You know, internationalization has become a fashionable trend in pro sports nowadays. A curious thought, what will be the result of "over-internationalization" if such a problem is ever to pop up in the future??

Alright, I admit it, I'm not a basketball athlete! This week, I got some pretty horrible results from two b-ball tests in gym class. But hey, I guess that's why I'm in the writers' camp, not the locker rooms.

Speaking of b-ball, the Raps, finally thought expectedly crushed the Miami Heat last night. The hysterical score, for those who have not checked the box scores today was 96-54. That's what you call a textbook pounding. You know, still you gotta feel bad for these Miami fans. They traded away the frail Shaq, lost D-Wade to a plaguing injury and has to deal with the embarrassment of being cellar dwellers in the standings; at the same time having a HOF, if not legendary coach in Pat Riley.

I was caught off guard when Houston's streak snapped on Monday night vs. the Celtics. I guess that's a hard statement from Boston that they are truly the kings of the court right now. The streak was sweet for Houston while it lasted, but all good things come to an end. Again, the Rockets truly deserve a standing ovation for their co-operative team effort during the streak.

The Leafs continue to lose players to injury. Any playoff hopes are gone now...well, there's always next year!

I am a dummy when it comes to NCAA, so I can't opinionate on that. World Figure Skating Championships are being held in Sweden...otherwise, a quiet week in sports!

Have an awesome long, Easter weekend~!

-D

Sunday 16 March 2008

Flamin' Rockets!

Caught half of the 3rd quarter and the entire 4th quarter of action between the thrilling Lakers vs. Rockets this afternoon!

Rafer Alston was absolutely on fire...8 triples!!! Everyone in Toyota Centre was so pumped! As a fan of Houston, I feel very happy for their fans and the team. They are 31-3 in their last 34 games, now placed "numero uno" in the wild Western Conference! This has gotta be one of the most memorable runs in recent NBA history!

So Casey Janssen is out for the season...it's bad. Janssen proved to be a valuable set up man last year. But if Ryan can be healthy, then everything should be just fine with our bullpen!

Leafs have to win all their remaining games to even have a shot at making the postseason. That's one hope fans have. Either that or they lose all their games to be placed higher in the draft. Really, I think this is where Leafs Nation's loyalty will be crucially important for moral support.

Lots to do tomorrow...it for now!

-D

Friday 14 March 2008

Blast Off to Play Off

20 straight!

Amidst an almost unreal run, the biggest surprise of it is that the chief astronaut on this Rocket, Yao Ming, is out indefinitely with a plaguing injury! This is team sport at its best!

Even after winning their 19th straight game on Monday night against the freefalling, Kidd-less Nets, Houston has still got a ways to go before dethroning the San Antonio Spurs of 1971-1972 for the all-time record of 33 in a row. It is a daunting but tempting task yet the Rockets and coach Rick Adelman are concentrated on maintaining a playoff position in the harsh and wild West.

The 20 game winning streak sure helped to propel Houston into elite territory, who are perched only 1 game behind the top seed Lakers and are tied for 2nd with the Spurs. Right now, the Rockets want to be anything by spurious. Rafer Alston looks more like Steve Nash, Dikembe Mutombo is making people forget about Yao Ming and the biggest factor of it all: T-Mac! Houston’s feeling the energy again...maybe it’s that Barack Obama speech in the Toyota Centre on Feb 19 that re-injected some fuel into this potent Rocket.

The coach is pumped, the bench is pumped and we don’t even need to get started on the Starting 5! From every perspective, Houston’s unpredictable streak has truly been a legitimate team effort. They’re getting better as they go along too! Their 19th straight was also the 10th straight win by double-digits.

Tracy McGrady, the instrumental star of the team says: “We're a great team with (Yao); We're a great team without him." If I were Yao Ming right now, I'd be grinning from ear to ear watching my hot teammates pound their opponents night in, night out!


The Mavs and Suns both compiled streaks of 17 consecutive wins last year but that's expected. The best thing about this run is that Houston’s making a name for itself, after being doubted for a long time. You know, last time the Rockets lost a game, it was the 27th of January vs. Utah, another red hot squad. But we have to remember that as the streak continues to extend, the chance of it snapping creeps up every night.


You know, the fans are feeling it big time! On their website, the visitor is greeted by the captivating phrase "Where 20 in a row happens!" In a time like this, it would be a crime for the people we elect to ignore the situation. For that, Houston mayor Bill White has declared March 14th...


...Houston Rockets Spirit Day!


-D

Tuesday 11 March 2008

The Beauty of Sports

You know, I've been told sports is a waste of time...that it's overrated...a distraction in a potentially productive society...

...but what would we do without the element of sport in our lives??

What would we talk about right now other than the Rockets' 19 game win streak??

What would be debated in coffee shops besides who will win the AL East this year??

Who would be the role models of kids, teenagers, dads, even housewives??

Who would employ the thousands of sports writers, tv critics and those damn pundits??

What would they replace with that missing section in the morning paper??

Without sports, what do we do in times of stress...in times of grief...or just when we want to get active??

What would fans do with all that money in their pockets that would've otherwise been spent for a night in MSG or Dodger Stadium??

The impact of sports on our lives is immeasurable...what else would you watch of a Saturday night if Hockey Night in Canada seized to exist??

Sports is anything but a menial idea in our lives. Sports is something divine, something that enchants millions.

Even so, the big boys do not deserve 9 digit cheques...because sports should not turn into greedy. Athleticism is a gift, not a lucrative privilege.

I love sports! I love watching it. I love playing it even if I'm barely half decent in some. I love writing and talking about it.

The bottom line is: sports is irreplaceable!

-D

Friday 7 March 2008

March Break!

Finally...after a stressful February, it's March Break!!!

...and my birthday is next Wednesday!!!

Not going anywhere for the break, so I'll be watching a lot of sports and meeting up with a lot of friends. Looking forward to a busy week!

Snowstorm slamming Toronto...again. About a foot expected...we could go over 200 CM on the season with this storm!

NBA stuff:

Bulls pounded Cavs yesterday. LeBron's hot, but gotta have teamwork! That bottom 2-3 spots could be very interesting come late March, early April!

Talk about interesting races, the Western Conference continues to tighten! First and eighth are separated by a mere 5 games! Wow, this could be one of the most fierce seasons ever when it comes to the playoff push.

One team's taking it over the top! You guessed it...the Houston Rockets won their 17th straight shooting the living daylight out of Dirk and his crew. People, listen up! The Rockets, who were counted out from the beginning, have begun to resurge like a full blown blizzard. When you talk about a team being unstoppable, this is it right here!

San Antonio beat Pacers...surprise surprise!

Raps vs. the underrated Wizards tonight, Supersonics on tap for Sunday afternoon.

Baseball stuff:

David Eckstein gave the fans something to smile about with his grand salami yesterday, however the Jays still fell at the hands of Jason Bay and the Pirates. When is the Pittsburgh squad going to be contenders....? They've got a nice ballpark, but an ugly team.

A-Rod has a sore shoulder...

Francisco Liriano looks promising, really looking forward to that kid's performance.

The Al Central will be insanely tight this coming season, on paper. The Tigers've can hit like the 1920 Yankees, Cleveland's got the youth and the pitching, White Sox wants to bounce out of that deplorable 2007 season and Minny still has great potential and chemistry, not to mention that they play under a white roof that camouflages the ball.

Tennis:

Roddick beat Nadal...nice to see a year where different guys are stepping into the spotlight, not that Roddick wasn't in the spotlight before.

Well, got some articles to edit for next month's school newspaper!

-D