Golf Channel Sends Jim Gray Packing at Northern Trust Open

I figured that Jim Gray would pop off to the wrong athlete one day and get knocked out. Or, maybe I just hoped that would happen after he ambushed the great Pete Rose with questions about his gambling at an inappropriate time and place, Game 2 of the World Series after he had been introduced as one of the All Century Team members.  Pete Rose was there to answer questions about the All Century Team and Gray not only ambushed "Charlie Hustle", he never let up.

Jim Gray has had many run ins with athletes over the years.  The way he treated Pete at the World Series in 1999 makes perfect sense now.  Jim Gray has very little talent and the only way for him to move up was to be the arrogant jerk he is when he is working.  I hope this move by the Golf Channel is just the beginning  of the end for Mr. Gray.  If the other networks put a leash on Gray and his "National Enquirer" style of reporting, his lack of talent and knowledge will be exposed.  Jim Gray's talent is to infuriate athletes so the spot light is put on Jim Gray for ruffling feathers.  Mr. Gray wont be on cable access for his knowledge of any sport.

http://sports.yahoo.com/golf/blog/devil_ball_golf/post/Jim-Gray-removed-from-Golf-Channel-coverage-af?urn=golf-323395

Is this reporting or crossing the line?

Almost every week day at 5:30am I turn the coffee pot on, feed my dogs and log on to my laptop where I have yahoo.com as my home page. I usually scan the headlines making sure that nobody has blown anybody up over night and I read their sports articles while I enjoy my java. Today there is a story about Blake Griffin. Blake Griffin for those who don't know is a one man wrecking crew for the Los Angeles Clippers. He was an all american at Oklahoma and drafted #1 in the 2009. He was MVP in the rookie league that year but a stress fracture sidelined him for the regular NBA season. This year he is putting on nightly dunking clinics across the NBA. He is predicted to win the dunk contest all star weekend and he will walk away with the rookie of the year award. There are plenty of things a sports writer could write about Blake Griffin who is a model citizen but Kelly Dwyer of yahoo sports couldn't find anything better to write about Griffin than The National Observer could have if they had a reporter in the locker room. Griffin had just taken a call and found out a good friend from back home had passed. Griffin sat head in his hands crying moments after a win over the Timberwolves. About that time the reporters were let in. It's my opinion that if a reporter sees a player in this kind of distress they should give him a little space and find something else to write about besides his tragedy. There are plenty of sports to write about Kelly Dwyer. Is it really necessary to let the world no Blake Griffin was crying in the locker room after the game due to the loss of a friend or should that be a private moment?

Iowa Wrestler Forfeits Match Instead of Wrestling a Female Counterpart in State Tournament

It is my opinion that girls can compete in any sport boys do. Just ask my friend Jen Welter who has been playing professional woman's football for 11 seasons.  I do believe that do to the physiological make up of males and females they should not be competing against each other in full contact sports. I mean does anybody really want to see a man and woman go at it in MMA, boxing or wrestling? I would like to believe that most people would not find it fair or entertaining but in the state of Iowa they have been making the girls compete with the boys for eleven years.That is if they wish to wrestle. Hello Mcfly! It's 2011 why do the girls not have their own teams and tournaments with everything equal with what the boys have? The reason it's been able to go on for two decades without a lot of people giving it a second thought is a girl had never made the state tournament. That is until this year where two girls have made the tournament . Both in the 112 pound class. Casey Herkelman a freshman at Cedar Falls and Megan Black of  Ottumwa (Iowa) High. Casey Herkelman became the first girl to win a match in the state tournament when one of the favorites in the weight class Joel Northrup reported and withdrew from the match or in other words forfeited. This way he earned a loss but was able to continue wrestling but can do no better than third. "I have a tremendous amount of respect for Cassy and Megan [Black] and their accomplishments," Northrup said in a statement given to the media following his official forfeit. "However, wrestling is a combat sport and it can get violent at times.
"As a matter of conscience and faith, I do not believe that it is appropriate for a boy to engage a girl in this manner. It is unfortunate that I have been placed in a situation not seen in most other high school sports in Iowa."  It seems that Joel has a much better grasp of right and wrong that the adults running high school wrestling in Iowa. Northrup could be faced with the same scenario later in the tournament. Northrup is in the losers bracket after his forfeit and will be wrestling  losers from the winners bracket  so he could easily be matched with black or Herkelman. Another forfeit and he is done. The sad thing about it is Northrup was a 3rd place finisher last year as a freshman. Would anyone expect Laila Ali to be matched with Wladimir Klitschko? The fight would never be sanctioned but in the state of Iowa Joel Northrup had to forfeit any chance at a state title this year because to win a state title he was going to have to do something he had been taught was wrong. Engage a girl in combat. I think the governing body of high school wrestling in Iowa owes young Mr. Northup an apology.

Shades of Darvin Ham!

This reminds me of Darvin Ham from Texas Tech smashing the back board against North Carolina in route to Tech's1996 sweet 16 appearance. By the way. What has happened in Lubbock?

http://deadspin.com/#!5758740/high-school-basketball-game-ends-with-shattered-backboard

Keep in mind this kid is 14 and in 8th grade

This 14 year old in Canada has a 39 inch vertical leap. Some of his dunks are off the hook. If you listen close you will hear the announcer say he is actually 13 when some of this video is shot.

http://deadspin.com/#!5757349/theres-a-14+year+old-in-canada-with-a-39+inch-vertical-leap

Madden Video Game Predicts Super Bowl Winner!

EA sports has used the Madden video game to predict the winner of the Super Bowl the past seven years and has been correct six out of seven times. The lone wrong prediction was the Giants upset of the unbeaten Patriots in Super Bowl XLII which might be the biggest upset in Super Bowl History. Check out Madden 11's prediction for Super Bowl XLV and how close the Madden video game point spread predictions have been over the past seven years.

http://blog.games.yahoo.com/blog/355-steelers-will-win-super-bowl-xlv-predicts-madden-11/

Don't forget! Coming this Spring: Newman Smith Trojan Football 2011

Newman Smith Trojans please read

You can follow The Newman Smith Trojan football team here starting this spring with my weekly blog with coach Paul Ressa! Just follow my blog and get your weekly update as the Trojans try to get deep into the playoffs for the third year in a row.