Baseball
I know it’s early, but I really like this year’s edition of the Boston Red Sox. The pitching staff has the possibility to be the best of my lifetime and the positional players seem like they could come together to be a real force. To my mind, the lynch pins are probably Coco Crisp and the health of JD Drew. If Crisp can be the player he was a couple of years ago (and he’s starting to show signs) and Drew can remain healthy I really like this team’s chances.
And I won’t even get started with Daisuke-mania 🙂
Speaking of early, is it just me or is the blisteringly hot start that Alex Rodriguez is having a complete microcosm of his career? He’s having the best start of anyone, ever and yet the Yankees are basically treading water. I know that the pitching staff has been bludgeoned about the face and chest by injuries, but still, it’s like Texas all over again.
Cycling
Discovery suspend Basso
This is one of those issues that just drives me nuts. Let’s explore why:
- Basso is one of my favorite cyclists (and I’m obviously a fan of Discovery Channel) so I’d be doubly disappointed if he were found guilty- on the one hand I’d be disappointed in him doping and on the other I’d be seriously bummed to not be able to watch him go for the double.
- I’m sick to death of hearing about Operacion Puerto, so anything that prolongs that agony is a bummer
- With this uncertainty I can’t even speculate on the Giro or the Tour. Speculating on these events is half the fun and without knowing who the leader for Disco is at each event I’m seriously out of sorts. Considering I was just getting ramped up on the Giro, that’s a real kick in the nuts.
On the bright side if he is found guilty then Levi will get a shot at the Tour. With the way Disco have been riding (remember, they’ve got a bunch of hardware this year and none of it is from Basso) and with the way he’s looked so far this season (both fit and confident) I’d look for good things from him. It would also open the door a little wider for the most exciting GC rider of them all, Alexandre Vinokourov. That’s a double plus bonus.
Armstrong backs Landis in attacking French lab – Cycling
This is why I wish the B sample was tested by another lab. It doesn’t add any clarity if people believe in incompetence (or worse) from the French. Honestly, with what Armstrong went through nothing would surprise me in terms of conspiracy theories being proven true. I can see an easy scenario where Landis winning, and continuing the America streak, was the back breaking camel straw and sent some lab worker over the edge.
Of course, Occam’s Razor tells me that’s not likely, but because of the French lab doing the B sample test the door is still open for that sort of conjecture. An American lab would have been a better choice.
And on a non-doping note (and honestly it’s been a fun season minus the lingering doping stories), it was fun watching David Rebellin take the Fleche Wallonne today. That’s a cool race. cycling.tv rocks and will completely suck my time away from proper work during the Giro and La Vuelta this year…
Football
European football that is…
Who the hell is going to be the unlucky slob to follow Sir Alex Ferguson as manager of Manchester United? Obviously being the manager of one of the sport’s premier clubs is a good thing, but following Ferguson is going to be completely thankless.
This, of course, is spurred on by United’s excellent run this season. As of this writing they’re up 3-2 after a stunning first leg of their Champions League semi versus AC Milan, they’re leading the Premiership over a Chelsea team that looked poised to run away with another championship at the beginning of the season and they’re set to take on that same Chelsea squad in the FA Cup final in May. If they win out it will be the second treble of Ferguson’s career and, to my mind at least, a surprising result for a year where maybe not so much was expected from United (mostly owing to the perceived strength of Chelsea.)
(American) Football
I am absolutely jacked for the draft. I’ve never been so excited for a draft ever. Why? The Patriots have had such a great off-season already and with two 1st round picks they’ve got a chance to get even better. I can’t wait.
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