Rajon for Chris?

With the new NBA agreement finally in place here comes all the fun that we have been waiting for.

Rumors.

Reports came out of Boston yesterday that the team would listen to offers for PG, Rajon Rondo.

The young true point guard has been a core piece for this Celtics team over the years but as the team continues to get older changes need to be made.

BUT, is Rondo the guy you move?

Today reports came out of a possible Rondo for Chris Paul deal which would be nice for Boston but what sort of help would that bring?

An aging KG and Ray Allen still are on the team yet Boston is looking to move a young PG for a ... young PG?

Just doesn't make sense.

Not sure how this benefits Boston.

Oh the rumors.

LINK

Will You Be My Valentine, Boston?

For the 45th time in the illustrious history of the Boston Red Sox, the ball club has a new manager. Amid much speculation, it has all but been confirmed via press conference that former New York Mets manager Bobby Valentine will take the reigns in Bean Town.

Valentine, who managed on and off in Japan's NPB league since his departure from New York,  was offered the position earlier this week. Reports are that he will be in the Boston area to meet with the club and announce his acceptance of the position on Wednesday.

The club was in need of a skipper, since the departure of Terry Francona earlier this off-season.

The hopes are that Francona's somewhat disturbing 7-20 finish to the 2011 campaign can be forgotten shortly   early on in the Valentine era. It seems like a grand fit; a loud personality for a loud club. Only time can tell how long this love affair will last in New England.

Source: http://espn.go.com/boston/mlb/story/_/id/7295956/source-bobby-valentine-hired-boston-red-sox-manager

Syracuse Sports Information Director Says "Only Questions About the Game"

Story Link

As allegations pile up against former Syracuse assistant coach Bernie Fine, the fallout for those still involved in the program is just beginning.

At the press conference following Tuesday's game against Eastern Michigan, the Sports Information Director told the media that Syracuse head coach Jim Boeheim would only be taking questions about the game.

Are you kidding?

I first heard about this on Twitter and almost laughed. Reporters were tweeting from the press conference in laughter at the guy, thinking he could control the presser by laying down such a blanket statement.

I would go as far as to say this: If a reporter's lede includes anything OTHER than the allegations against Bernie Fine, he should really reconsider the field he's in. That IS the story. There is no other way around it.

Ironically, there was supposedly only one question about the game the entire presser. Quite the opposite of what the SID wanted.

CP3 Is Following His Heart

http://espn.go.com/new-york/nba/story/_/id/7295932/new-orleans-hornets-guard-chris-paul-says-heart-new-orleans

Now that the NBA lockout is over and everything seems like it is finally getting back to normal, speculation has to being about things being not so normal, like Chris Paul taking his talents to Madison Square Garden to play for the New York Knicks. Paul shut down reporters questions saying that his heart is in New Orleans. That might be the case as of right now, but will that be the case in the future. As we have seen over the couple of years, if you show these players the money, loyalty goes directly out the window. I'm not saying that he is going to come to New York, but there are going to be a lot of teams with a lot of money to spend come years end when Paul becomes a free agent. This should be an interesting story to watch. Will this be Chris Paul's last year in New Orleans? This should be fun to watch.

Wild signing makes Minnesota headlines

Image: Yahoo.com

I don't know much about hockey, I'll admit that. The little I do know incorporates, the the puck in the goal, equals points.

But one thing I do know is that when the Minnesota Wild signed 51-year old Paul Deutsch to play as a back-up goalie while the main goal tender Niklas Backstrom was out and the back-up may not make it on time, that is nothing short of the word Awesome!

Every sports person would love to be part of a professional game, even if that means sit on the bench for hours. Deutsch didn't start, or even take the ice during the game- but at least he could say, with pride, I was once signed on a professional team.

As a person in the news, this brings sensation to its peak. Writing an article like this will touch so many fans of the game and just sports fans in general that it will promote itself.

Reading the rest of these articles about Deutsch, it seems like this happens more often in hockey than other sports-- I can definitely see why.

Except for that legendary joke where the St. Louis Brown owner Bill Veeck hired midget (small person) Eddie Gaedel for a pinch-hit stunt, or that time when The Yankees hired Billy Crystal for a 1-day contract in spring training as a birthday wish, I can't remember to many of these. Can anyone remember a similar incident out of hockey?

Deutsch is slightly different than those two incidents though. He actually plays in a league, knows the team fairly well, and has been hired before to practice- but still to actually get lucky as to be an official part of the team during a game is a once in a lifetime experience, i'm sure he won't forget.

--La Guerre

Sources:

http://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/blog/puck_daddy/post/Minnesota-Wild-sign-51-year-old-backup-don-821?urn=nhl-wp18217

http://espn.go.com/nhl/story/_/id/7275103/minnesota-wild-sign-51-year-old-practice-goalie-emergency-backup

Verlander wins MVP, Yup he just did that

Detroit Tiger super-duper pitcher Justin Verlander won the 2011 MLB AL Cy Young award for an amazing year, where he left batters scared, and made opposing pitchers look like little-leaguers.

Then it was announced today that he also won the AL MVP, and he captured the AL pitching triple crown.

Granted, Verlander had an amazing year, that we know. He was filthy with a 24-5, 2.4 ERA, and 250 strikeouts (that's just nasty).

But, should pitchers get the Cy Young and the MVP? Is it fair to give them everything, plus all the tea in China. Yeah, I don't see why not, its not illegal-- there aren't yellow flags on the field.

Its one of the age-old arguments in baseball, and the MVP award is defined as the Most Valuable Player no matter position. Over time it came to pass that the pitching Cy Young award was as equal to MVP for the hurlers, because pitchers don't play as often as regular position players (at least in the modern age of baseball).

But that's not right. Here is an example. What if a DH had a great season. Like I mean a GREAT season. Batted .465 with 50 hrs, and 150 rbi, in... lets say about 500 at-bats or so. This is about equivalent to what Verlander did, and if this imaginary DH led the league with these stats they should definitely win the MVP, Sliver Slugger, and all the tea in China, Japan, and Britain while their at it...

To conclude the writers picked the Most Valuable Player, in my opinion, but what say you my classmates? Should Verlander have won the MVP, Cy Young and tons of tea?

-- La Guerre

Source:

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/B/BBA_AL_MVP?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2011-11-21-14-03-30

Sportmanship Dilemma in the Texas A&M-STJ Game?

Story Link

St. John's did not shoot well from the free throw line against Texas A&M. Not to defend their lack of execution, but there was an interesting variable to consider.

As you can see in the video above, a little girl, who happened to be the daughter of Texas A&M head coach Billy Kennedy, was letting out a series of blood-curdling screams whenever St. John's stepped to the line.

If it were any other fan, it would probably be just another part of the game. Perhaps security may ask that person to stop. But the fact that this was Kennedy's daughter makes for an interesting dilemma when it comes to sportsmanship.

I was sitting in the north press box, at the top of Madison Square Garden, and the sound was loud, to me.

It is always considered it bad taste to make intentionally loud noises during a shot, whether players or fans. Should Kennedy answer questions about this?

On the journalistic front, I thought this was an interesting observational piece by Jeff Goodman. Other outlets picked up on it and reported, as well.

Mark Brunell = Tim Tebow????

Tim Tebow has been one of the most interesting Quarterbacks in the NFL this year. As a passer he has struggled mightily, but yet hes still managed to keep his team in control and win games. Next week, Denver's rugby experiment is scheduled to face one of the best defenses in the NFL the New York Jets. So how have the Jets prepared for Tim Tebow? 41-year old backup QB Mark Brunell. Brunell was once one of the most prolific QBs in the NFL. As a second year starter with the Jaguars in 1995, Brunell started in 13 games and rushed for 480 yards. It remains to be seen how well Brunell has the Jets prepared for Tebow, but it shows the interesting impact Tebow is having on NFL teams.

A New Element to the Paterno Scandal

At this point, most people are shaking their heads at more Paterno news; the story has been beaten to death in the media. I don't want to jump on the Paterno bandwagon, but I point out this article because of the new angle the NY Times takes here.

Someone has uncovered a little secret about the infamous coach's finances, and it adds an interesting element to the whole scandal.

Just this past July, Paterno reportedly transferred his home to his wife's name for the price of $1 and "love and affection." The market value for the home is $594,484.

This revelation brings out a number of questions; why did he do it? Was he anticipating the fall out of the scandal?

It looks like he was protecting his ass(ets).

Lawrence A. Frolik, a law professor at the University of Pittsburgh, questions, "Are they hoping to shield assets in case if there’s personal liability?”

The important thing here, however, is the fact that the NY Times is finally trying to take this story in a new direction. We're all tired of hearing about the obnoxious student protests, the cover-up and the firing of a life-long employee.

Whether or not the NYT reporter was the one to uncover this information (but props to him if he was the investigator), I think it is notable that we finally get to see something new in the story here.

Verlander Officially Crowned King of The Mound

What most baseball fans around the country considered an already determined outcome, became official Tuesday afternoon. Detroit Tigers ace pitcher Justin Verlander was named The American Leagues Cy Young award winner for the leagues most outstanding pitcher.

Verlander, who went 24-5 this season, was a unanimous choice by the baseball writers who had votes receiving all 28 for the first place choice. Verlander led the Tigers to this years ALCS against the Texas Rangers, while pitching to a remarkable 2.40 ERA.

Others receiving votes in successive placement were the Angels Jered Weaver, The Rays James Shields, and The Yankees C.C. Sabathia. Verlander accomplished the feat while winning the pitching version of the triple crown leading the league in Wins (25), ERA (2.40), and Strikeouts (250). He is the first starting pitcher to do so since Roger Clemens for the 1986 Boston Red Sox.

In a season in which Verlander pitched his second career no-hitter, most speculate he may also capture the leagues MVP award later this week.

Information for this post found here: http://espn.go.com/mlb/story/_/id/7238325/justin-verlander-detroit-tigers-unanimous-winner-al-cy-young

Is soccer for suckers?

St. John's outdid UConn this past weekend and won the 2011 Big East men's soccer championship.


What was a bit disheartening from that was the fact that besides a few statuses on Twitter, the St. John's community did not seem as proud or affected at all by the win. Which made me think, had this been basketball would we, as Johnnies, have celebrated more? Would we have worn our red freshman hoodies Monday morning in order to show our pride in our school?


I have a lot of respect for soccer players, as in my eyes it is a grueling sport that requires a lot of effort and is risky for them, just as much as any other sport. I hold soccer at a high standard and the St. John's team has gone to great lengths to reach my personal standard. 

I just wish the entire community felt the same.

Green Bay Packers to sell more shares

The Green Bay Packers are offering shares of the team to the public to help add 7,000 seats, update the sound system, and replace the old scoreboard all for around 22 million dollars. When experts were asked if the sale would go well the answer was easy; after winning the Super Bowl last year and with a 9-0 record the Packers are worth about 1.089 billion. The shares are being offered at $250 each, and the team last offered public shares of the team in 1997.

This is unique because the Green Bay Packers are the only publicly owned team in the NFL, and are set in a metropolitan area of just over 300,000. The part where the team is publicly owned comes in big there because many large ownership groups would not keep an NFL team in such a small media market. The Packers also lack the amount of affluent fans that teams in huge cities like New York, and Dallas have. This shows how humbling it is that the people of Green Bay will jump at the chance to buy these shares and support their history and the team

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/16/sports/football/in-green-bay-shares-of-stock-are-more-than-a-financial-investment.html?ref=sports

Coack K - 903

Move over Bob Knight, there is a new All-Time D1 winningest coach.

Mike Krzyzewski has been a marquee head coach over the past 3 decades and has always done his job in the most professional ways.

As head coach of Duke, Coach K has 466 weeks ranked among the nations top 25 mens teams, 12 national coach of the years titles, 11 final four appearances and four national championships.

Talk about a resume.

In the mid-90's Coach K almost resigned from Duke due to illness but then decided to remain. Good choice, huh?

Duke basketball is what it is because of Krzyzewski and all the hard work he put in to make Duke royalty of college basketball.

St. John's Head Coach, Steve Lavin called Coach K the modern day John Wooden.

A high praise that isn't to far fetched as it sounds.

For me, it seems hard to imagne staying with a program for 31 years and constantly putting some of the greatest teams together, year in and year out.

To Coach K, he does it as if it's like breathing air.

Congratulations to Coach K on this amazing achievement.

LINK

Rex's Mouth

http://espn.go.com/new-york/nfl/story/_/id/7234366/nfl-looks-rex-ryan-words-fan-new-york-jets-fall

The NFL is currently investigating this video to determine if Jets head coach Rex Ryan will face a suspension or a fine. The Jets lost this past Sunday night to their division rival the New England Patriots. As you would expect Ryan was very upset about the loss and probably should have bit his tongue until he entered the locker room. As heard in the video above, a fan yells at Ryan saying the Patriots head coach Bill Belichick is better than him. Ryan obviously upset from the loss yells back, "Shut the f*** up!" Fans can be heard laughing but someone who is not going to be laughing is NFL commissioner Roger Goodell. Since being named commission, Goodell has developed a reputation for cracking down on players, and coaches to act professionally on and off the field. Ryan has to start thinking before he talks. I like Rex a lot and I like his sense of humor, but he was out of line on this one.

Carrier Classic Means More Than Basketball

Story Link

The Carrier Classic, a game between Michigan State and North Carolina that took place on the USS Carl Vinson, was a one-of-a-kind experience.

Being that this took place on Veteran's Day, with the President in attendance, I think it made itself into a column for Gary Parrish of CBSSports.com.

Sports has always been a way for Americans to bond and this game puts that on display again. Parrish did a good job of weaving the non-sport aspects of the story in with basketball undertones, which helps it to transcend sports and help it gain a wider readership.

The best stories aren't really about sports.

Whose call is Manny vs Marquez?

If you actually caught this fight, most people would say that Manny "Pacman" Pacquiao actually lost to Juan Manuel Marquez.

Read the first article by Tim Smith of the New York Daily News or by a few others that covered the game, and you could have sworn that they were on the Marquez sidelines with a Mexican flag, and green, white and red pom-poms.

When did journalist become cheerleaders? Because I entered this field to know what happened and to dispense that information to the public. And that's not what happened in this article.

Smith, a columnist, wrote an article with his views (better known as an editorial) and the News tried to pass it off as a news article. But then he re-wrote the story, instead he attributing most of the blame, and emotions to others with knowledge of the fight, like the trainers or fighters themselves, and that story was in the columnist section. Seriously confusing!

The problem I have with the reporting is that everywhere had the story written like the first, where reporters thought Pacquaio lost the fight, and clearly made that the theme of their stories. Maybe he did, but I think our job its not to say that it is, but report what happened and if others thought so then let them say it.

For the record Pacman won the fight, and now holds a record of 2-0-1 over Marquez. But According to Marquez and reporters it should be look like: 1-1-1 on both sides.

Sources:

(editorial story that was in news section)

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/more-sports/manny-pacquiao-wins-controversial-majority-decision-juan-manuel-marquez-retain-wbo-welterweight-title-article-1.976872

(news story that should be in editorial)

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/manny-pacquiao-loss-words-controversial-win-juan-manuel-marquez-saturday-las-vegas-article-1.977063

Just To Early

One of the biggest aspects of college sports is recruiting.

You need a coach who is very good at convincing potential student-athletes to join a university for a certain sport.

For instance, basketball.

St. John's head coach, Steve Lavin came into the 2011-2012 season with the 3rd ranked recruiting team in the nation.

Now, not even a week into the season, he is missing three players and now lost two 2012-2013 recruits.

As we already know, JaKarr Sampson, Amir Garrett and Norvel Pelle were all ruled ineligible to start the season. Sampson de-committed from St. John's and re-opened his recruitment and there are talks he may reclassify.

Yesterday, Ricardo Gathers, a recruit from Louisiana rescinded his commitment to St. John's just a few days from the start of the winter signing period.

No reasoning has been given but that isn't the issue at hand.

What is the issue is that maybe teams and student-athletes are jumping the gun when it comes to getting a player to commit or a player committing to a school.

We have seen over the years a lot of players commit to a program then de-commit and the reasoning over it 9 out of 10 times, "I rushed my decision".

That's what another St. John's 2012-13 recruit said when he de-committed from the University a couple months ago.

Now may that be the real reasoning? Possibly, but coaches need to be careful sometimes of who they go after and the time period they do it in.

Maybe it's time coaches take their time getting a commitment and players take their time in committing so that things like these don't happen.

LINK

Lavin Is Almost Back

http://espn.go.com/new-york/ncb/story/_/id/7208523/steve-lavin-back-st-john-practice-surgery

 St. John's University head basketball coach Steve Lavin is making his way back to his full time duties as the head coach of the basketball team after recovering from his cancer surgery. Lavin has been home recovering from his surgery at the request of his doctors who instructed the second year head coach rest. Lavin has done what he was told to do and it looks like he might be back in a couple of weeks. He was seen at practice for the first time this year yesterday. Lavin has been in close contact with the team watching game films and reporting to the team over the phone. Lavin put together a very impression season last year leading the Red Storm to their first NCAA tournament appearance in almost ten years. And with a new class of talent coming in this year, Lavin and the St. John's faithful are ready to have him back as soon as his recovery is over.

46 Years

After the 46 years of history “Joe Pa” as he is called in Happy Valley will most likely be removed from the head coaching position at Penn State. After a former assistant to Joe Paterno was charged with sexual assault on numerous counts it was revealed that Paterno allegedly knew about the wrongful conduct. The decision will be made by the schools board of trustees only a day before senior day when the Nittany Lions face off against the Nebraska Cornhuskers in its last home game of the season.
During his time at Penn State, Paterno made a name of the team, and brought them to two national titles. It is a shame that after such a long history with the program that his career with them will end in the wake of this scandal. His first year as head coach was 1966; my dad was 10 years old, Lyndon B. Johnson was President of the United States, and the New York Mets were entering into their 4th season in the MLB. This is truly a sad way for him to end his time as the longest running coach in college football history.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/09/sports/ncaafootball/penn-state-said-to-be-planning-paternos-exit.html?_r=1&hp

Race Track in NJ

I chose to highlight this story from the NY Times not only for its interesting content, but also for its unique angle.

The story tells of a proposal to hold the Formula One Grand Prix of America in New Jersey on the west side of the Hudson. The race will ideally take place in 2013.

Through humor and a bit of sarcasm, the story highlights just how unlikely it is for the race to be held in such an urban area. Corey Kilgannon, the reporter, hopped in his own car (a 2007 Chevrolet Malibu) and rode the route himself.

The story is full of humorous comparisons; it's hard to imagine a road race with cars going 200 m.p.h. when cars are stuck in bumper-to-bumper traffic during rush hour.

Kilgannon spotted a 1998 Dodge Viper RT-10 at a light, and although the driver turned down the offer to race, he did pull into a gas station parking lot to show off his car.

"Those hills and turns can be nasty," the driver said of the route. He also guessed that the loop could be finished in a minute by a Formula One driver.

For Kilgannon, however, the trip was not so easy. Construction, traffic and pedestrians all hindered his fantasy of being a race car driver.

Economically, the race could also bring a lot of revenue to the area with hotels, restaurants, gas stations, etc.

So the question is, would holding a Grand Prix race overlooking the views of Manhattan be a good idea?

Kentucky Comes Out of the Gate On Fire

Story Link

Kentucky under John Calipari has been a special case. Where many school build over the period of a few years, Calipari runs a load, unload, reload approach that brings in the best players, they leave for the NBA, and a new class of elite players come in.

This is going to be an interesting season for Kentucky though, and a problem for the rest of college basketball. Because of the NBA lockout, guard Doron Lamb and forward Terrance Jones return for their sophomore seasons, to go along with the nation's best recruiting class.

That was on display Monday night, as Kentucky outmanned Division II Morehouse, winning, 125-40.

Teams traditionally play Division II and III schools before the season, as a way to prepare and they are typically blowouts. But, this was a historical blowout. It took Kentucky eight minutes to lead by 30 and they brought a 74-13 lead into the locker room.

I looked at this from the prospective of a beatwriter.

It certainly makes it for an easy running story. No problem getting that in on time. No need for a rewrite.

This team will be interesting to follow throughout the season and covering a team of such a high caliber would be interesting. As was mentioned in class, it makes it easier to cover a team that is either very good or very bad. Mediocrity does not make for good stories.

Joe Frazier's death a good thing

Image: NY Daily news

Frazier (left) Ali (right)

Joe Frazier, a boxer who ruled the sport for years and was known as one of the only fighters able to challenge the G.O.A.T. (Muhammad Ali), past away yesterday at the age of 67.

He died after a long battle with liver cancer.

Smokin' Joe was no doubt a great fighter and will be remembered by many, who appreciate sports and great figures, however, his death really helps us.

From a news stand point, it was finally something else to talk about other than NBA lockouts and Pacman and Money acting like babies.

Death sells papers! Death is dark, sometimes gruesome and evil, and just plain sad, but as journalist we love it, we thrive on it and we just may need it. Our audience falls in love with these "hero's" like Frazier and when they died, our customers want to know. They want to know how he/she died, when, where etc... News is one big story, and people just want to keep up with the chapters.

I don't think I need an example for this, but here's one off the top of my head. Former Yankees owner George Steinbrenner. After he died, the media had so much work they were busy covering just that for days. Outside of sports does anybody remember how much work the media had for the month after Michael Jackson died. Point proven.

Frazier's death marks the loss of a great person who excelled in their field, but man does it generate work for us. I saw Frazier's death reported by just about every newspaper, TV station, and media department everywhere on twitter first. Then it was on websites minutes later. And this morning it was everywhere, even made the front page of the New York Times.

I know this sounds weird, but when someone asks me "Guess what happened to someone?" One of my favorite replies are, "They died?"

Why? Because in most cases its automatically news. Frazier will be missed and God rest his soul, but thanks for the story, because with his death we can write the end of another great chapter.

--La Guerre

Sources: http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/more-sports/joe-frazier-dies-loses-battle-liver-cancer-40-years-fight-century-muhammad-ali-article-1.974122

Big East Looking to Expand

http://espn.go.com/new-york/story/_/id/7177969/big-east-invite-six-football-according-report
The Big East Conference has sent out six invitations looking to expand their conference which took a big hit a couple of months ago. Syracuse and Pitt announced that they were leaving the Big East Conference to join the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC). There has been a lot of talk and a lot of debate about what is going to happen to the Big East when two of there top programs leave. Both programs are leaving because the market for NCAA football is a big one and the Big East Conference does not have a lot to offer in the football program. This might be the Big East's last shot to have their conference.

Dodgers’ owner agrees to sell his team

After a total of two years of attempting to coerce Frank McCourt, the Dodger's owner has finally agreed to sell the team. The Dodgers who are known to be one of the most historic and iconic teams in baseball has suffered greatly in the past few years but this sale could bring them back to life.
The MLB is working alongside McCourt to guarantee the sale is as profitable for both him and the team. The price for the team is said to be at around $1 billion dollars but no word has been released on any possible buyers.
“Frank McCourt no longer being owner of the Dodgers was inevitable from the moment he and his wife began their nasty divorce battle. Frank did not want to recognize this reality, but it appears he has finally come to terms with it,” said sports industry consultant Marc Ganis.
Since this past season the New York teams did not do as well as usual, maybe the sale of the Dodgers can bring new life to the West Coast as fans are excited for the change saying "Frank McCourt is finally out!"
Let's see how this story pans out.
Best of luck to him and to the team.

Flag Football It Is

Maybe Kevin Durant wants to play QB in the NFL now that the NBA seems poised never to start up again.

This past week, Durant took part in a flag football game with no other then a college frat who were having their usual intramural game.

Durant tweeted he wanted to play flag football somewhere and George Overbay retweeted him and told him where they were playing.

After a couple tweets, DMs and texts, 500 spectators found their way over to the field to watch Durant throw 4 TD's and grab 3 INT's.

Not bad for a rookie, huh?

Once again, social media goes to show that athletes, though they make millions upon millions of dollars, are just average people who too enjoy doing things other than what they are paid to do.

Social media may not always have a positive effect but it does provide for people to really see athletes or famous people for who they are.

A couple months ago, Brandon Philips ended up at a little league baseball game via Twitter. A fan had told him he'd love for him to be there and Philips being around the neighborhood stopped over.

Again, they are just regular people.

Social media is a wonderful outlet and it's been an on going topic through the past year or so because of how big it's developed and when use properly it can bring a two-time scoring champ and a college frat together to play flag football.

Not sure OKC officials were too happy though.

Link

Taiwan gets a taste of "The Show"

The crowds in Taiwan's Xinzhuang Stadium found out right away why the United States and the New York Yankees are synonymous with baseball royalty, by way of Curtis Granderson and a deep fly ball to right. 

Early Tuesday morning U.S. time, the Chinese Taipei National Team squared off in the first of a 5 game series against a team of Major League Baseball's stand-out players in Taipei. In a contest which was delayed slightly, and subsequently called early due to persistent drizzles, Yankees center fielder Curtis Granderson brought on the proverbial storm with a rain maker of a home run; a third inning grand slam, which appeared to fly clear out of the stadium, giving the MLB team a 4-0 lead. The club of America's stars would never look back as they cruised to a 7-0 victory. 

In addition to the "Grander-Slam", the MLB club also posted runs on a RBI double by the Washington Nationals Mike Morse, and a two RBI single in the fourth inning by the Florida Marlins Emilio Bonifacio. 

The MLB club sent Baltimore Orioles starter Jeremy Guthrie to the mound to face off against the Chinese Taipei squad. Guthrie worked in and out of trouble in the first few innings, but was able to shut out the national team while pitching three innings and allowing only four hits and striking out two batters. 

The MLB star club was lead into competition by San Francisco Giants manager Bruce Bochy. Bochy had made it a point in the post game press conference to admit that the Chinese Taipei club gave the MLB club a run for their money, despite the area not being known as a global baseball hotbed. The Giants manager was quoted as saying "I thought they battled and really competed well. They have a lot of young players, but they had us on the ropes. You tip your cap. They were playing hard."

Game 2 of this 5 game scheduled series takes place Thursday morning U.S. time, and will be aired on the MLB Network Thursday night at 9 P.M. 

Information for this article was found here: http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20111101&content_id=25856884&vkey=news_mlb&c_id=mlb

Stanley Cup Rioters to face charges in Vancouver

Four months after the Stanley Cup Final, Vancouver Police are finally bringing 163 charges to court for anything from looting, to mischief, to assault. After the Vancouver Canucks lost the Stanley Cup to the Boston Bruins the locals took to the streets and started smashing store windows, lighting cars on fire, and causing problems with police officers trying to quell the riot. Authorities have used amateur videos shot by onlookers and have asked for people who have recorded proof of the riots to send them in to the police departments web site. They have also used DNA samples to identify perpetrators as well.
This isn’t the first time Vancouver rioted after the Canucks lost the Stanley Cup. In 1994 the citizens of Vancouver took to the streets after the New York Rangers beat them in the Stanley Cup Finals. If the Canucks make it to the final again in the upcoming years will this be a normal practice? Other cities have been known to riot after their teams lose or win big playoff games. There were riots in Denver after the Colorado Avalanche won a crucial game in the playoffs in 2001 and Los Angeles has made it a tradition to riot after big wins by the Lakers when they make playoff runs. If Vancouver can convince the court system to go through with the charges and cases this could be a good thing for the city. If they make an example of the rioters from 2011 successfully then maybe it can help discourage people in Vancouver from destroying their cities after disappointing loses.

http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2011/10/31/sports/hockey/AP-HKN-Stanley-Cup-Riot.html?ref=sports