Coyotes Should Make Run North of the Border

Last Friday, Chicago Bulls and White Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf said he has promised to make an offer to buy the bankrupt Phoenix Coyotes in an effort to keep the team in Arizona. Thats all fine and dandy, but what Reinsdorf is doing is not in the best interest of the game.   Yes, Phoenix is a wonderful city, with a lot of people with money, but its a retirement community. I think this is one reason that professional sports teams have a hard time being accepted here. There is no sense of identity to Arizona based teams for people who have just lived here for only a short time.   The Suns are "the" team in Arizona, and I would say that no other team comes even remotely close to them in popularity. The Cardinals, yes they did go to the Super Bowl from out of nowhere, but this team doesnt get the support that it deserves considering it has been there for over 20 years.
How many times do you see the Cowboys come into town, and they outnumber the Cardinal fans everytime they play in Arizona?   Another team that I think could be better suited to move to Canada are the Florida Panthers. Miami is another wonderful warm weather city, but the people of that area really could care less if they have hockey where they live. The atmosphere at a Panthers home game is almost library-like.   The crowds the baseball team, the Marlins, get are embarrassing. To make matters worse, here is an organization that has given Miami not one, but two World Series C... [More]

Three For The Ages

When assessing sports, June and July are generally referred to as the dog days. After seeing the performances of Kobe Bryant, Roger Federer and Tiger Woods, I would say you are doggone wrong in that statement, at least in 2009.

Let's start with the most deserving of the winners, and thats Federer. Last July he lost in what could be the greatest match of all time to Raphael Nadel in the Wimbledon Final. With the way Federer struggles on clay, some saw this match as a changing of the guard. I am sure Federer was questioning if he was no longer the best in the world. Looks like he didnt question himself too long, as he won the US Open the following month to become the first player ever to win five consecutive Wimbeldons and five consecutive US Opens. Remarkable. So what does he do in his next grand slam, he has the intestinal fortitude to eek out two 5 set wins and claim his first ever French Open title. Now he is tied with Pete Sampras with 14 career slams. I cant wait till Wimbledon man.

Kobe Bryant is probably the most misunderstood guy playing in the NBA right now. Growing up, he had to travel all the time overseas until he was 13, so that has to be tough on him to develop socially. Based on that I can see why he keeps a low profile for himself and his loved ones. We take this guy for granted, partially because he's been the best player in the game over the past 10 years. Kobe has been stellar so far in Finals, getting his teammates involved early, and t... [More]

Please stay home LeBron

I was as shocked as most people by the way Orlando manhandled the Cavs in the playoffs. I was also shocked to see the lack of maturity displayed by LeBron James to the media following his team's exit from the playoffs.
It's easy to make irrational decisions when you're frustrated. Let's just hope that when 2010 rolls around, that LeBron re-signs with Cleveland.   LeBron's frustration is understandable. The King definitely needs some princes that have some talent. Mo Williams has been the most hyped player Lebron has had as a teammate recently, and look how he panned out in the postseason. What LeBron did was extraordinary. He led this team to the best record durng the regular season. Cleveland GM Danny Ferry has got to be on the hot seat now, as he needs to give LeBron some reason to be enthusiastic on staying in Cleveland longer than just next season.   I realize Jordan supporters are going to give James grief if he doesnt win an NBA championship next season. After all, it will be Lebron's 7th season, and Jordan won his 1st NBA title in his 7th season. But lets remember, Jordan had Scottie Pippen as a running mate, a player who was voted as one of the 50 greatest players in NBA history. Lets also remember that Jordan was 28 years old when he was a champ, and Lebron is only 24.   It would be good for the game if Lebron stays in Cleveland. I hope James puts himself in the place of that 10 year old kid from Akron who often imitates his hero by mimick... [More]