MLB Divisional Power Rankings for May

So far in the 2014 MLB season has seen an exceptional amount of mediocrity from the majority of its teams, and only a handful have clearly established that they are better (or worse) than the middling pack. This is especially true in the American League, were there are only five teams that posses a positive run differential; and five teams are within two games of the second wild card spot — the NL has only one team within two games, the rest are three or more games back.

It’s kind of interesting to see how people are complaining about how mediocre the AL has been over the first 50, or so, games in 2014. But in reality, the AL isn’t nearly as mediocre as people want to think…and this shows in our divisional power rankings, as the junior circuit has 11 more points in our divisional power rankings than the senior circuit.

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Real Madrid vs Atletico Madrid Champions League Final Preview

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The Portuguese capital of Lisbon will be invaded by the citizens of Madrid as the two biggest clubs from the Spanish capital will meet each other in the Champions League Final at Estadio da Luz. This will be the first time in Champions League history that two clubs from the same city will face each other for the biggest prize in European club football.

Atletico have enjoyed an outstanding season, winning their first La Liga title since 1996, as well as reaching their first European Cup Final since 1974. El Alteti topped Group G in the Group Stage, then followed that by eliminating AC Milan, Barcelona and Chelsea in the knockout stages.

Real Madrid finished a disappointing third place in La Liga, but did secure the Copa Del Ray title, which included a dominating 5-0 aggregate victory over Atletico in the semifinals. Los Blancos topped Group B in the Group…

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Pac-12 Presidents send out a letter with suggested changes to the NCAA

The NCAA has been a laughable debacle over the last decade and that situation has become worse under the organization’s President Mark Emmert. In fact, the way the NCAA has governed college athletics has been so controversial, that a couple of members of the United States House of Representatives talked about passing legislation to force the NCAA to change. In fact, the Pac-12 athletic conference has sent out a letter to the presidents of the universities in the other power conferences (ACC, SEC, Big-12, and the Big Ten) with 10-points that they would like to see changed.

These 10-points that were made by the Pac-12 presidents made include giving the student athletes a greater voice in the decision-making process, providing medical assistance or insurance to athletes injury while participating in their scholarship sport, decrease demands on the athletes during the athletic season, giving the athletes a bigger say in the decision-making process, give the major conferences more autonomy, etc. Continue Reading->

Kevin Durant

While watching Monday night’s game between the Thunder and the Spurs, I had a thought that was very unlike the thoughts I usually have.  I was watching the Thunder head into the locker room after getting it handed to them in the first half, and I actually had a cohesive moment of clarity where I expressed sympathy for someone who is crazy stupid rich.

I feel kind of bad for Kevin Durant.

Now before you think that I’ve quit SBM to head to my new gig blogging about my feelings over at lifetimemovienetwork.com, hear me out for second.  Kevin Durant does everything that we can expect an athlete to do.  He plays with a freakishly elevated level of consistency compared to the rest of his peers.  He’s polite, smart, and well spoken.  He’s an impeccable dresser and almost never gets technical fouls although he did on the evening I am writing this.  All of these things add up to the fact that Durant is one of the most likable guys in all of sports.  He’s the kind of guy that you could bring over to your grandparents’ house, unless of course your grandfather was Donald Sterling.  Off the court stuff set aside, he’s a beast at playing basketball.  He plays the game with respect and dignity.  And as much as it kills me to say it, I don’t ever think that he’ll win a championship.   

Top 5 Champions League/European Cup Finals Of All Time

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To be truthful, the Champions League Final has produced more forgettable matches than memorable fixtures. By the time the final rolls around, one team has nothing left in the tank after a long, gruelling season. Players are either ready for vacation, or focusing on international competitions like the World Cup or Euro.

That doesn’t mean there haven’t been great games in the past. Some of the best fixtures in the history of soccer have taken place in the Champions League Final or European Cup Final as it was known previous. Here are five of the best.

2005: AC Milan vs. Liverpool

As a Liverpool supporter, I may be biased in saying this but this might be the greatest soccer game ever played in any competition. Milan supporters are still trying to forget the collapse at Istanbul, while Liverpool still relish the magical day in Turkey in 2005.

Milan came in…

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The NHL Commissioner reportedly flew to Seattle to get an update on the SODO Arena

he NHL to Seattle rumors that Seattle Times investigative reporter Geoff Baker started a month ago received a major boost on Tues. March 13th; when King 5 reporter Chris Daniels broke the story that NHL Commissioner Gary Bettmand and Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly flew to Seattle to meet with Seattle Mayor Ed Murray and King Country Executive Dow Constantine. This meeting occurred last week.

According to Daniels, the meeting consisted of Bettman and Daly getting to know Murray and Constantine, as well as receive an update on the SODO Arena;

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Now that the Donald Sterling Controversy has Died Down, it’s Time to Discuss the Most Overlooked Aspect of that Whole Debacle

It seems like forever ago that TMZ released the tapes of soon-to-be former Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling telling his “personal assistant” that her African-American friends were not welcome at Clippers games.  But in all reality it was just a few short weeks ago in which this all transpired.    We have all heard the standard takes:  The most popular one has been the sports radio guys acting like this is the end of the world and pretty much suggesting this asshole be executed in public.  It’s become a content of one-upsmanship to the most disturbing degree, and par for the course in this wonderland of manufactured outrage.

Then there have been those who said that we should have all seen this coming.  This a genuine take (and one that Dubs had in his podcast) that suggests that we all knew Donald Sterling was a racist before we heard this on tape.  He’s been chasing minorities out of his properties for decades, which is almost unthinkable when you consider he’d never set foot in any of those places without a gallon of hand sanitizer in his hand.  (Of course I’m kidding – he’d probably have his “assistant” carrying it…)  Sterling was known to check players out in the locker room and feel their muscles almost as if he was purchasing slaves, and if I listed every other reason why he’s racist this column wouldn’t get finished until we’re done with the great Russian War of 2017.     But throughout all of that, we seem to have been missing what is the most overlooked point of this entire situation.  A point that has been glossed over so much it’s almost hard to believe nobody is talking about, but then again that’s what Sports Blog Movement is for.  And that point is…

Why Old Man Raincloud isn’t a fan of the NFL Draft

 

The NFL Draft has been dominating our television screens over the past few days.  It’s been a cavalcade of dreams come true for so many young men that have finally gotten to this point.  They have worked tirelessly since Pop Warner and finally get the chance to have their moment in the sun.

And at the risk of making it sound as if I’m raining on their parade, I guess that’s why I hate it so much.

In all fairness, it’s not the players’ fault.  It’s more the fault of the league who builds these guys up as if all of them are going to be stars.  The assumed positivity of the ESPN network has almost gotten out of control.  Sure, they’ll mention that a guy had a sub-average 40 time or that he tested positive for marijuana at the combine.  But they’ll also roll over it within seconds and then show one of their ridiculous over the top montages that Michael Jackson would have wanted during the “Dangerous” tour.  Which seems like it’s a little much for a dude that gets taken in the seventh round.   

An early look at the MLB playoff race

As the MLB season has completed its first month, there are only a handful of teams that appear to be out of the playoff picture *cough, cough..Astros*. This is easily the most optimistic time of year for many fan bases around the MLB landscape, and it means that a lot of fans are wondering whether or not their team still has a chance at making it into the playoffs. So that’s what we are going to do, take a look at the odds of teams of making it into the playoffs.

To do this,we are going to look at each league and break down how the divisions stack up*. And then we will take a look at the surprise teams that I feel can sneak into the playoffs in October.

*Playoff odds come from this Fangraphs link

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RIP Ross Lonsberry

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Ross Lonsberry wasn’t the best player in the history of the Philadelphia Flyers. Nor was he the toughest player on the famed Broad Street Bullies that terrorized the NHL in the mid 1970s, which helped them win 2 Stanley Cups. But to teammates, Ross Lonsberry was a player that they needed to hold the team together. Lonsberry passed away after a long battle with cancer on Sunday evening. He was 67 years old.

Born in Humboldt, Saskatchewan in 1947, Lonsberry began his NHL career with the Boston Bruins in 1966, after an outstanding junior career with the Estevan Bruins of the SJHL. Lonsberry struggled to crack the Bruins lineup, Boston traded him to the Los Angeles Kings for two first round draft picks in 1969.

Lonsberry established himself in Southern California, as the expansion Kings were still trying to find their identity. The smooth-skating left-winger recorded back-to-back 20 goal seasons…

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