Alex Rodriguez drops lawsuit

After several months of legal battles, Alex Rodriguez has decided to take a step back from the courtroom. Last season, Rodriguez and other MLB players were linked to performance-enhancing drugs lab in South Florida. As a result, Rodriguez was initially suspended for a record 211 games. A few months ago, Rodriguez had his suspension reduced to 162 games- the equivalent of one regular season.

So what made A-Rod, as he is known, drop the appeal? Did he accept his wrong doing?

Schilling diagnosed with cancer

One of the most toughest and resilient pitchers in the game of baseball has been diagnosed with cancer. Curt Schilling, a 3-time World Series Champion, now has another challenge to look forward to. Schilling gained a tough reputation in the "bloody sock" game.

Schilling played for 20 seasons. The first half of his career was spent with the Philadelphia Phillies. Although he was the staff ace, Phillies were a mediocre team for most of Schilling's tenure. It wasn't until he was traded to the Arizona Diamondbacks that Schilling tasted winning. In fact, he went on to win the World Series in 2001 with the Diamondbacks. He later joined the Red Sox and won two World Series championships in 2004 and 2007. It was then that he solidified himself as one of the best playoff pitchers. 

Schilling, who is now an ESPN analyst, has released a statement: “We’ve been presented with another challenge, as I’ve recently been diagnosed with cancer. Shonda and I want to send a sincere thank you and our appreciation to those who have called and sent prayers, and we ask that if you are so inclined, to keep the Schilling family in your prayers.

If Schilling went in to Yankee Stadium on numerous occasions and dominated the Yankees, then cancer should be easy.

Beckham to open new MLS franchise in Miami

Nearly seven years ago, David Beckham joined the MLS as a player. Leaving behind an illustrious career in Europe at the age of 32. Now, almost at the age of 40, Beckham wants to re-join the MLS as an owner. In fact, he has his eyes set on Miami. 

Beckham made the announcement official today while meeting with the mayor of Miami, Carlos Gimenez, and other city officials. The only roadblock will be financing for a new stadium. Not only will the city of Miami want a stadium in place, in order to approve the franchise, but the MLS, as well. 

If Beckham gets the green light for a franchise, this will not be Miami's first MLS franchise. In the late 90's, the Miami Fusion inaugurated only to be contracted a few years later. The Fusion played in Lockhart Stadium, which was used for Broward County high school football games. 

A decade later, the MLS is so much better financially and competitively. Each franchise has a stadium that was recently built, or that can hold at least 40,000 people in attendance. This is the standard that the MLS will hold David Beckham and his partners to.

Can MLS in Miami survive a second time around?

Eric Decker to test free agency

After becoming a top-tier receiver over the last two seasons, Eric Decker wishes he had another chance at the Super Bowl. Decker, Denver Broncos wide receiver, was targeted five times, but caught the ball once for six yards only. This performance will not help Decker's case in free agency. 

Ever since Peyton Manning joined the Broncos in 2012, Decker became a bigger part of the offense. Before Manning, Decker ran routes for Tim Tebow, who would carry the ball more than pass it. Over the last two years, Decker has accumulated 172 receptions and 2,352 yards. Very few receivers have better numbers in that time span. This should help his cause.

So where do you think Decker will land? How does he stack up against other receivers?

Seahawks an example

Now that the Seattle Seahawks raised the Lombardi Trophy to cap off a dominating season, all general managers across the league go to work. Teams are going back to the labto determine what the blueprint for their respective teams will be. The Seahawks built their team like everybody else: Through the draft and free-agency.

So what set the Seahawks apart from everyone else? Well, let's start with the head coach- Pete Carroll. After a mediocre tenure as an NFL head coach with the New York Jets in the '90s, Carroll packed his bags and took his talents to college football. It was there that Carroll found his winning ways. Carroll brought a winning and positive attitude to the Seahawk organization.

Through the draft, the Seahawks obtained their most notable players: Russell Wilson and Richard Sherman. Both of these players were not drafted in the first round. In fact, Wilson wasn't getting the attention Andrew Luck, Robert Griffin III, and Ryan Tannehill got in 2012. Sherman, on the other hand, was drafted in 4th round. He now is the best cornerback in the game. This is the kind of stuff that separates an organization from others. Only few front offices have the ability to evaluate talent well.

So what should your team focus on for next season?

Something's got to give

Ever since I started following football in my elementary years, I always heard the same thing from NFL analysts: "Defense wins championships." This year's Seattle Seahawks have nearly epitomized this statement. The Seahawks, who play in the noisiest stadium in the NFL, led the league in turnovers. In fact, their secondary, better known as "The Legion of Boom," led the league in passing yards allowed per game. Richard Sherman, whose known for his trash-talking ability, also backs up his mouth with his play. He led the league in Interceptions eight. Aside from putting up numbers, Sherman made some of the best receivers look awful throughout the year. In his last appearance, Sherman limited Michael Crabtree to 52 yards. This time around, Sherman and the rest of "The Legion of Boom," will have to face 3 Pro Bowl-caliber receivers and an up and coming Tight-end.

On the other hand, Peyton Manning, who gets better with age, is coming off his best season at the age of 37. Aside from great receivers, Manning has solid running backs at his disposal. Manning, who leads the best offense in football, has the best passing instincts in the game. He picks secondary apart and has made some of the great Defensive Backs look bad. 

Well, very seldom do we see the best defense versus the best offense in the Super Bowl. So does "defense win championships?" Or does a great offense beat a great defense?

Too early for the panic button

The two-time defending NBA Champions have not got off to a strong start. Although the Miami Heat are 4-3 to start the season, they are leading a mediocre Southeast division. Their last loss came against the Boston Celtics on a last minute shot. Through 7 games, the Heat are averaging slightly over 100 points allowed a game. So now the defense is in question. Defense, which has always been the blueprint for a Pat Riley team.



Lebron James, who was supposed to be on Celtic's guard Jeff Green when he beat the Heat at the buzzard, has made his displeasure for the team's defense known. Now, this isn't a blame everybody else situation. James is including himself. This is great and he's showing he's matured as a leader.

The good thing about basketball is that there isn't that many days off and you get to go back to the hardwood quickly. The Heat, whom offensively are one of the best teams in the NBA, tip-off tonight against the Milwaukee Bucks.

What do you guys think? Will the Heat woes continue? Or was this just a little bump in the road?

Who do you side with?

Richie Incognito, Miami Dolphins offensive lineman has been getting quite a lot of support lately. A lot of that support is coming from his own locker room. After being suspended on Sunday night for allegations that he bullied fellow offensive lineman, Johnathan Martin. Players like Brian Hartline and Tyson Clabo have made it clear that "Richie" is not a bad guy. Incognito, who has a reputation for being the NFL's dirtiest player, feels like his past is haunting him.



Martin, a former Stanford University standout, left the team suddenly on Monday afternoon. This behavior shocked his teammates and fans. Most teammates that have spoken on the matter are saying that Martin was like Incognito's little brother. In fact, the infamous voice mail that Martin brought forward recently, was a laughing matter back in April.

I don't know why, but when I first heard that Martin left the team due to hazing, the first guy that came to mind was Incognito. Maybe, I am like the rest of us who will judge people on the past. As more of this situation develops, it's only looking worse for both- especially, Martin. Incognito, will probably find another team, but get paid minimum salary; Martin will be known as a gentle giant (in other words-soft), who you can trust in the locker room. That will make it tough for him to get another gig in the NFL.

So who do you side with? Was Incognito just doing what all NFL players do in a locker room environment? Did he go overboard? Or is Martin too soft (mentally, physically, and emotionally) to play football?

Champions League predictions

Eight Champions Leagues games will be played today. The main card seems to be Juventus vs Real Madrid. Real Madrid is in great form after beating Spanish clubs Sevilla and Rayo Vallecano. Juventus is also coming off a strong win against Parma.

The last time these two teams faced each other was two weeks ago. Real Madrid won 2-1. I expect these that Madrid have a similar fate this time around.



Other predictions:

Manchester City 2-1 CSKA Moskva
Real Sociedad 1-3 Manchester United
FC Copenhagen 1-2 Galatsaray
Paris-Saint Germain 3-0 Anderlecht
Plzen 0-4 Bayern Munich
Shaktar Donetsk 1-2 Bayer Leverkusen
Olympiacos 0-1 Benfica

So what are your thoughts or predictions for Tuesday's Champions League fixtures?

Ausmus named Tigers Manager

Brad Ausmus, former major league catcher, has been named the new Detroit Tigers' manager. Ausmus, aside from managing the Israeli team in the World Baseball Classic, has no managerial experience. Before being hired on Sunday to manage the American League Central champs, Ausmus was a special assistant to the general manager in San Diego.



So what qualified Ausmus as the leading candidate for the job that Jim Leyland left behind? Well, Tigers General Manager Dave Dombrowski was impressed with Ausmus' interview the most. Ausmus, who played 18 seasons in the majors, retired after the 2010 season. This gives him an advantage similar to young managers like Mike Redmond (Miami Marlins), Mike Matheny (St. Louis Cardinals), and (Robin Ventura), in that there's no disconnect from the locker room culture.

As previously mentioned, the Tigers are a team still at the peak collectively. They will continue to contend. So should this be easy for Ausmus? Well, no. This will be as challenging as it was for Matheny, who had to replace another legendary manager, Tony La Russa, after winning the World Series in 2011. Ausmus will have the pieces in place like Miguel Cabrera and Justin Verlander. He just needs to know when to move them. Good thing he'll have an experienced bench coach in Gene Lamont, who is the only holdover from Leyland's staff.

Martin claims harrasment

Jonathan Martin, a 6'5" 312-pound offensive lineman, left the Miami Dolphins squad earlier this week due to an unsafe workplace environment. After a few days, rumors and unnamed sources are coming out. Most of those rumors or accusations are pointing towards Guard Richie Incognito. Incognito, who usually gets in trouble for on-the-field penalties, has been accused of harassing Martin. Those unnamed sources, who are most likely other young players on the Dolphins, stated that veterans are taking advantage of rookies and other young players on the team. In fact, reports claim that Incognito asked for $15,000 for a Las Vegas trip with other Dolphin veterans.

Rookie hazing has always been a part of sports, but it usually takes place in training camps. It's difficult for coaches, front office, and even fans to find out that these things are happening in the middle of a losing streak. It would be hard to believe that not one coach was aware of anything like this. In fact, the Dolphins have asked the NFL to start an investigation in to this matter.



Incognito displayed his plea for innocence on Twitter:

Three things cannot be long hidden: the sun, the moon, and the truth.

Buddha

@68INCOGNITO at 4:47 am. November 3, 2013.

For now, the Dolphins aren't speaking any further on this matter except for the following press release found on the official Miami Dolphins website:

“The Miami Dolphins, including Coach Joe Philbin and Jonathan's teammates, have been in communication with Jonathan and his family since his departure from the club and continue to be in contact. Our primary concern for Jonathan is his overall health and well-being. As an organization, we take any accusations of player misconduct seriously. The notion of bullying is based on speculation and has not been presented to us as a concern from Jonathan or anyone else internally. The reports that the NFLPA is investigating our players are inaccurate. Additionally, the NFL offered its assistance during this time, which we appreciated and gladly accepted. We will continue to make Jonathan's health and well-being a focus as we do with all of our players."

It's great to see the Dolphin Organization supporting Martin. Some may question Martin's toughness- especially mental. I believe this could have been handled in-house by Martin, as well as other coaches. Once again, I would find it hard to believe that a professional football team with at least 20 coaches wouldn't know what was going on.

 So what are your thoughts on the whole situation? In this blown out of proportion? Is Martin overreacting? Or did Incognito and other teammates go too far?

Can the Chiefs go undefeated?

After a dismal season in 2012, in which the Kansas City Chiefs finished with a record of 2-14, some changes needed to be made. First, they started at the top. Scott Pioli, who was hired after the 2008 season as the General Manager, was let go. Pioli, who came over from the New England Patriots, was expected to bring a new winning tradition. Pioli was replaced by John Dorsey. Dorsey injected the team with enthusiasm from the beginning. He went on to hire Head Coach Andy Reid, who was successful in Philadelphia. So far this season, Reid has his new team at 7-0.



Also, after tying for the worst record, changes to the roster had to be made. Most importantly, the Chiefs brought in former San Francisco 49ers quarterback, Alex Smith. Smith has never been flashy, but tends to get the job done. That's exactly how we can describe his season so far. Although he's only thrown nine touchdowns this season, he still maintains a good touchdown-to-interception ratio. Smith, a nine-year veteran, plays it safe and minimizes turnovers.

Another key player to the success of the Chiefs this year is Running Back, Jamaal Charles. He has regained his form that had made him one of the best running backs in the league a couple of seasons ago. Through seven games, he has rushed for 635 yards and averaging 4.2 yards per carry. Charles, a six-year veteran, also does well minimizing turnovers. So far this season, Charles has only lost 2 fumbles.

Smith and Charles may be the offensive leaders and helping the team win, but they're not the main reasons this team is undefeated. In fact, it's not one player that stands out; It's the Chiefs Defense. The Chiefs' stingy Pass Defense ranks 4th in the NFL. They have racked up 10 interceptions and 36 quarterback sacks. This defense is quicker and always looking for the turnover



So how about the remaining schedule? Well, the Chiefs will face the 3-5 Buffalo Bills tomorrow. The Chiefs will get a bye in week 10, but their schedule doesn't get easier. Usually, the worst team in the NFL gets the easiest schedule next season. The next month is nothing easy for the Chiefs. They will encounter Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos twice, and the San Diego Chargers all in a matter of three weeks. This will not only determine if the Chiefs go undefeated, but really give them that challenge to determine if they are a true undefeated team.

Miami, FSU rivlary on primetime again

Recently, I talked about how certain American sports rivalries have died out. The Miami Hurricanes and Florida State Seminole rivalry is no exception. In the 1990's. This was the top rivalry in the nation- On and off the field. These two programs were constantly ranked in the top 10 and often battling for National Champions. Not only were the battles for bowl games, but for top recruits. These two programs have always been on the prowl for top recruits across the state of Florida- especially in South Florida. Whenever you found a recruiter from one program, you know the counterpart was there, as well.



This rivalry was also made famous by FSU place kickers over the years. Have you ever heard of "Wide Right?" FSU lost more than one game to Miami in the last seconds by missing field goals wide to the right. In fact, in 2002, FSU place kicker Xavier Beitia, missed a kick wide to the left. This was a change to the trend that happened in the 90's

So why did both programs drop in polls in the last decade? Well, as I discussed in a previous post, these two ACC schools went through tough situations- Especially, Miami. The U, as the University of Miami football team is recognized by many, was sanctioned by NCAA on a couple of occasions. In fact, just a week ago, they were placed on probation. These sanctions have come with reduced amount of scholarships, which hinder the recruiting process. Also, these two programs did not adjust to strengthening competition within the state of Florida. The University of Florida, who reemerged as a national powerhouse when Urban Meyer took over as head coach in 2005, sold recruits well. In fact, they constantly had top 5 recruiting classes in Meyer's reign. Another school, the University of South Florida, recruited well for a couple of years (2006-2008). In fact, they were ranked as high as #2 in the 2007 regular season. In other words, it wasn't a 2-horse race anymore.



So as FSU went through a coaching change a few years ago, their recruiting improved again. They've gone back to that flashy style of play. They can beat you with the long-ball or an 80-yard run for the touchdown. This year, they are led by Freshman quarterback, Jameis Winston. Some scouts say he is pro-ready. Winston is your modern-day quarterback, who likes to scramble and pick up some yards on the run, but he'll throw one deep if needed.

Miami is led by Senior quarterback, Stephen Morris. This was supposed to be a Heisman-like season for him. Injuries have hindered his performance. He is still applauded for not missing games and his teammates recognize him for his toughness. Duke Johnson has been Miami's most consistent player. The running back has rushed for 823 yards so far this season. He has averaged for 6.7 yards per carry. The U hasn't had a running back of this caliber since the days of Clinton Portis, Willis McGahee, and Frank Gore.

Having these two programs back on top is great. As fans, we would like for them to stay on top and have this rivalry mean something constantly. I used to like the fact when I would like on a scoreboard and both schools had a ranking number next to them.

Snyder not changing team's name

For over eight decades, the Washington Redskins have been in existence. All of a sudden, a group of Native Americans have come forward and stated that they are offended by the name. The Oneida Nation, who have brought forward this claim, defines the term Redskins as a racial slur. The Oneida had their chance to meet with NFL executives today. Neither Daniel Snyder (Washington Redskins owner), nor Roger Goodell (NFL Commissioner) attended the meeting. Ray Halbritter, the Oneida Nation leader, left disappointed after the meeting. He feels the executives he met with defend the use of the Redskin name.

Daniel Snyder jumped on a Public Relations opportunity and wrote a letter to the fans. He defends the use of the Redskins name and there is no inclination as to changing the name. Snyder had the chance to meet with Goodell in person yesterday. Synder made it clear to Goodell that he is not willing to change the name. 

As a result, Halbritter has called on the Goodell to exercise his authority as the NFL Commissioner. Halbritter wants goodell to sanction Snyder for "conduct detrimental to the rest of the league." The NFL execs that conducted the meeting, promised Halbritter and other Oneida representatives that they will have their chance to meet with Goodell, Snyder, and the rest of the league's owners around Super Bowl week.

So why now? Why are the Native Americans coming forward with their racist claim after so many years?Well, Native American leaders have met before with former NFL Commissioner, Paul Tagliabue, in 1992. The Redskins and the Kansas City Chiefs were the teams in question. Tagliabue simply told them he can't pressure the teams to change their names. This matter died out quickly after that. 

So will the matter die out, as well? Or will there be enough media-driven material to keep it alive until Super Bowl week? Keep in mind, Native Americans were polled and nearly 80% were not offended by the Redskins name. This is going to make it tough for the Oneida Nation to state their case.