No Pain, No Gain

Martin Straka who is known for his offense not defensive skills, stood up to the puck, risking every inch of his 5-foot-9 body. He did not even have a stick to defend him. The first shot from Devils defenseman Karel Rachunek shattered Straka’s stick. The second one caught him on the ankle, which is very painful. I know from personal experience since I play hockey myself. Straka was in so much pain, he was not even sure where the shot ricocheted off his body.

Any one of those shots could’ve turned into the goal that could have stretched the Rangers losing streak to 4. It would have also stretched the Devils winning streak to 10. But that didn't happen. Instead Rangers forward, Brendan Shanahan, ripped a shot past Martin Brodeur 30 seconds into overtime. Breaking a scoreless tie and giving the Rangers a 1-0 victory. Those three blocked shot were very important plays during the game. It made Lundqvist's job a whole lot easier when it was a time that the Rangers were shorthanded. The goalie was getting bombarded with shots and he continued to make the saves. During the blocked shots, Lundqvist was getting screen and was unable to see the shots. Straka just rejoined the team after breaking a finger keeping him out for a month. He was lucky he did not break something else. During the Rangers skid, they had been outscored 14-4 in the three games. These blocked shot were very important to the game and possibly helped the Rangers preserve a win.

Going Out On Top

After left-hooking Ricky Hatton back to the U.K., I feel it is time for Mayweather to hang up the gloves. Leave the game as one of the best pound for pound boxers ever seen. I feel he has nothing left to prove. But that won't happen because in this era of professional sports no one can walk away at the perfect time. I think the reason that they never do is because the true susperstars always feel that they have something else left in the tank.

At 39-0, Floyd Mayweather has the chance to be remembered as one of the undisputed pound-for-pound best ever in his sport. And he did say after the fight, "I've done all I could do in this sport, so I'm not thinking about fighting anybody else. I've accomplished my last goal" and promises that "I will never let boxing retire me,"(taken from an article on espn.com). The money, pride and ego of Mayweather will probably cause Mayweather not to retire right away. He should not turn his career into a replica of Michael Jordan or even Julio Franco. Go out as a champion very few still do these days.

Hometown Fan Favorite Goes to D.C.

Paul Lo Duca is now the former Mets catcher but is still staying in the National League East. He and the Washington Nationals agreed to a one-year contract. Lo Duca, 35, had been the Mets' starting catcher the past two seasons but the team disliked the distraction Lo Duca brought onto the team and also felt that he was out of his prime. So the team decided not to keep him for a third season. The Mets also dealt outfielder Lastings Milledge to Washington for catcher Brian Schneider and outfielder Ryan Church in return. Lo Duca will have the role of tutor. As Washington plans to make Jesus Flores the starter, who is considered Washington's catcher of the future, Lo Duca will be the veteran back-up.

After a stellar 2006 season in which he hit .318 and helped the Mets reach the National League Championship Series, Lo Duca battled injuries in 2007 and slumped to .272. In Lo Duca's 11-year major league career, he is an overall .288 carrer hitter. He began his career with the Los Angeles Dodgers and also played for Florida for a year. The Italian catcher was a hometown favorite with the fan since he was raised in Brooklyn. He always played through injury and is a real gritty player. I still think he has some left in the tank and will have a few more productive season with Washington.

Another Baseball Star Confesses

David Segui who is a retired first baseman admitted Monday that he used steroids and purchased shipments from a former New York Mets clubhouse attendant Kirk Radomski. Segui used human growth hormones with a prescription. He told the newspaper that he refused to talk to former Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell, whose performance-enhancing drugs report is expected Thursday. Segui said he didn't want to betray the trust of other players.

In a quote from an article on espn.com, "I have nothing to hide. I have no problem talking about what I have done," said Segui. "But I never want any other players to think I was out there talking about their business. Because I do know a lot, but people have told me things in confidence and I don't want to be spreading that." Segui spent eight of the 15 seasons with the Baltimore Orioles.

Segui met Radomski after the Mets traded for the exceptional first baseman in 1994. They became close and are still phone buddies. They talk several times a week about fishing and about their families. At first, Radomski helped Segui with weightlifting and nutrition. Eventually, Segui started to pay for different products like legal supplements, workout gear, steroids and clenbuterol, and an asthma drug that is supposed to melt body fat and is banned from baseball.

Former No.1 Pick will Need Season Ending Surgery

San Francisco 49ers Quarterback Alex Smith will undergo surgery on his right shoulder. Ending a disappointing season for the San Francisco 49ers' former No. 1 overall draft pick.
The dicision was announced late Monday night after Smith's latest doctor visit with Dr. James Andrews and team doctors. The emerging quarterback had been battling a separated shoulder foe more than two months. Smith will be placed on injured reserve this week.
The backup for San Francisco, Trent Dilfer, will likely be unavailable for next Saturday's home game against Cincinnati. Dilfer is also banged up with a concussion he sustained in Sunday's loss to Minnesota. Shaun Hill, a six-year veteran backup who had never attempted an NFL pass before going 22-of-27 for 181 yards and a touchdown against the Vikings, is expected to start against the Bengals.
Smith has still hasn't recovered from getting sacked by Seattle's Rocky Bernard on the third play of a game on September 30. First he sat out two games, then returned for three games and did not produce. The last four games he has been taking out complaining about shoulder soreness and forearm stiffness.
The surgery, which hasn't yet been scheduled, and the expected three months of recovery will improve the weakened connection between the collarbone and the shoulder. Smith was just completing 48.7 percent of his passed for 914 yards, two touchdowns along with 4 interceptions.
I feel this is a terrible way to end what already has been a rough third season for the former No.1 pick. He has great potential but the injury was far to serious to be able to play through. Hopefully, he will recover from surgery and be ready for next season.

Knick Pay Hefty Settlement in Sexual Harrassment Charges

New York Knicks coach Isiah Thomas and Madison Square Garden reached an $11.5 million settlement of the sexual harassment case brought by Anucha Brown Sanders, a former team executive.
As Anucha Browne Sanders was preparing to return to U.S. District Court in Manhattan, that Monday the deal was done. Her description of her the whole incident with the Knicks exposing the club's tawdry side, from its dysfunctional clubhouse to the sexual exploits of star Stephon Marbury with an intern. She was awarded $11.6 million in punitive damages by a jury. This deal replaces that.
The case was scheduled to start up again this week before U.S. District Judge Gerard E. Lynch. The judge was deciding how much Browne Sanders was owed in compensatory damages. A payout that usually involves lost wages and future loss of income. By settling the Kincks avoid huge legal fees that they might have been ordered to pay. But instead, Browne Sanders gets her money faster and possibly having her award reduced on appeal.

Penguins Start Getting Hot

The Penguins were a little disappointed with Sidney Crosby's first NHL trip to Western Canada. The suddenly hot Penguins won all three games, two to crucial shootouts. During the Vancouver game, Crosby had a chance to ice the Canucks with an overtime penalty shot. Defenseman Aaron Miller of the Vancouver Canucks made a diving attempt to stop a streaking Crosby. Crosby still got the shot off but, the scoring chance was significantly altered. The referees Tom Kowal and Chris Lee awarded Crosby a penalty shot. The team captain made a terrific backhand-to-forehand move, but the Canucks goalie Roberto Luongo made a terrific save. Crosby had a second chance to score on Luongo in the shootout, he was yet again denied. Penguins rookie defenseman Kris Letang, who is a shootout wiz, managed to beat Luongo to clinch the victory. After an 8-11-2 start, Pittsburgh has won seven of its last eight games.

Patriots Perfection

In the Patriots pursuit of perfection, a team that did not need anymore motivation got a bit more after Steelers, Anthony Smith’s, strong remark. The second year safety made a comment after one of last weeks practices. In the statement he guaranteed that the Steelers would beat the Patriots. This is a very bold statement in that the Patriots are undefeated and are unanimously the best team in the league. The Steelers have a strong team but they do have some blemishes on offense and defense. This statement was very bold.
In the game the Patriots trounced the Steelers 34-13. Tom Brady and Co. was running on all cylinders. Tom Brady who had 4 touchdowns was spreading the ball to all of his different receiver. This convincing win makes the Patriots 1 more win closer to perfection. There next two games are against sub-.500 teams and the next major threat would be the Giants.

Wii is Whipping People in Shape

While some people are struggling just to stay out of the hospital when getting too amped up playing their Wii. But one man named,Mickey DeLorenzo a 25-year-old living in Philadelphia, decided to use the sports games on Wii as an exercise. It was named research study of the year.The Wii sports experiment in December 2006 and ran for 6 weeks. He devoted 30 minutes a day playing the numerous amount of sports games available. Mickey started out at 182 pounds, and after a month and a half of Wii workouts his weight dropped to 172. Which he found quite amazing considering that this was the first substantial loss he had attained in over two years. He didn't even cut back on fast foods. This video game console is one of a kind. There are no other systems with exercises. This keeps your kids active and at the same time letting them be able to do numerous exercises in the house.

A Loyal Fan Dies at a Football Game

A fan attending the Minnesota Vikings-San Francisco 49ers game at Monster Park died. Authorities say that the man fell 20 feet from the upper concourse to the mezzanine level. The fan, who was 31 years of age, went to a concession area near halftime. When coming back the man decided to try and sit on a ledge. This wall was 4 feet high and 6 inches and the fan misjudged the leap to get onto the ledge. This caused him to fall to his death. According to 49ers vice president Lisa Lang, paramedics were working on the man for a good half hour to keep him alive but it was not enough. At the scene, he was pronounced dead. The fan's identity is being withheld. They are waiting for notification of his family and investigation by a medical examiner. I feel that this is a terrible tragedy and that league officials should do something about the safety of the stadium. If this can happen so easily to a grown man, picture what can happen to young children.

Mayweather's convincing win against Hatton

One of the most anticipated fights in years, was sure a thriller. Floyd ''Money'' Mayweather gave UK's own Ricky ''Hitman'' Hatton a chance at the welterweight title. Mayweather was dominating every aspect of the fight. He was faster, more skilled and far more accurate with his punches. Mayweather proved that he was pound for pound the best fighter out there. Hatton who was the crowd favorite took a beating and got beat in his own type of boxing. Hatton is more of the body fighter but meanwhile Mayweather dominated the body throughout the fight. In the 10th round Mayweather gave Hatton a quick hook sending him head first into the turn buckle and Knocking him out. With this win Mayweather keeps his title as welterweight champion.

Wes Walz Retires from the NHL

In the NHL, Wes Walz was the one the most hard working player hockey ever seen. He was on five different teams spanning over 17 years. The gritty player retired after only 11 games into the season. His reason for retiring was because he felt that he was not playing up to his top ability anymore. Walz was Drafted by Boston Bruins in 1989 in the third round. He soon played for the Philadelphia Flyers, Calgary Flames, Detroit Red Wings but in 1996 he went to Switzerland and four very successful seasons. When the Minnesota Wild first inaugurated into the NHL, the general manager Doug Risebrough targeted tough center. He soon became one of the Wild's most elite player and also the team leader. He would prepare for games and demanded self-improvement fanatically. He wasn't a prolific scorer but in the 2002-2003 playoffs he led his team to the Western Conference Finals and led the team in points. He will always be the ideal hardworker for a hockey player

Allen Iverson's All Grown Up

The once controversial Allen Iverson is finally growing up. Iverson who had trouble wit the law since he was a teenager finally is trying to stay out of trouble. When Iverson was a teen he was in a bowling alley brawl and he ended up in jail. Usually that would be a wake up call for most teens. In 1997 he was charged for 14 counts of gun and drug possession. In 2002 he also had a domestic dispute with his wife. He was not able to separate himself from the people who were in his past. Even when he became a basketball star he was still hanging out with the wrong crowd he hung out with when he was a teenager. But now he has been much mature and understands he is lucky and said he could have ruined his career just like Michael Vick. Not only is he maturing as a men he is also changing as a basketball player. He is averaging 23 points per game which is the lowest of his career, but he is also averaging 8 assists a game which is the highest of his career and among the highest in basketball. Eventhough he is 32 he expects to play to at least he is 40. He finally woke up and realized that you have to grow up. Better late than never.

Justice is Served ... Somewhat

Four young men charged with unpremeditated murder in the shooting death of All Star Safety Sean Taylor. These four are not strangers to law inforcement but nothing came close to what they faced Saturday.
The four men are Eric Rivera, 17; Charles Wardlow, 18; Jason Mitchell, 19; and Venjah Hunte, 20, were charged with home invasion with a firearm or another deadly weapon and armed burglary. Police said the suspects were expecting an empty house, but it turned bloody when they were startled to find Taylor home.
Police said some of the young men confessed. They were all found and arrested Friday in southwest Florida, and all they had their first court appearance Saturday. They were denied bond.

U.S. defeats Russia in the Davis Cup

For the first time since 1995, the U.S.A. tennis team won the Davis Cup. The once powerful United States team finally won this competition, taking 12 years to regain championship. Pete Sampras was last one who led U.S. to victory on clay at Russia. This time the U.S. was led by Bob Bryan and Mike Bryan. The doubles pair crushed the Russian doubles team of Nicolay Davydenko and Igor Andreev in 3 sets. On friday, the U.S. team got off to a fast start with Andy Roddick and James Blake by winning to the 2 single matches. The Russian pair of Andreev and Davydenko had only been partners once before as a doubles team in Davis Cup play. Davydenko, who came to the Davis Cup in the middle of an investigation into unusual betting patterns during a match in August, had played a doubles match only twice before this year.

Football Star is Killed

The safety of the Washington Redskins, Sean Taylor,died early on Tuesday. He was at his Florida home in Miami while sleeping he was woken up by a loud noise. He then grabbed a machete which he keep in his room for protection. Then someone broke through the door shot twice at Taylor. Only one bullet hit him but that seemed to be enough to take his life. His girlfriend and 1 year old daughter however they were not harmed or injured.

Sean Taylor was selected 5th in the 2004 NFL Draft. According to an article in AOL sports, Joe Gibbs says that it was the most research he has ever did to draft a person. His career began with problems. He soon fired an agent, didnt go to a mandatory rookie meeting and receiving a $25,000 fine. He was then coming home from a party, driving drunk he received a DWI.

Sean Taylor had ran into trouble in his early career but recently has matured ever since the birth of his child.

Hometown Football

It was another exciting day in football. the hometown Jets fell to the Buffalo Bills 17-14. Chad Pennington tried to lead his team in the final two minutes, but fell short with a Willis McGee interception. Buffalo Bills rookie quartback, Trent Edwards, got the start today. He carried his team by converted 22 out of 28 passes with 234 yards one touchdown and one interception. Bills Marshawn Lynchled running backs with 79 yards. Jerricho Cotchery led recievers with 108 yards. This lost drops the Jets to a 1-3 record and the Bills improve to 1-3.

Boxer Shane Mosley is accused of using BALCO designer steroids "the clear'' and "the cream" as part of a doping regimen before a 2003 fight against Oscar De La Hoya. BALCO investigator Jeff Novitzky told reporters that Mosley began using those two drugs, as well as EPO, two months before the light middleweight championship fight won by Mosley.
In 2003, Mosley was subpenaed and and testified in front of a grand jury. He has always denied doping and has never tested positive.
In a statement issued by publicist Debbie Caplan"I'm disappointed that this is coming out again, four years after I've been to the grand jury and gave my truthful testimony, I even took a lie detector test back then to let everyone know that I wasn't trying to be an unfair fighter."
According to SI.com, Mosley had blood work done to measure his hematocrit level, the volume of red blood cells, at 44. In a calendar with his file, the date of July 26 was circled, and the boxer's level increased to 52.2 by Aug. 8. "Most men are in the low 40s," Dr. Gary Wadler, a member of the World Anti-Doping Association, told SI.com. "Anything over 50 is considered off the charts."
Victor Conte, the BALCO founder, was released from prison in March 2006 after pleading guilty to selling designer steroids. Sources say he is the one who gave Mosley the steroids.

Mets Staying Alive in Playoff Race Meltdown

Who can ever know whether Marlins catcher Miguel Olivo, who took a fight to the Mets, actually helped bring the fight out of the Mets, or if it was strikeout after strikeout from starter John Maine that kept New York alive. But New York is certainly not dead yet. These Mets are livelier than they have been in weeks after an amazing 13-0 win against Florida, which keeps their season alive.
With Philadelphia's 4-2 loss to the Washington Nationals, the Mets are now tied for first in the National League East. It was the first time the Mets were not in sole possesion of first place since May. New York and Philadelphia are also one game back in the wild-card race after the San Diego Padres fell to the Milwaukee Brewers 4-3 in 11 innings Saturday.
A Mets clubhouse that had been somber on Friday night was absolutely giddy on Saturday evening. David Wright, who had challenged himself and teammates with an impassioned plea to the media after Friday's loss, now joked with reporters.
John Maine, who was aquired in trade with Baltimore Orioles last year, carried a no-hitter until the eighth inning. With two outs in the eighth, third-string Marlins catcher Paul Hoover hit a slow ground ball toward third base. The ball trickled up the line so slowly, Wright did not even make a throw to first base after he gloved it. John Maine ended up with 14 strikeouts , the most since Al Lieter in 1999. With this spectacular performance Maine kept him and his team alive and possible saved them from having the biggest collapse in baseball history.

O.J.'s in Trouble Again

In a scene of legal deja vu, a heavier O.J. Simpson stood handcuffed in court Wednesday to face charges that could put him behind bars for life. The prosecutor who failed to get him a dozen years ago was there to watch, and news cameras tracked his every move. Simpson was charged withkidnapping and armed robbory. Legal experts are questioning: Could a former football star who beat a double-murder rap really do hard time for a crime that sounds like a bad movie?
Police have laid out a case that makes Simpson the leader in an armed holdup of sports memorabilia collectors, and they arrested a fifth suspect in the case Wednesday.

''Why I Write''

For some people the reason why they write is because they need to. For some it is a requirement for a job. Others do it to tell a story about a previous experience in their life. Others also use writing to get there point across and try to persuade people to support a cause that you are involved in. For me it is to express how I feel at that moment I put the pen to the paper.
When I start to write I feel like I can express my emotions in a whole different way. I can write about happy thoughts when I am happy or if I am really upset I can write about something dark and gloomy like a horror story. If I need to release my anger I can write about somebody and still express my feelings without me possibly hurting someone else’s feelings. For me writing is like a silent sword, I can express what I’m feeling and I can say the nastiest things about somebody but they can’t find out unless I show them what I wrote.
In conclusion, I view writing as a very big asset for me to express my feelings and to get a point across.

No.1 Pick Out for Rookie Season

In sports this week, Greg Oden who was No. 1 pick in the NBA draft, will likely miss the 2007-08 season after undergoing knee surgery Thursday. Doctors found cartilage damage during an exploratory procedure, and team physician Dr. Don Roberts performed microfracture surgery to repair the damage. The 7 foot center is expected to be on crutches up for about 8 weeks. After that he will have to go though extensive physical training. This is a major setback in the rookies career. Some Superstars in their prime who had that surgery never completely recover.Greg Oden was considered to be the next Shaqille O'Neal. It can possibly one of the biggest draft busts in the history of basketball if he dont recover.