Dancing with the Stars - Athletes will Contend

It is certainly no secret that Dancing with the Stars, or DWTS as it is known in acronym form, has captivated the minds of the media and society over its past 11 seasons (2 per year) after beginning its run in the summer of 2005. Aside from providing the reality feel of "what is going to happen next" in addition to its competitive dance structure, the heart of DWTS fever lies within the celebrity personas that differ each year.

Generally, the show attempts to include a diverse group of celebrities, each with a unique background that helps to create intrigue amongst its viewing audience. These celebrity backgrounds have included individuals such as the world-renown astronaut Buzz Aldrin to the entertainment diva in Brooke Burke to the sports standout in Jerry Rice, just to name a few. Bringing these various talents together as one into a forum where most are considered amateurs, or novices at best, is what gives this TV series its combination of glamour and "wow factor".

Since 2005, the show has had as little as 6 celebrity contestants and as many as 16. Season 12 will have the average of those numbers as 11 celebrities have signed on to dance for the championship, which begins March 21, 2011. The participants will be Chelsea Kane (Disney Channel actress), Chris Jericho (WWE wrestler & musician), Hines Ward (active National Football League player), Kendra Wilkinson (model & reality star), Kirstie Alley (actress), Mike Catherwood (radio talk show host - "Loveline"), Petra Nemcova (supermodel), Ralph Macchio (starred in "The Karate Kid"), Romeo (rapper & actor), Sugar Ray Leonard (retired professional boxer) and Wendy Williams (media personality and former DJ).

At a glance, Kirstie Alley and Ralph Macchio appear to be the obvious underdogs. But, as we all know, with underdogs you also have the potential for upsets and great Cinderella stories. Which is exactly why these two are my dark horses for this season. Once the competition is underway, it will be very interesting to see how their dance routines unfold week in and week out. Just because Alley turned 60 years of age in January doesn't mean you should count her out. Remember that the fans have a hand in keeping her alive each week. And although Macchio isn't quite the same skinny teenager who perfected the Krane Kick some 27-years ago, he is still a personal favorite of mine in this contest. If Mr. Miyagi is in his corner, like he always was before, Macchio may have a fighting chance after all. Yes sensei!

That said, the true power within this season's group of competitors comes from the sports realm celebrities of wrestler Chris Jericho, football player Hines Ward and former boxing legend Sugar Ray Leonard.

I refer to Chris Jericho as member of the sports community because his boss, chairman and CEO of World Wrestling Entertainment Vince McMahon, refers to his employees as sports "entertainers". Don't let the title of entertainer fool you in the slightest. The Lion Heart (his ring name) has always had major athletic abilities. And outside the wrestling ring, he is no stranger to the entertainment business as he has been the lead singer for the heavy metal band "Fozzy" since 1999. When he performs in this competition, he will have more than enough strength to lift his dancing partner high in the air to pull off crisp stunts. And, in my opinion, he also has the right amount of agility that can help him keep up with the tempo of the dance routines.

When discussing championships and a person's drive to win, you do not have to look any further than Hines Ward of the NFL's Pittsburgh Steelers. Ward has been playing professional football since 1998 and has had his fair share of glory days. In 13 seasons, he has two Super Bowl rings, is a one-time Super Bowl MVP and has been selected to the Pro Bowl 4 times. Admittedly, I have not witnessed many of his end-zone celebrations after scoring a touchdown, so not sure how he will compare to others on a dance competition level. Of these three athletes, Ward ranks third on my list due to his body fame being a bit heavier than his dancing counterparts, standing 6 feet tall and weighing 205 lbs. But his intangibles of determination and finding a way to win, however, are what will carry him to the final rounds of the show.

And last, but certainly not least, the 54-year-old Sugar Ray Leonard has an opportunity to rise above the rest with prior superb boxing skills stored away in his repertoire. If you've ever watched a match of the sport known as "The Sweet Science", at least one in which a boxer doesn't get knocked out in the first 30 seconds, you'll notice the constant footwork that is used to gain the advantage. This was a trade perfected by Sugar Ray for several years and especially in 1976 when he took home the Olympic Gold in Montreal. On the flip side, he has also had minor acting roles in television and movies. But his entertainment breakthrough came when he hosted the reality boxing show known as "The Contender" which ran for 4 seasons. Since the dancing numbers performed on the show are based mostly upon proper footwork and precise body placement on the floor, Sugar Ray is my front-runner to win it all this season.

These three sports figures also have some statistical data at their back that suggests they will make it deep into the competition. Per the Dancing with the Stars Wikipedia page, five of the eleven dance champions have been individuals with a past or present career in sports (3 Olympians, 1 auto racer and 1 football player). And four of the eleven runner-ups have been involved in a professional sports career (3 football players and 1 Olympian).

The point to be made in this entire piece is that those contestants possessing athletic ability AND an element of entertainment in some fashion generally leads to championship contention on Dancing with the Stars. Now, if only Ralph Macchio will once again dawn that white headband and "wax-on, wax-off" the competition, I will feel young once again.

Knicks' Stars Aligned

Forget about the glitz and glamour that is "Hollywood-East" down in Miami. There are new sheriffs on the eastern seaboard and they play hosts in Madison Square Garden. Or as us sports buffs like to call it: "The Mecca". The New York Knick's drama-filled acquisitions of Carmelo Anthony and Chauncey Billups, just to name a few, have proved to be quite the pieces to the puzzle it would seem. Since the newest personnel additions on February 22nd, the Knicks have gone 2-1 in the 3 games they have played. They took down the Bucks at home, lost to the worst team in the NBA in the Cavs on the road (not sure what happened here), then turned around and beat one of the best teams in the league in the Heat on the road. Kind of a roller coaster ride, I know, but that is to be expected after exchanging 3 of 5 positions in the starting lineup.

But the point to be made here lies within statistics. We all know that Knicks coach Mike D'Antoni executes a run-and-gun style of play that focuses none whatsoever on defense. New York had a mediocre scoring team before the blockbuster trade of the franchise's history. But after "out with the old and in with the new" in the Big Apple, Billups, Melo and Amare are scoring at will while spreading the wealth.

After their first three games in a Knick uniform, Carmelo Anthony has averaged 27.7 ppg and 9.0 rebounds. This is more than his current season averages of 25.3 ppg and 7.7 rebounds. It is also more than his career averages of 24.8 ppg and 6.3 rebounds. Making the leap with Melo from the mile high land of the Rockies in Denver to the city that never sleeps in New York was veteran Chauncey Billups who is also seeing increases in production over his last 3 games as a Knickerbocker. He has averaged 21.0 ppg and 6.0 assists during this span. These numbers are also up from his season averages of 16.7 ppg and 5.4 assists, and up from his career stats of 15.5 ppg and 5.6 assists.

Great nights on the basketball court can only be spread around so much, and someone's numbers will eventually have to suffer. That someone has been Amare Stoudemire. Mr. Specs, or Numero Uno, as I like to call him, has seen his points and rebounds value drop since February 22nd. But in the world of the NBA, this isn't entirely a bad situation. With the scoring production increased at the point guard position (Billups) and on the wing (Anthony), Stoudemire has now had the opportunity to showcase a sliver of his defensive skills. Shhh, don't tell coach D'Antoni I said that. In the past 3 contests for the Knicks, Amare has had the luxury of being more aggresive defensively. He fouled out against the Bucks. But without Anthony and Billups, this would have been an absolute tragedy in the fourth quarter and chalked up as a come-from-behind victory for Milwaukee. With more scoring options at his back, Stoudemire has become a flexible option and can be a risk taker when it comes to rebounding and blocking shots. And speaking of blocks, he logged only one versus the Miami Heat on Sunday night, but it was one of the most important blocks of the game if not the season. His rejection of LeBron James with only a few seconds remaining proved to be the winning factor for the orange and blue.

I applaud the Knicks' organization for finally taking a leap of faith and pulling off the type of star-studed trade that they so desperately needed. It has been over 10 years since New York made the NBA Finals, and they could now be poised to set their sights on this goal once again. Gone are the days of drafting over-seas athletic talent from Europe who never rose to the stature of the league's best players and would develop into trade-bait. The glory days are here and here to stay. And the potential thought of grabbing Chris Paul or Deron Williams to run the show in 2011-12 would make for an electrifying dream team.

No Contract For You!

Let's knock some of the dust off this blog shall we.

#5 in the Cardinal red n' white wants a 10-year deal worth $300 mil. And I want a toilet crafted of gold and platinum. Not going to happen. Or in Pujols' case, shouldn't happen. The last I heard this man is 31 years old. Not ancient by baseball standards. But let's be honest for minute here. 31 plus 10 simply says Albert will be 41 by the time this contract would expire should the St. Louis front office sign him. This doesn't make much business since to me considering most MLB players never see their 40's while still playing the game. Whether it be kicking back in the bullpen or spitting sunflower shells from the dugout, this is an oddity. And for those who do see the golden age of their 40's and are still under contract with a franchise, they don't see playing time. So that said, the Cardinals' organization would be out of their mind to give Pujols a contract of this caliber. Even if the players union is pressuring him to raise the wage scale across the board, no one is worth that amount of money. Unless there is an unheard pitcher who tosses perfect game after perfect game or a slugger who belts homer after homer, that kind of dough handcuffs any chance of building a competitive team on the diamond.

It has been widely reported that the Cardinals have offered him an 8-year deal worth roughly $240 million, which would still provide Albert with the same $30 million per year that he is seeking. A better deal in terms of shaving off years from the contract. But not one I'd be willing to fork over as an owner. It still does not make good sports business sense to offer a contract worth this type of money that will still have a guy at age 39 when it finally expires. Why put all of your eggs in one basket? Sure he is the face of Cardinal baseball and arguably the best player in the game right now. But does that mean you pay him whatever he asks? Of course not. And if Babe Ruth were around, I doubt I would offer the Sultan of Swat the same deal.

Look, the Phillies had one of the best offseasons a club could have when they nabbed Cliff Lee from the Yankees when he was ready to bolt from the Rangers. This team now has one of the most historic rotations ever and is definitely the team to beat in all of baseball. Great pitching will always dominate great hitting. Besides the Phillies acquisitions, do you see an irreplaceable slugger on the San Francisco Giants team that won the World Series last year? I think not. By keeping the money that Albert wants safely in your pockets, you can open the door for a better pitching staff and possibly more speed on the base paths. These two aspects of the game are what will take you to the playoffs and beyond. Not some face who has had a great career with the same team since he began playing. It's a feel good story, but I don't feel good about selling the farm on one individual.

While I haven't looked at his stats, all fingers point to indications that Pujols' numbers have dipped for the third consecutive year. That coupled with the fact that he is over 30 years old might suggest he is past his prime. I'm a believer in this trend and don't think that Albert is any exception. He will more than likely smack 40+ homers this season and probably several after that, but the fact remains that he will not solely carry the Cards to a pennant championship. Those chips were cashed after the 2006 World Series. So why waste money on this guy when you simply don't have to? If he goes to the arch-rival Cubs...so what! More incentive to beat them in the future, I say. Some things never change. He is sticking to his noon deadline of Feb. 16th and I'm sticking to my decision to not offer him a contract. If he wants that type of money, why not make him earn it? "Show me the money!" On a final note, if he is signed for $30 million per year, regardless of how many years, all we will have is another A-Rod-esque situation on our hands. And we'll spend the next 10-20 years correcting it and rebuilding because we have no money to spend. That, my friends, spells bottom feeders of the National League for many years to come.

Ahh, The Gifts That Keep On Giving...

Thanks for Nothing Brett!

Brett, you've done it to me again. And this time, I can only hope it is the LAST time. I think I continued my losing streak of predictions yet again when you announced you were going to stay retired from the NFL and not join my beloved Minnesota Vikings. Well I would like to tastefully respond by saying "Good, and good riddance!"

You have been a thorn in my side ever since becoming the mayor of Cheeseland in Green Bay. I've watched countless 4th quarter comebacks of you and the Packers overcoming certain defeat only to pull it out in the waning minutes against us citizens of Vikings Country. And to think I was actually somewhat pulling for you to say you'd join our organization for the simple fact it was going to improve our offense and our overall team chemistry. Well to hell with that! I should have known you would go out on your own terms and wait until the last possible second before training camp opened up to spurn me again. You leave us with Sage "I-like-to-fumble-while-doing-a-helicopter-spin-in-the-air-against-the-Colts" Rosenfels and Tarvaris "Gingerbread Man" Jackson. Well, that's just fine by me. Sure I'd take Michael Vick in a heartbeat for the same reasons I would have chosen you to be our starting quarterback this season. But now, I will take my chances with the two we have battling it out for the starting job right now. We don't need your gunslinging attitude or your left handed underarm throws while you're about to get sacked either. Who knows? We might be like the Baltimore Ravens several years ago and let our defense win us a Super Bowl. Trent Dilfer is a Super Bowl winning quarterback of yesteryear, so why can't Rosenfels or Jackson???!!!

Now that that's out of the way, let me say that I partly blame Brad Childress and the Vikings front office for letting the drama of #4 go on for as long as it did. Why are we letting Brett decide when HE is going to tell us whether he wants to play for us this season?? Instead, why aren't WE setting the deadline as to when we need his decsion?? After all, one man is not bigger than entire team...is he? But, unfortunately, that is the way things played out. We treated Brett Favre like the spoiled little girl named Violet in "Willy Wonka And The Chocolate Factory". We let him have his way and that was something that should never have happened. He took advantage of us and then bit us in the ass right when he knew it would hurt us the most. It truly would not hurt my feelings if I never saw his ugly gray bearded 40-year-old face again. And that includes those dumbass Wrangler commercials. Geeeeeeeeezzzzz.....

In closing, you would probably refuse to sign with the Detroit Lions since they don't have a chance in hell at winning the division this season, so who knows, maybe you'll root for the Bears and Jay Cutler on Sunday afternoons?? In the words of PTI (Pardon The Interruption on ESPN): Happy Trails Brett (not really, but don't let Roger Goodell's commissioner's door hit you in the ass on your way out!

30 Years...And Still Counting

It has been thirty years since the horse racing industry and the entire world has witnessed a Triple Crown winner. And, rest assured, you can bet on that number increasing to thirty-one years after Saturday's running of the Preakness Stakes.

A couple of weeks ago, Mine That Bird pulled off one of the greatest upsets in thoroughbred racing history by winning the Run for the Roses at Churchill Downs. He didn't necesarily dominate the competition, but he turned on the jets coming down the stretch and won the Kentucky Derby by several lengths. At a near 50-1 odds when the starting gate opened, Calvin Borel rode Mine That Bird just as perfectly as he did Street Sense two years ago. He waited until the time was right and chose the right openings in between horses late in the race to steal the garland of roses. Today, people are comparing Calvin Borel to the legendary Pat Day. Now winning aside, I never recalled Pat Day celebrating after a victory the way Borel did when he pulled off the upset of upsets on May 2nd. I will give him credit where credit is due, as he knows the track at Churchill Downs probably better than he knows himself. But just like any good athlete, Borel has his weaknesses. It's certainly no secret that his strategy is to hug the rail whenever possible and, if he hasn't found it by the time he hits the home stretch, he goes hunting for it if it's the last thing he does. How the other trainers do not relay the message to colse off the rail before these races even begin is beyond me. Given the fact Borel has proved himself to be deadly when given an opening on the rail, you would think it would be priority number one for trainers and jockeys to close that gap whenever they are the opposition. My point here is that if there was no room on the inside rail at the Derby in 2007 and 2009, Borel would never have won.

Let's shift to the Preakness. Unfortuantely, I'm going to have to put blame on Borel right here, right now for choosing to ride aboard Rachel Alexandra instead of Mine That Bird. Of course having a filly beat the boys in the Preakness would be great headlines, but wouldn't winning the second leg of the Triple Crown be even greater? If Mine That Bird were to win at Pimlico on Saturday it would do nothing short of enhancing his underdog status and establish him as one of the craziest and astounding stories in horse racing.

Instead, Mine That Bird will be ridden by veteran Mike Smith. This move alone almost seals the fate of the current Derby winner to finish middle of the pack at best. Calvin Borel is looking for the money on Saturday and that's clearly why he's taking the irons with Kentucky Oaks winner Rachel Alexandra. Borel knows he can be successful with just about any horse at Churchille Downs, but anywhere else he'd rather increase his chances at winning by riding the FASTER horse. Without saying it, Borel knows in his mind that Mine That Bird has no chance at all at pulling the upset twice.

As for me, I'm sticking with my pick from two weeks ago in Musket Man followed by Pioneer of the Nile and Rachel Alexandra finishing a close third. Our fearless Mine That Bird, as much as I hate to say it, will hardly be mentioned when it comes to the high class finishers on Saturday. Is there anyone left, trainer or jockey, who is afraid to turn away the cash in return for some Triple Crown gold? I can only hope we as fans do not have to wait another grueling thirty years to find out.

NBA Playoff Predictions

So, as we are already several weeks into the 2009 NBA playoffs, and some teams have been eliminated, I thought I would use this post to shed some light on my predictions.

First and foremost, the Cleveland Cavaliers are my pick to run the table and be crowned this year's champs. Why you ask? Lebron James of course. Why Lebron over Kobe you ask? Time. Meaning it's King James' TIME to shine. Kobe has clearly had his time to shine when Shaq was in LA, but now it's time for a new breed. I'm not saying that in a game of 1-on-1 Lebron could shut down Kobe and take him to the cleaners or vice versa. This post isn't about who could beat who in a game of 21 on the blacktop. Rather it's about which player does more for their team and gives them a better chance to win on the hardwood. The Cavs have yet to lose a playoff game and are on the verge of sweeping their second straight team in the Atlanta Hawks. In fact, last night, Lebron went for 47, almost half of the team's points. In my opinion, he is the most athletic and gifted athlete on the court. Kobe only had 15, in the Lakers 12 point loss to the Rockets. That type of performance is unacceptable when you're an all-star who has clearly shown you can produce during the regular season. Now is not the time to fizzle out. So my position here is that Kobe is showing some inconsistency while Lebron still has the pedal to the metal and the trophy in sight. Not to mention Kobe has much better role players on his squad than Lebron does which makes James more of a standout. #23 has to bring it every night because he knows if he doesn't, that's all she wrote and the Cavs will be wondering if LBJ is headed to the Knicks next season!

Needless to say I'm picking the Cavs to come out of the East and play the Nuggets in the Finals come next month. Denver is much like the Cavs minus Lebron. They are a team that is peaking at the perfect time and playing great basketball out west. Sure they have Carmelo Anthony, but these guys play as a team and don't let one player be the focal point. I said in a previous post that Chauncey Billups would do nothing but make this team better, and it turns out I was right. He has been racking up the points, minutes and assists and has been a very important piece to this team's success. If the Nuggets and Lakers were to hold a series right now, my money would definitely be on Denver.

There is still much to be determined in these playoffs. But I think it's safe to say the Cavs and the Nuggets in the championship would make for some good matchups and would, quite frankly, be an NBA Finals that no one expected.