We're #1...No! We Are! Aw, Hell...Everyone Gets a Trophy!

Which sport is "number one?"  We're not just talking number one over all, but in different aspects, too.  Obviously, this topic lends itself to great debate, but since this is MY blog, I get to tell you what I think...and then you can comment if you'd like, but please be kind.  I'm very, very fragile (cry, sniff, cry).

For the sake of simplicity, we're only going to use the four major US sports:  football, basketball, baseball and hockey.

It may be true that a different sport (i.e. soccer, figure skating, or tiddlywinks, etc.) may better qualify for a particular category, but let's just keep it among these four for now.  Ok? Ok.

 

Which sport has the BEST overall athletes?

1.  Basketball

2.  Football

3.  Hockey

4.  Baseball

This was tough because both hoops and football have guys that are in incredible physical condition and can do some pretty amazing things.  I have to give the slight nod to basketball here.  The running, jumping, and other acrobatic play is pretty amazing when you think about it.  And, they don't get to rest for 25 seconds every play.

Which sport has the TOUGHEST athletes?

 

1.  Hockey

2.  Football

3.  Basketball

4.  Baseball

Baseball players hit the 15-day DL with a sprained hangnail.  Football players take incredible abuse to their bodies.  But, hockey players will take the ice despite missing part of a leg.  That was an easy one.

Which sport is best to watch in person?

1.  Football

2.  Hockey

3.  Basketball

4.  Baseball

Most people find baseball boring to watch, unless you're a diehard.  Hockey is a sport you really develop an appreciation for when you are sitting 10 rows from the ice.  The speed and the physicality are a whole other level in person.

Football has the added value of tailgating and the party day atmosphere.  The crowd is crazy and they only play once a week.  It's an event, not just a game.

Which sport is best to watch on TV?

1.  Football

2.  Baseball

3.  Hockey

4.  Basketball

Again, with football, the party starts two hours before any game and lasts into the night if your team wins.  You get great replays and are constantly updated on what else is happening around the league. 

Watching baseball at home allows you to snooze if you want and you can drink 50 cent beers from your own fridge instead of the $7.50 variety at the crowded snack stand.

Which sport is the most difficult to be good at?

1.  Baseball

2.  Hockey

3.  Basketball

4.  Football

Football and basketball lends itself to those who are huge and that's kind of like a genetic lottery thing.  I'm not saying it doesn't take hard work and talent to be good, but it really helps to be huge.

Hockey is played on ice and they use a puck that's hard enough to break your face...'nuff said.

Baseball is the most difficult to be good at because you have to hit a round object, with another round object.  And, pitchers can make that thing move all over the place.  And, then once it's hit, you gotta catch the thing?  That's a pretty tough game if you ask me. 

Lastly...

What sport is #1 overall?

 

1.  Football

2.  Baseball

3.  Basketball

4.  Hockey

It pains me to admit it since I'm a "baseball guy," but let's face it:  football is now America's game; not baseball, anymore.  Maybe as the football rules continue to change to protect the QBs etc., that may change; but, I doubt it. 

Seriously; go down to an NFL or college football game if you haven't been to one lately.  As I said before, it's an event.  You just don't get that type of "event" feeling with the other sports.

What do you think?  Feel free to post a comment here or on the AllStarInc Facebook page and voice YOUR opinions!  We'd love to hear from you!

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Will BoSox Fans Be Bitter This Weekend? Eh...Let 'em Eat Steak!

It's going to be a VERY busy weekend for Philly sports fans!  Besides the Sixers’ playoff games, the Phillies have a pretty important weekend of their own. 

Inter-league play begins for 2012 as the Phils host some of baseball's royalty with the Boston Red Sox visit this weekend.  Both squads have had some early-season problems and find themselves in the unlikely position of being in last place in their respective divisions, but the Phillies are showing signs of life, having won four straight headed into tonight's game against the Cubs in Chicago.  Not much has been made about the weekend series against the Red Sox, but you know that Jonathan Papelbon MUST have had these dates circled on his calendar for quite some time.

Over the years, I've spoken to many players from different sports about playing against teams they had played for previously, and what it meant to them.  The opinions are pretty diverse.  Some guys play it off as being just another game, but it seems like the stickier the exit, the more intense the return match becomes.  It's a natural way to feel, I suppose.

Despite the fact that most players understand that the world of sports is a "business,” that doesn't mean they won't take exception to their life and the lives of their families (in some cases) being uprooted and forced to change via either trade or free agency.  In Papelbon's case, he has to be the one smiling at the moment as he has enjoyed some pretty decent early success with his new team, not to mention a pretty HUGE contract.

Meanwhile, his old team (the Red Sox) have struggled with the closer role and are still wondering who might win that job.  Many of Pap's old teammates have remarked about how much they miss their old closer, on the field as well as in the clubhouse.

Early speculation was that possibly Andrew Bailey could be the team's closer, but he injured his thumb and has a long stint on the disabled list left.  At the moment, Alfredo Aceves is the reliever with the most saves so far (seven), but he also has a 5.74 ERA to go with those saves.

I'm sure CBP will have many Boston fans who made the trip to Philly in the stands.  I also have a feeling that the Phillies sweeping the BoSox and having a couple of those wins saved by Papelbon will leave a very bad taste in the Red Sox fans' mouths. 

Then again, it's not a long drive to Tony Luke's on Oregon for a cheesesteak to help the Sox fans get rid of that bitterness.  Hopefully, they have a very good GPS or are willing to ask directions! 

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Cookin’ up UGLY Wins....The Sixers’ Recipe for Success!

Hand over the clipboard Doug Collins.  Let me have a crack at the Celtics! 

This series can be very easy for the Philly basketballers.  All they have to do is the SAME thing they have been doing all year...annnnnnnnnd maybe shoot the ball a bit better.

Winning ugly has been the way that the Sixers have achieved their success pretty much all year.  It was never more evident than in the series against the Bills where NOBODY will be lining up the level of play against the NBA's greatest teams.

Gritty defense, an occasional spurt of offense, and some opportunistic bounces of the basketball and voila!  The Sixers are preparing for the Celtics in round two.

Let's face it, it didn't hurt that the Bulls best two players were hurt, too.

In the Boston Celtics, you have a team that's just asking to get knocked out and the Sixers are just the team to do it.  How Atlanta, a team with some pretty good young talent, lost to Boston is beyond me.  In a way, the Celtics won much like the Sixers...ugly.

So, if you're expecting something reminiscent of the days of Dr J., Larry Bird, and all of those great Celtic vs. Sixers match-ups over the years, be sure to have the vomit bucket at arms’ length at all times.  This is not going to be pretty basketball.

The biggest advantage this Sixers team has over this Celtics team is depth.  The Celtics pretty much rely on their top five players.  That may need to change a lot since it looks as if Ray Allen may have a cranky ankle giving him trouble all series. 

Fortunately for the Sixers, the candidates to take Allen's minutes aren't anything that will remind you of a "solid NBA player."  Sorry Celtics fans; that's just the truth.

Avery Bradley?  Keyon Dooling? Marquis Daniels?  C'mon...no chance.

The Sixers should play 9 deep and run whenever they get the chance.  Throw as many fresh young bodies at the Celtics as possible.

Coach Collins should view this as a war that gets won by winning four battles.  Even in games they lose, they need to exhaust the Celtic starters to the point where they're out of gas in every second half of the game.

The biggest matchup is Hawes against Garnett.  Even at 36 years old, Garnett is still a force inside and will be a mismatch for Hawes.  Hawes will need lots of double down help from his teammates and hope that the Sixers can rotate fast enough to the open shooter.  Don't be surprised if you see Collins experiment using Lavoy Allen against Garnett early in the series.

But, Hawes can turn the tables on Garnett, too.  Kevin Garnett will NOT come out and cover Hawes at the 3 point line.  If Hawes can knock down open jumpers it will cause the Celtics lots of fits.

The matchup the Sixers can exploit is Iguodala vs. Pierce.  Iggy is much more athletic and I believe he'll send Pierce into a shooting nightmare.  Pierce is a smart player, so I don't think this is going to be a travesty, but I do give Andre the nod.

Rondo and Holiday are going to be battling each other the whole series, and it should be a very entertaining battle.  Hopefully Holiday will get the Sixers out and running.  If Collins has him slowing things down it will only play into the Celtics game plan.

The other big problem the Celtics have is that they really don't have an answer defensively for Brand (unless they decide to let Garnett cover him instead of Hawes).  If Brand asserts himself offensively he could be a HUGE difference for the Sixers.

All of the other names (starters or not) like Lou Williams, Turner, Young, Allen, and maybe even some Jodie Meeks, should be in and out of the game like a revolving door.  The Sixers shouldn't let the Celtics have enough time to figure out who everybody's covering before making another substitution.

A prediction?  The Sixers win this series in NO MORE than six games.  That would take at least one win at the TD Garden and then holding serve at home.  If they can find a way to win game one, the Sixers could win this thing in FIVE games!

Wear them down and late in games, as well as late in the series, the Celtics will be cooked.  Grind it out, and win ugly.  It's what the Sixers are good at doing....don't stop now!  Let's not try to get cute. 

There you go Coach Collins...it's easy!  Stick to the "AllStarInc Plan" and you'll be facing the Heat in the Conference Finals in about two weeks! 

Oh, and Doug...if you have any questions...hit me up anytime. 

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Reason to Be Concerned About the Phils? HECK YEAH!!

Those who know me know that I'm one of the most optimistic people around.  This is especially true when it comes to the prospects of Philadelphia sports teams (and the Pitt Panthers!).

So the question today..."Is there any reason to be scared by the Phillies recent performance?"

The answer is...YES, be VERY afraid!  It may not be something that can change any time soon.

It's definitely not time to panic and make vacation plans for October quite yet.  As long as the Phillies continue to have hope that Utley and Howard will indeed return, there is great hope. But, it might be a good idea to try to fix things now before it gets too out of hand!

There is good news.  Despite the horrific start and recent severe failures, the home town boys only find themselves 5 games back of first place.  The teams above them in the standings are not anything you might confuse with the 1927 Yankees, so it's not like this is an insurmountable deficit to recover from.

And you would THINK that with a starting pitching rotation featuring Halladay, Lee, and Hamels it would be very difficult to screw things up, right?  Yeah, you would think.  But, man, oh man, the guys in the red pinstripes are doing their best to give us concern!

Obviously, the bullpen has been a HUGE problem that needs to be fixed ASAP; but with Papelbon, Bastardo, Herndon, Qualls and the other cast of characters, you'd think it would be better than it has been.  I have a feeling you'll see better days from the bullpen as the season goes on and the pitchers have more than 10 innings under their belts.

The bigger issues to me are the other guys around the team who are not playing up to their abilities.

If you could morph Galvis and Orr together, you MIGHT get a second baseman than can hit AND field.  As of now, you have two guys that simply CANNOT do one or the other.

The Jim Thome experiment has been a pretty bad idea so far; it might be a good time to cut bait and make better use of that roster spot.  Like somebody who can do....ANYTHING?

Rollins, Victorino, and Mayberry are roughly hitting a combined .235.  To me, here lies the biggest problem.  With guys named Howard and Utley not in the lineup it's up to these 3 (among the others) to come through.

They have not.

Just hit .260 for goodness sake!  Unless you're Freddy Galvis, it's not THAT hard to do, is it?

Of the three named above, the guy I have the most confidence in rebounding is Mayberry.  He showed he can be clutch and fairly consistent last season down the stretch. 

With Rollins, I'm pretty much ok with him just catching the ball, which he is still one of the best at doing.  But, if he could contribute offensively at all, it would make a huge difference.  When you already have a second baseman who is a "glove only guy" you can't afford to have a second one in the lineup unless the rest of the team is cranking out runs like they're going out of style....and that ain't happening.

That leaves us Vic.  I'm sorry, but maybe it's time to part with our beloved Hawaiian.  He is a commodity the Phillies could dangle for trade bait and possibly sure up the bullpen a little bit.  Given he will be a free agent soon, you probably won't get a ton for him; but you might get something, and then you can use Juan Pierre in CF every day.

When Chase and Ryan come back, the team can hit the pavement running instead of flat on their face.

And let's give some credit where credit is due....Kudos to dudes named Pence, Ruiz, Polanco, and "The Three Aces" for carrying the team so far.  Without them, things could be MUCH worse.

My guess is that the Phils will sit tight and try to correct from within and they will probably be able to make that happen.  But…is there a reason to be concerned?  Uhhhh yeah, there is....even I admit that.

Did We Just Say That Out Loud??

While the Boston Red Sox have banned beer in the clubhouse after games this season, it's pretty apparent that SOMETHING is in the Gatorade in other dugouts.  Players around the league are opening their mouths and some pretty incredible things are coming out of them.

Cole Hamels drills rookie stud Bryce Harper and then openly admits that it was definitely intentional?  What was he thinking?

Repeat after me Cole..."The pitch got away from me.  It was meant to be inside, but it kinda ran a little further than I expected."  Is that really so hard to say? 

Ehhh...the consequences aren't as dire as some think when they hear about a "five game suspension.”  With a five man rotation, Cole rests four days as it is.  To give a guy an extra day off in May isn't necessarily a bad thing...so...thanks MLB!

Maybe Cole is just trying to shake off the pretty boy image and seem tougher?  Ehhhhhh, it aint workin', but nice try Cole!

Jamie Moyer is accusing Chipper Jones of stealing signs?  SO WHAT!?!  In addition to drinking the wacky fluids, Moyer may also be suffering from old age.  The stealing of signs in baseball has happened for ohhhhhh, let's see...maybe 140 years?  That was right around when Jamie was a rookie, wasn't it?   

In the old days, it was considered an art.  When I played in high school, our coach would tell the bench players to study the third base coach and see if they could figure out what the bunt and steal signs were.  Jamie needs to stop being a baby and blaming getting rocked on signs being stolen.  You're flippin’ it up there at 76 miles an hour, Jamie...it's going to get hit!

Of course, Chipper is obviously sipping the crazy juice, too.  He responded to Moyer's accusations by challenging Moyer to a fight!?  Come to think about it...I'd really like to see Jamie Moyer fight Chipper Jones.  I smell Pay-Per-View!  I'll take Chipper in round 3 with a TKO!

Lastly, Jayson Werth gets the crown for drinking wild berry liquids. 

After breaking his wrist and being berated by Phillies fans as he struggled off the field, Werth was obviously under the influence of SOMETHING when he said, "I'm going to do everything I can to keep those guys from another parade down Broad Street."

Ok, so here's an open note to all Nationals players and fans....THE PHILLIES DO NOT CARE ABOUT YOU!  Nope, not at all.  Not one bit.  ZIP. ZERO.  Sorry, but you are NOT the Phillies’ rival.  The Mets and Braves both can lay a much better claim to that. 

A reporter asked Phils closer, Jon Papelbon, about the "so-called rivalry" that is developing.  Pap is definitely the wrong guy to ask about rivalries since he just came from a land where the Red Sox battle the Yankees on a regular basis.  Now THAT'S a rivalry!

Nationals Park just allows for a very convenient place for Phillies fans to easily get cheap lower-level box seats that's not too far away from home.  If the Orioles were in the NL East, Phillies fans would be flocking to Camden Yards instead.  It would save everybody an extra hour of driving if we could somehow make that happen.

The Nats are vastly improved and their future is extremely bright, but their start this season does not automatically make them an elite franchise....like ummmmmm.....the PHILLIES!?!

And while I'm still talking about the Nats, can somebody take their GM, Mike Rizzo, aside and explain to him that he sounded like a whining, crying female dog when he reacted to Cole Hamels’ remarks about hitting Bryce Harper.  Waaaaaaaahhhhh!

Maybe Rizzo and Werth can sit together in the stands for the next 12 weeks and try to figure out a way to be more like the Phillies organization instead of crying and yapping to the press?!?

Commissioner Selig!  Check those water coolers, please!  Something crazy is happening and it's not even June yet!  It must be in the water!