Lance Armstrong to Stand Trial

7 time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong has been ordered to stand trial in Italy for defaming Filippo Simeoni. It's reported that Lance chased Simeoni during the 2004 race threatening him for testifying in court that Lance illegaly used blood doping to gain a competitve advantage. "The other part of the charge relates to doctor Michele Ferrari, who was given a 12-month suspended jail sentence in October 2004 for sports fraud and malpractice. He has always denied he dispensed illegal substances to athletes and is appealing the sentence." Lance had connections with Ferrari, but cut ties with him after the conviction.

I'm not worried about whether or not Lance is guilty of defaming Simeoni. No one cares about that. If convicted Lance will have to pay some small fine and will get on with his life. The bigger question here is whether or not Armstrong has ever used performance enhancing drugs or methods during his pro cycling career. Armstrong is a cancer survivor and has denied use of steroids or other methods his entire career.

Armstrong has been extremely cooperative when dealing with these political types who like to throw out false acqusations. Lance has said they can test him any day of the week. He was already being tested 30 times a year while he was cycling. They havetaken his blood and urine and saved it in pouches. They've had his blood frozen for 5 years and it still tests clean.

It's my opinion that the French and Italian are a bunch of snobs and are pissed that an American won their race and holds the record for most Tour de France victories. I'm not saying Lance doesn't have the means to cheat. Any athlete with his kind of money can find doctors to create masking agents that block the drugs from showing in the tests. I believe that if Lance is so willing to get tested and will step to the front of the line everytime, that he is clean.

For those of you who don't know, blood doping is a method of extracting your own blood and reinjecting it into your body a day before a race. This will give your body millions and millions of extra red blood cells, which carry oxygen throughout your body. It reduces fatigue and allows you to cycle for longer periods of time at higher rates. Blood doping is illegal. It is a little harder to detect because you are using your own blood and aren't putting any foreign substances in your body. The way it is tested is by checking the number of red blood cells in the body. Anything above the normal amount is considered cheating.

Lance is a hero in America. He is given a free pass wherever he goes, and rightly so. I would be shocked and devistated if Lance were to test positive for performance enhancing drugs. He is an idol to millions of people around the world, including the entire cancer surviving community.

http://msn.foxsports.com/other/story/5168978

Will Roger Clemens Pitch Again?

Roger Clemens has retired from baseball about as many times as Michael Jordan retired from basketball. This time it's different. Roger finished the 2005 season with the best ERA he's had in his 22 year career, but he also finished the season with tears in his back and sore hamstrings, the same injuries that knocked him out of Game 1 on the 2005 World Series against the White Sox.

Back on December 7th, the Houston Astros declined to offer Clemens salary arbitration, which basically means he is done in an Astros uniform (atleast as a player.. wink wink). Under the MLB rules, Clemens will not be able to resign with the Astros until May 1, one month into the regular season. Roger can however pursue offers from other teams during the offseason. Where would he go if he decides to play? The Rangers (similar to what Nolan did)? Would he go back to Boston or New York where he had some of the best years of his career? If Roger does come back, we have to believe it will be for an American League team so he doesn't have to bat.

Someone needs to tell Roger that it is OK to retire. It's ok for him to enjoy his life and spend time with his family. There is life after baseball. I want Roger to retire, not because I'm a bitter Astros fan, but because I want him to end his career before he really hurts himself.

The best case scenerio in my opinion is for Roger to retire. He should sign on with the Houston Astros in some personnel position like Nolan Ryan. Roger's son Koby is in the Astros minor league system. This will give Roger an opportunity to work with his son, who happens to be a catcher. We all wanted to see Roger pitch to his son one day, but realisticaly it was never going to happen. Koby is still too young to make it to the Majors.

Thank you for the memories Roger, without you the Astros would have never made it to the World Series. You're arguably the best pitcher to ever live. Keep it that way and preserving your legend status by retiring. Will Roger ever pitch again? Only he knows, and by the looks of it he is in no rush of letting anyone else know.

Should the Colts Rest the Starters?

Should the Indianapolis Colts rest their starters? This question has been debated for a few weeks now. The Colts are still undefeated, but have already wrapped up home field advantage throughout the playoffs. Should the Colts rest thier starters to keep them healthy for the playoffs, or should they keep playing everyone while trying to finish the season undefeated? Only one team in the modern era has ever finished a season undefeated, and that of course is the 1972 Dolphins.

Tony Dungy came out today and said he would not play Corey Simon and Cato June in this week's game against the San Diego Chargers. This is a big hit to the Colts defense. Should Tony Dungy play them to try and keep the undefeated streak alive? Dungy has said plenty of times this season their goal is to win a Superbowl, not go undefeated. He doesn't care about the record. Even though only 1 team in the last 33 years has gone undefeated, but something like 20+ different teams have won a Superbowl. In 20 years people won't remember who won the Superbowl in February 2006, but they will remember an undefeated season.

If I were the coach, I'm not sure what I would do. I would probably play all my startes until I had a comfortable lead. I would play to win. If the Colts were losing at any point, I would keep all my starters in. But if they have a 14 point lead going into the 4th quarter, I would rest some of my starters.

As a Marvin Harrison fantasy owner, I hope to God they don't rest him. Harrison has been a fantasy beast the last few weeks. I've got round 1 of the playoffs this weekend and need Harrison! I hope you're bluffing Dungy. Deep down I think you want that undefeated season almost as bad as a Superbowl Ring.

Florida Gator Basketball

The University of Florida Gators Men’s Basketball team is undefeated on the season with a current record of 9-0. This is coming from a team that was unranked in the preseason. Wins over Wake Forest, Syracuse, and Florida State quickly got them noticed on a national level. The Gators are currently ranked 7th in the AP Poll.

There is nothing stopping the Gators from going undefeated into SEC play. Their next 4 games include Jacksonville University, Miami, Florida A&M, and Morgan State… all of which are winnable games. Florida won’t play their biggest and toughest rival, Kentucky, until February 4th on ESPN2.

This team is much better than last year’s team which was ranked 1 at some point in the season. They improved tremendously on defense and offensive fundamentals. The gators have 5 players averaging double digits in scoring. Corey Brewer leads the way with 14.9 pts per game, followed by Taurean Green, Al Horford, Lee Humphrey, and Joakim Noah. Brewer also leads the team in rebounds with 6.7 per game and steals with 2.5 a game. Lee Humphrey leads the team in 3point shooting with 30 made in 57 attempts for a .526 percentage. I’ve watched Humphrey play many times. In warm-ups he will go nearly to the half court line and start shooting 3s from there and he never misses. The kid has an amazing jump shot.

Many people criticize the Gators for not having a true big man. Noah is listed as a F/C, and even though he is 6-11, he still plays more like a forward. He is not a big presence under the hoop. Our main center and power man is Chris Richard. He is big and strong. He’s not as tall as Noah, but plays more physical. They Gators play with speed and defense which is a great combination. It’s a winning formula. I’m more excited about this season than last year when we supposedly had 3 superstars on our team… two of which turned into duds (Roberson and Walsh).

Bring on the SEC play. I can’t wait to show these fools what’s up.

Week 15 Power Rankings

Sorry guys I do not have enough time today to post my own comments and my own rankings. If I have time later in the week I'll come back and edit this page to my own liking. But for now I am posting CBS Sportsline's Week 15 Power Poll. I don't see how they moved Houston out of the bottom spot... but other than that it looks pretty good.


POWER RANKINGS
Current
Team

1
Indianapolis Colts
The only way they are stopped from going unbeaten is if they stop themselves, which means shut it down. They won't be stopped in winning their rings. Bank on that.
2
Seattle Seahawks
Boy, do they look good. The Seahawks have been dominant the past two weeks. Still, do we know if they're any good?
3
Denver Broncos
Playing the Ravens close is not a good thing when you're making a playoff push. We'll call that a mulligan.
4
Cincinnati Bengals
They still have designs on the No. 2 seed in the AFC. With a favorable schedule, that's possible.
5
New York Giants
Playing the Eagles is always a challenge for the Giants, no matter how the Eagles are playing. That showed up Sunday. What has to change are the picks Eli Manning is throwing.
6
Jacksonville Jaguars
With three games left against teams that are well below .500, the Jaguars should be a playoff team. If they don't make it, it would be a major meltdown.
7
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
That was a huge win on Sunday to vault them into first place. But they can't celebrate long with the Patriots this Saturday.
8
New England Patriots
They're coming. Hard. As their players get healthy, they play better. It's simple, really.
9
Pittsburgh Steelers
They went retro on Sunday with the Bus running over people. That's what they've been missing.
10
Chicago Bears
At some point the offense is going to have to come alive. They can't win all their games with great defense.
11
Carolina Panthers
What the heck was that against Tampa Bay? In a week, they've gone from division leader to the chance they might not make the playoffs. Wow.
12
Dallas Cowboys
That was a heck of a win over Kansas City, a victory that keeps their playoff hopes alive.
13
Minnesota Vikings
That Love Boat seems so long ago now that they've ripped off six consecutive victories. The defense is really playing well.
14
Atlanta Falcons
They play what is essentially a playoff game Sunday night at Chicago. A loss could end their playoff chances.
15
San Diego Chargers
Let's hear it now: They'll be the best non-playoff team we'll see in a long time. As if that matters.
16
Kansas City Chiefs
Their playoff hopes are teetering, but a sweep of their final three will still get them into the postseason. It won't be easy with the schedule they face.
17
Washington Redskins
After two road victories, the Redskins are still in the playoff hunt with key games against the Giants and Cowboys at home left. All you can ask is to be alive down the stretch, and they are.
18
Miami Dolphins
Nick Saban can flat out coach. The Dolphins will be a test for whoever plays them this season -- and really next year.
19
Philadelphia Eagles
Give Andy Reid credit for getting his team to play hard against the Giants Sunday. A lot of teams would have folded it up after what Seattle did to them.
20
Tennessee Titans
It's not going to be pretty with this team, but at least they're still fighting. That's a good sign for the future.
21
St. Louis Rams
Three more games and they will blow this thing up. Count on it.
22
Baltimore Ravens
Kyle Boller is making strides, which is a good thing for the future. Then again, it's about time.
23
Cleveland Browns
They seemed to have found their quarterback of the future in Charlie Frye. That's a good thing as they build for the future.
24
Arizona Cardinals
This may sound funny, but I don't think this team is that far away. If they improve their running game in 2006, they could push for a playoff spot.
25
Buffalo Bills
This is not a good football team right now and heads will roll after the season. It's just a matter of whose heads.
26
New York Jets
They scored a touchdown. They scored a touchdown. Yes, it's been that kind of season in New York.
27
Oakland Raiders
Changing quarterbacks wasn't the answer. So will changing coaches after the season be it?
28
Green Bay Packers
They found a way to win against the Lions, but who doesn't? Samkon Gado is the real deal.
29
New Orleans Saints
They can't wait to get this mess of season over with and find out where they'll play next season. It's been one of the weirdest seasons in NFL history.
30
Detroit Lions
New coach, same results. Wonder if it that would be the same way if the president was fired?
31
Houston Texans
They find new and creative ways to lose games every week. Are they trying to get the first overall pick? Dan Reeves to the rescue.
32
San Francisco 49ers
After what they did in Seattle, they need to fall to the bottom spot. That was putrid. Give them time, though.

Tim Tebow Commits to Florida

Nease High School quarter back star, Tim Tebow of St. Augustine, Florida, committed to the University of Florida Gators football team late this afternoon on ESPN News. Tebow is the number 1 dual threat high school quarterback in the country. He had his choices narrowed down to Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Southern Cal, and Michigan.

Tebow is fresh off his State Championship with Nease High School. He was earlier named Florida football player of the year, which is voted on by all Florida high school football coaches. Tim Tebow is a home schooled student. He held a 3.5, but scored very poorly on his SATs with an 890. But come on guys, we all know brains smarts don't make great football players. As long as he can read the X's and O's that's all that matters.

Florida already had a top 3 recruting class in the country before the Tebow commitment. This should propel them to the number 1 spot. Things are getting excited for us Gator fans. Tebow fits into Meyer's system perfectly, something Leak doesn't do. Tebow is a threat in the air and on the ground. He should get plenty of reps next season and take over the starting job in 2007.

NFL Playoff Picture

NFL Playoff Picture

There’s three weeks left in the NFL season. Some teams have locked up playoffs spots and home field advantage already. Others are in a dog fight for the last wild card spot. Anything can happen in 3 weeks. Hell, even the Dolphins still have an outside shot at making the playoffs.

AFC North – Cincinnati Bengals
AFC South – Indianapolis Colts
AFC East – New England Patriots
AFC West – Denver Broncos
AFC WC1 – Jacksonville Jaguars
AFC WC2 – Pittsburgh Steelers

I have San Diego missing the playoffs because they still have to play Indianapolis, Kansas City, and Denver. Kansas City misses the playoffs because they New York G, San Diego, and Cincinnati. The Steelers have the easiest ride into the last wild card slot because they play two NFC North teams to finish the season. The NFC is over rated, and the Steelers shouldn’t have any problem winning 2 of 3 or sweeping.

NFC North – Chicago Bears
NFC South – Carolina Panthers
NFC East – New York Giants
NFC West – Seattle Seahawks
NFC WC1 – Tampa Bay Buccaneers
NFC WC2 – Minnesota Vikings

I don’t like the Bears and don’t think they’ll get very far without a quarter back or an offense, but they are winning the division. Atlanta will miss the playoffs because they still play Carolina, Tampa, and Chicago. Now, I have the Vikings getting the WC2 spot, but it may very well change to Dallas. Minnesota is on a roll, but Dallas finishes the season against St. Louis. The NFC Wild Card spots will probably come down to tie breakers.

Should Favre Retire?

The Green Bay Packers pulled out an overtime victory yesterday over the Detroit Lions. They improved their season record to 3-10, hardly a season you can hold your head up for. Favre threw for 170 yards and an interception in the win. No one is blaming Favre for the Packers' horrible season, but do you think it is time for Green bay to start rebuilding? How much longer can Brett play?

In yesterday's game Favre set the record for most consecutive 3,000+ yard seasons at 14. That's every year he has been a Green Bay Packer. Despite throwing for monster yards yet again, favre is having one of his worst season QB Rating-wise in his career. In 1993, he had a 72.2 rating and in 1999 he had a 74.7 rating. This season (although it is not over, we can hardly assume Favre will finish the season with a higher QB rating than he already has) has a 75.4 rating. Hardly something a future Hall of Famer can be proud of.

Can Favre end his career on such a bad note? Will the Packers force him to resign? What if they want to move on and rebuild with Aaron Rogers? As long as Favre is on the team he will be the starter. He will take a back seat to no one. In my opinion, they will never cut him, trade him, or force him to retire. As long as he wants to play he will be welcome. Now, just because Favre wants to play that doesn't mean it is in the best interest of the club to start him... but they will. Favre is an icon to Green Bay and a living legend to the NFL. He is the defintion of greatness.

I don't want to see Favre keep playing until he can hardly walk. I don't want to see him become nothing. Some players have the ability and bodies to allow them to continue their careers into their 40s. Jerry Rice, Roger Clemens, and Michael Jordan all played past their "prime" and continued to be effective. I believe Favre can be one of those players. He just needs the talent around him to be effective. He can't do it on his own. But if they Packers have so much money tied up in Favre, how can they bring in stud free agents?

Should Favre retire after this season? No, I don't think so. I think he has 1 more year in him.

Colts beat Jags. Remain Undefeated

I wanted to write about this game last night when I got home from it, but felt it wouldn’t be in my best interest to write a post when filled with so much emotion. I didn’t want the anger to affect my writing. The Indianapolis Colts (13-0) came into the Jacksonville Jaguars (9-4) house and dominated them from minute 1 to minute 59. Manning threw for 300+ yards and 2 tds against what is supposed to be one of the top passing defenses in the NFL. He picked us a part and had his way with us. This was one of the most embarrassing games I have ever been to. After last year’s day after Christmas shutout against the Texans to miss the playoffs, this is right there.

Don’t let the 26-18 score fool you. Until late in the 4th quarter the Jags were only able to put up 3 points. Del Rio wanted to play ball control and pound the ball. That was his game plan and he stuck to it until it was too late. Del Rio is so scared to deviate from his plan. How he managed to get this team to a 9-4 record is beyond me. If you want to play tough pound the ball football, then at least attempt it with the right running back. Del Rio kept rotating in Fred Taylor and Greg Jones. Fred is either A. Hurt or B. Washed up and done. He just isn’t the Fred of old and needs to be released in the offseason.

Turnovers were key in this game. Kyle Brady had 3 fumbles, one of which luckily flew out of bounds. David Garrard had a fumble in the red zone that cost the Jaguars a possible score that would have tied the game. Outside of that fumble, you have to be impressed with the way Garrard plays the game. He ended with a 103 QB rating. He was able to get the ball away before taking the sack. He throws tight spirals that are on the money. He throws soft lobs when he needs to. He’s getting his timing down with the receivers and should improve each and every week.

Jimmy Smith became the 13th player in the history of the NFL to reach 12,000 yards receiving. His great moment was over shadowed by the amazing play of Marvin Harrison. Harrison was able to burn Mathis on every play. Rashean Mathis is supposed to be a pro-bowler this year. His case for the probowl may have just ended has he got embarrassed by Harrison on several occasions. Mathis bit on every move and got lit up for a 70 yards td catch. The Jags defense as a whole got shown up. All week Marcus Stroud was calling people’s houses telling us to “bring the noise”. The players hyped themselves up too much. They came out too hot. They thought they could beat the Colts and punish them on defense. They played soft and too aggressive causing 3 personal fouls on defense, one on Peterson and one on Henderson for shoving someone’s face in the ground. Way to play with honor guys.

I believed in the Jags. I bought the hype. And so did 70,000 other fans that packed into the sold out stadium. We brought the noise, but the players didn’t bring the game. The stadium was down to 40,000 during the 3rd quarter, and then about 30,000 during the 4th when the Jags actually started to play aggressive. Why do the Jags always wait until the 4th quarter to start throwing the ball? They looked amazing late in the game. They looked like a different team. They played with no heart in the first 3 quarters. They need to watch some 4th quarter film and look at what they did right. It’s always too little too late for us. One thing is for sure, I don’t ever want to hear the Jags hype themselves up and talk like they’re actually going to play and win a game that counts. Don’t get the fan’s hope up. Let us be the underdogs. We are much better in that role.

I predict the Jags will lose 1 more game to probably the Texans. We have never swept the Texans.