ESPN Outside the Lines: Top athletes' charities often don't measure up

This is one of the reasons I think OTL is the top show that ESPN produces. They have become the 60 Minutes of sports. And I mean they have become what 60 Minutes once stood for when they were great as opposed to the garbage dump they have become today.


from ESPN:
Top athletes' charities often don't measure up to what charity experts would say is an efficient, effective use of money - ESPN:

An "Outside the Lines" investigation of 115 charities founded by high-profile, top-earning male and female athletes has found that most of their charities don't measure up to what charity experts would say is an efficient, effective use of money.

Using guidelines set by nonprofit watchdogs Charity Navigator, the Better Business Bureau and the National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy, "Outside the Lines" found that 74 percent of the nonprofits fell short of one or more acceptable nonprofit operating standards. The standards cover all sorts of aspects, such as how much money a nonprofit actually spends on charitable work as opposed to administrative expenses and whether there are enough board members overseeing the organization.

Among the "Outside the Lines" findings:

• Many athlete charities fail the effectiveness test for a variety of reasons, ranging from the deceptive and unethical -- if not illegal -- to the simply neglectful and ignorant. Some athletes set up foundations as tax-planning vehicles. Others dispute the nonprofit standards overall, saying as long as they spend at least some money on actual charity they should not be criticized.

• In many cases, OTL had a hard time measuring a charity's actual effectiveness because it was behind on filing its IRS tax returns or the returns were filled with errors and omissions. Problems can go unnoticed for years as the main agencies that oversee charities -- the Internal Revenue Service and states' attorney general offices -- don't audit every return.

'via Blog this'



I would add this is not limited to athletes but extends to Hollywood celebrities as well. Many of these foundations linked to celebrities spring up after one crisis or disaster or another, some would say with the best of intentions. But we all know what the road to hell is paved with.


The money shot for the article is found in the sidebar titled:

SOME ATHLETES OUTSOURCE THE WORK

President and founder Marc Pollick said his group is trying to change the thinking among athletes that "You should have a foundation because it's good for your brand" to "You should have a foundation because you care deeply about a certain cause."

"They have a lot of fun at these events. They have a wonderful golf tour. At the end of the day, they sometimes spend months putting these things together to raise $10,000. That's insane," he said. "Just write a check for $10,000 and take the next six months off. That's not philanthropy."

The bottom line seems to be that the caution "caveat emptor" - "Let the buyer beware" needs to be extended to donors.

The problem is more pernicious here because donors are giving for the right reasons - to help a cause.

Athletes and celebrities that use their position to polish their brand and take advantage of peoples emotions needlessly should be viewed in a very harsh light if they are found to be abused this area of trust to say nothing of taking advantage of the eventual recipients of the donations. It is tantamount to stealing and stealing with the purpose of elevating themselves at the expense of those who are on the bottom rungs of society to benefit those who are already well taken care of.

Hopefully, OTL and others continue to take a close look at this situation. Over a century ago, Justice Louis Brandies wrote that "Sunlight is said to be the best disinfectant. If the broad light of day could be let in upon men's actions, it would purify them as the sun disinfects." That wisdom is still true today.

Buster Posey and San Francisco Giants Agree on 8-Year, $167 Million Extension | Bleacher Report

I am with Jon Heyman of CBS Sports' line of thinking 100%.


from Bleacher Report.com
Buster Posey and San Francisco Giants Agree on 8-Year, $167 Million Extension | Bleacher Report:

To steal a line from Heyman (and Giants enthusiasts everywhere, I'm sure), the Giants have won two titles in the 55-year marriage of the franchise and San Francisco.

They are 2-for-2 with Posey.

They are 0-for-53 without him.

'via Blog this'


In fact, as soon  as I read the headline I grabbed my AlGore Global Warming calculator  that I got for attending his All Green, All Wrong, All the Time rally and it came up with the same answer:

Nine more years of Buster Posey = Nine more World Championships for the Giants. 

That's it!! GAME OVER!!

The science is settled, the debate is over and if you disagree, it's because you want to see the polar bears die!! And really now, who wants to see the polar bears die?

Full Update of Surprises, Busts and Injuries at San Francisco Giants Camp | Bleacher Report

If the worst thing Giant fans have to worry about is Tim Lincecum, then it should be a good season. The life on his fastball appears better this spring versus last. He seems to be able to get low 90's again fairly routinely.  The last couple of seasons there was an APB on a 90+ radar gun read. His breaking pitches find a lot of dirt which is murder on the catchhers, a long day of blocking. All the other starter appear to have not missed a beat from late last season.

Both Lincecum and Zito seem to prefer a catcher other than MVP Buster Posey behind the dish. Odd in that Posey ranks highly in many catchers defensive metrics. The Giants seem to be trying to wean both Linceum and Zito away from their own personal catchers.

The over / under on wins should be about 90 this season, which should equate to a playoff spot again. After that, anything goes.

from Bleacher Report:
Full Update of Surprises, Busts and Injuries at San Francisco Giants Camp | Bleacher Report:

Ryan Vogelsong (3.38 ERA), Barry Zito (3.38) and Madison Bumgarner (1.86) are rounding into shape, and Matt Cain had his best outing of the spring his last time out. Vogelsong also looked sharp in his first start for Team USA in the World Baseball Classic on Saturday.

The rotation should be an even bigger strength for the Giants this season than it was last year, especially if Lincecum can chop a few runs off of his 5.18 ERA from a year ago. Despite his 14.73 spring ERA, the smart money remains on Lincecum bouncing back in 2013.

'via Blog this'

New York Giants: Would Brian Urlacher Fit in with Big Blue for 2013? | Bleacher Report

Hmmm.....Brian Urlacher or Dan Connor? Dan Connor or Brian Urlacher? Hmmm.......

Put me down for a yes on this one. This is pretty close to a no-brainer even if you just look at potential for injury -- being on the field enough to be a leader -- I go with Urlacher as the better risk/reward.

from Bleacher Report:
New York Giants: Would Brian Urlacher Fit in with Big Blue for 2013? | Bleacher Report:

But in terms of actual sense, Urlacher's only NFC East fit is the Giants. He'd provide a presence in the middle of their mediocre linebacking corps -- certainly offering more than recently signed Dan Connor would. He's a veteran for a veteran locker room. He surely would like to go to a contender, and the Giants always are that. The Giants are the one place in this division where he'd fit. The only question is whether they're interested, and to this point they do not appear to be. So I'd be surprised to see Urlacher in the NFC East, in answer to many of your questions. But I have of course been surprised before.

'via Blog this'

RIP Joe Weider

We lost a giant in the field today with the loss of The Master Blaster Joe Weider. He brought body building and weight lifting into the forefront of fitness and conditioning where it had previously lagged behind jogging.

My friends and I poured over these principles every month and implemented them into our own training. This was the late 70's -- pre-Schwarzenegger the movie star and mainstream celebrity -- a time when Arnold was considered more of a freak than anything else. Maybe we were freaks as well, but for better or worse the body building craze eventually filtered through the sports world, the fitness world and the strength and conditioning world and it was Katy Bar the Door. 

Weider influenced and educated millions without a doubt. The following is a summary of the Weider Principles from the Facebook site of another giant in power lifting and weight training and a great educator in his own right, Dr. Squat Fred Hatfield.

It says a lot about somebody when they influence and move other giants. It was a bitter sweet trip down memory lane reading this summary.

R.I.P. indeed, Joe Weider

from Fred Hatfield:

Folks, feel free to copy, cut and paste this short explanation of the Weider Principles. This is one of the very important legacies left behind by Joe. I do not want it to be lost to time.

The Weider System

The Weider System has been in existence for sixty years or so, and has grown over the years to incorporate other great training ideas as they came along. It's actually not a "system" in the strict definition of the term, but rather a "guide" to aid you in developing your own personal system based on your own unique recuperative ability, experience, goals, strengths, weaknesses, and ---well -- "guts" to go the distance.

This Weider System "guidelines" comes in the form of a series of training methods collected (and in many instances named) by Joe Weider personally over many years, which became widely known as the Weider Principles. In fact, of the Weider Principles that were developed by Joe personally, one in particular had a major impact on the world of bodybuilding. That was the concept of splitting your workouts to train specific body parts. The split system, double split system and triple split system, as they became known as, are Joe's unique contribution to bodybuilding science.

When I came aboard to work as Joe’s Director of Research & Development, there was just a “box” with a bunch of principles thrown in. There was no organization to them, and I took it upon myself to remove the chaos. Careful scrutiny revealed three broad categories of Weider Principles: 

Principles To Help You Plan Your Training Cycle
Principles To Help You Arrange Your Exercises In Each Workout
Principles To Help You Perform Each Exercise 

It's easy to discern whether this orderly collection of training methods, both in the aggregate and individually, adhere to the seven grand daddy principles (laws) spoken of throughout tmuh of my writing. The simple truth is that individually they do not. But when you look at them in the aggregate, and the guidelines as to when and how to apply them, they most certainly do! Here's why: 

The fact that you are training at all assumes that you know 1) you're going to grow (Overcompensation Principle), 2) you are going to train regularly (The Use/Disuse Principle), and 3) weight training is the most efficient method of doing 1) and 2) as opposed to (say) riding a bicycle (Specificity Principle);

Both the type and amount of adaptive stress each of the Weider Principles deliver to the organism can be manipulated very efficiently and effectively (S.A.I.D and Overload Principles respectively);
Each method listed in the Weider System has its strengths and weaknesses in regards to the specific muscle components it targets (S.A.I.D. Principle), so you must use your instinct and experience in discerning when to apply each, or whether to apply it at all (Individual Differences Principle); and

The list of methods is totally flexible. Within the instructions for each are listed guidelines to aid you in discerning whether to use it and how often to employ it in your day-to-day training microcycles (G.A.S. and Individual Differences Principles); 

The three categories of principles discussed in the Weider System are listed below with a brief explanation of each. One of the principles appears in all three categories. That's the Instinctive Training Principle. it's simple. Use your own training experience and knowledge of how your body responds to exercise stress when planning and carrying out a training program! This must take place on a cycle-to-cycle, day-to-day and quite literally a minute-to-minute basis! 

Principles To Help You Plan Your Training Cycle

Cycle Training Principle (Breaking your training year into cycles for strength, mass or contest preparation you help avoid injury and keep your body responsive to adaptation)

Split System Training Principle (Breaking your workout week into upper versus lower body training, for example, results in more intense training sessions)

Double or Triple Split Training Principle (Breaking your workout down into two or three shorter, more intense training sessions per day)

Muscle Confusion Principle (Muscles accommodate to a specific type of stress ("habituate" or "plateau") when you continually apply the same stress to your muscles over time, so you must constantly vary exercises, sets, reps and weight to avoid accommodation)

Progressive Overload Principle (The basis of increasing any parameter of fitness is to make your muscles work harder than they are accustomed to) 

Holistic Training Principle (Different cellular organelles respond differently to different forms of stress, so using a variety of rep/set schemes, intensity and frequency will maximize muscle mass)

Eclectic Training Principle (Combining mass, strength or isolation-refinement training techniques as your instincts dictate into your program often help you achieve greater progress)

Instinctive Training Principle (Eventually, all bodybuilders instinctively attain the ability to construct diets, routines, cycles, intensity levels, reps and sets that work best for them)

Principles To Help You Arrange Your Workout
Set System Training Principle (Performing one set per bodypart was the old way; the Set System calls for multiple sets for each exercise in order to apply maximum adaptive stress)

Superset Training Principle (alternating opposing muscle group exercises with little rest between sets)

Compound Sets Training Principle (alternating two exercises for one bodypart with little rest between sets)

Tri-Sets Training Principle (Doing 3 exercises for one muscle group with little rest between sets)

Giant Sets Training Principle (Doing 4-6 exercises for one muscle group with little rest between sets)

Staggered Sets Principle (injecting 10 sets of boring forearm, abdominal or calf work in between sets for (say) chest or legs)

Rest-Pause Principle (using 85-90 percent of your max, do 2-3 reps and put the weight down. Then do 2-3 more, rest, 2-3 more and rest for a total of 3-4 rest-pauses. The short rest-pauses allow enough time for ATP to be resynthesized and permit further reps with the heavy weight);

Muscle Priority Principle (Work your weaker body parts first in any given workout; alternatively, work the larger muscle groups first, while you're fresh and energy levels still high)

Pre-Exhaustion Principle (example: superset flies, a chest isolation exercise, with bench presses, a compound exercise involving triceps and chest, in order to maximize chest development by pre-exhausting the triceps)

Pyramiding Training Principle (start a bodypart session with higher rep/low weight and gradually add weight (and commensurably reduce the reps), ending with a weight you can do for 5 reps or so)

Descending Sets Principle (lighter weights from set to set as fatigue sets in --0 called "stripping")

Staggered Sets Training Principle (stagger smaller, slow-developing body parts in between sets for larger muscle groups)

Instinctive Training Principle (Eventually, all bodybuilders instinctively attain the ability to construct diets, routines, cycles, intensity levels, reps and sets that work best for them)

Principles To Help You Perform Each Exercise

Isolation Principle (All muscles act as stabilizers, synergists, antagonist or protagonist. By making any given muscle the prime mover in any given exercise you've "isolated" it as much as possible, and therefore the stress applied to it)

Quality Training Principle (gradually reducing the rest between sets while still maintaining or increasing the number of reps performed)

Cheating Training Principle (swing weight past the sticking point at the end of a set in order to add stress)

Continuous Tension Principle (maintain slow, continuous tension on muscles to maximize red fiber involvement)

Forced Reps Training Principle (partner-assisted reps at the end of a set)

Flushing Training Principle (Doing 3-4 exercises for a bodypart before moving to another bodypart)

Burns Training Principle (2-3 inch, quick movements at the end of a set)

Partial Reps Training Principle (Because of leverage changes throughout any given exercise, it's sometimes helpful to do partial movements with varying weight in order to derive maximum overload stress for that bodypart)

Retro-Gravity Principle ("Negatives" or "eccentrics" as they're called, make it possible to get more muscle cells to respond because you can lower about 30-40 percent more weight than you can successfully lift concentrically);

Peak Contraction Principle (holding the weight through maximum contraction for a few seconds at the completion of a movement);

Superspeed Principle (compensatory acceleration of movements to stimulate hard-to-reach fast twitch fibers);

Iso-Tension Principle (method of practicing posing, tensing each muscle maximally for 6-10 seconds for up to a total of 30-44 flexes in a variety of posing positions);

Instinctive Training Principle (Eventually, all bodybuilders instinctively attain the ability to construct diets, routines, cycles, intensity levels, reps and sets that work best for them)

Celebrate Earth Hour...it's your choice

"Guess which Korea is free and which is a Stalinist dictatorship...Choose freedom."

Or we could let people with the intelligence and reasoning ability of Dennis Rodman run our economic policy and foreign policy. Oops, too late for that one.......this is what happens when you elect idiots into office.

Come Again? Obama Compares Israeli-Palestinian Conflict to US-Canada Relations

http://www.ijreview.com/2013/03/42823-come-again-obama-compares-israeli-palestinian-conflict/

President Obama is a master of diplomatic relations; that is, if false equivalence, bowing to foreign despots, alienating traditional allies and waging wars without Constitutional authorization strike one as statesman-like.

March 23rd 8:30 pm. I'll have every electrical appliance I own running. The choice (and the consequences) could not be any clearer.

from thedailybell.com:
http://www.thedailybell.com/28874/Anthony-Wile-Im-Keeping-the-Lights-on-for-Earth-Hour

There is no question that quasi-political movements like Earth Day are funded by various elite groups that use them to consolidate consensus for global government. The emphasis is always on attacking competitive enterprise in order to offer government as the solution and "protector."

But competition and the application of the market's Invisible Hand is certainly preferable in the long run – as political solutions inevitably tend to grow more onerous.

 And so I am happy to read about Human Achievement Hour. Human creativity and kindness are too often left uncelebrated in the official conversation because that conversation is aimed at creating a consensus for political activism. No problem, no politics of necessity.

Harvard!?! Are you serious???

Enough said....Well, if at first you don't succeed try, try again. Maybe in another 9.2 quintillion years, I will post a perfect NCAA bracket. 

Reasons for ROKU - Benefits of cutting the cord

Apparently we aren't the only ones who have decided to "cut the cord" with cable TV. We were definitely looking for a way to avoid the "cultural rot" of Comcast cable programming and become our home's very own TV producer / programmer. It's a very liberating experience.

from USAtoday.com
http://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/personal/2012/12/07/cutting-the-cord/1754509/

Be content with your content

Pick the video-streaming service that best fits your lifestyle. If you subscribe to too many, you might find you are spending as much as you did when you had cable.

Exactly!!!

We do the same thing in a sense that has been done over the years with newspapers. Via receipt of various blogs and newsletters, I get my morning news delivered to my e-mail every morning. From writers that I trust and select. I become my own newspaper editor.  

Same thing with cable. I used to justify keeping cable with the "I can't do without ESPN". It turns out with the Internet, I can.

Through the magic of ROKU + Video Buzz + Plex + You Tube + Nowhere Man TV,  you can select the clips or programs you want to see every morning (or whenever it's convenient) and download them to your TV. 

You effectively become your own TV producer /programmer.

I get ALL MLB broadcasts -- not just the ones ESPN wants me to see -- for about $200 per year paid monthly or $130 annually paid lump-sum. For an additional $5/month or $25 per annum, all MiLB.tv (minor league) broadcasts are available. I imagine some or all of those are radio, but some will be TV broadcasts. It's worth the extra $5 for that kind of option. 

from Fangraphs.com - Review of MLB.tv

http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/index.php/reviewing-mlb-tv-on-the-roku/

My only regret is that I didn't get a Roku sooner.

I agree!!!

I may add the NHL next season, if they stay on the ice for a full season. They may be higher priced than MLB. Why, I don't know? 

Through Hulu, I get the TV shows I like -- or used to like that the PTB decided to cancel -- like Arrested Development or classics like Adam-12. Movies are there if you like and documentaries

So for between $400-$500, I get all the sports I need and more. I need the traditional (old-school) antenna to get local NFL programming, so I do lose out on ESPN football broadcasts (some college football and basketball) and the NFL Network broadcasts, but WTH?

Here is a breakdown of the costs - depending on whether you pay monthly or lump-sum.

Provider	Annual	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun
MLB.tv	$129.99	$     -	$     -	$24.99	$24.99	$24.99	$24.99
MiLB.tv	$  25.00	$     -	$     -	$  5.00	$  5.00	$  5.00	$  5.00
Hulu	$  95.88	$  7.99	$  7.99	$  7.99	$  7.99	$  7.99	$  7.99
Total	$250.87	$  7.99	$  7.99	$37.98	$37.98	$37.98	$37.98
NHL	$175.00	$24.99	$24.99	$24.99	$24.99	$     -	$     -
Total	$425.87	$32.98	$32.98	$62.97	$62.97	$37.98	$37.98

Provider	Annual	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Total	Svgs
MLB.tv	$129.99	$24.99	$24.99	$24.99	$24.99	$     -	$     -	$199.92	$ 69.93
MiLB.tv	$  25.00	$  5.00	$  5.00	$  5.00	$  5.00	$     -	$     -	$  40.00	$ 15.00
Hulu	$  95.88	$  7.99	$  7.99	$  7.99	$  7.99	$  7.99	$  7.99	$  95.88	$      -
Total	$250.87	$37.98	$37.98	$37.98	$37.98	$  7.99	$  7.99	$335.80	$ 84.93
NHL	$175.00	$     -	$     -	$     -	$24.99	$24.99	$24.99	$174.93	$  (0.07)
Total	$425.87	$37.98	$37.98	$37.98	$62.97	$32.98	$32.98	$510.73	$ 84.86

I really, really like the Plexx - Video Buzz functionality. When used along with You Tube subscriptions, you can get some good programming geared to your own unique interests. If somebody has an active You Tube channel, you subscribe to it and each morning you can scan for new content posted by any one of your subscriptions and que up what the highlights that you're interested in. I get my ESPN fix here. The feature is smart and sometimes "suggests" other videos you might be interested in based on your subsciptions and views. Let them do the work!!!  

There's a channel I discovered called Play on Sports that covers High School sports across the country for schools that participate. Baseball, Basketball, Football, Volleyball, you name it. A youth sports guru's dream come true.  

Here's some of the providers and a sample of the offerings provided:

Nowhere Man - Bloomberg, CNBC, CNN, Russia Today, MSNBC, Fast Money, Fox News, ESPN (Audio), Conan, McGlaughlin Group (Daily)

Hulu - Cops, Arrested Development, Adam-12, Dragnet, Star Trek, Bob Newhart, Office

Video Buzz - You Tube Channels and subscriptions (ESPN highlights, NHL highlights, NFL, MLB)
Plexx - You Tube highlights + other channels (Charlie Rose broadcasts)
Play On Sports - High School sports broadcasts for all sports nationwide from participating schools
Vimeo - .wmv or .mov formats from personal computer

Hopefully, this will be the death blow to the MSM. The alternative media is a potential cultural game-changer is SO many ways. Old-style cable is the horse and buggy or the old, Model T. Out of date and headed for the museum. Once Google or Apple get the Internet and TV married, it's Katy bar the door. 

Saint Mary's Gaels vs. Memphis Tigers - NCAA Tournament Game - Recap - March 21, 2013 - ESPN

My biggest first-round upset special goes down to a narrow defeat. Hopefully not a bad omen, although close would be way better than I have done the last couple of years. For the record -- not that anyone would be cribbing my sheet -- I have Duke, New Mexico, Kansas and Miami in the Final Four leading to a Kansas - New Mexico Championship and a rock, paper scissors Jayhawk title.

Sorry, I meant a Rock, Chalk, Jayhawk title. That chant is so hauntingly annoying and without meaning to me. There, I just jinxed the whole thing.

Oh well, it's only first-round points so it's a minimal loss. Plus, you look good if you pick the "biggest:" upset in the first-round. Some early water-cooler cred. It's Mrs. TheSlav's work pool, so it's her cred on the line. And her money. So heck, I don't care. I would like to have bragging rights at the next company Christmas party though, so Team Slav needs to step it up.

from ESPN:
Saint Mary's Gaels vs. Memphis Tigers - NCAA Tournament Game - Recap - March 21, 2013 - ESPN:

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. -- Down by five with only a few seconds remaining, Matthew Dellavedova and Saint Mary's nearly pulled off an NCAA tournament stunner.

Instead, the senior star's last-second shot sailed long, and sixth-seeded Memphis moved on to the next round.

Dellavedova's 3-pointer from the right wing missed everything as time expired, allowing Memphis to hold on for a 54-52 win over 11th-seeded Saint Mary's on Thursday. The Tigers led by 15 in the first half but nearly gave the game away in the final seconds.

'via Blog this'

Unbeaten Dominicans win World Baseball Classic 3-0 - Yahoo! Sports

A team on a mission. Mission Accomplished!! Congrats to the Dominican Republic.

from Yahoo Sports:
Unbeaten Dominicans win World Baseball Classic 3-0 - Yahoo! Sports:

The Dominicans have their World Baseball Classic crown, at last. Dominican Republic President Danilo Medina understood the magnitude of this victory, and made sure to call right away to offer his congratulations after his countrymen beat Puerto Rico 3-0 on Tuesday night.

'via Blog this'

video from MLB.com (click to run video)

These guys are class acts all the way. Somebody here in the States recently tried to make the case that "Culture matters" and was shut down by the flotsam and jetsom that fancies themselves as the guardians and  gatekeepers of culture in this country. Here is a clear example of that basic fact. Culture matters!!

March 18, 2013 at 7:35 am

Japan’s Show Of Sportsmanship

After the final out of its loss to Puerto Rico, the Japanese team heads out onto the field to bow in respect to fans, opponents.

Read more: http://conservativevideos.com/2013/03/japans-show-of-sportsmanship/#ixzz2O1bWQ5aE

Dominicans beat Netherlands 4-1, reach WBC final - Yahoo! Sports

In a DR-PR final, my money is on the Dominicans. I'm glad to see the Final Four was made up of teams that really seem to care about the outcome of the games.

from Yahoo Sports:
Dominicans beat Netherlands 4-1, reach WBC final - Yahoo! Sports:

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -- After two World Baseball Classics dominated by Japan, this one is coming down to a pair of proud Caribbean nations.

When the undefeated Dominican Republic plays Puerto Rico on Tuesday night in a rematch only three days after they last met in Miami, two island countries with years of baseball success will give the world another version of a Caribbean championship.

''Whoever wins the Classic is really the Caribbeans,'' Dominican manager Tony Pena said after his team's 4-1 win against the Netherlands on Monday. ''It could be Puerto Rico or the Dominican Republic, but it will belong to the Caribbeans.''

'via Blog this'

Report: New York Giants Sign Former Raiders TE Brandon Myers | Bleacher Report

Eli gets his middle of the field target for next year. Nice pick-up!!

Report: New York Giants Sign Former Raiders TE Brandon Myers | Bleacher Report:

Giants GM Jerry Reese was never in a hurry to re-sign Bennett. Tight end has been a revolving door for the Giants, with guys like Kevin Boss, Jake Ballard and Bennett all playing over the last three years and eventually leaving.

'via Blog this'

Puerto Rico vs. Dominican Republic - Recap - March 16, 2013 - ESPN

Puerto Rico surprises Japan to reach the final and now its up to the Netherlands to derail the Dominican Republic juggernaut. The Dominicans will have a little payback on their minds, so I would not want to be the Dutch on Monday night. A PR-DR match-up seems like it's baked into the cake.

from ESPN:
Puerto Rico vs. Dominican Republic - Recap - March 16, 2013 - ESPN:

Both teams had already qualified for the semifinals in San Francisco, and the game merely determined seedings. Puerto Rico plays two-time defending champion Japan on Sunday night, and the Dominicans face the Netherlands on Monday night, with the winners advancing to the championship game Tuesday.

The Dominicans were eliminated from the 2009 WBC when they lost twice to the Netherlands in a stunning first-round upset.

'via Blog this'

2013 Top College MLB Draft Prospects

Here is our current look at the top collegiate prospects entering the season. As always, performance during the season and injury could change rearrange things. 

Other names heard most often are Austin Wilson OF Stanford, Jonathan Crawford RHP Florida, Bobby Wahl RHP Mississippi, Aaron Judge OF Fresno State and Adam Frazier MIF Mississippi. 

2013 TOP MLB COLLEGE DRAFT PROSPECTS

• 1. Mark Appel 6-5,190 RHP Stanford
• 2. Ryne Stanek RHP Arkansas Mid 90's FB and plus CB, former 3rd rounder
• 3. Sean Manaea LHP Indiana State Lit up Cape Cod League with mid 90's FB and plus change up.
• 4. Colin Moran 3B North Carolina May be best pure collegiate hitter, average glove.
• 5. Kris Bryant 3B San Diego Best collegiate power hitter, but misses a lot of pitches.

Mark Appel Prospect Video

2013 Draft: RHP Ryne Stanek (Arkansas)

Sean Manaea - Metrodome

Colin Moran

Kris Bryant (USD)

Thanks, Dad!: Bruce Bochy informs son Brett he’s been cut from Giants roster over dinner | Big League Stew - Yahoo! Sports

This is the business side of baseball. Tough!!

The article says nobody expected the younger Bochy to make the roster. Tell that to Mrs. Bochy. I have a feeling she might just toss a consecutive string of shut-out innings against the coach in the near future. And don't try pull that "Hey honey, wanna see my World Series rings?" stuff for a while. She may try to deposit them in a place where they will be somewhat difficult to retrieve. Maybe a couple of road trips will make the heart grow fonder.

Good Luck with that coach.

from Big League Stew:
Thanks, Dad!: Bruce Bochy informs son Brett he’s been cut from Giants roster over dinner | Big League Stew - Yahoo! Sports:

 That was the unfortunate case for the younger Bochy on Thursday night, though his father did take a different route to informing him than he would for any of his other players. According to Andrew Baggerly of Comcast Sports Net San Francisco, he actually did it in a face-to-face meeting over dinner, which may or may not have added to the awkwardness, but it certainly didn't take away from the disappointment.

“He was disappointed I didn’t bring him in (the office) to cut him,” the manager said, smiling. “Maybe I’ll do it tomorrow to make him feel better.”

'via Blog this'

Dominican Republic vs. United States - Recap - March 14, 2013 - ESPN

D.R. appears to be in the driver's seat. And they seem to 'want' it more. There is something to be said for that.

Roll the tape:
http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=9054644
The Dominican Republic scores two runs in the ninth to top the United States 3-1 and advance to the WBC semifinals.

Dominican Republic vs. United States - Recap - March 14, 2013 - ESPN:

With the final out, several teammates joined Rodney in his familiar arrow-shooting ritual. The victory left Dominican manager Tony Pena choking back tears.

"I feel so emotional," he said in the interview room over the clamor of partying Dominicans on a nearby plaza. "Today was the battle of two titans."

'via Blog this'