CONTROVERSIAL SPORTS BLOG : CBSSports.com Blogs

Why I dislike Braun even more now...

Sat, 24 Mar 2012 9:38:16 EDT

When the news first broke that Ryan Braun used steroids and would be punished with a suspension I found myself saying, "Good, he deserves to be punished." I had a slightly lowered opinion of Braun but my view on him wasn't in the gutter. He still had passed many other tests and has had a very successful career which has presumably been mostly without the assistance of steroids.

However, when I got news that Braun was "innocent" my opinion of him plummeted. In the days and weeks that followed my opinion of the guy gets lower and lower. I find myself asking "why do I think less of a guy who 'beat' the allegations against him." I think I finally understand why after all these weeks I dislike Braun more and more with each passing day. It's because people inherently like to see justice. We walk through our daily lives with the Meritocratic view of life that "if you do good you will be rewarded and if you do bad you will be punished." There is a certain serenity in punishment, a certain balance to life that it provides.

Mickey Mantle NEVER HIT a 600+ Foot HR

Sat, 07 Apr 2012 10:58:27 EDT

The legend out there that Mickey Mantle hit several 600+ foot homeruns is a complete fallacy. I almost got into a brawl in a restaurant over this. A die-hard Yankee fan believed I was calling him a liar. I'm not trying to call anyone a liar but there are multiple reasons why Mickey Mantle NEVER CAME CLOSE to a 600ft. HR:

1. Weight training wasn't around.

2. Baseballs weren't as solid (he played in the dead-ball era).

3. Pitchers didn't throw as hard.

Cal Ripken: The Man, The Legend, The Abuse...

Fri, 18 Sep 2009 3:30:49 EDT

I heard a rumor that Ripken did steroids in the mid 90's.... no wonder why he had so much stamina for consequtive games. I have a friend who went to see Spring Training when Ripken was allegedly at the height of his steroid abuse.... Any other comments that can shed light on this are welcome...

Top 5 Luckiest Athletes of ALL TIME

Mon, 28 Sep 2009 13:34:05 EDT

This post will lightly discuss the 5 luckiest athletes of all time. To emphasize, I do not mean to say that the people listed are not (or were) tough opponents, nor do I suggest that they don't (or didn't) have some talent.... Although I must admit that some of these guys have very little to no talent. The point is that often you have a case of incredible circumstances meeting a good to moderate talent to create a superstar who really isn't as good as everyone thinks. My list of these people is as follows:

1. Joe Namath: By far the luckiest athlete of all time. Interesting Stats: barely had a career 50% complete percentage (50.1%), threw for below 50% completion percentage 7 out of his 12 years, had a career average of 5.6 yards-per-attempt, had a career 65 quarterback rating, etc. I understand that Joe Namath predicted a Super Bowl win by sipping Pina Coladas at the pool and he allegedly "helped" win the big game that legitimized Football's Rival Divisions. However, the man had little talent and was blessed with a superb group of teammates around him. If it wasn't for ideal circumstances no one would ever know who this guy was.