Tainted Melk

Yesterday we all found out that MVP contender Melky Cabrera tested positive for testosterone, a performance enhancing drug. With this comes a 50 game suspension. The suspension is a huge blow to the Giants and their playoff hopes, as Cabrera was second in the league in batting and first in hits. It’s also a huge blow to Melky because he’s a free agent after this season and this will definitely hurt any offers that may come his way.

Cabrera had a mediocre career in the Majors, at best, until last year when he posted a .305 batting average, 18 home runs, 87 RBI and a .470 slugging percentage, all career highs. Is that when he first started using? We may never know. In my opinion, players don’t get drastically better in their sixth season in the majors without help, either from PEDs or a good coaching staff. Considering that Melky spent multiple seasons in the Yankees organization and one with the Braves (while Bobby Cox was still around) I find it hard to believe that the Royals staff had that much of an impact on him. So far this year, he was batting .347 with 11 homers, 60 RBI and had a .516 slugging percentage. A lot of athletes, sports reporters and Giants fans are saying they are disappointed in Cabrera.

Personally, disappointed isn’t the word I’d use. Pissed is more like it! The Giants had finally created a new Post-Bonds identity with their “Band of Misfits” in 2010. Last year was a tough year but they seemed to have bounced back this season and were having fun like they did during their run to the World Series title. Now, with Guillermo Mota being suspended for 100 games in May for his second violation of the drug policy and Cabrera’s 50 game suspension, the team will once again have to endure the endless questions about dirty teammates. It also gives the haters plenty of ammo. I can see it now:

“Of course they were having fun. They were winning. But only because they had a cheater on the team.”
“Let’s see how the Giants do without PEDs on the field.”
“Test them all! They can’t win without cheating!”

Yada, Yada, Yada. Look, haters of the orange and black, I agree, Melky is a douchebag. I don’t want cheaters on the team any more than the rest of the world. I would rather lose than cheat and have to deal with all the Bonds crap again. As I mentioned earlier, Melky is a free agent after this season. A lot of people are wondering if the Giants will re-sign him. I sure as hell hope not! If they do, they tell the world that they condone what he did. Also, IF Cabrera stops using and returns to his old self, whichever team signs him can expect a mid .200s average and a few home runs. Not exactly high-dollar performance.

As far as the Giants’ playoff hopes, I still think they have a chance. Yes Melky was a huge part of their success so far, but he’s not the only one that can play. Buster Posey is making a case for Comeback Player of the Year with his .330 batting average, 19 home runs and 76 RBI. Pablo Sandoval is back after missing time with a hamstring injury and, although he’s only hit 8 jacks this season, he’s a deep threat every time he comes to the plate. The Giants went out and got Hunter Pence and Marco Scutaro before the trade deadline. Scutaro is an improvement in the infield and Pence is now needed more than ever. He has been getting out of his post-trade funk in recent games and will be a big factor in how far the Giants go. The Giants still have one of the best starting rotations even with Lincecum struggling mightily and Barry Zito being Barry Zito most of the time. The team also has a core of good, young players that can help in a variety of ways. Hector Sanchez is a good backup catcher and can give Posey days off when he needs them. The Brandons (Belt and Crawford) still have a lot of room to improve but seem to be doing so in recent games. Angel Pagan is fast and can play center field well. Pagan and Gregor Blanco lead the team in steals with 19.

With the added wild card and the core that this team has, I’m not really worried about their ability to reach the playoffs. Even without the Melkman, this team has great chemistry and a lot of good (some great) players. They just need to get some ginkgo, stay focused and make sure the instruments are tuned. They may have a few replacement members, but I believe “The Band” is back together.

New Show “Lands” Tomorrow!!!

What’s up, Sharptakers!!! I have decided to stop doing a sports show and have started a comedy/trash talking show with my cousin, Rob. The new show is called The Flying Vilorias and the web address is blogtalkradio.com/tfv. It is a show about what’s going on the world and our lives. We will talk about our past, present and what we hope to be the future. (Hey, we’re not psychic.) No filters, no censors. The show is labeled as explicit, so listener discretion is advised. It is not recommended for those who are easily offended.

We will be doing at least one 2-hour show a week. Maybe more. We will do a lot of talking about random things and also try out four planned segments. Trending Trash will look at the stupid things trending on Twitter. We will likely look at the top trends in the United States and in the Sacramento and San Francisco markets. If you would like us to trash the trends in your area, just tweet us @tfv23 with your market and the hashtag #TrendingTrash. Another segment will be called Shit I’m In To. We will discuss what we are reading on the web and what shows/podcasts we are listening to. Another Twitter based segment is called Taking Out The Trash. We will each have a “trashbag” full of things currently bothering us. If you want to share your trashbag with us, tweet us and use #Trashbag. The other segment we have planned is Hero and Asshole of the Week. That one is pretty self explanatory. If you would like to tweet your nominations, use #HOTW or #AOTW, accordingly.

Of course, you can also interact with us hashtag free if you’re not into Twitter. You can go to our Facebook page, like it, and write on the wall. You can also email us at theflyingvilorias@gmail.com or call the show at (646)595-3230. We are really looking forward to the new show and interacting with everyone.

Petrie Dish

With the NBA Draft just two days away, the internet is swarming with trade rumors. The Houston Rockets seem to be in talks with most NBA teams and I think I just saw they might trade Kyle Lowry to the local maternity ward for a player to be named later. Ok, seriously though, there are rumors that the Rockets are in talks with Geoff Petrie and the Kings in what would be a blockbuster deal. The word on the net is that the Rockets would send Lowry and their #14 and #16 picks in the first round to Sacramento for Tyreke Evans and the #5 pick. The scary thing about this is that Kings GM Petrie may be seriously considering this deal. I think it would be a horrible trade that would set the Kings back another few years.

To me, their biggest need is at small forward where they have had a plethora of players trying to get the starting job for a couple years now. John Salmons and Francisco Garcia are not starters. Garcia is a decent bench guy that can give you a spark when you need it. I’m still not sure why Salmons is back in Sacramento. Terrence Williams is a great athlete and could help this team both at shooting guard and small forward but he’s not a starter either.

The other thing the Kings need is a center. I know, I know. They have DeMarcus Cousins at center. While Big Cuzz has improved immensely in the paint, he needs help. He is tall enough to play center but just imagine if he went back to the power forward spot with another quality rebounder/shot blocker at the 5. He dominates some of the centers in the league but would have a big edge on most of the power forwards.

The 3 spot is what’s causing most of these rumors. The Kings want to move Tyreke to the 3 but he doesn’t want to go there. I don’t blame him. He’s a guard. Always has been. I’m aware that his stats are better at SF but he likes to bring the ball up the floor. He likes to run the offense. I’m not sure I like him being the floor general, but I think you need a legitimate forward out there. The best way to solve a position need is to get a guy that plays that position. I feel that Michael Kidd-Gilchrist will be available with the #5 pick and he would be a perfect fit in this lineup. Oh yeah, and he’s a small forward. He will not be around at #14.

I’m not saying take Tyreke off the trade block, I’m just saying make the right trade. Kyle Lowry isn’t the answer for this team. Isaiah Thomas showed he can run with the big boys, despite his size. He averaged 11.5 points, 4.1 assists and .82 steals in just 25.5 minutes per game last season. In comparison, Lowry played 7 more minutes a game and had 14.3 points, 6.6 assists and 1.6 steals. So 7 minutes will get you a few points, a couple assists and a steal. It can also get you a turnover and a foul. And a partridge in a pear tree. What? Sacramento IS the city of trees.

Evans led the team in assists and scored 16.5 ppg last season while shooting a respectable 45% from the field. While he hasn’t lived up to the hype he created for himself when he Reke’d Havoc in his award winning rookie season, he’s definitely a good guard with the potential to be great. If you are going to trade a top 5 pick AND the guy you drafted to be the franchise guy, you need to get a franchise type player in return. So maybe keep the 5 and trade Evans and another player for a quality big man. Or, if you insist on trading the pick and Tyreke, don’t trade way down. Trade down a few slots, get a good veteran small forward or center as part of the package and pick the other position from your new draft spot.

If the Kings wait until the middle of the first round in a draft that isn’t packed with elite players, they will likely continue to run into the same problems that have been hurting the team for a few years. When a team has a bad year or four, people say “There’s nowhere to go but up!” That’s not necessarily true. With the exception of a few guys, the Kings are full of decent players. Unfortunately for them, “decent” looks more like descent than ascent. So hopefully Petrie will make the right trade so the Kings can quit going the wrong way.

Double J All Day: The Good, The Bad, The STFU

What’s up, Double J Nation! We have a new show this Saturday, June 9, that is going to be a lot of fun. In addition to the customary NBA Playoffs and MLB talk, Jorge Perez, my cousin Rob, and myself will be discussing the best and worst announcers in sports. We will each give you a few of our favorites and a few of the guys we can’t stand. Then we will each award one STFU award to the person we wish would, well, STFU. It should be a lot of fun! The show will be live at 10 am on Blogtalk Radio.

This idea was spawned by my constant perusal of awfulannouncing.com. I highly recommend it for all sports fan who have trouble listening to the drivel some of these announcers are spewing. While you are there, you should search “Dickies” and “Pammies.” for some great quotes from some not so great announcers. You can also follow AA on Twitter @awfulannouncing.

In my opinion, if you are paid to do something, you should do it! Pretty simple concept, huh? Well, most announcers in our sports are paid to speak English. Unfortunately, it seems that an increasing number of them are unable to fulfill this one job requirement. If this frustrates you as much as it frustrates me, join us in the fun! You can call in while we are live at (646)595-3230 or email us at doublejallday6510@gmail.com. You can also tweet us @DoubleJ_AllDay or “like” us on Facebook and give out your STFU award on our wall. I’ve also put the links to the personal Twitter accounts of Jorge and myself in the text above. We look forward to interacting with all of you on the show! Thanks for listening!

Double J All Day: Three In The Key: Sacramento Kings

On April 14th Jorge Perez and I told everyone how we feel about the arena mess. Now it’s your turn, Kings fans! On Monday, April 30, we will be hosting a special Double J All Day episode. This episode will be live from 3:30pm to 5:30pm. The purpose of this episode is to let Kings fans sound off on the team and the arena situation. All callers will be given three minutes to air their grievances with the Maloofs and the dead arena deal or talk about the season that just ended, where you think the Kings should focus this off season, whatever. The subject matter is up to the individual caller, the only requirement being that it is Kings related. Here’s your chance to speak your mind without being interrupted by a host or having to worry about what the FCC will let you say. It’s the internet, folks, say what you want. Get it all out there, it may make you feel better. Spread the word to every Kings fan you know. We will have time for around 35 callers. We will take them in the order they hit our board. The show will be live here and the call in number is (646)595-3230. In the meantime, check out our first eight episodes, like us on Facebook, follow the show Twitter account @DoubleJ_AllDay, or myself @jsharp23 or Jorge @jaypee1890. You can also email your thoughts to doublejallday6510@gmail.com and we will get to them on the show if we have time. If not we will get them on the next show.

Your support has been amazing so far, and we are looking forward to having much more interaction with our listeners in the future. Of course, anyone can call, tweet or email for any of our shows, this is just a forum for the madness that’s going on in Sacramento right now. Thanks for listening!

Can you hear me now? Good!!!

Update (or as Don Geronimo would say “oop dot”): The show is now called Double J All Day and can be found at www.blogtalkradio.com/doublejallday.

 

What’s up Sharp Takers? I’ve decided to expand my repertoire a bit and have a couple big announcements. First, I started my stand-up career last week. I did a short set at an open mic night here in Lodi and had a great time. The video is here http://bit.ly/yccTot. The quality of video and audio is bad but at least you can hear people laughing. I will be doing more open mic nights when opportunities arise.

The other big news is that I now have an online sports talk show. I am hosting The Rite Kings show with my friend Jorge and we have one show up on the site already. The second show will be tomorrow at 10am. We will be talking NFL Free Agency, NBA Trade deadline, NCAA Tournament and MLB. We will be doing at least 1 show a week, sometimes more.

The show can be found at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/the-rite-kings. You can call the show at (646) 595-3230 or tweet us. The show twitter account is http://www.twitter.com/theritekings, my twitter is http://www.twitter.com/jsharp23 and Jorge’s is http://www.twitter.com/jaypee1890. If you miss the live broadcast, you can get the podcast as soon as 5 minutes after the show. So, check it out and let me know what you think.

Quick Takes

First, my thoughts and prayers are with the victims’ families and all affected by the tragic shooting at Virginia Tech.

Now on to my thoughts on some of the goings on in the world.

• The Oakland Raiders will beat the Green Bay Packers this week.

• NCAA football needs a playoff.

• It looks like the Lakers are going to land CP3. Didn’t they learn anything from the South Beach trio last year?

• I’m glad Albert went to the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim near Long Beach north of Tijuana west of St. Louis. Got heem out of the NL. #AngelicPujols

• Sticking with geography, San Diego State and Boise State are joining the Big East for football. Apparently the “East’ stands for East of the Pacific Ocean.

• And finally, the quote of the week! My boss was lost in Stockton today and called me for directions. He told me where he was and said ” I should be on the right side right?” To which I could only respond, ” We are in America, you should always be on the right side.”

NFL Preview ’11

Football season is upon us once again. Yes!!! Welcome to my annual football preview blog, the first on my wordpress account. The usual suspects should be atop the league this year with a couple new teams entering the post-season mix. One intriguing factor for the lower echelon of the the league is Andrew Luck. The Stanford QB will be available to the worst team in the league in next April’s draft. This is so intriguing to fans of these teams that there is a hashtag for it on Twitter. The name of the quest is quite interesting. Go check out #SuckForLuck. Alright, enough about next year, let’s get down to this season.

AFC East

Buffalo – Rookie DT Marcell Dareus should provide much needed run stopping help, but is he the only bright spot on this team? Stevie Johnson could have an impact if Ryan Fitzpatrick can get him the ball. Prediction: 5-11; 3rd in division

Miami – The Dolphins have a QB situation that can only be described as a hot mess. Chad Henne will start the season but Matt Moore is waiting in the wings. That’s exciting. Reggie Bush is a great receiving back, which is good because neither of their QBs can get really get the ball downfield. Prediction: 4-12; 4th in division

New England – Chad Ochocinco gives Brady a deep threat to compliment Wes Welker’s ability to move the chains. Can Albert Haynesworth stay on track? BenJarvus Green-Ellis should continue to improve. Prediction: 14-2; 1st in division

New York Jets – Mark Sanchez needs to play like a franchise QB. He has a little more help with the additions of Santonio Holmes, Derrick Mason and Plaxico Burress. 10 starting defensive players are back for defensive-minded Rex Ryan. Prediction: 12-4; 2nd in division

AFC North

Baltimore – Added Lee Evans to give Joe Flacco another target. Flacco needs to step his game up and return to the success of his rookie year. More depth at corner will help stop deep plays. Prediction: 13-3; 1st in division

Cincinnati – Carson Palmer, Ochocinco and T.O. are all gone. Rookie QB Alex Dalton’s best target is rookie WR A.J. Green. The Bengals are a team rebuilding after a 4-12 season. They will rely on Cedric Benson to do most of the work on offense. Prediction: 3-13; 4th in division

Cleveland – Colt McCoy will continue to grow as the leader of this team. Playing the NFC West, the Raiders, and the Bengals twice should help that growth. Prediction: 8-8; 3rd in division

Pittsburgh – Same team, same result. The Steelers will continue to be a top team in the AFC. Prediction: 12-4; 2nd in division

AFC South

Houston – Solid offense and improved defense under Wade Phillips. Arian Foster’s hammy is a concern but he tweeted that he’ll be fine. The Texans should win this division. Prediction: 10-6; 1st in division

Indianapolis – Peyton Manning just underwent a second neck surgery and is likely out for at least 8 weeks. Kerry Collins has had only a couple weeks to learn the system. It’s going to be a rough year in Indy. Prediction: 5-11; 3rd in division

Jacksonville – The Jags cut David Garrard just days before the season opener. Now Luke McCown is the starter and Blaine Gabbert is the #2. Salary-saving move will probably hurt them. Prediction: 3-13; 4th in division

Tennessee – Chris Johnson got his new contract. Awesome for the Titans. Matt Hasselbeck will have more time to throw behind this line than he ever did in Seattle. Jake Locker can learn a lot from him. Prediction: 8-8; 2nd in division

AFC West

Denver – Elvis Dumervil is back and will make an impact on defense. The Kyle Orton/Tim Tebow drama will likely continue. The Broncos are still a few years away from making any noise on the field. Prediction: 3-13; 4th in division

Kansas City – Few options for Cassel to throw to and a tough schedule will keep the Chiefs out of the playoffs. Prediction: 7-9; 2nd in division

Oakland – Jason Campbell should benefit a little from their deep running game. The loss of Nnamdi Asomugha and Zach Miller will hurt more than most people think. Prediction: 6-10; 3rd in division

San Diego – Tolbert and Matthews will be a potent 1-2 punch at running back. Philip Rivers will continue to be solid. Takeo Spikes and Bob Sanders help bolster the Bolts D. Prediction: 11-5; 1st in division

NFC East

Dallas – Rob Ryan was brought in to light a fire under this defense. So far, it appears to be working. If Tony Romo can stay healthy, the Cowboys stand a chance. Miles Austin and Dez Bryant are good targets for Romo. Prediction: 9-7; 2nd in division

 New York Giants – Eli completes too many passes to the other team. The defense that was once outstanding is already having injury issues. Mediocre year coming up for the G-Men. Prediction: 8-8; 3rd in division

Philadelphia – The Eagles signed Mike Vick to the second $100M contract in his career. If he stays healthy, he’ll be worth it. They also made a splash in their secondary; signing Nnamdi Asomugha and Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie to play alongside Asante Samuel. Look! It’s the NFL’s version of the Miami Heat! Prediction: 12-4; 1st in division

Washington – The Nation’s capital will join the #SuckForLuck campaign. But why would they need him? They have Rex Grossman and John Beck! Thier running back-by-commitee  would be more effective if they had a passing game. Prediction: 3-13; 4th in division

NFC North

Chicago – The Bears have a great defense but they will probably be on the field more than last year. They don’t have much protection for Jay Cutler and the new kickoff rule means they will be starting from the 20 most of the time. That takes away two of their best scoring threats in Devin Hester and Johnny Knox. Prediction: 7-9; 3rd in division

Detroit – Matt Stafford and Jahvid Best will take this team somewhere they haven’t been in a while: the playoffs. Of course, they have Ndamakong Suh on defense to rush the opposing QB. Prediction: 10-6; 2nd in division

Green Bay – The defending Super Bowl Champions still have one of the best QBs in the league in Aaron Rodgers and their team is healthier than they were last year. Scary. Prediction: 14-2; 1st in division

Minnesota – Donovan McNabb replaces Brett Fah-vra as the starting QB in Minnesota. Kind of makes me Ponder how things will go for the Vikes. Of course, they have Adrian Peterson, which always helps. Prediction: 5-11; 4th in division

NFC South

Atlanta – The Falcons are poised to make a deep run this year. Their offensive weapons are ready to attack. Matt Ryan continues to improve, Roddy White and Julio Jones will be a tough duo to stop, Michael Turner will still run you over and Tony Gonzalez is still one of the best tight ends ever. Prediction: 13-3; 1st in division

Carolina – Cam Newton begins his “official” pay-for-play career but how good will he be? We may see Jimmy Clausen at some point in the season. This team is not good enough to make a run at the title in the tough NFC South. Prediction: 5-11; 4th in division

New Orleans – Drew Brees is still here and still an elite QB. Pierre Thomas, Darren Sproles and Mark Ingram could turn into a three-headed monster. The defensive line has improved. Not much has changed, including their potential. Prediction: 13-3; 2nd in division

Tampa Bay – Josh Freeman is good and getting better but the Bucs can’t surprise people like they did last year. Their run defense is a question mark and that’s a big problem. Prediction: 6-10; 3rd in division

NFC West

Arizona – Kevin Kolb is an improvement at QB but there is no proof that he can play and win for an entire season. Beanie Wells needs to produce more for the Cards. Prediction: 7-9; 2nd in division

San Francisco -  Harbaugh has Alex Smith starting the season at QB. Colin Kaepernick is waiting to take over. #SuckForLuck That is all. Prediction: 4-12; 4th in division

Seattle – The Seahawks added Sidney Rice to go along with Golden Tate at wide receiver. Two problems: Rice is listed as day-to-day with a shoulder injury and Tavaris Jackson is the QB. If Rice can get and stay healthy and Jackson can prove he can win, this team could creep up in a weak division. Prediction: 7-9; 3rd in division

St. Louis – Sam Bradford will one day be an elite QB in the NFL. The Rams added Mike Sims-Walker to help Bradford get there. Their first seven games are tough but they have the advantage of playing the other NFC West teams six times. Prediction: 8-8; 1st in division

Post-season

AFC Champion: New England Patriots

NFC Champion: Atlanta Falcons

Super Bowl Champion: Atlanta Falcons

Awards

Comeback Player of the Year: Plaxico Burress, WR, New York Jets

Offensive Player of the Year: Philip Rivers, QB, San Diego

Defensive Player of the Year: Ndamukong Suh, DT, Detroit

Offensive Rookie of the Year: Julio Jones, WR, Atlanta

Defensive Rookie of the Year: Marcel Dareus, DT, Buffalo

Coach of the Year: Mike McCarthy, Green Bay

Most Valuable Player: Aaron Rodgers, QB, Green Bay

There you have it. My thoughts on the teams, their records, the Super Bowl and the awards. That’s my take, what’s yours?

Crosstown Throwdown 2: Bay Boogaloo

Back in April, The Monty Show inspired me to write a blog about crosstown rivalries. I wrote that I don’t care what the A’s do. Their record means nothing to me. However, Monty’s show on Sports Radio 95.7 in the Bay Area has caused me to rethink my position.

Crosstown Throwdown

Hey sports fans! There’s a new sports talk station in the Bay. SportsRadio 95.7 FM replaced The Wolf on April 15 and is the Bay Area’s ONLY FM sports station. The new station means the return of The Monty Show (Facebook, Twitter) to the airwaves. I used to listen to Monty on another station and I’m excited to have him back on the air. If you’ve ever heard Monty, you know that he calls it like he sees it and isn’t afraid to tell you exactly how he feels.

Most of the time I agree with his takes. Like when he says that he believes in hatred in sports. He’s a Cubs fan and HATES the White Sox. I’m a Giants fan and I HATE the Dodgers. I also agree with him that hatred doesn’t belong in other aspects of life. On just his third day back on the air, Monty and John Dickinson were talking about whether you can like both sides of a crosstown rivalry. Monty says no and John says yes. I happen to agree with John on this one.