First of all, this isn’t about how people are saying the entire staff should be fired. I understand that every single person on that staff has known about this for over a decade. College football programs are like one huge family, and they all talk to one another. So yes I understand all of them should be fired. They are all guilty, but I am going to reach out to all of the people defending Joe Paterno, saying that he did what he was supposed to do. He reported it, and he did so up the “chain of command”.

Lets pretend this is your son, and if you don’t have a son, lets say its your brother. He is ten years old, He is underprivileged, so in order to have somewhat of a normal youth, he enters “The Second Mile Program”. Here at TSMP they ask you to put your “TRUST” in the program to (and I quote) “plan, organize, and offer activities and programs for children – and adults who work with them – to promote self-confidence as well as physical, academic, and personal success” This young boy through this group meets a man by the name of Jerry Sandusky. Mr Sandusky  appears to be a fantastic man to this boy. The young boy now puts his total trust and confidence in Mr. Sandusky. So what does this man do? He brings the boy back to the Penn St. Football building, and sodomizes him. Not once, several times. Taking advantage of this boy’s purity and innocence. A man witnesses this and instead of calling the police, he comes to Joe Paterno and tells him what he witnessed. Joe Paterno is the face of Penn St. University, other than the president of the school he is the most powerful man on campus. What does he do? He reports what happened to the Athletic Director.  Not the police, The Athletic Director. This animal then continues this for another 10 years. Raping over forty boys. Now if this was your son or brother, Is what Joe Paterno did good enough in your eyes?

The bottom line, is Joe Paterno was more concerned with his football program getting negative press and not being able to receive recruits than doing the right thing and putting this monster where he belonged in the first place. The other coaches on the staff are just as guilty, but did not have the ability to nip this in the bud instantly the way Joe Paterno did.   Joe Paterno released a  Statement about the matter and it read as follows,

“This is a tragedy. It is one of the great sorrows of my life. With the benefit of hindsight, I wish I had done more.

My goals now are to keep my commitments to my players and staff and finish the season with dignity and determination. And then I will spend the rest of my life doing everything I can to help this University.”

Hey, “Joe-Pa” don’t you get it? The reason you are in this shambles in the first place is because you were “Helping the University”  and not doing what was right. 

I wanna say I am so happy with Penn State University for doing the right thing and not holding this enabler on a pedestal. Hopefully  justice will be served, and Sandusky and the rest of these animals will be put where they belong. So long Joe-Pa, Happy Valley will be much more Happy without you….

First and foremost they signed him for a one year deal worth 1.5 million dollars. Seeing that Plaxico signed with the Jets for a little over 3 million dollars after being in prison and totally away from football for 2 years, 1.5 million dollars is a steal. Keep in mind Marion Barber is going to make 2.5 million a year, and Sam Hurd signed a deal for 3 years 5.15 million. Roy Williams knows that this is a “prove it to us” deal and will need to perform this year to get paid what he feels he deserves in 2012.

Roy Williams flourished in Mike Martz’s offense while with Detroit when the Lions were basically less than pathetic. Williams is a guy that has shown in the past that when targeted as the number one receiver and is shipped in the ball several times a game he can be effective. The down side is he becomes lazy and has character issues when he is not. (The Cowboys had him virtually as the third option sometimes the 4th) Jay Cutler likes a big target and the Bears are hoping that they can have success with Williams the way the Denver Broncos Offense did when they had Brandon Marshall out there for Cutler to throw to.

The Bears have Darryl Drake on their staff who was at the University of Texas while Williams was a wideout for the Longhorns during his collegiate career. The Bears took this into consideration when signing Williams believing that along with Williams being familiar with the Martz system, Drake will serve as a mentor to Williams and do his best to get the most out of him as possible.

Physically we know that Roy Williams has all the tools. We also know that he has a tendency to become the “Tin man” at times. All things taken into consideration, Roy Williams is being put into a situation to be the man again with a quarterback that is going to love to chuck him the ball, and has familiar people around to make him feel at ease. The sky can be the limit for him and the Bears however, if the ship turns out to be the Titanic, the Bears can abort the ship for a cheap price.

Good signing Jerry Angelo…….

Here we go again, Chicago being Chicago. When asked time and time again why I don’t support the Bears I reply with a plethora of reasons but let’s focus on the most recent one that makes me chuckle.  Here the Bears are being the team with the 3rd most room under the cap to make moves. Minnesota? improved, Miami? improved, even the Patriots managed to make a move (again) Seattle making deals and Arizona will have a new Quarterback by the end of the week. The Bears?…. still hibernating.

This drives me completely insane and I am not even a Bears fan. I love this city but I would like to see the Bears never win anything for the rest of my life. This is a typical Bears season where instead of going after another big name like they did with Peppers and Cutler (and it worked) they will take the cheap way out and sign a few mediocre guys for small amounts and try to pretend to be geniuses while attempting to make chicken salad out of chicken sh*t. Why? Simple, because jobs and asses are not on the line here. They made the NFC Championship game last year so fans have their minds set on optimism. They have the “we aren’t that far away” illusion up and the sad thing is majority of the fans are buying it.

Lets talk FACT, Minnesota signed Mcnabb and will improve, Detroit with the addition of Fairley now makes that defense tough and if they can keep Stafford healthy will be one rough squad. The Packers? Well they managed to win the Superbowl last year with 11 guys hurt in the line up and now have an improving Aaron Rodgers coming back with 9 starters. They will be the favorite to win the whole dance this year. Where does this leave the Bears? Well you tell me.

Their desperate need for help on the Offensive Line is obvious but what about adding a big name receiver? The biggest names are gone but there is still Plaxico Burress sitting out there. Worried about him being rusty from prison? Ask Michael Vick how that turned out. What about the weakness at corner back? Nnamdi Asomugha is still out there and available. Sign him and move Peanut Tillman to Free Safety where he would probably make the Pro Bowl there. How nice would Marion Barber look inside the five yard line where Forte clearly has problems getting into the endzone? Not to mention you can ride him in the forth quarter to close out games.

How long is it going to take for this family owned team ran with a bean counter mentality to learn that complacency is the worst possible mentality if you want success? Make the big sign and give the fans with they deserve since they are so loyal. But in Chicago, Its not about winning or losing, its about squeezing the fans for all they have and making an extra penny. Bears, prove me wrong please. Your fans deserve it.

Whenever you are a fan of the Yankees, you are used to people giving you a hard time regardless of where you are at. It comes with the territory and If you aren’t used to it by now you should stop supporting them because it is never going to stop. Besides, a true Yankee fan enjoys the razing they get from other fans. It is part of the fun. But I do want to touch on a topic that really disappointed me about the evening and to be honest, bothered me enough to where I almost got involved in something that had nothing to do with me personally. (Thank Goodness I didn’t)

When it comes time to choose between the Cubs and Sox, it really doesn’t matter all that much either way but its kind of like voting for the president in today’s day, you pick the one you dislike less so I pick the Cubs. I havent been to Wrigley field since the infamous “Bartman Game” so it had been sometime for me. Let me just say, That even though I live 3 blocks away, I won’t be going back anytime soon. It is a shame because when it comes to the actual venue, it is one of the only true “ballparks” left. You actually feel like you are in a park not a hotel.

The fans however were repulsive. Now, before I go on, I understand you are going to say there are imbeciles everywhere so its unfair to judge by just one experience. You may have a point, but it was enough to turn me off I cannot help the way I feel. By the third inning, it got to the point where these people we so belligerently drunk, they were screaming out not only swear words, but despicable vulgar words right in front of children. One guy said to a woman in her 20s holding up a Yankees sign “I hope you die on your way home you F**kin C**T”. Another group of fans were telling a heavy-set man in front of his kids that he was a Fat F**k and they were throwing beers at him.

Believe me there are far more things that went on but Id be writing this forever, at what point in time do you realize that what you are doing is deplorable? People like this need to be held accountable some how some way. I know things like this happen in parks everywhere not just Wrigley, but the overall vibe of the park itself was terrible for a “baseball fan”. People will tell you how great it is because everyone is partying and drinking but in reality, you are there to have a few drinks while you watch the game. You aren’t there to drink so much that you become a total scumbag and ruin the game for everyone else around you. People paid GOOD MONEY for their tickets and didn’t deserve that type of treatment. Not just the Yankee fans, but the other Cubs fans there to see the game with their family.

GROW UP PEOPLE….. YOU SHOULD BE ASHAMED OF YOURSELVES!!!!

*The Heat prides themselves on their defense, but its much easier to defend a one-dimensional offense.

During the series with the Bulls, whenever the Heat needed big stops, they seemed to get them. But as I said in my last blog where I picked the Bulls to lose, the Bulls offense is anemic and one-dimensional. Every point needed to come through Rose. So when push came to shove, Lebron would guard him and when need be, he was doubled with another defender. This wont be the case with Dallas, they have a plethora of players that can score and they will not go into long droughts the way the bulls did as scoring will be coming from all directions.

*Dirk Nowitzki is not Derrick Rose

Right now, even though Lebron has shown us how dominate his defense can be, and, hes closing out games better than he ever has, nobody is closing games like Dirk. He is undoubtedly the hardest player to stop right now and he is a seasoned veteran unlike the talented Rose who is still wet behind the ears. Down the Stretch, LBJ isn’t going to be able to make Dirk a non factor.

*The Mavericks will capitalize on opportunities when they get them unlike Chicago did.

Too many veterans…. they have been there before. Miami gave the Bulls several chances to get back in the game and sometimes even win the game. But the Bulls were unable to execute when needed. Dallas had proved time and time again when given a crack in the door, they knock the damn door down. 

*Chandler and Haywood presence will show.

Two big athletic big guys that will be able to crash offensive and defensive boards and make it a little tougher for LBJ and wade to do what they want in the middle. Also, When played at the same time as Dirk, it makes Dallas’ Big line up very efficient.  Haslem was a huge factor against Chicago, he won’t be vs Dallas. The Bigs on Dallas are very athletic and no one on Dallas is as horrid defensively as Boozer. 

LBJ is nearly impossible to stop, But Dallas does have Shawn Marion.

Shawn Marion is a veteran defender that will make LBJ work to score, he wont be able to completely shut him down, but with him having chandler and Haywood to play help defense down low, and have Terry or Kidd help him on the perimeter, don’t be surprised if you see an inefficient game or two out of the Queen, I mean King…..

At the end of the Day I just think that even though Miami has 3 outstanding players, Dallas is far deeper than them. Now I know you all are going to say the Bulls were deeper too, but Dallas’ role players in my opinion are more seasoned veterans built for playoff basketball. I also think Dallas is a far better team than chicago even though the Bulls had the best record in the NBA this year. I have been saying all year that the Bulls were like the real estate market in 2004, overvalued. I truly believe Dirk Nowitzki right now is the better closer than LBJ even though Lebron has stepped up his game, and I will admit, looks as determined as any player I have ever seen to win a title this year. When push comes to shove, I think that Dallas is going to beat Miami for the same reasons all of you thought the Bulls were going to beat them. Dallas’ TEAM is better than Miami’s THREE. Also…. its time for Dirk to make his mark as one of the best to ever play this game, and earn himself a new nickname… “The King Killer”

Dallas in Six……

* Lebron James and Dwyane Wade will play better than they did in Game one.

Chris Bosh is the only member of “The Big Three” to show up game one, This makes it impossible for the Heat to win given their weak bench, period end of sentence, we all know this. Some say that Bosh played well because the Bulls let him be to contain Wade and James with help defense. That is an excellent theory and it hold water for sure but I do not agree with it. With Noah switching on the perimeter to help up top it’s going to leave Boozer to guard Bosh and he is just a defensive liability. Bosh will be a factor this series no matter what the circumstance is. Lebron and Wade shot eight free throws combined last game. This number will increase significantly tonight when they both make it their business to focus on getting to the cup more. I’m going to look for two of the leagues best players to step it up tonight, knowing full well they do not want their backs against the wall.

*I do not think Luol Deng will have a repeat performance. 

LBJ stepping up his game is going to make Deng work awful hard on defense, he was a key in game one with his scoring and I do not believe he will have another 20+ scoring night (someone else may step up and fill his void but that remains to be seen… :cough cough: BOOZER???)

*The Bulls will not hit ten 3 pointers again tonight.

Chi-town was 47% from behind the Arc last game shooting 10-21 and I  do not think they will repeat the same performance again tonight. The Heat’s Weakness defensively is down low not up top with Wade, LBJ, and Chalmers. Deng had 4 threes himself when’s the last time that happened?

Derrick Rose is insignificant in the Bulls winning…. (yes I said it)

Relax don’t get your pants in a bunch, Rose is the M.V.P. of the league and  it wasnt even close this year. What I mean by this Rose will bring his A game each and every night without question, but he will not be what wins the game tonight or any game for this series. The Bulls cannot win by out  ”super starring” the Heat (for lack of a better term) that’s not going to happen. To win they are going to need to do it as a team and other players need to step up. Game one Rose had the quietest 28 points I have seen all year. Why? people focusing on Deng out performing Lebron, Taj Gibson’s two monster dunks, and the Bulls’ relentless team defense. All of these need to stay consistent for a Bulls win. Easier said than done. 

People have been saying from the beginning of time that it is defense that wins championships. I have never been one of those people. You need to put up points to win championships because when push comes to shove, great defense hardly ever stops great offense. You can tell me all you want the Bulls are deeper and they play awesome team defense. What you are saying is true, but if they rely on Rose to take 35 shots to score points they can not win. They will need players like Deng, Boozer, and Gibson to step up and score tonight in order to win. Also I think with The Heat getting to the rim and drawing more fouls will make up for the huge rebounding difference in game one.  It is your classic battle of stars vs a better “team”. In my opinion when the starts shine bright, it’s too tough for the team to see straight. 

Heat win tonight and win in six.

My father grew up in a section of Chicago known as “Little Italy”, obviously this section of the city was predominantly Italian and Chicago Cubs fans. My father as a little boy had an idol ball player on another team, Mickey Mantle of the New York Yankees. He even told his substitute teacher during attendance call his name was Mickey Mantle. Anyone that went to a Catholic grade school in those times knows what the nuns did to you when you pulled a stunt like that. (I always did admire his courage) Needless to say, my father’s passion for the Yankees has set the foundation for what has become tradition passed down to his two sons, not only sports related, but more importantly family related. It has become much more than baseball, it has become a special bond between father and son, brother and brother, Brother and cousins, and now fortunately, boyfriend and girlfriend. Times that no matter what, we will never forget, and can never be replaced.

Getting back to my father. Anyone that happens to know my father personally can relate when I say that he is greatest man I have ever met in my life. A man who at all costs, lives for his children.  He does not take elaborate vacations, buy himself fancy clothes, or go out on long nights with his friends. He would rather spend his time thinking about how he can do something for his children. I have played organized sports of some kind for more than twenty-five years, my father has missed (maybe) a handful of my games. Needless to say, his children are his life and he doesn’t ask for much. One of the things he does look forward to, is watching the Yankee game with his two sons. A time where he can sit back on the couch with his boys, and just be a kid again. He knows that regardless of where life may take his family, the Yankees will always be something that holds him and his sons together. After all that he has done for me in my life, one of the small things I can do for him, is root for something that will make him happy, because at the end of the day, his children’s happiness is most important to him.

There have been some other great relationships that have grown much closer also as a result of my father and his love for the Yankees. I have two cousins, Bobby and Maxx, that are more like little brothers to me than cousins. I grew up in a family building where they lived above me with their mom and dad. Getting them hooked on the Yankees at a young age was one of the best things I have ever done in my life. Much like my father and I, we all spent night after night together watching those games, and over time those memories also built a strong bond between us. I thank God every single day for having those two in my life, they helped mold me into the man I have become today. I love you guys, and thank you for all the great memories you have given me throughout the years. Ill always be here for you, and we will have lots more to celebrate in the future.

I have had the luxury of dating the most amazing woman for the past year in a half, Sarah. Even though it has only been a year and a half, it seems like she has been a part of my family forever. When she first heard of my passion for the Yankees, Im not sure she understood why I was such a dedicated fan.  But after being around for the season, and observing the way a lot of my family bonding is held together by the Yankees, she now is the most understanding woman in my life, and believe it or not, it has also brought us closer to one another. I have gained even more of her respect by showing her just how much my family means to me, and how important it is we all communicate and spend time together. Sarah has been like an angel in my corner. Thank you Sarah for being there for me and my family, and thank you for just being you.

Last but definitely not least, my ace in the hole, my best friend, the closest person to me in my life, my brother Michael. We have a lot of things to keep us close, but one of the biggest bonds we have is the New York Yankees. We know deep down in our hearts how much our father has done for us, and we will do anything together to make him happy. Over the years we have been there for each other side by side, and it may not be Aaron Boone’s Homer in 2003 that has kept us close, but “memories” like that will have us talking with our father for years to come. My brother will never realize what he means to me. Even when we argue (hes always wrong) I always enjoy him being my right hand man. Thanks Mikey…. I love ya baby bro.

So there you have it. I hope I have answered everyone’s questions. Truly all that will ever matter to me is my family, because truthfully when the smoke clears, that is all we have is one another. That being said, if it is the New York Yankees that will be the cement in my family’s foundation, then so be it. For years to come many people and things will come and go, but your family is forever. I would like to thank you New York Yankees from the bottom of my heart. Thank you for all of your wonderful memories in the past that have helped shape the relationship between my family and I. Thank you for helping make my relationships stronger with my friends who hate the Yankees , because of you there is always something for us to talk about. Thank you for assisting in my new relationship with my girlfriend Sarah, who now has a better understanding of how important family is to me. Thank you New York Yankees, I will forever be in debt to you.

NYY UNTIL I DIE

Your forever loyal fan

Joe Yankee

The problem begins when these arguments start to turn hurtful. Which I am sorry to say happens all too often with my friends and family. I would also be a hypocrite if I didn’t say that I have been at the helm of many of those arguments. I have managed to put together a list of points that I would like to get across to those reading this. What they mean to me is basically a list of reasons to not let arguments be the solution to any issue.

1)    You end up making a mountain out of a molehill

I cant tell you how many times I’ve heard arguments start about something so miniscule, and before you know it, you hear the most awful things coming out of each other’s mouth. It breaks my heart to see two people not speak to each other over an argument that started over what was better “Chocolate or Vanilla” and ended with the most awful things being said to one another.

2)    Most of the time you end up off the topic anyway

It is unbelievable to see that most of the time the argument spirals so far out of control that by the end of the debate, you aren’t even arguing about the same topic that originally started the conflict to begin with. I know you are chuckling right now because you know I am right.

3)    Majority of the time it turns into “Who can yell the loudest”

Sound familiar? The debate starts, and in no time at all, it becomes a contest of who can get the most spit on the other person by screaming in their face the loudest. A good portion of the time it’s not even debating anymore its just plain screaming.

4)    Nobody likes fisticuffs.

Time and time again, the quarrel gets so heated that by the end of the fight, the two people are physically fighting. Nothing can be worse than visiting your brother in the hospital after you punched him in the face because he said the hat you had on looked “stupid” (Don’t laugh, that actually did happen to someone I know)

5)    At the end of the day nothing POSITIVE will EVER be accomplished.

From my personal experience, this is the hardest concept for my family and friends to grasp. They just cant seem to understand that no matter how loud you yell, what you say, how good of a point you have, etc. there is no judge there that will say “YOU WIN”. The person you are arguing with will not change their view. So in a nutshell, you are ultimately just wasting your time, breath, and energy. All that is going to end up happening is hurtful remarks will be exchanged, and feelings will be hurt.

The bottom line is, we need to find a different way to solve a problem besides arguing with each other. I am so tired of seeing my friends and family upset, not talking, holding grudges, screaming and yelling at each other etc. People, life is too short, and the sooner we all realize that being hurtful to one another to get your point across is not an efficient solution, the better off we will all be. (Myself included) I have said this time and time again, I love my friends and family more than anything else in the world, and I know that this blog isn’t going to win an award anytime soon. However if one person reads this and saves themselves an argument, that may help save them a relationship. That to me, is worth more than any award I will ever win in my life.

I love you all