Buffalo Solider of South Beach

An open letter to LeBron from the father of a US Marine serving in Afghanistan:

Dear LeBron, 

Just wanted to let you know: You are not at war. You are not a soldier.  What was said on your KingJames Twitter post?

“20+ games left in phase 2. I’m ReFOCUSED! No prisoners, I have no friends when at WAR besides my Soldiers.”

You can tweet it all you want. But what you do and who you are is not even close to what they do and who they are. 

You are probably a nice guy. And you are not the first athlete to compare sports to war; athletes to warriors; games to battle. I don’t mean to single you out. But it is time to stop those comparisons. 

War. Games. Not even close.  We are at war. Remember?

People die in wars. They rarely die playing the games you play. If they do, it is not because they are attacked or shot at or booby trapped by an enemy.  People lose limbs in war. Their bodies are torn apart by IEDs. Their legs and arms are ripped through by bullets and rockets.

You play in arenas in front of adoring fans. You don’t walk streets in villages not knowing who the enemy is or what might be lurking on a roadside, around a corner or behind a door. 

Athletes get concussions, serious business for sure. But soldiers, sailors, Marines and airmen get post traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injuries. They lose their sight and their hearing in bomb blasts.

You travel to your games in the comfort of a chartered plane. You go home to an opulent mansion. You have little danger of coming home in a flag-draped box.

You carry a basketball, not a 50-pound backpack and a rifle. You wear sneakers, not boots. You wear a jersey, not a Kevlar vest.

In Afghanistan right now, soldiers and Marines are sleeping in bedrolls outside in the cold. They cook over an open flame. Think of that the next time you load up at the clubhouse buffet.

[Joseph Swerdt / Sun Sentinel.com]

Amen.

Also, the Heat the lost at home to the Bulls by 1.  Both Wade and James missed in the last 10 seconds, adding to Miami's remarkable 1-for-16 shooting this season on shots to tie the game or take the lead during that final ten ticks.  El Heat have lost 3 in a row and 5 of 6.

Suicide Squeeze - Mark Prior ('92 Upper Deck)

Pretty Girl 03.06.11 - Stana Katic

Damn, I'm a sucker for a French accent.

Just In From the Desert

Let's speak first of what didn't happen.  Jared Goedert did not play... again.  Given the split squad deployment of today's action, I find that quite telling.  At this point it seems obvious that the organization does not have any faith in the man and that he won't get a fair shot this spring.  Goedert went 0-for-4 with 2 strikeouts in the first two games and hasn't played since.  There might be an injury concern, but I have nary a word.

In that same arena, Jason Donald was hit on his left hand while batting in the third inning today.  He was removed from the game and had x-rays.  Those films were negative and Donald will likely sit 2-3 games as a precaution.

Curious as to why we're not talking about Jayson Nix or Luis Valbuena?  Well, they're just not hitting.  Nix is 0-for-7 with 3 K's and Valbuena 1-for-10 with a pair.

Utility OF Battle: Chad Huffman (.571) continued to rake with 3 hits, including a double.  Huffman scored two runs, drove one in, and stole a base.  Shelley Duncan went 1-3 in his spring debut, playing 1B.  His utility may play into the final decision.  Ezequiel Carrera (.294) played 9 innings walked, singled in a run and stole his 3rd bag.  Travis Buck (.500) singled, walked and scored a run.  Buck started again in center and, if he proves to the staff that he can play the position, he takes a step into the lead.

5th Starter:  David Huff threw 3 more shutout innings and hasn't been scored on yet.  Huff surrendered 2 hits and whiffed a pair.  He is neck and neck with Josh Tomlin.  Jeanmar Gomez (8.31 ERA) is not.  Gomez allowed 4 ER on 4 hits and walk over 2 and a third.  Jeanmar had to be removed in the middle of the 3rd inning after reaching his pitch count.  He threw only 30 of his 53 pitches for strikes.

Vinnie Pestano and Tony Sipp each threw a perfect 9th inning.  Sipp struck out 1, Pestano the side.

And not to be a Debbie Downer but Matt LaPorta leads the team in ABs (19) yet has only 2 hits and 1 RBI outside of his grand salami.  On the up side, both hits are doubles.  Matty says that he feels healthy for the first time in a year and a half.  LaPorta is out of excuses should he not produce this season.

Justin Masterson starts tomorrow against the Rockies.

Thanks again to Jordan Bastian for not posting.  I'll leave him alone from now on, unless he gets worse

Suicide Squeeze - Vlad Guerrero ('92 Upper Deck)

If We Want the First Pick, We Got To Stop Playing the Knicks

Cavs record against teams from New York?  3-0.  Cavs record against teams not from New York?  9-49.  The Cavalier traveled to Madison Square Garden for Baron Davis' debut and came away with more than they bargained for... a win.

On a night when the team shot 57% from behind the arc and chose not to play defense (NYK shot 55% overall), JJ Hickson led 7 Cavaliers in double figures with 23.  Davis added 18 & 5 (assists) and Luke Harangody(?) put in 18 of his own as the Knicks were felled 119-115.

The Cavs trailed 104-92 with under 7 minutes to play, but Boom Dizzle turned on the magic.  He netted half of the team's tally during a 14-2 run to tie the game at 106 and dropped an around the world dime that left all of Manahttan wondering what had happened to the ball.  Baron and Anthony Parker both canned treys inside the final minute and Samardo Samuels (they haven't released him yet?) drew a charge on Carmelo Anthony with 2 seconds left to seal the Cavs 11th victory over the Knicks and first road win since November.

The wine and gold are playing with an energy that no one could imagine the league's worst team possessing in March.  Some of that is the charismatic new #85 and some of it is leaving the streak behind (4-4 since), but, most of all, Byron Scott seems to have taken the team to Hell and back for the better.  I could take or leave defense anyway, I'd rather see 250 points on the board every night.  If they can supplement the core with 2 successful lottery picks, the future may be closer on the horizon than we could have dared to hope.
 
Also, the Heat lost to the Spurs.  They lost their second in a row and 4th of 5.  They lost by 30.  And it might have been 40 if both teams hadn't cleared their benches halfway through the final quarter.  As Mike Breen was fond of saying tonight it was "a good old fashioned NBA blowout."

Cheers.

Pretty Girl 03.05.11 - Lara Logan

American journalist sexually accosted by a throng of Egyptians during the protests.  I wonder why?

Just In From the Desert

Chris Perez has been lights out thus far.  Through his 3rd scoreless outing (today), Perez has thrown just 17 pitches over 3 innings (H, 2 K).  This bodes well, as the bullpen is widely seen as the strength of the team.

Another successful outing from Fausto Carmona today, though he did allow his first run of the spring.  The opening day starter went 3 full innings, allowing 3 hits and a walk, while inducing ground balls for 5 of his 9 outs and striking out a pair.  Every indication is that Fausto is locked in this spring and a focused Carmona is an effective Carmona.

It's still the 1st week of March, but the competition for the utility outfield spot is in full swing.  I've been outspoken on the play of Travis Buck (DNP today).  Shelley Duncan, who showed great leadership & good power last season and survived more cuts than a paper doll, has yet to play due to a pulled muscle in his back.  Chad Huffman (.455) homered off of Matt Lindstrom and sent another to the track off of Rockies' starter Jhoulys Chacin.  Ezequiel Carrera (.308, HR, 5 RBI) singled twice, scored 1 run, drove in another and made a tremendous diving catch to begin the 6th.  This early success provides the sort of dilemma that every team hopes for.

After a shaky debut, Alex White pitched a perfect 5th and a hitless 6th.  The 2009 1st rounder struck out Dexter Fowler, Ty Wigginton and Mike Jacobs, while making an excellent defensive play on a 1-out bunt in the 5th.

Lonnie Chisenhall is making it as difficult as possible for the Indians to keep their word to start him in AAA.  Chiz (.500, 3 hits today) scorched his first home run in the 6th and has looked superior at 3B.

If you're wondering why you haven't heard Rafael Perez's name this spring, it is because he has been away from the club welcoming a new Perez-let to the fold.  He is back in camp today, just as the same blessing draws Carlos Carrasco away.  Cheers to both families.

Frank Herrmann, who I'm in favor of for a bullpen spot, pitched a scoreless 9th (H, K).  He's working on adding a splitter to his everyday repertoire, which would be a nice counter to his 4-seam fastball.

I don't commonly root for the division rival ChiSox, but any true baseball fan should cheer for Jake Peavy's return.  Making his first game appearance since last June, the former NL Cy Young Award winner pitched 2 strong innings without giving up a hit.  Jake walked 1 and K'ed a pair.  Peavy is the first MLB player to return to the game after detaching his lat completely from the bone.  That hurts just to type.  ESPN's medical expert explains -



What she doesn't directly state is that Peavy's lat muscle tore off of his humerus (the bone between the elbow and shoulder) and snapped into his lower back like a broken rubber band.  Yeah.  And the dude is pitching again.  Best to you, Jake.

Split Squad for the Tribe on 03.05.  Pitchers Vs. White Sox: David Huff (starter), Jess Todd, Joe Martinez, Zach McAllister and Vinnie Pestano.  Pitchers @ Mariners (not really in Seattle, actually Peoria, AZ): Jeanmar Gomez (starter), Tony Sipp, Kelvin De La Cruz, Joe Smith, and Jensen Lewis.

Jordan Bastian had plenty of time to appear on the play-by-play webcast, so maybe he'll actually post today.  What a POS.

Flick to Click: The Fab 5

Airs March 13, 9p on ESPN.  Go here for a huge set of official ESPN Fab 5 clips.

CBA Marketing Magic

After 18 months of dread and 4 weeks on NON-STOP COVERAGE, the NFL CBA deadline has come... and passed.  Not only did both sides agree to extend the deadline 24 hours until midnite Friday, but they also saw their way to tack on an additional week.  So now the owners and the union can barter until 5pm 03.11.  Many might point to the a Federal court judge's ruling that negated the owners guaranteed $4bil in TV money regardless of a lockout as a motivating factor.  Possibly.  There is opinion and then there is fact.

FACT: The NFL is a marketing machine.  A juggernaut that has rehabilitated the image of countless reckless millionaires, the League and its franchises are recognizable and adored around the world.

FACT: The NFL is so concerned with image that it is regulating the fury of contact out of the game.

FACT: The NFL is hubristic enough to take the tradition of a Thanksgiving night game and prevent the majority of us from watching it.

FACT: The NFL has not had a work stoppage since the replacement glory of '87 (cue Footsteps Falco).

CONCLUSION (if the above are true so must this be): The NFL will do anything to further gild its perception and grow the brand.

INTERPOLATION (this logically flows from the above): The Damocles Sword of a lockout has been a ruse.  In a business where collusion is not only disregarded but is rule of law, all involved have played the hand dealt better than any could have imagined.  While MLB and the NBA have suffered dramatically from strikes/lockouts over the past 2 decades, the NFL has latched onto the massive upside of a CBA expiration: in addition to avoiding any effect to the season, keep your sport in the headlines during downtime.  While Spring Training is in full force and Selection Sunday is 9 days off, the top story remains to be the NFL.  NFL Today is still on ESPN EVERY DAY.  I'm not saying that there aren't issues that the two sides could be closer on, but this is a dog and pony show.  "Oh, we've had 2 years to work this out, but these extra 8 days will be all we need to get this done... FOR THE FANS!!"  And the Oscar goes to...  I never understood how football became America's sport anyway.  I think it must have something to do with short attention spans and one game a week.

I'm not getting fooled, Roger.  Mark my words, despite my deep and abiding wish for the opposite, THERE WILL BE NO LOCKOUT.  This is what you get when the men in the picture control the future of your game.  Go wax your mustache, Arthur Blank.  And all of you screw off.

Cheers.