Good News of the Day

It's a happy occasion. The Phillies didn't sign Mike Piazza today. Not that I'm a Mike Piazza hater. I'm not. He's a great player. Hall of fame career and the like. But the last thing the Phillies needed is another over the hill catcher. We already have one in Mike Lieberthal. They're basically the same player anymore. Really....look

Piazza (2005) 398 AB 41 R 100 H 19 HR 62 RBI .251 BA
Lieberthal (2005) 392 AB 48 R 103 H 12 HR 47 RBI .263 BA


Words can't express how happy I am that Mike Piazza decided to take the chance to catch more games with the Padres, instead of being basically a utility man with the Phils. Hopefully the Phillies will take this opportunity to throw Ryan Howard into the fire against left handed pitching. Also, the Phillies could use a young catcher and signing Piazza wouldn't get us any closer. Just something to think about


Sports Chair Scrub of the Week: LeBron James

Oh yeah. You read that right. The man who was just named the Eastern Conference player of the week is my scrub of the week. Why? Easy. The man with more natural skills than any other player who walks on the hardwood has decided that he's not going to compete in the dunk contest this February. That's just not fair to the many NBA fans who want to see a serious dunk contest, not second rate players going at it. If LeBron competes, it would open up the contest to other top rank players who would join in just to go against LeBron. But since that didn't happen, he's the Sports Chair Scrub of the week.

Reader Request: The Big East

When an avid reader makes a request of the Sports Chair, I answer the call. This request was a little challenging, though, because I am not that knowledgeable about what the reader calls the "dominance of the Big East." Being more of an Atlantic 10 man myself, I don't know a ton about the Big East. Still, the numbers don't lie and it is pretty obvious that the Big East is one of, if not, the best conferences in men's college basketball.

Rather than recap everything the Big East has to offer, I ran across a website here that pretty much sums it all up. Seven teams in the top 25. The ACC and Big Ten follow behind with five apiece.

What's the difference between the conferences then? Well, first off the Big East has Kevin Pittsnogle, and you really can't argue with the comedy of a name like that. Also, some of the lower teams in the Big East have pulled off major victories against ranked opponents (St. John's over Pitt, Seton Hall over NC State, Marquette over UConn). Even recently, Georgetown handed Duke its first loss of the year. Happenings like that show the toughness of a division, when any team has a chance against a far superior team.

Of course, this might not mean as much when March rolls around. It doesn't usually take much for a team to sneak by with a victory. Still, with West Virginia, UConn, Pitt, and Villanova, the Big East will be a force to be reckoned with once the tournament begins.

First Look at the World Baseball Classic

Count me as one of the five people around who are excited about the World Baseball Classic (coming up March 3). I won't lie. I'm really pumped about this. Getting a chance to see players representing their countries. Seeing the games played in stadiums across the world. This will be a great couple of weeks (far better in my mind than the Olympics, but that's just me).

So what happened when I found a roster list of players for each country last night at 12:30 am? I had to stay up and read through every country's list of players. Since most people aren't like that, I thought I could offer a quick rundown of the standout players from each team and offer some opinions. Maybe this will get some interest going in what will be a great new idea for baseball. So, in order of likelihood of making any noise in the WBC, here is a list of the countries involved.


The "Happy to Be Here" Teams - Probably not going to do anything, but they'll still be fun to watch


15. South Africa (Pool B)
Standout players: None

Four players with major league experience. No other players with recent experience against any professional clubs. I like South Africa, I really do. If this was the World Cup, I'd be rooting for them. But I don't see how they can manage to make much noise in a division with the United States and Mexico. Even their manager admits to the challenge, saying "At some point we're going to be sending high school guys out there to face like Derek Jeter and Barry Bonds and Ken Griffey [Jr.] in a big league ballpark. And obviously at that point, nerves become a factor, too." I really don't know if I can say anything positive about the team. Luckily, it's only 138 days until the World Cup starts


14. China (Pool A)
Standout players: None

This is the only team in the WBC without any MLB experience, though all of their players have experience playing in the Chinese baseball league. I can't say I can make any real judgments on this team, but each list needs some teams at the bottom and this is my choice. Their manager, Jim LeFebvre, has some playing experience in Japan but if I could guess a possible problem I think it might be communication issues between the manager and the team. Again, I don't really know but this is my guess


13. Chinese Taipei (Pool A)
Standout players: Chien-Ming Wang (NYY)

This is another one of those teams I know very little about. I did like seeing Chien-Ming Wang pitch last year, but he's all I really know about. A lot of these guys have experience playing either in Japan or the CPBL, whose website gave me no real clues to the level of competition. I'm just speculating here, mostly looking forward to the more powerhouse teams that are coming.


12. Korea (Pool A)
Standout players: Hee-Seop Choi (LAD), Jae Seo (COL), Chan Ho Park (SD)

This might be a fun team to watch. They also have Byung-Hyun Kim so their major league experience is far above some of the other teams mentioned so far. Still, compared to some of the teams to come, Korea will not have the talent to go far. Of course, if they're playing at midnight and I can watch them play, you better believe I will.


The "Question Mark" Teams - Could be great. Could not show up at all. I think these teams are very interchangeable within the group

11. Australia (Pool D)
Standout players: Damien Moss (formerly of TB)

Put another shrimp on the barby, mate. These guys are probably the weakest of this group. Maybe you could even make the case that they don't belong in here. But they have a significant amount of players with major league experience, which I think is a plus. Their manager, Jon Deeble, coached Australia to a silver medal in the 2004 Olympics too. I think that will separate them from the previous group of countries. Still, in a pool with the Dominican Republic and Venezuela, the Aussies don't have much of a shot.


10. Italy (Pool D)
Standout players: Frank Catalanotto (TOR), Marco Scutaro (OAK), David Dellucci (TEX)

Here's an interesting team. A couple of players with serious major league contributions, including one of my favorite names in Frank Catalanotto. Most of the other players have professional experience with various Italian clubs. Plus, there's always the possibility of a Mario-style mustache on one of their catchers (which would double in awesomeness if the player's name was Mario). This team will be fun to watch, though again most of the watching will be them making the D.R. and Venezuela look good.


9. Netherlands (Pool C)
Standout players: Andruw Jones (ATL), Mark Mulder (STL), Danny Haren (OAK)

Another team with some serious contributors from the major league ranks, more so even than Italy. Andruw Jones is a powerhouse coming off of an amazing season. Mark Mulder and Danny Haren are both solid pitchers who will contribute to their team's possible success. Sidney Ponson will be able to defend the team from both bar fights and late night buffets. The Netherlands could easily become an underdog story and make some noise in the opening round.


8. Japan (Pool A)
Standout players: Ichiro Suzuki (SEA), Akinori Otsuka (TEX)
Noteable players missing: Hideki Matsui (Steinbrenner's wallet)

I don't think there is a team I struggled with placing as much as Japan. They are a team with very little major league experience. Yet, the rest of their team has experience in the Japanese leagues. They also have the Japanese Hank Aaron, Sadaharu Oh, coaching their team. It's for this reason I put them up so high. More respect than anything else. I also think they can win in a pool that contains China, Chinese Taipei, and Korea. Of course, I've been wrong before.


7. Canada (Pool B)
Standout players: Jason Bay (PIT), Erik Bedard (BAL), Corey Koskie (MIL)

Canada, eh? Almost made it. What I mean is that these guys could almost make it out of their pool. They have some great talent. They have a player named Stubby Clapp. They even have french fries and gravy. They're the best of the question marks. But they don't quite make it to the next round. Still, if you have to put your money on a dark horse to make some noise, why not try our neighbors to the north.


The "Runner-up" Teams - These teams definitely separated themselves from the question mark teams, yet they aren't quite up to being included in the powerhouse teams either

6. Panama (Pool C)
Standout players: Mariano Rivera (NYY), Carlos Lee (MIL), Carlos Ruiz (PHI-you haven't heard of him yet, but he's good)

The Panama team has a good mix of MLB experience and players with no experience at all. Yet I think they warrant not being in the question mark category. Many of the players they do have are either top tier (Rivera, Lee) or young players who might thrive playing with people from their own country (Bruce Chen, Einar Diaz, Olmedo Saenz). I think if they can get a lead to their bullpen, with Rivera and Ramiro Medoza, they will be a tough team.


5. Mexico (Pool B)
Standout players: Nomar Garciaparra (LAD), Esteban Loiaza (OAK), Rodrigo Lopez (BAL)

Another one of those teams with a mix of MLB experience and professional experience in their own country. A lot of the players from Mexico are recognizable to baseball fans, even if they aren't the best players. These guys include Vinny Castilla, Jorge Cantu, and Luis Ayala. Mexico could come out of Pool B, though Canada will be strong competition. If I was forced to choose, I would choose Mexico, but it's far too early to tell.


4. Puerto Rico (Pool C)
Standout players: Carlos Beltran (NYM), Carlos Delgado (NYM), Javier Lopez (BAL)

This team is pretty loaded. In addition to these standouts, you also have plenty of other solid contributors, including Ivan Rodriguez, Felipe Lopez, and Javier Vazquez. These guys could easily go to the next round in their pool, and even challenge the Dominican Republic and Venezuela. They will play solid baseball together and be one of the best teams to watch. Should be good


The Powerhouses - The name explains it all with these teams. These guys will be gunning for the top spot towards the end.

3. Venezuela (Pool D)
Standout players: Bobby Abreu (PHI), Francisco Rodriguez (ANA), Miguel Cabrera (FLA)

Wow. The scary thing is that this team isn't nearly as good as the next two. They have great hitting in Cabrera, Abreu, and Melvin Mora, among others. They also have some solid pitching, most notably Angels closers Francisco Rodriguez. They're also being coached by Luis Sojo, who has been coaching with the Yankees for the past couple of years. Still, they're a little behind with both pitching and hitting and that will be the difference.


2. United States (Pool B)
Standout players: Barry Bonds (SF), Johnny Damon (NYY), Derrek Lee (CHI)

I've only been listing three standout players, but the U.S. has much more than that. They can run out a pitching rotation of Roger Clemens, Dontrelle Willis, Roy Halladay, Tim Hudson, and Andy Pettitte. In addition to that, they have a bullpen with Billy Wagner, Huston Street, Scot Shields, and Chad Cordero. My question is why did they include Al Leiter in the initial roster? Hopefully he does not make the cut because he's a couple years removed from when he was good.


1. Dominican Republic (Pool D)
Standout players: Albert Pujols (STL), Vladimir Guerrero (ANA), Pedro Martinez (NYM)

If the United States has the pitching, the D.R. has the hitting. This team is seriously stacked. In addition to those three, they have Manny Ramirez, Miguel Tejada, and Alfonso Soriano. The list could go on. In addition, they also have Pedro on the mound. To complement him, they have a couple of young arms in Francisco Liriano and Daniel Cabrera. Watching the D.R. go against the U.S. in the final will be a classic baseball game that could go either way.



So, if you read all of this you're probably as much of a baseball nerd as I am. Hopefully this will help you get excited about the World Baseball Classic coming up (March 3rd). If nothing else, maybe it informed you that such an event was even happening. Now that you know, all you have to do is wait. I know I will

Going with my Gut

If I were to tell you that I was excited about this week's games and the upcoming Super Bowl, I'd be lying. The only team I'm sort of interested in seeing play is the Steelers, but even that is nowhere near the level of excitement I'd have if it was Indy-New England this weekend.

(Quick note: as much as I'm not excited, that Steelers-Colts game went from snoozer to amazing very quickly and might have been the best game of the playoffs. Hearing the announcer's voice through most of the first half almost sounded like someone actually died and they were being forced to call the game anyway. The way that game went seemed very similar to the Colts-Chargers game went down. Of course, I'm not really sure because CBS made the bold move of putting on the Jets-Dolphins on instead. Still bitter about that one)

Anyway, these games aren't really doing anything for me. To be honest, the only reason I'm writing anything about it is because I want to continue to make all the wrong calls (1-3 last week, after going 2-0 the first week). So, in my way of tackling this week, I'm going to rank which Super Bowls I'd most like to see, from what's left of the field.

4. Seattle-Denver
Two teams that seem really bland to me. Nothing exciting about either team really. Might be interesting to see Alexander win a championship. Might be funny watching Plummer make some mistakes (His source of power? His beard. Someone should sneak in one night and shave everything except for that ridiculous mustache he had. Guaranteed three interceptions from him after that). Besides that? Nothing really. I hope this doesn't happen

3. Carolina-Denver
Same sort of feeling, but it would be more exciting to see Steve Smith embarrass another team and win a Super Bowl MVP (If the Panthers win the Super Bowl, it will be Smith getting the MVP).

2. Seattle-Pittsburgh
Seeing how Pittsburgh is actually fun to watch, because they hit hard on defense, force turnovers, and run the ball like champs, this wouldn't be horrible. I think it would definitely go in favor of the Steelers, though it would be a close game. At the end, though, the Bus gets his ring and rolls off into the sunset.

1. Carolina-Pittsburgh
Combine what I'm excited about from the other games (Smith being awesome, Pittsburgh playing good overall football), and you've got an alright Super Bowl. While not a historic matchup, this is the sort of game you want to get the pizza and chips for, get some people together, and actually pay attention to.

With that said, I'm going with my gut and picking Carolina and Pittsburgh this weekend. Why? Because I want to be awake through all of the Super Bowl. Those two give me the best chance of that happening. Of course, since I'm picking them it'll be Seattle and Denver and I'll be playing video games by the third quarter.


Sports Chair Athlete of the Week: Antonio Davis

Look up doing the right thing in the dictionary (because they put phrases in there now). Who will you find? Sports Chair athlete of the week Antonio Davis. Davis went into the stands this past week to defend his wife from what he thought was a drunken fan. Regardless of what comes after, he did the right thing and handled it the right way. I've got a ton of respect for someone like that.

Underappreciated Players Vol. 1: Troy Murphy

Note: There are some athletes out there I respect/like for what they do. This will be a ongoing list as I remember guys who need some props.


When people talk about basketball's big men today, the discussion usually begins and ends with Duncan, Garnett, and Shaq (maybe to a lesser extent Ben Wallace, usually more so when he lets out his fro). But that's about it. Well, I'd like to add another name to that list. Troy Murphy of the Golden State Warriors.

Why do I bring up Troy Murphy? Look at him. Kid averages about 16 and 9 per game. He's giving the Warriors 16 double doubles in 35 games. His points and rebounds have either gone up or stayed strong in each year he's been in the NBA. It looks even better when you compare him with Eddy Curry, Kwame Brown, and Tyson Chandler, all players who went ahead of him in the draft (Kwame's making 3 million more and he does a heck of a lot less).

I'm not saying this kid is the next coming of Bill Walton (though now that I look, their numbers aren't that different). All I'm saying is that if I were running an NBA team, I'd want a guy like Murphy on my team. Hits the boards hard. Consistent with the numbers. No flash, but no trouble either. I respect that

With that, Murphy becomes number 1 on my ongoing list of athletes I respect. Congratulations

Bring Your Appetite

Did you ever notice that any time that there is an especially good amount of games all in a day or two, they say that it's a full plate? Well this weekend fits the bill perfectly with the football playoffs and I've got my plate ready.

To try to make this interesting, I'm going to do this a little differently. Just follow along, all five of you who actually read this.


The Appetizer (New England vs. Denver)

In our playoff dinner, this is the setup game. A great game in its own right, but not quite enough to fill you up. I'm going to go with New England on this one. In last week's predictions I wanted to pick New England, but held back because I was secretly rooting for Jacksonville. No more will I hold back. Belichick is the last coach you want to run into in the playoffs and Denver's habit of not winning playoff games without Elway will continue.


The Drink (Seattle vs. Washington)

Every meal needs a good drink to compliment the meal. My choice would usually be some cold Icy Tea, but to each his own. This game is the drink. Definitely not something you can make a meal out of (unlike the appetizer), this game will be a nice addition to the other heavyweight games. I'm liking Seattle here. Washington showed last week that it can win without an offense, but that was against a different team in Tampa. The combination of Shaun Alexander and Matt Hasselbeck will be too much for Sheriff Gonna Getcha and his deputy Brunell (who they might as well take out behind the shed and finish off).


The Main Course (Indianapolis vs. Pittsburgh)

This is it. The meat and potatoes of the meal. This game will leave you with that nice, content feeling of seeing two great teams at work. I'm liking Indy here, in part because they have the whole "play hard for the coach" deal for them and part because they are amazing on their own. Pittsburgh will make it amazingly tough though and could pull out the win. The fact that the Colts haven't played a meaningful game since their loss to the Chargers might mean something, and if Manning is roughed up it could easily go to the Steelers. Still, I'm moving a notch out on my belt and taking the Colts in this feast of a game.


The Dessert (Carolina vs. Chicago)

This is the closer. A good dessert after a meal means you go home happy. At the same time, you never know what you get with some desserts and I don't know what to expect with this game. Popular opinion seems to like the Panthers, but I like the Bears. They've got spunk, and spunk is a good thing. I don't think DeShaun Foster can put up another beast game, especially against the Chicago D. Along with that, the Bears are coming in rested at home, which will only help things. So the official Sports Chair call goes to the Bears, as a excellent meal comes to a close.


So there's what I think. Even writing this has gotten me a little hungry, but I can wait until the games start. Finally, the Sports Chair award for best player of the past week goes to Chad Johnson, who tailgated with the fans before the game. That's class

Enjoy this week's games and holla at me with your suggestions

Hey! Let's Be Cool and Boo the Ref

Let me get one thing straight. Being from Philadelphia, I was born with vocal chords primed for booing. Some people can sing, others have a great radio voice. Me? I can boo with the best of them. I am not one to discourage my talent either. Starting at a young age I distinctly remember booing along in my car as they took Michael Irvin off the field (classless maybe, but my parents didn't stop me) and I booed at the last Phillies game I went to. It's a part of me

I've got a problem with some people booing, though. If you're at a basketball game and the call doesn't go your way, that is not an excuse to boo. Open up your eyes for a second and watch the play. If it's a cheap call, by all means let loose. The ref deserves it then. If the call is legit, though, let it slide. You only make the fans look bad by booing a good call. Even a bad ref will get a call once in a while

A lot of power can be found in booing. It can be a great way of joining in with the game. Just remember to take the time and watch the game before running your mouth. Everyone will look a lot better that way

A Couple of Playoff Predictions

What up? We've got four great playoff games this weekend and I thought I'd throw in my opinion for some of them.


First off we've got Washington and Tampa Bay. They met up once already this season and Tampa Bay won on a late two point conversion by the Bucs. Personally, I don't think it will be as close of a game this time around. Unlike the other game I'll write about, I don't see any one player on this field being the key to victory. What I do see is that the Bucs have is a (for all intents and purposes) a rookie QB in Chris Simms and a rookie running back in Cadillac Williams.

Compare those two to the Redskins' Mark Brunell and Clinton Portis (here on out known as Sheriff Gonna Getcha). Brunell and the Sheriff are much more experienced players and will have a easier time staying cool if they start off down. Simms and Williams, while good players, aren't experienced in the playoffs and could easily end up in a situation where they are pressing too hard to make things happen. So my pick for this game is Washington over Tampa Bay


The other game I have a feeling about is Carolina against the Giants. There is one player who will be the key to this game and his name is Tiki Barber. Take Tiki Barber out of the equation and the Giants don't have a chance. Eli is not yet the kind of quarterback that can put a team on his shoulders, as I saw when he threw a bunch of interceptions late against the Eagles. While Carolina does have some great players, especially comeback player of the year Steve Smith, none of the Panthers alone could change the outcome of the game.

Tiki, on the other hand, is essential for the Giants' victory. If he has a great game, the pressure will be off of Manning and it will also give the defense a break. That is why my prediction for this game comes with a stipulation. If Tiki Barber is held to less than 120 all purpose yards and a touchdown, the Panthers win this game. If Barber goes for more than 120 all purpose yards, then I think the Giants will take this one. Point being. the key is Barber (speaking of, how come he didn't get a little more respect for the MVP voting.......I know he wasn't tops, but I thought he was pretty important to his team).


The other games are way too hard to read so I'm not going to put my neck out for them. A couple thoughts though. First, I wouldn't mind the Jaguars winning a couple just so I could see the headline "Ernest Goes to the Super Bowl" after Jaqs' Ernest Wilford has a big game in the conference championship. I also wouldn't mind seeing someone like Chad Johnson in the Super Bowl, if only because he could score a touchdown in the Super Bowl and then end up giving out fake Super Bowl rings to everyone in the crowd as a celebration.

That's all I got for this edition of the Sports Chair. If you're enjoying what I'm writing, pass it on to others you know. Later

Here's the Deal

What up? This is going to be the place where I, Nelson, write down my ideas on sports. I figured I needed to start something like this after watching prediction after prediction of mine come true (the proverbial straw was my dead-on prediction of Cliff Floyd's final stats at a time when he was red hot). So from now on out, if I have something to say about sports it's going in here. That way I have some actual proof


Some things you might see here:
-playoff predictions
-opinions on players (more focused on Philadelphia, but I'll cover anything that comes to mind)
-anything else that I might find amusing or important for you, the reader
Things you won't see here? Glad you asked:
-what I think about stuff outside of sports, unless it is incredibly important
-any information about myself (just ask me if you need to know)

I will try to keep up with this as much as I can. Within the next 24 hours, I should have something written for this week's playoff games. After that, who knows what this will hold.

If you have any ideas on what I should write about, let me know. I'm open to suggestions.

Until then, just kick back and enjoy the Sports Chair