http://www.yardbarker.com/blog/mindmatters/home Recent mindmatters Posts en-us April 9, 2012   It has begun! The baseball season that is. My grandfather's favorite sport is back in session. I find it interesting to look at where baseball left off last season like for instance, the Red Sox melting down in September to choke away the wild card.   This year they've picked up right where they left off getting swept by the Detroit Tigers to start the new season. Look I admit I am a Yankees fan but it's so early in the season that I don't really care about wins and losses, it's the way Boston lost that last game. The Red Sox were actually winning by three and manned up big time to choke away the three run lead in seven pitches! Way to snatch defeat from the hands of victory Boston.     Another team full of problems is the Miami Marlins. Marlins pitcher Mark Buehrle slices his thumb opening a jar of mayonnaise.     "I came in to make a sandwich and they said, 'You know we have people who can make sandwiches for you.' I said, I'm a grown man, Sun, 13 May 2012 08:03:40 -0400 http://www.yardbarker.com/blog/mindmatters/article/marlins_pitcher_cuts_thumb_opening_mayo/10780970 http://www.yardbarker.com/blog/mindmatters/article/marlins_pitcher_cuts_thumb_opening_mayo/10780970 Marlins Pitcher Cuts Thumb Opening Mayo http://www.yardbarker.com/blog/mindmatters/article/marlins_pitcher_cuts_thumb_opening_mayo/10780970 http://www.yardbarker.com/images/yb_logo_square_grey.png April 4, 2012   Next month I am going to do something I haven't done since college. I will write a blog everyday in the month of May. It was sort of a dare by some friends and I think it's a challenge I will have no problem with.   The reason I don't write everyday is because there's just not enough time although I'd like to, I can't because I've become too busy. I'm busy with important life issues like scheduling vacation and trying to get onto the best island casino junkets errrr I mean worrying about tax day and when I will visit my relatives back east.     Enough about me, I want to talk about college basketball, specifically women's basketball. First of all congratulations to Baylor for winning. I would congratulate Notre Dame for getting to the title game two years in a row but they lost both games...ouch. Despite that fact, Notre Dame head coach Muffet McGraw had nice things to say about Brittney Griner..I think.     McGraw said, "I think she&#39 Sun, 13 May 2012 08:00:13 -0400 http://www.yardbarker.com/blog/mindmatters/article/coach_says_brittney_griner_like_a_guy_playing_with_women/10780925 http://www.yardbarker.com/blog/mindmatters/article/coach_says_brittney_griner_like_a_guy_playing_with_women/10780925 Coach says Brittney Griner 'Like a guy playing with women' http://www.yardbarker.com/blog/mindmatters/article/coach_says_brittney_griner_like_a_guy_playing_with_women/10780925 http://www.yardbarker.com/images/yb_logo_square_grey.png March 27, 2012   Correct me if I'm wrong but we're in basketball season now right? The world of college basketball is down to the Final Four with the so called "Civil War" between Kentucky and Louisville which is sure to be an instant classic. Then the other game that commentators have forgotten, Ohio State vs Kansas for the right to play for the National Championship.     The NBA is still going on with teams starting to make their moves to get into the playoffs. The Miami Heat have lost a couple of games and everyone's panicking but the Heat are one of those teams that can sort of throw a switch to get into playoff mode so I think they'll be alright. Kobe getting benched is another story.   Mike Brown has guts errrr I mean listen dude was coaching, that's why you hired him Mitch Kupchak. The players on the floor were scoring at will and playing excellent, why mess it up by taking a player out for another one...then again when that other player is Kobe Bryant aka your Sun, 13 May 2012 07:57:11 -0400 http://www.yardbarker.com/blog/mindmatters/article/marshawn_lynch_to_be_in_new_movie/10780919 http://www.yardbarker.com/blog/mindmatters/article/marshawn_lynch_to_be_in_new_movie/10780919 Marshawn Lynch to be in New Movie http://www.yardbarker.com/blog/mindmatters/article/marshawn_lynch_to_be_in_new_movie/10780919 http://www.yardbarker.com/images/yb_logo_square_grey.png March 22, 2012   As most sports fans know Wednesday was an incredible day in the NFL. Peyton Manning became the newest Denver Broncos QB, Tebow became a member of the NY Jets. In New Orleans, the Saints coaching staff were learning their fates. Commissioner Roger Goodell always talks about player safety so I knew the penalties would be stiff...and they were.     Saints head coach Sean Payton has been suspended without pay for the entire 2012 season. General manager Mickey Loomis got an eight game suspension. Assistant coach Joe Vitt was suspended for six games and the Saints have to pay a $500,000 fine and will forfeit its second round draft picks in 2012 and 2013.     Gregg Williams has been suspended indefinitely and Goodell will reevaluate his standing at the end of the 2012 season. There are 20 plus players also involved in "Bountygate" and they could also be punished by the NFL.     Roger Goodell said, "We are all accountable and responsible for player health and safetyan Sun, 13 May 2012 07:55:02 -0400 http://www.yardbarker.com/blog/mindmatters/article/nfl_sends_league_message_with_bountygate_suspensions/10780916 http://www.yardbarker.com/blog/mindmatters/article/nfl_sends_league_message_with_bountygate_suspensions/10780916 NFL Sends League Message with 'Bountygate' Suspensions http://www.yardbarker.com/blog/mindmatters/article/nfl_sends_league_message_with_bountygate_suspensions/10780916 http://www.yardbarker.com/images/yb_logo_square_grey.png March 16, 2012   How crazy is the NCAA Tournament and March Madness? #2 Missou...gone! #15 Norfolk State showed them the door early. #2 Duke...gone! They just got embarressed by #15 Lehigh. Quick, where is Lehigh located? Doesn't matter because they're currently located in the second round. A #15 over a #2 has happened before but not twice in the same tournament and never twice in one day, we are witnessing history.   Believe it or not there's some history going on in the Major Leagues. The history of professional athletes jacking themselves up doing everyday activities. The latest victim is Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Domonic Brown. Brown had to be scratched from the starting lineup with a neck injury he suffered...wait for it...by falling asleep on the team bus!   Brown said, "I really don't know. I slept during the bus ride to Kissimmee, and then in Wednesday's home game, in the third at-bat, it kind of got worse. I don't feel it until I really start swinging. I f Sun, 13 May 2012 07:52:21 -0400 http://www.yardbarker.com/blog/mindmatters/article/phillies_player_injured_on_team_bus/10780910 http://www.yardbarker.com/blog/mindmatters/article/phillies_player_injured_on_team_bus/10780910 Phillies Player Injured on Team Bus http://www.yardbarker.com/blog/mindmatters/article/phillies_player_injured_on_team_bus/10780910 http://www.yardbarker.com/images/yb_logo_square_grey.png March 15, 2012   March Madness is officially underway with the constant "upset alerts" and over analysis shouted at us. Hey bracket guy, because every office has one don't they, how's your bracket looking. Some of you are feeling pretty good about yourselves because so far you have the perfect bracket but most of you have brackets that are garbage because that team you had going to the Final Four got beat earlier Oops! Always next year.   The only thing worse than bracket guy is gambling bracket guy, the guy in Las Vegas laying down action on some team he never knew existed. The same guy who bets on high school and the little league world series you know the degenerates. Wow you know you're a bad guy if you're betting money on children's sports but if it's sanctioned then you can rest assured there's money on it.   With all that's going on in college basketball if I am talking about two former NY Giants getting into a verbal fight on "Twitter" then Sun, 13 May 2012 07:49:59 -0400 http://www.yardbarker.com/blog/mindmatters/article/former_giants_teammates_have_war_of_words_on_twitter/10780901 http://www.yardbarker.com/blog/mindmatters/article/former_giants_teammates_have_war_of_words_on_twitter/10780901 Former Giants Teammates Have War of Words on Twitter http://www.yardbarker.com/blog/mindmatters/article/former_giants_teammates_have_war_of_words_on_twitter/10780901 http://www.yardbarker.com/images/yb_logo_square_grey.png March 13, 2012   College basketball fans, what is up! I know you guys are feeling it right now. If the grass is growing and the weather's getting warmer and we all simultaneously lose an hour of sleep, then you know that March Madness is here. This is my favorite time of the year in sports. Who will win it all, seriously no one knows this year. Hey bracket guy? Uh Oh! #1 seed Syracuse is without Fab Melo, dude just got ruled ineligible to play in the tournament, better change that bracket now.      I love this tournament, the tournament of 64 teams not the cash grab errrr I mean play in games tonight and tomorrow before the real event begins Thursday. The NIT is going on right now. Has there ever been an invitation you dread receiving more than the National Invitational. Basically if you win that you're the 65th best team in the country because you weren't good enough for the NCAA Tournament.     Well I am writing about Georgia Tech who has kicked Glen Rice Jr. off the basketball tea Sun, 13 May 2012 07:46:37 -0400 http://www.yardbarker.com/blog/mindmatters/article/glen_rice_jr_kicked_off_georgia_tech_team/10780898 http://www.yardbarker.com/blog/mindmatters/article/glen_rice_jr_kicked_off_georgia_tech_team/10780898 Glen Rice Jr. Kicked Off Georgia Tech Team http://www.yardbarker.com/blog/mindmatters/article/glen_rice_jr_kicked_off_georgia_tech_team/10780898 http://www.yardbarker.com/images/yb_logo_square_grey.png February 27, 2012   It's the halfway point of the NBA season which means it's time to bring out the extremely tired and lame slam dunk contest, 3-point contest which I used to love when I was a kid, and of course the All-Star game. The showcase of the best players the NBA has to offer. Ahhh the atmosphere, the spotlight, the lack of defense that is the All-Star game.     But this All-Star game was different from more recent ones. Sure there was a party atmosphere but the game slowly took on a more serious playoff like feel.     Dwight Howard may have one foot out of the door in Orlando so when he took the mic to address the home crowd and profess his love it didn't seem authentic, some of the fans expressions were like yeah whatever dude.     After the West dropped 88 points in the first half, the East decided to play a little defense...uh no they didn't but they did start strong a little more and soon the lead went from 20 to 14 to 3 and what do you know we have a game!   Sun, 13 May 2012 07:43:44 -0400 http://www.yardbarker.com/blog/mindmatters/article/kobe_suffers_broken_nose_at_nba_all_star_game/10780892 http://www.yardbarker.com/blog/mindmatters/article/kobe_suffers_broken_nose_at_nba_all_star_game/10780892 Kobe Suffers Broken Nose at NBA All-Star Game http://www.yardbarker.com/blog/mindmatters/article/kobe_suffers_broken_nose_at_nba_all_star_game/10780892 http://www.yardbarker.com/images/yb_logo_square_grey.png February 23, 2012   J.R. Smith is a shooting guard with the currently 'Lin-sane' New York Knicks. Dude is a former Mc Donald's All American (he earned MVP in that game) and participated in the Sprite Rising Stars Slam Dunk Contest which he lost to Josh Smith. He has played for the New Orleans Hornets, Denver Nuggets, Zhejang Golden Bulls (China), and currently with the Knicks.   Smith is a good player but his attitude often gets him traded and into trouble. The Zhejang Golden Bulls fined Smith $1.06 million during their season for missing practices. Golden Bulls General Manager Zhao Bing said that the team was enforcing a clause in Smith's signed contract and that the team warned him throughout the season.   Bing said, "This was the arrangement when he came to the team. Every practice we let him know. If he expressed to us that he wasn't going to come to practice, we'd tell him that in accordance with our contract, we're deducting money from your salary. And he'd Sun, 13 May 2012 07:38:32 -0400 http://www.yardbarker.com/blog/mindmatters/article/knicks_guard_fined_1000000/10780886 http://www.yardbarker.com/blog/mindmatters/article/knicks_guard_fined_1000000/10780886 Knicks Guard Fined $1,000,000 http://www.yardbarker.com/blog/mindmatters/article/knicks_guard_fined_1000000/10780886 http://www.yardbarker.com/images/yb_logo_square_grey.png February 14, 2012   So I'm watching a couple of NBA games as I'm writing this and I've noticed they're not exactly playing in front of packed houses. San Antonio Spurs at Detroit Pistons might as well've been a dark game because it was played in front of tens of fans not thousands. I counted maybe a few thousand fans and I think that's generous. It was a good game too I mean at least Detroit tried to win.    The Knicks did win their sixth game in a row and on the road no less, well they were playing the Raptors but it was actually a close game. If the Knicks make the playoffs I wouldn't be surprised, now if they actually win a game in the playoffs that would surprise me. Another thing that surprises me is an NFL player who gets paid millions to play a game is tweeting that the NFL Commissioner is being over paid. Dude is entitled to his opinion but when you express yourself on social media, you're also entitled to the backlash.   Backlash is what a former high school Sun, 13 May 2012 07:36:17 -0400 http://www.yardbarker.com/blog/mindmatters/article/high_school_coach_posts_nude_photo_resigns/10780883 http://www.yardbarker.com/blog/mindmatters/article/high_school_coach_posts_nude_photo_resigns/10780883 High School Coach Posts Nude Photo, Resigns http://www.yardbarker.com/blog/mindmatters/article/high_school_coach_posts_nude_photo_resigns/10780883 http://www.yardbarker.com/images/yb_logo_square_grey.png February 14, 2012   What is up sports fans! You guys may have a few questions like 'where have you been?' and the answer is...busy. Now it's my turn to ask the questions. Did the NY Giants really win the Superbowl? Did Eli Manning really defeat Tom Brady and Bill Belichick aka the hoodie again? Did Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson have a showdown at Pebble Beach?   Well not unless a showdown means aiming your gun directly at your feet in Tiger's case. Congrats Phil on the win. I'm actually a fan of both of them despite people saying you can't love both. I appreciate great playing and Tiger shot his first three rounds in the 60's so dude is close and many are predicting he will win the Masters.     Let's see I have hit football and golf and now in the NBA the Knicks are on fire and Jeremy Lin is playing out of his mind, here's to hoping he doesn't remember he's playing for the Knicks. Don't get me wrong, I love the Knicks and I love the Garden but the Kn Sun, 13 May 2012 07:14:28 -0400 http://www.yardbarker.com/blog/mindmatters/article/court_says_sandusky_can_see_grandchildren/10780862 http://www.yardbarker.com/blog/mindmatters/article/court_says_sandusky_can_see_grandchildren/10780862 Court Says Sandusky Can See Grandchildren http://www.yardbarker.com/blog/mindmatters/article/court_says_sandusky_can_see_grandchildren/10780862 http://www.yardbarker.com/images/yb_logo_square_grey.png January 17, 2012   Coming off the NFL Divisional games we saw the cream rise to the top of the league. Clearly the most entertaining game was the Saints at the 49ers. Drew Brees and that awesome Saints offense did everything  in their power to get to the NFC Championship game.   The problem is the Saints defense did everything in their power to not go. Yes, the 49ers were at home, but you cannot let a team march down the field in one minute with a couple of 40 yard bombs to retake the lead. As the game progressed I said the Saints are going to need a miracle, no pun intended, to win this game because the 49ers were scoring too easily and the Saints just couldn't keep up.       Coming off of the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday I learned something new about him. I often do research on my heros...my grandparents, my mom, Dr. King. Did you know Martin Luther King Jr. played sports in school. Not only did he play basketball and football but apparently he was great. I've been to Washington, D.C Sun, 13 May 2012 07:12:01 -0400 http://www.yardbarker.com/blog/mindmatters/article/college_football_to_try_playoff_format/10780859 http://www.yardbarker.com/blog/mindmatters/article/college_football_to_try_playoff_format/10780859 College Football to try Playoff Format http://www.yardbarker.com/blog/mindmatters/article/college_football_to_try_playoff_format/10780859 http://www.yardbarker.com/images/yb_logo_square_grey.png January 10, 2012   Hey sports fans what a time it is for us. The NBA's shorted season is giving us some great games seemingly everynight. The NFL's Wild Card games were very telling and at least one of them was exciting as Denver proved there was still some Tebow magic left in the mile high city. I still can't believe they beat the Steelers...well technically the Steelers beat the Steelers in overtime with that coverage. The BCS gave us another Championship thriller...uh no they didn't. I want my three hours back. I will talk more about them tomorrow.   I want to talk hockey, I need to do more NHL blogs. Ever since I went to my first NHL game and sat with some friends in a luxury suite, I was sold. Of course I haven't been back since but I put it out there that whenever my buddies get those same suites I'm game. I will do more blogs on the NHL if their players keep getting injured off the ice in ridiculous ways like Dustin Penner.   Apparently eating breakfast is dangerous for Tue, 08 May 2012 13:08:45 -0400 http://www.yardbarker.com/blog/mindmatters/article/kings_forward_misses_game_due_to_pancakes/10745963 http://www.yardbarker.com/blog/mindmatters/article/kings_forward_misses_game_due_to_pancakes/10745963 Kings Forward Misses Game Due To Pancakes http://www.yardbarker.com/blog/mindmatters/article/kings_forward_misses_game_due_to_pancakes/10745963 http://www.yardbarker.com/images/yb_logo_square_grey.png January 6, 2012   It's a new year and already so much has happened. It was just announced that Bill O'Brien is leaving the New England Patriots to become the new head coach at Penn State. O'Brien has no previous ties to the school and Penn State used to be a dream job and now it's more a nightmare...good luck with that.   Do you guys know Samardo Samuels? He's a reserve center for the Cleveland Cavaliers. Well if I'm talking about him or Cleveland then you know something incredible or incredibly stupid happened and it's the latter. Dude's making headlines for missing a game his team had against Toronto but he didn't miss it due to illness or a death or something out of his control. Nope, dude missed the game because he misplaced his passport. We've all dealt with the Government whether it's waiting for a tax return or getting a new license...bottomline there's some waiting involved, there's no next day air option available. Good luck with that.   Th Tue, 08 May 2012 13:06:56 -0400 http://www.yardbarker.com/blog/mindmatters/article/ny_jets_qb_rips_teammates/10745939 http://www.yardbarker.com/blog/mindmatters/article/ny_jets_qb_rips_teammates/10745939 NY Jets QB Rips Teammates http://www.yardbarker.com/blog/mindmatters/article/ny_jets_qb_rips_teammates/10745939 http://www.yardbarker.com/images/yb_logo_square_grey.png January 4, 2012   Continuing the Year In Review with the Scripps Spelling Bee, the showcase of little freaks errrr I mean talented youth who can spell words that you and I and 99% percent of the world will never use in a sentence. Sukanya Roy won for correctly spelling "Cymotrichous" which means "wavy hair".   The Dallas Mavericks win the NBA Championship with help from the Miami Heat's fourth quarter performances. The post game press conference was more memorable with Lebron dropping his classic "The people who rooted for me to lose have to wake up to the same lives they had before the game", basically I'm rich and you're not. The problem I have with that is he left out the rich people who also wanted him to lose like Dan Gilbert the owner of the Cleveland Cavaliers.   Auburn's assistant coach Trooper Taylor went immortal for becoming the first person to ever chest bump a sitting President of the United States. Taylor and President Obama chest bumped aft Tue, 08 May 2012 13:05:15 -0400 http://www.yardbarker.com/blog/mindmatters/article/the_year_in_review_2011_part_2/10745900 http://www.yardbarker.com/blog/mindmatters/article/the_year_in_review_2011_part_2/10745900 The Year In Review 2011 part 2 http://www.yardbarker.com/blog/mindmatters/article/the_year_in_review_2011_part_2/10745900 http://www.yardbarker.com/images/yb_logo_square_grey.png