Blue Flame Party!

It's been awhile folks, please pardon the absence of opinionated complain-er-y; alas though, I return. It's been over a month, but honestly can you blame me? I'll we've had is the tournaments and second semester NBA, both which are really not that interesting unless you're a die hard for either sport until the Final Four or playoffs. And my return just happens to come on the day of the true start of the MLB season. But SportsLadd, it started Sunday with the Red Sox vs. Yankees. I say neigh! The old tradition of the start of baseball was not that of the Sunday night two random teams contract with ESPN start to the season you young fellers know of, but more a tip o' the hat to the oldest and original professional baseball team. How many knew that lil' nugget o' knowledge? Probably the guys who share I share a last name with to be honest, if you're not one of them and you knew, congrats you win a virtual high five!
Anyone else confused as to why Bud Selig is the most stubborn man in the world when it comes to baseball tradition in reference to banning Pete Rose, instant replay, and keeping the DH? Well mainly because those aren't real traditions, just the hot button issues of the baseball world he is afraid to tackle. Yet Selig has changed some of the actual traditions of baseball, The Reds no longer open up the season the day before everyone else, The All-Star game "means something" now, Barry Bonds wasn't investigated before he "broke" records. Here's the short answer, money. Baseball like football is now a business, not a sport. There's no money in allowing Rose to be elected to the HOF, but there is in not looking into Bonds' 35 lbs. muscle gain, more homers more tickets sold. A contract with ESPN for two currently hot teams means more money than The Cincinnati Reds, a team who has been hovering near .500 for about the past 10 years.

Ok I'm done.

Welcome to the League Rookie of the Year Jason Heyward, terrible start to the year buddy.

MArch Madness is over - Disappointments: Every 1 seed but Duke, and Ohio State... I wasn't thinking National Champs, but I figured you could at least make it to the Final Four, especially when with our regions 1 seed knocked out, especially with The Naismith winner. Sheesh, good thing I was recovering from a surgery, on morphine when the Buck's shot -1,000% against Tennessee.
Also in case you didn't watch, Goliath: Duke turned up the D to 11 for the last 33.5 seconds of the game to keep David: Butler from making America happy. Especially since everyone ever hates Duke (it's on a t-shirt so you know it's true!). I personally am not a fan of Duke, and Coach Mike Kryszwikscechski, which is pronounced Shuh-chef-ski, never really was my scene. But that man can coach, and put together a team. Not to mention he took the least talented 1 seed in the tourney to the championship game and won it. But this isn't about him, it's about the kids, the collegiate athletes, the ones who have to study before each game not just the other team, but their own classes. And these Duke Blue Devils behaved nothing like their nickname, the won and behaved like men, not like animals, they didn't run around jumping on press booths in front of the defeated team, they shook hands and rejoiced. These 18-22 year old kids played like men and behaved like men, and I respect them, and feel if you're going to hate Duke, put it off for a year, unless you're a Tar Heel, then as a Buckeye fan, I can in no conscious mind ask you to like your arch rival. Congrats Duke, I actually think you deserved it, and congrats Butler, you're no longer doomed to the utterly clever jokes, being asked if your professors are Jeffery and Benson, The Ninja Kittehz will have your back, justice for all.

Welcome back sports, we missed you.