SPORTS HITS

Every so often I get emails from a guy who shows be the latest shoes that are coming out and yes there is a new pair of Jordan shoes from Nike coming out. I found this interesting on several different fronts. I would have guessed that by now Air Jordan shoes would not really be big sellers anymore, but that must not be the case since they still come out with new models every now and then.

This just goes to show you the staying power of Michael Jordan. Not to many sports stars I can think of when you say there name instantly know what a great sportsperson he actually was. His peers respect him and try to be like him. The only other guy that comes to mind that when you say his name people say yeah he was the man and that is Jim Brown. Jordan is in a class by himself when it comes to basketball.

Yeah we now have Kobe Bryant and Lebron James, but in reality only certain people can change the game like Jordan and Brown did. For Nike they latched on Jordan and it looks like a great move because they are still selling his shoes even far past his retirement.

Monday, June 29th

NY Mets 6 Final
Milwaukee 10

Boston 4 Final
Baltimore 0

Chi White Sox 6 Final
Cleveland 3

Chi Cubs 3 Final
Pittsburgh 1

Tampa Bay 4 Final
Toronto 1

Washington 2 Final
Florida 4

LA Angels 5 Final
Texas 2

Minnesota 2 Final
Kansas City 4

San Francisco 10 Final
St. Louis 0

Detroit 1 Final
Oakland 7

Houston 3 Final
San Diego 1

Colorado 2 Final
LA Dodgers 4 in 13

Philadelphia at Atlanta 7:00 PM Blanton vs Lowe

Boston at Baltimore 7:05 PM Smoltz vs Hill

Chicago Sox at Cleveland 7:05 PM Richard vs Lee

Seattle at NY Yankees 7:05 PM Morrow vs Chamberlain

Chicago Cubs at Pittsburgh 7:05 PM Lilly vs Ohlendorf

Tampa Bay at Toronto 7:07 PM Garza vs Richmond

Arizona at Cincinnati 7:10 PM Haren vs Arroyo

Washington at Florida 7:10 PM Stammen vs West

NY Mets at Milwaukee 8:05 PM Santana vs Burns

LA Angels at Texas 8:05 PM Saunders vs Feldman

Minnesota at Kansas City 8:10 PM Baker vs Bannister

San Francisco at St. Louis 8:15 PM Johnson vs Carpenter

Detroit at Oakland 10:05 PM Galarraga vs Gonzalez

Houston at San Diego 10:05 PM Hampton vs Banks

Colorado at LA Dodgers 10:10 PM Marquis vs Billingsley

Iowa High School coach Ed Thomas funeral was attended by thousands which should not surprise anyone. Thomas was more than just a high school football coach he was a community leader who lead by example. If someone needed help Ed Thomas was the first to step forward no matter what. His life was cut short, but that does not lessen the contribution Ed Thomas made to his community and the kids he coach.

Many times we forget about the contributions that high school coaches make throughout the country in all types of sports. Ed Thomas was one of the good ones and his class, work ethic, and the lives he touched will always be remembered. if you do not believe me just ask any former player he coach what a difference he made in their lives. That was what Ed Thomas did and will be remembered for the difference he made in people’s lives.

Well I think it’s time we start talking NFL Football as it will not be long before pre-season gets here so we are going to look at the AFC East Today and see what we think it will look like this year.

Last year the Miami Dolphins were the surprise of this division and it could be them again or could it. Let us look at this division and see if we can predict a winner. Tom Brady will be back with the New England Patriots and this means the Patriots should be better which is not what rest of this division wants to hear. Rodney Harrison retired from the Patriots, but they will be strong. A lot will depend on how long Tom Brady can last as they do not have Matt Cassell backing him up so the Patriots could be in a little trouble.

The Miami Dolphins were the surprise team of this division and they bring everyone back and add Jason Taylor back. They should be very good this year and look for them to be one of the teams on the Patriots back all season long. Their defense is one of the toughest last year and look for it to be as strong as ever. My real question is will the offense score enough points for them to win games and not depend on the defense to do it all.

New York Jets fans again were disappointed as they thought the bringing in of Brett Favre was something that would lead them to a Super Bowl it did not happen. Now the Jets landed Mark Sanchez and he will have a lot on his shoulders, but he should be able to handle it after a few seasons in the NFL. The Jets could be a wild card in this division.

The Buffalo Bills biggest move was getting T.O in the off-season. Last year the Bills had many issues and one of the biggest was keeping everyone healthy. If they can do that they might have a chance to do something in this division. How much will the T.O. factor be in Buffalo? Yes, he will sell tickets, but the bottom line is T.O. does not play defense for them so it could be a little while before Buffalo contends.

Time for predictions from this division.

1. New England Patriots
2. Miami Dolphins
3. Buffalo Bills
4. New York Jets

This will be a division that could be very competitive. No matter what the records were last year I look for this to be close all season long.

Maria Kirilenko is a tennis star on and off the court that has become larger then life. At a very early age she has loved the game of tennis and has worked hard at making herself better at the sport. She is just another in the long line of Russian tennis players that have done well in tennis. Maria also does modeling as well for her good looks has given her many other opportunities. She also is one of the most searched ladies on the Internet which just tells you about her star appeal to many different people. Below is some pics of Maria.

Boston at Baltimore 7:05 PM Lester vs Berken

Chicago Sox at Cleveland 7:05 PM Floyd vs Pavano

NY Mets at Milwaukee 7:05 PM Nieve vs Looper

Chicago Cubs at Pittsburgh 7:05 PM Harden vs Duke

Tampa Bay at Toronto 7:07 PM Niemann vs Halladay

Washington at Florida 7:10 PM Olsen vs Nolasco

LA Angels at Texas 8:05 PM O’Sullivan vs Padilla

Minnesota at Kansas City 8:10 PM Blackburn vs Hochevar

San Francisco at St. Louis 8:15 PM Lincecum vs Thompson

Detroit at Oakland 10:05 PM Porcello vs Anderson

Houston at San Diego 10:05 PM Oswalt vs Geer

Colorado at LA Dodgers 10:10 PM Jimenez vs Wolf

Sunday, June 28th

Cincinnati 8 Final
Cleveland 1

Philadelphia 5 Final
Toronto 4

Boston 1 Final
Atlanta 2

Washington 5 Final
Baltimore 3

Kansas City 3 Final
Pittsburgh 2

Florida 2 Final
Tampa Bay 5

Chi Cubs 0 Final
Chi White Sox 6

San Francisco 7 Final
Milwaukee 0

Detroit 4 Final
Houston 3

Minnesota 6 Final
St. Louis 2

Colorado 3 Final
Oakland 1

Seattle 4 Final
LA Dodgers 2

LA Angels 12 Final
Arizona 8

NY Yankees 4 Final
NY Mets 2

San Diego 2 Final
Texas 0

This week we lost an icon that thrilled everyone with his music and touched many lives. Most people do not equate Michael Jackson with sports, but his music still is used by ball players even after his death. After hearing of his death many Major League players asked to use some of his songs as they walk to the plate or out of the bullpen. Several Milwaukee Brewer players did and are planning to use them longer as a tribute and respect for the great entertainer.

Most people do not realize that Michael jackson crossed many different boundaries and sports was just another one that he touched. His music will be around forever and will be missed, but his legacy will live forever and you might just hear his music at your favorite ball park as well.