Weekly Sports Headlines

           TroxTalk is not ESPN, but there were a few interesting things that took place in the world of sports this week that I wanted to hit on.

             The Reds are off to a respectable 8-4 start so far this season. After last weeks opening day game winning walk-off homer by Ramon Hernandez, Cincinnati sits alone atop the NL Central. They are one of the best teams in baseball right now, but after last nights game against the San Diego (whales vagina) Padres I think we all should be a bit concerned as Reds fans. Rocket armed relief pitcher Aroldis Chapman has seen about 10mph drop off his fastball over the Reds recent skid of away games. I, for one, hope this is a result of fatigue from being brought in to pitch during 4 out of their last 5 games, and it's not because of an injury that he is trying to play through or might be developing. He is rumored to be having a check up with team doctors sometime in the near future. We at TroxTalk wish him all the best.

 

          The Detroit Red Wings won their first Stanley Cup playoff game of the season Wednesday night against the Phoenix Coyotes. The final score was 4-2. I incorporate this into this weeks sporting news only because I am hockey fan, and I would encourage all of you nay-sayers to check out at least one NHL playoff series in the coming months. I was hooked immediately after witnessing my first Stanley Cup playoffs and I've loved the sport since. Maybe you will too!

                 Manny Ramirez apparently decided to retire this week after failing yet another Performance Enhancing Drug test. The only problem is, he didn't exactly tell anyone. After going 1 for 17 in his first 5 games with the Tampa Bay Rays, Manny was facing a possible 100 game suspension due to his latest PHD transgressions..Rather than face the music, he simply filed his retirement papers and disappeared without letting any of his coaches or teammates know he would not be returning. They had to find out on SportsCenter like the rest of us. After a career which saw him high-fiving fans midplay, disappearing behind the outfield wall to relieve himself, and playing entire innings with a water bottle in his back pocket, nothing should surprise us. His career ended the same way it began, with Manny just being Manny. He doesn't have to watch SportsCenter to discover he won't be treading anywhere in the vicinity of Cooperstown.

            First and foremost, I want to say that have never liked Allen Iverson, and I've never been a fan of any celebrity pulling the "Do you know who I am?"card... During a routine traffic stop where Iverson was riding shotgun while his friend Antwuan Cilsby was driving his silver 2007 Lamborghini Murcielago, things went awry. The initial stop was made because an officer noticed that the license plate on the vehicle had expired almost two years ago. (I thought rich people had servants who handled this sort of thing for them??) In typical Iverson fashion, Allen refused to cooperate, and went on a 20 minute tirade which resulted in his car being towed as well as a handful (or 5) of citations. "Take the car, I have 10 more like it! Don't the f$%#in' police have anything better to do than be f%$#in' with me?! DO YOU KNOW WHO I AM?!" Hopefully this won't be the last time we hear about Iverson breaking the rules and then flying off the handle after being held accountable. The last few times have been pure gold. This might be the most resentment I've had for AI since my days of playing NBA Jam on SEGA Genesis. He was ridiculous at raining 3's on me then, and he has ridiculously rained disappointment on us all ever since. What I'd like to know is why he didn't just stick to what has worked for him in the past.."U-turns? We talkin' 'bout U-turns? Not a speeding ticket..Not a vehicular manslaughter that I manage to come out here and avoid in my Lambo e'ery day! What are we talkin' about? U-turns? We sittin' here. I'm supposed to be a licensed driver. And we in here talking about U-turns..."

             Golf is boring. We all know that. And while the hills of Augusta are majestic and the stage for some of the greatest moments in the history of this snoozefest of a professional sport, there was something I've noticed this past week that kind of pissed me off, and I want to address it. I promise you, this is not becoming a golf blog or anything. On Sunday Charl Adriaan Scwartzel became just the 46th player in the history of the PGA to EARN himself the coveted green jacket. It has been a few days since his victory and so far I have heard absolutely no one give the guy his props. All I've heard about is how silly people think his name is, how Tiger Woods played his best golf in years (he finished tied for 4th), or how Rory McIlroy blew his big chance at the age of 21... The headlines should have been about how Schwartzel shot a 66 after birdies on the last four holes, which was the best performance in the final round of the Masters in about 22 years or so. No big deal. I've got your back Charl! Let me be the first to really give you the congratulations you deserve. We can't all be adultery ridden, waitress chasing, SUV crashers. Maybe you should have your people come out with an iPhone app that shows people how to win and lose a contest with a little class. I am sure it would outsell Tiger's crappy "My Swing" app.