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Slope Media is Cornell’s student media powerhouse! As a part of Slope Media you can write blogs, film or star in TV shows, write TV shows, interview guests on campus, review concerts, host your own radio show and more.

Not interested in producing content? Slope also has tons of departments to help you gain valuable business skills including: Finance, Marketing, and HR.

To learn more about Slope Media and how to get involved come to our info sessions

Wednesday September 1 @ 5pm in Goldwin Smith Hall 142
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Don’t miss out on the chance to get heard. Create. Perform. Get Heard.

Slope Media is Cornell’s student media powerhouse! As a part of Slope Media you can write blogs, film or star in TV shows, write TV shows, interview guests on campus, review concerts, host your own radio show and more.

Not interested in producing content? Slope also has tons of departments to help you gain valuable business skills including: Finance, Marketing, and HR.

To learn more about Slope Media and how to get involved come to our info sessions

Wednesday September 1 @ 5pm in Goldwin Smith Hall 142
Sunday September 5 @ 3pm in Goldwin Smith Kaufman Auditorium

Don’t miss out on the chance to get heard. Create. Perform. Get Heard.

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Now let’s recap the summer. The oil industry is not doing so hot.

Obviously, the BP oil spill was an extremely terrible phenomenon, with devastating effects and implications that scientists have not yet imagined. This has been publicized so much that I would honestly worry for your mental health if you have not heard of it or do not remember it. But has anyone noticed that there have been not one, but TWO more oil spills since then, both of severe proportion? I, personally, was shocked to hear the news, since I usually try to keep up with this kind of thing. Granted, I definitely slacked off over the summer. But yes, there was an oil spill in China when two pipelines exploded. It was described as the “country’s worst oil spill” (1). And in Kalamazoo County of Michigan, one of Enbridge Energy’s pipelines sprung a leak, and this too has been called the “largest oil spill in the history of the Midwest” (2).

And, to really add some sci-fi horror to the oil drama, BP has come up with a new scheme, more chilling than ever: they have an island consisting of 31 acres of gravel, 3 miles off the coast of a wildlife reserve in Alaska, and placed an oil rig on top of it. This way, the drilling will register as an onshore rig. They have calledl it “Liberty Island,” (3) which is probably just the most ironic name they could think of. Sadly, this rig is not affected by Obama’s moratorium on offshore drilling. They plan to drill 2 miles under the sea and then 6 to 8 miles horizontally to reach an oil reservoir; however, their plans have been halted since to the Gulf oil spill so that their safety and spill plans can be more closely reviewed.

Looking at all of this information, it seems clear that oil industries are one of the worst things to happen to the environment. And yet oil businesses are becoming more and more desperate to keep drilling, in more dangerous places, and with riskier tactics.

But the problem, easy as it is to blame the potentially ignorant oil businessmen and politicians, does not lie within the oil industry. It lies in the perpetually growing demand that the world economy is placing on oil. And the solution to that requires a change in our energy systems, way of thinking, way of life, almost everything.

I think this has a common theme with pretty much every environmental problem right now. We continue to treat only the symptoms of an underlying disaster. And I am beginning to realize that this disaster is not just an environmental one; there is an economic crisis and a social one as well, and they are all related.

45 percent of the world’s population lives below the $2-a-day poverty line. More than 1.1 billion people live below the $1-a-day level. Of these that live in developing countries, between 1 in 6 and 1 in 12 children die before their fifth birthday (4). These are the people who are suffering due to the economic growth and environmental demands of the world as a whole, and these are the people who are affected by climate change the worst.

This information may seem slightly irrelevant to the rest of this entry. The point is that we are facing crises on 3 seemingly different fronts, but we need to start treating them as one.

We living in the beginning of a new era, one where people are just beginning to realize the enormity of the situation we are in, and realize that something has to be done to address the root of all our problems: we simply cannot consume without thinking about consequences. We need, instead, to pursue sustainability: environmental, social, and economic sustainability. We need equality: between rich and poor, developed and developing, people and the earth. We need justice, a moral imperative to help the helpless, including impoverished peoples and degraded lands. We need change. Nothing like the beginning of the year for a good old-fashioned plea for change, right?

References

1. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-10819987

2. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/07/27/michigan-oil-spill-among_n_661196.html

3. http://www.businessinsider.com/bp-liberty-artificial-island-alaska-2010-6

4. http://www.neweconomics.org/sites/neweconomics.org/files/Growth_Isnt_Working_1.pdf

See Forbes’ breakdown of Cornell here:

http://www.forbes.com/lists/2010/94/best-colleges-10_Cornell-University_94108.html

Anyone out there think they can do it? That’s what I thought.  For the average, somewhat-athletic human being, this is doable. The bar for this so called “conditioning test” is being set lower for Albert Haynesworth than it would for most high school football players.

Former NFL lineman and current ESPN anchor Mike Golic did it wearing his son’s cleats in high grass, 16 years removed from his playing days. Not to be topped, 61-year old magazine writer James Fallows made it too. Forget sprints, this is a fast paced jog.

So you’re telling me that a 29-year old All-Pro NFL player in the prime of his career cant pass the test? On his pro day at Tennessee leading up to the 2002 NFL draft he ran the 40-yard dash in 4.82 seconds.  I don’t care that he’s a defensive lineman or that he weighs 320+ pounds, this guy is an animal. Forget all the Fat Albert talk, despite his size, he can run.  That’s part of what makes him a pro bowler.

Either new Redskins head coach Mike Shanahan isn’t being a fair judge of the conditioning test or Albert Haynesworth is doing everything he can not to suit up in the Burgundy and Gold this fall. If Haynesworth doesn’t pass as soon as his knee heals (by the way, how did he hurt his knee without even practicing?), something fishy is going on.

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Each year, the Cornell Daily Sun publishes a list of 161 things (one for each step to the top of the iconic clocktower) everyone should do before graduating. This list is sent to incoming freshman during the summer before their arrival on the Hill. Realizing that our time as undergraduates was coming to an all too quick end, my friends and I completed as many of the 161 things as we could. The pictures were compiled for a final project for a visual communications class.

Camilla Belle is a talented actress who is often overlooked in Hollywood. Aside from her versatility as an actress, I also admire her for her unmistakably sophisticated and chic style. On the red carpet, she is always wearing very classic and feminine pieces, whether it is an olive-coloured Jason Wu cocktail dress or a beaded floor-length Gucci gown.

1. I Love My Love, Cornish folk song set by Gustav Holst
2. La Vie En Rose, by Louis Gugliemi
3. Cornell Alma Mater

As a Mets fan living in New York, I’ve always loved to hate The Boss, but now that I think about it, it was more because I wanted what he gave his team: a sheer commitment to winning.  This commitment started at the top and permeated throughout the entire organization.  Current players, ex-ballplayers, and employees have all come out with their own personal stories of The Boss after the news broke.  The consistent theme among these reflections was the difference between working for the Yankees other organizations.  With the Yankees, the expectations were for nothing less than perfection.  This was simply not the case with most other ball clubs.  The word “rebuilding” is not in The Bosses vocabulary.  His actions backed that up.  Loyalty did not get in the way of success for George.  The Yankees have had 13 different GMs in the time George owned the team and before Brian Cashman who has held the position since 1998, none lasted longer than 5 seasons, most just staying at the helm for just 1 or 2 seasons.

Managerial changes were the same story with George.  They came and went without a second thought.  The Yankees had 22 different managers in the first 24 years that Steinbrenner ran the team.  The most notable managerial story, at least in my mind was from the 1985 season when Yankee great Yogi Berra was the skipper.  Yogi played for the Yankees from 1946-1963 totaling up a measly 18 All-Star appearances, 3 American League MVP awards, and 13 World Series rings.  His retired #8 jersey hangs proudly in Yankee Stadium for all to see and Berra wears pinstripes in Coperstown where he was inducted in 1972.  Simply put, the dude is a Yankee legend.  This may be why when Yogi Berra was the Yankee manager for the 1985 season, Steinbrenner was comfortable promising him the full season as manager.  However, the Yankees started that year 6-10, which was unacceptable to The Boss.  This meant that after only 16 games, Yogi was fired.  It took 14 years for the two men to utter a word to each other when finally a meet up was arranged where George reportadly uttered to Yogi, “I flew all the way from Florida to be friends again.”  And they were.

George Steinbrenner was a lot of things.  He may have been crazy, not so loyal, maybe even a little mean…. However, above all things, George Steinbrenner was a winner, and that is why he will be remembered.

Let’s move on to last night’s Home Run Derby and its winner. When I was a lot younger I loved the idea of the Home Run Derby – mostly because we didn’t have ESPN in my house until I was about 14 so I think I conjured up a more fascinating event in my head than it actually was/is. Last night my roommates and I watched eight of baseball’s supposedly best home run hitters bore us to the point that “Pawn Stars” on the History Channel (which I may add is a very entertaining show) was a more appealing option. Oh wait… You’re saying Albert Pujols, Ryan Howard, Prince Fielder, Alex Rodriguez, Josh Hamilton, Adam Dunn, Joey Votto and surprising MLB Home Run leader Jose Bautista weren’t in it?? That’s one of my problems with the event: you never get the best guys in it at the same time.

But I don’t want to make you think that I hate it – I’d much rather watch it than “The Decision: Part II” to air in the summer of 2013 when LeBron opts out of his deal because the Heat still haven’t won and South Beach isn’t all Bron Bron thought it would be. Hey, after all, what more visible way is there for Big Papi, David Ortiz, to prove to baseball that he’s back than by winning the derby? I didn’t watch him do it, but I am very happy for the guy. Was he on steroids at one point in his career? Yes! But the fact of the matter is, Ortiz proved a lot of naysayers who deemed his career over last May, wrong.

The fact that Big Papi won the Home Run derby is great but really it’s nothing more than a symbol of Big Papi’s revitalized relevance. Consequently, this upcoming off season surrounding him is going to be far more interesting than most projected it to be last year when it was a forgone conclusion that he and the Red Sox would part ways if they hadn’t already. The way his contract is set up, the Red Sox theoretically have all of the control with a $12.5 million dollar club option for next season. Based on recent ESPN reports, it is pretty clear both that Ortiz and the Red Sox have not discussed any type of alternative and that Big Papi has no desire to come back for one year, go through another April of people wondering whether he’s done and hope he can pull it together enough to get a multi-year deal after the 2011 season. Ortiz is going to end up with a 30 HR, 100 RBI this year so it is pretty reasonable for him to want to get that deal done now.

So what is going to happen? The Red Sox will forever be in debt to Ortiz for what he has provided the franchise in his seven and half seasons with them and especially for his role in helping the Red Sox take down the Yankees in the 2004 ALCS. As long as he’s still producing, I would hate to see the two sides part ways. Giving him a multi-year deal is risky however and I don’t know whether Theo Epstein will be willing to do it. Ortiz will be 35 this off season (or so he says) and it is unlikely he’d still be producing at a high level at the end of, lets say, a three year deal. I don’t know. I hope it all ends well. Too many Red Sox stars have departed in less than pleasant circumstances. No matter what happens, when it happens, there is one thing I am confident of: There will not be a one hour special devoted to his decision and he will not crush the city of Boston the way LeBron singled-handedly destroyed the city of Cleveland.

On Thursday night, the world came down hard on LeBron. Dan Gilbert was the ringleader and the people of Cleveland were his minions. I was no innocent bystander; I hypocritically chastised them all while calling James out in their same flippant manner. But we were wrong.

The juxtaposition of two images, his shaken look during “The Decision” and his utter joy at an introduction in Miami the following night, made that abundantly clear.

As was the case in the Tiger Woods saga, we were angered that an athlete didn’t live up to the persona we had cast upon him. Sure, he took part in building that image and the self-proclaimed nickname “The King” certainly played a role, but how can we fault him for falling short of hopes that we had ignorantly laid out for his future.

The truth is that he passed up on more money, shut out his hometown and gave up on chasing the likes of Jordan and Magic in the race to all-time great status. But in an age where loot, loyalty and legacy usually hold court, this decision wasn’t just about a reckless desire to win as many championships as possible. It came down to having fun.

LeBron decided to treat basketball like the game that it is. While he may have been cowering away from misplaced lofty expectations, he was also serving as a reminder of what the game largely is supposed to be.

Playing for the love of the game has become the biggest cliche in sports, but not often do athletes actually back it up. Amar’e’s price was $100 million. Kobe just wants to win. But LeBron puts a premium on having fun. Sure winning is part of that fun and, of course, LeBron is getting his. Playing with his Redeem Team pals isn’t exactly a talent downgrade from Cleveland and $110 million over six years is no minimum wage. But LBJ said it himself: he made the decision to take his game to South Beach because that’s where he thought he would be “happiest.”

Regardless of his reasoning though, he understood the backlash he would face after “The Decision.” If LeBron is willing to look past all the money he left on the table, the personal ties he no doubt shredded and the questions about his leadership that have arisen, we should too. If LeBron is willing to forego hogging a team’s entire spotlight, we should let him. If the ultimate competitor that would seemingly tell him to stay home isn’t the loudest voice in his head, we shouldn’t try to change that. It might not be what Jordan, Magic, Bird, Isiah or even Kobe would have done. But who are we to tell LeBron to follow the same path that other players with similar basketball ability traveled.

It wouldn’t be fair to put the future of a league or a city on his shoulders. LeBron might have asked for that responsibility with his actions, but we shoved at him like it was a game of hot potato. And even though our reactions made it seem as if Cleveland and the NBA were doomed by LeBron’s move, the reality is that both will be just fine.

His decision wasn’t one that ruined the game of basketball or threw the sports scene in northeast Ohio under the bus for another fifty years. The intrigue surrounding the Heat will be able to carry the NBA if needed and Dan Gilbert is ready to revitalize the Cavs. Despite all the curses, promises and hate in his letter that much was clear.

After a few days’ analysis, this actually seems to be a change that betters the NBA. The players took basketball back from the owners. Three guys got together and decided, to hell with the business I want to play ball. And despite the hundreds of millions of dollars being thrown their way, they stuck together. Good for them. Even more so, good for the league.

This wasn’t LeBron being a mercenary as I originally thought. Whether he meant to or not, he was closer to acting as a martyr. His public image may be forever tarnished. His advertising dollars could be significantly diminished. His shot at being considered with the all-time greats might have gone down the drain. But what do we get out of it all? A reminder that basketball should be fun.

It’s a simple message, and one we could use in an increasingly financially-oriented sport. Maybe it’s not what we expected from the player who convinced us all that he was chasing greatness, but it’s too bad that LeBron had to take such a hit because we were surprised.

While he was busy promoting The King, he forgot the region that’s been loyal to his highness for the last seven, check that, eleven years.  Since high school they’ve been eating out of the palm of his hand and he payed them back like he was Marie Antoinette.  He might as well have said “Let them eat cake.”  That’s how oblivious LeBron was of his kingdom.

ESPN provided the drama by reporting where sources said LBJ was going, then dedicating an hour to revealing that “Oh my god! The rumors were true!”  And LeBron provided the comedy, pretending that he actually cared about his hometown.

He didn’t have to stay.  It would be unfair and presumptuous for anyone to tell the man where he has to play basketball.  But what he made clear was that in a team game he was only looking out for number one.  Or should I say number six?

How fitting is it that the same year LeBron shows he can’t stack up to Jordan by changing his number from MJ’s famed 23, he also shows he’s no match by jumping ship to try to win one the easy way.

I get it.  He felt his NBA championship clock ticking and wanted to go somewhere to win now with hopes of building a legacy like that of the aforementioned hall of famer. If LeBron finally does it in Miami though, he becomes the guy who could only win on a team full of all-stars.  Where does that leave him?  In this era, not only behind Kobe but now second fiddle to D-Wade too, who will always have at least one more title than James as long as they’re both in South Beach.

I know LBJ is all about the business side of the NBA.  He wants to be a brand.  He wants to start a club. He wants to a billionaire.  He wants to be more than just a basketball player. And in order to get there, he needs rings.  But I expected a little respect for the game that he hopes will take him to such heights.  The one where you play as a team to reach a common goal.  Not the one where you quit on your teammates, conforming to a common standard in a league already full of mercenaries.

If LeBron had any guts he would’ve stayed in Cleveland for the long haul. That’s what all-time greats do. But instead he was selfish and cowardly.  He left a place in need for what he thought was his personal benefit. 

“I want to do what’s best for LeBron James and what LeBron James is going to do to make him happy [sic],” he said in third person during an ESPN interview with Michael Wilbon. Somehow he didn’t realize that what’s best for the LeBron James he wants to be in the history books is to stay at home.

He had the chance, like Jordan, Magic and Bird, to follow the team path that in a me-first game has proven to be the way to NBA greatness. Clearly, his tatoo saying “loyalty,” is only skin deep.

LeBron James should have stayed in Cleveland, the place that he needed just as much as they needed him.  He needed to be a leader of a championship team and, in a time of financial and athletic upheaval, they needed a champion. For a guy who said he wanted to be like Muhammad Ali he certainly failed as the people’s champ.

But worse than botching the choice was the utter disgrace ESPN called The Decision. Could James have sounded any more arrogant? This was a PR nightmare.

“It’s been real heavy because I know a lot of people look up to me, because of what I’ve done for the city of Cleveland, that area, what I’ve done for that franchise and for my teammates,” he said after announcing his intentions to sign with the Heat.

As cocky as he sounds, the truth is that James did a lot for Cleveland.  Since drafting LBJ seven years ago, north-east Ohio has gotten just three winning seasons from the hapless Browns and Indians combined.  LeBron almost singlehandedly has given them six. 

And that’s why if you’re a Cleveland fan, or even more so a Cleveland owner, you say thank you, zip your lip and get on your way.  I know you’re angry and it stings, but no matter how many jerseys you burn or how many spiteful, irrational letters you write, he’s not coming back.  LeBron James made himself look foolish; you don’t need to go and do the same.  Unfortunately for the city, one sports calamity was followed by another.  First your star left you.  Then your team management went crazy.

“I PERSONALLY GUARANTEE THAT THE CLEVELAND CAVALIERS WILL WIN AN NBA CHAMPIONSHIP BEFORE THE SELF-TITLED FORMER ‘KING’ WINS ONE,” Cavalier’s majority owner Dan Gilbert wrote in an open letter to the team’s fans.  (The all-caps were his, not mine.)

He followed it up with a similarly nutty “some people think they should go to heaven but NOT have to die to get there.”  Mr. Gilbert, explanation please? 

LeBron did try to save face. “At the end of the day I feel awful that I’m leaving. I feel even worse that I wasn’t able to bring an NBA championship to that city,” he said to Wilbon.

LeBron, sympathy wasn’t necessary and won’t fix the gaping whole that you left in the state of Ohio. All I ask for is the truth.  It’s not that you couldn’t win a championship in Cleveland, it’s that you wouldn’t.  You quit before it was played out.

Now you’re stuck in Miami, the place where you can never live up to expectations, the city that will never love you like your hometown once did.

If you haven’t caught on by now, I’m describing the celebration that occurred after Uruguay had won any game in the World Cup. Never would you see this in the U.S. Yea sure, we were happy when we advanced. I saw the you tube videos. People were hugging and clapping. But they sure as heck weren’t singing, “I’m read white and blue!”… all in unison… for hours on end.

So why is that? Why has soccer never been popular in the U.S.? With America being as diverse as it is, with citizens of European, and South and Central American decent (Both of which have seen soccer become incredibly successful), why did soccer never catch on? After reading some articles, asking a few friends, and a little brainstorming, I’ve come up with some plausible reasons, which I will list below:

It wasn’t created in America: What do baseball, basketball and American football have in common? They all began in the good ole U.S. of A. It makes sense that our most popular sports, also happen to be ones we can claim ownership of. Yet even Tennis (created in the U.K.) and Golf (created in Scotland) find more popularity in the U.S. than soccer. What gives?

It’s a very low scoring game: Can you imagine sitting in one place for 90 minutes only for the score to remain 0-0? Well I have, and I’ll put it out there, it’s rough. It’s hard not to get distracted!  Some of my most intense moments of watching, are not when the team I’m routing for is on the offensive, it’s when they are showing a replay of a goal they FINALLY got it in. Don’t get me wrong, I understand how difficult it is to play soccer, (e.g. you don’t see me playing), but we just don’t have the attention span. It’s a wonder we watch golf the way we do. So adding another slow sport to our agenda, just not happening.

It’s hard to advertise during a soccer game: That’s a 90-minute slot of time for which you are not able to bombard the viewer with the latest sports drink, or a new medical innovation to improve performance, or even the best beer brand. Though we as the viewers appreciate no interruptions, it’s not very profitable, and probably the reason sports channels are unable to provide extensive soccer coverage.

Economic reasons: Soccer in other countries is viewed as a more viable way to make money, than say becoming a doctor or an accountant (which is quite the opposite in the states). In one episode of Vanguard (a documentary TV series), Soccer’s Lost Boys, one father commented saying he’d much rather his son play soccer than go to high school, otherwise he wouldn’t have a chance of being discovered as a soccer player.

And lastly, it’s because we call it soccer! If we had named American Football- soccer, and left football, as it’s universally known name, maybe it would have seen more support! After all, American Football seems to do pretty well for itself, and the game barely has anything to do with feet! It must be something in the name that gives it its success.

“People have not learned to appreciate the game in the U.S.,” said Ileana Betancourt, a member of the Cornell Women’s Club Soccer team. “There’s still a lot of creativity in the game, unlike other sports, like baseball,” commented Isa, her twin sister, and also a member of the team.

However, soccer may be coming into some newfound popularity soon enough. Philadelphia recently built a new stadium to host their recently created team; now a member in the Major League Soccer (MLS). In addition, USA’s very own Landon Donnovan broke an internet traffic record! After scoring the winning goal in the 91^st minute of the World Cup Game against Algeria, internet traffic reached more than 11.2 million visits per minute! Over 2.5 million more visits than when Obama won the presidency!

Before I dissect this, let’s delve into a little history between James Dolan’s team and his new $100 million man.  Amar’e is a guy that the Knicks passed on back in the 2002 NBA Draft.  New York had the 7th pick in draft, choosing to by-pass Amar’e for the great Nene Hilario…..Amar’e was taken two picks later by the Suns and became one of just three players drafted in the first round that year to be named to an all-star team.

The Knickerbockers then made the brilliant move of trading Hilario, Marcus Camby, and NBA Finals announcer extraordinaire Mark Jackson for, wait for it…… Antonio McDyess.  Then Knicks GM, Scott Layden said at the time, “Antonio McDyess is the kind of talent that improves our team immediately by adding size, strength and versatility…”  Yeah, not so much Scottie…..

Why am I spending so much time talking about Antonio McDyess when this blog post is supposed to be talking about Amar’e?  Well, if you can’t already tell, I see striking similarities between the two moves.  When the Knicks got McDyess, he was 27 years old and had spent 7 years in the league.  McDyess had career averages of 17.6 ppg and 8.7 rpg.  Not too shabby.  But with the Knicks, Antonio only managed to play 18 games with staunching numbers of 8.4 ppg and 6.6 rpg.  Not exactly what the Knicks bargained for.

Just like McDyess, Amar’e is 27, and trust me he’s an OLD 27 if you can believe that.  Those knees, those eyes, and whatever other problems we don’t even know about….not that of a 27 year old.  Now I’m not saying that Amar’e is only going to play 18 games with the Knicks, I really hope it’s a lot more and even if he gets close to the 21+ ppg that he averages for his career I’ll be happy.  I just look at this Amar’e signing and look at the McDyess acquisition from 7 years ago a see almost the same player.  I really hope I’m wrong.

However, there are a lot of Knicks fans that are really excited about this move.  I mean the guy does average over 21 ppg for his career and has played in 5 all-star games.  I can understand where these Knicks fans are coming from.  And believe it or not, I too have some level of excitement with this move.  In part, it does mean that the Knicks are back.  After 9 losing seasons of pain and agony, the Knicks once again may be a relevant cog in the NBA, with an emphasis on the word may.  I now draw another comparison, this time to a free agent signing.  I’m going to cross sports to hard ball and hop on the Long Island Rail Road to Flushing where we meet another band of lovable losers known as the New York Metropolitans.

In 2004, the Mets signed free agent pitcher Pedro Martinez to a 4 year, $53 million contract.  There was no doubt in my mind that this contract, just like the Amar’e Stoudamire contract was too much money for too many years.  However, the signing of Pedro Martinez meant one thing for baseball in flushing, the Mets now meant business.  This message was heard loud and clear around the league and the overpayment of Pedro Martinez is what eventually convinced then prized free agent Carlos Beltran to join Pedro in New York.  Now I’m not going to sit here and say the Mets have made nothing but screwed investments since then (cough cough Oliver Perez) but the overvaluation of Pedro did serve a purpose.

Now, if the signing of the Amar’e Stoudemire can play any role at all in bringing LeBron to New York, I will love him forever, even if he only plays 18 games.

Since April 20, the Red Sox have the best record in baseball. They have gotten nothing out of opening day starter, Josh Beckett. Mike Cameron’s injury riddled season has rendered him about as useful as the Internet in the building I am living in this summer (which may rival the earliest iterations of AOL dial-up for speed). Jacoby Ellsbury, a guy who stole 70 bases last year and was arguably the best lead-off hitter in the game, has played in only nine games this season.

That was essentially what the Red Sox were dealing with up until about two weeks ago. Then the Injury Gods either got drunk and lost control or Theo Epstein did something really terrible to get them angry. They say west coast trips can be brutal, but in a single three game series against the San Francisco Giants, the Sox lost three of their most important players to injuries: Dustin Pedroia on Friday June 25th with a broken foot, Clay Buchholz the following day with a hamstring problem and then Victor Martinez with a broken hand in the Sunday game. When Jason Varitek, Martinez’ backup broke his foot just a few days later, the situation was becoming laughable.

So lets see where we’re at: Their opening day starter (Beckett), their up and coming ace and team ERA leader (Buchholz), the top three guys in their opening day line-up (Ellsbury, Pedroia and Martinez) and their backup catcher (Varitek) are all on the disabled list. We haven’t even mentioned yet Daisuke Matsuzaka’s two stints on the DL, Manny Delcarmen and Jeremy Hermida’s current stints or J.D. Drew, who has shockingly avoided going on the list at any point this year but who has probably the most sensitive hamstrings in the history of sports and has missed seemingly every other game with some nagging injury.

So that begs a number of questions: How the hell are the Red Sox only a game and half out of first place in the best division in baseball? How do they lead the major leagues in runs scored? How do they have three starters with at least nine wins? How is Adrian Beltre (who single handedly injured at least two and maybe three of the current disabled Red Sox) not in jail?

To me the answers to these questions are two-fold. First, they have gotten tremendous production from some likely and unlikely guys. Kevin Youkilis and his 1.000 OPS and Jon Lester and his 10 wins, 118 Ks and 2.76 ERA have been every bit of what the Red Sox thought they would be. But how about Big Papi? People thought once again when he started slowly that he was washed up. Far from it; the big, jolly DH has accumulated 17 Home Runs and 54 RBIs. Not bad for a guy whose career was said to be finished. What about Adrian Beltre? The Red Sox signed him for his defense and he is leading the team with a .341 batting average and 165 total bases. Buchholz has more than made up for Beckett’s production. And yes, all three of those guys (Ortiz, Beltre and Buchholz) are headed to Anaheim for the All-Star game next week. Marco Scutaro, Darnell McDonald and Daniel Nava (who has been an
unbelievable story thus far) have been outstanding role players as
well.

The other part of the answer is the manager, Terry Francona. There are
always those naysayers, who no matter what the sport is, will argue
that the manager/coach does not matter. I don’t agree with that and
certainly not in this case. Francona is the quintessential player’s
manager. He is great at integrating new guys into the locker room and
balancing playing time and he never throws his guys under the bus. For
a team that has started its opening day lineup only four times this
season and has only one player who currently holds his opening day
spot in the lineup (Youkilis batting 4th) there has been very little
consistency in Boston this baseball season. The key constant has been
Francona. Tonight he is parading out a lineup that includes Eric
Patterson, Bill Hall and Kevin Cash. Tomorrow he is sending rookie
Felix Doubrant, who will be making only his second big league start,
to the mound. Thus far, I would love to see the argument against
Francona for manager of the year given the adversity his club has
faced. I just hope he and the Red Sox can keep it up as they begin to
get some of these guys back.

Hopefully the Red Sox will present the Injury Gods with some kind of olive branch and maybe even persuade them to break A-Rod’s leg, Jeter’s foot or perhaps pull C.C. Sabathia’s stomach. If they don’t, I may get so fed up that I go back to “LeBron watch.”

Strasmas has already lasted 27 days instead of the traditional 12, and after just three starts the 21-year old phenom was already breaking previously unheard of psuedo-records.  

McNabb arrived, Campbell was shipped out and suddenly the Redskins were Super Bowl contenders.

The worst-to-first stories have been playing out in minds across the district for weeks. A pair of 100-loss campaigns are being erased from our collective memory by a couple of 100 mile per hour fastballs. A 4-12 season, swept away by a four-time NFC East division champion. And most recently, a crime-filled embarrassment of a year stolen away by a master of thievery, and well, just about everything else on the court.

Washington is a city of sports optimists. Only in our nation’s capital could a team that has had more seasons with five or fewer wins (5) than playoff appearances (3) in the last 17 years hold what is rumored to be the NFL’s longest season ticket waiting list.  

It’s not just football though. Gilbert and Co. were supposed to de-thrown King James. Say what you want about the Cavs problems, but after consecutive 60-win seasons, it’s clear that Cleveland got the best of that brief rivalry.

For the Nationals, it’s been a promise of the days to come. “We’re building through the draft,” we’ve heard time and time again. And with Strasburg’s arrival we’ve seen a big piece of the puzzle on the field. But long before the rookie hurler came to town, the city erected a sparkling new stadium and fans flocked to the park around league-average rates despite back-to-back seasons as the worst club in the majors.

Cautious optimism is not part of the D.C. lexicon. But if there ever was a time to add the phrase to our city’s vocabulary, it’s now.  

Stephen Strasburg has been dominant at times through six appearances.  He’s struck out 53 batters in less than 37 innings of work. But in his starts, the Nationals are just 3-3.  It doesn’t matter how dominant Strasburg is if the rest of the team can’t score a run.  Literally, in his last four starts the Nats have not scored a single run during an inning which Stasburg was on the mound. 

Donovan McNabb has said and done all the right things since being acquired by the ‘Skins. But with question marks at virtually every offensive position other than tight end, how effective can the six-time pro-bowler really be this season? 

As for John Wall, he’s a 19-year old kid who’s barely had time to put on his new Wizards jersey. And the NBA isn’t about to kowtow to a team led by an unproven teenager and an ostracized criminal.

The signs are no doubt encouraging.  Even the most pessimistic of Washingtonians had to get that feeling of excitement in his or her gut when Stasburg first toed the rubber.  The same should hold true for McNabb’s first snap and Wall’s opener.  

But let’s think back to 2005.  Alex Ovechkin had just joined the Capitals.  And despite 52 goals, 54 assists and a Rookie of the Year Award that season, they still missed the playoffs.  The same could hold true for our newest residents.  Instant fixes don’t come along that often in professional sports.

Top-tier talent is in the District, and yes, that is reason to rejoice.  But each member of the new trio is human.  And three mere-mortals do not suddenly make the most disappointing, underachieving sports town in recent history the next sports Mecca. Superman, Batman and the Incredible Hulk haven’t quite convened in the nation’s capital. But give them a few years and, most importantly, a supporting cast and we may witness some super-human results.

It seems fitting that as a Knicks fan I start off this blog with a nice little rant about the greatest NBA Free Agent of All-Time.  I mean, come on, for the last two years all I’ve been hearing about is Knicks management justifying there horrendous teams by saying that they’re just going to sign LeBron and all will be well.  Well it won’t be that easy.  Everyone on this planet wants LeBron James.  Everyone wants LeBron James, the guy who has won nothing in his career.  Everyone wants LeBron James, the guy that quit on his team in the playoffs and got his coach fired.  EVERYONE WANTS LEBRON.

Now if I’m LeBron James, I don’t know if I would sign with the Knicks.  Frankly, I don’t know if I would sign with any team.  I would simply stay a free agent forever.  Think about it, has anyone ever made more money and gotten more media attention for doing nothing?  I said it once already but it’s worth repeating…LeBron is the greatest NBA Free Agent of all-time.  Stay that way my friend and sign your one-way ticket into the NBA Free Agency Hall of Fame, it’s that simple, and you’re so close.  LeBron, your value has never been higher.  Everyone wants a piece of you.  Why throw it all away by signing with a team?  Seriously.  Just stay put and enjoy the high life my friend.

Now, if LeBron ignores my recommendation and actually does sign a contract to play with an NBA team next year (which I highly advise against) there is only one situation that would work best for him (besides of course playing with the Knicks – for the simple reason that John Starks and some real estate lady told you to: http://bit.ly/9WlsKG).  I have read a lot of stories, articles, blogs, and rumors about this guy over the past however many days and there was one that I read, thought about, and realized, that’s it!  Trey Kerby, of “Ball Don’t Lie” may have unlocked the answer for LBJ.  Don’t sign with one team, sign with six!  http://yhoo.it/b1Eehr.  LeBron doesn’t have to pick one, he can just play for them all.  That should guarantee him a title, right?

Song Playlist:

1. Bear Necessities
2. Night
3. Cornell Evening Song

Notre Dame goalie Scott Rodgers makes one of his season-high 16 saves against the Big Red.

Cornell came into this years’ NCAA tournament having lost 16 seniors last year. No one expected much of them this year and even though they didn’t make it to the Championship game on Memorial Day, the 2010 Big Red lacrosse team have a lot to be proud of.

Going into the game Cornell was prepared to take on Notre Dame senior goalkeeper Scott Rodgers. In a post-game press conference, Rob Pannell said that they thought, “the place to be was back up high” when shooting on Rodgers.

But Rodgers had 16 saves, a season-high. Cornell’s Head Coach Jeff Tambroni added, “coming in here against Rodgers, we didn’t want to be overanalyzing his technique or his size. We just wanted our guys to shoot and shoot confidently when they had the opportunity because of our success in the past few weeks. To his credit he really played well, but I just know that when you take nine shots on cage and only have one goal you’re not going to come out feeling all that good about yourself.”

Taking lots of shots in the first half of a game and going into the break on top can be detrimental to a team’s morale, and even though the Big Red was 0-4 this season when they trailed at the half they did not give up.

With Cornell down three coming entering the third quarter, Ryan Hurley set up a play for Ross Gillum to score which cut the lead to two. But Neal Hicks of Notre Dame answered Gillum.

Notre Dame senior attack Neal Hicks registered four goals during the course of the game, marking a season high for Hicks, and tying his career high.  Hicks is the sixth player in Notre Dame school history to score four or more goals in an NCAA Championship game. 

The end of the third quarter was sloppy on both ends of the field and entering the fourth period Notre Dame held an 8-5 lead. A deficit of just three goals allowed Cornell to still have hope, but near the beginning of the fourth quarter the Fighting Irish’s Steve Murphy, thanks to a superb defensive play, scored to push the lead to four. Senior Ryan Hurley of Cornell was not ready to let his season end and scored with 6 minutes and change left in regulation. Notre Dame called a time out right as the Big Red was gaining back some momentum, again down just 3.

Cornell, in an act of desperation sent goalie AJ Fiore out to try to force the turnover leaving an empty net. The Irish capitalized and scored to make the count 10-6. Andrew Irving of Notre Dame scored soon after and then with just about two minutes left, Grant Krebs added another to double up what had been a three goal game just two minutes earlier.

With one minute left Pannell and Hurley symbolically connected for one final goal, but with a 12-7 win Notre Dame will advance to appear for the first time ever in a National Championship game. Pannell said he “was kind of happy we were able to end that game on the right note with me feeding him for a goal. It felt good to have that happen.”

Cornell had more shots on net, fewer turnovers and won more ground balls, but in the end, they had fewer saves and netted fewer goals. 

Notre Dame Head Coach, Kevin Corrigan, noted in the post-game press conference, “I would have said that if we got the opportunity to make the playoffs we would be a dangerous team. I just thought we had the talent all year; we were just a little inconsistent. I believe in this team and I knew we could do this.”

By Alex Post

Slope Sports

The theme of the game was growth; and Cornell showed they had clearly grown up this season. The Big Red took on Army on Sunday prepared to play a complete game; and that’s just what they did to move on in the NCAA Tournament to the semifinals next weekend in Baltimore.  

In the first quarter Cornell started off strong winning the face-offs and keeping possession for much of the period.  The Big Red scored four goals before Army could put up one, but with 2:04 left in the first, Jeremy Boltus of Army was able to finally put one past Cornell goalkeeper AJ Fiore. 

At the start of the second quarter Ryan Hurley, who scored twice in the first for Cornell, received the first penalty of the game but then assisted on a Steve Mock goal and scored one more of his own to complete an early hat trick. Hurley had a record breaking day for the Big Red, passing Sean Greenhalgh on the Cornell career goals list to assume second place all-time with 138. Also, with his five points including a fourth goal coming in the final quarter, Hurley surpassed Jon Levine to move into third place in Cornell history for career points. 

Army would not give up despite a 5 point second period deficit. They began to consistently win face-offs, but were unable to convert possessions into goals in the second quarter until 7:58 left when Devin Lynch scored and then a huge penalty against Cornell with 4:13 left took sophomore Rob Pannell out of the game and gave Garrett Thul an opportunity to score. The lead was narrowed to just 3 with less than four minutes remaining in the half. 

When Pannell returned to the field though, he immediately set up a play behind the net that led to another Mock goal. As the teams left at the half, Cornell led by four.

The Big Red had been known to fall apart in the second half, but with only a four point lead in a high pressure situation Cornell returned in the second half with as much effort as they did at the first whistle. “Today we were able to keep possession in the first and second half” said Rob Pannell.  The prolonged possessions allowed the Red to give their defense a break and focus on the offensive end. 

When asked about their ability in this game to play as well in the second half as they did in the first, Coach Tambroni said “every time Army made a play our guys believed we were gonna make a play.” 

Tambroni’s comments were evident in the third quarter. When Army scored a man-up goal at 9:06, Cornell retaliated three times over, twice by Pannell, to give them a cushiony 11-4 lead.  “When it got to 8-4, they made it 9-4,” was how Joe Alberici, the Black Knights head coach, put it. 

In the final period Cornell began to turn the ball over more often, but Army was again unable to turn the added possessions into points. Jeremy Bollus said that Army “rushed things” near the net.  Fiore’s 11 saves didn’t help the Black Knight’s cause either.  

With 7:42 left in the game Army called a timeout after Mike Branzino scored for the Big Red to push the Cornell lead to 13-4.   Alberici stressed that they wanted to show who they were and make their fans proud by playing through the final whistle, but in the end “they came up short.” 

Not only did they come up short, but Cornell came out strong and stayed strong. They scored again with 6:13 left to make the lead 10.  The Black Knights were able to net the final goal of the game, but in the end it was Cornell who came away with a 14-5 victory to the final four the second consecutive season and the third time in the last four years.

Rob Pannell said of Cornell that they were “becoming a family right at the right time” and now that they’ve gotten to this point in the post-season the “sky’s the limit.”  Next up for the Big Red is a semifinal matchup with Notre Dame on Saturday at 4 PM at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore.

Their home page features a music downloads link to get last year’s album, “Fading Back to Normal”, or you can check out some new singles on their Vokoder FM page. If you enjoy rap & hip hop music, or just supporting your fellow Cornellians, I definitely recommend giving these guys a shot.

Links:

• Home page: http://kineticsmusic.com/#home
• Vokoder FM page: http://vokoder.fm/artist/Kinetics-&-One-Love/
• Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/kineticsmusic

As a point guard measuring in at less than 6 feet tall, Dale has also amassed rebounding and block statistics that surpass many of the top Cornell forwards and centers, ranking 29th all time in swats and 33rd all time on the boards.

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Produced by Slope TV’s Sam Aleinikoff

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