Hinton&#039;s Sports Highlights

by Guy Hase

*Intercom voice*

David Wright! Hands up! Up where we can see them! Now back away from the desk. That’s it. A little further. Keep going….. and…. perfect.

Mr. Wright, you do not know me and I doubt we will meet but I do care enough to give you advice that all of your friends, family, and inner circle should be telling you.

Just get through 2013 and for the love of all that is holy on Earth, don’t get hurt.

Your ticket out of baseball hell is almost arrived and it’s time for you to move on and tell the Wilpons, “thanks, but no thanks”, on any conversation about a contract extension.

I get it, you love the Mets. The fans adore you and it’s arguable that you’re the second most beloved current baseball player in the Big Apple besides number two in the Bronx. But you have to be selfish here, David. You’re turning the big 3-0 in a few weeks and this will most likely be your last monster contract ever.

Since 2005, you’ve been one of the three best third baseman in all of baseball. You have played in countless all star games, been on the cover of videogames, challenged for batting titles, been considered an MVP candidate, won the hearts of New Yorkers, and all for what? One postseason trip.

Meltdowns like back in 2007 have pushed the Mets deeper into baseball’s abyss

The Mets were a budding dynasty in the mid-2000’s but playoff collapses, aging pitching, and financial limits have prevented them from coming close to scratching their potential.

The Mets have been mismanaged since Darryl Strawberry left for the Dodgers. The horrible deal for Bobby Bonilla (which by the way, you’re still on the books for), the drafting of Scott Kazmir, and the Carlos Beltran experiment are all classic fundamental failures of this moribund franchise. Now couple in the fact your ownership is broke. You couldn’t build a solid team when you actually had money. So look around you, David. Get used to what you see.

Chew on this. The Wilpons are now so broke that Major League Baseball is on the verge of seizing ownership. Consider it as Repo Wars: Major League Baseball edition. When Bud Selig shows up to Citi Field with the deed and a tow truck then the ride is over. Although the Mets would be a hot product for billionaires drooling to get into the professional sports biz, don’t expect this to all be sorted out until 2015 at the earliest.

Don’t expect the hype and buildup of “The Decision”. But David Wright leaving the Mets may be the last strike before Bud Selig intervenes on this once proud franchise.

You’ll be 33 then.

No Davey, it’s time for you to be classy and treat this season as your good-bye to the Big Apple. It’s nothing personal but you have a career that with five more good seasons could end up putting you in Cooperstown. So spend the next season taking in different cities on road trips, make notes of little things that matter to you in your quality of living, and most importantly find a place you can fit and get some bling on your fingers.

Your stats have been very comparable to number two’s over the past eight seasons but he’s blowing your pants off in one key category: bling. You’ve been a good citizen, shook hands, kissed babies, and made many great memories. It’s time for David Wright to do what’s best for David Wright. Whether it be flashing his glove in Texas or even taking his talents to South Beach.

Just don’t let those talents go for broke like everything else in the New York Mets organization.

Nov 28

Jimbo Fisher Staying at Florida State? We’ll See…

Categories:

NCAA

by Nickolas Hinton

Just days after losing to instate rival Florida (37-26), the Seminoles lose Defensive Coordinator Mark Stoops. The defensive mastermind has jumped at the opportunity to become a head coach for the first time in the SEC at Kentucky.

The Seminoles are just one win away from their first conference championship in seven years. If the Seminoles beat Georgia Tech this Saturday, they will secure their place in the BCS Orange Bowl against an at-large Big East team. Florida State also just completed their first 10-win (10-2) regular season in nine years. These accomplishments should be something to smile about, yet the atmosphere in Tallahassee doesn’t appear to be as joyful as it should.

Why? After losing at home to a bitter rival and losing your DC to the SEC while topping this off with rumors your Head Coach Jimbo Fisher may also be leaving for the SEC, casts a shadow on these accomplishments.

Jimbo has had to deal with the upsetting lose to the Gators and defend himself against rumors of his departure from Florida State. Fisher has been listed as a possible candidate at two high-profile SEC schools in Auburn and Tennessee.

Jimbo, in a media conference defended himself and the programs accomplishments stating the future is very bright in Tallahassee coupled with stating Top 10 rankings and ACC Championship games weren’t a one-time deal.

Jimbo stated, “We’ve got some great, young players,” Fisher said. “We’ve recruited very well and we’re recruiting very well right now. We plan on being here for a while. And I’m going to tell you, sometimes the championship teams that jump on you aren’t the ones you expect. Fisher went on to state, “We’ll have plenty of good players, we’ll be as competitive as anybody and I think we’ll be right in the mix.”

Jimbo was asked of his possible leaving, “I’m very happy right here,” Fisher said. “I’m content to be here. I’m where I want to be. We’re building something special. We’ve got great players. We’ve got great players coming to be here. It’s a great place to live. My family is set in this community. And I plan on being here a long time.”

Fisher went on to protect his reasoning for still performing all play-calling duties and not hiring an Offensive Coordinator from the outside. Jimbo’s play-calling has come under fire several times this season; the offense has been labeled as “monotonous” and “predictable”.

Fisher said when he took over as head coach he established a “five-year plan”. The program needed to be on solid ground before relinquishing his control of the offense.

“Always has been,” Fisher said. “Believe it or not it’s an organizational thing that I’ve always believed in and always have. I just don’t tell ya’ll all my plans. … three, four, five years. Whatever it took to get established and get ready.”

Jimbo has remained steady in shrugging off the possibilities in leaving Florida State and says his focus is on the “remainder of 2012 season”. Jimbo also denied defensive coordinator Mark Stoops interviewed at Kentucky.

Jimbo leaving to seek an opportunity at Auburn to play little brother to mentor and current Alabama Head Coach Nick Saban, when Florida State seems to be on the rise would be considered idiotic by most. Yet coaches have egos and all of them feel as if they can win. If Jimbo does tell Auburn to put away the check books and stay, one has to wonder if Fisher will reach out to recently fired Tennessee head coach Derek Dooley. The two coached and won a National Championship together under Nick Saban at LSU.

Nov 27

One Mo’ Year For the Hall of Famer

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From the New York Yankees dynasty of the late 90′s to early 2000′s, only Derek Jeter, Andy Petitte and Mariano Rivera are left. Since 1996, all three have been key parts to their championship success.

With Petitte close to signing a new contract worth $11 million, the Yankees remain optimistic they’ll be able reach a new agreement with Rivera as well. Mo, who turns 43 on Thursday, made $15 million last year. But he missed most of the season after he tore ligaments in his right knee in May. After all those years of not being on the disabled list, Mo went down while shagging fly balls during batting practice in Kansas City. That’s all it took. A slight twist of the knee on the warning track and it looked like the hall of fame career was possibly over.

But Rivera nor the Yankees want to see it end that way. The last man to wear #42 has worked his way back and has already made it clear he wants to return. Yankees general manager Brian Cashman and Rivera’s agent Fernando Cuza, have been discussing a potential one year deal, likely to be his last.

After signing Petitte and Rivera, the Yankees still have a lot of decisions to make this offseason. Other Yankee free agents are Raul Ibanez, Nick Swisher, Russell Martin, Ichiro, Eric Chavez, Freddy Garcia and Andrew Jones to name a few. And neither Curtis Granderson or Robinson Cano have yet signed their club options.

The Yankees want to resign Martin, but the two sides are far apart. The 29-year old catcher is asking for a four-year deal worth $9-10 million a season. Sources have indicated that the Texas Rangers, Boston Red Sox, Seattle Mariners and Pittsburgh Pirates are interested in him as well. If they don’t sign Martin, the Yankees are likely to go after A.J. Pierzynksi, who will also receive a multi-year contract.

While Swisher is not expected to return, Ichiro probably will. That would leave him with Granderson and Brett Gardner in the outfield.

In 2012 the Yankees’ payroll was just under $196 million. But because Hal Steinbrenner wants to reduce that to under $189 million by 2014, they will likely let many of them go.

Nov 27

Week 14 Heisman Race Update: In the Voter’s Hands

Categories:

NCAA

by Mike Millis

All but one of the Heisman finalists have played their final game of the season, so we should have a better idea of who’s going to win the Heisman. The exact opposite is true. The award is given out next Saturday, so voters who haven’t already sent in their ballots are really struggling with who they’re going to cast their vote for.
Can a freshman really win the country’s most prestigious individual award? Can a defensive player? Can Collin Klein shine enough in his last game this week against Texas to make both of those arguments invalid? We’ll take a look at all of the probable Heisman finalists and let you know who’s taking home the Heisman.

1. Johnny Manziel – QB – Texas A&M Aggies
Johnny Football is the future answer to the trivia question “Who was the first freshman to win the Heisman trophy?” By future, we mean next Saturday. With no games left to play for the Aggies, Manziel finishes the season with 3419 passing yards, 24 TDs, 8 INTs with a QB rating of 155.9. Those are impressive numbers for a senior QB, much less a rookie. Not to mention his 1181 rushing yards and 19 rushing TDs. That means this kid accounted for 4600 total yards and 43 TDs. In his first year playing in college football, at Texas A&M, who was in its first year as a member of college football’s toughest conference, the SEC. No freshman has ever won the award before, but Manziel has put himself in a position that is going to make it hell on Heisman voters.

His only real competition is…

2. Manti Te’o – LB – Notre Dame Fighting Irish

Te’o represents everything that’s right with college football. The guy is a hard worker, a consistent producer on the field, and an even more amazing story off of it. If there was a defensive player that deserved to win the Heisman, it is, without question, Manti Te’o. The only problem is that defensive stats aren’t “sexy” enough. Sure, he had over 100 tackles on the year. Sure, he had 7 INTs on the season, which is 2nd in the country for any position, and 1st amongst linebackers. Te’o is the heart and soul of the Notre Dame team, not just defense, that went from unranked in the preseason to #1 and waiting to play in the BCS championship game.

3. Collin Klein – QB – Kansas State Wildcats

Klein is the only player on our Heisman watch list that still has a game left to play. Though it’s not the conference championship game, Kansas State plays host to the Texas Longhorns Saturday night. With his last game still fresh on everyone’s mind, and the fact that Manziel and Te’o both passed him during that loss, Klein doesn’t really have a shot to put himself back in a position to win unless he has a lights out, no doubt about it, Heisman winning performance. More than likely, we’ll see the Texas defense hold Klein to a respectable game at best. Klein shouldn’t be ashamed of his performance this season, and it’s unfortunate for him that one bad game really cost him the trophy.

4. Braxton Miller – QB – Ohio State Buckeyes

Miller was made for Urban Meyer’s spread offense, and has lead the Buckeyes to their first undefeated season since 2002. Despite that, the Bucks season is done because they’re on suspension for “tattoo gate.” Ohio State would be playing Notre Dame in the BCS championship game if it wasn’t for the actions of a few players and a coach who are no longer at the school. Miller has over 2000 passing yards with 15 TDs and only 6 INTs. But his arm isn’t what has Miller on this list. It’s his feet; he has 1271 rushing yards and 13 rushing TDs. The Buckeyes one season bowl game ban as a result of Tattoo gate is the only reason we don’t have an SEC-less championship game for the first time since 2005.

5. Kenjon Barner – RB – Oregon Ducks

Barner fell off many Heisman finalist lists after the loss to Stanford, in which he had 21 rushes for only 66 yards with no scores. He redeemed himself last Saturday against instate rival Oregon State by rushing for 198 yards and 2 TDs on 28 carries. Barner averaged 6.5 yards per carry on the season on nearly 250 carries with 21 rushing TDs. Barner gets credit for not even being the most talked about Heisman candidate on his own team until the season was half way over, but his numbers just don’t compete with the other finalists.

Other players who could earn a trip to NYC as a finalist:

Marqise Lee – WR – USC Trojans

Lee, like Barner, wasn’t the top Heisman candidate on his own team. Matt Barkely, the Trojans’ Golden Boy QB was supposed to lead the Trojans to a national title and win the Heisman trophy. It’s an oddity that his QB could drop completely off the list, but one of that QB’s receiver’s could jump on to many people’s top 5 candidates after their season is complete. Lee finished the year with 1680 yards and 14 TDs.

Tajh Boyd – QB – Clemson Tigers

Boyd finished the season with 3550 yards with 34 TDs and only 13 INTs. There are a lot of what if’s, but with a pre season All American WR in Sammy Watkins being suspended for the first two games of the season, it took a while for the Clemson offense to re-find it’s rhythm when Watkins returned. Boyd should be considered one of the favorites entering next year to bring the Heisman trophy back to South Carolina.

Nov 26

What Controversy? The Niners Should Stick With Kaepernick

Categories:

NFL

Colin Kaepernick or Alex Smith? Yesterday coach Jim Harbaugh‘s decision to go with the second-year quarterback payed off as the San Francisco 49ers got a big road win over the New Orleans Saints 31-21. While the win can be attributed mostly to their defense, the question remains for next week.

Because of a concussion, the veteran quarterback Smith, had to sit out of their Week 11 matchup against the Chicago Bears on Monday Night Football. That night was a battle of the back-ups as the Bears had Jason Campbell in for Jay Cutler who also had a concussion. Kaepernick’s debut couldn’t have gone any better as the Niners destroyed the Bears 32-7. Kaepernick completed 16 of 23 passes for 243 yards and two touchdowns for a 133.1 rating. And this was against one of the best defenses in the league. Would Smith have had as good a game? Probably not. The fans know this and so does Harbaugh, even if he won’t publicly say so.

On Saturday night the head coach made the decision to start Kaepernick versus the Saints over the recovered Smith. Harbaugh claimed his reason to start Kaepernick this week had more to do with Smith’s long-term health than it did on performance.

“The fact he (Smith) had symptoms seven to eight days later, I’m not going to put a guy back out there,” said Harbaugh. “He eventually got cleared. The plan was to rotate him back into the action (in practice), but not all the way to the front line. … That would give him a chance to get cleared up completely.”

But Smith didn’t seem to agree.

“Obviously I want to play. I want to start. I think I should, but it’s not my decision,” said Smith. “I’m part of this team and it’s great to go out and get a win.”

In his second career start, Kaepernick completed 16 of 25 passes for 231 yards with a rushing and passing touchdown for a 90.6 rating. He played well but had his ups and downs as he also threw his first career interception. Most of the credit for the win, however, has to go to their defense as they stepped up big, sacking Saints’ quarterback Drew Brees five times. Linebacker Ahmad Brooks and safety Donte Witner each returned interceptions for touchdowns.

“We got a win, so that’s all that really matters,” Kaepernick said.

Two games is not a large sample size, but the 49ers do appear to be stronger with Kaepernick at the helm than they do with Smith. Since being drafted number one overall in 2005, Smith has not entirely lived up to his potential. Yeah the Niners were pretty bad in his first five seasons, but he hasn’t shown the skills and leadership of an elite quarterback. And since Harbaugh has turned things around, Smith continues to be an average, to above average, quarterback at best. Maybe time will even things out, but for right now Kaepernick gives them that fearless spark they need. After all Kaepernick was chosen by Harbaugh in the second round of the 2011 draft, while Smith was drafted by the old regime. As the saying goes, ‘if it ain’t broken, don’t fix it.’

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Nov 26

Why Not to Cry for the Buckeye Nation

Categories:

NCAA

by Guy Hase

As the famous cliché states: never be the guy who follows a legend, be the guy to follow the guy to follow the legend. Apparently, Urban Meyer never got the memo.

Evidenced by his standing ovation during Ohio State’s pregame ceremony to celebrate the 2002 National Championship last Saturday, disgraced former head coach Jim Tressel is still beloved by the majority in Columbus. Many people thought following “The Vest’s” footsteps would scare away Meyer; however, it only increased his desire to return home.

A year removed from leaving Florida to “spend time with his family”, Meyer’s dream job became available. Whether his intentions were to spend more time with his kids or to wait for the OSU job to become available we’ll never know; however, what we do know is that Meyer was not going to let this opportunity pass up.

From the pro-style attack under Tressel to the spread now implemented by Urban & co. it would seem that the transition to a pure- Meyer attack would be made easily with the physical tools of sophomore quarterback, Braxton Miller.

Miller’s dual-threat combination made him the ideal centerpiece of Meyer’s attack that has thrived under quarterbacks like Alex Smith and Tim Tebow who shared the same physical skills. Bunch in running back Carlos Hyde and a group of outside playmakers and Ohio State’s offense was poised to adapt well to Urban’s system.

One interesting feat that Meyer accomplished was the retaining of defensive coordinator and 2011 interim head coach, Luke Fickell. Fickell’s knowledge of the defensive personnel and scheme helped Ohio State regain it’s status as one of the dominant defenses in the conference. Leading the league in takeaways and finishing second in sacks. Defensive Tackle John Simon is considered by most to be the favorite for Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year.

St. Louis speedster, Ezekiel Elliot, brings the skills needed to thrive in Meyer’s speed- driven attack.

The dark clouds left over Columbus since Tressel resigned in June 2011 have since brightened like the sun on an Ohio Spring morning. As the Buckeyes limped to a 6-6 record last season after suffering national humiliation in their “trade for tats” scandal, Urban Meyer was watching from the broadcast booth. Taking mental notes and crafting in his mind how he would fix his home state’s favorite team. Under his watch, the Buckeyes rose against all odds and gave a proverbial middle finger to the NCAA in his first season, finishing 12-0 and having a slim chance at the AP National Championship.

Many Buckeye fans are upset and imagine to themselves “what if” and even though a national title in 2012 would be sweet, the Buckeye Nation must realize that their happiest days are ahead of them.

Urban Meyer comes to OSU with an SEC pedigree that nobody in the Big 10 is even remotely close to claiming. Meyer’s teams have battled against the likes of Nick Saban Les Miles, Mark Richt, Steve Spurrier, Dan Mullen, and Bobby Petrino to name a few. With that SEC success comes a valuable advantage that no Big 10 coach has: the valuable recruiting soil of Florida.

Every coach in the Big 10 signs at least a couple of players from the Sunshine State every year but none can come in with the local credibility that Meyer has accumulated. Over the past five years, players like Tim Tebow, Percy Harvin, Karlos Dunlap, Brandon Spikes, Aaron Elam, Chris Rainey, Jeff Demps, and the Pouncey twins have all become popular collegiate players that many little Floridians grow up idolizing. Even though Florida is still a national title contender under current coach Will Muschamp, the style the Gators now play is completely different. How can a 17-year-old ignore the chance to be the next Tim Tebow, Percy Harvin, or Jeff Demps? Especially with those two national title rings shining in your face.

Check out Rivals100.com and look at Ohio State’s commit list. Littered with guys who run 4.5’s and 4.4’s. Meyer’s teams always dominated their opponents with speed and spacing and it appears that Ohio State will soon look like the well-oiled machine that Urban implemented at Florida.

I get it Buckeye fans. People were happy that your team was nationally humiliated and the constant ribbing of being an underachieving Big 10 program gets under your proud skin. But chin up, folks. Good days are coming and that conference you once loathed—you know, the SEC, well your team is soon going to look like one of those teams. And that really isn’t such a bad thing. Especially after Meyer raises a crystal football or two and you’ll be realizing that Jim Tressel’s scandal was the best thing to ever happen to your football program.

Nov 24

Match.Com MLB Free Agency: Josh Hamilton

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by Guy Hase

Shifting focus off of college football a little bit here but I came across a question that I simply couldn’t afford to not ponder. This year’s big fish in free agency is easily the most unique ballplayer to ever test the waters of baseball’s open market. Easily, the most naturally gifted player in the game on a level not seen since Griffey Jr. patrolled centerfield in the Kingdome. But he does come with multiple levels of high risk but one hell of a high reward. Ladies and gentleman, introducing Mr. Josh Hamilton.

We all know Hamilton’s inspirational triumph over his personal demons; however, unfortunately we know about his lapses as well. Texas was able to cloak in a family atmosphere the showed support and understanding that allowed him to flourish both on the diamond and everyday life, with the latter part being the key.

Except Hamilton’s statistics and production are just too much for any of us (especially Hamilton) to ignore the kind of payout that comes with such a gaudy resume. The Rangers feel Hamilton should give them somewhat of a hometown discount; whereas, Hamilton feels his play has earned him a deal upwards 5 years/ 120 million. If Hamilton was 28 and not 32, then the Yankees, Red Sox, and Angels would all be clamoring to sign him. The new drunken sailors of baseball, the Dodgers, are set in centerfield in Matt Kemp over the next few years. The Yankees are actually trying to shed payroll, the Angels have Mike Trout, and the Red Sox are currently trying to pick up the pieces of last season’s epic fail. So who out there could be a fit for both Hamilton on the field and off it?

The Philadelphia Phillies.

Yes, I get it. They’re getting old, they’re financially strapped, and their lineup is already dominantly left-handed but so what? This is Josh Hamilton we’re talking here. The Phillies have a number of big contracts they could unload if they’re willing to eat some of the worth they’d get in return. So the question now becomes: who do you trade? With all apologies to Mac from It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, but the top trade candidate would be Chase Utley.

With the addition of Josh Hamilton, there could be more celebrations for Jimmy Rollins and Ryan Howard right around the corner.

Why Utley? He’s due to make 15 million over the next two seasons. When healthy, he is still one of the most-feared hitters in the game but there’s one thing that makes him dispensable: his position. Quality second basemen can be rented for a year or two for pennies on the dollar. Guys like Marco Scutaro, Orlando Hudson, and Jeff Keppinger could all come in and do about 3/5’s of what Utley does offensively for 1/8 of the price. Throw in the production of Josh Hamilton and the Phightin Phils’s offense will not miss a beat.

Now, I get that Hamilton would be due annually a little around 10 million more per year than Chase but you can fix that easily. Raise ticket prices just a little bit. That would be a poor PR move and would cause some grumbling but Philly sports fans will support a winner and the signing of Hamilton would help ease the pain of the 2012 Philadelphia Eagles just a little bit. It’s no secret who owns that town but with a chance to steal the spotlight might be too good of an opportunity to pass up.

With the disappointments of all collective Philadelphia sports franchises since 2008, it feels much longer than four years since Philly last got to party.

Finally, to those who believe this goes against the Phillies need to get younger and with I must say I agree with you. But listen to this logic. The city of Philadelphia has celebrated only one championship in 29 years. Just one. I will never forget that October night in 2008 when Brad Lidge struck out Eric Hinske with the hook and the City of Brotherly Love went into delirium. It didn’t just erase memories of Mitch Williams and Joe Carter to a tortured fanbase; it erased memories of bitter sports failures for a city who had seen far too many of them. The Eagles losing three NFC title games in a row and getting trounced by New England after they finally got through, the Sixers getting destroyed by the Lakers in 2001, and the beloved Flyers who have lost in the Stanley Cup Finals eight times since 1975. Most recently, in heartbreaking fashion as Patrick Kane scored an improbably goal in sudden-death overtime right in the heart of downtown Philly.

If you win just one World Series in Hamilton’s contract it makes it worth it. Two parades in 30 years and both were thrown because of the beloved Phils. This is what it’s all about. Not dollars, cents, profits, or ratings but parades. Philly hasn’t had too many of them recently. Maybe Ruben Amaro Jr. can do something to leave his legacy behind a city that has far too many disappointments.

Nov 23

Why the Celtics Are Off to a Slow Start

Categories:

NBA

Heading into this season the concern for the Boston Celtics was their offense. After losing the all-time three-point shooter, Ray Allen this summer, the C’s added perimeter scorers Jason Terry and Courtney Lee. But it’s not their offense. It’s their defense that has them that out to a slow start.

Last year the Celtics were one of the best defensive teams in the league. They led the NBA in defensive field goal percentage at .419 and were second in the league in points against per game at 89.3. Last year it was their defense that helped them make a second half resurgence and nearly upset the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference Finals.

In the first month of this season, however, the Celtics have allowed teams like the Philadelphia 76ers, Brooklyn Nets and Detroit Pistons to get easy-bucket after easy-bucket, all three scoring over 100 points against them. Allowing that many points to the Heat and the San Antonio Spurs can be excused, but the Pistons? This year they are allowing 99.3 points per game as their defensive field goal percentage is .463.

“We just have to learn, continue to learn and build,” said Celtics’ forward Paul Pierce. “We’ve given up 100 points the last couple of games. That’s definitely not our identity.”

So why are the C’s struggling? Coach Doc Rivers has always prided himself on his team’s defense, and their tenacity on that side of the floor. But Doc doesn’t believe it’s because of a lack of hustle or mental toughness, they are simply not playing smart enough.

“I think we’ve got to do our coverages better, just bottom line,” said Rivers. “Playing harder and all that, that sounds great. That’s what everyone says when you lose, ‘You’ve got to play harder.’ Well, we’ve got to play smarter, we have to know our coverages better, and when that happens everybody is on the same page and it allows our rotations to be freer, it allows our bigs to get back to the paint. So I thought it was a lot of that.”

They better be on the same page tonight because Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook are in town. The 9-3 Oklahoma City Thunder will give the Celtics’ defense a lot to defend. Durant is coming off a Wednesday night performance in which he scored 35 points in a 117-111 overtime win against the Los Angeles Clippers.

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Nov 22

New Dodgers Hitting Coach Mark McGwire Not Fighting to Get Into Hall of Fame

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New Dodgers hitting coach Mark McGwire was recently on the Dan Patrick Show where he discussed his new job, his career and how he will not fight to get into the Baseball Hall of Fame.

“Not by the guidelines now, no,” McGwire said. “I’ll never fight it. I totally respect the Hall of Fame. They have rules and guidelines to go by and I abide by it. You’ll never see Mark McGwire fight it.”

McGwire, who ranks 10th all-time with 583 home runs, received just 19.5 percent of the votes for the Hall of Fame this year, his lowest since becoming eligible in 2007. To get in, one needs 75 percent of the votes.

In 2005 McGwire appeared at the congressional hearing on steroids where he declined to answer questions about his past. Finally five years later in 2010, he admitted to using steroids during his career.

“You do stupid things in life and screw up, not knowing what the ramifications are later in life,” McGwire said. “It is something that I live with everyday of my life. I am OK with it. I know I’ve become a better person because of it.”

Dan Patrick asked him about the conversation he had with his two boys about his career.

“Some time this summer we sat them down and told them what Dad was about,” McGwire said. “Everybody makes mistakes. Everyone screws up. The big guys are the ones who can confront it.”

Regarding his new job in L.A., McGwire is thrilled to be at home and to be able to spend more time with his family.

“Family is everything to me,” McGwire said. “It means a lot.”