T.O.

T.O. signed with the Cincinnati Bengals this week and it seems people have two different views on the signing. On one hand you have people who don't like T.O. the person and as a result, they say they can't figure this signing out at all.

Then you have people like myself that think it's actually a pretty good move if you think the Bengals are trying to make a serious run at a Super Bowl this year. Taking a good look at this offense, there's no way that one can truly say adding T.O. to the mix makes them worse. Imagine the Bengals breaking the huddle with Carson Palmer under center, Cedric Benson in the backfield, Ochocinco and T.O. split out wide, Jordan Shipley (or one of their other receivers) in the slot and Jermaine Gresham at T.E. Who do you cover?

It's become apparent that Antonio Bryant isn't healthy (if he was they wouldn't have a need for T.O. and I'm sure if the Bengals' brass could go back and un-do that signing they would in a heart beat. For whatever reason they haven't given Quan Cosby a true shot at receiver and I kind of see his career somewhat mimicking Wes Welker to a degree in that it may take him getting cut and going to a team that knows how to properly use him prior to him having a true impact in the league from the receiver position.

A lot of people have painted T.O. as a continued distraction but I think they are still having glimpses of T.O. from several years ago. Typically in his first year with a new team he's always a model citizen and realistically, I really have a hard time believing he is such a cancer to a team. Sure we've all seen the blow ups but by and large all he wants to do is win and strongly feels that he can be a big part of a team's success. I'd have to say that in most circumstances, I have to agree with him. T.O. managed to put up decent numbers last year despite the worst QB situation he's been in. Hell, it was the worst team situation he's been in. You didn't hear him causing any ruckus. He just did the best with what he had. From everything I can see he's calmed down a bit and realizes that his career is on the downswing and now he wants a ring.

I think this move obviously helps Carson Palmer and T.O. probably wouldn't be in Cincinnati now had Palmer not vouched for him since their recent work outs together in Los Angeles. T.O. on the other side of the field makes it damn near impossible to double team Ochocinco or shade coverage his direction so his numbers and production should improve as well. Having a tight end that can stretch the seam like Jermaine Gresham will keep any safety honest and all of them combined make it that much more difficult to stuff the box which could bode very well for the running game.

If everything goes according to plan, Cincinnati could make a lot of noise this year. People are quick to forget that Cincinnati swept their division last year. The addition of T.O. can't make them any worse offensively.

Look out NFL fans. The newest reality TV show will be on your screen every Sunday this fall and T.O. is the newest co-star.

-M.G.M.

The Dog Days of Summer

It's been a hot minute since my last blog.  Couldn't really tell you why.  Mainly I've just struggled settling on topics to discuss.  One thing is for sure: my title of this blog is probably an understatement if there ever was one.

This part of summer is rough on a sports fan like myself.  I'm just close enough yet too far away from the college and pro football seasons.  Team USA was knocked out of the World Cup too early for my liking.  The LeBron sweepstakes ended in "dramatic" fashion. Baseball is on - but who really cares about baseball?

Thank GOD that NCAA 2011 came out this past Tuesday.  That should at least give me some hours of mind numbing entertainment on my XBOX 360.  I'm actually now counting down the days to NFL training camps.  I just printed out the 4 week schedule of the NFL preseason and I think I'll probably find a couple preseason games to attend.  I'll DVR the rest and watch them.  Every snap.  I even started to prep for some fantasy football drafts.  I'm THAT bored.  I'm THAT guy.

I'll probably find myself just randomly going to the lake to ride my jetskis with a couple neighbors.  When I say randomly, I mean we might go out there tomorrow at like 5:30pm when I get home and ride for an hour or so.  I wandered around Home Depot yesterday just looking for things I could do around the house.  I ultimately settled on fixing a part of one of our fences at the house.  Oh - and I picked up some ant killer to get rid of some jumbo ant piles in the backyard.  Exhilarating stuff I'm doing here.  I know.

To be honest, I can't say I've had a more boring summer in a good while.  It just seems to keep dragging on and on.  The most interesting thing each day is seeing which washed up free agent is trying to get down to Miami now.

Here's to football getting here.  Fast.  Damn the Dog Days of Summer.

-M.G.M.

G.O.A.T.???

Greatest Of All Time.

G.O.A.T.

It’s often thrown around and to me there is no competition. There is only one G.O.A.T. when it comes to basketball and that is Michael Jordan. MJ.  23.  Whichever you prefer.  We all know (or should know) what he did so for me it’s not really worth even beginning to detail. But then you have the constant debates of who can possibly challenge MJ for the title. Some will say Kobe. I disagree and for the purposes of this entry I’ll stay away from why.

What got me thinking about the title for this entry was a quick comment my boy David made to me via Twitter regarding the rumors of Lebron and Chris Bosh to Miami to join D Wade: “…nothing confirmed...but if it happens...LEBRON can never be considered the best...in my opinion.” I got to thinking about that statement and as big of a Lebron fan as I am, I can’t help but agree. Let me shed some light on that statement: I’m from Austin, TX. The pro team in Austin is the Texas Longhorns so I’ve never had true affiliations. Basically I’ve just always enjoyed good sports and to a further extent, I’m a bigger fan of players than I am teams. So as a result, whenever the Lebron hype started in high school, I started to follow him and have become a big fan.  So back to the topic at hand…  For me, no matter what Lebron were to do going forward it would be hard for me to even consider him as a candidate for the G.O.A.T. title because he’d be going to a team with other superstars for the sole purpose of winning a championship.  Not saying there is anything wrong with wanting to win a championship.  Nothing wrong with that at all.

This is about his legacy more than anything. For me to consider you as the G.O.A.T.-to-be I need to see the ability to bring a team from the ashes and turn them into a champion. A true powerhouse. I always thought Lebron was on the right track in doing that in Cleveland and secretly hoped he’d just stay there and get a piece here and there and develop them into a champ. Instead it seems as if the dollars and the need for a championship right now is driving him. I can’t say I blame him necessarily but I do think it makes his legacy take a hit if he does what most think he'll do.

As a friend pointed out when I raised the “issue” in a recent Facebook status: “If Lebron, Bosh and Wade all end up on the same team, they are only two players short of an Olympic squad.” It seems like it’d just be too easy to go that route. I want the person that is coming for MJ's title to grind it out. Whether that’s fair or not, I can’t say. I’m only speaking from what I personally want to see. I may never see it because these days anyone with enough money and cap space can pretty much go out and buy championships in the NBA. Ask the Lakers and Celtics in recent years.

So if Lebron reads this somewhere (yea right), go for the rings. Go for the money. I don’t blame you. But don’t expect to be considered the G.O.A.T.

Ever.

At least not in my eyes.

-M.G.M.

Game. Blouses.

I gotta be honest. I think today was the first time in a long time I’ve watched an entire soccer game. I watched bits and pieces of USA vs. Slovenia and after I saw us get hosed I was pretty much convinced the fix was in when it comes to World Cup soccer. I couldn’t help but think it was worse than the NBA. At that point I was pretty much done with soccer for the year.
But as Americans, we tend to rally together in spite of adversity and when you throw sports in with some patriotism it creates a beast like no other. So when I saw I could watch USA vs. Algeria today online, the wheels in my brain started turning on my way to work as to how I’d be able to keep up with what was going on.

Somehow my schedule at work turned out perfectly today. I didn’t have any appointments from 10am until 1pm today so I was streaming the game on my computer through ESPN3.com while doing some paperwork in my office. When Clint Dempsey put the ball in the net in the 21st minute against Algeria I wasn’t looking at my computer. I heard the commentators scream goal and instantly I turned to see that once again, we were getting jobbed. The goal was called offside. I couldn’t help but think – “here we go again.”

It probably didn’t help that I just finished watching the best ESPN 30 for 30 to date last night – The Two Escobars – which detailed Colombian soccer and how it was fueled by Pablo Escobar’s drug money. Drug cartel’s would pay off the refs back in those times to try to fix games and I couldn’t help but find myself Googling Algeria and Slovenia to see if there were strong drug presences in either country after that goal was taken from us. If you enjoyed that ESPN 30 for 30 last night you should look into watching the documentaries called Cocaine Cowboys and Cocaine Cowboys 2. Very similar in many regards. Anyways - back to the game.

I was almost ready to shut off the game and go right back to good ole Pandora for the rest of the day. But a sense of pride started to swell up in me. From this moment on I was glued to the screen. I was incensed with a feeling of “us against them” and just found myself literally cheering the USA team on from my office. I think people were initially kind of shocked as they passed by my office at how into it I was. Occasionally they’d ask “what’s going on?” My response? Soccer. USA. This was followed by them rushing to their respective offices and tuning in as well.

As the 90th minute drew closer and closer you could see the USA players ramping up their play and becoming more aggressive. All the while I’m cheering on from my office and posting “USA! USA! USA!” updates on Twitter with my friends. I just kept on getting the feeling that any moment I’d be able to shout for joy. It just felt like they shouldn’t lose. Sure enough, true to American resolve, Landon Donovan came through in the 91st minute. It seemed like everything slowed down for a second and then of course I had to yell and post on Twitter - GGGGGGGGGGOOOOOAAAAALLLLLLLL!!!!!!!!! Three of my co-workers came into my office and we quickly watched some of the replays. It was probably one of the cooler sporting moments I’ve experienced without having any true personal affiliation. After the game Donovan said: "We're not done. We believe, man. We're alive, baby." I don’t know if that’s a sign of things to come or what but it just feels like I watched something special take place.

With that being said, let the chants of “USA! USA! USA!” continue. As long as we're still in it I have something to do that will keep me busy until NCAA 2011 drops on XBOX 360. Football season can't get here fast enough but this soccer thing will do for now. For you Chappelle’s Show fans out there the best way I can sum up that finish is the following: Game. Blouses.

-M.G.M.