Where are they now? Mike Gansey

Mike Gansey was a key component of West Virginia's sweet 16 and elite runs in 2005 and '06. Like a typical white guard, Gansey was a lights out three point shooter, but unlike a typical white guard, Gansey constantly hustles and played respectable defense. Suprisingly, Gansey went undrafted after graduatinf from WVU in 2006. He played in the summer league for the Miami Heat, but did not make the team's final roster after suffering a serious staph infection. After a season in Italy, Gansey is currently playing for the Erie Bayhawks of the NBA's Developmental League.

Forza New Jersey?

In the opening round of the Confederations Cup in South Africa, the United States was defeated 3-1 by defending World Cup winners Italy. Two of the Azzuri's goals were scored by Giuseppe Rossi, a native of New Jersey. The question must be asked, why is Rossi, an American citizen who was born and raised in the United States, playing for Italy? Situations like this are common in international soccer. Manchester United's Owen Hargreaves, a Canadian with British parents, chose to play for England over his native Canada. However, Hargreaves can be forgiven, as Canada is highly unlikely to qualify for a World Cup in the forseeable future, so playing for England was his one chance to play on the biggest stages. Freddy Adu is currently in the U.S. side and was born in Ghana. However, Adu emigrated to the U.S. at a young age and became an American citizen, so his choice of teams is perfectly legitimate. In contrast to these two cases, Rossi's choice of teams is nefarious. Rossi could've made a real difference playing upfront for the U.S. team that is almost always assured of World Cup qualification due to the weakness of CONCACAF. Italy's team may have a brighter spotlight and better chances of winning trophys, but aren't national teams supposed to be about representing your country?

MLB Umps: Does your incompetence know no bounds?

The officiating in all pro sports has come under criticism lately, but while NBA refs such as Nova's own Tim Donaghy can at least claim that they are fixing games, MLB umps are simply incompetent. Friday night's Phillies/Red Sox game was a new low for the league. In the bottom of the 11th in a tie game, Phillies' pinch hitter Gregg Dobbs hit a drive over the right field foul pole, seemingly a walk-off homer. However, umpire Jim Joyce had different ideas, and called the ball foul. (The fact that this loser has the same name as a a great Irish author is a travesty in and of itself). The league has recently instituted a rule that instant replay can be used in plays such as this, so one would think that a potential game changing play such as this would be the perfect oppurtunity to use instant replay. But Joyce would have none of it, claiming he was sure it was foul so he didn;t need the replay. How is it humanly possible to be that arrogant? Are the ups really that afraid of being proved wrong that they won't allow replays to be checked? Joyce obviously got cut from his high school baseball team and now wants to take it out on major leage players, that's the pnly plausible explanation.

Where are they Now? Jason "Apollo" Fraser

Jason Fraser (class of 2006) entered Villanova with very high expectations. As a high school player, he was a McDonalds All-American who was very much on NBA scouts' radars. In a national tournament, he once outplayed LeBron James head to head. Unfortunetly, his Villanova career was derailed by injuries; he underwent seven surguries during his four years, icluding two on each knee. Sfter graduating, Fraser initially played professionally in New Zealand; where he had some success but continued to be hampered by injuries. Jason is currently playing for the legendary Harlem Globetrotters, and displaying some newly found ballhandling skills.

Mediocre Middle Reliever of the Week: Rheal Cormier

Every week this blog will be featuring a mediocre middle reliever; this week we look at the legendary Rheal Cormier. In a career spanning from 1991-2007, Cormier was living proof that there's no Canada like French Canada. Cormier's began in St. Louis, and included stops in Boston, Montreal, Philadelphia, and Cincinnati. His best season was 2003 with the Phillies, in which he posted a 1.70 ERA. Cormier continues to be an important role model for crafty French Canadian lefthanders everywhere.

#250!

Phillies lefthander Jamie Moyer, still going strong at 46, recorded his 250th career win today in a 4-2 victory over the Washington Nationals. In an age where the news is dominated by egomaniacs and steroid users, Moyer is a consummate professional; a refreshing throwback to when baseball was merely a game. With his 81 mph fastball, Moyer relies on his location and vast knowledge of pitching to make batters get themselves out. He has struck out Tony Perez, who was born in the 1940's, and now strikes out players born in the '80's. He struck out both Ken Griffey Sr. and Ken Griffey Jr. If he continues playing next year, it will the fourth decade he has pitched in. Moyer is a dedicated family man with seven children, and is renowned for his work in the community, both in Seattle and Philadelphia. An astute observer of the game, Moyer has provided invaluable mentoring to young pitchers such as Cole Hamels. After winning 16 games last season, Moyer pitched a gem in game 3 of the World Series while suffering from nausea and explosive diarrhea; a feat much more impressive than drama queen Curt Schilling's bloody sock. For one day let;s forget the madness surrounding A Rod and Manny Ramirez, and give a round of applause for Jamie Moyer, a true ballplayer.

Peavy on the Block

Padres pitcher Jake Peavy has been the subject of much speculationfollowing his rejection of a trade to the Chicago White Sox last week. Sources say Peavy was intimidated at the prospect of playing for tempermental manager Ozzie Guillen. Peavy has a no trade clause and therefore has veto power over any trade. Sources say he would like to remain in the National League, and he is seemingly perfectly content to remain in San Diego. On the one hand, one can harldy blame peavy for wishing to remain a Padre; playing for the Padres has to be one of the best jobs in the world. You're a professional baseball player. you live in San Diego, and you have no pressure or expectations. However, one would think that an elite athlete would thrive on competition and the chance to prove yourself on the biggest stages, which is why it would make perfect sense for Peavy to move on and pitch for a contending team. Rumors claim that Peavy does have the psyche to play in baseball hotbeds such as New York, Philadelphia, or Boston. If this is the case, Peavy needs to take a deep hard look at if he really wants to be a professional athlete.

If Peavy does accept a trade to a conteder, where would he best fit in? The best answer lies in the team visiting San Diego this week, the Philadelphia Phillies. The defending champions have a core group of stars such as Chase Utley, Ryan Howard and Jimmy Rollins who are all at the peaks of their careers right now; it is best to go for another title while the window remains open. Additionally, starter Brett Myers is undergoing hip surgery that likely leave him out for the remainder of the season. With a stable of young arms in the minor league system, the Phillies have the pieces to get the deal done. It's up to you Jake, are you content with mediocrity, or do you want to win a championship?

Greg Paulus a Football Player?

Former Duke point guard Greg Paulus has recently committed to play football at Syracuse. After playing four years of basketball at Duke, Paulus is takig advantage of a little-known NCAA loophole which allows players that have not redshirted to have a fifth year of eligibililty in a different sport. Although Paulus was a renowned high school quarterback who was recruited by Notre Dame, it is extremely difficult to imagine Tea Bag Greg on a football field. Throughout his Duke career, he would frequently cry like Cristiano Ronaldo due to events such as an opposing team's 6'0 180 lbs. point guard setting a pick on him. How does he expect to handle defensive linemen? In honor of Paulus, let's take a look back at some of Duke's most infamous white boys.

J.J. Reddick: A 2006 graduate, J.J. Reddick was the player we all loved to hate, the Sidney Crosby of the NCAA. Frequently lauded by Dick Vitale, and often described by Vitale's partner and fellow Duke propagandist Mike Patrick as "the best shooter I've ever seen," J.J. was one of the few media darlings who could seriously challenge Brett Favre for the title of ESPN's biggest mancrush. Reddick was pretty much the stereotypical white guard who shot three's, and was greatly aided in his endeavors by referees who would call a foul on anybody who dared to so much as breath on Reddick, while allowing him to push off and handcheck at will. Reddick is currently warming the bench for the Orlando Magic.

Steve Wojciechowski: A 1998 graduate, "Wojo" leaves a very infamous legacy. When it comes to athletes acting like blithering idiots, Wojo was Jose Reyes before Jose Reyes. Amongst his constant theatrics, Wojo is credited with starting or at least popularlizing the Duke tradition of slapping the floor while playing defense. Anybody fortunate enough to witness this year's glorious Sweet 16 matchup between Villanova and Duke knows very well what happens when a team that plays real unrelenting defense matches up with a bunch of posers slapping the floor. Wojo is curenlty an assistant coach at Duke

Bobby Hurley: In the interest of maintaining some semblance of objectivity, I must mention one Dookie who deserves some begrudging respect (besides Jay Bilas of course, who is awesome). From the ghettoes of North Jersey. Hurley was a straight up baller who was instrumental in winning national championships in 1991 and '92. Unfortunelty, his NBA career was derailed by a serious car accident. Hurley currently assists hos father Bob, the coach of St. Anthony's high school, a hotbed of highly rated recruits including Villanova's Dominic Cheek.

Christian Laetner: Hurley's teammate and a selectee to the 1992 U.S. Olympic team along with Duke teammate Grant Hill, Laetner was most famous for his NCAA buzzer beater against Jamal Mashburn's Kentucky. Laetner was the prototype for many Duke players: an outstanding college career led to NBA mediocrity. Laetner was NBA journeyman who never really caught on anywhere, much like, well, every other Duke player that makes the NBA.

That does it for now, but Duke hating is always welcome here.

Where Are They Now? Gerry McNamara

A weekly feature on this blog will be finding out what former college basketball stars are currently doing. This week features former Syracuse standout Gerry McNamara, class of 2006. After winning an NCAA championship as a freshman (with a little help from Carmelo Anthony), McNamara went on to have an illustrious career. A native of Scranton, McNamara achieved godlike status in his hometown; several busloads of Scrantonites frequently attended his games. So what's he doing now? Well after going undrafted, he signed a contract to play for Olympiacos in Greece, but was cut after just one game. He then played a season for the Bakersfield Jam of the NBA Developmental League, before returning to Greece to pay for Panionos, with whom he lasted a whole four games. After a brief stint in Latvia, McNamara returned to the Developmental League with the Reno Bighorns, but was recently released. He is currently without a team and is said to be considering giving up basketball. My best advise to Gerry is to try to snag a cameo on "The Office" and then run for mayor of Scranton. Tune in next week when we catch up with Jason "Apollo" Frasor. Feel free to comment if you have any suggestions for future "where are they nows."

Vote Ibanez!

In the most recent count of all star game votes, Phillies leftfielder Raul Ibanez is in sixth place; trailing such players as the suspended Manny Ramirez, the choker Carlos Beltran, and the irrelevant Mike Cameron. After several years in Seattle, playing in the pitcher's haven that is Safeco Park, in a lineup with no legitimate major leaguers other than Ichiro, Ibanez is thriving in Citizen's Bank Park. He is currently hitting .341 with a league leading 17 home runs and 44 RBI's. If he keeps these numbers up, he cold make a legitimate push for a triple crown, and he would surley be the National League MVP if the season ended today. The fact that he is not in line to start in the All Star game is an absolute disgrace. You know what to do, start stuffing some ballots!

http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/events/all_star/y2009/ballot_pop.html

The Legend of A Rod

Following his recent return from injury and the upcoming release of Selena Roberts' new tell-all book, Alex Rodriguez has been very much in the news of late. In addition to well publicized steroid allegations, Roberts' book also brings some other slightly nefarious practices to light. There are certain codes that baseball players abide by, such as pitching inside when a batter crowds the plate, or not admiring your home run ball too much. Despite the frequent temptation to play Bill Belichick, sign stealing is very much frowned upon in the player's code. Why then Would A Rod assist opposing players in stealing his own team's signs? According to Roberts, during A Rod's time in Texas, he maintained a network of friends on several other teams. When a score was lopsided late in a game, A Rod would read the catcher's signs from his shortstop position, and tip off his friends while they were batting, allowing them to know the pitch, and expecting them to reciprocate when he was at bat. This is the tell-tale sign of a player more concerned with his batting average than his team's success. Although seemingly innocent, anybody who has watched the like of Jose Mesa and Aaron Heilman pitch for various bullpens knows that no lead is ever truly safe.







Another frequently discussed issue is A Rod's relationship with fellow Yankees star Derek Jeter. Although publicly amicable, rumors of resentment persist. one cannot help but think that Jeter must be secretly enjoying the current drama. Upon closer examination, the contrast between the two infielders could not be greater, particularly when it comes to off the field shenanigans. Jeter is seen by many as the ultimate player; having dated Mariah Carey in her prime, Jessica Biel, Jordana Brewster, Adriana Lima, and allegedly given Jessica Alba herpes. Rumor has it he is currently seeing "Friday Night Lights" star Minka Kelly. On the other hand, A Rod, between his feminine slaps at Red Sox pitchers and homoerotic photo shoots, has frequently shown himself to be quite the flamer. If he were any gayer, he'd have to move across town and play with these guys: