So glad this is the last weekend of Interleague play in baseball. I'd really like to see them drop it altogether so the teams within divisions could play more. I would hate to see a division won or lost because a team in first place played the cellar dwellers from another league. Then again at last check Kansas City was beating St. Louis and Cincinnati beat Cleveland; maybe interleague play isn't such a bad idea after all.

News from the Reds via Hal McCoy and his blog - the Reds have sent Aroldis Chapman to the bully at Triple A Louisville. GREAT MOVE! The Reds need help in the bullpen and Chapman can get used to coming from there with the Bats. By the time the trade deadline gets here, if the Reds are still within contention (and it looks like they will be) Chapman and his 100+ mph fastball will be needed in the stretch run through August and September.

Reds wore green hats tonight for Irish Heritage Night. Of course McCoy then begins asking what other heritage nights are we going to have in the coming weeks at Reds games. With my ancestors I wouldn't mind German night.

USA v. Ghana tomorrow in the Sweet 16 Knockout round of the World Cup. Should be a great match. Ghana has previously beaten the US so revenge and somewhat of an underdog role could be played by the Americans.

Brasil and Portugal played to a standoff today. Solidly played game. For all of you who just can't grasp this first round play to a tie and be happy. You take the points you can get survive and advance to the knockout round and then just like any other tournament it's - MONEY TIME when it comes to elimination. Now for all you naysayers out there it's time to see what the World Cup is all about. Hopefully the US and Brasil makes things interesting from here on out.

Doubt we will have a Brasil-US final, but would be nice to see the Basillians make it to the final and the US to the medal round.

Still pretty excited about Gordon "Too Big Yo" Hayward going No. 9 to the Utah Jazz. When I think about it I am still pinching myself about the improbable run the Butler Bulldogs made back in March to the national championship game. What a thrill it was to be an alumnus during those three glorious weeks. My oldest son, Andrew, last night asked if we were going to become Jazz fans and leave the Pacers in the cold. I told him I wasn't sure yet. As of now though we can still be Too Big Yo fans which will suffice our NBA fix, what's left of it.

Too Big Yo and my new favorite NBA Team

If I was Lids or Sports Fanatics or even Dick's Sporting Goods in Central Indiana I would be stocking up on as much Utah Jazz merchandise I could get a hold of in the next 24 hours. Gordon Hayward jerseys and Utah Jazz shirts will sell fast for the next few days. Congrats Too Big Yo! We can pretty guarantee Conseco Fieldhouse will be soldout at least once next season.

Some are upset Hayward wasn't around at No. 10 for the hometown Blue & Gold. It's been six years since the brawl in Motown and the franchise has never recovered. It's like the Pacers have been cursed or something. I haven't seen the lack of fan support for this team this low since the Reagan Administration. 

I heard that tennis match finally finished today at Wimbledon. My question now is did the winner have to immediately turn around and play again today or have to play two matches in a day if he wins in the next round?

Italy - GONE; France - GONE! Can the World Cup get any better? Yes, the USA getting to the round of eight.

CWS - have no idea what is going on in Omaha other than the fact a friend of mine out there today shot a personal best 85 on the links. Congrats JD! Oh I just turned it on - my new favorite team South Carolina is playing Oklahoma right now with the winner to play Clemson tomorrow night. UCLA faces Texas Christian in the other bracket tomorrow night.

Reds are off tonight with the battle of Ohio beginning tomorrow night against the Indians. I was hoping to still be knee deep in CWS action with the Sun Devils but since their flameout I can go back to a rarity for me the last few years watching the Reds battle for first place in the National League Central.

Getting it off my sleeve

To Arizona State University's baseball team - what was that in Omaha? The overall No. 1 seed in the tournament goes 0-2 in less than 36 hours.  My interest has waned almost completely for the CWS. Although if I got a pick a team to root for through the rest of the tournament I guess it will have to be the team which eliminated the Sun Devils - South Carolina. Sad things is I was at work for both games and didn't get a chance to watch either game.

The United States wins its group and advances to the knockout round of the World Cup and what happens the feat gets upstaged by John Isner and Nicolas Mahut. They are in the fifth set tied at 59-59. It's went beyond insane in my mind. Thankfully this isn't just one of those matches where they hit and volley and no one charges the net. Both have been attacking the net and have had more chances to win the match than the officials in the 1972 Olympics gave the Soviet Union basketball team (OK, that's a stretch but you get my point).

Speaking of the World Cup, the USA advancing to the knockout round and now playing Ghana in the Sweet 16 round Saturday. If you are not hooked on the beautiful game yet here's a suggestion - find a friend who plays soccer and sit with them during the game Saturday afternoon (2:30 p.m. on ABC) and learn about the game. If they are any type of sports fan once you have sat with a person knowledgeable about the sport you will come away with a better understanding and admiration for the game.

Ah the Reds end a skid and right the ship with a three-game sweep of the Oakland A's. Best part of me - I don't have to take the trash out next week because the Reds won the series.  See I made a bet with my third oldest son and A's fan Luke whoever lost had to take the trash out next week. Reds won the series and well sorry Luke.  Reminded a lot of what happened when the Reds played the A's in 1990. Reds currently a game out aft the win this afternoon and return to Great American Ballpark for a three-game series with the Cleveland Indians for the Ohio Cup this weekend.

NBA Draft tomorrow night and the only player I care about is Butler's Gordon Hayward. Once he gets picked the TV gets switched to something else more entertaining.

Wendy was a little puzzled tonight when she turned on my car (we have been knee deep in Vacation Bible School this week and having to switch cars) tonight and heard XM Radio's Classical Pops.

Finally weekend of officiating for the summer this weekend - Shelbyville Friday night and followed by games at Purdue on Saturday and Sunday. Should be hot and should be fun as I shut my officiating down until November. Gonna catch up even more with the family and Wendy and I will be going away for a weekend to relax and enjoy some time away from the kids and being together.

Well a typical slow start for the Arizona State Sun Devils in the College World Series. ASU went down in flames today at Rosenblatt Stadium 6-3 to Clemson. The Sun Devils love doing things the hard way when it comes to the CWS and now will have to go through the loser's bracket to get back to the championship series. I'm not panicking just yet until Wednesday night.

The Reds are struggling and suddenly find themselves 1 1/2 out of first place from the Cardinals. Seems they are continuously running into the cellar dwellers No. 1 and No. 2 pitchers in the rotation on a regular basis. They can't afford anything more than three-game skids to avoid giving the NL Central to the St. Louis Cardinals.  At least that's my thinking anyway.

Who's that in the Yankees review mirror - the Rays - yes; the Red Sox - yes again, the once possibly dead Sox have made a run of late and now are one game back of the pinstripes. Mark my words by July 4 the three teams will be tied and it will be a fight between them for the final three full months of the season.

Can I just tell you how much I hate cheering for players who are my fantasy team when they play the Reds. It makes me sick.

I thought for sure the losing manager of the battle of Chitown series wouldn't have their job after the weekend, guess I was wrong - again.

The World Cup continues to amaze. WOW! Portugal all should be put on notice today after that stomping of North Korea. Brasil is back up tomorrow and of course all the soccer fanatics in the US will have our eyes on Wednesday as a win would be nice to all but assure advancement to the second round.

Was it just me or did the Indiana-Kentucky All-Star Series pass without even barely saying a "who." It's a series several years ago everyone wanted to go to and see the two states best players battle it out. Now though with college programs demanding their players to report in the middle of June for conditioning and getting their college careers off to a running start, I think the interest has waned enough to think of a one-game winner take all deal each year. Conseco Fieldhouse with only 6,000 in the building for the Indiana game alone should be a big red flag.

Where will Gordon Hayward end up Thursday night? No matter where that team will get an allegiance of Butler fans. Here's to hoping the workouts got G-time some where between 15-20 and possibly 10-20. We'll see Thursday night.

It was still for the money

Texas didn't two-step to the Pac-10; instead the horns and the rest of the Big 12's remaining teams will stay put. Good for them and good for the basketball world because now Texas can still be a power in both sports.  I believe college basketball would have lost a little something had the Big 12 dissolved completely.

Now I don't have to worry about Texas-Arizona State in the regular season during college baseball - and this year won't have to worry about it in the College World Series either. And we thought Notre Dame had clout, the fighting Irish have nothing on Texas. Now the Longhorns will have one of the most lucrative TV deals in all of college athletics and possibly even more so that NDs. That's a scary thought.

Speaking of the College World Series in the midst of Interleague play, my focus on baseball goes squarely on the College World Series beginning Saturday. I love the CWS and have ever since ESPN began broadcasting it in 1981.

I am a huge Arizona State fan and can't wait to watch the Sun Devils play Clemson on Sunday. I will put the Reds gear away for two weeks and solely wear my Arizona State hat during the tournament until either the Sun Devils win it or are unfortunately eliminated. Let's just hope as for a final go around at Rosenblatt Stadium that this year's event lives up to previous years.


World Cup Day 4 and what did we learn - Italy is gonna need to play better, the Dutch are good, and Japan could make things interesting. Tomorrow though is when the real stuff gets going as Brasil makes its appearance known in a first round game.

Baseball, World Cup and the NBA Finals

The Reds! How do you lose 2 of 3 to the Royals! The Royals! And the thing is the Reds had the lead at the beginning in all three games and couldn't keep it. Now it looks like Brandon Phillips is hurt and going for a MRI tomorrrow. Hoping it comes back negative because the Reds need his bat and his fielding at second base to have any chance staying atop the NL Central.  At least the Cardinals lost in dramatic fashion today at Chase Field to the D-backs. The dhastardly Dodgers come to calling this week. Love the good ol' days when the Reds and Dodgers battled for the NL West.

The countdown to Lou Pinella no longer the Cubs manager could be over as soon as tomorrow morning.

What an unbelievable two games in the Tempe Super Regional. Both games go extra innings and the overall No. 1 seed Arizona State Sun Devils sweep Arkansas. Drew Maggi's two-runner homer in the top of the 12th is the game winner last night to put the Sun Devils back in the College World Series in Omaha.

WOW! News out of Austin tonight - Texas Christian beats Texas to advance to the CWS! The final CWS in Rosenblatt Stadium and no Auggie Garrido and Texas Longhorns. Obviously Auggie didn't tell his batters to "rack it" enough today. There are two sporting events I would still love to cover some day and they are both going on right now - the World Cup and the College World Series.

Slovenia winning today was not a good thing for the US World Cup tournament hopes. Now the US is in a must-win situation in one or both of its final first round games with Algeria or Slovenia.

NBA Finals - How about the team-oriented Celtics? That was another case of team beating the individual last night in Boston. Kobe, really? Show some class after a loss. Then again it is about the e and m in team isn't it for you. Now can Boston have enough to close out the Lakers in games 6 or 7 at Staples Center in LA. I think they can and the big piece to the puzzle will be one of the big three in Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett or Ray Allen stepping up and Rajon Rondo playing big in the fourth quarter again. The Celtics bringing home another title this week is what this shaping up to be. I don't even think Phil Jackson and all his Zen tricks can pull this one out.

Soccer, Conference, Reds

The US tied England today 1-1. What a crazy way to score a goal but you take them when you get them, right. Should be interesting to see what the English do in the next game. Now though the US needs to win one of the final two against Algeria or Slovenia especially if one of those two beats each other. That would give either one of those teams 3 points and the really put the US in a position to have to win out to qualify for the tournament portion of the World Cup.

Nebraska to the Big 10 officiall still waiting to hear what other teams will head to the Pac-10 and if Texas A&M will head to the SEC. There might be a couple of teams from the ACC heading elsewhere as well. Namely saying Virginia Tech. Poor Kansas, Kansas State, Iowa State and Missouri. Looks like these four will be left out of the mix and possibly heading to the Mountain West Conference. The face of college sports by this time next week will be changed forever.  Again the only way Notre Dame moves into a conference for football is if the BCS Commissioners say the Fighting Irish have to be in a conference to qualify for a national championship game.

The Reds are still 1 1/2 up on the Cardinals. I'm still hoping they can keep this up past by date of the trade deadline of being in contention. Edison Volquez pitched outstanding tonight in Lynchburg against Patomac. Man, now we can just keep Dusty out of buring the pitchers out the Reds could be in good shape.

Well here we go...

Nebraska to the Big 1(?)0...I will be putting together my Welcome to the Big 1(?)0 beginners guide together for all the Cornhusker fans eventually.

Colorado to the Pac-10 - oh well.

The thing I find interesting is the biggest rivalry of the Big 8 conference prior to it becoming the Big 12 are the first to leave. I remember the games the Buffs and the Huskers had usually the day after Thanksgiving with the winner going to the Orange Bowl.

Things like which conference champion went to what bowl game was so much easier to follow. Now who knows.

But I would love to see Texas to the SEC instead of the Pac 10. As if the conference needed another team which wore orange - burnt orange at that and needed another football powerhouse to boot. Horns vs. Gators would be a great to see every season.

Not to mention Arizona State vs. Texas in college baseball should only happen in the College World Series not the regular season.

What did I say whoever took over the game at the end Rajon Rondo or Derek Fisher would win game 4. Well Rondo's steal at the end of the game sealed the win for the Celtics.

The Reds 1 1/2 up...ahh...it's going to be a fun summer.

NCAA - Time has come; the time is NOW

As the governing body of college sports it's time for the NCAA to take control of its conferences. Oh wait it can't. Why? Because the presidents of these schools in the soon to be MEGA conferences are the ones who make up the NCAA's board of directors.

If all this conference shuffling commences and now with the new TV contract for the NCAA Men's Basketball tournament ink dry, it's also time for the NCAA to figure out a stipend package for athletes other than the pier diem for road trips. You want to know the biggest oxy-moron in sports today - the phrase "student-athlete" in NCAA Division I football and basketball.

It's time for Notre Dame to say the heck with tradition and join the Big 1(1)0, or did I miss something is it now the Big 1(6)0 since I began typing? Actually since I began this blog it is the Big 1(2)0 as Nebraska as just accepted an invitation. My favorite coffee mug is now obsolete.

The one thing that better come out of all this mess is one thing - A COLLEGE FOOTBALL TOURNAMENT! If the school's really all about the almighty dollar and of course it's not that big right Mr. Murray Sperber?

Then stop giving us the line about how athletes are going to miss class and let's have a playoff. A 32-team playoff which begins the Saturday before Christmas and goes for five weeks.

And while we are at it - 68 teams in the NCAA basketball tournament. Those opening round games better involve the last at-large teams invited from here on out.

Other things... 

Any other Reds fans out there turning the TV off when Nick Massett comes to the mound in relief? Glad to know I am not the only one.

Hey Ray Allen - What was that last night against the Lakers? Hope you find your jump shot again soon. 

Memo to Doc Rivers - if Ray is not hitting the broad side of a barn then go to your players who are hot. KG was 11-for-16 last night. A lot better than 0 of 13, don't you think?

Derek Fisher and Rajon Rondo - which ever one takes over the game in the fourth quarter from here on out will help his team win the NBA Finals

Why is it I don't watch hockey at all during the regular season but I love the Stanley Cup Playoffs? Come on Blackhawks finish this off quickly. Overtime in Game 6 as I type.

World Cup - who you got? Me - I always take Brasil. And yes I will be watching US-England this weekend. It will either be a close game or a good ol' fashion English beatdown.

Cubs-White Sox - Whichever team loses the series this weekend I believe will be axing its manager on Monday morning.

Weekend happenings/finding things on the web

Just goofing around the web last night after doing some work and saw that Indiana University through its National Sports Journalism Center now offers a Master's degree in Sports Journalism. Really? How awesome is that?

Still just going through training right now with the new job at Author House.

Had two great articles in the Johnson County Daily Journal this morning. I covered the boys state track and field meet down at Indiana University this weekend. Saw some pretty impressive performances especially from the athletes I was covering. Austin Mudd surprised everyone and won the 800-meter run. Nick Stoner finished second in the 100-meter dash. I found it very interesting Mudd went to Idaho with his family for spring break and ran more than 50 miles during the week including a run in the mountains on several occasions during the week. Two quotes from the article 1. from CG distance coach Austin Mudd - "I didn't know if Mudd was goofing with me when he told where he was going." 2. from Mudd - "That was the hardest week of training I had all season. I trained all by myself and ran up the hills and pushed myself to my ultimate limit." I thought it was pretty awesome for Mudd. From the sectional on May 20 to the state meet Saturday he cut six seconds off his time. The junior, who also won the sectional and regional, was only seeded 11th in the 800. He went into the meet just wanting to get to 1:53 to qualify for a couple of national meets this summer. Now he has a state championship to complement that as well. Impressive accomplishment.

Whiteland senior Hunter Swails broke the school record in the pole vault with a leap of 14-foot, 9 inches. He was excited about the feat and also trying to get higher. He finished at 15 feet and in eighth place for the Warriors.

It is still a great high when I am write and can express the excitement of an event such as the state track and field meet where even when someone finishes 20th they can be excited because they beat their own personal or school record in the event.

Has it really been that long

Since I have been on here and posted! Really almost three years I think if I looked at the last post right?

Still writing, still officiating and well a shock here - I got a new job. I am now a publishing consultant with AuthorHouse. Loving it so far and can't wait to begin helping fellow writers publish their books.

I am currently back in school at IUPUI for nonprofit management. Yeah someday I will discuss all with you all.

Still in shock somewhat that legendary coach John Wooden passed away Friday night. Not really sure I can ever describe in words what an influence he's had on me and I am sure millions more.

Thinking though it's time to really stay connected with this and keep it up to date on a regular basis. Definitely been too long and I got a lot of stuff to catch up on.