Is Rooting for Boxers based on Nationality Wrong?

October 30, 2007 By Leave a Comment

By JA Dawson

My answer to the title of this post is not a simple one. In many ways, rooting for a fighter based on where s/he comes from, especially if that place is your birthplace, hometown or country, is a common practice that has taken place for centuries across many sports. From the Olympics to the World Cup, rooting for athletes because they share a common ancestry or nationality with you is not only accepted, it is often endorsed by the countries that participate. Do I think that rooting for a boxer based on such criteria is acceptable? Well, yes and no. It is my belief that once you begin rooting for a fighter based on traits that have nothing to do with their individual skill or talent, you may be headed down a path that was not originally intended. At best, this road can be filled with nationalism; at its worst, it can reek of jingoism.

Here are the reasons why I think caution must be applied when rooting for fighters based on nationality:

1) “It’s us versus them.” Due to the individual, one-on-one nature of the sport, boxing fans often form a personal bond with their favorite fighters that is rivaled by few sports. Anyone who has ever watched a Manny Pacquiao fight, where proud Filipino fans are rooting on their national hero to vanquish his latest Mexican challenger, or a Ricky Hatton fight, at which many rabid British fans have traveled thousands of miles to see their pride and joy lay a beatdown on an American fighter, it is clear that while boxing matches often represent avenues for fans to express national pride, they can also lend themselves to fans expressing an “us versus them” mentality in how they view the match in particular, and the sport in general.

2) “We’re good at this; they’re good at that.” How many times have you watched a boxing broadcast and heard an announcer say something like, “Mexicans can take a great punch,” or “British fighters fight very conventional, sometimes too conventional.” Like all stereotypes, some of these assessments have hints of the truth, but cannot be applied to each an every case. For every iron-chinned Mexican boxer (e.g. Julio Cesar Chavez, Sr.), there are glass-chinned ones (e.g. Fernando Vargas). For every conventional British boxer (e.g. Lennox Lewis), there have been fluid, unorthodox ones (e.g. Naseem hamed). If you bet on Jeff Lacey (American) to beat Joe Calzaghe (British) a couple of years ago, I don’t need to tell you why stereotyping fighters is not only a bad philosophy, it can also lighten your wallet.

3) “They fight, so we must fight.” In rare cases, the conflicts that take place in the ring between the fighters themselves lead to violent confrontations between the fans watching the fight (like the ugly ringside brawl at the Riddick Bowe (American) and Andrew Golota (Poland) heavyweight fight back in 1996). In short, the individual battle in the ring can occasionally lead to a group battle outside of it. Sadly, many soccer fans are well aware of this unfortunate phenomenon.

Rooting for fighters who represent “us” is natural and, for many, a source of pride. However, if taken too far, this pride can lead to division, stereotyping and, in rare cases, violence. I leave you with a few words of advice on this matter: simply enjoy boxing for its entertainment value; respect its gladiators for their courage and skill, and root for the best boxer to win regardless of where s/he comes from. It’s a nifty little concept that has enhanced my viewing pleasure over the years.


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RJ’s NFL Picks – Week Eight

October 30, 2007 By Leave a Comment

By RJ

I went 9-5 last week R. That puts me at 65-38 for the season.

Here are my picks for the NFL’s Week Eight:

Sunday, October 28, 2007

Cleveland (3-3) at Saint Louis (0-7) – 1:00 pm (Sheridan’s Line – Browns by 3)

Cleveland had a bye last week. (One could argue they have a bye this week as well…) The Browns have shown a surprising ability to put a lot of points up on the board. The Derek Anderson to Braylon Edwards combination has been impressive. And Jamal Lewis is averaging five yards per carry. Unfortunately, they’ve given up 183 points through six games, an average of 30.5 points per game. In fact, their defense is giving up an average of 413 yards per game, dead last in the NFL. Saint Louis lost badly at Seattle last week. They’ve managed a total of just nine points in their last two games. The only team in the league that has scored fewer points than the Rams is division-rival San Francisco, but that’s only by a single point – and unlike Saint Louis, the 49ers have already had their bye week. At 0-7, this is their worst start in franchise history (which dates back to 1937). And they lost yet another offensive lineman this week, when they released Claude Terrell after he was arrested for trying out a new pancake blocking technique on his wife.

RJ’s Pick – CLEVELAND BY 6

Detroit (4-2) at Chicago (3-4) – 1:00 pm (Sheridan’s Line – Bears by 4½)

Detroit beat Tampa Bay last week. They are the only team in the league with a record of 4-2 or better that has a negative point differential. That’s because all four of their wins have been in close games, while both of their losses have been absolute blowouts. Their defense has allowed an average of 269.3 passing yards per game, which is the third-most in the league. The Lions re-signed RB Aveion Cason this week in an apparent effort to improve their sub-par running game, which is kind of like trying to alleviate a migraine by bashing your head against a wall. The Bears beat the Eagles last week, 19-16. Another win this week would put them at .500 midway through the season, which in the NFC is almost like clinching a playoff spot. Brian Griese’s quarterback rating is nearly double Rex Grossman’s, and Griese has eight times as many touchdowns with the same number of INTs as Grossman. That being said, Griese is still quite average for an NFL quarterback, and the Bears have no running game to speak of. Also, their defense ain’t what it used to be. And they’re just 1-2 at home. And I understand Mike Ditka no longer coaches there.

RJ’s Pick – DETROIT BY 2

Indianapolis (6-0) at Carolina (4-2) – 1:00 pm (Sheridan’s Line – Colts by 6½)

The Colts beat the Jaguars on MFN last week to remain undefeated. Indianapolis has given up the fourth-fewest points in the NFL. They’ve already beaten all three of their division rivals on the road, and this is a team that hasn’t lost a regular season home game since 2005…so you may as well just award them the AFC South division title right now. Carolina had a bye last week. They are 4-0 on the road this season, but 0-2 at home. It’s uncertain who will be their starting quarterback this week, David Carr or Vinny Testaverde. It’s also unknown who will be their starting running back, DeShaun Foster or DeAngelo Williams. Just about the only thing that is known with any certainty is that the Panthers will lose.

RJ’s Pick – INDIANAPOLIS BY 10

New York Giants (5-2) at Miami (0-7) [in London] – 1:00 pm (Sheridan’s Line – Giants by 9)

The Giants won their fifth game in a row last week, 33-15 over San Francisco. WR Plaxico Burress continues to miss practice with his sprained ankle, even though he still starts every game. It’s become pretty obvious that this “sprain” is never going to be “healed” completely, as it provides him with a built-in excuse to keep missing practice. (Of course, the way he’s been playing, maybe this whole “practice” thing is over-rated…) After giving up 80 points in their first two games, the Giants have given up just 69 points over the last five. (Also, they sacked Donovan McNabb twelve f**king times back in Week Four.) The Dolphins got blown out last week by New England. (Shocking stuff, am I right?) Then to add injury to insult, their last remaining good player, RB Ronnie Brown, blew out his knee and is finished for the season. Miami has given up a league-worst 231 points through seven games, and they’ve given up over 40 points in each of their last two. At 0-7, this is the worst start in franchise history. It is arguably the worst start in any franchise’s history. But on the other hand, perhaps they aren’t even the worst team this season (see: Saint Louis). Anyway, whatever small number of American football fans there are in London to see this game will almost certainly be disappointed by this matchup. After this inevitable debacle, you could almost forgive them for preferring to watch the other “football,” where 150-pound nancy-boys in knee socks run around all day, while occasionally rolling around in the grass with an “agonizing” injury that clears itself up about 3.5 nanoseconds after some clown pulls a colored square out of his pants. (On second thought, never mind; that simply cannot be forgiven.)

RJ’s Pick – NEW YORK GIANTS BY 15

Oakland (2-4) at Tennessee (4-2) – 1:00 pm (Sheridan’s Line – Titans by 7½)

Oakland lost at home to Kansas City last week. The main problem the Raiders have is that they are not what I like to call “good.” They’re 29th in the league in passing yards per game, and they are 29th in the league in rushing yards allowed. However, they do run the ball well, although LaMont Jordan’s performances have been getting less and less impressive every game since Week Two. If this trend continues, he’ll be running backwards by mid-November. The Titans won an exciting game on the road against division-rival Houston last week. QB Vince Young seems to have recovered from his leg injury and is expected to be able to start this game, which was hailed as great news by everybody except Tennessee’s wide receivers.

RJ’s Pick – TENNESSEE BY 4

Philadelphia (2-4) at Minnesota (2-4) – 1:00 pm (Sheridan’s Line – Eagles by 1½)

The Eagles lost another close game last week, this time to the Bears. They’ve given up the second-fewest points in the NFC. But they’ve only scored 116 points through six games, which is less than 20 points per game. And if you exclude their bizarre 56-point explosion in Week Three, they’ve scored a total of 60 points in their other five games, or just twelve points per game. But the odd thing is, they are 8th in the league in yards per game. So they are able to move the ball, but they aren’t able to get it in the endzone. I blame offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg for the poor performance of Philadelphia’s red-zone offense. (Also, I’m still angry at him for winning that overtime coin toss and choosing to kick.) Minnesota lost to Dallas last week. Thankfully for the Vikings, QB Tarvaris Jackson broke a finger on his throwing hand in yet another atrocious performance, so Kelly Holcomb will start under center this week. I don’t expect much scoring in this one.

RJ’s Pick – MINNESOTA BY 3

Pittsburgh (4-2) at Cincinnati (2-4) – 1:00 pm (Sheridan’s Line – Steelers by 3½)

The Steelers lost at Denver on SNF last week, 31-28. Despite their loss in that high-scoring game, they’ve still given up the fewest points in the NFL. They also have the second-best rushing offense in the league, in terms of yards per game. The Bengals beat the Jets last week. They’ve given up the fourth-most points in the league. On a positive note, their passing attack is averaging 273.7 yards per game, third in the NFL. But Carson Palmer is throwing too many INTs.

RJ’s Pick – PITTSBURGH BY 7

Buffalo (2-4) at New York Jets (1-6) – 4:05 pm (Sheridan’s Line – Jets by 3)

Buffalo beat the Ravens last week. They’ve scored the fewest points in the AFC. It’s interesting, though, that this team could easily be 4-2, because their losses against Denver in Week One and Dallas in Week Five were both games they really should have won. Change just one play in each of those games, and the Bills would be looking like a possible Wild Card team. The Jets were defeated by the Bengals last week, their fourth loss in a row. Their defense has given up the second-most points in the AFC. Chad Pennington will remain the Jets starting QB, at least for another week. I’m going with the upset.

RJ’s Pick – BUFFALO BY 3

Houston (3-4) at San Diego (3-3) – 4:05 pm (Sheridan’s Line – No Line)

Houston lost a shootout last week to Tennessee, 38-36. They’ve now lost two in a row, and any playoff hopes they had after starting the season 2-0 are quickly slipping away. Ahman Green’s knee injury has really crippled Houston’s running game. The Chargers had a bye last week. They will be practicing for this week’s game in Arizona due to the severe wildfires in Southern California. It’s hard to say whether the combination of a week off, a major natural disaster, and practice on a strange field will effect their game. But I do know that the Chargers have won their last two games, both against division rivals, by a combined score of 69-17. And I also know that San Diego should be a big favorite in this matchup, but there is no line offered for this game. Hmmm…

RJ’s Pick – SAN DIEGO BY 1

Jacksonville (4-2) at Tampa Bay (4-3) – 4:05 pm (Sheridan’s Line – Buccaneers by 4)

The Jaguars lost at home to the Colts on MNF last week. They have given up the second-fewest points in the NFL. They are also averaging 148.5 yards on the ground per game, third-best in the league. But there is some big, bad news to report: David Garrard, who was having a terrific season, with a 102.9 quarterback rating and 0 INTS, is out for a month with a severe ankle sprain. That means Quinn Gray will get his first NFL start this week. That should be, ah, interesting to watch. Tampa Bay lost last week at Detroit, despite outgaining the Lions by almost 150 yards, completely dominating the time-of-possession, and QB Jeff Garcia having a career day. The Buccaneers are 3-0 at home this season. This should be a low-scoring contest.

RJ’s Pick – TAMPA BAY BY 2

New Orleans (2-4) at San Francisco (2-4) – 4:15 pm (Sheridan’s Line – Saints by 2½)

The Saints won their second game in a row last week, beating the Falcons 22-16. In their first three games, they allowed 103 points; in their last three, they’ve allowed just 49. In his first four games, Drew Brees had 1 TD and 9 INTs; in his last two games, he has 4 TDs and 1 INT. Point is, this team is improving quickly. The San Francisco 49ers, however, just seem to be getting worse. They have lost four in a row, including a blowout loss to the Giants last week. They’ve scored the fewest points in the NFL. RB Frank Gore and QB Alex Smith are both banged up. I see no reason to pick the home team here.

RJ’s Pick – NEW ORLEANS BY 5

Washington (4-2) at New England (7-0) – 4:15 pm (Sheridan’s Line – Patriots by 16½)

The Redskins edged out Arizona last week, 21-19. They have given up the fewest points in the NFC. Unfortunately, their offense is pretty anemic. Washington’s top two rushers, Clinton Portis and Ladell Betts, are averaging 3.9 and 2.9 yards per carry, respectively. QB Jason Campbell has as many INTs as TDs (5), and his quarterback rating is just 78.5. They are going to have to do better than their average of 189.8 passing yards per game to beat the Patriots. New England won at Miami last week, for their seventh blowout win in seven games. Tom Brady passed for 354 yards, 6 TDs, 0 INTs, and then went home and banged a supermodel. His quarterback rating is somewhere around Bobby Fischer’s IQ. No way the Redskins win this one.

RJ’s Pick – NEW ENGLAND BY 20

Monday, October 29, 2007

RJ’S GAME OF THE WEEK: Green Bay (5-1) at Denver (3-3) – 8:30 pm (Sheridan’s Line – Broncos by 3)

The Packers had a bye last week. The week before that, they barely won at home against the Redskins. The week before that, they lost at home to the Bears. They are dead last in the NFL with just 65.7 yards per game on the ground. However, they are second in the league with 273.7 passing yards per game. Also, the Green Bay defense is slightly above average. The Denver Broncos beat the Steelers last week on SNF. They are fifth in the NFL in yards per game, but 26th in points per game. Their defense is last in the league against the run, but second-best against the pass. QB Jay Cutler has more picks than TDs. RB Travis Henry is questionable for this week’s game due to bruised ribs. Basically, this is a matchup to see who wins when the worst rushing (but second-best passing) offense faces the worst rushing (but second-best passing) defense. It really could go either way, especially in Denver and with a national audience.

RJ’s Pick – DENVER BY 1

[Bye Week Teams: Arizona (3-4), Atlanta (1-6), Baltimore (4-3), Dallas (6-1), Kansas City (4-3), Seattle (4-3)]

Recap

RJ’s Week Eight Picks: BROWNS, LIONS, COLTS, GIANTS, TITANS, VIKINGS, STEELERS, BILLS, CHARGERS, BUCCANEERS, SAINTS, PATRIOTS, BRONCOS

* I picked SIX Home teams and SEVEN Away teams [if you count Miami as a "home" team in the game to be played in London...]

* I picked NINE Favorites and THREE Underdogs [and one game had no line...]


Filed Under: Pro Football Tagged With:

Red Sox World Series Champs

October 30, 2007 By Leave a Comment

The Boston Red Sox took the World Series Championships title after defeating the Colorado Rockies in the fourth game of the best of seven meeting. The Red Sox clinched a 4-3 victory for the title at Denvers Coors Field Stadium, it’s the seventh World Series title for the Red Sox. Game four ended when Jonathan Papelbon, who has been the outstanding closer throughout the year and post-season, could strike out Set Smith with a 95-mph pitch. Not long after that a mountain of Red Sox players piled up in the centre of the diamond.

The key for winning the World Series was found by the Red Sox scouting and pre-season preparations. The success to their second World Series victory in four years comes from Boston’s advance scouting by Dana Levangie and Todd Claus. The Red Sox staff realizes that the fundaments of building a strong team are getting the right players on the right spot, to be a threat to the opponents.

“We’ve had some continuity there with Dana Levangie and now Todd Claus leading the way,” general manager Theo Epstein said on Sunday. “We’ve had some practice, because we’ve been in the postseason four of the past five years. So I think the system and the process that we’ve developed is sound. It’s the result of a lot of hard work and a lot of great baseball people. But it doesn’t mean anything unless you have a manager, a coaching staff, and most importantly, ultimately, players who buy into it.”

In 2004 the Red Sox took the title for a lot of reasons but most of all because the scouts found the St. Louis Cardinals weak spots. They had scouted the Cardinals brilliantly and came up with a plan to retire the big Cardinal sluggers. The same tactic seemed to have worked in 2007, taking the title by outplaying the Colorado Rockies for the World Series title in four consecutive wins.


Filed Under: Baseball Tagged With: ,

The Healthy Skeptic: A Critical Analysis of Albert Pujols’ Training Program

October 23, 2007 By 1 Comment

By Sal Marinello

The May 2007 edition of Muscle & Fitness magazine, features a cover story article that details the training regimen of the best baseball player on the planet, Albert Pujols of the St. Louis Cardinals.

This is the worst regimen on the planet, and is totally inappropriate for an elite athlete like Pujols.

For years the sports/fitness media has allowed this kind of nonsense to pass for performance training, be it Barry Bonds’ or Terrell Owens’ program, but it is amazing that a new generation superstar is following a program that is so woefully unsuitable. The program that Pujols follows is wrong on every single point and violates every established principle for designing a performance-training program.

Chris Mihlfeld, described in the article as being Pujols’ “full-time personal trainer and training partner,” designed Pujols’ program, and these two have been together for 10 years. Mihlfeld coached Pujols at Maple Woods Community College in Kansas City, and he has worked with Albert ever since.

The article highlights the program that Pujols follows – a “high-volume, body builder style” program – and we’re told, “this high-intensity approach is designed to prepare Albert’s muscles and joints” for the season “while also adding some long-ball clout to this already flawless swing.” Um, no.

With the exception of the correct description of this program as being “high-volume” this statement is wrong on all points. Actually almost every statement made in support of this program is incorrect, and I’ll get to them in a bit.

“High-volume, body builder–style” programs cannot address the complex needs of athletes, regardless of the level of competition, and by definition a program cannot be both high-volume and high-intensity, as there is an inverse relationship between these two variables. As volume increases, intensity decreases and there is no way around this. A program isn’t “high-intensity” by virtue of a person’s subjective opinion that a program is by some definition “hard.”

Bodybuilding has nothing to do with athletics since there is nothing remotely related between this style of training and the demands of sport.

Baseball is a sport that requires that its players be able to move quickly and explosively. This training program runs counter to the nature of baseball and is counter productive to Pujols’ baseball training because this program is teaching Pujols to move slower and less-explosively.

It’s a good thing that Albert is blessed with natural ability.

Mike Romano, a National Strength and Conditioning Association Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) and USA Weightlifting Certified Coach who has trained athletes of all levels for 20 years, is surprised that a player of Pujols’ stature would follow such a program.

Romano says, “As a former body builder (Romano competed professionally) I know that this kind of training is inappropriate for any athlete at any level. Not only am I surprised that this is being presented as Pujols’ workout, I can’t believe that he actually follows this program.”

Every paragraph in this story contains a statement that is incorrect and can be refuted with evidence from the field of strength and conditioning.

In the first paragraph of the story we’re told that Pujols puts in “two-a-days at the gym, sometimes completing more than 36 sets worth of exercise in a single session.” For the uninitiated – or for readers of M&F – this might sound impressive, but when you look at the make-up of this routine all this means is that Pujols is wasting a lot of time in the gym.

To keep this item as brief as possible I will use the first day of this workout for examples, but every day – every workout – of this program contains faulty design elements and ignores the basic principles of program design.

Monday is chest, biceps and traps day. There’s no valid reason to ever break up the body into these small pieces, but this breakdown is particularly bizarre.

During Albert’s Monday morning workout he completes 6 sets of 6 exercises with a repetitions scheme of 20, 15, 12, 10, 8, 8 for each. The 6 exercises are flat dumbbell bench press, incline dumbbell press, machine fly, EZ-bar curl, seated dumbbell curl and alternating hammer curl. There’s that “impressive” 36 sets.

After taking a break from this diet of iron to partake in a similarly inappropriate cardiovascular workout, Pujols is back in the gym for his second helping of iron. In the afternoon the Cardinals’ slugger does Smith machine shrugs and dumbbell shrugs in the same set/rep scheme as the morning session, and some medicine ball crunches and jump rope.

This is classic body builder junk and displays a complete lack of understanding of how an athlete’s body works and needs to work. From the program design standpoint there is never a reason to split a workout into 2 daily sessions, as anything that is truly worth accomplishing in the weight room can be accomplished in one session. When you consider that all Albert does in the second session is some shrugs, this split session is even that much more absurd.

Another classic body builder blunder is to break the body down into component movements rather that provide compound, ground-based exercises that allow the body to work in a manner similar to the conditions experienced in competition. There is no imaginable reason to perform the exact same amount of sets and reps for the chest and biceps, especially when you consider the differences in the relative size and function of these groups.

Almost one-third of the exercises in the entire program are for Pujols’ arms, which is counter-productive and a waste of time. It’s no wonder that Pujols’ has been battling a chronic elbow problem for the past 3 seasons.

Robert Stephens, CSCS and a Director of an NSCA Performance Center who has worked with Division 1 scholarship and Olympic athletes says that this program would have been fine for Pujols when he was an untrained kid. “Anything is better than nothing,” says the Atlanta-based Stephens.

But Stephens adds, “Eventually Albert will start to have adverse effects from this training such as loss of range of motion, joint problems from wear and tear, muscle imbalances, muscle pulls and tear, etc. There is no mention of explosive training, core training, ground based training, multi-joint and multi-dimension training.”

When you consider that Pujols missed almost a month of the 2006 season from an oblique pull and had a hamstring issue late in the season, as well as suffering from the cranky elbow, some of the adverse effects might already be rearing their ugly head.

There is certainly no reason to follow the descending rep scheme from 20 to 8 reps that is used in almost half the program. Different rep schemes require that different energy systems within the body are used to fuel muscles, and performing this wide range of reps in the same workout is counter-productive, and doesn’t address the needs of any energy requirements.

One of the major principles of designing an effective training program is to use ground-based, multiple-joint exercises. This means machines and isolation movements should be at a bare minimum. With the exception of the EZ-bar curls, every exercise in Albert’s Monday morning session is performed either sitting down or lying down.

This program consists of 3 ground-based, multi-joint exercises out of about 60 total weekly exercises. Pujols spends way too much time using machines and sitting and lying down during his workouts, especially for an athlete. The body can’t be prepared for activities that occur with feet on the ground, by lying and sitting.

David Githens, CSCS a strength coach with 17 years of experience says, “I find the number of exercises and the volume of sets performed to be excessive. If this program contained the proper exercises you would cut the workout in at least half and actually achieve more benefit.”

Which goes back to my initial comments about how a program can’ t be both high-volume and high-intensity. To really train with high-intensity makes it impossible to complete anywhere near 36 sets in a single workout. A true high-intensity workout consists of no more than 12-16 total sets, including warm-ups, with exercises that incorporate large muscle groups and result in 100% maximal oxygen consumption.

There are more statements in this article that need to be addressed.

We’re told that “on a heavy leg day” Pujols and his trainer “were banging out sets of 10 on the leg press with nearly 1,200 pounds.” There is no good reason for any athlete to do leg presses, let alone do them with this much weight. To utilizing the leg press in a training program is to ignore the need for athletes to perform ground-based, multi-joint, explosive, three-dimensional movements. To have an elite athlete grind out sets with 1,200 pounds is pure folly.

Working in a leg press – or Smith machine – forces the body to move in a manner determined by the machine and puts unnatural forces on the muscular-skeletal system, especially the back, hips and knees. Adding this kind of crazy weight to the formula is a recipe for disaster.

Towards the end of the article we get this passage, which reveals just how little Pujols’ trainer understands the process of training an athlete for sport.

“Mihlfeld’s off-season boot camp is so intense that Albert sees the regular season as his only real ‘downtime,’ training-wise. ‘The baseball season is like an off-season for me because it seems easy compared to what Chris and I do to get me ready for 162 games or more.’ Adds Mihlfeld: ‘The philosophy is to maximize his performance by teaching his body how to perform while fatigued.’”

This is wrong on all counts. You don’t prepare the body for a sport like baseball by tearing it down in the off-season. There is no basis in science or common sense to make this assertion.

The concept of rest and recovery has been lost on these bodybuilding-style trainers and this is where the taint of drugs affects legit guys like Pujols. The modern philosophy of bodybuilding routines is predicated on the fact that the competitive bodybuilders who design, follow and reap the benefits from these high-volume programs are on drugs that help them to grow. Without drugs, professional bodybuilders and their programs would garner little attention.

However this misapplication of principles is leading countless athletes down a counter-productive path. Pujols asserts that this program has helped keep him from breaking down, but the reality is that last year he suffered a severe oblique injury and has had a recurring elbow problem. As performance coach Robert Stephens said above, over time this kind of program will give Albert problems with regard to wear and tear injuries.

The high-volume of this program, particularly all the arm work, can certainly be blamed for some of Pujols’ elbow woes. All of the wear and tear that comes from all the sets and reps will definitely put unneeded stress on joints and connective tissues. And it’s no wonder that Pujols had an oblique problem last season given the lack of explosive, multi-joint movements at the expense of machine-based machines that are included in this program.

Mihlfeld says that he’s trying to maximize Pujols’ performance by teaching his body how to perform while fatigued. This is another statement that runs counter to both science and common sense, and reveals how bodybuilders don’t understand the workings of an athlete’s body. There really isn’t any objective evidence that shows that training to fatigue will increase muscle size and maximum strength, and by extension improve performance.

In a paper titled Athletic Performance Development published in the NSCA’s Strength and Conditioning Journal by Michael Stone, PhD, CSCS, Steven Plisk, MS, CSCS and others, in conjunction with Appalachian State University, Yale University Athletic Department and the USA Weightlifting Development Center, Stone writes “that training to failure offers no particular advantage,” and research suggests “that training to failure or beyond may lead to over training.”

Stone also writes that it is “obvious” from the data that training to fatigue is not an efficient way to increase muscle size and strength gains.

All the hyperbole surrounding how much weight a person can lift or how many sets that they do in a workout is meaningless, especially in the context of an elite professional athlete’s training program. Over the past 20 years there has been an incredible advance in the understanding of the workings of the body and how to best prepare for the demands of sport while improving performance, but unfortunately there are still athletes and trainers that haven’t been paying attention.

Hopefully, the worst that will come from these programs is that athletes will just have wasted a lot time. However, when you look at the kinds of injuries that have been experienced by baseball players over the past several years you have to wonder if these programs are hurting guys more than they are helping.


Filed Under: Baseball, Health and Fitness Tagged With: ,

Dodger Blue is My Heart

October 23, 2007 By Leave a Comment

By Alessandro

After the Expos were sadly and unceremoniously sent packing, the question was often asked to me, “Will you pull for the new, naturalized Nationals?” Given the petty, pathetic, paltry amount of Expos fans that remained to begin with, I doubt Montrealers migrated their support to Washington.

I myself became a baseball atheist as I simply followed baseball — albeit casually — for its own sake. Until recently that is. It suddenly dawned on me on which team to support.

How can one not admire the New York Yankees and their tradition of excellence? As a Montreal Canadiens fan this should be a natural fit but for some reason I couldn’t make the jump. The Boston Red Sox were tempting since I have been to Fenway but again I wasn’t sure. Though I did pull for them in 2004. In both cases, both cities happen to be on my favorite list and both are superb sports towns.

The St. Louis Cardinals were also under consideration. Another great sports city possibly the best baseball fans — not to mention a winning baseball heritage. But the Cards were Expos killers in the 1980s. I still have nightmares from all those losses. So I scratched them for all the sleepless nights they provided me when I was a kid.

Cubs? Tigers? A’s? Reds? All were legitimate candidates. In fact, I wouldn’t mind if any of them were to win the World Series.

Just when I was about to throw in the towel it suddenly hit me — The Los Angeles Dodgers.

If one traces back the lineage of the forgotten Expos it all leads back to the Dodgers organization. The Montreal Royals was the farm team for the Brooklyn Dodgers back in the 40s and 50s.

I have always felt there was a special bond between Brooklyn and Montreal as baseball towns. Both were hard luck baseball towns in that there always was a team in their way — Yankees, Cards, and Braves for example. Ebbett’s Field was not that different from DeLormier Downs or Jarry Park in some ways in terms of fan and player interaction.

I’m not crazy about the city of L.A. proper but I have been and loved Dodger Stadium. It’s a great place to watch baseball. Dodgers fans rank, in my opinion, just as high as Yankees, Reds, Cubs, Red Sox and Cardinals fans. Even though they leave early to beat the traffic. Ah, those fickle West Coast types.

Still, history binds the two. Which leaves me with one thing to say: Go Dodgers!


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Dutch Domination at European Baseball Championship

October 23, 2007 By Leave a Comment

By Etienne

The Netherlands took their 20th European Baseball Championship after winning the tournament in Spain, with eight consecutive victories. The Dutch almost saw their winning streak ended by the Spanish team on Saturday. Spain already defeated former European Champions Italy, and with the help of the home crowd, and was close to defeat the defending European Champions of The Netherlands. Dutch fielding errors caused a lot of unrest with the Dutch and the Spaniards saw their chance to make use of that. Spain was close becoming European Champions, they would have been the third nation to accomplish that since The Netherlands and Italy were the only ones who won the title since 1967.

The Dutch, however, escaped defeat from Spain when old hands Dirk Van‘t Klooster and Raily Legito brought their team to a higher level. In the 8th inning the Dutch scored three runs to tie the game to 5 runs each in the 9th inning. With almost perfect fielding Van‘t Klooster prevented the Spaniards to score the winning run.

In the bottom of the 11th inning the Dutch scored 5 runs to take a comfortable 10-5 lead. The fourth starting pitcher, Leon Boyd, saw his second base, Shurendell de Caster, making another fielding error. The fifth field error of the game brought Spain back into the game, 10-8. Pitcher Boyd kept his concentration and struck out Juan Garcia for the third out and ending the game.

The Dutch now in the final, had to face Great Britain on Sunday morning, only eleven hours after the last pitch against Spain. In the European Championships final The Netherlands were back into their normal form and defeated Great Britain 6-1. The Dutch captured their 20th and 5th consecutive European title and a ticket for the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing.

Game 1; The Netherlands vs. Austria 22-0 in 5 innings

Game 2; Czech Republic vs The Netherlands 0-11 in 7 innings\

Game 3; Sweden vs The Netherlands 2-14 in 7 innings

Game 4; Germany vs The Netherlands 3-6

Game 5; The Netherlands vs Croatia 13-0 in 7 innings

Game 6; France vs. The Netherlands 0-18 in 7 innings

Game 7; The Netherlands vs. Spain 10-8 in 11 innings

Game 8; Great Britain vs. The Netherlands 1-6


Filed Under: Baseball Tagged With: ,

Eric Byrnes’ Comeuppance Equals South Florida’s “Up ‘N Come-ance”

October 23, 2007 By Leave a Comment

By Matt Sussman

The Lineup Card

1. CF Eric Byrnes
2. QB Matt Grothe
3. SG Kobe Bryant
4. LF Manny Ramirez
5. #”60″ Carl Edwards
6. DE Paul Spicer
7. RB Adrian Peterson
8. G Niklas Backstrom
9. RP Rafael Betancourt
Manager: Dusty Baker

1. CF Eric Byrnes — I guess this is how karma works. One minute you say the Colorado Rockies weren’t outplaying your Arizona Diamondbacks, and then in Game 4 you ground into the final out of the NLCS.

Byrnes’ reward? If history is any indication, he must now sit next to Jeanie Zelasko during the World Series as a guest studio analyst. Tough break, bro.

2. QB Matt Grothe — He’s the quarterback of the No. 2 BCS-ranked football team in America. And his school’s football program didn’t even exist until a year before the inception of the BCS.

Grothe threw for 212 yards and ran for exactly 100 yards, totaling four touchdowns in a 64-12 blowout of in-state directional rival Central Florida. The USF Bulls are now 6-0, one of six undefeated teams, but virtually all computer rankings dictate that USF’s wins are by far the most impressive, including wins over West Virginia and at Auburn.

In 1996, South Florida didn’t have varsity football. But this year, if they win their final six games — at Rutgers, at UConn, at Syracuse, at Pittsburgh, and home against Cincinnati and Louisville — they are going to be in the BCS Championship game.

South Florida. In the BCS Championship. It wouldn’t exactly be a Boise State-type Cinderella story, because USF is actually in a BCS conference. But to understand the youth of the program, consider that the rest of the BCS’s top ten teams have been on record playing organized football games at least 100 years before USF football ever existed:

• No. 1 Ohio State – football program began in 1890
• No. 3 Boston College – football program began in 1893
• No. 4 LSU – football program began in 1893
• No. 5 Oklahoma – football program began in 1895
• No. 6 South Carolina – football program began in 1892
• No. 7 Kentucky – football program began in 1881
• No. 8 Arizona State – football program began in 1897
• No. 9 West Virginia – football program began in 1891
• No. 10 Oregon – football program began in 1894

3. SG Kobe Bryant — I haven’t heard any trade demands out of Los Angeles. I was getting worried there for a while.

Ah, here we are. By the start of the season Bryant could be playing for the Chicago Bulls, Dallas Mavericks, Phoenix Suns, Miami Heat, or about a dozen other teams?

Well, no. Having a trade rumor verified means it no longer ceases to be a rumor. Bryant is building up his legacy in LA as such: every offseason he must endure unfounded reports that he wanted out of LA. True or not to his sentiments, Bryant will never accept a trade to another team, nor will the Lakers have it. With a mediocre team, this certainly is the best way to grab headlines away from LeBron and the Cavaliers, or Kevin Durant and the SuperSonics. Or, ya know, the San Antonio Spurs.

4. LF Manny Ramirez — I’ve heard some criticism on ManRam for the way he posed after his solo home run Tuesday night, bringing his team within four runs in a postseason game. Yes, it’s typically bad to flaunt one’s power hitting abilities when the deficit is still too large for a save situation.

But consider that Ramirez’s home run was the third of three straight home runs by the Red Sox in that sixth inning, just the second trio ever to accomplish that feat in the postseason. Consider further that the other team who did that — the 1997 Yankees (Scott Brosious, Derek Jeter, Paul O’Neill — lost that series to the Indians in five games.

5. #”60″ Carl Edwards — What’s not to like about this clean-nosed, polite, many-toothed race car driver? His backflip off his car window after wins is quite entertaining. You could just get lost in this animated GIF.

But here’s something not to like — he’s a goddamn ringer in NASCAR’s “minor league,” the Busch Series. Edwards, currently fifth in the points chase, is also first in the Busch series by 638 points over David Reutimann.

There’s nothing wrong with racing in Busch series to get a hint for how the track will handle for the next day’s race. But to complete in every single race, lead the circuit in winnings, top 10 finishes, top 5 finishes, and be second in wins (to fellow Nextel Cup Chase qualifier Kevin Harvick), something’s just not right.

Michigan doesn’t play in the Rose Bowl one year, then try to make the FCS playoffs, do they? Actually, never mind. Maybe they should give that a go.

6. DE Paul Spicer — Now, I could be completely wrong about what Spicer said regarding his football teams’ cheerleaders. But after he recorded six tackles, including one sack and a forced fumble in the Jacksonville Jaguars’ 37-17 demolishing of the Houston Texans, Spicer talked to ESPN Radio and provided loosely what is this week’s Batting Sixth Quote of the Week:

We got some hard lookin’ cheerleaders.

Is he sure about that? Let me see here … yep. Total uggos if you ask me. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to go find the valet and have him retrieve my Porsche. I have to take Petra Nemcova to her latest fashion show in Milan.

(Tangent on the Jags: Can we begin debate on whether or not Jacksonville can take down the Patriots this year? They wouldn’t meet until the playoffs, but this is one hell of an impressive team.)

7. RB Adrian Peterson — They call him Purple Jesus over at Kissing Suzy Kolber. In Chicago, they call him that guy for the Minnesota Vikings who ran though their defense for 224 yards, three touchdowns, and 361 all-purpose yards in a 34-31 win.

Chicago’s running back, also named Adrian Peterson, had just 53 all-purpose yards. The one in Minnesota was last seen muttering, “Why should I change my name? He’s the one who sucks.”

8. G Niklas Backstrom — If I didn’t give hockey its due time, I’d be doing a disservice to America Canada and some of the northern states.

The only unbeaten team through six games this year in the NHL is the 5-0-1 Minnesota Wild, and you can thank their goaltender for that. With a 4-0-1 record, the Finn is only allowing 1.38 goals/game, which is exponentially snazzy when you consider that two of his seven goals allowed were even strength. He also has two shutouts.

(Personal note: the only sport my new girlfriend will follow is hockey, and this may dictate how much I learn about the sport. Or am forced to.)

9. RP Rafael Betancourt — Ya know, I might have to go with Tom Verducci on this one. If the Indians win the ALCS, Rafael Betancourt has every reason to be considered as the series MVP (third item). Just don’t let him give a speech during the award presentation. Given how long he takes to pitch on the mound, the Fox telecast might give Betancourt the Frank Sinatra treatment.

Manager: Dusty Baker — Well, the Cincinnati Reds have their manager … and Cincinnati Reds fans are not happy about it.

I’m not seeing all the ruckus over the signing. Yes, his managerial record was progressively worse with every passing year as the Cubs manager, but it’s not like he took a historically successful franchise and ran it into the ground. So granted, the name Dusty Baker doesn’t immediately cast a resonating image of victory in one’s mind, but would any manager out there really do that?

Joe Girardi, you say? Yeah, maybe they should’ve gone with him then.


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I Went To A Soccer Game And A Broadway Musical Broke Out

October 23, 2007 By Leave a Comment

By Alessandro

I have to admit that soccer players can be pretty weenie sometimes. These past few days I’ve been watching the Copa America (the continental South American championship) and the FIFA Under-20 World Cup.

Quick: did you know the Copa America is older than the World Cup? Use it at the dinner table tonight. You’ll be a star. You know what else? FIFA is all into their “Fair Game” motto, but how is play acting fair game?

Yes, I like soccer. I am not ashamed to admit this. Most of the criticism directed at the game is often made out of pure ignorance of the game. Alas, my pappy told me that this world would be filled with evil people so I’ve learned to roll with it. But my love and appreciation for the game doesn’t preclude me from being objective when it comes to observing it. I’m not hardcore for much of anything, let alone soccer – Except for one thing.

I move on.

There are aspects of soccer that simply make me want to puke in Rosie O’Donnell’s cereal. First among them are the theatrics. Sometimes I watch soccer and I think I’m watching the ballet. And don’t get me going on the whining.

Years ago, I was playing in a game when a teammate fell to the ground in the penalty area and earned a penalty shot. I ran up to him but he kept his hands clutched to his face moaning in mock pain face down. The more I tried to pull him up the more stiff he became. Rigor mortis, is it?

Anyway, amidst the commotion he managed to peek up at me and say, “did I get the penalty?”

Pathetic.

Theatrics have been around the game for decades and it is generally accepted it came, like maize and the tomato, by way of South America. Theatrics, as the name implies, is theater on the pitch. Like the plays of that English dude, Shakespeare.

Those crazy Latinos. They not only had an artistic interpretation of the game, they also brought a deceiving aspect to it.

Today, it belongs to the world. It has become an accepted norm of the game. It is a ploy by players to waste time and conserve energy. As such, many self-proclaimed purists have defended it as a classic and traditional soccer tactic.

Blah, blah, blah.

In the game between Chile and Canada, the Chileans were not only majestral with the ball, they were also annoying with their antics. It got to a point where the Canadian “emergency” crew couldn’t hide their smirks as they attended to a player with a stretcher.

Now granted, Canada was playing as though they forgot to take their Ritalin as they began to mistake soccer for hockey, but still. Chile was up 3-0. Spare the fans and viewers the nonsense.

You’ve seen the move. Fall down. Scream and roll around like someone stabbed you with a toothpick in the eye, get attended to by four or five concerned trainers and physicians, get off on a stretcher while looking up at the sky praying to God, get sprayed with a magic potion and signal to the ref you are ready to come back on.

I’m not saying some fouls are not painful. Trust me, as a former player they are. Furthermore, as a whole, theatrics are not the norm though they are the most noticeable.

Theatrics are simply frowned upon in North America. Can you imagine a hockey, basketball, football, or baseball player engaging in it? Man, his own mother would mercilessly chastise him. To a society that watches sports like football and hockey, some guy in shorts grabbing his leg after a dubious fall does not represent the male gender all that well.

I suppose this explains in part, why soccer is not quite ready for prime time here. Many sports fans that are ready to give it a shot simply can’t digest watching some kid from the third world eat grass. Remember Claude Lemieux? I know hockey fans do. Enough said.

It’s a clash of sports civilizations and on this front North America wins hands down.

The bottom line theatrics (including diving) is an ugly part of the game. It’s time to figure out a way to punish players for it. There are two ways we can deal with this. Either we allow the referee to punch the player in the alleged injured area to see if it’s real or we can start by flashing a yellow card if the referee clearly sees that the player is faking.

Personally, I like the former.


Filed Under: Parole Humour, Soccer Tagged With: ,

Revisiting The Wunderteam

October 23, 2007 By Leave a Comment

By Alessandro

When we spot Austria on a map, we think of the Austrian-Hungarian Empire, The Sound of Music, great skiers, pianists, shrinks, Ah-nold, sausages, and the great city of Vienna. In other words, a bunch of things except soccer.

With a FIFA ranking of 63, who can blame you?

A while ago, I contributed a piece about the two best teams to never win the World Cup in Holland of the 1970s and Hungary of the 1950s. Here, I introduce the Austrians of the 1930s.

Forgotten in the long timeline of world soccer, the talented Austrians were once upon a time a soccer power. Known as the Wunderteam, they were arguably the greatest team of the pre-war era. As a result. the Austrians – led by the likes of Ernst Ocwirk, Ernst Happel, Gerhard Hanappi, and Walter Zeman – went on an unbeaten streak of 14 games between April 1931 and December 1932.

The Wunderteam’s greatest practitioner was the flamboyant Matthias Sindelar (aka the Mozart of football). Evidently no stranger to nicknames, Sindelar was also known as the “man of paper” for how easily he eluded and weaved around players. He was a free spirit on a team that accentuated a strong work ethic.

A brilliant soccer mind, Hugo Meisl was the architect and manager (until his death in 1937) behind the Wunderteam. Meisl was also the innovator behind creating the Mitropa Cup in 1927 – the first important international competition. Along with his English friend Jimmy Hogan, he introduced the Scottish school of soccer that focused on quick passing as opposed to the kick and rush aerial style of the early English game.

Entering the 1934 World Cup, Austria were among the clear favorites to win as they routed many of their opponents. They had also beaten Italy 4-2 at the Central European International Cup before the World Cup. Keep in mind, central Europe – notably Hungary and Czechoslovakia – were producing some of the best footballers in the world at the time so this was not a weak accomplishment.

Unfortunately for the Austrians, in a game Meisl felt his side had no chance, tight Italian marking and poor weather conspired against them in the semi-final game won by eventual champions Italy. Austria finished fourth after losing the 3rd place match to Germany.

Just like that, the Wunderteam were gone. If the World Cup disappointment put an end to this fine side, the Anchluss in 1938 with Germany destroyed Austrian football.

Like a tragic opera, this dark period in Austria’s history coincided with the suicide of Matthias Sindelar.

Between the Austrian Wunderteam, Jimmy Hogan and another close friend to Meisl Italian manager Vittorio Pozzo, the 1930s was a golden age that was rudely interrupted with the rise of Nazi Germany.

Austria made a triumphant return at the 1954 World Cup as their thrilling 7-5 victory over Switzerland in the semi-finals showed. They would finish 3rd after a 3-1 victory over Uruguay.

This is as close to greatness as they would ever come. From there, the Austrian soccer program has been in steady decline ever since.

Historically, the Austrian national team qualified seven times for the World Cup finishing third (1954), 4th (1934) and with respectable 7th (1978) and 8th (1982) place finishes. In 1936, Austria’s amateur team won the silver medal in the Olympic football tournament in Berlin.

Now you know it’s not all just about Freud in Austria. A long time ago they also were a soccer power.


Filed Under: Soccer Tagged With: ,

Paying Homage to Soccer in Hungary and Holland

October 23, 2007 By Leave a Comment

By Alessandro

As the soccer community mourned the loss of Ferenc Puskas, it seemed fitting to pay homage to the legacy of Hungarian soccer.

No matter what you called the The Golden Team that inspired several nicknames including the Magnificent, Magical, or Mighty Magyars, Hungarian soccer during the 1950s was among the most breathtaking ever to grace a soccer pitch.

Hungary burst on the international scene after they became the first team to defeat England on English soil 6-3 in 1953. They throttled the English 7-1 in the return match in Budapest. Though Hungary were a respected power during the Inter-war years — reaching the World Cup finals against Italy in 1938 — it wasn’t until the 1950s did their legend become rooted in soccer folklore.

Today, we tend to recall the great Brazilian Brazilian names — Garrincha and Pele come to mind — from the 1950s. Obscure Eastern European names are not exactly household names. They should be. Led by the likes of Laszlo Budai, Sandor Kocsis, Nandor Hidegkuti, Zoltan Czibor, Peter Palotas and the Galloping Major Ferenc Puskas, Hungary went on a 32-game unbeaten streak during in the early to mid-50s. A record that still stands.

However, the Hungarians fell to West Germany 3-2 at the 1954 World despite being outright favorites. It was, as we say, a massive upset. Especially considering Hungary — who were without Puskas who was injured in the match against the Germans earlier in the tournament — smashed West Germany 8-3 in round robin play.

1956 had decimated the national team as the Hungarian revolution began to exact its toll. Hungary remained a force but a mere shadow if its former self. Hungarian soccer has been in seemingly terminal decline since the 1970s.

Today, we remember the Magnificent Magyars:

• International record includes 3 gold medals; 1 silver and 1 bronze at the Olympics from 1952-72.

• Two World Cup finals (1938, 1954); two semi-finals and five quarter-finals.

• 31-game unbeaten streak. Starting in 1950 until 1954. In 98 matches between 1950 and 1960, Hungary won 67 times while drawing 16 and losing only 15 matches. This translates into a .765 winning percentage.

• Interesting Note: Hungary defeated Brazil twice in World Cup play while never suffering a loss. The first victory came in 1954 with a 4-2 victory and the second in 1966 when they beat Brazil 3-1. Hungary never lost to Brazil in 4 matches (three wins and one draw).

The Dutch and Hungarians prove that life is not necessarily fair and that innovation does not always translate into victory. Just like the ill-fated Austrian “Wunderteam” of the 1930s, the ultimate World Cup triumph eluded them. For North Americans, think Buffalo Bills and Minnesota Vikings. You may include the Atlanta Braves or Montreal Alouettes as well.

Holland’s philosophy on the game was something called “Total Football.” While they weren’t the only ones who used this idea — West Germany was playing with it as well — they did master its tenets during the 1970s. Holland began experimenting with “Total Football” with the great Dutch clubs Feyenoord and Ajax in the late ’60s and early ’70s. Tactically aware and forever roaming around the pitch, the Dutch were ready to pounce and strike at any time.

‘Total Football” was finally put to the test in 1972 in the European Cup final against Italy’s powerhouse club Internazionale of Milano. After Ajax’s 2:0 victory over Inter, newspapers around Europe reported the “death of Catenaccio and triumph of Total Football.”

Like the Hungarians before them, Holland produced a host of great names including Johan Neeskens, Ruud Krol, Johnny Rep, and one of the greatest soccer players of all time, Johan Cruyff.

So, the quality was evident. Now it was time to win the World Cup. The 1974 Finals between Holland and arch-rivals West Germany, which was touted as Total Football versus Total Discipline, saw the Germans employ their own interpretations of “Total Football” as they handled a Dutch side that lacked any killer instincts despite getting off to a fast start with an early goal. West Germany were victorious 2-1.

1978 saw the same story play over this time against the home side Argentina. With fans in a catatonic furious frenzy, the South Americans cruised to a 3-1 score.

Holland’s track record:

• 1988 European Champions.

• Two-time World Cup finalists (1974, 1978). Three time semi-finalists and four times have reached the quarter-finals.

• During the 1970s, Holland earned a 48-18-19 record in 86 matches or a .663 winning percentage.

• Three bronze medals at the Olympics (1908, 1912, 1920)

There you have it. In sports, promises go unfulfilled all the time. Holland and Hungary were two examples of two innovative and supremely superiour soccer sides that simply could not win on the most important day.

Holland’s soccer legacy remains in tact, while Hungary’s roams around aimlessly. Holland are perennial favorites and they were indeed heavy favorites in 1998 in France. However, their dream came to end in the semi-finals; losing to Brazil in a shoot-out. In fact, throughout the 1990s, Holland continued to produce soccer stars of the highest quality.

Who could forget the Dutch trio of Marco Van Basten, Ruud Gullit, and Frank Rijkaard who represented AC Milan? Among the greatest club sides in soccer history. But that’s another story altogether.


Filed Under: Soccer Tagged With: , ,
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