Forget the weak ass Super Bowl party you were about to plan. Your buddies over at Sam’s Club(yeah...that's right Sam's Club) and Samsung have something a hell of a lot better. For a mere $71,000 (yes, that’s the correct number of zeros) you can own a brand new 57” LCD HDTV and a little slice of heaven.

Not only does this hi definition journey let you watch all the games that lead up to THE GAME on a 57” wide screen LCD screen, but it also takes you right up to the fifty yard line for the Superbowl and a whole lot more.

The Pro Football Championship XLI Package is the brain child of Sam’s Club and Samsung and offers the best of both worlds in sports and entertainment.
The package starts off with a kick ass home theatre system including a 57” LCD HDTV, Blue Ray DVD player, DVD camcorder, 1,000 watt home theatre model and a Digimax Pro 8MP 15x digital camera to capture all of the excitement of the playoffs. And with the hi-def and surround sound, it’s basically one step away from being at the actual game anyway.

The next round of goodies includes four round-trip, first class airline tickets to Miami, deluxe four night accommodations, VIP transportation and four lower level premium tickets to the Championship game. It also includes a few other treats, namely:

∑ Four passes to the Official Tailgate Event

∑ A choice between two spots in the Championship’s Game Gold Showcase or personalized spa packages

∑ Front Row VIP tickets to the Samsung Play of the Year Awards

∑ Access to Dan Marino’s VIP party at Nikki Beach as his guests

∑ Four signed Hall of Fame Jerseys from Dan Marino

∑ Four $750 travel vouchers

And if that’s not the enough for all you rich sports enthusiasts, we’re sure the women swarming all over your premium tickets and newfound friendship with Dan Marino won’t hurt either. It’s simple. You provide the cash and they’ll provide the rest.

A PimpWiz Exclusive By, Lauren Fairbanks

Shout out to PointsWizard.com for the tip.

Labels: LaurenFairbanks, Sports

As if Larry Coker doesn’t have enough problems down in Florida, this weekend’s bench clearing brawl to certainly not settle it all will most likely be the last straw in the career of a man with the second best winning percentage in the history of college football. And while Coker was quoted as saying, “I haven’t had many bad days, but this is a bad one,” the bottom line is this could get very bad for Coach Coker and his staff.



The trustees and alumni already wanted him out. They flew planes and signs over the U two weekends ago screaming it is time, and Coker must go. And this will most likely be the last straw in the hat for a coach who has nothing but huge success. His players have become less talented, and too much thug for even for U.

Every player who participated in that brawl wanted to play for the Canes. But they couldn’t, and they had a chip on their shoulder therefore. It doesn’t make it right for a Cane to swing his helmet at his opponent, but clearly, FIU had a problem with the Canes, who have a problem with beat downs after the LSU Bowl game last season.



The Canes felt they lost that fight, and they certainly lost the game. And now, Coach Coker has a whole other set of problems after he suspended 8 players minimum. The problem is the trustees are meeting today about the “direction of the football program.”

Will this be the end of an era where in his first year they won it all, and haven’t won since? We believe it will be, as suspending the players for one game is pathetic, they deserved the entire season.



A PimpWiz Exclusive By, Ryan Berger

Labels: RyanBerger, Sports

Growing up, the USA never lost in anything. Not the Olympics, not the World Games, and certainly not the Ryder Cup. But after this past weekend’s drubbing by the Europeans, the United States has now lost 3 straight Ryder Cup matches in the past 6 years, and questions have arisen. Will we ever win again? Why aren’t we winning? Is Phil Mickelson breathing?

The United States came to Ireland for the Cup more motivated than ever. Losing two contests in a row didn’t sit well for the Americans. Captain Tom Lehman vs Captain Ian Woosnam was sure to be a feisty, energetic matchup, especially on the Europeans turf. The Americans came in top heavy, with the best player in the universe, Tiger Woods. Woods has struggled throughout this contest in the past, having a career losing record while dominating tournaments all over the map. The Americans also come with the world’s number two and three players, Phil Mickelson and Jim Furyk. To keep it short, the States has the players and the talent. The Europeans on the other hand come with lots of talent, most of it young in guys like Sergio Garcia, Paul Casey, and Luke Donald. The older members, Monty and Olazabal, lead the group and bring instant credibility to the team.

More than talent, the Ryder Cup is decided on how well the team works together, and who plays whom in certain matchups. Of course, making a few putts wouldn’t hurt, but this is much different from you normal golf match. This is about teammates reading each others putts, playing in formats where you hit your partners ball, and taking a backseat to individualism, something that is not the case when you play golf.

This year was no different than the last few. While Tiger did his job this time for the team, the rest of the team was a disaster, as they chose 4 rookies to shine in the spotlight, and all of them brought zero to the table. While the Americans gave fist pumps to each other, the Europeans cheered every putt, danced around on aces, and treated the contest as if it was the Super Bowl.

Maybe one day the Americans will wake up and realize they missed the commercials as well.
A PimpWiz Exclusive By, Ryan Berger

Labels: RyanBerger, Sports

Friday morning in Japan, the USA Basketball team takes on Greece in one semifinal of the World Championships. Never ever before has it been so important for the US to win these games and tournaments, but with the embarrassment of the past few years, it is more crucial than ever.

Jerry Colangelo was brought into the mess to clean it up, and immediately, he went after a Coach who has the respect of every player from the NBA to NCAA, and that was Coach K. Second, the roster was expanded to over 20 players so injuries and personal reasons for not coming doesn’t diminish the teams chances. Last, the team would be made up not only of NBA stars, but of role players, guys who don’t need to score the ball every play to be effective, hence Shane Battier and Bruce Bowen.

The USA has played 6 games so far, trailing in two of them to Germany, and to Italy, down by 9 at the half, and in both cases they have come back and blew their opponents out. But those days are over, and if they can get past feisty Greece, the other semifinal of Spain vs Argentina is going to produce the biggest challenge to the Americans yet, and may even prove to be too much for them to handle.

The American team has been with each other for 3 weeks, although D Wade jokingly said it feels like 3 months since his NBA Finals run just ended in late June. The Spaniards and Argentines have been playing together for 10-12 years straight, and their experience and chemistry of playing with each other is something that can defeat a more talented team.

The key to beating the Americans is packing in a tight zone on defense, and making guys shoot the three. While the Americans are shooting 41% from behind the arc in the tournament, their 10-40 showing against Germany kept them in the game, and showed the world once again if you cn force the US to settle for jumpers, and stay in the game, that the US will get tight and miss easy shots.

Pimpwiz prediction:

US takes care of Greece in the semifinals, before losing to Argentina and Manu Ginobili in the championship.

A PimpWiz Exclusive BY, Ryan Berger

Labels: RyanBerger, Sports

The Yanks and Mets are on a crash course for the World Series, and for the first Subway Series since 2000. The Mets have led the National League from start to finish, and come in the favorites to make it to the Big dance out of the NL. The Yanks had a harder time getting out of the gates, and will have a harder time reaching the World Series as the American League competition dwarfs the NL. Both teams have superstars, from the Mets David Wright and the Carlos Betran to Derek Jeter and Mariano Rivera. But the big question that all New Yorkers are asking is, who would actually win this thing if they did match up? Our best guess, New York wins!

Taking a look at both teams, you have to start in the dugout with the managers. For the Yanks, its Joe Torre. And for the Mets, it’s a Torre protégé, and a former Yankee in the unflappable Wllie Randolph. While Willie will win Manager of the Year in a landslide, Mr. Torre with his rings gets the advantage here. The next thing you have to look at is the pitching, and this is where the Mets really struggle. The front end of the rotation, Pedro, Glavine, and Duque, is old, fragile, and injured. Which begs the question to be asked, if the Mets and Pedro go down 1-0, will they come back? The Yankees easily have the advantage on the mound with Wang, Moose, and RJ. And I will take Mariano out of the bullpen any day of the week over Billy Wagner.

It seems where both teams are most even is in their lineup. The Yankees come with a stacked lineup night in and night out, and have improved it even more with the addition of the most patient hitter in all of baseball, Bobby Abreu. With Abreu, Jeter, Damon, the Giambino, and Arod, the Yanks have the ability to squash teams every night, and that’s with Matsui and Sheffield hurt. Cano is in the hunt for the batting title, Melky is in the hunt for the rookie of the year, and this is by far the best year Posada has ever had. And over in Queens, the lineup isn’t too shabby either. Jose Reyes is the best leadoff hitter in baseball, David Wright is a superstar 3B, and both Beltran and Delgado are as good as they come, with Beltran the favorite to win MVP after almost being booed out of NY last season.

Having a Subway Series again would be great for the sport of baseball, and great for the city of New York. At the worst, it would allow the city to not have to pay attention to the Jets and Knicks as much, and focus all their attention on the baseball teams, no matter who wins.

A PimpWiz Exclusive By, Ryan Berger


More Exclusives Ryan Berger Stories
Natalie Gulbis - Rising Star of the LPGA Tour
With This Payroll, There is No Stopping the Bombers
USA Basketball - Is This the Time?
Roger Federer- Can You do the Roger Rabbit?
LeBron James Stays; Now What?
Miami Heat - The Heat is On
OJ Mayo - The Next Lebron?
Meet the Mets, Meet the Mets
Team USA Soccer - "What a Let Down"

Labels: RyanBerger, Sports

Everyone knows who Michelle Wie is. She has taken women’s golf to new heights, and to a new fanbase which is much younger, and much more ethnically diverse. Wie is also extremely marketable being very studious, having an incredible swing, an Asian female as well as for her length when she hits a golf shot. She is comparable to the men so much so that they actually allow her to compete on the PGA Tour. And just when the buzz surrounding Wie couldn’t be any greater, along comes a pin up girl named Natalie Gulbis, who hits the ball like Tiger Woods, and looks even hotter than Tiger’s wife Elin.

Natalie is a classic American athlete story, growing up in Sacramento and then attending the University of Arizona. She finally started to compete on the LPGA in 2002, and is the youngest player ever to qualify to compete on the Tour along with Wie. And while Natalie demands so much attention from the galleries and fans as she is very cute, and very chatty, always seemingly happy with a smile on her face 24/7, her best finish in the 4.5 years she has been on the Tour is a tie for third, something that wont keep you on the Tour for very long. The accusations of Gulbis being too worried about her own website, or her calendars or her love life are all fair, and until she starts to win and shuts the naysayers up, she will always have to hear this. The quickest way to not hear it anymore is to win. And Natalie knows this.

While Natalie certainly has many years to craft her sport and win, she makes no qualms that what she is doing right now is best for her. Natalie spends lots of time updating her website, speaking to her fans via email, answering the thousands of questions they have per day. Meanwhile, her competitors are out on the practice putting green, putting 500 golf balls every time out. Do you think that can help Gilbris’ short game? Natalie loves to show off her figure, and it is one of the reasons she has become such a star so fast without ever winning. She participates in photo shoots, she does calendars, and she wears clothes that certainly do not hide her body. She is sponsored by Adidas who have seen the potential in having Natalie wear her clothes.

So the big question becomes how long before Natalie can stop banking on a sex object, and start filling the bank with prize money. She seems focused, but she may be focused on the wrong thing. If she takes that focus, and applies it to her swing, to her mental preparation every week, then we have the makings of another star. But if she continues to only care about calendars and FHM Magazine, then she will end up with other well known female pinups who tried their best to get the world to call them athletes.

A PimpWiz Exclusive By Ryan Berger

More Exclusives Ryan Berger Stories
With This Payroll, There is No Stopping the Bombers
USA Basketball - Is This the Time?
Roger Federer- Can You do the Roger Rabbit?
LeBron James Stays; Now What?
Miami Heat - The Heat is On
OJ Mayo - The Next Lebron?
Meet the Mets, Meet the Mets
Team USA Soccer - "What a Let Down"

Labels: RyanBerger, Sports

Last week, Brian Cashman cashed in, bringing the prize of the season, Bobby Abreu to the Bronx in exchange for two minor leaguers. As the trading deadline got closer, rumors swirled of Abreu being traded, but all that was discussed in every Philly paper was GM Pat Gillick only would take back top reliever Scott Proctor. Yet, when the trade was announced, Proctor’s name was nowhere to be found, making this trade a bigger steal than third base with Lou Brock on the field.

Since the deal, both the Yanks and Abreu have been on fire. The Yankes have pulled two full games in front of their arch rival, the BoSox, and in a few weeks, they add both Hideki Matsui and Gary Sheffield back into the lineup from the DL. Godzilla missed most of the year with a broken wrist, while Sheff had surgery on his shoulder. In their place, the Yanks turned to their farm system, for the first time since the ’96 year with Pettitte, Posada, Bernie, DJ, and Mariano, and the team has been playing with the youthfulness and energy of that group. Guys like Melky Cabrera, Andy Philips, and Nick Green have all played big roles, while the young pitching of Chien Ming Wang has catapulted the team into first, and Wang into Cy Young discussions.

But as everyone knows in New York, when your payroll is $205 million, and the next closest team in at $125 million, you are expected to make the World Series year after year, especially if you work for Mr. George Steinbrenner. Behind Wang, Mike Mussina, and Randy Johnson, the Yankees have the pitching to now go with the big bats of Giambi, A-Rod, Jeter, Abreu, and others. This has been by far the best season Joe Torre has ever had, winning one more game than the Mets this year in a year when the Mets have already been crowned king of the city and of baseball.

It’s a long year, but none of it matters in the Bronx unless you win the World Series.



A PimpWiz Exclusive By, Ryan Berger

More Exclusives Ryan Berger Stories
USA Basketball - Is This the Time?
Roger Federer- Can You do the Roger Rabbit?
LeBron James Stays; Now What?
Miami Heat - The Heat is On
OJ Mayo - The Next Lebron?
Meet the Mets, Meet the Mets
Team USA Soccer - "What a Let Down"

Labels: RyanBerger, Sports

Is this the time the United States finally got it right?
After an embarrassment of titanic proportions at the Olympics, USA Basketball is doing it the European way. The squad is assembled of 25 players, and the roster that competes will consist 12 players. There will be more cut downs after yesterday’s announcement where Luke Ridnour, Adam Morrison, and Shawn Marion were not included in the next 15. Marion is hurt, while the others will go home and rest up for camp. The decision of who made the team to go to Japan next month for the World Championships was made by a group of basketball experts, and was led by Jerry Colangelo, and Coach K, who is also coaching the team. Their idea of naming 25 guys to the team, everyone from Greg Oden, a college freshman, to Kobe and LeBron showed they were serious, and they believed to win they needed depth so guys who can attend would want to be there, and guys who were hurt or who were getting married would not diminish the level of talent on the team.

Just as Coach K had thought, Lamar Odom, C. Billups, Kobe, Marion, and Paul Pierce all had to pull out of the games due to injuries or personal reasons. Looking at the team now, it is very young, and without a true center. Brad Miller and Dwight Howard will lock up the paint, and the x factor to this team is Amare Stoudamire, who is back from two knee surgeries, and fits in brilliantly with Coach’s K’s system. The way the USA wants to play is Suns basketball on the offensive side, and Duke basketball on the defense. Press full court. Deny every pass. Bust your ass for 3 minutes and get a breather. No matter who you are. Melo, LeBron, Dwade, get down on defense and give it all you got.

This is a journey. It started last week in camp in Las Vegas, and will end at the Olympics in 2008 in Beijing. USA Basketball has been embarrassed the last few years, and has put together their top brains to end the humiliation. The question is, if the US comes up short again, then who’s to blame?
A PimpWiz Exclusive By, Ryan Berger


More Exclsuive Ryan Berger Stories
Roger Federer- Can You do the Roger Rabbit?
LeBron James Stays; Now What?
Miami Heat - The Heat is On
OJ Mayo - The Next Lebron?
Meet the Mets, Meet the Mets
Team USA Soccer - "What a Let Down"

Labels: RyanBerger, Sports

Never have I hated an athlete this much. Never has an athlete come in and after my childhood, take away all the records and numbers from my childhood heroes, and leave me with old memories of Jimmy Connors at the US Open, or Boris Becker hitting winners down the line. And the reason why this has all happened is a man named Roger Federer. The man with a personality worse than Pete Sampras, and a style of play duller than any champion. I admit, Federer may be the best player to ever live, better than Borg, better than McEnroe, Ashe, Agassi, or Sampras. But frankly, I still hate the guy.

Roger Federer just wrapped up his 4th Wimbledon championship in a row. Such a feat has never been accomplished before, and Federer is still young and has many more tournaments in him. But as his predecessors have learned, winning gets old for some and winning can sometimes lull top champions if they are not being pushed. Which is why it is imperative for both the sport, and for Federer’s motivation, that a rivalry comes along, and pushes Roger to be his very best.

Enter Rafael Nadal, the greatest player on clay that there is. Nadal burst on the scene out of nowhere a year ago, and since that time was 4-0 vs. Federer, which is an incredible record considering how rare it is that he ever even loses a match, yet along 4 to the same opponent. It was clear a rivalry of some kind had started, and the fact that Roger could not win on a clay surface against the Spaniard was getting to him.

Finally, Federer got a chance to play Nadal in the finals of Wimbledon after losing to him the major right before in the finals. Experts were hyping the rematch as a possible instant classic, and were tabbing Nadal as the number one player in the world if he wins the match. This bothered Roger to no end, and he was set to really show the world on the biggest stage there is in tennis exactly who is the best.

The match started with jitters by Nadal, when it should have been Federer who was the nervous one as he had all the pressure on his shoulders. Jitters turned into mistakes, and before you could blink, the first match was over, 6-0 Federer. The next two sets were played even, with each splitting a set, both on tiebreakers. Last, they went to the fourth set, where Federer’s brilliant ground strokes, and Nadal’s lack of patience in volleying finally finished the match, and gave Federer the result he was looking to show the world.

Not only is Roger Federer the best player in the world, the next best player is not even close to him. And therefore, tennis, especially on the men’s side, will suffer until someone can come up and challenge the champion into the type of rivalry that carried the sport during the 1980’s. A PimpWiz Exclusive By, Ryan Berger

More Exclsuive Ryan Berger Stories

LeBron James Stays; Now What?

Miami Heat - The Heat is On

OJ Mayo - The Next Lebron?

Meet the Mets, Meet the Mets

Team USA Soccer - "What a Let Down"

Labels: RyanBerger, Sports

After much speculation, LeBron James has decided to re-sign with his hometown team, the Cleveland Cavs. Many experts predicted that this would end on a much more sour note for the Cavs then when MJ went up and over Craig Ehlo, but in the end, GM Danny Ferry and his team worked hard enough to keep LeBron in Cleveland.

For at least 4 years.

With the salary cap the way the is in the NBA, LeBron James will never get paid what he is worth. His value to his team, and to his organization, comes with a price that is just about impossible to measure. LBJ is bigger than the Cavs, and is the one player in the league that can actually talk, and the Commish will listen. James is smart, he is from Akron so him playing in Cleveland sells the Q out every night, and at 21 years old, he has the body of a 35 year old man, standing 6’8 and 240 pounds.

LeBron passes the rock like Cousy, drives to the lane and finishes like Jordan, has a flair for the clutch like Jerry West, and has a body like Herschel Walker. But what makes him so special is his desire to make his teammates better, and his unrelenting acceptance of losing. The man hates to lose, and his three years in the league have proved that as his teams keep getting better and better.

But how good can the Cavs actually be? Rumors were running wild the last year in the NBA that Nike and LBJ had a secret under the table deal. LeBron would go to the Knicks or the Lakers, or even the Nets or Clips, and Nike would hit him with millions. Another rumor had him going to Brooklyn, where he and Jigga would team up to bring the Nets and basketball back to Brooklyn.

But none of the hearsay came through, and today, Cavs fans wake up and see that same yellow Hummer riding around town that t hey saw when he ran games in Akron. But don’t get too comfortable Cleveland, because while you have 4 more years with him, you better surround the next MJ with enough talent to win, otherwise he is out, and will go to a team that not only will win, but will pay him proper for what he is worth.

Larry Hughes is the first step, but he is not going to be LeBron’s Pippen the way Scottie was to MJ. Damon Jones, Z, and Drew Gooden are all not the answer as they cant finish and play way too slow for LeBron. LBJ needs someone who can finish his great looks, and the Cavs front office better step up and deliver that to the man.

Otherwise, the only people we will be talking about that are finished are the ones who feel on top of the world today, the Cleveland Cavs.

A PimpWiz Exclusive By, Ryan Berger

Labels: RyanBerger, Sports

Remember this name. OJ Mayo. Yes, I am sure you have heard about Greg Oden, the 17 year old from Indianapolis who is not only rated as the best high school basketball in the country, but as the savior to the Ohio St basketball program, and eventually, the next great big man on a long list that just recently added the likes of Shaquille, Patrick Ewing, and Hakeem. Some say Oden is a poor man’s Bill Russell, which if right Mr Oden wont be poor for very long as Russell has won 9 championship rings and is widely considered the best all time center.

OJ Mayo is a year below Oden, and hails from the Midwest also. He grew up in the streets of Cincy, and Mayo is a do it point guard that sometimes looks more than Jason Kidd without the kid part. OJ is mature looking, makes incredible heady decisions for a 17 year old with the world on his shoulders, and off the court, dude is a cool. Right now, OJ Mayo is the hottest prospect in high school basketball, and whatever school is lucky enough to grace his presence will be the Final Four in the near future.

Mayo’s high school teammate, Bill Walker, is another star, and one rumor is the two of them may attend college together. Imagine a high school tam with the 2 of the top 3 players in the country running on the team, its impossible to lose. Walker is an athletic leaper, a Larry Nance clone(for all you pre-Lebron Cavs fans), and will one day be a big time pro. His game is the prefect compliment to the pass first Mayo, who can score whenever he wants, but loves to set up his teammates and really loves to set up Walker.

OJ Mayo has the chance to be the next Lebron James, the way guys like Kobe, D Wade, and Vince Carter had the chance to be the next MJ. The endorsements will come if Mayo continues to excel on and off the court, especially with the cant miss talent he struts around with……..and before all of our very own eyes, the name OJ Mayo will become a household name for the next 25 years of our pop culture.

A PimpWiz Exclusive By, Ryan Berger

Labels: RyanBerger, Sports

If there wasn’t enough of a reason to celebrate in South Beach, now comes the first ever NBA Championship from the Miami Heat, as Shaq and D Wade clinched the title in game 6 Tuesday night on the road, in Dallas. The up and down two years the team has had since the arrival of Shaq paid off when master motivator Pat Riley took over the reins of the team from Stan Van Gundy, and implemented his 15 Strong program, making sure the team was a lot more than just the two stars. After losing in Game 7 last year to the Pistons with a banged up D Wade, Riles disregarded the naysayers, and broke the team up, moving Eddie and Damon Jones.

His additions were questioned throughout the year as the team did not gel until Game 4 of the first round against the Chicago Bulls. But in the end, the additions of James Posey, ‘Toine, GP, and White Chocolate put the Heat over the top, and delivered the belt down to the beach for the first bling in the 18 year history of the franchise.

While Riles made all the right moves, and the veterans like ‘Zo and Shaq controlled the paint for the playoff fun and finals, it was the rise of Dwyane Wade to stardom, and I mean like MJ stardom, that put Miami over the top. After struggling in Games 1 and 2 of the Finals, Flash went off, scoring over 35 in three straight games, including the game winner in OT in Game 5, which by the way was only the biggest game of his life. D Wade was unstoppable, and his quickness to the basket combined with his tremendous athletic ability and brilliant J leaves anyone sticking him that night to get their Lionel Richie on, cause Flash will bring it “All Night Long.”

And now, as we look forward to the NBA Draft Wednesday in NY, the question arises, can Miami repeat? Yeah, we all saw the Diesel with Stephen A after the game saying the Heat will repeat, and when you think about Wade having an entire summer to improve even more, lots of questions with surround Miami as they enter next season. Does Payton and Mourning have enough in their bodies, playing 29 combined years in the L, to play another season at a championship caliber? Does Riley have the motivation to chase another ring after chasing down his first in his last 16 seasons? Does Shaq care anymore, and will he be in shape by the All Star break? Will the new additions settle in and play the regular season the way they did in the playoffs? Will the 22 bottles of Cristal that the team drank on the plane be a factor?

And while Miami has many questions to answer, the league will be improved, especially the East. The Heat will also now get every team’s best game every night as they will wear the bulls-eye on their backs. Teams like Cleveland, New Jersey, Philly, Toronto, and Milwaukee will be contenders in the East, not to mention all the top teams out west, Spurs, Mavs, Suns, Clips will all be better.

One title won, many questions still unanswered. Just the way Coach Riley likes it.

A PimpWiz Exclusive By, Ryan Berger

Labels: RyanBerger, Sports

There is a new team on the backpages of the New York sports section, and thanks to Omar Minaya, the New York Mets have a chance to win their first World Series in 22 years. And maybe more importantly, Minaya has put the together a nucleus of players that are full of personality, talent, youthfulness, and has stolen the spotlight from the big bad Yankees.

How did this happen? It was just two years ago the Yankees were sent home in the fall by Josh Beckett and the Marlins. And while the Red Sox/Yankees exchanges are still extremely popular, the two need to matchup with each other to garner the attention the Yankees singled handedly used to get when matching up against any opponent.

The past several years have resulted in the Yankees coming close, but not getting over the top. And in that time, Brian Cashman, Yankee GM, has stockpiled older talent to win now, and has given up the farm system at just about any cost, except for young talents Wang and Robinson Cano. Meanwhile, on the other side of the river, the Mets have followed the Yankees blueprint of the ’90s, bringing talent up from within the organization, and then surrounding those young stars with free agent signings. And while the Yankees won with Jeter, Mariano, Bernie, Posada, and Petitte, they surrounded their young talent with free agents like Tino, Paulie O, Roger Clemens, and eventually Gary Sheffield and the Giambino to ensure that the window of winning rings would last as long as possible.

The Mets are on the road to the same 10 year run the Yankees had. They have three young stars in 3B David Wright and SS Jose Reyes, both homegrown. They gave $121 million to CF Carlos Beltran last year, who looks like he is finally gotten setlled nto playing in the Big Apple. These three young studs are locked up for 7 more years, and if the Minaya to put the correct pieces around them, the Shea Stadium fans will be very happy for a long time. Free agent signings Carlos Delgado, Billy Wagner, and Paul LoDuca have brought a sense of “win now” to the team, and with their top two starting pitchers over the age of 34, Perdo and the ageless Tommy Glavine, the time for the Mets to reach the World Series is this year and next, and then after that its up to Minaya to re-tool to continue to keep the Yankees off the backpages, and the New York Mets as the talk of the town.


A PimpWiz Exclusive By, Ryan Berger

Labels: RyanBerger, Sports

The disappointing performance by the United States at this year’s World Cup will have much bigger ramifications than simply the Americans flying home this weekend. After being manhandled and outplayed in the first game, Bruce Arena, the coach of the US team, ripped into his guys, and lit a fire under them to eventually garner a 1-1 tie against powerhouse Italy. All that had to happen was the US beat usual doormat Ghana, and they were in the final 16.

Easier said, or written actually, than done. The team was outplayed, and lost 2-1 to Ghana on a penalty kick that was a very questionable call. And while the referees didn’t give the US team one break in three games, it was clear this US team needs to go back to the drawing board, and get much faster and stronger. If the idea is to show up and be competitive, well then, mission accomplished. But if the idea is to actually win, well then you cant bring a team over like the team we had and actually think they have a shot against the Argentina’s of the world, or Brazil for that matter. And even lesser competition was a tough task for the Americans, whether it was Ghana or the Czechs.

The team having 1 shot on goal in two games, and then only 3 against Ghana speaks to a much larger issue, which is much of the reason our country can’t win the World Cup. Our youth have no interest in this sport. These are kids who are watching commercials of Lebron James dunking all over the place and then driving his Hummer with Jay Z, they are watching Peyton Manning throw touchdowns, and Reggie Bush run for them. And they are watching Barry Bonds hit baseballs out of the universe. They aren’t interested in sitting around a TV for 45 minutes a half, and that’s not including this extra time which is possibly the stupidest sports rule since the 2-3-2 NBA Finals format, just do they can watch a game where they may not see a goal. You can see more goals in the first minute of an NBA game, or even the first period of a hockey game. Our children like action, and they love stars, so while Nike has done their best to throw tons of money behind the US star players, they are only stars in their own worlds, and now that the World Cup is over for the Americans, we will see if Nike will still market Landon Donovan and his boys while they start to get ready for 2010.

Because I promise they will be promoting Lebron James, no matter if it’s the offseason or not.

Now that’s what the children want to see.

A PimpWiz Exclusive By, Ryan Berger

Labels: RyanBerger, Sports