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“Lots of Stories-Lots of Takes”

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When you compete…you have good days…bad days. Your stories get covered and people express opinions.

Some on the mark-some terribly off.

ERIC HOSMER…Many believe this was a great acquisition by the Padres, but some analytics say the price tag paid was excessive. People do believe he will produce for the Padres, and many believe Hosmer will have a very positive effect on streaky Will Myers, veteran Chase Headley and the overwhelmed rookie Hunter Renfrone. Who knows but we know how the Royals lineup come together as Hosmer grew up alongside Sal Perez-Mike Moustakas and Alex Gordon.

SEBASTIEN JANIKOWSKI….Unless he has physically broken down at age 40, back issues hurt him last year, the Chargers need to take a look at the longtime Raiders kicker. The Bolts had to use 5-ickers last year because of injury-inefficiency.

MARK CUBAN….A bad season, this Dallas Mavericks are (18-40), was followed by a 600,000-fine by the NBA for saying his team would intentionally tank the rest of the season, and now the revelation that an Animal House culture existed for 6-years in his front office. 7-women employees went public attacking the fact the CEO was allowed to go unchecked in all types of work place sexual harassment.

RICK PITINO…Speaking of bad weeks, Louisville got nailed again by the NCAA, in the aftermath of all the scandals involving the Cardinals hoops program under Rick Pitino. The Adidas slush fund scandal….the Sex Party Recruiting scandal led by an assistant coach and of course Piton’s own adulterous scandal incident in a restaurant. He’s not guilty of any of this, so he says, but he won’t have to worry about telling any future employer about all his issues at U-of-L. He won’t get another job interview. His program, it happened on his watch.

TAMPA BAY-MIAMI….Commissioner Rob Manfred can say all he wants about his belief the Marlins and Rays will bounce back in the future, but there will be a lot of pain between now, and that point down the road. The Marlins dealt away 4-keiy players, got 13-prospects in return. Tampa Bay just dealt 3-top veterans, and got 8-prospects in return. Low payrolls this year, likely 100-losses in both cities.

GULLS….The AHL team has had a strong mid-winter surge, but now they may have to try to sprint to the finish line without their leading scorer, and maybe other players. it’s always great to see hot prospects from the Anaheim Ducks, but you are at their beck and call. They can pull your players at at any time because of injuries. They can also trade prospects to prop up the big club for the NHL playoff run. The Gulls lost 17-goal scorer Eric Fehr, when the Toronto Maple Leafs, who loaned him here, dealt him to San Jose. Earlier, the Gulls lost power forward Spencer Abbott, and now top young blue liner Marcus Pettersson has been recalled. Life in the AHL can be tough at times.

AZTECS…Yes they have had a mini hot spurt, ambushing teams at home, but the reality is, the Mountain West Conference tourney will be in Las Vegas, and when SDSU has had to play good teams on the road, they come home with losses. They’ll have to prove me wrong.

TOREROS…What a pleasant bounce back season for Lamont Smith, but they need more players. A redshirt class of big men this year, will join 3-established starters next year. Aside from the nice win against BYU, USD has not done much against the best teams in the WCC. Quality is still to be delivered.

JIMMIE JOHNSON…A bad day at the office, you bet. A bad week at Daytona. 3-wrecked cars in 3-races, the Clash..the Twin Qualifying race, and the 500. All this coming after a very disappointing second half of the season for NASCAR icon.

TIGER WOODS….Most everyone felt so positive after his season debut at Torrey Pines, though he had a wild round. But last weekend, it was even worse, terrible off the tee…worse with the putter on the green, an awful experience at the LA Open. On he goes to the Honda Classic.

TED LEGITY…Not a good week for the US’s top downhill skier, but a brilliant career. Age, 33, and injuries shadowed this what will be his final Olympiad. Not a disappointing week, but a great career.

LINDSEY VONN…Is going home with just one medal, but she has down so many great things in her ski career, we should remember her greatness over all these years, not just what happened this week. How unfair of the LA Times to write a headline ‘Over the Hill’ when you confer the major injuries she has come back from.

USA HOCKEY…A tough way to put a team together, using college players, and select journeyman from abroad, but USA held up well in the face of a couple of loaded teams. They wound up losing in the first round of medal play, but they got that far thanks to Harvard star Ryan Donato. But Russia got around the NHL ban, by using former NHL stars now in the KHL to fill their rosters.

USA HOCKEY….The Women’s program has grown and the rivalry with Canada, it is their game, they founded it, is fierce, The US women’s program has grown by leaps and bounds in just the last 5-years.

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