Archive for May, 2009

Randy Johnson has pitched in many games since 1989.  He finally saw eye-to-eye with the competition Monday night, well almost anyway.  Johnson (6’10”) faced off against the Washington Nationals Daniel Cabrera (6’9″).  It is the tallest combined total height for two starting pitchers in baseball history. 

The previous record was owned by Cabrera and Mark Hendrickson of the L.A. Dodgers who also stood at 6’9″. 

Johnson and the Giants won the contest, 11-7, and The Big Unit was the winning pitcher despite serving up three homers.  Cabrera remained winless for the season dropping to 0-4.  This record may stand for awhile unless The Pirates sign The Great Kahli or Manute Bol to pitch out of the bullpen soon.

The Covelli Centre in Youngstown was the setting as The WWE Raw roster made a stop.  It was an interesting night on many levels.  First of all, this was a traditional house show, so there was no McMahons around, no Jerry Lawler, no Jim Ross, and no TV cameras.  There was no Titantron or raised ramp.  Just a ring, an old microphone and a bell.  My seat was right next to the railing where the wrestlers entered about five rows from the ring.  My cousin Vito and I attended many of these shows in Struthers way back when, but this was the first in Youngstown in awhile.

Howard Finkel came out and welcomed everyone right at 7:30 as he asked the sold-out arena to stand for The National Anthem.  Afterwards, Mickie James’ music played and the place went nuts. 

Match #1  Mickie James vs Maryse in a non-title match.  Pretty good match back and forth with the crowd really working for Mickie.  Interesting observation, Maryse lost a couple of blond hairs everytime she did anything, you could see them drift toward the canvas.  Mickie got the win on a clean pinfall.

Match #2  Chavo Guerrerro vs Festus.  Chavo came out to a loud chorus of boos.  He grabbed the microphone and riled the civilians up for a minute.  Bell rings and Festus grabs the microphone and starts singing “I Just Died In Your Arms Tonight“.  Festus dominated the match but Chavo hit the frog splash and pinned Festus for the win.

Match #3  Jamie Noble vs O’Shaughnessy  I never heard of O’Shaughnessy before but learned he is from Youngstown.  He was about 6’5″, very pale complected, and red hair — the perfect Irish hero since Finlay wasn’t going to be around.  Maybe he was filling in for Santino who was advertised but didn’t show.  Noble told O’Shaughnessy he was the whitest guy he ever saw and worked the mic pretty good.  O’Shaughnessy came away with the victory.

Match #4  The Miz vs Kofi Kingston.   One of the best matches of the night as WWE continues to push Miz as a singles competitor.  Miz might have the best mic skills in the company right now.  He really got under the crowds skin and made a crack about being in Youngstown of all places.  The match was really well paced and Kobe did some high flying.  Miz scored the win after avoiding Kobe diving off of the top rope for the three count.

20 minute intermission.  This freed me up to check Pens and Cavs scores as well as grab a Gatorade.

Match #5  Matt Hardy vs Goldust.  Hardy mumbled without direction for about five minutes, four were about his brother Jeff.  Goldust got a pretty nice reception.  The tourettes angle they did with him a few years back was one of my all-time favorites.  Matt favored his injured right arm most of the match and would run out of the ring.  He even got about halfway back to the dressing room and ran back into the ring to beat a ten-count.  Predictably, Hardy scored the win.

Match #6  MVP vs William Regal.  Regal takes about an hour to get to the ring with his arrogant stares.  This guy is still the ultimate villain.  MVP came out to a huge pop.  Very physical match which saw Regal in control most of the way.  Quite a few MVP chants filled the arena.  Again, predictibaly, MVP comes away with the win.

Match #7  Primo & Carlito vs Legacy (Ted DiBiase & Cody Rhodes).  As Legacy was walking to the ring, I noticed a nose piercing in the right nostril of Cody Rhodes that I never saw on television.  He was a little bigger than I thought he would be.  Good match back and forth.  Carlito took about ten minutes of torture and when Primo finally tagged in he went off for about forty seconds before Legacy used a couple of chairs and took the disqualification.

Match #8  Big Show and Randy Orton vs John Cena and Batista.  The Big Show got a beer dumped on him as soon as he came out and was instantly angered.  By the time he got to me, he stopped even with my seating to look around, this guy is huge in real life.  Orton came out with that goofy glazed look in his eye like he just smoked again before he came to the ring.  Batista got a good pop on his way out and he is probably the most ripped WWE Superstar.  The place went absolutely nuts for Cena.  I always hear some boos mixed in on television, but couldn’t hear any in Youngstown.  We decided to leave before this match ended to beat traffic and catch the end of what was a close Cavs game at that time. 

My general observations:

• A security guard obstructed my view all night.  He was about even with the third row and I was in the fifth.  He did not move and I had to watch him yawn about forty times trying to see around him.
• I will never sit on the seat closest to the entrance ramp again.  Before and after every match, kids swarmed from three sections over to try to touch hands with the superstars.  I had a six year old on my shoulder all night as he would stand on my seat.  I felt like a parakeet trainer.
• There were no empty seats and The Covelli Centre was loud!
• I did not bring a camera to the event because with various lens sizes and strobes I carry a large bag which I figured would not make it in.  I was angered to see several folks carrying photography bags and realized I could have really got some great shots.  A couple sitting next to me promised to e-mail me some pics but never did, so I held out on posting these results as long as I could.

Busy weekend in the world of sports.  The Pens win an OT thriller, the Cavs continue to dominate the Hawks in the playoffs, the Indians continue to struggle, the Pirates lose a bunch of games in a row, and the Yankees still stink.  These stories and many more presented below…

Who Is The Greatest Athlete Of All Time? * Sports2Debate
Phil Jackson Drops The “F-Bomb” At Pres Conference * Total Pro Sports
Shaq MMA Training Video * NESW Sports
Crazy Fan Runs Around Field During Braves vs Phillies Game * Sports Rubbish
New Kobe & Lebron Nike Chalk Commercial * Ballerblogger
John Tesh Invented The Remix * Both Teams Played Hard
Reasons NOT To Watch The Cavs vs Hawks Series * Hoop Doctors
Floyd Mayweather or Manny Pacquiao – Who Is Better Pound For Pound? * Pro-Fighting Fans
Big Baby Davis Pushes Kid After Game Winner * Docksquad Sports
Mark Cuban Admits Altercation With Kenyon Martin’s Mother * FOX Sports
Pens Win But Lose Gonchar On Dirty Ovechkin Hit * HHCIB
Are Matt Stairs And WCW’s Scott Norton Twins? * Hugging Harold Reynolds
Micah Owings: The Complete Baseball Player * Josh Q. Public
The Curse On An NBA MVP During The Playoffs * A Stern Warning
The NFL’s Top 5 Quarterbacks * Moondog Sports
Will Amani Toomer Find A Home * My Sports Rumors
Tribe Swept By Tigers * Tribe Daily
I’m Convinced: I Hate A-Rod * Sharapova’s Thigh
I’m Dwayne Wade And I’m Hurt * MVN
Celtics-Magic Game 4 Recap * TalkHoops
12 Sports Brawls That Got Ugly * Hail Mary Jane
NHL Mothers Day Playoff Video Of The Day * The Program
Allright, Lets Talk Death Threats Caps Fans * PSAMP
Two Girls Engage In Some Ice Jousting * Steady Burn
Goodbye Chuck Daly And Thank You * Paneech – Special For The World Of Isaac

The Mahoning Valley Thunder knew they had a tough opponent in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.  The two teams met earlier this season and Wilkes-Barre posted an 80-43 rout.  The score was not much different at The Covelli Centre Friday night as The Pioneers posted a 73-37 victory over The Thunder.  What was different was the spirit that Mahoning Valley played with.  The score does not reflect the fact that the home team did not quit. 

The game started bad for The Thunder as Blake Powers tried a lateral that was fumbled and recovered by Wilkes-Barre on The Thunder 4-yard line.  Wilkes-Barre scored on the next play to jump out 7-0.  On the next play from scrimmage for The Thunder, Powers was intercepted by The Pioneers Micheaux Robinson who returned his pick to the Thunder 10-yard line.  Two plays later The Pioneers scored again to make it 14-0.  At this point, Wilkes-Barre had 14 points and 14 total yards on offense.

Mahoning Valley got on the board on a Derrick Schorejs field goal to cut the lead to 14-3.

Penalties for unsportsmanlike conduct were plentiful against The Thunder.  The feeling of frustration was obvious in some instances.  The Thunder wanted Wilkes-Barre to understand that they were there for pride and not to be disqualified for complacency and nonchalance.

Down 21-3, Mahoning Valley engineered a nice drive that resulted in a Blake Powers 1-yard TD run to cut the lead to 21-10.  Wilkes-Barre scored quickly on a 36-yard pass from Ryan Vena to J. J. Outlaw, and again on their next possession to take a 35-10 lead.   Powers then found C. J. Brewer for a 28-yard strike making the score35-17.   Wilkes-Barre, with some help from Thunder penalties, kicked a field goal to make the halftime score 38-17.

Quorey Payne finally got untracked in the fourth quarter.  He caught TD’s of 10 and 39 from Davon Vinson, who replaced Powers in the fourth quarter.  I really feel for Quorey Payne.  This guy, for the second home game in a row, returned a kickoff for a touchdown only to have it called back for a penalty.

Down 59-31 in the fourth, Mahoning Valley attempted an onside kick.  The attempt failed and The Pioneers got a quick touchdown out of it.  This is the point in the game where I realized that The Thunder were not laying down and were doing everything in their power to make positives to build upon. 

With the score at 66-37, Wilkes-Barre pumped one in, using timeouts to stop the clock for no good reason.  This was David flexing his muscles at Goliath, and a classless display, I was thrilled that they did this.  This will give The Thunder some incentive for the rematch with The Pioneers on June 27 in Youngstown.  Final score Wilkes-Barre 73, Mahoning Valley 37.

Ryan Vena is a great quarterback.  When he was rushed he made some incredible throws in very little spaces.  Vena finished the night 30-39 for 331 yards and 7 TD’s.  Irving Campbell caught 11 of Vena’s passes for 139 yards.  J. J. Outlaw caught 9 Vena passes for 106 yards and 4 TD’s.

For Mahoning Valley, Blake Powers was 12-24 for 114 yards with 2 TD’s and a rushing TD.  Davon Vinson was 2-2 for 49 yards and 2 TD’s and also had a run of 35 yards.  C.J. Brewer and Quorey Payne had a pair of touchdowns each for The Thunder.  Payne finished the game with 182 all-purpose yards.

The Thunder have a bye week before traveling to Manchester on May 22.  The next Thunder home game is set for May 30 against The Kentucky Horsemen.

I spoke with new coach Brennen Booth (above) after the game.  Booth was not furious about losing saying he saw many positives and was pleased that his team kept fighting.  He also told me that people knew they were playing for their roster spots tonight and that most stepped up to the challenge.  Look for a few transactions to be made next week as Booth will be working with a few guys looking to become Thunder players.

I will be doing features on Coach Booth, Quorey Payne and Blake Powers in the next couple of weeks.  I will also be doing a story about the many things The Thunder staff coordinates to make these home games very family friendly.  Everything and anything goes when there is a timeout.  After the game, players sign autographs and answer questions.  It really is a great night out and I encourage the entire valley to get to a game, you won’t be disappointed.  Much more on The Mahoning Valley Thunder in the near future right here at Paneech.com.

In light of the recent Manny Ramirez suspension for testing positive for a banned substance, the question pops up, are there any good guys left in baseball?  If I would have been writing this article when the A-Rod story first broke in February, Manny Ramirez would have been on the list of good guys.  Below is what I believe in my heart is a list of five guys that I do not think will ever be accused of using steroids or banned substances.  Keep in mind, the five men I have picked should all go to The Hall of Fame someday as well.

Randy Johnson

Randy Johnson has been in the league since 1989.  He pitched for a team that doesn’t exist anymore called The Montreal Expos.  He is definitely in the twilight of his career but still has a little gas in the tank.  The Big Unit will never be remembered for his good looks or quotes, but I feel he has achieved everything he has cleanly and without medical boosts.

Albert Pujols

Of all the players I am naming on a “good guy” list, Pujols is probably the best natural athlete.  He is a monster statistically and has his power stroke in midseason form already.  Pujols just seems instinctive about the game and he plays with a passion that makes fans of other teams envious.

Trevor Hoffman

Lately, Trevor Hoffman has spent time on the DL.  He is nearing the end of his storied career and I wouldn’t be suprised if he retired by the end of this season.  His body is starting to give a bit, a perfect time to start using some miracle medicine to make his pitching good for a couple of extra seasons.  However, Hoffman is one of those moral guys who won’t give in to the temptations.

Roy Halladay

Roy Halladay is one of those pitchers I could watch every time he throws.  His location is usually near perfect, his velocity varies as he wants, and he mixes his pitches to hitters throughout a lineup.  There isn’t much predictable about Roy Halladay.  He is another seemingly terrific pitcher headed to Cooperstown.  I do not think Halladay ever has, or ever will dabble in the gook.

Carlos Beltran

One of lifes great mysteries to me is how this guy got out of Kansas City.  He produced great numbers as a Royal and put bodies in seats.  In hindsight, The Royals have to be sick for ever letting him get away.  Beltran will continue on the statistical pace he is on for at least the next five seasons.  He will have Hall of Fame numbers by the time he is finished, and I really don’t think he is juicing in any way.

So there you have it.  My list of five good guys still left in baseball.  There are many, many more but the biggest stars are the ones getting popped lately.  Maybe they should switch to decaf and watch what is in the cream they put in their coffee a bit closer.  Pretty soon MLB will have a list of substances longer than the faces of current Yankee fans.

Penguins looking to battle back and even up the series with Washington.  Hopefully Sid and Geno can have good games!  Here is a look at what is going on in the world of sports…

Holiday Special: Bad Ass Mothers * Hugging Harold Reynolds
Lebron James Reverse Dunk vs Hawks * NESW Sports
Mariano Rivera: Sign Of The Times * Josh Q. Public
Brewers Sausage Races * PWNED Videos
Manny Ramirez Suspended 50 Games For Positive Drug Test * Sports Rubbish
Key To Cavs Success: Just Have Some Fun * Hoop Doctors
20-Year Anniversary Of “The Shot” Jordan Over Craig Ehlo * Docksquad Sports
Didier Drogba Swears At Cameras * Total Pro Sports
Bengals Sign Ex-Cowboy Roy Williams * FOX Sports
Bullpen, Bullpen, Bullpen, All Around * Tribe Daily
The 10 Best Goalee Fights Ever * InGameNow
Apologies To Kris Letang * PSAMP
Cavs vs Hawks Game 2 Recap * TalkHoops
Whats The Name Of The Mets New Stadium? * Zoner Sports
Videos Before Bedtime: Hockey Highlights * The Program

Enjoy all of these great stories from these great websites!

The 1-5 Mahoning Valley Thunder know things will get better sooner or later.  Unfortunately, sooner might not be until next week as The Wilkes-Barre Pioneers (5-1) come rolling into The Covelli Centre this Friday.  The game is on a Friday to accomodate WWE Wrestling at the center on Saturday.  Maybe new coach Brennan Booth can talk the WWE’s Big Show into playing defense for his AF2 team.

Mahoning Valley is winless in this lifetime against Wilkes-Barre in six tries.  Brennan Booth is winless as a head coach at 0-1.  It would be a great victory to change both of those facts if The Thunder were able to find a way to win this game.  Blake Powers and Quorey Payne are the best shot if The Thunder might be able to pull the upset.

The two teams met on April 18 in Wilkes-Barre with The Pioneers posting an 80-43 victory over The Thunder. 

Kickoff is set for 7:05, see you there!

The Indians finally managed to win a game without the bullpen coming in to screw things up!  That’s a nice change for the fans!  Here is what is going on around the world of sports!

Manny Ramirez To Be Suspended 50 Games * Zoner Sports
Favre’s Agent: He Wants To Win A Super Bowl * Moondog Sports
Ron Artest Gets Drunk In Portland * Detroit4Lyfe
Canadian Parliament Votes To Use Seal Skin In Olympic Uniforms * Sports Rubbish
Don Cherry Drops The “F-Bomb” On Live Television * Total Pro Sports
Coming Soon: Shaq vs Chuck Lidell (Video) * NESW Sports
Kobe Bryant Self-Assisted Alley-Oop * Lake Show Life
Great Ron Artest Postgame Interview Piece * TalkHoops
Lebron James’ Ride: A Ferrari F430 Spider * Hoop Doctors
We’ll Fackin Look At Whoeve We Want To Fackin Look At * Hugging Harold Reynolds
Yankees Still Suck * Josh Q. Public

Enjoy These Great Stories!

Michael Vick made headlines this week as Tony Dungy did not pass go and went directly to jail for a visit.  Dungy supposedly went to the Leavenworth, Kansas prison to talk to Vick about what he would do after he gets out.  Vick gets out July 20 and will be on probation for three years.

Vick’s agent would not go into details about the meeting.  Dungy said he was going to talk to Vick about religion.  Meetings like this with positive figures like Dungy might sway Commissioner Roger Goodell into letting Vick back into the NFL. 

Hey Tony, when you are done in Kansas, think you can go see Maurice Clarett for a few minutes?

It all started in December when Ethan Jaynes and I were introduced online by a mutual friend.  Ethan was a hustler who likes video clips and does great stuff over at NESW Sports.  I was taught so many things about what people want to see, the importance of building up a regular reader base, and most importantly treating my peers with respect. 

Soon after, Paneech.com was born.  This, again, is mostly in part to Ethan Jaynes.  I began doing link posts and making friends with as many bloggers as I could to help get my stuff out there. 

I noticed that there was so much less stress in writing my own stuff because I didn’t have to care what anyone else thought.  The views expressed on Paneech.com are mine and I didn’t have to try to write a certain way or do things the way that the site does.  Ethan was pretty easy to get along with and very supportive, so it reduced the stress.

Yesterday, I did a piece for The Hoopdoctors on the Cavs and Hawks series.  It was a cool spot and I was honored to contribute to a blog that specialized in one sport, respected my views enough to ask for a contribution, and got some exposure.

Earlier this year, I accepted a position with Fansided blogs to run an Indians Website called Deep Left Field, which I really enjoyed doing.  Unfortunately, keeping up with my own column is overwhelming at times and I recently had to step away from it.  Again, Adam and Zach Best at Fansided were great people to work with.  I had the green light to write whatever I wanted and prospered from that opportunity.  If I had more time, I would still be doing that everyday, but for now all I can do is contribute from time-to-time.

I am currently filling in for Isaac at The World Of Isaac.  Isaac was also very cool in giving me the go ahead to do whatever I see fit.  I am trying very hard to make the posts look like other posts on the website so someone visiting doesn’t notice that my pal is in Hawaii eating a pig and singing Tiny Bubbles.  I am nervous, as anyone would be, about posting things elsewhere sometimes.  Call it human instinct. 

Bottom line to me is that if something is timely and well-written people will read, hype, and comment on it.  I have learned much from those above listed sites and thank them a thousand times over for putting their confidence in me.