Mattie T’s Thoughts in the world of sports (for the week of July 30-August 5th)

I just couldn’t leave my readers without another blog to read before my vacation!

This blog however, will have very minimal NFL news as i will be doing my NFL season preview blog on Monday, August 14th.

On with the show….

Following up to last week’s Tour de France News:

Tour de France champion Floyd Landis’ urine sample contained high levels of testosterone which heavily puts his title in serious jeopardy.

Landis was fired today from team Phonak & the Tour de France is no longer considering him their champion after Landis’ second doping sample tested positive for “higher-than-allowable” levels of testosterone.

Testosterone is a male sex hormone that helps build muscle and improve stamina.

Pierre Bordry, head of the French anti-doping council released a statement.

“I have received a text message from Chatenay-Malabry lab that indicates the “B” sample of Floyd Landis’ urine confirms testosterone was taken in a exogenus way.”

Landis has claimed that the testosterone was “natural and produced by my own organism.”

Team Phonak also had a statement regarding this matter.

“Landis will be dismissed without notice for violating the team’s internal Code of Ethics. He will continue to have legal options to contest the findings. However, this will be his personal affair, and the Phonak team will no longer be involved in that.”

The decision to strip Landis’ Tour de France title now lies in the hands of the International Cycling Union.

Tour de France director Christian Prudhomme said Landis no longer was considered champion, and added that “Our determination is even stronger now to fight against doping and to defend this magnificent sport.”

If Landis’ title is stripped, he will be the first winner in Tour de France’s 103 year history to lose his Tour crown over doping allegations.

If Landis is found guilty, he will also face a two year ban from the sport.

Despite the second positive test, Landis continues to maintain his innocence.

“I have never taken any banned substance, including testosterone. I was the strongest man at the Tour de France, and that is why i am the champion. I will fight these charges with the same determination and intensity that i bring to my training and racing. It is now my goal to clear my name and restore what i worked so hard to acheive.”

Three-time champ Greg Lemond, who is also the first American to win the Tour de France had another statement regarding Landis’ allegations:

“When i heard it was synthetic hormone, it is almost impossible to be caused by natural events. It’s kind of a downer. I feel for Floyd’s family. I hope Floyd will come clean on it and help the sport. We need to figure out how to clean the sport up, and we need the help of Floyd.”

Mattie T’s Thoughts:

This would obviously become a devastating blow to the sport of cycling & to the Tour De France if Floyd Landis is found guilty. However, it could take months before a decision could be made. No matter what the outcome of Landis’ decision may be, this should prompt Tour de France officials to test EVERY rider BEFORE, DURING, and AFTER the race to ensure that this will never ever happen again.

I will continue to provide updates on this story when they become available.

On Monday, the Chicago Cubs traded 328-game & 15-time Gold Glove winner Greg Maddux to the Los Angeles Dodgers in exchange for shortstop Cesar Izturis.

With the Cubs out of contention, GM Jim Hendry now gives Maddux a chance to contend in the postseason with his new team. The Dodgers are currently sporting a 7-game win streak and are just 2 games behind the San Diego Padres for the NL West lead.

Maddux recently commented on the trade that would have him leave Chicago for the second time in his future Hall-of-Fame careeer.

“I am very surprised to be honest with you. It came down to the last minute. I’m excited to be going to L.A.,but at the same time sad about leaving Chicago. I need to try to get right with my new team and try to pitch well for them.”

Maddux waived his no-trade clause, which made the deal possible.

“I was willing to waive that (no-trade clause) if the Cubs wanted to try to get better for next year.” Maddux said.

Maddux spent his first six years in the majors with the Cubs before leaving for the Atlanta Braves as a free agent in 1992. He won four consecutive NL Cy Young awards and a World Series championship during his 11 years in Atlanta. Maddux returned to the Cubs in 2004 and recorded his 300th win and 3,000th strikeout (both against the San Francisco Giants) during his second stint in Chicago. Maddux is also 1 Gold Glove award short from tying the overall mark held by Jim Kaat, who has 16. (He won 12 consecutive Gold Gloves from 1989-2002.
Now, Maddux will head out west for the first time of his career & will be closer to his off-season home in Las Vegas, Nevada.

“I started out with them (The Cubs) and i thought i was going to end with them. I look forward to going out West, a lot closer to home and maybe seeing some of my family during the season.”

Maddux started out the year 5-0 for the Cubs, but has gone just 4-11 since. He has a 4.69 ERA in 22 starts this season.

Maddux sported a 13-15 record in 2005, making it his first losing season since 1987. He set a major league record by winning 15 or more games in 17 straight seasons.

Cubs’ GM Jim Hendry also commented on the deal.

“When we brought him here in 2004, we certainly thought we were going to win & win big with him. I feel badly for him it didn’t work out the way we wrote the script. But you know down the road, I’ll always feel one of the best things i ever did was bring Greg back to Chicago.”

Maddux was a big hit in the Cubs’ clubhouse with his wry sense of humor and a keen ability to break down the game, especially pitching. He served as a tutor to some of the young Cubs’ pitchers, including rookie Sean Marshall.

“It’s not everyday you get to catch a Hall of Famer, a guy with 300-plus wins.” catcher Michael Barrett said.

Barrett also added “I think he’s still got a lot of great innings ahead of him. I think it’s a good move for him. He gets to go to a playoff-contending team. He’s going to have an impact there. We’ll always feel the impact he made here.”

Even though Maddux is leaving the North Side for the second time, Hendry did not rule out bringing him back for next season.

“There is no such thing as counting him out. You’ll never hear me say he’s done or in decline. He’s already done things that are unbelieveable and certainly almost impossible. Nothing he could ever do would surprise me.”

Maddux and his 9-year old son Chase often played catch at Wrigley Field, which is one of the perks that manager Dusty Baker allowed his players to do.

“I enjoyed playing here and part of me will always be a Cub.” Maddux said.

Maddux made an impressive Dodgers’ debut on Wednesday against Cincinnati by throwing six innings of no-hit ball. A 45 minute rainout prevented the 40-year old Maddux from attempting to throw the first no-hitter of his 20 year career.

Maddux’s Dodgers will return to Wrigley Field in mid-September to play the Cubs. His next win will tie him for 10th on the all-time wins list with Steve Carlton.
Mattie T’s Thoughts:

Maddux handled this trade with so much class and dignity that all Cub fans should really tip their hats off to such a wonderful person. Maddux never had overpowing stuff to get batters out with when he goes to the mound, but he always had the right off-speed combination of pitchers to get the job done effectively and quickly. Greg has pitched complete games where he only throws 75 to 80 pitches per outing, which is just astonishing. He has been amazingly consistent throughout his entire career, as well as becoming an excellent defensive pitcher (hence his 15 Gold Glove awards.) He has accomplished so much and i really believe he’s got some good years left in him. Maddux has made himself into one of the most legendary pitchers in all of baseball with his crafty mechanics that everyone will miss once he decides to retire. The only question will be which cap will he take with him to Cooperstown, Chicago or Atlanta? That could turn into a heavily discussed debate when Maddux’s career is all said and done.

With the trading deadline coming to an end Monday, the New York Yankees made the biggest deal of them all.

The Yankees acquired two-time All-Star OF Bobby Abreu & P Cory Lidle from the Philadelphia Phillies in exchange for SS C.J. Henry, P Matt Smith, OF Carlos Monasterios & C Jesus Sanchez.

Abreu should be able to help immediately in the Yankees’ outfield, who are without Gary Sheffield & Hideki Matsui due to injuries.

“Bobby is a good fit for us right now at a position where we were trying to find something on a day-to-day situation” Yankees manager Joe Torre commented. “What he brings to the table certainly helps us.”

Abreu is still owed close to $37 million through 2008, which was no problem for the Yankees, who sport baseball’s highest payroll at $207.2 million (That’s $90 million higher than any other team!)

Abreu is batting .281 with 8 homers with 65 RBI this season. He has a career average of .301 with 198 home runs and 841 rbi in 1,428 games. Abreu has had 3 consecutive 20 HR, 100 RBI & 20 SB seasons with Philadelphia before his decline this season. In 4 games with his new club, Abreu is hiting .353.

The Phillies are just 2.5 games out of the NL Wild Card lead & the Yankees are leading the AL East by 1 game over the Red Sox.

Mattie T’s Thoughts:

The Yankees look like they’re going to be loaded on offense when they get Sheffield and Matsui back from the DL next month. All-Star 2B Robinson Cano is currently on a rehab assignment and is expected to re-join the team on Tuesday. Lidle should get a chance to immediately join the starting rotation alongside Randy Johnson, Mike Mussina, Chien-Ming Wang, & Jaret Wright. However, i wouldn’t want to face a lineup that includes Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez, Jason Giambi, Johnny Damon, Bobby Abreu, Bernie Williams, Hideki Matsui, Jorge Posada & Gary Sheffield (who is open to playing 1st base upon his return) come late mid-September if the pennant race is still on.

The United States overcame a slow start and cruised to a 114-69 victory over Puerto Rico in their lone exhibition game on home soil before the world championships. The win avenged a 92-73 loss to Puerto Rico during the 2004 Olympics in Greece, which was probably the most embarassing moment in U.S. basketball history. That U.S. team (coached by Larry Brown) included Tim Duncan, Allen Iverson, Dwyane Wade, Carmelo Anthony, LeBron James & Amare Stoudemire.

Anthony led the way with 18 points, Antawn Jamison added 16 & Dwyane Wade scored 14. These two teams will meet again on August 19th in the opening game of the world championships in Sapporo, Japan.

The United States used a 31-2 run in the 2nd half to break the game open. Their starting lineup included Anthony, Wade, James, Toronto Raptors’ F Chris Bosh & New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets’ G Chris Paul.

In related news, The United States dropped F/C Amare Stoudemire from their roster. Stoudemire is currently rehabbing his surgically-repaired knees that sidelined him for 79 games last season. Stoudemire is also expecting the birth of a child, which made it an easy decision for team managing director Jerry Colangelo.

Mattie T’s Thoughts:

Amare needs to rest up and prepare to re-join the Suns for the regular season. Phoenix is a good team without him, but they’re an immediate contender in the west if Stoudemire is healthy.

The Pro Football Hall of Fame will open its’ door to six more legends today, which are:

QB Troy Aikman (Dallas Cowboys ‘92-00)

Aikman went from having an 0-11 record in his ‘89 rookie season to becoming a three-time Super Bowl champion in just 6 years. He compiled a 10-1 record during a 4-year span that saw Dallas win 3 of 4 Super Bowls, while throwing for 22 touchdowns and 8 interceptions. Aikman also completed 68% of his passes and threw for 265 yards per game.

LB Harry Carson (New York Giants ‘76-89)

Carson will become the first inside linebacker in a 3-4 scheme elected to the Hall. He took the New York Giants back to respectability in the 80’s & led them to a 39-20 win over the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl XXI. Pro Football Weekly rated him the “#1 inside linebacker” in NFL History. He also made an amazing 25 tackles in a Monday Night Football game against the Green Bay Packers.

Coach John Madden (Oakland Raiders ‘69-78)

Madden will enter the Hall of Fame today 28 years after coaching his final game. He is the force behind one of the most popular sporting games EVER. (which is available in stores on August 22, by the way) Madden led the Raiders to a 103-32-7 regular season record and won the 1977 Super Bowl. His .759 winning percentage is the highest ever among coaches with 100 career victories.

“It means everything to me. It’s just something that humbles you and excites you more than you’ve ever been excited.”

Before i continue with the next legend, i’d like to go into throwback mode with some old-school covers of past Madden video games:

Took ya’ll back, didn’t it???

QB Warren Moon (Houston Oilers/Minnesota Vikings/Seattle Seahawks/Kansas City Chiefs ‘84-01)

Moon will become the first black quarterback to make the Hall-of-Fame. The five-time CFL title winner combined for 70,553 yards between the NFL and CFL during his 17 year career.

Moon however, will be the only Hall-of-Fame inductee out of this year’s class without a Super Bowl ring. He commented on it recently:

“I don’t think it (his Hall-of-Fame induction) will ever take place of not winning a Super Bowl. It’s a team game and it’s a team award winning a championship. The Hall of Fame to me is more of an individual award within a team game. I think the two are very different. This validated me as an individual player…not having that championship ring will be something i always wished i had, only because that’s the main reason you play the game.”

Warren Moon also witnessed the biggest comeback in NFL Playoff History. The Buffalo Bills rallied from a 35-3 deficit to defeat Moon’s Oilers 41-38 in a 1993 AFC Wild Card playoff game. Moon was nearly perfect in the first half of the game, completing 19 of 22 passes for 218 yards and 4 touchdowns. However, Moon was held to 153 yards passing in the second half with 2 interceptions while throwing 11 incompletions.

DE/DT Reggie White (Philadelphia Eagles/Green Bay Packers/Carolina Panthers ‘85-00)
Nicknamed the “Minister of Defense”, White made the all-pro team in 13 out of his 15 seasons in the NFL.
He is the Green Bay Packers’ all-time sacks leader at 68.5. White appearead in two Super Bowls (both w/the Packers) & won Super Bowl XXXI over the New England Patriots.

He retired in 2000 as the NFL’s career sacks leader. (Bruce Smith broke White’s record in 2003)
White passed away in December of 2004 at the age of 43.

T Rayfield Wright (Dallas Cowboys ‘67-79)

The Six-time Pro Bowl tackle anchored the line for a Dallas Cowboys offense that finished in the top 10 in scoring all 10 seasons during the 70’s & paved the way for the first five 1,000 yard rushers in team history.

Former Minnesota star Carl Eller summed it up best, saying “An all-day fight with Rayfield Wright definitely is not my idea of a pleasant Sunday afternoon.”

Wright will be the sixth Cowboy from the Tom Landry era to make it to Canton.

Fellow Hall-of-Fame QB Roger Staubach added:

“I’ve always wondered why he wasn’t in sooner, but once you’re in, you’re in. It’s a well-deserved moment for all of us on the 1970’s Cowboys.”

Without further ado,

I will have another weekly blog on Sunday, August 13th when i return from my trip to recap the week in sports while i’m away on vacation. My NFL season preview blog is coming on Monday, August 14th! Thanks for reading my latest blog, and have a wonderful week!

Mattie T

Sports Writer for BMS Radio Chicago

www.bmsradio.com