411 Sports Fact or Fiction 06.05.06: Kimbo Slice, Jay Bruce, Sidney Crosby and Much More

Posted by Ken Schmidt on 06.05.2008

Geoff Keller and Shawn Lealos battle it out talking about some of brightest youngsters in sports as well as defining "Manny Being Manny"...

Welcome to our third first round match-up of the Summer Showdown where the wheels are finally spinning once more after a tough week where the column was late, down one participant and did not get much read from the fans out there. The task is on our next two contestants here to bring back the fan-base before we turn into the NHL. Let's meet the participants.

In the red corner we have a man that reviews plenty of movies but also can dabble in sports as he will prove today. Most recently you can catch this man reviewing the disappointment of 2008 (in my opinion) Indiana Jones: Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. It's is Shawn Lealos

And in the blue corner we have a member of the not enough talked about Coast 2 Coast Sports Report team. This man pops into 411 from time to time to help the Rizz out but you can listen to him and the rest of the podcast squad at Coast 2 Coast Sports Report. It is Geoff "The Loaf" Keller

Ladies and Gentleman: LET'S GET READY TO RESEARCH


1. Sidney Crosby is a horrible ambassador for hockey.

Shawn Lealos FACT When I think of hockey ambassadors, names like Wayne Gretzky, Mario Lemieux and Mark Messier. These are men who proved year after year that they were the best in the game and when they lent their names to endorsing their sport it meant something. Sidney Crosby is a brilliant young hockey player. However, at twenty years of age, he has a long way to go to be considered the face of the sport. For one thing, he needs to grow up.

He has begun to develop into the player everybody hyped him up to be, becoming the youngest player to ever win the Lester B. Pearson Award and the second youngest to ever win the Hart Memorial Trophy. He has become the savior for a Pittsburgh team that desperately needed him to step up following the retirement of Lemieux. But as the face of the NHL, he needs to become more like the man he followed as captain of the Penguins. He needs to complain less about bad calls and go out there and play his game. He will do his team no favors by building a reputation as a crybaby and turning the officials against him from the start. Hockey is about being the baddest man on the ice, not the biggest whiner.

Crosby could become a great ambassador for the sport if he continues to play at a high level and discontinues the lack of respect he consistently shows to other individuals in the league. When I think of ambassadors for a sport, I think of men who play with great courage, talent and with a great deal of respect for the sport itself. If they really want a young man to be the face of hockey, I present to you someone who would be a great ambassador for the sport of hockey - Alexander Ovechkin. He is only two years older than Crosby and plays with more heart than Crosby will ever possess. He finished the 2007-08 NHL season as the leader in points (112) and goals (65). With Washington on the rise, give this kid a chance to be the player that everyone wants Crosby to be.

Geoff Keller FACT Really absolute fact. My partner here for this week hit the bullseye dead center with this one. He is way to young to be an ambassador for hockey and he really needs to clean up his attitude while playing the game. Is Crosby a great player, Yes. Could he one day be one of the greats to play the game, yes? But until he starts playing the game with maturity and letting the officials call the game he is not going to get respect from other players in the league or the fans.

Scoring

Ken Schmidt Well Geoff you gave it a valiant effort but I think it is obvious this one goes to Lealos, glad we have some fellow people who think Crosby is bad for hockey though.


2. Kimbo Slice will never be successful in MMA.

Shawn Lealos FACT Kimbo Slice is a big, bad man, but it takes a lot more than that to be successful in an MMA cage. He is 3-0 since starting his professional career in the sport and who has he beaten? Former boxer Ray Mercer was his first victim, also making his MMA debut. Mercer was in for more than he could handle and was choked out relatively easily. In his second win, he beat a very past his prime Tank Abbott. Tank came in fat and seemed almost disinterested as he lumbered around Kimbo, making the big man look like a superstar in comparison.

Going into his third match, he was undefeated against a boxer and a fat man who needs to just go away. The third match was against James Thompson, a man who had been knocked out five times in the first round during his career. His only big win over the last two years was against an aging Don Frye. Kimbo is being built up to look like a monster, which is why he is being given these lesser opponents. The match should have been a blow out. It was expected to be a first round knockout.

Someone forgot to tell James Thompson. In the first round, Thompson took the first round for takedowns, while Kimbo relied on self defensive strikes to battle back. Thompson then dominated Kimbo in the second round, beating the hell out of him at will. Then in the third, Kimbo landed a blow that blew up Thompson's cauliflower ear, spraying blood everywhere. The official stopped the match and awarded it to Kimbo despite Thompson standing there ready to fight on. If the match had gone to a draw, Kimbo would have lost.

Kimbo will continue to be handed victims, but once he is put up against someone with the skills to fight, he will not be able to keep up. He's a monster, but there are plenty of slayers in the world of MMA. He will be successful in EliteXC, but that will mean squat in the MMA world.

Geoff Keller FACT He does not possess the skill set or the cardio to keep up with anybody that is in their prime with MMA. As has already been said all his victories have come against fighters than wouldn't even last through the first round with many of todays MMA fighers. His last bout agains James Thompson really exposed the flaws in Kimbo Slice's style. Anybody that goes up against Kimbo now knows how to win the match, Get him on the mat and don't let up. Use Wrestling skills against him and he is lost. As Shawn said if this fight had not been called in the 3rd round due to the blood Kimbo would have lost the match by decision.

Scoring

Ken Schmidt Lealos was right on the mark when he said who has Kimbo fought? It would be an absolute massacre if he went up against someone that is a true contender in the world of MMA. Point goes to Lealos here because he knows that without that shot to the ear, Kimbo is 2-1 in three fights against nobodies.


3. Jay Bruce will be an MVP at some point in his career.

Shawn Lealos FICTION If the question had asked if Jay Bruce would become an All-Star in his career, I would have said fact. It takes a lot to become an MVP and Bruce is too young to be given that level of expectations. The Reds have done a good job, bringing him along slowly. While playing rookie ball in the Reds minor leagues, he topped out with .291 average and 16 home runs for Dayton. In 2007, he flew through the ranks of the Red's minor league teams, culminating with a season-ending Baseball America's Player of the Year honor. That looks like greatness in the making to me.

In this season's spring training, Bruce averaged .262 and was optioned back to Louisville to start the season. The Reds finally called him up last week and he responded with a .591 average, with 2 home runs and 6 RBIs in his first week. He also stole 2 bases and it looks like the Reds will start to see dividends on their investment. However, look at two of the men he will be playing ball with this season: Ken Griffey Jr and Adam Dunn. Dunn came up with all the hype of Bruce and struggled mightily with his batting average over his career. However, this season he seems to be finally settling in to combine average with power and is quietly having his best season. As for Griffey, it seemed that every story that hyped Bruce's amazing debut week also mentioned Griffey chasing 600. Bruce is not a savior, he is simply one of the team's solid hitters.

Bruce won't continue to hit .500. If his minor league stint is any indication, he will drop down to right under .300 sooner rather than later. What won't change are his home run totals, as I believe that as long as he is surrounded by Dunn and Griffey, he will see good pitches to swing at. I don't care how many home runs he hits, pitchers won't put him on the same level as either Griffey or Dunn anytime soon.

What I feel will hurt Bruce's long term MVP potential is playing for the Cincinnati Reds. Carlos Delgado had all the talent in the world, but playing in no-man's land of Toronto, no one noticed. If a tree falls in the forest and no one is around to hear it, does it actually make a sound? If Bruce becomes the superstar he has the abilities to become, and he remains on a Reds team that is destined to always suck, will anyone notice? He won't be an MVP as a Red, and by the time he escapes it might be too late.

Geoff Keller FICTION He has been in the majors for a week and we are already talking about this? Are you serious? Ok granted Bruce is 13-for-22 with six walks, two homers, two steals and six RBI in his first six games, but the last three were against Atlanta who are horrible on the road this year they are 7-21 on the road the worst in the majors. And the first 3 were against Pittsburg. These are not exactly the best teams in the league right now. Everybody gets a hot streak now and then. Remember Frank Catalanotto and Richie Sexton? They got hot one year and everybody got big on them and where are they now? Sexton is overpaid and underperforming and Catalanotto is with the Texas Rangers. Talk to me about this kid after a full year or 2 in the majors and then maybe can we start talk about him becoming an MVP. Seriously it takes more than one week to show how good somebody really is.

Scoring

Ken Schmidt Well if anyone learned anything from last week it is that DON'T KNOCK THE QUESTIONS! We are in the business of making predictions. So anyway Lealos did a great job bringing up the point that the Reds are a market that will never win and unless you're as amazing as A-Rod, you can't win an MVP playing for a team that sucks. Point to Lealos. And it's Richie S-E-X-S-O-N Geoff. Also, Pittsburgh has an H at the end.


Don't Call It a Comeback


4. Jason Taylor will be a full time actor in 2009.

Geoff Keller FACT Jason Taylor, while one of the best defensive ends in football today, is at the tail end of his career. He has been playing for 12 years and he turns 34 in September. Granted he has came off an amazing year with 55 tackles 11 sacks 4 forced fumbles and an interception, against New England I might add. But he did not do any favors for himself by saying he intends to play one more year. That really limits his value in any trades the Dolphins could possibly come up with. What kind of value could they get out of a one-year player, even an explosive player like Taylor? Only a legitimate contender would even consider this trade and then the Dolphins would be lucky to get more than a 3rd round pick for him. I don't think any contender is in that much of a need to make that trade though.

Besides with all the success he had on DWTS and how recognizable his face is now, he really has no reason to play past this year, why would you want to risk injury in a sport when you have plenty of money and you can have an acting career ahead of you?

Shawn Lealos FACT Jason Taylor was on his way out when Bill Parcells came to town. With Taylor's comments that he will retire following the season, I don't think he will be traded and I would not be surprised to see Parcells make a point by keeping Taylor on the team, proving he calls the shots when players come and go. Who would want Taylor for just one year anyway? The Cowboys maybe. Possibly the Redskins, because Dan Snyder will buy anything. At the end of the day, I don't think he will be traded.

I think this will be a tough year for Taylor, the player. He will be at the complete mercy of the Dolphins this year and I don't think it will be a happy one. He is at the end of a great career and seems more interested in Hollywood than the Miami Dolphins. When asked about his career, he mentioned he is under contract to the Dolphins and he is ready to play golf. The arrogance he is displaying will not serve him well on the team and what would you expect? He is having lunches with Denzel Washington. He cancelled plans for a meeting with Al Pacino because he was late for rehearsals with his Dancing with the Stars partner. He's already hired the same Hollywood agent that helped turn Ben Affleck, Matt Damon, Will Smith and Hugh Jackman into stars.

He will be gone after this season for one main reason - according to his sports agent, he has been planning this career departure since he left Akron at the start. He is still productive, averaging around a dozen sacks and over forty tackles a year. But he has played for twelve seasons and he is a smart man. There is money to be made in Hollywood and with him as popular as he is right now it would be foolish to prolong it.

Scoring

Ken Schmidt I am surprised everyone actually believes Jason Taylor is ready to hang up the spikes but I guess I am the only one not buying into it. That aside I am going to give the point to Geoff Keller here because he focused on the football side of things while Lealos made the point that this agent must be good because he made the terrible Hugh Jackman into a house hold name.


5. The Pau Gasol trade was one of the most one-sided trades in NBA history.

Geoff Keller FACT This trade or as some people like to call it "donation" was one of the most one-sided trades in NBA history but not the most. I would say the most was the trade of KG to Boston. That team went from last place in the NBA to having the best record in the NBA in one season. Now what happened to Minnesota this year.......? Exactly nothing happened and Boston has a legitimate chance to win the NBA title now. And with the Gasol "donation" the only thing I can see that possessed Memphis to do this was that they didn't want to pay his salary next year, otherwise what did they get in return out of this? I mean the owner even regrets the trade. He threw his GM under the bus saying "Maybe our people should've shopped (Gasol) more and maybe we would've gotten more, done a better deal."

As for Gasol he has been exactly what Kobe needed. A big inside presence that takes some of the heat off of him so Kobe can do what Kobe does (Hey Cleveland you paying attention here?) especially when he can give Kobe that second chance shot with a rebound.

Shawn Lealos FACT I say fact because the question is whether it is "one of the most on-sided trades." There have been a number of trades that have been worse, but this one is pretty damn one sided. Pau Gasol for Kwame Brown and Javaris Crittenton and two first round picks. That is what Memphis got for the big center. What Los Angeles got was the big man that Kobe needed to be great again. He got his new Shaq and the Lakers are back in the title hunt. He gives the Lakers that big inside man who requires a double team opening things up for Kobe to do his thing. He has been a lifesaver for a Lakers team that I don't believe would have made it this far without him.

But the question of whether it is as lopsided as it seems will not be known for a couple of years. Remember, two of the objects in the trade were first round draft picks. One of the more lopsided trades could have been when Phoenix sent Steve Nash to Dallas, but the draft pick they received netted them Shawn Marion, so it was not as bad as originally thought. The question of what Memphis gets in the draft will answer the question. Regardless, the trade will never top these two horrible trades:

1. Milwaukee trades Wilt Chamberlain to the 76ers for Paul Neumann, Connie Dierking, Lee Shaffer and cash in 1965
2. The Bucks trades Kareen Abdul-Jabbar to the Lakers for Elmore Smith, Junior Bridgeman, Brian Winters and Dave Meyers

The truth is Pau Gasol might give the Lakers another championship. Memphis will always be an afterthought. They have won more than 30 games three times in their history and it doesn't matter who they get with the draft picks. Yeah, it's lopsided, but Memphis wouldn't have won with him anyway, so let him go to a team worthy of his talents.

Scoring

Ken Schmidt This one is an easy one to score for me because Geoff claims the KG trade was horrible but last time I checked Minnesota got some great young talent, like Al Jefferson who will be an All-Star sooner than later while Lealos mentioned the trade for Wilt the Stilt that made him a legend here in Philly, thanks Milwaukee! Point to Lealos


6. Manny Ramirez is the best entertainer of all MLB players in this generation.

Geoff Keller FACT When you say Manny being Manny, you can instantly get a smile, chuckle or head shake out of a sports fan. Most of us are laughing at his antics because sometimes it just seems like he is not paying attention and its frankly its just funny to see people get blindsided sometimes. For instance:

In the first game of his rookie season, Manny hit a two-run ground-rule double in the 8th inning to tie the game. At first he thought he hit a home run, and continued to round the bases, until the third base umpire stopped him. Manny was then almost immediately picked off at second base by the catcher.

Or...

May 14, 2008 - At Baltimore, Manny caught a fly ball to deep-left, ran up the wall, and high-fived a Red Sox fan in the stands. Manny then turned around, fired the ball back to the infield, and doubled-up Aubrey Huff off of 1st base.

Things like this make Manny entertaining just to watch, because you don't know what he is going to do. Especially when he disappears behind the Green Monster during pitching changes.

Shawn Lealos FACT Manny is damn fun to watch in a sport that is dominated by serious and boring baseball players. I would say there was a time when I was growing tired of his antics, but I think that was due to his constant whining to be traded every year. However, once Manny gets on the field he is glorious to watch. Manny plays the game with such love that whether he is hitting homeruns or making spectacular catches in the outfield, you can tell it is what he was born to do. Plus, he is hilarious in interviews.

Many people point to his antics and claim he is taunting the opposing players. When asked, he said he is just excited to have done something great. He also said if a pitcher strikes him out and then shows him up, he loves it. He calls it competition and is not trying to hurt anyone's feelings. When he made that iconic catch and high five, his teammates said he loosened them up. What he does is great for his fans and makes him the most hated man for his opposing team's fans. Is it arrogance or just a playful attitude? I would say it's a little of both, but Manny is good enough to back up everything he does on the field. And he makes baseball fun to watch.

Scoring

Ken Schmidt This is a tough one here because there wasn't debating, I guess everyone loves Manny (that show would be a million times better than Ray Romano), either way point goes to Geoff Keller because I will never get enough of watching Manny's first big league at-bat. Thanks for reminding me to watch it on Youtube again.


FINAL SCORE Well without any assistance from a partying newly graduated Dan Owen I scored this one at 4-2 for Shawn Lealos. Hopefully everyone out there agrees because I was the only judge on this one.

First Round	Quarterfinals	Semifinals	FINALS
May 18 James Thomlison vs. Porfirio Diaz	July 13 James Thomlison vs. Dan Schmidt	August 10 ??? vs. ???	August 24 ??? vs. ???
May 25 Dan Schmidt vs. B.L. Anderson
June 1 Geoff Keller vs. Shawn Lealos	July 20 Shawn Lealos vs. ???
June 8 Ron Martin vs. Jared Marcus
June 15 Sean Garmer vs. Bayani Domingo	July 27 ??? vs. ???	August 17 ??? vs. ???
June 22 Jerrome Cusson vs. Sat
June 29 Randy Isbelle vs. Jake Chambers	August 3 ??? vs. ???
July 6 Blake Lovell vs. Larry Csonka

Next week will be another head to head showdown between the Movie Zone and the Sports Zone, hopefully the writers from my zone can come out ahead, but those movie nerds sure are proving themselves.