Student Blog: A-Rod finds a way out

A-Rod Finds a Way Out A torn labrum/cyst means Alex Rodriguez will require surgery and is likely to miss between six and nine weeks of action. That initial surgery will hopefully be enough for him to play until the regular season ends, at which point another surgery will be needed. I don't believe in conspiracies, nor do I think a player would fake an injury, but this is very convenient timing for A-Rod. Steroid talks take a back seat for the time being, as the new question is who will fill the void for the All-Star (notice I refrained from saying Hall of Famer) at third base. He now has the perfect excuse to avoid steroid talks though, and every interview for the next month or two will go something like this: Q: "What about [fill in generic steroids question here]?" A: "At this time, my sole focus is on making a complete recovery so that I can help the Yankees return to the World Series. Next question." Anyway, on a strictly on-the-field perspective this is a huge blow to the Yankees hopes of starting the season well. If you remember, they've had some rough beginnings the last few seasons and needed to pick it up late to even stay in playoff contention. Manny Ramirez Manny finally signed his long-awaited contract, and as ESPN Radio's "Mike and Mike" pointed out, the biggest loser in these negotiations was his agent, Scott Boras. Boras failed to bring in the money that Ramirez initially requested, and ultimately fell to the will of the Dodgers. Shaq Vs. Van Gundy Don't mess with the Shaq Daddy: that is a proven fact. He is a legend of the game, one of the greatest players in the history of basketball. And his latest battle isn't on the court; it's a war of words against a five foot eight (I'm being generous with that guess) head coach of the Orlando Magic. Van Gundy has earned the reputation of a whiner during his tenures with the Heat and Magic, and after his win over the Suns, he pointed out a flop by Shaq. Shaq pointed out how Van Gundy whines, and suddenly it has become a big story. Van Gundy seems to be a dying breed of coaches in the NBA; a man who's not afraid to be critical of his players. So many of today's coaches, like Mavs coach Rick Carlisle, don't ever take the tough guy approach to things. They think today's players are too fragile for it, and don't want to hurt their egos. Van Gundy disregards this, and Shaq says that his players hate him for it. Honestly, Stan shouldn't have gotten started with the Big Diesel, but Shaq needs to focus on more important things like helping the Suns climb back into playoff contention. T.O. to...Buffalo? Terrell Owens loves the fame. He wants to be the center of attention, whether he admits it or not. So what on Earth is thinking by signing with the Buffalo Bills? First off, this is not a championship team, with or without the controversial receiver. Arguably their best player, Marshawn Lynch, is in a world of trouble dealing with off the field issues. Their defense is average at best. Trent Edwards is unproven, and he had a very shaky season last year. To sum it up, you know a team is in trouble when most people brag about a superior special teams unit being their strength. Lee Evans and T.O. is a formidable receiving tandem, but if you don't have a QB to throw them the ball it won't matter (just look at the Lions last year, before and after the Roy Williams trade). Lee Evans should see a spike in his numbers since some of the pressure will be taken off him, but this team still has no short threats. Robert Parish is as close as they come, but he's better at third-and-goal throw it up into the end zone attempts a la Larry Fitzgerald. If going to Buffalo is T.O.'s way of saying he doesn't need the limelight, then his wish will be granted. Honestly, I can't think of three things that stick out about the city. Plano West It may have been a tough loss for the Wolves against Duncanville, but they made major strides this season. West made a splash in the local and even national rankings and exceeded expectations. If the Wolves can fill the void of the outgoing seniors, next year's team has the potential to be even more powerful than this year's.