AS I WAS SAYING...

Patience, my fellow sports fans, I've been away quite a while and we have a lot of ground to cover.

** SOME THINGS NEVER CHANGE --
Derek Jeter is the first Yankee in camp for spring training. He's always very enthusiastic about a new season and just as confident in the Yanks success as well as his own. At age 37, however, he has finally conceded that his off-season training includes more time off than in the past. I think he took last Thursday afternoon off.

The Yanks have announced their current 40-man roster, which includes 3 catchers, 19 pitchers, 7 outfielders, 8 infielders, 2 accountants and 1 banker.

Abby Wambach continues to score goals, reaching a career total of 131, behind only Mia Hamm, who has 158. Abby probably won't reach Mia's total, but girls everywhere (and all of Rochester) are rooting for her.

ESPN had 3 experts (and I use the term loosely) evaluate the future of all 30 MLB teams, based on 5 "M's": Major League roster, Minor League roster, Money available, Management and Mobility of players. They then predicted their success in five years, giving them an overall score based on 100. No surprises on the bottom three: Chicago White sox (23.3), Houston Astros (21.8) and the Baltimore Orioles (21.7). The Sox got the lowest possible score for their minor league system, Houston, the major league roster and Baltimore, the lowest possible score for management. All three had above average rating for finance, which tells you that the Yankees money is NOT the only reason for their success. I'll post the top three when they are announced.

The Big East continues to suffer insult after insult. West Virginia University has agreed to pay them $20 million so they can leave the conference. This is embarrassing to say the least.

Syracuse beat Louisville last night, 52-51. Both coaches claimed it was a tough defensive struggle on both sides. Maybe they were right, Syracuse was 1-15 from the 3-point line, where shots are usually not tightly contested, and Louisville was 12-21 from the free throw line, with NO defense. Perhaps both teams were distracted by the fact that it appeared that Louisville was being coached by the Skippy Ice Cream Man.

I'm not allowed to get the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issue anymore, but the cover picture is on line. Kate Upton is wearing a bikini that is too small to be believed.

The Female Amateur Boxing Association (or whatever it's called) has advocated women boxers be allowed to wear skirts instead of shorts in the ring. Opponents within the US Olympic Committee claim it is sexist and politically incorrect and want it banned. Please explain to me how this is worse than the "uniforms" of the beach volleyball teams, which consists of two band aids and a handkerchief, and is approved, but the skirts are not. I assume they are not planning to be naked under the skirts.

"Lin-Sanity" has taken over New York. Jeremy Lin has created as much excitement for Knick fans that they've had since the powerhouse teams of the 1980's. Lin had been released from three teams, including these same Knicks, when New York was forced to play him because of injuries and the fact that they couldn't coax 67-year old Walt Frazier out of retirement.

The Yanks and the Pittsburgh Pirates continue to haggle over the possible trade of AJ Burnett. Pittsburgh has agreed to pick up $10 million of the $36 million owed AJ over the next two years. Why won't the Yanks jump on this? Most teams they've talked to even want New York to pick up AJ's plane fare to their city. The Pirates are offering prospects, not Major League roster players, so it's a crap-shoot anyway. The Yanks are using a possible Cleveland Indian trade as a negotiating ploy to expedite the deal. What makes anybody think Cleveland will come up with more money?

Apparently, Vod has another partner in the "I hate Jim Rome" fan club. TC Chong in Canada recently commented, "Too bad Jim Everett never pounded that little twerp Jim Rome!" Obviously, a man with taste.

Finally, Happy Valentines Day to my one and only, my partner, my editor and my traveling companion. Annie-O.

***THEY SAID IT***
"Giant running back Brandon Jacobs said Gisele Bundchen should '‪stay cute and shut up.' Cute? Isn't that like calling the Great Wall of China a fence?" -- RJ Currie‬
"The Yankees are about to unveil two official fragrances — "New York Yankees" and "New York Yankees for Her." Apparently the "Bronx Zoo" fragrance didn't pass the sniff test." -- Dwight Perry
"One of the most talked-about commercials was the one with Clint Eastwood, where he said, 'It's halftime in America, and our second half is about to begin.' The bad news? China has the ball, and we're down $15 trillion." -- Jay Leno
"The NFL draft begins April 26. Right now, owner Robert Kraft and coach Bill Belichick are waiting to hear from Gisele Bundchen who the Patriots will pick first." -- Brad Dickson
"In a pairing of Beantown royalty, Red Sox third baseman Kevin Youkilis is engaged to the sister of Patriots quarterback Tom Brady. Now comes the hard part: keeping sister-in-law Gisele out of microphone range if someone drops the bridal-bouquet throw." -- Dwight Perry
"Somebody dropped a ton of “Butterfingers” chocolate bars in Boston with a sign that said “Thank you Wes Welker”. In a related story, a woman identified only as G. Bundchen purchased all the Butterfinger bars at Boston area Costco stores." -- TC Chong
"Today is Valentine’s Day. All over the NBA players are sending members of their posse out to buy a dozen cards – “To my one and only.” -- Janice Hough
"The Super Bowl halftime show is one of the most amazing feats of engineering. The crew has less than 20 minutes to deploy a complex system of rigging, cranes, and pulleys. And once they get Madonna in her corset, they have to put up the stage." -- Craig Ferguson
"Supermodel Gisele Bundchen criticized her husband Tom Brady's teammates. She really wanted the Super Bowl ring so that she could wear it as a belt." -- Jimmy Kimmel

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