Is Shawne Merriman risking too much?

Having played football, I can truly appreciate the toughness that is required in order to play the game. And, I applaud San Diego Chargers superstar linebacker, Shawne Merriman, for his display of toughness by declaring he was going to forego surgery and play this season with two torn ligaments in his knee.

But, is it truly worth it? Is he risking too much?

It seems to be a foregone conclusion that he is going to have to have surgery at the end of the season to repair his knee. But, how much extra damage will he do to it by playing on it every week, especially with the ferociousness and aggressiveness with which he plays?

There is tough and then there is stupid. And, at least in my opinion, this is bordering towards the latter.

What if he damages his knee further? What if he injures it to a point where it affects his career?

Will the Chargers show him the same type of loyalty that he is displaying? Or, will they do, like most of the other teams, and replace him if he can’t perform at the same level because of a “business decision”?

I can also fully understand that he may see the window of opportunity closing for his team and he wants to be out there with them rather than watching from the sidelines.

But at what cost, doesn’t concern for quality of life after football matter?

There have been countless athletes who after their playing days were done, could barely stand or walk. Many of them have to have surgeries every year or so to clean out scar tissue and other things.

It is a hell of a risk. But, obviously one that he is comfortable in taking.

I hope all turns out well.

He is truly an amazing talent.

The Wizard has spoken.

Can we really? Are we ready?

Throughout his Presidential campaign, Senator Barack Obama, has talked about our need for change.

And while I readily agree that we are in dire need of change I must ask are we truly ready?

Are all these questions about readiness, religious views, and party disunity just a mask of the real underlying issue?

Are we truly ready to elect a black man, or any minority for that matter, as President of the United States of America?

Or, do we have a picture firmly implanted into our minds as to how our President should look?

I guess we’ll see on November 4th, 2008.

The Wizard has spoken.

A fight that shouldn't happen

Well it’s official.

Oscar De La Hoya and Manny Pacquiao will fight on December 6th, 2008.

This was supposed to be De La Hoya’s swan song fight but now it appears that he may just fight again. And while this fight is sure to sell, is it really the fight that fans want?

I am an avid boxing fan, and I think this fight is a travesty.

De La Hoya is one of the most decorated boxers and Pacquiao is the current owner of the mythical “Best Pound for Pound Boxer” title. Still, Pacquiao has to move up two weight classes to make this fight. By fight time he could literally be 10-20 pounds lighter than De La Hoya.

This is classic De La Hoya. He has made a career of fighting and beating naturally smaller fighters. Of course, the media tries to portray De La Hoya as a boxer who always fights the best. I beg to differ.

There are plenty of quality and dangerous opponents that De La Hoya could fight who are his size. But, as only he can, he finds a way to explain why they are not worthy opponents.

Not too long ago, De La Hoya, when asked if he would fight Tito Trinidad, stated that he wouldn’t fight another Puerto Rican fighter because his wife asked him not to. Yet, Miguel Cotto was supposedly the leading candidate to face De La Hoya on December 6th – and he is very Puerto Rican. Of course, Cotto lost to Antonio Margarito, and immediately De La Hoya started coming up with excuses. He said he wouldn’t face Margarito because he didn’t want to face a Mexican for his last fight. He claimed Mexicans would not forgive him.

How noble.

Yet, after Pacquiao turned down De La Hoya initially for this fight, Oscar turned to Sergio Mora. Isn’t Mora Mexican?

The fact is, De La Hoya doesn’t want to fight anyone who he thinks may hurt him. He wants to fight the safest name available in order to get the big payday.

Unfortunately, like many, I am going to watch this mess. It is going to big a huge boxing event.

I will be pulling for the major upset.

Hopefully, Pacquiao can end Oscar’s career once and for all and knock him out.

That would be just too fitting.

The Wizard has spoken.

What if Hillary had won?

I’ve been watching parts of the Democratic National Convention and of course the major topic of discussion is Hillary Clinton and her impact.

But, what if she had won the Democratic nomination?

Would there be talk of catharsis or party disunity?

Would she be criticized if she didn’t consult Barack Obama with respect to whom her Vice President should be?

Would Barack Obama and his achievements in defeat be a major footnote?

And, if none of these questions would be posed, my question is, “Why not?”

I definitely respect Hillary Clinton, and applaud the fact that she was able to run such an impactful campaign. But, the fact is, she lost.

The people voted and chose Barack Obama to be the Democratic nominee.

It’s simply time to move on.

The Wizard has spoken.

My Olympic thoughts

I'm back from a vacation of sorts. I was able to watch a lot of the Olympics, and for the most part I was impressed.

The Chinese definitely put on spectacular opening and closing ceremonies, probably the best I have ever seen.

It was unfortunate to hear the news of the attack and murder of the father-in-law of U.S. men's volleyball coach, Hugh McCutcheon, after the opening ceremonies. It showed great strength for him to rejoin the team and eventually lead them to a gold medal.

Michael Phelps and Usain Bolt are amazing. What each man did in these Olympics is simply amazing. A lot of media has tried to compare their accomplishments and tried to discuss whose was more impressive. Personally, I think that is foolish. It is impossible to compare the two. Both men simply dominated their fields. What is scary for the competition is that both can get better. I truly believe that both men will break all of their world records again.

The USA men's basketball team found its redemption. Still, you can see that the gap between the US and the rest of the world is not that significant. It will be interesting to see how Team USA fairs in future World Championships and Olympics.

Two men who are definitely going to be unemployed soon, if they are not already are the USA Track and Field coach, and the USA Boxing coach. Both teams were pathetic during the Olympics. I have never seen the Americans perform so poorly in track and field or boxing. They usually get their fair share, if not the lion's share, of the gold medals in these two events.

Lastly, I found the whole controversy over the Chinese women's gymnastics team funny. There is no way those girls were 16. Still, the Americans should have challenged China prior to the Olympics. There have been reports that the New York Times and other publications had proof that some of these girls were 13 or 14 before the Olympics started. I believe that the US Team felt that because the girls were so young, they would fold under pressure. Unfortunately, during the team events the Americans were the ones to fold under pressure, which effectively killed whatever argument they had.

Overall, I found the Olympics to be pretty entertaining. I didn't appreciate the coverage too much. But, that's me.

I'm looking forward to London in 2012.

The Wizard has spoken.

Talk about being a sore loser

There were several times when I participated in various sports that I've disagreed with the referees.

There were several times when I thought about how relieving it would be to choke or slap one of the officials. But, I never came close to doing it.

And I'm sure there are other athletes who have felt the same way.

But, Cuban tae-kwon-do athlete, Angel Matos, acted out his thoughts and kicked a referee in the head during the Olympics.

Apparently, he disagreed with the referee's decision to disqualify him during his bronze-medal match for taking too long during an injury timeout.

His coach agrees and offered no apologies for his fighter's actions. He felt the referee was being too strict with his ruling.

Angel has been banned for life for his actions.

The Wizard has spoken.

The 1,000 pound murderer?

The more I read the news, the more I become convinced that people are definitely losing their minds.

Last week in Texas, a grand jury indicted 27 year-old Mayra Lizbeth Rosales, on one count of first-degree murder and on one count of injury to a child in the death of her nephew Eliseo Gonzalez Jr.

Now this is what makes the story interesting.

Mayra is a near-half ton, bedridden woman.

Apparently, Mayra’s sister, Jaime Rosales left her son alone with her sister somehow feeling that she would be able to take care of the 2 year old. It is not clear as to what happened, but investigators allege that Mayra hit the boy at least twice crushing his head.

Jaime Rosales has been charged injury to a child for leaving her son alone with his aunt.

Although she has been indicted, Mayra remains at home. The police don’t know how to remove her from her home since she can’t fit through the door. Plus, they don’t have a cell big enough to accommodate her and she also has significant medical needs.

But here are my questions.

First, how could any competent person think a bedridden person would be able to care for a 2 year old all alone? I have a 2 year old and as attentive as I am, he still gets into anything and everything.

Secondly, how does a person gain 1,000 pounds in 27 years? I’ve heard of people getting that big and they are usually in their 40’s or 50’s.

What in the world is she eating?

She brings a whole new meaning to the saying “I’m so hungry I could eat a horse”.

Okay, that was wrong.

Mayra faces life in prison and possibly the death penalty if she is found guilty.

The Wizard has spoken.

The perks of being a star

Last week, Carolina Panthers pro bowl receiver, Steve Smith punched his teammate, starting safety Ken Lucas, on the sidelines during a training camp practice.

As a result of the beating, Lucas suffered a black eye and a broken nose that will require surgery. He is scheduled to miss 2-3 weeks of practice. Smith was sent home and has subsequently been suspended for the first two regular season games.

It’s a decent punishment.

But, my question is, would the Panthers handed out the same punishment to a lesser player? Or better, would that player still be on the team?

I don’t think so.

Steve Smith is by far the Panthers player. He also has a history of beating up his own teammates. A few years ago, he punched another player during a film session. He was suspended for a game.

Head coach, John Fox, wanted to send a message to his team that this type of behavior is not acceptable and would not be tolerated. Hence the two game suspension. Still, wouldn’t it have been a much stronger message if they had released or traded Smith?

I’m sure the Panthers never even broached that subject. He is their franchise player and they are trying to win.

That is understandable. But, is that what is best for the team?

We hear all the time about how important chemistry is on a team. Cases are continually made that cancers can ruin a team. Dallas Cowboys receiver, Terrell Owens, is consistently used as the poster child for team cancers. Yet, he has never beaten up his own teammate – at least physically.

Just imagine the media frenzy had Owens punched one of his teammates.

This just proves that stars do indeed get preferential treatment by their teams. And while I do understand the premise behind that I still believe it is wrong. Football is a team sport. No one man is going to win by himself.

No one should be above the team.

The Wizard had spoken.

A true psycho

Last week in Canada, Tim McLean a 22-year-old carnival worker was stabbed, beheaded, and cannibalized on a Greyhound bus for no apparent reason.

No one knows why his attacker, Vince Weiguang Li, a Chinese immigrant killed him. He won’t talk to investigators or prosecutors. In court yesterday, he said, “Please kill me” to the judge.

The story of the murder is truly horrifying. Passengers reported that shortly after reboarding the bus Li began to stab McLean repeatedly. As they fled the bus, Li severed McLean’s head and began displaying it. Police reported that when they arrived on the scene, they saw Li hacking pieces of the body and eating it. In fact, he allegedly had an ear, nose, and part of the mouth in his pocket.

Some people who know Li, including a former employer, have stated that he was always a quiet person and never displayed any type of violent behavior. They are shocked by his actions.

Now, the prosecutors in the case want Li to undergo a psychiatric evaluation. But, in truth, is there really any doubt?

This can’t be the action of a sane man.

And if he is deemed sane, how scary is that?

I would like to send my deepest condolences to the family and friends of Tim McLean. By all accounts, he was a nice person who kept to himself and wasn’t the type to get into a fight.

Facebook has an online group for those who want to show support and voice their disgust.

The Wizard has spoken.

What is next for the Packers and Brett Favre?

I have truly grown tired of this whole Brett Favre situation. I have long felt that if Favre wanted to play, and the Packers didn’t want him on their team, the resolution should be simple – either trade him or release him.

Still, I understand why they didn’t do it.

But now Favre is reinstated and back on their team. I’m sure it will be a media circus later on today when the Packers resume their practices, especially if Favre is on the field.

So how will the Packers proceed now?

They have stated publicly that they will now hold an open competition at quarterback and allow Favre to compete for the starting job. This seems like the most reasonable thing they have done. In football, the goal is to get the best players on the field. If Favre gives them the best opportunity to win, he should start.

It will be interesting to see how this affects Aaron Rodgers, and especially the other two young quarterbacks on the roster. There is no way the Packers are going to keep all four quarterbacks. If Brett stays, one of those young, newly drafted quarterbacks is going to get cut or traded.

The Packers could still trade Favre. There have been various reports that they have spoken to the Minnesota Vikings about a trade. I just don’t see how the Packers have any leverage in any trade deal. All the teams know that they don’t want Favre. Why would you offer them anything but a 6th or 7th round pick?

Worst-case scenario, they say no and are left to try to figure out this mess.

The Wizard has spoken.

Who plays Batman the best?

Over the weekend, I finally had the opportunity to watch the “Dark Knight”, and I thought it was a magnificent movie.

I think that these current Batman films are much better than the previous films, which featured Michael Keaton, Val Kilmer, and George Clooney.

But, which actor has portrayed Batman the best?

That was a discussion I had with a friend. And my answer was, Christian Bale.

Previously, I had always been partial to Michael Keaton. But, there is just something about Bale that makes him perfect for the role – at least in my mind.

What do you think?

The Wizard has spoken.

I'm too fat to be executed

This has to be one of the craziest legal arguments I have heard.

Richard Cooey, a death row inmate, is trying to argue that he is too fat to be executed. His lawyers are stating that his veins are hard to find, and that a medication he is currently taking for headaches may have created a resistance to the anesthesia administered during lethal injection.

In a statement, Cooey’s lawyer said, “All of the experts agree if the first drug doesn't work, the execution is going to be excruciating”.

It is worth noting that Cooey is sentenced to die for raping and murdering two women in 1986.

I think it is a fair assumption to believe that Cooey didn’t take his victims and their families pain and suffering into account when he committed these crimes.

But now he wants sympathy.

The Wizard has spoken.

Wife killed by pastor?

What is going on with these clergymen?

First, we’ve had the various choir boy incidents and now this.

An evangelical preacher allegedly killed his wife several years ago and stuffed her body into a freezer. And, as if that was not enough, he is also being accused of raping and sodomizing his daughter.

According to police reports, his wife caught him abusing their daughter in the bathroom. So, he killed her and had his daughter help him stuff her body into the basement freezer.

He told friends that his wife had died after giving childbirth to their youngest son.

The daughter, now 19, went to the police department earlier this week and told investigators that her father had been abusing her since she was 11 years old. She also told them that her mother was still in the freezer – 3 years later.

After confirming the daughter’s story the police arrested the pastor, at his church, after allowing him to finish his sermon.

Wow.

What do you do with someone like this?

I have long felt that when people commit these types of heinous crimes, there is no need to throw them jail – especially if they confess.

Just take them out back and end it.

They don’t deserve to live.

The Wizard has spoken.

Laziness is in your genes

Hey, if you're lazy it may not be your fault.

It could be just part of your genetic makeup.

This is according to J. Timothy Lightfoot, a kinesiologist, and his team at the University of North Carolina, Charlotte.

Apparently, Mr. Lightfoot and his team have done some preliminary studies in mice that suggest that activity levels may be connected to your genes.

So, if this is true, it truly isn't your fault if you decide not to exercise. You may have some predisposed genetic issue that doesn't allow you to get off that couch and go to the gym – or even for a walk.

I'm sure this incredible revelation is going to help reduce the obesity problem in the United States.

And, of course, there will be some sort of pill created to combat this problem.

I wonder what they will come up with next.

The Wizard has spoken.