Slick Rick

Although the beginning of college football is only a week away, we can't seem to get away from stories about the college basketball coaches in the state of Kentucky. In the past week, we've seen current Kentucky coach, John Calipari, be stripped of wins; former Kentucky coach, Billy Gillispie, get arrested for a DUI; and Louisville coach, Rick Pitino, give one whale of a press conference about his current legal situation. Pitino is currently involved in an investigation in an alleged extortion attempt against him by a woman who claims she was raped by Pitino on two different occassions.

Now, I don't intend to provide the entire story involving Pitino and the woman who is claiming she was raped by him, because I don't think I could get all the information out before college basketball season starts. However, the basic elements of the story are: Karen Sypher claims to have been raped by Pitino six years ago, Sypher claims Pitino paid one of the members of his staff to marry her in order to keep her quiet, Sypher claims Pitino paid her $3,000 to pay for an abortion after Pitino impregnanted her, Sypher tried to extort Pitino out of $10 million in order to keep quiet about his sexual encounters with her. And Karen Sypher is now being charged with extortion by the FBI and none of her claims against Pitino have been seen as credibile, so it doesn't appear any charges will be brought against him. Still, Pitino has admitted that he did have a sexual encounter with the woman in a Louisville restaurant, but he claims the encounter was consensual for both parties. Following this craziness?!

So the issue I want to get to is the decision of Rick Pitino to call a press conference on Wednesday about all these events and stories. Basically, it ended up being a six minute rant showing how Rick has gone off the deep end. Despite being discouraged by the University of Louisville and his lawyers, he came and out and talked about the hell his wife has been through in the past seven months while a woman tried to extort him during the tournament. Yes, it clearly must have bothered her that her cheating husband was being extorted during some basketball games. Also, he talks about how we need to get away from this story about his personal life and get onto more important things, like the economy and basketball. Sure Rick, people are losing their jobs all over the country but let's make sure we think about Louisville's chances without Terrence Williams and Earl Clark this year! (<-which aren't good, by the way). Pitino also mentions that he was told by the university, the authorities, and his attorney to keep quiet because it's an ongoing investigation, but he's tired of being quiet and he's decided to talk. So Rick, you're not following the advice of your own employer, attorneys, and the prosecutors of the case? Smart move!

There are a number of other ridiculous comments ("a long laundry list of people who passed away today") Pitino makes during his press conference, but I'll post the video here (courtesy of ESPN) so you can see it yourself. It's quite obvious to see that the situation at Louisville has turned into an absolute trainwreck for the university and for Rick Pitino. And although Pitino asks people to ignore the reports and stories that come out from now on, how can we turn away when people are having meltdowns like this?!

Savory Snack

I wanted to take some time to introduce a wonderful new snack food I tried a few weeks ago, Alexia Onion Strips. I'd seen the commercials for the onion strips, and my wife and I had wanted to try them because it seemed interesting that the company prided itself on being able to put "real onions in their onion strips." So a couple weeks ago, during one of our many trips to Publix, we decided to give the onion strips a try as an afternoon snack. What a good decision that turned out to be! These things taste awesome!

First, they're not kidding about having real onions in their product. In the ingredients, it says they use spanish onions and there is no other mention of artificial onion flavoring or anything like that. You can really taste a difference in the real onions versus some onion flavoring, like you might get in a bag of Funyuns. However, the thing that puts the Alexia Onion Strips over the top for me, even more so than the real onions, is the crunchy outside surrounding the onion. It's like biting into a great tasting onion ring. The batter is seasoned and crispy and it doesn't flake apart as soon as you take a bite of it. If you're a fan of onion rings, this could quickly become an addictive snack for you, like it has for me.

Now, a couple issues with this product you might want to consider. One - this isn't exactly a healthy treat. The company advertises their products as being 100% All Natural (which means virtually nothing) and they boast about having no trans fat, which also isn't very relevant. The fact is, a serving size (which is very small) has 150 calories, and it offers no nutritional value. And with a food like this, it's very easy to eat the whole bag before you know it, and then you've downed almost 700 calories. Ouch! The other issue with these onion strips is that they aren't easy on the bank account. They usually cost about $3.50 and there's only 4.5 servings in an entire bag, so it's not best value. However, the Alexia website will occassionally give away some promotional coupons and sometimes they are BOGO at Publix, which makes it a much better deal.

Personally, Alexia has made me a believer. I've tried the Waffle Fry Snacks and haven't had as much success, but I am a HUGE fan of the Onion Strips and I'm looking forward to trying out some of the frozen products. So if you go to the grocery story and pick up a bag of these onion strips and become addicted, don't say I didn't warn you! (and send me a bag!)

Keys to Success: AL East

As we come to the end of this series about the contenders in baseball, we head to the division with the best winning percentage in the league, the American League East. This division seems to get the most coverage every year by the major media outlets, and it probably should since a team from the AL East has played in four of the last six World Series. It's the division with the two most recognized teams in baseball, the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox, and one of the most exciting young teams in baseball, the Tampa Bay Rays. And as we head towards the postseason, this looks like another year where a team from the AL East could be headed for the World Series.

New York Yankees: When the Yankees spent so much money on free agents in the offseason, many people speculated about how the organization was continuing to throw money at big name players without really addressing their problems. Well, it looks like it worked this time. The offseason signings of C.C. Sabathia and Mark Teixeira have worked out brilliantly and the Yankees seem to be pulling away from everyone else in the American League East. As everyone around baseball knows, a World Series championship is the only standard of success for the Yankees, but this team certainly appears to have all the tools to accomplish that goal.

If I had a vote for the American League MVP award, it would go to Mark Teixeira. People can talk bad about his decision to take the money and play in New York, but Big Tex can flat out play. He's hitting .288 with 33 home runs and 93 RBI's, and he's probably going to win another gold glove at first base. He's been a consistent performer for this team and he's just what they needed, someone to come in and produce on the offensive and defensive end and lead by hustling on the field. Derek Jeter is the unquestioned leader of this team, but the addition of Teixeira has been key in taking the spotlight away from Alex Rodriguez and keeping distractions at a minimum. If Teixeira can continue his outstanding play in the postseason, the Yankees have a great chance at making it to another World Series. He has so much protection in that potent lineup that pitchers are forced to deal with him, or take their chances with the other dangerous hitters sitting behind him. He's done a great job of dealing with the pressure that comes with playing in New York during the regular season; let's see how he handles the postseason.

When I look at this team, the only potential weakness I see would be the starting pitching. C.C. Sabathia has been very good, with a 15-7 record and a 3.59 ERA, but the other starting pitchers haven't been quite as strong. A.J. Burnett and Joba Chamberlain have struggled at various times

during the season, and Andy Pettitte has provided consistency but nothing overwhelming. When the Yankees get to the playoffs, they'll need at least one of those three to step up and deliver a string of quality starts. Their offense will score runs, but probably not in the same way they have in the regular season, and quality pitching will become even more important. The starting pitchers need to be able to go deep into games and protect the bullpen, which will make Phil Hughes and Mariano Rivera even more effective. And an effective Mariano Rivera usually means playoff success for the Yankees.

Boston Red Sox: Lately, all we hear about the Red Sox is how many problems they have. It says something about the standard of excellence you've set when everyone is criticizing your team and you're 18 games over .500 and have the fifth best record in baseball. However, this is certainly a different team in Boston than what we've become accustomed to seeing over the past few years and they don't appear to be nearly as dominant and playoff ready. They still have time to get some of their problems sorted out, but after losing two convincing series to the Yankees in the past three weeks, the folks in Fenway have reason to be concerned.

The biggest problem I see with this team is the depth of the pitching staff. After a rocky start to the season, Jon Lester has been great and I think he's become the anchor of that staff. And Josh Beckett has been very good, even though he got rocked by the Yankees this past weekend. But after those two guys, the Red Sox can't seem to find anyone to step up as a starter. Everyone thought the signing of John Smoltz would be a great fit in Boston, and it turned out to be a disaster. The signing of Brad Penny seemed questionable, and it hasn't turned out well either. Daisuke Matsuzaka has been rendered useless due to injury. Tim Wakefield was pitching wonderfully until an injury sidelined him for the past month. And Clay Buchholz shows signs of becoming a great pitcher, but can't seem to put it all together yet. So when people express concern about the Red Sox and their chances this season, it's because starting pitching is the one area where you can least afford to be struggling. Bad starting pitching gets you behind early in games, which takes you out of your gameplan, and it also eats into your bullpen, which makes those pitchers much less effective when they can't be brought in for particular situations or against certain batters. Still, the thing that makes this Boston team so dangerous is the fact that all of these guys have been here before. If they can create some momentum and get their starting pitching headed in the right direction, it seems like the Red Sox can take it to another level once they get to the postseason.

Tampa Bay Rays: I love how many of the early projections for this season had the Rays winning the World Series. For some reason, people think that if a young team has a great year and they don't lose many pieces from that team, then they'll be even better the next season; which, for the Rays, meant winning the whole thing. If everything were that simple. This is a team that caught everyone by surprise last year and they quickly became the feel good story in baseball. The unorthodox coaching methods of Joe Maddon and their incredible display of power and speed made them an exciting team to watch and an easy team to pull for. However, all the attention they received last season created enormous expectations for this season, and they're a team that will no longer sneak up on anyone.

Let's be honest, the Rays have had a good year. They have a 68-56 record, they had five players on the All-Star team (including the MVP), and they're only three games behind Boston for the Wild Card spot. But, by their own standards, they'd probably say they've underachieved. Their record on the road has been terrible at 26-35, and they're the one contending American League team with a losing record against left-handed pitching. After being quite lucky last season in not having to deal with major injuries, they've been forced to move players around this year and deal with season ending injuries. And, in my opinion, the bullpen hasn't been anywhere near as good as it was last year. Grant Balfour was much better last season as an 8th inning guy, and they were able to use J.P. Howell in particular situations before turning the game over to Troy Percival in the 9th. This season, Balfour has been marginally effective and Troy Percival has been awful, which meant moving J.P. Howell to the closer's role (where he's done very well) and leaving a void in their group of middle relievers. I think Chad Bradford and Dan Wheeler could be key pieces in strengthening the Rays bullpen, and that improvement in the bullpen could be the key to getting them back to the playoffs.

Prediction: I think the Rays will run out of magic and struggle against all the quality teams on the remainder of their schedule. I like the Red Sox to win the Wild Card, and we'll see what happens from there. If they get to play the Angels in the ALDS, it will be interesting to see if Los Angeles can get over the mental hump of beating Boston in the playoffs. And the Yankees are running away with this division. They'll win the American League East and I think they'll win the American League.

Recap: According to me, the American League playoff teams will be New York, Boston, Los Angeles, and Chicago. In the National league, we'll have Philadelphia, Los Angeles, St. Louis, and Colorado. Certainly some proud franchises in both leagues! I'm taking the Yankees to be the representative from the American League and I'm going to take the Cardinals in the National League (but Philadelphia wouldn't surprise me at all). We'll see how good or how ridiculous my predictions look in a few weeks, and it should be an exciting end to the season. Feel free to leave your own predictions or offer any opinions about my own picks.

Keys to Success: NL East

In Spring Training, most people thought the National League East would be a two team race between the Philadelphia Phillies and the New York Mets. The Phillies haven't disappointed with a 69-49 record, but the Mets have had one of the most injury proned seasons I've ever seen and they're now too far back in the standings to contend for a playoff birth. So while the Mets have struggled, the Florida Marlins and Atlanta Braves have taken advantage of the opportunity and both teams have themselves right in the thick of the Wild Card race. As we head down the stretch, these three teams will play each other a number of times and how they perform against each other will be the deciding factor in who continues to the playoffs and who begins preparing for next season.

Philadelphia Phillies: Before the trade deadline, the Phillies were starting to play like the best team in the National League. Then, they went and got one of the best pitchers in baseball, Cliff Lee, and all he's done since joining the team is win four straight games and have a 0.82 ERA. The man has only given up three earned runs in 33 innings! Combine Lee with the continued dominance of J.A. Happ and Joe Blanton, and the Phillies have three starters who are carrying the rotation, and none of them were significant pieces of last year's championship team. Let's not

forget the fact that they still have Cole Hamels (a World Series MVP), they've added Pedro Martinez to the starting rotation, and they have the experience of Jamie Moyer. With all the talent in their starting rotation, I don't think it would surprise anyone if the Phillies made it back to the World Series again this season.

Oh yeah, the Phillies have a pretty good offense too. I just named all the reasons why pitching could win them a championship, and they also feature an offense that leads the National League in runs, home runs, and slugging percentage. Arguably, this is a team with the best 1-6 lineup in baseball. As a pitcher, when you look at the lineup and see Rollins, Victorino, Utley, Howard, Werth, and Ibanez, you have to wonder how you're going to get three outs and get out of an inning. It's a team with a great combination of power and speed, and it doesn't hurt that they play in such an offense-friendly ballpark. This is a group of guys who know how to win big games and they have the experience of knowing what it takes to win a championship.

Now that I've made the Phillies out to be invincible, what could be their downfall? Last year's championship team had an outstanding bullpen, which was probably the best in the league. This season, the bullpen has been anything but stable and Charlie Manuel needs to get this straightened out before the playoffs begin. In 2008, Brad Lidge was 41 for 41 in converting save opportunities and Ryan Madson, J.C. Romero, and Chad Durbin were lights out as the middle relievers. So far in 2009, Lidge leads the league in blown saves (8) and he has a 7.21 ERA. Not good! Madson has remained effective, but Romero and Durbin have had injury problems and don't appear to be as sharp. The starting pitching appears strong enough to be able to go deep into games, so it should help keep the bullpen rested and fresh during the playoffs. If the Phillies are going to repeat, they'll need these guys to pull everything together and close out games the way they did last season.

Florida Marlins: In my opinion, the Marlins might be one of the most intriguing teams in the National League. You look at their roster and statistics and wonder how they can be competing for a Wild Card spot, but they're only four games behind Colorado. It's a team that doesn't have much star-power (outside of Hanley Ramirez) but they have guys who can swing the bat and score a lot of runs. Ironically, while the Marlins' offense has been unexpectedly good, the pitching has been rather disappointing. If they're going to catch the Rockies and Giants in the Wild Card standings, I think it will all come down to pitching for the Fish.

In Spring Training, Bobby Cox talked about how he thought the Marlins had the best young pitching staff in the National League. Really? Maybe he's talking about a different pitching staff. Josh Johnson has been the one brightspot for the pitching staff this season. He has a 2.99 ERA, a 12-3 record, and he's produced 20 quality starts in the 25 games he's pitched in this season. Outside of Johnson, no other starter has an ERA below 4.00 and only two other pitchers have accumulated over 100 innings. I don't think anyone doubts the fact that Ricky Nolasco and Anibal Sanchez are tremendously talented pitchers, but it doesn't matter if they can't translate those skills into results. And if we call the starting pitching bad, I'm not sure what kind of word to use for the bullpen. The Matt Lindstrom experiment as the closer didn't work, and the Leo Nunez project hasn't been much better. It must be a tough decision for a manager when he looks at his bullpen in the 9th inning and he asks himself, "Do I bring in the guy who's already blown four saves? Or the other guy who has an ERA of 6.00?"

The series coming up this weekend is HUGE for Florida. They have a three game series in Atlanta and they're going against three good starting pitchers for the Braves. If Florida can come away with a series win and continue to win the games they're supposed to down the stretch, they could find themselves in the playoffs.

Atlanta Braves: For the first time in the past couple years, Braves fans have something to really be excited about. Atlanta got a big win last night against the Mets as Kenshin Kawakami outpitched Johan Santana and the Braves won the three game series in New York. They still have a substantial amount of ground to make up in the Wild-Card, but it was a big momentum game for a team who has had difficulty winning close games on the road. Now, they have an opportunity to build on that momentum as they head home for a three game series against the Marlins, and they have three of their best starting pitchers taking the mound.

In order for Atlanta to win the Wild Card spot, I think they need some guys to step up on the offensive end. The starting pitching is solid with Derek Lowe, Jair Jurrjens, Javier Vazquez, and Tommy Hanson and the bullpen appears to be good with Mike Gonzalez and Rafael Soriano, so the Braves just need to consistenly score some runs. Chipper Jones and Brian McCann have had pretty good years, but still not up to the standards they set for themselves. If both guys can stay healthy long enough to get into a good rhythm at the plate, they'll both probably get their averages up over .300 and have plenty of opportunities to pick up RBI's. Along with Jones and McCann, I think the other guys that need to produce are Adam LaRoche and Ryan Church. I'll admit I was extremely cynical of the decision to bring LaRoche back to Atlanta, but he's been on fire since joining the club, hitting .404 with six home runs and 12 RBI's in 17 games. Church is a guy who doesn't have any eye-popping stats, but the Braves could use a player who can help them in the bottom of the lineup and provide solid defense. If LaRoche can stay hot, and Ryan Church can pick up the slack in the outfield while Nate McLouth is on the DL, the Braves could finally make a return to the playoffs.

Prediction: As I said in my NL Central blog, I think the National League will come down to the Phillies and Cardinals. It's too early to predict what a series between those teams would look like, but the Phillies have a great shot at repeating. I think the Marlins are going to struggle with youth and inexperience down the stretch and the Braves will continue to play well. I don't think Atlanta will do enough to catch the Rockies and Giants in the Wild Card, but there will be reason for optimism heading into next season at Turner Field

Keys to Success: NL Central

If I had written this blog a month ago, I probably would have had to do a lot more research. At one point, the National League Central looked like it could end up being a four team battle that would go down to the last week of the season. As we went into the All-Star Break, the St. Louis Cardinals, Chicago Cubs, Houston Astros, and Milwaukee Brewers all looked like they could compete for the division crown and make the playoffs. But over the past few weeks, the Cardinals have started to separate themselves from the rest of the pack, the Cubs are hanging in the Wild Card race, and the Astros and Brewers have really been fading. So let's take a look at the Cardinals and the Cubs and figure out what both teams need in order to have postseason success.

St. Louis Cardinals: What a year for the Cards! In the preseason, everyone seemed to hand the Central division to the Cubs on a silver platter and we figured the Cardinals would have another solid year but finish behind Chicago. Instead, the Cardinals have been consistently good all season behind the excellence of Albert Pujols and some great pitching. I would say I'm pretty neutral towards most teams in baseball and I pull for certain players more than teams, but it's hard not to admire the Cardinals organization. Every year, they seem to be fundamentally sound and competitive, and they do it with professionalism and class. St. Louis fans seem to be among the most passionate and knowledgeable fans of any sport and they have great pride in their team, as they should. They have made some big acquisitions in the past few weeks, and getting Matt Holliday from the A's appears to be one of the best trade deadline moves we've seen in recent years. Doesn't Holliday just seem like a good fit in St. Louis? Another guy who plays hard and carries himself the right way, on and off the field.

So what are the keys for the Cardinals to make a deep run into the postseason? Honestly, they just need to keep playing the way they have been playing over the past couple weeks. The top three guys in their starting rotation really look great right now and their bullpen has turned out to be one of the best in the National League. If Chris Carpenter can stay healthy into the playoffs and Joel Pineiro can continue his great season, the Cardinals have a 3-man pitching rotation that is very intimidating to other teams. Pineiro seems to produce a quality start every time he goes out, Adam Wainwright might be the best pitcher in the game no one talks about, and Carpenter is a former Cy Young winner who has unhittable stuff when he can stay healthy. And if John Smoltz can turn his season around and regain some of his old form by playoff time, it's a huge bonus. Combine those starters with Ryan Franklin, a guy who's emerged out of nowhere to lead the league in saves with a 1.13 ERA, and the Cardinals make for an extremely difficult series.

On the offensive side of the ball, I think it will be about the guys not named Holliday or Pujols. Albert Pujols is a virtual lock for another National League MVP award and Matt Holliday has been arguably the best hitter in the game since coming to St. Louis, so the Cardinals are in pretty good shape with those two guys carrying the offense. But, if they are going to win a championship, everyone will need to step up and contribute. While Holliday and Pujols will get most of the attention, I think guys like Mark DeRosa (another great midseason pickup), Colby Rasmus, and Skip Schumaker will have to come up with some clutch plays down the stretch. Ryan Ludwick, Chris Duncan, and Rick Ankiel will have to provide solid protection for Pujols and Holliday in the lineup or come in and get a big pinch hit in a key moment. When you look at this team, they appear to have a lot of really good pieces in place and they're hitting their stride at the right point of the season. And as we've learned so many times in the playoffs, it's not about being the best team as much as it's about being the hottest team.

Chicago Cubs: I wonder if Cubs fans consider this season a disappointment? Part of me thinks they have to be disappointed at how the team has played this year, but another part of me thinks Cubs fans go into every season thinking their team will let them down again and this year is no different. But hope should not be lost in the windy city! The odds don't look good, but this could be one of those years where the Cubs pull everything together at the end of the year and sneak into the playoffs and really do some damage. However, the Cubs seem to be going in the wrong direction, with a 3-7 record in their last 10 games and they're now five games behind the Wild Card leader, Colorado.

For a team with so much talent, there are a number of areas you could look at where the guys from the north side need to improve. The starting pitching has been pretty good (but struggled with injuries), the bullpen appears to be deteriorating in a hurry, the hitting has been brutal (riddled with injuries), and the away record is pathetic. So while all these areas are important for success, I think the two biggest factors for Chicago will be their offense and their bullpen. There are a few guys who really produced last season and haven't been able to replicate that success again this season. Aramis Ramirez and Geovany Soto have dealt with injuries most of the year, and they've really struggled with getting into a consistent rhythm at the plate. Milton Bradley has been a mediocre offseason acquisition who hasn't really produced much and seems to be ejected every couple weeks after he blows up at an umpire. And while he's talked most of the year about nagging injuries he's played through, Alfonso Soriano has been quite streaky, with many prolonged droughts. Soriano does have 19 home runs and 25 doubles, but he is also sporting a .243 batting average and only eight stolen bases. I think Soriano sets the tone for the Cubs offense and when he is hitting the ball well, it energizes the rest of the lineup and really picks the team up. He'll need to get hot down the stretch if the Cubs are going to battle their way back into the playoffs.

Next, we have the issue of the bullpen. When you're heading into the last couple months of the season, you don't want to be worrying about finding a new closer. After running up an 11.25 ERA and blowing 3 saves in the month of August, Kevin Gregg has been removed from the closer's role and Lou Piniella is now scrambling to find a replacement. The first choice appears to be Carlos Marmol, who has given up 52 walks in only 56 innings! Marmol already has four saves this season, but he also matches that number with four blown saves. If I'm a Cubs fans and I see those stats, I'm thinking "uh-oh." The other problem with making Marmol the 9th inning guy is the issue of finding a new set-up man. I think the plan will be to have Angel Guzman serve as the set up man in the 8th and then turn the game over to Marmol in the 9th. If that situation doesn't work, the Cubs may switch the order and give Guzman a chance to close games, but they'll probably be out of any postseason discussions if things get that bad.

Prediction: The Cubs are done! They're headed in the wrong direction at the wrong time of the year and they just can't stay healthy. Maybe they need an offseason where they aren't reading their press clippings and listening to everyone tell them how good they are. As you could probably tell, I really like the Cardinals and their chances this season. They don't appear to have many weaknesses and they're playing their best baseball of the year. They'll win the Central division going away and I like them to advance in the playoffs. Depending on how the final standings end up, I think the Cardinals and Phillies are who it will come down to as the National League Champion.

Tis the Season!

The beginning of college football season is quickly approaching and fans around the country are getting excited about Saturdays in the Fall. There appear to be many interesting storylines as we head into this season and I'm sure it'll be another exciting year that ends with people complaining about the lack of a playoff system. Will Florida repeat as National Champions (The National Championship Game will be the Rose Bowl this season)? Will the SEC rule the college football world again? Will Colt McCoy outduel Sam Bradford and Tim Tebow for the Heisman Trophy? Will the Men of Troy make their way through the PAC 10 without any slip-ups? All of these questions will be answered as the season progresses and we'll also probably see one of my favorite things, angry coaches at press conferences.

Most coaches in sports never really have any noteworthy moments in press conferences. They don't particularly enjoy dealing with the media, but they suffer through it and make all the politically correct comments and keep themselves out of trouble. However, we are blessed to have coaches who lose their cool from time to time and the ability to record these moments and post them on YouTube. So in honor of the beginning of another college football season, I want to provide my favorite moments where football coaches can't hide their anger and frustration. I also went ahead and included some NFL coaching rants, because there were a few I just couldn't leave off. Enjoy!

And this last one is my personal favorite. It's not a coaching meltdown, but it is a halftime interview with a coach. Ladies and Gentleman, I give you the one and only, Joe Kines:

Second Chances?

I can't stand Michael Vick. Actually, there's not a professional athlete I dislike more than Michael Vick. I think he was overrated as an NFL quarterback and he was a horrible example of how to represent yourself with class and professionalism. And I thought all of these things BEFORE we learned about his enjoyment of electrocuting and strangling dogs! Now that Vick has been reinstated to the NFL and he's signed with the Philadelphia Eagles, there seem to be hourly updates on ESPN about Vick's comeback to football. I'm already disgusted with the coverage of the mindless idiots (except Tony Dungy) who continue to talk about Vick deserving a second chance and how he's learned from his mistakes, because they're talking like the dogfighting charges were Vick's only mistake. In the famous words of Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy, "THAT'S NOT TRUE!". Let's look at a timeline of events:

2001: Vick's father said Michael held dogfighting matches in the garage of their home in Newport News, Virginia.

2004: Two men were arrested in Virginia for distributing marijuana out of a truck registered in Michael Vick's name. After the incident, Falcons coach Dan Reeves told Michael he needed to surround himself with quality people and remember his actions represented the entire organization.

October 2004: Vick and other members of his party were caught on tape stealing a watch as they passed through a security check in Hartsfield-Jackson Airport in Atlanta. After a police

report was filed by the individual who'd had his watch stolen, the watch was returned to the man and Vick's representatives prevented any further police involvement.

March 2005: A woman filed a civil suit against Vick because she'd contracted herpes in 2002 after engaging in intercourse with Vick (I guess Mike already had STD's before he even went to prison) and he failed to inform her that he was infected with the disease. Vick settled the lawsuit for an undisclosed amount.

November 2006: Vick was fined $10,000 for an "obscene gesture" directed to fans in the Georgia Dome after a game against the New Orleans Saints. In other words, Michael gave the Falcons fans his own version of the "Dirty Bird".

April 2007: Police discover evidence of dogfighting activity at Vick's property in Surry County, Virginia and begin to uncover a six-year long dogfighting ring involving drugs and gambling.

July 2007: Charges are filed against Vick for his involvement in the dogfighting ring, including financing, participating in the fights, executions, and handling money wagered on matches between the dogs.

September 2007: While awaiting sentencing regarding his felony convictions, Vick failed a drug test and tested positive for marijuana, which led to him being ordered to home confinement until he received his sentence from the courts.

October 2007: Vick failed an FBI administered polygraph test regarding questions about his involvement in the dogfighting and killing dogs.

December 2007: Vick began serving his 23 month federal prison sentence in Leavenworth, Kansas.

So Michael Vick deserves a 2nd chance huh? How many other people could go to federal prison for multiple felonies, have involvement in drug distribution and gambling, fail drug tests, steal property, and still get to return to work? Let me know the next time it happens in any business other than sports and entertainment. This is a man who invested thousands of dollars into turning household pets into vicious killers and then he electrocuted, strangled, and bodyslammed the dogs that weren't vicious enough for his liking. When he had a chance to come clean about his involvement and legal problems, Vick lied to his owner, the NFL commissioner, his millions of fans and supporters, and Federal investigators! And now that Michael Vick has served his time in prison and he has no other choice but to be remorseful, we're supposed to believe him? His past behavior shows an attitude that has no regard for the law or any sort of respect for other people, and his most recent comments indicate he still doesn't really understand the severity of his crimes.

When Vick says, "I can't understand why I was involved in such pointless activity. Why did I risk so much at the pinnacle of my career?" Michael, if I may, not only was it pointless and very risky, you forgot to mention how unbelievably cruel and inhumane you're actions were. It seems like a case of an individual who isn't sorry, he's just sorry he was caught. People might provide the argument about how we all make mistakes, but that's insanity. No, most of us don't make a number of mistakes BEFORE being convicted of federal charges and then hope to get forgiveness from our supporters and previous employer. What a world talented athletes get to live in! So while I can hope Michael Vick won't last a year in the NFL, he'll continue to get his chances. Any time I watch him play in a game, I'll hope for a free safety to take a shot at his knee and end his career, but it might not even be necessary. More than likely, Mike's true character will shine through and he'll find himself in trouble again and he'll be hoping for yet another chance. So stay classy, Mike Vick! Stay classy.

Overachievers & Underachievers

As is the case with every baseball season, there have been some guys who've been pleasant surprises and there have been others who've really disappointed. In this blog, I've come up with two teams - The Surprise-Stars (guys who have had unexpectedly good seasons) and The Let-Downs (guys who haven't lived up to expectations). Now for the lineups!

The Let-Downs:

1B: Jason Giambi, Oakland Athletics - So much for changing the culture in the Oakland locker room! Giambi was released last week.

2B: Kelly Johnson, Atlanta Braves - With multiple trips to the DL and a trip to the minor leagues, Kelly Johnson belongs on the bench, which is where he is.

3B: Garrett Atkins, Colorado Rockies - Last season, Atkins hit 21 home runs with a .286 batting average. This year, how about 7 home runs and a .222 average?

SS: J.J. Hardy, Milwaukee Brewers - He was recently sent down to the minors because of his lack of production - enough said.

C: Geovany Soto, Chicago Cubs: He's been injured most of the year so he probably deserves a pass, but it's still disappointing since he was so great last year.

LF: Alfonso Soriano, Chicago Cubs: If he's not going to learn how to play the outfield, he at least needs to make up for it offensively. A .245 average

and 8 stolen bases doesn't cut it.

CF: Josh Hamilton, Texas Rangers: An alcohol relapse, trips to the DL, a .260 average, and only 8 home runs = rough year!

RF: Magglio Ordonez, Detroit Tigers: He has 6 home runs and 36 RBI's this season. How's that for a guy who's making $19 million per year?

SP: Aaron Harang, Cincinnati Reds: Many thought Harang would have a strong year after struggling last season. Instead, he continues to struggle with a 6-13 record and 4.4 ERA.

RP: Brad Lidge, Philadelphia Phillies: When you're perfect in converting save chances the previous season, leading the league in blown saves the next season has to be a disappointment.

The Surprise-Stars:

1B: Kendry Morales, Los Angeles Angels: In his previous three seasons, he'd hit 12 home runs for his career. This year, he's hit 25 home runs and he's showing no signs of slowing down.

2B: Ben Zobrist, Tampa Bay Rays: He's filled in wherever the Rays have needed him and he continues to produce. He's projected to finish the season with 28 home runs, 20 stolen bases, and an average near .300.

3B: Mark Reynolds, Arizona Diamondbacks: Although he has a lot of strikeouts, Reynolds has 36 home runs and 80 RBI's. If he played for a good team, he'd be in the conversation for runner up NL MVP (behind Albert Pujols).

SS: Asdrubal Cabrera, Cleveland Indians: He's been one of the few bright spots for the Indians

this season. Cabrera has provided solid defensive help, hit for average, and stolen bases.

*Honorable Mention: Jason Bartlett: Bartlett has been a monster at the plate this season. He's currently hitting .341 and he has 11 home runs (more than the last four seasons combined).

C: Mike Napoli, Los Angeles Angels: Napoli earns this spot by default because there haven't been any big surprises at catcher this season. While he's struggled defensively, Napoli is batting around .300 and he's already hit 16 home runs.

LF: Raul Ibanez, Philadelphia Phillies: He seemed like a nice offseason pickup for the Phillies, but no one expected what he's done. Ibanez is projected to finish the year with a .297 average, 43 home runs, 123 RBI's, and he will probably end up in the top 3 for NL MVP voting.

CF: Michael Bourn, Houston Astros: Last season, Bourn struggled for the Astros with an average of .229 and 41 stolen bases. This season, Bourn already has 42 stolen bases and he's raised his average to .289.

RF: Bobby Abreu, Los Angeles Angels: When Abreu left New York, it seemed like he was on the downside to his career. Instead, his batting average is the highest it's been since 2000 and he's projected to steal 35 bases. Not bad for an old man.

SP: Edwin Jackson, Detroit Tigers: The Tigers probably thought Jackson would be a good addition to the back-end of their rotation, but he's turned in to a star. He has a 2.79 ERA and his BAA is only .226.

*Honorable Mention: Javier Vazquez, Atlanta Braves: Vazquez has an ERA of 2.90 and he

already has 171 strikeouts. It's a shame his record is only 10-7.

*Honorable Mention: Josh Johnson, Florida Marlins: His ERA is 2.92 and he has an 11-2 record. Now that he's finally healthy, his pitching is absolutely filthy.

RP: Ryan Franklin, St. Louis Cardinals: At the beginning of the season, the closer spot was a big question mark for the Cardinals and Franklin has really stepped up with a 1.20 ERA and 28 saves.

*Honorable Mention: David Aardsma, Seattle Mariners: The journeyman reliever seems to have found his niche in Seattle. 27 saves and a 2.02 ERA has been huge for the Mariners as they've been able to use Aardsma as their closer and not call up any of their prospects.

Keys to Success: AL Central

If playoff teams were decided by which teams had the best records in their league, no one from the American League Central would make it! Actually, the first place team in the central (Detroit) isn't even one of the top six teams in the American league! Frankly, it's a collection of mediocre teams who spend the season hovering around .500 and beating each other up. But alas, the central will have a division champion who will qualify for the playoffs, and it should be a very competitive race between the Detroit Tigers, Chicago White Sox, and Minnesota Twins. Here's who I think the difference makers will be:

Detroit Tigers: I don't know whether to say the Tigers have had a solid year and they have a good chance to win the division, or they've underachieved again and they're better than what the record indicates. As good as they've been at home in Comerica Park (36-18), the Tigers are

abysmal on the road (23-36). And as good as Edwin Jackson and Justin Verlander have been at the top of the rotation, Armando Galarraga and Rick Porcello have a combined ERA of almost 5.oo! So while there are a number of things that need to happen for the Tigers to make the playoffs, I'll pick two and go from there.

The first one I already mentioned, and his name is Edwin Jackson. When he came over from the Rays in the offseason, it seemed like a nice pick up for Detroit but no one really thought too much of it. So far, Jackson has been outstanding with an ERA of 2.79 and 120 strikeouts in 152 innings and he's given his team 17 quality starts out of the 23 games he's started. He won't get much consideration for the Cy Young award because he only has eight wins, but he really should be in the conversation. He will need to continue to dominate in order for the Tigers to keep their slim division lead. As for my second key - paging Magglio Ordonez! In his previous three seasons, Mags' home run and RBI totals were (2006: 24,104)(2007: 28,139)(2008: 21,103), and this season he currently has 6 home runs and 36 RBI's. Six home runs! Fortunately for Detroit, Curtis Granderson and Brandon Inge have really stepped up in the power department, but Ordonez needs to deliver. He's one of the leaders on this team and they have always depended on him as a great hitter and run producer. So Magglio, it's time to lead your team and earn the $19 million you're getting paid this season.

Chicago White Sox: Ozzie Guillen always keeps things interesting on the south side doesn't he? While part of me thinks the White Sox are destined to win the World Series because they have the support of Barack Obama (he wanted the Steelers and Tar Heels to win and look what happened!), Chicago will need to snap themselves out of the funk they've been in for the past couple weeks. However, they also made some BIG acquisitions in the past few weeks that could fuel them towards repeating as division champions and making the playoffs again.

In my opinion, the keys for the White Sox will be the performance of the recent additions to the club, Jake Peavy and Alex Rios. Although he's returning from injury, Peavy has the ability to be the best pitcher in the game and he could feed off the adrenaline of playing for a contender. By playing in a division that doesn't feature a lot of high powered offense, Peavy could be the difference maker for the White Sox if he is able to shut down the opposition and go deep into games. And while Alex Rios has struggled this season, he is a guy who can provide more power to the lineup and the ability to hit for average and steal bases. The White Sox seem to have no shortage of power hitters, so it'd be great of Rios could join with Gordan Beckham (who could be the AL Rookie of the Year) and Scott Podsednik at the top of the lineup and really set the tone by getting on base and putting pressure on opposing pitchers. When you combine Rios' hitting potential with Peavy's pitching potential, the White Sox really could get hot down the stretch and be a team no one wants to face.

Minnesota Twins: Things aren't looking good for the Twinkies. They're five games back in the Central, ten games back in the Wild Card, and they've lost 7 of their last 10. It's a testament to the Twins organization that they always seem to be in the hunt in the central division, but the pitching hasn't been as strong this season as it has been in years past. Big things were expected of Scott Baker and Francisco Liriano and they haven't gotten the job done. Even Kevin Slowey's 10-3 record is a bit misleading, with an ERA of 4.86 and BAA of .309. Slowey should probably be thanking Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau for providing so much run support. Mauer continues to emerge as one of the young superstars of the game and Morneau should be considered one of the best players no one talks about.

I think the key for the Twins is a couple guys who have been dreadful this season, Nick Punto and Joe Crede. Punto was great at second base for the Twins last season with a .284 average. This year, he's platooned with Alexi Casilla and he can barely keep his batting average over .200. It says something when you're batting .200 and you're still outplaying your competition (Casilla is batting .172). As for Joe Crede, maybe we should just look at his one great year with the White Sox as a one-hit wonder. While Crede does have 15 home runs, he's only batting .237 and he's not exactly setting the world on fire with his defense. Don't forget that Crede is rather injury proned and he could go down at any point, forcing the Twins to deal with another injury and possible call-up. Basically, if the Twins are going to do anything, these guys need to contribute. There's some real talent in the heart of order, but they have gotten NO production from the bottom of the order. Throw in Delmon Young (who's plays so far below expectations that everyone just knows he'll be bad) and you've got a problem.

Prediction: I think the White Sox are going to come back and overtake the Tigers for the division. The Twins are heading in the wrong direction and I don't think they'll be turning it around. And no one from this division is making the Wild Card - I guarantee it!

A Different Perspective

This past week, I finally took advantage of an opportunity to read a book that I'd been wanting to read for a long time, The Shack. Someone recommended it to me a few years ago and I see it in stores all the time, but I finally picked it up after it'd been sitting on our table for the past month. After a couple days of sitting by the pool and taking a chair out to the beach to read, I had flown through this fascinating story of tragedy and transformation that really made me think about my own life.

I'll admit I went into reading this book with high expectations, but I really had little idea what the story was. The author, William Young, is able to draw you in from the beginning as you learn about the main character, Mack, and what has caused him so much pain in his life. I don't want to give away any of the book because I would encourage people to read it, but as the story progresses you follow Mack's journey to find peace and a new personal relationship with God, which happens in a very unique environment. Personally, I was captivated by Mack's experience and I couldn't put the book down because I wanted to see what would happen next, but I get like that when I read interesting books.

After finishing the book, I wanted to look up some background information about the characters and the author, and there's no shortage of info about this story! However, I was rather disappointed when I found out this story was fictional, because reading the Foreword made me believe it was a true story about the author's friend. My googling about the book also revealed a number of critics who have spoken out against The Shack and William Young because of scriptural issues they believe the story has and the inaccurate portrayal of God it represents. I won't get into those issues because I really don't know enough about either side to have an accurate opinion, but I do believe the book still provides an interesting perspective on many spiritual topics.

While this wasn't a book that has changed my way of looking at God or how I want to live my life, there were many times when I would finish reading a paragraph and I'd really stop and think about what the author was saying. The Shack provided many thought-provoking moments for me about expectations God has of me, free-will and how it works with God's plan for my life, the Holy Spirit, and a number of other things. I would recommend any book that gets people thinking about those things in their lives in a relevant way and how God wants to speak to them. And if you're turned off by all of those things, it's a pretty cool story anyway.

Keys to Success: NL West

In part two of my Keys to Success series, I want to take a look at the highly competitive National League West. Out of the five teams with the best record in the National League, three of them play in the West division and all three of those teams could do serious damage in the playoffs. The three contenders I will be talking about are the Los Angeles Dodgers, Colorado Rockies, and San Francisco Giants. Let's play ball!

Los Angeles Dodgers: Although they've struggled over the past couple weeks, there hasn't been a more consistent team in baseball this season. The Yankees recently overtook the Dodgers for the best record in the league, but the Dodgers have been strong all season long and the Yankees stumbled out of the gates. What Joe Torre has done with this team is remarkable considering all the distractions that have followed his club this season. If L.A. can continue their consistent play, they should be able to head towards the playoffs with home field advantage and a good chance at reaching the World Series. In order to do this, there are a number of different players that could be huge factors in this team's success, but I'll choose a couple not named Ramirez. While Manny Ramirez certainly has the ability to put a team on his back and carry them (which he showed last season), the Dodgers are a deeper team this season and I think Manny will have plenty of help.

Many people were hoping for a breakout season from Matt Kemp, and he has not failed to deliver. Kemp has provided a huge lift for the bottom part of the lineup for the Dodgers, he's been great in center field, and he's developed a knack for coming up with clutch hits. He's quickly becoming one of the best young outfielders in the game, and he can help keep some of the pressure off Manny as the team heads down the stretch. In my opinion, the other key for the Dodgers will be the continued consistency of their starting pitching. Chad Billingsley was dominant during the first half of the season, but he has struggled a bit and he now appears to be dealing with an injury. Randy Wolf hasn't been overwhelming, but he's been very consistent and he almost always gives his team a chance to win. And Clayton Kershaw, with his ERA of 2.73, has just been filthy good. The bullpen has a great combination to end games with George Sherrill and Jonathan Broxton, so the starting pitching will need to do their part. If Billingsley, Wolf, and Kershaw can stay healthy for a playoff run and stay poised during the big games, the Dodgers could be playing well into October.

Colorado Rockies: The Rockies come across to me as the National League version of the Texas Rangers. They are entertaining to watch because they score lots of runs, play in a launching pad, and their pitching can be somewhat unpredictable. Since Jim Tracy has taken

over the team, they've really found new life and turned their season around. Colorado has had some young players (Dexter Fowler & Clint Barmes) step up, some guys play up to their potential (Troy Tulowitzki & Huston Street), and one veteran who seems to have found the fountain of youth (Todd Helton). Most people probably felt like the Rockies would step back a bit offensively this year after losing Matt Holliday to free agency, but they're right back up at the top of National League in most offensive categories yet again. Jim Tracy deserves serious consideration for Manager of the Year and the Rockies are playing in such a way that they deserve serious consideration as a playoff team.

It seems odd to be able to say this about such a young ball club, but Colorado is fortunate they have experience on their side. Many of the players on this team were a part of that amazing run a few years ago where the Rockies made it all the way to the World Series before falling to the Red Sox. So these guys have been here before, and they know what it takes to get into the post-season. And if I'm picking two guys that I think could be the difference in Colorado, I'm going to take Troy Tulowitzki and Ubaldo Jimenez. Since the managerial change, Tulowitzki has really elevated his game and played the way he's capable of playing. When the Rockies made their run three years ago, Tulo was a huge spark plug and nearly won the Rookie of the Year award. This year, Tulowitzki is again sparking his team towards another playoff run and he provides the always deadly combination of power and speed. He has a legitimate chance at finishing the year with 30 home runs and 30 stolen bases. As for Ubaldo Jimenez, he's really started to round in to form since the All-Star break. He's now had six quality starts in a row, and he's showing he has the ability to pitch in Coors Field, which is no easy task. If he can continue to play the way he has since the All-Star break, he and Jason Marquis give the Rockies a very nice 1-2 punch in their starting rotation, which can be very potent in a short series in the playoffs.

San Francisco Giants: For a group that could sneak into the playoffs, I don't think there's a team I would NOT want to play in a series more than the Giants. When you have the opportunity to bring out Tim Lincecum for two or three games in a series, you put yourself in a situation where you only need one or two other pitchers to step up, and the Giants have more than just Tiny Tim. I really like what the Giants did at the trade deadline in acquiring Freddy Sanchez because I think he can provide a boost to their suspect lineup. Sanchez is a guy who doesn't try to do too much at the plate and he's a solid infielder. And Ryan Garko is another guy who could provide some much needed offensive protection for the Kung Fu Panda, Pablo Sandoval.

While it may come down to whether or not the Giants can generate enough offense for their outstanding pitching, I believe there are two other factors that will determine whether or not San Francisco can get to October. First, they have to learn how to win games on the road. A 23-32 road record isn't going to get it done when you're trying to nail down a playoff spot so they're going to have to figure out what it takes to win away from San Francisco. Fortunately, they are about to start an 11 game road trip, which ends with a HUGE four game series in Colorado. If the Giants are able to win all three series on their upcoming trip, they could be well on their way towards returning to the postseason. Along with winning on the road, I believe the Giants will need Matt Cain to continue to pitch at a high level. Surprisingly, Cain has the same number of wins and a nearly identical ERA as Tim Lincecum, who appears to be heading towards his 2nd consecutive Cy Young. Cain was roughed up in his last start against the Reds and he has a propensity for giving up the long ball, so we'll see if he can recover from his start and get back on track or if he'll start to fade as the season winds down. If Cain is able to continue to dominate in the same way he has so far this season, the Giants have arguably the best 1-2 tandem of starters in baseball.

Prediction: Even though they're struggling right now, I like the Dodgers to win the division. I think the Rockies will hold everyone off in the Wild Card race, including Tim Lincecum and the Giants.

Keys to Success: AL West

As the Major League Baseball season heads down it's final stretch toward the playoffs, many teams are making deals and acquisitions to position themselves for a playoff birth. A few teams appear to be gaining momentum and coming together at the right time, other teams appear to be struggling with injuries and inconsistency, and some teams have already started the rebuilding process for next year. I want to look at the six divisions in the MLB and address the teams contending for the playoffs and talk about the players who will be deciding factors on whether or not their teams will be playing in October, or playing in celebrity golf tournaments. For today, let's tackle the American League West!

In this division, I want to look at the Los Angeles Angels, Texas Rangers, and Seattle Mariners. The Oakland A's are 13 games under .500 and appear to always be planning for the future, so why bother with them?

Los Angeles Angels: They currently have a 3.5 game lead in their division and they've been playing excellent baseball since the All-Star Break. Los Angeles has been in this situation before, they have players who know how to finish the regular season strong, and they have a manager who knows how to keep his team focused. To me, Jered Weaver, Bobby Abreu, and Kendry Morales are three players who will be the keys to leading the Angels to another division championship and a shot at making the world series. Weaver has struggled in his past few starts, but if he can continue to keep the opposition from putting up big numbers and pitch deep into games, the Angels' offense is strong enough to wear down most pitching staffs. Bobby Abreu has been a huge offseason addition and he's really been a valuable run-producer. The Angels have guys who provide tons of speed and the ability to score runs, and Abreu has been great at putting the ball in play and driving his teammates in. And Kendry Morales, has this guy stepped up or what! When it looked like the Angels would struggle without Vladamir Guerrero and Torii Hunter in the lineup, Morales has amped up the power and become a threat to go deep anytime he's at the plate. Now that Hunter and Vladamir are starting to get healthy, if Morales can continue to pound the ball, the Angels will have a lineup that can scare some pitchers.

Texas Rangers: With the Rangers, consistency always seems to be the biggest question mark

they have. They're a team who'll put together five straight wins but then turn around and lose four in a row and you just never know what you're going to get. Their offense has always been extremely powerful and they've got plenty of talent, but it's a question of having everything come together when it really matters in big games at the end of the season. I believe the Rangers have two big parts that will play a huge role in whether or not they contend, and that's their starting pitching and the play of Josh Hamilton. Kevin Millwood has had an above average season for the club and Scott Feldman has a chance to get 15 wins, but they need help on the back-end of their pitching rotation. If Padilla can come back and provide quality starts and someone else can step up, they've got a real shot in the Wild Card race. And for Josh Hamilton, this season has been quite a disappointment. I'm a huge Hamilton fan and always will be, but he hasn't delivered this year with a .230 average and 8 home runs. Maybe last night was a game that will get him going and he could catch fire at the end of the season and lead this offense because he's certainly got the ability to do so.

Seattle Mariners:

While the Mariners may be on the outside looking in to the playoff race, they've definitely been a pleasant surprise this season and they're showing a lot of promise for the future. It's a team with some good young talent and I like the acquisitions they've made this season and a lot of their guys have really stepped up. If the Mariners are going to make the playoffs, their pitching staff will have to carry them like they have all season. This is a team with the best ERA and BAA in the American League and they play in a definite pitchers park. Felix Hernandez will have to stay healthy and David Aardsma will need to continue his amazing season where he has blossomed into a great closer. Hernandez has all the tools to be virtually unstoppable but he has to show great control and the ability to finish out a season strong. If the pitching can stay strong, and Ichiro and Jose Lopez can score enough runs, the Mariners could continue to surprise this season.

Prediction: The Angels will win the AL West again while the Rangers will finish just short of a Wild Card birth. I'm just not a believer in the Mariners and I think they will fade down the stretch.

Divine Velvet

When it comes to dessert, there are few things I like more than a great piece of cheesecake. However, one of those things is a great piece of red velvet cake. But when someone is able to take good red velvet cake and combine it with delicious cheesecake, it's mouthwatering just thinking about it.

Last week, The Cheesecake Factory unveiled the newest addition to their menu, Stefanie's Ultimate Red Velvet Cheesecake. I was there, ready to try out a slice, and hoping for the best but worrying I might be disappointed. I'm always confident in The Cheesecake Factory's ability to provide delicious cheesecake, but their version of the red velvet cake and the icing were what made me nervous. Sometimes red velvet cakes have no flavor or they are to dry or bitter (See: D.D.'s Cupcake Shoppe) or the icing is too sweet or cheesy. After taking my first bite, I felt guilty for ever doubting their ability and I want to thank Stefanie (whoever she is) for her Ultimate Red Velvet Heaven.

The cake and cheesecake blended together perfectly. The cake was moist and delicious but firm enough to where it didn't crumble apart when you cut a bite with your fork. The cake also served as the crust, which I really liked because sometimes a traditional crust gets tough to cut through and then makes things messier than you really want them. The icing wasn't overpowering and offered great flavor, especially when combined with the cake AND cheesecake. And when you throw in some fresh whipped cream and shavings of white chocolate, you've got a harmony of

flavors that lets you drift away in happiness.

I think I could go back and order this dessert every time I eat at The Cheesecake Factory and I'd probably never be disappointed. The texture and flavors were delicious and it was rich but not totally overpowering. Yet, it will probably be a while before I order this again because I've got a bigger plan in mind. I hope to be able to try every cheesecake offered on their menu, even the ones with flavors I don't particularly like (raspberry, tiramisu, kahlua). I figure if anyone can pull off a dessert with flavors I don't normally like, it's Stefanie and her friends at The Cheesecake Factory.

Oh Saggio!

Last night, my wife, mother, brother, and myself ate dinner at Saggio, an italian restaurant in Tequesta, FL. I'd heard very good things about the menu and the quality of food and I thought it would be a good place to try out. After eating there last night and having plenty of time to think about my experience, all I can really say is Wow! <--- And that's not good. I've never been to a restaurant where the service was so poor and unprofessional and it's safe to say I'll never go back.

For a Tuesday night in Tequesta at 8:30, it's not uncommon to see restaurants rather empty and struggling for business. However, at Saggio, I now understand why there was no one else in the restaurant last night when we went in for dinner. After looking at the menu and deciding the place looked nice, we decided to stay and give it a shot and we figured we were in for a good italian meal.

The woman who gave us a table took care of our drink orders and it appeared she was going to be our waitress and she seemed friendly and like she knew what she was doing. Sadly, when we saw her walk out the door with her bags because her shift was ending, our chances of having a good dinner were going out the door with her. A new waitress came over to our table and asked for our food orders and had an attitude from the beginning. I don't know if she was upset about not being able to watch her recording of the Real Housewives of New Jersey or bummed about not being able to listen to the Yankees game but she appeared mad at the world. When I ordered a pizza, she couldn't understand what I was ordering and had to borrow a menu to figure out what pizza I was talking about. When my mom ordered, the waitress couldn't hear what my mom said and then complained that my mom needed to talk louder because she was deaf. It was the beginning of an hour of excuses from a woman who has no business being anywhere other than mopping floors and staying out of the way.

As we were waiting on our food, it seemed like our water glasses were always empty. The glasses weren't big to begin with and we were all probably drinking pretty fast, but for a restaurant that was completely empty, I'm not sure what else the waitress was working on. She never brought us water on her own initiative or because she was actually taking care of our table. Once our food came out, I was hoping that we could just eat and enjoy the food without having to deal with her anymore. Unfortunately, WonderWoman Waitress failed to check the menu items before bringing them from the kitchen and my mom's sandwich wasn't prepared right. After my mom realized the sandwich she ordered was missing the dressing that was supposed to come with it, we were forced to flag down our waitress again for some help.

When we asked her about the menu and how the sandwich was supposed to come with dressing, our waitress came up with the wonderful response of "Oh, I don't know." I wish there was a picture taken of my face when that phrase came out of her mouth because I'm pretty sure my jaw dropped. I wouldn't consider myself an expert on waiting tables and dealing with complaints, but I do have a good deal of experience in customer service and answering questions, and it has never crossed my mind to simply say "I don't know". I've learned from the best and you almost always go out of our way to provide the customer with what they want, and you do it with a smile on your face. In this case, it was her own fault for not knowing the items on the menu, but a problem that still could have been easily remedied if she would have simply apologized and showed an effort at fixing the problem. Instead, she reluctantly went back to the kitchen and came back with some dressing as if we were rude for making such a request. Once she brought it out, my mom said something about how that was what the sandwich was missing and the waitress seemed to become even more irritated and responded that she'd fixed it because she went back to the kitchen and brought it out. She gave a condescending apology as she turned her back to our table and I'd decided a breaking point had been reached.

When the waitress returned later, I asked to speak to a manager/supervisor and she informed me that I was in luck because the owner was there. I was hoping a chef or someone in the back would come out, but instead she went and pulled the owner away from the bar, where he was sitting with a group of his buddies. I told him about the quality of my pizza, which happened to be excellent, and I also complimented the first waitress we'd had when we arrived. Next, I proceeded to tell him about the rude, ignorant, and unprofessional woman we'd dealt with for the past half hour. I figured I'd tell him about the poor service and he would apologize and that would be the end of it, but I guess I thought too highly of our waitress. As I was speaking with the owner, the waitress came to our table and began to argue about what I was saying. I found it quite ironic as she was interrupting me and telling me I was wrong that I was able to look at the owner and say, "This is exactly what I mean. The fact that she's here saying this right now is extremely unprofessional to me."

The owner thanked me and shook my hand, as if this was to make everything all better, and then said that he'd take care of everything. We thought he meant he'd take care of our bill, or remove part of our bill, but our waitress brought our check and nothing had changed. We paid the bill and headed for the door and the owner stopped us again saying he was sorry. I'm not sure what good an apology does in business when you don't do anything to fix the problem. I told him it was bad for his business that his employees treat guests in such a way and walked out the door to Saggio, and I'm quite certain I won't be heading back.