John Beckett's Real Estate Blog

Stepping away from Reno/Sparks Real Estate for a moment and making ten predictions for the upcoming 2010 Major League Baseball season:

1. Micheal Young wins the AL batting title in a close race over Joe Mauer & Ichiro Suzuki.

2. The Rockies, a good pick during the preseason, won’t amount to much

3. The Padre’s Deal Adrian Gonzales, Heath Bell and Chris Young before July 31st.

4. Philadelphia fails to win the NL East.

5. My personal favorite, Boston posts the AL’s lowest ERA and Theo Epstein deals for Adam Dunn in July.

6. The Marlins become surprise contenders in the Nation League East.

7. Stephen Strasburg Debuts in June and wins five games during his rookie year.

8. San Francisco Giants will make the playoffs

9. New York Yankees will blow it!

10. World Series prediction (I am going way out on a limb here!) : Atlanta Braves vs. Seattle Mariners – Seattle in seven.

Any other predictions out there?

Just a few quotes from one of the greatest Sportscasters and Lawyers (yes he was a Lawyer before joining ABC)

After all, is football a game or a religion?
Howard Cosell

Sports is the toy department of human life.
Howard Cosell

The ultimate victory in competition is derived from the inner satisfaction of knowing that you have done your best and that you have gotten the most out of what you had to give.
Howard Cosell

What’s right isn’t always popular. What’s popular isn’t always right.
Howard Cosell

I had to step away from Reno/Sparks Real Estate after hearing the sad release of one of the NFL’s greatest. On Monday, LaDainian Tomlinson was released by the San Diego Chargers, a franchise he helped revive with a brilliant nine-year run in which he became one of the NFL’s greatest running backs. Tomlinson was due a $2 million roster bonus in early March, which all but guaranteed he would be cut loose. He still had two years left on his contract, which was reworked during a somewhat tumultuous period last offseason. General manager A.J. Smith called it “a tough day, a sad day for everybody in the organization. But it’s always tough to part ways with great players who helped you win games. It’s not a pleasant day, but we’re working through it.”  Tomlinson, who turned 30 last summer, was injured early in the 2009 season and finished with 730 yards on 223 carries for an average of 3.3 yards per carry, all career lows. Tomlinson ranks eighth on the all-time rushing list with 12,490 yards. His 138 career rushing touchdowns rank second, and his 153 total touchdowns rank third. He was the NFL’s MVP in 2006, when he set league single-season records with 31 touchdowns, including 28 rushing, and 186 points. Tomlinson won the NFL’s rushing title in 2006 and ‘07. Perhaps his most memorable moment as a Charger came on Dec. 10, 2006, when he swept into the end zone late in a game against the Denver Broncos for his third touchdown of the afternoon to break Shaun Alexander’s year-old record of 28 touchdowns. His linemen hoisted him onto their shoulders and carried him toward the sideline, with Tomlinson holding the ball high in his right hand and waving his left index finger, while the fans chanted “L.T.! L.T.!” and “MVP! MVP!”  Tomlinson was said to be very, very gracious and very respectful during their meeting. He had his typical smile. He was just as good as could be, as respectful as could be. Just really, like he is, first class.

Read more at: http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/San-Diego-Chargers-cut-LaDainian-Tomlinson-022210

The youngest and the oldest
Kim Yun-Mi of South Korea, who at the age of 13 years and 83 days became the youngest gold medalist of all-time, was a member of the South Korean short track speed skating relay team that won the Women’s 3000m relay at the 1994 Lillehammer Games. American bobsledder Jay O’Brien is the oldest gold medalist, winning the 1936 two-man event at the age of 48 years and 357 days.

Heavy medal
The Vancouver Olympic medals are among the heaviest in the history of the Games. The medals are all of different weights, but the heaviest comes in at just over 20.3 ounces.

Golden boy
Short track speed skater Apolo Ohno// <![CDATA[// has five Winter Olympic medals, tying him for most all-time for an American man. He can break away from Eric Heiden with a medal in Vancouver.

No medals?
The 1900 Paris Games remains the only Olympics where no medals were awarded. Instead, winners were given valuable pieces of art.

Read more at: http://www.nbcolympics.com/medals/funfacts/index.html