Three Crowns for Seven (Answers to Triple Crown Winners)

His Royal Airness

If you read the previous blog: http://blogwieser.blogspot.com/2012/07/ncaa-title-nba-title-olympic-gold.html  you now know that, Earvin "Magic" Johnson, and Michael "Air" Jordan are two players that have won NCAA and NBA titles, as well as an Olympic Gold. So can you name the other five without looking at the link? Of course you can't or you wouldn't be back! Here are your hints again...

First hint a gimme is Magic Johnson. Magic was the only player to win the NCAA title as an underclassmen, and the tournament MOP, while winning an NBA title as a rookie and being the only rookie to win the MVP award in a title series, where he played three different positions. He is also the only retired NBA player to go on to win an Olympic gold medal.

Magic was also one of the coaches, but there are three more. Out of those three, two were collegiate, Olympic, and pro teammates. One was a player coach. Magic and Michael are/were owners, and own different sports teams outside of their expertise as players. Still don't know who the others are? I didn't either, and you would have to be a real sports junkie to figure out who they are!
  

 According to the experts, the link below has all of the triple crown winners:

http://www.thepostgame.com/blog/list/201207/basketball-triple-crown-ncaa-nba-championships-olympic-gold-medal#1

NCAA Title, NBA Title, Olympic Gold...

Which seven players went on to win NCAA titles, NBA titles, and Olympic Gold? Here's a hint, my favorite player is one of the seven (pictured below), and one of my favorite schools has a player involved, and one school has two players from the same seasons! Four went on to coach, one was a player coach, two became owners, and two have gone on to own other sports franchises. Can you name them?

First Time "4" Everything!

Mark Cavendish "Cav" (of Team Sky) raises his hand with a four finger salute to congratulate himself, as he finishes 1st for the 4th straight time in Paris. The reigning world champion is the first but possibly not the last if the man to his right in lime green (Peter Sagan) has anything to say about it. Sagan is only 22 and blew the competition away to obtain the Green Jersey.

Another first, Bradley Wiggins (a teammate to Cav, with Team Sky) holds on to the LCL Yellow Jersey, and rides the lead out train for Cav to sprint to victory, and becomes England's first TDF winner! It was a great day for Team Sky, they finished 1 & 2 in the overall (General Classification), and won the final stage of the TDF. In all honesty however, if (yes if) Chris Froome had taken command in the mountains and not been ordered to wait for Wiggins, Froome could have been England's first TDF winner. Coulda, shoulda, woulda, and if, if's and buts, were candies and nuts, we'd all have a Merry Christmas, but... Froome could have won this year.

Last year also produced a ton of possible firsts:

Frank and Andy Schleck would have been the first siblings (also teammates) to finish first and second, had they held on in the final time trial. As it turned out, it would be a first for Australia and Team BMC's Cadel Evans, as he took the final time trial and the TDF Yellow going into Paris. His celebration a bit more elaborate than that of Mr. Wiggins today, but nonetheless, he was victorious.

Not sure if a team has changed names, and won the team overall yellow, in consecutive years, but (there's that big 3 letter word again) I am thinking that is a first as well! So congratulations to Team Radioshack Nissan Trek (RSTN) for pulling off the team win again this year! 

With that said, it is time for me to venture out on my Madone and ride now, myself! It's hot, but the hot needs me! In honor of Team Sky, in my best Norf side accent, "Tootles..."

The To Do(n't) List! (Who to Keep, Who to Drop...)

Most have "New Years Resolutions," or "To Do" lists. Well today I am starting a "Mid Year Rebellution!" A "To Don't List!" I am also dropping a few things along the (social media) way. And here is the list.

The To Don't List:

10. Don't believe everything at first glance. Dwight Howard is not a Laker, "yet"!
9.   Don't believe everything rumored. Dwight Howard is not a Laker "yet", but Steve Nash is!
8.   Don't make remarks that could misguide the government into believing you're a terrorist!
7.   Don't laugh at the poor sap that only has women friends on his social networks and deletes the ones that don't give him their undivided attention, or their...
6.   Don't laugh at the poor sap that believes that every negative post from the women that have turned him down, are all about him.
5.   Don't post before you're certain that your posts cannot be mistake for something that they're not. 4.   Don't drop it like it's hot, drop it like it's not!
3.   Don't follow anything that, even remotely, attempts to be negative.
2.   Do not watch any professional sports where athletes use performance enhancing drugs. Sports included:

              A) Bicycling
                 a. Tour de Farce
                 b. Giro d' It'sDopia
                 c. Cheata de España
              B) MLB (unless the Dodgers are playing for the Series)
And the #1 Don't....

1. Don't finish with a don't! The only pro sport that I can watch is basketball. The NBA is good to go. Their athletes take performance altering drugs, not performance enhancing ones. I don't have to worry about asterisks, or titles changing hands 10 years after they played the title game! Go Lakers, and Howard is not a Laker, yet!

Armstrong's Statue of Liberty vs. USADA's Statute of Limitations

Professional Bicycling has consistently taken a black eye due to doping. Doping allegations left and right, have tarnished the image of professional bicycling. One would have to wonder how much more cycling can take until no one takes it seriously ever again. Especially the majors, like the Tour de France (TDF), the Giro d' Italia (The Giro), or the Vuelta de España (The Vuelta).

The UCI (International Cyclist Union) says that doping dates back as far as the 19th century and was used "to make the physical effort more tolerable, rather than to improve their performance." Rumor has it that dating back to 1896 that riders like Englishman Arthur Linton, who died from possible drug induced symptoms. Exhaustion and typhoid were given credit for the Welch riders death, with speculations that say drugs (caffeine, cocaine, and strychnine) were involved. That's a lethal combination, and bound to potentially make anyone's heart burst!

In the 1930's race founder, and author of L'Auto (paper/magazine publishing), Henri Desgrange was rumored to have written publicly, to the riders, after making changes to the TDF rule book, stating that drugs would not be complimentary, and that riders would be responsible for getting their own. With the way things are going in cycling now, would it just be easier to let riders dope, and call it survival of the fittest? I can only imagine how the viewing numbers would increase. "Doping allowed in the 2015 Tour!" I can almost see a morbid fan base taking bets on which rider would kill over first. I think that would be bet on more so than whom it was that would win the race.

However, it was said to be "common place" for riders to dope to make the physical effort more tolerable. Since then and highly due to the 1967 incident involving rider Tom Simpson, anti-doping took a serious turn. There was a "List of Prohibited Substances," put into place. The UCI states that the publication of the first "Medical Control Rules" was "the forerunner of the Anti-Doping Rules."
http://www.uci.ch/Modules/ENews/ENewsDetails.asp?id=MjMz&MenuId=MTYxNw&BackLink=/Templates/UCI/UCI5/layout.asp?MenuID=MTYxNw 

Miguel Indurain  won five consecutive Tour de France titles, from 1991-1995 (which at the time tied the record for most overall, and broke the record for consecutive Tour victories), was also accused of doping. Indurain was most likely accused because of his dominance during that time frame, but never tested positive.

Then the man that ended Indurain's reign (Bjarne Riis) admitted to doping, and said, ""My yellow jersey is in box at home, you can come and collect it," concerning his participation in the 1996 Tour. "What matters to me are my memories." http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/former-tour-de-france-winner-riis-admits-doping

Indurain, Riis, Ulrich, are just a few on a long, almost innumerable list of riders that have either tested positive, or been accused of doping.   Limitations (statutes) are mentioned, evidence is mentioned, and now even taxpayer money is now an issue. Mentioning taxpayer money brings up Senator Sensenbrenner from Wisconsin's fifth district. Not only have cheating riders, and the accusations from cycling's anti-doping agencies helped to give cycling a proverbial blackeye, but now it appears that a Wisconsin Senator is trying to make a bid, to defend a company that could very well be in his district in the upcoming year.

The case against Lance Armstrong is loosely linked to Wisconsin, because of Trek. Taking Contador's title may not tarnish Trek's image as badly, or lessen its prowess in the sport, but take Armstrong's seven Tour titles, and now you've cut that company deep. It may not severe an artery that is unstoppable, but it does leave a very deep wound, that will bleed out heavily. I have to admit that I looked into the borders of District 5 to see if Senator Sensenbrenner had a paid dog in the fight, and Waterloo is not in his immediate territory. It is however, still in his state. Plus, and I know one can't rely on hearsay, but is it true that a Trek facility in Whitewater, Wisconsin would soon be in Senator Sensenbrenner's district? Will this Whitewater plant actually be in his district this fall, or is that just another attempt of a lying portion of the opposition trying to be just as misleading as the government that they are speaking out against?

The sport of cycling needs a boost, not another blackeye. Groups ride out five or six minutes ahead of the peleton, and then the peleton reels them back in. You might have a sprinters finish in a few stages that might present excitement in some stages, but other than that, only the time trials seem to present any real excitement, or climactic finish. As Sean Kelly said in this years Tour: radios have taken away from the riders since of urgency concerning breakaways. Some riders seem more apt and capable of making up ground faster than others also.

French rider Rémy Di Gregorio, of team Cofidis was taken into custody from his hotel room by the authorities before Stage 10 of this years Tour, for allegedly doping. He was dismissed from his duties from Cofidis as well. Of course this is a man that went from one-hundered and seventy-fifth place, More than just a handful of minutes down to the race leader, and moved into thirty-third place in eight days. In most cycling events and circumstances, that's a bit beyond lucky. Any rider that does something so superhuman and freakish beyond reality, should expect that they are going to be tested. They have no worries if they are clean. If not, they should, like Di Gregorio, be taken into custody.

I have to admit that I am not a huge Lance Armstrong supporter. I think what he has done for cancer research is fabulous, however, in that I am a huge fan. I understand that big names usually have big egos to match the name, but being rude and overly egotistical is another thing. Fan or not, though, he was a very talented athlete, and king of the Tour after his cancer was overcome. Armstrong said that he was notified by the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) last week about doping allegations brought up against him. These are charges that he has faced before, and charges that were dropped by Federal Investigators. Armstrong borught up some points that were very interesting: "These are the very same charges and the same witnesses that the Justice Department chose not to pursue after a two-year investigation." He also said, "Although USADA alleges a wide-ranging conspiracy extended over more than 16 years, I am the only athlete it has chosen to charge."
http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/armstrong-charged-with-doping-by-usada

So why would the USADA pursue events that have already been dismissed by Federal Investigators, and not pursue the teammates or other riders that were involved?




"These charges are baseless, motivated by spite and advanced through testimony bought and paid for by promises of anonymity and immunity."


"I have never doped, and, unlike many of my accusers, I have competed as an endurance athlete for 25 years with no spike in performance, passed more than 500 drug tests and never failed one. That USADA ignores this fundamental distinction and charges me instead of the admitted dopers says far more about USADA, its lack of fairness and this vendetta than it does about my guilt or innocence." Lance Armstrong

500 tests and never failed, or tested positive once, and now this same group of witnesses and the USADA get a crack at him? How many times can you accuse, or try someone, and for how long? If someone is guilty, then they should be punished, but at what length does one go to prove someone guilty when so many others have already proven one innocent? Two years with the Justice Department, and still nothing?

The USADA says that Armstrong was involved in a conspiracy dating back to to 1998, and it comes forward to current date. The USADA says because of that, they have no limits and jurisdiction over Armstrong's case, and career.
http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/us-congressman-questions-role-of-usada-in-armstrong-case?ns_campaign=news&ns_mchannel=rss&ns_source=cyclingnews&ns_linkname=0&ns_fee=0

If Armstrong retired, and the Justice Department, and Federal Investigators abandoned this case, and Armstrong has passed over 500 tests, what's left to prove? The only thing left to prove is that there needs to be a vast improvement in testing. Cycling can't survive at this rate.

True Intentions

Again, I have to ask... what are your true intentions? To help others, or to help yourself. How long do those intentions last, how long should they last?

I use the Ali-Frazier fights as a lead example when it comes to hype. Ali could sell a fight like nobody else. Well lookout world, if trash talking had a champion, Chael Sonnen would be champ hands down. His gift of gab is second to none. Chael can hype up a fight. Was Chael trying to create a bigger payday for Anderson Silva, and himself? Was Chael just trying to gain that much of a psychological advantage? Is Chael really that much of an obnoxious goon, that no one could stand to be around him? I don't know Mr. Sonnen personally, and his words are his words, he is gifted with ridiculous dialect, and puts on a good show. I am a fan, not a direct recipient of the trash talking, and if I were, I'd be Anderson Silva, and looking to shut his mouth. 

I don't know Mr. Silva either, but I do know one thing, if you ever wondered how humble a true champion can be, you can stop wondering now. I don't mind fighters using a translator, because the fighter can express himself from the heart in his native tongue, and not be misunderstood. Not misunderstood that is if the translator does his/her job correctly. On the other hand, the interviewee needs to give the translator a true and wholesome message to relay. I think the champ humbles himself, as usual, pretty well in this video. 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F2m60zq0o-I&feature=BFa&list=HL1341811382

Most of these guys have larger than life egos, and you can see that Chael comes by it honestly, if you watched the post fight footage featuring Chaels father. Chael is the spitting image of his dad, and his attitude seems to be a direct reflection of his father. His father sounded a lot like me after a game, however. So I had to check myself at the door. Chael's father gave him a heavy critique and said he messed up bad when he threw that spinning back fist so wildly that he sent himself to the canvas! But he also told him to keep his head up, he still had the greatest family in the world, and was the best looking fighter in the UFC! Proud, and good father, whether you like the elder Sonnen's tact or not, he manifested the heart and toughness of a great father. You have to admire the bond and the understanding this father and son have.

Kudos, to both champ and challenger after an epic verbal battle, and a pretty gutsy physical battle. Sonnen, humbled himself very well, and the champ did so as well. I also have to say that I take my hat off to Silva for humbling himself and saying that he wanted no part of beefing up to meet "Bones" Jones. I'll say this for GSP, he can humble himself any day now, and say that he doesn't want any part of Anderson Silva. So post fight thoughts? Mine conclude with, "Bravo gentlemen, well done!"

The Intentions of Management (Cycling)

For those of us that have never been there it's easy to make assumptions, or point fingers, even give our point of view. However, I have to ask the question again, with what intention? Alain Gallopin the sporting director/team manager for cycling team Radioshack/Nissan/Trek (RSNT) former, but somewhat partially still Trek Leopard (because of funding and connection to Luxembourg) was questioned about his decision to add his nephew (Tony Gallopin) to this years Tour de France (TDF). What I question more, is the team using Nissan as a sponsor over working with Mercedes Benz. Although, I'm pretty certain that their reasoning is probably because Specialized (a main competitor) is in cahoots with McLaren (which is a division or closely related to Mercedes Benz). Gallopin the director, chose Gallopin the nephew and rider, because Tony Gallopin the rider, earned his spot, and also gave the injury plagued RSNT team a bit more variety. Tony has already had some impressive U23 victories, is a complete rider, climbs well, sprints well, and is also in second place for the Best Young Rider jersey in his first TDF. So well done director! The link below will take you to the Tours page, and you can click "Classifications" and then go to the "Best Young Rider" category and check Tony's progress. If I pull for anyone else in that category it would have to be BMC's Tejay Van Garderen, a young American rider. Van Garderen's getting plenty of education, one could only imagine, riding under the tutelage of seventeen time TDF contestant George Hincapie, and 2011 Tour de France winner, Cadel Evans. So again not to get off track, yes the Gallopin's are family, but I think it was a sound choice, even if they are family to give RSNT a shot at winning multiple jerseys in this years tour. RSNT is the top team in the field now, and now own yellow as a team. They have had a member in yellow, for all but one stage of the TDF this year, with their three top riders having the lowest time combined after today's Stage 8, they now have yellow again, this time as a team. Therefore, I applaud Alain Gallopin's choice. Tony looked very strong today, and is now less than fifty seconds away from the White - Best Young Rider's jersey, and his team a half a minute up on Britain's Team Sky, although, Sky's Wiggins took the individual (General Classifications) yellow from Trek's Fabian Cancellara in Stage 6. The intentions were to build a stronger team, now, and for the future, and that is being manifested with every stage in this tour. Well done Mr. Gallopin, well done RSNT!

http://www.letour.fr/le-tour/2012/us/classifications.html 

The Intentions are What Count

I am a fight fan, but not a fan of unsportsmanlike conduct. I was looking at the Silva - Sonnen video for UFC 148, and it left a very bitter taste in my mouth. When people do things to hurt others it's never good. Hype is hype, but but there is no excuse for ignorance. No matter how anyone looks at it, it's the intentions that count. In all walks of life what really matters, is what intentions are used in a person's actions. In sport, in career, in spirituality, in body, mind, and soul.

A person may give one thousand dollars in church, but for what? "I made ten-thousand dollars this pay period, therefore, I have to tithe one thousand dollars," says a parishioner. Really, is it a have to case? God loves a cheerful giver, one that gives from the heart. God does not glory from the person that gives with the thought, or intentions of a return.

Why do the much younger male drivers stop on the roadside to help out the much younger attractive women? Why is it that most younger male drivers will only stop for a more mature woman if they see that she is a filthy rich, widowed woman? Perhaps the younger male driver felt she needed a helping hand right? No, his intentions were to help them both feel good about his so called good deed, so he could help them out of some sort of return, and the returns are givens, so use your imagination on those.

Returns are great when they are earned and sought after with the proper intention. Paydays are also great, and sometimes fighters and celebrities have to hype things up a bit, to produce a bigger payday. Muhammad Ali referred to Sonny Liston as a "big ugly bear." Yes your honor I will get to my point, and this is all relevant, I promise. When the "Fight of the Century" took place between Joe Frazier and Muhammad Ali, Ali said that he hyped up the fight, by calling Frazier a "gorilla." Ali said later, as he and Frazier had both matured, that he never meant anything by it. Ali said that he was just trying to sell the fight. Ali's intentions were to gain a huge payday for Frazier and himself, but the unintentional things that took place were the things that Joe Frazier never really got over. Ali said those things about Frazier for one particular reason (a better payday, and psychological advantage), and what took place was a psychological scarring that took Joe Frazier a lifetime to forgive. Not so much to forgive Ali for what he did to him, but what Ali did to his children and family. Frazier said that his children had to go to school and deal with what the other children were saying that Ali had said about him.

"It will be a killa, a chilla and a thrilla when I get the gorilla in Manilla." Frazier angrily recounted how his children were taunted by the nickname at school.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2011/nov/08/joe-frazier

Denise Menz, Frazier's girlfriend said: "I knew it had to hurt, and it infuriated me, " Menz says." Me and my family, and those close to Joe, we knew it was just a bunch of lies. His kids had to face school, and all his nieces and nephews."
http://www.usatoday.com/sports/boxing/story/2009-11-08/frazier-ali-special-edition/51123972/1 

It's evident that Frazier loved his family, and that the material things were not as valued as family was. Unfortunately, in more cases than not. that is far from the truth. What Ali said about Frazier, and how the Frazier family endured all of the hype says a lot about the former champ. It's good to know that those pieces (of the gold medal, and the family) have come back together, and even better to know that Mr. Frazier's peace came back together, before he went on.

"I had my Olympic gold medal cut up into eleven pieces. Gave all eleven of my kids a piece. It'll all come together again when they put me down."
http://www.esquire.com/features/what-ive-learned/wil0104frazier

Sometimes we have to take our scars and move on. We have to get over the embarrassment of taking that beat down (physical or mental), get over the possibility of crying in front of others, and know what matters most... that we learn from each experience! That we get stronger from each experience. That we remember that even though some(one) may have said some nasty things, or done some nasty things, that they are no longer in the position to do so! If they'd like to try, then have the confidence to know that you are strong enough to take one (a thumpin'), or dish one out! So let them puff up if they need to, then take the wind out of their sails! Come earn some of this, big boy, your bully is about to get served.

"Nothin' wrong with an a.$ whuppin' every now and then. You take away the a.$ whuppin's and what do you get? You get people wearin' pants below their belly buttons. I'm tellin' you, you go out these days and see the crack of a young lady's butt. It's crazy, man. They should be locked up for indecent exposure. Look here. See? Suspenders! And a belt! I ain't takin' no chances."
http://www.esquire.com/features/what-ive-learned/wil0104frazier#ixzz1zfyoFDcp

Chael Sonnen has only the risk of getting his pants beat off of him, by talking the trash that he is, but if he backs it up, and stays clean, he could be the UFC's new Rick Flair. I can't say that Chael would be Ali, to Anderson's Liston, but he couldn't go anywhere but up! Sonnen said the following things of Anderson Silva via the Caged Insider video below. "I don't like this guy, that's not a secret. I wanna beat him up, and I'm gonna beat him up... again!"

"That's a lot like America, you know when I was a little kid, I remember going outside... I sit around with my friends, we'd talk about the latest technology, and medicine, and gaming, and American ingenuity, and I look outside, and Anderson, and the Brazilian kids are all sitting outside playin' in the mud."

Chael said he would smack Mrs. Anderson's tush if she didn't make his steak, just the way he liked it!

Neither fighter is hiding the fact, that there is no love loss, but to down the children in a man's country, and disrespect his family? That's totally uncalled for. I loved the Rashad Evans, and Rampage Jackson banter. I can call it banter because it is compared to what Silva and Sonnen have going on. This is an all and all out verbal war, that I really believe will transition into a blood bath, or brutal knockout! I hate to allow morbid thoughts to prevail, but when someone goes as far as to intentionally make an attempt to damage children or talk about a man's family, I pray that the Lord forgives me, because I want to see the offender get exactly what he deserves. Mr. Ali talked smack about Mr. Frazier, and did not mean to offend or hurt the Frazier family. Sonnen, is looking to make a very calm, and usually cool champ rush in and make a mistake. I applaud Sonnen's effort, but if it back fires, then Chael is in for one nasty ride!

You can say a few things about the first meeting between the two. Chael was able to enforce his game plan all fight long, but was never able to finish the champ. On the other hand, the champ was not able to stop him from executing and scoring take down after take down, and landing punch after punch. Regardless or all of that, Chael halfheartedly tapped, thinking should I or shouldn't I!? Then after the fight he said to the ref about his tap, "I believe you." Any man that will quit after a few seconds of punishment, but bully around someone and pound away for twenty plus minutes in my book needs to be very careful. Chael is a tough hombre, no mistake about it, he gets paid to do what he does, because he's good at it, but there comes a time, when you have to think somethings through. So will Silva turn the tables, and beat Sonnen to a pulp, or will Sonnen finish what he started from the first fight?
cagedinsider.com