From the sports desk

From an occasional sportswriter …

• Less than 100 days until the World Cup and other national teams beware – Brazil is not only looking extremely strong and deep, but also quite harmonious.
• Shane Mosley has a better chance of beating Floyd Mayweather than Manny Pacquiao did.
• Boxing referee Mills Lane is to receive the James J. Farley Award by the Boxing Writers Association of America. The award goes those who exemplify “honesty and integrity” in boxing. They could go a step further and just call it the “Mills Lane Award.”
• The Pittsburgh Steelers future depends on Ben Roethlisberger not being accused of sexual misconduct any more. The latest accusation was in Geogia, and ESPN isn’t trying to sweep this one under the carpet, as they did the previous one.
• With the addition of Julius Peppers, the Chicago Bears have one pretty impressive defense on paper.
• An influx of bigger names – James Toney, Herschel Walker, Ricardo Mayorga – entering MMA will not give the sport the star power it truly needs to make it to the next level.
• Hasn’t it been pleasant going through a week without talking about hockey?
• Led by Louisville’s win over top-ranked Syracuse, March is starting the madness early for college basketball.
• Recent struggles or not, with Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol, Lamar Odom and incredible depth, I can’t envision any NBA team beating the Lakers in a seven-game series.

–WKW

Got Torts? William K. Wolfrum’s Tort Reformation is here to help

Do you have Torts? Do you wake up each morning to see a Tort-infested life that is destroying everything you hold dear?

If that’s the case, then William K. Wolfrum’s Tort Reformation* is here for you.

As we are all well aware, Torts have destroyed this great nation. Where once freedom and liberty reigned, now there are only Torts. They need reformed, and now. At William K. Wolfrum’s Tort Reformation, our team of trained Tort Reformation experts will clear your house of all annoying Torts, from the biggest to most minuscule.

Using our patented Tort-Reformation Procedure©, we’ll take you from being Tort-haunted to being Tort-Free in just a matter of minutes. Or your money back.

For years, people have ignored the savage intensity and destructive nature of Torts. But now, thanks to the GOP, we all know that Torts are the root of all evil in this great nation.

Did you know:

• That 45,000 Americans die each year because of Torts?
• That Anthem Blue Cross was forced to raise its insurance premiums 39 percent due to Torts?
• That every Pre-Existing Condition is somehow Tort related?
• That 60 percent of all U.S. bankruptcies are due to Torts?
• That the U.S. ranks 39th in the world in life expectancy due to Torts?
• That the U.S. spends far more per person for total health care costs than any other nation due to Torts?

We at William K. Wolfrum’s Tort Reformation realize that Torts have caused everything from the financial crisis to shingles. Left unchecked, Torts will destroy everything Americans believe. This is why Torts are truly the only thing that need to be obliterated for all Americans to live lives of FreeMen and FreeWomen.

So call William K. Wolfrum’s Tort Reformation. We’ll De-Tort you, and help make this country what it is meant to be – a Nation for the people, not Torts.

–WKW

* A fully owned subsidiary of Anthem Blue Cross.

From the sports desk …

Thoughts from an occasional sportswriter …

• The Reluctant Jam Boy wants to take golf writing in a new direction. With his first two eclectic and page-turning E-books, he may have done just that.
• Being that Peyton and Eli Manning already have Super Bowl glory, let’s see if Archie’s former team can get him some by proxy. No doubt the Saints are huge emotional favorites over the Colts in this year’s Super Bowl. Take the team-formerly-known-as-the “Aints,” 38-23.
• Does British Jr. Welterweight Amir Khan have skills? Absolutely. Does he have a chin. Absolutely not. Which is why Juan Manuel Marquez, or even the feather-fisted but strong-jawed Paulie Malignaggi will leave him on the canvas.
• Shane Mosley vs. Floyd Mayweather Jr. will be the fight of 2010.
• John Terry had an affair with a teammate’s ex-girlfriend? That’s excellent news for the U.S. Men’s Soccer Team. Now, if only Wayne Rooney will get arrested or something and not be on the pitch on June 12.
• It’s always fun when golfers start parsing words like politicians. Well, maybe not so fun for Phil Mickelson.
• Greatness starts early. For proof, watch Lionel Messi at age 10.

–WKW

Hoping Landon Donovan thrives at Everton

I have been fairly harsh on Landon Donovan for a while, and for this I blame myself, as I believe I asked too much of him. He`s been a great leader of the National Team and has helped keep the MLS alive. So here`s hoping he does well in his venture at Everton and the English Premiere League and proves he belongs near the world`s top players.

–WKW

Pelé’s eternal beauty

Forever the most famous person to come from Brazil, the great Pelé was beauty defined on the soccer pitch. At Life Magazine, they’ve unearthed some unseen photos of the greatest soccer player ever, in honor of the 40th anniversary of his 1,000th goal. Take a look here.

–WKW

A World Cup sans Messi, Ronaldo and other thoughts on soccer

Just thinkin’ …

We are currently living in a world where there’s a chance that Leo Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo won’t be playing in the World Cup. If that happens, the Mayans were right and you can expect a rapture soon.

And like him or not, Ronaldo is currently on pace to score about 230 goals this campaign with Real Madrid.

Good timing: South Africa announces a drop in murder rates. It’s like the whole nation is coming together.

Man City and Man United was one hell of a game. Here’s the thing tho – City nearly survived away from home without Emmanuel Adebayor, Roque Santa Cruz and Robinho. Imagine United doing that without Rooney.

Early results in the Samuel Eto’o for Zlatan Ibrahimović see an advantage for Barcelona. But there’s a ways to go yet.

One of these days, I’d like to feel the same excitement that Filippo Inzaghi does after he scores a goal.

Yes, Brazilian great Romario is a Socialist. But hey, it’s Brazil, you can’t walk down the street without tripping over a communist.

Geovanni is about to finally get a secure home at Hull City. Yet another former Cruzeiro player thriving in Europe.

–WKW

Crossposted at PandaGoal