Every caddie has a story: the salty Scot looping for tourists in the birthplace of the game, the congenial old Southerner impart time-earned wisdom on the hallowed fairways of Augusta National, the clean-cut mini-tour player earning quick cash to fund golf dreams of his own, the solitary vagabond, the master of the quick fix, the leveler of hard truths. They travel from port to port, walking and playing the most beautiful golf courses in the world. Nobody gets rich. There is no retirement plan. They only have each other–a brotherhood of crazy, colorful characters. Golf is the language they speak, and in most instances, the only thing they know as well. This is the life of the club caddie.

Loopers: A Caddie’s Twenty-Year Golf Odyssey by longtime caddie, John Dunn, is a stirring, candid and often laugh-out-loud funny narrative that chronicles the decades he spent caddying and playing historic tracks like Augusta, Shinnecock Hills, Olympic Club, Bandon Dunes, and the Old Course at St. Andrews. Dunn never expected that his summer job as a caddie at the local course in Connecticut might turn into something more. The lifers–as in ‘caddies for life’–that plied the link were an ensemble of misfits and degenerates that made the caddie yard look more like an OTB parlor than anything resembling a country club. Dunn’s stories are assuming, honest, and very good!

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The Pacers and Knicks are set to tip-off in less than two hours. Here are three keys to the series and my prediction..

Carmelo Anthony’s Decision Making: Anthony has all of the physical tools required to be a superstar. However, his decision making let him down in Round 1. Mike Woodson’s offensive system is predicated on ball movement, finding open shooters, and drives into the paint. Anthony settled for way too many contested, long two-point shots against the Celtics, which kept Boston in the series. Anthony must use his low post game to find easy buckets and dish to open shooters when double teams collapse. The Pacers are a young, impressive defensive team that will bait Anthony into contested two points. Anthony must demonstrate patience and the willingness to give up the ball for the Knicks to advance.

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Baseball and race relations have a long storied history together in America. Tom Dunkel’s new book, Color Blind: The Forgotten Team That Broke Baseball’s Color Line, argues that when we speak of Jackie Robinson, Curt Flood, and other pioneers, we should also include Neil Churchill’s 1935 barnstorming squad from Bismark, North Dakota in the discussion.

During the Great Depression, one of the most improbable teams in baseball history was assembled by one of the sport’s most unlikely champions. A decade before Jackie Robinson broke into the Major Leagues, Churchill signed the best players he could find, regardless of race. Churchill field an integrated squad that took on all comers in spectacular fashion. Church drafted stars from the Negro Leagues, including Quincy Troupe, Hilton Smith, Ted Radcliffe, and the great Satchel Paige. Color Blind enlightens readers on this forgotten team.

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Everyone loves watching his or her favorite athlete shell out outrageous cash for stupidity. Our friends over at SeatCrunch provide this graphic which is very interesting. Enjoy!

The New York Jets entered the 2013 NFL draft with countless needs on both sides of the ball. Coming off one of their most disappointing seasons in recent memory, the Jets traded Darrelle Revis to Tampa Bay for the 13th selection. Today, I’ll share my thoughts on each of the Jets’ selections:

Round 1, Pick 9: Dee Milliner, CB, Alabama

Some mock drafts had Milliner as high as third overall, which may indicate value. Milliner was the consensus best corner back in the draft and will attempt to fill the void left by Revis. However, I’m not sure if this pick makes sense for general manager, John Idzik’s long term goals. By trading Revis, Idzik implied that no one corner back can be THAT valuable. Paying $15 million per season for a corner back may seem outlandish to an organization that values depth. The only issue is–the Jets don’t exactly have a ton of depth, so using a Top 10 pick on another corner back makes little sense. The public is not privy to medical reports, so the Jets may know that Revis won’t return to his level of dominance. However, this argument is a tough sell given Tampa Bay’s willingness to offer Revis a $96 million contract extension. Overall, the handling of the corner back position has been flat out odd.

MV Analysis: I’m not a scouting guru, but given Milliner’s track record and the need for a Revis replacement, the Jets seemed to get a good value at Pick 9. 

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Seven months before hitting free agency, Robinson Cano fired his agent, Scott Boras, in favor of rapper Jay-Z’s Roc Nation Sports group. Cano is Roc Nation’s first client and the Roc will handle Cano’s PR/marketing initiatives. “At this point in my career, I am ready to take a more active role in my endeavors both on and off the field,” said Cano in a statement released on Roc Nation’s site.  “I am confident that the pairing of Roc Nation Sports and CAA Sports will be essential in helping me accomplish my short- and long-term goals.  I am making this important decision now so I can keep my focus on helping the Yankees succeed in 2013, while minimizing any distractions for me and my teammates.”

Roc Nation owner, Jay-Z, intends to become a sports agent for football, baseball, and basketball. Given Cano’s new affiliation with Jay-Z and Roc Nation, it’s difficult to imagine the 29-year-old second baseman leaving the Yankees. The Yankees made Cano a ‘significant offer’, but Boras clearly wanted to test the free agent market. Even though Cano’s Yankees lost their opening game to the Red Sox, you can start placing your bet on New York teams throughout the summer. It’ll be a very interesting season in the Bronx and throughout Major League Baseball. The action will certainly be entertaining. 

Nailed! is a dramatic biography of Lenny Dykstra—the heroic center fielder for the New York Mets and Philadelphia Phillies in the ’80s and ’90s whose gritty play earned him the nickname “Nails.” Dykstra’s unlikely post-baseball rise in the business world is a success story that is only matched by the sordid tale of his ultimate downfall.

From famously receiving financial guru Jim Cramer’s ringing endorsement as “one of the best” stock prognosticators, to hanging out with Charlie Sheen and numerous prostitutes, to holding court in his $15 million California home, Dykstra lived a highflying lifestyle. He was the toast of the business world before his litany of crimes were detected and his empire began to unravel in 2009, leading to a conviction and prison sentence in 2012 with more charges pending.

MV Comment: A must read for baseball fans. A thrilling, emotional journey for one of the game’s most interesting players.

We can learn a lot from a College Basketball Hall of Famer with more than forty years of coaching experience, 902 NCAA Division I coaching victories, and three NCAA Championships. Just in time for March Madness comes a new book from Bob Knight about coaching, leadership, and common sense wisdom. The Power of Negative Thinking is an entertaining rebuttle of Norman Vincent Peal’s 1952 bestseller and is also a concise, thought-provoking expansion on the thesis that Knight advocated for years that disproves silly, optimistic axioms and useless coaching platitudes along the way.

Some of the key stories in the book include:

• Memories of coaching against Michael Jordan and North Carolina;
• Playing on the day that Ronald Reagan was shot;
• Recruiting student athletes;
• Reflections on his career.

MV Note: Overall, this is a great book that really peels back the man that was coach Bob Knight. A must read for any sports fan! Buy it today on Amazon. 

Mike Piazza, the greatest hitting catcher in the history of baseball, is best known for his time with the LA Dodgers from 1992-1998 and NY Mets from 1998-2005. LONG SHOT; (Feb. 12, 2013) is PIazza’s candid, surprising, inspiring, autobiography. From his inauspicious draft selection to the achievements that earned him 58% of the Hall of Fame vote on his first appearance on the ballot. Long Shot provides invaluable insight on the most controversial era in Major League Baseball. Piazza addresses many of the controversies that dogged his career including his confrontation with Roger Clemens, rumors of being gay, and the steroid controversy that hovered over the sport. He describes the thrill of his game-winning home run on September 21, 2011, the first sporting event in New York after 9/11 and adjusting to life after baseball.

MV Note: Overall, this is a great book. Very candid description of Piazza and his place in baseball history. A must read for baseball fans! Buy it today on Amazon.

It’s been a tumultous season for Rex Ryan’s Jets. After flirting with Peyton Manning, the Jets signed Mark Sanchez to a three-year, $40.5 million contract extension. Sanchez had two years remaining of his rookie contract, so the move was surprising. However, the Jets made the most puzzling move in franchise history a few months later. The Jets sent a fourth round pick to Denver for Tim Tebow. The looming presence of Tebowmania was evident as Sanchez’s clearly looked uncomfortable in the pocket. The offense’s production went from ‘bad’ to ‘worse’ as Wildcat guru, Tony Sparano was signed as offensive coordinator. Ryan was hellbent on getting back to a ‘Ground & Pound’ offense that he overlooked the offense’s biggest problem–Sanchez’s inconsistencies as a passer. Sparano’s offense is predicated by a hard-nosed ground game and accurate throws down field–two facets the Jets simply don’t have. Sanchez was booed to the bench and Tim Tebow Greg McElroy took over. McElroy isn’t the long-term answer, but the thought of McElroy starting seems like blasphemy.

While the offense’s on-field play was a downright disgrace, injuries clearly affected production. Santonio Holmes suffered a season ending foot injury and Stephen Hill and Dustin Keller couldn’t seem to stay healthy. Practice squad fodder (e.g. Chaz Schillens, Mardy Gilyard) became Sanchez’s go-to receivers. One could argue that Sanchez played so poorly that it didn’t matter who was on the field. Still, every team must overcome injuries and the Jets didn’t do it.

The defense has always been the Jets’ strength, so this year’s statistics were downright pitiful. The Jets have the NFL’s sixth worst run defense, yielding 135.3 yards per game. Of note, the 49ers gashed the Jets for over 250 yards, which Ryan coined as his worst performance ever. Bart Scott looked old and simply couldn’t defend tight ends. The Jets lost Darrelle Revis early in the season, but the pass defense did not miss a beat. Newcomers, Yeremiah Bell and LaRon Landry secured the safety positions and Antonio Cromartie played at a Pro Bowl level. The Jets were the NFL’s second best pass defense, yielding just 187 yards per game. Kyle Wilson started in place of Revis and was always picked on by opposing quarterbacks.

Special team’s coordinator, Mike Westhoff, will retire at season’s end. Known as the ‘Creator of Special Teams’, Westhoff experienced many highs (and lows). The Jets scored (and gave up) two special teams touchdowns, but suffered numerous gaffes. Tebow was placed on the punt team and made his share of mistakes.

Overall, it was a terrible season for the Jets. Ryan’s pre-season assertions about his team’s talent level were downright comical. Still, Cromartie made the Pro Bowl and Muhammad Wilkerson is beginning to play like an All-Pro. If Revis fully recovers from his ACL injury and Bell and Landry re-sign, the Jets will have the league’s best secondary. The Jets are encouraged by the play of Wilkerson and Quinton Coples, so the defense can return to its dominant ways if adds a few pieces.

On offense, the Jets need a new offensive coordinator. The Jets are stuck with Mark Sanchez, so they need a coordinator that can help develop him as a passer. Norv Turner and Charlie Weis have track records of fixing quarterbacks, so they may be options. Ryan does not know anything about offense, so he needs a strong coordinator that can fully take over. Dustin Keller will be a free agent, so the Jets need to make a decision. Still, the Jets will hope the injury gods shine more favorably upon them next season.

The Jets should give Rex Ryan one more season. The Jets will likely have a Top 12 draft pick and the return of some key pieces will help. In addition, the Jets will play a 3rd-or-4th place schedule next season, which should pad their win total. Ryan’s defense can regain its dominance, but the offense desperately needs a strong coordinator. Tebow, Sparano, and Mike Tannenbaum should not be brought back, but Ryan should be given one more chance.