Live from Walt Disney World

TheMatadorOnline.com's sports columnist Matt Stopsky might be on a vacation in the most wonderful place on Earth but that doesn't stop him from working.

Stopsky called into SmithtownRadio.com Live Tuesday evening to battle it out with SmithtownRadio.com Sports Talk host Mike Donato over the A-Rod issue. The two were back on the air Wednesday afternoon for a live, special edition of Donato's show.

In case you missed it but appearances can be downloaded on SmithtownRadio.com.

SmithtownRadio.com Live is an interactive radio show hosted by James Brierton, Dean Laurence, Amanda Boitano, Megan Russ and Trevor Higgins. Airs Tuesday evenings from 7 to 9 pm et.

Sports Talk airs Wednesday nights at 8 pm et on SmithtownRadio.com.

Editorial Note: A special congratulation to our own Matt Stopsky. After his appearance on air Wednesday afternoon, Stopsky was invited by Donato to become a permanent co-host of Sports Talk. Stopsky of course accepted the invitation.

A-Rod: 'Judge Me From This Day Forward'

By Phil Sheridan
The Philadelphia Inquirer

TAMPA, Fla. (MCT) - In a nationally televised news conference attended by many of his New York Yankees teammates, Alex Rodriguez admitted injecting a performance-enhancing drug for nearly three years as a member of the Texas Rangers from 2001 to '03.

"I screwed up big time," Rodriguez said at the end of the nearly 40-minute news conference. "The only thing I ask from this group and the American people is to judge me from this day forward. That's all I can ask for."

Rodriguez said a cousin, whom he declined to identify, brought an "over-the-counter" substance called "Boli" from the Dominican Republic in 2001. It is possible that "Boli" is slang for Perobolan, which is the substance that Sports Illustrated reported triggered Rodriguez's positive drug test in 2003. Perobolan is not legal in the United States even with a prescription.

"It was his understanding that it would give me a dramatic energy boost and otherwise harmless," Rodriguez said. "My cousin and I, one more ignorant than the other, decided it was a good idea to start taking it."

Rodriguez said his cousin injected him with the substance approximately twice a month for six months.

"Neither of us knew how to use it properly," Rodriguez said. "We consulted no one and had no good reason to base that decision. It was pretty evident that we didn't know what we were doing."

Rodriguez admitted using steroids from 2001 to 2003 after Sports Illustrated reported that he was one of 104 players to test positive during what was supposed to be anonymous survey testing in 2003.

Asked how a professional athlete in the first year of a 10-year, $252 million contract with the Rangers would risk using a substance he knew nothing about, Rodriguez, who was 25 at the time, said only that he was "young and stupid." He also said he was not sure whether the substance was a steroid or whether it even helped him.

"I'm not sure what the benefit was," said Rodriguez, a three-time AL MVP. "When you take any substance, it's half mental and half physical. If you take this glass of water and you say, I'm going to be a better baseball player, if you believe it, you probably will be. I certainly felt more energy, but it's hard to say."

If he "didn't think they were steroids," as he said, then why were he and his cousin so secretive about it?

"That's a good question," Rodriguez said after a pause. "I knew we weren't taking Tic Tacs. I knew it potentially could be something that perhaps was wrong. I really didn't get into the investigation. I wouldn't imagine doing something like that today, obviously. It's a different world, a different culture."

Rodriguez said he stopped taking "Boli" in 2003 after a neck injury that "scared me half to death" and because MLB began its drug-testing program with penalties in 2004.

"At that time," he said, "it became evident to me how serious this all was."

He said he had never taken human growth hormone but acknowledged using Ripped Fuel, a product containing the now-banned substance ephedra, "in the Seattle days." Rodriguez played for the Mariners from 1994 through 2000.

Asked about critical comments made by Phillies pitcher Jamie Moyer, his former Seattle teammate, in an interview with The Inquirer, Rodriguez said: "I'm sorry Jamie feels that way. He's definitely entitled to his opinion. . . . I'm going to focus on what I can do and move forward."

He reacted in similar fashion to questions about remarks made by MLB commissioner Bud Selig and Houston Astros pitcher Roy Oswalt.

When the subject of his possible pursuit of the all-time home run record and his legacy came up, Rodriguez sounded especially contrite. His public admissions, first in an interview on ESPN and Tuesday, are clearly part of a strategy to salvage his reputation and his potential admission to the Hall of Fame.

"My best year of my career, arguably, was when I was 19, 20 years old in Seattle," Rodriguez said. "My other best year was in '07, just two years ago. So I hope that after my career is over, the evidence falls in my favor. But if it doesn't, I also understand that."

Rodriguez's 10-year contract with the Yankees, signed before the 2008 season, includes incentives worth millions of dollars if he catches and passes Barry Bonds for the all-time home run record. He has 553 home runs; Bonds' record is 762. Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said there was little the team could do to change the contract.

"It is what it is," Cashman said. "We have to approach Alex as an asset who is going to be on this team a long time. If this is Humpty Dumpty, we've got to put him together again and put him back up on the wall."

Last week, Rodriguez was approached by the Taylor Hooton Foundation, which is named for a 17-year-old high school baseball player who committed suicide while withdrawing from steroids. Don Hooton, who has made steroid education his life's work since the loss of his son, said Rodriguez could help reach millions of young people.

"He's the perfect person to talk about this," Hooton said. "We've never reached out to any of the other players implicated in this."

Rodriguez said he would work with Hooton to try to educate young people about the dangers of steroid abuse. He apologized to baseball fans everywhere, as well as the Yankees organization and his teammates.

"For a week here, I kept looking for people to blame," Rodriguez said. "And I ended up looking at myself at the end of the day."
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© 2009, The Philadelphia Inquirer.
Visit Philadelphia Online, the Inquirer's World Wide Web site, at http://www.philly.com/
Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.
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PHOTOS (from MCT Photo Service, 202-383-6099): rodriguez

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Posted By James Brierton to Matador: News at 2/18/2009 04:46:00 PM

A Day in the life of Tom Villani

One could only dream of being as good as Tom Villani. The all league soccer player is one of the best, and no doubt one of the coolest that ever lived! So one could only imagine what he does on a regular basis.
“Well, first I wake up, then go to school, play soccer, and go to bed,” said Villani on his amazing schedule.
But life as a soccer player isn’t always this much fun. “Soccer starts in summer,” said Villani. “We first start with our booster camp, much like footballs two-a-days. From there out my entire life is Soccer. If I don’t have a game, then I’m out at a pasta party with my team. On the weekends I hang out with my team, I barely even talked to my girlfriend during the season.”
What a commitment by Tom Villani, soccer team one, girlfriend zero! The commitment shows too. Villani has recently won an award, but is unaware of what yet. “I won All-League honors last year, so I’m hoping for All-County or All-Conference.”
Even though Villani is a great player he won’t admit that he’s the best player on the field. Villani talks about his team and his love with being with his guys. Villani said that one the biggest accomplishments of his season was defeating Centereach in the last game of the season. “When we first saw Centereach on our schedule we were pumped to play them because it was there homecoming. But around the 87th minute one of Centereach’s players scored a cheap goal. All we wanted then was revenge on Centereach.” Revenge is what they got. It was the last game of the season, they only needed one more win to get to play-offs, and their opponent was Centereach. The setting was perfect for getting revenge and Alex Nelson made it possible with the game winning goal. “The team went crazy! Everyone was jumping on each other, it was a great feeling.”
Unfortunately, the Smithtown East boys’ Varsity soccer team was eliminated in the second round of the play-offs by Bay Shore. But Tom Villani won’t end his astounding career on a negative note. Villani wants to play for the Catholic University of America, but oddly enough, it’s the only college on Villani’s top 5, that has not scouted him yet. Don’t worry though; Villani will be playing soccer somewhere in college to astound fans and critics alike. His commitment and talent will be greatly viewed by a national audience. Now what drives an athlete like Tom Villani? “Our greatest glory is in not ever falling, but in rising every time we fall.” That is a quote of a champion, which is a quote of Tom Villani.

Bulletin: Baseball star Alex Rodriguez

Bulletin: Baseball star Alex Rodriguez tested positive for steroids in 2003, sources tell Sports Illustrated.

Column; Cassidy Breaks Into County Rankings!

With the ending of the regular season, Smithtown East 215 pounder Kevin Cassidy, has gotten into the county rankings for Wrestling. The previously unranked Cassidy has been a powerhouse all year for East. His only real bad loss came in the hands of the #1 over ranked wrestler in the county.

Now that Cassidy is ranked 4th in Suffolk county he is looking to dominate leagues and have a running start into counties.

Holmes Steals the Deal with Incredible Catch as Steelers Win Sixth Super Bowl

By David Haugh
Chicago Tribune



TAMPA, Fla. (MCT) - When the Pittsburgh Steelers won their fifth Super Bowl three years ago, the franchise dubbed it "one for the thumb."

Sunday night's 27-23 victory over the Arizona Cardinals in Super Bowl XLIII was one for the ages.

"If I could win any way, it would be like that," said winning coach Mike Tomlin, 36, the youngest coach to win a Super Bowl. "Steeler football is for 60 minutes. It's never going to be pretty."

History will remember this Super Bowl as a beauty.

Santonio Holmes' 6-yard touchdown catch with 35 seconds remaining capped a furious fourth quarter that included two lead changes, three TDs and a safety in the final 7 minutes 41 seconds.

On the game-winning play, Ben Roethlisberger bought time by shuffling to his right and fired a pass over three defenders to the only spot in the right corner Holmes could catch it. A fully extended Holmes kept both feet on the ground as he reached as far as he could to pull in the catch that instantly went into the Super Bowl time capsule.

It was Holmes' fourth catch on the game-winning eight-play, 78-yard drive, a series that started with the wide receiver making a request of his quarterback in the huddle.

"I said to (Roethlisberger) that I wanted to be the guy to make the play for this team," said Holmes, named most valuable player.

Holmes was put in the position to play hero only after his wide receiver counterpart, Larry Fitzgerald of the Cardinals, made a rescue necessary.

Arizona created Fitzgerald's opportunity to win the game by forcing a safety with 2:58 left. A holding call on center Justin Hartwig in the end zone for tackling a blitzing Chike Okeafor made it 20-16 and got the ball back for Kurt Warner.

On the Cardinals' second play, from the 36-yard line, Warner took advantage of the respect the Steelers defense was giving Fitzgerald. Before the snap, safety Troy Polamalu lined up 24 yards deep and was in no position to break up the quick slant to Fitzgerald.

Cornerback Ike Taylor had jammed Fitzgerald before releasing the receiver to safeties whose depth made it impossible to make a play. The resulting 64-yard TD gave the Cardinals a 23-20 lead and set up a happy ending so much of America had sought for Warner.

But the Steelers edited the script with a scene less sentimental but more dramatic.

"We're going down in history with one of the greatest games ever played in the Super Bowl," said Holmes, who caught nine passes for 131 yards and a touchdown.

It gave the Steelers franchise its sixth Super Bowl title, more than any other team. To many the victory will validate the Rooney family's surprising choice of Tomlin over in-house candidate Russ Grimm to replace Bill Cowher in 2007

"I would like to thank President Obama and all of Steeler Nation for supporting us through the year," owner Dan Rooney said.

Warner nearly ruined the night for the Rooneys and all of Pittsburgh. He became the first quarterback in Super Bowl history to have three 300-yard passing games by going 31 of 43 for 377 yards and three TDs.

Taking what the Steelers gave him for the first three quarters, Warner stayed away from the deep passing game that defines the Cardinals. The no-huddle offense that had been good to Warner didn't appear until the Cardinals trailed 20-7 with 11 minutes left in the game. Then Warner got hot.

He completed all eight of his passes on an 87-yard drive that pulled the Cardinals within 20-14. Then after the safety, Warner hit Fitzgerald in stride for the 64-yard TD that stopped the "Terrible Towels" in the partisan Pittsburgh crowd of 70,774 from waving.

"My whole goal was to make good decisions and I was just going to be patient this game," Warner said. "The unfortunate thing is we made too many mistakes."

The most pivotal one came from Warner himself.

Down 10-7, Arizona had first-and-goal at the 1 with 18 seconds left in the first half and lined up with wide receivers Anquan Boldin and Fitzgerald flanked to the left. Steelers linebacker James Harrison, lined up outside Cardinals left tackle Mike Gandy, faked as if he were rushing the passer before floating to the spot he anticipated Warner would throw. Warner never saw Harrison and threw it right into his hands.

Then the player who nearly quit to become a bus driver after getting cut four times weaved his way 100 yards through Arizona traffic and into the Super Bowl record books. He ran through Warner's tackle attempt, made a nifty cut and raced down the Cardinals sideline untouched until Gandy unsuccessfully tried knocking him out of bounds at the 10. Fitzgerald attempted to strip the ball at the end zone with the help of Steve Breaston, but Harrison prevailed, tumbling over the goal line to make it 17-7.

As Harrison, the NFL defensive player of the year, lay flat on his back after returning an interception 100 yards for a touchdown, Tomlin raced across the field to check on his man of steel.

Super man indeed.

"I would say it was the greatest play in Super Bowl history," defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau, 71, said. "We don't win without (that) play."

When Harrison finally got up after several anxious moments, Tomlin gave him a long embrace.

"I can stay on an even keel, but I got a little emotional then," Tomlin recalled of seeing Harrison on his back.

An even bigger rush of emotion would hit Tomlin later as he clutched the Lombardi Trophy after a game that once again exceeded its hype.

"Some said that we could not top last year's Super Bowl," Commissioner Roger Goodell said. "But the Cardinals and Steelers did that tonight."
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© 2009, Chicago Tribune.
Visit the Chicago Tribune on the Internet at http://www.chicagotribune.com/
Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.
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PHOTOS (from MCT Photo Service, 202-383-6099):
SUPER BOWL