“Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee.” That’s my all-time favorite Muhammad Ali quote. He is an icon to trash talking, in fact I think he was the teacher to the wanna-be trash-talkers. Again, he did what he needed to do in the ring. I wish all the up and coming athletes would take a lesson from Ali, it’s ok to trash talk if you can man up and make the basket, hit the homerun, make a touchdown, knock your opponent out, bend it like Beckham, – you get the point.

Remember Deion Sanders the notorious trash talker? I know, taking you back – huh? Well, he was infamous for his lips flapping and for his end zone dance moves. But he backed it up, with his speed and that winning smile – he was (and is) a charismatic guy. Maybe that’s why he gets a pass.

This past week, Shaq had some choice words to say against his former coach, Pat Riley, teammates, and trainers. (Who is the classiest and best-dressed coach in the NBA? Pat Riley!, I’m digressing) Shaq’s lips continue to move and all I want from him is to concentrate and make those free-throws! Shut-up and play!

Not so much a trash talker, but definitely a whiner. Kobe. We want to be dazzled by his lightening speed and slam dunks … I don’t want to hear about him complain to reporters why he wasn’t given the ball, the play wasn’t centered around him, or if he is hurt – suck it up and shoot!

I think sports would be a little more interesting if, for instance, basketball players were paid by the number of baskets they made, or baseball players by the number of homeruns they hit, etc. What do you think? Would the whining turn to silence?

I’ll leave you with another quote from the great Ali, I think there’s a lesson in there for all of us, whether a professional athlete, neighborhood ballers, recreational athlete or whatever else you are into that gets your game and smack on …

“A rooster crows only when it sees the light. Put him in the

dark and he’ll never crow. I have seen the light and I’m crowing.”

So to all you athletes out there, shut-up, play and start crowin’! Just bring it.

While I’m reminiscing about the enjoyments of baseball, I have to get to the heart of the matter. What is really on my mind … not about the hotness of Mike Lowell, Joe Torre’s managerial debut, and that Duke didn’t make it to the dance – there’s something that is nagging at me. It’s baseball and steroids. Although, my love for baseball remains, I have to admit that it is slowly waning away. My disgust is in the athletes, namely the baseball players who cheat. Somehow, I’m taking it personally, no I am. For years I have built a relationship, like a marriage, with my favorite team, players, coaches and the game itself. As such, it’s almost like the baseball players have cheated on me – worse than Kobe and Eliot Spitzer cheating on their wives.

While I’m excited about the new baseball season, I’m just leery of spending my hard earned cash (especially in this recession or as Bush termed it a “slowdown”) to see a bunch of overly priced cheats. I feel that by purchasing a ticket, I am somehow condoning that it is ok to take a little pill to boost one’s edge over your competition. I know, I know I’m generalizing by lumping some non-roid takers with the pill-popping, needle injecting scum of the earth cheats.

Players are going to continue to cheat because they get off so easily, and we, the fans, pay to see those great plays and the homeruns knocked out of the park. Why would the owners want to crack down on cheating, if you have an athlete who is a crowd favorite, makes the big plays, and packs the stands? Something has gotta give. How can we go back to the days when baseball was pure?