Andrew “Test” Martin, 33,  was found dead at his Tampa home Friday.  Police responded to a call from a concerned neighbor who claimed she could see Martin lying motionless in his home and saying he was unresponsive to phone and doorbell attempts.  The officers who responded forced entry and proclaimed Martin dead.  Test had a history of steroid and alcohol abuse.  He got a DUI in April of 2008 and had problems passing drug tests eventually leading up to his career coming to a halt.

Martin started wrestling in 1997 after meeting with Bret “Hitman” Hart and performing on a Canadian independent circuit for a year or so under the names of Martin Kane and TJ Thunder.  He debuted with WWE in 1998 under the name of Test.   

While an active WWE wrestler, Martin was a European, Intercontinental, Tag Team, and a Hardcore Champion.  Perhaps his best known angle was his scripted onscreen engagement to Stephanie McMahon.  Triple H eventually drugged her and snuck her through a drive-thru wedding chapel in Las Vegas to complete the storyline.  He also had success as half of T & A, along with his partner Albert and managed by Trish Stratus.

Martin was romantically linked with current WWE Diva Kelly Kelly and had dated Stacey Kiebler in the past as well.  Martin would have been 34 in a few days.  Hopefully, for the sake of McMahon and the WWE the death is not performance drug related.  The WWE is reeling from the recent deaths of Davey Boy Smith, Eddie Guerrerro, Chris Benoit, and Brian Pillman, in drug related autopsies.

Ohio State looks like they may be playing their best basketball at the right time.  The Buckeyes used 53% shooting from the floor and a red-hot Evan Turner to turn back Michigan State, 82-70.  Turner got hot in the second half after failing to score in the first half, ending up with 18 points, 10 rebounds, and 5 assists.  Jon Diebler added 17 points and was 5 of 10 from 3-point land.  Overall, The Buckeyes shot 23 of 29 from the free throw line and connected on 9 of 16 attempts from 3-point range.

Kalin Lucas led the Spartans with 17 points.  Michigan State could only knock down 3 of its 21 3-point attempts.  The Spartans went on long stretches of at least six minutes in both halves where they could only manage one or two baskets.

Ohio State will face Purdue for the Big-Ten Tournament Championship.  Both teams should make it into the tournament, but expect the winner to claim a 5 or 6 seed, whereas the loser can end up with a ten seed or worse.

With Wrestlemania 25 right around the corner, I had to post what I felt was one of the highest risk moves ever attempted by a wrestler.  Jeff Hardy is fearless.  He has done amazing things in ladder and cage matches, but nothing tops this dive onto Randy Orton.  Hardy’s popularity is at an all-time high, mostly becuase of risks he takes such as this one.  He calls this move the Swanton Bomb and usually delivers it off of the top rope to an opponent laid out in the ring.  This particular Swanton Bomb is executed with significantly more air between Hardy and his target, the very “over” Randy Orton.

This video is hilarious.  Paul Pierece coming out of the game after a great game goes and high fives the guys on the bench.  Five for Scalabrini, Five for Big Baby Davis, Five for the Injured Ticket, etc.  Then he goes through the first row of fans and skips right by a kid in a Lebron James shirt. 

Maybe the kid should have filled his hands with some baby powder and reminded Pierce who the “King” is.

 Hat Tip Goes To : Both Teams Played Hard

Thanks for checking in, here is what caught me eye this week.

Nerd Wants $1 Million from Airlines for Lost X-Box…. Travelin’ Light
When The Bulls Were Dominant… Zoner
Sports
A Great Story About Two-Sport Athletes… Josh Q. Public
A Hot Chick Post You Can’t Ignore… NESW Sports
A Curling Shot You Have To See… Total Pro Sports
Anthony Reyes : Destination Indians Rotation … Deep Left Field
Problems Caused by The Salary Cap … Sports Rubbish
2010 NCAA Football Recruits … Rivals.com

Enjoy the hard work of my colleagues!

Bonus: Mark Shapiro will bring in someone for the playoff push. That someone is going to be Roy Halladay. Another long reach here, but the Blue Jays are going to be unloading salary when they are eliminated by the break this year. Cleveland will look to add one more big arm for the push!

For the life of me, I can’t seem to figure out why the 2008-2009 Pittsburgh Penguins can be so hot for a couple of weeks and then can’t do anything right for the next couple of weeks.  I understand that this years team is young, they need to mature and get used to playing such a long and trying season.  I also understand that adding Bill Guerin into the mix will help these younger players.  Look at all of that talent though.  Goodness, between Malkin, Crosby, and Sykora, we are looking at potentially 120 goals and over  300 points. 

In fairness, injuries to Crosby and Malkin have slowed the team at times but scoring goals usually isn’t the problem, giving them up is.  Mario Lemieux should have went goalee and defenseman shopping before the trade deadline.  I have seen the Pens give up four in a period a couple of times this year.  How many hockey games can you lose 6-5 before you figure out that you need something sturdier between the pipes?  Put a cardboard cutout of Tom Barasso in the crease, it may slow things down.

Will the Penguins make the playoffs?  I sure hope so.  They seem to be on another upswing and if they can make it last, they can stay qualified for playoff hockey.  If they start to lose again, see the enclosed video clip.

A good luck wish to my hometown girls basketball team.  This team is amazing in the sense that it starts three freshmen, a sophomore, and a senior.  Fresh off a big victory over rival McDonald, Lowellville is headed to Massilon, Ohio to potentially take the next step.  The village is obviously excited, not only about this weeks big game, but a future of talented teams for the next few years.  The 8th grade basketball team is coming off of their second consecutive undefeated season, and when that talent gets lumped into the equation, look out!  Lowellville could post a sports dynasty unknown to a village since the great football teams of the 1960’s.

Coaches Tony Matisi and Doug Pollock are enjoying the run.  These two men are respected by the players and parents of the community and their record speaks for itself.  Despite the fact that Matisi roots for Michigan, and Pollock, Notre Dame, these two guys are good people.  The support they have received for over ten years now is a testament to both, their popularity, and methods.  Congratulations to both of you and continued success for years!

It has been documented in The Vindicator that Matisi doesn’t have to push these girls to put forth their best effort.  The girls are pushing each other to be better players and have the right attitude.  The names Moore and Hvisdak hold places in Lowellville sports history.  John Hvisdak was a great athlete, graduating in 1986, his wife Lori (Rotunno) Hvisdak also was a good basketball player.  Ralph Moore was an imposing linebacker, playing until 1987.  Lori (Bisconti) Carlson graduated in 1984 and also had a great deal of success with sports.  None of the above listed parents ever experienced the successes of their daughters, the three successful freshmen. 

The very best of luck to this team this week and well into the future!

It really has not happened yet. A team has yet to lose one of their best players to injury as a result of playing in The World Baseball Classic. It is going to happen one of these years and it will change the format of this international tournament.

The first place you are going to see a difference is in player contracts. When a free agent comes to a team, you are going to start noticing lingo stating that a said player must not play in these types of tournaments. I’m sure Donald Fehr and the gang will fight this, but simply put, if I am paying someone $10 million per year, I should be allowed to say whether or not that player can participate in such events. It is already in contracts that players can’t water ski, ride a motorcycle, chop wood, etc.

This tournament hurt almost every pitcher who participated in 2006. It will be interesting to see of this trend continues. In my opinion, it is important for a pitcher to go to spring training and slowly build stamina over 40 days to endure the rigors of an entire MLB season. Historically, pitchers who get hurt in the Spring, rarely have a complete and/or productive season. By pushing a pitcher like Roy Oswalt to throw an extra twenty pitches against Venezuela, you are not doing the Astros any favors.

I love watching these games. It is like a mini all-star game for most teams. Cuba and the Asians have their own talent pool. The Domenicans, Americans, Venezuelans, Canadians, and Puerto Ricans, are loaded with contracted major league talent. The players like to skip school to play in it, the fans love it, but somewhere mid to upper management cringes and loathes what this tournament can potentially ruin for a whole team with one injury. It hasn’t happened yet, but when it does, look for the new format called The World Amateur Baseball Challenge.

The Cleveland Indians just spent plenty to sign Mark DeRosa to be their new third baseman. DeRosa banged a two-out two-run triple in the fourth inning last night putting the USA back in the game. If DeRosa pulls his groin sliding and misses 3-6 weeks, how happy is GM Mark Shapiro with the tournament? Thank goodness that did not happen, but wait for it, it’s going to.

My good friends at Total Pro Sports dug up this footage of TO being the idiot we all think he is.  This footage doesnt even include end zone celebrations or running to the star when with the Forty-Niners.  I have never been much of a fan of Mr. Owens.  Had the Saints acquired him instead of the Buffalo Bills, I probably would have switched teams.  I pretty much had him penciled in to the NFL graveyard – Oakland.  Why Buffalo would want this idiot running loose through beautiful Orchard Park is beyond me. 

Hat Tip Goes To: Total Pro Sports