Manny Ramirez and steroids

Manny Ramirez and steroids haven't yet gone together, though Manny
Ramirez has garnered controversy for everything except steroids. But
Manny Ramirez had been regarded as clean, and one of the few power
hitters yet that hadn't gotten major steroid allegations yet. But
today, not only has Manny Ramirez been linked to steroids, he has
become the first major name to get a 50-game, first-time suspension
under the new steroid policy.

The news came this morning that Manny Ramirez tested positive, though
for what specific drug is unknown. Ramirez will now immediately serve
a 50-game suspension, taking him out of action just as the Los Angeles
Dodgers were getting off to a blazing start.

Major League Baseball has had this steroid policy for a few years, as
it is advertised as a stronger stance against performance-enhancing
drugs. But thus far, the policy had only nabbed smaller names that
weren't big stars. Ramirez is the very first major superstar to
receive this 50-game suspension under the new policy.

Headlines over the policy were made just a few months ago, when
Phillies reliever J.C. Romero was suspended. However, that decision
came under much controversy when Romero tested positive for an element
in one of his nutritional supplements that he didn't know was banned.
Romero tried to file a lawsuit over the decision this week.

As for Ramirez, he released a statement in which he claimed that the
positive test came from a medication that he took for a "personal
health issue." The medication, which was not named, is apparently
banned under the steroid policy.

Whether it is a questionable enforcement of the rules, like Romero's
case might have been, will be up for debate in the coming weeks. If it
isn't, Ramirez's story will rival the growing A-Rod scandal as a black
mark on the early season.

Whatever the circumstances, the Dodgers are now facing the worst
possible cold shower, after their blazing start to the season. The
Dodgers have won their first 13 home games and have the best record in
baseball, with Ramirez putting up his usual numbers. But now, the
Dodgers have to go back to the pre-Manny days until early July.

The Dodgers were irrelevant until Ramirez was traded to Los Angeles,
and have been one of the hottest tickets in town ever since. Now, the
Dodgers face an uncertain short-term future, as they hope to still be
among the best teams in baseball when Manny returns.

The legacy of Manny Ramirez faces an even more uncertain future,
depending on the specific circumstances of his drug test. If it isn't
as innocent as Ramirez claims, then baseball will have taken yet
another giant hit in the steroid era.

Sports Poster

When you want to print brochures, flyers and other marketing materials, you might think it’s best to try to save money by printing them yourself.

But no desktop printer can print with the quality you can get from a commercial printing press especially poster printing. Commercial printers use four-color process printing (also known as CMYK printing), which is best for big projects, such as 500 to 50,000 brochures. Commercial printers can also help you in other ways, like binding your brochures and using special paper or ink to make your marketing materials shine.

Here are some tips for using commercial printers.

Some printers specialize in short runs, which can save you money. A short run in printing is considered to be about 7,500 to 100,000, but you can get even lower quantities. If you only need 200 flyers printed, there’s no reason to pay for 500 just because that’s the minimum at some of the bigger printers. Shop around for short run printers who can print whatever quantity you need. PsPrint (www.psprint.com) has print runs for catalogs, brochures and other materials such poster printing available in lower quantities.

Commercial printers aren’t just for projects with deadlines weeks or months away. You can use commercial printers even when you need something the next business day (if you order early in the morning). Anymore, with many printers using digital technology, you can get your printed materials as soon as one business day. With online ordering, you can approve your proof online and then get your item printed the same day or the next day.

You can customize your brochures, flyers or catalogs. If you want to add something special to your direct mail pieces, like a special die cut or embossing, you’ll need to contact a commercial printer. These little added touches can change your postcard’s potential trash factor to an attention-getting postcard that will get read. Very cool presentation piece that will have prospects talking in sales presentations.

Some printers will do all the order fulfilling for you. This means not only will they print and bind your materials, but they’ll also mail them for you, saving you yet another step.

Ask what they charge for overages. Most printers have a clause that lets them print 5 to 10% under or over the number of items you ordered. Then they charge you for the exact amount printed. Make sure you ask how much this charge is per piece.

Lebron James NBA MVP 2009

LeBron James is the 2008-2009 NBA MVP. It has a good ring to it, as now one of the best players in the NBA right now can simply be called "MVP LeBron James" now. Being declared the MVP (Most Valuable Player) denotes quite an accomplishment for him, as he has really led his team to much success. The Cleveland Cavaliers finished the 2008-2009 season with their best record in franchise history, including a 40-1 record at home. They are currently in the Playoffs as the #1 seed in the Eastern Conference, hoping to make it all the way to the NBA Finals.

During the season, LeBron James played an average of 37.7 minutes per game for the Cavs, which marked the lowest number of minutes he had played in his career. That had been one of the plans for the Cavs, which intended to rest him when needed so that he would have a lot of energy for the Playoffs. It became much easier when the Cavs started beating other teams by wide margins during the season, meaning that James could sit out much of the fourth quarter a number of times. Now he has some extra energy for this post-season, and this freight train will be something that nobody wants to get in front of.

LeBron James put up some impressive statistics during the past season, playing in 81 games, and averaging 28.4 points per game. He also pulled down 7.6 rebounds per game, and dished out 7.2 assists per game. His shooting percentage also went up to the highest of his career, with a 48.9% field goal percentage as well as a 78% free throw rate. It was definitely a remarkable year for James on the court, and his statistics, combined with the enormous success that Cleveland has had, led to him being selected as this year's NBA MVP.

The announcement that James would be named the NBA MVP was leaked from league sources, and planned for an official announcement at St. Vincent Mary High School where James went to high school. Not only is James going to take home the MVP trophy, but his coach, Mike Brown, has already received NBA Coach of the Year, as the Cavs put up an amazing record of 66-16 in the NBA season. This could be the first of many NBA MVP awards that LeBron James wins, but his eyes are still set on taking home an NBA Title above anything else.

Cutler Trade Could Have Impact On Seahawks First Round Choice

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As if the 2009 Draft hasn’t been hyped up enough, the recent trade of Jay Cutler to the Bears has added a completely different dynamic toward projections of what may happen with the Seahawks first round pick. While the consensus among many seemed to be that Seattle would likely draft tackle Eugene Monroe or Jason Smith, linebacker Aaron Curry, or either quarterback Matt Stafford or Mark Sanchez, the ability for Denver to use either both or one of their two first round picks to potentially trade up may mix things up a bit.

Unless Hasselbeck is severely dinged to the point where the organization doesn’t believe he’s going to be able to go at the beginning of the season, I just can’t see Seattle taking a quarterback with the first pick. Considering the number of years that Matt could potentially have with the team, and the money that goes along with picking the first or second quarterback in the draft, it doesn't make sense financially. Look at a guy like Matt Ryan, drafted third last year, and is making an average of $5 million over the next five years. That’s a lot of money to pay a guy to be a backup for the next few years. I have a gut feeling that the Hawks are hyping up the fact they could go QB as ammunition to get a team like Denver or San Francisco to trade up.

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The greatest need for the Hawks, with the aging Walter Jones and the success they had while having a solid left side, has to be on offensive line. While taking Curry fourth would probably be a no-brainer if he were to fall that far, linebacker isn’t a desperate need—even with Peterson’s departure. Considering some believe the top two tackles in the draft may go in the first three picks, it could be that the talent that the Hawks would be willing to pay fourth-pick money to is off the board. If Curry and the two tackles are gone, it leaves them in the perfect position to trade down and allow another team to move up and pick the top QB. Considering the number of teams looking for a quarterback (Jets, Broncos, 49ers, even the Jaguars may have interest), Denver would now seem to have the most ammunition to move up.

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If by some crazy chance a QB hasn’t dropped off the board by the Hawks first pick, how great would it be if Denver were willing to give up both their first round picks to move up? It would give Seattle a look at potentially taking a couple guys like cornerback Malcolm Jenkins and tackle Andre Smith. Or if they’re still looking to go with a QB in the first round, Josh Freeman could be available.

A potential wild card could be a guy that was heavily talked about going to Seattle prior to the combine and Seattle signing Houshmanzada in free agency. Will the Hawks still be considering Michael Crabtree at that spot? A lot has been made about the guy’s recent injury and the fact that he came up a couple inches shorter than what he was listed, but the fact remains that he flat-out balled at Texas Tech. Just watching that guy play last year made me wonder if he could be the next Larry Fitzgerald. If the Hawks could get a playmaker like that, suddenly it doesn’t matter as much who’s behind center. So maybe he’s still an option at the fourth pick.

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Ultimately, a lot is going to depend on what the Lions do with their pick. With the Cutler deal, and the fact that Detroit still needs a QB, they could take Sanchez or Stafford and Denver could trade up ahead of Seattle to take the second quarterback off the board. Everything seems to point to the Rams taking a tackle, and that would still leave an abundance of options for the Hawks. Any way you look at it, it’s shaping up to be an interesting first hour.

I’m going to be watching this closely, and for those who will be Twittering on draft day, look for me online under the handle mil_seahawkers.