Lee Abbamonte
Try to become the youngest person to travel to every country in the world
The Phoenix Open
By Lee | 
6 Comments » 
The Phoenix Open is hands down the coolest golf tournament in the world. If you’ve ever been to a golf tournament, just throw all your boring preconceptions, misconceptions and thoughts out because the Phoenix Open is unlike any other tournament you’ve ever been to. It’s a huge party and golf is the last thing on peoples’ minds. Like usual in Scottsdale, it is a scene more like a meat market where it seems more that people are going out to night clubs than to a PGA golf tournament. The par 3 16th hole is the most notorious in golf as there is stadium built around it where people of varying degrees of intoxication are actually allowed to yell and boo at the players. Of course this depends on whether they hit the green or not but it is truly amazing; especially if you’ve been to other tournaments where golf certainly comes first and people aren’t allowed to make noise-hence the term “golf clap”. The Phoenix Open is the best thing that Phoenix has to offer in my opinion and an event that when I eventually do leave Phoenix, I may still come to every year. Happy Gilmore would love it!
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The South Africa 2010 Draw
By Lee | 6 Comments » 
After today’s World Cup draw there are many interesting match-ups to look forward to in South Africa this summer. The US has an incredibly favorable draw as does Italy, Spain, France, Germany and the Netherlands. Brazil has a difficult draw as does Argentina, Portugal and the Ivory Coast. I will go through each group and break down what I think is going to happen and which 16 teams will advance to the knock out stage of the World Cup which is only 6 short months away. And the answer to the question I have been asked at least 10 times today is, No I am not going to this World Cup. I will be in South Africa in January and twice in 6 months is too many times to do that grueling flight to Johannesburg from the US. So enjoy my thoughts and let me know yours.
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The Best Time of Year For Sports
By Lee | 14 Comments » 
Now that I am back in the States for a while, I can actually relax and watch some sports right in time for the best part of year sports year. September and October has the baseball final weeks and World Series. The US Open has just begun and college and pro football start within the next two weeks. Hockey is only a few weeks away and the European soccer season is in full swing. It’s like a sports heaven for me and by the time the World Series ends, college basketball is just around the corner. However, right now I am focused on the US Open and baseball.
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Champions League Final Four Set
By Lee | 3 Comments » 
The final four is set in the greatest club tournament in the world and there are no real surprises. Manchester United, Chelsea and Barcelona are probably the three best clubs in the world and Arsenal-always a European threat, round out the final four. This promises to be an awesome semifinal round and marks the second straight year that three English teams are in the semifinals-last year Liverpool was there instead of Arsenal. There is a very distinct possibility of a repeat of last years thrilling final between Chelsea and Manchester United, won dubiously by Manchester United after a shootout. Hopefully that doesn’t happen as I would much rather see a repeat of the 2006 final between Arsenal and Barcelona as I hate both Chelsea and Manchester United.
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Liverpool Humiliates Real Madrid
By Lee | 3 Comments » 
You will never walk alone echoed through the hallowed halls of Anfield as the 5 time European Champion Reds dismantled 9 times champs Real Madrid 4-0 and 5-0 on aggregate. It wasn’t even close and if not for several world class saves from Real keeper Casillas, it would have been worse, perhaps as bad as Bayern Munich destroyed Sporting Lisbon in another round of 16 second match. Liverpool, behind their two superstars Fernando Torres and the incomparable Steven Gerrard, put on a clinic as Liverpool always seems to do this time of year in Europe. While their Premiership title dreams fade, their chances in Europe are looking as good as ever. The 2005 winners and 2007 runners up look posed to go far once again and for England and the Premiership teams in the Champions League, the sky’s the limit. Chelsea also advanced today behind a stong showing from their two big African stars, Drogba and Essien to narrowly escape defeat versus Juventus. Tomorrow, Arsenal goes for the clean sweep against Roma at the Stadio Olympico in Roma and Manchester United will try to score and fend off Internazionale after a scoreless draw at the San Siro a fortnight ago. I love this tournament, I think it is the best tournament in the sports world except for the NCAA tournament and possibly the Stanley Cup playoffs because of the sudden death overtime periods. I love the drama. Can’t wait for the games tomorrow!
What’s Going On?
By Lee | 3 Comments » 
In a span of about 18 hours we have learned that the Dallas Cowboys have released wide receiver Terrell Owens and that Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez will be out for 10 weeks. These are two of the more embattled stars of their respective sports and those of you who read my site regularly know that I hate both of them. However, I find it strange that it came down virtually on the same day. I also find it strange that the Dallas Cowboys would have paid Owens his signing bonus of like $12 million last year if they were just going to release him this year and the reason given was because he was a devisive forvce in the locker room. No shit! Jerry Jones didn’t know that before they signed him. The guy has more baggage than Samsonite.
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The Fallacy of All-Time
By Lee | 8 Comments » 
In my life I have heard a lot of bullshit but never to the extent of which I heard today at the Alex Rodriguez press conference. This afternoon in Tampa, for those of you who live under a rock, A-Roid addressed the media about his acknowledgement that he used steroids. The scene was set at Legends Field. A-Roid had his entourage of his agent, his publicist, his PR guy, his image guy, his lawyer and several other talking heads all to coax him through this trying day. Hundreds of reporters were gathered eager to ask questions, many of which were great questions. However, they were not allowed follow-up questions. This means that whatever they asked A-Roid, he could babble off as many lies as he wanted and the reporter had no opportunity to retort his statement, clarify his vagueness or any such thing. This was an all time fallacy. Then there were the lies, the question dodging and of course the cream of the crop, the imaginary cousin who allegedly injected A-Roid in his ass with steroids for three years, but A-Roid didn’t know what it was and didn’t know if it worked. Are you kidding me you liar!!!!!!!!!!! You had this one chance to come clean and tell the truth and you screwed it up and lied through your teeth. Not only that but you introduced a new character to the world and to New York, simply known as your cousin. This was an all time joke.
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Great Sports Weekend
By Lee | 12 Comments » 
This past weekend was one of the better sports weekends I can remember with a classic Australian Open mens final between top rivals Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer and a really exciting Superbowl with the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Arizona Cardinals. The womens final was pretty anticlimactic but still good nonetheless with Serena Williams reclaiming the top spot on the WTA Tour by dismantling Dinara Safina.
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A Stupid Weekend in Sports
By Lee | 6 Comments » 
There has been so much ridiculousness is sports in the past few days that I cannot help but address the situation. First and foremost, the best player on my favorite NFL football team, Plaxico Burress of the New York Giants, accidentally shot himself in the leg while out at a club in New York City. Yes, I said he accidentally shot himself in the leg. As the details are very sketchy and he is thankfully OK, I can plainly say this is the stupidest thing I have ever heard of as far as stupid athlete moves go-seriously, what an idiot. Questions such as why would he have a gun in a club, why did he take the safety off and what is the matter with him in general come to mind. As details unfold, he may end up in jail for carrying a concealed weapon and certainly not getting paid off on his $35 million contract. One word-WOW! But wait there’s more…
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European Soccer Roundup
By Lee | 3 Comments » 
Sorry I haven’t been writing much lately but I have been sidelined with bronchitis which is probably the worst thing to be sick with. However, I realized I haven’t said anything about soccer/football since the new season has started and just wanted to catch up a little bit around Europe. As the EPL heads into the big weekend where Arsenal hosts Manchester United (I am very jealous because my friend Mike somehow got tickets through his German girlfriend) in a crucial early season clash where both teams are barely in the top 4 and Arsenal has had a number of awful losses and draws this season. The Gunners need this win and generally do beat Manchester United at home in the Premiership. Hopefully, this trend continues.
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