Humber's Humble Road to Perfection

Photo Credit: Elaine Thompson/AP Photo

When the scoreboard reads all zeros, it could mean one special thing: perfection. That is exactly what Philip Humber managed to achieve today, when he became the 21st pitcher in major league history to throw a perfect game. He made it look easy Saturday throwing a total of just 96 pitches to complete the game. Not everything was this easy for Humber, as he had a long journey to get to this point. The Rice product was the third overall selection of the 2004 MLB Draft by the New York Mets. His career got off to a rough start when his right elbow required Tommy John Surgery in 2005. In 2006 and 2007, Humber spent most of the seasons in the minors before making September call ups. The Mets weren't impressed by what they saw, so they included him and three other minor league players in a 2008 trade to the Minnesota Twins for star Johan Santana.

Humber's bullpen struggles continued with the Twins, who decided to let him go as well. He had stints with the Oakland Athletics and Kansas City Royals before signing with the Chicago White Sox in January 2011. The White Sox made the surprising move of trying to turn Humber into a starter in their rotation. Humber accepted the assignment and got to work. That first season as a starter with the White Sox, he finished 9-9 with a 3.75 ERA in 28 games. Humber showed flashes of great stuff, but couldn't seem to put it all together on the mound at once.

That all changed April 21, 2012. In just his 30th career major league start, he completed a perfect game. He got the Mariners hitters to strike out nine times, ground out five times, and fly out thirteen times. You might want to ask Humber what changed to make this happen. This was his response, "For so long, I was trying to make it about me. I was going to make it happen because of how hard I was working. ... But because of the road I took, I couldn't deny the fact that it was God doing it, that God had a plan." Philip Humber's path to perfection was unconventional to say the least. When all is said and done, he doesn't even want to take the credit for making it happen. That is humility for you.

Predators Continue Prowl Through the Playoffs

Photo Credit: John Russell/Getty Images

The Nashville Predators franchise has been getting better and better over the course of its brief history. You can read more about that in my March blog posted entitled Predators on the Prowl. This blog post is more or less a continuation of that because tonight, the franchise took the next step. The Predators beat their Central Division rival Detroit Red Wings in five games to advance to the Western Conference semifinals.

This is especially significant for a franchise looking to prove itself as a Stanley Cup contender. Defeating a rival in a convincing manner such as this is impressive to say the least. One of the main reasons why is how consistently the Predators have played on the ice. Pekka Rinne has been a rock in net. In Games 3 and 4, he had phenomenal nights with 41 and 40 saves, respectively. Rinne seemingly thrives under pressure. During the regular season, he was 5-0-2 with a 1.66 goal-against average and .958 save percentage in games when he faced 40 or more shots. Throughout the series, Rinne has been a Sports Center Top Ten staple with his athletic saving ability and dominance as a netminder. In the clinching Game 5, center David Legwand led the Predators attack with an assist and scored the series-clinching goal thirteen seconds into the third period.

These are just a couple of the guys who have stepped up for the Predators this series. The team is playing great hockey throughout their lineup. With Rinne in net, defensemen like Ryan Suter and Shea Weber, and a balanced offensive attack this team is built for a playoff run. What they have lacked in the past is confidence and experience. They have a lot of both right now, and it is evident in how they are playing. It will be interesting to see how the Predators do the remainder of the playoffs. I believe they are capable of making a deep run. These Nashville Predators are serious contenders. If you don't take them seriously, they will make you pay. The Predators are on the prowl, seeking more prey to devour.

Granderson's Grand Evening

Photo Credit: Tim Farrell/US Presswire

The New York Yankees have a storied history to say the least. Many excellent ball players have worn the pinstripes proudly. There has been a fair share of pop in their collective swings over the years. After all, they aren't called the Bronx Bombers for nothing. Tonight, Carlos Granderson took his place in those hallowed history books. Granderson came up to bat in the first, second, and fourth innings of the game against the Minnesota Twins. In all three plate appearances,  he rounded the bases on home run shots. Just like that, Granderson became the twentieth Yankee all-time to hit three home runs. He had two more chances to hit his fourth, but he instead settled for a pair of singles, finishing the night five for five.

Granderson's night simply exemplifies what he has done since becoming a Yankee. He thrived last season, hitting a team-best 41 home runs and a league-best 119 RBIs. Granderson's swing is tailor-made for Yankee Stadium. He loves being a Yankee for other reasons as well. He likes being in the spotlight, but not the focal point of it. He feels as though he is being somewhat overshadowed and understated. He is completely fine with this. He would much rather be doing things behind the scenes. Granderson's quiet demeanor and professionalism can be seen both on and off the field. He is actively involved in community service and outreach. Carlos Granderson is a man who does his job faithfully and cares about others deeply. Tonight, his work on the field paid big dividends. Granderson's trio of home runs will be remembered for many years to come. I tip my cap to you, Mr. Granderson. Your historic night has drawn to a close, but you did a job well done indeed.

Pat Summitt's Coaching Career Concludes Among the Best in College Basketball History

Pat Summitt's fiery passion for basketball could be openly displayed in everything she did. She wouldn't let anything stop her from changing the culture of women's sports as a whole. Sadly, Summitt's health is what ultimately led to her having to step down as head coach. She was diagnosed with early-onset dementia, which leads to Alzheimer's. Summitt will take the role of head coach emeritus and will be allowed to advise the team. However, it won't be the same to not see her patrolling the sidelines and at the forefront of the game she loves.

Summitt's career is legendary is so many ways. Through her avocation of Title IX and dedication to the dreams of so many women, Summitt helped to change the culture's approach to women's sports and pushed women's basketball to a whole new, never before imagined level. Summitt's career at Tennessee spanned 38 seasons. She won 1,098 games (most all time), eight national championships, 18 Final Fours, 31 NCAA tournament appearances, and 112 NCAA tournament wins (most all time). Her Lady Volunteers had an amazing career winning percentage of .840. Just let those numbers sink in for a minute. Simply incredible is the words that come to my mind.

Pat Summitt should be considered among the greatest coaches in the history of basketball. People will discount and disregard what she did because of the lesser degree of opposing talent in women's basketball. These people are ignorant to the facts at hand. I don't care about the quality of women's basketball. What I care about is the impact Summitt had on women around the world. She helped show them what they are capable of. In doing so, she led her teams to some of the greatest statistics of all time. It is such a tragedy that Summitt's career had to come to an end like this. Alzheimer's is an ugly and painful disease, and I wish Coach Summitt the best and my prayers as she battles this terrible disease. Pat Summitt will be missed by many, but she will never be forgotten because of what she accomplished both on and off of the court.

Photo Credit: Nati Harnik/AP Photo

Mark Your Calendars, 2012 NFL Schedule Released

That's right boys. The NFL schedule has been announced, leaving fans salivating for football. I will briefly present to you what I think is the Top 10 matchups to look forward to.

10. Dallas Cowboys @ New York Giants - September 5

This traditional rivalry opens the NFL season. The Cowboys have to travel to New York to take on the Giants. As the reigning Super Bowl champions, the Giants will have a target on their back all season. This certainly begins in Week 1.

9. Carolina Panthers @ Philadelphia Eagles - November 26

Both teams finished below the .500 mark last season. As a result, this game doesn't seem to carry the same weight as the others. What it does have though is two of the NFL's most electrifying play makers, Cam Newton and Michael Vick.

8. San Francisco 49ers @ New Orleans Saints - November 25

These two NFC contenders matchup for the first time since the Williams bounty audio release. The 49ers will certainly have a point to prove in the Superdome, not an easy place to win.

7. Detroit Lions @ San Francisco 49ers - September 16

The teams played a great game last year, which ended in a confrontation between head coaches Jim Schwartz and Jim Harbaugh. Expect a lot of smack talk before and hard-nosed plays during this game.

6. San Francisco 49ers @ Green Bay Packers - September 9

Two of the NFC favorites faceoff in Week 1. Which won will look more like the Super Bowl contender early?

5. Pittsburgh Steelers @ Denver Broncos - September 9

The other big Week 1 matchup. The Steelers return to the city where their last season ended. They won't have forgotten and will look to prove it against the now Manning-led Broncos.

4. Denver Broncos @ New England Patriots - October 7

The Tom Brady-Peyton Manning matchups are always highly contested, but Manning is now in the Mile High City. The two teams will face off for the first time with Brady and Manning at their respective helms.

3. New England Patriots vs. New York Jets - October 21 & November 22

The Jets playoff win in 2010 propelled this divisional rivalry into a media sensation. Add Tim Tebow to the mix, and you get media madness.

2. Baltimore Ravens vs. Pittsburgh Steelers - November 18 & December 2

Another divisional battle, but this one takes it to a whole new level. This is the biggest rivalry in the NFL today. You can expect a hard fought battle from both sides.

1. Atlanta Falcons @ Detroit Lions - December 22

These two teams don't like each other, plain and simple. Ndamukong Suh is a major reason why. Playoff implications could be on the line for both teams.

Lundqvist and Boyle Propel Rangers to Victory

The Ottawa Senators had the New York Rangers right where they wanted them going into tonight's game. The series was tied 1-1 and had shifted to Ottawa. The Senators looked to ride the home crowd momentum throughout the game. They did that well, but couldn't seem to be able to get a shot past Rangers goaltender Henrik Lundqvist. Lundqvist was matched though by Sentators goaltender Craig Anderson, as both carried shutouts into the third period.

Both sides needed someone to step up, and the man who did so has been doing it all series. No one expect Brian Boyle to play a significant role in this series. The 6-7 Rangers forward is known mostly as a bruiser. As unlikely as it might seem, Boyle found the net again to put the Rangers up 1-0 in Game 3 midway through the third. Boyle has now scored a goal in each of the three games of the series, despite having only 11 goals all season.

Boyle's third period goal was all the Rangers needed as Lundqvist stopped all 39 of the Senators shots. The shutout was the four of his playoff career. Boyle ignored the jeers of the Senators fans and quieted them quite a bit once he scored the eventual game-winning goal. The Rangers are now back in control of the series. The Senators remain confident, but are admittedly shaken after a disappointing loss after outplaying the Rangers the whole game. One thing is for certain the Rangers would not be where they are if it wasn't for Henrik Ludqvist and Brian Boyle.

Bynum Looks to Take His Game to the Next Level

We have all heard how incredible Los Angeles Lakers center Andrew Bynum is going to be someday. Up until this point, it always had to be someday because Bynum couldn't seem to stay healthy. He had only played one full season in his career (2006-07) due to frequent injuries. So far this season, he has stayed healthy and thrived because of it. Since the All-Star break, Bynum is averaging 21.3 points per game, 11.4 rebounds per game, and 1.9 blocks per game. More importantly for the Lakers, he has also stepped up his game as a clutch player.

Tonight, the Lakers had a big game against the Dallas Mavericks. This one had playoff implications written all over it, but the Lakers knew they would be without Kobe Bryant. So who did the Lakers turn to in the fourth quarter and eventually overtime? Bynum. He had eight points in the fourth and made a clutch jumper in overtime to help propel his team to victory. The Lakers are turning to him in clutch time for good reason. According to 82games.com, Bynum is 23rd in the NBA in points per 48 minutes of clutch time (the last five minutes) with 29.5 points. That is the most for any center in the league. That is exactly what the Lakers have been looking for from Bynum, especially come playoff time.

Bynum has truly taken his game to the next level this season for the Lakers. If I didn't convince you with his post-All-Star break stats, performance Sunday, and clutch numbers, let me remind you what he did in a win last Wednesday at the Spurs. Bynum had 16 points and 30 rebounds. He became only the second player (Trivia Question: Who is the other player?) to grab at least 30 boards in the past 12 seasons. Bynum wasn't even satisfied with his performance. After the game, he said, "It's great to have 30 boards, but my shot's not working and I am a little upset about that. For me, I'll remember shooting poorly (7 of 20 from the field)." Bynum is striving to improve, and it is evident by his play on the court. He appears to be headed for stardom. The only reservations I still have are questions about his health and character. I have a really hard time imagining anyone doubting his talent, but the injury history and temper issues are concerning. For now, Bynum is leading the Lakers to success. How long that will last, will remain to be seen.

Answer to Trivia Question: Kevin Love in 2010.