On Wednesday, June 13th, 2012, Matt Cain of the San Francisco Giants became the 22nd person in Major League Baseball, and the first in San Francisco Giants history, to throw a perfect game. The pitching feat, performed against the Houston Astros, also included the impressive notch of striking out 14 batters. Cain, recently tabbed by his peers and fellow players as baseball's most underrated pitcher in the game, finally received the attention, accolades and praise for the body of work he has put together over the years in San Francisco. Perfection should always be celebrated, and here at the DP, it always will. Congratulations to a well deserved, Matt Cain.
I said back in July when Kevin Durant rocked the NBA world with his trade request, that he "showed us who he was". It wasn't a negative comment, but one that encompasses his entire career being a product of our current sport climate - success and focus on legacy. We emphasize the value of a career on rings, and thus, Durant has too. Why wouldn't he?! Upon waking up and realizing that Durant will don the purple and orange for the Phoenix Suns in what is clearly now a team to watch come the NBA Playoffs, I find myself further pondering if Kevin Durant is the prime result of what we - yes, us! - have done to the modern athlete. Today, Durant is one of the greatest basketball players I've ever seen. EVER. The dude is rare. He's a seven-foot magician which makes defending him even more difficult based on how damn efficient he is on the basketball court. It's downright poetic and beautiful to watch Durant play. And yes, I'm romanticizing his game. I belie