Author Archives: Bobby Roberts

Yahoo! Sports Shows Its Bias

Yahoo! Sports has an MMA section on it’s main page, which is unique, kinda. Yahoo! and UFC has an agreement that let’s internet users buy their pay-per-view events and watch them online. They heavily promote UFC events on its website and they seem to have an interest in the UFC doing well. That being said, Yahoo! Sports writer, Dan Wetzel, is calling EliteXC’s primetime event on CBS an “entertaining disaster.” He went on to call the event things like “a circus act” and “an absurd exhibition.” His article is full of back-handed compliments and in-your-face criticisms. I’m not saying that Yahoo! told Wetzel to write a trite article about EliteXC, but you have to think that after covering many UFC events and promoting the heck out it, he is showing his bias.

I took enough journalism classes that I can read an article and usually spot bias when it is there, especially when it is blatant. Knowing that Yahoo! and the UFC are in bed together makes it even easier to spot.

I know EliteXC isn’t the UFC, it’s probably like comparing the WWE and TNA Wrestling. UFC is the pinnacle of MMA and EliteXC is an up-and-coming fighting league. EliteXC does have something that the UFC has attempted to obtain, but never been able to, a network television deal. UFC could have had a deal, but when it came to money, they were in different tax brackets. Dana White, the president of the UFC, has to think that EliteXC’s network exposure will give them a leg up that the UFC never had when they began. It will be interesting if UFC will try to steal a few of their big names away if EliteXC starts to grow.

A Sports & Entertainment blog that focuses on absurdity in sports, snarky banter, updates on Tim Tebow’s virginity, and decent sports gambling advice.

Song Of The Day – Green Day (Working Class Hero)

“America’s White Boy” has a conscience and we support those that support great causes. A compilation was released a year ago that the proceeds goes to saving Darfur. The album is full of John Lennon covers and Green Day’s “Working Class Hero” is one of the best covers on the album. Green Day does a lot of philanthropic work and they even played Live 8 to help save Africa. They have grown as a band and as people and doing great things with their fame.

Green Day started in a smoke-filled basement in Northern California. Their name derives from marijuana and their earlier works sounds like they were high while playing their instruments. Their 3-chord tunes grew into full orchestra-filled ballads within a 15 years. Green Day is an example of a band painting themselves into a corner as a “punk band” and then grabbing a new paint color and paint the entire room while the entire world stood in awe. Green Day had their most critically-acclaimed album with “American Idiot” and I the rumor is that an upcoming album will be released by the end of the year.

Go out and buy “Instant Karma: The Campaign To Save Darfur” and help out a great cause.

Here is the video for “Working Class Hero.”

A Sports & Entertainment blog that focuses on absurdity in sports, snarky banter, updates on Tim Tebow’s virginity, and decent sports gambling advice.

Prior Is Out For Season…Again

The San Diego Padres released a statement today that Mark Prior will have another surgery on his shoulder. This will end his attempt to pitch this season and could possibly be career-threatening. The Padres will not be sure when or if Prior will be able to return until after his surgery, which may take place this week. The last surgery that Prior had was performed by the best in the business, Dr. James Andrews. It was to correct a torn labrum, which could have been a problem since Mark Prior and Marcus Giles collided in the base-path back when Prior was with the Cubs.

Everything was looking good for Prior until two weeks ago. He felt a pop or “explosion” in his shoulder during extended spring training game for the Padres. At that time, it was looking like he would be able to return this season.

I’ve always liked Mark Prior, he was the reason the Cubs had a shot at the World Series back in 2003. I haven’t felt bad for the Cubs that they had to pay Prior while he was rehabbing at all. He wasn’t getting paid a huge contract and he deserved every penny he received while on the DL. Dusty Baker rode his arm and could possibly be credited with his early demise. I hated that the Cubs didn’t offer Prior a two-year contract, I thought he still had some promise. He will still be under contract with the Padres next year and I hope he comes back and does very well.Keep your head up Mark, I hope to see you on the field next season.

A Sports & Entertainment blog that focuses on absurdity in sports, snarky banter, updates on Tim Tebow’s virginity, and decent sports gambling advice.

Song Of The Day – The Cure (The Only One)

If you poll the top alternative bands of today and ask them who were their most influential band, most would mention The Cure. Robert Smith introduced himself to a new generation when he sand on a Blink-182’s “All Of This.” Even though the self-titled Blink-182 album wasn’t a huge success Robert Smith proved that he was still able to be “current.” The Cure’s self-titled album came out later in 2004 and did better than expected.

The Cure is set to released “13” later this year and will be touring the country. They haven’t went on a national tour in awhile and catch them while you can. Their single “The Only One” is doing pretty well and let’s hope The Cure sticks around for many more years.

Here is the video for “The Only One.”

A Sports & Entertainment blog that focuses on absurdity in sports, snarky banter, updates on Tim Tebow’s virginity, and decent sports gambling advice.

No EliteXC Fight Turns Me Into A Douche Bag

I’m not going to be able to watch the debut of EliteXC MMA fighting on CBS. My local CBS affiliate in Columbus, Ohio isn’t carrying the fight due to a Children’s Hospital telethon. I want to call up the station and raise some hell and I think that makes me a huge tool. I should be supporting the station in its cause, but c’mon! Kimbo Slice is going to tear a guy’s head off and my lady, Gina Carano, is going to look beautiful while turning a girl’s face inside-out. I can’t believe that the affiliate here is airing the telethon on the same weekend as the fight. CBS has been promoting the snot out of this for weeks and I will miss it. Gus Johnson will be announcing the fight and he will seriously lose his voice by the end of the show. Johnson goes crazy with NCAA hoops and I can only imagine his reaction to Kimbo Slice murdering another human.

There was a little hiccup with Gina Carano yesterday. She didn’t make her weight, but she will still fight, but give up a small portion of the purse. I look at pictures of her and I couldn’t place her at anything above 130, but she must be pretty tall ’cause she didn’t even make her 140 weight, she missed it by four pounds.If for some reason Kimbo Slice or Gina Carano loses each of their fights, EliteXC will be in a really bad situation. Slice is their Mike Tyson and Carano is their beauty queen who can draw in the casual viewer. I predict Slice will win in less than a minute and Carano will get a KO by the end of the first round. Let’s hope CBS will get a chance to have another Primetime MMA fight and I’ll actually get to watch it.

A Sports & Entertainment blog that focuses on absurdity in sports, snarky banter, updates on Tim Tebow’s virginity, and decent sports gambling advice.

Jay Bruce Is The Next Pete Rose

I haven’t seen any baseball player make such an instant impact on a team in my lifetime. The Cincinnati Reds called up the #1 prospect earlier this week and it makes you wonder why they started out the year with Corey Patterson in centerfield. In Jay Bruce’s first five games, he is 11 for 19 with a hand-full of walks and today had a walk-off homer in extra innings. Bruce was hitting well over .300 in the minors and seemed to use every excuse to not give him a call-up. Dusty Baker doesn’t like to play rookie position players, but looks like Bruce gave the Reds no chance to leave him in the minors. Bruce has excellent plate discipline, above average power, very good speed, and can play good defense in centerfield.

I haven’t seen Cincinnati be this excited about a player since Charlie Hustle was donning a Reds uniform. With the young talent the Reds have, this team could become very dangerous for many years to come. Edinson Volquez, Joey Votto, Johnny Cueto, and Bruce makes up some nice pieces for the future. If the Reds can trade Dunn and Griffey for some blue-chip prospects, this Reds team could make a run at the pennant in the very near future. Let’s hope Dusty Baker doesn’t go all “Wood and Prior” on Volquez and Cueto. They need to make sure they don’t overuse these young arms up and make the Disabled List All-Stars like Kerry Wood and Mark Prior was for a few years.

A Sports & Entertainment blog that focuses on absurdity in sports, snarky banter, updates on Tim Tebow’s virginity, and decent sports gambling advice.

Song Of The Day – Klaxons (Magick)

I get in moods where music from England sounds better than anything over here in the U.S. I was first introduced to Klaxons about a year ago when I was up late and the video for “Magick” came on MTV2. I liked the song, but the video surprised me quite a bit. I’m still not certain what is going on, but it appears that a virus that makes neon green paint is spreads if the paint gets on another person. It can be stopped by putting a handkerchief around your eyes, a novel idea.

Klaxons won the Mercury Prize in the UK, it’s basically like “Band Of The Year,” or also known as “The Band That Hopes To Become As Popular As Radiohead in The U.S.” Klaxons have had minimal success in the States so far, but this video is pretty awesome.

Here is the video for “Magick.”

A Sports & Entertainment blog that focuses on absurdity in sports, snarky banter, updates on Tim Tebow’s virginity, and decent sports gambling advice.

David Stern Just Got A Boner!

The Boston Celtics just defeated the Detroit Pistons in Game 6 Of the Eastern Conference Finals tonight and everyone will have the Lakers/Celtics Finals that they hoped for. The NBA Finals ratings have been down over the last five years, even with Lebron James in it last year. David Stern must be in an euphoric state with these two basketball franchises playing for the championship. There are so many storylines that will carry this series. Will KG finally win a championship? Can Kobe win a championship without Shaq? Can Phil Jackson pass Red Auerbach as the coach with the most rings, against the very team Red loved so dearly? Can Doc Rivers actually coach?

It’s a good time to be NBA Commissioner. The New York Knicks can only get better, the Bulls have the #1 pick, and the young stars of the league don’t seem to be getting into trouble as much as NFL stars. He probably even takes vacations in the offseason, something the NFL, MLB, and NHL leaders can’t afford to do.

Let’s hope the Lakers/Celtics will rekindle the rivalry that carried the league in the 1980s. I was a fan of the Celtics/Pistons rivalry, but that only happened in the Eastern Conference Finals, maybe Kobe/Garnett will become this generation’s Magic/Bird.

A Sports & Entertainment blog that focuses on absurdity in sports, snarky banter, updates on Tim Tebow’s virginity, and decent sports gambling advice.

Song Of The Day – Weezer (Pork & Beans)

Weezer did it again! After their last album, breakup rumors were louder than ever. Alternative Press magazine ran a story about the members of the band not speaking to each other between albums and Rivers Cuomo releasing a solo of B-sides didn’t curb the rumors. “The Red Album” has been swirling around on the net for the last few weeks and it sounds a little different from previous albums, but still predominantly Weezer.

I’ve been a fan of Weezer since “The Blue Album” and will keeping being a fan even if they put out a stinker of an album (“Maladroit). I’ve only seen one Weezer concert, but it would amazing. I would recommend going to a Weezer concert if you have the chance, they don’t tour often and who knows with Cuomo will go back to being a hermit and the band will eventually dissolve.

Here is the video for “Pork & Beans,” you will recognize a lot of random YouTube stars in the video, a true classic.

A Sports & Entertainment blog that focuses on absurdity in sports, snarky banter, updates on Tim Tebow’s virginity, and decent sports gambling advice.

I Guess Chicago Will Draft Michael Jordan?!

I am just as confused as you, but the Chicago Bulls re-hired Doug Collins as their head coach. The last time Collins coached the Bulls, Jordan was a young man without any championship rings. Collins led them to the Finals and he was canned and Phil Jackson was hired.

Chicago is a very nostalgic city. They love their history, Al Capone, Dick Butkus, Brian Urlacher. The Bulls hiring Collins is overdoing it a little. I now wouldn’t be surprised if Lovie Smith is fired and the Bears hire Mike Ditka. Collins is known for his defense and having low-scoring teams, I don’t think Derrick Rose will work in that kind of offense. Michael Beasley would best fit the system that Collins’ coaching style.

Doug Collins, who has been an analyst for TNT the last few years, is best known for having Michael Jordan on his team and STILL not being able to win a championship. I have lost all interest in who Chicago will pick #1, their talent will be lost with Doug Collins as head coach.

A Sports & Entertainment blog that focuses on absurdity in sports, snarky banter, updates on Tim Tebow’s virginity, and decent sports gambling advice.

Song Of The Day – David Cook (Always Be My Baby)

I have to give some dap to this season’s “American Idol” winner, David Cook. I have a couple girl roommates and so avoiding “American Idol” is impossible. I think I watched 90% of the episodes this season and David Cook brought it every week. The finals was up to him and this 13-year old David Cassidy look-a-like, David Archuleta. AI could be on its last legs if Cook doesn’t sell millions of albums, but I think he probably will.

Carrie Underwood and Kelly Clarkson are the only winners to go from Idol to Superstar. The male winners haven’t done so well, but Cook sounds more like Chris Daughtry, and Daughtry outsold 99.9% of the albums last year.

This should be my final mention of “American Idol” on here, I don’t want to wuss this blog up.

One final note, Cook went on a date with Kimberly Caldwell, a former contestant on American Idol. If he doesn’t sell a single album, he can at least thank the show for helping him bag this girl.

Nice!

Here is David Cook’s studio version of “Always Be My Baby”

A Sports & Entertainment blog that focuses on absurdity in sports, snarky banter, updates on Tim Tebow’s virginity, and decent sports gambling advice.

Isiah Thomas Must Be Coaching The Mets

The Mets are looking horrible these days, I don’t know how it could happen. My assumption that Isiah Thomas is secretly coaching the team could be correct, but until my theory is proven, Willie Randolph needs to do something drastic. Omar Minaya, the Mets GM, met with Randolph and got the dreaded “vote of confidence,” but they need to trade what few prospects they have left on more pitching. Reyes, Church, Wright, and Beltran have all been hitting, but the rest of the team isn’t showing up. They always have a good shot at winning ever 4th and 5th days with Johan Santana and John Maine pitching, but the rest of the rotation is really bad.

I would suggest cutting ties with Carlos Delgado and move Moises Alou to 1st base and keep Angel Pagan in leftfield. Pagan has been injured lately, but showed signs of being consistent before his injury. Who knows, maybe someone will trade a 5th starter for Delgado.

The Mets need a kick in the crotch right now, it will hurt at first, but afterwards, you won’t want it to happen again.

The Mets have one thing going for them at the moment, they are probably still better than the Yankees.

A Sports & Entertainment blog that focuses on absurdity in sports, snarky banter, updates on Tim Tebow’s virginity, and decent sports gambling advice.