Category Archives: sports

RE-DO – 2005 NBA Draft

After any major sports draft, every team and their fans usually feel great about the future. The NBA many teams draft based on potential and not on the basis of past performance. 2005 was one of the last drafts that high school talent could bypass the college game and enter in the draft. Teams will still draft on potential, even a year in college doesn’t show enough to make an educated determination on what player is better than the other. Here is a re-do of the 2005 NBA Draft if it happened today.

1. Chris Paul – Milwaukee Bucks – The Bucks would be a much improved team with Paul at the point. Andrew Bogut was a decent pick, but the draft class was presumed to be very thin in 2005 and they couldn’t pass up on a big man with International flavor. Chris Paul is hands-down, head above shoulders, the filet mignon of this draft. (Paul went #3 to New Orleans) Continue reading

Mr. Baseball : The Sequel

I loved the movie, “Mr. Baseball,” it starred Tom Selleck as a Major League baseball player who was sold to a team in Japan. It kind of seems like it is happening more often. Over the past few weeks, some Major League Baseball teams have been exporters of talent to Japan. These players are the washed-up type that finish their careers, but younger talent. I guess it’s only fair that we send some players, mediocre at best, to Japan since we’ve been stealing their superstars. Over the past few weeks the Yankees sent Darrell Rasner to the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles, the Rangers sent Kameron Loe to the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks, and Justin Germano, formerly of the San Diego Padres, also went to Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks.

It’s not completely out of the norm for an American baseball player to play in Japan, but the way it is happening is a little odd. Rasner, Loe, and Germano are all young and able pitchers that seem to have a decent future playing baseball. Most of the talent Japan gets from the U.S. are the likes of Terrmel Sledge or Karl “Tuffy” Rhodes, guys who were past their prime. I’m not saying that Rasner, Loe, or Germano are future superstars, but with the constant need for pitching in Major League Baseball, you would think that the teams would have traded them to another Major League to get more in return. Either this is a way of MLB saying they’re sorry for stealing their talent, or a future sorry to stealing Yu Darvish in the future.

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

The Irish Must Be Drunk

After losing to Boston College 17-0 last week, the only positive news about Charlie Weis and Notre Dame came from the Athletic Director with the deadly “vote of confidence.” I can’t remember the last time I heard so much negative press about Notre Dame, oh wait, last week! Charlie Weis is approaching the Tyrone Willingham range at Notre Dame and is approaching Bob Davie range.

As you read this post, I would like to like everyone know that I am a Notre Dame fan, but I am rational. My hometown is less than an hour away from South Bend and all my friends back home have been suicidal the last two seasons. I have lived in Columbus, OH the last three football seasons and it’s amazing to live in a city that could possibly be more insane about college football than Notre Dame fans, 9 out of 10 cars in this city have some sort of Brutus or Buckeye decal in the window or personalized license plate. I need to figure out why Notre Dame is so bad and try and debunk some of the “theories” why Notre Dame looks like a team full of Rudys. Here are some of the theories and my rebuttal.

Five-Star recruits go to colleges with warm weather. I do admit that this theory has some weight to it, but still not true. Elite players go to warmer weather to play in the SEC, Big 12, and USC. Notre Dame recruited Jimmy Clausen, Golden Tate, and Michael Floyd, players that were highly-recruited and would garner playing time on many top 25 teams in the country. I’m not sure that warm weather is the only reason they choose those places, most likely reason is that they want to be on a winning and competitive program. I can also add that the weather in South Bend, IN and Columbus, OH are comparable and Ohio State still recruits a top-ten class every year. Columbus may be maybe five degrees warmer with a little less snow, but the city itself helps recruits players to OSU. South Bend wouldn’t exist of Notre Dame wasn’t there, it’s solely dependent on the university to maintain the city, the same cannot be said for Columbus, OH.

The schedule is too difficult at Notre Dame. Over the last few seasons, the schedule at Notre Dame has slowly looked more like a non-conference schedule at North Dakota St. If you add teams like North Carolina, Duke, Syracuse, and Washington and you subtract games against Ohio State, Georgia Tech, BYU, and Penn State, you will win more games. Even if Notre Dame went 11-1 this season with their only loss coming against USC, they wouldn’t even be in the top 10 in the BCS with their weak schedule. You could argue that dumbing down the schedule at Notre Dame could hurt recruiting, since their not playing against the same caliber of teams as past Notre Dame squads.
Notre Dame needs a new coach. Really? You think you could get a better coach than Charlis Weis? I think Notre Dame fans have amnesia. The last two coaching searches held by Notre Dame came with about denials each and one coach who they canned after the press conference for a botched resume. No one wants to coach at Notre Dame. I’m sure they would try and go after Mike Leach, Jon Gruden (for the third time), Turner Gill, Bob Stoops, and maybe even Brady Hoke from Ball State, but would end up with the Offensive Coordinator at some SEC team that wouldn’t get any other coaching offers. I know whatever is going on at Notre Dame is broken, but starting all over again isn’t always the answer. I would give Coach Weis the rest of this season and the next, if things aren’t improved, I think he should be canned. An improvement would be a top 20 BCS ranking, not a BCS bowl game kind of an improvement like most Notre Dame fans would be looking for.

Here is my theory to help Notre Dame restore its former glory. Notre Dame needs to join a conference. The Big Ten would love to add Notre Dame, even though Notre Dame’s loyalty for all other sports would be Big East, but Big East football is barely above the Sun Belt in ability. Notre Dame lacks rivalries that help draw excitement. The USC rivalry is an historically great rivalry, but to be a rival, the games have to be competitive. The only competitive USC/Notre Dame the last ten years was the game that ended with “The Bush Push.” Notre Dame already plays Michigan, Michigan State, and Purdue every year, but with Ohio State so close and with some great match-ups over the last twenty years between the schools, it could help create/restore a rivalry. Notre Dame have always seen itself as the “top dog” in college football and even has its own rules in the BCS when it comes to BCS bowl games, but it’s time to put its ego aside and do what’s best for the program.

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

"The Bodyguard" (Not Starring Whitney Houston)

Pacman, I mean, Adam Jones seems to be in trouble with the NFL. I am not quite sure what the problem is, I really don’t at all. Allegedly, Pacman and a bodyguard that was hired to keep him out of trouble, got in a tussle in a hotel bathroom. They went to a Ludacris concert and there is a possibility of some alcohol being involved. I’m still not seeing a problem here.

A mirror was broken in the bathroom and no charges were filed and a police report wasn’t even written. The bodyguard and Jones was said to be goofing around and then suddenly things went bad and that’s when the argument/girl fight occurred.

I have a few problems with this even being a story. First of all, this bodyguard was working for the Dallas Cowboys to watch over Pacman. I am only assuming, but I hope this dude was either as big or bigger than an O-Lineman. Secondly, if this dude was big, and I’m pretty sure he had to be, how was this even a fight? Pacman is 5’9 at best and couldn’t weigh more than 200 lbs. I know he has some “street” in him, but was he packing a weapon to even make it a fair fight? I want to see a picture of the bodyguard and that would pretty much end the conversation. If the bodyguard couldn’t take care of a short cornerback, how could he hope to guard him from anyone of average stature and weight? Was this bodyguard Tony Mandarich or Robert Gallery? Anyone could get buy those guys.

I want everyone to stop talking about this story. Pacman Jones, yes I said it, is an average defensive back and doesn’t matter in the grand scheme of things for the Cowboys. He is an excellent returner, but he isn’t even doing that for Dallas, Felix Jones has that job. Jerry Jones shouldn’t worry about Pacman and if anything remotely happens like this again, I hope he cuts him. They are going to battle this season to earn a playoff spot. The NFC East is a beast and one of those teams won’t make the playoffs and all these distractions will only hurt the team.

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

Chicago Cubs – A Year-End Report – Batters

It was another roller-coaster ride for all the fans of the Chicago Cubs. They nearly won 100 games this season and yet couldn’t even garner a single win in the post-season. The Los Angeles Dodgers was just a better team and the Cubs didn’t show up at all. I don’t really know how to take the last two post-season exits. There wasn’t anything that screamed “curse,” “Billy Goat,” or “Bartman. The Diamondbacks and Dodgers were teams that turned it on at the right time and clearly the Cubs were content with just making the playoffs.

I’m going to be commenting on the Outfielders and Infielders on the 40-man roster of the Cubs. I will be evaluating their year and possibly if they are needed for next season.

Alfonso Soriano – The Cubs paid a great deal for him a season ago and over the past two years, he hasn’t been completely healthy. I am not sure if he will ever be a 35/35 guy again, but the power numbers should still be there. Soriano needs to be pushed down to the 2nd, 3rd, or 6th in the order in order for the Cubs to turn the corner in the playoffs. He has demanded being kept in the lead-off spot, but something needs to be shaken up. The Cubs needs to acquire a left-handed lead-off bat with a high .OBP.

Kosuke Fukudome – Fukudome started out the season on fire, he was nearly batting .400 much into the first month. He hit a wall around the All-Star break and batted around .200 the rest of the way. His defense kept him in the lineup, but he clearly hurt the Cubs down the stretch. The Cubs would be much-improved if they went out and got a power bat to play right field and used Fukudome off the bench. Fukudome was a bit of an oddity, most Japanese players tend own pitchers in the States for a high .OBP. Fukudome has proven that he has a decent eye, but he sometimes looks horrible while striking out.

Jim Edmonds – Edmonds played well for the Cubs, but he isn’t a long-term fix for their center field position. He would be nice to hold onto next season for some at-bats, but clearly shouldn’t be a starter next year. He can hit homers, when needed, but his average will be around .250, at best.

Reed Johnson – He was a spark plug for the Cubs after they acquired him mid-season. I watched many Cubs games and in the games that he played, he always made a big catch or had a key hit. I like him better than Edmonds in center, but Pinella didn’t use him down the stretch this season. I am not sure if he is in Pinella’s doghouse or if he trusted Edmonds more as the season progressed.

Felix Pie – Pie has speed and can cover a lot of ground in center. He hasn’t figured out major-league pitching yet and I’m starting to lose hope. He was sent down to Triple-A mid-season and he did very well, even showed some power. He could be trade bait this off-season, but I would like to see him get a chance in spring training and prove he deserves a spot.

Sam Fuld – He didn’t show up in the majors this year and probably best known for running full speed into the brick wall at Wrigley in 2007. Pie beat him out of a center field spot in spring training and Fuld struggled at the plate and a hand injury troubled him. He will be at spring training to see what he can bring to the team.

Ronny Cedeno – Lou Pinella seems to be high on this guy. He is mostly used as a pinch-runner, but Cedeno was in the line-up a little more than he should be. He started out the year pretty well, but fell off at the end. He is trade bait with the emergence of Mike Fontenot and Ryan Theriot playing so well.

Mark DeRosa – He has done everything for the Cubs, I’m surprised he hasn’t been called upon to work the front gate at Wrigley. I like him as a full-time replacement in right field, but I’m unsure of Mike Fontenot can play everyday at 2nd. DeRosa can play nearly every infield spot and has proven himself as a potential big-money free agent after next season. The Cubs need to make sure they work on a contract to keep him around.

Derrek Lee – I’m not saying that he had an off-year, but the expectations were definitely high coming into the year. The wrist injury that hampered him the last few seasons was 100% healed and a few even picked him as possible MVP candidate going into this year (John Kruk). He hit nearly 20 homers and had a batting average that fluttered around .290-.300 all season. Maybe this is the real D-Lee that the Cubs got from Florida, not the player that tore up pitchers a few season ago. I am just not sure which player will show up from here on out.

Mike Fontenot – This guy looks like he should be a jockey, but could he possibly turn into Dustin Pedroia? He has had moments where he looks like a starter, but it is still unknown if he could put up numbers as an everyday player. For a guy of his stature, he has a swing that could hit 20+ homers a season. It would be a risky move to give him the starter’s job at 2nd and move DeRosa to right field. If this team was a .500 team, it would be easy to give the keys to the car to a young player, but the Cubs have high expectations and Fontenot may be a victim of not being given a fair shot.

Micah Hoffpauir – He is a proven minor-league player and was given a shot near the end of the season to come off the bench and had a few shot at starting. He is a natural 1st basemen, but with Derrek Lee secure at the job, Hoffpauir could be moved to right or be trade bait. He clearly has the ability to play in the Majors, but unless an injury, he could be stuck.

Aramis Ramirez – He was the leader of the Cubs this season and was the MVP of the team. He didn’t show up in the playoffs, but he did so much for the team this year. Ramirez has the ability to be a 40/120 guy, I think he should keep improving. It may take a contract year to get that productivity out of him, but he will be a top 3 third -basemen in this league. His defense is suspect, but his bat makes his errors go away a little.

Ryan Theriot – He’s a .300 hitter, steal bases, has a decent .OBP, but somehow he isn’t the lead-off hitter. If the Cubs don’t acquire a pure lead-off guy, Theriot needs to be at the top of the lineup. He kind of fell into the shortstop position, but I don’t see him losing the job anytime soon. Theriot looks like a future all-star and should be in Chicago for awhile.

Daryle Ward – He is the Lenny Harris of the Chicago Cubs. I can’t say that he is a great pinch-hitter, he doesn’t get a lot of chances to get into games. I don’t know an adequate replacement for Ward, but any power bat that doesn’t have an ego will do.

Geovany Soto – He is a clear winner of the National League Rookie Of The Year Award and did a great job behind the plate. His defense got better as the year went along, but his ability to call a game needs to improve. I see him as a possible 1st basement later in his career, but for right now I like him as the starter.

Henry Blanco – He is making over 3 million a season to play a handful of games. I want his job. I don’t think the Cubs will pick up his option for next season, but could re-sign him for a lower amount. He has a decent bat, but doesn’t have a certain pitcher he catches, unlike a few seasons ago when he was the catcher for Greg Maddux.

Koyie Hill – He nearly cut his hand off in a freak accident a year ago. He got to play some at the end of the season, but I have always been a fan of game calling ability. He seemed to rejuvenate the pitching staff a season ago when he was brought up from the minors. Hill may not play long-term for the Cubs, but I like him as a player and could see him having a decent career on another team.

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

A New Found Respect For Pharmacists

My girlfriend started pharmacy school last week and I didn’t realize how much stuff that they have to know. They pretty much need to know what doctors know and everything else that a pharmacist needs to know on top of it. I’m throughly impressed by the material of knowledge that they need to know.

I know this post was completely random and maybe my readers think that I am posting this to appease my girlfriend. I wish she read my blog ’cause I would earn a few points, but she doesn’t.

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

Pray For Dante Love

I was watching the game against Indiana and Ball State on the Big Ten Network on Saturday night and it was turning into a really entertaining game. Nate Davis and Dante Love were looking good and were looking forward to getting the school’s first ever victory over a BCS team. Everything went from great to scary in the 2nd quarter.

Love caught a pass from Davis for a short gain, Love put his helmet down to get a few extra yards when the Indiana cornerback did the same and they collided helmet to helmet. Love instantly lost the ball and his whole body went limp. Indiana picked up the ball and went in for the touchdown, but no one really cared. Love laid lifeless near the sideline. He stayed there for over 15 minutes while the medical staff attended to him, they even called his parents from the stands to be with him. They took unscrewed the facemask off his helmet and put him on a board. As they took him off the field on a golfcart he never moved, not even a thumbs up from the crowd that most hoped for. They took him to a hospital in Bloomington and then they transferred him to Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis.

Ball State ended up winning this game and instead of an upbeat press conference after the game, Brady Hoke, Ball State’s head coach, said a short statement and went to see his star wide-receiver at the hospital. There wasn’t any word from the university after the game about Love other than he felt “tingling and numbness.”

This afternoon more about Love’s injuries came out, he is lucky to be alive. He underwent five-hour back surgery to stabilize a cervical spinal fracture. He is said to be moving arms and legs and is currently in the critical care unit.

I went to college at Ball State for a year, I loved the school, but didn’t fit what I needed at the time. The football program has never done anything at all. The most famous Ball State alumni that went onto the NFL is a punter, if that tells you anything. Dante Love is a huge reason for the recent success that Ball State has seen over the last three years. No word if this ends his potential pro career, but that isn’t important at the moment. He needs to focus on getting better and hopefully he doesn’t have any complications from this injury in the future. I hope the best for Love and for all his friends and family who needs everyone’s support right now.

Get well soon Dante Love.

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

Speak Before You Think Monday

After a long weekend, it is easy to do or say something that is completely insane. Your mind isn’t right on a Monday. You are still thinking about how you should have gotten that blonde’s number at the bar or how your team still has a shot at the National Championship, even if you lost a nationally televised game 35-3 (sorry Buckeyes, i live in your territory and I shouldn’t be so ill, but it’s real talk). Here is a few observations of things people are saying or what they have done without thinking things out clearly.

– The Milwaukee Brewers fired Ned Yost. Really? Before the Brewers hired him, they hadn’t had a winning season since dudes named Yount and Molitor were sporting the yellow and blue gear. I know that they imploded last season, but the team was full of rookies, I am not sold that they are used to the long Major League season. You can’t make much of an argument that they are tanking again this season, because they haven’t been in first place since the beginning of the season. Milwaukee is realizing that they only have Sabathia and Sheets for this one season and they will not be able to sign them, so they must win now. Rickie Weeks has been a disappointment so far and J.J. Hardy is not consistent. The trade talk has already started about Prince Fielder, they realize that they can’t win every game with their offense and your #1 starter cannot be Dave Bush or Manny Parra. Fielder is set for abitration soon and he will also grant a huge contract when free agency comes around. The Brewers may still make the playoffs, but now they have to combat the Phillies/Mets, whoever doesn’t win the NL East, and Houston. Not a smart move by the upper management in Milwaukee, Yost will get a job next season, either as a manager or a high-profile bench coach.

– Carlos Zambrano is back. I’m a Chicago Cubs, everyone who reads this blog knows this is true. Historically, Zambrano is extremely good on a long rest. He nearly had a no-hitter mid-season this year after he took some time off for injury. He may throw another gem next time out too, but it’s too soon to say he is back. Houston evacuated a hurricane and their minds were not 100% on baseball. The game was also played in Milwaukee, which is Wrigley Field North. If you go to any Cubs/Brewers game, the Cubs fans/Brewers fan ratio could learn in Chicago’s favor, let alone Houston fans versus Chicago fans. Also, Ted Lilly took a no-hitter today into the 7th inning against Houston and the last few games I watched Lilly pitch, he looked horrible. Zambrano needs his last few starts to be solid for me to be sold.

– Ohio State still has a shot at that National Championship. Even if OSU runs the table in the Big Ten, the best they can do is a birth in the Rose Bowl. Unfortunately for the Buckeyes, if USC loses a game or two, they will meet there. I don’t see USC losing any games, but there is a Pac-10 team that usually gives them a close game or beats them (i.e. Stanford, Oregon State). The Buckeyes do have a chance to turn the season around, but that would mean Todd Boeckman would lose his job as starting quarterback. Terrelle Pryor looked pretty good against USC, but it was a too tough of a test for a true freshman to face. Beanie Wells may have made this game closer, but he wouldn’t have won the game for Ohio State. Wells would have helped them have some ball control and help manage the clock. The score would have been around 27-10, still an embarassment. Ohio State has no shot at making the BCS Championship game, so I do not want to hear about a slim chance, there is no chance.

– The Minnesota Vikings will still make the playoffs. They are 0-2 and it looks like the NFC North will be very solid this year. I know that they lost to the Packers and Colts, two teams that are playoff caliber, but the way they played in those games didn’t look like a playoff team to me. Adrian Peterson should have ran all over Indianapolis, which he did, but never got into the endzone. Tavarius Jackson isn’t a starting quarterback in this league, yet. He may be a starter in the future, but with the kind of talent this team has, minus wide-receivers (they really don’t have any #1 receiver), they need an establish quarterback to spread the defense and let Peterson run amok. The Bears are better (they play them twice), the Lions can score points, something Minnesota has trouble with (they play them twice, the Packers own them (they play them again), and they play the AFC South (which is one of the best divisions in the league). I would suggest that you look at the remaining schedule of the team before you put them in the playoffs, Mike & Mike.

– Denver Broncos is the best team in the AFC. They have looked impressive so far this season, but they played the Raiders and a San Diego team that haven’t found themselves without Shawne Merriman. Eddie Royal has been a huge surprise, Brandon Marshall caught about a million pases this week, and Jay Cutler looks like John Elway. The NFL loves to scheme and take players out of the game, I’m guessing the next few weeks that teams will start pressuring Cutler more and make the young quarterback think faster on his feet. They will have to run the ball more, which may fall into Shanahan’s lap, but this core of Denver running backs aren’t Terrell Davis or Clinton Portis, it’s Selvin Young and a few castoffs from other teams. Denver looks like they will win that division, it looks to be very weak, but they are not the best team in the AFC. They will have to beat New England, Indianapolis, or Pittsburgh to garner that honor.

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

Breaking News – Vince Young Likes Fried Chicken

I woke up to a lot of banter on morning sports talk shows about the state of mind of Vince Young. Chris Mortensen may have said the most absurd, semi-racist thing I’ve heard before 9am. He was describing the situation where the police was searching for Vince Young and worried about his state of mind. They found him at his buddy’s house watching Monday Night Football. Mortensen said, “He was just at his buddy’s house eating fried chicken and watching football.” I think a better use of words could have been used when describing what Young was doing at a friend’s house. I mean you either refrain from using “fried chicken” in reference to a African-American male or you go all out and make it like he was re-enacting a scene from the movie “Friday” or “Don’t Be A Menace To South Central While Drinking Your Juice In Your Hood.”

Vince Young seems like a pretty weak person. The kind of person that has went through life where he’s been showered with praise. I know he may have had a harsh childhood financially, but you know he had the football field to rip the local guys up when he was feeling a little down. He hasn’t had the chance to do anything in the NFL yet, the only reason they were in the playoffs last year was due to Indianapolis playing Jim Sorgi and resting Peyton Manning in the final game of the year.

Yong has a few weeks to heal up physically and get his mind around the situation. I think he may need a mentor to help him through everything or he’ll end up like Michael Vick. I’m not saying that he is going to be the Don King of professional dog-fighting, but he will end up being a bust and never maturing into the kind of NFL player he should become. The Titans did sign Chris Simms, he also went to University of Texas, I don’t think they have much in common, but maybe he can help Young out. The best situation would have been the Titans drafting Limas Sweed, Young target at UT in last year’s draft, but that didn’t happen.

Kerry Collins isn’t going to steal anyone’s job away. Collins has had some success in the NFL, he lead a star-less NY Giants offense to the Super Bowl nearly a decade ago. If the Titans signed Daunte Culpepper or drafted another young quarterback last season, Young would have been all but out of Tennessee, but it’s still his job to lose.

I would have checked the clubs out first before I called the cops.

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

2008 College Football – All-Name Team

Not everyone can have the last name ‘Manning’ or ‘Montana’, some of us have to go through life with a pretty ridiculous name. Most of these names are pretty rough to grow up with, but some are names you wish you may have, especially if you are named something bland like Joe Smith or Bobby Roberts.

YourHighNess Morgan – LB – Florida Atlantic
H.B. Banjoman – RB – Eastern Kentucky
Casey Dick – QB – Arkansas
Chris Smelley – QB – South Carolina
Cooter Arnold – WR – North Carolina
Baccari Rambo – DB – Georgia
Sam Spitz – FB – Wisconsin
Mighty Inyang – DB – Houston
Chubb Small – RB – Marshall
Caleb Dyck – RB – Alabama-Birmingham
Kaipo-Noa Kaheaku-Enhada – QB – Navy
Stash McGuiness – OL – Cal Poly
Mike Lougee – LB – Iona
Dirk Kool – LB – South Dakota State
Heath Cockburn – G – Furman
Jeff Dickmann – CB – UCLA
T-Bob Hebert – C – Louisiana State
Fitz Bobo – WR – Miami (OH)
Prince Moody – DB – Wisconsin
Dane Cook – S – Ball State
Ryan Succup – K – South Carolina
Joker Phillips – Offensive Coordinator – Kentucky

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

"Hard Knocks" Is The Best Thing On TV

I didn’t get into the television series “Hard Knocks” until last season. I didn’t have HBO, so I didn’t get to see this amazing series. Last season the series followed the Kansas City Chiefs through training camp. It made the uninteresting Chiefs into something must-see. Even though I got to know more about Bobby Sippio and Larry Johnson than I should, it gives you an insider’s view of what goes on in the preparation of an NFL team.

“Hard Knocks” is following the Dallas Cowboys this season and it is as interesting as it sounds. You get to see a different side of every major player on “America’s Team.” I’ve seen the first four episodes of the season and episode five will be shown this weekend. My only suggestion is that they show Marion Barber, he must be a pretty bland guy. They have been showing how well Felix Jones is playing, yet the starter, Barber, hasn’t even been mentioned. Here are some of things I’ve noticed about the players that they are featuring.

Tank Johnson – He loves the “f” word and when they end team meetings, you see him almost running out of there. He seems like the guy I thought he was, so far I haven’t seen him strapped or carrying any kind of weapon. It’s only training camp, stay tuned.

Keon Lattimore – He’s best known as being the younger brother of Ray Lewis. He hasn’t had much playing time and he’s probably a long shot of making the team. Ray Lewis is good television, so he should stick around until the end of the last show and he’ll be cut.

Tony Romo – He actually seems like a good guy. Yeah, he reminds me of a typical jock from small-town American, but you would be lucky to pick up some secondhand ladies that probably attach themselves to his entourage.

Terrell Owens – My perception of T.O. has been totally contradicted by this show. I’m not sure if he is playing it up for the cameras or if he is actually a really good guy. He was even shown playing with Jerry Jones’ grandchildren. I think he may have actually matured.

Martellus Bennett – I hope this guy eventually takes Jason Witten’s job in a few seasons. He’s a big, talented, and pretty funny. He may not be the brightest guy in the room, but he’ll be a productive tight-end in the NFL.

Todd Lowber – Is it me or does this guy always have the “I don’t have a freakin’ clue what is happening right now” look on his face? He is a converted basketball player turned wide-receiver, but I don’t see any legitimate shot of this guy making this team at all. If by some slim chance that he makes the roster, he will be replaced by a proven receiver who was a cap casualty cut at the end of training camp from another team. Terry Glenn could even come back, Jerry Jones said in the first episode that it is still a possibility.

Jason Witten – I haven’t learned much about Witten other than he has a kid that can’t hold a helmet on his head without falling over. He better have another amazing year or that Bennett kid could creep up and take his job.

Pacman Jones – T.O. and him had some battles early on in camp that was fun to watch. He also showed his skills of catching six punt returns in a row, while keeping all the previous balls in hands. He is a talented guy and I hope he keeps out of trouble.

Roy Williams – This guy just loves to hit people. Coach Phillips told him to just tag players during a scrimmage and by the end of it he was trying to lay out dudes. Williams changed his number back to his college ’38’ and looks like it could have changed his focus back towards football and less towards banging members of Destiny’s Child.

Zach Thomas – He’s an old guy, but if he can rejuvenate his career by playing for a contender, he’s in the right situation. The dude was a beast early in his career with Miami, he’s a good addition.

Patrick Crayton – Any guy who comes into a team meeting wearing just a towel gets an A+ in my book. He also tied Pacman’s punt return total by catching six with all the balls still in his hand. He is definitely ready to step into the 2nd wide-receiver position left open by the cutting of Terry Glenn.

Bobby Carpenter – The television show has not been kind to Mr. Carpenter. They have shown him as a pretty boy and that he is soft. Guys from the team were even talking crap to him by calling him Barbie Carpenter and a punk bitch. Later on in the fourth episode the coaches and players were talking very positively about Carpenter, but seeing him getting the rookie treatment while he’s in his third season is always fun to watch. Maybe he can talk the Cowboys into trading for A.J. Hawk or trading him to Green Bay, seems like he was only useful with Hawk on his side.

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

The Mustache Is Back!

Jason Giambi hasn’t exactly been doing great in the 2nd half this season. I think I may have jinxed him in one of my “Fantasy God” posts. I have him on both of my fantasy baseball teams, but here lately, I have been benching him. He shaved off his mustache a few weeks ago, but I was watching the Yankees/Red Sox game yesterday and I noticed that the mustache was back and looking good. He did end up hitting a homer in last night’s game, but it was a meaningless solo shot very late in the game.

Giambi had more of an impact in today’s game against the Red Sox. He hit a pinch-hit 2-run homer in the 7th inning to tie up the game 2-2. Later in the game he hit a walk-off single that score the winning run. I know the Yankees may almost be mathematically out of the running for the post-season (okay, I know they aren’t, but the Rays, Red Sox, White Sox, and Twins are playing very well), but the Yankees are making thing interesting.

The Yankees do play the Red Sox again later in the season and could squeak in if either one of the Sox teams or Rays fall off. Derek Jeter has never been sitting at home in October and I feel that he will be very motivated and get his team start playing like a normal Yankees team.

The mustache is back, now if I can only get McDonalds to bring back the McRib.

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