Brittney Griner Selected #1 in 2013 WNBA Draft

The Phoenix Mercury have waited weeks to make official who they would pick #1 overall in the 2013 WNBA Draft. It comes to no surprise that they selected Baylor standout Brittney Griner.

Griner dominated women’s college basketball so much that rumors of her being selected in June’s NBA Draft have been loud.

Griner could still be drafted by a team, but she made it clear that she wants to play in the WNBA.

In what many experts slated to be a top-heavy draft, Delaware’s Elena Delle Donne was selected #2 by the Chicago Sky and Notre Dame’s Skylar Diggins was picked next by the Tulsa Shock.

It was the top-three and then everybody else in this draft. If you’re not familiar with Delle Donne or Diggins, we’ve added a few pictures to help you get to know this beautiful & talented ladies. Continue reading →

Jay-Z to Sell Ownership in Brooklyn Nets

It comes to no surprise that after rap mogul Jay-Z signed to be the sports agent for New York Yankees Robinson Cano, he will now sell his small (really small) ownership in the NBA’s Brooklyn Nets franchise.

Contrary to popular belief, Jay-Z only owns less than 1% ownership in the Brooklyn Nets. He is more of a figurehead than someone with any power. The majority owner is Russian billionaire Mikhail Prokhorov.

He recently partnered with Creative Artists Agency (CAA) to create his own company, Roc Nation. He hopes to complete the sell by the end of the season so he can sign upcoming players in this June’s NBA Draft.

It’s hard to say who used who between Jay-Z and the Nets. The then-New Jersey Nets eyed a marquee name to attached themselves. It helped Jay-Z had New York ties to help create a buzz about push the team’s future move to the area in motion. Continue reading →

NHL Talk: MVP Race, Cheap Tickets & Hot Dogs

Two hockey guys talking hockey.

Joe Pasquali and Eddie Theisen are two die-hard NHL fans. They both watch every hockey game, every night (almost).

The guys talk about teams who are fighting for playoff position and wonder how the New Jersey Devils are this bad when they’re loaded with talent.

I’ve been holding my breath during the final stretch of the season. I’m a Columbus Blue Jackets fan and they’ve been flirting with the #8 seed in the Western Conference. Will they make it? Probably not, but it’s nice to watch an “almost” playoff team (I’m a Chicago Cubs fan).

This is their email conversation this afternoon. Continue reading →

Adam Scott Wins 2013 Masters

Australian golfer Adam Scott outlasted Argentinian Angel Cabrera to win the 2013 Masters in a playoff. He becomes the first Aussie to win the golf’s most-prestigious event.

Scott, 32, is best known for his collapse at last year’s British Open and for having Tiger Woods ex-caddie, Stevie Williams by his side.

He can now walk around with a green jacket and instantly gain respect…even if he wears sweatpants (I’m jealous).

For the casual golf fans who only care about Tiger Woods, he finished tied for fourth (-5).

Yes, I know this Adam Scott is not the same as the actor best known for his work on “Parks & Recreation” and “Party Down”, but I love this damn picture so much.

NHL Talk: Trade Deadline Special

Two hockey guys talking hockey.

Joe Pasquali and Eddie Theisen are two die-hard NHL fans. They both watch every hockey game, every night (almost).

The guys talk about the NHL trade deadline and which teams are the winners and losers.

My Columbus Blue Jackets were really active, but the pieces they traded in exchange for Marian Gaborik could leave diehard fans a bit sad. They traded away three homegrown talents for only 1.5 guaranteed seasons of Gaborik.

This is their email conversation this afternoon. Continue reading →

NBA: Mavericks Could Draft Baylor’s Brittney Griner

Ever since Baylor’s Brittney Griner began dominating women’s college basketball, there’s been talk about the possibility of a team giving her a shot to play in the NBA. Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban make it known that he’s keeping an eye on her.

When Cuban was asked about Griner’s NBA Draft stock before the Mavericks game against the Lakers Tuesday night, he said, “If she is the best on the board, I will take her.” If Dallas doesn’t use a second-round pick on her, Cuban said he would have “no problem whatsoever” inviting Griner to try out for a spot on Dallas’ summer league team.

If given the opportunity to play against NBA talent, how do you think the 6’8 Griner would stack up? Continue reading →

Rangers’ Yu Darvish Blows Perfect Game in the Last Out

Texas Rangers pitcher Yu Darvish nearly made history in their second game of the season.

Darvish was lights out against the Houston Astros on Tuesday night. He took a perfect game into the ninth inning.

The game was in Houston and with the Astros looking like a possible 100+ loss season, the crowd was loaded with Rangers fans. The fans were biting their nails in anticipation of seeing history take place in front of their eyes.

Astros shortstop Marwin Gonzalez swung at the first pitch he saw and lined it through the legs of Darvish for a single.

Darvish was pulled after the hit. He finished with 14 strikeouts in 8 1/3rd innings in the 7-0 win over the Astros.

Review: “The Summer of Beer and Whiskey” by Edward Achorn

If you enjoy reading about baseball history, you often know all the names and stories of past baseball greats. Even if an author claims to have a new story of an early team, the book is often filled with commonly-known players who have been written about numerous times.

The Summer of Beer and Whiskey claims to be a new story and author Edward Achorn follows it up with a fresh, interesting story about St. Louis baseball in the 1880s.

Do you ever wonder why drinking beer is such an entrenched part of watching a baseball game? If beer didn’t exist, life would be boring, and the game of baseball may not have caught on.

If you’re a baseball fan, even if you don’t usually read books about pre-Babe Ruth baseball, you’ll find this story interesting. Continue reading →

Top MLB Prospects Who Will Appear in 2013

Major League Baseball teams have put more focus on the draft over the last decade and it’s paying off. The minors are filled with the most talent its seen in the last two decades.

With the early success of Nationals outfielder Bryce Harper, Angels outfielder Mike Trout and White Sox pitcher Chris Sale, fans are expecting their teams to push their top prospects to the Majors as soon as possible.

You have already noticed a few teams caving in to the pressure and have their top prospects starting the season on the roster. Cardinals pitcher Shelby Miller and Twins outfielder Aaron Hicks will start the season, but you could argue that they are filling a glaring need.

Here is a list of MLB prospects you will see called-up in the 2013 season. Continue reading →

Review: “Point Your Face At This” by Demetri Martin

If you’re a fan of stand-up comedy, you’re very familiar with Demetri Martin’s work.

Martin uses his drawings (and many venn diagrams) to enhance his comedy on stage. Most of his art is very simple and often portrays many common phrases using the most literal definition.

Martin just released a new book called Point Your Face At This. It’s a collection of drawings in the same style of the art he uses in his comedy routine.

You could assume that a book of his drawings would only be around 100 pages. Well, Martin is giving his readers their money’s worth…this book is 288 pages! Continue reading →

Sweetbob’s Hipster Music Playlist: March 2013

I keep an ear out for new music. I’m used to discovering new bands from my days as a music journalist. Even though this is mostly a sports blog, I still add quite a bit of music and pop culture content.

I received a lot of great feedback from my past hipster music playlist posts. A lot of emails came in from readers who recommended new tracks to me, which I love. I will keep posting these as long as I keep receiving all the feedback.

I have been called a hipster on more than one occasion. I like indie music more than any other genre of music. Don’t get me wrong, I can rock out to Eddie Money or Madonna (depending on the amount of alcohol in my system).

I’ve decided to write a monthly post dedicated to introducing twelve great, new indie songs I’m currently listening to. Most of the songs are fresh and have been released in the second half of 2012 or early in 2013.

Your ears will thank you for listening! Continue reading →

Sports Crush: Amanda Marcum

We’ve profiled various women in our “Sports Crush” series. Our favorites were UFC’s Ronda Rousey and Miesha Tate & U.S. soccer’s Alex Morgan. This is the first time we’re dedicating a post about a lady who isn’t actually an athlete.

Amanda Marcum is the wife of Florida Gulf Coast’s basketball coach Andy Enfield. You may have seen a few pictures of Amanda Marcum before the NCAA Tournament, but did not know her name. She was a model who appeared in Maxim, Stuff and various other magazines.

Due to the current Mrs. Enfield being highlighted in the NCAA Tournament coverage, we’re pulling the trigger and featuring her in a Sports Crush post. We’ve attached a photo gallery to show you why she deserves to be included. Continue reading →