About a year ago, I wrote a post in my “Idolizing” series about Chuck Klosterman. I was in awe of his first effort of writing a novel called “Downtown Owl.” I thought the book was great and I even bought an advanced copy on eBay for nearly 30 dollars a few months before it was released. The book didn’t sell a lot of copies, but he still feels like he accomplished something that he wanted to do. He has been on record that he had promised his publisher a few more essay books like “Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs” as a trade off that they would release one of his fiction works. Continue reading
Support Your Local Blogger
I have been a busy guy lately. I have been completely bogged down at my work and I’ve picked up a couple writing jobs on the side. I need 30 hours in a day and I would be fine. If I had that amount of time, maybe I could actually spend time with my girlfriend and stop ignoring my gym membership.
Here are some cool blog links:
Pacers Sign A Guy Who Doesn’t Look Like John Mayer [Pacers Place]
Blue Jackets Use Their Farm System…For A Broadcaster [Stingers On Ice]
Jay Mariotti Is A Douche [Hugging Harold Reynolds]
Colin Cowherd Is Also A Douche [The Big Lead]
Ron Artest Is F#@&ing Crazy [The Sports Hernia]
Obama and Sarkozy Can Spot Good Talent [Tasty Booze]
I Want This Cooler/Bag [On 205th]
I Want To See Bruno [Gunaxin]
R.I.P. Oscar Meyer [H8torade]
Erin Andrews Has A Chin Of Steel [Busted Coverage]
A Sports & Entertainment blog that focuses on absurdity in sports, snarky banter, updates on Tim Tebow’s virginity, and decent sports gambling advice.
Mark DeRosa’s Wrist Hates St. Louis
I can finally write about Mark DeRosa again. I wrote a post about a week ago and I banned him and his hot wife (Heidi Miller DeRosa) from this blog. DeRosa injured himself late last week and it looks like he tore his tendon sheath and will be out for quite some time. I shouldn’t be happy about someone’s misfortune, I’m not, but as everyone knows, I’m a Cubs fan. I am happy that the Cardinals will be down a hitter when they play this weekend, but I am a fan of DeRosa and his time in Chicago.
DeRosa’s injury can be an ugly one. To put his injury in perspective, David Ortiz had the same injury last year and he was out about 7 weeks. That doesn’t seem like long of time, but his power and bat speed took about a whole calendar year to come back. Wrists injuries are scary things and very unpredictable how the player will bounce back. Derrek Lee and Nomar Garciaparra both had nasty wrist injuries, Lee bounced back in about a year and Nomar never really did. I wish DeRosa the best and I hope he signs with a team this off-season that is either the Cubs or not in the NL Central.
A Sports & Entertainment blog that focuses on absurdity in sports, snarky banter, updates on Tim Tebow’s virginity, and decent sports gambling advice.
22 Sports People You Must Follow On Twitter
I was apprehensive to join Twitter because I knew that I would become addicted to it. I was out with some friends, about a year ago, and my friend talked me into signing up with her phone. I just posted a few “tweets” and then that turned into multiple “tweets” and now I’m on there all the time. I have around 1700 followers and it fluctuates daily. My Twitter name is @sweetbob and you can follow me by clicking here.
Here are the 22 sports people that you must follow on Twitter. Continue reading
Indiana Pacers Summer League Roster
For those that are not aware, I have a couple new writing jobs. I am the Indiana Pacers and Columbus Blue Jackets correspondents for Fanball.com. I am writing at the Indiana Pacers site, PacersPlace.com, and the Columbus Blue Jackets site, StingersOnIce.com.
I just recently put up a post about the Indiana Pacers Summer League team. I listed the players and a little bio about each player. You can check out the post by clicking here.
A Sports & Entertainment blog that focuses on absurdity in sports, snarky banter, updates on Tim Tebow’s virginity, and decent sports gambling advice.
2009 Free Agents – Who Will Sign Them?
The NBA free agent period started at midnight tonight. Plenty of teams will be trying to find the pieces to put them over and make a run at the championship. Carlos Boozer, Mehmet Okur, and Kobe Bryant decided to stay with their teams and did not opt out of their contracts. The economy was the deciding factor with Boozer and Okur, but Bryant decided to stay because his team could end up in the NBA Finals again next season.
Here are some of the free agents that hit the market tonight at midnight.
Charlie Villanueva – He was a stud at UConn, but didn’t seem to fit in during his stays in Toronto and Milwaukee. Villanueva loves his Twitter and it could have been a reason why Scott Skiles and the Bucks decided to not offer him a contract. He will be a prized free agent for a team that need a scorer and can deal with his lack of defense. Potential Team – Cleveland Cavaliers
Rasheed Wallace – Wallace is a headcase, but he has proven that he can play, if his team is a contender. He could end up signing a one-year deal, but with his advancing age, he will be looking for security with at least a two-year deal. Potential Team – Chicago Bulls
Trevor Ariza – No one outside of UCLA alumni knew who Trevor Ariza was before the NBA Playoffs. He was acquired by the Lakers in a trade with Orlando for Brian Cook and a case of Bud Ice. Ariza can make key steals and is a much-needed motor that doesn’t stop. Potential Team – Los Angeles Lakers
Marcin Gortat – “The Polish Hammer” was another player that benefited from quality play in this year’s playoffs. Gortat replaced a suspended Dwight Howard in the Philadelphia/Magic series. He did much better than expected and many teams looking for a big man will be calling him at 12:01 AM. Potential Team – Houston Rockets
Glen Davis – A key reserve on the 2007-08 NBA Championship team, Davis continued strong play last season. When Kevin Garnett went down with an injury, Davis filled in and helped lead the team into the playoffs. He is still under-sized with a questionable jumper. Potential Team – Boston Celtics
Jason Kidd – Kidd is clearly on his last legs and will be a surefire Hall of Famer when he retires. He could help a team trying to leap from the Lottery into the playoffs. He can still run an offense effectively, but don’t expect the Jason Kidd of years past. Potential Team – New York Knicks
Grant Hill – Hill was a superstar at Duke and had an amazing first couple years in the NBA. Injuries have cost Hill a lot of playing time, but last season with Phoenix, he was an iron man. Hill can still be a factor and can help a young team with his veteran leadership. Potential Team – Portland Trail Blazers
Chris Anderson – Anderson didn’t let his colored past get in the way of his game last season. He helped the Nuggets get to the Western Conference Finals. He can do a lot of things on the floor and has qualities that every team in the NBA need. Potential Team – Denver Nuggets
Nate Robinson – He is an under-sized guard with crazy leaping ability. He is a proven scorer and can light up defenses with his quickness. A team who signs Robinson should have an established point guard, since he is not a natural point guard. He is a restricted free agent, so a team may not want to overpay for Robinson. Potential Team – New York Knicks
David Lee – Lee has the potential to be a great player in the NBA. He is a great rebounder and can score points in the paint. He plays hard and doesn’t have any other gear other than overdrive. He is also a restricted free agent, but many teams covet his skills. Potential Team – Indiana Pacers (What!? He’s a white boy who can rake. Bird loves those guys!)
Paul Millsap – The Jazz has a surplus of power forward talent on their team. He is a restricted free agent, but with Boozer and Okur staying and Andrei Kirilenko still with the Jazz, Millsap could be the odd man out. He had a break-out season last year and can be a starter on any team that signs him. Potential Team – Oklahoma City Thunder
Hedo Turkoglu – Turkoglu was the reason that the Magic made the NBA Finals. His play against Cleveland pushed the Magic into the next level. He has had struggles fitting in during his tenure with the Kings and Spurs and really seems to like playing in Orlando. Potential Team – Orlando Magic
Linas Kleiza – Kleiza was a piece of the Allen Iverson trade that sent “AI” to Denver from Philadelphia. Kleiza was considered a “throw-in” at the time, but he has improved his play and could be a contributor on nearly any team in the NBA. He could be had fairly cheap and could benefit from playing in an up-tempo offense. Potential Team – Detroit Pistons
Raymond Felton – The Bobcats have stuck by Felton, even after they pick D.J. Augustin in the draft. Felton has had a better-than-expected career in Charlotte and is a proven scorer. He was improving at point guard and could be a starter on a young team, but probably not a contender. Michael Jordan loves Felton, so it would take a large offer for Felton to blot. Potential Team – Chartlotte Bobcats
Josh Childress – Childress wasn’t pleased with the offers that he received from teams last season and didn’t want to go back to Atlanta. He spent last season in Europe and could sign with an NBA team this year. He is still a young player and he could be a star in this league. Potential Team – Boston Celtics
Ramon Sessions – Sessions went from D-League All-Star to potential future NBA star in a matter of months. When Michael Redd went down last season, the Bucks were in need of points and Sessions delivered. He is young, 23 years old, and could be had with a mid-level exemption. Potential Team – Memphis Grizzlies
A Sports & Entertainment blog that focuses on absurdity in sports, snarky banter, updates on Tim Tebow’s virginity, and decent sports gambling advice.
Re-Do – 2006 NBA Draft
You can’t really grade a draft in any league until 3 years later. I did a “re-do” post a year ago with the 2005 NBA Draft, you can see that HERE.
The NBA just had their draft last week and it will take a few seasons to see if they work out. The 2006 NBA Draft has had only one all-star so far, but a few stars are starting to emerge. The teams didn’t seem to know who they wanted during the draft, 5 out of top 10 picks were traded. Toronto had the first pick in that draft, would they still pick Andrea Bargnani? Here is what the 2006 NBA Draft Lottery would look like if it were held today. Continue reading
MLB Pepper!: Holliday, Reds, Gonzalez
I don’t have any news on Jenn Sterger, but I think I need some more eye candy on this site. She’s a Cubs fan, which I like, plus she is a blog icon. She is in the Sports Blog Hall of Fame with Erin Andrews, Allison Stoke, Jenny Finch, and Maria Sharapova. Anyways, I am going to a rundown of some of the latest news and rumors concerning some teams in Major League Baseball.
Will the Cincinnati Reds be buyers at the trading deadline? They should be in the market for a bat, since Jay Bruce has power, but no average. They like to trade with the Washington Nationals, but at this point, would you trade with a team as bad as they are? Josh Willingham is a rumor that could happen, he’s a cheaper option than Matt Holliday. They would have to give up their top prospects to get Holliday in Cincinnati. The Reds are deep with minor-league pitching prospects and could part with last year’s 1st round pick, first baseman, Yonder Alonso. Joey Votto should be the franchise’s 1st baseman for a long time, so Alonso could be a trade chip to get a major-league ready bat.
Will the San Diego Padres sell off everybody this year? Jake Peavy was already shopped around with no team able to take on his salary. The Padres ownership aren’t shying away from trade talks, but their two best trading chips at this point, Adrian Gonzalez and Heath Bell, may not be moved. The owners would never hear the end if they ship off their best two players, flirt with trading Peavy all off-season, and letting Trevor Hoffman leave in the same calendar year. The Padres are a long way from being a contender and that ballpark is scaring any big-time hitter from playing there.
Will the Cubs trade Josh Vitters? The injury to Aramis Ramirez might have put a scare in the upper management of the Chicago Cubs. When they were in pursuit of Jake Peavy, Vitters was a big piece of the deal. Vitters was the first round pick of the Chicago Cubs in 2008, but with Ramirez scheduled to be at that position in the future, he could be moved to get back help at other positions. The Cubs aren’t have a great season, but they feel that once they get Ramirez back, they could make a run. After the All-Star break, if the Cubs slip deeper into the NL Central, look for them to keep Vitters.
Does any team want Vernon Wells or Alex Rios? Toronto would love to get rid of the contracts of Wells and Rios, but what teams could take on the extra payroll. The short answer is none, but wait a few weeks. If a team is desperate enough to make a move, maybe it could happen. If a division, let’s say the NL East, is very active making trades, a team that is in contention may try to make a splash and keep up with the rest of the division. Rios will be easier to move than Wells, since he’s cheaper and seems to have better 2nd halves of seasons in his career.
Will Lastings Milledge ever live up to his potential? Yahoo! is reporting that the Washington Nationals are offering Lastings Milledge straight-up for the Pittsburgh’s Nyjer Morgan. The Pirates are looking for a second player in return for Morgan, but I could see them pulling the trigger on this deal. Milledge is 24 and has the potential to hit for power and average, but he’s currently in the minor-leagues due to some behavior problems and ineffectiveness in the pros. Morgan is 29 and is clearly at his peak, you know what you have with Morgan, but not with Milledge. The unknown with Milledge could be great or a complete bust. The Nationals need a defensive outfielder and more character guys, Morgan fits the bill. An outfield with Andrew McCutcheon and Lastings Milledge could be too enticing for Pittsburgh’s GM, Neal Huntington, to pass up.
A Sports & Entertainment blog that focuses on absurdity in sports, snarky banter, updates on Tim Tebow’s virginity, and decent sports gambling advice.
Post-Draft Rumors: Shaq To Portland?
The Draft is the unofficial start to the off-season for the NBA. After the dust settles and the draft day trades get finalized, you start to hear rumors of players opting out, trades that didn’t happen, and rumors of players on the move. The post-draft activities is no different from past years, all of the above is happening.
After Shaquille O’Neal was traded to Cleveland, he mentioned that there could have been a trade that sent him to Portland. He told Steve Kerr that he didn’t want to play in Portland, so all the talk stopped there. The deal was proposed back in February, before the trading deadline last season. How would that trade work? Cleveland made the trade work with expiring contracts that totaled near the total of Shaq’s salary. Portland didn’t have cap space then, but had the expiring contract of Raef LaFrentz is now off the books. If the same trade would have been proposed a couple of weeks ago, it would have been difficult for Portland to make it. Martell Webster and Joel Pryzbilla could have been sent, but it’s all clearly speculation and not sure if the final numbers would have worked out.
Hedo Turkoglu finally sent word to the Orlando Magic that he will definitely opt out of his contract. He would be the prize of this year’s free agency class, but he could try and see if they can settle on a long-term deal to stay in Orlando. The trade for Vince Carter could have sealed Turkoglu’s fate, there may not be enough money to sign their post-season stud.
Is he or isn’t he? The rumors have been swirling about where Amare Stoudemire will end up. Rumors were circulating that Stephon Curry was going to be part of a deal that sent Stoudemire to Golden State, but Don Nelson has been vocal that Curry is staying in Oakland. We should know more this week about the fate of Amare Stoudemire.
Is Ricky Rubio staying in Spain or will he face the cold in Minnesota? A decision should be made in the next few weeks. The New York Knicks are rumored to be working on a proposal to land the talented point guard. If Rubio ends up in New York, you could possibly put an end to the rumor that Steve Nash will sign with the Knicks when he becomes a free agent.
America’s White Boy’s official NBA team, the Indiana Pacers, are saying that they will be very active this off-season. They drafted Tyler Hansbrough and A.J. Price, but those picks didn’t fill any pressing needs for the team. They are shopping T.J. Ford around in hopes of finding another point guard. They have plenty of expiring contracts, but with the state of the economy, don’t look for them to be buyers and taking on extra payroll. They are setting up for a run at a few free agents in a year. They need another young scorer to match up with Danny Granger.
A rumor that is starting to gain steam is Ben Wallace will be traded from Phoenix to New Orleans for Tyson Chandler. The Hornets need to get rid of Chandler’s multi-year deal and Wallace is in the last year of his deal. He has even said that he may retire, if that is true, the Hornets could buyout his contract and save some money.
With free agency starting on Wednesday, Glen “Big Baby” Davis could be looking for a starting job. He said that he is in a position to make more money and maybe even a starting gig. Davis was crucial in the Celtics run last year and with Garnett’s status still up in the air, they should try and work out a deal.
Wondering where Baylor’s Curtis Jerrells may end up? It looks like he will be playing for Dallas on their summer league team. He could end up with a spot on the Mavericks or more likely, this is a gig to showcase his skills and possibly land on an NBDL squad.
Other undrafted free agent landing spots…Temple’s Dionte Christmas accepted a spot on the 76ers summer league team. BC’s Tyrese Rice will be playing for Washington, UConn’s Jeff Adrien will be playing for Memphis, and Gonzaga’s Josh Heytvelt will suit up for Golden State on their summer league team. Gonzaga’s Jeremy Pargo could end up on Portland’s summer league, but no official word as of today.
A Sports & Entertainment blog that focuses on absurdity in sports, snarky banter, updates on Tim Tebow’s virginity, and decent sports gambling advice.
Bill Simmons: NBA GM?
I recently wrote an article over at Gunaxin.com about Bill Simmons, “The Sports Guy,” possibly becoming an NBA GM. It’s more of a “What could happen if he ever landed his supreme gig.” It deals with some of his “theories” and his obsession with things like “The Real World” and “Teen Wolf.”
If you’re interested in reading it, Clck Here for “Bill Simmons: NBA GM?
A Sports & Entertainment blog that focuses on absurdity in sports, snarky banter, updates on Tim Tebow’s virginity, and decent sports gambling advice.
Mark Derosa Goes To The Dark Side
Mark DeRosa was a marginal baseball player with the Atlanta Braves and Texas Rangers. The Cubs GM, Jim Hendry, saw something in him that he liked and signed him to a 3-year/$13 million dollar contract. The signing was panned as a “bad signing” by many sports writers. They thought that the Cubs were just throwing around money to any player that they owned a glove. DeRosa soon changed the mind of many writers by have two solid seasons for the Cubs. In 2008, you could argue that he was the team’s most-valuable player. He was so versatile and could play six positions, plus hit for average and power. The Cubs needed to shed salary, so unfortunately DeRosa was the victim. They traded him to the Cleveland Indians for three minor-league pitchers. The Cubs have missed his versatility all season with injuries to both corner infield positions have cost them games.
The Indians were trying to build to win this season, but with injuries to Grady Sizemore and Travis Hafner and a bullpen collapse, the Indians have been near the bottom of the Central Division all season. DeRosa has been great this season and with the Indians out of the race, nearly every contending team called about trading for him. The Indians needed bullpen help and with the St. Louis Cardinals having a surplus of relievers, the Cardinals and Indians pulled a deal that will send DeRosa to St. Louis. The Indians will receive reliever Chris Perez and the infamous “player to be named later.”
As you all know, I’m a huge Cubs fan. It’s common with Cubs fans to hate the St. Louis Cardinals, so I’m not alone. I have to be somewhat cautious with my hate these days, since my girlfriend is from St. Louis, but I have to scream from the rooftops on this one. The Cubs should have stuck with DeRosa’s salary and used him as trade bait in the middle of the season. I know if the Cubs were in the playoff hunt, the fanbase wouldn’t have accepted a DeRosa trade, but it could have helped land a cheap, young starting pitcher. I think it was a huge mistake to trade DeRosa for three mid-level, mid-ceiling, minor-league pitchers. I know their farm system is a joke and they need prospects, but they got squat in return.
I like Mark DeRosa, but I am going to have a hard time seeing him in a Cardinals jersey. I went to a Cleveland Indians game a couple weeks ago and I clapped for him when he went to bat. It’s a respect thing, but when you play for the “dark side,” the St. Louis Cardinals, you’re going to get booed from now and until you have another jersey on.
I’m sorry Mr. DeRosa, it may not be your call to go to St. Louis, but I know somewhere down the line this year, you are going to kill the Cubs. I would even boo Mrs. DeRosa, aka Heidi Miller, if I saw her on the street.
A Sports & Entertainment blog that focuses on absurdity in sports, snarky banter, updates on Tim Tebow’s virginity, and decent sports gambling advice.
2009 NBA Draft – Best Undrafted Players
Not everyone can be drafted in the NBA Draft. Many players go on to become undrafted free-agents and sign on with teams. Most of these players will either sign with an NBA team, play in the NBDL, or go onto Europe and play. I was surprised that my boy, Ben Woodside, didn’t garner a late 2nd-round pick. He is small and played at North Dakota State, but the kid is a scoring machine. Jeremy Pargo and Josh Shipp were two others that surprised me, since they both come from good programs and were stars. Here is a list of the best players who didn’t hear their name called last night.
Josh Heytvelt – Gonzaga
Paul Harris – Syracuse
Dionte Christmas – Temple
Jerel McNeal – Marquette
Chris Johnson – LSU
Courtney Fells – NC State
Tyrese Rice – Boston College
Leo Lyons – Missouri
Jeff Adrien – Connecticut
Curtis Jerrells – Baylor
Eric Devendorf – Syracuse
Shawn Taggart – Memphis
Jeremy Pargo – Gonzaga
Ben Woodside – North Dakota State
A.J. Abrams – Texas
Josh Shipp – UCLA
Alex Ruoff – West Virginia
Andrew Lovedale – Davidson
A Sports & Entertainment blog that focuses on absurdity in sports, snarky banter, updates on Tim Tebow’s virginity, and decent sports gambling advice.