- 09:54 AM
- 11/22/09
Hah! Methinks a foul wind doth (or did) blow over the hallowed grounds of "The Beautiful Game"...
posted by slackerman at 07:11 PM on April 06
In my view, this whole thing is a waste of the justice department's time and our money...when we can afford wasting neither!
posted by slackerman at 02:56 PM on January 15
people may come out to see him because we all like to watch train wrecks No, (for me) it's because his swing is a thing of beauty.... I don't care whether he took steroids or not, or what (if any) of his records are valid. I just want to watch him swing the bat in a major league game again. I don't think I'm alone.
posted by slackerman at 03:20 PM on June 28
I agree with grum. Regardless of what you think of the guy, he is _still_ amazing to watch. That kind of bat speed and coordination cannot be taught or (arguably) "enhanced". I remember barely catching a home run of his (shortly after he joined the Giants...at the "stick"...on a freezing cold Summer night) many years ago. The reason I barely caught it was because it left the field so quickly. Hit on a line, and still rising as it smashed into (and dented) the right field scoreboard. I'll never forget it. I've enjoyed watching Barry ever since, and have learned to ignore both his (sometimes) caustic personality and the kickback from it. (BTW, I think that's as much a part of his steroid scrutiny as is his alleged use.) To me, watching Barry play is like watching a force of nature, and I've missed it this season. I certainly hope that Barry finds a home!
posted by slackerman at 12:58 PM on June 28
I think the league knew that what Bill got caught doing was going on with other teams, as well. They chose to pursue a high profile team/person just to make an example of them/him. In my opinion, it's great that the Patriots did this....especially this year, and without "cheating". Kinda like a great big FU to the NFL :-) Cheers and Happy New Year everyone!
posted by slackerman at 09:23 PM on January 03
Steroids or not, these guys all make WAY too much money. Where money goes, corruption follows. How then, can any of this be surprising??
posted by slackerman at 10:56 AM on December 20
Yup.... That's the problem, Steel_Town. Baseball's a team sport. Whilst I admire Barry's raw talent (a lot), his poor clubhouse attitude and lack of tact with the press makes him a liability for most (soon to be any) teams.
posted by slackerman at 04:57 PM on August 14
Good...now I only hope that Costas, Abom, and the rest of the holier-than-thou media SHUT THE HELL UP! For that matter, Curt Schilling and Selig can shove it, too. This record, like Barry's whole career is impressive, but the 2004 season was, to me, the pinnacle of his career....and I consider it relatively "taint-free". "In 2004, Bonds had perhaps his best season. He hit .362 en route to his second National League batting title, and broke his own record by walking 232 times. He slugged .812, which was fourth-highest of all time, and broke his on-base percentage record with a .609 average. Bonds passed Mays on the career home run list, hitting his 700th near the end of the season. Bonds hit 45 home runs in 373 at-bats, and struck out just 41 times, putting himself in elite company, as few major leaguers have ever had more home runs than strikeouts in a season. Bonds would win his fourth consecutive MVP award and his seventh overall. His seven MVP awards are four more than any other player in history. (The MVP award was first given in 1931.) On July 4, 2004 he tied and passed Rickey Henderson's career bases on balls record with his 2190th and 2191st career walks.[6]" I don't think that sort of offensive season is likely to be repeated in my lifetime. Surprisingly (to a stats wonk, like myself), this season went largely unnoticed.... Ichiro's record-breaking season, though not as impressive, gained much more media attention. Thanks Barry!
posted by slackerman at 12:38 AM on August 08
Right....and with Gary Player pulling drugs into the golf picture, I am officially tuning any mention of drugs, in association with athletics, out. The whole "drugs and athletics" scare is being blown way the heck out of proportion. Isn't this something that has been done since the times of the ancient olympics? People need to get a grip and stop vilifying athletes for trying to succeed. From what I've seen, the "science" of drug detection is more of a PR (or political) tool than an exacting discipline. Ok....tuning out.
posted by slackerman at 05:23 PM on July 25
Good for Florida. They played well and were much better coached. Next season, however, I'm looking for USC to dominate. Especially if Jarrett returns.
posted by slackerman at 01:14 PM on January 09
Being a Giants fan, I'm happy he didn't end up here. I think that Girardi's a better fit. He did a lot, with very little, down Florida-way this past year and SF is long overdue for some new blood (management and players).
posted by slackerman at 11:45 PM on October 16
For a brief period of time, I believe the El Paso "Buzzards" were called the "Cow Patties". The logo and their uniforms looked like they were made by Gateway.... Here's the only article I could find on it. The team's no longer there...go figure.
posted by slackerman at 04:17 PM on September 19
....and I suspect that, like Connors, he'll have a comeback at some point following his retirement. Perhaps, in his late 30s... Oh, wait, he is in his late 30s, and he's already done the comeback thing. I'm sure that he'll have plenty to keep himself busy with...he's quite the businessman. I wish him the best of luck, whatever he does next!
posted by slackerman at 01:42 AM on June 25
DD, you must mean the NCAA here, right? Also, I think the suit would be because in UND's opinion the NCAA have been selective in their penalization policy.
posted by slackerman at 03:04 PM on June 15
Classic! What's next?
posted by slackerman at 03:19 PM on March 15
The only thing that Bonds could be in trouble for is perjury. Hopefully, he won't have to worry about his records, etc. As others have mentioned, baseball's steroid "policy" was laughable prior to the scandal. It would be extremely lame if they (the baseball "powers that be") decided to punish Bonds for their own crappy policy (or lack thereof...)! I'd still place the pre-steroid Barry up with the best hitters of all time. It's a shame that such a talented person has to be such an ass.
posted by slackerman at 12:10 PM on March 08
I'd say that Bond's most impressive season wasn't 2001, when he got the magic 73, but rather 2004. His stats that year were incredible and I don't think that they can be considered "steroid inflated"...
posted by slackerman at 02:19 PM on March 07
I slingboxed the daytime/live schedule so I could sneak little peeks at it while at work... It's the only enjoyment I got from this Olympics. NBC really jacked this one up!
posted by slackerman at 12:26 PM on February 25
He'll be back, after this season, but not as a Giant. I think he'll end up in the AL as a DH for some series-contending team. Then again, being a Giants fan, maybe, just maybe they (the Giants) will pull a rabbit out of a hat and win it all......not likely, but dreams are all I have.
posted by slackerman at 08:07 PM on February 19
These guys are testing for over a thousand plus substances. I'd be watching what I eat and drink, like a hawk. The troubling thing is that a fair number of these tests are new and not that reliable. This is what happens when what should be a science (the testing of blood/urine) becomes politicized.
posted by slackerman at 02:41 PM on February 17
Gatorhawk, I'm a Steelers fan who's giving you some advice. 1. Please use the Return/Enter key more often. 2. Use the Preview button. There... Is that so difficult? BTW, the game sucked, regardless of who you were pulling for!
posted by slackerman at 02:23 AM on February 15
Rose deserves to be in the Hall. He's served enough time, literally and figuratively.
posted by slackerman at 02:31 PM on November 22
Right and for you Wayne's World fans (and donut fans), here's another link to enjoy... For me, the only question is to answer now is... Krispy Kreme or Dunkin Donuts?
posted by slackerman at 05:19 PM on October 28
Good games, poor coverage, disinterested audience. 'Nuff said!
posted by slackerman at 02:02 PM on October 28
Hey tselson, That "In God We Trust", that you see on our money, was placed there by Deists, not Christians. Go read a book or two about the founding of our country and you'll see what I mean....and learn to turn off the damned Caps Lock newb :-) Sorry for the off-topic post!
posted by slackerman at 04:44 PM on October 27
(mis?)Quote of the game, by Mr. McCarver: "Ozzie and the White Sox are playing error free baseball." Sometimes, I wonder what game he's watching.
posted by slackerman at 01:55 AM on October 26
Oh come on! I think this blog, and the person who wrote it, is more annoying than Joe ever has been...
posted by slackerman at 12:08 PM on October 21
Pujol's hit was amazing, but unless it inspires the Cards to get some more offense going, it doesn't mean squat! On the Houston side, "He made a bad pitch..." might go down in infamy...
posted by slackerman at 01:25 PM on October 18
Go Sox! BTW, it's Ryne, not Ryan :-)
posted by slackerman at 10:05 PM on October 15
Yeah...Lou's definitely not stupid! I just remember when he was managing my Reds in '91... a sweep of the mighty A's! Ironically enough, I now live in the Bay Area, pull for the Giants, and admire what the A's have become under the expert management of Billy Beane. What has become of my Reds? Well, let's just say that certain owners need to learn the skill of "budding out". Cheers, - slackerman
posted by slackerman at 12:08 AM on September 22
Let's hope for a speedy recovery. Doug's definitely one of the NBA's most quotable.
posted by slackerman at 11:38 AM on August 30
rcade, Tainted my ass. If it wasn't specifically illegal during the TIME at which he won the event, he was playing by the rules! This argument applies to people other than Armstrong, too.
posted by slackerman at 02:50 PM on August 23
Can't say I'll miss Barry's media antics, but he has been fun to watch and last season his stats were astounding. It's too bad that his career will be tainted with this whole steroid/performance enhancing drugs deal. I'm sure we'll all "hear/see" the chip on his shoulder grow as he approaches retirement. Still...I'd be surprised if I saw a hitter more pure in my lifetime.
posted by slackerman at 04:13 PM on August 02
Choice is better, so long as it does not infringe on the rights of another.... in all things, religious or not.
posted by slackerman at 05:03 PM on May 13
What does it take to be a Hall of Fame voter? Since the only people quoted in this article were sportswriters, the answer must be.... not much. Both McGwire and Bonds deserve to be in the Hall.
posted by slackerman at 04:41 PM on March 25
I'm not sure that the drugs that Barry and company were taking were illegal at that time they took them. Not FDA-approved, does _not_ mean illegal! There are tons of "designer" drugs available on the sports medicine market. It's the reason that companies like Balco exist. The perjury thing is also pretty weak. It will be a his word against ex-girl's word type of thing. This is California....and, if Robert Blake can get off, so can Barry! Everyone talks about Barry's breaking the home run record as being the ultimate achievement in his career. I tend to think that what he did last season was _much_ more impressive. Setting single season records for: OBP, OPS, BB, and IBB. Plus, he was the oldest player to ever win a batting title.... and yet, it seemed that people were more interested in Ichiro's accomplishment. See "The Incomparable Barry Bonds" for further details on this statistically amazing season. One for the records, for sure! Noone can convince me that watching Barry swing a bat is anything less than witnessing a work of art. It's not just the power that is impressive, but the timing and speed. Poetry in motion. Regardless of what you think of the man, if you've seen him play, there will not be another like him for some time to come... if ever.
posted by slackerman at 01:28 AM on March 24
Ummm.... what legal problems could Barry possibly face? Unless you're allowed to prosecute someone for something that has _become_ illegal, he's in the clear, right? Or, am I missing something? Barry is not the most personable guy in the world, but if you're going to persecute him, McGwire should be in your sights, as well...
posted by slackerman at 01:12 AM on March 23
I can accept the fact that people have a thing against Bonds, the person, but it takes more than steroids to put up these kinds of numbers. There is one person, who did take "performance enhancing" drugs, who (I think) everyone would like: Mark McGwire. Yup. He took androstenedione to help him achieve his level of performance. Follow this link for a pretty decent article on steroids, their use, and a little history on them. Basically, my point is that personality does make a difference and that if this controversy had McGwire at the center, the opinions would be different. Or, could it be that the ridiculous "regressive conservatives" are about to lead another witch hunt? Perhaps. Opinion on this topic will swing back and forth... The personality(ies) at the center of the controversy will always sway public opinion.
posted by slackerman at 01:20 PM on December 04
Jeez... Stop focusing on Bonds, the man, and spend some time thinking about Bonds, the athlete. Steroids or not, he's accomplished some amazing things. I agree with Hal's earlier post. These drugs simply enabled the players to recover from their muscle-rending workouts faster. I can't believe that these are the "aggression inducing/testical reducing" steroids of my youth... I, for one, am still a great admirer of Bonds, regardless of the outcome of all of this stuff... I consider him a fantastic hitter (on the merits of his bat speed and technique...not necessarily power) and a decent fielder (even as a middle-aged man). I wouldn't mind it if they stripped him of his home run title (or *'d it!), but what he did this past season was even more impressive, and I don't think they can take that away. Say what you will about Bonds, the person, (personally, I think he's a jerk too!) but his athletic ability is undeniable!
posted by slackerman at 10:05 PM on December 03
I couldn't agree more with respect to Miller and Morgan. ESPN's Sunday Night baseball is (was? - haven't had ESPN for 5 years or so) a joy to watch or listen to... Miller and Morgan are the best commentary team that I've heard...period. Buck is OK, Brennaman is too. McCarver belabors points and, consistently, gets quotes wrong. Still, I would take the Miller/Morgan combo. over any other these days.
posted by slackerman at 10:45 PM on October 25
Cool stuff... Women's sports and, in particular, basketball, has come a long ways. I don't see it on Yahoo!, yet, though it's bound to get more press tomorrow...I hope! - slackerman
posted by slackerman at 11:31 PM on October 12
Champ Mountain Biker Caught with 400 Pounds of Marijuana
Is it just me or does she look a lot like the parking lot attendant from "Ferris Bueller's Day Off"