- 03:19 AM
- 11/22/09
The bit about being captain as the cherry on the contract sundae bugged the crap out of me. I don't much care if he doesn't pick up a check -- so he's a cheapskate, big deal -- but not leading your team, and still calling yourself the captain? That's despicable. Support your team, lead them through the rough spots, encourage them, advise them... hell, he certainly has a lot to teach. Why he wouldn't take this opportunity to do so with his own teammates, I don't know. Unless, as others have said, they're just batting practice until he can get back with his 'real' teammates in Europe. And god forbid he share any of his Beckham Brand Trade Secrets for Excellent Play with those who aren't European.
He should have acknowledged that he wasn't a good leader and just wanted to play the game. Let someone who can naturally lead others do the job. Don't take it by force just because you feel you're entitled to it thanks to your name recognition. Problem here is that nobody was willing to step up and say "This guy's total shit as a captain," because they knew with his $$$ clout he could likely have them knocked off the team for speaking their mind. A mini-dictatorship with a guy who doesn't know how to lead in charge of it all.
posted by evixir at 02:53 PM on July 05
CNN's reporting the wife is not a suspect. But I imagine she would challenge the "better man" aspect of his personality that TheQatarian mentions.
posted by evixir at 08:35 AM on July 05
Also, there's a radio show in Milwaukee (The Big Show on WSSP 1250AM) that featured LeRoy Butler talking at length about the rumours. You can hear LeRoy's comments here. To lend some credence to his commentary, Butler played his entire career with the Packers (11 years, 10 of which were with Favre) and was beloved by Packers fans as a real all-around stand-up guy.
As a lifelong Packer fan myself, this whole story really disturbs me. I've lost a lot of respect for Favre over the retirement thing, and he lost my fandom as a result, but even with all that in mind, I reallllllly don't want this to be true.
posted by evixir at 09:49 PM on October 21
Thanks for posting this, rcade. I came here specifically to see if anyone had mentioned it.
Additional updates from the Journal Sentinel Packer blog (not necessarily an unbiased source, of course):
Reporter stands by Favre-Lions story "1000%"
NFL says no violation if Favre talked to Lions
posted by evixir at 09:16 PM on October 21
As a longtime Brewer fan, this is an extraordinarily happy day. It's also noteworthy since we sacked our head coach within the past two weeks as well. A win over the Cubs and a loss by the Mets helped us clinch this wild card spot, but 26 years of unwavering fandom certainly didn't hurt either. I was 7 the last time we made the postseason and I'm just amazed it took so long, but so pleased it finally did.
posted by evixir at 12:53 PM on September 29
Seeing as how the Brewers just clinched the NL wild card yesterday, I just wanted to chime in and say I can't possibly express how glad I am that the naysayers were wrong. I was one of the few Yost fans among the Brewers fandom, and for as many missteps as he may have made along the way, he was a part of getting us to this point. For that, I'm grateful.
posted by evixir at 12:48 PM on September 29
As a longterm Brewers fan, I can't begin to tell you how excited folks are about this development. I'm not sure if CC alone can take us all the way, but danged if it doesn't seem like Melvin is serious for a change. The Brewer farm system has long been a breeding ground for excellent prospects; it's no wonder Cleveland mined it well for Sabathia. We'll see how it plays out, but the nervousness on the part of other NL teams puts a big grin on our faces.
posted by evixir at 04:30 PM on July 08
That is utterly heartbreaking. She ran a beautiful race.
posted by evixir at 11:15 PM on May 03
This was terrific; thanks for sharing it. I'll make sure to follow his career.
posted by evixir at 06:09 PM on March 11
I'm strangely really emotional about this today, but I suppose that can be said for most Wisconsinites and die-hard Packer fans. Thanks for 17 amazing years, Brett.
posted by evixir at 01:00 PM on March 04
I love the fact that he was thinking of breeding them for profit originally, but after a couple days of volunteering, he had them neutered immediately. Smart move.
posted by evixir at 11:22 AM on February 06
As a lifelong Packer fan, I fully agree with Nerfball's assertion that if the Pack lets their guard down against the Giants or the Pats (oh please, let it be Packers vs Pats) then they're not going to bounce back so easily. Here's hoping it won't be an issue. Can't tell you how pleased I was to see them continue to trust in Grant and for him to take the opportunity to redeem himself -- and run with it, all the way into the endzone. What an awesome game. I love this freakin' team.
posted by evixir at 01:28 PM on January 15
I found this an incredibly sad coda to his life, though I suppose many could have predicted this a number of years ago. He was blessed with an extraordinary natural talent on the ice and with the audience; so many people felt he would go so much further and find such greater success than what ultimately transpired.
posted by evixir at 08:33 AM on January 11
Appreciate the clarifications, all. When I posted the article it was significantly more abbreviated than the updated version they posted a couple hours later.
posted by evixir at 03:40 PM on November 01
That was something else. Reminds me of the straight-A kids in school who were petrified over getting an A-... and would do almost anything for the teacher to change that grade.
posted by evixir at 02:07 PM on July 30
You guys are my history heroes, YYM, tt, and JJ. The image of Hitler and Owens sharing a tandem bike ride is bust-a-gut funny. This whole article is Onion-worthy, frankly.
posted by evixir at 08:03 AM on July 27
My father takes his white German Shepherd with him when he visits his inner-city Milwaukee apartment buildings. The dog stays in the van and guards his tools. Nobody on the outside knows that this dog would lick them to death before he'd ever bite them; none of that matters because all the kids in the neighborhood think he's a wolf. And I can't tell you how many of them go up to my dad and ask "Wow, do you fight him?" It's a sick culture, in my opinion, that enables children to grow up thinking dogs are only good for fighting and killing each other. BornIcon hits it right on the nose: Just because it's commonplace doesn't make it right. And that's Milwaukee, people. That isn't quite as "Deep South" as you would like to believe, Atheist. That said, Portis didn't sound like he was taking any of this Vick business very seriously. And if he grew up in that culture, as it sounds like, then he has the same perspective as those kids, or at least identifies closely with it, which explains his comments perfectly. If Vick or his relatives are using the property to breed dogs for fighting, then that's for the law to suss out. I don't quite see why Portis yapping about this issue is news in the least.
posted by evixir at 01:20 PM on May 22
How timely -- I go in for an annual eye checkup tomorrow morning. Amber-tinted lenses, here I come! Fascinating stuff.
posted by evixir at 08:10 AM on April 26
I couldn't care less if Manny doesn't enjoy joining in the media analysis of his performances. I like how simple he keeps things, though I do share the author's disappointment that he hasn't helped out his school that much. That's kind of crappy, imho. He could give them the money he gets from the auction of his fancy Lincoln so they could get some lights on the field!
posted by evixir at 01:35 PM on April 23
Maybe it's from too many years of watching Favre, but I see Rex out there and I see a scared kid terrified of the blitz and getting sacked. He gets way too nervous and skittish in the pocket, and ends up throwing it where he shouldn't all too often; I just wouldn't have a whole helluva lot of confidence in him as my QB if I were a Bears fan (a sentiment I see echoed herein quite a bit from Bears fans too). Of course, the Packers were interested in him once too, so I don't doubt that he'll amount to something great down the line, but right now I see inexperience plaguing his play more often than not. That was one exciting game, though sloppy as hell. Give the kid a couple more years and he'll settle down and hit his stride.
posted by evixir at 12:59 PM on January 17
When Pettitte left the Yankees after the 2003 season to sign with his hometown Astros, he felt unwanted by New York. This time, he felt unappreciated by Houston. I'm sorry, but boo flippin' hoo, pal. Where's he going to run to next to fill that internal void? How many dollars does it take to make you feel loved, Andy? I would be completely flabbergasted if Clemens actually followed him over to New York. I don't see it happening at all.
posted by evixir at 08:50 AM on December 11
Wonderful, wonderful way to start my day. Thank you for this. God, I love baseball.
posted by evixir at 08:27 AM on December 05
POSITIVE: Watching the defeated Yankees sullenly leaving their dugout as the Tigers celebrated their playoff conquest, Derek Jeter, Joe Torre disappearing down the steps with glum faces. And then seeing the Yankees’ Johnny Damon standing on the dugout steps and applauding the Tigers as they celebrated on the infield. I didn't know Damon did that in the dugout. My respect level for him has been bumped up a few notches. That's classy as hell.
posted by evixir at 09:54 AM on October 30
I thought for a second it might be residue from New-Skin, a liquid bandage substance that can leave an orangey residue in some cases. But that would've had to be a pretty big cut and would have affected his game more than a little bit, especially in his throwing hand. At any rate, I can't imagine he'd be so f'n stupid to use something purposefully when he knows he'll be televised and millions of people will be watching his every move. He's not a rookie; he knows better than that.
posted by evixir at 08:48 AM on October 23
Terrific post! Thanks for giving us a dose of perspective.
posted by evixir at 08:43 AM on September 12
Ahh, a wonderful post. It has been a long, long wait for us dedicated Brewers fans, but last year gave us a hint of the year to come, and this year will give us a hint of the magic of the future. It's a great time to be a fan of the Brew Crew. And hats off to Ned Yost for all he has done for the team -- he's had the magic touch, and he's also had some great guys to work with. Hooray for baseball!
posted by evixir at 09:35 PM on April 18
Once she learns to string those jumps together with the other movements, she'll be a better skater, a better human being, and a more complete artist on the ice. I can't help it; the inclusion of "a better human being" just sparked the giggles in me. I agree with your point, though, that four years will add some much-needed maturity to her skating. Excellent, insightful comments in this thread, folks. Thanks for giving me a reason to visit SpoFi much more often.
posted by evixir at 08:38 AM on January 05
Ahh, reminds me of Tony Mandarich, for some reason. There's still a poster of Don Majkowski in my brother's old room upstairs in my mom's house. Majik man indeed!
posted by evixir at 08:30 AM on September 26
"I think that's what's causing everything. It's a pattern of things that have been said -- things said off the cuff that I don't interpret as funny. It may be funny to him, but it's not funny to Milton Bradley." Evixir finds it difficult to take anyone seriously when they refer to themselves in the third person. Both these characters have some chips on their shoulders, but taking it to the press is the most undignified way of doing it. Interesting to see that Kent took the high road on this one by not getting into it. On a different note, wow, noone seems to be using the Preview button much anymore. Evixir finds it difficult to take posts all that seriously when they're rife with spelling errors. Hey, someone had to be the grammar police around here! [/snark]
posted by evixir at 08:34 AM on August 24
All I know is that my Milwaukee Brewers get my unconditional love and support year after year, no matter how badly they may fuck things up for themselves and me in the process. It is a partnership borne of strife, but fueled by commitment to a cause, and I must say the sex life has never been hotter than this season! I think firing Ulice Payne as our marriage counselor worked wonders...
posted by evixir at 11:53 PM on June 19
Like the article says... this is not the first time such an accusation has been raised. They've been barking about the possibility of this for years now. However, the real issue is simply this: The Metrodome SUCKS. I mean, for baseball, it's truly the worst. You should see the "bullpen" where pitchers warm up, which is basically a strip of dirt on the far right side of the field... and the left side of the field is so cluttered with empty Gatorade cups by the middle of the game that the leftfielder often has to wade through them to get to the ball. It's ridiculous. It's one of the worst ballparks I've ever been in. Gives the game a bad name, not to mention the Twins a horrible venue for showcasing their skills.
posted by evixir at 12:57 AM on June 07
Maybe she got stung by a bee? ("watch your butts" is awesome.)
posted by evixir at 10:28 PM on May 22
Rocketman, I gotta say I love you for posting this. The Brewers get so little recognition as it is, and they're playing incredible baseball so far this season. It's exciting as hell to see, and as a fan, I'm beside myself with all the come-from-behind victories. Even into the late innings, they never toss in the towel but go down fighting all the way. It's amazing. It's what we've been waiting for, and with Hardy, Gwynn, Fielder, and Spivey on the up-and-up, hoo-boy, it's going to be a fun time to be a Brewers fan. All the press that Overbay's been getting... I'm all for it, and he's hot as hell right now, but they're overlooking the consistency behind him, too. Jenkins is always dependable both on the field and at the plate, Podsednik is still playing his heart out, Clark has done some nice things in right field, and Helms is picking up his pace yet again. Add in some nice work by Moeller with the cycle not too long ago, "Toolshed" Kieschnick, who we see far too little of, and the ever-reliable Craiggers Counsell, and man oh man, what a fun year for baseball...
posted by evixir at 08:57 PM on May 18
I'll send up a nod for Gary Sheffield. The arrogance this guy struts around with is astonishing. Talented, sure, but I still loathe the guy. Aaron Boone was it for me last year. One home run does not an excellent ballplayer make. All of a sudden, everyone in town was praising Boone to the high heavens when a month before he wasn't even a blip on anyone's radar, and rightly so.
posted by evixir at 11:49 AM on April 09
Of course, having said that, we'll probably have a Tigers-Brewers world series this year. Looks like they'll be playing the Brewers in the World Series. Ahh, and what a World Series that would be... divided by a Great Lake... two blue-collar towns duke it out for the championship... excellent. Hey, at least it's nice to have a good start to the season. Somebody has to be last in the league -- it's just nice to turn over the reins to someone else for a week or so.
posted by evixir at 10:35 AM on April 09
Totally crushed about Scotty Po losing out. How can you argue with these stats? "Willis appeared in 27 games and went 14-6 with a 3.30 ERA; Podsednik played in 154 games and batted .314 with nine homers, 58 RBIs, 43 stolen bases and 100 runs scored. Podsednik led NL rookies in average, steals, walks, multihit games, triples, hits, total bases, runs and on-base percentage. With an eighth-inning home run on the last day of the season, he became the fourth Major Leaguer since 1900 to bat .300 with at least 40 steals and 100 runs scored, joining Ichico Suzuki (2001), "Shoeless" Joe Jackson (1911) and Jimmy Barrett (1900)." They really ought to consider doing it like The Sporting News does and have separate awards for pitchers and everyday fielding players.
posted by evixir at 09:18 PM on November 10
Thanks for bringing it to our attention, rcade. Never would've known about it otherwise, and it's a good reminder of the dangers of the sport -- complications or no complications.
posted by evixir at 05:36 PM on September 10
Oh man, you wouldn't believe how the news outlets in Milwaukee are treating this one. Leading news story all day, serious faces on the broadcaster's mugs... viewers calling in clamoring for Simon's head, you name it. Dumb thing to do? Of course. Fine him a couple bucks, give the gals a souvenir, the end. But a press conference? National media discussing pro athlete's attitudes and pomposity based on this particular incident? Ugh. The best part about all of this is the attention the Sausage Race gets as a result. And I'm with everybody here who's heartily amused by the spectacle in general. Simon was naughty, but the image of the giant sausage noggin takin a floggin makes me giggle every time. About a year ago, there was a race where one of the sausages tripped over his own feet and did a total face-plant into the dirt. They played it over and over again on the nightly sportscast and I couldn't stop laughing. Funny, funny stuff.
posted by evixir at 07:24 PM on July 10
No matter how bad the team may currently be, we here in Milwaukee are extremely pleased that MJ won't be coming to town to ruin things here like he did in Washington. Or, for that matter, moving the team out of Milwaukee, which was also rumoured... let him flex his fledgling wannabe MBA muscles somewhere else.
posted by evixir at 11:18 PM on June 30
Perhaps he's off taking care of the pain in his own way...
posted by evixir at 04:41 PM on May 14
Hey now, he had some good speeches and stuff.
posted by evixir at 11:18 PM on April 25
Technically, yes, but I don't remember any media reports that he was mad about the situation and wanted to get out on the field or try to get a hit. He acquiesced and didn't put up much of a fight as far as Milwaukee folks were aware...
posted by evixir at 11:11 PM on April 01
Oh, I just love you all for even mentioning Robin Yount in the same breath. Perish the thought of Jose Hernandez, though... as good as he was at shortstop for Milwaukee, he was also the same one that benched himself for the last stretch of the season because he was afraid of getting the major league strikeout record. Moron! Get your ass up and play! Talk about a bad attitude with regards to the game.
posted by evixir at 05:57 PM on April 01
I didn't even see Timothy Goebel's skate but everyone seemed surprised that the badly-coiffed blonde pinhead Russian with the sneering attitude beat him. Speaking of being horrible with names, what an unfortunate name the American kid has, too... I'm forever destined to want to type "Goebbels."
posted by evixir at 12:49 AM on April 01
I thought Kent and Bonds had a feud thing going. What was the deal with all that?
posted by evixir at 04:16 AM on December 20
Okay, not to beat a dead Sapp horse, and the last thing I want to see is Favre hurt again, but... At one point in the game after Favre threw an interception, the interceptor was making his way directly towards the end zone and a potential touchdown when Favre tackled him about fifteen yards short. Why does this matter? Because Sapp basically watched him do it, jogging right past Favre as he moved to make the tackle. Sapp made absolutely no move to block Favre whatsoever. I totally get the friendly rivalry that exists between them, but with that in mind, I don't understand how anyone can rationalize his behaviour towards Clifton earlier on. I know a hit's a hit, and you're in football for the hitting and all that, but to ignore an obvious block and take an unnecessary one later? Sapp didn't even try to stand between Favre and Favre's intended.... whereas Clifton was a good ten yards from any of the action and no threat at all, and suffered a seaon-ending injury. There's a thing called unsportsmanlike conduct, and I think Sapp's judgment towards Clifton demonstrates the phrase. If you're going to play the game, play the fuckin game... don't let your bestest buddy stroll by to tackle your teammate before a touchdown and instead take out a guy who by all accounts couldn't have gotten anywhere near the action in time to do anything to stop it. It almost looked like Clifton was just standing there, not even really making a move towards the action, it all developed so fast... and then Sapp puts the hurt down before Clifton even knows what's going on. Meanwhile, Favre can skip around the field all he likes and Sapp's not gonna touch him? Come on. That's football?
posted by evixir at 02:04 AM on November 26
Shackbar, I feel the same way. Favre's been off since last week, and it's starting to feel like that hit he took that knocked his knee out of whack did more to his psyche than his physical person. And that's a bad, bad thing. Plus, that Mike Sherman thing, hats off for picking a fight with Sapp. One of the scariest men in football? He's not Ray Lewis, for crying out loud. Talking big and blustering like crazy does not a scary man make. Plus, that hit was pretty stupid -- Clifton was way upfield, far away from all the action! If you're going to fine Favre for an unnecessary hit, here's hoping they take a look at that one too, cos Clifton had absolutely no chance of getting near the Buccaneer with the ball at the time, so hitting him, especially so harshly considering the circumstances, was really stupid. I've got a lot of respect for Sapp but after this comment : "If I was 25 years old and didn't have a kid and a conscience, I would have given him an ass-kicking right there at the 30-yard line." bam, there goes a lot of the respect for his abilities. If you're a jackass about a play, do your career a favor and don't broadcast it by talking shit about another coach. There are lots of talented defensive tackles who know when to keep their mouths shut and not celebrate once you've rendered another player essentially motionless due to injury.
posted by evixir at 03:38 AM on November 25
Hmmph. I'm a Packers fan, and had to live amongst Vikings fans in Minneapolis for 8 years. I like Packers fans because they're fans through good seasons and bad, which is not necessarily the case with the Vikings "fans" I ran across in those eight years. I'll take a winning season over beating a rival any day of the week and thrice on Sunday. At the end of the season, if all you've got to be proud of is beating a rival, you've got some serious coaching issues to deal with. Speaking of which, as far as Packers are concerned, all my life the main rivalry's been against the Bears. I wasn't even aware of any Vikings rivalry until I got up there in '93, so maybe it's more a rivalry in Minnesotan eyes than anything else. We don't like the Metrodome, but I don't think the Vikes were even considered rival-caliber, least not while I was growing up and not at present amongst the Packers fans I know. At any rate, that damn Metrodome's got to go. I don't think they blame it on crowd noise anymore, but this time it looked like underestimating the Viking offense's aggressiveness worked against our defense in a major way. Knew it was going to be a close one, though. I've obviously got some Vikings issues to work out, but they did play a great game on Sunday.
posted by evixir at 03:45 AM on November 19
I don't follow college basketball but I remember when something similar to this happened to the University of Minnesota men's basketball team a few years ago. Remember the cheating scandal? Big, big deal in my neck of the woods, since the college I worked at within the U counted many players among its students. Sucked to be the decent rule-abiding players among the rotten apples, especially for the next five years or for however long they imposed penalties upon the program.
posted by evixir at 03:33 AM on November 08
Stick a cold can of Chunky Soup on that sprained knee! 693,553 for the Packers, #1 all the way!
posted by evixir at 02:36 AM on October 30
How drunk was he? And what Eden Prairie restaurants have waiting lines for the women's bathrooms? I've never seen one that populated.
posted by evixir at 03:12 AM on October 19
How well is A-Rod liked in that lockerroom? Can't help but think his fat-wad paycheck has raised a few more hackles thereabouts.
posted by evixir at 01:31 AM on October 13
Damn, I was so hoping the Brewers might open their eyes and snag him and maybe enjoy a break-even season next year. Maybe I should pull my head out of the clouds?
posted by evixir at 09:20 PM on October 11
Back to the subject at hand, though (no pun intended) -- what's the deal with Denny Hocking's hand slashing? Intentional? He was "feuding" with the teammate who did it... ooh, the melodrama...
posted by evixir at 02:11 PM on October 07
Hopefully with Selig et. al. now out of the day-to-day operations of the Brewer ballclub, they might actually have a chance at a season where they break even. I'm not even saying a winning season, mind you... just don't lose 100+ games, for chrissake. You're killing the ten fans you have left!
posted by evixir at 02:06 PM on October 07
Apparently the tv ratings were pretty abysmal -- why didn't they leave it to ESPN, who did a damn fine job with the Home Run Derby? Fox sucked, the broadcasters sucked for ragging on the fans' reactions, and I can't believe they didn't show the Sausage Race. It's an integral part of any game at Miller Park, they show a clip of Battista nearly getting salamied out, and yet they don't say a thing about the Race in general. It's cheesy, it's silly, but it's fun, and it would've been good for ratings.
posted by evixir at 01:21 AM on July 11
What a disappointment. It had such promise at the beginning, with Hunter's fantastic grab and several terrific plays later on, a good pitcher-player matchup and fun had by all (strange to see a lighthearted Bonds). Why the hell didn't they have a bunch of alternate-alternates, not just backups for the starters, but some guys you stick in the back of the bus for these types of just-in-case scenarios?
posted by evixir at 12:29 AM on July 10
You did indeed, jgirl. Craig Counsell in, Kim out. Wasn't Kim the one that blew two saves for the D-backs in the last World Series? It's all going to be twenty miles from me, and I can't even go. How are you supposed to get tickets for this damn thing anyway? It's a day after my birthday and everything.
posted by evixir at 01:45 AM on July 02
It was a great game, but a bittersweet win, and all based in Sexson's batting skills. Why doesn't someone fire the hitting coach or some of the other coaches if the players aren't getting the hits or runs? Doesn't make much difference now, but this all just blows. I liked Lopes. Rumour has it George Karl is next.
posted by evixir at 12:37 AM on April 19
ESPN: Favre Reaches Deal to Join Vikings
As a die-hard Packers fan and someone who was an avowed devotee of Favre before the facade started to crack... this is quite the interesting development, to put it mildly. I had the fandom bad -- from the bobblehead to the little playing card in a plaque to the calendars and the doll and all that fandom crap. (It burns well, I've learned.) Most Packer fans I've spoken with about this are singularly disgusted and bemused, disgusted at Favre's desperate attempts to remain relevant and in the limelight, and bemused at the Vikings' insistence on enabling his childish behaviours.
I predict massive fail from this. They'll sell more tickets, they'll get better attendance at games, he'll provide some interest for the bandwagon Vikings fans constantly looking for an excuse to either follow the team or bail completely ("thick and thin" being a concept completely foreign to this group).
But he will sputter and fade, because his time is over. This was an initiative based purely on spite, as he has said himself. The fact that he will drag this showboating out in such a fashion just to further illuminate the "I've got hurt feelings over the way Ted Thompson didn't roll over and kowtow to my every whim" chip he's working on that torn-rotator-cuffed shoulder is like a Greek tragedy in action; I had absolutely, absolutely no idea that someone who had been so revered could voluntarily shit all over his own image this way, as well as shitting on all the fans who followed him for so long. Not even simple defecation, mind you, but the poo-flinging antics of a howler monkey stuck in the development stage. And, you know, you don't get to crap on Packers fans who stood behind you no matter what and then turn around and whine because you feel they never really truly supported you in the first place. Has noone recognized this narcissistic personality disorder for what it is? Or is he just really that unbelievably dumb?