- 12:24 AM
- 11/22/09
It's not cancer awareness, missing the spotlight, or the need for competition. Whenever a man does something incredibly stupid (and I think this is), there is only one question to ask.
Who is she?
In July Lance broke up with Kate Hudson. In my 20's I made some pretty stupid life decisions right after breakups. Of course, Lance is older than that, but I wasn't breaking up with Kate Hudson either, or, for that matter, Sheryl Crow. (Oh, dear sweet Jesus God, Sheryl Crow. I'm surprised he didn't sign up for the Peace Corps after that one.)
posted by gradioc at 06:49 PM on September 10
I am shocked. That's right, shocked. And dismayed too. Yes shocked AND dismayed, that there was no, an absolute and total lack of, "Ricky Williams is a stoner" jokes, despite his signing of an extention this week. C'mon, focus!
"Jason Taylor must be scratching his head. Missing some voluntary workouts to be on Dancing With the Stars gets you traded by The Tuna, but, apparently, missing two years of your career to be on a tie-dye microbus in a cloud of the chronic gets you a contract extention. WTF?"
I mean, Jeez, how hard is that?
posted by gradioc at 09:14 PM on September 04
It's really heartbreaking. I remember when June Carter Cash passed and we watched grief drag down Johnny and knew he'd be gone soon. Kind of feels like that to me. A classier guy never made movies. You may come up with one just as classy, but more? Naw. Godspeed to you Paul Newman.
posted by gradioc at 08:22 PM on August 31
"Truth be told, I think what we heard that night was a 70-year-old man say some things people of his generation said in a locker room. Not acceptable, but such words don't necessarily equal racism."I have to disagree with the author here. Things like this, the true attitudes of generations before us, and of many today, very much equal racism. In fact what people say in the locker room, or the bar room, or the board room, where ever they think no one will bust them, is the very essence of racism.
I try very hard not to consider people evil for being born when and where they were and I do not consider Campanis evil. He merely reflected the attitudes and beliefs he grew up with. Abe Lincoln, while way ahead of the curve for his time, still had beliefs about race that would mark him as worse than Campanis today.
Evil? No, I don't think that. But racist? Absolutely. The attitudes of people like Al Campanis were the reason there were no black managers at that time.
posted by gradioc at 07:29 PM on August 31
"I'm sure Mariotti is thinking about his free trip to China, something he could not afford, being a national sports writing figure. That is just silly."
shfts, I think you either overestimate how much these guys make or underestimate how much it costs to get to Beijing. Even if he's making mid 6 figures, that's probably a significant percentage of his take-home and a chunk of change he did not have to spend, thanks to his "dying" newspaper.
The main point here though is that the paper paid him for years, provided an outlet for his opinions, and helped to make him a big deal. Just a little class might be in order, but, hey, it's Jay Mariotti. He's a jerk.
posted by gradioc at 07:53 PM on August 29
When I arrived in West Berlin in 1982 right out of the Infantry School at Fort Benning Ga, like all new members of The Berlin Brigade, I went through a two-week indoctrination called the School Of Standards. There was a lot of different stuff taught there, German and Berlin history, specific rules governing our occupation status, how to deal with the Soviets, etc.
But the most time, every afternoon of the two weeks, was given over to learning the basics of the German language. The Army thought it very important that we at least were able to get around the city without appearing to be idiots.
But there's only so much you get in 40 hours, and for probably the first year I was there I was very reluctant to carry on a conversation in German, even though I also had one semester of German in college. I knew I was butchering syntax and sentence structure and it was embarrassing to be giggled at.
My main point here is that I, too, have been a stranger in a strange land. I find the reluctance of these young women to speak bad English in front of a news crew and a camera perfectly understandable. I'm sure most of the "speak the language or go home" honks here have never had that experience.
All that being said, the LPGA has a product to sell, and personalites drive that. I understand their frustration with top players who cannot, or will not, express themselves at all in English.
Oh, and for bleedinbluno2 (the fist poster), a working knowledge of English IS required to become a US citizen unless you're old or mentally handicapped (usually reserved for close relatives, like a child or a parent, of a citizen).
All this worrying about everybody speaking the same language, it seems to me, makes you sound awfully FRENCH. And, yes, I do mean that as a deadly insult. My internationalism only goes so far.
posted by gradioc at 06:42 PM on August 27
I don't think it's as complicated as many of the other posters seem to. It's a bunch of overprotective parents terrified that their kid might get an owwie. If their kid could hit those pitches I doubt they'd be bitchin'.
posted by gradioc at 08:24 PM on August 26
Ah, but throw out all the stats for one second and think about the pressure this put on Byrd. In spite of all the progress that has been made in the last 2 decades in quantifying aspects of this most number driven of sports, it is still a game being played by humans with all their foibles.
What did that feel like, standing on deck and watching the catcher stand and hold his mitt out to the side? Shock, anger, fear, embarassment? All these I would think, and some more I can't imagine.
What exactly were the odds of his getting a hit when faced with a situation seen only five times this century?
Oh, and BTW, I said explicitly it was a risk. I jumped in because Shotput called it "a chickenshit move". I was not defending the wisdom, but the right of the manager to use the rules of the game.
posted by gradioc at 05:47 PM on August 20
I'll agree it was a risk, but "chickenshit"? Naw, I ain't buyin' that. To me it's like taking a safety on purpose in football. It seems crazy to give the other team 2 points, but under just the right circumstances (up 6, time running out, backed up on your own 1 or 2 yard line), it is a smart play to get the free kick rather than punt from the end zone.
The one that does not get done enough is in basketball. Up 3 with seconds left, it makes sense to foul the ball handler in the back court. Why give them a chance to get off a 3-pointer? Give up the 2 free throws and go home a winner.
posted by gradioc at 06:13 PM on August 19
This is heartbreaking. Farve made such a point of leaving the game with a good taste in his mouth. Then the Packers made the playoffs and were competitive all the way through the season. For a class act it was the perfect time to go home. I saw someone thinking that Miami might trade Jason Taylor for Farve. Green Bay should be so lucky. Let Farve play 3 games behind the Miami offensive line and he wiil wish he'd stayed on the farm. Taylor is still an effective legitimate NFL starter. So is Farve. The difference is Taylor would play for a real contender while Farve lives on his back, reduced to being a ticket selling ploy, and having to suffer the mind games of The Tuna. My question is; if Farve is put in a really bad situation (such as Miami), would he quit in midseason? A year ago I would have said, "No way. Not Farve. Not ever.". But after all this, can you be sure?
posted by gradioc at 10:06 PM on July 11
As for community ownership, seems there was an ultra-small-market that bought their team long ago and have done pretty well. What are the chances that Green Bay Wis. could get an NFL franchise today? Los Angeles is the only town I can think of that might be able to make that work today. But as to the NBA, these teams are becoming vagabonds as they try to blackmail their markets with threats of leaving and the markets reply, "Whatever." I'm here in NC and by the time the Hornets left for New Orleans everybody in two states were so tired of George Shinn's act there were volunteers to drive the bus. Had Hurricane Katrina not made New Orleans a basket case and a national story there's a good chance Shinn woiuld have beaten the Sonics to Oklahoma City, having gotten all he could out of the Big Easy. David Stern needs to look at what his OWNERS are doing and maybe focus less on what the players wear on airplanes.
posted by gradioc at 07:29 PM on July 09
Okay, this is just a personal opinion, but it really hit me as I watched the finals how much I really detest Kobe Bryant. The whole rape allegation and narcin' out his teammates for sleeping around aside, dude blew up the Lakers because he could not stand to share the spotlight. That creates a problem. How can you surround Kobe with the talent he needs to win a championship without pricking his ego? It's almost impossible. How do you write a LA Times sports page headline ahead of time? Simple. "Kobe Scores 40, Lakers Lose".
posted by gradioc at 08:51 PM on June 26
Bob Harig on ESPN.com interviewed Hank Haney, Tiger's swing coach, by telephone and Haney said, "The week of Memorial [two weeks before the Open], I thought there was no chance he could play," Haney said in a telephone interview from his home in Texas. "The doctors told him he needed to be on crutches for three weeks and then three more weeks of inactivity, and then you start rehabbing. "But Tiger looked the guy in the eye and said, 'I'm playing in the U.S. Open and I'm going to win.' Then he started putting on his shoes and told me we're going to go practice. It's just incredible." Big. Flaming. Brass. Ones. These guys come around once a generation at best with talent clearly surpassing all their competition and an iron will that wiil not accept anything short of complete victory. In my lifetime it's a short list; Ali, Jordan, Woods.
posted by gradioc at 05:55 PM on June 18
Alright, you guys back up off of Justine. I absolutely loved to watch this average sized woman (5' 5 3/4" the story said) take on the behemoths and whip their asses with skill and cunning that overcame the power game that has ruined men's tennis. I will miss her badly. It's not only tennis for me either. I'd rather watch Duncan than LeBron, Ichiro over Big Papi, Mark Martin rather than Earnhardt.
posted by gradioc at 09:30 PM on May 14
Geekyguy, I started to write that very post about Milano being a child on "Who's The Boss", but I looked it up and she was 20 when that show wrapped. And I bet very hot.
posted by gradioc at 05:49 PM on October 18
Okay, maybe I will buy this wasn't an evil plot to begin with, but they're just stupid if they don't seat her behind the plate hopefully with some new boyfriend. Wasn't it the Indians who played Pop Goes The Weasel for Rafeal Palmiero when his Viagra commercial came out? I think somebody there has an evil, evil mind. I like that.
posted by gradioc at 05:41 PM on October 18
When Petty won the first 100 of his 200, the world of NASCAR was very different. There were sanctioned races 2 and 3 times a week at little tracks all over the Southeast. The big names got appearance money to show up and race the locals and it all counted as a win. Look at Petty's record and you'll find wins at places like Bowman-Gray in Winston-Salem and Hickory Raceway, races where he was probably the only full-time pro in the field. I'm certainly not trying to downplay the dominance of the Petty team in their prime. Even at the big races with the best out there they were tough to beat. I'm just saying that holding any modern racer to the standard of 200 wins is nuts. The correct standard is 7 championships. Petty did it. Earnhardt did it. Gordon seems likely to get 5 this year and is still young. He could win 8 or 9 before it's over with. So, best ever? Still to be seen, but he's right there.
posted by gradioc at 09:33 PM on October 16
Cave Man, even if any of this pure speculation turns out to be true, I think we can cut Gipp some slack since he was busy being DEAD when the child was born. We don't know what he knew or had done or promised to do. Take a breath dude.
posted by gradioc at 06:41 PM on October 11
What makes it not just a statisical anomaly is the fact that DiMaggio had a 61-game hitting streak when he was in the Pacific Coast League (still the minor league record). He hit .408 during the 56-game streak, which isn't record breaking, but certainly enhances your chances over his career average sited above. And, as for asterisks, why in the hell is there still one on Maris' 61 home runs? Baseball needs to fix that.
posted by gradioc at 06:09 PM on October 10
Just a word about hockey in general. Here in NC hockey was always a cult sport for transplants and a few natives. Minor league teams came and went as either they or their leagues went belly up. When the Hurricanes came south I really tried to give it a chance but I could not make heads or tails of what was going on. It just looked like chaos. There were damn few completed passes because of all the grabbing, holding, and hooking going uncalled. But two seasons ago when the 'Canes won it all I watched and saw an entirely different product. You could see plays developing and defenses moving to intercept, not the player, but the puck. I began to see the beauty of the game. I also began to get that internal clock that told me when somebody had been able to hold the puck too long. I think the first time I yelled, "Somebody HIT that Son of a Bitch!" I became a fan. I know some fans still do not like the rule changes that came in after the strike, but I think they may have laid a foundation to make the NHL a viable national sport in the US. This is probably hockey's darkest hour. The TV contract (which was all about revenue now, not expanding the fan base) was a horrible mistake. But I really think there will be others like me, who, once exposed, will come back.
posted by gradioc at 07:35 PM on October 07
Wow, I'm really shocked to find this proposal getting so much traction here. We have something in Noth American sports where the regular season means everything, then they take a break and play some exhibitions. It's called the BCS and it sucks. A sports season is a journey and teams learn and grow and get better. Playoffs are an attempt (imperfect, I admit) to determine who is the best right now. As for the series concept, we all know any single game can turn on one freak lucky break. What kid hasn't screamed, "No way man! Two outta three, let's go!" Especially in baseball, a single game is a crapshoot. I like the playoffs. So do most fans. So do the players. The highs are higher and the lows are lower. The drama is compacted into a few games and as intense as anything in sports. PLAY BALL!
posted by gradioc at 06:30 PM on October 05
I'm reminded of one of my favorite quotes about posting, by Wonkette (the new guys, not Ana Marie). "Hell, if we started drinking in the morning we'd be caps-locked and punctuation-free by afternoon too." The question here seems to be whether the Rockets should have fined Yao for missing practice without permission. That's a stupid question. The question should be what idiot denied him permission in the first place. And one of the things he missed was a media day? "We're sorry, Yao Ming won't be here today. He's tied up inspiring mentally handicapped children from all over the world." Yeah, I can see where that could be embarrassing. Just one more time the NBA owners prove that they, as a group, have no clue as to what is killing their league, so they're going to act like a bunch of jr. high assistant principals.
posted by gradioc at 06:07 PM on October 04
Until the Carolina Panthers gave me a home team I was one of those people whose support flopped around every few years, so I understand how that can work. I grew up in NC and we were supposed to be Redskins territory, but for some reason I could never stand them. But I found personalities I liked and then stuck with that team. "Mini" Mack Herron and then Steve Grogan in New England, Steve Deberg in Tampa, Dino Hackett in KC. It was never a concious decision, I just found myself rooting for them. And I'm sure that is what has driven Indy up to #2. Hard not to like Peyton Manning. But now I have a franchise 90 miles down the road and all that has changed. Now I'm a Panthers fan, just like I've been a Baltimore Orioles and Wake Forest fan all my life. So if you see Julius Peppers wandering around your town please send him back to Charlotte and get rid of the imposter that's been playing left tackle!
posted by gradioc at 05:44 PM on October 03
I really hope to hell that we are not coming to the point that the league MVP awards go the way of the Heisman Trophy and go to the best (or most hyped) player on the best (or most hyped) team and everything comes down to how you did in nationally televised games when all the voters were watching. The Heisman has become the biggest joke in sports. Not that Holliday doesn't deserve the award. I just would hate to see one big game overshadow what he and Rollins did over 162.
posted by gradioc at 06:28 PM on October 02
Remember that, unlike any other drug, pot will show up for weeks in a regular user. The test was two weeks after his guilty plea. It's possible he had the sense to quit, and this was left over. Likely? Hell no! He's probably burning a bush with some of the same homeys got him into this shit right now. And I don't really blame him for partying. "Let's see, I'm going to jail for years and when I get out fines and legal fees will have eaten up every cent of my millions. Right now I've got money, free time, and access to anything I want. Think I'll catch up on my reading." Yeah, right. More like, "Think I'll throw a party they'll still be talking about when I get back! Yo! I want every skanky ho in the Tidewater and every kind of dope and booze known to man at my house by sundown!" Hell, that's what I'd do. But, seriously Mike, score some shrooms. They won't show up on the test.
posted by gradioc at 06:16 PM on September 26
A lot of sports fans were disgusted watching the ACC raid the Big East for BC, Va Tech and Miami a couple of years ago. How funny is it that the Big East is still a better football conference?
posted by gradioc at 08:38 AM on September 23
After readind through this whole thread I have more than one point to make. 1) Comparing this to the Black Sox scandal is stupid. That involved intentionally losing a World Series. Cheating to win is a different animal. Cheating to lose is the worst thing there is in sport. Point shaving to meet a spread is only 2 degrees better because it could (and has) led to losing by accident. Cheating to win is expected and inevitable. It's why there are officials. It's why there are league rules. Every time an offensive lineman holds a pass rusher he's cheating to win. 2) Comparing Belichick to Nixon is stupid. Nixon sought to fundamentally change how US government works by gathering all power to the Presidency in defiance of the US Constitution. Belichick tried to win a football game. Get a grip. 3) I like the word asshat, not so much for itself as for its derivative describing the actions of an asshat. Asshattery may well be my favorite new word of the last 10 years. 4) New England's throttling of San Diego probably has less to do with cheating or Belichick's genius and more to do with the bad coaching of Norv Turner. Let's see, we went 14-2 last year, but I really don't like Marty's attitude. I know! I'll fire Marty, who's never done anything but win consitantly every place he's been, and hire the biggest retread of them all. Of all the stupids in this post this is the most stupidest stupid going. Washington is still trying to wash the Norv Turner out of their mouth by hiring Joe Gibbs. Hey, he sucks, but he's better than Norv. I waiting to hear the offer Miami gives to Schula to lure him back, but it's too late. Once you've gone Norv you can never go... Oh crap. No English word rhymes with Norv. Okay, how'bout this. Once you've hired Norv your franchise sucks for a decade. Yeah, it doesn't rhyme, but truth counts too.
posted by gradioc at 08:17 PM on September 18
Mea culpa, mea culpa, I actually thought I knew how to spell it and didn't look. But it's all moot now. I just found out it's not Belichick's fault anyway. He got Alberto Gonzales to interpret the NFL rulebook for him. (And, yes, you better beleive I looked up Gonzales.)
posted by gradioc at 09:24 PM on September 14
Actually, that's the plan in Cleveland; just go ahead and lose 2 per week and take Nov and Dec off. Might as well. It already looks like they're taking Sep and Oct off. And I have to say I love that Bellichek was caught blatently cheating at... Wait, I've just been handed a note. Excuse me, I meant to say, "Informed that his interpretation of the rules was incorrect." Yeah, right, just like the Bolivian army informed Butch and Sundance that bank robbery was frowned upon. Not that $500,000 is that big a deal to him. I mean, what's he spend money on anyway? Sure as hell not clothes.
posted by gradioc at 06:49 PM on September 14
This really breaks my heart because Oden shows every sign of a kid who, at his young age, already gets it. I heard on the radio somewhere he's been seen tooling around Portland in a sweet ride. Seems he blew a big chunk of change on a brand new Ford Taurus and... Wait a minute, what? A Taurus? For a newly minted 19 year old NBA millionaire? Yep. It was big enough for him, comfortable, and got him where he needed to go. I call that a good sign. The good news for the Blazers long term is that they will undoubtedly be in the lottery again next year and then come roaring back in '08 with Oden and another high pick. Hang on Portland, this may be the best tragedy ever to befall you. And as for all you people sniping at him, ya'll need to back up off Greg Oden. He was the best player in college last year as a freshman. Perfect? No, but probably the best freshman I've seen since...well, really, I don't know. Better than Tim Duncan as a freshman. And Len Bias. And Jordan. Maybe the best college rookie I've seen since David Thompson came in as a sophmore.
posted by gradioc at 05:08 PM on September 13
Yeah, I agree with what that Bard guy said. Seriously, who gives a rat's ass what Van Pelt's allegiances are or what he says to some guy on a board? ESPN is his employer and has every right to tell him to cool it, but I'm not sure they should stick their nose in this. Gotta pick your fights and this seems pretty minor. About the real name debate, when I first starting posting I used my real name on some sites where people might actually know who I was, but soon started feeling weird about it since I seemed to be the only one. Now I just use Gradioc anywhere I post. Not trying to hide anything (2 minutes on Google would probably out me), just going with the flow.
posted by gradioc at 05:23 PM on September 06
Obviously I need to remind you people of a few facts, but first an opinion; George Shinn is a piece of crap. The rape allegations are old news and, I'm sure, in most of the country looked upon as one of those things that happen to well-known men who aren't careful. Just some chippy looking to get rich. Problem for Shinn is that it turned out this girl wasn't the first who felt she was taken advantage of out at his palace in the sticks of South Carolina, just the first to get a lawyer. As a side note, I'm curious where George lives in La. Bet it's not in the city of New Orleans. He likes to be the most important guy in town. Somebody in NO clue me in. Now here are some facts. Shinn is a disaster as an NBA owner. Charlotte was once the hottest ticket in the Association. They had 21,000 season ticket holders. They posted an astounding 358 straight sellouts. 358. Almost nine full seasons without an empty seat for a team that missed the playoffs about half of the time and never made it past the second round. And George Shinn pissed it all away. Through a series of really bad decisions (anybody remember that brilliant Kobe Bryant for Vlade Divacs trade?), refusals to pay popular stars the going rate (i.e. Larry Johnson in his prime), and interminable whining about the ten year old building the city had built for him when the team came, Shinn managed to alienate one of the loyalest fan bases the NBA had ever seen. They still loved the team, they just hated the owner. So you guys in NO and OKC go ahead and fight it out. Just keep in mind the prize, well, ain't no prize.
posted by gradioc at 06:30 PM on August 29
Sort of reminds me of the 1988 season when the O's lost their first 21 games. That's right, 0-21 to start the season, unmatched in MLB history. After a certain point you just have to laugh. I heard the O's radio play-by-play guy interviewed and he said the Rangers did the right things, the coaches were stopping guys at third who maybe could have scored. Texas left 19 on base. Makes you wonder how bad it could have been. Ah, well, maybe one day we will have an owner that gives a damn about winning. That would be nice. Of course with the Senators down the road and the novelty of Camden Yards long gone, Peter Angelos may have just about ridden this pony into the ground. Hopefully one day soon he'll grab his profit out of the franchise and crawl back under his rock.
posted by gradioc at 06:26 PM on August 23
I'm just in shock. I do a lot of work for Wake Forest athletics and happened to meet Coach Prosser his first day on campus. I always liked to think I might have been the first Wake Forest fan (who wasn't on the payroll) he met. I can't say I knew the man well but every time I saw him he just seemed so happy to be doing what he did. There are lots worse ways to live your life.
One thing I haven't seen mentioned is how he got into coaching. Skip's ambition was actually to be a history teacher. When he got his first job the principal told him he needed a history teacher and a basketball coach. Could Skip do both? Well, he needed the job, so yeah he could do it. Found out he was pretty good at it.
But, at heart, Skip Prosser was always a teacher first. I wish there were more like him. Godspeed.
posted by gradioc at 07:38 PM on July 26
The economics are simple for Boras. If he destroys the careers of 10 $1,000,000 players to create 1 $12,000,000 player he's ahead. I really detest the way Scott Boras goes about his business. If you are so talented that you can write your own ticket Boras is a good agent to have. If you are an average big-league player Boras actually decreases your value by being a pain in the ass. "Hey, boss, Boras says his cient will hold out for X million." "Yeah, who didn't see that coming? What's that kid's name in AAA?" People in business, any business, know who makes their life easy and who makes it hard. It's one thing for someone to stand up for their client. That is their job. People hate dealing with Boras. If that hurts one client's bottom line, it will still bring more clients to Scott Boras. It's a bad idea to have an agent that makes more than you do.
posted by gradioc at 05:44 PM on July 22
We must remember that, for the most part, Cox's ejections are in support of one of his players. He sees one of his guys getting hot and close to ejection himself and here comes Bobby. Grab his player, push him away from the ump, and start screaming. Cox gets the thumb and the player stays in the game That's part of the job. There is one big problem. It's ugly and I hesitate to bring it up, but, dammit it needs to be said. Bobby Cox has lost a step. When he tied the record the player (I was watching but have completely forgotten who it was) was clearly arguing balls and strikes and was going to get tossed any second. Bobby came lumbering up out of the dugout and waddled toward the plate in a gait reminiscent of Danny DeVito as The Penguin. The player had been ejected a good 5 seconds before Bobby even got close to the action. Yeah, maybe he saved the guy a suspension and fine, but that didn't help the team in that game. I beleive the time has come for Bobby Cox to admit he has gotten too old for this part of the game. He needs to designate someone to handle this part of his duties. Maybe the bench coach or the next day's starter could do it. Hell, why not the bat boy? I'd pay to see that. Some 14-year-old given permission to throw a fit would be highly entertaining. It just needs to be someone who can run 50 feet in less than 2 minutes flat.
posted by gradioc at 06:03 PM on July 19
The whole phenomena of dog fighting is tied to the male ego. I know plenty of guys whose masculinity is all tied up in having the hottest wife, the fastest horse, the coolest car or, sadly, the meanest dog. You'd think an NFL quaterback wouldn't need that kind of affirmation. Another thing I haven't heard many people mention is that this is big time illegal gambling with people who do not play. I know Vick has millions, but what about staying out of jail? "Just don't win by more than 10 points and my lips are sealed. It's not like I'm telling you to lose." Not yet anyway. An NFL quarterback just being around this crowd seriously compromises the integrity of the game. Vick has to go. If convicted I think a lifetime ban is in order.
posted by gradioc at 06:35 PM on July 18
I'll go along with the crowd that wants Cuban to buy their team. Hey Cube! Come on over to Baltimore! Angelos has sucked about everything he's going to get out of the Orioles. It's time for him to turn his $100 million profit and quit ruining my life. I'd give anything for an owner that gives a shit about something other than the profit. Say what you will about Cuban, there is no doubt he wants to win.
posted by gradioc at 06:43 PM on July 13
The NFL already has a developmental that creates huge fan interest, doesn't cost them a dime, and uses its profits to support other amateur sports; it's called College Football. For all the things that are wrong with college football, it really is a sweet deal for the NFL and makes possible the level of coaching we see in non-revenue college sports.
posted by gradioc at 05:19 PM on June 29
One part of this story that is relevant to sport in general is the way the faculty at Duke was so quick to condemn the kids and the team. I work on athletic field irrigation systems and am around athletics on the high school and college levels all the time. I have observed over the years that education professionals, especially the main office bureaucrat type, detest athletics and would like nothing better than to see it removed from the schools altogether. Not every single one, but a bunch of them. Same thing with the arts. They see these as a waste of time and money that could be better used teaching them some more math that 99% will never use again after college. Hell, the only time I ever needed a cosine was on my first car loan when I got out of the army and my dad did it for me.
posted by gradioc at 05:51 PM on June 18
No wonder the NBA keeps sticking by the WNBA. If these trends continue the women will be playing better basketball in a couple of years. Don't get me wrong, I like defence and enjoy watching the Spurs play some of the best team D I've ever seen. But, Dear God, can somebody hit a shot? Maybe next year at the All-Star Game they should have a 15-ft jumper contest. From what I've seen in this year's playoffs I could win it.
posted by gradioc at 05:36 PM on June 15
We have two basic and seperate questions here. 1) Does the NCAA have the right to stop liveblogging at it's events? 2) Is it a good idea to enforce that right? I would say that they have every right to enforce whatever standards of behavior they wish at their event. If they want to kick you out for picking your nose that's their business. You have every right to free speech, but you do not have a right to attend their event. That being said, I think it is stupid and short-sighted to prevent liveblogging of the event. Anyone who can get it on TV or radio would prefer that. It is not a threat to their revenue stream. It only feeds the interest of those who already care, either because the other media are not availble to them, or in concert with those media. Much like the early days of radio people are scared of the internet because they do not understand how to use it to promote their product. Most stupidity in the world in based on fear of things that will never come to pass.
posted by gradioc at 06:27 PM on June 12
Pedro is in, though maybe not first ballot. The Hall voters put great stock in Cy Young Awards. I have always maintained that the only reason Dave Stewart failed to make it is that he never won the Cy Young. Pedro did. He's in. Smoltz is a no brainer. There was a little inerlude in his career when the team needed him to go to the bullpen. He responded by becoming the best closer in the majors. If he had never gone to that role he might be borderline, but doing both roles at the level he did is unique. The HOF likes unique.
posted by gradioc at 06:25 PM on May 25
If New England wants Moss to be the player he was in his first years at Minnesota they sould throw whatever money it takes at Chris Carter to be on their staff. Carter is the only one who has consistantly gotten the best out of Moss. As soon as Carter retired the old Randy from Marshall showed up. I don't claim to know if it is rivalry or respect or fear, but Moss acted like a pro when Carter was around.
posted by gradioc at 08:52 PM on April 29
Say what you will about Stewart's personality, at least he's got one. I'm a longtime fan and I couldn't pick Jimmie Johnson out of a line up. The guys in the Nextel trailer have today's drivers so terrified of saying or doing something wrong they've stolen every bit of true passion out of the sport. It's not like I got feed up and decided to stop watching. I just don't give a rat's ass anymore. Go ahead Nascar, build a new one in Seattle or Staten Island or some other place that doesn't care. You're losing your passionate base and that should scare the hell out of you.
posted by gradioc at 05:42 PM on April 25
Just the tone of this thread shows how seriously most people take the threat of the demon weed. Nobody cares. Yet if you get caught in wrong place you can still do some serious time over it. That's stupid. Jim Rome had an email yesterday saying pot was no big deal signed "Randy Moss, Ricky Williams, Widespread Panic, PETA, and Oregon". I about ran off the road.
posted by gradioc at 05:19 PM on April 20
These lists always tend towards the latest great one. Donavon certainly belongs on the list, but #1? I need to see a little more before I buy into that. He's had great success with this group of kids, but let's see him do it again. Not to say he won't, I just want to see it. I'd probably put Roy Williams #1. (Disclaimer: Wake Forest fan, hate Carolina) He's had consistant success for two decades. Yeah, only one ring, but they will come. If you get to the Elite Eight almost every year things will break your way sooner or later.
posted by gradioc at 05:35 PM on April 12
How can we know that Tatum felt no remorse? By his actions on the field, that's how. The hit on Stingley was legal, vicious and unneccesary, but legal. If you don't have it memorized frame by frame as I do, Stingley went up high for a ball and Tatum hit him in the back of his thighs. Stingley spun 180 degrees and landed on his head. It was sickening. Both Tatum and his running buddy Atkinson already had well earned reputations as dirty players who were quite willing to take a penalty to send a message. That did not stop. Tatum's style never changed. When Lawrence Taylor broke Thiesman's leg, you could see it affect his play. For two years after that people got away from LT becaused he played with a caution that had been unknown to him before. He finally got over it, but by then had lost a step and we never saw the raw beast who would do anything to get to the QB again. Tatum had no such qualms. I remember Darryl Stingley and therefore hate the Raiders forever.
posted by gradioc at 05:38 PM on April 05
I've got no dog in this fight as a Wake Forest fan. When Duke plays UNC I hope they both lose, though I was rooting for Duke Sunday so UNC could join them in playing on Thursday in the tournament. I think Henderson went in with ill intent. He meant to nail Hasbro (did you realize he's heir to the Superball fortune?) and put him on his ass. BUT he meant to hit him in the chest. The original foul kept Hansbrough from getting up as he normally would and instead of chest Henderson's elbow found face. It's the kind of sneaky dirty that goes on all the time in the paint. Flagrant? Yeah, probably. But if the blow had caught his chest and not his face, it would never have been caught. I think I'll give K and Henderson a pass on this one. Oh, and by the way, Billy Packer, much as he pisses me off sometimes, is a Wake Forest guy. He was the point guard on the '62 team that lost to Ohio St. (with Lucas and Havlechek) in the Final Four.
posted by gradioc at 07:09 PM on March 05
Geting rid of Marty as head coach has paid off every time. Just look at the brilliant Bud Carson era in Cleveland, the Gunther Cunningham dynasty in KC, and I'm sure everyone envies the magical Steve Spurrier years at Washington.
I'm sick and tired of coaches and players being tarred with "can't win the BIG one." That just says to me that you're consistantly one of the best at what you do. Dean Smith went almost 20 years before winning the NCAA. Bill Walsh and Joe Montana just could not get over the hump and beat the Cowboys in the playoffs. Elway only got a ring in his last two years. Til then he was a big LOSER to this crowd. It's stupid.
posted by gradioc at 08:18 PM on February 13
Jerry Jones is hilarious. He finally hired a coach in Parcells who had the gravitas to do it his way despite Jerry's meddling and had some success. Now he's back in full Dave Campo mode, hiring a failed head coach instead of an untested assistant, but still someone whose every move he can dictate. Let me make clear that I am not a Cowboy hater. I'm a Jerry Jones hater. The way he treated Tom Landry (and to a lesser extent Tex Schram) was unforgiveable. I have not, and I will not, ever pull for a team this A hole is associated with. What I WOULD pay to see is a fight to the death between Jones and "Stalag" Coughlin. Where's Celebrity Death Match when you need them? I feel sorry for Romo. Kid's got real potential, but watch th team sink to below .500. Andy Reid sleeps well tonight.
posted by gradioc at 06:14 PM on February 09
I think everybody picking the Colts believes there is something magical about beating the Pats. The AFC was obviously superior this year, but the Bears were far and away the class of the NFC. I like the Bears to win it, and that over/under is a joke with the way both D's have played in the postseason.
posted by gradioc at 03:39 PM on February 03
There's a big difference between being mouthy to the press and getting a bad rep and being the kind of locker room poison TO is. Keyshawn Johnson wrote the book on "Just Give Me The Damn Ball". No, literally, he wrote a book and called it, "Just Give Me The Damn Ball". But everyone who's ever played with Key loved him and he has grown past that crap and become an elder statesman of receivers. Most of TO's old teammates are glad to see his back as he takes his show on down the road. And don't hit me with that "racist" crap. Steve Smith and Marvin Harrison are universally admired as atheletes of astounding ablility and unparallelled class, and both of them are, last time I looked to be sure, just as black as TO. It's not a matter of race, it's a matter of class (or lack thereof).
posted by gradioc at 09:24 PM on January 23
It's one thing to be going where you don't know anyone and can't get any, but DUDE WAS HEADED HOME! The only reason not to just dump it is he's too cheap to buy some more. Mike, you,ve got $130,000,000. Oh, and the generator gave me Jean Pierre Montserrat, but please sign me Hugo Hungary.
posted by gradioc at 03:46 PM on January 18
Hoser, you got them all right except the NO/Philly game. I'm afraid the time has come that the Saints notice what's on the side of their helmets and remember that they're the Saints. Once the Eagles get any sort of lead, look for NO to deflate faster than Katie Couric's ratings. Oh, and do you think TO maybe got a pair of tickets to this game from a mysterious benefactor with the initials "JG"?
posted by gradioc at 12:03 PM on January 13
I have often thought of the towering moral indignation surrounding steroids and wondered why all these people weren't outraged about the greenies taken by many (if not most) of the legends enshrined in Cooperstown. I saw one person in this thread say they had been a problem since the 60's. Please. Ty Cobb's anti-social behavior is a textbook example of long-term amphetamine induced paranoia. Truck and bus drivers have been doing bennies since there were trucks and buses. Of course baseball players caught on and wanted some. "You look like Hell, kid. Here, try one of these." Drug use in sports is probably a century old. That being said, I don't hate Barry Bonds because he used drugs. I hate him because he is one of the truly majestic assholes in the history of sports. Self-absorbed, rude, detested by opponents and teammates alike, Maria Callas thinks this guy is a diva. I remember the kid who played the game with such joy in Pittsburgh and wonder if this can be the same guy.
posted by gradioc at 07:03 PM on January 11
If you are not the best, and clearly the best, at some aspect of the game at your position for a large part of your career, you don't belong in the Hall. Belle was ONE of the best power hitters for three or four years. Very good player, but it's not the Hall of Very Good. It's for the best of the best. I would argue that there are more in the Hall that don't really deserve it, than out who do. And, by the way, who the Hell were the 8 assholes who did not vote for Cal Ripken Jr.? Tony Gwynn? If you don't think those two guys belong in the Hall Of Fame, you should have your vote stripped.
posted by gradioc at 06:40 PM on January 09
I see two problems with your picks. You're forgetting that Dallas has to go to Seattle. If TO, the Mood Ring Princess, is too depressed to catch balls in Dallas, what will two days of Seattle winter weather do to him? Hard to help the team when you're in the fetal position sobbing. And you really need to think about the question you posed. "Eli can't totally suck all the time, can he?" Well...yes. Can. Has. Does. Will. Plus you are counting far too much on the character of Tiki Barber. "Stalag" Coughlin has yet to met the NFL player whose spirit he couldn't break. Why do you think Tiki's hanging it up? Coughlin's not going to let a horse that fine get out of his stable without one last shot at making him hate life.
posted by gradioc at 07:04 PM on January 03
I freely admit to being more of a fan of college basketball than football. I know that in basketball there are some programs that are just special, because of history, tradition, being in a part of the country that is basketball crazy. My list of those jobs, from east to west; Duke, UNC, Kentucky, Indiana, Kansas, UCLA. Is there a list like that in football? If there is I would have to think Alabama would be on it. Notre Dame, of course. Ohio St., Oklahoma, Southern Cal, Nebraska. Texas, I guess. Maybe Michigan. Miami? FSU?
posted by gradioc at 06:00 PM on January 03
Cowboys Acquire Roy Williams in Trade with Lions
It's so funny. Every year we are bombarded with media telling us the Cowboys are the best team in the NFL "on paper". Romo gets mentioned with Brady and Peyton Manning as the elite QB's in the league. And, every year, we watch them fall on their faces.
Super Bowl? Hell, this franchise hasn't won a playoff game since the mid 90's and is not likely to this year. Their defence is weak, the secondary was bad WITH Pac Man, and Wade Phillips got flat-ass out-coached by Jim Zorn.
And now Jerry Jones (whom I heartily detest for the way he treated Tom Landry) has decided to swap next year's draft for Roy Williams.
Well, good luck with all that.