- 11:31 PM
- 11/20/09
| Member since: | April 27, 2007 |
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| Last visit: | November 20, 2009 |
beaverboard has posted 8 links and 361 comments to SportsFilter and 0 links and 0 comments to the Locker Room.
The Nation is Well Again - the Yankees are back in the World Series: Normally reliable and skilled NY Times writer Tyler Kepner loses his balance and goes over the hometown edge, stating that postseason baseball has been ordinary and without drama since the last time the Yankees were in the World Series, and suggesting that there is a direct correlation between the absence of the Yankees and the woefulness of the playoffs. In one fell swoop, A-Rod's childlike wonder at his first trip to the Series is brought back to earth by a return to arrogance. From the pages of the newspaper of record, no less.
posted by beaverboard to baseball at 07:18 PM on October 26 - 14 comments
Six NFL Teams Targeted For Possible Move to LA : The effort to return an NFL team to LA appears to be well organized and seems to have some momentum.
posted by beaverboard to football at 05:52 PM on October 24 - 20 comments
Guns 'R Us has a friend in Gainesville: Not wanting to be outdone by Florida State's recent NCAA-related news, the Gators have sprung a nifty surprise of their own. A University of Florida female gymnast has been arrested for harboring a weapons cache that any self-respecting sleeper cell commando would be proud to call his own.
posted by beaverboard to other at 08:18 PM on October 16 - 9 comments
Jake Delhomme, a Panther forever: The Carolina Panthers just bestowed a large contract on Delhomme, perhaps defying logic (or at least common sense) in the process.
posted by beaverboard to football at 01:28 PM on April 24 - 3 comments
Cubs Retire Number Worn by Two Greats in Combo Deal: The Cubs announced they will retire the number 31 worn by both Ferguson Jenkins and Greg Maddux, and will honor both of them in a ceremony later this year. I don't know how often a combo number retirement takes place.
It makes sense in one way, but it also seems a bit odd. I admire Maddux enormously, but I totally loved Jenkins, who seemed to be good for 20 wins a year throughout my entire youth. Strange to have two greats lumped into one combo footlong house special take-out deal rather than give each their individual due. But what else can they do? Both guys wore the same number. And it seems as though this is being done with full respect to both parties, who appear to be gracious about it and appreciative of it. I wonder what other unretired numbers could be enshrined in combo fashion like this?
posted by beaverboard to baseball at 11:03 PM on March 23 - 12 comments
Did they rent hardened limos and re-enact Ray Lewis leaving the murder scene?
posted by beaverboard at 04:34 PM on November 19
I really hate to say this, but Matt Millen is an acceptable and competent broadcaster. I haven't objected to listening to him this fall.
But I also haven't been able to shake my mind loose from what he did to the Lions, so just knowing where he is and what he's doing on a given gameday still boils my blood to a certain extent.
If only he had never left the booth to begin with.
The moments where I have to leave the room are when his broadcast partner starts talking about the talent on the field and asks Millen whether or not he would have drafted a certain player. Any linking of Millen to player personnel discussions far exceeds the limits of human tolerance.
posted by beaverboard at 08:25 AM on November 19
The NFL does not care if people watch the games on Thanksgiving Day or not.
Not sure whose bright idea it was to schedule Oakland for a prime time broadcast. Isn't knowing that Detroit is always going to be on and hasn't turned the corner yet punishment enough?
The Giants and Broncos could both lose this week and then would be bringing near state of collapse mindsets to their holiday matchup.
The league should truly help the Lions improve. It is in the league's best interest. Not only because the Lions are a Thanksgiving Day tradition and have been bad for an entire adult lifetime, but also because they are probably the most telegenic team in the league. The blue and silver unis indoors on the bright green rug are totally made for TV.
I think I'll forget the TV and turkey and just follow the first unit of Grey Goose that flies by.
posted by beaverboard at 08:16 AM on November 19
It's interesting that they said Brady had a strong arm back in high school. One of the most noticeable things about Brady when he got to the Pats was his unimpressive arm strength.
If you look at film of preseason games from his first two summers, his throws are full body motions requiring a lot of visible effort, where he has to really step into the throw and rotate his shoulders to get something on the ball. Even for passes under 20 yards.
Comparing Brady's full windup to Bledsoe's relaxed, natural cannon arm flick was like night and day.
Now, Brady has a much more efficient, controlled and powerful throwing motion. He wasn't born with it - he had to work hard to develop it. If Moss had come to the Pats back in 2001, Brady might not have been able to get him the ball quickly and deeply enough on go routes.
posted by beaverboard at 11:20 PM on November 18
I went looking, and it turns out that Charlie Weis apparently overate on numerous occasions.
posted by beaverboard at 03:38 PM on November 18
Attention, football television viewers - Jerry Glanville has resigned as head coach of Portland State, and could be headed back to a broadcast booth near you.
Jerry is firmly from the Tyler/Plano "I done wet my breeches" school of broadcasting. Bland, colorless, and balanced game calling is not his thing.
If you like folksy charm and off the cuff remarks that would make Goober leap out of the chair at Floyd's barber shop, you may be in luck.
posted by beaverboard at 11:45 AM on November 18
It should be noted that David Carr lost the locks, went for the Camp Lejeune buzz look, and earlier this year played pretty well for the Giants.
In fact, with the way the Giants are going at the moment, if Bill Belichick were the head coach, he might well give Eli the Kosar/Bledsoe treatment and make Carr the starter.
Yes, THAT Bill Belichick. (We're not done with him yet. It's only Tuesday.)
Also it should be noted that all hope should probably not be given up on Brady Quinn, because no less an authority than Charlie Weis is totally convinced that Quinn is a bona fide NFL QB. He is totally sure of it. Totally.
After the chopper that Quinn put on Suggs last night, I think Lyle Lovett has some choice words to sing to ol' Brady:
And if you go to Baltimore,
Then I'll see you in heaven,
For if you go to Baltimore,
Then you shall surely die.
posted by beaverboard at 02:11 PM on November 17
Gruden just got re-upped by ESPN, so no coaching job for him next year.
Gruden has really improved over the course of the season. He'll have to start dialing back his excitement level and verbal emphasis a bit though, or he's going to turn in to another Lou Holtz spitting machine.
It's getting to the point where Jaws is becoming the third fiddle in that booth. They may put someone else in there instead next year.
posted by beaverboard at 07:35 AM on November 17
At age 86, Adams has proven can make both his middle fingers stand straight at attention, for as long as he needs them to, which is pretty good.
Maybe he'll get called to be in a Cialis ad featuring side-by-side his-and-hers lavatory basins.
He also looks twice as good as Al Davis does condition-wise, age regardless.
But he's a fool for giving the salute, especially with Goodell in his box at the game.
Being a Texan, of course he's going to show 'em his matching pair, pulled straight out of their rhinestone holsters.
Even in a blowout, there just ain't no such thing as an ordinary Bills - Titans (Oilers) game.
posted by beaverboard at 07:29 PM on November 16
As mentioned before, not only was the Pats' defense shot, but specifically, their run defense was really shot. On the other hand, Addai was fairly fresh, having been held out of most of the game.
Manning was in a position where he could throw to holes in the soft defense, or let Addai rip off sizeable gains.
If the Pats had punted away, Peyton could have used a lot more of the playbook to get down the field, provided that they mixed in some running plays that were designed to go out of bounds for clock stoppage if needed.
Somewhere in the Pats' sideline state of mind, the memory of their second half collapse on the road against Indy in the AFC title game a few years back had to be a factor one way or another. After last night, that factor is now twice as big a deal.
posted by beaverboard at 12:20 PM on November 16
Tarkenton is certainly entitled to his opinion, and he doesn't come off as crotchety as Chuck Bednarik, although Chuck would probably let Tark join his grumpy old men's club.
But I spent a good deal of my formative years watching Tarkenton run for his life with that deer on the interstate look in his eyes, both with the Giants and the Vikings. He was not one to stand in the pocket and hold the ball until a receiver came open at the last possible moment and then make the throw, knowing he was going to get hit.
The announcers always described Tarkenton's scrambling in wholly positive terms, and made it sound as though Tarkenton was in full control of the moment on each play, which was hardly the case. They always said he was driving the defense crazy without mentioning that he was also driving his own offensive line nuts as well, trying to figure out how to block for him and keep plays alive as he roamed around as though he were playing flag football.
So I'm not entirely convinced that Tarkenton is in a legitimate position to say who is a worthy man and who ain't. Even though I largely agree with him on Favre and Cutler.
posted by beaverboard at 01:17 PM on November 15
I was thinking that might happen, except for the bad blood that Harbaugh stirred up a while back with his comments on the athletic academics at Michigan. I don't think they'd want him at this point. He done dissed the memory of the almighty Bo.
Harbaugh never misses an opportunity to speak his mind - or - can't keep from running his mouth, depending on which way you look at it.
But Ann Arbor has become accustomed to having a jerk run the football program over the last couple of years. Maybe they could stomach the idea of bringing in a different jerk if he gave them a better chance of winning 80% of their games.
posted by beaverboard at 10:15 AM on November 15
After what Stanford did to USC yesterday, Jim Harbaugh is going to be even tougher to live with now than he was before. And he already knows full well how to be insufferable.
The Cardinal going for two after a TD in the 4th quarter when they were running away with the game was bush.
I'm glad that Stanford is doing well and competitive again in that league, and I hope Harbaugh stays there a while and builds the program and maybe grows up a little bit himself along the way. If you're at or near the top of the PAC, you're going to be nationally ranked and you can stay put.
posted by beaverboard at 08:25 AM on November 15
Someday we are going to have to be able to see the film of that game.
I saw him throw a one-hitter one time, but he looked pretty straight that day.
So many amazing connections - Mazeroski was still in the lineup for the LSD game, a seeming lifetime after his Series winning shot, and Ellis was still pitching for the Pirates when they won the Series in 79.
There was just nothing ever commonplace or ordinary about Dock Ellis. All these current era clowns in all sports working so hard to be memorable and call attention to themselves in any way they can think of - they're idiot nobodies. Chest pounding, jersey tugging, screaming pretenders with felt tip pen, cell phone and one dollar bill vaudeville tricks. Self made fools.
Clean or high, Dock was a walking, talking natural happening, and he owns all the latter day suckas forever.
posted by beaverboard at 07:57 PM on November 13
Oregon Ducks Smell Roses
Agreed, that is not a wise move, especially featuring three guys who are at least five continents and two oceans away from getting a casting call for the upcoming Three Stooges movie.