The_Black_Hand's profile

The_Black_Hand
2305
Name: Thomas
Location: South Bend, Indiana
Gender: Thomas
Member since: June 20, 2005
Last visit: November 01, 2009

The_Black_Hand has posted 129 links and 2444 comments to SportsFilter and 20 links and 691 comments to the Locker Room and 1 column.

Sports Bio

My new goal in life is to organize the JerseyGirl Memorial Clam Shot Celebrity Co-Ed Fast-Pitch Softball Tournament.

The List (in no particular order):

Red Sox and Braves
--Growing up in Florida in the seventies, I saw the Braves almost every day on WTCG (later to become WTBS). These were the good ol' days when the Braves were lovable losers, and I was hooked. Bob Horner, Raffy Ramirez, Glenn Hubbard, Dale Murphy, Chris Chambliss, and especially the Mad Hungarian, Al Hrabosky. Good times, good times. When I saw the Red Sox - Yankees game in 1978 that Bucky Dent won with a three-run shot off of Mike Torrez, I decided right then and there that I must root for the poor, downtrodden Red Sox, and I must hate the Yankees. It's brought me immense pain through the years, but it was all worth it when the Sox brought the trophy home in 2004.

Rangers and 'Canes (the Carolina kind, not the Miami kind)
--Again, an underdog story. Back in the day, as the New York Islanders were crushing the entire league on the way to four Stanley Cups (including three in a row), the New York Rangers sucked, so I had to root for them. The fact that Billy Smith was a total prick didn't hurt, either. As for the 'Canes, I blame 11 years of living in North Carolina and my habit of geographical loyalty, plus their incredible run to the Stanley Cup Finals back in 2001 (stupid Red Wings!), which made me alternately want to shake Arturs Irbe's hand and/or punch him right in the head.

Dolphins
--As previously stated, I grew up in Florida in the seventies...what else did we have? No hockey, no basketball, no baseball outside of spring training...we watched the Dolphins, that's what we did, and we damned well liked it! As a small boy, watching the Phins during the 1972 "Perfect Season" while sitting on my grandfather's lap is one of my earliest memories. Through the years, I've lived and died with A.J. Duhe, the Blackwood Brothers, Dan Marino, and an impressive roster of unimpressive running backs (Andra Franklin, Sammie Smith, Cecil Collins, please let it end with Ronnie Brown!) and drug suspensions for the one good running back we've had since Csonka and Kiick. I still can't believe that Danny only made it to one Super Bowl, and I still blame Shula, which is heresy for a Phins Phan, but if he'd built a running game to go with Danny, who knows what might have happened? Thankfully, I'm not bitter.

Fighting Irish and Gators
--I'm Irish-Catholic, and it was quite clear in my house that we were Notre Dame football fans, no matter what! It would have been perfect had I gone to ND, but I stayed in-state instead and went to the University of Florida. Luckily, Dad forgave me. That said, the Notre Dame - Florida Sugar Bowl in 1992 nearly tore my family in half. Thankfully for the familial unit, Jerome Bettis racked up 150 yards and three touchdowns, and the Irish won the game. If Florida had prevailed, who knows what happens to my family dynamic? Good thing Dad wasn't around to watch Notre Dame lose Urban Meyer to the lure of Gainesville.

Jeff Gordon
--Back in 1994, I watched his first win at the Coca-Cola 600 and I remember thinking, damn, this kid's gonna be good. That, combined with the fact that everybody hated him, made me a fan. Simple enough. The four Winston Cup championships, three Daytona 500 wins, and four wins at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway were just gravy.

Celtics
--I became a casual Celtics/Larry Bird fan in 1979, but it wasn't until bigmouth Moses Malone said he could pull four guys off the streets in Petersburg (Va.) and beat the Celtics before the 1981 NBA Finals that I became a rabid fan. I still think Bird was a legit MVP every year he played, and I'm still heartbroken over the deaths of Len Bias and Reggie Lewis.

Queen's Park Rangers
--Because yerfatma said so.

---

Remembering the good ol' days: Tidewater Tides games at Met Park in Norfolk, Virginia. What a dump, but the atmosphere was fantastic. You could actually yell across the park to friends sitting on the opposite side, and they could hear you, clear as a bell:

"Hey Dave, we're goin' fer dogs n' beer! You comin'?"

"Naw, man, I gotta take a leak...I'll catch ya during the seventh inning stretch!"

Then they built a half-assed replica of Camden Yards (same company, same architect, different vibe), changed the team to the Norfolk Tides, jacked up ticket prices, and ruined the whole experience.

---

Working in Baltimore back in 1992-93, I stayed at the Omni Inner Harbor for about six months, and got to look down on Camden Yards the first year it was open. Many nights spent drinking beer and listening to the game on the radio while I looked down from my room at one of the most inspiring sports-related sights I've ever seen. And I'm not even an O's fan.

---

The night I walked away from the TV while the Red Sox were leading the Mets in Game Six of the 1986 World Series has scarred me for life. If there's a TV on, with one of my favorite teams playing, I am now physically unable to walk away, because I am haunted by the knowledge that if I walk away, they will lose. Of course, they often lose while I'm watching, but at least they have a chance...as long as I'm there.

---

Watching the 1982 Phins-Chargers playoff game with my dad was as heart-breaking a moment as I've ever had in sports; watching Uwe VonSchamann and Rolf Benerschkie trade missed field goals, watching that damn Kellen Winslow run rampant, when it was all over, I felt like I'd been cheated. Let down by our European kicker, beaten by their European kicker.

Friggin' Europeans.

Res Ipsa Locquitar.

















Recent Links

Can You Spell FSU?: If you're an athlete at Florida State University, probably not. The NCAA releases nearly 700 pages of its report detailing academic fraud at the university, and could take away 14 of Head Football Coach Bobby Bowden's career 384 wins. One FSU tutor testified that some players read at a second-grade level, and one student was so helpless, she had to read test questions for him...because he couldn't read.

posted by The_Black_Hand to football at 09:38 AM on October 16 - 12 comments

Bad: Your NFL Season Is Ended By A Hit. Worse: From A Teammate.: Cleveland Browns backup running back James Davis is on Injured Reserve, and will undergo season-ending shoulder surgery after being hit after practice by an unnamed teammate. The teammate, a linebacker, was wearing pads; Davis was not. Browns Head Coach Eric Mangini says he's "comfortable" with the situation. The NFL, apparently not so comfortable, is investigating the incident.

posted by The_Black_Hand to football at 06:16 PM on October 13 - 6 comments

Kentucky High School Football Coach Acquitted In Player's Death: Coach David Jason Stinson was found Not Guilty on charges of reckless homicide and wanton endangerment in the death of 15-year-old Max Gilpin, one of his players at Pleasure Ridge Park High School. Gilpin, a sophomore offensive lineman, collapsed while running gassers during practice on August 20, 2008. He died three days later at Kosair Children's Hospital. The temperature that afternoon was 94 degrees. Medical personnel testified that Gilpin's body temperature was 107 degrees when he arrived at the hospital.

posted by The_Black_Hand to other at 08:03 PM on September 17 - 23 comments

Strap it on! Get some! Take a trip to the Hurt Locker! H2H Fantasy Football Awaits!: The 2009 SpoFi Head-to-Head Fantasy Football League beckons to you. Allow it to caress you with the silky cruelty that only fantasy football can generate. Wallow in it, love it, sign the hell up!

posted by The_Black_Hand to fantasy at 07:09 PM on August 19 - 14 comments

Oh, it's on. Yes, yes it is.: And you love it! New 2009-10 SpoFi H2H Fantasy Football League is open for business. Provide your own cup.

posted by The_Black_Hand to fantasy at 12:58 PM on July 18 - 9 comments

Recent Comments

CFL Pick 'Em, Week 18

I can dig it.

Winnie by 7

posted by The_Black_Hand at 03:42 AM on November 01

CFL Pick 'Em, Week 16

Eddie by 12

Calgon by 4

Monty by 15

Winnie by 3

posted by The_Black_Hand at 09:29 AM on October 16

NASCAR reveals names of first Hall of Fame class

And, I'd take Kulwicki and/or Yarborough in the Hall before France Junior.

posted by The_Black_Hand at 09:23 AM on October 16

NASCAR reveals names of first Hall of Fame class

*Insert obligatory derogatory comment about real racing turning right here*

*Insert obligatory derogatory comment about you shitting all over every single NASCAR thread that appears on this site.*

Jesus, dude, we get it. Do everybody a favor, and just stop coming into NASCAR-related threads if all you're going to do is disparage the sport.

posted by The_Black_Hand at 09:22 AM on October 16

Wrestling Manager, Pop Icon Captain Lou Albano Dies

Captain Lou will always be a legend among wrestlers who wore office supplies as facial decorations.

posted by The_Black_Hand at 02:04 PM on October 14

MLB Post-Season Pick 'Em, LCS Edition

Yanks in 6

Phillies in 7

Cliff Lee/C.C. Sabathia

AL +23

posted by The_Black_Hand at 02:03 PM on October 14

Angels Sweep Red Sox, Head to ALCS

I blame it on wedding planning.

Do what my wife and I did...don't invite anybody. It makes the whole thing a lot easier, and a lot cheaper.

posted by The_Black_Hand at 12:43 PM on October 14

Bad: Your NFL Season Is Ended By A Hit. Worse: From A Teammate.

At what point, after how many years of misery, is OK for a fan to jump ship?

All you have to do is make it through a week of Mangini's "Shirts and Skins" practices, and you're released from your servitude.

posted by The_Black_Hand at 12:40 PM on October 14

Angels Sweep Red Sox, Head to ALCS

Instead of saying "Candyman" three times, just make an incorrect statement about the Sawx, and jersey rises from the dead to wreak havoc on the nonbelievers...

posted by The_Black_Hand at 07:37 AM on October 14

Brady Quinn's House Up For Sale

I'll bet Quinn lands in Miami.

I'd be very surprised if that happens, given the fact that the Phins already traded for Tyler Thigpen. Coupled with Chad Henne's performance so far, I don't think the team's going to be looking for a quarterback anytime soon.

posted by The_Black_Hand at 07:32 AM on October 14

Angels Sweep Red Sox, Head to ALCS

You know, for just a minute there, I thought I heard Tom Waits...

posted by The_Black_Hand at 06:19 PM on October 13

Puckathon Draft Day Complete! Fun Time Pontifications Here

So all that crap I wrote is irrelevant.

And yet, strangely erotic at the same time.

posted by The_Black_Hand at 07:07 AM on October 13

CFL Pick 'Em, Week 15

B.C. by 5

Sassy by 10

Monty by 4

Hammy by 14

posted by The_Black_Hand at 08:58 PM on October 09

MLB Post-Season Pick 'Em, One-Game Playoff Edition

Twins by 4

Cuddyer

posted by The_Black_Hand at 05:13 PM on October 05

Arrest Made in Erin Andrews Stalking Case

Never did see the pictures. Which given the hype surrounding them is somewhat disappointing. I like to at least see what I'm supposed to be condemning.

How noble of you to want to see Erin Andrews naked, as filmed clandestinely and without her consent by some sort of psychotic freak.

Just so you can condemn it, of course.

posted by The_Black_Hand at 11:42 PM on October 03