Monday, August 8, 2011

He Said, She Said........Vol 34. (August 8, 2011)

Good Evening....

Adam Scott wins the Bridgestone Invitational.....With Steve Williams, Tiger Woods' ex-caddy, on the bag....Steve Williams, fired because he had the audacity to pick up Scott's bag for the US Open as the Prima Donna sat on the sidelines with his "injury".....Fired after spending 18 months loyal to his boss while keeping his thoughts to himself....Ladies and gentlemen, Eldrick hasn't changed....He's still a punk....Now Williams isn't any crackerjack surprise either....But you put two and two together and you get an employee who was wronged....Eldrick's second public divorce....Let the war of words begin....If your sitting on the sidelines taking it all in, it's great theater....Woods' career may be stuck in neutral but he's still out in Tigerland with his handful of enablers....He claims he fired Williams "man to man, face to face" while his former caddy insisted it was over the phone....I don't know who is right or wrong but Eldrick has gone from superstar to cad to laughingstock....Williams carried Eldrick's bag during 13 majors, 16 World Titles and 72 wins....And after Scott's win the anger seeped out as he claimed "that's the best win I've ever had."....If only HBO could run a weekly reality show following Adam Scott/Steve Williams and Eldrick Woods/????????

The age old question....Is a NASCAR driver an athlete?....There's no doubt it's a physical job but ya can't play baseball, football, basketball or hockey on a broken left ankle....Brad Keselowski wins the Pocono 500 despite crashing Wednesday during a test session busting his ankle....They slapped a brace on it and viola he drives to victory lane....I dunno....Though Jack Youngblood of the LA Rams played with a broken leg (albeit a non-weight bearing bone) back in the day....NASCAR drivers cowardly spin other drivers out, engage in catfights but I've never seen a decent punch thrown....Of course I didn't see 65 year old Richard Childress go all Tyson on Busch.

The Yankees-Red Sox rivalry was renewed this past weekend....What did we find out?....Curtis Granderson and Jacoby Ellsbury are having MVP seasons....Dustin Pedroia is a freak....Mariano Rivera is only a 50/50 proposition against the Sox....Sometimes he gets them....Sometimes they get him....Derek Jeter is back....Boston seems to have C.C. Sabathia's number....Brett Gardner has picked it up and has a lot to offer at the top of New York's lineup....And they play looooong games.
Memo to Joe Girardi - when ARod comes back use this lineup -
LF Gardner
SS Jeter
CF Granderson
1B Teixeira
2B Cano
3B A. Rodriguez
Carl Crawford settling in at the six spot for Boston is working out.

Can you believe it?....Pre-season games this week?....Didn't the lockout just end?....What's up with The Hoodie?....signing Ocho Cinco, Haynesworth, Anderson, Carter and now Shaun Ellis from the arch-rival New York Jets....Belichick keeps it interesting....Couple of Fantasy Sleepers.....Kevin Kolb to Larry Fitzgerald and Rob Gronkowski.

"He had no teeth and he was slobbering all over himself.  I'm thinking you can have your money back.  Just get me out of here.  Let me go be an accountant.  I can't tell you how badly I wanted out of there." - Denver rookie QB John Elway, on Jack Lambert after Lambert and the Steelers knocked Elway out of his first game as a pro (1983).

....talk to ya.........................

Thursday, August 4, 2011

Police Academy........Vol 33. (August 4, 2011)

Good Afternoon....

Moses Hightower is no more....Bubba Smith the actor who portrayed Moses Hightower in the Police Academy movies has passed at the young age of 66....I'm sure Bubba received more notoriety for his acting career especially the many Police Academy sequels but I remember Bubba Smith the 6'7" defensive force out of Michigan State who went on to have a stellar career in the NFL....Smith was a member of the 1966 Spartan squad who played Notre Dame to a 10-10 tie in what was billed as the "game of the century"....Michigan State fans would chant "kill, Bubba, kill"....Baltimore selected him as the #1 overall pick in the 1967 NFL draft....He went on to win his only Super Bowl ring with the Colts in 1970....And who can forget the Miller Lite (2nd worst beer in history, Old Milwaukee is number one) commercials with Bubba and Dick Butkus....Tastes great....Less filling....RIP.

Alex Rodriquez is being investigated by MLB for being in attendance at underground poker games....I could care less what the fool does but when the commissioner's office has warned you about this behavior and you continue to participate then I guess you've got whats coming.

Tiger Woods is back in the fairway....If anyone thinks this guy has changed you're not seeing what I'm seeing....He's won this tournament seven times....Hope he doesn't even make the cut.

Maybe it's global warming but I've seen a treasure chest of magnificent double plays this year.... No look tosses, fantastic turns at second base and great glove work at the first base bag....Web gems galore....And have you noticed since the Buster Posey collision that players are shying away from contact with the catcher on close plays at home....Run 'em over when you have to....It's not like your playing in the city league and everyone has to go to work tomorrow....I've seen several plays where the player has beaten the throw home but because the catcher has his foot in front of the plate on the third base line they end up being out because they tried to slide in...Run 'em over.

It's August 4th and only one game separates the BoSox and the Bombers....We have a pennant race....Perfect time for a three game set between the long time rivals....This weekend at Fenway Park promises to be a great series as the Yankees are looking to erase their one game deficit....Both teams are ripping it....Red Sox fans are giving John Lackey the benefit of the doubt with a prolonged ovation Monday despite a lackeyluster performance....Lackey vs. Sabathia on Saturday....Spotlight is on Phil Hughes and Erik Bedard....They can go a long way to settling each team's pitching rotation.

Did you catch John Tomase's column in the Boston Herald today? ("Ellsbury Shows Off Star Power")....Some quotes from the piece...."The birth of Jacoby Ellsbury as a superstar"...."If the season ended today, he could make a legitimate case for MVP"...."A superstar is being born before our eyes, and its a sight to see"....John, you're a little late....I nick-named him "All-World" four years ago....From the time he made it to the show it was obvious he was going to the top of the world....All-World is on a mission this year after the lack of respect he was shown last year despite the fact he was injured....People questioned his mental and physical toughness....HE WAS HURT!....Two walk off hits in the last two games and last night's home run to straight away center was impressive...The sky is the limit.

"The difference between the old ballplayer and the new ballplayer is the jersey.  The old ballplayer cared about the name on the front.  The new ballplayer cares about the name on the back". - Steve Garvey

....talk to ya..............................

Wednesday, August 3, 2011

They Say It's Your Birthday, We're Gonna Have A Good Time........Vol.32 (August 3, 2011)

Good Afternoon....

Happy Birthday to Tom Brady....Brady turns 34 today....It seems like it was just yesterday that he burst on the scene like a supernova....I was a Drew Bledsoe guy....I thought Bledsoe should get his job back....I was wrong....I thought the Patriots should hire Buddy Ryan over Bill Parcells....Wrong....I wanted the Pats to draft Rick Mirer instead of Bledsoe....Wrong....But the fact that Brady went down in the Pittsburgh AFC Championship game that year and Drew came in to lead the Pats to victory was the icing on the cake....Of course Brady returned to lead New England to an upset win over "The Greatest Show on Turf" (St. Louis Rams) in the Super Bowl, writing the first chapter of his legacy....Tweeters were asked what they'd give Tom for his birthday....I'm partial to this one: "he's got three Super Bowl rings........Gisele.......talent........I'd give 'em a high-five."

Boston fans were spoiled by the Shaquille O'Neal Traveling Salvation Show....Then he retired....Lo and behold here comes Chad Ocho Cinco....Maybe (maybe not) he should tone it down a notch but don't lose it....Have fun like the Big Shamrock did....Just bust your ass in practice and in games and the Boston fans will embrace you....What a final act it could be....The football is in your corner....Same goes for Albert Haynesworth....Saying and doing all the right things so far but he's got aways to go to win the fans over....We know the track record and he has a sexual assault trial hanging over his head....Bust your ass in practice and in games and the Boston fans will embrace you....Interesting to see if New England switches to the 4-3 defense but the thought of Haynesworth and Vince Woolfork raising havoc on the defensive line makes a Patriot fan giddy....In Bill We Trust.

So Clay Buchholz is maybe out for the year....Stress fracture in his back....No one has questioned his toughness or inability to make it back to help the team out for the rest of the year....Not like last year when the Boston front office, media, fans and at least one of the players shit all over Jacoby "All-World" Ellsbury when he was suffering with cracked ribs....Instead of Terry "Softball" Francona writing his name at the top of the order in centerfield for the next 10 years as I suggested, GM Theo Epstein signs 37 year-old Mike Cameron and Boston puts him in CF and moves All-World to LF where 3B Adrian Beltre proceeds to run him over like a Mack truck on a pop-up down the left field line in foul territory causing his injuries....Then he was shit on by the front office, player(s), fans and media....Then they sign Carl Crawford for a King's ransom....The Red Sox better sign Ellsbury soon and for a boatload of dough or he's gone after 2013....Imagine how good he'll be in 2013....He has Most Valuable Player potential....His agent is Scott Boras and they both won't forget how he was treated in 2010....He's gonna get his money....The question is will he still want to play in Fenway....Sox blew this one and the only way to make amends is to get All-World's John Hancock on the dotted line of a new contract....And Buchholz thinks he can take 4 months off, come back in time for the playoffs and help the team....Dude, the team is gonna shut you down....It's the right thing to do....Take the time to go home, look in the mirror and realize you're not anything special.

Is Tony LaRussa having a nervous breakdown?....I know he's pals with Belichick and Bobby Knight and I'm sure it would be interesting to play for Knight or Bill but I don't get the same vibe from LaRussa....He seems unhappy all the time....Maybe it's time to call it quits, Tony....A couple of days ago he threw Colby Rasmus under the team bus....His diatribe before the media last night was lame....He's mad at Milwaukee for hitting Pujols....But it's okay for his team to throw at Ryan Braun....He's upset with the Brewer fans for having the audacity to boo in their home park....I believe the word he used was "idiots"....Tony, shut the fuck up!....Keep it in the clubhouse....Go Pirates!

And speaking of the St. Louis Cardinals, how about that Rick Ankiel....Ankiel began his career as an up and coming star pitcher in the Cardinal organization until that fateful playoff day when he couldn't get the ball over the plate to save his life....He reinvented himself as an outfielder and has bounced around with several teams....Tuesday night he hit 2 home runs and added another last night....Bombs....And he unloaded a bullet throw on the fly to home plate that no other player could do....Good story....Brendan Ryan of Seattle last night hit a ball in the hole and beat the throw....Then noticing there was no one covering second base he took off and made it safely....Oakland recovered but I think all nine players ran to second because third base was left empty and Ryan took off making it to third base easily....A triple, the hard way....Ah, there's nothing like hustle....And if I'm the Oakland manager I'm left pulling whats left of my hair out of my head.

"Just give me 25 guys on the last year of their contracts; I'll win the pennant every year." - Sparky Anderson

....talk to ya..........................................

Monday, August 1, 2011

Mr. 3000........Vol. 31 (August 1, 2011)

Good Afternoon....

Watched a couple of interesting documetaries on HBO recently...."The Curious Case of Curt Flood" presented an inside look at a complicated man....Curt Flood was a key member of the great St. Louis Cardinal teams of the sixties....Flood, who liked to tip a glass or two, challenged baseball on the reserve clause eventually leading to free agency for all players....But the court proceedings that led to the Supreme Court took its toll on Flood as the other players did not publicy back him at the beginning....A riches to rags to redemption story...."Jeter 3K" is a behind the scenes view of Derek Jeter's world as he neared the 3000 hit plateau....A private man, classy and great ballplayer, Jeter explains that he let the cameras follow him because he was jealous of other players who would bring their children into the clubhouse and he wanted something he could show his kids in the future....Complete with a fairy tale ending it is a fascinating portrait of a Hall of Famer approaching a great accomplishment.

NFL is back!....With a vengeance....This avalanche of players signing, being cut, traded and moving on must have executive's heads spinning....But it leaves the casual fan drooling....Philadelphia Eagles look to be ahead of the curve with the Kolb trade and the Asomugha signing....Here in Boston, the Hoodie (Belichick) always keeps it interesting signing Chad Ocho Cinco (could be some upside) and Fat Albert Haynesworth (who the fuck knows?)....Look for somebody to put Ocho Cinco and Cinco Ocho (Jonathan Papelbon's alter ego) together to hawk some product....Rumors were hot that Denver would send Kyle Orton to Miami but it's gotten very quiet....The Broncos seem intent on playing Tim Tebow at QB (hmmmmm)....Donovan McNabb will help the Vikings win some games but we all know what happens if they make the playoffs....Reggie Bush going to Miami makes him a 2012 sleeper in fantasyland.

MLB trade deadline has come and gone and I've got more Philly talk....The Phillies do what they need to do and get Hunter Pence....Perfect fit....They seem to do it every year....Very surprising that Ubaldo Jimenez ends up in Cleveland....Good for the Indians....I just don't think that Jimenez is a stud pitcher....If Erik Bedard can stay healthy he can help the Boston rotation as Clay "another prima donna" Buchholz is out for the year....Me thinks Clay reads his ink too much....A no-hitter to start his career and shit since....Will we finally see the Colby Rasmus talent now that he's been released from LaRussa Penitentiary?....Tony LaRussa comes across as a complete asshole....Pittsburgh gets Derrek Lee and Ryan Ludwick but I don't think its enough as St. Louis adds Edwin Jackson to its starters....Texas Rangers getting Mike Adams was huge....And the Yankees stand pat....I wouldn't be so fast to hand the AL East to the Red Sox....The Bombers have been tearing the cover off the ball and veterans Colon and Garcia have pitched steadily to help shore up the rotation after the great C.C. Sabathia....How about the Tiger-Angel game yesterday?....Magglio Ordonez has words with Angel pitcher Jared Weaver....Then Carlos Guillen hits a homer and does a world class job of showing up the pitcher as he takes his time getting out of the box, dances down the line while staring and talking to Weaver....What's a pitcher to do?....Throw at the next batter which Weaver does, aiming a missle at Avila's noggin....Say goodnight Jared....The next inning (the 8th) with Justin Verlander tossing a no-hitter the Angels pull a no-no as they break one of baseball's unwritten rules and have Eric Aybar bunt....He reaches on an error but the damage is done....Should be worth watching when these teams meet again.

Tiger Woods returns to the PGA tour this week....Who cares?

That rat bastard Paul Menard sneaks by my man #24 Jeff Gordon to win the Brickyard 400....Damn!

I don't see the NBA playing this year....There seems to be no urgency on the part of owners, players and fans....So be it.

"I will always be #1 to myself" - Moses Malone
"I could take myself and 4 homeless guys off any corner street in my hometown and beat the Celtics" - Moses Malone (1981 NBA Championship Finals)

"Moses Eats Shit" - Sign at the 1981 Boston Celtics Championship Rally
"Moses DOES eat shit" - Larry Bird

....talk to ya..................................