I have to write a post on the greatness of Michigan because I lost a bet. I was able to come up with 5 simple observations that to me sum it all up:
1 - Michigan came into Southbend and whooped the Irish, plain and simple. The Irish, coming off a shalacking of Penn State, seemed flat and uninspired. I guess when you own a school so many years in a row you are bound to lose sooner or later.
2 - BQ was too busy day-dreaming about his sister than hitting his receivers which led the Irish to their worst home loss in a while.
3 - This matchup was, is, and always will be the battle of the best 2 fight songs in the nation.
4 - Michigan and Notre Dame are sure to go back and forth on the best winning percentage for many years to come. Especially if Michigan keeps scheduling powerhouses like Central Michigan and Vanderbilt.
5 - Michigan will finish with no less than 2, most likely 3 or 4 losses this year. In fact, watch out for Wisconsin today! They should be able to win and silence the Ann Arbor band-wagoners!
So enjoy being in the top ten for a few more weeks at most, although it will probably only be a few more hours.
This picture comes our way courtesy of the guys at Deadspin.
Note: This post is not about the University of Texas as I have no problem with them. I just thought I would go out of my way to make that clear so that I don't get crap for it later.
I don't have much to say about this because the picture pretty much says it all. Somewhere in my head I can just hear Tom Cruise saying "Matt, Matt, Matt, Matt, Matt, Matt..." Maybe they should use this in a D.A.R.E. campaign. After all, if I had seen this on a poster growing up it would have scared the hell out of me.
I found this picture priceless so I had to post it. The greatness of it lies not in the girl's shirt but instead in the irony of the situation. Her shirt compliments Democrats asking if you have ever heard of a "nice piece of elephant." But honestly, was there ever anyone better at picking out an "elephant" to screw around with than Bill Clinton himself?
Steve Marmel put it best when he said Clinton's dating record is like a Darwin chart. "You start with monkey and you end with monkey," Marmel explained. He also compared Bill Clinton's dating to a little kid with a cracker jack box. He said Bill would "crack open mobile homes to see what the prize was inside." And from the expression on his face in this picture, he may have just found such a prize again (one that apparently finds him sexy). Isn't it finally nice to have a moral President in the White House instead of his predecessor who thought that "foreign affairs" means screwing a woman from out of town?
I read somewhere that Bill Clinton received a 12 million dollar advance for this book. That is a lot of money for a book advance. However, as Jay Leno so adequately put it, "that's not even counting what he's probably getting under the table."
Does anyone else with even half a brain consider it outrageous what the NY Times gets away with printing? The fact that they have leaked top secret information from the government many times without consequence is appalling to me. You have to love how the terrorists can pick up our paper and read our secret plans of stopping their attacks and catching them on the front page! Can we make it anymore blatant? Maybe we should have the NY Times videotape national security's private meetings and then broadcast them on Al Jazeera.
The Bush administration should be having heads roll for these publications. Public opinion be damned! If America is going to be protected we have to remember the old adage "loose lips sink ships." Ann Coulter says it best when she asks, "when is The New York Times going to get around to uncovering an al-Qaida secret program?" Whatever happened to the good old days when we hung people for treason? Or is it not considered treason since its the liberal media attacking the plans of a conservative government.
Unfortunately, the reality here is that to the NY Times as well as many other liberals, it's all about partisan politics. I am to the point where I am never surprised how big of jackasses the liberals are though. Think about it. Do terrorists choose their targets based on which way the states voted in the last election? Of course not! Sean Hannity really brings it all into perspective on his radio show. He says that to the terrorists there are no red states or blue states, no democrats, independents, or republicans, no liberals or conservatives, there are ONLY Americans. And they want us all dead regardless of who we voted for or what race or class we may be. And until the liberals realize that we are on the same team in this war on terror, we are going to be extremely vulnerable. George Bush is in no way perfect but has done one hell of a job keeping us safe so that we can live our lives and debate the trivial. But keep this in mind, the plane that hit the WTC's didn't just have conservatives aboard. And the people inside, they weren't all there for a Rush Limbaugh convention. They were of all backgrounds, beliefs, parties,.... they were all American.
So the conservatives hate her, the liberals hate her, and now even babies hate her? How is it that people could actually believe that Hillary has a chance to win the election in '08? Is Bill lying to her making her think she can do it or is she just wanting a presidential intern of her own?
So the big Notre Dame - Michigan weekend is upon us and its time for another Irish spanking of the boys from Ann Arbor. After sending "JoePa" home with such a beating he wishes he had Alzheimer's, I am fully predicting another Big Ten massacre this weekend (and maybe the following against Michigan State as well). I have the final score as this: Notre Dame - 38 Michigan - 3. But I think that score will be much closer than the game on the field.
There are also many other big games this weekend so let's give you a few prediction's for the upcoming action:
LSU over Auburn Miami over Louisville Baylor over Washington State TCU over Texas Tech Colorado over Arizona State Clemson over Florida State Florida over Tennessee USC over Nebraska
If you bet with these and win money, I expect 15%,
So the Buckeyes are #1... for now. They convincingly downed the Longhorns 24-7 in the showdown Saturday night. And since it is getting a little late in the summer/fall to celebrate a big victory by going to Disneyland, Ohio State fans decided to celebrate by starting fires and hitting people with cars. The most compelling stats of the evening were not on the field but off it: 35-40 fires set, 17 arrests, and 3 people hit by a car. All they needed was Maurice Clarett to join in by supplying the vodka and firing shots into the sky and it could have been the best party ever.
I am not sure if coach Jim Tressel joined in the fun when he returned from Austin after the game. However, rumor has it that when speaking to reporters following their complete shalacking of Texas he told them that he had just voted in this week's USA TODAY Coaches' Poll and he has decided to "once again" put the Longhorns as the #1 team in the nation. I wonder if USA TODAY is going to have any comment...
I saw this shirt online and I thought it was not only hilarious but also very appropriate. The idea mentioned, while most liberals would consider it "hate speech," is actually not a message of hate but of acceptance and tolerance. The goal is not racism but is becoming one nation under God. It invites others into our culture in the hopes that they will assimilate to it and become one strong family of Americans. Theodore Roosevelt puts it best:
"In the first place we should insist that if the immigrant who comes here in good faith becomes an American and assimilates himself to us, he shall be treated on an exact equality with everyone else, for it is an outrage to discriminate against any such man because of creed, or birthplace, or origin. But this is predicated upon the man's becoming in very fact an American, and nothing but an American...There can be no divided allegiance here. Any man who says he is an American, but something else also, isn't an American at all. We have room for but one flag, the American flag, and this excludes the red flag, which symbolizes all wars against liberty and civilization, just as much as it excludes any foreign flag of a nation to which we are hostile...We have room for but one language here, and that is the English language...and we have room for but one sole loyalty and that is a loyalty to the American people." - Theodore Roosevelt
What a great message and yet it is so sad to see how far we have strayed from those simple principles. Immigration does not unite America into a stronger "melting pot" because there is not "melting" taking place. Just a bunch of individuals who insist on living their own way with their own culture while having all the benefits (enter welfare) of being an American. The goal is not unity but division and as long as the liberals support it (who ironically are also all about division) and block the conservatives from making any progress on the issue, the debate will rage on with no end in sight.
It seems like the best idea the liberals came up with is from Bill Maher. In his book, "Does Anybody Have a Problem With That?", Maher suggests giving the illegals New Mexico because, after all, it already has the words Mexico in it. While most conservatives, including myself, think of Bill as an idiotic SOB, that idea might just have to work if things keep going at the rate they are now. Or we could just go with the many Republican plans that call for immediate action and all for the most part seem pretty good. But for the love of God, let's do something about it!
Also, If you like that t-shirt above (a design by KLIF's Greg Knapp), you can order it from this link: www.cafepress.com/gkexperience
So what do you do when you go out and spend a lot of money on the most accurate kicker in NFL history only to have him go 1-3 in his preseason debut from a distance that my 10 year old nephew could hit from? I know what to do and I want to see if the Cowboys have the guts to do it: Cut him. He missed most of the preseason with an injury and if you let him go now before the season starts all you will be out is his signing bonus. There is a reason the Colts were willing to let him go (other than his cat-fights with Peyton Manning) and the Cowboys should have been wise to that. I am proud of them making an effort to boost the kicking game but isn't there anyone else they can sign other than someone who has learned how to be a loser from Peyton himself? If not, for the raise T.O. got in coming to Dallas maybe we should let him kick instead. After all, he loves being the center of attention. And we have "our popcorn ready" for the show.
"Liquored up kickers" can't hit field goals in Dallas either,
For those of you who have not heard yet, while President Bush was doing his Katrina speech, CNN news anchor Kyra Phillips was adding her own harmony to the piece. Apparently someone left her mic open while she was having a conversation with another woman in the CNN restroom and it was broadcast over President Bush's speech. While Phillips complimented her husband, her sister-in-law didn't end up so lucky. Below is an actual transcript of the above video attained from Newsbusters.org:
Kyra Phillips: "assholes Yeah, I'm very lucky in that regard with my husband. My husband is handsome and he is genuinely a loving, you know, no ego[unintelligible] you know what I'm saying. Just a really passionate, compassionate great, great human being. And they exist. They do exist. They are hard to find. Yup. But they are out there."
[unidentified woman]: We'll see. He's going to come, you know, he's set for an extended visit[unintelligible]"
Phillips: "I mean, that's, that's how you figure it all out, those extended visits. [laughter]"
[unidentified woman]: "Yeah, but my mom, I think she really likes him."
Phillips: "Mom's got a good vibe? Good."
[unidentified woman]: "Yeah, my brother's the one that[unintelligible]"
Phillips: "Brother of course, brothers have to be, you know, protective. Except for mine. I've got to be protective of him."
[unidentified woman unintelligible]
Phillips: "Yeah. He's married, three kids, but his wife is just a control freak."
[unidentified woman #2]: "Kyra."
Phillips: "Yeah, baby?"
[unidentified woman #2]: "Your mic is on. Turn it off. It's been on the air."
Seconds later, Daryn Kagan stumbled through this awkward transition:
Daryn Kagan: "Alright, we've been listening in to President Bush as he speaks in, uh, New Orleans today. This is the one year anniversary of Katrina making land shore there. President Bush saying if another natural disaster hits, our country we must, uh, react better than that. Let's listen in once again to President Bush."
And as great as this mistake was, this wasn't the first time Kyra has been involved in a CNN snafu. Thanks to Newsbusters.org we are also reminded of another mishap:
Kyra Phillips: "Now, I've seen Michael Bolton sitting behind the President. Obviously not now, we're looking at different live pictures. Are we going to hear from him? Or have we heard from him?"
Richard Roth: "Well, you may -- you're not going to hear him sing. I think you said Michael Bolton, John Bolton the US ambassador-"
Phillips (embarrassed): "John Bolton. Richard, thank you so much. You're taking me back now to, what, the early '80s? My goodness."
Roth: "Yes, and this ambassador has much shorter hair."
Phillips: "And no relation, right? Maybe we should make that clear."
Roth: "No relation. Though some of his remarks has -- have caused some hair-raising reaction from advocates for some groups...."
Wow! CNN must be really holding their head high today. I mean, who wouldn't be? Especially after this current reporting masterpiece that makes all of us want to grow up to be news anchors. I know I do! But Kyra, I think it would be fair at this point to offer you a bit of advice. A lot of people don't like thier in-laws and that's fine... But I really wouldn't recommend broadcasting it on national television if you can help it. It may not improve the situation as much as you had hoped.
Having reporting excellence flashbacks of Lisa Guerrero on MNF,
As the long-running Yankees - Red Sox rivalry nears the end of its 104th season, the popular feud once provided fans with emotionally charged drama, larger-than-life heroes and villains, and compelling subplots woven throughout its story.
The Red Sox - Yankees rivalry seems to be running really really low on some good storylines. The last series could only offer those who tuned in, a series of five baseball contests between two American League East teams vying for first place.
The first 100 seasons of the rivalry were carefully crafted to build toward one defining moment, which occurred in the 2004 AL finale when the luckless but lovable Red Sox finally defeated the rich, cocky but undeniably talented Yankees in the ALCS before winning the World Series and ending the "Curse Of The Bambino" story thread that was written into the series in back in the early years.
Experts, however, suggest that since that moment, the rivalry has struggled to regain the dramatic tension and conflict that was once inevitable to meetings between the two teams.
Sensing that things needed to be shaken up, the Yankees brought veteran Bobby Abreu onto the cast as a midseason replacement for right-fielder Gary Sheffield. However, while Sheffield was a central figure in many conflicts—including the 2004 episode in which he took a swing at a Red Sox fan in the right-field bleachers—the most noteworthy thing Abreu has done in his stint with the Yankees is double home the go-ahead run in last Monday's victory.
Fans have called for increased production of serviceable storylines, saying they don't want their last memory of the Yankees-Red Sox rivalry to be the May 2006 incident in which Doug Mirabelli was escorted to Fenway Park by a Boston police car 14 minutes before game time so that the newly acquired backup catcher could make his Red Sox return and prevent passed balls during the first seven innings of a Tim Wakefield start.
I'm not a fan of either ball club but I do, like most genuine red blooded Americans love a good rivalry. I feel like I've been waiting for some sort of disputed play at the plate, a fistfight maybe, bench-clearing brawl, some pot head causing a scene on the field, overturned home-run ruling, bad managerial decision, heroic walk-off hit by a virtually unknown role player, blood, just anything.
I can just picture Chris Farley saying that into the fan now imitating Darth Vader on Star Wars, enter Tommy Boy. But as for those of you who can't quite picture that, or are terrified at the very thought, get used to it. According to sources Matt Leinart is going to be the proud papa of a kid with USC women's basketball player Brynn Cameron. Brynn will most likely redshirt this season (she is a junior) while Matt is off partying with Paris, um... I mean, playing football for the Cardinals.
Matt, who has been seen in numerous pictures on the internet with many different women lately (including leaving Hilton's home early one morning), was unavailable to comment to "Boomer Bear" mainly because I wouldn't know how the hell to contact him to get a statement.
We did find a statement from his rep regarding the Matt Leinart Foundation where he said "kids are important to Matt." Apparently they are so important that he didn't want his kid to miss his rookie year with the Cardinals.
"Hey Matt, what if it's a girl instead of a boy? Then who will you take out and drink and whore yourself around with? Oh yeah. Sorry, I forgot... Paris Hilton."
Unfortunately Matt should have learned from the National Championship Game against Texas that Trojans aren't always 100% effective in the clutch.
On another note, if Leinart has any more illegitimate children expect him to go #1 in the next NBA Draft.
Here's to Leinart, a great role model for his soon-to-be-kid,
Being the avid Yankee haters we are we found it too priceless not to post. The best I came up with so far was this: "Wait, where did he go? I swear he was here a minute ago. This is so embarassing when this happens!" If you come up with a great caption we would love to hear it.
I don't like "raindrops on roses or whiskers on kittens," but I do have a few favorite videos that make me smile when I think about celebrities and karma... Today's Target: Ashlee Simpson
First there was getting caught lip-synching on Saturday Night Live...
Then who could forget her getting booed off-stage at the Orange Bowl?
And last but not least, our favorite girl (next to her brilliant sister of course) drunk at McDonald's...
This article is not to debate whether illegal immigration is right or wrong. Unless you are a bleeding-heart liberal hopefully you can obviously see the negative impact illegal immigration has on all of us (at least those that pay their taxes).
In case you are unsure however, let me share these stats with you I came across the other day:
- In your working lifetime you will spend just over $90,000 out of your paycheck to pay for services granted to illegal immigrants.
- If you take that same $90,000 and put it in an AVERAGE investment, it will increase to $600,000 during that same period. This is money that you could have put away for your kids college or retirement.
If you still can't make up your mind, migrate south of the border and do both countries a favor.
Writing an obituary for the more than half million I lost,
This story is an addition to the article recently posted on Deadspin.
For those of you who don't know the story apparently (according to Deadspin) the woman on the far left, Danika Schroeter, finished in second place to the one in the middle, Michelle Dumaresq, in the Canadian downhill mountain biking championships. Dumaresq is also the three time defending champion.
So who really cares, right? Well, I did leave out one piece of information... Michelle Dumaresq was formerly a man (and not in the "previous life" way either). This frustration led to the tasteless t-shirt that Danika Schroeter's boyfriend made for her that she is wearing in the photo. The shirt provoked the audience to join in with derogatory remarks and finally to Schroeter's three month suspension by the Canadian Cycling Association for such a classless act.
But here is what I was wondering... What would a feminist think? I know, I don't really care either but it is always humorous to think of them speechless and I may have such a situation here.
In defense of Dumaresq: I figured they might say that despite her previous manhood, she is now a woman (I figure post-op) and should be able to have the rights of all women. They might add that Dumaresq has now reached the peak of enlightenment becoming the "better sex" and should be able to be who she wants without any discrimination or ridicule. And for good measure they hopefully would add (if not for my humor alone), "She is Dumaresq, hear her roar!"
But then there would be Dumaresq's opponents as well. Their argument would be easy also: Dumaresq has been, still is, and always will be a man (despite the depth of the current circumcision). They could point out that Dumaresq is just another example of a man trying to infringe on woman's rights and take over their lives. And don't forget that they would probably even call Dumaresq a pervert, probably having the operation just to get closer to women.
So I can see this argument shaping up. I really think Fox should have this as a debate opposite "Desperate Housewives" and see which gets more ratings. I am sure we could find feminists who support each side, and don't forget, the bowl of popcorn to make it a true theatrical performance. And while they are at it they could answer another age old question that plagues me to this very day: If a man talks in the woods, and there isn't a feminist around to hear him, is he still wrong? Especially if this man is now a woman...
So I heard that they caught Warren Steed Jeffs, that sicko polygamist on the FBI's 10 Most Wanted list. The guy is supposed to have something like 10,000 followers. I have heard stories about this guy and honestly he disturbs me as much as John Mark Karr. I hope he gets put away for a long time. The only problem is that I don't know if his cell-mate will want to share him so he might have to settle down and be a one inmate kind of man.
Despite my Redsox falling ever so deeply out of contention there is still a light at the end of the tunnel. And no matter how dark things ever seem this light will be there to guide all of us along the path. That light: Knowing that the Yankees have, do, and always will suck. For those of us Redsox fans out there still hanging on to hope, I feel for you but I do have to officially call the time of death for Boston as yesterday when David Ortiz left the team with an irregular heartbeat. Hopefully though, these pictures can bring comfort and the reminder that regardless of the record or payroll, the will always Yankees suck!
"Derek! I just can't hide my feelings any longer. I need to tell you something!"
Even Hillary Clinton is a Yankees fan. Just like a liberal to sway with whatever direction the wind is blowing!
And who could forget this popular movie? "Don't ask, Don't tell, Don't Investigate," right A-Rod?
Rumor has it that this started because A-Rod accused the Boston pitchers of throwing at him to which Varitek responded, "We don't throw at .260 hitters." OUCH! That has got to sting. By the way, how is NY working out for you A-Rod?
One of the greatest throws that Pedro ever had in a Redsox uniform.
Singing "throw.." um, i mean "blow the man down" in my head,
The story below is why we here at Boomer Bear love Charlie Weis. It is the immortal story of "pass right." It is hard not to watch this without it bringing up any emotion (unless of course, you are a liberal). This story truly speaks to Weis' character and after all, if you don't have this, nothing else matters.
Update: This story took place this past year. The mother in this story was apparently also sick but kept it from her son so he wouldn't worry. She also passed away recently as well.
What? These aren't tears. I uh.... have allergies,
I am sure you have heard by now about the Cowboys chump-change fine on Terrell Owens for missing the team meeting and rehab assignment. “It’s about time they started doing something,” I told former Southern Miss football player and one of Boomer Bear’s insiders. “Yeah,” he replied. And then the conversation took an unexpected turn, one that the Cowboys themselves most likely are not aware of. Below is an excerpt of that conversation:
Insider: I know how he probably hurt his hamstring in the first place
The Bear: How?
Insider: I was working out late one night about 2-3 days before they started mini camp and he and one of his buddies were in the gym playing basketball and I saw them
The Bear: Where?
Insider: 24 HR off of Royal and 75 (Dallas, TX)
The Bear: Hmmmm…
Insider: I’m sure there is a stipulation in his contract that would void it all together if he did stupid stuff like that
The Bear: Are you sure it was him? Why didn’t you go talk to him?
Insider: Hell Yes! I’m sure it was him. There aren’t too many 6-3 or 6-4 RIPPED black dudes that walk into 24 with a posse.
The Bear: Did you see him get hurt?
Insider: He had a Cowboys hat on pulled down low to try and hide his face a little. No, he wasn’t hurt or anything. He was walking a little gimpy when he left though.
The Bear: Why didn’t you to talk to him?
Insider: I looked him right in the eye. I didn’t say anything, but I looked at him in a way that I let him know I knew who he was. He's too much of a prick. If I had said “hey, what up?” he would have kept on walking. I was gonna wait till he walked outside and see what he was driving to totally confirm but I didn’t.
The Bear: But you are say 50% sure it was him? 60%? 100%?
Insider: A full 100%
The Bear: Good enough for me
Insider: No doubts what so ever
That’s right folks. It seems like Mr. Owens hurt himself in the hopes of hoop dreams. That definitely would explain why he showed up to camp hurt and couldn’t play from the onset. I wonder if that is why he missed “optional workouts” with the team earlier this summer. He claimed he wanted to “work out with his people” but I don’t think the Cowboy’s realized that meant shooting hoops with his gang. And yes, I am pretty sure that injury could void out his contract and let the Cowboys move forward with still a great team. As I am sure this thing will keep getting bigger and blowing way the hell up, stay tuned for scenes….
I’m out. T.O. is meeting us all at the playground to play “smear the queer,”
The dynasty is on its way back over the next few years for the IRISH.. but as for now we will just have to settle for the 2006 National Champs! And not to take anything away from Dairy Queen but this is "BQ Country"... Enjoy the show!
So I admit it. I was wrong. I am sorry. Will you forgive me?
Yes I know, to the readers of my previous post on Terrell Owens, I take it all back. I was suckered into all the hype and the "this time will be different" speech. And maybe this time would be different, if T.O. would get his ass off the exercise bike and back out on the practice field. Of course, to get "back out there" I guess he would have had to be there to begin with.
Let’s start with the facts (and keep in mind we are still only half-way through the pre-season):
1 - Terrell skipped optional but "highly encouraged" workouts with the team and chose to work out with his own people. A move that has left him "injured" and not in football shape.
2 - Terrell made an ass out of himself, made his coach so furious he took off in the opposite direction, and his teammates very bitter about his Discovery Channel biking show-off day.
3 - I really do think Drew Rosenhaus is Satan.
4 - This will be Bill Parcells last year because of Terrell Owens and how Jerry Jones forced him on the team. Remember, Parcells has said himself that if he can't "shop for the groceries but has to cook" he is out. And he will be. I just wonder if he will make it through the season. I also hope they stay away from Weis as his replacement because he has such a good thing going at Notre Dame. Maybe Jones can bring Bob Stoops to the pros.
5 - Opening day this season will belong to Drew Bledsoe but all of '07 Tony Romo will be the starter.
After carefully considering the above, and realizing that the battle between T.O. and Parcells is about as fruitful as the war in Vietnam, I am just hiding in my bunker waiting for the real fireworks to start. Remember everyone, this is STILL pre-season of this first year in Dallas! It actually makes you miss the Cowboys SuperBowl winning teams of the early 90's who at least practiced and scored on the field (even if they did have a higher scoring percentage off it - enter drugs and women).
And Terrell, shut the hell up about your "hammy" and get back on the field! Until that happens (not holding my breath), maybe the Cowboys should cut Owens and bring in the receiving core from The Replacements. Or if we can't do that lets at least sit Bledsoe in favor of Shane Falco. He is more mobile and has a hellava lot more heart. Remember Gene Hackman's "We need heart" quote. It's quite relevant here. Maybe Falco could even remind T.O. of that life-giving principle that all athletes should live and abide by: "Pain heals, Chicks dig scars... Glory lasts for ever!" And if these Cowboys are planning on being like the SuperBowl winning Cowboys of the early 90's, I am sure they won't mind winning over the ladies. Until then, God help us all!
Off to create my own NCAA '07 College Football "glory" on the PS2 (I play through injuries all the time on that..),
"Ah ha, hush that fuss Everybody move to the back of the bus Do you wanna bump and slump with us We the type of people make the club get crunk"
OutKast's Rosa Parks rolls through my mind as I write this. A great song, and even greater problem if you a certain Louisiana school's Superintendent, Kay Easley.
According to reports on Fox News, "when school started this month, the white [bus]driver told them she had assigned [the school children] seats, with the black children at the back of the bus. "The [nine] black students [were moved] to two seats in the back of the bus, an arrangement that had some of the smaller children sitting in the laps of older children."
Now call me crazy but shouldn't we be a bit past this in our history? Did anyone forget that "all men were created equal?" And for those who are not past it, you would think they would be at least a little less blatant about it. I am someone who hates when the race card is used most of the time, usually because it is over-used, but in this instance Kay Easley better send this bus driver to the back of the unemployment line. Everyone get your keys out and start shaking them like college football season is in full swing cause it's time for this driver to start up the bus and get the hell out of town.
Another great story from the state that brought you the "elegant" Britney Spears and the irritating and annoying Onepeat.com!
I have a dream that one day Louisiana will be sold back to the French,
After many arguments and debates, southern scientists meeting yesterday in Arkansas determined that Nascar is no longer an actual sport and stripped it of its "sports" status. Nascar came under a great debate of "sporthood" after people were trying to add other activities as un-athletic as Nascar (such as bowling, table-tennis, and the WNBA) to the list of current sports. "This has been a debate for quite a while but in the end we decided that if Pluto can be removed as a planet because it is insignificant, then Nascar should be removed as a sport because people with more than 2 degrees separation from the south don't care about it," Professor Plum said. "When it comes down to it" the professor added, "driving really fast in circles doesn't mean you are talented but just lost or drunk. We never should have ever made it a sport in the first place. If we could do it all over again, we definitely wouldn't have even considered it."
Opponents of the downgrade include TP-PETA (Trailer Park - People for the Ethical Treatment of Alabaman's) and their National Chairman (or Chairwoman if you are into that whole PC thing) Tonya Harding. "We are outraged at this new development," says Harding. "Nascar is as much as a sport to us as golf is to the upper-class." Unfortunately for Harding, she didn't realize that the scientists never actually considered golf a sport (sorry, Tiger) and therefore her point was irrelevant.
Nascar's origins came from a postgame tail-gate party back in the day. After an Alabama-Auburn game, the locals who had too much to drink, decided that if they got in cars and drove real fast it would take away the sting of another tie game (There are 2 things to note here: 1) Yes boys and girls, back when I grew up they had no overtimes in college football so games actually ended in a tie... 2) Since a tie game is like "kissing your sister" one would assume that Alabama-Auburn fans would be excited that they both get to go home winners!). But just to add a little more excitement to that kiss, they decided to race around and the winner's team could claim victory for that year (I think the race was from the Ol' Johnson's outhouse to the Gretchen's Family Store. First one to touch the spittoon won).
After reviewing these findings (and the Alabama-Auburn tailgate picture posted above), scientists wondered what the hell they were thinking in the first place naming Nascar a sport and immediately reversed their decision. The ruling is expected to be appealed in the local court house (I think it's the one with the confederate flag over it) sometime early next year. Stay tuned for the latest on this breaking development.
Is Danica Patrick the Vice-Chairman to Tonya Harding? Just Curious,
With less than two weeks until USC opens its 2006 season against Arkansas, head coach Pete Carroll has his players ready to take full advantage of the unique opportunity in front of them: becoming the first team in college football history to win four consecutive national titles.
“All of the players and coaches are on the same page. We want this bad,” said Carroll. “Sure, some people doubt we can do it. They say we weren’t actually the official national champions in 2003. And that we didn’t even win a title last year. But that’s the kind of negative talk you have to push aside when you’re going for history. We have to stay positive and unified.”
Carroll said he is using the same motivational techniques he did last year when USC went after a highly-publicized three-peat that included a trip to the BCS title game against Texas.
“We had a lot of players on that team who had already tasted so much success – Matt Leinart, Reggie Bush, LenDale White – and we needed to create a little extra incentive for them,” said Carroll. “So I thought: ‘Hey, why not pretend we’ve won back-to-back championships and that we’re going for a third?’ Luckily, ESPN and the rest of the media went right along with it, and before we knew it our quest for a three-peat was the biggest story of the college football season. It was awesome. I even started to believe we were going for three in a row after a while.”
But while deep inside Carroll knows he only has a single national championship in his tenure at USC, his players and coaches honestly believe the Trojans could win four in a row this year.
“Yeah, it’s pretty funny. They have no idea that LSU won the BCS title in 2003, not us. And they’re in complete denial that we lost to Texas last year,” said Carroll. “After we got exposed in that game Matt Leinart said he still thought we were the better team. The adorable part is, these guys think that believing you’re the best is same as winning a national championship. And who am I to crush their hopes? Plus, pretending we’ve won back-to-back-to-back championships is great for recruiting. Kids will believe anything you tell them.”
Carroll says the most important part in winning a record fourth consecutive title won’t be determined so much by the performance of his team on the field as it will be by getting the media onboard with the USC hype machine again.
“As long as enough people believe something is true, it becomes true,” said Carroll. “That’s what happened last year. We need it to happen again.”
And luckily for Carroll, he’s already getting some to come over to his side.
“Take away one last minute drive and USC is holding the trophy last year,” said college football analyst Lee Corso. “So let’s not split hairs here. They more or less won that game. I mean, you say tomato, I say tomato. You say USC only has one national title, I say they’re about to get four in a row. Let’s not go and ruin what could be a great story with facts.”
Please believe I hold the Trojans in the highest regards,
Have you watched TV or listened to the radio and heard an outrageous report about a celebrity or wanna-be acting out that made you think "their parents must be so proud." It never ceases to amaze me how often that happens lately. It seems that constantly someone is pushing the limits of decency trying to make a buck or have their 15 minutes of fame. "If that was my kid I'd smack the hell out of em" and set em straight often comes into my mind. But what if it was the other way around. What if it was your parent making the scene and you were around having to deal with the backlash. Or what if you weren't? I am so freakin tired of hearing what the hell Cindy Sheehan has to say about the war and about her son. And honestly, I really am curious what he would say about the war if he was still here. How would he feel about his mom's pursuit for fame (don't let the liberals fool you with this innocent mom bs, she's been a media whore ever since she came on the scene). GW hasn't been spotless in this war by far but he has done one hell of a job considering what he has been up against. And I think her son, given the facts, would agree with that. But unfortunately we have to listen to Cindy stand in the gap for him and share the true message of the departed. Cindy, give it a rest. And GW, if you head back to Crawford and see her standing there with her protest blocking your way... well, in the immortal words of some true heroes, "Let's Roll."
This picture of "Touchdown Mohammed" is brought to us courtesy of our friends at "The M Zone." It is a take off of "Touchdown Jesus" which adorns the Notre Dame campus and overlooks the football stadium. The first time I saw it I didn't know if I would ever be able to stop laughing. I would consider it a crime for it not to be passed along. Keep in mind that the whole controversy and riots were dealing with the Danish image depicting Mohammed in any light at all (which according to their laws you are not allowed to do), not simply making fun of him. I hope you enjoy and thanks again "M Zone" for the picture.
Wondering if instead of NBC they would have a multi-million dollar Aljazeera TV contract,
We all know that Pre-Season Top 25 Polls in college football are about as relevant as Paris Hilton's singing career. With that being said, and with the season only 8 days away, I introduce my Pre-Season Top 25 for 2006.
1. Ohio State
2. Notre Dame
3. West Virginia
4. USC
5. Florida State
6. Florida
7. Miami (FL)
8. Oregon
9. Louisville
10. LSU
11. Auburn
12. Georgia
13. Texas
14. Penn State
15. TCU
16. Nebraska
17. Iowa
18. Texas Tech
19. Michigan
20. Virginia Tech
21. Arizona State
22. Alabama
23. Georgia Tech
24. Oklahoma
25. Tennessee
R/U Boston College
Dusting off my Irish hat and putting the beer on ice,
Outrageous! Unbelievable! Preposterous! Did I really just hear that or are my ears playing tricks on me? "Mark Cuban is someone who makes even Jerry Jones look classy." Hearing that comment made me tightly hold the wheel with both hands in hopes of an accident. I was shocked and offended. What kind of idiots do we have on the radio in this town? How quickly we forget!
Am I the only one who remembers when the Mavericks sucked? Let's be honest people, it wasn't that long ago. I grew up watching bad basketball and baseball while the only saving grace was Jerry Jones and his World Champion Cowboys. And God help us without Jerry and his rebellious Pepsi and Nike contracts, Dallas may have floated off the map. I remember when the NFL was furious with Jones and he was called a rebel and a pirate for marketing the Cowboys like he did and making way more off his product and investment than other owners dreamed of. He was a very business savvy individual who knew what the hell he was doing and people hated him for that. But us in Dallas loved him, at least the true fans. To have an owner care that much and pour his heart and soul into a team, our team, was heart-warming. It was a team you could really get behind.
And now we have maybe an even greater pioneer in the game of basketball, Mark Cuban. An owner so dedicated to his team that he builds them a castle and only asks on the hunt for the top treasure in the NBA that they bring home the booty (not get theirs handed to them by Dwyane Wade and the Miami Heat, but that's for another day).
During and even after the NBA Finals it has seemed like the ripping of Mark Cuban has greatly increased (David Stern, tell your wiccan to back off). It's funny though, I didn't remember Cuban blowing a 13 point lead in the final minutes of game 3. I also didn't remember him missing huge free-throws (they call them that because they are FREE; Shaq, are you listening?), getting suspended, or not getting important stops on defense. Maybe I wasn't watching close enough but my guess is that is was the athletes on the court who blew the series (officiating also, well, I do think we share a jail cell with the Seahawks and a guy named Bubba but that's not the point here).
So why is an amazing owner like Cuban getting all the heat (no pun intended). Ask any pro athlete and they will tell you they would kill (take it easy, O.J.) for an owner like Mark. I believe he is the best thing to ever happen to this town and when all is said and done will have built a dynasty here in Dallas. Compare him with other owners in this town, or anywhere, and you will quickly see that while Dallas may have already been on the map (Thank You, Jerry), Cuban is putting it to all CAPS.
The best example is that dead-beat, Tom Hicks. He owns the Rangers and the Stars yet he pockets his profits and is content with them being mediocre. While Hicks did make two big moves in his tenure in Dallas (Brett Hull and A-ROD, the former of which did help the Stars win a Stanley Cup), his greed as of the past few years makes people dread going to the ballpark and the arena. The Rangers payroll is actually within a few million of the Twins and Nationals, both teams that were almost disposed of a few years ago because of financial implications. So Tom, if you are reading this for the love of God please put the Stars back on the market. And Mark, do the right thing and buy them. Think of this as monopoly and you have Boardwalk and you just need Park Place to put a strangle hold on you opponents. The Mav's already share the arena with the Stars, it makes perfect sense. And as for Hick's Rangers, Mark, do you like baseball?
At this point, with the World Cup in full swing (except for those dominant Americans), it would seem appropriate to mention FC Dallas and their owner in this article. So there, I just did. I realize that I didn't really say anything about them but this article is only comparing real sports (yes - nascar, golf, bowling, horse-racing, tennis, beer-pong, none of you qualify either; although beer-pong would be the closest).
So thank you Jerry for putting Dallas on the map and that you Mark for helping keep it there (or maybe JFK helped out a little; speaking of, are you guys swinging by Dallas to pick up a book anytime soon? When is the next Kennedy family ski-trip or vacation to Martha's Vineyard? Ted, you bring the booze, Robert, you the pain-killers, and I will supply the falsified police reports to cover you once again). And thank you Lion, Scarecrow and Tin-man. You helped me believe in myself enough to write this article. I couldn't have done it without you!
After reading some of your posts on the ridiculousness of some people, I wanted to share with you a story really close to my heart. It is a story that taught me a good lesson about others and life. I was in college and I decided to go on a road trip with my best friend and I to a weekend football game. When we left for the game that morning from Oklahoma to Illinois (it was a full days drive and yes we did skip class) we both were put in a little 2 door red car with a couple of girls and a guy who I will refer to simply as "Randy." While the seating arrangements were less than ideal, it was the rest of the trip which I will never forget.
It seemed like the whole way there "Randy" had Tim McGraw's "Something Like That" on repeat (he had just bought the cd) and we all knew better that to ask him to change it. You see, "Randy" was a special individual, one that (as we soon found out) if you rubbed the wrong way could melt down at a moment's notice.
After hours of loud country (still the same song) and no heat (Lord only knows it was late fall and freezing outside) we finally spoke up to "Randy" and asked him to turn on the heat. Maybe it was the fact that he ignored us and turned up the music, or just maybe it was because that same damn song kept ringing in our ears, but we figured we had been through enough. We once again, and again, asked him to please turn on the heat as we didn't want to violate our morals to keep warm.
It could have been that he had been driving all day. It could have been that he was annoyed that we sang along with the country song (albeit off-tune). It could have even been that he didn't like us telling him what to do in his car. Whatever the cause though, that was it. "Randy" lost it and started screaming some non-sense about leaving us on the side of the road. It truly was a frightening moment. At the next gas station the girls ran crying from the car and my friend and I sent out a search party for help (well, not really, but we were a bit scared). I don't think either of us had been that close to psychotic behavior, or even death. Either way when the group got to Chicago for the evening we had some friends "take care" of good old "Randy" and we drifted off to sleep (myself with one eye open).
I tell you this story because I saw "Randy" a few years later at my friend's campus and he wasn't really such a terrible guy. I think the prozac had done wonders because he was actually quite friendly. We were in the computer lab (other around us were doing homework and he was like "HEY GUYS, WHAT ARE YOU GUYS DOING?" It was quite embarrassing because we were like "Randy, shhhhh.. people are studying." "YEAH GUYS, ME TOO... I JUST LOVE THE COMPUTER LAB. IT'S SO NICE AND QUIET HERE." And with that we left with a smile (we may have ducked out the door, actually).
We often reminisce about "Randy." A guy just like you and me, although, none of us are probably locked up at this point. But I learned a few good lessons from this experience. "Randy" was a good guy, a bit misunderstood, and we misjudged him simply because he almost killed us or left us stranded like on an episode of LOST. I learned if you are going to judge someone, get to know them first, or simply just stay the hell away from their car if you value you life (others may not end up as lucky)!
Please make sure and pass this on to your readers as it could save them some heartache.
Paul in Tulsa
Paul,
I appreciate your letter of concern and I will pass it along to my readers. I am glad you made it out alive and it is a good lesson about not getting in the car with strangers, especially ones under a psychologists care. As for your friend "Randy," I could swear I know him. And I know I know people like him. And as for the song, that's tough man, real tough. Hang in there and tell "Randy" to keep it quiet in the computer lab, some of us are trying read ESPN's updates (studying? me? you have got to be kidding!). I appreciate it Paul.
So I read where this 14-year-old girl and her mom are suing MySpace.com because she claims she was assaulted by a 19-year-old and that MySpace.com does not adequately protect their users. Here is the kicker: She willingly gave the guy her number and knew he was at least 18 because he claimed to be a senior on the football team. While it is unfortunate what happened to her, at some point kids (and their parents) have to get smarter and not put themselves in compromising situations. Maybe her teacher should have her stay after school and write on the blackboard, "I will not meet people off the internet." I'll bet after writing that 1000 times or so she will realize the most important part of the sentence, the word "I," and retract her frivolous lawsuit. And here is the best part: They are suing for 30 million dollars. Holy Freakin Cow! Are you kidding me? As my boy Steve says, "Wuh Happen?" I remember back when I was still a minor, a man in a convenience store sold me alcohol and now I am devestated. I figure the convenience store should have taken greater measures to protect me and my innocence. I am going to sue! Where's a lawyer when I need one?
I remember it like it was yesterday. And while aging does play against my mind in this case it actually was. A subject that seems to be on the tip of everyone's tongue, that just never dies, was once again brought to my attention. It was of course, Barry Bonds. And while everyone was shooting off their hot opinions on the matter my mind took me back to a day when everything seemed so much simpler, my freshman year of high school.
I was a boy learning to play a man's game: football. And with the season coming to an end I felt my stock had risen enormously and I was ready to break out into something great. And I knew the way I was going to get there: The Off-Season.
I remember walking around the weight room at school trying to figure out the best way to bulk up and increase my potential when a certain senior decided to take me under his wing. He offered (for a moderate fee, enter dad's wallet) to be my personal trainer and handle all my workouts, diets, and supplements. He would write my weight routines, teach me conditioning exercises and even sit me down with books and tell me what pills I needed to order and why. Then I would give him a check and a few weeks later my ship would arrive. At the time it sounded like a great idea. I mean, after all I was going to be built up into stardom. The "buck-twenty" boy soaking wet would be gone and in his place would be, well, me. But a bigger, stronger, faster me. One that would command the respect of everyone around him. At least that is what I thought.
Rumor around the school was that this individual had been injured during football and was getting a little "extra help" getting back on his feet. He had apparently almost doubled in muscle and wasn't recognizable anymore. Was this true? I don't know and I really don't want to. But he was given the name "Steroid Darroid" and myself, well, nobody called me anything to my face but I do remember people cracking jokes about the supplements they saw "Darroid" giving me and commenting on how I too must be involved. For the record, I wasn't taking steroids (or at least that is what I have told the BALCO Grand Jury investigators) but if I was let's just say those who were making the jokes would have been "convinced" to find something else to joke about.
I ended up transferring schools and never got to finish my program with "Darroid" but I often wonder if he had been on "the juice" and offered me any, what I would have said. It's easy to say I would have rejected them but I had the dream of being the next "Rudy" and stepping on the football field one day for the IRISH. And I wonder if by taking those pills I would have been guaranteed a scholarship what road I would have taken. And the honest answer is, I don't know.
Enter Barry Bonds or "Steroid Barr-oid" if you will.
The question brought up was "Who is Barry Bonds?". Is he the quiet, honest, hard-working individual who keeps to himself and proudly displays his cross or is he the raging, hateful man that wants nothing to do with anyone. And honestly, either way, why do we really care so much?
After hearing last night there is now an investigation on whether he lied to the grand jury I realized that this subject may never die. At the same time you have baseball investigating him as well as others who may have previously taken steroids. Seriously? I mean wouldn't it be easier for them to investigate the players in the recent era who have never taken steroids than the ones who have? I think that would be easier to obtain and a much, much shorter list. After they finish that impossible task maybe they should try to do an investigation into all the NBA players who have committed adultery in the past. Better yet, take those two lists to Vegas and sell it to the odds-makers so they can do an "over-under". Some serious money could be made!
So baseball, I have a solution for you. Move On! "Let Barry be Barry" and let Pete Rose back in the hall and the game. The past is the past and you played your part in the lack of control over it. Just like a parent who doesn't discipline their kids and allows them to run wild and then wonders why they are so badly behaved is baseball officials with their recent past. And you want to reach over and slap both of them when they come to you saying they don't understand how things are going so badly.
The game became the "steroid era" and most players felt they had to do it or they would be forced out of their careers by the ones who were starting to use. Most of these guys had families to support and made a sacrifice to take steroids because if they didn't some 22 year old fresh from the minors with a hot bat and an even sharper needle would put them out on the street. So they did what they felt they had to do to be successful and support their families. Do I condone it? No! But I want to be realistic about it. The sad and yet scary thing is that the Rangers also were part of that era yet still were terrible (although there were those 3 years in the late 90's that the Rangers did win their division but according to Palmeiro that is because Miguel Tejada was supplying the team with free Vitamin B shots). I applaud Mike Schmidt's honesty (one of the greatest players of the 70's and 80's) when he said "let me go out on a limb and say that if I had played during that era I would have taken steroids." And I believe most players either openly or in secret believe the same thing.
Baseball's future is bright as long as they go towards that light and don't wander off into the darkness. And things are back to the way they should be, back to normal. The Red Sox are winning again, the Rangers are losing again, and the Yankees are still spending millions of dollars for mediocrity. Life is good. And for the record, I haven't seen "Darr-oid" since high school but I heard not to long ago he was the personal trainer for some guys I have never heard of named Jason Giambi and Gary Sheffield.
So I keep pinching myself. Crap, that actually really hurts. Just a step up from getting your arm hair caught in the band of your watch. Anyways, I digress... T.O. is coming to "Big D."
"Get yo popcorn ready!"
When I first heard the news I went through the range of emotions. I laughed, I cried, I cried some more, and then I remembered the great "Reverend Deion" himself. When Sanders played for the 49ers I hated him. What true Cowboys fan didn't? After all, his blatant pass interference against Michael Irvin in the playoffs kept the Cowboys from winning 4 Super Bowls in a row, a feat never accomplished. But I also remembered my room in high school decorated with "Neon Deion" posters, 4 of them to be exact, during his time in Dallas. "Water covers 2/3 of the earth, I cover the rest" one of them proudly boasted. I went to hear him preach, play, and taped all his appearances on t.v. I even believed I was him when I was out on the football field myself in high school (although I was better). Was I sucked into the hype? Did I create some of it myself? What happened?
So after the likes of "Prime Time" now an even cockier individual (also a former 49er) is about to join the likes of "America's Team." His name of course is Terrell "Get yo popcorn ready!" (quote from his Cowboys press-conference) Owens. And although I despise everything about him, or at least I did, I find myself lately being pulled towards the middle. He has been death and destruction everywhere he has gone previously but as my friend in college so eloquently put it "am I going to follow death and destruction just because (in this case) it looks good in a blue and white jersey?" Am I going to be asking my wife for said jersey for my birthday, Christmas, or even Flag Day?
Unfortunately, in this case I may be getting on the band wagon of the "wicked one" himself. While he may suck at rapping (referencing his new rap "I'm Back" in which he states "All you haters said I wasn't gonna get my money, Now I'm laughing in your face, HA HA, that's funny!" - although it does have a catchy beat...) he is great at catching footballs. And isn't that what is important in today's society? Isn't that what we all care about? Does character really matter to anyone anymore when you can add a talent that, while he may divide your locker room, may take you back to the Super Bowl and the pinnacle of the world? In my case I am tired of caring and mostly tired of losing! So in the immortal rapping-words of T.O. I will be there watching and waiting with open arms when he decides he is "gonna get (his) eagle on, meet (him) at the star."
In 2005 University of Texas Used Cars (UTUC) had a record setting year. However, critics site that much of the success was due to the performance of one car, a prototype vehicle built by Volkswagon and Yugo, that we will call VY. UTUC had high expectations for VY and they paid off. He was all that they had hoped for. But VY was auctioned off at the latest used car auction as the third car selected and UTUC must find a replacement.
UTUC is known nationally for bringing in an excellent stock of used cars every year but their performance has consistently been below expectations. Leading to question weather or not Mack Brown was able to get the most out of the cars he brought in.
In 2006 Mack Brown insists that the low mileage models he has brought in will be able to replace VY. Brown says “My Mentor, Darrel always says… You gotta dance with who brung ya, well, the guy that brung me left the dance early but don’t worry, I got a couple of real beauties I am going to dance with. Both got low miles and all the bells and whistles, so we plan to use ‘em both.”
Some industry experts question Browns two car approach and site disasters in years past. As recent as 2003 Brown was trying to sell newly acquired VY and a less impressive Chevy Metro we will call Chance. You see Chance had been on the lot for a few years, so Mack thought he should get a shot. Of course, the biggest 2 car debacle Mack has been involved in was when he had just brought in a Cadillac Seville from an old lady in Simmsville and a trusted, reliable old pickup that came from a major applefarm just outside Austin. The old pick-up was called Major and was a favorite on the lot, but Mack picked up that shiny caddy from a guy named Phil in Simmsville and Mack had promised Phil, that his caddy would be to featured car on the UTUC lot. Mack stuck to his guns throughout the year, even when the Cadillac was under performing and Major was over-performing, Mack kept trying to sell the benefits of driving his Cadillac.
UTUC will have a lot of competition from the other 11 regional competitors. Including their annual battle against Bob Stoops of Oklahoma Performance Racing. OPR started slow last year and Mack was able to finish ahead of Stoops for the first time in many years. However, OPR was firing on all cylinders at the end of the year and looks like they could reverse the one year trend. Stoops who is known for bringing in good cars and turning them into great cars says UTUC is all about looks not performance, “UTUC brings in some decent cars and they shine them up, maybe add some spinners, but at OPR we rebuild the engines, the suspension and totally pimp ‘em out. When our cars roll off the lot, the buyers know they are getting an excellent product”
“We got the finest cars money can buy” says Mack. “We keep ‘em in the best garages and we got the biggest lot around. Some of out competitors invest a lot of time into their cars after they arrive, we just throw ‘em out there and hope for the best.”
UTUC will also be going head to head against the new kid on the block, Ron Prince from PowerCars. Prince is taking over the Manhattan based PowerCars from the retiring Bill Snyder. Snyder left a lot full of cars from the previous year and Prince has brought in a few of his own.
Another challenge will be from the CarHuskers. The revamped CarHuskers were a very successful John Deere dealership that had fallen on hard times. So they brought in Wild Bill Callahan to move from the old school mentality to a high performance system. Wild Bill brought in his “West Coast” philosophy last year and has turned the Carhuskers around and has them heading in the right direction.
The bottom line is that Mack Brown is the best used car salesman in the region. However, his competitors do more to make their cars perform at a higher level. And in the end, no matter how good the salesman is or how much you spend on Marketing and PR, the better product will come out on top. Until Mack finds another VY, they will have to settle for second place.
Fans of this Blog will know that I have always thought that high school kids should go to college for a couple of years so that they can enjoy “rock star” status around campus, play video games with buddies until 2 a.m. in the morning and allow themselves a couple more years to be kids. I loved my time during my university days and I always just assumed that other kids would value this experience. Why rush going to the League when the game you love will become corrupted by greed?
My opinion on this matter did a complete 180 yesterday when I read a quote on ESPN.com from D League Vice President Michael Curry. Curry told ESPN that the D League would be lowering their age requirement to 19 because, “while we believe that the college game is the best choice for the majority of players coming out of high school, not every player will have the ability or desire to pursue that route. This new rule will now give players the option of playing minor league professional basketball in the United States.”
Are you kidding me?
The NBA is basically telling high school kids that they are willing to create a farm system for them but they aren’t willing to pay them NBA salaries. Other sports like baseball and hockey allow players to be drafted, sign contracts and then play in their minor leagues. Instead of giving the same financial reimbursement to high school kids the NBA has decided to allow them to play for peanuts while they market the D League as the NBA’s farm system. If you realized that college isn’t for some kids then you should have lowered the entry age for the NBA Draft.
What happens if a kid blows out his knee or suffers some other form of career ending knee injury while playing a year in the D League? I’m all for a developmental league as long as players get paid properly for their time there. This season Gerald Green spent some time in the D League and as far as I can tell it was a valuable experience for the kid. He had the security of playing with a contract so if he did sustain an injury he had the peace of mind that he still had a piece of the NBA pie to live comfortably on. If a player like Greg Oden plays a year in the D League or goes to college for a year and blows out his knee his guaranteed millions are now history.
Along those lines, what gives the NBA the right to allow kids to play in their developmental league but not let them play in the real show? If the kids are going to make money for the NBA they should be given the opportunity to enter their name in the draft. I understand that some kids in the past have ruined their chances at NBA careers because they declared for the NBA Draft straight out of high school, but if you going to welcome these same kids into your D League you may as well allow them to enter your Draft.
NBA Commissioner David Stern stated that the Sonics could leave Seattle. Stern told the Associated Press that, “I would say that the city is making it pretty clear of what they want us to do, and we’ll accommodate them. What I mean is they’re not interested in having the NBA there. We understand that, we understand that there are competing issues, and the mayor of Seattle is free to make whatever decisions he needs to make and the people there should support that. But that’s a pretty strong signal and I think that the existing ownership has said they don’t want to own a team that’s not in Seattle, so I know what they’re in the process of doing. So we’ll just see how this play ends.”
This is nothing more than a smoke screen today by Stern to cover up the remarks by Curry. Last summer Stern claimed that he was doing what’s best for young players by making them attend college or prep school for at least a year, yet he gives them a way to make substantially less money by playing in the D League than they could be playing in the NBA. Meanwhile, the NBA comes out golden because they have a stronger product to show on television. By “threatening” that the Sonics could leave Seattle, Stern provides the media with another item to occupy their attention and thus avoid the media firestorm this age issue would have caused. Sonics have known all season long that the current owners want to keep the team in town but they need further money from local government. All Stern did was bring up this topic again so that it would divert the media’s attention away from the hypocritical decision he made by allowing kids to enter the D League right out of high school.
These events do nothing but leave a black eye on the NBA and I’m sad to say that I’m ashamed of the league.
My hopes for this season are falling apart. Eaton's finger is hurting now. And the decision for RA Dickey to be the 5th guy makes me want to vomit. If I hear one more person utter that the Red Sox and the Cubs are "cursed," they will suffer severe consequences.
At least the Red Sox (pre-2004) and the Cubs have won pennants and have won World Series. What do the Rangers (plus their previous incarnation as the Washington Senators) have to show for over 40 years? Nothing, just three division series wins.
To hell with a billy goat, Steve Bartman and the Bambino. Try being a Rangers fan, and those Red Sox and Cubs fans will crawl back into their caves and say, "You know, we do have it easy compared to those guys." I'm sick of all their whining about being "cursed." I would give anything to be just one game away from even going to a World Series.
I just watched your IU press conference and you stated that you took the job because you feel you can win championships at Indiana. I must assume you plan on scrapping the offensive philosophy you used at OU, or are you blaming the players at OU for the anemic offense? Maybe you think you'll have a more talented pool of players to work with at IU. Given your track record with All American caliber recruits at OU, I don't think that's what you should count on. Maybe those McDonald's All-Americans at IU will buy into your system to the point that they will embrace the 8 minute scoring drought.
