I am officially breaking up with the Knicks.
It isn't that I don't like Melo, but if D-Will was available for a bag of balls, why didn't we send Felton, Gallo, and Chandler to Utah?
I don't even blame Thomas. Good for him for finding a billionaire groupie. Nope the problem is with the ownership and that ain't gonna change!
Any ideas on which NBA team I should start dating?
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Saturday, February 5, 2011
A recovering Redskins fan on Dan Snyder
My name is Dave, and I am a Redskins fan. I say this with the same embarrassed but empowered admittance that one might have at their first Alcoholics Anonymous meeting. But like anyone else taking the first step towards recovery, admitting that there is a problem feels quite liberating.
As the rest of the football world gears up for what will assuredly be one of the most epic battles in the history of the sport in Super Bowl XLV, our city's sports headlines are tied up with nonsense about how Redskins owner Daniel M. Snyder is suing the City Paper over this article, which lambastes him top to bottom as a horrible owner and an unethical businessman, among other things. The lawsuit is on the grounds that the article libels Snyder, unfairly attacks his wife, and uses an allegedly anti-Semitic graphic at the top of the article. The lawsuit is yet another ridiculously bad PR move by the notoriously disliked owner who has turned one of the most beloved cultural icons of the Nation's Capital into the laughing stock of professional sports.
But it's the fans who suffer. Redskins fans, that is. What few of us are left, anyway. Not, say, New York Giants fans. They love Snyder.
Here in Los Angeles, a city that has not hosted an NFL game since 1994, I have received relentless criticism for following one of the most hapless franchises in football. The city that lost TWO football teams considers the Redskins a laughingstock because of Dan Snyder. One might have considered him the worst owner in professional sports long before The Nation labeled him as such. But now, the city that houses the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution watches on as one of its prominent citizens attempts to bully an alternative publication out of its First Amendment rights. Dan Steinberg addresses some of the allegations made by Snyder's legal team. They are outrageous.
But Dan Steinberg has admitted that he is friends with Dave McKenna, author of the infamous City Paper article to which I keep linking. The City Paper has responded to the lawsuit, even set up a legal defense fund to which anyone who hates Dan Snyder and what he's doing can contribute. They are holding their ground, and I believe they are in the right. Of course, I might be a little biased. I like the City Paper. They are off-beat, entertaining, and they voted my brother one of the best bartenders in DC. But surely large sports media outlets are also showing their disdain for the City Paper's article. Only sarcastically. ESPN jokes that putting horns and a goatee on Snyder is offensive to Satan.
The City Paper published the article on November 19th. Snyder ultimately sought action against the piece because according to Redskins COO David Donovan, "I will grant you, nobody reads the City Paper, all right? But that article's been linked to on the Internet a lot of times." Well, Mr. Donovan, that article has been read and linked a lot more in the last week. And you just might have put the City Paper on the map with all this attention.
Search high and low, and you will be hard pressed to find any sympathy for Dan Snyder. He overcharges for parking. He attempted to make it illegal to walk to FedEx Field on game day so he could overcharge for parking. He chopped down trees on National Park Service land to have a better view of the Potomac from his house. The business world decried the lawsuit as Forbes' Monte Burke asked "what is he thinking?" Brett Haber showed no mercy for Snyder in his editorial on WUSA, stating that his claims of anti-Semitism are "baloney" and stating his attempt to silence a media outlet were more suited for Russia. Said Haber, "It is a classic case of bullying and a man stepping on the First Amendment rights of a legitimate news organization because he doesn't like what they are saying about him." WUSA has set up a "First Amendment Petition" for Snyder to drop the lawsuit.
Meanwhile, Die hard football fans will sit down to the ultimate showdown this Sunday as the Green Bay Packers face the Pittsburgh Steelers. These are two of the most successful franchises in the history of the NFL. And look at their owners. The Rooney family is a beloved institution in Pittsburgh. despite the fact that it has been a declining Rust Belt city much of the last 60 years, there are Steelers fans all over the US. The Packers, despite having the smallest market of any professional sports team in North America, are also popular across the country. Some would argue they have the best owners in sports... the 110,000 residents of the city of Green Bay.
Meanwhile, the few remaining Redskins fans will watch the Super Bowl in shame, being dragged through another tormenting embarrassment as the billionaire we depend on to provide football to a city that loves the sport behaves with the sense of entitlement I would have thought only existed on MTV reality programs about wealthy teenage girls. It is a lonely, embarrassing existence. And those of us that remember a time when the Redskins were the one of the only good things in this town that was geared toward the people who live here,one of the only things that was uniquely DC... well, we're bound to move away or die off at some point. DC has too much else to offer these days for Snyder to expect the unquestioned loyalty of a fan base he abuses and insults with impunity. And this is before even mentioning the fact that the Redskins have languished in mediocrity on the field since Snyder acquired the team in 1999.
I am pretty sure I'm the only die hard Redskins fan among my colleagues, many of them either rightfully disinterested in the sport, or transplants from another area unwilling to switch loyalties for a team so embarrassingly controversial. And the embarrassingly controversial Dan Snyder is only 44 years old. We're stuck with him for a long, long time. Cavan Wilk sympathetically invited me to the DC United home opener on March 19th, promising me a "really fun, Snyder-free pro sporting experience". I stopped and thought back on the finer moments of my 31 years of Redskins fandom. Resigned to the sad state of my NFL franchise and in need of healing, I answered Cavan, confident that my free speech would not be silenced by the likes of Dan Snyder... "¡Vamos United!"
As the rest of the football world gears up for what will assuredly be one of the most epic battles in the history of the sport in Super Bowl XLV, our city's sports headlines are tied up with nonsense about how Redskins owner Daniel M. Snyder is suing the City Paper over this article, which lambastes him top to bottom as a horrible owner and an unethical businessman, among other things. The lawsuit is on the grounds that the article libels Snyder, unfairly attacks his wife, and uses an allegedly anti-Semitic graphic at the top of the article. The lawsuit is yet another ridiculously bad PR move by the notoriously disliked owner who has turned one of the most beloved cultural icons of the Nation's Capital into the laughing stock of professional sports.
But it's the fans who suffer. Redskins fans, that is. What few of us are left, anyway. Not, say, New York Giants fans. They love Snyder.
Here in Los Angeles, a city that has not hosted an NFL game since 1994, I have received relentless criticism for following one of the most hapless franchises in football. The city that lost TWO football teams considers the Redskins a laughingstock because of Dan Snyder. One might have considered him the worst owner in professional sports long before The Nation labeled him as such. But now, the city that houses the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution watches on as one of its prominent citizens attempts to bully an alternative publication out of its First Amendment rights. Dan Steinberg addresses some of the allegations made by Snyder's legal team. They are outrageous.
But Dan Steinberg has admitted that he is friends with Dave McKenna, author of the infamous City Paper article to which I keep linking. The City Paper has responded to the lawsuit, even set up a legal defense fund to which anyone who hates Dan Snyder and what he's doing can contribute. They are holding their ground, and I believe they are in the right. Of course, I might be a little biased. I like the City Paper. They are off-beat, entertaining, and they voted my brother one of the best bartenders in DC. But surely large sports media outlets are also showing their disdain for the City Paper's article. Only sarcastically. ESPN jokes that putting horns and a goatee on Snyder is offensive to Satan.
The City Paper published the article on November 19th. Snyder ultimately sought action against the piece because according to Redskins COO David Donovan, "I will grant you, nobody reads the City Paper, all right? But that article's been linked to on the Internet a lot of times." Well, Mr. Donovan, that article has been read and linked a lot more in the last week. And you just might have put the City Paper on the map with all this attention.
Search high and low, and you will be hard pressed to find any sympathy for Dan Snyder. He overcharges for parking. He attempted to make it illegal to walk to FedEx Field on game day so he could overcharge for parking. He chopped down trees on National Park Service land to have a better view of the Potomac from his house. The business world decried the lawsuit as Forbes' Monte Burke asked "what is he thinking?" Brett Haber showed no mercy for Snyder in his editorial on WUSA, stating that his claims of anti-Semitism are "baloney" and stating his attempt to silence a media outlet were more suited for Russia. Said Haber, "It is a classic case of bullying and a man stepping on the First Amendment rights of a legitimate news organization because he doesn't like what they are saying about him." WUSA has set up a "First Amendment Petition" for Snyder to drop the lawsuit.
Meanwhile, Die hard football fans will sit down to the ultimate showdown this Sunday as the Green Bay Packers face the Pittsburgh Steelers. These are two of the most successful franchises in the history of the NFL. And look at their owners. The Rooney family is a beloved institution in Pittsburgh. despite the fact that it has been a declining Rust Belt city much of the last 60 years, there are Steelers fans all over the US. The Packers, despite having the smallest market of any professional sports team in North America, are also popular across the country. Some would argue they have the best owners in sports... the 110,000 residents of the city of Green Bay.
Meanwhile, the few remaining Redskins fans will watch the Super Bowl in shame, being dragged through another tormenting embarrassment as the billionaire we depend on to provide football to a city that loves the sport behaves with the sense of entitlement I would have thought only existed on MTV reality programs about wealthy teenage girls. It is a lonely, embarrassing existence. And those of us that remember a time when the Redskins were the one of the only good things in this town that was geared toward the people who live here,one of the only things that was uniquely DC... well, we're bound to move away or die off at some point. DC has too much else to offer these days for Snyder to expect the unquestioned loyalty of a fan base he abuses and insults with impunity. And this is before even mentioning the fact that the Redskins have languished in mediocrity on the field since Snyder acquired the team in 1999.
I am pretty sure I'm the only die hard Redskins fan among my colleagues, many of them either rightfully disinterested in the sport, or transplants from another area unwilling to switch loyalties for a team so embarrassingly controversial. And the embarrassingly controversial Dan Snyder is only 44 years old. We're stuck with him for a long, long time. Cavan Wilk sympathetically invited me to the DC United home opener on March 19th, promising me a "really fun, Snyder-free pro sporting experience". I stopped and thought back on the finer moments of my 31 years of Redskins fandom. Resigned to the sad state of my NFL franchise and in need of healing, I answered Cavan, confident that my free speech would not be silenced by the likes of Dan Snyder... "¡Vamos United!"
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
I spell it PHENOMENAL
Deep inside every hoops fan, there is a timer counting down the days until the All-Star Break. It's some subconscious stuff or maybe it's the id, waiting to be sated on unrelenting fury blessed with luck and timing, appearing some time over the weekend. We all know it probably won't be in the Skills Challenge. It could occur in the 3 Point Contest. It's more likely in the Slam Dunk Contest. The Rookie v. Sophomore Game will hold some magic. And the All-Star Game itself might hold the key.
Given history, I'm going with the Slam Dunk Contest.
And with that, go waste your time with this: http://hoopism.com/?p=961.
Given history, I'm going with the Slam Dunk Contest.
And with that, go waste your time with this: http://hoopism.com/?p=961.
Friday, January 21, 2011
Best Comic Character(s) in a Sports Movie (Caddyshack Division)
Well Folks,
Award season is in full swing and it is time for us at J.B. Sports Chat to give out own awards. Last year we voted on the Best Sports Move, congratulations. This year, we are going to determine once and for all the best comedic character in a sports movie!
Over the next few weeks we are going to hold a single elimination tournament of shorts. We have picked 20 comedic characters (or in some cases comic teams like the Hanson brothers) and grouped them into 4 divisions: Caddyshack, Slap Shot, Major League, and Bull Durham. Division winners will move on to the quarter finals.
Lets get the voting started this week with the Caddyshack division (You Can Vote in the voting box to the right):
The Hanson Brothers - Slap Shot
Romeo Posar – Tin Cup
Chaz Michael Michaels and Jimmy MacElroy – Blades of Glory
Ishmael Boorg (Randy Quaid) – Kingpin
Willie Mays Hayes - Major League
Award season is in full swing and it is time for us at J.B. Sports Chat to give out own awards. Last year we voted on the Best Sports Move, congratulations. This year, we are going to determine once and for all the best comedic character in a sports movie!
Over the next few weeks we are going to hold a single elimination tournament of shorts. We have picked 20 comedic characters (or in some cases comic teams like the Hanson brothers) and grouped them into 4 divisions: Caddyshack, Slap Shot, Major League, and Bull Durham. Division winners will move on to the quarter finals.
Lets get the voting started this week with the Caddyshack division (You Can Vote in the voting box to the right):
Romeo Posar – Tin Cup
Chaz Michael Michaels and Jimmy MacElroy – Blades of Glory
Ishmael Boorg (Randy Quaid) – Kingpin Willie Mays Hayes - Major League Friday, January 14, 2011
The Cavs Really, Truly Suck
I feel bad for Antawn Jamison. He was traded from the imploding Wizards to the Cavs mid-season last year in an act of some kindness. Grunfeld wanted to help Jamison get the ring he's been chasing. Whether Jamison deserves a ring for merely being a solid player with iffy defensive skills is another question. Now he's on another team that sucks, completely. He moved from a former playoff team to a now former playoff team.
The Cavs went 61-21 last year. This year, they'll be lucky if they go 21-61. For the remainder of January, they have three games they are more likely to win than compared to the rest: Phoenix, Milwaukee, and New Jersey. They play the Nuggets this Saturday... and if Carmelo gets traded to New Jersey, they'd get to play Carmelo nine days later. February looks a little better for the Cavs: they play the Pacers, Pistons, Clippers, and Wizards before the All Star Break. On the back side, they face Houston and Philly. March is roughly the same, provided the Cavaliers haven't been relegated to the D-League or made a trade for Gerald Wallace. Golden State, Milwaukee, Sacramento, the Clippers (who will likely be without Baron Davis, just because), New Jersey, Detroit, and Charlotte are all teams the Cavs could beat, provided they do things like play defense and score points. April looks even rosier with two games against the Wizards.
All in all, the Cavs really, truly suck.
The Cavs went 61-21 last year. This year, they'll be lucky if they go 21-61. For the remainder of January, they have three games they are more likely to win than compared to the rest: Phoenix, Milwaukee, and New Jersey. They play the Nuggets this Saturday... and if Carmelo gets traded to New Jersey, they'd get to play Carmelo nine days later. February looks a little better for the Cavs: they play the Pacers, Pistons, Clippers, and Wizards before the All Star Break. On the back side, they face Houston and Philly. March is roughly the same, provided the Cavaliers haven't been relegated to the D-League or made a trade for Gerald Wallace. Golden State, Milwaukee, Sacramento, the Clippers (who will likely be without Baron Davis, just because), New Jersey, Detroit, and Charlotte are all teams the Cavs could beat, provided they do things like play defense and score points. April looks even rosier with two games against the Wizards.
All in all, the Cavs really, truly suck.
Monday, January 10, 2011
Random Thoughts: I expected this, but not really
This summer, Jason and I talked basketball over the phone for quite some time. By quite some time, I mean several hours. Over the course of it, we discussed the Eastern Conference. I thought the Heat would be great, but not dominating. Mostly, though, we covered the Atlantic Division. Most of the major trades had occurred. I think Felton had gone to the Knicks, though I'm not sure. Anyhow, at the beginning of the season (really, the last time Jason and I jawed hoops), neither of us saw Philly or Indiana in the playoff race. Here's what the standings are right now in the East:
Miami 30 9 .769
Boston 28 9 .757
Chicago 25 12 .676
Orlando 25 12 .676
Atlanta 25 14 .641
New York 21 15 .583
Indiana 14 20 .412
Philadelphia 15 22 .405
Philly over Charlotte and Milwaukee? Really? We're roughly at the halfway mark of the season, but neither team was supposed to be doing this poorly yet also be in playoff contention. Philly is playing rather well compared to expectations, despite Iguodala's recent troubles. Indiana, not so much. While some of the stars of this summer's absolutely awesome Team USA started out incredibly well, others, like Granger and Iguodala have struggled compared to years past. Charlotte clearly felt the loss of Felton more than even Felton's staunchest admirers outside of Larry Brown could ever imagine.
We all knew Chicago would be a hell of a team by becoming the Chicago Jazz. Couple this with Tom Thibodeau's debut, and you have a team with few weaknesses. The recent argument has been a lack of outside shooters. Obviously, we'll see how they fare, especially once Noah comes back in a few weeks.
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
After a battle in a blizzard, Lech Poznan drew with Juventus 1 -1, Wednesday night, to advance to the last 16 of the Europa League.
 |
| Janek Skarzynski/Getty |
Can you Believe It????
Alessandro del Piero of Italy's Juventus is frozen in time just before scoring a goal against Polish Champions Lech Poznan during their UEFA Europa League match Wednesday night in Poznan, Poland. The snowy contest ended in a 1-1 draw, eliminating Juventus from the competition.
Friday, November 26, 2010
Basketball President
Over Thanksgiving, President Obama received 12 stitches because he's a baller. He took an elbow to the face while playing with family and friends.
That's a far better mishap than falling off a Segway.
That's a far better mishap than falling off a Segway.
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
College Basketball .... Does it make me a bad person?
Well folks, college basketball is back! This week we had the pleasure of watching top 25 teams in exotic locations celebrate wins against the likes of Coastal Carolina, Chaminade, Morehead State, Austin Peay, Texas A&M-CC, USC-Upstate (a real school in beautiful upstate South Carolina), my favorite, the Hawks of Maryland-Eastern Shore (not to be confused with the Eastern Shore Higher Education Center), High Point, and The Mississippi Institute of Fan Belts and Air Conditioning (I only made one of those up).
With the return of college basketball comes two very important moments in my life.
(1) the return to consistent blogging (I know how much you blog readers have missed me!), and
(2) my continued review of all things recruiting class related.
Now, while I enjoy the blogging, the excuse to review all things NCAA Basketball, and the thought of writing running blog posts from my couch while taking off two days of work to watch every game of the opening round of the Tourney, the second event brings about a certain amount of self loathing. Sound crazy? Well its not. Let me explain.
After waking up and checking emails overnight, I fire up the old interweb and pull open the Georgetown page on ESPN (a buddy had sent me a link to an article that graded the early recruiting classes of all of the Big East schools that I had somehow missed). Like a kid running down the stairs to open my presents on Christmas, I click on the link and am dismayed to see that St. John's (A+), Louisville (A), Syracuse (A), and RUTGERS (A) (WTF?) have higher grades than my beloved Hoyas (A-).
After getting over this initial shock (and effective ruin of my morning), I decided to learn a little bit more about the players that we signed to make millions of dollars for the university as "student athletes." First I read about Mikael Hopkins (95 rating), a 6'8" center who has terrific upside, but needs to work on his court energy. Then, I marveled at the potential of watching Jabril Trawick (93 rating) becoming a dangerous wing, but found myself concerned about his reportedly flat jumper. Finally, I thought ... I hope that Tyler Adam's (91 rating) knee holds up and he can stay in shape!
Forty minutes later, after having my day ruined, and then reading about players who are 17 years old and have yet to step foot on campus as students, I was done. Strangely though, I didn't feel excited about the future, or happy about G-town's 5-0 start. Instead, I felt kind of bad. I started questioning whether it was wrong for me, an almost 30 year old man, to be so incredibly obsessed with a 17 year old's jump shot.
Now, don't get me wrong. I understand that all sports, but especially basketball, are young person's games. I fully appreciate that just because you get older you don't stop being a fan. At the same time though, I realized that for all the conversations I have where I advocate for paying players, and treating them as athlete students rather than student athletes, I am part of the problem. I see these kids not as young men who are building for the future, but rather as parts in the machine that will power my favorite college basketball team. Finally, I had to face the fact that rather than play with my dogs, I read about college recruiting. Then...I start to self loath just a little.
With that being said, I really do hope that Tyler's knee can hold up!
Thoughts?
With the return of college basketball comes two very important moments in my life.
(1) the return to consistent blogging (I know how much you blog readers have missed me!), and
(2) my continued review of all things recruiting class related.
Now, while I enjoy the blogging, the excuse to review all things NCAA Basketball, and the thought of writing running blog posts from my couch while taking off two days of work to watch every game of the opening round of the Tourney, the second event brings about a certain amount of self loathing. Sound crazy? Well its not. Let me explain.
After waking up and checking emails overnight, I fire up the old interweb and pull open the Georgetown page on ESPN (a buddy had sent me a link to an article that graded the early recruiting classes of all of the Big East schools that I had somehow missed). Like a kid running down the stairs to open my presents on Christmas, I click on the link and am dismayed to see that St. John's (A+), Louisville (A), Syracuse (A), and RUTGERS (A) (WTF?) have higher grades than my beloved Hoyas (A-).
After getting over this initial shock (and effective ruin of my morning), I decided to learn a little bit more about the players that we signed to make millions of dollars for the university as "student athletes." First I read about Mikael Hopkins (95 rating), a 6'8" center who has terrific upside, but needs to work on his court energy. Then, I marveled at the potential of watching Jabril Trawick (93 rating) becoming a dangerous wing, but found myself concerned about his reportedly flat jumper. Finally, I thought ... I hope that Tyler Adam's (91 rating) knee holds up and he can stay in shape!
Forty minutes later, after having my day ruined, and then reading about players who are 17 years old and have yet to step foot on campus as students, I was done. Strangely though, I didn't feel excited about the future, or happy about G-town's 5-0 start. Instead, I felt kind of bad. I started questioning whether it was wrong for me, an almost 30 year old man, to be so incredibly obsessed with a 17 year old's jump shot.
Now, don't get me wrong. I understand that all sports, but especially basketball, are young person's games. I fully appreciate that just because you get older you don't stop being a fan. At the same time though, I realized that for all the conversations I have where I advocate for paying players, and treating them as athlete students rather than student athletes, I am part of the problem. I see these kids not as young men who are building for the future, but rather as parts in the machine that will power my favorite college basketball team. Finally, I had to face the fact that rather than play with my dogs, I read about college recruiting. Then...I start to self loath just a little.
With that being said, I really do hope that Tyler's knee can hold up!
Thoughts?
Saturday, November 13, 2010
MLS Playoffs: Then there were 4, and they were All West
So, flipping between Walking Dead episode 2 and the MLS playoffs last week wasn't too difficult, since Galaxy dominated on both sides of the pitch from start to finish (3-1 on aggregate). The bigger question is, when everyone was trying in vain to try to escape Atlanta during the Zombie Apocalypse, why didn't anyone think to drive on the incoming lanes of the highway, where there was no one, much as Glen did in his brand new muscle car at the end of the episode? Come on, people, you gotta try harder if you want to survive!
And people said that World Cup fever wouldn't spill over into increased America interest in soccer. Hah.... no one is watching these playoffs besides me, are you?
Galaxy, top seeded coming into the playoffs, is the only team that was not upset during the first round! Over last weekend, #3W FC Dallas knocked off #2W Real Salt Lake on aggregate (3-2), #5W Colorado Rapids upset #2E Columbus Crew in PKs (pens. 5-4), and #6W San Jose Earthquakes shocked #1E NY Red Bulls at Red Bulls Arena with a come from behind win on aggregate (3-2). Also, there are NO Eastern teams at all left in the finals; the Eastern Championship will be played in Colorado.
Yep. The East is super weak. It's like watching the NBA playoffs and wondering who is going to have the privilege of losing to the Lakers this year.
If you asked me who the biggest threats to the Supporter's Shield (best regular season record) winning Galaxy were going to be during these playoffs, I would have said 1) The Red Bulls, who have become the most dangerous team in the MLS since picking up Rafael Marquez and Thierry Henry, 2) Seattle in the first leg, who is often unbeatable at home (they play to the largest crowd in all of MLS, a usually sold-out ~35,000 in the Seattle Seahawk's Qwest Field), and 3) RSL, the reigning champs who upset the Galaxy in last year's MLS Cup finals at Seattle. And all three are now gone. San Jose may be a dark horse, and LA have a NorCal/SoCal rivalry, and Landon Donovan started his MLS career at the old Earthquakes (who, in a 2005 Cleveland Browns/Baltimore Ravens-esque move, are now the Houston Dynamo, with the new Earthquakes an expansion team circa 2008), but they have to get past the Rapids at Colorado for the privilege.
So we have, in the West, overall #1 Galaxy facing off against overall #5 FC Dallas at the Los Angeles Home Depot Center (actually Carson City, annoyingly), and #8 overall San Jose looking for another huge upset at #7 overall Colorado Rapids.
"Eastern" conference finals are Saturday 9:30p EDT, on FSC/FSE (haha, it's on FSE but not FSW, even thought it's two Western teams!).
Western conference finals are Sunday 9:00p EDT, ESPN2/Deportes (I might watch it on Deportes, just for fun. And also because Alexi Lalas is freaking annoying). I imagine it's going to be slightly harder for me to flip betwee Walking Dead and the Galaxy game this coming Sunday.
And people said that World Cup fever wouldn't spill over into increased America interest in soccer. Hah.... no one is watching these playoffs besides me, are you?
Galaxy, top seeded coming into the playoffs, is the only team that was not upset during the first round! Over last weekend, #3W FC Dallas knocked off #2W Real Salt Lake on aggregate (3-2), #5W Colorado Rapids upset #2E Columbus Crew in PKs (pens. 5-4), and #6W San Jose Earthquakes shocked #1E NY Red Bulls at Red Bulls Arena with a come from behind win on aggregate (3-2). Also, there are NO Eastern teams at all left in the finals; the Eastern Championship will be played in Colorado.
Yep. The East is super weak. It's like watching the NBA playoffs and wondering who is going to have the privilege of losing to the Lakers this year.
If you asked me who the biggest threats to the Supporter's Shield (best regular season record) winning Galaxy were going to be during these playoffs, I would have said 1) The Red Bulls, who have become the most dangerous team in the MLS since picking up Rafael Marquez and Thierry Henry, 2) Seattle in the first leg, who is often unbeatable at home (they play to the largest crowd in all of MLS, a usually sold-out ~35,000 in the Seattle Seahawk's Qwest Field), and 3) RSL, the reigning champs who upset the Galaxy in last year's MLS Cup finals at Seattle. And all three are now gone. San Jose may be a dark horse, and LA have a NorCal/SoCal rivalry, and Landon Donovan started his MLS career at the old Earthquakes (who, in a 2005 Cleveland Browns/Baltimore Ravens-esque move, are now the Houston Dynamo, with the new Earthquakes an expansion team circa 2008), but they have to get past the Rapids at Colorado for the privilege.
So we have, in the West, overall #1 Galaxy facing off against overall #5 FC Dallas at the Los Angeles Home Depot Center (actually Carson City, annoyingly), and #8 overall San Jose looking for another huge upset at #7 overall Colorado Rapids.
"Eastern" conference finals are Saturday 9:30p EDT, on FSC/FSE (haha, it's on FSE but not FSW, even thought it's two Western teams!).
Western conference finals are Sunday 9:00p EDT, ESPN2/Deportes (I might watch it on Deportes, just for fun. And also because Alexi Lalas is freaking annoying). I imagine it's going to be slightly harder for me to flip betwee Walking Dead and the Galaxy game this coming Sunday.
Monday, November 8, 2010
The Political Culture of Professional Sports
Fall is in the air, and that means chill nights, pumpkin ubiquity, and legions of weekend football widows. It also means the crowning of champions in the two sports most dear to the American intellectual: politics and baseball.
On occasion, those last two have more in common than just seasonal alignment and the fascination of the chattering classes. For me, as a New England native, the greatest sports moment in my lifetime was the Red Sox’ improbable journey to the 2004 World Series championship. The natural effect of that historic achievement was to unify Sox fans and underdog-supporters everywhere. But that effect was quickly undermined by that fall’s polarizing presidential election. Indeed, the champagne and light beer had barely dried off the clubhouse walls before the Red Sox’ historic triumph was exploited for political gain. Within days of the clinching game, owner John Henry, chairman Tom Werner and general manager Theo Epstein appeared at a New Hampshire campaign rally for Democratic challenger John Kerry. Meanwhile, hobbled hero Curt Schilling made robocalls in several states for incumbent Republican George W. Bush.
This was a far cry from the political boldness of Muhammad Ali declaring, “My enemy is the White people, not the Viet Cong," or Tommie Smith and John Carlos raising black-gloved fists in the Black Panther salute on the medal podium at the 1968 Olympics.
Yet, it was far more overtly political than my generation was used to. Professional sports was apolitical as we grew up with it, through the Reagan Revolution, Clinton triangulation, and even the ascent of former Rangers owner George W. Bush. The rare openly political act, such as Carlos Delgado’s protest against the U.S. invasion of Iraq, came as a surprise (and led some to boo). The professional sports we grew up on was also rapidly monetized, as the buds of 24-hour cable sports, free agency, and mega-endorsements began to bloom.
Given the concurrence of pro sports’ monetization and depoliticization, it is easy to infer a causal relationship. As Michael Jordan famously demurred, when asked to support a civil rights leader’s challenge to Republican lion Jesse Helms, in Jordan’s home state of North Carolina: “Republicans buy shoes, too.”
This might explain the political exploitation of the Red Sox championship, at least in part. Schilling was not only notoriously outspoken, he also had a contract that would take him through his 40th birthday and into retirement. Henry, Werner and Epstein were supporting one of their team’s U.S. senators, someone who lacked the diehard Sox fandom common to most New Englanders (remember “Manny Ortez”?) but was nonetheless a valuable political ally for the ambitious ownership group. Just as importantly, they were opposing a hard-right candidate in Bush who had become persona non grata in left-leaning New England—conflict with the Bush White House prompted centrist senator Jim Jeffords, who came from a long line of Republican politicians, to leave the party. In fact, New Hampshire was the only state that had gone for Bush in 2000 but went against him in 2004.
However, the Jordan rationale is almost certainly inadequate to explain major sports figures’ lack of political engagement. While Schilling was recording robo-calls for the 2004 presidential campaign stretch-run, his peers remained largely on the sidelines. Not only did they not make public endorsements, they kept their wallets closed. In the hotly contested 2004 presidential campaign, pro athletes in baseball, basketball, football, hockey, golf and car racing gave a grand total of just $55,950. (Owners and sports commissioners, far fewer in number, gave over six times that amount.) Even Obama’s historic campaign did not inspire many athletes, Black or otherwise, to engage politically.
Another common explanation is that modern sports professionals have little time or interest for much besides their work. Former Democratic U.S. congressman Tom McMillen—who nearly won an Olympic basketball gold medal and played with Phil Jackson and (fellow Rhodes Scholar) Bill Bradley on the 1977 Knicks—theorizes that pro athletes tend towards “self-absorption.”
Perhaps, then, it is not merely good business to stay out of politics publicly. Political apathy, it seems, is ingrained in pro sports culture. This may largely be a product of the social and economic isolation of pro athletes. Jets linebacker Bart Scott suggests that athletes either simply do not think about politics or “feel they are too rich for anything to touch them.”
The image-consciousness and insularity theories are supported by retired pro athletes’ increased willingness to take publicly political positions. For example, of the pro athletes who have recently endorsed a presidential candidate, the vast majority have been retired or on the verge thereof. In fact, even Michael Jordan, the protypical apolitical, but now retired, gave $2,100 to Obama's presidential campaign coffers. Moreover, many retired pro athletes leverage their broad name recognition into political careers (sure beats selling insurance or used cars!).
Interestingly, when professional athletes and other prominent sports figures do act politically, they overwhelmingly tend to hew to the right, a la Schilling. Of the money given by pro athletes and coaches to presidential candidates during the 2004 cycle, over 80% went to Bush. Although Obama came closer to McCain in his victorious 2008 campaign, he still trailed by a large margin.Meanwhile, pro athletes who go into politics as a second career overwhelmingly do so as Republicans, from AFL MVP and vice-presidential candidate Jack Kemp to baseball Hall of Famer and longtime U.S. Senator Jim Bunning. Last Tuesday, former NBA-er Chris Dudley was nearly voted governor of Oregon and former NFL-er Jon Runyan became the latest New Jersey representative in Congress (where he will dwarf everyone, even Rep. Heath Shuler). Moreover, to the extent current athletes and other sports figures are politically active, they tend to support Republicans. For example, Tony LaRussa and Albert Pujols made headlines recently for attending Glen Beck’s Rally to Restore Honor on the mall in Washington, DC. And, in fact, most sports fans identify as Republican (though their generally high voter turnout is at odds with pro athletes’ apparent tendency towards political apathy).
Why is this? One theory along those lines, advanced during George W. Bush’s second term, is that athletes (and perhaps sports fans by extension) favor “winners.” Of course, that theory rings hollow in 2010, when both parties are internally divided and viewed unfavorably by the public. But the eye to sports culture may be true.
As with their apathy, athletes’ rightward lean probably has some basis in individualistic, selfish motivation. They are wealthy and Republicans tend to advocate for tax cuts. But most sports fans (or voters) are not rich, yet they still lean right (and have high voter turnout). That is to say, the entire axis of the sports world tilts right.
There is a noteable exception, however: the NBA. The Association has produced prominent Democrats such as former U.S. senator and presidential candidate Bill Bradley and Detroit mayor David Bing, as well as leftwing activist Adonal Foyle, who founded Democracy Matters. In the 2008 election, President Obama had the support of former NBA greats Magic Johnson, Patrick Ewing, Alonzo Mourning, Charles Barkley and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. He even benefited from a $20,000 contribution to the DNC White House Victory Fund by Lebron James, Jordan’s “air apparent” as shoe-shilling king. And NBA fans, unlike fans of other major sports, skew left themselves. This seems appropriate, given that Obama is our first basketball president (and first Democrat sports president) following hunting president Teddy Roosevelt, bowling president Richard Nixon, football president Gerald Ford, and baseball presidents George H.W. Bush (played at Yale) and George W. Bush (gave us the greatest first pitch in history).
So, it seems that community and context has a large role to play in the political identity of athletes and fans. Former major league catcher, Brian Johnson (who is openly liberal) opines that the overwhelming majority of baseball players are conservative Republicans because of the expectations of their peers and their families. His argument is of course perfectly intuitive. But if it is about the social norms, where do they come from (and why is the NBA unique)? That is a question for another day, a tough one probably irreducible to any one factor such as income, religion or education. It is a question I am pondering as I make my way through Identity Economics, a thought provoking contribution to behavioral economics by Nobel-laureate George Akerlof and protégé Rachel Kranton. Perhaps the punditocracy will come up with an answer as it divides the electorate into ever-smaller categories. From the same folks who gave you NASCAR dads—NFL practice-squad-linebacker oenophiles!
On occasion, those last two have more in common than just seasonal alignment and the fascination of the chattering classes. For me, as a New England native, the greatest sports moment in my lifetime was the Red Sox’ improbable journey to the 2004 World Series championship. The natural effect of that historic achievement was to unify Sox fans and underdog-supporters everywhere. But that effect was quickly undermined by that fall’s polarizing presidential election. Indeed, the champagne and light beer had barely dried off the clubhouse walls before the Red Sox’ historic triumph was exploited for political gain. Within days of the clinching game, owner John Henry, chairman Tom Werner and general manager Theo Epstein appeared at a New Hampshire campaign rally for Democratic challenger John Kerry. Meanwhile, hobbled hero Curt Schilling made robocalls in several states for incumbent Republican George W. Bush.
This was a far cry from the political boldness of Muhammad Ali declaring, “My enemy is the White people, not the Viet Cong," or Tommie Smith and John Carlos raising black-gloved fists in the Black Panther salute on the medal podium at the 1968 Olympics.
Yet, it was far more overtly political than my generation was used to. Professional sports was apolitical as we grew up with it, through the Reagan Revolution, Clinton triangulation, and even the ascent of former Rangers owner George W. Bush. The rare openly political act, such as Carlos Delgado’s protest against the U.S. invasion of Iraq, came as a surprise (and led some to boo). The professional sports we grew up on was also rapidly monetized, as the buds of 24-hour cable sports, free agency, and mega-endorsements began to bloom.Given the concurrence of pro sports’ monetization and depoliticization, it is easy to infer a causal relationship. As Michael Jordan famously demurred, when asked to support a civil rights leader’s challenge to Republican lion Jesse Helms, in Jordan’s home state of North Carolina: “Republicans buy shoes, too.”
This might explain the political exploitation of the Red Sox championship, at least in part. Schilling was not only notoriously outspoken, he also had a contract that would take him through his 40th birthday and into retirement. Henry, Werner and Epstein were supporting one of their team’s U.S. senators, someone who lacked the diehard Sox fandom common to most New Englanders (remember “Manny Ortez”?) but was nonetheless a valuable political ally for the ambitious ownership group. Just as importantly, they were opposing a hard-right candidate in Bush who had become persona non grata in left-leaning New England—conflict with the Bush White House prompted centrist senator Jim Jeffords, who came from a long line of Republican politicians, to leave the party. In fact, New Hampshire was the only state that had gone for Bush in 2000 but went against him in 2004.
However, the Jordan rationale is almost certainly inadequate to explain major sports figures’ lack of political engagement. While Schilling was recording robo-calls for the 2004 presidential campaign stretch-run, his peers remained largely on the sidelines. Not only did they not make public endorsements, they kept their wallets closed. In the hotly contested 2004 presidential campaign, pro athletes in baseball, basketball, football, hockey, golf and car racing gave a grand total of just $55,950. (Owners and sports commissioners, far fewer in number, gave over six times that amount.) Even Obama’s historic campaign did not inspire many athletes, Black or otherwise, to engage politically.
Another common explanation is that modern sports professionals have little time or interest for much besides their work. Former Democratic U.S. congressman Tom McMillen—who nearly won an Olympic basketball gold medal and played with Phil Jackson and (fellow Rhodes Scholar) Bill Bradley on the 1977 Knicks—theorizes that pro athletes tend towards “self-absorption.”
Perhaps, then, it is not merely good business to stay out of politics publicly. Political apathy, it seems, is ingrained in pro sports culture. This may largely be a product of the social and economic isolation of pro athletes. Jets linebacker Bart Scott suggests that athletes either simply do not think about politics or “feel they are too rich for anything to touch them.”The image-consciousness and insularity theories are supported by retired pro athletes’ increased willingness to take publicly political positions. For example, of the pro athletes who have recently endorsed a presidential candidate, the vast majority have been retired or on the verge thereof. In fact, even Michael Jordan, the protypical apolitical, but now retired, gave $2,100 to Obama's presidential campaign coffers. Moreover, many retired pro athletes leverage their broad name recognition into political careers (sure beats selling insurance or used cars!).
Interestingly, when professional athletes and other prominent sports figures do act politically, they overwhelmingly tend to hew to the right, a la Schilling. Of the money given by pro athletes and coaches to presidential candidates during the 2004 cycle, over 80% went to Bush. Although Obama came closer to McCain in his victorious 2008 campaign, he still trailed by a large margin.Meanwhile, pro athletes who go into politics as a second career overwhelmingly do so as Republicans, from AFL MVP and vice-presidential candidate Jack Kemp to baseball Hall of Famer and longtime U.S. Senator Jim Bunning. Last Tuesday, former NBA-er Chris Dudley was nearly voted governor of Oregon and former NFL-er Jon Runyan became the latest New Jersey representative in Congress (where he will dwarf everyone, even Rep. Heath Shuler). Moreover, to the extent current athletes and other sports figures are politically active, they tend to support Republicans. For example, Tony LaRussa and Albert Pujols made headlines recently for attending Glen Beck’s Rally to Restore Honor on the mall in Washington, DC. And, in fact, most sports fans identify as Republican (though their generally high voter turnout is at odds with pro athletes’ apparent tendency towards political apathy).
Why is this? One theory along those lines, advanced during George W. Bush’s second term, is that athletes (and perhaps sports fans by extension) favor “winners.” Of course, that theory rings hollow in 2010, when both parties are internally divided and viewed unfavorably by the public. But the eye to sports culture may be true.
As with their apathy, athletes’ rightward lean probably has some basis in individualistic, selfish motivation. They are wealthy and Republicans tend to advocate for tax cuts. But most sports fans (or voters) are not rich, yet they still lean right (and have high voter turnout). That is to say, the entire axis of the sports world tilts right.
There is a noteable exception, however: the NBA. The Association has produced prominent Democrats such as former U.S. senator and presidential candidate Bill Bradley and Detroit mayor David Bing, as well as leftwing activist Adonal Foyle, who founded Democracy Matters. In the 2008 election, President Obama had the support of former NBA greats Magic Johnson, Patrick Ewing, Alonzo Mourning, Charles Barkley and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. He even benefited from a $20,000 contribution to the DNC White House Victory Fund by Lebron James, Jordan’s “air apparent” as shoe-shilling king. And NBA fans, unlike fans of other major sports, skew left themselves. This seems appropriate, given that Obama is our first basketball president (and first Democrat sports president) following hunting president Teddy Roosevelt, bowling president Richard Nixon, football president Gerald Ford, and baseball presidents George H.W. Bush (played at Yale) and George W. Bush (gave us the greatest first pitch in history).
So, it seems that community and context has a large role to play in the political identity of athletes and fans. Former major league catcher, Brian Johnson (who is openly liberal) opines that the overwhelming majority of baseball players are conservative Republicans because of the expectations of their peers and their families. His argument is of course perfectly intuitive. But if it is about the social norms, where do they come from (and why is the NBA unique)? That is a question for another day, a tough one probably irreducible to any one factor such as income, religion or education. It is a question I am pondering as I make my way through Identity Economics, a thought provoking contribution to behavioral economics by Nobel-laureate George Akerlof and protégé Rachel Kranton. Perhaps the punditocracy will come up with an answer as it divides the electorate into ever-smaller categories. From the same folks who gave you NASCAR dads—NFL practice-squad-linebacker oenophiles!
Saturday, November 6, 2010
Josh Smith shaves his legs
Ok, this is weird. Josh Smith, aka J. Smoove, blocks shots and jumps passing lanes, apparently, due to his "smoove" legs... which he shaves. That fraction of a fraction of a fraction of a second is what keeps Atlanta Hawks star Josh Smith from regular posterization.
I tend to run a few seconds to a few minutes late for meetings. Any recommendations, Mr. Smoove?
I tend to run a few seconds to a few minutes late for meetings. Any recommendations, Mr. Smoove?
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
Random NBA Notes
Prime quotes tonight, best taken out of context:
From NBA Countdown, Jalen Rose said "don't sleep on the triangle." This is best taken out of context.
Why do Hubie Brown and Doris Burke both talk out of the same side of their mouths?
This needs a punchline.
Does anyone else want to see Rondo break Scott Skiles's record of 30 assists in a game tonight when the Celtics take on the Bucks at the Garden? Paul Pierce needs a big game to reach the 20,000 point mark. If the Celtics weren't so interested in winning, I'd expect Rondo to Pierce all night until they both broke their personal records.
That John Wall kid is pretty good. If only the Wizards had someone solid on the post.
From NBA Countdown, Jalen Rose said "don't sleep on the triangle." This is best taken out of context.
Why do Hubie Brown and Doris Burke both talk out of the same side of their mouths?
This needs a punchline.
Does anyone else want to see Rondo break Scott Skiles's record of 30 assists in a game tonight when the Celtics take on the Bucks at the Garden? Paul Pierce needs a big game to reach the 20,000 point mark. If the Celtics weren't so interested in winning, I'd expect Rondo to Pierce all night until they both broke their personal records.
That John Wall kid is pretty good. If only the Wizards had someone solid on the post.
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
R.I.P., Maurice Lucas
Maurice Lucas passed away on Halloween from cancer. He was the odd combination of enforcer and scorer for the Blazers' 1977 Championship team, in his first year in the NBA. He joined the NBA in the ABA Dispersal Draft in 1976, which occurred after the ABA-NBA merger, and was how the NBA dealt with the two teams (Kentucky Colonels and Spirits of St. Louis) that did not make it into the NBA but had not folded prior to the merger. Artis Gilmore was drafted first. His teammate, and prior adversary, Lucas, was drafted second by the Portland Trail Blazers (after Portland traded Geoff Petrie and Steve Hawes - yes, Spencer's uncle - to Atlanta). Lucas had cemented his reputation as an enforcer in the ABA:
Jack Ramsay, Portland's coach, loved this about Lucas:
In Game 2 of the 1977 Finals, Lucas arguably turned the momentum in Portland's favor against an extraordinarily talented Sixers squad. The Sixers featured Joe Bryant (Kobe's dad), Julius Erving, Doug Collins (now the Sixers' coach), Mike Dunleavy (Mike Dunleavy, Jr.'s dad and eventual coach of the Blazers, and, ignominiously, the Clippers), Henry Bibby (Mike Bibby's dad), Darryl "Chocolate Thunder" Dawkins, and World B. Free. The Blazers had just experienced their first winning season and were coming off a 4-0 sweep of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's Lakers in the Western Conference Finals. The Sixers held home court advantage and beat the Blazers in Game 1, 107-101. Late in Game 2, Philadelphia held on to a comfortable lead when Dawkins and Bob Gross became entangled going for a rebound. They ended up on the floor. Both popped up ready to fight. Dawkins had a good five inches on Gross. Then, Lucas stepped in.
Lucas and Dawkins were ejected but Portland won the next four games en route to their only title after that little momentum swing.
The following year, Portland started out 50-10 until being crushed by injuries - and were particularly hurt by the loss of Bill Walton. Lucas missed some games as well. Eventually, during the 1979-1980 season, he was traded. Halberstam covers Luke's frustrations, charm, and loyalty from that season in "The Breaks of the Game."
The rest of Luke's career played out across the league with stops in Phoenix, Los Angeles (Lakers), and New York. He averaged, over 14 years, 14.6 points, 9.1 boards, and 2.4 assists - solid statistics, no doubt. But statistics fail to account for the intangibles, like his protection of teammates and their love of him. For that, one must look to anecdotes.
Marquette teammate Bo Ellis:
And this:
But there's no more telling testament to Maurice Lucas than that of Bill Walton naming his son Luke after his friend and teammate.
"I covered the Kentucky Colonels for the Louisville Times and they're as much a part of my happiest days as my family. One memory that stands out: One night at Freedom Hall, Maurice Lucas of the Spirits got under Artis Gilmore's skin. Artis, normally the most gentle of giants, started trying to punch Lucas. Artis had superhuman strength, but he wasn't much of a boxer. His blows were almost slaps. Lucas, one of the league's most feared fighters, backpedaled the length of the court. When he got to the baseline, he planted his feet and hit Artis with a straight right to the jaw. Artis went down in sections. First his knees crumpled, then his waist folded, then his arms flailed and then his trunk and head found the floor. By then, teammates had broken up the fight. Those who knew Artis were shocked and saddened, not that Artis had lost a fight but that he had even been in one. His agent, Herb Rudoy, flew in from Chicago to soothe the big guy's psyche. You know the rest. The Big A got over it and Lucas eventually became a Colonel, too. " - George Rorrer
Jack Ramsay, Portland's coach, loved this about Lucas:
Luke had acquired a tough-guy reputation when he decked 7-foot-2 strongman Artis Gilmore with one punch in an ABA game before both became NBA players. I urged him to establish that same persona in the NBA. Luke loved the role. He had every Blazer's back. If an opposing player had a problem with any Blazer, he had to deal with Luke first.
He was especially protective of Bill Walton, whom he called "Big Red."
In Game 2 of the 1977 Finals, Lucas arguably turned the momentum in Portland's favor against an extraordinarily talented Sixers squad. The Sixers featured Joe Bryant (Kobe's dad), Julius Erving, Doug Collins (now the Sixers' coach), Mike Dunleavy (Mike Dunleavy, Jr.'s dad and eventual coach of the Blazers, and, ignominiously, the Clippers), Henry Bibby (Mike Bibby's dad), Darryl "Chocolate Thunder" Dawkins, and World B. Free. The Blazers had just experienced their first winning season and were coming off a 4-0 sweep of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's Lakers in the Western Conference Finals. The Sixers held home court advantage and beat the Blazers in Game 1, 107-101. Late in Game 2, Philadelphia held on to a comfortable lead when Dawkins and Bob Gross became entangled going for a rebound. They ended up on the floor. Both popped up ready to fight. Dawkins had a good five inches on Gross. Then, Lucas stepped in.
Lucas and Dawkins were ejected but Portland won the next four games en route to their only title after that little momentum swing.
The following year, Portland started out 50-10 until being crushed by injuries - and were particularly hurt by the loss of Bill Walton. Lucas missed some games as well. Eventually, during the 1979-1980 season, he was traded. Halberstam covers Luke's frustrations, charm, and loyalty from that season in "The Breaks of the Game."
The rest of Luke's career played out across the league with stops in Phoenix, Los Angeles (Lakers), and New York. He averaged, over 14 years, 14.6 points, 9.1 boards, and 2.4 assists - solid statistics, no doubt. But statistics fail to account for the intangibles, like his protection of teammates and their love of him. For that, one must look to anecdotes.
Marquette teammate Bo Ellis:
"One of the things I'll always remember, when he came back to town after he decided that he was going to go hardship [leaving college for pro ball], he came to me and he hugged me and he apologized to me," Ellis said. "He said, 'Slim, I'm sorry. I talked you into coming to Marquette because I said we were going to win a championship together, and I'm leaving.'"
And this:
"He was a prolific presence on court as far as being an enforcer, but off the court he was just like a big teddy bear," said Dave Delsman, who played three seasons with Lucas. "Luke was just a class guy. Quiet, but would talk to you about anything. He was great to everybody. I don't ever remember anybody ever having a bad thing to say about Maurice."
But there's no more telling testament to Maurice Lucas than that of Bill Walton naming his son Luke after his friend and teammate.
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Blake Griffin is the TRUTH
Of the basketball heads I know, only a handful were not watching the World Series opener. Many missed out on the debut of Blake Griffin. Here's what went down if you were watching ESPN. Oklahoma City put the finishing touches on a hard fought victory over Chicago. The Bulls had two or three bad calls against them, but playing 2.5 on 4 is just not going to win games. The 2.5? Derrick Rose, Joakim Noah (what a defensive performance), and half of Taj Gibson. The Thunder had Ibaka, Durant, Sefolosha's defense, and Westbrook. Game ends. Thunder win. Durant gives a brief post-game interview and says nice things about Derrick Rose.
The Clippers game comes on. It's about three minutes in and (I think) Hubie Brown says something about how it has not been an entertaining game. Just after this, Randy Foye puts up what at first looks like a terrible shot and Blake Griffin goes up. Griffin snags the ball probably 15 inches above the basket with his right hand and slams it in with what can best be described as almighty fury. This basket is Blake Griffin's first in the NBA. Over the next few minutes, he put on a display with Chris Kaman of thunderous jam after thunderous jam. Griffin's first NBA basket actually made me yell "oh shit!" in my apartment so loudly that I may have woken my neighbors in nearby buildings.
Witness:
The Clippers went on to lose, despite Griffin's might on the offensive glass and his twenty points. Why did the Clippers lose? Well, they aren't nearly as deep as the Blazers. Further, Baron Davis takes bad shots early in the shot clock. Vinnie Del Negro is probably not the kind of coach who can rein Davis in - if he tries, Davis will likely pout and shut down. Baron Davis is the life and death of this Clippers team... which is too bad, because the Clips could have a shot at the playoffs.
At least we'll get to witness the almighty fury of Blake Griffin.
The Clippers game comes on. It's about three minutes in and (I think) Hubie Brown says something about how it has not been an entertaining game. Just after this, Randy Foye puts up what at first looks like a terrible shot and Blake Griffin goes up. Griffin snags the ball probably 15 inches above the basket with his right hand and slams it in with what can best be described as almighty fury. This basket is Blake Griffin's first in the NBA. Over the next few minutes, he put on a display with Chris Kaman of thunderous jam after thunderous jam. Griffin's first NBA basket actually made me yell "oh shit!" in my apartment so loudly that I may have woken my neighbors in nearby buildings.
Witness:
The Clippers went on to lose, despite Griffin's might on the offensive glass and his twenty points. Why did the Clippers lose? Well, they aren't nearly as deep as the Blazers. Further, Baron Davis takes bad shots early in the shot clock. Vinnie Del Negro is probably not the kind of coach who can rein Davis in - if he tries, Davis will likely pout and shut down. Baron Davis is the life and death of this Clippers team... which is too bad, because the Clips could have a shot at the playoffs.
At least we'll get to witness the almighty fury of Blake Griffin.
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
NHL Center Ice Sneak Preview
If you are a die-hard hockey fan [who subscribes to Comcast, Time Warner Cable, Cox Communications, Bright House Networks, Cablevision Systems, Bresnan Communications, Charter Communications, Midcontinent and Verizon FiOS, or a number of independent affiliates] you have probably already tuned into the Center Ice Package preview. If you're a casual fan this may have slipped by you, but not to worry - you can still watch free hockey through this weekend!
The Center Ice package is a wonderful thing, but if you're only a fan of the home team, it may not be worth nearly $200. Games that are broadcast locally are blacked out from the NHL Center Ice channels so that they don't compete with local markets. If you happen to be, say a Washington Capitals fan who lives in Texas, this is a great way to watch your team. If you are like me and you will watch any hockey game, regardless of the teams playing [I drove halfway across the country to watch the Quad City Mallards play the Adirondack Ice Hawks and I'm damn proud of it] the free preview weekend is a great way to watch a lot of hockey. Sometimes it's hard for a Caps fan to know who to cheer for [Vancouver Canucks or Minnesota Wild? Luongo or Niemi?] but the beauty is, sometimes you don't have to pick a side, you can just appreciate hockey for the beauty of the sport. Other times, like last night, you get a heads up on who the next NHL player to get a suspension is going to be.
Obviously that is the broadcast from Vancouver, as one can tell from the announcers' support of these fans being thrown out. The Minnesota broadcasters had this reaction:
With Center Ice, you can watch them all. For the record, Minnesota has it right. The fan was probably being a douchebag, but it does not warrant having a professional athlete yank him out of the stands into the tunnel. Look for the NHL to hand down a punishment very soon. Canucks: This is seriously uncool. Center Ice free preview: I am in love with you.
The Center Ice package is a wonderful thing, but if you're only a fan of the home team, it may not be worth nearly $200. Games that are broadcast locally are blacked out from the NHL Center Ice channels so that they don't compete with local markets. If you happen to be, say a Washington Capitals fan who lives in Texas, this is a great way to watch your team. If you are like me and you will watch any hockey game, regardless of the teams playing [I drove halfway across the country to watch the Quad City Mallards play the Adirondack Ice Hawks and I'm damn proud of it] the free preview weekend is a great way to watch a lot of hockey. Sometimes it's hard for a Caps fan to know who to cheer for [Vancouver Canucks or Minnesota Wild? Luongo or Niemi?] but the beauty is, sometimes you don't have to pick a side, you can just appreciate hockey for the beauty of the sport. Other times, like last night, you get a heads up on who the next NHL player to get a suspension is going to be.
Obviously that is the broadcast from Vancouver, as one can tell from the announcers' support of these fans being thrown out. The Minnesota broadcasters had this reaction:
With Center Ice, you can watch them all. For the record, Minnesota has it right. The fan was probably being a douchebag, but it does not warrant having a professional athlete yank him out of the stands into the tunnel. Look for the NHL to hand down a punishment very soon. Canucks: This is seriously uncool. Center Ice free preview: I am in love with you.
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
PIF: Week Five Results
Dear Football Fans,
I am officially teetotaling for the rest of the season. Why, you might ask? Because my beloved Redskins are 3-0 when I abstain from confidence juice, 0-2 when I imbibe during the game. Yes, while vacationing in Puerto Rico, I watched professional football at a bar and did not drink a drop during the game. Yes, my last name is still Murphy. So for the record, here's what happened while I was on siesta:
Prediction: BILLS 24, JAGUARS 21 ***WEEK FIVE MISERA-BOWL***
Result: JAGUARS 36, BILLS 26
Its a matter of time before these teams are the Los Angeles Jaguars and the Toronto Bills. A matter of time.
Prediction: RAVENS 17, BRONCOS 10
Result: RAVENS 31, BRONCOS 17
I really want to like the Ravens. They're right up the street from DC, they play good old fashioned hard nosed football, and they are fun to watch. But the fans are such colossal rejects that I perish the thought of donning purple camouflage pants and sitting under a freeway overpass to tailgate a game.
Prediction: CHIEFS 31, COLTS 24 ***GAME OF THE WEEK***
Result: COLTS 19, CHIEFS 9
Fans, I have to apologize. This was in no way a game of the week. This game sucked worse than the Indianapolis night life. During football offseason.
Prediction: REDSKINS 24, PACKERS 23
Result: REDSKINS 16, PACKERS 13 (OT)
See what happens when you don't drink? Your team beats a team they haven't beaten in 22 years. This is the fourth game in five that the Redskins have seen decided on the very last play. Because they hate their fans and they want them all to die of coronaries.
Prediction: LIONS 31, RAMS 24
Result: LIONS 44, RAMS 6
Holy urban blight! You never get the expected when the two worst teams in the two worst cities in America face off. As I write this sentence, 200 more people are moving out of each of these cities.
Prediction: BEARS 20, PANTHERS 7
Result: BEARS 23, PANTHERS 6
I love it when I just nail one of these. See that? That is a work of art. I pulled that prediction out of my ass while sitting in the Fort Lauderdale Airport. Top that.
Prediction: BENGALS 40, BUCCANEERS 10 ***BLOWOUT OF THE WEEK***
Result: BUCCANEERS 24, BENGALS 21
Hey, what do you want? I picked these games while sitting in the Fort Lauderdale Airport.
Prediction: BROWNS 16, FALCONS 13
Result: FALCONS 20, BROWNS 10
This has nothing to do with this game, but Toyota Truck commercials sound like they are narrated by John Goodman's creepy uncle. It's 2010, gas is 4 bucks a gallon. Nobody drives trucks anymore except for new money rednecks. Quit marketing them like they're some proletariat's tool. Nobody uses them to haul lumber or tow loads of rocks, they use them to compensate for their numerous shortcomings as human beings or tailgate. John Goodman's creepy uncle isn't going to make me want to purchase one.
Prediction: TEXANS 24, GIANTS 20
Result: GIANTS 34, TEXANS 10
Hakeem Nicks had a career day catching 12 passes for 130 yards and 2 TDs. It was pretty bad ass.
Prediction: SAINTS 38, CARDINALS 29
Result: CARDINALS 30, SAINTS 20
The Cards pulled this one off without scoring a single touchdown on offense. Three defensive touchdowns. I hope QB Max Hall, who made his first ever start, bought everyone on his defense a steak and lobster meal after this one.
Prediction: TITANS 21, COWBOYS 9
Result: TITANS 34, COWBOYS 27
People are still buzzing about the Cowboys. They're 1-3. Every other team in their traditionally difficult division is 3-2. Tony Romo is poisoning that team with his goofy little Polish-Mexican smile. He's a gimmick and he will die alone, unloved.
Prediction: CHARGERS 30, RAIDERS 19
Result: RAIDERS 35, CHARGERS 27
The Raiders had 9 points on blocked punts alone, which proved to be the margin of victory. Jason Campbell relieved Bruce Gradkowski after he went 1 of 7 passing. Getting yanked for Jason Campbell is like getting dumped for a civil war reenactor: it's embarrassing, and it's only done by someone who has completely given up on their future.
Prediction: 49ERS 23, EAGLES 13
Result: EAGLES 27, 49ERS 24
49ers owner Jed York declared that San Francisco will win the NFC West despite starting the season 0-5. No pressure, though. You're the only team in your division that hasn't made the Super Bowl in the last 10 years, and you're one of only two teams in the NFC that is still winless.
Prediction: JETS 21, VIKINGS 19 ***MNF***
Result: JETS 29, VIKINGS 20
You know, two Prime Time games being delayed on a count of rain is just not football-like. Maybe they should have put a lid on that monstrosity in New Jersey so those whiny Jets fans won't have to bitch about standing in the rain.
WEEKLY AWARDS
Rookie of the Week: Bucs WR Mike Williams caught 7 for 99 and a touchdown in Tampa's win
Surprise Player of the Week: Lions QB Shaun Hill throwing for 227 yards and three TDs with no interceptions led the Lions to their first victory in ten games
Tough Guy of the Week: Redskins S LaRon Landry
Terrell Owens Memorial Asshole of the Week: Brett Favre for this ridiculous sexual harassment scandal
Terrell Owens Memorial Asshole of the Week: Brett Favre for this ridiculous sexual harassment scandal
Bust of the Week: Cardinals RB Beanie Wells had 20 carries for a paltry 35 yards
Celebration of the Week: Marc Colombo falling down during a football dance, which cost his team 15 yards because touchdown dances can't involve players being on the ground.
Special Teams Player of the Week: Raiders RB Rock Cartwright blocked a punt for a safety against the Chargers
Defensive Player of the Week: The entire Arizona Cardinals defense, which facilitated beating the Saints without the offense scoring a touchdown
Offensive Player of the Week: Chicago RB Matt Forte had 166 yards and two touchdowns to lead the Bears to victory over Carolina
Stick a Fork In: The San Francisco 49ers, again; Bruce Gradkowski; The entire city of Dallas
This Week: 6-8
Last Week: 7-7
Season: 37-38-1
Season: 37-38-1
So sorry I took a week off, it needed to happen. If I can't relax and enjoy myself once in a while, well, I shouldn't be doing Politically Incorrect Football anymore, should I? I probably shouldn't be anyway. I've seen more people take interest in slam poetry competitions in Mississippi. But whatever. You keep losing money betting on my picks, I'll keep making horrible predictions. See you Thursday for the predictions.
Your pal,
~~~Davemurphy
Thursday, October 7, 2010
PIF: Week Five Predictions (Abridged)
Dear Fans,
I know what you're thinking: That asshole never did the results! I bet it's because he had such a shitty week of picks! Well, you're half right. I never did the results because I normally do them while watching Monday Night Football, but this past Monday I was at Sun Life Stadium watching the Dolphins implode against the Patriots. And I've determined that Pats fans are somewhere at the bottom of the food chain between protozoans and Ravens fans.
This week, I'm lax on the analysis because I am travelling. but no worries, I will be back Monday doing what I do best: recounting mistakes I've made. And since I'm stuck in the airport with free wifi, here's the picks for the record. Placing cash wagers based on these picks without the expressed written consent of Davemurphy, JB Sports Chat, and the National Football League is strictly forbidden.
BILLS 24, JAGUARS 21 ***WEEK FIVE MISERA-BOWL***
RAVENS 17, BRONCOS 10
CHIEFS 31, COLTS 24 ***GAME OF THE WEEK***
REDSKINS 24, PACKERS 23 ***UPSET OF THE WEEK***
LIONS 31, RAMS 24
BEARS 20, PANTHERS 7
BENGALS 40, BUCCANEERS 10 ***BLOWOUT OF THE WEEK***
BROWNS 16, FALCONS 13
TEXANS 24, GIANTS 20
SAINTS 38, CARDINALS 29
TITANS 21, COWBOYS 9
CHARGERS 30, RAIDERS 19
49ERS 23, EAGLES 13
JETS 21, VIKINGS 19 ***MNF***
As long as I'm on here, allow me to impart this bit of knowledge on you: Spirit Airlines fucking sucks. Don't ever fly Spirit Airlines.
Last Week: 7-7
Season: 31-30-1
This week I'll be watching the game at whatever bar I can find that plays it. I'll be in sunny San Juan, Puerto Rico. Here's hoping they have futbol americano on the television. If you must know, Chrisco and I are going on a mancation together.
Your favorite something,
Davemurphy
I know what you're thinking: That asshole never did the results! I bet it's because he had such a shitty week of picks! Well, you're half right. I never did the results because I normally do them while watching Monday Night Football, but this past Monday I was at Sun Life Stadium watching the Dolphins implode against the Patriots. And I've determined that Pats fans are somewhere at the bottom of the food chain between protozoans and Ravens fans.
This week, I'm lax on the analysis because I am travelling. but no worries, I will be back Monday doing what I do best: recounting mistakes I've made. And since I'm stuck in the airport with free wifi, here's the picks for the record. Placing cash wagers based on these picks without the expressed written consent of Davemurphy, JB Sports Chat, and the National Football League is strictly forbidden.
BILLS 24, JAGUARS 21 ***WEEK FIVE MISERA-BOWL***
RAVENS 17, BRONCOS 10
CHIEFS 31, COLTS 24 ***GAME OF THE WEEK***
REDSKINS 24, PACKERS 23 ***UPSET OF THE WEEK***
LIONS 31, RAMS 24
BEARS 20, PANTHERS 7
BENGALS 40, BUCCANEERS 10 ***BLOWOUT OF THE WEEK***
BROWNS 16, FALCONS 13
TEXANS 24, GIANTS 20
SAINTS 38, CARDINALS 29
TITANS 21, COWBOYS 9
CHARGERS 30, RAIDERS 19
49ERS 23, EAGLES 13
JETS 21, VIKINGS 19 ***MNF***
As long as I'm on here, allow me to impart this bit of knowledge on you: Spirit Airlines fucking sucks. Don't ever fly Spirit Airlines.
Last Week: 7-7
Season: 31-30-1
This week I'll be watching the game at whatever bar I can find that plays it. I'll be in sunny San Juan, Puerto Rico. Here's hoping they have futbol americano on the television. If you must know, Chrisco and I are going on a mancation together.
Your favorite something,
Davemurphy
Friday, October 1, 2010
PIF: NFL Week Four Predictions
Dear Gridiron Connoisseurs,
This is a very important week. Week Four always is. Week Four is when the byes start. Four teams will not play this week. Which is good, I was getting pretty damn sick of Dallas and their stinky face. And ugh, Minnesota and all that Brett Favre nonsense. And EVERYONE hates Tampa. Ugh. Kansas City I'll miss this week though. Today I took a personal bye, staying home from work with a bit of headache and nausea. It's the first sick day I've taken in eons. So of course, they were giving free baseball tickets at work. For tonight's game. And I'm sick. Whatever, I'll just pick some football games. Instead of going to a baseball game. For free. If you bet actual money based on these predictions, you will get a urinary tract infection. Here goes:
49ERS (0-3) at FALCONS (2-1)
Let's face it, the 9ers have to win this game. That's good enough for me.
49ERS 20, FALCONS 17
BENGALS (2-1) at BROWNS (0-3) ***OHIO BOWL PART ONE***
Everyone's favorite all-American state pits its practically-Kentucky, crime ridden, blighted southern city of Cincinnati against its Rust Belt, hollowed out, blighted northern city against each other. Neither team has ever won the Super Bowl, both teams have spent most of the last two decades in the basement of the league. Hell, Cleveland wasn't even in the league four of those years.
BENGALS 19, BROWNS 11
JETS (2-1) at BILLS (0-3)
God. Imagine you're one of my cousins in Buffalo. You're 0-3. Your quarterback went to Harvard, which is great if he's your lawyer, but they're not exactly a quarterback factory over there. You have three potential Super Bowl teams in your division. You have thirteen more Chan Gailey-coached games to look forward to, the end of which you will find yourself in the midst of the worst winter in the continental US. Oh, and you live in Buffalo.
JETS 24, BILLS 10
SEAHAWKS (2-1) at RAMS (1-2) ***WEEK FOUR MISERA-BOWL***
Even though he is coming off of his first win, #1 draft pick Sam Bradford is slowly realizing that not only does he play for the Rams, but he now lives in Saint Louis.
SEAHAWKS 27, RAMS 17
BRONCOS (1-2) at TITANS (2-1)
When your best player is Brandon Lloyd, you have a problem. When your third string quarterback is selling more jerseys than your starting quarterback, you have a problem. When your rushing game is weaker than the structural foundation of any building in Port-au-Prince, you have a problem. When you have these three problems, you're the Denver Broncos. And yes, I made a Haiti joke.
TITANS 37, BRONCOS 14
LIONS (0-3) at PACKERS (2-1) ***BLOWOUT OF THE WEEK***
Detroit doesn't stand a chance. And they'll lose this football game, too.
PACKERS 51, LIONS 28
RAVENS (2-1) at STEELERS (3-0)
These two teams hate each other. But the Ravens have the best pass defense in the league right now, and I'm pretty sure the Steelers are on like their seventh string at quarterback. In fact, I'm pretty sure my sister is their back up quarterback. This game will be won on the ground, my friends.
STEELERS 17, RAVENS 13
PANTHERS (1-2) at SAINTS (2-1)
I love it when these two teams play each other because across the bottom of the screen where they put the score, it says "NO CAR",
SAINTS 27, PANTHERS 17
COLTS (2-1) at JAGUARS (1-2)
It's buy one ticket get the rest of the section free week at EverBank Field. God, what an awful name for a stadium. Don't watch this game, Jacksonville is embarrassing.
COLTS 31, JAGUARS 19
TEXANS (2-1) at RAIDERS (1-2)
The Raiders are like the friend at the party that drinks too much but you have to invite him because he's part of the gang and then he throws up on the girl you're hitting on.
TEXANS 21, RAIDERS 10
REDSKINS (1-2) at EAGLES (2-1) ***GAME OF THE WEEK***
Donovan McNabb goes back to the city that threw him away like an empty can of Cambell's Chunky Soup (tm). If you're rooting for the Philadelphia Eagles this week, you're a douchebag. Or an Eagles fan. Not quite sure which is worse.
REDSKINS 21, EAGLES 14
CARDINALS (2-1) at CHARGERS (1-2)
Yup.
CHARGERS 24, CARDINALS 21
BEARS (3-0) at GIANTS (1-2) ***UPSET OF THE WEEK***
These are two of the oldest and most storied franchises in the NFL. Two of the most storied cities in America. And it will be played in the newest stadium in the league. A little anti-climactic, don't you think?
GIANTS 26, BEARS 21
PATRIOTS (2-1) at DOLPHINS (2-1)
Yours truly will actually be attending this game. This will be my first ever non-Redskins NFL game. I just couldn't turn down an opportunity to heckle Patriots fans from a safe environment.
DOLPHINS 27, PATRIOTS 20
Last Week: 7-8-1
Season: 24-23-1
This week I'll be spreading the Redskins love up the coast a little and I will not be at Mike's. Where are you watching the games this week? A townie bar? Your living room? The stadium? Your jail cell? Leave a comment and share! Best comment will be sent all of my Farmville gifts for the next week. Just kidding, I don't play Farmville, and I probably don't want to be Facebooks friends with the kind of person that reads a sports blog. Losers.
But seriously, hope you're watching with good people in a good place drinking good beer. It's a good week for football. See you Tuesday with the results.
Your Prognosticator Extraordinaire,
Davemurphy
This is a very important week. Week Four always is. Week Four is when the byes start. Four teams will not play this week. Which is good, I was getting pretty damn sick of Dallas and their stinky face. And ugh, Minnesota and all that Brett Favre nonsense. And EVERYONE hates Tampa. Ugh. Kansas City I'll miss this week though. Today I took a personal bye, staying home from work with a bit of headache and nausea. It's the first sick day I've taken in eons. So of course, they were giving free baseball tickets at work. For tonight's game. And I'm sick. Whatever, I'll just pick some football games. Instead of going to a baseball game. For free. If you bet actual money based on these predictions, you will get a urinary tract infection. Here goes:
49ERS (0-3) at FALCONS (2-1)
Let's face it, the 9ers have to win this game. That's good enough for me.
49ERS 20, FALCONS 17
BENGALS (2-1) at BROWNS (0-3) ***OHIO BOWL PART ONE***
Everyone's favorite all-American state pits its practically-Kentucky, crime ridden, blighted southern city of Cincinnati against its Rust Belt, hollowed out, blighted northern city against each other. Neither team has ever won the Super Bowl, both teams have spent most of the last two decades in the basement of the league. Hell, Cleveland wasn't even in the league four of those years.
BENGALS 19, BROWNS 11
JETS (2-1) at BILLS (0-3)
God. Imagine you're one of my cousins in Buffalo. You're 0-3. Your quarterback went to Harvard, which is great if he's your lawyer, but they're not exactly a quarterback factory over there. You have three potential Super Bowl teams in your division. You have thirteen more Chan Gailey-coached games to look forward to, the end of which you will find yourself in the midst of the worst winter in the continental US. Oh, and you live in Buffalo.
JETS 24, BILLS 10
SEAHAWKS (2-1) at RAMS (1-2) ***WEEK FOUR MISERA-BOWL***
Even though he is coming off of his first win, #1 draft pick Sam Bradford is slowly realizing that not only does he play for the Rams, but he now lives in Saint Louis.
SEAHAWKS 27, RAMS 17
BRONCOS (1-2) at TITANS (2-1)
When your best player is Brandon Lloyd, you have a problem. When your third string quarterback is selling more jerseys than your starting quarterback, you have a problem. When your rushing game is weaker than the structural foundation of any building in Port-au-Prince, you have a problem. When you have these three problems, you're the Denver Broncos. And yes, I made a Haiti joke.
TITANS 37, BRONCOS 14
LIONS (0-3) at PACKERS (2-1) ***BLOWOUT OF THE WEEK***
Detroit doesn't stand a chance. And they'll lose this football game, too.
PACKERS 51, LIONS 28
RAVENS (2-1) at STEELERS (3-0)
These two teams hate each other. But the Ravens have the best pass defense in the league right now, and I'm pretty sure the Steelers are on like their seventh string at quarterback. In fact, I'm pretty sure my sister is their back up quarterback. This game will be won on the ground, my friends.
STEELERS 17, RAVENS 13
PANTHERS (1-2) at SAINTS (2-1)
I love it when these two teams play each other because across the bottom of the screen where they put the score, it says "NO CAR",
SAINTS 27, PANTHERS 17
COLTS (2-1) at JAGUARS (1-2)
It's buy one ticket get the rest of the section free week at EverBank Field. God, what an awful name for a stadium. Don't watch this game, Jacksonville is embarrassing.
COLTS 31, JAGUARS 19
TEXANS (2-1) at RAIDERS (1-2)
The Raiders are like the friend at the party that drinks too much but you have to invite him because he's part of the gang and then he throws up on the girl you're hitting on.
TEXANS 21, RAIDERS 10
REDSKINS (1-2) at EAGLES (2-1) ***GAME OF THE WEEK***
Donovan McNabb goes back to the city that threw him away like an empty can of Cambell's Chunky Soup (tm). If you're rooting for the Philadelphia Eagles this week, you're a douchebag. Or an Eagles fan. Not quite sure which is worse.
REDSKINS 21, EAGLES 14
CARDINALS (2-1) at CHARGERS (1-2)
Yup.
CHARGERS 24, CARDINALS 21
BEARS (3-0) at GIANTS (1-2) ***UPSET OF THE WEEK***
These are two of the oldest and most storied franchises in the NFL. Two of the most storied cities in America. And it will be played in the newest stadium in the league. A little anti-climactic, don't you think?
GIANTS 26, BEARS 21
PATRIOTS (2-1) at DOLPHINS (2-1)
Yours truly will actually be attending this game. This will be my first ever non-Redskins NFL game. I just couldn't turn down an opportunity to heckle Patriots fans from a safe environment.
DOLPHINS 27, PATRIOTS 20
Last Week: 7-8-1
Season: 24-23-1
This week I'll be spreading the Redskins love up the coast a little and I will not be at Mike's. Where are you watching the games this week? A townie bar? Your living room? The stadium? Your jail cell? Leave a comment and share! Best comment will be sent all of my Farmville gifts for the next week. Just kidding, I don't play Farmville, and I probably don't want to be Facebooks friends with the kind of person that reads a sports blog. Losers.
But seriously, hope you're watching with good people in a good place drinking good beer. It's a good week for football. See you Tuesday with the results.
Your Prognosticator Extraordinaire,
Davemurphy
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
PIF: Week Three Results
Hello again football fans,
Ah, here's my old friend. This fellow to my left has been watching over Politically Incorrect Football since 2005. Many ignorant rednecks who do not know any better might think this guy is an Arab Muslim, but in fact he is a Sikh of Indian descent. It's possible that by the time I die, there could be two BILLION Indians on earth. My goal is to recruit all of them to become Redskins fans, and this good man ought to be their role model.
Prediction: CARDINALS 20, RAIDERS 15 ***WEEK THREE MISERA-BOWL***
Ah, here's my old friend. This fellow to my left has been watching over Politically Incorrect Football since 2005. Many ignorant rednecks who do not know any better might think this guy is an Arab Muslim, but in fact he is a Sikh of Indian descent. It's possible that by the time I die, there could be two BILLION Indians on earth. My goal is to recruit all of them to become Redskins fans, and this good man ought to be their role model.I recovered a little bit this week, but ugh, what a tough week to watch. Fortunately, several friends were made at the sports pub this week, and commiseration ensued. Lots of commiseration. Here's how it went:
Prediction: GIANTS 35, TITANS 24
Result: TITANS 29, GIANTS 10
This was just a bad pick. I swear, I'm losing my touch in my old age. I apologize, football fans.
Prediction: BENGALS 20, PANTHERS 10
Result: BENGALS 20, PANTHERS 7
Nailed it. Jimmy Clausen, however, did not nail his debut.
Prediction: STEELERS 26, BUCCANEERS 3
Result: STEELERS 38, BUCCANEERS 13
Pittsburgh continues to scrape the bottom of the barrel for quarterbacks who can give the people of Pittsburgh something to cheer about from the bottom of their black lungs. The Buccaneers are as exposed like so many University of South Florida women paying their way through grad school.
Prediction: PATRIOTS 47, BILLS 10 ***BLOWOUT OF THE WEEK***
Result: PATRIOTS 38, BILLS 30
I watched this game with a Patriots fan. So he knew who Danny Woodhead was. He pointed him out to me. Danny Woodhead is from North Platte, NE. He is splitting time at running back for the Patriots. And he is white as the south side of a Russian's tan line. A white running back. Who starts. At running back. Named Woodhead.
Prediction: BROWNS 13, RAVENS 10
Result: RAVENS 24, BROWNS 17
I'm giving myself a tie for this one. I knew the Browns were going to lose. But what was heartwarming about this game was Browns RB Peyton Hillis, who ran for 144 and a TD. White guy. Not making that up. He is a white running back. Not a fullback, a running back. Ironically playing for the Browns.
Prediction: CHIEFS 21, 49ERS 17
Result: CHIEFS, 49ERS 10
The Chiefs are one of two undefeated teams left in the AFC. If you saw that coming you A) have a last name that rhymes with "schmostradamus", B) own a modified DeLorean, or C) are a homer from Kansas City. If you predicted them to beat the 49ers, you're almost as awesome as I am. And by awesome I mean lonely.
Prediction: TEXANS 42, COWBOYS 21
Result: COWBOYS 27, TEXANS 13
Screw it, I really don't feel like talking about Texas right now.
Prediction: LIONS 22, VIKINGS 18 ***UPSET OF THE WEEK***
Result: VIKINGS 24, LIONS 10
Tuning in to watch the Lions win a game is harder than trying to find a job with a successful start-up business in Detroit.
Prediction: SAINTS 24, FALCONS 20 ***GAME OF THE WEEK***
Result: FALCONS 27, SAINTS 24 (OT)
Around halftime, some douchebag bandwagon Saints fan barges into the pub and complains that the Saints game isn't on any of the TVs. And of course, he kept screaming "WHO DAT" every time Drew Brees completed a one yard pass. Now, my dear fans, I rarely root against the Saints. And I never root for the Falcons. But this guy changed all that. Needless to say, when the Saints blocked the FG in overtime, we were chanting "Who dat call a time out to ice the kicker?"
Prediction: REDSKINS 31, RAMS 13
Result: RAMS 30, REDSKINS 16
Of the Rams' whopping seven wins in the last 3+ seasons, two of them are against the Redskins. That is your-mother-is-Courtney-Love embarrassing.
Prediction: EAGLES 23, JAGUARS 14
Result: EAGLES 28, JAGUARS 3
Was ANYONE at this game? Anyone? I've got a challenge for you. If you were at this game and you can prove it, I'll give you my car. Seriously.I'm not worried though, because NOBODY was at this game. And I don't actually own a car, but that's beside the point.
Prediction: COLTS 28, BRONCOS 7
Result: COLTS 27, BRONCOS 13
Nothing surprising here. Peyton Manning, three touchdowns. Move along.
Prediction: CARDINALS 20, RAIDERS 15 ***WEEK THREE MISERA-BOWL***
Result: CARDINALS 24, RAIDERS 23
If you watched this game, you'll never get those three hours of your life back. But chances are you live in Phoenix or Oakland, in which case the faster you can make the time fly byu towards sweet, sweet death, the better I suppose.
Prediction: CHARGERS 23, SEAHAWKS 14
Result: SEAHAWKS 27, CHARGERS 20
Pete Carroll is bringing a bit of life to the Pacific Northwest. Seahawks fans are coming out of the woodwork. And there's a lot of woods up there. I heard Sasquatch now owns a Lofa Tatupu jersey. But then I heard that Lofa Tatupu IS Sasquatch.
Prediction: DOLPHINS 19, JETS 17
Result: JETS 31, DOLPHINS 23
Jimmy and Joe flew from New York City down here to Miami to see the game. While at the bar, they bought several rounds of drinks for the two Patriots fans there with us. Their good karma was rewarded with an excellent game and a Jets win. If I teach you one thing, my dear football fans, it's that football fan karma does exist, and it's why the Philadelphia Eagles haven't won the Super Bowl.
Prediction: PACKERS 38, BEARS 35
Result: BEARS 20, PACKERS 17Another white guy at running back. And folks, when I decided to bring back Politically Incorrect Football this season, I promised myself I'd tone down the racial jokes. But come on... a white running back named Kuhn? Well, that joke writes itself.
Rookie of the Week: (tie) Patriots TE duo Aaron Hernandez and Rob Gronkowski are turning into Tom Brady's favorite targets.
Surprise Player of the Week: Three, count them, three white tailbacks are either starting or splitting time: Browns' Peyton Hillis, Patriots' Danny Woodhead, and Packers' John Kuhn.
Tough Guy of the Week: Titans LB Stephen Tulloch racked up 13 tackles in the win over the Giants
Terrell Owens Memorial Asshole of the Week: The jackasses at the pub who stole some of Chrisco's beer and then tried to eat my chicken wings. Come on, man, really?
Bust of the Week: Saints kicker Garret Hartley blows another short kick. His days are numbered.
Celebration of the Week: Saints Fan Guy who thought the Saints blocked an overtime field goal only to find that their coach had called a time out to ice the kicker.
Special Teams Player of the Week: Leon Washington of the Seahawks ran back two kickoffs for touchdowns that made the difference in their win over San Diego
Defensive of the Week: Chiefs' LB Tamba Hali had three sacks and two tackles for losses to help the Chiefs become one of only three undefeated teams left in the league.
Offensive of the Week: Colts WR Austin Collie caught 12 passes for 171 yards and two touchdowns
Stick a Fork In: the San Francisco 49ers
This Week: 7-8-1
Last Week: 6-10
Season: 24-23-1
And on a somber note, all time NFL Great George Blanda, who played for four teams across four decades, 1949-1976, passed away Monday. Even Brett Favre won't reach pro-football longevity like that. He played with several men who weren't even born his rookie season, and he will be missed. He was 83.
Next week is a big week with some serious rivalries, so make sure you check back Friday for the goods. Until then, have a good week, and happy football.
Your source for crappy football picks,
Davemurphy
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