Dreams Blog
January 27, 2012
Giants-‘Niners In OT
Did You happen to notice those big guys who formed a protective circle around Giant Coach Tom Coughlin and escorted him off the field after the Giants’ 20-17 win over the Forty-Niners? I guess the reports of the post game hooliganism by some Niner game attendees necessitated their presence.
The Giants had to beat two teams in that game- one was the ‘Niner team the other was the officiating team headed by Ed Hochuli. Some of Hochuli’s rulings were really head-scratchers (Vernon Davis stepped out of bounds and Chris Canty WAS NOT the aggressor yet was bounced) and other rulings and ball placements were questionable.
SF passed for 196 yards but only 123 if you deduct Davis’ 73yd TD-RAC. Eli was sacked 6 times and roughed quite a bit but there was not huffing and puffing by the Giants who ALL remained business-like.
A Contest On So Many Levels
The Patriots have dedicated this season to Myra Kraft, owner Robert Kraft’s wife, who passed away in July. The Giants are remembering Wellington Mara, who was such a presence around his team for so many years. So there we have it!
The rumbling in the skies that you’ve been hearing hasn’t been coming from thunder it’s heavenly cheering!
A Little Good News
In a little more than two weeks, it’ll be “Pitchers and Catchers.” We’ll hear that familiar sound of a baseball landing in a glove- thwack, thwack. I’ll, once again, be a little jealous of Dan Shaughnessy (Boston Globe) when he chides, Red Sox GM, Ben Charington while sitting on a spring training bench.
A Pain In The Neck
I keep reading about all of the possibilities attached to Peyton Manning becoming a free agent and moving from the Colts to a different NFL team.
Bruce Jenkins (SF Chronicle) pointed out that Manning will turn 36 in March, had THREE neck surgeries in less than two years, where the wrong hit could sideline him for the year or possibly leave him paralyzed for the rest of his life. I think he’ll retire after the Super Bowl and receive a $28million option-bonus due March eighth, unless he’s cut .
The Colts could trade the pick for a lot of draft choices (not likely, draft Luck and pay Payton to play (not likely), or draft Luck and have him play right away, hoping he’ll be as successful as Cam Newton, with a retired Payton acting as his mentor (most likely to me).
A Change For Ryan
Jack Finarelli (sportscurmudgeon.com) agreed with my assessment of Rex Ryan and sent this message: “Bob:
I believe that Rex Ryan needs to change his coaching style as you suggest this week. And I think this will be an interesting situation to watch because it will indicate the degree to which Rex Ryan coaches with his brain as opposed to his glands.
I think he will realize intellectually that he needs to do something differently but I am not sure that he will be able to pull that off.
Should be interesting to watch…”
Cashman Is A Gold Miner
Yankees GM, Brian Cashman was able to answer a lot of his own questions on Friday the 13th with a pitching bonanza. Wallace Matthews (ESPNNY.com) reported that Cashman has won the off-season so far- “Montero for him (Cashman) is pretty much an admission by the Yankees that they thought Montero would never develop into an everyday catcher. In 18 games last September, Montero hit .328 and showed the kind of opposite-field power that makes GMs drool. If the guy could catch, he’d be another Bill Dickey, an untouchable. Obviously, the Yankees thought he couldn’t. And if there’s one thing the Yankees have in abundance, it’s DHs, and DHs in waiting.
Already, they’ve re-signed Andruw Jones to take on some of the right-handed DH duties, and it’s likely they will intensify their efforts to re-sign Eric Chavez to do the same from the left side. There is talk they may look to add another bat, maybe Carlos Pena. But their roster is loaded with aging guys who could use at least one day off a week, and they may just choose to rotate Alex Rodriguez, Derek Jeter, Mark Teixeira, Robby Cano and Curtis Granderson in and out of the DH slot to keep everyone fresh. Moving Montero allows them to do that.
And best of all, they hold on to the pitchers Cashman considers the prized jewels of the Yankees farm system, Manny Banuelos and Dellin Betances, and to a lesser extent, Adam Warren and David Phelps.
Charlie “O” Lord Of The Realm
I keep remembering how Charles O. Finley opposed free agency while he owned the Oakland A’s. He wanted to make every player a free agent every year because the best players would still get their money and the lower rated players wouldn’t get those huge contracts.
John Shea (SF Chronicle) also quoted Finley on arbitration. “As Finley said of owners in ’73, according to the book “Lords of the Realm,” “We’ll be the nation’s biggest -holes if we do this. You can’t win. You’ll have guys with no baseball background setting salaries. You’ll have a system that drives up the average salary every year. Give them anything they want, but don’t give them arbitration.”
Some Loops From Drinnan
Greg Drinnan (Kamloopsnews.ca) said, “More than 16 years ago a woman in Sweden lost her wedding ring. She recently found it in her garden, wrapped around a carrot. “Would that make it a one-carrot diamond?”
“Following the death of bowling legend Don Carter, Bianchi brought out one of his favourite bowling-related quotes, attributed to Mike Bianchi (Orlando Sentinel): “One advantage of bowling over golf is that you never lose a bowling ball.”
Letter Rip
Sports quiz question, from RJ Currie of SportsDeke.com:
“Q: What’s the difference between Aussie Open tennis players Li Na and Barbora Zahlavova Strycova?
“A: Most of the alphabet.”
Feeling Sorry
You shouldn’t feel too sorry for Tennis pro Andy Roddick because he lost all of those major tournaments. When everything is over and done he’s able to go home with his wife, Brooklyn Dekker.
Dreams Blog 1.5
January 27, 2012
I wanted to add this to my usual post because it’s something that has created a few thoughts. I watched the opening show in the Fox.TV series- “Touch.”
By now most of you know about my fascination with numbers and how they relate to each other. This TV show is also about number relationships that appear to the public around the word. It’s well written, is suspenseful, and keeps the viewer trying to think of possible next steps.
Keifer Sutherland appears in the lead and doesn’t disappoint.
Dreams Blog
January 20, 2012
The Giants Lunch Pail Victory
That catch by Hakeem Nicks (7catches, 165yds., 2TDs) that ended the first half of the NY 37-20 win over the Packers was NOT a hail- Mary. It was a called play- “Flood Tip that was designed to put Nicks in a spot where he went up and got it with his strong hands,” Coach Coughlin explained.
The NY-D forced 3 GB fumbles that couldn’t be ignored or reversed. The worst call in my opinion saw Umeniora sack Rogers, tackling him around the waist as the many replays showed. The zebras called a roughing-hit to the head penalty on the Giants.
This might have been the straw that turned the scales toward NY.
GBs leading rusher was Rogers who was only 26-46, 264, in the air.
The Coaching Merry-Go-Round
Dan Daly (DC Times) wrote that the coaching pool seems to have dried up. “In recent years, such coaches as Jackson, Todd Haley, Josh McDaniel, Eric Mangini, Jim Mora Jr., Jim Zorn, Scott Linehan and Rod Marinelli have all washed out in fewer than three seasons. It’s scary how little rope coaches are given nowadays. The league is almost becoming like hockey that way.
Want to hear something that’s truly mind-blowing? All 12 of the coaches who made the playoffs this season are connected — either closely or remotely — to Bill Walsh or Bill Parcells. (That is, they’re located somewhere in Walsh’s or Parcells’ coaching trees,; even if they’re just a twig.) Nobody should be too surprised, then, that Romeo Crennel, a former Parcells assistant, was named to follow Haley in Kansas City, or that Fisher, San Francisco’s secondary coach under George Seifert (Walsh’s successor), has been in such demand. So it goes in the NFL, where coaching searches have become a risky — and expensive — version of blind man’s bluff. ”
I keep remembering what an old boss of mine said (he was the only guy I ever met named ‘Lefty’)- “You can always find someone else who can’t do the job.”
That made me think about that carousel and how important coaching was in the final analysis. My breakdown would be: Player Roster-40%; QB-20%; GM-20%; Head Coach-10%; Off. Coordinator-5%; Def. Coordinator-5%.
A Back Up QB For The Jets
Dan Daly (DC Times) wrote about finding the right NFL-QB. “You can’t pay too much attention to the quarterback position in the NFL (though the Washington Redskins have been ignoring this axiom for the past year). Until you find a bona fide QB, you can forget about hoisting any Lombardi trophies, forget about making. any history — the good kind, at least. In fact, until you find a bona fide QB, you’re pretty much roadkill for all the teams that have found bona fide QBs.”
I was glad to see the Jets sign Mark Brunell to help Mark Sanchez grow into his role as a team leader. But Brunell turned out to be more of a pal than a mentor.
Now word has it that the Jets will be looking for more of a task master to spur Sanchez- especially bringing in Tony Sparano to be the new offensive coordinator. Sparano is from the Bill Parcells coaching tree and emulates Parcells’ tough love tactics.
I think that the Jets let the wrong coordinator go. I should have been Mike Pettine on the bricks instead of Brian Shottenheimer. Shott’s offense didn’t do well because the players didn’t play well (Sanchez?) not because of the called plays. Pettine’s defense (or was it Ryan’s) slumped because of the defenses called and too much emphasis was put on “Revis’ Island.”
Jim Harbaugh’s Philips-Head
Scott Ostler (SF Chronicle) wrote about the reactions to Jim Harbaugh’s style.
We’ll call it the Tara VanDerveer Observation. The Stanford women’s basketball coach once said, “All the great ones have a ‘Yeah,’ he said, ‘I always thought it was weird. I always thought it was weird that a lot of head coaches don’t really speak to you and don’t want to get to know you personally. And when I first got here I thought it was a little weird that he wanted to do that. … That’s why he’s won the locker room over, and why he’s won the organization and everyone over.’
It’s too early to proclaim Harbaugh a genius, but the 49ers would be wise to keep the maintenance guy with the screwdriver away from their coach.”
What Cap Will Posada Wear In Cooperstown?
Happy 50th Birthday to Jim Caple (ESPN.com).
Jim wrote about Jorge going into the MLB-HOF in five years, when he’s eligible. He pointed out that Posada’s numbers compare favorably with HOF catchers Bill Dickey, Gary Carter, and Gabby Hartnett. Posada played on five World Series Championship teams and should have won the 2007 MVP with a .426 OBP, incredible for a catcher, and a .970 OPS (Johnny Bench had .932 and .902 OPS in his MVP years- Joe Mauer had a 1.031 in his MVP year).
Johnny Bench warned, “There are 13 catchers in the Hall of Fame, eight elected by the Baseball Writers Assn. and the other five by the Veterans’ Committee. That’s about one a decade.”
Speaking of Johnny Bench, Bill Dwyer (LA Times) said, He had his ways of communicating when enough was enough.
“We were playing the Dodgers in Cincinnati one time, and the game the night before had gone on until something like 1 in the morning,” Bench says. “Then, a few hours later, we were back out there, and it was hot. It’s late in the game, the Dodgers are up, 10-0, and our pitcher, Gerry Arrigo, is still trying to throw hard and can’t do it. If he keeps throwing what he is throwing, the game will go on for hours. So I give him the curve sign. He shakes it off. I put it down again. He says no. A third time. No.
“So I put down the fastball sign, he lets go, and I catch it with my bare hand. I look over in the Dodgers dugout and you can’t see a soul. The dugout was below ground at Crosley Field, and they were all rolling around on the ground, laughing.”
Dreams Blog
January 13, 2012
“BIG D” Now Stands For The Giants’ “D”
The Giants smothered the Falcons 24-2- a virtual shut down and shut out. The Falcons only had 64 yards rushing on 64 carries and 163 yards passing. The G-Men stuffed Atlanta twice on 4th down and once on a 3rd and inches in the 3rd.
Jacobs rushed for 93 and Bradshaw for 63. Nicks caught 6-115 and Manningham 4-68 while Cruz was being double and triple covered.
Re-Thinking Tebow
Tim Tebow did pretty well in Denver’s OT, 29-23, victory over Pittsburgh. He even threw the ball for good yardage and a TD. This will present a new wrinkle in New England’s defensive game planning. Exactly how did the Broncos with an 8-8 record get to host an NFL playoff game while the Steelers, who were at 12-4, didn’t?
It didn’t seem fair that the Broncos, who took their weak division’s title, were able to do that.
Tebow Numerology
Here is another example with my predilection with numbers.
Tim Tebow wears an armband having a scripture number printed on it. Against the Steelers it read “John 3:16”. Did you ask “Why is this relevant?”
The answer is that Tebow had 316 passing yards in that game; plus each pass averaged 31.6 yards.
Pass/Fail
Gene Collier (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette) said that Tim Tebow’s game operates as a pass/fail. “When he passes, it fails.” Except this time.
Hey Ryan- We Want To Know
D.J. Gallo (ESPN.com) posed a question that should have been asked in a Rex Ryan presser. “as an expert on terrible predictions, what do you think about the Mayan calendar and 2012?”
Speaking Of The Mayan Calendar
Bob Molinaro (HamptonRoads.com) asked if that calendar will appear with swimsuit models.
Ryan’s New Leaf
There’s a big hoo-hah going on about Jets Coach Rex Ryan having to re-invent himself, as was done by Joe Girardi and Tom Coughlin. It’s being said that he should be more straight laced in order to provide a stronger base upon which the players could rely.
What’s interesting is that Girardi and Coughlin were thought to have been too rigid in their ways while Ryan appeared to be too easy going.
“G” and “C” must have found the correct mid-point because they won championships.
Now let’s wait to see how much or if Ryan changes. In the final analysis, Ryan MUST be able to know what’s going on with his team.
It’s Not Easy Being Green
Kermit T. Frog sang that song along with a lot of the NY Jets players. That controversy at the end of the Dolphins game has gotten a lot of ink already.
Only a complete overhaul of the Jets locker room, that includes the coach, both coordinators, the QB, as well as the team captain Santonio Holmes is going to work.
Holmes, BTW, was called a cancer by one anonymous player.
Raiders’ Castle
Scott Ostler (SF Chronicle) wrote that Raidrs’ coach, Hue Jackson, “Is on double-secret probation: Improve the team next season or take a hike.”
Flag On The Raiders
This past season the Oakland Raiders were flagged 163 times or just over 10 times per game, as the Sports Curmudgeon reported. Those flags totaled 1358 yards (just under 85yards/game). This is one stat in which the Raiders led the league.
Edwin Jackson- Desired At The Right Price
9yrs in majors, 60/60 195 IP/YR, 145 K/YR, 1.82K/BB- a bit low, 4.46 ERA- a bit high, 1.48 WHIP- a bit high.
Boras is his agent and is asking for a multi-year deal for $15 million.
Women’s Soccer
Kevin Baxter (LA Times) wrote about our Women’s World Cup Soccer team and their coach, Pat Sundage, who has a 77-5 since becoming coach in 2007. The team is going to play the opening qualifying round in Vancouver in late January. The top two teams in this tournament will advance to London.
The other participants include the Dominican Republic, Mexico, and Guatemala.
2012 Numbers Thing In showing that I’m not alone in finding number associations interesting, Doug Williams (ESPN.com) about: “THE MILESTONES
Little big man: Ray Rice is just 5-foot-8, but while playing for Rutgers he became the first player in Big East history to rush for more than 2,000 yards in a season, totaling exactly 2,012 in 2007. Kareem’s career: He’s the NBA’s all-time career scorer, but Kareem Abdul-Jabbar also came into the league as a dominant rebounder. (Just ask his biggest fan, Roger Murdock of “Airplane” fame.) Abdul-Jabbar played 20 seasons in the NBA and for 12 consecutive years averaged more than 23 points and 10 rebounds. PERFECT TIMING At the 1987 U.S. Track and Field Championships, Carl Lewis sprinted to a win in the 200 meters with a time of 20.12. If only his (in)famous rendition of the national anthem had been so quick. 20s & 12s: SOME DYNAMIC DUOS
Rocky Bleier (20) and Terry Bradshaw (12): The running back (now a motivational speaker) and QB (now motivated to speak) teamed up for four Steelers Super Bowl championships.
Mel Renfro (20) and Roger Staubach (12): Five-time Pro Bowl cornerback Renfro and Hall of Fame quarterback Staubach helped the Dallas Cowboys win two Super Bowls together.
Penn State’s O’Brien
Bill O’Brien was hired to do more than just coach the football team at Penn State; he is going to head up that program and put it back on the straight and narrow.
All of those complainers from the University’s Lettermen’s Club wanted someone with ties to PS.
I’m glad they didn’t get it because I think everyone in that old program knew what was going on
Those Wild And Crazy Mormons
Brad Rock (Deseret News) wrote about BYU saying: “BYU fans screamed, stomped and celebrated way too much. Though the outcome of the Cougars’ 81-56 win over San Francisco had been long decided, students stayed to cheer madly for every basket on Saturday. The reason? They’re fans, for one thing. Second, it was a frozen yogurt giveaway night. With the Cougars scoring 80 points, ticket-holders qualified for a treat at Yogurtland. Here’s to things that makes people act a little silly and wild. Frozen yogurt — the Mormon alcohol.”
Dreams Blog
January 6, 2012
Giants-Jets Week 17
The Giants (9-7) stepped up to defeat the Cowboys (8-8) 31-14. They rushed for 106yds and passed for 346yds while limiting Dallas to 49yds on the ground. The D had 6 sacks, 1int, and 2 forced fumbles. Nicks caught 6 for 76 and Victor Cruz had 6 for 176. Umenyiora had 2 sacks. Eli had 3TDs.
The Jets ended their disappointing year by losing to Miami 19-17. Sanchez had 2TDs but also was intercepted 3 times. Santonio Holmes was benched when his teammates complained that he quit on them.
Raider Truisms
Santa and his helper the world’s tallest elf- Mikey asked if I could write more Raider info than I had been writing.
Scott Ostler (SF Chronicle) wrote that the Raiders are the dumbest team in football. Here are a few highlights: “The Raiders were penalized for delay of game on a fake field-goal attempt that went for a (disallowed) touchdown.
Lamarr Houston was penalized in the second quarter for spiking the ball after helping break up a pass.
Tight end Kevin Boss false-started on the first play of a Raiders drive. That should happen approximately never per season.
Twice the Raiders were double-dipped – flagged for two infractions on one play. On a punt return, they had an illegal block and 12 men on the field. The Chiefs declined the 12-man penalty, which was too bad, because those 12-man penalties are so rare … except for the Raiders.”
Stat Of The Week
Greg Easterbrock passed this along in his weekly TMQ (Tues. Morning QB) column: “The Ryan brothers’ teams (the Cowboys and Jets) are 0-8 this season versus the Eagles, Giants, and Patriots.”
Replacement
I’d like to see the Giants replace, Defensive Coordinator, Perry Fewell with Steve Spagnuolo even though the Giants D did well against Dallas. I don’t think it was anything Fewell did but more a players’ thing.
Boston-NY Rivalry Kindling
Dan Shaughnessy (Boston Globe) witnessed the rebirth of the Knicks and didn’t like it. “It looks like the Jets are out of the way, but brace yourself for some weeks, maybe months, of chest-thumping from your obnoxious friends from New York. Make way for the Big Apple Frauds. The Knicks think they are finally better than the Celtics.
In a Holiday Festival that was everything David Stern could have wanted to cure post-lockout stress disorder, the “all-new,’’ muscle-flexing Knicks squeaked out a 106-104 victory against the Paul Pierce-less Celtics yesterday at Madison Square Garden.
Playing in front of Walt Frazier, Earl Monroe, and a raft of B-list celebs (Matthew Modine, anyone?), the Knicks blew a 17-point first-half lead at home, and needed every ounce of luck and strength
A-Rod’s Knee
The MLB-MD’s seem to be having a negative reaction to A-Rod’s treatment. As near as I understand it, they’re saying, “I don’t know anything about it, but you’re wrong.”
Still, how different is this treatment from the same things being done in the States?
Is the German MD putting a little something extra in the mix the way Victor Conte did?
If a treatment is too good to be true, it probably is. The chances might be just as good as getting the six winning numbers in next week’s lotto drawing.
Different Knicks
The Knicks started the shortened season by scoring 106 pts. In beating- YES, BEATING THE CELTICS. Then they went out west and put in 78 in a loss to the Warriors, with David Lee, and 82 in a loss to the Lakers.
I don’t know who they are, yet, but until I do I’m thinking we’ll see 20-25 wins.
They need other players beside Anthony and Stoudemire to put points on the board as well as well as someone to make penetrations.
Chandler DID show me something against the Lakers. He pulled down four offensive boards and had 14 free throws. He has to do that every game.
They Said It
Len Berman (ThatsSports.com) on threatened protests in Montreal because Canadiens coach Randy Cunneyworth doesn’t speak French: “Nobody knew what Casey Stengel was saying, either, and nobody picketed Yankee Stadium.”
Greg Drinnen (Kamloops Daily News) passed along this headline from SportsPickle.com: “SportsPickle.com: $55 million federal investigation successfully forces Barry Bonds to watch TV at home for 30 daysto beat the Celtics, who were playing without their best player.
What He Learned In 2011
Bob Molinaro (HamptonRoads.com) sent along these thoughts: “Football players don’t fumble anymore. They “put the ball on the ground.” August’s East Coast earthquake wasn’t San Andreas’ fault. (OOOF) A semi-retired Marty Schottenheimer is a better coach than some of the guys on the sidelines Sunday afternoon. The only thing worse than the Red Sox falling apart in September is every other problem in the world. As an NFL rookie, Cam Newton is nearly as good as he said he was and a lot better than most people thought. It’s never been easier for an NFL quarterback to complete a pass. The backroom dealings associated with college conference realignments would make Tony Soprano blush.”
The Year That Wasn’t
Jim Caple (ESPN.com) looked back at some occurrences that might have happened (NOT): “March 27: Kentucky’s John Calipari completes one of the most amazing coaching turnarounds in history when he reaches the Final Four just years after what the official NCAA record books shows as winless seasons at UMass and Memphis.
April 8: Following another positive test for PEDs, Manny Ramirez receives a 100-game suspension but he doesn’t notice.
June 19:In the most extraordinary golfing performance since Tiger Woods won the 1997 Masters, 21-year-old Rory McIlroy rallies from his crushing collapse at Augusta in April by piling up an eight-stroke lead and shooting an historic 16-under-par at the U.S. Open. He finishes second, however, to Kim Jong-il, who shoots 52-under with 31 holes-in-one.” Impress Your Friends Trivia
This came from Scott Ostler (SF Chronicle): “ The last NFL player to play without a helmet? Dick Plasman, Chicago Bears end, Dec. 21, 1941. He caught two passes for 48 yards that day against the Giants. Plasman then went into the service, and helmets became mandatory in 1943.”
Dreams Blog
December 29, 2011
Thank You
Thank you, readers, for visiting with me in the “toy department”.
Have a Happy, Healthy, Safe, and Serene New Year!
Giants-Jets Week 16
There were two different Jet QBs playing against the Giants (8-7). The first Mark Sanchez was the QB who played while the Jets (8-7) were ahead. The second Mark Sanchez played while the Jets Trailed. S-1 was calm, confident, and cool. S-2 had happy feet, called the wrong plays, and didn’t throw to the right receiver.
“Easy Eli” was only 9-27 throwing the ball but seemed to knock the Jets off their game plan by throwing to Cruz 3 times for 165 yds. The Giants “D” collected 5 sacks, a safety, 2 INTs, and 1 forced fumble, while pushing the Jets to commit 10 penalties in the 29-14 Giants win.
Interesting Goings-On
I find this time in the NBA’s year very interesting. The stances and positioning that’s being done by the league players, the GMs, AND the league’s management is on a par with those being done by the members of the Mergers and Acquisitions Departments of Wall Street firms. One of the biggest differences between the two, however, is that salaries for the players have been written about without very many unknowns. While the business people’s salaries are held pretty close to the vest.
When I think about the “Bigs” like Dwight Howard, I recall how Al McGuire referred to them as- “Aircraft Carriers.”
Acorns FromThe “Oak-man”
Ian Begley (ESPN.com)reported that Charles Oakley talked about the Knicks and said,
“Oakley picked the Knicks to win 48 to 50 games.
‘If Carmelo [Anthony] does what he’s supposed to do, and everybody else does the same, then they’re going to have a successful year,’ he said.
Less than two months earlier, Oakley questioned the Knicks’ credentials in a scathing critique of D’Antoni.
So why the change of heart?
Two words: Tyson Chandler.’”
Tebow-Mania I think that all of that noise about Tim Tebow and his successes is like the noise we heard about the “Wildcat” offensive play. The play burst onto the NFL scene and was hot stuff for a short time. While it was enjoying its time in the spotlight every NFL team “had to” run the play- until, that is, defenses made adjustments to stop it.
Tebow’s lack of passing acumen will push through and deposit him back on the bench.
NFL Playoff View
As we near this year’s race toward the Super Bowl, I’m not looking too hard at teams with the most wins. Historically, it’s the team that gets hot enough at the end of the season to take the big prize. Up in smoke
Dwight Perry (Seattle Times) said that, “The Orange Bowl has turned down a planned sponsorship deal with Camacho Cigars. When it came time to put it to a vote, bowl officials say, it was close but no … nah, too easy.” Urban Renewal Ohio State hired Urban Meyer as its new football coach, replacing Jim Tressel. It was during Tressel’s tenure last year that O. State had 12 victories and a Sugar Bowl victory voided. Tressel had been caught in lies, signing false reports, and used players whom he knew had cheated. Meyer has been hired to clean up the football program at Ohio St. but remember Meyer had 30 of his Florida players arrested in less than six years but IS known to be a great recruiter who won two national championships. Ryan’s View What convinced Nolan Ryan to pass on the pursuit of C.J. Wilson and Mark Buhrle but to go after Yu Darvish? Ryan has Darvish penciled into be the number three starter for the Texas Rangers, behind Lewis and Holland. Are you ready for all of the noise that will most likely pump the volume heralding the pitching match-up between Darvish and Ichiro of the Mariners? That game will probably be the first game of the season for Monday-Night-Baseball. Mother’s Day Jerry Greene (ESPN.com) asked his readers to give him some suggestions on how a small market NBA team would be able to hold on to a Super-Star. One suggestion was for the team to, “Name your facility after your star’s mother- The Mrs. Paul’s Fish Sticks Arena.” Sports Marriage Trouble Jerry Greene’s readers gave him some clues for pro-athletes to know their marriage is over. Here are just a couple: “The tag on their Christmas present reads ‘From the plaintiff.’”“ Their wife is talking about Kris and Kim’s marriage and says, ‘They really deserve credit for sticking it out so long.’” Just call him Iron Mic Announcer Michael “Let’s get ready to rumble” Buffer will be inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame. Just one question: Will they make him introduce himself ? They Said It Dwight Perry (Seattle Times) forwarded these: “Writer Alan Ray on Dallas nearing the end of the NFL regular season: “The Dallas Cowboys organization has two more games to iron out the wrinkles. And that’s just Jerry Jones’ plastic surgeon.” Washington Redskins quarterback Rex Grossman to NFL Radio on New York Giants safety Antrel Rolle’s statement last week that the Giants would beat the Redskins 99 times out of 100: “I mean, 99 out of 100 times they are going to beat us? And we beat them two in a row this year? I’m not going to the casino with him any time soon.”Greg Drinnen (Kamloops Daily News) about Ryan Braun’s suspension for misuse of testosterone:“Braun said he’ll comment soon,” writes Brad Dickson of the Omaha World-and then Greg wrote: “After Golden State Warriors guard Charlie Bell showed up drunk for a DUI hearing, Scott Ostler of the San Francisco Chronicle pointed out: “Memo to NBAers: ‘Order in the court’ does not mean ‘What’ll you have?’ ”
Incorrect Pick According to Dwight Perry, one of the worst college basketball predictions for the entire year came in April when CBS picked Butler over UConn in the NCAA men’s title game. “ There hasn’t been a forecast this flat-out wrong since General Custer was minus -7 ½ at the Little Big Horn.”
Dreams Blog
December 22, 2011
Jets-Giants Week 15
Both of our teams lost. The Giants (7-7) lost to the Redskins (5-9) 27-10. The Jets (8-6) were manhandled, AGAIN, by the Iggles 45-19.
Neither team choked but the Giants left their enthusiasm home and the Jets continued to think that the Eagles were QB’d by Joe Montana.
The G-men gave up 3 INTs, allowed 3 sacks, and had 2 drops by Nicks that looked like sure TDs. The Jets had 2 INTs, 4 sacks, lost 2 fumbles, gave up 420 yards, and didn’t take advantage of Philly’s 5 fumbles.
Positive Reactions Gwen Knapp (SF Chronicle) pointed out some valid objections by the MLBPA to the test results for HGH use and high levels testosterone presence. She wrote, “The naiveté will not die. Nine of baseball’s MVPs had been linked to performance-enhancing drugs, yet when reports surfaced this weekend about a drug case against the 2011 National League MVP, Ryan Braun, countless commentators and fans expressed shock.
His lawyers and other handlers will play off this naiveté. They’ve already started. Expect distortion of the fact that, according to ESPN, Braun is accused of failing not solely one, but two completely different tests showing that he had introduced testosterone into his body. One detects elevated levels. The other determines whether the testosterone was produced naturally. Basketball and football have yet to see even one MVP formally linked to performance-enhancing drugs (although Dana Stubblefield, the 1997 NFL Defensive Player of the Year, was caught in the BALCO investigation). That fact is far more shocking than the fact that Braun has been implicated, along with nine other baseball MVPs.” Sally Jenkins (DC Post) added, “Do you swallow something when you don’t know what’s in it? Not if you have an IQ above room temperature. So why should NFL players, or any other athletes for that matter, be expected to swallow the World Anti Doping Agency’s (WADA) method for HGH drug testing without independent scientific verification that it’s reliable, or fair, or applicable to them? The union has taken the brunt of public criticism for the delay in implementing an HGH test, but WADA is equally to blame for its lack of transparency and refusal to answer some basic questions the union is asking — questions that Congress and NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell also should be asking. Questions such as: Is there enough independently published medical science that validates the test? How was it devised, and its parameters established? One of the primary things the NFLPA is asking for and hasn’t gotten is the population study WADA used to develop the test. WADA claims to detect HGH by measuring isoform ratios in human blood: If you show a ratio beyond what WADA scientists consider your natural limit, you are considered guilty of HGH use. But natural limits can vary significantly among people. If you’re an NFL player, you don’t necessarily want to be compared with a Romanian gymnast. The NFLPA quotes Martin Bidlingmaier, co-founder of the HGH test, who has said that gender, age, body composition, injury history, type of sport, diet and the effects of chronic exercise could all be relevant, and the ratios should be based on “a suitable reference population.” Is WADA’s reference population suitable for 300-pound NFL players? Is it suitable for 6-foot-6 NBA players? Whom did WADA conduct its trials on? Downhill skiers? How big were they, where do they live, what were their diets, their living conditions, their habits? WADA has only provided the NFLPA with some summary info, and not the study itself.”
Sentence
Gwen also reported that the sentence for Barry Bonds’ conviction for felony obstruction of a Grand Jury’s investigation was published. He didn’t receive a life sentence in a “Super-Max.” He WAS sentenced to 30 days of house arrest, two years probation, 250 hours of community service, and a $4,000 fine.
Compare that to the $50million+ of OUR money spent on the case and ask yourself- was it all worth it? I don’t think so!
Apparently Bonds doesn’t think it’s over because he’s appealing his conviction. He doesn’t want to lug around the tag of a convicted felon.
That’s the type of tag that survives even after death and might even extend into the MLB-HOF voting years. I feel that might be the real reason for the appeal.
No Positives Michael Hunt (Milwaukee Sentinel Journal) gave us a view from a Brewers fan’s slant on the Braun hoo-haa, “What if Braun is merely the victim of circumstance? What if, for example, in being treated for a medical condition instead of trying to give himself a competitive advantage at his job, Braun put something in his body that made the dope-testing machines flip like Ozzie Smith? Braun and baseball have been embarrassed by the way the news got out before either side was prepared to deal with the bombshell. There is nothing to do now except wait on more definitive results. There is the practical, if not cynical, viewpoint posted in a blog by former MLB pitcher Dirk Heyhurst, who is no Ryan Braun. Yet Heyhurst might not be stretching it when he contends that crime still pays in baseball. “It sure does,” he wrote. “If it didn’t people would be less inclined to commit it.” Other players might think that way, but I don’t believe Braun is so self-absorbed that he would trade a couple of months back home in Malibu while his teammates sunk without their best player. Braun came up as a cocky kid, but since becoming the face of the franchise he has been careful to never publicly put himself above the team. He took a below-market contract to keep him in a Brewers’ uniform essentially for life, but still it is more than $135 million guaranteed over the next decade we’re talking here. Nevertheless, it has not been in Braun’s personality to coast. He works longer and harder at his craft than most players I’ve seen, in spite of his riches. He left money on the table. These are not characteristics of someone looking for a shortcut. That’s why I’m still willing to give Braun the benefit of the doubt. This could all be one big mistake. Time will tell.”
Dreams Blog
December 16, 2011
Giants-Jets Week 14
The Giants (7-6) broke a 4 game slide by beating the Cowboys (7-6) with another bit of last minute heroics, 37-34. Jason Pierre-Paul reached up and blocked a last second FG attempt. JPP had some game- aside from the FG block, he had 6 tackles, 2 sacks,1 forced fumble, and credit for 1safety. Eli was 27/47, 400 yds. Jacobs ran 19times for 101yds; Nicks caught 7 for 154yds & Cruz was 7/83.
The Jets (8-5) routed the Chiefs (5-8), 37-10. The rout was so complete that the Chiefs only had 4yds in the 1st half. Shonn Greene rushed 24-129yds and had 3 reception for 58yds. Sanchez was 13/21, 159yds with 0 INT.
Met Blunders’
I think that you must start with the Wilpons when you begin assigning blame for the Mets’ predicament. The saying is that when you think that something seems too good to be true. It probably is. The Wilpons thought that they could achieve great investment returns by giving money for investments to Bernie Madoff. How’s that working out, guys?
You also have to put ex-GM, Omar Minaya into the mix because of the HUGE contracts he gave to players not worth the money.
Mets fans will probably be looking at the next 2years as a re-building period. At least they are rebuilding- not sitting tight.
In closing- I don’t think it was a bad thing to let Reyes walk. Was this a case of addition by subtraction?
More On Pujols
Pujols will be 32yrs. old this season and is said to be a “rickety” 32, at that. For a long time now, there have been rumors that a few years had been shaved off Pujols’ birth certificate- but that might be just a big bowl of sour grapes.
Robbing Peter To Play Paul
Three teams had agreed to a trade that had the Lakers getting Chris Paul and sending Pau Gasol to the Rockets, sending Goren Dragic, Kevin Martin, Luis Scola, and Lamar Odom to New Orleans. But, NBA-Commissioner “King David” Stern wearing his Hornets’ (the team owned by the NBA) cap stopped it by saying it was a basketball decision to keep Paul with the Hornets-even after Paul told the team he wouldn’t sign any contract extension and would become a free agent July 1st allowing him to just walk away.
Odom was confused (as am I) and said, “They don’t want my services, for whatever reason. I don’t know what I’m supposed to do.” J.A. Adande (ESPN.com) on those four players the Hornets would have received: “The Hornets would have received Lamar Odom, Luis Scola, Kevin Martin, and Goran Dragic. That’s one of the most versatile players in the league, a guy who averages 18 and 10, a proven 20-a-night scorer, and a point guard who, if nothing else, has shown he can have a 23-point fourth quarter in a playoff game against the Spurs. You can compete for the playoffs with that team. You’re going to tell me that’s worse than the package of Wilson Chandler, Raymond Felton, Danilo Gallinari, Timofey Mozgov and draft picks that the Nuggets received for Carmelo Anthony?”
We’ll be waiting for the next shoe to drop. I don’t think we’ll have a long wait.
Bowls Having Traditions
I’ll only pay attention to The Rose Bowl, The Orange Bowl, The Sugar Bowl, and the Cotton Bowl.
The rest of the johnny-come-lately bowls seem to have been created as marketing tools for the Bowl’s sponsor.
Don’t get me wrong the “Big Four” also do the same things but have been around for more than eighty years. Pujols
Even the Yankees GM, Brian Cashman, couldn’t believe the contract that Pujols signed with the Angels.
There were reports that the only hold-up in the contract’s signing was the no-trade clause, reportedly for five years. That would make Pujols a 5/10 player (10yrs. in the majors with 5yrs. on the same team) giving him, in effect a 10yr. no-trade deal. Pujols is 32 and at the upper edge of his prime.
We’ll be watching to see if there’s any time lost because of injury or falling off in his numbers as the contract continues.
Pujols leaving St. Louis, where he was looked at by everyone as the “Stan The Man.”
Yankees Shortstop
Phil Rogers (ChiTrib) wrote about the Yankees winning bid for Hiroyuki Nakajima. “The Yankees’ successful bid to get signing rights for Japanese shortstop Hiroyuki Nakajima is a sign manager Joe Girardi will rest Derek Jeter more in 2012, possibly using him once or twice a week as the designated hitter. Defensive metrics once again ranked Jeter as the weakest fielder among big league regulars, just ahead of error-prone Cubs shortstop Starlin Castro.”
Boxing Black Eye
I watched the light welterweight title match between Lamont Peterson and Amir Kahn held in Peterson’s hometown, Washington D.C., that was won by Peterson in a split decision. Two of the judges had Peterson ahead by one point (judge: Nelson Vazquez 115-110, judge: George Hill 112-113,| judge: Valerie Dorsett 112-113).
The fight was ultimately won by Peterson because the referee, Joseph Cooper, deducted two points from Kahn for pushing (?). In my mind, the pushing was warranted because of Peterson’s fouls (low blows, head butts). Cooper also waved off a first round knockdown of Peterson.
I had Kahn winning by two.
They Said It
From Dwight Perry (Seattle Times)- “Mike Bianchi of the Orlando Sentinel, shuddering at the thought of Donald Sterling landing Magic star Dwight Howard: “Dwight bolting Orlando for the Clippers would be like your wife leaving you for Arnold Horshack.” From Scott Ostler (SF Chronicle) “Maybe he was celebrating the end of the lockout: Warriors guard Charlie Bell shows up drunk in court for his DUI hearing. Memo to NBAers: “Order in the court” does not mean “What’ll you have?” Dwight passed this along, “The teams listed 6-7-8-9 in the final BCS rankings (Arkansas, Boise State, Kansas State, South Carolina) are not going to BCS bowl games. Teams ranked 10, 13, 15 and 23 (Wisconsin, Michigan, Clemson, West Virginia) are,” wrote Carl Steward of the Oakland (Calif.) Tribune. “Makes complete sense to us.”
Giants-Jets Week 14
The Giants (7-6) broke a 4 game slide by beating the Cowboys (7-6) with another bit of last minute heroics, 37-34. Jason Pierre-Paul reached up and blocked a last second FG attempt. JPP had some game- aside from the FG block, he had 6 tackles, 2 sacks,1 forced fumble, and credit for 1safety. Eli was 27/47, 400 yds. Jacobs ran 19times for 101yds; Nicks caught 7 for 154yds & Cruz was 7/83.
The Jets (8-5) routed the Chiefs (5-8), 37-10. The rout was so complete that the Chiefs only had 4yds in the 1st half. Shonn Greene rushed 24-129yds and had 3 reception for 58yds. Sanchez was 13/21, 159yds with 0 INT.
Met Blunders’
I think that you must start with the Wilpons when you begin assigning blame for the Mets’ predicament. The saying is that when you think that something seems too good to be true. It probably is. The Wilpons thought that they could achieve great investment returns by giving money for investments to Bernie Madoff. How’s that working out, guys?
You also have to put ex-GM, Omar Minaya into the mix because of the HUGE contracts he gave to players not worth the money.
Mets fans will probably be looking at the next 2years as a re-building period. At least they are rebuilding- not sitting tight.
In closing- I don’t think it was a bad thing to let Reyes walk. Was this a case of addition by subtraction?
More On Pujols
Pujols will be 32yrs. old this season and is said to be a “rickety” 32, at that. For a long time now, there have been rumors that a few years had been shaved off Pujols’ birth certificate- but that might be just a big bowl of sour grapes.
Robbing Peter To Play Paul
Three teams had agreed to a trade that had the Lakers getting Chris Paul and sending Pau Gasol to the Rockets, sending Goren Dragic, Kevin Martin, Luis Scola, and Lamar Odom to New Orleans. But, NBA-Commissioner “King David” Stern wearing his Hornets’ (the team owned by the NBA) cap stopped it by saying it was a basketball decision to keep Paul with the Hornets-even after Paul told the team he wouldn’t sign any contract extension and would become a free agent July 1st allowing him to just walk away.
Odom was confused (as am I) and said, “They don’t want my services, for whatever reason. I don’t know what I’m supposed to do.” J.A. Adande (ESPN.com) on those four players the Hornets would have received: “The Hornets would have received Lamar Odom, Luis Scola, Kevin Martin, and Goran Dragic. That’s one of the most versatile players in the league, a guy who averages 18 and 10, a proven 20-a-night scorer, and a point guard who, if nothing else, has shown he can have a 23-point fourth quarter in a playoff game against the Spurs. You can compete for the playoffs with that team. You’re going to tell me that’s worse than the package of Wilson Chandler, Raymond Felton, Danilo Gallinari, Timofey Mozgov and draft picks that the Nuggets received for Carmelo Anthony?”
We’ll be waiting for the next shoe to drop. I don’t think we’ll have a long wait.
Bowls Having Traditions
I’ll only pay attention to The Rose Bowl, The Orange Bowl, The Sugar Bowl, and the Cotton Bowl.
The rest of the johnny-come-lately bowls seem to have been created as marketing tools for the Bowl’s sponsor.
Don’t get me wrong the “Big Four” also do the same things but have been around for more than eighty years. Pujols
Even the Yankees GM, Brian Cashman, couldn’t believe the contract that Pujols signed with the Angels.
There were reports that the only hold-up in the contract’s signing was the no-trade clause, reportedly for five years. That would make Pujols a 5/10 player (10yrs. in the majors with 5yrs. on the same team) giving him, in effect a 10yr. no-trade deal. Pujols is 32 and at the upper edge of his prime.
We’ll be watching to see if there’s any time lost because of injury or falling off in his numbers as the contract continues.
Pujols leaving St. Louis, where he was looked at by everyone as the “Stan The Man.”
Yankees Shortstop
Phil Rogers (ChiTrib) wrote about the Yankees winning bid for Hiroyuki Nakajima. “The Yankees’ successful bid to get signing rights for Japanese shortstop Hiroyuki Nakajima is a sign manager Joe Girardi will rest Derek Jeter more in 2012, possibly using him once or twice a week as the designated hitter. Defensive metrics once again ranked Jeter as the weakest fielder among big league regulars, just ahead of error-prone Cubs shortstop Starlin Castro.”
Boxing Black Eye
I watched the light welterweight title match between Lamont Peterson and Amir Kahn held in Peterson’s hometown, Washington D.C., that was won by Peterson in a split decision. Two of the judges had Peterson ahead by one point (judge: Nelson Vazquez 115-110, judge: George Hill 112-113,| judge: Valerie Dorsett 112-113).
The fight was ultimately won by Peterson because the referee, Joseph Cooper, deducted two points from Kahn for pushing (?). In my mind, the pushing was warranted because of Peterson’s fouls (low blows, head butts). Cooper also waved off a first round knockdown of Peterson.
I had Kahn winning by two.
They Said It
From Dwight Perry (Seattle Times)- “Mike Bianchi of the Orlando Sentinel, shuddering at the thought of Donald Sterling landing Magic star Dwight Howard: “Dwight bolting Orlando for the Clippers would be like your wife leaving you for Arnold Horshack.” From Scott Ostler (SF Chronicle) “Maybe he was celebrating the end of the lockout: Warriors guard Charlie Bell shows up drunk in court for his DUI hearing. Memo to NBAers: “Order in the court” does not mean “What’ll you have?” Dwight passed this along, “The teams listed 6-7-8-9 in the final BCS rankings (Arkansas, Boise State, Kansas State, South Carolina) are not going to BCS bowl games. Teams ranked 10, 13, 15 and 23 (Wisconsin, Michigan, Clemson, West Virginia) are,” wrote Carl Steward of the Oakland (Calif.) Tribune. “Makes complete sense to us.”
Dreams Blog
December 9, 2011
Jets- Giants Week 13
The 7-5 Jets beat the Redskins (4-8) by a score of 34-19 but the game was a lot closer than is indicated by the score. NY scored 21pts. In the last 4:49 to pull out the win. DC was responsible for its own loss by fumbling 3 times, losing 2, allowing 2 sacks, and 1 INT. They ran for 100yds and passed for 221.
Shonn Greene was 22-88 on the ground and caught 2 more for 26yds.
The Giants (6-6) almost beat the Packers (12-0) but fell short when Green Bay kicked a FG with no time on the clock for the 38-35 win- but an L is still an L. The Giants were behind 28-24 at the start of the 4th quarter but came back to go ahead with a minute left.
A Realistic View For Chris Paul
What are the chances that Chris Paul will be able to come to the Knicks via trade? There are two chances- slim and none because the Knicks don’t have anyone for whom a trade would be possible.
So, the Knicks will probably have to wait a year until Paul becomes a free agent. Even though Paul has expressed his desire to come to NY, now, to form a “Big Three” with Stoudemeyer and Anthony.
Ian O’Connor (ESPN.com), on the other hand, said the Knicks should pursue Dwight Howard “even if it means offering Amare or Carmelo to the Magic.”
Yankees Prospects
Gio Gonzalez – 25yrs old, lefthander, 38-32 in 4yrs with the A’s, 200IP/Season for last 2 yrs, 1.41WHIP, 8.6/Kper9inn, 1.94/K-BB
Jonathan Niese- 24yrs old. lefthander, 22-23 in 4yrs w/Mets, 320IP last 2 yrs, 1.46WHIP, 7.6K/9inn, 2.56K-BB
The DH
Some teams feel that the DH is a good slot in which to give a regular position player a day off from having to play the field. Still others want a thumper in that slot (see the Red Sox). The rest will pencil in a low-cost veteran player.
Thumpers are good if they consistently give you good numbers.
Why One MLB-MGR Will Do Better Than Another Directing The Same Team
Sally Jenkins (DC Post) cited research psychologist Robert Hogan’s answer, “The academic study of leadership has failed, and the reason is that it focuses on the leader, when the appropriate focus is on the followers. When we flip the examination of leadership on its head and look at what followers will follow, we get a better idea of what quality we’re talking about. According to Hogan’s research, followers want four things: integrity, confidence, decision-making and clarity. But just as important is what followers don’t want: irritability, moodiness, untrustworthiness, indecisiveness, needless micro-management and excessive authority. They perceive these things as incompetent, and pretty soon the leveling mechanism kicks in and there is a subtle rebellion.”
Look how the NY Football Giants made out after Coach Tom Coughlin changed his demeanor on the sidelines and on the practice field- Can you say Super Bowl?
Starters
In MLB it seems that the “Steinbrenner Method” of trading for good players and signing free agent players is more economically sound than wasting big bucks on draft choices who don’t pan out.
“HOW-EVAH” in football, good players rarely leave the teams that drafted them because owners will pay to make sure they don’t leave. This year’s College draft might be the time for the Giants to look for a replacement for Eli so the successor might have enough tutoring time to mature into a winning QB.
It was Violence Week in pro football
Scott Ostler (SF Chronicle) told us that: “Ndamukong Suh suspended, Rolando McClain arrested, Joe Kapp crowned heavyweight champion of the GBA (Geezer Boxing Association). Not to detract from Kapp’s KO, but longtime pro-wrestling photographer Mike Lano, of Alameda, says of Angelo Mosca, “He always pulls faux stunts at our annual reunions of retired pro wrestlers.”
– A staged fight? Say it ain’t so, Joe.” Old money “Winning players in this year’s Canadian Football League Grey Cup,” reported Dwight Perry (Seattle Times), “Got $16,000 apiece, with losing players pocketing $8,000. “That’s not bad when you compare it to $15,000 winning share and $7,500 losing share in the Super Bowl,” wrote Cam Hutchinson of the Saskatoon Express.
“The 1967 Super Bowl, that is.”
Bearish On Brett
Dwight Perry (Seattle Times) said that, “The Bears after losing QB Jay Cutler for the season, might reportedly bring Brett Favre out of mothballs. Not that Favre old or anything, but he keeps referring to the Falcons as “Mylata.”
Good Grief Bob Molinaro (HamptonRoads.com) said that, “Parents of young children will recognize what happened when the NCAA allowed UCLA to accept a bowl invitation with a 6-7 record. It’s the collegiate version of giving out trophies for participation.”
Cotto-Margarito
Miguel Cotto (36-2, 29 knockouts) who got his revenge against Antonio Margarito (38-7, 27 KOs), belting his bitter rival throughout nine rounds until a ringside doctor ruled that the wounded Tijuana fighter could no longer continue. Fight promoter Bob Arum described Cotto’s effort as “brilliant … he fought like a human,” meaning he battled with raw emotion that contrasts his usual stoic demeanor.
Arum added Cotto might next fight middleweight champion Julio Cesar Chavez Jr., but Floyd Mayweather Jr. also is a possibility.”
Product Placement Seahawks RB , Marshawn Lynch scored a TD and was seen scoffing down a handful of Skittles when he got back to the bench. The Skittles people gave him a two year supply of skittles along with a dispenser for his locker. Jerry Greene (ESPN.com) asked: “Shouldn’t he — wait for it, wait for it — demand they sweeten the deal?”
Critters 2, Hunters 0. Dwight Perry (Seattle Times) told us about these animal hunters, “Doctors in Brigham City, Utah, had to remove 27 shotgun pellets from a duck hunter’s buttocks, Salt Lake City’s KSL-TV reported, after his dog apparently stepped on the gun’s trigger while the man was setting up decoys. And in Monroe, Ore., the Corvallis Gazette-Times reported, a man shot himself in the foot trying to shoot a squirrel — after the varmint ran up his left leg.”
Dreams Blog
November 25, 2011
Ryan’s Holiday Ode
Coach Rex Ryan
Sat down a cryin’
Eating a holiday humble pie.
He stuck in a pin
And pulled out a win
Then said what a good coach am I!
Healthcare
Greg Cote (Miami Herald) said that Miami’s Dr.Krop High School was fined $35K for using an ineligible basketball player in a game. “When Dr. Krop breaks the rules, do they call it malpractice?”
Onion.com Headline
Dwight Perry (Seattle.com) passed this along, “Joe Theisman’s contract enters 26th year.”
This Is A Real Kick
Sam Farmer (LA Times) pointed out that now these are personal kicking coaches for NFL kickers, kicking camps and punting camps for younger kickers, and even camps for long snappers.
The expectation has changed in the league. Detroit kicker Jason Hanson said ‘If they put you out there, you’re supposed to make it.’ All of a sudden, a 48-yarder has become like one from the 32.”
WHA?
The Detroit Lions QB, Matthew Stafford, was fined $7500 for grabbing an opposing player by the helmet and throwing him to the ground.
Earl Bennett of the Chicago Bears was fined $10000 for wearing orange shoes in a game.
Dwight Perry (Seattle Times) said that it was a good thing that Stafford wasn’t wearing orange shoes when he committed that foul.
NY Giants-Phila. Eagles Week 11
The Eagles (4-6) beat the Giants (6-4)17-10 in a typical Eagles-Giants neighborhood game complete with late hits, cheap shots, and punch-ups. The NY “D” allowed 258 passing yds, 136 rushing yds, and 87 return yards. The Giants didn’t lose the game late in the fourth-it was a game-long problem.
Tom Canavan (AP) included this in his game recap: “DeSean Jackson, who was benched last week for missing a team meeting, finished with six catches for 88 yards. Cooper had five receptions for 75 yards, while LeSean McCoy added 113 yards rushing, with 60 coming on a late run that iced the game.”
Upon Further Review
Dwight Perry (Seattle Times) asked, “How would the Immaculate Reception hold up under the instant replay hood?”
Passing By Tebow
I’d hate to see QB Tim Tebow ever become afflicted by a kidney stone.
Everybody knows that he can’t pass.
Debunking A Myth
Rich Cimini (ESPN.com) along passed along this bit of information: “A disciplined team doesn’t guarantee team success. Three of the four leaders (as of 11/21) in fewest penalties — Dolphins, Jaguars and Redskins — have a combined record of 8-21. The fourth team is the Packers, who seems to do just about everything well.
The Face Behind The NBA Curtain
Jeffrey Kessler has become known for his success as THE legal eagle of sports’ antitrust cases. Lance Pugmire (LA Times) wrote this profile saying, “Kessler, 57, made his reputation by handling complex antitrust and sports law cases and also teaches at Columbia Law School. He said the NBA labor dispute is easy to resolve.
“Remember, this is a lockout. The NBA can end this lockout if it wants right now. Open up the doors and the players will show up,” Kessler said. “The players are asserting their antitrust rights now and very much want there to be a season.
“In the 1970s, Kessler’s antitrust work at a New York law firm got him involved in a class-action case NBA star Oscar Robertson filed against the league. A settlement was struck, eliminating the league’s reserve clause and opening the door to free agency.
“Kessler then presided over the 1987 antitrust suit against the NBA that ultimately led to unrestricted free agency. And he has negotiated every labor deal since — in 1996, 1999 and 2005. But the current negotiations have been contentious.
“In the previous labor deal, NBA players earned 57% of basketball-related income, worth more than $2.15 billion last season. Now, owners want players to accept as little as 49%, while installing a strict luxury tax on teams that exceed the salary cap while reducing guaranteed money and shortening the lengths of contracts.
“The NBA is trying to severely penalize “players No. 4 through 10 on the roster,” he contends.
So, expected in court soon are superstars such as Carmelo Anthony and Kevin Durant, plus Derrick Williams, the La Mirada High grad who’s part of the Minnesota lawsuit, awaiting his first NBA contract — all led by their experienced attorney.”
Jose Reyes Game Plan
Jose Reyes’ game is all about Jose Reyes. He’s only played in 259 games for the Mets in the last two seasons- that’s 80% of the games. I wonder if he offered to return 20% of his salary. I don’t think so. Don’t forget Reyes took himself out of the final game to preserve his BA to finish with the top average in the NL. If you asked any member of the Yankees murderers row line-up what was his BA. He didn’t know. They only cared about wins.
Yankees Shortstop
I hope that the Yankees don’t trade Eduordo Nunez- they’re going to need him.
Jair Jurrjens is going to be a free agent in two years. His stats aren’t that hot (50-33 in 5-yrs. 1.28 WHIP, 2:1 K to BB, RGT-hander)
Pacquiao-Marquez
I watched the fight’s replay and saw it as 115-113 Marquez.
I appreciate good counter and recall Willie Pep saying that he could win a round without throwing a punch and in a different round without throwing a lead- he backed itup!
In The Loop
Greg Drinnan wrote in the Kamloops News- “With some chatter in our country about the future of the beaver as a national symbol, Brad Dickson of the Omaha World-Herald wondered: ‘How can a country obsessed with hockey have a mascot with teeth?’
“He’d rather we used a young and smiling Bobby Clarke?
“Sidney Crosby must be about ready to return to the Pittsburgh Penguins. We know this because the Penguins have sent enforcer Steve MacIntyre to the AHL’s Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins on a conditioning assignment. MacIntyre, who is expected to be to Crosby what Dave Semenko was to Wayne Gretzky, signed as a free agent on July 12. However, MacIntyre played just four games with Pittsburgh in Sid the Kid’s absence.”
