I could sit here and spew off one hell of a rant about Nomar Garciaparra, the shortstop who at one time I embraced, but in short order changed my opinion and placed him in that long list of crybabies, I want more, I’m not paid, enough regardless of injuries; I’m the face of franchise and so on. But then I read what Dan Shaughnessy wrote on Boston.com and I’d like to say he said what I wanted to pen. So without further ado, I give you Dan Shaughnessy calling it the way he sees it, because that’s the way it…and that’s the way I see it too!!!

Total fraud.

Welcome home, Nomie.

I hate to be the fly in the punch bowl here, but yesterday’s lovefest involving Nomar Garciaparra and the Red Sox was truly nauseating. If Nomar had been hooked up to a polygraph, the machine would have exploded.

Truly unbelievable. There was Nomar, seated between Larry Lucchino and Theo Epstein, telling us how much he always loved the Red Sox, how much he loved the Nation.

Gag me. This was like watching Paul McCartney holding hands with Yoko Ono, telling us how much he always loved John Lennon’s wife — in a pathetic effort to sell some product, of course.

Do not be fooled. Life is long and people change. There is certainly every possibility that Nomar has matured and will henceforth pledge allegiance to Boston and spread the Gospel of the Red Sox. But it’s downright fraudulent to deny or ignore how bad this relationship was at the end. Nomar hated Boston and the Red Sox in 2004, and the Sox knew they had to get rid of him if they had a chance to win a World Series. It was nasty and personal and it was obvious to everyone who was around the team in that iconic season.

No. 5 was Positively 4th Street in 2004. It was a drag just to see him in the clubhouse. That’s why he had to go. And that’s why the Sox eventually won.

The Sox had attempted to trade him prior to the season after he turned down a four-year, $60 million contract offer. He arrived in Fort Myers with a burr in his saddle and was miserable from day one.

He developed Achilles’ tendinitis, allegedly after a ball hit him in the batting cage (nobody witnessed this). Then came the nationally televised midsummer game at Yankee Stadium, when Nomar refused to play while Derek Jeter saved the game with a face-first plunge into the stands behind third base.

It went downhill from there. On the last home weekend before the trading deadline, there was a meeting involving Nomar, agent Arn Tellem, Epstein, and the Sox owners.

“We needed to talk about how unhappy Nomar was,’’ Lucchino recalled in December of ’04. “Was there anything that could be done to change his mental state of mind, his approach to the organization, the city, and the game? We basically concluded that there was no way we were going to have a happy Nomar Garciaparra for the last couple of months of the season.’’

So Epstein made the deal, sending Garciaparra to the Cubs a week later. And then the Red Sox turned things around and won the World Series.

Before the autumn of ’04, Sox fans certainly had every reason to love Garciaparra. A case can be made that he was Boston’s best home-grown player since Carl Yastrzemski. He played eight seasons with the Sox. He finished second in MVP voting in 1998. He hit .357 and .372 in back-to-back seasons, which made him one of the American League’s best righthanded hitters since Joe DiMaggio. He was Hall of Fame-bound and a legitimate Fenway god.

Off the field, he did charity work, kept his mouth shut, and interacted well with fans. He was one of the three great shortstops of his era, alongside Alex Rodriguez and Jeter.

Then he split a tendon in his wrist in 2001 and the ball didn’t jump off his bat anymore. He got too muscular and there were more injuries. Looking back at those days and the hideous, shirtless Sports Illustrated cover, it’s natural to wonder whether he succumbed to the temptation of steroids.

In good times and bad, Garciaparra was unnecessarily difficult in all interactions with the media. It made no sense, given the fawning coverage he received (and deserved) for the first seven years of his career. Fans needn’t care which players give good sound bites, but no one was more unhappy than Nomar, and it infected the workplace.

It’s forgiving of the Sox to bring him back, but there’s no need to reinvent history in the process. Sox fans are too smart. It’s insulting for Epstein, Lucchino, and Garciaparra to insist that this relationship has always been good.

In yesterday’s sorry spirit of disingenuousness and hypocrisy, Garciaparra announced that he has taken a job with ESPN. This makes him a member of the media, which is like Sarah Palin telling us she is going to be chairman of the Democratic National Committee.

Garciaparra is the one who had a red stripe put down in front of lockers in the Sox clubhouse. Woe was the scribe who crossed Nomar’s line of death. Now he is a credential-wearing media guy, groveling for free food, Marriott points, and a few seconds with 20-year-old Casey Kelly.

One cannot help but be reminded of the Frank Graham Jr. line regarding Yankees outfielder Bob Meusel, a cranky player who mellowed at the finish:

“He’s learning to say hello when it’s time to say goodbye.’’

Welcome home, Nomie.

As Posted on Boston.com by Dan Shaughnessy

March 11,2010

With a mere 5 weeks left in the 2009-2010 NBA season, the lowly New Jersey Nets are 7-57 and on pace to break the NBA record for worst season during the 82-game era. The record is currently held by the 1973 Philadelphia 76ers, who managed to lose 73 games and completed a 20 game losing streak during their run to basketball infamy. The Nets will have to loose all of their remaining 18 games, but the goal is entirely in reach for the team that has apparently just given up. Somewhere, you have to believe that those '73 sixers are popping champaigne to celebrate the fact that they will no longer be the posterization of NBA failure.
 

While 76er's fans have to be pumped at no longer holding the dubious distinction, Nets fans really have two ways to react. They can 1) forget all of this and hope they win the draft lottery or 2) at least celebrate the idea the their team is so utterly perfect at being imperfect. NOt really a great prospect, but, as a Detroit fan, it is an option that I have seen and embraced a few times during recent years.

in 2003, 7 short years ago, Detroit was subject to a potentially disastorous season as the Tigers looked to challenge the 1962 New York Mets record of 40-120. It got to the point where tuning in to a Tigers game was much better than any comedy that any network could muster as a challenge. People tuned in to see how exactly the Tigers would loose each game. Every aspect of this team was terrible, but a pitching staff with a mere 3 complete games to its name capped it all off. Mike Maroth led the team with 9 wins, but also led the team with 21 losses. Dimitri Young led the team in batting and was the lone Tigers rep at the All Star game.

The Tigers were the puching bag of the nation, with Jay Leno taking the most pot shots as I recall it. Tottering on the brink of the record book, however, the Tigers found new strength. With only a few games remaining until the end of the season, the Tigers managed to win the final 2 games against the Twins and avoid the honors of a record setting season. Fans were sparred the title of worst team ever, but had to live with the knowledge of nearly the worst team ever. Many a Detroit fan still believes that the worst team distinction might not have been as bad, at least it would mark an accomplishment.

Things got worse here in Detroit. As we all know, the Lions are terrible and historically, have been terrible since they entered the NFL. In 2008, however, we found a new way to be terrible by losing all 16 of our games. Once again, the season was a luagher for the country and for most fans. Better to laugh than cry or go homicidal. We choose to look on the bright side, we got the number one pick and without Millen, who was mercifully fired during the course of the season, we might not screw it up.

So to any Net fans remaining out there, I say buck up. You aren't alone by far and misery loves company. I, personally, also hope for the sake of the Nets that they just go ahead and loose all of the last 18 games. After all, if you fail at everything else, why not succeed at failing?

How Else Can the Nets Smack Their Fans in the Face?

Short answer, why not tear down a bunch of their homes to build the areana that their tax dollars paid for.

Jay-Z and all the other out of touch with any fan owners of the Nets broke ground and hobb-nobbed with the New York aristocracy while the residents of the former neighborhood protested outside. I'm not sure how many people were displaced, but I doubt any of them agree with Jay-Z who declared: "We did it again, Brooklyn." Al Sharpton attened and did acknowledge the communities qualls, but brushed it aside assuming that many of the jobs will go to residents. I have to assume that many of the jobs will in fact not go to anyone in that part of the city, but as more often is the case, to friends of the developers or the government. But, sometimes the little guy gets caught up in the wheels of progress. Let's hope those displaced can find a new home and possibly even snag a job or two from the new stadium.

What Happened to Boxing?

Remember when you cared about boxing? When you could name more than one or two fighters? For me, the last time of note for boxing was the early to mid-90s when Mike Tyson was in his prime and here in Detroit Tommy "The Hitman" Hearns was dominating. Recently, however, mega-fights have been the name of the game and even these are mega in speculation only.

Most recently, Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao were set to headline a hge fight that stirred up a hint of interest in the sport. Money and the possibility of drug testing made sure that wouldn't happen so now the remaining boxing fans who have toughed the downfall out are left with their choice of paying $50 or more to watch mayweather fight an aging Shane Mosley or Pacquiao battle Clottey (whoever that is). It gets better, after the fight Pacquiao plans to sing for fans at an after fight party, which should tell you that even Manny seems to think this is a laughable fight.

Where did things go wrong? I can point to two culprits: the emergence of the MMA and the greed associated with Pay per View ecoming the norm for watching any fight. MMA has quickly risen to grab the attention of younger viewers who are drawn to the increased violence and technicalites. MMA brings the raw, knock out power of boxing, but mixes in several forms of martial arts as well as wrestling skills. It has a faster pace and certain more of a danger factor than boxing. Boxing is true to its roots, but matches are often over-hyped and feature a lot of down time, especially in the heavyweight division.

Pay per View coming along in the late 80's also served to place boxing farther away from an aging fan base and any young fans who might have been interested. True there was more disposable income available, but there was less available talent. In an ever crowded sports marketplace, with so much content available for no extra fees, boxing may have simply priced itself out of the running.

What boxing needed, in my opinion, was the shot in the arm that came from reality shows like The Contender. During its run, I actually remember hearing people talk about boxing. It was an entertaining show and the fights to move on to the next rounds were pure. The show also brought in new talent. The MMA, on the other hand, still has a reality show to foster and bring in new talent. Not only that, but the MMa shows fights with current talent on Spike TV. What boxing needs is to renew its presence on cable television. Bring back the contender, sign a contract with ESPN to show a few fights to replace the re-airs on Friday Night Fights (which they sometimes show on ESPN2 late nights). If you feel you need a bit more revenue, do what the other major sports do and start a network. That way fans could pay a single fee and be able to see as many fights as you dare to air. i know the fighters generally control the gates and tickets, but for the sake of their sport, I feel they need to check their egos, take a bit less money, and do what must be done for the sake of the sport and its remaining fans. Who knows, you may even be able to bring in a few new ones.

In Other News

If you have a spare $5,000 laying around, you can now own a piece of sports history. Doug Baker, a rookie infielder on the 1984 World Series Champion Tigers is selling his ring on eBay for a starting bid of $5,000. (Might be a nice item for a man cave, eh Frag?)

Why sell it? Is Baker that strapped for cash? No. He merely misplaced his original ring and bought a replacement only to find his original ring later. The ring being sold is the original. The first ring was stolen from Baker and later returned once found.

If rings aren't your thing, how bout a chocolate Stanley Cup? The NHL and Hershey Canada celerated a three-year business agreement with a three foot life-sized choclate replica of one of sports most famous trophies. The statue took 12 hours to make and is currently the only one. there have been no talks of making and selling any more.

Question (in honor ofSt. Pat's)

If you gabbers could pick 4 sports figure past or present to have a drink with, who would it be?

March 11th in history....

1892-first public basketball game played in Springfield, Mass.

1927-First golden gloves tournament begins

1967-Pink Floyd releases their first song: Arnold Layne

1997- Paul Mccartney knighted

Have a good weekend and thanks for reading.

Cheers from up here in the Cheap Seats!

Before I get started with my weekly rant I want to take a moment and congratulate Nomar Garciaparra on a great career. I thought it was cool that he chose to sign a one day contract with the Red Sox to retire as a member of the team that gave him the chance to star in the league in the first place. I will always miss that goofy-ass batting stance you had Nomar, and I wish you the best in all your future endeavors.

Nomar treated his former club with far more class than Chicago's newest douchebag Julius Peppers did. I'm sure you've all seen by now that Peppers signed a huge contract to play for the Bears that guarantees him $40M over the next 3 years. (Even if there is no NFL in 2011 due to a lockout, this douche still gets paid - why can't I get a deal like this?)

Now please keep in mind that I'm not bitter that Peppers left Carolina. In fact, I'm glad the mother fucker is gone - I got tired of watching him half-ass his way through every other game and only showing up to play when it benefited him the most. I want to have guys on my favorite team who actually give a damn about the people they play for and with, instead of guys who are all about themselves. I don't mind guys who are passionate about winning, but people who decide that for whatever reason they are more important than the team have no place on any roster - and Peppers comes across as one of those people.

So if I'm glad that Peppers is gone, why am I so sour towards him? I'm glad you asked. (You know you did.) I'm pissed off at Peppers because of the way he handled the situation. All he did while he was trying to find a new team was whine, bitch, and moan about how he felt that nobody loved him anymore in Carolina and that he was the forgotten one, and it just got so tiring that I couldn't wait for him to sign with another team just so I didn't have to read about his stupid crybaby shit any more.

But he couldn't stop there. No - he had to stoke the fire even more. When he signed with Chicago, he said in an interview that he wanted to thank the NFL for the first 8 years of his career and he was excited about what the future held for the rest of his time in the league. Keep in mind that the fucker failed to mention the team that drafted him into the league and gave him the opportunity to play and earn the money and mega contract that he now has.

Also, don't forget about the thousands of people who fucking worshiped the ground that he walked on while he was in Carolina who spend hundreds of hard-earned dollars buying tickets to games and #90 jerseys to support his stupid ass for 8 years.

(Seriously - you don't think he was worshipped? The guy could have walked into a children's burn hospital and killed 5 kids on tv, and fans would have come up with a reason explaining why the kids had it coming. I'm not kidding - the guy was a freaking god here in the Carolinas, but he felt like nobody gave a shit about him because the Panthers' front office wasn't calling him every day and begging him to sign a contract and play out his career in Carolina. Bitch please - have fun in Chicago when they're calling for your ass in Week 3 when you don't live up to expectations.)

I know Beeze has touched on this already, but I can't help but comment on Derek Anderson's remarks about the fans in Cleveland who are celebrating the fact that he is no longer their problem. I'm not going to lie, I thought what he said was funny as hell, and if I were him I would probably have said the same thing, especially after they booed the fact that he went down with an injury. But Derek, let me break this down for you: You Suck. You couldn't play dead, much less play quarterback. Fans are glad you are gone because you are not any good. It's pretty fucking pathetic when fans in Cleveland are glad you're gone, because we all know that Cleveland isn't exactly the Mecca of football (no offense, Beeze). I know you are upset with the fans for the way they treated you, but if you would have been a halfway decent quarterback you wouldn't have this problem.

So, next time you leave a franchise and the fans are happy that you're gone - take a few moments and think about why they are glad you're no longer on the roster. You might change your feelings on the matter if you do that Derek, because you will realize that their feelings of joy for no longer having to put up with your shitty play are justified, whether you like it or not.

While I'm talking about the Browns, I must also add that if they trade Brady Quinn they will be making a huge mistake, unless they get something huge in return. Quinn has the tools to be a good quarterback if they would just put him in there and let him go through the typical bumps along the way like all quarterbacks experience in their first few years in the league. Hell, Peyton Manning led the Colts to a whopping 3-13 record in his rookie season, but they stuck with him, and as far as I can tell that move has paid off quite nicely for them. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that Brady Quinn is the next Peyton Manning, but I do believe that he could be the future of the franchise for the Browns, if they would only give him the chance to prove himself.

Well, that's all I have this week. Please take a few moments and contribute to the latest You Gab 25 - this time we're compiling the 25 necessities of a Man Cave. Be sure to get over there and give your input so we can get that list completed so fRag won't have to resort to begging.

Thanks for reading this week, and as always feel free to leave your thoughts in the comments section.

Until next Thursday...

I put it to you Gabbers, whose, the douche bag of the past 24 hours?

(1)  Jeremiah Masoli, the starting QB for the Oregon Ducks getting pinched for one count of Second Degree Burglary for stealing computers from a frat house.

(2) Marion Jones signed a contract with a team in the WNBA.  The reason I consider this douche-baggery is because a hard working young woman who wants to continue her basketball career will be cut short due to Jones’ need for attention and the teams need for headlines.  She’s 34 years old, and can she possibly be in Basketball shape? 

(3) Jack Swarbrick, the AD at Notre Dame for saying that he can see scenarios where Notre Dame might be FORCED to join a league?  Look dumb ass, your team sucks and you are too arrogant to realize it.  Join the fucking Big East and let West Virginia get into the Big Ten, which will force all the other leagues to step it up.  Basically Swarbrick, stop holding College Football hostage!  DOUCHE BAG!

(4) ABC TV coverage.  During the LA Faker/Orlando Magic game last Sunday, these douche bags had the audacity to interview Ron Artest’s Barber about the blond do.  Can I ask a question – if the game was a good game, and it was, why are these assholes interviewing a barber (err, stylist)?

Lots of stupidity out there, don't you think?

PHOENIX (AP)—Los Angeles Angels center fielder Torii Hunter(notes) called black Latino baseball players “impostors” when it comes to the appearance of the number of African-Americans in the major leagues.

Hunter’s comments were made two weeks ago in one of a series of USA Today roundtables about baseball and published in Wednesday’s editions.

“People see dark faces out there, and the perception is that they’re African-American,” Hunter said. “They’re not us. They’re impostors. Even people I know come up and say: ‘Hey, what color is Vladimir Guerrero(notes)? Is he a black player?’ I say, ‘Come on, he’s Dominican. He’s not black.’ …

“As African-American players, we have a theory that baseball can go get an imitator and pass them off as us. It’s like they had to get some kind of dark faces, so they go to the Dominican or Venezuela because you can get them cheaper. It’s like, ‘Why should I get this kid from the South Side of Chicago and have Scott Boras represent him and pay him $5 million when you can get a Dominican guy for a bag of chips?’ … I’m telling you, it’s sad,” he said.

White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen, a Venezuelan, scoffed at Hunter’s remarks before Wednesday’s game against the Oakland Athletics. Angels spokesman Eric Kay said Hunter will not further discuss the subject.

“I was laughing because when he said, ‘They go there and sign for potato chips,’ I said, ‘Well, we’ve got Chapman. They gave him $12 million. (Cincinnati actually agreed to a $30.25 million, six-year contract with pitcherAroldis Chapman(notes).) We’ve got (prospect Dayan) Viciedo. They gave him $10 million. I remember in my time, one scout goes (to Venezuela and) 30 players show up. Now, 30 scouts go there and one player shows up. In our country, we play baseball. That’s no choice. Here you can play basketball, you can be another athlete, you can do so many things when you have the opportunity. And that’s why there’s not many (African-American) players out there.”

There has been some concern about the number of African-American baseball players. Many blacks are choosing to play other sports instead.

Black players accounted for 10.2 percent of major leaguers in 2008, the most since the 1995 season, according to the University of Central Florida’s Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sports.

“I keep saying a lot of times, in 10 more years American people are going to need a visa to play this game because we’re going to take over. We’re going to,” Guillen said.

AP freelance writers Jose Romero in Phoenix and Jim Richards in Tempe contributed to this report.

Cheers From Up here in the Cheap Seats

I will give Shawn Thornton some credit for explaining why there was no revenge on WEEI Dennis and Callahan Show Shawn Thornton Interview
Thornton took some hard hitting questions and said things may have been different if he was on the ice.
 

There are unwritten rules in sports you take out our best player we will get even(Spare please with the finds and suspensions for retaliation in the last minutes of game) Sometimes you need to show sack regardless of the consequence. Especially, when your best player is elbowed in the head. Do you think Bob Gibsonwould let somebody throw at Lou Brock? Do you thinkMarty McSorelywould allow anybody to touch Gretzky. Do you think anybody would touch Bobby Orrwithout retaliation. Matt Cookeis a cheap shot artist and mere thug, The guy is a disgrace to the NHL. It’s appalling that the Bruins didn’t retaliate despite the consequence. It’s appalling that this kid didn’t get a penalty. It’s appalling that Colin Campbell said he reviewed it for an hour and half with seven other guys and said it was clean. It is simply appalling that the game has been wuzzified worst than hitting an NFL quarterback.

Has the NHL not purchase HD TV s for the little room in Canada. Did Campbell not put his glasses on for this hit. It was a freakin elbow to the head. Why, Are the Gm’s meeting this week in Florida? Are they watching exhibition baseball? No to discuss a blows to the head and concussions. Marc Savardhas one as a result of a cheap shot and nobody is doing a thing about it.. There will be a hearing today with Cooke. Damien Cox of The Toronto Star has a good take on the the proposed new rules. He also quotes Pittsburgh GM Ray Shero saying in "our rule book Cooke did nothing wrong" I guess old Ray uses a different Rulebook. It was a head shot Ray!

Claude Julian needs to take a page from Reg Dunlop. He needs to send his guys after Matt Cooke. Not Syd The Kid. Then again Clyde Shouldn't have to tell his guys what to do when the Bruins play Pittsburgh on March 18th.

NHL Goes to Court
From TSN,CA
The NHL is sueing former Coyote owner Jerry Moyes in his family by sitting that Moyes and his family breached their NHL contract and agreements by putting the team in bankruptcy and the trying to sellit.

Emotions for A Class Act.

From the Pat Hickey of The Montreal Gazzette, Saku Koivupraises his time in Montreal as the Candiens took on the ducks last night in Anaheim. An emotional Night for Koivu who spent 13 years with the Canadiens overcame cancer in 2001-2002 and an eye injury in 2006. He was aUFA and signed a 1 year contract with the Ducks as part of Bob Gainey'shousecleaning. The Canadiens didn’t resign him. Koivu was hoping last nights game was in Montreal but it was in Anaheim.

Power Rankings
Scott Burnside of ESPN.com
No surprises
The Caps are on top and deservingly so.(they are fun too watch)Sharks are #2 followed by the Hawks. Then The Penguinsup from 8, Coyotes stand pat at 5,Canauacks are up one to 6,Avs move into 7th from 9, Kings drop from 4 to 8, The Sabres go up from 10 to 9 and The Devils round the top 10 out dropping from 6th.


Ryan Dixon of Hockey News
The Caps lead this group as well, followed by the Sharks,Canaucks, Penguins. Amd Hawks, Coyotes, Kings ,Avs and Wngs,finally The Senators.

Olde Time Hockey Pic Of The Week
Last week it was Alex Delvecchio(lots of good guesses no got it)

This Week Name The Bruin

"Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it" - George Santayana

         Howdy folks, welcome to another Whip It Out Wednesday here at the Gab. Gonna be a whacky weekend with the kid’s birthday party coming up Saturday. On top of that, the brother in law is coming up from North Carolina; gonna stay with us for a couple of days. Not too bad of news, though… it’ll give me an excuse to buy extra beer!

            Big weekend coming up in sports, too. Not only do we get the finals for several big conference tournaments in college basketball, but selection Sunday means it’s time to fill out the brackets. I’m pretty much expecting the same shitty performance I always put in, but hell, half the fun is being wrong 20 or so times, right?

            Couple of teams qualifying for the Madness last night, with North Texas winning the Sun Belt, Butler taking the Horizon league and Oakland University winning the Summit League title. Gotta say I was hoping OU would get bounced by IUPUI. As a former OU student who was rammed in the ass by their piss poor financial aid department, I can honestly say that I’m looking forward to watching them get rolled by 30+ by whatever 1 or 2 seed they end up facing in the first round.

            Outside of college basketball, the biggest news in sports seems to be the flurry of activity that’s taken place since the clock struck midnight on Friday. With no cap, seems a few teams are willing to break out the checkbooks more willy-nilly, with the Bears leading the charge. First they nabbed the biggest name available in Julius Peppers, giving him a deal worth a reported 91 million. They also grabbed Chester Taylor to compliment Matt Forte in the backfield. Good pair of moves for the Monsters of the Midway.

            The other big moves involved trades, with Anquan Boldin going to the Ravens for 3^rd and 4^th round picks. Arizona then sent a 4^th rounder in 2010 and a 7^th rounder in 2011 for Safety Kerry Rhodes to the Jets.

            As for the Lions, a pair of good moves on Friday, bringing DE Kyle Vanden Bosch and WR Nate Burleson into the fold. Vanden Bosch is a guy I really like with a high motor and pass rushing skills. Despite the fact that he’s getting up there in years, he’s still a hell of an upgrade over anybody they had at the position last year. Burleson gives the Lions a solid #2 at wide receiver to line up opposite Calvin Johnson. Not happy with those moves, the Lions also made a trade for DT Corey Williams with Cleveland for their 5^th and 7^th round picks, then sent their second 5^th rounder along with a 6^th rounder to Atlanta for CB Chris Houston. All in all, a nice set of moves for the Lions so far, but their work this offseason is far from done.

            As of right now, the free agent pool is getting a little shallow. Of the available guys I’d love to see them bring in, the first name on the list is Kevin Mawae. The guy is not only a great leader, but he’s a hell of a durable player, and he gives Matt Stafford a solid veteran to learn from. Besides, Dominic Raolia is probably one of the five worst starting centers in the NFL, and would probably fit in better at guard. Aside from getting a veteran to mentor Stafford, I’d say Torry Holt would be a good fit in Detroit. He’s getting up there in age, but would flourish as a #2 or 3 and provide a great mentor for the best player on your roster, Calvin Johnson. Look, I think Megatron has had a hell of a career thus far considering what he’s had to work with, but the closest thing to a mentor he’s had in his time here has been Roy Williams… and that’s not exactly somebody you want your franchise guy modeling his game after. Another guy I’d love to see in Detroit… bring back Mike Furrey! Great community guy and a solid possession receiver, plus he’ll come cheap.

            The other big NFL news this week… Big Ben and his Johnny Appleseed routine; except instead of planting apple seeds he’s raping women. Yeah, the first broad was less believable because of the whole civil suit instead of actually pressing charges, but now we’ve got another alleged victim pointing the finger at Roethlisberger. Sure, it might not be anything; it may have been consensual sex and this broad might be full of shit, too. But regardless of what comes from these charges, you really have to wonder where the hell this guy’s head is at. After the first charges were filed against you in Vegas, you have to finally realize you are a target. I can definitely see another bullshit ‘sex rehab” cop-out at the end of this story; that is, if he doesn’t wind up behind bars instead.

            As for the Tigers, what do they have to do to get away from these phenoms? On Monday, they play the Braves and fall victim to the bat of rookie OF Jason Heyward, who hit a 450 foot shot during the game. Braves pitcher Tim Hudson compares the sound of the ball coming off this kid’s bat to a “30-ot six”. Even Jim Leyland left the game impressed with the young man, saying he’s one of the best young players he’s ever seen, even comparing his pitch selection to that of Albert Pujols. The very next day, the “meat” of their lineup gets schooled by Nats rookie Stephen Strasberg’s 98 MPH heat. Rough couple of days in spring for these cats for sure.

            But they got a piece of good news as far as their AL Central hopes are concerned. Twins closer and registered Tiger-killer Joe Nathan appears to be gone for the year needing Tommy John’s surgery on his right elbow. Gotta say, this bodes well for the Tiger’s chances of winning the division, which will probably again be one of the worst in baseball overall.

            And hey, UConn’s women’s basketball team won it’s 72^nd straight game last night, extending the women’s basketball record they set the night before. But no matter how much ESPiN wants people to pay attention, NOBODY FUCKING CARES. Calling this one of the greatest teams of all time is one of the stupidest things I have ever heard. MAYBE they are when it comes to the history of women’s basketball… but that’s kind of like saying the Lakers get to play a collection of the best middle school basketball players 72 straight times. Really, that’s how shitty the competition is for these gals.

            As for the actual interesting story in women’s basketball, how about the ridiculous two game suspension given to Baylor’s Brittney Griner’s sucker punch on a Texas Tech player last week? So just because you’re one of only two women out there anywhere that has dunked a time or two you can assault somebody and just be suspended two games for it? Bullshit. If I thought for a second she actually had some sort of future in sports, I’d be even more upset about this… but the punishment of being WNBA bound is probably bad enough for her. Still, just like I said about LeGarrette Blount, she should not only be suspended longer, she should be in jail for assault. Just because it happens on a basketball court, football field or wherever doesn’t make it okay.

            Well that’s it for me this week folks. I’d like to thank you all for reading and for any comments you leave on the way out. Happy Hump Day folks.

Let me start by saying that if you haven't already heard, Big Toke went into the hospital for some surgery.  I hope he is alright, and my thoughts and prayers are with you Toke!  Hey Gabbers, a lot of us know him, so let's step up our game!  I'm gonna try here:  

My jacked-up state is going through an election for Governor and as usual, the normal bunch of lying, criminal, and weasley d-bags were nominated.  Let me nominate somebody who I KNOW can clean up this state and get the job done.   Now, I know the Terminator couldn’t do the job, so how ‘bout the ultimate badass:

Hey Chuck, would you please go “Walker, Texas Ranger” all over Sacramento and arrest and/or beat the living shit out of every single corrupt freaking politician in this damn state so we can start over?  Bring Trivette and Cahill in her mini-skirt too!  Hell, dig up C. D. Parker’s dead ass too - this state needs all the help it can get!

Now time to bust out some sports takes:

1.  Ben Roethlisberger, what the hell are you thinking and why are you trolling the college club scene (which by the way are havens for underage-ers)  for a hookup?  Man, I’m trying hard to keep an open mind, but it appears that this dude is intent on dragging his name through the mud.  My man, free piece of advice – stay the fuck out of the clubs, and if you’re gonna knock some boots, find a very discreet and willing MILF.  Either that, or…

Which at this point may not be a bad option for ya!  I’m not saying your guilty, but ALLEGEDLY doing something to a girl in a bathroom?  Just because there’s a song out there whose lyrics include “I once got busy in a Burger King Bathroom”, it doesn’t mean you have to take the lyrics of the Humpty Dance too literally. 

C’mon man, wake up before it’s too late! 

2.  Real NFL.  A. J. Smith, GM of the San Diego Chargers is pissing me off.  I don’t mind that he traded Antonio Cromartie, but to the New York Jets of all teams?  What, getting punked by the Jets in the playoffs wasn’t enough, you have to go and trade him to a team whose one and only issue on defense was a CB to play opposite Revis?  If the Jets can do anything to further improve their offense this offseason, I would have a hard time finding any team in the AFC who could keep up with them.  At least the Chargers were smart enough to keep Darren Sproles, but he’d better get somebody to replace LaDanian Tomlinson, who it’s my hope will be picked up by another team (Hint – Miami Dolphins or San Francisco 49ers!).   

3.  AFL.  The Arena Football League is back and it's damn cool with me!  It’s slimmed down and that was a smart move.  I know, it probably isn’t much of a hit elsewhere, but it’s not a bad product.  Playing in April, May, June, and July is just as smart,  and with the NFL Network agreeing to carry it, it just might work this time, provided they resist the temptation of trying to go “big time” again.  At least it’s something to watch in the late spring into Summer!

4.  NBA.   I’m going to be very interested to see how things shake out in the West with the much improved Dallas Mavericks.  I intensely dislike Mark Cuban, but not as much as David Stern does, so let’s not think that these guys are finals material.  But these guys can definitely put a scare into the Lakers and make Stern squirm.  The key will be having the ability to rest Jason Kidd and Dirk Nowitzki on occasion. 

5.  MLB.  Way to go SF Giants and Barry Zito.  Plunking the Sta-Puf Marshmallow Man (err, Prince Fielder) in retaliation for some celebration stuff last year is only gonna piss him off and he’s gonna go ape shit all over you during the regular season.  At least we’ll have some good action when things get boring this Summer!

6.  NHL.  San Jose Sharks.  Nice job Sharks!  By beating the Habs then winning a thriller against Columbus, you’ve extended your home winning streak to 11.  With Nashville and Florida next up in the Shark Tank, you should be able to keep on your roll.  Now, don’t blow that #1 seed in May dammit!

7.  Golf.   It’s hard to believe that Fred Couples is now playing on the “Champions Tour”.  Good to see he has two top three performances in his first two tournaments.  He’s always been a great golfer, and let’s hope that his back holds out and he can give some fans a good show!  With Tiger out, the Champions Tour may just be more entertaining that the regular PGA tour.

8.  College Football.   I’m intrigued by the hiring of Turner Gill at Kansas.  I was a big fan of his when he played at Nebraska and was pleasantly surprised when he was successful as a coach at Buffalo.  I hope he can calm the storm with the Jayhawks and return Jayhawk football to being competitive in the Big 12.  He’s got a lot of work to do after Mangino’s successful, yet borderline abusive tenure. 

9.  College Basketball.  St. Mary's surprise win over Gonzaga last night might have screwed a few other teams sitting on the bubble.  Can't wait to see how this shakes out on Sunday.  Could it be that the WCC gets more teams into the dance than the Pac-10?  For now, it’s enough to know that Maryland (of all teams) clinched a share of the ACC title, my Seminoles may just make it to the dance, and UCLA bit the big one this season! 

Question of the Week.    How many teams does the Big East get into the Dance?

Douche Bag of the Week.   The Police Department of Rahway, New Jersey.  It seems as though a family decided to build a snow-woman shaped like the Venus de Milo.  A loser who was offended by nudity complained to the Police, who actually went to the house and asked the owner to cover it up.  I swear I weep for the future of America…

http://www.myfoxny.com/dpp/news/offbeat/nude-snow-woman-100303-apx

Music Pick of the Week.   As with most people, I grew up listening to Journey.  The boys from the bay are the shit!  I have to tell you that they epitomize timeless music as even my kids have come to love their stuff.  As usual, let me leave you with a taste.

What Gabbers, I didn’t set the table enough for y’all?  “I want to hear from a Gabber – REACT!!!”… 

Cheers From The Cheap Seats!

And the winner is..."The Hurt Locker"...

James Cameron must feel like that dude in the picture...That dope spent ten years working on his over the top special effects, CGI out the ass, sci-fi movie...And he lost "Best Picture" and "Best Director" to his ex-wife...OUCH!

But I wasn't surprised...SCI-Fi doesn't win at the Oscars...There were no surprises this year...There rarely are...Bunch of stuffy, uptight, ass kissing, douche-baggery..."The Hurt Locker" was a really good movie...Yes there is a lot of bullshit that wouldn't really happen in reality...But it's a movie...And a good one at that...

Saturday the wife and I hit the movies...I was feeling better and wanted a couple hours away from the kids...We went and saw "Cop Out." You can read about that here...http://thebeezewax.blogspot.com/2010/03/beezes-reviews-cop-out.html

After the movie we stopped by Borders Books & Music...First, why don't we take Music out of the name...The music section has gotten to be the size of my half bathroom...And the music selection is for shit! Most of it is old...You know for the people who just upgraded from vinyl to CD's...No I don't need any Jim Croce...And I had the Led Zeppelin box set when I was 15...But wait...Borders is trying hard to stay hip...They've got f**king Radiohead CD's coming out their ass! We get it...Radiohead =you're too cool for the room...Way to play your computer...

Thom Yorke is a fruity dancing douche!

So we roam around the store for awhile...I see a huge sign that says '"CALENDARS"...We need a calendar...This Christmas was the first in my life that some one didn't give me a Lighthouse calendar...Yes, I love lighthouses...It's very odd, because I'm not a fan of water...So I go over and find...Nothing that resembles a calendar...Then after searching for an employee for more then 5 minutes, she tells me, "Whatever is there, is what we have"...I replied with, "You have nothing!" and walked away...

I ended up leaving with a book called "Odd Man Out" by Matt McCarthy...It's the story of him and his not so famous life in baseball...So far I'm enjoying it...I also got a cookbook that was marked down to $5...Has some really cool stuff in it I may be stealing for specials at The Fish House...The wife Grabbed some Dean Koontz book and something else...Oh, and a Alice in Wonderland book for the girl, (The most expensive thing we purchased) and a Sponge Bob book for the boy...

Speaking of the Little Beeze...We got a nice surprise when we got home...The sitter tried to clean most of it up, but his slick...You see, some artists work with oils...Some with pastels...Some with water colors...Some simply draw with pen or pencil...The Little Beeze apparently was working on a masterpiece in the bathroom, with toothpaste...Well at least it smells fresh in there!

I'll be honest, I haven't spent much time paying attention to sports this past week...Spring training games got underway...Not interested...The NHL trading deadline came and went...Over 50 players were moved around the league...But no major shake-up...Like all trading deadline days, it was hyped for no reason...

Sunday The Boston Bruins, and Marc Savard got dealt a blow they didn't want, as Matt Cooke of the Penguins put his forearm/elbow right upside Savard's head...Savard is out indefinitely...And I'm sure the league will be looking at the video since it was a head shot...


NFL free agency has gotten underway but I'll be honest...I'm not that well informed about it all...I know The Bears made the first big splash signing Julias Peppers to some insane money...And they also signed Chester Taylor...The Ravens made a good move grabbing Anquan Boldin...And the Jets secondary just got even better with the signing of Antonio Cromartie...But that's all I got on that...

One last thing before I go...I don't consider myself geek...But I do have a fondness for "STAR WARS"...I also have a fondness for sexy women...So when I saw this I thought...WOW! What a great idea...



Have a great week...

Later, The Beeze.

What’s on my mind

The NFL is on my mind. Have you seen the proposed playoff OT format. It’s stupid. First the proposal only goes in effect for the playoffs! Why Not the regular season? OH sorry my blood boils every time I think how stupid this idea is.

Simply stated team A wins the toss. They score a field goal then team B gets a chance sounds good so far . Nice in Fair. But IF team A scores a Touchdown the game ends.

It’s the NFL they will be trading field goals for a month.(Of Course they way the kickers kicked in the playoffs there maybe a lot of misses). Here’s what I think if you going to have sudden death . Your defense needs to make a stop. Secondly , instead of complicating the rule get rid of “ Sudden Death” and Play an overtime period. One 15 minute period than a series of 5 minute periods if it is still tied. Yes I know an offense can hold the ball for 5 minutes . It forces the defense to make a stop,

Whats on my mind.

The Boston Media. I watch several of the news stations late last night and early this morning. John Lackey goes out pitches two nice innings, in his spring training debut as a Red Sox. They painted it like he just won game 7 of the World Series. On clown even put up a graphic saying “Me Likey Lackey” COME_ON!. The guy is a good pitcher but this is exhibition baseball and a non story

.

Incidentally heard an interview with lackey this week on the radio , He sounds alot like Hank Hill.

John Lackey Interview.
Hank Hill Sound Boards

Whats on my mind

The combine and the draft. Honestly, wake me up when it’s over.Tell me who went #1 overall. Tell me if the Patriots helped themselves. Then tell me how many of these guys will get limited time over the next 2 years and how many first and second rounders will be out in 5 years . I’d rather watch paint dry. Especially in the late rounds when the Raiders are picking  Shitumaula Fuckayoua  in 7^th round from the defunct Hofstra football program. I can’t wait to hear how Fuckayoua was great against the defunct Northeastern. Tell me when it’s over.

Whats on my mind.

A lot talk on the radio about Paul Pierce and trashing talking. Callers in Boston saying they don’t like Pierce. KG is the king of trashtalking but it’s ok for him so was Larry Bird and it was ok for him. Pierce was cast in a leadership role long before he was ready. He has great years on a bad team. This guy is now one the best players in the league. I just don’t get it. He has done everything the Celtics have asked him to do and more. I think the guy is an awesome player.

So That’s what’s on my mind ! What’s on yours.?

To start, I am going to take this opportunity to congratulate the US hockey team on a job well done.  No one had them in the running for a medal at the Olympics, but they stunned a few teams and left with a silver medal.  Good job...no shame in that whatsoever.  Miller was money for the US team.  Good job on the Penguins fan to give him a bit of an ovation.  He deserved it.  I haven't seen too many visiting goalies get that type of attention.    However, if I could have picked anyone off of the Canadian team to score the winning goal, it wouldn't have been this guy. Sorry, I know that there are some Pens fans here, but I am not a big Crosby fan.  Great hockey player though.

If I could have picked anyone on that team to score the game winner, it wouldn't have been him.  Now, the games are over, and he is back to his old tricks.  No, not turning tricks, but taking dives.

The NHL season is back in action, and it looks like Colin Campbell has already gotten back into the swing of things with a prompt suspension on Maxim Lapierre.  Lapierre deserved to sit for his blatant and dangerous hit on Scott Nichol.  Boston fans should remember Lapierre as the guy that earned Lucic a suspension in last years playoffs.  Looch took a seat for a (questionable in my eyes) crosscheck on Lapierre.  Simple scrum in front of the net, and Looch's stick came up high after hitting shoulder pads.  But I digress...Lapierre is a certified class A douchebag.  Sorry if there are any Habs fans here, but there is no room in the game for that type of chickenshit garbage.  Lapierre has no priors, but that didn't stop Campbell from sitting him for 4 games.  Spin the wheel again Colin...big bucks no whammees!!!

Another year, and another bust of a trade deadline day.  With the current salary cap in place, gone are the days of mulitple big name player deals.  I can't believe that sports networks up here dedicate a day of solid coverage to find out that Peter Mueller was traded for Wojtek Wolski.  When it was all said and done, Washington is looking much better.  They didn't really move much, and are the most improved team after all the deals were done.  And yeah, I'm still pissed at Scott Walker, much like I still hate Petr Klima.  The losers at deadline day?  Without a doubt, the leafs.  Brian Burke, who I honestly believe is one of the most overrated GM's in the game, traded away Lee Stempniak for Matt Jones.  That's right...the Matt Jones that is sidelined indefinitely with post concussion symptoms and played 58 games for San Antonio last year, collecting 6 points and a solid -35 rating.  He should fit right in with Toronto's game plan.  And if that plan is to keep sucking, they are on track.

Bruins GM Peter Chiarelli was on the radio earlier this week and stated that he made the Kessel deal with Toronto because he knew he would get a draft pick in the top 10.  Burke shouldn't be insulted by this...that just means that Toronto would only have to stay their course of the last couple of seasons and finish just out of the playoffs for that to happen.  Unfortunately for Burke, Toronto is second last in the league right now.

Washington is making a pitch for the next Winter Classic.  They are hoping the game can be played at either RFK Stadium (46000) or at Nats Park (42000).  I am not sure how the weather will cooperate as you move down the eastern seaboard, but Washington will probably be the lowest south that the NHL will go.  But hey, what do I know.  For all we know, Bettman is talking to the ownership group of the Panthers checking their availability.

Hell has officially frozen over.  The Calgary Flames actually swung a deal with the Edmonton Oilers.  The Sutter brothers are grasping at straws right now.  They should be playing much, much better, but have in fact been shut out 4 x at home since January.  Is there scoring really that anemic?  Adding Matt Stajan and Steve Staios probably won't help much.

Fight of the week

Since the return of hockey from the Olympics, no NHL fights have really caught my eye as much as this one has.  Two boys that just start throwing with everything they have.  Funny thing is, Jeremy Yablonski and Jon Mirasty are actually very good friends off the ice.  So here we go, Yablonski vs Mirasty Round 2.

Thanks for stopping by.  Have a great week!

Cheers From The Cheap Seats!!!