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MLB General

The Full Count: The most offensive team in the game…


1. Powerhouse: Two years ago, it would have been laughable to think the Tigers’ offense would soon be the best in baseball. Now, that is the reality–and no one else is even close. The Tigers piled on a season-high 15 runs and 21 hits against the Mets–all without their best hitter in the lineup. Magglio Ordonez didn’t play, but it didn’t matter as Detroit roughed up Tom Glavine for 9 earned runs and 11 hits. Gary Sheffield continued to dominate with a 4-5, two RBI outing. Brandon Inge knocked in five RBIs, Ivan Rodriguez had three hits and three runs, and Placido Polanco went 3-6 to increase his average to .348. The 15-7 win over the Mets sent the Tigers to 1.5 games behind Cleveland, while New York dropped to 3-7 its last ten games. The Tigers now have 374 runs this year–a whopping 32 more than the next-best team, the Yankees. They also lead the MLB in hits, batting average, slugging, and OPS. Last year the Tigers were carried by their starting pitching. This year, they are winning because they can flat-out mash.

2. The Yankees are Back: The Yankees’ season may have seemed over when they were 14.5 back in the division. But now they have new life, thanks to a 6-game winning streak as well as recent struggles by the Red Sox. The Yanks started off interleague play with a sweep of the Pirates, including a 13-6 win on Sunday. Alex Rodriguez, who hit two homers, drove in five runs, and scored four times, is now back to his April self. Bobby Abreu went 4-4 with 4 runs and is on a ten-game hitting streak that has raised his average 44 points. Overall, the Yankees outscored the Pirates 27-13 on the series. Their next two series are against tougher teams, the Diamondbacks and the Mets, but both are at home. The Red Sox are still 9.5 games ahead, but they are only 4-6 in June compared with the Yankees’ 8-2 mark. This race could get much more competitive as the year goes on.

3. Early Ejection, Late Win: The first inning of the Cubs-Braves game featured plenty of controversy. The Cubs’ starting pitcher, Ted Lilly, was ejected in the first after hitting Edgar Renteria with a pitch. It didn’t look like he was intentionally throwing at him, but the umpire was convinced. Both dugouts cleared but there was no fighting between the teams. Renteria then elbowed Cubs second baseman Mike Fontenot when he came in with a hard popup slide on a steal attempt. Renteria was not punished for this action, however, even though it seemed much more intentional than Lilly’s pitch. Anyway, the Cubs were able to take the lead, 4-2, through seven innings despite having to overwork their bullpen. But then in the eighth, the Braves scored three runs off Ryan Dempster to pull ahead and eventually win 5-4. It would be interesting to see what would happen if these two teams played again, but their season series is over. The Braves moved up to just 2.5 games behind the Mets.

Players of the Day: CC Sabathia, Indians: 9 innings, three hits, no runs, 6 strikeouts. Aaron Harang, Reds: 7 innings, three hits, no runs, 10 strikeouts. The Reds and Indians had one of the best pitcher’s duels this season, with a 0-0 tie through the first 11 innings. The Reds won in the 12th off Alex Gonzalez’s RBI single.

Categories
General Sports

Vote for June’s Woman We Love

In the end, the may vote for Woman We Love wasn’t very close. Katherine Heigl won with 25% of the vote so she joins our illustrious list of women we love.

Here are six new nominees for the June Woman We Love:

–Amanda Beard
–Megan Fox
–Lauren Graham
–Julianne Hough
–Sienna Miller
–Naomi Watts

Vote Now

Categories
General Sports

Odds and Ends: Amanda Beard Playboy pics

Well, folks, that certainly didn’t take much time for someone to leak the scans of the photos of Amanda Beard’s playboy spread onto the internet. They are fairly decent but more of an artsy Herb Ritts kind of photos (which is probably what she is going for) than actual, man that’s sexy type photo shoot. There’s no denying that she’s very hot but she wouldn’t be “Playboy material” if she wasn’t a famous olympic swimmer. Oh, and by the way, this is the first time real breasts have appeared in Playboy since 1976.

There’s one PSFW pic after the jump. But for now, here’s your other news… (as if you care)

[Washington Post]: That reality racing show with celebs sucks

[MLB]: Win a date…er.. meeting with Alyssa Milano

[The Sporting Orange]: Chad Johnson is a centaur

[SI]: Former ASU RB Loren Wade convicted of second-degree murder

Continue reading “Odds and Ends: Amanda Beard Playboy pics”
Categories
Olympics

The old school Athenians must be rolling over in their graves


The 2012 Olympics are looking at going down in history as one of the most humiliating international competitions of all time if they keep going at their current pace. First they embraced a logo no-no that was so hideous people could actually believe that it would provoke seizures. The logo was cleared of all charges but the point is that nobody thought the jigsaw puzzle wannabe wouldn’t fry someone’s brain, so that should tell you something about the absurdity of the thing. But the Olympic Committee’s latest idea could make the logo fiasco look like a stroke of genius.

The 2012 London Games could mark the debut of skateboarding as an official Olympic event. You heard right; skateboarding! Those annoying little punks that ride around strip mall parking lots all day long, minus the occasional weed break, and ding up the doors of your car now might be walking around with gold medals around their necks! You gotta be kidding me! Thank goodness there is still time to stop this travesty before it gets finalized. The International Olympic Committee and the International Cycling Union still have to iron some things out before skateboarding hits the grandest stage of them all.

Listen, I know that skateboarding is a tremendous skill that takes dedication, focus, guts, precision, timing and the rest of the shebang but if skateboarding becomes an Olympic event then bungee jumping and freestyle walking aren’t far behind. Does anyone really want that? I didn’t think so. And anyways, what would happen to the almighty X Games should their main attraction start going for the gold? Suddenly a giant X medallion just doesn’t have the same appeal as it used to.

Apparently the Olympics think that adding vandalism skateboarding to the list of events will make the younger generation more interested in The Games. But if they really wanted to appeal to the youth of today they should try something more along the lines of the Trojan Games. All this skateboarding stupidity will do is ruin the Olympic Village experience for all of the real athletes. Can you imagine training your entire life for this one opportunity at success and then the crew of Jackass and Viva La Bam are constantly doing beer-bongs and tag teaming Jessica Simpson while you try to mentally prepare? This has international incident written all over it.

Links:

[TheStar.com]: Skateboarding could be in Olympics

Categories
MLB General

June 7 2007 MLB Power Rankings Roundup

There isn’t much change in the Power Rankings this week but we expect there to be a bunch next week after the recent troubles of the Red Sox and Mets. Curiously, ESPN (going totally against their east coast bias!) put the Padres at #1 in their Power Rankings. We’ll see if that holds up next week.

Here are your MLB Power Rankings this week:

Rank Sportscolumn ESPN FoxSports Sportsline USA Today TSN.ca
1 Red Sox Padres Red Sox Red Sox Red Sox Mets
2 Angels Red Sox Indians Angels Mets Red Sox
3 Mets Angels Mets Mets Indians Padres
4 Indians Indians Angels Indians Angels D’backs
5 Dodgers Mets Padres Dodgers Dodgers Brewers
6 Padres Tigers D’backs D’backs Padres Dodgers
7 Tigers D’backs Dodgers Padres Tigers Angels
8 D’backs A’s Braves Tigers Braves Indians
9 Braves Dodgers Tigers Braves D’backs Braves
10 Brewers Mariners Brewers Mariners Brewers Tigers
11-30 more more more more more more

Categories
Miami Dolphins

Daunte Culpepper: from Madden cover to CFL?


Think about this for a second: Daunte Culpepper went from throwing for 39 touchdowns and 4,717 yards in 2004 and an MVP candidate to possibly being exiled to the Canadian Football League in three quick years.

With the trade for Trent Green, the Dolphins have no need for Culpepper anymore. Culpepper has asked the Dolphins for his release so he can pick his next stop but Miami is trying to trade him. Considering they got Trent Green for a 5th round pick, they might get a 7th round pick for Culpepper if anyone is desperate enough for damaged goods.

Meanwhile, the Winnipeg Blue Bombers (who never saw a PR opportunity they didn’t like) have put Culpepper on the “negotiation list” which means they have the rights to him should he decide to play in the CFL. While this is a no lose situation — it’s not like they had to buy his rights — most people don’t expect Daunte to end up in Canada. Still, everyone said the same thing about Ricky and the Argonauts.

If this comes to fruition, it will be absolutely the biggest drop in profile for a former Madden cover player. Well, until Michael Vick gets arrested and kicked out of the league for dog fighting.

Links:
[WBAL]: Culpepper To Dolphins: Release Me
[Canada.com]: Culpepper put on negotiation list

Categories
Orlando Magic

Billy Donovan can go stuff his sorrys in a sack, mister



Read your contract

Billy Donovan apologized to just about everybody yesterday and explained his decision to sign a five-year $27.5M contract with the Magic as a huge mistake. He’s expected to sign a 6-year $21M contract with Florida instead. The Orlando Magic must be the worst organization in sports if someone is willing to pass up $6.5M and work an extra year instead of coaching the Magic.


There was no words, there was no pressure by anyone to come back. It was what was in my heart. You realize you made a mistake and you go forward. I think sometimes people think, ‘Well what happened? What was the reason?’ There really wasn’t one. It had nothing to do with the Magic, my wife, the University of Florida, it was a process I went through myself that I’m sorry for.”

Translation: The Magic don’t suck, I’m not whipped, Florida is ok, I’m just a weenie who can’t keep his word.

Despite bolting for the NBA and then backing out of his deal, Billy boy doesn’t think trust will be an issue when recruiting players. OK. Billy Donovan – a man you can trust! Someone should ask the Orlando Magic executives about that, who go so screwed they had to hire Stan Van Gundy.

Links:
[AP]: Donovan apologizes to Magic and Florida

Categories
Golf

Rob Lowe manages to desecrate Iowa while getting in 18 holes

You might know Rob Lowe as Sam Seaborn on The West Wing but we still remember him as an obnoxious and annoying member of the 80’s Hollywood version of the Super Friends. So, we were glad to see that Lowe still has his dead on ability to ruin lives, but this time it wasn’t a 16-year-old girl. And it wasn’t caught on tape. Hell, it wasn’t even human.

Sodapop was participating in the Principal Charity Classic Pro-Am in West Des Moines, Iowa on Wednesday when he gripped it, ripped it and killed the state bird. Lowe was playing the fourth hole when his approach shot smacked the bird.

As the rest of the players in his group broke out in laughter and applause, Lowe raised his arms in mock celebration.

“That’s my birdie,” he said after looking at the bird, which lay motionless on the ground.

“That’s unbelievable. Who comes here and kills the state bird? Only me.

Where are all those overly sympathetic Barbaro fans now? Surely, some nut is going to send Lowe some hate mail over his “birdie.” All we know is that if he’s going to have to face heat for pelting the goldfinch, hopefully he at least got his money’s worth. You know, something like this:

Links:

[BostonHerald.com]: Rob Lowe’s golf ball hits state bird in mid-flight

Categories
Boxing

Hey, Iceman; we’ve got the perfect rebound opponent for you!

UFC vs. boxing, boxing vs. UFC; can’t we all just get along. Oh, we already know the answer to that one, we’re in America so nobody gets along but does it really have to all go down like this. In an attempt to put an end to the debate of MMA vs. boxing, Tommy “H.I.V.” Morrison says that he is going prove that the sweet science of boxing is far superior to the MMA tactics of fighters in UFC, PRIDE, K-1, etc. The fight is going down on Saturday night at an Arizona casino and Morrison’s opponent will be 325-pound John Stover. And according to Tommy, he doesn’t stand a chance.

I’m just going to walk out and hit him on the chin,” Morrison said at a news conference Thursday night. “I’m concerned about killing someone. I’m not kidding.”

“We’re trained to hit a moving target. These guys run in with their chin hanging out.

Looks like somebody watched the Chuck Liddell/Quinton Jackson fight. But Morrison’s mouth didn’t quit there. When asked about wearing four-ounce gloves he took another “I’m gonna kill you” shot.

I’m a little nervous about that _ not for myself but for the other guy,” Morrison said. “To me, it just seems like someone signing up for assassination class. He must be out of his mind.

What the hell is wrong with this guy? That’s a whole lotta talk for a guy who got his ass beat down the last time he was involved in an all-out brawl.

We’re know absolutely nothing about this Stover guy but we’re still gonna bet that Morrison’s fate is somewhat reminiscent of Johnnie Morton.

Links:

[KVOA.com]: Tommy Morrison prepares for MMA debut

Categories
NBA General

Around the Rim: The finals are finally underway


1. King sized stage fright
Everyone seems to be pulling for the Cavaliers in the finals but we’re not hearing too many people bet against the Spurs in the series and in Game 1, San Antonio showed why. The Spurs cruised to an easy 85-76 victory in which the Cavs were close at times but never challenged the former champs. Of course, it’s going to be tough for Cleveland to win a game against anyone when their being led in scoring by Daniel Gibson (16 points). With all the LeBron James talk that has been shoved down our throats since Game 5 of the East Finals, the young King didn’t look anything like MJ or Magic or Bird or any other legend for that matter. LBJ finished with just 14 points on 4-of-16 shooting that included a dismal 0-for-7 first half and Bruce Bowen gets to accept a majority of the credit for that. Cleveland can not win when James plays like he did but the Cavs are really going to be up a certain, smelly creek without a paddle if Tim Duncan and Tony Parker continue getting everything they want offensively. Parker had a game-high 27 points as his interior penetration (Huh-huh; we said penetration) carved up the Cleveland defense like a Thanksgiving turkey. And Tim Duncan was, well, Tim Duncan; do we really need to say any more than that?

2. Orlando tells Donovan to go to hell

It was getting pretty sticky in Orlando after Billy Donovan did one of the fastest 180 degree turns in the history of professional sports. But the Magic are ready to forget all about ol’ what’s his name and quickly solidify their young club with a committed head coach. And even though it cost `em a second-round pick, Orlando got their man in Stan Van Gundy; hopefully SVG sticks around a little longer. Donovan might be kicking himself in a year or two when Dwight Howard develops an offensive game and begins ripping off division and, possibly, conference titles. Van Gundy has got to be pinching himself when he looks at his new roster; his boys might be young and raw but their potential is almost unlimited. And you know that those players are going to hold a grudge against Billy the Kid for this slap in the face. Opposing centers should beware if Howard starts playing with a chip on his shoulder.

3. It’s time to put the Super back in front of Sonics
Seattle finally landed a GM but he’s no grizzled veteran at the helm of an NBA ship, in fact he’s just a 30-year-old kid. Sam Presti is now the man in Seattle and he’s gonna have his hands full right off the bat considering that the Sonics are minus a head coach at the moment. In addition to that, they have the enviable task of making the second selection in the NBA Draft at the end of the month. But what has our wheels turning is that this kid might just be ballsy enough to make some noise with his current high pick. The most interesting scenario we’ve heard is Seattle trading the second pick (a.k.a. Kevin Durant) and Ray Allen to the Lakers for Mr. On Again/Off Again, Kobe Bryant. Then again, he could decide to cut ties with Rashard Lewis and bring in a complimentary player to play alongside Allen and Durant (we’re not jumping the gun are we?). Or they could always just stay pat with what they got if Lewis decides not to get swept away in the free agent waters. About the only thing we do know is that Seattle is on their way up, no matter what moves they decide to make.

Game 1’s MVP: Tim Duncan vs. Cleveland 39 min, 24 pts (FG: 10-17, FT: 4-5), 13 reb, 1 ast, 2 stl, 5 blk

Buzzer Beater: Listen, LeBron James is a freakin’ amazing player and he has the possibility to become on of the greatest to ever lace up a pair of sneaks, but these constant references to Michael Jordan are driving us up the wall. And finally, we repeat, finally, someone stepped up and said what everybody already knows. “I’m not going to compare him to Michael Jordan,” said Gary Payton on the Best Damn Sports Show. “There will never be a Michael Jordan in basketball again.” Hey, we like trying to compare guys from different eras as much as anyone but this whole Jordan thing has just gone overboard. And it’s not just with LBJ; Kobe Bryant gets the same stupid comparisons. Just leave it alone already and don’t try to categorize these guys anymore. Actually, if James or Bryant ever reaches the six ring plateau then we give you permission to label them lil’ Michael to your heart’s content.