Categories
NBA General

Around the Rim: The Big Ticket punches out early


1. Could KG be moving on?
Kevin Garnett’s season is probably over after injuring his right quadriceps. The former MVP could be done with his Timberwolves club for good if Minnesota can parlay this move into few extra loses and a possible shot at a high draft pick. With only five games left on the schedule for Minnesota, the move probably won’t make a big difference in final standings but when Kevin Durant, and possibly Greg Oden, is available, it’s worth a shot. And even if the T-Wolves don’t pull out a No. 1 or No. 2 pick, they could always package Garnett with a top five draft pick and get a whole bunch of talent in return. The one thing that is clear is that KG’s body simply can’t carry the weight of an entire franchise anymore.

2. Celtics’ hide the Truth

But KG wasn’t the only superstar to have a late season injury bring about an early vacation. However, unlike Garnett, Paul Pierce will definitely not return to the Celtics lineup this year. After a sore left elbow had bounced Pierce back and forth between the active roster and the DNP designation in the box score, Boston management has decided to put an end to the on-again, off-again relationship and throw Pierce onto the shelf. Sure, Pierce could probably use the extra rest but don’t think Danny Ainge isn’t thinking about the extra ping-pong balls that could be coming his way. After all, Ainge was the one caught buddying up with Durant’s mom a while back.

3. Best draft ever?
David Stern came out and said that this upcoming class of college newcomers could make up the greatest draft class in history. Actually he said that “this may be the No. 1 or 2 draft of all time.” That’s a pretty lofty statement by the commish; which got us thinking if he could be right. Only time will tell if this year’s kids pan out, but it’s going to be awfully hard to top the classes of 1984 or 1996. Here are some of the ballers from those talent rich crops and their overall selections.

1984 – Hakeem Olajuwon (1), Michael Jordan (3), Sam Perkins (4), Charles Barkley (5), Alvin Robertson (7), Otis Thorpe (9), Kevin Willis (11), Michael Cage (14), John Stockton (16)

1996 – Allen Iverson (1), Marcus Camby (2), Shareef Abdur-Rahim (3), Stephon Marbury (4), Ray Allen (5), Antoine Walker (6), Kobe Bryant (13), Steve Nash (15), Jermaine O’Neal (17), and it should also be noted that Ben Wallace was available but went undrafted

Wednesday’s Player of the Day: Tim Duncan vs. Sacramento 35 min, 26 pts (FG: 11-14, FT: 4-9), 13 reb, 4 ast, 2 stl, 4 blk

Thursday’s Game to Watch: Los Angeles Clippers (37-40) @ Los Angeles Lakers (40-38) The Lakers and the Clippers both have a lot to prove in their gym. Of course, there’s the whole battle of Los Angeles thing and the bragging rights that come along with the victory, but more importantly there’s a possible playoff spot on the line. Currently the Lakers have it, but not by much as they have spent the last few weeks slip-sliding down the rankings and now sit just 2 ½ games ahead of the Clippers who are sitting just outside (½ game) of the playoff picture. Unfortunately the Clippers have been struggling just as much as their LA counterparts. But somebody has to win this game and when they do they will be standing on much firmer post season ground.

Buzzer Beater: This is the time of the season when the good teams get rolling and the crappy teams start folding. While we wouldn’t exactly call the Utah Jazz a crappy team, they are certainly folding like a house of cards down the stretch. The Jazz have now lost five games in a row and six of their last ten and they have basically handed the Rockets home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs. But you can’t blame the point guard/power forward combo for the team’s latest loss. Carlos Boozer (19 points, 14 rebounds, 8 assists) and Deron Williams (18 points, 6 rebounds, 14 assists) both flirted with triple-doubles last night but couldn’t overcome a 54 point outburst by Carmelo Anthony and Allen Iverson as the Nuggets showed the Jazz the proper way to get into playoff form. Denver has now won seven straight games to make up for dropping three in a row.

Categories
General Sports

April 11 2007 episode of Poor Man’s PTI

Welcome to another episode of Poor Man’s PTI.  

You can download this week’s podcast directly (running time 60 mins) or subscribe to the feed.  

If you use iTunes, just click here and then click subscribe and iTunes will take care of the rest.

This week’s topics include:

  • Don Imus
  • Zach Johnson, the Masters, and religion in sports
  • Roger Goodell’s new personal conduct policy, Pacman Jones and Chris Henry
  • Luke Walton banging Britney Spears
  • the NFL schedule
  • the NHL playoffs
  • The Duke lacrosse case
  • baseball talk

Hope you guys enjoy the podcast.  If you did enjoy it, please give us a good rating below so we can rise up in the rankings. If you didn’t, send us an email ([email protected]) and give us some suggestions. Thanks for listening.

Categories
Boxing

Top 10 Most Gruesome sports injuries: #4 Evander Holyfield

[Sportscolumn is running down the ten most gruesome sports injuries. Here’s #4]

Mike Tyson made was known for his brutal style and vicious power that made first round knockouts commonplace at one of his bouts. Iron Mike could handle his business with anyone who wanted to step inside the ropes with him, which is what made the infamous ear chomp of Evander Holyfield so bizarre. But hey, that’s what made Mike, Mike. He might knock your lights out or he might bite your ear off, nobody knew what to expect.

However, it’s safe to say that nobody expected Tyson to pull out his best Hannibal impersonation on June 28, 1997 when he took on Holyfield in front of a sold out crowd at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. But once it happened, those who weren’t either totally shocked or disgusted, began to riot and the madness spilled out of the arena and into the Vegas streets. Holyfield wasn’t seriously injured but his ears will never look the same after losing a giant chunk of flesh to Tyson’s choppers.

Tyson was suspended from boxing for the biting incident, but that didn’t stop the Tyson roller coaster from operating. But narrowing down Tyson’s whacky behavior would require an entire Top 10 list of its very own.

Back to #5 | Forward to #3

Categories
Golf

Odds and Ends: Zach Johnson gets the shaft


What more does a guy have to do to get some credit in the golf world? Zach Johnson comes from nowhere to rip the green jacket from Tiger Woods’ hands in a story that Disney would probably refuse because of a lack of authenticity, and Sports Illustrated puts a tree on the cover of their latest issue.

Are you serious? A tree! Of course, Tiger is standing behind the tree so apparently that justifies it to the fellas at SI. But if you notice, they did give Johnson a little bit of pub on the cover. Thanks for squeezing that in guys.

In other news…

[Our Book of Scrap]: Speed skating just made its way into the hearts of men across the country

[Can’t Stop the Bleeding]: All this over a free burger?

[KansasCity.com]: Jason Whitlock is on Don Imus’ side. No, surely not Whitlock.

[WFAA.com]: Michael Irvin will see your lawsuit and raise you one.

And finally, we all knew that there would be a movie about the rise and fall of Anna Nicole, but what we didn’t know is that a babe would play Anna. Looks like pop singer Willa Ford is the lucky winner of the role. Now she just needs to practice on her slurred speech and start fluctuating dress sizes like a white Oprah.

Categories
Chicago Bears

Devin Hester does his best Ozzy impression

Devin Hester might be the fastest man in Madden history but that doesn’t make him a good singer. But, like so many before him, Hester was asked to sing “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” in front of the Cubbies crowd and, like so many before him, he fell flat on his face. Here’s the horrific proof that Hester definitely belongs on the field and not in a recording studio.

Categories
NFL General

The NFL countdown has officially begun: 2007 NFL Schedule released



Well, almost everyone is
ready for some football.

After having the off season exploits of Pacman Jones shoved down our throats for the past few months, we can now turn our collective attention back to on-field issues because the head honchos over at NFL headquarters have finally decided to release this year’s complete schedule.

The season opens up with the Saints at the Colts on September 6 and ends with a Monday night double-header that is highlighted by a contest between division rivals as Baltimore and Cincinnati hook up for an early season, smack talking showdown. The NFC champion Bears will have to bounce back from a Super Bowl loss and be prepared to deal with LaDanian Tomlinson’s Chargers right off the bat. All in all, it’s a pretty solid schedule for the first week of the season, but after going without any helmet smacking for over six months, fans would be happy with a Texans/Raiders match-up.

The really juicy games come later in the season, like in Week 3 when last year’s rookie sensations Vince Young and Reggie Bush get together on Monday Night Football. Or in Week 8 when the league’s golden boys line up across from one another as Tom Brady travels to Peyton Manning, or perhaps you’ve heard of their teams; the Patriots and the Colts.

In Week 10 the Super Bowl MVP and the regular season MVP will battle it out as Indy goes to San Diego for a Sunday night primetime game. And the in Week 13, LT’s Chargers will take on another studly RB when they travel to Kansas City. But forget about the fireworks on the field, everyone is waiting for Joey Porter and Levi Jones to meet up on December 30 in the rematch of their Vegas fight.

Now that your whistle has been wet, just think, only five more months until the opening kick.

Full 2007 NFL Week by Week Schedule after the jump

Continue reading “The NFL countdown has officially begun: 2007 NFL Schedule released”

Categories
General Sports

Michael Waltrip will not be endorsing No-Doz


Michael Waltrip has been racing cars for some time now, but by the looks of things he really needs to brush up on his handling skills. And he might want to read over the North Carolina laws for operating a motor vehicle while he’s at it.

Waltrip claims that he fell asleep while driving to his home and was less than a mile from his destination when he slammed into a telephone pole on Friday night. Apparently, he lost control of his Land Cruiser on a turn and then rolled the vehicle after he overcorrected his error. There’s no report on if Waltrip lost control while turning left.

After climbing out of the vehicle, a bloody Waltrip left the scene and then never notified the fuzz about his accident. But, believe it or not, the coppers came across the flipped SUV a little while later and tracked Waltrip down. He was issued tickets for reckless driving and failing to report an accident.

I am really embarrassed about the accident, but I feel fortunate that I wasn’t hurt,” the two-time Daytona 500 winner said Tuesday.

“For 25 years I have had a great driving record. I consider myself to be a courteous and safe driver on public roads. I never expected to fall a sleep behind the wheel of a car.

Looks like Waltrip is going to stick with his “fell asleep at the wheel” story, but we have a sneaking suspicion that this is another case of celebrity DUI. Ty Norris, GM of Waltrip’s racing team, said that the reason Waltrip didn’t report the accident was because his cell phone didn’t work where the accident occurred, yet the accident happened just a mile from his house. So, even if his celly didn’t work he could have called from his home phone. Guess he just “fell asleep” on the way to the phone.

Links:

[Charlotte.com]: Waltrip cited after wreck
[FoxSports.com]: Waltrip charge after rolling car in accident

Categories
LA Lakers

Luke Walton has lost his damn mind


There was a time when Britney Spears was arguably one of the 5 hottest chicks in the universe. When, if she had posed for playboy, it would have been the best selling issue of any magazine in the history of the world. Remember her in the red catsuit in the Oops I Did It Again video? That was when you would have liked to tag that. That album was released in May of 2000.

Well it’s almost May 2007 and Luke Walton is now getting around to dating Britney Spears? Does he realize that Britney has morphed into a digusting bloated bald mess with mental issues? Because someone should really tell him. The Lakers should immediately get his eyes checked and look into terminating his contract for indecent conduct.

This bit of news completely boggles the mind. You’re a ballplayer for chrissakes. Take a look at Tony Parker or Kobe Bryant. That’s how it’s done, Luke. And it’s not like you’re Sam Cassell, you can do a lot better than this. Hell, doing Sam Cassell might be better than Britney at this point. Throw it down, big man, throw it down.

By the way, do you want to know why we hate Britney so much? It’s because she completely let us down. How do you go from such a hot piece of tail to the chubby chick who works at Cinnabon right before our eyes. Every single cheeto, every milkshake, every white trash moment caught on camera. Just stop eating the damn cheetos! It’s like watching your team blow a 6.5 game lead with 12 to play.

Pics of Britney Spears looking extra super hot after the jump.

Links:
[SportsBy Brooks]: LUKE FEEDING BRITNEY BOUNCE PASS FOURS YEARS LATE?

Continue reading “Luke Walton has lost his damn mind”

Categories
MLB General

The Full Count: Guess who’s leading the NL West



Those ugly unis are working out

1. The best team you don’t know about: Many could tell you after the first week that the Braves have the best record in the majors (6-1 after a win over the Nats yesterday). But who has the second-best? Believe it or not it’s the Arizona Diamondbacks, who have won six straight games for a 7-2 record. Last night’s victory was an 11-inning contest against the Reds that featured five combined homers by both teams. The D-Backs got a key three-run shot by Chad Tracy in the first inning that answered Adam Dunn’s NL-leading 4th homer for the Reds. The teams traded homers until the 11th inning, when Scott Hariston doubled off David Weathers to provide the game-winning RBI. Arizona leads the division but San Diego and Los Angeles are looking good as well.

2. Welcome to Fenway: In their first home game this season, the Red Sox were completely dominant. They beat the Mariners 14-3, with seven of their runs coming in the first two innings. JD Drew hit his first homer as a member of the Red Sox, and was one of four players to have multiple RBIs in this contest. The most important performance was that of starting pitcher Josh Beckett, who is now 2-0 with a 1.50 ERA after striking out 8 in seven innings. The Sox are now 4-3 and tied with the Yankees and Blue Jays for the division lead.

3. No snow in Milwaukee: After getting snowed out for three straight days at Jacobs Field, the Indians were moved to Milwaukee for their current home series against the Angels. Surprisingly there were 19,000 people in the stands, about as much as the hometown Brewers usually draw. The Indians outlasted the Angels in this one 7-6, after a strong start by CC Sabathia was nearly ruined by the Tribe’s bullpen. The Angels scored a run in the ninth off Joe Borowski but their rally was ended after pinch-runner Erick Aybar was caught stealing. The Indians improved to 3-1, good enough for the division lead.

Player of the Day: Adrian Gonzalez, Padres: 3-5 with 2 homers and 4 RBIs in a loss to the Giants.

Stat of the Day: Alex Rodriguez has homered in 4 consecutive games, giving him 6 on the season. He has double the amount of homeruns of anyone else in the AL.

Quote of the Day: “I hope he arouses the fire that’s dormant in the innermost recesses of my soul. I plan to face him with the zeal of a challenger.” — Ichiro on tonight’s matchup with Dice-K.

Walk Off: The Cardinals starters look terrible on paper, but they are actually good enough to lead the team to a fourth consecutive division title. St. Louis has won 4 of their last 5 games despite only 21 runs during that stretch. If guys like Braden Looper and Adam Wainwright can continue their early success, this team will be dangerous in the playoffs once again.

Categories
NBA General

Around the Rim: The NBA’s call was too sweet to resist

Kevin Durant has millions of
reasons to leave his coach
and school behind.

1. The NBA hooks Durant
Kevin Durant was only at Texas for one year, but that was all it took for the 6-9 forward to become the elite of the Big 12 Conference, as well as the NCAA. Now, Durant has made his intentions public as he threw his hat into the NBA draft pool with the worst case scenario being selected as a second pick. There is no way that Durant can improve on his current standing as the recipient of every major national award while he rewrote the Texas record books. The only question left is if the nation’s other freshman phenom, Greg Oden, will be joining Durant in the upcoming draft. If Oden decides to make the jump, he will probably be selected first by most teams based on his defensive potential, but don’t get fooled into thinking that only the sorry teams will have a shot a the young `ens. Plenty of franchises will be dying to put together deals for this year’s exceptional cornerstone pieces.

2. NJ has pieces, just not the passion

The Nets have got to be one of the most pathetic franchises in recent history. Despite having a starting lineup that is stacked with three of the most athletic players the league has and being in a position where they are close to losing their current playoff spot, the Nets can’t put away the injury plagued Wizards until 30 seconds remain in the game. But regardless of the aesthetic quality of the win, the Nets still came out of the contest with a much needed victory and can now breathe a sigh of relief as it looks like they have virtually secured a post season berth. But if NJ is having trouble putting away a demolished Washington crew, how are they possibly going to handle a healthy Detroit, Cleveland, Toronto or Miami club? Easy answer, they’re not.

3. Bonsai! Bonzi bails
Bonzi Wells left the Rockets high and dry on Monday night when he simply didn’t show up for the team’s road game against the Sonics. Wells reportedly didn’t want to be a further distraction to the team and basically bailed on his boys without even telling his coach what was up. “He’s not here tonight. I don’t know where he’s at. I haven’t talked to him,” Van Gundy said. “I want to make sure he’s safe first.” Don’t worry coach, the only danger Wells faced was a possible brain freeze as he lounges back with some ice cream and a remote control. Wells had been in the dog house all season because of his lack of fitness after he was expected to be the X-factor for the Rockets. But now, he’s just destined to be an ex-Rocket.

Tuesday’s Player of the Day: Elton Brand @ New Orleans 45 min, 37 pts (FG: 15-23, FT: 7-9), 10 reb, 3 ast, 2 stl, 1 blk

Wednesday’s Game to Watch: Denver (41-36) @ Utah (48-29) The Nuggets have gained some late season momentum and are now rolling on a six game win streak as they prepare to unleash Carmelo Anthony and Allen Iverson on their playoff opponent. Utah on the other hand needs to grab a victory if they don’t want to be the victim of circumstance by winning their division but losing home-court advantage in the first round to Houston. The Jazz are the only team besides the Lakers in the West who are currently riding a losing streak. With four inexcusable losses over the past week, Utah is definitely due for a dominating performance and their 19-8 home record can only help their cause.

Buzzer Beater: Adam Morrison had a bit of a meltdown during the Bobcats 111-103 victory over the Heat in overtime on Sunday. But it wasn’t an on-court dumb decision that made Morrison look like a fool. No it was an on-bench hand gesture that got the rookie in hot water. Apparently some dude kept calling Morrison “white trash,” and eventually the cry baby, adolescent mustache sporting Morrison shot the bird to the heckler in the stands. The Charlotte big wigs fined Morrison $25,000 for his actions, but you can’t really blame Morrison for getting frustrated. However, you’d expect that he could handle the ribbing because with facial hair like his, teasing should be second nature by this point.