Categories
New England Patriots

After being on the injury report all season long, NOW Tom Brady’s injury is for real?!


We’re not going to call Tom Brady and Randy Moss sore losers, but what a couple of titty babies!! The duo were all laughs and smiles, cracking jokes and taking jabs at the Giants going into Sunday’s super shocking Super Bowl, but after a 17-14 loss and an abrupt detour off the road to perfection, the record-setting scoring threats pulled out of the Pro Bowl.

Brady’s excuse stems from “Boot Gate”, claiming his tender ankle took a pounding from the Giants defense. Apparently Moss is learning more than just routes from his quarterback because he is also citing an injured ankle, not a broken heart, for his inability to attend the Pro Bowl on Feb. 10.

Now, we know other players skipped out on the All-Star tradition – in fact, we’re surprised anyone would go to this stupid thing – but the timing of this whole thing just stinks to us. And, as usual, it’s the fans that get screwed in the end. Now, instead of seeing the greatest offensive `one-two punch’ in NFL history, fans are treated to seeing Chad Johnson and Derek Anderson.

Ocho-Cinco can be entertaining as hell, but it’s going to take a lot of oversized Hall of Fame jackets to make up for the absence of Brady and Moss.

Links:

[The Canadian Press]: Brady and Moss pull out of Pro Bowl a day after loss to Giants in Super Bowl

Categories
NFL General

Terry Bradshaw sets the stage for a good ol’ "That’s what she said"

When we first heard that Terry Bradshaw dropped an F-bomb during the Super Bowl pregame show, we were like “Whoa! Dude! How’d we miss that?” Then we realized that FOX‘s coverage started at like 3:30 a.m., so then we were like “Whoa! Dude! How’d we miss that?” *Sigh* We really have no lives.

Hey, it could have been a whole lot worse.

Categories
Soccer

Steve Nash makes an impulse buy, invests in women’s soccer league


Even David Beckham couldn’t breathe life into soccer in America, but that’s not going to stop Steve Nash from trying. The two-time NBA MVP is using his deep pockets in an attempt to put the Women’s Professional Soccer league on the map.

Nash and former Yahoo president Jeff Mallett will provide some startup money for the league, which hopes to begin operations in 2009 in eight American cities. An official announcement is expected Tuesday.

“I’m investing more blindly and on passion,” Nash told the St. Louis Business Journal. “I want to watch the games and go out and support [the league].”

Soccer is in Nash’s blood – his father used to play professionally in South Africa.

“Whether I see a return on my investment or not, I’m excited to give it a go and see what impact it can have on young girls in inspiring them to reach for the best,” the Phoenix Suns guard told the paper.

Might sound like a long shot, but everybody thought the guy was crazy when he bolted from Dallas for Phoenix. Minus the brutal post season disappointments year after year after year, that turned out all right for Nashty.

Links:

[NationalPost.com]: Nash to invest in U.S. women’s soccer league

Categories
College Basketball

Candace Parker’s dunk gets lost amongst Super Bowl coverage

Candace Parker dunked again on Sunday. We’re figuring this is the first you’ve heard of it because of the incessant Super Bowl coverage that went late into the night after getting rolling when the rooster crowed. So, here’s the latest edition to CP3’s jam collection.

We’re not going to say that was the most graceful dunk of all time, but the girl still has more hops than 7-foot-7 Kenny George.

Categories
New York Giants

David Tyree grabs SB play of the game honors or at least pins it to his helmet for a first down

It’s not a dream. The New York Giants are the winners of Super Bowl XLII! And so what if Plaxico Burress’ prediction was a few points off!

About ¾ of the game can be thrown out of your mental memory bank in order to preserve room for all those memories of bikinis and coco butter from your last youthful spring break to Cozumel. But make sure you keep that fourth quarter inside the ol’ noggin because that was something special. A Manning miracle, you might say. We’ve watched enough football over the years to know that games are never won or lost on a single play but, you might as well put a cape on David Tyree because he saved the day with this whacky snag.

Easily one of the most sensational plays in S.B. history; however, we’re a little bitter towards Tyree because of his play. Primarily because it revived Mercury Morris and the rest of the population of Perfectville from potential obscurity. We weren’t exactly looking forward to hearing about the Patriots “pursuit of perfection” for the remainder of our lives, but, damn, we’re getting to the point of physical nausea after 36 years of Dolphins reunions/celebrations when the final unbeaten goes down.

Categories
LA Lakers

Around the Rim: Kobe + Pau = Kapow!

1. Gasol watches as Bryant shows off
Just because the Lakers traded for Pau Gasol doesn’t mean they need him; at least, not against the Wizards. Kobe Bryant exploded upon tipoff, scoring 19 points in the first quarter and leading Los Angeles to a 30-15 lead after 12 minutes. By the end of the game, Bryant scored 30 points and the Lakers left D.C. with a 103-91 victory. Gasol was picked up on Friday, but Lakers coach Phil Jackson isn’t rushing the former All-Star into the lineup, choosing instead to let Gasol get some practice team with the team first while simultaneously healing a nagging injury. Antawn Jamison finished with 21 points and 11 rebounds while Caron Butler scored 15 in defeat.

2. Bad Boy beatdown

The Mavericks are trying to catch up with the Hornets in the Southwest Division, but Detroit didn’t do Dallas any favors on Sunday, whooping them by 23 points, 90-67. The Mavericks were pathetic on offense, scoring just 29 points in the entire second half. Perhaps the Pistons defense played a role in Dallas’ defeat. Detroit held the Mavs to 23-of-76 from the field (2-14 3FG) while stealing five balls and blocking eight shots. Rasheed Wallace recorded four blocks to go with 21 points and nine rebounds. Dirk Nowitzki shot three-of-18 from the field, including missing all five of his three-point attempts and he didn’t do much better on defense. In fact, Sheed let the entire Dallas bench know exactly what he thought of Dirk’s Irk’s defense, yelling “He can’t guard me!” after dropping a bucket on Nowitzki’s head.

3. Somebody’s gonna have one heck of a 4th of July this year
There were plenty of fireworks on the court for the Pistons on Sunday, but it didn’t matter how badly Detroit spanked Dallas, the team would still be looking for more.

Officials say a trailer has been stolen that was carrying pyrotechnics to be set off before the Detroit Pistons game against the Dallas Mavericks at The Palace of Auburn Hills.

The theft was discovered Sunday morning by employees of Windsor, Ontario-based Band-Ayd Systems International Inc. at a company facility in Warren.

Band-Ayd President Nino De Benedetti says the trailer contains about $75,000 worth of pyrotechnics and gear, and the trailer itself is worth $8,000. The trailer held liquid propane and noisemaking devices.

The company is offering a $5,000 reward for the return of the equipment, no questions asked.

Sunday’s Player of the Day: Rasheed Wallace vs. Dallas 34 min, 21 pts (FG: 9-18, 3FG: 3-4), 9 reb, 3 ast, 1 stl, 4 blk

Monday’s Game to Watch: New Orleans (32-14) @ Utah (30-18)
Utah was slipping down a slippery slope a month or so ago, but that was before they signed Kyle Korver. Since Korver and his deadeye from behind the arc joined the Jazz, they have won 14 of their last 16 games, including their current eight game winning streak. The Hornets know all about winning streaks, but recently they’ve been getting an education of losing spells. After winning 17-of-19 games and earning the best record in the Western Conference, the Hornets lost their last two games, allowing Phoenix to slide into the top spot. New Orleans has been stewing over their pair of defeats since Friday and should be ready to make a statement against the hottest team in the NBA.

Buzzer Beater: To Americans, when the Rockets and the Bucks get together it serves as a perfect opportunity to clear a few hours of American Idol off their DVRs. But to China, it is must see TV. An estimated 200 million people tuned in on Saturday evening to watch the Rockets escape Milwaukee with a 91-83 victory. The main attractions were rather mundane as Yao Ming finished with 12 points and 12 rebounds while Yi Jianlian went one-of-10 from the field for six points and seven rebounds.

Categories
General Sports

T.G.I.P. – Thank goodness it’s painful

It’s Friday and that means the week is winding down and the weekend is just getting fired up. So, here’s a little something to get your spirits up while you wait for those final hours of the work week to tick-tock off the clock.

And just like that, four minutes closer to freedom.

Categories
NFL General

Isn’t sexy NFL coach an oxymoron?


There is no doubt about who the sexiest man in the NFL is. It’s Tom Brady with his twinkling eyes, tanned skin, flowing locks and rugged good looks. Uh, at least that’s what the ladies tell us. But have you ever wondered who the sexiest coach in the NFL is? Bill Belichick? Nope. Wade Phillips? Negative. Mike Holmgren? Tony Sparano? Andy Reid? Tom Coughlin? No, no, no and hell no.

Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin is the sexiest coach prowling the NFL sidelines, according to Victoria’s Secret.

The company has an annual “What Is Sexy List” in various categories. This year, because Victoria’s Secret has its first Super Bowl commercial since 1999, it decided to do an NFL sexy list.

A Victoria’s Secret panel looked at factors including general attractiveness and charisma, and when it came to coaches, Tomlin came out on top.

In case you’re wondering, rumor has it Stan Van Gundy and George Karl are neck and neck in the NBA’s equivalent. The winner joins Frank Layden, Dennis Rodman, Kurt Rambis and Popeye Jones in the NBA’s Sexy Hall of Fame.

Links:

[Post-Gazette.com]: Tomlin `sexiest coach’ in NFL

Categories
General Sports

The dark side of Chris Berman

Outside of John Madden, Chris Berman has the most recognizable face and voice in all of NFL television coverage. He’s been a staple of ESPN for decades now and his “whaaaap” and car crash sound effects are things of legend. Of course, he’s also one of the most annoying men to ever strap on a microphone and his gimmickry is killing the NFL, but when it comes down to showtime, he’s a professional through and through. Yup; cool, calm, collected and professional. That’s the Swami.

Good to know we’re not the only ones with a `close your eyes and rub your temples’ kind of feeling when he’s in studio.

Links:

[The Wizard of Odds]: Chris Berman Goes Crazy

Categories
New Orleans Hornets

Around the Rim: All-Star reserve reservations


1. 2nd best in the west
The backups for the 2008 All-Star game were revealed on Thursday with a bunch of Hornets and Suns warming the bench for the starting five. Chris Paul and David West were named All-Stars for the first time in their career after helping New Orleans shock the NBA with its meteoric rise to contender status. From Phoenix, Steve Nash and Amare Stoudemire make their yearly pilgrimage to the game. The rest of the bench is rounded out by Carlos Boozer, Dirk Nowitzki and Brandon Roy. It’s a pretty formidable backup attack if you ask us, but we’re curious to know what the coaches were thinking when they decided to leave Marcus Camby off the squad. West is having a great season, but the team could use a rebounding, shot blocking, defensive machine down the stretch should the game be close. Allen Iverson, Kobe Bryant and Carmelo Anthony are already on the squad; how many points do you really need?

2. Sub snub?

Kevin Garnett is the veteran anchor of the Eastern Conference All-Stars and Celtics teammate Paul Pierce was named to the reserve roster on Thursday, but conspicuous by his absence was Ray Allen. Normally the coaches are all a twitter to reward the best team in the league by trying to cram as many players into the game as possible, but that wasn’t the case. Allen missed the cut while Chauncey Billups, Chris Bosh, Caron Butler, Richard Hamilton, Antawn Jamison and Joe Johnson got the nod. We really can’t argue too much with the lineup because, after all, it is the East and all their super duper stars are already in the starting five. Other than Allen, we’d have to take a long hard look at Jose Calderon who has stepped up in a big, big way since T.J. Ford went down.

3. Cs win again
The Celtics are starting to get used to playing without the Big Ticket and that’s bad news for the rest of the league. Most expected Boston to crumble without Kevin Garnett leading the troops, but Ray Allen and Paul Pierce know the battle plans well enough to roll over the Mavericks without their general. More importantly, some of the non `big three’ are getting quality minutes to shine in Garnett’s absence. Allen and Pierce scored 26 points apiece while Rajon Rondo finished with 14 points and 12 rebounds, continuing Boston’s undefeated streak against the West. James Posey literally stole the show in the final seconds with a game-clinching steal to seal a 96-90 victory. Dirk Nowitzki had a great game with 31 points, 11 rebounds and six assists for the Mavericks who, on paper, were the better team statistically across the board except in turnovers where they gave up five more than the Beantowners, including Posey’s shinning moment. The Dallas loss also handed the Western Conference All-Star coaching gig to Hornets coach Byron Scott.

Thursday’s Player of the Day: Dirk Nowitzki @ Boston 42 min, 31 pts (FG: 10-21, 3FG: 1-3, FT: 10-10), 11 reb, 6 ast, 3 blk

Friday’s Game to Watch: Los Angeles Lakers (28-16) @ Toronto (25-20)
The logic behind selecting this game as the reason you should sit in front of your television on a Friday night is simple to follow: We like seeing players score points. Kobe Bryant likes to score points (39 against Detroit on Thursday). And against Toronto, Bryant really, REALLY likes to score points. Last season Kobe averaged 28 points a game against the Raptors and two seasons ago, after scoring a meager 11 points in an early season blowout, Bean exploded for 81 in front of Jack and all his friends. And if you’re a Toronto fan then you should be in for a treat because Chris Bosh plays his best ball on Fridays, averaging 24.9 points, 10.0 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.0 block.

Buzzer Beater: Remember last year’s second round matchup between San Antonio and Phoenix? Well, Thursday night’s game between the two was just as highly contested and physical as the playoff confrontation, but Steve Nash’s beak stayed blood free all night long. Phoenix allowed a healthy lead to slip through their fingers in the fourth quarter and the clubs traded huge baskets for the final two minutes before San Antonio slipped out of the desert with a much needed 84-81 road win. Amare Stoudemire had an opportunity to tie the game via an old fashioned three-point play with less than 10 seconds remaining, but missed his free throw, allowing Manu Ginobili to sink a pair of free throws for the final score. Even without Tony Parker in uniform, the struggling Spurs still own the Suns. Can you say confidence builder?