Author: clay

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General Sports

The Oscars just aren’t the Oscars without Best Sports Picture


The Oscars dominated the television landscape last night and to be quite honest, we were totally disappointed. Sure, No Country for Old Men and There Will Be Blood are decent flicks, but not even the “great” Daniel Day-Lewis can compete with the acting prowess of our favorite leading roles in the category of Best Sports Picture:

1) Michael Vick’s 101 Dead Dalmatians;

2) The Graduate: An inspirational masterpiece about the lone basketball player who got his degree under Bob Huggins;

3) The Way We Were: Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens reflect on their lives before their heads grew into pumpkins;

4) Sacks, Lies and Videotape: The Bill BeliCheat Story;

5) Apocalypse Now: What will happen if the Tampa Bay Rays ever finish with a winning record.

Links:

[SignOnSanDiego.com]: These movies deserve some Oscar consideration

Categories
Minnesota Vikings

Bryant McKinnie arrested after spitting and hitting


The Minnesota Vikings are at it again. Only this time, the good stuff is going down on dry land instead of on the Love Boat. Vikes tackle Bryant McKinnie went Street Fighter early Sunday morning, brawling outside of a Miami club. McKinnie found himself in the pokey as a result, arrested on counts of aggravated battery, disorderly conduct and resisting arrest without violence. Nice work, Bryant.

Authorities were called to Club Space after a fight broke out. McKinnie had been thrown out by a nightclub security guard and was arguing and spit on Eric Otero, according to a police report.

Otero, 32, said he wouldn’t press charges if McKinnie left. Authorities said the former University of Miami football player then went to a nearby strip club, but later returned to Club Space and fought with Otero again.

Miami Police found McKinnie “in the middle of a large crowd, throwing punches and again yelling obscenities,” according to the police report.

Police told McKinnie to stop. He refused and boarded a bus. The bus driver was ordered not to drive away.

McKinnie, who has been a staple on the Vikings offensive line since being drafted out of Miami in 2002, was arrested and bonded out for $9,000 at 2:25 p.m., Miami-Dade County Corrections Department spokeswoman Janelle Hall said.

It’s pretty impressive when you think about it. McKinnie has criminal charges against him on the ground and on the water, so the only place left for McKinnie to get into trouble is in the sky.

Links:

[AJC.com]: Viking’s tackle arrested after street fight

Categories
General Sports

Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens might be cheaters, but have you considered the alternatives?

Everybody is up in arms these days about steroids in professional sports, especially baseball. Now, we’re not condoning the use of illegal substances, but, in our opinion, it has gotten to a point where removing steroids and growth hormones and bull sperm or whatever else they use would actually be a disservice to the game. Just look at what happened to this L.A. Dodger after he gave up the juice.

Now, is that really so much better than guys looking like Shrek while jacking homers and throwing no-hitters?

Categories
Cleveland Cavaliers

Around the Rim: Cleveland rocks the trade deadline


1. Wheeling and dealing
LeBron James has been begging for some help for quite a while now and on Thursday, he finally got it; just not on offense. The Cavs were part of a three-team, 11-player trade right before the deadline, acquiring Ben Wallace, Joe Smith and a 2nd-round draft pick from the Bulls, along with Wally Szczerbiak and Delonte West from the Sonics. The move definitely helps Cleveland in the front court where Zydrunas Illgauskas and Wallace now roam on defense. Szczerbiak isn’t exactly the point guard LBJ was wanting, but his perimeter shooting will come in handy in the playoffs. Of course, the Cavs had to give up some players as well, sending Drew Gooden, Larry Hughes, Cedric Simmons and Shannon Brown to the Bulls and dealing Ira Newble and Donyell Marshall to the Sonics. Seattle also received Adrian Griffin from the Chicago. The bad news for Cleveland fans is they won’t get to see their complete new-look team anytime soon because Daniel Gibson is out for four to six weeks with an ankle injury.

2. Manu Ginobili pours in the points

San Antonio and Minnesota put on a show last night, going down to the wire before Manu Ginobili stole the show. Ginobili finished with 44 points, including the game winner to knock off the ever-improving T-Wolves 100-99. Manu was on fire in the contest, connecting on 13-of-18 shots, including 7-of-9 from behind the arc. But that wasn’t the best news of the night for the defending champs because Tony Parker finally returned to the lineup after missing a nice chunk of time with a foot/heel injury. Mr. Longoria had a decent showing in 18 minutes off the bench, scoring eight points while Tim Duncan was a stat sheet stuffer, recording 24 points, 14 boards, seven assists, three steals and four blocks. Al Jefferson continues to impress, even in defeat, scoring 28 points in his matchup versus one of the league’s best defenders.

3. Red hot Rockets
Shawn Marion is still looking for his first win in a Miami uniform after Houston denied the Matrix for the fourth time since the trade. However, the Heat had a shot late, but couldn’t pull it out, losing 112-110 in Houston. Yao Ming (21 pts) and Tracy McGrady (23 pts) lifted the Rockets to their 10th consecutive victory while dropping the Heat to their 10th consecutive loss. Looking at the bigger picture, Houston has won 14 of their last 15 games which is good enough for seventh in a loaded Western Conference. But the two-point victory wasn’t the only noise Houston made on Thursday. The Rockets were involved in a trade that sent Mike James and Bonzi Wells to New Orleans for Bobby Jackson and Adam Haluska while simultaneously receiving Gerald Green from Minnesota for Kirk Snyder.

Thursday’s Player of the Day: Manu Ginobili @ Minnesota 38 min, 44 pts (FG: 13-18, 3FG: 7-9, FT: 11-12), 3 reb, 4 ast, 1 stl

Friday’s Game to Watch: Boston (41-11) @ Phoenix (37-17)
Nobody could have predicted at this time last year that Kevin Garnett would be sporting Celtic green or that Shaquille O’Neal would be calling himself the “Big Cactus.” But here we are and both are a reality. Better yet, this could be a preview of the NBA Finals. Boston has been rolling all year long, especially against the West where they just received their first two losses against the conference this year in back-to-back games. Three in a row is a defiantly possibility as the new look Suns try to get Shaq his first win in the desert. Of course, the real matchup we want to see is Garnett versus Amare Stoudemire. It wouldn’t be a surprise at all to see each of them score 30 and grab 15 boards. Star power is not an issue at all in this game as it will look last weekend in New Orleans when they tip tonight. The only difference is Shaq and Garnett will be on the court.

Buzzer Beater: Greg Oden must be getting really, really bored sitting on the sidelines this season. In fact, he’s resorted to self mutilation to kill the free time. Last night when Seattle and Portland hooked up in the Rose Garden, Oden was spotted on the bench sporting a brand new Mohawk haircut

Categories
All Other Sports

Chicken egg, corner pocket

If you ever run across this chicken in a pool hall, DO NOT play for money. She’s a hustler and you’ve been warned.

Hey, at least you’re in know now. We lost $250 to the little plucker!

Categories
Kansas City Chiefs

Move over Gallagher, Larry Johnson might be bursting onto the comedy scene


If you happen to be in Kansas City tonight and you’re in the mood for a few laughs then you might want to consider dropping by the Robert Frazier Gallery of Art for “Late Night Laughter in the City” which is meant to honor Black History Month. Wondering who the main attraction is? Well, luckily it’s not Larry the Cable Guy or Bob Knight. Instead, you just might get a glimpse of the Chiefs Larry Johnson doing another spot-on Herm Edwards impersonation. No lie.

The event, which is being co-chaired by Johnson and city councilman Terry Riley, will feature an art exhibit and an open mike night hosted by comic Elliott Threatt.

“It’s my understanding that if Terry goes on stage, Larry has to as well,” said Carrie Stapleton of the public-relations firm Phillips-West, which is presenting the event.

“That’s the agreement between them. People probably don’t know that Larry is an artist as well, and we’re hoping he’ll have a piece of his art work to put on display there. (Former Chief) Pellom McDaniels already has two or three pieces at the gallery.

Hmmm, we’re wondering if he’s going to open his set with his oh so hilarious rap about his team.

Can I come back? Can I come back? And if ya’ll don’t pay my money I ain’t never comin’ back. So f*ck dat.

They say should I be scared cuz Pri-Ho (presumably Priest Holmes) coming back, he embarrassing himself. So I’m a say it, I’m a leave it like that. Cuz I’m the n____ runnin this mutherf*cker here.

F*ck Carl Peterson, the GM is running it. They see me. They want to treat me like I’m running it. I wouldn’t give a f*ck if I’m not coming back. I’d rather play for another team because I’d rather be a running back.

Links:

[KansasCity.com]: Larry Johnson could have a stand-up comedy routine at gallery tonight

Categories
Florida Panthers

Richard Zednik is one tough hombre


Richard Zednik spoke to the media for the first time since his horrific, neck-slashing accident almost two weeks ago, stating he’s ready to get back on the ice. It’s some pretty impressive stuff considering it looked like he might not even make it out of the arena alive as he left a river of blood in his path following the injury.

I want everyone to know that I am recovering and feeling well and hope to return to the ice as soon as I feel medically fit,” he said.

Zednik lost five pints of blood when he was accidentally sliced by the skate of teammate Olli Jokinen in a game against the Sabres.

The 32-year-old forward said he barely felt the skate slice into his carotid artery, but with blood gushing from his neck he knew he was in trouble. “I was like, Whoa. I knew I had to get to the bench.”

He said it felt “like being stabbed and quickly realized it was serious”.

He was discharged from Buffalo General Hospital a week ago and returned to South Florida. Zednik wants to play again as soon as possible, but it’s doubtful he’ll return this season.

Zednik said, “I was cut before on my face and I didn’t feel it. This time it wasn’t a cut, it was like a stab. I felt like somebody stabbed me. It wasn’t the pain, it was more like ‘What’s going to happen?

Don’t worry, you weren’t the only person who felt like that. We believe the entire world was wondering about your fate. We don’t pretend to be some huge hockey followers, but we are thrilled to hear of Zednik’s recovery and we guarantee we’ll be watching in awe when he returns to the ice for the first time.

Links:

[CBS4.com]: Panthers’ Zednik: “I Can’t Wait To Be Back On Ice”

Categories
Soccer

Finally, we have a reason to be interested in soccer

We’ve heard of parkour. And we’ve heard of soccer. But parkour soccer???? You gotta see this!

Categories
Phoenix Suns

Around the Rim: Same ol’ faces in new places


1. Shaq’s back
Shaquille O’Neal finally made his Phoenix debut on Wednesday night in a great game versus his old Lakers squad. Unfortunately, Kobe Bryant didn’t give a flip about his old running mate’s coming out party. Bryant exploded for 41 points to help Los Angeles knock off the Suns 130-124. Shaq finished with 15 points and nine rebounds in 29 minutes and looked surprisingly good. He was even diving for loose balls and running down court on fast break opportunities. All in all, it was a pretty nice debut for the “Big Cactus.” However, someone who always has nice games for Phoenix is Shaq’s understudy, Amare Stoudemire. In the loss, Stoudemire had a monster of a game, scoring 37 and grabbing 15 boards.

2. Some things never change

Jason Kidd didn’t win very many games in his first stint with Dallas. Obviously, today’s Mavs are just a little better, but to Kidd it was déjà vu all over again as the Hornets ran past Dallas 104-93. Kidd recorded eight points, five assists, six rebounds and six turnovers in the defeat, but Dirk Nowitizki managed to put up a nice performance of 31 points and eight rebounds. However, nothing could top Chris Paul’s output on this night. Paul had 31 points of his own to go with 11 assists, five rebounds and nine steals. Kidd might be the future of Dallas, but Paul proved he’s the point guard of the future.

3. Baron beats the buzzer
Boston was perfect against the Western Conference until the other night when they fell to Denver in Kevin Garnett’s return to the lineup. Now, thanks to Baron Davis’ buzzer-beater, you can make that two consecutive losses for the Cs. Davis buried a jumper with .3 seconds remaining to give his Warriors a 119-117 win at home. The point guard scored 29 in the contest while dishing out six assists and grabbing six boards. Monta Ellis had 26 to compliment Davis. For Boston, KG did what he could with a typical double-double of 17 points and 15 boards and he got plenty of help from Paul Pierce (23 pts) and Ray Allen (32 pts), but Davis just wouldn’t let Garnett pick up his first win since healing his injury.

Wednesday’s Player of the Day: LeBron James @ Indiana 43 min, 31 pts (FG: 11-22, 3FG: 1-5, FT: 8-12), 14 reb, 12 ast, 2 stl, 1 blk

Thursday’s Game to Watch: None
Don’t even bother watching any of the crummy games tonight. If anything, just tune into Inside the NBA. We guarantee it will be more entertaining than the on court action.

Buzzer Beater: New York fans were loosening up their vocal chords again on Wednesday, screaming for Isiah Thomas’ head once again as the Knicks were humiliated by the Sixers, losing by 40 points, 124-84. Frankly, we still don’t understand why Zeke has a job. Then again, they are the Knicks and it probably doesn’t matter who you stick into the head coaching seat – they are still going to look awful. Unless NY can pull off a Boston Celtics type trade and get LeBron James or Kobe Bryant before the trade deadline then you can expect at least a few more 35+ point losses this season.

Categories
College Basketball

We’ve heard of blood on the ice, but chunks on the court is a first for us

A funny thing happened before halftime of the Maryland/Virginia Tech basketball game last night. With under a minute remaining in the opening period, Hokies freshman Dorenzo Hudson barfed all over the court while Maryland was at the charity stripe. We could go into detail about the whole thing, but you know what they say: a picture is worth a thousand words. So, a moving picture must be worth about a thousand “ewwwwww, grosses”.

But some great things came out of this, mainly quotes. Here’s a sample of the responses Dan Steinber of D.C. Sport Bog picked up at the game.

THAT’S DIS-GUS-TING,” the student section began chanting.” …

“I got a whiff of it,” confirmed Maryland fan Russ Dlin, seated in the front row. “It smelled like puke, is what it smelled like.”

Others were more descriptive, and again, feel free to look away.

“I thought he got hit by a drink,” said Gary Harraka, also from the front row. “It just went squirting out. It was pretty disgusting.”

“He was going into his shirt, but it was still flying up,” said senior Greg Weller.

“He was holding his mouth and it sprayed up in the air,” said senior Dan O’Keefe.

“It sprayed at least two feet in the air,” agreed senior Clark Johnson.

“That was mostly liquid, though,” Weller chimed in. “First he blew out mostly chunks right there, then when he started covering up it started deflecting off his shirt.”…

“I was on the bench but I seen him lean back and I was like, ‘Aww, mannnn,’ ” Deron Washington said. “It was more funny than gross. We was laughing. I couldn’t focus for a few minutes ’cause he did that….That’s a first time for me. It was pretty hilarious….I started laughing, then I started getting a little queasy, but we just started clowning him after that.”

Oh, and Thorns did tell Kilgore what the pre-game meal was. “Same thing we always have,” he said: “steak, mashed potatoes, macaroni and cheese.

Links:

[D.C. Sports Bog]: Terps Gag, Hokies Puke: The Story