Author: Vin

Vin is a Philly boy who shouldn't be invited into your house because he'll judge you on your book and music collection. He owns Dawkins, Utley, Iverson, and Lindros jerseys, which is all you really need to know about him. He can be reached at [email protected].

Categories
General Sports

The top celebrity fans

There is nothing more deplorable than bandwagon fans (e.g. 95% of Cowboys fans), which is why Jack Nicholson topping this list of celebrity fans from ESPN is particularly despicable.

Nicholson is a fraud who was born and raised in New York City. He should be rooting for the Knicks yet he is the major celebrity face in a town where the only reason celebrities go to games is to be seen. The Lakers getting knocked out of the playoffs early saved us from watching Jim Gray fellate Jack Nicholson at every break.

Before we continue, here is a little rant on bandwagon fans. There is absolutely no reason why anyone should root for a team other than the one that’s closest to their geographic area. So for example, if you were raised in Philly and root for the Dolphins, you should be shot. But if live in Topeka, KS, you should be able to root for any team within driving distance. Bandwagon fans should be rounded up and beaten.

However, there are a few exceptions to this rule.

  1. Your father is a die-hard ____ fan and is passing it down.
  2. If you move somewhere as a kid, you are allowed to adopt the team of your new city.
  3. If you move somewhere as an adult, you can start rooting for a team with no divisional/conference/league if they are absolutely terrible. (The Billy Crystal rule.)
  4. If your team moves to another city, you are allowed to make a decision on whether to continue to root for that team or wait till your city gets a team again. (e.g. Baltimore Colts / Ravens)
  5. Your favorite player gets traded away and your old team is now dead to you. (Allowed 1 per lifetime.)

Now… back to the celebrities list. Surprisingly, a lot of celebrities have good ties to their teams of choice. Here are some of our favorites:

#2 Spike Lee: Spike is often thought of as the Jack of the East Coast but he was raised in NYC and is a staple at Knicks games even during the past few years while Isiah Thomas ruined the team so he is OK by us.
#5 Ashley Judd: Judd is hot and is a Kentuckian who loves her Wildcats. And we love her.
#8 Billy Crystal: His movies may no longer be funny but Billy gets our vote because he had season tickets to the Clippers when they were the worst team on the planet.
#19 Jerry Seinfeld: Jerry should be higher on this list. As a matter of fact, he probably should be #1. Not only is he a NY native, he calls into sports radio to discuss the Mets.
#21 Drew Carey: No one represents Cleveland like Drew Carey. He set his TV show in a city no one else would and had numerous references to the Browns and Indians.
#25 Will Smith: Big Willy Style grew up in Overbrook (also the name of his production company) and was representing the Eagles, Sixers, and Phillies as far back as his Fresh Prince of Bel-Air days.
#27 Matthew McConaughey: That’s what he loves about these University of Texas girls, man. He gets older, they stay the same age.
#48 Darius Rucker: Made one of the dumbest videos ever where the band played catch with Dan Marino. It had nothing to do with the song. Then we thought about it and realized that if you’re gonna make a shitty video, at least get the chance to play catch with Dan Marino.

Categories
MLB General

The Full Count: Dunn powers Reds



Photo from Cincypost

1. Well Dunn: Adam Dunn has been jacking homeruns left and right lately, but many have come in losses. He hit 4 homeruns over the course of the Reds’ 5-game losing streak, all solo shots. On Wednesday he finally hit a homer that mattered, a 11th-inning, 3-run shot that lifted the Reds over the Brewers. Dunn’s homer drove in the only runs for either side in this unexpected pitching duel. Now he has 23 blasts on the year, second in the majors. Unfortunately, Dunn’s usual problem, batting average, has plagued him once again. He is hitting just .239, down from even his pitiful career average of .247. If Dunn can mix some contact hitting with his superb power, we could be seeing a special player.

2. Coming out: Before the 2005 season, many expected Twins first baseman Justin Morneau to become a star. Nope. He hit just .239 with 22 homers and 79 RBIs. But this year, he is having a marvelous season, with 15 homers, 51 RBIs, and a .521 slugging average. He has delivered the punch that the usually powerless Twins need, leading the team in both power categories. Yesterday he helped the Twins to a 8-1 win over the Red Sox, with a grand slam. Morneau wasn’t the only Twin to continue a hot streak. Jason Kubel, who was called up from the minors just three weeks ago, followed up Tuesday’s game winning homer with a 2-run shot. Kubel has 4 homers and 14 RBIs now since being called up, and should be a part of the Twins’ lineup for the rest of the year if he continues this kind of performance. Minnesota has now won five of their past six games and is tied with Cleveland for third place.

3. The new class of the NL: Hand over the reigns, St. Louis Cardinals. The new best team in the National League, at least for now, is the New York Mets. The Mets have blown by opponents with their unbelievable lineup and better-than-expected pitching staff. They are on a 7-game winning streak, and after last night’s win over the Phillies are ahead by 8.5 in the NL East. This is by far the farthest lead any team has in their division a parity-filled year for baseball. Last night, the Beltran-Delgado-Wright middle of the order proved tough once again. They combined to go 6-12 with 6 RBIs and a homerun by Wright. Each player has been on fire lately, and each right now is a candidate for NL MVP. Who knows if they can hold this up, but with the Braves completely out of the picture, it chould be smooth sailing for the New York Mets.

4. It’s personal: Randy Johnson was in the middle of one of his best outings of the year when, well, he got thrown out of the game. After Yankees catcher Jorge Posada was plunked in the sixth inning, both benches were warned. But that didn’t stop Johnson from throwing inside to Eduardo Perez, narrowly missing his elbow. Johnson and manager Joe Torre were promptly ejected, but the Yankees crowd still chanted in approval. Johnson pitched six innings and allowed only 1 run, and the Yanks beat the Indians 6-1.

5. Interleague time!: Interleague play has been on hiatus since mid-May, but it returns this Friday. Unfortunately, the matchups aren’t all that exciting. There are only three series between teams with winning records. The Diamondbacks and the Rangers square off, the White Sox take on the Reds, and the Dodgers face the A’s. Otherwise, there’s not too much to get excited about unless an interesting team is coming to a ballpark near you (the Tigers go to Wrigley, the Red Sox travel to Atlanta, and the Yankees go to DC). The coming weeks will bring on better games, as the White Sox play the Cardinals, the Phillies go to Boston, and the Mets face the Blue Jays, among others.

Categories
Golf

June 15 in sports history: Jack Nicklaus sets a record



sweet pants

In 1980: Jack Nicklaus shot a 72 hole record-low total of 272 (since tied three times) at Baltusrol GC in New Jersey to win his fourth U.S. Open. The Golden Bear, winner of 18 majors, also set the record for the lowest under par score with at -8 (now owned by Tiger Woods at -12).

In 1901 and 1980: The highest and lowest ever total scores to win a U.S. Open golf championship in the modern era were both established on June 15.

In 1901: Willie Anderson fired a 331 over 72 holes to win the 1901 event in a playoff at the Myopia Hunt Club in Massachusetts. Anderson won a total of four national golf championships, including three in a row from 1903-1905. No word on whether his drinking buddies called him “Flipper.”

In 1938: Johnny Vander Meer of the Cincinnati Reds establishes perhaps the most unbreakable record in baseball as he tosses his second consecutive no-hitter. Vander Meer, who held the Boston Braves hitless four days earlier, struck out seven Brooklyn Dodgers (and walked eight) in a 6-0 Reds victory. The Reds rookie did not give up a hit for 21.2 innings. The game against the Dodgers was also the first night game in Ebbets Field history. Vander Meer, despite his early success, finished with only a 119-121 career record. (baseballalmanac.com)

Categories
College Basketball

Odds and Ends (06.14.06): More bad news for JJ Redick

On top of his DUI charge, there is a report that Redick failed a physical in Orlando and might need surgery and will be out for an extended period because of a back problem. His agent, Arm Tellem refused to comment on the report and instead issued a statement that Redick will be taken anywhere from 7 to 14 in the draft.

In other news…

[Can’t Stop the Bleeding]: This guy is kidding right?

[ESPN]: Roethlisberger was warned in writing last year that he might jeopardize portions of his contract, and could suffer financial implications if he continued to ride a motorcycle.

[AZ Central]: Police arrested 40 Polish fans ahead of Wednesday’s World Cup match between Germany and Poland

[CNN]: Two Thai fans killed for cheering too loudly while watching World Cup game

[MLB.com]: Wrigley Bullpen goes wireless so pitchers can get up to the minute updates on how far out of first they are

[mbotrell.com]: Active Players In R.B.I Baseball, Tecmo Bowl, & Tecmo Super Bowl

Categories
Detroit Tigers

Tiger on the lam



choke artist

An arrest warrant was issued yesterday for Tigers DH Dmitri Young. Young failed to show up for a pre-trial hearing on a domestic violence charge where he is accused of choking a 21-year-old woman in Toledo. Young’s lawyer claimed he had a medical emergency and was out of state but the judge demanded proof from a legitimate medical facility.

Young was placed on the 15 day DL on 5/22. The Tigers said that the warrant would not affect Young’s status with the club and added “cause we’re in first place, bitch!”. That last part was made up…

Dmitri is the older brother of Delmon Young, a Tampa Bay prospect who was suspended 50 games for throwing a bat at an umpire. The Young family must be very proud.

Links:
[Detroit Free Press]: Young, attorney no-shows at hearing; judge wants explanation

Categories
Soccer

Croatian fan runs on to the field during match with Brazil

During the Brazil-Croatia match yesterday, a fan wearing a Croatian jersey and blue jeans jumped over a 2 foot moat, eluded security and ran on to the field…sorry, pitch. The man was charged with trespassing and for bodily harm because he hit a steward. He will also be banned from future World Cup matches and fined $1,200.

A Croatian forward calmly escorted him off the field to waiting security. The saving grace is that he was fully clothed and we weren’t subjected to an ugly naked man with a casino domain written on his ass.

They should award a point to the team that hits a fan who runs on the field in the head with the ball and extra points for knocking him out. That would increase ratings at least 1000%.

Two flares also went off in the Croatian section of the stadium even though security had confiscated 823 flares from spectators. There was no way the Croatians were going to beat Brazil who haven’t lost an opening game match since the dawn of time, so the fans decided to have a little extra fun.

Links:
[Boston Herald]: Fan on field exposes flaws in security net

Categories
General Sports

June 13 2006 episode of Poor Man’s PTI

Welcome to another episode of Poor Man’s PTI. If you’d like to be a guest on the podcast (which is recorded Tuesday nights) or you want to suggest a topic, drop us a line at [email protected].

You can download this week’s podcast directly (running time 37 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:

  • The World Cup: seeding the tournament / what if our best athletes played soccer?
  • Ben Roethlisberger’s motorcycle accident
  • JJ Redick’s DUI / druken athletes
  • Top 10 American breasts
  • Baseball
  • Upcoming SC football contests

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
New York Rangers

June 14 in sports history: Rangers win the Stanley Cup



End of the drought

In 1994: Hockey fans outside of the Big Apple were denied the opportunity of continuing one of the greatest taunts in sports history: the “NINETEEN-FOUR-TEE!” chant, as the New York Rangers won their first Stanley Cup since 1940. The Rangers, led by captain Mark Messier, defeated the upstart Vancouver Canucks 3-2 in the seventh game of the Stanley Cup Finals at Madison Square Garden. It was one of the best finals series ever, as each contest wasn’t decided until late. Messier– as he’d been the entire playoffs–was the hero, scoring what proved to be the game-winning goal in the third period. Canucks’ fans watching the game back in Vancouver expressed their disappointment in losing by rioting in the streets. New Yorkers were just too relieved. Brian Leetch of the Rangers was named playoff MVP.

In 1998: Michael Jordan hit the game-winning jumper with 5.2 seconds left as the Chicago Bulls won their sixth title in eight years by defeating the Utah Jazz 87-86 in Game 6 of the NBA Finals at the Delta Center. Jordan, who took home his record sixth Finals MVP, finished with 45 points and had a key steal off Karl Malone, which led to sinking the signature jumper. The shot was controversial in Utah because some believed that Jordan pushed off Jazz defender Bryon Russell. It proved to be the end of an era in which the NBA enjoyed unprecedented popularity and its highest ratings ever. Jordan would retire from the Bulls before the next season (which was shortened by a lockout) began. He would return in 2001 with the Washington Wizards.

Categories
All Other Sports

Odds and Ends: World Dominoes Championship



Ashy Larry

ESPN would like to remind you that the World Cup is not the only “world” event happening. There’s also Dominoes motherf#@%cker! It’s as if the progamming directors at the Worldwide Leader in Hype saw the Chappelles show skit on the World Series of Dice, thought it was a real event, and decided to sign up dominoes asap. Check out The Garlic’s Top Ten Cloves: Things About ESPN Televising Dominoes Events.

In other news…

[eBay]: Ben Roethlisberger Replica Motorcycle Helmet!

[MSNBC]: Branch skips Pats’ mandatory minicamp

[Seattle PI]: Poll: 78% say “more inclined (to) let the Sonics leave Seattle”

[BBC]: The greatest World Cup legends

[ESPN]: Royals revoke credentials from two reporters for asking tough questions

Categories
Soccer

Why Americans Hate Soccer

A few months ago, Dave Eggers postulated that the main reason Americans hate soccer was because of the element of diving.


The second and greatest, by far, obstacle to the popularity of the World Cup, and of professional soccer in general, is the element of diving. Americans may generally be arrogant, but there is one stance I stand behind, and that is the intense loathing of penalty-fakers. There are few examples of American sports where diving is part of the game, much less accepted as such.

But diving in soccer is a problem. It is essentially a combination of acting, lying, begging and cheating, an unappealing mix. The theatricality of diving is distasteful, as is the slow-motion way the chicanery unfolds… American sports are, for better or worse, built upon transparency, or the appearance of transparency, and on the grind-it-out work ethic.

Nowhere was this more evident than a play in a relatively uneventful 2-0 victory by Italy over Ghana. An Italian player was fouled from behind by a Ghana player and by the look of it, someone had shot him in the achilles. He laid on the field moaning like someone killed his dog and then stopped briefly to open his eyes to see if he got the foul, then immediately closed them again and resumed moaning. After a few moments, the Docs came on the field and carried him off on a stretcher. About a minute goes by and he’s jogging back on the field and proceeds to play at full speed. It was the worst faking since Ricky Williams told us he loved the game of football / since Stu Scott pretended he was street / since Jeff Garcia dated the playboy model… hell, just insert your own joke here.