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
Washington Redskins

Clinton Portis defends Vick, offers to show you a dog fight

We’ve always liked Clinton Portis but his latest statements are reprehensible. In defending Michael Vick, Portis said that as long as the dogs were Vick’s and the fights took place on his property, then it shouldn’t be a concern to anyone.

Here’s the video from WAVY-TV, a television station in Hampton Roads, Virginia. (The video is crap but that’s what happens when people use Windows Media Player, the shittiest software on the planet.)

Chris Samuels is also defending Vick but he’s taking the “innocent until proven guilty” route while Portis seems to think that dog fighting is totally justifiable and was unfazed when informed that it was a felony and offered to show the reporter a few back roads back in Mississippi if she wanted to see some dog fights. We wonder if Portis thinks that AJ Nicholson is just getting a bad rap — all he did was smack up his woman on his property right?

Links:
[AOL Sportsblog]: Clinton Portis: Michael Vick Did Nothing Wrong

[WAVY]: Portis and Samuel interview

Categories
New York Jets

Someone missed Goodell’s personal conduct memo



Can’t outrun the police

New York Jets kick returner Justin Miller might not have gotten Goodell’s personal conduct policy memo but his lawyer certainly has. Miller’s issued apology sounded like a paraphrasing of the remarks Goodell used in admonishing Pacman Jones and Chris Henry when he handed out their suspensions.


I want to apologize to everyone for this situation, including my family, my teammates, the Jets organization, our fans and the entire NFL.

I understand that serving in the NFL is an honor and that I have an obligation to behave in a manner that reflects the privilege I have been given.

Miller was charged with assault after he punched a woman in the face. Now to be fair, he didn’t want to punch her in the face (but the bitch totally deserved it! — just kidding folks, just kidding); Miller’s problem was that he took a swing at a man with fast reflexes. That man ducked out of the way, and the next thing you know, some club ho got clocked in the face, and Pacman Miller got hauled off to the slammer for third-degree assault.

It’s going to be interesting how Goodell deals with this. This isn’t Miller’s first incident but the first was back in college so maybe he’ll get off with a warning. Let’s hope that Goodell doesn’t go all apeshit crazy with his punishment like David Stern did in ruining the Western conference playoffs.

In related news, Broncos WR David Kircus is a person of interest in a weekend assault case in Littleton, Colorado where the victim received several broken bones in the face. We’ll keep you updated on that story.

Links:
[NY Daily News]: Jets KR Miller Charged With Assault
[Denver channel]: Bronco Investigated In Weekend Assault

Categories
MLB General

MLB Cost Index for May 21 2007


The MLB Cost Index is one measure of how well your GM did over the course of the offseason and during the season. The Index takes a look at the payrolls for each team and calculates a Cost per Win number. Pretty simple stuff right? But in the wide open world of baseball with no salary cap, it’s the best way we can think of to judge teams on a level (monetary) playing field.

It’s hard to believe that we’re already 1/4 of the way through the 2007 season. Looking back at the first MLB Cost Index of the season, we find that some of the earlier struggling teams like the Phillies, Giants, and Astros have climbed into respectability with regard to the Cost Index.

Meanwhile, looking at the past week, not much as changed except the Royals making a big leap based on wining 5 of their last 7. Sure, they’re still firmly in last place but if you’re a Royals fan, you have to take any good news you can get.

The complete Major League Baseball Cost Index after the jump.

Continue reading “MLB Cost Index for May 21 2007”

Categories
MLB General

The Full Count: And now back to your regularly scheduled rivalries


1. Another Yankees Starter: The Yankees have started more pitchers this year than any other team in the majors, with 11. Seven of those have been rookies, including Tyler Clippard on Sunday against the Mets. After Clippard’s first three pitches struck out Jose Reyes, it seemed like he would be one of their better pitching experiments this year. And he was. Clippard was efficient in 6 innings, allowing one run, only three hits, and striking out six. He won as the Yankees avoided a sweep in the Subway Series. The Yankees’ offense featured homers from Derek Jeter, A-Rod, and Jorge Posada as they shelled John Maine for five runs. The Yanks are still 10.5 back behind Boston, as the Red Sox took 2 of 3 from the Braves over the weekend.

2. World Series Revenge: The Tigers-Cardinals matchup was a rematch of last year’s World Series, and the result was a complete reversal. The Cards won the series 4-1 last October, but this time around, the Tigers swept struggling St. Louis. Sunday’s 6-3 win for Detroit was highlighted by Justin Verlander’s fourth straight win. Verlander pitched 8 innings, gave up just two runs, and improved to 5-1 on the year. Verlander has quietly been even better than he was last year, with a team-leading 2.68 ERA. Now they are tied with Cleveland atop the AL Central, while St. Louis is in fifth in the NL Central. The Cardinals just cannot find any starting pitching, and their batter have hit a major-league low 20 homers.

3. Interleague Results: The weekend was highlighted by many strong Interleague matchups. Cross-town rivalries included the Yanks-Mets, Cubs-White Sox, Angels-Dodgers, and A’s-Giants. The Cubs took two of three from the White Sox, though the White Sox won 10-6 on Sunday after smashing Carlos Zambrano for seven runs in six innings. The Angels swept the Dodgers by a combined score of 19-4 using some excellent starting pitching. Kelvim Escobar finished the series with an 8-inning shutout performance as the Angels won 4-1. Oakland won the first two games of their series against the Giants, but San Fran won 4-1 on Sunday behind a complete-game outing from Matt Morris. Barry Bonds continued his slump, and he has no homers or RBIs in his last ten games. The next Interleague action will be the second week of June, with some of these same rivalries.

Player of the Day: Mark Teixeira, Rangers: 4-6, 2 HR, 3 RBIs in a 14-1 rout of the Astros. Teixeira has been on fire lately with 6 homers, 20 RBIs, and a .349 average in his last 22 games.

Stat of the Day: Randy Johnson’s 5.2 inning, 10 strikeout game on Sunday was his first career double-digit strikeout game with fewer than 6 innings pitched, according to Elias Sports. Johnson has 28 strikeouts and is 2-0 in his last three starts.

Categories
Atlanta Braves

Odds and Ends: Clearing up this whole Craig Sager thing

Craig Sager,the NBA sideline reporter with the ridiculous wardrobe, has been getting a lot of play today because it was mentioned that he was one of the people running alongside Hank Aaron when he broke Babe Ruth’s record. You’ve probably seen the clip 1,000 times by now but it’s below if you have been living under a rock for the past 20 years.

Anyway, the problem is that some bloggers think Sager’s one of the two fans who ran alongside Aaron around 2nd base. No no no. Sager is the creepy guy in the white trench coat that runs with Aaron from third to home and waiting to to interview him.

Just thought we’d clear that up.

In other news…

[Hockey Rants]: Mike York’s Wife will kick your ass

[Can’t Stop the Bleeding]: Dough Christie and his wife have a book coming out.

[6ABC]: NJ officials want Rutgers to redesign its logo.

[KDSK]: Video of door coming off plane in Fred Taylor African safari incident

[Our book of Scrap]: This Almost Makes Me Wish I Was A Gators Fan (Almost)

Categories
MLB General

May 18 2006 MLB Power Rankings Roundup

Well, once again, the Red Sox and their .700 record are unanimously the best team in the land. Behind them, the Mets, Tigers and Brewers fight it out for the next couple of places. Not much changed in the power rankings this week. Even the biggest moves up and down were simply by a few slots. The Tigers and Angels moved up while the Twins and Indians were the big losers this week. Expect the Brewers to be knocked down a few slots in next weeks’ poll after losing half of their last 10 games.

Here are the major power rankings this week:

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

Categories
Philadelphia Phillies

Letting it all hang out in Philly


Most TV broadcasts won’t show fans who run onto the field. It’s a smart policy to deter any other fans from doing the same thing in order to get their 15 seconds of fame. So for the guy who risks a $1500 fine and up to a year in prison just to show off his goods to a baseball stadium, the blogs are the last place to turn for some infamy. And we’re happy to comply.

We wonder if part of the job description for “ballpark security guard” includes covering up the junk of pasty streakers. The Phillies all got a laugh out of it though:


It was funny,” Nunez said. “I laughed. I couldn’t help it. He was dancing and moving. He was all skin. I never saw anything like that in my life. The guy is crazy. He either won some money or was very intoxicated.

Links:
[Philly Burbs]: Streaker brings smiles after loss
[Shoutfan]: The Phillies Are Streaking

Categories
Satire

$1M Barbaro Bonus at stake in the Preakness


Not to be outdone by those promotional whores from the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness folks have created their own Barbaro tribute. There will be a $1 million bonus at the Preakness on Saturday if a horse breaks his leg within 6 1/2 lengths — the same area where Barbaro broke his leg last year.

The bonus would be divided among the winning trainer, jockey, owner and a charity, with each receiving 25 percent, it was announced on Monday. The designated charity is the Barbaro Memorial Fund.

The so-called Bamfecta will be paid by Purina Brands, the Preakness’ presenting sponsor for the second consecutive year and subsidiary of Nestle. To pay the bonus, the Missouri company took out an insurance policy.


Scott Lunders, VP of Marketing and Promotion said, “There’s no way you don’t see Barbaro coming out of that starting gate, coming down that track. We wanted to make sure the memory of Barbaro was preserved by putting a bonus in place in case it happens again. It would be an ultimate tribute to Barbaro if a horse would collapse out of the starting gate and that horse deserves a bonus.

Barbaro could not be reached for comment.

Links:
[Chicago Sun Times]: Visions of Barbaro take center stage

Categories
All Other Sports

This Floyd Landis case is out of control


What was supposed to be a small (medium sized?) cheating case in the Tour de France has turned into a year long ordeal by Floyd Landis to find the real killers dopers. Well, that’s not all folks, it’s time to mix in a little blackmail and sex.

According to reports, Greg LeMond (legendary cyclist for you youngins) had a phone conversation with Landis where Landis leaned towards an admission of performance enhancing drug use. LeMond then confided to Landis that he was sexually abused as a child by his uncle.

But it doesn’t end there. The night prior to LeMond’s testimony at the Floyd Landis hearing, someone called LeMond cell claiming to be his uncle and said “they would play hide the weenie tomorrow”. Well, there goes thousands of dollars in therapy out the window. The cell phone call was traced back to Will Geohagen, Landis’ friend and manager. Geohagen admitted making the call and was promptly fired by Landis.

Obviously, LeMond was not happy about this painful childhood memory being a matter of public record and lashed out at Landis and his crew:


It was a real threat, it was real creepy, and I think it shows the extent of who it is,” LeMond said before leaving the Pepperdine law school after his spellbinding day. “I think there’s another side of Floyd that the public hasn’t seen.

Actually, the public doesn’t want to see another side of Floyd Landis. The public would like Landis and his A sample s and B samples and urine to just go away. Permanently.

(Photo note: when we think child molestation, we think Gordon Jump.)

Links:
[Steroid Nation]: Landis friend admits making threatening call to LeMond

Categories
San Antonio Spurs

Odds and Ends: Tony Parker would like you to know he’s getting some


We’re pretty sure that this was prompted by Tony Parker getting sick of everyone asking him why he wasn’t getting any — Eva Longoria went on Ryan Seacrest’s radio show (the world is indeed ending) and announced that she and Tony were still having sex and that the rumor that she was holding out for the duration of the playoffs / until they were married is false.

Well, that makes us sleep better at night.

In other news…

[Star Tribune]: Woman sues ex-Viking over credit card

[NY Post]: Stephon Marbury and his $15 sneakers ready for world domination on Oprah

[The Offside]: Let’s hope he washed his hands before returning to goal.

[Sports By Brooks]: Warriors owner owes the IRS $160M in unpaid taxes.

[SI.com]: Ideas to shorten sporting events

[11 Alive]: Blind 106 year old bowler is better than you

And finally, Michael Vick actually gets some good news. It turns out that his herpes will protect him from bubonic plague and other germs. Unfortunately, there’s no immunization from animal rights activists.