Poor Ronaldo. After being the hero in the 2002 World Cup, he’s been the whipping boy for the Brazilian’s lack of magic this year even though they’ve won both their matches. His weight has been questioned by everyone from former Brazil stars to the Brazilian president.
We’d feel sorrier for Ronaldo except for a few things. He is overweight, he did look terrible in both matches, and finally, he goes home to model Raica Oliveira.
All Phil Mickelson had to do was par to win the U.S. Open. Even a bogey would put him into a playoff. But Lefty is back to his choking ways as he double-bogeyed the final hole and ended up 1 back and tied for second. A lot of people on the tour must be ecstatic as Phil is one of the ten most hated athletes.
I still am in shock that I did that. I just can’t believe that I did that. I am such an idiot.
By the way, there is no truth to the rumor that Phil Mickelson’s U.S. Open Strategy Includes Telling Loud, Touching Stories About Living Father.
In other news…
[Kuklas Korner]: Stanley Cup Game 7 tonight: Why You Should Watch
[Sun UK]: France gets screwed by ref in the World Cup
[World Cup Blog]: USA gets screwed by ref in the World Cup
[Cincinnati.com]: Carson Palmer out-cornholes 12 year olds
[Yay Sports]: Mark Cuban is going to be lighter in the wallet in 5…4…3…2…
Santonio Holmes has been arrested again, this time for assaulting his baby momma. She called the police to report that the father of her child assaulted her and while the police were there to take her report, Holmes returned to the apartment and was arrested.
Ironically, before the NFL Draft, Holmes said he wanted to be a top pick so he could support his three children. That Santonio, always looking out for family. Well, either looking out for or lying to them. Holmes made the news in May for getting arrested on Memorial Day weekend for disorderly conduct in Miami when he told his mom he was still in Columbus Ohio.
Holmes is clearly losing the battle with Chris Henry, WR for the Bengals. Two arrests in two states? Please. Henry has been arrested four times in three states! The latest charge was providing alcohol to three underage girls a.k.a The Marcus Vick Special. His previous three arrests were for marijuana possession, concealed weapon charge, and DUI.
Come on Santonio! We realize you haven’t even hit training camp yet but Chris Henry is only a 2nd year player. You gotta be at least within 1 arrest of him. May we suggest going on a boat cruise with Fred Smoot?
Links:
[Sportsline ]: Steelers’ Holmes arrested again, charged with domestic violence
[Cincinnati Enquirer]: Henry pleads not guilty (they just recycle this headline)
Jeremy Piven is a longtime Cubs fan so he was asked to sing “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” before Sunday’s game against the Tigers. Before he did so, he yelled out “Hey Cubs fans, let’s hug it out, you little bitches!” The Cubs were not pleased. Well, they actually were pleased but they had to pretend they weren’t and issue an apology for the profanity during the 7th inning stretch.
Either Jeremy Piven has got a little bit of Ari Gold in him or he’s a great comic actor. Ari has got to be the best character on TV right now. In honor of this…um… momentous occasion, here is the best of Ari Gold.
– Is that the way they drive in Tiananmen Square, bitch?-Just so you know, your girlfriend, when she was in the mailroom, offered to blow me. True story.
-You know what they feed people on an indie set, Vinnie? Nothing! They don’t give you a trailer. They tell you to go sit on an apple box. Ever try to bang an extra on an apple box?
-I’m ready to go here, all right? It’s like R. Kelly at recess.
-Got Milf?
-All right, when you talk to Dana, tell her I’m going to take the pictures from Cancun, and start a website called imahollywoodexecutivewhore.com and there will be no password or fee required, and I will take out a full page ad in the LA Times promoting it. Give me a fucking call back.
– Listen, Lloyd, I want you to put all my files, folders, binders, *everything* into a box! If you find a used condom, an executioner’s mask, and a fucking spike paddle, don’t think, just pack that bitch! Chop suey!
– I drove to work in an $80,000 Mercedes, and Im going home in a prop car from the fast and the furious, I just dont see it Lloyd.
-That was a good speech, Lloyd. If I was 25 and liked cock, we could be something.
Links:
[WGN]: Video of Jeremy Piven singing the 7th inning stretch
[Chicago Tribune]: No hugs for Piven at Wrigley
1. Pair of aces draw 10s: Tom Glavine and Kenny Rogers became the first pitchers in each league to win 10 games on Sunday. Glavine paced the Amazins with six innings while the Mets avoided a sweep by the Orioles, 9-4. He is now just 15 wins away from the magic 300. Rogers had an easier time getting career win no. 200, letting the big bats of the Tigers pound the Cubs 12-3. Rogers pitched eight innings and walked only one batter . This is the second straight year the Gambler has had a terrific first three months. Combining just the first halves of the last two seasons, Rogers would be a Cy Young candidate with a 21-7 record and a 2.90 ERA. Let’s just hope he doesn’t meet any cameras between now and late September.
2. Bombs over Wrigley: Speaking of those Tiger bats, perhaps Mark Prior of the Cubs should have waited one more day before returning to the rotation. Instead, the Tigers rocked the oft-injured pitcher in his season debut for four home runs in 3.2 innings. The Tigers tied their own club record – set earlier in the year – with a total of eight. The game also set a major league record with a total of 11 home runs between two teams in a nine-inning game. Curtis Granderson got the party started with a leadoff shot in the first, and Chris Shelton and Brandon Inge added two more each in the 12-3 victory. They now have 97 as a team for the season. In fact, every run scored in the game was on a homer, which also shattered a major league record.
3. We waited all night for this?: The Dodgers and A’s kept playing Saturday night. And playing. The game went on until the 17th inning, when Bobby Crosby’s bases loaded walk in the 137th plate appearance of the evening settled the anti-climax and sent the A’s to their ninth straight win (they would end up sweeping the Dodgers), 5-4. The teams combined to use 12 pitchers for the game that lasted just over five hours. They also walked 19 batters, left 28 men on base, and Jay Payton went 0 for 7. It was the second longest game in the majors this year by innings and the third longest by time.
4. Another user surfaces: I know we here at Sportscolumn are getting sick of the ongoing drug scandal in baseball, but former journeyman David Segui recently stated that he is one of the players mentioned in Jason Grimsley’s affidavit. Segui told ESPN’s “Outside the Lines” that he used Human Growth Hormone (HGH) legally. He claims that it was prescribed to him legally through a doctor because of a deficiency of the hormone in his body. Segui played 15 seasons for 8 teams (including the Orioles twice) and hit 139 career home runs in 4,847 at-bats. His season-high in home runs was 21 in 1997.
5. Interleague play continues: Once again, there aren’t many marquee match ups this week, with the possible exception of Pirates-Royals. The Worst Series — the battle for next year’s top draft pick, gets underway Tuesday in Kansas City, with the loser to be assured the bottom of the sportscolumn.com power rankings for the balance of the season. Seriously, there’s just not a lot of exciting games this week, unless you‘re all fired up for the Phillies to get revenge on the Yankees for that 1950 World Series sweep of the Whiz Kids or maybe seeing the Giants get some payback against the Angels by whizzing on the since-fired Rally Monkey for helping the Halos take the 2002 Series. (We put that in there to see if you were paying attention, by the way). In fact, the best of the week might be that odd-man-out, non-interleague series, as the Mets greet the Reds at Shea.
[The MLB Cost Index is a calculation of the amount each team pays for a win and the efficiency of the payroll that the GM has put together.]
It looks like the A’s are the big winners this week. They’ve won 10 in a row and are up to #6 on the Cost Index. In fact, they are the only team with a bottom 10 payroll that’s leading their division. The Diamondbacks are close. On the flip side, the Cubs, Angels and Braves are the biggest disappointments in baseball.
** all $ are in millions.
| Rank (Pv) | Team | 2006 Payroll | GP | Wins | YTD Payroll | Cost/Win | |
| 1 (1) | Marlins | $15.0 | 66 | 29 | $6.11 | $0.21 | |
| 2 (2) | Rockies | $41.1 | 69 | 34 | $17.52 | $0.52 | |
| 3 (3) | Devil Rays | $35.4 | 70 | 29 | $15.30 | $0.53 | |
| 4 (4) | Pirates | $40.2 | 70 | 26 | $17.39 | $0.67 | |
| 5 (5) | Reds | $59.5 | 69 | 37 | $25.34 | $0.68 | |
| 6 (10) | A’s | $62.3 | 69 | 38 | $26.54 | $0.70 | |
| 7 (8) | Brewers | $56.8 | 70 | 35 | $24.54 | $0.70 | |
| 8 (6) | D’backs | $59.2 | 69 | 35 | $25.22 | $0.72 | |
| 9 (9) | Rangers | $65.5 | 70 | 38 | $28.29 | $0.74 | |
| 10 (7) | Indians | $56.8 | 68 | 31 | $23.84 | $0.77 | |
| 11 (12) | Tigers | $82.3 | 70 | 46 | $35.56 | $0.77 | |
| 12 (15) | Twins | $63.8 | 68 | 34 | $26.78 | $0.79 | |
| 13 (14) | Padres | $69.7 | 69 | 36 | $29.70 | $0.82 | |
| 14 (11) | Blue Jays | $71.9 | 69 | 37 | $30.63 | $0.83 | |
| 15 (13) | Nationals | $63.3 | 71 | 32 | $27.73 | $0.87 | |
| 16 (16) | Cardinals | $88.4 | 68 | 42 | $37.12 | $0.88 | |
| 17 (18) | Mets | $100.9 | 68 | 43 | $42.35 | $0.98 | |
| 18 (17) | Orioles | $72.6 | 71 | 32 | $31.81 | $0.99 | |
| 19 (19) | White Sox | $102.9 | 69 | 44 | $43.82 | $1.00 | |
| 20 (23) | Royals | $47.3 | 68 | 19 | $19.85 | $1.04 | |
| 21 (20) | Phillies | $88.3 | 69 | 34 | $37.60 | $1.11 | |
| 22 (24) | Astros | $92.6 | 70 | 36 | $39.99 | $1.11 | |
| 23 (22) | Giants | $90.9 | 69 | 34 | $38.70 | $1.14 | |
| 24 (25) | Mariners | $88.3 | 71 | 34 | $38.71 | $1.14 | |
| 25 (21) | Dodgers | $99.2 | 69 | 36 | $42.24 | $1.17 | |
| 26 (27) | Red Sox | $120.1 | 67 | 39 | $49.67 | $1.27 | |
| 27 (26) | Braves | $92.5 | 70 | 30 | $39.95 | $1.33 | |
| 28 (29) | Angels | $103.6 | 69 | 31 | $44.14 | $1.42 | |
| 29 (28) | Cubs | $94.8 | 68 | 26 | $39.81 | $1.53 | |
| 30 (30) | Yankees | $198.7 | 67 | 38 | $82.16 | $2.16 |
In 1999: Brett Hull of the Dallas Stars scored the most controversial goal in NHL history. Hull whacked home a rebound on his third try past a sprawled Dominik Hasek in triple overtime. The goal clinched Dallas’s first ever Stanley Cup with a 2-1 victory over the Buffalo Sabres. According to NHL rules at the time, any goal scored with so much as an opposing skate lace in the crease would be disallowed. Video replays showed Hull’s entire left leg was in the offending area as the puck left the crease. The goal stood, and the Stars lifted the Cup, while Buffalo’s championship nightmares continued. The rule was changed the following season.
In 1943: The most bizarre franchise in NFL history was created. Due to a shortage of players during World War II, the Pittsburgh Steelers and Philadelphia Eagles merged their football teams to create the Steagles (which was an unofficial name). The teams split their home games between Pittsburgh and Philadelphia, were co-coached by Greasy Neale of the Eagles and Walt Keisling of the Steelers and finished 5-4-1. The marriage would only last one season, with the Eagles keeping their own team in Philadelphia and the Steelers merging with the Chicago Cardinals as Card-Pitt in 1944 (they were jokingly called the Carpets – because teams walked all over them). They went 0-10 before returning as the Steelers after the war.
The World Cup is full of crazy players and crazier fans. But let’s not forget about the hot fans and the even hotter “footie wives”. Here are the best photo galleries from around the web, starting with the hotties, of course.
[Sun UK]: Footballer Wives and Girlfriends
[SI]: Soccer Wives and Girlfriends
[Fox Sports]: Babes of the World Cup
[BBC]: World Cup around the World
[Fifaworldcup.com]: Fan of the Match gallery
Well, it’s almost unanimous — the Mets are the best team in baseball. The Amazings have won 10 in a row and are running away with the NL East. Now if only those Canadians would accept the dominance of the Mets, the survey would be unanimous.
Here are the MLB Power Rankings by major sites this week.
| Rank | Sportscolumn | ESPN | FoxSports | Sportsline | USA Today | TSN.ca |
| 1 | Mets | Mets | Mets | Mets | Mets | Dodgers |
| 2 | White Sox | White Sox | Tigers | White Sox | White Sox | Mets |
| 3 | Tigers | Tigers | Yankees | Tigers | Tigers | Tigers |
| 4 | Red Sox | Yankees | D’backs | Dodgers | Red Sox | White Sox |
| 5 | Yankees | Blue Jays | White Sox | Cardinals | Yankees | Yankees |
| 6 | Cardinals | Cardinals | Red Sox | Yankees | Cardinals | Blue Jays |
| 7 | Blue Jays | Dodgers | Cardinals | Red Sox | Blue Jays | Giants |
| 8 | Reds | Red Sox | Dodgers | Rangers | Dodgers | Rangers |
| 9 | Dodgers | A’s | Blue Jays | Blue Jays | Reds | Rangers |
| 10 | A’s | Reds | Reds | Reds | D’backs | Red Sox |
| 11-30 | more | more | more | more | more | more |
After the first two games of the series, we thought the Heat were toast. We figured they’d grab game 3 and then game 5 and lose to Dallas in game 6. But the boys from South Beach showed they weren’t going to roll over and quit just because Mark Cuban was already ordering up a 2006 NBA Champions mural for his mansion. Still, there’s being wrong with your picks and then there’s looking like a complete tool.
There’s nothing we enjoy more than a hometown homer columnist making a fool of himself. Kevin Sherrington of the Dallas Morning News had this to say following game 2 of the series:
he only way the Mavs come back from Miami is on a float. Map the parade route. Schedule the sick day.Miami’s chances of getting back here? Good as a Shaq free throw.
Think this series is still too early to call? Want to remind of the San Antonio series, when the Mavs went up 3-1 and needed a miracle three-point play from Dirk Nowitzki just to get into overtime in Game 7?
Forget it. San Antonio was a far more worthy opponent. Phoenix, too. Even Memphis wasn’t as grisly as Miami.
Four games, maybe five, and that’s it.
Not suprisingly, Kevin had nothing to say this morning after a thorough dismantling of his Mavericks by the Miami Heat. Miami fans, feel free to email Nostradamus at [email protected]
Links:
[Miami Herald]: Heat gets even, stronger
[Yahoo]: Buy a clue, Cuban
