The Sports Dad

The New Messi(ah)

2007-04-20T10:02:00.000-07:00

Lionel Messi is quickly becoming one of the top soccer players in the world. At only 19 years of age he dazzles with the ball and after this weeks super goal he has been getting some really high praises from the soccer world. Being compared to the likes of Maradona isn't an easy feat, but Messi has the ability to become the best player in the world. Playing alongside the current best in the world* (Ronaldinho) doesn't hurt either.

Messi is the youngest player to ever score for FC Barcelona and the youngest player ever to play for Argentina in a World Cup. He didn't get much playing time in last years World Cup, but when he did he made the most of it.

If you haven't seen the video everyone is raving about then click here. That boy got skills!

Here is a detailed picture showing Messi's goal alongside Maradona's goal:

My top 10 soccer/football players in the world (right now):

1. C. Ronaldo
1A. Ronaldhino
3. Kaká
4. Messi
5. Henry
6. Drogba
7. Riquelme
8. Totti
9. Raul
10. Van Nistelrooy

* I think C. Ronaldo has become the best in the world but Ronaldinho is 1A.

The Greatest Goal Ever? (Telegraph UK)

Mid-Morning Roundup

2007-04-20T07:33:00.000-07:00

Chicks + Sports Blogging = Sports by Brooks. Read a good interview here. (The Big Picture)

A-Rod finally doing what he should have been doing all along (winning games). (SI)

Jen Sterger and Kurt Vonnegut both don't know sports, but have worked with Sports Illustrated. (Sports by Brooks)

Here's something new, College Football players actually being kicked off the team for doing something wrong. (EDSBS)

Pacman is really sorry, so sorry that he's taking out a full page ad to let people know. (ESPN)

Oden ready to get his game on. Conley and Cook not so much. (The Big Lead)

Do you like Italian? The Offside WAG of the week is a winner in my book. (The Offside)

Wine, Champagne and Victoria Silvstedt - The Perfect Vacation

2007-04-17T10:58:00.000-07:00

I'm back like a migraine headache ready to irritate the hell out of you. I had the best vacation any American could hope for. I'm convinced that every person in France has at least half of the year off and the other half they pretend to work. I didn't have to travel all over the place and see a bunch of crap I don't really care about this time and it made for a much better experience. I got to relax outside in the sun and eat and drink like a fat guy at a buffet.

I couple of things that really stood out this time around in France were:

1. Television in Europe is much better than here in the States.

There aren't as many commercials and there's nudity! Although I didn't notice as many naked chicks this time around I did get to see Victoria Silvstedt do a much better job than Vanna White on the French version of Wheel of Fortune. You actually watch the show when there's someone that hot.

2. Watching the Champions League in prime time is better than the Super Bowl.

Obviously it's much bigger in Europe and seeing it at 8:00 at night is much better then watching it at 11:00 in the morning online here in the States (or recorded on my DVR). Everybody is off work and the atmosphere is kind of like the Super Bowl only better (maybe it was the champagne or the 2 bottles of wine). I got to watch most of the matches with my wife's cousins, who play at the amateur level and know how to keep the wine flowing. The first leg of the Bayern Munich-AC Milan match-up was some of the best soccer I have ever seen. That was one of the best things I have seen in sports in a long time.

Highlight: My boys (Manchester United) humiliating AC Roma (7-1) in a Quarter Final match. C. Ronaldo is untouchable right now.

3. Wine and lots of time off are the secrets to a longer life

My wife's parents threw a party for us while we were there and I got to meet more of my wife's older relatives. Once again the wine and champagne were flowing and I ended up having a conversation with an 93 year old lady (in French). She was completely coherent and was willing to let me in on her secret for living so long and looking at least 20 years younger than she was. She told me that she eats well all of the time and drinks one glass of wine with lunch and dinner. She also stays away from "stress". When she use to work she had 10 weeks off a year and enjoyed visiting some of her family in the States on vacation.

It was one of those nights that made me realize that I needed to make a change in my life. I haven't yet, but at least I'm more aware of it now. My wife is still in France with my kids and it will give me some more time to plan what we are going to do. Whether that means moving to France or finding another place to move to, I need to go somewhere that I'm not as stressed out so often.

Additional Notes:

Youth Soccer is for fun and not made to be a competitive thing. Kids don't compete in competitive soccer until they are 11 in most of France. I think it's a much better idea, not because of the kids but the parents. Parents tend to want to push their kids to be the best and in doing so burn them out early.

The French Rugby Team wear pink jerseys, but kick ass during the game.

There is more yogurt in a French super market then dudes in a strip club.

All in all I had a really good time on vacation and can't wait till I retire and move to France so I can eat and drink and not be stressed out.

Not All Sports Channels Were Created Equal

2007-03-23T12:59:00.000-07:00

I haven't really been posting for the last few days because I'm getting geared up for 2 weeks of European sports viewing action. Today marks my 1 week countdown to European vacation. Not the kind of European vacation that you might be thinking. There will be no Amsterdam or late night raves out at the Disco-tech. I won't be sleeping at a Hostel or meeting promiscuous Swedish twins that get naked at the drop of a hat. It won't be quite that good! It will however be a vacation in which I won't be bothered by my employer. Which for those of us that work way too much and get paid way too little is a godsend. I will be completely detached from the world (internet) for two weeks.

Once every other year my family and I make our pilgrimage to my wife's place of origin in the North of France. For two weeks I get to eat and drink as much bread, wine and cheese as I want. It has become a time for me to fully relax and give my mind a rest. The good thing about being American and going to Normandy (where my wife is from) is they love us there. The whole D-Day thing really gave us a good name. I guess if I were getting my ass annihilated and some people came and saved me, I'd be pretty stoked too.

Anyway, I usually feel like I'm the King of the castle when I'm there. My wife's family usually cater to me because I'm an American who only gets 2 weeks of vacation instead of the 6 weeks they get. Which means that I can wake up whenever I want and don't have to worry about my kids bothering me about breakfast. Another good thing is that when your French isn't that great, like mine, you can pretend like you don't know whats going on. I understand about 98% of what her family says and the other 2% I usually just say I get, but the speaking part is what saves me. I also watch as much television as I want and don't have to hear about it from my wife because of this. When they're talking about family things I slip away and start watching French TV. For those that don't know, European television is basically Cinemax-lite. The reason I say that is because it's like watching soft-core porn. There are always shows with naked women on, even at 9:00 in the morning.

When I'm done getting my daily fix of non-edited euro-sex action I change the channel to Canal+ Sports. This is France's version of ESPN. If you don't like Soccer or Formula 1 then you might as well change the station back to Debbie Does Paris or whatever sex-athon show that's on. You might occasional get a glimpse of some NFL or NBA highlights, but don't count on it. They pretty much get the same amount of air play as ESPN gives to soccer (little to none). Don't even think about Baseball highlights. The best thing about their sports stations are the sportscasters. They make me laugh. It always seems like one guy is always yelling during the highlights. I think they want us to believe that we're really at the stadiums with the fans or something. If it weren't for the UEFA Cup coming up while I'm there, I would really be in trouble. This year I will be in France for both legs of the Quarterfinals. I intend on going to a local pub with my wife's cousins to watch the matches and drink a few too many.

I hope to rest up while I'm there and come back to life in the States with a renewed attitude. One that will hopefully allow me to start blogging a lot more and focus more of my time on things I want to do rather than the things I have to do. I will be posting sporadically throughout the next week and will be on hiatus until April 16th after that. Au revoir!

Mid-Morning Roundup

2007-03-23T07:18:00.000-07:00

Greg Oden deserves to party with hot white girls after last night's last minute swat. (The Big Lead)

Tubby Smith is going where? Minnesota is an upgrade? (Rumors and Rants)

Koby is still on a tear and apparently wants the ball. (Signal to Noise)

Joey Porter gets thrown like a little girl. (Sports by Brooks)

Nothing like the WAG of the WEEK to really research European culture. (The Offside)

Beer or Birth Control? You might want to splurge on protection. (AP)

Mid-Morning Roundup

2007-03-22T07:25:00.000-07:00

David Carr gets shafted by the man, better known as the Texans head office. (Signal to Noise)

Suzy Kolber vs. Rachel Nichols. Who you got? (The Big Picture)

Tom Brady isn't batting 1000 anymore. (The Big Lead)

Falling asleep at a stop light when you have been drinking is never a good thing. (Deadspin)

If you have seen the movie '300' then you might want to enter this contest. (Bodog)

Is Kobe trying to pedal some 'Nike' to Durant? (LA Times)

A-Rod getting ready for the opt-out portion of his contract and maybe a new friend to have sleep-overs with. (NY Times)

Raiders sign the other Booty to play QB. I'm sure they will be looking at Jeff George again later this month.

Carmen Electra might be a lesbian? I wish it was with someone hotter, maybe like Sienna Miller. (Starpulse)

Late-Morning Roundup

2007-03-21T10:29:00.000-07:00

Hey, if Jeff Garcia wants to parade around like he's straight I can respect that, but don't steal a playmate from Hef. (The Hater Nation)

All the other GM's want to be like Mike. (Signal to Noise)

North Carolina just love their basketball team. (Awful Announcing)

"Little Ronaldo" celebrates his birthday today. (The Offside)

George Foreman becomes a judge. It's not an eating contest, is it? (AP)

Scarlett Johansson likes the elderly. What the hell is she thinking? (People)

Dancing With The Stars - Better Known As Athletes Anonymous

2007-03-20T12:34:00.000-07:00

Why didn't I DVR "Dancing with the Stars" last night? Oh, that's right, because I still have my balls attached. Although some of the girls on the show are hot, I just can't seem to muster up the strength to sit through ~~stars~~ ex-stars trying to revive their careers by learning how to dance on national TV. It's a popularity contest anyway. For some reason there always seems to be an athlete that does well in the competition though. Jerry Rice did well the first season and Emmitt Smith won last season. This season has Laila Ali, Clyde Drexler and Apolo Anton Ohno all competing for a chance to be in the spotlight again for 15 minutes. Laila will never get as much attention as her father, Clyde was unlucky enough to have played during the Jordan era and is an afterthought of many and Ohno (who?) ice skates for a living. Look guys, if you really want to be in a reality competition, then take Clyde's approach and go on "Pros vs. Joes". You might actually do something your good at rather than look stupid trying to do the Waltz with a tux on.

I guess I understand their logic behind being on the show, but I'm gonna hate having to hear about how good "Clyde the Glide" did on his Samba routine. It's just wrong! I guess if your really hard up and there is nothing else on TV you can give it a shot. I myself would rather watch the same episode of Sponge Bob Square Pants over and over again with my kids.

Bet On: Will Heather Mills prosthetic leg fall off during a dance routine on Dancing with the Stars 4? (Scroll to the bottom)

Mid-Morning Roundup

2007-03-20T07:21:00.000-07:00

Pam Oliver vs. Stacey Dales. Who you got? (The Big Picture)

Tim Floyd gets a second chance and a team that doesn't suck. (Extrapolater)

Trouble finds those that can't keep their hands to themselves. Especially roid-rage NFL freaks. (The Big Lead)

Hooligan disguised as a Soccer Dad leaves his mark, an umbrella spoke. (Herald Sun via The Offside)

Where is Quentin Jammer when you need pass interference explained? (Signal to Noise)

Better get the shots and stripper pole ready for the new winner because we know what that contest does to innocent girls. (AP)

The Other Cobi In LA Is Ready To Retire

2007-03-19T18:17:00.000-07:00

At a press conference today held at the Home Depot Center, 36 year old Cobi Jones announced that he will retire after the 2007 season. Tim Leiweke, President and CEO of the LA Galaxy had this to say,

"A couple of months ago, Cobi and I had a chance to catch up and have lunch," Leiweke said. "And we sat down and Cobi said, 'Look, there's something I have to tell you. I'm going to retire.'

"And I said, 'Well, that's too bad. I think we've got David Beckham.'

"Then Cobi immediately said, 'At the end of this next season.'

This is pretty big news for me. Cobi is one of the main reasons why I really took an interest in soccer more than 15 years ago. I don't know if it was because I thought he was Bob Marley or if it was his skill with the ball. I remember watching Alexi Lalas and him in the 1994 World Cup. The first time we actually made it to the knockout round. We eventually got beat by Brazil of course, but that team just had something about them and I think Cobi had a lot to do with it. Coby also played for the 1998 and 2002 World Cup Teams and has 15 international goals during his time with the National Team.

I always thought that he would be one of the few Americans that would actually be able to play oversees. He did play one season in the EPL and half a season in Brazil until he eventually came home to help the MLS gain popularity. He has played for the LA Galaxy since the leagues inception and holds the records for games(281), goals(66) and assists(86) for the team. I'll be interested to see how he does with Beckham on the team this year. I think that the Galaxy will definitely be up there when the playoffs come around (which isn't saying much because the MLS sucks). I hope Cobi has a good year and scores some goals. I'm sure after the season is done and he retires he will be announcing games and we can finally get rid of Eric Wynalda.

Cobi Jones to retire (LA Times)

Mid-Afternoon Roundup - St. Patty's Edition

2007-03-19T07:59:00.000-07:00

It was a great weekend filled with Guinness and NCAA Basketball. I haven't been posting much because I have been busy at work and the tournament is on. Multi-tasking when you have two active boys isn't the easiest thing to do. Anyway, here are a couple of quick links and thoughts for you to digest.

Betting is definitely not my forte. I'm taking place in an invite only Battle of the Blogs over at NBX Sportsbook and so far I'm only $21,000 in the hole. (NBX)

Joey Porter just got paid and is handing out beat-downs. (The Big Lead)

The love-feast for Kobe continues... (Union Tribune)

Jerramy Stevens enters my list of top 10 guys not to live next to at #1. (Kissing Suzy Kolber)

Keeper vs. Keeper and you just got bounced. (The Offside)

Little brother got the hook up and didn't even have to dance. (People)

St. Patrick's Day - A Day To Drink As Much As You Can And Not Feel Guilty

2007-03-16T13:22:00.000-07:00

It used to be a day that I couldn't remember due to the amount of Guinness I would drink, but now with the addition of my two kids, not so much. Tomorrow, on the other hand, I will be attending a "family-style" St. Patty's Day party. I'm not sure if that means I can recruit some of the older kids to watch mine while I drink or if I have to stay completely sober because everyone acts like they're Mormon. My wife hasn't given me the rundown so I'm hoping that it's an actually drinking event. Anyway, have a great weekend and a couple of green beers for me.

How To Survive Work When The NCAA Tournament Is On

2007-03-16T10:19:00.000-07:00

Most sports literate people were smart enough to take yesterday and today off. I on the other hand have been forced to work because I have a planned vacation with my family at the end of the month and can't afford to. So what have I done for the last day and a half?

With a manager like mine you have to be creative to stay up to date with the scores. There are a multitude of different sites you can use to stay in the know, but I use a mixture of "live blogs" and the big two to help make my life easier. Thanks to the guys over at Awful Announcing and Deadspin I could actually get a "normal guys" play by play of the games. I also have the scoreboards on ESPN and Sportsline open at all times. I use the Split Browser Firefox add-on to have all windows open simultaneously. When I hear my boss coming I immediately Alt-Tab and act like I'm not wasting the company's money. One of my fellow workers was clever enough to hide a small TV on his desk to watch the games today. I'm trying my hardest to adjust my seat to watch from a far. It's definitely a juggling act and one in which I don't plan on using in the future, but if it gets me through the day without knocking my boss out then I'm happy.

Mid-Morning Roundup

2007-03-16T07:30:00.000-07:00

Duke gets beat by VCU and help to make my life much happier. (Clubber Lang's Basement)

Tank Johnson gets 120 days in jail. I'm sure he's planning on celebrating with some uzzies when he gets out. (Chicago Bears)

The 4 vs 5 match-up isn't an easy one. It really comes down to what you like more, Blonde or Brunette? (The Big Picture)

Lakers lose their seventh in a row. Hey Zen master, have you heard of teaching some defense? (LA Times)

Eagles get the last white receiver left in free agency. (ESPN)

Oprah battles Leno for Posh Spice. Damn she's hot, Oprah of course. (Pink Football)

Carmen would rather stay home with me than go out with you. (People)

Michael Vick Just Loves The Pinot Noir

2007-03-15T09:33:00.000-07:00

Michael Vick, I mean "Mike Vick" has opened his own winery, The Tasting Room, in suburban Atlanta. When I think of Vick the first thing that comes to mind is a good wine. I mean how else do you think he got the name "Ron Mexico" other than by being a connoisseur of fine wines. Vick is also trying to give back to the community with this new venture. Vick had this to say,

"It's good for people to see that I'm giving back to the community, where people can see me trying to do something that's positive. There's a lot of people speculating about things I do that are not so positive."

This is how you give back to the community? You open a winery? I'm sure all of the poor kids in town will be lining up with the parents for your next Chardonnay tasting. Why not build a park or donate some signed jerseys? Maybe it's the black substance found in the water bottle talking. Why else would he be opening a winery in the Dirty South? Is he gonna have Jermaine Dupree and Packman Jones over for an apéritif before they hit the strip clubs? What wine goes best with chicken wings and peach cobbler anyway?

Restaurant open, but not Vick (AJC.com)

Mid-Morning Roundup

2007-03-15T07:16:00.000-07:00

Jenn Sterger doesn't care what she ends up doing for a living. Why not become the nanny for my kids? (The Big Picture)

Which % of the country will see which games? It's not looking to good for you if you want to watch the Nevada-Creighton game. (USA Today)

Suns beat the Mavs in double-OT. Steve Nash just won his third MVP. (SI)

Pete Rose is a douche-bag who bet on his team 'every day'. (The Big Lead)

Raiders impressed with JaMarcus Russell, and so are the all-you-can eat buffets. (2theadvocate)

Gary Matthews Jr. didn't use HGH, he just waited 16 days to say so. (Babes Love Baseball)

Mid-Morning Roundup

2007-03-14T07:28:00.000-07:00

Lance Briggs is not a baby, he just needs a hug and some more money. (AOL Sports)

Niagara earn the right to get blown out by Kansas. (March Madness Time)

Europe's finest can't handle the red devils, but who can? (Fox Sports)

Those kindergarten kids are back to calculate the world soccer rankings. (FIFA)

I hate it when Unicorns take over at the wheel. They never seem to be able to handle u-turns. (AP)

I like the idea of cricket now, but only because you really showed me how to play the game. (Sports by Brooks)

P Diddy And Snoop Dogg Have A Soccer Fetish

2007-03-13T11:36:00.000-07:00

Did you know that P Diddy and Snoop Dogg were soccer fans and are planning a wild night out with Manchester United later this month? Yeah, I didn't either. I guess that when Diddy and Dogg's tour rolls through Manchester they want the whole team to come to the show and party afterwards (lots of Cristal flowing).

I'm pretty sure when they were asked about the Manchester United ~~futbol~~ football team they were thinking American Football because this is what Snoop had this to say to MTV UK:

"I’m real anxious to meet the Manchester United football team - come holla at Snoop Dogg," he told us. "I’m down with football, I’ve been following it for 10 years, going to games, wearing the jerseys and what not."

Snoop it's soccer not the USC Trojans! The sticky stuff is really starting to mess with your mind kid. You need to clean the carb on your bong man. I think the Angel Dust is starting to mix a little bit too much. Most of these guys are white, and they kick the ball and don't wear pads and a helmet.

Diddy is linked to Wayne Rooney though. Rooney bid over $100,000 for a night out on the town with Diddy last year, but it never happened because Wayne wasn't 21 yet and couldn't go out drinking in the States (damn drinking laws). Maybe he wants to make it up to Rooney by taking him out and having a ménage à trois with him and his girlfriend.

Snoop to Party with Man Utd (MTV UK)
Diddy excited to take Rooney out (The Offside)

Mid-Morning Roundup

2007-03-13T07:37:00.000-07:00

Quitting is never an option for Norv Turner (just sucking as a head coach I guess). (Union Tribune)

Who you got? Fill out your New York Legends bracket. (NY Post)

Yo Adrian! I'm starting to get a little flabby, I need some more HGH. I think I try to smuggle some through Australia. (The Big Lead)

The Mob won't be happy, Stardust gets imploded. (AP)

Nobody can tell Tapia what to do. If he want to go party, he'll party. If he wants to overdose on Cocaine, he'll overdose on Cocaine. (Sports Illustrated)

Manchester United play Europe XI today. I have prayed to the soccer gods to make sure that none of my red devils will get jacked up. (Manchester United)

All hands on deck. Disney sues Porn firm for making new comic version of Pirates of the Caribbean where clothes are optional, and so are three-ways. (US Magazine)

How Tom Brady Got His Groove Back

2007-03-12T11:05:00.000-07:00

What a off-season for Tom Brady. First he finds out that he might be having 2 kids with 2 different "extremely hot" women, and then he finds out that he will actually have real receivers to throw the ball to when the NFL season starts again. The Patriots are definitely winning Free Agency right now and no one should be happier than "Mr. Tuck Rule" himself. Last year he had a bug-eyed freak as his #1 and now he has Stallworth, Welker and Kyle Brady. These guys are real targets that can actually catch the ball.

You might want to lock up the Daddy-to-be early for your upcoming Fantasy squad. If Stallworth can stay healthy he might have a career year also. I know Brady likes to spread things around (especially his man juice), but I think with a real big play threat like Stallworth Brady will chuck it his way more times than you think. I think the AFC East is in trouble along with most of the NFL. Being a Raider fan I loath Brady and can't wait till some Defensive End take his head off, but we all know that will never happen as he has been anointed the "Golden Child". If they trade for Moss then I'll be convinced the NFL is rigged.

A quick Raider note: Maybe we can sign some more RB's (Jordan, Rhodes, Griffith, Fargas, etc...) or TE's (Anderson, Wakefield, Steward, etc...) as it looks like we don't have enough of them on the roster. Maybe we can trade some of our Offensive Line because we have so many Pro-Bowlers to choose from.

Pats continue spending (ESPN)

Mid-Morning Roundup

2007-03-12T08:07:00.000-07:00

Charger fans have a new reason to jump on the bandwagon. (Union Tribune)

When 6 games under .500 is a good thing. East Coast NBA Basketball just sucks. (Awful Announcing)

Chris Simon only gets a 25 game suspension for being part of the NHL mafia. (Bleatings From a Caps Nut)

The Head Butt King has turned down playing with the European All-stars against my boys, Manchester United. Now that's an All-Star Team. (The Offsides)

The hot chick from the MTV show "Laguna Beach", Kristin Cavallari got branded by her boyfriend. What's next a barcode across the back of her neck? (NY Post)

Hey Drexel and Syracuse, At Least You Can Still Win the NIT

2007-03-11T16:07:00.000-07:00

Selection Sunday came and I'm convinced they have a bunch of kindergarten kids making the decisions behind the scenes. They must have showed the kids some school colors or the mascots and the kids got to choose their favorites. How else would Duke get a 6 seed and Drexel get left out altogether? Some of the interesting first round bracket busters that I possibly* see happening are:

Winthrop over Notre Dame
GT over UNLV
Illinois over VT
VCU over Duke
Gonzaga over Indiana
Oral Roberts over Wash. St.
Texas Tech over Boston College
Creighton over Nevada

East
I definitely think the East Bracket is the hardest (NC, Georgetown and Texas). Durant might score 50 a night, but their still not making the Final 4.

South
This is the second toughest bracket in my mind. You never know with a team like Louisville and Rick Patino and Tennessee could surprise some people too.

West
From the West Bracket I can't wait to see the Pitt vs UCLA match-up (let's get real you know this will happen). I like UCLA making the Final 4 again.

Midwest
Florida strolls through this bracket with maybe a good test against the Wisconsin/Oregon winner. Oregon looked good the other night destroying USC, but Florida is just too good.

These could change tomorrow but at a glance:

My Sweet 16: Florida, Maryland, Oregon, Wisconsin, Kansas, So. Ill, Pitt, UCLA, NC, Texas, Vandy, Georgetown, Ohio State, Tenn, Louisville and Memphis.

My Elite Eight: Florida, Oregon, Kansas, UCLA, Texas, Georgetown, Ohio State and Louisville

My Final Four: Florida, UCLA, Georgetown and Ohio State

Championship: Florida playing Georgetown with Florida cutting down the nets again.

* note: I don't count the 8 vs 9 games as upsets and I reserve the right to change my mind about any of these games at any time.

The Real Super Bowl MVP Signs With The Raiders

2007-03-09T14:28:00.000-08:00

Everyone knows that Peyton Manning wasn't the MVP of the Super Bowl. It should have been Dominic Rhodes, who just signed a 2 year deal with the Raiders.

It's about time that we started getting some players in free agency. Now we just need to get an entirely new Offensive line, a Quarterback, some Receivers that actually want to play for the team and get rid of the Crypt Keeper and we'll be good. In a perfect world we would trade Porter to Indy for their entire Offensive Line. Trade Moss to Cincinnati for Carson Palmer. Trade Jordan to any team that has an actual running back and get Calvin Johnson #1 in the draft.

In other NFL Signing News:

Reuben Droughns was traded to the NY Giants for Tim Carter. Not sure what the Giants are thinking here. Droughns is garbage and has problems off the field. That's the best they could do? Good luck with all that.

Mid-Morning Roundup - Hoops, Futbol and Milfs

2007-03-09T07:27:00.000-08:00

UCLA get ousted by Cal. Say bye-bye to the #1 overall seed. (LA Times)

Champions League draw set for the quarter-finals. I'm liking Manchester United chances even without the Swed. (The Offsides)

Top 10 Sports Blog stories. There's no chance you will ever see anything from me here. Have you read my stuff? (Our Book of Scrap via Chicago Sports Review)

Thanks George Bush, Peyton Manning is all messed up with this new daylight savings thing. (The Onion)

This guy deserved the Nobel Prize. I need one of these at home and at the office. (AP)

How the hell did she get knocked up? I'm pretty sure we used protection. (NY Post)

Lost Before We Even Began

2007-03-08T14:59:00.000-08:00

So here's my dilemma, my 5 year old son's soccer team is a train wreck and needs help. It started off as a mess from the very beginning when the Director of the league died. The league was in disarray and so the coach of my son's team didn't communicate with the team until days before the first game (his first mistake). After the first practice, which was the day before the first game, I knew we were in trouble. The league was supposed to be for 5-7 year olds. We only had 7 kids and all but 2 of them were 5 or younger. Almost all of the kids had never played soccer before and some of them had never even played any outside activity. The coach, who speaks broken English with a Spanish accent, doesn't have a clue and it looks like the only reason that he decided to coach was because he wanted his son to play more.

The first game is played and our team gets very lucky. They don't have any kids under 6, but they are short a couple of players. The opposing coach lets us use all of our 7 against their 5. We still only manage 3 goals to their 6.

The next practice comes the following week and this is when I start to see that the head coach is completely clueless. He doesn't have any drills ready and barely knows how to do a couple of warm up exercises. This is when I decided to step in. Looking back it probably was a mistake. I should have just keep my mouth shut like the rest of the Soccer Moms on the sidelines, but I had to offer up my 2 cents (for future reference, I also ate paste when I was a kid). The thing is, I had never coached myself and found that I couldn't remember any specific drills to work on (it would have helped if I knew I was going to have to help out). Anyway, I offered to help him keep the kids under control. At this point they were playing pile on, and the kid at the bottom was three shades of green. I somehow manage to get their attention and we finished up the practice on a high note.

At the next game the head coach asks me if I can organize the kids while he pretends to be talking to parents about important things. I don't know if he's scared or worried that the parents will yell at him for doing something wrong or if he just doesn't know what the hell he's doing. I do my best to prepare the kids but they proceed to get annihilated by a much bigger and older team. This is when I find out from the coach that there is only four other teams and they are all stacked. It seems that when the Director passed away the rest of the coaches decided to build dynasty teams, or teams that had all of the older more experienced kids on them. Nice! We got the left overs.

The next practice comes and the coach still has nothing prepared. He tells the kids we are going to have a scrimmage. Except only 4 kids have shown up and no one is listening to him. I tell him I will run a drill that the kids will like and keep them entertained (Red Light, Green Light). It's not much but the kids seemed to be having fun and none of the kids are beating on each other although my son isn't really paying attention. (note: my son plays soccer well but doesn't take coaching tips from me because I'm his "Dad" not his "Coach") I run a couple more drills until the rest of the kids show up and then the coach says, "O.K. it's scrimmage time". What the f**k dude? I don't want to steal this guy's cool-aid, but come on. I close my mouth and act like he knows what he's doing. At the end of practice I tell him to call the league and find out what's going on.

The third game comes and mysteriously 2 new kids show up. It's pretty much like the movie "Kicking and Screaming" with Will Ferrell only that the kids really aren't any good. I think that the coach thought that these kids could help out because they were older, but they just make the substitution part of the game even worse. This is the game when the opposing coach doesn't pull any of his older kids and we get pulverized 20-0 (no joke). At the end of the game I tell him that he should have taken some kids out and he says that it wouldn't have been fair to his kids. (now I'm in Bizzaro World). This is when I tell my wife that we should just quit the league, but later after we calm down we decide that it's only the spring league and it's just for fun.

This leads me to the present day and my dilemma. We were going to call the new Director to tell him the issue, but they took the numbers off of the website (smart). We have emailed them with no response. Should I let my son continue the league and chalk it up to experience, even though he isn't learning anything new from this guy and he doesn't listen when I coach him? If so, should I continue to help coach? I just don't know.

Nothing Like The Smell Of Burnt Nuts

2007-03-08T14:26:00.000-08:00

Some guy in Wisconsin burned his junk trying to pull off the same stunt they did in the Jackass movie. I bet anything that these fools were drinking St. Ides. Maybe these guys were hanging out with Dominic Rhodes and Koren Robinson and got bored. They decided to watch a movie and next thing you know their setting this guy's balls on fire. It could happen.

Man Burned (AP)

Morning Roundup - Ginger Kids, Baby Daddies and Fergie's Thong

2007-03-08T07:46:00.000-08:00

Ginger Kid vs Sam Ryan over at The Big Picture. Who you got? (The Big Picture)

Carmelo a baby-daddy now. I wonder if George Karl will let La La and Kiyan hang out on the bench? (Rumors and Rants)

Kobe thinking with his "Rational Brain", or so he says. (LA Times)

Hey ladies, line up in front of the Patriots training facility and maybe Tom Brady might hook you up too. (The Big Lead)

Bollywood chicks are hot, just ask Peyton. (Sports by Brooks)

The skinny Ronaldo opens extension talks with Man United. You better pay the man. (BBC Sports)

Fergie does have a butta face, but damn she looks good from behind. (via The Big Lead)

NFL Signings Continued...

2007-03-07T21:03:00.000-08:00

Joey Porter: (LB) - Signed by Miami - (5 yrs 32.5 MILLION)

Napoleon Harris: (LB) - Signed by Kansas City - (6 yrs $$$$$$ MILLION)

Jamal Lewis: (RB) - Signed by Cleveland - (1 yr 3.5 MILLION)

Patrick Ramsey: (QB) - Signed by Denver - (2 yrs 5 MILLION)

Daniel Graham: (TE) - Signed by Denver - (5 yrs 30 MILLION)

Luke Petitgout: (OT) - Signed by Tampa Bay - (3 yrs 15.5 MILLION)

and I have a new avatar...

...it's better than the gay ass Yahoo one I had before.

Hey OJ, Did You Use A Glove This Time?

2007-03-07T10:33:00.000-08:00

Now OJ Simpson is claiming that he might be the father of Anna Nicole's baby. Page Six of the NY Post has this to say:

ADD O.J. Simpson's name to the list of Anna Nicole Smith conquests. When the blond bombshell died last month and at least three men claimed to be the father of her baby girl, Dannielynn, the double-murder acquittee "said he was throwing his hat into the ring," Norm Pardo told Page Six. Pardo is the videographer who amassed 70 hours of footage of Simpson from 2000 to 2005. "He said he knew Anna Nicole pretty well, and he said he had slow-moving sperm, and he might be the father." Simpson and Smith were castmates in "Naked Gun 331/3: The Final Insult" (1994), and Anna Nicole was certainly O.J.'s type. His murdered wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, was also blond and busty. Simpson, who often visits the Bahamas, also joked to Pardo, "I hope they don't do a DNA test on Anna Nicole's baby. If they find out Dannielynn is mine, I don't want Fred Goldman trying to seize her money - or the baby herself." Goldman - the father of Ron Goldman, who was killed with Nicole - has been the most relentless in pursuing damages over the murders in civil court after Simpson was acquitted on criminal charges.

Who didn't Anna Nicole Smith bang? It seems like every guy that she has ever met has some how managed to hit that. OJ is just the next in a long, very long line of guys who will say that the child is theirs. I'm betting the next will be David Hasselhoff. Who you got?

Guess who else doinked Anna Nicole? (Our Book of Scrap)
OJ A Smith Dad Candidate (NY Post)

Morning Roundup - Drugs, Extortion and Naked American Idol Girls

2007-03-07T07:50:00.000-08:00

John Rocker took HGH? The guy was just waiting for some more time in the spot light. Hey John, your 15 minutes are up! (Rumors and Rants)

Ron Artest finally caught Bitch-slapping. This guy needs a home gym with a heavy bag. (USA Today)

Ronnie Belliard gets extorted. You might want to keep your junk in your pants. (Sports Illustrated)

American Idol girls - there's good naked and bad naked, you figure out which is which. (Metroville)

Barca Falls, Inters Out, Later Lyon and Here Comes Chelsea

2007-03-06T20:35:00.000-08:00

So about two weeks ago the sound on my TV goes out. I check to make sure that the TV in the other room is working right and realize that it's probably the cable. So I call Cox Communications and find out that my cable box is shot. They come the next day to replace the box and my loving wife asks about the DVR I have been wanting. They say they are running a special that allows me to use the DVR for 1 month FREE. Just in time for UEFA. You see I actually have a day job that doesn't allow me to watch TV, so the DVR thing comes in handy. I tried my hardest not to see the scores all day today until I got home to watch what was recorded on the DVR, but that wasn't going to happen because I run a sports blog, remember?

Anyway, I actually did watch the (1-0) Barca vs Liverpool game just because. It was a great game that I think Liverpool definitely deserved to win, but they advance on aggregate so who cares. Riise had a couple of chances to score for Liverpool but kept hitting the crossbar.

The French champions Lyon got beat by Roma 2-0 with Totti scoring a sick header and Mancini doing about 8 MILLION step overs before finally hitting the back of the net.

The game that I still have left to watch on the DVR is Chelsea vs Porto. I have already seen the highlights of the game and the score (2-1), but will probably watch the entire thing tonight because there is nothing on. It's about time that Ballack scored!

The last game on tap is the one getting the most press, Inter vs Valencia. The game ended in a 0-0 tie and a brawl. The Italian champions will be going home early also because Valencia wins on aggregate. Watch the video of the fight below:

Why Don't I Watch More Women's Volleyball?

2007-03-06T12:57:00.000-08:00

With hopes of expanding my ever growing knowledge of the sports universe, I will now be tuning in to watch more Florida Gator Women's Volleyball and women's volleyball in general. I have always been a fan of the sport, but Kari has helped me remember why it is such a visibly appealing activity. Here is a list of other sports I will now be watching based on my other head:

Amy Acuff - High Jump

Jenny Adams - Track and Field

Amanda Beard - Swimming

Tanith Belbin - Figure Skating

Lindsay Benko - Swimming

Gretchen Bleiler - Snowboarding

Haley Cope - Swimming

Jackie Frank - Water Polo

Niki Gudex - Mountain Biking

Natalie Gulbis - Golf

Jeannette Lee - Billiards

Kristi Liskinen - Skiing

Lokelani McMichael - Triathlete

Heather Olsen - Synchronized Swimming

There are many additional "sports" out there for me to watch, these are just a small sample.

Gator Babe (Sports Illustrated)
Women of Sports (Sports-Wired)

Roundup

2007-03-06T07:25:00.000-08:00

Chargers GM , A.J. Smith, is better than your GM, or so Forbes thinks. (Union Tribune)

Beckham injury could have been worse, just ask the Clippers Shaun Livingston (LA Times)

Pam Oliver vs. Heather Cox, Who you got? (The Big Picture)

Jenna Jamison overworked? I thought she was married, she wouldn't sleep around would she? (Sports by Brooks)

Peyton Manning skit on Saturday Night Live. My only change would be to add Jeff Saturday as the guy who shows up out of no where to take out Vanderjagt. (The Big Lead)

Another White Receiver Gets Signed

2007-03-05T20:52:00.000-08:00

I was trying to find an image to use for this post on GOOGLE images and this is what I found:

caucasian + wide receiver

White Wide Receivers are all the rage this off season. You should definitely get one. They're going like hotcakes. The most recent to be signed is the speedy Wes Welker. There aren't many left so you better act now. Here is the rest of today's activities:

Wes Welker: (WR) - Traded to New England from Miami - (Miami gets 2 and 7 round picks)

Thomas Jones: (RB) - Traded to NY Jets from Chicago - (Chicago gets Early 2nd round pick)

Patrick Kerney: (DE) - Signed by Seattle - (6 yrs 39.5 MILLION)

Brad Johnson: (QB) - Signed by Dallas - (3 yrs $$$$ MILLION)

Travis Henry: (RB) - Signed by Denver - (5 yrs $$$$ MILLION)

Are You A Free Agent? Want To Get Paid? Well Come On Down!

My Kids Need More Myelin

2007-03-05T07:28:00.000-08:00

I think all parents in some form or another would like to think that their kid is better at something then someone else's kid. Did that make sense? Anyway, as a father to 2 boys I find myself thinking that way from time to time. Whether it's watching them on the playground or watching my son play soccer, I can't help to think that I want them to be the best at what they are doing. Is it a normal instinct to want that, or is it what we as Americans have learned to expect? There is no doubt in my mind that competition is a larger part of society here in the United States.

My wife, who grew up in France but who has lived in the US for the last 10 years, has come to see my train of thought. She sees all the other Soccer Moms and can't help but fall into the same game. She asks me if we should be pushing my older son (who's 5) to play more sports. He currently plays soccer and learns Kung Fu. He also goes to a French-immersed school and learns both French and English equally. The problem is that there are other kids that are doing the same thing except they play Baseball or Basketball also. We both think that doing another activity is way too much, but competition wants us to add another activity. Even though the site reads "The Sports Dad", don't think that I'm that psychotic. Sure I want my kids to succeed and do good, but I have never once snapped at them because they didn't do something the way I wanted it. This brings me to the article that I read about "Growing a Super Athlete".

There are two formulas that the authors speaks of that tell the entire story:

Intense Parents + Young Kids + Rigorous Technique + Toughness = Talent

Deliberate Practice + Time = Myelin = Talent

So what makes these kids rise above the rest? I still think it has a lot to do with LUCK. The author does a great job explaining the possibilities though. I guess the question you have to ask yourself as a parent is, "Do I want my kid to lose his entire childhood to possibly be great at one thing?" It's a big step and one in which I don't think I could make. Luckily I don't think we are at a point in which we have to. If the day does arrive in which we do have to choose, I hope it will be the right choice, one not based on competition and one not made by the rest of society.

How to Grow a Super-Athlete (Play Magazine)
Round Up (The Big Lead)

Are You A Free Agent? Want To Get Paid? Well Come On Down!

2007-03-04T15:07:00.000-08:00

One of the reasons I like the NFL so much is free agency. It might suck for some players because they have to worry about signing contracts all the time but who cares. This just in, YOU MAKE MILLIONS, STOP CRYING. Anyway, here is the run down on who got paid and who's still waiting:

Signed

Nate Clemens: (CB) - Signed by San Francisco - (8 yrs 80 MILLION)

Leonard Davis: (OT) - Signed by Dallas - (7 yrs 49.6 MILLION)

Eric Steinbach: (OG) - Signed by Cleveland - (7 yrs 49.5 MILLION)

Dewayne White: (DE) - Signed by Detroit - (5 yrs 29 MILLION)

Ahman Green: (RB) - Signed by Houston - (4 yrs 23 MILLION)

Drew Bennett: (WR) - Signed by St. Louis - (6 yrs 30 MILLION)

London Fletcher: (LB) - Signed by Washington - (5 yrs 25 MILLION)

Jeff Garcia: (QB) - Signed by Tampa Bay - (2 yrs 10 MILLION)

Ashlie Lelie: (WR) - Signed by San Francisco - (2 yrs 4.3 MILLION)

Adalius Thomas: (LB) - Signed by New England - ($$$ Coming Soon)

Michael Lewis: (SS) - Signed by San Francisco - ($$$ Coming Soon)

Fred Smoot: (CB) - Signed by Washington - ($$$ Coming Soon)

Extensions

Andre Johnson: (WR) - Re-Signed by Houston - (6 yrs 60 MILLION)

Kris Dielman: (OG) - Re-signed by San Diego - (6 yrs 39 MILLION)

Fred Taylor: (RB) - Re-Signed by Jacksonville - (4 yrs 23 MILLION)

Traded

Dre Bly: (CB) - Signed by Denver - (Traded for Tatum Bell, George Foster and 5th round draft pick)

Dan Wilkinson: (DT) - (Traded for 7th round draft pick)

Waiting

Corey Dillon: (RB) -
Joey Porter: (LB) -
Joe Horn: (WR) -
Wes Welker: (WR) -

This list took a while to gather so I'll comment in the morning.

Hey Phil - 40 Is The New 20, Right?

2007-03-04T14:26:00.000-08:00

When I heard that Scottie Pippen was trying to make a return to the NBA I knew I had to write about it. With all the injuries to the Lakers, Phil Jackson has been in touch with Scottie, who is now 41, about a possible comeback. (Hey, how about some love for Will Purdue?) Jackson says of the phone conversation, "it was just preliminary talk about how he's doing, where he's at and how he feels." I understand that all athletes think they can play forever, but don't you have to be realistic. Scottie was good in his prime along side the Great One, but at 41 playing with kids and the ball hog(Kobe), I don't think so. If you want to bring him in and let him help at practice that's alright. As long as you know that he isn't that missing piece that's going to take you to the NBA Finals. I think I'd let him back in the league as long as he brings the Kid N Play high top fade with him.

Jackson talks to Pippen (CBS Sportsline)

DON'T SAY I NEVER GAVE YOU ANYTHING

2007-03-02T15:10:00.000-08:00

As a thank you to all of the sports bloggers out there that have helped me this past week get my feet wet I present you with this token of my appreciation. I'm still coming into my own in the sports blog arena and the more help I can get for traffic the better. Thanks!

JAKE PLUMMER - FROM QB TO PORNSTAR - TIME TO CALL IT QUITS

2007-03-02T11:18:00.000-08:00

Dirk Diggler's illegitimate brother Jake Plummer has decided to retire instead of being traded to the Tampa Bay Bucs. Plummer says that he would rather retire then go to a similar situation like the one he was in at Denver (competing for the starting QB job). I think he has finally decided to follow his true calling and become a Pornstar. This was the perfect opportunity for him to make it look like it was the Broncos fault. Jake the Snake just needs to start making some movies and he'll be back to normal. Let's be honest, he never was any good at being an NFL QB. What he was good at was the bootleg, which is what he'll be selling out of his car for $14.99 a pop (starring Jake the Snake in "Ball-Sacked").

Jake rather retire (Denver Post)

AS IF I DIDN'T ALREADY HAVE ENOUGH REASONS TO HATE THE DENTIST

2007-03-02T07:59:00.000-08:00

Let me start off by saying, "I really ~~hate~~ dis-like rich people". Probably because I have little to no money myself, and stories like this just help to back up my statement. Dentist to the stars, Dr. Lawrence Rosenthal, has filed a $7 MILLION lawsuit against recently deceased NY Yankees Pitcher Cory Lidle. This ass clown is claiming that Lidle's plane destroyed his home when Lidle crashed and died on Oct 11th of last year. Isn't there some kind of Insurance for stuff like this? I guess that doesn't apply to rich people. Sorry, I have this deep routed distaste for Dentists also. That's probably because I when to the Dentist way to many times when I was a kid. I had braces and went to the dentist every other week for 4 years (I stay away from the Sour Patch Kids now). Anyway, I hope this guy loses and he gets what's coming to him (a jump kick to the face).

Denist Sues (ESPN)

NFL TALK and Jennifer Love Hewitt

2007-03-01T14:35:00.000-08:00

I think I'm experiencing some paranormal behavior Jennifer. Please come to my house as soon as possible with little to nothing on and we can get rid of these ghosts in my pants. thank you. Now some NFL TALK:

Steelers cut Porter (Valley Independent) - It was only a matter of time before Pittsburgh was going to get rid of him and his dogs.

Bly to Denver for Tatum Bell (USA Today) - That's one nice secondary you got!

Parcells rejoins ESPN (ESPN) - Tuna back in the mix. Maybe he'll light some people up now that he isn't coaching.

Jags Taylor signs extension (Orlando Sentinel) - Fragile Freddy gets some money and gets to watch Maurice Jones-Drew steal his carries.

Neal highest paid fullback - (Union Tribune) - The human battering ram gets paid to run over oncoming traffic and pick up LT's kids from school.

LET THE RUMORS FLY

2007-03-01T11:30:00.000-08:00

One of the latest Randy Moss rumors has the Packers offering up Aaron Rodgers for his services. As a Raider fan I really like the idea of this trade. Although I'm not totally convinced that Rodgers is the Raiders QB of the future, it would mean that they are more interested in Calvin Johnson (manimal). I have also read rumors that maybe they would look to trade Houston to get David Carr. Either way, I like it. Knowing Al Davis he will probably still draft Ja"Fatty" Russell. Davis likes drafting useless Quarterbacks (see Todd Marinovich).

We also need to dump Porter and use him for trade bait to get some offensive line help. As you know none of this will really happen, but it is nice to talk about.

Packers offer Rodgers (Brew Cityzen)
RUMORS FLY OF RODGERS AND MOSS (ProFootballTalk)

Hugo gets his first "W"

2007-03-01T08:44:00.000-08:00

The Mexican National team beat the Venezuela team (3-1) in front of the largest crowd ever to watch a soccer match in San Diego. I almost went to this game last night but decided against it. I'm not a huge fan of the Mexican team, although I do like Hugo Sanchez as a coach. Back in the day I used to go watch some of his San Diego Soccers games and they would just pummel teams. I almost like indoor soccer more than outdoor. There are more goals and you can use the boards.

Tres goals for El Tri (Union Tribune)

Nothing like a good headbutt

2007-03-01T07:52:00.000-08:00

Bogan has nothing on Zidane. I'm obligated to talk about head butting because of my tagline, right? Well either way I thought I'd take a couple of minutes and talk about the Mario Bogan incident. It's pretty cut and dry. He had a Zidane moment and got suspended because of it. Watch the video and you will see for yourself.

Finally some LOVE for LOVIE

2007-02-28T20:36:00.000-08:00

It's about damn time! The Bears finally came to their senses and have agreed on a new 4 year extension worth 22 million with the underpaid Lovie Smith. The deal means that Lovie will average 5.5 million a year which is much better than the chicken scraps (1.4 million) he was making with his prior contract. The Bears were awfully close to really screwing up the upcoming season. They already let their defensive coordinator Ron Rivera go and he signed with the SD Chargers as a linebackers coach. If they hadn't paid Lovie I think da Bears would have started the season in the craper, and the press would have had a field day asking questions all the time about paying the man. I think Lovie had a discussion with God (a close friend of his) and he let the Bears management know they were on notice. Things got done real quick after that.

4 Year Extension (Fox Sports)

Super Model Girlfriend + Cortisone Creme = Three Month Ban

2007-02-28T10:41:00.000-08:00

AC Milan Striker, Marco Borriello, has been banned 3 months for doping. Supposedly his Supermodel girlfriend, Belen Rodriguez, claims they used some ointments during sex that would have led to Borriello testing positive on his drug test. I would love to say that I feel sorry for him, but I don't. A Supermodel girlfriend that uses sex creme. How is that legal?

Venereal Desease (The Offside)

God dammit Mom, Where are my Baseball Cards?

2007-02-28T08:42:00.000-08:00

Why oh why didn't I keep my baseball cards? I'm sure there somewhere in my Mom's house tucked under the pile of G.I. Joes and Transformers. Why did it seem so cool to trade baseball cards when I was little? It's cardboard! Some guy just paid $2.35 MILLION for some cardboard (1909 Honus Wagner). I understand that baseball cards are collectors items, but $2.35 MILLION. That's border line out of control. If this guy has $2.35 MILLION to spend on some cardboard maybe he can sponsor me for about 15 years or so. Me and my family can stay in his pool house or something. I'll even chip in and do some housework from time to time (in between all the sports I'll be watching on his big screen TV). Read the article

One Ugly Cheerleader

2007-02-28T08:15:00.000-08:00

I watched this last night on SportsCenter and almost spilled my beer. Lady Volunteers head basketball coach, Pat Summitt, decided to show her support for the men's team by playing dress up and becoming what was suppose to be a cheerleader. It was like watching my grandparents try and dance or do something cool in front of my kids. I respect her efforts and her willingness to make a fool out of herself. I'm surprised she didn't brake a hip. Next time, if you really want to get the team spirit going, drag Peyton Manning out on the floor and do some dirty dancing. You can watch the video over at Awful Announcing.

Heather Mitts Back in Action?

2007-02-27T13:30:00.000-08:00

I just read over at Sports By Brooks that there is a group of investors that are looking to relaunch a professional women's soccer league. I won't lie, I would rather have watched the WUSA when it was on than the MLS (3 years ago). Both of the leagues sucked in my opinion anyway, but at least the women were dominating the world at the time and they had a couple of hot chicks. If they do follow through with the relaunch I hope they have a better plan this time. Maybe if they have the WNBA play the WUSA more people would watch both leagues. They could make it like the XFL with crazy names and hot girls on the sidelines. Wait, that didn't work either. Oh well, at least we can watch Heather Mitts again.

Hookers, Drugs, Strip Clubs and One Ugly Knee

2007-02-27T07:54:00.000-08:00

Shaun Livingston jacks his knee - In my opinion he hasn't lived up to his billing yet anyway, but it sucks that he will be out for the rest of the season. Good luck extending the minutes of the Alien (Sam Cassell).

Tommy Lasorda might have banged some hookers - Who cares if he did? The big teddy bear just needed some lovin and what better way to release those inner demons then a visit from some high-class call girls.

Jan Ulrich Retires - It most suck to finished second all of the time and then when you finally get a chance to get your career back on track you keep getting accused of doping. Time to retire and hang out with Pacman Jones.

Was it Pacman Jones' Money? - Reports are saying that not all of the $81,000 dollars used during the night "things got crazy" was Pacman's. Where do I sign up for friends that will let me borrow that kind of money?

Two Types of People in the World (Winners and Losers)

2007-02-25T16:11:00.000-08:00

So what did I do this weekend? Friday night I watched Little Miss Sunshine (sure to be a classic). Alan Arkin's character (the Grandpa) made the movie for me. Although everyone did a good job. If you haven't seen it yet I won't ruin it for you, but you better watch it before some guy at work starts quoting all the funny parts.

On Saturday mornings I play flag/tackle football with some guys from work. It's one of my weekly activities that helps me stay sane. When you have kids you need to get away from time to time or you will lose your mind. I also watched some of the Premiership (that's English football to those that don't know). I saw the highlights of my team (Manchester United) beat Fulham (2-1) to go up 9 points over Chelsea in the overall standings. Brian McBride (an American who can actually play) scored for Fulham in the 17th minute and then Ryan Giggs scored in the 29th minute to even things up. Then just when you thought that they might play to a 1-1 draw, the skinny Ronaldo (Cristiano) made a run from midfield and blasted one off a Fulham player past the keeper in the 88 minute. Have a look here

Other scores:

Liverpool 4 - Sheffield United 0

Charlton 4 - West Ham 0

Watford 0 - Everton 3

Wigan 1 - Newcastle 0

Tottenham 4 - Bolton 1

They didn't televise the Carling Cup Final between Arsenal and Chelsea in my area so I didn't get to marvel at Didier Drogba. Chelsea won (2-1) as Drogba scored twice and Theo Walcott scored for Arsenal. John Terry's face met Abou Diaby's foot and the foot won. Click here for the highlights

On Sunday I went and helped coach my 5 year old son's soccer team. It's the first year for the head coach of his team and he seems a little lost. I don't blame him. It's a lot to take on with all of those kids (5 and 6 year olds playing soccer is like watching killer bees attack a honey glazed ham, just get out of the way and hope for the best) . Anyway, I started to help him run practices and during the games I give some pointers. I don't want to over step my bounds. They got pummeled! Most of the kids on my sons team are 5 and they played a team mostly of 7 year olds. Let's just say the other coach didn't take it easy (douche bag). All the kids didn't seem to care, even after the other team scored for the 20th time. Better luck next time. I did get to check out some of the NFL Combine later on in the day. Only have one thing to say about it:

Calvin Johnson is a manimal. Once again he didn't disappoint. This 6'5", 239 pound super human ran a 4.35 forty with borrowed shoes. If we (Raiders) don't take him I will be more than disappointed. This guy will be a Superstar.

Should have called "TAILS"

2007-02-23T10:09:00.000-08:00

The Cleveland Browns have won the coin toss? I can't remember hearing about a coin toss. Browns general manager Phil Savage and Tampa Bay GM Bruce Allen flipped a coin this morning at the NFL Combine and Bruce Allen called "TAILS", it was "HEADS". Guess what? Just one more thing you suck at. I really think that it doesn't matter. I think the teams are looking at different players anyway. Cleveland will be taking Adrian Peterson (if they don't have a brain fart) and Tampa Bay will be lucky getting the best player in the draft (Calvin Johnson - aka Manimal). I could be wrong, but I'm pretty sure that's how it's going to work out. If Cleveland decides to go another way I think they will be screwing themselves. Peterson is going to be a Pro Bowl running back and they need a back way more then they need another receiver or a quarterback (Brady Quinn is overrated).

One thing that Tampa Bay has that Cleveland doesn't is cheerleaders. Why don't the Browns have any links to their cheerleaders? Are they that scary? The Tampa Bays cheerleaders are hot and they actually advertise them (nice!!!). Keep up the good work. A few more for good measures:

Trade deadline comes and goes... Who cares?

2007-02-23T09:05:00.000-08:00

Juan Dixon to Toronto for Fred Jones???? That's it? After weeks of talk about Jason Kidd going to the Lakers that's all we get (by the way I hate the Lakers, especially Kobe) but the Lakers having a good team helps the NBA. They're one of those teams either you love or detest. When is the NBA going to wise up again and start making some big moves? AI to the Nuggets was nice, but what about everyone else. They need to make the NBA structured more like the NFL. No guaranteed contracts!!! Then maybe you will start seeing some more parity and make the games more interesting. The NBA is falling off the map again. I think that you can judge the impact of the sport with how your kids act when watching the games. I watch a bunch of sports on TV with my kids (2 boys ages 5 and 2) and they could care less about watching an NBA game. It's not basketball, because they like to watch College games. I just don't think the NBA has it anymore. They tried with the All-Star game. It didn't work in my opinion. It's not because there aren't any stars in the league. There are plenty of guys that are good. Time to wake up and make things more interesting. One things for sure, neither myself nor my kids will be watching until the playoffs.

From one Dad to another:

2007-02-20T14:20:00.000-08:00

Dear Tom,

Why are you such a lucky bastard? Why couldn't you just beat my football team and just leave well enough alone? You have already won 3 Super Bowls and 2 Super Bowl MVP's. Why can't you just leave a couple of hot girls alone so that us normal guys have something to dream about? Not only did you knock up a Coyote Ugly girl but now your dating one of the hottest super models in the world. Stop making it look so easy! What's next, a three way with Heidi Klum.

Thanks,
Married guy with kids

No more Football, so now Futbol...

2007-02-20T10:20:00.000-08:00

For those of us in this country that actually watch soccer this week is a good one. The Champions League starts up again today and continues throughout the week. The line up looks something like this:

Tuesday February 21

-Celtic v Milan
-PSV v Arsenal
-Lille v Man United
-Real Madrid v Bayern Munich

Wednesday February 22

-Barcelona v Liverpool
-Porto v Chelsea
-Inter v Valencia
-Roma v Lyon

I'm a Manchester United fan and hope they can pull one off today against Lille in France. My wife just happens to be French so I know where she stands. My other predictions are as follows:

-AC Milan beats Celtic
-Arsenal beats PSV
-Real Madrid beats Bayern Munich
-Barcelona beats Liverpool
-Chelsea beats Porto
-Valencia beats Inter
-Lyon beats Roma

I think in the end either Chelsea or Barcelona will be holding the cup. I may be wrong because I'm just another clueless American but I think these teams are just better. I guess we will just have to wait and see.