Archive for Not Baseball
RAB Bracket Busters Update
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Last week I put together a Yahoo group at the last second for this year’s NCAA Tournament, spending no more than a nano-second thinking up the RAB Bracket Busters nickname. Even though I posted the group info barely an hour before the first tip-off, we still managed to get forty-four people to join.
I’m not overly interested in college basketball, but I do have an idea of what goes on throughout the year. However I followed less than usual this year, so I figured my brackets were going to go boom before the weekend even started. I got lucky though, losing just seven of the thirty-two frst round games, and only one of those losses could haunt me beyond the second round (Wake Forest). The weekend went well, and I’m currently sitting pretty with thirteen of Sweet Sixteen correct (the misses are Wake, Washington, and Texas). I had Washinton in the Elite Eight, which kinda sucks, but whatever.
My Final Four is pretty standard – Louisville, Memphis, Pitt and Oklahoma – as is my Championship matchup (Pitt over Louisville). I’m tied for fifth place in our league with 51 points, and I’m well within striking distance of the leader’s 55 points. The scoring doubles each round (one points in the first round, two points in the second, four in the third, etc), so one game means a big swing now. Current standings are after the jump, if you’re interested.
RAB Bracket Busters
Posted by: | CommentsThe NCAA Tournament kicks off this afternoon, and I started a Tournament Challenge group at Yahoo that you can join. There aren’t any prizes, just bragging rights, but you’ll get to pick your brackets and have fun following along. The scoring doubles each round, from one point in the first round to two points in the second to four in the fourth, and so on. If you want in, go here and click “Join A Group.”
League ID#: 187724
Password: hiphipjorge (not sure if it’s case sensitive)
There’s a limit of 500 people in the group, so first come first serve. The games start in like, an hour, so get to filling your brackets out. Oh, and if you have anything you want us to answer in today’s podcast, email it to either Joe or myself using the links on the right.
Yanks pitchers get inked up
Posted by: | CommentsI love tattoos. Got my first one when I was 18, and then got myself another for my 19th birthday. Then I quit my job to start taking classes full-time and have never had enough of a cash surplus to continue. One day, hopefully soon, I’ll start working my way down my arm. This post isn’t about me, though, it’s about the Yankees pitchers and their ink. Kat O’Brien writes about A.J. Burnett, CC Sabathia, Brian Bruney, and Joba Chamberlain, whose lockers all share a wall, and who all have a number of tattoos.
Apparently A.J. is covered head to toe in ink. Well, except below the elbow; colored tattoos there would mean he’d have to wear long sleeves to pitch. Strangest tatt: a picture of himself pitching on his left ankle. What is he, Steve-O? I suppose the Godzilla tatt makes up for it.
(Also, I did not know that Burnett was in a band with Tim Spooneybarger, which is all sorts of awesome.)
Joba has mostly words — sayings he lives by — tattooed on his body. He claims his entire arm will be covered by next year. Will we see Joba in long sleeves for the rest of his career, or will he be like Burnett and keep them above the elbow?
You might remember Sabathia’s tattoos from an earlier post. It looks like he had nothing below the elbow last year in Milwaukee, but now his entire right arm is covered. He keeps a list of loved ones he’s lost on his right arm above the elbow.
Finally, Burney. I can’t stand the tattoo he has on his forearm. He has 12, so the others might compensate, but man, it’s just like the Independent logo. Maybe it’s just me, but I think if you’re going to get a tatt you don’t go pick something off the poster board at the shop.
Just for kicks, here’s the one on my left arm.
Scary, eh?
Robinson Cano gives back
Posted by: | CommentsKat O’Brien just got back from a trip down to the Dominican, and aside from all the talk about steroids and the various development academies comes this gem (emphasis mine):
Probably the best part of the trip was getting to talk to a lot of children and teens who hope to one day be major leaguers. We happened upon a bunch of kids practicing in San Pedro de Macoris, Robinson Cano’s hometown. They were all wearing jerseys with Cano on the back, and a coach told me Cano had bought uniforms for the entire league – about 6,000 kids. He also bought two ambulances for the town. So he is really beloved there, the coach said even more so than fellow natives Sammy Sosa and Alfonso Soriano. What people like best is that Cano still comes back in winter, often sitting and watching kids play baseball on Saturdays.
Awesome, you gotta love it when these megarish athletes give something back, whether it be providing an entire league with jerseys or taking a family on a Disney vacation. It’s amazing how little play stories like this get in the MSM. (h/t Jason)
Leyritz, jailed Friday, now released
Posted by: | CommentsOr: As the Jim Leyritz Saga Turns. Last Friday, as you might remember, former Yankee Jim Leyritz was jailed for defying his pretrial sobriety mandate. The case’s prosecutors claim that The King attempted to drive his car with alcohol in his system “on at least four occasions,” so Circuit Judge Marc Gold signed a warrant for his arrest. Leyritz’s attorney said he’d dispute the claim, and it appears that he has won.
I’ll let Leyritz’s attorney explain why his client was released:
“When Judge Gold issued that order, he had no jurisdiction to issue it,” said Leyritz’s attorney David Bogenschutz.
So he’s out on a technicality, I guess. Here’s a sentence from the CBS 4 report that has me baffled: “Bogenschutz doesn’t dispute the allegations but claims his client ‘misunderstood’ his restrictions.” So his attorney doesn’t dispute that he attempted to drive while drunk, the very action that got him in this mess in the first place. So does that mean that Leyritz “misunderstood” that he can’t drive his car while he’s drunk? That’s what it sounds like to me.
If you want to watch the CBS news report, you can watch it here.
Open Thread: Super Bowl XLIII
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That’s Super Bowl 43 for those that don’t know how to read Roman numerals once they get beyond X’s, V’s and I’s. Don’t worry, I had to look it up myself.
This year’s matchup is pretty much everything the NFL and NBC could have hoped for. You’ve got the historic power franchise in the Steelers and the feel good underdog in the Cardinals, who are making their first ever trip to the big game. The last time these two teams met was Week Four of the 2007 season, when Pittsburgh walked away with a 21-14 win. That was the second to last game Matt Leinart has started in the NFL.
The Steelers had the league’s best defense by far this year, giving up just 237.2 YPG, nearly 23 YPG less than the next best defensive unit. Only once did a team gain more than 300 yards of total offense against the Steelers this year. The Cards offense, on the other hand, was one the best this year, averaging 365.8 YPG, a distant second in the NFC behind the Saints’ supercharged attack. They racked up at least 300 yards of offense sixteen freaking times this season, so something’s gotta give.
Arizona’s going to rely on University of Pittsburgh product Larry Fitzgerald just like they have all year, but the Steelers held Andre Johnson, TJ Housyomomma , Plaxico Burress, Reggie Wayne, Randy Moss, and Terrell Owens to a grand total of two touchdowns (56.6 YPG on avg) in seven total meetings this season. Troy Polamalu has the ability to match every big play Fitzgerald makes with one of his own.
John Manuel of Baseball America ran through the SB43’s baseball ties earlier this week. Steelers running back Mewelde Moore spend three years in the Padres’ farm system and was rated the system’s 29th best prospect back in 2001. Third string QB Dennis Dixon was the Braves’ fourth round pick in ‘07 and is still active in their system, but he didn’t play baseball in ‘08 because of a knee injury. Hines Ward is a former 73rd round pick of the Marlins and Cards’ corner Matt Ware spent two years in the Mariners’ farm system. Polamalu was rated the fifth best prospect in the state of Oregon out of high school in 1999, but he instead went to USC on a football scholarship and the rest is history.
Here’s your open thread for the night. I’m assuming SB43 will be the primary topic, but feel free to talk about anything and everything. Just be civil.
Enjoy the game.
Open Thread: AFC Championship Game
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Wow, that NFC Title game was something else, huh? Congrats to the Arizona Cardinals on finally clinching the first Super Bowl berth in franchise history.
The Ravens last played in the AFC Title Game way back in 2001, when they were on their way to winning the first World Title the city of Baltimore has seen since the Colts won Super Bowl V way back in 1971. The boys from Steeltown are playing in their third AFC Title game in the last five years, but in the end that doesn’t really mean much of anything.
This should be a great, an old school smashmouth kind of game. It looks like Mother Nature won’t interfere much after dumping snow on the Three Rivers area all night. Enjoy the game.
Open thread: NFC Championship Game
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The Cardinals, long the laughing stock of the NFL, are playing the biggest game in franchise history today, and perhaps the biggest sports event the state of Arizona has seen involving an Arizona team since … well … a warm November night back in 2001. Donovan McNabb and the Iggles aren’t new to this NFC Championship game thing, as this will be their fifth trip to the game in the last nine years.
Does Kurt Warner have another shot at something special left in that right arm? Can McNabb continue to persevere through all the crap he has to deal with? Should be an exciting game, chat away about it here.
A-Rod now dating above replacement level
Posted by: | CommentsIn one sense, it pains me to write about this. Who cares what the Yankees are doing with their personal lives, right? In another way, though, I’m very happy to report that Alex Rodriguez has finally figured out that he can do better than a 50 (and a half) year old pop star. His latest fling: Kate Hudson. I certainly approve, as she’s a significant upgrade from Madonna. Plus, she used to be married to Chris Robinson of the Black Crowes, which is all sorts of awesome. Ben’s reaction: “Dammit. I want to date Kate Hudson.” Mike’s reaction: “You know, I never thought that she was all that hot.” I’m definitely siding with Ben on this one.
That’s definitely her best movie role. For a nude, but covered, photo, go here.
Update by Mike (7:38pm): Go ahead and use this for the open thread tonight. The Knicks are in New Orleans, but otherwise all the local teams are off. Play nice.
Open Thread: Giants look to return to NFC Title Game
Posted by: | CommentsDonovan McNabb, Jake Brian Westbrook and the rest of the Iggles storm into the frigid Meadowlands today, looking to get back to the NFC Title Game for the first time in five years. The G-Men were there just last year obviously, but they’ve lost three of their last four games. The bye week should have helped, as it gave Brandon Jacobs’ knee and Justin Tuck’s leg (amongst other walking wounded) a chance to rest up and get healthy. The two teams split their regular season matchup. This should be a good one.
In other local football news, the Jets will interview Ravens’ defensive coordinator Rex Ryan for their head coaching position today. I approve.
Chat away about the game here. Enjoy.
