Wednesday, October 27, 2004
Wednesday, October 27, 2004
Whoaaaaaaa. Just got out of Civil Rights Seminar, and I have 30 minutes of SportsBash thanks to the friendly high speed service in the library.....let's get to work...
3:33 - STEVE PHILLIPS and LARRY BOWA. I obviously missed alot. Let's catch up....
*Suppan made the worse baserunning mistake in WS history (arguably). Bowa: Everyone does it, but the fact that it's in the WS is the reason its magnified. Any other regular season game, and no one talks about it for more than a day. [Bowa just called Suppan a "pretty good athlete." He's shaped like a pear and throws mid 80's. If this is what Bowa calls an "athlete", I'm not shocked he got fired.]
*Did Pedro make money with his performance? Steve: Yes, but only with the Red Sox. There is going to be alot of sentiment to keep him 'part of the family.' Steve is worried. Low arm slot, can't get through more than 6 innings, and he is no longer a #1 starter. Anything more than 2 years and 10 mill per, and he says the team will get screwed signing this guy.
*Tonight's game? Steve: Game of bullpens. Both pitchers are likely to get a little too hyped, and get that sinker up in the zone. Edge - Cards. [We'll see.]
*Is it an advantage for the NL team when the games are at the NL park, due to the pitchers hitting? Bowa: Yeah, but just a slight advantage. The real problem this WS has been the Cards inability to jump out in front. They are laying back in the cut, letting Boston get on top and put them away.
*How should we decide home field advantage in the WS? Steve: Go back to alternating years. He says it isnt fair, but how does this solve the problem? Bowa: Also says they need to alternate. He agrees with Steve that the advantage isn't when the AL goes to the NL park, it's surprisingly the other way around. DHs know how to conduct themselves during the game, but an NL player thrust into that spot isn't going to know what to do. Creatures of habit, players are, and it's tough to teach new habits. [cases in point: Howe, Strawberry,Gooden....all of them had habits....]
3:42 - Commercial time. Rapid Fire is next.....
3:50 - RAPID FIRE (Brought to you by DirecTV)
*Chris in MO: Leftwich or Big Ben in fantasy, and thoughts on the Monday Night cheap shot? EK: I agree with the cheap shot, it sucked. As for fantasy, take Leftwich. Gotta ride the streak.
*Brian in OK: Cards don't play the same caliber team that the Sox have faced all year. EK: Maybe, what with NY, Oak, Minn, Ana, all tough teams. But you have Hou, Chi....AL is a little better, but not that big a deal.
*?? What is the NFL going to do about guys who fake injuries and then show up and make the play next play? EK: Careful about labeling an injury as 'fake.' Just a basic premise that you can't agree with.
*Matt in WI: If the AS Game doesn't decide home field, how will you keep in interesting? EK: On record --> loves the ASG deciding the WS home field. Don't see a downside.
*Larry in OH: Why would the Yankees want Pedro, just another old arm? EK: Because the old arms they have suck. They at least want an old arm that will answer the bell, and for all his faults, Pedro can still do that. All arms welcome.
*Dave in OH: Cardinals will come back and win 4. EK: Wouldn't be shocked. Don't count out the Cards. [I will count them out. They are done, toast, and finished.] Wont be an easy 27 outs in any of the next games.
*Vince in AZ: What is your favorite footbal team, and what was the deal with the Den play calling? [this guy just said Jag-wires....learn to speak, guy.] EK: Denver made alot of mistakes in the Cincy game, and the Jax problem was that Quentin fumbled. Fave footbal team: Jax.
Randy is D-Day, out.
Amina is Otter, out.
[Damn I missed some good Animal House stuff, I better listen to the replay....]
If the Sox don't win, and you don't get any, it ain't Babe Ruth's fault, and it ain't Barry White's fault.
3:33 - STEVE PHILLIPS and LARRY BOWA. I obviously missed alot. Let's catch up....
*Suppan made the worse baserunning mistake in WS history (arguably). Bowa: Everyone does it, but the fact that it's in the WS is the reason its magnified. Any other regular season game, and no one talks about it for more than a day. [Bowa just called Suppan a "pretty good athlete." He's shaped like a pear and throws mid 80's. If this is what Bowa calls an "athlete", I'm not shocked he got fired.]
*Did Pedro make money with his performance? Steve: Yes, but only with the Red Sox. There is going to be alot of sentiment to keep him 'part of the family.' Steve is worried. Low arm slot, can't get through more than 6 innings, and he is no longer a #1 starter. Anything more than 2 years and 10 mill per, and he says the team will get screwed signing this guy.
*Tonight's game? Steve: Game of bullpens. Both pitchers are likely to get a little too hyped, and get that sinker up in the zone. Edge - Cards. [We'll see.]
*Is it an advantage for the NL team when the games are at the NL park, due to the pitchers hitting? Bowa: Yeah, but just a slight advantage. The real problem this WS has been the Cards inability to jump out in front. They are laying back in the cut, letting Boston get on top and put them away.
*How should we decide home field advantage in the WS? Steve: Go back to alternating years. He says it isnt fair, but how does this solve the problem? Bowa: Also says they need to alternate. He agrees with Steve that the advantage isn't when the AL goes to the NL park, it's surprisingly the other way around. DHs know how to conduct themselves during the game, but an NL player thrust into that spot isn't going to know what to do. Creatures of habit, players are, and it's tough to teach new habits. [cases in point: Howe, Strawberry,Gooden....all of them had habits....]
3:42 - Commercial time. Rapid Fire is next.....
3:50 - RAPID FIRE (Brought to you by DirecTV)
*Chris in MO: Leftwich or Big Ben in fantasy, and thoughts on the Monday Night cheap shot? EK: I agree with the cheap shot, it sucked. As for fantasy, take Leftwich. Gotta ride the streak.
*Brian in OK: Cards don't play the same caliber team that the Sox have faced all year. EK: Maybe, what with NY, Oak, Minn, Ana, all tough teams. But you have Hou, Chi....AL is a little better, but not that big a deal.
*?? What is the NFL going to do about guys who fake injuries and then show up and make the play next play? EK: Careful about labeling an injury as 'fake.' Just a basic premise that you can't agree with.
*Matt in WI: If the AS Game doesn't decide home field, how will you keep in interesting? EK: On record --> loves the ASG deciding the WS home field. Don't see a downside.
*Larry in OH: Why would the Yankees want Pedro, just another old arm? EK: Because the old arms they have suck. They at least want an old arm that will answer the bell, and for all his faults, Pedro can still do that. All arms welcome.
*Dave in OH: Cardinals will come back and win 4. EK: Wouldn't be shocked. Don't count out the Cards. [I will count them out. They are done, toast, and finished.] Wont be an easy 27 outs in any of the next games.
*Vince in AZ: What is your favorite footbal team, and what was the deal with the Den play calling? [this guy just said Jag-wires....learn to speak, guy.] EK: Denver made alot of mistakes in the Cincy game, and the Jax problem was that Quentin fumbled. Fave footbal team: Jax.
Randy is D-Day, out.
Amina is Otter, out.
[Damn I missed some good Animal House stuff, I better listen to the replay....]
If the Sox don't win, and you don't get any, it ain't Babe Ruth's fault, and it ain't Barry White's fault.
Tuesday, Oct 26, 2004
No post today. Couldn't get the feed for this show....sorry.
Monday, October 25, 2004
Monday, October 25, 2004
Opening Salvo: Bad, bad news. I'm not sure if it is ESPN Radio, or my network, but I can not stream any content from the World Wide Leader today. Unless I can stream the show from another online radio station playing ESPN content (doubtful at this point, Launchcast isn't working now either....must by my network), it looks like there will be no running diary today. Hopefully this is just a temporary glitch. In the meantime, I will attempt to listen to the archived show tonight at home, and will provide commentary from that. A deal is a deal, and I plan on upholding my end of the bargain. In the meantime, I suppose, read the first two entries, or click on my personal blog and go read some old stuff off of there, if you require entertainment.
I will make a few comments. First, the Eagles did it baby, pulled one out for me. One week in, and the Consigliari lives on. However, Andy Reid is the biggest moron I have ever witnessed coach a football game. Not once, but TWICE, he had 3rd and 1, and rather than get the first down, and march closer for the field goal (all of this was in OT), he ran play action and threw 40 yards bombs on both plays. Will someone tell this idiot he only needs a field goal? 3 wins it, genius!! I was so disgusted. It was bad enough I was in the greatest Eagles bar west of the Mississippi (Plum Crazy on Garnet, in San Diego, if you are an Iggles fan and in the area). That place was a sea of green, and I can honestly say, the roar that went up from that bar when the winning kick went through we louder than alot of stadiums I have visited. Props go out to the Early Times Shot Club, who was pounding Jager at 9:30 am. E-A-R-L-Y-T-I-M-E-S, Early Times!
I will be back soon.....
2:27 - Still no streaming. I contacted Admin, and haven't heard back yet. Hopefully it is still possible to get the internet stream, otherwise this whole project is gonna go in the toilet. I'll manage to get some tidbits off of tonight's archive, but doing that on a daily basis may prove prohibitive between work, intramural softball, and oh yeah, 14 law school credits. Aye, conio....
2:49 - It's official, streaming is done here at the office. It's just as well, Im sure. But it means there will not be anymore live updates to the daily blog. There will however be nightly recaps from a less restrictive establishment, whether my home or the school library. The blog will live on, but my up to the minute participation will not.....
OK, we are in business. Got the feed, and ready to go....from the top.....
1:04 - Yeah Monday! Let's recap.....Eagles win. Jacksonville wins. A bunch of other stuff....
1:07 - Oh yeah, Patriots won. Death, taxes, and Tom Brady. Not necessarily in that order.
1:11 - Seattle used to be an elite team. What happened? And what is with BC? Man they have Notre Dame's number. We wont mention it was another miss by EK, for the man is infallible!
Q: Can Notre Dame ever be great again, under Ty Willingham? I dont think it's Ty necessarily. The guy does his best, but no one wants to go there anymore. You need a premier coach, I suppose, but would that help get the guys from Texas and Florida?
1:27 - Wild story from Erik, his own personal Through the Looking Glass:
Imagine cops with some sort of riot gear on (task force gear, what ever you guys call it), two deep, line of 50 all the way to Fenway. Go Sox pins and high fiving fans on the way to the game. Ahhh, but then you start to see the "I need a ticket...will do anything.." signs. Oh, the dregs.... Then, Erik sees his boy, a scalper, who once asked for legal advice. Question - how's business? Sold any tix to Cardinal fans.....dead serious guy says, "I won't sell a ticket to the WS at Fenway to a Cardinal fan." Damn, that's hardcore. Now, the tshirt row. Double takes all around at these shirts: "Rolen [blanks] Sheep"; "Pujols is a Tool"; "Edmonds will, do, things, that I cant type here, this is filthy....." Ok, the shirts are unclean, we get it. The best part? 5 beans.
Ok, idiot Red Sox fan, here's the thing: there is no single sporting event in history worth whatever, 7 grand, that people are paying per ticket. Stay home, get ripped, go to the bar, whatever....save your freaking money and send your kid to college. Hell of an idea, huh? Then, lie, and say you were there. That's how a real fan does it.....Myself, I have been to eleven Final Fours, the last 5 Super Bowls, and the World Curling Championships...prove me wrong!
1:34 - EK met Nelson De La Rosa. End of story. The man is 28 inches high. He is a hand puppet. McFarlane makes a figurine of the guy, and its freaking life sized.
1:46 - DENNY GREEN: Former Vikings coach, former Stanford coach. A good guy, but notorious for not winning the big game. Coming off a great win over the Seahawks at home, which Im sure makes up for losing to the worst team in the NFL, San Francisco. Celebrated the win with grilled chicken. Yum....
*Denny says that the Cards can still make the playoffs. Im not sure he is thinking straight. Then again, Bengals won, Miami won, Jax wins in Indy....anything is possible I suppose.
Bumper: Rock Me Amadeus (nice)
2:01 - PETE FUTIAK, College Football News
*One of my fave guys, from the greatest website, www.collegefootballnews.com
*Why did Miami drop to the #3 spot in the BCS? Pete: Who cares. Its so early, this doesnt mean crap. There are so many big games left, this thing is nothing but a meaningless snapshot.
*Which two teams control their own destiny for the Orange Bowl? Pete: Auburn more than people think. Look, if Auburn and OK and USC all win out, Auburn is going to be right there. They could easily sneak in. Wisconsin has no big wins, so don't count on them. The bottom line is that alot of these teams are probably going to lose, and everything will work out, like it always does.
*If the Badgers go undefeated, and there is only one other undefeated, could they get beat out by a one loss team? Pete: No, if they are there in the end, they will be in the national championship game.
*Florida State is the top team amongst one loss teams, are they better than the rest? Pete: They aren't better than Cal and they aren't better than Michigan. FlaSt barely beat Wake and Cuse, so just not sold on em. Cal is the truth, and deserves alot of attention.
*Utah and Boise State, even? Pete: Utah is a lot better. Boise is a fraud. BSU barely beat BYU and barely beat Tulsa, just crap wins. And the signature win is Oregon State (austin powers, "Whoop deeee do!")
*Ron Zook, crying. Pete: They had to make that move. The frat deal, the loss, come on. Lets put it this way; my friend is a Florida die hard, and after the loss this weekend, he couldn't get on www.fireronzook.com because the server crashed from too many hits. Mr Zook...good night now! Pete says Urban Meyer gets the first phone call, and Spurrier gets the second. [no way Spurrier goes back]
1:24 - Anyone, anyone? MUELLER, MUELLER? (Thank you Simone....)
*Impressed by Byron Leftwich, but not sold on Jax as a super contender just yet....
*Indy --> Issue on defense, both against the run and the pass. Just not ready to be the number one team (used to have problems with Tenn, now its New England)
*Gotta weight the price with these nut cases, like TO and Kyle Turley. Is the talent worth the headaches? For Randy, yeah, pretty much, it does outweigh the problems....
3:05 - Erik: Donna Summer did the best rendition of God Bless America he has heard at any baseball game. Whoa, whoa, Erik. Donna Summer. Summer, Donna. Summa....don...na......Summa....don...na....simma down now!
3:12 - Erik: The Cardinal fan is the upper middle class, well groomed, class couple headed out for a nice dinner. And when Bellhorn hit the home run, Erik hugged men. I must go now....this is just too much to handle....
[I am very happy to be here!]
3:24 - Knockout Pool Update:
JB - St Louis [You got knocked the **** out man!]
TJ - Philadelphia [Yeeeesss]
Randy - Philly [Mr Randy....Watson!]
Tamara - Tampa Bay [Yeess]
Brad - Minnesota [Yeeeesss]
Nicki - Baltimore [Yeeeesss]
Amina - [You got knocked the **** out man!]
Erik - [You got knocked the **** out man!]
3:27 - Hockey is still on lockout [Bah Bah Bah, bu bu bu bu bu]
3:29 - Monday Night Pick: Denver.
Getting sleepy....must study....Mergers and Acquisitions is calling me before I hit the sack...I am afraid, I must cut this one short......G'Night.....
I will make a few comments. First, the Eagles did it baby, pulled one out for me. One week in, and the Consigliari lives on. However, Andy Reid is the biggest moron I have ever witnessed coach a football game. Not once, but TWICE, he had 3rd and 1, and rather than get the first down, and march closer for the field goal (all of this was in OT), he ran play action and threw 40 yards bombs on both plays. Will someone tell this idiot he only needs a field goal? 3 wins it, genius!! I was so disgusted. It was bad enough I was in the greatest Eagles bar west of the Mississippi (Plum Crazy on Garnet, in San Diego, if you are an Iggles fan and in the area). That place was a sea of green, and I can honestly say, the roar that went up from that bar when the winning kick went through we louder than alot of stadiums I have visited. Props go out to the Early Times Shot Club, who was pounding Jager at 9:30 am. E-A-R-L-Y-T-I-M-E-S, Early Times!
I will be back soon.....
2:27 - Still no streaming. I contacted Admin, and haven't heard back yet. Hopefully it is still possible to get the internet stream, otherwise this whole project is gonna go in the toilet. I'll manage to get some tidbits off of tonight's archive, but doing that on a daily basis may prove prohibitive between work, intramural softball, and oh yeah, 14 law school credits. Aye, conio....
2:49 - It's official, streaming is done here at the office. It's just as well, Im sure. But it means there will not be anymore live updates to the daily blog. There will however be nightly recaps from a less restrictive establishment, whether my home or the school library. The blog will live on, but my up to the minute participation will not.....
OK, we are in business. Got the feed, and ready to go....from the top.....
1:04 - Yeah Monday! Let's recap.....Eagles win. Jacksonville wins. A bunch of other stuff....
1:07 - Oh yeah, Patriots won. Death, taxes, and Tom Brady. Not necessarily in that order.
1:11 - Seattle used to be an elite team. What happened? And what is with BC? Man they have Notre Dame's number. We wont mention it was another miss by EK, for the man is infallible!
Q: Can Notre Dame ever be great again, under Ty Willingham? I dont think it's Ty necessarily. The guy does his best, but no one wants to go there anymore. You need a premier coach, I suppose, but would that help get the guys from Texas and Florida?
1:27 - Wild story from Erik, his own personal Through the Looking Glass:
Imagine cops with some sort of riot gear on (task force gear, what ever you guys call it), two deep, line of 50 all the way to Fenway. Go Sox pins and high fiving fans on the way to the game. Ahhh, but then you start to see the "I need a ticket...will do anything.." signs. Oh, the dregs.... Then, Erik sees his boy, a scalper, who once asked for legal advice. Question - how's business? Sold any tix to Cardinal fans.....dead serious guy says, "I won't sell a ticket to the WS at Fenway to a Cardinal fan." Damn, that's hardcore. Now, the tshirt row. Double takes all around at these shirts: "Rolen [blanks] Sheep"; "Pujols is a Tool"; "Edmonds will, do, things, that I cant type here, this is filthy....." Ok, the shirts are unclean, we get it. The best part? 5 beans.
Ok, idiot Red Sox fan, here's the thing: there is no single sporting event in history worth whatever, 7 grand, that people are paying per ticket. Stay home, get ripped, go to the bar, whatever....save your freaking money and send your kid to college. Hell of an idea, huh? Then, lie, and say you were there. That's how a real fan does it.....Myself, I have been to eleven Final Fours, the last 5 Super Bowls, and the World Curling Championships...prove me wrong!
1:34 - EK met Nelson De La Rosa. End of story. The man is 28 inches high. He is a hand puppet. McFarlane makes a figurine of the guy, and its freaking life sized.
1:46 - DENNY GREEN: Former Vikings coach, former Stanford coach. A good guy, but notorious for not winning the big game. Coming off a great win over the Seahawks at home, which Im sure makes up for losing to the worst team in the NFL, San Francisco. Celebrated the win with grilled chicken. Yum....
*Denny says that the Cards can still make the playoffs. Im not sure he is thinking straight. Then again, Bengals won, Miami won, Jax wins in Indy....anything is possible I suppose.
Bumper: Rock Me Amadeus (nice)
2:01 - PETE FUTIAK, College Football News
*One of my fave guys, from the greatest website, www.collegefootballnews.com
*Why did Miami drop to the #3 spot in the BCS? Pete: Who cares. Its so early, this doesnt mean crap. There are so many big games left, this thing is nothing but a meaningless snapshot.
*Which two teams control their own destiny for the Orange Bowl? Pete: Auburn more than people think. Look, if Auburn and OK and USC all win out, Auburn is going to be right there. They could easily sneak in. Wisconsin has no big wins, so don't count on them. The bottom line is that alot of these teams are probably going to lose, and everything will work out, like it always does.
*If the Badgers go undefeated, and there is only one other undefeated, could they get beat out by a one loss team? Pete: No, if they are there in the end, they will be in the national championship game.
*Florida State is the top team amongst one loss teams, are they better than the rest? Pete: They aren't better than Cal and they aren't better than Michigan. FlaSt barely beat Wake and Cuse, so just not sold on em. Cal is the truth, and deserves alot of attention.
*Utah and Boise State, even? Pete: Utah is a lot better. Boise is a fraud. BSU barely beat BYU and barely beat Tulsa, just crap wins. And the signature win is Oregon State (austin powers, "Whoop deeee do!")
*Ron Zook, crying. Pete: They had to make that move. The frat deal, the loss, come on. Lets put it this way; my friend is a Florida die hard, and after the loss this weekend, he couldn't get on www.fireronzook.com because the server crashed from too many hits. Mr Zook...good night now! Pete says Urban Meyer gets the first phone call, and Spurrier gets the second. [no way Spurrier goes back]
1:24 - Anyone, anyone? MUELLER, MUELLER? (Thank you Simone....)
*Impressed by Byron Leftwich, but not sold on Jax as a super contender just yet....
*Indy --> Issue on defense, both against the run and the pass. Just not ready to be the number one team (used to have problems with Tenn, now its New England)
*Gotta weight the price with these nut cases, like TO and Kyle Turley. Is the talent worth the headaches? For Randy, yeah, pretty much, it does outweigh the problems....
3:05 - Erik: Donna Summer did the best rendition of God Bless America he has heard at any baseball game. Whoa, whoa, Erik. Donna Summer. Summer, Donna. Summa....don...na......Summa....don...na....simma down now!
3:12 - Erik: The Cardinal fan is the upper middle class, well groomed, class couple headed out for a nice dinner. And when Bellhorn hit the home run, Erik hugged men. I must go now....this is just too much to handle....
[I am very happy to be here!]
3:24 - Knockout Pool Update:
JB - St Louis [You got knocked the **** out man!]
TJ - Philadelphia [Yeeeesss]
Randy - Philly [Mr Randy....Watson!]
Tamara - Tampa Bay [Yeess]
Brad - Minnesota [Yeeeesss]
Nicki - Baltimore [Yeeeesss]
Amina - [You got knocked the **** out man!]
Erik - [You got knocked the **** out man!]
3:27 - Hockey is still on lockout [Bah Bah Bah, bu bu bu bu bu]
3:29 - Monday Night Pick: Denver.
Getting sleepy....must study....Mergers and Acquisitions is calling me before I hit the sack...I am afraid, I must cut this one short......G'Night.....
Friday, October 22, 2004
Friday, October 22, 2004
Opening Salvo: Good afternoon to one and all. It appears that my scheme has worked. Pleading and promises to degrade myself were not nearly enough to get me in the Knockout Pool, but the blog did it. You will hear my incoherent ramblings today at 2:45 pst as I attempt to not make a complete jerk of myself and pick a loser on day 1. Fear not, loyal reader, for even if I should go down in defeat, I will continue on, and this blog shall live gloriously into the future. 12:55, and about that time. Got my vitamin water and my balance bar...let's get it on.....
12:59 pm - Let's just recap last night, and lay the ground work for today's show. The Cardinals pulled it out, 5-2, in Game 7 to set up a Boston-St Louis World Series. Game 1 is tomorrow at 7:30 est, and it looks like it will be Wakefield v. Williams. Don't quote me on that. I said Clemens would shove it for 7 and Suppan would get rocked. Didn't happen. Clemens was cruising, but he got two fast balls up in the 6th to Pujols and Rolen, and one landed in front of the fence, and the other landed on the wrong side of the fence. Game over. For some reason, Jeff Suppan turned into Cy Young and shut down everyone. I'd like to give him full credit, but the Astros were pressing, big time. Swinging at garbage breaking stuff in the dirt. They didnt take care of the zone, and allowed themselves to deviate from the formula that got them there. Game 7 pressure can rattle anyone, and it got the Stros yesterday. Meanwhile, perennial scrubs like Roger Cedeno (a poor man's Gary Pettis) and Tony Womack, otherwise known as Punch and Judy, managed to get the key hits in the game. When those guys beat you, you deserve to lose. Also, real quick....Jeff Kent has the range of a lawn chair. That guy can't stop a ball that isn't close enough for him to fall on. I swear, a man buried up to his waist could get to more ground balls. I digress.....
1:03 - Showtime. Ike Hayes startin' it up like only he can. "Yeah Friday!"
1:06 - Should have walked Pujols. Can't let that guy beat you. Rolen is a great hitter, but nowhere near as good as Pujols. Once he got that hit, Rocket got rattled, and he got the next pitch up. Game over. As for this idea of pulling Rocket for Oswalt, Im not seeing it. Oswalt was complaining about dead arm before the game, so you have to think they were handling him with kid gloves.
1:08 - "The two best baseball cities in America," says Erik. Gotta agree. Part of me wanted St Louis to win just because you like to see traditional teams in the Series. I am a huge Angels fan, but when they make the Series, or the Astros, or the Marlins......it doesn't seem right. Boston, New York, Atlanta, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago.....these are who you want see on the big stage.
Background music: Orange Crush, R.E.M. [solid]
1:09 - Erik's Matchups:
Lineups - Edge CARDINALS
Defense - Edge CARDINALS (overwhelming) [*In 10 playoff games, the Cardinals have not commited an error]
Starting Pitching - Edge RED SOX (solid edge)
Bullpen - Edge RED SOX
Key Issues: (1) What does Schilling give you? (2) Will Pedro be able turn it on without facing pinstripes? (3) Who catches Wakefield? (4) Can St Louis win on the road? (5) Can Izzy get it together? (6) Are the Sox better rested, and is that good? (7) Is it fair that the Sox get home field advantage? [I say no, Erik says yes. I think it's a crock. The Cards earned it. Most wins, that's what you do. End of story.]
1:19 - The Knockout Pool starts up again today. Last winner was JB, and he will be back to defend his title. One spot left. Get it right, and you come back next week. Get it wrong, and "You got knocked the **** out man!" Thanks Smokey.....
1:22 - Commercial Break. Thoughts from the game last night: Julian Tavarez is Freddy Krueger, it's not even worth discussing. What is with Oswalt's necklace? Doesn't he know that is played out? Then again, Jerome Williams of the Giants wears pooka shells. John Franco should wear a mood ring and and afro pick. Let's all go retro! If Brad Ausmus and Mike Matheny had a cage match to the death, and all they had were their own bats....it would end in a draw and no one would draw blood. Those guys couldn't hit the ground with a handful of rice....
1:29 - JON MILLER, Voice of the Giants and ESPN Radio Baseball: I happen to like Miller alot. Great voice, great attitude. Then again, Im from the Bay. Jon Miller's favorite WS moment: Worst moment, Willie McCovey lining out to Bobby Richardson. Miller doesn't believe in the "curse" and I can't say I blame him. [but there is something great about a group of people suffering. call it schadenfreud i suppose.] Jon says that Joe Morgan sees alot of Tony Perez in Albert Pujols, and I think that would be selling Pujols short. The guy is 10 times as good as Perez. Miller just did a genius Scully impression. [Vin Scully is the greatest there ever was. He makes Jack Buck and Ernie Harwell sound like two monkeys banging pots. The only guy who can even come close to Vin is Chick Hearn, meaning that the two best announcers are LA guys. How lucky can one state be...]
2:04 - Time for some feetball, JOHN CLAYTON:
*Better chance, 16-0 for NE, or 0-16 for MIA? Miami. They may pick up a win, but not anytime soon. Pats are sure to lose soon.
*Buffalo @ Baltimore: Possible trap game, with Philly up next for Balt. Need to improve their garbage offense. Todd Heap may be back. [not what I heard] Kyle Boller still has a chance to be good. Basically, if you take away receiving threats from a young QB, he is done. When Randy Hymes is your #1 target, it doesn't matter who you are.....times are gonna be tough.
*Detroit @ NY Giants: If the Giants win, book your playoff tickets. If Detroit wins, it tightens up the WC race, but if they lose, it just makes things that much harder. If you think about it, after the division winners, and St Louis, there is really only one spot up for grabs. You can almost book Philly, Atlanta, Seattle, St Louis and Minnesota, which means we could sew up the playoff spots by Thanksgiving.
*Who has the ability to rip off three in a row down the stretch?
Dallas - no. Running game is absolute garbage, and they have no shot.
Washington - Perhaps. They need to get the passing game going, because the schedule is conducive to them making a run.
Green Bay - Difficult. Tougher schedule than the others, and the defense is poop. D-line is getting better, but the O-line took a hit.
Carolina - Forget about it. Its over.
New Orleans - Talent, yes. Liklihood, no. Too much negativity.
*Why isn't Curtis Martin an MVP candidate? John says, gotta come up big this weekend. Tough to overcome the glamour of the QB position.
*Jerry Rice is a good fit for three reasons: (1) He catches the ball, unlike Koren Dropinson. (2) He keeps Engram in the slot, so now you have someone good enough to fill in at split end. (3) Um, John forgot #3. Ill let it slide.
*[Clayton says he would pay to see the Garcia girls fight it out. John, keep that to yourself. That kind of attitude is what got Mike Price in trouble.]
*Why isn't Denver getting more respect? First, the division is so weak, you can't give em too much credit. Also, this team isn't doing what they usually do --> they are winning with Defense, not Offense. Perhaps people just aren't used to it, so hard to embrace it.
2:18 - Talkin bachelor parties. Amina just suggested that women still jump out of cakes. That is the most ridiculous thing I have heard thus far. Amina, you deserve to get roasted on that one. Also, if that guy will get a lap dance from the fattest person at the "establishment", Im sure that means one of his friends. Do that, and you are in brotha....
2:19 - Erik just said "Last call for alcohol." Don't tease me EK! I just ordered three beers and a shot from my manager...you know, knee-jerk reaction.
2:28 - BRUCE FELDMAN, talking college football (get his book, Caine Mutiny)
*USC v. Washington: No case can be made for the Huskies. They suck, and will get crushed.
*Kansas @ Oklahoma: The only way the Jayhawks win is if fat body Mangino engages Stoops in a pie eating contest.
*Miami (FL) @ NC St: Possible upset. State has great speed, and Berlin can blow this game singlehandedly. Lots of D in this one.
*Kentucky @ Auburn: Auburn is the only school in the nation that has not allowed a rushing touchdown. Bruce wasnt sold on Auburn D (after losing their starting LBs, Thomas and Dansby) but they are even faster and more aggressive this year. The D is great, but when all is said and done, they wont be on top (but up there)
*7 undefeateds are left, who is at risk?
-Northwestern @ Wisconsin: TRAP GAME! No Erasmus James, which weakens a strong D. Bruce says Anthony Davis will take this game over, but the Cats have a shot at the upset.
-UNLV @ Utah: How far can Utah climb? Bruce says this is about it. There are too many good teams ahead of them that will stay ahead even with a loss. The strength of schedule will kill them. Basically, Utah is rooting for Tex A&M for the rest of the year, because every Aggie win gives the Utes legitimacy.
-Fresno St @ Boise St: Fresno just isnt the same since losing RB Wright. Their defense should give Boise some trouble, but the Broncos should pull out.
*Others: Tennessee over Alabama; Purdue over Michigan (in a shootout); Penn St over Iowa
2:52 - KNOCKOUT POOL:
Ok I missed a ton, since I had to go outside to take the call. I work by the airport, and I dont think anyone wants the sound of screeching engines over the radio. From what I can tell, the picks are:
JB - St Louis [trap game. i wanted to pick them, but I didnt]
TJ - Philadelphia [yeah, yeah, its on the road. cleveland hardly qualifies as a 'hostile environment']
Tamara - Baltimore
Nicky - Tampa Bay [terrible pick. go bears]
Dude from Missouri - have no idea....someone help me out
Amina - Seattle
Randy - Philadelphia (brilliant!)
Erik - Indianapolis
3:02 - Damn you commercial break, oh how I loathe thee. Lulling me to sleep, only to be followed by an interview with a fisherman. Pardon me while I see how many paperclips I can shove up my nose....
3:04 - The answer is 21.....but now I can't remember my phone number
3:05 - Took the clips out....feeling light headed. One is missing.....
3:06 - GAME BY GAME ANALYSIS - Erik has facts, but I do too....
*NY Jets @ NE: What? Um, 20 in a row. Next!
*Jax @ Indy: Colts have held opposition under 100 yards rushing three games in a row. In that same time, they have managed to keep the passing yardage under 700. But barely....
*Tenn @ Minn: 6 different players have caught a TD from Culpepper, including, Moss, Burleson, Robinson, Anthony Carter, Ahmad Rashad..........
*Atl @ KC: Last stand for the Chiefs. Falcons gave up 49 TDs last season, only 9 so far this year. Amazing. I like the commercial with the Mike Vick ride. I could only get on the Trent Green ride. It was great. You get strapped in, and then it sits there for 5 seconds, and then it slams you to the ground. Weeeeeeee!
*Chicago @ TB: Im a Bears fan. The Bears are the greatest. They will win by 100. Is Ditka playing? Jonathan Quinn Medicine Woman needs to go though. Bring back Vince Evans for all I care.
*Buffalo @ Baltimore: Erik says the Ravens need the defense to score to win this game. That's like depending on your hockey goalie to score a goal. Sad state if you are praying for a defensive TD
*Dallas @ GB: Packers, 0-3 at home. That is brutal. Favre is 1-8 against the Boys. This is gonna be a close game. Key stat: Packers, 0 turnovers in wins, 14 in losses. Um, so, like, hold on to the ball?
*Detroit @ NY Giants: Tiki has 100 yards rushing in 4 of the first 5 games. And the guy hasnt fumbled yet! This is amazing. This is a guy whose wife wouldn't let him hold the baby. This guy dropped more balls than puberty last year....
*NO @ Oakland: Touchdown, Rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrraiders! Greg Papa is the man. Too bad he never gets to say that. Kerry Collins is so bad, I am starting to miss Marc Wilson.
*SD @ Car: Brees, 9 TDs, 3 picks. Unbelievable. And this defense is so terrible, but they have 4 straight games without giving up 100 yards rushing. I honestly thought they wouldnt win a game. I looked at their schedule, and the worst team on their schedule was......them!
*Sea @ Arizona: TRAP GAME! Denny Green had a bye week to prep. Could be interesting. Jerry Rice v. Emmit Smith...brought to you by Metamucil! They should just play this game in Miami. The Del Boca Vista Bowl....
*Stl @ Mia: Dolphins have the WORST O line in football. They havent even scored 14 points in a single game this season. My prediction, St Louis shows up late due to weather, and the game starts without them. 7 plays in, Miami crosses the 50, and then the Rams show up.
*Phil @ Clev: Erik says, ya never know. Wrong. I know. Cleveland stinks. Jeff Garcia, aka Boggs from Shawshank will get a visit from the sisters....
3:27 - BYRON VELVICK, The Bachelor: Im not exactly anticipating this. Fishing is fun. Talking fishing is not. "But wait!," you say, "it's about the Bachelor!" Um, ok, Im starting to miss the fishing talk. The Bachelor was an interesting idea, but in application, it is a disaster. 20 women abandoning their dignity to vie for the attention of a random guy, who has somehow been labeled the most eligible bachelor? I dont care what kind of money this guy has, I will destroy him in a battle of the bachelors!
Picks:
Erik: NY Giants over Detroit; Indy over Jax; Tampa Bay over Chicago; Jets over NE; Minnesota over Tenn
Byron: Detroit over NY Giants; Jax over Indy [den of iniquity?]; Tampa Bay over Chicago; NE over Jets; Tenn over Minnesota
Consigliari (me): NY Giants over Detroit; Chicago over Tampa Bay; Indy over Jax; Minnesota over Tenn; NE over Jets
3:35 - Hockey's still on lockout! (BA BA BA, buh-buh, buh-buh-buh!)
3:36 - FOOTBALL PICKS
Current Record: 16-15 in NFL, 15-9 in College
College Picks: Virginia (-24); Tennessee (-7); Notre Dame (-6.5)
NFL: NY Giants (-6.5); Indianapolis (-9.5); Minnesota (-6.5); San Diego (+3.5)
3:48 - RAPID FIRE, One Question-One Comment, otherwise.....NEXT!
1. If Cards split, do they get it done in 5 or 7? Dont count your chickens, man. You can bank on a home sweep. And I doubt they will split.
2. Ok, dumb question. NEXT!
3. Woo hoo! A Bears question. Why are we going for Couch? Erik: Couch is not right physically. No arm strength. The problem is, can't win with Quinn, so gotta try something. At least Lovie and Angelo are trying to get it done however they can.
4. T or F, ND goes 0-10, does Beano Cook still list them in the Top 5. That's moronic. But Erik's impression of Beano was brilliant.
5. Where is Mo Clarrett? Chilling. See you in the 5th round, sucker.
6. How good is Boise St? Erik: They are at least top 15. The problem is not that they cant beat the good teams, the problem is that people dont respect the fact that these mid majors only really need to get geeked up for like 2 games. In the SEC or the Big 12, every week is a struggle.
7. Comment - Clemens has revamped his image. Damn Cardinal fan, won't say anything bad about any one. Boo!
Randy is Sexual Chocolate and he's out.
Amina is Melo's friend and she's out.
If you don't get any, it aint Barry White's fault.
12:59 pm - Let's just recap last night, and lay the ground work for today's show. The Cardinals pulled it out, 5-2, in Game 7 to set up a Boston-St Louis World Series. Game 1 is tomorrow at 7:30 est, and it looks like it will be Wakefield v. Williams. Don't quote me on that. I said Clemens would shove it for 7 and Suppan would get rocked. Didn't happen. Clemens was cruising, but he got two fast balls up in the 6th to Pujols and Rolen, and one landed in front of the fence, and the other landed on the wrong side of the fence. Game over. For some reason, Jeff Suppan turned into Cy Young and shut down everyone. I'd like to give him full credit, but the Astros were pressing, big time. Swinging at garbage breaking stuff in the dirt. They didnt take care of the zone, and allowed themselves to deviate from the formula that got them there. Game 7 pressure can rattle anyone, and it got the Stros yesterday. Meanwhile, perennial scrubs like Roger Cedeno (a poor man's Gary Pettis) and Tony Womack, otherwise known as Punch and Judy, managed to get the key hits in the game. When those guys beat you, you deserve to lose. Also, real quick....Jeff Kent has the range of a lawn chair. That guy can't stop a ball that isn't close enough for him to fall on. I swear, a man buried up to his waist could get to more ground balls. I digress.....
1:03 - Showtime. Ike Hayes startin' it up like only he can. "Yeah Friday!"
1:06 - Should have walked Pujols. Can't let that guy beat you. Rolen is a great hitter, but nowhere near as good as Pujols. Once he got that hit, Rocket got rattled, and he got the next pitch up. Game over. As for this idea of pulling Rocket for Oswalt, Im not seeing it. Oswalt was complaining about dead arm before the game, so you have to think they were handling him with kid gloves.
1:08 - "The two best baseball cities in America," says Erik. Gotta agree. Part of me wanted St Louis to win just because you like to see traditional teams in the Series. I am a huge Angels fan, but when they make the Series, or the Astros, or the Marlins......it doesn't seem right. Boston, New York, Atlanta, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago.....these are who you want see on the big stage.
Background music: Orange Crush, R.E.M. [solid]
1:09 - Erik's Matchups:
Lineups - Edge CARDINALS
Defense - Edge CARDINALS (overwhelming) [*In 10 playoff games, the Cardinals have not commited an error]
Starting Pitching - Edge RED SOX (solid edge)
Bullpen - Edge RED SOX
Key Issues: (1) What does Schilling give you? (2) Will Pedro be able turn it on without facing pinstripes? (3) Who catches Wakefield? (4) Can St Louis win on the road? (5) Can Izzy get it together? (6) Are the Sox better rested, and is that good? (7) Is it fair that the Sox get home field advantage? [I say no, Erik says yes. I think it's a crock. The Cards earned it. Most wins, that's what you do. End of story.]
1:19 - The Knockout Pool starts up again today. Last winner was JB, and he will be back to defend his title. One spot left. Get it right, and you come back next week. Get it wrong, and "You got knocked the **** out man!" Thanks Smokey.....
1:22 - Commercial Break. Thoughts from the game last night: Julian Tavarez is Freddy Krueger, it's not even worth discussing. What is with Oswalt's necklace? Doesn't he know that is played out? Then again, Jerome Williams of the Giants wears pooka shells. John Franco should wear a mood ring and and afro pick. Let's all go retro! If Brad Ausmus and Mike Matheny had a cage match to the death, and all they had were their own bats....it would end in a draw and no one would draw blood. Those guys couldn't hit the ground with a handful of rice....
1:29 - JON MILLER, Voice of the Giants and ESPN Radio Baseball: I happen to like Miller alot. Great voice, great attitude. Then again, Im from the Bay. Jon Miller's favorite WS moment: Worst moment, Willie McCovey lining out to Bobby Richardson. Miller doesn't believe in the "curse" and I can't say I blame him. [but there is something great about a group of people suffering. call it schadenfreud i suppose.] Jon says that Joe Morgan sees alot of Tony Perez in Albert Pujols, and I think that would be selling Pujols short. The guy is 10 times as good as Perez. Miller just did a genius Scully impression. [Vin Scully is the greatest there ever was. He makes Jack Buck and Ernie Harwell sound like two monkeys banging pots. The only guy who can even come close to Vin is Chick Hearn, meaning that the two best announcers are LA guys. How lucky can one state be...]
2:04 - Time for some feetball, JOHN CLAYTON:
*Better chance, 16-0 for NE, or 0-16 for MIA? Miami. They may pick up a win, but not anytime soon. Pats are sure to lose soon.
*Buffalo @ Baltimore: Possible trap game, with Philly up next for Balt. Need to improve their garbage offense. Todd Heap may be back. [not what I heard] Kyle Boller still has a chance to be good. Basically, if you take away receiving threats from a young QB, he is done. When Randy Hymes is your #1 target, it doesn't matter who you are.....times are gonna be tough.
*Detroit @ NY Giants: If the Giants win, book your playoff tickets. If Detroit wins, it tightens up the WC race, but if they lose, it just makes things that much harder. If you think about it, after the division winners, and St Louis, there is really only one spot up for grabs. You can almost book Philly, Atlanta, Seattle, St Louis and Minnesota, which means we could sew up the playoff spots by Thanksgiving.
*Who has the ability to rip off three in a row down the stretch?
Dallas - no. Running game is absolute garbage, and they have no shot.
Washington - Perhaps. They need to get the passing game going, because the schedule is conducive to them making a run.
Green Bay - Difficult. Tougher schedule than the others, and the defense is poop. D-line is getting better, but the O-line took a hit.
Carolina - Forget about it. Its over.
New Orleans - Talent, yes. Liklihood, no. Too much negativity.
*Why isn't Curtis Martin an MVP candidate? John says, gotta come up big this weekend. Tough to overcome the glamour of the QB position.
*Jerry Rice is a good fit for three reasons: (1) He catches the ball, unlike Koren Dropinson. (2) He keeps Engram in the slot, so now you have someone good enough to fill in at split end. (3) Um, John forgot #3. Ill let it slide.
*[Clayton says he would pay to see the Garcia girls fight it out. John, keep that to yourself. That kind of attitude is what got Mike Price in trouble.]
*Why isn't Denver getting more respect? First, the division is so weak, you can't give em too much credit. Also, this team isn't doing what they usually do --> they are winning with Defense, not Offense. Perhaps people just aren't used to it, so hard to embrace it.
2:18 - Talkin bachelor parties. Amina just suggested that women still jump out of cakes. That is the most ridiculous thing I have heard thus far. Amina, you deserve to get roasted on that one. Also, if that guy will get a lap dance from the fattest person at the "establishment", Im sure that means one of his friends. Do that, and you are in brotha....
2:19 - Erik just said "Last call for alcohol." Don't tease me EK! I just ordered three beers and a shot from my manager...you know, knee-jerk reaction.
2:28 - BRUCE FELDMAN, talking college football (get his book, Caine Mutiny)
*USC v. Washington: No case can be made for the Huskies. They suck, and will get crushed.
*Kansas @ Oklahoma: The only way the Jayhawks win is if fat body Mangino engages Stoops in a pie eating contest.
*Miami (FL) @ NC St: Possible upset. State has great speed, and Berlin can blow this game singlehandedly. Lots of D in this one.
*Kentucky @ Auburn: Auburn is the only school in the nation that has not allowed a rushing touchdown. Bruce wasnt sold on Auburn D (after losing their starting LBs, Thomas and Dansby) but they are even faster and more aggressive this year. The D is great, but when all is said and done, they wont be on top (but up there)
*7 undefeateds are left, who is at risk?
-Northwestern @ Wisconsin: TRAP GAME! No Erasmus James, which weakens a strong D. Bruce says Anthony Davis will take this game over, but the Cats have a shot at the upset.
-UNLV @ Utah: How far can Utah climb? Bruce says this is about it. There are too many good teams ahead of them that will stay ahead even with a loss. The strength of schedule will kill them. Basically, Utah is rooting for Tex A&M for the rest of the year, because every Aggie win gives the Utes legitimacy.
-Fresno St @ Boise St: Fresno just isnt the same since losing RB Wright. Their defense should give Boise some trouble, but the Broncos should pull out.
*Others: Tennessee over Alabama; Purdue over Michigan (in a shootout); Penn St over Iowa
2:52 - KNOCKOUT POOL:
Ok I missed a ton, since I had to go outside to take the call. I work by the airport, and I dont think anyone wants the sound of screeching engines over the radio. From what I can tell, the picks are:
JB - St Louis [trap game. i wanted to pick them, but I didnt]
TJ - Philadelphia [yeah, yeah, its on the road. cleveland hardly qualifies as a 'hostile environment']
Tamara - Baltimore
Nicky - Tampa Bay [terrible pick. go bears]
Dude from Missouri - have no idea....someone help me out
Amina - Seattle
Randy - Philadelphia (brilliant!)
Erik - Indianapolis
3:02 - Damn you commercial break, oh how I loathe thee. Lulling me to sleep, only to be followed by an interview with a fisherman. Pardon me while I see how many paperclips I can shove up my nose....
3:04 - The answer is 21.....but now I can't remember my phone number
3:05 - Took the clips out....feeling light headed. One is missing.....
3:06 - GAME BY GAME ANALYSIS - Erik has facts, but I do too....
*NY Jets @ NE: What? Um, 20 in a row. Next!
*Jax @ Indy: Colts have held opposition under 100 yards rushing three games in a row. In that same time, they have managed to keep the passing yardage under 700. But barely....
*Tenn @ Minn: 6 different players have caught a TD from Culpepper, including, Moss, Burleson, Robinson, Anthony Carter, Ahmad Rashad..........
*Atl @ KC: Last stand for the Chiefs. Falcons gave up 49 TDs last season, only 9 so far this year. Amazing. I like the commercial with the Mike Vick ride. I could only get on the Trent Green ride. It was great. You get strapped in, and then it sits there for 5 seconds, and then it slams you to the ground. Weeeeeeee!
*Chicago @ TB: Im a Bears fan. The Bears are the greatest. They will win by 100. Is Ditka playing? Jonathan Quinn Medicine Woman needs to go though. Bring back Vince Evans for all I care.
*Buffalo @ Baltimore: Erik says the Ravens need the defense to score to win this game. That's like depending on your hockey goalie to score a goal. Sad state if you are praying for a defensive TD
*Dallas @ GB: Packers, 0-3 at home. That is brutal. Favre is 1-8 against the Boys. This is gonna be a close game. Key stat: Packers, 0 turnovers in wins, 14 in losses. Um, so, like, hold on to the ball?
*Detroit @ NY Giants: Tiki has 100 yards rushing in 4 of the first 5 games. And the guy hasnt fumbled yet! This is amazing. This is a guy whose wife wouldn't let him hold the baby. This guy dropped more balls than puberty last year....
*NO @ Oakland: Touchdown, Rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrraiders! Greg Papa is the man. Too bad he never gets to say that. Kerry Collins is so bad, I am starting to miss Marc Wilson.
*SD @ Car: Brees, 9 TDs, 3 picks. Unbelievable. And this defense is so terrible, but they have 4 straight games without giving up 100 yards rushing. I honestly thought they wouldnt win a game. I looked at their schedule, and the worst team on their schedule was......them!
*Sea @ Arizona: TRAP GAME! Denny Green had a bye week to prep. Could be interesting. Jerry Rice v. Emmit Smith...brought to you by Metamucil! They should just play this game in Miami. The Del Boca Vista Bowl....
*Stl @ Mia: Dolphins have the WORST O line in football. They havent even scored 14 points in a single game this season. My prediction, St Louis shows up late due to weather, and the game starts without them. 7 plays in, Miami crosses the 50, and then the Rams show up.
*Phil @ Clev: Erik says, ya never know. Wrong. I know. Cleveland stinks. Jeff Garcia, aka Boggs from Shawshank will get a visit from the sisters....
3:27 - BYRON VELVICK, The Bachelor: Im not exactly anticipating this. Fishing is fun. Talking fishing is not. "But wait!," you say, "it's about the Bachelor!" Um, ok, Im starting to miss the fishing talk. The Bachelor was an interesting idea, but in application, it is a disaster. 20 women abandoning their dignity to vie for the attention of a random guy, who has somehow been labeled the most eligible bachelor? I dont care what kind of money this guy has, I will destroy him in a battle of the bachelors!
Picks:
Erik: NY Giants over Detroit; Indy over Jax; Tampa Bay over Chicago; Jets over NE; Minnesota over Tenn
Byron: Detroit over NY Giants; Jax over Indy [den of iniquity?]; Tampa Bay over Chicago; NE over Jets; Tenn over Minnesota
Consigliari (me): NY Giants over Detroit; Chicago over Tampa Bay; Indy over Jax; Minnesota over Tenn; NE over Jets
3:35 - Hockey's still on lockout! (BA BA BA, buh-buh, buh-buh-buh!)
3:36 - FOOTBALL PICKS
Current Record: 16-15 in NFL, 15-9 in College
College Picks: Virginia (-24); Tennessee (-7); Notre Dame (-6.5)
NFL: NY Giants (-6.5); Indianapolis (-9.5); Minnesota (-6.5); San Diego (+3.5)
3:48 - RAPID FIRE, One Question-One Comment, otherwise.....NEXT!
1. If Cards split, do they get it done in 5 or 7? Dont count your chickens, man. You can bank on a home sweep. And I doubt they will split.
2. Ok, dumb question. NEXT!
3. Woo hoo! A Bears question. Why are we going for Couch? Erik: Couch is not right physically. No arm strength. The problem is, can't win with Quinn, so gotta try something. At least Lovie and Angelo are trying to get it done however they can.
4. T or F, ND goes 0-10, does Beano Cook still list them in the Top 5. That's moronic. But Erik's impression of Beano was brilliant.
5. Where is Mo Clarrett? Chilling. See you in the 5th round, sucker.
6. How good is Boise St? Erik: They are at least top 15. The problem is not that they cant beat the good teams, the problem is that people dont respect the fact that these mid majors only really need to get geeked up for like 2 games. In the SEC or the Big 12, every week is a struggle.
7. Comment - Clemens has revamped his image. Damn Cardinal fan, won't say anything bad about any one. Boo!
Randy is Sexual Chocolate and he's out.
Amina is Melo's friend and she's out.
If you don't get any, it aint Barry White's fault.
Thursday, October 21, 2004
Thursday, October 21, 2004
The first post on the Sports Bash blog. This blog is an attempt to get into the Sports Bash Knockout Pool because I am intensely competitive and absolutely must win any competition that will bring me nationwide respect, but also, this blog will chronicle the thoughts that go through my mind as I listen to a sports radio show. I repeatedly agree, disagree, get angry, get upset, get disgusted, all during the course of a show. This will be my chance to get those thoughts out there into the ether. So let's start:
2:05 - Erik Kuselias is a **** [censored by the powers that be]. Erik is the man.....
2:06 - Mark Schlereth is on now. They call him "Stink" because, apparantly, the guy pissed his pants while playing offensive line. Very classy. Imagine using that tactic in other walks of life. Maybe someday, once I am an attorney, I'll sit through arbitration hearings or depositions, and randomly piss my pants or flatulate. It should really shake the concentration of my opponent. Mark, thanks for the idea. He is rambling about winning the Super Bowl. Im sure it's a good story, but Im a Raider fan, so the Broncos can all take their Super Bowl rings and shove 'em.
2:11 - I took a moment to notify the host of the existence of the blog. I'm sure that was a worthwhile idea. Then again, Im an idiot.
2:12 - Philly, New England, and Indy vs. The Rest of the League - I gotta take the rest of the league. Minnesota, man, that is a beast of a squad. Unbelievable offense. Yeah, I know, the defense is terrible, but really, is it that bad? They have active players in the defensive backfield who create turnovers, and a strong front four that brings pressure. They can only get better, meanwhile, the offense plugs in whoever they want and put up 35. Kirby Puckett could run for a c-note behind that line. We all know that Philly and Indy are huge choke artists. Are the Patriots really that great? They beat Seattle last week, and it was the first team with a WIN that they beat. Read that again. It was the first team with a win. Not exactly a bear of a schedule.
2:14 - Erik is comparing the Eagles to the Cubs and Red Sox. Im not sure you can compare a couple years of screwing up to 100 years of ineptitude. A better comparison is to the Vikings or the Bills. The Vikings are the biggest losers in the NFL, the perpetually tormented team. Philly can't even sniff their ineptitude.
2:17 - Are you a hockey fan? Did you know hockey is still not being played? (Ba-ba-ba, duh duh duh duh duh)
2:18 - Mark Schlereth takes St Louis tonight. Im off to the sports book....
2:19 - www.olineskills.com features Mark Schlereth and David Diaz-Infante's skills tape. I gotta get that thing for my weekly flag football league. Does it teach me how to block a ferocious 4'8 female law student with my hands behind my back?
2:20 - A kid died from the Red Sox celebration. I have no joke here. You could have set your watch by this story. The sun isn't as reliable.
2:28 - TIM KIRKJIN. Im not a big Kirkjin fan. I played ball, and I don't like guys who obviously never played at a level higher than t-ball telling me about the sport, and how nasty Schill's slider is, and all that. I'd rather he go sit with Neyer and Stark and pour over stats with the other roto-geeks. Im sure I'll be ordered to remove such scathing criticism of a company staple....stay tuned....
2:30 - Talking about the Cards-Stros series, or as it has come to be known in baseball circles, the NIT. My personal note is that I want the Astros to win. I have no vested interest in any of the four remaining teams (my bad, 3 remaning....New York suckers...) but it would be so perfect to see Clemens throw a no-hitter to beat Boston in game 7 at Fenway.
2:31 - Erik's Email Question: "Who will win tonight, and what are the keys to the game?"
My answer: The pick is Houston. The bottom line is that Clemens is a big game pitcher, who is good for 7 tonight. That's 7 innings of shoving it. Guaranteed. I dont care if Lou Gehrig and Babe Ruth are playing for St Louis, the fastball will be running the black, and the forkball will be diving like Jacques Costeau. Chalk up 5 runs over 5 for Jeff "Poop"an and his 85 mph poo. See you Saturday, Houston @ Boston, Game 1.
2:36 - Kirkjan just said that Pujols is a "quiet leader" because he is so good, and players look at him and assume that they will win with him. Um, then why isn't Barry Bonds a leader. I guarantee his teammates think similar thoughts about Bonds, whether they like him or not. So Tim, would you be willing to admit that if Pujols is a leader, then Bonds is a leader. I bet you wouldn't....
2:42 - nothing......
2:43 - nothing.........
2:45 - more nothing.......
2:48 - Ok, that was hilarious. A replay of Harold Reynolds describing a phone call he got from Rickey Henderson after Reynolds won the stolen base title in 1989 (?) Rickey was hurt, so obviously the title was tainted.
Harold: "Hello?"
Rickey: "Harold? This Rickey."
Harold: "Yeah, ok."
Rickey: "60 stolen base? Man, Rickey have 60 at the break." *click*
2:50 - Erik doing the High Road/Low Road about the Yankees. I think EK is gonna blow a gasket. Just called Jeter most overrated player in the league. You can't argue with that. Suspect defense, and he produce absolutely zero in the playoffs. The clutch label is gone. If I have to hear about the magic of Derek Jeter, and how he is a winner, and all that garbage, I will throw up in my own mouth. You want magic? You want a winner? Check out Vlad Guerrero....
3:02 - The soundsssssssssssssssssss............of silence.
3:03 - Love those Breakfast Club clips. "Why does Andrew get to get up? If he gets up, we'll all get up! It'll be anarchy!"
3:05 - BUSTER OLNEY. Tired of this guy. I almost want the playoffs to end so I dont have to hear guys like this anymore. Only thing worse than the Yankees is some putz who is an expert on the Yankees. Hey, let's all talk about the same things about the same teams over and over and over again. No one is putting on the guy who wrote the book on the Angels, or the guy who wrote about Barry Bonds, or anything like that. I don't even want to think about how many books will be written about the Red Sox. Dear God, they will need a whole section at Barnes and Noble for them. Im especially looking forward to: "Bronson Arroyo: My Life as a Poo Slinger" and "Riding Coattails: How to Be Inept and Still be Included in the Discussion of Dangerous Hitters" by Trot Nixon.
3:10 - Whoa, Buster. Trying to make Cashman the Assistant to the Traveling Secretary.....that's Costanza's job! Let's not throw poor George out just yet. Where will the Boss get his calzones?
3:12 - Another book just got written. "Who Am I and Why Am I Here?" by Mike Myers
3:29 - Whoa. Got off on a tangent there. Was looking up Super Tecmo leagues. I am a sick, sick man.
3:31 - Talking about the first inning last night. I say, Damon was safe. End of story.
3:37 - Sox v. Yankes = Democracy v. Communism --> Nice analogy! I like that...."You had a good run, but you got defeated by the forces of good."
3:38 - RAPID FIRE - One question, one comment, or else....NEXT. I have a feeling I am about to go off on a whole slew of idiots around the country...stay tuned....
3:40 - Wait, time out. Did I just hear that right? Amongst the Hall of Fame nominees, included are, Steve Young, Dan Marino, Tagliabue and Mike Irvin? Are you joking? That is a murderer's row of candidates. Apparantly they are going to whittle it down to 13 names....um, more like 9, because 4 are etched in bronze.
3:45 - Wow, another Sox book just popped up at Amazon: "The Crotches of the Red Sox: A Photo Compilation by Nelson de la Rosa"
3:49 - Rapid Fire:
*I liked that, calling the Royals a developmental team. He forgot to mention that the starting pitcher for the Cards tonight was also a Royal prospect.
*Erik, nothing wrong with sounding like John Kerry. Whoops, no political slants, right?
*Who's your daddy is done. It's tired, and not nearly as original as the Yankee fans thought. It was the most obvious chant out there.
*Erik is right, the historic nature of the series is what makes this such a great series. The combination of Sox-Yanks and the comeback/choke makes it the greatest playoff series in history.
*Damn, I didnt even get a chance to correct Erik. Nailed that. Angels/Giants, the only All-Wild Card Series.
3:53 - Randy is Lil' Popi and he is out. Amina is A-Rod...and she is out.
"Put on your Nelly tape, and if you are from the 'Loo and yer proud, and you don't get some.....it ain't Barry White's fault."
2:05 - Erik Kuselias is a **** [censored by the powers that be]. Erik is the man.....
2:06 - Mark Schlereth is on now. They call him "Stink" because, apparantly, the guy pissed his pants while playing offensive line. Very classy. Imagine using that tactic in other walks of life. Maybe someday, once I am an attorney, I'll sit through arbitration hearings or depositions, and randomly piss my pants or flatulate. It should really shake the concentration of my opponent. Mark, thanks for the idea. He is rambling about winning the Super Bowl. Im sure it's a good story, but Im a Raider fan, so the Broncos can all take their Super Bowl rings and shove 'em.
2:11 - I took a moment to notify the host of the existence of the blog. I'm sure that was a worthwhile idea. Then again, Im an idiot.
2:12 - Philly, New England, and Indy vs. The Rest of the League - I gotta take the rest of the league. Minnesota, man, that is a beast of a squad. Unbelievable offense. Yeah, I know, the defense is terrible, but really, is it that bad? They have active players in the defensive backfield who create turnovers, and a strong front four that brings pressure. They can only get better, meanwhile, the offense plugs in whoever they want and put up 35. Kirby Puckett could run for a c-note behind that line. We all know that Philly and Indy are huge choke artists. Are the Patriots really that great? They beat Seattle last week, and it was the first team with a WIN that they beat. Read that again. It was the first team with a win. Not exactly a bear of a schedule.
2:14 - Erik is comparing the Eagles to the Cubs and Red Sox. Im not sure you can compare a couple years of screwing up to 100 years of ineptitude. A better comparison is to the Vikings or the Bills. The Vikings are the biggest losers in the NFL, the perpetually tormented team. Philly can't even sniff their ineptitude.
2:17 - Are you a hockey fan? Did you know hockey is still not being played? (Ba-ba-ba, duh duh duh duh duh)
2:18 - Mark Schlereth takes St Louis tonight. Im off to the sports book....
2:19 - www.olineskills.com features Mark Schlereth and David Diaz-Infante's skills tape. I gotta get that thing for my weekly flag football league. Does it teach me how to block a ferocious 4'8 female law student with my hands behind my back?
2:20 - A kid died from the Red Sox celebration. I have no joke here. You could have set your watch by this story. The sun isn't as reliable.
2:28 - TIM KIRKJIN. Im not a big Kirkjin fan. I played ball, and I don't like guys who obviously never played at a level higher than t-ball telling me about the sport, and how nasty Schill's slider is, and all that. I'd rather he go sit with Neyer and Stark and pour over stats with the other roto-geeks. Im sure I'll be ordered to remove such scathing criticism of a company staple....stay tuned....
2:30 - Talking about the Cards-Stros series, or as it has come to be known in baseball circles, the NIT. My personal note is that I want the Astros to win. I have no vested interest in any of the four remaining teams (my bad, 3 remaning....New York suckers...) but it would be so perfect to see Clemens throw a no-hitter to beat Boston in game 7 at Fenway.
2:31 - Erik's Email Question: "Who will win tonight, and what are the keys to the game?"
My answer: The pick is Houston. The bottom line is that Clemens is a big game pitcher, who is good for 7 tonight. That's 7 innings of shoving it. Guaranteed. I dont care if Lou Gehrig and Babe Ruth are playing for St Louis, the fastball will be running the black, and the forkball will be diving like Jacques Costeau. Chalk up 5 runs over 5 for Jeff "Poop"an and his 85 mph poo. See you Saturday, Houston @ Boston, Game 1.
2:36 - Kirkjan just said that Pujols is a "quiet leader" because he is so good, and players look at him and assume that they will win with him. Um, then why isn't Barry Bonds a leader. I guarantee his teammates think similar thoughts about Bonds, whether they like him or not. So Tim, would you be willing to admit that if Pujols is a leader, then Bonds is a leader. I bet you wouldn't....
2:42 - nothing......
2:43 - nothing.........
2:45 - more nothing.......
2:48 - Ok, that was hilarious. A replay of Harold Reynolds describing a phone call he got from Rickey Henderson after Reynolds won the stolen base title in 1989 (?) Rickey was hurt, so obviously the title was tainted.
Harold: "Hello?"
Rickey: "Harold? This Rickey."
Harold: "Yeah, ok."
Rickey: "60 stolen base? Man, Rickey have 60 at the break." *click*
2:50 - Erik doing the High Road/Low Road about the Yankees. I think EK is gonna blow a gasket. Just called Jeter most overrated player in the league. You can't argue with that. Suspect defense, and he produce absolutely zero in the playoffs. The clutch label is gone. If I have to hear about the magic of Derek Jeter, and how he is a winner, and all that garbage, I will throw up in my own mouth. You want magic? You want a winner? Check out Vlad Guerrero....
3:02 - The soundsssssssssssssssssss............of silence.
3:03 - Love those Breakfast Club clips. "Why does Andrew get to get up? If he gets up, we'll all get up! It'll be anarchy!"
3:05 - BUSTER OLNEY. Tired of this guy. I almost want the playoffs to end so I dont have to hear guys like this anymore. Only thing worse than the Yankees is some putz who is an expert on the Yankees. Hey, let's all talk about the same things about the same teams over and over and over again. No one is putting on the guy who wrote the book on the Angels, or the guy who wrote about Barry Bonds, or anything like that. I don't even want to think about how many books will be written about the Red Sox. Dear God, they will need a whole section at Barnes and Noble for them. Im especially looking forward to: "Bronson Arroyo: My Life as a Poo Slinger" and "Riding Coattails: How to Be Inept and Still be Included in the Discussion of Dangerous Hitters" by Trot Nixon.
3:10 - Whoa, Buster. Trying to make Cashman the Assistant to the Traveling Secretary.....that's Costanza's job! Let's not throw poor George out just yet. Where will the Boss get his calzones?
3:12 - Another book just got written. "Who Am I and Why Am I Here?" by Mike Myers
3:29 - Whoa. Got off on a tangent there. Was looking up Super Tecmo leagues. I am a sick, sick man.
3:31 - Talking about the first inning last night. I say, Damon was safe. End of story.
3:37 - Sox v. Yankes = Democracy v. Communism --> Nice analogy! I like that...."You had a good run, but you got defeated by the forces of good."
3:38 - RAPID FIRE - One question, one comment, or else....NEXT. I have a feeling I am about to go off on a whole slew of idiots around the country...stay tuned....
3:40 - Wait, time out. Did I just hear that right? Amongst the Hall of Fame nominees, included are, Steve Young, Dan Marino, Tagliabue and Mike Irvin? Are you joking? That is a murderer's row of candidates. Apparantly they are going to whittle it down to 13 names....um, more like 9, because 4 are etched in bronze.
3:45 - Wow, another Sox book just popped up at Amazon: "The Crotches of the Red Sox: A Photo Compilation by Nelson de la Rosa"
3:49 - Rapid Fire:
*I liked that, calling the Royals a developmental team. He forgot to mention that the starting pitcher for the Cards tonight was also a Royal prospect.
*Erik, nothing wrong with sounding like John Kerry. Whoops, no political slants, right?
*Who's your daddy is done. It's tired, and not nearly as original as the Yankee fans thought. It was the most obvious chant out there.
*Erik is right, the historic nature of the series is what makes this such a great series. The combination of Sox-Yanks and the comeback/choke makes it the greatest playoff series in history.
*Damn, I didnt even get a chance to correct Erik. Nailed that. Angels/Giants, the only All-Wild Card Series.
3:53 - Randy is Lil' Popi and he is out. Amina is A-Rod...and she is out.
"Put on your Nelly tape, and if you are from the 'Loo and yer proud, and you don't get some.....it ain't Barry White's fault."
