Suckas Got to Know Page

Who needs the bubble

2006-03-12T10:51:00.001-08:00

It's like the shirt says- who's overrated now? I guess I don't need to worry about Syracuse getting the shaft from the selection committee. I'm not ready to claim that the Orange are a Final Four team- they aren't. Let's just hope they keep playing hard and use the momentum from this weekend.

What can you say about Gerry McNamara? Just a gutty performance from this senior who didn't want to go out in the NIT. I can't believe that SU played as hard as they did the last 4 days- everyone on the team that played contributed throughout the week. I'm worn out and it isn't even the Big Dance yet.

Who needs the bubble

2006-03-12T10:51:00.000-08:00

Prelude to Madnessbv

2006-02-26T10:15:00.000-08:00

Before we get March Madness, we are stuck with “February Ridiculousness”. That’s what I call all of this Bubble Watch lunacy we are exposed to by college basketball experts. Since I am a firm believer that education and facts are the best way to combat this growing problem, I present this following table of teams on the bubble (data courtesy of www.kenpom.com as of Feb. 25th)

Team Record RPI SOS RPI 1-50 RPI 51-100 RPI 100-150
Syracuse 19-9 28 10 2-8 6-1 5-0
No. Iowa 20-8 31 49 7-6 0-1 8-1
Michigan 18-8 24 27 3-7 7-0 4-1
Wichita St 22-7 25 52 6-7 3-0 8-0
So. Illinois 19-9 40 64 6-4 2-2 7-3
Kentucky 18-10 41 23 2-8 6-2 7-0
Alabama 15-10 44 6 4-5 5-3 3-2
Colorado 18-7 47 99 2-2 2-3 9-2
Maryland 15-10 48 13 2-6 2-4 6-0
Bradley 18-9 43 71 6-5 1-1 6-3

Looking at the above table, I would give an edge to Michigan, Wichita St, Syracuse, Kentucky, and Northern Iowa. As much as wins against the top 50 count, losses to teams lower than 100 have to count the same. So tell me Doug Gottleib and Seth Davis how is it that you can discount the facts when you get your mugs on tv? Just some things to chew on before the conference tournaments.

It's Olympic....boogie woogie woogie

2006-02-18T11:57:00.000-08:00

Thanks to the wonderful internet, I keep stumbling upon Olympic results before they are aired on NBC. Not that big of a deal, since I can still see curling live. Poor Lindsey Jacobellis picked the wrong time to act like a snowboarder and go for the trick. I don't see the big deal- she tried something fun and blew it and she has to deal with it- not you Jimmy Roberts so just relax a little. Gas prices were not going to drop if Lindsey won gold instead of silver.

Hockey is starting to heat up and the Swiss victory over Canada has spoiled the day for my neighbors to the North. Right now I am switching between two games live and in hd- sometimes there are benefits to frigid temperatures. I am settled in for a long day and night of quality sports on tv. Now all I need is a Syracuse hoops win.

Worst Super Bowl ever?

2006-02-06T14:45:00.000-08:00

Not the worst ever, but what a mediocre game. It was setting up to be a nice one, it's just too bad that the officiating was so poor. The so-so game combined with boring commercials and meaningless anthem and halftime performances made the whole game lackluster.

The recipe for a bad LA basketball team:
See Kobe. See Kobe drive. See Kobe shoot. See Kobe's teammates stand around and do nothing. Repeat 30-40 times per game.

Now it's time for college hoops to step to the main stage. Good luck trying to pick a Final 4 this year. It will be all about matchups in March. If you want me to go out on a limb, I'll take Mich St, UConn, Gonzaga and Texas. Check back with me and two weeks and see if I feel the same way.

If you want to know what I thought at the beginning of the year go here

New Year's Resolutions

2006-01-22T05:03:00.001-08:00

Well let's see what have I been up to lately....won my 2nd fantasy football title in 3 years with an excrutiatingly close 2 point win in the championship. My team went 12-1 in the regular season and dominated every game except for the playoffs. I'd like to say that it was all skill and brains, but like all fantasy sports, there was a lot of luck involved too. Now let's see if I can repeat next year.

Block S Brigade QB Carson Palmer answers questions after Rockers League Championship victory.

I see nothing wrong with the comments of Tiki Barber and Peyton Manning after their losses. The Giants were outcoached and the Colts did not protect well....but each team was out-played and Manning's playcalls and audibles helped with the protection issues. Speak your mind, but don't deflect all the blame either.

College basketball is heating up and I am here to tell you that Duke will not win the national title, but JJ Redick has my respect. He has made himself a complete player and is the best offensive weapon in the nation right now. If I had to pick one team to win, it would be UConn, but their lack of focus on some nights worries me.

Welcome back Guy . The Habs will be better in the long run with some former greats in charge.

October Madness

2005-10-26T04:45:00.000-07:00

If you think that not having Boston or New York in the World Series makes it dull, well I guess you're missing out. What a Series so far and I hope Houston wins the next 2 so it can go longer. I didn't make it through last night's game, but this has been a great postseason for baseball......except for the poor umpiring. I hate having instant replay in baseball except for homerun and fan interference calls. You can't replay every close play on the bases- the games would take forever.

Everyone hold off on the Ozzie Guillen for President stuff. He's a gambler, but that doesn't mean he's a great manager. The one thing I like about him is that he does what he feels like doing and doesn't play by the book. I thought his not using the bullpen in the Angels series would come back to bite him, but it really hasn't. Then he goes a week without using his bench and Blum homers last night. He's at the table rolling 7's right now- Sox fans hope he doesn't crap out.

Thank god college basketball starts in two weeks. I'm wondering if Syracuse will complete a screen pass this year that doesn't go to the opposing team. I have never watched an offense that has been unable to take advantage of a good defense. They took 7 games to convert a turnover into points, but their failure to score or move the ball leaves the d hung out to dry.

Habs win again. Love the new NHL with the wide open ice and focus on skating and moving the puck.

The umpteenth restart

2005-10-17T16:21:00.000-07:00

Seriously, I am rebooting this blog more than a sore loser playing on the All-Madden level. Your boy is back though and sporting some new bling on the left ring finger too. Now maybe I can get this thing going more often.

Wow, what a sports weekend. I am so tired today- think I might have overdone it with football and the baseball playoffs. First, congrats to the White Sox for winning. Someone tell Ozzie that it's ok to use relief pitchers in the playoffs and Kelvim Escobar- tagging someone with an empty glove is not the way to go...really. I am glad that the Red Sox and Yankees are done. Finally we get to see teams that can turn a double play like the one the Astros turned to end Game 4...what a sweet turn- Tom Emanski would be proud. I blame the lack of fundamentals on the demise of This Week in Baseball..."how about that?"

USC showed why they should be feared. Reggie Bush is the best thing in college football since Marshall Faulk was running around in those all-black unis. My question to the ND staff is how do you let a guy go 60 yards on a 4th and 8? Belichick would not approve Charlie. Forget the controversy at the end..Leinart was in with or without Bush pushing him forward..the game's over..move on.

BCS rankings are out and no one cares. I mean we still have too many games left to try and worry about which team should be 10th instead of 12th. Just keep winning like LSU did two years ago and it will work out. Of course, this is the perfect time for me to mention that there needs to be a playoff. I mean we can get 65 teams together for basketball, but we can't figure out an 8 or 16 team playoff for football. Is Bud Selig or Gary Bettman running the NCAA?

Bruins-Habs Part II tomorrow night. All I know is that Youppi is back. Fear Youppi Bruins fans....seriously...

Don't listen to me

2005-06-23T13:14:00.000-07:00

I'm picking the Spurs tonight. 86-82 with Brent Barry nailing a go ahead 3 in the final minute.

So I was off by one game and one Spur...that's why I don't gamble. Well it turned out to be a decent little NBA Finals after all. I still like San Antonio tonight, but Tony Parker needs to turn it up. Maybe Eva can get him to play harder...I mean better tonight.

Much ado about nothing this week: the NBA age minimum- just spend a year in Europe or the NBDL, the Yankees big comeback- only counts for one win against the D Rays even, Curt Schilling's return- more ridiculous quotes like how he doesn't see how a Red Sox could go to the Yankees. Of course he was pointing at Roger Clemens, you know the guy Dan Duquette said was washed up about 7 years ago. Face it Curt, it's all about the cash and you know it because it's why you went to Arizona and Boston and if Boston dropped you this winter and George came calling, you would be kissing Lou Gehrig's plaque in Monument Park.

From the mind of the bored and borderline insane: Did you see Mr & Mrs. Smith yet? We went to see it last night and I was entertained. Anyone who wonders why Pitt would dump Jennifer Aniston for Angelina should see this movie, or ask Hubie Brown "You're Brad Pitt. You're in your early 40s and at the peak of your popularity. You want to start a family but your wife doesnt want kids because of her career, which is at the edge of falling off as it is. Along comes Angelina Jolie who has tremendous upside. She's younger, more attractive and willing to have a family. Plus you know she is wilder. If I'm Brad Pitt, it's an easy decision."

Tremendous upside in this page, if I could ever show consistency. I'm still hoping to be a 1st round pick.

Kobe and Shaq: Revenge of the Diesel

2005-06-16T13:53:00.000-07:00

" I am not familiar with that name" Shaq when asked if he would speak with Kobe. Ouch. Talk about your disses. Man someone get these guys in a studio so we can get some bad rap songs to spark this fued. Kobe can be MC Shan while Shaq is KRS-One. I can't believe Phil is back in LA. Can they trade Kobe and get equal value back? Go ahead and bet on the Lakers next year- they aren't going anywhere.

Fantasy baseball has not been too good to me so far this year. Thankfully intramural softball has started. After 2 games played, my OPS is 2.000. I should retire now. I am becoming the Ichiro of this league- just slapping singles all over the place (well at least to the left side of the field). If only I could still run fast, I'd have more doubles.

I'm picking the Spurs tonight. 86-82 with Brent Barry nailing a go ahead 3 in the final minute.

2005-06-08T13:12:00.000-07:00

Bronson and not Mrs. Arroyo

Prediction? ......Pain!!

2005-06-08T13:05:00.000-07:00

No, not to the viewers of the NBA Finals, but to the participants. The Spurs and Pistons are going to play some hard-nosed close games over the next couple of weeks and basketball fans should tune in. I think the Spurs will win in 6 because Detroit hasn't been as consistent and the Spurs did real well against Phoenix.

Painful was watching Scary Movie 3. Have you ever watched a movie and wished for the Wayans Brothers to show up? I never thought I would until last night. Painful is sitting at work and mentally not being there at all. I just find myself waiting for some vacation time (cue the Go-Gos song).

I'm leaving now, but check above for a picture of Red Sox hurler Bronson Arroyo enjoying the spoils of the Sawx WS victory. The irony is that Mr. Arroyo challenged
Boston Rob to remain faithful to Amber. Say that doesn't look like Mrs. Arroyo in that phot. Someone get Jackie Chiles on the phone.

It's the hair stupid.

2005-05-10T05:05:00.000-07:00

What's all the fuss aboot? So Steve Nash won the MVP. Guess what people, celebrate the fact that the media rewarded someone for being unselfish. All you hear about is how the NBA is loaded with me-first guys and Nash is the opposite of them. Let's be glad he won. Besides it's not like Shaq is upset. You've gotta love his comment about being happy for the fans in Canada. Think he would have been so nice if Kobe had beaten him. Face it- Shaq could be the MVP anytime, but Phoenix had such a great turnaround and without Nash they were not as good. I can't believe how people try to make controversies out of everything.

My pal Bill posted in his blog about the problems with the NBA. I have the opposite opinion. I had moved away from the NBA because of all the grabbing and holding (paying attention Gary Bettman), but the return of basketball is upon us. Look at the teams left- Phoenix, Seattle, Dallas and Washington play up-tempo. Miami and San Antonio move the ball well and Detroit is a balanced team. Folks, we are starting to approach the return of ball from the 80s. It's becoming more about the athletes and less about little, bald white guys trying to turn every possession into a 4th and goal. The biggest thing the NBA has going right now is David Stern. When he sees a problem, he fixes it. NY has a crappy team- bang hello lottery winner. Certain superstar is gambling on games- hello new sport and time away until the heat dies down (like you don't know that's what happened). If there's a problem yo D-Stern will solve it, check out the hook while Manu rewinds it "Denver is not a great defensive team. If we move the ball, we will get easy shots." Thanks for the honesty Manu

Folks there will be no Triple Crown winner this year, but wasn't that a race on Saturday. Too early to get too excited about baseball, but know this, the Yankees and Red Sox are flawed this year and very beatable.

I'm K-Wall and that's how I roll.

Stumped by The Schwab

2005-05-02T09:40:00.000-07:00

Ok so this post is later than promised. Well you get what you pay for......anyway here is the stuff you didn't see on Stump the Schwab last week. As you may have seen, I survived round 1 until the complete crash and burn in round 2. It was a crash of monumental proportion too. Something like the rise and fall of Timmy Smith. What they edited out was:
- Stu Scott insinuating that I became a bat boy for the PawSox beacuse I didn't want to work in the concession stands with girls.
- Stu giving me a forehead bump and then telling me I wished I was black. Yeah it was just a little awkward.
- Stu told me he loved me. (And yet he still hasn't called and it's 3 weeks now and all I have left is his bobblehead

Well after I bombed out, both Stu and The Schwab shook my hand and asked if I enjoyed my time, which I did despite the final results. Before we left NYC, I received my fabulous consolation prizes- A 2005 ESPN Sports Almanac, and an ESPN t-shirt. Another consolation is that they actually replayed my episode last Thursday, which means that someone at ESPN likes me...or is really, really cruel. I am now waiting for my offers to come in- hey if Stephen A Smith can get a show, why can't I?

In other news:
- Are you impressed by Dwayne Wade and Amare Stoudamire yet? Glad Larry Brown played them and Lebron so much in Athens. As if Stephon Marbury can win anything other than the Annual EBC Tournament at the Rucker over guys like God Shamgod.
- Could we possibly have an All Van-Gundy final? If that happens, will Mark Cuban's head explode?
- A-Rod gets 10 RBI's in one game and suddenly he's a real Yankee? Look for him to explode this year as he is pissed that all of the Red Sox think he's a fraud.
- I could not believe that David Wells went on the DL. I mean the man is a freak athletic specimen.
- Memo to TO- You are a great receiver, but don't take on D- Nabb. You are one step away from being sent to Chicago and seeing how it will feel to be catching passes from Rex Grossman.
- Now that the real Kurt Warner has been replaced, it looks like the aliens are currently studying Manu Ginobili and Brian Robers

Tune in tomorrow

2005-04-27T15:48:00.000-07:00

for "Stumped by Stu and the Scwab", my behind the scenes look at what did and didn't make tv.

Sorry for the one or two people who go to this page for the random pictures. I'm toying around with some things around here.

2005-04-26T09:49:00.000-07:00

me and bill

2005-04-26T09:47:00.001-07:00

words to live by

2005-04-26T09:47:00.000-07:00

youppi

Throw it down big man

2005-04-26T08:46:00.000-07:00

So I couldn't stay up to watch the whole game, but what got into Yao last night? I know it was only Shawn Bradley, but he was on fire. Can a Jeff Van Gundy coached team win by playing great offense? Is this the Bizarro NBA? SOmebody post a picture of me with Bill Walton...

Reggie Miller- what can you say about him? Talk about a guy who is capable of killing teams in big games. He has to be one of the more underappreciated players in the last 25 years. Too bad the US didn't use him in the Olympics last summer.

Has Mel Kiper started working on next year's draft yet? Of course he has, that was a rhetorical question. I liked a few teams drafts- Dallas landed some good defenders and Marion Barber, San Diego lands Sproles, Arizona!!! gets Rolle and Arrington and the Jets get a kicker. Excuse me..a kicker? in the second round? Who's the GM (note the drummer)? Actually I like the pick and it's simple. They lost the chance to play for the AFC title when their kicker missed two 40 yard fg's...close games come down to special teams, so invest in them. Can you say Adam Vinateri?
Meanwhile Detroit takes another tall receiver and Joey Harrington will still be under 60% in completion percentage and the Patriots take a bunch of guys who automatically become starts because Sweatshirt Bill and Piloi said so. Oh and Pacman Jones are you kidding me? The guy has a medallion of a video game character from the 80s and he's your 1st round pick. The nickname is fine, but the medallion is too much. What's next wearing a platinum 8-bit Nintendo cartridge?

I neglected to mention my new favorite baseball team is the Washington Nationals or as my fiancee calls them "Team Wegmans". I prefer to call them "W-Pop". All apologies to Youppi...see you when the Habs are back playing.

I'll be back on Thursday with the full "Stump the Schwab" story

The week that will be...

2005-04-24T17:21:00.000-07:00

I mentioned a couple of weeks ago that I auditioned for Stump the Schwab. Well I was invited to participate and went to NYC a couple of weeks ago for the taping. I won't spoil the details, but if you want to see me get punked out by Stuart Scott, then tune it to ESPN2 this Wed night (April 27th) at 7:30

So I didn't mention baseball in my last post, but without playoff hockey this time of year, I'm glad that it's back. I'm in two fantasy leagues this year and thought I had real good drafts in both. However, I put a lot of faith in Peter Gammons and his opinion of Nomah. Now I'm left counting on Julio Lugo....ouch.

Speaking of ouch, have you seen Club Dread? Super Troopers was hilarious, this one was bad and not in a good way either.

April showers bring..

2005-04-22T10:41:00.000-07:00

Kobe in the lottery. Ah that's nice to type. Do you think Mr. Bryant will be at the announcement in Seacaucus? No one else probably cares because they are bitching about Vince Carter's re-emergence in Toronto. Can you believe an athlete would dog it in order to force a trade? Haven't any of these sports radio windbags ever mailed it in during the last weeks of a job? I know I have. Anyway, look for the Spurs and Heat to have some 1st round trouble. I think the Nuggets have a better chance for the update though the rest of the series' should hold form. I still like San Antonio out West and Detroit in the East. Forget what you saw in the regular season, officiating is different in May and June-just ask Hugh Hollins.

This is obviously Mel Kiper's big weekend. All the mock drafts and rumors are flying. I ask why the Niners must take Smith or Rodgers. Don't they have bigger needs than QB? Teams who follow the regular path get left behind. Remember to take the road less travelled, it will make all the difference.

2005-03-25T18:03:00.000-08:00

Let's try this again. Sitting here watching March Madness as an innocent bystander. My bracket was left broken down on the side of the road when UConn lost last Sunday. Can Billy Packer will his Blue Devils to victory tonight? Who at CBS decided to use the tournament to hype "Spring Break Shark Attack?"

Tommorow is a big day of hoops here in the Cuse. No TJ Sorrentine is not appearing at the Carrier Dome, but there is a lot happening. I will start the day by trying to
Stump the Schwab. Next up is the unveiling of the new 24 Second Shot Clock in downtown. After that it is down the road to Turning Stone Casino for the Basketball Hall of Fame exhibition featuring John Havlicek and Bill Walton. This could be the greatest day in the history of western civilization.

Speaking of 24 how will Jack Bauer escape this latest bind. Will former PresidentDavid Palmer finally emerge to repay Jack's years of service? Where's Jack's future son in law Chase Edmunds? Why so many questions??

2004-10-05T05:19:00.000-07:00

"Playoffs??? You wanna talk about playoffs?" Why yes Jim Mora, I would like to talk about the baseball playoffs. I know that the world, or at least Fox Sports, wants to see Yankees- Red Sox in the ALCS. Not so fast my friend, this guy says that the Twins and Angels will pull off the upsets and ruin the promotion of the great new Fox Fall TV lineup. In the NL, I'm picking the Cardinals and Astros to advance and then we will have a Twins- Cardinals World Series. Smell the ratings baby.

Anyone who thinks that Curt Schilling should be the AL Cy Young because of the pressure in Boston should be slapped in the face like they were John Henderson of the Jaguars. Johan Santana had a better ERA, WHIP, OPP BA and more strikouts than "look at me, I'm Curt Schilling- I hate the Yankees". If the media votes for Schilling, it will be the biggest sham since Bud Selig allowed his pal John Henry to buy the Red Sox, or when Bud allowed Jeff Loria to leave Montreal for Florida and take all of the equipment with him, or when Bud declared the All Star Game a tie, or kept Pete Rose from the Hall of Fame...I think you get the picture.

Fantasy Football Update: Joined two leagues this year. Defending my title in the Rockers league and have recovered from an 0-2 start to win the last two games. In my other league, I survived this week with a one point win to maintain my undefeated record.

Memo to Kobe: Don't drive the lane on Christmas Day. Santa Shaq will be waiting with a size 20 boot for your ass.

2004-08-22T06:00:00.000-07:00

It's been too long since I wrote anything here. The summer has gone by quickly and now football season is upcoming. So I thought I would come by with my picks for this year....(what were you expecting me to talk about the US Men's Olympic Basketball team? well just for you I will later on)

Now on to the picks:
AFC: Division Winners- New England, Baltimore, Indy and Denver
Wild Card- NY Jets and Tennessee
Champ- Indianapolis over Denver
NFC: Division Winners- Philadelphia, Minnesota, Carolina and Seattle
Wild Card- Green Bay and St. Louis
Champ- Philadelphia over Minnesota
Super Bowl- Philadelphia over Indianapolis

Baseball is winding down and no one seems to be saying much about St. Louis. Their lineup is stacked and the pitching is good enough to keep them in games. That being said, the Cubs and Red Sox could be the most dangerous wildcard teams ever, if they can make it in, they both have the starting pitching to do major damage. Bullpens for both are a different story entirely. Look for more waiver wire deals involving relievers this week.

Note to Larry Brown: It's ok to take out Iverson and Marbury and let Lebron and others play. Way to lose a lead as Marbury gets more shots than Duncan and Odom combined. Don't be afraid to coach. Not all young players are bad.

2004-05-28T17:32:00.000-07:00

In case you haven't heard, Kobe Bryant spent all day in court and then had to play a basketball game last night. He's my hero.....but seriously can we stop mentioning this. It's not like he's toiling all day in the sun and heat and riding a bike home. He sits in a courtroom and flies a private jet back to LA- let's get over it people.

You have to read this article. Lots of laughs. So who would you add to your list? I added Horace Grant (the ML Carr of this year's playoffs), and Frankie from Real World San Diego. Speaking of this show, when your 12 year old sister has a better grasp of reality than you, you might want to seek professional help. How can someone in San Diego be so miserable? Longing for Kansas City? Gotta feel for her boyfriend who got yelled at for trying to share some good news. It sure makes for great tv though.

Forget the NBA- watch the Stanley Cup Finals. Iginla and St. Louis are great to watch and this series is full of intenisty....you've been schooled so watch it might be the last NHL action you see for a while.

2004-05-07T05:18:00.000-07:00

ESPN.com - 2004 NBA Playoffs
Didn't anyone tell the Spurs that the Lakers were to be handed the titles? I remember a lot of people back 10 months ago saying that the Fantastic Four would dominate the league....well that doesn't seem to be happening now. Don't worry Lakers fans- Shaq and Kobe will be shooting plenty of free throws SundayGAME DAY RECAP Tuesday, May 04- so those of you in the front row behind the baskets- pay attention and watch for those flying bricks.

Spiderman has been picked off. Poor Bud Selig. Can this guy have anything go right? His press conference yesterday sounded like a teenager complaining to their parents about their curfew. Can you say "Worst Commissioner Ever".

I wonder how Sami Kapanen is feeling this morning. He got "jacked up" the other night. It was good that he got up, but money was out of it.

From the mouth of Unfrozen Caveman Center Fielder:
"He's earned the right to do that," Boston center fielder Johnny Damon said. "It wasn't like it just cleared the wall. The ball was crushed. He has 354 career home runs, he can pimp. I hope to see Manny pimp a lot more this season."
Folks, I am just a simple caveman..I am unfamiliar with your ways of doing things. Your cell phones and pine tar frighten me...but I do no one thing and that's pimpin ain't easy.

Enjoy ther weekend....Seacrest out!!

2004-04-20T05:47:00.000-07:00

Bill Belichick should win the Nobel Prize....well that's what some people would have you believe today. Yes Corey Dillon is a good back, but didn't he sit the bench last year behind Rudi Johnson. Dillon is always hurt and always unhappy, so why should he be lauded as some model citizen. The media loves the Pats so who am I to question the man with the hooded sweatshirt.

2004-04-02T13:23:00.000-08:00

One of the best weekends in sports is upon us. Saturday brings the Final Four and while my bracket has been busted up pretty badly, I still have Georgia Tech and UConn in the final game. Sunday brings the final day of the NHL season, which means playoff hockey and all the glory that goes along with it. Sunday night we get some baseball action and then Monday we get the real "Opening Day" of baseball with the National Championship game....you can't beat that.

Red Sox fans should get used to seeing Pokey Reese as the Opening Day SS. This is what you will get next year as well when No-mah becomes the latest Sawx stahh to leave town. Pretty soon he can complete the Kenmore Square monument w/ Fisk, Clemens and Big Mo.

2004-03-21T08:43:00.000-08:00

"Survive and advance.." That's the catchphrase for March Madness and it's what the Orangemen have done in their first two games. Now it's on to the Sweet 16 to face Alabama. Hope your brackets aren't busted yet. My Final 4 picks are: Georgia Tech, Wisconsin, Texas and UConn. I picked Georgia Tech over UConn in the finals for no other reason than my gut feeling. (If you've seen my gut lately then you will know that it's a good thing to go on)

Spring has arrived in Syracuse and is bringing with it snow...what else is new.

2004-02-20T08:42:00.000-08:00

411mania.com ? Music ? 411 Music's Friday News Bootleg 02.20.04 If you don't read this column every Friday, then you don't know what you're missing.

Tough time to be associated with the football program at Colorado or to be a former Utah Ute in the NBA. Speaking of the NBA, my fantasy team is back on the playoff bubble. Injuries killed me, but adding Donyell Marshall and the fact that Steve Blake plays good minutes when the Wizards get killed (almost every night) has helped.

NBA All-Star game thoughts:
- why were NBA guys playing in the celebrity game?
- will Outkast be performing at every major event until next fall?
- why does Christina Aguilera oversing every song when she is on tv?
- props to Nelly Furtado for singing the Canadian anthem as it is intended with the stanza in French. Never usually here this outside of the NHL
- who cares about the game and defense?
- someone needs to get Charles Barkley, Bill Walton and Tony Kornheiser a show together and do it now.

Oh yeah the Yankees got A-Rod and sure it isn't great for baseball's competitive balance, but the Red Sox need to shut up. Was it good for baseball that Bud Selig made sure the Red Sox went to his good friend John Henry instead of the Dolan family? Was it good for baseball that Jeff Loria was given the Marlins after doing nothing for Montreal? Is it good for baseball to have teams that spend no money at all?

Today I bid adieu to my 95 Sentra. The Green Machine served me pretty well for almost 9 years. You never forget your 1st anything, so farewell good friend and time to get some Spreewells on my new Altima.

2004-01-18T08:57:00.000-08:00

Championship Game Sunday. My picks are Indy and Philly. Hoping to see D-Nabb against Freeney and Harrison in Houston and hopefully a few months after that we will get the Orangemen back in San Antonion to defend their title.

Don't look now, but GMac and the boys are playing some pretty good ball. If they can get some solid minutes from the bench, they will be a tough out come tourney time. Despite their loss yesterday, UConn should roll through the Big East. They are big, deep and talented. The problem with picking them to win the big dance is that they are not smart. They pounded Carolina inside, but many times settled for bad jumpers and committed some horrendous fouls.

Fantasy basketballis not going as well for me. All of the injuries I avoided in football are catching up to me in hoops. Combine that with some outrageous trades in my league and I am sinking to the bottom faster than the Orlando Magic.

2004-01-04T05:22:00.000-08:00

Fantasy Football Champions- this guy's squad. I finally won a football league thanks to Trent Green reverting back to his form from last year. I went back to The Chad and even with his 5 INT's, he managed to run in a couple of scores and I rolled to victory with my highest point total this season. Back to back titles next year- don't bet against me. Now I must focus on getting my hoops squad back on track.

A-Rod staying in Texas.....not so fast my friend. Don't be surprised if a deal is done soon. Boston is still lurking and Baltimore might want to offer the Rangers Tejada and a couple of prospects for A-Rod. Think he wouldn't put asses back in the seats in Camden Yards.

Now that 2004 is upon us, what should we expect. Hmmm...I don't care as long as we don't see the return to fashion of Members Only jackets and rolled-up jeans.

2003-12-15T12:27:00.000-08:00

From last week's post for those too lazy to scroll down..
"Number 10 in green
The Chad saved my team again
but I must play Vick"

Ok, bad call on that one. Thanks to the secondaries of San Diego and the Giants I survived my semi-final matchup. Now I play against the guy with Priest Holmes, Joe Horn and the QB I traded him Trent Green. Well maybe Trent will have one of his down weeks. I am going back to The Chad this weekend- I hope he understands. I mean he was playing in a blizzard this weekend- how could I play him??

Lots of baseball news and it looks like the world will now revolve around the AL East. I did catch Peter Gammons saying that it made no sense for the Red Sox to basically trade Nomar and Manny for A-Rod. Thank you Peter for echoing my statements. Every team in the league knows that if the Sox get A-Rod, they have to trade Nomar, so why would anyone offer them anything good in return.

Now for all those who say that the Sox have surpassed the Yankeees, let's break it down by position:

Pos Boston NY Edge
C Varitek Posada Even
1B Millar B. Williams(trust me) Even
2B ???? Soriano Yanks
SS Nomar or A-Rod Jeter Sox
3B Mueller Boone Yanks
LF Manny or LoDuca Matsui Sox w/ Manny NY w/o
CF Damon??? Lofton Sox
RF Nixon Sheffield Yanks
DH Ortiz Giambi Yanks
P Pedro Mussina Sox
P Schilling Vasquez Yanks
P Lowe Brown Yanks
P Wakefield Contreras Sox
P Perez or Burkett Lieber Yanks
CL Foulke Rivera Yanks
Bullpen Timlin/Embree Gordon/Heredia Yanks
Bench Yanks
Manager Francona Torre Yanks

I think the Red Sox will be better off to keep Manny and Nomar and not trade Damon. They can improve their bench by dealing Kim, but should keep Williamson to pitch set-up. Folks, don't pencil either of these teams into the Series yet. Let's see where Vlad ends up first.

2003-12-09T07:54:00.000-08:00

Today's report is brought to you by the letter B..as in BCS- Botched Championship Series. Still think that some kind of playoff is stupid? I know that Syracuse won the National Championship in basketball without winnning their conference, but they earned it with 6 wins in the tourney (including the sweep of the Big 12). Hope the ACC liked the conference championship game since next year it will keep one of their teams out of a BCS title game.

Fantasy playoffs are this week and I have a tough matchup. There are going to be some difficult line-up choices for this game.

Number 10 in green
The Chad saved my team again
but I must play Vick

A-Rod to Boston as the loyal Red Sox fans turn on Nomar. Poor, poor Nomar. He's not as good as A-Rod, but they act like the guy had a crappy season last year.....if this trade goes through the Sox will have an awful outfield along with no second baseman and huge salary problems with the impending free agency of Lowe,Varitek,and Nixon.

2003-12-03T15:46:00.000-08:00

Maybe my New Year's resolution should be to post on this more often. Well let's start with the fantasy sports update. My football squad clinched 1st with one week of the regular season to go. Hopefully, I won't fold in the first playoff game like last year. I have been led by The Chad the last couple of weeks and my roster now looks like this:
QB: Pennington, Vick, Plummer
RB: J. Lewis, M. Faulk, A. Thomas, Hearst
WR: R. Moss, Bruce, R. Smith, M. Muhammed
TE: Gonzalez
K: Vanderjagt
D: KC and Seattle

On paper, this squad is tough, but who do I play The Chad or Vick? Decisions, decisions...

I am also playing fantasy hoops and am currently in 1st with this squad-
G: Terry, Pierce, B. Barry, J. Barry
F: Van Horn, Malone, Webber, Spreewell, McKie, Kenny Thomas, Laettner, Rose, Turkoglu
C:Divac, E. Thomas, Jason Collins
This team looks real strong once Webber comes back, but for now I am doing alright.

How about that Carmelo Anthony? Yeah, he's an ok player. Enjoy him Denver because we miss him here in the Cuse.

Sheffield and Schilling. Who wins? Who cares? The Yankees are going to add Colon and Kevin Brown without losing anyone off their playoff roster. Boston has lost Todd Walker and is serious trouble after this year when Nomar, Lowe, Nixon and Varitek will be free agents. Can the Sox expect career years from Mueller, Ortiz and Millar again? Sorry Beantown, but The Curse will continue.

The BCS should go. How can a game between 5-6 teams SU and Notre Dame impact the National Championship game? This system stinks on toast. Let's bring on the 8 team playoff already.

2003-10-28T13:18:00.000-08:00

Happy trails to Grady Little- would you really still leave Pedro in the game? This is shaping up to be some baseball off-season. A mere 3 days after the season ends and already the Yankees are rumored to be getting the following players: A-Rod, Jose Vidro, Carlos Beltran, Gary Sheffield, Javier Vasquez, Ken Griffey, Jr., Miguel tejada, Kaz Matsui, Mike Lowell, Jim Edmonds, Bartolo Colon...just to name a few. It will be interesting to see if Theo Epstein will refuse to trade Casey Fossum this year. Do ya think that Boston would have done better with Kevin Millwood than Fossum last year?

Kobe keeps on opening his yap. Hey Kobe, go win a bunch of scoring titles on crappy teams and see how much "love" you get from the fans. I still say LA should have traded him for Kidd last summer, but they could probably deal him to NY for Houston, Ward, Thomas and picks. Houston would give them the outside shooter they need and Ward and Thomas would make their bench deep enough to win the West. Mitch Kupchak make the move.

I am glad to see my beloved Habs have started this year much better than last. Two games with the Bruins this week and let's hope Saku returns.

2003-10-27T13:24:00.000-08:00

Almost a new record time between posts here. My apologies to my devoted fans- both of you. Here's the update: my fantasy football squad is 6-2 and has a share of 1st place. First half MVP is Jamal Lewis, who along with the KC defense, is keeping me alive while Vick and Faulk have been out.

Kudos to Shaq for coming out and putting Kobe in his place. Should be interesting to see what happens this week. Will Kobe pass the ball or will he force up 30 shots? It is obvious that he is off so far this year, but since he is so selfish, I say he keeps jacking shots until he leaves town for Memphis, which may come sooner than later.

My picks for this year in the NBA are the Spurs and Pacers with San Antonio repeating. I will try and update more often with the exploits of my fantasy squad, "The Brothers Barry".....and yes I have both Barrys on my team.

2003-09-15T13:45:00.000-07:00

Week 2 went a lot better for the Thugonomics franchise. Thanks to the record-setting performance of Jamal Lewis and my acquisition of the Seattle defense, I picked up a big win. I found out about Lewis' day when I came home from work and saw the ticker. When it read Lewis 295 yds rushing, I wondered who had him in my league before realizing it was me.

On the down side, I lost my playoff match-up in baseball and am relegated to the 3rd place game. I actually lost on a tie-breaker, which could have been avoided if I had two more rbi's last week- tough way to lose.

Funniest moment of last week came while watching Smackdown. As Chavo was helping Eddie to their car after his interference led to Eddie's victory, Eddie was smiling and yelling "Chavito" as if he was surprised to see him. Sometimes it's the little things that make the difference.

2003-09-09T16:49:00.000-07:00

That was some weekend of football. I spent Saturday afternoon listening to the Cuse battle back and take down UNC in OT- take that ACC! Then, it was time to watch Miami come from way down. During this game, I wondered why Inger Martin was not playing. Guess Ron Zook is unlike Mike Martz and won't play quarterbacks with concussions. I give a big thanks to Martz for not giving the ball to Marshall Faulk (my top fantasy pick). In case you were wondering this is my squad (Thugonomics):
QB: Trent Green and Mike Vick
RB: Faulk, Jamal Lewis, Warrick Dunn and Moe Williams
WR:Derrick Mason, Rod Smith, Donte Stallworth, Ashley Lelie, and Jimmy Smith
TE: Tony Gonzalez
K: Martin Grammatica and Mike Vanderjagt
D: Miami

Looks good on paper, but looks can be deceiving. I hope to rebound this week. The league is pretty evenly matched and we shall see what happens over this long season.

Here are the stats of two big league pitchers:
G GS IP Hits R ER BB K W L ERA

25 25 159.2 132 50 44 42 178 11 4 2.48
25 24 157.2 120 45 44 58 158 9 7 2.51

Looks pretty even don't they. Well Pitcher A is Pedro Martinez and Pitcher B is Brandon Webb of Arizona. Pedro will make $17 million next year and Webb will be making less than $1 million. Ponder that. Peace.

2003-08-30T05:29:00.000-07:00

Woe is Chad....it's been a week since his injury, but it still pains me to think of this NFL season happening without The Chad. I'm not a Jets fan, but The Chad saved my fantasy team last year and for that he has earned my respect. Besides how can you not root for the slow white guy with the not-so-strong arm. In the days of the HGH-ified bodies (David Boston anyone), The Chad is a throw-back and let's up he rejoins us soon.

- Isiah Thomas was fired the other day and the media is up in arms. Ummm...isn't this the same Isiah that has led the talented Pacers to nothing in the weak East, the same Isiah who has been out-coached each year. When did he become so special. Wasn't Rick Carlisle coach of the year and the guy Bird said should have replaced him three years ago? C'mon people, let's not make controversy when there are no-brain decisions. This is as much of a slam dunk as saying that Christina left Britney in her wake the other night (she sang circles around her and came strong with the hotness). Britney and Isiah are clinging to their past-let's all help nudge them off the ledge for good.

- While on the subject of the VMA's, thank goodness for Chris Rock. He saved this show, which had some real corny set-ups (Lebron and Ashanti). My favorite bit was him talking about Janet Jackson and Jermaine Dupri. I don't see how Jermaine did it, but man if there was ever a couple that was perfect for "Lose the Dork", it's them.
What happened to Timbaland-man was he huge, and why was Magoo missing? Anyone else wondering if Timbaland ate him?

2003-08-22T05:52:00.000-07:00

Finally my work weeks are coming to an end. Let's play catch-up:

- Warren Sapp is running his mouth again- talking about how the old-timers are overrated. (pick up the phone Warren it's the kettle calling to tell you something). So Sapp claims that Jim Brown carried the ball "like a loaf of bread" and the Bucs would force him to fumble 5 or 6 times.....riiiighhhtt. Here's what would happen...Brown would sweep right...slow down and then cut back to meet Sapp coming down the line. As Sapp moves in, Brown throws his left foreman up into Sapp's triple chin knocking him backwards where Brown can plant his black cleat between the 9's on those ugly Bucs unis. Brown would then run over John Lynch on his way to the end zone. Warren Sapp is the overrated one. If tonight's 6 pm Sportscenter started with a review of the greatest athletes of all-time, they would hit Brown's name before 6:05 and maybe they would hit Sapp's name around 3:24 am.

- Since when did Nick van Exel become such a media darling. I remember everyone bashing him for being a whining, pouting baby. I think Dallas was smart to trade him while his value was high. They needed size and if Antwan can handle doing some dirty work while Dirk hangs outside the Mavs can hang with the other big boys out west.

-LLWS wraps up this weekend and you can't find too many things better on sports to watch right now. I mean if you are choosing between pre-season football, a crappy PGA tourney and these games....it's a no-brainer.

2003-08-17T11:07:00.000-07:00

Been too long between posts here. I place my blame on work, NCAA Football 2004 and my girlfriend (but not in that order). Since I am stuck at work on a beautiful Sunday, let me hit you with some random thoughts:

- Vick's injury means the Falcons hopes are done, the fantasy value of Peerless Price is minimal and in Somerville Breeze is breaking things.

- Where can I buy one of those " I Love Kobe" bracelets? Even Doug Christie is laughing about how whipped Kobe became when this hit the fan.

- College football is starting and here are my picks by conference:
Big East: Miami, Pitt, SU, VT, WVU,BC
ACC:FSU,UVA,Maryland
SEC:Auburn,Georgia,Tenn.
Big 10:Wisconsin,Michigan,Ohio St
Big 12: Kansas St, Texas,Okla
Pac 10:Wash.,ASU,Oregon
MWC: Air Force,Utah,BYU

- The NBA should change the playoffs so that all the west teams can meet in the "final 4". LA,Sac,Dallas and SA are stacked this year. I still think SA is the favorite and you know why.......Manu!

- There is much ado about Freddy Adu (bad pun I know), but he's a little young to be calling him the savior of US soccer. Besides US soccer can't be too bad if a Yank is in goal for Man U (not to be confused with Manu).

- NCAA 2004 is better than I expected. I hear Madden is even better. I need a job where I can get paid to stay home and play these games.

2003-07-03T09:27:00.000-07:00

Miami and VT are gone and the Big East looks elsewhere for their football savior...Notre Dame- sorry not going to happen (and that goes for you too ACC) because ND is in the driver's seat and will not join a conference until it is absolutely necessary.....Penn St-hmmm, possibility, but still kind of a long shot...and that's the list. I say forget this 12 team conference idea and use the split bb/fb and bb only 8 team conferences like so:

Crouthamel Conference (after my man Jake swoops in to save the Big East)
SU
BC
UConn
Pitt
WVU
Rutgers
Louisville
Cincy

Gavitt Conference(gotta give props to the granddaddy of the BE)
Gtown
Nova
PC
St Johns
ND
the Hall
Marquette
Xavier

7 conference games for fb. For hoops season, you play each team in your "conference" twice, designate "rivals" to be played each year and then 3 other "cross-over" games which will rotate each year. Imagine these hoops rivals:
SU-Gtown
BC-PC
UConn-St Johns
Cincy-Xavier
ND-Pitt
Rutgers-Hall
WVU-Nova (only bad one of this bunch)
Louisville-Marquette

There you go problem solved- send my check asap as I have some home improvement projects to take care of.

The other problem I solved this week is what to do about Jason Kidd. My solution: NJ signs Kidd and then trades him and Richard Jefferson to the Lakers for Kobe and Derek Fisher. Now close your mouth and listen. Kidd and RJ make the Lakers the team to beat next year since it gives Shaq a guy who will actually pass him the ball. It reunites RJ and Luke Walton and guarantees that my man Bill will proclaim them the best thing to hit LA since John Wooden retird. Kobe gives NJ a star in return. Kobe gets the NY market and also the chance to be the "star" (ie 1st option on offense) and earn the attention he so obviously craves. Mitch Kupchak and Rod Thorn- give me a call and let's get this done.

I'll say it now- Carmelo wins ROY next year after he goes for 18.2 ppg, 7.4 rpg and 3.7 apg for the 40 win (yes 40) Denver Nuggets. Heed more words people.

Baseball news- fantasy squad is hanging tough due to my brilliant pickups of Brandon Webb and Eric Byrnes. Thome and Bonds are heating up and No-mah has been supah wicked awe-sum lately.

Note to Red Sox Nation: Gabe Kaplan would be a better pickup than Gabe Kapler. Don't trade Trot in order to play the newest one weekend wonder.

Enjoy the 4th. 2 weeks until NCAA 2004!!!!

2003-06-25T17:26:00.000-07:00

Say what??? Va Tech and Miami only. Well that was a big shocker to me. I am not going to call on Miami to do the "right thing" and say no, but I think they should say no and here's why (all quotes are fictional and are for purely entertainment purposes):
- Miami was approached by the ACC to switch and bring their fb program to raise the prestige of the conference. Miami said, "Sure if we can bring our friends at Syracuse and our tag-along lil brother BC." The ACC says, "why we would love to have all three of you. We'll even come for a visit to make sure you meet our criteria." Miami is very excited and tells SU and BC. BC goes ahead and packs it's bags and tells the Big East, "Sorry, but this isn't working out. It's not you, it's me."
- The other BE schools get jealous and cry foul. Well at least this is what the other schools told West Virginia- they didn't understand what all them "talkin heads on the magic box was sayin". Va Tech stamps their feet and signs onto the lawsuit all while going to the Governor to say they want to play in the ACC too and if he doesn't help, they will hold their breath. Big poppa Governor tells UVA that they must let Va Tech pay or else they won't get to play either.
- UVA tells their friends that Va Tech has to come along to the game which makes Duke and UNC happy because they don't want the big, bad Cuse coming to beat on them like they beat on the Big 12 last year. Miami pays this no mind-just figuring that the ACC's word is good.
- If Miami goes in with Va Tech they say good-bye to those trips back to the Northeast and a chance for the wealthy alums ("donors") to see their beloved Canes. Miami also feels bad for their friends SU and even lil ole BC because they were willing to come along and now are left by the side of the road because the ACC doesn't have room for them with Va Tech in the backseat.
- If Miami comes back to the BE, Louisville will come calling (chance to beat up on Slick Rick- Yes!!!) and Miami can continue to get their annual BCS berth in football while having a lot of power in the future of BE football. They will have zero power in the ACC- the hoops schools will see to that. Then the ACC will be stuck with the uninvited Va Tech hanging out like the guy who won't leave your house even after the party ends-saying he's hungry and just needs to crash out for a bit and I say the ACC will get what they deserve. Meanwhile, BC comes crawling back to the BE saying, "Baby I didn't mean what I said, let's give it another chance."

In other news, NBA Draft tomorrow. No Bill Walton, which is bad. Can't ESPN let him do some Sunday Night Baseball? Someone get Walton on tv and soon. Maybe he could fill-in on PTI if TK and Wilbon take some time off. Sorry Sports Guy Luke Walton is not the guy who can save the NBA- everyone knows Melo and Manu are those guys. Where's Rex Chapmanwhen you need him anyway?

2003-06-24T17:54:00.000-07:00

"Who's house? My house!!!!"Now that my move is finished I am back baby. Spurs in 6 sure was a good call and Tim Duncan had one phenom-enal game in the clincher. "The Big Fundamental" almost dropped a quad-deuce on "The Big Bark, No Bite" aka K-Mart. 3 for 23 should keep someone quiet over the summer. No white guys to blame it on this time Kenyon- unless you want to count Donnie Marshall.

My fantasy team has rebounded and climbed to second in my division. I would be in great shape if some guys played like real men and didn't constantly dump pitchers. They will get theirs in the end. Bonds and Thome are heating up and I have Nomar and Byrnes rippin the ball. Just wait till Chipp-ah gets going.

If the Nuggets pass on Carmelo tomorrow night, it will be a colossal mistake. Just like I told you about Manu-Mania, heed my words it's Melo Time. ROY next year while puts up 18.5 points, 8.3 boards and 3.4 assists per. My 1st round steal is David West from Xavier who scored 20+ while being double and triple teamed each night.

Bob Gainey is back in Montreal. Will he bring Derian Hatcher with him? I say dump Brisebois and let Hatcher roam the blue line w/Rivet and just punish people.

Go out and buy the new Jason Mraz cd "Waiting for My Rocket to Come"- good stuff. I gotta jet to finish hooking up my surround sound- later.

2003-06-05T12:07:00.000-07:00

Au revoir Patrick Roy. The best goalie ever decides to go out and even though they lost this year, you can't take away his 4 Stanley Cup rings. He was the reason why my beloved Habs won in 86 and 93 (especially 93 when his play inspired a lesser team to the title). I will never forget watching Roy take over in 93. Yes, he was arrogant and cocky on the ice, but that's the way a goalie needs to play.

Is Sammy Sosa a cheat? Look this is being blown out of proportion. Yes he was caught with cork and yes he made a huge mistake, but to say he cheated the last few years. The guy made himself stronger as he got older (when it is easier to add weight and muscle to the body). He also moved to a great home run park and that and not cork has led him to 500 homers.

Someone plugged in David Robinson last night. If the Spurs get games like this from Parker and the Admiral this series will be short. What happened to Kenyon Martin? Man, he has really stepped up his game. Forget Duncan's numbers, no one can stop him and that's why he is the MVP. I've said the Spurs all along and I am going with them in 6. Someone get me a Manu jersey.

2003-05-31T12:13:00.000-07:00

Been busy lately, so let’s try and catch up on some things. Steve Kerr? All I have to say is that it’s about time he got to play against a zone defense. The Finals might be ok as both teams can get out and run. The question will be can Kenyon Martin contain Duncan? Of course, we have to wait to see any of these games as I think they get started with the series in a month or so.

The Devils have solved Jiggy so far in the Cup Finals (which by the way is the coolest trophy in all sports). Let’s hope RI’s own Keith Carney can lead the Ducks back. How bout Marty Brodeur? No, not the two great games, I’m talking about having an affair with his sister-in-law. He really got jiggy with it. Na na na na na!

All the hubub about Annika playing was just too much. She played well and more of the LPGA players should get shots to play with the men. It didn’t prove anything to anyone and all sports are about the ratings and the money (see ACC expansion).

The Pistons fire Rick Carlisle to hire Tony Kornheiser’s favorite camp counselor and I ask why? After all the moving around Brown does, what makes Detroit think he is better suited than Carlisle. Let’s go to the tale of the tape to compare this year’s Pistons to the ‘01 Sixers:

Philly Detroit
Scorer Iverson Hamilton
PG playing on one leg Snow Billups
Defensive SF Lynch Curry
Big man who can’t score Mutombo Wallace

Well I think Detroit made a bad move here as the players can’t help but wonder what Carlisle did wrong. I say that Van Gundy ends up in Houston, Silas goes to Cleveland, NO hires Fratello, Washington gets Cleamons and Philly hires who knows.

2003-05-16T09:30:00.000-07:00

"Mr. Bryant. Your tee time is scheduled for 9:30." Ah yes. The NBA Finals without the Lakers and MJ. Good stuff. Now maybe there will be some suspense over who wins. Could the Spurs and Nets face off in the "Battle for Jason Kidd". How about AI vs Doug Christie in "The Thug vs Mr. Whipped" or Dikembe vs Bradley in "Battle of Big Scrawny Guys who can't Score"? The possibilites are endless folks...just use your imagination.

I admit to being scared last night. As I watched Shaq pushing around Malik Rose, I wondered aloud to why Kevin Willis wasn't getting some minutes. Five seconds later, Bill Walton says the same thing. My girlfriend and her brother looked at me with concern. Is it possible that I think along the same wavelength as the Big Deadhead? That's enough to give everyone the shivers.

No need to talk about the ACC-Big East until after the weekend. I sense some big surprises coming up and the power of college football might be shifting. Good thing I have those front row tickets locked down.

2003-05-12T16:44:00.000-07:00

News and notes from the 315:

Looks like the ACC thing is stalling. The new rumor is the Big East splitting into 2 conferences- one for all sports and one with just the basketball schools. They would probably add Temple, Cincy and maybe Louisville to the football fold. The wildcard is Florida State moving to join Miami, but the jury is still out on this one. I think that BC is the team making everyone nervous-what do they really bring to the table?

Gotta love the NBA. Kobe, Shaq and AI got all the calls this weekend to even up those series. Too bad for Webber-now he can't pass the ball with the game on the line. I am praying for Manu to take over so I don't have to watch another Lakers Finals sweep.

I wish Walton was doing commentary on the Survivor finale, so I could hear "That's terrible" after that fixed voting. How could that group vote for Jenna by that many votes? I think this could be the beginning of the end for the show....and what was up with the guy riding the jet ski into NYC? Awful, awful stuff.

Gotta love the way the Ducks are getting "Giggy" in the playoffs. His save the other day was unreal.

My fantasy team is back to .500 thanks to a big week from Chipper, Thome and Adam Dunn. Now if I can get some pitching again, I can make a move to the top of my division. I will leave you all with one last word- "No-mah!!!!"

2003-05-06T06:46:00.000-07:00

Have I told you how much I love Kobe Bryant? 38 shots to get 37 points- wow I am impressed. So what he hits a couple of late 3's. The Spurs couldn't make a shot in the 2nd quarter, yet Kobe-Wan kept "forcing" some terrrr-ible shots. Boo-hoo Rick Fox is hurt. The Lakers should be rolling over people because Shaq is unstoppable. San Anton was actually playing Malik Rose against Shaq w/ only slight help and LA kept neglecting the big man. Well look at the archives and you will see that I have been saying Spurs for a while. Gotta love Manu!

Now I usually defer on NBA-related things to The Rog, but last week we had a debate about T-Mac. Of course after I defend the guy and say he is the best player in the league the Magic drop 3 straight. Maybe I should learn to never doubt the opinions of The Rog, but I would still take T-Mac over Kobe. (in case you can't tell, I don't like Kobe)
I can actually get into the NBA now that the playoffs are rolling. Hope bout my SIxers? DC is looking like it's 1988 and he is cleaning the glass for the Orangemen and dishing it to Sherm Douglas to start the break.

Over in the NHL, you gotta love that Anaheim is winning, but you gotta hate that they are still called "The Mighty Ducks". Remember my RI championship connection from a couple of weeks ago- well the Ducks have Keith Carney from Pawtucket on their roster. That's a bad omen for the rest of the league. Put some money on the Flyers dumping Roman Checkmanek this offseason. That guy is one step away from having a breakdown in the middle of a game.

My fantasy team has tanked the last two weeks. Derek Lowe is just getting shelled and I really need someone to get hot. Let me know if you have any suggestions.

American Idol tonight- the marine has to go. Can Ruben rebound after last week? What lame celebrity judge will they have? Someone get Morris Day and Jerome on the phone- now that would be classic. I can hear it now "Clay, you sing real well, but you need to wear a bright yellow coat with a tiger print collar..Jerome bring me my mirror." If you saw Britney Spears on Punk'd last night, you're probably wondering how great it would be to have a ppv spelling bee between her, christina and anna nicole smith. Cute girl, but could she be any dumber? I had to laugh that she was sporting an Eminem hat after all the smack he's talked about her. I know that if someone said countless things about me, I would run out and wear their merchandise. Watching her and Christina makes me realize that I will never recover the brain cells lost in trying to fathom their idiocy.

Head over to The Modeles site to get info on buying their cd and catching them live.

2003-04-26T10:57:00.000-07:00

Godspeed Melo. Thanks for the memories and best of luck next year. Don't cry for the Cuse though. This is going to be a deep squad next year with some offensive weapons and a number of good athletes. Another thing to remember is that next year SU will feature an athlete from a Rhode Island high school in Demetrius Nichols. This has been a key component for wining Syracuse sports teams. The 1992 indoor track champs featured 2 RI athletes including yours truly, lacrosse had Kris Photopolous for two of their titles....just something to ponder.

Lakers are sure rolling right now..oops even the refs couldn't help them the other night. Hard to turn it on and why are the neglecting Shaq. Hey Kobe keep shooting all those shots and keeping the ball out of your best player's hands. You can join MJ on the links next week.

Fantasy update: 17-13 after two weeks. Struggling this week, but I am confident in turning things around. My 3 and 4 picks Thome and Lowe are scuffling now. Vasquez and Cruz are carrying me. Now if Dunn, Chipper and Phelps get things cranking I should be alright.

2003-04-16T09:45:00.000-07:00

Now that the hoopla has quieted down here in CNY, let's get this blog back running again. Although if Melo says he's coming back, then the party starts up again. Had a great time at the Carrier Dome celebration last week. Lotta love for the Cuse here in the 315 lately. Some thoughts about the championship game:
-This is what makes college basketball special. Two teams battling for a title for themselves, their coaches and their schools.
-Hinrich, Anthony and McNamara all battled through injuries in the second half-laying it on the line to try and win.
-Pace, Edelin, Langford and Graves stepping it up in the big game and playing well in support of the stars.
-Finally a championship's defining moment is a defensive play, not a shot and not a turnover. Warrick's play should go down in history as one of the most important blocks ever.

Second week of the baseball season and my fantasy squad is in first in my division. I don't know how because I have 0 saves and have had sporadic pitching so far. On the offensive side, not much from Chipper Jones and Josh Phelps, but my pickup of Jose Cruz Jr is looking really good right now.

Having a hard time getting into the NHL playoffs right now. I would be happier for Anaheim to win if they didn't have that ridiculous name and mascot- can we get this changed now? In the East, NJ is looking pretty tough right now and the other teams are having a tough battle to advance which gives the Devils an edge.

Someone told me Snoop Dogg has a song out called "Beautiful." Funny I don't think I've ever heard it on the radio or seen the video on the MTV channels.

2003-04-08T17:28:00.000-07:00

What a night. National Champions Baby!! I am so tired right now. It still hasn't really hit that Syracuse won. Did Hakim Warrick really block that shot? Incredible game and it is great to have a title heading to CNY. C'mon Melo - let's repeat next year!

2003-04-03T13:42:00.000-08:00

"Big stars can carry teams far this year, so look out for Wake (Josh Howard), Marquette (Wade), Xavier (West) and of course the Cuse (Anthony)." Me on March 12, 2003

Not too bad there if I may say so myself. I am really psyched about the return of the Orangemen to the Final 4. I busted out the "Cuse is in the House" sign for my office and even downloaded Blahzay Blahzay's "Danger". Some weekend of basketball that I was able to semi-comprehend in my weakened condition. Dwayne Wade's game last weekend was legendary. The man had a triple-double- unreal.

Baseball is starting and it is snowing in Syracuse- must be spring. Gotta love it.

2003-03-28T11:30:00.000-08:00

Waiting for the big SU-Auburn game tonight, I wonder why Pitt quit last night. They looked like the game was over with 6-7 minutes left. If they had abandoned the 3 and kept driving to the basket, they would have won. Dwayne Wade was unreal in the second half. Then in Anaheim, Nick Collison puts Kansas on his back for 40 minutes to beat Duke. Folks, this is what superstars do and that's why you need one to win a title. Let's hope Carmelo Anthony and TJ Ford were watching and taking notes.

Also got to watch T-Mac vs KG last night. These guys should be 1-2 in the MVP race with KG just edging out T-Mac based on the fact that he is winning with Kendall Gill on his team. I mean c'mon, Kendall Gill was good in like 91 or 92, but that's about it. Everyone still fearing the Lakers, but I say you should fear the Spurs. The difference for SA from last year is that Danny Ferry is no longer their 6th man- that says a lot. Look for Speedy, Manu and Malik Rose to be the bench guys to help Duncan get another ring.

Go Cuse!!!!

2003-03-24T19:18:00.000-08:00

Is your Bracket Busted? Mine is surviving at the moment. I had 11 of the Sweet 16 picked right, but still have all of my Final 4 squads alive. Glad to see Louisville and Florida knocked out yesterday. It's been a solid tourney so far and this week has some great match-ups. How bout the Big East? 8-0 so far and I remember someone a couple of months back talking about how underrated this conference was this year.

Last weekend Bill Walton coined a new phrase- "Throw it Down a Thon". That is classic stuff. I want to find some Walton audio files for my computer. Anytime I receive spam, the big red machine can yell out "That's horrible." Life doesn't get any better than that.

2003-03-17T19:20:00.000-08:00

Busy, busy weekend. First up is my picks for the NCAA Tourney. (Note: I have never, ever, won a pool, so please use these at your own risk) I am going with Arizona, Texas, Pitt and SU with Texas beating Arizona in the final. This is a wide open tourney, to say the least. I believe Kentucky is due for a bad game and as much as I hate to admit it, if Brandin Knight is healthy Pitt can beat them. My keys to each of my Final 4: Texas- Brandon Mouton, Arizona- Channing Frye, Pitt- Chevy Troutman, and SU- Hakim Warrick. These guys are the ones who will need to step up for each of their schools to advance. Of course, I will probably have something else to say next week at this time.

My fantasy baseball draft went pretty well. Here is the lineup for the 2003 version of the Syracuse Black Squirrels:
SP: Derek Lowe, Javier Vasquez, Jason Schmidt, Josh Beckett,Joel Pineiro
RP:Robb Nen, Jose Mesa, Matt Mantei,Octavio Dotel, Francisco Rodriguez
C:Jason Varitek, Toby Hall
1B: Jim Thome, Josh Phelps
2B: Mark Bellhorn
SS:Nomar, Orlando Cabrera
3B: Troy Glaus, Mark Texeira
OF: Barry Bonds, Chipper Jones,Adam Dunn,Jose Cruz, Jr, Jeremy Giambi, Brad Wilkerson
Might make a couple of changes when the season starts. Lots of power there, but question marks as far as average,stolen bases and saves.

Karaoke update: This weekend I did "Hot in Herre", "I Just Want to Love You" and an outstanding duet of "Picture" with my girl Kelly.

2003-03-12T18:56:00.000-08:00

It's Madness and I'm not talking about the guys who brought us "Our House". So let's leave the place in the middle of the street and stroll over to Bracketville. No tears shed here for Georgia or St. Bona. The Georgia players who think Tony Cole let them down are just ridiculous...umm how bout your coach and his boy breaking all the rules. Maybe these guys are upset because they only got an A- in "Principles of Coaching Basketball". This is going to be a wild next couple of weeks. Every team has a weakness and there is not much seperating the teams. I'll say the #1 seeds will be Arizona, Kentucky, Texas and Kansas or Oklahoma. After these four, it's anybody's guess. Big stars can carry teams far this year, so look out for Wake (Josh Howard), Marquette (Wade), Xavier (West) and of course the Cuse (Anthony). I'll have my picks after the brackets are released.

Baseball is gearing up and with my fantasy draft this weekend, here are some early picks:
AL East- NY, Boston, Toronto, Baltimore, Tampa
AL Central- Chicago, Minn, Cleveland, Detroit, KC
AL West- Oakland, Seattle,Anaheim, Texas
Wildcard-Minn
NL East- Atlanta, Philadelphia, NY, Florida, Montreal
NL Central- Houston, St. Louis, Cincinnati, Chicago,Pittsburgh, Milwaukee
NL West- San Fran, Arizona, LA, San Diego
Wildcard- Arizona
AL Champ- Oakland
NL Champ- Houston
World Champs- Oakland

2003-03-05T19:39:00.000-08:00

Life has been busy here lately. Gotta love the run the Cuse has been on lately. This team is going to be a tough out in the next few weeks. They have a few guys capable of putting up numbers and they play with poise and a lot of heart. Here is my shot at some awards: Big East POY- Mike Sweetney, ROY-Carmelo Anthony, COY- Jim Boeheim - First Team BE: Troy Bell, Marcus Hatten, Matt Carroll, Sweetney and Anthony
National Player of the Year: Dwayne Wade-Marquette
1st Team All-American: Wade, TJ Ford, Josh Howard, Nick Collison and Sweetney

Getting close to baseball season so I will be posting some predictions shortly. Now I have to go watch the Chapelle Show- if you haven't seen it then what is wrong with you.

2003-02-24T19:52:00.000-08:00

Been a while since the last update so here goes a few things from off the top of my brain(grammar and proper punctuation is being checked at the door).....condolences to all those affected by the fire in RI last week- it was sad to be back in the Ocean State and have something awful like that happen- let's hope that people learn from this and keep the pyro to large or outdoor venues

not to belittle this event, but I need to focus on some good things: sweet SU-ND game a couple of weeks ago as I enjoyed with 32,000 other college hoops fans-combined with SU-Pitt makes for a couple of awesome games for me to see...spent last Friday night in Somerville to see The Modeles tear it up- check them out when they come near your town and tell Zing (the drummer) I sent you....spring training is gearing up and what happened to Manny Ramirez's hair? man he makes Steve Nash's do look happening...Gary Payton traded for Ray Allen? one of those change of scenery deals that should work out for both teams...I like Orlando getting Drew Gooden- he could help T-Mac make a run to the Finals...Kobe keeps scoring, but at what price? stay tuned for this one folks...in case you haven't noticed the Sixers are playing some good ball now that DC is back healthy....did anyone know who Norah Jones was before last night? I was calling for Avril to win a few, but I was wrong...nice perfomances by Eminem w/ The Roots, Coldplay and the tribute to The Clash....I think Ja Rule is really gunning to win that award for Rap and R&B song next year....Kirilenko for 6th Man and Harpring for Most Improved- is there magic in those ugly Jazz jerseys? (just kidding Kelly)...big win for the Cuse over State and I can still hear my boy Neil screaming from Salt Lake for Hill to get that final shot- 10 threes in one game-that's a sick performance...gotta get some sleep- check me out on I2Sports.com as I do some high school track commentating tomorrow night.

2003-02-12T16:43:00.000-08:00

How you doin? Pretty cold here, but looking forward to the Cuse-ND game on Saturday. I will be joined by another 30,000 people as the Dome rocks again. Hopefully the outcome will be like that of the Pitt game and the Cuse will be gaining momentum heading into March. The Big East has just collapsed. What happened to BC and Nova? Awful, awful showings lately.

I think Michael Jordan played his last All-Star Game this weekend, but I'm not sure if that info is correct as they didn't make mention of it during the game. Who held Vinsanity's arms while Davey Stern held the lead pipe to his knee to get him to give MJ the starting slot? Who has money on when Mariah Carey will "accidentally" pop out on live tv? People think I am nuts for wanting a velour track suit, but c'mon a full length Wizards jersey dress? Did it really go well with the huge rock on her hand? Are women going to be wearing these to clubs now? I am disappointed that the West didn't play Nowitzki with Duncan,Garnett, Yao and Shaq. Sorry folks, but the US versus the World would not be close. Here are your teams:
US- Shaq, Duncan, McGrady, Kobe and Kidd- Payton,AI, O'Neal, Wallace,Stackhouse,Mashburn,Pierce,Francis,Marbury
World-Yao,Nowitzki,Nash,Peja,Ilgauzkas,Divac,Kirilenko,Gasol,Kukoc,Parker,Turkoglu,Radmanovic
How close do you think that game would be?

Picked up the new 50-Cent cd yesterday and it is good stuff. The man really hates Ja Rule- that earns big bonus points in my book. Let's hope this rap battle stays on wax though.

Pitchers and catchers report this week. Bout time baseball gets started back up. Stay tuned for some more fantasy tips from yours truly.

On that note,this update is done like Christina Aguilera dating white guys.

2003-02-05T09:46:00.000-08:00

If you haven't already done so, check out .Bill Walton's column this week. I caught part of his new ESPN show this weekend and it was unusual to say the least. Not sure who the Stuttering John look alike is, but seeing that guy in sweat pants talking to Jordan was pretty funny. Pretty cool that Stevie Francis and Cuttino Mobley got Walton to say "That's Horrible"- Walton is the man.

Why are people surprised that all of these college basketball #1's are losing? No team is that good that they will go through the year with only 2-3 losses. If you thought we saw some Madness last March, you ain't seen nothing yet.

My latest crazy idea is to get a velour sweatsuit (with hood) and have my name embroidered on it....maybe a Carolina blue or grey. You can't beat that for style.

It was brought to my attention that I seemed to like many athletes who are "stupid, white guys". I took great offense to this and to combat this, I will now list some of my current favorites:

Basketball:
Allen Iverson, Derrick Coleman, Matt Harpring, Malik Rose, Brent Barry,Yao Ming, Cuttino Mobley,Steve Nash
Hockey:
Saku Koivu, Jaromir Jagr, Jose Theodore,Keith Carney,Brian Leetch
Baseball:
Greg Maddux, Ichiro,Sammy Sosa,Jimmy Rollins,Chipper Jones,Mike Bordick,Roy Oswalt, Barry Zito, Adam Dunn,Mo Vaughn,John Flaherty,Trot Nixon, Nom-ah
Football:
Chad Pennington,Terrell Owens,Donovan McNabb,Brett Favre,Dwight Freeney,Darren Sharper
Old School Favorites:
Dr. J, Rex Chapman, Pistol Pete, Carlton Fisk, Marty Clark, Steve Grogan, Guy Lafleur, Mats Naslund

There you go- that's the list....well for now anyway.

2003-02-02T12:39:00.000-08:00

What an unbelievable game last night in the Carrier Dome. It was the best hoops game that I have ever been too. 30,000 people and a great battle on the court made for an amazing atmosphere. The first half was tight until Pitt began to dissect the Cuse zone. They got a lot of easy looks and every player seemed to contribute for them. SU struggled to get going on offense and were down by double digits at halftime. Pitt fans were feeling pretty good about their chances of ascending to #1 in the polls, but they were a little premature in their celebration.

SU came out and the crowd began to get into the game again. A nice drive and layup by Craig Forth seemed to provide a spark. Then the Orangemen came out of their zone and began to press and play man to man. This really hampered Pitt as they used up a lot of clock and never seemed to get into a flow like they had in the first half. On the other end, Hakim Warrick took over and became very aggressive. Officiating was horrible- tremendously incosistent during the game. Foul trouble plagued both teams and as the Cuse closed the gap the Dome was rocking like it was the 80s again. The final minute was like a strange movie. Jeremy McNeil, shooting 28% from the line for the year, nails two freebies to tie the game. Then, SU comes up with a steal and a chance to win. Gerry MacNamara, who sure has a lot of guts, took the ball past Knight and drew another defender over. As his shot missed, McNeil was wide open for the put back. Then it got real interesting. Pitt fumbled the inbounds pass and got timeout as the crowd stormed the court. Replays gave them 0.8 seconds to try and tie or win. For whatever reason, SU did not defend the inbounds pass- bad decision there- and Knight got a look from 35 feet. His shot went right in as the court was stormed again. It seemed like he took too much time, but as the officials tried to review the play fans were going after them and several Pitt players. The shot was not allowed and the party began for the third time. It was too bad this controversy took away from an incredible battle. Pitt is a very good team, but they lack a go to guy, which will hurt them again come tourney time. SU showed toughness coming back and let's hope they will build off this huge win.

2003-02-01T12:49:00.000-08:00

It's All-Star time and that means all sorts of stupid controversies and more ridiculous comments from athletes. Vince Carter has just completed his full heel turn. C'mon VC like the millions of people who voted for you would be saddened if MJ started for you. AI and T-Mac had the right idea in offering up their spots and MJ did the right thing by declining. Now Vince looks stupid. I mean do you think you even deserve to be in the All-Star game? Do the right thing and take the weekend off so that Ron Artest can play. The nation wants to watch Artest make Kobe's experience miserable. Ok, maybe not the nation, but I sure want to watch that.

Who cares about the Pro Bowl? Thanks to all the player's wives, girlfriends and families for raising your hands. Everyone else could care less. It's all about the NHL All-Star Game this weekend baby. This might be the best chance for anyone from Ottawa to get paid this year. Has any championship team not gotten rings because they couldn't afford them?

In honor of this week's State of the Union, I will now give you the "State of K-Wall" address. Ahem...thank you all for attending. 2002 was certainly a year of ups and downs but, as I embark on a new beginning in 2003, I am encouraged and energized. This page will hopefully be updated more often with more of the opinions, jokes and pointless references to donuts that you have all come to know and love. Now I must get ready for the Cuse- Pitt game tonight. Go SU!!!

2003-01-27T19:20:00.000-08:00

"Shockey!"

Well, color me suprised by the Bucs domination last night. I expected the Raider line to give Gannon time to pick apart the zone, but I didn't expect that to come in the 3rd quarter when they were already down by 30 points. The other shocker was the running of Michael Pittman. Great MVP balloting though- give it to the guy the fans voted online for. I have big problems with that. First, why give him all of the votes for finishing 1st in the online balloting and 2) why trust people who are online during the Super Bowl!!!! If you are on the internet during the biggest event of the year (except the Final Four), you're a loser. Looks like we can get ready to hear Sapp and Keyshawn talking for the next 7 months.

Highlights of the night included:
-Terry Tate - Office Linebacker
-Ozzy saying "you're bloody magicians"
-Madden's new word "contrarian"

Some disappointing news out of Montreal today. Looks like my man Saku Koivuwon't be playing in this weekend's NHL All-Star game. Tough break for the Habs captain who is following Mario and Lance as guys returning to the top of their games after overcoming cancer. Kind of makes you feel guilty for complaining about a little cold.

2003-01-23T19:47:00.000-08:00

Wicked Awesum!!

Well, that's how I would summarize my MLK weekend in Boston. Despite some rough times due to bad sweet and sour chicken (curse you Kee Kar La...no really I swear it was the chicken and not all the beer that made me sick..well that plus the stomach flu bug that was going around). But anyways, let's get back to reality. I had a blast catching up with the Cuse crew in Beantown. Friday night was spent taking in The Modeles hearing my man Zing get wicked with the drums. Saturday afternoon I lit up the Harvard field for 2 td catches in the MLK Bowl. Then we braved the sub-zero temperatures for a night out downtown.

Sunday brought some great games of Madden 2003 and a pathetic performance by the whole Eagles squad. What were these guys thinking? Hey, let's surprise the Bucs by not blitzing them until the 3rd quarter and on offense we will play right into their hands. It was a sad day for our group of D-Nabb fans. Then, it was off to the Royal Rumble- my first live WWE ppv. The night started slow, then Benoit-Angle tore the roof off the mutha'. Yeah I know it is all fake, but those two guys put on some athletic show-even so that Benoit lost and left to a standing ovation from fans of the town of Nomah.

The weekend left me with some great quotes topped off by this response to my quest for bread- "We have bread,.........but I wouldn't eat it." I had some good one-liners during the Madden games including:
"Dig that zany sidearm style"- after Rich Gannon slings in a short in
"This game will be decided by turnovers and special teams" "This is a pivotal possession in this game." "Pennington inspires the whole team- he makes them believe they will win." "Ricky Williams has more Yac this weekend than me."

Well my Habs have changed coaches and now traded Jeff Hackett. Too bad he ended up with the Bruins- whoops. Nice deal by the B's who add a goalie and Jeff Jillson-another Rhode Island hockey star to their roster. Hey at least Saku Koivu will be in the All-Star game.

Time for sleep- will try to get more updates this weekend. As always boys and girls- "Be Like Chad!"
Super Bowl pick: Raiders-27 Bucs-13.

2003-01-13T18:41:00.000-08:00

Mmmmmm...McNuggets...that was one fun-ny Simpsons last night. Homer Simpson is one of the greatest tv characters of all time. Ok, you don't care about that- you want the sports scoop. So, here you go....
Now as the conductor on the C-H-A-D bandwagon ( I even handed the tickets to Steve Young), I was not surprised by yesterday's result. (just check the archives to see my pick) I knew Oakland would apply the pressure and the Jets couldn't handle it. I thought it would be too much Charlie Garner, but Jerry Porter came up big. I thought San Fran would put up a better showing, but they were pretty banged up. I still like Oakland and Philly next week.

Huge win for the Cuse tonight. I am not going to go out and say this is a Final 4 team, but man they are fun to watch. If they can keep this team together for a couple of years- look out. Tough game at Pitt this weekend, but a win there could launch SU into the top 15.

2003-01-11T18:52:00.000-08:00

Mmmmm..donuts. Just some Saturday night words of wisdom as I flip between Habs-Sabres and Eagles-Falcons. No tears shed for the Steelers today. Maybe next year they can get Ray Lucas and play 5 QB/WR's at one time and run all sorts of gadgets play...or they could get a cornerback since I don't think Dewayne Washington cut it in the overtime today-letting Justin Mccareins ( the Justin from American Idol?) school him big time. Looks like D-Nabb's ankle is holding up well so far (knock on wood).
Now that we are into 2003 I thought I would give you my list of what is in and out for me this year (links included for those of you who want to hop on the bandwagon):

Category
Music-In:Coldplay Out:Anything by Ja Rule with a female R&B singer (that takes care of 47 songs)In: Bond Out: Limp Bizkit
Jersey- In:Chad Pennington's #10 Out:Kordell Stewart's #10
In:Yao Ming's 11 Out:Drew Bledsoe's #11
Thursday Night TV- In:The Surreal Life Out: ER
Sports Crush- In:Sue Bird Out: Michelle Kwan (but only because she is married)
Donuts- In:Tim Hortons(hopefully soon to be in Syracuse) Out:Krispy Kreme
Cuse Hoops Player- In:GerryMcNamara Out: Deshawn Williams and Preston Shumpert (not missed this year)
Fantasy Baseball Pick from Toronto- In:Josh Phelps Out: Shannon Stewart

Ok time to watch the second half of this game. Playoff recap will be here Sunday or Monday. Less than one week to my return to Boston for what is sure to be a "wicket awsum weekend of paaahtying in summaville"

2003-01-09T19:38:00.000-08:00

I'm tired.....very, very tired. So tired that I can't sleep, so you get some of my ramblings. Just about to finish one of the longest weeks of my life, but it has been very enjoyable. (Just wait I will get to some sports stuff later) You know sometimes in life you get to meet some really great people and my job has allowed me that opportunity. I won't get into specifics, but I have had the honor and privilege to hang out with some cool folks. Sure they give me a hard time....but I wouldn't trade it for the world.

Who says the Big East is top heavy? Stop slamming the conference cnnsi.com. Cuse continues to battle hard, but the next few games will show where they are at. All I know is that watching Gerry McNamara for four years is going to be a great thing. What a gamer...and you know those are the players I like.

Did you watch The Surreal Life tonight? It's like a car crash- you know you shouldn't look, but you have to. Please let them bring Corey Haim over for a visit....and a Playmate can't get a date? yeah right. How does Hammer survive this time without his posse? Why does Emanuelle Lewis laugh after everything he says?

Getting ready for another big weekend of football. Food and drink picks for this weekend: Burgers over Pizza, Molson over Bud Light and Dunkin Donuts over Krispy Kreme big. Other upcoming events for me- checking out Undercover Brother which gets the Cisco Seal of Approval (tm pending).

Just realized I haven't seen Sue Bird lately-so I better go hit a Google Search. See ya.

2003-01-07T17:40:00.000-08:00

Say what you want about Terrell Owens, but man the guy plays hard each week. He might be a jerk and have a huge ego-who cares when you make plays all game and draw so much attention from the other team. Shockey and Toomer were also impressive for the Giants. Cleveland just choked that game away-no excuses there. Thanks for giving me another week of Bill Cowher's jaw.

My picks for this weekend- SF, Philly, Tenn, and.....Oakland. Shocked? Asking yourself how I can go against Pennington-the guy I talk about every post? Well it is simple-veteran team at home with an extra week of rest has the edge. Yes, the Raiders are banged up in the secondary, but they will pressure C-H-A-D. Also look for lots of Charlie Garner this weekend and that spells trouble for the Jets.

Conference play starts up in earnest this week. Pitt looks tough and I'm telling you the Big East will be good this year....better from top to bottom than the ACC and Big Ten. Talk about that one at the water cooler tomorrow.

2003-01-05T06:50:00.000-08:00

That was some college football game on Friday night. I have to admit that I thought Miami would win by more than 10, but Ohio State showed a stronger pass rush than I thought they had. They really made Dorsey look uncomfortable and forced the issue in the first half. Krenzel was tough- taking all of those shots. I wonder why Tressel was so conservative in the 4th quarter, but hey it worked out. As far as the controversial call, well I didn't think it was interference since Gamble easily had his hands on the ball. However, my biggest problem is with the timing of the flag. If it is interference, then don't wait for the ball to hit the ground-just throw it. This is becoming too common in college and the NFL- receiver doesn't make the catch and stands up pointing for a flag and then here it comes. Someone needs to put a stop to this.

Anyone know who has been talking up this Chad Pennington guy for weeks now? Oh yeah, that would be me. J-E-T-S! Eeeeuuuuuppp!

On a personal note, last night I put on a karoake show the likes of which people may have never seen. What songs did I do? Well glad you asked. Here's the list: "Hot in Herre", "Genie in a Bottle", "Yellow", "Lose Yourself" and "Ice Ice Baby". It was a small crowd and I was a little rusty on some of these, but next time I will dig deeper into the repertoire. Maybe I will take this show on the road to Boston in a couple of weeks.

2003-01-01T17:10:00.000-08:00

“It’s All About the Global Good”
2002 is in the books and this is what I think of it all: Kobe is not MJ yet, but then again no one in the NBA has stepped up to that level…4th place finishes for both my fantasy teams (baseball and football) – this needs to improve next year…if you don’t already do so, you should be reading Tuesday Morning Quarterback on espn.com’s Page 2 …great to see Saku Koivu make it back to the Habs….this year I took in games at: P & C Stadium, McCoy Stadium, Carrier Dome, The Vet, Skydome, Molson Centre, Alumni Stadium- will look to expand on this list in 2003…..I missed a lot of movies this year-going to be visiting Blockbuster often this winter

RIP Teddy Ballgame, Johnny U, and Jam Master Jay

Now some thoughts as we start off 2003: Yes I am on the Chad Pennington bandwagon, but I was on early baby handing out the tickets…can’t wait to catch this year’s Orangemen hoops team in action- the Big East is back in a big way this year…it’s real early but keep an eye out for these guys for your fantasy baseball squad- Mike Hampton- watch Leo Mazzone rock him back into shape, Jeff Bagwell- hitting between Berkman and Kent will mean big RBI’s, Mike Mussina-rebounds from rough 2002, also look for better numbers from Adam Dunn and a full season from Josh Phelps in Toronto….. NFL Rookie of the Year for 2003 will be Larry Johnson….Sacramento will not win the NBA title this year….Jason Kidd will not join Tim Duncan in San Antonio….

2002-12-29T15:51:00.000-08:00

It's been a long time, I shouldn't have left you....but I'm back baby, so let's get down to business. Does anyone in the NFL want to win a game they need this weekend? Well I know one team that does...J-E-T-S! Chad Pennington's legend continues to grow and I have been telling you people this for weeks...Chizzad is in the hizzouse!! Great choke job by the Dolphins today..hmm 3 point lead with under 3 minutes to go and the NFL's leading rusher- let's throw the ball....whoops. Love how the Saints fold up and get beat by Cincy and Carolina in the last 2 weeks.
A 2002 year in review will be up later this week.
Stay Gold Ponyboy.

2002-12-16T18:52:00.000-08:00

Should have played Culpepper this week. Now I sit here and sweat out the MNF matchup hoping that Keith Bulluck and Derek Mason can get me 20 pts....go Titans! This is no knock on my boy Chad Pennington-he would have gotten me another td if Chrebet hadn't fumbled. Lots of parity in the NFL..who knows who will end up in the Super Bowl, but I don't think it will be Atlanta and Pittsburgh.
Congrats to Carson Palmer-have fun in Cincy or Carolina big guy. Waiting for the college hoops season to get geared up.

Nice moves by the Mets today. Stanton will be a big pick-up for them and how they have managed to dump Ordonez,Burnitz and Cedeno is spectacular. They still need a third baseman and outfielder though. Could we see Vlad Guerrero and Adam Dunn in the same outfield? Wow that would make me take a couple of trips to Montreal. I also like the 4 team deal from Sunday. Durazo can bash if he is healthy, Dessens adds some depth to Arizona, Lopez gives Cincy a solid middle infielder and Toronto adds some young pitching which it desperately needs. Look out for the Jays if they can get another pitcher for Jose Cruz. This is just the beginning of a wild off season.

2002-12-12T19:26:00.000-08:00

Awaiting the Expos fire sale, let's talk about Pete Rose. Just let him get into the Hall of Fame. Yeah he screwed up, but he's the Hit King. Watched Lebron James tonight and he was pretty damn impressive and it's not like Oak Hill is a bunch of pushovers either. Bill Walton and Dick Vitale together though-that's a little too much for just about anyone to handle.

2002-12-08T19:31:00.000-08:00

The question everyone wants to know is......how did Chad Pennington do this week? Huh, you mean that's not what you want to know? Oh...the Heisman..well 6 td's is impressive and I would still go with McGahee as my choice. Dorsey catching a td pass wouldn't have changed things, but since most of the Heisman voters are ridiculous it will be Dorsey, Palmer, L. Johnson,McGahee and Banks. This is how it should be: McGahee,Banks,L.Johnson,Palmer,Leftwich and Dorsey. When did the Rose Bowl move to Miami? Gotta love how the BCS has protected the purity of the Bowl Games. We sure don't want a playoff system to come in and mess with the sanctity-now we get Keith Jackson calling the clahh-sic matchup of Washington St and Oklahoma.

I am still amazed at how Major League Baseball is running the Expos. Now we get to watch as the Yankees get Colon (when this happens be sure to pick him up) and Atlanta gets Vidro and Vasquez all so MLB can save a few bucks. Can't they just sell this team and let them move to DC?

2002-12-05T17:36:00.000-08:00

"Was it my whip-appeal or my baby face?" Three updates in a week...are you impressed yet? So, Glavine is a Met now. Well he can hit better than Rey Ordonez, so I guess that makes it a good move. This becomes a big deal if Maddux leaves Atlanta, otherwise the Phillies and Mets are spending lots of money to try and unseat the Braves and time will tell how it turns out. To me the big loss for Atlanta is Mike Remlinger-now Smoltz will probably remain as the closer and if Hampton gets his groove back from Stella then I still give the nod to Atlanta next season.

Your Heisman moment: If Brad Banks was the QB for an 11-1 Notre Dame team, he would be the landslide winner. Rack that!!!

2002-12-02T18:54:00.000-08:00

Back again for another update- can you believe it? Well what a football weekend we had and I wanted to mention a few things....that Arkansas-LSU game started things off for me on Friday- what a finish and it reminds me just how dumb the college celebration rule really is- a team drives 70+ yards in 25 seconds to go to the conference championship- how do they not celebrate like crazy.....speaking of celebrations-nice story about Terrell Owens in the ESPN Magazine- the guy has a point it's not like he beat his wife or ran over some cops, it's just a Sharpie people....How bout those running backs in the NFL yesterday? and that Mike Vick guy runs the ball pretty well too..this is just what the NFL wants-lots and lots of parity.

2002-12-01T11:30:00.000-08:00

Today's update brought to you by Omoycyllin for all your anti-biotic needs....So I dragged myself out of my apt for the first time in almost 3 days to catch the Miami Hurricanes and here's what I think:...this team is loaded on offense...the line is solid,McGahee is a star back(great vision and ability to cut back), Dorsey will kill you if he has time, Andre Johnson has some serious wheels and Winslow is a great 3rd down receiver. McGahee didn't get too many touches since SU played the run, but he made two great long runs. Doresy impressed me as he might not be the biggest or fastest QB but he put the ball where it needed to be nearly every time. My Heisman poll right now: 1)McGahee 2) L. Johnson 3) Dorsey 4) Carson Palmer 5) Leftwich........VA Tech is going to have to step it up big next week as this Miami team looks real focused on getting back to the National Championship game.

College hoops is kicking into swing and everyone wants to talk upsets...sorry folks, it's too early to do that. Let's get into the conference schedules before we start going crazy. Looks like the Tar Heels are back though. Man there are some freshman making a huge impact this year already-if only these guys would stay for four years.

2002-11-26T18:20:00.000-08:00

Tuesday night thoughts brought to you by Benadryl....free agency seems to be heating up and I don't know what the Phillies are thinking....Thome for 6 years and Glavine for 4...I like the Braves pick-up of Hampton especially if they get Maddux back..I think Hampton will thrive in the competitive atmosphere in Atlanta...if the Yanks get Bartolo-draft him high in your fantasy league- he could win 25 with that team around him....
Ohio St stepped up and held on and now they wait and see what the Canes do the next two weeks. I predict that Ken Dorsey puts up big numbers this weekend against the Cuse's poor pass d and then takes the Heisman although my vote would go to Larry Johnson of Penn State (just as I said two weeks ago in Boston he is the best rb in the nation...bar none!)
Have a Happy Thanksgiving folks.

2002-11-20T18:22:00.000-08:00

Back with more random thoughts...like it's a Larry King column...Ko-be Ko-be...kind of tough carrying a team by yourself isn't it....why all this talk so early about who will play for the US in 2004-like we have to win the gold there or else, it's just basketball folks and I'm sure that if enough of the big guys play (Duncan,Garnett,McGrady,Kidd) there will be no worries....Lisa Ling is leaving The View-well guess I can stop watching that show and start tuning in to MSNBC....Big Show as WWE champ-are you serious????....go out and get GTA:Vice City-the game is hella cool....it's been over a week since I had a donut...that might be some sort of record for me...ok gotta go as my hero Bill Walton is on droppin more knowledge.

2002-11-18T17:45:00.000-08:00

You're the author of an anonymous blog who has the chance to spend a weekend in Boston...do you a) back off due to bad weather and miss out on good time with some friends or b) you go and sacrifice sleep as you show them that turning 30 isn't a death sentence and that a little bit of a gut doesn't make you a bad guy thus giving them hope as they speed through their 20s. Well if you were Hubie Brown you might say something like that and if you haven't heard it before than get over to and listen to Andy Polley's imitation of the unique coach/broadcaster/coach.

Yao finally goes off and I don't care if it was against Mededenko and Horry. Give this guy some time as he has great touch around the rim. He will open up things for Stevie Franchise and Cuttino Mobley. Saw something in ESPN Magazine which called Kobe the next Pippen...ouch that's gotta hurt...hey at least Kobe hasn't begged out of a game because he doesn't get the last shot. Gotta love the Mavs...now I am thinking of going for the Steve Nash look this winter...

Another Heisman list: 1) Willis McGahee 2) Byron Leftwich 3) Brad Banks 4) Larry Johnson (who I think is the best overall back in college and as I was told this weekend "that's a bold statement Wall"...hey I'm all about making bold statements...that and eating donuts)

"Lose Yourself" might be the best Eminem tune yet....who's going to be the first rapper to take that leap and wear a Chad Pennington jersey?....that new Oregon Ducks mascot is- well I don't know what to think of it at all- just seems odd, real odd....nice move by the Braves to get Hampton...where will Glavine go now or does Hampton become their new 1st baseman-he might hit better than the Franco boys....will someone actually trade for Rey Ordonez and Jeremy Burnitz and if they do does that qualify them for temporary insanity- I wouldn't make that trade in a videogame....

2002-11-11T16:44:00.000-08:00

Returning to CNY after spending a couple of days trapped in hotel at LaGuardia, I was thrown back into the college football madness. The Cuse wins a shootout against a top 10 team...Sooners are dropped, ND struggles against Navy and that LSU Hail Mary. The funniest thing was seeing the kid in the blue tie running out on the field and then realizing that the Wildcats lost...HA HA! How dumb do those Cats fans feel after rushing the field during a loss? I am hoping that somehow Texas does not back into the National Championship game.

Do you think Kobe's shoulder and elbow are still sore after those 47 shots? Nice d by LA as Stackhouse dunks for the game winner. Shaq just sits back and says who needs who now. Nice to see all of those SU alums on the field at The Vet yesterday, but if you thought Mungro would have the best game of all of them, then you might be more than a little bit nuts.

2002-11-04T16:59:00.000-08:00

Just another manic Monday...you're welcome Lakers fans. Another weekend and another guy I rip shows me up. This time it was Kobe as he puts up back to back Ice Cubes (meaning he messed around and got a triple double) over the weekend. My condolences to Knicks fans...when you blow a 17 point lead against that Philly team, it does not bode well for the rest of the season.

The unbeatens are dwindling over as the college football season winds down. Say what you want against Miami- they still look tough to me and I think Hurricanes-Sooners is the best possible matchup. I happened to like the green jerseys of Notre Dame...folks superstition or not, uniforms have never cost a loss....too bad because now the green jerseys and the Chargers powder-blue badboys will be retired for a while I am sure.

Hope you have been following my advice and going against my picks- if so you are doing alright and any contributions will be accepted.

Kudos to Eric Hinske for the AL ROY award as he would be a guy that I would take as my 3rd baseman again next year. When is Tim Hortons going to make it to Syracuse? As H. Simpson puts it so well...."MMMmmmmmm...donuts!!!!"

2002-11-01T19:05:00.000-08:00

RIP- JamMaster Jay..."JamMaster Jay turnin out that sound...turntables might wobble but they don't fall down"

It's a little depressing to lose one of the members of one of my favorite groups of all time. A little over a year ago, I saw Run DMC in concert and while Run is a lot heavier and DMC is into his own thing-it was great hearing the classics. Let me tell you, Ja Rule and Fat Joe won't be remembered in 20 years unlike the boys from Run DMC.....

NBA Action it's .....well it's getting better, no really we are going to have some teams score more than 100 this year, we promise. So, Kobe gained 15 pounds in the offseason-just more that blocks anything Phil Jackson says. Who needs Shaq now? Don't be too surprised to see the Lakers trade Kobe somewhere where he can score 35 ppg on a crappy team. Now I know Kobe is a great player, but he is selfish, doesn't listen and does not trust his teammates- they guy is not a leader at all. Check out ESPN's Page 2 for a sweet article about Kobe and his attitude.Looks like the Vin Baker Curse is settling into Boston right now- losing by 30 to the Wizards as Dennis Miller might say "Ouch Babe."

I am trying to compile a list of reasons why the Hornets would retire Pistol Pete's jersey....they are desperate for acceptance in N'awlins...that's it..that's the list! Now those who know me, now that I think the Pistol is cool like that, but come on-the Hornets didn't exist while he was alive-how can they retire his number? Someone explain this to me......

Let's see no Deuce and no Edge this week- c'mon Amos Zeroue..woohoo Steelers. I'm taking Bledsoe over Brady, Niners over Raiders,Pack over Fins and in the big game of the week Jacksonville over the Giants.

2002-10-29T17:51:00.000-08:00

Kudos to the Angels for coming back and winning the World Series. Also, I think that Barry Bonds proved that he is capable off playing well in the postseason...have any of his home runs landed yet? No we head to the offseason and already the managerial merry go-round has started. Art Howe in NY, Lou in Tampa, Yost in Brewtown and former PawSox star Eric Wedge takes the reins in Cleveland. I think Dusty Baker will stay in San Fran only because I think Barry will stand up and demand that he stays.

Guess I was wrong about Notre Dame and Ohio State....that's why you should never use my advice for illicit gambling purposes. My powers are only for good boys and girls - remember that.

Think NFC teams are losing some sleep thinking about the years of McNabb, Vick and Brooks that lie ahead of them? Of all of these guys, Brooks has the best supporting class and the other guys are just elevating their teams. It's going to be a tough MVP vote. Over in the AFC New England is in trouble if they lose next weekend against Bledsoe's Boys. I wouldn't put the blame on Tom Brady though. He is not the qb to throw 40+ passes a game. The Pats won last year by running the ball and playing tough d....hmmm this seems to come up often when discussing winning football teams.....

Big game for my fantasy squad as the return of Mason and the continued great play of Deuce McAllister led the way....Yeah I play fantasy sports, so I'm a dork.......ok give me a moment here.....there I'm ok...big deal I've always been a dork and always would be- now I am off to play NHL 2003. Buh-bye!

2002-10-25T05:26:00.000-07:00

Has this page become the new "SI jinx"? Last night my Habs took another one on the chin(and the mouth and both eyes) and the Angels were shelled. Can the Rally Monkey pull out two more games? Guess I shouldn't have worn the Angels shirt the other night.

Don't count on seeing the Boston Expos next year. Do you think George will stand by and let the Sox get the extra revenue from 81 more home games in Fenway....yeah right. I think Commissioner Bud has some big ones: 1) he tries to let his friend Pohlad contract the Twins and pocket 300 million 2) lets Jeff Lauria off the hook in Montreal and gives him another franchise to ruin 3) sells the Red Sox to his pals over the Cablevision group and now he wants to help them out with money. Don't you think that KC and Pittsburgh will be jumping in line. Besides, I don't see the Player's Association going along with a barnstorming deal or move to a temporary location. It makes it hard to live or be near your family if you are not in one place....and the logistics of two teams sharing a ballpark wouldn't be easy. Why doesn't Bud just do what he really wants to do and give Boston Vlad, Vidro, Vasquez and Colon so they can win a World Series and beat the Yankees. I predict that George is going to be very angry and will be out for blood this off season. Here are your 2003 NY Yankees: 1B- Giambi 2B-Soriano SS- Tejada 3B- Jeter OF- B. Williams OF- B. Giles OF- J. Cruz C- Posada...oh you think this can't happen......check back in March and see.

Good luck to Art Howe- you're going to need it. Soon you will long for the days of tripping over race cars in the clubhouse....welcome to the world of Rey Ordonez- the most overrated player in baseball. Burnitz and Cedeno make Justice and Long look like All-Stars.

I'm saying that FSU beats Notre Dame this weekend. The Irish have not thrown the ball well enough to take advantage of FSU's weak secondary and look for Greg Jones to get back in the Heisman race with a big game. I'm also taking Penn State over OSU as long as Larry Johnson keeps getting the ball.

O where are thou Daunte Culpepper? Don't make me play Chad Pennington...I'll do it...I'm not kidding....one more 3 INT 2 fumble game and you're benched....wait...don't walk away.....please I don't mean it...just run the ball 25 times...you're bound to go over 100 yards...don't give it to Moe Williams at the goal line...Daunte I need you....don't be mad..I wasn't really going to play Pennington.....time to get to work....out.

2002-10-23T18:36:00.000-07:00

"Jos-e where's the d?"
My Habs are not playing well in front of Theo and the play of Jeff Hackett last week have left many wondering about last year's MVP. I am not one of them as I think the team takes Theo for granted and sometimes expects him to save them. Let's hope he can right himself soon and maybe Hackett can fetch something good (more size) in a trade.

Behold the power of the Rally Monkey....I'm thinking that this could make a great Halloween costume this year unless you can get your hands on a David Eckstein mask.

My take on Emmitt Smith is that while he is not the best back of all-time, there is no shame in having him hold the rushing record. People forget that he was the core of that Dallas team and the man simply found his way to the end zone like no one else.

2002-10-21T17:08:00.000-07:00

Kudos to Tim Salmon for delivering big time last night. Wish I could have seen that game, but since it has to start after the thrilling Eagles-Bucs game, I missed out on the end. You know what is a crazy idea- a World Series game that starts during the day- oh wow I need to stop this crazy talk.

Let's hope Brett Favre is ok. I'm no Packers fan, but the guy plays the game the way it should be played- he has fun and goes all out to win. Kind of eerie that he goes down on the day that ESPN runs a story on his backup Doug Pederson...*cue ominous music*..

Some random thoughts: This Barry Bonds guy is pretty good......can't wait to see Spreewell vs The Post on next week's episode of Judge Mills Lane....just what is happening in Viking Land when they only score 7 against the Jets....is there a new NFL rule that says every team must wear ugly uniforms at least for one game....let's pray that the Chargers don't make the Super Bowl this year- can you say NFC blowout if this occurs....I still say Va Tech or Miami will win the National Championship this year...what was Bill Walton talking about in his Page 2 column?....maybe the Mets will ask me to manage them next year....

2002-10-16T18:55:00.000-07:00

Goin back to Cali..well the World Series trophy will be staying out west for at least one more season. I am going with the Angels due to their offense and pitching so far. Maybe LaRussa shouldn't have walked Bonds with nobody on base in Game 4. Anyone who played RBI baseball can tell you how good Benito Santiago is.

I thought the Terrell Owens thing was pretty funny. Yeah it was putting down the Seahawks, but hey they play again and they should just try and hammer him when he comes across the middle. The NFL should be happy because it brings attention to the games...maybe put some fun back into the league. So much for people not giving the Patriots credit...way to lose at home to a banged-up team. Maybe Antowain Smith is not the back everyone thought he was last year. Gotta love Brett Favre and the way he plays ball....he is a definite throwback.

Things are not looking good on the S.S. Layden based out of NYC. I am still predicting a Spreewell trade to either Miami or Dallas. NY fans will not sit through a 60 loss season. The only thing I am looking forward to this NBA season for is the return of Barkley and Walton.

2002-10-12T17:40:00.000-07:00

Clah-ssic day of college football action. Say what you want about Ken Dorsey, but he wins games and gets the ball into the hands of his playmakers. Chris Simms, well nothing against the kid, but would you draft a QB in the first round that hasn’t won the big game. Especially when you look at the weapons he has at his disposal. He plays against Oklahoma like the Washington Generals play against the Globetrotters….and that’s not good.

Someone told me Syracuse played a football game today, but I don’t recall that happening….really I don’t. College hoops season is on the horizon and I think it will be another outstanding season that will see the return of the Big East. Pitt, UConn, SU, BC, Gtown and Nova should have good teams this year. As we get closer, I will utilize my “patented prediction process” (an official trademark of Black Squirrels, Inc) to give you the full scoop.

2002-10-09T16:41:00.000-07:00

The puck drops in a little while, so here is the Western Conference Preview and Stanley Cup predictions from the man who was Canadian in a previous life:
1)Colorado- because St. Patrick told me so
2)Detroit- can repeat if Stevie Y returns in top form
3)Dallas- lost Belfour and added Guerin..team improves, while crazy player quotient remains the same
4)LA Kings- old crest returns just in time
5)San Jose- nice deal to get Sykora
6)Phoenix- Sean Burke playing for Whaler pride
7)St. Louis- will rise if Fred Braithwaite plays more
8)Vancouver- needs some better tending to compete
9)Edmonton-Salo just misses final playoff spot
10)Calgary-Drury and Iginla are dynamic duo
11)Anaheim- whole lot of Kariya from Oates
12)Nashville-home of the Grand Ole 5-Hole
13)Minnesota- no clutching and grabbing = less wins
14)Chicago- complete mess of an organization

Big weekend in college football. I see Miami and Oklahoma both winning this week, but think that the Sooners will lose once in the Big 12. Miami should be in the BCS Championship against........Air Force- just kidding. Actually I think it will be Oregon getting through this year. My Heisman top 5 right now: 1) Willis McGahee 2) Charles Rogers 3) Seneca Wallace 4) Byron Leftwich 5) Maurice Claret

Waiting for the Knicks to pull the trigger on a Spreewell deal....maybe Philly can offer up Van Horn for Spree. Either that or the Knicks will acquire Brian Grant and Rod Strickland so they can have 5 point guards and 4 under-sized centers on their team. The NBA is fantastic.

2002-10-07T19:27:00.000-07:00

"I've got a lot of teeth"
That NBA/ESPN commercial is great. I hope this is only the first in a series. I want to see Steve Nash and Linda Cohn exchanging hair care secrets while Stuart Scott is playing chess with Ben Wallace.

Yankees and D-Backs are gone....now we get Rally Monkey vs Homer Hanky. If San Fran holds on tonight, will Tony Larussa announce that he will intentionally walk Barry Bonds for the entire series?

First to have a complete breakdown on the sideline? Mike Martz or Bill Cowher? Any thoughts on who is the LVP in the NFL so far....here's my list: Kordell Stewart, Johnny Morton,Randy Moss.

When Jim Brown: All-American debuts on HBO in Dec- be sure to watch. Yes, the man has flaws, but check out the game footage and be amazed by how Brown dominated and destroyed defenders.

My NHL Prince of Wales Conference preview...we go from #1 down because that's what matters most...(Note: I am a diehard Montreal Canadiens fan. I do not hide this, so keep in mind as you read this)
1) Ottawa Senators- should have the top overall record, but will NOT go to the Stanley Cup Finals
2) Philadelphia Flyers- very dangerous if they play some defense this year
3) Washington Capitals- as Jeff Burke once said about Jagr "Look Mario, I score goal."..he will score a lot this year
4)Montreal Canadiens- Jose + Koivu= better year for Les Habitants
5) Carolina Hurricanes- little letdown after last year's playoff run
6) NJ Devils- trades will hurt record, but still dangerous in the playoffs
7)Toronto Maple Leafs- unless Eddie loses it again
8) NY Rangers- they have to make it one of these years...don't they?
9) Boston Bruins- see how much they miss Dafoe and Guerin
10)NY Islanders- still not quite there w/o Peca
11)Pittsburgh- "hey Jaromir, I still score goals"...just not as many as he used to
12)Buffalo- getting more offense if the team can pay their checks
13)Atlanta- young guns creep up the ladder
14)Florida- Luongo and not much else
15)Tampa Bay-they should trade Lecavalier to Montreal for Stephane Quintal, Jeff Hackett and Mike Ribero..sounds fair to me..

2002-09-28T11:35:00.000-07:00

Time to step to the podium and hand out my baseball awards for this year. So with other any further delay, let's get to the winners:

NL MVP: Barry Bonds...once again he puts up Kelly Leak-like numbers.
AL MVP: Alex Rodriguez...maybe I am being stubborn here, but A-Rod is having the best year even though the Rangers have been out of it since Memorial Day.

NL Cy Young: Randy Johnson...simply dominant-just edges out Schilling.
AL Cy Young: Barry Zito...sorry Pedro but missing starts means you miss out on this award.

NL Rookie of the Year: Jason Jennings...16 wins in Colorado is like winning 25 in a real ballpark.
AL Rookie of the Year: Eric Hinske...solid season and a key for Toronto's future.

NL Manager of the Year: Bobby Cox....best record in the NL without much of an offense.
AL Manager of the Year: Mike Scoscia...great job getting Anaheim turned around.

NL Mascot of the Year: Youppi- Montreal
AL Mascot of the Year: Rally Monkey- Anaheim

All- Stars: AL NL
C: AJ Pierzinski- Minn Paul Loduca-LA
1B: Jason Giambi -NY Ryan Klesko-SD
2B: Alfonso Soriano-NY Jose Vidro-Mon
SS: Alex Rodriguez-Tex Edgar Renteria-StL
3B: Eric Chavez-Oak Albert Pujols-StL
OF: Magglio Ordonez-Chi Barry Bonds-SF
OF: Manny Ramirez-Bos Brian Giles-Pitt
OF: Torii Hunter-Minn Vlad Guerreo-Mon
LHP: Barry Zito-Oak Randy Johnson-Ari
RHP: Derek Lowe-Bos Curt Schilling-Ari
RP: Billy Koch-Oak John Smoltz-Atl

What is with Rey Ordonez thinking he can run his mouth? Hey Rey, you are horrible and guess what no one will want you next year or the year after- so do us all a favor and just leave.

Can you feel that chill in the air? It means that the NHL season is aboot to start. I will have some predictions soon. Going to have to journey to Rochester for some Tim Horton's donuts, eh.

2002-09-25T19:24:00.000-07:00

"Rannnnnn-dy you don't have to turn left at the light
Rannnnnn-dy you don't have to go over the middle tonight
so put away your helmet and grab yourself a jumpsuit
soon you'll be a Raider anyway."

Hey maybe the guy just wanted to be like Billy Ocean....(you know..."Get out of dreams and get onto my car")...haha man I am killing myself tonight...seriously...talk about making my team even lamer..now who does Culpepper throw to...Sammy White? (Bet you thought I was going to say Ahmad Rashad..please) ...where in the name of Chuck Foreman are the Vikings going?

Because I'm feeling retro right now- think the Rams are wishing they had Lawrence McCutcheon this weekend? (When I was growing up I had two super-cool shirts...1) A picture of a Pete Rose baseball card 2) a 3/4 sleeve shirt that said Sir Lawrence of LA - Lawrence McCutcheon was The Man)...just dropping some more knowledge on the Tecmo Bowl generation...Fresh for '85...suckaaaaaassssss!!

2002-09-24T19:15:00.000-07:00

Trying to update this a little more often. I am going to hold off on tossing more dirt on the Rams burial. Let's see if Faulk is out for long before proclaiming them done. One question to ponder....how about those "offensive geniuses" Spurrier, Holmgren,Billick and Martz....not too many wins between them are there. It is still too early to jump on the Panthers bandwagon....however I will say that Saints look good and Ricky Williams has fit in nicely in Miami.

My baseball comment from yesterday was based on the fact that the pennant races are over and so many teams are just limping home. I want to take exception with something that my pal The Sports Guy wrote about today. He said that the Red Sox had a good year and it just wasn't meant to be....c'mon SG. Let's look at some facts- Lowe,Pedro and Wakefield are pitching awesome...Manny and Nomar are having their typical solid years and this team isn't even in wildcard contention. What happened to the we are going to win the AL East? Where's the hey wait until Oakland,Seattle and Anaheim beat each other up while we feast on Tampa,Baltimore and Toronto? This is beginning to take a Portland twist- big money team put together to knock off champs only to suffer from a lack of identity. Good teams win close games and come from behind. Boston has been nothing more than mediocre since April and the future looks bleaker- no farm system, owners trying to cut payroll and many key players coming towards free agency.....let's go Pawsox!!!!!

2002-09-22T16:37:00.000-07:00

RIP- Johnny U and Bullet Bob

Busy weekend here. Took in the SU X-C home meet on Sat morning and then played in the Ilion Pitch Tournament that night. Finished tied for 7th...respectable, but out of the money.

Well my fantasy football and baseball squads are suffering this week. One more week in baseball as I try to finish 3rd in the league. Looks like my fb squad will be 1-2 after this week....no td's - what the???

How bout that Fun n Gun offense? Is the baseball season over yet?

2002-09-11T07:06:00.000-07:00

As we spend today in rememberance of those who are no longer here, let us not forget to share with those who are still here.

2002-09-09T17:18:00.000-07:00

It's getting hot in here....well that's today's theme anyway as I sit here in this heat wave recapping quite a weekend. Gotta say that I liked the enthusiasm of some of the SU fans in the O-Zone, but guys c'mon...no one ever impressed the ladies by being rude and vulgar towards them. All you are doing is depriving us of seeing the Tully's Dancers up close. I enjoyed being able to stand and yell and not have people screaming to sit down....now if only the Cuse can get some wins.

So Miami just rolled on the Gators this weekend.(that will teach ESPN for tauting Grossman as "Rexclamation"..how dare they disgrace the legacy of Rex Chapman- one of my all-time favorites). The Canes just ran over and through Florida and served noticed that they aren't just a flash and dash team.

Another great game from D-Nabb wasted by the Eagles-hopefully some of those guys will step it up a bit.....oh hold on a second I thought I was done with this update and I just tossed my helmet across the room...ok that joke was about as good as a Tom Tupa pass, but it was a decent effort. How bout them Cowboys?????

A's and Angels get it going this week and hmmm where are the Red Sox in all of this? Last week of my fantasy baseball season as I am getting whalloped in the playoffs...only a miracle can save me this week.

2002-09-05T18:03:00.000-07:00

How bout those Oakland A's??? Well of course now that I said something they will be sure to lose tonight. Regardless I am starting to waver on the A-Rod as AL MVP. Let's see how Tejada handles the next couple of weeks, but if he keeps this up he should win the award. My fantasy baseball squad made the playoffs by virtue of a tiebreaker..but of course my entire offense except for Vernon Wells and Josh Phelps is slumping...here's hoping Adam Kennedy can give me a spark.

NFL starts tonight and so let's go with the predictions:
AFC East: Miami, Buffalo, NY Jets, Patriots...
AFC South: Indy, Tenn, Jacksonville, Houston
AFC North: Pitt, Balt, Cinn, Clev
AFC West: Denver, Oak, SD, KC
Playoffs: Oak, Miami,Pitt,Indy,Buffalo, Denver
AFC Champ:Indy
NFC East: Philly, NY, Wash,Dal
NFC South: TB, NO, Atl, Cha
NFC North: GB, Minn, Chi,Det
NFC West:StL,SF,Sea,Ariz
Playoffs:StL,TB,Philly,GB,SF,NO
NFC Champ:Philly
Super Bowl:Philly over Indy

No updates for a couple of days as The Rog finally returns to the Cuse. Tune in for updates on the O-Zone and Rog's thoughts on the US losing to Argentina.