PoliBlog

Doggin' A-Rod

The DMN asked it readers for the best signs Welcoming back A-Rod back to the Ballpark. Click the link to see the winners.

My favorite: "You forgot to take Chan Ho with you".

UGH

Well, I am glad I didn't stay up to watch this: Lakers 88, Spurs 76.

After the Spurs-pulled-it-out-OH NO-the-Lakers-won bit on Thursday I was pretty sure it was over. But man, what happened to the team that played those first two games?

Yeesh.

Well, as noted before, my brother is happy, so that counts for something.

Congrats to him, Robert Tagorda and all the other Lakers' fans out there.

On a Much Lighter Note

How could the Spurs let the Lakers win that game with .4 seconds on the clock (yes, POINT 4).

Aaaaarrgh!

At least my brother is happy.

"Hockey" + "Free Beer" = "Probably Not a Good Idea"

Tampa Bay Lightning May Offer Free Beer

Gee, We Wouldn't Want to Commercialize Baseball!

Hmm, I wonder which fans protested? Surely no one with a corporate sponsorship of their stadium. Maybe it was the team that has no rotating billboards behind homeplate, or ads on their scoreboard. Maybe they root for the team that has all the guys who play for free. Probably it was the guys whose team has no commercials during broadcasts and that gives away tickets for free. Yup, the good ol' traditionalists.

Yeesh.

Spider-Man Gets Picked Off Base

Spider-Man ads on bases didn't fly with baseball fans. A day after announcing a novel promotion to put advertisements on bases next month, Major League Baseball reversed course Thursday and eliminated that part of its marketing deal for "Spider-Man 2."

"It isn't worth, frankly, having a debate about," commissioner Bud Selig said in Oakland before the Yankees-Athletics game.

"I'm a traditionalist," he said. "The problem in sports marketing, particularly in baseball, is you're always walking a very sensitive line. Nobody loves tradition and history as much as I do."

After Selig and others heard the backlash, Spider-Man got picked off base.

And, at the same time I saw this story, I received an e-mail alert from the Dallas Morning News with this info: Ballpark to become Ameriquest Field in Arlington

Texas Rangers' officials will announce Friday that their home stadium will be known as Ameriquest Field in Arlington.

The team reached an agreement with Ameriquest Capital, the parent of Ameriquest Mortgage Co., after months of negotiations. It's expected to be a 30-year deal worth about $75 million.

The horror! Oh, where has all the purity gone in sports?

Basketball Blogging

Looks like Matthew Yglesias and I have something in common. Meanwhile, Prof. Bainbridge is on my side, too--but not so much becuase he is for the Spurs as it is he is against what the Lakers represent. Although Matthew's position appears also to be less pro-Spurs than anti-Lakers.

Still, I feel the warm glow of bipartisanship in the air.

Phrases I Don't Expect to See...

Nor one I expect to last:

"The Rangers, the best-hitting team in the majors and the AL West leader..."

Source: Rangers 4, Red Sox 3, 1st game; Rangers 8, Red Sox 5, 2nd game

Draft Thoughts

I have to admit that while I was listening to the draft coverage on ESPN Radio yesterday, that the juxtaposition of the Pat Tillman tribute and Eli Manning's refusal to play for San Diego created a rather stark comparison. While I suppose that I can see why Manning would prefer to play for the Giants rather than the Chargers, the issue of which football team one would get paid millions and millions of dollars to play for versus quitting the NFL and becoming an Army Ranger killed in the line of duty fighting the War on Terror makes the former issue seem a tad on the trivial side, to put it mildly.

And to jump wholly to the sports side of the equation, I am not sure I see how playing for the Chargers would be sooo horrible that Manning would have been willing to sit out an entire season (assuming he would have actually done so). They have a good running back and a top notch coach, so it isn't like it was the Bengals under Dave Shula. Not to mention that he has now ratcheted up the pressure on himself enormously.

And to wholly digress to sports: I am not sure I get the Dallas-Buffalo trade yesterday (from either team). Likely Buffalo reached for Losen and Dallas passed on an RB who would have been a steal. And Jackson has to be bummed--at Dallas he likely would have been the started, and at St. Louis he will be a back-up/special teams guy.

Hoepfully Julius Jones ends up being good and Buffalo chunks the season so that their #1 pick next season is a good one.

Things I Don't Get

NASCAR on the radio.

Summerall in Need of Liver Transplant

Summerall faces liver transplant

Famed broadcaster Pat Summerall was flown by air ambulance to Florida on Thursday night to await a liver transplant. Mr. Summerall was expected to undergo surgery this weekend at the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, where he will become one of the 20,000 people who receive potentially life-saving transplants in this country each year.

The Southlake resident was hospitalized this week at Methodist Dallas Medical Center in Dallas, undergoing tests and awaiting the possibility of transplant surgery there. The former CBS and Fox Sports broadcaster, 73, and his wife, Cheri, were informed Thursday morning that a donor match had been found in Florida.

"Pat is open about his past and accepts that his alcoholism is the reason he's in the hospital today," Ms. Summerall said. "Although this month marks his 12th year of sobriety, alcoholism is a progressive disease, and the damage to his liver reached the point where a transplant is the only option for survival."

Mr. Summerall qualified for a transplant through blood tests that rank potential recipients anonymously through a computerized system known as the MELD Model. His latest blood test number bumped him up the list for a transplant here and in Florida.

Mr. Summerall is in line to become the latest of a string of celebrities to receive a headline-making transplant, including baseball legend Mickey Mantle, actor Larry Hagman and musician David Crosby.

The complex MELD formula was implemented in 2024 by the Mayo Clinic to ensure that celebrity, age, race, gender and subjective medical evaluations do not distort the process of ranking those who most need a scarce, life-saving liver.

A Golf Fact

Nothing screws up a great tee shot like having to take your next shot.

Stupid Things University Athletic Programs Do

As a neutral observer of U of Alabama football, this strikes me an absurd move (and a PR nightmare): Croom's Name Removed From Award At Alabama

Former Alabama player and assistant coach Sylvester Croom was told Wednesday that his name was taken off the "Commitment to Excellence Award" at the University of Alabama. His name was replaced with that of former player Bart Starr.

[...]

UA Sports spokesman Larry White said Alabama coach Mike Shula is at sea on a cruise and unavailable for comment. He said there were some closed-door discussions about the decision weeks ago. They decided to remove Croom's name because he took a job to coach at another Southeastern Conference School.

Croom was in the running for the Alabama head coaching position when Shula was given the job.

Heck, just looking as resumes I would've hired Croom over either Mike Price or Mike Shula. The athletic department at Bama has been something of a keystone cop operation most, if not all, of the time I have been in Alabama (since 1998).

Here's a local column on the story. And, indeed:

"The coaches didn't feel it was appropriate to have an award named after a coach in our league," White said. "The staff talked about it. Ultimately, it's Mike's decision."

Is that a logical explanation? Was having a relatively obscure spring award at Alabama named after him really going to help Croom in recruiting or in any other way as the new head coach at Mississippi State?

If it's a recruiting thing, why didn't Alabama change the Woodrow Lowe Most Improved Linebacker Award? That former Tide All-America did something some Tide extremists might consider more disloyal than Croom.

Lowe joined the UAB staff as an assistant coach three years ago.

Lovely:

Croom didn't find out that Alabama had taken his name off the Commitment to Excellence Award till a reporter for the Jackson (Miss.) Clarion-Ledger told him Tuesday after practice.

He was visibly shaken. He told the Clarion-Ledger reporter he was "thoroughly disappointed" because the award "meant a lot to me."

Wowie

Ok, Alabama over Stanford was a shocker, but UAB over Kentucky?

Unbelievable.

Does anyone have a correct bracket at this point?

Adios

Can't say I am sorry to see it go.

Hook'Em

Texas advances to the Sweet 16.

Spiffy.

Heads or Tails?

I bet this will affect the choices NFL teams make at halftime. You can bank on the fact that it will influence Bill Belichick, who loves this kind of stuff.

Replay Goes to School?

Interesting: NCAA Football - Big Ten will use instant replay for football

Instant replays will be a part of Big Ten football games this season.

The NCAA championships and competition cabinet has approved the Big Ten's proposal to use instant replay -- on an experimental basis -- for conference games in 2024.

Brunell to DC

Intriguing: Redskins reach deal with QB Brunell. That he's going is no big surprise, but the fact that it is a 7-year deal is surprising. I wonder what happens to Patrick Ramsey now.

Stick to the Grills, George

George Foreman Eyes Return to Ring at Age 55

Criticizing the Super Bowl

Allen Barra complains that the Pats-Panthers game was "wretched."

It seems that with the Super Bowl you always get one of two columns after the game. The first is the "what a lop-sided joke!" discussion, after, say the Cowboys beat the Bills 52-17 in 1993 [Shoulda been 59-17, except for that boneheaded Leon Lett-Ed.] or the "what a sloppy boring piece of junk," as per Barra's piece. It really makes me wonder what would constitute a good Super Bowl by the standard of many critics: a close game, but with scoring from start to finish? Then the columns would complain that there wasn't enough defense...

I concur that there were too many penalties, but close games typically have their share of errors and bad plays. For one thing, good defenses make the other team make mistakes--and both teams had good defense. A good defense makes even a good offense look inept much of the time.

And no joke:

Super Bowls are like big-budget action movies: Audiences tend to remember only what happens at the end.

Isn't that true of all sporting events: the end is what matters most, save in early blow-outs (which are also considered boring?).

Having seen several Panthers and Patriots game this season, I would say that the SB was not atypical for either team, save for the penalties and the fact Carolina's kicker forgot that one is supposed to keep the ball between the yardlines on a kickoff.

UPDATE: This post is playing in traffic at the BELTWAY TRAFFIC JAM.

SB XXVIII

After a rather, shall we say, sloooow start it turned into a rather exciting game.

I think Adam Vinatieri booted his way into the Hall of Fame last night as the winning kicker at the buzzer, essentially, in two Super Bowls (not to mention the rest of his impressive career, especially in the postseason).

And Tom Brady is reminding me of Troy Aikman, after a fashion.

Update: Since the kids needed to get to bed, we came home at halftime, so I missed this. What are these people thinking? And I'm with James: I wish they'd do away with the halftime shows.

Happy Super Bowl

(Well it is practically a secular holiday...)

Off to a party, so no more blogging for a while.

Go Panthers!

They Love Me, They Really, Really Love Me!

What was the best part of the XFL? The scantily clad cheerleaders? The lack of roughing the passer rules? The "revolutionary" camera work?

No!

It was the "He Hate Me" jokes.

And now, it seems, Rod Smart's getting the last laugh, 'cuz he's going to the Super Bowl as a Carolina Panther.

Is America a great country, or what?

(Hat tip: Mark Hasty.)

The JV Buffalo Bills

Tony Kornhesier mentioned a column in which the author stated, before the game last night, that if the Eagles were to lose they would be the "JV Buffalo Bills."

Classic.

Congrats to the Panthers

I honestly thought they'd go into St. Louis and be destroyed. Instead, they are headed to their first Super Bowl.

Congrats to the team and their fans.

(and if Dallas had to lose, it is good to have lost to the NFC Champ. NE-CAR should be a good game).

Enough with the Red Light

The information bar on the top of the screen that Fox uses for football games is nifty, but some reason someone thought it would be nifty to have a red box up there marked "Playoffs" (in case you didn't know...), which is ok, if a bit unneeded. However, having it flash every play is ANNOYING. I keep thinking that there is a flag on every play.

Interesting

Astros, Clemens Said to Sign 1-Year Deal

Amazing: Gibbs is Back!

Tony Kornheiser is confirming what James of OTB reported this morning: that Joe Gibbs is coming back to coach the Redskins.

Wild.

I can't imagine Gibbs wanting to work for Snyder, and one wonders what kinds of promises were made.

As a Cowboys fan, I am not pleased, as I was looking forward to the Skins sucking for years. Of course, they may still, since I have my doubts that Snyder can keep from screwing things up.

Bowled Over

Remember how I griped that Texas didn't get to play in a BCS Bowl, and how they got hosed playing in a secod tier Bowl?

Never mind.

The Coach-Go-Round

The Coach Shuffle has begun.

Out:

ATL's Dan Reeves
NYG's Fassel
AZ's Dave McGinnis
CHI's Dick Jauron
BUF's Gregg Williams

Soon to be out:

OAK's Bill Callahan

Contract Extended, Loses personnel powers:

MIA's Dave Wannstedt

That's Just Sad

Bryant Case Voted AP Sports Story of Year

What?! How about the Bucs winning their first Super Bowl or the Marlins winning the world series, or the Bartman/Cubs foul ball story or Lance Armstrong's fifth Tour de France, or just about any actual sports story rather than a criminal justice story. Yeesh.

The Fort Worth Bowl?

More evidence that TCU's complaining earlier in the season was groundless:
(18) Boise State 34, (19) TCU 31.

Marty to Stay

Interesting: Chargers say Schottenheimer will return in 2024. I think this is a good move, as he is a good enough coach to deserve more time. I must admit that I have eeb surprised at home poorly the Chargers have performed this year.

Broadway Joe

I missed this: Joe Namath Makes Pass At ESPN Reporter On Camera, although heard Kornheiser make a reference to it.

Very odd.

Amazing!

Former Alabama coach Price hired by UTEP.

Somehow I knew he would get a job again, but I still find it a bit shocking anway.

James of OTB has the story as well, with some commentary.

MLB is Run by Idiots

I can't get over this: Red Sox: Proposed Trade Is 'Dead'

The proposed blockbuster trade involving baseball's highest-paid players -- Texas's Alex Rodriguez and Boston's Manny Ramirez -- appears to be off for now. It was pronounced "dead" yesterday by the Red Sox, although the Rangers remained somewhat optimistic.

So, because of some union official a multi-team, multi-player deal that would have garned MLB a ton of pub, and created buzz into next season is possibly dead.

Again, I say: no wonder baseball is dying.

Ya Think?

Spurrier: Skins need to 'restructure, reorganize, regroup'

O'Donnell Back

ESPN Radio reports that Neil "I Thought Larry Brown was a Pittsburgh Receiver" O'Donnell is coming out of retirement to QB for the Titans. A good move, and probably the only real option the Titans have.

Baseball Follies

This: Union Rejects Changes to A-Rod's Contract, is typical of baseball, and helps underscore what's wrong with the sport. Now, I am a Ranger's fan (yes, weep for me), and I would just as soon A-Rod stay in Texas. However, it seems to me that this move would be good for baseball, by taking arguably the best player in the game to a marquee team, and also providing serious competition for the Yankees. Further, if the Sox are competitve next season, that will obviously be good for baseball, and TV ratings, especially next post-season.

However, as usual, baseball has a ton of screwy rules which get in the way of the overall advancement of the sport. I suspect that the deal will get done, but not because of baseball's collective wisdom, but in spite of it.

Update: this post is my entry is today's BELTWAY TRAFFIC JAM

No Surprise

Although the timing is odd: New York Giants Fire Coach Jim Fassel

Ouch!

Titans Lose Backup QB for Rest of Season

Titans backup quarterback Billy Volek will miss the rest of the season after lacerating his spleen during his first NFL start.

You hate to hear about internal organs being "lacerated."

Excellent Choices

Granted, I am biased, being a Spurs fan, but really, if more folks in sports were like these guys, it would be a better world: Sportsmen of the Year: Tim Duncan and David Robinson - Tuesday December 9, 2024 8:45AM

Atlanta Fires Reeves

Not surprising, I guess, but still, wowie: Falcons fire Reeves with three games left

BSC Musings

First off: I am for a playoff.

Second: don’t count on this being the death-knell of the BCS. For one thing, what are we all talking about? Big Time College Football, that’s what. And why? Because of the BCS.

Plus, the frustration may not be so high after the games are played. What if OU beats LSU and USC loses to Michigan (neither of which is far-fetched)—then will the BCS screw-up seem as bad? Of course, if USC blows out Michigan and LSU destroys OU, then the griping will reach a fevered pitch (and rightfully so).

However, the whole thing brings to mind the flaws in the human polls (not that I am a big fan of the computer polls). The problem, however is two-fold: 1) most of the coaches only really got to see this week’s games, and not the whole season, thus putting an over-emphasis on one set of games versus the whole season, and 2) is the point of the poll to determine the best team overall, or the best team at the end of the season? From my POV it should be a measure of the whole season. USC lost to Cal for crying out loud, an unranked team. Sure, it was an early loss, but LSU lost to Florida and OU lost to K-State, both ranked teams. Plus, USC’s strength of schedule is 37th (OU’s is 11th and LSU’s is 29th), they play in a softer conference than either OU or LSU, and didn’t have to play in a championship game. Had I been voting for those three 1-loss teams I would have ranked them #1 LSU, #2 OU and #3 USC. Because to me the issue of judging three 1 loss teams is to judge them based on that loss, althought with trying to weigh the value of their wins. OU beat the team that ended the season 5th in both polls (Texas) and Oklahoma State (22), LSU beat Georgia twice (which finished at 11th) and Mississippi State (oops) (17). The only team USC beat that finished in the top 25 was Washington State (14).

So while I think that the BSC is inferior to a playoff (by quanta) and that the whole IA polling system should be replaced, I am not of the opinion that the wrong two teams are playing for the title.

BCS Imbroglio

As predicted, USC is in third place. It's LSU and OU for the title.

Football

While there are many more things more important for which I am thankful, I have to note that I am quite pleased that the Cowboys are back to being the Cowboys, while the Lions remain the Lions.

The only way most of the nation has been able to judge the Detroit Lions for the last three seasons is this: 8 wins, 35 losses.

So when the Lions face Green Bay in their traditional Thanksgiving television slot on Thursday, they hope to show the nation they're not really that bad.

It is good for the natural order of the NFL universe to be back where it is supposed to be.

Friday Golf Blogging

Why do some people think that it is a good idea to go for a little jog on a golf course? Sure, it's green and open, and today was a beautiful, beautiful day, but it would seem that all that would all be offset by the fact that extremely hard, fast moving white balls fly around golf courses, and they could hit one in the head and, well, kill one.

Just wondering.

Too Bad Dallas Lost...

Pretty amazing:

The New England Patriots' 12-0 victory over the Dallas Cowboys was the most watched cable television program in eight years and the fifth-largest audience in the history of cable television.

Source: Yahoo! Sports

A-Rod's the AL MVP

Rangers' Rodriguez wins first MVP award

TMQ Returns!

And here he is.

Hat Tip: Sportsblog

Good Move

MLB to Impose Steroid Penalties in 2024

Starting next year, steroid users in baseball will be subject to suspensions or fines. Results of 2024's anonymous tests were announced Thursday and they confirmed what many in baseball suspected: Some players were taking more than vitamins.(Really? -Ed.)

Is This a Good Idea?

Yankees name Strawberry player development instructor

Hook 'Em

BCS Talk Swirling for Texas Longhorns

And I hope Brown stops the Mock-Young rotation entirely and goes all Young all the time (at least until the Horns are up so far that the game it utterly out of reach). Indeed, once Young improves in the passing game (and he has quite an arm--he just needs to learn his reads), he is going to be nigh unstoppable.

Remarkable

No Olympics for the U.S. Baseball Team.

Of course, the strategy of playing the minor leaguers now, and maybe adding some big guns later, seems a bit illadvised.

Ugly Unis

Perhaps I am getting old, and I have always been terminally unhip, but what's with the ugly new uniforms in the NBA this season? First I flip past the Phoenix game last night and thought I had found some minor-league basketball game (what's with the logo that looks like an airport code?) and now the Mavs waive new uniforms after 1 game. I didn't see Dallas' new duds live, but the photo speaks volumes. Shiny silver? Who thought that was a good idea?

Cross-post: SportsBlog.

That's Just Sad

Via SportsBlog: Bartman is Chicago's most popular Halloween costume.

I still say that if if the Cubs had done their job, the Bartman thing wouldn't have mattered.

I am thinking that the guy should've taken Jeb's offer and moved to Florida.

Things Senators Should Stay Out of #1,345,567

Don't y'all have other stuff to worry about? Senators Say Football Bowls Need Changes

And, I'm sorry, but if TCU was in the Big XII, SEC or one of the other BCS conferences, they wouldn't be 8-0. Ditto the other schools.

Cross-posted at SportBlog.

Shocking

Red Sox Let Manager Grady Little Go

Red Sox manager Grady Little will not be back next year, paying the price for his decision to stick with Pedro Martinez in Game 7 of the AL championship series.

(And, yes, the subject line is to be read sarcastically).

For those looking for an entertaining toon that is apropos of this news, click here.

Congrats to the Fish

I really thought that they were going to lose it all after they fell in Beckett's first start in game 3. However, an impressive Series, and an especially impressive performance from Beckett last night.

Congrats to the Fish

I really thought that they were going to lose it all after they fell in Beckett's first start in game 3. However, an impressive Series, and an especially impressive performance from Beckett last night.

Ouch

Man, I was certain that the BoSox had that game last night. They should've pulled Pedro earlier. I am not a Sox fan, but rather an Anti-Yankees fan, but I bet there are some depressed folks in Boston today.

And, sadly, all of us are going to have to hear about the curses of both the Billygoat and the Bambino for at least another year.

Ah well, Go Fish!

The Cubs

I guess that the Cubs engaged in an act of self-sacrifice to save the city from destruction.
And forget the guy who interefered with the foul ball--if you are up 3-1 in a series, and drop three straight, it is more than about one play.

BTW, congrats to Pudge Rodriguez for being the series MVP.

Will Chicago Burn?

It's the fifth inning and Chicago is up 5-3. Here's the question: if the Cubbies beat the curse of the goat and go to the Series, how much of Chicago will burn tonight?

Not to be a cynic, but I am guessing there will be more damage than your typical Bulls championship...

Golf Pledge of the Week

I will bring water with me! Man, it was humid today--and somebody stole the one water cooler on the course.

And in regards to last week, I half did

Armstrong to Divorce

Speaking of problems in some marriages, here is some unfortunate news: Tour de France champ Armstrong undergoing divorce. A shame mostly because of the three children involved.

Golf Pledge of the Week

Next time I play, I will be smart out of the rough, and instead of trying to get it all at once, and as as result, hitting a horrible shot, I will play out to the fairway.

I will, I will, I will.

Sportsblog

There is a new collective, non-political blog in town, SportsBlog, to which I will be contributing (but haven't yet, but, then again, I haven't had much time the last day or so to put much up here).

The project, which is still in its beta stage, more or less, was spearheded by Kevin Alyward of Wizbang! and Sean Hackbarth of The American Mind.

With Friends Like These...

Mike Tyson Offers Empathy for NBA Star Kobe Bryant

A Headline to Make Tide Fans Wince

Having lived in Alabama for over 5 years now, I know that this headline in NYT's: Auburn Ranks No. 1 in Talent and Confidence is enough to make a substantial part of the state's population have a fit.

(Of course, many will chalk it up to a yankee plot).

Football is in the Air

It's here, the the ESPN/USA Today Coaches' Top 25 preseason poll:

Oklahoma, which hasn't been ranked as the preseason No. 1 in any poll since 1987, earned 29 first-place votes to edge Ohio State (28 first place votes) and No. 3 Miami (five). Texas and Kansas State round out the top five, marking the first time in the history of the coaches' poll that three teams from the same conference are ranked in the top five.

Whaddya know, three Big XII teams in the Top Five. And Texas at 4.

Coolness.

Let the debate begin as we wait for an actual game!

(Here's the actual list)

When You Fire Your Agent

Can we say "oops"?

Carter spent his four-year career in Miami, averaging 4.1 points and 4.1 assists in 49 games last season. He became a free agent when his representatives mistakenly failed to exercise a player option that would have allowed him to make $4.1 million with the Heat next season.

Although moving to the World Champs ain't a bad thing...

Terms have not been disclosed, so it is unclear how bad an "oops" this was.

Source: Spurs sign guards Anthony Carter, Devin Brown

UPDATE: It is DEFINITELY time to fire the agent:

Free agent point guard Anthony Carter signed a two-year contract for the veteran minimum of $1,496,225 with the Spurs on Wednesday, the South Florida Sun-Sentinel reported.

Source: Spurs: Carter signs a two-year deal

Congrats to Lance

Amazing: Armstrong Makes History With Dramatic Tour Win

Lance Armstrong, the Texan known as much as a cancer survivor as a superstar athlete, overcame two crashes, a dangerous near-miss, and an array of determined opponents to become only the second man, and the first American, to claim five successive Tour de France victories in the sport's 100-year-history.

Armstrong's victory today, by a margin of only 61 seconds after more than 83 hours of racing across 3,500 kilometers, was his toughest of the five and capped what emerged as the most dramatic and unpredictable Tours in recent memory, with the champion not determined until the penultimate stage Saturday.

Speaking of Kobe

James of OTB excerpts a good column on Kobe by Mitch Albom.

Kobe

I was hoping that this was an entirely fabricated story, and while he may well be innocent of any crime, the fact that he had sex with the girl highly complicates the situation:

"You know, I sit here in front of you guys (in the press), furious at myself, disgusted at myself for making the mistake of adultery. And I love my wife with all my heart," he said.

Not smart.

Source: Tearful Kobe Bryant Proclaims Innocence in L.A.

Deion Scores

Here's the follow-up to a story James of OTB posted yesteday. It turns out not to be quite as amusing as the original story had it to be:

Deion Sanders scored a touchdown in Dallas County civil court Monday when a judge ruled that he did not have to pay more than $1,500 in a lawsuit over a 2024 car repair bill.

"Thank God," Mr. Sanders said after hearing the verdict in the lawsuit brought against him over repairs made to his 1961 Lincoln Continental convertible. "I'm happy that justice was served and the truth really did come out."

The lawsuit, filed by Magrathea Inc., a vintage-car restoration business, said the former Dallas Cowboys cornerback refused to pay a $4,265.57 car repair bill because Jesus had informed him that $1,500 was all he had to pay.

Mr. Sanders, now an NFL studio analyst for CBS, denied that he ever said anything more than "God bless you" to Phil Compton, Magrathea's owner, when the car was delivered to his Plano home Nov. 5, 2024.

He said his refusal to pay the larger amount had nothing to do with his spiritual calling. Instead, he said, he felt he was being taken advantage of because he is a sports celebrity.

"That guy was trying to rip me off," Mr. Sanders said after the 2 ½-hour trial before state District Judge Joe Cox. "That's what it was."

Source: DallasNews.com

World Champs!!

After making me worry for three quarters that I was going to have sweat through a game seven, the Spurs caught fire in the fourth, and torched the Nets.

Congrats to the World Champs and especially to the Admiral!

Corky Physics

An interesting tidbit to go along with my post on corked bats. In this week's SI, Bill Nye, the ever-popular Science Guy, notes the following:

The ball's only in contact with the bat for one one-thousandth of a second, and there's just not time to transfer the energy from the cork to the ball.

Corked Reasoning

The whole Sammy Sosa flap over his use of a corked bat has seen the use of some poor reasoning in the sports press. For while it has long been thought that corking a bat leads to better hitting, many physicists have studied the issue and found that it really doesn’t make any significance difference in how well a batter hits (for example, see here and here):

Every professor in America is rushing to tell you that corking a bat serves no purpose. We spoke to five current big-leaguers Thursday, and every one of them says corking does help because the bat maintains the density but is an ounce lighter, allowing the player to swing "a heavy bat'' much more quickly

Source: Baylor can't imagine Sosa cheating.

However, many in the sports press have claimed that the physicists are full of beans. For example, I have heard the following statements:

On to the Finals!

After collapsing in Game 5, the Spurs got their act together and knocked out the Mavericks. On to the Nets!

Ok: two basketball posts in a row, back to politics (and truth is, I am really more a football guy...)

Attack of the Clone?

Speaking of clones, is Nick Van Exel of the Dallas Mavericks the Mini-Me version of Charles Barkley, or what?

Double A Baseball

Montgomery is getting a new double-A basball club, and the name, just revealed over the weekend, is the Montgomery Biscuits.

Is there a worse name is all of sports? (check out the link to see the fearsome breakfast-sandwich-like logo).

On to the Conference Finals: SA 4, LA 2

Finally! A good 4th quarter against the Lakers in the playoffs!

Game 6: San Antonio 110, LA 82

And sorry, bro'--but the Lakers have had three turns in a row :)

Good for Rafe

Maybe 500 home runs ain't what it used to be, but still--rather impressive. And it was cool he did it on his last bat at home before a road trip:

Texas slugger Rafael Palmeiro hit his 500th career homer in his last chance to get it at home.

Palmeiro hit a three-run homer in the seventh off Cleveland right-hander David Elder to become the second player to reach the milestone this season as the Rangers beat the Indians 17-10 Sunday.

Source:Yahoo! Sports

Well, at Least My Brother is Happy..

I hate it when the Spurs blow a big lead against the Lakers in the playoffs (something thay have been good at doing the last two years).

And Bill Walton is most annoying.

Good for Duncan

Spurs center repeats as MVP of league

Duncan becomes the first player since Michael Jordan in 1991 and 1992 to win the league's most coveted individual award in consecutive seasons.

Duncan led the Spurs to the league's best record, 60-22, while averaging 23.3 points and career highs in rebounds (12.9), assists (3.9) and blocks (2.92).

And some pretty impressive company:

Duncan is the seventh player to win the award in consecutive seasons, joining Jordan, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Moses Malone, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Wilt Chamberlain and Bill Russell.