Cardinals Win 3 Games to 1!

Congratulations to the St. Louis Cardinals!

Everybody's Working for the Weekend!

Hugh Manatee is lost. I guess he got tired of waiting to be rescued from Memphis and decided to just leave on his own. Probably got tired of people calling him “Manny”. C’mon folks, we’re the top of the evolutionary chain! We invented the wheel! We can create fire! We have created bombs that can destroy everything taller than 3 inches! But “Manny” is the most original name you can come up with for a manatee? I don’t blame you, Hugh, I’d have left too.

Memphis loses to Marshall this weekend. Marshall has 3 different rushers averaging more than 5 yards per carry. Memphis hasn’t been able to stop the run all year. Marshall kills them. Doesn’t matter if Memphis plays Phillip or not.

The overwhelming favorite to win the World Series is now down 3 games to 1. I’d never have dreamed that THIS Cardinal team would have been the one to win it. It’s funny how they always say you can’t win without pitching. And the reason given for the Cardinals 3-1 Series lead is credited to pitching. But the Atlanta Braves had the most dominant pitching staff in baseball for more than 10 years with ONE World Series title to show for it in 1995. Bobby Cox is over-rated and gets way too much credit. Tony La Russa doesn’t get nearly enough in my opinion.

On one hand, I’d like to be able to say that UT will kill South Carolina this weekend. But then they barely beat Air Force – so who can say for sure. If I was forced to bet, I’d lean towards UT killing South Carolina.

The Grizzlies will probably suck this year and still make the playoffs. Simply because there are a lot of teams that suck in the West. That means struggling to get in, only to get a 7 or an 8 seed and get swept out yet again. I’ve said for years (and I’m not the only one) that this team will never win anything with Pau Gasol as our best player. Now the team is completely constructed for him to be our best player. It’s a recipe for disaster. Hopefully Rudy Gay will be that guy that make Pau NOT our best player. I hate to see Shane leave, but I am fan of the Grizzlies. I don’t want to see them mired in mediocrity and settle for a playoff appearance and nothing more simply because I like a guy or two on the roster. I don’t care if it takes signing Dennis Rodman, Bonzi Wells, and Ron Artest – I want to win. Maybe not win at all costs – certainly not a 1997 Marlins situation…but I certainly would like to win.

Just Admit It Already!

We all know it's Pine Tar. We've known it was pine tar since the first time it was pointed out on the broadcast. Don't try to tell us it was dirt, or tell us that you won't chew yesterday's breakfast or that you be responsible for undressing the pitcher.

Is Kenny Rogers cheating. Obviously. Is he alone? Not according to an interview with an anonymous bullpen coach interviewed by a cnnsi.com writer. Typically they use shaving cream and suntan lotion according the coach.

But here's the whole deal: It's obvious he was using pine tar. Regardless of what anyone wants to call it or how they want to handle it, the rules are very simple on the subject. Quite plainly, if you're caught with it, you get thrown out. Much like going 80 in a 55 - yeah, you're breaking the law, but you only pay the penalty if you're caught.

And this moron who is obviously too stupid to know how to hide it, got caught. After showing that it was on his hand for 3 straight playoff games, he deserves a suspension. Not to send the message that pine tar shouldn't be used, but to send the message that you need at least TRY to hide. Slow down when you see the cop over the next hill, don't just keep on going 80 and dare him to give you the ticket.

The strike in 1994 almost killed baseball. The 1998 homerun chase brought the average fans back to the game, but only at the cost of the game's core credibility as the steroid scandal clouded every achievement over the past 10 years.

Now on the game's biggest stage, the World Series, Kenny Rogers blatantly has pine tar smeared all over his hand, and not only the coaches try to sweep it under the carpet, the umpires do too.

It's another black mark (or yellowish-brown) on the game that has already had too may black marks lately.

We know they all cheat, but for crying out loud...at least TRY to hide it a little bit.

City of Brotherly Love??

http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory?id=2600361

PHILADELPHIA Oct 23, 2006 (AP)— A father pulled a gun on a youth football coach because his son wasn't getting enough playing time, police said.

Wayne Derkotch, 40, was arguing with the coach Sunday during a game of 6- and 7-year-olds when he drew the weapon, police said. No shots were fired.

Derkotch was charged with aggravated assault and other offenses. He did not immediately return a call to his home Monday.

A referee accused of throwing a punch at a man was also arrested on assault charges, police said.

Amazing News!

In a strange twist of events, it turns out that the idiot that pulled off the NFL stadium threat hoax actually looks every bit as stupid as I imagined he would.

You have to LOVE a cnnsi.com story that starts with the line, "A 20-year-old grocery store clerk who lives with his parents was behind an Internet hoax..."

Could have just as easily have said, "20-year-old dork who would rather play Dungeons and Dragons than date women pulls off the most ignorant hoax imaginable."

He faces 5 years in prison, and $250,000 in fines. He also faces five years of unimaginable torture if he goes to prison. Good luck talking your new boyfriend Bubba into playing Dungeons and Dragons tonight there, Jake.

Cardinals Win in 7!!

What a fitting end to this Cardinals season - pushing elimination to the brink and coming up with just enough at the end!!

Next stop DEE-troit!

Cardinals lose in 7?

How fitting would this be to end the season for the Cardinals? Weaver shows up and outduels Tom Glavine to go up 3-2...whoda thunk it? So the Cardinals are sitting pretty only needing one win to clinch the pennant. Carpenter and Suppon to start the next 2 games.

Carpenter didn't do it, and with Suppon sporting a nice 3-1 record against the Mets...how fitting would it be to end the series with back to back Cardinal losses by Carpenter and Suppon of all people?

After the season the Cardinals have had - I'd not only say it was fitting, but I'm half-expecting it!

How Hard Is This To Figure Out?

A simple line of Stats tells the whole story here, I think...

Year G Cmp Att Pct Yds Yds/Att TD Int 1st Sck Rtg
2006 6 138 207 66.7 1509 7.3 8 4 75 6 92.8
2006 2 6 14 42.9 68 4.9 0 0 3 7 58
2005 13 240 431 55.7 2882 6.7 13 17 - 33 70


The first line of stats are Drew Brees' stats through 6 games with the Saints this year.

The second line of stats are Aaron Brooks' stats through his only 2 games this year.

The third line of stats are Aaron Brooks' stats through all of 2005 with the Saints.

The Saints haven't gotten that much better...their quarterback has. Jim Haslett had to go. Right, wrong or indifferent about the head coach being fired, it was time for a change there, and Sean Payton's doing a good job (Reggie Bush isn't doing such a bad job either).

You want to know exactly how bad Aaron Brooks is as a quarterback? Randy Moss made that ball-chunking linebacker Dante Culpepper look really good. Randy Moss made Aaron Brooks look so good that the Raiders signed an 80 year old Jeff George to play ahead of him!!

Funniest Thing I Have Heard All Day

Steve Kragthorpe, the coach of the Tulsa Golden Hurricanes was discussing his upcoming game with the University of Memphis Tigers.

During the conference call, he made the following observations about some team or another.

They have a lot of excellent athletes on defense.

(obviously not the Tiger defense that can't stop the run to save its life - or the job of Joe Lee Dunn...fired 2 games ago)

They don't give up big plays.

(obviously not the Tiger defense that gave up the game-losing Hail Mary to Arkansas State with 6 seconds left last week to drop to 1-5)

He talked about the excellent running game...Phillip's running very well...you mean Doss? Yeah. He had a huge game against us last year.

(Maybe he means 6'2" Defensive End Rubio Phillips. He must mean him, he's the only Phillips on the team. The Running Back is named Doss, and the guy that had the 30 rushes for a million yards and 3 touchdowns last year is some guy named Williams that was just drafted by the Panthers of Carolina.)

But on the bright side - maybe this means he's overlooking Memphis and they can sneak a few points on the board handing it off to Doss while Tulsa guards Rubio Phillips!

Props to the Almighty Verno for playing these on the show today! I haven't laughed so hard at the radio in a long time!

Stupid Stories in Sports

Mike Tyson is starting a World Tour...in Youngstown, Ohio?? And somehow we're supposed to think he's not still crazy? And he wants to fight women? How about fighting a 7 foot mutant Russian? I'd pay to see Valuev beat Tyson's brains out.

Stromile Swift has been nursing a sprained knee this preseason - hugely reminiscent of the ankle injury that he nursed for like 4 months in his last go-round with the Grizzlies. Rudy Gay may be amazing, but Stromile Swift is a waste of money. He'll be 35 and his agent will still be looking for big contract money based on Stro's potential.

Why is this Miami nonsense still in the news? Is it news to anybody in the sports-loving that Miami is a school full of thugs and criminals? Lamar Thomas said he wanted to join in the brawl...and again, who's surprised? He played for Miami, right? Coker will be fired before the end of the season. Can you say "lack of institutional control"?

Local sports radio is running a commercial about coming to Homecoming to see Memphis play Tulsa and see Mr. and Miss U of M crowned…Memphis just lost to Arkansas Freakin’ State. Against Tulsa, there’ll be too much blood on the field to crown Mr. and Miss U of M on the field, so maybe they’ll do it near the concession stands. Memphis gets slaughtered this weekend.

Everybody wants to argue BCS vs playoff – forget that lame, tired, never-ending argument. It’s just this simple! Arkansas beat Number 2 Auburn that just beat Number 2 Florida. Arkansas should obviously be Number 2! Their one loss is to USC, so put USC Number 1, Arkansas Number 2 and nevermind the rest because if you’re not playing for the National Title, it just doesn’t matter!

Speaking of doesn’t matter – we should all send Jim Leyland thank-you cards for sweeping the A’s and getting the ALCS off the TV as soon as possible.

And a good reason to hate bye-weeks in Fantasy Football, Kansas City Cheifs Defense! I picked them up as a free agent defense for the Colts bye-week. Kansas City’s played decent defense the past few weeks and the Steelers average 15 pts per game. Until yesterday and the Steelers light up KC for 45 points. I hate Ben Roethlisberger.

I don’t know how much Mississippi State paid Jacksonville State – but somebody at Memphis needs to call Sylvester Croom and find out how much an easy, guaranteed win costs. At this point, I’m pretty sure South Panola is the best football team in Mississippi.

And finally, just how much does it suck to be an Arizona Cardinal? Not only are you a professional team playing in a stadium sponsored by the local college team, but you're up by 20 at the half - dominating on defense, making Grossman look like a high school kid out there...throwing bad passes, dropping the ball like an idiot - and then you LOSE?! Sir Charles was right about that team - they don't know how to win. They're one of the best ever at losing, though. Dennis Green sounded like he was ready to kill someone. He probably would have killed his players, but they had already choked to death.

(and as a side note, if you haven't seen - or heard - the new Chris Vernon smash hit, check his site. You'll be glad you did!)