Dom's Dish - Friday, June 1, 2007
Every once in a while, we are witness to someone growing up in a big way. For those that were lucky and smart enough to keep on the Cavs/Pistons game, you probably are still in awe as much as I am. It was not a 70 or 80 point performance, however that was LeBron James' moment. For all the criticism from game 1 of the series when he passed the ball for the last shot (in a loss), and for not drawing enough contact in game 2 (in a loss), last night more than made up for it, and might have gotten his team over the hump and into the NBA Finals in this, only his fourth year in the league. Simply amazing - LeBron scored 29 of his team's last 30 points! ARE YOU KIDDING? Detroit couldn't stop him. No matter who defended, 'Bron was on his game, jab-stepping for a jumper, spinning for a fade-away jumper, rolling off a screen for a three, weaving through the lane for jam...unbelievable. Aside from the number (23) and the obvious athleticism and similar shots (fade-aways, etc), there isn't much similarity. That is, MJ had Pippen and a shooter. Last night and all season, LeBron has had to play like Kobe - score the points so his team can win. I'm not going to make predictions as to what his career will be way down the road, all I can say is - I hope you are watching intently when you can. There's the chance his career as "King" could trump all before him...
With the Giants coming to town, which Phillies team will we see this weekend? One that pounded the Braves or couldn't hit the starting pitching of the D'Backs? Considering the Giants have almost as much of a closer issue as we do, having traded Benitez yesterday, one never knows. Now if only Barry were going to play Sunday afternoon, I have some extra batteries I need to get rid of....you take away all of the fun.
Ron Mexico's flight landed for good. Air Tran Airlines has ended its relationship with Michael Vick. AirTran won't say why, however things like his water bottle incident and his publicist blaming ATA for Vick missing a meeting before Congress might have soured the relationship. Speaking of dogs, I wonder if he has a Chihuahua?
Did you hear the Kobe interview? Talk about depressed! How about Stephen A. Smith? I still swear his speech varies too much. When he was interviewing Kobe he was coaxing him and "talkin brotha" to him. Then he appears on SportsCenter with some white dudes and talks like an educated journalist. Either way, he sure does interview well. With all of this Kobe drama though, there's crazy rumors - Kobe to Dallas; Jermaine O'Neal to the Lakers, Marcus Camby to the Lakers, Kobe to the Bulls? Kobe to the Knicks? So you got lied to Kobe? I still don't think the average American that makes his weekly salary in 6 months and has been lied to by their bosses about promotions and mergers will understand or feel bad for him.
Billy Donovan - the baby-faced coach of the two time champs Florida Gators, has left college to go to the pros. Will he finally be the one to follow in the footsteps of a Larry Brown and be as successful in the pros as the college ranks? I can tell you one similarity - Green$$$. $27.5 million for a 5 year contract in Orlando? Oh, and I get to coach Dwight Howard? I'll take that check.
I actually parred a hole last weekend! I came close a few other times, in the last and only 8 times I have been out on the golf course prior, but this time it was a par 3. Maybe not the greatest of feats - for one with great feet - but a personal accomplishment nonetheless. A frustrating game at times, I know I will never make the pro tour, so alas I have not (yet) broken a club on a bad shot. Although I was very inconsistent - 300 yard drive straight as an arrow off the tee, followed by a 5-iron 75 yards hooking off WAY right, it was a good time, and not bad for a $130 pair of clubs from Sports Authority and a bunch of balls that my grandfather "stole" from near his house. Tiger, you're safe for now...
From the thoughts we've all had but not voiced section:
So, what is it with plumbers and bathroom designers? You would think that along with making sure that the toilet flushes and the pipes don't leak that they would consider the bathroom sink. I'm not talkin the kitchen sink or anything that sophisticated, I mean the bathroom sink. Ok, airplanes are one thing, aside from that, in the world we live in, there is no excuse for no using space appropriately. Ala, the bathroom sink. Is it really too much to ask that if you spend thousands o dollars on bathroom fixtures that you might consider the spout and side of the actual sink? Case in point, you piss on your hands, by mistake of course (unless you have a nasty case of "athlete's hand" you're trying to get rid of) and you go to the sink to wash the nasty yellow stuff off your mitts. You turn the water on, wet a hand or two, grab for some soap, then go to wash, only to be "side blocked" by the damn sink!!! Come on! The bowl of the sink is like 16" across and the spout can't even reach 3 inches over the front side of the bowl? What is this? For the love of goodness people, can you create a sink in which washing your pee-stained hands won't interfere with the sides of this large bowl that has been touched by poo-stained hands before us? Come on, you know that's happened to you once....weren't expecting the tp to be that fragile...ah well. Anyway, let me check the design of your bathroom. The only thing worse is heading to a bathroom at a party that doesn't even have hand towels to dry your hands after washing them. You do wash your hands once in a while, right???
Around the Balls:
Corn-hole- In interesting new drunk game news, while in Chi-town, I was able to play an interesting little ditty that involved getting "my bags" in a "corn hole". Props go out to my "partner" Matt Engle of the Lakeview part of Chicago for his efforts to make the Dom/Matt team the champs of this game. We sure corn-holed those other guys and gals!
No more Around the Balls this week....they're sore.
Program Alerts:
LeBron goes for the closeout at home, Saturday night 8:30pm
Yanks / Sox - can NY climb out of the basement?
Roger Clemens makes his first start in Chi-Town on Monday. It's June, he's already made how much by 4pm today?
French Open - Men's Tennis - Can Federer win any and will he and Nadal have another showdown?
Links:
http://www.cornhole-game.org/
Friday, June 1, 2007
Friday, May 18, 2007
Dom's Dish - YAY ITS MY BIRTHDAY edition
Dom's Dish - Friday, May 18, 2007
So after a few off weeks, and suffering from a serious case of the serious bug** (note below) , I've taken some advice from my good friend Bill Simmons and decided to start "loading one on" before getting too into this Dish:
"We [Boston Celtics] desperately need one of the top two picks or I'm going to develop a serious drinking problem. Those are the stakes. Now, you could argue that a serious drinking problem would inject some much-needed life into my column, and you might even be right."
Well I know I can, as my email signature states, so I know I'm right! For those that were at the Cinco Fiesta, I'll have you know that the leftover Pineapple infused Vodka has been in the freezer for just about two weeks now and BOY IS THAT GOOD! Boy, you're pretty good too! After an early morning session at the range hitting a bucket of balls, it's time to sit on down and "let the magic happen" - this is, after all, the place where "the magic happens," so onward and upward....
First off, I love the whole West-Coast basketball bias on ESPN and the other media outlets (really, can we call them outlets? I don't go buy cheap news because there's a stitch missing) and how the Suns/Spurs series "would have" been "one of the best" playoff series, but now it's been "diminished" because of Robert Horry. Come on - he's no goon - as Don Chaney (Temple) might phrase it - instead he's a "role player" that comes on in and hits a few shots and plays some defense while the likes on Tim Duncan and other starters rest. Now, I'll admit, it was an aggressive move on his part, however every time I see it, I really don't think his intent was to injure Nash, and I really do believe that if others in the area didn't react so quickly, Nash would not have charged after Horry and have to be split up in that quasi-melee. On the other hand, there is no doubt in my mind that Amare was going to go after Horry to defend Nash's honor - that sounds pretty chivalrous when you say it that way - but honestly, Amare did deserve the suspension. David Stern is a lot of things, but one that we cannot accuse him of is being soft. I saw him on PTI with Wilbon and Kornheiser on Wednesday, and he did kind of convince me that rules are rules and that he does have the best interest of the NBA in mind when making these rulings. Does it suck? Yes, sure it does, but that's the rule - as others pointed out, the Spurs players didn't move off the bench when it happened - maybe it was planned? Oh you darn conspiracy theorists! Regardless, the Suns came out hot and perhaps they would have held on at the end, but that's the way the ball bounces. Even with the Spurs dismal 1-3 record in closeout games, at home, after the first round, since 2001 (talk about getting stats to say what you want) - I'm picking the Spurs tonight, in San Antonio, to win the game, pending any major injuries to Duncan or Parker, in the second quarter, or later. How about that?
The NJ state assembly wants Rutgers to change their logo and put "NJ" in there somewhere. "No one knows where Rutgers is" - up until about 2 years ago, no one knew what the hell a Rutgers was....we're making progress here people. After all, they are "The State University of NJ" - I bet those assemblymen and lawmakers are the same ones that lobbied to change the TCNJ logo from the clock tower to the letters "TCNJ" all jumbled up. Here's an idea, have New Brunswick section off a small part of the town and make it a new municipality - Rutgers, NJ. It can be right near the grease trucks and frat house row on the Main Campus. I should be an assemblyman!
From the "That's what I'm talking about!" column - just yesterday, Braylon Edwards, the #3 pick in the 2005 NFL draft, WR in Cleveland, and his foundation, pledged $1 million to 100 eighth-grade students in Cleveland school districts. But he didn't just throw this money to the students, there's some living up to it on their end. The students, recommended by their teachers had to write essays on why they should be chosen, what their future plans are, etc. Braylon read over 1,000 essays that were submitted and picked the 100 students and vowed to give them $10,000 each upon graduation from high school. The catch? Be a student basically - maintain a 2.5 grade point average throughout high school, perform 15 hours of community service each year, and also can't have any unexcused absences. If they do all this, Edwards will help pay for their college education. Edwards will honor the students' commitment even if they do not intend to go to college, however "...A mother approached Edwards and said she hadn't even thought about college for her son until the boy was chosen for this award. At best, she figured, her son would have to go to a trade school." All I have to say is WOW - this guy really gets it. With the craziness of the NFL lately, this is something we need more of - I hope at least another 10 players follow suit - especially those top round draft picks, or others that make ridiculous amounts of money that don't necessarily earn every dime based on their play - see 75% of the Redskins roster, and others like Roger Clemens who make $100/minute. Braylon, I hope you make the Pro Bowl, the Super Bowl and the Hall of Fame - the NFL needs more good guys like you.
That is now two Phillies starters who have pitched no-hit games past the 6th inning in the three weeks! Jamie Moyer and Cole Hamels- such different pitching styles - one, a young-in lefty who throws an awesome change-up and a fastball in the mid-90's, the other a crafty 44 year old who pitches like it's a chess match with a fastball barely breaking 88 mph. Then there's Aaron Rowand, the little dude with the swimmer body, who leaps through fences and has 6 home runs already, batting .340!!! Regardless of the fact that Philly "can't win the big one" - they sure do have some entertaining sports teams. Aside from the Flyers the past few seasons, there sure has been some drama in this town, from TO to AI and Ryan Howard to Kevin Kolb, this is Philly sports. Sure, NY has A-Rod and Beltran, but you gotta stop comparing Philly to NYC - think of DC, Atlanta and San Francisco - I would be bored follow sports in those towns....aside from Ron Mexico...but still. Anyway, get on out to the ball park, hopefully the next time you walk in there and see all those people, the looks on the little kids' faces and the aroma of hot pretzels, burgers and fresh beer in the air, you'll get the goosebumps as I do every time I step into the park. Go Phils.
P.S. I almost caused myself to get thrown in jail yesterday. While sitting on the Major Deegan "Expressway" yesterday afternoon for over an hour on the ramp to get to the George Washington Bridge at 5pm, I watched not one, but two BUSSES and four trucks cut me off while in line. Honest, for 10 minutes, my car did not move even one inch. Let alone the numerous (probably about 20) cars that decided at the last minute that they were really going to NJ too. I finally wised up and went the opposite way on the Cross-Bronx, took the next exit for a u-turn and was in NJ on Rt 80 within 10 minutes. Talk about Road Rage man...it reinforced my point - I'm not fit for the commuter role....a straight jacket maybe....but no commuter. And if by almost in jail....I mean not almost at all.
Things to be thankful for on my birthday:
- Shrek the Third, FINALLY, in theaters.
- Bingo Night in America, FINALLY, on TV
- NJ launching a new "Click it or ticket" campaign to waste my money because of a stupid Governor
....Conflict boils over like an angry sludge....
Around the Balls:
Brown-oblong- For those that watched the NFL draft, as I did, on that Saturday afternoon, you probably are just as perplexed and even touched by the Keyshawn Johnson situation. No granted, I am from Garfield, NJ, the hometown of Wayne Chrebet, who was the source of "Me-Shawn's" frustration years back as a Jet, but I don't hold a grudge. Keyshawn, with that huge ass smile seems like an alright guy and seems to have "chilled out" since his days as a diva WR. It kind of stinks looking back, how excited he was, thinking he would have the chance to play with Dwayne Jarrett in Carolina, a few days before he was cut. Obviously teams like San Fran, Oakland and Philly are weary of signing another TO or Moss-like player, but I honestly think he's mellowed out and can still provide a spark for a team. Maybe not a Top 5 or even 10 round Fantasy pick, but still a contributor in the locker room with some young wide-outs...speaking of Young - I believe he'll go to Tennessee and help out a much needed WR corps.
Giant-orange- Did anyone else listen to LeBron's post-game news conference the other night? "I have a family at home I'm more worried about" - maybe I'm reading too much into it....maybe he's playing the media and the fans. Either way, my heart wants Cleveland to win tonight in Jersey, but my mind is tellin' me no!
White-stitched- In the time you read up until now, Roger Clemens made another $600. Thanks for playing.
** I know this because, apparently no one is reading this anymore! Last week I mentioned in the "Around the Balls" section of this column that "Tank Williams" was getting out of prison....Tank Williams was a safety with the Tennessee Titans a few years back....Tank Johnson is the huge dude from Chicago with guns and dogs and jail time!
Program Alerts!!!:
Cavs/Nets - Game 6 tonight. Suns/Spurs - Game 6 tonight. "The Preakness" tomorrow on NBC.
So after a few off weeks, and suffering from a serious case of the serious bug** (note below) , I've taken some advice from my good friend Bill Simmons and decided to start "loading one on" before getting too into this Dish:
"We [Boston Celtics] desperately need one of the top two picks or I'm going to develop a serious drinking problem. Those are the stakes. Now, you could argue that a serious drinking problem would inject some much-needed life into my column, and you might even be right."
Well I know I can, as my email signature states, so I know I'm right! For those that were at the Cinco Fiesta, I'll have you know that the leftover Pineapple infused Vodka has been in the freezer for just about two weeks now and BOY IS THAT GOOD! Boy, you're pretty good too! After an early morning session at the range hitting a bucket of balls, it's time to sit on down and "let the magic happen" - this is, after all, the place where "the magic happens," so onward and upward....
First off, I love the whole West-Coast basketball bias on ESPN and the other media outlets (really, can we call them outlets? I don't go buy cheap news because there's a stitch missing) and how the Suns/Spurs series "would have" been "one of the best" playoff series, but now it's been "diminished" because of Robert Horry. Come on - he's no goon - as Don Chaney (Temple) might phrase it - instead he's a "role player" that comes on in and hits a few shots and plays some defense while the likes on Tim Duncan and other starters rest. Now, I'll admit, it was an aggressive move on his part, however every time I see it, I really don't think his intent was to injure Nash, and I really do believe that if others in the area didn't react so quickly, Nash would not have charged after Horry and have to be split up in that quasi-melee. On the other hand, there is no doubt in my mind that Amare was going to go after Horry to defend Nash's honor - that sounds pretty chivalrous when you say it that way - but honestly, Amare did deserve the suspension. David Stern is a lot of things, but one that we cannot accuse him of is being soft. I saw him on PTI with Wilbon and Kornheiser on Wednesday, and he did kind of convince me that rules are rules and that he does have the best interest of the NBA in mind when making these rulings. Does it suck? Yes, sure it does, but that's the rule - as others pointed out, the Spurs players didn't move off the bench when it happened - maybe it was planned? Oh you darn conspiracy theorists! Regardless, the Suns came out hot and perhaps they would have held on at the end, but that's the way the ball bounces. Even with the Spurs dismal 1-3 record in closeout games, at home, after the first round, since 2001 (talk about getting stats to say what you want) - I'm picking the Spurs tonight, in San Antonio, to win the game, pending any major injuries to Duncan or Parker, in the second quarter, or later. How about that?
The NJ state assembly wants Rutgers to change their logo and put "NJ" in there somewhere. "No one knows where Rutgers is" - up until about 2 years ago, no one knew what the hell a Rutgers was....we're making progress here people. After all, they are "The State University of NJ" - I bet those assemblymen and lawmakers are the same ones that lobbied to change the TCNJ logo from the clock tower to the letters "TCNJ" all jumbled up. Here's an idea, have New Brunswick section off a small part of the town and make it a new municipality - Rutgers, NJ. It can be right near the grease trucks and frat house row on the Main Campus. I should be an assemblyman!
From the "That's what I'm talking about!" column - just yesterday, Braylon Edwards, the #3 pick in the 2005 NFL draft, WR in Cleveland, and his foundation, pledged $1 million to 100 eighth-grade students in Cleveland school districts. But he didn't just throw this money to the students, there's some living up to it on their end. The students, recommended by their teachers had to write essays on why they should be chosen, what their future plans are, etc. Braylon read over 1,000 essays that were submitted and picked the 100 students and vowed to give them $10,000 each upon graduation from high school. The catch? Be a student basically - maintain a 2.5 grade point average throughout high school, perform 15 hours of community service each year, and also can't have any unexcused absences. If they do all this, Edwards will help pay for their college education. Edwards will honor the students' commitment even if they do not intend to go to college, however "...A mother approached Edwards and said she hadn't even thought about college for her son until the boy was chosen for this award. At best, she figured, her son would have to go to a trade school." All I have to say is WOW - this guy really gets it. With the craziness of the NFL lately, this is something we need more of - I hope at least another 10 players follow suit - especially those top round draft picks, or others that make ridiculous amounts of money that don't necessarily earn every dime based on their play - see 75% of the Redskins roster, and others like Roger Clemens who make $100/minute. Braylon, I hope you make the Pro Bowl, the Super Bowl and the Hall of Fame - the NFL needs more good guys like you.
That is now two Phillies starters who have pitched no-hit games past the 6th inning in the three weeks! Jamie Moyer and Cole Hamels- such different pitching styles - one, a young-in lefty who throws an awesome change-up and a fastball in the mid-90's, the other a crafty 44 year old who pitches like it's a chess match with a fastball barely breaking 88 mph. Then there's Aaron Rowand, the little dude with the swimmer body, who leaps through fences and has 6 home runs already, batting .340!!! Regardless of the fact that Philly "can't win the big one" - they sure do have some entertaining sports teams. Aside from the Flyers the past few seasons, there sure has been some drama in this town, from TO to AI and Ryan Howard to Kevin Kolb, this is Philly sports. Sure, NY has A-Rod and Beltran, but you gotta stop comparing Philly to NYC - think of DC, Atlanta and San Francisco - I would be bored follow sports in those towns....aside from Ron Mexico...but still. Anyway, get on out to the ball park, hopefully the next time you walk in there and see all those people, the looks on the little kids' faces and the aroma of hot pretzels, burgers and fresh beer in the air, you'll get the goosebumps as I do every time I step into the park. Go Phils.
P.S. I almost caused myself to get thrown in jail yesterday. While sitting on the Major Deegan "Expressway" yesterday afternoon for over an hour on the ramp to get to the George Washington Bridge at 5pm, I watched not one, but two BUSSES and four trucks cut me off while in line. Honest, for 10 minutes, my car did not move even one inch. Let alone the numerous (probably about 20) cars that decided at the last minute that they were really going to NJ too. I finally wised up and went the opposite way on the Cross-Bronx, took the next exit for a u-turn and was in NJ on Rt 80 within 10 minutes. Talk about Road Rage man...it reinforced my point - I'm not fit for the commuter role....a straight jacket maybe....but no commuter. And if by almost in jail....I mean not almost at all.
Things to be thankful for on my birthday:
- Shrek the Third, FINALLY, in theaters.
- Bingo Night in America, FINALLY, on TV
- NJ launching a new "Click it or ticket" campaign to waste my money because of a stupid Governor
....Conflict boils over like an angry sludge....
Around the Balls:
Brown-oblong- For those that watched the NFL draft, as I did, on that Saturday afternoon, you probably are just as perplexed and even touched by the Keyshawn Johnson situation. No granted, I am from Garfield, NJ, the hometown of Wayne Chrebet, who was the source of "Me-Shawn's" frustration years back as a Jet, but I don't hold a grudge. Keyshawn, with that huge ass smile seems like an alright guy and seems to have "chilled out" since his days as a diva WR. It kind of stinks looking back, how excited he was, thinking he would have the chance to play with Dwayne Jarrett in Carolina, a few days before he was cut. Obviously teams like San Fran, Oakland and Philly are weary of signing another TO or Moss-like player, but I honestly think he's mellowed out and can still provide a spark for a team. Maybe not a Top 5 or even 10 round Fantasy pick, but still a contributor in the locker room with some young wide-outs...speaking of Young - I believe he'll go to Tennessee and help out a much needed WR corps.
Giant-orange- Did anyone else listen to LeBron's post-game news conference the other night? "I have a family at home I'm more worried about" - maybe I'm reading too much into it....maybe he's playing the media and the fans. Either way, my heart wants Cleveland to win tonight in Jersey, but my mind is tellin' me no!
White-stitched- In the time you read up until now, Roger Clemens made another $600. Thanks for playing.
** I know this because, apparently no one is reading this anymore! Last week I mentioned in the "Around the Balls" section of this column that "Tank Williams" was getting out of prison....Tank Williams was a safety with the Tennessee Titans a few years back....Tank Johnson is the huge dude from Chicago with guns and dogs and jail time!
Program Alerts!!!:
Cavs/Nets - Game 6 tonight. Suns/Spurs - Game 6 tonight. "The Preakness" tomorrow on NBC.
Friday, May 11, 2007
Dom's Dish - $100 minute edition
Dom's Dish - Friday, May 11, 2007
Breaking News: After applying for reinstatement to the league, Ricky Williams has failed another drug test. What a moron, talk about a character issue.
So we all know about the Yankees and hopefully their "savior" this year whom they just signed to a one-year $28 million contract. We all know about the "Clemens Clause" in which he can skip out on games that he doesn't pitch and be with his family. How good is Roger Clemens? Possibly the best pitcher of all times. The wins, the ERA, the strikeouts. How much is he worth? We all heard $28 million - but that's prorated. He doesn't get paid for April and May. But still, an astonishing fact, Roger Clemens will make $102.46 per minute. Imagine that. By the time you finish reading this Dish, he will have made over $500. To most, that is a good weekly salary. That's $6,147.60 in one hour - how many make that in a month? $147,000+ in one day.
And here it is again, another favorite time of the year for me. It's Friday morning, I'm watching ESPN, and already know it. "ESPN has learned that Dirk Nowitzki will be named the NBA Most Valuable Player on Tuesday." WHAT!? How does that happen? Why Tuesday? Everyone knows 4 days ahead of time, how is that fair?
So, the big news yesterday was that Dale Earnhart, Jr. will be leaving DEI (D. Earnhart, Inc.). His step-mother wouldn't give him the 51% share and control of company, and now with this decision, there won't be much to DEI. The biggest name in NASCAR is a free agent and talk already this morning is that he'll end up with the same team his daddy was with. Talk about splitting the family up - his sister is his agent and at the presser yesterday he mentioned his aunt too. I just wanna go grab a Busch for some reason...
Speaking of Busch...The Bulls collapsed last night. Already down 2-0 in the series, they had a 17 pt lead and blew it in the second half. I guess they're making progress, this team is the first to win a playoff series since the days of MJ. And I thought Philly was bad...talk about a city to suffer heartache: Kerry Wood, Mark Prior, Rex Grossman and now the Bulls...I'm not so sure the White Sox shouldn't be considered a non-Chicago team.
So, everyone gets into these NFL Draft wrap ups. You don't know and won't for 2 years how good it was. I mean, come on - for every Tim Couch or Ryan Leaf (busts) there is a Peyton Manning (1st ballot HOF-er) and for every Ben Roethlisberger (starts fast) there is a Lee Evans (better over time). There are also the Michael Clayton and Cadillac Williams's (great rookie seasons), who counter their production with a horrible year. And those are only some first round names! Everyone makes a big deal about the Eagles draft, trading back, but not as much is said for teams that mortgage the farm - NY Giants for Eli Manning. There are all tons of different scenarios that will play out - no one can accurately project a player's fortune or misfortune in the NFL from a college career. Players get drafted from big schools, small schools; we've seen them on TV, or we never heard of them until Bowl season. Point being - look back to the 2005 draft and analyze that. Alex Smith, Ronnie Brown, Braylon Edwards, Cedric Benson and Cadillac Williams. Even they won't be viewed the same at the end of this season as they are now. Why should this year's class be any different?
Five bricks. No one has ever jumped five bricks. There's talk that some kid in the next town jumped four bricks and a small piece of wood...
Around the balls:
Giant-orange- The Cavs, led by 'Bron Bron, are up 2-0 on the Nets heading into tomorrow's Game 3 in East Rutherford. The younger, more physical Cavs are out-hussling and out-rebounding the older, more feeble Nets. Hey, at least the NJ teams got to the playoffs!!!
White-leather-stitched- Colbert Richard Hamels is on the mound tonight against the Cubs. His mid-three ERA and 4-1 record against a Chicago team under Lou Pinella that is 6-3 in their last nine. Cole's second in the NL with 52 K's in 47.2 IP. If he is to reach his goal of 20 wins, he better have a good game tonight. Hopefully he can get some run support. Aaron Rowand for MVP baby!
Rubber-non- Hockey is still going on? I tell you what, watch the end of this Buffalo/Ottowa series. It's gonna get ugly. Maybe the goalies will meet at center ice again to throw down.
Big-brown-oblong- Tank Williams is getting out of jail on Sunday and will meet with Commish Goodell on Wednesday. There's talk he'll be punished less harshly due to "time already served." How does that make any sense? He was actually punished to jail time, already been convicted of a weapons charge and a parole violation. How is that any better than being questioned by the Po-po 10 times and raising dogs for fighting?
Tiny-white- Tiger is in FL this weekend trying to avoid the smoke and winds to win another tourney. "The unofficial 5th major" they say, the Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass. Look out for Lefty- already at 6 under on day 2. And I'm the "unofficial next Bill Simmons."
Green-fuzzy- Roger Federer lost to someone on clay not named Rafael Nadal. How about that?
Program Alert:
NBA Playoffs all weekend and tons of baseball.
Breaking News: After applying for reinstatement to the league, Ricky Williams has failed another drug test. What a moron, talk about a character issue.
So we all know about the Yankees and hopefully their "savior" this year whom they just signed to a one-year $28 million contract. We all know about the "Clemens Clause" in which he can skip out on games that he doesn't pitch and be with his family. How good is Roger Clemens? Possibly the best pitcher of all times. The wins, the ERA, the strikeouts. How much is he worth? We all heard $28 million - but that's prorated. He doesn't get paid for April and May. But still, an astonishing fact, Roger Clemens will make $102.46 per minute. Imagine that. By the time you finish reading this Dish, he will have made over $500. To most, that is a good weekly salary. That's $6,147.60 in one hour - how many make that in a month? $147,000+ in one day.
And here it is again, another favorite time of the year for me. It's Friday morning, I'm watching ESPN, and already know it. "ESPN has learned that Dirk Nowitzki will be named the NBA Most Valuable Player on Tuesday." WHAT!? How does that happen? Why Tuesday? Everyone knows 4 days ahead of time, how is that fair?
So, the big news yesterday was that Dale Earnhart, Jr. will be leaving DEI (D. Earnhart, Inc.). His step-mother wouldn't give him the 51% share and control of company, and now with this decision, there won't be much to DEI. The biggest name in NASCAR is a free agent and talk already this morning is that he'll end up with the same team his daddy was with. Talk about splitting the family up - his sister is his agent and at the presser yesterday he mentioned his aunt too. I just wanna go grab a Busch for some reason...
Speaking of Busch...The Bulls collapsed last night. Already down 2-0 in the series, they had a 17 pt lead and blew it in the second half. I guess they're making progress, this team is the first to win a playoff series since the days of MJ. And I thought Philly was bad...talk about a city to suffer heartache: Kerry Wood, Mark Prior, Rex Grossman and now the Bulls...I'm not so sure the White Sox shouldn't be considered a non-Chicago team.
So, everyone gets into these NFL Draft wrap ups. You don't know and won't for 2 years how good it was. I mean, come on - for every Tim Couch or Ryan Leaf (busts) there is a Peyton Manning (1st ballot HOF-er) and for every Ben Roethlisberger (starts fast) there is a Lee Evans (better over time). There are also the Michael Clayton and Cadillac Williams's (great rookie seasons), who counter their production with a horrible year. And those are only some first round names! Everyone makes a big deal about the Eagles draft, trading back, but not as much is said for teams that mortgage the farm - NY Giants for Eli Manning. There are all tons of different scenarios that will play out - no one can accurately project a player's fortune or misfortune in the NFL from a college career. Players get drafted from big schools, small schools; we've seen them on TV, or we never heard of them until Bowl season. Point being - look back to the 2005 draft and analyze that. Alex Smith, Ronnie Brown, Braylon Edwards, Cedric Benson and Cadillac Williams. Even they won't be viewed the same at the end of this season as they are now. Why should this year's class be any different?
Five bricks. No one has ever jumped five bricks. There's talk that some kid in the next town jumped four bricks and a small piece of wood...
Around the balls:
Giant-orange- The Cavs, led by 'Bron Bron, are up 2-0 on the Nets heading into tomorrow's Game 3 in East Rutherford. The younger, more physical Cavs are out-hussling and out-rebounding the older, more feeble Nets. Hey, at least the NJ teams got to the playoffs!!!
White-leather-stitched- Colbert Richard Hamels is on the mound tonight against the Cubs. His mid-three ERA and 4-1 record against a Chicago team under Lou Pinella that is 6-3 in their last nine. Cole's second in the NL with 52 K's in 47.2 IP. If he is to reach his goal of 20 wins, he better have a good game tonight. Hopefully he can get some run support. Aaron Rowand for MVP baby!
Rubber-non- Hockey is still going on? I tell you what, watch the end of this Buffalo/Ottowa series. It's gonna get ugly. Maybe the goalies will meet at center ice again to throw down.
Big-brown-oblong- Tank Williams is getting out of jail on Sunday and will meet with Commish Goodell on Wednesday. There's talk he'll be punished less harshly due to "time already served." How does that make any sense? He was actually punished to jail time, already been convicted of a weapons charge and a parole violation. How is that any better than being questioned by the Po-po 10 times and raising dogs for fighting?
Tiny-white- Tiger is in FL this weekend trying to avoid the smoke and winds to win another tourney. "The unofficial 5th major" they say, the Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass. Look out for Lefty- already at 6 under on day 2. And I'm the "unofficial next Bill Simmons."
Green-fuzzy- Roger Federer lost to someone on clay not named Rafael Nadal. How about that?
Program Alert:
NBA Playoffs all weekend and tons of baseball.
Friday, April 27, 2007
Dom's Dish - 2007 NFL Draft Preview edition
Dom's Dish - Friday, April 27, 2007
The NFL Draft starts tomorrow. Seven rounds over two days - 1-3 tomorrow, 4-7 on Sunday. Quinn, Russell, Peterson, Jarrett, Gaines, Calvin, Troy, Leak...all one names that have been engrained into our head for months, and this will be the moment of truth. Who goes where? I have to say, I'm not to sure about this year's draft class. Last year it was Leinert, Bush and Young as the big three - who are they this year? Is it Peterson-Quinn-Russell? Peterson-Russell-Johnson? Johnson-Russell-Thomas? Who knows? Who will be the Tom Brady or Marques Colston of 2007 - if any? Will Trent Green move to Miami? How does Dante Culpepper fit in? Do the Browns have faith in Jamal Lewis? Where do the Giants, Jets and Eagles fit in?
First, let's get a few things straight. Anything can happen, it depends on how much teams are willing to wager, whether in trades or actual draft picks. Some teams draft on need, others on talent available, unlike what anyone says, there is no exact science to it, there is some luck thrown in, as well as some real talent from a scouting perspective in selecting the right player. The draft isn't over after the first day, nor even round seven.
Now that we have laid the ground work, let's look at the key players this year. Almost everyone has JaMarcus Russell, the big guy out of LSU going to the Raiders. The only possibility out there would be if Daunte Culpepper became available through the Dolphins releasing him in favor of Trent Green. A 2 and a 7 are what the 'Fins got for Wes Welker (my bust trade of the offseason) and the Chiefs are smart enough to realize the 'Fins robbed the Patriots of those two picks. I'm glad they're holding out for a 2 and a 7 now, but you know what happens - they'll see someone on the board they really like in Round 3 and take that extra 3rd round pick and a 7th for Green. By that point, Russell, who's healthy, has been drafted by the Raiders. I won't call it a lock that Russell is in black and silver next year, but can Lane Kiffin really expect that Andrew Walter is gonna be their guy? The Raiders got to a Super Bowl with Rich Gannon a few years back - someone they didn't draft, perhaps 2007 is finally the year to make the investment in an offensive player. The Raiders #1 draft picks from 2006 back to 1997 - S, CB, OT, CB, DE, CB, LB, S, K, OT, CB, OT, DT. Not one offensive skill player! During that same time frame, only 7 of their top 3 rounds' picks were skill players: names like Jon Ritchie, Teyo Johnson, Doug Jolley, Justin Fargas, Andrew Walter, Marques Tuiasasopo and Jerry Porter. You know the names because you might have drafted them for Fantasy purposes, but they have done diddily squat and/or have been unreliable. Sure you could build around Andrew Walter and that defense, but JaMarcus has the arm. Pick one done - I just wonder if we'll hear about the signing tonight before bed time like the Mario Williams signing last year?
After that, is where it gets interesting. You know a few trades will occur, but not since the Eli deal has there been much movement at the top...until now. Calvin Johnson is still on the board. Jon Gruden is salivating. The skins need a LB and the Briggs deal is still in the works. I say at least one move will occur - either Briggs to 'Skins for the #5 pick, or the Bucs trading up to #2 for Calvin Johnson, where the Lions will get Gaines Adams and a pick from the Bucs. Aside from that, I could go on forever about each pick - who goes where, etc. But that's not my job - Mel Kiper and those other "experts" do a good enough job. Let's break down a few teams and see where they're gonna go...
NY Jets: After a playoff run last year under rookie head coach Eric the Man-genious, and a quiet but effective offseason, they're in great shape for the draft. Most list their biggest needs as CB, OLB, WR, TE and DT. Obviously their trading for Thomas Jones...for a mere 21 places in the second round was the move of the year in my opinion. Leon Washington, Nick Mangold, Brad Smith and D'Brickashaw Ferguson were their best performers from last year's draft. A second year in the system will only help Kellen Clemens as he backs up Chad, Chris Baker is a solid blocking TE, but a threat like Shockey is always a possibility - see Greg Olsen (Wayne Hills H.S. graduate). With two picks in the second round and the 25th pick in the 1st round, moving up is a possibility for the J-e-t-s Jets Jets Jets. However with the need for more young talent on the team, trading down is just as likely since the Jets only have 6 picks. It's a deep WR draft and finding a big body from a smaller school to play DT is an option. Look for the Jets to take a LB or CB in the first two rounds, followed by some receivers further down in Day 1.
NY Giants: Since they called out of the free agency period, they must be set. With eight picks and a quiet offseason (aside from letting their LT go), look for them to draft some OT help and obviously defense. ALL parts of defense. Injuries to their Defensive line have killed them, the Lavar Arrington experiment failed, their secondary are all 30-something former free agents, and oh and their down a Tiki. Aside from my being an Eagles fan, this team is going backwards...fast. Unless Eli turns things around and starts looking more like his brother than a Disney cartoon character, it's not going to matter who they draft.
Philadelphia Eagles: The questions already: Is it time to draft a QB? How about a big RB? They still need a WR, right? How about drafting a LB? What happens if B-Dawk goes down? My answers and projections - Y Y N Y Y. Andy Reid loves linemen in the first round - he's moved up to get Shawn Andrews, and got screwed taking Freddie Mitchell. They'll draft a QB - if Jon Beck of BYU is still available in the mid-to-late second round, you know Andy Reid loves his Cougars (of BYU, and K Wright). With the way Michael Bush has fallen with his broken leg, Brian Leonard because people don't know if he's a RB or FB, and Tony Hunt's size...if one of them is there in the second round - they need to take them too. Look for a first round selection of Chris Houston or Daymeion Hughes, CB's out of Arkansas or Cal respectively. Decisions, decisions - if Paul Posluzny is still available in the first round, could they take him? I actually think the Eagles will trade down at least once to acquire more picks and you know they'll make another player-for-pick trade too - possibly Jerome McDougle (if anyone out there still wants him), Dhani Jones, Sam Rayburn or William Thomas as they are deep at those positions. L.J. Smith is the big name heading into a contract year, so look for them to draft a TE in the mid rounds 4/5. You know the 6 draft picks they have will turn into more - and with their close proximity to the edge of the salary cap, trading down is an great play. It doesn't appear that we've heard much buzz about their potential picks in the first round this year - maybe that's saying something?
Some players worth pointing out that may have an impact next season?
David Harris, LB Michigan
Chris Houston, CB Arkansas
Adrian Peterson, RB Oklahoma
Joe Staley, OT Central Michigan
Mason Crosby, K Colorado
Dom's Dark horses:
David Ball, WR New Hampshire
Jared Zabransky, QB Boise State
Cameron Stephenson, OG Rutgers
Joe Newton, TE Oregon State
Tim Shaw, OLB Penn State
Program Alert:
NFL Draft coverage begins at 11am on Saturday - really the draft starts at 12 noon, but an hour extra of ESPN isn't bad...
The NFL Draft starts tomorrow. Seven rounds over two days - 1-3 tomorrow, 4-7 on Sunday. Quinn, Russell, Peterson, Jarrett, Gaines, Calvin, Troy, Leak...all one names that have been engrained into our head for months, and this will be the moment of truth. Who goes where? I have to say, I'm not to sure about this year's draft class. Last year it was Leinert, Bush and Young as the big three - who are they this year? Is it Peterson-Quinn-Russell? Peterson-Russell-Johnson? Johnson-Russell-Thomas? Who knows? Who will be the Tom Brady or Marques Colston of 2007 - if any? Will Trent Green move to Miami? How does Dante Culpepper fit in? Do the Browns have faith in Jamal Lewis? Where do the Giants, Jets and Eagles fit in?
First, let's get a few things straight. Anything can happen, it depends on how much teams are willing to wager, whether in trades or actual draft picks. Some teams draft on need, others on talent available, unlike what anyone says, there is no exact science to it, there is some luck thrown in, as well as some real talent from a scouting perspective in selecting the right player. The draft isn't over after the first day, nor even round seven.
Now that we have laid the ground work, let's look at the key players this year. Almost everyone has JaMarcus Russell, the big guy out of LSU going to the Raiders. The only possibility out there would be if Daunte Culpepper became available through the Dolphins releasing him in favor of Trent Green. A 2 and a 7 are what the 'Fins got for Wes Welker (my bust trade of the offseason) and the Chiefs are smart enough to realize the 'Fins robbed the Patriots of those two picks. I'm glad they're holding out for a 2 and a 7 now, but you know what happens - they'll see someone on the board they really like in Round 3 and take that extra 3rd round pick and a 7th for Green. By that point, Russell, who's healthy, has been drafted by the Raiders. I won't call it a lock that Russell is in black and silver next year, but can Lane Kiffin really expect that Andrew Walter is gonna be their guy? The Raiders got to a Super Bowl with Rich Gannon a few years back - someone they didn't draft, perhaps 2007 is finally the year to make the investment in an offensive player. The Raiders #1 draft picks from 2006 back to 1997 - S, CB, OT, CB, DE, CB, LB, S, K, OT, CB, OT, DT. Not one offensive skill player! During that same time frame, only 7 of their top 3 rounds' picks were skill players: names like Jon Ritchie, Teyo Johnson, Doug Jolley, Justin Fargas, Andrew Walter, Marques Tuiasasopo and Jerry Porter. You know the names because you might have drafted them for Fantasy purposes, but they have done diddily squat and/or have been unreliable. Sure you could build around Andrew Walter and that defense, but JaMarcus has the arm. Pick one done - I just wonder if we'll hear about the signing tonight before bed time like the Mario Williams signing last year?
After that, is where it gets interesting. You know a few trades will occur, but not since the Eli deal has there been much movement at the top...until now. Calvin Johnson is still on the board. Jon Gruden is salivating. The skins need a LB and the Briggs deal is still in the works. I say at least one move will occur - either Briggs to 'Skins for the #5 pick, or the Bucs trading up to #2 for Calvin Johnson, where the Lions will get Gaines Adams and a pick from the Bucs. Aside from that, I could go on forever about each pick - who goes where, etc. But that's not my job - Mel Kiper and those other "experts" do a good enough job. Let's break down a few teams and see where they're gonna go...
NY Jets: After a playoff run last year under rookie head coach Eric the Man-genious, and a quiet but effective offseason, they're in great shape for the draft. Most list their biggest needs as CB, OLB, WR, TE and DT. Obviously their trading for Thomas Jones...for a mere 21 places in the second round was the move of the year in my opinion. Leon Washington, Nick Mangold, Brad Smith and D'Brickashaw Ferguson were their best performers from last year's draft. A second year in the system will only help Kellen Clemens as he backs up Chad, Chris Baker is a solid blocking TE, but a threat like Shockey is always a possibility - see Greg Olsen (Wayne Hills H.S. graduate). With two picks in the second round and the 25th pick in the 1st round, moving up is a possibility for the J-e-t-s Jets Jets Jets. However with the need for more young talent on the team, trading down is just as likely since the Jets only have 6 picks. It's a deep WR draft and finding a big body from a smaller school to play DT is an option. Look for the Jets to take a LB or CB in the first two rounds, followed by some receivers further down in Day 1.
NY Giants: Since they called out of the free agency period, they must be set. With eight picks and a quiet offseason (aside from letting their LT go), look for them to draft some OT help and obviously defense. ALL parts of defense. Injuries to their Defensive line have killed them, the Lavar Arrington experiment failed, their secondary are all 30-something former free agents, and oh and their down a Tiki. Aside from my being an Eagles fan, this team is going backwards...fast. Unless Eli turns things around and starts looking more like his brother than a Disney cartoon character, it's not going to matter who they draft.
Philadelphia Eagles: The questions already: Is it time to draft a QB? How about a big RB? They still need a WR, right? How about drafting a LB? What happens if B-Dawk goes down? My answers and projections - Y Y N Y Y. Andy Reid loves linemen in the first round - he's moved up to get Shawn Andrews, and got screwed taking Freddie Mitchell. They'll draft a QB - if Jon Beck of BYU is still available in the mid-to-late second round, you know Andy Reid loves his Cougars (of BYU, and K Wright). With the way Michael Bush has fallen with his broken leg, Brian Leonard because people don't know if he's a RB or FB, and Tony Hunt's size...if one of them is there in the second round - they need to take them too. Look for a first round selection of Chris Houston or Daymeion Hughes, CB's out of Arkansas or Cal respectively. Decisions, decisions - if Paul Posluzny is still available in the first round, could they take him? I actually think the Eagles will trade down at least once to acquire more picks and you know they'll make another player-for-pick trade too - possibly Jerome McDougle (if anyone out there still wants him), Dhani Jones, Sam Rayburn or William Thomas as they are deep at those positions. L.J. Smith is the big name heading into a contract year, so look for them to draft a TE in the mid rounds 4/5. You know the 6 draft picks they have will turn into more - and with their close proximity to the edge of the salary cap, trading down is an great play. It doesn't appear that we've heard much buzz about their potential picks in the first round this year - maybe that's saying something?
Some players worth pointing out that may have an impact next season?
David Harris, LB Michigan
Chris Houston, CB Arkansas
Adrian Peterson, RB Oklahoma
Joe Staley, OT Central Michigan
Mason Crosby, K Colorado
Dom's Dark horses:
David Ball, WR New Hampshire
Jared Zabransky, QB Boise State
Cameron Stephenson, OG Rutgers
Joe Newton, TE Oregon State
Tim Shaw, OLB Penn State
Program Alert:
NFL Draft coverage begins at 11am on Saturday - really the draft starts at 12 noon, but an hour extra of ESPN isn't bad...
Thursday, April 26, 2007
Dom's Dish - Character edition
Dom's Dish - Thursday, April 26, 2007
So how about them NBA awards, eh? Sam Mitchell of the Raptors won the Coach of the Year Award, Monta Ellis of the Golden State Warriors won the most improved award and Leandro Barbosa of the Suns won the sixth man award. Even for someone like me, the casual fan, these names don't mean anything to me. Ok, maybe Barbosa - "The Brazilian Blur" - since he's on the Suns and they get a lot of playing time on national TV. It's funny to me that this doesn't even create a buzz - think NFL and MLB - there's speculation for weeks and months about these awards. If baseball is the "National Past time" and football is "America's Game," that definitely leaves basketball as "the sport America exported." Ever since the days of Larry versus Magic and MJ, basketball has been on the decline. I think someone should let David Stern know.
One day to the big Dom's Dish draft preview - however here is a preview of the preview. The word of the year that already is turning my stomach every time I hear it now...over and over...is "character." I have not heard that word so much since English class junior year in high school!!! Damn you Pacman Jones - it's your fault. You and the Cincinnati Bengals! Couldn't you just party at home? Do you have to drink and drive, while transporting baggies and then carry guns around while doing it? Really? Did you have to go to Vegas to party with the NBA stars....with guns? Now we'll be inundated all day Saturday from Mel Kiper, Chris Berman and TJ about the word. Maybe Suzy Kolber will be there to discuss it too? Andrea Kramer? They'll have reporters everywhere discussing character, character, character.
The one thing I don't like is the fact that this new "Conduct Policy" is being enforced and presided over by one man - Roger Goodell. Even with his "players advisory committee" his power is fast approaching David Stern level.
The Phillies have won five straight after Charlie Manuel's pep talk before Saturday's game. Some key factors? The bullpen isn't giving up tons of runs, they're all actually hitting the ball. Nice pep talk - hit the ball! Stop giving up runs! Man I should be a manger! (Of course as I write this, they're down 3-0 in the top of the sixth inning with the bases loaded)
Is that American Idol crap over yet? I can't wait to start watching "Bingo night in America" or whatever....I can't wait for the "Dom Show" where I just sit at the computer and flip through the channels - it'll be real reality TV!
Around the balls:
Giant-orange- The Lebron's are beating up on the Wizards. The kid is still averaging 25 pts, 8.5 boards and 7 assists in the two games. Without Caron Butler and Agent Zero - Gilbert Arenas, the Cavs are gonna sweep them.
White-leather-stitched- Did you hear? Torii Hunter sent some bottles of champagne to the KC Royals as promised for last years season-ending sweep of the Tigers (by the Royals), propelling the Twins into the playoffs? Now he may face a minimum 3-year suspension from the game for gift giving? Maybe even the Royals too. Tradition is tradition, but sounds like a.) he shouldn't have kept his promise and b.) this is a stupid rule.
Rubber-non- Devils win 3 straight. Already in the second round of the NFL playoffs, it'll be interesting to see how this round plays out. It really sucks that you can only watch the games on Channel "772" and pay for it, or 59 - "Versus". Then they wonder why people don't call it a major sport- what came first, no playoffs on national TV or no one watching?
Big-brown-oblong- The Draft is 2 days away. Are you excited yet? With all this talk of trades and what-if scenarios...it's making my head spin. BTW, I hope no one needs me Saturday afternoon from about 11am to 6 or 7pm....
Tiny-white- Everyone is up in arms about this weekend's event - the Byron Nelson Open - and the fact that 11 of the top 15 in the world will not be at the event. I love golf and all, but even for an individual sport, it's too much to keep calling it a sport. It's more like a hobby. "Eh, I'm busy this week with doing nothing, maybe next week?"
Green-fuzzy- Rafael Nadal again beat Roger Federer on clay, this time the Barcelona Open. He has won 69 consecutive matches on clay, one short of the record. "Clay. Bill Clay." Good one Hans - McLean almost had you that time. "No bullets!"
Program Alert:
NFL Draft coverage begins at 11am on Saturday - really the draft starts at 12 noon, but an hour extra of ESPN isn't bad...
So how about them NBA awards, eh? Sam Mitchell of the Raptors won the Coach of the Year Award, Monta Ellis of the Golden State Warriors won the most improved award and Leandro Barbosa of the Suns won the sixth man award. Even for someone like me, the casual fan, these names don't mean anything to me. Ok, maybe Barbosa - "The Brazilian Blur" - since he's on the Suns and they get a lot of playing time on national TV. It's funny to me that this doesn't even create a buzz - think NFL and MLB - there's speculation for weeks and months about these awards. If baseball is the "National Past time" and football is "America's Game," that definitely leaves basketball as "the sport America exported." Ever since the days of Larry versus Magic and MJ, basketball has been on the decline. I think someone should let David Stern know.
One day to the big Dom's Dish draft preview - however here is a preview of the preview. The word of the year that already is turning my stomach every time I hear it now...over and over...is "character." I have not heard that word so much since English class junior year in high school!!! Damn you Pacman Jones - it's your fault. You and the Cincinnati Bengals! Couldn't you just party at home? Do you have to drink and drive, while transporting baggies and then carry guns around while doing it? Really? Did you have to go to Vegas to party with the NBA stars....with guns? Now we'll be inundated all day Saturday from Mel Kiper, Chris Berman and TJ about the word. Maybe Suzy Kolber will be there to discuss it too? Andrea Kramer? They'll have reporters everywhere discussing character, character, character.
The one thing I don't like is the fact that this new "Conduct Policy" is being enforced and presided over by one man - Roger Goodell. Even with his "players advisory committee" his power is fast approaching David Stern level.
The Phillies have won five straight after Charlie Manuel's pep talk before Saturday's game. Some key factors? The bullpen isn't giving up tons of runs, they're all actually hitting the ball. Nice pep talk - hit the ball! Stop giving up runs! Man I should be a manger! (Of course as I write this, they're down 3-0 in the top of the sixth inning with the bases loaded)
Is that American Idol crap over yet? I can't wait to start watching "Bingo night in America" or whatever....I can't wait for the "Dom Show" where I just sit at the computer and flip through the channels - it'll be real reality TV!
Around the balls:
Giant-orange- The Lebron's are beating up on the Wizards. The kid is still averaging 25 pts, 8.5 boards and 7 assists in the two games. Without Caron Butler and Agent Zero - Gilbert Arenas, the Cavs are gonna sweep them.
White-leather-stitched- Did you hear? Torii Hunter sent some bottles of champagne to the KC Royals as promised for last years season-ending sweep of the Tigers (by the Royals), propelling the Twins into the playoffs? Now he may face a minimum 3-year suspension from the game for gift giving? Maybe even the Royals too. Tradition is tradition, but sounds like a.) he shouldn't have kept his promise and b.) this is a stupid rule.
Rubber-non- Devils win 3 straight. Already in the second round of the NFL playoffs, it'll be interesting to see how this round plays out. It really sucks that you can only watch the games on Channel "772" and pay for it, or 59 - "Versus". Then they wonder why people don't call it a major sport- what came first, no playoffs on national TV or no one watching?
Big-brown-oblong- The Draft is 2 days away. Are you excited yet? With all this talk of trades and what-if scenarios...it's making my head spin. BTW, I hope no one needs me Saturday afternoon from about 11am to 6 or 7pm....
Tiny-white- Everyone is up in arms about this weekend's event - the Byron Nelson Open - and the fact that 11 of the top 15 in the world will not be at the event. I love golf and all, but even for an individual sport, it's too much to keep calling it a sport. It's more like a hobby. "Eh, I'm busy this week with doing nothing, maybe next week?"
Green-fuzzy- Rafael Nadal again beat Roger Federer on clay, this time the Barcelona Open. He has won 69 consecutive matches on clay, one short of the record. "Clay. Bill Clay." Good one Hans - McLean almost had you that time. "No bullets!"
Program Alert:
NFL Draft coverage begins at 11am on Saturday - really the draft starts at 12 noon, but an hour extra of ESPN isn't bad...
Thursday, April 19, 2007
Dom's Dish - Incomplete Dish edition
Thursday, April 19, 2007
I would be remiss without mentioning the horror that happened down in Blacksburg, VA this week. It again reinforces how short life is and how there is so much more to this world and the billions of people in it, than we can all fathom. Any college, any town, anywhere that could have happened and in the blink of an eye, 32 innocent are dead (why do they include the idiot shooter in the count?). The only thing that irks me is the whole display that goes on afterward - the tons of reporters on campus there, but more related to sports, the hat thing. I just worry that sometimes it's taken too far and it becomes the "hip" or "in" thing to do - much like the NYPD and FDNY hats that are still worn. I still worry that sometimes people treat them as something to make them cool as opposed to what it should be - a reminder. Sometimes saying "we will never forget" goes a little overboard in my mind. The USA Today had a list of tragic events in "their lifetime" (the current VT college students) that included Challenger, Waco, Oklahoma City, the Atlanta Bombings, Columbine, 9/11, Columbia, the Tsunami and Hurricane Katrina, and now this. Those aren't all things I think of each day, but they're things I'll never forget. Some other things that will serve as a reminder, regardless: any mention of Oklahoma City, the word tsunami, and most obvious - I will never not think of 9/11 when seeing a 767-type plane bank on a turn. If you saw it live on TV or the tape of it hundreds of times, to me, it is the biggest reminder or symbol of them all. That being said the VT logo will never be seen the same.
Mark Buehrle (pronounced bur-ley) of the Chicago White Sox pitched a no-hitter Wednesday night! The first one of the season. Great accomplishment - he walked one base runner then threw him out - Sammy Sosa at first base. One corked-bat away from a perfect game!
Charlie Manuel is fired up! Trying to fight Howard Eskin during/after the postgame news conference? Good for him - that jerk needs a good whopping! Hopefully that will fire the team up? I mean something needs to happen soon, right?
The Joey Crawford / Tim Duncan incident is pretty funny. This isn't the first time Joey Crawford, the ref, has been accused of "gunning" for a player. After 31 years, maybe it's time to hang it up - and now that David Stern aka the God of basketball, has made his decision to suspend - maybe we'll see Joey Crawford refereeing some celebrity baseball game on MTV this summer?
Around the balls:
Giant-orange- The sixers won six of their last 10 games. I'm going on the record to say barring any major injuries to the new AI - the Sixers will make the playoffs next season and finish second in the Atlantic Division, if not better. With their pick and two others in the first round, likely around a #12, a low 20 and a high 20 pick (Denver and Dallas respectively), look for them to trade up or move one of them - the Andre Miller experiment worked and all the other talent has picked up. Then again, this is Philly - look at the Phils this season...
White-leather-stitched- Speaking of the Phils...how about Alex Rodriguez? Hit his 10th HR in 14 games! Now as much as I still don't really like Barry Bonds - he's up to 738 now and he actually is running the bases and playing the field. Who knows, maybe June 3rd at the Phils we'll see history?
Rubber-non- The Devils almost gave us all in Jersey a scare. Huge difference between going down 3-1 versus the even 2-2. Even 2-0 isn't bad to come back from. Brodeur has looked pretty bad this series - something about the Lightning - hopefully the home game Friday night is the one to get him back on track - close out strong in the Continental Arena!
Big-brown-oblong- Brian Urlacher was fined $100K for his wearing of a hat and drinking something at Super Bowl media day. In case you missed it - the NFL has decided to fine him and is now made public (possibly because of an appeal?) 2 months after the Super Bowl. He wore a "Vitamin Water" had and was drinking the stuff during media day - Vitamin Water is not an approved NFL sponsor, so they're not allowed to be displayed. I understand both sides of this, and I hope his sponsor gives him the $100K to cover the fine - all of the sudden I want to try one of them - their ploy worked!
I would be remiss without mentioning the horror that happened down in Blacksburg, VA this week. It again reinforces how short life is and how there is so much more to this world and the billions of people in it, than we can all fathom. Any college, any town, anywhere that could have happened and in the blink of an eye, 32 innocent are dead (why do they include the idiot shooter in the count?). The only thing that irks me is the whole display that goes on afterward - the tons of reporters on campus there, but more related to sports, the hat thing. I just worry that sometimes it's taken too far and it becomes the "hip" or "in" thing to do - much like the NYPD and FDNY hats that are still worn. I still worry that sometimes people treat them as something to make them cool as opposed to what it should be - a reminder. Sometimes saying "we will never forget" goes a little overboard in my mind. The USA Today had a list of tragic events in "their lifetime" (the current VT college students) that included Challenger, Waco, Oklahoma City, the Atlanta Bombings, Columbine, 9/11, Columbia, the Tsunami and Hurricane Katrina, and now this. Those aren't all things I think of each day, but they're things I'll never forget. Some other things that will serve as a reminder, regardless: any mention of Oklahoma City, the word tsunami, and most obvious - I will never not think of 9/11 when seeing a 767-type plane bank on a turn. If you saw it live on TV or the tape of it hundreds of times, to me, it is the biggest reminder or symbol of them all. That being said the VT logo will never be seen the same.
Mark Buehrle (pronounced bur-ley) of the Chicago White Sox pitched a no-hitter Wednesday night! The first one of the season. Great accomplishment - he walked one base runner then threw him out - Sammy Sosa at first base. One corked-bat away from a perfect game!
Charlie Manuel is fired up! Trying to fight Howard Eskin during/after the postgame news conference? Good for him - that jerk needs a good whopping! Hopefully that will fire the team up? I mean something needs to happen soon, right?
The Joey Crawford / Tim Duncan incident is pretty funny. This isn't the first time Joey Crawford, the ref, has been accused of "gunning" for a player. After 31 years, maybe it's time to hang it up - and now that David Stern aka the God of basketball, has made his decision to suspend - maybe we'll see Joey Crawford refereeing some celebrity baseball game on MTV this summer?
Around the balls:
Giant-orange- The sixers won six of their last 10 games. I'm going on the record to say barring any major injuries to the new AI - the Sixers will make the playoffs next season and finish second in the Atlantic Division, if not better. With their pick and two others in the first round, likely around a #12, a low 20 and a high 20 pick (Denver and Dallas respectively), look for them to trade up or move one of them - the Andre Miller experiment worked and all the other talent has picked up. Then again, this is Philly - look at the Phils this season...
White-leather-stitched- Speaking of the Phils...how about Alex Rodriguez? Hit his 10th HR in 14 games! Now as much as I still don't really like Barry Bonds - he's up to 738 now and he actually is running the bases and playing the field. Who knows, maybe June 3rd at the Phils we'll see history?
Rubber-non- The Devils almost gave us all in Jersey a scare. Huge difference between going down 3-1 versus the even 2-2. Even 2-0 isn't bad to come back from. Brodeur has looked pretty bad this series - something about the Lightning - hopefully the home game Friday night is the one to get him back on track - close out strong in the Continental Arena!
Big-brown-oblong- Brian Urlacher was fined $100K for his wearing of a hat and drinking something at Super Bowl media day. In case you missed it - the NFL has decided to fine him and is now made public (possibly because of an appeal?) 2 months after the Super Bowl. He wore a "Vitamin Water" had and was drinking the stuff during media day - Vitamin Water is not an approved NFL sponsor, so they're not allowed to be displayed. I understand both sides of this, and I hope his sponsor gives him the $100K to cover the fine - all of the sudden I want to try one of them - their ploy worked!
Friday, April 13, 2007
Dom's Dish - OH NO, Friday the 13th edition
Dom's Dish - Friday, April 13, 2007
Kind of a slow week in sports. Baseball is in full swing - no pun intended - Hockey is in the postseason already, basketball has about 4 or 5 games left, the NFL draft is in 2 weeks (less than 2 weeks to the Dom's Dish NFL Draft preview special), and the Masters' and College Hoops just passed. With all of that said, the news of the week in my mind, is Kevin Durant.
Kevin Durant has declared for the NBA Draft. "One and done" if you will. He won all 6 national player of the year awards, first to do so as a freshman. Worst thing about the draft is that he'll wind up going to the team with the top pick - most likely the Memphis Grizzlies (formerly of Vancouver), the Boston Celtics (formerly a respected franchise) or the Milwaukee Bucks (former 1971 NBA champs). As great as he is, Durant will be a swing man scorer who hopefully will not be playing with a bunch of scrubs. Now granted, each of these teams has a few great talents, but their records don't show it. My guess is Boston will get lucky this time - Red Auerbach will control fate from the grave and Danny Ainge (who coincidentally sat next to Mrs. Durant in the NCAA tournament) will get his wish. Then the Celts will have Paul Pierce, Al Jefferson and Kevin Durant in their front court. Bill Simmons will be happy and Boston again will be the focus of major sports and we can all hear "ca-ar" and "ya-ard" and all will be right in the world. Who can stop them in the NBA Atlantic Division? The Nets will be without at least Kidd or Carter or both, the Sixers are further away, Toronto is still Toronto and the Knicks, well their story is below.
I was up in NYC the other night and got to see the post game interview of Isiah Thomas after their near 30 pt loss to the Chicago Bulls. That dude always has the biggest shit-eating grin on his face. Now, you never notice it, because he keeps his lips over his teeth and mouth closed, but you can see it. Is he always smirking because he has not only tanked the CBA, but now the Knicks two years in a row? Worst part is, he has a multi-year extension and the Knicks #1 pick in a "deep draft" is headed to the Bulls in the Eddie Curry deal. Someone needs to slap that grin off his face - maybe ask 'Melo to do it and run again?
So I haven't played competitive baseball since I was 10. I don't claim to be an expert - I'll go to my brother-in-law (aka "blood brother") or former SGA president friend (never answers phone) for some hard core baseball knowledge or stats. One thing though I might have to ask them for is a real explanation and history of the blank wall in center field. I'm pretty sure every park has it - dead center field so the hitter has a solid background to look at while the little white stitched ball comes at them at 80+ mph. I think it's time to change the rule though. I mean basketball makes it hard - clear glass backboard, small circular orange hoop and tons of people waving stupid balloons in the background. It's worth a shot to do that in baseball - maybe the hitters in the major leagues would hit better than 25% of the time? That would be something the fans in Philly would eat up - giant cheese steaks in center field = more hits and homers for "Pat the bat" or Ryan "Fatty McHoward".
Around the balls:
Giant-orange- Adam Morrison was fined $25,000 by the NBA for an obscene gesture he made to the crowd last week. Funny, I've been wondering when they were gonna fine him for that porn 'stache...
White-leather-stitched- A-Rod is H-O-T!!! I think my favorite part is that he is getting cheered in NY finally - like he wasn't worth it before. Granted he'll need to keep it up into the post season, but I also love how John Kruk points out his "figure" on the tele-strator on "Baseball Tonight", showing how he sticks his ass out. Hey Kruk - is that a mullet or a full blown pony tail?
Rubber-non- Martin Brodeur and the NJ Devils are off to a 1 game lead in the opening round of the Stanley Cup playoffs.
Big-brown-oblong- Pacman Jones is out for the year - Roger Goodell put his foot down. I'm glad someone finally did. I just hope that Pacman isn't stupid enough to appeal. Best quote was his mother saying "it wasn't fair" - people got shot, do you think that is fair?
Tiny-white- I was wrong about Tiger. I didn't have my weather forecast handy to see that there would be 25 mph winds either. Best shot of the weekend was when he snapped his 7 iron on the tree, then cracked it over his knee. No grand slam this year :-(
Program Alert: Watch some playoff hockey! The one game the other night went to 4 OT's and they don't clean off the ice! Guys were tripping and falling- it's fun!
Kind of a slow week in sports. Baseball is in full swing - no pun intended - Hockey is in the postseason already, basketball has about 4 or 5 games left, the NFL draft is in 2 weeks (less than 2 weeks to the Dom's Dish NFL Draft preview special), and the Masters' and College Hoops just passed. With all of that said, the news of the week in my mind, is Kevin Durant.
Kevin Durant has declared for the NBA Draft. "One and done" if you will. He won all 6 national player of the year awards, first to do so as a freshman. Worst thing about the draft is that he'll wind up going to the team with the top pick - most likely the Memphis Grizzlies (formerly of Vancouver), the Boston Celtics (formerly a respected franchise) or the Milwaukee Bucks (former 1971 NBA champs). As great as he is, Durant will be a swing man scorer who hopefully will not be playing with a bunch of scrubs. Now granted, each of these teams has a few great talents, but their records don't show it. My guess is Boston will get lucky this time - Red Auerbach will control fate from the grave and Danny Ainge (who coincidentally sat next to Mrs. Durant in the NCAA tournament) will get his wish. Then the Celts will have Paul Pierce, Al Jefferson and Kevin Durant in their front court. Bill Simmons will be happy and Boston again will be the focus of major sports and we can all hear "ca-ar" and "ya-ard" and all will be right in the world. Who can stop them in the NBA Atlantic Division? The Nets will be without at least Kidd or Carter or both, the Sixers are further away, Toronto is still Toronto and the Knicks, well their story is below.
I was up in NYC the other night and got to see the post game interview of Isiah Thomas after their near 30 pt loss to the Chicago Bulls. That dude always has the biggest shit-eating grin on his face. Now, you never notice it, because he keeps his lips over his teeth and mouth closed, but you can see it. Is he always smirking because he has not only tanked the CBA, but now the Knicks two years in a row? Worst part is, he has a multi-year extension and the Knicks #1 pick in a "deep draft" is headed to the Bulls in the Eddie Curry deal. Someone needs to slap that grin off his face - maybe ask 'Melo to do it and run again?
So I haven't played competitive baseball since I was 10. I don't claim to be an expert - I'll go to my brother-in-law (aka "blood brother") or former SGA president friend (never answers phone) for some hard core baseball knowledge or stats. One thing though I might have to ask them for is a real explanation and history of the blank wall in center field. I'm pretty sure every park has it - dead center field so the hitter has a solid background to look at while the little white stitched ball comes at them at 80+ mph. I think it's time to change the rule though. I mean basketball makes it hard - clear glass backboard, small circular orange hoop and tons of people waving stupid balloons in the background. It's worth a shot to do that in baseball - maybe the hitters in the major leagues would hit better than 25% of the time? That would be something the fans in Philly would eat up - giant cheese steaks in center field = more hits and homers for "Pat the bat" or Ryan "Fatty McHoward".
Around the balls:
Giant-orange- Adam Morrison was fined $25,000 by the NBA for an obscene gesture he made to the crowd last week. Funny, I've been wondering when they were gonna fine him for that porn 'stache...
White-leather-stitched- A-Rod is H-O-T!!! I think my favorite part is that he is getting cheered in NY finally - like he wasn't worth it before. Granted he'll need to keep it up into the post season, but I also love how John Kruk points out his "figure" on the tele-strator on "Baseball Tonight", showing how he sticks his ass out. Hey Kruk - is that a mullet or a full blown pony tail?
Rubber-non- Martin Brodeur and the NJ Devils are off to a 1 game lead in the opening round of the Stanley Cup playoffs.
Big-brown-oblong- Pacman Jones is out for the year - Roger Goodell put his foot down. I'm glad someone finally did. I just hope that Pacman isn't stupid enough to appeal. Best quote was his mother saying "it wasn't fair" - people got shot, do you think that is fair?
Tiny-white- I was wrong about Tiger. I didn't have my weather forecast handy to see that there would be 25 mph winds either. Best shot of the weekend was when he snapped his 7 iron on the tree, then cracked it over his knee. No grand slam this year :-(
Program Alert: Watch some playoff hockey! The one game the other night went to 4 OT's and they don't clean off the ice! Guys were tripping and falling- it's fun!
Wednesday, April 4, 2007
Dom's Dish - April showers edition
Dom's Dish - Wednesday, April 4, 2007
Eddie Robinson passed away last night at 88, after a long battle with Alzheimer's disease. I don't remember much about Eddie, except seeing him but once a year for the annually televised Grambling / Southern football game, usually on NBC. The halftime show battle of the marching bands was always fun to watch, but so was Eddie, always in a suit and tie on the sidelines, directing traffic. Such a passionate and amazing man. Some amazing stats: 80% of his players graduated, 17 Southwestern Athletic Conference championships, 408 wins, over 200 players that went on to the NFL, only 8 losing seasons in 56 - yes, fifty-six consecutive seasons as a coach, from 1941 to 1997. You really need to read this article to appreciate the hard times, and the class of man he was: http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=2825016
Florida won the NCAA Tournament. Even though I dislike them for one player and the school as a whole, it is still pretty impressive winning 2 in a row in this day in age, especially since all 5 starters returned for school this year.
Oh Lou Lamoriello! Three games to go in the regular season and he fires the coach of the NJ Devils, Claude Julien. I've never met the man, but after 20 years as the Devils GM, I feel I know him. Having had a slump in the past month: In February, the Devils were a hot 10-3, however for the month of March they were 6-8. With the playoffs right around the corner, perhaps lightning will strike again for Lou - he's twice had to make a coaching change late in the season for a playoff run - once in 2000 (Larry Robinson stepped in and they won The Cup and last year Lou stepped in after Larry Robinson left in the middle of last season. With all of this going on, and both side alleging no "bad blood", this doesn't appear to be an A.J. Smith/Marty Schottenheimer deal. Plus, the Devils have lots to look forward to: Martin Brodeur last night tied the record for wins in a season (47 - 2 games to go), and the Devils are in the driver's seat for the #2 seed in the Eastern Conference. Plus, Patrick Elias, Brian Gionta and John Madden are all healthy from their mid-season injuries. They don't score as many goals as most teams, but their #1 in goals against in the Eastern conference, thanks to Brodeur and their trap defense. (For those Devils fans in South Jersey, they will be on tomorrow night against the Flyers at 7pm on Comcast SportsNet. A win clinches the Atlantic Division for the Devils.)
For those that missed it last week, the "Peyton Manning" dude, can't change his name after all. As predicted right here in "The Dish" on February 8th, the judge did not allow it "...because it would be too confusing and might infringe on the privacy of the Indianapolis Colts quarterback." And I quote: "I'll tell you now, it isn't going to happen. He filed paperwork yesterday and now will have to appear before a judge to make this official." Now if only I put my emotions aside and predicted Florida would win it all, you all might have some more cashola in your pah-quettes!
Breaking News: Mike Doss, signs with the Minnesota Vikings. The best of the remaining free agents, the safety formerly of the Colts is now a Viking. No more chance for the Eagles, but you have to bet they at least contacted him...
Some randomness:
South Park - 24 "hill dog" - it was only a matter of time. Right in her sniz. Hope a few of you watched in laughter as did I. By the way, I got an email about the US Airways merger with America West Airlines from the Vice President of Sales and Marketing. Ready for this? Ready? His name is H. Travis Christ. See that's the problem with US Airways! Your sales guy is Christ and he still can't control the weather in Philly!!!
Kelly Holcomb = Taylor Hicks? At least Kelly Holcomb is in his 30's though: http://www.philadelphiaeagles.com/homeNewsDetail.jsp?id=66789
So, yeah, I had asparagus recently. Made it on the grill, wrapped in foil with some butter, and garlic powder. (I've had it like that before, but usually over the brother-in-laws, and usually with about "a few" beers, so I didn't notice it then.) I went to urinate later that night and almost passed out from the smell! Now, after a while, coffee "scented" urine, is nice. Asparagus urine is just wrong! Here's a tip - drink at least 48 oz of fluid next time you eat asparagus.
By the way, I hate when my bowling ball pours Portland Cement into my washing machine. Oh, and March: "Came in like a lion, went out like a lamb" - anyone else know what I'm talkin' about?
Finishing this up - I'm watching "Undercover Brother" on USA network. Chappelle, Doogie Howser, the Principal from "Boston Public" - I may have to do like Eddie Griffin says and get it on DVD. (I'll avoid driving like him though) Talking into my baseball mitt...
Around the balls:
Giant-orange- In a little smaller than giant - the Lady Scarlet Nights of Rutgers came up short last night in the championship game. Pat Summitt and the Lady Volunteers of Tennessee are just too good. That was Pat Summitt's seventh - yes, 7th, Division I Championship. Talk about impressive. Not too sure she was as great a cheerleader as Bruce Pearl was painted orange, but 7 Championships is nothing to laugh at. Neither is Candace Parker, though a very beautiful woman, she's a beast on the court.
White-leather-stitched- When is opening day again? JK - I bowed out early on the NCAA game Monday night to watch some of the Angels/Rangers game in Los Angeles, err...California, err...Anaheim. The game is really starting to grow on me - kinda like that skin tag on my left armpit!
Rubber-non- Only 2 or 3 games left in the regular season. Post-season hockey might be better than post-season basketball. No, it is.
Big-brown-oblong- Commish Roger Goodell met with Pacman Jones and Chris Henry yesterday and set up an "Advisory Committee"
Tiny-white- The Masters begins tomorrow and continues through Sunday (FYI, most golf tournaments are 4 rounds, in case you didn't know). I'm still taking Tiger. I'm not sure if he'll win by 12 strokes like he did in 1997, but Tiger is going for "one for the thumb".
Program Alert:
The Masters - coverage begins tomorrow, 4pm on USA.
Chevelle's new CD "Vena Sera" hit stores yesterday. I rate my "music" for my iPod by the intensity (speed/anger being a 5, mellow being a 1) - this CD has almost all "4's" on the Dom scale.
Links:
http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=2825016 - Eddie Robinson - nice video on there
http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/columns/story?columnist=burnside_scott&id=2818261 - Brodeur article - not ordinary
http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/columns/story?columnist=burnside_scott&id=2823081 - Devils GM fires coach - more perspective
http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=2816559 - Peyton Manning name change guy
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For those new to "the dish", I once dreamed of being a sports-caster having my own column. Let me know if you don't like it, and/or want to be discontinued from the list. If you have another email address to send it to, send that to me also. For older issues of the dish, email me. domsdish@gmail.com or go to http://domsdish.blogspot.com
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
Dom's Dish - It's Really spring edition
Dom's Dish - Tuesday, March 27, 2007
I know, I'm double-dipping here - 2 dishes in 2 days! What are you crazy Dominic? I have to take 5 minutes out to read this sh!*??? Yeah, that's right, I timed myself while slowly reading yesterday's edition - 5 minutes 4 seconds.
Anyway, I kinda rushed getting the dish done yesterday to do real work, after my lunch hour and missed out on a few key points that my boss yelled at me for - and if by boss, I mean Mrs. Dom's Dish. First, Peyton Manning. I know, I read through many of my dishes in the past few months and maybe I am on his 'jaun' or however they say it, but he's Peyton Manning! Mrs. Dom's Dish wishes she were married to him and often asks if since he's from the South, might he be a polygamist. Just 'cuz I'm not 6-foot-five, with a laser, rocket arm....
Peyton hosted "SNL" on Saturday night. I was probably one of the few of you awake, but only lasted about a half hour. The opening monologue was pretty funny - he had a few good lines, but I wanted more. Then they cut to "commercial". If you haven't seen it yet, it is worth the 2-3 minutes of your viewing pleasure - the United Way commercial: http://www.nbc.com/Saturday_Night_Live/video/#mea=84993
I love Peyton Manning too!
More football. I knew I was missing something yesterday - I heard something over the weekend about the possibility and forgot to mention: Takeo Spikes is now a Philadelphia Eagle. I called it last week - Darwin Walker is gone too - contract to expire at end of 2008. As soon as it was reported the Eagles were in talks for Spikes, and knowing Dick Jauron in Buffalo trying to copy the Eagles' style of building through the Offensive and Defensive lines, this is a good deal for both teams. Little did I know that Kelly Holcomb got thrown in there too! Now, don't go waving your pickle yet, Browns fans, Holcomb, the former Cleveland Brown and "god" for some fans at Savoy's Boilermaker Bar in Hamilton that used to wave their pickles at the TV - no like real actual dill pickles - may still have some left in the tank. With Feeley and Holcomb in the fold, expect it to be a toss-up before the regular season starts if McNabb is not ready to go. As for Spikes - he's 2 years removed from a gruesome Achilles injury. What do I think, Cougar Wright? I love it. Good move all around - Spikes can still be an impact player on and off the field. The Birds have more LBs on their roster than John Goodman has above his waist! Spikes is a proven leader, and having he, Trotter, Dawkins, Montae Reagor and even Dhani ("Donnie") Jones on the roster will take the defense one step closer to developing all the young talent they have. Looking at the roster now, my gut for the draft next month will be to take these positions: OG, DT, CB, S, TE, and maybe a RB and a QB. I'll work on some projections in the coming weeks before I release my draft issue of the Dish.
Last but not least, "Comedian Griffin wrecks $1.5M Ferrari at track" - Eddie Griffin of -Undercover Brother- (on DVD) and Miller Lite commercial fame, was practicing for a role in a movie in which he got to drive an actual Ferrari Enzo. A little too fast into the corner and wham! "Undercover Brother's good at karate and all the rest of that, but the brother can't drive," Griffin said after the accident. That's it - laugh it off. I'm sure the owner of the car, Daniel Sadek is crushed just like the front end. His "dream car" he referred to it.
Sorry folks, no Around the Balls today, go get outside and get some air!
Time to un-pause DMB - "Under the Table and Dreaming" for a few more minutes while the windows and doors are open airing out the house.
--------------------------------
For those new to "the dish", I once dreamed of being a sports-caster having my own column. Let me know if you don't like it, and/or want to be discontinued from the list. If you have another email address to send it to, send that to me also. For older issues of the dish, email me. domsdish@gmail.com or go to http://domsdish.blogspot.com
I know, I'm double-dipping here - 2 dishes in 2 days! What are you crazy Dominic? I have to take 5 minutes out to read this sh!*??? Yeah, that's right, I timed myself while slowly reading yesterday's edition - 5 minutes 4 seconds.
Anyway, I kinda rushed getting the dish done yesterday to do real work, after my lunch hour and missed out on a few key points that my boss yelled at me for - and if by boss, I mean Mrs. Dom's Dish. First, Peyton Manning. I know, I read through many of my dishes in the past few months and maybe I am on his 'jaun' or however they say it, but he's Peyton Manning! Mrs. Dom's Dish wishes she were married to him and often asks if since he's from the South, might he be a polygamist. Just 'cuz I'm not 6-foot-five, with a laser, rocket arm....
Peyton hosted "SNL" on Saturday night. I was probably one of the few of you awake, but only lasted about a half hour. The opening monologue was pretty funny - he had a few good lines, but I wanted more. Then they cut to "commercial". If you haven't seen it yet, it is worth the 2-3 minutes of your viewing pleasure - the United Way commercial: http://www.nbc.com/Saturday_Night_Live/video/#mea=84993
I love Peyton Manning too!
More football. I knew I was missing something yesterday - I heard something over the weekend about the possibility and forgot to mention: Takeo Spikes is now a Philadelphia Eagle. I called it last week - Darwin Walker is gone too - contract to expire at end of 2008. As soon as it was reported the Eagles were in talks for Spikes, and knowing Dick Jauron in Buffalo trying to copy the Eagles' style of building through the Offensive and Defensive lines, this is a good deal for both teams. Little did I know that Kelly Holcomb got thrown in there too! Now, don't go waving your pickle yet, Browns fans, Holcomb, the former Cleveland Brown and "god" for some fans at Savoy's Boilermaker Bar in Hamilton that used to wave their pickles at the TV - no like real actual dill pickles - may still have some left in the tank. With Feeley and Holcomb in the fold, expect it to be a toss-up before the regular season starts if McNabb is not ready to go. As for Spikes - he's 2 years removed from a gruesome Achilles injury. What do I think, Cougar Wright? I love it. Good move all around - Spikes can still be an impact player on and off the field. The Birds have more LBs on their roster than John Goodman has above his waist! Spikes is a proven leader, and having he, Trotter, Dawkins, Montae Reagor and even Dhani ("Donnie") Jones on the roster will take the defense one step closer to developing all the young talent they have. Looking at the roster now, my gut for the draft next month will be to take these positions: OG, DT, CB, S, TE, and maybe a RB and a QB. I'll work on some projections in the coming weeks before I release my draft issue of the Dish.
Last but not least, "Comedian Griffin wrecks $1.5M Ferrari at track" - Eddie Griffin of -Undercover Brother- (on DVD) and Miller Lite commercial fame, was practicing for a role in a movie in which he got to drive an actual Ferrari Enzo. A little too fast into the corner and wham! "Undercover Brother's good at karate and all the rest of that, but the brother can't drive," Griffin said after the accident. That's it - laugh it off. I'm sure the owner of the car, Daniel Sadek is crushed just like the front end. His "dream car" he referred to it.
Sorry folks, no Around the Balls today, go get outside and get some air!
Time to un-pause DMB - "Under the Table and Dreaming" for a few more minutes while the windows and doors are open airing out the house.
--------------------------------
For those new to "the dish", I once dreamed of being a sports-caster having my own column. Let me know if you don't like it, and/or want to be discontinued from the list. If you have another email address to send it to, send that to me also. For older issues of the dish, email me. domsdish@gmail.com or go to http://domsdish.blogspot.com
Monday, March 26, 2007
Dom's Dish - Anna Jaws Saban aerial basketball suit edition
Dom's Dish - Monday, March 26, 2007
The best football news this offseason just came over ESPN's wires this morning: Ron Jaworski will join Tony Kornheiser and Mike Tirico on ESPN's Monday Night Football. Not that I hate Joe Theismann...he's just so damn annoying! Tony Kornheiser has joked about it on "Pardon the Interruption" - PTI - that there exists some angst between he and Theismann, and I always though he was kidding, but there wasn't much chemistry in that box. Mike Tirico is awesome - he was a guest host with Tony on PTI last week, and he's actually pretty funny. Now, if they can stipulate in Jaws' contract to not be such a "homer" when they broadcast the Eagles this year, then that will be some pretty good coverage on ESPN all year. "We appreciate the work Joe has done for 19 years and continue to talk with him about another high-profile football role with ESPN," said an executive with ESPN. Riiiiiggghhht. I hope not, we want to see less of him, not more.
Now, seriously, what is up with that? It's not just CBS that wastes their money on it - ESPN/ABC, and others do it. Aerial coverage for an indoor sporting event?!?!? Especially places like East Rutherford, Sacramento, anywhere for that matter. "Here is the building where everyone is - you'll notice these vast parking lots around it," like why? I think we've all seen an arena before, and cars from about 1,000 feet up. Daytona Speedway, Giants Stadium, Citizen's Bank Park, heck even Augusta National works - BECAUSE THERE ARE PEOPLE OUTSIDE! It's cool when they show a place like Dallas or Miami at night with the lights on for a basketball game - but can't they just take a picture from a tall building or a local news helicopter one time, and save that. We don't know - and frankly, I wonder how many others care if the shadows fall to the left or right of the picture. Stop wasting money - give whoever the sponsor is (Goodyear, Southwest Airlines) a few extra shout outs on air - no need to waste gas. Another reason American's are hated 'round the world.
Speaking of the NCAA tournament: "Memphis, Georgetown, Ohio State, UCLA will go far." I should have picked one from each bracket, but I really don't like Florida. I think I would like them if that Troy Polamalu look-alike Joakim Noah weren't there. I don't really know what it is, other than the hair. I had these same sentiments against Adam Morrison (porn 'stache might be the main factor there), Troy Polamalu, Michael Bolton...but not Cole Hamels or Jared Weaver. Guess it's the long nappy hair - I wonder why Santillo's? Anyway, hopefully we don't have to see him (Noah) dancing again or doing the stupid gator chomp, instead he can look more like the shot of Morrison crying on the court after a loss. Against UCLA on Saturday about 10:30pm. I'm hoping for a Georgetown-UCLA matchup on Monday, though the only team I can't stand of these four is Florida. All those years rooting for Florida State in college football will make one learn to dislike the Gators. Two #1 seeds and two #2's - somewhat boring and predictable, not sure if 2007 counts as "March Madness."
ESPN needs to go out on a limb, I say for like a week at least. When I'm watching the 5 or 6pm news, chances are, I might be just getting home from work, in a business suit or at least a nice button down shirt. Watching Larry Mendte, Vince DeMentri, Bill Evans or Katie Couric are times it's neat that they're dressed up for TV. When I watch Sportscenter, I'm in jeans, sweats, gym shorts or pajamas. For one week, I say, let the hosts of Sportscenter and other shows dress like they're in the comfort of their homes. Make-up is fine, just no suits. I wanna see Stuart Scott wearing matching pajamas with a classy Hef-style robe. Tony and Wilbon on PTI wearing matching sweatsuits, and Linda Cohn in jeans and a flannel. If they get complaints in the week, switch it back to suits, but I say try it out.
Nick Saban is already on the same level with ESPN. Confused? An Alabama fan named their first son "Saban." Kind of weird going after the last name. You'll remember there have been somewhere in the area of 20 known cases of people naming their children "Espn" over the past few years from Colorado to Denmark, I believe. I guess we're not too far off from my son Donovan "Tiger" Santillo.
Breaking Entertainment News: Anna Nicole Smith died from an "accidental overdose" according to the Medical Examiner. "Anna Nicole Smith was taking a long list of medications from methadone for pain and Valium. There was no foul play indicated." Those are the facts in a nutshell, but be prepared to watch it on the evening news for 5 minutes at a whack. How long before this plays out on an episode of "Law & Order"?
Around the balls:
Big-brown-oblong- NFL Owners' meeting is this week in Phoenix. Aside from punishments for off-the-field issues, revenue sharing and a stadium for the Giants and Jets will be discussed. News out of New Orleans today is that the Saints will remain there until at least 2010. I wonder if Goodell will try to live up to Tagliabue's expectation of getting a team to LA by 2009. Results of the revenue sharing discussion will play a part.
Giant-orange- Barton College over Winona State in the Division II Championship game looks like one of the best endings to a basketball game in the last 20 years - college or pro. Anthony Atkinson hit the lay-up with 0.1 seconds left. They'll probably show it on ESPN highlights tonight if you haven't seen it. Along with the Reggie Miller's 8 pts in 8 or so seconds in the playoff game against the Knicks like 10 years ago, or the Christian Laetner shot in the Final Four, this is up there. And by the way, Winona State had won 57-straight games - wow.
White-leather-stitched- Carl Pavano looks to be the Yankees opening day starter. It would be awesome to see him actually earn some of the money from the contract he signed in 2005. Rubber-non- It's almost over people - most teams have 6 or 7 games left in the regular season. Now if only the Devils can stop giving up 6 and 7 goals and maybe do something in the playoffs this year.
Tiny-white- Tiger. Need I say more.
Only-when-they-wreck- "The car of tomorrow" debuted in Bristol, TN this past weekend. I know you all were watching.
Program Alert:
Is this the week I turn off "24"? "Lost", "24" and "Grey's Anatomy" - three shows on the decline.
6 days to the regular season!
--------------------------------
For those new to "the dish", I once dreamed of being a sports-caster having my own column. Let me know if you don't like it, and/or want to be discontinued from the list. If you have another email address to send it to, send that to me also. For older issues of the dish, email me. domsdish@gmail.com or go to http://domsdish.blogspot.com
The best football news this offseason just came over ESPN's wires this morning: Ron Jaworski will join Tony Kornheiser and Mike Tirico on ESPN's Monday Night Football. Not that I hate Joe Theismann...he's just so damn annoying! Tony Kornheiser has joked about it on "Pardon the Interruption" - PTI - that there exists some angst between he and Theismann, and I always though he was kidding, but there wasn't much chemistry in that box. Mike Tirico is awesome - he was a guest host with Tony on PTI last week, and he's actually pretty funny. Now, if they can stipulate in Jaws' contract to not be such a "homer" when they broadcast the Eagles this year, then that will be some pretty good coverage on ESPN all year. "We appreciate the work Joe has done for 19 years and continue to talk with him about another high-profile football role with ESPN," said an executive with ESPN. Riiiiiggghhht. I hope not, we want to see less of him, not more.
Now, seriously, what is up with that? It's not just CBS that wastes their money on it - ESPN/ABC, and others do it. Aerial coverage for an indoor sporting event?!?!? Especially places like East Rutherford, Sacramento, anywhere for that matter. "Here is the building where everyone is - you'll notice these vast parking lots around it," like why? I think we've all seen an arena before, and cars from about 1,000 feet up. Daytona Speedway, Giants Stadium, Citizen's Bank Park, heck even Augusta National works - BECAUSE THERE ARE PEOPLE OUTSIDE! It's cool when they show a place like Dallas or Miami at night with the lights on for a basketball game - but can't they just take a picture from a tall building or a local news helicopter one time, and save that. We don't know - and frankly, I wonder how many others care if the shadows fall to the left or right of the picture. Stop wasting money - give whoever the sponsor is (Goodyear, Southwest Airlines) a few extra shout outs on air - no need to waste gas. Another reason American's are hated 'round the world.
Speaking of the NCAA tournament: "Memphis, Georgetown, Ohio State, UCLA will go far." I should have picked one from each bracket, but I really don't like Florida. I think I would like them if that Troy Polamalu look-alike Joakim Noah weren't there. I don't really know what it is, other than the hair. I had these same sentiments against Adam Morrison (porn 'stache might be the main factor there), Troy Polamalu, Michael Bolton...but not Cole Hamels or Jared Weaver. Guess it's the long nappy hair - I wonder why Santillo's? Anyway, hopefully we don't have to see him (Noah) dancing again or doing the stupid gator chomp, instead he can look more like the shot of Morrison crying on the court after a loss. Against UCLA on Saturday about 10:30pm. I'm hoping for a Georgetown-UCLA matchup on Monday, though the only team I can't stand of these four is Florida. All those years rooting for Florida State in college football will make one learn to dislike the Gators. Two #1 seeds and two #2's - somewhat boring and predictable, not sure if 2007 counts as "March Madness."
ESPN needs to go out on a limb, I say for like a week at least. When I'm watching the 5 or 6pm news, chances are, I might be just getting home from work, in a business suit or at least a nice button down shirt. Watching Larry Mendte, Vince DeMentri, Bill Evans or Katie Couric are times it's neat that they're dressed up for TV. When I watch Sportscenter, I'm in jeans, sweats, gym shorts or pajamas. For one week, I say, let the hosts of Sportscenter and other shows dress like they're in the comfort of their homes. Make-up is fine, just no suits. I wanna see Stuart Scott wearing matching pajamas with a classy Hef-style robe. Tony and Wilbon on PTI wearing matching sweatsuits, and Linda Cohn in jeans and a flannel. If they get complaints in the week, switch it back to suits, but I say try it out.
Nick Saban is already on the same level with ESPN. Confused? An Alabama fan named their first son "Saban." Kind of weird going after the last name. You'll remember there have been somewhere in the area of 20 known cases of people naming their children "Espn" over the past few years from Colorado to Denmark, I believe. I guess we're not too far off from my son Donovan "Tiger" Santillo.
Breaking Entertainment News: Anna Nicole Smith died from an "accidental overdose" according to the Medical Examiner. "Anna Nicole Smith was taking a long list of medications from methadone for pain and Valium. There was no foul play indicated." Those are the facts in a nutshell, but be prepared to watch it on the evening news for 5 minutes at a whack. How long before this plays out on an episode of "Law & Order"?
Around the balls:
Big-brown-oblong- NFL Owners' meeting is this week in Phoenix. Aside from punishments for off-the-field issues, revenue sharing and a stadium for the Giants and Jets will be discussed. News out of New Orleans today is that the Saints will remain there until at least 2010. I wonder if Goodell will try to live up to Tagliabue's expectation of getting a team to LA by 2009. Results of the revenue sharing discussion will play a part.
Giant-orange- Barton College over Winona State in the Division II Championship game looks like one of the best endings to a basketball game in the last 20 years - college or pro. Anthony Atkinson hit the lay-up with 0.1 seconds left. They'll probably show it on ESPN highlights tonight if you haven't seen it. Along with the Reggie Miller's 8 pts in 8 or so seconds in the playoff game against the Knicks like 10 years ago, or the Christian Laetner shot in the Final Four, this is up there. And by the way, Winona State had won 57-straight games - wow.
White-leather-stitched- Carl Pavano looks to be the Yankees opening day starter. It would be awesome to see him actually earn some of the money from the contract he signed in 2005. Rubber-non- It's almost over people - most teams have 6 or 7 games left in the regular season. Now if only the Devils can stop giving up 6 and 7 goals and maybe do something in the playoffs this year.
Tiny-white- Tiger. Need I say more.
Only-when-they-wreck- "The car of tomorrow" debuted in Bristol, TN this past weekend. I know you all were watching.
Program Alert:
Is this the week I turn off "24"? "Lost", "24" and "Grey's Anatomy" - three shows on the decline.
6 days to the regular season!
--------------------------------
For those new to "the dish", I once dreamed of being a sports-caster having my own column. Let me know if you don't like it, and/or want to be discontinued from the list. If you have another email address to send it to, send that to me also. For older issues of the dish, email me. domsdish@gmail.com or go to http://domsdish.blogspot.com
Friday, March 23, 2007
Dom's Dish - The really, really short edition (no, really)
Dom's Dish - Friday, March 23, 2007
Kobe Bryant is unbelievable - and no, I don't just mean his side of the alleged rape in Colorado. I mean on the court. One sportscaster called them "the Los Angeles Kobes" - only the fourth player in NBA history to score 50+ in three straight games. He scored 175 points in those games. When you watch him, it's like the people around him are high school players, well at least sometimes.
Dribbles into a corner, picks up his dribble, then looks for someone to pass to. That's Josh McRoberts, every time I watch him get the ball in the half court, he'll dribble down the right side, about 20 feet from the basket and pick up his dribble. They won't show that on his highlight tapes, but I've seen it every time I watch. And he is declaring for the NBA. Hopefully the Sixers aren't THAT stupid....are they? By the way, how old is Greg Oden of Ohio State? Damn, there are all these comparisons to Patrick Ewing how he plays, but its sad that he looks AS OLD as Patrick Ewing, right now!
Andy Reid is back - listening to the Press Conference, he had to ask the media TOO many times to stop asking questions about his family. The guy has been through enough, come on people. With about a month left before the draft, I still don't see the "leave" as a big issue - the Eagles signed some quality people, and you know he had a hand in it. The key will be staying free of the devastating injuries again. And by the way, he has the two older sons, and three younger sons.
Around the balls:
White-leather-stitched- I hate that I jinxed the Phillies - my prognostication came true - one of the starters is hurt and now they'll keep Lieber. Having too many starting pitchers is as much of a problem as having too many defensive linemen. Even if they are "OK" or "good" - keep them fresh.
Big-brown-oblong- Ron Mexico in the news again - he claims this time that his "water bottle" that security officials thought had "marijuana" in it, is a "hiding place" for "jewelry" and "earings." Sorry Ron, still don't believe you. You better hope you grasp Bobby Petrino's offense, otherwise you'll wind up replaced like David Carr. "Marijuana" won't help you grasp it - that only works when playing Madden.
Small-bug-with-noisy-legs- In world Cricket news, reports out of Jamaica say the Pakistani coach was strangled. What is this soccer? You lose and get off-ed?
Program Alert:
NCAA basketball is on this weekend again!?!?
Oh, and Tiger is playing golf this weekend in Orlando.
--------------------------------
For those new to "the dish", I once dreamed of being a sports-caster having my own column. Let me know if you don't like it, and/or want to be discontinued from the list. If you have another email address to send it to, send that to me also. For older issues of the dish, email me. domsdish@gmail.com or go to http://domsdish.blogspot.com/
Wednesday, March 21, 2007
Dom's Dish - Spring Sprung edition
Dom's Dish - Wednesday, March 21, 2007
The NCAA tournament. What else can I say? So far my prediction has held up: "Memphis, Georgetown, Ohio State, UCLA will go far." The first and second round games were somewhat uneventful. Not many upsets, and not many last second or OT wins. Sure, everyone's brackets are screwed, but that's every year. Problem is, almost every year, the 5/12 matchup is the biggest upset. Not one time did that hold true this year. All 7's won (over 10's), two 11's beat 6's, no 1's or 2's lost in the opening round, however three 9's beat 8's. The seeds left? 1-5, 3-7; 1-4, 3-2; 1-5, 6-2; 1-5, 3-2. Bad year to be a 4 seed - UVA, Maryland, Texas - 7, UNLV and 6, Vanderbilt have the chance to be "Cinderellas" if you can call a 6 or 7 an underdog. There have never been all four #1 seeds in the Final Four - will 2007 be the year? (Why is six afraid of seven? Because 7-8-9!) I should have checked with a doctorate in Stat before filling out my bracket this year!
(Someone let President Bush know that he is not Donald Trump - "ya fired!" Eight US attorneys let go? What's going on, lame duck?)
Breaking news: The Eagles have signed DT Montae Reagor, formerly of the Indianapolis Colts and Denver Broncos, to a 3 year $8.25 mil. I was waiting for over 20 minutes for the "11:30" news conference, but Adam Schefter of the NFL network had already reported it. I was able to listen to Dave Spadaro while I waited! Reagor is 6-3, 285. His season was ended prematurely last year because of an automobile accident on his way to a home game in Indianapolis, week 6 last year. He did not play another game after the accident on the Colts Super Bowl run. (The accident caused a fractured orbital bone below his left eye, that required surgery.) "Experts" are already questioning his ability to come back from this injury, but we're not talking an ACL or hamstring injury. Then I looked at him once the PC started. Wow. His face is swollen and his eye is almost shut, however he did just have cosmetic surgery this past Friday. As long as the swelling goes down by the middle of Training Camp, expect Reagor to be on the roster as a DT, specializing in the pass rush. What does that mean to the DT picture? Gut feeling? Don't be surprised if Jerome McDougle and/or Darwin Walker wind up being traded before or on draft day for some more draft picks. Why them? Expiring contracts - 2007 and 2008, respectively. (last year, Hank Fraley, Hollis Thomas, Josh Parry, and Mark Simoneau were all traded - contracts were set to expire 2006, 2006, 2007 and 2007 respectively)
No doubt, free agency for the Eagles has been subdued (compared to the T.O., Kearse year and frenzy last year), however when asked for comment on the recent free agent signings, die hard Eagles fan "Cougar" Wright on the Kevin Curtis signing, "It's good!" Thanks Cougar, back to Merrill in the studio...
"Sorry Roger, you tiger now"
(After too many years, I've officially had a "Philly Cheesesteak". Sunday marked the day (National Irish Hangover Day) that a car load of four of us went down to Sout' Philly and got ourselves the glorious sandwich. Not Geno's or Pat's, we tried the place that Bobby Flay challenged on "Throwdown" - Tony Luke's right near the stadium and food warehouse section of town. We parked right under 95 - lots of pigeon shit there - and we tried the more modern "beef and beer" building. Onions, provolone and pure 100% rib eye steak - scrumptious. And you don't have to worry about how the heck you order it. The wings are good too! I can now say I am from "South Jersey" after all these years. Now I can live up to my name = "Cheesesteak.")
Around the balls:
Giant-orange- Gilbert Arenas and John Dorian, what do they have in common? Both shout odd things after a "zinger" of sorts. "Zoom zoom zoom" is what J.D. (of "Scrubs") shouts after a good zinger. "Hibachi!" is what Arenas aka "Agent Zero" shouts after he knows a shot is going in...I don't know what my thing will be, but you'll know it...
White-leather-stitched- There is still talk that the Phils will trade Jon Lieber, a starting pitcher, for a reliever. I still question the possible move - traditionally it's harder to find a good starting pitcher who can throw for 6-7 innings every five days versus a guy to throw 1-2 quality innings every other or third day, right? Maybe I don't know enough about baseball, but still there's the possibility of injury, then they're up a creek...
Big-brown-oblong- Word on the street is that NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell (no, not Dom Goodell) may in fact suspend Adam "Pac man" Jones for up to 1 year for his conduct off the field. For those that missed all 10 run-ins with the law since his draft in 2005, the kid "can't cut off his friends" according to interviews that appeared on ESPN all weekend long. He's going to wind up suspended, piss the rest of his money away and be broke by 32. Sad.
Tiny-white- Tiger collapsed last weekend. From 6-under the first day, he had a three-hole series of bogey, double-bogey, triple-bogey. With only two weeks to go, I'm sure he'll be out on the range and on the course every day until Augusta begins. Tiger or the field in the Masters? I'll Take Tiger.
--------------------------------
For those new to "the dish", I once dreamed of being a sports-caster having my own column. Let me know if you don't like it, and/or want to be discontinued from the list. If you have another email address to send it to, send that to me also. For older issues of the dish, email me. domsdish@gmail.com or go to http://domsdish.blogspot.com/
The NCAA tournament. What else can I say? So far my prediction has held up: "Memphis, Georgetown, Ohio State, UCLA will go far." The first and second round games were somewhat uneventful. Not many upsets, and not many last second or OT wins. Sure, everyone's brackets are screwed, but that's every year. Problem is, almost every year, the 5/12 matchup is the biggest upset. Not one time did that hold true this year. All 7's won (over 10's), two 11's beat 6's, no 1's or 2's lost in the opening round, however three 9's beat 8's. The seeds left? 1-5, 3-7; 1-4, 3-2; 1-5, 6-2; 1-5, 3-2. Bad year to be a 4 seed - UVA, Maryland, Texas - 7, UNLV and 6, Vanderbilt have the chance to be "Cinderellas" if you can call a 6 or 7 an underdog. There have never been all four #1 seeds in the Final Four - will 2007 be the year? (Why is six afraid of seven? Because 7-8-9!) I should have checked with a doctorate in Stat before filling out my bracket this year!
(Someone let President Bush know that he is not Donald Trump - "ya fired!" Eight US attorneys let go? What's going on, lame duck?)
Breaking news: The Eagles have signed DT Montae Reagor, formerly of the Indianapolis Colts and Denver Broncos, to a 3 year $8.25 mil. I was waiting for over 20 minutes for the "11:30" news conference, but Adam Schefter of the NFL network had already reported it. I was able to listen to Dave Spadaro while I waited! Reagor is 6-3, 285. His season was ended prematurely last year because of an automobile accident on his way to a home game in Indianapolis, week 6 last year. He did not play another game after the accident on the Colts Super Bowl run. (The accident caused a fractured orbital bone below his left eye, that required surgery.) "Experts" are already questioning his ability to come back from this injury, but we're not talking an ACL or hamstring injury. Then I looked at him once the PC started. Wow. His face is swollen and his eye is almost shut, however he did just have cosmetic surgery this past Friday. As long as the swelling goes down by the middle of Training Camp, expect Reagor to be on the roster as a DT, specializing in the pass rush. What does that mean to the DT picture? Gut feeling? Don't be surprised if Jerome McDougle and/or Darwin Walker wind up being traded before or on draft day for some more draft picks. Why them? Expiring contracts - 2007 and 2008, respectively. (last year, Hank Fraley, Hollis Thomas, Josh Parry, and Mark Simoneau were all traded - contracts were set to expire 2006, 2006, 2007 and 2007 respectively)
No doubt, free agency for the Eagles has been subdued (compared to the T.O., Kearse year and frenzy last year), however when asked for comment on the recent free agent signings, die hard Eagles fan "Cougar" Wright on the Kevin Curtis signing, "It's good!" Thanks Cougar, back to Merrill in the studio...
"Sorry Roger, you tiger now"
(After too many years, I've officially had a "Philly Cheesesteak". Sunday marked the day (National Irish Hangover Day) that a car load of four of us went down to Sout' Philly and got ourselves the glorious sandwich. Not Geno's or Pat's, we tried the place that Bobby Flay challenged on "Throwdown" - Tony Luke's right near the stadium and food warehouse section of town. We parked right under 95 - lots of pigeon shit there - and we tried the more modern "beef and beer" building. Onions, provolone and pure 100% rib eye steak - scrumptious. And you don't have to worry about how the heck you order it. The wings are good too! I can now say I am from "South Jersey" after all these years. Now I can live up to my name = "Cheesesteak.")
Around the balls:
Giant-orange- Gilbert Arenas and John Dorian, what do they have in common? Both shout odd things after a "zinger" of sorts. "Zoom zoom zoom" is what J.D. (of "Scrubs") shouts after a good zinger. "Hibachi!" is what Arenas aka "Agent Zero" shouts after he knows a shot is going in...I don't know what my thing will be, but you'll know it...
White-leather-stitched- There is still talk that the Phils will trade Jon Lieber, a starting pitcher, for a reliever. I still question the possible move - traditionally it's harder to find a good starting pitcher who can throw for 6-7 innings every five days versus a guy to throw 1-2 quality innings every other or third day, right? Maybe I don't know enough about baseball, but still there's the possibility of injury, then they're up a creek...
Big-brown-oblong- Word on the street is that NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell (no, not Dom Goodell) may in fact suspend Adam "Pac man" Jones for up to 1 year for his conduct off the field. For those that missed all 10 run-ins with the law since his draft in 2005, the kid "can't cut off his friends" according to interviews that appeared on ESPN all weekend long. He's going to wind up suspended, piss the rest of his money away and be broke by 32. Sad.
Tiny-white- Tiger collapsed last weekend. From 6-under the first day, he had a three-hole series of bogey, double-bogey, triple-bogey. With only two weeks to go, I'm sure he'll be out on the range and on the course every day until Augusta begins. Tiger or the field in the Masters? I'll Take Tiger.
--------------------------------
For those new to "the dish", I once dreamed of being a sports-caster having my own column. Let me know if you don't like it, and/or want to be discontinued from the list. If you have another email address to send it to, send that to me also. For older issues of the dish, email me. domsdish@gmail.com or go to http://domsdish.blogspot.com/
Thursday, March 15, 2007
Dom's Dish - Throwback uni's, NCAA confusion and Jehova's edition
Dom's Dish - Thursday, March 15, 2007
The Ides of March have come....Aye, but not gone, Caesar! (Happy Belated Pi Day to everyone: 3-14! ~ 355/113 baby!)
Ah, the throwback uni! I have to say, it seems like the NBA teams wear throwback or special uniforms about 20 of their 80 game schedule. One I'm kind of sick of, is the neon orange Cleveland Cavaliers uni. I mean, they're ORANGE! I don't know what it is about orange, I'm just not a fan, especially for uniforms. Now some people in my family will say that I have "orange" Reebok mesh shorts, but I will dispute that and mention that they initially were "rust" color, and are now, especially after about 9 years of service. The one exception though, is Syracuse. It's just a nice orange. The other night, the Chicago Bulls wore green uni's in honor of Saturday's Holiday.
One I am fond of that I saw last night, is the Dallas Mavericks green and blue trim. Back in 1992 (when I had the full set of NBA Fleer trading cards) (and also had Run DMC "Down with the King" for my "Walkman") when I was really getting into the league, I thought the green uni's were one of the best in the NBA. Seeing those throwback colors reminded me of the old Hartford Whalers (NHL) uniforms. But I digress...great uni's, but an even better battle between the Suns and Mavericks. I do enjoy the half-court offense mentality of the East Coast - it's like a chess match, but the style of play these two teams run is like a fast half-court offense. It's unbelievable how fast they can score without even a real "fast-break". It's crazy how good the teams shoot - obviously both defenses are not top in the league, but the "plays" they run where someone is almost always open for a 3-ball, all the movement away from the ball, and the high percentages they shoot, they epitomize professional basketball. Talk about entertaining - fans there barely sat down from the mid-4th quarter on! (Side note, the announcers just mentioned that Jason Terry (Mavs) wears 5 pair of socks for each game - that has to add like a shoe size and a half - good cushioning, but when they say he's on fire, do they mean his feet?) What a shot by Terry with 4.9 seconds left in OT to tie it up with Nash's hand in his face! Now into the second OT, I've decided Steve Nash should definitely appear next to the word "awareness" in the dictionary. Double team him? He'll make an amazing dish. Single coverage, he'll put it up from anywhere or drive on you. Someone should give him an award! And, oh by the way, Amare Stoudamire is back: 41 pts on 16-19 FG, 9-12 FT, 10 REB, 2 BLK.
Lance Briggs' agent? Drew Rosenhaus. Bears coming off a Super Bowl loss, 2 years ago, the Eagles were too when T.O. made noise in the offseason. Chicago and Philly are both blue-collar towns. In an interview on ESPN, he likened his job to, in a way, being an average Joe. Last I checked, not many of "us" have $7.2 mil on the table or would have turned down a 7-yr $33 mil deal (as he did last offseason. To quote Little Richard from the Geico commercial: "Oooo - LOOK OUT!"
Apparently the NCAA Tournament starts this week. Who knew!? You all probably filled out your brackets by now, but here's a few predictions: Memphis, Georgetown, Ohio State, UCLA will go far. In maybe five brackets I've filled out, I have Ohio State, UCLA, Memphis, Georgetown and UNC winning it all, pick one. Still never a 16 has beaten a 1. 12/5 and 8/9 are the most common upsets. Aside from that, you might statistically be better off picking the higher seed in the rest of the games. (I'll have to ask somebody I know with a doctorate in Stat) Some major complaints: what the hell is this "opening round" / "play-in" game b.s.? What about this East/West/South/Midwest two years ago to city names last year to city names AND "regions" this year? How about mixed regions playing in the same place? (West and Midwest playing opening round games in Buffalo, NY) What is going on? Disorder! Disorder! Dis-Ooooerder! And they talk of expanding the field from 64....er, 65? I guess we can go to 256 teams. That might satisfy everyone. 256 to 128 to 64 in one weekend (last weekend), then 64 on from this weekend. Now that would be some madness! I mean after all, there are only 119 D-I football teams and all those Bowl games (33 in 2006/2007) - there are 326 D-I Mens basketball teams. Tennessee Technological University? Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University? University of Texas, Pan American? NCAA - if you do expand, my vote is 256! Then every network will have to cover those games.
Little did I know when my wife and I were looking for a house, but my neighborhood is definitely the "training grounds" for Jehova's Witnesses. To each his own - religion and spiritualism is something that I believe is, and should remain personal for everyone. Each has their own way (or non-way) of expressing it, and their own beliefs. Anyway, being that I work from home now and used to work odd hours in the restaurant business and be home during days, I've been caught standing at the door talking to them twice before. It's crazy, a mini-van will pull up, 10 people pile out and walk the streets. It kind of reminds me of a large family of trick-or-treaters in a safe neighborhood, a family dispersing in the mall with a meeting time/place, or worse yet, a clown car, except in suits and ties wielding pamphlets. They won't catch me anymore. Yesterday, while waiting for a fence estimate, the doorbell rang; but before I unlocked the door, I spotted the guy in the suit and army crawled right behind the chair. I tell you, I hid quicker and better than my brother watching the Wicked Witch in "The Wizzard of Oz." Yeah sure, that was last weekend, but I learn quick. Those Jehova's weren't gonna get me this time, no sir. Morale of the story? Nothing good ever happens when someone wearing a suit shows up at your front door. By the way, if anyone wants me to scan in the latest copy of the "Watchtower" pamphlet, let me know.
Some more of the best commercials on TV:
- "Carne asada." "CAAAR-nay Asada." "Ricardo Montelban?" (Taco Bell lions)
- "MOOOU-LA!" "You save El-Moula!" (Comcast Cable)
- The catchy acoustic guitar playing the background music for "Zoom zoom zoom!" (Mazda)
- "YOU COME PUSH IT! You push it real good!" (Comcast)
(Speak of the devil, Comcast all of the sudden sucks ass in my neighborhood - I feel like Mr. Slowsky during the day on the internet and at times at night, I'm lucky if I get every third word on digital cable, watching through the green bars)
For the catch phrases:
- "Boost mobile! Where you AT!?!"
- The new "Day Dreams" commercials (gentleman's club in Philly) "Where the girls wear nothing but a smile."
The worst:
- The Mazda commercial with the song "Let the sunshine...." (getting up there in frequency with the Dodge Rock-em sock-em commercial)
Around the balls:
Giant-orange- Syracuse did not disappoint as did Drexel. 10-6 in the Big East gets an NIT birth, not even a #1 seed there either. I think they'll win it all, Jim Boeheim is that kind of coach. On great coaching - any press conference with Bobby Knight is worth watching. Such an entertaining cocky prick.
White-leather-stitched- Gary Matthews Jr. finally came out and said he never took HGH. Yeah, we believe you know that you're all lawyered up (such a good term, "Law & Order"). Oh yeah and Pete Rose said yesterday - on radio - that he bet on the Reds while managing them, every night.
Rubber-non- The Flyers gave their new GM Paul Holmgren a 2-year contract extension. Am I missing something? "Has made great moves since taking over in late October," so says The Hockey News. They are in last place, right? Ah well, go Devils - get healthy, will ya!
Big-brown-oblong- JaMarcus Russell of LSU had his Pro Day yesterday. He's dropped 10 lbs since the combine and he again flaunted his arm strength. (85 yards standing up, 65 yards from his knees and 45 yards from his back) Hopefully he is all the Raiders need to again come back from the "black hole" they're in. Otherwise he might be the next Tim Couch or David Carr, and throwing from his back will be a useful trait.
Program Alert:
Uh....someone said the NCAA Tournament started sometime soon....not sure when...ah well, maybe it'll be on ESPN sometime?
Game of the workday prediction: 10 Texas Tech vs. 7 Boston College - 12:25pm EDT
Links:
http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/photos?photoId=1480360&gameId=270314006 - Mavs in green
http://web1.ncaa.org/onlineDir/exec/sponsorship?sortOrder=0&division=1&sport=MBB - 326 teams
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pi - Pi
--------------------------------
For those new to "the dish", I once dreamed of being a sports-caster having my own column. Let me know if you don't like it, and/or want to be discontinued from the list. If you have another email address to send it to, send that to me also. For older issues of the dish, email me. domsdish@gmail.com or go to http://domsdish.blogspot.com/
The Ides of March have come....Aye, but not gone, Caesar! (Happy Belated Pi Day to everyone: 3-14! ~ 355/113 baby!)
Ah, the throwback uni! I have to say, it seems like the NBA teams wear throwback or special uniforms about 20 of their 80 game schedule. One I'm kind of sick of, is the neon orange Cleveland Cavaliers uni. I mean, they're ORANGE! I don't know what it is about orange, I'm just not a fan, especially for uniforms. Now some people in my family will say that I have "orange" Reebok mesh shorts, but I will dispute that and mention that they initially were "rust" color, and are now, especially after about 9 years of service. The one exception though, is Syracuse. It's just a nice orange. The other night, the Chicago Bulls wore green uni's in honor of Saturday's Holiday.
One I am fond of that I saw last night, is the Dallas Mavericks green and blue trim. Back in 1992 (when I had the full set of NBA Fleer trading cards) (and also had Run DMC "Down with the King" for my "Walkman") when I was really getting into the league, I thought the green uni's were one of the best in the NBA. Seeing those throwback colors reminded me of the old Hartford Whalers (NHL) uniforms. But I digress...great uni's, but an even better battle between the Suns and Mavericks. I do enjoy the half-court offense mentality of the East Coast - it's like a chess match, but the style of play these two teams run is like a fast half-court offense. It's unbelievable how fast they can score without even a real "fast-break". It's crazy how good the teams shoot - obviously both defenses are not top in the league, but the "plays" they run where someone is almost always open for a 3-ball, all the movement away from the ball, and the high percentages they shoot, they epitomize professional basketball. Talk about entertaining - fans there barely sat down from the mid-4th quarter on! (Side note, the announcers just mentioned that Jason Terry (Mavs) wears 5 pair of socks for each game - that has to add like a shoe size and a half - good cushioning, but when they say he's on fire, do they mean his feet?) What a shot by Terry with 4.9 seconds left in OT to tie it up with Nash's hand in his face! Now into the second OT, I've decided Steve Nash should definitely appear next to the word "awareness" in the dictionary. Double team him? He'll make an amazing dish. Single coverage, he'll put it up from anywhere or drive on you. Someone should give him an award! And, oh by the way, Amare Stoudamire is back: 41 pts on 16-19 FG, 9-12 FT, 10 REB, 2 BLK.
Lance Briggs' agent? Drew Rosenhaus. Bears coming off a Super Bowl loss, 2 years ago, the Eagles were too when T.O. made noise in the offseason. Chicago and Philly are both blue-collar towns. In an interview on ESPN, he likened his job to, in a way, being an average Joe. Last I checked, not many of "us" have $7.2 mil on the table or would have turned down a 7-yr $33 mil deal (as he did last offseason. To quote Little Richard from the Geico commercial: "Oooo - LOOK OUT!"
Apparently the NCAA Tournament starts this week. Who knew!? You all probably filled out your brackets by now, but here's a few predictions: Memphis, Georgetown, Ohio State, UCLA will go far. In maybe five brackets I've filled out, I have Ohio State, UCLA, Memphis, Georgetown and UNC winning it all, pick one. Still never a 16 has beaten a 1. 12/5 and 8/9 are the most common upsets. Aside from that, you might statistically be better off picking the higher seed in the rest of the games. (I'll have to ask somebody I know with a doctorate in Stat) Some major complaints: what the hell is this "opening round" / "play-in" game b.s.? What about this East/West/South/Midwest two years ago to city names last year to city names AND "regions" this year? How about mixed regions playing in the same place? (West and Midwest playing opening round games in Buffalo, NY) What is going on? Disorder! Disorder! Dis-Ooooerder! And they talk of expanding the field from 64....er, 65? I guess we can go to 256 teams. That might satisfy everyone. 256 to 128 to 64 in one weekend (last weekend), then 64 on from this weekend. Now that would be some madness! I mean after all, there are only 119 D-I football teams and all those Bowl games (33 in 2006/2007) - there are 326 D-I Mens basketball teams. Tennessee Technological University? Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University? University of Texas, Pan American? NCAA - if you do expand, my vote is 256! Then every network will have to cover those games.
Little did I know when my wife and I were looking for a house, but my neighborhood is definitely the "training grounds" for Jehova's Witnesses. To each his own - religion and spiritualism is something that I believe is, and should remain personal for everyone. Each has their own way (or non-way) of expressing it, and their own beliefs. Anyway, being that I work from home now and used to work odd hours in the restaurant business and be home during days, I've been caught standing at the door talking to them twice before. It's crazy, a mini-van will pull up, 10 people pile out and walk the streets. It kind of reminds me of a large family of trick-or-treaters in a safe neighborhood, a family dispersing in the mall with a meeting time/place, or worse yet, a clown car, except in suits and ties wielding pamphlets. They won't catch me anymore. Yesterday, while waiting for a fence estimate, the doorbell rang; but before I unlocked the door, I spotted the guy in the suit and army crawled right behind the chair. I tell you, I hid quicker and better than my brother watching the Wicked Witch in "The Wizzard of Oz." Yeah sure, that was last weekend, but I learn quick. Those Jehova's weren't gonna get me this time, no sir. Morale of the story? Nothing good ever happens when someone wearing a suit shows up at your front door. By the way, if anyone wants me to scan in the latest copy of the "Watchtower" pamphlet, let me know.
Some more of the best commercials on TV:
- "Carne asada." "CAAAR-nay Asada." "Ricardo Montelban?" (Taco Bell lions)
- "MOOOU-LA!" "You save El-Moula!" (Comcast Cable)
- The catchy acoustic guitar playing the background music for "Zoom zoom zoom!" (Mazda)
- "YOU COME PUSH IT! You push it real good!" (Comcast)
(Speak of the devil, Comcast all of the sudden sucks ass in my neighborhood - I feel like Mr. Slowsky during the day on the internet and at times at night, I'm lucky if I get every third word on digital cable, watching through the green bars)
For the catch phrases:
- "Boost mobile! Where you AT!?!"
- The new "Day Dreams" commercials (gentleman's club in Philly) "Where the girls wear nothing but a smile."
The worst:
- The Mazda commercial with the song "Let the sunshine...." (getting up there in frequency with the Dodge Rock-em sock-em commercial)
Around the balls:
Giant-orange- Syracuse did not disappoint as did Drexel. 10-6 in the Big East gets an NIT birth, not even a #1 seed there either. I think they'll win it all, Jim Boeheim is that kind of coach. On great coaching - any press conference with Bobby Knight is worth watching. Such an entertaining cocky prick.
White-leather-stitched- Gary Matthews Jr. finally came out and said he never took HGH. Yeah, we believe you know that you're all lawyered up (such a good term, "Law & Order"). Oh yeah and Pete Rose said yesterday - on radio - that he bet on the Reds while managing them, every night.
Rubber-non- The Flyers gave their new GM Paul Holmgren a 2-year contract extension. Am I missing something? "Has made great moves since taking over in late October," so says The Hockey News. They are in last place, right? Ah well, go Devils - get healthy, will ya!
Big-brown-oblong- JaMarcus Russell of LSU had his Pro Day yesterday. He's dropped 10 lbs since the combine and he again flaunted his arm strength. (85 yards standing up, 65 yards from his knees and 45 yards from his back) Hopefully he is all the Raiders need to again come back from the "black hole" they're in. Otherwise he might be the next Tim Couch or David Carr, and throwing from his back will be a useful trait.
Program Alert:
Uh....someone said the NCAA Tournament started sometime soon....not sure when...ah well, maybe it'll be on ESPN sometime?
Game of the workday prediction: 10 Texas Tech vs. 7 Boston College - 12:25pm EDT
Links:
http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/photos?photoId=1480360&gameId=270314006 - Mavs in green
http://web1.ncaa.org/onlineDir/exec/sponsorship?sortOrder=0&division=1&sport=MBB - 326 teams
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pi - Pi
--------------------------------
For those new to "the dish", I once dreamed of being a sports-caster having my own column. Let me know if you don't like it, and/or want to be discontinued from the list. If you have another email address to send it to, send that to me also. For older issues of the dish, email me. domsdish@gmail.com or go to http://domsdish.blogspot.com/
Tuesday, March 13, 2007
Dom's Dish - Big Babies edition
Dom's Dish - Tuesday, March 13, 2007
So, Glen "Big Baby" Davis, aka "Baby Shaq" is supposedly going to declare for the NBA draft. Not bad, he made it three years in college hoops, though this past injury-plagued season means his draft stock will probably fall out of the first few picks (I don't think he was every that high anyway). Last year's SEC player of the year and of Final Four fame, missed three games due to injury this year and LSU never got it going, finishing in last place in the SEC West. He may not sign an agent just yet, making him able to possibly come back for next season - the Brian Brohm rule. He did end the season with a double-double average, over 17 pts and 10 rebounds and he does have a nice 6'9" frame. It's the 295 lbs that will make him a presence inside and limit him to "East Coast" style play (aka the half-court offense). At the rate they're going, Sixers could be a playoff contender this season, falling a few picks in June's draft. Will #0 of LSU get drafted by the Sixers? That's what they ought to do...
Speaking of big babies...Lance Briggs. Dude made $700k last year and is going hard at the Bears management for franchise tagging him without a long-term deal. The franchise tender would be around $7.2 million (yeah, 10x his salary) and he is resigned to sitting out a year if need be. I hate asses like that. Even after the government and his agent gets their piece, he still will walk with let's say $4 million to play football for one season. Stay healthy, get a long term offer next season and you're still a millionaire. Idiots. You're playing with Brian Urlacher. You made it to the Super Bowl. There are 7 million reasons why you should shut your pipes and take the tag. I see two worse cases: sit out the year, get a smaller contract next year, don't prove yourself and get cut, out of football in 2 years with only a few hundred k in your pocket. Or, get a long term deal, blow out both knees and never play again.
As for the Eagles, they thought they had that kid Ryan Fowler from the Cowboys. Aside from being a special teams player, he has started only 3 games and for some reason the Birds were willing to throw around $10 million at him for 4 years. I'm glad he took the Titans offer and not the Eagles. They don't need to overspend on mediocre talent. Draft mediocre talent and pay accordingly. How about Ike Reese? Bring him back to play special teams, you know you want to.
So, while at Trenton's St. Paddy's Day parade/drinkfest, I got to observe something I haven't seen since my childhood: silly string. What is that stuff? String? Soap? Plastic? Foam? Toxic? My favorite part is when all the kids are spraying all the firetrucks as they pass by. What's up with that? One of my favorite moments was when a former co-worker I saw handed two kids a few cans and instructed them to do it, "Here, go spray the firetrucks. When I was a probee those bastards used to make me clean it." Case closed.
Around the balls:
Giant-orange- "Jesus Christ could come back and we still wouldn't have a chance because we've ruined the mix by not playing together," said Coach Phil Jackson when asked about the Lakers current injury situation. Now listen Colonel Sanders! That's one way to motivate your team, you Zen-ist!
White-leather-stitched- The Washington Nationals new stadium, to be completed by next April, will have a "grove of cherry trees" behind its left field bleachers. Get it? Washington? Cherry tree?
Rubber-non- Chris Simon was suspended 25 games by the NHL. His coach thought he would only be suspended 12 games. The Islanders better drug-test their coach, 'cuz he's smokin' something.
Big-brown-oblong- The Giants finally realized free agency was on and signed a washed up RB that only had a few great seasons due to Mike Shannahan. Reuben Droughns was a full back at one point. Brandon Jacobs is 6-4. The "Hefty Lefty" is up there too. Talk about a goal-line package...
Only-when-they-wreck- So I was watching a little NASCAR on Sunday. FOX does this thing where they tell you to turn up the volume so you only hear the cars (commentators take a smoke/dip break). I followed along (sounds good with surround sound). I tell ya what man, as fast as they go, it's got to be a sport. I mean they want to keep trim for less weight in the cars, they're sweating in those suits and there has to be a few G's they pull in some of those turns. Oh and there's as much cheating as baseball. Sport!
Program Alert:
"The Opening Round Game" is tonight on ESPN for the Mens NCAA tournament. It's not a "play-in game" since both are in- such crap. Stick to 64 teams and stop being lazy and cut someone. Anyway, tonight 7:30pm. It's either that or "Idol".
Links:
http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2797237http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-lakers13mar13,0,86149.story?coll=la-home-sportshttp://www.nationwidespeakers.com/images/biopics/phil_jackson.jpg
--------------------------------
For those new to "the dish", I once dreamed of being a sports-caster having my own column. Let me know if you don't like it, and/or want to be discontinued from the list. If you have another email address to send it to, send that to me also. For older issues of the dish, email me. domsdish@gmail.com or go to http://domsdish.blogspot.com/
So, Glen "Big Baby" Davis, aka "Baby Shaq" is supposedly going to declare for the NBA draft. Not bad, he made it three years in college hoops, though this past injury-plagued season means his draft stock will probably fall out of the first few picks (I don't think he was every that high anyway). Last year's SEC player of the year and of Final Four fame, missed three games due to injury this year and LSU never got it going, finishing in last place in the SEC West. He may not sign an agent just yet, making him able to possibly come back for next season - the Brian Brohm rule. He did end the season with a double-double average, over 17 pts and 10 rebounds and he does have a nice 6'9" frame. It's the 295 lbs that will make him a presence inside and limit him to "East Coast" style play (aka the half-court offense). At the rate they're going, Sixers could be a playoff contender this season, falling a few picks in June's draft. Will #0 of LSU get drafted by the Sixers? That's what they ought to do...
Speaking of big babies...Lance Briggs. Dude made $700k last year and is going hard at the Bears management for franchise tagging him without a long-term deal. The franchise tender would be around $7.2 million (yeah, 10x his salary) and he is resigned to sitting out a year if need be. I hate asses like that. Even after the government and his agent gets their piece, he still will walk with let's say $4 million to play football for one season. Stay healthy, get a long term offer next season and you're still a millionaire. Idiots. You're playing with Brian Urlacher. You made it to the Super Bowl. There are 7 million reasons why you should shut your pipes and take the tag. I see two worse cases: sit out the year, get a smaller contract next year, don't prove yourself and get cut, out of football in 2 years with only a few hundred k in your pocket. Or, get a long term deal, blow out both knees and never play again.
As for the Eagles, they thought they had that kid Ryan Fowler from the Cowboys. Aside from being a special teams player, he has started only 3 games and for some reason the Birds were willing to throw around $10 million at him for 4 years. I'm glad he took the Titans offer and not the Eagles. They don't need to overspend on mediocre talent. Draft mediocre talent and pay accordingly. How about Ike Reese? Bring him back to play special teams, you know you want to.
So, while at Trenton's St. Paddy's Day parade/drinkfest, I got to observe something I haven't seen since my childhood: silly string. What is that stuff? String? Soap? Plastic? Foam? Toxic? My favorite part is when all the kids are spraying all the firetrucks as they pass by. What's up with that? One of my favorite moments was when a former co-worker I saw handed two kids a few cans and instructed them to do it, "Here, go spray the firetrucks. When I was a probee those bastards used to make me clean it." Case closed.
Around the balls:
Giant-orange- "Jesus Christ could come back and we still wouldn't have a chance because we've ruined the mix by not playing together," said Coach Phil Jackson when asked about the Lakers current injury situation. Now listen Colonel Sanders! That's one way to motivate your team, you Zen-ist!
White-leather-stitched- The Washington Nationals new stadium, to be completed by next April, will have a "grove of cherry trees" behind its left field bleachers. Get it? Washington? Cherry tree?
Rubber-non- Chris Simon was suspended 25 games by the NHL. His coach thought he would only be suspended 12 games. The Islanders better drug-test their coach, 'cuz he's smokin' something.
Big-brown-oblong- The Giants finally realized free agency was on and signed a washed up RB that only had a few great seasons due to Mike Shannahan. Reuben Droughns was a full back at one point. Brandon Jacobs is 6-4. The "Hefty Lefty" is up there too. Talk about a goal-line package...
Only-when-they-wreck- So I was watching a little NASCAR on Sunday. FOX does this thing where they tell you to turn up the volume so you only hear the cars (commentators take a smoke/dip break). I followed along (sounds good with surround sound). I tell ya what man, as fast as they go, it's got to be a sport. I mean they want to keep trim for less weight in the cars, they're sweating in those suits and there has to be a few G's they pull in some of those turns. Oh and there's as much cheating as baseball. Sport!
Program Alert:
"The Opening Round Game" is tonight on ESPN for the Mens NCAA tournament. It's not a "play-in game" since both are in- such crap. Stick to 64 teams and stop being lazy and cut someone. Anyway, tonight 7:30pm. It's either that or "Idol".
Links:
http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2797237http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-lakers13mar13,0,86149.story?coll=la-home-sportshttp://www.nationwidespeakers.com/images/biopics/phil_jackson.jpg
--------------------------------
For those new to "the dish", I once dreamed of being a sports-caster having my own column. Let me know if you don't like it, and/or want to be discontinued from the list. If you have another email address to send it to, send that to me also. For older issues of the dish, email me. domsdish@gmail.com or go to http://domsdish.blogspot.com/
Friday, March 9, 2007
Dom's Dish - March Craziness edition
Dom's Dish - Friday, March 9, 2007
So, I was up in North Jersey, away from home, and I briefly caught something about this somewhere on ESPN or the radio, but didn't get all the specifics. Then I found an article in USA Today and had to rip it out, since I was perplexed at the story. You probably heard about this huge steroid bust/online pharmacy sting that involves the states of NY, FL and Alabama (AL - I know AL is the state abbreviation, but not sure if all of you out there do...). First, Gary Matthews, Jr. a baseball player who was a Texas Ranger, but in "hot stove" negotiations got sent to the Anaheim/LA Angels (I think they're still "The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim") accepting a 5 year $50 million contract. When it leaked that he might be involved, he did not refute or deny the statement like many before him (Palmiero, Bonds, McGuire) that were suspected. Nope, he said "he needed more information." Earlier this week, he hired star attorney Robert Shapiro, yes, THAT Robert Shapiro of O.J. Simpson fame. (I wonder if Shapiro will use a Cochran move and have Matthews try on an old batting glove...never mind) Ridiculous what all of this means, especially getting to my next point...
...So, the article I clipped was one that cited a report on all of this that a former major leaguer right here in the Philly area received up to 6 shipments of HCG (human chorionic gonadotropin) for a "medical condition." The player is former third baseman, David Bell. Now, when I read this, I thought, "self, there's no way," I mean, the guy's father, Buddy Bell is the skipper of the KC Royals and had an MLB career, maybe that's why he's stuck around this league so long. Like others suspected before him though, they got bigger, stronger and performed better. Not David Bell. Unless we're talking about his stats from 2004 that shot up with the Phils from .195 AVG in 85 games with 4 HR in 2003 to a stunning .291 with 18 HR in 143 games in 2004. Even still, the average isn't indicative of a "performance enhancing drug" - they don't improve eye-hand coordination, do they? Also in this 37-pg report, it points out one common factor: Bell, Matthews and Jerry Hairston all have former major league fathers. Conspiracy theory? Now, David Bell is nowhere to be found on any MLB roster after not being re-signed by the Milwaukee Brewers, so there's no reason to rain on his non-parade. I'd still have to say that these "performance enhancers" didn't work for David and do wholeheartedly agree with the guy, who looked like Hugo from "Lost," in section 104 of Citizen's Bank Park - "David Bell: YOU SUCK!"
Dominic Rhodes, near Super Bowl MVP, has visited more than a few teams in this free agency period, including the Giants and Bills. However, today he agreed to a deal with the....Oakland Raiders? Lamont Jordan restructured his deal a week ago, now they bring in another back? I guess Lane Kiffin (31 yr old coach) who at USC last year, didn't have a "feature back" plans to utilize the same system. I guess Dominic's DWI charge a few weeks ago really made an impact - he's sent to the island of misfit toys...er, NFL players, out in Oaktown. And it was mentioned yesterday on NFL radio by the Afternoon Blitz team - do the Giants know free agency started? They've lost a good kicker (Jay Feely to Miami), a huge Left Tackle (cut Luke Pettigout, now in Tampa) and cut a mistake they made last offseason (Lavar Arrington).
What's with the ACC Championship location? The majority of the conference is centered around the Carolinas (with BC being in Mass.), and they hold the tournament down in Tampa? Great city, but why make 90% of the teams travel on a 1 1/2 hour flight? Couldn't get the arena in Charlotte or DC this year? And I don't get how some tournaments let everyone in. Miami was 4-12 in the ACC this year, and they almost had another upset. I guess 5 wins in a row is a big feat for an NCAA auto-bid.
This whole new Daylight Savings Time is getting out of hand. So a few people will be late for meetings? I heard people compare it to Y2K. What? The threat of financial institutions shutting down back in 1999 vs. a few people being at the right place at the wrong time? There is no other comparison other than the fact that it affects all computers and has to do with date/time. P.S. don't forget to spring forward and lose sleep on Sunday morning at 2am! A week into free agency, with all the money being thrown about, the Eagles are entering the fold. For those out there calling for a WR, you've got one and maybe another on the way. Those same people won't be happy even still. Bethel Johnson? Kevin Curtis, possibly? Does anyone remember how excited we got about Jabar Gaffney last year? Look where he ended up, not on this roster. Today, they added William James, my guess is that he'll be their Nickel CB for the year, but don't be surprised if they draft a CB this year in the late rounds (for cheap).
(side note - not just because I'm an Eagles fan, but I've visited most every NFL site, and am perplexed to see that not many of them keep writing articles and updating all areas of their site during the offseason. http://www.philadelphiaeagles.com/ has a great staff, has won awards for NFL content, have a regular contributor in Dave Spadaro (who honestly writes a column 330 of the 365 days every year I bet) and always have new features and interviews with players. I guess other teams don't see the value...)
Around the balls:
Giant-orange- Villanova was getting spanked yesterday and nearly came close to tying the game in the final minutes. For a team who lost some key pieces to the pie in the last few years to the NBA: Randy Foye, Allan Ray, Kyle Lowry, etc. they're having a great season. Goes to show Jay Wright is a great coach and Nova will definitely be in the brackets come Sunday night.
White-leather-stitched- Mike Hampton of the Braves, a pitcher, who was trying to come back from an elbow injury, was injured the other day while taking batting practice. He strained his left oblique while swinging and could be out 2 months. To DH or not to DH? Another chip for the entire league to go DH...?
Rubber-non- It's definitely worth watching the hit, as it's up there with the Todd Bertuzzi hit a few years ago (when he slammed another player's head into the ice). Last night, Chris Simon of the NY Islanders used his stick to hit NY Ranger Ryan Hollweg in the face. Ok, sure he got put in the boards by another player, but holy cow - he used his stick swinging it at Hollweg's face like a baseball bat or an axe. Ugly. I'm all for fights in hockey, but totally uncalled for. He's been suspended for (my favorite word that I don't know what it means:) indefinitely. Probably the remainder of the season.
Big-brown-oblong- Willis McGahee was traded from Buffalo to Baltimore for 3 draft picks - 2 in April and one in 2008. Funny, that's also the number of children he has supposedly fathered during his stay in Buffalo...
...March definitely has "come in like a lion"...
Program Alert:
Borat is out on DVD as of Tuesday. Very nice!
Sunday night, NCAA Brackets come out. If you don't watch, you're not a true sports fan...or you're busy. Whether you watch on CBS or ESPN, you're right!
--------------------------------
For those new to "the dish", I once dreamed of being a sports-caster having my own column. Let me know if you don't like it, and/or want to be discontinued from the list. If you have another email address to send it to, send that to me also. For older issues of the dish, email me. domsdish@gmail.com or go to http://domsdish.blogspot.com/
Tuesday, March 6, 2007
Dom's Dish - Free Agency - eNormously Frikken Loaded edition
Dom's Dish - Tuesday, March 6, 2007
Since Friday, the NFL "business season" has not disappointed. (There is no offseason people). With well over $1/2 billion thrown around on contracts to players in these last five days, there sure are some hefty signing bonuses being thrown around. And how about those that have signed in the state of Florida - Dennis Northcut and Tony Pashos (JAX), Joey Porter and David Martin (Miami), and Jeff Garcia (Tampa) who soon will suddenly realize that their signing bonuses are state income tax free! But it's been crazy all the moves thus far. And most of the names recently are 30-something players: Brad Johnson (Dallas), Ahman Green (Texans), Joey Porter (30 in 2 weeks) (Miami), Jeff Garcia (Bucs), and Kevin Carter (Bucs).
For all these years, the Patriots have kept quiet in free agency and been praised for the way they have managed the cap. What happens? They lose to the Colts who win the big one and now they skip their management style? Throwing all kinds of money around...on Kyle Brady, Adalius Thomas, Sammy Morris and Wes Welker. I rescind my offer that Jeff Garcia will end up the Gil Meche of the NFL free agency period. That title now goes to Wes Welker. Welker signed a 5 year, $18.1 million contract (with $9 mil guaranteed money in bonuses), AND the Patriots gave up two draft picks for him to Miami (2nd and 7th), all for a 5-9 wide receiver who had a freak season last year with 67 catches. He does fit the Patiot-jack-of-all-trades mold, he is a returner and actually back in his rookie season (2004), kicked a 29-yd field goal and an extra point during the regular season. But only two career TD's - one return and one reception. The next Wayne Chrebet? Last year, of his 67 catches, more than 30 went for 1st downs. Still, $18 million?!? And oh, by the way, 12 fumbles in 3 years (most as a returner).
And how about the Cowboys? Leonard Davis was a bust for years in Arizona, so sign him to a huge deal. Best signing though is Brad Johnson. He can still play, yes, but in the past few years, the Cowboys have tried Vinny Testaverde, Drew Bledsoe and now Brad Johnson as a QB for their roster. This is 2007 and not 1997, right?
(Moral of the story, when you're sitting in the first row and the flight attendant asks you to turn off the cell phone, do it. I don't agree with it, especially when still on the ground and at the gate, but on Friday I witnessed a male flight attendant go off on some guy sitting right in front of me. Apparently, the gentleman (passenger) gave a signal like brushing off the flight attendant's request. After the second time and during the safety presentation (that this flight attendant apparently takes very seriously), the gentleman turned his phone back on to do something. Whoah! The flight attendant yelled at the passenger so loud I can only compare it to a teacher yelling at a kid with their hand on the fire alarm. The passenger took it well, but when he asked the flight attendant his name calmly, he went off even more. After a call to the captain to notify of the situation, an announcement from the captain to follow the direction of flight attendants, and a call from the captain to the flight attendant to ask the gentleman if he wanted "to fly with us today" (mind you the flight was already delayed 2 hours and we were pushed back from the gate)...we finally left. It made for an uncomfortable first hour of this three hour "US Airways Express" flight from Houston to Philadelphia! After having to serve the passenger a drink and that hour to calm down, eventually the gents shook hands and all was well. Was even more fun "waiting for a gate" on the ground in Philly, that the pilot then overshot and had to do some interesting things with the engines to move us toward the gate, then the gate attendant not being able to open the front door. And then US Airways has problems with their reservation system...I think I'll fly United or Continental from now on....all I could do was laugh the entire way home.)
Around the balls:
Giant-orange- From the NCAA, Sam Ashaolu, the Duquesne player who was the most seriously injured of the group of players shot on campus on Sept 17, was cleared to begin participating in the offseason program in a few weeks. Ashaolu still has two fragments of a bullet in his head, but has recovered from his near-death experience. The announcement comes today, one day before the Atlantic-10 tourney in AC, NJ when the Duquesne Dukes (10-18) play an opening round game. The Dukes will also receive an award at the Final Four for being the Most Courageous NCAA team.
White-leather-stitched- Cole Hamels of the Phillies has drawn lots of criticism already for his comments the other day in which he said he expects to win 20 games this season. Hey, that may not be far off with the lineup the Phils have. Hey, I hope he does, 20-wins would most certainly mean a Cy Young winner in Philly, on the way to a NL East title.
Rubber-non- The Pittsburgh Penguins are moving again. They are, they aren't, they are...I wish someone had a blue streak following this story so I knew what the progress of the talks for the new arena were...
Big-brown-oblong- Brady Quinn, "the most NFL ready QB in the draft" worked out in Notre Dame on Sunday at his "pro day." And, the Detroit Lions weren't there at his workout. I guess they're looking hard at drafting another WR with their second pick. They've made some nice moves this offseason, but leave it to Matt Millen to start messing up draft time. Talk about a franchise that should move to Los Angeles...
Tiny-white- Did you see, some guy missed a 3 foot putt and as a result lost out on the top prize of $990k and a 3 year exemption from qualifying for the PGA tour? And no, his name was not Dominic Santillo.
Green-fuzzy- Roger Federer won in Dubai. 41 straight matches and counting, six more sets an all time record with 47. He hasn't lost a match since August.
Big-black-and-white- David Beckham bent something other than the ball this past weekend, his knee. Reports out of Spain, Real Madrid (I hate that fake one) say that it could be his MCL (which would be a 6-week injury recoup time) or his ACL (possibly up to a 6 month recovery). Stinks throwing $250 million at someone who is hurt. And then you wonder why the world hates the US.
Giant-black-holey- The PBA Open (yeah, bowling) was held in NJ this past weekend, up in New Brunswick. And I thought bowling was a teenager and midwest thing...
Program Alert:
Beginning tomorrow night, the mens Big East starts at MSG in NYC on ESPN. With Villanova cruising lately, if they make some noise in NYC, expect them to be higher than a #8 seed this year. If they win it all, I predict a #4 or 5 seed for the Wildcats.
--------------------------------
For those new to "the dish", I once dreamed of being a sports-caster having my own column. Let me know if you don't like it, and/or want to be discontinued from the list. If you have another email address to send it to, send that to me also. For older issues of the dish, email me. domsdish@gmail.com or go to http://domsdish.blogspot.com/
Since Friday, the NFL "business season" has not disappointed. (There is no offseason people). With well over $1/2 billion thrown around on contracts to players in these last five days, there sure are some hefty signing bonuses being thrown around. And how about those that have signed in the state of Florida - Dennis Northcut and Tony Pashos (JAX), Joey Porter and David Martin (Miami), and Jeff Garcia (Tampa) who soon will suddenly realize that their signing bonuses are state income tax free! But it's been crazy all the moves thus far. And most of the names recently are 30-something players: Brad Johnson (Dallas), Ahman Green (Texans), Joey Porter (30 in 2 weeks) (Miami), Jeff Garcia (Bucs), and Kevin Carter (Bucs).
For all these years, the Patriots have kept quiet in free agency and been praised for the way they have managed the cap. What happens? They lose to the Colts who win the big one and now they skip their management style? Throwing all kinds of money around...on Kyle Brady, Adalius Thomas, Sammy Morris and Wes Welker. I rescind my offer that Jeff Garcia will end up the Gil Meche of the NFL free agency period. That title now goes to Wes Welker. Welker signed a 5 year, $18.1 million contract (with $9 mil guaranteed money in bonuses), AND the Patriots gave up two draft picks for him to Miami (2nd and 7th), all for a 5-9 wide receiver who had a freak season last year with 67 catches. He does fit the Patiot-jack-of-all-trades mold, he is a returner and actually back in his rookie season (2004), kicked a 29-yd field goal and an extra point during the regular season. But only two career TD's - one return and one reception. The next Wayne Chrebet? Last year, of his 67 catches, more than 30 went for 1st downs. Still, $18 million?!? And oh, by the way, 12 fumbles in 3 years (most as a returner).
And how about the Cowboys? Leonard Davis was a bust for years in Arizona, so sign him to a huge deal. Best signing though is Brad Johnson. He can still play, yes, but in the past few years, the Cowboys have tried Vinny Testaverde, Drew Bledsoe and now Brad Johnson as a QB for their roster. This is 2007 and not 1997, right?
(Moral of the story, when you're sitting in the first row and the flight attendant asks you to turn off the cell phone, do it. I don't agree with it, especially when still on the ground and at the gate, but on Friday I witnessed a male flight attendant go off on some guy sitting right in front of me. Apparently, the gentleman (passenger) gave a signal like brushing off the flight attendant's request. After the second time and during the safety presentation (that this flight attendant apparently takes very seriously), the gentleman turned his phone back on to do something. Whoah! The flight attendant yelled at the passenger so loud I can only compare it to a teacher yelling at a kid with their hand on the fire alarm. The passenger took it well, but when he asked the flight attendant his name calmly, he went off even more. After a call to the captain to notify of the situation, an announcement from the captain to follow the direction of flight attendants, and a call from the captain to the flight attendant to ask the gentleman if he wanted "to fly with us today" (mind you the flight was already delayed 2 hours and we were pushed back from the gate)...we finally left. It made for an uncomfortable first hour of this three hour "US Airways Express" flight from Houston to Philadelphia! After having to serve the passenger a drink and that hour to calm down, eventually the gents shook hands and all was well. Was even more fun "waiting for a gate" on the ground in Philly, that the pilot then overshot and had to do some interesting things with the engines to move us toward the gate, then the gate attendant not being able to open the front door. And then US Airways has problems with their reservation system...I think I'll fly United or Continental from now on....all I could do was laugh the entire way home.)
Around the balls:
Giant-orange- From the NCAA, Sam Ashaolu, the Duquesne player who was the most seriously injured of the group of players shot on campus on Sept 17, was cleared to begin participating in the offseason program in a few weeks. Ashaolu still has two fragments of a bullet in his head, but has recovered from his near-death experience. The announcement comes today, one day before the Atlantic-10 tourney in AC, NJ when the Duquesne Dukes (10-18) play an opening round game. The Dukes will also receive an award at the Final Four for being the Most Courageous NCAA team.
White-leather-stitched- Cole Hamels of the Phillies has drawn lots of criticism already for his comments the other day in which he said he expects to win 20 games this season. Hey, that may not be far off with the lineup the Phils have. Hey, I hope he does, 20-wins would most certainly mean a Cy Young winner in Philly, on the way to a NL East title.
Rubber-non- The Pittsburgh Penguins are moving again. They are, they aren't, they are...I wish someone had a blue streak following this story so I knew what the progress of the talks for the new arena were...
Big-brown-oblong- Brady Quinn, "the most NFL ready QB in the draft" worked out in Notre Dame on Sunday at his "pro day." And, the Detroit Lions weren't there at his workout. I guess they're looking hard at drafting another WR with their second pick. They've made some nice moves this offseason, but leave it to Matt Millen to start messing up draft time. Talk about a franchise that should move to Los Angeles...
Tiny-white- Did you see, some guy missed a 3 foot putt and as a result lost out on the top prize of $990k and a 3 year exemption from qualifying for the PGA tour? And no, his name was not Dominic Santillo.
Green-fuzzy- Roger Federer won in Dubai. 41 straight matches and counting, six more sets an all time record with 47. He hasn't lost a match since August.
Big-black-and-white- David Beckham bent something other than the ball this past weekend, his knee. Reports out of Spain, Real Madrid (I hate that fake one) say that it could be his MCL (which would be a 6-week injury recoup time) or his ACL (possibly up to a 6 month recovery). Stinks throwing $250 million at someone who is hurt. And then you wonder why the world hates the US.
Giant-black-holey- The PBA Open (yeah, bowling) was held in NJ this past weekend, up in New Brunswick. And I thought bowling was a teenager and midwest thing...
Program Alert:
Beginning tomorrow night, the mens Big East starts at MSG in NYC on ESPN. With Villanova cruising lately, if they make some noise in NYC, expect them to be higher than a #8 seed this year. If they win it all, I predict a #4 or 5 seed for the Wildcats.
--------------------------------
For those new to "the dish", I once dreamed of being a sports-caster having my own column. Let me know if you don't like it, and/or want to be discontinued from the list. If you have another email address to send it to, send that to me also. For older issues of the dish, email me. domsdish@gmail.com or go to http://domsdish.blogspot.com/
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