tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31495519280285962112024-02-07T04:52:41.566-05:00Blog-CastersBlog-Casters is the online blog for the sports podcast, The Sports-Casters. Here you can read blogs written by Steve and Don.Steven Bennetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12241161943861702507noreply@blogger.comBlogger60125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3149551928028596211.post-81604742086064992082016-04-28T14:04:00.003-04:002016-04-28T23:58:50.201-04:002016 NFL Draft 1st Round Hardcore Live Blog<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://s3.amazonaws.com/LandryFootball.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/nfl-draft-logo-360x360.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/LandryFootball.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/nfl-draft-logo-360x360.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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Well friends, here we are again. I have to start by apologizing for denying you, the reader, of all the insight you've grown so accustomed to when I skipped the blog last year. The Bills didn't have a pick in the first round and I guess I felt it was okay to take the year off. Don't worry, the OCD part of me is mad at past me too. Let me bring you up to speed.</div>
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First, my war room remains effectively unchanged other than we added another child to it. Molly (my daughter) and Michelle (my life partner) will be joined by Ryan (my son) this year. He doesn't talk much yet, which is probably for the best. Although, since Michelle has learned I will immortalize any stupid comment she makes and Molly will probably do nothing but complain that Teen Titans is not on, a third voice may have been welcomed. Maybe next year.</div>
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Anyway, I am sharp as ever, have been doing tens of minutes of research, and the local Dairy Queen remains a beacon of positivity to keep me going through the marathon that is the draft, so I'm as pumped as ever. (See the <a href="http://thesportscasters.blogspot.com/2013_04_01_archive.html" target="_blank">chart</a> from the 2013 blog to see how long that typically lasts)</div>
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Also, I'm going to attempt to spice up this year's blog by adding some hard hitting facts that might be partially or entirely made up. Enjoy blog fans, I'll see you all later.</div>
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<b>7:55 </b>Well football fans, the time is almost upon us. My kids and their bedtime is going to make the beginning of the draft blog a bit dicey. At least nothing good happens at the beginning of the draft. Ugh. Anyway, as they have been for the last month or so, the Los Angeles Rams are on the clock.</div>
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Fun Fact! The Rams were moved to Los Angeles because rams (the animal) do not like rain and on average it rains about three times less in Los Angeles and it just fit better thematically.</div>
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<b>8:06</b> My war room is a madhouse already. My kids are jumping around and screaming. They are more into the draft than I would've expected. Is it bedtime yet? Also, why does the team that traded a mint to get the first overall pick sit around and wait until the last minute to announce their pick? Are they really expecting an offer to come to them that would be more than they gave away?</div>
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Also, since I'm posting anyway, I won't be on Twitter or any other social media tonight because it makes the viewing experience anticlimactic. I'm sure you were wondering.</div>
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<b>8:15 </b>Finally. Each team gets ten minutes to pick, so naturally the first pick would come in 15 minutes into the draft. QB <b>Jared Goff</b> goes to the Los Angeles Rams with the first pick of the 2016 draft.</div>
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Fun Fact! The Eagles sit in a "can't lose" spot in the draft and would have happily drafted whomever of Goff or Wentz was still on the board. However, my sources have told me they were quietly hoping for Goff, because he smells nicer and chose Bulbasaur when asked who he'd select as his starting Pokemon. </div>
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<b>8:22 </b>The Eagles surprise no one and take QB <b>Carson Wentz</b>. Eagles fans are thrilled and can't wait to boo him.<br />
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The Chargers are up next.<br />
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Fun Fact! The Chargers are hoping to relocate following the 2016 season because "Whale's Vagina Chargers" is a ridiculous name.<br />
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<b>8:29 </b>The Chargers select DE <b>Joey Bosa</b> which is way more fun than picking an offensive lineman like all the experts suggested. He seems humble and genuinely touched that he was the first non-QB taken. I like it.<br />
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Teeth are being brushed and it's almost bedtime. Then I can really focus on the spectacle that is the NFL draft. And see if I can convince Michelle to get DQ. As is tradition. Next up, Dallas.<br />
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Fun Fact! I want to play Super C on the jumbo tron at AT&T stadium. I'd pick Super C over the original because I can totally beat it without cheat codes.<br />
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<b>8:35 </b>I'm no poker player, but it looks to me like the Cowboys room is a bit shocked over the Chargers pick. I could be reading a bit too much into nothing, but it look like their guy got taken.<br />
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<b>8:38 </b>Fantasy Football Alert! The Cowboys select RB <b>Ezekiel Elliot</b>. I imagine he'll be a top two rookie picked in all formats (unless you REALLY need a QB in dynasty). Jacksonville is up.<br />
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Fun Fact! The Jaguars were forced to fire their equipment manager after forgetting to paint the front half of their helmets last year and because of this I suspect they'll pick Myles Jack.<br />
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<b>8:45</b> The Jags pick is in and the Ravens are on the clock. I need to help put these monsters to bed, so hopefully nothing awesome happens. The Jaguars choose CB <b>Jalen Ramsey</b>.<br />
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Fun Fact! The team is named the Ravens because Baltimore was the home of Edgar Allen Poe. I think this one is actually true.<br />
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<b>8:53 </b>The first fat guy is off the board. The Ravens pick Tackle <b>Ronnie Stanley</b>. I understand offensive line is important, I just can't get excited about them as a fan. 49ers are up.<br />
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Fun Fact! Colin Kaepernick lost a job playing football to Blaine Gabbert.<br />
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<b>8:58</b> Just heard the Tunsil news. I have to believe he actually was hacked. And based on that I feel bad for the kid. Everyone makes mistakes, and I know everyone passed all their drug tests at the combine. I'm sure he never thought that pic would be public. I guess maybe that shows a bit of poor judgement, but still. I'd rather not get into the way the NFL treats weed compared to how they treat woman abuse or other problems, but there it is. I guess we'll quickly see how it affects his stock.<br />
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The 49ers select DE <b>DeForest Buckner</b>.<br />
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<b>9:04 </b>The Titans have traded with Cleveland and are on the clock. They select Tackle <b>Jack Conklin</b>.<br />
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Fun Fact! It's going to be difficult to come up with 32 of these.<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.famousbirthdays.com/thumbnails/cutler-jay-large.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://www.famousbirthdays.com/thumbnails/cutler-jay-large.jpg" height="200" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jay Cutler giving the sexy chins</td></tr>
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Tampa Bay is on the clock.<br />
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<b>9:11</b> Scratch that. The Bucs traded the pick with the Bears.<br />
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Fun Fact! Despite all evidence to the contrary, Jay Cutler did not eat the last doughnut.<br />
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<b>9:15</b> The NFL marches kids onto the stage to convince parents that football is nice and brain damage is overrated. The Bears select LB <b>Leonard Floyd</b>.<br />
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The Giants are on the clock.<br />
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Fun Fact! Regardless of popular belief, there are no actual Giants on the team.<br />
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<b>9:22 </b>The Giants select the player with maybe the best name in the draft, CB <b>Eli Apple</b>. NOW the Buccaneers are on the clock.<br />
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Fun Fact! The same is true of the Buccaneers. There are also no Giants on the Buccaneers.<br />
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<b>9:30 </b>Tampa Bay selects CB <b>Vernon Hargreaves</b>. Mike Mayock is a bit more critical of the players than I remember in the past. He probably hasn't had a Peanut Buster Parfait yet either.<br />
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The Saints are on the clock.<br />
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Fun Fact! Still struggling from the effects of the hurricane, the name Katrina remains outside the top 5 girl names in Louisiana.<br />
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<b>9:33 </b>Everything sucks. Michelle is claiming she is too tired to get DQ. So I must leave and get my own like some sort of peasant. I leave the blog controls in her hands. This should be a disaster.<br />
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<b>9:37</b> The Saints pick DT <b>Sheldon Rankins</b>. I had no idea what DT meant until a second ago. Thank you NFL Netowork.<br />
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Miami is on the clock.<br />
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Fun Fact! The Dolphin that played "Snowflake" in Ace Ventura: Pet Detective has unfortunately since passed away. He was watching the Simpsons episode where the Dolphins walked on land, attempted it, and was found dead outside his tank the next morning. (This was Donnie).<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">RIP Snowflake</td></tr>
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<b>9:41</b> I hope there isn't a line at DQ... Wait pick is in.<br />
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<b>9:43</b> Miami picks T <b>Laremy Tunsil</b>. I know TE is tight end, what is T? I can't keep up with all this information and update this blog. I don't know how you do it Donnie.<br />
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Oakland is on the clock.<br />
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Fun Fact! The coach of the Oakland Raiders does not like the Oakland Raiders.<br />
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<b>9:50</b> Oakland picks S <b>Karl Joseph</b>. Most boring name ever. Already forgotten. Sorry Karl.<br />
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Cleveland is on the clock. So they traded down? I don't get this. My directions from Donnie say Tennessee was next. These guys are so indecisive.<br />
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Fun Fact! Johnny Manziel and Josh Gordon would rather party than play NFL football for the Cleveland Browns. Actually, this one is probably true too.<br />
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<b>9:55 </b>Damnit. I'm gone ten minutes and Michelle was better at this than me. Well done, babe.<br />
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<b>9:57 </b>The Browns take WR <b>Corey Coleman</b>. Lions on the clock.<br />
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Fun Fact! The Lions are excited to start the process of drafting a historically great player who will waste his entire career in Detroit.<br />
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<b>10:01 </b>The Lions select T <b>Taylor Decker</b>. He's really good at standing in the way of other big people and will make millions of dollars for it. Wee.<br />
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Falcons up next.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2015/06/10/17/297F9ED400000578-0-image-a-34_1433952649757.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2015/06/10/17/297F9ED400000578-0-image-a-34_1433952649757.jpg" height="205" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Walking around. Dreaming of flying like a penguin.</td></tr>
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Fun Fact! Falcons are the worlds only flightless birds.<br />
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<b>10:07 </b>The Falcons select Keanu Reeves. Neal. <b>Keanu Neal</b>. Safety. Something about the Matrix. Or Speed. Whatever. I'm eating.<br />
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Indy on the clock.<br />
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Fun Fact! Even though he had a down year in 2015, it is still awesome that Andrew Luck is a big fan of Settlers of Catan.<br />
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<b>10:11 </b>The Colts select C <b>Ryan Kelly</b>. This is interesting for the Bills. Do they consider QB here? I wouldn't kill them for it. They pick next.<br />
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Fun Fact! Having unsuccesfully struggled for years to find a replacement for Jim Kelly, rumor has it the Bills will play with two quarterbacks on the field at the same time.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://images.performgroup.com/di/library/sporting_news/3d/c0/shaq-lawson-123115-getty-ftrjpg_1gwd5mtzyzdlu1udxcw65hxefd.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://images.performgroup.com/di/library/sporting_news/3d/c0/shaq-lawson-123115-getty-ftrjpg_1gwd5mtzyzdlu1udxcw65hxefd.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Please be good at football</td></tr>
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<b>10:15 </b>I question just how "fired up" Jeff Foxworthy is for the Golden Corral. The Bills pick is in. A lot of interesting players left (Lynch, Jack), but they go with a safer pick in DE <b>Shaq Lawson</b>.<br />
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The stupid Jets are on the clock. It's funny how one pick could make the difference in me hating or loving a guy like Paxton Lynch.<br />
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Fun Fact! Jets fans are big stupid doody heads.<br />
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<b>10:23</b> The Jets chose LB <b>Derron Lee</b>. He was interesting to me. Now I'll have to hate him. Ahh well.<br />
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The Redskins are on the clock.<br />
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Scratch that. The pick has been traded to the Texans.<br />
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Fun Fact! Texans GM Rick Smith signed Brock Osweiler to a contract averaging $18 million per year because some men just want to watch the world burn.<br />
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<b>10:32 </b>The Texans select WR <b>Will Fuller</b>. I feel like the draft is moving slightly faster than in years past. I dunno. Michelle was funnier than me so far tonight, so I must not be feeling it. This is what I get for taking last year off. Maybe adding the fun facts is too much to keep up with. Maybe I should stop typing everything I'm thinking.<br />
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Washington on the clock.<br />
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Fun Fact! In an attempt to be more sensitive to Native Americans, the Redskins briefly considered changing their name to the Blackskins.<br />
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<b>10:38</b> The Redskins select WR <b>Josh Doctson</b>. We are within the last ten picks! I should be watching hockey right now. Why do I agree to do this every year? It should be, Don Live Blogs until the Bills pick and then eats ice cream and goes to bed.<br />
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Vikings on the clock. They can't be happy about all the WRs that went off the board. AD and Bridgewater sure could use some other offensive threats.<br />
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Fun Fact! If you Google "Fun Fact" (which it changes to "I'm feeling curious"), none of them are all that fun.<br />
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<b>10:46 </b>The Vikings select WR<b> Laquon Treadwell</b>. There you go.<br />
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What kind of egomaniac is Roger Goodell? I mean, Gary Bettman goes out to get boo'd at all the major events, but even he doesn't subject himself to 30+ boos per night and announce every draft pick. And does he really need to hug every player?<br />
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The Bengals are on the clock.<br />
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Fun Fact! The Bengals are the only team with tiger stripes on their helmet.<br />
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<b>10:53 </b>I wonder if someone trades up to get Lynch. You'd have to figure the Broncos would love to him keep falling.<br />
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The Bengals select CB <b>William Jackson III</b>. The Steelers are up next.<br />
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Their pick is already, which bails me out on an unfunny fun fact. The Steelers select Mr. Burns. CB <b>Artie Burns</b>.<br />
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The Seahawks trade their pick to the Broncos. Maybe I'm not so stupid after all. Although the experts suggest they might want Cook and not Lynch. Broncos on the clock.<br />
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Fun Fact! Broncos are horses.<br />
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The Make a Wish kid is getting the applause break usually reserved for the troops. Did I miss the troops when I was getting ice cream?<br />
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The Broncos select <b>Paxton Lynch</b>. I'm a sucker for the emotional guys. It makes me like them right off the bat. It doesn't mean anything though. EJ Manual was pretty emotional at the draft.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Brotherly love</td></tr>
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Green Bay on the clock.<br />
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Fun Fact! Richard Rodgers is the only TE in NFL history to catch a touchdown pass from his brother.<br />
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<b>11:13</b> The Packers select DT <b>Kenny Clark</b>.<br />
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Goddamn another trade. What was I saying about this going quickly? It's going to drag on past 11:30 like every year. The 49ers trade with the Chiefs to get back into the first round. Maybe they go after a QB since...<br />
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Fun Fact! COLIN KAEPERNICK LOST A JOB PLAYING FOOTBALL TO BLAINE GABBERT.<br />
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<b>11:19 </b>Nope, they pick a fat guy from Stanford. G <b>Joshua Garnett</b>. I'm sure he's a nice guy.<br />
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I'd say Arizona is on the clock, but everytime I do there is a trade.<br />
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Also this is pick 29, the pick where the Patriots would be if they weren't jerks.<br />
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<b>11:27 </b>Arizona doesn't get a fun fact. Sorry. There is nothing fun to say about Arizona. The Cardinals select <b>Robert Nkemdiche</b> DT. He doesn't fall out any windows after being picked.<br />
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Carolina is up next, and then Seattle will put me out of my misery. This is like trying to hit a word limit on an English paper.<br />
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Fun Fact! The draft doesn't need to be nearly 4 hours long. I've done fantasy drafts in about the same amount of time and we select like 200 players. I'd be curious to ask a GM if their mind has ever changed eight minutes into a selection from what it was at the five minute mark.<br />
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<b>11:33 </b>The Panthers select DT <b>Vernon Butler</b>. He might win best dressed. Goodell is still hugging guys he can't relate to in anyway. He looks so old and awkward. Just go away. This isn't about you.<br />
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Seahawks on the clock.<br />
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Fun Fact! I was going to post a fact about how a "seahawk" isn't even a real bird, but it turns out it is. So I guess you learn something every day.<br />
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<b>11:37 </b>While waiting for the last pick, I just thought I'd say I wouldn't mind the Bills going after Cook, Jack, or Henry (the TE) tomorrow. I like talent over need. My guess is they go with a LB.<br />
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The Seahawks select T <b>Germain Ifedi</b>. Whatever.<br />
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<br />Don Russhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15446703176126029327noreply@blogger.com24tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3149551928028596211.post-16717757723752361192014-05-08T20:09:00.002-04:002016-04-28T11:58:49.530-04:002014 NFL Draft 1st Round Hardcore Live Blog<h2 style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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No time for a big lead up today. The draft is two weeks later than usual, and to get ready for this blog, I started five minutes after 8. This is going great already.<br />
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<b>8:10 </b>Before the first pick is made, I am tasked with a diaper change. I can tell already, this will be a draft for the ages.<br />
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<b>8:15 </b>Diaper change is a complete success. Molly and Michelle head out for a bike ride. DE, <b>Jadeveon Clowney</b> is selected first overall by the Texans. He cries tears of joy, which is cool. No jokes there. It's cool when the guy you draft seems that happy to be there.<br />
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<b>8:17 </b>St. Louis is taking their time. This is a pick many believed would be dealt. As a Bills fan, I hope they go OL. I don't want the Bills to pick a fat guy first, so the more that are off the board at number nine, the happier I'll be. That might be the extent of my actual football talk.<br />
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Hey, with all the talk of the players entry music, I missed Clowney's. I'll assume he went with "We Like to Party (The Vengabus)" by The Vengaboys.<br />
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<b>8:21 </b>Currently my War Room is going with ESPN. I think in the past I tend to stick with NFL Network. I might change to the NFL network during this commercial. I did. NFL network has less cartoon characters and acquitted murderers.<br />
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<b>8:25 </b>YES! The Rams drafted a fat guy, Tackle, <b>Greg Robinson</b>. He seems nice too. Nice long hug for mom. Gotta like guys that love their momma. He's got a pretty sick bow tie too. I'll predict now that bow ties might be the big winner tonight. Except maybe Marshall Faulk's; his is a little ridiculous. Greg Robinson sounds a little like Shaq. Maybe that's a big guy thing. Can't speak in long sentences. Body too busy working to keep giant man upright.<br />
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<b>8:30</b> This just in the Jags HAVE a War Room. I like that their owner looks kinda like Super Mario. They make the first "surprise" pick of the night selecting QB, <b>Blake Bortles</b>. Mike Mayock actually nailed this pick, so I'll give credit where it's due. This has to be seen as good news for the Bills, who I'm sure have no intention of going QB.<br />
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<b>8:34 </b>BILLS TRADE UP! If this isn't Watkins or Evans I might be pissed.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The newest Buffalo Bill</td></tr>
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<b>8:37</b> WR, <b>Sammy Watkins</b> it is! I gotta figure Stevie Johnson is out sooner than later. They gave Cleveland a lot to get Watkins so they must believe in him. I'm pumped. It's all on EJ Manuel now.<br />
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Now what am I going to do with my time? I imagine I get delirious earlier in this draft than normal.<br />
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<b>8:43 </b>Big moment for Buffalo, NY and the University at Buffalo. LB, <b>Khalil Mack</b> becomes the earliest draft pick in UB's history by a mile. I feel a little bad that he went to Oakland, but I'm a Bills fan so who am I to talk.<br />
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I realize Mack had "Happy" as his walk on music because I heard about that ahead of time. That said, they are really keeping the music quiet. Any thought that someone's choice of song might be a story seems out the window, since it is barely audible on TV.<br />
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<b>8:47</b> My ladies are back, so hopefully I'll have some silliness to pass along soon. This draft blog has been too football related for my own good.<br />
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<b>8:52 </b>The Falcons select the second fat guy, Tackle, <b>Jake Matthews</b>. Even if the Bills hadn't traded up, I might have liked the look they have right now. The next pick, Tampa's, will be very telling as to what might have been. No regrets though. It's nice the GM shows balls and confidence. Apparently Whaley said in a presser that they expect to make the playoffs now. Good.<br />
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<b>8:59 </b>Well there it is. The Bills would've needed to move up to get one of the guys I really wanted, as WR, <b>Mike Evans</b> goes to the Bucs. That seemed like a sure thing when they traded Mike Williams to the Bills.<br />
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Cleveland trades with Minnesota to move up one pick (the pick the just got from Buffalo). I wonder if they go QB here fearing Minnesota might take their guy.<br />
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<b>9:04</b> Welp...Johnny Football is officially getting the "reaction after every pick" treatment right now. Cleveland drafts the first player in the secondary, CB, <b>Justin Gilbert</b>.<br />
<br />
<b>9:10 </b>The Vikings select LB, <b>Anthony Barr</b>. I have nothing insightful or funny to say about that. It's not the least sexy position ever, but if I am AD, I'd be wondering if they ever plan on letting me play with anyone.<br />
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<b>9:13 </b>Barry Sanders announces the Lions draft pick, TE, <b>Eric Ebron</b>. Not surprisingly, Twitter, is way ahead of the TV networks. I guess I should get off of there if I want to enjoy this at all.<br />
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<b>9:22 </b>Tennessee drafts Tackle, <b>Taylor Lewan</b>. I'm sure that will put them over the top. I'm so glad my team didn't pick an offensive lineman tonight. Drafting an offensive lineman is like getting socks on Christmas. Sure you need them, but you can only get so excited about socks.<br />
<br />
This draft is starting to feel like socks to me. I want Johnny Football to keep slipping until he loses his shit and starts flipping tables or something. Where is Joe Namath? He's always good for a nice uncomfortable moment.<br />
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<b>9:27 </b>It's really starting to feel like Dairy Queen o'clock. It's the winning-est tradition of my draft recap career.<br />
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<b>9:31 </b>The Giants pick WR, <b>Odell Beckham</b>. I totally nailed a bed time story with Molly. It was about rabbits taking over Sesame Street. Turns out they were Big Bird's, and he is just a negligent pet owner. They marched in a pride parade or something at the end. I dunno, I was reading but only half paying attention.<br />
<br />
<b>9:35 </b>The Rams select DT, <b>Aaron Donald</b>. They are a team that is getting good at a tough time. They could be really really solid next year and still finish 8-8 because their division is totally brutal. Who would've ever thought that about the NFC West?<br />
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<b>9:39 </b>DQ time. Hopefully nothing awesome happens. BRB sports-fans.<br />
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<b>10:10 </b>Quick recap... The Bears take CB, <b>Kyle Fuller</b>. The Steelers select LB, <b>Ryan Shazier</b>. The Cowboys take not Johnny Manziel, Tackle, <b>Zack Martin</b>. The Ravens pick LB, <b>CJ Mosely </b>and the Jets take Safety, <b>Calvin Pryor</b>. So I'm guessing my peanut buster parfait was the sexiest pick of that group.<br />
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<b>10:17 </b>Michelle is doing actual schoolwork and thus not making any draft-related comments I can make fun of. The Dolphins select Tackle, <b>Ja'waun James</b>. That has to be exciting to have to draft a fat guy because your other fat guy was bullying another one of your fat guys.<br />
<br />
Steve must be excited, the Saints have traded up. Any way they go QB of the future here? My guess is no.<br />
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<b>10:22 </b>The Saints have selected WR, <b>Brandin Cooks</b>. I heard of him about two hours ago, but that doesn't mean anything negative about him. Seems like the right move for a team built to win now. They aren't exactly hurting in the size department with Colston and Graham.<br />
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<b>10:34 </b>A guy named <b>Ha Ha Clinton-Dix</b> a safety, just got drafted by the Packers. He wore a bright red suit jacket that makes him look like a movie usher. The NFL guys seem to think that he has "swag". I guess with a name like Ha Ha, you learn to live outside the box.<br />
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<b>10:41</b> Browns move up, this has to be Manziel, right?<br />
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<b>10:42 </b>Sure enough, QB, <b>Johnny Manziel </b>is selected 22nd overall by the Browns, who have had a pretty awesome draft.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This blog needed more pictures. I google'd "random picture".</td></tr>
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<b>10:52</b> I'm sure DE, <b>Dee Ford</b> is a good player, but when he was selected by the Chiefs, I've never heard such a non-reaction from the crowd. I guess that's what you get following JFF. Does anyone care about the rest of the draft? I'm hoping the bills trade their second and third to move back into the first round to take a fat guy or giant TE. Get it all done in one day. If they hypothetically did something like that, do they still send people to radio city to sit around?<br />
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<b>10:58 </b>The Bengals select CB, <b>Darqueze Denard</b>. Weeeee.<br />
<br />
<b>11:03</b> The Chargers select CB, <b>Jason Verrett</b>.<br />
<br />
<b>11:08 </b>Did I miss the troops during my DQ run?<br />
<br />
<b>11:09 </b>The Eagles pick is not a crowd-pleaser. Fans pretend to be excited to be drafting LB <b>Marcus Smith</b>.<br />
<br />
<b>11:12 </b>I think I might hate the draft. It's all build up with little payoff. About the most exciting thing that could happen DID, with the Bills this year, and as a whole I am still bored by the draft. I watch it like I watch something like the Oscars. I haven't seen most of the movies, but I feel like I need to watch in case something culturally significant happens. But at least at the oscars I know 90% of the people on stage. Now I am supposed to get excited about the Arizona Cardinals pick? Okay.<br />
<br />
<b>11:15 </b>The Cardinals take Safety <b>Deone Bucannon</b>, yes!!!!<br />
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<b>11:20 </b>The Panthers quickly select WR, <b>Kelvin Benjamin</b>, as they decided playing without any WRs would probably be bad.<br />
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<b>11:23 </b>The Patriots select DT <b>Dominique Easley</b>, not surprisingly, it is seen as a BRILLIANT pick.<br />
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<b>11:28 </b>"They could use a 5 technique" -Mike Mayock with regards to the 49ers upcoming pick. Yeah, I was thinking exactly the same thing.<br />
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<b>11:30 </b>49ers select Safety, <b>Jimmie Ward</b>. I have resorted to twitter rather than waiting for TV because I could not care less at this point.<br />
<br />
<b>11:34 </b>The Broncos select CB, <b>Bradley Roby</b>. Thank god this is almost over.<br />
<br />
Whoa, some pretty crazy lightning and thunder (why don't we say it like this? It makes more sense chronologically) in the 716.<br />
<br />
<b>11:39 </b>The Seahawks close out round one with...oh fuck me they traded the pick. Thanks for nothing Seahawks. Vikings get the pick. It has to be a QB. For Adrian Peterson, I hope it is a QB. Mayock suggests they'd have to admit Ponder was a mistake two years ago. Really?<br />
<br />
<b>11:44 </b>QB, <b>Teddy Bridgewater </b>is the last pick of the first round. Good for the Vikings. Good for Teddy. I like that move.<br />
<br />
Thank god this is over. Nothing I said was funny this year. Read this thread for people more creative than myself: <a href="http://www.reddit.com/r/nfl/comments/25339n/2014_nfl_draft/">http://www.reddit.com/r/nfl/comments/25339n/2014_nfl_draft/</a><br />
<br />
Superbowl. Goodnight.<br />
<br />Don Russhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15446703176126029327noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3149551928028596211.post-39595627656179562112013-04-25T19:41:00.000-04:002016-04-28T11:58:49.537-04:002013 NFL Draft 1st Round Hardcore Live Blog<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6msfOMezSdJ5KrOb366CEBVehRAkECBXAXv826uLBKANN_ga0r1nFvLKabi4NBPYXXaw5LYxFBy0IfKkQcBpobTl6rWw0H8eCOehc9EFtD5XCJsgZ1SZgPG6WgL8kTPEAJsWHafaafgE/s1600/2013-draft-logo-story.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="162" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6msfOMezSdJ5KrOb366CEBVehRAkECBXAXv826uLBKANN_ga0r1nFvLKabi4NBPYXXaw5LYxFBy0IfKkQcBpobTl6rWw0H8eCOehc9EFtD5XCJsgZ1SZgPG6WgL8kTPEAJsWHafaafgE/s320/2013-draft-logo-story.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Here we are again, the most exciting day of the football off-season! The NFL draft. Every team in the league gets together to select some young studs to propel them from pretender to contender, and contender to Super Bowl champion. Yes, even the Bills and Chiefs and Browns and Raiders and Cardinals allegedly attempt to field teams that will win games. Weird, right? <br />
<br />
Umm... I've been drinking wine already, so this might get interesting. I have yet to get DQ, so there is always that to look forward to as well.<br />
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If you haven't spent time with my blog before, let me get you up to speed. <a href="http://thesportscasters.blogspot.com/2012/04/2012-nfl-draft-hardcore-live-blog.html">Here</a> is a link to last year's draft coverage. If you don't feel like reading that, and why would you, here's the deal. My "War Room" consists of myself, my wife Michelle, my one year old, Molly, and my dogs. It's pretty much the worst War Room ever. That, combined with my total lack of college football knowledge all adds to the wonderment and that is my blog. Strap the F in.<br />
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There is a fun emotional roller coaster that happens every year during the draft coverage. Michelle complains from the get-go, as I try to extol the virtues of the draft. My interest fades pretty fast however, probably because my suck-ass team always picks so early. I illustrated my feelings in a super cool chart:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifB71_SnEXrw7mlZGIlHGyfiwtTlhtuh49fYWpecFvavc_1-2kqWsRmptYXQFJtafB-X6E3xHr-PO9H_tGacszV8tv-1-cD6VHPlU51O-5deQFwz9EJujo9iTd9gtxGfHlfSdVSbuhIR4/s1600/Blog+Graph.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="155" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifB71_SnEXrw7mlZGIlHGyfiwtTlhtuh49fYWpecFvavc_1-2kqWsRmptYXQFJtafB-X6E3xHr-PO9H_tGacszV8tv-1-cD6VHPlU51O-5deQFwz9EJujo9iTd9gtxGfHlfSdVSbuhIR4/s400/Blog+Graph.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Are you as ready as I am?</div>
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<b>7:57 </b>I am going with the NFL Network if that matters. I'm sure there won't be a wardrobe malfunction or an F-bomb or anything on either network, so what's the diff I always say. Finished my second glass of wine, and will put that to bed for the night. It's almost time to get down to business.</div>
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<a href="http://joeprose.typepad.com/my_weblog/092408_1814_Thisfishisb1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="241" src="http://joeprose.typepad.com/my_weblog/092408_1814_Thisfishisb1.jpg" width="320" /></a><b>8:02</b> With all the uncertainty I'm going to predict Abe Vigoda goes #1 overall.</div>
<span style="text-align: left;"><br />I actually typed "random celebrity" into Google images and ol' Abe was the first guy to come up. That must be nice for him.<br /><br /><b>8:06 </b>It officially took Joe Namath one second to make everyone uncomfortable. Except people who like uncomfortable things, they were probably high-fiving.<br /><br />Joe stops without doing anything too ridiculous and KC is officially on the clock.</span><br />
<span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span>
<span style="text-align: left;"><b>8:08 </b>Michelle arrives in the War Room after giving Molly a bath. She immediately notices the NFL Network panel again sitting "White-Black-White-Black-White". Brilliant.</span><br />
<span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span>
<span style="text-align: left;"><b>8:14 </b>Chiefs take almost all of the allotted time and find no trade partners. I'm already bored. This is the unsexiest draft class ever. I'm not saying there won't be superstars picked today and tomorrow, but I can't get too excited about franchise linemen. The newest member of Kansas City is Tackle, <b>Eric Fisher</b>, a guy who will now get paid very well to push other fat guys. Wee...</span><br />
<span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span>
<span style="text-align: left;"><b>8:19</b> The Jags are taking their sweet time too. It's almost like no one wants to make picks this year. I'm sure there is another fat guy that pushes fat guys at a level that far exceeds most other fat guys that Jacksonville can pay a gajillion dollars. I can hardly contain my excitement.</span><br />
<span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span>
<span style="text-align: left;">The Jags owner kind of looks like Super Mario. I like that. I hope his fat guy is worth every penny.</span><br />
<span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span>
<span style="text-align: left;">They select Tackle, <b>Luke Joeckel</b>. I predict a Chiefs/Jags AFC Championship.</span><br />
<span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span>
<span style="text-align: left;"><b>8:31 </b>It's "Weekend at Bernies" at the Raiders table. I find it a little crude that they are making an Al Davis puppet field calls.</span><br />
<span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span>
<span style="text-align: left;"><b>8:32 </b>I'm being told that's actually his brother. I could've sworn that was a dead guy.</span><br />
<span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span>
<span style="text-align: left;">The not dead guy trades the pick to Miami. Hopefully they can get a fat guy they like too.</span><br />
<span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span>
<span style="text-align: left;"><b>8:34 </b>As a Bills fan, I'd love to hate on Miami here - they selected DE <b>Dion Jordan</b> - but it has to be fun to be a fan of theirs this year. The Eagles must be pissed about that pick as they (and their coach Chip Kelly) have supposedly been interested in him.</span>
<span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span>
<br />
<br />
<b>8:42</b> The Eagles will now make their pick and pretend that whoever they take was the guy they wanted all along. The select T <b>Lane Johnson</b>, another giant person. I really don't know how to comment on linemen. His family looks nice.<br />
<br />
"Guy's guys" in Eagles jersey's intently discuss the pick and there is probably a lot of grunting. I'm sure it's painfully annoying to anyone within ear shot.<br />
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<b>8:51 </b>The Lions select DE <b>Ezekiel Ansah</b>. The NFL Network showed a <strike>dork</strike> Lions fan in the crowd that looked on the verge of tears. If I didn't love football I'd hate it.<br />
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<b>8:55 </b>The Browns select the guy with the coolest name in the draft, DE <b>Barkevious Mingo</b>. So far it's been all about protecting the QB or knocking him down. I apologize for not making any ridiculous statements regarding this pick.<br />
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<b>9:01</b> The Cardinals draft the first fat guy that doesn't play at the end of the line, G <b>Jonathan Cooper</b>. I would suck as a GM, because I would never draft a guard. Not in the first round anyway. It's just such a boring pick. Of course the crowd shot from Arizona shows their fans going nuts, presumably because they all appreciate the subtle intricacies of pass protection.<br />
<br />
Mike Mayock just talked about Cooper's "natural bending skills". I'm sure Jonathan's parents are proud.<br />
<br />
The Bills trade their pick to the Rams. Good. They have a lot of needs, and none "worth" the 8 pick. Good on you Buddy Nix.<br />
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<b>9:09 </b>The Rams move up to select WR <b>Tavon Austin</b>, they must have been worried the Jets would be interested. I'm glad the Bills didn't end up with him. Just too many other needs to get a gimmick, project guy. That said, it'll be cool to see Sam Bradford with an actual weapon.<br />
<br />
<b>9:17</b> Molly is being cranky which is making my War Room a bit tense. She hates the draft more than her mother. <br />
<br />
The Jets select<b> </b>CB <b>Dee Milliner</b>. I'm never sure how I feel about letting a superstar at a position walk just to draft their replacement really high. I mean, the hope for this guy is that he turns into Revis, right? Why not just keep Revis. Some lady fans of the Jets REALLY hate this pick for some reason.<br />
<br />
<b>9:21 </b>More on the Bills trade. They move back eight spots in the first. Add a second. Move WAY up in the third and add a seventh. All by trading a pick they didn't want to make. Again, good move Buddy, don't screw up the picks!<br />
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<b>9:24</b> First view of the troops. He wants to draft a fat guy too. Maybe I'm too much of a Fantasy Football fan to be objective. Waiting for the Titans pick.<br />
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<b>9:26 </b>The military guy gets his wish and G <b>Chance Warmack </b>gets picked. America.<br />
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Molly is still awake which is totally screwing my chances of getting Dairy Queen. My draft blogging moral might be at an all time low.<br />
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<b>9:33 </b>My draft viewing has moved online, as the Sprout network takes over the big TV. The Chargers select Thomas the Tank Engine with the 11th pick. I am now watching the online B team at NFL.com while wearing ear buds. Michelle is too busy with Molly to make stupid comments, not that I'd hear them anyway. Everything sucks.<br />
<br />
San Diego actually takes another fat guy T<b> D.J. Fluker</b>.<br />
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<b>9:39</b> The Raiders select CB <b>D.J. Hayden</b>. I have nothing funny to say. Lack of Dairy Queen is pissing me off. I'm looking up foster homes for Molly.<br />
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<b>9:41 </b>The stupid doody-head Jets pick next. I just remembered I have to get up at 5am tomorrow. This night keeps getting better.<br />
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<b>9:47</b> Why can't the NFL.com online team include Scott Hansen? He's dreamy.<br />
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The Jets fans again sound disappointed in their pick of DT <b>Sheldon Richardson</b>. Hearing sad Jets fans always makes me a bit happy. AND I just realized DQ is open until 11 in April. This night might not be a total loss yet!<br />
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<b>9:50 </b>The Panthers immediately, I mean seconds later, pick after the Jets, which should make NY fans extra happy. And they draft a guy at the same position, DT <b>Star Lotulelei</b>. Take that stupid Jets.<br />
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I'm sorry, that's the last I will speak negatively about the Jets in this blog. Probably.<br />
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<b>9:55 </b>I somehow glossed over the fact that the last guy's name is Star. That's awesome. He teared up at home which made him an instant favorite of Michelle's. Hard not to like a guy that appreciates the gravity of what just happened. Good for him.<br />
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<b>9:59 </b>Steve's Saints select S <b>Kenny Vaccaro</b>. Steve must be torn. He hates Texas, and was pulling for Jarvis Jones. It'll be interesting to see if he can talk himself into liking this.<br />
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<b>10:02</b> I thought with no QBs taken yet, the Bills might try to take move back again, but their pick came in pretty quick. For a draft I've already referred to as "unsexy" this is one of the most interesting Bills picks in a long time.<br />
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<a href="http://l3.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/LmqeqJu4ukBWP7T1GPD8Dw--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7cT04NQ--/http://media.zenfs.com/en/blogs/sptusnflexperts/manuelheadshot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://l3.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/LmqeqJu4ukBWP7T1GPD8Dw--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7cT04NQ--/http://media.zenfs.com/en/blogs/sptusnflexperts/manuelheadshot.jpg" width="320" /></a><b>10:05</b> For the first time in team history, the Bills use their first pick on a QB. <b>E.J. Manuel</b><br />
becomes the first QB picked in the draft. I don't know much about him, I just can't wait to see him. Don't screw around with Kolb. Let the kid play. Now get him a receiver.<br />
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<b>10:09</b> I can't claim to know anything about this kid, but I loved his interview. Another kid that gets it. Hopefully he can bring it to the field. It's on Doug Marrone now. Make this kid work. This city is ready for him to be a hero, I hope he is too.<br />
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<b>10:13</b> The Steelers select LB<b> Jarvis Jones</b>. Seems about right with Harrison leaving.<br />
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The 49ers move up in a trade with Dallas, selecting S <b>Eric Reid</b>.<br />
<br />
I'm still processing the Bills pick.<br />
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<b>10:21</b> Giants select another big man in Tackle <b>Justin Pugh</b>. I'm warn out and distracted by the Monday Morning QBs on Facebook. Molly is now sleeping, but still no DQ in sight.<br />
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<b>10:29</b> The only thing I am overly interested in now is where Te'o gets drafted. He is probably somewhere on the phone with a fake person breathing a disappointed sigh that the Bears passed on him and took a fat guy, G <b>Kyle Long</b>.<br />
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<b>10:33 </b>Still waiting for the Bengals pick to be announced, and behind them the Falcons have traded up. The Bengals get the first TE off the board, Notre Dame's <b>Tyler Eifert</b>. The Bengals offense can be pretty solid if they can get anything out of the run game. It's pretty easy to tell I'm running out of steam when I start writing actual sports opinions. Please forgive me.<br />
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<b>10:39</b> I still have to get through ten of these? Brutal. DQ is officially out. I'll go get stuff from the freezer like a caveman after this Falcon pick. They select CB <b>Desmond Trufant</b>. And I gotta say, as much as I like to pick on Mike Mayock, he has been pretty well on tonight. Even with the Bills pick of Manuel. I dig the NFL Network.<br />
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<b>10:45 </b>Troops!<br />
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<b>10:56 </b>While I was eating my ice cream, DT <b>Sharrif Floyd</b> (Vikings), DE <b>Bjoern Werner</b> (Colts), and CB <b>Xavier Rhodes</b> (Vikings) were selected. I regret nothing.<br />
<br />
Snoring from Michelle's side of the couch.<br />
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Packers pick is in but not announced, Texans on the clock.<br />
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<b>11:02</b> Packers select DE <b>Datone Jones</b>. I'm bored with this draft and will draft days of the week:<br />
1. Saturday<br />
2. Friday<br />
3. Sunday<br />
4. Thursday<br />
5. Monday<br />
6. Tuesday<br />
7. Wednesday<br />
<br />
<b>11:09</b> The Texans draft WR <b>DeAndre Hopkins</b>. I will now draft original 8 crayon box colors:<br />
1. Blue<br />
2. Green<br />
3. Red<br />
4. Black<br />
5. Brown<br />
6. Purple<br />
7. Orange<br />
8. Yellow<br />
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<b>11:14 </b>The Broncos are on the clock and I think it's safe to say they won't be drafting a WR. The Broncos select DT<b> Sylvester Williams</b>. What is the over/under on number of times Mike Mayock says "stout"? I will now draft board games in my closet:<br />
1. Lords of Waterdeep<br />
2. Libertalia<br />
3. Small World<br />
4. The Resistance<br />
5. 7 Wonders<br />
6. Settlers<br />
7. Ticket to Ride<br />
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<b>11:21</b> The Patriots are cheating again and made the Vikings trade away the rest of their draft to get NE's 29th overall pick. Damn Patriots. How do they do it?<br />
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<b>11:30</b> The Vikings traded all those picks to draft WR <b>Cordarrelle Patterson </b>and for the ability to take naps while the other teams pick players. I will now draft fingers:<br />
1. Thumb<br />
2. Pointer<br />
3. Middle<br />
4. Pinky<br />
5. Ring<br />
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<b>11:34 </b>Three stupid picks left and the NFL seems to try to be taking this thing to midnight. I'm so gassed at this point, I'm almost talking myself into wanting the Bills to pick that dummy, Te'o, in the second round.<br />
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The Rams select LB <b>Alec Ogletree</b>. Cowboys pick is in. Actually, so have the champs, Baltimore. Geno Smith goes undrafted.<br />
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<b>11:41 </b>This part is brutal. The picks are in, make them. I'm not saying rush it, but let the kids have their moment, and move along. They finally announce the Cowboys pick C <b>Travis Frederick</b>.<br />
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<b>11:44</b> They actually take my advice and come back pretty quickly with the Ravens pick, S <b>Matt Elam</b>.<br />
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That's it. I will now reflect for a year on why I get excited for the draft. Three and a half hours. Three and a half hours of watching guys I know almost nothing about. For what? Thanks for reading. </div>
Don Russhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15446703176126029327noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3149551928028596211.post-54944097598262908572012-06-06T19:45:00.001-04:002012-06-06T21:59:10.654-04:00Behind the Moves<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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As I write, the Los Angeles Kings are about three hours from taking the ice with the chance to win the Stanley Cup with a record of 16-2 and to become one of the best playoff teams in the history of the NHL.<br />
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Way back in October I picked the Kings to represent the Western Conference in the Stanley Cup playoffs and face off against the Buffalo Sabres. The Sabres failed to make the playoffs and the Kings sputtered through most of the regular season.<br />
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The Sabres made some changes at the deadline on the ice, but GM Darcy Regier and coach Lindy Ruff kept their jobs. They Sabres looked destined to make the playoffs when they chased Capitals goalie Branden Holtby and defeated the Capitals in Washington late in the regular season. In the end, it wasn't enough and the Sabres fell just short of what would have been a historic late season march to the playoffs.<br />
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Kings general manager Dean Lombardi also made several changes during the season that helped the King qualify for the playoffs and overcome the dead-stick-syndrome that plagued them for much of the regular season.<br />
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<ul>
<li>Just before Christmas the Kings fired head coach Terry Murray and replaced him with Darryl Sutter</li>
<li>At the trade deadline the Kings traded Jack Johnson and their first round pick in 2012 or 2013 to the Columbus Blue Jackets for Jeff Carter. Since that trade, the Kings are 27-7-3</li>
<li>In February, the Kings called up Jordan Nolan and Dwight King from Manchester (AHL). Nolan and King have played key roles for the Kings in the post season solidifying their fourth line and providing the depth needed for Sutter to roll four lines and keep the team fresh</li>
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If the Kings can win one of the next four games, Jonathan Quick will likely be named the winner of the Conn Smythe trophy and Dustin Brown will go get the Cup from Garry Bettman. Anze Kopitar will be remembered for his breathtaking overtime goal in game one and Mike Richards and Carter will be discussed as the guys who were banished from Philadelphia before being reunited in L.A. and leading the Kings to the Cup. Murray is sure to be given a ton of credit for waking up the Kings sticks and leading a historic run through the NHL playoffs. </div>
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Dean Lombardi won't mind, but he probably won't get the credit that he deserves for making the in-season adjustments needed to lead the Kings where they have never been before. Lombardi is not a finalist for the NHL General Manager of the Year award. </div>
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One spot where Lombardi is sure to receive the proper recognition is at <a href="http://www.nhlgms.com/">http://www.nhlgms.com</a>. The website is dedicated to selling a great new book called, "Behind the Moves: NHL General Managers Tell How Winners are Built." </div>
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The book is a gorgeous hard cover book that arrived at Sports-Caster's headquarters numbered and autographed by former Rangers GM, Neil Smith. The book was put together by Jason Farris and the forward is written by Maple Leafs GM, Brian Burke. </div>
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The book is full of information about many of the 175 men who have served as general managers of an NHL team. The book is loaded with anecdotes, stats, charts, pictures, and quotes from the men behind the moves. </div>
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The book was put together with an incredible attention to detail. Pictures of Stanley Cup rings grace its pages, and the stories are not only told with words but with pictures, stats and charts. Turn to the section dedicated to Vancouver Canucks GM Mike Gillis and find a detailed chart on how Gillis built last season's Stanley Cup finalists. </div>
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I was shocked to learn how few have actually served as NHL general managers. The Buffalo Sabres have only had six general managers in their existence that dates back to 1970. The Carolina Hurricanes have only had one general manager in their brief history. Maybe the most shocking: The Boston Bruins, an original six NHL franchise, have had only <b>EIGHT</b> general managers. </div>
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The book would serve as a beautiful conversation piece on any coffee table and almost seems too precious to touch. Every time I flip through the pages of the book, I wash my hands and handle it with the care of a new born baby. </div>
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There is a section of the book that is dedicated to explaining the lingo used by an NHL GM. "UP" is used to describe a player who's contract is set to expire and "a dog" is a player that is of ordinary ability. </div>
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The book explains the unwritten rules that govern the league's general managers. For example, general managers are expected to return the phone calls of other general managers immediately. </div>
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The history of the National Hockey League has been told through the eyes of players, and coaches, and officials in countless pieces of literature released in the last seventy-five years. "Behind the Moves" gives us the unique opportunity to learn about the league through the eyes of the the GM. </div>
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The book is beautiful and put together with class in a way that is synonymous with the class and dignity that NHL GM's have always conducted their business with. </div>
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If you want a copy of the book or are looking for more information, please visit <a href="http://www.nhlgms.com/">http://www.nhlgms.com</a>. </div>Steven Bennetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12241161943861702507noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3149551928028596211.post-10347118806770135332012-04-26T19:17:00.002-04:002016-04-28T11:58:49.527-04:002012 NFL Draft 1st Round Hardcore Live Blog<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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If you are new to my blog - and if you aren't me then you are - let me start by telling you I did a live blog of the draft last year (<a href="http://thesportscasters.blogspot.com/2011/04/dons-nfl-draft-live-blog-spectacular.html">here</a>). That blog contained in depth, hard hitting analysis of the prospects and how they fit into the schemes of their new teams. And if that is what you are here for, you will be sorely disappointed. In actuality, the blog contained equal parts football, Dairy Queen, and my wife's (usually unintentionally) funny comments. But I'll try to mix in actual sports content now and then. <br />
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My war room again contains myself, my dogs, and my wife, but now is also graced by the presence of my daughter, Molly. She however, is less than three months old and I expect her input to be only slightly more valuable than mine. I just hope, in a repeat from last year, I end the night with a Blizzard in my hand. <br />
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The draft last year reminded me a bit of a Mitch Hedberg joke about comedy; <br />
<blockquote>
As a comedian, you have to start the show strong and you have to end the show strong. Those are the two key elements. You can't be like pancakes... all exciting at first, but then by the end you're f****n' sick of em.</blockquote>
Right now, I am super pumped for the draft. Maybe it's because my team (the Bills) won the offseason. Maybe it's the culmination of weeks, even months, of speculation. Maybe it's because we get to see extended coverage of Mel Kiper's Conan O'Brien-esque, gravity defying hair. Maybe because it's the day we get to see the classy Jets fans boo everyone because they are sad they have a stupid, red-headed step child of a team (I need an English major to tell me how not to use commas and parenthesis so much). Bottom line is, the glitz and excitement of the NFL has roped me in again. But I'm sure by the end of the night the draft will be pancakes. <br />
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I haven't even added my first time-stamp yet, and my wife is complaining about the draft already. She added "You aren't allowed to quote me until 8pm." I almost forgot how awesome my war room was. I'll see everyone at eight. <br />
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<b>7:50</b> So apparently about a half hour ago the Browns traded up to the third spot with the Vikings. Interesting. They must've been worried another team would've moved into the spot to take (presumably) Richardson. It begins... <br />
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<a href="http://hacksawjimduggan.moonfruit.com/communities/0/004/008/758/700/images/4541886305.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="194" src="http://hacksawjimduggan.moonfruit.com/communities/0/004/008/758/700/images/4541886305.jpg" width="312" /></a><b>8:03 </b>Draft is about to start, and I already have my DQ. I went with the Peanut Buster Parfait this year. I only fear that the draft may have peaked early. Colts are on the clock. <br />
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<b>8:05 </b>In a surprise move, the Colts select "Hacksaw" Jim Dugan. Oh wait, they took <b>Andrew Luck</b>.<br />
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<b>8:10</b> <b>RGIII</b> is the pick for the 'Skins. NFL Network round table keeps talking about how quickly things are moving. These picks were known for months and it still took the teams over 5 minutes to get them in. Their definition of quick is odd.<br />
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<b>8:15 </b>Supposedly the Browns pick was in basically the second after the Redskins. That said, RGIII has just reached the stage. This makes the Oscars seem speedy. In other news, Trent Richardson looks like a superhero. Actually, he makes superheros look weak. This guy is a freak.<br />
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<b>8:21 </b>The Browns take <b>Trent Richardson</b>, who really looks like he could run through a tree. The Vikings pick is also in, which means we should know it in about ten minutes. Tampa Bay has also made their pick. Maybe I was wrong about the speed of the draft. It's just the announcing that is slow.<br />
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<b>8:27 </b>Scratch that, TB traded with Jacksonville who is on the clock. Minnesota's pick is finally announced and it's <b>Matt Kalil</b>. I apologize for criticizing the speed. This is almost too fast. I don't even have time to post dumb comments about Michelle.<br />
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<b>8:32</b> Commercial break. Molly got her nails cut by Michelle. My war room is one of the greatest in all of sports. I'm glad the Bills didn't trade to get Kalil. I like a few guys they can get at 10, and they need the second rounder. Jacksonville selects <b>Justin Blackmon</b>. Maybe Blaine Gabbert will not be afraid to throw a ball more than eight yards now.<br />
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So far everything is going exactly as the experts predicted (other than the trades). Speaking of which, the Cowboys trade up to get the sixth overall pick. This could be bad for the Bills who are said to be very high on safety, Mark Barron. With all the trades being made to move up only one or two spots, it's pretty clear there were more teams willing to move up than people expected. St. Louis is their trading partner who gets Dallas' 1st (14 overall) and 2nd this year.<br />
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<b>8:39</b> Bills management may have breathed a sigh of relief. Dallas selects <b>Morris Claiborne</b>. Michelle just asked me if you "have to get invited to the Columbine?" Wow.<br />
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In other news, the Senators are going to need a miracle to avoid elimination. 2-0 is a huge whole against the Rangers.<br />
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<b>8:44</b> Michelle once again notes the the NFL Network sat their analysts White-Black-White-Black-White. She has a Rainman-like level of attention to detail. <b>Mark Barron</b> goes off the board to Tampa Bay. Bummer. I hope the Bills can still land Gilmore.<br />
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<b>8:47</b> It's been pointed out that the Senators had made the game 2-1 before my post. I suck at multitasking.<br />
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<b>8:48 </b>Bills are on the clock. Still awaiting the announcement from the Dolphins and Carolina. Time to see if Tannehill get's picked here or has to awkwardly wait around like Aaron Rogers. What ever happened to him?<br />
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<b>8:51</b> Michelle thinks she's hilarious and suggests it'd be cool if the Dolphins actually selected a dolphin. She had high hopes for Flipper. The Dolphins instead go with <b>Ryan Tannehill</b>, which is should prove to be a better pick since almost no football games are played underwater.<br />
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<b>8:55</b> Carolina pick is in, but has yet to be announced. Same with the Bills, so they weren't able to trade back as they may have liked. I'm still thinking the pick is Stephon Gilmore. Carolina goes with <b>Luke Kuechly</b> and not the DT Cox that all the experts had them taking. It's really the experts' first miss tho, so I can't beat them up too much. There have to be some disappointed Bills fans as Kuechly's name was a popular one on sports talk callers' minds. The Bills supposedly are still very high on last year's pick Kelvin Sheppard, so it may not have been a direction they were going anyway.<br />
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<b>9:00</b> Bills select <b>Stephon Gilmore</b>. Holy Crap! I got something right? How did that happen?!?! Anyway, I'm glad they didn't "settle" for Reiff or Floyd. Buddy Nix has proven to be a pretty honest guy and has always expressed how much he valued DBs.<br />
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<b>9:07 </b>The Chiefs take the COMBINE superstar <b>Dontari Poe</b>. Maybe the first surprise of the draft. Eagles are supposedly trying to trade with Seahawks to pick Cox. Michelle likes Poe's "blingy" watch, but not his hair. I'm sure the Chiefs are rethinking the pick.<br />
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<b>9:12 </b>The Eagles do trade their 4th and 6th to the Seahawks to move into their spot. The Eagles select <b>Fletcher Cox</b>, as expected. Twitter and Michelle explode with mature comments containing "Cox".<br />
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<b>9:20</b> Larry Fitzgerald is a happy camper. The Cardinals select <b>Micheal Floyd</b>. Fitz will like having a real number two, and Floyd couldn't have a classier guy to learn from. I don't know much about Floyd, but I like anyone's chances learning from Fitz. All class.<br />
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<b>9:30 </b>As long as this pick the Rams make isn't a bust, you have to love what they've done with this draft. They've stockpiled picks, some that will be very early, in the RGIII trade. I don't expect them to be much better next year, but they should have tons of tools to rebuild. Watch for them in two or three years. Actually, the NFC West division, which has been a bit of a punchline could be pretty formidable as the Rams and Cards improve.<br />
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My war room is probably the only one that is currently having "naked time". Michelle and I are clothed, but apparently this is something good for babies. I'll have to take Michelle's word for it.<br />
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The Rams take DT <b>Micheal Brocker</b>.<br />
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As I finished typing that the Seahawks take DE <b>Bruce Irvin</b>.<br />
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The stupid Jets are on the clock.<br />
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<b>9:40 </b>The Jets take a pass rusher in DE <b>Quinton Coples</b>. "Naked time" is not surprisingly interrupted by urination. The dogs seem confused.<br />
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<b>9:49 </b>Bengals use the 1st they stole in the Carson Palmer trade to select <b>Dre Kirkpatrick</b>. If he stays healthy, Palmer will have a chance to throw passes to Kirkpatrick when they play each other in week 12.<br />
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<b>9:55 </b>The Chargers select <b>Melvin Ingram</b>. Molly is having so much fun she went to sleep. My DQ is starting to wear off.<br />
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The Rangers held on to win their game seven, and the Devils look like they are going to do the same. In a playoff that I predicted so poorly, I at least got these last two correct. I'll try to do better in the second round.<br />
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<b>10:03</b> Something of a run on DE's as the Bears select <strong>Shea McClellin</strong>, a player who cheated in college by playing on a blue field.<br />
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The Patriots in an un-Patriots like move, have traded to move up to the Bengals second first round pick slot. The Titans pick is in and waiting to be announced.<br />
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<b>10:07</b> Apparently everyone has places to go. WR <b>Kendall Wright</b> is selected by the Titans. The Patriots and Browns also have their picks in. Just announce them already!!!! I wonder how many viewers drop out after their team picks.<br />
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<b>10:11 </b>The Patriots selected <b>Chandler Jones</b>. The Browns then select 28 year old rookie <b>Brandon Weeden</b>.<br />
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<b>10:14 </b>TROOPS!!!!!!!!!!!!!! USA!USA!USA! NFL Network chooses "Proud to be an American" as a good time to go to commercial.<br />
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<b>10:22 </b>Mr. Madden 13 announces the Lions selection of <b>Riley Reiff</b>. I knew the experts that thought he should go to the Bills were way off. The Bills don't "reach". He probably went about where he should based on my very limited knowledge.<br />
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The Steelers selected David Duchovny. That's awesome because I really like the X-Files.<br />
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I guess the guys name is actually <b>David DeCastro</b>. I think Mulder was the better pick here.<br />
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<b>10:24 </b>The Patriots move up again... What is this, bizarro world!?!? They select another defensive player in LB <b>Dont'a Hightower</b>.<br />
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<b>10:28 </b>The Texans select DE <b>Whitney Mercilus</b>. I officially don't care anymore. It'd be funny if I just stopped writing at this point, but I won't. Probably.<br />
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<b>10:52 </b>The Bengals take <b>Kevin Zeitler</b>. The Packers select <b>Nick Perry</b>. The Vikings draft <b>Harrison Smith</b>. The 49ers choose <b>A.J. Jenkins</b>. And the draft has sucked every ounce of my giving a shit.<br />
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<b>10:57 </b>The Bucs trade back into the first round to take <b>Doug Martin</b>. I knew a kid through soccer named Doug Martin, but he was a white kid, so I'm pretty sure it's not the same guy.<br />
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<b>11:05 </b>So we're down to it. The last pick of the draft. I am yawning with excitement. The Giants take RB <b>David Wilson</b>.<br />
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Well, I guess that was quick. That's a win for the NFL. It's a loss for my ADD, since I was still basically bored by the 12th pick. Michelle was significantly less entertaining this year, which I guess is good from her point of view.<br />
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Thanks for reading.Don Russhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15446703176126029327noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3149551928028596211.post-77925703579051325932011-11-12T18:14:00.004-05:002011-11-12T20:52:50.255-05:00Sunday with The Sports-Casters<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>The definitive live blog for all things football on 11/13/11.</i></b></td></tr>
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<b><u>Saturday Night:</u></b><br />
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It's still about twenty hours until the first football's are kicked nine-yards into the end zone for the first of many touchbacks across the country. Yet, here I am typing, erasing, deleting, typing, <strike>striking out</strike>, and fighting for the best way to introduce you to this new weekly feature that will be the driving force for a budding partnership between The Sports-Casters and Pro Player Insiders.<br />
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Honestly, I am making it much harder on myself that it actually is. I want the partnership to be a success so here I sit trying tp force out the 200 most profound words I have ever written. It isn't even Sunday yet. Perfectionists everywhere are nodding their heads and giggling out of the side of their mouths thankful that it isn't them this time. Well, I'm done fighting and ready to explain what the rest of this currently blank screen is going to turn into.<br />
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The idea is this. I watch football every week for about twelve straight hours. I watch it at home with my dog Colston as I pace back and forth with my Super Bowl XLIV commemorative football in my hands. I have a beautiful 52 inch screen just inches away from a 40 inch screen that's just inches away from a 24 inch iMac that I use to monitor the Red Zone Channel. On the biggest of screens, I watch my beloved New Orleans Saints. I have calmed a bit since Tracy Porter intercepted Peyton Manning and made <i>me</i> the fan of the Super Bowl Champions, but I still am the type of fan that wears his heart on his sleeve ready to slam my commemorative football if frustration dares to rear its ugly head on Sunday. On the smaller screen, I usually monitor whatever game I think is best. The smaller television, you could say, is reserved for the game of the week.<br />
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Tomorrow, instead of watching with just Colston, I am inviting all of you to stop by and watch the games with me. If you are a fan of the <a href="http://www.sports-casters.com/">podcast</a>, you have probably followed our <a href="http://thesportscasters.blogspot.com/">blog</a>, and maybe even have stopped by for a live blog in the past. I will update the blog every few minutes with an observation and react to the various story lines as they play out at stadiums around the country. I might give fantasy advise, complain about the Saints, debate controversial play calls and referee decisions, while being a good host and reacting to your comments to the blog or any questions you might ask on <a href="http://www.twitter.com/sports_casters">Twitter</a> or <a href="http://www.facebook/thesportscasters">Facebook</a>.<br />
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Before I sign off for the night to eat dinner with the nervous Miss Caster, (she doesn't mind when I have friend over, but she does get nervous when all of the listeners and now all of the readers at Pro Player Insiders pack our house) we should set the table for tomorrow and list some of the week ten story lines that we will be following during the live blog.<br />
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<b><u>Week 10 at a Glance:</u></b><br />
<ul><li><b>Bills vs. Cowboys</b>: Can the Bills get up off the matt after being punched in the mouth by the Jets last week? Can the Cowboys keep pace with the Giants in the NFC East? Will DeMarco Murray continue to run for almost 9-yards per carry? </li>
<li><b>Titans vs. Panthers</b>: After showing signs of life last week, can Chris Johnson still be Chris Johnson? Can the Titans beat an emerging Panthers team on the road? If not, Houston can just about start resting starters for the playoffs, right? What will Cam Newton do tomorrow to leave us all breathless? </li>
<li><b>Texans vs. Buccaneers</b>: With Gerald McCoy gone for the season, can the Bucs stop the run? Arian Foster and Ben Tate have both rushed for over 100-yards in consecutive weeks and the Texans will be sure to see how the middle of the Bucs D stands up without McCoy. Will Andre Johnson play? If he does, how does that hamstring look? Serious question, is it possible while we weren't looking the Texans have gotten healthy and emerged as the best team in the AFC?</li>
<li><b>Jaguars vs. Colts:</b> If the Colts are to win a game this season at home against the 2-6 Jaguars might be their best chance. Can the Colts do enough on defense to slow down MJD and force Blaine Gabbert to beat them? Can Curtis Painter/Dan Orlovsky/Kerry Collins get the ball downfield to the talented Reggie Wayne or Pierre Garcon? </li>
<li><b>Cardinals vs. Eagles:</b> The Eagles loss to the Bears on Monday night has left their season on life support. Can they pick themselves up? Will the deadly Patrick Peterson score another touchdown? </li>
<li><b>Saints vs. Falcons: </b>The winner of this game will likely win the NFC South. The Saints were a missed field goal away from winning in Atlanta last year and it haunted them for the rest of the season. How will the Falcons try to stop Jimmy Graham and Darren Sproles? Will Drew Brees extend his steak of games with a touchdown pass to 37 and pass Brett Favre for the second longest streak in NFL history? The Saints struggle against opposing tight ends, will they have an answer for Tony Gonzalez? </li>
<li><b>Rams vs. Browns:</b> Is Sam Bradford healthy? Can he lead the Rams to some victories down the stretch? Can the Browns do anything to make Tony Rizzo <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/11/07/tony-rizzo-rant-cleveland_n_1080267.html">happy</a>? If a tree falls near Cleveland Browns Stadium on Sunday at 1:30 will anyone be around to hear it? </li>
<li><b>Redskins vs. Dolphins:</b> Can Reggie Bush continue his hot streak? Will the Redskins ever win a game again? Can I make that tree joke for consecutive games? How does J-Lo feel about the <strike>short Kardashian nuptials</strike> poor play of the Dolphins this season?</li>
<li><b>Broncos vs. Chiefs:</b> This might be the most interesting game between a 4-4 team coming off a 28-point loss at home against a previously winless team and a 3-5 team with a starting QB that has yet to complete 15 passes in a game this season. The AFC West could easily be won by a 7-9 team this year. Can the Broncos win at Arrowhead and force a three-way tie for second place at 4-5? Can the Chiefs tie the Raiders for first place at 5-4? What will Tim Tebow do this week? Will Von Miller or Jon Baldwin be the best rookie on the field? This game being so dam interesting is so unique to the NFL. </li>
<li><b>Steelers vs. Bengals: </b>Can the Steelers bounce back from a heartbreaking loss to the Ravens last week? Can the Bengals prove to everyone that they are for real? Is Andy Dalton ready for a defense as good as the Steelers? What game breaking wide receiver, Mike Wallace or AJ Green, will make more game breaking plays? Is this the best game of the week? Is Rashard Mendenhall alive? With injuries to Jermaine Gresham and Donald Lee will the Bengals have a healthy tight end? </li>
<li><b>Ravens vs. Seahawks:</b> Can the Ravens avoid the Steelers hangover and make the long flight to Seattle ready to play the Seahawks? The Ravens put so much into the Steelers game last week that a west coast trip to Seattle could be the last thing most of the players had in mind. Can they avoid the letdown? </li>
<li><b>Lions vs. Bears: </b>The Lions have lost two of their last three games and will still be without Jahvid Best. Best rushed for 163-yards the last time the Bears and Lions played. Do the Lions have a healthy back that can make a play against the Bears defense? Can anyone stop Calvin Johnson? The Bears give up a ton of yards and catches to tight ends, could this be a career day for Brandon Pettigrew? Can Matt Forte run against Suh? Is the loser of this game in danger of missing the playoffs? </li>
<li><b>Giants vs. 49ers:</b> The winner of this game will walk away as the #2 seed in the NFC playoffs and will have the inside track at the second bye week. Who will be the better former first-overall pick, Eli Manning or Alex Smith? If Ahmad Bradshaw and Hakeem Nicks both miss another game will the Giants be able to find enough offense against the punishing 49ers defense to win on the road? </li>
</ul><div>That is all for tonight. A few links to keep in mind for tomorrow if you are interested in following the live blog. </div><div><br />
</div><div><ul><li>Feel free to ask questions on <a href="http://www.twitter.com/sports_casters">twitter</a> by following @sports_casters.</li>
<li>Don't be afraid to leave a comment or a question right on this page in the comment section. </li>
<li>If you would like to listen to The Sports-Casters podcast Episode 50 with Dave Dameshek, Mike Tirico, and Kerry J. Byrne you can follow this <a href="http://www.garbageradio.com/podcasts/sportscasters_s01e50.mp3">link</a>. </li>
</ul><div><b><u>SUNDAY AFTERNOON:</u></b></div></div><div><b><u><br />
</u></b></div><div>Waiting patiently...</div>Steven Bennetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12241161943861702507noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3149551928028596211.post-89890343424564521702011-10-08T02:33:00.002-04:002011-10-08T03:56:23.776-04:003 More Things<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>MLB Playoffs, Stanley Cup Prediction, The Sports-Casters</i></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>1. It has been quite a while since I have blogged and since the show has been moving quickly. It seems like we just don't have enough time to cover all that is going on in the world of sports. The podcasts have been especially packed. Last <a href="http://www.garbageradio.com/podcasts/sportscasters_s01e45.mp3">week</a>, we talked with McLovin from the Dan Patrick Show about the struggling Eagles. We talked to Tim Layden about his <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Blood-Sweat-Chalk-Ultimate-Football/dp/1603200614">book</a>, Sports Illustrated on the <a href="http://mashable.com/2011/05/18/sports-illustrated-ipad-2-0/">iPad</a>, and his time at the track and field world championships in Daegu, Korea. Last, we started previewing the 2011 NHL season with the Puck Daddy Greg Wyshynski. We will continue to preview the season with over the course of the next month.<br />
<br />
This Tuesday is episode 46 and it might be our best show yet. Gregg Easterbrook from ESPN's Page 2 writes a weekly column called, Tuesday Morning Quarterback. Like Don and I, Mr. Easterbrook is from Buffalo, New York. Also from Buffalo is actor/comedian/producer/media everything Nick Bakay. Nick is new to <a href="http://twitter.com/#!/nickbakay4real">twitter</a> and was very kind in setting up his appearance on the show. We will also talk to Matt Crossman of The Sporting News. Matt worked extensively on the annual list of top sports markets in the country. The Sporting News is also undergoing some changes in distribution of the magazine and it will be interesting to see what he thinks about the magazines future. Look for EP46 of The Sports-Casters on Tuesday evening.<br />
<br />
2. The Major League Baseball playoffs have been nothing if not dramatic. Yankees captain Derek Jeter just missed a home run in the bottom of the eighth inning that would have given the Yankees the lead in game five of their Division series against the Tigers. Instead, A-Rod shit the bit in the seventh inning and then made the last out of the game and the last out of the season for the second consecutive year. Tonight, the Brewers rode a walk off single in the tenth inning to their first appearance in the NLCS (They played in the ALCS in 1982). After the dramatic game in Milwaukee, the Phillies and their 102 regular season wins were eliminated by Chris Carpenter and the St. Louis Cardinals. Carpenter was brilliant pitching eight innings and allowing only three hits. Ryan Howard (like the before mentioned A-Rod) also made his team's final out for the second consecutive season. As bad as that may have hurt Howard, the injury to his achilles could be a pain that continues to ale Phillies fans for years to come. <br />
<br />
The baseball has been great, but I can't help but dislike the short five game series in the opening round of the playoffs. It seems like a team like the Phillies isn't given enough advantage for being the best team over the course of a 162 game season. The Phillies finished 12 games better than the Cardinals who didn't even earn a playoff spot until the last day of the regular season. The best of seven series would be more fair than the current format.<br />
<br />
I am looking forward to the upcoming ALCS and NLCS. I will take the Rangers over the Tigers in six games and the Brewers over the Cardinals in seven. One last thing about baseball, remember in July at the all-star game when Prince Fielder hit a 3-run home run to give the National League a victory and home field advantage in the World Series? Well, Fielder and the Brewers are only four wins away from the World Series starting in Milwaukee where they were an incredible 57-24 during the regular season. That all-star game home run could turn in to one of the biggest in the games history.<br />
<br />
3. As I mentioned earlier, we started previewing the upcoming NHL season last week when the Puck Daddy joined us on the podcast. We will continue to talk about the upcoming season in the coming weeks with Jon Buccigross, Katie Baker, and some of the smartest hockey minds in the media. We will also be doing some athletes spotlight podcasts with players from NCAA Hockey, the AHL, and hopefully the NHL.<br />
<br />
In the meantime I wanted to get some predictions for the 2011 season on paper.<br />
<br />
<u>Eastern Conference Playoff Teams</u><br />
Buffalo Sabres (Northeast Champions)<br />
Pittsburgh Penguins (Atlantic Champions)<br />
Washington Capitals (Southeast Champions)<br />
Philadelphia Flyers<br />
Boston Bruins<br />
Montreal Canadians<br />
Tampa Bay Lightning<br />
New York Rangers<br />
<br />
Eastern Conference Champions- Buffalo Sabres<br />
<br />
<u>Western Conference Playoff Teams</u><br />
Vancouver Canucks (Northwest Champions)<br />
Chicago Blackhawaks (Central Champions)<br />
Los Angelas Kings (Pacific Champions)<br />
Detroit Red Wings<br />
San Jose Sharks<br />
Anaheim Ducks<br />
Columbus Blue Jackets<br />
Calgary Flames<br />
<br />
Western Conference Champions- Los Angelas Kings<br />
<br />
Stanley Cup Finals- <b>The Buffalo Sabers over the Los Angelas Kings in five games.</b><br />
<br />
Last thing, I pre-ordered an iPhone 4S today and it wouldn't have been possible without the innovation of Steve Jobs. I have mentioned many times on this blog and on the podcast how much I enjoy the products that Apple makes. Steve Jobs was an incredible innovator and he will be missed<i>. Rest in peace, Steve.</i><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb0BFVVaD0bRm3hGjI2R1fz81TrhqayQWt_1MLeJgzWUpfY39NruO64gRTksFGFHnsrxIw4DE9G1s6ykrCSSe70MRM803ps_mUGADnddanGZe9Dwl03UMSLWGBmsCRw0Q19wCe4YN0Ct0/s1600/Jobs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb0BFVVaD0bRm3hGjI2R1fz81TrhqayQWt_1MLeJgzWUpfY39NruO64gRTksFGFHnsrxIw4DE9G1s6ykrCSSe70MRM803ps_mUGADnddanGZe9Dwl03UMSLWGBmsCRw0Q19wCe4YN0Ct0/s320/Jobs.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div>Steven Bennetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12241161943861702507noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3149551928028596211.post-34715186828034735492011-09-09T18:13:00.000-04:002011-09-09T18:13:14.430-04:0032 Things: A Preview of the 2011 NFL Season<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0yIaFGVxeIRIdNJ78i-VgNUxeAT1dJ5D-ujyed15FVVaCDltbB77VNjIxcnCb3nzLYD5fUvZwVLn2mJxQzOFWr3Pkd7OjUNLriQI8PGgJhjDvt_TO84ysCpAM0SoepCJ85iIWl6doG1k/s1600/Kickoff_11_rgb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0yIaFGVxeIRIdNJ78i-VgNUxeAT1dJ5D-ujyed15FVVaCDltbB77VNjIxcnCb3nzLYD5fUvZwVLn2mJxQzOFWr3Pkd7OjUNLriQI8PGgJhjDvt_TO84ysCpAM0SoepCJ85iIWl6doG1k/s1600/Kickoff_11_rgb.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><u><b>Previewing the NFL Season: 1 Thing at a Time</b></u></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-small;">If you are a fan of the show (and my guess is that you are if you're reading this), you know that we open each show with a segment called, "3Things." The segment gives Don and I a chance to recap the week in sports and discuss the moments, controversies and oddities from the last seven days. When I decided that the blog needed a special NFL preview post I figured it would work best if it was a print version of the podcast. So, what comes next is 32Things, one for each team in the NFL. Let's do it...</span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-small;"><b>Team: </b>Green Bay Packers <b>Most Coveted Fantasy Player: </b>Aaron Rogers <b>Rookie Expected to Make Impact: </b>Randall Cobb</span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-small;">1.) The bullseye is squarely on the backs of all 53 Green Bay Packer players. The Packers have gone from the hunter, as a sixth seed that won three road games before beating the Steelers in the Super Bowl, to the hunted as the team that has achieved what all of the other teams in the league set off to do. As a Saints fan, I watched how hard it is to be that team that everyone is trying to catch up to. The Packers won the Super Bowl last year without Jermichael Finley, but he is back and ready to create headaches for defensive coordinators everywhere. I don't think the Packers will repeat, but they might be the best equipped to do so since the Patriots earlier in the decade. (<b>Projected Record:</b> 15-1)</span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-small;"><b>Team: </b>New England Patriots <b>Most Coveted Fantasy Player: </b>Tom Brady <b>Rookie Expected to Make Impact: </b>Stevan Ridley</span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-small;">2.) I am very excited to watch, "Bill Belichick: A Football Life." The show is a two part documentary that will air on the NFL Network on September 15 and September 22. Belichick agreed to spend the entire 2009 football season wired for sound. If you are like me you feel like you know very little about the polarizing Belichick. Sports Programing like HBO's 24/7, Showtime's series about the 49ers and other behind the scenes type shows have given us insight we have never had before. I expect this show to be no different. (<b>Projected Record:</b> 14-2</span>)</div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-small;"><b>Team:</b> Steelers<b> Most Coveted Fantasy Player: </b>Rashard Mendenhall<b> Rookie Expected to Make Impact: </b>Marcus Gilbert</span><br />
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</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-small;">3.) Last offseason was a zoo in Pittsburgh. Roethlisberger was suspended for four games by the Commish and the Steelers season was in doubt before it started. In the end, the Steelers made another trip to the Super Bowl and without a late fumble by Mendenhall they might have won it. This offseason was much quieter. I expect much of the same from the Steelers this year. The Ravens will challenge them for the division and Cleveland is better. Despite that, the Steelers play the Bengals twice, the 49er, Rams, Cardinals, Colts (on 9/25 long before a potential Manning return), Jaguars, and Seahawks. If the Steelers defeat the Ravens on Sunday I will expect them to be 7-0 heading into a two game stretch against New England and Baltimore. (<b>Projected Record</b>: 13-3)</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-small;"><b>Team:</b> New Orleans Saints <b>Most Coveted Fantasy Player:</b> Drew Brees <b>Rookie Expected to Make Impact:</b> Mark Ingram</span><br />
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</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-small;">4.) Anyone who listens to the show knows that I am a die hard Saints fan. I am sure, for that reason, anything that I write here will be taken with a grain of salt by most of you. The truth is, I am as critical of my team as anyone. I ditched my Saints blindfold years ago. I am always honest when it comes to the Saints. My expectation this season is another trip to the Super Bowl. Drew Brees is the best or second best QB in the NFC and he is surrounded by weapons. The defense is going to struggle early as they adjust to a ton of offseason changes. If the defense can get going and be around the lower top third in the NFC the Saints could be impossible to beat. I fully expect the season to come down to one game. Can the Saints beat the Packers in the NFC Championship? Maybe (<b>Projected Record:</b> 14-2)</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-small;"><b>Team: </b>Jets <b>Most Coveted Fantasy Player:</b> Santonio Holmes <b>Rookie Expected to Make Impact:</b> Muhammad Wilkerson</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-small;">5.) I can't be the only person who missed spending the summer with the New York Jets on HBO's Hard Knocks. At one point my withdrawals got so bad that I was just walking around the house mumbling "let's go eat a god damn snack, </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-small;">let's go eat a god damn snack, </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-small;">let's go eat a god damn snack, </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-small;">let's go eat a god damn snack." It got ugly. The Jets have gotten within a game of the Super Bowl in the last two seasons before falling in the AFC Championship Game. The Jets need to get better on offense to expect to beat Pittsburgh or New England in January. Plaxico Burress has replaced Braylon Edwards but I don't see that as any kind of massive upgrade. If the Jets are going to improve on offense than Mark Sanchez has to take the next step and Shonn Greene needs to establish himself as an every down back. (<b>Projected Record:</b> 11-5)</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-small;"><b>Team:</b> Baltimore Ravens <b>Most Coveted Fantasy Player:</b> Ray Rice <b>Rookie Expected to Make Impact:</b> Jimmy Smith</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-small;">6.) The Ravens have made a few subtle moves in the offseason that I think will make their team much better than last year. First, the Ravens made a great trade for Lee Evans. Evans was rotting away in Buffalo and never seemed to click with the Bills ivy league QB. Joe Flacco throws and outstanding deep ball and Lee Evans is capable of getting deep and catching them. This allows Anquan Boldin to catch the ball closer to the line of scrimmage and rack up yards after the catch. A better passing game means more room for the mega talented Ray Rice and less pressure on Joe Flacco. Next, the Ravens picked Bryant McKinney off the scrap heap, prohibit him from eating cheeseburgers, and moved Michael Oher back to RT where he was dominate in his rookie season. Last, the Ravens signed Matt Birk to play center. Sure Matt Birk is in his 14th season, but I guarantee this is the last time you think about, read about, or talk about Birk the rest of the season. That is exactly what you want from your center. I predict big things from the Ravens this session and I can't wait to watch them battle it out with the Steelers. <b>(Projected Record: </b>13-3) </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-small;"><b>Team:</b> Atlanta Falcons <b>Most Coveted Fantasy Player:</b> Roddy White <b>Rookie Expected to Make Impact:</b> Julio Jones</span><br />
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</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-small;">7.) The Falcons paid a shit ton to acquire Julio Jones in the draft. I have been following Jones since he was a 17-year old senior playing high school ball in Alabama. Jones was a 5-star all world recruit that had narrowed his decision for college down to Oklahoma or Alabama. Ultimately, he broke my heart and decided to ball at home with Nick Saban and ended up winning a National Championship. Jones is the real deal, sure the Falcons paid a King's ransom to team him up with Roddy White and Harry Douglas in an attempt to created the greatest show on turf part two, but if it works out no one is ever going to miss those draft picks. (<b>Projected Record</b>: 12-4)</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-small;"><b>Team:</b> Philadelphia Eagles <b>Most Coveted Fantasy Player:</b> M. Vick <b>Rookie Expected to Make Impact:</b> Casey Matthews</span><br />
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</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-small;">8.) The Eagles spend the entire abbreviated offseason attempting to sign every free agent with a pulse. They succeeded. The Eagles added Nnamdi Asomugha, Vince Young, Cullen Jenkins, Jason Babin, Ronnie Brown, and Steve Smith. The Eagles also got good news when strangely ill Jeremy Maclin started to feel better and was cleared of leukemia. The Eagles have surrounded Vick with tons of talent. LeSean McCoy is a multi-demensional threat. DeSean Jackson, Jeremy Mackin, and Steve Smith should spread defenses all over the field. There is still something that just doesn't feel right about the Eagles to me. I can feel the eyes of every Eagles fan reading this rolling right now but when was the last time that the big winner in the offseason was the big winner in the regular season. Didn't the Eagles attempt what the Redskins have been trying to do for the entire time that Dan Snyder has owned the team? Has it ever worked? Personally, I wouldn't have traded Kevin Kolb. <b>(Projected Record:</b> 10-6)</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-small;"><b>Team:</b> San Diego Chargers <b>Most Coveted Fantasy Player:</b> VJack <b>Rookie Expected to Make Impact:</b> Corey Liuget</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-small;">9.) We spent a lot of time talking about the Chargers with Sports Illustrated senior writer Jim Trotter on the last <a href="http://www.garbageradio.com/podcasts/sportscasters_s01e40.mp3">episode</a> of The Sports-Casters. One thing I noticed about the Chargers roster is that they are loaded with veterans all over the field. It seems like the clock might be ticking. The Chargers has been progressively worse each season under Norv Turner. It will be nice to enter this season with Vincent Jackson and Marcus McNeil on the field and not holding out like last season. The Chargers were number 1 on offense and number 1 on defense last season before awful special teams and a poor September kept them from extending their streak of AFC West division titles. If Bob Sanders can stay healthy all season he could be the steal of the offseason and the extra piece that the Chargers have been missing. Does anyone think that can happen?(<b>Projected Record:</b> 10-6) </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-small;"><b>Team:</b> Indianapolis Colts <b>Most Coveted Fantasy Player:</b> Reggie Wayne <b>Rookie Expected to Make Impact:</b> Corey Liuget</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-small;">10.) Life without Peyton Manning has slapped the Colts and all of their fans across the face this week. Its almost impossible to picture the Colts without Manning under center. A few year ago, Tom Brady was injured during the first game of the Patriots season. Some how they were able to plug in Matt Cassel, go 11-5, and make the playoffs. I don't think the Colts have a Matt Cassel on their roster. In fact, I know they don't. They will attempt to go to battle with Kerry Collins who isn't a completely awful player. I think the Colts will rally around themselves and do the best that they can but without Payton Manning this team just isn't built for success. At least the city of Indianapolis gets to host the Super Bowl in February. (Projected Record: 7-9)</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-small;"><b>Team:</b> San Diego Chargers <b>Most Coveted Fantasy Player:</b> VJack <b>Rookie Expected to Make Impact:</b> Corey Liuget</span><br />
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</span></div>Steven Bennetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12241161943861702507noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3149551928028596211.post-65552336835465961882011-09-09T13:20:00.008-04:002011-09-09T14:32:04.661-04:0032 Teams in 32 Run-on Sentences<p>It might surprise fans of the podcast to discover that I slack a bit when it comes to the blogs. I don't mean to and I actually like to write, I just feel like I'm not wired like a writer. Guys like Joe Posnanski have a brain that needs to unleash ideas through a keyboard or pen. Those guys are always writing many stories at once, where I have trouble coming up with an idea for one. It's an admirable trait and a big reason they are well paid and respected and I am stealing an idea Steve announced on the podcast to jump back into the 'blogosphere'.<br /><br /><p>Anyway, as an addendum to our latest podcast (<a href="http://www.sports-casters.com/">http://www.sports-casters.com/</a> Epidsode 40) which is rich with information previewing the football season, we both offer up one last preview to the season that starts tomorrow. Steve's, I'm sure, will be in depth and factual and informative. My goal was to summarize every team in one sentence and maybe draw a laugh or <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjUhqdem6PnGSgXzTBTu6Fmo__o2bUnzRzKVZEI7iPGZKqxP5j2U0z5I0pdWx-r0PXY-nUxODXQWdL-GXDVdPq02cin-QvW9Yres83AcLNJrXjVf89nzFCCt4-Rlc97xcwNOnvxi7gbIw/s1600/Clippy.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5650425656728080290" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjUhqdem6PnGSgXzTBTu6Fmo__o2bUnzRzKVZEI7iPGZKqxP5j2U0z5I0pdWx-r0PXY-nUxODXQWdL-GXDVdPq02cin-QvW9Yres83AcLNJrXjVf89nzFCCt4-Rlc97xcwNOnvxi7gbIw/s200/Clippy.jpg" border="0" /></a>two out of the reader. Judging by the amount of green squiggly lines under most of them, I failed to do it in a way that is grammatically accurate. Microsoft Office has yet to incorporate a ‘check’ for humor, so the level of success in that area remains to be seen.<br /><br /><p>Whatever… Without further ado, here is my take on the upcoming season. All teams are listed in the order I feel they'll finish in their divisions. I'll also throw in a few predictions at the end, to add to my word count. Once you have finished reading the blog, please send me nasty emails telling me where I was wrong. Just be sure to forget everything I wrote by the end of the year so you can't call me on my crap. Here goes…<br /><br /><strong>AFC East</strong><br /><strong>New England Patriots-</strong> Tom Brady is so annoyingly good that even when he has seemingly no one to throw to he has an MVP-esque season on the way to a league best 14-2 record, and without distractions there is no reason to think he (they) shouldn't do it again.<br /><strong>New York Jets-</strong> They are so brash, confident and winless in championship games, that ownership is considering a name change to the New York Phillip Rivers-es.<br /><strong>Buffalo Bills-</strong> The Bills will return to Jauron-Era form and win 6 or 7 games, while the city collectively wonders if that’s a good thing.<br /><strong>Miami Dolphins-</strong> Opposing defensive coordinators are going to have a hard time deciding whether to NOT game plan against the run, which coaches are so confident in they are considering signing Larry Johnson (again) or NOT game plan against the pass which boasts underwhelming Chad Henne.<br /><br /><strong>AFC North<br />Baltimore Ravens-</strong> This basically came down to my liking the Ravens chances of staying healthy at key position more than the Steelers…and I flipped a coin. <a href="http://www.nflfootballpicks.org/content_images/Unused%20Cincinnati%20Bengals%20Girl-a.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 179px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="http://www.nflfootballpicks.org/content_images/Unused%20Cincinnati%20Bengals%20Girl-a.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><strong>Pittsburgh Steelers-</strong> In the Super Bowl, Rodgers not only confused Polamalu and the Steelers secondary, he made them look very ordinary and NFL sources have told me that other coaches watched the game too.<br /><strong>Cleveland Browns-</strong> The division is too top heavy for the Browns to make a serious push, but McCoy looks ready to make a big step in the right direction, which makes it extra puzzling that there are no NFL receivers or tight ends on their 53 man roster.<br /><strong>Cincinnati Bengals-</strong> I’ve been on google for a half hour and still can only name three Bengals players, but to be totally fair I did get sidetracked by porn.<br /><br /><strong>AFC South<br />Houston Texans-</strong> If they can’t win this division with Peyton missing what is looking like considerable time then the title of perennial sleeper pick moves to St. Louis.<br /><strong>Indianapolis Colts-</strong> He’s been pretty much garbage the last few seasons, but the Colts have to be wondering what Carson Palmer is up to these days.<br /><strong>Tennessee Titans-</strong> CJ2K better not look out of shape or get injured or his fantasy owners and twitter followers won’t be his only haters in Tennessee.<br /><strong>Jacksonville Jaguars-</strong> The entire Jaguars organization makes me feel good about being a Bills fan…yeah, I know, right?<br /><br /><strong>AFC West<br />San Diego Chargers-</strong> San Diego is still waiting for Phillip Rivers to go all <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EatnhTFY3bs&feature=player_detailpage#t=5s">Phillip Rivers</a> in a playoff game, meanwhile, they are still partying in New Orleans after Drew Brees’ Super Bowl XLIV win.<br /><strong>Kansas City Chiefs-</strong> I am not a Matt Cassel fan in the least, but I don’t dislike him enough to think his surrounding cast can’t keep them ahead of the Broncos and their inept defense.<br /><strong>Denver Broncos-</strong> Kyle Orton might not be as tight with Jesus as Tim Tebow, but Brandon Lloyd has to be praying to whoever he believes in that the coaching staff doesn’t get cute again this year.<br /><strong>Oakland Raiders-</strong> There is not a run on sentence long enough to try and decipher Al Davis and the Raiders’ plan.<br /><br /><strong>NFC East<br />Philadelphia Eagles-</strong> The more likable (barely) Miami Heat of the NFL, should contend for a championship, but they should also probably keep their backup quarterback quiet.<br /><strong>Dallas Cowboys-</strong> Unless Dez Bryant goes crazy and burns down Jerry World I think the Cowboys are finally going to run out of the quarterback's girlfriend and wide receiver and coaching related excuses.<br /><strong>New York Giants-</strong> Preseason issues like timing and shortened playbooks and are one thing, but Eli has looked really inaccurate and that’s reason for concern especially considering how he is now an elite guy in the class of Tom Brady.<br /><strong>Washington Redskins-</strong> Grossman v. Beck has to be the hands down, most intriguing match up in DC since JFK v. FDR (I’m not good at politics).<br /><br /><strong>NFC North<br />Green Bay Packers-</strong> It’s scary and also entirely possible that with a full season of Starks to <a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/7/7f/Megatron.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 223px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px" alt="" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/7/7f/Megatron.jpg" border="0" /></a>take some of the load off Grant, a healthy Jermichael Finley, and another season under Aaron Rodgers’ WWF-like (I refuse to acknowledge the change) belt, that this offense is going to be better.<br /><strong>Detroit Lions-</strong> It’s not an original thought to say their season rides on Matt Stafford’s brittle body so, umm, how cool would it be if the actual Megatron played receiver?<br /><strong>Chicago Bears-</strong> I have a hard time thinking a team whose offensive stars are Jay “I have trouble differentiating jerseys” Cutler, an ex-Lions first round pick not named Calvin, and a punt returner are going to be able to score enough to win consistently, even with their solid defense.<br /><strong>Minnesota Vikings-</strong> I wonder who McNabb is going to hideously under-throw if Harvin’s headaches flair up almost as much as I wonder if there has ever been an actual Viking in Minnesota.<br /><br /><strong>NFC South<br />New Orleans Saints-</strong> I fully expect the Saints to bounce back after a year they seemed to spend basking in the afterglow of the Super Bowl victory, getting by on talent alone until Marshawn unceremoniously ended the party.<br /><strong>Atlanta Falcons-</strong> I asked Mrs. Caster her thoughts on the Falcons, and she said “they will fly to the top” and that “they’ll be better than the Bears” which as true as it may be, left me speechless.<br /><strong>Tampa Bay Buccaneers-</strong> The Bucs don’t seem like a team too far from being a contender but unfortunately the Saints and Falcons already are, and I don’t know the last time a single division sent three teams to the playoffs because I didn’t look it up.<br /><strong>Carolina Panthers-</strong> Carolina’s method of improving their league worst record was to spend a boat-load of cash on players from last year’s 2-14 squad to go with their rookie entertainer…err, quarterback.<br /><br /><strong>NFC West<br />Arizona Cardinals-</strong> Kolb isn’t exactly Kurt Warner, but he is strides better than the trail of disaster before him and Jim Trotter told us that Larry Fitzgerald couldn't be happier, which is<a href="http://i.usatoday.net/sports/_photos/2009/01/28/fitzgeraldx.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 245px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 210px" alt="" src="http://i.usatoday.net/sports/_photos/2009/01/28/fitzgeraldx.jpg" border="0" /></a> good because he seems like a nice guy.<br /><strong>St. Louis Rams-</strong> This teaming is moving in the right direction but has a first half schedule so brutal they could easily be 2-5 by the time they head to Arizona to play the Cardinals.<br /><strong>San Francisco 49ers-</strong> Joe Montana and Steve Young were like, really, really good and I guess every season since then has been the football gods’ way of evening everything out, which has to help Frank Gore, Vernon Davis, and Patrick Willis sleep at night.<br /><strong>Seattle Seahawks-</strong> If the plan to trade for Charlie Whitehurst to have him sit behind a castoff from the Vikings (Tavarias Jackson) who couldn't beat out a guy that was basically deemed dispensable because of Rex Grossman (McNabb) is still in motion *inhale* I don’t get it.<br /><br /><p><center><strong>Playoff Predictions</strong></center><br /><strong>AFC</strong><br /><ol><br /><li>New England</li><br /><li>San Diego</li><br /><li>Baltimore</li><br /><li>Houston</li><br /><li>Pittsburgh</li><br /><li>New York</li></ol><br /><br /><strong>NFC</strong><br /><ol><br /><li>Green Bay</li><br /><li>Philadelphia</li><br /><li>New Orleans</li><br /><li>Arizona</li><br /><li>Atlanta</li><br /><li>Dallas</li></ol><br /><br /><p><strong>Championships</strong><br />Batimore at New England<br />Philadelphia at Green Bay<br /><br /><p><strong>Super Bowl</strong><br />Green Bay over Baltimore<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicXl9oz-3lKD0AI9KjQgk0BwFcK9KacUnOcJygAg2X4D7vdQezzfNX5FrRjB9cetrEYKW9tCWAuO_QRkVtWRYr0i3bM84Le9tymdSJDqq2g7ltFk_9UuSyPInnp_Fi5KPW6iIdu5Ecs5lz/s1600/sb2012logo.jpg"></a><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 250px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 209px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://www.mediabistro.com/sportsnewser/files/2011/02/2012SuperBowlXLVI.jpg" border="0" /><br /><br /><p>So there it is. Fifteen hundred words jumbled into of a bunch of worthless speculation. I'll be sure to check back at the end of the year to see how I did. Unless it is too embarassing and I conveniently 'forget'.</p>Don Russhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15446703176126029327noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3149551928028596211.post-23587387435307898532011-08-18T21:38:00.003-04:002011-08-18T21:42:58.840-04:00Live Blog: PreSeason Style<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://nfllabor.files.wordpress.com/2011/08/backtofootballlogo2.jpg?w=295&h=90" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://nfllabor.files.wordpress.com/2011/08/backtofootballlogo2.jpg?w=295&h=90" /></a></td></tr>
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</tbody></table>For the second straight week, Thursday is not just about fist pumping with the kids from Jersey and watching another poor soul leave the Big Brother house without a chance at winning the $500,000 prize. For the second straight week, Thursday is also about pre-season football. This week, Fox has blessed us with a game that many will predicts is just the first of two match-ups between cross state rivals Pittsburgh and Philadelphia. Since, Big Brother doesn't start until 9:00 and the Jersey Shore isn't until 10:00, I figured tonight would be the perfect night for an abbreviated live blog. Live bloggers need pre-season too. So here we go...<br />
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<b>8:00 PMEST</b>: A few observations and thoughts off of the top:<br />
<ul><li>Joe Buck sounds terrible. It is painful to listen to a thing he says. Terry Bradshaw is in the booth with Joe and Troy Aikman. I hope that its just a pre-season thing. </li>
<li>I feel sorry for the kid that just sang the National Anthem. He is a little boy that can't be any older than 12. Miss Caster walked into the room while he was singing, looked at the television, looked again, and said, "Is that a boy?" I will leave it at that. </li>
<li>Watching football on Thursday has me very excited for the full-season Thursday night package that is part of the new CBA. It will be interesting to see what network ends up with the 8-game package that will lead into the NFL Network's package that will close the season. </li>
</ul><b>8:11:</b> The opening kickoff sails into the end zone and continues a disturbing pre-season trend. During the first week of games, over 73% of the kickoffs were fielded in the end zone. The league has moved the kickoff from the 30 to the 35 for the sake of players safety. The idea behind the rule is that more kicks would reach the end zone thus resulting in more touchbacks and less injuries on kickoffs. Kickoffs have been the most dangerous play in football for years and this rule is clearly going to work to eliminate injuries on kickoffs. The downside is that we will have less returns and a tad less excitement.<br />
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<b>8:13:</b> On the first play from scrimmage, Jonathan Scott the stating left tackle for the Steelers goes down with a right knee injury that should end his night. The Steelers have been thin on the offensive line and I would guess that Mike Tomlin will be holding his breath waiting for the news on the severity of the injury.<br />
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<b>8:15:</b> Big Ben Roethilisberger completes a pass on third down to Heath Miller. On the play, Ben is knocked down late but it didn't draw a flag.<br />
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<b>8:17:</b> Two things:<br />
<ol><li>The Eagles seem to stall the Steelers opening drive but are flagged for a face mask. </li>
<li>Joe Buck offers use of the teleprompter to Terry Bradshaw who says, "How the hell do you turn it on?" Its pre-season for everyone. </li>
</ol><div><b>8:20:</b> Bradshaw says that in his day players had to get second jobs after the season to make ends meet. Terry claims he was a used-car salesman. </div><div><br />
</div><div><b>8:23:</b> Ben has all day in the pocket to complete a third-down pass to Arnaz Battle. Have you ever been to the Battlezone? I hope so because it doesn't seem to exist anymore. </div><div><br />
</div><div><b>8:26:</b> On what looks like a coverage breakdown, Antonio Brown is about ten-yards passed Asante Samuel for what ends up being an easy pitch and catch for a Steelers touchdown. <b>7-0 Steelers</b> after a 10 play 80-yard drive that lasted 7:36.</div><div><br />
</div><div><b>8:30</b>: I switched over to ESPN.COM to check the spelling of a name and noticed that the Patriots are up 21-0 on the Buccaneers early in the second quarter. I am a little worried that the Patriots are set to play this season in FU mode and blow teams out the way they did in 2007. </div><div><br />
</div><div><b>8:31:</b> The Steelers kick the ball well into the end zone for the second touchback of the night. </div><div><br />
</div><div><b>8:32</b>: On his first play of the night, Michael Vick scrambles to the left and throws deep past everyone and the ball falls harmlessly at the 10-yard line. </div><div><br />
</div><div><b>8:32:</b> I just heard Joe Buck's voice crack. I took my first look at my twitter timeline after typing the last sentence to find that its full of tweets about Buck's voice.<br />
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<b>8:36:</b> The Eagles punt, and its a beauty. The ball is downed at the 5-yard line. I hope we get at least one more drive from the Steelers starting offense.<br />
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<b>8:38:</b> Ben leads the Steelers onto the field for at least a second drive.<br />
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<b>8:40:</b> Ben shows his athleticism and makes a great play to scramble out of coverage and drop a short pass of to R. Mendenhall who makes an equally impressive play to gain a first down.<br />
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<b>8:44:</b> With the Steelers driving just past mid-field the clock runs out on the first quarter. After one,<b> Steelers 7 Eagles 0</b><br />
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<b>8:46: </b>Marcus Gilbert, the tackle that took over for the injured Jonathan Scott also has left the game with a knee injury.<br />
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<b>8:47: </b>Mendenhall busts off a 7-yard run on first down. He has looked vert impressive and athletic so far.<br />
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<b>8:49:</b> Ben beats a blitz and dumps the ball off to a wide open Mewelde Moore. Moore takes the ball into the redzone.<br />
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<b>8:50:</b> After an Eagles sack forces a 3rd-18, Big Ben scrambles to buy time and finds Hines Ward in the end zone for a touchdown. <b>14 Steelers 0 Eagles 11:06 2nd Quarter</b><br />
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</b><br />
<b>8:53: </b>Another touchback...Another commercial...<br />
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<b>8:55: </b>The Eagles try a bubble screen to DeSean Jackson that is sniffed out by the Steelers. Roethlisberger has been fantastic tonight on third down.<br />
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<b>8:57:</b> Right after Bradshaw goes wax poetic on the snap and authority behind Michael Vick's passes, Vick floats one down the sideline and is picked off by Ryan Clark<br />
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<b>9:00: </b>Byron Leftwich has relieved Roethlisberger and that is the two-minute warning for this blog.<br />
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<b>9:01:</b> Terry Bradshaw has been a disaster in the booth so far. If he isn't interrupting Buck, then he is interrupting Aikman. On the night, Roethlisberger is 8-12 125 yards 2TD 0INT. ESPN has yet to release his Total QBR. I bet it was pretty good.<br />
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<b>9:02: </b>The Steelers fail to capitalize on the turnover as the Eagles swarm Swayze Waters and block his field goal attempt. Swayze Waters? That name sounds made up to me. His mother must have been a huge fan of Dirty Dancing. Samuel looked like he was the Eagle that got the block.<br />
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<b>9:05:</b> LeSean McCoy starts the drive with a nice change of direction run for about 11-yards.<br />
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<b>9:06: </b>Troy Polamalu jumps in front of a Vick pass and drops it. He should still be running.<br />
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<b>9:07:</b> On the next pass, Vick throws the ball into a crowd of Steelers and is picked off by Keenan Lewis. Somewhere, Matthew Berry is sweating his balls off. Vick has been a disaster tonight and Berry has screamed from the top of a mountain that Vick should be the first pick in any fantasy draft. Vick is 3-8 24 yards 0TD 2INT. ESPN has yet to release his Total QBR but I would bet it isn't very good.<br />
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<b>9:09:</b> Pam Oliver is in preseason mode as well. She totally botches a sideline report that left me wondering what she was talking about.<br />
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<b>9:11:</b> A great play by Leftwich on third down is called back on a holding penalty. On the next play, Leftwich throws a beauty down the seam for 29-yards to complete a 3rd and long to Jericho Cotchery.<br />
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<b>9:14:</b> The Steelers are killing the Eagles on third down.<br />
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<b>9:16:</b> It is the 2:00 warning in Pittsburgh. Terry has left the booth to take his spot on the halftime set. If this was an experiment to see if Terry would gel with Joe and Troy the Fox executives have gotten a clear answer tonight. Terry is pretty lousy and Joe and Troy don't want him around.<br />
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<b>9:18:</b> Former Saint, Anthony Hargrove sacks Leftwich and the Eagles finally get a stop on third down.<br />
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<b>9:20: </b>Vick is going to get a chance to run the 2-minute drill at the end of the half. I would think this is the last drive for starters on both sides. Next week, the third week of the preseason, is usually the "dress rehearsal" and starters usually see action into the third quarter.<br />
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<b>9:23</b>: I have to admit, Vick can really zing the ball when he wants to. He can run too, but on this night he isn't interested in being hit and kind of jogs out of bounds on a second down play.<br />
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</b><br />
<b>9:24: </b>On the next play, the football gods punish Vick for jogging out of bounds and he is crushed by James Harrison and a blitzer. Aikman scolds Vick for not getting rid of the ball sooner.<br />
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<b>9:26:</b> Vick makes some athletic plays to avoid another sack but then throws his third interception of the night. McCoy missed a blitz pickup and then threw the ball into coverage. Troy Polamalu was the recipient of that arrant pass by Vick.<br />
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<b>9:30: </b>This time the Steelers make Vick pay as Leftwich throws another beauty down the seem to Cotchery. <b>Steelers 21-0 over the Dream Team</b> with :18 seconds left in the first half.<br />
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<b>9:31:</b> That is it for the first pre-season live blog of the season. Looking back quickly I am glad to get the practice. I wasn't as bad as Michael Vick but not as good as the Steelers. The blog could have used some more pictures and a few links. I think the content was good but not quite mid-season form. If I had a backup I would demand him into the game. Since I don't, that will have to be it for now. Its time for Miss Caster and I to relax and enjoy Big Brother and the Jersey Shore.<br />
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Don't forget to check out Episode <a href="http://www.garbageradio.com/podcasts/sportscasters_s01e36.mp3">36</a> of The Sports-Casters with Dave Dameshek from <a href="http://www.nfl.com/news/author?id=09000d5d81a94f23\">NFL.COM</a> and Todd Fritz from the <a href="https://twitter.com/#!/brooklynfritzy">Dan Patrick Show</a>.<br />
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Say goodnight fist pumpers...<br />
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</div>Steven Bennetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12241161943861702507noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3149551928028596211.post-77507533211927281522011-08-12T17:38:00.000-04:002011-08-12T17:38:27.032-04:00Fantasy Football Web Host: Pay to Play or Play for Free?<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.myfantasyleague.com/images/statsworld.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><img border="0" src="http://www.myfantasyleague.com/images/statsworld.gif" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">My Fallen Friend</span></u></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Most of the (okay all) fantasy football leagues that I play in are of the pay to play variety. I wouldn't call the stakes astronomical, but I am in leagues that cost anywhere from $50-$110 to enter. I have started seasons already $500 in the hole just from entry fees. The thing about the entry fee is that its all relative. If you play in a cheap league you win cheap prizes. If you play in an expensive league you can win expensive prizes. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">With money at stake, it sometimes shocks me how blasé a commissioner can be when choosing the website for the league. I always ask the commissioner why he has chosen the site and nine times out of ten the answer is something like this, "Well, it was free and easy to set up so what the fuck's difference? Go eat a chicken wing and stop being a pain in the ass." Occasionally a commissioner will say that the league has run on specific site for a long time and the website preserves the leagues history. That is maybe the best reason for a league to stay on an otherwise terrible website. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">For years, I wouldn't be in a league that didn't use the software of Statsworld. Statsworld was a small company in Cincinnati way ahead of their time. Way back in 1994 (believe it or not that was 17-years ago), Statsworld had a desktop version of their software that made running leagues much easier than my previous method. Okay, ill tell, that method was walking my ass to the corner store for a slushy and the Monday edition of the USA Today. Then I went home and had to go through each box score to determine the winners in my league. I would of course have to repeat the process on Tuesday so I could track the Monday Night Football game and then later in the season the league would play on Saturday and I would have to use the Buffalo News to get those box scores. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">As Statsworld evolved, so did I. At some point the desktop version gave way to an online version and dial up internet gave way to high speed internet and fantasy football was changed forever. I never needed to buy another slushy again. (I just couldn't write newspaper. I love the newspaper, and I don't want to be responsible for it being obsolete)</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">About three years ago, my worst nightmare came true. <strike>My dog had cancer</strike> Statsworld had been sold to some bullies that called themselves MyFantasyLeague.Com. They promised to be everything that Statsworld was and more. I knew it couldn't be possible. I didn't want to believe it was possible. I turned my back on MyFantasyLeague.Com so fast that I drafted Sam Bradford as my second QB in my first draft of the 2008 season. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Since the death of Statsworld, the same question has hung over the head of each league I have ever started or continued to be the commissioner of; What website should I host this league on? </span><br />
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</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Let's break down the choices (One more thing, It's no longer good enough to be a quality website. In todays world of smartphones and tablet computers your website better have an app for iPhone and Android users. If you don't, I'm not interested in you. Also, I didn't write much about live scoring because everyone does it and everyone sees, to do it just fine.)</span><br />
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<b><a href="http://games.espn.go.com/frontpage/football"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">ESPN: The World Wide leader in sports has made their site almost unbeatable. </span></a></b><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">First, if you have an auction league and you can't have a live draft (meaning your draft needs to be had with members behind computers in various corners of the country or world) ESPN IS BY FAR THE BEST SITE FOR YOUR LEAGUE. Their auction software is second to none and everything is free. They have an app that is also free that works for iOS and Android. They do not have a native iPad app but that feature could be added at any time. Also, there are third party apps such as Fantasy Football Monster '11 HD that will allow you to manage your ESPN league team on the iPad. </span><br />
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</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">If your league is a snake draft ESPN is still very appealing. They have plenty of content right on their site including podcasts, rankings, projections, and all kinds of other bells and whistles to help their game be the most appealing. Again, they have a free app, free drafts, a mock draft center for practice, and an onsite injury expert. They also have a nicely packaged drat kit that can be easily printed out and be your main companion at your draft. With magazines taking a huge hit due to the lockout, more of us are going to be turning to online cheat sheets. ESPN has this covered and covered well with opinions from multiple personalities and their consensus choices. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">So ESPN is a no brainer right? If all of the above is free, why in the world would I use any other website? Well, a few reasons. First, the standard game that ESPN plays is nothing close to the fantasy football I have ever played. Some enjoy the standard ESPN game, but if I were to run a league on ESPN it would be a custom league and not a standard. ESPN claims to fully customizable but they really aren't. Especially tricky is adding bonus points for yards in a game or yards on a play. ESPN is very limited in their choices. Another drawback to ESPN is that they only allow so many drafts on a given day or time. Basically, if you snooze you loose. If you think ESPN is best for you (and it might be) then you should schedule your draft as soon as you can so that you will have access to the site on the date and time that you want. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Overall: ESPN is far and away the best FREE website. If you want to play a standard game of fantasy football then there is no better place on the internet. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Sample League: <a href="http://games.espn.go.com/ffl/leagueoffice?leagueId=408077">http://games.espn.go.com/ffl/leagueoffice?leagueId=408077</a></span><br />
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><a href="http://www.myfantasyleague.com/index.php">MyFantasyLeague.COM:</a> This site once broke my heart, but its impossible to ignore all of possibilities. </span></b><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">ESPN is the best free site. I think that MyFantasyLeague (MFL) is the best pay site. This site it jam packed with options, that even after two seasons of running games on it, I don't think I have discovered everything. MFL is packed with stats and ways to organize those stats. Your league is truly customizable on MFL. ESPN claims to be fully customizable but like I said before that is only true to an extent. On MFL, you can set scoring options for anything you can think of. Last year, my league had a rule that awarded a player .5 point for having his ass tapped. We thought it would be hard to track, but MFL was there for us. </span><br />
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</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">MFL is in the strange position of having almost too many features. Starting a league on MFL from scratch can seem like a choir that was made for a United States President not a fantasy football commissioner. The site is complicated. The good news is that MFL has a great staff and they are always available to help you solve whatever problem you might have. </span><br />
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</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">My favorite feature of MFL is the infinite amount of ways you can decorate the league home page. You can post polls, assign each team a logo, give the league a logo, keep track of money, transactions and standings without ever making a click. MFL also has an app that works of the iPhone, iPad, and Android. </span><br />
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</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Overall: MFL is the perfect alternative for the complicated league. A complicated league needs complicated options and ESPN isn't quite built for that. MFL will cost you, but it isn't as expensive as you might think. MFL will offer a switching league the same price as their former pay site or 50% off. The basic price is $89.95 but if you run multiple leagues the second league receives a $10 discount. If I were you, I would shoot an email to sales@myfantasyleague.com and make a deal. </span><br />
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</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Sample League: <a href="http://www29.myfantasyleague.com/2010/home/67229#0">http://www29.myfantasyleague.com/2010/home/67229#0</a></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>Some Other Free Sites:</b></span><br />
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</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">If ESPN doesn't make your sister giggle there are some other free options out there. </span><br />
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</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>NFL.COM</b> has been stepping up their game the past few seasons. NFL.COM can offer you a free game with a basic list of customizations. They have recently added an iPhone app and a secondary app that can be used as an in draft tool. The site while customizable, like ESPN, is only customizable to their specifications. Here is an example. NFL's standard game does not award bonus points for rushing totals. I am in a league that awards points when a runner advances past 125 yards. That rule wouldn't be possible on NFL.COM. You could however award points for gaining 100-199 or/and 200plus. In this case you either need to adjust your rule or pick another site. It's a very little thing, but when there are so many options we have no choice but to split hairs. </span><br />
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</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Overall: In a year or two we might all be playing fantasy football on NFL.COM, but for now I am going to give them some more time to develop. </span><br />
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</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>Yahoo.Com</b> is probably the second best free site out there. Yahoo is a free site that claims to be fully customizable. What I like about Yahoo is that this season they have added scoring flexibility to their already FULLY customizable game that they didn't offer last season. That shows me that they are listening to the needs of their players and adjusting accordingly. This also tells me that like ESPN and NFL they are only fully customizable to a point.</span><br />
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</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Yahoo also takes great pride in their mobile apps. They have an iPad and Android app with the promise that iPad support is coming soon. There are also many third party apps that will assist you with Yahoo leagues. </span><br />
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</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">This season Yahoo is offering 2 premium add-ons to enhance their game. For $9.99, you can puchase a scouting report that is l<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; line-height: 16px;">oaded with rankings, team analysis, important news items, injury updates and more. According to Yahoo, this comprehensive weekly newsletter is the most complete and up-to-date source of information you can find anywhere. Also, for $14.99 you can purchase the Yahoo! Trade Review. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; line-height: 16px;">If a trade protest is made, members of the Yahoo! Sports staff will review the trade. If the trade in question appears to be overly biased or unfair towards one team, the trade will be overturned. Trade Review is only available for purchase by a league's commissioner.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; line-height: 16px;"> That seems like a cool little feature, but it is grossly over priced. How often in your league is a trade made that is so unfair the members of the league can't sort it out themselves? Save your $15 bucks and create a committee in the league that does the same thing.</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; line-height: 16px;">Overall: Yahoo is a solid alternative to ESPN. </span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; line-height: 16px;">Some other Pay Sites: </span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; line-height: 16px;"><b>CBS Sports</b> is a website that I can honestly say I have never had the chance to use for a whole season. It has always seemed to be too rich for my blood. The CBS Commissioner game is $159.95. For that price, CBS better send a couple of Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders to my draft to work the room and entertain my buddies. I will tip my cap to CBS for full app support for iPhone, iPad and Android. </span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; line-height: 16px;">One awesome thing about CBS Sports is they offer support for people who want to play in leagues that cost big money. An individual can join a league for $499 and enter a prize pool worth $3,500. </span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; line-height: 16px;">CBS also has a free game on their site for the casual gamer. </span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; line-height: 16px;">Ov</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 16px;">erall:<b> </b>I would be interested in trying CBS out sometime. I admit that I don't know enough about it to strongly recommend or strongly disapprove. They seem to offer a game for everyone, have app support, and easily customizable UI. If you use, or have used CBS in the past send me an <a href="mailto:thesportscasters@gmail.com">email</a> and let me know what you think. I will post your opinion in a future column. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 16px;"><b>Fanball:</b> I mention Fanball because</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 16px;"> it went the way </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 16px;">of the dodo this past offseason. I have been in a few Fanball leagues in the past, and I never embraced the site or enjoyed it that much. It seemed like a cheap version of my beloved Statsworld and for some reason their live scoring never seemed to work all that great on Sunday. I don't think they had the servers to handle it. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://skepticalswedishscientists.files.wordpress.com/2010/09/dead_dodo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="254" src="http://skepticalswedishscientists.files.wordpress.com/2010/09/dead_dodo.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Fanball has died and gone to the place of the dodo.</i> </td></tr>
</tbody></table><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 16px;"> </span><br />
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</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 16px;">Today, if you go to Fanball's website you are redirected to something called, CDM Sports. CDM is new to me and this year isn't going to be the year that I will try it.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 16px;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 16px;">Overall: There are too many other options for me to be sticking my nose in here. I am glad fanball and their awful live scoring and lack of any kind of functional app has disappeared. Fanball was the kind of partner that would say one thing and then do another. For example, the commissioner of the league that last year used Fanball, called them before our draft to see if they would be releasing an iPhone app. The guy on the phone said it would be released the day before the NFL Kickoff and we are still waiting to this day. He promised, made sure we drafted and were to the point of no return, and then broke the promise. </span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.youthink.com/quiz_images/quiz1160outcome4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="259" src="http://www.youthink.com/quiz_images/quiz1160outcome4.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 16px;"><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 16px;">I am sure I have left out a few fantastic sites that offer free or pay games that you like very much. Let me know about what I missed and why I should consider running my league there. I'm anxious to hear from you in the comments or by emailing me at <a href="mailto:thesportscasters@gmail.com">thesportscasters@gmail.com</a>. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; line-height: 16px;"><b>Fantasy Site Power Rankings</b> </span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; line-height: 16px;">1. Statsworld (always and forever)</span></span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/5cdLSYjKpzA?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; line-height: 16px;">2. My Fantasy League</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; line-height: 16px;">3. ESPN</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; line-height: 16px;">4. Yahoo</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; line-height: 16px;">5. CBS (I want to know more)</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; line-height: 16px;">6. NFL</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; line-height: 16px;">I might be back later with ten more things spotted in the second night of the NFL Pre-Season. In the meantime, say goodnight sweet Bella. </span></span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF-U3MkiYQ1tF_1U8PraavHjd37rGKXP0qtxGPojy_65dCQvEE0XOLb-qAnXvs4R7jW5hc2Q0Qf8-6r3anVN3Op0eunf2w88pVSf0e806C_RERVAB8AeeBtH7DAtiSjZEuvNxFNxrivNw/s1600/Photo+Jul+07%252C+7+12+24+PM.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF-U3MkiYQ1tF_1U8PraavHjd37rGKXP0qtxGPojy_65dCQvEE0XOLb-qAnXvs4R7jW5hc2Q0Qf8-6r3anVN3Op0eunf2w88pVSf0e806C_RERVAB8AeeBtH7DAtiSjZEuvNxFNxrivNw/s320/Photo+Jul+07%252C+7+12+24+PM.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>Steven Bennetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12241161943861702507noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3149551928028596211.post-62972805438615003522011-08-11T23:33:00.000-04:002011-08-11T23:33:38.285-04:00Pre-Season Football is Back... and still boring.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://the-jawns.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/lockout.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="241" src="http://the-jawns.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/lockout.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><i>The NFL is Unlocked. The Preseason Still Stinks</i></span></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><b><u>Ten Observations from the First Five Games</u></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">1. The folks over at the NFL Network are always on their game. I had a blast watching the Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony last weekend, and it was an awesome treat to have the NFL Network jump from game to game tonight on a preseason version of the RedZone Channel. The NFL Network will show six live preseason games and the other 58 on tape delay. If you are really into preseason games then keep your television tuned to the NFL Network. It would really suck to be a Time-Warner subscriber. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">2. Twitter is good for a lot of things. One of the things that makes twitter great is when you can enjoy sporting events with the people on your timeline. Tonight, former head of NFL Officials, Mike Pereria (who just joined twitter yesterday) spent the whole first half of the Seahawks vs. Chargers game answering questions posed by his followers. It really felt like we all had the chance to watch the game with Mike. Even though he is new to twitter, he did a great job picking out questions to answer and offering knowledge. I am already working on getting Mike on the podcast and he was kind enough to return my initial message to try and work something out. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">3. I had fooled myself into thinking that one positive to come out of the lockout would be that the preseason would be more interesting. It isn't. The preseason games tonight felt, smelled, and looked a lot like the preseason games of years past. Tom Brady took the night off in New England. The Chargers were very carful with Philip Rivers and a second round QB from Northwestern named Mike Kafka was the leader of the Dream Team for most of the night in Philadelphia. Mike Vick didn't need much work. He played one drive and was 4-6 for 74-yards and a touchdown pass. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">4. Ryan Mallet might be the talk of the weekend after putting together an impressive professional debut as the Patriots drilled the Jaguars. Mallet was 12-19 with 164-yards and 1 touchdown. I can't wait for a few weeks when his TQB rating from tonights action is released. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">5. Offenses around the league might not be very crisp just yet. There were a ton of field goals kicked tonight. In the 2006 preseason, Drew Brees struggled during the preseason and failed to lead the Saints offense to a single touchdown. Finally, in the first game of the regular season Drew Brees hooked up with then rookie Marques Colston to get the monkey off of the offense's back. I guess my point is that it might not be unusual at all to see offenses settling for field goals this early in the preseason. The announcers of the Eagles and Ravens game did a good job pointing out that the offenses have yet to do much work in goal line situations. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">6. It should't mean much, but I can already hear Tim Tebow honks huffing and puffing about his 6/7 91 yards passing and 2 rushes for 15-yards. I am sure Tebow supporters will also mention that Kyle Orton was only 2/6 for 37-yards. All of this obviously means very little, but I am sure Tebow supporters will jump on the opportunity to mention his almost perfect 6/7 performance. The Broncos fans should be most excited that Matt Prater went 3/3 with a long 42-yard field goal. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">7. The Eagles are 1-0 and are one step closer to a 4-0 pre-season, a 16-0 regular season, and a 3-0 march through the playoffs to a Super Bowl victory. The Dream Team can not be stopped. Next week they will face an overmatched Lithuania squad. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">8. 47-12 can only be described one way...ass kicking. The Patriots pounded the Jaguars without Tom Brady. In fairness, the Jags were resting Maurice Jones-Drew. Regardless of who is playing, it's never a good thing to lose a game by 35-points, but I wouldn't go run and hide my head if I was one of the 18 Jaguars fans across the world. Stevan Ridley a rookie RB from LSU had 16 carries for 64-yards and 2 touchdowns. Not to be outdone, Ryan Medlin a rookie from Fayetteville State, and a player without a profile on the NFL's website, rushed for 54-yards and 2 touchdowns. Who is bagging all of the groceries in Jacksonville this week? It seems like the team brought them all to New England for the first preseason game of the season. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">9. Is Tarvaris Jackson really going to be the starting quarterback in Seattle? Is he really one of the 32 best quarterbacks in the world? Is he really better than Charlie Whitehurst? Why did the Seahawks give up a second and a third round pick for Whitehurst only to burry him behind Hasselbeck and then put him behind Tarvaris Jackson on the depth chart? What did they see in him then that they didn't see in him when they brought Tarvaris Jackson in and immediately named him the starter. The Seahawks treated Jackson like the starter today limiting his action to a drive or two and only letting him drop back for five passes. On the other hand, Whitehurst got a lot more work and went 14-20 for 120-yards leading the Seahawks to a 24-17 victory over the Chargers. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">10. To summarize the first night of football after a five month lockout that resulted in the cancelation of one game, I would say these things:</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><ul><li>New England destroyed Jacksonville and could be getting ready to having a huge season. </li>
<li>The field goal kickers were very busy tonight. </li>
<li>Despite the lockout, pre-season football is still pretty boring. </li>
<li>We are 27 days away from the real thing. </li>
<li>The tuck rule made an appearance tonight. </li>
</ul><div>Don't forget to give a listen to Episode <a href="http://www.garbageradio.com/podcasts/sportscasters_s01e35.mp3">35</a> of The Sports-Casters featuring interviews with DJ Gallo from ESPN Page 2, and Jay Clemons and Matt Bowen from the National Football Post. I am already working on Episode 36 witch should include interviews with Dave Dameshek, Todd Fritz, and Don Banks. </div>Steven Bennetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12241161943861702507noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3149551928028596211.post-20674941178324228832011-08-05T21:24:00.001-04:002011-08-05T21:28:21.377-04:003 More Things<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaINJT9kqieazf4RFABj3SByx6IltxdJc3CCYi1qguKITws39VYRPX8IdxsX8kZV8g-0KeLj3_PP2hgk0h1G3AvmujeFN8ZOphwEk2QjRPmaV6bcbnJrE1G09VE0A9mNTUP3C1Z_yt7ac/s1600/3+THINGS+BW.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaINJT9kqieazf4RFABj3SByx6IltxdJc3CCYi1qguKITws39VYRPX8IdxsX8kZV8g-0KeLj3_PP2hgk0h1G3AvmujeFN8ZOphwEk2QjRPmaV6bcbnJrE1G09VE0A9mNTUP3C1Z_yt7ac/s200/3+THINGS+BW.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Where is Frank Drebin?</span></i></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>1. The Sports-Casters Spending Spree</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b><br />
</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I have been so excited about our fantastic show on Tuesday that I have been on a bit of a spending spree. Someone needs to get here quick and tie me down before Miss Caster snips off my balls. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">It started yesterday when I spent over an hour walking around at Barnes and Noble. I love to walk around and look at all of the books. I hate buying books from Barnes and Noble because they are so damn expensive. I basically walk around the store with my iPhone in hand and the Amazon Price Checker app open. I won't buy any book that is priced $5 higher than Amazon. </div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This is what I ended up buying.</div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">- "3 Nights in August, Strategy, Heartbreak and Joy. Inside the Mind of a Manager" by Buzz Bissinger</div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I have wanted to read this book for a long time and it was perfectly priced at $4.98 thanks to it's inclusion in the bargain books section of the store. </div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">- "Blood. Sweat and Chalk, The Ultimate Football Playbook: How the Great Coaches Built Today's Game" by Tim Layden </div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I am working really hard to try and book Tim Layden on The Sports-Casters. Looking ahead, I figured I would be prepared and read his latest book. It has just been released on paperback and was 20% off. It ended up costing me only $11.99. </div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">- "The Ultimate Mac How to Handbook No. 5" Presented by Mac Life. </div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I made my way to the magazine rack hoping to find a fantasy football magazine or an NFL season preview magazine. I was really disappointed with the selection. There were three magazines worth my money and I had already purchased them all. Other than those three, the selection sucks this year. This is clearly an underrated casualty of the lockout. ESPN doesn't have a fantasy magazine this year, and the NFL didn't put one out either. </div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Anyway, I got suckered into a horrible purchase. I have no one to blame but myself. I walked over to the Apple magazine section and got all pissed off to see that the new Macworld was on the rack but hadn't arrived in my mailbox yet. I didn't see the September edition of Mac Life just yet but I did see this cool looking magazine that seemed to offer ticks, tips, and fun ideas for the Apple products I am proud to own. Instead, I got a magazine full of re-printed articles from the monthly Mac Life magazine I subscribe to already. Price of this awful purchase? $9.99</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://images.betterworldbooks.com/061/Three-Nights-in-August-9780618405442.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://images.betterworldbooks.com/061/Three-Nights-in-August-9780618405442.jpg" width="208" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Last night, I had a craving to watch The Naked Gun. I went to my DVD collection and was shocked to see that I didn't own The Naked Gun. How did I not own this OJ Simpson classic? Today, I wasted no time heading to Best Buy to purchase the complete Naked Gun box set. Instead, I ended up with this collection of Blu Ray and DVD Movies. I am proud to say that none of them were priced higher than that awful magazine purchase. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">-Major League "Wild Thing Edition"</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">-*61</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">-National Lampoon's Vacation</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">-Friday Night Lights </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">After Best Buy, I stopped at Target and WalMart to try and find a copy of The Naked Gun. NO DICE. Apple to the rescue; I am going to rent The Naked Gun on Apple TV tonight for the small fee of 2.99. I can handle it. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>2. Upcoming Editions of The Sports-Casters </b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b><br />
</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Besides buying stuff that I don't really need, I have been working on booking the next couple of podcasts. Here is where we are at:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><u>Episode 35</u></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><u><br />
</u></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">DJ Gallo from ESPN's<a href="http://search.espn.go.com/dj-gallo/"> Page 2</a> and <a href="http://www.sportspickle.com/">SportsPickle</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.nationalfootballpost.com/Jay-Clemons-2957.html">Jay Clemons </a>from The National Football Post </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.nationalfootballpost.com/matt-bowen.html">Matt Bowen</a> from The National Football Post</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Notes: DJ Gallo is someone I have been chasing for a long time. He has played a little hard to get. We talked a ways back on Twitter and he told me to email him. I never heard back. I tried again a day or two ago and we were able to work it out. Jay Clemons will join us to talk about Fantasy Football. Matt Bowen is a former NFL player and we will talk to him about the upcoming football season. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><u>Episode 36</u></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Dave Dameshek from <a href="http://www.nfl.com/news/author?id=09000d5d81a94f23">NFL.COM</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Todd Fritz from the<a href="http://www.danpatrick.com/danettes/"> Dan Patrick Show</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Don Banks form SI.COM</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Notes: Fritz has big shoes to fill as fellow Danette knocked it out of the park on Episode <a href="http://www.garbageradio.com/podcasts/sportscasters_s01e34.mp3">34</a> of The Sports-Casters. Don's #1 guest, Dave Dameshek will make his third appearance on the show. He also appeared on episode <a href="http://www.garbageradio.com/podcasts/sportscasters_s01e4.mp3">4</a> and <a href="http://www.garbageradio.com/podcasts/sportscasters_s01e20.mp3">20</a>. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Future Guests: </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We have a commitment from Richard Deitsch to preview the NFL/BCS on TV sometime towards the end of the month. I am also working on Tim Layden, Bob Ryan, Dan Levy, Jeff Duncan and Rob Demovsky to preview the Saints vs. Packers season opener. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyrqp2hd48gEJHD0qjqSskqMypp8BgnLUiJAPLaXJ5ZjOIDwkSNIWj_bzPe8zwvnevulat05TL7oTPCZMwfkevBNitHg-PZbjuYVH_pP_ebdYLS0iUvZ4VFu1CKnv7sWpHUIux95_JNJIP/s1600/01-dave-dameshek.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyrqp2hd48gEJHD0qjqSskqMypp8BgnLUiJAPLaXJ5ZjOIDwkSNIWj_bzPe8zwvnevulat05TL7oTPCZMwfkevBNitHg-PZbjuYVH_pP_ebdYLS0iUvZ4VFu1CKnv7sWpHUIux95_JNJIP/s320/01-dave-dameshek.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>3. Fantasy Football Ranking/Five on Fantasy</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b><br />
</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Don and I have been working on a new show segment called, Five on Fantasy. FoF debuted on Season 1 Episode 32 and has also been on Episode 33 and 34. I am enjoying the segment and we have been trying to mix it up with not only information on the players, but also information on the strategy and the different ways that you can play fantasy football. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Last week I started my fantasy football top 10's. I started with Wide Receiver, will do QB this week, and RB on episode 36. I also have thrown out some sleepers for WR and will continue to do it for RB and QB. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Here is a recap of my top 10 Wide Receivers for the 2011 Fantasy Season </div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">1. Andre Johnson </span></div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.texansgab.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/Andre-Johnson-07.19.10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://www.texansgab.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/Andre-Johnson-07.19.10.jpg" width="233" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"></span></div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">2. Roddy White</span><br />
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">3. Calvin Johnson</span></div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">4. Vincent Jackson</span></div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">5. Hakeem Nicks </span></div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">6. Larry Fitzgerald</span></div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">7. Reggie Wayne </span></div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">8. Greg Jennings </span></div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">9. Miles Austin</span></div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">10. Mike Wallace</span></div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Here are five sleepers:</span></div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Steve Breaston, Lance Moore, Jacoby Ford, Mario Manningham, and Mike Thomas. </span></div>Steven Bennetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12241161943861702507noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3149551928028596211.post-86451484643881871182011-07-23T21:51:00.003-04:002011-07-23T21:55:48.394-04:008 Great Reasons to Love the 80's<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.jdrf.org/images/General_Images/Chapters_and_Affiliates/western_new_york_chapter/80_s_bash_gallery/80s_bash_logo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="242" src="http://www.jdrf.org/images/General_Images/Chapters_and_Affiliates/western_new_york_chapter/80_s_bash_gallery/80s_bash_logo.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><b>Taking Some Time to Think About the 80's</b></i></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="color: black; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Miss Caster has left me to fend for myself tonight as she has shuffled off to Buffalo's biggest 80's <a href="http://www.80sbash.com/">bash</a>. I am enjoying the calm time at home and catching up on a few episodes of Breaking Bad. I spent most of the day sucked into the NFL Network's never ending <a href="http://www.nfl.com/news/story/09000d5d820ede10/article/nfl-owners-players-make-significant-progress-in-labor-talks?module=HP11_cp">coverage</a> of the lockout that will never end. I am sure we will cover most of that on the podcast this Tuesday. Anyway, with Tammy at the 80's bash and after spending the last few nights working on a SummerSlamm88 <a href="http://thesportscasters.blogspot.com/2011/07/greatest-night-in-wwf-history-episode-2.html">blog</a>, I got to thinking about what it is that makes the 1980's so special to us. </span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: small;">In the summer of 2009, the death of Michael Jackson thrust my beloved decade back into the limelight. It seemed that no matter where you turned, people were discussing the music, movies, and sporting events that made the eighties so damn fantastic. Usually, I would have been thrilled to death with all of the special treatment that my beloved decade was receiving, but this time it had been ruined by all of the revisionist history and propaganda about a mutilated, boy-touching freak. Since then, I have been dying to come up with a list of the top reasons that I love the 80's so much. I might try to get <a href="https://twitter.com/#%21/jimmytraina">Jimmy Traina</a> from SI.COM's <a href="http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/extramustard/">Hot Clicks</a> to write one as well so that we can debate our lists on a future episode of The Sports-Casters. ESPN's Page 2 did a decent job highlighting some of the eighties best moments, <a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=remember80s/partone/090706">here</a>. Check it out if you want, but after you read my blog you wont need anymore proof that the eighties kicked ass.</span> <br />
<h3 class="center">8. Appetite for Destruction<span style="font-size: small;"> </span></h3><h3 class="center"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span><span style="font-size: small;"></span></h3><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/P-AYAv0IoWI?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;">Sure, when it comes to music the 80's is kind of weak. But, the 80's did have Appetite. AFD was released in 1987, topped the Billboard 200 chart, became the fastest-selling debut record in history, and to this day has sold over twenty-eight million copies worldwide.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><h3 class="center"> </h3><h3 class="center">7. The Ronald Reagan Era</h3><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The "Reagan Revolution" has to be the sweetest nickname for any presidency (Do others have nicknames?). Reagan took over for one of the worst presidents in history (Carter) and while giving his inauguration speech (that he wrote himself) declared that, "Government is not the solution to our problems; government is the problem." </div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span><br />
<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.reagan.utexas.edu/archives/photographs/large/c584-12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://www.reagan.utexas.edu/archives/photographs/large/c584-12.jpg" width="249" /></a></div>During his term as president, 52 U.S. hostages were released from Iran (after being held for 444 days, thanks for nothing Carter), the frigging Cold War ended, the Country's fight against drug abuse began, and Mr. Reagan became the only president in history to survive a gunshot wound. After being shot, Reagan was rushed to the hospital and underwent emergency surgery. While on the operating table, the wounded president joked with the responding doctors, "I hope all of you are republicans."</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
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<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Mr. Reagan is generally ranked in the top 10 anytime a non-partisan scholar or historian ranks the forty-four U.S. Presidents.</div><h3 class="center">6. The Birth of Adrian Peterson</h3><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">On March 25, 1985 Adrian Peterson was born in Palestine, Texas. Since he is currently the greatest living human his birth had to crack the list. Adrian combines all of the qualities you could want in a sports star. Adrian is a role model and an ambassador for humanity.</div><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span><br />
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</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I could go on and on listing all of the great things that Adrian has accomplished on the football field. I could recap the eight straight 100-yard games to start his career at Oklahoma. I could go on and on about that day a couple of months into his rookie season when Adrian had the single greatest day a running back has ever had in the history of the NFL. But, I won't. Instead, I want to give everyone a little insight into what a great person that Adrian Peterson is. Before you read any further, I ask that you read <a href="http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/inside_game/rick_reilly/news/2003/07/01/reilly0707/">this</a> article by ESPN's Rick Reilly. I have always said that Adrian is the anti-LeMarkitts Holland (If you skipped the article you are sure to have no idea who that is). </div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">In Adrian's own words:</div><br />
<blockquote><i>When I was about 8, we lived in Dallas. One day, my brother Brian - he was 9 and my best friend - was riding his bike with a buddy by a little field where I was playing football. This dude, a drunken driver, just hit him. I have a hard time talking about it. [A long pause; Adrian's voice grows soft] He kind of flew up in the air a little bit. I saw the whole thing happen, about five feet from where we were. It was crazy, man. Crazy.</i><br />
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<i>I ran to him, got on my knees and kind of picked up his head and put it on my thigh. I said his name, but he didn't respond at all. He was brain-dead. Later, I had a chance to say good-bye. I was there when they took him off life support.</i><br />
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<i>Losing him - actually seeing him get killed right there in front of me - made me a stronger person. My mom cried every night. Every night. Honest to God, she cried for a year. My mom and dad had split up by then, so I had to sit there, comfort her, be strong and not show my tears, even though I was hurting as much as she was.</i></blockquote><br />
<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I later heard Adrian say that when Brian died he realized he was living for two people. It could have been him that day, but it wasn't. Adrian decided that day that he needed to live his life to the fullest every day and accomplish all of the great things that Brian couldn't.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
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<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I love Adrian Peterson with all of my heart. I have no doubt in my mind that he will retire the greatest running back of all time. I am so glad I get to sit back every Sunday and enjoy the ride.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
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<h3 class="center">5. The 1987 New Orleans Saints</h3><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">On September 13, 1987, the New Orleans Saints scored a 28-21 victory over the Cleveland Browns. The win was the start of what would be the first winning season in franchise history. The Saints were on their way to a 12-3 record and would go on to host their first playoff game. I had no idea any of it was happening.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span><br />
<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I was only seven years old. I watched football every week, but it was usually just the Bills, and nothing they were doing was drawing me to them. I didn't care if they won. I didn't care if they lost. I barley blinked when Jerry Butler snapped his leg against the Dolphins.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
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<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Finally, on January 3, 1988 the 87' Saints took the field in the glorious Louisiana Superdome for the first time as a playoff team. I was couch side with my dad who told me all about their futile history filled with twenty straight losing seasons, zero hall of famers, and the fans with the bags (gag). He went on to tell me about their nine straight victories to close out the '87 regular season, how their brilliant GM Jim Finks had built the scariest group of line backers he had ever seen, and how a 27-year old kid from Baton Rogue, Louisiana had emerged from no where to be one of the best quarterbacks in the National Football League.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
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<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I was pumped. I was instantly a Saints fan. I had never felt like this watching football before. I cared about the outcome. I felt the same way I imagined my father did during a Bills game. There was no doubt in my mind that the Saints were going to kill the Vikings that day and go on to win the Super Bowl. A few minutes into the game Bobby Hebert (that kid from Baton Rogue) hit Eric Martin for a 10-yard touchdown and the dome went nuts. I went nuts. It was on. Then a crazy thing happened. The Vikings went on a 31-3 run to end the first half. I was devastated. It felt like I had woke up to coal on Christmas.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The outcome of the game didn't matter. I knew that from that point forward I was a fan of the New Orleans Saints. I knew I had a team to call my own. I had a reason to watch the games. After an over 20-year long investment filled with heartache, frustration, and anger the Saints finally made me a winner. The run that the Saints took me on from September of 2009 through Super Bowl XLIV was the most fun I will ever have as a sports fan. The moment that Tracy Porter intercepted Peyton Manning and I knew the Saints would win the Super Bowl I jumped into the arms of my brother and screamed at the top of my lungs. Sports had never felt so good. </span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><object class="BLOGGER-youtube-video" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" data-thumbnail-src="http://1.gvt0.com/vi/Xh5D_TMGwjk/0.jpg" height="266" width="320"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Xh5D_TMGwjk&fs=1&source=uds" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" /><embed width="320" height="266" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Xh5D_TMGwjk&fs=1&source=uds" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"></embed></object></div><br />
<h3 class="center">4. The A-Team</h3><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">For three straight years in the 80's, The A-Team was one of the most popular television shows in America. I feel like I could end this blog right now and have won the argument that the eighties were the greatest decade of all time. I will carry on though because my proof only gets better.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
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<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">On January 30, 1983, shortly after the Redskins had defeated the Dolphins in Super Bowl XVII, the A-Team premiered to over a fourth of the television watching audience. The show combined the toughness of Mr. T, the zaniness of Dwight Schultz, and the wit of George Peppard with the charm of Dirk Benedict.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
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<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Every week was basically the same, but that was largely the brilliance of the show. Every Tuesday night, America cheered as The A-Team got over on criminals, terrorists, scumbags, and the government. Sure they were fugitives, but they didn't do anything wrong. Instead of running away to another country to hide from the authorities, The A-Team stayed in Southern California driving around in an unmistakable van, standing up for the common man, and defending freedom.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
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</div><h3 class="center">3. The Karate Kid</h3><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">If you can think of a better movie for a twelve-year-old boy to watch two or three...<b>hundred</b> times, than let me know. TKK combines, trouble at home, trouble at school, and trouble with girls (the big three for any adolescent) with such ease and excitement that I still can't believe the screenwriter wasn't Christ himself (Kudos to you, <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0436543/">Robert Mark Karmen</a>).</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span><br />
<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The great Bill Simmons wrote an amazing <a href="http://espn.go.com/page2/movies/s/simmons/020830.html">article</a> a few years ago detailing the greatness of The Karate Kid. I couldn't have said it better myself, but I do have a few personal comments to make about this masterpiece.</div><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span><br />
<ul style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><li>Ali with an I gave me my first hard on. I didn't know what was going on or why, but I knew I liked it and her. Ali was dreamy, ohh, laa, and laa.</li>
<li>If you want proof that this movie still holds up then play it for a group of pre-teen students. You will witness twenty boys drooling over Ali, cheering on Danielson, imitating Miyagi, and sneering at the Cobra Kai.</li>
<li>I have one beef with Mr. Miyagi. Could he find a day or two of his time to fix up that pool? What does this guy do at work all day? He lives in a house that looks like it would be on the cover of a book about landscaping. His yard is filled with majestic fountains and perfectly trimmed bonsai trees, yet the pool he is paid to maintain has yellow water, growing algae, and rust from top to bottom. Shameful Miyagi, shameful.</li>
<li>One of the guys in Cobra Kai is named, Bobby Brown. He is the scumbag that is called on to take out Danielson but after doing so immediately regrets the move and runs to Daniel in apology. Seconds after the apology, he is seen next to his sensei imploring Johnny to, "put him in a body bag." "Body bag," is a funny line for sure, but it is overrated when compared to his "What is this, take a worm for a walk week?" blast that he directed at Ali earlier in the film. Burn.</li>
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<h3 class="center">2. Wrestlemania III</h3><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Wrestling/Wrestlemania20/wm3logo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Wrestling/Wrestlemania20/wm3logo.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.chasefisher.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/w3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br />
</a></span></div><h3 class="center" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">On March 27, 1987, 93,173 people crammed into the Pontiac Sliverdome to witness the greatest wrestling extravaganza of all time. No other indoor sporting event in North America has ever recorded a higher attendance. One million others watched the event at 160 closed circuit locations in North America and several million others watched on pay-per-view.</span></h3><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The event was spectacular outside of just the attendance. The main event featured the great Hulk Hogan successfully defending the WWF Heavyweight Championship of the World against Andre the Giant. The undercard featured the greatest wrestling match of all time as Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat defeated Randy Savage for the Intercontinental Championship. Also, the fans were treated to a fabulous six-man tag match that featured two of wrestling's all-time greatest technicians (Dynamite Kid and Bret Hart). Roddy Piper wrestled his first of many farewell matches; Nikolai Volkoff butchered the Russian national anthem (has anyone ever checked to see if he was actually singing the Russian anthem and not just chanting gibberish?), The Honky Tonk man exploded a guitar on the ring post, and a midget got squished in the middle of the ring by King Kong Bundy.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
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<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The event featured the WWF's always subtle but pleasing racism as the JYD was forced to bow at the feet of a white guy from Missouri (Harley Race), the only African American to score a victory was a guy with bleached hair called, "The Natural" (of course, he pinned a fellow African carrying a bird), and the black manager playing the role of pimp had his clothes stripped off by a Mexican that the announcers regularly ripped on for selling tacos and called, "Chico." What a night!</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
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<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Celebrities such as Mary Hart, Bob Uecker, Aretha Franklin, and Alice Cooper were on hand to show what a great impact professional wrestling was having on pop culture. I know when I think of 80's celebrities if Mary hart doesn't come to mind first then Bob Uecker surely does.</div><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span><br />
<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">How is this not number one?????</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><object class="BLOGGER-youtube-video" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" data-thumbnail-src="http://0.gvt0.com/vi/EkI_1Q-vFAA/0.jpg" height="266" width="320"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/EkI_1Q-vFAA&fs=1&source=uds" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" /><embed width="320" height="266" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/EkI_1Q-vFAA&fs=1&source=uds" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"></embed></object></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><h3 class="center">1. Miracle on Ice</h3><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">USA 4 USSR 3</div><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span><br />
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</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Take that you commie bastards!</div><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span><br />
<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Do you believe in miracles? YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/aRALJyv86eY?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>Steven Bennetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12241161943861702507noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3149551928028596211.post-43847563945125669532011-07-23T01:47:00.000-04:002011-07-23T01:47:24.439-04:00The Greatest Night in WWF History: Episode 2<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i178.photobucket.com/albums/w260/rwd_album/logos/summerslam88.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="63" src="http://i178.photobucket.com/albums/w260/rwd_album/logos/summerslam88.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Where the Mega Powers...Meet the Mega Bucks</span></u></i></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">In my opinion, wrestling has had two golden eras. The first started in 1984 when Hulk Hogan pinned the Iron Sheik at Madison Square Garden and ended when Lawrence Taylor met Bam Bam Bigelow in the main event of Wrestlemania XI (some might argue it ended a little earlier than that). The next golden era started with the Monday Night Wars, extended through the Attitude era, and ended when Vince McMahon purchased the WCW and split his company into two different brands (Raw/Smackdown).</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Is it just me or does it feel like the WWE (there I did it) is on the verge of entering a new golden era? It feels like Vince McMahon just flopped a set and if he plays his cards right he can take all of the chips off the table. Last Sunday, the WWE impeccably booked their pay-per-view and set off a buzz around their form of entertainment not heard of since the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WWF_Attitude_Era">Attitude</a> era. CM Punk is at the front of this resurgence basically playing the Stone Cold Steve Austin role that surged the Attitude era into huge success. The basic plot is this, CM Punk is the WWE champion but he doesn't work for the company and he is missing with the belt. The next night on Raw, McMahon tried to fire John Cena for losing to Punk, but before he could do so Hunter Heart Helmsley entered the ring and fired Vince. </span><br />
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</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The reaction from the mainstream media has reached unheard of levels. Jim Rome offered an open invitation to CM Punk to appear on his radio show. Bill Simmons wrote a <a href="http://www.grantland.com/story/_/id/6790423/good-lord-music">column</a> on wrestling theme songs and has talked about wrestling on his ultra-popular sports <a href="http://espn.go.com/espnradio/grantland/player?id=6781575">podcast</a>. Also, <a href="http://www.grantland.com/">Grantland</a>, Simmons's new independent (but owned by ESPN) website is covering wrestling like it's on par with soccer, hockey, boxing, MMA, or any other fringe/niche sport you can think of. The Masked Man writes a column on <a href="http://deadspin.com/tag/deadwrestleroftheweek/">Deadspin</a> eulogizing fallen heroes of wrestling's past, and writes on <a href="http://www.grantland.com/search/_/query/the-masked-man">Grantland</a> under the byline David Shoemaker. </span><br />
<div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/8/84/SS88poster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/8/84/SS88poster.jpg" width="222" /></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Anyway, we aren't here to talk about any of that. We are here to talk about the greatest night in WWF history. Do you recall August 29, 1988 like it was yesterday? I hope not or this blog is going to bomb. Here is what I remember about that date. It was three days before my birthday, and since my best-friend Don had an illegal cable box, I would be able to watch SummerSlam live. It was going to kick ass. Today, I have the DVD of the event in my PS3 and it's time to start live blogging about an wrestling event almost twenty-four years ago. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>12:40 PM EST:</b> We are live from Madison Square Garden and Gorilla Monsoon and the ultra boring Superstar Billy Graham will be calling the action. This is the first pay-per-view after Wrestlemania IV where Randy Savage became the undisputed champion of the world by defeating Butch Reed, Greg Valentine, One Man Gang, and Ted DiBiase in the same night. Hogan had helped Randy win the match creating the greatest tag team in WWF history called, The Mega-Powers. Tonight, the Mega Powers will try to settle a score with a team called The Mega-Bucks. The Mega-Bucks are the team of Andre the Giant and Ted DiBiase. To complicate matters, Jesse "The Body" Ventura is the special guest referee. More on all of that later. </span><br />
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</div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>12:47:</b> The first match of the night is a solid tag match as The Brittish Bulldogs will battle The Fabulous Rougeaus. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>12:49: </b>This match is best remembered for the prank gone wrong that occurred in the dressing room before the match and the fall out afterwords. The following commentary is summarized and paraphrased from the Dynamite Kid's book:</span><br />
<blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px;">According to Dynamite, he never liked the Rougeau brothers. He felt they were arrogant and ignorant. Before Summerslam 1988, it was decided that the Rougeaus would face the Bulldogs. The Bulldogs did not want to lose to this particular team, so it was decided that they would give the crowd a 20 minute match which would end when the time expired. Some time after this a rib was played on the Rougeaus by Curt Hennig that backfired on the Bulldogs since they were notorious for backstage pranks. Apparently it is an unwritten rule backstage that you should always have someone watch your clothes when you are not around. The Rougeaus had asked Hennig to watch their stuff while they wrestled and he decided to cut their clothes to ribbons. When the Rougeaus returned, he quick ran in the bathroom and came out looking at their stuff pretending to be just as surprised. The Rougeaus instantly blamed the Bulldogs and yelled at them and even threatened them and left their dressing room. Dynamite waited a few minutes (and he remarks he does not know why he did it, even today) and went over to the dressing room the Rougeaus were in. Jacques had his back to him and Dynamite gave him a "flat hander, straight across to the ear". Jacque was both yelling "what's going on", but trying to fight back, but Dynamite laid him out. Raymond tried to get in the middle saying, "Jacques, he's had enough of you", but Dynamite warned him to back off and said "this has nothing to do with you", but Raymond would not back down, so Dynamite knocked Raymond out too. He left the dressing room leaving both Rougeaus on the floor. Days went by and the Rougeaus had done nothing to make Dynamite think that they were out for revenge. He would see them and they would not say a word and just go about their business or bury themselves in a book; at least until a TV taping at Ft. Wayne.</span></span> </blockquote><blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px;">Dynamite was just returning from lunch when he saw the Rougeaus talking with Pat Patterson and suddenly the thought came to him "they could not be planning something now, not in front of Pat". But Dynamite was wrong as when he passed them (as Pat started walking away) and Jacques hit him square in the mouth, knocking four teeth out. Patterson turned around and started yelling "stop, stop" as Jacques continued to hit him. Dynamite would not go down though. He then saw Raymond getting ready to blindside him as he thought to himself "it's over, I cannot handle two people", since he was not aware of how far they were going to take this. Luckily Bad News Brown showed up to break up the fight, and from Dynamite's stand-point, saved his life. The Rougeaus sprinted out of the building after this. Pat, trying to calm things down, gave Dynamite some money and told him to go to the hospital and get stitched up. He went and returned to the arena upon which he was told that Vince wanted to see him. Vince first remarked to Dynamite that he was in disbelief on how he did not go down. Dynamite came back saying how he would fix the Rougeaus, but Vince warned him against it because they "knew certain people" in Montreal that could make the situation a whole lot uglier. Dynamite left for a tour of Europe after the incident and discovered that when he arrived that Davey Boy had been in contact with their families already telling a different version of the story on how he "saved" Dynamite's life by fighting off the Rougeaus.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px;"> </span></span> </blockquote><blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px;">The story came to a close with Vince arranging a meeting between the two teams. Dynamite said he would leave the situation be, if Jacques paid for his teeth (even though the WWF had already paid). Jacques adamantly refused cursing up a storm, but Raymond stepped in as peacemaker and settled his brother down and said to Dynamite to get the bill from the dentist and give it to them and they would pay. According to Dynamite the Rougeaus paid and he had 1,800 extra dollars since the bill was already settled by the company. Shortly after the Bulldogs gave their notice for many personal reasons and the last match they had (as a team) was in the tag-team elimination match at Survivor Series 1988.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px;"> </span></span></blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>1:00 AM:</b> Despite their differences outside of the ring, both teams are putting on a fantastic match inside of the ring. If you have never had the chance to see the Dynamite Kid wrestle in his prime, you have missed out. I would say that pound for pound he is the greatest wrestler of all time. <b>Death Watch:</b> Davey Boy Smith died in 2002 at age 39. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>1:03:</b> The finish is executed well. All hell has broken loose in the ring and the referee is chasing the illegal men on both teams out of the ring. Dynamite looks to finish off one of the frenchman but before he can get the pin the bell rings to indicate a 20:00 time limit draw. That was an entertaining 3-star (out of 5) start to SummerSlam88. </span><br />
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</div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>1:06: </b>A video is shown of Brutus the Barber Beefcake getting "pearl harbored" (the words of Vince McMahon) by The Outlaw Ron Bass. Bass scrapes his spurs across the face of Beefcake and causes the screen to be censored to save us from the gore and blood that Bass drew on Beffcake's face. Anyway, Brutus will not be able to challenge The Honkey Tonk Man for the Intercontinental Championship at SummerSlam88. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>1:10:</b> Bad News Brown is already in the ring waiting for his opponent Ken Patera. This is a match that would be better for Superstars than SummerSlam. I can't think of any build up or figure out why these two guys would be booked together. Bad News won the battle royal to start Wrestlemania IV after he double crossed his friend Bret Hart. Bret did end up smashing his trophy into a million pieces. <b>Death Watch</b>: Bad News Brown, whose real name is Allen Coage, died in 2007 at age 63.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>1:16: </b>There isn't much heat from the crowd for this match and that is mostly because Ken Patera is not over as a face. Not a single person in the arena cares if Patera wins or loses. Bad News catches Patera with his finisher, "The Ghettoblaster" and pins Patera at the 6:33 mark. It was a 1-star match. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>1:18: </b>Mean Gene is in the back of the arena with The Mega-Powers standing in front of a back drop with graphics that remind me of the way promos were cut during Saturday Night's Main Event. Hulk Hogan is in incredible shape and you can almost see the blood dripping from his trunks after his last steroid shot. "What are you gonna do when the Mega Powers come running for you?"</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>1:19: </b>Back to the ring, Ravishing Rick Rude makes his way down the isle with his manager, Bobby "The Brain" Heenan. He enters the ring and says, "I would like all you fat inner-city sweat hogs to keep the noise down while I take my robe off and show the ladies what a real man looks like." </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">On Rick's tights, is a picture of his opponent, The Junk Yard Dog. JYD was always over with the fans and enters to a huge pop. As always, JYD has the word, "THUMP" written across the back of his pants. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>1:24: </b>One thing missing from this event so far is a heel color commentator. Jesse Ventura is preparing for his job reefing the main event and Heenan is managing his clients. Monsoon and Graham are both faces and it doesn't work as well as a face playing off of a heel. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>1:25:</b> <b>Death Watch:</b> In 1999, Rude died at age forty. It was creepy because just days earlier I had seen him as part of an ECW show in Buffalo. Also, in 1998 the JYD died at age 45 when he fell asleep at the wheel of his car while returning from his daughter's graduation. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>1:28: </b>Rude pulls his pants down on the top rope to expose a second pair of tights with the image of Jake Roberts wife, Cheryl Roberts, on them. Within a second, Jake Roberts is in the ring attacking Rude. As a result, at 6:18 the JYD is disqualified for outside interference. It was no better than a 1.5 star match. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>1:30:</b> Mean Gene is in the locker room area with the Intercontinental Champion, The Honky Tonk Man and his manager Jimmy Hart. Honky is downplaying the absence of Beefcake for their match later on the card and says he will face anyone that the company puts in front of him. Honky won't even let Mean Gene tell him who the opponent is. Honky says that it doesn't matter because he is a cocky and worthless jerk off. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I have a personal reason to hate Honky. Rickey Steamboat is my favorite wrestler. When he pinned Randy Savage and won the WWF Intercontinental Championship at Wresltemania III, it was the greatest moment in the first six years of my life. A few months later my step dad took me to the Memorial Auditorium to see Steamboat defend his title at a TV taping. Wrestling legend has it that Steamboat was there to drop the belt to Butch Reed so he could spend more time with his family. Instead, Butch Reed no-showed an event and was bumped off the card and replaced with the Honky Tonk Man. At age 6, I was not privy to any of that information and fully expected Steamboat to win without a problem. Of course, he didn't. Instead, I witnessed the start of Honky Tonk's run that wouldn't end until he was the self-proclaimed greatest Intercontinental champion of all time. I didn't take the result of the match well and cried and cried and cried in the arms of my loving step-father. To this day, I still hate you Honky Tonk Man. </span><br />
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</div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>1:37:</b> Back in the ring, Slick is dressed to the nines with his team Nikolai Volkoff and Boris Zhukov. Slick reminds us to stand and pay respect as Volkoff sings the Russian national anthem. Their opponents, The Powers of Pain (The Barbarian and The Warlord) rush to the ring and attack Volkoff and Zhukof before the anthem is finished. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>1:42:</b> Incredibly, all four men in this tag-team match are still alive. The crowd is confused as to who they are supposed to be rooting for. Obviously, the Russian team are heals but Barbarian and Warlord look big and mean and scare the crowd. I just don't see the Powers of Pain as a face team. Everyone in the Garden is board and ready for whatever is next. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>1:45:</b> I just realized that the Powers of Pain have a manager with them. He is a guy named the Baron and he is wearing a hooded outfit. Despite being inside, Baron decides to keep his hood up. Baron is an old-timer trained by Verne Gagne named, James Raschke.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>1:47:</b> At 5:27, The Barbarian pins Volcoff in the center of the ring. I wouldn't be able to go any higher that 1.5 stars for that lame, slow, and lifeless match. I guess this victory would position The Powers of Pain as the number one contender to face whoever wins the tag-teag title match later in the night. If Demolition keeps the belts, The Powers of Pain could be a face team that could take them on. If the Hart Foundation wins, you pair the Powers of Pain with Slick and they can be heel opponents for the Hart Foundation. That last run-on sentence was all a little too kayfabe for this column. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>1:50:</b> Oh dear lord. Brother Love is in the ring and is going to interview Hacksaw Jim Duggan. Upon the announcement of Duggan, Gorilla gets real excited and says, "Wait till you hear this place explode!" Duggan gets a small pop from the crowd, but it was a bit short of an explosion. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>1:51:</b> Hacksaw Jim Duggan is from Glens Falls, New York and he got himself into trouble with Vince McMahon about a year before this event. Duggan was driving in a car with the Iron Sheik from one event to the next. They got stopped by the police and were both arrested for possession of various drugs and Duggan was also booked for DUI. Vince was furious, not because of the drugs, but because a face and a heel were caught together in the same car. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>1:57</b>: Mercifully, Duggan chases Brother Love out of the ring with his 2x4 and ends that dreadful interview. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>1:58:</b> Honky Tonk Man enters the ring with his manager Jimmy Hart to defend the Intercontinental championship. After a few seconds of silence, Honky takes the mic and asks for anyone to come out from the back and wrestle him. Finally, The Ultimate Warrior's music starts pumping out of the Madison Square Garden speakers. Warrior makes it to the ring in ten seconds and pins the Honky Tonk Man in :31 seconds to become the new Intercontinental champion. Honky never got the chance to take his Elvis costume off. I guess that was a 2-star match with a 1-star bonus for being kind of cool. The crowd loved it. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i>Intermission: The PPV heads to an intermission. I am headed for an intermission as well. </i></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i>(I am back after a night's sleep, preparations for episode 32 of The Sports-Casters, and a stop at The Tea Party reunion concert.)</i></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>11:38PM EST:</b> SummerSlam88 returns from a brief intermission and Bobby "The Brain" Heenan is in the booth with Gorilla Monsoon and Superstar Billy Graham.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>11:40: </b>The first match after intermission is garbage. Don "The Rock" Muraco is first to the ring and his opponent is Dino Bravo. This is another one of those matches that doesn't have any heat and has the crowd confused as to who they should cheer for. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>11:41:</b> Heenan is a welcomed addition to the booth and he wastes no time in insulting the Superstar. <b>Death Watch:</b> Dino Bravo has the most bizarre wrestling death I have heard of. He passed away on March 11, 1993 after being shot 17 times in the head. It was rumored that Bravo was involved with organized crime and his death was somehow related to a cigarette smuggling scheme. He was 44-years old. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>11:45: </b>Muraco and Bravo are both juiced up to the max. Neither of them can move around much in the ring and the pace is very slow. In only a few short minutes both men seem gassed. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>11:46: </b>Out of nowhere, Bravo catches Muraco in a side suplex and pins him in the center of the ring at 5:28. I would call that match a .5-star snooze fest. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>11:47: </b>In the back, Sean Mooney is joined by Jesse "The Body" Ventura. Ventura admits that he accepted money from Ted DiBiase, but he promises to be fair when the time comes to step in the ring as the guest referee of the main event. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>11:50: </b>The next match should be a good one. The Hart Foundation will challenge Demolition for the WWF Tag Team Championship. The Hart Foundation lost the tag team titles before WrestleMania IV to Strike Force. At WrestleMania IV, Demolition crushed Strike Force to become the tag champs</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>11:57:</b> I just noticed that it seems like Bobby Heenan has left the broadcast booth. Shortly before this matchup, The Hart Foundation parted ways with manager Jimmy Hart and are the faces in this match. Hart has joined Demolition manager Mr. Fuji at ringside. The Hart Foundation will have to wrestle Demolition while keeping one eye on Jimmy Hart and Mr. Fuji at all times. The Hitman is just a few years away from being one of the biggest stars in all of wrestling.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>12:00: </b>Demolition spends about four minutes working on demolishing the shoulder of The Hitman. Ironically, The Hitman avoids sure death by clotheslining Smash with the arm and shoulder that Demolition had almost severed. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>12:03:</b> All hell breaks loose as all four men are in the ring and Mr. Fuji is on the apron. From behind, Ax emerges with Jimmy Hart's megaphone and crushes the Hitman in the back of the head. Smash gets the pin in the center of the ring at 9:49 to retain the WWF tag titles. That was fun, 3-stars. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>12:05:</b> In the back, Mean Gene is with a furious Honky Tonk Man. Honky lets this quote fly, "I said I would wrestle anybody, but I didn't say I would wrestle the Warrior." Somehow, Jimmy Hart got from ringside where he interfered with the tag match to the locker room to pout with Honky in a split second. Snotty must have beamed him up. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>12:07:</b> The next match is The Big Boss Man against Koko B. Ware. Boss Man is joined by Slick and Koko is joined by a bird. <b>Death Watch:</b> Big Boss Man also known as Ray Traylor died in 2004 at age 41.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>12:10:</b> I am sure this was a great time for the fans in attendance to purchase a t-shirt or use the restroom. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>12:11: </b>Gorilla calls Slick a piece of garbage. I think Slick is hilarious. You be the judge. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>12:12</b>: After Koko gets in about ten-seconds of offense, Boss Man slams him like a sack of potatoes and pins him at the 5:57 mark. After pinning Koko, the Big Boss Man hammers him with his billy club. Superstar is furious and wants Boss Man suspended. 1-star. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>12:14:</b> Sean Mooney is in the back with the Ultimate Warrior and a group of faces who are celebrating his victory. Warrior cuts a promo that makes sense to no one but him. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>12:15: </b>It wouldn't be a pay-per-view in the late 1980's without a Hercules match. He will face everyone's favorite crack head, Jake "The Snake" Roberts. Gorilla is all fired up that Hercules isn't joined at ringside by his usual manager, Bobby Heenan. <b>Death Watch:</b> Somehow, Jake Roberts is still alive. Unfortunately, Hercules passed away in 2004 at age 47. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>12:19: </b>This match is slower than Sid Bream trying to leg out a triple. I can't stress enough how much this pay-per-view suffers by not having a heel in the booth with Gorilla Monsoon. There is little chemistry between Monsoon and the raspy Billy Graham. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>12:21:</b> Jake Roberts unleashes his powerful finisher, "The DDT" and pins Hercules at 10:06. Why the hell did they give this match 10-minutes? I will never know. I give it 1-star.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>12:23:</b> A video package is played to get viewers up to speed on the feud between the Mega-Powers and the Mega-Bucks. Basically, Savage is cutting a promo when DiBiase sneaks up from behind with Andre the Giant and beats Savage within an inch of his life. Savage later challenges DiBiase and the Giant to a tag match at SummerSlam. To build suspense, Savage doesn't announce a partner but instead promises to pick one in the future. It is announced that Jesse Ventura will be the guest referee for this epic match. Finally, Savage announces that Hulk Hogan will be his partner. I thought he might choose the Brooklyn Brawler. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>12:27: </b>Jesse Ventura is first to the ring and is dressed in ridiculous attire. The Mega-Bucks are next to the ring. Ted DiBiase and Andre the Giant will wrestle in the match, but to do so they need to be joined at ringside by Bobby Heenan and Virgil. The Mega-Bucks don't use any entrance music. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>12:30:</b> The Mega-Powers are next and Hogan and Savage come to the ring together with the lovely Miss Elizabeth at their side. Surprisingly, Hogan and Savage come to the ring with Savage's music playing and not the Hulkster's. Elizabeth is dressed in yellow and red and she looks incredible. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>12:33: Death Watch:</b> This is sad. Andre the Giant died in 1993 at age 46. That makes him 41 on this night, and he looks like he can barely move. Unfortunately, Randy "Macho Man" Savage passed away just last month at age 58. Last, the Lovely Miss Elizabeth passed away in 2003 at age 43. In the previous wrestling <a href="http://thesportscasters.blogspot.com/2011/07/greatest-night-in-history-of-wwf.html">blog</a> that I wrote last week, I detailed Liz's terribly destructive relationship with Lex Luger. If you need evidence that Luger was a drug user, I beg you to watch this video. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>12:38:</b> It took me almost 5-minutes to write about all of the dead people in the SummerSlam88 main event. In the meantime, the action is underway and Ventura is having trouble keeping Virgil, Heenan, and Liz off the apron and out of the ring. Andre looks so big and each of his chokes, slaps, and chops appear to sting Savage and Hogan. Legend has it that Andre was in extreme pain at this stage of his career, but he gave everything he had for the fans. Here is a video of Andre when he was at his best. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>12:41: </b>The crowd breaks out in a "Weasel" chant meant to rattle Bobby Heenan. The fans seem very into the match. Savage is an expert at playing to the crowd even when he isn't the wrestler in the ring. I am watching for hints that might of foreshadowed the Mega-Power's exploding just seven months from now. I haven't noticed anything yet. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>12:44:</b> Andre sits on Savage's head and leans all of his weight into the face of the champion. If there was ever a great opportunity for Andre to fart in the face of Savage, this would be it. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>12:46:</b> Hogan drops Andre to his knees and then to the canvas and the crowd goes bananas. It is easy to forget just how over Hogan was in 1988. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>12:47:</b> With Hogan knocked out and laying on the arena floor, Miss Elizabeth jumps to the apron to disrupt the count of referee Jesse Ventura. Next thing you know, Liz rips off the bottom of her dress and the entire crowd and everyone in and around the ring stops to view the glory that is the lovely Miss Elizabeth. In the meantime, Hogan and Savage regain themselves and sneak into the ring and knock Andre to the area floor. Savage drops his big elbow on DiBiase and then Hogan drops the big boot. Jesse doesn't appear to want to count, but he begrudgingly drops to his knees and counts 1-2-....3 (with a little help from Savage). At 13:57, an exciting main event ends with The Mega-Powers defeating the Mega-Bucks. 3.5-stars.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>12:51: </b>Long after Jesse and the Mega-Bucks make their way back to the dressing room, Hogan, Savage, and Liz pose and celebrate as "Real American" blares from the Garden speakers. Overall, SummerSlam88 was a snore fest. The IC title match lasted only thirty seconds, and most of the matches lacked the build up that was common at this time for pay-per-view matches. If you haven't seen this event since 1988, there isn't any reason to rush out and purchase the DVD. In the end, it was yet another greatest night in the history of the WWF.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Here is a you tube video that contains most of the main event. </span><br />
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</span>Steven Bennetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12241161943861702507noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3149551928028596211.post-46310109466407580232011-07-21T03:01:00.000-04:002011-07-21T03:01:20.435-04:003 More Things: Episode 31<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaINJT9kqieazf4RFABj3SByx6IltxdJc3CCYi1qguKITws39VYRPX8IdxsX8kZV8g-0KeLj3_PP2hgk0h1G3AvmujeFN8ZOphwEk2QjRPmaV6bcbnJrE1G09VE0A9mNTUP3C1Z_yt7ac/s1600/3+THINGS+BW.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaINJT9kqieazf4RFABj3SByx6IltxdJc3CCYi1qguKITws39VYRPX8IdxsX8kZV8g-0KeLj3_PP2hgk0h1G3AvmujeFN8ZOphwEk2QjRPmaV6bcbnJrE1G09VE0A9mNTUP3C1Z_yt7ac/s320/3+THINGS+BW.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><u><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">More Information on Sports-Casters Episode 31</span></b></u></i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>1. We are entering very exciting times for The Sports-Casters. We seem to be getting through the dog days of summer with some fantastic shows. In the last month, we have been lucky enough to talk to A.J. Daulerio, Damon Hack, Jane Leavy, Mike Harrington, Greg Wyshynski, and Jonah Keri. Yesterday, we we spent some time talking to Jon Wertheim for the third time and Stewart Mandel for the first time.<br />
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Mandel was an awesome guest with a ton of information. It was one of those interviews that moved back and forth quick with a smooth question and answer. The only downside was that he was kind of quiet. We upped his level in the beginning of the interview and sometimes he was loud. Overall, the sound quality of this interview could have been better. I was interested to hear Stewart's thought's on Nebraska moving to the Big-10 and he made a great point. He said that teams in the Big 12 like to play the spread and pass the ball all over the field. In the Big-10, the game is more about running the ball and playing defense. That style is more in line with what Nebraska has been doing for the last 100-years. With Ohio State in trouble and headed down, Nebraska has an opportunity to take over the Big-10.<br />
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Jon Wertheim is one of the nicest guys in the business. He is easy to book and the conversation on the podcast is always interesting. The reason I have booked Wertheim three times in 31 episodes is because he writes about topics that make me think, and I want to talk about the work with him. The first <a href="http://www.garbageradio.com/podcasts/sportscasters_s01e08.mp3">time</a> Jon was on we focused on his book, "<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Scorecasting-Hidden-Influences-Behind-ebook/dp/B004C43GC4">Socrecasting</a>: The Hidden Influences to how Sports are Played and Games are Won." The last <a href="http://www.garbageradio.com/podcasts/sportscasters_s01e23.mp3">time</a> Jon was on we talked about the <a href="http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1186563/3/index.htm">article</a> he wrote for Sports Illustrated about the fall of Tiki Barber. Yesterday, we talked to Jon about his time at Wimbledon and an piece he wrote for the Scorecard section of Sports Illustrated about <a href="http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2011/writers/jon_wertheim/06/29/twitter.thinkpiece/index.html">twitter</a>. Every time Jon Wertheim writes, I think. Can you ask for anything more than that from writer?<br />
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One last note on Wertheim, Jon loves to come on The Sports-Casters. I take pride in the fact that Jon is a friend in the business and a guy that would help me out anytime I asked. I can't wait for the second edition of Scorecasting to be released.<br />
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Our third guest last night was a bit of a wild card. My initial thought was to recruit someone who writes about Apple on the internet and spend fifteen minutes of a show during the summer talking about some nerdy stuff. I got on the phone with Kirk McElhearn (a senior writer for <a href="http://www.macworld.com/">Macworld</a>) and instead of talking about Apple he wanted to to talk about the Tour de France. It ended up being some interesting content about something that we would have never talked about otherwise. Kirk had some first hand experiences such as watching Lance Armstrong cycle past his house on the way to winning his fifth Tour. Towards the end we talked for a few minutes about Apple, but it wasn't as much as I would have liked.<br />
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The quality of the McElhearn interview was a bit disappointing. We spoke skype-to-skype and maybe the distance between us (3,739 miles) might have caused the quality of the connection to be less than stellar. Kirk was a great sport and he even linked to our site from his blog, <a href="http://www.mcelhearn.com/">Kirkville</a>.<br />
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2. I got an email today from a good friend who was concerned that we missed an edit when we put together the show yesterday. Occasionally, Don or myself will screw up a name or an intro and we scrap it and start over. Sometimes its really funny and ends up disappearing on the cutting room floor. Yesterday, Don and I decided it would be funny to leave me botching Kirk's last name in the show as a small way to pull back the curtain a little bit. We have done this a few times in the past. The good news is that we get to hear, "Remix to a Remix" two times. If you haven't, check out <a href="http://www.garbageradio.com/podcasts/sportscasters_s01e31.mp3">Episode 31</a> of the show and shoot us an <a href="mailto:thesportscasters@gmai.com">email</a> to tell us how much you loved it.<br />
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3. Three takes on three things that will dominate my time between now and the start of Episode 32.<br />
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<ol><li>The main topic of Episode 32 will be the upcoming MLB trade deadline. I looked ahead and locked down Ben Nicholson-Smith from <a href="http://MLBRumors.Com/">MLBRumors.Com</a>. I am going to have to research what teams should be buyers and what teams should be sellers. The Dodgers and Mets are really interesting teams to me. Neither squad wants empty seats in September, but both teams might need to shred some salary to deal with legal issues. The Dodgers are 13.5 games behind the Giants for first place in the N.L. West and 14.0 behind the Braves for the N.L. Wild Card. The Dodgers have had trouble making payroll all season and the McCourt family divorce has kept plenty of fans away from the stadium anyway. Other than Clayton Kershaw and Matt Kemp, I would think you could take on any of the Dodgers players (and their salary) if you think they can help you go deep into the playoffs. The Dodgers payroll is still north of 100-million dollars and I would think they might want to lower it at the deadline. The Mets are 12 games behind the Phillies in the NL East and 7.5 behind the Braves for the Wild Card. The Mets payroll is almost 120-million dollars this season, and that is a lot for a team with a potential cash flow problem. Last week, the Mets traded closer Francisco Rodriguez to the Brewers. I am sure they are looking to shed some more of that fat. Carlos Beltran is earning over 19-million dollars and could be an attractive player to a contender. Remember how awesome Beltran was for the Astros as they made their march to the World Series? The Mets sure do. </li>
<li>Is this lockout going to end? Is it okay for me to be completely frustrated with it? I want to book a big football guest for next week's show, but I don't want to do it if we are only going to be talking about a never ending lockout and a bunch of if's and guesses clouded by the uncertainty of what will be collectively bargained. It seems that a deal is on the table and the owners and players need to vote on it. I am so sick and tired of headlines that say that the lockout should be ending soon. What the hell is soon? I don't want to hear about lights at the end of the tunnels. I don't want to hear anything other than, "This hideous lockout is over and it's time to start free agency and get the players into camp." </li>
<li>The player that I am most interested in following when free agency begins is DeAngelo Williams. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are 60-million dollars under the rumored salary cap and wouldn't it make a lot of sense for them to take a run at Williams? I think so. I also wouldn't be surprised if the Buccaneers are players for Reggie Bush if the Saints decide to cut him loose. Josh Freeman emerged as a quality NFL QB and Mike Williams played outstanding as a rookie WR. Offenses usually try to build around a set of triplets and the Buccaneers need a running back to complete that trifecta. A few other places for DeAngelo Williams? I think the Dolphins, Cowboys, or Patriots could make sense. One last option, Carolina might just step up and lock Williams up. They drafted Cam Newton first overall in the draft and the last thing you want to do is start removing weapons from an already punchless offense. </li>
</ol><div>That is it for tonight...Please say goodnight, Miss. Bella.</div><div><br />
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</div>Steven Bennetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12241161943861702507noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3149551928028596211.post-14286874899090515162011-07-17T03:16:00.001-04:002011-07-17T20:29:06.388-04:00The Greatest Night in the History of the WWF: Episode 1<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Made in Heaven or Made in Hell?</i></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>I was trolling around the internet tonight and got sucked into an <a href="http://www.grantland.com/story/_/id/6772996/on-wrestling-reality">article</a> written by David Shoemaker (or The Masked Man on <a href="http://deadspin.com/5805167/the-dead-wrestler-of-the-week-archive">Deadspin</a>) posted on Bill Simmons's <a href="http://www.grantland.com/">Grantland</a>. In the article, David writes about the upcoming WWE pay-per-view featuring a match between CM Punk and John Cena. The build up for the match has apparently been fantastic and the internet is split on how the match will end. I lost interest in wrestling sometime after Vince McMahon destroyed the WCW and lost the competitive edge that resulted in wrestling's re-birth in the late 1990's thru the turn of the century.<br />
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Anyway, Shoemaker had my mouth watering for wrestling. Like a heroin addict, wrestling is a part of me that will never go away. I don't keep up with the current programing, but I have a nice collection of DVDs that focus on my golden era of wrestling. I watched the WWF exclusively from about 1985-1997. The company has done a great job of documenting this era with PPV box-sets, wrestler anthologies, and plenty of other creatively packaged sets.<br />
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Instead of just watching wrestling tonight, I decided to start a new series of blogs. The series will be called, The Greatest Night in the History of the WWF. I will occasionally, when I get the itch, break out a DVD of a PPV from the WWF's past and blog as if the action is playing out before me for the first time. I'm not breaking any new ground here. Scott Keith is a blogger that has similarly had great success with this agenda, and the guys at Pro Wrestling Insider have done a podcast for each of the Wrestlemania, Summer Slam, Royal Rumble, and Survivor Series pay-per-views. Despite all of the competition I will give it a shot anyway. Who the hell is Scott Keith anyhow?<br />
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The weather has been hot in Buffalo and one of the things that got me through the hot weather as a kid was looking forward to Summer Slam. Summer Slam was always my favorite pay-per-view of the year because it was usually a few days before my birthday. For those reasons, It seems appropriate to start out with a Summer Slam. I decided to watch Summer Slam 91 which first aired on August 26, 1991 in front of a sold out crowd at Madison Square Garden. This live blog is going to start at 1:00 AM Eastern time so that I can use the clock to jump from post to post. Here we go.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoSnDKg2S1DKXYeXaqo5MfwdBUPRgYPVxFnkOox3j9S5aTmUTDZFClEAT_VEqX3ZUtfeJI_CSH9Bg67HRfhUzI19mVAUiBoQQSpDxpTsGilPe4JqWYZrumfi2HP_ME5iFt39xrXj64jsU/s320/200px-SummerSlam_1991.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoSnDKg2S1DKXYeXaqo5MfwdBUPRgYPVxFnkOox3j9S5aTmUTDZFClEAT_VEqX3ZUtfeJI_CSH9Bg67HRfhUzI19mVAUiBoQQSpDxpTsGilPe4JqWYZrumfi2HP_ME5iFt39xrXj64jsU/s320/200px-SummerSlam_1991.jpg" /></a><b>1:00 AM EST: </b>The card is billed as the Match Made in Heaven and the Match Made in Hell. The heaven part is the marriage of Miss Elizabeth to the Macho Man Randy Savage. Amazingly, only a decade later and they are both no longer with us. The match made in hell is a tag match main event between Hulk Hogan and the Ultimate Warrior against Sgt. Slaughter, Colonel Mustafa (or The Iron Sheik), and General Adnan. More on how ridiculous that is later. <br />
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The PPV starts with a slickly packaged open voiced by Vince McMahon. We then head live to the arena floor where Gorilla Monsoon, Bobby Heenan, and Rowdy Roddy Piper welcome us to this fabulous event. Heenen cracks the first joke of the night referencing a noose in the context of Savage and Liz's wedding.<br />
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<b>1:02:</b> The opening match is a pretty impressive 6-man tag. The heels are The Warlord and The Power and Glory (Paul Roma and Hercules) against the face team of Rickey "The Dragon" Steamboat, Davey Boy Smith, and the Texas Tornado. <b>Death Watch</b>: In this match the Texas Tornado, Davey Boy Smith, and Hercules have all passed away.<br />
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<b>1:05:</b> Piper is getting under Heenan's skin by calling him Boobs. Gorilla is forced to try and keep his color men focused. That could be the hardest assignment of the night.<br />
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<b>1:06:</b> I forgot to mention that Slick is on the outside "managing" the heel team. Slick had a glorious debut. <br />
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<b>1:12:</b> The opening match comes to a conclusion as Steamboat lands a high cross body of the top rope and pins Roma in the center of the ring at the 10:43 mark. That was a decent opener and I would call it a solid 3-star match (out of five).<br />
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<b>1:14:</b> Sean Mooney is in a dressing room that is cleary fake. Sean is interviewing the Intercontinental Champion of the World, Mr. Perfect and his manager Coach. Perfect gives a great promo explaining he is ready for the battle of between the excellence of execution and perfection.<br />
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<b>1:15:</b> Bret Hart as the challenger makes his way to the ring first. His parents, Stu and Helen Hart are shown in the stands of the Garden. Mr. Perfect Curt Hennig makes his way to the ring with the glorious Intercontinental Championship belt around his waist. <b>Death Watch:</b> Mr. Perfect passed away in 2003. Also, Coach died in 2009 at age 69.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://cdn2.iofferphoto.com/img/item/562/954/91/o_Belt_ClassicIntercontinental.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="99" src="http://cdn2.iofferphoto.com/img/item/562/954/91/o_Belt_ClassicIntercontinental.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<b>1:18:</b> Heenan says, "Piper used to come home from school to find out his parents had moved."<br />
<br />
<b>1:21:</b> Who is Coach? Well, according to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Tolos">Wikipedia</a>, he is John Tolos. John was born in Hamilton, Ontario and often wrestled under the name the Golden Greek. <br />
<br />
<b>1:29: </b>This match is awesome. I forgot I was writing. Perfect and Hart are painting a picture worthy of Picasso with speed, near falls, back and forth action, and seemingly brutal violence. Hart kicks out of Mr. Perfect's finisher the "perfect-plex". <br />
<b><br />
</b><br />
<b><a href="http://www.onlineworldofwrestling.com/images/books/brethart.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://www.onlineworldofwrestling.com/images/books/brethart.jpg" width="224" /></a>1:34:</b> The last five-minutes have been very fast with more near falls. The crowd is very into it and Hart and Perfect are both over. Hitman blocks a kick to the balls and turns it into his famed sharp-shooter. At 18:04, Bret Hart becomes the new IC champion. That match was awesome and should easily be the match of the night. I would call it a 4.5-star match. <br />
<br />
<b>1:36:</b> The great Lord Alfred Hayes is with Mr. and Mrs. Hart who are both celebrating as their son's music blares in the arena. Bret makes his way up the isle and has a nice moment with his parents. Have you read Bret Hart's <a href="http://www.google.com/products/catalog?q=Bret+Hart+book&oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=shop&cid=281810666440951301&sa=X&ei=wSMhTqqBEebv0gH2lLmYAw&ved=0CFAQ8wIwBA">book</a>? I would easily call it the best book ever written by a wrestler.<br />
<br />
<b>1:39:</b> Mean Gene is in the back with The Bushwhackers and a crippled looking Andre the Giant. Andre is on crutches because the Mouth of the South Jimmy Hart had him attacked by the Earthquake. Luke and Butch will try to defend Andre's honor by taking on the Earthquake his partner Typhoon also known as, The Natural Disasters.<br />
<br />
<b>1:42:</b> I have no recollection of who won this match, but I could almost guarantee that The Bushwhackers will not be the winners. Did they ever win a match? <b>Death Watch</b>: Andre the Giant passed away in 1993 at age 46 and Earthquake passed away in 2006 at age 42. <br />
<br />
<b>1:45: </b>The quality of the wrestling has went from Major League Baseball to North Tonawanda Little League in just one match. Bobby Heenan announces that Hulk Hogan is in the building and then leaves his spot at the broadcast booth to go embarrass him. <br />
<b><br />
</b><br />
<b>1:49</b>: Mercifully, at 6:27 Earthquake drops his fat ass on Butch and pins him in the center of the ring. Piper says, "baby that was a ten on the Richter scale." It appears that the Natural Disasters are going to punish a helpless Andre the Giant but the Legion of Doom come from the back to save the legend. That was a poor showing worth no more than the rating of a 2-star match. <br />
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<b>1:50: </b>Heenan is at the door of Hulk Hogan's dressing room with Ric Flair's championship belt. He tries to challenge Hogan to a match but Hogan slams the door in his face. Heenan leaves flustered.<br />
<br />
<b>1:51:</b> Sean Mooney is in the fake dressing room with the Million Dollar Man and Scary Sherri. DiBiase is preparing to defend the Million Dollar Belt against his former bodyguard Virgil. Rowdy Roddy Piper is very enthusiastic towards Virgil, and he lets us know early and often that he is rooting for the former body guard. <b>Death Watch</b>: Sherri Martel passed away in 2007 at age 49. <br />
<br />
<b>1:56:</b> Bobby Heenan returns to ringside very angry that the Hulkster slammed a door in his face. Piper to Heenan: "Hey Boobs, did that kind of remind you of when you were a kid at Halloween?"<br />
<br />
<b>1:59: </b>This match is torture. Sheri seems to grant mercy to all of us when she jumps into the ring and knocks Virgil out with her purse. Instead of the disqualification, Sheri is sent to the dressing room for interfering in the match. Virgil and Ted are laying face down on the canvas as the match is ordered to continue. <br />
<br />
<b>2:03:</b> I mentioned that Bret Hart's book is one that I highly recommend. Ted DiBiase's book on the other hand is a pile of shit. I thumbed through it at Borders and it clearly was not written by DiBiase. It's a generic WWF production that doesn't offer much inside information. It does have a cool cover.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="http://images.swap.com/images/Books/03/9781416558903.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://images.swap.com/images/Books/03/9781416558903.jpg" /></a></b></div><b>2:06:</b> Piper screaming at the top of his lungs in support for Virgil is incredibly annoying. For some reason, DiBiase uncovers one of the turnbuckles only to inevitably have it back fire when Virgil musters enough energy to slam Dibiase's face into it. Virgil pins Ted at the 13:11 mark. Heenan says, "The next time you see that belt it will be hanging from the mirror of a 1979 Caddy driven by Virgil." That was a 2-star match.<br />
<i><br />
</i><br />
<i>(Alright, time for some gold old fashioned honesty. Shortly after finishing that post, I passed out. I was on the couch drooling on my MacBook Pro and snoring The A-Team theme. Anyway, its 1:13AM EST the next day. Let's get back at it.)</i><br />
<b><br />
</b><br />
<b>1:13 AM:</b> Mean Gene is in the garage at Madison Square Garden interviewing The Mountie. It's time for the first and probably last jailhouse match in WWF history. The Mountie is going represent Canadian law enforcement and wrestle the Big Boss Man. The winner will receive glory and the loser is going directly to jail.<br />
<br />
<b>1:15:</b> Sean Mooney drew the Big Boss Man who gives a crazy promo threatening to send our buddy the Mountie to prison. <b>Death Watch:</b> The Boss Man, AKA Ray Traylor died in 2004 at age 41. <br />
<br />
<b>1:19:</b> Gorilla Monsoon is very concerned for the loser because he is going to have a criminal record. They are really pushing the whole, "suspend disbelief" angle with the ridiculous terms of this match.<br />
<br />
<b>1:24: </b>Monsoon just called The Mouth of the South Jimmy Hart the biggest walking add for birth control he has ever seen. That is very harsh, Gorilla.<br />
<br />
<b>1:26:</b> The Big Boss Man was an incredible athlete. For as large as he was, poorly dressed, and not exactly in the best shape of his life, The Big Boss Man did move well in the ring. Anyway, Boss Man pins Mountie in the center of the ring at 9:38 to win the jailhouse match. The police rush to ring side and drag The Mountie to jail. I am waiting for a Monopoly joke.<br />
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<b>1:30:</b> Mean Gene is in the fake locker room with an angry Ted Dibiase and Scarey Sherri. Ted has a number of complaints with the officiating. Then, Sean Mooney interviews Bret Hart who is in a much better mood. Now, we are back in the fake locker room with Mean Gene interviewing an irate Jimmy Hart and two fat slobs (The Natural Disasters). Jimmy wants to talk to his lawyer. Quickly, we are back to Sean Mooney who has a pleased Big Bossman. Next, Mean Gene is in the locker room with the Macho Man who is on the phone talking to fans (allegedly) of the WWF who got suckered into calling a 900-number. This dreadful segment of interviews mercifully ends with Mean Gene announcing the pay-per-view will take a five minute break. <br />
<b><br />
</b><br />
<b>1:35:</b> We are back from the break with Gorilla, Piper, and Heenan. The guys go over some of the action from the first half of the show and Heenan predicts Sid Justice will pull some funny stuff during the Match Made in Hell.<br />
<br />
<b>1:36:</b> Oh good, the paddy wagon has made it to jail and we get to see the police drag a screaming Mountie into the jail.<br />
<br />
<b>1:36:</b> We are in the fake locker room again with an angry Jimmy Hart, The Nasty Boys, and an intimidated Sean Mooney. The Nasty Boys are ready to defend their tag team titles against The Legion of Doom.<br />
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<b>1:38</b>: More jail foolishness.<br />
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<b>1:38</b>: Mean Gene has the Legion of Doom in front of a Summer Slam back drop and Animal is all fired up for the chance to be the first team to win the AWA, NWA, and WWF tag team titles. Hawk gives his classic, "OHHHHHHHHHHHH what a RUSSSSSSSSSSSSSSH."<br />
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<b>1:40</b>: More jail foolishness.<br />
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<b>1:41: </b>The promos just keep coming. Sean Mooney is now in the fake dressing room with Sargent Slaughter, The Iron Sheik, and Adnan to discuss the match made in hell. It's so sad that Slaughter has chosen to back Iraq in this international conflict. Hogan is going to have to teach him the meaning of patriotism.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.g-pop.net/LOD%20DVD.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.g-pop.net/LOD%20DVD.jpg" /></a><b>1:42</b>: Mean Gene is with Sid Justice who will be the guest referee in the match made in hell. Gene has some incriminating video to play that clearly shows Justice fraternizing with Slaughter, Sheik, and Adnan. He promises to be an honest, fair, and even official.<br />
<br />
<b>1:44:</b> We are finally back to ringside for the WWF tag team title match between The Nasty Boys and The Legion of Doom.<b> Death Watch</b>: Hawk, also known as Michael Hengstrand died in 2003 at age 46. Somehow, both of the Nasty Boys are still alive. <br />
<br />
<b>1:47:</b> This match is called a street fight brawl and there are no disqualifications. The match is relatively tame compared to some of the extreme matches that would define the attitude era of the WWF in just a few short years. These teams are basically just brawlers so the format fits them. I always enjoyed the Legion of Doom and their DVD was one of the first I purchased.<br />
<br />
<b>1:51:</b> The LOD trap Knobs in the doomsday device and at 7:45 the LOD are the new tag team champions. I am a little disappointed because they didn't take advantage of the no DQ to tell the story. It was basically a regular tag match. Overall it was a 2.5-star match that could have been much better had they had a little more time. <br />
<br />
<b>1:53:</b> More jail foolishness. Really? They are dragging this nonsense out. How many segments do we need for them to dump the poor Mountie into his jail cell? If they didn't waste so much time on this they could have given the tag title match a bit longer. <br />
<br />
<b>1:55:</b> For some reason, Irwin R. Schyster is in the ring for a match against former Intercontinental Champion, Greg the Hammer Valentine. This match seems way out of place on the card and the crowd that was all pumped up after the LOD win is now dead. Who is the heel? Who is the babyface? This match is confusing. The good news is that Greg Valentine and Irwin R. Schyster are both still alive. <br />
<br />
<b>1:57:</b> Gorilla foreshadows some trouble for later by stating that his source in the back has spotted Jake the Snake Robers and the Undertaker roaming around the locker room area. <br />
<br />
<b>1:59:</b> This match blows. The Hammer is from Seattle, for that reason, lets check out some good Seattle rock and roll.<br />
<br />
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<b>2:01:</b> Here is an interesting piece of WWF irony... IRS is actually Mike Rotunda who was a very popular tag team wrestler in the early 80's. He used to team with Barry Windham as the US Express. At Wreslemania I (at Madison Square Garden), they won their second WWF tag team championship by defeating The Iron Sheik and Nikolai Volkoff. Two months later they dropped the belts to Brutus Beefcake (not yet the barber) and Greg Valentine.<br />
<br />
<b>2:06:</b> Anyway, Shyster rolls the Hammer into a nifty small package and pins him at the 7:07 mark. I can't say that was any better than a 1-star match. <br />
<br />
<b>2:09:</b> Mean Gene is in the back with Hulk Hogan and The Ultimate Warrior. Hogan mentions winning the WWF title in 1984. He doesn't mention that he defeated The Iron Sheik and that tonight we are supposed to believe that The Iron Sheik is actually a different person named Colonel Mustafa. Warrior has words coming out of his mouth but they are mostly incoherent. <br />
<b><u><br />
</u></b><br />
<b><u>The Match Made in Hell</u></b><br />
<br />
<b>2:13</b>: It's time for the main event of the evening. Sid Vicious comes to the ring first dressed in jeans and a muscle shirt with referee stripes. <br />
<br />
Next to enter the ring is The Triangle of Terror. Sargent Slaughter is the leader and his partners are <strike>The Iron Sheik </strike>Colonel Mustafa and General Adnan.<br />
<br />
The Ultimate Warrior races to the ring to his own music without Hogan. These guys had absolute massive egos.<br />
<br />
Hogan enters the ring with the WWF title around his waist and Real American blasting over the Garden speakers.<br />
<br />
Piper is playing up the Hogan/Warrior rivalry as best as he can, and Heenan is very vocal about his concern that Justice will not be a fair official. <br />
<br />
2:17: Most of the readers of this piece probably know about the massive piece of WWF history that occurred just before the start of this match, but some of the readers might not. With that in mind, I will briefly recap what happened.<br />
<br />
Basically, Vince McMahon claims that Warrior threatened to no-show the event if he wasn't paid some undisclosed amount of money. When Hogan and Slaughter heard about the threat they told Vince that they wanted to handle it physically. Instead of a physical altercation, McMahon paid the Warrior his money and fired him immediately after the match was complete. The Ultimate Warrior claims that he was still owed a bonus from Vince for his work at Wrestlemania VII and he wasn't going to perform at Summer Slam without his bonus being paid out front. Either way, this was the end of the Warrior in the WWF until Wrestlemania VIII in March.<br />
<br />
<b>2:23:</b> This match is dreadful. There is no buzz in the crowd and all of the wrestlers are stiff and uninteresting. This is the anti Perfect vs. Hart match. I think most of the crowd was offended by Vince capitalizing off a war being fought by some of the young men and women of the United States. It was one thing to play up the cold war during the early 1980's but this was a different kind of war. It was bad enough that they headlined Wrestlemania VII with this crap, but did we need a second PPV? Why not let Hogan defend the title against the top heel in the company. Why not Hogan vs. Warrior II? I can think of 10-20 different ideas that would have been better than this dreadful handicapped match.<br />
<br />
<b>2:28:</b> Justice is losing control of the match. Warrior chases Mustafa and Adnan down the isle with a chair and Vicious is distracted by those antics. In the meantime, Hogan comes out of nowhere with what looks like an eight-ball of cocaine and throws it into the face of Sargent Slaughter. He then drops the deadly boot and pins Slaughter at 12:40. I will give the match made in hell a half of a star. It was a truly dreadful wrestling match.<br />
<br />
<b>2:31</b>: After five minutes of posing and playing to the crowd as his familiar music blares on the loud speakers, Hogan motions to the locker room and calls Sid Justice into the ring to pose with him. The two leave the ring as best buddies. I am sure going into the night most expected that Justice would be against Hogan and possibly cost him and the Warrior the match. Thank goodness that didn't happen. <br />
<br />
<b>2:33:</b> More dreadful prison footage. <br />
<b><u><br />
</u></b><br />
<b><u>The Match Made in Heaven</u></b><br />
<b><br />
</b><br />
<b>2:34:</b> Hogan and Justice have finally cleared out of the ring and we are showed the video of Randy Savage proposing to the lovely Miss. Elizabeth. <b>Death Watch:</b> I just want to get this out of the way because it makes me very sad. On May 1, 2003, Miss Elizabeth passed away at age 42. She was always such a beautiful, sparkling, and charming woman that I am glad I never had the misfortune to see her at her worst. Apparently, after divorcing Savage, and a second husband, Liz became romantically involved with Lex Luger. There relationship was very toxic and was destroyed by domestic violence, drug abuse, and the eventual death of Miss Elizabeth. It's ridiculous how many competitors in this event died in their forties. This one is the saddest. I will always remember the lovely Miss Elizabeth like this...<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigLEfrONNlU7oLzlIQ-GWhWhR4zJngP7UwJerXWTfISl-CtRrLxoHP-Mwx9ngkt3q9FyBD2BOrx8VSUvBIItMsM6tlH-lvWwxOyf7LBsM7aY8c6L7VuUUYOjAHNwVhW8j-4kcgZl_vvh3O/s1600/miss_elizabeth.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigLEfrONNlU7oLzlIQ-GWhWhR4zJngP7UwJerXWTfISl-CtRrLxoHP-Mwx9ngkt3q9FyBD2BOrx8VSUvBIItMsM6tlH-lvWwxOyf7LBsM7aY8c6L7VuUUYOjAHNwVhW8j-4kcgZl_vvh3O/s320/miss_elizabeth.jpg" width="129" /></a></div><br />
On May 20, 2011, Randy Savage was killed when he suffered a heart attack while driving with his wife in Seminole, Florida. He was 58-years old.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.thecampussocialite.com/wp-content/uploads/randy-savage-car-crash.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="245" src="http://www.thecampussocialite.com/wp-content/uploads/randy-savage-car-crash.png" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<b> 2:41:</b> Back to the PPV, we are treated to a nicely done video package that shows Elizabeth as I always remembered her. The strange thing about this wedding is that Liz and Randy were actually married in 1984 and ended up getting divorced in the Summer of 1992.<br />
<br />
<b>2:45:</b> Savage is dressed like a clown, but Liz looks as beautiful as she ever did.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://30.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_l4zw30A43V1qzx70zo1_500.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://30.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_l4zw30A43V1qzx70zo1_500.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
2:46: Instead of saying "I DO," Savage lets out a great loud OHHHH YEAAAAH.<br />
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2:48: Savage kisses the bride. Gorilla calls it, "the kiss heard around the world." Confetti and streamers are falling from the ceiling as pomp and circumstance blares on the Garden speakers.<br />
<br />
2:51 The happy couple exits the ring and the pay-per-view is over.<br />
<br />
And with that, the first edition of The Greatest Night in the History of the WWF is over. I hope you enjoyed the photos, videos, and pros that made this blog what it is.<br />
<br />
Say goodnight, Bella.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF-U3MkiYQ1tF_1U8PraavHjd37rGKXP0qtxGPojy_65dCQvEE0XOLb-qAnXvs4R7jW5hc2Q0Qf8-6r3anVN3Op0eunf2w88pVSf0e806C_RERVAB8AeeBtH7DAtiSjZEuvNxFNxrivNw/s1600/Photo+Jul+07%252C+7+12+24+PM.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF-U3MkiYQ1tF_1U8PraavHjd37rGKXP0qtxGPojy_65dCQvEE0XOLb-qAnXvs4R7jW5hc2Q0Qf8-6r3anVN3Op0eunf2w88pVSf0e806C_RERVAB8AeeBtH7DAtiSjZEuvNxFNxrivNw/s320/Photo+Jul+07%252C+7+12+24+PM.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>Steven Bennetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12241161943861702507noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3149551928028596211.post-62227347919034827412011-07-15T03:24:00.001-04:002011-07-15T03:44:33.010-04:00The Franchise/Baseball Halfway<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/the-franchise-350x279.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="255" src="http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/the-franchise-350x279.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>I knew there was a reason I have Showtime.</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">This blog is going to go a few places. I want to talk about the best new sports show airing on Showtime called, The Franchise: A Season with the San Francisco Giants. Also, I want to talk about the baseball season, what the playoffs would look like if the season ended today, and who would win the hardware. Last, I want to talk a little about episode 30 of The Sports-Casters. I walked away from episode 30 with a big smile and thoughts that it might be our best work. I am getting ahead of myself. Lets start this off with, The Franchise.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">When I moved into my new house last year it was an obvious call to go with DirecTV. As long as DTV has the exclusive rights to the NFL Ticket, I am going to have to subscribe to their services. Good or bad. The most important thing to me is to be able to watch Saints games every Sunday in the fall.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">When we signed up for our initial package the gal on the phone threw in three free months of Showtime and Encore and The Movie Channel might be in there too. We had planned to dump it when the three months of free time ended. We already had HBO, and I figured that their package of movies, television drama, and sports was plenty of premium television for me.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Ultimately, I never cancelled Showtime. It slipped my mind, and I just got used to paying $1xx.xx every month for television. I have turned to it now and again. Last summer, I sat through a few episodes of Big Brother: After Dark. I watched a few movies. I watched the last couple of seasons of Weeds and I even tried to get into Dexter and Nurse Jackie. I wouldn't call it worth the money, but I never got frustrated to the point of picking up the phone and giving Showtime its walking papers.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">A few months back, Miss Caster (she is so pissed to be Miss and not Mrs, but its only been 11 years, I don't want to rush anything) brought up the idea of cancelling Showtime. I initially agreed and then remembered hearing about some kind of Hard Knocks/24/7 type show that would focus on the San Francisco Giants. I thought it was supposed to be based around spring training and when spring training came and went with no series I forgot about it.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Last week, I seen an add in the iPad version of Sports Illustrated for the show I had been waiting months for. Last night was the premier, and to sum it up briefly, this show was well worth the wait. The first episode covers the team from opening day right though to the All-Star Break. It runs around an hour and when I finished watching I thought it had to have been closer to ninety minutes. They packed so much information and covered so much ground it just felt like a longer episode.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">My main complaint is that the first show probably could have been two episodes and they could have given more time to some of the stories covered and included some of the more obvious omissions. For example, Tim Lincecum didn't have a role in the first episode. He is one of the most interesting players in MLB. He also happens to be surrounded by a group of characters and pieces of work potentially unparalleled in the history of sports. Despite a lack of Lincecum, the episode is jam packed with stories about Barry Zito, Aubrey Huff, the comeback of Ryan Vogelsong, and the devastating injury to catcher Buster Posey. Not to mention plenty of airtime for that weirdo, Brian Wilson. </div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Another thing the show does well is taking us into the lives of the players and coaches. We get to meet Mrs. Cain, see some of the players interact with their children, and step into the meetings that the coaches and front office staff have each week of the season. One of the best scenes from last night showed head coach Bruce Bochy phoning in his All-Star selections to the Major League Baseball office. He then calls Ryan Vogelsong into his office and we get the chance to see Bochy give the news to his pitcher that he has made the All-Star team. Vogelsong was drafted by the Giants, traded to the Pitates, blew out his elbow, spent time in AAA, pitched in Japan, and finally got a chance to play in the big leagues when Zito was hurt earlier in the season. It really is an incredible story and the producers did a great job telling it. </div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The Franchise continues a recent trend of sports television that I am giddy about. Hard Knocks got it started a few years when NFL Films was given the chance to flex their muscles on HBO. The Ravens, Cowboys, Chiefs, Cowboys, Bengals, and Jets have all been featured in this 4or 5 episode behind the scenes journey through training camp. Last winter, the NHL got in on the action with the four episode 24/7 on HBO surrounding the Winter Classic. The winter before that HBO 24/7 did a four episode feature on NASCAR stud Jimmy Johnson. If The Franchise isn't enough, HBO is going to air a one hour documentary called Derek Jeter 3K about the weeks leading up to that magical Saturday at Yankee Stadium.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The Franchise will air each Wednesday night at 10:00 PM EST on Showtime (545 on Direct TV). For more information, check <a href="http://www.albanyherald.com/sports/headlines/Posey_Giants_debut_on_Showtime__docu-series_The_Franchise_tonight_125463348.html?ref=348">this</a> out. </div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.thesportsbank.net/core/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/all-star-game-2011.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="153" src="http://www.thesportsbank.net/core/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/all-star-game-2011.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Did you know that this time it counts?</i></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</tbody></table><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The All-Star Game has come and gone with the National League winning a mostly uneventful game, 5-1 over the favored American League. The NL has now won back to back All-Star Games despite having lost the previous 47 to the presumably dominate American League. I don't have any thoughts on the format, if the game is still relevant, or who played or didn't play in the game. For me, its just an exhibition played during the most boring sports week of the summer. (Wait...what? The ESPY's were this week? My bad.) My favorite part of the All-Star game is actually clicking onto the standings and finding out what the playoff match-ups would be if the season had to end the day after the All-Star Game. Last season, only 2 of the 8 team in position to make the playoffs at last year's break failed to do so. The Padres and Cubs collapsed and ended their season's early to focus on their fantasy football teams. Here is how the standing look right now:</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">AL East- Yankees</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">AL Central- Indians</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">AL West- Rangers</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Wild Card- Red Sox</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">(Also in contention (6 back or less): Rays, Angels, Tigers, White Sox, Twins)</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Since the Yankees have the best record and the Red Sox are the wild-card if the playoffs started today, the Yankees would play the Indians and the Red Sox would play the Rangers. The reason is that you can't play a division opponent in the first round. If this is the case the Yankees fall to the two-seed and Texas moves up to the one-seed. </div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>Yankees vs. Indians:</b> I remember being convinced in 2007 that the Yankees were going to wipe the Indians out of the playoffs faster than King Kong Bundy can eat a plate of ribs at Dinosaur BBQ. Then the bugs of Lake Erie attacked Joba and the Yankees were sent home and forced to say goodbye to Joe Torre. </div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>Rangers vs. Red Sox</b>: I want the Rangers to do well because I am worried about Josh Hamilton. No one should have to go through what he has the last few weeks, and I hope his sobriety doesn't suffer. Adrian Gonzalez has been a beast and by playoff time Crawford should be a bit more comfortable in his skin.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">NL East- Phillies</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">NL Central- Cardinals</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">NL West- Giants</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Wild Card- Braves</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">(Also in contention (6 back or less): Brewers, Pirates, Reds, Diamondbacks)</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Like in the AL, since the Phillies have the best record and the Braves, also in the NL East, control the wild card. The Phillies would be a de facto two-seed in the playoffs with the Giants getting the bump to 1. In that case, its Phillies vs Cardinals and Braves vs. Giants would be the round one match-ups. </div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>Giants vs. Braves: </b>This would be an awesome best of five series because of how good both teams starting pitching is. The Braves would roll Jurrjens, Hanson, and Hudson against Cain, Lincecum, and Vogelsong. The Braves have the best bullpen in baseball and that could be the difference in what promises to be a low scoring series. </div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b><br />
</b></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>Phillies vs Cardinals:</b> This series has sweep all over it. The Cardinals just can't compete with Halladay, Lee, and Hamels in a short series. Who could?</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The National League playoffs is going to be loaded with pitchers. I would like to see the Brewers get in to see how effective Zack Greinke could be in the playoffs.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">My World Series Pick: Braves over RedSox in 7 games.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I will quickly go through my choices for AL/NL MVP, Cy Young, RotY, and Coach.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>AL MVP: </b>Adrian Gonzalez. I could have easily selected Jose Bautista here, but his team isn't near the playoffs so is he really that valuable?</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>NL MVP:</b> Prince Fielder. I think that the Brewers will emerge from the NL Central and make the playoffs. Fielder was the All-Star game MVP and I think he will beat out Jose Reyes and Matt Kemp for the award.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>AL Cy Young:</b> Justin Verlander. Verlander is must see baseball every time he pitches. Weaver and Beckett are close and could win, but I have a bit of a pitcher crush on Verlander right now.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>NL Cy Young: </b>My rule of thumb has always been if Roy Halladay is healthy all year he wins the Cy Young award. My favorite thing about Roy is that he finishes his work. He has the most complete games in an era of specialized bullpens and pitch counts. Hamels, Kershaw and Jurrjens deserve to be in this crowded and competitive field.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>AL ROY: </b>This is easy, Michael Pineda. This guy has filthy stuff and if he wasn't pitching at 10:30 in Seattle all the time he would be getting more run in the media. The coolest stat about Pineda; He is the seventh youngest player in the league.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>NL ROY:</b> Craig Kimbrel. Kimbrel leads the Majors with 28 saves and is on pace to break the rookie saves record of 40 set last year by Neftali Feliz. </div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>AL Coach:</b> Manny Acta. Did anyone expect Cleveland to be as good as they have been? The Indians lost 93 games last year and turnarounds like that are usually what wins coach of the year awards.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>NL Coach: </b>Clint Hurdle. I have heard plenty of Kirk Gibson talk and that makes sense. But, like Acta, Hurdle has the Pirates (THE PIRATES) contending. If they finish the season with 85 or more wins Hurdle will be a lock for this award. </div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_656467138" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="176" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK6jD_cq0em_iS7ZINXnHFAKG-DRcmBKVp2cYAa1Ly0SYT2zVO5Xs5PjqnhnLQOryjLjMk8CBqTQwxjqOxUKKhb6_eh0DPAANkKPNpkuU9VzM9H61IjrKvr9gldSsCS2Izt7Kf1_rpNS4/s200/SPORTS+CASTERS+LOGO+V2_3.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.sports-casters.com/"><i>Episode 30 was Awesome. </i></a></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.sports-casters.com/"><br />
</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Just real quick, I want to give some links pertaining to the most recent episode of The Sports-Casters. The podcast reached the milestone of 30 episodes on Tuesday and the show was some of our best work yet. We try to get better ever week, and If we do, that means the last episode should always be the best so far. It doesn't always work like that. There are factors that can make or break a podcast. For example, thank god we got Greg Wyshynski at the last minute and decided to pair him with Sarah Kwak in episode 28. Sarah bombed and if we didn't have the interview with Greg our July 1 NHL coverage would have been a shame.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXft4sm9KkcEn1F9kDV0-dCoCJ6ZCJAwZIa63Z206L_q7T05brFhs3LkhqWSJNk42BlNxKc9yDsc-T0hKehSmdjIhnNrYlR9MGRWd07zdWtWZb2aY0nkpHadAIku9gayE6uqLepeBJOyM/s1600/the-links.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="248" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXft4sm9KkcEn1F9kDV0-dCoCJ6ZCJAwZIa63Z206L_q7T05brFhs3LkhqWSJNk42BlNxKc9yDsc-T0hKehSmdjIhnNrYlR9MGRWd07zdWtWZb2aY0nkpHadAIku9gayE6uqLepeBJOyM/s320/the-links.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Anyway, a few links to information discussed in episode 30 of The Sports-Casters. </div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><ul style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><li>Jane Leavy isn't on twitter but she has plenty of information on her <a href="http://www.janeleavy.com/">website</a>. </li>
<li>We talked about her <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0060883529?ie=UTF8&tag=janlea-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0060883529">book</a>, The Last Boy. </li>
<li>We also talked about this <a href="http://www.janeleavy.com/321">piece</a> that she wrote for Bill Simmons's Grantland. </li>
<li>My number one guest in show history is Lee Jenkins. Check out his <a href="http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/writers/lee_jenkins/archive/index.html">work</a> on SI.COM. </li>
<li>Don chose Dave Dameshek as his top guest. I hope you are <a href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-dave-dameshek-football/id436270201">listening</a> to his podcast on NFL.COM. </li>
<li>Damon Hack can be found on <a href="http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/writers/damon_hack/archive/index.html">SI.COM </a>as well, but don't forget about the work that he does for <a href="http://golf.com/">GOLF.COM</a></li>
<li>Damon predicted that Lee Westwood would <a href="http://scoring.opengolf.com/leaderboard.sps?iTourNo=2011060&optsel=pos&lang=en">win</a> the British Open.</li>
<li>Damon talked about <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m3C4P9O20Qk">this</a> catch by Terrell Owens in the 1998 NFL Playoffs. </li>
</ul><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Alright, it's time for my girl Bella to say goodnight.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWMxNu-iYlOH1mRdAwdIdNUNLbD48hpXChjgHmjv1gQfkIoRoOkXlTGUB2mCKbX2-XGLDcckFmwhLtOooBmBhfg935FHgzilLn3S6KwGZG7mHVgKdWvQjzbVXIXZuO01wiIX3h2_p3XMk/s1600/Photo+Jun+30%252C+8+48+59+PM.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWMxNu-iYlOH1mRdAwdIdNUNLbD48hpXChjgHmjv1gQfkIoRoOkXlTGUB2mCKbX2-XGLDcckFmwhLtOooBmBhfg935FHgzilLn3S6KwGZG7mHVgKdWvQjzbVXIXZuO01wiIX3h2_p3XMk/s320/Photo+Jun+30%252C+8+48+59+PM.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Goodnight</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<ul></ul>Steven Bennetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12241161943861702507noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3149551928028596211.post-16013439665937473652011-07-03T20:00:00.009-04:002011-07-03T22:00:07.878-04:00The Bored NFL Network: Top 100 Players<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://static.nfl.com/static/content/catch_all/nfl_image/top100_2011_logo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="145" src="http://static.nfl.com/static/content/catch_all/nfl_image/top100_2011_logo.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>90 Players Down, 10 Players to Go</i></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>I have to give the NFL Network some credit. They have managed to fill a 24-hour network based on a sport in the middle of a lockout and have kept it on the tip of the American sports fan's tongue. Here is a list (god bless the list) of smart decisions made by the NFL Network (NFLN) since the lockout.<br />
<br />
<ol><li>They have empowered the great Dave Dameshek and given him a place to broadcast his unique brand of hooey and applesauce. </li>
<li>Although not a network decision, credit should be given for Jason LaCanfora and Michael Lombardi appearing on The Sports-Casters. </li>
<li>The all-day Hard Knocks marathon is going to fill my DVR and annoy Miss. Caster on the July 4th holiday. </li>
<li>They have aired football games. We miss football, and the NFLN has filled that void as best as they can with the Canadian Football League and the Arena League. Not to mention the America's Game specials, the NFL's greatest game series, and other NFL related programing. </li>
<li>Last but not least, the NFLN with the help of the "players" have created this list that has been debated and talked about on podcasts, television shows, magazines, and any place where sports is discussed and debated. </li>
</ol>My number one gripe about the list is the lack of a well defined criteria. Did the players vote on career achievement? Was the voting based on play during the 2010 season? Did the players give bonus points to their college teammates and best buddies? How many players voted? How did the players get ranked?<br />
<br />
I think the NFLN was smart to leave off the criteria. The lack of a criteria has helped stir the debate. Here is my list of complaints about the list from 100-11.<br />
<br />
<ol><li>How did Donovan McNabb make the list? Donovan McNabb was a terrible quarterback in Washington last year. If this is truly a list of the top 100 players of 2011 as the banner above claims then McNabb should appear somewhere in the top 500. He isn't anywhere near a top 100 guy at this point of his career. </li>
<li>Why is there a fullback on the list? Vonta Leach is a good player, but he isn't a top 100 player in the league. Michael Lombardi made a great point on The Sports-Casters <a href="http://www.garbageradio.com/podcasts/sportscasters_s01e27.mp3">last</a> week when he mentioned that when Leach is in the game it's easier to double Andre Johnson. A fullback?</li>
<li>Aaron Rodgers should have a spot in the top 10. He was the MVP of the Super Bowl last season. </li>
<li>Ray Lewis still makes an impact on the field, but he was not one of the top ten players last season and he won't be one of the top ten when the next season begins. He is a great leader and is well respected. I am not surprised he is in the top ten. I just don't think he should be. </li>
</ol>It is pretty obvious who the ten remaining players are, and I want to rank them two ways. First,<br />
<br />
<u>How will the players Top 10 List shake out (My best guess):</u><br />
<ol><li>Tom Brady</li>
<li>Peyton Manning</li>
<li>Ray Lewis</li>
<li>D. Revis</li>
<li>Drew Brees</li>
<li>Ed Reed</li>
<li>Adrian Peterson </li>
<li>Andre Johnson</li>
<li>Troy Polamalu</li>
<li>Julius Peppers</li>
</ol><u>If I was to rank the 10 remaining players, I would rank them like this:</u><br />
<ol><li> Drew Brees - He is my guy. I have watched every game he has played since he joined the Saints in 2006 and he has made all of my NFL dreams come true. He has to by my #1 guy. </li>
<li>Tom Brady- If Drew Brees wasn't my guy, I probably would have put Brady at #1. The thing about Brady is that he does it with an almost anonymous offense. The average fan knows Randy Moss and everyone that plays fantasy football knows Wes Welker. The average football fan would have trouble naming any other players that Tom Brady has thrown passes to.</li>
<li>Peyton Manning- The NFL is a QB league and if it was my list (see below) the top four players on the list would be quarterbacks. You have to go all the way back to 2002 when the Buccaneers won the Super Bowl to find a team that did so without one of the leagues best quarterbacks. </li>
<li>Revis- If you watched Hard Knocks last season you got to see what a team looks like when their best player is M.I.A. Revis takes away half of the field from the opposing offense and he never seems to get beat. I think Randy Moss beat him deep during Kickoff Weekend last year, and I can't remember another time.</li>
<li>Adrian Peterson- Adrian can dominate a game. He also stopped fumbling last season and that has only increased his value. I think he is still an accending player. He hasn't had his best season yet. If you punt the ball to the Vikings with three timeouts in your pocket and need a stop to get the ball back, that punt was a terrible idea. Adrian is going to close that game out. He is the Mariano Rivera of football. </li>
<li>Ed Reed- Reed is awesome because every time he touches the ball he has a chance to make a house call, and for a defender, he touches the ball a lot. </li>
<li>Andre Johnson- This feels like it's the proper spot to rank the best receiver on the list. </li>
<li>Ray Lewis- Lewis is a bad man and he still makes a difference on the field.</li>
<li>Troy Polamalu- Troy had a tough time in the Super Bowl and played one of the worst games I can remember watching him play. </li>
<li>Julius Peppers- I know this guy makes a lot of money, and I know he is a good player, but he wouldn't make my top 10. </li>
</ol><u>Here is my list of the top 10 Players of 2011:</u><br />
<ol><li>Aaron Rodgers- I am going to be an honest fan. The list is called the top 10 players of 2011. Aaron Rodgers lead his team to the last Super Bowl and was the MVP of the game. I think that makes him the best player.</li>
<li>Tom Brady- Tom Brady was the MVP of the league last season. He did it without Randy Moss and Wes Welker was best receiver. Who was his best deep threat?</li>
<li>Peyton Manning- Manning seems like he is the QB and coach of the Colts. He is so smart and knows the game so well that he has a chance to score on every play.</li>
<li>Drew Brees- Drew threw too many interceptions last year. He needs to clean up some of the mistakes if he wants to be higher on the list. He has more weapons than Brady and Manning combined. </li>
<li>Revis- The NFL is a QB driven league and that means the ball is in the air a lot. The rules make DB the hardest position to play. Revis has the position mastered. </li>
<li>Adrian Peterson- Like I said, he is the Mariano Rivera of the NFL.</li>
<li>Chris Johnson- Johnson is like the big home run slugger. He is so fast that he can score on any touch from anywhere on the field. </li>
<li>Charles Woodson- Much like Revis, Woodson is one of the best at the hardest position on the field. Woodson maybe even makes more plays than Revis does. He can blitz, he forces fumbles, and he can return punts. </li>
<li>Nnamdi Asomugha- He is going to make some big dollars on the free agent market when the CBA is settled. If I was in charge of the Lions, I would back the money truck into Nnamdi's driveway and let his kids play in it. Then I wouldn't leave without him having a Lion's hat on his head.</li>
<li>DeMarcus Ware- This guy is a scary athlete. He single handily ended the Saints undefeated season two years ago just six days after he was carted off the field with a scary neck injury. When you can get to the QB on a consistent basis it makes defense a lot easier to play in this passing league I have spoke of over and over. </li>
</ol><u>The Players List:</u><br />
<b><br />
</b><br />
<b>10. Julius Peppers (My Guess-10</b>) - I am glad that the tenth best player left ended up tenth on the list.<br />
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<b>9. Drew Brees (5)</b> - What the hell? This is way too early for one of the three quarterbacks to come off the list.<br />
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<b>8. Darrelle Revis (4) </b>- I am shocked that the top rated CB on the players list is only as high as eight.<br />
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<b>7. Andre Johnson (8)</b> - I was one off with this one. Johnson is so physically superior to the guys that try to cover him that he can just dominate. I didn't think we would get a WR in the top 5.<br />
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<b>6. Troy Polamalu (9)</b> - I would have ranked Troy a tad higher if he didn't preform so poorly in the Super Bowl last season. The best game I have ever seen Troy play was the opening night of the 2009 season. Remember this pick?<br />
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5. Ed Reed (6) - Ed Reed and Adrian Peterson are the only players in the top five that I didn't think the players would have in the top five. I had assumed that Brees and Revis would be in the top five. That leaves a RB, a LB, and 2 QB's on the list.<br />
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<b>4. Ray Lewis (3)</b> - I thought he would be the highest rated defender on the list and I was right about that. I am surprised that the players have Adrian Peterson in the top three.<br />
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3. Adrian Peterson (7) - I was way off on this one. I am giddy about how much respect Adrian has been given by the players. I have been following Adrian Peterson's career since he was 17-year old and he is the one player that I know of that could have went from high school to the NFL. What do you think?<br />
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2. <b>Peyton Manning (2)</b> - I think the players got this right. Manning has and has had more weapons than Tom Brady and that is why I give Brady the slight edge. Think about it, Marshall Faulk, Edgerrin James, Marvin Harrison, Dallas Clark, and Reggie Wayne have all caught Manning touchdown passes.<br />
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<b>1. Tom Brady (1) -</b> Again, I think Manning and Brady is basically a 1A and 1B. It is splitting hairs. It's Pepsi vs. Coke. It's a tie. If their has to be a tiebreaker it's that Brady has just had less weapons. Manning was the 1st overall pick and Brady was the guy everyone doubted. The first season that Brady was paired with a world class wide receiver he broke all of the records. <br />
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I only correctly predicted three of the players exactly as they appeared on the players list. When I ranked the ten remaining players, I only ranked Julius Peppers and Andre Johnson the same as the players. That is how this list has been since day one. It has been a giant debate. It has been disagreeing most of the time and agreeing a few times. It has been a reason to turn on the NFLN every Sunday night just like we turn on NBC every Sunday night during football season. The list is over. That means it's time to settle this lockout, start signing free agents, and report to training came. I am ready.<br />
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Say goodnight Bells....<br />
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<ol></ol>Steven Bennetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12241161943861702507noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3149551928028596211.post-15236802323817942852011-07-01T08:10:00.035-04:002011-07-01T17:23:26.881-04:00Who want's to be a Millionaire? July 1st Edition<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYtLdyG-jWsf1KjGUH5FOaPNWfIpdke1HH0YVswP808-hLPXpJwIKR58gYzZMMHpVehB-Jpbr9wZvGMlO5NhBDC4c-HlpN2aJUZNVNf0DeC41e3pQpCtTDcLPTmpNK17fbKfKJpBeTa94/s1600/Millionaire_logo.png"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5624383802107242130" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 182px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYtLdyG-jWsf1KjGUH5FOaPNWfIpdke1HH0YVswP808-hLPXpJwIKR58gYzZMMHpVehB-Jpbr9wZvGMlO5NhBDC4c-HlpN2aJUZNVNf0DeC41e3pQpCtTDcLPTmpNK17fbKfKJpBeTa94/s200/Millionaire_logo.png" border="0" /></a>I sure hope Brad Richards - the one who very shortly will be found sleeping on a mattress stuffed with hundred dollar bills - doesn’t sign a deal at 12:15 (unless of course it’s with my team). If he does the drama kind of ends, right? I mean, I’m sure Simon Gagne, Tim Connolly, and Tomas Kaberle will all sign contracts they can’t live up to (again), but it isn’t something that really moves the meter. ESPN isn’t going to break into whatever poker tournament or women’s soccer match they are showing to announce that Jason Arnott and Steve Sullivan have signed on the dotted lines. This UFA class just isn’t flashy.<br /><br />For that matter, either was last year’s OR next year’s. I wonder if we’ll start to see more RFA’s get poached because of this. Anyway…<br /><br />None of this means I’m not looking forward to this like a kid on Christmas Eve. This time of year is always fun. This year might be more fun than normal because of everything going on <em>around</em> free agency. The cap is up again and teams are going to have to spend to reach the floor. The RFA class might be the best ever. The league has already been littered with trades of great significance and rumors are flying that those could just be the beginning.<br /><br />I don’t really need to build this up anymore. If you are reading a blog about hockey, you’re clearly a fan and have already heard all the noise leading to noon eastern today. So, I’ll just ask you to check back often as I’ll be updating ‘live’ throughout the day. Sit back and enjoy, and good luck to your favorite teams. Except the Flyers, Bruins, Leafs, Canadians…<br /><br /><div align="center"><strong>Christian Ehrhoff</strong></div><br />I quickly wanted to touch on the Ehrhoff signing. I’ve read a couple schools of thought on the Twitter-verse regarding the very un-old-Sabres-like deal Darcy Regier and Terry Pegula dreamed up. The first is that they are cheating. I am fine with that school of thought. Offering a guy $40M, $18M in the first two years of which $12M is ‘bonuses’, definitely smells a little fishy. I wouldn’t be a fan of this contract if I were a fan of another team, and I imagine deep-pocketed owners around the league are trying to figure out if Brad Richards would bite on a similar deal. However my owner's pockets drag on the floor behind him when he walks, so I love it. Also, the Sabres have been ‘blessed’ with two previous owners who keep their checkbooks in safes, at the bottom of the ocean, guarded by sharks, so… we’re due.<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5624383061985560546" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 213px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimEErNQYHUnuVyTmpmT2K5YslU3t5rHp-Dy333LZs0h3rlzekuKRh8aJWFblwORk0p6AHOKxXRJf0NMrxLmcLjO0vXecGHtSJVQ0Ft9bkmGATQ6qfVzZjJ_PX3rMytnpk4rTjJR-bi0U4/s320/will_the_new_york_islanders_lock_up_christian_ehrhoff.jpg" border="0" /><br />The other school of thought is that the Sabres overpaid. Read this next part closely, and notice how it doesn’t contain the words ‘I think’ or ‘in my opinion’. That is flat out, 100%, dead <em>wrong</em>. This point of view must be coming from jaded Sabres ‘fans’, which are less fun to listen to than arguments about politics, Mac vs. Pc, PS v. Xbox. These fans scoff at every move their teams make, so they can say ‘I told you so’ at the end of every non-Cup season. I could write a whole article about this type of person though, so I’ll move on.<br /><br />The only other people who could think he got overpaid must’ve wanted him on their team and are trying to justify why it’s better they didn’t get him. That sentence can’t be grammatically correct but it gets my point across. Currently (before the FA market opens) there are 34 other Defenseman with a cap hit of $4M or more. Ehrhoff’s contract means he takes up 6% of the Sabres cap space, an incredibly reasonable number. If the idea is merely that he isn’t worth $18M the first two years, let me remind the pessimists, that isn’t <em>your</em> money. Also, if he decides to walk away from the last three years he only leaves $3M on the table. On the flip side, if he isn’t performing Buffalo can easily buy out those last years. The FACT is the number is very fair cap-wise, and that’s the only dollar amount that should matter to fans.<br /><br />And by the way, the above is the correct spelling. His name, incorrectly spelled<br />Erhoff, was actually trending on Twitter last night. Let’s be better than that hockey fans!<br /><br />Anyway, I’ll stop for now and give the ol’ fingers a rest until noon. Be sure to check back!<br /><br /><div align="center"><strong>Live NHL Action:</strong></div><br /><strong>Newest updates at top</strong><br /><br /><strong>5:10</strong> Trade deadline blogs and the like are a bit easier to stop since there is a cut and end. Free Agency just keeps going. I'll call it a day here and come back if Richards signs soon. Thanks for reading today, it was fun! And let's go Buff-a-lo!<br /><br /><strong>5:10</strong> Sabres never went to Mississauga and are out on Brad Richards. Leino apparently was the backup plan to play center. I'm not thrilled about guys that play multiple positions. How many great centers spent time on the wing too? I love what they've done, and I don't dislike Leino, but I still hope a trade is in the works. That said, Darcy has basically stated that this is our team right now.<br /><br /><strong>4:24</strong> So, Michelle adds a new bit of wisdom. I was wondering aloud about what the Sabres are going to do. She asked what I meant. I told her the Sabres have so many wingers and Ville Leino who they just signed, is also a winger. Her response (and note the quotes) "like, a defensive winger?" I've failed as a husband.<br /><br />She also wanted to add, knowing I'd be typing this, that she is excited by how much TSN is talking about the Sabres as contenders. She really does have a decent grasp on hockey, more than her knowledge of the positions would suggest.<br /><br /><strong>4:13</strong> TSN segues from a segment, by saying "speaking of big names" and then announce that Benoit Pouliot has signed a 1 year, $1.1M deal with the Bruins. Weak, TSN.<br /><br />While typing that, Sabres sign Ville Leino. 6 year deal for $27M. Slightly overpaid, but a nice player that has played well in the playoffs. My guess is it would take them out of the Richards race, but they are still without a number one center. The fact that they signed a winger at all is weird. They must have a deal in the works. What a fun time to be a fan of the Blue and Gold!<br /><br /><strong>3:12</strong> I'm running out of steam. I'm home now, so not having to pretend to work is a plus, but still nothing substantial is happening. I wonder how many trades will kick off once Richards finds a home? I'll keep blogging, so check back often, but hopefully the action (or even just the rumors) picks up soon. And hopefully Richards signs before I head to the bar. Gotta celebrate Canada Day (Buffalo is practically Canada).<br /><br /><strong>2:18</strong> @RealKyper tweets "Hearing rumblings #NHL teams presenting to Brad Richards are pitching 12.8M max offer in years 1 and 2. Crazy money out there."<br /><br />Wow. That said, I guess I'm still in. Get the cap hit down to 7 or 8, and make the last three years very buy-outable, and there isn't <em>too</em> much risk. Again, it's not my money.<br /><br /><strong>1:52</strong> Ed Jovanovski to Florida is (relatively) old news now, but the numbers just rolled in. Four years, $16.5M. Again, PLEASE try to tell me the Sabres overpaid for Ehrhoff.<br /><br />Also, Jagr gets $3.3M from the Flyers. Nice work Philly. I can't believe I complimented your organization.<br /><br />I feel like I'm taking crazy pills.<br /><br /><strong>1:31</strong> While I was typing that informative hard-hitting update, news broke that Philly signed Jagr. I mentioned in my last blog that I loved the moves Philly made up to this point, but this one is a huge head scratcher. You get rid of one guy in Mike Richards that showed a bit of immaturity in the playoffs and bring in Jagr? What type of example is he going to be for Schenn? That said, I'm glad the Flyers are making moves I don't like. Call it sour grapes.<br /><br /><strong>1:28</strong> I'm back. A few middle of the road players got signed to small contracts, but nothing major. Check out Steve's blog if you want more detail on those signings: <a href="http://thesportscasters.blogspot.com/2011/06/july-1-2011-live-blog.html">Here</a> <br /><br />However this DID happen during lunch... the following are texts I got from my lovely wife, Michelle. She said she was going to watch the NHL network because she heard the news talk about free agency, and she knew I'd be blogging. The following are her exact texts (only changes are a bit of spelling), mostly regarding Micheal Peca, one of my favorite players ever:<br /><br />12:33 <em>Pretty Peca is on NHL network. :)</em><br />12:34 <em>Not nearly as animated as the other two, but much easier on the eyes. :)</em><br />12:35 <em>Peca thinks a change in scenery for Connolly would help him.</em><br />12:35 <em>Duh</em><br /><br />My blog is awesome. She continues:<br /><br />12:36 <em>He's good.</em><br />12:37 <em>Maybe I should blog. :) I'm good. :)</em><br /><br />Regarding her early comment that Mr. Peca is "good":<br /><br />12:37 <em>Pretty men don't need brains tho. :)</em><br /><br />Has a blog ever won a Pulitzer? She concludes with this insight:<br /><br />12:39 <em> We need Ovechkin. Not because he is good, but so he can make funny commercials with the Sabres. I like the one of him in the locker. :)</em><br /><br />I'd read her blog.<br /><br /><strong>12:15</strong> Lunch time. Hopefully nothing happens right away. Check out Steve's blog while I'm out. Then come back to mine. It's way more awesome.<br /><br /><strong>12:12</strong> TSN reporting Pegula (and company) will be meeting Brad Richards and his agent in person. <br /><br />Also some rumors are out there that Detroit is out on Jagr. Another podcast related prediction that I got wrong. I suck at this.<br /><br /><strong>12:03</strong> It officially begins. I won't report every signing and trade since that would be hard, and boring. But I'll get all the big ones and my take on them.<br /><br />Drew Miller re-signs in Detroit. Relevant because it means he will not be joining his bro in Buffalo. There is no room for him anyway with Kaleta, Goose, Hecht, McCormick on the 4th line.<br /><br /><strong>11:58</strong> Higgins re-signs in Vancouver. The world somehow, is still spinning on its axis after being rocked by this news.<br /><br />@krufrank has not totally backed off the Sabres/Stamkos rumor, but suggests it is either that OR a deal involving Roy. I'd be excited about either, assuming a center is coming back.<br /><br /><strong>11:44</strong> Jagr will not be a Penguin. Supposedly they are getting close with Kennedy. Maybe my prediction on the podcast (www.sports-casters.com) that he'd end up in Detroit will come true. They seem to be a nice destination for players in the twilight of their career (Hull, Hasek, Modano). @krufrank put Jagr in Montreal.<br /><br />@krufrank is saying Leino to Philly is done. Maybe you all should just follow him on twitter with my endorsement. He's the best I've seen for rumors and literally only has 283 followers. <br /><br /><strong>11:37</strong> Not sure who this guy is, or who his sources are, but he is one of the most accurate NHL rumor guys I've seen. @krufrank on twitter mentioned last night that he believes the Sabres are preparing an offer sheet for Stamkos. His last two tweets "Late last night, before signing off I mentioned the possibility of an offer sheet for Stamkos coming from Buffalo - well...wait for it..." followed by "Buffalo about to break something big just after lunch today"<br /><br />I don't want to read too much into rumors or give this guy too much credit, but like I said, he's pretty good. Interesting to say the least.<br /><br /><strong>11:32</strong> Brad May reporting Sabres signed Cody McCormick to a 3 year deal worth 3.6M total. A little pricy for a 4th liner, but he seems like a popular guy in the room and sticks up for teammates on the ice.<br /><br /><strong>10:56</strong> Columbus signs D James Wisniewski. Six years, $33M. I'd love to hear the argument again that Ehrhoff is overpaid. That said, I like that the Jackets are surrounding the main man, Rick Nash, with some talent. Jeff Carter, Wisniewski, attempted to get Brian Campbell... No reason this team shouldn't realistically compete for a playoff spot next year. Welcome to the NHL.<br /><br /><strong>10:49</strong> <em>Waiting, watching the clock...</em><br /><br /><strong>10:45</strong> <em>The waiting, is the hardest part...</em>Don Russhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15446703176126029327noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3149551928028596211.post-61505085481795468242011-06-30T21:59:00.062-04:002011-07-01T18:14:58.365-04:00July 1, 2011: The Live Blog<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;"></span><br />
<a href="http://gcaggiano.files.wordpress.com/2011/05/bradrichards.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;"><img border="0" height="196" src="http://gcaggiano.files.wordpress.com/2011/05/bradrichards.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;">THE PRIZE: Brad Richards or Bust!</span></u></span></i></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;">I can still feel the hurt of July 1, 2007. I can almost taste it, as if it had poisoned the hot dogs and hamburgers that we were grilling. We were waiting in the parking lot of the majestic </span><a href="http://www.artpark.net/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;">Artpatk</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;"> for The Tragically hip, the most Canadian of bands, as our beloved Buffalo Sabres, who play the most Canadian of sports, were picked apart by the rich of the league. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;">In 1975, the Philadelphia Flyers ended the Sabres first appearance in the Stanley Cup final, on July 1, 2011, the Flyers made sure that the post lockout version of the Sabres would never get there, when they signed Danny Briere for 1billion dollars. He might have got a bit less than that, but even if the Flyers offered 3 billion, the Sabres were in no position to match it. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://aznbadger.files.wordpress.com/2011/04/baby-joe-mesi.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;"><img border="0" src="http://aznbadger.files.wordpress.com/2011/04/baby-joe-mesi.jpg" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;">Mesi got his brain scrambled </span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;">BEFORE</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;"> Tyson</span></i></td></tr>
</tbody></table><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;">Later that day, the Rangers signed away Chris Drury and officially ended the hopes of the Sabres winning a Stanley Cup in the foreseeable future. We, as a community, struggled to cope with the double blow to the chin. It felt like the hook to the jaw from Mike Tyson that Baby Joe Mesi was never healthy enough to stand up to. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;">I hate to bring up the wounds. I am sorry I made Sabres Nation taste it again, but I promise it will make tomorrow taste even sweeter. Tomorrow is the day that the Sabres transform from seller to buyer. Tomorrow is the day that the Sabres exorcise the July 1st demons that have haunted them for years.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;">In a way, the Sabres started their transformation from sellers to buyers at the trade deadline when they traded for Brad Boyes to be more than just a two-month rental (like Raffi Torres, Doninic Moore, and Dainius Zubrus before him). </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;">Maybe, tomorrow started last week at the NHL Draft where Darcy Regier and his new blank check from owner Terry Pegula fleeced the Flames for defenseman Robyn Regehr AND a second round pick AND Ales Kotalik, for only Chris Butler and prospect Paul Byron. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;">Or did tomorrow start today when the Sabres, having acquired the rights to Christian Ehroff, didn't wait till July 1 to lock Ehroff into a long term contact? The Sabres have also signed Nathan Gerbe to a long term deal and tenured all of their restricted free agents well before anyone tried any of that funny stuff that almost resulted in Thomas Vanek walking out of the door the same day that Danny Briere and Chris Drury did. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;">Regardless of when tomorrow starts or if it has already started, the bottom line is that the seventh seed in the Eastern Conference last season and the team that had the most points in said Eastern Conference after the calendar turned to 2011, are strategically putting the pieces in place to be a powerhouse for years to come. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;">The Sabres are building from Ryan Miller out and that isn't a bad thing. Miller went from star to superstar last year in Vancouver as he helped Team USA to a silver medal at the Olympics. Jhonas Enroth, the Sabres back up goaltender, can be counted on to play about 15 games and keep Ryan Miller fresh. On defense, Tyler Myers is a star with the kind of upside that could make him one of the greatest players to ever wear the blue and gold. Andrej Sekera, Mike Weber and Marc-Andre Gragnani are on the right side of 30 and had great second half runs last season. Gragnani was especially impressive in the playoffs scoring 7-points in 7 games. Robyn Regher and Christian Ehroff are the big additions and Jordan Leopold and Shaone Morrison are veterans that give Darcy flexibility to trade for a Center, protect against injury, and block the inconsistency that can sometimes com from the younger defesneman. I can't recall a moment in the over forty year history of the team that they have been so stacked at defense. The Sabres are so stacked at defense that Darcy could trade not 1 but 2 defenseman and still feel giddy going into the 2011-2012 season. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;">Another area of great strength and depth for the Sabres is winger. Thomas Vanek is the team's most productive forward and has learned to be one of the best two way players in the league. I am not the only one in this city that thinks he should be carrying around a "C" on his chest. Drew Stafford and Nathan Gerbe made huge strides last year, and you can always count on at least 20 goals from Jason Pominville. Tyler Ennis scored 20 goals as a rookie, and Brad Boyes (a former 40 goal scorer) should be more comfortable in Lindy Ruff's system by the start of next season. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;">Look at this roster:</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;">1G- Ryan Miller</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;">2G- Jhonas Enroth</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;">1D- Tyler Myers</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;">2D- Christian Ehroff</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;">3D- Robyn Regher</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;">4D- Jordan Leopold</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;">5D- Marc-Andre Gragnani</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;">6d- Andrej Sekera </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;">7D,8D- Shaone Morrison & Mike Weber</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;">1W- Thomas Vanek</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;">2W- Drew Stafford</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;">3W- Tyler Ennis</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;">4W- Jason Pominville </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;">5W- Brad Boyes </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;">6W- Nathan Gerbe</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;">7W- Patrick Kaleta</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;">8W- Ales Kotalik</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;">The last position is Center. First, I think Cody McCormick is a good to very good fourth center. I think we have seen the last of Tim Connoly and Rob Neidermayer in Sabres jerseys. Paul Gaustad is a decent third line center and is terrific at the face off circle. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;">4c- Cody McCormick</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;">3C-Paul Gaustad</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;">This is where Darcy Regier and July 1st comes in. Derek Roy would be a fine second line center. He would also be a great start in a trade for Paul Stastny. Would the Avalanche trade the Sabres Stastny for Derek Roy, Mike Weber, and a first-round pick? I think they might. Let's pretend they do. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;">2C- Paul Stastny</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;">The last piece to this puzzle is a number one center. I have an easy answer to that problem... Brad Richards. Also known as the most prized player on the free agent market, Richards has already been the number one center on a Stanley Cup winning team (Tampa Bay Lightning, 2004). Chis Drury and Briere were the most prized players on the 2007 free agent market. The difference tomorrow will be that this time the Sabres can afford to be one of the big guns. Darcy Regier can drive to Mississauga, where Richards will be hanging out at the office of his agent, with one of those giant checks signed by the great Terry Pegula. He can bring the check blank and let Brad fill it in with the amount necessary to make him a Sabre next season. Then, with one autograph at the end of a multi-year contract, Brad Richards can kill the ghosts of July 1 past. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;">1C- Brad Richards</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;">Sure, I am reaching for the stars a bit. However, consider this, <a href="http://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/blog/puck_daddy?author=Greg+Wyshynski">Greg Wyshynsk</a>i and <a href="http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2011/writers/sarah_kwak/06/25/draft.day.two/index.html">Sarah Kwak</a> both called the Sabres "the dark horse" to land Richards on Episode <a href="http://www.garbageradio.com/podcasts/sportscasters_s01e28.mp3">28</a> of The Sports-Casters. Also, Bob McKenzie had this to say on <a href="http://twitter.com/#%21/tsnbobmckenzie">twitter</a>, "No question in my mind BUF will be knocking on Brad Richard's door tomorrow. They still have cap room and will make a big add up front."</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;">I don't have a plan B for 1C. It's Brad Richards or bust. I can live without Stastny because although he can be frustrating, Derek Roy is still a very talented #2 center. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;">Wouldn't you love to take a run at the Cup with the roster that I detailed above? Would you sign up for that right now? I bet you would. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;">I am going to get some sleep, but make sure you check back at high noon tomorrow for a live blog as the start of NHL Free Agency plays out before us. I will update this blog all day and see how close the Sabres get to the statement that owner Terry Pegula said at the press conference to announce his ownership of the team....</span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.nhlsnipers.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/nhl_a_pegula_600.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="264" src="http://www.nhlsnipers.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/nhl_a_pegula_600.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;">"Starting today, the Buffalo Sabres reason for existence is to win the Stanley Cup."</span></span></span></span></span></span></td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;"><b>Live Blog:</b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;"><b><br />
</b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.sabresalumni.com/history/images/playerphotos/gilbert_perreault.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br />
</a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;"><b>11:45PM: </b>Since we talked last night, The Sabres locked Cody McCormick into a 3-year deal worth about $3-million total. Also, James Wisniewski has signed with the aggressive Columbus Blue Jackets (more on them later). Patrick Eaves, James Harding, Sami Salo, and Christopher Higgins all re-signed with their current teams. </span><br />
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<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><b>12:00:</b> I am watching the NHL Network and they are nice enough to simulcast TSN's fabulous coverage that they call, Free Agent Frenzy. Pierre McGuire, Mike Johnson, and Darren Pang, are the analysts on set. Bob McKenzie is also in the mix and the host is the most Canadian of the bunch (I will get his name if he says it at some point) Also, I will be checking twitter to see what the Eklunds of the world say is an e4 or whatever. </span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><b>1205:</b> The first report of the day is that the Pittsburgh Penguins have offered Jaromir Jagr a 1-year 2million dollar contract. What do you think Jags?</span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><b>12:10:</b> The guys on set are debating who Brad Richards will sign with. The odds on favorite is the Rangers. Pierre McGuire is very animated in his belief that the Rangers are going to get Richards.</span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><b>12:12:</b> James Wisniewski is on the phone and should be the happiest guy in the world right now. How in the world did this guy get 6 years at $5.5 million per? That is stupid money, but I give the Blue Jackets credit for stepping up and doing what they think they needed to do to compete. They made a run at Brian Campbell and he stiffed them for the Florida Panthers. That is like the high school quarterback getting stiffed by the prettiest girl in school for the chess club geek. </span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><b>12:17:</b> Our boy Greg Wyshynski is reporting on his <a href="http://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/blog/puck_daddy/post/No-Jagr-in-Pittsburgh-as-Pens-pull-1-year-2-mi?urn=nhl-wp8393&utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter">Puck Daddy</a> blog that the Penguins have pulled their offer to Jaromir Jagr. </span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><b>12:29:</b> We are about a half an hour in. I am annoyed with the Canadian guys. Brad Richards isn't a Sabre yet. If I had to make a guess, I would say that Brad Richards will sign around 3:30. I don't think it gets much beyond that. </span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><b>12:30:</b> TSN introduces a side panel featuring former Buffalo Sabre Michael Peca. Also a guy named Button and another Canadian. They are playing games. The first game: Either-Or? Michael Ryder or Simon Gagne? Simon Gagne would be my pick if I was on the set. He is the more consistent of inconsistent players. Gagne is a great penalty-killer and a gold medal winner. </span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span"> </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/6jS9Dcn-Eg4?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><b>12:32:</b> The Los Angeles Kings are in Mississauga to try and drag Brad Richards to California. I wouldn't be surprised if they come <span style="font-size: xx-small;">this</span> close to getting him and he ends up elsewhere. They are a serious contender to steal our guy. So is New York, Toronto, Philadelpia, Boston, and just about any other team with an owner willing to open his wallet as wide as it can go. </span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><b>12:35:</b> Does my writing annoy you? Give Don a try, <a href="http://thesportscasters.blogspot.com/2011/07/who-wants-to-be-millionaire-july-1st.html">http://thesportscasters.blogspot.com/2011/07/who-wants-to-be-millionaire-july-1st.html</a></span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><b>12:38:</b> TSN has more people covering NHL free agency than ESPN usually has covering the NFL Draft. Detroit is out of the Jagr sweepstakes. It seems more and more like he is going to end up in the KHL. </span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><b>12:41:</b> Stop the presses, The Tampa Bay Lightning have singed Mathieu Garon to a 2 year $2.6 million dollar deal to back up Rollie the Goalie. </span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><b>12:45:</b> Live blogging is usually a lot faster than this. It seems like the pace today is going to be very slow. Teams are working on keeping their own talent right now and about 7 teams are busy trying to be the team to take Brad Richards to the prom. I will try to keep this interesting with relevant videos and pictures. Are you wondering why the fuss is so great over Brad Richards?</span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span"> </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/kksMVUuHlDc?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"><b>12:50:</b> 2 more signings. The Edmonton Oilers have signed Ben Eager to a three year deal worth around $3 million dollars. Also, Jamal Mayers signs a 1 year deal with the Blackhawks for $500k. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"><b>12:55:</b> It looks like Jose Theodore is headed to Florida. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"><b>12:56:</b> Are you looking for some good July 1 twitter follows? @buccigross @darrendreger @tsnbobmckenzie @reporterchris @jprutherford @wyshynski @pham22758 @sean_leahy</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"><b>1:03:</b> If our blogs, TSN, and Twitter aren't enough, you can check out the guys from Puck Daddy Radio at this <a href="http://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/blog/puck_daddy/post/Listen-To-Puck-Daddy-Radio-s-Free-Agent-Frenzy-S?urn=nhl-wp8395">link</a>. Sabres fans can tune into WGR550 for Sabres centric coverage. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"><b>1:10:</b> Miss Caster just got back with lunch. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzmm0oCI4vSY1_y7cNFtcPJvwXT53VeC3fpnkx2AUC4jMDP05hTh6vDGQxu9qTF60zF4V5QFcD67U1P5qbRp0-riYBBAAHtejBpRtVEGwymKdNFXfVvwykirJF_K3zqYgYtD9fZiEAfhA/s1600/Photo+Jul+01%252C+1+10+44+PM.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="244" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzmm0oCI4vSY1_y7cNFtcPJvwXT53VeC3fpnkx2AUC4jMDP05hTh6vDGQxu9qTF60zF4V5QFcD67U1P5qbRp0-riYBBAAHtejBpRtVEGwymKdNFXfVvwykirJF_K3zqYgYtD9fZiEAfhA/s320/Photo+Jul+01%252C+1+10+44+PM.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"><b>1:17:</b> SIGNING: The Florida Panthers lead by Dale Tallon have signed Scottie Upshall to a four year contract worth about $14 million dollars. Upshall was once the sixth overall pick of the Nashville Predators. He has never had more than 32 points in an NHL season. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"><b>1:20:</b> WOW, the Philadelphia Flyers have signed Jaromir Jagr.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"><b>1:21:</b> We are moving now. Raffi Torres signs a 2 year $3.5 million dollar contract with the Phoenix Coyotes. Torres is not a popular player on this blog, and I wish him sunburn and a lack of water in the desert. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"><b>1:28:</b> Can you think of a bigger slap across the face of a fan base by a player than Jagr stiffing 66 to play for the Flyers? Maybe Favre signing with the Vikings? I offer Penguins fans this medicine. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/LYoFrl5KiA8?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"><b>1:35:</b> Still available: Brad Richards, Thomas Vokoun, Thomas Kaberle, Ville Leino, T. Fleischmann, Eric Cole, Jan Hejda, and Ian White. From TSN's top 10 when the day started, only Andy Greene (Devils) and Matt D'Agostini (STL) are off of the market. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"><b>1:37:</b> Jagr gets a 1 year deal for just over $3 million dollars. I guess $1 million dollars is enough to slap Mario Lemieux in the face, devastate a fan base that has supported you since you were 18-years old, walk away from having 68 hang next to 66 forever in the Consol Energy Center, and piss off Dave Dameshek. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"><b>1:40:</b> Ed Jovanovski has signed with Florida on a four year deal worth $16.5 million dollars.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"><b>1:41:</b> The Flyers have signed Jakub Voracek to a one year deal worth $2.25 million dollar contract. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"><b>1:55:</b> We are about two hours into the free agency period and about one hour away from when I predicted Brad Richards would be signed. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"><b>1:56:</b> I have been listening to Puck Daddy Radio for a bit (@robpizzo is a stud) and just looked over to TSN to see a bunch of old Canadian guys with funny glasses. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"><b>2:01:</b> The Capitals have traded Semyon Varlamov to Colorado for a first round pick in 2012 and a second round selection in 2012 or 2013 . Colorado was the team most rumored to sign Thomas Vokoun. Where does Vokoun go now? </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"><b>2:05:</b> From Steve Simmons on twitter: "Its early- but Leafs source says- we're not close to anything"</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"><b>2:13:</b> Andrew Brunette signed with the Blackhawks and is on TSN right now calling from Wimbledon. The word is that it's a 1-year contract worth $2 million dollars. Brunette is a finisher and would fit well with Sharp or Toews. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"><b>2:15:</b> From Scottie Upshall on twitter, "Ecstatic to be joining the Florida Panthers organization!! Awesome day... Truly a dream come true." Let me translate that for you, "Ecstatic to have signed for a shitload of money in state without income tax and sunshine everyday. The good news is that no one cares about hockey in that market and if I dick around on the beach or the golf course and don't deliver value no one is going to give a shit."</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"><b>2:20:</b> Tim Brent who signed earlier with the Carolina Hurricanes has also checked in on twitter. "Very excited to be a new member of the Carolina Hurricanes. Looking forward to being in Raleigh and helping the team continue to get better." Another translation, "I couldn't be happier to get the fuck out of Toronto. Those people's expectations are out of control and the pressure to play there takes most of the fun away. I can't wait to play in a town where the pressure is on Dale Earnhardt Jr. and not the hockey players."</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"><b>2:25:</b> A report out of New York says that no matter what happens today, the Rangers will have a chance to match or better any deal offered to Brad Richards. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"><b>2:26:</b> Radim Vrbata has signed a $9 million dollar deal to stay in Phoenix. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"><b>2:36:</b> Max Talbot has signed with the Philadelphia Flyers for five years and a total of $9 million dollars. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"><b>2:43</b>: OH BOY. From twitter, @DarrenDregerTSN says that sources are telling him that Richards will land in Buffalo. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"><b>2:48:</b> Brian Boucher has signed a two year deal with the Hurricanes for a total of 1.9 million dollars.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"><b>2:55:</b> Another backup goalie signs. Peter Budaj to Montreal on a two year deal worth $1.1M, and then $1.2M.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"><b>3:00</b>: The New York Rangers have signed Mike Rupp to a three year deal worth $4.5 million dollars. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"><b>3:04:</b> DarrenDragerTSN is a fake account. @Darrendrager has no news on the Sabres and their bid for Brad Richards. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"><b>3:07:</b> Non hockey: Interesting <a href="http://www.nationalfootballpost.com/Gerald-McCoy-taking-leadership-role-with-Bucs.html?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter">article</a> on the National Football Post about former Oklahoma Sooner Gerald McCoy.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"><b>3:08:</b> 33 free agent signings so far today. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"><b>3:12:</b> The real Darren Dreger is reporting that the Canadians are closing in on Erik Cole. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"><b>3:17: </b>Steve Sullivan leaves Nashville to play with the Penguins for one year and $1.5 million dollars. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"><b>3:21: </b>Non Hockey: I <a href="http://videotimemachine.tv/">downloaded</a> an awesome app for my iPad last night called, Video Time Machine. It features over 10,000 handpicked videos from 1860-2011. The videos are sorted by year and category. Last night, I searched "1991 music" and watched an excellent Alice in Chains performance of Man in the Box. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"><b>3:29:</b> @jonahkeri and @DanLevyThinks are having a battle on twitter about the value of Shane Victorino and Chase Utley. Eddie Vedder thinks that Shane Victorino is a force of nature.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/f2r6u49jb5Q?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"><b>3:33:</b> Eric Cole is a Montreal Canadian. He signs a 4 year deal worth $18 million dollars. Also, Roman Hamrlik signs a two year deal with the Washington Capitals worth $7 million dollars. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"><b>3:35:</b> Alex Auld signs with Ottawa for one year at $1 million dollars. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"><b>3:44:</b> While we wait, check out episode <a href="http://www.garbageradio.com/podcasts/sportscasters_s01e27.mp3">27</a> of The Sports-Casters with @michaelombardi and @18to88 or episode <a href="http://www.garbageradio.com/podcasts/sportscasters_s01e28.mp3">28</a> with @jonahkeri, @wyshynski, and @si_sarakkwak.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"><b>3:46:</b> Michael Ryder signs with the Dallas Stars for two years at $3.5 million per year.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"><b>3:54:</b> Eric Cole played his college hockey at Clarkson University. Grand Island, New York's Mark Zarbo had a fantastic freshman season at Clarkson last year and his brother Joe Zarbo will join him on campus this fall. Their older brother Mark Zarbo also played college hockey in the ECAC, at RPI. More Buffalo born hockey players that will play NCAA hockey next season: Anthony Day (Yale), Michael Benedict (Niagara), Sam Alfieri (Niagara). Imagine if the University at Buffalo had a legitimate D1 hockey program. If they landed all of the best local talent the way that Texas does in football, they could challenge for a national championship every single season. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/AoBupWvrtWo?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"><b>4:00:</b> Four hours into free agency and Brad Richards is still a free agent. TSN has one hour of coverage left, but this blog will carry on until it seems like time to stop. Kris Versteeg has been traded to the Florida Panthers.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"><b>4:04:</b> Non Hockey: Nike has re-signed Michael Vick to an endorsement deal. Why? Does Nike really need a scumbag like Mike Vick on their payroll? </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"><b>4:06:</b> Eklund is reporting that Leino has signed with an Eastern Conference team, but he is not allowed to say who. My guess is he will say who once it's announced. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"><b>4:07: </b>I have just found out who has signed Brad Richards. I am not allowed to say who yet. I can promise you that it isn't the Ottawa Senators. I will tell you who signed him once an official announcement is made. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"><b>4:10:</b> I don't know if my mockery is subtle enough, but I can't stand Eklund. The guy just throws rumors against the wall and hopes that one sticks. He hides behind his "sources" and his lame e1-e5 system. I think he is a joke. Puck Daddy is to Eklund as a billion dollars is to a nickel. </div><div class="" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"><b>4:11:</b> The Buffalo Sabres have signed Villie Leino to a multi-year contract. That is from @sabresdotcom on twitter. Another winger?? Bob McKenzie says that it's a six year deal worth $27 million dollars. That is a $4.5 million dollar cap hit. </div><div class="" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"><b><br />
</b></div><div class="" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"><b>4:14: </b>When are the Sabres going to address their need at Center? Are we still in the race for Brad Richards? TSN is reporting that Richards probably won't sign today. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"><b>4:16: </b>I don't know if Villie Leino kills the ghosts of July 1, 2007, but he does kill the ghosts of Easter Sunday 2011. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"> <iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/E-XQAHx9dvY?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"><b>4:18:</b> From TSN: Over $200 million dollars have been spent on NHL free agents today and Brad Richards hasn't been signed yet. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"><b>4:21:</b> I am glad that the Sabres are willing to spend money like it's water, and the Leino deal puts them close to the salary cap. However, who the hell is going to play center for this team? Are they going to trade Derek Roy? Are we still in on Richards? As of right now the roster looks like this:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;">1c- Derek Roy</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;">2c- Jochen Hecht</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;">3c- Paul Gaustad</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;">4c- Cody McCormick</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;">I just don't think that is good enough down the middle. If they are going to sign Richards they will have to trade Roy. I don't want to sound like a brat, but I just can't get excited about a $27 million dollar contract for a left winger that scored 19 goals last season. We already have plenty of 20 goal wingers.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"><b>4:30:</b> No offer sheets today. Maybe a frustrated team that doesn't make a move today tries the offer sheet route tomorrow to please frustrated fans.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"><b>4:31:</b> I am rattled. I am not smarter than Darcy Regier, but why did we need another player that isn't a center?</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"><b>4:34:</b> Darcy Regier is going to speak to the media in about fifteen minutes. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"><b>4:37:</b> What is the bigger picture? What is the next move? Maybe Eklund knows and will tell us when it is announced. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"><b>4:38: </b>I need to take an Ativan and cool off. I am rattled by this. I remember waiting for the Saints to sign a quarterback in 2005 and knowing it was Drew Brees or bust. How would I have felt if the Saints signed Stephen Jackson instead? That might be what this feels like.<br />
<br />
</div><div class="" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"><b>4:47: </b>Gino Reda insists on TSN that the Buffalo Sabres are desperate to get Brad Richards in a Sabres uniform and that they are waiting for their chance to have a conference call with Richards and his agent.</div><div class="" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"><b>4:53: </b>Jeremy White from the local radio station in Buffalo points out that the Sabres have 14 forwards and 8 defenseman. A trade has to be imminent.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.sabresalumni.com/history/images/playerphotos/pat_lafontaine.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://www.sabresalumni.com/history/images/playerphotos/pat_lafontaine.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I was a Center.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"><b>5:00:</b> Darcy Regier is on the clock. I am anxious to hear what he has to say.</div><div class="" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"><b>5:01:</b> The busy Florida Panthers sign Tomas Fleischmann for four years and a total of $18 million.</div><div class="" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"><br />
<b>5:06:</b> The Flames are making a presentation to Brad Richards.<br />
<br />
<b>5:07:</b> Talk radio in Buffalo is now talking about trading Thomas Vanek. I am not interested in trading him for Paul Stastney or anyone short of Sidney Crosby.<br />
<br />
<b>5:08:</b> Paul Hamilton reports that the Sabres are out of the Brad Richards sweepstakes and that the Sabre think Leino is a center. Darcy Regier says that this is their team. They could pursue a trade later in the summer but nothing is imminent. <br />
<br />
<b>5:16:</b> Alright, I guess the Sabres are done. So this blog is done too. TSN has signed off so I might as well call it a day too. I have to celebrate Canada day. I am so disappointed that the Sabres didn't try harder to get Richards. Regier says this is the team we will see in Europe this October, so lets take one more look.<br />
<br />
1C- Derek Roy<br />
2C- Villie Leino<br />
3C- Paul Gaustad<br />
4C- Cody McCormick<br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;">1W- Thomas Vanek</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;">2W- Drew Stafford</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;">3W- Tyler Ennis</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;">4W- Jason Pominville </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;">5W- Brad Boyes </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;">6W- Nathan Gerbe</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;">7W- Patrick Kaleta</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;">8W- Ales Kotalik/Jochen Hecht</span><br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;">1D- Tyler Myers</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;">2D- Christian Ehroff</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;">3D- Robyn Regher</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;">4D- Jordan Leopold</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;">5D- Marc-Andre Gragnani</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;">6d- Andrej Sekera </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;">7D,8D- Shaone Morrison & Mike Weber</span><br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;">1G- Ryan Miller</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;">2G- Jhonas Enroth</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;">Lines- My best guess</span></u><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;">Vanek - Roy - Stafford</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;">Ennis - Leino - Pominville</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;">Boyes - Gaustad - Gerbe</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;">Kaleta - McCormick - Kotalik </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;">13th F- Hecht</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;">D Pairs</span></u><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;">Myers and Leopold</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;">Ehroff and Regher</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;">Gragnani and Sekera</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;">7th D- Weber </span><br />
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</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;">The team is obviously better and they could still make a trade. This is the first year the Sabres are a team that will open up their wallet and be a part of the discussion for the biggest and best free-agents. The Sabres could wait until next season when Patrick Sharp, Alexander Semin, Andrei Kostitsyn, Ryan Smyth, Ales Hemsky, Saku Koivu, Dustin Penner, and Shane Doan are unrestricted free agents. You would think that at least one of those players, if not more, should be available at the trade deadline. According to <a href="http://www.capgeek.com/">CapGeek,</a> the Sabres have the highest payroll in the league right now. Has that ever been the case?</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;">The bottom line: It's a good time to be a Buffalo Sabres fan. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;">Buffalo Sabres Free Agency Grade: If you take Darcy at his word, this is the team that the Sabres will take with them to Europe to start the 2011-2012 NHL season. Since the Sabres were eliminated form the playoffs, they have dramatically improved the defense and basically traded Tim Connoly for Villie Leino. I think that is worth a <b>B+. </b>It's time for Darcy Regier to make a hockey move. He needs to trade one of the may wingers on the team for a center. When the Sabres have a center better than Derek Roy on the roster I will think about turning that B+ into an A.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;">I am going to Mississippi Mudds to enjoy the Niagara River, the best Cajan chicken sandwich in the world, and little Bella. Who the hell is Bella? Well, she is the little sweetie that we are dog sitting. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;">In the spirit of that, I will let Bella say goodnight for now. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY106tm6wgAI-tdYVf51fUv0YWkyk_uxWT5glyaIKJ82n14JntP8KhaG-iPvARs9miGSK25vNIiOvuqhAb5wVucbRMcfflMtb3pBV8MNBmYtaltKw0p9q4CLw6dfdMbNMaeW5lL1hQLfY/s1600/Photo+Jun+30%252C+8+48+59+PM.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY106tm6wgAI-tdYVf51fUv0YWkyk_uxWT5glyaIKJ82n14JntP8KhaG-iPvARs9miGSK25vNIiOvuqhAb5wVucbRMcfflMtb3pBV8MNBmYtaltKw0p9q4CLw6dfdMbNMaeW5lL1hQLfY/s320/Photo+Jun+30%252C+8+48+59+PM.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Bella- I call her Bells because it was my favorite supermarket.</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;"> <b> </b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;"> </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;"> </span></div>Steven Bennetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12241161943861702507noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3149551928028596211.post-53056891974441064862011-06-28T10:55:00.018-04:002011-06-28T16:23:28.581-04:00A Week without Sport<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7HCLR33Qr-zcpjOSHpHXv8lNnyZsHqaGUBDhYPEZs-GYvZ_0ttD0H82bIsxcGZbdFmncxl2yWi2YUNUy23kj_9lGvIIiSs7yqXduHLAqNpF9p6MV0Tdzd6DvIkc1TGsktK8qzYv_hWXg/s1600/6.17+(81).jpg"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih-6mrogBZLjfG3LviFHXvucgX9P0133YIJV2KUWSuX2yRZv9waUQR8BT5S1sDUquE_T8N8qYKL00YpUKw8jekcbI8Gg-FEetTcZUlxEZYql-DDpjDllwmOY_hcPlsPVIPoqrWDy1DNgA/s1600/6.17+(27).jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5623329688894304530" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih-6mrogBZLjfG3LviFHXvucgX9P0133YIJV2KUWSuX2yRZv9waUQR8BT5S1sDUquE_T8N8qYKL00YpUKw8jekcbI8Gg-FEetTcZUlxEZYql-DDpjDllwmOY_hcPlsPVIPoqrWDy1DNgA/s320/6.17+%252827%2529.jpg" border="0" /></a>Two weeks ago as I battled another bout of scurvy (as Steve would put it), I found myself in the middle of nowhere. Specifically, in a cabin on the Coon Trail, in the Quaker side of Allegany State Park. Other than the scrawling’s carved and sharpie’d into the walls with wisdom like “Zena was here” or “Boner ‘09” there was almost no sign of human life. Bears, snakes, turtles, woodchucks, chipmunks, birds and moths the <em>size of birds</em> (true story) were plentiful, WiFi and 3G were not. Any tie to the outside world was totally lost. No phone calls, no texts, no Facebook, and *gasp* no Twitter.<br /><br />Most importantly, at least as far as my second ‘job’ is concerned, no sports. I mean <em>none</em>. I was told by friends who came camping later in the week about Boston’s victory and the subsequent meltdown by the city of Vancouver. I could only wonder if the NFL players and owners had shaken hands in agreement. I was FORCED to ignore the regular season of baseball, rather than <em>choosing</em> to like normal. And I have to admit, it was pretty great.<br /><br />Diminishing returns is a law that dictates that at some point, the amount you get out of something decreases even as the amount of time you dedicate to it increases. A piano student gains more from the beginning of a lesson than they would two hours later. An athlete will hone their skills much more at the onset of a long practice than they will towards the end. Hell, even after playing video games for a while, I start to get less kills in Team Fortress 2 and Quake Live or get worse Guitar Hero scores. Basically, it’s a more eloquent way of explaining getting ‘burnt out’.<br /><br />Sports fandom is not exempt from this. There are only so many times I care to talk about, read about or ask questions about the legalese surrounding the NFL lockout. It gets harder and harder to talk about the grey area regarding illegal hitting in the NHL. And even <em>harder</em> to try to make any sense of the suspensions handed down for such hits. There is only so much energy you can spend hating people you don’t know personally. King James I’m looking at you and your talents.<br /><br />Before you call me a bad sports fan, believe me, I’m not. I live and die with my teams, and am passionate about tradition and the games themselves. But its @DonLikesSports, not @DonWillNeverGetSickOfSportsAndNeedsToHearReadArgueWriteAboutThem247. I don’t think Twitter would let me have a name that long anyway.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVFqNGYMlbP3nYSSuwcvoA4uc6fZzHM6wCTdx78PBjgmMvqp5vGL8rhoG64nsJAX-F2bTjfvJ42fnZZ3Hy1n_2MktrIj4LJdXcaZHYxERRno03e5y4jREg-WJBH3aUvWjOJKDlyHm4vRg/s1600/6.14+(15).jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5623330141470889042" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVFqNGYMlbP3nYSSuwcvoA4uc6fZzHM6wCTdx78PBjgmMvqp5vGL8rhoG64nsJAX-F2bTjfvJ42fnZZ3Hy1n_2MktrIj4LJdXcaZHYxERRno03e5y4jREg-WJBH3aUvWjOJKDlyHm4vRg/s320/6.14+%252815%2529.jpg" border="0" /></a>And besides, what did I really miss? Sadly, nothing happened on the NFL front. And though I’ve heard it described as ‘great’ (including by our favorite host Steve, @diversity23), the Stanley Cup was far from it. Most games weren’t close. The games that were close were somewhat boring. The games Boston dominated were marred by poor goaltending by Luongo. And I’m still not sure if Kesler or the Sedin boys know the Cup Finals have come and gone. I would go so far as to say the only game that even sniffed <em>greatness</em> was Vancouver’s 3-2OT win in game 2, and would go even further and say 6 of the 8 first round series were far more entertaining. This was far from Pittsburgh v. Detroit or even Philly v. Chicago of recent years. I will admit I hate missing the handshakes, but TV always seems to get that wrong anyway.<br /><br />What I got was a much needed shutdown and restart for my sports-filled life. I took a break from my increasingly cynical outlook on one of my favorite escapes in life.<br /><br />Now I’m back and in the middle of it and sports and I are enjoying a rejuvenated romance. Word is increasingly positive out of the NFL universe. The night before the NHL draft, a few world-shaking (at least on an NHL scale) trades happened (more below). And July 1st is right around the corner. It’s hard to be more excited about sports than I feel right now, and there are very few games (aside from MLB, which I’ll come around to in October) even being played.<br /><br />So my suggestion to you the reader is, when your team has you down, or you can’t take any more negative stories about athletes’ off-the-field lives, or you’re sick of hearing about organizations struggling to make ends meet while you pump another $80 worth of gas into your car, take a break. Find a forest, or a beach, or a cave without WiFi, 3G or cable TV and just escape. You’ll feel better for it, you’ll come back wide-eyed and loving sports even more, and you’ll find it’s easier than you’d think.<br /><br />…as long as it isn’t fantasy football season.<br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5623331876394475714" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk-My-yrCGLL4p6MFUqmcGLOWdZAMPXJtMxlgFZJZbdhyphenhyphenJBAt0bc_7y4ZphAI4QuO359XYI6tIKoH-hAKj5HaiZlXSGh3BJaqOnf7_QIGaL6i33g0AzZCoRNJjfn8nnNtbKIJ-MPbIlXg/s320/6.13+%252813%2529.jpg" border="0" /><br /><div align="center"><strong>The live-blog that (thankfully) never happened...</strong></div><br />I sat down on Friday evening before the start of the NHL draft and wrestled in my mind over the idea of doing a live NHL draft. Sure, most people (myself included) do not have the familiarity with these kids that they do with the NCAA football players drafted every year. But on the other hand, one of the biggest shakeups in the <em>history</em> of the NHL happened the night before, and rumors were FLYING that it could be a wild draft. I wanted to be ready if my team or ANY team made a huge splash and moved up to get a kid they thought 'couldn't miss'.<br /><br />Then a strange thing happened. Nothing. I watched as the first, second, third, forth picks were made, exactly as Mel Kiper would've drawn them up. Nothing of the huge variety that was swirling around the internets and blogospheres. I mean, Minnesota and San Jose made a significant move a few hours later involving now ex-Shark Setoguchi and former Wild'er (?) Brent Burns but nothing approaching the deals that went down the night before.<br /><br />Basically I just wanted to take a second to both pat myself on the back for not wasting my time, AND express that I TOTALLY would've written a blog had one been merited.<br /><br /><div align="center"><strong>...and the trades that did</strong></div><br />Mike Richards and Jeff Carter. Two players the Flyers drafted in the first round of one the best NHL draft classes ever (2003). Carter is a big power forward who you can pencil in for at <em>least</em> 30 goals a year. Richards is one of the best two-way forwards in the league and respected enough amongst the players and coaches in Philly to be the team captain. The two players drafted on the same day now share the distinction of being traded on the same day.<br /><br />The Sabres lost two of their best players, Chris Drury and Danny Briere (ironically, a big reason the Flyers felt comfortable trading the other two centers) on the same day before, but got nothing, and more importantly, got worse. The Flyers trade two of their best players, <em>in their prime</em> and didn't worse, and probably got better. Here's a quick recap:<br /><br />Flyers trade:<br />Jeff Carter (To CBJ)<br />Mike Richards (To LA)<br /><br />Flyers Recieve:<br />Jakub Voracek (From CBJ)<br />2011 1st and 3rd (From CBJ, Sean Couturier and Nick Cousins)<br />Wayne Simmonds (From LA)<br />Brayden Schenn (From LA)<br />2012 2nd (From LA)<br /><br />Rule of thumb in trades is, the team that gets the best player wins. The Flyers gave away the two players in their prime with the best resumes. I HATE the Flyers, but I love these moves for them.<br /><br />The Blue Jackets and Philly deal is one that seems to help both teams. Philly sheds a little salary, which allows them to sign a real number one goaltender, something they've been missing since Hextall. They turn that into picks and a former first rounder (Voracek) who has underachieved in Columbus where, I looked it up, they do still play hockey. Columbus finally gets a talented player in Carter to play with superstar Rick Nash, who people only get to see at All-Star games. I'll call that trade a draw.<br /><br />The Kings deal is FAR more puzzling. I had a lot of respect for the leadership and style of play of Mike Richards before this year's playoffs. But, as much as Flyers fans defended him during the first round series with the Sabres, he was exposed. He was exposed as a selfish player that clearly could not lead by example. One who let the Sabres role players get under his skin. One who took bad penalties and visibly sulked and hounded refs before AND after games. Rather than picking the team up and saying things like "let's forget about that one boys" or "who cares, as long as we win" he played with a cloud of immaturity surrounding him. The trade is evidence that the Flyers decision makers agreed.<br /><br />It also doesn't hurt that they got a kid who dominated the World Juniors in Brayden Schenn and will probably be the odds on favorite to win the Calder in 2012. Not to mention they get a nice 3rd liner in Simmonds that should help the Flyers return to the style that is their reputation. Most fans won't like to admit it, but the Sabres were the tougher team, and they were BEAT DOWN physically by the Bruins. The draft pick further sweetens the pot.<br /><br />This move is really puzzling from the Kings point of view, but I guess it means they are going for it now. They gave up a bright future, so they'd better be right.<br /><br />More than anything, I think these moves show the value of true number one centers in the NHL. Philly took two of them and got back potential riches in return. The Sabres are still looking for theirs and at times, struggle to consistently get production out of talented wingers like Vanek, Stafford, Pommenville. God I hate the Flyers.<br /><br /><div align="center"><strong>The Sabres</strong></div><br />The Sabres also made a move to get a little more experience and a little "thicker" (their words) on D. The move, in addition to making them better, and adding a guy who will hopefully get Myers to play more consistently physical, is a very telling sign. This is a move that Darcy would not have been able to make under previous ownership. Not because of Robyn Regehr, but because of Al Kotalik. Now, Al enjoyed many very productive years in the goat uniform, but seems to have lost any scoring touch. And also, I believe Darcy Regier when he says he expects Al to compete for a job. The way this move is different from Darcy in the past, is Kotalik represents a $3M player who will not likely live up to that number. The difference now is Darcy can afford to buy him out or better yet, bury him in the minors if his slapper and shootout value remain MIA.<br /><br />Butler was a nice player, who will probably have a long future in the league and might even develop into a 3 or 4 d-man. But the Sabres have a log jam of guys fighting for the 5,6,7 D spot and losing one doesn't hurt. Gragnani, Sekera, and Weber are all comperable (and probably better one way or another). Brayden McNabb is looking very promising and the Sabres have a lot of depth at the D position.<br /><br />So in short, I love the move and it makes me very optimistic for July 1st and beyond. Let's Go Buff-a-lo!<br /><br />Take us out Lukin and Maggie! <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl36u-P6ztdaoqcEHInH7P_-Z6WVysgiSGz3opW6mOkkvHvZ1CZBJjU-w29rGAXgUG7_IJWn4hgIU3UJ_2DmN8Eoy8VOAHh642_q_3yrxLeujNb9vFgKxjZOZg2OPWg4r4y1-O8LZp454/s1600/6.17+(81).jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5623333353731702050" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl36u-P6ztdaoqcEHInH7P_-Z6WVysgiSGz3opW6mOkkvHvZ1CZBJjU-w29rGAXgUG7_IJWn4hgIU3UJ_2DmN8Eoy8VOAHh642_q_3yrxLeujNb9vFgKxjZOZg2OPWg4r4y1-O8LZp454/s200/6.17+%252881%2529.jpg" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFFPzZkmzH1Q4U2jsIura9QjflWN-bxgWXofz6AW6i5DPnsN7zxwigAUsBFvVsmQEWCZqJGveFPYE1UcTIfG1MnXut3DygD0YtJYsqc7fomjVW_fK2M-bEh7B7eLjfv1MABGpMG-EVtSI/s1600/6.17+%2889%29.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5623333785574988322" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFFPzZkmzH1Q4U2jsIura9QjflWN-bxgWXofz6AW6i5DPnsN7zxwigAUsBFvVsmQEWCZqJGveFPYE1UcTIfG1MnXut3DygD0YtJYsqc7fomjVW_fK2M-bEh7B7eLjfv1MABGpMG-EVtSI/s200/6.17+%252889%2529.jpg" border="0" /></a></p>Don Russhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15446703176126029327noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3149551928028596211.post-49855242278488609932011-06-23T17:53:00.035-04:002011-06-24T01:15:26.781-04:00Live Blog: The 2011 NBA Draft<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.thesportsbank.net/core/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/draft-logo1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://www.thesportsbank.net/core/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/draft-logo1.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;">When is that Jimmer going to be picked?</span></u></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;">Days like today are the main reason that Don and I decided to continue the podcast through the summer months. Sports never stops. It doesn't matter if the biggest league in the world is over 100 days into a lockout. Who would have thought only one day after the NHL Awards the Flyers would dump their Captain and fellow <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2003_NHL_Entry_Draft">2003</a> draft class stud, Jeff Carter? I didn't go to bed last night thinking that I would wake up to find out that the Sabres were waiting to find out if Robin Regehr would waive his no trade <a href="http://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/news?slug=capress-hkn_flames_regehr-7236786">clause</a>, become a Sabre, and position the team to focus on centers when free agency begins on July 1. That is how sports goes. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;">Anyway, the job facing me tonight is much more difficult than the job last <a href="http://thesportscasters.blogspot.com/2011/06/not-so-live-blog-nhl-awards.html">night</a>. I can crack wise about anything, but can I convince you that I have any idea what Cleveland is going to do with the first and fourth overall pick tonight? That is going to be difficult. To be honest, I am not sure why the Cavs have two picks that high? I get the first overall pick. They were lucky enough to turn the first miserable season without LeBron James into a victory in the lottery. Google. The answer to the question is that the Cavs got the pick from the Los Angeles Clippers. The Clippers were once the Buffalo Braves and two years ago drafted the best Oklahoma Sooners basketball player since Mookie Blaylock. I guess they are my favorite NBA team. With no Sooners on anyone's radar tonight, and my <i>beloved</i> Clippers void a pick, you can count on good honest unbiased journalism. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;">Here we go, The 2011 NBA Draft Life Blog featuring #limitednbaknowlege. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;"><b>7:30</b>: One of the most popular aspects of the NBA Draft is something that I just cant relate to, fashion. In the summer, I wear shorts and a t-shirt. In the winter, I wear jeans and a t-shirt. My idea of dressing up is picking out what Saints jersey I am going to wear on Sunday's during football season. The players at the NBA draft have style. These guys wear suits that stretch the limits of fabric to the point that these unique outfits couldn't be contained at an average Hugo Boss store.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;"><b>7:35:</b> David Stern kicks off the draft and gets some of the Garry Bettman treatment with a loud round of boos. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;"><b>7:37</b>: The Cavaliers are on the clock and they have only five minutes. This pick is actually the Clippers picks. Austin Carr, Brad Daugherty, and LeBron James are the three players that have been picked first overall by the Cavaliers. Kyrie Irving (Duke) is the name that most people think will be selected first overall. He is a 19-year old kid that played one season at Duke. His father played pro ball in Australia and that's where Kyrie was born. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;"><b>7:39</b>: The Commissioner makes it official by announcing Kyrie Irving as the first overall pick. He joins Elton Brant as the only Duke players to be drafted first overall. Kyrie only played 11 games at Duke because of an injury he suffered against Butler. Kyrie is the second guard in a row to be selected first overall (John Wall was first overall last year) in the NBA Draft. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;"><b>7:42</b>: The World Wide Leader is having their fare share of technical problems as the sound cuts in and out while Kyrie is interviewed for the first time as a pro. Minnesota is on the clock. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;"><b>7:44</b>: Jay Bilas is responsible for the big board that is scrolling on the screen. He has Derrick Williams from Arizona as the best player available. Williams was fantastic during the NCAA Tournament. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;"><b>7:46</b>: Mr. Stern announces Derrick Williams as the second overall pick of the NBA Draft. Williams stands at 6'8'' and was the Pac-10 player of the year last season. Derrick seems like a really nice kid and handles the post-pick interview with style. He says he would rather play the three than the four. Andy Katz says that Minnesota is not going to be trading Williams as many have speculated. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;"><b>7:49</b>: The Utah Jazz are on the clock for the first of two lottery picks. I miss Stockton's shorts. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;"><b>7:51</b>: The Jazz select Enes Kanter from Turkey. Turkey isn't a college it's a country. Kanter planned on playing at Kentucky, but he was ruled ineligible by the NCAA because of money that he earned playing in the Turkey professional league. Instead, he just spent the year as a student on the Kentucky campus learning the language and understanding the culture. Kanter thanks Kentucky and seems to be very grateful for the time he spent there despite not being able to play basketball. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;"><b>7:54</b>: The Cavs are back on the clock. Even I know that by picking a point guard with the first pick it would make sense for Cleveland to pick a scorer. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;"><b>7:56</b>: This draft moves fast. The Cavs select forward Tristan Thompson from Texas. OH NO. This kid is from Toronto, he played his college ball at Texas, and that makes him someone that I won't be cheering for any time soon. I need to a second to collect myself. I was not prepared to be hit with this kind of double disaster. More audio problems for ESPN. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;"><b>8:00</b>: Thank god for YouTube. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;"><b>8:02</b>: The Raptors select a European player whose name I am going to have to look up to be able to spell, Jonas Valanciunas. He is the second European taken in the first round. "I have not so strong body." -Jonas</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;"><b>8:05</b>: The Wizards are on the clock. The first thing I have to say is that they should be called the Bullets. Wizards is a terrible name. John Wall was selected by the Bullets last year first overall. Stuart Scott with a great stat, the Bullets were 3-38 on the road last season. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;"><b>8:07</b>: The Wizards pick a kid from the Czech Republic, Jan Vesely. Vesely is joined at the draft by a stunning girlfriend that should appear in <a href="http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/extramustard/">Hot Clicks</a> (Update: Our friends at SportsGrid have <a href="http://www.sportsgrid.com/media/jan-vesely-girlfriend-kiss-video/">this</a> on the future Mrs. Vesely.) He looks really thin in the highlights but he lists at 6'10' 240. Is he the European Blake Griffin? </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;"><b>8:11:</b> The Sacramento Kings select Bismack Biyombo a 6'9'' forward from the Dem. Republic of the Congo. The Kings actually made the selection for the Charlotte Bobcats. There was a three team deal earlier between the Bobcats, Bucks and Kings.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;">Details of the Trade:</span><br />
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<u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;">Bucks get: </span></u><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;">Stephen Jackson</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;">Shaun Livingston</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;">Beno Udrith</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;">Tobias Harris</span><br />
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<u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;">Kings get:</span></u><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;">John Salmons</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;">Jimmer Fredette</span><br />
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<u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;">Bobcats get:</span></u><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;">Corey Maggette</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;">Bismack Biyombo</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;"><b>8:18</b>: The Detroit Pistons select Brandon Knight from the University of Kentucky. Brandon is the second one and done college basketball player to be picked in the draft so far. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;"><b>8:24</b>: The Bobcats select Kemba Walker from UCONN with the 9th pick of the NBA Draft. Walker was incredible during the tournament and helped UCONN win 11 straight tournament games (5 Big East, 6 NCAA) on their way to a third National Championship. He is a 6'1" point guard and will be very fun to watch in the NBA. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;"><b>8:29</b>: The Milwaukee Bucks select Jimmer Fredette with the 10th pick in the draft for the Sacramento Kings. Fredette is a native of Glens Falls, New York and takes over for Hacksaw Jim Duggan as the most famous Glens Falls native. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;"><b>8:35</b>: The Golden State Warriors select Klay Thompson from Washington State. His dad was the #1 overall pick in the 1978 draft. I read an article about it in USA Today. Here is a link to that <a href="http://www.usatoday.com/sports/basketball/nba/2011-06-15-klay-thompson-draft_n.htm">article</a>. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;"><b>8:40:</b> The NBA Draft has a really nice flow to it and the 5:00 minute limit between picks is a big reason why. Do they really need more time than that during the NFL Draft?</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;"><b>8:41</b>: The Utah Jazz make their second pick of the night. Alec Burks from the University of Colorado is the second player drafted from the Big 12. He is already the third or fourth player that has been described on the ESPN broadcast as lightly recruited. Seems like a great night for the Jazz. They get a center in Kanter and a guard in Burks. I don't know if these two guys will end up being Malone and Stockton, but if I were a fan of the Jazz, I would be excited. If I were a fan of jazz I might want to listen to this:</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;"><b>8:47</b>: The Suns make it back to back Big 12 players, by taking Markieff Morris with the 13th pick. He has a twin brother named Marcus that should be picked any time now. Here is a short <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wizards-insider/post/marcus-morriss-singular-vision/2011/06/14/AGrCIzUH_blog.html">article</a> about the two brothers. Is there any chance that the Suns can find a way to select Marcus? These guys have been inseparable for the first 21 years of their lives. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;"><b>8:51</b>: Marcus says that if he is separated from his brother he will send him some flowers and fruit. Marcus was very emotional when his brother was picked and I immediately want to cheer for both of them. My brothers are very important to me and when we are not together, I know I wish we were. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;"><b>8:55</b>: The Houston Rockets close the lottery by selecting my boy Marcus Norris. They were born seven minutes apart and drafted five minutes apart, and I had that written down before Stuart Scott said it. He is also the third straight player and fourth overall from the Big 12 to be selected. Here is a picture of the twins followed by a picture of my brothers and I. </span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://grfx.cstv.com/schools/usc/blog/Morris-twins.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://grfx.cstv.com/schools/usc/blog/Morris-twins.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Brothers Drafted in the 2011 Lottery</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqsth4_y8LCn-AbD1YU-wMjvf-5Mvhme_lQpIoFt41ZSFKv5YNtTjY3V72EUl_aHdGWXw9hNGTY6gj61UfYhmSfPOc9_YadxwNZJ-zv9w178jsznu2tQfBPtkF0UuvM_EnHETMmX_k1mc/s1600/Photo+Dec+17%252C+8+05+51+PM.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqsth4_y8LCn-AbD1YU-wMjvf-5Mvhme_lQpIoFt41ZSFKv5YNtTjY3V72EUl_aHdGWXw9hNGTY6gj61UfYhmSfPOc9_YadxwNZJ-zv9w178jsznu2tQfBPtkF0UuvM_EnHETMmX_k1mc/s320/Photo+Dec+17%252C+8+05+51+PM.jpeg" width="264" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>I won the lottery having these studs as brothers. </i></td></tr>
</tbody></table><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;"><b>9:00</b>: I am having fun. The Indiana Pacers are the first playoff team to make a pick outside of the lottery and select Kawhi Leonard from San Diego State University. That ends the streak of Big 12 basketball players selected. His first name sounds like a Hawaiian Island. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;"><b>9:03</b>: Television is making a big deal about the size of Kawhi's hands. Interesting interview, Leonard is a family man who says he picked San Diego St. so his sister and mother could come to all of his home games. His mom is going to move with him to Indianapolis. There are lots of interesting stories emerging out of the draft. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;"><b>9:06</b>: Sources on twitter say that the Spurs may have a deal in place to acquire Leonard from the Pacers. Maybe Mom will be moving to San Antonio instead of Indianapolis. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;"><b>9:07</b>: The Philadelphia Sixers select Nikola Vucevic from USC. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;"><b>9:08</b>: The New York Knicks are on the clock. The rumored trade is that the Spurs will trade George Hill to the Pacers for Kawhi Leonard. The ESPN broadcast hasn't said a word about it just yet. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;"><b>9:10</b>: Spike Lee is in the building anxiously waiting for the Knicks to make a pick. Shockingly, the Knicks haven't won a playoff series since 2000. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;"><b>9:12</b>: With the 17th pick in the NBA Draft the New York Knicks select the first player that isn't at the draft. Iman Shumpert from Georgia Tech doesn't seem to go over well with the Knicks fans that were able to make it to the draft. @TheBigLead a huge Knicks fan and said on twitter he wanted Faried or Singleton. He had this reaction after the pick. "no. Done tweeting for the night."</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;"><b>9:18</b>: The Wizards make their second pick of the night and take the guy that most Knicks fans wanted, Chris Singleton from Florida St. He is the second player in a row to be selected from the ACC. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;"><b>9:20</b>: The green room is empty. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;"><b>9:23</b>: The Bobcats select Tobias Harris from the University of Tennessee. He is in the building but wasn't invited to the green room. What is that about? He makes his way to the stage and shakes hands with Mr. Stern. If he was there, why not invite him into the green room? Anyway, the Bobcats made that pick for the Milwaukee Bucks to complete the 3-team trade that we have been tracking all night. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;"><b>9:26</b>: Ric Bucher from ESPN the Magazine announces the Hill for Leonard trade that many on twitter had about twenty minutes ago. I just shot a text to Lee Jenkins and we had this exchange:</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;">SportsCasters: Any thoughts on Kawhi Leonard from SDST?</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;"><a href="http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/writers/lee_jenkins/archive/index.html">Lee Jenkins</a>: I am not sure why he slipped. He is a rugged defender. He doesn't have a jumper but is the kind of physical presence a lot of teams needed. </span></blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;"><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;"><b>9:29</b>: The Timberwolves make their second pick of the night and go with Donatas Motiejunas a forward from Lithuania. He is the second player from Lithuania to be taken in the first round tonight. </span><br />
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href="data:image/png;base64,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" 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</a></div><b>9:34</b>: <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I booked the first guest for Episode 27 and am excited to announce that </span><a href="http://jonahkeri.com/" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Jonah Keri</a><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> will make his second appearance on the podcast. I also think we will talk to the main man at http://www.18to88.com to continue 32Teams/32Blogs. What do you think of the logo?</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDhsWMOWxt7rTTGobUompHMSWb5k5RHsBWhCr1rdPpDoFCw6-C1aM5N2cxY-3DWY9azJSsLQtkooxQ3noFnnsE2zSm8QkjhBOCP2OgBD90w-VHNrrH9kuPRO4kdbK1MKaPstSIlcvd59c/s1600/3232.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDhsWMOWxt7rTTGobUompHMSWb5k5RHsBWhCr1rdPpDoFCw6-C1aM5N2cxY-3DWY9azJSsLQtkooxQ3noFnnsE2zSm8QkjhBOCP2OgBD90w-VHNrrH9kuPRO4kdbK1MKaPstSIlcvd59c/s320/3232.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<b>9:37</b>: Back to the draft. The Portland Trailblazers select Nolan Smith from Duke University. He is the second player selected from Duke tonight. Jay Bilas, a former Duke player himself, says that Nolan is a kid with high character and calls him a solid player and teammate. He is another player that has a father who played in the NBA.<br />
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<b>9:39</b>: The Denver Nuggets are on the clock. I mentioned Lee Jenkins earlier and he had a fantastic article about the Nuggets in Sports Illustrated shortly after the Carmelo Anthony trade. Here is a <a href="http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1182973/index.htm?eref=sisf">link</a> to the article. Andy Katz says that Denver is talking to Portland about a trade that would involve Raymond Felton and Andre Miller.<br />
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<b>9:43</b>: With the 22nd pick in the 2011 NBA Draft the Denver Nuggets select Kenneth Faried from Morehead State. He is a New Jersey native and is another guy in the crowd that wasn't welcome in the green room.<br />
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<b>9:45</b>: I noticed a few tweets criticizing the Portland pick of Nolan Smith. Dan Wolken says, "Its funny how Portland now drafts SOLELY on character now. Can't see any other reason for taking Nolan there."<br />
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<b>9:48</b>: <a href="http://www.twitter.com/WojYahooNBA">@WojYahooNBA</a> is reporting on Twitter that the Houston Rockets and Minnesota Timberwolves have made a trade. Woj says that Niagara Falls, NY native Johnny Flynn and Montiejunas are headed to Houston for Brad Miller, the 23rd pick, and a future 1st rounder.<br />
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<b>9:50</b>: The Houston Rockets select Nikola Mirotic from <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montenegro">Montenegro</a> with the 23rd pick in the draft. If <a href="http://www.twitter.com/wojYahooNBA">@WojYahooNBA</a> is correct he will be going to Minnesota. ESPN is reporting that he won't be in the NBA for 4 years because of a large buy out. He will be between 24-25 at that point.<br />
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<b>9:53</b>: Ric Bucher is now reporting the same trade that <a href="http://www.twitter.com/WojYahooNBA">@WojYahooNBA</a> reported on Twitter.<br />
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<b>9:55:</b> The Oklahoma City Thunder select Reggie Jackson from Boston College. Reggie had a fantastic baseball career and seems a little old for the NBA. That was awesome when he hit those three home runs in the World Series.<br />
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<b>9:59</b>: Off topic: I can't stand the fact that Major League Baseball doesn't allow their footage to be on YouTube. It seems so petty to me. I wanted to post a video of Reggie Jackson's three home runs and I couldn't find anything on You Tube. Annoying. Way to ruin Mr Jackson's draft night Bud. <br />
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<b>10:00</b>: The Boston Celtics select MarShon Brooks from Providence College. Brooks had to be easy for the Celtics to track playing a hop skip and a jump away in Providence. He is also in the building but not welcome in the green room, and that is getting on my nerves. Why couldn't these kids enjoy a Pepsi in the green room?<br />
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<b>10:05</b>: The NBA Champions select Jordan Hamilton from the University of Texas. Well, I hate Texas. Again, the Mavs scouts must have enjoyed scouting Hamilton just down the road in Austin.<br />
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<b>10:06:</b> TRADE. MarShon Brooks has already been traded. He will go to New Jersey for the 27th pick and a future second round pick.<br />
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<b>10:07</b>: The Nets are on the clock now with that 27th pick that seems to be headed to Boston.<br />
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<b>10:08</b>: Dan Wolken says that Jordan Hamilton is going to Denver. Did Dallas make a trade? ESPN has been a step behind twitter with trades all night. I haven't been impressed by that aspect of the draft coverage.<br />
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<b>10:10</b>: The Nets select JaJuan Johnson the Big 10 player of the year from Purdue University. If the rumors are true, he will go to Boston with a future 2nd Round Pick and the Nets will get MarShon Brooks. Speaking of Purdue, this guy went to Purdue...<br />
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<b>10:14:</b> The Bulls are on the clock, but we have another trade. The Bulls get the rights to Nikola Mitotic (the 23rd pick in tonight's draft) and the Timberwolves get this pick (28th overall) and the 43rd overall pick. The Timberwolves are very active tonight.<br />
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<b>10:15</b>: Dan Wolken has confirmed to me on Twitter that the Mavericks have traded Jordan Hamilton to Denver. I am trying to get details on this trade that ESPN has failed to mention to their viewers.<br />
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<b>10:17:</b> The Bulls select point guard Norris Cole from Cleveland State for the Timberwolves. Don't the Timberwolves have Ricky Rubio? I know they traded Johnny Flynn tonight, but it still seems like PG is not a position of need. However, Minnesota has been active tonight and they could be working on another trade. Norris Cole was actually named after the Norris Trophy given annually to the NHL's most outstanding defenseman (I can't seem to confirm that).<br />
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<b>10:21</b>: This is getting crazy, but <a href="http://www.twitter.com/IraHeatBeat">@IraHeatBeat </a>is reporting that the Miami Heat have traded for Norris Cole.<br />
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<b>10:22</b>: The Spurs select another Canadian that played college hoops at Texas. GAG. Cory Joseph was not a player many thought would go in the first round, but the Spurs don't make many mistakes. That makes three Texas players in the first round or one more than Duke.<br />
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<b>10:24</b>: The Bulls are on the clock. David Stern gets a loud random boo. He says to the crowd, "Thank you for that." He receives another long boo. Hahaha, then he announces that Adam Silver will be conducting round two and everyone cheers. Anyway, Jimmy Butler from Marquette is the last player selected in the first round. He has a Michael Oher type story and Chad Ford wrote <a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/draft2011/columns/story?columnist=ford_chad&page=Butler-110618">this</a> piece about it. <br />
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<b>10:28</b>: That is it for the first round and the live portion of this blog. However, before I sign off, I want to find out what happened with the Mavericks and their pick of Jordan Hamilton.<br />
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10:30: This is what I found out about the Dallas trade according to SportsDayDFW powered by the Daily Morning News. <br />
<blockquote>The Mavericks will be trading their 26 and 57 picks to Portland for two players, one of whom will be <a class="DL-topic-highlighted DL-analyze" href="http://topics.dallasnews.com/topic/Rudy_Fernandez">Rudy Fernandez</a>.<br />
While the Mavericks could not say anything about the deal because it won’t be completed until they draft the 57 pick for the <a class="DL-topic-highlighted DL-analyze" href="http://topics.dallasnews.com/topic/Portland_Trail_Blazers">Portland Trail Blazers</a>, <a class="DL-topic-highlighted DL-analyze" href="http://topics.dallasnews.com/topic/Jordan">Jordan</a> Hamilton at No. 26 will be going to the Blazers.</blockquote>10:33: I have to mention that Adam Silver gets a huge cheer as he comes out to announce the Miami Heat's selection of Bojan Bogdanovic.<br />
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12:38: Here is the offfical information of the Jordan Hamilton trade. It was a three team trade between the Mavericks, Trail Blazers, and Nuggets.<br />
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<u><b>Portland receives:</b> </u><br />
<br />
Raymond Felton, No. 26 pick (Jordan Hamilton), No. 57 pick (Tanguy Ngombo)<br />
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<u><b>Denver receives:</b> </u><br />
<br />
Andre Miller, future second-round pick<br />
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<b><u>Dallas receives:</u> </b><br />
<br />
Rudy Fernandez, 2007 No. 30 pick (Petteri Koponen)<br />
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12:43: Three other trades to report:<br />
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<b>New York receives:</b> No. 45 pick (Josh Harrellson)<br />
<b>New Orleans receives: </b>Cash considerations<br />
<br />
<b>Cleveland receives:</b> Two future second-round picks<br />
<b>Orlando receives: </b>No. 32 pick (Justin Harper<b>)</b><br />
<br />
<b>Cleveland receives:</b> Two future second-round picks<br />
<b>Orlando receives: </b>No. 32 pick (Justin Harper<b>)</b><br />
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For a complete list of trades during the 2011 NBA Draft click <a href="http://www.nba.com/2011/news/06/23/draft-trades/index.html">here</a>.<b> </b><br />
<b><br />
</b><br />
<b>12:45: </b>Just a few final thoughts:<br />
<ul><li>Kyle Singler from Duke was drafted 33rd by the Pistons. Many draft analysts had him as a sure first round pick if he had left school after his junior season. I hate when it doesn't work out for a kid who decides to stay at school. </li>
<li>Tyler Honeycutt and Malcolm Lee both left UCLA early to be first round picks and it didn't work out for either of them. Honeycutt was picked 35th by the Kings and Lee was picked 43rd by the Bulls. </li>
<li>Marques Colston will be thrilled to find out that Charles Jenkins a guard from his alma mater Hofstra was drafted by Golden State with the 44th pick. I am certain Jenkins didn't play football at Hofstra because they don't have a team any more. </li>
<li>ESPN had a terrible night hosting this thing. First, there were problems with microphones cutting out all night. The more I thought about it, I guess they could have been going quiet to keep a naughty word yelled in the crowd from making it to television. If that's the case, it's weak. I hope they just had some bad wires or the guy that sabotaged Forest Gump's thoughts on Vietnam was back stage. </li>
</ul><div style="text-align: center;"> <object class="BLOGGER-youtube-video" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" data-thumbnail-src="http://1.gvt0.com/vi/-_BS-OZyaX0/0.jpg" height="266" width="320"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/-_BS-OZyaX0&fs=1&source=uds" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" /><embed width="320" height="266" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/-_BS-OZyaX0&fs=1&source=uds" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"></embed></object></div><ul><li>ESPN got killed by Twitter tonight when it comes to reporting on trades that were made during the draft. Twitter sometimes had trades a full thirty minutes before it was mentioned on ESPN. It made the draft somewhat confusing for a tech savvy viewer. Twitter is talking about trades, Stuart Scott is talking about boo-yah, and the on site reporters assigned to the draft by ESPN didn't get enough air time. </li>
</ul>That's it for my first ever NBA Draft Live Blog. It was a very good time. I will be back in some way shape or form to cover the NHL Draft tomorrow night.<br />
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Anyone want to say goodnight? Thank you Brady.<br />
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</tbody></table><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;"> </span>Steven Bennetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12241161943861702507noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3149551928028596211.post-58814326012795549792011-06-23T00:07:00.001-04:002011-06-23T02:33:07.426-04:00The Not So Live Blog: The NHL AWARDS<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://broadstreetbuzz.com/files/2010/06/nhl-awards-4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="261" src="http://broadstreetbuzz.com/files/2010/06/nhl-awards-4.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><u><b><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: small;">Look at All These Beautiful Trophies</span></b></u></td></tr>
</tbody></table>For the last few weeks Wednesday has been the day to sit in front of the television, fire up the <a href="http://www.apple.com/macbookpro/">MacBook</a> Pro, and write live <a href="http://thesportscasters.blogspot.com/2011/06/live-blog-game-7-bruins-vs-canucks.html">blogs</a>. The downside has been that I haven't played roller hockey and have been neglecting my team, my brothers, and my friends. Tonight was going to be the night that I left the computer behind, and instead of live blogging about the NHL Awards, I would play some roller hockey and be with the guys. I got home around 6:00, ate dinner, and laid down for what would be a quick nap before heading out for the 10:00 game. Inevitably, I rolled over at about 10:27 to realize that I had missed hockey and the chance to do a live blog as the NHL gave out all those pretty trophies in Las Vegas. <br />
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The hockey game is a total loss and there is nothing I can do about that but apologize to my brother <a href="http://www.twitter.com/gregday19">Greg</a> for not being there with him. The night doesn't have to be a complete loss. Thanks to DVR, the NHL Awards show is waiting for me to watch and blog about it. So without further introduction, here is my not so live blog; NHL Awards style.<br />
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11:25: Yes, its almost 11:30. After I woke up, I put a bread in the oven (no joke, picture later), cleaned up and wrote the little introduction above. Finally, it's time to press play and see what Jay Mohr, Garry Bettman, and the NHL has in store for us.<br />
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11:27: The awards show starts with a funny introduction that has Jay Mohr learning how to play hockey and finding himself in different scenes from the Penguins/Capitals 24/7 on HBO. I laughed a few times but got a little restless with the bit. Next, Jay Mohr entertains us some more with some stand-up. He cracks a bunch of jokes that I could have came up with about hockey, old players, and the riot in Vancouver. The funniest part of the whole monologue is when Mohr tries to get the crowd to give Mr. Bettman a standing ovation. FAIL. I heard plenty of boos, a few cheers, but it never came close to what Mohr expected. Who wants to cheer for Gary Bettman?<br />
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11:40: I am going to be honest, I liked it better when Ron MacLean hosted this show. Damn, the NHL had a hash tag going tonight on twitter (#NHLAWARDS) and they showed tweets on the bottom of the screen all night. I would have loved to flood my followers with tweets as I tried to get The Sports-Casters on the show.<br />
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11:45: The first award is the Norris Memorial Trophy. The other day I posted a 3 More Things <a href="http://thesportscasters.blogspot.com/2011/06/3-more-things_20.html">blog</a> and went on record with picks for the top seven trophies. On the podcast, I boldly predicted that I would get six of the seven correct, and I really want to be right about that. I watched well over 100 hockey games this season, and I want to think that I know who deserves these trophies. Kevin Smith and the chick from How I Met Your Mother present the award. Kevin Smith was awesome and I think he should have hosted the show. He said something that was not Versus appropriate and it got covered with silence. I figured Z was going to be the run away winner of this award. I got to watch him play in person four or five times this year and he just seemed to have the kind of season Sabres fans dream that Tyler Myers will have about fifteen of.<br />
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11:47: Shit. 0-1. Nick Lidstrom is the winner and I am regretting snickering about his chances to win on the podcast. Nick gives the standard perfect acceptance speech and given that it's his seventh Norris Trophy I suppose he has had plenty of experience.<br />
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11:50: Jay Mohr makes a joke that Lidstrom would be the perfect cell mate. Is there anything that Nick Lidstrom wouldn't be the perfect guy for? My bread is ready.<br />
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11:54: Henrik Sedin is presented with the Art Ross trophy given to the player with the most points in the regular season. Henrik is on the stage for three seconds and bails quicker than John Kruk facing Randy Johnson at the All-Star game.<br />
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11:57: Some hot chick and Mark Messier give Chara the NHL Leadership Award presented by Bridgestone. Chara is a foot and a half taller than the hot chic in red and we go to our first commercial. I need some more iced tea and a slice of that bread anyway.<br />
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12:00: It's Thursday. Oh no, someone named Dierks Bentley (presented by Verizon) is singing a country music song and I have no choice but to go to the fast forward button for the first time tonight. <br />
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12:05: Chris Angel is awarding the Frank J. Selke award and tries to make a magic is just like hockey analogy. I have no room for error after missing the Norris so Pavel Datsyuk better win this award. Ryan Kessler and JT could easily win this so my heart is beating pretty fast.<br />
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12:06: Shit. 0-2. Ryan Kessler is announced as the winner, and I am questioning why I didn't pick him to win in the first place. He is the best American hockey player in the world. Does he thank the Canucks fans? NOPE. How could you thank a bunch of ungrateful rioters.<br />
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12:07: Wow, Ryan Getzlaf has no hair. He and Bobby Ryan are in the audience and Jay Mohr introduces a clip that does a good job of playing up the US vs. Canada rivalry. Getzlaf has a personal assistant named Winslow that signs his autographs, pours him water, and helps him get his shoulder pads on. The big payoff is that Cory Perry sabotages Ryan the same way that Scott Niedermayer did last year. I enjoyed that bit. <br />
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12:10: Donny Osmond brags to the crowd about winning a trophy on Dancing with the Stars and calls Marie (???) a hockey puck. He is here to give out the Jack Adams Award for best coach. I have Dan Bylsma.<br />
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12:12: YESSSSSSS. 1-2. Dan Bylsma is as cool as the ice he coaches on. I could listen to this guy talk all night. How could you not get pumped up the battle for this guy?<br />
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12:14: I can't read the tweets. The font is way too small. That is a total bust.<br />
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12:15: Jeremy Roenick and George (please excuse me while I google how to spell his last name) Strombolopolous (he is a radio personality in Canada) are the next two presenters. They join us to give out the Calder Trophy for the leagues best rookie. This award is loaded with awesome talent. Micheal Grabner, Logan Couture, and Jeff Skinner. I picked Skinner but I am nervous that Couture might steal it.<br />
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12:16: 2-2. Skinner wins and he is visibly nervous. He is going on and on and someone is looking for a hook. Wow, he is one of six kids and he rambles on for 1:27.1 before he finally leaves us. He is awesome. I wish he was on my team.<br />
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12:20: The awards are delayed for a second for a very cool package put together by EA Sports that ends with the announcement that Steve Stamkos will be the cover boy for the 20th edition of the classic video game. Stamkos is on hand and admits he has been playing the game since age six. <br />
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12:25: Mohr is talking like a Canadian as he painfully explains that Roberto Luongo and Cory Schneider have won the William M. Jennings Trophy for the team with the lowest goals allowed. Neither of the guys thank the Canuck fans so that is good, Cory thanks his beautiful girlfriend Jill. Google? Score, I found a nice picture of them<br />
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12:27: Craig Patrick is our next presenter. He is on hand to give out a relatively new award for the league's best general manager called, The General Manager Award. Poor Craig Patrick struggles with the teleprompter and falls all over almost ever word. I thought he might end the train-wreck with... and boom goes the dynamite. I didn't make a pick for this award, but I must say it the trophy is very impressive. Mike Gillis of the Vancouver Canucks beats out Steve Yzerman and David Poile. Wow, the Canucks seem to have won every trophy tonight. I bet they would trade them all for the Stanley Cup. Gillis thanks the fans. Shocking. Doesn't he recall this?<br />
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12:31: Cory Perry is the winner of this year's Maurice Rocket Richard Trophy. It comes as no surprise since the award is given to the player who scores the most goals during the season and Perry scored the most goals during the season. Quick facst about the Richard Trophy, Pavel Bure, Jerome Iginla and Alexander Ovechkin are the only multiple time winners of the award. 5 of the 15 winners have been Russian and 7 of the 15 have been from Europe. Pavel Bure is bad ass.<br />
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12:37: Jay Mohr cracks a joke that hints at his frustration that a large percentage of his jokes and his attempt to get people to cheer for the Commissioner have bombed. He introduces Ted Lindsay and Matthew Schneider who are on hand to give out the Ted Lindsay Award given to the league's most outstanding player as voted by the players. I didn't make a pick for this award, but I should have. Sedin, Stamkos, and Perry are the nominees and the way the night has gone this one should be won by Sedin. <br />
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12:41: Sure enough, Daniel Sedin is the winner of the Ted Lindsay Award. Yet another trophy for Vancouver and their rioting fans that isn't the Stanley Cup. This time around he thanks the fans in Vancouver. They just cut to a shot of his wife and she is beautiful. Props sir, props.<br />
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12:42: Luc Robatialle and some goon that I think she called David Henry join us to present the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy. This award is given for perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication. The nominees are Ray Emery (really?) for coming back from the same injury that ended Bo Jackson's career, Ian Laperriere for taking a couple of pucks off the head and still making it back to play, and Daymond Langkow who suffered a devastating back injury. I didn't pick this award, but I have great respect for the toughness needed to win it. Check out this <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Masterton_Memorial_Trophy">link</a> to and see all the winners and all of the hardships that they have overcome. Hockey players are bad ass. Ian Laperriere is the winner and he is very emotional. Cool moment. Before we move on, Ray Emery was the losing goalie on this night (see video, below)<br />
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12:50: Gary Bettman is on hand to ask for a moment of silence in honor of Harley Hotchkiss a Hall of Famer who lost his battle with cancer today. Luckily, no one took this opportunity to boo the Commish. If you want to know more about Harley, check this <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harley_Hotchkiss">out</a>. <br />
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12:55: Jay Mohr wants to get rid of goalie fights? Johnny Cullen disagrees with Jay. Listen to the Windsor Spitfires (OHL) goaltender talk about goalie fights at the end of Episode <a href="http://www.garbageradio.com/podcasts/sportscasters_s01e23.mp3">23</a> of The Sports-Casters. <br />
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12:57: Jerry Bruckheimer is on hand to give out the King Clancy Memorial Trophy presented by the United States Army to Doug Weight. The award is for leadership on and off the ice. Awesome, the US Army just fell from the ceiling. Huge standing ovation for the troops. Anytime you want to better the mood in a room just ask for people to cheer for troops, they eat it up. Doug Weight is a cool guy, a great American hockey player, and a deserving winner of the award. Former Sabres great Rob Ray is a former winner of this award.<br />
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1:03: The goal of the year presented by Verizon? Alright, I enjoy goals. Thomas Vanek falls just short to the fantastic goal that Jordan Eberle scored in his first NHL game. What goal dazzles you more?<br />
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1:08: The Slam Man introduces two stunning young ladies from the Real House Wives of Boise, Idaho. I should back up, neither of these girls appear to be stunning or young. There is more fake plastic on the stage right now than the bowling trophy I got in the first grade. They are here to give out the Lady Byng Trophy, and I picked Nick Lindstrom to win this award in a runaway. Martin St. Louis and Loui Erikkson stand no chance.<br />
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1:12: The girl who announced the winner showed her ignorance to hockey by calling him Martin St. Louis (exactly how you would say the city). I am so pissed Lidstrom didn't win. That puts me at 2-3 and I have to win the Hart and the Vezina to finish above .500.<br />
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1:14: Awesome, we have some kind of Pawn Stars bit. I am a sucker for Pawn Stars. Rick is shown at his shop complaining that every few months people bring in trophies that are supposed to be the Stanley Cup. Eventually, the Hanson Brothers bring the real Cup into the shop and the Old Man, Big Hoss, and Chumlee all gather around. Rick wont make an offer until he brings in a friend who turns out to be the keeper of the cup, the same guy that the Hansons mugged to obtain the cup. Great bit.<br />
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1:18: Chara and Thomas bring out the Stanley Cup. It is glorious.<br />
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1:20: Dustin Brown is given the smallest, ugliest, trophy of the night. He is the winner of the NHL Foundation Award for his extensive charity work. The NHL makes up for the dinky plaque by donating 25k to the charity of his choice. What are the chances that the charity of his choice is The Sports-Casters?<br />
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1:23: The music choices tonight have been unbearable. I have no idea who is singing a dance music song called OMG (Oh My God) with all kinds of Lady Gaga like weirdness on stage. Where were The Tragically Hip tonight? They have songs about hockey for real.They don't need to chance the words to include puck.<br />
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1:25: The awesome Jon Hamm from the awesome Mad Men is a huge St. Louis Blues fan and the perfect guy to give out the Veznia trophy. He kicked it off with, "O-M-G I feel O-L-D." I have Thomas here and he better not fail me with that silly mustache. Pekka Rinne is a very tall man. <br />
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1:28: WHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO. 3-3. Tim Thomas wins the award despite having an ugly mustache. "And last but not least I would like to thank, God. Thank you." -Tim Thomas<br />
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<br />
1:30: We have one award left and it's the Hart Memorial Trophy for the league's most valuable player. First, we get a video of the best plays of the year. You deserve a video. Here is my pick for best goal ever.<br />
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1:33: I have to rewind because by face I have no idea who the two people are that get to present the most prestigious individual award in all of Hockey. Jason Reitman and Jennifer Fields. Reitman I know. He is a big Kings fan and is married to a huge Canucks fan. Is <a href="http://www.jenniferfields.com/">this</a> Jennifer Fields? Did I hear that wrong?<br />
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1:36: Cory Perry, Daniel Sedin, and Martin St. Louis are the finalist. Sedin seems like a slam dunk here and I can end this blog with my head held high and a respectable 4-3 record.<br />
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1:38: Instead, Cory Perry literally stole the Hart Trophy from Sedin in the final 25 games while Sedin was coasting to the Presidents Trophy. Cory Perry that was a terrible acceptance speech. Almost as terrible as my 3-4 record.<br />
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1:40: Jay Mohr says good night. <br />
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Would anyone else like to say goodnight?<br />
<br />
Wait- before that, tomorrow I will be back with a live blog for the NBA Draft and Friday I will be doing some live blogging from HSBC Arena at the Sabres draft party.<br />
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Last thing, the guys on WGR did a Sabres version of the NHL Awards and I disagreed with everything they said. If we have time on the podcast this week, I want to see what Don and I come up with for the Sabres version of the NHL Awards Show, All Time Style. Hasek or Perreault for the Hart? Myers of Perreault for the Calder? Who wins the Norris? Lot's of questions to be answered.<br />
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Anyway, Would anyone else like to say goodnight? Brees says goodnight :)<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfLAsI89l12ir7PtmzL0yXtcvVtHBocQlCqFFboQoDUqLA7QAGnHa4AJfOnOo5kGBiwrN0jr8PC2ttPee4KqVu-7vci07KmtI6znrXpMiDRdnI_DB0GjwNL-kGffaBhwlcqWckrCxmRXQ/s1600/Photo+May+13%252C+9+27+54+PM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfLAsI89l12ir7PtmzL0yXtcvVtHBocQlCqFFboQoDUqLA7QAGnHa4AJfOnOo5kGBiwrN0jr8PC2ttPee4KqVu-7vci07KmtI6znrXpMiDRdnI_DB0GjwNL-kGffaBhwlcqWckrCxmRXQ/s320/Photo+May+13%252C+9+27+54+PM.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Steven Bennetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12241161943861702507noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3149551928028596211.post-46373803784066238912011-06-20T00:37:00.000-04:002011-06-20T00:37:32.809-04:003 More Things<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaINJT9kqieazf4RFABj3SByx6IltxdJc3CCYi1qguKITws39VYRPX8IdxsX8kZV8g-0KeLj3_PP2hgk0h1G3AvmujeFN8ZOphwEk2QjRPmaV6bcbnJrE1G09VE0A9mNTUP3C1Z_yt7ac/s1600/3+THINGS+BW.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaINJT9kqieazf4RFABj3SByx6IltxdJc3CCYi1qguKITws39VYRPX8IdxsX8kZV8g-0KeLj3_PP2hgk0h1G3AvmujeFN8ZOphwEk2QjRPmaV6bcbnJrE1G09VE0A9mNTUP3C1Z_yt7ac/s320/3+THINGS+BW.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><u><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: small;">Episode 26, Chris Drury, and the NHL Awards</span></u></td></tr>
</tbody></table>1.)<br />
<br />
<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Last week was a blast. Don was in the basement with a nasty flare up of scurvy and I want to mention a few who stepped up while he was sick. @<a href="http://twitter.com/#%21/jtbrolly">jtbrolly</a> on twitter was nice enough to join me on episode <a href="http://www.garbageradio.com/podcasts/sportscasters_s01e25.mp3">25</a> for 3Things. I also want to thank my brother <a href="http://hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/pdisplay.php?pid=123302">Anthony</a> and Zach from <a href="http://accuscore.com/">Accuscore</a> for helping us <a href="http://www.garbageradio.com/podcasts/sportscastersextra_e02.mp3">preview</a> the U.S. Open. </div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">This week we have lined up an ambitious show that will help us transition from Hockey/Basketball season and into the summer. <a href="http://twitter.com/#%21/danwolken">Dan Wolken</a> from the made for <a href="http://www.apple.com/ipad/">iPad</a> newspaper, <a href="http://www.thedaily.com/">The Daily</a>, is going to join us to talk about life at an app. Also, <a href="http://twitter.com/#%21/espn_afceast">Tim Graham</a> from the AFC East <a href="http://espn.go.com/blog/afceast">blog</a> on ESPN will join us to talk about the latest news on the lockout, the AFC East, and if the Bills will ever make the playoffs. Last, <a href="http://twitter.com/#%21/si_joelemire">Joe Lemire </a>from<a href="http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/writers/joe_lemire/archive/index.html"> SI.COM</a> will introduce us to the baseball season. We did preview the season a bit in April and have checked in a few times since, but it is time to really focus on the season. I want to ask Joe about the early death of the Indians and the Marlins, the future of Albert Pujols, and if anyone can stop the Red Sox and Phillies from playing in the World Series. </div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I will also one last time try to get @hitfixdaniel to come on the show and preview the Summer television season. </div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">It will be The Sports-Casters Super Summer Spectacular. </div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The show will be posted on the Sports-Casters <a href="http://www.sports-casters.com/">website</a> on Tuesday evening. You can also subscribe on <a href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-sports-casters/id416722229">iTunes</a>, give us a thumbs up on <a href="http://landing.stitcher.com/?srcid=959">Stitcher</a>, or listen on the <a href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/instacast/id420368235?mt=8">instacast</a> or <a href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/downcast/id393858566?mt=8">downcast</a> app.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div>2.)<br />
<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">A couple of weeks ago, a story surfaced that the Rangers were planning to buy out the remaining years on Chris Drury's contract and make him a free agent. Since that initial report, a separate <a href="http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/hockey/rangers/2011/06/18/2011-06-18_blueshirts_seek_to_ice_drury_pact.html">report</a> has surfaced that says Drury will not be bought out due to a degenerative knee injury and instead will be placed on long-term injured reserve. Some have <a href="http://prohockeytalk.nbcsports.com/2011/06/17/report-rangers-plans-to-buy-out-chris-drury-foiled-thanks-to-degenerative-knee-injury/">reported</a> that the injury is so serious that it could mean we have seen the last of Chris Drury in the NHL. </div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Anyone who knows me knows that I love Chris Drury. I loved him before he was the Sabres Captain, I loved him while he was the Sabres Captain, and I will love him long after he decides to hang up his skates. </div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Drury has lived a charmed life. He won the Little League World Series as a youngster for his hometown, Trumbull, Connecticut. He was recruited to play college hockey for Boston University where he witnessed the shocking injury to his friend Travis Roy, became an All-American, and won the National Championship. During his rookie season in the National Hockey League, Drury won the Calder Tropy and helped Ray Borque and the Colorado Avalanche win the Stanley Cup. </div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">He has represented the United States in the Olympics and has scored more clutch goals than any athlete I can remember. I would say he is the Derek Jeter of ice hockey. During the Sabres run to the Presidents Trophy in 2007, the Sabres played a game in Pittsburgh. That night, Mario came on to the ice to announce hockey would remain in Pittsburgh and a new arena would be built. Also, a reporter from Sports Illustrated was in attendance to work on a story about the clutch life of Chris Drury. The Sabres found themselves down by a goal with less than a minute remaining and doing what Chris Drury does he buried one in the back of the net and the Sabres went home with a point they should have never had on the night Mario saved hockey in Pittsburgh, again. </div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Later that season, the Sabres had 19 seconds to score a goal to prevent a three game losing streak in the Eastern Conference Semi-Final against the New York Rangers. They would also have to head back to Madison Square Garden facing elimination and ending the most promising season in Sabres history short of any of the goals they set out to achieve. Like he always did, Drury flipped the script and tied the game with 7.7 second to go. The Sabres won in overtime, won the series, and went on to play in their second straight Eastern Conference Final. </div><br />
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<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Drury missed most of last season trying to recover from the injury that might end his career. The Rangers were fading down the stretch and Drury told his coach he was good to play game 82. The game that the Rangers needed to clinch the 8th and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. Drury scored a goal on his first shift to tie the game at 1. It was classic Drury a goal scored with hustle, determination, and his won't give up personality. If it was the last classic moment, what a moment it was...</div><br />
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</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Drury is a stud no matter what your standard for stud happens to be. He has proved in his career to be a leader, a captain, and a champion. God Bless, Chris Drury. </div><br />
3.)<br />
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</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Let's give away some trophies. June 22, 2011 the NHL world will head to <a href="http://vegas.nhl.com/">Las Vegas</a> for an awards spectacular hosted by Jay Mohr. Since the show is so packed on Tuesday, I don't think we will have the time on The Sports-Casters to give our choices for the Hart, Vezina, Calder, Jack Adams, Selke, and Lady Byng, instead I will make my selections on the Blog-Casters. </div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><u><b>Hart Trophy:</b></u></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Cory Perry, Daniel Sedin, and Martin St. Louis are the three finalists for the Hart Trophy given to the league MVP. Perry made a late push and St. Louis had a great season and was a larger part in the continued development of Steven Stamkos, but <b>Daniel Sedin</b> is the runaway winner of this award. Luckily for Sedin, the votes were cast long before the disaster that was his 2011 Stanley Cup Finals. </div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b><u>Vezina Trophy:</u></b></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Roberto Luongo. Tim Thomas, and Pekka Rinne are the finalists for the Vezina trophy given to the leagues most outstanding goaltender. Luongo won a lot of games for the leagues best team, and Rinne emerged as one of the best in the league, but his numbers don't touch the 2.00 GAA and .938 GAA. Thomas also had 35 wins only three less than the league leading 38 put up by Luongo. <b>Tim Thomas</b> is going to win the Vezina. </div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><u><b><br />
</b></u></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><u><b>Norris Trophy: </b></u></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Nicklas Lidstrom, Shea Weber, and Zdeno Chara are the finalists for the Norris trophy given to the player demonstrates throughout the season the greatest all around play at the position of defense. Lidstrom had a fantastic season at age 40, but I suspect his invitation to Vegas was more a kind gesture than an indication he will take the Norris Trophy home with him. Shea Weber is one of those young players that convince me Canada will win gold at the Olympics from now until further notice. However, this award is going to be won by </span><b style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Zdeno Chara</b><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">. His name is really close to Zenia, the name of my great-grandmother, and his steady, intimidating play was one of the reasons Thomas put up some of the number he did and why the Bruins won the Northeast Division, the Eastern Conference, and The Stanley Cup. </span><br />
<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><u><b><br />
</b></u></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><u><b>Calder Trophy:</b></u></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The Calder Trophy is given to the NHL's finest rookie and this season brings an impressive group to Vegas. Logan Couture scored 32 goals for the Sharks, Michael Grabner (A Canucks draft pick) scored 34 goals for the Islanders, and Jeff Skinner scored 31 goals for the Hurricanes. This award is close, but I think it has to go to </span><b style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Jeff Skinner</b><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">, the 19-year old with a 10-year old face helped the Hurricanes draw the Justin Bieber crowd. I wouldn't be shocked if Grabner or Couture win, but I like my Skinner pick. </span><br />
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<b><u>Lady Byng Trophy:</u></b><br />
<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The Lady Byng award is given for gentlemanly conduct. Lidstrom, St. Louis, and Loui Erikkson all seem like fine gentleman, but Lidstrom is a legend and is respected by just about everyone. I would almost guarantee <b>Nicklas Lidstrom</b> wins the Lady Byng.</div><br />
<u><b>Frank J Selke Trophy:</b></u><br />
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<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The Selke is given to the forward who contributes the most to the defensive end. M. Satan for example has never been nominated for this award. This year Pavel Datsyuk, Ryan Kesler, and Jonathan Toews make up what could be the best field in the history of the award. Kesler has emerged as the best American born hockey play and JT has the year of years last season winning the Gold for Canada and the Cup for Chicago. I think <b>Pavel Datsyuk</b> win this award. He is so silky smooth and plays 200 feet more efficiently than anyone I have watched. </div><u><b><br />
</b></u><br />
<u><b>Jack Adams Award:</b></u><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The Jack Adams award is give to the league's best coach. It would be cooler if they called it the Toe Blake Award. Then the winner could call up his parents and say, "Hey Mom, I won the TOE!" This year Dan Bylsma (Pittsburgh), Barry Trotz (Nashville), and Alain Vigneault (Vancouver) are up for the award this year. <b>Dan Bylsma </b>will win this award. It's simple, he was a stud on 24/7, his team had over 100 points without Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin for most of the season, and he was a stud on 24/7.</span><br />
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I need a puppy to say goodnight.. BREEEEEEEESY, say goodnight girl. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZIxK1Bm_YKowozzFIoA4IrgfSlx4aiQ7fC5gzvDUSFqQJWag6N7iyi_ZaKnPpfzmEzaJpbFCK1yPjKE8Ls5o7prQDgYxKCmkJUpyHwd1P9GoJl89aWPXFXTbZq2OorEZlxXBzBBswxC8/s1600/Photo+Mar+04%252C+11+49+32+PM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZIxK1Bm_YKowozzFIoA4IrgfSlx4aiQ7fC5gzvDUSFqQJWag6N7iyi_ZaKnPpfzmEzaJpbFCK1yPjKE8Ls5o7prQDgYxKCmkJUpyHwd1P9GoJl89aWPXFXTbZq2OorEZlxXBzBBswxC8/s320/Photo+Mar+04%252C+11+49+32+PM.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>Steven Bennetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12241161943861702507noreply@blogger.com0