February 2012
21 posts
3 tags
Short Sport: Would You Pay To Watch Dwarf...
On Tuesday, I saw a flurry of national and global news outlets publish stories about a sport I didn’t even know existed: Dwarf Bullfighting. Yes, the bullfighters are dwarfs who play the part of your typical matador, with a few twists. Instead of going up against an adult bull with the intent of eventually killing it after the pomp and circumstance of a traditional bullfight, these...
9 tags
New Orleans Hornets Fashion Faux Pas: Mardi Gras...
I know, Mardi Gras is a special celebration that transforms the city of New Orleans, its residents and thousands of tourists during the annual Carnival, but did it need to go this far?
Fat Tuesday turned butt ugly real fast as the Hornets donned the uniforms pictured above during their road game against the Indiana Pacers. While purple, gold and green seem to blend well when strung...
9 tags
Soccer Is Finally Gaining Attention In America…But...
Do you ever wonder why professional soccer isn’t popular in mainstream America? Nearly all of my friends and classmates played the sport as kids, either in school or on a club team, yet somewhere between childhood and adulthood, a disconnect happened, leaving soccer - everyone’s once favorite sport to play - in the dust; soccer uniforms and tube socks end up in the back...
17 tags
Mid-Season Report: What If The NBA Playoffs...
If the NBA Playoffs started today, hoops fans would be happy campers! Why? A first-round Heat vs. Knicks match-up alone would be enough to send ratings through the roof and keep the many TV talking heads yapping from here to eternity. Can you imagine? The Heatles versus Linsanity? Then again, it would be somewhat of a letdown if the most exciting series of the playoffs came in the first...
30 tags
Hocking Hockey: Why NBC's "Hockey Day In America"...
Hockey Day In America. Sounds like an oxymoron, doesn’t it? NBC is trying to change that as the network hosts its second annual “Hockey Day In America,” a nine-hour block of hockey-related programming across various NBC platforms.
While hockey can’t seem to find a solid, widespread fan base in the United States, it’s as popular as ever in Canada and Europe and...
3 tags
First Dance: Saturday's Games Provide A Sneak Peek...
If you haven’t gotten into college hoops yet this season, this weekend is the time to jump in, head first! Several ranked teams are playing each other including two mid-major teams that could end up in Cinderella’s shoes come March, making this weekend all the more exciting. Why fly blind into your office pool a few weeks from now when you can watch a great preview and go into March...
7 tags
This Means War: World Peace Blasts Lakers Head...
“…coach is a stats guy. His background is video coordinator or whatever. So he’s all stats. But Ron Artest is all feel. He doesn’t understand that.” - Metta World Peace on Mike Brown Shots. Fired. Ron Ron the Rottweiler is BACK! Watching the final minute of the Lakers game against the Raptors this afternoon, my inner-monologue read, “even if the Lakers pull this...
6 tags
5 tags
WatchCloudy With A Chance Of Laughs: World Series Pitcher Crashes Local News Broadcast
We are used to seeing athletes make the transition from sports star to media member after retirement, but rarely do we meet current players who came into the pros already equipped with a journalism or broadcast background. Derrick Holland is the Chupacabra of athletes. The Texas Rangers pitcher is great at his...
21 tags
Lin's Performance Said A Lot... About The Lakers
Friday’s game at Madison Square Garden was not the first time Jeremy Lin and the Lakers had crossed paths. As an undrafted rookie out of Harvard, Jeremy Lin’s NBA options were limited, to say the least. After playing for the Dallas Mavericks’ Summer League team (and playing pretty well) in 2010, Lin’s hometown Golden State Warriors and the Los Angeles Lakers each made...
9 tags
Lakers & Celtics: Not What They Once Were, But...
Tonight’s Lakers vs. Celtics game reminded me of college when I used to go watch a group of my guy friends play intramural flag football. My girlfriends and I would cheer them on and sometimes go as far as making corny little signs, just to be supportive and make them feel good. Most of these guys were athletes whose careers ended with a high school diploma while their competitive...
11 tags
13 tags
Shots Fired: Perkins Compliments Griffin's Dunk,...
This is why Kendrick Perkins is one of my favorite athletes to cover as a reporter. He looks mean and scary but the Oklahoma City Thunder center is actually a really nice guy and also happens to be exceptionally honest. A week or so after getting dunked on by Clippers forward Blake Griffin, Perkins had a lot to say, not only about the dunk itself, but about LeBron James who famously tweeted...
12 tags
Model Behavior: Why Gisele's Comments Sparked Such...
Get off Gisele Bundchen’s back. Seriously. Why is it that people are criticizing Gisele for saying exactly what they were screaming at their televisions?
(click here to watch the video of Gisele: http://insdr.co/yYXeHQ ) Who watched the Super Bowl and DIDN’T say, “you HAVE to make that catch!” following Wes Welker’s drop on second and 11 as the Patriots were...
3 tags
Super Bowl 46 Did Not Disappoint, Lived Up To The...
This is why we watch sports. Amazing. Unexpected. Incredible. Fabulous. Dramatic. Suspenseful. Joyful. Heartbreaking. Spectacular. 21-17 Giants. I don’t know about you guys, but I felt physically and emotionally spent as the ball was just short of being bobbled for a game-winning catch by Rob Gronkowski as time expired making the New York Giants super bowl champions once again....
7 tags
5 tags
4 tags
3 tags
4 tags
6 tags
5 tags
January 2012
41 posts
7 tags
5 tags
7 tags
9 tags
Good Teams With Ugly Records Prompt Panic Mode In...
One third of the way through a truncated NBA season, several teams have already gone into panic mode with fans and some players alike clamoring for trades. Former power houses like the Lakers and Celtics are struggling to stay afloat while up and coming teams like the Knicks have failed to meet lofty expectations. Magic center Dwight Howard could be a solution to each of those three...
6 tags
Manning The Situation: Irsay & Peyton Must Stop...
The irony that a Manning brother not named Peyton is quarterbacking a Super Bowl game played in Lucas Oil Stadium, the “place that Peyton built,” is sad and complex. Even worse is the way in which both ownership and player have purposefully or perhaps inadvertently turned an uncomfortable situation into an unexpected public grudge match. The elder Manning sat out the entire...
23 tags
The MLB Scale Is Tipping Toward The American...
I’m looking at the National League leaders from last season where names like Matt Kemp, Ryan Braun, Ryan Howard, Prince Fielder and Albert Pujols pop up in the top five nearly every offensive statistic. Fielder and Pujols are about to find themselves in a different column all together after a wild off-season sent the heavy hitters to the American League, changing the MLB landscape. Aside...
17 tags
Slap Shot In The Face: Bruins Goalie Thomas...
UPDATE: 7:00pm EST
Below is a statement released by Tim Thomas on his facebook page in regards to why he chose not to attend the White House:
I believe the Federal government has grown out of control, threatening the Rights, Liberties, and Property of the People. This is being done at the Executive, Legislative, and Judicial level. This is in direct opposition to the Constitution and the...
10 tags
Put A Fork In It: Patriots Edge Ravens Thanks To...
The Patriots/Ravens game was a grinder. The matchup lacked the usual offensive fineness of the Patriots and the signature recklessly-smooth Ravens defense. The back-to-back fourth quarter interceptions were evidence of what a hard fought game this was by both teams as defense was crucial at every turn. To quote Tom Brady after the game, “I sucked pretty bad today, but our defense saved...
12 tags
Paterno's Passing Allows Penn State To Begin The...
The majority of Americans are likely uncertain as to how to feel about the death former Penn State football coach Joe Paterno. Succumbing to lung cancer at the age of 85, the last few months were painful and ugly for Paterno and his family for so many reasons. If one didn’t know him personally or have a connection to Penn State University, surely the demise of the legendary...
9 tags
The Birdcage Is Back In Business On South...
While news outlets were busy falsely reporting the death of former Penn State football coach Joe Paterno, the sports world was missing out on a spectacular sight. The uniforms worn by the Miami Heat during Saturday’s home game against the Philadelphia 76ers loud, bold and strikingly similar to Robin Williams’ wardrobe in “The Birdcage.” At first glance, one might...
30 tags
Expecting The Unexpected: How Championship Sunday...
I’m torn. The Patriots are good for football. I think they have become what the Dallas Cowboys used to be; America’s Team. Tom Brady and Bill Belichick’s hoodie make for great drama and top-notch TV ratings. Behind Tom Terrific, the Pats also have the second most entertaining offensive player in the league in tight end Rob Gronkowski who makes experts marvel and fans drop...
28 tags
On A Short Leash: How The Condensed Season Is...
After the lockout ended, remember how exciting basketball was in the first few days of the NBA season? Christmas day felt like the playoffs between the Knicks two-point win over the Celtics and the Bulls’ come-from-behind victory over the Lakers by a single point in L.A. as both games were intense and entertaining. Heading into the season without a lengthy training camp, I anticipated...
9 tags
29 tags
How The Divisional Round Proved We're Destined For...
Ten games into the NFL season, I developed a theory. The Packers were undefeated at 9-0 and the Patriots were 6-3, coming off a big win over the rival New York Jets. Despite losses to the Bills, Steelers and Giants, I wasn’t really worried about New England as the defense was going through some changes and after all, they got beat by the Browns last season for one of only two losses. I...
16 tags
Red Scare: Chiefs Staffers Allege Spying, Secrecy...
If you’ve watched the Chiefs at all over the last few years, it’s obvious that something isn’t quite right in Kansas City. We knew the X’s and O’s were suspect, but the behavior of the front office, as reported by the Kansas City Star, takes this situation to a whole new level of dysfunction. In the story written by Kent Babb, information from more than two...
13 tags
Giant Killers: Can The Hot New York Giants Take...
If for the sake of the Discount Double Check commercials, I hope the Packers beat the Giants on Sunday. It’s too awkward watching the New York Jets Pepsi commercials since they aren’t even in the playoffs so I feel like it would be such a shame to be subjected to awesome commercials staring Aaron Rodgers, BJ Raji and Clay Matthews while being simultaneously reminded that they...
12 tags
Patriots vs. Patron Saint: What To Expect From The...
Logic tells me the Patriots will have their way with the Broncos in Saturday’s AFC divisional round game. Universal mysticism tells me the Broncos are functioning in some 5th element, bizarro-world playing field that could actually make it possible for Denver to take down the Patriots in New England. I’m picking the Patriots for a few reasons.
1) They are playing at home...
19 tags
Great Expectations: How I Think It Will Go Down... →
This game has all kinds of possibilities, so here’s my take on the Saints at 49ers game, posted on smacchat.com. Click the heading above to read the article.
25 tags
WatchVideo Touchdown: When David Bowie Met Tim Tebow
With the horror of musician John Parr’s reworked version of the 1980’s movie theme song, “St. Elmo’s Fire” into a Tim Tebow-inspired anthem aptly titled, “Tim Tebow’s Fire,” I was delighted when I saw the video above by Jimmy Fallon. The comedian-turned-late night talk show host is fantastic at...
19 tags
Cold As Ice: Hockey Player Pulled And Traded...
Sports trades can get awkward, especially when they fall through. In that situation, a player already knows his team tried to get rid of him and subsequently, he feels unwanted, etc. But how about this gem, care of the Montreal Canadiens, as one of the NHL’s Original Six teams traded its forward Mike Cammalleri to the Calgary Flames during their game against the rival Bruins in...
12 tags
13 tags
Ongoing Police Investigation: Son Of Packers...
UPDATE 8:45pm EST The Associated Press is reporting that divers did recover a body from the Fox River late Monday afternoon. Authorities had not released the identity of the body, a male between 20-25 years of age until the family was notified first. At a scheduled news conference, Packers head coach Mike McCarthy confirmed that Philbin was away with the team in Oshkosh.
...
11 tags
On The Ground & In The Air: Tebowmania Takes Over...
Well isn’t this clever? On his way out of Denver on Monday, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review sports columnist Dejan Kovacevic surely expected a typical, run-of-the-mill travel day, the kind a sports reporter experiences countless times per year. But after a dramatic 27-23 Broncos win over the Steelers in overtime in Sunday’s AFC wildcard game, Tebowmania has swept through the Denver metro...
30 tags
Tigers & Tides: What To Expect From LSU vs....
If you’re looking for long runs, sweet spirals traveling 40 yards before dropping into the arms of a wide receiver, or big numbers in the scoring column, the BCS Championship Game between LSU and Alabama might not be the game for you. If you recall, the last time these two got together last November, the Tigers needed overtime to beat the Crimson Tide 9-6 in an overtime game that featured...
13 tags
30 tags
NFL: Recapping A Wild Start To Wildcard Weekend
Bengals at Texans
A playoff win for either the Houston Texans or Cincinnati Bengals would have been a feel good story given both teams’ histories. While the 31-10 Texans victory was certainly fantastic for the organization and its fans, it doesn’t change the fact that most of the game was ugly as hell! This one was sloppy for both teams for quite some time, but finally, ...
17 tags
No Bull: Miami Dog Ban Nearly Kept Star Pitcher...
Pitcher Mark Buehrle found himself between a rock and a hard place when it came time to sign his name on the dotted line in Miami. Before agreeing to a four-year, $58 million dollar contract with the Marlins in December, the lefty had to figure out how he and his family could move to South Florida because of a law banning various breeds of Pit Bulls in Miami-Dade County,...