DSRTSV! 12/19/08

Happy Birthday Manny Pacquaio, you're 30!

Now go have a ridiculous party...

Freedom Friday Daily "Linkin' Logs" (12/19/08)

The Teixeira Bonanza isn't really going as planned for...well...anyone. And frankly I don't get it. MLBTR has the confusing updates involved, but last night the Red Sox, led by Owner John Henry, met with Tex and little was resolved. Henry's dubious response after meeting with Boras and his client in Vegas was:

"We met with Mr. Teixeira and were very much impressed with him. After hearing about his other offers, however, it seems clear that we are not going to be a factor."

Ok...Who the fuck is offering more?

• Rumor has it the Sox offered no more than $184 over 8 years - $23 million a year
• The LA Times Mike Digiovanna claims the Angels offered 8 years and $175 million - roughly $22 million a year
• Yesterday morning the Sox has the highest offer on the table...I still surmise its the $23 million per year deal and the Sox have no desire to go to $25 per ($200 mil).
• As of Wednesday the O's appeared to be out of it though the O's GM Andy MacPhail claims the Orioles have flexibility"...whatever that is.
• And that brings us to this: SI's Jon Heyman claims the Nationals may be at the $200 million mark. Are they really the highest bidder?
  

No one knows, but it seems plausible. I find it hard to believe that given all we've heard about Tex wanting to play near his hometown in Maryland that he'd reject a ridiculously high offer from a team in the area or even attempt to get another (competitive) squad to compete against them...then again, maybe he realizes that playing in Boston or New York (my presumed landing spots) would be just as advantageous as Baltimore. Or maybe he just really wanted to be an O and not a Nat (seems more plausible).

• The Sports Guy ranks his NFL clubs...still a jackass... But here's the part I hate about the Simmons expose:

  Here's the theory I'm buying: The Eagles caught the Cards on a cross-country Thanksgiving trip 96 hours after their previous game, then a rattled Giants team right after Cheddar Plaxgate, then a putrid Browns team on Monday night. Now they're catching the Redskins right as they're quitting on their coach. That's four straight totally explainable wins. Do not get reeled in by Philly for that Week 17 home game against Dallas. I am warning you right now.

  Well, let's do what I like to call, journalism.
  
  • December 2007: Philly 10, Dallas 6
  • December 2006 (the Christmas Day - T.O. Game): Philly 23, Dallas 7
  • December 2005: Oh you thought this would be a loss be...Philly played Dallas on November 14th.
    
  • December 2004: Philly 12, Dallas 7
  • December 2003: Philly 36, Dallas 10
  • December 2002: Philly 27, Dallas 3
  • December 1999: Philly 10, Dallas 20
  The point is, Andy Reid's Eagles are 5-1 versus Dallas in December, with that one being his first year with a shit squad. This team gets up for Dallas. You can feel the buzz in the city. Moreover, if its for a playoff spot, and its in Philly, you can't tell me they don't have a shot. Oh...and who have fluke 5 game winning streaks?!?!
  
• No Elton...actually...No Problem. I have a feeling the Sixers will find their winning edge with Brand out. That being said, they still need to factor his 20-10 in at some point and this injury is just a delay in that transition.
  
• Ever wonder how much that Raiders game meant to Matt Cassel, Rawbeezeits of AGM has more.
• AA throws more fuel on the Simmons-ESPN Conspiracy fire. This time its a dig at Rick Reilly. That being said, Reilly sucks ass and Simmons is probably right.
  
• A LeBron James sitcom? Really?
• EC's Top 10 Gambling realizations...
• And finally, the Kings are retiring the jerseys of both Vlade Divac and C-Webb. Well, I guess you gotta retire a jersey sometime...But the predecessor to Manu Ginobli and the guy who banged Tyra Banks? Eh? Ok sure...
  

DSRTSV! (12/18/08)

Sorry, forgot it yesterday. I'll be sure to post another later today...

Sure, not even the Hawks could stop the C's spic winning streak, but Josh Smith still posterized Kendrick "it's all swoll" Perkins

An Abusive 10 Things I Think Smell Like Shit

Lots of interesting topics and frankly some of them are kind of disturbing and serious

1. Brian Giles pulls a "Brett Myers." Not exactly the public punching/hair pulling that happened in Boston with Myers, but Brian Giles's girlfriend (we're guessing former) is suing the Padres outfielder for numerous beatings, attacks and general unmanliness. She also claims Giles hit her while pregnant and caused the miscarriage of the couple's child. I'm not sure how criminal charges weren't involved (maybe they were), but a series of abuse by a ballplayer finally leading up to a lawsuit (civil) instead of criminal action strikes me as suspicious. And then of course...there's evidence. So it appears as though Giles's slump will extend beyond last year.
   
2. Mindy's meltdown. Apparently Roger Clemens's former lover attempted suicide yesterday. The whole issue wreaks of confusion, desperation and sadness. The Roger Clemens destruction parade is just crushing lives left and right...good for him...
3. Deadspin - King of the Simmons Conspiracy. One of the more fascinating writers around is indeed Bill Simmons. For better or for worse, the guy's an entertaining writer (or at least he steals the good stuff) and does know a lot about Boston sports and the eras, much like I do about Philadelphia or perhaps others do about their respective home regions. But over the last year or so, Deadspin has surmised that a rift has grown between its elite non-specific writer and the WWL. The most recent one is indeed a total crock of shit by my estimation but not without its own value...that the ESPN Ombudsman has imposed some type of rulebook and Simmons is a bit perturbed if not concerned over it. His assertions are valid by my estimation but more importantly, for better or worse, Simmons is one of us. He is/was a blogger. A writer of his own volition and one that may have to play by ESPN's rules more so than is own. I'm essentially free to write what I want and so is any other blogger. To stifle Simmons is a dig at the blogosphere and proof that old media and new media are destine to keep clashing for years.
4. Of Auburn and Racism. If you haven't heard, there's been ideas tossed around that race was the primary motivation behind not hiring Turner Gill and instead hiring Gene Chizik. Now, I'm confused by the whole thing myself, but it certainly wreaks of a little shit. Sir Charles's (an Auburn Alum) statements are certainly the most damning, but I think the outward theory that this hire was entirely racially motivated seems almost impossible. Maybe I'm wrong, but we've seen coordinators come out of no where to get hired before. With Chizik being a former Tiger coordinator himself, maybe Auburn had plans before the interview process even began? Or maybe they're just a bunch of rednecks?
5. And then there's Joe Paterno. This man is going to die on the sidelines. I've been waiting (not anxiously...I'm not a weirdo) for the odd news break to claim that good ole JoePa (A Penn State folk hero, now) has died...during practice. You can't tell me this isn't going to happen. This guy is football. He loves the game. But more importantly, he loves his players and his college. He wants each and every one of them to succeed...at life. And for that, this man should be revered.
   
6. Its time for a playoff. When the BCS Bowls are named and Bowl season times, it means one more thing: Playoff talk. And while its been discussed ad nauseum, its still valid. If Division 1-AA (and Divisions 2 and 3), the NFL and the Arena league can do it, why can't D-1A? There's so many ways to go about it, so many ways to continue the old Bowl system regardless and so many ways to increase marketing and money making. I'd even argue that its actually more beneficial to the game, interest and to the money-hungry big conferences. So what is a Boise State wins 1 game over Oklahoma...the odds of them making it to a semi-final or final are still slim to none. And even if one game is a clunker as far as attendence of home fans (which I still doubt), don't forget the other 7 games for the first round!
7. Goodbye to this shitty place. People rarely uttered a peep when they blew up the Vet, but why is Texas stadium being revered. The place is a shithole. It has a stupid hole in the roof and houses the Cowboys. Just blow the friggin' thing up already
8. Mets swindled my Madoff. Considering all the charities ripped off by this guy, I don't feel too bad for the guy who owns the Mets. Sad part is, it didn't even effect their payroll; talk about financial stability. Me's thinks Wilpon is still oozing with cash
9. Marshall Faulk, The Dallas Media, and Jason Garrett's free pass. And Marshall is right. While most local media outlets don't necessarily try to damage the team (or bite the hand that feeds), the Dallas media goes so far as to support the team. And that's disgusting. Its a fraudulent way to do business and only goes to enhance the bullshit that is "America's Team." What a crock of shit.
   
10. And this one doesn't stink. RIP Sammy Baugh. And I mean this in the nicest way possible. Goodbye to one of the greats who changed the game it made it what it was today...even if he was a Redskin...
    

DSRTSV! 12/17/08

My fellow BNB cohorts provided the activity for today, while I was stunningly busy. Very stifling. I will put up the "10 things..." tomorrow in lieu of some links (I know, skipping two, I'm tired).

Anyways, Mike Van Ryn can't catch a break...

Steelers, Titans to Play for Home-Field Advantage

He has done it, Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin has taken his team to the playoffs for the second straight season after clinching the AFC North division and a first round bye with a controversial win over Pittsburgh's fiercest rival. The Baltimore Ravens are, of course, that fierce rival I just mentioned. Despite being down nearly all four quarters of the game, the 11-3 Steelers defeated the 9-5 Ravens, 13-9 this past Sunday in Baltimore. I will be one of the first to admit the refs blew the call on the lone touchdown of the game (with under a minute remaining). Wide receiver Santonio Holmes' feet were in the end zone, but the ball was not, which is the most important thing. The ball must break the plane and it didn't. But, nonetheless, the Steelers picked up their 11th win and yet another playoff appearance. Tomlin clinched his second playoff berth in his second season as an NFL head coach. Quite an accomplishment, if you ask me.

Both offenses in Pitt/Bal's matchup played horrificly, turning the ball over several times. Rookie Qb Joe Flacco looked cool under the pressure of the number one defense in the NFL, for a while anyway. It didn't take long for the front seven to rattle Flacco up, and he was picked off twice in the game, the second INT clinched the win for Pittsburgh in the 40-degree weather.

You can cry and complain all you want if your Baltimore, but that isn't going to change the outcome. The best thing for Baltimore is to move on and prepare for their Saturday night matchup with the playoff-hungry Dallas Cowboys. This game will make or break the season for both teams involved. We will get to see what Flacco is made of when he goes up against the NFL's sack leader, DeMarcus Ware, who is 3 1/2 sacks shy of Michael Strahan's single-season sack record of 22 1/2.

As for Pittsburgh, Coach Tomlin and his crew will be put to the test once again on Sunday, December 21st when the top-ranked defense will face off with the run-oriented offense of the Tennessee Titans. Head coach Jeff Fisher has made it his priority to play smash-mouth football--running the ball down the opponents throat and packing a mighty punch on defense. Tennessee's backfield consists of powerful running back, LenDale White and the elusive rookie Chris Johnson, who was selected to this year's AFC Pro Bowl roster. According to White, the explosive duo is the original smash and dash. In other words, White claims he came up with Carolina Panthers' RB's DeAngelo Williams and rookie Jonathan Stewarts nicknames of "Smash" and "Dash," and they stole the idea from him. Either way, the duo of the vet and the rookie will give Pittsburgh a run for their money, especially if Pittsburgh can't get their running game going early and often.

The winner of the heavily-anticipated game will likely determine the number one seed in the AFC playoffs. Meaning they are playing for home-field advantage throughout the playoffs, and will most likely play all their starters despite already being in the playoffs.

Yes, it is week 16 starting tomorrow night when the wild card hopeful Indianapolis Colts, 10-4, play their fifth out of the team's six divisional games, against the disappointed Jacksonville Jaguars (5-9). Peyton Manning is almost certain to have another big fantasy day on his way to leading the Colts to their 11th win and a playoff berth.

A Colts win would mean the Ravens, Dolphins, Jets and Pats (depending on week 16 outcomes) are all competing for the last playoff spot. Two of the four teams, all of which are having solid seasons, would be left out of the picture come January (since one of the three named AFC East teams would finish the season with the division title). Who will it be? Well, we have yet to find out if Matt Cassel is capable of leading the Pats to a snowy December win in Foxboro, and the Dolphins and Jets are both on hot streaks (MIA: won 7 of last 8, NYJ: won 7 of last 10), so I'm gonna say the AFC East division will come down to the Dolphins and Jets.

But, Baltimore has also been playing great on both sides of the ball and have won seven of their last nine games. My bold prediction is Indy wins fifth seed with win over Jacksonville, Baltimore wins sixth seed with an 11-5 record and Miami wins out to clinch the East with an 11-5 record.

DSRTSV! 12/16/08

If you didn't see it (or at least the highlights) you missed the awesome upset of Cleveland State over #11 Syracuse at the Buzzer. Here's another quick look at the insanity (Apologies for the quality, but apparently people at Cleveland State have never heard of a TV Tuner...they all just point a camcorder at the TV...I bet the folks at Syracuse have...and just chose not to)

Leftover Tuesday Daily "Linkin' Logs" (12/16/08)

Again, another Monday Night Bust. Now as an Eagles fan, I certainly take solace in the win, but I'll be honest; beyond the first quarter the game was uninteresting...especially to a national base. What it do do was assist in explaining the playoff scenarios, which essentially leave the top four something like this:

1. Dallas Cowboys - Win out and they're in (Baltimore, @ Philadelphia). That being said, they certainly have the toughest remaining schedule, given that Baltimore most likely needs to win out as well to get in and Philadelphia is potentially playing for a birth of its own and/or pride in preventing the Cowboys fromg getting in
2. Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Again, win out and they're in (San Diego, Oakland). Tampa faces the most interesting test. Oakland is a total slouch and easy game, while the San Diego game wreaks of potential upset given the way the Bucs have played the last two weeks. Still San Diego has to travel and the Buc defense is still fairly solid. They appear to have the easiest road into the playoffs
   
3. Atlanta Falcons - The Falcons technically need help to get in, and as state above, they also need to win out (@ Minnesota, St. Louis). Should either the Cowboys or Bucs falter once, the Falcons then move into position to claim a spot. The hitch is Minnesota (9-5) has a 1 game lead on Chicago (8-6) and also has the Giants in week 17. Should the Giants lose to Carolina and fall to 11-4, Minnesota has a chance to overtake the second seed and a bye by beating them (tying their record and having the head-to-head tie breaker). So Minnesota has plenty of incentive to win. Their running attack could crush Atlanta, but their quarterback (Tavaris Jackson), regardless of his four TD game, is still a huge question mark.
4. Philadelphia Eagles - The Eagles are essentially in the same position as the Falcons and they also have two tough games that they must win (@ Washington, Dallas). Fortunately, by virtue of defeating Dallas in week 17, the Eagles move up (and everyone else) one spot. And therefore, they need one loss, by either Tampa or Atlanta to assume the 6th seed (and if both lose, the 5th). It may appear that they're in the worst position of the four, but its basically the same as Atlanta's and I'd argue the Cowboys is worse (they have the two toughest games by far).
   
5. Chicago Bears - The most improbable of playoff births, Chicago needs tons of help and also must win out (Packers, @ Texans). Then they need three of the following four things to happen: A) Cowboys lose to both Baltimore and Philly, B) The Falcons to lose to Minnesota and and St. Louis, C) The Bucs to lose to San Diego and Oakland, or D) The Eagles to lose once to either Dallas or Washington. Of course, this can be alleviated by Minnesota losing out (Atlanta, New York Giants) and Chicago winning out, thus giving them a one game lead. I'd argue this is Chicago's best chance.
6. New Orleans Saints and Washington Redskins - Technically speaking, they both can get in contingent on winning out, but its almost impossible. They need four of the five teams above to lose out in order to get in and some other weird instances. Its essentially impossible.
   

In a nut shell, Tampa and Dallas have the easiest paths (i.e. control their own destiny), but Atlanta probably as a solid shot at the sixth seed. Philly needs some help and unless Minnesota loses out, I don't see Chicago getting in. Should be a fun two weeks...

• Carl Peterson resigns as the Chiefs GM...Probably because that team has perpetually sucked ass for years (though they have had their occasional explosive team). This can't bode well for Herm "You play to win the game!" Edwards.
  
• The Phillies made a few subtle moves, keeping Jamie Moyer and adding Chan Ho Park. The Park deal is one year at $2.5 million that could reach $5 million with incentives. The Moyer deal is believes to be as much as $20 million, most likely based on some incentives (I surmise innings pitched, as his previous deal was).
  
• After news of the Angels 8 year offering over the weekend, it appears the Red Sox have made their own 8 year contract offering. Tim Dierkes at MLBTR cites Michael Silver of the Boston Herald in the possibility that the deal could be worth more than $170 million and perhaps close to $200.
• In some other stunning developments, Rafael Furcal is expected to go back to Atlanta and Jake Peavy is now going to stay in San Diego...for now.
• Chase Utley appeared before the Philadelphia media yesterday to address things from his surgery to his now infamous parade speech. He plans to be ready for opening day, though the Phils are more pessimistic, expecting Eric Bruntlett to fill in for about a month. And he had this to say about his World Series speech:

  "That was definitely an emotional day that we all had," Utley said. "That drive down Broad Street to the park was one of the best days of my life. I imagine for a lot of Phillies fans it was the same. I could have used different words to express myself. At the time, I didn't. I tell all kids not to use that word. If they're 29 and they win the World Series, I think they can say that. But I definitely would say to all the kids out there, 'Kids, it's a bad word. Don't say it.' And I'm dead serious."

  Is there any doubt this guy won't be in Philly (and a hero) for his entire career?
• Jared Allen believes in Karma...which is ironic given his thoughts regarding Carl Peterson.
• Someone at the LA Times refered to Northeastern Alum Jose Juan Barea as a "Mexican Smurf" - Man that paper is alllll classssss. For the record, JJB is not 6 feet tall...oh and he's Puerto Rican...If I remember correctly...Mayaguez is his home town.
• And finally, EC's DMt gives us the top 11 key sports moments in a fans life...